Phantom of the Gala

Chapter 1: Rehearsal

Chapter 1

Fifty years prior to the auction, when the Canterlot Opera House was still standing, there were rehearsals for the production of Hannibal. Rarity, a white unicorn who simply had to get all the leading rolls, was playing the Queen of Carthage. While she was belting out... something... a group of girls were doing the ballet scene behind her. In the group of the girls was Fluttershy and Sweetie Belle.

While they were practicing, Applejack, the current owner of the Opera House, was giving a tour to Celestia and Luna, the new owners of the Opera House. “If you look on stage, you'll be seein' the rehearsals for our upcoming production of Hannibal,” Applejack told them. She looked on stage and made a really loud clearing of her throat, on purpose. Everything on the stage froze. “Mares and gentlecolts, some of you have probably seen these two walkin' 'round these parts,” she told everypony on stage.

She opened her mouth to continue when, “I'm sorry, Madame Applejack, but we are in rehearsals. Do you mind waiting a few minutes?” the conductor, Octavia a gray earth pony, asked.

“Uh, sure,” Applejack replied. “Sorry for interuptin'.”

“Thank you,” Octavia said. She then turned to the stage. “Go back where you left off,” she told Rarity.

Applejack walked onto the stage and motioned for Celestia and Luna to follow her. They were now all on stage and in the way of everything.

Then they all heard a hoof stomp on the ground. “Ah-hem,” Twilight Sparkle said coming on the stage. Applejack, Celestia, and Luna looked at her. “Do you mind getting off the stage? You're in the way of my dancers,” she told them.

“Sorry, Miss Twilight,” Applejack apologized. She then led Celestia and Luna back off the stage. “That is Madame Sparkle, she is the head of ballet and dancing,” she told them smiling. Applejack loved this Opera House. She knew every last little detail of it. She was especially sad that she will be retiring.

Celestia saw this going on and asked, “Sorry, but exactly why are you retiring?”

Applejack's smile fell and she looked at Celestia. She ignored her question and said, “All of our dancers are very well trained thanks to Madame Sparkle.”

“Who is she?” Luna asked looking at one of the dancers. It was the little off white unicorn named Sweetie Belle. She had just done an excellent arabesque.

“That is Sweetie Belle,” Applejack answered. “That is Madame Sparkle's daughter. She is one of our best dancers.”

In the dancers, something caught Fluttershy's eye and she stopped dancing. “Fluttershy! Don't let your mind wander!” Twilight yelled at her.

Fluttershy woke up to reality and got right back in line with the other dancers, this happened a lot. She always gets distracted.

“Fluttershy?” Celestia asked. “I think I knew a gentlecolt with a daughter named Fluttershy. He was a fantastic cellist. He played the cello as if there wasn't another care in the world.”

Applejack nodded. “Yes, her late father was cellist,” she said. “He was always so focused on his music, she always is a day dreamer, though.”

Then they all looked on stage as they were finishing up rehearsals. Right now Rarity was holding out a... “beautiful” high note. When she was done she took a bow. “Thank you, thank you, I know,” she said taking a bow at the front of the stage.

Applejack then stood up from the seats. “Attention everypony!” she shouted. “As you know I'm reiteratin', so I have Madame Celestia and Madame Luna. They are the new Canterlot Opera House official owners!” she announced clapping her hands. Everypony else clapped. Applejack then presented Rarity. “And this is the house's leading opera singer, Madame Rarity.”

Rarity bowed. “She certainly has the potential of being lead vocalist. I've seen you in all your greatest roles,” Luna told her. Rarity smiled and bowed. “Oh, Madame Rarity, do you mind singing a little bit for us?” Luna asked. Everypony else in the room gave Luna mean glares. No one liked Rarity's singing voice.

“Why of course!” Rarity said. “Ah-hem, Octavia.” Octavia tapped her baton on her conductor's stand, signaling she was ready. Rarity cleared her throat and started to sing. “Think of me, think of me fondly when we've said goodbye. Remember me once in awhile, promise me you'll try. When you find that, once again, you long to take your heart...”

Before she could finish there was a sand bag that fell to the stage nearly crushing Rarity. “He's here! The Phantom of the Opera is here!” a scared Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

“Derpy!” Applejack shouted up to the rafters. “Derpy! Why did you drop the sandbag? You almost splattered Rarity all over the floor!”

“Oops! My bad,” Derpy said back down. “I had to go and get a muffin.”

“A muffin? Then who was up there?” Applejack asked sounding angry.

“Uh, nobody,” Derpy answered. “Unless it was a ghosty ghost.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “He was up there! The Phantom was! I saw him!” Sweetie Belle shouted.

“Please stop shouting,” Luna told Sweetie Belle.

“These things happen, everypony,” Celestia said. “It's not the end of the world.

Rarity made herself prominent to Celestia and Luna. “These things happen a lot,” Rarity told them. “When you've fixed them you can come and get me. Until then, I don't want to be here where I could get killed,” Rarity said being a diva. She then walked off the stage and into her dressing room.

Luna and Celestia looked at each other. They had no idea what they had gotten into. “Well, good luck to the two of y’all,” Applejack told them. “If you need me I'll be on my family's farm in Ponyville.” Applejack then left the Opera House.

“Rarity will be back, right?” Luna asked Celestia. Celestia shrugged.

“I have a note from the Phantom,” Twilight said coming closer to Celestia and Luna. “It says that he would like to welcome you to his Opera House, and that you should always leave box number five open for him. He also says his 20,000 bits haven't been given to him this month.”

“You give him 20,000 bits?” Celestia asked.

“Yes, Applejack gave him that every single month,” Twilight said. “You might be able to pay more with the de Dragonne's being a money provider. Do you know if they'll be here for the show tonight?”

Celestia nodded. “Yes, the eldest son will be,” she told her. “He will be sitting in our box.”

“Since, Rarity left,” Luna started, “who will be her understudy?”

Twilight blinked at her. “Understudy?” she asked. “Rarity never misses shows, so we never thought of giving her one.”

“How about Fluttershy!” Sweetie Belle suggested from behind her mother.

Twilight turned around. “Fluttershy?” she asked.

“Yes, she's been taking lessons and you can sometimes here her when she sings in the ensemble,” Sweetie Belle said. “She is really good.”

“Who are you taking lessons from?” Celestia asked.

Fluttershy shrugged. “I-I-I d-d-don't know,” she stuttered. She did this when she was caught off guard by things. She also trembled when they said she could be the... lead.

“Oh, what a pity,” Celestia said. She then turned to the whole cast. “Sorry, everypony, but it looks like we can't open the show tonight.”

Fluttershy watched as everypony's face dropped. They all have been working so hard on this production, and all for nothing. “No,” Fluttershy said. “Let me sing for you.”

Luna and Celestia looked at her. “Okay, then sing,” Luna said.

Fluttershy nodded. She sang the same bars of the song Rarity had sung.

“My goodness!” Celestia exclaimed. “You have the voice of an angel! You must play the lead in opening night.”

“Oh, uh,” Fluttershy said uneasily. She then remembered everypony else. “Alright.”