Author's Rant: Shout out to Umeplumblossom for being the second awesome reviewer of this story! I think that I'm slowly getting the hang of my writing style the more I write this. We've finally reached the chapter for introducing a whole host of other characters, plus the world they live in. Hopefully being inspired to keep doing this is a sign I'll actually complete this tale xD

I apologize for the late update as well. School was catching up to me in a very bad way, so I was being bogged down with projects. I only managed to finish this chapter as early as I did because I am taking a break form doing some projects. Hopefully my muse was hyper enough to give you all a pretty nice chapter. It's and I've taken the liberty of exposing him in a manner different than what happened in the Hunchback of Notre Dame. My way is more interesting, in my opinion.

Kudos to anyone who can guess who is who in this! Especially the one(s) playing Clopin!

Disclaimer:I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any other mentioned copyrighted material. You all know who does, now shut up and stop looking for a lawsuit before I boot you to the head

Chapter Two

Behind the Mask

Any other time of the year, the square was a quiet place, full of people who were either heading for a place on the other side of town, or for the cathedral dominating one side of it, a beacon of sanctuary to many a lost soul. Yet, once a year, it lost its humble purpose and became as bright and as lively as the gypsies who came in with their brightly colored banners and tents, determined that the town would at least have one day to live their life to its fullest, outside the iron eyes of the ever watchful Judge Kelly.

It was thus that when the singular cloaked and robed figure descended into the blissful chaos that he found himself in childish awe of the spectacle he had only seen from the high towers of Notre Dame. Thousands of smells reached his nose as the various vendors offered treats to the people, both exotic and familiar from every angle. Music of a kind he had barely heard from his confines above now washed over him in a flood of joy, tempting him to dance with the others.

But as much as he wanted to join in the festivities directly, Kurt kept himself covered and hidden, peering around with golden eyes that glowed excitedly in the shadows of his hood. They were the only bit of him visible, hands and feet wrapped and his face obscured, but no one seemed to notice, thinking him merely another one of the poorer folk who had come to enjoy the spectacles of the Feast of Fools.

Rounding one of the brightly colored tents, staying close to the church should something happen, the gypsy noticed that everyone was crowding over to one part of the square, looking very excited as the band began striking up a different tune. Unable to really see from where he was, he deftly climbed up one of the sturdy poles holding up the banners, hands and feet gripping tightly as he reached the top, hearing the crowd's song.

"Come one! Come all!"

Leave your loops and milking stools!

Coop the hens and pen the mules!"

Peering carefully, Kurt noticed a parade of dark robed figures approaching, holding staffs as they imitated the somber priests. But the crowd seemed to known something about them he didn't, and as he moved to getter vantage point, he failed to notice one of the ropes had failed to be tied properly, probably by some careless vendor too excited about the fun.

"Come one! Come all!

Close the churches and the schools!"

The rope finally twisted away, and poor Kurt let out a yelp of surprise as he was carried with the banners down to street level, unintentionally ending up in the middle of the empty square before the figures. Still hidden, he was aware of being stared at as he looked up at the figures, the crowd continuing their tune.

"It's the day for breaking rules!

Come and join the feast of ..."

"FOOLS!" called out a young woman, who had suddenly appeared from under the robe of the head figure, dressed in the purple and yellow costume of a jester. Her black hair was tied back into a ponytail by purple, bell covered ribbons, and she laughed as she threw her arms in the air, colorful banners falling from the staffs as brightly colored balls of energy flew into the air, popping and showering similar sparks every where. To say that Kurt was surprised was like saying the crowd was more than ecstatic when she appeared; both true as everyone cheered.

The girl laughed more, bells jingling as she took Kurt by the arm and began dancing with the thoroughly surprised boy, singing in a bright, clear voice,

"Once a year we throw a party here in town!

Once a year we turn all Paris upside down!

Ev'ry man's a king and ev'ry king's a clown!

Once again it's Topsy Turvy Day!"

Spying Kurt trying to sneak away once she had let him go, the girl grinned, never missing a beat as she kept trying to get him more involved in the festivities, finally cornering him in the puppet booth and making a mock representation of a priest dance on his head.

"It's the day the devil in us gets released!

It's the day we mock the prig and shock the priest!

Ev'rything is topsy turvy at the Feast of Fools!"

Managing to get away from her, Kurt blinked when he saw a few of the other gypsies, performing in the streets for the crowd. One boy made multiples of himself, doing tricks with a wolf while a girl was juggling flames with another boy, all dressed in brightly colored costumes. Almost all of them wore some sort of mask, but the crowd seemed to know them as well as they knew the head jester, everyone gypsy assembled singing along with her.

"Topsy turvy!"

"Ev'rything is upsy daysy!" Trying to keep far from the overly curious girl, Kurt found himself running into one of the smaller tents, barely big enough to hold a single person comfortably.

"Topsy turvy!"

Suddenly, he found himself being sandwiched between a whole bunch of girls, all of them doing the can-can out from the small tent to one several feet away, followed by the jester who had donned a similar skirt as theirs in bright purple.

"Ev'ryone is acting crazy!

Dross is gold and weeds are a bouquet!

That's the way on Topsy Turvy Day!"

Now more than desperate to avoid being exposed by her, Kurt managed to wrestle himself away, falling backwards through the tent and into another one. Losing his balance, seeing as his usually handy tail was wrapped around his waist to prevent an accident, he cried out in surprise as he fell, instinctively grabbing a curtain. It ripped off its rings, falling over him and blocking his vision of a very angry, very feminine voice, "HEY!"

Face hot from embarrassment, he began trying to work his way out of the tangle he was in, stammering, "I-I'm sorry! I d-deedn't mean…" Now he was in trouble. For once, he questioned the good Father's advice, but was surprised at a pair of gentle hands helping him sit up as the voice said, "It's alright. You're not hurt are you?"

"I'm fine," he insisted, keeping his face down as the curtain was finally pulled away. Horror filled him as he adjusted his hood to better hide him. The bandana he had been using to hide his face was gone, lost somewhere in the fall. The same hands, the skin a light olive color as they gently gripped his shoulders, definitely belonged to those of a girl. One of them reached up and turned his head, insisting, "Let me see." Despite his protests, she lowered his hood and brought is face to meet hers. For several seconds, neither one moved, Kurt too entranced by the gentle face that greeted him. This gypsy didn't seem like the others, totally normal and kind, brown locks slightly curled in a bright red bandana. A bit of a blush lit up his face when he noticed she was only clad in a blue robe, the material silky as it brushed across his fur.

What surprised him most was that she didn't seem to notice that his face was covered in blue fur, or that he had fangs and pointed ears. In fact, she smiled at him, replying, "See? No harm done." Kurt was too stunned to really have a reaction to this, his eyes wide with confusion as she helped him up. Chuckling, she patted him on the shoulder, replying with as much good nature, "Just try to be a little more careful." "Danke schön," he said, smiling a little as he moved to bring his hood back up. Holding the flap of the tent open for him, she flashed him another kind and joyful smile.

"By the way," she said, winking at him a bit as she handed him the previously missing bandana, "Great mask." With that, she returned inside the tent, leaving behind a very bashful but otherwise cheerful Kurt.

"Topsy Turvy!"

The blue mutant winced as he replaced the bandana, noticing that he had been led back into the middle of the chaotic festivities. The jester from before was now still dancing around, this time juggling her own little balls of brightly colored energy with a similar jester who was throwing tiny fireballs into the air that popped, her hair in blonde pigtails and costume bright pink and red. Both were now beginning to sing simultaneously, their voices in perfect harmony. "Beat the drums and blow the trumpets!"

Managing to avoid the attention of the two, Kurt wandered in the boisterous crowd, fitting in with most of the present people. Gypsies of all shapes and sizes were performing and catering to the humans, who seemed not to care that these were the people they would persecute and even kill at any other time of the year. It was a strange but wonderful sight, one that he was finally getting to enjoy firsthand instead of from afar. It was a pleasant change that made him feel less like a freak and more like he belonged to this joyous world.

How could his master say that the world was a dark and horrid place when he was witnessing this firsthand?

"Topsy Turvy!"

Making his way towards a wooden stage that any other time of year would be used for public executions or announcements. Now, it had a brightly colored ribbon around its border, matching the booth where the public officials sat, looking about as excited as the rest of the peasants save one. Kurt was horrified when he saw the face of Judge Kelly, immediately moving so that a streamer pole was hiding him from view. This was the last place where he expected to see his maser, and it was definitely not how he intended to be discovered.

Dancing around on the stage, the two jesters smiled at the crowd, dancing around with brightly colored streamers as a third one, dressed in a blue and orange costume with bright looking eyes and blonde-brown hair joined them in their dance and song.

"Join the bums and thieves and strumpets

Streaming in from Chartres to Calais"

:
Scurvy knaves are extra scurvy

On the sixth of "Januervy"

All because it's Topy Turvy Day!"

Now done in their dance, the three bowed comically as the crowd cheered wildly, throwing ribbons and confetti around in an expression of joy. Gaily smiling, the blonde one began to speak in a sing-song voice, the others miming all that she said.

"Come one, come all!

Hurry, hurry, here's your chance!

See the myst'ry and romance!" At this, the pink jester was sitting on the edge of Judge Kelly's booth, winking at him as she said the line, hands on his shoulders. Hopping away from the Judge, she failed to see his disgusted look, or the way he dusted himself off from her touch. In a way, Kurt couldn't help but be amused by how he failed to notice that this was an innocent festival.

"Come one, come all!

See the finest girl in France

Make an entrance to entrance!" All three girls stood in the middle of the stage now, and the two began to make their little balls of energy in their hands again, the third, holding onto them as they all sang out the last lines.

"Dance la Amanda,

Dance!"

At that, the balls were thrown onto the ground, creating small explosions whose smoked blocked the girls from view. Kurt could barely see them slipping down into the wood as the girl in orange helped another girl up, one dressed in a hood to hide herself as the smoke cleared. When she boldly dropped the garment, his jaw nearly hit the ground, eyes wide and amazed.

It was the girl from before, but while he had been gone, it seemed as if an angel had come down and blessed her with more beauty than she already possessed. The red bandana was still there, but instead of the blue robe, she now wore a red gypsy dress, the color bright but nonetheless charming. Tiny, yellow colored ribbons trimmed the billowing skirt and almost nonexistent sleeves of the garment, making it appear fierier as she began to dance nimbly, feet bare save for gold anklets similar to the bangles on her wrists. Her tambourine sang in time to the tune played by the band, all of it whispering of an exotic land and mysterious things that he had never even dreamed about.

Yet, despite the alluring way she was dressed, or the song she danced to, the girl never seemed to flaunt to the crowd like some would expect. Instead, she merely kept dancing as the music speed picked up, the crowd clapping their hands while the music evolved from an exotic, slow tune to a more familiar fast paced song. Kurt found himself clapping alongside everyone, smiling broadly behind his hood and bandana, but he was the most surprised when she stopped dancing and began heading to the crowd, reaching her hand down towards him. Her gentle smile told him that nothing bad was going to happen, and he found himself trusting her and he reached up, accepting the helping hand onto the stage. Once there, it seemed the crowd was jealous she had chosen the strange figure instead of an attractive boy to dance with, but she ignored them as she began to dance simply with him. The boy's nimbleness allowed him to catch on fairly quickly, doing a folk dance with the girl- Amanda, he now realized from the song- that seemed to be more pleasing now that they kept picking up the pace. In the crowd, he noticed now and then, people had partnered off to dance as well, but it was also the general consensus that as the song kept picking up in pace, people tended to fall down, laughing merrily.

As the song kept going faster and faster, Kurt found himself and Amanda doing the same spinning routine in the dance that usually had most other dancers on the ground, laughing merrily. It seemed to be a shock to the crowd and her, but the girl only smiled as she kept up with him, soon being the only pair capable of the dance as it reached its fastest point. Finally, the music stopped, and the boy almost jumped out of his skin at the roar of approval from the crowd. He looked out at them, in a complete stupor; they were cheering him, a complete stranger to their people, their ways, and even their way of life. A smile formed more broadly on his face as he bowed to Amanda, who curtsied back at him, her own expression reflecting the crowd's joy. Straightening back up, he was immediately flanked by the three jesters from before, all three of them clapping and cheering as madly as the others.

"Bravo! Bravo!" called the pink and red one, the more playful and flamboyant of the three as he looked around nervously at them. For a moment, he could swear that he saw an almost infatuated look on his master's gaze when his eyes fell upon him, but the gaze was at the red clad Amanda instead of the gypsies around him. Kurt frowned, but blinked when he heard the head jester say, "It's been quite a long time since We've seen anyone finish that dance with our own Amanda! This fine fellow has earned the title of the King of Fools very easily!" More applause met his ears, and he looked at the two flanking him with nervousness, particularly at their leader who grinned at him.

"How about our King of Fools shows the court his face?"

And as before, the hood was down and the bandana well before he could retaliate.

Translations:

Danke schon Thank you prettily/ Thank you very much

There we have it! Reviews are much appreciated!