Hello to any reader who has decided to click on this story. Well, to start off with, I've been formulating an idea in my head that can both be cannon to "Phantom of the Opera" and "Love Never Dies" at the same time, and I think I've found a pretty good way to do it. WARNING: There are spoilers for both movies/play's so if you haven't watched them I suggest you do before reading this. I'll post a spoiler warning now just so you know, but if you don't car go on reading. DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera nor any of the characters involved in that story. This is a fan made story.
Enjoy,
Yours truly,
P. O.
PREFACE: The beginnings are not always pleasant.
The rain fell harder on this night than any other around. It seemed to tell a story of someone who was drowned with unquestionable sorrow. A women dressed in a black cloak ran across a deserted cobble stoned roadway leading to a small house in Paris. The women rapped loudly on the door as a light flickered on inside the house. As the door opened, light cut through the rainy night like a blade through skin. Another woman stood, wearing a ballet outfit, looking distraught at the women in front of her.
"My goodness child? What on earth are you doing out in this weather?"
The women merely sank down to her knees.
"Antoinette, I would not have come to you if I did not have to hide such a terribly thing."
Antoinette Giry looked down upon the other woman and saw two bundles in her arms.
"I had to run from my husband, they do not know I've left. I must be quick. The midwife has promised not to tell a soul."
Antoinette was puzzled at the woman in front of her.
"Christine, what ever are you…."
Her voice trailed off as she saw the female child, the left side of her face deformed as well as the male child perfect in every aspect of the word. Christine quickly gave Antoinette the female child.
"You know whose they are now, please, don't let him know. Find him, and give her to him, in secret. I must go."
Christine ran back through the rain with the male bundle in her arms.
"Christine!"
Antoinette shouted out but in vain. She quickly gathered a basket and wrote a note that would keep her anonymous.
Take care of the child.
It was simple and straight to the point. She knew he would, just for the fact that this child also had a deformity. Antoinette smiled to herself hoping that maybe, just maybe this child would bring him out of his slump. She placed the child in the basket with the note on top and quickly made her way to the opera house. The Rue Scribe entrance stood there in the rain, seemingly locked up and damaged but she knew better. Even though the door seemed to be falling off it's hinges and rotted away she opened it leaving the child inside. She knew an alarm would go off in his house. Antoinette ran back to her home, hoping and preying for Christine, and that he would never find out.
A black figure darted through the underbelly of the opera house, noose in hand, grumbling to himself. He knew better, he should have fixed that damn door. The labyrinth of the underground was expansive and would boggle anyone's eyes if they managed to even see anything. The darkness that permeated the corridors was thick and stale so the fresh burst of wind and rain that hit him surprised him more than he was expecting. That was until he saw the basket. A small wicker basket covered with small noises coming from it. Not wanting to deal with the package left, clearly for him he turned to go. That was until a small song, just small baby sounds escaped from the basket but those baby sounds became small little notes from a song. Erik with his black form, stopped in mid stride, wide eyed and shocked. This basket held a child and he quickly grabbed it out of the rain and water, getting soaked in the process. Why would anyone leave a child here? He slowly opened the basket and then knew that reason. The left side of the child's face had been deformed. Antoinette had to have left her here, knowing full well he was the only one qualified to take care of such a child. He smiled as the child looked up upon him with green eyes, the same green eyes as his. He almost laughed at the coincidence.
"Well, young one, you'll need a name, and its almost time we departed from this Paris Hell Hole. "
He brushed her small hairs on her head.
"Rayne, you're name will be Rayne."
The baby cooed in acknowledgement as he swept back down to his lair, his home.
CHAPTER 1: Growing up with Erik
A young girl of five sat down at the piano playing some simple scales laughing, a black mask on the left side of her face. Erik came swooping into the room smiling.
"Rayne, its time we leave this opera house for good!"
The young girl smiled at her dad.
"Really? Papa, I'm Excited!"
Even at five years old her vocabulary astonished him. She was a brilliant child and he fully intended to nurture that brilliance.
"Yes, A few friends of your papa's has procured a way for us to get out of this place and to be in the open!"
Rayne's young eyes sparkled with joy, and she had leaned a year or so ago why they couldn't go out. The memory was still fresh in her mind and she still grimaced at it.
The inky blackness of the opera house seemed all consuming to her and she wanted a taste of that glorious sunlight. She quickly escaped from her fathers' watchful eye and made her way out into the open. She had no mask and was not prepared for the screams, the jeering and the rocks. Nothing could have prepared her for what happened. Surrounded and scared, she stood, not showing any emotion, not giving them any satisfaction of seeing her hurt. That was until a black cape surrounded her and they disappeared back into the comforting darkness. She cried into her fathers' arms. As he explained to her what happened and why they shouldn't be around other people. They didn't understand them. He began his story of the hardships that he faced; the gypsies, Persia, architecture, all up to his involvement of building the opera house.
They packed what little they had; music, clothes and masks; and left. Taking a train to where they would be free from the horrors of the world in a sense.
"Papa, tell me the story of Christine Daee…"
It was a simple question, yes, but she knew the pain and anger that might bring up. She didn't care she wanted to know. Erik slowly looked at her.
"How do you know that name?"
Rayne blushed in embarrassment.
"You say that name in your sleep, papa."
His hand went to his head and laughed.
"Of course I'll tell you, we have a while on this train yet, as well as a boat ride."
Her eyes sparkled at the prospect of going across the sea but she was more interested in the story.
"It starts way before you were born…"
The opera house sparkled in magnificence unbeknownst to most of the world. Many have traveled across the world just to glance at the structure alone. Some even came to see the opera's that were held. The Prima Donna, Carlotta was atrocious at singing but its what the populous wanted. Not Erik though, he set out on making her life miserable and he got paid for it. During this time though, he tutored a girl not 5 years younger than himself on the beauties of singing. After a final annoyance Carlotta finally left after two new managers stepped in. Unfortunately things went down hill after his students' performance. She inspired everyone who heard her but the managers were dead set on Carlotta in spite of him and she had found a young lover. Jealousy over took him and in one final desperate effort he took her down to his lair. His home and she fell in love with him and he with her. Until, she unmasked him and he freaked out. She than ran after that handsome viscount, leaving him to pin after her. He became violent and dark, even killed people. His jealousy got the better of him and he kidnapped her, and almost killed her lover, until she kissed him, not just a fake, desperate kiss so he would release them but a true loves kiss. He couldn't say much but let them go. His heart shattered. She left him in heartbreak but returned right before her wedding day. He thought just to mock him but she claimed her mistake. They spent the night swearing their love for one another but that morning, if he had stayed, she would have never been able to live again so he left her and hid.
"And… then I found you, only about eight months later at my door step. Just a child, in a basket in the rain."
Tears had been streaming down Rayne's face in buckets. She jumped across the small cabin they were in and hugged him.
"Oh papa, you still love her!"
He smoothed down her hair as she cried into him.
"I supposed I do"
The train and the boat ride were luckily uneventful. Erik too up a pseudonym of Mr. Y and became the master of a freak show. A young girl, his adopted daughter, always present with him. Both of them creating a father daughter master of the world act. Fantasma had become a huge hit and for the next five years, it would continue you to do so and with the help of both Antoinette and her daughter, the success was outmatched. Coney Island had become their new permanent home.
