Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Hetalia nor do I own the songs from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

The sun was marked noon when the last of the children was finally picked up by his grateful parents. Lovino collected his things and closed the back door of his carriage when a warm hand affectionately rubbed his hair. He groaned in annoyance knowing full well who it was.

"Must you leave so soon Lovino? You know Antonio is almost done cleaning and I bet he would just love it if-"

"Stop that old man, I know what Antonio wants and he can't have it. Not now at least."

The archdeacon sighed and withdrew his hand. "If you're worried about Wolfgang..."

"I'm not scared of that old judgmental bastard," he snarled, finally turning around to face the elder man who smiled brightly.

"Then you can take my assistant to lunch then. I'm sure Feliciano and the others can take care of things for the festival in the meantime. Speaking of which where is my adorable grandson?"

"Selling himself on the corner." The young man laughed at the sight of his grandfather pale. "Really though, he's off somewhere singing and dancing probably."

Romulus nodded happily before becoming serious. "Lovino, there is something I've been wanting to tell you."

"Hmm?"

"It's about Dämon, I really think he should get out and interact with people but because Wolfgang won't allow it I figured that maybe you and some others would like to come by and-"

"No. It's too dangerous for my people to expose themselves more than they have to. Besides, I can't look at him."

Romulus frowned, "You can't be serious. Lovino he has done nothing wrong and you of all people should know what it is like to be an outcast. I thought I raised you better than that."

"It isn't because of his…unique color. I just can't look him in the eye knowing that it is my fault that he was cursed to this fate."

"My boy, you were only a child yourself you couldn't have done anything more. The mere fact that you were able to lead her to-"

"Her death. Ow!" Lovino rubbed his head from where the older man swatted him with his cane.

"Stop interrupting! And I was going to say lead her to the church where the boy was saved. You have done all that you can and so far I think it is going rather well. Don't live in the past, Lovi, it will only cause you pain."

"But it was my duty to make sure that everything was safe for the journey to the Court of Miracles. It's my fault." Lovino felt the sting of tears in his eyes and moved to wipe them hurriedly. "And no matter what you say, old man, nothing is going to change that. Truth be told I don't think I even want to know what kind of person he's become under that bastard's care."

Romulus sighed in defeat for today. "God always has reasons for the things he does, you'll see."

"Tell your assistant that I can't do it right now…I'll cook him some dinner instead," muttered Lovino with a slight blush causing his grandfather to chuckle.

Broad shoulders stretched to get rid of the kinks from ringing the bells before shrugging on a white smock and black cloak with a hood to protect himself from the sun. He grinned as he skipped outside to take in a deep breath, his red eyes falling onto a small tomato garden that housed a tiny nest with a tiny yellow bird.

"Hey little guy," he whispered while poking at the creature gently with his finger before scooping it up into his hands. "Are you ready to try again?" It looked over the rail and chirped wildly while shaking its head no. "Aww come on. You don't want to be cooped up here forever do you? If I could fly away I would and today is a very nice day for flying. Look, there go your friends." He pointed to a flock of birds similar to Gilbird's coloring. Gilbird chirped happily at the sight of them. "I'll be ok little guy. Promise to come visit me?" The tiny plumed creature nodded and tested its wings before hopping out of Dämon's hands and successfully hovered over him causing him to release a giggle. Red eyes watched as his little friend left him.

"Finally, I thought he'd never leave my little tomato garden." Antonio fiddled with the nest, gently relocating it into the mouth of a stubby gargoyle. "Goodness he's left little droppings everywhere."

"Sorry about that, here I'll clean it." The Spanish man moved out of the way and leaned over the rail to sniff the air for the aromas of the food preparations for the festival. "Weren't you supposed to go out with that friend of yours?"

"Yeah, but he postponed," he muttered sadly. "I'm going to go see if he needs any help though so I'll see you later yeah? I wanted to come up to pick some tomatoes and give you this." Antonio reached into his pocket and pulled out a purple and gold ticket.

"You know I can't go, why are you even giving me this?" Dämon felt himself grow annoyed with his friend and even more so when he shrugged and placed the ticket on the table.

"It doesn't hurt to try asking you know."

Dämon brought his hood closer down to his face. "I honestly don't want to go. I'm fine with just watching." As soon as he said that he winced.

"Well take it from someone who can't see, amigo. Life isn't a spectator sport. Sometimes you just gotta join in on the dance even if you can't really see where you're going. Who knows what opportunities you can bump in to. Well I gotta go; asta luego!" Antonio gave his friend a hug and walked carefully back down the stairs.

Dämon sighed reached over the ticket. He ran a gloved finger over the details burning it to memory before moving to rip it.

"And just what do you think you are doing, mon ami?"

"Can't you see, frog, he's going to rip the ticket."

"I can see that. What I want to know is why."

"Why didn't you just ask that to begin with?"

Dämon watched as two specters materialized themselves and grinned. "Francis! Arther! What are you guys doing up so early?"

"We want to watch the festival of fools. Come on dude, we do this every year and every year you ask the same thing," a blond blue eyed young specter materialized as well and walked up to his other friends. "Twenty years and you guys still argue like an old married couple."

"Well he started it by asking stupid questions," muttered Arther.

"It wasn't stupid! I was simply trying to understand why our friend would choose to watch the festival when he finally has a chance to go attend it for once."

This caused both Alfred and Arthur to smile broadly and jump up and down with excitement. "No way dude, really?!"

"That is indeed a good question."

"Do you honestly need me to tell you? I'll never fit in with them, I'm not…normal," muttered the albino bell ringer. He walked back inside and climbed the stairs that lead to his workspace. The three ghosts followed him as he continue, "I'll only scare them. Besides you guys are forgetting a very important detail."

"What?"

"My master, Wolfgang. He hates the Festival of Fools and he'd be furious if he finds out I want to go. Besides he's forbidden me from ever leaving the tower."

Arthur rubbed his chin in thought, "When said ever did he mean never ever?"

"Never ever I'm afraid."

The three looked at him in remorse before Alfred grinned mischievously, "And who says he has to find out."

"Oh no! I couldn't," Dämon sighed and ran a hand through his white hair. "Listen guys I really appreciate you encouraging me and all but I don't think I should risk it. He'd punish me I'm sure."

"You know," chimed Arthur, "It's better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission." He picked up a wooden version of Dämon and placed him amongst the other figures of that resembled the citizens of the town below. "This really could be a wonderful experience for you. As you said, no one wants to be cooped up forever right?"

France rummaged through Dämon's trunk and pulled out a black Tunic and black pants, "You could always where this too if you really feel the need to blend into the shadows. Just as long as you're there to really feel the experience is all that matters oui?"

"Black will only make me look more like a ghost… but people do dress up in costumes so I guess I would look like everyone else huh? So Master won't be able to recognize me that easily if I where this instead of my white." The albino thought hard. He really was excited at the thought of being able to go to the festival. This was his chance. "Alright, I'll go." He grinned at the sound of his friends cheering and pulled his cloak around his shoulders. "I'll march right down the stairs and through the door and-"he stopped in mid rant when he nearly ran into his caretaker. "Master."

"Good morning Dämon," muttered Wolfgang coldly. "Who are you talking to?"

"My uh- my friends," he looked back at the paintings Romulus had commissioned in memory of the three young men who died from sickness years ago.

"I see." Wolfgang ran thin pale fingers along the oil painting. "And what are they made of?"

"Paint, sir."

"Can paint talk?"

"No it can't," sighed Dämon.

"Smart boy. I've brought you a treat." He sat down at the small table and waited for his charge to bring some plates and cups mean while pulling out a worn book. "Shall we review your alphabet?"

"Oh yes sir, I'd like that very much." Dämon reached over and filled his master's goblet with wine.

"A?"

"Abomination."

"Good. B?"

"Blasphemy."

"C?"

"C-C-Contrition," he said with excitement, happy to receive praise from the cold man in front of him.

"D?"

"Damnation."

"E?"

"Eternal Damnation."

"F?" Wolfgang took a sip from his wine while waiting for his charge to reply only to spit it out and dab himself with his napkin when the albino happily shouted 'festival'. "Excuse me?" Dämon's eyes widened when he realized that he had subconsciously let out 'festival'. He sputtered out another word with that started with F but it was too late. Wolfgang gave him a disgusted look as he stood up and walked away from him and onto the balcony. "You're thinking of going to the festival aren't you?"

Dämon followed closely behind and stayed in his master's shadow so he didn't bother pulling on his hood. "But you go every year, sir, I thought-"

"I'm a public official I have to attend but I don't enjoy a minute of it." He sighed and looked over at the preparations. "Look at them, thieves and con artists, the very filth of humankind drunk and vile all in one place."

"I didn't mean to upset you master. "I'm sorry sir." Dämon looked down and a few tears rolled down his snowy cheeks.

His lip curled but he willed himself to calm down before facing his charge. "Oh Dämon, can't you understand? When your heartless mother abandoned you, anyone would have killed you. Is this the thanks I get for raising you as my son?"

"P-Please, forgive me."

Wolfgang's eyes softened slightly. "My dear boy you have no clue what's out there. I do." He put an arm around the slightly shorter man and gently pushed him towards the rail so that he too would overlook the preparations of the festival. "I do," he repeated.

"But, Antonio-"

"The boy is blind. Trust me when I say that if he really knew what you looked like, a ghost, he would fear you and hate you. It's just how things are. The world is cruel. The world is wicked. It is I alone who you can trust in this whole city. I am your only friend. I who keep you, teach you, feed you, dress you; I who look upon you with no fear. How can I protect you boy, unless you stay in here?" He tugged on Dämon's shoulder to lead him back inside. "Remember what I've taught you Dämon. You are a ghost."

Dämon followed behind his master sadly, "I am a ghost."

"And you are ugly."

"And I am ugly."

"And these are crimes for which the world shows little pity." They walked up the stairs to the albino's work area, where a model of the city rested contently along with the figurines of the town's people. Wolfgang shook his head and looked at Dämon. "You do not comprehend."

Dämon sat in his stool and watched as his master took the figure of him and placed him back in the bell tower. "You are my one defender."

"Out there they'll revile you as a monster."

"I am a monster."

"Out there they'll hate and scorn a jeer."

"Only a monster," tears resurfaced in his red eyes.

The judge wiped them away with his cold fingers, "Why invite their calumny and consternation, stay in here. Be faithful to me."

"I'm faithful," he said with wide eyes.

"Be grateful to me."

"I'm grateful."

"Do as I say, obey, and stay in here." Wolfgang looked down stoically at the whimpering young albino "You are forgiven, Dämon, but remember this is your sanctuary." He patted his head before descending the stairs to take his leave.

Dämon drew little swirls in the sawdust under the table while he pondered about what his caretaker and master told him. "My sanctuary," he mumbled almost inaudibly before sighing and getting up. He dusted his pants off and walked back outside, taking advantage that the sun was now behind the church so he had some shade to himself. "Safe behind these pillars and these parapets of stone, gazing at the people down below me. All my life I watch them as I hide up here alone, hungry for the histories they show me."

He climbed up the rail and sat down, swinging a leg casually, "All my life I memorize their faces, knowing them as they will never know me. All my life I wonder how it feels to pass a day, not above them but part of them."

The three ghosts rematerialized and sat next to him with a smile. He grinned back, "And out there living in the sun; give me one day out there, all I ask is one to hold forever." He swung his legs over and leaned forward, his arms looped securely between the slits on the rail. "Out there where they all live unaware; what I'd give, what I'd dare just to live one day out there." He let go and started to climb up a pillar, Arthur and Francis staring at him with wide eyes and Alfred cheering him on. Dämon wasn't scared. He did this all the time growing up; to him all of Notre Dame was like a jungle gym.

"Out there among the millers and the weavers and their wives, through the roofs and gables I can see them. Every day they shout and scold and go about their lives, heedless of the gift it is to be them." When he reached the very top he removed his shirt and dipped his hands in the rainwater collected in the aqueducts before sliding down laughing cheerfully. "If I was in their skin I'd treasure every instant. Out there strolling by the Seine; taste a morning out there, like ordinary men who freely walk about there."

Feeling clean enough he climbed back to his ghostly friends who had already gathered fresh clothes for him. "Just one day and then I swear I'll be content with my share. Won't resent, won't despair, old and pale, I won't care I'll have spent one day out there!"

Francis smiled warmly and ruffled Dämon's hair. "Have fun Mon Ami."