A/n: Yay! Contrary to popular belief, I am alive! And writing!Sorry it has taken so long, I'm in a local production of "Beauty and the Beast" and it's taking up most of my life. Butby May 1st I'll be done. Be patient with me! Anyway, I realized after seeing the movie "Phantom of the Opera" again (having memorized most of the soundtrack) that many changes were made in the movie. So the version you will be hearing here is the ORIGINAL CAST VERSION! (unless I make small cuts to spoken language, but everything sung is safe under my reign...muahahaha!) So if you've only seen the movie, don't be confused. Oh, and everything sung will be in bold and everything spoken will be normal.
Anote to Sparrowslove: yes, that WAS me, that story was taken down because it was in the forbidden script form! If you want me to send you the chapters, I still have them ;).
The next morning, everyone in the cast showed up, despite what Val had said the evening before. They sat in various seats in the audience. Rose took the time to pass out the scores to the cast while Val instructed the village leader and Inu-Yasha for their very first scene.
"In this part, you're playing an auctioneer. An auction is where people bid for certain items and the object is sold to the highest bidder. So, act like you're selling something: energetic and appealing. Stand over there," she pointed to the exact center of the stage. "We'll have people in the audience who will pretend to be bidders, which means Inu-Yasha's character will be in the audience at the time as well.
"Now you," Val turned on Inu-Yasha, "Are playing Raoul, the Viconte de Changy."
Inu-Yasha blinked at her blankly.
"I have no idea what that means either. But I do know that it makes you very rich."
Somewhere near the back row, Miroku groaned, "Why couldn't I play Raoul...?"
Val's authoritarian demeanor suddenly fell. "There is something else..." She started fiddling with her hair. "Um, this scene takes place fifty years after the rest of it..."
"Forty-nine!" came Rose's shout from somewhere in the audience.
"Whatever! And, well, during that majority, your character is about twenty-five, so..."
Inu-Yasha stared at his director, not wanting to hear the rest. To add in salt to injury, Rose flounced over at that moment and said, rather loudly, "Has he agreed to use the cane yet?"
The speechless haynou's eyes grew to about the size of pineapples. On steroids. Before he could tear the teenaged directors into molecules, they shoved the bamboo apparatus in his arms and ran like the dickens in the other direction. Inu-Yasha slumped into his seat, muttering something about how this had better be a bigass shard...
"Whenever you're ready!" Rose called to the village leader.
The middle aged man began to read. "Sold! Your number, sir? Thank you. Lot 665, then, a...papier-mâché music box in the shape of a...barrel organ?" He looked at the small audience. "I shall pretend to know what those mean."
Kagome clarified. "Papier-mâché is a lightweight material. A barrel organ is a musical instrument, I think."
"Ah."
"Yeah. If you don't understand something else you might come across, just pretend you understand.
The village leader nodded and went back into character, his voice booming. "Attached: the figure of a monkey in Persian robes playing the cymbals..." He stopped again. "Where shall we get this item?"
Val fidgeted. "Well, we haven't figured that out yet..."
Rose appeared in front of the village leader, carrying a rock. "Here, use this." She plopped it into his hands.
"This item," the village leader held the moss-covered mass aloft, "discovered in the vaults of the theatre, still in working order! Showing here..." He pretended to wind the key.
Out of nowhere, the song "Masquerade" began to play from an invisible instrument. It sounded exactly like a music box, like rain falling on a daffodil's petals. The cast looked around them for the mystery musician, but there was no one to be found. The village leader just smiled. "I made a large sacrifice to the God of Music to help us with the orchestration of this play. He will play all the instruments we need."
Kagome blinked. "And He is also giving us beautiful voices AND the ability to sight-read effortlessly, right?"
"Correct, lady."
Rose whispered to Val, "I think I'm beginning to like this God guy!" and received a poke in the ribs.
The village leader continued fluidly, "May I start at 20 francs? 15 then?" Miroku raised a hand, pretending to bid. "15 I am bid..." Inu-Yasha's hand went up. "20, sir, thank you..." Sango bid. "25, madam..." Inu-Yasha bid again for the music box. "30 once, 30 twice...sold for 30 francs to the Viconte de Changy, thank you, sir!"
Inu-Yasha started to walk to the edge of the stage by himself, but was treated to a loud clearing of the throat courtesy of Kagome. Begrudgingly, Inu-Yasha took the cane and hobbled instead. The village leader reached down from the stage and handed the rock to Inu-Yasha on the audience level.
The half demon looked at the rock for a moment, played with it gently in his hands. Just as he opened his mouth, Shippo whispered very loudly, "Shut up guys! He's about to sing!"
Wishing he could chuck the stone at the fox-demon, Inu-Yasha half-whispered the tune. "A collector's piece, indeed. Every detail, exactly as she said... She often spoke of you, my friend, your velvet lining, and your figurine of lead. Will you still play, when all the rest of us are dead...?"
Thunderous applause and tears of joy could be heard from the area where the directors were seated. Inu-Yasha reddened and zipped back to his place.
The village leader didn't seem to notice the haynou's mortification as he continued. "Lot 666, then: a chandelier in pieces." He turned, expecting to see another modern contraption. Instead, he saw a pile of bamboo, broken glass, and candle bits that Rose had discreetly piled on the stage. Shaking his head, he kept going. "Some of you may recall the strange affair of the Phantom of the Opera, a mystery never fully explained. We are told, ladies and gentlemen, that this is the very chandelier which figures in the famous disaster. Our workshops have restored it..."
"Not very well, apparently," muttered Miroku. Sango gave him a small glare.
"...and fitted up with wiring for the new electric light so we may have an idea of what it will look like when reassembled." He paused; his face twisted into a mysterious sort of grin, with one corner of his mouth slightly higher than the other. "Perhaps we may frighten away the ghost of so many years with a little illumination, gentlemen?"
Suddenly, a soft glow enveloped the audience area and the stage. Everyone looked up to see Kikyo's soul stealers floating in the air as organ music from Heaven played the Overture. The spirits slowly swooped down, heading straight for the "chandelier". Grasping it, they lifted the seemingly worthless parts off the ground. And as it began to suspend in the air, it was revealed that it was actually a series of wooden hoops adorned with candles held together by chains. Beads hung down from various points on the hoops, looking more like crystals in the shine. It floated high above the audience's heads, smoldering with the soul stealers' luster, giving the illusion that the candles were lit.
When it stopped moving, all eyes turned to the directors. "A gift from local craftsmen," announced Val. Kagome grinned.
Rose stood up. "Ok, guys, great start! Places for the next scene!"
A squad of about fifty citizens of the village jogged haphazardly onto the stage. Val stood up and addressed them from the audience. "All of you, thank you for volunteering to be in our chorus. I assume you all know your music, seeing that you have been under the influence of the God of Music for all of your lives." She glanced in the direction of the village leader for assurance. He nodded, and she continued. "Ok, here's what I want you all to do. Kikyo! Stand center stage, if you will. Thank you. Now chorus: move into a semi-circle around her, but give her a lot of space. After all: she is your diva!"
These orders were carried out with a minimal amount of chatting. Rose stood up as well. "You all are now opera singers. In this particular scene, you are rehearsing for the opera 'Hannibal'. You all are gathered around Carlotta because she is singing an aria." The directors sat down again. Val nodded to Kikyo to begin singing. She nodded back and filled up her lungs with precious oxygen.
"Thiiiiis tooOOOooOOOoooOOken from our saviors, from our SAAAAaaaviors, from the enslaving force of ROOOOOOOOME!"
Inu-Yasha, who was still in the front row from his previous scene, clamped his hands on his ears and began to twitch involuntarily. Everyone else winced or blinked rather stupidly. The chorus missed their singing entrance.
Val stood up again. "Chorus! Chorus! I know it's distracting, but please don't miss your entrance because your ear drums have been shattered!" She stole a quick glance at Inu-Yasha, who was now rolling on the floor in pain.
The chorus nervously began to sing with Kikyo, who was actually smiling, clearly enjoying the attention slightly. "The trumpeting elephants sound – Hear, Romans, now and tremble! Hark to their step on the ground – Hear the drums! Hannibal comes!"
Rose shook her head. "I think that's enough for now. I don't think I could sit for the rest of this scene. Let's start the actual story tomorrow."
"Good idea."
P.S. This scene is boring. Don't kill me! I tried to make it as interesting as possible! I'll do better!