The cold winter breeze blasted through the empty streets of Canterlot. Any sane pony would be home out of the biting cold. Even more so since it was the dead of night. Yet in some corner of the city, this wasn't so. A yellow unicorn stallion poked his head around the corner and scan the empty streets. He then trotted back to his companion, a red earth pony stallion who was waiting outside of the nearby gate
The earth pony then nodded and they began to lead five cloaked figures towards the gate. The figures glanced around tensely as though they were expecting something to jump out at them.
"Are you absolutely certain this gate is safe?" One of the figures, a cloaked pegasus stallion, hissed at the first two ponies.
The unicorn grinned ferally. "Of course I am." He said. "Provided you can pay for your passage."
The pegasus didn't retort. He and his company were all gypsies. While they could've come into Canterlot with the rest of the caravan, they couldn't risk it. According to Equestrian law, all gypsies coming into Canterlot had to go through a full search and for them, that was too much of a risk. And so, for a small fee, these two had agreed to smuggle them into Canterlot, where they would meet up with the rest of the caravan. The earth pony frowned when he heard the sound of a child wailing.
"Ya know part of being sneaky is being quiet." He growled. "So unless ya want ta tell the whole city where we are, I suggest you shut your brat up."
Four of the group, all stallions, frowned and shifted into a loose protective circle round the fifth in their party, a unicorn mare who was doing her best to quiet her bundle. Before long, the child quieted down once more. The unicorn smuggler nodded and lit up his horn. Invisibility spells were beyond him, but he could cast a blanket transparency spell that worked well enough. And on a dark stormy night like tonight, then it may as well have been an invisibility spell. Still, as the group slowly walked through the gates, there was a tense feeling as every pony held their breath.
Once they'd gone little ways in the city, a collective breath was released as the unicorn dropped his spell.
"There you are." The unicorn gave a smirk. "As promised, passage into Canterlot. Now, our payment."
Before they could receive their payment, however, a crossbow bolt lodged itself in the ground in front of them. Before anyone could respond, however, soldiers swarmed over them and in an instant, they were surrounded.
"You said it was safe!" The gypsy pegasus growled at the smugglers.
"And how exactly did you expect me to know there was an ambush?!" The smuggler hissed back as he eyed the crossbow aimed at his throat.
The pegasus didn't get to retort when the sudden appearance of a tall stallion froze any words in his throat. The same could be said for the others. They knew this imposing unicorn stallion. His coat was the color of cold steel and his mane was as white as the snow around them. But the most striking thing was his eyes as they stared down at them with the coldest glare ever seen by any pony ever. Like two chips of ice.
"Lord Steel Scroll." The earth pony smuggler choked out, as though he might be granted mercy for uttering his name. Out of all the nobles in Canterlot, Steel Scroll was well known to be both ruthless and racist. His most hated race being gypsies.
Steel Scroll ran his cold glare over the group, each pony wanting to flinch away from those eyes but found themselves unable to. "Bring these vermin to the Palace of Justice." His voice so deep and cold it could be felt deep in their bones.
As they were being secured, the pegasus shot the smugglers a glare that suggested he was going to have harsh words with them later. As the soldiers secured the smugglers and gypsies, it didn't take long for them to notice the gypsy mare trying to hide her bundle.
"Hey! What's that you've got?" A soldier demanded, drawing the attention of the noble.
"Stolen goods no doubt. Take them from her." The soldier nodded at the command and began to approach her. The mare clutched her bundle closer and on instinct, her horn flared and threw a magic bolt that threw the approaching pony back. Before anyone else could react, she bolted down the closest street.
✴✴✴✴
Starshine was by no means a runner. Already her legs began to ache as her breath came in short gasps. But despite all this, she continued running. Aside from the fact that it was wrong to surrender her bundle to that pony, she'd made a promise. Six months ago she'd found an odd pony-like creature that called himself Formic. He'd been mortally wounded however and there was nothing they could do to save his life. Before he had died, however, he'd given her this small package and plead that it would be protected. He couldn't explain why it was so important, but Starshine didn't need a reason. She swore that she would do anything to protect this little one without hesitation. After she'd sworn her oath, Formic had such a look of peace as he passed on.
'I swore to Formic that I would protect her at all costs.' She repeated to herself. 'And Tartarus with freeze over before I break that oath.'
Hoofbeats sounded behind her soon after her escape. She wasn't really surprised that she was being pursued. However, when she glanced over her shoulder, her heart almost stopped cold as the pony pursuing her wasn't a soldier.
'Sweet merciful Faust, it's Steel Scroll himself!' She thought in pure terror.
Despite being a noble, Steel was beginning to gain ground on the gypsy and the sight of his icy glare directed at her almost froze her on the spot. Instead, she pushed herself harder. Knowing that she couldn't outrun the noble, Starshine started ducking into allies and side streets to try and lose him. At some point, she'd even climbed up a roof. But he still remained doggedly on her tail. Suddenly a side street opened up into a plaza and towering over that plaza was...
'A cathedral!' She thought. Blessed relief was near. Unfortunately, so was Steel. Without hesitation, she ran up to the massive doors and began banging as hard as she could as she shouted as loud as her worn out lungs could manage.
"Sanctuary! Please give us sanctuary!" At the sound of Steel's approach, panic surged through her as she began to restart the chase. However, she was halted when her bundle was suddenly wrapped in icy blue magic as Steel Scroll tried to yank it away. Starshine grasped the bundle and a short tug of war ensued.
'No!' Starshine mentally plead with the unyielding noble's magic. 'I will not let this little one fall into your hooves!' Though Starshine was determined, her body had been taxed severely. Her forelegs were weak from her run and all it took was an unfortunately well-placed slick of ice to cause the mare to lose her balance. There was a sickening crunch when she hit the ground at the base of the stairs leading up to the cathedral doors and blood began to pool around her unmoving form.
Steel Scroll only stared at the bloody corpse with indifference. Just one less gypsy scum to deal with. Now there was the matter of her stolen goods, a statement that was quickly amended when the bundle of cloth suddenly began crying.
'A foal?' He thought as he pulled the bundle closer to examine. What he saw, however, was nothing short of an abomination.
"A monster!" He snarled. Now to dispose of it. His eyes quickly fell on the well not far from him. Without hesitation, he trotted over to the well and held the demonic hellspawn over it.
"STOP!!!!" Came a commanding female voice, and before he even registered the voice, he was engulfed in a magic that wasn't his own. The bundle was also engulfed in the same magic, golden light replacing ice blue.
Turning, he found himself facing a pearl white alicorn with a pink mane shooting him a glare on par with his own. Not too far away was a blue alicorn with a lighter blue mane shooting him a similar glare. As the blue alicorn approached the fallen gypsy, the white one released her magic hold on him and the creature. The white alicorn glanced at the fallen pony as the blue one looked up at her and shook her head. The first then turned back to the unicorn.
"Steel Scroll, just what do you think you are doing?" She growled, a cold edge in her voice that matched the biting wind around them.
"Priestess Celestia." Scroll answered, not even bothering to hide his distaste for her. "I am only doing what any sane pony would do with a demon. I am sending it back to Tartarus, where it belongs."
"After thou hast already spilled blood on the sacred grounds?!" The blue alicorn countered angrily.
"She was nothing but a gypsy running from the sword of justice." He replied as he moved the crying bundle back towards the well. "I believe that Faust will see their deaths justified."
"Really?!" Celestia demanded, her cold tone gaining an angry edge. "Have not the teachings of Faust told us to love and tolerate one another?" The noble paused, the child halted, suspended halfway towards the well. Celestia pressed on. "And as Luna has already pointed out, you've already spilled blood in front of the saints. Do you truly want to compound your sins with this child's blood?"
Steel Scroll glanced up and a look of fear crossed his face. There were the statues of the saints carved onto the great cathedral. And all of them seemed to be glowering down at him as though they were daring him to just try it. Steel's resolve faltered. He still saw the thing he held as a demon that deserved to die, but Celestia struck a point. He'd already spilled blood on sacred land. If he spilled more, then his soul would be doomed to damnation.
"What must I do?" He asked.
"There only one recourse," Celestia said in cold disgust as she gathered up the gypsy mare's body in her magic. "You must care for the child. And raise it as your own. Only then will your hooves be cleansed of the blood you have spilled here."
"WHAT!?" Steel snarled, the child screaming louder at his outburst. "You expect me to raise a demon?!"
The two sisters only glared back at him and for a time they stared at each other, the only sounds were the wails of the small bundle. Finally, Steel Scroll capitulated.
"Very well." He said, his cold composure returning as he moved the bundle towards Luna. "But only if it lives here with you in your church." His magic released the child into Luna's magic grip.
"Live here?" Luna said in surprise. "But where?"
"Anywhere." Steel said coldly. "I don't care where, just so long as it is kept out of sight."
Celestia narrowed her eyes at him. Words could not describe how much she hated this particular bigot.
"Very well."
Author's Note
As you've already guessed this is not the Equestria we know. I've had the idea of a ponified Hunchback of Notre Dame knocking around in my head for quite a while. Recently I had a breakthrough and this is the result. As my bio states, I have no idea what I'm doing and I'm basically doing my best with all of my stories so please don't kill me if you don't like it.
Anyways, this is going to be very much different than the movie. Still figuring out a few things. Like an ending. Hope you won't be disappointed.