In which La Cite Des Cloches reaches its conclusion...
Everything hurt.
At the very least, the intense weight of her eyelids finally seemed to be alleviating somewhat, but the aches that she had not yet forgotten were still strong. Her eyes watered and her vision cracked into a blurred display of orange and red, her lungs tightening together with the scent of smoke. It occurred to her now that she was looking upon the world from a crooked angle, for all items before her now seemed ever so askew, various silver lines diagonally tearing upwards to the roof of wherever she happened to be right now. Invisible pokers stung her skin with each movement, even if it was just nudging herself to the side. This was normally the part where Nemurin would remark that it felt as if she had been hit by a speeding truck; but with the circumstances, she might as well have been.
At least a truck wouldn't throw her like she was some sports ball.
A blurred rush of sound overflowed in her eardrums as Nemurin slowly tried to sit up, the surface she fought against hard and solid, yet warm and scratchy as she moved against it. She attempted to pull her hands apart, with one, two, three tugs, but couldn't even get them an inch away, the 'tch' of ropes rubbing against her skin. Her vision finally began to solidify as she tugged her body straight, revealing the sight of the metal bars in front of her and the quintet of black-clad guards at each corner of what looked to be a cage. In the distance was a large wooden stand - on which...stood a pyre, to which Esmeralda had been tied. Horror flooded her guts as she forced herself forward, falling as her head touched the metal.
"Esmeralda!" Nemurin gasped out. Piles of wood and logs were chucked around her form, the woman only able to look about as it happened, floods of people screaming that she was innocent drowning out the call of her name she had made only moments before.
They were going to burn Esmeralda alive.
Sickness trembled thick as vomit as the realisation hit her; crowds of people had been gathered, all crying out for justice's true name, rather than this defamation of it about to take place. Torches had been set alight in the hands of the guards as they silently watched it all unfold, blocking every escape. Nemurin looked out again, and sure enough, she wasn't the only one caged; clamoured together in them were various members of the Romani, their friends, all of them desperately trying to break through the bars and yet not getting anywhere. She swore she could even see Phoebus in one of them, all while more and more guards tugged at civilians, forcing them to take in the sight with broken eyes. She counted within her head; she knew she was in one of these cages and that she was being guarded by five men. Esmeralda had been tied to the stake, and Phoebus along with Esmeralda's people were all in the other cages. That left Sora, Quasimodo and their Spirit companions...where were they...!?
Panic drummed enough to make her deaf, the sound of it almost blocking out the screams.
Almost. She scanned the crowd again, amongst the guards; and found a sight that made her heart utterly sad. Morgana and Sheppy were together at least, their necks held by leashes and spears pointed towards their heads, making even a slightly wrong movement a risk. She couldn't quite hear anything clearly now, as it all compounded into a disturbing discordance, but she could tell from the way they moved that Sheppy was probably bleating again. Probably wondering where she and Sora had gone, when she would show up to assure that everything would be fine. Gnawing at her lip until she was certain it would have been bleeding in the real world, cold sweat trickled down her entire frame as she tried to think, as she tried to break through the unbearable ringing in her head.
Her eyes looked up, upon Notre Dame. Her massive frame, that which had invoked such awe and wonder, now looked like it had been set upon by the forces of Hell itself, the flames licking up towering shadows that fleeted up its walls, clouds of smoke billowing behind its massive towers as the terrorized panic of her people bounced off of its exterior. Nemurin thought backwards - she could at least, for now, take some morbid comfort in the fact Sora wasn't dead, and her gut, for some reason, told her Quasimodo wasn't either, though unlike with Sora she couldn't back that up apart from the trust she held in herself. She hoped, more than anything, it wouldn't betray her. Sora had to be alive somewhere, and for all she knew, he and Quasi could have been kept together. Quasi because he had the strength alone to break through these bars and the agility to escape his pursuers, and Sora because he had been given the order, that which he reluctantly would likely follow. Yet, somehow, it didn't make her feel much better - especially since it felt as though she was miles away from them.
She had to use her magic, and she had to use it now, but doing so with just her head, particularly with her connection to it being weaker than normal, was easier said than done. It was there that she saw it; her twin tail, though it still dragged lowly across the floor, the tip of it had faded in colour, the furthest ends a pale brown, though the rest sprinted up into the usual purple and blonde she had been used to.
'Take a breath...somehow, we'll get out of this...' Nemurin told herself, allowing a weak puff of breath to escape, shooting in as little as she could get away with in return; her chest already ached from the beating they'd gotten earlier, and it didn't help the fires bursting around them was making her chest close up as though she were still a child in the playground during the Winter when her asthma was at its worst.
Getting into a state wouldn't be of any help, anyway; it was troublesome, and it was, believe it or not, the sort of thing she liked to avoid. But that was a task, considering she knew what was going to happen to Esmeralda once Frollo showed up...
'I need to figure a way out...' Nemurin thought again, before an idea sparked within her tired mind; perhaps it was time-consuming, but it was magic she could pull off by just thinking about it. It would take a few minutes, but waiting a few minutes was better than sitting pondering nothing.
So, she began; the speck of a cloud lifted and began to form the base of two peoples' feet. The first silhouette possessed a dainty pair of heels, the other a pair of practical boots, the tips of their long dress and coat respectively slowly beginning to fill like a candy mould. If any girl's powers would be useful right now...it'd be theirs.
It was so dark, he was sure it had to have been for a while now. Initially, the only thing Sora could take in was a droning tone that echoed off his ears in an unnatural clamour, not helped by the pounding of his head all the while. His cheek pressed against a cold stone floor, shadows shrouding every wall, only barely passing away as his eyes began to open. A weak groan escaped his chest, followed by a hiss of pain as the burns across one of his arms spiked up again, his hands moving slightly as they were pressed to his back, only for a loud rattle to burst through his ears; like the sound of chains. Faintly, from what looked like an opening to the world, the sky was dyed that same awful red and black as it had been before, except somehow even worse, enough to make his blue eyes burn.
"Sora...!" a familiar voice piped up in relief, even as chains rattled at his movement. "Y-you're...you're awake..."
"Quasi, you...you okay?" Sora groaned in kind reply, attempting to get to his knees, but the chains weren't only limited to his hands; one at his ankle tugged and fought to keep him down on the floor, the male downed again. "Where are we..."
"I'm...fine," Quasimodo answered, his voice indicating the opposite; though at the very least he didn't seem hurt, it occurred to Sora that the pair of them were in the same situation - they were both chained up like animals, hardly even able to move a single inch.
Before Quasimodo could continue to answer him, however, an irritatingly hateful voice chimed in his stead; "The bell tower - the place Quasimodo belongs."
"Frollo!" Sora spat, shooting daggers at him. "You won't get away with this! We won't let you!"
Frollo chuckled to himself, sneering. "Oh, will I not? Because it would seem that I already have."
"What have you done with Esmeralda and the others!?"
"They are to face punishment for the crime of witchcraft; both the gypsy girl and that friend of yours," Frollo stated. Despite the severity in his tone, a smirk still played across his face, dark and mocking. "I would have loved to do the same to you, boy, for you are just as evil a witch as the rest of them."
"Master, please, no! They're not, they-" Quasimodo pleaded; only for a lash of a whip to ring out, striking against the male's cheek, forcing him into a flinch.
"Silence...! As such...I will need to settle for having you watch instead," Frollo spoke as he treaded behind them; abruptly, a hand grasped the back of the boy's head, forcing him to look down; his eyes burned with the sight alone, of the people forced into the courtyard, of the cages, of the stake. "You see, a party that has offered me assistance requested that I keep you alive-"
"Yeah, I heard," Sora quipped, allowing some sarcasm to toll out from his voice despite his position, the boy's teeth gritted despite the tension that wracked his entire body. "So much for your 'principles', right? Because some creep in a black coat tells you to, you're gonna let a 'witch' live?"
"They will be dealing with you themselves, and I will deal with the rest."
"And you know that, how? I think you're just trying to hide from the fact that you're nothing but a liar; a liar with a heart full of darkness and hatred!"
Sora was pretty sure that if looks could kill, Frollo would have won by now, like his eyes were burning into his skull. Still, Sora didn't avert his gaze, and just stared straight back, without flinching.
With a growl, the judge turned on his heel; "I will not listen to a witch preach about falsehoods. I do hope you've said goodbye to that gypsy girl and that friend of yours, for the last visions you'll have of them will make you yearn for that same intervention." Frollo stated. Afterwards, he stepped out, disappearing out the door and down the steps.
Grunting a little, Sora struggled there on the floor, trying to summon his Keyblade; but it was as if these chains rejected the idea - like something was pushing back against him. Quasimodo's eyes flicked down towards him, then at the chains that bound him; he tugged and pulled, but yielded nothing.
"I'm sorry, Sora..." Quasi's voice muttered at his side, its tone sunk low into an abyss that could break a heart. "This is all my fault..."
"W-what...? That's not true...! We'll get out of this, we can't give up...! Esmeralda, Nemurin, Phoebus, the others, they're all down there...!" Sora answered, eyes wide; Quasimodo was on the verge of giving up, he could feel it. He couldn't blame him, but he couldn't allow it...
"How? I've tried breaking these chains, what difference would it make...!?"
"But we can't let Frollo win!"
"He already has..."
"That's not true!" Sora's voice sparked up, raising his head high as he could despite his lowly position. His breaths heavy as he heard Frollo begin to speak again down below, he tried to break through that noise; "Not when they're still alive. Not when we still have a chance to-!"
"What chance is there, Sora!?" Quasimodo's voice suddenly shot out, making him fall quiet for a moment. His head hung as though held by a noose, refusing to meet Sora's softening gaze.
"...Is it...is it those chains holding you back, Quasi...? Or is it your heart...?' Sora asked, his voice quieter now, like a whisper.
Quasimodo was silent for a moment, the colours of flame illuminating the shape of his face; their eyes flickered with complete horror at the sight below them. Flames began to rip up into the air against the wood and the way, forming a fatal circle around Esmeralda. Smoke billowed up through the air in almost every direction, and the shrieks and crackles of flame formed a chilling
"Esmeralda...!" Sora cried out, tugging himself forward again, the distance between them ripping his thoughts to shreds. He had to think of something, he had to-
And that, was when it happened.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!"
Quasimodo didn't know what would happen at that moment; if the chains would come undone, even as vibrations flooded through every brick of Notre Dame, as the bells rung without even being touched just from the force of his movements, his arms pulling against the bite of the chains. Perhaps it wouldn't work, perhaps he'd die. Perhaps it was pointless. But he couldn't stay here, he knew that; he was never safe behind these parapets of stone, not with someone like Frollo. He couldn't let his heart be a prison, not when staying behind its bars meant letting them die.
Trickles of stone tumbled from high above as Quasimodo battled with the pull and unyielding grasp of the chains, the pillars that once stood solid behind his head now crumbling and breaking apart into piles across the floor. With one final strain, he had done it - the chains broke apart from where they had been implanted, slipping off like snakes as they slithered weakly to the stone floor, Sora's own bursting and popping as they had been pulled, his friend's strong silhouette burning through the smoke.
"Yes!" Sora cheered, almost breathlessly, rising to his feet.
"I'll get Esmeralda, you free the others," Quasimodo ordered, without room for argument.
"Got it!" Sora agreed, his face firm.
As swift as the free sprint of the wind in the sky, the two young men moved; Sora summoned his Keyblade in one hand, darting across the stone balconies as he leapt from up above, gasps rippling the air as the crowd below spotted his silhouette flowing in its motions, light bursting from his feet with each surface he touched. Eyes went wide as the bellringer ran across the wall, using a rope to stop himself from falling; in one jump, it swung forward, all the way from the top of the cathedral and straight to the stake to which Esmeralda had been tied. Landing on both feet, Quasimodo wasted not one moment; he tore the ropes binding Esmeralda away, taking hold of her before swinging back to the safety of Notre Dame's top.
Stood there atop the balcony, he lifted the woman's body up high and cried out in almost holy resound.
"SANCTUARY! SANCTUARY! SANCTUARY!"
Sora had landed upon the ground by now, eyes glimmering in idealism as he watched the sight; he knew that Quasimodo could it, he had always had it in him. They would free Paris now, finish this nightmare once and for all. It was just then that he saw what was like a tidal wave ripping through a shoreline; the guards surrounding the cages tripped and stumbled into runs away from an unknown sight - and then, he saw it. A massive pillar, a massive wall ripping up from nothing and sending the guards to their backs.
Standing atop one of the cages were two figures whom Sora had never seen, but he was certain Nemurin had something to do with them; the first he almost mistook for a boy, hadn't it been for the reminder that they were Magical Girls.
Her auburn hair was cut short, one bang so long it covered one side of her face, flowing upwards amidst the heat and smoke. Her gaze was silver and stoic as the stone, all while possessing a certain mystique unlike that of the normal world, and she was dubbed in a long coat of a distinct style, dark blue in colour, its silhouette flowing gracefully, a long blue scarf flapping with each movement she made. She knelt down, remaining in unyielding silence as she conjured her walls, like a noble prince. The other knelt behind her, with a face as peaceful as an angel. In contrast to the other girl, her femininity was worn on her sleeve; her clothes resembled that of a nun, albeit adjusted somewhat, and she had long hair that flowed out from beneath her headdress. Her eyes were bright blue, glimmering almost in the shapes of crosses.
The nun spoke aloud, her voice as soft as silk, which seemed to soothe the people somewhat, "It is alright - my prince and I will protect you all!"
"Stay behind the walls." the short-haired one ordered.
"Nemu, did you get these two?" Sora wondered, eyes wide, turning his back so he could fight off a guard; his Keyblade clashed with their spears, but with a forceful swing the polearms went flying out of their holds, forcing them to scatter. Civilians, particularly the youngest, those who had the duty of protecting their young ones or those who depended on them the very most, fled behind the walls, into the streets.
Nemurin sweep-kicked a group of guards coming in her direction, having now found her usual calmness again amidst the chaos, giving a sagely nod. "That's right~ Meet Ideal Weiss Winterprison and Ideal Sister Nana!" she announced. "I had to try and summon them while I was locked up..took longer than I would have liked, but they're here to help us."
One of Weiss' walls seemed to be waiting for a particular spot, swimming underneath the stone like an undersea predator, until it busted up in front of one of the cages. "Alone at last!" Phoebus' voice chimed out, snatching the keys off of the unconscious guard and freeing himself, cutting the leashes off of the Spirits, allowing them to dart back to their respective caretakers.
"HEAR ME, PEOPLE OF PARIS!" Phoebus called out amidst the chaos, those who chose to stay looking upon him. "How much oppression will you allow!? Frollo has persecuted our people, ransacked our city, and now, he has declared war ON NOTRE DAME HERSELF! Will we allow it!?"
"NO!" the citizens cried out in rebellion; taking up whatever they could find, the people bolted towards the cages, shoving past guards and breaking locks, allowing more of the Roma to escape their prisons.
Nemurin sprinted up towards Sora, feeling their companions nudge at their legs. Bundling Sheppy up into her arms, she pulled him into a quick yet loving hug, the little creature letting out a 'baa' of delight. "I'm glad you guys are alright..." she said.
"I'm glad you're safe too, Nemu. Come on, we have to stop Frollo from getting into the cathedral!" Sora urged, offering a brave smile towards her, before turning his attention towards the large wooden doors, Frollo and his guards trying to shove off the people blocking their way as they attempted to barrel their way through. "You two coming?"
Weiss gave a simple nod, while Nana beamed at them. "Of course...! If we are to put an end to this madness, then we must use all our power and wisdom together!" she declared, her hands clasped in prayer.
"...Right!" Sora blinked, before giving a small nod.
It was but a small sprint towards the cathedral doors, the small group taking a stop at the stone steps. "Not any further for you," Nemurin said, stretching a little bit.
"It's over, Frollo," Sora glared as he held his Keyblade in one hand, while the other was a tightly balled fist.
That dark aura again formed at Frollo's back, still, Nemurin held no fear in her heart, and it didn't seem her companion did either now, only determination that burned red and bright in their gazes. "I have no more time to waste on pathetic witches...! Destroy them, and send them into the fiery pit! One will destroy those who sully the earth and the other will destroy those who curse the air..."
"Any idea what he's on about?" Nemurin snarked.
"Not a clue," Sora added, only for his eyes to look up above them.
The air rumbled and shrieked above their heads, and Winterprison acted swiftly; a large stone wall shot up into the air, emitting a loud roar from the creature that dove to crush them as it collided with the unforgiving shield; with only a movement of her gloved hands, Ideal Winterprison turned the wall abruptly, sending the creature into a stumble, allowing them to face it head-on. As Nemurin expected, it was the same Nightmare from before, the one who Sora had attempted to fight off; 'At least it's the not the one who can fly, that'd be a real problem...' Nemurin thought to herself.
"Weiss, can you use your walls to make sure everyone's out of the way of this thing?" Sora questioned, Keyblade at the ready.
"Let me help you~" Ideal Sister Nana added, her eyes glittering as she looked upon Winterprison.
The girl clasped her hands together; a soft blue light, like the song of the waves after a long night, emanated around her body, and Winterprison soon shared in this silhouette. Clenching her fist, the walls surrounded them at each side, and the civilians gasped in what could only be taken as awe, shock, amazement, disbelief or some combination of all of them. They rose high and solid as though nothing could ever break through, and the people turned and fled to safety, the guards forced into retreat.
"Let's finish this, huh...~ Man, this really was more exhausting than I thought it would be..." Nemurin remarked, readying her stance.
Together, the Nightmare had no chance.
It roared aloud at them, the air whipping their flesh, but that wouldn't be the only thing that did; it rose its massive arms above its head, shooting a ball of fire up into the sky that circled back downwards, crashing into the stone and sending pieces of the cobblestone upwards like an explosion of dust, forcing the group to come apart as they moved out of its range, the flicker of flying red and orange being their only warning to the coming bombardment. They leapt through the air, dividing in hopes of burning flesh, only to be dispersed by the gasp of a wall Winterprison summoned as a temporary shield, Sora and Nemurin rolling as quickly as their bodies could manage as it ripped up through the floor. That same, gentle blue light glowed around them, making their movements that much faster, that much more precise, that much more powerful.
"Any ideas on how to beat this guy?" Nemurin questioned mid-roll, her twin tails landing on the ground as she darted backwards.
"A few!" Sora answered. "If this thing likes fire, then we can cool it off! Then we can lure it close enough for all of us to attack at once!"
"Sounds like a plan~" Nemurin agreed with a small bob of the head. "We'll cover you!"
Sheppy bleated briefly, and then revved up; his tiny body curled back into a ball, and with one rush of movement, he bowled over the yard's cracks, flying high up into the air and smashing into the Nightmare's face, circling it like a lively ring. Before it could deck its armoured fist against Sheppy's speeding form, however, it grunted aloud as Nemurin's hands took hold of its leg, forcing it into a stumble. Its other hand shot up, using the same chain-like attack from the Court of Miracles to knock her back; failing to notice Sora at its back - glitters of pale white and blue spun around the end, before firing off in a cascade of frost and cold like a flying bullet, landing right at the back of its throat.
"NOW!" Nemurin shouted, raising an arm like she was starting a race; her voice reaching her companions in record time. A pillar forced its way upwards, smashing hard into the Nightmare's side; it growled, slamming its fist into the ground as a carpet of fire suddenly rushed through the ground, reaching Winterprison like a trail of oil to a match. Her teeth gritted hard, enough to break through, as she fought to remain balanced, clutching her arm slightly.
"WINTERPRISON!" Sister Nana gasped, her voice quivering, her blue eyes rippled like broken water.
With a glowering glare, Nemurin took action once more; she moved her two hands and grabbed at its arm, welling up all the strength she still had inside of her body - she needed it now, and she wouldn't let it be ripped away from her, not by this thing, not by that jerk in the black coat. It was an odd sensation; she did try to avoid conflict where she could, but she was waist-deep in it, and the alternative was darker than she could describe. Passion tore through her chest as she tightened her grasp, using it to lift it somewhat off the ground and with one poignant swing, send it tumbling across the battlefield.
Time to finish it.
Two colourful silhouettes sparked from two directions, light glimmering off of them as magic soared around their bodies; jumping up high, the two let out resounding cries of the battle.
"NEMURINNNNN...BEAMMMMMM!"
A pillar of white light shone from Nemurin's head as Sora adjusted his Keyblade as he dove, pointing it straight down; in tandem, their bodies landed as they found their marks, darkness bursting out from the Nightmare as the Keyblade and the purifying beam shredded its darkness into nothing. Finally, it remained collapsed on the ground, its gauntlets shattered and its fires finally put out.
Panting a little, Nemurin tugged at the boy, helping him to his feet, the blue light surrounding her having now faded. "Woah...now that was..." she puffed, letting her hands rest on her knees as she regained herself.
Dusting himself off, Sora beamed at her, stepping away from the Nightmare, expecting it to have fallen into violet remnants, just as the last one like it had done. "Yeah...definitely." he breathed, before he turned to the nun and her companion. "You two were amazing...! Wherever Nemurin's from, it's lucky to have Magical Girls like you guys,"
An angelic smile formed on Sister Nana's face, to the point you'd be expecting to see sparkly white light surrounding her for extra effect. "Oh, thank you so much!" she beamed. "But you dealt with that monster like heroes...! Besides...Winterprison did most of the heavy work, where the two of us are concerned. She truly is like a shining prince,"
And there, just at the flickering edges of Winterprison's lips, the first of any sort that Sora had seen from her, was a smile. "If it weren't for your powers, I probably wouldn't have been able to do it. Not to the extend we needed, anyway."
Before Sister Nana could offer any sort of coherent reply, however, she noticed it; the churning flames, like the turning gears of a bomb or the beeps of a mine, sprouting up from the Nightmare's corpse. Her skin went as white as the robes she wore as she cried out in alarm, "Everyone, look out!"
Winterprison wasted no time, and Sora didn't either; a translucent shield formed in front of him as he held his Keyblade out, blocking the rush of flame that was about to hit them, and the worn stone of the ground sprouted up like plants in a famine, surrounding them at each side, forcing them to kneel close together. Even as the sound outside was muffled, they could still hear it - the shriek of flame as it ripped and tore up the wind with its approach, roaring as though to make them all deaf, as the bang of fire forcefully shoved those within though the infectious hands grasping and tearing at the stone until its fried nails could only mark the walls with black handmarks. The whispered crumbles of the wall dotted the ground surrounding them, Sora's arms buckling slightly as he fought to retain his standing, Winterprison's arms now hung in a tight, shielding embrace around Sister Nana's body, her curves easing out as she nuzzled tighter into her. Nemurin's hands rested upon Sheppy and Morgana's heads, the two Spirits remaining as close to her and Sora as they could manage.
For a few moments more, as the final dying fit of their enemy fell silent, they said nothing. "Do you think that's the last of it?" Winterprison questioned.
"I hope so..." Nemurin sighed, slowly rising to her feet. Her socks rustled a little as she peered out, a slow gap forming in their safe haven; sure enough, the field was just as empty, but their spot was hard to move from. "Um...Sora, we might need your ice magic again...the whole field's..."
"It's trying to roast us alive. Bastard...Nightmare, was that what you called it?" Winterprison pondered, eyes slanted in disdain. Quickly, she jumped upwards, her blue scarf billowing slightly amidst the smoke and the fire; only for her blue eyes to fall upon another sight, her eyes becoming tight with horror.
"What is it?" Sora questioned, eyes soft with concern, frowning slightly; only for his breath to freeze in his chest as he peered out. "No!"
There, at the top, they could see it; at the ledges, were three figures. One stood safely, swinging the glint of a blade, while two others swung perilously, only one grip away from falling into the flames, their hearts constricting at the sight alone, never mind of the small, just barely visible details that gave their identities away.
Quasimodo and Esmeralda.
"Quasi and Esmeralda need our help!" Sora alerted, glancing between his current position below and the parapets on which Quasimodo and Esmeralda now had to trust with their lives, forced to swing to each one as Frollo swung his blade into the necks of the stone guardians.
Nemurin's breath trembled, her hands quickly forcing magic out of her, bursts of cloud forming as fast as she could muster them.
A seat for one, as Quasimodo and Esmeralda struggled their way up.
A step for a few, as Frollo suddenly lashed his cape over Quasimodo's eyes sending him stumbling over the edge, a desperate struggle born as one fell over after the other.
Nemurin sprinted with clouds as her footholds up into the air, not stopping for anything. Someone had to get there, they had to get there now.
Half the way there, Esmeralda tried to hold onto Quasimodo's hand with all of her strength. Nemurin's gut plummeted into her stomach the more she witnessed, her blood draining out of her face as Frollo rose his sword, possessing a face straight from the depths of madness. She could only gasp, reaching out a desperate hand as the blade was about to swing down-
Crack. Crack. Crack!
The gargoyle head on which Frollo stood crumbled away like the strings of his fragmented, twisted mind, the wizened old figure stumbling and clasping onto it. With one final fracture, the gargoyle's connection to the building it defended to its grave was finally broken, ripping itself and Frollo down with it - and into the flames below.
Sister Nana whimpered quietly, not knowing who had fallen or who had lived, Winterprison hastily forming a wall over their heads like the remnants of a roof in a storm.
Thump. CRACK.
Nemurin had managed to push herself forward now, close enough she could reach out and touch the flame-coloured walls of the cathedral. Positioning herself below where Quasimodo's body dangled, she had only a moment to prepare - before he fell. Esmeralda's horrified shriek echoed in her ears as the form of her friend dropped like a stone, "NOOOOOO!"
She acted quickly; bringing her arms out, the moment she felt the whip of air slice into her, she grabbed on tight, trying to cling onto the cut strings of her magical strength as the energy in it faded, the clouds that held her up beginning to puff out of existence like a mad dash - until she felt arms pulling at her waist. Phoebus, ensuring she made it to the balcony. Sure enough, Quasimodo's body remained firm in her hold, but she didn't dare take a breath until she was certain they were on solid ground.
Releasing the breath she knew she was holding, Nemurin slowly lowered Quasimodo to the stone floor. "...Thank you..."
And that, was the last thing she got to utter before her body peacefully collapsed.
Daylight had come through to Paris once again, the sky big and blue and full of possibilities and the sun shone her graces from above. Though the ground was scarred with the blemishes of the night before, the fires had perished along with their corrupt leader. People bustled outside the cathedral, awaiting the sight of their beloved heroes. By now, Ideal Sister Nana and Ideal Weiss Winterprison had returned to the boundary of dreams the moment Nemruin had collapsed, and the 'Nightmare Hunters' were now seated within the cathedral.
"That was a close one, huh, Nemu...you okay? You're not hurt or anything, are you?" Sora wondered, tilting his head a little.
Nemurin stretched a bit, giving a small shake of the head. "Mm~ I'm fine...honestly I think I just fell asleep after the adrenaline wore off..." she answered, before giving a small yawn. "How about you?"
"Good as new!" Sora flexed his arms a little; sure enough, his Cure spell had done wonders for his earlier burns.
"Well, that's good to hear," a gentle voice piped up close behind them; their heads turned, and they smiled as they were met with the sight of Quasimodo emerging.
"Quasi!" the two greeted in unison, rising to their feet as they went to his side.
"You really saved the day out there, Quasimodo...~" Nemurin complimented, offering a smile.
"W-well..." Quasimodo's cheeks flushed a bit, but he wasn't averting her gaze as often as he might have done before. "But you're the one who saved me, you and Phoebus. I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for that,"
Nemurin offered a dismissive, casual wave of her sleeve; "Don't sweat it~" she said. "Hey...isn't everyone out there waiting for you? You are the hero of the hour, after all,"
"Yes, I'm going to go out there and see them," Quasimodo said, before he turned to Sora. "And Sora, I...I wanted to thank you. You were right; I...can't blame Frollo for putting walls around me...it wasn't the walls holding me back. But...thanks to you, and Nemurin, and Esmeralda and the others...I'm really ready to see what's out there." Quasimodo said to them, a smile as gentle as heaven gracing his features, warmth flooding their chests at the sight of it.
With that, the male walked out towards the chipped doors; Esmeralda beamed at him, standing there in the wide sunlight. Offering out her hand, Quasimodo stepped out - and into the light of the free world.
Nemurin smiled wistfully to herself, her eyes falling upon the stained glass windows that shined like a new life. "He'll be okay...with Esmeralda and the others, I'm sure he'll find his way."
"You're right - he will." Sora trailed off a bit. "All of that time...Quasimodo let himself be trapped by the nightmares Frollo gave him,"
"Can't say I blame him; the guy was a pretty nightmarish person..." Nemurin retorted.
Before Sora could reply, however, a foreign voice echoed throughout the cathedral walls; "Hypocrite. You are the one who has made your heart a prison,"
And she was annoyed again, Nemurin knew it the second she saw the silver-haired man. "You again? Wasn't working with that creep Frollo enough?"
The male simply smirked a little to himself, "'He was an easy pawn; and nothing more. I'm sure you would know yourself, Nemurin, about imprisonment, don't you? That's why you're here..." he turned to Sora now; and another faint figure flickered, and disappeared, to the point she could hardly get a look at him. But Sora saw him, she knew he did. "It can be done...even if you are not the prisoner."
"Wait, how did you..." Nemurin blinked; only for him to turn his back on them, another portal opening up in front of him.
"Hey, wait!" Sora shouted, but by then, it was too late.
"...What...what was that about...?" Nemurin questioned, scratching her head in frustration. "We didn't even get to ask what he was wanting you for either...creep..."
Sora was quiet; even the glimmer of light, the shape of a keyhole that appeared within the stained glass was not enough to rouse his voice. For truthfully, even as he awakened the world, his thoughts strayed to one thing.
'Nemurin's...a prisoner...? My heart's...a prison? But...how?"
A/N: And that's La Cite Des Cloches finished! That world was so much fun to write, I wanted to bring the life back into it that the game version lacked, at least in my opinion. Even if I couldn't incorporate everything, I at least wanted it to have some more resemblance to the movie, as the game...kinda felt like an empty shell compared to it. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Thanks once again to Captain Imaginat for the reviews! ^^ I'm so happy you love my story so much, and it means a lot to me that you enjoy reading it! Thanks again, I hope you, and all of my readers, have had a great New Year and a wonderful January too!