Hey everyone, welcome back to The Light Within Us! Allow me to introduce you to Chapter Four! Not too much to say, but I hope all of you like how this story is turning out. I want to follow the movie butalso bring in a lot of diffrent elements to it so it doesn't seem repetitive. Anyway, I hope you enjoy Chapter Four so lets have at it!

Chapter Four

A Fool's Festival

Third Person

Quasi's POV

He let out half a sigh of relief, this mostly due to his master's departure, and the other half of exhaustion, this due to yet another reminder of how dangerous it was for him outside the cathedral. He shook his head sadly; no matter how he dreamed of it he knew that nothing good could come from leaving his tower. It would end all the same.

"Thank goodness! I'd thought he'd never leave!" Echoed an all to familiar voice.

Quasi gave a start and looked up into the darkness of the tower for the source of the voice, for it had come from high above. Was it . . .? But it couldn't be . . . could it? He thought . . .

"S-Sophia?" He called out, his own voice trembling in shock and astonishment.

He whipped around in a circle still trying to pinpoint where his friend was hiding. He just couldn't believe it! She was still here! Even after his poor behavior she stayed! She had stayed!

"Who else would it be Quasi?" She chuckled back down at him, still hidden in the shadows of the beams.

Oh her voice! How good it was to hear her calm, soothing, matter-of-fact voice! It sounded like water running on rocks, like how the Seine's waterline would recede in hard times so that the water would run over the rocks at the bottom. It was just a beautiful sound!

Quasi couldn't contain the broad smile from crossing his features as he called up to her. "W-where are you? I can't see you."

The sound of Sophia's laugh echoed across the tower, bouncing off the bells and stone walls, thus creating a symphony of musical laughter. In his opinion, though he would never tell a single soul (not even the gargoyles), her voice was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. It was a different kind of laughter one couldn't find just anywhere; it was pure and genuine. There was no masked malice or some double meaning. There was no trace of superiority in her tones or a hint of scolding in her words. It was a true laugh, one that made him want to laugh along with her.

"Hold on, I'll be right down."

As the sound of someone jumping from beam to beam reached Quasi's ears, he realized that she had physically climbed up into the heart of the tower all by herself without assistance. This shocked him because before she wasn't able to do so without some form of aid from him. The fact that she was now able to move through the tower like himself made his heart swell, She had learned a skill that no one else but he could have taught her.

When she finally came down low enough for him to see her clearly, she stopped and leaned back against one of the beams to rest. "You know Quasi, this really isn't as easy as you make it out to be."

A cloud must have passed on outside because suddenly, a burst of sunlight suddenly broke through the darkness of the bell tower and threw everything into the light. He watched, amazed as the light hit Sophia's tired face and engulfing it in a soft, golden glow. When her curly, red hair came into contact with this golden light it shone with a new kind of radiance and capturing the underlying golden hues within that bright red. It was as if gold itself had been woven into the very locks of shining copper. In that one moment, Quasi felt his breath hitch in his throat, his heart went into a frenzy of rapid beats, and he felt quite warm all of a sudden.

She looked . . . stunning!

Then, his heart plummeted. How could someone like him compare with someone like her? How could she spend so much of her time, her life, in this cold dark tower with him? Even though they had known each other for ten years, Quasi still felt so humbled by her presence. Still in awe how she kept coming to see a monster like him. That she cared about a monster like him. Why? How? For how long would this continue to last before she left him for good? How long before this dream came to an end?

"Quasi?"

"Huh?" He blinked, the sound of that beautiful voice drawing him back to reality.

In his moment of self-doubt, Sophia had found her way down from the last of the beams and now stood at the base of the large framework several feet from him. He raised his head to met her gaze but the look of concern in her eyes and expression was not what he had been expecting. She tilted her head to the side like she always did when trying to figure out something or when she was trying to see something in a different way. He always called it her 'seeing' expression because that's when she would come up with some of the wisest answers he'd ever heard.

"W-what's wrong S-Sophia?" He inwardly scolded himself for stuttering her name.

He hadn't stuttered her name in years, so why now? Why was he all of a sudden acting like a frightened rabbit? This was Sophia for heaven's sake! She'd never hurt him, never speak harshly to him, never struck him, so why was he suddenly acting like this?

She straighten her head, frowned slightly, and then looked away for a moment before turning back to him. "I-I'm sorry."

He felt his eyes widened and he couldn't help the whisper of shock that past from his lips. "W-what? W-whatever for?"

Now it was her turn to be confused, because her expression changed from sad to puzzled. "What do you mean 'whatever for'? I hurt you Quasi, that's whatever for."

"Hurt me?" He was so confused. What on earth did she have to apologize for? He was the one who turned away from her and didn't listen to what she had to say. "I-I'm the one who should apologize. I hurt you."

Sophia opened her mouth to say something in response but must have thought better of it because she closed it. He watched as she gave a soft sigh and ran a tiny hand through her red curls.

"Perhaps," She began, untangling her fingers from her hair and offering him a small smile. "We both apologize for the way we acted and move forward?"

"I think that's a good idea." Quasi replied softly, returning her kind smile with one of his shy one's.

Sophia's face lit up with joy; her mouth turned up in one of her biggest grins, her bright blue eyes seemed to sparkle, and she launched herself full force over the distance between them in embrace him in one of her special hugs that always seemed to be reserved only for him.

"I'm sorry I hurt you Quasi." She whispered into his shoulder, her hold around his neck tightening slightly. "I just . . It's hard right now. I still can't tell you why, but please understand . . there's no one else in Paris I trust more than you."

He felt his heart soar at her words and yes, he still felt slightly disheartened that she couldn't tell him what was troubling her but, at least, she found the courage to tell him that there was something bothering her. She just wasn't ready to come to him about it yet.

Quasi, in turn, tightened his arms carefully around her waist and whispered back, "It's alright Sophia, I'm here when you want to talk. I'm sorry I-"

"Don't!" She pulled away from him and held him at arms length. "There's nothing left to apologize for."

He opened his mouth to disagree but before he could get a word in edgewise the sound of trumpets blared from outside. As they both turned towards the sound, her face lit up once more.

"The festival! I forgot!" She turned to Quasi just as a mischievous grin crossed her features. She let go of his shoulder and reached for one of his hands to clasped in both of hers. "What do you say we go together?"

"What?!" He couldn't keep the shock and surprise out of his voice. "What do you mean 'go'?"

Sophia pressed a hand to her mouth to suppress a giggle. "I mean 'go' to the festival Quasi. Together. Outside the bell tower."

Outside the tower?! After Frollo had just warned him not to leave? After once again being told that no one outside his stone sanctuary could ever except him? Never understand him? Leave the bell tower?! Quasi shifted uncomfortably under her smiling gaze and could tell she wanted him to go; to enjoy the world that she lived in on a day to day basis. To see for himself what the outside world was like for someone like her. The question was . . . Could he bring himself to disobey his master for the first real time?

"I-I can't Sophia." He said dejectedly, not really wanting to disappoint her.

She frowned at him and he could only guess the response she would come to. "Why? Because he said so? Because that stuck up, pompous, wind bag says that you're a monster?!"

As she spoke that finale word, her tone became sharp and slightly agitated. Quasi knew that this might not end well, but he couldn't disobey Frollo.

"Look at me Sophia!" He gestured to his face and body, trying to make her understand. "They'll never see me for anything else!"

Her eyes narrowed and she gave him a piercing look, "I am looking at you Quasimodo and I'll tell you this, what I see is no monster."

Quasi reeled, feeling as if he had a bucket of ice water poured over his head. Sophia hadn't called him by his full name since they first met all those years ago. Her reasoning for that was that she refused to call him 'Half-Formed'; that the name didn't suit him at all and so she never called him that again. Until now.

"Quasi," Her face and voice softened, a look of sadness now replaced the one of joy. "One day you're going to have to decide for yourself who you are. I can't choose for you."

She stood there for a moment, as if waiting for him to throw all caution to the wind and say "What the heck! I'll go!", but he did not. He stood there rooted to the spot, unable to move or say anything. Sophia must have took that as his answer and turned for the tower door; just as she placed her hand on the iron cold metal of the doorknob, she turned back to him and whispered . . .

"I just want you to see how I see you. You mean more to me than you can ever imagine."

And then she was gone.

. . . .

Quasi sighed as he made his way up the wooden steps and finally, the single post wooden ladder that lead to his dwelling. What was wrong today? He had two meetings with Sophia and both of them ended on negative notes. All in the same day?! Was this a sign of some sort? A clue? A hint? What was he supposed to do in the first place? Disobey his master? He couldn't and especially not after he was just reminded of who and what he was.

He made his way to the window that sat just behind his makeshift table of carvings; his replica of Paris. As he leaned against the slate, he looked out at the square that was preparing for the Festival of Fools. The very event that was the highlight of the year for him and Sophia. He sighed again, what was he to do now? Just watch from above like every year? For one day he just wanted to know what it was like to be apart of them.

"Hey Quasi!" Exclaimed Hugo, who suddenly appeared over his left shoulder. "What's going on? A fight? A flogging?"

"It's the Festival of Fools you moron!" Laverne corrected, coming up behind him and hitting the swine over the head with a stone fist. "You knew that!"

Victor decided to make his entrance by saying, "Oh, isn't it wonderful to watch the colorful pageantry of the simple peasant folk?"

At the tallest gargoyle's words, Quasi remembered Sophia's offer to take him to the festival and the guilt from earlier today returned full force.

"Yeah, watching." He mumbled miserably, folding his arms over the sill and resting his chin on his hands.

Hugo looked from Quasi's downcast expression to Laverne and Victor, raised his tiny arms and asked, "Hey, hey, hey! What gives?"

Victor, looking for all the world puzzled, hopped up on Quasi's other side to get a good look at him. "Aren't you and Sophia going to watch the festival with us?"

He winced at the mention of the young woman's name; just when he thought he patched things up with her a new problem came up. "She's already gone."

Laverne cocked a stony eyebrow at him and humphed, "Gone to the festival? That doesn't sound like her, the two of you have always watched the festival together. She usually goes by herself in the evenings."

The lone female gargoyle put her hands on her hips and, if it was possible, would be tapping a foot right about now. "What happened now Quasi? I thought the two of you would have patched things up by now?"

"We did." He turned around to face his three stony friends and leaned against the sill. "Then . ." He trailed off, unable to continue.

"Then what Pal?" Hugo hopped over and nudged the young bell ringer in the ribs. "It can't be that bad. The two of you are thick as thieves."

Again Quasi went into the details of what transpired between the two friends and this time, all three stone creatures slapped a hand over their faces at the exact same time. He cringed at their reaction and felt a new wave of guilt rush over him; today was just not his day.

"Well," Victor drawled, trying to come up with a solution and rubbing a hand over his bald head.

Laverne, however, not being one to bat around the bush, immediately spoke her mind. "Have you ever thought of going to the festival instead of watching it?"

"Sure," He answered immediately, but then his face fell and he continued in hushed tones. "But I'd never fit in out there. I'm not . . . normal."

Hugo couldn't resist the urge to not stay quiet and instead burst out, "Normal?! Come on Quasi! If ya were normal there would be nothing interesting about ya! 'Sides, seems to me that Sophia thinks you're plenty normal."

"I agree," Said Victor, nodding his head and smiling. "The young lady seems quite fond of you. Hence the reason why she invited you to the festival with her."

Laverne went up and patted him on the shoulder, "Quasi, Quasi, Quasi . . ."

Unfortunately, at that moment, several pigeons landed on her shoulders and began pecking at her stony exterior. She glanced upwards just as one of them leaned their head down and stared at her right in the eyes.

"Do ya mind?" She drawled at it, then flew into a frenzy of waving her arms and banging a stone fist on the workshop table. "I would like a moment with the boy if it's alright with you!"

The pigeons, now completely startled out of their minds, promptly flew away at her aggressive behavior. She let out a long sigh before continuing. "Quasi, life is not a spectator sport. If you watch life go by it's gonna go by without you."

Hugo frowned and reluctantly agreed, "She has a point. You're human, with the hair and the flesh and the navel lint." He shrugged, then gestured to the tower. "We're just part of the architecture, right Victor?"

The swine nudged the cat-like gargoyle in the side, causing him to clear his throat before adding in a dramatic and poetic voice, "Yet if you chip us, do we not flake? If you moisten us, do we not go moss?"

"Quasi," Laverne offered him a soft smile, putting an arm around his shoulders and patting his heart. "Just grab a clean pair of hose and a fresh tunic, then you're out the door."

He sighed, carefully removed her hand from his shoulder, and stepped out of her hold. "And what about Frollo? I'm never allowed to leave the bell tower. Ever!"

"Never, ever?" Asked Victor, waving his hand in a circular motion.

"Exactly!" His voice raised in panic as he rung his hands in distress. What was he to do?

Hugo snorted, "Simple. You sneak out . . ." He did a sneaking out motion with one of his hands.

"It's just one afternoon." Laverne added, waging a finger at him.

"I couldn't." He protested, shaking his head.

" . . and you sneak back in." Hugo concluded, making his hand sneak back in the opposite direction.

"He'll never now you were gone." Laverne stated, her wrists doing a pa-shaw motion.

"And if I get caught?!" Quasi buried his head in his hands in horror at the thought.

Victor, being ever the wise, came up with a solution. "Better to ask for forgiveness than permission."

This did little to ease his worry over the situation and responded as such, "He might see me!"

Again Hugo snorted as if that was the silliest thing to worry about, "You could wear a disguise! Just this once, what Frollo doesn't know can't hurt ya!"

To emphasize his point he took down a large, navy blue cape and tied it around his shoulders and put the hood up. He held out his arms in a "Ta-Da" fashion.

"Ignorance is bliss!" Victor added confidently, raising a finger to the ceiling and straightening his back.

"Yeah, you would know." Hugo said as he launched himself on top of Victor and rubbing a fist into his bald head.

Laverne just rolled her eyes at their antics and returned her attention to Quasi. "Nobody wants to stay cooped up here forever you know."

He took a moment to think over his friends words and advice, then remembered something that Sophia had told him.

"One day you're going to have to decide for yourself who you are. I can't choose for you."

Was this what she meant? That he should start making his own decisions? That he choose what he wanted out of life? All his life he'd been taught that he was a monster, that no one could possibly come to understand him. No one could possibly care for him, but she did. Sophia had accepted him for everything he was. She was his only true friend from the outside. The key to his cold, dark tower's lock. She had shown him so much of her world, a world he longed to be a part of. Now, this was his chance! His one chance to see the beautiful world that she lived in.

He suddenly leaped to his feet and shouted gleefully, "You're right! I'll go!"