FicWad

Angel of Music

Showtime!

Two months later, Performance day, 3 hours to performance.

Joey and Yugi were walking through the hallways of Domino High. It was 4:00 and there was 3 hours to the start of the show. All of the cast members had stayed after school to practice and the two of them were just taking a quick snack break.
“Nervous?” Joey asked.
“Yes, I am. I’ve never really performed in front of people before. What if I’m terrible?” he replied.
“You won’t be terrible, I promise. You are the best sounding person we have, trust me,” Joey said.
They walked into the auditorium and down to the stage.
“If you’re sure,” Yugi said.
“I’m very sure,” Joey said.
“Fine,” Yugi sighed.
They ended their conversation and the cast resumed practicing. Yugi sucked on a piece of candy to prevent his voice drying out as he watched Joey sing. He really hoped Joey was right. That he wouldn’t be terrible, get stage fright, and faint on stage.

Performance Day, Two hours to performance
Yugi sighed and sagged down onto the steps that lead up to the stage. He was exhausted and they hadn’t even performed yet! Miss Bosela had made them practice and practice and practice! There was still two hours to go, and he was extremely tired. They were taking a break for dinner and Yugi was way beyond glad for it.
“Hey Yugi,” Joey said as he came up to him with a plate full of pizza and two cola’s, “Dinner is served.”
“Oh, thank the gods, I am so tired! I thought she’d never stop!” Yugi said as he grabbed a slice of pizza and bit into it. He hummed in appreciation.
“Who’d never stop?” a voice from behind them asked.
The two turned around and Yugi nearly choked, “Miss Bosela! I didn’t see you there.”
“No, you wouldn’t have,” she smiled as she sat down on a step, her hands full with her own pizza and soda, “It’s okay, Yugi. I know I pushed you hard today.”
Yugi snorted, “That’s an understatement.”
“I know, I know. I just want you guys to be ready,” she replied as she bit into her pizza.
Yugi sighed and nodded. The three of them ate in silence for a few minutes. Murmured conversations could be heard all around them, including the snide remarks coming from Tea and her “new friends.”
“Speaking of her,” Miss Bosela said suddenly, “I haven’t seen her do anything overly destructive lately.”
“Besides the normal comments, glares and evil smirks?” Yugi asked, “Nope, I haven’t really seen much.”
“Still, I don’t trust her,” Joey said.
“Neither do I. Listen, I think she might try to pull something. I want you both to be careful tonight, okay? And every night, for that matter,” she said.
The two nodded.
“Alright, dinner time is over, back to work!” she called out.
Joey and Yugi groaned.

Performance Day, 1 Hour to performance
“Break time!”
Joey and Yugi walked over to an audience chair and sank down into it gratefully. They didn’t want to sing, dance, walk for the next week.
“Uggghhh, I’ll be glad when this is all over with,” Joey said.
“I know. And to think, three days of this. I want a bed, and a week’s worth of sleep,” Yugi said.
“I hear ya,”
“Are you ready for tonight?” Yugi asked as he turned his head to look at him.
“Yeah, actually, We… I am,” Joey said.
“We?”
“Slip of the tongue,” he replied with a wave of his hand.
Yugi raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
“Alright, break time’s over!”
The two stood up.
“Oh, Yugi, just thought you ought to know, there’s going to be someone special here tonight,” Joey said.
Yugi turned to him, “Who?”
“You’ll see,” Joey said as he started to walk away.
“Who?”
Joey just waved as he walked up onto the stage to where Miss Bosela was standing.
“Joey Wheeler, get back here and tell me who!”

Performance time.
Yugi nervously shifted his weight foot to foot. He was waiting for his cue to go out. It was about 30 minutes into the show, and he was about to go onstage and sing Think of Me. He was terrified, but he didn’t show it. His normally spiky hair was slicked back (with a generous amount of gel) into an intricate bun on the top of his head. Fake diamonds were placed in rows on top of his hair, making it sparkle. He had a ton of make up on and he felt like he couldn’t move his face. He wore a long, beautiful white dress that had silver flowers embroidered into it. He wore a small set of plain black boots on his feet, hidden under the dress. He twisted his hand as the scene ended and the lights darkened.
“Are you ready, Yugi?” Joey whispered to him.
Joey stood next to him also dressed up. His blonde hair was slicked back. He had a plain white mask on his face and was dressed in a black tux.
“No, but I have no choice, right?” he replied.
“You’re going to be fine,” Joey replied, “Good luck.”
“Thanks,” Yugi whispered as he was cued to go onstage he stepped out onto the stage.
Soft music began to play and Yugi took a deep breath. He was thankful that the lights prevented him from seeing anyone in the audience. He still wondered about who it was that Joey said would be there. Was it someone he and Atem faced during their years together? Or was it someone they had befriended? Yugi pulled himself from his thoughts just as he started to sing.
“Think of me, think of me fondly,
when we've said goodbye.
Remember me once in a while –
please promise me you'll try.
When you find that, once again, you long
to take your heart back and be free –
if you ever find a moment,
spare a thought for me.”He sang the song with all he had. He hoped somewhere that Atem might be able to hear him. He didn’t particularly like the song. It reminded him of his other half a lot.
“We never said our love was evergreen,
or as unchanging as the sea -
but if you can still remember
stop and think of me . . .”
“What do you think?” Joey asked.
“He sounds wonderful,” the man beside his said, “Just like I remember.”
The two listened to Yugi sing the song.
“He’s going to be shocked to see you,” Joey said.
“I know. I just hope he doesn’t hate me,” he said.
“He won’t hate you, trust me,” Joey said.
“I don’t know if I can do this, Joey,” the man said.
“Yes you can. We didn’t waste all that time practicing just for you to chicken out now,” Joey said.
“You’re right, but are you sure this is okay?” he asked.
“Yes, Miss Bosela already gave permission. Besides, Yugi needs you. He. Needs. You.” Joey said.
“Alright,”
“Now go. Yugi’s heading this way,” Joey said.
The man nodded and disappeared into the shadows just as Yugi reached Joey.
“How’d I do?”
“You were amazing,” Joey said, “See, I told you you could do it.”
“Yeah, I can. I’m actually starting to enjoy myself!” Yugi said.
“I’m glad,” Joey said, “Oh, the next scene is about to start.”
The two boys fell silent. Yugi slipped away quietly to get dressed for the next scene. As he walked to the bathroom, he couldn’t help but feel like he was being watched. He shrugged it off as nerves and proceeded to get dressed.

“You’re up, Yuge,” Joey whispered, “Good luck.”
“Thanks.”

Yugi sat down at a vanity and started to fake brush his hair. The stage showed part of his dressing room and then the “stage” of the theatre house. One by one the lights on the fake stage blinked out.
A voice rang out of the falling darkness and Yugi started. That voice was supposed to be the phantoms, he knew, but he also knew that it wasn’t Joey’s voice, like it should be. The voice was a deep baritone voice instead of Joey’s alto voice.
“Insolent boy!
This slave
of fashion
basking in your
glory!
Ignorant fool!
This brave
young suitor,
sharing in my
triumph!”
Yugi stood up and pretended to look around.
“Angel! I hear you!
Speak -
I listen . . .
stay by my side,
guide me!
Angel, my soul was weak -
forgive me . . .
enter at last,
Master!” he sang.
The Phantoms voice rang out from the darkness, “Flattering child,
you shall know me,
see why in shadow
I hide!
Look at your face
in the mirror -
I am there
inside!
The lights slowly brightened to reveal a mirror. The Phantom stood behind it singing. Crimson eyes, darkened by the dim light, stared at Yugi, who gasped. The mask covered most of the face, but Yugi felt like he knew those eyes.
“Angel of Music!
Guide and guardian!
Grant to me your
glory!
Angel of Music!
Hide no longer!
Come to me, strange
angel...”
Yugi began to walk towards the mirror. He felt like he was under a spell.
“I am your Angel…” The Phantom spoke. The deep baritone voice sent shivers down Yugi’s spine, “Come to me, Angel…”
Yugi walks forward, mesmerized by the deep voice. The lights suddenly brightened on a different part of the stage to reveal Seto “Raoul” standing at the door to Yugi’s room.
“Whose voice is that?” he said, “Who’s in there? Christine!”
“I am your Angel…” The Phantom said, “Come to me, Angel…”
He held out his hand to Yugi, who looked at it for a moment and then hesitantly reached out his hand. The Phantom firmly grasped it, and Yugi’s eyes widened. A jolt of electricity had flowed through him the moment the Phantom touched him. He watched as the Phantoms eyes darkened right before the lights went out and the song began to play.
The lights came back up to reveal Yugi standing alone in the middle of the stage.
“In sleep he sang to me
In dreams he came,” Yugi sang, “That voice that calls to me and speaks my name
And do I dream again for now I find.”
He turned and the lights came up to reveal the Phantom. He reached out to him as he sang the last two lines.
“The Phantom of the Opera is there
Inside my mind.”
The Phantom walked towards him. He wrapped an arm around Yugi’s waist and started to sing, “Sing once again with me
Our strange duet.”
He smiled at Yugi and let go of him, only to disappear into the darkness. His voice floated out over the audience.
“My power over you grows stronger yet,”
The lights came back up to show him back in his original spot, “And though you turn from me to glance behind.”
Yugi turned his head around to glance behind him. A gentle hand turned his face back around. He stared into sharp crimson eyes as they probed his. “The Phantom of the Opera is there
Inside your mind.”
“Those who have seen your face,”
The Phantom released Yugi, who stepped back, “Draw back in fear.”
He stepped forward again and traced the Phantoms mask as he sang, “I am the mask you wear,”
The Phantom grabbed his hand and placed a light kiss on it, “It’s me they hear.”
Together, the two sang:
“Your/My spirit and my/your voice in one combined
The Phantom of the Opera is there
Inside my/your mind.”
The Phantom let go of Yugi and disappeared back into the darkness as Yugi turned to face the stage.
Voices filled the background, “He’s there, the phantom of the opera!”
Yugi mimicked them am moment later, “He’s there, the Phantom of the Opera!”
Yugi started to sing. His voice floated over the notes as the Phantoms voice echoed out of the darkness.
“Sing, my Angel of Music!”
Yugi’s voice went up an octave as he sang more.
“Sing, my Angel!”
His voice rose up another octave.
“Sing for me!”
His voice rose up even more, and Yugi wondered briefly if his voice would hold out.
“Sing, my Angel!”
By now, Yugi was singing a single note as loud as he could. His voice felt like it would tear at any moment.
“Sing for me!”
Yugi let out a scream. He was pulled from behind as a light from above fell to the stage. The audience started to whisper as the lights came up. Yugi found himself to be in the mysterious Phantoms arms. The cast started to file out of the wings.
“Yugi, are you okay?” The Phantom asked.
“Yes, thanks to you,” Yugi said as he turned his face up to look at him.
“Good, I’m glad,” he replied as he tightened his hold on him.
“Yugi!”
Miss Bosela fought her way out of the crowd, Joey on her heels.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said.
“Thank you, whoever you are, he could have been killed,” she said gratefully.
“You’re welcome,” he said with a nod of the head.
“Speaking of which, who are you?” Yugi asked.
The Phantom stared into Yugi’s eyes for a moment, almost as if searching for something. He smiled softly, “Someone you know very well.”
He stepped away from Yugi and, staring directly into his eyes, pulled the mask off. Yugi gasped and his hand flew to his mouth.
The Phantom smiled, “I’m back, hikari.”
Yugi’s eyes started to fill up as he took a step towards the man. He reached out uncertainly as he whispered the name of the man who had been plaguing his every thought, “Atem?”
Atem nodded.
“Is it really you?” Yugi asked as he took a step forward.
“Yes, Yugi, it’s really me,” Atem said smiling.
Yugi took another step closer, and then with a choked cry, threw himself into Atem’s arms. His hands wove their way into the others hair as he sobbed into his shoulder. Atem’s arms circled around Yugi as he rubbed the smaller ones back. He whispered soothingly into Yugi’s ear. Eventually Yugi quieted down to small hiccup.
“Hey Pharaoh, guess what we found slinking around up on the cat walk,” a voice rang out of the crowd that was assembled around them. A blonde and a silver haired boy came dragging someone out onto the stage.
“Bakura? Marik?” Yugi asked.
“Hey, shorty, miss us?” Bakura asked.
“Yes,” Yugi said with a small smile.
Bakura and Marik stopped and shoved the person they had in front of them, “We found this up there, with these in her hands.”
They handed Atem a pair of gardening shears and the crowd got their first look at who the two were dragging. It was Tea.
“Tea?”
“You weren’t supposed to move! You should have died and then I would have gotten your part!” she hissed.
Atem let go of Yugi and walked up to her and slapped her, “You Bitch!”
The crowd stared at him stunned.
“Atem, baby, please, I… I didn’t mean it! Tell him Yugi, please, tell him I was joking,” she pleaded.
Yugi glared at her coldly, “No Tea, I won’t, because I know you meant it.”
“Yugi… Atem… my love, please!” she begged.
“I’m not your love. I don’t love you. I love someone else,” Atem hissed at her.
“Atem…”
“No! Get her out of my sight!” he exclaimed.
“Tea Gardener, you’re under arrest,” Miss Bosela said. Two police officers moved over to the sobbing girl and cuffed her hands behind her. They dragged her away screaming.
Miss Bosela turned to the crowd, “Due to an unfortunate accident, the show will be canceled for tonight. I’m very sorry.”
The crowd filtered out of the auditorium, discussing the events that had just taken place. The cast started to filter off stage. Yugi looked around suddenly, Atem had disappeared.
“He’s in the music room, waiting for you,” a voice beside him said.
He turned and saw Miss Bosela standing there smiling at him, “Go to him, Yugi.”
“Thank you,”