The Bells of Notre Dame (9, Riku/Sora) Part 8 of 10
Title: The Bells of Notre Dame
Author:
aurons_fan
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Claim: Riku/Sora
Prompt Set: Orange
Prompt: 9, Harvest (Um. I was thinking collecting items. Which makes sense later.)
Type: Fanfic
Rating: T-R (Maybe in later chapters)
Warnings/Spoilers: Spoilers for the games Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts 2, and probably Kingdom Hearts CoM.
Disclaimer: Riku and Sora are owned by Square Enix and Disney.
Summary: After a mysterious note from the King, Riku and Sora adventure and get stuck in a world called Notre Dame
This Chapter Summary: Sora, Phoebus, and Quasimodo head to the Court of Miracles.
A/N : ...Hm. two months...again? I fail. Hardcore. xD I'm hoping to finish this fic by it's birthday (I'm sad, aren't I?), but I may not. BUT! :D My favorite chapter is coming up! But I still love this one. It took forever, beecaaause... I didn't want to screw it up. Which I hope I didn't. Srsly.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! :D
For
7rainbowprompts.
Beta-ed by
rainbowserenity (who rocks. Seriously. She's sick and I still bug her. XD)
Phoebus pushed through the church’s door, shaking his head at Quasimodo’s stubbornness. He’d thought that at least Sora would want to save his friend…
“Boo!” Sora grinned as Quasimodo dropped them both in front of the door. Phoebus clutched at his chest, shaking his head.
“Thanks for the surprise,” he mumbled before looking over to Quasimodo. “Decided to come, huh?”
Quasimodo narrowed his eyes and drew his cloak around him tighter. “I didn’t do it for you. I’m doing it for her and him.” He nodded his head over to Sora, who grinned in retribution.
Phoebus glanced over to Sora before shaking his head. “Of course. Do either of you have any idea how to get there?”
“If we run around long enough, we’ll find it,” Sora commented with a smile. Phoebus and Quasimodo exchanged glances and he shrugged. “Hey, it worked on every other world!”
Reaching for his necklace, Quasimodo pulled it out and showed it to Phoebus. “No, but she said this would let us find her.”
Phoebus nodded eagerly before grabbing the necklace and inspecting it. “Great! Great! …What is it?” He turned it around, raising his eyebrow.
“Looks like a map,” Sora offered, but Phoebus shook his head.
“No… no, it must be some kind of code. Maybe it’s Ancient Greek?”
Quasimodo snatched the necklace out of Phoebus’s hands and nodded. “No, Sora’s right. It’s a map.”
Phoebus narrowed his eyes. “I never seen a map like that!”
As the two began to bicker about whether it was a map or not, Sora sighed, wishing he had Donald with him. Donald, at least, could shock these two into getting along.
Or something like that.
“Alright!” Phoebus’s tone was agitated, and Sora began to listen again. “If you two say it’s a map, it’s a map. If we’re going to find them, we all have to work together. …Truce?” He lightly patted Quasimodo on the back and offered a smile to Sora.
Quasimodo shrugged. “Ah, truce.” He slapped Phoebus on the back as well, causing Phoebus to wince. “Sorry.”
Walking past Phoebus, Quasimodo offered Sora a wink. Phoebus scowled at Quasimodo’s back. “No, you’re not.”
--
After an hour of slipping through the city, Phoebus, Sora, and Quasimodo stood in a graveyard, staring down at a grave. “Now what?” Sora asked, frowning down at it. He’d already tried the Keyblade, but it wasn’t technically locked, so it didn’t work.
Phoebus waved the torch at the grave. “I think I can see an inscription here… Sora, hold the torch. I’ll try to translate it…”
Quasimodo shook his head and shoved the lid off of the grave. Sora glanced down, noting a stairwell. “That works.”
Both Quasimodo and Sora glanced up to Phoebus, who rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine, I’ll go first.”
“You have the torch, after all,” Quasimodo mumbled as Phoebus slowly began descending down the steps. Sora let his Keyblade disappear and quickly followed after them.
“Ugh… this can’t be the Court of Miracles,” Sora groaned as the three of them slogged through the waste that filled the hall-like area. “Maybe that map was wrong.”
Quasimodo shook his head. “No, no. Esmeralda said it would lead us to her, and I trust her. This has to be it.”
Shaking his head and stepping lightly, Phoebus commented, “I’d say, offhand, that this is the Court of Ankle Deep Sewage.” He gave a laugh before glancing back at Sora. “Doesn’t this place make you love Paris all the more?”
Grinning in response, Sora shook his head. “Between Frollo and this, I’m thinking that I want to go home.” Alive and with Riku would also be a plus, he mused, jumping over a pile of bones. Yuck, when was the last time this place had been cleaned?!
“Let’s hurry,” Quasimodo mumbled, not even bothering to look disgusted. “I just want to warn Esmeralda and get back to the bell tower before I get into any more trouble.”
Phoebus stopped, looking around. “Speaking of trouble, we should’ve run into some by now.”
Sora continued on. “What do you mean?”
“You know, a guard, a booby trap…”
A strong gust of wind flew through the tunnel, killing the torch’s flame. Phoebus’s voice continued. “Or an ambush.”
Suddenly, dozens of men dressed like skeletons with torches appeared on the walls above the three of them. Sora attempted to summon his Keyblade, but the men jumped and surrounded him before he could do a thing. Glancing back and noting that Quasimodo and Phoebus were surrounded as well, Sora mumbled “Blizzaga!” at the men, freezing one man's torch and arm. The man dropped the torch and shouted to the others, “Gag this one first!”
Sora’s eyes widened and he attempted to struggle against them, but after his arms were bound behind his back and a gag tied around his mouth, there wasn’t much he could do. Looking over to Quasimodo and Phoebus, he saw that both of them were tied up and glaring up to…
Wait. Wasn’t that the jester from the Festival of Fools? Without his cheerful garb, he looked menacing, even more so with the light of the torches flickering onto his face.
“Well, well, well, what have we here?” the jester asked, raising his eyebrow.
“Trespassers!” one of the skeletons behind Phoebus and Quasimodo shouted.
“Spies!” one holding Sora down added.
Phoebus quickly shook his head. “We’re not spies-” Before he could add anything, he was gagged and tied up.
Quasimodo attempted to add, “Can’t you listen to -” but he was also gagged.
The jester glared down at the two of them and then sent a cruel look over to Sora. “Don’t interrupt me! You’re very clever to have found our hideaway…” With a grin, he beckoned the skeletons to carry the three of them farther down the passageway. “Unfortunately, you won’t live to tell the tale.”
--
“Gather around everyone!” Riku glanced up from his card game to see Clopin standing on the platform, laughing and tugging at the nooses. “We have a triple header!”
Esmeralda’s goat, Djali, began going crazy and sprinted to the front of the crowd. “Djali!” Riku shouted, abandoning his card game to catch up to the goat. “Wait up!”
“And not just any three - Frollo’s spies! We have the captain of the guard…” Boos came from the crowd and Riku glanced up. Once he recognized the man - he thought he’d heard Esmeralda call him Phoebus - he quickly noticed to two others at his side. “His loyal bell ringing henchman and his trusty squire who will never leave his side…even in death!” Clopin laughed loudly as the rest of the crowd continued to boo the three.
“Oh…crap,” Riku’s eyes widened as he easily recognized Sora. The brunet looked as though he wanted to summon his Keyblade and get them out of there, but since his hands were bound, it wouldn’t do him much help. Djali tugged at his leg, and together they quickly sprinted out of the crowd to find Esmeralda.
--
After making sure everything was set, the jester smiled and glanced over to the three. “Any last words?”
Phoebus shouted something beneath his gag that sounded quite vile, and Quasimodo simply tried to break from the ropes. The jester grinned and shrugged. “That’s what they all say!”
Sora, meanwhile, was trying to figure out a plan. He could summon his Keyblade, but it would drop onto the ground due to his hands being tied so closely together. If he could move the gag, maybe he could burn off the ropes and get them out of here…
Granted, that would hurt, but that what potions were for, right?
“We find you totally innocent,” the jester began to sing, and Sora’s eyes widened as he stopped fighting for a moment. “Which is the worst crime of all…”
As the jester smiled and headed back over to the lever, Sora gulped and quickly began working on the ropes. He didn’t want to die on this world! He had so much more to live for! He want supposed to go to college and get married and…
Riku…
“So you’re going to hang!” The jester began to pull the lever and Sora’s breathing stopped, and he could’ve sworn that the floor was disappearing beneath his feet…
“STOP!”
The jester jumped, but didn’t pull the lever all the way, and glanced down to the ground, where Esmeralda, Riku, and Djali stepped to the front of the crowd. Riku looked out of breath, but still gave a shaky grin up to Sora.
“Esmeralda!” Quasimodo and Phoebus shouted beneath their gags. Riku shoved past the guards blocking the entry onto the platform and began untying Sora as quickly as he could.
“I’m so sorry!” he exclaimed, his fingers fumbling on the knots. “I ran to get her as soon as I could…”
Once Sora was free, he gave Riku a tight squeeze. “I was afraid I would never see you again!”
Riku smiled, but then moved over to help Esmeralda untie Phoebus and Quasimodo. As Esmeralda was untying Phoebus, she shook her head at the jester. “Clopin, these aren’t spies! They’re our friends!”
Clopin raised his eyebrow. “Well, why didn’t they say so?”
Phoebus glared over to him. “We did say so!”
Shaking her head and removing the noose from Quasimodo, Esmeralda continued. “He is the soldier that saved the miller’s family,” she began, pointing at Phoebus. “And Quasimodo helped me escape from Notre Dame,” she continued, pointing to Quasimodo.
“And Sora helped me escape from Frollo’s clutches!” Riku added in, glaring over to Clopin, who gave an innocent shrug.
Phoebus stepped to the front of the platform. “We came to warn you people! Frollo’s coming!”
As the gathered crowd began to whisper amongst themselves from fear, Sora added, “He’s attacking at dawn with a thousand men!”
As if that phrase lit a fire beneath the crowd, they dispersed, and everyone began packing up their items to flee from the Court. Esmeralda shook her head and glanced over to Phoebus. “You three took a terrible risk coming here.” Hugging him tightly, she added, “We may not show it, but we’re grateful.”
Riku smiled over to Sora. “I’m just glad we made it in time.” He shook his head and patted his best friend’s back. “I mean, what would I…or Kairi!” he added quickly, with a flush. “What would either of us do without the Keybearer?”
Sora grinned over to Riku. “Yeah, I can easily beat you down any day, buddy.”
“Even if you needed some help today?” Riku laughed as Sora rolled his eyes.
Phoebus broke from hugging Esmeralda to gesture at Quasimodo. “Don’t just thank me. Quasimodo had the map, and Sora convinced him to come. Without either of them, I would’ve never gotten here.”
“Nor would I!”
The five of them glanced up to see Frollo standing at the entrance of the Court of Miracles with, as promised, about a thousand men standing behind him. The men quickly rushed in and began taking the gypsies into custody as Frollo slowly descended the stairs with an evil grin. Sora, Riku, Quasimodo, Esmeralda and Phoebus stood back to back, glaring at the guards.
“Think we can take them down?” Riku asked, itching to summon his Keyblade. Sora frowned and shook his head. “Come on, Sora! Didn’t you fight a thousand Heartless by yourself?”
“What about the people in danger?” Sora shot back. “I only had myself to worry about then. We can’t put the others in harm’s way!”
Riku groaned, but nodded, clenching his fists when Frollo approached their group.
“After twenty years of searching, the Court of Miracles is mine at last…” Frollo smiled to himself, before patting Quasimodo’s head. “Dear Quasimodo… I always knew you’d someday be of use to me.”
Quasimodo shook his head in disbelief as Esmeralda glared up to Frollo. “What are you talking about?”
“Why,” he smiled at her, and, when noting Riku, gave him a nod as well. “He led me right to you two.”
Esmeralda continued to glare up to him as Frollo moved down to speak to Phoebus. “Look who else I caught in my net - Captain Phoebus and his squire Sora, back from the dead. Another…miracle, no doubt.” He glanced down to Sora, who hadn’t moved since talking to Riku, and smiled. “Well, I always knew you were a liar, boy. Perhaps you should be a part of the main attraction tomorrow.”
“The…the what?” Sora asked, even if he really didn’t want to know the answer.
Moving away from Sora, Frollo spoke louder, so everyone could hear him. “There will be a little bonfire in the square tomorrow. And you’re all invited to attend!” Frollo nodded to both Sora and Esmeralda, and Sora’s eyes widened.
“Me…?”
“Why boy,” Frollo continued, shaking his head. “I knew you had some affiliation with the gypsies from the beginning. From how strangely you’re dressed to your relationship with this girl…” He glanced over to Riku, who finally broke from the guards grip, summoned his Keyblade, and stood in between Sora and Frollo.
“I will kill you if you land a hand on him!” Riku shouted, ignoring the fact that he was supposed to play the “girl,” his voice deep with anger. Frollo looked slightly surprised, but shook his head.
“It is clear that you are not the girl you portray, and yet you still have disgusting feelings for this…traitor. Guards!” Two guards moved behind Riku, grabbing him by the arms and forcing him to drop his Keyblade. The blade disappeared into nothingness and Riku glared up to Frollo, malice in his eyes as he struggled against the guards. “Lock him up - after the bonfire, we shall have a hanging in the square as well.” With a smile, he ordered the guards to take Riku away before turning back to Sora. “Maybe that will teach you a lesson.”
Riku fought against the guards, kicking and thrashing about as violently as he could. When a guard tried to restrain him, Riku kicked him squarely in the crotch and jumped back, planning to summon his Keyblade again. What he didn’t expect, however, was another guard standing behind him to bash him with the hilt of his sword. Riku glanced over to where Sora stood, before crumpling to the ground without another sound. The guard who had hit him smiled, and hefted Riku over his shoulder.
“Riku!” Sora shouted, trying to shove past the guards that separated them. Ignoring what he’d told Riku earlier, he summoned his Keyblade and began to fight off the guards blocking his path. He almost caught up to the silver haired teen when a something crashed into him, knocking him off balance. Sora shook his head and scrambled to his feet, only to see what he thought he’d never see again, in this world or another. “The heartless?!” He exclaimed, easily slashing through a Shadow.
Sora would’ve continued to fight against the heartless, but as he destroyed one, dozens appeared in its place, and soon Sora was surrounded by them. He tried continuing his onslaught, but the group of Shadows pounced on him, knocking him to the ground.
Frollo smiled again, before approaching Sora and looking down at him. “These creatures are attracted to the strong of heart, like myself, or so I’m told. Pity… now you’ll never be with that disgusting boy again.” Sora struggled against the Heartless, his face showing his sheer confusion. Didn’t they defeat the Heartless? What was the point of destroying Xemnas if the Heartless were back again?
He barely registered the fact that a pair of guards grabbed him by the arms and dragged him away. Quasimodo dropped to his knees and grabbed at Frollo’s robes. “No…please, master!”
Frollo shot him a cruel glare and Quasimodo stopped, dropping to the ground and beginning to sob. “Take him back to the bell tower.” Frollo ordered to another set of guards, who nodded and began to drag him off. “And make sure he stays there.”
To see earlier tables for this prompt, click here
Last Chapter here.
First Chapter here.
Author:
aurons_fan
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Claim: Riku/Sora
Prompt Set: Orange
Prompt: 9, Harvest (Um. I was thinking collecting items. Which makes sense later.)
Type: Fanfic
Rating: T-R (Maybe in later chapters)
Warnings/Spoilers: Spoilers for the games Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts 2, and probably Kingdom Hearts CoM.
Disclaimer: Riku and Sora are owned by Square Enix and Disney.
Summary: After a mysterious note from the King, Riku and Sora adventure and get stuck in a world called Notre Dame
This Chapter Summary: Sora, Phoebus, and Quasimodo head to the Court of Miracles.
A/N : ...Hm. two months...again? I fail. Hardcore. xD I'm hoping to finish this fic by it's birthday (I'm sad, aren't I?), but I may not. BUT! :D My favorite chapter is coming up! But I still love this one. It took forever, beecaaause... I didn't want to screw it up. Which I hope I didn't. Srsly.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! :D
For
7rainbowprompts.
Beta-ed by
rainbowserenity (who rocks. Seriously. She's sick and I still bug her. XD)
Phoebus pushed through the church’s door, shaking his head at Quasimodo’s stubbornness. He’d thought that at least Sora would want to save his friend…
“Boo!” Sora grinned as Quasimodo dropped them both in front of the door. Phoebus clutched at his chest, shaking his head.
“Thanks for the surprise,” he mumbled before looking over to Quasimodo. “Decided to come, huh?”
Quasimodo narrowed his eyes and drew his cloak around him tighter. “I didn’t do it for you. I’m doing it for her and him.” He nodded his head over to Sora, who grinned in retribution.
Phoebus glanced over to Sora before shaking his head. “Of course. Do either of you have any idea how to get there?”
“If we run around long enough, we’ll find it,” Sora commented with a smile. Phoebus and Quasimodo exchanged glances and he shrugged. “Hey, it worked on every other world!”
Reaching for his necklace, Quasimodo pulled it out and showed it to Phoebus. “No, but she said this would let us find her.”
Phoebus nodded eagerly before grabbing the necklace and inspecting it. “Great! Great! …What is it?” He turned it around, raising his eyebrow.
“Looks like a map,” Sora offered, but Phoebus shook his head.
“No… no, it must be some kind of code. Maybe it’s Ancient Greek?”
Quasimodo snatched the necklace out of Phoebus’s hands and nodded. “No, Sora’s right. It’s a map.”
Phoebus narrowed his eyes. “I never seen a map like that!”
As the two began to bicker about whether it was a map or not, Sora sighed, wishing he had Donald with him. Donald, at least, could shock these two into getting along.
Or something like that.
“Alright!” Phoebus’s tone was agitated, and Sora began to listen again. “If you two say it’s a map, it’s a map. If we’re going to find them, we all have to work together. …Truce?” He lightly patted Quasimodo on the back and offered a smile to Sora.
Quasimodo shrugged. “Ah, truce.” He slapped Phoebus on the back as well, causing Phoebus to wince. “Sorry.”
Walking past Phoebus, Quasimodo offered Sora a wink. Phoebus scowled at Quasimodo’s back. “No, you’re not.”
--
After an hour of slipping through the city, Phoebus, Sora, and Quasimodo stood in a graveyard, staring down at a grave. “Now what?” Sora asked, frowning down at it. He’d already tried the Keyblade, but it wasn’t technically locked, so it didn’t work.
Phoebus waved the torch at the grave. “I think I can see an inscription here… Sora, hold the torch. I’ll try to translate it…”
Quasimodo shook his head and shoved the lid off of the grave. Sora glanced down, noting a stairwell. “That works.”
Both Quasimodo and Sora glanced up to Phoebus, who rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine, I’ll go first.”
“You have the torch, after all,” Quasimodo mumbled as Phoebus slowly began descending down the steps. Sora let his Keyblade disappear and quickly followed after them.
“Ugh… this can’t be the Court of Miracles,” Sora groaned as the three of them slogged through the waste that filled the hall-like area. “Maybe that map was wrong.”
Quasimodo shook his head. “No, no. Esmeralda said it would lead us to her, and I trust her. This has to be it.”
Shaking his head and stepping lightly, Phoebus commented, “I’d say, offhand, that this is the Court of Ankle Deep Sewage.” He gave a laugh before glancing back at Sora. “Doesn’t this place make you love Paris all the more?”
Grinning in response, Sora shook his head. “Between Frollo and this, I’m thinking that I want to go home.” Alive and with Riku would also be a plus, he mused, jumping over a pile of bones. Yuck, when was the last time this place had been cleaned?!
“Let’s hurry,” Quasimodo mumbled, not even bothering to look disgusted. “I just want to warn Esmeralda and get back to the bell tower before I get into any more trouble.”
Phoebus stopped, looking around. “Speaking of trouble, we should’ve run into some by now.”
Sora continued on. “What do you mean?”
“You know, a guard, a booby trap…”
A strong gust of wind flew through the tunnel, killing the torch’s flame. Phoebus’s voice continued. “Or an ambush.”
Suddenly, dozens of men dressed like skeletons with torches appeared on the walls above the three of them. Sora attempted to summon his Keyblade, but the men jumped and surrounded him before he could do a thing. Glancing back and noting that Quasimodo and Phoebus were surrounded as well, Sora mumbled “Blizzaga!” at the men, freezing one man's torch and arm. The man dropped the torch and shouted to the others, “Gag this one first!”
Sora’s eyes widened and he attempted to struggle against them, but after his arms were bound behind his back and a gag tied around his mouth, there wasn’t much he could do. Looking over to Quasimodo and Phoebus, he saw that both of them were tied up and glaring up to…
Wait. Wasn’t that the jester from the Festival of Fools? Without his cheerful garb, he looked menacing, even more so with the light of the torches flickering onto his face.
“Well, well, well, what have we here?” the jester asked, raising his eyebrow.
“Trespassers!” one of the skeletons behind Phoebus and Quasimodo shouted.
“Spies!” one holding Sora down added.
Phoebus quickly shook his head. “We’re not spies-” Before he could add anything, he was gagged and tied up.
Quasimodo attempted to add, “Can’t you listen to -” but he was also gagged.
The jester glared down at the two of them and then sent a cruel look over to Sora. “Don’t interrupt me! You’re very clever to have found our hideaway…” With a grin, he beckoned the skeletons to carry the three of them farther down the passageway. “Unfortunately, you won’t live to tell the tale.”
--
“Gather around everyone!” Riku glanced up from his card game to see Clopin standing on the platform, laughing and tugging at the nooses. “We have a triple header!”
Esmeralda’s goat, Djali, began going crazy and sprinted to the front of the crowd. “Djali!” Riku shouted, abandoning his card game to catch up to the goat. “Wait up!”
“And not just any three - Frollo’s spies! We have the captain of the guard…” Boos came from the crowd and Riku glanced up. Once he recognized the man - he thought he’d heard Esmeralda call him Phoebus - he quickly noticed to two others at his side. “His loyal bell ringing henchman and his trusty squire who will never leave his side…even in death!” Clopin laughed loudly as the rest of the crowd continued to boo the three.
“Oh…crap,” Riku’s eyes widened as he easily recognized Sora. The brunet looked as though he wanted to summon his Keyblade and get them out of there, but since his hands were bound, it wouldn’t do him much help. Djali tugged at his leg, and together they quickly sprinted out of the crowd to find Esmeralda.
--
After making sure everything was set, the jester smiled and glanced over to the three. “Any last words?”
Phoebus shouted something beneath his gag that sounded quite vile, and Quasimodo simply tried to break from the ropes. The jester grinned and shrugged. “That’s what they all say!”
Sora, meanwhile, was trying to figure out a plan. He could summon his Keyblade, but it would drop onto the ground due to his hands being tied so closely together. If he could move the gag, maybe he could burn off the ropes and get them out of here…
Granted, that would hurt, but that what potions were for, right?
“We find you totally innocent,” the jester began to sing, and Sora’s eyes widened as he stopped fighting for a moment. “Which is the worst crime of all…”
As the jester smiled and headed back over to the lever, Sora gulped and quickly began working on the ropes. He didn’t want to die on this world! He had so much more to live for! He want supposed to go to college and get married and…
Riku…
“So you’re going to hang!” The jester began to pull the lever and Sora’s breathing stopped, and he could’ve sworn that the floor was disappearing beneath his feet…
“STOP!”
The jester jumped, but didn’t pull the lever all the way, and glanced down to the ground, where Esmeralda, Riku, and Djali stepped to the front of the crowd. Riku looked out of breath, but still gave a shaky grin up to Sora.
“Esmeralda!” Quasimodo and Phoebus shouted beneath their gags. Riku shoved past the guards blocking the entry onto the platform and began untying Sora as quickly as he could.
“I’m so sorry!” he exclaimed, his fingers fumbling on the knots. “I ran to get her as soon as I could…”
Once Sora was free, he gave Riku a tight squeeze. “I was afraid I would never see you again!”
Riku smiled, but then moved over to help Esmeralda untie Phoebus and Quasimodo. As Esmeralda was untying Phoebus, she shook her head at the jester. “Clopin, these aren’t spies! They’re our friends!”
Clopin raised his eyebrow. “Well, why didn’t they say so?”
Phoebus glared over to him. “We did say so!”
Shaking her head and removing the noose from Quasimodo, Esmeralda continued. “He is the soldier that saved the miller’s family,” she began, pointing at Phoebus. “And Quasimodo helped me escape from Notre Dame,” she continued, pointing to Quasimodo.
“And Sora helped me escape from Frollo’s clutches!” Riku added in, glaring over to Clopin, who gave an innocent shrug.
Phoebus stepped to the front of the platform. “We came to warn you people! Frollo’s coming!”
As the gathered crowd began to whisper amongst themselves from fear, Sora added, “He’s attacking at dawn with a thousand men!”
As if that phrase lit a fire beneath the crowd, they dispersed, and everyone began packing up their items to flee from the Court. Esmeralda shook her head and glanced over to Phoebus. “You three took a terrible risk coming here.” Hugging him tightly, she added, “We may not show it, but we’re grateful.”
Riku smiled over to Sora. “I’m just glad we made it in time.” He shook his head and patted his best friend’s back. “I mean, what would I…or Kairi!” he added quickly, with a flush. “What would either of us do without the Keybearer?”
Sora grinned over to Riku. “Yeah, I can easily beat you down any day, buddy.”
“Even if you needed some help today?” Riku laughed as Sora rolled his eyes.
Phoebus broke from hugging Esmeralda to gesture at Quasimodo. “Don’t just thank me. Quasimodo had the map, and Sora convinced him to come. Without either of them, I would’ve never gotten here.”
“Nor would I!”
The five of them glanced up to see Frollo standing at the entrance of the Court of Miracles with, as promised, about a thousand men standing behind him. The men quickly rushed in and began taking the gypsies into custody as Frollo slowly descended the stairs with an evil grin. Sora, Riku, Quasimodo, Esmeralda and Phoebus stood back to back, glaring at the guards.
“Think we can take them down?” Riku asked, itching to summon his Keyblade. Sora frowned and shook his head. “Come on, Sora! Didn’t you fight a thousand Heartless by yourself?”
“What about the people in danger?” Sora shot back. “I only had myself to worry about then. We can’t put the others in harm’s way!”
Riku groaned, but nodded, clenching his fists when Frollo approached their group.
“After twenty years of searching, the Court of Miracles is mine at last…” Frollo smiled to himself, before patting Quasimodo’s head. “Dear Quasimodo… I always knew you’d someday be of use to me.”
Quasimodo shook his head in disbelief as Esmeralda glared up to Frollo. “What are you talking about?”
“Why,” he smiled at her, and, when noting Riku, gave him a nod as well. “He led me right to you two.”
Esmeralda continued to glare up to him as Frollo moved down to speak to Phoebus. “Look who else I caught in my net - Captain Phoebus and his squire Sora, back from the dead. Another…miracle, no doubt.” He glanced down to Sora, who hadn’t moved since talking to Riku, and smiled. “Well, I always knew you were a liar, boy. Perhaps you should be a part of the main attraction tomorrow.”
“The…the what?” Sora asked, even if he really didn’t want to know the answer.
Moving away from Sora, Frollo spoke louder, so everyone could hear him. “There will be a little bonfire in the square tomorrow. And you’re all invited to attend!” Frollo nodded to both Sora and Esmeralda, and Sora’s eyes widened.
“Me…?”
“Why boy,” Frollo continued, shaking his head. “I knew you had some affiliation with the gypsies from the beginning. From how strangely you’re dressed to your relationship with this girl…” He glanced over to Riku, who finally broke from the guards grip, summoned his Keyblade, and stood in between Sora and Frollo.
“I will kill you if you land a hand on him!” Riku shouted, ignoring the fact that he was supposed to play the “girl,” his voice deep with anger. Frollo looked slightly surprised, but shook his head.
“It is clear that you are not the girl you portray, and yet you still have disgusting feelings for this…traitor. Guards!” Two guards moved behind Riku, grabbing him by the arms and forcing him to drop his Keyblade. The blade disappeared into nothingness and Riku glared up to Frollo, malice in his eyes as he struggled against the guards. “Lock him up - after the bonfire, we shall have a hanging in the square as well.” With a smile, he ordered the guards to take Riku away before turning back to Sora. “Maybe that will teach you a lesson.”
Riku fought against the guards, kicking and thrashing about as violently as he could. When a guard tried to restrain him, Riku kicked him squarely in the crotch and jumped back, planning to summon his Keyblade again. What he didn’t expect, however, was another guard standing behind him to bash him with the hilt of his sword. Riku glanced over to where Sora stood, before crumpling to the ground without another sound. The guard who had hit him smiled, and hefted Riku over his shoulder.
“Riku!” Sora shouted, trying to shove past the guards that separated them. Ignoring what he’d told Riku earlier, he summoned his Keyblade and began to fight off the guards blocking his path. He almost caught up to the silver haired teen when a something crashed into him, knocking him off balance. Sora shook his head and scrambled to his feet, only to see what he thought he’d never see again, in this world or another. “The heartless?!” He exclaimed, easily slashing through a Shadow.
Sora would’ve continued to fight against the heartless, but as he destroyed one, dozens appeared in its place, and soon Sora was surrounded by them. He tried continuing his onslaught, but the group of Shadows pounced on him, knocking him to the ground.
Frollo smiled again, before approaching Sora and looking down at him. “These creatures are attracted to the strong of heart, like myself, or so I’m told. Pity… now you’ll never be with that disgusting boy again.” Sora struggled against the Heartless, his face showing his sheer confusion. Didn’t they defeat the Heartless? What was the point of destroying Xemnas if the Heartless were back again?
He barely registered the fact that a pair of guards grabbed him by the arms and dragged him away. Quasimodo dropped to his knees and grabbed at Frollo’s robes. “No…please, master!”
Frollo shot him a cruel glare and Quasimodo stopped, dropping to the ground and beginning to sob. “Take him back to the bell tower.” Frollo ordered to another set of guards, who nodded and began to drag him off. “And make sure he stays there.”
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First Chapter here.