Hidey-heidy-howdy-ho! Basically, hi! This is my first Inu-Yasha fanfic, so flames are always welcome(in fact, the nastier you make them, the happier I'll be. Especially when it comes to grammar. Except in the author commentary; sometimes I misspell on purpose here, but not usually in my story.) Compliments are welcome as well.

This is a combination of "Phantom of the Opera" and Inu-Yasha. The basic idea of someone haunting a theater is from the prior; the characters are from the latter. This will probably end up being OCC and is definitely AU.

Oh, sorry Kikyo fans...she dies in the first chapter, and unlike the anime, she doesn't come back in a mix of ashes and grave-soil.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha or Phantom of the Opera.

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Chapter 1: The Haunting Begins

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The theater was the pride and joy of the town of just over fifty-thousand inhabitants. The whole community tried to keep it in the best shape possible, and the schools used it almost as often as the company.

Perhaps one of the biggest successes was Kikyo, the pride and joy of the theater. She was the rising star, the one who played the main female role in any opera or play. She was a great actress, and many people from nearby towns had come to see the young girl perform. From the age of sixteen, she had worked with the theater and performed. Now, three years later, she was retiring from the acting life to go to college.

Her successor, her younger sister Kaede, was almost as good as Kikyo herself. Kaede was preparing to take on the part of Margaritta in Faust. Kikyo had performed that part at her debut, and Kaede wanted to do the same.

Kaede was in her dressing room, preparing for her part. She sat at the vanity, applying make-up to her face.

"Who are you?" whispered a voice.

Kaede, startled, looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. Finding no one in the room with her, she turned back to her current task.

"You are not Kikyo," whispered the voice, turning more malevolent.

"Who are you?" asked Kaede to the empty room. She was beginning to get spooked; she didn't like the idea of a theater that was haunted.

"You will play Kikyo's role?"

"My sister is leaving and the company needs a replacement," said Kaede, hiding her fear.

"Kikyo is the only one who can play the part you seek to play."

Kaede waited for a second. "Yes, my sister is better than I am, but I will try to do just as well. Whoever you are-"

"LEAVE THE THEATER!"

Kaede was shell-shocked. She sat, too stunned to move. She could've sworn she saw yellow eyes stare at her from the full-length mirror.

"Kaede?" came a soft voice.

Kaede jumped. Then, composing herself, she said, "Yes?"

Kikyo opened the door and came into the room. "Are you almost ready, little sister?"

Kaede nodded. As she followed Kikyo out from the dressing room, she glanced back at the mirror. She saw only the reflection of the room. Shaking her head, she headed to the stage.

The show was glorious and fantastic. Kaede was indeed spectacular, although not nearly as spectacular as Kikyo had always been. It was the beginning of the last act, and everyone in the stage crew was too enraptured by the performance to notice a shadow creeping along the ropes above the stage. He made no noise, creeping along, his presence lost to everyone.

What happened next would remain in the town's memory for years to come.

The figure used his claws to slice through several ropes, dropping unsuspecting members of the stage crew onto the stage fifty feet below. Then, he undid some of the riggings and the scenery fell onto the actors and corpses. Kaede was caught underneath the curtains. The crowd began to panic and race for the exits, some falling and getting trampled, others trying to preserve their lives. The lights went out, and a maniacal laughter rang throughout the theater.

Kikyo was on the stage, trying to help her sister and the other actors get out before the fire that had started to consume the curtains became a raging fire. Others began to help, some trying to contain the fire, others trying to get the wounded out.

Kikyo managed to get her sister outside, but she went inside. And didn't come out.

The next day, when firemen and nosy reporters and actors went into the theater to assess the damage, they found Kikyo's corpse, her eyes glazed over, limbs sprawled, and throat slit. No one ever knew who killed her; police suspected that whoever had sabotaged the theater had killed her.

The whole town mourned Kikyo's passing for almost a year. The theater lost half of its patrons, but still managed to stay running. Ever since, when something bad happened, like a curtain rope breaking or someone tripping over a bucket, the people say that the phantom has caused it.

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First chapter. Wha'dya think? Lame, I know. Actually, I had another story like this. In fact, I'm going to post it...eventually. Next chapter introduces Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and others.

And...random question that I know the answer to...Who's the phantom? Did he kill Kikyo?