Chapter VIII: Topsy turvy land part IV

Nozomi screeched in fright as this thing whatever it was, had stuck on dead to her face fast like super glue!

"Get it off me! Get it off!" She shouted loudly as she ran around blindly.

As she ran around she had her eyes firmly closed as not wanting to look into the things shiny eyes, running she could feel it's claws in the sides of her head causing horrible pain. Grabbing blindly with her hands she tried to force the thing off of her.

She found that it was surprisingly soft and furry to her touch and even light… like a? Thinking this thought the pain was suddenly gone all at once, as the things claws had retracted from her skull. She had managed to pull it off of her!

"Ha I got-"

But she was stopped dead when more pain suddenly arrived in the form of a banister, she'd ran smack into it! After a moment of painful silence she her fell backwards in a daze, lying on the floor she was sure she could see stars in the sky as a dizzy smile laid on her face.

The thing in her hands then jumped out of them as it landed over her head and stood on the floor. Nozomi was barely conscious as she heard a male voice speak up in a show of triumphant, "that'll show ye, ye wussy!"

Blinking slightly from this comment and shaking her head, Nozomi was then fully conscious as she looked on upwards bending her head back as she continued to lie on the floor. Her vision was upside down and she quickly became shocked as she said" it's a… it's a… Midget?"

For she looked on in dismay expecting something more ferocious. But instead what she saw was a little black and white cat with a little red cape on its shoulders. It had the same coloured boots along with a little golden crown upon it's head, it had it's arms folded as it looked down at her, seemingly with annoyance.

"Don't be callin me a midget ye old Banshee!" He said cross as he swung his arms around expecting a fight.

At this comment Nozomi snapped, she suddenly got up as her rage came erupting! "Don't you call me a banshee you midget!" She shouted angrily at the little feline.

" I'll give ya a right old smack or two more and you'll be-"

"Cait-sith that is enough!" A soft female voice cried out.

At this both Nozomi and the little cat turned around to where the voice came from, the female keyblader looked in surprise while the cat in concern spoke out almost in a whining voice, "but yer highness!"

Turning once again she looked down at him and as she digested what the cat had said, she turned back to the shadows as she asked aloud in surprise, "your highness?"

With that said from the darkness appeared a young girl, she had short blonde hair that covered the right hand side of her face. It revealed only her left eye that was a beautiful shade of violet, she also wore an embroided vest with a crown-like necklace. She was also wearing a long embroided sleeve on her left arm and a short glove on her other hand with the same soft patterns. Instead though of having a skirt or a long dress like any normal princess, she wore shorts with a crown belt over skirt and on each of her legs she was wearing red ribbons. Finishing off the whole outfit she was wearing pink and lilac shoes on her feet.

Nozomi was mesmerised as the girl looked at her with a soft beautiful smile, "good day" she spoke as she greeted her.

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Riku was at that moment searching for a way to get into the cathedral, for he had searched over the whole now deserted area of the town square. He had summarised that there was only place left she and that gypsy lady could have gone to to hide.

But it was harder for him than he imagined, for now the place was being guarded heavily by soldiers, "darn it…" he breathed angrily as he watched them continue to patrol.

Suddenly though as he spoke those words, he was pulled from behind and as he let out a slight gasp, he was quickly silenced by a familiar white glove. Looking he then saw that it was king Mickey!

Riku stared in surprise as the mouse king gently removed his hand from him, Mickey then pointed as he indicated to an alleyway. Riku seeing it nodded as they both quickly and stealthily made their way over to it.

Once inside it, they made sure no others were watching or listening. Quiet until they both finally felt secure, Riku spoke with a slight nod, "your majesty!"

The king looked at him as he spoke, "I was worried I wasn't gonna be able to find ya again! The commotion here in this place practically reached the rooftops."

"Rooftops?" Riku asked, "Is that where you were watching from all this time?"

His majesty then nodded, "yeah I saw it all… and I think now we know what we've got on our hands…"

Riku saw again his saddened look and remembered the information he'd been told earlier, " do you where it's got to now?" He asked him.

Looking up again the king spoke once more, "well for now I can say it's in a secure enough spot… so we just have to wait." Finishing he then turned and looked again at the grand cathedral, as the rain continued to pour down making a dismal atmosphere.

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Walking forward the young girl had picked up Cait sith and now holding him in her arms, she looked at Nozomi again still smiling, "I am sorry for my friend's behaviour he was only acting on my best interests… he truly isn't bad."

"Majesty…" Cait sith spoke again sadly as he looked up at her.

The girl shook her head slowly at him a little, as Oralee looked up again at Nozomi she continued to speak to her, "so I apologise for the injuries and-"

She was then cut off as she saw the look on her, for her face looked really strange, she seemed to be dazzled by something, "uh are you-?"

"Beautiful!" Nozomi excited voice spoke out loudly, with that she suddenly ran over and grasped Oralee's hands, "I can't believe it! I'm really meeting a real princess!"

The girl looked at her oddly as she then replied with an embarrassed smile, " uh ha ha... yeah…?"

Cait sith though was now bitterly annoyed at Nozomi touching his princess; "get yer hands off the merchandise!" With that he kicked Nozomi's face making her release his majesty's hands immediately.

"Ow! Geez what did ya do that for!" Nozomi asked bitterly as she held her face with her free hand, rubbing her nose.

"You don't have no right ta touch her royal highness! She's the thirty second in line to the throne of the Alexandra palace, Oralee Erika!" He spoke angrily as he pointed at Nozomi accusingly. The hairs on his back were standing on end.

Nozomi blinked as she absorbed this information, " thirty second?" She asked.

"Yeah and-" with this Cait sith was stopped in his tracks as he had his mouth quickly covered by Oralee's sleeved hand.

She looked a little annoyed and embarrassed as she did so, then looking up at Nozomi again she laughed aloud nervously, "you know you shouldn't pay him too much attention! He always goes on about silly things like that…"

Nozomi blinked, not really understanding that well what that number was all about, but letting that slip aside she got up and walked over to this princess, "well I don't really know what's goin on with you guys, but at least you're good people from what I can see! So let me make my introduction, I'm Nozomi Tao a…" She paused as she tried to think of a cool title for herself... then suddenly it hit her, "mathematician!"

Oralee blinked at this, but smiling she felt Nozomi's open honesty and kind nature, "pleased to meet you."

Nozomi smiled at the happiness of meeting and making a new friend, when suddenly it dawned on her! "Hey? Have you guys seen a really big person come in here?"

Oralee then asked curiously, "big person?"

Nozomi nodded, "yeah, he was wearing green and um… oh and he had orangey brown hair!"

Hearing the rest of the description Oralee recognised it, who she was talking about, "you mean Quasimodo?" She asked.

Nozomi blinked, "who?"

Oralee then quickly put her hand over her mouth, she shouldn't mention him so casually! As Cait sith stared up at her concerned, she was silent for a moment as she made a long considered thought before removing her hand and answering Nozomi, "… he is the bell ringer of this tower… why is it you want to see him?"

Silent a moment herself as she saw Oralee's reaction, Nozomi looked on down at the floor sadly as she knew the reason why she acted like that. So she just confessed what she wanted to do, "I just wannna apologise… I did something bad and I just wanna say I'm sorry to him."

Looking at her again Oralee could see the sadness in Nozomi's demeanour. She knew and understood that she would mean no harm to the bell ringer, so smiling gently she took a hold of Nozomi's hand with one of her free hands. This made the female keyblader look up at her in surprise as she heard her say, "let us go and find him together then!" With that the princess led her and continued to hold onto Cait sith as the three of them proceeded up the stairs, making it up higher into the tower.

"Quasimodo!" Oralee cried out.

"Hey ya Quassi!" Cait sith shouted out too.

As the two of them guided her, Nozomi continued to look around the place and saw more bells and ropes and in particular she noticed three gargoyle standing statues that were… weird?

She looked up at the banisters and wondered where this Quasimodo could be hiding? She noticed that the sky outside was still stormy and this then made her think back to snowball and the king, 'I wonder how they're doing right now?'

Suddenly she was distracted as she saw something glitter and shine! Stopping dead her hand was released from Oralee's gentle hands as she gazed upon an array of glittering glass. It was dazzling coming upon the many changing colours and shapes as they moved to throw from thin hanging wires.

Oralee was surprised at Nozomi's reaction as she watched her move over to Quassi's table. As the female keyblader got closer she was now even more in awe! As she was looking at not just wonderful glass chimes but now an entire model of the town square! As she looked on amazed at the little wooden people that had been created and the wonderful details of the background there was only word to describe it all, "amazing!" She cried out.

"Re- really?" A shy inquisitive voice asked from above.

Nozomi then looked up as she recognised that voice! She smiled as she beamed up to him and said hoping to hear him again, "yeah it's absolutely fantastic!"

She then heard more shuffling as she realised that the guy was above her in the banisters!

"Do you make these things all the time?!" She asked again as she moved to where the sounds were moving.

"Yeah I do!… It's uh… my hobby," he spoke again.

"It's a great hobby! Is it okay if I can see you? I'd like to say something to you!?" She asked him sounding really eager.

There was silence as the shuffling sounds stopped, it was silent for a few moments as Nozomi waited for his decision to be made. Then suddenly there was an almighty thump as there about a few feet ahead of her, he landed! She recognised the hair and the eyes as well as the clothes as he turned and looked at her quietly. Proceeding forwards slowly and gently she reached her hand out to him, it was obvious that he was scared of her. She wanted to be reassuring to him.

Closer and closer she approached slowly as she enclosed the gap between them. Once again taking her hand out she took out one of grand palms as she shook it gently smiling.

He looked on amazed at her as she told him truly happily, "finally I can say it to you! Hello and sorry!"

Then suddenly as she had said those words, another familiar face appeared behind Oralee, as Esmeralda had climbed up the stairs too. She stared on at the sight before her quietly with amazed eyes too. But then she smiled gently as she too went over to talk to Quasimodo.