A White Mask...

(Nothing in this story belongs to me...it all belongs to Gaston Leroux)

(One warning first- My story is kind of a mixture of events and names from both the musical and the book. I'm using the names Andre and Firmin, just because it comes to me easier. I hope this doesn't confuse anyone...)

What would have happened if Raoul was never in the story? ...

Chapter One: Rehearsals for Hannibal

Meg Giry checked to make sure her mother wasn't looking, and then chanced a glance at her best friend, Christine Daae. The ballet dancers were working on their stretches before going into rehearsals for the newest Opera that they were putting on, Hannibal.

"Christine!" Meg whispered excitedly, "Did you hear the latest rumor about-"

"Meg Giry!" A ringing voice cried across the stage, "Just what do you think you are doing? Keep in line, no talking!"

Madame Giry was the ballet instructor, and it was not a good idea to anger her.

"Yes'm." Meg bent back down with an exaggerated sigh.

Little Jammes edged carefully towards Meg as Madame Giry looked away. "Was it about the-"

Madame Giry's staff hit the floor with a loud, carrying bang.

Little Jammes gulped and swallowed what she had been about to say.

The moment Meg saw her mother concentrating on someone else again, she murmured hurriedly, "I'll tell you later!"

Little Jammes nodded enthusiastically, and Christine sighed. No doubt it was another ridiculous rumor about the "Opera Ghost," the mysterious 'Phantom' that haunted the opera house.

To Christine, it was all a made-up tale that one of the older ballet girls made up to frighten the younger ones. Everything that went wrong was blamed on this "Phantom," and the ballet girls even went so far as to tell them that the managers of the opera house, M. Debienne and M. Poligny,gave the Opera Ghost a salary! Box Five was apparently 'reserved' for him, just because no one sat in it. This, Christine reasoned, was actually probably because it was unsafe.

The ballet girls finished their stretches, and they began the rehearsal.

Christine tried to focus on her dancing, but her mind kept wondering. Several times she was reprimanded by Madame Giry, but it was still a struggle to focus on the dance steps.

There was a new rumor circulating that the managers were retiring, and two new managers would be taking their places. One-Two-Step. This, of course, was the Opera Ghost's fault. One-Two-Three-Step, Two-Three-Step.

Too late, Christine caught her mistake, and was rewarded by another shout from Madame Giry.

"Christine! Try to focus!" Meg whispered quickly as her steps brought herself toward her friend. "Mother is getting impatient, and our last rehearsal is tomorrow!"

"I know." Christine sighed as she missteped once more. Ever since her father had died, she had been classified as a 'dreamer.' She preferred to think of other things instead of what was really happening.

It had been years since that horrible event, and yet every time she tried to live in a real life, the pain came back. She just couldn't focus, because every time that she did she thought about what her father would think of her now- a chorus girl.

Her father had had big hopes for his daughter. He had wanted her to be a prima donna- and, perhaps, if he had lived she would have been.

At long last, the rehearsal was over.

Meg quickly pulled her aside, gesturing for the other girls to join them.

"Guess what?! Did you hear?!" she whispered excitedly. Christine braced herself.

"Of course not! You always have new news for us... What is it this time?"

"The rumor about the new managers is true- I'm not really supposed to tell you, but if you don't tell then mother won't find out."

"It's true?!"

"Yes... M. Debienne and M. Poligny are quitting, because they are almost driven out of their minds by the Opera Ghost!"

"Really? Who are the new managers?"

"Ohh... I don't think I should say..."

"Meg!" Little Jammes persisted.

"Fine...but don't tell anyone it was me who told you. Their names are Richard Firmin and Gilles Andre. They're coming to the rehearsal tomorrow."

"Do they know about the ghost?" a small ballet girl asked in a hushed, low voice.

"Not yet..." Meg said excitedly.

Christine shook her head in amusement.

"Oh, Christine," Meg frowned at her friend, "I know you don't believe in the ghost, but I so wish you did! He is real, you know."

"He is." The ballet girls agreed.

"You know that Joseph Buquet saw him!" Little Jammes piped up.

"Buquet made it up to get attention." Christine smiled as the other girls stubbornly stuck to their story.

"You'll see, Christine... you'll see." Meg murmured.

"Meg Giry! What are you telling those girls?"

"Nothing mother!"
The ballet girls jumped up and tried to look innocent as Madame Giry entered the room.

"You better hope that it was nothing. Come, I want you to work on your dancing in the second scene-"

"But mother! Rehearsals are over for the day!" Meg pouted.

"Not for you. Come."

Meg sighed dramatically and began walking after her mother. She paused and the door and turned back to Christine. "My mother believes in the Phantom!"

Then she was gone.

This, out of everything, was the one thing that Christine did not understand. Madame Giry did indeed believe in the Opera Ghost, and she was not a woman to take to rumors.

Christine pondered this as she made her way up to her dressing room. Maybe there was something to this Opera Ghost after all...

Suddenly she stopped in her tracks. An eerie music was drifting through the hall, so faint that she had to strain her ears to hear it.

Curious, Christine followed it all the way to the roof of the Opera House. Here it was louder, but she still could not define where it was coming from.

She smiled as she listened to the haunting music. Her father used to play the violin... What if this was a sign from him?

The chorus girl sat down with her back resting against the edge of the roof. She closed her eyes, letting the music fill her. Softly she began to hum along with the melody. The song was so sad! So sad, and so comforting...

Before she knew it, Christine had fallen asleep.

A dark figure crept out from behind a statue, his golden eyes gazing at her with pleasure. So...this pretty child enjoyed his music...

Careful not to wake her, the man gently covered her with his cape so that she would not get cold.

Then he was gone.

(A/N: This is my first Phan-fic, so please be kind! R&R, and constructive critisism is welcome!)