Why Not?
Summary-
"Instead of listening to your heart, you always do what you are told." She said staring into Christine's eyes, "So, why not take a crazy chance, just this once?"
The Victomte de Chagny wasn't the only patron to grace the Opera Populaire, Zero Umbra and his fiancée Myari Rosa also grace the Opera Populaire. But while Raoul sings of treason against King Music, the Phantom of the Opera, Zero and Myari sing only of unbridled loyalty to the King and his chosen Queen. Will Erik be able to live happily with his Queen in his kingdom of music, or will Raoul succeed in destroying the kingdom and steal it's Queen away?
Chapter 1-
Christine tried not to wince as Carlotta once again hit the wrong note as she sang badly out of tune. Christine turned her head to look at her best friend, Meg, when she felt the girl tug on her arm. She stifled a laugh as Meg covered her ears and rolled her eyes. Christine quickly turned back around when she saw Madame Giry, Meg's mother and the ballet instructor, give her a stern look. She began to fidget and glanced up into the flies as she and the other ballet dancers waited for their cue to enter.
As Christine and the other dancers took the stage after being given their cue, Christine noticed the manager, Monsieur Lefevre, walking into the room with five other people. One of the five people with Lefevre looked familiar to her, as if she had met him before. But she couldn't place when or where. Had she met him when she was younger, before she had moved to the Opera Populaire, before her papa left her?
Christine
A voice sang in her mind. The voice was one of which she was very familiar with. It was the voice of her protector, her teacher, her Angel of Music. At hearing her Angel's voice, she mentally shook her head and pushed all of her distracting thought to the back of her mind and focused on her dancing so that she may please not only her Angel of Music, but also the Opera Ghost that was always watching them.
"This way, gentlemen, my lady." Everyone heard Lefevre say as he lead the small group to the stage. This caused everyone to stop and gather in small groups and whisper to each other. Christine had instantly grabbed Meg's hand and drug her to the back of the stage, so that they would not draw attention to themselves. "Ladies and gentlemen," Christine heard Lefevre call out trying to get their attention, but the others just continued to gossip to each other, "Ladies and gentlemen," He tried again, "Ladies and gentle- Madame Giry, would you please?" Everyone was suddenly silenced when Madame Giry slammed the end of her walking stick on the stage, "Thank you," Lefevre said to her before returning his attention to the actors and dancers on stage, "As you know, for some weeks there have been rumors of my imminent retirement. I can no tell you that these were all true." He said and everyone interrupted him as the whispers began once more, but they were quickly silenced by Madame Giry once more, "It is my pleasure to introduce you to the two men who now own the Opera Populaire, Monsieur Richard Firmin and Monsieur Gilles Andre" Lefevre said and the two new managers bowed respectably to their names, "And their wonderful patrons, Monsieur Zero Umbra and his bride-to-be, Mademoiselle Myari Rosa," A man with shoulder length Snow white hair and steal gray eyes bowed as the young woman on his arms curtsied, "And the Victomte de Chagny." Christine quietly gasped, catching Meg's attention, as the Victomte bowed his head to everyone.
"What's wrong?" Meg asked worried as Carlotta and her husband Piangi were introduced to the new manager's and the patrons.
"That's Raoul." Christine whispered, turning to look at her confused friend, "He and I were once childhood friends." Meg's eyes widened as she turned to look back at the Victomte, Christine also turned to look at her once childhood friend. He had certainly grown. Christine went to take a step towards Raoul, to go to him and rekindle their old friendship. They had been so close, like childhood sweethearts.
Christine
Her Angel sang in her head, stopping Christine in her tracks as a wave of guilt hit her. She suddenly felt that if she went up to Raoul she would betray not only her Angel, but also, for some unknown reason, the Opera Ghost as well. Christine took a small step backwards, away from Raoul, before lifting her eyes to Box Five, hoping to be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the Opera Ghost. She was rudely brought back to the present as everyone suddenly moved to get out of Carlotta's way.
Everyone visibly winced as Carlotta started singing the aria 'Think of Me' off key. Before she could finish the first line of the aria, the backdrop suddenly fell on her. And as quickly as she could, Christine looked up to the flies, catching the very last of the Opera Ghost's cape disappearing. Meg must have caught sight of it too, because she grabbed onto Christine's arm and fearfully whispered "It's him, the Phantom of the Opera."
"Buquet!" Christine heard Lefevre yell, "Where is Buquet? Get that man down here!" Christine watched as Lefevre turned to the new managers and the patrons, "Chief of the flies. He's responsible for this." Christine was suddenly pushed out of the way as a fat, balding, middle age man ran to the stage, holding some rope in his arms. "Buquet! For God's sake, man, what's going on up there?"
"Please monsieur, don't look at me. As God as my witness, I was not at my post. Please monsieur, there's no one up there. And if there is, well then, it must be a ghost!" Buquet cried showing everyone the rope in his hands, it had obviously been cut.
"No! Don't talk about that!" Lefevre cried out as most of the ballet girls screamed in fear, Lefevre quickly grabbed Buquet's arm and drug him to the other side of the stage as everyone ran around looking into the flies or Box Five trying to find him. Christine pulled Meg into the wings as the girl cried out.
"He's there, the Phantom of the Opera!" Causing the new manager Firmin to look at her with an annoyed look.
"Mademoiselle,please!" Firmin yelled at her causing both Meg and Christine to flinch back, as Andre walked over to Carlotta.
"These things do happen." He said to her as he helped her up. The smile that Carlotta had on her face when he began to help her up suddenly became forced.
"'These things do 'appen'?" Carlotta repeated as she glared at Andre. "You have been here but five minutes, what do you know?" Carlotta cried as she pushed a shocked Andre away from her. "Si, these things do 'appen." all ze time! For ze past three years these things do 'appen." Carlotta said a Lefevre walked back on to the stage, her eyes immediately found him and she stomped over to him, Lefevre held up his hand to her. "And did you stop zem from 'appening? No!" Carlotta turned back towards Andre, "And you! Well, you're as bad as 'im! 'These things do 'appen'." She scoffed, "Well, until you stop these thing 'appening, this thing does not 'appen! Ubaldo! Andiamo!" Carlotta yelled before storming out with Piangi behind her.
"Amateurs!" He said to them as he passed them, leaving everyone in a tense silence. The Opera was tonight and they had no leading soprano.
"I don't think there's much more to assist you, gentlemen." Lefevre said to Andre and Firmin, "Good luck. If you need me, I shall be in Frankfort." And with that, he was gone.
"La Carlotta will be back." Andre said nervously. And from her spot, hidden in the wings with Meg, Christine watched as Madame Giry walked up to the new managers with a recognizable white envelope trimmed in black with a red skull seal, a not from the Opera Ghost.
"You think so Monsieurs? I have a message from the Opera Ghost." Madame Girl said causing whispers to begin again and Meg to grab onto Christine's hand.
"God in heaven, you're all obsessed." Firmin cried causing the whispers to stop as everyone looked at him in shock.
"Now, Monsieur Firmin, you should not chastise them for their beliefs in this Opera Ghost. Every theater that I have passed through has had their far share of traditions and and beliefs, this one just so happens to believe they have and Opera Ghost." Zero said in a deep commanding, yet relaxing voice that made everyone want to trust him, yet his eyes and aura made people tense up, ready to flee from him if he should attack them. Christine stared at him, she had a feeling that he was more than what he let on. That, though he came off as cold and unfeeling, he was actually the exact opposite. That something or someone in his past had made him the way he is to protect not only him, but his loved ones. The proof that she was right was in the way he held his fiancée to him, possessively protective yet also very loving.
Christine's attention drifted towards the young woman in the man's arms. Myari Rosa. She looked to be no older than she. Myari has long, dark chocolate brown hair that was curled in loose curls, giving off the feeling of innocence. Christine silently gasped as Myari's eyes suddenly found hers, the girl's eyes couldn't seem to be able to decide if they were bright emerald green or dark mossy brown and seem to shine with mischief. Christine had a feeling that had Zero not been holding on to her, Myari would have been out of their sights in a heart beat and down then halls causing all kinds of mischief, like a sprout.
"What doe the Opera Ghost's letter say, Madame Giry?" Myari asked as her eyes slowly slid from Christine's and towards Madame Giry, allowing Christine to let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"He merely welcomes you to his opera house and commands that you continue to leave Box Five empty for his use and reminds you that his salary is due." Madame Giry said, at that Christine saw Myari whip her head around to look up at Zero who gave her a small nod.
"His salary?" Firmin asked.
"Monsieur Lefevre paid him twenty thousand francs a month. Perhaps you can afford more, with the Victomte de Chagny and Monsieur Umbra as your patrons." Madame Giry said.
"Of course," Zero said, "We wouldn't want to disturb your well kept tradition and call forth a disaster on us."
"Madame, who is the understudy for this role?" Christine heard Andre asked quickly, like he was trying to change the subject.
"There is no understudy, monsieur, the production is new." Reyer cried. Christine suddenly felt herself being drug from out of the wings and onto the stage by Meg and planted her feet, not wanting anything to do with anything she was planning.
"Christine Daaé could sing it, sir." Meg said as they came to stop in front of the managers. Christine instantly tried to hid behind Meg, not wanting to be seen by Raoul, but Meg seemed to have other plans as she forced Christine to stand in front of her, in front of the new managers and patrons.
"Daaé? Any relation to the violinist?" Andre asked and Christine's heart stopped, knowing that is she were to answer that then Raoul would remember her and it would be nearly impossible to avoid him and pretend she didn't know him.
"My-my father, sir." Christine said and faintly heard Raoul gasp out 'Little Lotte' but chose to ignore it.
"A chorus girl sing lead soprano?" Firmin asked.
"She had been taking lessons from a great teacher." Meg said.
"From whom?" Andre asked.
"I-I don't know sir." Christine said, unsure if she should tell him about her Angel or not.
"Oh, not you as well!" Firmin cried throwing his hands in the air, causing Christine to flinch back, as he turned to look at Andre. "Can you believe it? A full house and we have to cancel!"
"Let her sing for you, monsieur. She has been well taught." Madam Giry said and Christine felt Meg back away from her. She had to fight the urge to turn and grab Meg, keeping her with her.
"From the beginning of the aria then, mademoiselle." Reyer said and Christine looked up towards Box Five suddenly afraid to disappoint him. She had no fear of disappointing her Angel, for she knew he would always be proud of her, but the Opera Ghost was a different matter.
"Think of me, think of me fondly, when we've said goodbye. Remember me once in a while, please promise me you'll try." She sand meekly, glancing up at Box Five.
Calm, my Angel, and sing. He will be pleased with you.
Her Angel whispered in her mind and just like that her fear was washed away. She stood up straighter, just as her Angel had taught her, and felt the music in her soul and began to actually sing. Her angelic voice rang through out the room, both soothing and commanding. Once the aria was finished, Christine stood panting as wave after wave of pride and love came flowing into her from Box Five, and knew that he was very pleased with her.