YAY! Today was a snow day! Okay, it wasn't really, but we got half a foot of snow last night and there was no way I was going to be able to get my car out onto the road (the snow plow doesn't even come past our housr) so I didn't go to school! Yay! I might not go tomorrow either. At least not to my college class, I have a gym teacher who will eat me if I don't show up.
Thank you all so much for your reviews! And those of you who didn't review...well...you'll get it done this time, right? JK, luv ya. Sorry to those of you that read the book if I slaughter things, turns out my Phantom book is somewhere in the depths of my room and it will take a month of escavating to find it. So I'm doing all of this from memory. Just bear with me, I'm trying to make it good!
"Isn't she amazing?" Aang said with a dreamy sigh that night during the performance. He leaned over the balcony of Sokka's private box and gazed after Katara in a trance. Sokka himself was too shocked to answer. He came to nearly every performance and had heard Katara sing a thousand times in her minor roles. He knew she had a nice voice, but it never stood out to him. Now, however, it was as though purity had taken on a form and was now emitting itself from Katara's graceful throat. The entire audience sat in rapture listening to the sweet, unwavering notes. Then came the final song. Katara belted out the last note and the audience stood, hailing her with applause. One man in particular seemed to almost be foaming at the mouth. She stood before them, suddenly looking dazed. Her face paled within seconds and she fainted on the spot. There was a collective gasp from the crowd and the new star was lost from sight by the sudden swarm of concerned cast members.
Jet carried a piece of scenery down to be stored in one of the cellars when he saw a flash of a shadow out the corner of his eye.
"Hello?" He called out. There was no answer. He took a few cautious steps forward and stopped to listen. He strained his ears and heard it, the rustling of clothes. "Show yourself!" He said boldly, walking steadily on. From the inky blackness of the cellar, something smacked him hard upside the head, knocking him down. He quickly jumped back to his feet and pulled a curved dagger from his boot. There was a sound of scurrying all around him, but he could see nothing in the dim light. Then there was nothing. Not even the air stirred. Jet ran to the stairway and grabbed a torch from its bracket. He crept around, inspecting the dusty floor for footprints. He bent over and peered closely at an unfamiliar pair. They led around the cellar to a back corner but seemed to disappear at a large piece of set. Jet frowned and pulled the board forward. Behind it was nothing but thick stone wall. His frown deepened and he let his hand roam freely across stone and mortar. One of the stones quivered beneath his hand and he paused. It pulled loose easily and behind it was a spring. Now thoroughly curious, Jet pressed and pulled on the spring, trying to dislodge it. There was a sound of grating and the stone before him began to slide. Jet jumped back and watched in amazement. There was brilliant light in the growing opening. Jet glanced over his shoulder, then crawled through the hole.
"No, no. I'm fine, I swear." Katara said meekly. She had been carried to her dressing room and was now being fanned and offered salts by three dozen people.
"Please, everyone leave! You are being no help!" A small old woman said loudly, pushing her way through and shooing everyone out except the managers, Gyatso and Jeong Jeong. Aang managed to slip in and rushed to Katara's side.
"Katara, are you alright?" He asked, his silver-gray eyes wide with concern. Katara looked him up and down and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Do I know you?" She asked.
"Katara, it's me!" Aang said with a hurt smile, "Me, the little boy who fetched your necklace for you!" Katara cocked an eyebrow and began laughing. Gyatso smiled, Jeong Jeong snorted and the small healing woman ushered Aang out of the room with a light slap on the butt. Aang turned and looked at the closed door in bemusement. Had Katara really forgotten him that easily?
Zula's screaming echoed through the corridors of the opera house, causing all to pause and those standing within close vicinity of her dressing room to need a change of underclothing. Zula burst from her dressing room, her hair disheveled and her normal supernatural beauty replaced by something terrifying. With a sharp intake to fill her magnificent lungs, she let out another angry scream and the way before her parted like the red sea. She began her searching. Like a cat looking for a mouse did she stalk through the halls in search of the managers. She found them in the Gallery speaking to two men. One had over exaggerated sideburns, the other a dark, pointed goatee. Zula stood at the top of the stairs and screamed once more. Gyatso turned to face her politely and Jeong Jeong began twitching nervously as the two strangers stared at the terrifying creature in amazement.
"Is something bothering you, Zula dear?" Gyatso asked. Zula ran down the steps three at a time and barely restrained herself from releasing her full fury on the calm old man.
"IS SOMETHING THE MATTER? I WAKE UP AND PREPARE FOR AN EVENING OF STUPENDOUS THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE AND WHAT DO I HEAR? THE PERFORMANCE WAS LAST NIGHT AND MY PART WAS GIVEN TO A COMMON WENCH!" Zula yelled, poking Gyatso in the chest with a manicured finger.
"My lady, I am sorry but there must be some kind of confusion. You yourself handed your part to miss Katara yesterday morning. And it was only for the one night I can assure you…unless the new managers think otherwise." Gyatso said with his regularly happy voice. Zula began gulping down air to begin another tirade, but froze.
"New managers?" She asked, glancing over at the two strangers. She gave them a charming smile and patted her hair.
"Yes, I'm afraid Master Jeong Jeong and I have decided it's time to retire. Now please, if I may introduce you. Master Ozai, Master Zhao, this is our Bella Donna, the princess of the Opera house; Azula." Ozai and Zhao both took Zula's hand in turn and kissed it. She fluttered her eyelashes at them and curtsied. "Now Zula, there was an issue you seemed to wish to speak to me about." All charming façade left her immediately.
"WHY IN THE BURNING PITS OF HELL WOULD YOU GIVE MY PART TO THAT TALENTLESS SPAWN OF A GOAT?"
"As I told you before, you gave Katara the part yourself. You seemed very ill at the time, you just must not remember it now." Gyatso said calmly. Zula glared at him and turned this over in her head.
"She poisoned me." Zula said with a satisfied nod. "SHE POISONED! SHE DRUGGED ME! SHE WITCHCRAFTED ME AND I WANT TO SEE HER OUT ON THE STREETS BY NOON!" Zula did a magnificent twirl and stormed off, still screaming and cursing everything that suited her ill.
"Well then, shall we go sign the papers?" Gyatso said cheerfully.
"…And here." Ozai signed the last document, finalizing the agreement, the Opera house was now theirs. Jeong Jeong was sitting in the corner, sipping tea and ignoring everything happening in moody silence. Gyatso wandered over to a bookcase lining one wall of the office and plucked a black ledger from its center.
"There is just one more thing…" Gyatso said, walking back to the new managers. "These are the records of the Opera and the guidelines it is to be run by. We've also added notes and receipts that you may need." Jeong Jeong perked up slightly and watched Gyatso closely. Zhao took the ledger and began thumbing through it, nodding his approval at the organization of it all. "Make sure you read the last page. It is very important." Gyatso said with a casual wave. Zhao instinctively turned to the back, inside cover. There, in the center of the page was a very short list scribbled laboriously in red ink.
Concerning the Opera Ghost:
1-The Opera Ghost is to have unlimited access to Box five in the first Tier. Under no account is that box to be rented out for any performance; it is for his exclusive use only.
2-A salary is to be paid to the Opera Ghost every month of five thousand gold pieces. The salary is due exactly on the last day of the month, it is to be transferred to his hands only by Madame Wu.
3-Any further given instructions from the Opera Ghost will be obeyed exactly without question. Remember that he is smarter than you.
Zhao chuckled to himself and handed the ledger to Ozai. He read it over quickly and scowled.
"You can't be serious." He said. "This is ridiculous and outrageous. What kind of idiots do you think we are."
"Hopefully not big ones or the Opera Ghost will tear you apart by the end of the month." Gyatso said with his usual good cheer. Zhao laughed again.
"Well, I guess the Opera Ghost is going to have to find somewhere else to haunt. We aren't going to give him a single copper piece."
"YOU ARE NOT READY FOR THIS RESPONSIBILITY!" Jeong Jeong yelled suddenly, jumping to his feet. "YOU ARE TOO WEAK!"
"Now now, my friend. Here, have some custard." Gyatso said soothingly, pulling a small pie from a box on the desk and handing it to Jeong Jeong. Jeong Jeong's face lit up like a childs as he took the proffered sweet and set to work disposing of it.
"I'm afraid the Opera Ghost was too much for Master Jeong Jeong. But have no fear. Follow the instructions and there should be no trouble for you." Gyatso said. There was a light knock on the door and it burst open without ceremony.
"Master Gyatso! Jet has been found in the cellar! He's dead sir!" Haru said breathlessly. Everyone stared at him a moment, then Gyatso turned to the stunned faces of the new managers.
"Well, I see you have work to do. Good luck to you. If you should need advice, my personal address is in the ledger. Come now Jeong old friend." The two old men left the building, never to look back.
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