In which our heroes search for the Court of Miracles.
The dyed blend of bloodied black and red tore through the surface of the Parisian skyline as tiny wars broke out down below on the surface, smoke wafting eternally upwards and poisoning the air, the world. A booming silence echoed over the city now, only broken apart by the clashes of silver against monstrous bright skin and the glint of a beam and the call that brought it into existence, the cries of battles perpetual and unyielding. A horizon that had seemed so peaceful and gentle once had now crumpled with a blade crusted in darkness, and all Nemurin and Sora could do for now was to try to contain it.
Contain the shadows before they overflowed and consumed everything that lied in its wake.
Every day - if that was what they were in the Dream World, Nemurin hadn't ever really been good at keeping checked up with this sort of thing because retreating to the realm between was so common, and besides, she usually only had one Nightmare to deal with by herself, not an army of them - every day had been like this. A Keyblade tearing through the fabric of black and her beam cutting and purifying what lied before it, and yet the supply of enemies seemed almost infinite. She and Sora cut down a group of Dream Eaters, and ten more bloomed wickedly from its resting place. You'd think the threat of them would unite the people, right? Sora dared hope so, but had felt his heart sink at the sight that had ensued in the early morning hours, not even a day after their time at the top of Notre Dame.
"Find the gypsy girl and her accomplices! Do not rest until not a stone has been left unturned; our torches must remain bright and resolute if we are to purge this city of their evils!"
"You have got to be kidding me!" Sora had hissed in a whisper to Nemurin as he pulled himself back behind the wall, his eyes flashing in disbelief - even with the Dream Eaters' attack during the festival, Frollo could only think of capturing Esmeralda and her 'accomplices'; which, through logical reasoning, pointed at them too.
Nemurin had allowed a sigh to escape, taking in the once fresh air. "Can't say I'm surprised..." she admitted, yawning aloud. Her droopy sleeve had reached down, petting Sheppy's head as she gazed up at them. "We're in for a long fight then..." she lamented.
Sora gave a small nod. "This is...gonna be harder than I thought," he said.
"You can say that again...looks like we have to deal with both of them the best we can,"
With that had begun their operation, and the rise of what whispers in cracked alleys and musty taverns dubbed 'Nightmare Hunters'.
'Y'know, just last evenin' I was leaving this very bar, when those monsters attacked me! They came right outta nowhere, and they didn't look a thing like any monster I'd ever seen! Nightmares, that's the only thing you can call 'em; they ain't of this world, Providence help us. But them hunters, they saved me!"
"I must say though, they do look awfully strange, them hunters. Do you think they're with La Esmeralda?"
"Must be! They don't really dress like those Romani folk either, but it's the only comparison...at least someone's out fighting them!"
By now, Nemurin had lost count of how many pocket-sized fights she and Sora had found themselves dealing with; and while she couldn't necessarily say she was worn-out, she'd gladly admit the pattern had gotten old. The same song and dance of them patrolling the cobbled streets, ducking away from those in silver armour, hearing the squelch and squeals of the Nightmares and the shrill shrieks of those pleading for help that otherwise wouldn't come if they did not, rinse and repeat. Wiping the small drips of sweat that fleeted the corner of her brow with one massive sleeve, Sheppy bleated aloud and Morgana whined as they had only that moment to catch their breath, the same dark particles littering the ground as per always. Sora flicked his hand, and in a pale light, his Keyblade disappeared once again, as did a breath pass his chest.
"You okay there...?" Nemurin asked as she stretched.
"Yeah. I'm fine," Sora answered.
"...It's getting you down, huh...?"
"What is?"
"Y'know...being stuck fighting these same guys constantly. Since it's not the root of the problem in this world, right...?"
"I guess," Sora shrugged, but he wore a weak smile once again as he turned to her now. "But nobody said this was gonna be easy. I've got to keep pushing, just like Riku would, like I bet he is right now! This would be no sweat for him. I'm sure the chance will come when we can strike at the heart! Then we can free this place from its sleep,"
As they began to walk together amidst their patrols, Nemurin piped up a little with a small nod. "You're right..." she conceded. Her eyes remained low, the dull pink feeling itself burning at the tinge of constant smoke and flame. "I gotta say though, I...don't think we have much time,"
Sora folded his arms, eyebrows slanted and his lips creased in a gentle frown, his gaze soft and ever so slightly cracked, seeming to recall the brief time before now, when these same streets had bustled with activity and the horizon was a sight of heaven rather than hell. "You've got a point, Nemu. We gotta find a way to stop Frollo for good,"
"But we can't do it while there's still Dream Eaters, or more people will get hurt; so...we're stuck between a rock and a hard place," Nemurin added, feeling her body slump slightly.
Before any more discussion of their plans could even begin to be crafted, however, they heard it again; the clapping of hooves at one side, the unnatural cries of Nightmares at the other. Both sides warranted cries and yelps and pleas, and they took only seconds to reach Sora and Nemurin's ears.
"No, there's more of them!" Sora summoned his Keyblade, turning to the right; the side of the Nightmares, which seemed to lurk in the dark. A woman's silhouette fleeted closer, stumbling. "I'll deal with them on this side, you check out what's happening on that one, okay Nemu?" he urged, swiftly, having only a moment to glance behind him before he pressed forward. "Let's go, Morgana!"
"Got it!" Nemurin nodded. "C'mon, lil guy," she said to Sheppy, who nodded and rolled alongside her sprinting feet.
It might not have been the classical monsters she found on that side, but it was still a monster on a horse nonetheless. Her eyes narrowed, whether it be from the smoke or from the sight of Frollo, she didn't know; but there was another sight that caught her eye. Guards stood posted at the flank of his steed, and several stood close beside him; yet they came to a halt in this street.
From atop his horse, Frollo called out; "Reveal yourself! I know you're hiding here,"
Nemurin gnawed on her lip for a moment, feeling Sheppy's tiny eyes widen and flicker back and forth. Yet, a surprise smacked her hard as she heard...footsteps, that most certainly weren't hers, and her gut doubted it was Sora's.
"All of these Nightmares, and you still can't find her?" a familiar, irritating voice questioned. The man in the black hood emerged from that portal once again, loosening his hood and revealing a face void of any emotion, at least that others could read. Nothing new then. "How...inept,"
Sheppy's bleats briefly increased, but Nemurin knelt, silently hushing the timid Spirit. What did he want? The blonde Magical Girl gritted her teeth, her back pressed against the wall.
"You know she is not of human making; she is nothing more than a spawn of the devil, sent to tempt ordinary souls," Frollo snarled, nose wrinkled in insult. "You know little about His creations; I have them running throughout this entire city, and those wretched witches have still managed to fight every last one of them!"
The man scoffed. "Do you truly think that the Dream Eaters are sent by this deity you speak of?"
"I know so. That is why they obey me; that is why they kept the Festival in check, and why they show the threat of that witch and her accomplices...they will ensure the evil within these walls are burnt to nothing." Frollo answered back. "If I didn't have more pressing matters to deal with I'd have my men arrest you and try you for heresy. Now, is there a reason you're interrupting my search? Your input was hardly appreciated last time we spoke and I have...matters, to attend to at the cathedral; and of course...there's my attack of the Court of Miracles,"
'The last time they spoke!?' Nemurin's thoughts interjected.
The Dream Eaters that appeared, that frightened Quasimodo back into the cathedral...the Nightmares that haunted the streets and barricaded them from reaching each person he had captured as a potential aide to Esmeralda...! It came together like a puzzle, one she didn't wish to do again - the Dream Eaters were most definitely under the hooded figure's control, lent out to others for his dark purpose; it explained how they hadn't been faced with them before now, and it explained how these two scumbags knew each other.
The golden-eyed youth smirked slightly to himself, turning his back to Frollo. "You'd be free to try. And yes, as a matter of fact; I simply came to remind you. Do what you will with 'that woman' and with the blonde witch...but I request you leave that boy alive."
Frollo's eyes narrowed, and Nemurin felt her rushing heart drop into her stomach, and if it weren't a dream, she was certain she would have been ill by now. The elderly man's brow raised high as he questioned, "And why should I do that?" and as much as Nemurin felt her skin tinge with crimson blood just at the thought of the wicked man, she had to admit she had asked the same question inside her head.
"It is necessary for plans of my own that he lives...of course...do feel free to keep testing him. He probably believes all of this is part of the illusion," the male continued, vaguely, yet still, it made Nemurin's heart tighten with anxiety. "As for that girl...be rid of her. Though of course, were you to fail...it'd be of little difference to us,"
With that, that portal opened once again, and he disappeared without even a trace. Frollo huffed, tugging the reins of his horse around, this time towards the silver-clad legion. "Arrogant fool." he scoffed. "You know your orders then; when you find them, leave Esmeralda for me. I will take care of her...personally and do whatever you wish with this 'Nemurin'."
"Captain!" Frollo barked, turning; another shock of lightning ran up Nemurin's spine like rats at the sight of a human. The man standing there was most definitely not Captain Phoebus, but rather the same man who had incited the public torment of Quasimodo only a day or so before. Nemurin glared from afar, feeling her small fists clench underneath her sleeves. "As you are now consigned Phoebus' duties due to his...betrayal, prepare our attack at dawn."
"Understood, sir!"
"What about yourself, sir?"
"Do you fools not listen? I have business to attend to...at Notre Dame," Frollo's eyes turned towards the building's head, gleaming wickedly. Nemurin bit her lip, her mind immediately flashing to Quasimodo. A pit had dug its way into her stomach and something told her it wouldn't be easy to be rid of, her mind conjuring and turning as their options arose in front of her.
Her mind thought in tracing old steps towards Traverse Town, to her and Sora's first conversation, and again to what Neku had said; when the guy in the black coat had offered to send him home, he had wanted him to bring him Sora first specifically, and once again it seemed he still had his eyes on him...but for what? Did it have more to do with Sora's world than the one she had lived and died in? It sure seemed that way so far, anyway. She reminded herself to ask Sora about his past adventures; maybe there'd be some connection there? A sigh passed her lips as her head boomed trying to think of it all, but the weight of urgency still pressed hard on her shoulders, thoughts racing rapidly.
What had happened to Phoebus? She had suspected that he wasn't in Frollo's leagues, considering how he had helped her and Sora even when all he knew about them was their names, not to mention again back in the cathedral. Was he hurt? Or even...
Nemurin shivered, pushing the thought away like a lemming off a cliff. 'That's just too dark...' she thought to herself. No, they could and would find him, and help him in any way that they could manage.
And what about Esmeralda, her people!? They were going to attack them by morning, and Nemurin had no clue where it was they hid! She had to find them and warn them of what was coming!
Though she did suppose she felt at least a tinge of relief hit her, even if it was through the bitter bite of hindsight, that she and Sora had made the decision to split up for the moment to deal with these predicaments; had she fought alongside him as per usual, they'd have no clue about any of it and then they'd probably be in even more trouble...it didn't make any of this less of a strain though, that was for sure. Her thoughts, that which had been pressed together to the point of breakage, were suddenly pulled away from one another by an oddly comforting sensation against her leg, and the sound of what was like a springy mattress. Sheppy was leaping up and down, giving gentle nudges to her side, bleating ever so quietly.
Nemurin's lips turned upright, albeit weakly, and she knelt by the cobbled ground, petting his head. "Don't you worry about me, Sheppy, we'll handle it..." she assured.
"Phew, that was a close one! Hey, Nemu, I've dealt with the Nightmares!"
Sora's voice broke through the rest of her troubled thoughts like faint rays of sunlight, the girl turning her head to look at him. His Keyblade had once again dispersed, and his hands rested behind his head, Morgana padding proudly behind him as per normal. "So, what was it that was happening over here?"
A puff of breath escaped her lips as Nemurin took a second to prepare for what she was about to drop on him. It was just like always - just when you started to get things under control, the universe threw a curveball at you. "It's not good, Phoebus betrayed Frollo and I have no idea where he is, Frollo knows where Esmeralda's people are, they're going to attack them at dawn! And...and he's working with the guy in the black hood too!" she explained.
"What!? We have to find them before it's too late!" Sora cried.
"You read my mind...! Frollo said he's heading to the cathedral - we should check on Quasimodo and find Esmeralda together," Nemurin stated.
The path to the cathedral was a swift one, their silhouettes darting forward through the darkening city. Night had begun to tighten its hold over Paris now. The moon was barely visible amidst the sky of smoke and flame, the openings of houses abandoned, leaving nothing but pure silence that was only rippled by the echo of footsteps against the solid stone as their bright forms darted through the streets, finding their way towards the grand spires of Notre Dame. The scene before them was drenched in a pale midnight blue; and a dark, glaring horse stood like a guard outside. Frollo's horse, Nemurin knew it.
"Let's fly," Nemurin extended a hand, and Sora took it tight.
As the pair remained clad in the alleyway's shadows, the same soft tufts of white cloud formed into a seat for two - well, four. Once they were settled, it rose high and silently, their figures masked by the smoke and cloud until the balconies of the cathedral revealed themselves, the same ones which they had walked across as a trio alongside Esmeralda, the same one where they had said was like the top of the world. How long ago that felt, despite the stretch of time being even shorter than she was...! The clouds drifted innocently across the sky, Sora and Nemurin atop of it almost invisible from beneath, allowing them to peer at the ground; no sight of the old bag so far, but once he left they could discuss with Quasimodo.
"Wait, Sora," Nemurin whispered from their sky-laced perch.
"Huh?"
"There's one more thing I overheard during all of that...something important."
"What is it?"
"...Well, not only is that guy in the black coat letting Frollo spread the Nightmares around...but...I think that guy...I think he's after you,"
Sora blinked, looking away from her for a moment, before looking back. "Wait...me? But...why?"
"I don't know; all I heard was him telling Frollo to keep you alive if he captured us," Nemurin sighed. "You haven't dealt with this guy before, have you?"
"No, I don't think so..." Sora answered, shaking his head. "The only thing is that his coat's like the one from Organisation XIII. But...my friends and I, we got rid of all of them, so there shouldn't be any of them left...and...I don't know why they'd be after me, at least...maybe for revenge?"
"But why would they want you alive for that...?" Nemurin wondered. "Wouldn't they just want to fight you and kill you...?"
Sora's midnight eyes looked downwards again, back at the balconies. No sight of anyone still. "I would think so..." he admitted, his gaze holding not a single answer. "I've no idea."
"Either way..." Nemurin said, allowing a soft smile to grace her face, her sleeve patting his spiky-haired head. "I'll keep you safe, okay? Just like a Magical Girl's ought to,"
Sora stared at her briefly, blinking, before he allowed himself to beam a sunny grin back at her, the only sunlight amidst their smoky surroundings. "...Thanks, Nemu!" he said; the sounds of his voice were soft and grateful, and it made her smile stay, even if just for a second or two, only to feel her hands be taken into his own once again. "I'll keep you safe too...like a Keyblade Master's ought to!"
Somehow, the thought of that warmed her; even if being a Keyblade Master held similar duties to that of a Magical Girl, to protect and aid those around you, to balance justice's scales...it was still nice to know that she was protected too. Just then, she spotted it; a flicker of black at the corner of her eye. With a flick of her wrist, she jolted the cloud upwards, just to ensure they weren't seen, and sure enough, Frollo walked forward with what appeared to be some form of stride, but he didn't look up once. Good, that was all they needed for now.
Lowering it towards the balcony edge as soon as he disappeared down the steps, Nemurin lurched their seating forward until they were above solid ground, and it once again poofed away. A door creaked to their left, and a familiar, thankfully not dead face revealed itself.
"Phoebus!" Sora and Nemurin called out in unison.
The blonde man's face had been faced over his shoulder for the moment, before turning forward. His eyes glinted in recognition, "Well, I'm glad to see you two are still in one piece. You couldn't have come at a better time-"
"We know, Nemu told me everything - Frollo's going to attack the Court of Miracles at daybreak!" Sora piped up. "We have to find them and warn them before Frollo gets there...!"
As the redheaded man emerged, his face once again slightly covered by a plain cloak, Nemurin asked, "Quasi; do you still have that woven band Esmeralda gave you?"
Quasimodo nodded, searching for a moment before revealing it once again. "Yes; this should help us find her..."
"Good! Good! Ah, great!" Phoebus said as he had a closer look, grinning for a moment, before glancing at them. "...What is it?"
"I'm not sure,"
"Must be some form of code; maybe it's Arabic, no, no...maybe it's Ancient Greek! Nemurin, Sora, do you know any languages?"
"Uh..." Nemurin scratched her head. "I can read Hiragana and Kanji...? I wouldn't say it looks like either of those, though...Sora, how about you?"
"When you wear this woven band..." Quasimodo murmured.
"No clue..."
"You hold the city in your hand..." the hunchback repeated it to himself, before his eyes flashed in realisation, the male gasping aloud. "It's a map!"
"What?" Phoebus repeated, his eyes now narrowed in questioning.
"It's the city!" Quasimodo explained, swiftly catching Nemurin and Sora's attention. "It's a map; see, this is the cathedral, and the river! And this spot here-"
"I've never seen a map like-"
The two men's voices rose in harsh whispers, a thick tension lying uncomfortably heavy within the air. Nemurin glanced to Sora as they made their argument, before the former sighed and chopped the air abruptly, splitting the two back. "Okay, that's enough, you two..."
"Wait, Phoebus!" Sora's voice cut in, raising his arm slightly to give it some more impact. "I think...I think he's right!"
"I didn't see it at first, but...you've got a point," Nemurin agreed.
"Yeah, Quasi! Nice!" Sora said, giving a little pump of the fist.
"Then there's no time to waste," Phoebus stated, walking towards the stairs; until Nemurin's voice sparked up.
"Hold on," Nemurin raised her hand, her long sleeve drifting down and revealing a bit of her skin. Offering a smile, she said, "We don't need to use the stairs, you know~" she stated.
Phoebus stared at her, "Well...what do you have in mind then?"
"Watch this~" Nemurin said - her arm lowered...and the cloudy seats returned, forming just off the balcony's edge. She watched as the former captain turned his head, his brow slowly rising and his eyes slowly widening as he watched her magic unfold. Indeed, his face was that of a man who had witnessed something so unexplainable, something so strange, yet had been through enough of hell to not even be able to exclaim in reaction.
"...Right."
Watching as Nemurin took Phoebus down towards the ground, Sora was about to hop off the edge in pursuit, until he felt a large hand on his shoulder. Turning to face them, Sora tilted his head, only to be met with Quasimodo, looking down slightly, but offering a small smile. "I thought about what you said. To be honest, part of me thinks I have to be out of my mind, but...Esmeralda needs our help, and we're going to save her."
"That's the spirit!" Sora beamed.
However, it had to be said that the path forward was...less than spirited by itself, the air only growing darker and more masking, only broken briefly by the warm flicker of the torch Phoebus carried as they followed the trail of the woven band. Cold, biting air wrapped at their skin underneath their clothes and left a bitter taste in their mouths and silence echoed awkwardly between the hastily-formed group as they trailed each winding alleyway, hardly even interrupted by the crisp flickering of the flame that illuminated their way ahead. And then, just when it seemed like it couldn't get any more gothic, the party of four to six came to a halt.
Outside of a cemetery.
The gate's black metal bars stretched high, cracking the thick scent of cloud and spiking at the heads, as well as wide, leading onto a set of stone walls with pointed ink-black fencing lining the edges, gargoyles sat atop the two pillars by the main gate that glared down at them like guardians. Shadows lied so long that Nemurin couldn't really see anything but the bare minimum beyond the fence, a weakened dirt path and thin dirt and grass, as lifeless as the bodies buried around it. The sight of it made a shiver run up Nemurin's back, a lump forming in her throat; a flash of her own body lying at home in Japan somewhere made her stomach tremble and her gut tighten, but she did her best to shake it off, biting her lip. It felt like...she was an entity that wasn't supposed to be here, or that if she stayed too long she'd get dragged back beneath the ground. Sheppy quietly bleated at her legs, clinging tight. Morgana stared out at the field as it slowly revealed itself, yet she didn't stray too far either.
Quasimodo walked near the front, glancing between the woven band and the cemetery's pathways, gesturing his head towards them, making sure they still followed. Phoebus stuck close behind; almost close enough to be considered at the front, with Sora and Nemurin flanking the pair of them. Sucking in a cold, chilled breath, she padded silently forward amidst the dirt and the silver graves, pushing down the illness she felt turning within her chest at the reminder of her state, ice running all through her blood - until a blush of warmth flooded her palm, a gloved hand now holding hers. Sora's blue eyes glinted from the stray light of the flaming torch, shooting her a small assuring smile, before turning his head back to where Quasimodo had stopped.
"Have...have we found it...?" Nemurin whispered.
Phoebus glanced to the bellringer, who slowly handed over their map. Lifting it to his eyes, he looked between that and the mark on the grave; "This looks like the symbol on the map,"
"What does it mean?" Quasimodo asked.
Phoebus pondered for the moment, before taking the torch again. "Hm...I'm not sure. I could make out an inscription but it's going to take a few minutes to translate it,"
It was just then that Sora and Nemurin spotted where Quasimodo's eyes fell; the coffin's lid. Intaking another heavy breath, Nemurin moved alongside him; it rustled and bumped, before falling with a deafening thump that threw up stone and dirt, revealing below it a deep passageway. A flight of stairs went straight down into a line of shadows now, and Nemurin apologised within her mind; 'Sister Nana, forgive me,'
Glancing back at them again, Phoebus spoke, "Yes, well, or we could just go down those stairs."
It wasn't any brighter down there than it was up on land, but it wasn't as cold; from above, anyways. In they filed, Phoebus at the front, Quasimodo behind him, Sora and Morgana third and Nemurin and Sheppy at the back. Shooting a final glance over her shoulder, she reached over the grave's edge, finding the lid and adjusted it so that it wasn't as apparent it had been altered, before padding down the cold stairwell to the bottom; only to feel a distinctly unpleasant sensation fill her soles, the once smooth, pearly white surface of her socks now dulled and sticking together, floods of raw vaguely dirtied water soaking up to her ankles, the edge of her 'dress' thankfully high enough to avoid being tipped the same fate.
Nemurin's eyes narrowed as they were met with a brighter scene, weak rushes of warm red and orange flushing up the cavern walls that circled above their heads, revealing the myriad of dusted skeletons, namely heads all stacked atop each other with more bodied ones lining the higher parts of the walls. It made her remember an old pen-pal from France, who had been to the Paris Catacombs; and she thought that was gruesome. Water rippled at their movements, fleeing them, each word spoken, each breath taken and every rat that scurried and squealed and darted past their feet reverberating off to the unknown distance, as they found when Quasimodo spoke first.
"Is this the Court of Miracles?" he questioned.
"Offhand? I'd say it's the Court of Ankle Deep Sewage." Phoebus quipped.
"Well, I'd say it's the Court of Anti-Socks," Nemurin remarked, her nose twinged in quiet disgust as she felt what she hoped was water soak her only footwear.
"Maybe it's all of them?" Sora suggested, hands forming weak fists as he eyed their surroundings.
He couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt as though...there was something out there, someone perhaps, watching where they were - watching them? Sora couldn't say for sure, but it put him off, a shiver running up his body either from that or from the cold water, his yellow shoes squelching with each step.
"Cheerful place...kinda makes you wish you got out a bit more, huh, Quasi?" Phoebus remarked, allowing a brief smile to appear on his face. "Like these two,"
"Hardly...I just want to warn Esmeralda and get back to the bell tower soon before I get in any more trouble..." Quasimodo answered, his head hanging low.
"Speaking of trouble, shouldn't we have run into some by now?" Phoebus asked.
"Don't tempt it..." Nemurin answered.
"What do you mean?"
"You know...a guard, a booby trap!"
"Stop tempting fate!-"
And then - blackness. Nemurin, Sora, none of them could see a thing, the life of their torch having completely sputtered out.
"...Oh no," Sora's voice piped up in the darkness.
"Or an ambush..."
A/N: And at last, Chapter 12 is up! I've been busy as all hell lately thanks to university kicking my ass and basically leaving my brain in no mood to write creatively, RIP. But it's here now at least! Don't worry, I've not given up on this story by any means! Thanks again to Captain Imaginat for reviewing, and I'll see y'all next chapter, where we near the conclusion of the world of La Cite Des Cloches!