Yeah, you might be a little upset with me. It's way late, I know. But how about some good news? I'm literally pages away from finishing the story on my computer.
Kairi: (Glares)
I'm sorry.
Kairi: (Continues to glare)
I was finishing the semester!
Kairi: (Keeps glaring)
You're not going to do the disclaimer are you?
Kairi: (Glares some more)
I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, Square Enix, or anything else. Now, let's get on with this new world!
!
Chapter 94: The Festival of Fools
The party of ten had arrived in a large city. Judging by the stone and wood buildings, it looked like the people here were living in the fifteenth century. The cobblestone roads were packed with people.
All of them were moving in the same general direction; toward the single largest building Sora had ever seen, except perhaps the castle at Radiant Garden. It looked like a massive cathedral, made of smooth grey stone. From the south side that was visible to him, he could see two large bell towers emerging from either side of the main building. He could also see large, beautifully crafted stained-glass windows, and columns.
It was a magnificent sight if ever there was one.
"Wow." Was all Sora could say, gazing up at the building in awe.
"Is that a church?" Donald asked.
"It's a cathedral." Mickey confirmed. "But it's the biggest one I've ever seen."
"What was this place called again?" Riku asked.
"The City of Gypsies." Nehrut answered. "But I don't think that all these people are gypsies."
"Wonder what the buzz is about?" Axel was looking at the excited faces of the crowd moving around them, all hurriedly moving toward the massive building.
"There's only one way to find out, right?" Sora said, snapping out of the spell the cathedral had apparently put him under. Without any further word, he ran toward the first local that he saw. He was leading a group of festively dressed people toward the cathedral, but along a less-traveled path.
He was skinny enough to make Lumiere look fat by comparison. He was wearing the most foolish costume Sora had ever seen anyone wear in public (and that counted his first adventuring outfit, which he was never particularly proud of). He was wearing a violet hat with a large yellow feather in it, and shoulder-length black hair could be seen protruding from under it. It matched his spiky black beard. He had a golden loop through his left ear. The rest of this outfit was that of a jester's. He was wearing a leotard and tights of purple, pink, and gold, with black gloves. He had large violet shoes with bells on them. A pinkish-purple mask covered the top half of his face.
"Excuse me, sir?" Sora called him. The skinny man and the people following him all turned at Sora's call. The man (apparently the leader of these colorfully-dressed characters) gestured to the rest of them to keep going, supposedly to catch up with them later.
He walked over to the Keybearer, smiling. The bells on his costume jingled with every move he made. "How can I help you child?"
"Um, I know you must get this all the time, but what's going on around here?"
He looked completely shocked for a moment, as if he had never heard a more ridiculous question. But then he smiled. "You and your friends must not be from around here, right boy?"
"How'd you guess?"
He laughed. "You've got spirit boy. Well, let Clopin be the first to welcome you to the wonderful city of Paris! Today, we celebrate the annual Festival of Fools!"
"Alright! A party!" Riku said, pumping his fist into the air, overhearing their conversation.
"Exactly!" Clopin said, walking over to the group of friends with Sora. "But not just any party! Everything is topsy-turvy today! Every fool's a king, every king's a clown... and it all happens in the square, at the very steps of Notre Dame itself! Can you imagine anything more screwy than celebrating complete insanity at the base of a church?"
"Well, actually-" Goofy started, but Donald nudged him in the ribs, making him stop short.
"You should come!" Clopin continued, oblivious to what Goofy had been about to say. "Enjoy yourselves, have some fun! I'll be serving as the master of ceremonies, so maybe I'll see you there!"
"Sounds like a good time." Sora agreed.
"I'm up for it!" Kairi added. She looked at Mickey. "That's alright, isn't it Your Majesty?"
"Well, I wouldn't be able to stop you even if I wanted to, so let's go ahead."
"Sweet!"
"Enjoy yourselves, visitors!" Clopin said, smiling widely. Sora noticed that he had a chipped tooth near the back of his mouth. "Just follow the crowds to Notre Dame! The festival starts soon!"
Clopin theatrically back flipped and cart-wheeled away from them, laughing an excited laugh.
"There goes the most excitable man in the universe." Axel commented.
"I like him!" Sora said. "C'mon guys, let's check out this festival!" He ran into the crowd, the rest of them following close behind.
It didn't take more than five minutes to arrive at the square Clopin had told them about. It was a large place, but even so, it was full to bursting with people. What little space wasn't filled by people was occupied by tents that had been set up around the square for the festival. These tents housed various entertainers, though none were very active at the moment. Apparently, the Festival of Fools hadn't quite started yet.
The crowd could barely contain its excitement, they were all chatting excitedly with each other. There was a small sort of aisle leading from one of the roads into the square that they were all staying away from. This was likely where the show would start.
"Okay, now if we get separated," The King said, "Let's all remember to meet back at the church... um, Notre Dame."
"Yes, mom." Riku said in mock irritation, getting laughs from the rest of them.
Suddenly, the colorfully-dressed musicians in one of the tents started playing. Their trumpets blared over the noise of the crowd, as a handful of people in black hoods (Sora had to remind himself that Organization XIII was mostly gone) carrying what appeared to be banners entered the square.
Surprisingly, they and much of the crowd sang slowly,
"Come one, Come all!
"Leave your hoops and milking stools,
Coop the hens and pen the mules."
"Come one, come all!
Close the churches and the schools,
It's the day for breaking rules.
Come and join the Feast of..."
Suddenly Clopin burst from underneath the cloak of one of the black-garbed men, grinning broadly.
"FOOOLS!" He finished, laughing. Dozens of colorfully-dressed people in ridiculous costumes rather like Clopin's rushed into the square to the extreme surprise and delight of the crowd, who cheered louder than before.
Clopin wasn't done yet. He leapt into the crowd, skipping and jumping all around the square, sometimes leaping into and over tents, or standing on the shoulders of a friend.
"Once a year, we throw a party here in town!
Once a year, we turn all Paris upside down!
Every man's a king and every king's a clown!
Once again, it's Topsy-Turvy Day!"
He soon found his way over to Sora's gang. Recognizing his new friend instantly, he grabbed him around the shoulders, and yanked him into the crowd. He spun the young man around a little while, before spinning him in the direction of a large tent that was apparently not meant for the celebration.
It was decorated with black and dark red. Two banners hanging from it depicted a fluer-de-lis. A high-backed wooden chair that almost resembled a throne sat near the back of it behind a small table.
Sora had landed on the ground in this tent, unharmed but very dizzy. He got to his feet, laughing. But he came face-to-face with one of the most unpleasant faces he'd yet met (and considering the fact that he had seen faces like those on Vexen and Saix, this was saying something).
The man sitting in the chair was a sallow-faced man who appeared to be in his fifties or sixties. He had dark, piercing eyes that were gazing at Sora with a look of the utmost distaste. He was wearing black and violet robes with large sleeves, and red-striped shoulders. His long, pale fingers were adorned with shining rings. He was wearing an oddly shaped hat with a stream of red flowing down the back.
"Captain." This unpleasant man said to another one standing just outside the tent, not breaking eye-contact with Sora. "Kindly remove this boy from my personal space."
The man he had addressed couldn't have possibly looked less like him. He was covered head to foot in gleaming bronze armor over blue clothing. He had a dark blue cape on over it, and also a bronze helmet. A long sword was sheathed at his waist. He had ginger colored hair and a beard.
He walked over to Sora, and hurriedly ushered him out of the tent, and back onto the street. "You'll have to forgive him." He muttered quietly to where Sora had to strain to hear him over the music and cheers. "Just try and enjoy the festival."
Sora nodded in understanding, and turned his attention back to the party. He could see that Clopin had found a 'friend' in Donald, and was spinning him around his head somewhere in the middle of the crowd, still singing his song.
"It's the day the devil in us gets released!
It's the day we mock the prig and shock the priest!
Everything is topsy turvy at the feast of fools!"
Kairi soon found Sora again by the same tent looking very winded after trying to get through the crowds.
"Is this place awesome or what!" she called.
Before he could answer, the whole crowd behind them chanted, and Clopin sang,
"Topsy Turvy!"
"Everything is upsy-daisy!"
"Topsy Turvy!"
"Everyone is acting crazy,
Dross is gold, and weeds are a bouquet!
That's the way on Topsy Turvy Day!"
Now and then, Sora could see that a few of his friends had become personally involved in the performance. Axel and Clopin had apparently just become best friends. The latter was spending a lot of time standing on the head of the former with one hand.
The crowd was eating it up. But all throughout the festivities, it was clear that the unpleasant man in the red and black tent was not enjoying himself. He looked at every last one of the performers as though they were far beneath his contempt.
Still, Sora and Kairi weren't about to let one unhappy man (even one of such obvious importance) spoil their time. They sang along with Clopin and the crowd whenever they could get the words right.
"Topsy Turvy!"
"Beat the drums and blow the trumpets!"
"Topsy Turvy!"
"Join the bums, and thieves, and strumpets,
Streaming in from Chartres to Calais!
Scurvy knaves are extra scurvy, on the sixth of 'Januarvy',
All because it's Topsy Turvy Day!"
Something important was clearly about to happen. Most of the crowd had begun to congregate to a long, wooden stage area near the center of the square. The music, and Clopin's singing became slightly softer. He bounded over to the unpleasant man's tent.
"Come one, Come all!
Hurry, hurry,
Here's your chance!
He bounced down toward Sora and Kairi, pushing them together with a wink.
"See the mystery and romance!"
He rushed onto the stage.
"Come one, Come all!
See the finest girl in France,
Make an entrance to entrance!
Dance, la Esmeralda...
DANCE!"
As he shouted the last word, Clopin vanished in a sudden cloud of purple smoke which obscured everything from view for a moment. Then, in his place was a young woman in her early twenties.
She was easily catching the attention of every male in the square. Even the unpleasant man nearby bore an expression of shock, though whether this was because of her great beauty, or from her blanant display in public, it was hard to say.
She had dark skin, and flowing raven hair going down her shoulders. She had deep green eyes. She was wearing a bright red and violet dress that hung loosely around her thin frame, and golden bracelets, earrings, and anklets. She wore no shoes, though.
Sora realized that he was staring, and hurriedly turned his head away, cursing himself. Kairi had noticed, but merely smirked, and quirked an eyebrow at him.
"I love you?"
She laughed.
The woman on stage –Esmeralda, Clopin had said- danced all around the stage, earning appreciative whistles and cheers from every male in the audience.
"Look at that disgusting display." The unpleasant man in the tent said. It was possible that he was talking more to himself than to anyone else, but his captain replied anyway.
"Yes sir!" Sora failed to cover up a snort of laughter, and the captain sent a sidelong wink in his direction.
Esmeralda danced across the stage, and leapt off, skipping gracefully toward the unpleasant man's tent. She leapt past the captain, and sat on the table in front of the man. Taking a thin, violet scarf from somewhere in her dress, she slung it around his neck, and used it to pull his face close to hers, smiling seductively.
Sora was wondering what he was looking at, when Esmeralda roughly shoved the man's hat down over his face unexpectedly. Everybody near enough to see it laughed heartily, including the two Keybearers. Even the captain looked to be having a hard time containing his amusement.
The woman smiled cheekily, and leapt back to the stage, leaving a furious-looking man behind her straightening his hat, and ripping the scarf from around his neck.
She danced for several more minutes before stopping at last, spinning to a stop in the middle of a stage, and ending with a flourishing bow. The crowd cheered wildly, and several small munny orbs were thrown onto the stage. The captain in shining armor threw one to her, as well.
Clopin leapt onto the stage beside her. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, the piece de resistance!"
"Here it is! The moment, you've been waiting for!
Here it is! You know exactly what's in store!
Now's the time we laugh until our sides get sore!
Now's the time we crown the King of Fools!"
One by one, costumed people climbed up onto the stage. Several of them had been hand-picked by Clopin and Esmeralda themselves.
"So, make a face that's horrible and frightening!
Make a face as gruesome as a gargoyle's wing!
For the face that's ugliest will be the King of Fools!"
"WHY?" He asked the audience, relishing every minute of what he was doing. There were almost a dozen people on the stage now, apart from the two performers.
"Topsy Turvy!"
"Ugly folk, forget your shyness!"
"Topsy Turvy!"
"You could soon be called, 'Your Highness!'
Put your foulest features on display!
Be the King of Topsy Turvy Day!"
One by one, each of the costumed people was unmasked. Though in Sora's opinion, none of them were particularly unattractive. Apparently the crowd shared this view, because as each was unmasked, they received 'boos' from all around.
But things got particularly interesting when they reached the end of the line. This last person had an incredible costume on. He was hunched over, almost like an ape, and had a large hump protruding from the upper right side of his back, that made his green shirt strain to cover his whole upper body. He had thick, beefy, hairy forearms. His face was disfigured, as well. A large wart was over his right eye, nearly obscuring it, and he had a pig-like nose. The only part of him that appeared totally normal was the thick red hair on his head.
So imagine his, and everyone else's surprise when his 'mask' refused to come off under Esmeralda's pull.
The audience gasped collectively. Sora and Kairi traded surprised looks. The unpleasant man not far away from them looked perhaps the most shocked, however. He rose slowly to his feet, his jaw slowly dropping. But this look of surprise was also mingled with something that might have been panic, or outrage.
The crowd gaped at the disfigured man on the stage, and in a moment, frightened whispers reached their ears.
"That's no mask!"
"It's his face!"
"He's hideous!"
"It's the bell-ringer from Notre Dame!"
"These people are so shallow." Kairi said, wrinkling her nose in distaste at the outright disgust of the people.
The pour soul up onstage suddenly looked as if he'd regretted ever coming. He was making futile attempts to hide his face from the crowd, but the damage had been done. He looked close to tears.
"We've got to do something about this." Sora said, taking a step forward. But Clopin beat him to the punch.
The jester leapt back onstage, holding his arms out in a placating gesture. "Ladies and gentlemen, don't panic!" The crowd fell mostly silent.
"We asked for the ugliest face in Paris, didn't we? And here it is!"
He produced a crown-like hat seemingly out of nowhere, and placed it on the surprised hunchback's head. "Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame!"
The crowd changed its attitude immediately, and began cheering for the hunchback. A handful of the colorfully dressed people leapt up onto the stage, hoisting Quasimodo onto their shoulders, and carrying him offstage into the crowd, which began throwing handfuls of confetti at him.
They brought him toward a large wooden turntable on an elevated platform in the center of the square. Clopin led the way, still singing.
"Once a year, we throw a party here in town!
Once a year, we turn all Paris upside down!
Once a year, the ugliest will wear a crown!
Once a year on Topsy Turvy Day!"
Quasimodo and his new fans got to the turntable. Clopin leapt up there with the hunchback, placing a dark violet cape over his shoulders. He handed the very happy-looking hunchback a short scepter with a fool's hat at the top of it.
"And, it's the day we do the things that we deplore,
On the other three-hundred and sixty-four!
Once a year we love to drop in,
Where the beer is never stopin'
For the chance to pop some popinjay!"
The excitement in the air was palpable, and Sora and Kairi soon found themselves dancing like complete idiots, not caring that the unpleasant man was looking at them with nearly as much distaste as he was at the hunchback.
"And pick a king who'll put the 'top' in,
Topsy Turvy-
Mad and crazy, upsy-daisy, Topsy Turvy Day!"
The song came to its end with surprising suddenness, with a quick trumpet blast. The crowd cheered loudly for Quasimodo, who was pumping his hands in the air, and looked as if he'd never had a better time in his life.
But it was very amazing how things could deteriorate so quickly. Scattered among the crowd were over a dozen soldiers. These men answered to the unpleasant man sitting in the black and red tent, but they were little more than thugs. They were dressed in simple uniforms of black and dark grey. They wore thick, dark gloves and boots, and flat, silver pith helmets on their heads.
One of these thugs clutched a rotten tomato in his right hand, and chucked it as hard as he could up at Quasimodo. It hit him in the face, splattering across his new cape.
The cheering came to a complete, and utter stop. The square was silent for another three seconds, before a second soldier threw another tomato, striking the hunchback on the shoulder.
Soon, the remaining soldiers were throwing more fruits and vegetables, striking the defenseless, and unprepared Quasimodo all over. As Sora and Kairi (and the rest of their party) watched in horror and disgust, the hunchback slipped on the remains of a tomato, falling on his stomach onto the turntable.
The crowd that had been cheering for him only moments before began to laugh. And this was what disgusted them more than anything.
"These people are sick!" Roxas exclaimed, outraged, into Sora's head. The soldiers, and a few members of the crowd then threw ropes across Quasimodo, pulling him down roughly against the hard wood.
Soldiers rushed up, laughing, tying the hopeless man into place on the turntable. Sora could see Quasimodo straining against the ropes, struggling in vain to get out. But, it seemed that the smaller ones were coming close to breaking.
The thicker ones still held him tight, though. As soldiers and commoners continued throwing food at him, Quasimodo was spun around on the table, still trying to shake loose.
One time, he lifted his head, and shouted pleadingly, "Master!"
It took Sora a moment to realize that he was addressing the unpleasant man in the tent. He bore an expression of stern disappointment, and barely concealed anger.
The captain in bronze armor looked at him. "Sir? Permission to stop this cruelty."
Sora looked at the captain, glad that at least somebody wanted to stop Quasimodo's poor treatment. The captain looked concerned, but still tried to remain professional.
The man in the tent looked at him for a moment, and then replied, "In a moment captain." He looked back at the unfortunate hunchback, with a small smile that sickened the Keybearer. "A lesson needs to be learned here."
"You disgusting piece of trash!" Kairi shouted unexpectedly, glaring daggers at this man, and taking one menacing step forward. If looks could kill, he would have dropped dead on the spot. "That poor man needs to get out of there!"
The man's head snapped toward her, bearing an expression of indignation and anger. "You insolent little-"
Sora stepped forward, placing a hand in front of Kairi, and glaring at the man also.
Before anyone else could say anything, however, something happened.
Someone stepped up onto the elevated platform on which Quasimodo was still restrained. The people below immediately stopped their assault. They all realized that it was Esmeralda. She had changed into more modest clothing: a simple loose white shirt and violet dress with golden tassels on it.
She approached Quasimodo slowly, and pulled a large handkerchief from her blouse. She bent down next to him. The hunchback cringed, as though afraid that she would strike him. But instead, she gently wiped away the remains of tomatoes and cabbage from his face.
It was so silent in the square, that it was easy to hear her words even as far away as Sora and Kairi were. "I'm sorry. This wasn't supposed to happen."
Sora was relieved to see that there was still someone who hadn't been swept up into the whirlwind of hatred that the festival had become. But the man next to them clearly wasn't moved.
He leapt to his feet (he was taller than he had looked, just an inch or so shorter than his captain) and extended his finger at her. "You! Gypsy girl!"
All eyes were suddenly on him.
So the performers are the gypsies, I get it.
"Get down at once!"
"Yes, Judge Frollo." Esmeralda replied, standing. "Just as soon as I free this poor creature."
"I forbid it!" The man that Sora finally knew as 'Frollo' exclaimed.
Despite this order, Esmeralda pulled a gleaming knife from somewhere within her dress. With one fluid movement, she cut the strongest of the ropes binding Quasimodo in place, finally freeing him. The audience gasped in disbelief.
"How dare you defy me!" Frollo's eyes narrowed menacingly.
"You mistreat this poor boy just as you mistreat my people!" Esmeralda replied, eyes blazing with righteous anger. "You speak of justice, but you are cruel to those most in need of your help!"
"Silence!"
"Justice!"
Esmeralda bent down, and helped the weary Quasimodo (who looked immensely surprised that anyone had come to his defense) rise to his feet. She plucked the dripping remains of a tomato off of his shoulder, and threw it into the crowd.
"Mark my words, gypsy," Frollo said the word 'gypsy' as if it were interchangeable with 'brat' or 'traitor' or some other manner of unprintable word, "You will pay for this insolence."
But Esmeralda wasn't about to back down. "Then it appears we've crowned the wrong fool!" She replied, taking the foolish crown off of Quasimodo's head. "Because the only fool I see here is you!"
She threw the crown across the square, where it landed at Frollo's feet. Some of the tomato juice that had clung to it sprayed onto his robes.
The performers left in the square (gypsies, every one of them) cheered and laughed. Somebody had finally stood up to their oppressor.
But Frollo wasn't going to back down either. He turned to the captain. "Captain Phoebus! Arrest her!"
Reluctantly, Phoebus raised his hand, and signaled the soldiers in the square, who all converged on the wooden platform. Some rode horses, and all were armed with either short swords or spears.
"Now?" Kairi asked Sora.
"Oh yeah."
Kairi was about to unleash a blast of Light at Frollo or Phoebus (or possibly both) when Esmeralda suddenly vanished in a burst of bright purple smoke.
"Witchcraft!" Frollo exclaimed in shock.
"Oh boys!" Came Esmeralda's taunting voice. "Over here!"
Everybody turned around, and looked at a place that normally functioned as a place of public execution. The gallows were already ready. But Esmeralda stood there, smiling cheekily, and waving.
The soldiers rushed toward her, brandishing their weapons.
Simultaneously, Sora and Kairi ran through the crowds, summoning their Keyblades. They had crossed the square in seconds, and arrived just at the same time as the soldiers.
Before he had even known what had hit him, Sora knocked the legs out from under one soldier, and then struck the man next to him in the chest. Both of them fell unconscious to the ground, and didn't stir again.
The crowd immediately recoiled from the unexpected combat. Riku, Yuffie, Donald, and Goofy rushed forward next, and each one had their weapons in hand. They fell upon the unsuspecting soldiers immediately, knocking most of them to the ground before they were even aware of their presence.
Sora leapt onto the platform, landing between Esmeralda, and a large soldier.
Not caring that he was about to attack a teenager in public, the thug brought his sword down on Sora's head. But, he clearly had no idea who he was dealing with. The blow was parried immediately, and his chest was soon frozen from the force of a Blizzaga spell at point blank range.
Nehrut appeared on the platform, and blasted the soldier's partner across the square with a gesture.
It was a disappointingly short battle (if it could even be called a battle). These soldiers had very little experience, and were nowhere near skilled enough to cross blades with the off-worlders.
But reinforcements were rushing into the square from other parts of the city. And they were eager to follow Frollo's orders, overmatched or not.
And the party wasn't here to fight soldiers. Esmeralda had to escape.
"Let us give you a hand." Sora said to the gypsy woman, parrying a clumsy blow from a soldier's spear. The Guardian swooped in, and tossed the man into the crowd immediately.
"I'd appreciate it." She replied. "But you didn't have to do this! Now you're on the wrong side of the law here in Paris."
"Never bothered us before." Axel replied, blasting a man with fire.
"We've worked with pirates, vigilantes, and this one thief." Sora said, with a small smile. He chuckled at the strange look Esmeralda gave him.
"Do you have any more of that purple cloud stuff?" Nehrut asked her.
"Yes."
"Alright, then use it all at once, and follow our lead."
Using some trick that Sora had no idea of, Esmeralda released a huge cloud of purple smoke that obscured the gallows and every one of the combatants. Outside of it, nobody could see a thing. But, they certainly saw the half-dozen soldiers flying out of it as if thrown by a giant hand.
When the cloud faded, there was nobody there.
The crowd applauded, and the gypsies swiftly and silently took their leave.
!
Fun little fact: The original work by Victor Hugo was infinitely darker than this. Frollo wasn't much of a bad guy, Phoebus was, and Quasimodo wasn't exactly a saint either. But that would hardly be Disney-ready, right?
Anyway, the next chapter will be up soon, I promise.