A.N. This fanfic was inspired by the fanart Gideon's Hellfire, done by MossAnimation on deviantART.
GRUNKLE STAN:
Morning in Paris, the city awakes
To the bells of Notre Dame
The fisherman fishes, the baker man bakes
To the bells of Notre Dame
To the big bells as loud as the thunder
To the little bells soft as a psalm
And some say the soul of
The city's the toll of
The bells
The bells of Notre Dame
The one who was singing was Stan Pines, leader of the gypsies. He was known as Grunkle Stan to most though due to his age. Since he was old he hardly performed like he used to in his youth, instead he just introduced the other gypsy performers. Pretty much all he did nowadays was sing and put on puppet shows. At the moment he was putting on one of his shows.
"Listen, they're beautiful, no?" Grunkle Stan said to some kids who were watching. "So many colors of sound, so many changing moods. Because you know they don't ring all by themselves."
"They don't?" He then asked through his puppet self; the kids giggled.
"No, you silly boy." Grunkle Stan frowned. "Up there, high, high in the dark bell tower lives the mysterious bell ringer. Who is this creature?"
"Who?" His puppet self echoed, shrugging.
"What is he?" Grunkle Stan asked.
"What?" His puppet self scratched its head.
"How did he come to be there?" Grunkle Stan asked.
"How?" His puppet self shrugged again.
"Hush!" Grunkle Stan hit his puppet self on the head with a stick.
"Ow." His puppet self rubbed its head.
"Grunkle Stan will tell you." Grunkle Stan said. "It is a tale, a tale of a man and a monster."
The scene switched to the past, many years ago. Over a couple decades ago even.
Dark was the night when our tale was begun
On the docks near Notre Dame
Three gypsies traveled into Paris through the canals in a canoe that was being pushed with a pole by the canoe's owner. Two of the gypsies were Mr. and Mrs. Pines, Grunkle Stan's nephew and niece-in-law. They had been traveling over France earning money because they were going to have another child. When he was born they sneakily traveled back to Paris to introduce him to their older daughter Mabel as well as Grunkle Stan, who had been taking care of Mabel at the time. The last one was a friend of Mr. Pines who had helped them sneak into Paris. Their newborn son started crying.
"Shut him up, will you!" Mr. Pines whispered fearfully to his wife.
"We'll be spotted!" His friend agreed.
"Hush, little one." Mrs. Pines whispered to her son.
Four frightened gypsies slid silently under
The docks near Notre Dame
"Four guilders for safe passage into Paris." The canoe's owner asked.
Suddenly, an arrow hit his pole! A bunch of soldiers surrounded the three gypsies - the one who pushed the canoe had just been doing his job and so was ignored - and pointed their spears at them.
But a trap had been laid for the gypsies
And they gazed up in fear and alarm
At a figure whose clutches
Were iron as much as the bells
Mr. Pines saw a dark shadow coming. It was someone wearing a dark-blue robe and hat riding a black horse.
"Judge Gideon Gleeful!" Mr. Pines gasped.
The bells of Notre Dame
Judge Gideon was not only prejudice of anyone who was different, he also was the main enemy of the gypsies. It all started back when Stan Pines first arrived in Paris with his group of gypsies. Instantly he saw how cold and heartless Gideon was, and so settled in Paris to give the people something to be cheerful about. Furious, and thinking that the gypsies were evil witches, Gideon attempted many times to stop Stan Pines's brand of entertainment but Stan and the other gypsies kept evading him. Even more furious, Gideon had declared war against the Pines in general. He would not rest until every single last Pine was dead. And as for the rest of the gypsies...well, he wouldn't mind them all dead.
Judge Gideon Gleeful longed And he saw corruption
To purge the world
Of vice and sin
Everywhere
Except within
The soldiers shackled Mr. Pines and his friend.
"Bring these gypsy vermin to the palace of justice." Judge Gideon said coldly.
Mrs. Pines desperately tried to shield her son, knowing Judge Gideon would kill him once he saw him. Unfortunately a soldier noticed.
"You there, what are you hiding?" He demanded.
"Stolen goods, no doubt." Judge Gideon said. "Take them from her."
She ran!
Mrs. Pines dashed through the streets, Gideon in hot pursuit on his horse. Mrs. Pines tried to ditch Gideon by turning a sharp corner but it was no use. He nearly caught up with her, angrily banging signs out of the way as he did so, but she managed to escape him by leaping over a fence that was between two buildings. Fortunately the gap between the buildings was much too narrow for Gideon's horse. She then ran for Notre Dame, where she knew she and her son would be safe.
"Sanctuary, please give us sanctuary!" Mrs. Pines pleaded, banging on the doors.
It was no use, the doors were locked and no one answered. Even worse, Gideon was coming. Afraid, Mrs. Pines tried to run away but Gideon caught up with her and grabbed the blanket that covered her son. She tried to pull her son away but Gideon kicked her free, causing her to hit her head on the steps. The blow instantly killed her, much to Gideon's hidden joy. But then he heard crying...it was coming from the bundle.
"A baby?" Gideon frowned with surprise as he moved part of the blanket out of the way...and then gasped upon seeing the baby's face. "A monster!"
Gideon looked around for a way to get rid of the monster, and then saw a well. He went over to the well and prepared to drop the baby in it, but...
"Stop!" Cried the Archdeacon.
The Archdeacon was Quentin Trembley III, who was a secret friend of the Pines. He knew Gideon Gleeful's view of the world was wrong, and so was grateful for the Pines's arrival. But now he was just distraught over Mrs. Pines's death and determined to save her son from a similar fate.
"This is an unholy demon." Gideon said. "I'm sending it back to hell, where it belongs."
"See there the innocent blood you have spilt on the steps of Notre Dame." Quentin said as he lifted Mrs. Pines' head gently.
"I am guiltless." Gideon shrugged. "She ran, I pursued."
"Now you would add this child's blood to your guilt on the steps of Notre Dame." Quentin added.
"My conscience is clear!" Gideon frowned.
"You can lie to yourself and your minions," Quentin glared. "You can claim that you haven't a qualm. But you never can run from nor hide what you've done from the eyes, the very eyes of Notre Dame."
Gideon looked at Notre Dame and saw what he thought were statues staring at him coldly for what he had done. Of course it was only his imagination...or was it? Either way, seeing the statue of the virgin mother Mary was what really sealed the deal.
And for one time in his life
Of power and control
Gideon felt a twinge of fear
For his immortal soul
"What must I do?" Gideon asked.
"Care for the child, and raise it as your own." Quentin said as he picked up Mrs. Pines so that he could give her a funeral later.
He hated to put the Pines child in Gideon's care, but he knew that as long as Gideon was forced to raise the child the child would be spared from death.
"What? I'm to be saddled with this misshapen...?" Gideon was about to protest but stopped, looking as if he had realized something. "Very well, but let him live with you, in your church."
"Live here?" Quentin secretly liked the idea but didn't know where the child could live. "Where?"
"Anywhere." Gideon shrugged, looking around Notre Dame. "Just so he's kept locked away where no one else can see... The bell tower perhaps, and who knows, our Lord works in mysterious ways. Even this foul creature may yet prove one day to be of use to me."
And Gideon gave the child a name
A name that was based on the mark on his forehead
Dipper
Now here is a riddle to guess if you can
Sing the bells of Notre Dame
Who is the monster and who is the man?
Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells
Bells, bells, bells, bells
Bells of Notre Dame