My injury hurt like hell. That damn basted Mat was going to pay big time for this. As I sat bathing in the tub, I cleaned my wound. It stung when the hot water touched it though. After I got out I dressed and bandaged my injury again before putting my shirt on again. I hated being alone like this…I missed my angel. I’d get her back from that basted. “Enjoy her why you can…because something tells me things are falling into place, and very soon…she’ll be my bride.” I said. I had figured it out. Melissa and me were in love, and I had the mannequin doll of her in the wedding dress. We were practically engaged but he was trying to get her mind changed before it’s to late, and he losses her. That was all I needed. I loved her, she loved me, I would propose to her, and when she accepted…Mat would have to give up. Because then he would know Melissa had made her choice, and there would be no changing it. The problem was getting close enough to propose, but I had a strong notion I would in good time…very soon actually. I sat thinking about seeing her in that dress for real. It wasn’t hard just take the mannequin and think it’s moving around like she does, then you got it. She’d be all mine soon. Trying to picture her marrying that mangy mutt was like going straight to hell, or watching a horror movie. Frankly it made me want to puck. I wouldn’t have to worry about it much longer, because as soon as I got on one knee and asked “will you marry me?” or “will you be my bride?” and she said yes, that was it! We’d be married, and Mat out of the way for good. she'd be my queen of darkness/shadow. So he’d have his heart broken in the process, but I didn’t care. As long as I had my angel, I was happy. I wouldn’t have to be lonely anymore, and she wouldn’t either. I wouldn’t have anything to worry about at all. I dropped my fork when I felt a presence in the opera house that my old friend Jareth ran. The presence…was familiar…but at the same time unrecognizable.
I jerked up from my chair, and rushed through the passage that would lead me to the theatre where I sensed the presence. I heard a flute as I approached from the left part of the stage. I could hear the tune clearly as to what it was playing “March of the Siamese Children” a tune from “the king and I” I saw a girl on the stage playing a flute. She had purple hair, and looked about 13 and stood about 5’3”. She looked to have momentous empathy, and a infallible integrity as well as a musical talent with the flute. She didn’t look like she could sing, but her flute played defiantly wouldn’t put my angel to shame. Nothing could out shine my angel. “Musicians belong in the orchestra. Singers belong on the stage,” I said making my presence known. She snapped out of her possession, and stopped playing and glanced around for the voice’s source. “Who’s there?” She asked. I nearly laughed. “Just a fellow music lover who appreciates good talent.” I came out from the shadows revealing myself. She seemed so familiar, but I couldn’t exactly place my finger on it. “My teacher said it was best to practice standing up,” She told me. “Besides, I wouldn’t get a good echo in the orchestra pit.” I was a little confused. “An echo?” I asked. “It helps me make sure my friend isn’t sick-sounding.” She said. I got the notion she meant her flute. “If you mean your flute, I must commend you for your tonal quality. Do you have perfect pitch? If you could sing-” She stopped me in my tracks. “Sadly, I can’t sing a whit, sir. Thanks for noticing though. I’m really not that good. I was just playing for fun that time.” She said. It was strange being called sir. I was only 5 years older then her, but then I did act like a gentleman most of the time until you pissed me off and I got angry. “Nonsense. If this is what your recreational playing sounds like, I would be interested in hearing you play for real. The dynamic and tonal ease with which you slip between notes and rhythms would put some of the best singers here to shame. It’s almost as if you could be her equal.” This was mostly a lie though. No one could compare to my angel, not now or ever. Melissa could play the harp, and piano, and was practicing with the violin around the time Mat took her from me. “her? Who’s her?” She asked me. “My…oh, how to put it?” I asked myself, tapping my cheek with my index finger, as I walked up to her. She sat down on the stage and began to put her flute away. She invited me to sit beside her. “She must be a really good flute player if you’re struggling to find words to describe her.” She said. I chuckled a little. “You have it all wrong. She’s a singer. When she lets loose with her voice, it’s as if my whole world stops to listen. She could move mountains with that voice if she tried, not like I would let her though. Her voice is a rare gift and should be treasured and cared for.” I said. These were very deep words in my opinion, and this girl seemed to think so to. “Sounds like you like this girl a lot. Are you in love with her? I wouldn’t know anything about love, but it sounds like you’ve got it bad my friend.” She said. She lifted her hand to touch my mask, coming closer every second. This I wouldn’t allow. She seemed to be waiting for something, but my reaction wasn’t what she expected. I grabbed her hand and said, “If you are wise little girl, you will not touch my mask.” And she would be wise not too, unless she was trying to be suicidal here. “Don’t cal me little, ya’ big dummy” she said indignantly, ruffling her hair playfully. Was she hitting on me? God she knew I was taken. “What’s the point of opening up to people if you got to keep secrets? A friend from my home island once told me ‘It is something that grows over time…the passion of friendship will soon blossom into a righteous flower an through it, you will know which way to go.’” I realized something in that instant though. Ana had a nagging for quoting famous people and such. “Lelouch, help!” We heard a voice calling in the distance. “Lelouch? Who’s that?” She asked. Was I hearing things. Melissa had been taken from me….could she be trying to return again and Mat dragging her away. Or was me and this girl just hearing things. “Oh, that’s right. I didn’t tell you my name,” I replied. “Before I go, would you mind telling me yours?” “It’s Mei Li,” She said. “Now, go get your girl!” I ran off. When I went to where the voice had come from there was no one there. I had to be missing her so much. I was hearing voices now. Her voice. The voice I longed to hear again so badly. The voice of an angel I loved that I wanted to take into my arms, and under my wing and then never let go of her. But then my thoughts turned to that other girl. Mei Li. She’d known my name for starters, and I hadn’t even told her what it was. And she had quoted a friend. And Ana had a strange nagging for quoting famous people and such. That girl was Ana in disuse. I wanted to go back and slaughter her…but I wouldn’t This could work to my advantage I could use her little “Mei Li” disuse to get to Melissa. I just had to act like I didn’t know it was her. Things were going better then I could hope.
A few days passed, and I continued with my plans to propose to Melissa. But along with that I thought about how wonderful it would be for Mat to try and pull her away when I asked her, and she said yes. Then seeing his face shrivel. Him crumble at our feet. I had to use Ana’s “Mei Li” disguise though to get to her though. And I had the perfect plan for that as well. Finally after waiting a few days my plan was complete and Ana appeared again at the opera house for instrumental rehearsal for the opera “II Muto” that was coming up. The costumes were ready except for one, as I would hid it till my plan was put into motion (the costume for the main lead), the sets were painted, but the music was far from ready. The woodwinds, where Ana was, could hold their own, and the percussion were not bad but needed a little more practice, but the strings and brass needed extreme work. I watched in the shadows. The conductor kept stopping them because a horn had blown too loudly or a violin wasn’t playing fast enough; eventually, the session ended though and they were instructed to practice alone until they met again in three days time. He had threatened to cancel the show though if they had not fixed there music by then. He didn’t have the authority to do that though. Jareth did, as he was the manager of the opera house or rather I was as I lived here. He couldn’t even conduct! Melissa couldn’t read music to well, but she could conduct better then him without a doubt. “You think you can run the show?” ‘Mei Li’ said as she quietly packed her flute and climbed up onto the stage. “You don’t know the first thing about how to treat your musicians, let alone anything about musicality. Lelouch could do much better than you.” she really thought I could hear and was fooled in not thinking it was really Ana. I’d play along till I had my angel though. “I’m glad someone thinks so,” I said in my shadows. She yelped, but I used my gloved black hand to stifle her shriek of terror. “Don’t pop out of nowhere like that,” She said, as I jerked her behind the curtains. “You’ve seen how scared I get.” She was as annoying as she was when she was Ana. “Come on,” I said, taking her hand. “I want to show you something.”
“Look,” I said, gesturing with my hand towards I had directed her towards. The gardens around the opera house. Roses blooming everywhere. “I’ve wanted to show her this place for sometime, but since that accursed wolf took her away, I’ve been far too busy to even think about my delicate blossom.” Lie actually. I’d thought about her during this time trying to recover and plan to get her back. But what was true was that she was a delicate blossom. I turned to the rosebush. “Soon you’ll be mine, and he’ll never be in our way again.” I whispered to the rose, really I was addressing Melissa but she wasn’t around…unfortunately. (I’ll get you for this dog breath!) I used magic to extend the tendril of thorns towards her. Then I used magic to make a grapefruit-pink rose bloom right under her nose. “She wants you to have it,” I told her. “Think of it as a good-luck present for the work ahead.” My statement was a lie. Melissa didn’t even want this wrench to be here. Wither she was “Mei Li” or “Ana”. This was Melissa and my place. I fiedled with one of the roses. “I shouldn’t be here,” Mei Li said. Good girl. You learn fast wrench. “This is her place isn’t it? The girl you love so much.” I smiled gently. “It will be soon, Mei Li. It will be soon.” I said. And it would be. When I asked her the one question that would make her mine for good that was. “What do you mean?” She asked. So naive. “I intend on proposing to my inamorata on the night of your first performance with the orchestra.” I pulled a sheet of music from my vest pocket. One of my compositions. “This piece is called ‘The Lover’s Waltz’. (and truly with Mat in the way of me and Melissa it was a Waltz between lovers) I was hoping you could prepare it for when I make the big announcement.” This was when my plan unfolded. The costume I hid was to be worn by Melissa when I got the main lead to quite because of several… “mishaps” she’ll we call it. Mishaps by me that is. HAHAHA! Nothing could go wrong. And what was more is Ana wouldn’t care if the lead quite. Because of who the lead was (she didn’t know who it was yet), and because no one could stand her. In three days they would meet and then she would know and Melissa would be working at the opera house. When she was the mishaps would accure to the current lead and she would quite. Ana would then suggest that Melissa be the lead and then it would be set. Mei Li glanced shiftily around her, fear seemed to be coercing through her. “If you feel pressured by the extra music you can refuse me. I just feel that your musical ability is great enough so that you can handle such a small favor for me.” I said. “It’s not that. It’s just that he orchestra master will cancel the show even if we do prepare our music in time. Sometimes I just wish he… wish he-” “You wish he could disappear right?” I finished for her. “Exactly. He makes the slave-drivers of the Roman Empire seem merciful and puts good-natured musicians to shame.” She said. “tell you what,” I said, walking over to her. “You prepare this piece and I’ll make him “disappear.” How’s that sound, Mei Li?” This I could do, but it’d be sometime when the ‘grand finally’ arrived. I pushed her purple hair back behind her ear. “then it’s settled. I shall hear from you on the night of “II Muto”. Until then,” I picked the magic rose and offered it to her, the naive girl that would give me the key to my angel. “pray for me.”
She rushed off. Yes pray for me. And for Melissa. You as well as I Ana know we want Melissa to be happy….and she will be with me. I went back to my lair to dinner. Ana was so stupid she had no idea she was leading Melissa right back into my protective arms. After dinner around 9:00, the last of the opera house staff had gone home, and I could sense Ana’s presence on the roof of my home. I went up there to see what she was doing. When I got there she seemed to have a lot on her mind. “As turbulent as the waters that supply my power,” She said quietly. “I have the insane descendant of my mentor chasing after my best friend, another boy chasing after her who can run a mile faster than I can blink, not to mention I’m friends with the Goblin Kind, who broke my heart without even knowing it. That’s not even counting that fact that I have the former henchmen of Melissa’s enemy at my beck and call now. Maybe their the reason why she’s so reluctant to trust me now; then again, she didn’t trust me to begin with. No faith in me, no support for me, even though I give her a firm shoulder to cry on at all times, not even a simple “I’m sorry” for all the crap she gives me.” No duh b***h. “Maybe she really just doesn’t care about me (another no duh). Mat would leave me in the dust if it wasn’t for her, not to mention Jareth sees love as only a game (that was true. He did see it as a game). I thought for once in my life, even if just for a little while, I would find love with him, but he just wanted to relieve my sadness by kissing me. The only person who I could ever love…” She said. She stopped and gazed at the moon.Well I’d like to visit the moon
On a rocket ship high in the air.
Yes, I’d like to visit the moon,
But I don’t think I’d like to live there.
Though I’d like to look down at the Earth from above,
I would miss all the places and people I love.
So although I might like it for…on afternoon,
I don’t want to live on the moon.
She sang. Ugh! There she went again with her horrible singing voice. When would she realize she couldn’t sing a whit. It was time she just realized no one wanted her. That she annoyed everyone with her annoying quoting everyone and everything. That Melissa didn’t like her because not only because she had Ursula’s henchmen at her side, but also she was just plan a** annoying.
I’d like to travel under the sea.
I could meet all the fish everywhere.
Yes, I’d travel under the sea,
But I don’t think I’d like to live there.
I would stay for a day there if I had my wish,
But there’s not much to do when your friend are all fish.
And an oyster and clam aren’t real family,
So I don’t want to live in the sea.
WILL YOU SHUT UP b***h! You can’t sing! I'd like to make her sound like a damn frog right now! Ugh! I needed my sweet angels voice to block this horrible sound out! Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP! I don’t want to hear your horrible sounds. Why don’t you just jump off the roof already and ride the world of your annoyance. No one wants you or gives a damn about you! I’m surprised Mat, Flotsam, Jetsam, and Melissa can put up with you. Or Jareth.
I’d like to visit the jungle, hear the lion roar.
Go back in time and meet a dinosaur.
There’s so many strange places I’d like to be
But none of them permanently.
So if I should visit the moon…
Well, I’ll dance on a moonbeam and then
I will make a wish on a star
And I’ll wish-
And just like the heavens had actually heard her a star streaked across the sky. She was thinking again. But then we were both startled by the sudden sound of a man singing. It wasn’t me though. She seemed to be acting like she hadn’t noticed as the male voice sang. I looked around franticly trying to find the source. Then I realized it was coming from the statue of Pegasus.
One partner in Paradise,
This promise of Paradise
Close to my heart she came,
Only to fly away,
Only to fly as day
Flies from the moonlight!
Now, now I’m alone,
Still dreaming of Paradise
Still saying that Paradise
Once nearly was mine
Ana had been crying and was wiping the tears from her eyes. She turned towards the stature of Pegasus on the far side of the rooftop. A man sat sitting on his back, hugging his knees and gazing up at the moon, the pale light reflecting out of their golden eyes. “Phoenix!” She called out. The pale figure looked in her direction. “Anastasia, I didn’t see you there,” he said, getting off the stature and walking over to her. “you shouldn’t be up here. If you don’t slip and fall off the roof, you’ll either freeze or be caught by the Opera Ghost.” She already had been. And I wish she’d just throw herself off the roof already. “I have something to ask you,” She said walking towards the angel stature. “Go on.” Instructed Phoenix. I realized he was actually my great grandfather Erik. The original Phantom. Great. Why did he keep interfering. She was hesitant for a moment. “Was the friend you met on your travels the Phantom of the Opera, the original one I mean not Lelouch?” He nodded in reply. “I though so. If you see him-” “Yes?” He cut in. She sighed “Tell him I’m n heaven.” She said. I was confused, and excited. I was finally going to be ride of her. But I couldn’t lose her yet. She was my key to getting to Melissa! DAMN YOU WRENCH! I want to be ride of you but I can’t get ride of you yet! “What?! What on Earth are you saying?!” My grandfather exclaimed. “Living on Earth without him is like dying a thousand deaths in hell.” She was looking at the moon. It was pale and pure against the dark and imposing sky. “Erik, I’m coming to you,” She said…then…she threw herself from the roof. But then my grandfather spread wings and jumped off the roof and went after her. DAMN IT! Well can’t really complain I need her. I ran to the edge of the building and looked over and then saw my grandfather jerk up and fly around in the sky towards the beach. “Don’t you scare me like that,” He said. “Me? Scare you? Don’t be foolish. I know full well that you would want me dead, that you most of all would be better off without me. If I’m what’s preventing you from getting to Melissa, why are you trying to prevent the inevitable?”
I didn’t hear anymore after that…She had it wrong though I was just wanting her around till I could get to Melissa with her help, and within a few days….that would happen…
To be continued in Chapter 60...
