Thank you to the people who read, and gave me crits. I need them.
Disclaimer- I do not own Furuba and never will.
Dedication- Once more, to Troupe 1139. SOUND OFF!
"As I'm sure you all know, I have hired a theatre troupe for our entertainment this evening. To introduce herself and the rest of the Troupe, Captain Bonshewca." Akito took his seat at the head of the table as C.B. stepped out from the curtains in front of the rest of the Zodiac. She froze, her pose allowing the sparkling sequins of her outfit to be showed off. A purple-red circus ringleader's coat graced her shoulders, falling down in shining folds. A sparkling red sequined hat was perched on her head. Her tight black pants accented her graceful legs, and the black riding boots with the red and purple designs added height to her already impressive height.
Her sparkly purple eyeshadow glimmered as she opened her eyes. As she started to speak, the house lights dimmed, only allowing for the small tea-light candles on the Banquet board. Everyone sat, enchanted.
"Good evening..." she said, her voice low and sultry. "I bring to you, some of the best actors and actresses of this age." She took of her hat, allowing her black curly locks to tumble down around her face and shoulders. She replaced the hat, looking around into the eyes of each member of the Zodiac. "This show was created for the lover of fine things and the man of good taste. I hope that you enjoy this enchanting visit to the edges of the imagination..."
She was suddenly enveloped in fog and multi-colored lights. When it cleared, there was a young man standing there, dressed in yellow, purple and magenta. A purple mask upon his face outlined his eyes magficiently. A large purple hat with a giant yellow feather graced his longish black hair. A duplicate puppet of himself sat on his left hand. Bells began to chime...
"Listen, they're beautiful, no?" said the boy, jumping down from the stage and walking amoungst the audience.
"So many colors of sound, so many changing moods
Because you know, they don't ring all by themselves."
- They don't? - said his puppet. Laughing, he spoke to it for a moment.
"No, silly boy.
Up there, high, high in the dark bell tower..." A tower appeared on the wall behind him.
"Lives the mysterious bell ringer.
Who is this creature? - Who? -
What is he? - What? -
How did he come to be there - How? -
Hush!" He whacked his puppet, and it whined, rubbing it's little head. Clopin turned to his spell-bound audience.
"And Clopin will tell you
It is a tale, a tale of a man and a monster." Darkness completely enveloped everyone, even Clopin. His voice sounded all around the astonished members of the Zodiac.
"Dark was the night when our tale was begun
On the docks near Notre Dame..." A spotlight lit up on several people creeping out from the drawn curtains. A baby's planitive cry echoed through the silence.
"Shup it up, will you?"
"We'll be spotted!"
"Hush, little one." said the only woman, a girl not nineteen, clutching a bundle.
"Four frightened gypsies slid silently under
The docks near Notre Dame..." Clopin remained hidden, his voice telling a story. The five gypsies stopped near the edge of the stage. The largish held out his hand.
"Four guilders for safe passage into Paris!"
"But a trap had been laid for the gypsies..." continued Clopin, assoldiers leapt out of hiding, grabbing them. The woman was left alone, as she was frozen in fear...
"And they gazed up in fear and alarm
At a figure whose clutches
Were iron as much as the bells..." A man on horseback entered the circle, his face thrown into sharp relief by the torch carryed by one of the soldiers. A man moaned...
"Judge Claude Frollo."
"...The bells of Notre Dame!"
"Kyrie Eleison!" cried several unseen voices in unison.
"Judge Claude Frollo longed
To purge the world
Of vice and sin." Clopin's voice echoed around them, frightening and entrancing.
"Kyrie Eleison!" sand the unseen choir.
"And he saw corruption
Ev'rywhere
Except within!" His voice reverberated, throwing echoes upon echoes. Frollo stared comtemptously at the gypsies at his mercy.
"Bring these gypsy vermin to the palace of justice." His voice was dead and cold. Then, the soldiers noticed the woman, and bundle.
"You there, what are you hiding?" snapped a guard, grabbing the woman's arm. She struggled.
"Stolen goods, no doubt. Take them from her."
"She ran!" said Clopin, suddenly appearing in front of Momiji with a flash of smoke, then he vanished once more. During that time, the woman had gotten away and was running along the walls of the room, behind the Zodiac's seats. Frollo chased her on horseback. They thundered around the room, the woman taking secret shortcuts and leaping over tables. As they ran, the chorus sang...
"Dies irae, dies illa
Solvet saeclum in favilla
Teste David cum sibylla
Quantus tremor est futurus
Quando Judex est venturus!" As they were running, stone steps leading up to chruch doors had appeared on the stage, and the woman ran up them, pounding on the doors of the cathedral.
"Sanctuary, please give us sanctuary!" Frollo followed her up the stairs. He grabbed at the bundle. She tried to protect it, but lost her balance...and fell down the stone steps. Frollo held the bundle, a mixture of confusion on his face.
"A baby?" He asked, peeling back the blanket. "Ugh! A monster!" Frollo looked around, and, spying a well, made his way there and prepared to drop in the baby.
"Stop!"
"Cried the Archdeacon!" shouted Clopin from behind Shigure, vanishing once more.
"This is an unholy deamon.
I'm sending it back to hell, where it belongs." He turned once more to the well. The Archdeacon kneeled next the baby's mother, who was laying very still at the bottom of the stone steps. His voice was horror-filled.
"See there the blood you have spilt
On the steps of Notre Dame." Frollo turned towards the Archdeacon, still holding the baby.
"I am guiltless. She ran, I pursued." He started to walk towards him. The Archdeacon stared up at him.
"Now you would add this child's blood to your guilt
On the steps of Notre Dame?"
"My conscience is clear!" The Archdeacon stood up, a glare in his eyes. He pointed his finger straight at Frollo.
"You can lie to yourself and your minions.
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!" Eyes...dozens of eyes...appeared all around the assembled folks. They gasped as eyes appeared in front of them, behind them, surrounding them...
"Kyrie Eleison!" cried the choir.
"And for the first time in his life
Of power and control..."
"Kyrie Eleison!" Frollo was turning about on the spot, staring at the eyes...
"Frollo felt a twinge of fear
For his immortal soul!"
"What must I do?" Frollo asked, clutching the baby to his chest so hard that it cried out.
"Care for the child, and raise it as your own." snarled the Archdeacon as he picked up the body of the baby's mother.
"What? I'd be saddled with this misshapen ..?
Very well. Let him live with you, in your church."
"Live here? Where?" The Archdeacon turned, looking with contempt at Frollo.
"Anywhere..."
"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." Frollo smiled evilly at the small baby. The curtains fell across the scene, erasing it from the eyes of everyone. Another puff of purple smoke and Clopin was sitting in front of them.
"And Frollo gave the child a cruel name...
A name that means half-formed...Quasimodo." Now a light shone through the white curtain, showing the silhouettes of puppets going up stairs. At first, it was Frollo with the baby, but soon turned to a young man going up the stairs alone.
"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?" The puppets vanished, leaving bells ringing, ringing, ringing, ringing!
"Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells
Bells, bells, bells, bells
Bells of Notre Dame!" Clopin vanished in an explosion of purple smoke and red light, leaving behind a slight brimstone odor.
"Great job, JT." hissed several people smacking his butt as he passed to change for his next act. As he took off his mask, he fondly set aside the puppet, his adrenaline starting to ebb away...
"Who is the monster?" wondered several members of the Zodiac as they ate a few pieces of sushi and drank tea, waiting for the next segment. Yuki thought of Kyo, who had stayed home to watch over Tohru. He smiled as he thought of how the song related to Kyo.
"He would have liked that..." He thought, as the lights went out once more...