A/N: groans—My stomach is stuffed…..I ate a HUGE waffle at a Belgian restaurant for lunch. I just finished a ten minute IM conversation with Thatz…our second IM chat, actually, and our first without calling each other and yelling "Get on AOL!"

Disclaimer: points to T-shirt—Read it. –T-shirt reads "Property of Rumiko Takahashi"—Now, as I am property of Rumiko Takahashi, I cannot possibly be expected to own anything she creates. Yes, this shirt is real. Yes, I am wearing it in reality.

Disclaimer II: If I owned 'The Phantom of the Opera", Christine sure as heck wouldn't have ended up with Raoul!1!One!

:Kagome:

­­­Someone was smacking my face. "Kagome-chan! Kagome-chan!"

Suddenly a bucket of water was upended on me. At least, it felt that way.

I shot up, coughing, and shivering. "I am up! I am up!"

Sure enough, Sango-chan stood there with an empty bucket in her hands. She dropped the bucket and put a hand on my forehead. "At last! I was nervous. You should be thankful that Okaa-san wouldn't tell the managers anything."

I frowned. "What exactly do you mean?"

"Well…" Sango-chan dropped her voice to a whisper. "You would not want everyone to know you were with the Phantom of the Opera, would you?"

"No, I was with the Angel of Music." I said stupidly. "Now go away and let me sleep in peace.

Sango-chan rolled her eyes and ripped the covers off my bed. "Why are you doing that, Sango-chan?" I protested. "I will have you know it is freezing in here, especially with the cold water you poured on me!"

"You need to get ready for the opera tonight." Kikyo said calmly, stepping in the room.

"Opera?" I groaned. "Oh, curse opera!" I shoved my head under a pillow.

I had a feeling Kikyo and Sango-chan were exchanging looks.

Kikyo pulled the pillow off my head. I looked at her blearily.

"You will not have to worry about your voice tonight. The opera is 'Il Muto'."

"Kami-sama…." I moaned. "How is that not a problem? All those ha-has….Oh-ho he doesn't know! Ho ho ho ho ho ho…" My voice died out slowly as I buried my face in the mattress.

"You are playing Seraphimo." Sango-chan said bluntly.

I looked up again. "The silent role? I suppose that is good news…although being a man to Tsubaki-dono's lady is always something of a pain….assuming our precious diva returned?"

Sango-chan hopped onto the bed eagerly. I had a feeling something was in the air. Sango-chan does like to gossip… "Yes, and that is just the scandal! Tsubaki-dono came back, and was furious! It seems someone sent her an insulting note, and she thought your Hojo-san sent it!"

I knew it…"He is not my Hojo-san…" I muttered grumpily. I was starting to become a little more disgruntled at playing the silent role the more I thought of it.

"Of course not! Anyhow, then the managers received another note." Sango-chan's voice dropped secretively. "It was from the Phantom! He said to cast you in the role of Countess, and Tsubaki-dono as the silent role, or else!"

I blinked at her. That made no sense. "So….why am I playing Seraphimo again?"

"Because Tsubaki-dono is jealous!"

Kikyo sent her daughter a disapproving look. "Gossips rarely meet a kind end, Sango. Come, Kagome-chan. You must prepare for the opera.

"Coming…" I groaned, stumbling out of bed.

I basically tripped into my costume, until one of the dancers, Nazuna-san, I believe, gave me some brandy. Never mind the fact that I am a bit too young for brandy, I spit it right out. But it did wake me up.

In the distance, I could hear Tsubaki-san shrilling, supposedly in practice. However, it didn't sound like anything I'd ever heard from 'Il Muto', and I could have sworn there were people accompanying her. Oh well, divas will be divas, I suppose.

I took one last look at my costume. It was definitely not the most flattering outfit I had ever worn, but it could have been worse. It consisted of a white blouse, high collar, with an off-white vest over it. I wore an off-white skirt with pink stripes on it. Underneath were a pair of blue breeches, for the scene where Seraphimo is revealed as a man.

I saw Sango-chan ahead, dressed in a maid's costume. I ran up to her, and we both congregated in the wings, waiting for our turn.

The overture began to play, and Sango-chan got up, and walked over to stand next to Nobunaga-san, for she was entering with him.

The curtain opened, and Sango-chan, Nobunaga-san, a man I didn't recognise, and Koharu-san ran on stage.

Since they had the introduction, they were on first.

"This faithless lady's bound for Hades. Shame! Shame! Shame!"

Fortunately, that was my cue. I bustled onstage with my duster, waving it around rather randomly. In my tired state, it was a good thing I had remembered to tie back my hair.

This particular opera was a comedy, at least, so if I accidentally did something stupid, the audience would be none the wiser, and laugh it off.

Or so I hoped.

"Seraphimo, your disguise is perfect!" Tsubaki-dono chirped, clearly glad to be back. She was wearing an enormous pink gown, with a huge bustle. It dated from a century or two back. I was certainly glad we didn't live in that era. However would you get in a door?

There was a loud knock from offstage.

"Why, who can this be?" Tsubaki-dono asked, widening her eyes.

"Gentle lady, admit your loving fiancée!" Came the off-stage cry of the male lead. I didn't really know his name, but the ballet chits called him Peach Man.

I walked over to another part of the stage to "clean" in peace. I vaguely wondered why anyone would get worked up over 'Il Muto'. It was really just a fop opera.

"My love-" I heard a gasp from Sango-chan, who was also on stage. Unusually enough, it was actually part of the script. The audience laughed at whatever physical comedy joke had just been made. I didn't really remember what it was. "I am called away on affairs of state to England." Peach Man continued. "And must leave you with your new maid."

I heard him say aside to the audience. "Though I would happily take the maid with me."

The audience laughed again.

"The old fool's leaving!" Tsubaki-dono added to the audience.

Then, I believe Peach Man was supposed to turn to the audience as well. "I suspect my young bride is untrue to me. I shall not leave, but shall hide over there to observe her!"

After a few "Addio!"s, I turned around, and Peach Man went offstage.

"Seraphimo, away with this pretense!" Tsubaki-dono shrilled. "You cannot speak, but kiss me in that old man's absence!"

I pulled off my skirt so that the breeches were clearly visible.

Tsubaki-dono whipped out a large fan, and held it in between us. We both leaned down behind it, and she quietly slapped my face.

Then we stood up, and Tsubaki-dono continued the song with the servants onstage. I winced at my painful cheek while the diva sang: "Poor fool, oh, he makes me laugh! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Time I tried to get a better better half!"

"Poor fool, oh, he doesn't know! Oh ho ho ho ho-"

"Did I not instruct that Box 5 was to be left empty?"

I jumped at the terrifyingly familiar voice. Then I whipped my head around to look at Box 5.

And oh, horror, Hojo-kun, of all people was seated in Box 5!

Now I really believed that Inu-Yasha was the Phantom of the Opera.

"He's here…" I groaned.

Tsubaki-dono spun around and hit me over the head with her fan. "Your part is silent, little toad!"

:Inu-Yasha:

A toad, madame? Perhaps it is you that is the toad.

:Kagome:

Tsubaki-dono resumed her aria. "Poor fool, oh, he doesn't know! Oh ho ho ho ho ho- co-oak!"

The audience blinked, then laughed, assuming it was a joke.

Unfortunately, it was no joke, as funny as it was. Tsubaki-dono was not supposed to croak like a toad. Actually, it was rather ironic…

No matter how hard she tried, Tsubaki-dono could not get out the toad that had seemingly leapt into her throat. It happened more and more, the more she tried.

"Poor fool- co-oak! Oh, he doesn't- co-oak!"

To prevent further problems, the curtains quickly closed. However, one of the servants was left outside the curtain. The audience was roaring by this time.

"Here, girl!" Fushigi-sama ran onstage and pulled me out in front of the curtain.

"You're fired!" I heard Kitsune-san, the conductor, hiss to the fop still dancing in front of the curtain. Fushigi-sama unceremoniously shoved the dancing yellow fop offstage, and shouted to the audience. "Tonight's production of Il Muto will continue momentarily, when the role of the Countess will be played by-" he shoved me in front of him. "Higurashi Kagome-san!"

To my surprise, the audience applauded.

"In the meantime," Fushigi-sama shouted." I present the ballet from act 3!"

"What!" Kitsune-san hissed from the orchestra pit.

"The ballet!" Fushigi-sama hissed back, and dragged me offstage.

The music for the ballet began to play. Meanwhile, the curtains were raised to show complete pandemonium onstage, as sets rose and fell, and props were pulled offstage, and shoved onstage, while performers ran back and forth.

The audience was in hysterics at this point.

Finally, the set had successfully changed, and the dancers were all onstage too. As well, some sheep were frolicking cheerfully.

I saw as much before I ran back to my dressing room to change.

I had changed into a white dress, when something told me to go out. I walked back to the wings.

There were strange flashes up there. Flashes that meant someone was moving about.

That someone had to be Mushin-san, though, since he was the only person who would be up in the flies during an opera, right?

Right?

There was a swishing noise, and something fell down onto the stage.

The corps-de-ballet screamed.

As soon as I saw it clearly, I screamed too.

It was Mushin-san! However, his face was bloated and discolored, and his eyes stared blindly out at us. There was a rope tied around his neck.

He was dead.

The rope was cut, and Mushin-san fell onto the ground. The corps-de-ballet shrieked again, and ran off the stage.

I couldn't move, however. I was transfixed by the horror of it all. Mushin-san was dead, and someone had strangled him. Someone who was up in the flies during the performance.

Nobody could have been up there but Inu-Yasha.

Which meant-

"Come on, Kagome-san!" Someone was grabbing me by the arm and dragging me away. I turned. "Hojo-kun!"

Then I realised he was trying to get me to safety. "No, come with me!" I grabbed Hojo-kun's arm, and dragged him towards the stairs.

A/N: meeklyHi...I'm uploading this from Thatz's computer...days after I finished writing it. My brother's computer is about as alive as the Pope (no offense if you're Catholic, I'm justa weird little Shinto), and thus I cannot go online.

Okay, thank you everyone byebye bye