Penny: He's a vampire!

Christine: Is not!

Penny: Is too! I mean, the guy loves darkeness—

Christine: So?

Penny: Sleeps in a coffin—

Christine: They're comfy…

Penny: AND SEDUCES WOMEN!

Christine: ...I'm not…answering that…

Penny: Miroku's not training to be a phantom, peeps… he's training to be a vampire!

Christine: . . .

Sango looked around uneasily as they got out of the carriage. She felt as though she was being watched… and she didn't like that at all. Miroku wouldn't follow her here…would he? 'Yes, he would…'

"Sango? What's wrong?" Kuronosuke asked concernedly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She pulled away, and then took a deep breath.

"Kuronosuke… maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. I… I want to go back."

"What?" Kuronosuke stared at her. "Sango, I brought you all of this way, and now we're going to have dinner! Come on, what's bothering you? You were never like this before!"

"What do you mean, before? From when I was a child? Kuronosuke, you hardly know me anymore—"

"That's the point of having dinner with you! I want to get to know you again, Sango… and, well, I had thought that you wanted to get to know me better again. Was I really so wrong about you?"

Sango gave him a pained look. "Kuronosuke… there was a time when maybe this might have worked… but I…"

"You're not even giving me a chance." Kuronosuke interrupted, getting slightly angry now. "Please, sango… Just dinner tonight, and if you really don't want to see me again, I'll leave you alone. Fair?"

Sango bit her lip, and then nodded.

Cobalt eyes followed Kuronosuke as he led Sango into the diner. Idiot boy… he'd pay for this!

Miroku slipped into the diner a good while after them, keeping to the shadows. He got a few odd looks, but at least no one said anything. Making sure to stay as far out of the light as possible, Miroku moved so that he had a better look at their table.

Sango appeared uneasy, but Kuronosuke looked like he was having the time of his life. Turning his gaze away from the grinning Vicomte, Miroku focused on Sango. Her eyes flitted about in the corners of the room… almost as if she expected him to be there. He smiled slightly—good, she was starting to understand.

Miroku looked back at Kuronosuke, his grip tightening around the Punjab lasso. How easy it would be to rush in and snap the boy's neck! But then he imagined Sango's reaction, and he hesitantly put the Punjab away. No, this wasn't the time to kill off the Vicomte. He had let his anger control him too much.

Miroku took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He would let them go… at least for the night. When Sango got back, however, he would certainly have to talk to her about this… or maybe not. Maybe he would just let her come to him…

Sango stepped out of the carriage and, without waiting for Kuronosuke to say goodbye, hurried up the stairs before the Opera House. How angry was Miroku? Would he be able to understand?

"Sango!" Kuronosuke cried after her, but she didn't even turn. He began up the steps, and then stopped. He had promised her he'd let her go, hadn't he? Reluctantly, the Vicomte turned and began walking back down to his carriage. Without a backward look, he got inside and told the driver to take him home.

Sango waited for Miroku to come in her dressing room that evening, but he never did.

The next morning when she awoke to find that she was still alone, she began to worry. Was he that angry at her? Did he never want to see her again? She debated going to him in his lair, but then decided against it. Perhaps he just needed some time to cool off…

Finally she decided that if he still hadn't come to visit her by the end of the week, she would have to seek him out. She was certain that he would talk to her by then…

The days passed slowly, and Miroku never appeared.

At the end of the week, they were going to have another performance. This time, however, since Kikyo was back, she was going to play the lead role. Sango had been given a smaller, less important role, but was still happy with it. It was more than she had ever had before, anyway. At least she wasn't back in the chorus!

The rehearsals went without a hitch, and the performance promised to be a good one, even if Kikyo had the lead.

Ginta and Hakkaku had never been happier… until they received the letter. Once again, it was from "O.G," and once again it was ordering them to give Sango the lead role.

"Ginta…" Hakkaku began hesitantly, "Maybe we should just give the girl the role… she does have a good voice."

"And lose La Kikyo? She wouldn't put up with it…you know she wouldn't! As soon as the girl got the role, she'd throw a temper tantrum and never come back. Is that what you want, moron?" Ginta retorted angrily.

"Well…no, I suppose not. But what about this O.G. person? Surely they're going to do something horrible if Youkaitashi doesn't get the role."

"We'll see about that. Personally, Hakkaku, I have a feeling that this 'disaster' is just an empty threat to get us to do what he wants."

"Maybe…" Hakkaku allowed, "But what if it isn't? What if this crazy guy is actually serious about it?"

Ginta looked as if he were about to say something, and then shrugged. "We'll just see what happens."

Sango changed into her new costume for the opera, glancing hesitantly at the mirror. She had debated on going to Miroku before the performance, but there was just no time. Promising herself that she would go to see him afterwards, she finished pinning up her hair and went to meet Kagome backstage.

Kuronosuke had sworn to himself that he wouldn't go back to the opera, but found that he couldn't resist. He needed to see her, just one more time! He knew by now that all of the seats would be sold out…

All but one.

Sango stood backstage with Kagome, fiddling absent-mindedly with her costume. Tonight's performance of Il Muto promised to be a good one. Kikyo's voice was as ear-piercing as ever, of course, but not quite as bad as usual. The ballerinas had worked especially hard on their dancing… it might not be perfect, but it was pretty close… and the chorus had been doing even better than they had been before!

So why was it Sango had such a bad feeling about tonight?

Sango tried to shake it off. Maybe it was just because she wouldn't be singing tonight… or perhaps because she hadn't seen Miroku in a week.

It was as f he had completely brushed her out of his mind…

Miroku… That was the reason, she was sure. He was, in essence if not in reality, her Angel of Music… how would she make it through tonight's performance without him?

'Of course,' she thought bitterly, 'It's not as though I'm actually going to be singing anything…' Sango had been given the part of the page boy—the silent role. She had a sneaking suspicion that Kikyo had something to do with that. Still, Sango reminded herself, at least she was in the performance at all!… She didn't know what would happen to her if she didn't have her job at the Opera House.

Kagome nudged her slightly, a worried look on her face. Sango realized that she had been so lost in her own thoughts that she had nearly missed the queue for her entrance. She gave Kagome a grateful look, got into character, and then walked onstage.

The first thing she noticed was Kuronosuke. He was seated in one of the boxes, which wasn't odd… but a warning rang at the back of Sango's head and she couldn't figure out why. She brushed it aside… this wasn't the time to dwell on it.

Kagome peeked out through the curtain, watching what was happening on stage. Tonight was running perfectly—it was probably the best performance of Il Muto they'd ever done. Kagome grinned as the audience laughed and clapped at something that was said onstage. The audience loved it…that was a good sign. The grin still plastered on her face, her gaze traveled upwards. Then, abruptly, the smile vanished.

Was that the Vicomte in the ghost's box? Didn't he know that box five was reserved for the Phantom on opening night? Kagome had a feeling that it wouldn't end well…

As if on queue, a soft, deadly voice cut through the dialogue on stage. "Did I not instruct that box five was to be kept empty?"

Both the stage and the audience immediately quieted, holding their breath for what was to come next…

Sango's head snapped up at the sound of Miroku's voice. It was the first time she'd heard it in a week, and at first she was thrilled. Miroku! "It's him… I know it, it's him!" she whispered, not even aware she was speaking.

"Your part ees silent, leettle toad!"

"A toad, Madame? Perhaps it is you who is the toad!" Miroku's voice was scathing, brimming with barely controlled rage. Sango subconsciously took a step backwards at the anger in his voice. She recognized the tone he was using, and was immediately transported back to the night when she had removed his mask…

Except now…now there was no remorse mixed in with the anger. It was just pure, unmanageable rage. Sango fought with the temptation to run offstage and lock herself in her dressing room. As if that would help…

Her only condolence was that his anger was not at her this time. Sango's worried gaze traveled to Kikyo, who looked almost comical in her anger. No one, Sango was sure, had ever called her a toad before! Kikyo turned on Sango. "You! Back into position!" And then she went back to the beginning of the song that Miroku had interrupted.

She was brave, Sango thought, you had to give her that. She threw one last glance in the direction that Miroku's voice had come from, and then moved back into place. Please Miroku, let it go. Ignore her. For a few moments, Sango thought that he would.

Then Kikyo croaked.

In the literal sense, of course. She had been singing as normally as before when suddenly she let out a horrible rasping sound. There were several gasps from the audience. La Kikyo was well known and renowned, and never—never—had something like this happened to her!

Kikyo, who was pale with shock and fright, took a deep breath and went back to the part where she had messed up. Sango stood frozen, watching her. Everyone was waiting to see if she could regain herself…

"She's singing to bring down the chandelier!" Miroku's voice rang from all directions, his normally beautiful tone now mocking and terrifying. Sango looked breathlessly up at the chandelier that hung above the seats. It was swaying dangerously, the crystals chinking slightly as they knocked together.

Kikyo kept singing, as if to defy him with her voice. She got louder as she went up the scale, nailing each of the high notes perfectly—

Then it happened again. The terrible croaking sound emitted from her mouth instead of the note she was supposed to hit. Kikyo cut off what she was singing again. She was crying now, and Sango actually felt bad for her. Several people in the audience were laughing, and she would have thought that the situation was funny too, had she not been a singer. She knew the consequences of messing up onstage before an audience. Kikyo was going to have to work hard to regain the prestige that she'd once had. For now… she was a laughing stock.

Sango's heart went out to the other woman as she ran off the stage, in tears. Dimly, she heard people talking loudly and above all, that terrible, beautiful voice laughing maniacally. One of the managers shouted something, and before she knew what was going on, Ginta pulled her center stage.

"We will continue shortly with Ms. Youkaitashi playing the part of countess." He said quickly, "Until then, we are proud to give you the ballet from act three!"

Sango was led dazedly offstage to change into her new costume as the ballet dancers rushed on, all frantically trying to get into position as the music started up.

She was almost to the changing room she was given when there was a terrible scream from onstage...

A/N: Please review! puppy dog eyes