Chapters Chapter 1: Love’s Tone
The bells were to the ears what Notre Dame herself was to the eyes. Citizens strolling in the square lost themselves for a few blissful seconds in the bells. Like a parents loving cradle, the vibrating dings
After the sufficient amount of rings, Quasimodo released the rope to the bells. A small sigh escaped his lips. He then jumped down off the rafter he stood, catching onto another wooden beam. He continued the process until he landed on the level with his model of Paris. Lazily he sat down on his chair in front of the table with a both eyes looking on placidly but appeared to turn gloomy.
“Hey, you aren’t clocking out this early are ya?” The gargoyle Hugo asked hopping up the stairs, followed by his fellow architecture.
“Oh, uh, no. I was just uh, resting my eyes?” Quasi responded weakly.
The gargoyles deadpanned.
“Are you feeling ill?” Victor inquired, offering a comforting hand to Quasi’s hump.
“No, I just. . I feel like something's wrong.”
“Like what Quasi?” Laverne jumped in, her sentence reeking with concern.
“I've just thinking back to the day Frollo passed. When I walked outside, the people paraded me all around Paris, chanting my name. . I felt truly content for the first time. I felt as if there was nothing else I could possibly need in my life. But then, I recently heard the news from Esmeralda and Phoebus. They’re going to have a kid!” Quasimodo’s tone lifted up like the wind in an updraft.
The gargoyles laughed joyously. They hugged each other and then the hunchback, continuing the pattern for several minutes. Quasi couldn’t help but to be infected by their happiness, and he himself joined in on the commotion. But eventually it had to die down.
“N-now, now, there’s more I wanted to say.” Quasi chuckled in between fits of laughter. “They said that if they had a girl, her name would be Nuha. If they had a boy, his name would be Zephyr.” Quasi’s voice faltered towards the end.
“Oh, both of those names are just perfect for whatever those two have,” Laverne said with both clasped together and her right cheek resting on them.
“I agree, both names speak with a distinguished and elegant air,” Victor spoke one hand to his chest, the other in the air.
Hugo, surprisingly, caught the falter.
“You sound like something is troubling you.”
“Oh, no, it’s nothing.”
Victor and Laverne wasted no time in seeing what Hugo saw.
“What are you thinking about Quasi?” Laverne asked first.
“Nothing, I just, it’s nothing.”
“It’s most definitely not nothing. And if you keep it bottled up it’s will just eat at you.” Victor said.
“. . I’ve just been thinking over that ‘best’ moment in my life. When the town accepted me, it was the moment I waited for. I needed something like it for as long as I could remember. Just having a day out there would make me happy for the rest of my life. But I still feel something missing.”
“Esmeralda ?” the gargoyles said in unison.
“No no no. I’m happy for her and Phoebus. Both of them are some of the greatest friends I could ever ask for, next to all of you of course. And to see them happy makes me happy. . Seeing them together, though, it makes me wonder what I’m missing. Esmeralda, she's been a dancer for most of her life, and she's always on the look out for people like Frollo. Phebus is a war veteran, seeing things that I wouldn’t even dare fathom. But despite those hardships they are so content when they’re together. Even though they have suffered far more than most, it doesn't matter when they are together. And every time I see it, something tells me that I’m missing out. And I see it with other couples too. I don’t want to sound selfish but despite what I have. . There’s more to be gained from life. Happiness, even being content, isn’t just fame, praise, or normality. I think, I think it's also loving too.”
The gargoyles blinked.
“That’s uh. .” Hugo stammered.
“Well, I think. .” Victor tried.
“It’s really not a uh . .” Laverne was next to have her voice fail.
Quasimodo sat in the silence. His stone friends inability to respond gave him the answer that he was expecting. He turned back to his model of Paris and began carving away at a new statue he had been working on. For the first time in a long while, the knife became difficult to grip. It was like small dull pins were being pressed into his palms by the hundreds. Quasimodo swallowed the nearby air with a large gulp, focusing back on the knife.
The wood decided to be stubborn today. The more he tried to cut through it the more it seemed to liken to resistance. It didn’t matter how many times he calmed himself down, the blade and the wood wouldn’t cut right. With a sigh, he removed himself from the stool and began his descent from the tower.
“Where are you going Quasi?” Laverne asked.
“For a walk.”
Paris had a reputation for beauty. This fact was made obvious mostly at night when the small lights outlined buildings with sculpted perfection. Every street clear of debris due to a hard day's work. Not a single tile out of place.
In the day, it was a slightly different matter. Not that it didn’t retain some of it’s fantastic aesthetic. The bright sun shadowed the city giving it delightful dimensions, and the light blue cloudless sky served as a wonderful backdrop. Plus the astonishingly tall yet simple buildings contrasted beautifully with the wave like green fields around the city.
Collective humanity in tight spaces didn’t exactly present the best of sanitary conditions, though.
True the street cleaning business was in a boom. But there was only so much they could do without a larger group. They could eventually get the job done, but that wasn’t until nightfall. Quasi found this out during one of his previous walks. Certain districts dictated a strategic maneuvering to avoid an unkempt street.
‘If only there was another festival. The effort going into making everything clean and ready just to be dirtied again is amazing.' Quasi thought as he strolled about.
Around him, from the streets to the highest level of nearby houses, the denizens of the city greeted the hunchback with bright smiles. His heart fluttered a bit. Surroundings aside, kindness could shine through any muk. But that old nagging sensation still bit at the back of his brain.
“You’re the bell ringer, aren’t you?” a little girl suddenly appeared tugging at the bottom of Quasimodo’s shirt.
“I-I am.” he replied.
“You do a really good job.” with that compliment she sped off.
Quasi stood, taken aback, but a large toothy grin appeared and his laughter filled the streets much like the tolls of the bells he rings. Also, like the bells, the denizens enjoyed the sound all the same.
The laughing fit lasted quite long. Not long enough to warrant any worry, but it lasted long enough for a couple to pin-point the laughter's epicenter.
“Quasi! Quasimodo!” a female voice called.
Turning, the hunchback saw a man with gold tinted armor smiling, and a gypsy who looked positively glowing.
“Esmeralda, Phoebus, it’s great to see you!” Quasi ran to the couple nearly suffocating them with a large hug.
“Quasi, can’t breathe.” Phoebus coughed leading to his release.
“Sorry.”
“No it’s fine. We’re happy to see you too.” Esmeralda assured.
“So. . What are you to doing over here?” Quasi casually asked.
“Oh, just stopping off in the neighborhood to pick up some pastries for the party.” Phoebus said holding the gypsy closer to himself.
“Party?”
“Yeah, we’re getting married. So we need a few things to eat.”
“Oh, I guess that makes sense.” Quasi mumbled.
The gypsy woman looked at her fiance with an expectant eye. Phoebus starred in blissful ignorance. After a short silence she jabbed her elbow into his side. He quickly turned to her and saw the look she had been giving him. It then turned into a small glare when Phoebus finally put two and two together.
“Quasi, I’ve been meaning to ask you. Would you be the best man at the ceremony?”
Quasimodo blinked a few times. It took several seconds for the man to grasp each syllable spoken to him. The realization finally hit and what it meant hit hard. His mouth hung open agape, and all of his teeth were visible. His eyes opened as wide as possible, or what was physically possible.
‘Married. Best man. Party. ’
He quickly grabbed his friends hands.
“You need to come with me."
“Where are we going?" Esmeralda asked her voice slightly intrepid, yet excited by the prospect of a new adventure. Her fiance. .
“Have you gone mad?!?”
“Your getting married. Ha ha!” Quasi let his glee guide him.
The three weaved in, around, and by groups of people. It was only a short way to the church so it wasn’t long until arrived at the doors of Notre Dame. Their commotion however brought the attention of Paris unto their heads. Many citizens stood in front of the cathedral to await news on all the excitement.
Dashing up the stairs the group was in the bell tower quicker than most could manage. The spiral staircase was a tight a narrow fit, so holding onto the hands of two full grown adults was made significantly more difficult. Eventually they made it back to the floor of Quasi’s living quarters, where the hunchback released their hands.
Before they could ask about anything Quasi kept moving up the bell tower via a wooden ladder. It was no use in asking any questions when he was this excited so Esmeralda and Phoebus followed. Up more and more levels the group went.
Then they finally stopped at a bell that seemed to be more polished than the others. It was large and gold tinted like the ‘sun-gods’ armor, looking like a large jewel. But it exuded a feeling of strength and enormity at the same time.
“This is ‘Aime Ton’. It was added to the architecture several years ago, it was made to announce engagements to all of Paris. Frollo never let me ring it though. Always said that there was never time during war to announce such petty things.” Quasi did a mock impression of the judge, causing the couple to chuckle.
“So you wanted us to be here when the bell was rung?” Phoebus asked.
“I wanted you to ring it.”
“What ?”
“I ring the bells all day, and since this is a special moment, I-I thought it should be done by special people.” he held out the rope connected to Aime Ton.
Esmeralda and Phoebus looked at each other for a moment.
“This is the best wedding giving anyone could ask for.” The gypsy said taking hold of the rope.
“I made the right decision for the best man, didn't I?” Phoebus grabbed hold.
The bell began to toll. A loud harsh clang
Elsewhere, another being felt the bells toll.
“Where is that divine sound coming from?” Princess Cadence asked to herself as the crystals that made up her palace glowed with a gentle blue hue.
"What is that music?" A crystal pony, behind Cadence, wondered aloud.
Cadence turned to see more than just the one servant waiting behind her, the entire staff made the journey to her throne room quicker than she knew possible. However they all were resting their eyes, losing themselves in the cadence of the dings tangs
"What is that noise, is it an attack?" Shining Armor spoke only so Cadence heard him.
"Don't be silly, just listen to it. Is it not the most beautiful sound?" Cadence asked dreamily.
"I don't like not knowing where it's coming from."
"Eh, Don't you think you're overreacting?"
"No."
"Really?"
"I almost lost you to Chrysalis in Canterlot, the same city I was captain of the guard. I almost lost you again right here in the crystal empire to Sombra. I'm not taking any chances anymore." Shinning's voice cracked ever so slightly.
Cadence looked at her husband with a small, sad smile. She walked up to him and put her front left hoof around his neck. She rested her neck on her husband.
"I'm a lucky filly to have such a caring stallion love me so much." Cadence said softly, still nuzzled up to Shinning Armor.
The stallion couldn't hold up his stern look anymore. He returned the hug and held his wife tightly against himself.
"If this is a real problem for you though, I can ease your suspicions." Shinning looked confused.
Candence chuckled and trotted over to one of the mesmerized crystal ponies. Cadence bent over and whispered something in her servants eye, and as if a nuclear explosion went off, the pony snapped out of her daze. Frantically she yelled at the other crystal ponies who shared a similar reaction. They soon evacuated the room and would go on to alert the entire empire.
"Uh, what was that?"
"Oh, I guess you could say that I just gave the order to put the empire on lock down until I'm done with alicorn business."
". .Makes sense, I think."
"Nevertheless, you'll have nothing to worry about while we're gone."
"Gone where?"
"To where that music is coming from silly."
"How are we suppose to get there?"
"Whatever is creating that wonderful melody is also radiating a great amount of love. All I have to do is make a portal that is targeting the source of the energy and we'll appear in it's general vicinity."
Shinning tried to speak but his throat wouldn't allow it. Cadence giggled at his antics. With a deep breath, Cadence began to light her horn, which was a brilliant pink hue. The ball of light was then ejected from her horn, to the floor, in front of the princess and her husband. It then extended vertically into a door like shape with a blinding white shine in it's center, just as tall as the doorway itself. The couple looked at each other, and with a small nod they walked into the entryway together.
Chapter 3: A Monster?
Everything was dark. The once warm presence of friends and energy gone without a trace. It was terrifying to the young man. Everything that he once knew had fleeted away like the toll of a bell after a minute or two. Or maybe this was too much like a life he had once known. Either way Quasimodo knew that this was potentially the biggest challenge since Frollo and he refused to let this hurt him.
“What happened to him?” a faint voice asked far from where Quasi thought he was.
“Questions later, right now he has to be healed!” another faint, yet obviously male, voice said.
“B-B-But just look at that thing!” it sounded like several people spoke this time.
“That’s an order!” this voice was female.
Everything went silent again.
Black to white. The light in his eyes began to burn. Quasi began to wonder if the darkness was truly a bad thing. There were no voices this time, but something told the hunchback that he was not alone, wherever he was. It wasn’t comforting either, it felt like when Frollo looked at him, even at the judge's best of times, an uncomfortable dagger-like stare focused solely on him.
His body felt numb. The only part of him that carried any weight was his head. Other than that his body felt like it was floating in the air. His chest began feeling particularly weightless like something was sucked out of it. None of this made sense to the barely conscious man. The last thing he remembered was helping repair the church. Then, then there were bells. He started to move up the wall, towards the bells. After that, there was something in the bell tower. And then darkness.
‘I need to get up.’ Quasi thought trying to sit his body up. He felt something keeping him down, though. It’s pressure changing, meaning it wasn’t an inanimate harness. That didn’t matter. All he knew was that he had to escape any way he could, unless he would suffer the wrath similar to before.
In a moment, he used the adrenaline-fueled fear coursing through his veins adding to his already sublime strength. His arms were first to rise. Faint yelps of surprise slid into Quasi’s ears, but he couldn’t understand them. Then his torso had to follow, he shot up like water from a geyser. Several forces acted on his body once again, but they were like children powerless to stop a juggernaut. His feet hit the floor. Quasimodo shot off in a direction that lead to an unknown destination.
A hard wall greeted his head. Quasi tried again, but all he found was a wall. Third time was the charm however as he made his way through a doorway. The various medical personnel that littered the floor looked on in horror at the monster that was just released.
“What do you mean you lost him!?!” Phoebus seethed.
“H-he was too strong! He overpowered us!” a pony dressed in a surgeon's outfit shook as he answered the captains question. Phoebus tried to storm out the door, but he was stopped by several doctor ponies begging him to reconsider.
“He’s scared out of his mind! He needs his us, please let us through!.” Esmeralda spoke a mixture of sadness and rage infecting her voice.
It took several minutes, but the couple was eventually calmed. The human couple looked around aimless at where they should target their anger. Unable to protect their friend, unable to save him now, all these feelings culminated into a dangerous brew of fear and helplessness. Shining Armor and Cadence still remained in the lobby, a look of embarrassment they were unable to shake.
“We will find it and return it--” Cadence tried to help Esmeralda and Phoebus with words of encouragement, but she was quickly silenced.
“Quit referring to Quasi as ‘it’! He is a man just like myself and you won’t refer to him as anything less.” Phoebus said with disdain.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend. . Although I’m still a little confused how that thing could be considered anything more than a creature.” Cadence whispered the second part to herself, but it still caught the ear of one gypsy.
“He’s the best family and friend we could ever ask for. He’s stuck by us in our time of need, always pulling through for us. He’s saved me, he’s saved Phoebus, and we happily show him that love back. And while I'd rather try to find a peaceful solution, my husband's idea of kicking some ass is starting to sound really good!" Esmeralda said never breaking eye contact with Cadence. Said pony took a deep breath.
“I understand that you have a deep appreciation for, Quasimodo, is it? He did save you, but he’s more troll-like than anything. How can that be considered family when you are so obviously different?” Cadence asked with a tone that told volumes of her frustration.
Esmeralda looked at her with disgust and turned away. After reflection, Cadence realized she deserved the reaction she got.
Cadence looked away and at her husband who comforted her with a hoof around her neck. The Canterlot Captain felt the sorrow radiating from his wife, and couldn’t help but squeeze a little bit tighter. His thoughts began to fog. Shining couldn’t be certain whether or not he was wrong when he attacked Quasimodo for the first time. Maybe all the creatures he met in that strange world held a natural violent nature this.
‘No, if somepony attacked my friends, I would be pretty angry too.’ Shining thought to himself.
“What will happen to him if you guys look for him?” Esmeralda asked quietly.
“We will get i-him back, I promise,” Cadence said determined, but she laid a gentle comforting hoof on the small of Esmeralda’s back, who recoiled slightly.
“I can’t stand this! I’m going to find Quasi myself!” Phoebus declared but was quickly stopped by Shining Armor.
“And where would you begin to look? You don’t know the first thing about the Crystal Empire. Let us try and find him. If you both get lost that means it’ll just take longer for you to reunite. I know your emotions must be telling you otherwise, but this is when you need to listen to reason.” Shining’s eyes never broke from Phoebus who turned away, and shouted in frustration.
Everything was so bright. Light reflected with the intensity of the sun itself into the eyes of the hunchback, causing an even more chaotic run. Shouts, that was the next thing he noticed. Unlike the ones in the room he was trapped in before, these were much more profound. They were everywhere, coming from everyone. Familiar critiques of his looks also made their way into his ears. Quasi thought that he was over that stage in his life, but those words still stung him deep.
The lights began to dim. His vision started to return. Around him large pillars of crystals stood, they were quite mesmerizing. He couldn’t gawk though, he had to escape, he had to find his friends. A feeling in his heart keep his direction steady and true. Quasimodo’s adrenaline keep his feet moving without any inhibiting factors. Faces of ponies started to become clear, and they all reminded Quasi of the people at the festival of fools a few years back, before Clopin explained why Quasi should be king.
A stinging pain infected his mind. All of the self-doubt/loathing Quasi has conquered since meeting Esmeralda and Phoebus. His speed slowly decreased into a gingerly walk. Looking around, the faces of disgust, disdain, fear, all of these emotions painted the entire picture for Quasimodo.
Instinctively Quasi lifted his enormous hands over his face. His eyes peeked through his fingers, eager to see if the move created a change in the social dynamic, even though he knew the answer deep down. Still fear, still disdain, poking and prodding at his mind.
‘Why now? I thought all of this was over. I just want those looks to go away.’ Quasi solemnly thought.
Then a few ponies, shinier than the ones he saw before, took Quasimodo’s attention away from his predicament .
“Halt, creature. What business have you in the Crystal Empire?” a royal guard asked.
“I’m not a creature!” Quasi shouted, the anger in his voice surprised even him.
“I think it’s dangerous captain what should we do?!?” a royal guard stallion asked, aiming his spear at Quasi. The rest of the unit followed suit.
“I have no idea what that thing is, but it can’t be good.” the royal guard pony said. “Colts, try and take it alive. If it starts getting out of control kill it quickly.”
“Stay away, I don’t want to hurt you.”
The guards didn’t heed his words. One charged quickly, his spear pulled back, and his head aiming for the hunchbacks chest. Quasi stopped the charge with both arms gripping the stallion's head. With little effort Quasi lifted the pony above his head and flung him into a wall. The pony promptly lost consciousness.
“I won't stand for this! Everypony, charge!” the captain yelled, aiming his spear at Quasi. The rest of his unit following suit. Quasi panicked as a line of spiky death awaited him. It didn’t take much effort for Quasi to go airborne. Like a spring, Quasi assumed a crouched position and took to the air. His body lifted completely above the wall of equines that blocked his path. The guards were frozen in an awed stupor, just watching as the hunchback got closer to exiting the empire.
“Stop him!”
“W-Why couldn’t it be summer?” Quasi shivered.
The hunchback pondered as he trudged through the harsh winterland. Frozen particles of water drenched the green-clad man. Nevertheless he continued on. In the distance a faint form of architecture. He quickened the pace. It looked plain as opposed to what he had previously seen in the previous kingdom. A voice suddenly sounded off behind Quasimodo.
“It’s over there, hurry up!”
A sudden blast of magical energy shot by Quasi’s head.
Quasi began to run.
He had to find some sort of cover. The distance to the building grew shorter and shorter. The fearful man finally got close enough to make out where he was seeking refuge. It was a small building with an odd contraption laid out behind it, vague but big enough to find a hiding spot. Quasi approached the contraption not unlike he does Notre Dame. He grabbed what ever he could on the sides and began to climb. In no time at all he reached the top of the contraption.
“I wonder if there’s a way I could--WOOAH!” Quasi exclaimed as the very ground beneath him began to move. Quasi’s large arms halted his impact. The hunchback had little time to think as the ground started to pick up speed. On instinct Quasi grabbed the ledge in front of him. Quasi took several deep breaths as it got harder and harder to hang on. Quasi’s indomitable heart wouldn’t give in though and he held on, awaiting the unknown destination the ground wished for him to visit.
New Place, Same Reaction
Quasimodo found himself wondering if it would ever stop. Would the train ever stop? Would the cold ever stop? Would the snap judgments of his person ever truly stop? A painful embrace from the cold washed itself over his body forcing him to shiver. He tried to stay strong and for the first hour Quasimodo remained so atop the metallic behemoth. His human nature forced him to eventually fold to the cold, though. He fell to the train too numb to stand. His face made hard contact with the ice cold train. The metallic surface siphoned away the last bits of body heat Quasi still had leaving him even colder. Small traces of blood found it's way out of his nose as his senses started to all go blurry. There was never question however, Quasimodo was making it out alive.
"I want to see them again. I need to see them again. Esmeralda, Phoebus, my friends, I'm sorry. I'll find a way back soon." Quasimodo spoke to himself his voice never wavering. The very idea of his friends kept his heart warm enough to keep beating through the fierce cold.
Looking off to the horizon Quasi saw nothing but snow for a long distance. It looked like a purgatory of winter, an inescapable expanse of cold. As he traveled what felt like weeks was only a couple hours in real time. More cold washed over him and the slightest hint of doubt worked its way into his heart. A sliver of uncertainty was all that was needed to create an intense sense of sorrow. His hope was plagued by this small amount of fear growing like an insidious cancer feasting on whatever laid near. Warm tears, the only warmth he could muster, ran down his face, Quasimodo no longer able to keep his composure.
Then, in the distance, the end of purgatory.
A mercy, suddenly he was relieved from the ever bearing cold. Rays of sunlight like an oven cooked away the thin sheet of ice that had formed on his skin. The metal train, however, needed a while to thaw so it's cold embrace was still as vicious as it was before. Still the relief that washed over Quasimodo was enough to bring a small smile on his face. Warming the train entirely did take its time but the summer air did eventually work it's magic and Quasimodo felt his hope push the infection out of his heart. Another half hour passed and Quasi flipped on his backside soaking up as much warmth as he could. While the experience was pleasant the thoughts of his friends being left behind was starting to upset him. Thinking back on what started all of this Quasi began wondering just what was happening.
"It's weird. . ." he said aloud "first I'm celebrating Esmeralda and Phoebus' engagement, then I get blasted by magical ponies. I don't know who I wronged, but I must've done something really bad. I just wonder what happened to the ponies? They were in the bell tower, I wonder if Esmeralda and Phoebus. . ." a horrified expression washed over his face. "No no no no! They were in the tower with the ponies! What if the ponies hit them with the same thing they hit me with!?! Oh god, please let them be okay."
Before Quasimodo could let his paranoia get to him several structures in the distance drew his eye. It looked like a simple little village albeit a lot more colorful. The question of his friends being safe was still a pertinent thought in Quasimodo's mind, but he also needed to find out where he was and how exactly he could get home. As the train drew ever closer to the village the hunchback went over some lines that he might say to whoever he might encounter.
"Hi, my name is Quasimodo. No don't be scared I'm not a monster I just want some directions. Hi, I'm Quasimodo and I'm not here to scare anyone I just want to know how to get back to Paris. Hello, my name is Quasimodo I'm the, uh, bell ringer for Notre Dame. No I don't want to hurt any--." he stopped when the trains momentum started to slow and the machine made a loud hissing sound.
"Well here goes nothing."
'What was I expecting?' Quasi deadpanned to himself.
Commotion and pandemonium ran wild throughout Ponyville. The ponies that had been riding on the train were greeted with a terrible sight as they exited. All of the sudden a hunchbacked freak of nature descended from the sky only to land in front of them. His bulbous left eye casted an intimidating shadow over his dull iris. Quasimodo himself was taken aback by the appearance of more ponies that looked similar to the ones he met before, but nonetheless he tried to put on a good face.
His toothy smile was a smile consistent of a big buck tooth that seemed to point north and south at the same time. His red matted and red hair looked like something out of the Everfree Forest itself. The crowd couldn't also be concerned about his incredibly large forearms and a head that seemed to be a couple feet lower than what it should've been when comparing to his back. He was odd, bizarre, disgusting, and different. They all ran away in fear of the monster, warning the rest of the village.
"Help, a monster!" one pony cried
"No please my name is Quasimodo and I'm not a monster! I just want to get back home can anybody help me?"
Nobody listened as the train station was emptied in a matter of seconds, with the exception of one small colt. He stood looking around frantically. His eyes eventually landed on Quasimodo and his pupils turned to pinpricks. Tears began to form in his eyes as he fell into a fetal position.
"Please, don't eat me! I don't taste good I swear!"
Quasi felt much like crying too. He slowly approached the crying colt wanting desperately to lend a comforting hand, something to stop his fear. Quasimodo lightly brushed the mane of the colt and he saw the poor thing shiver. Quasi took a deep breath and scooped the young pony up into his arms. The colt thrashed begging not to be eaten, but Quasimodo kept a tight but comfortable grip on the young pony. After a while, tensions started to die down much to Quasi's relief.
"You're not going to eat me?" the colt asked still frightened, his eyes were red from crying.
"Of course not I just wanted some help." Quasi said quietly.
"Really?" the colt responded wiping away his tears.
"Yes, I promise."
The colt looked at him curiously scanning his figure. It was hard to believe that a monster that looked like something straight out of one of his video games could be good, but all evidence pointed to his goodness. The young colt was put back on the ground and he began to circle Quasimodo further examining him, much to the hunchbacks amusement. After he was done the colt made eye contact with Quasimodo.
"My name is Button Mash."
"Nice to meet you Button Mash, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry."
"I wasn't crying! I was, uh, I had lint in my eye, yeah, lint was in my eye." Button said hastily.
Quasimodo trying to hold back laughter but he couldn't. He exploded into laughter much to Buttons chagrin. While trying to cover his red face Button hotly demanded Quasi drop the subject. Quasi eventually calmed down and responded with a simple nod.
"So. . what did you say you needed help with?" Button asked still a little upset over the previous exchange.
"I-I need to get home. My friends might be in danger." Quasimodo answered.
"That's not good. Well, where do you live?"
"Notre Dame."
"Notre-whatnow?"
"Notre Dame, the church. In Paris."
"Doesn't ring a bell."
"Actually it has several bells, I ring them, I'm the bell-ringer there."
"That's. . nice." Button did everything in his power to resist a facehoof. "But I've still never heard of that place."
"It's okay. Thanks for your help." Quasimodo crouched preparing for a jumped when Button interjected.
"Wait, don't go!"
"Is something wrong?"
"You're not going to leave me alone are you?"
"Don't you have parents?"
"I got seperated from her when everypony started shouting 'Monster!'"
Quasi looked down ashamed. He crouched down to Button's level assuring him that they would find his mother. The duo needn't look long however, a faint yet distinguishable voice was heard. The ever encroaching voice grew louder and even more angry. Finally rounding a nearby corner a mare with hellfire in her eyes charged them.
"Get away from my son!"
"Mom!" Button sprinted towards her jumping into her open hooves.
"Where did you go Button? I was so worried."
"I couldn't find you when everypony started running. I was so scared Mom."
"It's okay Button, everything will be okay. But I'm gonna need you to meet me at home."
"Mom?"
Buttons Mom looked over at Quasimodo the hellfire returning to her gaze.
"I won't allow anypony to hurt my Button!" Love Tap yelled stomping her hooves firmly in front of her child.
"But Mom!. . ."
"Now's not the time to argue Button, go home."
"But. . ."
"Go now!"
Button flinched at the harshness of his mother's voice. He looked at Quasimodo with a sad look but knew there was nothing he could do. The hunchback gave him a quick nod of reassurance slowing Buttons heartbeat. Button turned away and took off for home hoping that all of this was a terrible nightmare and that soon he would wake up. Love Tap never took her eyes off Quasimodo but she smirked when she heard Buttons hoofsteps disappear into the distance. She tested the ground with her hooves releasing what appeared to be some smoke from her nostrils. Quasimodo was rapidly sputtering excuses but all of them fell on deaf ears. The pissed off mare finally gave into her anger completely and charged the hunchback.
Quasi noted that her speed and strength were pretty daunting. She closed what was at least a twenty foot gap much quicker than Quasi expected. He calmed himself the best he could and Quasi put out his arms. A moment later Love Tap fiercely impacted his palms stopping dead in her tracks. A tight grip formed around her head, tight enough to keep her still but not so tight as to put unbearable pressure on her.
"Huh?"
"Listen to me! I didn't hurt your son, I don't want to hurt anyon--youch!" Quasimodo shot back as he was hit with a painful blast.
"Love Tap are you all right!?!" a voice called out. It was soon met with the sound of several other hoofsteps. Quasi looked up and saw a total of seven angry mares all looking at him. Six of them had odd trinkets around their necks.
"I'm fine. Thanks for the help girls, be careful he's a lot stronger than he looks.
"Nothing we can't handle." Rainbow Dash proclaimed.
"Alright girls get ready. I heard from the Crystal Empire that he had escaped and is incredibly dangerous. Even Cadence and Shining Armor apparently couldn't stop him. I think it's safe to say we'll have to use the elements and end this quickly." Twilight said receiving nods from everypony.
Love Tap backed away as the elements of harmony took their position. Quasimodo could feel his collar grow tighter around his neck and his entire body feel shake in nervous anticipation. The elements began their ascent into the air surrounded by a glowing white light.
"Anypony that brings physical harm to others must be taught cooperation and friendship is the most powerful thing in the world!" Twilight's words were then accompanied by a large rainbow arching itself downwards towards the hunchback. Before he could react he was hit with the energy his entire frame consumed by the light. It took several seconds but the light eventually did fade. What the ponies witnessed shook them to their core.
Quasimodo stood, completely unchanged.
Compassion is Stronger than Hate
Compassion is Stronger than Hate
"Please tell me you have news on him." Esmeralda said gaining the attention of Princess Cadence.
"No, there's still no news on your friend." Cadence said solemnly to which Esmeralda responded with an exasperated sigh.
The two were in the crystal throne room eagerly awaiting news about the escaped hunchback. Phoebus had left minutes earlier needing to clear his head with a walk. Shining Armor had reluctantly returned to his duties as king of the Crystal Empire while his wife remained with their guests.
Esmeralda stood with her head in her hands, her fingers roughly massaging her forehead. She paced back and forth with each footstep creating an echo that rang with impatience and worry. Cadence couldn't help but to look at Esmeralda from her throne and wonder if what she and Shining Armor did was completely unwarranted. The moment she saw Quasimodo a feeling of horror washed over her. Everything about him screamed that he was some creature out of an E.G. Lovecraft story. That's not necessarily a justification, but that is a fairly reasonable excuse.
It is true though that ponies themselves have had their share of squabbles based on prejudices and stereotypes but nothing like this. For most equine it was a matter of faiths or instances of ignorance that held them against one another. Like an earth pony believing that a unicorn is an elitist who sees them, earth ponies, as nothing more than dirt. Then that same earth pony sees a unicorn and thinks something like:
'Oh, so they wear a monocle? Well, since they have their magic they don't really needed glasses for both eyes do they? They can probably just use an extra magic sense or something.'
The difference between that and the one with Quasimodo is that preconceived notions lead to the determination of negative traits and the epidemic manifestation that followed suit. With Quasimodo, there were no preconceived notions of him, no stereotypes about his person, nor were there even past encounters that might've led to a disfavorable disposition. Just one glimpse is all it took to determine that he was a danger.
That can't be a bad thing, though. When somepony looks at a cockatrice, hopefully not in the eyes, there isn't a need to learn about the creature. A snap judgment is made that the thing in front of you is bad and you either need to run or fight. Same thing with a manticore, chimera, or any other beast that could kill somepony effortlessly. So what makes Quasimodo different? If he truly wanted to be considered a friend or a non-threat then he should be aware of how his appearance would come across and not be so abrupt when confronting ponies. So when you think about it was Quasimodo's fault.
Cadence tapped her chin as a smile slowly grew on her face.
"Why are you smiling?" Esmeralda asked irritated shaking Cadence out of her thoughts.
"Oh nothing, sorry I didn't mean to come across apathetic," Cadence said bowing her head slightly.
The gypsy shook her head and walked towards the opposite side of the room. Cadence sighed relieved glad that her guest dropped the subject.
'Please just find the creature.'
The Elements of Harmony slowly descended to the ground their mouths agape. Their emotion didn't change as they made contact with the ground and their elemental magic dissipated into the air. Under their gaze, Quasimodo shifted like a child that knew they were about to be scolded.
"Um, was something else suppose to happen?"
The group of seven mares still stood blankly not knowing exactly what to do. After a prolonged silence, the first one to act was Love Tap.
She turned tail and ran.
With just six mares left in the scene Quasimodo felt that it was now or never. If he couldn't convince someone other than a small child than he was doomed to never see his friends again.
"Please, I am just trying to get home. I don't want to hurt you. If you show me how to get home, you'll never have to see me again." Quasimodo said intrepidly but deep down fearing over another bout. Out of all the mares, Fluttershy was the only one to truly hear the hunchback and start doubting their original purpose.
"W-What are you?" Twilight Sparkle asked.
"My name is Quasimodo, and I'm. . ." he was cut off.
"A chimera?" Rainbow Dash finished.
"No, I'm. . ."
"A gargoyle?" Rarity said.
"Do I look like stone?"
"How about a Minotaur?" Pinkie asked a bit too happily.
"Mina-what!?! No I'm a. . ."
"He could always be some sort of manticore," Applejack stated.
"Okay, now I know you aren't even trying."
"How about a human?" Fluttershy asked meekly.
"Oh come. . Wait did you say human?"
"Y-Yes."
"Phew, I was starting to think you guys would never guess it." Quasimodo said approaching the group ending his sentence with a chuckle. He only made it so far though as a solid stomp from a lavender hoof stopped him.
"Now hold on a second," Twilight spoke halting all movement. "You couldn't possibly be a human. A friend of ours in town is a human expert and everything she has told me points otherwise. A human is supposed to be a bipedal animal with a fully erect spine, yours clearly isn't. Also, the male species stands at least at five hoof six inches, you appear to only be five hoof. And then there the plethora of facial features that don't match any description of any human I've ever heard of. No, you have to be something else. Some sort of deviation, an experimental anomaly, a mon--."
"Don't call me that!" Quasimodo shouted.
The ponies took a step back unnerved by the sudden rage. They looked at each other unsure of how to act. Luckily, or unluckily, for the group Quasimodo finally had enough.
"I am not a monster. I am not a f-freak. I am a person, I am a human being, and all I want is to be with my friends! Can you really not see that?" Quasimodo inquired, his voice seething with anger, but his face pained by grief to the point where it was stained by saltwater. The eyes of the ponies mirrored a similar sadness but to a much lesser degree. All except Fluttershy who showed the pain in her heart on her face, but all Quasi saw were eyes that were still filled consternation and contempt. "Think what you want of me, I'm going to find my friends, I am going home." Quasimodo turned his back and started to walk away.
A few of Quasimodo's steps resonated loudly amongst the hush of the surrounding area. His short trek felt like an eternity but as soon as he reached the end of the platform something from behind caught his attention.
"Wait!" a cry from Fluttershy rang out.
Quasimodo turned slightly to be greeted by a yellow pegasus whose eyes spilt water like a hose. She summoned a surprising amount of strength and tackled him to the ground. Fluttershy wrapped her hooves around Quasi's broad neck and looked directly in his eyes.
"You're not a monster!" She cried her tears only becoming thicker. While Quasi was processing this new reaction, Applejack approached him from the side.
"Fluttershy what are you doing?" Twilight asked.
"Can't you see what we're doing. This poor creature wanted nothing but our help, and we attacked him!"
"But, the letter. . ." Twilight defended meekly.
"The letter was wrong. He isn't violent or terrifying, he's just misunderstood and he needs our help."
"Fluttershy has Discord been messing with your head again? Even if he isn't violent just-just look at him! What has ever looked like that and been good?" Rainbow Dash said quickly in a hurried sputter.
"Is there anything I could do to prove. . ." the hunchback was cut off by Fluttershy's hoof on his lips.
"Shh, I'm defending you now." she said in a comforting tone. Quasimodo dropped his head in defeat. "Now Rainbow, I'm disappointed in you. Can't you remember when we first met Zecora and we all were afraid of her? I think there's something to say about judging a pony before you know them." Fluttershy turned to her friend giving her a saddened yet stern look. Rainbow Dash couldn't meet her eyes for very long and the pegasus turned her line of sight to the ground. Another long silence fell over the group as everypony mulled over their thoughts.
"I guess I'll be the one to speak first." Applejack stepped forward to Fluttershy and Quasimodo. "I want to say. . I'm sorry too partner. After getting the letter from the Crystal Empire I guess we all got a little heated. Can you forgive us?" before Quasimodo could respond another pegasus approached him.
"Yeah I thought that letter said '. . .some violent monster that's bent on destroying everything in it's way is coming. . .' but he hasn't done anything violent. He didn't even counterattack after we used the elements on him!" Rainbow looked at Quasimodo. "I'm sorry too."
"WAAAH!" Pinkie Pie took the aerial approach and dive bombed on the group. In what should of been physically impossible for a pony, she pulled everypony into a group hug before she hit the ground. Her tears made it a bit more awkward as they splashed onto everypony in the group.
"I think we may have gotten ahead of ourselves. Maybe we should try again? My name is Rarity." the unicorn gave a small bow.
"My name is Pinkie Pie!"
"Hello, I'm Applejack."
"I'm Fluttershy."
"You can call me Rainbow Dash."
"And what about you? I would really like to know your name." Quasi asked pointing to Twilight.
Twilight stood in bewilderment. Everything about her world seemed to crumble around her. In a second she went from leading her friends into battle to standing opposite to them. Twilight felt almost betrayed if it weren't for a simple observation of hers. In Quasimodo's eyes Twilight could see a sentient being not unlike herself, one that feels and is capable of compassion and love. The sudden rush of information was enough to give the princess a small headache but her job demanded her march ever onward. A small smile graced her lips and she approached the group.
"My name is Twilight Sparkle, nice to meet you. . Quasimodo, was it?"
Getting Off On The Wrong Foot. . Or Hoof?
Chapter 2: Getting Off on the Wrong Foot. . Or Hoof?
The bell’s choir rang with the same intensity it has always had, and the emotion had not died down at all. In the streets, the people cheered. Like a second festival of fools, merriment was anywhere that one laid their eyes. Even talk about making today an official holiday was being spread like wildfire. Up above, though, where the intimate celebration was held, a small dilemma arose.
“Psst, Quasimodo.” a small voice whispered close behind the hunchback, but just loud enough to be heard over the bells.
“Ack!” Quasi jumped in surprise.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to shock you boy.” the old man gave Quasi a smile, still close to the young man.
“Archdeacon? What are you doing up here? And why are we whispering next to the bell?”
“Heh, well I didn’t want to interrupt the. . moment. But the matter I wanted to address requires your assistance.”
“What would that be?”
“We’ve still been repairing from the attack a couple of months ago, and we needed help lifting some materials. Would you be so kind as to lend a hand?”
“O-Of course, I can come right now.”
“What about your friends?”
Quasi and the Archdeacon both quickly glanced at Phoebus and Esmeralda.
“I think they’ll be okay .”
With modest haste, the two men descended down the one flight of stairs, then proceeded out the door of the bell tower. Unbeknownst to the loving couple, they were now alone. Separating from each other, they looked in one another's eyes, both their minds and hearts reveling in the beauty of their situation. Until the finally did notice the lack of persons in the tower.
“‘Where did Quasi go?” Esmeralda asked.
“Went back out on his walk, other bell ringer duties, help with church repair, saw something that caught his eye--” Phoebus stopped when saw his fiancees displeased look. “Look, he’s his own man and probably had other things he had to attend to. But if I were to guess, he would want us to enjoy the gift he gave us.
“--sigh-- I guess you’re right. He probably wouldn’t want us to miss out on this view either,” the gypsy slowly strolled over to the large window, followed closely by Phoebus.
“It looks like we aren’t the only ones to get something out of Quasi's gift,” the captain pointed down at the eccentric townspeople below. Esmeralda laughed, the contagious joy infecting her, then her husband. They settled down for a moment, and at that time a strange noise pulsated behind them. Turning around a bright light of pink and white radiated brilliantly in front of them.
Slowly two black silhouettes formed in the light. They were smaller than an average sized person but bigger than most animals. The most noticeable feature was a large triangular shape that was becoming more and more profound. Until the light finally died away and revealed two. . equine's.
“Phoebus.”
“Yes?”
“You see the two horses in front of us, right?”
“Yes.”
“Good, I was just checking to see if I was still sane,” Esmeralda said, approaching the royal couple.
“Do you really think that that’s a good idea?” Phoebus gripped Esmeralda just enough to stop her.
“I don’t know. . That’s why I’m going,” she broke the grip of the captain and started again. Her lover tripping over his own words, failing to explain his opinion on the situation.
Esmeralda’s smile was normally able to brighten any situation, her smile now would be able to reflect candlelight from a mile away. She extended her arm to Princess Cadence, who had a similar conversation with her husband. It went unheard by the human couple, do to their own shock by the royal couples reveal.
The gypsy's hand was a fascinating spectacle to the crystal princess. With focused eyes, she made mental notes about every groove, appendage, scar and scratched that donned the creatures’ hand. It was a subtle movement, but Cadence approached the gypsy with tiny steps. She then shifted her gaze to Esmeralda’s kind and unassuming emerald eyes. Esmeralda looked at Cadence’s deep purple orbs, feeling nothing but kindness radiating from the creature.
Just as the two were about to make contact, Shining Armor jumped between them both. His horn threatened a blue colored death. The enraged knight spooked the gypsy off her feet, demonstrating his dominance over her.
“Get back!” Phoebus drew the attention of the other male, his sword not two inches away from the equines face. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll back up,” his voice uncharacteristically serious.
Shining growled in response until his wife grew tired of his antics.
“What in the name of all that is good do you are doing?!?”
“I'm stopping you from making a bad decision.”
“You have no right--”
“I have all the right to defend you from any danger, even if you don’t see it!”
“You’re acting insane!”
“You’re not hurt, right? Then I must be doing something correct then!”
“I wasn’t danger, and you attacked a civilian!”
The couple continued to bicker back and forth. Esmeralda and Phoebus, on the other hand, stared wide-eyed. There were talking ponies. In front of them. Talking, to each other. In a language, they could understand. Phoebus looked on in horror, Esmeralda with glee, both with their own summation of the scene.
“Terrifying.”
“Awesome.”
“I can’t believe you! Not even ten seconds and you're attacking the first thing that moves.” Cadence rubbed her temples, her brain failing to figure out the motives of her husband.
“What if that thing took you, hm? What would happen then?”
“I think you're forgetting who’s the alicorn here dear.” Cadence’s deadpan expression made her husband stop for just a second, enough for an interjection.
“Now this is a touching conversation, it really is, but if I may so bold as to ask WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU!” Phoebus's shouts reverberated in the surrounding bells.
“Oh yes, right. Excuse me, my name is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. This charming stallion here is my husband, Shining Armor.” Cadence bowed, her tone mostly mirthful, until the description of Shining.
“Uh huh, Esmeralda you still hear them talking right?” Phoebus asked to his still prone wife.
“Yes dear.”
“Ok, good, I’m still relatively sane.” Phoebus sighed brushing sweat from his brow. Esmeralda took her feet.
“And my name is Esmeralda and this is my husband to be, Phoebus.” the gypsy copied the bow from Cadence, her husband awkwardly following suit.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, right Shining Armor?” Cadence started expectantly.
“Um, yeah sure.” the stallion grunted quietly.
“Pfft Shining Armor.” the other captain laughed to himself quietly, returning to a vertical base.
“What was that!?!”
“Your name, Shining Armor, it’s hilarious.”
“Oh and yours is so much better, Phoebus. It sounds like the name of a fish!”
“I’ll have you know that it means sun god!”
Cadence and Esmeralda buried their heads in the hands (and hooves). It took them second but they willfully began ignoring the two hotheads. They joined each other for a small tour around the bell tower. During the stroll the two began swapping stories about their respective lives. The princess told about how she and her husband met while in school and had been in love ever since. She also told about a shape shifting queen that wanted to use her power to drain the love from Shining to take over Equestria. Esmeralda said that she met Phoebus as a result of a sex crazed judge that threatened to burn down the entire city unless she slept with him.
“. .Really?”
“Yep.”
“Wow, so Phoebus saved you. Must of been romantic.”
“Well, it wasn’t just him, to be fair.”
“There was someone else?”
“Yes, in fact he’s the one that rings all these bells.” Esmeralda motioned around her.
Cadence widened her eyes.
“That’s the reason why we’re here. We heard a lovely bell, and just wanted to know what it was.”
“You heard a bell, from where?”
“The Crystal Empire.”
“I. . see, well, there was a bell Phoebus and I rang just before you got here.”
“Oh please you must ring it again. It was so very gorgeous.”
“I don’t see why not. Come, we’ll collect the guys and both of you can give it a test pull.
Cadence squeed in delight. The two began their return to their significant others when they noticed the sound of bickering had disappeared from the air. They arose from the staircase to the sight of two males exchanging stories of their own.
“Yeah, if you spend any extended time around here, you’ll see the kind of monsters that dwell here. But it makes me just that more determined to keep the citizens here safe.” Phoebus's words rung clear to the unicorn who nodded his head.
“I know, right? And it doesn’t matter how many times you throw somepony away in jail, three more criminals pop up to take their place.” Shining sighed, a comforting hand falling on his shoulder.
“It’s good to see you two boys are getting along.” Cadence commented.
“Yeah, it’s amazing what happens when you start talking instead of fighting. It works wonders.” Esmeralda stung the two men with her words.
After quick small talk, the ladies revealed their plans for Aime Ton. No one seemed to have any qualms with the plan, until Quasimodo came back to the mind of Cadence.
“Esmeralda, didn’t you say there was a bell ringer that helped save you? Would it be okay if Shining and I meet him. He sounds like a real great guy.”
“Ohhh, yes! We must get Quasi, I want to see his face when we show him this. I guarantee he’s going to faint.” Phoebus had enough trouble trying to say his part through his laughter, but walking added to the difficulty.
“We’ll be right back with him, then we can all get a ring on Aime Ton.” Esmeralda called out to Cadence, trying to balance the blonde captain in his laughing daze.
“Okay, we’ll be waiting right here for you!” Cadence waved at the departing couple. “So what did you guys talk about while I had girl talk?”
“Nothing much I just figured out we both have been captains of a military force. It was actually really nice to relate like that to another pony. . thing.”
“I’m glad you found a friend and loosened up somewhat. . So I wonder what the rest of these bells sound like?”
“Thanks Quasi, we never would of been able to fix those doors without lifting them up first.” the Archdeacon gave a small head nod to the bell ringer.
“It’s-no-problem. My- pleasure.” Quasi said in between breaths.
While getting pats on the back from various church goers, a jumbled tune began to play. Everyone looked in the general direction of the bell tower with utter confusion by the music. Quasi, being the most worried, quickly said his goodbyes and climbed up the front of Notre Dame. Each chipped block and ornate design that made up the church served as stepping stones and ledges for the climb. The travel was nothing new so it took a relatively short amount of time. Finally he reached the top, and strolled into a windowless opening, just above the bells.
Quasimodo was questioning if the sudden altitude was giving him hallucinations. A white horse with a horn and a pink horse who also had a horn but with the addition of wings played in his tower. They’re smiles told so much about their emotions. Maneuvering in between various bells and architecture with beautiful precision and grace. Quasi couldn’t help but smile at the scene himself, and when really looked at the situations, his closest friends for most of his life was talking stone, this wasn’t really that weird. Although the noises they were making with the bells would probably make some trouble for the confused townspeople. So reluctantly Quasi dropped down to confront the ponies.
“It looks like you guys are having a lot of fun, but could you be a little bit more careful. Don’t want the townspeople to think I’ve gone insane now do we?” Quasi laughed a little bit. Cadence and Shining armor looked over at who said that.
It looked like something out of a nightmare.
It’s freakish shape and face was enough to turn the stomach of the staunchest manticore. It’s flesh wouldn’t even slightly appeal the most starved and vicious griffon. There is no doubt that if this thing was brought to the Crystal Empire, every crystal capable of reflecting an image, would shatter as soon as this beast comes close.
Acting purely on self preservation both magic wielders aimed their horns at the monster. .
And fired.
A blast of blue and pink light ran across the platform like violent wind blowing down a prairie. In a second the attack landed dead on Quasi’s chest, sending him against the wall, and back to the ground. The ragdoll effect coupled with the magical release created a loud noise, especially for anyone in Notre Dame.
“I guess what Phoebus said was true, monsters will pop out of nowhere around here, if you wait long enough.” Shining’s chest moved up and down, his horn with a single smoke signal lifting off of it.
“That was a little close for comfort.” Cadence shakily whispered.
“Wait right here, I’m going to see if it’s still conscious.”
Shining began to walk over to the down Quasi, his wife's weak protests answered by a quick smile shot back occasionally. His strides longer than normal he was by the hunchbacks side in a moment. He lied face down, on his wound. Shining flipped Quasi to see what the combined attack had done. The limp body went over easily. On the mans chest was a large bluish pink pulsating wound. It’s presence just slightly etched into his skin. His face growing more pale than his normal state. His breathe very weak.
“He’s not getting back up.” Shining stated, to the relief of his wife.
“Phew. I got to say that I have a newfound respect for Phoebus and Esmeralda, if these creatures walk around daily.” Cadence visibly relaxed.
“Hey is everything okay up there? We heard a loud crash!” The voice of a worried Esmeralda yelled from the entrance of the bell tower.
“A monster snuck in here, but it's not a problem anymore. Shining and I dealt with it.” Cadence shouted back, to the confusion of Phoebus and the horror of Esmeralda.
“What do they mean by monster?” Phoebus asked.
“I don’t know, but I think we should go see.” Esmeralda said already in full sprint, fearing the worst. ‘We didn’t see anything pass on our way down, and the only thing that can get up the outside of the church that isn’t a bird. . Please, don’t let it be him. Please don’t let it be him!’
It wasn’t a minute later than a terrible scream rang throughout the bell tower.
“Esmeralda! ESMERALDA!” Phoebus shouted trying to get a response but getting none.
His armor weighed him down, but now was not the time to be stopped by something as petty as that. He put every ounce of power he could into his legs, trying to cut through the air like a sword. Phoebus pounded up the stairs, each step with the ferocity of a thousand soldiers. He bounded up the remaining steps. Phoebus stopped.
Esmeralda was cradling a lifeless Quasimodo in her arms.
“Everythings going to be alright, you’re going to be okay Quasi.” she choked passed tears to say.
“What happened!?!” Phoebus slid into the scene, his hands helplessly floating in front of him.
“He’s-He’s-He. .” Esmeralda couldn’t bring herself to say it. Phoebus turned to the ponies.
“WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO!?!”
“I-It came at us, we thought it was a monst--” Cadence tried but was cut off.
“You idiot! You attacked an innocent man, my best man. . my best friend." Phoebus was gritting his teeth, his shaking hand embracing the hilt of his sword.
“Don’t you call my wife an id--” Shining was also cut off.
“I’ll call either of you whatever the hell I want! You took his life!” the sword was know fully unsheathed as the man couldn’t hold back his tears.
“I don’t want to do this Phoebus.” Shining said dangerously as he prepared his horn, Phoebus didn’t reply, he just charged, his sword ready and thirsting to take a life.
“Stop! We can still save it!”
Both men stopped and Esmeralda looked with a slight glimmer of hope in her teary eyes.
“We have doctors in the Crystal Empire that specialize in magic related injuries if we hurry we can save it!” Cadence shouted with every last bit of air in her lungs, leaving her breathless.
“Bring them to the Crystal Empire, Cadence are you sure?”
“It’s our fault this happened, now we need to fix it. So, are you coming?”
Phoebus looked at his sword then at his wife, wordlessly they agreed on an option. Esmeralda started the lift up the hunchback, fully being able to do so when her husband dashed over to her and rested Quasimodo on his back.
“Let me help carry him.” Esmeralda pleaded tearfully.
“Not in your condition, I couldn’t stand losing our child too.” Phoebus said quietly. “Now how do we get to this Crystal Empire?”
Shining Armor gave his wife one more look questioning her decision. She replied with a face constant of her last one. With a deep breath she began to cast a teleportation spell. Similar to the last long distance spell she used. Only this time she didn’t need a source of love to follow. She already knew the destination.
With the pink ball of magic growing from her horn, Cadence executed her teleportation spell. The spell soon expanded and engulfed every living being in the room. The only ones left were three gargoyles, frozen in a state of fear, anger, and despair.
