A/N: I do not own Phantom of the Opera or Warriors.
Phantomtail of the Warriors
After the great 'misfortune' the Fourtrees Opera House was of course, closed. Phantomtail became a memory. Singheart and Softvoice became closer than ever before. Phantomtail had no suspicions of their relationship, yet.
The date was set, and six months later the Fourtrees Opera House held a Masquerade re-opening gala.
Hawkeye approached the opera House in a fancy costume and sought out his business partner. Easily he found him, "Monsieur Amberpelt!" Amberpelt turned to him and smiled. The two made their way through the crowd, "Monsieur Hawkeye!" Hawkeye felt swell, "Dear Amberpelt what a splendid party!" Amberpelt nodded, "The prelude to a bright new year!" Hawkeye looked around, "Quite a night, I'm impressed." "Well one does one's best." Amberpelt agreed. Hawkeye and Amberpelt both mewed, "Here's a toast!" "A toast for the city." Amberpelt added. Hawkeye smirked, "What a pity that their Phantomtail can't be here!" The two toms padded into the Opera House to see their fellow cats and the performance of the worker cats, who seemed to be doing quite well.
"Masquerade, paper faces on parade. Masquerade; hide your face so the world will never find you! Masquerade, every face a different shade. Masquerade, look around, there's another face behind you. Flash of mauve/Splash of puce/Fool and king/Ghoul and goose/Green and black/Queen and priest/Trace of rouge/Face of beast/Faces/Take your turn, take a ride/On the merry-go-round/in an inhuman race/Eye of gold/True is false/Who is who/Curl of lip/Swirl of gown/Ace of hearts/Face of clown/Faces/Drink it in, drink it up/Till you've drowned/In the light/In the sound/But who can name the face?
Masquerade/Grinning yellows, spinning reds/Masquerade/Take your fill, let the spectacle astound you/Masquerade/Burning glances, turning heads/Masquerade/Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you/Masquerade/Seething shadows breathing lies/Masquerade/You can fool any friend who ever knew you/Masquerade/Leering satyrs, peering eyes/Masquerade/Run and hide, but a face will still pursue you." They chanted.
Fancytail and Birdface approached the two mangers. "What a night!" Fancytail meowed, in a good mood for once. "What a crowd!" Hawkeye mewed. "Makes you glad." Amberpelt agreed. Hawkeye added, "Makes you proud, all the crème, De la crème!"
Wiseheart mewed, "Watching us," Lightstep finished, "watching them." Fancytail ignored them, "All our fears are in the past." Amberpelt meowed, "Three months," Birdface finished for him, "Of relief!" Fancytail added, "Of delight!" Amberpelt finished what he was going to meow, "A Elysian peace!" "And we can breathe at last!" Birdface mewed. "No more notes." Fancytail meowed. Birdface added, "No more ghost!"
Wiseheart meowed, "Here's a health!" "Here's a toast, to a prosperous year!" Amberpelt put in. "To our friends that are here!" Hawkeye added. Birdface and Fancytail mewed, "And may the splendor never fade!" Hawkeye and Amberpelt looked at eachother and mewed, "What a blessed release!" Wiseheart added, "And with a Masquerade!"
In the entrance Singheart and Softvoice appeared. Singheart turned to Softvoice and meowed, "Think of it. A secret engagement, look, your future mate!" Softvoice smiled and asked, "But why is it a secret?" He leaned toward her. "No, Softvoice, please don't, they'll see." Softvoice mewed, "Well then let them see. It's an engagement, not a crime." Then he added, "Singheart what are you afraid of?" She replied, "Lets not argue, please pretend. You will understand in time!" He agreed and the two walked out into the crowd of cats happily.
The chorus continued their performance, "Masquerade/Paper faces on parade/Masquerade/Hide your face so the world will never find you/Masquerade/Every face a different shade/Masquerade/Look around, there's another mask behind you/Masquerade/Burning glances, turning heads/Masquerade/Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you/Masquerade/Grinning yellows, Spinning reds/Masquerade/Take your fill, let the spectacle astound you."
At the end everyone stopped and looked. They were amazed, frightened; how could this be?
At the top of the Grand Staircase stood, Phantomtail himself. He wore his usual bone mask, only this one covered his whole face and made look all the more despicable. He started to pad forward, "Why so silent, good Monsieur's? Did you think that I had left you for good? Have you missed me, good Monsieur's? I have written you an Opera!" He three something down onto the floor; all the cats shuddered. Phantomtail smiled evilly, "Here I bring the finished score. Don Juan Triumphant! Fondest greetings to you all. A few instructions before rehearsals start." He moved over to where Fancytail and Birdface stood gaping. "Fancytail must be taught to act, not her normal trick of strutting round the stage. Our Don Juan must lose some weight; it's not healthy in a tom of Birdface's age." He kept walking and faced a terrified Hawkeye and Amberpelt. "And my managers must learn that their place is in an office, not the arts." Looking less intense, he walked to where Singheart stood. Softvoice had padded off towards the beginning of Phantomtail's entrance, for an unknown reason to Singheart.
"As for our star, Miss Singheart…No doubt she'll do her best, it's true her voice is good. She knows though, should she wish to excel, she has much still to learn. If pride will let her return to me, her teacher…her teacher." He looked at Singheart. She stared back willingly. He was putting her under one of his spells again. She saw his eyes look over her. He saw the beautiful rock that Softvoice had given her. It was so small and delicate that it could slip around her finger without breaking. Phantomtail snarled, "Your chains are still mine," He tore the ring off and put his face very close to hers. The spell was broken, the moment of silence gone. "You belong to me!" Phantomtail spat. With that her leapt around towards the middle of the Grand Staircase. Softvoice came bounding up behind him. But, somehow no cat knows to this day, Phantomtail stomped one of his black paws and he disappeared. There was a hole where he had stood moments before. Softvoice leapt in after him.
Mirrors, tons of mirrors, surrounded him. He looked around. The mirrors made it appear that there were dozens of Phantomtail's. He heard hissing and turned. Suddenly a paw pulled him back. It was Wiseheart. She pulled him out of the trap and back into the Opera House, but not in the gala room. She started padding towards her dressing den. Softvoice followed her. He pushed her to answer what she knew about Phantomtail. She had brought him to the Opera House when a traveling Cat circus was in town. He was in a cage, as a kit. A rough looking tom tore off the leaf woven hat covering his face. The she-kits around Wisekit laughed but she just stared. How horrible, she thought. The other kits began to leave and she slowly followed them. Then she saw the little kit murder the tom. She didn't know how, but that was just the first clue of his genius. She led him away from a terrible fate. She put him in the Opera House.
"Clearly genius has turned to madness." Softvoice mewed after she had finished the tale. Wiseheart nodded despairingly.