A Few Quick Notes from the Author: First of all, though this is a site specifically for fan fiction, I'd feel guilty if I didn't say that these are not my characters. Thank you to those who truly created them! Second of all, I was advised by a friend who read over this that I better warn the readers that it is not a Meg/Erik story. So, here it is: It may involve both Meg Giry and Erik, but it is not a Meg/Erik story. My story is mostly based on the movie The Phantom of the Opera, but I've read most of the novel and am familiar with the stage musicalas well.
Thanks for reading this and please review it if you get a chance.
Chapter One: Moving On
"CHANDELIER TAKES CENTER STAGE!" was only one of the numerous headlines that graced the front page of every newspaper in Paris the day after the famous disaster. The whole city knew there was a mystery within the Opera Populaire, but no one had expected it to end with an evening as horrific as it did. The glittering chandelier that had hung from the dome ceiling of the auditorium for years came crashing down over the audience and landed near the stage, where a fire quickly broke out. Of course, some would say the most terrifying part of the evening was when the star of the show, Christine Daaé, removed the mask of her co-star, revealing his true identity to be the mysterious Phantom of the Opera. Also adding to the chaos was the disappearance of Christine Daaé and her lover, Raoul, who was the patron of the Opera Populaire and the Vicomte de Chagny.
Several days went by and the Opera Populaire began the long process of rebuilding after the fire. Fortunately, the flames were contained fairly well and the damage was less than expected. Even so, there was a lot of work that needed to be done before the opera house would be ready to re-open and produce its grand operas once again. Reconstruction was off to a good start, though. The mangers, M. Firmin and M. Andre, had even found a new patron who, like Firmin, valued the power of gossip and felt the rumours and fears surrounding the evening of the chandelier crash might actually increase public interest in the Opera Populaire. The stage was off-limits to anyone who wasn't working on cleaning and rebuilding it, but life went on as normal for the rest of the opera house. Mme. Giry, the Ballet Mistress, and M. Reyer, the conductor, managed to continue rehearsing in another part of the opera house. They knew it would be a long time before another opera would be performed, but they wanted to keep the dancers, musicians, and singers practiced. Everyone was moving on with his or her life.
Everyone was moving on, that is, except for one ballet dancer, Meg Giry. She was the daughter of Mme. Giry and best friend of the still missing Christine Daaé. In an attempt to save her best friend, she had led a mob of people down to the Phantom's lair in the catacombs below the opera house. When they finally reached the lair, they found no one. They searched everywhere, but it was in vain. The Phantom, Christine, and Raoul seemed to have vanished. Meg was disappointed in the police, who chose to discontinue the search rather quickly, in her opinion. She suspected they were afraid of the Phantom. But, Meg wasn't afraid. She was a curious girl and a loyal friend. All she cared about was making sure Christine was okay, even if she did have to face the Phantom. Besides, she was secretly intrigued by him and wished to know more about her friend's strange tutor.
"Meg, concentrate!" Mme. Giry called out to her daughter during a ballet practice. The other dancers stared curiously at Meg. Some looked annoyed at having to stop. Some looked compassionate, pondering how they would feel if their best friend disappeared during an opera. Mme. Giry tried to look strict, but she could not hide her exhaustion.
"Meg, please?" she asked, wearily. "We've discussed this many times already. It is time to leave the past behind and focus."
Meg tried to carry on and forget about everything, as her mother insisted she ought to, but she could think about nothing else. She knew there were many secret passages beneath the opera house and figured the Phantom must know his way around them. He must be hiding down there somewhere...and he must have Christine and Raoul... she thought. At least, she hoped they were still with him. They must be with him. Unless...unless something bad has happened... However, she tried her best not to think about that.
Meg had lost all ability to concentrate. All she thought about was finding Christine and the elusive Phantom. She no longer believed that the Phantom was a ghost. She was beginning to think he was human and she knew it was not logical that he would merely disappear into thin air. The more Meg thought about it, the more she knew what she had to do.