Disclaimer: Honestly…if I owned the Phantom of the Opera, don't you think I'd be spending my time actually doing unpublishable things with him, rather than writing them?
Review Replies
Angelicflutist: Of course you can be in the DBCA, just sing the song…I really need to get a website up and running for it or something
Emma Noble: Yes, an email is required to post, glad to meet you
Ophicial Phan: Just in time…go me!
Sapphire-aria: Gasp! I know! Stupid block, anyway, I need to write mote pre written stuff, though I was writing the morning after last night (as in THE morning after, mwahahahaha)
Nightshadesister-01: Heep a lookout for your glove
The Mega Doomer: Remember a mask a day keeps the crazed phans away
Dramachick: I'm touched! Thankyou!
IflyNAVY: (helps chase after mods) Stupid rules, rules should be banned
Jen Lennon: You managed it all in one sitting? I'm impressed
LAM: Thankyou!
BiP: Update! Yay!
Angelofmystery: Writers block is gone!
Cap'n Meg: No! Don't go! I'll miss your reviews!
Reltisic: Is you ban gone yet?
Morningside for life: You MUST watch Rove!
Pertie: Yep, intermission was written bac when this was all going to be one big thing and I couldn't delete it
Phantomofleopera: lmao!
"The fops not here!" the shout went up almost immediately, (Sorry my dears, no don't look at me like that! I need him later) and the DBCA-ians groaned in disappointment. "But Carlotta still is!" the voice continued, the DBCA-ians brightened immediately, "Lead on Macduff!"
Above the stage, Cap'n Meg, trisana, angelofmystery,
xLetYourDarkerSideGiveInx and Muirgen258 had made quick use of the
ropes and ladders to reach the flies. The terrified stagehands
tripped and stumbled their way across the platforms to avoid the
dangerously armed and manically laughing black-cloaked minions of the
dreaded Theatre Wraith.
Cap'n Meg's eyes lit up as she saw the
stagehands clutching earthenware bottles of liquor. "Well, well,
well," she muttered, sneaking closer. The Commodore of the DBCA had
a petite build and a silver sword that jangled at her hip. A large
plumed hat with vibrant feathers perched on her brown hair and she
stood ready and confidant in a sleeveless knee-length burgundy tunic
made of oriental silk and emblazoned with dragons, loose gold brown
trousers were tucked into her long black boots and jade earrings and
necklace glittered in the dim light.
Suddenly the Theatre Wraith dropped down from the rafters above and turned her around. "No Meg."
"But…"
"No."
"Just one little…"
"No!" Adriana pushed her off into the fray, "Now go chase a manager or something."
"Feisty, isn't she?" Masked Grace muttered, coming up beside the DBCA queen, as she inspected her daggers for nicks. Adriana laughed, glancing at her princess knight friend,
"Having fun?" she asked, checking her veil was still in place.
"Of course" Masked Grace replied, "I think I saw Firmin barricading himself into his office a little while ago, care to come join me in convincing him to come out?"
"Ooh! Sounds like fun!" Adriana exclaimed, the two whirled and ran off the platforms, as an unseen Erik, hovering above, looked down with a growing apprehension as they participated gaily in what is known to the entire world as "girl talk". Clothes (infinitely more interesting now that there was no modern tasteless fashion to be seen), weaponry, (lightsabres versus Cookies of Doom) and of course, Erik, the important stuff in life.
From his vantage point, Erik sighed. She would want to leave, the appearance of her companions, strange as they were, would surely remind her of her former life and friends. He wondered why fate tormented him so as he fingered his lasso. He had already lost Christine, his precious Angel. Why offer him a girl who brought life back into his meaningless existence, only to whisk her away again? He sighed a second time and shook his masked head in frustration. Why?
xXx
The black and white paradox that was xLetYourDarkerSideGiveInx gave an unholy screech, as she unleashed her Frisbee of Death, (okay, I couldn't remember the name for Xena's spinny thingy, but its one of those). The half black half white metal plate sheared through the top of Carlotta's headdress and spun safely back to her hand. Her arms were uncovered but vast swathes of cloth were pinned from her shoulder to her wrists and a loose fitting robe was sashed across her body. The sheet at her right wrist was a blinding white, that travelled across to her shoulder, bellow the cuff, splatters of black began to appear on the fabric, streaking darker and longer until the bottom of the left wing and the heavy hem that swirled around her feet was pitch black. Carlotta gaped as the stagehands clapped and Madame Opera Ghost, angelofmystery, kissofdarkness and the two managers held up signs with numbers
"8…"
"9 ½…"
"9…"
"10…"
"10…"
xLetYourDarkerSideGiveInx turned and gave a flourishing bow to her audience as a hairless Carlotta suddenly heard the creaking of the set above her head and screamed. Gathering up her skirts, she ran for her life as the Hannibal playbill, rather harmless, apart from the eerily lifelike picture of Carlotta painted on it, dropped to the stage with a thunk!
"I've always wanted to do that," Nixieharpist commented to Phantomsangel102 who was balancing on the platforms beside her. "Tell me about it" the cream-lined windstress replied, pausing a moment to admire her Jack Sparrow boots, she had taken the opportunity to raid the costumes department and was now a pirate in brown and grey leather and a white shirt. "Oh look! There's asingledarkcrimsonrose waving, d'you think she found the way into Carlotta's dressing room yet?"
"Only one way to find out," Nixieharpist replied, pausing a moment to drop a shrunken fop head onto Sorelli, who screamed and ran away in horror. "Let's go!"
xXx
At that very moment, an immaculately haired Raoul de Chagny walked back into the Opera Populaire, "I'm sorry gentlemen, I appear to have forgotten my gloves" he said, noting vaguely that there were more people on stage than there had been a scant half hour ago. He looked around when his managers did not immediately appear, "Monsieur's?"
Every DBCA-ian froze at the sound of his foppy voice, and turned slowly to glare death at the oblivious Vitcomte.
"Well, well, well," Reltistic muttered, "What have we here?"
Raoul was still looking around, eyes as empty as if there was a hole in the back of his head. The same dreamy look was still on his face when he was spear tackled by kissofdarkness and Lady Assassin Moonbeam.
"What are you doi- EEEEKKK!" he screamed, "You messed up my hair!"
"Did we?" Kooz asked absently, inspecting the depressingly girlish scarf around his neck. She reached down and gave it an experimental yank, Raoul's face went bright purple. "Cool!" she grinned.
"No!" Phantomchild199 said, releasing the unfortunate victim, "We want him alive."
"What's? Oh!" Blaze-LoganLover wandered over and her eyes lit up, "Anyone got a cheese grater?"
The phans looked around and patted their pockets, "Hmm…no."
"Damn," Blaze looked disappointed.
"I have this?" Nightshadesister-01 offered, holding up her gloved hand, Blaze shrugged, "Good enough"
"No! Wait! What are you doing?" Raoul shrieked, as the warrior princess drew closer, "Nooooo!" Thunk! A clawed fist landed on the side of his head, knocking him out. "Nice job" Kudokadvakch admired, "Thankyou" she replied with a smirk.
"What do we do with him now?" Masked Grace asked, looking rather smug after her escapade in the managers' office.
"Disembowel him?" Spunky-hyper-girl asked, taking the opportunity to wedge a Cookie of Doom between the fop's teeth.
"Drop him from the top of Apollo's Lyre" Sapphire-aria grinned evilly.
"Drop the chandelier on him!" Skye bounced up and down in her lavender gypsy skirt and blue shirt, frilled and ruffled, with big pearl buttons. A still groggy Vanessa leaned on her shoulder, peering interestedly at the proceedings.
"Already been done" MetalMyersJason shrugged, "We need something new,"
"Something disastrous" Morningside for life added, sharpening her sword on kissofdarkness's whetstone.
"Well…" Kissofdarkness said thoughtfully, "We could scalp him, y'know, even keep a lock of hair as a souvenir each."
"I like that idea" Madame Opera Ghost enthused.
"Shouldn't we call the Phantom though?" Bananas in Pajamas asked, "He did kinda demand first priority"
"He can have him once we're done," Cap'n Meg brushed the idea off disdainfully,
"You senseless fools are worse than my managers." Erik's voice seethed in each of their ears, they all jumped and looked around guiltily.
"Uh, don't think he's very impressed with that plan Meg," IflyNAVY whispered. Erik's voice dripped with sarcasm, "Of course I'm impressed, did I not explicitly instruct that if the fop was found, he was to be brought to me? Or are you so simpleminded that a basic instruction was beyond your limited grasp?"
"Now that was just uncalled for" xLetYourDarkerSideGiveInx mumbled under her breath, "Does this mean you want us to drag him down to the lair for you?"
Erik considered telling them yes, it would be delightful to finally rid himself of the obnoxious prat that had stolen away his Christine. But his Angel's face swam in front of his vision, and try as he might, the image would not disappear. He shook his head in disgust, he was going soft, but he could not force himself to tear away Christine's support and family again. "No" he growled out finally, "Do with him as you wish, but leave him relatively intact, I will not deprive my Angel again."
"Does his mind count? Or, what there is of it anyway?" Nixieharpist asked pleasantly.
"Hmm…no, feel free" From the grins that had just appeared on the faces of the DBCA, he had to wonder if he wasn't going soft, but in actual fact, running the other way entirely.
"Oh goodie!" Nightshadesister-01 giggled, running a hand over her glove. Unseen in the shadows, Erik allowed a smile to twitch on his lips, "Nice hit, by the way" he complimented her privately, she grinned so hard the other's thought her face might split. Erik broadened his voice until all the members could hear him, "Remember, do not permanently harm him…if you do,"
"A disaster beyond your imagination will occur" the DBCA finished Erik scowled and slipped away.
"I wanted to hear him say that," Pertie complained.
"Anyway," Misty interrupted, "Onto more devious plans" the DBCA-ians grinned and turned back to their victim.
xXx
Erik walked slowly back to the dressing room with his head bowed, he reached the door and slipped through, ushering two determined phangirls, Laivine Rosc-Hend and AngelofMusic15 out firmly, then slipped though the mirror to bury his mask in his hands in the dark. Lord knew how he was going to get out of this one. Allowing the thirty odd girls to stay was out of the question. But if they left, then he lost Adriana too, and that thought was even more unbearable than the first. He ripped off his mask and scrubbed a furious hand over his face. How could he ask her to stay with him like this? And even if he did, what could he expect of himself, if she was to continue living with him? Of their own accord, his lips moved soundlessly, shaping words and tunes until the faint whisperings of a song slipped through his lips…
"I've made me a fortune
That fortune made ten
Been headlined
And profiled
Again and again
But something was missing
I never quite knew
That something was some one
But who?" his voice grew stronger and echoed down the corridors with a lonely, melancholy sound.
"Who could that someone be?
How could she make it known?
Who could need me for me?
Need me for me alone?" His voice trailed off into quiet sobs and he stared at the mask in his hands. A soft light reflected on the white shape and he looked up in shock as the mirror misted and the clouds were lost in a whirlwind that gradually faded away to an image he had never beheld in all his long and desolate years…
xXx
Meanwhile…back at the Fop…
(Hrmph! Am very much over this scene at the moment. I can write exceptional original torture scenes, I hae one that makes my friends sick just to read it, but its getting too much, so if you are not mentioned in person, my apologies –Erik hugs unfortunates in commiseration- I'll do my best, but This must needs be over and done with)
A scared looking Sapphire-aria was gingerly holding a lock of the fop's hair, pinched between two fingers as a disgusted Spunky-hyper-girl propped the unconscious Vitcome up, trying not to gag at his cloying perfume.
"Just hold him steady," IflyNAVY warned, uncoiling her whip and giving it an experimental crack.
"Are you sure you know what your doing?" Sapphire-aria asked, looking scared, IflyNAVY rolled her eyes, "Do I look like I don't have any idea?" she demanded, accidentally cracking a candle off an elaborate candelabra, "Oops."
"Do you want an honest answer to that?" Misty asked, looking apprehensively at the now halved candle, IflyNAVY shrugged, "The truth is never pure and simple," she said philosophically, "Now hold him straight."
The midnight blue lined mage drew back her whip, the other DBCA-ians all covered their eyes.
Crack!
"What did I tell you?" IflyNAVY asked smugly, the DBCA peered from behind their fingers. A loose lock of over pampered brown hair dangled limply in Sapphire-aria's fingers. And a pale-faced Vitcome was slumped against Spunky-hyper-girl, twitching in his traumatised state. His eyelashes fluttered open and he peered around in fear. "Wha-?" he reached a hand out to feel his hair and screamed as he found the newly whipped bald patch. "Noooooooooooooooooo!" He shrieked in agony, Spunky-hyper-girl shoved him away and he landed chin first on the marble foyer floor, causing the Cookie of Doom still wedged between his teeth to crack in his mouth. A little "Bang!" shout out from between his pouty lips and a puff of purple smoke glittered upwards as he slumped over again, successfully unconscious.
"That looked like fun," Kudokadvakch grinned, stepping to the front, "IflyNavy, you're turn to hold him," she unsheathed her sword, and levelled it at the little curl that grew behind his ear. Carefully aiming her sword, she drew a slow trail up behind his ear, the freshly trimmed strands fell to the floor, joined by a few drops of blood.
"Hmm…but a little deep there, I think," she commented unapologetically, "Oh well," she kicked the hair away and sheathed her sword. She scooped the hair up and tied a little bundle with it, tucking it into a sleeve. "My new good luck charm," she said proudly.
Lady Assassin Moonbeam walked up, carefully surveying the hapless victim of torture, "Hurry up already," Nixieharpist moaned, "Just grab a chunk and slice!"
"But I don't want a lock of his hair," Lady Assassin Moonbeam protested, the others all turned and stared at her. She grinned, tapping the butt of her staff on the floor, allowing the flames to blossom upwards. With an evil chuckle she swept the fire across Raoul's face, leaving two charred black caterpillars in place of eyebrows, smoking over his now non-existent eyelashes. "I wanted to do that."
"Oh now that was just too good to be true," asingledarkcrimsonrose admired, skipping up to inspect her chosen lock of hair, "My turn!" she pulled a huge broadsword from its scabbard and with a seemingly delicate flick of her wrist, neatly snipped off a tress from behind the fop's other ear.
"Well that was depressingly anticlimactic," she murmured, taking up her prize, the other's looked at her quizzically and she shrugged, "Well I figured a few mountains might fall down, the Eiffel Tower would do the limbo, the world would end, something like that." She looked down at the Vitcomte in disgust, "Guess you're not as important as you think Raoul." Taking care to step on his fingers, she picked up a few strands of his hair and looked at Cap'n Meg, "You ready?"
"Ooh yeah!" Meg exclaimed, drawing her sword, humming the Cloak Song she walked around the fop, scrutinising him from each angle, then reached out and sliced a random piece of hair from his head.
"Good news everybody!" Blaze-LoganLover announced, running up with something silvery clutched in her hand, "I found a cheese grater!"
"You wait you're turn!" Sapphire-aria stepped out in front. With a whirling of her blade she sliced off a layer of hair and with a few quick slashes, cut his shirt to ribbons and let the silk shirt slide off his torso.
"He looks like a soapie star," Ophicial-Phan noted randomly.
"Anyway!" Blaze jumped in, holding the cheese grater aloft, "Prepare to meet thy maker Fop!" With a triumphant scrape she ran the silvery instrument over his hair as everyone winced…
It did nothing.
Blaze stared at her cheese grater for a moment, then scrubbed furiously at the Fops hair, but she only managed to reduce the shininess a little. "It's…too…bright…" she gasped, stumbling away.
"Uh…Blaze?" Madame Opera Ghost spoke up, "It might help if you turn it around the right way." Blaze looked at her cheese grater, "Oh" she went very red, then shuffled back over to the fop. "Prepare to meet thy maker Fop!" she cried, slashing down again…
Several strands of hair floated down to the floor, joined with a soggy splat of disconnected scalp that was suddenly not attached to Raoul's head. Everyone stared. "Ew…gross." Harako-Fushi put in, she aimed her fire staff at the bloody piece of scalp and reduced it to a charred mass.
Cocking her crossbow, trisana motioned for Blaze to hold a piece of the Fop's hair straight up, his head bobbed and jerked like a Wobbly-Headed doll. She sighted carefully and took aim. Blaze squeezed her eyes shut, unable to watch.
"Oops," trisana said after a moment, "Missed." It was true, there was now a rather noticeable, bloody chunk missing from the de Chagny's nose.
"Oh," Reltistic looked at the red drops running down to the floor, "He looks like Michael Jackson." The other DBCA-ians cocked their heads, "Sounds like him too, I've noticed, Morningside for life noted.
Misty poked at the motionless Vitcomte with one of her daggers, "Such a terrible waste of a pair of broad shoulders," she sighed, then, unable to resist, poked him again. The skin she poked on one of his defined muscles hissed slightly and went down like a whoopee cushion. "Hsssssssssssssprblprble" Misty looked from her dragon daggers, gleaming with poison, to the suddenly flabby skin in shock. "Can these things do that?" she asked.
They can now! The Authoress was back, and very definitely enjoying herself.
"Reeeeeeeeeeaaaaalllllyyyy?" Misty drew the word out with relish, with tender care she set about pierced each muscle on his torso, creating a musical chorus of hissings as the Vitcomte was reduced to a saggy skinned stick. Unfortunately, the reducing of his muscles to a stick sized (but not the lean tall sexy skeletal type that Erik is) woke Raoul from his Cookies of Doom induced stupor and he sat bolt upright screaming…
and screaming…
and screaming…
and screaming…
Finally, Nixieharpist grabbed up the charred remains of his scalp and shoved it into the Vitcomte's lipglossed mouth. His eyes bulged and his fingers started doing the crazy happy robot dance.
"Stop." Pertie commanded, he froze.
"Kneel" Kooz added, he kneeled.
"Muirgen258? Grab his hair would you?" MetalMyersJason asked, sliding her massive broadsword over her shoulder.
"With pleasure" she replied, taking out a dagger to snip at a lock, unfortunately, the fop moved and she only ended up with half a tress.
MetalMyersJason raised her heavy sword, Raoul kneeled, trembling in fear as the blade came swishing down through the heavy air.
Shing!The final lock was shorn from his scalp as Raoul fainted dead away to the black cloaked cheers of the women around him.
xXx
Adriana heard the gonging of the grandfather clock in Andre's office. "Times up" she muttered, scissoring her legs up and jumped off Carlotta's horrible pink dressing table, looking around the delightful mess she had made with glee. She snatched up another of the divine Belgian chocolates and slipped out the door, running straight into Erik.
"Oh!
Hello there?" she smiled up at him, "I thought you weren't
coming."
In reply, Erik grabbed her arm and tugged her into a
small alcove, "There's something wrong with the mirror," he
muttered, even worried, his voice still sounded beautiful.
"Such as what?" she asked, still giddy with sugar, and having (dare we say it) a rather Phangirly moment.
"Such as I was fending off a few of your so called "friends" from the dressing room when the mist on the mirror started spinning out of control and I was presented with an image of a tall, well dressed bald man and a little red headed girl of ten."
"Were you singing again?" Adriana frowned, the box of caramel centred chocolates wearing off in the presence of Erik's voice.
"I hummed a few bars of the song you tried to teach me," he replied, drawing her further back into the shadows as a group of stagehands ran past, pursued by a manically laughing Bananas in Pajamas and a green lined trisana. Adriana grinned,
"Ha! See! I told you it was the music!" she laughed behind her veil, at his glare she stopped, though she kept the smirk on her face, Erik rolled his eyes. "I kicked a rat through," he answered the next question before she got the chance to ask it. (Man! Those Belgian chocolates are potent! I'm having a Mary Sue meltdown! Bad! Gotta snap out of it! Fast!)
"And?…" Adriana asked, secretly jabbing her dagger into her finger too keep her thoughts in line, Erik shrugged idly.
"It went through easily, caused quite a fuss I understand," a smile flickered on his deformed lips, "It was even kind enough to kick up a few of the music sheets on the piano and send them through the mirror for me, so I now have the accompaniment to that song." He glared at her for a moment, "You realise you're notes were completely wrong for the entire second verse?" Adriana rolled her eyes elegantly at his remark.
"Oh get over it," she admonished "it was six years ago and I never sang it, how did you expect me to know?"
"You could have had the grace to try," Erik reminded her, she shrugged, "Well at least that sorts out how to get the girls home." She changed the subject before he started on another of his musical rants, "Shall I assemble the troops?"
Erik nodded wordlessly in reply, she reached up and patted the small section of cheek that was visible around his mask, "Thankyou." She grinned, and motioned to the platform above them, "Care to give a girl a boost?"
"Very well," Erik knelt down on one knee and laced his long fingers together into a cup for her to stand on. She placed one long white foot into his hands and with a heave he pushed her up to the lowest swinging platform. "Why thankyou monsieur," she giggled, reaching down a hand to invite him up, "Wilt thou not accompany myself on this arduous task?"
Erik stood and reached out a long hand to hers briefly, just skimming her fingers, then withdrew his hand, "No," he murmured quietly, withdrawing into the shadows.
"Erik?" Adriana felt lost, "Why not?" her wide eyes searched the shadows for him, all grey in their confusion. Erik scowled, (Screw Fate) he thought, and leapt easily up beside her, "Do you promise to keep your friends in check?" he pretended to growl, she nodded, "Very well," he offered her a silent black sleeve, she slipped a dragoned arm through and he led her to the top platform, "Call them." He released her and stepped against the back of the platform, "Who have they got down there?" she asked, leaning over the rope barrier to peer at the group of DBCA-ians clustered around an inanimate object with glee. Erik shrugged uneasily, "Their precious Vitcomte still, I presume."
"You mean they caught the fop and no one told me?" she asked incredulously,
"It would seem that way, yes," he replied, "I told them they could have him, your claw gloved friend delivered quite a heavy blow to his air filled skull last time I looked."
"Oh, go Nightshade!" she grinned, "You ready?"
"No,"
"Good," she opened her mouth and drew in a breath,
"Run Away!" Adriana yelled, doing her best Monty Python imitation.
"That's your signal?" Erik asked incredulously, she shrugged, "Whatever works"
"You could have at least come up with something a little more dramatic." He grumbled, she rolled her eyes, "Remind me to make you watch Quest for the Holy Grail with me some time,"
"Watch what?"
She sighed at his ignorance, "Never mind, we better get down before they do."
xXx
Adriana and Erik stood patiently in the doorway as the phans quickly dumped the Vicomte in a handy puddle outside the Opera House, rolling him down the stairs none to gently to land his now bald head on the grey cobblestones. Masked Grace stood ponderingly over him for a moment, the cut half of Carlotta's headpiece held debatingly in her hand. (To wig? Or not to wig?) She thought, (That is the question) finally she shrugged, and scrubbed the feathers and horsehair in a puddle of muck and dropped it with a satisfying squelch onto the fops unturned head. Humming Past the Point of No Return she reascended the Opera House stairs and ran down to the dressing room to catch up with the others.
"Did you have fun?" Adriana greeted the phans with a smile as Erik brooded in agonised indecision behind her. The grins on her subjects faces told all, "I'm glad."
Behind her, Erik laid a hand on her shoulders, pressing gently to let her know he desired her attention, "Yes?" she turned, and he beckoned her into the shadows as the DBCA burst into shrieks over their escapade.
"Did you see his face? Bright purple I tell you!"
"That's what you get for dressing as a fop!"
"And his squeal! I nearly died!"
"A notion just occurred to me," Erik said quietly, "What songs will we need to use to send them home?"
"Oh gods!" Adriana's hands flew to her veil to unpin the black gauze, "I hadn't thought of that!"
"Gods?" Erik questioned, she shrugged, "I always liked saying it better, don't know why."
"Hmm…would that song of yours work?" he frowned,
"The Cloak song? It might…I think," she trailed off as a thought crossed her mind, she glanced at the girls still giggling and arguing over the best moment of fop torture, a wicked grin crossed her face. "Actually," she purred, "I have a better idea…"
"What?" Erik asked flatly, she had that gleam back in her eyes again, she gave a wicked laugh, "You know how when you sang Something Was Missing, you opened the window to Annie?" she drawled deliberately, savouring each word.
"Yes…" Erik hissed, his apprehension growing, Adriana looked sneakily over her shoulder at the DBCA and leaned in closer to Erik. "Well," she whispered conspiratorially, "Listen to this…"
xXx
"The best moment was when I hit him!" Nightshadesister-01 proclaimed,
"No way!" MetalMyersJason exclaimed, "When he passed out took the cake!"
"Uh-uh!" Lady Assassin Moonbeam shook her head, "When I singed of his eyebrows was the top!"
"I liked when I shredded his shirt" Sapphire-aria bragged proudly.
"Oh go jump in a lake," a purple trimmed Muirgen258 muttered sourly, still sore about only cutting half of the fops hair when he moved, she tugged at the vest of her leather scout uniform, the brown suede fit snugly on her tall figure and she tossed her unlit light sabre from hand to hand idly. Her eyes gleamed darkly from behind silver glasses, her vest and trousers were imprinted with images of griffins and each of her dark leather gauntlets had another griffin, wings outstretched and screaming silently tattooed onto it.
"Mm, good idea," Adriana put in absentmindedly, still deep in discussion with Erik, she waved a hand down the passageway, "Lake's off back there a ways." Sapphire-aria's eyes lit up and she took a step down into the blackness. Just as absentmindedly as the queen, Erik put out a hand, "Stay," he commanded, trading an amused glance with Adriana, she nodded, "Settled then?" she asked as the blue trimmed warrior maiden slunk back sulkily to the rest of the DBCA. "Done," Erik agreed, stepping back, Adriana turned to her loyal subjects,
"My dearest darlings," she announced cheerfully, "We've figured out how to send you home!"
"What? Wait no way! No!" several cries of anguish arose from the collected ranks of the DBCA. The queen raised her hands for silence and Erik drew himself up proudly, glaring around with dark arrogance until the girls fell silent, either from politeness or they were dumbstruck with desire (I'm inclined to think the latter) "Home probably isn't the right words," she grinned, "More, any alternate reality with a DBCA idol of your choice."
"How the hell are you going to manage that?" MetalMyersJason demanded, Adriana grinned and motioned to the rose-dressed maiden of court and her gypsy partner in crime.
"Veronica Fantome de l'Opera, the Batman theme if you will," she motioned to the lady of court, Veronica blushed and pulled up Skye with her, angelofmystery followed. "On three?" Skye asked, Veronica nodded, "One…two…three…" the shared personalities jumped with gusto into the song.
"Batman! Dananananananana Batman! Dananananananana Batman! Batman! Batman!"
"You call that a theme song?" Erik muttered in disgust, Adriana elbowed him, "Hush!" she whispered.
The mirror swirled away with cloudy mist that hovered for a moment with the bat silhouette, then cleared to reveal a cloaked gargoyle perched on a Gotham spire, brooding darkly on the city below. Adriana dropped a deep, extravagant curtsey, "Farewell, my dearests," she kissed Skye, Veronica and angelofmystery, on their cheeks and ushered them through the mirrorway and onto the slippery Gotham rooftop.
"Um…hello?" Skye ventured nervously, the justice dealer turned to stare at the ornately dressed fans standing before him in the drizzling rain. His eyes widened in shock as he looked past them at the speeding something casting glowing lights and shadows onto the girls shoulders.
"Move!" he shouted, leaping over and grabbing the two Fantome de l'Opera's by the waist with one arm and angelofmystery with the other, he vaulted off the roof, wings charging and snapping open to glide into the night as a rocket sped past with a scream of tortured air. And in the sudden silence, a single solitary giggle echoed back to the corridor.
"Wow" the DBCA, now minus three of its members, chorused as the mirror was swept back into sheer clouds.
"Now that is a cape!" Lady Assassin Moonbeam said admiringly.
"Yah huh" Cap'n Meg added, drooling on the stone floor.
"Now do you understand?" Adriana smiled, "Now pick a certain favourite from the idol list, and we can get started."
"So we have to sing our way out of here?" Nixieharpist asked, Adriana nodded, "But what if he doesn't have a themesong with words?"
"Meh, we'll think of something," Adriana dismissed the problem, "Actually, come to think of it, we can just do it in "Dums" and "Das" wont be hard at all." She raised her arms and pointed dramatically. "Now, Altos to the left, Sopranos on the right."
One pale green trimmed princess raised her hand, flicking her whip idly. She stood ready for action in a bustled day dress and glittering diamond tiara, the dress was edged in gold trimmings and lace dripped from her sweeping sleeves. "What if we don't know what we are?" she asked, snapping the whip into a neat coil to hang on her gold chain belt, Adriana looked questioningly at Erik who shook his head violently.
"I will not," he stated, at her crestfallen look he sighed. "Tell me, my dear," he swept over to the princess and lifting her hand, "What is your name?"
"Phantomchild199" she breathed as Erik brushed his lips over her fingers, eyes rolling back in her head in ecstasy. "Why Erik, one hundred and ninety nine?" Adriana mocked, "You have been busy."
The Phantom snorted, turning his attention to Phantomchild199, "Enlighten me, my unknown daughter, when torturing the fop, do you squeal with glee or laugh darkly?"
"Laugh darkly," the princess replied as Adriana gave an "Ah," of understanding.
"Alto," Erik ushered her over to the small group of decidedly envious looking DBCA-ians who already knew their musical range.
"Alright," Adriana raised her arms, brandishing her rapier dramatically, "You all know the tune. Harry Potter! Altos begin!"
"Da dum da da dum da dum, dum, da da da dum da dum." The Altos chorused "Sopranos!"
"Da dum da dum da du da dum" the Sopranos joined in sweetly, overlapping the Altos broad low range. "Da da da dum da dum."
"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" one soprano improvised, taking the place of the trilling violins, Adriana nodded her approval.
Erik stared on amazement as the group of black-cloaked DBCA created a symphonic chorus of the main theme of Harry Potter composed completely out of "Da's Dee's and Dum's" (Now come on, how cool would that really be?)
The mirror swirled violently, misty clouds chasing one another around the frame until a doorway into the Great Hall appeared, full of students, teachers and ghosts. Judging by the sound of the vicious whispers of "Sirius Black!" hissing around the tables, they had evidently arrived right on time for Prisoner of Azkaban. The ceiling above flashed with lightning and ominous clouds, purple and heavy with rain.
"Well what are you waiting for?" Adriana asked, "Whoever brought a ticket to Harry Potter and your own personal adventure, please pass through the mirrorway."
Morningside for life, Kooz, Nixieharpist and AngelofMusic15 slipped through the mirror just as the great doors, obviously behind them, banged open, allowing the thunder and crashes of a violent storm outside to be heard."Well, well, well, what have we here?' Snape purred, coming up behind then with a billowing black cloak. (Imagine that with Alan Rickman's voice…swoon)
With the sallow skinned Potions Teacher looing over them, the mirror gave a final shimmer, the mirror swirled away to nothingness.
"Do we have to do this for Buffy too?" Laivine Rosc-Hend asked, staring at the mirror, Adriana rolled her eyes, "Didn't you ever watch Once More With Feeling?" she demanded, "Oh yeah," the lilac trimmed knight looked ashamed, twitching her rose lined cloak around her black lacquered armour white and lilac tunic and breeches to cover her embarrassment,
"Right then," Adriana shook back her sleeves "Rest in Peace, the bridge, go!"
The DBCA all drew in a breath and began to sing, MetalMyersJason keeping in time with the hilt of her sword on the stone floor.
"I know, I should go…
But I follow you like a man possessed
There's a traitor here beneath my breast
And it hurts me more than you've ever guessed,
If my heart could beat it would break my chest
But I can see, you're unimpressed
So leave me be
And let me rest in peace!" The mirror cleared and a lone, bleach-haired vampire was revealed, leaning against a signpost and smoking a cigarette. He looked up sharply as DBCA member, Masked Grace, jumped through the mirror with a "Squee!" of delight to mob him. Spike went down in a shout of indignation and a flurry of black cloak and leather duster.
"Have fun, my masked friend," Adriana carolled as the mirror swirled away to emptiness.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Erik accused, she grinned at him, "Hell yeah!"
She turned to the remaining members, "Cap'n Meg, front and centre!" the burgundy lined girl darted to the front. "Now, I may be taking a punt at this, but I'm guessing you're after Jack?"
"Captain Jack" Cap'n Meg corrected, swishing her cloak excitedly.
"I stand corrected" Adriana lifted her hands in surrender, "A Pirate's life for me, on three if you will. One, two, three…"
"Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a Pirates life for me
We pillage we plunder we rifle and loot
Drink up me hearties yo ho
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot
Drink up me hearties yo ho
Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a Pirates life for me
We extort we pilfer we filch and sack
Drink up me hearties yo ho
Maraud and embezzle and even high-jack
Drink up me hearties yo ho
Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a Pirates life for me
We burn up the city we're really a fright
Drink up me hearties yo ho
We're rascals, and scoundrels, villains and knaves
Drink up me hearties yo ho
Yo Ho, Yo Ho a pirates life for me
We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs
Drink up me hearties yo ho" the girls chorused, "Yo ho, Yo ho, a pirates life for me!"
The mirror cleared just as the infamous Jack Sparrow was smirking at a sleazy barmaid in the midst of a fight in Tortuga. (You know when he has Elizabeth in the film and she had to put his belt on, that smirk…drool)
"You want him?" Erik spoke up incredulously, eyeing the drunken and dirty captain with distaste. Cap'n Meg whirled around smartly and slapped Erik lightly on the face to reprimand him. Then she turned and slipped through the mirror to link arms with Jack and quite literally drag him off into a dark alleyway, leaving a bewildered looking barmaid standing in a confused daze until another messy customer stumbled up. "Wait for me!" Bananas in Pajamas cried, struggling through the ranks to leap into the mirror and slip under Captain Jack's other arm. The rogue pirate looked rather bemused at his sudden good fortune as the two dangerous but desirable girls latched onto him and grinned at one another. Cap'n Meg dropping one hand to catch onto his belt as Bananas in Pajamas slipped his hat onto her head.
"I'm not entirely sure I quite deserved that," Erik commented, touching his cheek tenderly as the scene swirled away. For some reason, this struck the remaining members of the DBCA as extremely amusing and they doubled up in laughter. Adriana turned to her Phantom, laughter sparkling in her grey eyes as she swished her cloak expertly, "Poor Erik," she teased, "Want me to kiss it better?"
"No," he muttered, drawing back into the shadows again, Adriana looked disappointed and Erik was puzzled at the tiny trickle of regret that surged through him after his curt answer.
"Okay…" the queen of the DBCA looked at her remaining subjects, "Who wants Star Wars?"
"Oh! Me!" Spunky-hyper-girl waved excitedly, clutching her Cookies of Doom box.
"And me" Blaze-LoganLover added.
"And us!" Muirgen258 and asingledarkcrimsonrose spoke up.
"Okie dokie!" Adriana gave her cape a flourish and struck a conductors pose with her sword. "The Imperial March!"
"Dum, dum, dum da da dum da da dum." The DBCA chorused
obediently,
"Dum dum dum da da da dum da dum.
Dum dum
dada dadada dadada da da da da dadadadadum dada da da dum.
Dum dum dada dadada dadada da da da da dadadadadum dada da da dum."
The grey mist on the mirror sank slowly into deathly blackness, the four Star Wars fans stared at it in apprehension.
"Choh-scooh, choh-schooh" the trademark heavy breathing of Darth Vader permeated the air around the DBCA and a single beam of red light snapped and hissed into view as the Dark Lord of the Empire ignited his lightsabre.
"You go first," Blaze-LoganLover hissed to Spunky-hyper-girl,
"No, you go first" she whispered back, staring up in awe.
Two metres tall. Bipedal. Flowing black robes trailing from the figure and a face forever masked by a functional of bizarre black metal breath screen – a Dark Lord of the Sith was an awesome, threatening shape as it beckoned to the suddenly terrified fans. (If you don't know…that bit is almost completely, word for word, from George Lucas's original Star Wars novel. Admittedly, it shouldn't really be here, but it was too irresistible not to put it in.)
"Oh what the hell," Muirgen258 threw caution into the winds, igniting her own lightsabre she jumped through and faced the Dark Lord. He regarded her for a moment with black soulless eyes and nodded once.
"Oh lovely" asingledarkcrimsonrose muttered, as Darth Vader turned to them once more.
"Come to the Dark Side!" his rolling voice proclaimed from behind his mask, "And together we shall rule the galaxy!" It was the voice of prophecy, nightmares, and doom, a tone that shook the listeners to their very cores. It was the voice that broke the spell, one by one the other three fans stepped hesitantly into the shadows to stand behind Vader, armed and dangerous in their cloaks and holding their heads high proudly. Darth Vader returned his empty gaze to the Phantom and the queen of the DBCA, the first time either of them had ever received any recognition from the other idols. He nodded briefly, lightsabre sweeping across in a salute of honour. They returned his acknowledgement with a deep bow and a graceful curtsey as clouds raced across the mirror once more.
"Oh damn!" Misty exclaimed suddenly, the other's looked at her quizzically, "I wanted to ask him to say 'Luke! I am your father!'" Erik and the remaining Dramatic Black Cloak Addicts gave her strange looks, she shrugged, "Well I did."
"Misty!" the voice echoed around the chamber, everyone looked up and around, startled into shocked silence, "I am your father!"
No one breathed until the last reverberation disappeared into silence down through the Phantom's labyrinth. "Well that was unexpected." Adriana murmured, the other's nodded their agreement in awe. Misty looked like she had died and gone to heaven.
"Alright girls, get yourselves together," Adriana clapped her hands, "Dracula 2000" All of a sudden there were some very, very evil and wolfish grins around the ranks, Adriana included, Erik took the opportunity to sneak further back into the shadows as they began to sing.
"Avoid the light
The suns in sightThe undead should be sleeping
Avoid the light
That cross so bright
My fledglings dropping, weeping
Avoid the light
Overt your sight
Go underground discreetly
Avoid the light, avoid the light, avoid the light, avoid the light…"
Their voices trailed away into nothingness as the mirror gave it's customary swirl and opened into a blackened room with dark stone walls and heavily curtained windows. Misty, trisana, Phantomchild199, Phantomsangel102, Pertie and kissofdarkness all slunk through the mirror warily, weapons at the ready. Adriana felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to find herself face to face with her double. "What do you want?" she asked irritably, trying to get a glimpse of Dracula, the plot device handed her a carton of cold triple fudge chocolate and Kailua ice-cream and indicated the mirror with a jerk of her head before disappearing in a flash of green and silver glitter. Adriana grinned, "Oy! Misty!" she yelled, the silver-trimmed girl turned and saw the 5 litre tub flying towards her and hastily caught it in her cloak, she looked at it in puzzlement, then a grin crept over her face. Suddenly an uncannily Gerik-like vampire leapt out of the shadows and Misty gave a wave of bliss as she was dragged off clutching (and in the clutches off) her prize. The other five phans, (or should that be vahnz now?) hastily followed her into a realm of eternal darkness and seduction. (Mwahahahaha, okay, I'm evil, and deliciously so).
Adriana gave a half moan of longing and took an unconscious step forwards. Erik took her elbow and drew her firmly back to his side, "You, mademoiselle, are going nowhere" he said slightly possessively as the DBCA exchanged knowing grins.
"Oh don't look at me like that," she retorted to Erik as he gazed down at her, looking disturbed at the seduced look she wore, after having been confronted by one of the most seductive forces of all time.
"Pull yourself together then," he muttered, releasing her, but staying closer to her black and red form.
"So…" Adriana looked around, "What are we up to now? Van Helsing?" MetalMyersJason, Lady Assassin Moonbeam, Kodukadvakch and xLetYourDarkerSideGiveInx all nodded, "Hmm…All Hallows Eve Masquerade, everyone know the part that strange chick in the black dress sings?"
"That's not a song," Madame Opera Ghost exclaimed, Adriana shrugged, "So? It's the closest thing we've got. Now sing."
The four Van Helsing fans joined together to make an eerily high pitched and strange melody from the All Hallows Eve ball, their voices blending together in an odd round.
"I don't think it's working," Sapphire-aria muttered to Adriana, the queen frowned with worry as the clouds remained motionless, "There's got to be something," she murmured, biting her little finger in anxiety, the her brow cleared, "Ah" she smiled in satisfaction and stepped up to the other four.
"Gabrielle…oh Gabrielle," Adriana's voice sang out, imitating the Hungarian accent to the best of her ability, the mirror swirled away and a face off between the impeccably dressed Dracula and the rough and roguish Gabrielle Van Helsing was revealed.
"Tada!" she grinned, "Off you go my ducks."
As the four disappeared through the gold leaf frame, Adriana turned to her remaining six subjects, IflyNAVY, Nightshadesister-01, Reltistic, Sapphire-aira, Laivine Rosc-Hend and Madame Opera Ghost. "All for Lord of the Rings?" they nodded eagerly, "Well I hardly need to conduct you for this one then, of you go!" she waved them on proudly as the six One Ring to rule them all fans sang with gusto.
"Home is behind
The world ahead
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadow
To the edge of night
Until the stars are all alight
Mist and shadow
Cloud and shade
All shall fade
All shall fade."
"That one's not bad," Erik approved, Adriana beamed.
"Hang on," Reltistic caught their attention, "That songs from the third movie, why is all the Fellowship here?" they all crowded around the mirror to see the entire Fellowship, pausing for what may have been breakfast or lunch (or second breakfast or elevenses or afternoon tea or dinner or supper, you never can tell with hobbits), by the side of a worn track, set deep in a forest of tall trees.
"Well I'm not complaining," Nighshadesister-01 shrugged, eyeing off Boromir with undisguised longing.
"Same here" Sapphire-aria grinned, turning she extended a hand to Erik, who shook it cautiously, "Well its been wonderful and all that, but I'm afraid we really must dash," she handed him a lock of the Fop's hair, "This is for you, consider it a gift from all of us," she smiled, and curtseyed to her Queen, "Bubye now!" she leapt through the mirror and landed on a pile of dead leaves about twenty feet from the Fellowship.
The other girls were already down, squealing over the hobbits and casting surreptitious glances at the other members of the Fellowship who were looking around in near panic after the appearance of the strangely dressed girls who seemingly fell straight from the sky. Apart from Gandalf, who had lit his pipe and was already deep in conversation with IflyNAVY, nodding deeply at her words. Nightshadesister-01 paused at the mirror, one booted leg already through and hanging over the, "Thanks for the ride!" she grinned, and looked slyly at Erik, who had drawn closer to the light now that the passage was nearly empty, "Have fu-un."
"Good-bye Lathril," Adriana laughed and shoved her friend through the mirror, "Get thee gone." Nightshadesister-01 fell through the mirror with a squeak and straight into the arms of a bewildered looking Boromir. She had time to glance up and mouth "Thanks" to an amused Adriana before the mirror was swept away to nothingness.
Adriana took a deep breath and shook her head to rid it of her growing headache. "And that was the last of them," she sighed in relief, leaning against the wall. Erik looked at her cautiously, "Are you not wishing to enter a new realm of adventure?" he asked, desperately wishing she wouldn't want to leave, "Nor some former home?"
"Nope," she shrugged and grinned at him, "I'm quite happy to stay right here."
"Then that is where I shall leave you," Erik replied, turning away so she wouldn't see him struggle to suppress his shout of delight, "I'll be in the lair if you need me."
"Oh ha, ha," she yawned, catching one of his hands to loop around her shoulders as she leaned into him with a sigh of contentment. Erik looked down in surprise as his fingers tightened of their own accord, "I juhuh…" she yawned again, "just hope you remember the way back to our home, because I get the feeling that sooner or later you'll have to carry me again." She snuggled in under his arm, unaware of the tender gaze of the Phantom on her golden haired form, pressing warmly against his side as he guided her back to his…no, their home by the lake.
Authoress: -gasps for breath- And that, my dearest readers, is that. Hope you enjoyed.
Erik: I'm impressed, you managed thirty odd cameo's fully costumed cloaked and armed, a tantrum throwing Prima Donna, two harassed managers, a bold talking conscience, an alcoholic, a magical mirror, a debate, a torture scene, two or three emotional soul searching moments, several death threats, an appalling parody, five fainting spells and a discussion on the perks of a monarchy as compared to democracy all in three chapters and still managed to get everyone out by the end in time for a sweet little piece of fluff.
Authoress: Thankyou, glad you liked. Was it really that fluffy?
Erik: Only the last sentence. I have to ask, was it really necessary to lead them on that charge through my Opera House?
Authoress: Mm hm, -snuggles into the Phantom- time to go home.
Now I made sure all your respective worlds had net connections so…Review! If you were in it! If you were reading it! If you just stumbled in and thought wtf is she on about? I want reviews!