A/N: Goodness it's been a long time. . . sorry about that, it's been quite a long few days. But basically, this might seem a bit rushed, just because I'm trying to get out of this phase ASAP.
Disclaimer: Alas, I still don't own Phantom of the Opera.
Meg had suspected that Christine would take Carlotta's part when she stormed out. This suspicion went higher when her mother suggested Christine to the managers.
However, Meg never suspected that Christine would go missing shortly after her debut, or that the entire theater would go into a state of utter and complete disorganization. Meg feared for her friend, the girl that so willingly gave herself to anyone and everything. Especially after the conversation they had in the chapel after Christine's opening performance. The younger girl had claimed to be visited by an Angel of Music, whom she thought was her father. Meg suspected otherwise though.
Angel, he could be, but Meg never referred to him as such. To her, he was a Phantom. And she would bet anything that it was he who was visiting the gentle and naïve Christine, who would give herself to him without any question.
After they spoke that night, Meg went looking for Christine in her dressing room. It was dark, lit by only a small candle. The entire vicinity was covered in flowers from her varied admirers, and the smell of all of them was almost gagging Meg. The only thing seemingly missing from this scene was the star herself. Where could Christine be? Meg looked curiously around the room, and her eyes fell to the mirror in the corner. What should have been her entire figure instead was only the left half of her body. She stepped slowly closer to it, and to her astonishment, saw that indeed, part of the mirror was missing. It was almost like a sliding door, and when Meg pushed at it, it moved a little.
Inside what should be nothingness, was a long and dark corridor. She wanted to go down, for this was clearly the way to her missing friend, and perhaps also the Phantom that had sparked so much curiosity in the ballet dorms. Meg took one glance behind her, and stepped carefully into the dark hallway. She looked behind her, half expecting to see a wall of some sort, but instead, saw the entire dressing room in front of her, as if looking through a window.
She couldn't help but think how creepy this was. This meant. . . the Phantom could see Christine at any given moment. Meg shivered a bit and turned around, beginning to walk down the long hallway. She could feel every pebble beneath her satin and leather shoes, and it was becoming rather uncomfortable. She heard a faint skittering beneath her, and she looked down only to see a rat running in front of her feet. She let out a small yelp, but continued on.
She was not yet halfway in, her stomach full of anxiety, when a firm hand landed on her shoulder. She jumped out of her skin, whipping her head around. It was her mother.
Meg received quite a long lecture that night.
But she was still determined to get wherever that tunnel led. She just needed a moment when the room would be empty, and between Christine, Carlotta, and the Vicomte, that didn't seem likely.
Christine returned shortly, refusing to speak to anyone, and more notes flooded in from the Phantom. Requesting that Christine was the lead in the upcoming Il Muto, reminding the ever-dull managers that salary was due, and telling the Vicomte to give up on Christine (on which, Meg laughed a little to herself). And of course, the managers did not cast Christine as Countess.
Rehearsals were terrible for Meg. The dancing was boring if she had to admit, she had to listen to Carlotta, and whenever she and Christine came off stage and had any time to speak to one another, the Vicomte appeared, whisking her away.
Her opportunity to get into the dressing room alone though, finally presented itself fairly late into rehearsals. She was sent off the stage while Christine and Carlotta were still on, working through one of their scenes. Meg slipped away unseen, unnoticed, and made her way to the room. She turned the corner of the hallway, only to see the Vicomte standing guard by the door. She believed his name was Raoul, but she would never address him as such.
She reached him, and curtsied low. "Monsieur Changy," she said, and raised herself back up. "If you excuse me, I need to get into the dressing room."
"I am deeply sorry Mademoiselle, but no one is going in, until we get this Ghost situation under control." He sounded noble, thought Meg, as if he was performing some great service to the theater. She could see that this wouldn't be easy.
"Monsieur. . . Carlotta is requesting something from in there. I need to get in, s'il vous plait." She said, making some excuse.
It didn't work. "Mademoiselle, we cannot risk another missing case. Carlotta can wait."
"Do you mean to tell me that this the only way the Phantom is through this door? I'm sorry Monsieur, but that is purely idiotic. He has many ways, and for anyone to say they know all of them would be a lie. Now, I must ask you to let me pass."
The man seemed to finally understand her, and finally moved over. She gave him a single nod. "Merci monsieur. Oh, and Christine should be off the stage soon." This would give her the chance to remain missing without anyone knowing, and the man hurried off. Meg gave a curt nod, and then stepped inside. She waited until the Vicomte left, and closed the door, facing the mirror. It was closed; her entire reflection was looking back at her. She stepped slowly towards the mirror, and when she reached it, she slowly pushed it, and after a little resistance, it moved, revealing the passageway. She glanced around the room, seeing a small candle, and took it in her petite hands, looking for a match. When she finally found one, she lit the candle and returned to the mirror-hallway. This was her chance.
She took on step, then another, and she was inside. She could feel the hairs on her arms rising as she looked back into the dressing room, before setting her candle on the concrete floor and gently pushing the mirror back into place. She was really doing this. She was going to find the Phantom of the Opera.
She continued walking down the long expanse, noticing what seemed to be human arms holding candelabras. She wondered vaguely to herself if they actually worked. At the end of the hallway was a rather large set of spiral staircases, and Meg thought of stories she had heard, of traps hidden everywhere. But then again, those came from Joseph Bouquet, and really, how much could one trust him? She continued on, now only being more aware.
Nothing ended up happening, and soon she came to a flat plane of land, close to which a horse was tied up. She looked at it curiously, for what was it's purpose? Walking on a bit more, she found her answer, for there was a somewhat steep downhill portion, with rivets that looked to be just for a horse's hooves. She walked down anyway, and began to think if this was the same way Christine had taken. Oh, Christine. If only she had spoken Meg wouldn't be so timid now. Or perhaps she would be, for who knew what lie ahead waiting for her?
A small river greeted the end of the hill. There was no boat, however, and Meg wondered how people might get across. She sat down, and slowly untied her shoes, not daring to get them wet, and slid her stockings off as well. She quietly blew out the candle, and left it where she was sitting, for now the path was lit for her. Perhaps the Phantom new she was coming.
She slowly put her foot in the water, fearing that it would go above her head. It did not, though, and was currently no more than a few inches above her ankle. She slowly walked on, and could feel the cool water rising higher on her body. Soon she had to pull up her ballet skirts to not get them wet. She had them wrapped at the waist, holding them with her shoes and stockings.
Erik realized someone had intruded very quickly. For a time he suspected Christine, for the way the steps sounded on the floors it was clearly a woman, and one in the ballet for that matter. He couldn't believe that she would come to him though, especially after what had happened previously. It wasn't until the intruder had turned the corner to the gate leading into his sanctuary that he realized that this woman was indeed not Christine.
But of course, Meg did not see Erik, for Erik did not want Meg to see him. What she did see however, was a large gate, and behind it, a vast expanse of what looked like a very luxurious musician's room. A bed that looked like a swan lay in one corner, and various instruments were scattered around. If only this blasted gate wasn't in the way, thought Meg. She was so close, yet she was so far.
Erik did see the small blond girl though, and was instantly reminded of the small girl he had seen so many years on the stage late at night. This was the girl that wrote him demanding letters, and never failed to get them to Box Five. This was Antoinette's daughter.
"Little Giry. . . why have you come here?"
(: Review please?
Confession: All during writing this, I was listening to Jar of Hearts, King of Anything, and Fairy Dance (from Peter Pan).