Dark Guardian

A/N: okay, so it's been a while since I last wrote, college is been good, and I've gotten through first semester. Now it's time to start writing again. I have decided the Dark Guardian series is going to become a serial. After this story, there will be a prequel book, explaining the origin of the Dark Guardian. Oh and chapter two takes place with the meeting of Phoebus and Frollo, skipping Frollo's meeting with Quasimodo, plus a few other important things, which I think you'll find out.

Chapter Two: Ignorance and Clouded minds.

Frollo stood in his inner sanctum, thinking. Quasimodo was now 20 years of age, and the Gypsy vermin were beginning to become a greater problem then ever before, Quasimodo was of their breed, but he was loyal to Frollo, because Frollo had made sure of it, Rolf, the archdeacon of the church where Quasi resided in the bell tower, disproved of Frollo's method's at controlling the boy, but didn't raise a hand, though Frollo knew that he'd have to tread carefully, if an Angel were watching over Quasimodo, then perchance he would have to act sooner and seal his pact.

A messenger came in, a young man, who had been stationed on the front for a long time, "Sir," he said, "Today is the Festival of Fools, just thought you'd like to know."

Frollo grimaced, as a functionary of the state; he was required to attend matters such as this, "Thank you messenger," he said, "Anything else?"

The messenger nodded, "Captain Phoebus has arrived sir, as requested he has come to meet you."

"Send him in," said Frollo.

Captain Phoebus was a young man of 25, and a captain at that young an age, also from what Frollo could tell, very moldable, and if all went well, another man to add to his collection of "loyal" officers. Frollo loved God, but he had started feeling that the true power came from the Son of Darkness, and had hence when he discovered that power, sold a portion of his soul, Frollo could control minds and make others do his bidding, and with Quasimodo…….that was a subject that was for the moment not to be discussed. He had been successful when Quasi was at a young age, but now that he was reaching manhood, it was almost as if somehow Quasi knew what he was doing and had trained his mind not to listen to the dark powers that Frollo used.

Phoebus walked in and bowed, "Greetings sir," said Frollo.

"Greetings father," said Phoebus, "I had orders to see you when I returned from war, and I am here."

"Yes," said Frollo, smirking, but keeping it hidden, "Today in Paris alone there are many camps of Gypsies, they are a plague on my city and I want to be rid of them, but I cannot move openly against them, I want to know their hiding spot, but first there is the Festival of Fools that I must attend."

"Ah yes," said Phoebus, "I've heard so much about it, I've heard it's the only you actually venture and are part of the people, and make merry, no disrespect meant in any way or form sir." Added Phoebus as an afterthought.

Frollo nodded, he understood, there were many out there who felt that Frollo was too old, but in all reality, Frollo wanted the power, and when he had the power, he could rule the world, he needed Phoebus's help for that.

They left; in an alcove, above them in the same room, the angel creature looked and scowled, there was more to Frollo then he had first thought 21 years ago, this man was indeed dangerous, it was time to visit the trio.

Appearing, he watched as the three gargoyle spirits tried convincing Quasimodo not to go, but being as stubborn as he was, Quasimodo left, disguised. Wincing, they watched as he fell through into a tent then, disappeared into the crowd.

"You let him escape?" asked Gonias, "You know very well that Frollo never wanted him to make an appearance in public!"

"I know, I know," said Laverne, the only female gargoyle she was basically the brains of the bunch, "But he is so determined, and I think the power that Frollo wields is starting to no longer affect the boy."

"Even so," said Jules, "There is no way to know what the outcome will be if there is ever a confrontation like the one that nearly occurred this morning, Frollo hates us three because we're the only three left of the stone guardians, but he can't get rid of us because then the guardians would know his true power and they could move against him."

"You really think that he will make a pact with the devil and try and take over the world?" asked Gonias, "Frollo doesn't seem to be the type to do that."

"You know that he wants to destroy the gypsies," said Laverne, "Quasimodo is gypsy born, but church raised, he knows in his heart, but the blocks placed by Frollo are going to interfere."

"If he let today," said Victor, "then maybe some of them are wearing off."

Suddenly there was singing and dancing, and all four guardians looked down, and Gonias grimaced, "This is a lot worse then we expected, he's been crowned King of Fools!"

Laverne sighed, "Frollo is down there with his new guard, and Phoebus seems to take a liking to his boss, yeah, the kid is going to get it."

Gonias nodded, but then looked up as if getting an idea, "Not if I can help it," he said as he disappeared.

Gonias may have been the eldest guardian human on earth, but the three gargoyle spirits technically outranked him because they were born of earth. Overall, the guardians didn't have much power, but if they were to combine forms, they could do some damage.

Appearing in the crowd, Gonias waited for the inevitable to happen, the bunch of weirdo's bearing the seat thing that Quasimodo was in, was approaching the dais where Quasimodo was to be placed upon. Then the inevitable that Gonias had foreseen happening, happened. One of the guards threw a rotten tomato at Quasimodo; soon other things were being thrown at him, including ropes to tie him down, and that stirred him up, which meant the one thing that Frollo may have regretted not working on was his passivity training.

Esmeralda stepped out of her tent, and when she saw that Quasimodo was being tortured, she moved up to help him, but was stopped by the guards, at Frollo's digression.

Frollo smiled; finally he had caught one of them, drawn to the pity of the boy who was to be a pawn.

"So gypsy," said Frollo drawing his sword, "You would pollute this boy into your ways?"

Standing tall and firm, Esmeralda smiled, a man like this could never break her, "I will do what I believe is right in the sight of God old man."

Then Gonias strode out of the crowd, like a man on a mission, his sword out, pointed at Frollo.

"Let her go old man," said Gonias, "You'd ruin your plans this early?"

Frollo looked at Gonias, and that's when Esmeralda made her escape, because the guards were busy with looking at me.

Rushing up the platform Esmeralda tore at the ropes with her blade.

"Gypsy Vermin," said Frollo looking at her, "Stop, that is an order!"

"No," said Esmeralda, "I will not stop, because of the injustice that you have put on this world, and those that do your bidding, I will not stop until that injustice is righted!"

Cheers went up from the populace as guards ran after her, but she jumped into the crowd and they swam her above their heads and out onto the street, while the two guards, the same two that had accosted Phoebus earlier jumped into the crowd, only to fall to the ground.

Turning Frollo looked at Gonias, and pulled out his sword, "Who are you, and why do you accost me so on this day?"

"You know who I am Frollo," said Gonias, "You've seen me before, I am here to prevent whatever you will try to do."

Frollo stood back, and Phoebus moved up, pointing his blade at me, "You are not welcome here, get out before I run you through."

Gonias smiled, watching as the havoc around him went on, and as he saw Esmeralda, and from the way that Frollo moved, guessed that he'd seen her too, bad timing, but if she was in the cathedral, there was nothing that he could do, except wait.

Phoebus must have been quicker, because Gonias didn't see him at all, and knowing the look that Phoebus had when he first saw the girl, it was obvious that they'd fall for each other, which was a good thing, useful to Gonias, because someone's life might be spared.

Phoebus had saw the girl disguise herself as an old man and disappear into the cathedral, Frollo was still giving orders so he didn't see the captain go after the girl.

Inside, he crept up on her, but seconds later realized that might have been a mistake, as she turned around and had her goat thump him, then she came at him with a three tier candelabra and all he had was a sword. This was going nowhere.

"You fight just as good as a man," said Phoebus, "maybe even better."

"Funny," said Esmeralda, "I was going to say the same thing."

They stared at each other for a while, with the goat giving Phoebus evil looks.

Then Frollo entered, "Ah Captain," he said, "I thank you for detaining our guest."

Phoebus smiled at Esmeralda and whispered, "Claim sanctuary,"

She looked at him bemusedly, "what?"

"Claim sanctuary," he muttered, "He can't touch you if you're in here."

"Alright," she said, out loud, "Sanctuary, I claim sanctuary."

Frollo started to move in, with guards, but Gonias, now dressed as a priest, along with three or four others moved in to stop him, with Rolf the Archdeacon stepping in.

"You know very well the rules," said the Archdeacon, "She is safe in here till she leaves, then she is yours."

Frollo gave Rolf the evil eye, but Rolf stood his ground, and then Frollo left, ordering his guards to stand guard the perimeter and arrest the gypsy lady if she should leave, but not to harass anyone else."

Phoebus left, with Rolf glaring at him, but giving him an appraising smile, for what he'd done.

"That was a very brave thing that you did today," said Rolf, to Esmeralda, "But you have risked Frollo's wrath."

"And let the boy suffer?" asked Esmeralda, "Where's the justice in that?"

"None," said Gonias, back in his regular attire, "There is justice to those who do their own justice, in helping others, you are brave Esmeralda, but that will be your undoing."

Rolf glared at Gonias, "You and I need to talk…now."

Gonias bowed to Esmeralda, "excuse me milady."

Walking to a corner, Rolf tore into Gonias.

"What were you thinking?" he silently roared, "You realize that you could of upset the balance and things might have gone worse?"

Gonias laughed, his little self assured laugh, "I know what I'm doing," he said, "Frollo can't make his move until he's made his pact, and only then can the events that we know that will take place, take place."

"Why did the Council send you then?" asked Rolf, "If they could just snap their fingers and fix the problem."

"The council did that during the beginning when times were simpler, but events from resurrection have made things harder to fix by a simple eraser movement," said Gonias, "That's why the Guardians are sent out, however I'm the only guardian left in any reality, which means I have a lot of territory to cover, if you hadn't been there when Quasimodo was a baby, he'd be dead, he's reached the age that is suitable for his induction as a guardian of this reality."

"Wait," said Rolf, "Quasimodo is a guardian?"

"Yes," said Gonias, "Frollo saw that, but that was when he first dabbled in the dark arts, he blocked the child's development of his powers, that's partly why the Quasimodo is a hunchback, because of the blockage of power."

"Then…" said Rolf, "What are we waiting for?"

"You're not included in the council's plans," said Gonias "for your own protection and for the benefit of this reality, as the Crème de Grulea, your job is too host the guardian and advise him."

"Speaking of which," said Rolf, handing Gonias a small sphere wrapped in metal, "This arrived via interspace from the council last night, I think it's some sort of power spike."

"More then that," said Gonias, "It's my full power inducement, I told them that I didn't need a full inducement, but they know better, so they gave it to me, but I left it back in my reality."

There was a commotion and in that, Gonias disappeared, Rolf saw that it was Quasimodo who was watching the girl, who'd saved his life, the gypsy girl. Many of those in the church were already berating him for today, and Rolf nodded for Quasi and Esmeralda to get out.

A few hours later, Gonias's spectral image was watching Frollo praying to God, but then something happened, the Red Council, the shapeless ones, appeared, they couldn't sense Gonias, but he was worried, bringing his full body into the area, but staying immaterial, he watched as the Red Council flowed into Frollo, giving him his power that he desired, then Gonias understood, Frollo wanted the gypsy girl, his temptation had hit, and the Red Council had won out.

Frollo stood up, and continued his prayer to God, but it wasn't Frollo anymore, it was dark imbued Frollo ready to start destruction.

Then a messenger came in.

"Sir," said the messenger, "The girl, the gypsy girl, she's escaped."

"Impossible…" said Frollo, but then he thought, "Thank you, round up the guard, we're going to find them."

With that, Gonias moaned aloud as Frollo left, the dark powers were still here, but he could subdue them, concentrating hard, three pentagrams with suppression symbols went up, two on either wall and one on the floor, this may not affect anything yet, but it would later.

Then Gonias disappeared.

End Chapter Two