The Phantom of the opera
I don't own the sonic characters or the "phantom of the Opera", But I do own Athine, Angel and Alaigh (phantom) Please do not flame.
Chapter 1-Intro
Within the opera house, known as the famous "Opera Populaire" was the thriving world of backstage. It was filled with liveliness as many of the actors and actresses, the dancers, painters, carpenters preparing for the performance that night. Walking through the backstage corridors was a yellow two tailed fox showing two hedgehogs around. On the stage was prima donna, Rouge. She held a fake stuffed head in one hand as she sang the high notes.
"This trophy from our saviors
From our saviors
From the enslaving
Force of Rome!"
She threw the head at one of her maids who just caught it time, and patting her small dog as the other singers went onto the stage.
"With feasting and dancing and song
Tonight in celebration
We greet the victorious throng
Returned to bring salvation
"The trumpets of carthage resound
Hear, romans, now and tremble
Hark to our step-on the ground
Hear the drums
Hannibal comes"
Another singer, a red echidna, Knuckles enters the stage.
"Sad to return to the land we love
threatened once more by roma's far-reaching grasp"
The maestro, Vector, started to tap on his his desk.
"Gentleman, gentlemen..." he began, trying to get the orchestra's attention. But the fox and the two hedgehogs entered the stage interrupting. He groaned in annoyance.
"Rehearsals as you can see are underway of our new production of 'Hannibal'," the fox told the hedgehogs.
"Monsieur Tails! I am rehearsing!" Vector protested.
"Monsieur Vector...Madame Rose," he started, looking at a pink hedgehog dressed in black standing nearby, who looked impatient.
"Ladies and gentlemen if I could have your attention, thank you. As you know for some weeks there have been rumors of my imminent retirement, I can tell you these are all true," Tails told them
"Aha!" Rouge said pointing at Knuckles who only shrugged.
"And it's my pleasure to introduce the two gentlemen who now own the opera house, Monsieur Sonic and Monsieur Shadow," the fox gestured at a blue hedgehog and a black hedgehog. Everyone clapped. "I'm sure you all know about their recent ------------- in the junk business," he continued.
"Scrap metal!...actually," Shadow corrected him.
"And we are deeply honored to introduce our new Patron, Monsieur Espio," Sonic annonouced. Everyone clapped as a purple Chameleon came towards them. Some of the ballet girls came up from the spiral staircase. A young blood red echidna looked at the new patron.
"It's Espio," she told a white hedgehog next to her as they both watched the new patron and the managers; "Before my mother died, at the house by the sea, I guessed you could say we were childhood sweethearts, he called me Little Fire,"
"Athine, he's so handsome," the white hedgehog said.
Rouge came towards the managers and the new patron with her hand held out.
"Vicomte, gentle, Signora Rouge, our leading singer for five seasons," Tails informed them as Espio slightly kissed her hand as she bowed.
"Brava! Brava!" her maids started calling.
"Ahem!" Knuckles coughed.
"And Signor Knuckles," Tails added. Everyone clapped as he bowed to him.
"An honor Signor, I believe I'm keeping you from your rehearsal, I'll be here this evening to share your great triumph, my apologies," Espio said as he left.
"Thank you Monsieur, once more if you please Signor?" Vector said to Knuckles.
"He loves me he loves me," Rouge bragged to her maids as they put her make-up on; "Loves me loves me loves me,".
As he left, Espio did not notice a disappointed echidna as he passed her without a word.
"He wouldn't recognize me Angel," she told her friend.
"He didn't see you," Angel reassured Athine, as they both prepared to rehearse the ballet.
"Monsieur's, if you please," Madame Rose said to the managers as they moved to one side as the ballet began it's practice.
"We take particular pride in the excellence of our ballet monsieur's," she informed the two hedgehogs as she walked with them.
"I see why," Shadow said as he watched the ballet girls with interested; "Especially that little white angel," he pointed to the white hedgehog.
"My daughter, Angel," she told him (coincidence).
"And that exceptional beauty," Sonic pointed to Athine; "No relation I trust?" he asked.
"Athine Daae, promising talent Monsieur Sonic, very promising,"
"Daae did you say?" Shadow asked; "Is she related to the famous violinist?"
"Her only child, orphaned at seven, when she came to live and train in the ballet dormitories," Madame Rose told him.
"An orphan you say?" Sonic asked and Madame Rose looked at the blue hedgehog.
"I think of her as a daughter also, gentlemen if you kindly step to one side," she told the two as the moved out of the way of the dancers and actors.
"The trumpets of carthage resound
Hear, romans, now and tremble
Hark to our step-on the ground
Hear the drums
Hannibal comes"
A large elephant prop comes onto the stage, as the everyone sings and Knuckles tries to climb on it. Rouge notices that the two managers were paying attention to the ballet girls instead of her, so she sang higher and louder.
"The trumpeting elephant sounds
Hear, romans now and tremble
Hark to our step-on the ground
Hear the Drums
Hannibal comes"
As the song finished, Knuckles gave up on trying to climb onto the elephant, and the diva failed at getting her managers attention.
"All day! All they want is the dancing!" she complained.
"Well, the vicomte is very excited by tonight's gala," Shadow told Sonic and Tails as Rouge came towards them.
"Hallo hallo halla" she started and then looked annoyed; "I hope, he is excited by dancing girls as your new managers," She points to herself; "Because I WILL NOT BE SINGING!" she shouted at them before starting to leave and calling to her maids; "Now it's finished, get my doggie, bring my doggie bye bye!"
"What do we do?" Shadow asked Tails.
"Grovel, grovel grovel," he told them, before they started following her.
"I'm leaving, because I'm going out!" Rouge shouted once more before the two hedgehogs stopped her.
"Principessa bella diva," Shadow started saying to her.
"Si si,"
"Goddess of song!" Sonic said.
"Monsieur Vector, isn't there a wonderful aria for Rouge in act three of Hannibal," Shadow asked the maestro who looked startled.
"Yes, yes, mon no! Because I do not have my costume for act three because SOMEBODY NOT FINISHED IT!" she shouted at one of her maids who looked embarrassed. "And I HATE MY HAT!" she pointed to her heavy looking hat.
"I wonder, signora," Sonic started before Rouge started to cry, or it least it looked like she was crying, "As a personal favor if you would oblige us with a private rendition?"
"That is if Monsieur Vector objects," Shadow added looking at the Crocodile.
"No aspetta aspetta," Rouge said calming down, she smiled then giggled; "If my managers command," The two hedgehogs sighed in relief; "Monsieur Vector?"
"If my diva commands?" he replied.
"Yes! I do," she answered and started to make her way back to the centre of the stage. and shouting at everyone to be quiet.
"Monsieur Tails, why exactly are you retiring?" Shadow asked him.
"My health," he answered.
"I see..."
Rouge spray on her throat spray that one of her maids handed to her.
"Signora," Vector said letting the diva know he was ready.
"Maestro," she answered as she handed the bottle back to her maid and began to sing.
"Think of me
Think of me fondly
When we said goodbye
Remember me
Once in a while
Please promise me you'll try
When you find
that once again
you long to take your heart back be..."
A scenery suddenly fell from the stage ceiling and was about to fall on top of Rouge. Angel screamed trying to get her attention by moving, but it was too late and it landed on the diva. Rouge screamed and ordered everyone to get it off her.
"She's here: The phantom of the opera," Angel told Athine in a frightened tone.
"Buquet! For god-sake man what's going on up there!" Tails shouted at a hedgehog brown hedgehog who was trying to hoist the scenery back up.
"Please monsieur don't look at me, as god's my judge I wasn't at my post!" he stated. Somewhere in the backstage, Madame Rose was looking around above her, until she saw a white letter fall from the ceiling. She bent down to pick it up and stared at the skull seal.
"Please monsieur there is no one there! ...or if there is, well then, it must be ghost," he laughed and left.
"Signora, these things do happen," Shadow said, trying to calm the diva who looked angrily at Tails.
"For the past three years these things do happen and have you stopped them from happening? NO!" She pointed at Sonic and Shadow. "And you two, you're as bad as him! These things do happen, until you stop these things from happening, this thing DOES NOT HAPPEN!" She stormed off causing her maids to go after her.
Knuckles looked at the two hedgehogs and grinned. "Amateurs," he said to them as he left.
"Now you see, bye bye I'm really leaving," she shouted once more as she left.
"Gentlemen, good luck, if you need me I shall be in Australia," Tails told the two before he lefted also. Vector groaned and put his face in his handkerchief.
"Rouge, she will be coming back, won't she?" Shadow asked him who could only shrug.
"You think so monsieur?" Madame Rose asked him; "I have a message sir, from the opera ghost".
"Oh god in heaven you're all obsessed!" Sonic moaned. Madame Rose gave him an icy stare and began to read the letter.
"She welcomes you to her opera house,"
"HER opera house!"
"...And commands that you continue to leave box 5 empty for her use and reminds you her salary is due," she said as she gives the letter to Sonic-.
"Her salary?" Sonic asked, not believing what he is hearing.
"Monsieur Tails used to give her 20,0000 francs a month," Madame Rose replied.
"20,0000 francs!" Sonic shouted as he took the letter from Sonic-.
"Perhaps you can afford more, with Espio as your new patron," she said.
"Madame, I hope to make that announcement public tonight when the vicomte wants to join us for the gala, but obviously we shall have to cancel as it appears we have lost our star!" Sonic shouted as he ripped the letter into pieces.
"There must a...a..." Shadow started.
"Understudy," one of the actors said to him.
"An understudy!"
"An understudy? There is no understudy for Rouge!" Vector told them.
"A full house Shadow, we shall have to refund a full house!" Sonic shouted.
"Athine Daae could sing it sir," Madame Rose said to the two as Athine turned looked at them shyly.
"What a chorus girl? Don't be silly," Shadow said turning away.
"She has been taking lessons from a great teacher," Madame Rose added, almost bribing. Shadow looked at the blood red echidna with new interest.
"Who?"
"I don't know her name monsieur," Athine answered shyly. Madame Rose put her hand on Athine shoulder, comforting her.
"Let her sing for you monsieur, she has been well taught,"
The two hedgehogs took the consideration and allowed the young echidna to sing.
"Alright," Shadow gave in and gestured her to go onto the stage; "Come on, come on, don't be shy," Athine went onto the stage slowly looking nervous.
"From the beginning of the aria please mademoiselle," Vector told her.
"Shadow this is doing nothing for my nerves," Sonic moaned.
"Well, she is very pretty," Shadow replied looking on the bright side. The two hedgehogs changed their minds once they heard Athine's voice.
"Think of me
Think of me fondly
When we said goodbye
Remember me
Once in a while
Please promise me you'll try"
Athine looked at Madame Rose who gestured her to continue.
"When you find that once again
You long to take your heart back and be free
If you ever find a moment
Spare a thought for me"
-------------------------
The auditorium was reveal packed with the audience. The men wore tail coats and gloves, and the women wore dazzling gowns and jeweler. On the stage, was Athine wearing a beautiful white dress.
"We never said
Our love was evergreen
Or as unchanging as the sea
But if you can still remember
Stop and think of me
Think of all things we said and seen
Don't think about the way things might of been
Think of me
Think of me waking
Silent and resigned
Imagine me
Trying too hard to put you from my mind
Recall those days
Look back on all those times
Think of the things we'll never do
There will never be a day
When I won't think of you"
Unknown to anyone, down below underneath the opera house, a dark figure was listening to the angelic voice. Everyone in the auditorium were clapping for the young echidna, but in box five, a young Chameleon stared at the echidna with wonder.
"Can it be?
Can it be Athine?"
"Bravo!" he shouted as he stood up and left the box, not knowing that Madame Rose, hiding behind a red curtain was watching him leave.
"Long ago
It seems so long ago
How young and innocent we were
She may not remember me
But I remember her"
--------------------------
"Flowers fade
The fruit of summer fades
They have their season so do we
But please promise me that sometimes
You will think of me"
The auditorium was filled with applause for Athine, as she bowed. The audience began to throw flowers onto the stage for her. Athine smiled and looked at everyone on the right backstage, Angel and many others were clapping. The two managers were also clapping for her.
"Ma musica! Splendid!" The blue and black hedgehogs shouted for Athine's great success. No one knew that one of Rouge's maids was watching Athine's performance. She ran back outside to Rouge's carriage and reported to her, but the diva fainted onto Knuckles.