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Ch.28: The Musician, the Prince, and the King |
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Two days after the conference in Jareth's office, I appealed for a position in the operahouse. Since I knew singing was out of the question (Lelouch would be happy to make me sound like a frog in a heart-beat.), I figured I could put my flute playing skills to good use. I also knew that Lelouch would suspect something if I started working there, so I signed an alias instead of my true name.
After heavy convincing that this wasn't a bad idea, Jareth allowed me the musician's position. I started work that same afternoon. 'My first day at work,' I thought as I surveyed the main entrance of the operahouse, 'and, my first day as Mei Li.'
I had gone over in my head countless times about what my alter-ego should look like, behave like, and how she should be different from me. I had decided her age, background, hair color, talents, everything. I could only hope that Lelouch wouldn't suspect anything.
I set the image of her in my mind: a purple-haired girl of about 13 or so, 5'3'', who had momentous empathy, sincerity to a fault, not to mention infallible integrity as well as musical talent. She couldn't sing a whit, but her flute playing could put some famous singers to shame. As I thought of my new self, the warm feeling that I hadn't felt since I had gotten my shapeshifting powers washed over me. ( I had had these powers for at least a week and now I chose to use them. Shows you how resourceful I am, doesn't it? gonk )
When the feeling receded, I opened my eyes (I had closed them for better concentration.) and glanced at my reflection in a window paine. No more did a brown-haired, heart-broken 15 3/4 year-old girl inhabit it. She had been replaced by a young teenager with wine-purple hair who looked as if she was ready for anything. "Hooray! It works," I cheered, but then I covered my mouth; my new, higher-sounding voice would take some getting used to.
I walked throught the foyer, up the stairs, and into the darkened theatre. (Jareth's office is down the other way from the theatre. I would have stopped by to say hello, but he would have recognized me and my familiarity with him would have seemed suspicious.) I walked straight up the stage without fear; I would be playing right in front of and under it besides. 'The Opera Ghost is probably used to having musicians in here,' I thought with my younger brain, trying to keep thoughts of "The New-Age Angel" away from my mind. 'He won't mind if I practice in here. Will he?'
I hoisted myself onto the stage with ease (I had given Mei Li better than average athletic ability, something I was lacking in, so I was pleased at this ease.), grabbed a music stand from the orchestra pit, and got out my music. 'Let's play something fun today,' I thought as I assembled my instrument. 'I know. How about something from "The King and I?"'
I searched among my music until I found what I wanted: sheet music to "March of the Siamese Children", the music for when Ms. Ana Leaowns meets the king's children. After tuning up a little and making sure I was on pitch, I began to play. Instantly, I was swept up in the music; one moment it was fun and exciting, the next- very serious and regal. Conflicting emotions and paradimes combined to create one harmonious feeling, just like the reason that sent me here in the first place: finding out more info. about Lelouch without him suspecting anything.
"Musicians belong in the orchestra. Singers belong on the stage," said a voice, snapping me out of my temporary possession. I stopped playing and glanced around warily. Mei Li was frightened of this new voice, even though it was a voice I knew fairly well. "Who's there?" Mei Li called out to the voice.
"Just a fellow music lover who appreciates good talent." There was movement from stage left (Mei Li had her stand set up at front center stage.) and the New-Age Angel melted out of the shadows.
"My teacher said it was best to practice standing up," I told him, trying to sound afraid and not totally sarcastic. "Besides, I wouldn't get a good echo in the orchestra pit."
"An echo?"
"It helps me make sure my friend isn't sick-sounding."
"If you mean your flute, I must commend you for your tonal quality. Do you have perfect pitch? If you could sing-"
"Sadly, I can't sing a whit, sir. (It felt sort of strange calling Lelouch 'sir' when really he wasn't that much older than me.) Thanks for noticing though. I'm really not that good. I was just playing for fun that time."
"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."
I had been about to be even more modest about his praise, but when I heard the word "equal", I turned my blue eyes straight on him. (I had been avoiding them for the sake of not stuttering too much, but now I needed to look at him and pray to the true Angel of Music that he wouldn't see right through me.) "Her? Who's her?", I asked.
"My....... oh, how to put it?" he asked himself, tapping his cheek with his index finger as he came up to me. I sat down on the stage and began to put my flute away. I invited him to sit beside me. "She must be a really good flute player if you're struggling to find words to describe her."
"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."
"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." (I called that wretched, evil, sex-crazed maniac "friend" in order to show him I meant no harm. I would get back at him in my true body another time.)
I lifted a hand to touch his mask. Uh-oh! I had forgotten to tell Mei Li that touching the Phantom's mask was the same as a death wish. You didn't touch his mask, he wouldn't let you, unless you wanted to be hurt. Ana would have known better, but Mei Li's hand was edging closer and closer.
I internally cringed, waiting for the hand that would push me back and away from everything I had just accomplished. It never came; instead, Lelouch grabbed my hand and said, "If you are wise little girl, you will not touch my mask."
Phew! "Don't call me little, ya' big dummy" I said indignantly, ruffling his hair playfully. "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... a true friendship. A feeling in the heart that becomes even stronger over time... the passion of friendship will soon blossom into a righteous flower an through it, you will know which way to go.'"
A good friend had told me that, and her name was Melissa. I could only hope that making what she said literal, i.e. the lotus blossom created by me and the boys, would help her find her way back to me. I was also hoping that Lelouch would have an excuse to leave me soon. I was worried that Mei Li would fall for him if he didn't.
"Lelouch, help!" I heard a voice call from the distance. Hooray! I was free, and not a moment too soon. "Lelouch? Who's that?" I asked him, playing dumb.
"Oh, that's right. I didn't tell you my name," he replied. "Before I go, would you mind telling me yours?"
"It's Mei Li," I said. "Now, go get your girl!"
After Lelouch had gone, I had a fairly uneventful day. I was given music to prepare for the upcoming production of "Il Muto" and told to have it ready by Christmas if not sooner. The rest of the day was spent in individual practice/exploring the operahouse, sans the secret passages of course. Mei Li was so bored by the time it was time to home, she was all too glad to turn back into me ASAP.
However, just as I was about to change back into myself, something caught my attention. I was walking by the dock where Melissa had first seen Lelouch, where her powers had awakened, where this whole mess had started. There, sitting on the dock, watching the sunset, was a man playing a siitar. (The siitar is an Indian stringed instrument that has 16 flexible strings. You can make trills on a sustained note just by moving a string back and forth.)
I stopped my spell and came cautiously closer. I recognized the tune he was playing as I got closer, "The Voice" it was called I think. The singer was conveying the voice of the Earth through music, saying how the Bountiful Mother would always be there for her children; I, however, had found another concept it could apply to: Erik Legrange and his love for Christine Daae. 'Erik,' I thought, 'where are you when I need you the most?'
"You miss your friend, young one,' said the musician without turning his head. "I have a feeling she is closer than you think."
"How did you know I was missing my friend?"
"Intuitition and experience, two things I have gained from the Curse of Calypso." Phoenix Rose stood up, turned around, and put his hand on my shoulder. His golden eyes stared out at the fading sun as he spoke. Here's what he said in his soliloquy:
"After a youth and manhood passed half in unutterable misery and half in dreary solitude, I have for the first time found what I can truly love- I have found you. You are my sympathy- my better self- my good angel. I am bound to you with a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my centre and spring of life, wraps my existence about you, and, kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one."
"That's Mr. Rochester you're quoting," I exclaimed. "How did you know that I liked Jane Eyre?"
"You really should be careful Ana. (Man, nothing escaped this guy.) Even though shapeshifting is shadow magic, and Lelouch is the Prince of Shadows, you must keep you thoughts to yourself."
"Is this how Lelouch feels about Melissa?" I asked, dropping all attempts at trying to hide my identity.
"I'm both elated and excruciated to answer positively to that question," he replied. His gaze turned from the pretty colors of the sunset to the locket around my neck. "You took my advice," he observed.
"What advice?"
"To keep the locket on until Melissa returned and also to call on me when you were in darkness."
"Wait! What do you mean by-?"
I turned to ask him my question, but he had disappeared. 'Such a strange man he is Phoenix,' I thought as I was walking back to the grotto again. 'If Lelouch is the Prince of Shadows, Phoenix would be the king. There is so much that he does for people, all unseen, and he disappears before anyone can thank him. Why is he so shy anyway?'
Mat was waiting for me when I got back to the grotto. I called the boys over and we sat down and talked. I told them all about my day as Mei Li. "I was swept up in 'March of the Siamese Children'," I was saying, "when suddenly a voice resounds and Lelouch appears out of the shadows. He didn't say much, but I gather that he values Melissa's love more than we first thought. He values it so much that he wants to keep it locked up where no one can see it, like a precious stone in a museum."
"I always thought that 'shadow-stalker' treated her more like an object than a person,' said Jetsam. "Now I know why."
"Mat, you look like you've been to hell and back today. What's up with that?" I asked. (His hair was all wet and he looked as if he had just come back from the battlefield.)
"You'll never believe who I found in town today," he said in response. I was genuinely confused; by the stars, who could he have possibly found? He pointed behind him, as if he had seen the young woman with short silver hair come down the sandy slope behind him. She looked different and totally dazed, but I knew her anywhere. Melissa had returned!
I ran up to he, knocking her over as I pulled her into a giant hug, and began smothering her with kisses and happy tears. (I hadn't seen my best friend in over a month, so it's only natural I should behave like this. Also, because lack of love was what had caused this situation in the first place, I wanted to let her know that she was loved and should love in return.)
"Ana, you're going to choke her," Mat said, coming over with Flet and Jet to join in the happy reunion. "She needs to breathe."
For once, I didn't listen to him. The worst thing that a person could do was break-up a pair of best friends. I had been spared that terrible fate, by divine intervention no doubt. I would have to thank Phoenix again- "Owwwww!" Melissa had kneed me in the gut. I clutched my stomach as I doubled over in pain. 'Time to get up,' I thought, slightly pissed. I couldn't be pissed for long though. I had the feeling that Melissa had a lot of talking to do.
 srs diva 2011 xxl · Sat May 02, 2009 @ 03:53am · 3 Comments |
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