Disclaimer: Don't own em. Never did.
A/N: Wow. Man oh man, I owe you guys. When was the last time I updated, October? Sheesh. I'm sorry, guys, my life's just been hectic lately. Good news is, I finally finished my novel! W00T! Now I just have to get it published...heh.
So, yes, I am terribly sorry about the incredibly late update. I hope you guys understand. And if you don't...oh well, nothing I can really do there. But it's still about freakin time I updated this thing. So, now, here we are at the second to last chapter, the play itself, DON JUAN TRIUMPHANT!
Well, enjoy!
Chapter Eleven: Past the Point of No Return
Raven peaked out behind the curtain to see what was happening in the play. Malchior had just gone off-stage. That was good. That meant she would be going on very soon. She readied herself, making sure her hair and costume were perfect. She hummed a few notes to get her voice into position. Perfect.
Finally, came the cue. Mad Mod motioned from his place in the orchestra pit. The last of the actors had left the stage and the next dance number was beginning. As the new dancers took to the background of the extravagant stage, Raven practically floated onto the stage.
The music immediately began to change. Its tone became darker and slower, filled with mystery in every note and tune. The dancers behind her began their strange dances together, as according to Garfield's script. Their costumes were bizarre mixtures of red and black cloth. Each one wore strange costumes and large masks, hiding their true features.
Their dances were strange and yet flowed with a melody unheard of in the opera before. The audience was obviously enjoying this. It was very new to them, if somewhat odd. But it was odd in a good way. They did not know what the back dancers would do next, or what the upcoming plot held.
And now, moments before she was to sing, Raven thought to what it was she was going to do. She had to draw out the Beast. That was the entire reason she was here. That was the entire reason ANY of the people were here, she remembered. This was no opera; it was merely an elaborate ruse to draw Garfield out of hiding.
They knew as well as she did that if she were to perform...he would appear. There was no question. The phantom that was Garfield would come from the depths of hell to see her, to hear her, to sense her in any way he could. The mysterious boy had taken stalking to a whole new level.
But she had no choice. What Robin had said was true: Garfield had to be stopped. He was menace to himself and everyone around him. Especially to Raven and Robin. As long as he was at large, the two would never have pace. The changeling would always be right behind them, breathing down their necks.
That went for the whole opera. If this was not stopped, Garfield would go on and on, never stopping. The Opera House would fail and crumble in his grip. It would become a house of disasters and nightmares. It would become a house of broken promises
And so, Raven made her decision. Garfield had to be stopped. This had to be done. No matter how much she did not want to. So Raven opened her mouth, prepared her limbs...and she sang. She performed and she sang and the audience could not have been more impressed.
The liquid of her movements, the flow of her voice...all perfect. The opera goers were all leaning forward in their seats, desperate to get a good look and a good listen of ths amazing girl. Raven's blue cloak swirled around her, its hood up and hiding her face, as was the part. She was to have her hood up and hiding her face until the climactic ending of the scene.
And so, it continued with Raven singing and performing her small solo part with the entire audience mesmerized with her. Raven would have been happy with this if she had not known what she was truly there for. Unfortunately, she DID know what she was there for, and she was NOT happy. She would never be happy with this.
And then, finally, her solo was to end. She sang the last note, making it last as long as her breath would allow. As she sang it, she turned her body and head to face the opposite side of the stage, where Malchior was to emerge. The dancers behind her slowed their step, awaiting for the entrance of the main character. The fake fire in the middle of the stage lapped away, almost giving off light and heat. The great bridge structure above it was unaffected however, standing as strong as it had always been.
And then the curtains drew. From the great blood red curtains stepped a figure completely dressed in Malchior's costume. The suit was a great and bold black, with purple going straight up the middle. The cape was red and black as well, matching the stage actors. The mask covering his face was red on one side, with black on the other. A red and black hat covered his hair and most of his ears. It was Malchior's costume.
But it wasn't Malchior IN the costume. Raven gasped and her eyes widened beneath her hood as she recognized the TRUE figure behind the mask. It was definitely not Malchior. The grace in the step, the glow in the tyes, she recognized it all. His hands swept back the cape with a grace Malchior never had. His face gave the familiar smirk that Maclhior's could never compare to. And the genius glowed in his eyes. As did the madness.
It was not Malchior. It was Garfield. It was the Beast of the Opera..
Only the smallest hint of his green skin could be seen in his face, and it was small enough to be considered a mask by the audience. He truly was a genius. Only Garfield could be clever enough to leave some of his skin visible, but make it fit in with the costume.
"PAST THE POINT OF NO RETURN!" he sang beautifully, his voice echoing through the Opera House. His voice was so great, so grand...it was so obviously him behind the mask. Not that anyone but Raven would know that.
"THE FINAL THRESHOLD!" Garfield continued, making his way slowly towards Raven as the audience watched on with awe. He extended his gloved hand towards her, most of his arm still covered by his red-and-black cape. His eyes peered into hers, steady and full of confidence. His emotion behind the mask was one of grim satisfaction. A somewhat cruel smile was etched into his face, with his lips curled upwards and his fang sticking out. It shone brightly in the fake fire.
Raven knew she should stop the opera immediately. Every nerve in her body was screaming at her to run and cry. Every nerve in her body was telling her to reveal Garfield right now and end this thing once and for all.
Every nerve but one. Her heart. Her heart had suddenly taken control of her thoughts and her mind. Slowly, and without realizing it, Raven felt herself make towards the mysterious figure. She lifted her hand up, the arm covered by her black leotard. She felt her cool, pale hand rest on the warm, gloved one. And they were together.
Raven opened her mouth and echoed Garfield's words. "PAST THE POINT OF NO RETURN! THE FINAL THRESHOLD!" She didn't even realize she was doing it until it was too late. Their hands were connected together and they were singing the part, as they were supposed to do.
Garfield lead Raven to the fake fire in the center of the stage, as his part commanded. After all, he wrote the damn thing. Holding their arms up above the paper flames, they slowly made their way around the circle. Their hands were connected right above the fire, and the two figures circled it, staring into each others eyes and singing.
In the audience, Robin squinted his eyes. This was not Malchior. He knew the stuck-up jerk, and this was not his style. Something was going on here. He just didn't know what yet. He felt a pang of jealousy in his heart as he saw Raven dance and sing with the mysterious actor. It almost seemed...like Raven wasn't really acting. As if she thought this was real.
"TO SHARE ONE LOVE, ONE LIFETIME!" sang the two figures, back on stage. Garfield grinned as he saw Raven's eyes widened. She finally recognized the words she was actually singing. 'To share one love, one lifetime...' It was what she and Robin had proclaimed on the roof of the Opera House.
That meant two things. One, Garfield had very obviously been there and he wasn't' happy. Him knowing they were together was bad enough...but to think he was actually there when it happened. That was terrible.
But that wasn't even the worst of it. Garfield wouldn't be bring up those exact words unless he had and alternate motive. And Raven knew what that motive was. He wanted revenge on Robin...and he wanted Raven for himself. This opera was not a trap for him! It was a trap for everyone else involved. Garfield had been planning this the whole time.
His entire reason for creating this play was so he could win Raven back. She realized this and her eyes widened underneath her hood. Garfield, across the fire and still holding her hand, smirked. He knew she had just realized it. Raven's brain told her to stop and run right then and there.
But that wasn't what she did. After all, her brain was not in control anymore. Her heart was. And right now, her heart was telling her to play this out. Her heart had made the decision for her. She would do what Garfield wanted. At least...for now.
Raven was brought bak to reality as she felt Garfield let go of her hand. She remembered her part and did the same. As their hands disconnected, the two actors began to walk backwards, towards the two winding staircases that lead to the great bridge. Still singing, they grasped the staircases and made their ways up them. The music quickened its pace, racing as the figures themselves raced up the stairs.
A dramatic beat took the music away as Garfield and Raven stared at each other across the great wooden bridge. Without another word, Garfield began to make his way across to the center of the bridge. Raven followed suit.
"PAST...THE POINT OF NO RETURN! THE FINAL THRESHOLD!"
As they reached each other, Garfield spun and took Raven. He pressed her back up against his chest, holding her close. Raven gasped at the touch and motion, but relaxed. She let Garfield do what he wanted to do...they were on stage. He could not do anything to her here, like this.
And then the music slowed. The dancers back on the stage slowed their dance and mimicked Garfield's motions. Each actress was now pressed up against the actor, who was holding them close. Their hands said the words for them.
Back on the bridge, Garfield ran his fingers down Raven's body, as his part called for him to do. Of course, he wrote it, so he had been planning this the entire time. Raven shivered at his touch. The audience was not entirely sure what to think of this. It was deathly dramatic, but also somewhat suggestive. Still, they peered over their seats, waiting for whatever was to happen next.
"To share one love; one lifetime," Garfield sang softly, holding Raven close to him. "I love you, Raven," he whispered, so even the audience could not hear him. As the music slowly began to pick up beat again, Garfield felt Raven turn to face him, as her part called to do.
Then next thing they were to do was kiss. It was the part Raven had been dreading when Malchior was here. She was still dreading it. This was no play anymore...this had transformed into real life. If Raven kissed Garfield here and now...she would be his forever. She realized this.
Garfield, as his part commanded, quickly drew back her hood. This was the first time her face was revealed during the opera. Her purple hair spilled out, revealing her pale but beautiful face. He grinned, his eyes glowing with anticipation.
Slowly, Raven lifted her pale hand and slid it up to Garfield's face. As slowly and dramatically as she could, she brushed her hand across his cheek to the back of his face. She smiled softly as Garfield actually blushed behind his mask. Their faces drew closer together.
Closer...
Closer still. . .
And then Raven suddenly lurched her hand forward. As she brought it back to her, she grabbed the edge of Garfield's mask and pulled with all her might. And she succeeded. At once, both mask and hat was swept away, revealing Garfield's green face to the crowd.
The crowd gasped as a whole. Several people cried out; others screamed. Garfield's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. His pointed ears were revealed, his fan was sticking out, and his olive green hair was messed up. But mst of all, his lime green face was revealed to the entire Opera House.
Above the audience, Robin signaled to the soldiers and police hiding in the Opera House. They quickly began to appear, shoving though the crowd, towards the stage. "That's him! That's the Beast! Take him down!
Quickly and cleverly, Garfield swung his head. He saw the audience cry out and many were trying to run away. He swung his head again and, for the first time, scanned the balconies and back ways. There he saw the soldiers and policemen heading towards him and loading his guns. Above them all, Robin was seen in full uniform. He stood up on a rafter and brought out his bo staff.
His eyes wide and his teeth grinding together, Garfield tried to find a way out. He looked to the ceiling and there he found it. The chandelier... An idea began to form in his head.
Before he performed it though, he swung his head back to Raven, the girl he was still holding in his arms. Her eyes were filled with tears and her lip was quivering. She still clutched his mask in her one hand.
"I'm sorry..." she muttered, crying softly. "I'm so, so sorry..."
Garfield, turning away, transformed his arm into that of the body of a deadly cobra. He lifted it high above him and triangulated his position to that of the chandeliers.
"Not yet you're aren't," he growled, turning to yet. "Not yet!"
And then, as soldiers ran towards him and Robin dived from the ceiling, Garfield struck. His cobra-arm shot out from its current position and snapped two nearby ropes in unison. At once, the stage they were standing on crumbled beneath them. Garfield clutched Raven close to them as they fell trhough the bridge and into the fake fire, which also crumbled away beneath them.
In seconds, they were gone. Disappeared.
Robin was about to follow them until he saw he had bigger things to think about. Like the three ton chandelier that was no falling from the ceiling, towards the audience! Actors and spectators alike were running for their lives as the great ornament came down to kill them all.
And then it did. The great chandelier crashed into the floor and audience. Several people were killed right then and there, but more were soon to follow. The ground crumbled as the chandelier hit. The electric lights and candles of the chandelier burst as it struck. Flames swept through the Opera House and several more explosions were heard. All of the spectators ran out of the Opera House, fleeing for their lives. Flames and fire shot out of the windows and exits of the building. The building was coming down!
Robin looked around at all of the carnage. Dozens of people were dead, spectators and actors alike. Pieces of the stage and balconies were falling everywhere, crushing people. Robin's eyes widened. As he saw Balcony One, Garfield's favorite, rip from its place...with Slade still sitting in it.
"UNCLE SLADE!" Robin cried, running towards him. But it was too late. The balcony fell into the fire and another explosion erupted. There wasn't even a scream. Slade was gone. Dead. Along with dozens of other innocent people.
"This is all my fault," Robin realized. "I did this...with my plan. I killed them all."
And the young man could only stare on with wonder as the opera house caught flame around him. The stage fell apart, destroying the passage Garfield had left. Robin realized he would have to find Star. Doubtless, she would be leading the other actors into the catacombs to find the Beast.
Robin stood up with new resolve. It was not too late. He was still alive, and he still had a fighting chance. And that meant he would give it all he had.
"This ends tonight, Beast. One way or another."
A/N: Well, watta think? Hehe. I hope you like it...I sure do. Please Review!
Next time: the final chapter! Will Robin find Raven in time? Will the other actors kill Garfield? Will Raven fall for Robin or Garfield? Will this cycle of madness ever end? Find out next time in Chapter Twelve: Finale!
Peace Out!
