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. I make no dough off of this so no suing little old me. I haven't got the money anyway! ;)
AN: Ok guys I need many more reviews! I need some feedback (other than my little sis/writing master/fellow phan throwing pillows at me...) Am I doing ok? Am I in danger of getting flame reviews? ANYTHING! Your fellow author is becoming desperate!
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Chapter 3: The Phantom Remembers
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"It happened a long time ago by Aboveworld standards, nearly 250 years ago. I grew weary of life alone in the Underground. Most Faye do not associate with me, and I had never before met a human. Jareth had the ability to cross realms so I asked him if he could send me. We decided that I would be sent in child form, but we did not realize that my deformity would follow me. Because of my face, I was shunned from society. They beat me often calling me the devil's child and showed me at freak shows. I broke free and, with the help of a young ballerina in the Paris Opera House, I hid in the catacombs beneath the opera. I soon began to believe I was terribly wrong to come to Aboveworld, but then as a young man, my friend brought a young orphan to the Opera House. I could feel there was something different about her the moment I saw her, and I began to visit her at night, always at night. She never saw me, and she began to think of me as her angel of music that her father had promised to send to her. It was a role I readily accepted, and I began to work with her voice. She had the voice of an angel even at a young age. I grew increasingly jealous of her because some of the young hopefuls in the Opera House would try to court her to ride on her abilities. I became stricter with her to give her an excuse to refuse them. But then she debuted as the Opera's leading soprano, and she caught the attention of the Vicomte de Chagny whom she had known before she came to the Opera. I was angry worried that she seemed interested in this suitor. The song we just sang was how I overpowered her so she would be unaffected by the journey to my lair beneath the Opera House. I will admit I had begun to acknowledge to myself that I had feelings for Christine. Once I had her in my lair, I attempted to use every power I had to seduce her and turn her heart back to me. I gather you know what happened when I lost control of her and my anger over her rejection."
Sarah nodded in near mental exhaustion from what she was learning. She was hearing the story of the Phantom of the Opera from the Phantom himself! "I debuted in the role of Christine, but I can see I hardly did her justice!"
Erik smiled half-heartedly. "I am sure, of all that have tried, you were one of the best Lady Sarah. Suffice it to say that through Jareth I was heavily involved in the story and music you are familiar with. I had attempted to get my story out earlier, but the man changed too much for his audience of the time."
"I had the opportunity to read the novel," Sarah agreed nodding her head. "He turned you into a real monster…"
"Aye…" Erik was quiet for several minutes before he lifted his sapphire gaze to the queen's. "After Christine refused me, I returned to the Underground in Jareth's keeping. He didn't want to, but Jareth ended up providing me with a crystal I could view my angel through. As the years went by, Christine and Raoul grew older. Christine had two sons and one daughter before she died." Erik blinked back the tears that stung behind his eyes. "It wasn't until after Christine's death that I returned to Aboveworld. I visited her grave to give her one last rose and song. I think it was that last gift that opened the way for her spirit to return to me. I felt her with me as Jareth pulled me back to the Underground. Now she knows the way."
"Do you still sing of the music of the night, Erik?"
The Phantom shook his dark head slowly and when he spoke his voice was thick with the emotion he held back. "No, I have sung that song but once, Lady Sarah. You may have noticed there are two versions of the song in your world. That is because the writer could only write off my memory of that moment for I did not actually sing it to his mind."
"I wondered about that. It's the only song that was different for apparently no reason. I was vastly curious when Jareth let me see what they did to the movie that it was changed. It is the most poignant moment for the Phantom of the play, I believe, and the change of lyrics, while still moving, seemed a bit odd to me."
"That one time I could touch her and sense her in a way that I never could any other woman. She is gone now, Sarah. I would not cheapen the memory of that night."
Sarah nodded again though she looked disappointed. "It was always my favorite song. When we did it in the show, I used to close my eyes and pretend it was Jareth's voice and hands." Jareth wanted to kiss his wife for comparing their seductions. Erik was the master of song enchantment. After all, his own attempt at a song seduction had failed…
Jareth stood bringing Sarah with him. "The hour grows late… It is time the Goblin Queen retired…"
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Jareth, I'm pregnant, but I won't break!"
Jareth grinned in response his eyes glittering. "I intend to make sure of that…"
Sarah groaned slightly in mock protest. She turned back to Erik with a smile. "I never got to apologize for my rudeness earlier, Erik. I hope you will accept my apology now…"
"There is nothing to forgive, Lady Sarah." Erik replied with a bow after he stood from his place behind the piano.
Sarah smiled again and allowed Jareth to usher her off to their room. Erik sat back down at the piano fingering though not playing the tune that played in his mind. He tilted his head back as his eyes closed with tears seeping slowly from behind the lids.
"Supreme One, I have beseeched you often for that which I have long been without," Erik whispered to the night as he stood and moved to the window. "Jareth has only confirmed what I already guessed. Christine was an infatuation… A strong one… but still only that… I was blinded… I had never known care from anyone and even an infatuation was new to me. Yet I am alone once more! Shall I never know the love of another? My soul longs for it leaving me in agony…" Erik lowered his face shedding silent tears.
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Jareth saw his wife safely to bed for despite her protests against the way he catered to her needs she really was tired. Sarah had just drifted off when he felt the magic. He looked out the window just in time to see a black drake flying over the Labyrinth. So Erik was more disturbed still than he let on… Jareth shook his head in silent worry for his friend. When Erik had returned from Aboveworld, he had been broken ready to give up on existence. He watched Erik fly and swoop through the air venting his frustrations. As a drake, despite how beautiful a form it still was, his scarred deformity was more acceptable. It was the only time Erik ever went unmasked in his youth more because of the impracticality of masking a dragon. As a child, Erik had spent days in his heartbeast form coming out only when necessary. In maturity Erik had come to grips with the terrible mask. It had been his first piece of clothing as a babe for his own mother could not stand to look at his face. That withdraw of his own family had hurt Erik greatly. Jareth had long known he stood as the only person Erik would ever claim as family for they had been close as brothers for centuries. They had made it official before the Seelie Court only a year before Sarah entered the Labyrinth for the first time. He and Erik were blood-bonded brothers.
"We have to find someone for him…"
Jareth turned to find Sarah had come over to stand beside him at the window. "I didn't realize you felt it…"
"You know I am more connected to magic in the Labyrinth now than I ever have been. His transformation feels a lot like yours. But why does he fly now?"
"He mentally whips himself for all that occurred with Christine. He can hardly understand why he pushed her so hard. He very nearly killed the girl's love to force her, and yet her innocence shone through his blindness. That kiss Christine gave him left him a changed Faye giving him the courage to leave things as they should be and let her go."
"But you changed things, Jareth. You brought me here…"
"No, Sarah, this is where you belonged. You are my equal, the missing half of my soul. Christine was not meant to come to the Underground. She did not have your love of fantasy and was too Aboveworld in her thinking despite her readiness to believe Erik to be an angel sent by her father. She was not his equal, Sarah… Christine was too easily overpowered by Erik fighting him only when she fought for the life of her love."
Sarah nodded but never took her eyes from the dragon flying in the distance. "Then we must find him an equal…" With a smile Sarah kissed Jareth on the cheek and returned to bed. Jareth joined her after watching the small form of a drake on the horizon a bit longer.
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Erik loved to fly! He could feel free when he took to the skies. In the skies there were none to laugh or jeer at him, none to scorn him… He had missed this in his time in Aboveworld. He couldn't very well turn into a mythical creature there and risk being seen by a mortal. He wondered what Jareth and Sarah would have in store for him. He had seen the looks that had passed between the pair before they retired for the night. Sighing the black drake headed back towards the castle. He would need to be rested for the festivities the following evening.