Told you guys I'd get chapter two up soon (i just had to finish up some school work and now i am offically DONE until Finals! HA-LAY-LU-YA!!!) This chap only took me one day to write! Its a small chap though.
As promised you will be introduced to the Gargoyles--or should i say Grigori in this chapter! LOL.
Warnings: As I said, before this story will be Tendershipping that means boyxboy love and slight mobiumshipping, though that will be a SIDE pairing only. Also since I'm sticking to a lot of the main themes of the original story this will also have some religious themes going on such as the hypocrisy of the church, social injustice ans other stuff. As I've said before I'm catholic sticking to the traditional religion of France (both traditional and Modern France--you pick the time period it doesn't matter to me), any religion in this will be based of Catholicism, so just throwing that out there, not to offend anyone (cuz trust me NOTHING pisses me off mroe that lying, two-face hypcorite who use Religion and God to justify their evil ways--not only is is a sin its immoral and gives good people a bad name) Just throwinf that out there since there will be a religious issue in this chap, technically--angels.
DEDICATIONS: This story is dedicated to my BPS forum friend Toya who's awesome youtube video inspired this fic! You rock girl! Also Extra-special thanks and dedicates to my new friend Chicary (who i affectionatly nicknamed Chi) for agreeing to be my beta for this project for not only doing an awesome jon but getting this back to me so fast. You're amaizng girl! And I love our conversations!
Disclaimer: Yugioh and all its characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi, who i love, idolize and respect FAR too much to try and steal his work from. The hunchbakc of Notres Dame, including the disney version are based off the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo. No idea where the theory of the Grigori come from, but I don't own that later though i am taking a creative license. I won nothing but the plot, the idea and since I'm using a creative license anything not in the original story is mine.
As always read, review, critique, comment and ask questions! I love than that Enjoy!
Chapter Two: Grigori
Alone in the tower, the infant now named Ryou Glory, though he was ignorant of what it now meant for his destiny, looked at his new surroundings. The room was small, and made of stone with only two doors, one leading towards the staircase where Marik brought him, the second opened to the wooden stairs, leading to the enormous bells of Notre Dame. The stone circular room was like a prison tower, with only a small window to let light and sound in, but anything that might enter has to fight past the baroque gargoyles and stone gryphons outside. The structure of the room had been built specifically for a bell ringer, for the sole purpose of protecting the delicate human ears from the deafening sound of the bells when they rang each morning.
But all he saw was a dark room, and no one to hold him. The newborn shivered in the cold, the stone tower provided; the light cloth he was wrapped in did little to protect him from the winter cold, since the bishop has taken his cloak with him. The baby shook and shivered uncomfortably, not liking his new surroundings and wanting the warmth of his mommy. Unsure of how else to ask for help, he cried.
Violet eyes snapped open at the foreign sound echoing in his hears. He shook his head, scattering a mass of amethyst tipped, black hair and lightning shaped golden bangs everywhere. Once he confirmed the noise was real and not a dream, he blinked curiously. He tried to sit up only to find himself pinned in place by two sets of arms. He growled and shifted, until he managed to pull his bronze wings free from the restriction position. The feathered appendages flapped themselves vigorously, attempting to work out the joints they acquired while sleeping.
Carefully, he pulled himself free from the rich bronze and caramel arms of his fellow Grigori and lovers and managed to pull himself into a sitting position.
"Yami?" He gently shook the Grigori on his left. The taller boy shifted and wrapped his arms tighter around Yugi's waist pulling him closer; Yugi squealed. "My Yugi." He mumbled in his sleep. Noticing the one he'd been holding was missing, Atem, the oldest of the trio, shifted closer to try and pull his missing lover closed to him. Growling in frustration, Yugi, wrenched himself free from Yami's waist, and jumped onto the rim of the large cradle that served as their bed, suspended in the air by four thick chains to the ceiling.
He watched as his two lovers huddled closer together and resisted the urge to shiver at the cold air that seeped through the open buttresses of the bell tower and down to the large stone room beneath the wooden stairs that led to the bells. Once he was satisfied his mates were safe, the smallest of the Grigori leapt into the air silently and let himself gently fall to the ground: his wings having slowed his speed like a parachute.
The sound instantly got louder, like a piercing wail of a banshee. Yugi backed himself against the wall and began weaving his lithe frame through the wooden beams of the stairs and platforms keeping the tower strong. He always found it ironic, how despite being made of stone, the interior of the bell tower was wood. It was no wonder they stopped ringing the four bells of the north tower: such a vibration would shake the entire building to its core.
The wailing increased in volume as he approached the room beneath the bell tower. One hesitant step down the staircase after another, and the demanding screams for attention grew louder, the sounds echoing in his ears and making Yugi's heart hammer in his chest in both fear and dread. He reached a shaking hand towards the banister for support, praying he was wrong as the sounds suddenly started to become more recognizable. The stone room did its job blocking the sound, both from entering and leaving.
Finally, he paused as he approached the door at the edge of the staircase, his shaky hand moving towards the handle, his mind screaming at him to back out and up the stairs and enjoy the night snuggling with his mates. Another part of him, however, berated himself for being a coward. A nursery rhyme and how it brought the unfortunate fate of a cat played in his mind as his hand began to slow. Swallowing a lump in his throat he closed his eyes, gripped the metal handle of the door and thrust it open.
The wails hit him like a blow, with such force that he stumbled back before opening his eyes and instantly regretted it. His fears were confirmed when he saw, sprawled out on the cot in the corner of the room, beneath the slit-like window, the source of the wails: a crying infant.
A violent scream of shock and horror ripped from the young watcher's throat and he made no motion to stop it, the piercing screams breaking the stillness of the night and echoing through the bell tower like the wails of a dying banshee. Hands flew to his mouth in shock and dismay. Tears welled in his eyes, threatening to spill uncontrollably and he knew he wouldn't have the will to stop them.
His mind on auto pilot, Yugi bolted across the room and scooped the tiny infant in his arms as gently as he could. The infant was so small and too light. It was like holding nothing. Realizing, the baby boy had nothing to keep him warm except a thin, wet blanket, He carefully unwove the garment from the around the baby, tears welling in his eyes as the baby screamed again, clearly not liking the cold. Rich chocolate orbs opened to meet Yugi's amethyst ones as if to scream 'what are you doing?'
"Shh, it's okay little one, I'm here." He forced a smiled, wrapping his warm wings around him, before, unclipping the pin holding his silk coat to his shirt, leaving him in only a bell-sleeved silk shirt and pants. He carefully wrapped the warm silk around the infant and held him close against his chest, sheltering him from the cold with his heated wings.
His heart did a back-flip when the child stopped crying and looked at him with a cute blink, then he smiled brightly and released a tiny laugh before cuddling against his new guardian's warm chest. Tears cascaded from Yugi's eyes at the sight. Unable to stand any longer, he gently collapsed against the bed and folded his legs underneath them, wrapping his wings around them both.
"Who could leave an infant alone in this dreary place?" He wondered, and chocked a sob, "Yami, Atem."
The sleeping Grigori bolted awake and jumped in shock at the piercing scream that suddenly broke the stillness of the night. Both of them screamed in fright, bouncing so high they stumbled over the opposite sides of their cradle and crashed to the floor beneath them.
"Ow!" Yami hissed, and pushed himself to his knees, while Atem rubbed his sore back and tried to sit up, muttering curses under his breath. At first sight the two watchers looked identical, but upon closer inspection one could see their similarities were limited. Like their youngest lover, they had tri-colored hair consisting of rich black, gold and a shade of purple or red. Both also had sharp eyes and chiseled features, but that was where the similarities ended.
Yami's eyes were rounder and bright crimson. It was a purplish red, brighter then Yugi's violet, but nowhere near the bright scarlet of Atem's. Caramel skin pulled tight over his lean but lithe frame from lack of muscle. His tri-colored tresses bounced gracefully around his head, in elegant spikes, softer and less wild then Atem's jagged locks. His golden bangs spiked upwards forming streaks of gold through his ebony mane.
Atem was taller. His hair, skin and form were darker, leaner and more muscular due to elder status. Like Yami, his golden bangs streaked his black hair, but his tips were blood red as opposed to the amethyst of Yugi and the magenta of Yami's, and was much wilder and stiffer.
But the greatest difference between them was their wings: Atem's wings were enormous, at least twice the size of his height. The feathers shimmered brilliant onyx black specked with flecks of gold, red, and bronze. Yami's own feathered appendages stretched a little longer then his height but were wider, and perfect for gliding, and the color was silvery-black with faded red and gold tips.
Once the two recovered from the fall, their eyes met and they realized the third member of their trio was missing. Yami's eyes widened and meet Atem's without any need for an explanation. "Yugi."
The two Grigori bolted to their feet and flexed their wings, taking to the air, weaving through the labyrinth of the bell tower as best they could, before landing on the staircase. They bolted down the stairs at a break neck speed but Yami leapt over the banister and landed on the lower level. Following Yami's example, Atem flexed his wings and took to the air, crashing into Yami when he froze in the doorway to the chamber beneath the tower.
The elder opened his mouth to demand an explanation but the blank stare of horror on his lover's face froze him. Blood red eyes followed Yami's eyes to the source of his distress. His own eyes budged out of his skull: Yugi sat cross-legged on the cot in the corner, tears streaming from his face, and his wings limp around him. But that wasn't the cause for his shock. It was the squealing, laughing infant Yugi held gently in his arms.
Silence echoed more dreadful then a scream between the three of them. The only thing breaking the deafening muteness was the newborn's squeals of delight as his tiny hands batted at Yugi's feathers and clutched the warmth of his tunic. No one spoke but Yami was the first to recover from his shock and gently strode across the room before landing on the bed next to Yugi, careful not to scare the little one he was holding. Once the baby turned its attention to him, he gasped. The baby had pure, snow white skin, (paler than even Yugi's) making his large, dark eyes vibrate against his face. Like all newborns, his features were soft, rounded and perfectly proportioned. Atop his head, a mass of white fuzz was already beginning to grow, forming a halo around his angelic face.
Turning his attention from his new guardian to the winged-man next to him, the tiny baby blinked, then smiled, and laughed, holding out his arms as if wanting to be held. A small smile graced Yami's face. "He's beautiful, Yugi." He said softly.
"I know." Was all Yugi said before he burst into tears, gently holding the little one closer to him and bunching up as if to hide himself in his wings. Having seen this before, Yami rolled onto his knees and gently stroked the outside of Yugi's wings, relaxing them enough for him to open them. "Shh," he soothed, gently lifting Yugi's chin to face him before tenderly kissing his tears away. "It's alright, Yugi."
"How can this be alright?" Atem, who had yet to move from his position in the doorway, spat. The two Grigori and the newborn turned to him. Atem hadn't moved, but his gaze turned to the floor, his lighting bangs shadowing the anger blazing in his fiery eyes. His hands clenched at his sides and his entire form shook with such fury that some of his loose feathers began to scatter. "Who the hell would leave a newborn up here? Alone?"
"I don't know." Yugi said, shaking until Yami pulled him into his lap and wrapped his arms around him. Yugi lowered his head, giving Ryou the chance to play with his bangs.
"Stay here." Atem ordered before moving towards the window and hoping on the ledge.
"Where are you going?" Yami demanded.
"To find out what's going on." Atem said before jumping outside, flexing his wings and taking to the air, the darkness of his wings blending into the winter night.
"I just don't understand, Yami," Yugi shook his head, tucking one of his bangs behind his ear despite the baby's whine of protest. "Why would anyone leave a baby here?"
"Perhaps the mother was unable to raise him and brought him to the church for sanctuary?" Yami suggested, gently stroking the baby's stomach with his finger, watching the little one squeal and kick in Yugi's arms.
"But then why leave him here?" Yugi protested. "No one comes up here. The bell ringers don't come up here anymore because they don't need the north bells rung. It's deserted except for the three of us and no one even knows we're here."
Yami pondered for a moment, hoping to come up with an answer. No ideas came.
"Not unless someone brought him here and left him."
"But the question is why? And without anything to protect him! The only thing he had on when I found him was a wet blanket! If someone did find him, why did they bring him here?" Yugi questioned, feeling himself shake again. "I mean, look at him, Yami." He said gently, pulling Ryou away so they could both see him. "He's a newborn. He can't be more than a few days old, a week at the most, he's completely helpless! We don't even know if he has a name."
"His name is Ryou Glory." The two jumped, and looked up. Atem was perched in the window, like a gargoyle. He continued, noticing the bewildered expressions on his two mates' faces and continued, hoping down from the windowsill. "I overheard the bishop and the archdeacon talking. The boy was placed on the steps by his mother. She died bringing him here." He said gently, knowing the information would shock them. To his surprise, Yami gasped in horror and Yugi fought back tears. "When the Bishop found him he was going to keep him until he saw him. He said he 'swoons men like a women but he's a boy,' or something ridiculous like that. The Bishop made him his ward." Atem's nails sank into the wood of the windowsill as he leaned against it, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. "He names him Ryou Glory…it's a selfish name." He spat.
"How so?" Yami asked as Yugi gently rocked the baby.
"The Bishop believes Ryou will be his 'glory' or his 'defeat'. He's determined that he be his glory."
Yugi flinched in realization and Yami growled, clenching the dusty blanket covering the cot in rage. "That is a selfish name." He sighed sadly before turning his attention back to the infant who yawned loudly and made himself comfortable in Yugi's arms. A moment later, the newborn was snuggled up tight and sucking on a tiny pink fist, sound asleep.
Atem followed Yami's eyes and felt his anger melt at the sight. He pushed himself off the sill and sat down on Yugi's opposite side, gently stroked the baby's cheek with his thumb. "So," he began. "What are we going to do now?"
"That's a stupid question." Yami snapped, causing his younger and older mate to shift their attention to him, eyes wide in confusion. "What do you two think we're going to do?" Yami asked, jumping to his feet. "We're keeping him."
The two looked at Yami like he'd grown an extra head.
"Don't look at me like that you two. Are we the Grigori of Notre Dame or not? Our job as her Watchers is to protect everyone within her laws under the Law of Sanctuary." Yami replied gesturing his thumb heavenward to emphasize his point. "If Ryou is here under sanctuary, be he the bishop's ward or not, he's still ours to protect. Besides, that kid's gonna need a loving family to show him the ropes."
"Well," Atem thought for a moment. "It would be unorthodox but since we can't have any, maybe it's Our Lady's way of rewarding us for doing a good job." Atem smiled in agreement.
"Of course!" Yugi bounced smiling for the first time that entire night.
"Plus, given the fact Yugi hasn't put him down since he found him I doubt we can pry him away from your now aibou." Yami teased and chuckled at the blush now covering Yugi's pouting face.
Atem chuckled as well. "Well then, now that that's settled, let's leave this musty place and get back to bed." Ruby eyes wondered around the dark room: walls caked in dust, freezing draft leaking in through the window, tiny cot not fit for anyone in the corner and not even a bureau. No, it was not the place for their little one. That needed to change. "We'll work on his room tomorrow." The two nodded and flexed their wings, not having the strength or energy to walk back up the stairs. Once settled back in their cradle, Yugi rearranged Ryou in his arms so the little one was half wrapped in the blanket and secured in a bed of his own. He was suspended in the air just above the end of their bed so if he needed anything, he was within easy reach and safe if any of them rolled over during the night.
"Good night, little one." Yugi smiled, kissing Ryou's forehead before crawling back to the head of the bed and snuggling down next to Atem and Yami. Emotionally exhausted from the night's events, the three collapsed in a dreamless sleep.
None of them were able to shake the foreboding dread that their tiny angel's struggle had barely begun.
XD Bet you guys never saw that coming! I hinted it in the warning but I bet you never thought Yami, Yugi and Atem would be the gargoyles, or Grigori in this case.
grigori are a class of angels, Grigori means literally "Watcher", the belief is that after the rebelion/fall of lucifer when God closed the gates of Heaven, the angles were trapped on earth and technically declared fallen, but since they had not joined allgiances with the Devil, the weren't demonic, so the were renamed Grigori and became, quite iterally Guardian angels, who showed humanity the arts, sciences etc. Since Notre Dame is a powerful (spiritually) catholic church, Notre Dame means literally "Our Lady" named after and in honor of the Virgin Mother, so i felt it makes sense that there would be Grigori within the cathedral to protect ti and ensure the Laws of Sanctuary--which declares that anyone within the chrurchs's walls is safe from harm.
Also, i forgot to mention this last chap, I did research on Ryou's name specifically for this sroty and the Kanji for Ryou's name means "complete, or fulfilness" Therefore his complete name would mean complete glory. by giving him this name Marik basically said his only purpose in life is to be Marik's complete and total glory or salvation, hence why everyone claims this to be a selfish name. Just wanted to clear that up.
As of now i'm not sure how fast i will get the chapters up since I'm working on my Dragon Rose story art the moment and my puzzleshipping stories All I ever Wanted and Morning Star as well. That and I need to plan out where the plot will go from here in reference to both the movie and the novel. Wish me luck