I've been dying to get to this chapter. Been building up to it for a while. Now we finally get to see the Phantom as a child and what led to his bitterness to the world.

And as you can probably guess by the name of the chapter, yes this is going to be split up into two chapters. It wasn't my attentions, I originally planned on it being just one chapter but I got so into writing it that I realized i was already almost at four thousand words and only halfway done with the chapter. So to avoid a overly long chapter I am splitting it up into two chapters and planning on updating the second part later this week.

Okay no more talking, it's time to get this started.

(Act 2: Scene 3, at the alleyway in the back of the opera house.

It was night time when Poppy and Branch met the twins in the alley way behind the Opera house. They still didn't know who these two where or how they had information on the Phantom but if they could help them find out who he was then they were willing to meet with them.

"I almost didn't think you would show." The pink twin replied, both twins were wearing hoods that made them hard to identify in the dark . Heck Branch and Poppy was only able to spot them by the fact that the twins were both carrying a oil lamp to see.

"Who are you?" Poppy asked once she walked up to the two, "And what is your connection to the Phantom?

"Our names is Satin and Chenille," The blue twin replied "And we are The Phantom's mothers."

"Mothers?" Branch gasped in surprise.

"Well we didn't actually give birth to him, he's actually adopted." Satin replied "But we raised him as our own from a young age."

"What is is name?" Poppy asked "And why is he so obsessed with me? What happened to him that made him like this?"

"His name is Creek." Chenille replied "And his story is not exactly a happy one. Despite our best efforts he was still mistreated and bullied his whole life just because of how he looked.

"How bad could he be treated for him to turn out this way?" Branch asked

"For you to understand you will have to know how we met young Creek." Satin replied

20 years in the past

It was just another Spring day, me and Chenille saw that the circus was in town and decided it would be fun to go and see a lot of there amazing acts. We had heard many fun things about the circus, the trapeze acrobats, the silly clowns, but we had never gone and actually saw it ourselves. So after buying ourselves a ticket, as well as getting as much unhealthy food as we could stomach, we took our seats and waited for the show to begin. The show went as we predicted, there was the clowns, the elephants the acrobats, it was really a amazing spectacle. Then what came up next changed everything.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The circus owner shouted "Now introducing something you have never seen before, and will never see anywhere else. They say he is the child of the devil himself, a freak so hideous that his he doesn't even have a face that a mother could love. Give it up for the Phantom!"

One of the clowns dragged out a young purple troll who had to be no older than six. The audience gasped when they saw him, his entire face was completely deformed and he only had half a head of hair, and the hair he did have went in every different direction. His mouth was covered with a muzzle so he couldn't talk and he was in chains so not to be able to move without assistance. Everybody then burst out laughing when the clowns suddenly threw pies in the boy's face. All except me and Chenille of course. The lad was just a boy, deformed or not he didn't deserve to be treated the way he was.

After the last pie was thrown the clowns put a metal mask on his face that was held together only by wires. Then he was put on a unicycle and led around the entire stage, only stopping to be squirted with water by another clown while the audience laughed. Me and Chenille was sick to our stomachs after seeing what they were doing to that poor boy and we knew we had to get him out of there. He didn't deserve what they were doing to him, he deserved a life, he deserved to be a normal child.

We knew what we were doing was illegal, but we didn't care, we had to get the boy out of there. So when the circus closed for the nights and all the exhibits were locked up and the staff gone home, me and Chenille went back to the circus and tracked down the cage were the child was being held.

The child didn't look at us but he could sense we were there when we walked up to his cage.

"If your here to laugh at me come back for tomorrow's show." The boy said. Even in his cage his feet was still shackled to the floor, with only a small tray of food and a bucket to pee in.

"We are not here to laugh at you." Chenille said as she pulled out a bobby pin. "We are here to free you."

"What?" The boy gasped not believing what he just heard. The boy was going to ask further but Chenille had already picked the lock with her bobby pin and opened the cage. She then stepped into the cage and used the bobby pin to pick the lock to the chains, freeing the child once and for all.

"I don't understand?" the child replied.

"It doesn't matter how you look." I replied "You still deserve a normal life, a normal childhood. That is why we are getting you out of here. Come live with us boy, we will treat you like a normal child."
"You won't have people laugh at me or throw pies in my face?"

"The only pies we give to you will be the ones to feed your face." I ensured him.

"I like the sound of that." The boy replied.

"So you have a name kid?" I asked as we led him out of the cell and took him to our place.

"The Phantom."

"No like a normal name." I ensured him "Like my name is Satin and this here is my sister Chenille."

"I was never given a real name. The owner of the circus told me I was dumped at their door step as a baby after my mother abandoned me because of how I looked. He said that if I too hideous for even my mother that I didn't deserve to be treated as nothing more than just a act for his circus. So he called me the phantom and used me as part of his show ever since."

"Well we think that everybody deserves to be treated like everybody else no matter who they are." Chenille replied as we reached our house. Chenille stopped at our front porch and knelt down to the child's level to look him in the eye as she placed her hands on his shoulders "It doesn't matter how you look on the outside it's how your heart is on the inside that decides who you are. And I see a sweet little boy who longs for someone to love him for who he is. And that starts with giving you a real name. How about Creek, do you like that?"

"Creek sounds beautiful Chenille."

"Call me mom Creek, call us both moms. Your our child now. Our own little Creek.

Despite our love, Creek had a hard time adjusting to normal civilian life. We had to be careful when we were laughing with our friends because he would fear that we were laughing at him. We ensured Creek that just because he heard laughter it didn't mean it was at him. It took him until he was nine to finally get used to hearing laughter around him without thinking it was directed at him.

There was another challenge that we had to deal with, how people reacted to him in public. We sent Creek to school hoping to give him a normal education, but due to his deformities all it brought Creek was pain, a lot of the other kids bullied him because of his looks. They refused to look past his scars and none of the kids wanted to hang out with him. It was rough, especially seeing him come home everyday in tears from the torment he received each day. We went to the teachers more than once and demanded them to put a end to the bullying but they could only do so much.

There was one girl though that did take pity on Creek though. A young girl named Christine that met Creek in High School. She was a beautiful pink troll with bright matching pink hair. They were both the same age, Creek was sixteen at the time and had lived with us for ten years at the point. They had a couple of classes together and at they started to form a friendship.

"Hi Creek," Christine responded one day as Creek arrived at School "Nervous about the math test tomorrow?"

"A little." Creek replied "I'll admit it's not my best subject. I'm more into history and science then math."

"Yeah, it's not my favorite subject either." Christine replied cheerfully. "Hey why don't you come to my house later tonight and study? That way we don't have to suffer alone."

"I would love that." Creek replied with a shy smile.

"Hey Scar face!" A male green troll suddenly yelled as he marched up to where the two were standing. "What's you doing bugging this angel?"

"Go away cedar he ain't bothering me." Christine scoffed.

"Don't worry princess." Ceder wrapped his arms around Christine and started stroking his hands over Christine's chest. "I'll save you from this hideous dragon."

"Get off me you freak." Christine barked.

"Oh come on I know you want me. I can treat you better than this scarecrow ever could. I can definitely ride you better." Christine suddenly felt Ceder put his hand on her butt and Christine suddenly turned around and popped him in the nose making him fall backwards.

"Back off freak."

"Don't act like you didn't love it." Ceder replied as he picked himself of the floor.

"Hey, she said leave her alone." Creek interfered

"Oh, and what are you going to do about it huh?" Ceder laughed "Try to scare me away with that ugly face of yours."

"Ignore him Creek he's not worth it." Christine pleaded

"That's right scarecrow run away." Ceder laughed "Go back to the rock you crawled under you butt ugly piece of crap." Ceder then snatched a water bottle from a passing student and splashed it in Creeks face. Creek just glared at Ceder his expression getting more and more angry.

"Oh, whats the matter?" Ceder mocked "Did I hurt Mr. Ugly head's feelings? That's what happens when your face looks like a bergen's ass. What's you going to do about it freak show?"

"Ceder stop it now!" Christine demanded.

"Oh what's he going to do about? Nothing, because he don't have the guts." Ceder then shoved Creek, knocking him into a locker. "Come on poop face. Show me what you got, be a man." Creek didn't say a word instead he just continued to glare at Ceder.

"I knew it, I knew you didn't have it in you. Your parents must be ashamed of you, such a ugly face and yet you refuse to grow a pair to defend yourself. They ought to send you back to that crap fest of a circus you came from."

That is when Ceder crossed the line. Creek suddenly lunged at Ceder, grabbing him by the back of the head and smashing his head into a locker. Creek followed it up by throwing Ceder onto the floor. Creek sat Ceder's chest and started punching him in the face, again, and again, and again, until a couple teachers stepped in and yanked Creek off of him.

After school ended me and Chenille were called to the principle's office to talk about what happened. Creek just sat on the front steps of the school, ashamed of what he did. Christine walked up and sat down next to him as she waited for her father to come and walk her home.

"Just for the record, I'm glad you beat Ceder's face in. He had it coming."

"I didn't want to do it, but then he had to talk about my moms like that. I couldn't take it anymore."

"People like Ceder love to make others feel weak, they think it makes them feel tough but really all it does is make them look like a jerk."

"Why are you nice to me? Everybody else looks at me like I'm a freak of nature."

"Because I see you for what you really are, a troll with a good heart who is not afraid to stand up to others when it comes to what's right." Christine then put a hand on Creek's face and turned him to look her in the eyes. "Beauty is not just what's on the outside, it's on the inside too. And you have a very, beautiful heart."

"You do to Christine, you're beautiful on the inside and out. Creek reached behind Christine's hair and pulled out a pink rose and handed it to her.

"How did you do that?" Christine gasped in surprise.

"It's a magic trick I learned when I was a kid. I did live in a circus till I was six, I sort of studied how the magicians did their tricks and sort of self taught myself."

"It's very beautiful." Christine replied looking at the rose.

"It's how I see you," Creek replied. He started to scratch the back of his head, getting nervous about what he was about to ask next. "If you don't mind, the school prom is coming up in a month, would you like to be my date?"

Christine looked down at the rose and then back at Creek and smiled "I would love to."

Creek gave a nervous chuckle as the two of them stared at each other for a few seconds. Creek felt his head inching closer to Christine and his eyes closing. Christine surprisingly did the same thing, her eyes closed and their lips inched closer and closer. They were just about to kiss when Christine heard her dad calling her name. The two of them broke out of their trance and saw Christine's dad staring at them with a disapproved face.

"Christine let's go."

"Yes dad," Christine said with a disappointed tone, sad to be leaving Creek. Me and Chenille both walked out of the school at that time after finishing talking to the principle. Christine's father grabbed Christine's hand and turned back to glare at Creek.

"Stay away from my daughter creep."

"Hey, that is my son your talking to." Chenille snapped.

"Well I feel sorry for you."

Christine's dad then grabbed his daughter off. We saw how Creek felt hurt by his words, Creek really loved Christine and wanted her dad to approve of him too. But it was obvious that wasn't going to happen.

"Hey, don't let him get to you." Chenille replied putting her arm around Creek. You have more kindness in one finger than most people have in their own body."

"I know, I just want him to like me because of how I feel about his daughter. Plus I still can't get over that fight earlier. I just snapped, I didn't mean to hurt Ceder like that but he crossed the line."

"I know." I replied "The principle told me everything, next time however, make sure you break his nose."

"Really, you aren't mad?"

"The only thing I'm mad about is you didn't give him a bloody nose. Nobody messes with my son."

"Now did I hear right you have a date to the prom?" Chenille replied, a sparkle in her tone as she changed the subject.

"Yeah Christine, I actually can't believe she accepted."

"Why not? You are a kind young man who deserves to be happy. Now lucky for you your parents know a thing or two about fashion. We will make sure you are so hansom for the prom she will fall heads over hills in love for you.

By the time the prom came up the next up we made a silver tux with a white under shirt and a silver vest, pants, and shoes all covered completely in glittery sequins. We also made him a black boa tie and a carnation on his vest pocket. We had never seen Creek more happy when he arrived at the school, we also never saw him more nervous. He was shaking head to know, and sweating so bad it looked like he had just bathed.

"Relax son." Chenille replied "When she sees you. She will faint with how hansom you look."

Turns out it was actually Creek who fainted when he saw how Christine looked. She was dressed in a all white dress that went down to her ankles and white high heels. Her hair was all fluffed up and fitted with white flowers, her face was also made up with glitter to make her glow. When Creek regained his consciousness he turned to me and Chenille and asked if he was dead because he swore he saw a angel. Me and Chenille just laughed as Christine grabbed Creek by the hand and drug him into the auditorium. We decided to stay behind as parent chaperon, plus we waited so long to see Creek finally happy and we didn't want to miss a second of it.

Creek didn't leave Christine's side the whole prom. They danced in a slow circle, staring in each other's eyes the whole time as the band played. Creek was still nervous to make any daring move afraid he would cross a boundary. Seeing Creek's fear Christine grabbed Creek by the back of the head and pulled him in for a kiss, letting him know that it was okay.

"What will the other kids think?" Creek asked after Christine broke the kiss.

"Doesn't matter what they think. All that matters is that we love each other."

Creek was taken aback by that one word. "You... love me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Christine laughed "You've never had anyone love you before?"

"I've never had anyone like you before."

Christine was touched by those words. Creek made her feel special, like she just wasn't another pretty face in the crowd but actually stood out.

"You know it's a little crowded in here, why don't we go dance some more outside where no one can see us."

Creek eyes lit up at the sound of that. "Race you." Creek then took off running with Christine laughing as she followed close behind. When the two of us finally caught up to them they were just sitting on a rock staring at the moon, Christine's hand tightly holding onto Creek's.

"The moon is beautiful tonight." Christine mentioned

"It sure is," Creek replied in awe. "When I was a slave to the circus, sitting in my cage all alone I would spend a lot of nights just admiring the moon's beauty, it helped make the horrible experience somewhat more bearable.

"I'm so sorry for how the world treated you. It must have been horrible being treated like you was just a act and not a living thing with a soul."

"It was horrible but I have grown from it, I am not near as afraid and bitter as I once was. I have actually found love, and I owe that to you."

Christine blushed when she heard that.

"I know it sounds kind of sappy, but I actually wrote a song just for you." Creek replied getting up and taking Christine by the hand.

"Really, you can write poetry too?"

"One good thing about being stuck in a cage is that you can learn to pick up a few things." Creek then started moving the two of them in a circle, using the night sky as their spotlight as he started serenading her.

"I found a love for me. Darling, just dive right in and follow my lead"

Well, I found a girl, Beautiful and sweet. Oh I never knew you were the someone waiting for me.

Cause we were just kids when we fell in love not knowing what it was. I will not give you up this time.

But darling, just kiss me slow your heart is all I own. And in my eyes your holding mine."

Using his magic Creek made the moonlight start flashing purple and pink to make the night colors match their own as the moonlight shined below them.

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms. Barefoot on the grass listening to our favorite song.

When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath. But you heard it. Darling you look perfect tonight.

Christine let go of Creek's hand temporarily in order to spin in the grass her hands twirling happily in the air before reconnecting with Creek as they continued their dance.

"Well I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know. She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I'll share her home. I found a love, to carry more than just my secrets. To carry love, to carry children of our own."

The two let go of one hand but held tightly onto the other as they skipped across the grass, kicking their legs up high in the air with each skip.

"We are still kids but we're so in love, fighting against all odds. I know we'll be alright this time. Darling, just hold my hand. Be my girl, I'll be your man. I see a future in your eyes."

The two of them kicked off their shows and started actually dancing barefoot in the grass as they started dancing in a small circle again.

"Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms.

Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song.

When I saw you in that dress, looking so beautiful. I don't deserve this, darling you look perfect tonight.

Creek and Christine stared at each other both with a wide grin on their face as they got lost in each others eyes. This time it was Creek who made the first move, he leaned forward and planted his lips on hers. Christine accepted and closed her eyes as the to got lost in the kiss. After ten seconds the kiss ended and Creek finished his song.

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms, barefoot on the grass listening to our favorite song. I have faith in what I see, now I know I met a angel in person, and she looks perfect. I don't deserve this you look perfect tonight.

As the song ended they came forward for another kiss. Me and Chenille watched from a distance, tears of joy welling in our eyes that our son finally found the happiness he desperately craved. I would like to say that was the ending of the story, but as you obviously know it isn't. Sadly not everyone always gets their happy ending.

Just to let you know my original vision for this flashback was completely different than what i originally planned. I originally had it where he had no friends at all at school and it wasn't until he sang at a talent show that he started winning people over. I also used a different song "Memories" from Andrew Lloyd Weber's other popular musical "Cats". It wasn't until I finished writing the circus scene that I actually got the idea to give Creek a lover and it ended up changing the whole course of this chapter, caused it to go through a total rewrite and forced me to break this flashback up into two chapters in order to build her character up. I have no regrets though, it makes what happens in the next chapter that much more tragic and will end up changing the course in future chapters even more than what I originally planned and will.

Oh and no the name Christine is no coincidence, I purposely gave her that name to pay homage to the original source material and to give Team phantom members something. Cause sometimes it's fun to play both sides.

Part 2 will come later this week, don't miss it.

Song credit "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran.