The Phantom of the Opera: Chapter 10
Disclaimer: DC Comics owns "Teen Titans." Gaston Leroux owns the original story of "The Phantom of the Opera." Andrew Lloyd Webber owns the musical version. I own whatever I write/create. Don't steal and don't sue.
A/N: If some original characters in this story confuse you, please refer to my story "Book of Demons" for more information about them.
Carrying a small bouquet, Starfire walked into the Perros-Guirec cemetery. It was an empty place beside the dead and their various grave markers. Snow had covered the ground and piled atop tombstones and angelic statues. Wearing a dark violet dress and a black wrap to protect against the chill, Starfire was not a child still in mourning but a woman paying her respects. She made her way quietly through the graveyard, respectfully avoiding stepping on the graves.
She had arrived late the previous night and stayed at an inn. Sleep had come to her, but her dreams were only of music. It was an epiphany she had only heard of—one Raven had tried once to describe. Starfire had asked how anyone could compose original music or the lyrics to a song—how an artist created their art. Raven had been silent with thought for many minutes, but Starfire waited patiently for an answer.
The simple answer was that of the muse: something that gave the artist their moments—brief or nigh unending—of divine inspiration. Raven had explained that music was always in her mind. It was slightly more of a struggle to create lyrics to the songs she had constantly playing in her ears, but it was a challenge Raven was more than willing to rise to.
Her stride slowing, Starfire thought back on the song she had heard in her dream. She began to hum the opening of it, her focus drifting back and forth between the song and Raven. There was no question that the song was meant for the masked woman. Unable to care if there was anyone else in the cemetery, Starfire began to sing.
"You were once
my one companion…
you were all
that mattered…
You were once
a friend and lover—
then my world
was shattered…"
Her sweet soprano voice was low and quiet as she voiced the title she had come to regard the masked woman with. Raven had never touched her as a lover would, but Starfire knew of no other way to describe how she felt. No other person had come to mean so much to her, and she was more than willing to consider Raven her lover.
"Wishing you were
somehow here again…
wishing you were
somehow near…
Sometimes it seemed,
if I just dreamed,
somehow you would
be here…"
When waking up that morning, the first few moments of Starfire's thoughts were devoted to a quiet regret that her dreams had not included Raven as closely as they often did. Though she had grown calm through sleep and thought, she still ached without Raven.
"Wishing I could
hear your voice again…
praying that I
always would…
Dreaming of you
will help me to do
all that you dreamed
I could…"
Starfire knew that Raven had brought about all the change in her. Music had come to her and she was always inspired to sing when the mere thought of Raven entered her mind. Raven had believed in her, and Starfire's abilities could only grow because of it.
"Passing bells
and sculpted angels,
cold and monumental,
seem, for you,
the wrong companions—
you were warm and gentle…
"Too many years
fighting back tears…
Why can't the past
just die…?"
How to forgive Raven for what had happened was something Starfire had not yet discovered. What she did know was that she needed to hear the story from Raven. Despite everything, Raven had remained gentle with Starfire, and the loneliness the masked woman imposed upon herself seemed unspeakably cruel to Starfire.
"Wishing you were
somehow here again…
hoping to never
say goodbye…
Try to forgive…
teach me to live…
give me the strength
to try…"
Tears began to well in Starfire's eyes. She swore that if Raven ever appeared again, she would give the masked woman a gift of the song. Hours upon hours of thoughts and dreams had finally delivered her to this realization, and she loathed that she had only bothered to think of it when so many things were going wrong.
"No more memories,
no more silent tears…
No more gazing across
the wasted years…
Never say
goodbye."
She knelt down and split the bouquet, laying equal amounts of flowers upon the graves of her father and sister. Her breath was ragged with her tears, and her belief that only the graves had heard her song fueled them even further. Starfire bowed her head, putting her hands over her face.
At first, she did not believe that she heard the soft notes of the violin. The melody was perfect and familiar. It had been years since she had last heard it, but it was a favorite piece. As the music continued to play, Starfire lifted her head. She looked about, searching for the musician. When sight provided no answer, she relied upon her hearing. She stood up and began to walk from the graves, following the music. Just past a large statue of an angel was the largest tomb in the cemetery. Its entrance was elevated on a small pyramid of stone, and before it was a carefully crafted set of stairs. Starfire stopped instantly when she saw the figure sitting upon those stairs.
Raven sat with a golden violin nestled under her chin and her mask on the stair to the right of herself. With the gold bow in her long fingers, she coaxed from the violin the best rendition of The Resurrection of Lazarus Starfire had ever heard. Her eyes were open, tranquility shining in the dark blue Starfire loved. The music slowly ended with Raven drawing the bow back across the strings to sound them once. She looked up from the bow, eyes meeting Starfire's.
"Koriand'r is a beautiful name," she murmured. Starfire blushed both at the compliment and the small smile Raven gave her.
"You received my note?" she asked. Raven nodded, laying the violin by the mask.
"I was going to come here anyway, but I'm glad that I'm not just following you." She laid her cloak down on the left side of herself and gestured to it—a slow sweep of her hand with its palm up. Starfire paused, trying to remember where she had seen such a gesture before. "Please, sit down." Starfire did as Raven asked of her, sitting down on the soft cloak in lieu of the hard stone.
"No one but Madame Dolan has been able to pronounce my name," she said quietly. "You say it beautifully."
"Would you prefer that I call you that instead of 'Starfire?'" Raven asked. Starfire shook her head, smiling as she brought her knees to her chest.
"I enjoy both of them," she said. "If you like, you can call me Koriand'r when we're alone."
"You still want to be left alone with me?" Starfire's smile did not waver, her eyes shining for a moment.
"We're alone now." Raven paused, blinking once. She opened her mouth to speak, but could not find the words she wanted. Her mouth closed and she turned her gaze to the ground. "Please, Raven—tell me what happened. Madame Dolan told me some of it, but you need to tell me everything." Raven kept her eyes on the ground, her hands closing into fists on her knees. Starfire reached out and took one of Raven's hands, holding it in both of hers. "Please." Raven nodded, lifting her eyes to look at Starfire.
----------
Robin ran from the tree he had tied his horse to, cursing how far from the cemetery he had to stop. He slowed to a walk when the high walls came into view, forcing his breathing and his heartbeat to reach a normal cadence. Walking with his head held high, he came to the entrance of the cemetery. He paid no attention to the person wrapped in a black cloak that sat on a large loose stone before the entrance. The viscount whole-heartedly believed that it was merely a beggar, and he had no patience or time for beggars.
As he tried to pass into the cemetery, a sharp sting to his cheek made him recoil instinctively. The hand he pressed over the sting came away with a line of blood in the palm. He looked back at the person in black, but could not see their face. Their head was bowed, and the hood of the cloak was pulled up. Robin, his mind at last spurred to real thought by pain, noticed that their folded arms were in different positions from when he had first seen them.
"If you're trying to rob me, you'll be in a sorry state when I deliver you to the police," he snarled. He received no response and let out a low growl before starting again toward the entrance of the cemetery. Only honed reflexes kept him from rushing into the blade that was suddenly put in front of his neck. Again he recoiled, turning to stare down the length of the blade. It was a one-sided sword, and a clawed hand gripped it. The person in the black cloak began to stand, holding the sword steadily at throat level. As their head rose, Robin's body tensed. Six glowing red eyes looked at him from the shadows of the cloak's hood, a fanged smile just below them.
"You!" Robin hissed. "Monstrous thing—I'll send you back to hell!" He reached into his suit jacket, drawing—not a pistol—but a small metal cylinder. He twirled the cylinder in his hands, and both sides extended to create a staff. Bending his knees slightly, Robin fell into a fighting stance that was as familiar to him as breathing.
Though his parents had been great philanthropists, le Comte de Wayne—Bruce Wayne—was a reclusive world-traveling genius. He went from country to country, learning cultures and languages as he went. One of his greatest strengths was his inventiveness. Much of the high level technology in the world at that time was either created by or produced by Wayne and his company. The man was almost disgustingly rich, and he would have been reviled were it not for three things.
The first was his physical appearance. He was a handsome man, very much in good shape, and was never imposing though his sheer size could allow him to be. His natural charm was the second factor in his favor round the world. He was gracious to his allies and enemies alike, and women were prone to swooning when he entered a room. The final reason Wayne was so respected was because he had taken on a pitiful ward and transformed him into a viscount as famous as himself.
Richard Grayson's story was what inspired the world's sympathy. He had been a circus performer for all his life when his parents died in an accident. Wayne, who had been attending the circus on the day the accident took place, felt sorry for Grayson and decided to make the young man his ward. Grayson took on the nickname of Robin, and Wayne trained him both physically and mentally.
Though Robin was in good mental condition, it was his physical state that he put most of his effort into. He had taken a great liking to the martial arts of Asia, and had blended many styles together to create something unique and often unbeatable. His fascination with the staff as a weapon had inspired him to beg Wayne to create a transportable version, and Wayne had done so perfectly. The staff was made of a metal only recently discovered by Wayne himself, one that was reported to be one of the strongest in all the world. Wayne crafted small cylinders and put them together in a manner than would allow them to collapse. Small weights in the end cylinders allowed inertia to extend the staff when spun rapidly, and pressure-released locks kept the staff in said state.
Robin swung the staff low to the ground, lifting it in an arc to swipe at the sword. The blow connected, knocking the demon's arm and the sword up and away. Using his momentum, Robin twisted his hips and leapt up, his body spinning his foot toward the demon's smile. The smile grew in size as the demon leaned backward. Robin's kick missed by a full two feet, the demon's spine arching impossibly far. Before the man could return to the ground by gravity, the demon's hands were pressed against the ground while their legs lifted. The kick landed on Robin's back, flinging him forward onto the hard, cold ground. He rose as quickly as he could, ignoring the flares of pain that accompanied every small movement of the muscles in his back. The demon smiled at him.
----------
"Was Mammoth going to kill me?" Raven nodded.
"He was," she said. "I saw how badly he hurt Madame Dolan."
"But did you see him hurt her?" Starfire asked.
"There was no one else in the catwalks," Raven replied. "And I heard—my teacher's voice telling me that he was going to kill you."
"Your teacher's voice?" Raven nodded again, rubbing her right knee with one thumb. "What do you mean?"
"I was taught everything I know, Koriand'r. I was born with the ability to do everything that I have, but I had to be taught how to use those abilities. My teacher—she taught me how to read and write…how to play music and sing…even how to use my magic."
"Did she teach you how to use magic to kill?" The words tumbled quietly from Starfire's lips before she could stop them. The silence that swelled up was not broken by her hurried apology, however. Raven answered in an equally soft voice, her eyes still meeting Starfire's.
"She did."
"But—who is she?"
"She's a demon. I can't tell you anymore than that for now." Starfire looked down, eyes falling upon their entwined hands. She still held one of Raven's hands in both of hers, and, momentarily distracted, noticed how very warm the other woman's skin felt. "But you'll know soon. Everything is starting to come together."
----------
Robin charged forward, aiming his swing at the demon's head once again. Blood pulsed from wounds all over his body. The sword had proved to be sharp enough to slice through the metal staff, though the demon had only done so once. Carving gashes of varying length and depth or snapping bones with single blows seemed more enjoyable than depriving Robin of a weapon.
He drew close, but before he could begin his swing, the demon's fist shot out. The punch landed on his mouth, splitting his lower lip. His head rocked back, his body beginning to fall. He put his hands out to turn the fall into a retreating flip, but the slamming of his palms against the ground traveled up his arms and jostled his two broken ribs. Crying out, Robin began to crumble to the ground.
The demon's hand grabbed his knee as his legs fell. Robin was lifted back up into the air with a gentleness that belied the events of the past few minutes. He was brought up to eye level with the demon, the blood from his lip running painfully into his eyes.
"Monster," he spat.
"Thank you." The voice was the same as when he had heard it before: deep and rasping, echoed with the sound of crackling flames, and oddly familiar. "A compliment of sorts, I suppose."
"Your soul will burn in hell!"
"Oh, I will return to Hell one day—but not until long after you're dead."
"Then kill me and be done with it!" His defiant remark was met with a quick punch to his chest. He screamed as another rib was snapped. The demon chuckled.
"Not yet. Not yet. There are still plans to be finished. Besides—why cut my fun short?" The demon's smile widened even more.
----------
"Everything?" Starfire asked. Raven nodded.
"Yes," she said. "Every plan is going to come to an end soon. As soon as I finish the opera—then everything will be pulled together, and…"
"And what?" Raven paused, her eyes moving slowly to the ground.
"Koriand'r—do you want to stay at the Opera House?" Starfire blinked, her head tilting slightly to the side. When only silence answered her, Raven glanced up. She chuckled at the sight she saw, lifting her free hand to stroke Starfire's cheek. "You look like a little lost puppy." Starfire turned her face toward the touch, squeezing the hand she still held once.
"Why do you ask me such a thing?" she wondered aloud.
"I want to know what you want," Raven said gently. "I won't demand that you do what I want."
"But what is it that you want? Why ask me if I want to stay at the Opera House?" Raven's eyes softened, her thumb caressing Starfire's cheek. She smiled slightly at the question, and Starfire felt a blush stain her cheeks while her heart skipped. It was a moment she did not want to end. Raven's gentle gaze, her faint smile, and the tenderness of her touch brought forth something Starfire had never seen before. At that moment—even with the dark circles surrounding her eyes, even with the thinness of her face, and even with the demonic mark on her forehead—Raven was beautiful. "You—you want to leave?"
"I want to be with you," Raven said in return. Her hand slipped away from Starfire's cheek to join Starfire's and her own on her knee. "But yes, I'd like to leave the Opera House."
"Where would you go?" Starfire asked. Raven smiled and chuckled, never letting her eyes stray from Starfire's.
"Everywhere," she said. "There are so many things I still haven't seen and music I haven't heard." Starfire saw the eagerness in Raven's eyes and suddenly felt a long-repressed flash of wanderlust run through her. Her eyes fell to their hands.
"Perhaps…we could visit my home country?" She looked up with a shy smile. Raven's smile grew wider, eyes brighter than before.
"How could I refuse such an offer?" she asked. Starfire blushed, a giggle bubbling up out of her throat. Raven, finding the wonderful sound infectious, laughed as well. They calmed after a time, and Raven touched the gold ring on Starfire's left hand. She let her fingers rest upon it, feeling how warm it was from being on Starfire's hand. "Koriand'r?"
"Yes?"
"I want this ring to mean nothing less than what it means for other…" She trailed off a moment.
"Lovers?" Starfire asked, supplying the word in a low murmur. Raven smiled, the faintest tinge of pink touching her cheeks as she lowered her eyes.
"Yes," she said. "I want this ring to mean everything that it does for everyone else." She looked up. "Do you?" Starfire's eyes grew wide, but only for a moment. She soon smiled, gently removing her hands from Raven's. The ring was taken from her finger and put into Raven's hands, but Starfire shook her head at the crestfallen expression on the woman's face.
"I do," she whispered. "But—will you ask me again? As all others do?" Raven felt her throat tighten and her chest swell. She nodded and sank down on one knee before Starfire, taking the young woman's left hand. She paused, her muse whispering to her. Her throat loosened and she drew a deep breath, looking into Starfire's eyes.
"Say you'll share with
me one
love, one lifetime…
Lead me, save me
from my solitude…"
She gently put the gold band upon Starfire's ring finger, holding the hand tight between her own. Starfire could not stop the tears from welling in her eyes, her smile growing with every soft word.
"Say you want me
with you,
here beside you…
Anywhere you go
let me go too—
Starfire,
that's all I ask of you."
Starfire nodded, unable to speak, and lifted her hand to draw Raven's upward. She pressed a kiss against the knuckles of one of Raven's hands, letting her lips rest against warm, pale skin and closing her eyes. Raven slowly lifted her other hand and laid its palm against Starfire's cheek. Starfire opened her eyes, her head rising. They drew closer to one another, but seemed to freeze when a mere hair's breadth from the other's lips. Neither was sure who moved, but their lips finally met.
The kiss was more of a pleasure than either of them had dared to dream of. It was soft and warm, completing the bond that had been growing between them for so long. The embrace lasted only a short while, but the parting was a reluctant one. Both women smiled at each other, faint blushes staining their cheeks. Raven leaned forward again, and Starfire's smile only increased.
The distinctive crunch of snow shattered the calm moment. Raven rose to her feet instantly, her hand snapping away from Starfire's cheek. The mask was thrown into her palm by shadows, and she set it upon her face before turning slowly about. As she turned, Starfire stood up and drew naturally close to her. Raven put one arm out, moving to stand before Starfire as a guard.
A black shape strode out from behind one of the larger statues. Six glowing red eyes looked out from beneath the hood of the black cloak. As the figure came further around the statue, two things in their hands became visible. One was a sword. The other was a leg clad in the tattered remains of the most fashionable clothes.
Le Vicomte de Wayne let out a groan as he was dragged, unconscious, along the snow-covered ground. The demon flung him forward, and he tumbled to a halt at Raven and Starfire's feet. Starfire's wide eyes went back and forth between the demon and Robin's mangled, bloody body. Raven could only stare into the red eyes.
The demon swung the sword once, swiftly, to flick the blood from the gleaming silver blade. As they started forward, the sword vanished in a flash of black flames. Raven stepped aside, putting one hand on Starfire's shoulder to guide her to do the same. The demon's steps were easy and calm, and as they drew closer, they purposefully stepped on Robin's head, one clawed toe digging dangerously into his closed eye.
With a gentle hand, the demon picked up the golden violin and its bow. They turned about, looking at the two women. Raven bowed her head immediately, looking up only when the demon's hand fell upon her shoulder. The smile that curled on the demon's lips revealed just enough. As the demon walked away and vanished from sight, Starfire looked to Raven.
"That was your teacher." Raven nodded to the simple statement. She stared down at Robin, eyes flashing red for a moment. "Raven?"
"Yes?"
"Is he—?"
"No." Raven knelt down, putting two fingers on the man's forehead. She was quiet for a moment, sensing the injuries the man had gained in the last few minutes. "He'll live." She stood straight, holding out her hand to Starfire. "Shall we return to the Opera House?"
"We can't leave him here," Starfire protested. "Please Raven—I don't care for him anymore than you do, but we can't leave him here." The resolve to do just such a thing softened in Raven's mind. She faltered, looking back down at the man. Grimacing, she knelt down and put her hands over his prone form. Light outlined in shadows surrounded her hands, and she passed each hand slowly over the length of him. A number of the wounds on his legs healed, and his breathing grew stronger. Raven stood up again, looking neither at Starfire or Robin.
"He'll wake after we leave," she murmured. "He'll be able to reach the town and its doctor." Starfire sighed and smiled, reaching to take Raven's arm. The masked woman started, looking at Starfire in surprise. Starfire offered nothing but her consent, and it was more than enough for Raven. They left the Perros-Guirec cemetery, and Robin woke soon after their parting.
—to be continued—