Title: A Phantom's Dreams
Author: Lady Ione Athene
Rating: R for violence and later scenes.
Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own the characters of Jim Henson's Labyrinth or the classic tale of the Phantom of the Opera. sniffles I don't own the Phantom's songs either! I make no dough off of this so no suing little old me. I haven't got the money anyway! ;)
AN: I am doing my best to keep true to the emotions of characters not my own though they are out of their normal environments. My writing master and fellow Phantom Phan, with preview priviledges and otherwise known as my little sister, has already thrown several pillows at me for a chapter still a bit further on. So just keep in mind that Angst is my favorite style, that I am a firm believer in giving my characters obstacles to be overcome, and we should be peachy! :D Oops, did I really just say that? swats a certain Goblin King muse for his knowing expression.
Chapter 2: Longing & Regret
The two men had retired to Jareth's private study after Sarah left them. Jareth sat as ever nonchalantly in one of the chairs before the fireplace. Erik's decorum was much more proper, but he was comfortable with Jareth's flamboyant style by now. Jareth recognized the sadness in his friend's gaze. Sarah had reminded Erik of his own beloved, Christine. "You are thinking of her again, my friend…"
"Aye… Jareth, she was the only one to look at me with something other than revulsion!"
"Remember the circumstances you put her under, my friend…"
"No, I know what you are thinking, but her emotions of that moment were true. She looked past my scarred face to the scarred soul beneath, and she was not frightened. She kissed me, Jareth. My own mother never even allowed such a thing! My mother would throw my mask at me and back as far away from me as she could…"
"Rather unjust if you ask me considering it is their fault in the first place…"
"I have long been past placing the blame on them, Jareth." Erik slowly removed his mask, and while there was pity in the Goblin King's eyes, Jareth could not hide his discomfort. "You see, my friend… Even you who have been my most enduring friend cannot bear the marks. It is against the nature of that which is beautiful to put up with that which is not." With a sigh Erik placed the shaped leather back on his face hiding his deformity. "Christine kissed me, Jareth, when I was not wearing my mask…"
"But her love belonged to another…"
"Aye, you are lucky that your own merely did not recognize her own love. I envy you, my friend…"
"I wish only that I could do more for you, Erik, but it is my tampering that got you into this mess in the first place…"
"Jareth, never regret your decision to let me go Aboveworld… It is true that the humans can be cruel, but I was used to that. No, Jareth, you gave me the chance to know something besides scorn, and I shall be eternally grateful for that."
"But at the cost of your heart, Erik?"
"Is it not a human saying that it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all?"
"Aye, and that may be true for mortal creatures who have little time within their grasp. But we are immortals, Erik. I grow increasingly disturbed over this loss. Faye cannot abide long separations from their true love. You have already lasted far longer than I assumed you would."
"I have often wondered about that, Jareth. I have mixed emotions on the implications. While my heart is telling me that I would have been truest living by Christine's side, my life tells me she was not the match to my soul. I don't know what to think of that, and it is one reason I have begun to heal. Christine has been gone for over a century, and I have not died. If she were in fact my soul mate, I should have died within 50 years of her denial."
"That is why I have been wondering. The ten years between Sarah's refusal and her return, I could feel the drain on my life. I could feel the soul death drawing closer."
"But I should not be dampening this happy occasion with my grief," Erik insisted drawing an emotional mask down.
"I have not seen you in two years, Erik. I needed to know how you were doing. You are much better than you were at our last parting…"
"What do you mean you will not attend!" the Goblin King bellowed.
"Just what I said, Goblin King! I will not be attending your wedding!"
"Erik, reconsider… I had hoped you would be my main attendant…"
"No, Jareth, a wedding is no place for one such as me!"
"You have your mask, Erik. Best friends attend each other's weddings! That is the way of it!" The heated comments rolled of Jareth's tongue before he could stop them. But his masked friend paled and his voice was strained when he spoke.
"May the Supreme One forgive you your cruelty, Goblin King!" Turning Erik had left not to return for two years. Jareth in his concern had watched his friend depart and knew as he watched Bagheera flying through the maze that Erik was in tears. He knew now that his anger had cooled that his words had stabbed his friend's heart like iron daggers. There would be no wedding for Erik that Jareth could attend.
"I can only hope that I have been forgiven my rash and thoughtless comments."
"Neither of us were particularly gracious that day, Jareth. I forgave you almost before I had reached Swancrest. You wanted your day to be perfect and that included having those you care about surrounding you. I denied you one of them. But I was not healed enough to handle that situation. We both know that now. I have healed much in a very short time as I considered our argument that day."
The two friends sat in companionable silence now that their previous argument had been set right. As long as they had been friends, two years was the longest they had been separated barring the time that Erik had been to Aboveworld. It felt good for them to take up their easy friendship once more.
Dinner was an uneasy affair for the Goblin Queen. Erik sat across from her at Jareth's left eating calmly and quietly. Sarah felt fidgety until she felt Jareth's hand resting on hers. She looked up at him, and he gave her an understanding smile. She calmed, but she resolved to find Erik afterwards to apologize.
She lost track of the masked Faye after the dinner was finished. She wandered through the castle not wishing to try to locate him with magic yet. Even after training with Jareth for over a year, she was not comfortable using the magic that was now a part of her. Now that she was pregnant, Jareth had insisted she would not do any strenuous training. Despite how easily she had conceived, Jareth could not forget how hard it was for Faye to continue the pregnancy. He consoled her with the fact that most Faye women were confined to bed the moment it was realized that they were with child. Sarah wasn't certain how consoling that was… As she passed the music room, she froze! A melody more moving than any she had ever heard played within. Even when Jareth sang to her it did not affect her so, but she was surprised to hear two voices within. She knew she was the only woman in the castle that was allowed into the music room, yet she could clearly hear an angelic female voice alongside the haunting male one. She quietly opened the door and peeked cautiously into the room. She saw Erik was sitting at the piano, which worked magic beneath his skilled fingers. A full accompanying orchestra could be heard though not seen. What caught Sarah's attention was the ghost-like figure standing beside Erik. Sarah did not notice her husband standing in the shadows of the room, which was dark lit only near the piano by multiple candles. She recognized the song they were singing for she had started her acting career in this very show. She had debuted as Christine… But the figure before her sang the notes so clearly it seemed… real… coming from her.
Christine:
In sleep he sang to me
In dreams he 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
Phantom:
Sing once again with me
Our strange duet
My
power over you
Grows stronger yet
And though you turn from me
to glance behind
The phantom of the opera is there
Inside
your mind
Christine:
Those who have seen your face
Draw
back in fear
I am the mask you wear
Phantom:
It's me
they hear
Both:
My/Your spirit and my/your voice
In
one combined
The phantom of the opera is there
inside my/your
mind
Chorus:
Is that the phantom of the opera?
Beware
the phantom of the opera
Phantom:
In all your fantasies
you always knew
That man and mystery
Christine:
Were
both in you
Both:
And in this labyrinth
Where night
is blind
The Phantom of the opera is here/there
Christine:
Inside my mind
Phantom:
Sing, my Angel of Music!
CHRISTINE
He's there,
the Phantom of the Opera…
"Sing, my angel…" Erik commanded. Obediently the ghost figure broke into the impossibly high descants that told Sarah they were coming to the end of the song. She flinched with his last command knowing how high the following note was. The figure hit it perfectly and confidently. As the note echoed within the room the figure melted away just as Erik reached out his hand as if to touch the pale cheek. Jareth came forward applauding his friend's performance and alerting Sarah to his presence.
"Bravo, Erik. Your voice is as powerful as ever. I dare say you surprised the Goblin Queen!" Sarah broke from her trance.
"It just seemed so… so real!"
Erik nodded sadly. "Christine often returns to sing. She is still my angel of music…"
"So the story is true?" Sarah gasped incredulously.
"Yes, Lady Sarah… I am the Phantom of the Opera…"
Sarah sat down on one of the settees pulling Jareth down beside her. "Tell me everything!" she demanded.
Erik nodded sadly. "It is a tale of deep woes, and it is one your husband deeply regrets allowing…"
"What did Jareth have to do with this?" Sarah asked in confusion.
"Sarah, let him continue, and he will tell you," Jareth chided softly. Sarah blushed but nodded for Erik to continue.