AN: last chapter didn't feel right until towards the end when it started to kick off, but this chap will be lots better, longer and with lots of Yukiru and Kyoru bits! Hee hee! My production has finally begun!
And by the way, in one version of the phantom, Meg becomes Erik's angel of music at the end. Well whatta ya know!
Any way, I've yammered on for long enough.
!cif eht htiw nO
The first few scenes went as planned. 'Think of me' was a huge success, and Yuki managed to sing just as he had in rehearsals, which was good. Truthfully he had been looking past Kitto at the smaller girl standing in the wings as he sang from his balcony-esque box just off from the stage on stage left.
After the scene ended, Shinji held his breath, and then, it came, from nowhere.
"Bravi, bravi, bravissimi." Yuki almost had a heart attack, whereas Shinji started crying silent tears of relief.
Then Angel of Music came. Tohru sang her part, and Hatori had to listen to two men of his own age going, "Aaaaw!"
Yuki was standing in the stage right wing as she sang, watching her but wishing the scene would go faster so he could get her off stage as quickly as possible. He hated to think of the creature that stood directly above him was watching her, and planning something.
Little Lotte came and went. Yuki wished he could warn Kitto, but their exits were different. Then came the phantom's next invisible voice part. It sounded as if he was just shouting at Yuki like he usually did. Well, until he started to change that is.
"Insolent boy, this slave of fashion, basking in your glory! Ignorant fool this brave young suitor, SHARING IN MY TRIUMPH!"
It put Yuki well on the edge. As he left the stage, he was thankful to find Tohru waiting for him in the wings.
"I'm worried about Kitto-san." Yuki said quietly, as they both watched Kitto sing.
"Flattering child you shall know me, see why in shadow I hide, look at your face in the mirror, I am there inside!" And there he was. Not Kyo. The phantom. Standing in the frame of the mirror, cloak billowing, mask shining, was the Phantom of the Opera.
As the music began for the most famous piece of the whole production, Ayame, Shigure and Hatori had gone completely still. "Is… That… Kyonkichi!" Ayame said, his eyes alarmingly wide.
"H-how many other red heads are there at that school?" Said Shigure, raising an eyebrow.
Yuki and Tohru watched uncomfortably as Kitto and Kyo did the Phantom of The Opera and The Music of The Night. The fact that Kyo kept glancing over at Tohru as he was singing made it all the more awkward.
Yuki held her arm and put a hand protectively on her shoulder, so that Kyo could see that he meant business.
When Stranger Than You Dreamt It Began, Tohru developed the most horrible De-ja-vu she'd ever had.
She heard a horrified gasp behind her. Yuki and Tohru both turned to see Ichigo.
"I, I didn't give him any deformity at all! He was missing, so I forgot!"
"Don't worry Ichigo-san." Yuki said quietly. "He's got something more realistic than we would have liked."
Ichigo looked puzzled at this, but when Kitto removed Kyo's mask, she caught a glimpse of the burns before he covered his face. "Is that… Real?"
Tohru nodded sadly, and then suddenly felt very sorry for Kyo. He looked like he was almost enjoying himself, but deep down she new that no one who burns half of their face off can truly be happy.
Haru's only notable scene came and went, but when he came off stage, he looked very pale. Yuki got what the problem was immediately. In the next scene after Prima Donna, Haru's character Buquet was killed by the phantom.
"Haru, maybe you shouldn't go up there?" Yuki said as Haru started making his was up to the mezzanine.
"I'll be fine, don't worry about me. Just… Be careful yourself, 'kay?"
Yuki frowned. Why was everyone suddenly so worried about him?
Haru felt the sweat rise on his forehead. This was like walking into the lion's den. But the cat was far more dangerous.
"Hello Haru." The voice came from the dark.
"K-kyo, you're not going to-"
"Relax Haru." Haru felt a hand on his shoulder. "It's not you I want."
Kyo said his lines for Notes and Prima Donna, and then left Haru alone to 'hang himself'. Haru felt a deep sigh of relief issue from his mouth.
And then it hit him. Why had Kyo left?
Yuki knelt nervously in the stage right box 5. He had the worst feeling something bad was going top happen to Haru. The cast on stage began to sing the piece from Il Muto.
"…If he knew the truth he'd never ever go."
"Did I not instruct that Box Five was to be kept Empty?" Kyo's sounded alarmingly close for Yuki's liking.
"Your part is silent, little toad!" Came Uo's aggressive reply to Kitto's line.
"A toad madame? Perhaps it is you who are the toad. Heh." Kyo was definitely close by. Suddenly Yuki felt cold. There was a hand on his shoulder. "Enjoying it, Yuki?" A voice whispered darkly in Yuki's ear. "I haven't shown you my little trick yet, have I?"
Yuki started shaking. He could feel Kyo's breath on the side of his face, but couldn't move at all to look round.
"You'll see. During the interlude. I will be on my floor. I'll see you there, or maybe Tohru? Hmm?" Yuki shut his eyes. This was one of the worst-case scenarios of the night.
Kyo left Yuki and could be heard laughing at Uo from somewhere backstage.
Yuki tried to stop the shaking, but it wouldn't go away. Did Kyo mean that he'd take Tohru if he didn't go up there?
Yuki was needed for the next few scenes. He made his way down to the stage, and was dragged away by Kitto. Somehow he didn't feel right.
When they reached 'Why Have You Brought Us Here?', Tohru was alarmed at how much the description fitted Kyo at the moment. And the way she felt about him.
"... Raoul I've seen him, can I ever forget that sight, can I ever escape from that face, so distorted, deformed, it was hardly a face in that darkness… Darkness…"
Tohru felt herself feeling the pity again. His eyes… In that one moment when they begged for her to save him. "But in his eyes, all the sadness in the world, those pleading eyes, that both threaten, and adore…"
Help me…
The De-ja-vu returned as All I Ask Of You Began. It was just like that night on the roof.
Yuki kept looking over Kitto's head at Tohru, and she smiled back at him. But inside, he felt like screaming at her to run away.
As Yuki kissed Kitto, and knew that Tohru was watching, he felt very strange. The first time he'd done it, he'd felt nothing. He'd simply turned off all of his emotions and disappeared. But now, as he kissed this beautiful stranger, all he could think of was that night on the roof. And how much he wished it was Tohru he was kissing.
The reprise came, and Yuki and Kitto came off stage. Yuki laced his fingers with Tohru's and leant his head on her shoulder.
"It feels oddly familiar, doesn't it?" He said, glancing back at the stage.
"Uh-huh. Weirdly enough." And then suddenly she understood. As Kyo lamented his loss on stage, the whole thing became clear.
"Yuki-kun, you don't think…"
"You mean, you think Kyo was, but he…? How could he have been?"
The two of them watched in devastation as Kyo turned to face them.
"You will curse the day you did not do, ALL THAT THE PHANTOM ASKED OF YOU!"
It was so clear now. On that night, Kyo began to change. And it was their fault. He'd never even been that interested before. And now, it seemed that his whole life revolved around becoming the phantom.
As Kyo left the stage and the lights dimmed, the audience burst into applause. The obviously had absolutely no idea what was really going on. But then, neither did the cast.
The whole cast and crew did a very quiet whoop for joy and started preparing for the next half, which was the very extravagant Masquerade.
"Um… Honda-kun, I need to do something, but I need you to promise that you won't leave backstage." Yuki held Tohru gently by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "You promise?"
"O-Ok, but, you have to tell me where you're going."
"That's not important. Just promise me."
Tohru wanted to say yes, but she was too concerned and suspicious. "I want to know, Yuki-kun."
Yuki looked at the floor. "I can't say."
"Yuki!" Tohru felt the tears pricking her eyes. "Tell me! Please…?"
Yuki watched as the tears started spilling over in Tohru's determined eyes.
"I'm… I'm going to the seventh floor."
"What?" Tohru's eyes widened. "N-no, Yuki-kun! You can't… He… He might-"
"I know. I have to. Trust me, I don't want to, but I don't have a choice."
"No." Tohru held on to his arm as he tried to turn away. She buried her head in his arm and cried into his jacket. "Don't go. Please."
Yuki kissed her on the forehead and put a hand on her back. The stood there for a second, silent amidst the chaos that the Phantom cast and crew were creating.
"Nothing will happen. I'll be fine."
"You always say that, and then you never are."
Yuki carefully prised her off, and put a hand on her head. "I'll be back before you know it."
At least, I hope so.
"Yuki-kun?" Yuki turned back to face her. "I… I love you."
Yuki stopped completely. "W-What… Did you just say?"
Tohru smiled. "I love you." Yuki tried to speak but no words came. "I only just realised."
"I…" Tohru put a hand on the side of his face and kissed him. Three crewmembers started wolf-whistling. When they finally separated, Yuki found the words to speak. "I love you too."
As he walked silently up the seven flights of stairs, Yuki wished he hadn't left her. Surely if he held her hand through the entire interlude he wouldn't have had to part with her, or worry about Kyo taking her for himself?
Warm light fell on Yuki's face as he climbed the last staircase. He'd seen the candles at the third floor, and had no doubt as to who was behind them.
As he found the strength to make himself go the last few steps of his journey, he suddenly felt cold. The warmth of the candles did nothing for him now. This place he was entering was as cold as hell.
"Kyo?"
Kyo was standing in the middle of the attic room, surround with light. He almost looked celestial. Almost… Angelic…
"I've been waiting for you Yuki." Kyo smiled, twisting the rope in his hands once more.
Yuki felt all the more afraid with every second, and felt like he could run away. But he couldn't move at all. Kyo's eye held him in place. And the force Kyo wielded with just a look now, was alarmingly strong. Yuki didn't want to think how strong he was physically.
As the two of them stood in that strangely lit room, they were completely silent. And the silence was as loud as thunder.
AN: Ok, um… Kyoru fans? Hi. Um… I realise you'll be wanting to snap me in two right now… Heh heh, but I had to split this chap into two parts. FEAR NOT MY KYORU LOVING FRIENDS! There shall be more KyoXTohru next chap… I promise! And so… Momo? If you read this… um… PLEASE DON'T KILL ME. Thankies for reading and note: I update real quick because… My life is really boring. ;………..;
