It had been twenty years since that night and Quasimodo and (Y/N) were now young adults. Quasimodo was still misshapen, with a large hunch on his back and an eye that was almost swollen shut, but he was strong and his soul was kind and gentle.
Then there was (Y/N), who had grown into a beautiful young woman with (H/L) (H/C) hair, (S/C) skin and lovely (E/C) eyes. Many saw her as the angel of Notre Dame, for her beauty and pure soul. She was always kind towards others, especially Quasimodo. She saw him as her little brother and loved him no matter what.
As the ringing of the bells came to an end, Quasimodo swung down from the rafters and landed expertly on the ground. It was then that he heard excited clapping and cheering he glanced over, smiling when he saw that it was (Y/N).
"Great landing, Quasi. As usual." She giggled as she hurried over to him.
He smiled sheepishly at her words. "Thank you, (Y/N)." He began to limp out onto the balcony and he beckoned (Y/N) over. "I'm going to check on our little friend."
"I'll join you."
Out on the balcony, that overlooked the city, the two siblings stared inside the mouth of a gargoyle. A baby bird sat inside, growing excited as it saw the two of them.
"Good morning." (Y/N) greeted the tiny bird.
"Will today be the day? Are you ready to fly?" Quasimodo asked.
The bird looked away nervously, seemingly not up for such a task.
(Y/N) giggled as she asked, "You sure? It's a good day to try."
Quasimodo gently took the bird in his hands as he excitedly said, "Why, if-if I picked a day to fly, oh, this would be it. The Festival of Fools."
Down below, in front of the cathedral, a platform was being built for the upcoming performances. Tents were also being raised and everybody seemed to be in a flutter of excitement for the event.
"It will be fun! The jugglers and-and-and music, and dancing."
As Quasimodo explained all this, the little bird bravely began to flap his wings and lifted himself out of Quasimodo's hands. He slowly removed his hands from under the bird until it was hovering in the air. Him and his sister chuckled and when the bird realised he was flying all on his own, he chirped excitedly, doing a confident twirl around them before landing in (Y/N)'s outstretched hands. Just as he did, a large flock of birds flew past their heads and the little bird looked up at the two gleefully.
"Go on, little fella. Get out there and enjoy every minute of it." (Y/N) encouraged, placing a kiss on top of his head.
"Nobody wants to be cooped up here forever."
With that, the baby bird flew off to catch up with the other birds, and the two watched on with small yet sad smiles gracing their lips. The sweet moment soon ended as the stone gargoyle next to them suddenly sprung to life, spitting out the nest that had occupied the inside of his mouth.
"Aw man! I thought he'd never leave! I'll be spittin' feathers for a week!" Hugo, the gargoyle, complained.
Another gargoyle, Victor, who was taller and slimmer than Hugo, was quick to reprimand him, "Well that's what you get for sleeping with your mouth open."
Hugo laughed sarcastically, "Go scare a nun. Hey, Quasi, (Y/N)! What's goin' on out there? A fight? A flogging?"
"A festival!" Victor announced excitedly.
"You mean the Feast of Fools?"
"Uh huh." Quasimodo answered, though his heart didn't seem to be in it. This worried (Y/N).
"All right, all right! Pour the wine and cut the cheese!"
"It is a treat to watch the colourful pageantry of the simple peasant folk."
"Boy, nothin' like balcony seats for watching the ol' F.O.F."
"Yeah, watching." Quasimodo sighed out dejectedly as he headed back inside the bell tower, (Y/N) following behind him.
Hugo didn't seem to notice as he looked down below him, smiling evilly. "Oh, look. A mime."
Hugo readied himself to spit a huge phlegm wad on the unsuspecting human but Victor was quick to cover his mouth. Hugo looked up at him questioningly and he gestured over to Quasimodo, who seemed sad and forlorn.
"Hey, hey, hey! What gives?" Hugo asked.
"Aren't you going to watch the festival with us?"
Quasimodo didn't answer, disappearing from their view with (Y/N) not too far behind.
"I don't get it."
"Perhaps he's sick!"
"Impossible." The two gargoyles turned to see another. She was an older gargoyle named Laverne, who always seemed to have pigeons perched on her as she hopped her way over to Victor and Hugo. "If twenty years of listening to you two hasn't made him sick by now, nothing will."
"But watching the Festival of Fools with (Y/N) has always been the highlight of the year for Quasimodo." Victor stated.
"What good is watchin' the party if you never get to go?" A few birds landed on her but Laverne was quick to swat them away. "Here, get away from me! Go on, you bunch of buzzards!"
The birds all scattered and she glared at them before hopping after Quasimodo and (Y/N). "He's not made of stone like us."
Meanwhile Quasimodo limped dejectedly over to a wooden table, covered in small wooden figures of the townspeople and miniature structures of the buildings within the city. (Y/N) watched as he sadly sat himself down, fiddling with one of the figures and sighed, just as the gargoyles entered as well.
"Quasi, what's wrong?" (Y/N) asked as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah, you wanna tell ol' Laverne all about it?"
Quasimodo sighed as he said, "I just don't feel like watching the festival, that's all."
"But we always watch the festival together."
"Yeah but you could actually go the festival, (Y/N)." Quasimodo stated quite firmly, making his sister look down at him in concern. "But, because I can't go, you always watch it with me. It just doesn't feel right anymore."
(Y/N) narrowed her eyes as she ran around the desk so she could look Quasimodo in the eyes. "Well, I'm not going down there if you can't go. You're my brother. I'd never do that to you."
"Well," Laverne intervened, hopping over to Quasimodo's side with a small smile, "did you ever think about going there with (Y/N) instead?"
"Sure but I'd never fit in down there. I'm not...normal."
"Oh, Quasi, Quasi, Quasi." Laverne paused, glaring angrily at some birds that decided now was a good time to return and perch on her. "Do you mind? I would like to have a moment with the boy, if it's all right with you!"
While Laverne waved her arms around in frustration, making the birds fly off once more, Hugo took the opportunity to squeeze himself into the conversation. He hopped onto the model of the town, grabbing the figurines that looked like Quasimodo and (Y/N) out of the bell tower and placing them in the city.
"Hey, quit beating around the bell tower. What do we gotta do? Paint you a fresco?"
Victor also joined in as he proclaimed, "As your friends and guardians, we insist that you both attend the festival."
"Us?"
"No, the Pope. Of course, you two!"
"It would be a veritable potpourri of educational experience."
"Wine, women, men and song!"
"You can learn to identify various regional cheeses!"
"Bobbing for snails!"
"And the indigenous folk music."
"Playin' dunk the monk!"
"Quasi, (Y/N), take it from an old spectator. Life's not a spectator sport. If watchin' is all you're gonna do, then you're gonna watch your life go by without you." Laverne told them.
"Yeah, you're humans, with the flesh, and the hair, and the navel lint. We're just part of the architecture, right Victor?" Hugo asked.
"Yet, if you chip us, will we not flake? If you moisten us, do we not grow moss?"
"(Y/N), dear, you got to put on your prettiest dress. As for Quasi, just grab a fresh tunic and a clean pair of hose and- "
Quasimodo gently removed Laverne's arm from around his as he stated, "Thanks for the encouragement."
"It's very sweet." (Y/N) added gently.
"But you're all forgetting one big thing."
"What?" All the gargoyles asked, shrugging as if nothing could stop the two siblings from going out and having some fun.
"Our master, Frollo." He stated, showing them the little figure of their master.
"Oh."
"Well, when he says you're both forbidden from ever leaving the bell tower, does he mean "ever ever"?" Victor questioned.
"Never ever! And he hates the Feast of Fools! He'd be furious if we asked to go."
Hugo, with a sneaky smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, rubbed his hands together as he asked, "Who says you gotta ask?"
"What?" (Y/N) gasped in disbelief.
This was followed by Quasimodo worriedly adding, "Oh, no."
"Ya sneak out..." Hugo continued.
"It's just one afternoon." Laverne stated.
"We couldn't- "
"...and ya sneak back in." Hugo finished.
"He'll never know you were gone."
"I mean, if we got caught?" Quasimodo asked worriedly, his sister nodding in agreement.
But Victor was quick to calm their nerves as he confidently stated, "Better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission."
"He might see us."
But this time it was (Y/N) who supplied an answer, "We could wear disguises! I made you that cloak for rainy weather so you could wear that. And everyone will be wearing masks so if I wear one, Master will never recognise us."
"Oh no, not you too." Quasimodo gasped.
"Just this once. What Frollo doesn't know, can't hurt you!" Hugo added.
"Ignorance is bliss." Victor stated.
Hugo chuckled as he gave the tall gargoyle a noogie and said, "Look who's talking..."
"Nobody wants to stay cooped up here forever." Laverne quoted Quasimodo's own words back at him.
Quasimodo thought over his friends' words and, as his gaze lifted to meet the hopeful (E/C) eyes of his sister, a smile slowly started to creep across his face.
"You're right! I'll go!" Quasimodo announced, much to everyone's glee, as (Y/N) happily pulled him up and onto his feet.
"We'll get cleaned up." (Y/N) added, twirling her brother happily.
"We'll stroll down those stairs." Quasimodo stated with more confidence as he made his way to the steps. The gargoyles cheered him on and so did his sister. "I'll march through the doors and- "
"Good morning, Quasimodo." Frollo's dark voice interrupted as he suddenly appeared in the doorway and blocked the hunchback's path.