The Last Bat - Chapter 10

Sorry if I made this chapter longer than I wanted it to be, but please do enjoy this final chapter.

In the cathedral, Toby was sniffing around to find the key.

“Didn’t I tell you that Toby is an excellent tracker?” Basil inquired Fidget’s parents.

“No, you haven’t, Basil,” Mr. Bat said and to Fidget and Stellaluna, he added, “Fidget, I’m proud of you for being so brave enough to stand up to that wicked man. Oh, and thank you, Stellaluna for helping Fidget.”

“Well, it was my pleasure,” Stellaluna told him.

“I knew you could,” Fidget said. With gratitude, he fiercely embraced her.

“Alright,” Stellaluna said, brushing herself off, “Save that after we save the other bats such as Batty, Bartok, and Bartok’s girlfriend, then my family.” Then, she led the way along with corridor. “Now, let’s find those bats before Frollo does.”

Suddenly, Abigail, Russell, Edgar, and Michelle followed them because they wanted to help.
Basil gasped at the sight of the young gang of furlings with suspicion. “What are you doing here?” he asked skeptically, “Don’t you have parents?”

“Yes,” Abigail was the first to reply, “We had our parents’ and Cornelius’ permission to go and one day, Michelle’s parents died of the toxic smell, so Cornelius, her uncle and our teacher sent us out on our own to get her medicine.”

“And?” Basil was getting interested.

“Fidget explained his nightmare to us last night,” Abigail concluded.

“And it was scary!” Michelle blurted out.

“Shh,” Basil hissed, “Yes, Stellaluna did tell me that last night, but let’s hurry and get the key before Frollo does.” The furlings followed the mouse detective and his other followers.

When Basil caught sight of the Archdeacon, he cleared his throat. “Excuse me, chap?”

“Well, hello,” the Archdeacon spoke, “What can I do for you?”

“Do you have a key to unlock the cages of the ba-”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do,” the Archdeacon replied matter-of-factly as he pulled out his keys from his pocket and Basil gently grabbed them.

“Thank you,” Basil said.

“The bats are located inside the chamber inside the cathedral.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“My Pleasure.” The Archdeacon pointed towards the chamber on the left. “This way to the chamber.”

Turning to his friends, Basil said, “Well, troops, let’s get a move on.” His troop promenaded after him towards the chamber. Fidget was the first to unlock the cages of Bartok, Bartok’s girlfriend, and Batty Koda. Stellaluna was the second to open the cage doors of her family since Fidget gave her the key. All the bats were free!

After the bats were set free, Fidget’s ears twitched at the growl of a wolf pack he and the others bumped into. How did they get out?! he wondered in a panic.

“Basil!” Dawson shouted, desperate as Fidget.

Without a moment’s hesitation, everyone left the chamber.

Once outside, they panted to catch their breath.

“I think...” Fidget panted, “…we lost them. If they do come back…I’ll be tired of running…and hiding…”

“So would I!” Judge Claude Frollo boomed slyly.

Everyone, including Fidget let out a gasp of horror.

“Oh, I thought you love bats will never give up,” Frollo continued, smirking at Fidget and Stellaluna.

“Excuse us, but we were just trying to catch our breaths,” Basil responded for Fidget, who was still breathing heavily.

“We can’t live without oxygen,” Dr. Dawson agreed, rubbing one of his hips.

“Yeah, you don’t know who you’re dealing with!” Fidget fumed.

Furious, Claude Frollo grabbed him by the ears and threatened, “Stay here or this bat burns!” As he had spoken these words, he tied him to a wooden post.

Abigail was deep in thought. “I know what I can do!”

“And what is that, my dear?” Basil asked in amazement.

“You’ll see,” she answered. She reminded him very much of Olivia, whom he had grown to love.

Basil smiled at Abigail with encouragement.

“Now, little monster. See where this had brought you?” Frollo said in a delighted, dark manner, “The only way I’ll bring you out of this is you either choose me or the fire.” He drew the fire torch closer to Fidget’s face.

This made Fidget’s stomach churn, but that didn’t stop the bat from remaining confident, so he spat in Frollo’s face. Frollo glared sharply at him as Fidget frowned back. “Just like that treacherous gypsy girl! I hereby declare that you will be sent to Hell where you belong!” With his torch lit up, Frollo set fire to the straw and sticks below the tied bat.

Fidget watched in horror as he’d done so and coughed and coughed. “I’m too young to die!” Fidget shrieked.

“Fidget!” Stellaluna shouted.

“No!” Olivia yelled.

All of a sudden, Abigail jumped up on Frollo’s head, covered it with a hood, and leapt down onto the platform to rescue Fidget. By doing so, she cut the rope the rope with a piece of glass.

“Thank you,” Fidget said wearily.

The wood mouse cautiously picked up the injured bat before he fell to the ground.

“Woo hoo!” Edgar wooed.

“Alright, Abigail!” Russell cheered.

“Yay, Abby!” Michelle applauded.

“Fidget, I brought you some water!” Basil called as he brought him a jug of water, allowing him to sip.

“Basil?” Fidget uttered out weakly, his vision blurry as he opened his eyes.

“Fidget.” Basil’s eyes widened in shock.

“He lives!” Frollo hissed as he removed his hood.

“Fidget, the wolves!” Fidget’s mother cried.

Fidget rubbed his eyes.

“Here, Fidget, use this torch!” Basil said as he passed the torch to him.

With his strength renewed, Fidget shook the lit torch, motioning away the wolves.

Frightened, they took off running, never to be seen again.

This made Frollo so furious that he limped towards Fidget and his friends. “You dark winged creature, I can’t believe you never wanted to join me!”

“What? It was all for a good cause!” Fidget shot back.

Just as Frollo was about to behead Stellaluna with his sword, Fidget charged up to the judge and bit his arm. Frollo hollered angrily as he let his sword drop, while Stellaluna evaded the approaching weapon.

Above the cathedral, three gargoyles: Hugo, Laverne, and Victor warned, “Move away from the fiery pit!” And the trio poured down the molten copper down to Frollo’s depth. Everybody fled in terror, especially Frollo, who was trying in vain to escape the oozing liquid as piercing screams spouted out of his mouth. He was too late. It was all over for him. He was surrounded by swarming bats, who drifted overhead of him.

“Take that, you stupid judge!” Fidget shouted.

“Yeah, take that and that!” Batty Koda agreed with his hands turned into fists, making imaginary punches.

“There, that’ll teach you, Mister!” Bartok said daringly.

Bartok’s girlfriend kissed him on the cheek. Then, both albino bats kissed. “Oh, Bartok, you brave thing,” she cooed.

Stellaluna kissed Fidget on the cheek. “My hero.”

Olivia kissed the other. “Our hero,” she corrected her.

“You’re so adorable,” Stellaluna complimented Olivia and the girl bat draped her over her shoulders for a piggy back ride.

At random, Fievel approached and revisited the bat he’d met the day before. “Hi, Fidget.”

“Well, hi, Fievel,” Fidget responded, “It’s good to see you again.”

“Yeah, it’s nice to see you again,” Stellaluna concurred.

“I hope to see you again soon,” Fievel said, “I gotta go eat supper. Bye!” He hightailed back to his family.

“Hey, new kids!” Hugo, the chubby gargoyle called.

“Come up here!” Laverne, the old female gargoyle shouted, “It’s safe now!”

No one was in trouble; the gargoyles were just praising the heroes. The heroes stepped up the stairs, face to face with the talking gargoyles.

“There you are,” Laverne greeted warmly as they approached, “We were just here to congratulate you for what you’ve done to Frollo.”

“For he was an unholy man filled with lies, lust, hatred, vice, and sin,” Victor noted.

The furlings, mouse detectives, the Flavershams, bats, and the dog were pleased to hear these messages. The guests introduced themselves to the friendly gargoyles and the gargoyles gave them their names.

“Quasimodo is out of town today with his wife, Madellaine, Phoebus, Djali, Zephyr, and Esmerelda,” Laverne pointed out.

“It’s always good to go out to explore the world around you as we pointed out to Quasimodo,” said Victor.

“It’d be nice if we all go,” Hugo sulked.

“Oh, Hugo, you complain too much,” Laverne said dismissively.

“You’re quite the complainer,” Victor agreed.

Laverne bounded towards the newcomers. “I apologize for the little conflict, but Hugo can be an agitated complainer at times,” she said apologetically.

Hugo let out a sigh of reluctance on staying put.

“It’s quite alright,” Basil said.

“Abigail!” Abigail’s father called.

“I’m coming, Daddy!” Abigail called back.

“Edgar!” Edgar’s mother sounded off.

“Coming, Mother!” Edgar replied.

“Russell!” Russell’s mother hollered.

“I’m coming, Mom!” Russell cried and the furlings had gone home.

The gargoyles and their remaining guests bonded for hours until that night, they and the furlings, the furling folk, Bernard, Bianca, and Orville came to visit Stellaluna’s bat family.

“Mother, this is my new bat friend, Fidget,” Stellaluna said to her mother, “He kind of gets nervous when he’s around new people like he was before on his first days in Paris.”

Her mother knew Bartok, his girlfriend, and Batty Koda for a while, but never had she encountered a peg legged bat! But seeing his smile, her heart melted.

“Hi,” Fidget greeted.

“Hello,” Stellaluna’s mother said, “You must be Fidget.”

“Yup, that’s me,” said Fidget, “Meet my parents.”

Stellaluna’s mother mingled with the pirate-looking bat’s parents.

“Fidget, here are some friends I invited over,” Stellaluna told Fidget. She gestured towards three birds. “Meet Pip, Flap, and Flitter.”

Not only had Fidget gotten to know these birds, so had his friends. Even the furlings and their guardians enjoyed their company.

The peg legged bat and his friends spent one more night in Paris and on that night, Fidget had sweet dreams.

…

At noon, it was about time to leave.

“Well, buddy, it was nice meeting you,” Batty Koda said as he hugged Fidget. “I hope to see you again.”

“Thanks, Batty,” Fidget fawned.

“Fidget, you were a brave bat yesterday,” Bartok said.

“Thanks, and good luck with your girlfriend,” Fidget said and hugged the trio of bats.

“He likes to hug people,” Olivia giggled.

“Are you staying here, Batty?” Basil asked.

“No, I’m going back to the rain forest,” Batty Koda replied.

“As for me and my girlfriend,” Bartok announced, “We’re going to pay a visit with Anastasia here, in Paris.”

Basil nodded in keen interest.

The three bats were off, while the mouse detectives, the Flavershams, and Toby left on foot with Fidget, Stellaluna, and their bat families floating high above them.

…

Everyone spent the night in the forest like they had when their trip first began. Fidget stared up at the bright full moon with Stellaluna. Basil awoke to find the two and climbed up on a tree branch. “Fidget, dear boy, you’ve put on quite an act against that treacherous Judge Claude Frollo.”

“That I did, Mr. Basil,” replied Fidget, “Thanks.”

“That you have, Mr. Flamchump.”

Fidget could only shake his head with a grin wildly.

Stellaluna giggled. “You got used to it. I’ll see you in my dreams, but I’ll see you again in your hometown, I promise.”

“Thank you, Stellaluna. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, my friend,” Stellaluna said as Fidget flew down the tree and he slept next to Olivia.

…

The next morning, they took the train all the way to London.

As Stellaluna promised, she visited the bat for they are now neighbors.

Fidget’s parents rented a new house in London, so that Fidget can visit them whenever he pleased and better yet, they never had to worry about Ratigan ever again.

The End

Author’s note: You better believe it, I finally finished this story!

Fidget kicked some Frollo butt yet again!

This chapter was difficult to come up with, but it was fun either way!