Rambles: A LOT of singing! Oh well,it is a musical.Sodifficult to make it read more like a story then some lame attempt of sticking in words in the middle of lyrics. Anyway, took a long time to write and update. I hope you'll enjoy it!

Scene 3

She was dressed in an elegant dark purple velvet cloak that covered most of her and she had a white mask that concealed the right side of her face. She held his hand firmly and led him slowly through a passageway enveloped in near total darkness and thick with fog. Her hand was small and cold. There was a deep sense of loneliness in these pair of hands and it seemed that these hands had not held anyone in a long time. To him, her touch was a recurring dream he always had, her existence was an illusion he could never grasp and her voice was a melody that no one ever heard.

In sleep she sang to me, in dreams she came,
That voice which calls to me and speaks my name…

And do I dream again?
For now I find the Phantom of the Opera is there – inside my mind…

Now, this dream had crossed over into his world, into his reality. And that discerning dark eyes was watching him, with the tiniest smile on her face. Her veiled beauty was strangely staggering, overwhelming him and her voice continued to lull him with its deep undertones.

Sing once again with me, our strange duet…
My power over you grows stronger yet…

Ichigo stopped to cast a hesitant look behind, suddenly realizing that he did not know by which way he had came, for he had been too enthralled by her enigmatic presence to take note. A freezing hand then lightly touched his cheek, urging him to turn his head to look back downwards at her.

And though you turn from me, to glance behind,
the Phantom of the Opera is there – inside your mind.

He did turn to look at her, and when his eyes met hers, he felt himself struggling with the unfamiliar surge of emotions within him as he faced that pair of beautiful eyes. He wanted to take the loneliness away from her icy touch. And he wanted to take the pain away from her dark irises. He ran his hand through her delicate ebon hair, lightly, from the roots to the ends. Her hair, which was slightly damp from the fog, went a little beyond her shoulders, curving softly to follow the shape of her neck. Breathily, he whispered the song shakily, his shuddering voice filled with both the fear of this unfathomable existence and the exhilaration of the ascertainment that she was indeed real.

Those who have seen your face, draw back in fear
I am the mask you wear

The Phantom pulled him even closer, singing softly right into his ear.

It's me they hear…

She then stroked his cheek with the back of her hand while his hands cradled her tiny waist. Their noses nearly touched and their voices rang in beautiful harmony in the desolated area they were in.

Your/My spirit and your/my voice in one combined:
the Phantom of the Opera is there inside your/my mind

They started to dance, their feet silent and light across the damp ground, their movements slow and deliberate, gentle like the ebbing of the waves. Ichigo pulled her in with an easy spin and as the Phantom rested her back against his chest, he encircled his arm around her and interlocked his fingers with hers. His other hand then caressed the tender skin along the line of her jaw and she tipped her head slightly backwards to gaze back at him. Her hand rose to touch his face and her lips parted, hypnotizing him with her crystal clear voice.

In all your fantasies, you always knew that woman and mystery…

…were both in you… Ichigo replied as he leaned in to tiny crook of her neck to take in her scent, his lips nearly brushing her porcelain smooth skin.

And in this labyrinth, where night is blind,
the Phantom of the Opera is there/here in your/my mind…

They finally reached the Phantom's lair which was decorated with much opulence. Intricate gilded stands and elaborate chandeliers held lit candles that illuminated the area in a soft orange glow. Soft silk was draped over the chairs and heavy velvet covered the tables that were stacked with music sheets. Well-maintained leather-bound books lined one side of the wall and oil paintings framed in beautiful antique wood molding lined the other. The Phantom poured Ichigo a glass of wine, which Ichigo graciously accepted and finished upon the Phantom's encouragement.

She placed down her own glass on one of the tables, her wine barely touched. "You have come here, my home of music. And you have come here to sing. The moment that I heard you sing, I needed you. I needed you to sing my music, to sing for me, my music…"

Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness wakes and stirs imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defences
Helpless to resist the notes I write
For I compose the music of the night

Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Hearing is believing, music is deceiving
Hard as lightning, soft as candlelight
Dare you trust the music of the night

She touched his cheek with her cold hand, brushing it lovingly with her fingertips. Her hand then rose to gently cover his eyes as she pulled him closer to her, her cheek almost touching him and her lips resting by his ear as she sang.

Close your eyes, for your eyes will only tell the truth
And the truth isn't what you want to see
In the dark it is easy to pretend
That the truth is what it ought to be

Perhaps she kissed his ear, but he could not be sure, for her breath was like light kisses against his skin. He held her closer to himself, indulging in her unearthly presence and spellbinding voice.

Softly, deftly, music shall caress you
Hear it, feel it secretly possess you
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness which you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night

He touched her face, feeling her cold smooth skin against his own warmth. His fingers traced her defined contours and the edge of her mask. He made no attempt to remove the mask despite his desire to know what she hid behind that mask of hers. He wondered how someone as beautiful as her could have something to hide under that mask. But somehow, he felt that now was not the time to ask.

Close your eyes, start a journey to a strange new world
Leave the thoughts of the world you knew before
Close your eyes and let music set you free
Only then can you belong to me…

Floating, falling, sweet intoxication
Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
To the power of the music that I write
The power of the music of the night

She led him to another room, where there was a solitary large painting kept away from the numerous she had displayed in the main area. The painting was large, slightly taller than Ichigo and covered with a thick red cloth laced with golden threads.

She tilted her head and her fringe fell, covering her left eye. Behind the mask, her eye teased him with its visible smile in its obscured view, similar to the eyes of a child who was about to disclose a secret. Then her hands reached up and pulled down the cloth, revealing the portrait of a jet-haired man who appeared to be laughing, a man that strangely resembled him…

Ichigo looked at the Phantom questioningly but before he could say anything, he felt his vision blur and then quite abruptly, he passed out. As he collapsed, the Phantom swiftly caught him in her arms before he hit the ground. It almost seemed that she had been anticipating him to lose consciousness. She rested him on her laps and amatively stroked his hair. "Sleep my Angel of Music. Sleep. And then sing again for me. My Angel of Music."

You alone can make my song take flight -
help me make the music of the night . . .

"Electrifying! An absolutely electrifying performance!" Kagine Sensei cheered as she applauded enthusiastically.

Ichigo got up from his lying position and there was a hint of flush in his face as everyone started to comment on just how impressive their performance was. Rukia was just smiling and nodding politely, with that perfected act of humility. To him, there was little wonder to her excellent acting in this musical. She had a lot of practice. She was perpetually practicing, just like she was now.

"Kuchiki-san!" Keigo was yelling like a maniac again. "You were magnificent! MAGNIFICENT! I want to act along your side! I don't want Ichigo being so close to you!"

Rukia gave a pretentious soft giggle as she turned away with a hand on her cheek, which incredibly was colored with the just the right amount of blush, such that she looked like she was actually greatly embarrassed by the praise. "My acting is not that good, Asano-san. You flatter me."

Ichigo grunted and rolled his eyes. Perhaps his grunt was a little too loud; for he felt pair of all too familiar eyes glared at him pointedly but discreetly. He quickly detached himself from his horde of classmates and settled himself at a quieter corner of the hall.

He had to admit though, that the scene just now was intense. So intense that he nearly forgot his lines and dance steps, which would have been utterly demeaning if he did, since Rukia was being that consummate actress again. But of course, she constantly required herself to be impeccable in every aspect. He sneaked a glance at her, who was still being commended by their classmates. It always seemed mysterious to him, how Rukia, a seemingly normal girl with nothing that was apparently striking in any way, could so easily draw people in to her all the time. There was something strangely magnetic about her, that people could not help but want to get close to her, even if she tried to pull herself away from them. Nobody ever seemed turned off by her painfully clear façade; he could not imagine that nobody else would think that she was just putting on an act.

But still, no matter where she went, she appeared to touch the life of others. She had so many people who cared for her, which oddly, she did not seem aware that they were there. Renji who stood by her steadfastly, Byakuya who protected her in silence, Ukitake who would throw away all the achievements he had built up just to save her, and even Hanatarou, who cared deeply for her even though they had not known each other long.

In the midst of their chatter, Rukia's eyes flashed over to Ichigo, who was just sitting there and staring into space, with that over-familiar puckered brows and a lesser-seen smirk. She subtly excused herself from the crowds and headed over to talk to him.

"Are you thinking some awful things about me again?" Her face was indignant as usual with her almost-pout. It was the childish expression she would show only to him, an expression he had unknowingly grown a penchant for.

Ichigo glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, refusing to brush that smirk off his face. "No."

"Then what?" She demanded adamantly.

"It's a lot of things." He shrugged. "You know, the past. Just stuff, like just now…"

"ALL RIGHT PEOPLE!" Kagine Sensei's voice cut off his sentence. "GET INTO POSITIONS!"

There was a roar of protest, though everyone still gathered back without demur and prepared for the next scene. Ichigo got up as well but Rukia pulled his shirt to hold him back.

"You didn't finish."

"It's nothing," he dismissed with a wave of his hand as he walked off.

The past few months was a rollercoaster of events and emotions.

She came. They met.

She left. He followed.

She stayed. He let her.

And then finally, she came back.

People would not understand the deep undercurrents that ran beneath their apparent platonic relationship, the deep undercurrents that bound them together, and the deep undercurrents that were beyond logical explanation. People would never fully understand. Not Inoue, not Renji, not Ishida, not Byakuya, not Chad, not Hanatarou.

Perhaps, not even themselves.

There were a lot of unspoken understanding between them, and a lot that would not be understood even if they attempted to articulate it. So, he did not look back, as he believed she probably understood what he meant.

Maybe she did.

Because she was smiling.

- YL -

Post-Chapter Notes:
In the real script, I think Christine fainted from shock! I can't make Ichigo do that! So un-macho! Yeah, so Rukia doped his wine! Haha… I know, they are underage. They are drinking cranberry juice or something (actually, I don't know what is the color of cranberry juice. I just gave a random fruit). Who knows? I hope the fic was not below expectations. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it:)