Title: Phantom of the Underground
Title: Phantom of the Underground
Author: Skye Aerrow
Rating: T
Characters: Christine Daae, the Phantom of the Opera, and Jareth the Goblin King.
Summary: A Labyrinth/Phantom of the Opera crossover. When Erik (the Phantom) accidentally wishes Christine away to the King of the Goblins, he has absolutely no idea that he's about to experience the most epic, terrifying, and bewildering thirteen hours of his life.
Skye Says: This is going to be quite an interesting fanfic. For those of you that are saying, "Hey, this isn't new! You've had this up FOREVER," you are right. This is merely the updated version of the prologue.
Chapter one is on its way shortly, I assure you.
Prologue- The Phantom, the Storyteller
Months had passed. Three months, to be exact.
She'd changed her mind, as he very well thought she would- knew she would. His Angel had returned to him, choosing him over that despicable vicompte once and for all.
He hoped.
Erik traced his hands over the scarlet cover of the tome he now possessed, a book that he'd found lying on an unused stairwell. Its rough surface reminded him that he wasn't dreaming, that he really was sitting next to the beautiful and talented soprano, Christine Daae.
The opera singer smiled from beneath the Phantom's mask, which he'd been allowing her to wear for a while. Why she'd even wanted him to take it off, and to wear it herself, Erik had no idea. "Is that the book you were telling me about? Read it to me."
He let his eyes rove over her body for a few moments. When they darted over to her face, and settled on his trademark half-mask, he had to laugh. "Alright, but only if you take that wretched thing off. You look horrible."
"No worse than you did," Christine obediently removed the mask and set it down on the edge of the bed. "By, the way, I think you look much better without it."
Erik stared down at the mask, relaxing his hold on the book he was about to read. The object that had concealed his deformity for so long laid forlornly on the edge of the bed, teetering slightly as to suggest that it was about to fall. As he stared, transfixed, he felt how naked his face- his ruined face- now felt without the mask. He felt every scar, every mark, every imperfection. Even though Christine had reassured him that he looked fine without it, Erik's arm instinctively shot out at the polished porcelain.
"Erik… what's wrong?" Christine asked in her lyrical voice, soothing his troubled thoughts. She braced a hand against his arm, and leaned forward so that some of her mousy brown ringlets fell over his shoulder. "Was it something I said?"
The mask felt unbelievably natural in the Phantom's hand, as much a part of him as his own skin. He longed to slip its smooth features over his own coarse ones, but knew that it would worry Christine if he did so right then and there. Erik didn't want her to worry, especially about him. He wanted her to live as carefree a life as possible. She deserved it. "No, no… it's nothing, my angel. I was simply… reminiscing."
Her eyes revealed that she wasn't convinced, but she backed off anyway. "If you say so…"
Erik let a gentle smile rest on his lips. "I'm fine, Christine. I promise."
Christine mirrored his smile with one of her own. "I'm glad. Now, may I listen to you read me that story?"
Oh, yes, the book. He'd almost forgotten. Slowly, surely, his hands moved over the cover again, skeletal fingers sweeping over the fine, black printed title. "'Labyrinth'," he read, propping the book on his knees and opening to page one. "I believe you'll enjoy this one."
Christine scooted closer to him until their bodies were touching. She laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. "Hm."
"'Once upon a time'," the Phantom began, clearing his throat to ensure clarity. "'There was a beautiful young girl whose stepmother always forced her to stay home with the baby. The baby was a spoiled child who wanted everything for himself, and the girl was practically his slave. But what no one knew was that the Goblin King had fallen in love with the girl, and had given her certain powers."
"Interesting," Christine mumbled, opening her eyes for a few minutes before closing them again. "Please keep reading, Erik."
The Phantom took in a breath. "'One night, when the baby had been particularly cruel to her, she asked the goblins for help. 'Say the right words,' the goblins said. 'And we'll take the baby away to the Goblin City, and you'll be free.' But the girl knew that the king of the goblins would keep the baby in his castle forever and turn it into a goblin, so she suffered in silence until one night, when she was tired from cleaning the house and hurt by the harsh words of her stepmother, and she could no longer bear it.'"
His angel appeared to be sleeping, but as soon as Erik paused, she opened her eyes again. "That's not it, is it?"
"No, there's more." Erik reassured her, momentarily looking up from the story. "I was just making sure you were awake."
"I am."
"Well, then, I'll continue," the Phantom whispered, tenderly brushing his finger against Christine's cheek. "'It took her several moments to recall the right words- the precious words that would send the baby out of her life forever, but finally, she was able to remember. 'I wish the goblins would come take you away right now.' Sarah said, but not convincingly enough. There was no rush of wind or explosion of light. The Goblin King hadn't come."
"What happened next?"
Erik lowered his voice, becoming more involved in the story as the printed words fell from his lips. "'Rage boiled inside of her when she saw that the baby was still there, and angrily, she stormed out of the room. 'I mean it this time,' Sarah declared insistently as she exited the room-'" and here, Erik looked over at Christine- who had moved to the other side of the bed,-and raised his voice, shouting so loudly that the stone walls threw the noise all the way across the lake- "'I wish the goblins would come take you away, right now!'"
One minute, Christine's eyes were widened, showing that she was shocked by Erik's dramatics.
The next, she was gone.
Completely.
In her place sat a fat green thing that Erik deemed the most disgusting creature he had ever seen in his life... himself excluded.
A voice floated over from the lake behind him.
"Such a pity…"
Skye Also Says: I'm excited about this story all of a sudden.
Let me know what you think.