Of Masks And Roses

Into The Unknown

Author's Note: Hello everyone! Just to let you all know there will be a song in this chapter pretty early on. If you like cartoons as much as me, you'll know what it's from. It's the song Into the Unknown from the Over the Garden Wall series. It's one of my favorite songs from the show and I've been wanting to include it in this fic for a while now. Ever since I started it really. If you don't know the song it is easily found on youtube, and I recommend that you listen to it.

xXx

"Ok, are you ready?" I asked Erik as I placed my hands on the keys. We have been finishing up our piece for the past hour or two when I suggested that we have a small mental break and I could have him sing a song from my time. At first, he really wanted to keep going, but eventually he gave in and agreed. With a giddy 'thank you' I quickly wrote down the notes and words on a spare music sheet and handed it to him once I was finished.

"It's from my time," I told him as I shuffled in my seat, "But the music is based off of songs from the 1900's to the 1920's. Which is, still, after your time, I guess." I chuckled nervously, brushing my hair behind my ears.

He looked down at the sheet of music that I made for him a moment longer, then nodded his head.

"How amazing," he said, setting the paper down on the music sheet stand, "That there are decades of songs and lyrics and music that I have not heard yet, but will someday exist all the same. I'm ready, then." I sat up straighter at his words and began to play the first seventeen notes of the song. When it was time, I looked over at Erik and nodded for him to begin as I played the note Db.

"Lead through the mist," he began to sing, "By the milk light of moon.

All that was lost is revealed." I couldn't help but grin widely. The Phantom of the Opera singing one of my favorite songs while I played. What a dream come true.

"Our long bygone burdens,

Mere echoes of the spring.

But where have we come?

And where shall we end?

If dreams can't come true,

Then why not pretend?

And how the gentle wind,

beckons through the leaves,

As autumn colors fall.

Then sing in a swirl of golden memories.

The loveliest lies of all."

I smiled softly as the last note of the piano rang out in the air. Taking my hands off the piano I brushed a strand of hair out of my face and looked up at Erik.

"So?" I asked. He looked down at me with a smirk as he reached out and grabbed the music sheet.

"That was very fun," he mused as he handed the paper back to me, and I smiled a little wider, folding it in half and tucking it in my pocket, "But let us get back to composing. We are almost finished. Play it once more for me, if you will."

I nodded my head and set my hands back onto the piano and began to play the piece for him. He listened quietly for a minute, before shaking his head and grabbing his quill.

"No, no, no. That needs to be changed to a C, not a D." he said softly as he scratched the note out, "Oh, I forgot to ask," he began as he set his quill down, "What were you and Carlotta talking about last week?" he asked.

"Oh. Well, to sum it up she wanted me to play a song for her, asked if I was going to the masquerade, and when I said I wasn't because I couldn't afford a dress she said that she'd have some professionals of hers make my costume for the masquerade."