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Description
Act 4: A Rekindled Love and a Broken Heart

As the day transitioned to night, the audience was gathered in their seats inside the auditorium. The lights went dim, and the red curtain slowly rose upward as Gwynne and two male penguin cast members emerged onstage. The audience gave them a round of applause and the maestro’s orchestra commenced playing the music.

The three penguins, who were portraying a confidante and two fops, took out their fans and waved them lightly in their faces to greet the attendees watching them. Marina proceeded forward and stood right next to the first fop, as she was directed to do so by Madame Diana. Her role was a pagegirl, which was another silent role in the production.

Backstage, one of Ebony’s servants placed a bottle of spritzer on top of a velvet box for the star to improve her voice whenever she would need it. The trio started singing and dancing, with Sergio watching them from above:

They say that this youth
has set my Lady's
heart aflame!
His Lordship, sure,
would die of shock!
His Lordship is
a laughingstock!
Should he suspect her,
God protect her!
Shame! Shame! Shame!
This faithless lady's
bound for Hades!
Shame! Shame! Shame!

But in the midst of their queues, a black gloved hand secretly swapped Ebony’s bottle with a duplicate one. It was filled with a mysterious substance that would cause her voice to croak, and he was responsible for crafting this faux spritzer.

When the trio were done, the audience applauded them and pink curtains rose up to reveal Ebony in her role as the Countess. She removed an ivory fan to reveal her makeup-covered face and formed a smile of delight. Ruby was sitting right behind her, and she let out a brief gasp of surprise to portray her role of the Pageboy.

While Sergio was working above the stage, the shadow walked past by him and he turned to see only nothing.

Who’s there…? he wondered mentally.

Ebony sang to Ruby of her costume, which was to be the Pageboy’s disguise in the opera:

Serafimo - your disguise is perfect.

She heard the sound of a glockenspiel that mimicked the knock of a door, and she sang of her mystery guest:

Why, who can this be?

Marina proceeded toward two grand doors that were a part of the backdrop, and she opened them to see Piangi dressed as Don Attilio, the Countess’s husband.

He crooned to her in his high tenor voice:

Gentle wife, admit your loving
husband

He placed a light tap on Marina’s lower back, which caused her to let out a brief yelp of shock. The audience burst into laughter in reaction to this scenario as she ran away from him.

Hubie and Rocko were sitting in the upper right breezeway of the auditorium and they were observing the actors in performance.

“That’s exactly something about it, friend!” Hubie said to him.

Sergio was wandering around backstage, searching for the mysterious shadow that passed him earlier. He was eager to know of his identity and confront him about lurking in the auditorium.

Piangi crooned to Ebony in a beautiful tenor voice that would melt the hearts of the female attendees:

My love - I am called to England
on affairs of State, and must
leave you with your new maid

The audience was roaring with laughter as Piangi playfully grabbed Ruby’s backside, and Ruby turned to him with a surprised look on her face. A little penguin, Eva, was dressed as a midget fop and she was smacked on the head by Ebony’s fan. She rapidly waved her hand around without uttering a single word or sound.

“Though I’d happily take the maid with me!” Piangi boasted out his line with confidence, and the audience laughed once more.

“The old fool is leaving,” Ebony said of Piangi, removing her fan once again and waving it in front of her face.

While the audience was being entertained by the actors, Hubie and Rocko had just spotted in the audience an old colleague they used to work with back in their scrap metal business.

“Ahh, it’s our old partner,” Hubie said of him to Rocko. “She invited us to her satire one time and we weren’t offended by it at all.”

“You know… I’m glad none of that happened to us when we were in the junk business,” Rocko said, turning back toward the stage.

“Scrap metal,” Hubie corrected him. “And yes, we’re glad no insulting parts were heard of throughout.”

Phantom Drake emerged from the shadows above the stage, and he carefully observed Ebony and Piangi from above.

Soon, Ebony Giudicelli, your reign as the leading soprano will come to an end…, he thought of her. Ruby will reclaim it, just as she did during the production of Hannibal. And when this is over… she will be mine again.

Ebony and Piangi were singing in a duet filled with musical notes, whereas Marina and the three other penguins were bobbing up and down their bodies in a playful motion. The first fop smacked Eva on her head with the gold fan and she trotted away from them, with Madame Diana watching with some of the other cast members from backstage.

Madame Diana looked up to see Sergio missing from his post and she became suspicious of it right away.

Sergio’s usually on duty during our productions. He can’t be gone at a time like this, she thought of him in her mind. She then instantly knew that the Phantom may be returning for another attack, and her eyes widened in growing horror. Wait a second… it can’t be…!

As soon as Piangi exited the stage, Ruby removed the skirt, apron and maid’s hat from herself and tossed them onto the floor. Marina and the other four penguins all let out shocked gasps and claims of “Oh, my!” with surprised expressions on their faces. Ruby’s costume now consisted of a light blue pair of trousers, a ruffled striped blouse and an elegant pair of buckled loafers.

Magnus was watching the show while he was seated in Box 5 and a smile of delight formed on his face. He had always wanted to show support for Ruby, even when she had to play the silent role of the Pageboy in the show.

You’re doing well, Ruby, he thought of his sweetheart.

Ebony crooned to Ruby’s character in her high soprano voice and she opened her fan to cover their faces. They were mimicking a kiss between one another, even though her character of the Countess was married to her husband.

Serafimo, away with this pretense!
You cannot speak - but kiss
me in my husband’s absence

The audience let out a short laughter, whereas Piangi formed a jealous expression as he was watching from behind the backdrop’s doors.

But back above the stage, Phantom Drake proceeded inside and he stopped to gaze through a small window that would view him of the show.

He could hear Ebony sing throughout:

Poor fool, he makes me laugh!
Haha
Haha
Haha
Haha
Haha
Haha
Haha
Haha
Haha

Ruby was walking around Ebony and observed her sing and the other penguins bobbing up and down nearby:

Time I tried to get a better, better half!

Phantom Drake opened a door and entered inside the opera house, arriving to see a railway straight above the audience. It was finally time for him to make his move, but he would have to be silent and sly if he were to pull it off successfully.

He heard Ebony and the chorus sing together and observed them and Ruby dancing throughout:

Poor fool, he doesn't know!
Hoho
Hoho
Hoho
Hoho
Hoho
Hoho
Hoho
If he knew the truth, he'd never, ever go!

“Did I not instruct that Box Five was to be kept empty?” Phantom Drake’s voice boomed, grabbing everyone’s attention.

Magnus glanced upward and instantly recognized the voice that he just heard.

It’s him! he thought of him.

Gwynne and the other three penguins let out gasps of horror, whereas Marina was still silent. She was aware that the Opera Ghost had disrupted their musical production, just as it was going well so far.

The audience was murmuring and looking at each other, feeling worried and alarmed about the mysterious voice. Even the conductor was beginning to feel the same way, as he had just stopped conducting the orchestra.

Sergio glanced briefly from the backstage area, and then he disappeared back inside to resume his job.

“He’s here. The Penguin of the Opera,” Marina said of him.

Ruby heard what her best friend had just said and she knew right away that Phantom Drake had come for her again.

“It’s him,” she said of him.

Ebony turned to Ruby and held out her closed fan directly at the chorus girl, glaring at her.

“Your part is silent, little toad!” she barked sharply at her.

Phantom Drake was beginning to hold a grudge against Ebony as he snarled deeply, and he was now ready to make her pay for insulting the one he was falling in love with.

“A toad, madame?” he said of Ebony. “Perhaps it is you who are the toad…”

As it was time for a brief intermission, Ebony went backstage and ordered her servant to spray into her mouth. The female servant did exactly as Ebony told her to, spraying away into the star’s open mouth. But little did they know that it was Phantom Drake’s faux spritzer that had just been used by her.

Ruby heard Ebony sing some notes to warm herself up, and then she observed her returning to the stage.

“Oh, it’s good to be me,” she said of herself.

Phantom Drake watched them briefly and he disappeared into the darkness once again. He swung the door shut and emerged through the backstage area before entering through another doorway.

“Maestro, start right where we were before the disruption occurred. Please,” she said to the conductor.

The conductor nodded to her and he resumed conducting the orchestra. Ebony cleared her throat and started singing again:

Serafimo, away with this pretence!
You cannot speak, but kiss me in my—

A croak suddenly came right out of Ebony’s mouth, and that appalled the conductor, the crew and the supporting cast members. They all gasped in surprise, as they had never heard her croak during a musical production before.

“Gentlemen, please. Please keep playing,” the conductor said to the violinists in his orchestra.

The audience burst out into loud laughter that rang throughout the auditorium. Magnus blinked his eyes twice and was staring at Ebony in disbelief.

What in the world is going on with Ebony? he thought of her, tilting his head to the left and raising an eyebrow.

Sergio ran across the balcony above the auditorium and opened the door to the upper backstage area. He entered right through there and the door swung shut behind him. He raced up the stairs back to his post, whereas Ebony continued to sing:

Poor fool, he makes me laugh
Hahahahaha!

Another croak emitted out of Ebony’s throat, and she covered her mouth as her eyes widened in shock.

What’s happening to my voice?! she thought, becoming horrified. I’m suddenly sounding like a toad!

She tried to sing again, only to utter more horribly sounded croaks that made the audience laugh harder. Even some of the cast members joined in, whereas some of the crew members knew that something was wrong with her.

“Something’s happening to her voice!” one member exclaimed.

Feelings of embarrassment and horror washed over her mind, and she couldn’t take the cruel laughter any longer. She tried to let out another note, but another croak was made instead.

“Oh, no!” she exclaimed in horror.

“Goodness glaciers!” Hubie exclaimed frantically.

“We have to save the production right now!” Rocko cried. “Come on, Hubie!”

They rose out of their seats and fled their breezeway location, as they were determined to prevent the show from ending as a total failure. It appeared that they had no choice but to give into the Phantom’s demands from earlier; it was the only way for them to keep the show ongoing if they didn’t want to risk losing their audience.

“Bring the curtain in! P-Please! Bring the curtain in!” Hubie ordered the crew in a panicked voice.

The crew members immediately pulled the ropes that allowed the curtains to close the stage, and they swung in behind the stage just as Hubie and Rocko emerged out of them. However, the penguin playing one of the fops was standing right in front of the curtains and that irked the conductor.'

“Get! Off!” he ordered him, gesturing him to leave.

The actor fled the stage immediately, and Hubie and Rocko stepped forward onto center stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize,” Rocko said to the audience, as they were settling down from the uproar of humorous laughter. “The performance will continue in ten minutes time…”

Gwynne and the other male penguin were spotted peeking from behind the curtain, and they gasped in shock and fled right away. The audience let out a brief wave of laughter in reaction, whilst Rocko was making the announcement. He grabbed Ruby from behind and dragged her onto the stage as he said to the audience:

“…When the role of the Countess will be played by Miss Daae.”

A round of applause broke out in the auditorium, and Ruby was stunned to hear that she would be taking over Ebony’s role in the production. It was just like last time, and she was becoming rather pleased with this.

I’m going to be a star again! she thought with delight. It’s a shame that Ebony has to give up the role of the Countess to me, just as she was performing so well as her and I did a fair play as the Pageboy.

She was roughly shoved back behind the curtains by Rocko and heard him instruct her to get changed into Ebony’s original costume.

Magnus was taken aback by the announcement, yet he knew that it would be an opportunity for his sweetheart to rise to fame once again.

“Until then, for a few moments meanwhile, we would like to give you the ballet from Act III of tonight’s opera,” Hubie added.

“What?!” the conductor exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock.

“Maestro—the ballet! Send it forward, please,” Hubie instructed him again.

The conductor scrambled through his songbook to find the right song for the ballet portion, and his orchestra followed suit in the same manner. They didn’t expect to play a piece that was much farther in the production of Il Muto.

“The ballet!?” he exclaimed.

“Now! Now! Please!” Hubie ordered frantically.

“Thank you!” Rocko said to the audience, and he and Hubie finally left the stage. Once they were behind the curtains, everyone was scrambling to change scenes and the ballet dancers were sent onto the stage just as the actors left for the backstage areas. The backdrop had changed from the Countess’s lavish bedroom into a beautiful spring garden. Live sheep were being brought out onto the stage by three ballerinas, and they would make great live props for the show.

The first fop was performing a brief ballet dance on the stage to entertain the audience, much to the conductor’s annoyance.

“You’re fired!” the conductor snapped at him in a whisper.

The actor didn’t seem to care and he took a bow before leaving the stage. Magnus was left feeling amused by the actor’s short dance, but he was anticipating to see the ballet and Ruby’s performance as the Countess.

The curtains rose up again and the ballet dancers began spinning around in circles and leaping across the stage.

While Madame Diana was helping Ruby change into the Countess costume in her dressing room, Sergio was watching the show from his post above when the Phantom’s shadow mysteriously approached him from behind.

As the music continued playing, Sergio was scouting the backstage area with Phantom Drake watching him from in the darkness.

Ruby discovered a red rose with a black ribbon tied onto it and she immediately knew that it was from Phantom Drake. Even Madame Diana knew of it too; she was right of the Phantom’s looming attacks all along.

While the ballet dancers were still performing, Sergio was being chased back above the stage and he feared that he was being followed. He was panting rapidly and his heart was starting to beat faster than normal, and when he turned to see Phantom Drake, Sergio let out a frightened gasp and ran away from him. He crossed a wooden bridge and started climbing onto the ropes dangling from the ceiling. However, Phantom Drake followed him and he spotted Sergio standing on the other side.

Oh no! I’ve been spotted! Sergio thought fearfully.

He could hear the laughter of the audience echoing throughout, and he started whimpering in terror at the sight of the Phantom.

As Sergio started running, Phantom Drake swiftly grabbed hold of the ropes and he swung straight across from the one bridge to the other where the helpless head crew member was spotted. He finally made it and shook the bridge, causing Sergio to trip over and fall onto it. The Phantom walked over to Sergio and pulled out a noose as he let out a sinister chuckle.

Sergio turned around and his eyes widened in horror the moment he saw Phantom Drake holding up the noose, but before he could escape, Phantom Drake hooked the noose around Sergio’s neck. He began tightening it and he could hear Sergio trying to breathe, and a wicked smile formed on his face.

It’s curtains for you… boy…, he thought of him.

Phantom Drake gave the poor lad a swift kick and Sergio’s body fell straight down toward the stage, and the noose was finally tight enough to crush his neck. The ballet dancers paused their performance and let out shrilling horrified screams, and the audience started to cry out in horror. Hubie and Rocko were among the terrified as they rose up from their seats and their eyes widened in fear.

Sergio’s lifeless body was spinning around the stage until the rope fell and he finally collapsed onto the floor. Marina was very terrified to see what had happened and she began screaming in horror.

Phantom Drake was watching the terror from above and he was pleased to see that his alternative plan had worked. He assumed that he was one step closer to claiming Ruby once again, and he departed the auditorium with one malevolent laugh that echoed throughout. It was now a haunting memory that would scar the entire cast and crew members of the Opera Populaire for life…

* * *

The snow was falling later on that frigid evening, and Ruby was sitting alone in the dressing room with Madame Diana. They had just received the tragic news of Sergio’s death from Rocko and Hubie, and it left them feeling devastated. Now the show of Il Muto had been abruptly canceled as a result and Ruby had never gotten the chance to take over Ebony as the Countess.

“Poor Sergio…,” Madame Diana said of him. “He didn’t deserve to die at the hands of the Opera Ghost. It was no accident nor suicide.”

Ruby had a deep, sorrowful expression in her eyes and she was staring down at the red rose that Phantom Drake had left for her. She was anticipating to play Ebony’s role of the Countess, but now that the show had been halted by Sergio’s sudden death, she was now doubting her feelings toward her singing tutor.

“Alas, Ruby, the show cannot go on…,” Madame Diana said to her.

Ruby nodded to her sadly and watched her leave, and then she opened up her wardrobe to see a red cape hanging inside of it. She pulled it out and draped it around her shoulders before tying it loosely around her neck.

My Angel of Music…, she thought of Drake. Why…? Why did you have to kill Sergio?

Just then, Ruby heard a knock on her door and walked over to it. She opened it and saw Magnus standing there, waiting for her.

“Magnus…,” she said to him.

“I know you are deeply troubled by Sergio’s unexpected passing,” he said to her
Ruby nodded to him and placed her hands on his shoulders, and her brown eyes were gazing into his black ones.

“Magnus… I need your reassurance now,” Ruby said to him.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ll explain later. Please come with me.”

Ruby took Magnus’s hand and they departed her dressing room once the doors were shut. Together they dashed through the halls until they finally reached the rooftop of the opera house. Ruby could feel some snowflakes landing softly onto her like an angel’s feathers and she looked up at the night sky.

Father… Mother…, she thought of her deceased parents. You must be mourning him too.

“Why have you brought me here?” Magnus asked her.

Ruby turned to him and took a short breath before finally answering:
“We can’t go back there!”

“We must return!” Magnus advised her, but Ruby shook her head in denial.

“It’s his eyes!” she exclaimed to him. “Those eyes that burn!”

Magnus let out a brief gasp of shock, as he knew that she was mentioning the Opera Ghost again.

“Don’t even think it!” he warned her.

Tears began forming in Ruby’s eyes and her body began quivering. She was feeling so distraught from Sergio’s death and the Phantom’s threats to destroy the Opera Populaire that she was doubting her feelings towards him. Now she may be leaning toward her childhood lover instead.

“And if he has to kill a thousand of men…,” she wept softly.

“Forget this waking nightmare.”

“The Penguin of the Opera will kill…”

“This penguin is a fable. Believe me,” Magnus advised her again.

But Ruby filled in, raising her voice: “…and kill again!”

“There is no penguin of the opera!” Magnus snapped crossly.

Ruby glanced downward at the snowy ground for a brief moment, and then she looked up at him again, now seeing an expression of empathy forming on his face.

They took low breaths and sang of the menacing Phantom in a soft grim duet:

My God, who is this man?
…who hunts to kill?
…this mask of death?
I can’t escape from him
Whose is the voice that you hear
…I never will
With every breath
And in this labyrinth
Where light is blind
The Penguin of the Opera
Is here
Is there
Inside of my mind
Inside of your mind

“There is no Penguin of the Opera…,” Magnus repeated his claim to her in a soft voice as he embraced her.

Ruby felt the warmth coming from Magnus’s body and it felt comforting to her. She looked up at him and sang to him:

Magnus, I've been there, to his world of
unending night
To a world where the daylight dissolves
into darkness, darkness
Magnus, I've seen him!
Can I ever forget that sight?
Can I ever escape from that face?
So distorted, deformed, it was hardly a face,
in the darkness, darkness
But his voice filled my spirit
with a strange, sweet sound
In that night there was music in my mind
And through music my soul began to soar!
And I heard as I'd never heard before

Magnus finally knew of the truth behind Ruby’s disappearance, and he understood why he would want to take Ruby away from him and the rest of the Opera Populaire. However, he was still skeptical of the Phantom’s existence and he was becoming determined to love and protect her always.

He sang to her in response:

What you heard was a dream and nothing more

Still believing in the Phantom, Ruby sang to Magnus one last time as the tears rolled down her cheeks:

Yet in his eyes all the sadness of the world
Those pleading eyes, that both threaten and adore

Ruby buried her face into Magnus’s chest and he held her tightly in response, whereas the rose from Phantom Drake fell from her hand and onto the snow-covered roof. He knew that she needed his love and affection so much in the wake of the tragedy that they all recently faced.

“Ruby, Ruby…,” Magnus said to her softly, stroking her raven locks.

But little to their knowledge, Phantom Drake was spying on them from behind one of two grand statues that were displayed on the roof.

“Ruby…,” he said of her.

After a while of crying, Ruby was finally able to calm down and looked up at Magnus.

“Listen to me, Ruby,” Magnus said to her. “I’ve been loving you for so long and I will do anything to protect you. Anything.”

Ruby slowly nodded to him and she felt him hold her hands in a gentle clasp. A light pink blush formed on her face and her eyes lit up partially with happiness.

Once he released her, Magnus took a deep breath and sang to her in his beautiful tenor voice:

No more talk of darkness
Forget these wide-eyed fears
I'm here, nothing can harm you
My words will warm and calm you
Let me be your freedom
Let daylight dry your tears
I'm here, with you, beside you
To guard you and to guide you

Feeling reassured by Magnus’s sweet melody, Ruby sang to him in response:

Say you'll love me every waking moment
Turn my head with talk of summer time
Say you need me with you now and always
Promise me that all you say is true
That's all I ask of you

A warm smile formed on Magnus’s face, and he continued to sing to her of his comfort:

Let me be your shelter
Let me be your light
You're safe, no one will find you
Your fears are far behind you

Ruby sang to him in response, revealing her desire of his love and protection from danger:

All I want is freedom
A world with no more night
And you, always beside me
To hold me and to hide me

Magnus embraced Ruby from behind and stroked her locks as she turned to him, with Phantom Drake observing them in hiding. He crooned sweetly to her:

Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime
Let me lead you from your solitude
Say you need me with you here, beside you
Anywhere you go, let me go too
Ruby, that's all I ask of you

Ruby sang back to Magnus in her beautiful soprano voice as she felt his left hand being gently placed on her shoulder:

Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime
Say the word and I will follow you

The lovebirds gazed deeply into each other’s eyes and their singing voices blended into a beautiful, melodious duet:

Share each day with me, each night, each morning

Whilst feeling Magnus nuzzle her forehead, Ruby sang to him in a soft tone of voice:

Say you love me

Magnus responded to him in his soft tenor voice:

You know I do

With that sung, Magnus leaned in toward Ruby’s face and kissed her deeply. He felt her arms coiling around his neck and he hoisted her upward. They spun around in a circle as they continued to kiss, to the devastation and melancholy of the Phantom.

I thought she loved me…, he thought of her. My dear Ruby… my delicate red rose… you… you’ve chosen that fool over me!

When they stopped, the couple stared directly at one another and sang one last time in their divine unison:

Love me, that’s all I ask of you

Ruby and Magnus embraced one another and they sealed a passionate kiss directly on their beaks. They could feel their love growing stronger with each loving gesture they showcased, especially with their heartfelt duets.

Phantom Drake was absolutely forlorn by the sight of Ruby with Magnus; he always fantasized her being affectionate to him and wanting his delicate touch every time he would be around her. Now they may be fading away into oblivion and he was determined to prevent that from happening. Phantom Drake knew exactly what to do: he must eliminate Magnus and take Ruby as his bride!

Once he watched them leave the rooftop, Phantom Drake sang of her:

I gave you my music, made your song take wing
And now, how you've repaid me, denied me and betrayed me
He was bound to love you, when he heard you sing, Ruby

Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime
Say the word and I will follow you
Share each day with me, each night, each morning

You will curse the day you did not do
All that the Phantom asked of you!

As he stormed off, Phantom Drake returned inside the opera house and slammed his strong fist into the Opera Populaire’s grand chandelier. He watched it fall crashing to the floor and he ascended deep into the backstage area.

“Ruby, you will be mine one way or another!” he declared. “That heartbreaker Magnus thinks he is good enough for you with his sweet charms and class. He does not deserve you. I do. Just you wait, Ruby. I will take you as my soulmate and we will be together…”

A sinister smile formed on his face as Phantom Drake finished in a deep wicked voice:

“…Forever.”

Description
Act 4: A Rekindled Love and a Broken Heart

As the day transitioned to night, the audience was gathered in their seats inside the auditorium. The lights went dim, and the red curtain slowly rose upward as Gwynne and two male penguin cast members emerged onstage. The audience gave them a round of applause and the maestro’s orchestra commenced playing the music.

The three penguins, who were portraying a confidante and two fops, took out their fans and waved them lightly in their faces to greet the attendees watching them. Marina proceeded forward and stood right next to the first fop, as she was directed to do so by Madame Diana. Her role was a pagegirl, which was another silent role in the production.

Backstage, one of Ebony’s servants placed a bottle of spritzer on top of a velvet box for the star to improve her voice whenever she would need it. The trio started singing and dancing, with Sergio watching them from above:

They say that this youth
has set my Lady's
heart aflame!
His Lordship, sure,
would die of shock!
His Lordship is
a laughingstock!
Should he suspect her,
God protect her!
Shame! Shame! Shame!
This faithless lady's
bound for Hades!
Shame! Shame! Shame!

But in the midst of their queues, a black gloved hand secretly swapped Ebony’s bottle with a duplicate one. It was filled with a mysterious substance that would cause her voice to croak, and he was responsible for crafting this faux spritzer.

When the trio were done, the audience applauded them and pink curtains rose up to reveal Ebony in her role as the Countess. She removed an ivory fan to reveal her makeup-covered face and formed a smile of delight. Ruby was sitting right behind her, and she let out a brief gasp of surprise to portray her role of the Pageboy.

While Sergio was working above the stage, the shadow walked past by him and he turned to see only nothing.

Who’s there…? he wondered mentally.

Ebony sang to Ruby of her costume, which was to be the Pageboy’s disguise in the opera:

Serafimo - your disguise is perfect.

She heard the sound of a glockenspiel that mimicked the knock of a door, and she sang of her mystery guest:

Why, who can this be?

Marina proceeded toward two grand doors that were a part of the backdrop, and she opened them to see Piangi dressed as Don Attilio, the Countess’s husband.

He crooned to her in his high tenor voice:

Gentle wife, admit your loving
husband

He placed a light tap on Marina’s lower back, which caused her to let out a brief yelp of shock. The audience burst into laughter in reaction to this scenario as she ran away from him.

Hubie and Rocko were sitting in the upper right breezeway of the auditorium and they were observing the actors in performance.

“That’s exactly something about it, friend!” Hubie said to him.

Sergio was wandering around backstage, searching for the mysterious shadow that passed him earlier. He was eager to know of his identity and confront him about lurking in the auditorium.

Piangi crooned to Ebony in a beautiful tenor voice that would melt the hearts of the female attendees:

My love - I am called to England
on affairs of State, and must
leave you with your new maid

The audience was roaring with laughter as Piangi playfully grabbed Ruby’s backside, and Ruby turned to him with a surprised look on her face. A little penguin, Eva, was dressed as a midget fop and she was smacked on the head by Ebony’s fan. She rapidly waved her hand around without uttering a single word or sound.

“Though I’d happily take the maid with me!” Piangi boasted out his line with confidence, and the audience laughed once more.

“The old fool is leaving,” Ebony said of Piangi, removing her fan once again and waving it in front of her face.

While the audience was being entertained by the actors, Hubie and Rocko had just spotted in the audience an old colleague they used to work with back in their scrap metal business.

“Ahh, it’s our old partner,” Hubie said of him to Rocko. “She invited us to her satire one time and we weren’t offended by it at all.”

“You know… I’m glad none of that happened to us when we were in the junk business,” Rocko said, turning back toward the stage.

“Scrap metal,” Hubie corrected him. “And yes, we’re glad no insulting parts were heard of throughout.”

Phantom Drake emerged from the shadows above the stage, and he carefully observed Ebony and Piangi from above.

Soon, Ebony Giudicelli, your reign as the leading soprano will come to an end…, he thought of her. Ruby will reclaim it, just as she did during the production of Hannibal. And when this is over… she will be mine again.

Ebony and Piangi were singing in a duet filled with musical notes, whereas Marina and the three other penguins were bobbing up and down their bodies in a playful motion. The first fop smacked Eva on her head with the gold fan and she trotted away from them, with Madame Diana watching with some of the other cast members from backstage.

Madame Diana looked up to see Sergio missing from his post and she became suspicious of it right away.

Sergio’s usually on duty during our productions. He can’t be gone at a time like this, she thought of him in her mind. She then instantly knew that the Phantom may be returning for another attack, and her eyes widened in growing horror. Wait a second… it can’t be…!

As soon as Piangi exited the stage, Ruby removed the skirt, apron and maid’s hat from herself and tossed them onto the floor. Marina and the other four penguins all let out shocked gasps and claims of “Oh, my!” with surprised expressions on their faces. Ruby’s costume now consisted of a light blue pair of trousers, a ruffled striped blouse and an elegant pair of buckled loafers.

Magnus was watching the show while he was seated in Box 5 and a smile of delight formed on his face. He had always wanted to show support for Ruby, even when she had to play the silent role of the Pageboy in the show.

You’re doing well, Ruby, he thought of his sweetheart.

Ebony crooned to Ruby’s character in her high soprano voice and she opened her fan to cover their faces. They were mimicking a kiss between one another, even though her character of the Countess was married to her husband.

Serafimo, away with this pretense!
You cannot speak - but kiss
me in my husband’s absence

The audience let out a short laughter, whereas Piangi formed a jealous expression as he was watching from behind the backdrop’s doors.

But back above the stage, Phantom Drake proceeded inside and he stopped to gaze through a small window that would view him of the show.

He could hear Ebony sing throughout:

Poor fool, he makes me laugh!
Haha
Haha
Haha
Haha
Haha
Haha
Haha
Haha
Haha

Ruby was walking around Ebony and observed her sing and the other penguins bobbing up and down nearby:

Time I tried to get a better, better half!

Phantom Drake opened a door and entered inside the opera house, arriving to see a railway straight above the audience. It was finally time for him to make his move, but he would have to be silent and sly if he were to pull it off successfully.

He heard Ebony and the chorus sing together and observed them and Ruby dancing throughout:

Poor fool, he doesn't know!
Hoho
Hoho
Hoho
Hoho
Hoho
Hoho
Hoho
If he knew the truth, he'd never, ever go!

“Did I not instruct that Box Five was to be kept empty?” Phantom Drake’s voice boomed, grabbing everyone’s attention.

Magnus glanced upward and instantly recognized the voice that he just heard.

It’s him! he thought of him.

Gwynne and the other three penguins let out gasps of horror, whereas Marina was still silent. She was aware that the Opera Ghost had disrupted their musical production, just as it was going well so far.

The audience was murmuring and looking at each other, feeling worried and alarmed about the mysterious voice. Even the conductor was beginning to feel the same way, as he had just stopped conducting the orchestra.

Sergio glanced briefly from the backstage area, and then he disappeared back inside to resume his job.

“He’s here. The Penguin of the Opera,” Marina said of him.

Ruby heard what her best friend had just said and she knew right away that Phantom Drake had come for her again.

“It’s him,” she said of him.

Ebony turned to Ruby and held out her closed fan directly at the chorus girl, glaring at her.

“Your part is silent, little toad!” she barked sharply at her.

Phantom Drake was beginning to hold a grudge against Ebony as he snarled deeply, and he was now ready to make her pay for insulting the one he was falling in love with.

“A toad, madame?” he said of Ebony. “Perhaps it is you who are the toad…”

As it was time for a brief intermission, Ebony went backstage and ordered her servant to spray into her mouth. The female servant did exactly as Ebony told her to, spraying away into the star’s open mouth. But little did they know that it was Phantom Drake’s faux spritzer that had just been used by her.

Ruby heard Ebony sing some notes to warm herself up, and then she observed her returning to the stage.

“Oh, it’s good to be me,” she said of herself.

Phantom Drake watched them briefly and he disappeared into the darkness once again. He swung the door shut and emerged through the backstage area before entering through another doorway.

“Maestro, start right where we were before the disruption occurred. Please,” she said to the conductor.

The conductor nodded to her and he resumed conducting the orchestra. Ebony cleared her throat and started singing again:

Serafimo, away with this pretence!
You cannot speak, but kiss me in my—

A croak suddenly came right out of Ebony’s mouth, and that appalled the conductor, the crew and the supporting cast members. They all gasped in surprise, as they had never heard her croak during a musical production before.

“Gentlemen, please. Please keep playing,” the conductor said to the violinists in his orchestra.

The audience burst out into loud laughter that rang throughout the auditorium. Magnus blinked his eyes twice and was staring at Ebony in disbelief.

What in the world is going on with Ebony? he thought of her, tilting his head to the left and raising an eyebrow.

Sergio ran across the balcony above the auditorium and opened the door to the upper backstage area. He entered right through there and the door swung shut behind him. He raced up the stairs back to his post, whereas Ebony continued to sing:

Poor fool, he makes me laugh
Hahahahaha!

Another croak emitted out of Ebony’s throat, and she covered her mouth as her eyes widened in shock.

What’s happening to my voice?! she thought, becoming horrified. I’m suddenly sounding like a toad!

She tried to sing again, only to utter more horribly sounded croaks that made the audience laugh harder. Even some of the cast members joined in, whereas some of the crew members knew that something was wrong with her.

“Something’s happening to her voice!” one member exclaimed.

Feelings of embarrassment and horror washed over her mind, and she couldn’t take the cruel laughter any longer. She tried to let out another note, but another croak was made instead.

“Oh, no!” she exclaimed in horror.

“Goodness glaciers!” Hubie exclaimed frantically.

“We have to save the production right now!” Rocko cried. “Come on, Hubie!”

They rose out of their seats and fled their breezeway location, as they were determined to prevent the show from ending as a total failure. It appeared that they had no choice but to give into the Phantom’s demands from earlier; it was the only way for them to keep the show ongoing if they didn’t want to risk losing their audience.

“Bring the curtain in! P-Please! Bring the curtain in!” Hubie ordered the crew in a panicked voice.

The crew members immediately pulled the ropes that allowed the curtains to close the stage, and they swung in behind the stage just as Hubie and Rocko emerged out of them. However, the penguin playing one of the fops was standing right in front of the curtains and that irked the conductor.'

“Get! Off!” he ordered him, gesturing him to leave.

The actor fled the stage immediately, and Hubie and Rocko stepped forward onto center stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize,” Rocko said to the audience, as they were settling down from the uproar of humorous laughter. “The performance will continue in ten minutes time…”

Gwynne and the other male penguin were spotted peeking from behind the curtain, and they gasped in shock and fled right away. The audience let out a brief wave of laughter in reaction, whilst Rocko was making the announcement. He grabbed Ruby from behind and dragged her onto the stage as he said to the audience:

“…When the role of the Countess will be played by Miss Daae.”

A round of applause broke out in the auditorium, and Ruby was stunned to hear that she would be taking over Ebony’s role in the production. It was just like last time, and she was becoming rather pleased with this.

I’m going to be a star again! she thought with delight. It’s a shame that Ebony has to give up the role of the Countess to me, just as she was performing so well as her and I did a fair play as the Pageboy.

She was roughly shoved back behind the curtains by Rocko and heard him instruct her to get changed into Ebony’s original costume.

Magnus was taken aback by the announcement, yet he knew that it would be an opportunity for his sweetheart to rise to fame once again.

“Until then, for a few moments meanwhile, we would like to give you the ballet from Act III of tonight’s opera,” Hubie added.

“What?!” the conductor exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock.

“Maestro—the ballet! Send it forward, please,” Hubie instructed him again.

The conductor scrambled through his songbook to find the right song for the ballet portion, and his orchestra followed suit in the same manner. They didn’t expect to play a piece that was much farther in the production of Il Muto.

“The ballet!?” he exclaimed.

“Now! Now! Please!” Hubie ordered frantically.

“Thank you!” Rocko said to the audience, and he and Hubie finally left the stage. Once they were behind the curtains, everyone was scrambling to change scenes and the ballet dancers were sent onto the stage just as the actors left for the backstage areas. The backdrop had changed from the Countess’s lavish bedroom into a beautiful spring garden. Live sheep were being brought out onto the stage by three ballerinas, and they would make great live props for the show.

The first fop was performing a brief ballet dance on the stage to entertain the audience, much to the conductor’s annoyance.

“You’re fired!” the conductor snapped at him in a whisper.

The actor didn’t seem to care and he took a bow before leaving the stage. Magnus was left feeling amused by the actor’s short dance, but he was anticipating to see the ballet and Ruby’s performance as the Countess.

The curtains rose up again and the ballet dancers began spinning around in circles and leaping across the stage.

While Madame Diana was helping Ruby change into the Countess costume in her dressing room, Sergio was watching the show from his post above when the Phantom’s shadow mysteriously approached him from behind.

As the music continued playing, Sergio was scouting the backstage area with Phantom Drake watching him from in the darkness.

Ruby discovered a red rose with a black ribbon tied onto it and she immediately knew that it was from Phantom Drake. Even Madame Diana knew of it too; she was right of the Phantom’s looming attacks all along.

While the ballet dancers were still performing, Sergio was being chased back above the stage and he feared that he was being followed. He was panting rapidly and his heart was starting to beat faster than normal, and when he turned to see Phantom Drake, Sergio let out a frightened gasp and ran away from him. He crossed a wooden bridge and started climbing onto the ropes dangling from the ceiling. However, Phantom Drake followed him and he spotted Sergio standing on the other side.

Oh no! I’ve been spotted! Sergio thought fearfully.

He could hear the laughter of the audience echoing throughout, and he started whimpering in terror at the sight of the Phantom.

As Sergio started running, Phantom Drake swiftly grabbed hold of the ropes and he swung straight across from the one bridge to the other where the helpless head crew member was spotted. He finally made it and shook the bridge, causing Sergio to trip over and fall onto it. The Phantom walked over to Sergio and pulled out a noose as he let out a sinister chuckle.

Sergio turned around and his eyes widened in horror the moment he saw Phantom Drake holding up the noose, but before he could escape, Phantom Drake hooked the noose around Sergio’s neck. He began tightening it and he could hear Sergio trying to breathe, and a wicked smile formed on his face.

It’s curtains for you… boy…, he thought of him.

Phantom Drake gave the poor lad a swift kick and Sergio’s body fell straight down toward the stage, and the noose was finally tight enough to crush his neck. The ballet dancers paused their performance and let out shrilling horrified screams, and the audience started to cry out in horror. Hubie and Rocko were among the terrified as they rose up from their seats and their eyes widened in fear.

Sergio’s lifeless body was spinning around the stage until the rope fell and he finally collapsed onto the floor. Marina was very terrified to see what had happened and she began screaming in horror.

Phantom Drake was watching the terror from above and he was pleased to see that his alternative plan had worked. He assumed that he was one step closer to claiming Ruby once again, and he departed the auditorium with one malevolent laugh that echoed throughout. It was now a haunting memory that would scar the entire cast and crew members of the Opera Populaire for life…

* * *

The snow was falling later on that frigid evening, and Ruby was sitting alone in the dressing room with Madame Diana. They had just received the tragic news of Sergio’s death from Rocko and Hubie, and it left them feeling devastated. Now the show of Il Muto had been abruptly canceled as a result and Ruby had never gotten the chance to take over Ebony as the Countess.

“Poor Sergio…,” Madame Diana said of him. “He didn’t deserve to die at the hands of the Opera Ghost. It was no accident nor suicide.”

Ruby had a deep, sorrowful expression in her eyes and she was staring down at the red rose that Phantom Drake had left for her. She was anticipating to play Ebony’s role of the Countess, but now that the show had been halted by Sergio’s sudden death, she was now doubting her feelings toward her singing tutor.

“Alas, Ruby, the show cannot go on…,” Madame Diana said to her.

Ruby nodded to her sadly and watched her leave, and then she opened up her wardrobe to see a red cape hanging inside of it. She pulled it out and draped it around her shoulders before tying it loosely around her neck.

My Angel of Music…, she thought of Drake. Why…? Why did you have to kill Sergio?

Just then, Ruby heard a knock on her door and walked over to it. She opened it and saw Magnus standing there, waiting for her.

“Magnus…,” she said to him.

“I know you are deeply troubled by Sergio’s unexpected passing,” he said to her
Ruby nodded to him and placed her hands on his shoulders, and her brown eyes were gazing into his black ones.

“Magnus… I need your reassurance now,” Ruby said to him.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ll explain later. Please come with me.”

Ruby took Magnus’s hand and they departed her dressing room once the doors were shut. Together they dashed through the halls until they finally reached the rooftop of the opera house. Ruby could feel some snowflakes landing softly onto her like an angel’s feathers and she looked up at the night sky.

Father… Mother…, she thought of her deceased parents. You must be mourning him too.

“Why have you brought me here?” Magnus asked her.

Ruby turned to him and took a short breath before finally answering:
“We can’t go back there!”

“We must return!” Magnus advised her, but Ruby shook her head in denial.

“It’s his eyes!” she exclaimed to him. “Those eyes that burn!”

Magnus let out a brief gasp of shock, as he knew that she was mentioning the Opera Ghost again.

“Don’t even think it!” he warned her.

Tears began forming in Ruby’s eyes and her body began quivering. She was feeling so distraught from Sergio’s death and the Phantom’s threats to destroy the Opera Populaire that she was doubting her feelings towards him. Now she may be leaning toward her childhood lover instead.

“And if he has to kill a thousand of men…,” she wept softly.

“Forget this waking nightmare.”

“The Penguin of the Opera will kill…”

“This penguin is a fable. Believe me,” Magnus advised her again.

But Ruby filled in, raising her voice: “…and kill again!”

“There is no penguin of the opera!” Magnus snapped crossly.

Ruby glanced downward at the snowy ground for a brief moment, and then she looked up at him again, now seeing an expression of empathy forming on his face.

They took low breaths and sang of the menacing Phantom in a soft grim duet:

My God, who is this man?
…who hunts to kill?
…this mask of death?
I can’t escape from him
Whose is the voice that you hear
…I never will
With every breath
And in this labyrinth
Where light is blind
The Penguin of the Opera
Is here
Is there
Inside of my mind
Inside of your mind

“There is no Penguin of the Opera…,” Magnus repeated his claim to her in a soft voice as he embraced her.

Ruby felt the warmth coming from Magnus’s body and it felt comforting to her. She looked up at him and sang to him:

Magnus, I've been there, to his world of
unending night
To a world where the daylight dissolves
into darkness, darkness
Magnus, I've seen him!
Can I ever forget that sight?
Can I ever escape from that face?
So distorted, deformed, it was hardly a face,
in the darkness, darkness
But his voice filled my spirit
with a strange, sweet sound
In that night there was music in my mind
And through music my soul began to soar!
And I heard as I'd never heard before

Magnus finally knew of the truth behind Ruby’s disappearance, and he understood why he would want to take Ruby away from him and the rest of the Opera Populaire. However, he was still skeptical of the Phantom’s existence and he was becoming determined to love and protect her always.

He sang to her in response:

What you heard was a dream and nothing more

Still believing in the Phantom, Ruby sang to Magnus one last time as the tears rolled down her cheeks:

Yet in his eyes all the sadness of the world
Those pleading eyes, that both threaten and adore

Ruby buried her face into Magnus’s chest and he held her tightly in response, whereas the rose from Phantom Drake fell from her hand and onto the snow-covered roof. He knew that she needed his love and affection so much in the wake of the tragedy that they all recently faced.

“Ruby, Ruby…,” Magnus said to her softly, stroking her raven locks.

But little to their knowledge, Phantom Drake was spying on them from behind one of two grand statues that were displayed on the roof.

“Ruby…,” he said of her.

After a while of crying, Ruby was finally able to calm down and looked up at Magnus.

“Listen to me, Ruby,” Magnus said to her. “I’ve been loving you for so long and I will do anything to protect you. Anything.”

Ruby slowly nodded to him and she felt him hold her hands in a gentle clasp. A light pink blush formed on her face and her eyes lit up partially with happiness.

Once he released her, Magnus took a deep breath and sang to her in his beautiful tenor voice:

No more talk of darkness
Forget these wide-eyed fears
I'm here, nothing can harm you
My words will warm and calm you
Let me be your freedom
Let daylight dry your tears
I'm here, with you, beside you
To guard you and to guide you

Feeling reassured by Magnus’s sweet melody, Ruby sang to him in response:

Say you'll love me every waking moment
Turn my head with talk of summer time
Say you need me with you now and always
Promise me that all you say is true
That's all I ask of you

A warm smile formed on Magnus’s face, and he continued to sing to her of his comfort:

Let me be your shelter
Let me be your light
You're safe, no one will find you
Your fears are far behind you

Ruby sang to him in response, revealing her desire of his love and protection from danger:

All I want is freedom
A world with no more night
And you, always beside me
To hold me and to hide me

Magnus embraced Ruby from behind and stroked her locks as she turned to him, with Phantom Drake observing them in hiding. He crooned sweetly to her:

Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime
Let me lead you from your solitude
Say you need me with you here, beside you
Anywhere you go, let me go too
Ruby, that's all I ask of you

Ruby sang back to Magnus in her beautiful soprano voice as she felt his left hand being gently placed on her shoulder:

Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime
Say the word and I will follow you

The lovebirds gazed deeply into each other’s eyes and their singing voices blended into a beautiful, melodious duet:

Share each day with me, each night, each morning

Whilst feeling Magnus nuzzle her forehead, Ruby sang to him in a soft tone of voice:

Say you love me

Magnus responded to him in his soft tenor voice:

You know I do

With that sung, Magnus leaned in toward Ruby’s face and kissed her deeply. He felt her arms coiling around his neck and he hoisted her upward. They spun around in a circle as they continued to kiss, to the devastation and melancholy of the Phantom.

I thought she loved me…, he thought of her. My dear Ruby… my delicate red rose… you… you’ve chosen that fool over me!

When they stopped, the couple stared directly at one another and sang one last time in their divine unison:

Love me, that’s all I ask of you

Ruby and Magnus embraced one another and they sealed a passionate kiss directly on their beaks. They could feel their love growing stronger with each loving gesture they showcased, especially with their heartfelt duets.

Phantom Drake was absolutely forlorn by the sight of Ruby with Magnus; he always fantasized her being affectionate to him and wanting his delicate touch every time he would be around her. Now they may be fading away into oblivion and he was determined to prevent that from happening. Phantom Drake knew exactly what to do: he must eliminate Magnus and take Ruby as his bride!

Once he watched them leave the rooftop, Phantom Drake sang of her:

I gave you my music, made your song take wing
And now, how you've repaid me, denied me and betrayed me
He was bound to love you, when he heard you sing, Ruby

Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime
Say the word and I will follow you
Share each day with me, each night, each morning

You will curse the day you did not do
All that the Phantom asked of you!

As he stormed off, Phantom Drake returned inside the opera house and slammed his strong fist into the Opera Populaire’s grand chandelier. He watched it fall crashing to the floor and he ascended deep into the backstage area.

“Ruby, you will be mine one way or another!” he declared. “That heartbreaker Magnus thinks he is good enough for you with his sweet charms and class. He does not deserve you. I do. Just you wait, Ruby. I will take you as my soulmate and we will be together…”

A sinister smile formed on his face as Phantom Drake finished in a deep wicked voice:

“…Forever.”