I don't own POTO. Nuff said.

Chapter 5: Overwhelming Response

By PittsBurghFuzz

It was the opening day. Christine rehearsed with the rest of the cast. Christine was very excited about the Angel watching her perform. The only problem was that Christine hoped he wouldn't get too drastic with his revenge. When Carlotta was singing, Christine couldn't help but chuckle a little. She couldn't wait to see what the Angel of Music would do to the Prima Donna.

Erik was felt somewhat jittery when he woke up. He realized that he should have taken the morphine, despite the effects. Erik wanted to end this addiction, for Christine's sake. He wanted to live long enough to see Christine prosper in the opera. Erik only wanted the best for his Christine. He yearned for her voice, her body, her soul, her love. He knew Raoul in normal circumstances would be the perfect mate for Christine. Raoul seemed like a reasonable man, not very tall, but had a stable lifestyle, aside from the Carlotta affair. Erik placed his cloak on and took a punjab lasso. In Erik's opinion, you will never know when you will need to hang someone.

Raoul was entering the opera house to buy a ticket for himself. When Raoul entered, the managers had bad news for him.

"We are terribly sorry vicomte, but we have no more seats." Firman told Raoul.

"We have box-" Meg was about to say before Madame Giry covered her mouth.

"Box what?" Raoul asked.

"The haunted Box Five monsieur!" Andre cried.

"What's wrong with it?"

"It is where the opera ghost sits." Andre told Raoul.

"We could give it to you though." Firman reassured Raoul.

"Are you crazy Firman! We need permission from the ghost!"

"I have a note for the vicomte." Madame Giry said as she handed the letter to Raoul.

Vicomte,

Knowing how crowded the opera will be for tonight's performance of Ill Muto, I grant you permission to use my private box just this once. Remember, I am doing this for Christine's sake, so do not get yourself in any affairs.

Signed,

O.G.

"Alright then, I guess the ghost will allow me to "rent" Box Five." Raoul told the managers.

"Good, I am glad you were able to get a seat vicomte." Firman told Raoul.

"Is Ms. Daae around? I would like to speak to her?"

"Christine does not want to see anyone right now. She wishes to rest." Madame Giry replied.

Raoul nodded and left the Opera House.

Christine was awaiting her master as time flew away. It was a few hours before the performance, and her Angel of Music did not even say good luck to her. However, Madame Giry entered the room with a note and a rose.

"He wanted me to give this to you before the performance." Madame Giry told Christine.

Christine accepted the note, and Madame Giry exited the room. Christine looked at the back of the envelope. Instead of the Phantom's red skull imprint, it was a red rose that sealed the envelope. Christine opened the note and read:

Dearest Christine,

I have so much to accomplish before the performance, but I wanted a chance to say good luck to you. I know this is not a major role, but I know you will do the best you can with the role you were given. I have allowed your precious vicomte to use my private box. However, I will be watching your performance through another area of the theater. I will not be celebrating your performance tonight, I wish for you to celebrate tonight with Raoul. Good luck Christine.

Yours Truly,

Angel of Music

Christine held the rose close to her nose and smelled it. That's the difference with Raoul and the Phantom. Raoul was extravagant and overblown, giving Christine over the top gifts and cliché heroics. As for the Phantom, he showed his love to Christine through his passion and patience with her. The ghost was subtle by giving Christine a single rose.

Erik stood nearby the chandelier, where he would view the performance. He hoped Raoul would come to his senses and end his ridiculous affair with Carlotta to be with Christine. Erik at this point couldn't help but love Christine. The strange thing was, Christine reminded Erik of his mother. Erik had a deep hatred for his mother, as she did for him. However, Erik found her a beautiful woman. With Christine, she was understanding, kind, and gentle. Christine had everything that his mother lacked, except beauty, a quality both women had. Erik saw Raoul and Carlotta in the stables conversing. Erik cringed and nearly roared, but wanted to hear the conversation.

"Raoul, why are you so intimate with the Daae girl?" Carlotta asked Raoul.

"Well, she was a childhood friend, and felt I owed something to her for all the happiness Christine and her father granted me." Raoul replied.

"But you love me, right?" Carlotta asked Raoul.

Raoul turned his head. "I don't know."

"What?"

"It can never be anything more than flirtations between us."

"What do you mean?"

"You already have Piangi, and I am years younger than you are. It would ruin our reputations."

"You were never worried about that before. Why is it stopping you now?"

Raoul rolled his eyes. "Look, I don't want to admit it but I really think that-"

"What? The Opera Ghost exists? That's just a childish ghost story Buquet tells the ballerinas to merely frighten them."

"Yeah, but he threatened to-"

"What? Kill you? You are less of a man than I thought you were."

Erik nodded to himself. Erik agreed completely with Carlotta, but Raoul didn't care at this point.

"Well, I guess it is a bunch of nonsense. He probably doesn't exist."

"Good, so you will forget this Christine nonsense?"

"No."

"What?"

"She was a childhood friend. Christine seems so lonely here. Ever since her father died she hasn't been the same. However, this does not mean we have to end."

Carlotta slapped Raoul in the face. Raoul glared into her eyes, face turning red, and pushed Carlotta into the wall. Raoul was about to rape Carlotta, until he heard a noise. Raoul stopped what he was doing and headed towards the exit of the stable.

Erik ran away from the horrid scene to prepare for the performance.

It was the evening, and it had the terrifying night had only begun. It started out with all of the crème de la crème acting very giddy and gay while having champagne. Firman and Andre were both very excited about gala night. Christine was in her dressing room tying up her hair, until she heard her angel.

"Good evening Christine." the Phantom told her.

"Good evening master." Christine told the ghost.

"I just wanted to visit you and grant you good luck tonight."

"Thank you. When will I see you again mas-"

"Christine, you need not call me master. Well then, enjoy yourself with the de Chagny boy for me would you?"

"Yes father."

Christine covered her mouth when she spoke those two words.

Erik's stomach was filled with butterflies after she made that comment. Yes father, Erik thought to himself.

Raoul went to Box Five courtesy of the Opera Ghost, and actually liked the view.

Little did Raoul know, Erik was inside a pillar watching him. He soon walked away, attended to the chandelier area.

Erik looked down upon the theater, as if he were God in this grand domain where music and passion thrive. He saw the stage crew setting up the sets for the performance. Erik saw Christine enter the stage in her costume. He thought Christine looked adorable in costume, but Erik knew she should have had the leading role, not Carlotta.

Erik saw Raoul sitting in Box Five smiling. He found it disturbing that Raoul could continue on with this dual relationship void of guilt. Erik wanted to strangle Raoul badly, but he did not wish to kill what "Little Lotte" loved best.

Christine was sitting on the large bed on the stage, looking up at the chandelier. Christine saw her angel's cat like eyes looking downward at the stage, like a father watching over her daughter. However, Christine thought of the Angel of Music as something more than a father figure.

Erik had earlier placed a drink that would make a mockery of Carlotta's voice(although in Erik's opinion, her voice was a joke anyway).

The curtain rose, opening to a few 18th century French aristocrats fanning themselves as they sang about the affair of the countess and the pageboy, Serafimo. Christine and Carlotta were pretending to kiss behind the bed curtain, until it opened and the aristocrats looked in shock. Carlotta was singing about her husband and how of a fool he was(ironically, Piangi was playing the count). She sang, until an ominous voice thundered throughout the theater.

"Who dares to replace Ms. Daae with the Prima Whore of Paris?" the voice roared.

"The Phantom is here." Christine said to herself.

"Silent, you little ugly toad!" Carlotta yelled to Christine.

"A toad madame? Perhaps the true toad croaked the wrong words." Erik said softly.

Carlotta needed a drink, so she took the special elixir Erik made and drank it. When Carlotta started to sing, she sounded like a toad. Erik laughed a little the first time it happened. Carlotta continued to sing, and croaked even more. Erik decided to play with the people's minds and jiggle the chandelier a little.

"Behold, she is singing to bring down the chandelier! Hahahahaha!" Erik laughed out.

The chandelier started to move a little and the audience was frightened. The managers announced that Christine would be taking the role of the countess, just as Erik had planned. Erik walked the above the stage where the ballet was performing in front of the audience. Buquet was searching for the the Phantom during the intermission. Buquet turned around to find the Phantom was not far away. Buquet took his knife out and charged at the Opera Ghost.

Erik turned around and saw the miserable drunk running at him like a maniac. Erik slowed Buquet down by knocking over set pieces. However, the red faced man continued to chase Erik, through the cat walks of the stage. Erik found himself tackling with Buquet, and had to make use of his punjab lasso. It Erik accidentally kicked Buquet's corpse onto the stage and the crowd shrieked.

Raoul quickly escaped Box Five to find Christine. He just happened to bump into Christine.

"Christine, it is not safe here, let us go to the roof tops!" Raoul told Christine.

"No Raoul!" she fearfully replied.

Raoul pulled her away from the chaos, and the two young lovers ran to the top of the Opera House.

Little did they know, Erik was watching them on top of a statue.