Chapter 1

The events of our story first occurred on August 15th, 1885, during the time in which the elderly, grey colored husky named Monsieur Frederic Levefre, had decided to retire from his role as Manager of the Opera Canine. To be frank, Monsieur Levefre seemed rather relieved to be out of the job. His reason for retirement was unknown to his fellow employees, but one could guess it was due to his age, and the old, grey husky definitely looked like he deserved to take a much needed vacation. (Of course, if one had worked as such a place for a seemingly long 8 years, they couldn't imagine why.)

Some of the employees of the Canine, who had known the grey husky for quite a while, immediately planned to throw a retirement party for the manager. Monsieur Levefre accepted the idea, and announced that it would occur after the yearly Gala performance at the Canine.

Ah, yes, Le Gala de'l Opera was definitely an occasion many would not want to pass up. It was a yearly celebration that held tribute to all the great composers of the Classical Era, which would showcase various works and pieces by some of the best musicians from that era. Only the ones that were invited were allowed to go to such an event, and it seemed like most of Paris's upper class would be attending that evening. Several of them were connoisseurs of the Opera, and had attended the Canine several times before. So they were no doubt excited to find that for the last part of the performance, the famed singer La Carlotta, the Prima Donna of the Opera Canine, and had been the leading soprano for the past 5 seasons, would be performing one of her best known arias.

At about 8:00 PM, the doors to the Grand Theater were opened to the public, and everyone present took their seats, their fans and brochures in hand. The Grand Theater of the Opera Canine was no doubt the main focal point of the entire House. There were approximately 1,979 red velvet seats, with balconies that stretched almost all across the back of the theater over to the stage, with the frames of the theater made entirely out of gold, including the outline of the stage, which was covered by a velvet red curtain with golden linings. The top part of the stage was a wondrous sight to see, as it held golden statues of angels, which looked down at the audience below. Above the theater held a magnificent circular ceiling painted with stunning green, red, yellow, and purple figures of men, women, children, and featured some of the famous sights of Paris. And in the middle of the ceiling, a long, sturdy chain held a massive, 2,000 pound chandelier, decked in golden candles and lyres.

Once everyone took their seats, they talked amongst themselves as they waited for the performance to start. One pair of dogs had placed themselves in the bottom box near the stage, with one of them (a black furred husky with white paws) reading a brochure, whilst the other (a malamute husky with black and white fur) had placed his head in his paws, which were resting on the railing of the balcony. He hadn't exactly planned to be there, but due to him and his brother's status, they were mostly obliged to go.

"Stephen, please sit in you seat properly," He ordered, looking over at his brother, as he placed the brochure on his lap, "You know that I'm here as I am the Canine's newest patron, and we are to show our deepest respect for this place, so please take your paws off the rail." The black colored husky brother, known as Philippe de Chagny, had been invited by the manager to the Gala, and Philipe, thinking that it would be a good experience for his younger malamute brother; he had literally dragged him to the Canine for the Gala. Of course, being the way that he was, the black and white husky was definitely going to give his older sibling some trouble all throughout the night.

"It's Steele, brother." He replied annoyingly, as he sat back in his chair, folding his arms. "You should know that I'm not one to take part in these…social events. I would much rather be at home right now, if you want to know the truth. You owe me, Philippe." The older husky merely chuckled in response, having already been used to his brother's attitude. He knew he'd get over it eventually.

Comte Philippe de Chagny and Vicomte Stephen de Chagny, were the brother's of one of the most richest families in Paris: The Chagny's. They had quite the reputation of not only having a massive amount of inheritance wealth, but also had a status in the armed forces. When Philippe was his brother's age, he had been given the position of General in the French Army, and served for several years until he decided to move back to his home estate in Paris, which was a part of the more upper-class section of Paris. When his brother was born, Philippe saw great potential in his brother, and wanted him to be a soldier, and possibly a General such as himself.

Unfortunately, their mother got in the way, and to his dismay, spoiled the young Vicomte, and when this mixed with his social status, it turned him into a rather brash young fellow that always kept his head held high with pride. Philippe had quarreled with his mother, telling her that spoiling him would not teach him anything, but his pleas went unanswered.

However, once Stephen turned 16, and their parents having already passed away, his brother still saw the hidden potential inside of him, and decided to be rid of his childish attitude. He soon shipped him off to the military, in order to turn him into something far greater than some kind of pure-blood dog. For the next 5 years, Steele showed great promise in the armed forces, as he was quite skilled with the rifle, and his strength seemed to out match those of the other soldiers.

During his time at one of the many army forts, one of the gunpowder barrels inside accidentally exploded, and caused the building to catch fire. Even though most of the soldiers managed to escape, some of them were still trapped inside. Stephen volunteered to go back inside, and as luck would have it, managed to come right back out with all of the remaining soldiers, despite the ferocity of the flames. It was almost like the flames didn't encumber him, but only made him stronger, much like pure, unrelenting steel. Thus, he was given the nickname Steele by his comrades, and soon, everyone in Paris caught on to the name, and it stuck.

Once Steele returned to the Chagny estate at the age of 24, he came back a popular celebrity, and yet, despite his brother's efforts to change his brother, his act of heroism seemed to grow the Vicomte's sense of pride. He was still just as selfish and stuck-up as he was before, and if it wasn't for his brother to straighten him out, he would probably be left to go on a gloating rampage.

The brother's then turned their attention to the stage, as did everyone else, as the Gala began, with various composers performing classic compositions, such as Beethoven's 5th, Mozart's Symphony No.40 in G Minor, Bach's Toccata, and many others. As the Gala progressed, everyone eagerly anticipated the arrival of La Carlotta to blow them away as she always did.

Unbeknownst to them, however, the pink and white poodle had unfortunately contracted a severe case of bronchitis, and was unable to get to the Canine on time. This wasn't exactly good news for the Monsieur Belmont, the acting-manager for the Canine.

"What do you mean she can't perform?" The rather short-tempered Beagle barked at the dachshund messenger that was sent from La Carlotta.

"I'm sorry Monsieur, but I'm afraid she's ill," He replied, taking off his hat. "There's nothing I can do."

The Beagle rubbed his forehead, "Great, we've lost our star! Now what? There's no understudy for La Carlotta! Oh, what are we to do?"

Jennifer Daae…she will perform tonight…

A voice whispered in the acting-manager's ear, almost like someone was speaking to him. He looked around him, but found that no one was near him. He shook his head, thinking he was hearing things.

Madame Daae? He thought, realizing that was the last thing on his mind when it came for an understudy. Why on earth would anyone suggest that? He slowly peaked out the curtain, and noticed some of the dogs were getting restless, and realized that he didn't have much of a choice.

La Carlotta will not like this, he thought gravely.

"Somebody, anybody, fetch Mademoiselle Daae please," He ordered some of the dog's around him, "Quickly!" Eventually, one of the dogs had heard his order, and rushed off to find her. The acting-manager fixed his coat a bit, and walked behind the curtain and onto the stage.

"Ladies and gentledogs," He said, "It is my sad duty to report, that the great La Carlotta, is ill, and will be unable to perform this evening."

The audience was rather disappointed to hear that, and started moaning and complaining.

"However, we have managed to find a last minute replacement, an understudy for La Carlotta; Mademoiselle Jennifer Daae. Please enjoy."

A few of the dogs in the front started whispering to one another. "Who is Jennifer Daae?" One of them asked with a rather confused look on his face.

"I don't think she's part of the chorus." One of the dogs answered, "Believe me, I've checked the brochure. I've never even heard of that name before."

"Excuse me, Mademoiselle," A dog said, who was sitting nearby, "But did you say Daae?"

"I believe so. I've heard that name before, but the only thing that comes to mind is the Alaskan violinist of the same name." He replied.

"That's it!" The first dog exclaimed, "I remember now. Jennifer Daae was his only daughter. I wouldn't be surprised that she decided to join the Canine. Why didn't she appear in the chorus? I thought she was supposed to be a good singer?" He also noticed that the huskies name was not on the list of performers on the program.

"I heard she hasn't really been up to par. Mademoiselle Babette says she sings like a crock!"

"I heard she keeps to herself, and doesn't really talk to many dogs,"

"I heard she-"Everyone started to hush themselves, as the overture for Gonoud's Romero ett Juliette started up. As soon as it was finished, the curtain parted, as the figure of what looked like an Alaskan husky came onstage.

The dog slowly walked up to the front, a tad nervous as the spotlight shone down on her form. She could feel her legs shaking, almost like her apprehensiveness wanted to swallow her whole. Yet, she soon found courage inside of her, and as the conductor waved his arm, the aria began.

She rang out the high A that began the aria almost effortlessly, which made the entire theater fall silent. Some of the dogs seated in the audience dropped their jaws in shock, as this seemingly unknown backstage dog had suddenly sprung out something that had been hidden for quite some time.

"…Je veux vivre…dans le reve qui m'enivre ce jour encor!...Douce flame, jet e garde dans mon ame cooooommmmee un tresor!" The husky swayed back and forth to the beat of the music, as the notes flowed freely out of her throat. Some of the audience gasped, as the notes were so beautiful, almost like they were listening to an angel from heaven sing to them.

"Brother, may I borrow your opera glasses?" The younger malamute asked his brother. Philippe gladly handed it over to him, and as the malamute saw the husky on stage up close, he gasped. The image of a similar, much younger husky popped into his mind, almost like the dog singing was familiar to him. He shook his head, trying not to think of it, and focused mostly on her gorgeous features.

"Stephen, are you alright?" The black husky asked.

"She's…perfect," He replied, a surprising tone of adoration coming from his voice, which wasn't exactly natural for the older brother to hear from his brother. He knew that Steele was always getting winks and glances from various females when they attended parties, but this was the first time that Philippe had heard his brother say it in such a…romantic way.

Once the aria was finished, the entire theater was filled with cheers and applause. Some whistled, some threw roses (that were meant for La Carlotta), and even some of the employees backstage that were watching were cheering for her.

Up in the Chagny's balcony, Philippe was clapping for the husky on stage, and looked at his brother curiously; his brother was completely silent, as the malamute couldn't keep his eyes off the husky on the stage.

Jenna…is that…really you? He thought, the same strange memory coming into his brain, one that had been locked away for quite some time. He wasn't sure what it was, but dismissed it, thinking it wasn't all too important.

As for the husky onstage, everyone was cheering for her, however, something must have come over her, as she suddenly felt dizzy, and collapsed on the stage. Immediately, a few of the employees came over to her aid, and carried her off the stage.

With the performance now over, Philippe placed the brochure in his coat pocket, and turned to his brother, ready to take him to the Grand Foyer where the retirement party for the manager was taking place, but found that he was gone from his seat. He groaned, as he realized that his brother was up to his old tricks again.

As always, he thought, rolling his eyes, going after some girl, yet again. When will he ever learn? Philippe shook his head, and walked out of the box.

After the performance, a few of the employees went to check on Jenna in her workplace, but they were met by a purple, feisty Pomeranian show dog instead, who was outside the backstage costume door.

"Please, will you all keep it down, she's trying to rest!" She yapped at the dogs, "Come back later." Everyone walked away from the husky's costume room, and the show dog sighed. She closed the door, and turned back to the husky, who was sitting on one of the couches in the room, with a wet cloth over her forehead. Dixie was one of Jenna's few friends at the Canine, and she, along with an Afghan hound named Slyvie, had to come to the Canine around the same time as Jenna. They worked alongside her, with the two dogs being the designers.

"Are they gone, Dixie?" She asked weakly, shifting a bit on the couch.

"Yes, they are." She then clapped her paws together, "Oh, Jenna, you were absolutely wonderful this evening!"

"Yes, dearie, you surprised everyone." Said Slyvie, "You must tell us where you obtained such a beautiful voice."

"I don't know, Slyvie. She might not be feeling too well."

"Don't worry Dixie," The husky replied, sitting up on the couch, "I'm fine. I guess I was overcome by all the applause. I wasn't expecting them to cheer me that much."

"I was!" replied the show dog, "I mean, you deserved it. That was incredible."

"Yes, dearie, I'm very proud of you," Sylvie said, as she sat down next to the show dog. "Will you be joining us in the Grand Foyer for the party?"

"Thank you, girls," Jenna smiled, "But, I think I'm going to need some rest. I'm a tad exhausted."

"Come on Slyvie, let's give her some privacy. See you tomorrow, Jen." Dixie replied. It was clear that she wanted to learn where Jenna had managed to get such an incredible voice. However, they respected their friend too much, and assumed it was private. So, they left her some flowers on her desk and walked out.

Now, most of the dogs in the audience were somewhat familiar with the name Daae, and some had heard of the famed violinist from Alaska, but of course, only very few people knew about her past. Where had this unknown dog come from, and why did she all of a sudden come out to perform with such an incredible voice? No one seemed to know the answer to this, but thankfully, I can now bring it to light.

Jennifer Daae had come to the Opera Canine in search of a job, with an orange bandana around her neck, a few francs, and a small handbag around her chest. The acting-manager was in desperate need of a costume maker, and he was quite surprised that the daughter of one of Paris's greatest violinist's was to be in the Canine. He asked her if she would want to audition, yet she seemed to ignore his request, almost like she disinterested in singing.

This sort of "attitude" that she was giving off, this sort of (what the other workers called "sweet yet sour") way that she went about her work seemed to tick off some of the actors and actresses that wore her costumes. She was no doubt an excellent sewer, and even though she treated everyone with respect and kindness, she seemed to not wish to not be within the auditorium, and even when she was, she was mostly in the back of the theater, away from everyone else. This sort of distance she kept from the rest of the employees definitely made her unpopular with the actresses, as they thought of her being "stuck-up" and "too good" for the rest of them.

You could guess that they were a tad jealous.

The real reason is unknown; however, I'm quite sure it was due to the husky's overall appearance. Jenna was no doubt strikingly beautiful. Despite being born from a mostly red-orange colored husky mother, her fur had come out in a pure, ruby red color, which contrasted with her white, cream-colored underbelly. Her eyes were a light, chestnut brown, and her curly, bushy tail was always kept nicely combed. She had delicate little paws, and despite her large amount of fur, she had a somewhat lean, curved sort of look to her body that seemed rather uncommon with most huskies, which are built to brave the cold, harsh artic tundra of Alaska.

She was certainly a peculiar sight to see, and no doubt some of the male workers couldn't help but not take their eyes off her.

The question was though, why on earth would such a pretty, little creature like Jennifer Daae want to hide herself away from everyone else, away from the theater and the music and dancers and the breathtaking, joyful fulfillment that one could get from having experienced the wonder and power that was the Opera?

No doubt it was due to her Father: Gustave Charles Daae, a dark, brown husky born in a small village in Alaska known as Nome, which was also where he met his lover, Maria Kristin Daae, the red-orange husky that I had mentioned before. Maria had met her Father after listening to him play his violin, which was what he was known for. No other dog in the town had really desired to play such music, why, for the most part, the beauty of classical music was not familiar to these rustic, Alaskan villagers. However, once Gustave began playing his instrument, the entirety of Nome would fall silent, almost like the beauty of his pieces (which he wrote himself) would cause the entire world to stop. Some said that when he would play, the fierce, blizzard like winds of the North would calm themselves once he strung his bow graciously over the violin strings.

Maria found him playing in his regular spot, on the roof of his house. The two instantly fell in love, due to the fact that Maria had a brilliant singing voice, and they were soon married shortly afterward. A few months after they had been wed, the husky mother gave birth to Jenna. However, Maria had contracted some sort of unknown illness, which caused her to die when Jenna turned 2, leaving her orange bandana to the young husky, which she has kept since then.

Despite the absence of her mother, Jenna was still raised by her father the way she would have wanted Jenna to be raised. Due to their musical pasts, Gustave brought his daughter up on what he was taught, and proceeded to become her teacher. Once Jenna had turned 5, the Father and daughter went on a long journey to France, where they placed themselves in a small house in the town of Perros-Guirec, which was about 300 miles outside of Paris.

Once Jenna had turned the age of 8, Gustave had the brilliant idea to take Jenna along with him whenever he toured the country of France, performing his works to the people of different towns and villages, mostly during weddings, parties, and festivals. Due to the husky daughter singing along with her father's playing, the husky violinist soon gained a well-deserved reputation from the dogs of France as being one of the best violinists that Paris had ever heard.

This was also the time when the Father started to cough during his performances.

It was unknown to him, but it seemed he had contracted the same illness that his wife had caught, and he soon became far too weak to play his violin anymore. After several months of becoming ill, the violinist soon became bedridden, with their nanny Madame Valerie and his daughter, who was extremely worried for the health of her Father. She prayed for him to get well, but her prayers went unanswered, as Gustave Daae passed away August 22nd, 1874, when Jenna was at the age of 10. He was buried in the cemetery of the Church of Saint-Jacques in Perros-Guirec.

With her Father now gone, Jenna was soon taken into custody by Madame Valerie, who wished to encourage the young girl into the world of music, much like her Father had. She made arrangements for the husky to attend the Paris Conservatorium, one of the most pristine art schools in France. However, the teachers and students of the school seemed to notice a strange aura about the then teenage Jenna, who didn't seem to have much interest in the arts of music and theater. She refused to sing, and her acting wasn't all that great, despite her musical upbringing and her Father's popularity. It all seemed confusing, as many of the teachers had thought that the daughter of one of the best musicians in Paris refused to be a part of the musical world. To their disappointment, the husky seemed to no longer care for the music she once loved, and she dropped out of the Conservatorium when she turned 19.

Something must have happened to the husky, as this aura that I described seemed to stem from a possible sign of depression. However, it was concluded by Madame Valeria that when Gustave died, her love for music and her voice died along with it. It was true that Valeria did try her best to give all she could to the husky, to try and get her back on her feet, but it was all for naught. She couldn't encourage Jenna like her Father had, no matter what she did. It just wasn't the same.

When Jenna turned the age of 20, she was old enough to finally move out of her Father's home and Madame Valeria, and rented a small apartment by herself. During this time, Jenna was in desperate need for a job, and was unable to find one, since none of them had peaked her interests. Ironically, whilst out on a small walk near the Rue Auber, she found herself in front of the façade of the Opera Canine, and was completely awestruck. She knew that the Opera House was under construction when she was younger, yet she never thought anything of it. Now, it felt like the gods had created something just for her, almost like it was calling to her, beckoning her to enter its majesty, and become one with its glory.

She couldn't help but hold back the tears in her eyes when she discovered the Canine was completed only a year after her Father passed.

However, her courage and enthusiasm wasn't exactly all there, and due to her neglect of music, her ears drooped sadly when she practiced in front of the bathroom mirror, as her voice sounded embarrassingly terrible. She knew she wasn't cut out to be in the chorus, so after looking through some of the Opera House's jobs, she saw that they were in need of a costume maker and sewer. Desperately, she asked Monsieur Levefre for a job, and the manager accepted her application. Now, she was a costume dog, and thankfully, she was away from the chorus, away from the stage, and away from any prying eyes.

She was glad to work alone, and she had a small room to sew in, and even though she managed to make a few friends (Dixie and Slyvie), she seemed to want to be by herself for her first few weeks at the Opera Canine, which seemed understandable. She wasn't shy, she just wanted her privacy. Yet, her two friends definitely felt like something was wrong with her, almost like she was all down in the dumps.

Despite everyone's claims on the husky, the main thing that puzzled them all was her voice. Where on God's good Earth had that come from? Had she been keeping it from them, and waited until it was the right time to show it off? Had someone been teaching her?

No one knows for sure, and that part remains a mystery.

Jenna lay their on the couch, as she tried to get some much needed rest. She was reminiscing over what just occurred. The entire ordeal was so…strange. Her own voice terrified her, almost like it didn't even sound like it was coming from her.

It was almost like she didn't know herself when she sang. Had she really under estimated herself too much?

No, He was right. All I had to do was believe in myself, and when I could feel the spirit of music within my soul, I would be able to sing like an Angel. A smile came over her face, I'm so happy; I almost thought I was going to die on the spot!

Suddenly, a knock came to her door. She groaned, thinking it might be an employee. She got up from the couch and said, "Yes, who is it?"

"Is this where Jennifer Daae works?" The voice replied in a muffled tone, almost like this person was talking with something in his mouth.

"Yes, and this is her," She answered back. "Who is this?"

"You should know who this is." The voice said confidently. "I'll give you a hint. It starts with an S!"

Jenna thought for a moment, and didn't exactly feel like answering, but replied, "Sir, could you please come back later? I'm trying to rest."

"Come on, Jenna, open up. I have something for you." The husky noticed that the dog said Jenna instead of Jennifer. The only dogs that called her Jenna were her two friends. Everyone else was mostly obliged to call her Jennifer or Mademoiselle Daae. However, there was one dog she once knew that called her Jenna, but she couldn't think of it now.

"Very well, you may come in." As the husky opened the door, she saw a nicely built malamute husky carrying a small bouquet of flowers in his mouth. As Jenna looked at his face, she suddenly noticed something rather odd about this husky. She noted that unlike most huskies and malamutes she had seen, who were had very large bodies and unpleasant faces, this particular dog had a rather "handsome" look to his face, almost like it could attract any female that gazed into his blue eyes.

She had a strange feeling, almost like this dog was familiar to her.

"Oh, Monsieur Vicomte," She gasped, as she bowed"I didn't know it was you, please forgive me if I was so rude before." The husky had known of the Chagny family, and she knew for a fact the Steele de Chagny was one of the most attractive dogs and most famous dogs in all of Paris. So to see the malamute at her door was quite the shock.

"It's quite fine, my dear," He replied, "I'm actually glad that you're here Jenna. These are for you." He grinned, as Jenna took the flowers in her paws.

"Oh, thank you Monsieur." She answered, she then walked into her room "Please, come sit down," The malamute went inside the room, and sat down on the couch, as Jenna placed the flowers inside a small vase on her desk.

"Is there anything else you need, Monsieur de Chagny?" She asked.

"I was wondering if you would like to come with me to dinner tonight. Thankfully, my brother is at the party, so it will just be the two of us."

Jenna was surprised. The great Steele de Chagny had asked her to come to dinner with him! Every female in the city would give up the very fur on their back just to go out with the famous malamute of Paris; there was no way she could pass this up. She was about to agree, when she remembered something important.

"I would love to, Monsieur, but I can't tonight. My music teacher is expecting me here." The malamute suddenly got up from his seat.

"Oh, I'm sure he won't mind if you took a day off," He said, in a somewhat subtle and disrespectful tone towards her teacher, as if he didn't exist.

"But, Monsieur, I must practice with him. I can't miss any days with him. He's very strict with me." She replied urgently, but the malamute ignored her plea.

"Oh, you won't be out too long, I promise. Now come, I'll get a carriage," He then quickly walked out the door, but Jenna stopped him.

"Please, Monsieur, I can't leave tonight, surely you'll understand." She pleaded, "Perhaps tomorrow?"

Steele was rather taken aback by this comment, but didn't show it. No one had ever rejected any of his offers. Most of the females he had gone out with would almost faint from excitement, but not this one. She seemed…so… so different.

"Alright, tomorrow's fine," He answered, doing his best to hide away his disappointment (and anger), "See you then, my dear." The husky bit his lip, doing everything he could to not slam the door as he walked out. No one had ever turned him down, especially someone as pretty as Jenna, who did not seem interested in him.

Don't worry about it, Steele, he thought, eventually, she'll be running back to you. They always do. He chuckled, as he walked out of the costume door. He groaned as he remembered that he was to meet his brother at the retirement party, and immediately left the place before anyone saw him.

Author's Note:

The first chapter is up for my remastered version of Hybrid of the Opera. Don't forget to review, and if you have any questions regarding the story, please feel free to ask. :)

I do not own Balto or the Phantom of the Opera. They belong to their respective owners.