Where just for a moment, things stop...
Echoes of a trio of footsteps vertebrated against the stone walls like a chant, the wall up ahead dimmed now to a dulled red, like a wall of sunset as they drew ever closer to the top. The sound of rain that had been so persistent while they were down in the cathedral had ceased, leaving only the silence of the church and the quiet glances of Sora, Nemurin and Esmeralda. Esmeralda led them, having been the first to find the stairwell, Nemurin following second, and Sora flanking the tail-end, though his eyes fell closest to the top as the dying glimmers of sunlight were now bowing its head below the surface of the horizon. Now that they had reached the top of the spiral stairwell, a gentle breeze like the scouting path of birds brushed through them, giving a certain peace. Esmeralda stepped out to the battlements, leaving an open gap at the doorway so Sora and Nemurin could come through.
The structure of the cathedral was just as grand and well-sculpted as its interior, with the walkways lined with solid guarding. Even the area which they just left had a tower of its own, which pierced the layer of the sky above, with another just ahead, likely leading to the belltower, and all of it was topped off by being dyed a gentle glowing orange, the last lashes of sunlight as it began to set, though it still held its head high and stared out to the horizon.
"Woah..." Nemurin remarked, Sheppy staying by her legs and utterly rejecting the idea of peering his small head over. Morgana, on the contrary, bounced up and down, desperately wanting to see more of the view, Sora even having to pull her from walking along the balcony, prompting her to blow a raspberry. "And I thought our view in Traverse Town was high, huh?"
"Yeah!" Sora gave a nod, as he bundled a stubborn Morgana underneath his right arm. "This is amazing..."
"Makes you wonder what it's like looking from up there; like...the top of the world," Esmeralda remarked, her voice almost layered with dreams. She smiled a little, before turning towards them. "Say, this Traverse Town place - is that where you're from?"
"You could say that~" Nemurin answered, quickly. Explaining the whole spiel wasn't exactly necessary, after all, and it'd be tiring, so she decided to just leave it as is. "Why?"
"It's just I've never heard of it before...I remember, my people and I would travel from here to Lyon to Bordeaux when I was young," Esmeralda trailed off. "Then again, we namely frequented this land, so perhaps it's just far...really far,"
"Oh yeah, really far," Nemurin stated, breezily.
"You can say that again, Nemu..." Sora agreed, almost sheepishly.
Truthfully, his slow uptake when it came to picking up technical falsehoods was somewhat endearing to her. It reminded her again of La Pucelle, forever just and holding their sword like a knight, and it made her feel like those days weren't completely lost; even though the part of her that had accepted her demise before knew it very well was.
For what it was worth, Esmeralda took it in stride, emerald green eyes shining like her namesake as she took in the scene, searching for the figure of Quasimodo. Nemurin's eyes searched the scene - until she was certain she could feel a few gazes falling upon her too. Her head tilted upwards slowly, almost invisibly, towards the structure ahead; and within another of its many ledges was the distinctive face of Quasimodo, who quickly fled and turned tail.
"Wait!" Sora called out.
"We're not going to hurt you, we just...we just want to talk to you!" Esmeralda added, padding along the walkway and up towards the belltower.
Nemurin followed, but she was sure she heard...something. Voices, uttering to one another, like a chorus of onlookers.
"Oh! Look, he's got some friends with him!"
"One, two, three; oh, wonderful!"
"Maybe today wasn't a total loss after all!"
"Not one but two divine visions of loveliness, and a pillar of light..."
"The one in the dress and the cloudy robes ain't bad either!"
As she quickly reached the top of another small staircase, the voices ceased, and all that stood within the room before them was three gargoyles, with a clear look to each of them. One was thin and long in build, possessing a long chest and long throat, and carried something of a dignity with its solemn, thoughtful expression. The second was smaller than the first, and more rotund, his two ears spiking up more than his companion, and he possessed a snout that bore resemblance to that of a pig's. Finally, the third was the shortest of the trio, with spikes more rounded like cones atop their head, with a bird quickly fluttering in from the open door to settle at its shoulder. Nemurin gave a shrug.
'Probably just hearing things...' she thought.
"Hey! We almost thought we lost you there," Sora greeted as appeared in the doorway, moving so Esmeralda could get through, offering the hunchback a friendly smile.
Quasimodo cleared his throat, "Yes, um, I...I have chores to do, and it was...nice seeing you...all again...uh, I...I'm sorry!"
He began to turn around but quickly chose to scatter up the steps to the upper section of the belltower instead. "Hey, wait!" Esmeralda called out.
Stepping forward, her barefoot quickly began to climb up a ladder, Sora and Nemurin awaiting for her to get to the top so they could take the quicker route. "I'm really sorry about this afternoon," the black-haired woman said. "I had no idea who you were...I would never have in my life...pulled you up on the...stage.."
Taking a quick, silent leap as a pair, their Dream Eaters bundled safely in their hold, Sora and Nemurin reached the top floor with a fair bit of ease; only to be met by a beautiful sight. The simplicity that had been prominent in the lower floor was present here, but there was a sense of home on this one; various cloths acted as coloured curtains and shades, and there were many trinkets and chimes that dangled from the roof, giving a gentle soothing twinkle with each of the wind's breaths. The warm red sunlight caught on them and emanated coloured diamonds across the wooden floor. At the centre of the room stood a table, and atop of it a marvellous recreation of the area nearby; the cathedral, now about knee-high, the little market stalls that surrounded it, the open square that the balconies looked out towards. As they got closer, there were even little wooden figures, resembling various people. Creativity burst out from the room, and Nemurin found a sense of gentle awe filling her heart as she took it in.
"Did you make this yourself? This looks so cool...! Right, Nemu?" Sora complimented brightly.
Nemurin gave a small, almost sagely nod. "Hmhm~ he's right, y'know,"
"Oh, by the way!" Sora extended a hand, beaming. "I'm Sora, this is Nemurin. Since we didn't get to introduce ourselves earlier - and of course you know Esmeralda,"
"You mean, La Esmeralda~"
Quasimodo looked at him slowly, and then shook his comparatively much smaller hand. "I-it's...it's good to meet you, S-Sora, N-Nemurin, Esmeralda..." he said. Now he seemed to turn his head away, letting his red hair disguise the tint of red that had briefly spread across his face. "Well, most of them..." he answered, sticking behind one of the wooden pillars that held the room up.
"It's so beautiful..." Esmeralda praised, almost breathlessly. "I'll tell you, if I could do this, you wouldn't find me dancing in the streets for coins,"
"But you're a wonderful dancer," Quasimodo pointed out, a certain shyness still radiating off of him.
"Well," Esmeralda smiled wryly, her hands resting at her back. "Keeps food on the table,"
Noticing something hidden by a cloth, her head tilted curiously. "What's this...?" she wondered, her hand removing the cloth; unveiling more of the wooden figures. Nemurin padded over, and felt her lips curve up, a sense of charm washing over her again, and it seemed Sora was much the same.
"It's the blacksmith...and the baker!"
"You're a really talented person, Quasimodo," Sora commended, eyes glinting kindly.
"Not to mention, lucky - all this room to yourself?" Esmeralda added.
"Well, it's not just me, of course. There's the gargoyles...and of course, the bells; would you like to see them?" Quasimodo replied, now looking up at her.
"Of course," Esmeralda agreed. "Wouldn't we, Djali?"
Conspicuously sucking up something was her bovine companion, who gave a guilty look, Sheppy hiding down his head as if fearing he'd be lumped in too, while Morgana turned her nose up. The group found some laughter peeling out from them, as Quasimodo led the way upwards.
Sora let out a small sigh of blissful relief. "Looks like Quasi's gonna be just fine," he said, gently.
"Yep~" Nemurin agreed.
"Indisputably!" a voice that most certainly wasn't there before chimed in. Nemurin blinked, and slowly let herself turn around.
Sora shot her a glance to the side, his voice low; "Nemu, what was that..."
"Guess we're about to find out..." Nemurin replied, as the two of them were now in unison, stiffly turning their bodies.
"He's a tough one, our Quasi!" the second voice piped up - and at the corner of their eyes, they could see the snout of the gargoyle from before.
"We may be hard as stone, but Quasi's stronger," a third, feminine voice spoke, the smallest of the group.
"We know~" Nemurin replied, calmly.
"Huh?! Nemu, you're seeing this too, right!?" Sora exclaimed in shock. "Talking gargoyles!"
One of them huffed a little to herself. "Well, excuse us for having personality!"
"Sorry, ma'am," Nemurin bowed her head, the tone she had now the same as what she would use when her teacher would chide her for falling asleep in class. Leaning towards Sora, she whispered, "Just roll with it; trust me, there's been weirder stuff in the Dream World. I haven't told you about half the monsters that would show up in Sister Nana's dreams that she'd have her lover rescue her from, like...the Cross Demon," she added, lightly, prompting his lips to tip as he laughed a little.
"That's fair - and...I guess I've seen weirder too," Sora said, the way you did when hindsight hit you in the face. Turning towards the three again, he asked, now with a polite smile, "So, who are you three then? How come you and Quasimodo are so close?"
"I am Victor, my boy," the taller of the three with the distinct accent greeted. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances,"
"Name's Laverne- get off me, you ingrates!" the lady of the group said, her tone turning from one to a hundred as soon as a bird began to flutter about her head, her stony hands quickly swatting it away.
"And I'm Hugo - the best of this lot!" the one with the snout declared, proudly.
"No you aren't. Just this morning you got feathers stuck up that nose of yours," Victor argued.
"Did not!"
"You did and you know it - ignore that one, he can come out with nonsense full enough to flood the city!" Laverne smacked Hugo on the back of his hard head, before turning back towards Sora and Nemurin. "Sorry about that one. Now, for your question; we've been friends for years, since the early days!"
"Nearly a decade of camaraderie," Victor added, in a tone that seemed to recount simple pleasantries.
"Breakfast, lunch and dinner!" Hugo chimed in.
"Wait, so...he never leaves?" Sora questioned.
The mention of that seemed to bring a blanket of sadness to three gargoyles, their expressions faltering - it was apparent that despite being made of stone rather than flesh, they appeared to have hearts and emotions akin to that of humans. "He's...not allowed to. Judge Claude Frollo never lets him," Laverne explained, sombrely.
"Frollo!?" Nemurin exclaimed in a hissed whisper, though it came out due to her low, whispery tone like a complaint, one that all parties seemed to be in solidarity with. "You mean that crusty old jerk? The one who runs this city?"
Victor hung his head slightly now as he answered, "Yes, alas."
"Well...why?" Sora questioned, his tone of voice lower, giving away his expectation that the answer would likely yield nothing of a positive nature.
Why should it? From what they'd seen, nothing involving Frollo ever did, and just hearing his name was beginning to make their hearts feel akin to the gargoyles when they were silent; hard and cold, just as he was towards all he seemed to meet. Both were believers in being kind to others, that even one light from such actions could change everything. But there were some whose hearts could never be touched, whose hearts remained like black snow; cold, and dark, and giving no mercy and no pity, purging everything it deemed unpure, failing to see what lay within itself. Though he knew Nemurin didn't know the extent of it, Sora had met more than his fair share of these sorts; people like Maleficent, like so many within her court of villains, and Xehanort himself, from what little he knew of him.
Hugo's arms folded, producing a slight rustle and grind from his stony elbows as they clashed singularly with one another, "The short version is this - Frollo seems to think he's doing Quasi a favour by keeping people from seeing that mug of his!"
"Wait, so is Frollo like...his caretaker, or something...?" Nemurin wondered, the cogs in her head beginning to turn as it rewound to the scene from earlier; Quasimodo had been calling to someone, his 'Master', to help him - she knew it couldn't have been her or Sora, and it definitely wasn't Esmeralda either. And sure enough, her suspicions were affirmed by a nod of three from the gargoyles, her nose wrinkling in disgust even more at his inaction - and it was hardly like she didn't have any to spare as is!
"That's right; after watching for a lifetime from the nosebleed seats, Quasi just wanted to go to the Feast of Fools! And...we're so proud of him for finally working up the courage to do it..." Laverne explained further, only for her voice to halt again as the remembrance of how it had ended befell them.
"'Tis a shame those people and those awful creatures had to dash his hopes..." Victor lamented.
"Hm! You should talk!" Hugo huffed. "When's the last time you looked in a mirror!?"
"Well, you broke it!"
"Oh, a wise guy, eh?!"
"Knock it off! Ya couple of blockheads!" Laverne shouted, before sighing. "I just hope that this one failure doesn't completely shatter his hopes...he was so close,"
"He...he can't let his heart be a prison. Hey, don't worry!" Sora assured. "Nemu and me, we'll go check on him,"
"Right~" Nemurin said, before giving an enigmatic smile. "Don't worry; there's plenty of ways to show the beauties of the world, right?~"
"Right!" Sora agreed, before turning his head up back towards the bells. The sunset that had fled across the room had dimmed deeper, night just beginning to peak its head out. "Let's go check on these two,"
Nemurin nodded in agreement, "Hmhm," turning her body back towards the ladder, her blonde tails curving and dragging across the wooden floor, she gave a small wave to the trio of gargoyles. "Thanks guys~ you're a great help,"
"Yeah, thanks!" Sora beamed.
Reaching the bottom of the steps, Nemurin decided to ease the process; bringing her two pink hands together, her palms mirroring each other, she hummed a little as clouds began to poof, one by one, into this reality, forming bit by bit into the fluffiest staircase known to man, wide enough for them all to head up.
"Woah!" Hugo exclaimed, even as his companions had turned to stone. "Looks like Victor wasn't full of it when he said you were some sorta spirit!"
Giving a wink, Nemurin quickly padded up the steps, low enough in structure that Sheppy could cheerily pad along right behind her, though he still nustled close to her legs, likely having been quite comfortable hugged into her chest; it was like being hugged, but more active, after all! Sora stepped between the brown, plain ladder and the clouded one, and Morgana hissed out each time until he reached the top.
"Only teasing," he said, light-heartedly, even as Morgana nipped at him for what she presumably took as something of a personal injustice.
Nemurin giggled to herself, walking across the stone to the balcony ledge; only to feel the breath she didn't know she was holding to be swiftly snatched away by a grasp of pure awe, cut as freshly as diamonds. Resting her hands across it, she allowed herself to lean forward, taking in the air as night descended peacefully upon the city below. "You gotta have a look at this, Sora..." Nemurin breathed.
Quickly jogging over, Sora's eyes widened and gazed out into the open air, mouth slightly agape now, before falling into a smile of deep impression. "Wow...!"
The river was dyed a dark blue, and glinted under the blanket of the sky's glowing stars like remnants of stardust, flowing and weaving out towards the horizon that stretched for what looked like eternity itself. The slow rising moon glowed white like wedding lace, glinting against the waters, illuminating the gabled roofs of the many small houses below that lined each side of the river. Everything from up this high looked so much friendlier and easier to take in, as if time itself had slowed to allow this peace to be taken into their souls and nurture it. Looking down for just a moment...they truly felt as though they were quite literally, on top of the world.
"I was wondering when you two would show up," Esmeralda called out, now making her way across the walkway.
"Esmeralda!" Sora greeted.
"I take it...y-you like the view?" Quasimodo inquired, coming down from a small spire; despite its spiked, thin openings, he had no trouble leaping down from it, like an acrobat.
"Of course!" Sora replied, enthusiasm and sunshine intertwined. "It's amazing up here...like the top of the world!" he added.
Quasimodo smiled this time, seeming less shy now. It seemed Esmeralda had managed to crack through his shell a bit. "I'm glad you like it," he said, before turning to Esmeralda, and then back to them. "I'm glad you're all here; there's something I want to help you with,"
"What is it?" Sora wondered, resting his gloved hands behind his head.
"It's simple. You all helped me, and so...I'll help you," Quasimodo replied, his voice gentle.
"But how?" Esmeralda asked, looking down at the glow of torches below, the soldiers having been perched there since Frollo had left. "There's soldiers at every door,"
Quasimodo still smiled, but in a different fashion; a certain daring that hadn't been quite there before. Nemurin quite liked it. "We won't use a door," he stated.
"Huh?" Sora's head tilted, like a puppy's, and Morgana replicated it, looking up to him and then Nemurin for some form of answer as to what that meant...only for Quasimodo to confidently climb onto the ledge.
For a moment, Esmeralda looked at him, beginning to point downwards; "You mean, climb down?" she asked.
"Sure!" Quasimodo assured. "You carry him, I carry you, and then I carry them,"
"Actually..." Nemurin raised a hand - or sleeve, rather. "I could probably carry him down,"
"Are you crazy?" Esmeralda replied, eyes wide in shock at the idea. "You'll fall!"
Nemurin gave a shake of the head, and then a smile. Sora turned to her, "Just trust her," he said. "I know I do,"
Something about that...felt the same as when you were resting with family, and were assured how much they loved you, when positivity overflowed naturally and then was tipped over inside of the heart, leaving a kind touch behind.
Looking back over the edge, Esmeralda sighed; "Okay, I'll trust you two,"
Nemurin leaned slightly over, unveiling her back to Sora. "Hop on,"
Sora wrapped his arms around her from behind, akin to hugging around the neck. Nemurin then turned to Sheppy and Morgana, creating a puff of clouds that would follow them, which they nested comfortably atop of, before moving her arms backwards and ensuring she had a good hold on the younger boy, locking her hands at his back.
"Come on, Djali," Esmeralda told her companion, who with a hop, found his way into her arms. Pulling out a violet ribbon, she quickly wrapped it around the goat's eyes; likely to make sure he couldn't look down.
Quasimodo hoisted her carefully into his strong arms, offering a warm gaze. "Ready...? Don't be afraid,"
"I'm not afraid," Esmeralda replied, holding onto an air of confidence...that seemed to drop off like a shoe she didn't have as soon as Quasimodo leapt off. "...Now I'm afraid!"
Sora and Nemurin could hear her voice still, albeit more distantly than before - Quasimodo's arm was held tight upon Esmeralda, ensuring she didn't tumble from there to the ground, while the other held onto one of the many stone structures that lined the cathedral's side, with nothing below but the hard ground. Blinking, she gave Sora a grin, and though he gave a brave face, she did feel his grip tighten ever so slightly. Security, you know?
Nemurin gave a high hop onto the balcony's ledge, and the cloud that floated close behind her followed her movements. To tell the truth, Quasimodo's movements across the rooftops, leaping from parapets and gargoyle heads and ledges as thin as a fingernail. He moved like a flickering spirit within its home domain, very little clutter or uncertainty present in his movements like there was when he spoke to those he didn't know. Esmeralda clutched on tight, and he did in return, and despite the precariousness of it on the offset, she didn't doubt she'd be alright. With enough room for safe movement, now spotting him on one of the lower rooftops, she gave one more glance at Sora.
"Ready?"
"Let's go!"
With the flag raised, Nemurin pushed her feet up - and leapt, her grasp still firm, but not painful. She could feel the wind brush past her now, slicing past her twin tails, the cloud remaining solid even as it plunged through the air along with her. From up this high, it was almost impossible to see anything other than the briefest flash of colour down below, her feet like ripples across a pool of water once she reached the first roof. Sora's eyes were vigilant, and gleamed under the rays of moonlight, keeping track of both the guards on the ground and of Quasimodo and Esmeralda, so they could meet up at the ground, and although she could hear him intake a rush of breath with each landing, there was a lack of fear she sensed in him - the adrenaline she felt pulsing through her veins almost seemed like it was connected in her palms, and seeped into him. At the corner of her eyes, she could spot the hints of a confident smile - she imagined, whatever came before this trip, it wasn't his first one by any means. She hadn't failed to notice how he showed little uncertainty in anything despite how young he looked, emanating the same experience you would find in a veteran.
A veteran of what, she didn't quite know, but she was sure it'd be apparent eventually.
The wind rapped at her pyjamas slightly, and flew Sora's spikes of brown hair backwards, making her sleeves flow like a waltz with the air as its partner as she caught up with the hunchback, who had now landed upon a slanted roof, which slid into two sides with various iron panels lining the top. Stone whispered for a second, while iron cried out as her light feet made their impact, but it was only audible to them, quietened by the cotton of her socks, cold burning through them no matter the surface. She turned her head upwards now, the breeze blowing her bangs gentler now that she wasn't in full-on descent.
Esmeralda seemed to have been in the middle of saying something, only for the iron panel to slip underneath their feet; Quasimodo's mouth fell agape and his eyes widened, but his feet steadied as it slid them both along - his eyes then narrowed as he went down, and even from this far she was certain she could feel his heart pulsing, though that might have just been hers and Sora's as they tried to catch up with their sudden detour; he waited till the panel had darted to the edge of the rooftop, where several guards waited below - and leapt off, catching his balance while the gable shot off into the sky like a bullet, golden sparks rattling off of it as it crashed off into the unknown.
"Check the alley!" one of the guards exclaimed, and their tiny black silhouettes like ants fleeted to the right, leaving an opening for them to sneak away at the left.
Hopping from one roof's edge, two, three, four, she finally reached the spot where Quasimodo had been, and slowed her descent slightly, the jolting of their bodies from her swift movements finally easing like the final chime of a clock as she carefully drifted her feet across, ensuring not to drag any attention to herself. Looking left and right, she finally jumped from the final roof, her feet touching against the cobblestone streets once more. A dulled chill ran through her feet's arches, the night having given all-natural surfaces what would be a distinctive chill, were it not for the fact Magical Girls were hardly bothered by concepts such as hot and cold. Taking a breath, she saw a small cloud form, as she ducked beneath the grace of a statue of a lady.
Pressing her palms against the wall, she lowered the cloud to the floor, allowing Morgana and Sheppy to step off of it. The Meow Wow pressed forward with small, but driven steps, head held high, even bouncing a little and letting out little 'meows', while Sheppy bleated once again, the same way you would whine, stumbling on his small stubbed feet. Letting go of Sora's back, she heard two simultaneous taps against the ground as he stood once more on two feet.
"You really are like an acrobat with that place, Quasi," Sora complimented.
"It's true," Esmeralda agreed, lightly, letting go of the statue and now standing upright, lowering Djali to the ground as he stumbled. It would appear that he and Sheppy were in sworn solidarity in regards to how well they took that little excursion.
Quasimodo's large hands seemed to fiddle with each other in a nervous fashion, his eyes averting their gazes, red locks obscuring his soft blue eyes. "Well, you were even more impressive, Nemurin, Sora; you seemed as confident as you were when you were fighting those monsters, is there anything you can't do?"
Nemurin gave a small wave, shaking her head. "It's nothing; he's the experienced monster hunter. And I was following your lead," she added.
"What? But you're the one who-" Sora turned to look at her, only to figure that he might be giving a lot away by saying what he was thinking of. "Besides, we're just helping," he added, a hand at his heart, a certain contentedness seeming to flow over him like the silent song of a peaceful tide.
"I...I won't forget what you all did for me. And I definitely won't forget you, Sora, Nemurin...Esmeralda," Quasimodo promised; a certain expression seemed to wash over him, and then disappear, but it was one Nemurin spotted more than once. In boys asking their partners to the dance, in girls who talked to her about their engagements and their developing love lives, when La Pucelle expressed how much she cared about Snow White, and she couldn't help but smile.
Esmeralda lifted a hand, gently taking Quasimodo's cheek into it, turning his head to look at her. "Come with me," she suggested, eyes wide and bright.
"What?"
"To the Court of Miracles, leave this place...!"
"Oh no, I'm never going back out there again...you saw what happened today...no, this is where I belong."
Nemurin and Sora felt a pang hit against their hearts like a funeral's drum, remembering the words of his friends from before.
'I just hope that this one failure doesn't completely shatter his hopes...he was so close,' the words almost felt like they were replaying in Nemurin's head.
"You can't...you can't let your heart be a prison," Sora spoke up, his features softened, a promise of someone you could go to when you needed help.
"What...?"
"You can't let your heart be a prison; you can't let dark thoughts keep you trapped from the world," Sora continued, his voice not rising. "There's...there's always going to be people out there with dark hearts who are going to hurt others. But there's also kind people, with hearts full of light. Even if you can't see it at first, there'll always be some there. Always,"
Quasimodo stared at Sora for a moment or two, then looked down, his mind seeming to be questioning within itself. What was right, what was wrong, what he had been taught, what he had seen, and what he was hearing now. "But..."
"Quasi...ask yourself; what does your heart want?" Sora requested, softly.
"My heart?"
"Yeah," Sora nodded. "Not what Frollo's heart wants - not anyone's, yours," he affirmed.
Silence again, as he seemed to think once more. "I'm...I'm not sure, actually," Quasimodo admitted, his voice faltering from the resigned certainty it had once possessed.
"That's okay," Sora accepted, as a gentle smile now appeared upon his face. "Just...give it some thought,"
Quasimodo stopped and then nodded. "I...I will," he agreed.
"And until then - I'll come see you," Esmeralda added.
"What? Here?" Quasimodo's look flashed white with concern. "But Frollo, and the soldiers..." he began.
"I can come after sunset; and since Nemurin seems to have some tricks up her sleeve, I'm sure she wouldn't mind helping me, right?" the green-eyed girl replied, and turned to the blonde-haired girl standing behind her.
Her eyes glistened gently, with what looked to be quiet happiness, her mind still lingering on the words her companion had said to Sora about before. Honestly...she couldn't have put it any better herself, and it lay an impression sweet as clouds upon her mind, relaying it with a certain peace, just as she had begun here.
"Of course!" she confirmed, her usually dreamy, almost airheaded smile replaced with one more conscious, like a beam of light rather than just a glimmer.
"See?"
"At sunset, I ring the evening mass, and after that, I clean the cloisters, and then I ring the vespers, and-"
Suddenly, a rather peculiar thing happened; it was best described as something that, though you don't quite expect it to come at that moment, you can't help but lack surprise when it does, and feel gladder for it. That was Nemurin and Sora now, as Esmeralda pecked Quasimodo's cheek; the pink turned scarlet, and he froze there in the moonlight.
"...Whatever's good for you," he agreed, bashfully.
Looking between them, Esmeralda leaned in slightly, giving a certain privacy to the next conversation they were about to have. "Here, I want you to look at this. I imagine you two might be moving around a lot, so I'd like you to keep it safe for me, Quasi, but it's for all of you,"
The three nodded and leaned in closer. Esmeralda's hands carefully moved, pulling something from near her neck - it was a talisman, bound from various thin materials. It formed a shape akin to an oval and a diamond, with the surrounding band being a dark brown, with white lines crossing over in squares over its form, a shape of blue forming in the middle, with circles of red dotted across it, and a cross shape was positioned at its top-centre. While it was simple, it held a certain beauty, at least to Nemurin. It lay flat in Esmeralda's hands, allowing them to look upon it fully.
"Remember this carefully; when you wield this woven band...you hold the city in your hand," Esmeralda stated, akin to that of a wise sage. With that, she gently placed it into Quasimodo's hold, and he hid it close on his person.
Before more words could be exchanged between the two of them, the glint of a burning torch peeped its awful head from a nearby street, lighting up the greys and blacks of the night sky, and the harsh figures of the soldiers, their helmets gleaming an unnatural gold now.
"Quick, you all have to go!" Quasimodo warned.
With a final turn of the head, Esmeralda and Djali bid their silent goodbye, their figures sprinting off down the street opposite of the guards, out of their sight and out of their minds, her figure blackening and growing smaller before flickering away completely like a fire's embers. Quasimodo hopped upwards, back onto the roof, as the guards dispersed to their original locations, now that silence reigned amongst the city streets. Looking down to the two of them now, he stopped from where he held onto the ledge.
"And Sora...? I'll think about what you said. And...thank you both. I'm glad I've met you," Quasimodo stated, and then bowed his head.
Sora gave a shining grin back up at him, and Nemurin offered a wave. "We'll see you again, Quasi," she assured.
"I know,"
With that, Quasimodo's distinctive silhouette leapt up onto the roofs, and the sound of his steps grew swiftly distant. Nemurin and Sora waited for the right moment, and padded out onto the street, their Dream Eaters carefully following their leads. They moved from the cathedral until they were certain they were out of the sight of both the guards and of any late-night passersby, eventually stopping in a silent alleyway, letting them take a breath.
"So...what do we do now...?" Nemurin pondered, scratching the top of her head a little.
"I guess we just keep an eye on things...I'm sure Frollo won't be up to any good, so we should keep track of that, but we gotta look out for Nightmares too in case they try to attack anyone," Sora proffered, arms folded as he thought.
"Guess that makes us Nightmare Hunters now, huh?~"
"Hehe, guess so...!"
"Oh, by the way," Nemurin put a hand on his shoulder, her sleeve draped down his right side. Sora glanced at her, his head tilting just a little. "About what you said to Quasi...that was really impressive. I couldn't have thought of a better way of putting it, what we wanted to say. I hope it'll at least make him think about not giving up yet..."
"I hope so too," Sora agreed, eyes closed as he looked down, as if his heart held precedence over his mind. "And...thanks, Nemu," he said, smiling gratefully. "I'm sure we can show him, that the world's not as bad as Frollo says it is...!"
A/N: Excellent, my schedule for Cosmogyral is on track once again! For those curious, my process is that I tend to write one chapter every week, and publish it every Friday, though the hour varies on when I finish my university work. The last chapter was a bit sketchier when it got published, as some of you might have noticed, but I was able to write this one more or less a day or two after I wrote up that one! As always, thanks for the reviews, I always appreciate them, and if you're new and have any thoughts on the chapter/story feel free to share them, even if it's criticism, as I always appreciate being able to improve. ^^
Now, for answering questions; I won't be including songs if I can, simply because they're more of a verbal experience more than anything, I feel they'd disrupt the flow of the story a bit. The only reason I featured bits of Topsy Turvy in the last chapter was that Clopin was technically performing, so having pieces of what they hear made sense, y'know? I will say though if I did have more than just my words, songs would probably be a fun inclusion, haha. Again, I can't really say much about Disney characters outside of Cosmogyral, but I do have ideas beyond this story, but...well, I won't say anymore, since that'd spoil the fun~