I am surprised how fast I'm moving along with this…I'm usually a LOT slower at writing my stories than I am with this one. Maybe it's because I enjoy it so much…well, I don't know, but still.
Jaina 12-oooh I wanna know what your favorite song is!
TitansFan-THEY get to sing Masquerade! SO NOT FAIR! Really, that's weird, because in my chorus class, just today, we were practicing for our grand finale for our concert, and I said to my friend that it would be so awesome if we got to sing Masquerade instead of the one we were singing! That is so weird! But still…poo on them, for getting to do it and not us…I love "The King and I", that's another one of my favorite musicals, too, although Phantom of the Opera is by far my favorite.
SteakMeSpike04-thank you so much! I never knew we had as much in common until you said it, but yeah, that's weird! About Red X, you will have to find that out in later chapters. I'm so happy you like it! Even though this chapter isn't very long, I still hope you like it as much as the rest!
Robin+Starfire-thank you! This chapter is a bit short, but I hope you like it all the same.
Another Freakish Fan-oh, trust me, you and I both know that Robin will get his time with Starfire. That's what "All I ask of You" is for…Anyways, my friend is learning how to play that song on the piano too! She said it was hard also. I really wanna know what it sounds like, so hopefully my friend can figure out how to do it so I can hear it!
Robin and Star fan-thank you! Don't worry, it's okay to be obsessed…I am, at least…
Laurashrub-ooh, I'm sooo relieved that you thought it was good! You're like the main critic reviewer of mine, because you see the things I need to correct, which is a good thing. And if there was nothing wrong with my other chapter, than that makes me really happy!
EmeraldShine-aaaw thank you so much! I hope this chapter was "as good" as the previous one, since it is a lot shorter than I wanted it to be.
Rose-in truth, everyone who has read this fanfic so far has seen either the movie, or the live performance, or both. No need for pity, believe me, most of them sing along to the music like you do…But yes! Gerard Butler (who plays the Phantom in the movie) OMG! He's just soooo hot! I can't get over it! My favorite songs (in order) are: Phantom of the Opera, the Overture, The Point of No Return, Wishing You Were Somehow Here again, and Down Once More. One of my favorite parts of the movie was the beginning, too! When the Overture was playing, and everything turned into color, I was just…wow. It was awesome.
StarfireFowl-thank you, and yes, the soundtrack rocks! I hope you get to buy it soon, I just love it!
The ghostly Phantom sat silently at his giant organ, while Kori slept. He was in furious concentration as he played the organ with intense focus and energy. He paused several times, and bent down to write what he had composed. He would then start this all over again, getting more concentrated each time.
Another stolen object sat on the organ which the Phantom let out his fury on the world. The all familiar music-box shaped as a barrel organ stood a few feet away from the masked man. The peculiar monkey in Persian robes that had a stare that could unnerve the bravest of the bold began to gently play its little cymbals. Its haunting song caused the teenage girl to twitch in her sleep. Each second it played she became visibly more and more restless in her unconsciousness. She tossed her head, hot tears formed in her closed eyes…
Kori rammed her head up from where it lay in a giant thrust that caused her to swoon. She was on a soft cushiony object, but her head throbbed in pain. She threw her palm to her forehead, and found it cold with freezing sweat. The cold, damp temperature combined with her migraine caused her to shake and shiver uncontrollably.
And for some strange reason, Kori could not think straight.
"Where am I?" she thought, "what am I doing here?"
She scanned her mind, trying to remember what had happened the previous night. This only caused her head to confusedly hurt more. She swung her head back onto the cushion and closed her eyes, in attempt to stop the pain. After a few minutes of still silence, she had gotten the head throbs under control, and she slowly raised her head to normal level.
Careful not to upset her migraine, she got up slowly and tried harder to remember the night before. She walked past a wall of cloth, mirrors, and dresser walls and her clouded brain suddenly began to clear, but at a slow, unsettling pace.
"I remember there was mist.
Swirling mist upon a vast glassy lake…
There were candles all around,
And on the lake there was a boat.
And in the boat
There was a man…"
She looked at the boat, back at the ghastly water, and over the walls which consumed her in darkness. She then looked over to the man, who did not notice her waking. She silently made her way over to him without a sound, and reached for his face. He sensed her presence and nudged her hand away with his shoulder.
"Who was that shape
In the shadows?
Whose is the face
In the mask?"
Kori then softly placed a fingertip on his jawline, daring him to move away. He did not. She inched her fingers to his pale white mask, and took it off in a swift movement of a second.
Feeling his mask leave his face, his eyes widened in anger. He spun around, jumped up, sprung out at her, and she, for the first time, saw a true glimpse of his real face. She gasped in fear at it, and stumbled backwards. The Phantom approached her like a flash of lightning and rounded on her in a vicious attack of fury, knocking the surprised girl to the ground.
"Damn you!
You little prying Pandora!
You little demon!
Is this what you wanted to see?
Curse you!
You little lying Delilah!
You little viper!
Now you cannot ever be free!
Damn you…
Curse you…"
In a flash of a moment he brought up his hand to strike her in his rampage of madness. Kori stood, dumbfounded, lying on the cold, rock ground, cowering in fear. Her crimson hair fell helplessly over her now pale face. She held up her limp arm as her only source of defense. She squeezed her emerald eyes shut, expecting the worst.
But when he was about to hit her, he stopped himself. He stood for a few seconds, quivering slightly, staring at her frailty. He recollected his shaking hand back to his body in a motion of sadness and despair. He knelt down shakily onto the ground next to her, covering his face with his hands. He looked her in the eye with true anxiety.
"Stranger than you dreamt it,
Can you even dare to look
Or bear to think
Of me:
This loathsome gargoyle
Who burns in Hell,
But secretly
Yearns for Heaven,
Secretly…
Secretly…"
He reached out his free hand to touch her face, and she flinched once again. He inched closer to her to try to help her forgive his outburst. He moved slowly closer to her on the ground but she did not move. She still sat, the tears as if in midair, still hung in her eyes, refusing to fall.
"But, Kori…
Fear can turn to love,
You'll learn to see
To find the man
Behind the monster:
This repulsive carcass
Who seems a beast,
But secretly,
Dreams of beauty,
Secretly…
Secretly…
She suddenly felt weak again, as if she was about to faint again in her state of delirium.
"Oh, Kori…"
He reached his hand out once again, but this time wanting the mask in return. She completely drowned in his depressed eyes, as she submissively handed the mask to him with intense care. He placed it back upon his face, his confidence and sureness returning the instant it was restored to his features.
He stood up, and offered a hand to Kori. She took it, and got up off the ground. She stood by him a few seconds, then he softly grabbed her wrist and tugged her back towards the boat. She followed without resistance.
"Come, we must return.
Those two fools
Who run my theatre
Will be missing you."
The cast party that night was a huge rush of excitement and thrill. The cast, crew, and stagehands were all having the night of their lives. Half the room was filled with dancing and song, while the other was covered with laughs and chatter. The ballerinas scurried around the room in a surge of hyper energy. Jinny helped herself to cup after cup of tangy punch and sweet refreshments, every hour or so wondering why her friend could not be there.
She looked to her left to see Victor belch at the top of his lungs. She sprayed her punch out of her mouth in a fit of laughter, along with the other half of the people there. She then diverted her attention to the opposite side of the room, where Mark stood, also in a scourge of silliness, showing off for the other ballerinas.
One of the black fabric tablecloths had been carelessly tied around his neck in the form of a cloak, and a piece of rope that twisted in his large fingers.
"What is that supposed to be?" said one of the ballerinas, giggling at his appearance.
"It's the ghost's lethal weapon…don't you know what that is?"
"No…" said the giddy girl as she blushed once again.
"What ghost?" asked another eager ballet girl. Almost all the ballerinas had their hyper attention on him, as he acted out for their entertainment.
"What ghost? You say to mean you don't know about the urban legend of this very school?" Mark cocked an eyebrow flirtatiously at the girl.
"No…I have not…" another one blushed.
The burly boy chuckled to himself. He drew back out the thick rope and displayed it to the girls.
"Well, if none of you know about the ancient opera ghost, I guess I will have to tell you…"
The ballerinas, in turn, went through another rush of giggles, then looked back at the tall, muscular boy.
"Like yellow parchment
Is his skin…
A great black hole served as
The nose that never grew…"
He held up the rope again to them, loosely hanging it around his throat.
"And to defend yourself against this evil creature, you must put your hand here…" and he placed his hand between his neck and the rope that he had tied around it. He pulled the rope through his fingers and away from his neck.
The girls squealed in delight and clapped furiously for him. They had definitely had one-too many cups of punch. They quieted down for Mark as he spoke again.
"You must be always on your guard,
Or he will catch you
With his magical lasso…"
He then caught one of the girls around the neck with the rope and with a flirt-like motion, and swung the girl towards him. She giggled at this, and they all began to laugh heartily.
Their laughter was cut short by Raven, who had swiftly walked over to where the action stood. She had observed in disgust, and turned on Mark sternly.
"Those who speak
Of what they know
Find, to late,
That prudent silence is wise.
Mark, you fool,
Hold your tongue,
He will burn you
With the heat of his eyes…"
And with that she silently turned on her heel and left the scene as swiftly as she had come, leaving all who saw speechless.
Yeah, sorry it was so short, but I have been kindof busy lately. Hope you all liked it!