Disclaimer: I don't own neither X or The Phantom Of The Opera. But I own this combination of them :)
Chapter 8: Masquerade
The evening sky looked as if a child with a very developed imagination colored them. It was lightened by fireworks in all colors and shapes, bursting from here and there, from different locations at Paris. But no building shined brighter that the Opera Populaire building, calibrating the coming of the New Year.
A carriage stopped near the entrance of the building, and the managers- Yuto and Aoki- climbed easily from within it.
"Madam Karen!" greeted Aoki his date for that night, who waited for him at the entrance, dressed in a beautiful black dress with golden edges. She held a matching mask in her hand, and her walking stick in the other.
"Mademoiselle Satsuki!" greeted Yuto his date, who waited for him next to madam Karen. Satsuki wore an olive-colored dress, with a long cut on her left leg, which revealed a dark high-heeled sandal.
"Dear Aoki, what a splendid party" mentioned Karen melodically, using the melody of "Notes" for the sentence.
"The prologue to a bright new year!" replied Aoki, continuing her song.
"Quite a night, I'm impressed" sang Yuto.
"Well, one does one's best" sang Satsuki, combining her arm with Yuto's offered cone.
"Here's to us!" sang the four of them as they entered the building and took a glass of Champaign.
"A toast to all the city!" sang Aoki.
"What a pity that out phantom can't be here!" mentioned Yuto with a sarcastic smile.
To their eyes was revealed the sight of the main hall, full with nobleman mixed with the opera house's staff, dancing, and singing and in one word- celebrating.
"Masquerade! Paper faces on parade
Masquerade! Hide your face so the world will never find you" sang Yuzuriha and Kusanagi, who were dancing at the right corner of the hall.
Masquerade! Look around, there's another mask behind you!" answered them Arashi and Sorata, dancing at the opposite side of the room.
"Flash of mauve,
Splash of puce" sang Subaru.
"Fool and king,
Ghoul and goose" sang Hokuto.
"Green and black,
Queen and priest" sang Kakyo.
"Trace of rouge,
Face of beast" sang Seishiro.
"Faces!" declared al the present in one combined voice.
"Take your turn,
Take a ride" sang Yuto.
"On the merry-go-round" sang Satsuki.
"In an inhuman race" added Karen and Aoki.
"Eye of gold,
Thigh of blue" sang Sorata.
"True is false,
Who is who?" sang Yuzuriha.
"Curl of lip,
Swirl of gown" sang Arashi.
"Ace of hearts,
Face of clown" sang Kusanagi.
"Faces!" sang everyone again.
"Drink it in,
Drink it up" sang Karen.
"Till you've drowned…" sang Aoki.
"In the light, in the sound" sang Yuto and Satsuki.
"But who can name the face?" sang everyone.
"Masquerade! Grinning yellows, spinning reds
Masquerade! Take your fill, let the spectacle astound you" sang Subaru and Seishiro.
"Masquerade! Burning glances, turning heads
Masquerade! Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you" added Hokuto and Kakyo.
"Masquerade! Seething shadows breathing lies
Masquerade! You can fool any friend who ever knew you" declared Karen and Aoki.
"Masquerade! Leering satyrs, peering eyes
Masquerade! Run and hide, but a face will still pursue you" sang Satsuki and Yuto.
The gala proceeded, and the crowd mingled among its self.
"What a night!" eventually declared madam Karen.
"What a crown!" agreed Aoki.
"Makes you glad…" sang Satsuki softly.
"Makes you proud…" agreed Yuzuriha, who joined them, together with Kusanagi, Sorata and Arashi.
"All the crème de la crème…" mentioned Yuto.
"Watching us, watching them" sang Arashi.
"All our fears are in the past" added Kusanagi with a relief.
"Three months!" they practically yelled it with joy.
"Of relief!" sang Sorata.
"Of delight!" agreed Arashi. She was dressed in a big maroon dress, and her arm was combined with Sorata's. Time, apparently, does has it's was of making things work out.
"Of Elysian peace!" added Yuto.
"And we can breathe at last" mentioned Aoki.
"No more notes…" sang Yuzuriha.
"No more ghosts…" sand Satsuki.
"Meshia Hesh" mentioned Karen.
"Here's a toast!" proposed Subaru behind them.
"To a prosperous year!" sang Kakyo.
"To our friends that are here!" added Hokuto.
"May the splendor never fade!" sang Sorata and Arashi with wide smiles.
"What a blessed relief…" declared Aoki and Yuto.
"And what a masquerade!" finished Karen gracefully the sing.
Behind all of the people, behind the entrance doors, was sanding a couple, talking quietly to each other.
"Think of it…" sang Kotori softly into Kamui's ear. She wore a light pink dress with white gloves, holding a white mask in her hand. She was played with a silver ring with a light blue stone, which was threaded on a silver necklace on her neck.
"Our secret engagement," she said with a smile, and placed the ring beneath her dress. "Look- your future bride. Just think of it"
"But why is it secret?" insisted Kamui "What do we have to hide? You promised me!" he added and lifted his hand to take the ring out of it's hiding place.
"No, Kamui, pleas don't!" said Kotori and stopped his hand "They'll see"
"Well, them let them see." Said Kamui with a soft smile "It's an engagement- not a crime…"
His voice's tone turned slowly into a melodically one, a he sang to her- "Kotori, what are you afraid of?"
"Let's not argue…" sang Kotori.
"Let's not argue…" agreed Kamui.
"Please pretend…"
"I can only hope…"
"You will…"
"I will…"
"Understand in time!" the finished together, as Kamui took Kotori's hand and led her into the main hall. They found themselves dancing and forgetting about their little disagreement, even before they knew it.
"Masquerade! Paper faces on parade
Masquerade! Hide your face so the world will never find you" sang Sorata and Arashi slowly, playing with their voices.
"Masquerade! Every face a different shade
Masquerade! Look around, there's another mask behind you" sang Satsuki, Karen and Yuzuriha.
"Masquerade! Burring glances, turning heads
Masquerade! Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you" sang Aoki, Yuto and Kusanagi.
"Masquerade! Grinning yellows, spinning reds" joined Kotori and Kamui.
"Masquerade! Take your fill, let the spectacle astound you…" sang everybody together.
But Kamui and Kotori weren't the only couple hiding before entering the main hall. Although he was missing fir the last three months, Fuma wasn't gone. He was busy, writing operas and planning how to destroy Kamui and the hall opera house with him.
Now, after such a long brake, he felt that the opera staff- together with the whole world- had forgotten about him. And if there was something that Fuma couldn't stand, was being forgotten. What? It's not like he didn't deserve the respect of being remembered and frightened of.
"Are you ready?" his cold voice reached Nataku's ears.
The young man stood only a few meters far from the phantom. In his hands he was holding a rope, which was contacted to the many small chandeliers all around the hall's ceiling.
"Ready when you are" replied Nataku simply in his monotone voice.
The phantom returned his dark gaze upon the celebrators, and he spotted a young woman, dressed in a light pink dress, dancing with a tall and dark-haired man. Fuma's eyes narrowed down in pure hatred as he examined the man, and if a look had the power to kill, Kamui would have been already laying lifeless on the floor.
"That's enough partying for one night…" he said angrily "Let us begin, Nataku"
"Sure" agreed Nataku and pulled the rope, catching quickly the released second rope, stopping for the chandeliers from hitting the floor. But the quick shaking of the candles damaged them and many of them were turned off.
This created a half darkened hall, which was lit only by the candles in the candlesticks standing on the tables, and by the few remaining candles in the chandeliers.
Seishiro, the maestro, cursed a couple of times and then signed to the musicians to cease playing. He turned quietly toward the half-scared crowd, taking out a cigar from within his black jacket, and lighting it up with a nearby candle.
"What is going on?" sounded many similar whispers in the crowd.
"No…" hissed Yuzuriha with a sudden understanding "Not him again!"
"This time I am going to kill him!" said Arashi in rage.
"Here's that sexy expression on her face again…" whispered Sorata to Subaru, who stood next to him.
A loud sound of closing footsteps sounded from the stairs that led to the second floor. A tall man appeared at the top of them, dressed in a dark red suit and a black clack, with a white mask on his face, a white package in his hand and a sword on his belt.
"Why so silent, good monsieurs?
Did you think that I had left you for good?" sang Fuma coldly as he came down the stairs, not being interrupted by even a fly
"Have you missed me, good monsieurs?
I have written you an opera…
Here, I bring the finish score-
Don Juan Triumphant!" he declared and threw the white package in his hand toward Seishiro, who returned him an expressionless look, holding his cigar.
"Fondest greetings to you all,
A few instructions just before rehearsal starts…" continued Fuma, and came close to where Arashi was standing.
Sorata noticed that the soprano singer in closing her fist and leaning backwards, ready to attack.
"Don't move, sis," he warned her "he'll kill you. You'll get your time for revenge". He didn't know how much this affected her, but she seemed to lighten up a little bit.
"Arashi must be taught to act-
Not her normal trick of strutting 'round the stage…" sang Fuma, taking his sword out.
"Our Don Juan must loose some weight-
It's not healthy in a man of Sorata's age…" continued the phantom, pointing with his sword at Sorata.
"Hey, I'm not fat! And I'm certainly not old!" hissed the tenor singer, feeling insulted.
"And my managers must learn that their place is in an office
Not the arts!" declared Fuma, looking at Aoki and Yuto.
"As for our star, lovely miss Kotori..." he looked at his student and the rhythm of his song changed.
"No doubt she'll do her best.
It's true; her voice is good,
She knows, though,
Should she wish to excel-
She has much still to learn!
If pride will let her return to me, her teacher…
Her teacher..."
Kotori felt Kamui's hand closing on his sword. She felt desperate- this was the reason because of which she didn't want their engagement to be announced publicly! Her hand touched softly Kamui's arm, signing to him to stop.
Fuma looked for a long time at Kotori's face, as if he wished to remember every detail of it, while none of the present dared to move. The phantom's eyes noticed the little silver ring on her chest, and with a small growl he grabbed the little accessory, forcing Kotori to move forward.
"Your chains are still mine! You belong to me!" he declared coldly, and released the ring.
"Stay away from her!" shouted Kamui. He jumped forward, drawing his sword.
But it wasn't Fuma's plan to fight the viscount at that night. He rushed back to the direction of the stairs, and with a sudden explosion, he opened a secret passage at the floor, jumping right trough it.
Kamui, blinded by anger, followed quickly the phantom, jumping right after him into the passage.
"You are not getting away this time!" declared Arashi and run after the two man.
"Wait, you're unarmed!" warned her Sorata, jumping with her into the passage, hearing it being closed above them.
A loud laughter was all the three of them heard before the darkness closed upon them.
ME: The end of chapter 8! I really liked writing it, so I hope you enjoyed reading it. Please review!
Preview for chapter 9: Not many songs, though I presume it'll be long, with action and romance scenes ;) Oh, and there's gonna be one little thing when Kamui will fight Fuma…. blushing combined with naughty grin
Chenya: I am glad, as always that you're having fun! And don't worry, I remember about the flying donkeys… keep reading!
Neferseba: I know! Kamui singing All I ask of you, and Fuma shouting the reprise is more than enough to make you drop dead at the stop… miyaoo!
DarkFusion: More Kamui/Kotori at the chapter. But then again- all the story is Kamui/Kotori! Yay! BTW- hadn't had the time to check the game yet, but I'll do it as soon as I can!
Sakurazuka-chan: More Nataku for you at this chapter ;) I saw you had him dancing with Hokuto at your story, and it was a bit hard for me to imagine them dancing together, but it is original idea and I like original ideas! I really liked your update! Hope you like this one as well.
X rocks!: I'm sorry that I scared you at the previous chapter. Hope this one improved your feelings!