Did you know it's Phantom's birthday? (29/12)
To celebrate, i wrote a fanfiction... yay...
A Phantom Celebration
Phantom stumbled through the Lumiere, head down and hunched forward. It wasn't that he was injured, or that he was lame or anything. Phantom merely couldn't muster the energy needed to walk properly. Gaston could yell at him for all he cared; Phantom wouldn't listen on this particular day. In this manner, he shuffled into the waist deck of the Lumiere. It was strangely vacant, and the maids, workers and shopkeepers seemed to have gone on vacation. The only person still there was Gaston, who was at his post year round.
Phantom moved to go to his personal quarters, when Gaston barred his path. Phantom raised his head to stare at his manservant, and gave him an irritated look. Gaston knew what day of the year it was perfectly fine. He should know by now not to disturb the thief.
"Move." Phantom commanded, trying to push Gaston away, but not actually sparing any effort. Gaston stood fast, not moving an inch.
"Master, you should rethink doing that today. Didn't the boy, Evan, want to meet you in the dining room?" Gaston asked. "You'd hardly be… fit to see the child, dragon master or not." Phantom, not wanting to respond, merely shrugged, his face blank and uncaring. "Oh, alright. I'll just go put up the barricade again this year. Try not to break it again, will you?" Gaston left to do just that, allowing Phantom entry to his own quarters.
Phantom trudged into his rooms at a snail's pace. He grabbed a cabinet, and yanked it open. Taking the key from inside, he used it to unlock a panel in the floor. Phantom sighed, and took a seat on the lush carpet. Phantom hesitated as he reached into the storage compartment, and slowly retrieved a glass bottle from inside. It was very old, having been brewed at least half a millennium earlier. The collection had cost a fortune; or at least it would have. Phantom had stolen it years before he had met Aria.
This is a line break okay? Okay.
"Happy Birthday young Phantom." Raven told the child, who beamed back at the older man. Raven handed the boy, who went by the moniker 'Phantom', a wrapped gift. The boy stared down at the poorly wrapped gift, dirty paper covering up a rectangular box.
"Thanks!" the boy exclaimed, as happy as could be. His stomach growled. The boy was becoming rather hungry. He glanced down at his stomach before staring at Raven again. The boy wondered what the present was.
"Just don't let your parents see it. They might take it." Raven explained to the boy. "Well, go home and eat now, I won't hold you up any longer!" The boy nodded vigorously, and went to sneak back into the palace of Ariant. If he was seen outside of the palace, where it was 'uncivilized' and 'crude', they'd keep him locked up there for weeks. The other nobles refused to believe that the people in the world outside the palace were perfectly normal.
The boy crawled through the open window of his bedroom, and stuffed the grubby package underneath his bed. The boy left the present there to go eat: he would unwrap it later. The boy noticed that a servant had been waiting at the doorway. He gave a start, having not realized that the woman had been watching the whole time. The boy hoped that the servant hadn't seen the present, and stood to look them in the eye. He was about two heads shorter, so he had to look up to do so.
"Yes Yuina?" The boy asked. "Do you have a message? Is it lunch?" The servant nodded.
"It is lunch. You were expected to be in the lesser dining hall half an hour ago." She bowed after speaking, and moved out of the doorway to let the boy through. He nodded, and left the room, heading towards the lesser dining hall. It was where many lower ranked nobles ate in on a regular day; the greater dining hall was reserved for special occasions, guests, or whoever the royal family chose to allow in.
By the time that the boy reached the lesser dining hall, he was very late. He had come back to the palace thirty minutes after the meal had started, and the other nobles that had been there on time were mostly finished. The boy's mother was no exception. He sat down next to her, hoping that she wouldn't notice his appearance. The boy's hopes were in vain.
"And where were you all this time?" She asked, putting on a stern expression. The boy winced. "I am most finished my meal, and you have just come? What have you been doing?"
"Studying of course!" The boy responded. His mother raised a questioning eyebrow.
"I told Yuina to tell you to go to lunch when you got back to your room." His mother said. "Seeing as you just only arrived here now means that you came back to your room rather late. What were you actually doing?"
"I-I was in the library, studying. I didn't know what time it was because I was too busy studying." The boy defended himself. "Only when I finished reading the book on history did I return to my room." At this point, the dining hall was mostly empty, the only exceptions being a few stragglers, the boy, and his mother.
"The Complete History?" His mother asked in disbelief. "Did you actually read that all the way through?"
"Yes mother." The boy lied through his teeth. She smiled brightly.
"If you read the complete history, then do tell me the name of the fortieth queen of Ariant, and what she was famous for." His mother requested. "Oh, and while you're at it, state in what years the queen had children, and the date of their deaths." The boy gulped nervously. He knew nothing about Ariant's history, or the fortieth queen, whoever that was.
"I think I may have forgotten. I can tell you in an hour if you give me time to refresh my memory." The boy replied. His mother's smile vanished.
"There is no 'complete history' of Ariant. It simply doesn't exist, not in book form, nor any other form. No one knows the complete history of any nation. You were with those lowly commoners again." His mother accused. "I've told you time after time, communing with peasants will only bring you down to their level. You're better than that Razin." The boy winced at the sound of his name.
"I'll study tomorrow alright? It's just that… it's my birthday. I wanted a bit more freedom." The boy muttered. "And Raven is perfectly normal." He ate in silence as his mother departed, leaving him the only person in the hall. The food had long since gone cold, as cold as it would ever be in the sweltering heat of the palace. When he was finished, he returned to his room. His mother and the servant awaited him.
"Uh, hello mother." The boy greeted them awkwardly. "Can you tell me why you're in my room?" His mother scowled. The boy noticed that his present now sat on the table, rather than hidden under his bed.
"You've been hiding things from me again." She said distastefully. The boy's mother pointed at the grubby package. "It's one thing to be with common folk, but another to accept gifts from them. Yuina found it under your bed." She tore it open, and took out a carefully wrapped mask. It was similar to the ones worn in a festival, except modified to be worn as a hat rather than a mask. It was quite plainly decorated, in solid black, blue, and white colored material.
"Th-that's mine." The boy protested. "You had no right to go through it my presents."
"I am your mother. I have every right." His mother said. "What I find alarming though, is that you seem attached to what that bumbling fool Raven gave you. You are nobility; you cannot afford to be seen with a fool's hat. If you were seen by anyone else, rumors would start. Razin, set fire to it. You are to leave no evidence." The boy stared in horror at his mother.
"No." He replied. "I won't burn my birthday present." His mother's eyes widened.
"Razin, I am your mother, and you will do as told." She exclaimed. "Now dispose of the stupid hat."
"My name is Phantom." The boy whispered so softly that it was barely audible. The servant shook her head lightly, urging the boy not to.
"What was that?" His mother asked. "Speak up, no one can hear you."
"My name is Phantom." The boy declared. "And I'll not ruin my hat."
"You prefer the name given to you by that idiotic buffoon?" His mother asked incredulously.
"Raven is not an idiotic buffoon!" The boy yelled. "He's better than you and everyone else in this palace!"
"Razin." His mother spoke in a soft voice. She narrowed her eyes. "I'll give you thirty seconds to retract that statement and tear your dumb mask to pieces. Or else." The boy stared defiantly back at his mother, not making a sound. The given thirty seconds passed in silence.
"Happy now?" The boy asked.
"I'll give you one last chance Razin." His mother said impassively. "Renounce Raven and the name he gave you, or you will be beaten. It is as simple as that."
"No." The boy said softly. His mother stared at him. "No, I won't do it."
"What was that?" The boy's mother asked. She grabbed a cane from the corner of the room and struck the boy across the head, sending him reeling. His mother whipped him again with the cane, this time across the back. One, then twice. His eyes stung with tears. "What was that you said? I don't think I heard you. Say it again. Say it again, I dare you." She hit him a fourth time. Five. Six. Then seven. She paused, giving the boy a minor respite.
"I-I-I… w-wo-won't… d-do… i-it." The boy managed to say. In response, his mother continued to beat him viciously with the cane. His vision grew blurry, and his blood spilled onto the floor. Dark spots flashed in front of his eyes, and pain was a constant companion through the whole experience. It wasn't the boy's first beating, nor would it likely be the last. Before he blacked out, the boy heard his mother utter a command, but he couldn't comprehend the words.
The boy awoke to a full moon, illuminating the room. He tried to move, to get up, to get out, to escape the palace, to do anything to get away from his mother, but his limbs wouldn't function as he wished. Instead, the boy sat up, and stared down at the floor. Why did the room smell of smoke? That's when it hit him – the ground before him was covered in ashes. The boy could faintly make out the remains of an object. It was his hat. With a soft moan, the boy collapsed onto the ground.
"Happy birthday to me." The boy muttered to himself as he crawled into the fetal position. "Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me."
LINE BREAK THIS IS
Evan watched the fancy door of the Lumiere impatiently. Maybe he had chosen the wrong room for a surprise party. Mercedes, Aran and a reluctant Luminous waited with him in the dark room, all hiding like Evan. Though they had been waiting for quite awhile, none of the other heroes seemed to be feeling restless. Evan sighed, and resumed his position, staring at the door. He had practically dragged the other heroes into doing this – he couldn't be the one to chicken out.
Something slammed against the wall, causing a large crash. Evan flinched. Moments after, someone jiggled the doorknob. Evan sucked in a breath, and waited for the door to open… but it didn't. Was the door locked? That would prove quite a problem for a surprise party if the birthday thief couldn't get in. Another shudder went through the walls, and the door was blasted inward, its hinges irreparably broken.
A figure staggered into the room, casually carrying a gigantic hammer in one hand. Soon enough, the hammer metamorphosed into a slender elegantly decorated cane. The person holding it was dressed in a fancy suit, as spotless as the moon in the night sky. An exquisite hat rested on his head, and blue feathers protruded off of it. It was the master thief, the raven in the night, the legendary renegade who'd never been caught. It was Phantom, the thief gone hero.
Phantom clenched his cane in one hand, and a half empty glass bottle in the other. He took a long draught from it, before dropping the now empty glass bottle to the ground, shattering it on contact. Phantom glanced around the room blankly, looking but not understanding. He stumbled to the right, almost directly in front of Evan's hiding place.
"Why's it so freakin' dark?" Phantom asked irritated. "The lights are always on!" He smashed his cane against the wall, presumably where the light switch was. Phantom missed. He swore, and he smashed the wall in several more places. The light flickered on, and Evan blinked at the sudden brightness.
"Surprise!" The hidden heroes all yelled simultaneously, as was planned. They leaped out of their hiding places, at a surprised Phantom. "Happy Birthday!" This time only Evan and Aran spoke. Evan looked around confused at Mercedes and Luminous, but neither seemed willing to say it.
"The heck is this?" Phantom asked, pointing his cane threateningly at Evan's throat, as he was the nearest hero. In a flash of light, the cane became a sword, the deadly tip resting uncomfortably on Evan's neck. Evan could feel the sharp blade, and if he made any sudden movements, he might pierce himself on it.
"A-a-a surprise party?" Evan replied uncertainly, staring down at the sword. "F-for your birthday. L-lania a-and m-me even baked a cake for you." Phantom glared at him, and Mercedes whacked Phantom's arm downward, where it lay by his side.
"Phantom!" Mercedes chided. "You don't threaten children with swords!"
"Freud doesn't need you to babysit him, nor is he a child." Phantom replied. "You can't tell me what to do either." Phantom spat in her face. Mercedes' eye twitched as she wiped the saliva off her cheek.
"How dare you!" Mercedes exclaimed in indignation. "That is Evan, I'll have you know, Freud's successor. Freud is dead. Dead." Phantom chuckled.
"He's right here, completely fine!" Phantom retorted. "For such a beautiful lady, you're surprisingly dull." Mercedes' eyes widened and she reached for the bowguns at her waist. In a second, Mercedes had them both pointed at Phantom, who swayed seemingly against his own will.
"Don't!" Evan cried out. "Don't hurt him!" Mercedes spared a glance toward Evan.
"And why ever not?" Mercedes asked, still angry with Phantom.
"He's… he's" Evan began, not wanting to say it.
"Completely and utterly drunk." Luminous finished for him. "Probably won't remember anything that happens today, and will have no control over his actions." Mercedes hesitantly lowered her weapons, and stepped away from the thief.
"Says you." Phantom said. His sword reverted back into its regular form as a cane in a flash of light, and he used it to keep himself steady. Even so, Phantom wobbled on the spot, his balance awry. Luminous sighed.
"He'll also be more of a complete idiot than usual." Luminous explained. Phantom smirked.
"Aww thanks lil Lumi, that means a lot to me." Phantom replied.
"What did you just call me?" Luminous asked irately.
Evan watched in silence as the bickering began again. Of course, Mercedes was soon brought back into the arguing. Evan glanced to the far side of the room, where Aran stood passively beside the cake. Evan strode over to her. From there, he continued to watch the other heroes for a few minutes. After a while, he decided it would probably be best to end their struggle.
"Umm…" Evan asked. "Aran?"
"…Yes?" Aran replied, her gaze focused on the quarrelling heroes.
"C-can you stop them?" Evan requested, pointing to the other heroes. Aran nodded in confirmation.
"Why in the world would I be attracted to you of all people?" Mercedes cried out. "You're a drunk idiot!" Phantom shrugged with a small smile.
"How 'bout lil Lumi?" Phantom asked innocently.
"Why are you still calli-" Luminous said. He was interrupted by Phantom grabbing the back of his and Mercedes' head and smashing their faces together. They separated from the forced kiss instantly, both giving foul looks at Phantom.
"There, wasn't that just perfect?" Phantom asked, laughing hysterically. It was then when Aran grabbed Phantom by the neck and thrust him against the wall. The action left a sizable dent in the stone where Phantom was, and made the laughing thief wheeze.
"Stop" Aran commanded. "You're drunk." In response, Phantom halted his laughter and look down at the warrior solemnly. Then he threw up on her. Phantom began laughing like a hyena again. Aran smashed his head repeatedly on the wall until Phantom stopped. She dropped the limp bleeding body, and went back to a wide-eyed Evan.
"What?" Aran asked. "You told me to stop their squabble."
"I didn't tell you to bash him against the wall!" Evan exclaimed. "What if you killed him?"
"But I didn't." Aran replied simply. She turned to Mercedes. "Does Phantom drink often?"
"No. Only on one day of the year, as far as I know." Mercedes answered. "I shouldn't have lost my temper. Luminous?"
"What?" The mage snapped, face tinged slightly red.
"This is the part where you say 'I shouldn't have lost my temper either'." Mercedes told him.
"No thanks, I'm good." Luminous replied before teleporting out of the room. Mercedes looked tempted to chase after the mage, but seemed to think better of it.
"Mercedes?" Evan asked. The mentioned elven lady turned and nodded. "Why does Phantom get drunk on his birthday?" Mercedes sighed.
"Phantom doesn't celebrate a birthday." Mercedes replied. Before Evan could ask why, she continued. "He celebrates a death day."
"Whose?" Evan asked.
"The one person that he loved. You know a little about Phantom's past right?" Mercedes explained. "A master thief who was baited by the 'legendary gem', the Skaia, which was under the possession of the empress. Phantom only wanted to steal the empress's favored jewel, but instead had his heart stolen. The two started an unintended romance, between the empress and the master thief. It was the stuff of rumors, preposterous but true.
"The empress was as fair in body as in mind. She was a wonderful ruler; I met her personally on several occasions. But not all good things last. In a conference meeting with one of the black mage's commanders, Aria was murdered. That was one of the reasons why Phantom joined the heroes in the first place. Revenge. Now, can you guess on what day of the year Aria died?" Evan's eyes widened in shock as he realized.
"Did she die today? On Phantom's birthday?" Evan asked, already knowing the answer. Mercedes nodded. "That's so sad though…"
"These things happen in war." Mercedes said emotionlessly. "So every year Phantom mourns her, instead of celebrating the day he was conceived as most humans do. Now let's go. Phantom's maids will take care of the blood and Phantom's body." Mercedes abandoned the room, with Aran following suit, leaving Evan alone with the passed out Phantom.
Evan glanced back at Phantom's unconscious body, wondering what the thief had gone through. Why he'd become a thief, how he'd met Aria. What made Phantom tick, and what kept him going when he was down? Evan barely understood the thief. The two of them both carried the title of 'hero', but neither knew much about the other. They were strangers in a sense, connected by a work relationship. The thief had never been one to reveal his secrets.
"I'm so sorry. Soul Stone." Evan whispered to the unconscious thief. The magic stone appeared, flashing over Phantom's bleeding head once before vanishing. "Ju-just in case. Happy birthday." And with that, he left as well, leaving Phantom alone once more, bleeding and unconscious. But hey, at least he wouldn't die.
Happy birthday Phantom.
And happy deathday Aria.