4. I Remembered Behind The Mask/No One Would Listen.

Silence

There was nothing but silence. Silence and darkness most of all.

It was all too quiet and spooky. Young Jasmine Rogue had to investigate and make sure her friend was alright but she couldn't even see a fly in this dark and there was obviously no sign of her best friend.

"Kristinne?" she called in whisper to her friend but no response.

The silence and creepy atmosphere that there was a cool chill around the room. Jasmine creeps slowly into the room until she sees a small yellow glow, it was so bright and enchanting and mesmerizing. Who wouldn't want to go and follow it down to this tunnel when if it looks like a tunnel heading down to Satanas's lair. This hallways was incredibly filthy that the rats were there to play and so were the spiders on their webs, it was their home. The young child continued to look down and walk slowly baby step at a time down the hallway to see what she could find as the suspense and heart was racing like if something was going to jump out at any second and grab her...

And something did! She jumps in place! What could have grabbed her!? Could it be the Phantom ready to choke her like he does will his victims!

She turns her head to see only her mother with a disappointing look and grabs her by her hand to take her out.

"But mama, wait...!" Jasmine protests

"No, Jasmine, not another word and you're lucky I cannot punish you but I can give you more hours of rehearsal if you leave your room again at this hour" Madame Constance dictates back to her daughter.

"But Mama, you saw what could have been down there? And Kristinne is missing. She could be down there"

"Nonsense! There's nothing there only rats and spider webs, now come along, child. I'm sure Kristinne is fine"

The older woman takes her back to the room where the other rest of the ballerinas were getting their own little bed time story before going to bed by the stage manager who was a drunk creep. He was making them shriek and cry at every move he makes to frighten them, every word and every reaction and expression he used, they shriek like little baby girls. Madame Contanse was seeing this and she didn't like it one bit to have her ladies be frighten by a story of something that is so true but only she knew that and needed to protect.

But this creep was going his own version of the facts to frighten his preys, "There he is. 6 feet be, looks like a man but is a real beast that no one can ever look at him in the face and less the eyes. Like yellow parchment is his skin, pale skin as white, his eyes filled with evil and mischief and chais. He was so Chaotic that the mighty Odin, King of all Gods kicked him out of his realm. And we all know that a demon is just simply an angel who was kicked out from heaven and that's what this creature is so watch out for it, petite madames. They say he has real devil horns coming from his skull; he grew them out after he got exiled from his real home. He wears all black and dark green and drinks out his victims' blood like a nice glass of vine, toasting and giving respect for every kill he makes. Not one has ever seen it coming. You must be always on your guard or he will catch you with his magical staff and go right for the stab!"

Makes the girls scream and shriek again in fright as he laugh manically until Madame Constance comes in and breaks it up this little ridiculous horror show.

Those who speak of what they know find, too late, that prudent silence is wise.

She turns to face the creep man with a choke rope, first she slaps him across the face and then starts tying it hard around his neck to make him clear something.

"Joseph Buquet, hold your tongue! Keep your hand at the level of your eyes"

Very wise advice she just gave him and anybody who wants to come against this "creature", this Phantom.

This God of Mischief and Chaos.

Which speaking of him, down at his musical palace, Kristinne Fureé was finally awoke to the sounds of some chimes ringing in her ears. When she opens her green eyes to see that her music box, the same one her uncle Nicholas gave her earlier was right there playing soft music for her , her eye opened to the the soft chimes as she looks around to see she was in a circular bed with only the finest Renaissance furniture and pillows.

The poor confused child pulls up the curtains around the bed to get out and sees she was still in her white nightgown and robe. And then started remembering everything once she heard another soft strange yet familiar melody playing outside the room or cave she was in.

"I remember there was mist,
swirling mist upon a vast, glassy lake."

She walks out the cavern, following the lake as she remembers more of what happened before she fell into sleep.

"There were candles all around
and on the lake there was a boat"

Exactly what she sang is exactly what she saw! She saw the many many candles all around the edges and down at the lake was the boat that brought her to this strange hellish kingdom.

"And in that boat there was a…
man…."

She looks to her side and sees the man from her dreams. And by hearing her soft angelic voice, the man looks back from his seat toward her, seeing she has woken up. But no words were said from each other, just long loving gazes until the strange intriguing man looks away back to his work but Kristinne walked down the path to approach him with all the curiosity and intriguing impulsiveness in the world!

"Who was that shape in the shadows?
Whose is that face in the mask?"

Her eyes never left the sight of this man as she slowly walks up to him now, knowing he was her Angel but sees that he was a man, not a literal angel or spirit from her dreams and visions. Her teacher and guardian now in front of her. She walks up beside him, touching his arm, feeling he was real for sure. Her angel looks up to her from his composing work, admiring her flawless angelic beauty herself which accompanied perfectly her voice of a siren.

The Phantom said nothing to just feel. Feel her hands against his face, the part that wasn't' covered with his mask with golden horns. Her fingers ran over his cheeks and thru his black hair, pushing it back gently and softly as he was enjoying her stroke and caresses but he did not expect her to betray him this quick….

When she pulled away his mask off his face!

She pulled it away with a swift, thinking he wouldn't mind but wow, was she wrong! HE WAS SO FURIOUS that he pushes her away hard on his bed of music sheets on the ground side as he was covering his covered hideous disfigured side!

"DAMN YOU!
You little prying Pandora!
you little demon!
Is this is what you wanted to see?!"

His anger so was so strong and scary and freighting, her admiration for him turned into fear now! He was worst that Satan himself on how furious he was she did that of exposing his hideous frightening side! He even pulls off the curtain off a mirror to show her his entire reflection on how incredibly disfigured he was without a mask under it!

"Curse you!
You little lying Delilah!
You little Viper!
Now you cannot ever be free!
DAMN YOU!
Curse you…!"

The anger was so strong that eh even pushes aside a candle stick from it's stand and it was lighten but he could care less it was right now!

That last threat sounded so serious and terrifying! And she hoped he didn't mean it! She did not wished to be his prisoner in this underworld palace no matter how enchanting and charming it looked. And she didn't know now what to think of this "Angel" who's now turned with demon anger and hatred!

She sees that he was calming down now from that demon anger but still concern and afraid of what he will do to her for this betrayal she never should have done, now she wished she never should have done it. Out of disrespect to her angel and his personal space but her curiosity got the best of her. If he could hear her thoughts on how sorry she was, he will know she regrets betraying him like this.

The Phantom exhales to calm down and rubs his temples, still facing away from her and now it was time for her to know the truth about his ugliness.

"Stranger than you dreamt it!
Can you even dare to look
or bear to think of me,
this loathsome gargoyle,
who burns in hell
but secretly years for heaven."

"Secretly, Secretly…"

"Kristinne…"

It was so touching how he explained himself as she watches worried about him and herself as he was covering his right ugly side on his face and she looks at the manikin of her with the white wedding gown. Now she knew what he meant by heaven, he wanted her. To be his heaven, his peace, his calmness, his happiness and his reason of living. To be rid of his solitude and his shame of always hiding from the outside world and being seen as different or worst… being seen as a monster. As a demon he's feared to be seen as and he fears that's how she was looking at him right now. But could comprehend that he was nothing but a soul with so much pain inside him.

After all a demon is just simply an angel who was exiled from heaven.

She continue to look at him in silence and not show fear but concern for him as he walks up the stairs again to approach her again as she stayed still, frozen looking up at him.

"Fear can turn to love,
you'll learn to see,

to find the man
behind the monster,
this repulsive carcass,
who seems a beast
but secretly dreams of beauty,
Secretly,
Secretly…"

With so much shame and grief for himself, he sits down next to her, still covering his ugly side as she looks to him not with fear anymore or concern but now with compassion in her eyes. It was all silent now. Kristinne came closer to him and touched his shoulder for compassion and he returned the the gaze but never showing his covered side.

"I'm so sorry…."

She apologises softly to him she she slowly returned his horned mask to him . he softly takes it back but avoid any

"Come, we must return. Those 2 fools who run my theatre will must be looking for you"

He clears his throat and offers his hand to her. She was concern to take it

"Wait!" she finally speaks up, getting his attention.

"Yes?" he turns to face her but with a serious face.

"I only have one question or more several a lot of questions"

"We don't have time for that we must go. Come. We must go. Those idiots who run my theater must be looking for you" He fixes his mask and walks away from her, leaving her there until she finally reacts again.

"WAIT! Wait please!" She gets up again and stops him. "Who are you? What are you?" She asks seeing that he wasn't a real angel but a man of flesh and bones, it confused her so much. She was a little afraid of him but stands up to him with courage.

"Please I have to know if you're not my angel as you made me Believe then who are you?"

"I may not be a real angel but I am your angel" He said

"But... You're a man. You're just a man, not a real angel how I always thought you were. You lied to me! You fooled me all these years! Who are you exactly?" She demanded serious and forgetting her fear of him, all she felt now was anger and some disappointment.

He had his back turn to hers. "That's not exactly easy for me to answer but just know that I don't intend to hurt you".

"You always speak and sing in my head. I always saw you in my dreams. I saw your shadow in the corner of my eye. You taught me everything and I bestow you to be my Angel of Music like my father said to me. Or was it always you fooling me?"

"Not at all I don't mess around. Everything I do is for a higher calling"

"For who's calling? Why did you bring me down here? Why, monsieur? Why can't you tell me? And why now you show yourself to me after all these years of tutoring and watching over me? Why now?"

He still stayed silent and serious. "So full of questions but to answer them all I've been watching over you since you were just a young girl who enjoyed prancing around Inn her room"

"But why? What is your deal with me?"

"I already explained it to you. You are my student and I only want you to be the best in the Opera, in all of Paris of course"

He sits down at his desk to work on his opera knowing she was still confused behind him, pondering in her thoughts.

"But why this way? With all the disappearing and reappearing and living in the shadow away from the world. What's that all about?"

"You really need an explanation on why I kept myself in the shadows?! Did you not see yet the reason?!" He takes off his mask again to show her his disfigured side from under the mask, freighting her a little again but not much. "Would I be accepted up there with a face like this?! Would you, Kristinne?! Would you?!"

He looks deep into her eyes, seeing her fear in them by his hideousness of course, he looks away to not frighten her no more.

But she felt pity for him and consolation. "My father once spoke on an angel. I used to dream he appeared. Now as I met him, I know he's here. Here he always called me softly. Always Hiding. Always with me. You the unseen genius"

She sings to him a reprise of her earlier song and her voice never fails to calm him down, her voice of an angel of course. The voice he created in her.

She tried to grab his mask but he jerks his head around. "I'm down here for a reason. Who could ever want to be in terms presence of a beast like me and not the kind you could love and have it turn into a prince type beast". He looked at her serious but with compassion and love for her.

She looks at him with sadness for him but comfort, touching his shoulder. "I don't care about your masked side. What I don't like you tricked me all those years and never let me see you before and making me believe you were an actual angel. "Angel of Music, guide and guardian, grant me with your glory... Hide no longer. Secret and strange angel..." She sings to him more, making him face her to show him kindness and affection.

He may not have been a real angel but for sure her voice sure was. It was unearthly like whenever she sung there was a heavenly light shimmering around her.

"My soul was weak, forgive me. Stay please at last, master" she sings to him for final and frowns ashamed now of herself. "Please forgive me. I never should have done what I did. I ask your forgiveness, master" she lowers her head with a frown.

But he wasn't mad but he was proud of how much and how strong her her singing was.

He puts his mask back on and he walks up to her, pulling her chin to see his eyes under his mask. "You re forgiven, now come with me. We must return you back to my Opera house"

"But wait. what about you?" She was concern for his well being and he still would be alone down here in this palace of music surrounded by his candles and the rivers but not a human soul around him but even if he was lonely down here, he would never force her or keep her a prisoner down her, he cared too much for her.

"What about me? I'm no good to anyone like you. You're an idol adored and beloved the world is better with you shinning above and my place is below and alone".

But she refused to leave him now more than ever wanted to stay with him.

"But you mean a lot to me and I don't want you to be alone now that I know you're down here alone, master. You are my angel of music, guide and guardian. Hide no longer. Come to me, strange angel" she sings to him that last parts and hoping he will come with her but he refused for her safety but be always be there for her as he did before, the only difference knew she knew about him.

"Flattering child, you shall know me. See why in shadow I hide? Listen to my song in the shadows, I am there for you..." he sings back to her, holding her shoulders and giving her a kind smile.

She smiled back but it still wasn't right for her to just leave him alone.

A couple hours go by, in his palace of Music once again, after He's taken Kristinne back to where he found her at the Opera house but he stayed down there, alone again. His kingdom was the same as before without his Queen but t looks better with her down here with him. In the first time in his years, he filled the void of his solitude and more had the company of his student, his long desired love, his angel of music. He secretly didn't want to let her go but he had too cause he would never hurt her and keep her prisoner down here in this Palace with the angel of Hell as how he calls himself but would never say it to her in her face, her lovely beautiful face. The only Angel here was her only by his solitude was so grand that he misses her already.

Even though she was no longer there he could still feel her presence as if she was still with her.

The Phantom with horns and masked face, staring down at the edge at the rivers of mist and lost souls in his own way but the only lost and broken soul he saw in the water was only his own.

"No one would listen

No one but her

Heard as the outcast hears"

"Shamed into solitude

Shunned by the multitude

I learned to listen

In my dark, my heart heard music"

He stands up and starts to walk around the lower part of his palace and walk up the step as he expresses his emotions on what he was feeling on finally having his Angel of music with him and having some company and the best company he could imagine.

"I longed to teach the world

Rise up and reach the world

No one would listen

I alone could hear the music"

Upon his desk and all his tables and pinned on his walls where he creates his musical creations, there were pages of sketches and music sheets of unfinished opera music but also there were drawing, sketches, portraits of a woman, one specific certain woman of course, surrounded by roses and his prized possession like she was the main one to him.

Kristinne Fureé.

"Then at last, a voice in the gloom

Seemed to cry "I hear you;

I hear your fears,

Your torment and your tears."

With only Kristinne in his mind, he picks up a rose from another table, knowing she was his rose herself, his diamond, his jewel, his angel, his Queen of Music, his muse, his goddess, his everything and by looking down at

"She saw my loneliness

Shared in my emptiness

No one would listen

No one but her

Heard as the outcast hears"

Filled with sorrows and pittyness but some shed of happiness inside him, He sits down at his desk, placing the delicate rose upon the sketches and drawings and plans of his new opera, but mainly upon a sketch of his beloved Angel of Music.

"No one would listen

No one but her

Heard as the outcast hears…"

It was clear on how and what he feels about her. He has a complete shrine to her. He loved her. He loved her so much and is willing to wait for her and do anything for her. He knew she feared him but with a little more patience of him and giving her the chance to get to know him more, he knew that she will learn to love him at the end and he won't have to suffer solitude no more and more importantly have his Angel with him for eternity by his side.

But still was worried on what she now thinks of him now that she knows the truth about him and he feared the worst of what thought she must be having of him at this moment. But he was willing to take that chance and respect her and treat her as the star and queen she is. She is after all…

His Angel of Music.

To Be Continued….

I hope you all enjoyed this special new chapter as I enjoyed finishing it up for all you and sorry it took a long while! College, work, personal issiues, changes, you all know, took my time away but I'm here now and will post soon again before ends soon! Do not think I've forgotten my loyal supporters and readers! I LOVE U ALL SO MUCH! XOXOOXOXOXOX ;DD XD ;D XD & I'm working on a new Avengers sotyr with my 2 leads of course, it will be my own version o fthe Avengers 1 movie. Will be comingsoon!

Also, I would love to thank my best besttest best friend and twin but not relation twin, the extremely lovely and super even more extremely talented, jbabe! MY JAZZY JAZZ TWIN! She helped me in a part of this chapter that I was blocked on but she's always my anchor and my savoiur when I get stuck in a jam or traffic or in jail! I LOVE YA, BABE! That's why you are in this story! PLEASE PLEASE O H PELASE Go read her stories! I WILL ALWAYS LOVE THEM CAUSE THEY'RE ONE IN A MILLION! (in one of them, she married me off to Loki, so go figure!)

BTW, I'd like to point out that the extra song I added in this chapter was a deleted song/scene of the movie and I have no idea why they took it count because I used and watched it and it was beautiful and it happens right after the scene when he takes her back to the Opera house.

Well, I'm off to bed now but I will return really soon! With a new chapter and soon more new stories! LOKRIST 4EVER! My ship name! PLEASE MAKE IT A THING NOW!

& HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL! I perfect turkey when its dead and cooked (I have my reasons why) & Be CAREFUL ON BLACK FRIDAY!

ADIEU FOR NOW MY PRETTIES!

-Mickey!* ;D :*