A/N:
This isn't an official "song fic"; however I was inspired by one of my favorite songs, Masquerade from the Phantom of the Opera. This one-shot is separate to my current trilogy The Three Wishes. A big thanks to my ah-mazing beta/friend Josie for helping me edit this.

Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade…
Masquerade!
Hide your face, so the world will never find you!

Hidden in the shadows, Darcy sulked silently. Ironic, the brunette thought, My identity is concealed behind a strip of paper, and yet, my aura still repels people. Darcy watched the happy couples, dancing and smiling and felt a pang of envy. I wish I could join them. But no, Ms. Griffin gave specific instructions. Darcy thought back to the moment when she and her sisters had been called to the Headmistress office.

"Ladies, as it is your junior year, I believe you are more than ready to take on a bigger challenge. Red Fountain is holding a masquerade ball for the fairies of Alfea. As it is a large class number, the ball will be held on 3 different levels: Dragon, Phoenix and Centaur. You will infiltrate the school, and put an end to the festivities. I don't care how it's done, as long as it is. Do you understand?" The trio of girls nodded silently, smirks crawling across their faces. "Good. Don't get caught. Dismissed."

"This will be a piece of cake!" Stormy had crowed as they headed back to their dorm.

"Cockiness always ends in failure." Darcy had patiently replied. "This is our first big assignment. We can't afford to screw up!"

"Relax, Darc. I've got everything taken care of!" Icy had waved a sheaf of papers under her nose.

"What's that?"

"Blueprints. And our key to success."

Darcy silently watched the crowd waiting for her signal. Everyone seemed so carefree and effortless. Several boys tried to convince another to ask a blonde girl to dance, a boy with maroon hair was arguing with one of the teachers, a case of beer in his hand, a boy slid chunks of ice down a fairy's blouse. Darcy laughed humorlessly, the cold sound out of place in the lively room. Many people, both specials and fairies glanced her way, but none approached. And they better not. Darcy fingered the deep purple piece of paper, decorated with elaborate swirls of black and sequins. The girls wore similar, elaborate masks. The boys something simpler, with the exception of one who was being teased mercilessly about his enormous, flowery mask.

"I noticed you were without a partner. May I join you?" a voice inquired. Darcy jerked her head up, to see a boy wearing a slender silver mask. What does he want from me? Hasn't he heard? Witches make terrible girlfriends….that a good line, I should use that sometime. Darcy was tempted to tell the boy to buzz off, but something about him intrigued her. Perhaps it was the fact that he approached her, while no one else dared. Or perhaps, it had something to do with his flowing black hair and piercing blue eyes…

"It's perfect. The three levels are round disks stacked on top of each other. The levels are connected by elevator shafts that reach all the way to the top of the building." Icy's blueprints from the Library of Hexes really were perfect. The castle had a rough pyramid shape with the top level being the smallest and the bottom being the largest. At the very bottom level entrance gates were located and the dragon pens. The middle levels alternated between living quarters and classrooms and the top, dining halls, the ballrooms and ship hangers.

Each witch was to take a level, Icy had Dragon, Darcy at Phoenix and Stormy had Centaur. Icy would start the chaos by starting a firecracker to alert her sisters to begin their phases of the plan. She would then cast a smoke spell at the top level, activating the fire alarms. Stormy would call all the elevators to the ground hall and then sever the cables as the elevators passed her level, leaving the elevator shafts empty as route in-between floors. Stormy would then jam of all the other doors so they remained open. Icy would siphon the smoke down the shaft so it contaminated the other floors. Stormy would call up an electric storm to shutdown the power in the building. And the plan was simple from there: wreak chaos.

Darcy had been angry that she had so little role, but the others assured her that using her hypnotism to keep the party goers happy until the sabotage started, was crucial. Yeah right.

"So how are you enjoying the ball?" the boy asked.

"Its fine, I guess. A bit boring."

"Boring?" the boy scoffed. "How is this boring?" he gestured toward two guys dueling it out with their swords and a fairy who was being coaxed down off a chandelier by teachers, obviously more than a little tipsy.

Darcy raised an eyebrow, "I assume you're not from around here?" Why in Omega am I talking to this loser? I might miss Icy's signal!

"Correct. I am visiting my uncle. I don't go to Red Fountain; I prefer the arts over destruction."

"A pacifist, eh?"

"Yes. But in a fight I will defend the ones I love." The boy's eyes turned steely.

Darcy pursed her lips, impressed. There was a kind of intensity about this boy that she admired. Snap out of it! A voice inside her head cried, you're a strong, independent woman. That's why you chose to be a witch and not a weak fairy.

"Buzz off, okay lover boy? Don't talk to me."

Instead the boy moved nearer, "You're hiding something. What is it that you hide from the world?"

Darcy eyes widened in surprise at the sudden question, then she turned away, "Why should I tell you? I don't even know who you are."

"Because I will listen."

"Icy? Have you ever not wanted to be…well, as witchy as we are?"

"No." Icy had snorted. "Why? You get eye shadow in your eye again?"

"No, it's just we don't have any friends. We only hang out with each other. Everyone our age or younger are either too scared or in awe of us to talk to us, and everyone older than us doesn't know we exist."

"Do you like talking to me?"

Darcy's mind had said, No, but she replied with a quiet "yes".

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is I want to have fun! I want to have sleepovers on Fridays and go shopping on Saturdays. I want to be normal, to some extent."

"If you want to have a gaggle of girlfriends at your beck and call, skip on over to Alfea. The only person a good witch can rely upon is herself. And her coven, of course."

"But-"

Icy finally had looked up from her textbook and glared at Darcy. "But nothing. Darcy, you are a witch. You don't need anyone else."

I don't need anyone else. Darcy stared at the marble floor, pretending to examine the glitter that had been artfully scattered. The boy let out a small sigh, then turned to leave. "Wait!" The words left Darcy's mouth before her head caught up. "Don't leave."

The boy smiled wryly, "I thought you wanted me to."

"Not anymore." Darcy could see his eyes twinkling in amusement. "I mean," she blushed, "not many people come over to talk to me."

"Because sadness and loathing come off you in waves. That's what tempted me here. No fairy ever has such deep emotions."

What's happening to me? Why do I feel like I can trust him? Darcy bit her lip and adjusted her mask. "I'm not like most fairies." Hell, I'm the farthest thing from a fairy!

"Then," the boy took a hesitant step forward, "What are you?"

After Darcy and talked to Icy, she had felt lower than ever. I feel like a little girl again. A little girl, who needs to be cared for and loved, I'm tired of having to raise myself. I want someone to be there for me, I want someone who will hold my hand. I want someone I can love.

The boy escorted her over to a bench and got them glasses of punch. And they talked. Looking back, Darcy could never remember what they talked about, but it was amazing how the boy simply listened and had genuine interest for what she had to say. How much time passed? It felt like forever. Darcy noticed every detail about the boys face. How his dark hair fell into his eyes, the way his angular cheekbones cast shadows across his face…

"Darc, you'll need to go ahead and blend into the party. Keep things running smoothly. Make sure nothing critical changes. We'll arrive later and start the plan. Okay?"

Darcy had furrowed her brow, and turned on Stormy, "Why do you always want me out of the way?"

Icy seemed reluctant to answer, but Stormy had no problem, "Darcy. You're soft. Sure, you get your hands dirty if you need to, but you avoid it at all costs. As you said, 'we can't afford to screw up'."

"This is just until Stormy and I start things off," Icy tried to soothe the agitated witch.

"But that's it. How many plans will I have to 'just sit out the beginning'?"

"You know what Darc? You harden up by senior year and you can play a key role in our take over the world scheme. Mkay?"

Darcy had got up and left the room angrily. What am I going to do in a room full of pixies and specialosers?

Darcy smiled at the face across from her. This boy was nothing that she'd ever imagined. He was kind and sweet, yet hard and serious. Unknown to her, Darcy's eyes flashed an uncanny purple. The boy slowly leaned forward and then…and then he pressed his lips against hers. A flash of fire pulsed through Darcy igniting her blood, and making her heart beat faster than normal. Her senses flared to life, absorbing every moment that passed. Something inside roared with pleasure. Darcy seemed aware of only two things: the boy's soft lips against hers and the dim recollection that Icy's firework signal would be going off any minute. But right now all that really mattered was…

"AWW!" the cooing noise from a passing girl jolted the pair out of their embrace. Darcy opened her eyes to find that she was on the boy's lap, her arms around his neck. The boy flushed, and silently untangled himself and moved over to the end of the bench.

"Please forgive me, Miss." The boy suddenly became stiff and formal, "I don't know what came over me. Normally I wouldn't have been so…forward."

"No. It's my fault." Darcy looked away, amazed at what had occurred. Never before had she felt so full of life and energy. This boy. This boy was incredible. Darcy gently touched her lips. The boy seemed to sense her movement, and turned back to face her. Hesitantly, as if afraid, he reached up and moved a lock of hair out of her face. Darcy looked into his blue eyes and was surprised to see that some of the steeliness had disappeared, replaced by a softness.

"You're unlike any fairy I've met."

He cupped her cheek with his hand and caressed her soft skin. Darcy leaned forward, savoring the closeness of their bodies and-

A dim boom and a scatter of colorful sparks exploded outside.

It was time.