In which things both literally and figuratively escalate...
It would appear that Sora and Nemurin's rather short heights acted to their benefit, as it meant that seeing them from this distance was nigh impossible, managing to find a comfortable spot at the front, just before the stage on which the jester from earlier stood. Sheppy and Morgana were seated by their feet, looking up with saucer-wide eyes at the stage as they awaited whatever came next, seeming quite comfortable where they were.
The jester sang once more, suddenly appearing behind Frollo's seat, much to his silent outrage. After what was said before, they struggled to keep their laughter inside their chests.
"Come one...! Come all! Hurry, hurry, here's your chance! See the mystery and romance...~" the jester continued, landing on the cobbled ground. The hooded figure from before, who now up close appeared to be perpetually hunched over, stood nearby. "Come one...! Come all! See the finest girl in France, make an entrance to entrance, dance La Esmeralda...DANCE!"
In a puff of smoke, the jester's figure disappeared; replaced by that of Esmeralda's. For a few moments, the pair quietly watched, truly entranced, as Esmeralda weaved across the stage. She was like a flickering flame, her movements smoother than the sea, flourishing a purple cloth as she moved swiftly across the stage. The music pressed on faster, and so did she, eventually culminating in her doing a split; shooting the shy cloaked figure a wink, making him turn his head, hiding his face further. Sparks of enjoyment flickered in Nemurin's heart as she watched; she enjoyed participating as of late, more than she thought she would, she still had her liking for watching the activity of others.
"Ever been to one of these?" Nemurin whispered.
Sora shook his head.
"Me neither...~" Nemurin added.
Slipping a guard's spear, as if from thin air, Esmeralda jabbed it into the floor of her stage, spinning around it until she landed, finishing with a bang. The crowd grew louder as they cheered, clapping and shouting, and Sora and Nemurin applauded too with vigour and smiling faces, them being only two in a crowd of thousands, their bodies veiled in hiding away from their hateful pursuer. A sea of gold coins was flung onto the stage by joyous hands as Esmeralda bowed there on the ground, and even the captain didn't hesitate in giving them - Nemurin suspected they'd probably get on fine.
And yet, buried deep within their loosened pleasure was a heavy black weight that sunk into their guts, comfortable enough for the moment they weren't quite even aware of it being there. Perhaps it was their previous expectation; that if anything was calm, it wouldn't be for long.
And they were right.
The jester appeared once more, still radiating energy akin to a campfire in the night burning on a summer beach, and the audience alongside him could feel excitement rattling within their souls. Soon enough, various figures of various shapes, long, tall, small, wide, all stood in a straight line, wearing bright masks with the visages of monsters, as the jester 'explained' lyrically; "Here it is! The moment you've been waiting for~" he began. "Here it is! You know exactly what's in store; now's the time we laugh until our sides get sore, now's the time to crown?" he put a gloved hand beside his ear, leaning slightly off the stage as though awaiting for his captive audience to finish the sentence for him.
"THE KING OF FOOLS!" the crowd erupted in reply.
"The King of Fools?" Sora whispered to Nemurin with a tilt of the head.
"I guess it's their favourite person for today? It is the Festival of Fools, after all..." Nemurin trailed off with a shrug.
"You all remember last year's king?" the jester asked the audience, gesturing dramatically out towards an opening in the massive crowd; there, being carried on a colourfully painted wooden throne, was a bald man who...Nemurin couldn't quite say for sure if he was like Jehan, but she'd be willing to bet her clouds on it that he probably was, judging by the crooked smile and droopy eyes as he waved out to his 'former subjects', so to speak.
"You know the rules - the face that's the ugliest will be crowned the King of Fools!" the jester proceeded as the pulled the masked figures upon the stage, before turning to the audience once more. "Why?"
"TOPSY TURVY!"
"Y'know, this seems pretty mean..." Sora remarked, lowly.
"Hmhm..." Nemurin nodded, glancing side to side, feeling a sense of anxiety beginning to twist in her once again.
She looked to the right, spotting the man in the cloak; Esmeralda was smiling at him, the same one that had warmed their hearts when she had let them hide in her tent earlier when Frollo's guards were on her and Sora's trail. He seemed to quickly reciprocate, the blue cloak slipping away, now allowing her to get a look at his face. Sora turned around himself, and they both managed a glance; his hair was an auburn, and he wore an off-green tunic, but the most noticeable thing from afar was how he was constantly hunched over, and a bump formed at one of his eyes. To be honest, she hadn't really seen anyone like that before in her life, apart from on the television here and there - news stories and documentaries about people with birth defects and injuries, yet despite the mild sensation that came with seeing any sort of new person in the flesh, all she felt in her was that black pit growing deeper as it lurched into her stomach and pulled hard into the ground, like an aeroplane nosediving smashing towards the ground with no way off.
"Nemu?" Sora spoke up, eyebrows slanted downwards.
"Yeah...?"
"...I've got a bad feeling about this," the brunette admitted, and his eyes most certainly didn't betray him.
"Me too..." Nemurin agreed.
As Esmeralda began to unmask each person on the stage, an array of boos poured out as each one was revealed to be an average person pulling a stupid face, one by one being slung off the stand until only one was left.
"What to do..." Nemurin muttered, trying to think, and quickly too - but by then, it was too late. The crowd suddenly went silent, as all eyes fell upon the hunchbacked man.
"That's no mask!" one audience member pointed out.
"It's his face!" a woman cried out.
"He's hideous!" another woman squealed.
Watching the man pushed Nemurin's foot forward, and Sora's two more, their guts twisting and spinning with rapid guilt; if they had spoken up earlier, or even realised this was going to happen, they might have been able to step in before it got this far. But...they hadn't, and he was now being insulted in front of what looked to be the whole city. What felt like sickness infested their veins and their minds ceased to function as they tried to consider how to approach; whether to grab the man's hand and flee away from prying eyes, or to stand atop and attract Frollo's guards to him as well as the city.
Suddenly, a familiar voice perked up, and sure enough, the silhouette of the jester had appeared once more on the stage, hands raised as if to hush the crowd's unwarranted fears. "Ladies and gentlemen, don't panic!" he called out. "We asked for the ugliest face in Paris, and we've found him, eh?" he began. He then leaned down towards the redheaded man, seeming to be getting his name. "Quasimodo...! EVERY-BODY!"
The fears of the crowd seemed to have dispersed into the floor, as Quasimodo was crowned. In fact, a new sense of vigour and summery excitement seemed to burst out from the citizens as they joined in Clopin's song, repeating joyfully the principles of Topsy Turvy Day as the man was picked up from the stage and towards another, streamers and confetti flying through the air like corks at a graduation party, the men pumping up their fists and hooting for their new king, the women giving flowers and kisses, the children applauding and giggling and running about. And yet, Sora and Nemurin were unsure of how to proceed now.
"That seemed to go by a bit...quick," Nemurin said.
"Yeah..." Sora added, folding his arms as he looked out towards Quasimodo, who even seemed to have shed a tear as he was the centre of what outwardly looked like an adoring crowd.
"It's just...a bit off, I guess...?" Nemurin interjected, scratching her head as she tried to find the words. Obviously, she didn't want to be a killjoy, far from it - if anything she was happy for him, to be receiving such positive attention, but...it seemed...sudden. And now that she thought about it, the 'stage' didn't look much like one at all now.
The surface the 'king' stood atop of was more like a wheel...something wasn't right, and perhaps it never had been, even as the crowd continued to chant, "QUASIMODO! QUASIMODO!"
Truthfully, Nemurin could feel her heart ease a little when she looked at him; his eyes alighted with joy as he was handed a sceptre, as confetti swirled around him rays of golden sunlight, the feeling of being genuinely loved, being...accepted, perhaps, especially when it seemed like he wouldn't be. If they were able to get closer, she'd likely send a flower crown herself, made of sweet dreams.
'Don't end,' Nemurin thought to herself, holding the door for bliss. 'Don't let this moment end,'
But unfortunately, all moments must; and many often crash and burn in a pit of fire and tears, and this one...most definitely did. It was as if an air of darkness had silently been spreading throughout the audience, or perhaps it was simply lurking for the right moment. Nemurin had frozen the moment she saw it happen, and a sharp, choked gasp escaped Sora's chest; someone, who knows who, had thrown a tomato directly at his face. Quasimodo stopped, the glimmer of hope in his eyes cracking as he slowly drew a hand there, pulling away with a sticky, red liquid that dripped to the ground.
Others gasped aloud, and an insufferable voice mocked, "Now that's ugly!"
One after another, the guards in black began to pelt their produce at him. "Hail to the king!"
"No!" Nemurin shouted out, as the voices around her began to rise.
"Stop!" Sora cried, eyes widening in horror.
Quasimodo had slipped as the crowd began to join in, throwing anything they could find, disgusting fruits splattering and dripping all over as sickening laughter spread throughout the square. One eventually even grabbed a robe, tightened it around his neck and slammed him to the ground, even as he tried to struggle, others eventually tying him down and spinning the wheel around and around.
They couldn't take any more of it. Sora loosened himself first, bursting his way forward, not checking to see if Nemurin was still behind him or not, dashing past person after person who hardly acknowledged him amidst their sick game.
"Master...!" Quasimodo called out to an unknown name. "Master, please...! Help me!" he pleaded, desperation trickling in every part of his voice like tears.
Sora looked back one more time, where Frollo was seated, and the sight alone was enough to fill him with disgust. The black-clad minister sat there smirking, turning his head away as Quasimodo pleaded for help from his 'master'. The pit in Sora's stomach was deeper than the Realm of Darkness by now, and his body moved before his mind agreed, which it soon did. It didn't matter if he got caught; he wouldn't let this go on any longer! He forced his way forward through many people, those who had once smiled and applauded and praised Quasimodo as their 'King of Fools' now jeered and mocked him, laughing as he suffered and begged for someone to help him.
No more. He didn't come here to watch people get hurt, he came here to free these worlds from their darkness-induced sleep. Before long, his eyes met Nemurin's as she quickly sped to catch up with him, Sheppy bleating loudly as he caught, Morgana hopping close behind, eliciting a few gasps of what he could only guess to be shock at their peculiarities. It would seem to be a disgusting trend around here.
"Stop!" the two of them shouted out into what felt like the void, until the crowd began to quieten and diverge just as the two met up there by the wheel. They rose up, only to find a familiar face who had the same instinct as themselves. Walking near the steps, between the two of them now, was Esmeralda. Like clockwork, all fell quiet as the three had their attention, Frollo's eyes burning in disdain even from a distance.
"Enough..." Nemurin panted, putting her hand out, shooting a glare at the guards in black who she had tripped only shortly before. They blinked, before their eyes ignited in recognition, looking to Frollo for orders.
"No more!" Sora stood at one side of the platform, Nemurin at the other; his arms were spread out, preventing anyone else from throwing anything else, acting as a human shield. A few whispered amongst themselves, wondering how a boy as young-looking as he had the dare to go up in front of everyone.
Esmeralda stood before Quasimodo now, her eyes glinting gently with what looked to be guilt, as the poor man gazed at her warily, alternating between that and looking to the strangely-dressed figures who shielded his left and right. She had pulled him up onto the stage, which led to him being crowned as the King of Fools...and that had led to this. She loosened her violet shawl from her waist.
"Don't be afraid..." she assured. "I'm sorry...this wasn't meant to happen," the black-haired girl knelt down now, wiping his face of the remnants. He flinched at first, before easing into her kind touch.
A voice like sharp cruelty rippled out through the silence, "You, gypsies!" Frollo pointed at them, glaring daggers through their souls. "Get down at once!" he demanded.
"Yes, your honour," Esmeralda replied. "Just as soon as we free this poor man,"
"I forbid it!"
Before Sora could reveal his Keyblade, Esmeralda revealed a dagger hidden at her thigh, using it to tear through the frail ropes.
"How dare you defy me!?"
"You mistreat this poor boy the same way you mistreat my people, the same way you mistreat even simple visitors!" Esmeralda shouted back, her eyes falling upon Sora and Nemurin behind her. "You speak of justice, and yet you are cruel to those most in need of your help!"
"SILENCE!"
"JUSTICE!" Esmeralda forced her fist through the air, as if breaking a glass roof, and through any ideas of fragility anyone might have had about her.
Sora and Nemurin went to Quasimodo's side, the latter offering him her pyjama-clad hand. His own large one took it, and Sora offered his shoulder, helping him to his feet.
"Mark my words, gypsies - you will pay for your-" Frollo had begun to threaten them; but it was he pointed at them that dark moulds seemed to form upon the cobblestone, birthing a small army of Nightmares. His eyes briefly flickered wide, as the crowd backed away and shrieked shrilly.
"Dream Eaters!" Sora cried out. "You two, get back! We'll handle it!" he said to Quasimodo and Esmeralda, his Keyblade flashing into his hand.
Esmeralda gestured a hand to Quasimodo, which he took. He turned towards the cathedral; "Here, I'll...I'll keep you safe...and...thank you," the redheaded man said, his voice as gentle as a psalm.
Nemurin offered a small, almost sad smile in his direction, her own Spirit readying himself for a fight at her feet. "Of course,"
"Be careful!" Sora warned as the two of them turned for the cathedral.
"AFTER THEM!" Frollo ordered the guards, who quickly followed in pursuit; it would seem the crowd's allegiances had once again shifted, as they all seemed to band together to make their pursuit of Esmeralda as grinded as a snail stuck in dried mud. At the very least, it kept everyone away from the Dream Eaters, and that was all they needed to be able to act.
Turning their attention towards the biggest threats, Nemurin and Sora took in their opposition. It was certainly a strange bunch, and pretty different from the bands they fought off in Traverse Town; one was a bat with pointed teeth, vomit green fur and magenta-red ears that would appear to cut you if you got too close, two were like golden poisonous flowers with a heart-shaped body and dark hands like rowing paddles, and the fourth was what was best described like some sort of elephant; its colours, like most Dream Eaters, were sharp and cold and blue, only broken up by glaring crimson eyes that stared through them as though they weren't there.
"Okay, now you've got our attention!" Sora declared.
"I'd normally say 'you take on two and I take on two' but with the size of that guy, I'd say it's more like...three and two, so that wouldn't be fair..." Nemurin remarked, her back against Sora's. The two flowers seemed to come for her first, while the bat and elephant were coming for Sora.
Spinning his Keyblade in his hand at a rapid speed, it began to glow as he aimed for the bat; suddenly, it tore through the air like a boomerang, circling round and smashing into the bat's small figure before it could come too close, returning to his hand thereafter. Nemurin took two clouds into her hands, puffing them up and beginning to mould them like clay, pressing them together until they formed into a fluffy bowling ball, even having holes for her fingers.
"Ready to play ball, little guy?" Nemurin looked to her companion, ducking down and then sliding to the side, her feet grinding against the stone as she dodged what looked like musical notes coming straight towards her. Some of these guys' attacks really did seem like copies of what a Magical Girl could have, now that she thought about it...
Sheppy bleated, and nodded, circling around and around and turning into a ball. "On your marks! Get set! ROLL!"
Just as the two flowers spun their paddle-like arms akin to razors, they failed to notice the heavy ball-like structures bowling towards them; it bounced with a bang off the ground, slamming directly into the top of their heads and forcing them against the floor, leaving them struggling to try and push it off. "Nemurinnnnn...BEAM!"
The flowers didn't seem to have much meat on them, now happily wandering off, as it were, but that wasn't all they had in store; two cat-like Dream Eaters, akin to a corrupted variant of Neku's, appeared slyly behind, about rush to their behinds. As they were about to make contact though, Morgana bounced on her stomach, shaking herself, swatting at one before bouncing high up into the air, splitting the two from each other, followed by a blast of flame as Sora dodge-rolled away from the elephant's trunk.
"Got your back!" Sora said.
"Thanks~" Nemurin waved, before turning towards the elephant and bat which grew tired of being evaded; the bat hissed at an unholy high pitch, the elephant blaring in anger as it stampeded towards the boy. Running forward, the girl appeared as a roadblock before it with a hop and a leap, readying her hands as she grabbed onto the elephant's trunk. It blared at her again, rushing forward and throwing her around as she held tight as though she were a rag doll. "Gooooo, Soraaa! Before I getttttt...dizzy!" she cried out.
Sora acted without thinking twice; he whistled with two fingers, Morgana hopping up to his side. She leaned downwards, lifting her head, and in a jump, Sora grabbed on. He guided her across the field, slamming against the elephant's side, briefly making it stumble as it cried out in surprise, throwing its trunk up in the air and forcing Nemurin to let go. The girl flew into the air, surrounding herself with a cloudy shield before diving down as Sora kept its eyes on him; allowing her light beam to surge through the air, and make its colours lighten once again, light glittering off of the fragments.
"Not bad, Nemu!" Sora said to her as she landed, walking over.
"You weren't bad yourself, you know. And neither was Morgana~" Nemurin replied, grinning a little to herself as Morgana puffed up in satisfied self-importance.
Looking side to side, she saw as the crowd had fled and dispersed from the scene, though those who remained cheered and called aloud at their battle, Frollo and his guards concerningly no longer in view. Still, maybe that was for the better.
"I wonder if that guy is alright..." Sora said, eyes glinting in worry. "Quasi...modo, right?"
"Huh?!" a voice rose up - the man who he was certain had first brought out the rope during the crowd's torment of Quasimodo. "You're worried for that monster? I wouldn't be surprised if it was that hideous face that brought those monsters here in the first place!"
"Stop it!" Sora snapped back, his once worried eyes sharpened into a glare, one that made the man step back, not expecting such a look out of someone so young. In all honesty, Nemurin was a little taken aback by it - his expression usually carrying such a breeziness with it, like that of the wind and the sky, but she would be lying if she said she disagreed with him. "Stop calling him a monster. He's a person - and besides, all of you were cheering and calling him your king right before, but then once those guards started throwing stuff you just decided to join in!"
"I don't think you know an important expression, what was it...it's only a joke if everyone laughs, have you?" Nemurin retorted towards the man.
"What were we supposed to do!? They run this city, them and Frollo," another voice, more bitter, arose. "Look at where it got Esmeralda! She's having to take sanctuary in the cathedral now, and her people don't like stone walls,"
"Sanctuary?" Nemurin tilted her head, eyes narrowed.
"Yes. You can't be hurt in the cathedral, no matter the crime. Sacred place." the voice spoke back. "If you want to check on that creature, then try in there. They speak of rumours, that you can see a hunchback up there if you somehow get close enough, at the right time. Didn't suspect they'd be true, good lord..."
Sora and Nemurin looked to one another, the latter sighing. "Well; I suppose if there's any place to start, it'd be in there, huh?"
"I guess so," Sora agreed, not quite meeting her eyes - or rather, not meeting the eyes of what was left of the crowd. With that, the pair walked swiftly towards the mighty form of Notre Dame, which pillared high over the city like an embodiment of heaven. "Let's have a look."
A few steps later, they reached the tall wooden doors, the two teaming up to push them forward. The sight they were met with was like a barrage of treasures; the ceilings were extremely high and vaulted upwards, the rafters crossing one another. The floors were polished and checkered into black and white squares, as wooden benches lined the grand room. At the end of the room was the nave, emphasised by glorious stained-glass windows and frescoes depicting various holy figures, which glimmered with fragments of colour that illuminated against the glistening floor they stood upon. Columns stood tall, and echoed the sound of their footsteps as they entered, the strong scent of smoke and incense ringing around their nostrils.
"Woah...!" Sora said, at a normal volume; but there was still one churchgoer who prayed near the front who hushed him sharply. "Sorry..." he whispered, and the churchgoer nodded and returned to their prayers. "This place is incredible..." he muttered.
"It is..." Nemurin agreed, stepping forward, her voice's natural whispery tone acting in aid to her here.
The pair walked forward, their footsteps padding along, Nemurin feeling a rush of cold force its way through the fabric of her socks. Their heads turned here and there, looking for the familiar faces of Quasimodo and Esmeralda, but found no one. Nemurin hummed to herself in thought, glancing around for their options - or option, since all they could really do was ask whoever was present in the cathedral. However, that was obviously easier said than done, since it seemed a majority of the people were still somewhere out in the city, and the one churchgoer seemed in little mood to speak with them.
It was just then that they heard an...odd noise, as the rain pattered down in torrents against the glass windows. It sounded like...metal, clashing with one another.
"Wait, is someone fighting?" Sora questioned, quickly following the sound's trail, Nemurin short behind - and their companions straight after.
She followed the spiky-haired boy until they came across another aisle of the room; and sure enough, there were two faces they recognised. Esmeralda, and the captain, Phoebus, the former holding a candlestick like a stave and the other blocking her with his sword, though he now clutched his stomach, the goat from earlier stood on all fours and ready to butt him once again with zero mercy.
"I didn't know you had a kid,"
"Well, he doesn't take kindly to soldiers."
Phoebus cleared his throat, before turning his head to where Sora and Nemurin had appeared. "I gathered. Are these two yours?"
"Hey!" Sora spoke in protest.
Esmeralda felt a laugh loosen from her lips, though she still grasped onto her candlestick. "No, they're not." she answered.
Taking a step back, Phoebus looked at them all, this time as a group. "Permit me, I don't believe we were properly introduced."
"Phoebus, right...?" Nemurin asked.
"Ah, I see you overheard." Phoebus replied, before turning to Esmeralda with a confident-looking smile. "It means 'sun god'," he added.
Esmeralda shot a glance towards Djali, who offered one in reply. Silence as dead as she was, and awkwardness riled up her back. She and Sora looked at each other, Sora clearing his throat.
"First - I wish to offer you both an...apology," Phoebus continued. "For the brutish conduct of the guards, I mean,"
"Don't apologise, your horse trick saved us some trouble," Nemurin replied, breezily.
"Horse trick?" Esmeralda grinned a bit, leaning on the candle piece.
"His horse Achilles 'heeled' on someone," Sora explained, hands behind his head, his tone beginning to lighten.
"My, sounds messy," Esmeralda answered.
"And...you are?" Phoebus gestured to her.
"Is this an interrogation?"
"It's called an introduction,"
"So...you're not going to arrest us?" Esmeralda wondered, surprise beginning to spark in her emerald green gaze.
"As long as you are all in here, I can't," Phoebus spoke, gently.
Esmeralda seemed to shift a little in thought, before narrowing her eyes slightly. "So...if you're not here to arrest us, then what is it you want?"
Phoebus glanced to the side, almost bashfully, before taking on the confident apparel he tried to claim before. "I'd settle for your name,"
"...Esmeralda,"
Nemurin and Sora looked at each other again, the former feeling a knowing smile slip onto her face. It reminded her of the chats, when she would listen to Snow White and La Pucelle; always sweet, always warm... "What?" Sora whispered, puzzled.
"I think these two'll get along just fine," Nemurin stated, simply.
"You two have something to say?" Esmeralda said, though her expression had softened, her lips on the verge of tipping upwards.
"Nope~" Nemurin smiled, yawning a little bit. "Finally, some-"
"Good work, Captain Phoebus,"
"You again!" Sora spoke, stepping forward, fist clenched.
Frollo stood within the open doorway, two brutish guards lagging behind him, his eyes narrowed at the sight of them all. "Now, arrest these heathens. They are clearly the cause for the riot in the square,"
"Excuse you?" Nemurin replied. "If I remember right, the Nightmares only showed up once you tried to have us arrested...besides, why would we deal with our own creatures...?"
"You dare accuse the Minister of Justice of summoning such creatures? Such a disgusting heretic you are," Frollo sneered. "Now, why are you just standing there gawking, Captain; have them arrested."
"I'm sorry, sir," Phoebus gave a bow, Esmeralda's features hardened into a tough glare, much as Sora and Nemurin's were. "They have claimed sanctuary. There is nothing I can do,"
"Then, drag them outside and bring them to the Palace of Justice where they'll meet their-"
"Frollo, that's quite enough!"
The voice of what Nemurin presumed to be an elderly man rose up through the cathedral walls, echoing off the stone pillars. He was clad in pure white, and stood only slightly taller than herself, his hair as white as his clothes, but his gaze was kind, the two of them could feel it. "You will not touch them, not her or these children," he stated. "Do not fear - Frollo learned many years ago to respect the sanctity of Notre Dame,"
It was as if you had put excrement directly under Frollo's nose at that moment, judging by how his expression was, every feature scrunched to demonstrate the pure rage emanating off of him, but Sora nor Nemurin let themselves flinch, and Esmeralda didn't either. "Very well," he agreed, the begrudging nature involved as plain as day. "Let us go, Captain. And...one more word - you have all chosen a magnificent prison, but that is what it is. One step outside these walls...and you're in my hands,"
That thought seemed to bring a disturbing smirk to his face, at least the tips of it, as he exited. Phoebus gave one more silent look, and turned to leave alongside his employer.
"What is that guy's problem?" Sora folded his arms, eyes full of frustration.
"He despises anyone different from himself, that's what," Esmeralda said, as if wanting to curse him.
"Do not act too rashly," the elderly man advised. "You acted within the boundaries of His light, but...some turn away from it," he admitted, his eyes seeming to have much to hide.
"That much is clear..." Nemurin sighed aloud, stretching. "Thanks for helping us, by the way," she said, gratefully.
"Yeah!" Sora agreed. "What's your name?"
"I am the Archdeacon of this church," he answered with a gentle smile upon his wrinkled face. "And of course - upholding sanctuary is one of my many duties as both a man and as a servant to Him,"
"Oh...!" Nemurin said. "We were actually looking for somebody,"
"You were?" Esmeralda spoke. "You mean Quasimodo, right...?"
"Yep, that's right," Sora gave a nod.
"He returned to the belltower." the Archdeacon answered. "It is just up those steps. I would lead you there but the end of the festival marks the beginning of service soon,"
"That's alright. Thank you," Esmeralda nodded, walking across the large room to the other side, where an opening to the steps unveiled itself in the aisle. "You two coming?"
"You bet!" Sora grinned up at her, Nemurin nodding as well.
With that, they made their way up the spiral of stairs, slowly reaching higher...surely, Quasimodo would be up here...
A/N: Oof, that was a longer one! But I enjoyed writing it, even if it took me a while to get into it, university can be a demanding soul-stealer, haha. Anyways, thanks for the new reviews! I definitely thought it'd be sweet if Nemu took a mentor/sisterly role of sorts since she did similar for younger Magical Girls, like Snow White and La Pucelle. I actually do want at some point to have Snow White meet her counterpart, and though I'm not sure if I could get it in this story, I imagine I may in the future. But if I say more, that'll spoil the fun, so I hope y'all stay tuned till then!