What up, People! Another update! (Obviously, or you wouldn't be reading this.) When we last left Paris, the Phantom of the Opera cast was eating lunch in the Populaire. Of course, we all know that Elphie's first aria :Gets beat over the head by Fiyero for using the word "aria": Ouch. Anyway, Elphie's song is next, so that means enter Erik! And enter Phangirls if I can't think of anything else. Yay! Unfortunately, due to the fact that one cast is in Oz, and the other cast is in Paris, there won't be any E/E stuff until after everyone is returned to the correct country/continent… Or until I get bored. MWAHAHAHAHA! HA!

Disclaimer: Do I really have to do this::sobs: Alright, here I go: Idon'townPhantomoftheOperaorWickedoranythingelsethatappearsinthisPhic/Wickfic. :sobs some more: Hey, I wonder how much it would cost to buy Phantom…


Chapter V: The Firmin and I

As the song ended, the Populaire was thrown into Flashback Mode. All the cobwebs and crap that had come up throughout the years disappeared, and the seats in the auditorium started repairing themselves and turning scarlet and gold. All the people started kind of dissolving because they're not important anymore, and people from 1870 started materializing and going about to do whatever it is that they have to do in an opera house.

Erik's POV

"Erik!"

I felt a hand grab my arm, and I spun around and found myself face-to-face with Madame Giry.

"Oh, it's just you." I said. "What do you want?"

The ballet mistress looked a little indignant, then cleared her throat and said, "I am here to inform you of a great opportunity."

"Great opportunity?" Why did I have a "great opportunity" that I didn't know about, and what the heck was it? "Elaborate."

"Well, ever since you came to the Opera house, I have been observing you."

"Giry? Do the words 'invasion of privacy mean anything to you? Because you really-"

"Erik?"

"What?"

"Shut up."

"Okay." What? I was just a teenager then, and this is before I became the Phantom of the Opera. I was somewhat obedient way back when, because that was the only way you could survive as a chorus boy in the Populaire.

"Anyway, I have been observing you, and have seen that you have exceptional genius when it comes to music."

"Okay, tell me something I don't know."

Giry rolled her eyes and continued. "We think that there is possibility that you could meet Firmin."

"How does exceptional genius have anything to do with Firmin? And why would I want to meet him in the first place? It's not like I haven't talked to him before; He does kind of run the opera."

Just then, a raven flew in and dropped a note on my head. I broke the seal and read aloud what was scrawled on the parchment in red ink. "Erik, stick to the script. Firmin's not the manager anymore. He's, um, another musical genius. So just go with that. I remain, Erik, your obedient dictator, CG." Little did I know that I would later be borrowing the format of the letter, when I became the Phantom of the Opera.

"Stupid raven," I muttered, and then added sarcastically, "Oh golly gee whiz I'm just so excited; I can't wait to meet Firmin. It is all that I have ever dreamed of. In fact-"

"Um, Erik, you can stop now. We get the picture." Giry told me.

"Actually, it says here in the script to break into song."

"Please don't." Said an arrogant male voice. I turned to see Raoul de Chagny, possibly the most superficial fop at the opera. He shouldn't have even been in the opera, but he was a Vicomte and was able to buy his way in. Not to mention that the managers pretty much figured that he was handsome enough that no one would notice his extreme lack of talent and intelligence. So in short, he was rich, decent-looking, had a title, and I hate him.

"Can I help you, de Chagny?"

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation, and was wondering if you have told Firmin about my talents yet."

"What talents?" Giry and I asked in unison.

"Er, I mean, your talents in music aren't quite what Firmin's looking for." Giry added quickly. She turned back to me and said, "You have also been accepted into our music program, where you can learn music theory and a heap of boring stuff like that, but everyone wants to be in it anyway."

"You're still talking to me, right?" The Vicomte asked.

"Um, no. I'm talking to Erik. I'm afraid, Raoul, you did not quite make the cut, as there are limited spaces in our program. And Erik just took the last one."

I smirked triumphantly at him.

He scowled back and promptly left, muttering about bananas, tacos, and how nobody appreciates true art anymore.

"The manager would like to speak with you," Giry told me, gesturing to the manager's office.

I shrugged and headed down the hall. When I reached the office door, I knocked and entered.

"Sit down, Erik." When I took my seat in a chair in front of his desk, the manager continued.

"Madame Giry tells me that you have extraordinary talent in music."

"I know."

"We all think that with some training, you could be of service to Firmin, the greatest musician in Paris."

"I still don't understand why I would want to be of service to him." I said, speaking the truth. Firmin wasn't all that great.

"Erik, Erik, Erik."

"That's my name, don't wear it out."

"Listen, Erik. When I built this opera house, all there was was swamp. Everyone said I was crazy to try to build an opera house in a swamp, but I built it anyway. It sank into the swamp. So I built another one. That one sank into the swamp. So I built a third one. That one burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one, now, the fourth one stayed up. And we are sitting in it at this very moment."

"Um, sir? First of all, you didn't build this opera house, and second of all, we're in Paris, not the swamp."

"Well, of course not. The first three I built on the swamp, and the only reason the last one stayed up was because I built it in the city."

"Oh, okay. Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Can I go now?"


A bit more Monty Python because I couldn't think of anything better. Don't worry; the next chapter should be pretty good. Avaric gets to chase Fiyero around and inform him that he's crazy because he hears random voices. (AKA, Angel of Music.)

Ravensmyst- Thank you so much for all of the reviews! You rock! Yay for procrastination! (Only on this update, I tried minimal procrastination) I hope you liked this chapter!

Alli Lynn- All hail E/E! (E/E is even worse than Mizzie E/E, which is Enjolras/Eponine. I think. I don't really know that much about Les Mis. But still. Not that I've ever written Enjolras/Eponine, but at least they're all in the same musical. Aye, I'm not making any sense anymore, so I'm gonna shut up.) But anyway, thanks for reviewing!