Chapter Twenty-Two

                                    

                                          
Meg was able to slip Olivier away from the stables easily. Of course she hadn't been concerned about getting him out of the stables. It was getting him into the opera house without a ticket and fine clothes she guessed would prove a challenge. Surprisingly though, by taking the right short cuts through the tunnels, however, they both ended up in Box Five. Meg was relieved when she saw no sign of Erik there, and he wondered where he had to be.
                          
"Mademoiselle Giry," Olivier said as Meg sat down in one of the large red velvet seats, "are you sure it is her out there?" Meg smiled, knowing Olivier was looking at the falsely blonde Florence who had appeared on the stage moments ago for the opening number.
                          
"It is a wig, dear boy," Meg told him, reassuring as the first song began. Olivier needed no further telling that the girl on the stage was indeed his Little Opera Ghost.
                          
The song was sang beautifully through, but while the audience was most pleased and on their feet clapping, the other actors and singers were quickly becoming suspicious as were the two de Changy's in the audience. All of these knew what Meg Giry sounded like, and this girl was not her. Meg knew that this was a possible dilemma as she watched the ballerina's give Florence strange looks, but she did not care as she watched Florence ready herself for a beautiful solo piece.
                          
Meanwhile, behind the curtains, the little gossiping ballerinas were going on and on.
                          
"That is not Meg Giry!" Phoebe said, making Angela roll her pretty eyes.
                          
"Obviously not," she told Phoebe, "But who on Earth could it be?"
                          
"That Florence girl," Anderson, the male lead of the play, announced coming to join the ballerinas before he was needed on stage again, "The playwright, Florence de Phant. I spoke to her earlier and I recognized her voice."
                          
"The de Phant's left, though, Anderson," Phoebe huffed, crossing her arms, "It doesn't make sense."
                          
"Neither does the fact that her father was dressed as the Mask of Red Death, the same exact outfit- according to Carlotta, my mum and the old prima donna of this place- that the Phantom of the Opera wore last time he appeared at a gala," Anderson said, glancing between the terror struck dancers, "It doesn't make sense they left so early, or that we never saw her face…"
                          
"Are you trying to say that that girl on the stage is the Little Opera Ghost?" Angela whispered breathlessly. Anderson smirked.
                          
"I'll do more than say it," Anderson promised, "I'll prove it to you. Just wait for the final number." Phoebe smirked at this. If that girl on stage was the Opera Ghost, then she had caused Phoebe a lot of trouble. Angela, however, didn’t seem as pleased with this idea.
                          
"No, Anderson," she said, shaking her head, "I don't think that is such a good idea.. I mean what about the Phantom?.." Anderson frowned and glared at Angela.
                          
"The man killed my father," he said angrily, then smirked, "If I can catch reveal his daughter, then I will count myself even with this specter." Angela shook her head.
                          
"You are asking for trouble, Anderson," Angela warned, but at that moment he spun and left in order to join the leading lady- whoever she was- on the stage along with Phoebe and the other older ballerinas that had surrounded Angela, leaving her very worried and alone. She needed to find Madame Giry, but just as that though came into her mind she felt a hand on her shoulder.
                          
"Angela, is it?" a smooth voice cooed to her, "Child, I need to ask a favor of you…" Angela slowly turned herself around, so she was standing across from the infamous Phantom of the Opera himself. For a moment, the young girl though of screaming, but as the man crouched so the two were eye to eye, she saw he really needed whatever it was he wanted her to do to be done.
                          
"What is it, Monsieur Phantom?" Angela asked politely, causing the Phantom of the Opera to actually smile. He beckoned her closer with a wag of his finger, and whispered into her ear his order.
                          
"Can you do that for me?" he asked when she pulled back. Angela nodded, knowing the importance of the situation. The Phantom nodded to her, "Good. Now go and find Madame Giry, and stay with her child!" And with that, the ballerina and the Phantom separated, each going a different direction. When Angela found the need to glance back at him, though, he was gone.
                          
The opera went on as it normally would have, though Angela did not return to the stage. This confused some girls, and frightened the ones who had spoken of revealing the leading lady of the show. What had happened to little Angela? And Madame Giry? Both were missing, and the dancers could only seem to imagine the worst had become of the two. Even Phoebe was nervous as Anderson prepared for the final number.
                          
"Anderson, he has probably taken Madame Giry and poor Angela as victims!" Phoebe had told him, "If you reveal the girl, you will be next." However Anderson did not listen as he bounded onto the stage to catch his damsel as she leaped  from a tower in an attempt to take her own life. Phoebe watched from the side curtains as Anderson held the girl and span her and sang to her. The song was reaching the climax, the place where Anderson, instead of kissing the girl, was planning to unmask her.
                          
Phoebe was watching with wide, worried eyes when she felt someone behind her tug her away.
                          

                          
"Phoebe," she heard Angela's small voice say, "It is time to go." Phoebe looked to the smaller girl pulling her quickly away from the stage, but then glanced back just in time to see Anderson pull the mask of the leading lady's face. She heard the audience gasp as they saw the half scarred face, the face of the Little Opera Ghost.
                          
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Well whoever had mentioned the unmasking ding ding ding you were right there in my head! I've been planning for her to be unmasked since the beginning of the book. 
                          
Now  you may be thinking "Wait, what was Madame Giry and Angela doing?" Well, you'll see next chapter. Only two or thee updates left everyone! And... maybe a new Phanfic for my phans >.< 
                          
~Enjoy!~