I'm a sucker for a good Eight story. This was originally going to be Five and Ainley, but I figured I do them waaaaaaay too often. And besides, Five was a sportsman. Eight was the musician. Just so we're clear: Eight=Christine; Master=Phantom; and Lucie=Meg. (Fun fact: "Carlotta" was Seven! XD )

Title: "Master Of The Opera"
Starring: Eight/Roberts!Master, Lucie
Summary: A Phantom Of The Opera AU. Because it had to happen eventually.

Once upon a time, in a beautiful opera house in San Francisco, there was a handsome chorus singer named John Smith. Well, that was his adoptive name anyway. The chorus singer was an orphan, and he was not from America. He wasn't even from Earth.

You see, John Smith was actually a Time Lord. When he was very young, his home world, Gallifrey, was destroyed, and his parents sent him to live on Earth. He was taken in by the opera house, and raised there on a steady diet of music and theatre. He grew up kind, clever, and rather attractive too. He proved to be a wonderful actor and dancer, and even dabbled at the violin. But what no one knew was that John was also a beautiful singer.

It wasn't until he understudied for the leading man in Madame Butterfly that his great talent was discovered. The night he sang, there was not a dry eye in the house.

After the performance, John sat in the small sanctuary in the basement, and lit a candle for his lost planet. As he sat there, meditating, he heard a sweetly hypnotic voice sing softly, "Bravo, bravo, bravissimo..."

John's skin prickled, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

"John?" called a voice, and his good friend Lucie came in the room. "Well there you are," she said, smiling as she knelt beside him. "Where have you been?"

"Right here, Lucie, the whole time," replied John.

"Well, I just wanted to say, you did really super tonight," said Lucie.

John smiled bashfully. "Thank you."

"I wish I could sing like that," Lucie continued. "What's your secret? Do you have a tutor?"

"Not exactly, no."

"Then what?"

"Lucie," John whispered. "When I was brought here to live...whenever I would come down here alone, to light a candle for Gallifrey...a voice, from above...and in my dreams...he was always there. You see, when I was very small, and my parents were sending me away...they told me I'd be protected...by an angel."

Lucie was staring at him, eyes wide.

"An angel of music," John concluded.

"John," said Lucie slowly. "Do you believe...do you think this angel is coaching you?"

"Who else?" said John softly, smiling. "I once heard tell of an Angel. I used to dream he'd appear. Now as I sing, I can sense him, and I know he's here. Here in this room, he calls me softly, somewhere inside, hiding. Somehow I know, he's always with me. He, the unseen genius."

Lucie said, "Johnny, you must have been dreaming. Stories like this can't come true. Johnny, you're talking in riddles, and it's not like you."

"Angel of music, guide and guardian, grant to me your glory," sang John, as Lucie led him out of the monastery. "Angel of music, hide no longer. Secret and strange angel."

"He's with me," whispered John faintly. "Even now."

"Your hands are cold," announced Lucie.

"Around-"

"Your face, John, it's white!"

He turned to stare her, eyes wide. "It frightens me," he whispered.

Later, when he was alone, and changing in his dressing room, John again heard the deep, seductive voice. "John...come to me..."

John turned, trying to locate the source of the voice. "Angel, I hear you, speak, I listen. Stay by my side, guide me."

"Flattering child, you shall know me. See why in shadow I hide. Look at your face in the mirror. I am there inside."

John gazed upon the mirror. Past his own reflection, he saw the vague shape of a tall man dressed all in black, right down to his sunglasses. From John could see of his face, he was quite attractive.

"Angel of music, guide and guardian, grant to me your glory," John cried to the image. "Angel of music, hide no longer. Come to me, strange Angel."

The mirror slid open, to reveal a hidden corridor. And there stood his Angel, offering his black leather clad hand. "I am your Angel of Music...come to the Angel of Music..."

John took the man's hand, and followed him into the dark.

The Angel led him to an underground lake. The whole room was dark, but illuminated with the warm glow of a thousand candles.

"Who are you?" asked John.

The Angel took off a glove. "I am the Master of the Opera." He reached out and stroked John's soft cheek with his bare hand.

John stepped back, not because he didn't like the touch, he did, but in surprise. He took the man's hand. "You have two pulses," he said. "You're a Time Lord. Like me."

"Yes, I am."

John stepped toward him, invading his intimate space. He cautiously reached up and touched the Master's face with his fingertips, then, without warning, removed the Master's dark glasses.

The Master hissed and pulled back, shoving John to the ground. "Damn you!" he cried. "You little prying Pandora!" He glared at John with frightening, feline, acid green eyes. "You little demon! This is what you wanted to see! Curse you! You little lying Delilah! You little viper! Now you cannot ever be free!"

He stomped away and sat down on the ground, dejected. "Damn you...curse you..."

John hesitantly got to his hands and knees and crawled over to the Master, who sat, sobbing out of his strange, cat like eyes. "Oh, John," the Master whispered mournfully.

"What..." John slowly reached out and touched the Master's hand. "What happened to you?"

"I was a victim of a virus from the cheetah planet. I managed to cure myself, but it left me scarred. Now, I must hide these wretched eyes here, in the darkness." He still would not look at John. "Fear can turn to love. You learn to see, to find the man behind the monster, this...repulsive mutant, who seems a beast, but secretly dreams of beauty, secretly, secretly...oh, John," he moaned again.

John felt his hearts break for the man, and shakily handed him back his glasses.

"Thank you," the Master whispered, and placed them on his face.

John lovingly cradled his face. The Master looked at him, surprised.

"You are beautiful," John said, smiling kindly, and gently kissed him.