Music of the Night: The Phantom of the Opera Returns (Guile & Melody)

[Guile]

The Phantom got closer to her, questioning her actions but finding them amusing. "I must disagree with you, dear Catherine. I see nothing but neglect when I look around here." He chuckled. "Obviously, I haven't found house keeping to be a very important factor in my life."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"Neglect? No, you are wrong. This, my dear teacher..." she waved around the room. "Is lonliness!" With that, she reached up and yanked his mask off, throwing it into the water. What she saw was only half of his face, for the other half was hidden in shame and shadow.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom reached up instantly and covered his face with his hands. "No!" He fell to the floor on his knees, weeping at the thought of her possibly having seen his face. "God, no! Why would you do that, Catherine?" He cried, keeping his face towards the ground. "What did you see?" He asked, his voice muffled through his hands and shame turning his face red.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

She was so frightened that she fell backward, tripping on a shard of glass and luckily falling onto the bed. "I-I..." she couldn't tell him. What would she say? I want to see your face? I want to know your secret? No, she had hurt him, and badly at that. "Master, I have to leave you now." She ran through the water and toward the gate.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom held in his tears and held his breath to keep from weeping anymore. As she started to run off, he ran out into the water and picked up his mask. The tears ran down his face again as he slowly put it back on. "Catherine." He said calmly, keeping his head bowed and looking at the water below him. He couldn't meet her eyes. "Do you think I'm a monster? Do I sound like one - act like one?" At this, he looked up at her, his eyes filled with tears, but his voice steady. "Well, I look like one." He added, "I suppose that's all it takes to make a man a monster - he just has to look like one."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

She turned back to him. "That's not true. I just hurt you! Now, I have to go. I don't want it to happen again." She knew that she wasn't leaving any time soon. She was a prisoner now. "I didn't mean to hurt you, sir." Walking back over to him, she took it off again. "I see nothing wrong with your face, sir." She whispered as she looked at the huge scar on her angel's face. "I do see loneliness though." She heard people clambering about upstairs, upset that their leading lady was missing again.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom let her take his mask off again; allowed her to look at him this time. "Are you afraid of me?" He asked softly. He heard the commotion upstairs and shook his head. He closed is eyes and ran his hand through his hair, not knowing what to do anymore. His life was going fine until this. "Catherine, I know you didn't mean to upset me." He opened his eyes and looked at her. "I don't want you to be afraid of me. I don't want this," he said, touching the deformed side of his face, "to make you afraid of me. I'm not a monster..." He whispered. "And...you are free to go when you wish. I couldn't keep you if I wanted to." He half-laughed. "You're too clever." He found it hard to swallow again. "Just...please...will you come back? Will you still be my pupil?" He looked her in the eyes and the tears fell again. "I can't loose someone else to...this." He moved his hand away from his face, and let it hang at his side.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

She felt like crying. How could people be so cruel to an angel such as him. He was still most precious to her. Touching his scarred side, she smiled. "I will come back, as long as you continue to want me with you. I am not afraid of you." She chuckled. "You are nothing more than a frightened and lonely child of God." She reached up as high as she could, but she was short for her age. She pulled him down to her level and put his mask back on for him, kissing him in the process. "Be my angel of music and I shall come back." She waited for the gates to rise.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom was stunned by the kindness and the tender kiss of the child. His heart raced and he felt fresh tears coming again. Words rose in his throat, but he could not speak. He could only manage a nod as he pulled the lever that allowed the gates to rise. He watched as she made her way out and was finally able to whisper a soft "thank you..." before she disappeared from his sight. Once he knew she was gone from earshot he allowed the sobs to come heavily again and overtake his senses for quite some time.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine didn't bother with the boat this time. She merely walked with her back against the wall of the tunnel, not wanting to fall in. Once she reached the surface, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, especially her parents and Elizabeth. "Mama, I'm sorry. I-I got lost." She lied, knowing full well that the Phantom could hear every word she said. "I see." Christine held Catherine to her chest, relieved that she was safe. "You really should not go where you know you could get lost, little one." Catherine sighed. "Yes, Mama." Raoul shook his head, finally on the verge of losing his mind because his only child was so headstrong.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom stopped crying long enough to hear Catherine talking to her parents. He smiled, a half-smile, as he heard the girl's excuse. And then he heard Christine. Her voice filled him with so many emotions that he didn't know how much more he could stand. The tears still fell down his face, but silently, as he listened for more. He didn't know if they would continue talking - a part of him wanted to hear Christine's voice again, but another part of him just wanted to be left in silence. He wondered what Raoul was thinking, and that made the Phantom laugh out loud. He hated the Vicomte more than anyone in the world, and the thought of his own daughter betraying him to spend time with the man he probably hated most in this world was hilarious to the Phantom.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"Got lost, I see. Child, you are not fooling anyone. I know about him and I don't want you seeing him anymore." Christine begged her daughter. "Mother! That's that's not fair!" She stuttered. "He did nothing wrong and you can't keep us apart. He's the one that gave me the lead that you saw earlier. You can't do this!" She turned to Raoul. "Father, please!" Tears stung her own eyes as her father agreed with Christine. She pushed past them and out the doors, into the night.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom listened in and gasped. Christine knows...they both know! He didn't know what to do. The poor girl would be kept from him, but what could he do? Go up there and stop it? They already know I'm still here. But, what can I do? Kidnap their daughter? Christine...she'd never forgive me... Various thoughts and ideas raced through the Phantom's mind, but it was pointless. He had no plan. All he could think to do was go up into the House and watch from the shadows. So, he did. He made his way up quicker than he had ever before, running the entire way. He had to see what was happening - what they would do. He finally got up and stood in the shadows, waiting. He hadn't heard Catherine run out the doors, all he knew was that the talking had ceased.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

They chased after Catherine, but stopped when she disappeared around the corner from the House. "We have to do this, Christine. She'll....understand....someday."Raoul held his wife by the shoulders as they stood in the rain. "I know, but why does it feel so terrible?" Christine asked him. "He is brainwashing her like he did you." Raoul explained. "We're keeping her free." Catherine tripped and fell in the mud, scraped her knees and fell unconscious, tears stung her face.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom rushed outside after Raoul and Christine, but he didn't let them see him. He stood in the shadows near them and watched Raoul comfort Christine. He felt their love sting his heart and the tears threatened to come again - he had to turn his head and look away. He wanted to continue after Catherine, but he didn't know which way she had gone. Plus, he couldn't move on without Raoul and Christine seeing him, so all he could do was wait in the rain, sickened by the sight of Raoul's arm around Christine, and wondering what had become of Catherine.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

When she woke, Catherine was in her room. The Phantom would come for her. She knew it and believed it with all her heart. She wouldn't speak to anyone, especially her parents over the next few weeks since being banned from her favorite place on earth. Once again, her nights were filled with screams of agony as she dreamt of herself in his embrace, about to kiss him, then the dream ends. One day, Christine spoke to her husband. "Raoul, she can't go on like this. Neither can we. She cares about him and she actually seems happy when she talks about him. He gave her her voice just as he gave me mine. I can't let her suffer." Raoul was finally out matched, and he agreed to allow Catherine inside the House again. The child was elated. The moment, she stepped onto that stage again, she sang better than ever.

 

[Guile]

In the weeks that Catherine was away from the House the Phantom found himself pacing back and forth around his lair. He kept coming up with plans on how to get her back, then tossing them from his mind - finding a flaw somewhere in every plan he came up with. Most of the flaws being that he would do something that would cause Christine to hate him even more than she probably already did. Then, mercifully, he heard one day that Catherine was back. That very night he went to box five and watched her as always. In his head he prayed. Thank you Christine...you are most merciful... The tears streamed down his face as he sat in box five and thought of Christine while he listened to Catherine singing.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

This performance seemed to be the best one she had ever done, though, since she wasn't around the Phantom, she assumed he gave up on her and this brought her to tears as she sat on her bed under the stage, planning to stay a few nights here while her parents went on their anniversary date to some place Catherine didn't care to remember the name of. They would be gone for a week or two. All she knew was that she was alone and had no one to talk to now that the Phantom had left her. She put her head in her hands and just cried.

 

[Guile]

After the performance the Phantom expected Catherine to meet him in their usual place, however she didn't show up. Hmm...curious. The Phantom thought. Knowing something must be wrong, he went to find her, and find her he did. She was below the stage, weeping. "Catherine?" He asked, standing at the door to her room. "You did wonderful tonight...why all the tears?" He asked with a sympathetic smile on his face.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"Gre-Great...now I-I'm hea-hearing him." She choked out as she sat up, nice and straight, to clean off the make up. "He's gone. He's gone and he's not coming back, Catherine." She spoke to herself, trying to convince herself that it was true and that she shouldn't think of him anymore. "Hello, dear." Edward Tremaine walked right past the Phantom and toward the weeping girl. "Don't cry, my sister, Annie, says that you're too pretty for tears and she is right." Catherine blushed and wiped her tears. "Yes, sir."

 

[Guile]

The Phantom watched in shock. She thinks I left her! He was about to go and comfort her, reassure her that he had never left and that he would always be here for her, when a young man walked past him and into the room. He had seen him before, he remembered. Ah, yes. Edward Tremaine. But...what did he have to do with Catherine? He watched, curiously, from where he was.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"It's strange, how badly she was ill when she finally emerged. We never got a definitive answer as to where she had been for two whole weeks, but now, she is safe." Edward held her chin and lifted it so that she had to look at him. "I know, it was lucky that she was recovered." Catherine smiled as Edward pecked her lips. Her heart skipped against her as this happened. She allowed it and kissed him in return. He held her closer. "You were amazing, as always. Do tell me where you received your teaching." He let go of her. "W-Well, my mother, of course and the....the Phantom." She said this as lightning and thunder crashed. "Ah, yes, the notorious Phantom of the Opera that I've heard tell about." Edward laughed. Catherine was furious. She pushed him away as he leaned in again. "It's true! He's real!"

 

[Guile]

The Phantom watched this young boy kiss Catherine and he could hardly do so without being sick. There was something about this Edward that the Phantom didn't like...or maybe it was just the fact that a boy was placing his lips on Christine's daughter while she was under his watch. Either way, he was about to break it up when he heard the boy ask who her teacher was. He smirked in disgust as Edward laughed at the mention of him, but he couldn't help smiling in guilty pride as Catherine stood up for his identity. But, enough was enough. He didn't want Catherine tormented anymore than she already was, so he stepped into the room and stood behind Edward. "You don't believe in the Phantom?" He asked, his voice echoing off the walls.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Catherine wanted to jump into the Phantom's arms almost immediately, but he was here for a reason and she had a feeling she was about to prove Edward wrong. "Simple childhood stories that your mother used to put you to bed with won't make me believe, Catherine." The boy laughed, quietly, nervously. De Chagney crossed her arms over her chest and cocked an eyebrow. "You believe that this is a trick?" Tremaine laughed nervously again. "Of course, dear."

 

[Guile]

The Phantom laughed - a booming sound that echoed off the walls like the crack of thunder. "Pathetic boy! Turn around and face me if you don't believe it. Show us both what kind of a man you are." He taunted.