The streets of Paris rang with bright voices, loud laughter, and instruments playing lively songs. The excitement bursting from the throngs seemed to float in the air. Quasimodo leaned against the stone railings above the city and stared down at the people gathering in the square in front of the cathedral of Notre Dame. He knew what the day was and why all these people were flocking to the square. It was the sixth of January, the Festival of Fools. A year ago, he wished to be among those joyful crowds; to dance, to sing, to be accepted by the outside world as a person. That wish had brought him into the light when he went to the festival, hoping to live a day as a normal person before returning to the belltower. He was accepted at first, but when he was pulled onto stage and declared the King of Fools, he was strapped to a wheel and had food thrown at him. Even after being accepted by the populace of Paris after the death of Judge Frollo, he felt compelled to stay in the tower to avoid bring back the painful memories of the previous festival.
"Quasimodo, are you still up there?" A female voice called to him from inside the tower. Quasimodo turned and walked into the tower. He stopped at the entrance when he saw her come up the stairs. Her bright green eyes scanned the room before catching sight of him. A bright smile spread across her face.
"There you are, we were looking for you. You do know that Clopin has been waiting for you downstairs, right? Clopin has been getting annoyed that the festival has not started yet and Phoebus is becoming annoyed at Clopin. We should go before they start arguing again," Esmeralda called.
"Can you tell Clopin that I can not come? I… do not feel well," Quasimodo replied, looking towards the floor. He felt ashamed to lie to Esmeralda, the first person to see past his face and accept him as a person. Her smile vanished and she walked into the room. Quasimodo looked up and noticed that she was wearing a similar costume to the one she wore to the Festival of Fools last year, she wore a long blue skirt with a purple sash tied around her waist. Her white blouse was tucked neatly into her skirt and she wore simple black shoes. Around her skirt, a grey head poked out and bleated at him, her goat Djali.
"You do not feel well?" Esmeralda asked, her voice heavy with both concern and slight suspicion.
"I will watch the festivities from here in the tower. Please don't worry about me," Quasimodo replied with a faint smile. Her green eyes darkened and her smile vanished.
"What is wrong, Quasimodo? It is not like you to lie to me," She asked with a sigh, brushing her hair away from her face. Quasimodo opened his mouth to reply, but then someone else's voice interrupted him.
"Esmeralda, your friend Clopin is being rather bothersome. Could you please quiet him and keep him docile so that the Archdeacon does not throw us out of the cathedral?" Phoebus's voice rang as he walked in. He smiled at Quasimodo in greetings before returning his gaze to Esmeralda.
"Is it the Archdeacon or you that wishes him to stop?" Esmeralda replied with a laugh, only to hear another laugh that made Quasimodo grimace.
"It is the captain that wishes me silenced, of course. Is the captain not supposed to have patience? So, this is where you've been hiding this whole time!" Clopin called as he walked up the stairs, his smile visible under his bright purple mask. His smile seemed rather forced towards Quasimodo, but Quasimodo already knew why Clopin was vexed.
"I can not go back down there, Clopin. Maybe next year I will come, but…" Quasimodo called, hoping to stop and argument with the gypsy.
"But, you must come this year! You are the old king, the King of Fools that will be succeeded by another fool drawn from the lot of commoners! You must come!" Clopin replied with a bright smile that meant that he was determined to make Quasimodo go to the festival, whether he wanted to or not.
"Clopin, maybe we should not make him go to the festival. He was treated badly when he was crowned last year," Esmeralda answered, glaring at Clopin.
"So a few tomatoes were thrown at you, the past is the past! It won't happen again, let me assure you! Let us go down to the festival to dance, sing, and revel with the commoners of Paris!" Clopin replied merrily as he walked towards Quasimodo, the bells on his costume jingling with each determined step. With a pat on the back and a winning smile on his face, Clopin pushed Quasimodo towards the stairs.
Twenty minutes later, Quasimodo found himself staring at the doors to the cathedral. Clopin was humming merrily, the tune the same as the one he sang when he started the festival the year before. Esmeralda smiled encouragingly down at him, Phoebus was watching the nearby priest who was glowering at Clopin and Esmeralda.
"Must I do this?" Quasimodo asked Esmeralda, hoping for an answer that could let him return to the belltower in peace. Clopin glared at Esmeralda as if to keep her from saying no, which made Esmeralda laugh.
"I am sorry, Quasimodo, but you have to come. We will not let anyone throw rotten food at you," She replied softly. Quasimodo smiled, feeling slightly better from her comforting words.
"…Close the churches and the schools, today's the day for breaking rules, come and join the Feast of Fools!" Clopin sang happily to himself as he pushed open the doors, blinding them with harsh sunlight as they opened.