The Opera House, 49 years earlier

The opera house was a buzz as everyone got prepared for rehearsal. People were putting on makeup, setting the stage, tuning their instruments. Everyone was getting ready for a dress rehearsal of Hannibal. Among all the dancers was a specific girl with short purple hair, Gaz. Onstage, Tak, a taller girl with indigo hair, was practicing her part as the lead role. The music began playing, and the actors made their way onstage, singing their parts in unison.

Whilst the people of the opera were rehearsing, a horse-drawn carriage pulled in front of the opera house, driven by a man with round glasses and a long, black trench coat. That man was Dib Membrane.

Tallest: "Ah! Mr. Membrane! Welcome! We've been expecting you."

Two men approached him, one wearing purple (who was eating a bag of chips), and one wearing red.

Dib: "Thank you, sirs. And please, call me Dib."

The three men entered the opera house.

The actors continued to rehearse as Madame Bitters observed them. The rehearsal was interrupted as the owner of the opera house came onstage.

Maestro: "Excuse me! I am rehearsing!"

Owner: "Maestro, Madame Bitters, please, if I could have your attention?"

The actors all focused on the owner of the opera house.

Owner: "Thank you. As you know, for some weeks, there have been rumors of my retirement. I come to tell you that these are all true. I would like to introduce you to the new owners of the opera."

He gestured to the two men in Purple and Red clothing.

Owner: "Mr. Tallest, Red and Purple."

Everyone applauded for the new owners. Someone whispered, "they must be rich."

Red: "And we are deeply honored to introduce our new patron, Mr. Dib Membrane."

Everyone applauded as Dib went onstage. The dancers watched as Dib entered. Gaz, who was standing next to her friend, Zita, widened her eyes.

Gaz: "It's Dib, my older brother. That idiot moved away after our father died. I didn't think he'd actually show his face here."

Zita: "I don't know about you, but he's pretty handsome."

Gaz shot a glare at Zita.

Zita: "F-for a nerd, of course."

Dib: "I am truly honored to be supporting the world renowned opera popular."

The actors applauded and Tak walked up to Dib and gave her hand, to which Dib gave a small peck.

Tak: "I am Tak. I have been the opera's soprano for five seasons."

Dib: "Well it's nice to meet you, Tak. I think I'm keeping you from your rehearsal. I'll be here this evening to watch your performance. Sorry."

Dib exited the stage as the Tallest thanked him. Tak let her makeup artist observe her real quick.

Tak: "He loves me. He loves me."

Dib passed Gaz on his way out, not even noticing his sister there.

Gaz: "He probably doesn't recognize me. It's been 14 years since we last saw each other."

The actors continued their rehearsal as Madame Bitters spoke with the Tallest.

Madame Bitters: "We take pride in our excellence of our ballet."

Purple: "I see why. Especially that girl with the spiked hair."

Madame Bitters: "My granddaughter, Zita Bitters."

Red: "And that exceptional beauty."

Madame Bitters: "Gaz Membrane."

Red: "Membrane, you say? No relation to the famous Professor Membrane, or Dib Membrane."

Madame Bitters: "His only daughter. I took her in when she was 7."

Red: "An orphan?"

Madame Bitters: "I think of her as my own. Gentlemen."

Madame Bitters led the Tallest away from the dancers so they could rehearse. Tak heard her dress rip slightly, and she grew angry.

Tak: "My dress is ripping, why?"

The rehearsal was concluded and Tak shot the Tallest a glare.

Tak: "I hope you enjoy the performance tonight, because I will not be singing!"

Red: "You're quitting? Why?"

Tak: "I will no longer tolerate this pathetic theatre! My costume designer can't even sew right!"

Maestro: "Ms. Tak, please stay. We need you for the lead role."

Purple: "You're the star!"

Tak: "...Well...as my Tallest commands. Maestro?"

Maestro: "As my diva commands."

The music began to play, and Tak cleared her throat.

Tak:

"Think of me"

"think of me fondly,"

"when we've said"

"goodbye."

"Remember me"

"once in a while "

"please promise me"

"you'll try."

"When you find"

"that, once"

"again, you long-"

Tak's performance was interrupted by a loud noise as the backdrop landed on her from above. Everyone screamed. A dark figure above the stage stepped away from view.

Zita: "He's here. The phantom of the opera."

Everyone tried to help Tak up before Buquet pulled it up from above.

Red: "What the hell was that?!"

Buquet: "Please, sir, don't look at me! There's no one there!"

Madame Bitters found a card on the floor sealed with a skull.

Buquet: "Or if there is someone, maybe it's a ghost!"

The Tallest looked at an angry Tak nervously.

Purple: "Ms. Tak, these things do happen."

Tak: "For the past three years these things do happen! And do you stop them from happening? No! These things do happen! Either you stop them from happening, or never win back your star! I'm leaving!"

Tak stormed out of the opera house.

Red: "She's gonna come back, right?"

The Maestro shrugged. Madame Bitters approached the Tallest.

Madame Bitters: "I have a letter from the Opera Ghost."

Red: "Oh for the love of- you're all delirious!"

Madame Bitters: "It says he welcomes you to his opera house,"

Red: "HIS opera house?!"

Madame Bitters: "And commands you leave Box 5 open for his use only. And his salary is due."

Red: "Salary?!"

Madame Bitters: "Our previous owner used to give him $20,000 a month."

Red: "$20,000?!"

Red snatched the letter and ripped it into shreds.

Red: "I was going to announce Dib Membrane as out Parton at the gala, but clearly we'll have to cancel!"

Everyone gasped. Cancel? After all they've worked for?

Red: "Yes, cancel! Considering we've lost our star!"

The Maestro was about to faint. Purple walked up to him.

Purple: "Maestro, there's got to be an understudy, right?"

Maestro: "Understudy? There is no understudy for Ms. Tak!"

Red: "We'll have to refund a full house, Purple!"

Madame Bitters: "Gaz Membrane could sing, sir."

Everyone focused their attention on the shorter girl with purple hair. Purple scoffed.

Purple: "The chorus girl? Don't be ridiculous."

Madame Bitters: "She's been taking lessons from a great tutor."

Purple: "Who?"

Gaz: "I don't know his name."

The Tallest looked at each other for a moment, mumbling.

Madame Bitters: "Let her sing for you, Tallest. She's been taught well."

The Tallest whispered to each other some more.

Red: "Alright, then. Go ahead."

Gaz walked up to the front of the stage and the music began.

Gaz:

"Think of me"

"think of me fondly,"

"when we've said"

"goodbye."

"Remember me"

"once in a while "

"please promise me"

"you'll try."

"When you find"

"that, once"

"again, you long"

"to take your heart back"

"and be free"

"if you"

"ever find "

"a moment,"

"spare a thought"

"for me ..."

The Tallest jaws dropped at Gaz's phenomenal singing. In almost no time at all, Gaz found herself as the lead role, singing in front of a full house.

Gaz:

"We never said"

"our love"

"was evergreen,"

"or as unchanging"

"as the sea"

"but if"

"you can still"

"remember,"

"stop and think"

"of me ..."

"Think of all the things"

"we've shared and seen -"

"don't think about the things"

"which might have been ..."

"Think of me,"

"think of me waking,"

"silent and"

"resigned."

"Imagine me,"

"trying too hard"

"to put you"

"from my mind."

"Recall those days,"

"look back "

"on all those times,"

"think of the things"

"we'll never do"

"there will"

"never be"

"a day, when"

"I won't think"

"of you ..."

From below, a figure listened to Gaz's singing. The audience applauded. From above, in one of the boxes, Dib stared at the Gaz for a moment.

Dib: "Is that her? Is that my sister?"

Finally recognizing his little sister, Dib smiled and applauded.

Dib: "Bravo!"

He left the box and made his way through the opera house.

Dib:

"Long ago,"

"It seemed so"

"Long ago,"

"How young and"

"Innocent we were,"

"She may not"

"Remember me at all,"

"But I remember her."

Gaz:

"We never said"

"our love"

"was evergreen,"

"or as unchanging"

"as the sea"

"but please"

"promise me"

"that sometimes"

"you will think..."

(Vocalizing)

"Of me!"

The audience roared and cheered. The Tallest applauded from above.

Red: "Bravo!"

Purple: "Stupendous!"

After Gaz's performance, the opera house was a rush. Zita was looking for her. Meanwhile, Gaz sat in a room next to a candle. She lit the candle and bowed her head. Then she heard a voice.

?: "Brava...brava...bravissimo..."

Zita: "Gaz? Gaz..."

?: "Gaz..."

Zita entered the room and smiled.

Zita:

"Where in the world"

"Have you been hiding?"

"Really, you were perfect!"

"I only wish"

"I knew your secret."

"Who is your great tutor?"

Zita sat next to Gaz on the floor. Knowing Zita for 14 years now, Gaz didn't mind talking to her.

Gaz: "Zita, when your grandmother brought me here to live, I would come down here alone to light a candle for my dad. Then I'd here a voice, from above. I also heard it in my dreams. He's always been with me. My father told me, before he died, I would be protected by an angel. An angel of music. I'm guessing he got that from mom. It's not exactly like him to say stuff like that."

Zita: "You think the spirit of your dad is coaching you?"

Gaz: "Who else?"

"Father once spoke of an angel"

"I used to dream he'd appear"

"Now as I sing, I can sense him"

"And I know he's here"

"Here in this room"

"He calls me softly"

"Somewhere inside hiding"

"Somehow I know"

"He's always with me"

"He - the unseen genius"

Zita shook her head and stood up. Gaz stood up with her as Zita lead her to the stairs.

Zita:

"Gaz, you must have been dreaming, stories like this can't come true"

"Gaz, you are talking in riddles, and it's not like you!"

The two walked together backstage.

Gaz:

"Angel of Music!"

"Guide and guardian!"

"Grant to me your glory!"

Zita: "Who is this angel? This..."

Zita & Gaz:

"Angel of Music!"

"Hide no longer!"

"Secret and strange angel"

Gaz looked away from her friend, a look of fear on her face.

Gaz: "He's with me even now..."

Zita: "Your hands are cold..."

Gaz: "All around me..."

Zita: "Your face, Gaz, it's white."

Gaz: "It frightens me."

Zita: "Don't be frightened."

Gaz and Zita left the stage and headed to their rooms. Up above, Buquet watched the girls leave as he drank his whiskey.