A small creature walked toward outside of the bell tower of Notre Dame. He was a purple dragon with yellow horns, orange wings, a yellow underbelly, yellow scales on his head all the way down his back, and what looked like a small arrowhead at the tip of his tail. He's Spyro, raised by Ripto from a baby. He sees a blue penguin named Sgt. Byrd sleeping in the nest of a stone dragonfly.

"Good morning," Spyro greeted. Sgt. Byrd wakes up and chirps happily at Spyro. "Will today be the day? Are you ready to fly?" Spyro asked him. He chirps sadly and Spyro frowned, "You sure? Good day to try." Spyro picked him up, "Why, if-if I picked a day to fly, oh, this would be it. The Festival of Fools."' Sgt. Byrd just gulped and chirped nervously.

"It'll be fun with jugglers and-and-and music and dancing." Spyro said as he let Sgt. Byrd go as he was just flapping his wings. Spyro laughed as he chirped happily. Then many hummingbirds flew by. Sgt. Byrd was eager to join them. "Go on. Nobody wants to be cooped up here forever." Spyro said as he let Sgt. Byrd go and he took off in flight.

Then the stone dragonfly came to life. He was yellow. His name was Sparx. He spit out all the feathers and the nest. "Oh, man! I thought he'd never leave. I'll be spitting feathers for a week." "Well, that's what you get for sleeping with your mouth open." said an orange cheetah who also came to life. His name is Hunter. "Heh, heh, heh, go scare a nun." Sparx said sarcastically. "Hey Spyro, what going on out there? A fight, a flogging?" He asked Spyro.

"A festival." said Hunter. "You mean the Feast of Fools?" Sparx asked. "Uh-huh." said Spyro. "All right, all right! Pour the wine and cut the cheese!" Sparx said "It is a treat to watch the colorful pageantry of the simple peasentfolk." said Hunter. "Boy, nothing like balcony seats for watching the old F.O.F!" said Sparx. "Yeah, watching." said Spyro sadly. "Oh, look. A mime." said Sparx.

He was just about to hawk a big loogie when Hunter covered his mouth, forcing him to swallow it. Then they notice Spyro walking away. "Hey, hey, hey, hey. What gives?" asked Sparx. "Aren't you going to watch the festival with us?" asked Hunter. "I don't get it." said Sparx. "Perhaps he's sick." said Hunter. "Impossible." said a yellow rabbit. Her name is Bianca. "If 12 years of listening to you two hasn't made him sick by now, nothing will."

"Watching the Festival of Fools has always been the highlight of the year for Spyro." said Hunter."What good is watching the party if you never get to go?" Bianca asked then noticed a lot of birds standing on her head. "Here, Get away from me! Go on, you bunch of buzzards! He's not made of stone like us." She pointed out. Spyro went over to his Notre Dame playset and set his head down. Bianca went over to him.

"Spyro, what's wrong? You want to tell ol' Bianca all about it?" She asked him. "I-I just don't feel like watching the festival, that's all." He said. "Well, did you ever think of going there instead?" She asked. "Sure. But I never fit in out there. I'm not…normal." He said to her. "Oh, Spyro, Spyro, Spyro." Then a bird landed right on her nose. "Do you mind? I would like to have a moment with the boy, if it's all right with you!" She snapped. Scaring all the birds away.

"Hey, quit beating around the temple. What do we gotta do? Paint you a fresco?" Sparx said grabbing a figure of Spyro. "As your friends and guardians, we insist you attend the festival." said Hunter. "Me?" asked Spyro. "No, the Pope. Of course, you!" Sparx said. "It would be a veritable potpourri of educational experience." said Hunter. "Wine, women and song." Sparx said juggling some figures.

"You can learn to identify various regional cheeses." said Hunter. "Bobbing for snails." Sparx said holding a bucket. "Study indigenous folk music." Hunter said pretending to strum a guitar. "Playing dunk the monk!" Sparx said dumping the bucket on Hunter's head. "Spyro, take it from an old spectator. Life's not a spectator sport. If watching is all you're going to do, then you're going to watch your life go by without you." Bianca said.

"Yeah, you're a dragon, with the scales and the horns and the wings. We're just part of the architecture. Right, Hunter?" said Sparx. "Yet, if you chip us, will we not flake? If you moisten us, do we not grow moss?" Hunter asked as he put the bucket on Sparx's head. "Spyro, just trim your claws and polish your wings and-" Bianca started. "Thanks for the encouragement. But you're all forgetting one big thing." Spyro said.

"What?" They all asked. "My master, Ripto." Spyro said holding a figure of Ripto. "Oh, that's right." They all said. "Well, when he says you're forbidden from ever leaving the bell tower, does he mean 'ever ever'?" asked Hunter. "Never ever and he hates the Feast of Fools. He'd be furious if I asked to go." said Spyro. "Who says you got to ask?" Sparx asked. "Oh, no." Spyro said knowing what Sparx was thinking.

"You sneak out-" said Sparx. "It's just one afternoon." said Bianca. "I couldn't…" said Spyro. "And you sneak back in." said Sparx. "He'll never know you were gone." Bianca said. "And if I got caught?" Spyro wondered. "Better to beg forgiveness than ask permission." Hunter said. "He might see me." Spyro pointed out. "You could wear a disguise, just this once, what Ripto doesn't know can't hurt you." Sparx said putting a cloak on.

"Ignorance is bliss." Hunter said. "Look who's talking." Sparx said giving Hunter a noogie. "Nobody want to stay cooped up here forever." Bianca said. Spyro thought about it for a bit. Then made up his mind. "You're right. I'll go." He said as the others cheered. "I'll get cleaned up. I'll stroll down those stairs. I'll march through the doors and-" Spyro started then Ripto was right in front of him.

"Good morning, Spyro." He said. Spyro backed up a little and he stuttered a little. The others turned back to stone. "Good m-morning, Master." He said. "Dear, boy, whomever are you talking to?" Ripto wondered. "My... friends." Spyro said. "I see. And what are your friends made of, Spyro?" Ripto asked as he tapped Hunter's head. "Stone." Spyro replied. "Can stone talk?" Ripto asked holding Spyro's face. "No, it can't." Spyro answered.

"That's right. You're a smart lad. Now, lunch." Ripto said sitting down. Spyro went over and grabbed a couple of plates and cups. "Shall we review your alphabet today?" Ripto asked opening a book. "Oh, yes, Master, I would like that very much." Spyro said. "Very well. 'A'?" Ripto asked as he poured the wine. "Abomination." Spyro answered. "B?" "Blasphemy." "C?" "C-Contrition." "D?" "Damnation." "E?" "Eternal damnation."

"Good. 'F'?" Ripto asked as he was drinking. "Festival." Then Ripto spit his wine out wondering what Spyro just said. "Excuse me?" He asked. "Forgiveness." Spyro corrected himself. "You said, 'festival.'" Ripto said. "No!" Spyro said. "You are thinking about going to the festival." Ripto said walking out of the room. "I-It's just that you go every year." Spyro said catching up to him.

"I am a public official. I must go. But I don't enjoy a moment. Thieves and cutpurses, the dregs of creaturekind, all mixed together in a shallow, drunken stupor." Ripto explained. "I didn't mean to upset you, Master." said Spyro. "Spyro, can't you understand? When your heartless mother abandoned you as a hatchling, anyone else would have drowned you. And this is my thanks for taking you in and raising you as my son?" Ripto wondered.

"I'm sorry, sir." Spyro said. "Oh, my dear Spyro. You don't know what it's like out there. I do. I do." said Ripto.

The world is cruel

The world is wicked

It's I alone whom you

can trust in this whole realms

I am your only friend

Ripto then cups Spyro's face in his hands.

I, who keep you, teach you

feed you, dress you

I, who look upon you

without fear

How can I protect you, boy

Unless you always stay in here

Away in here

"Remember what I've taught you, Spyro." said Ripto as he and Spyro walked back into the bell tower.

You are deformed

I am deformed

And you are ugly

And I am ugly

And these are crimes for

which the world shows little pity

You do not comprehend

You are my one defender

Spyro then sits at his model city.

Out there they will

revile you as a monster

I am a monster

Spyro takes the figure he made of him.

Out there they will

hate and scorn and jeer

Only a monster

Spyro holds another figure in his paw.

Why invite their calumny

and consternation

Stay in here

Ripto then clears all of Spyro's wooden figures then sets his basket down on the table.

Be faithful to me

I'm faithful

Grateful to me

I'm grateful

Ripto then takes the figure of Spyro and puts it on top of the model of the Temple.

Do as I say Obey

I'll stay in here/And stay in here

"You are good to me, Master. I'm sorry." said Spyro. "You are forgiven. But, remember Spyro, this is your sanctuary." Ripto said before leaving. "My sanctuary." Spyro thought to himself.

Safe behind these windows

and these parapets of stone

Gazing at the creatures

down below me

Spyro then looks outside.

All my life, I watch them

as I hide up here alone

Hungry for the histories

they show me

Spyro picks up one of his figures.

All my life

I memorize their faces

Knowing them as they

will never know me

Spyro picks up the rest of his figures.

All my life, I wonder how

it feels to pass a day

Spyro then puts the figure of himself on the table.

Not above them

But part of them

And out there

Living in the sun

Spyro slides down a column where his friends are.

Give me one day

out there

All I ask is one

To hold forever

Spyro hugs Sparx and Bianca.

Out there

Where they all

live unaware

What I'd give

What I'd dare

Spyro swings from one column to another.

Just to live

One day

Out there

We zoom away from the temple and see several creatures in town minding their own business.

Out there among the

millers and the weavers

and their wives

Through the roofs

and gables I can see them

Everyday they shout and scold

and go about their lives

Heedless of the gift

it is to be them

If I was in their skin

I'd treasure every instant

Spyro slides down an incline where water is flowing out of a gargoyle.

Out there

Strolling by the seine

Spyro lays down by the gargoyle, then takes some water and splashes it in his face.

Taste the morning

out there

Like ordinary creatures

Who freely walk

about there

Spyro climbs to the top of a pole on the roof of the temple.

Just one day and

then I swear

I'll be content

With my share

Spyro climbs down then runs through the temple.

Won't resent

Won't despair

Old and bent

I won't care

He stands on the railing.

I'll have spent

one day

Out there

Spyro hopes he'll be able to out there one day.

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