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Gankutsuou Reborn	By : roryheadmav Category: +G to L > Gankutsuou Views: 5812 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Gankutsuou, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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DISCLAIMER: This story is a non-commercial
work of fiction based on the anime/manga Gankutsuou. Original copyright
of Gankutsuou belongs to Mahiro Maeda, Gonzo/Media Factory, GDH.
Absolutely no monetary gain has been made with this work.
GANKUTSUOU REBORN

© August 20, 2005 By Rory
V. Pascual
CHAPTER ONE: Two Letters And A
Young Man's Decision

12 June, 5060
My dearest Albert,
I must apologize for not responding
to your letter, and it's been three months since you sent this. It is only
now that my manager handed your letter to me. A fool, that LeFortin! He
mistook your missive as having come from one of my most ardent admirers.
Overprotective idiot kept all my letters in order that any (in his terms!)
budding romances will not distract me from my music while on tour. As if
that were remotely possible. You know very well that I am made of much
stronger stuff than that.
The concert circuit was a lot
more rigorous than I expected, but I have no regrets. I am living and breathing
my fondest dreams. I am playing the music that I love and sharing them
with people from distant planets. I'm sure you understand my sentiments,
being just as well traveled as I am in your profession as aide to the Paris
ambassador to the Empire. Between you and me, I had even started writing
the music to that opera I was telling you about.
I am playing a series of concerts
in Luna right now. How long has it been since you last came here? Was it
six, seven years ago? Well, Luna hasn't changed much in that time. Ruffian
and bandits still roam the streets. LeFortin hired bodyguards for us to
discourage any kidnapping attempts. The man who had abducted you � Luigi
Vampa (?) is his name, if I remember correctly � he is now the No. 1 Most
Wanted Man in Luna.
What am I doing? The last thing
I want is to dredge up bad memories. That trip to Luna was the last you
shared with Franz, and where you met him. However, something happened
to me here that I believe you should know. I already wrote to dear Haydee
in Janina earlier. I am down to my last two pages of letter paper, so I'd
better get right to it.
At the insistence of LeFortin,
I went to this nightclub tonight called La Decadenza. He wanted me to listen
to a singer performing there every night. The star attraction, not only
of the club, but of the entire city as well, and with good reason. I've
performed with many of the opera greats, but I've never heard a voice like
his. To say it was angelic was an understatement. His voice possessed a
great power that lets you feel the emotions in the song. Would you believe
that he had the gall to write lyrics to the song I had composed for you?
But to hear him sing it, with those sad lyrics� I'm telling you, not a
single dry eye could be found among the audience, including my own. His
voice soothed the fear inside my heart.
"You felt fear?" you might ask.
I won't deny it. I was afraid, especially when I beheld his face for the
first time. I swear I thought my heart was going to give way right then
and there. I went up on stage (which took a lot of courage on my part)
to get a close look at him. At first, I thought I was wrong. His youth
was undeniable. He is the same age as you. However, call it that blasted
intuition that all women possess, I could not be mistaken.
Albert�it was he! Your
old friend! The man who took Franz's life and nearly ruined ours!
I know you'll probably tell me
that it's impossible, that he couldn't be alive. That he perished during
the siege of Paris. But his remains were never recovered from the ruins
of No. 30 Champs Elysee, were they? Only your father's body was found.
Still, same as you when you had
first met him, I could not help but like this young singer. Behind
his kind smile lay a deep sorrow that I could not even imagine. Part of
it, I think, has something to do with his employer, Claudio Tintoretto,
the owner of La Decadenza. Tintoretto's possessiveness of his star makes
LeFortin seem like an angel in comparison. I've heard that he and Tintoretto
were lovers. If this were true, I don't think he would allow his beloved
to sleep with other men. An unsavory gentleman named Gasparde admitted
to me that he had availed of the 'services' of Luna's Nightingale.
Albert, I do not know why I am
writing all this to you. You know that I believe that bad memories are
best left buried in the past. But this exquisitely talented singer� I cannot
help but feel that, somehow, he is calling out for help with that beautiful
voice of his. I can't do anything for him, as I'm right in the middle of
a tour. I know that you are due for a vacation from the Embassy. I am hoping
that you would come to Luna to see him, to hear him sing. I want you to
be able to tell me that I was wrong, that this young man is not your old
friend.
But if I am right� Albert, please
do be careful. Not only with Tintoretto, but more so with him. It is not
my desire to reopen old wounds, but it would not help to be certain that
he
had not returned from the dead to haunt our lives once more.
All my love,

Eugenie

~~~~~~~~~~

Albert,
I just received Eugenie's letter,
and I must admit that it has given me great cause for concern. For this
young singer to be him� In spite of everything that had happened,
I had continued to wait and to hope for his return. Could this be the answer
to my prayers?
Unfortunately, political tension
here in Janina is preventing me from going to Luna. However, I had already
spoken to Bertuccio and Baptistin at length about this, and they are eager
to make the journey.
Just tell me when you're leaving
for Luna and I'll make certain that Bertuccio and Baptistin meet you there.
I will follow as soon as I'm able.
Forever your friend,

Haydee

~~~~~~~~~~

Albert Herrera, the former
Viscount de Morcerf, carefully replaced the two letters in their respective
envelopes. With a sigh of mild exasperation, he leaned back against his
velvet-padded chair.
Pouting, the twenty-two year old
Ambassador's aide muttered under his breath, "I can't believe these women!
Already making presumptions that I'll be going to Luna when I have yet
to decide on it."
But Albert had to admit his curiosity
had been piqued. He expected that kind of a response from Haydee. After
all, great was her emotional attachment to the man who had freed her from
slavery and helped her get revenge for her parents' deaths. Eugenie, however,
was a different matter. A strong willed woman to begin with, she would
be the last to admit to possessing the noted 'intuition' of the fairer
sex. She was, without a doubt, shaken by her encounter with this enigmatic
singer of La Decadenza.
" 'The last thing I want is to
dredge up bad memories,' " Eugenie had written in her letter.
"Ah, but I couldn't forget now, could
I?" Albert declared to his spacious office. "I promised him that I will
remember everything that happened during that tragic summer seven years
ago."
He laid his hand over his forehead
as he gazed at the carvings on the ceiling. How could I forget when
I know now that I had loved him, just as my mother had?
It had been Franz who had realized
that his boyish fascination was something much deeper. In his attempt to
save his best friend from the object of his obsession, he had sacrificed
his life in a duel that he knew he would not survive from. And yet, in
his last letter, he had urged Albert to be true to his heart and to pursue
the course that it dictated. But even that path had led to death and not
the salvation of a betrayed soul. It was only much later that he had learned
from Maximilien Morrel that poor Franz's affections for him went beyond
friendship.
Albert gave his beating chest a hard
rap with his fist. Curse this foolish heart! Why didn't you fall in
love with Franz instead, or Eugenie? Why did you have to fall in love with
him?
A knock on his door shook him out
of his troubled thoughts. Getting himself back in order, Albert called,
"Yes, come in."
It was the Ambassador's executive
secretary. "The Ambassador wishes to see you, Monsieur Herrera."
Albert leaped to his feet and went
around his desk, going towards the plump middle-aged woman. Giving her
a playful hug, he said cheerfully, "Let's go together, Elena."
A blush went up the secretary's cheeks
as she and the exuberant aide headed off to the ambassador's office, which
was located at the fourth floor of the Embassy building. As they went,
Albert was elated by the smiles he encountered along the way. It had not
been like this before. The Embassy staff previously looked at him with
hostility, the stigma that came with the false title 'De Morcerf.' When
he changed his family name to that of his mother's and slowly climbed up
the ranks through patience and hard work, he eventually earned the respect
of all. And he owed it all to the man who had summoned him.
Reaching the office at last, Elena
opened the door for him, without even knocking, and he went inside.
Ambassador Alain DeQuervain was looking
over the drafts of economic treaties he intended to propose to the Ambassador
of the Empire. A broad smile brightened his gaunt face, seeing his trusted
aide.
"Oh, Albert, please have a seat!"
DeQuervain gestured to the chair before his desk.
Sitting down, Albert inquired, "Anything
I can do for you, Ambassador?"
DeQuervain gave him a measuring look
before settling back in his plush armchair. "I'll go straight to the point,
Albert. I'm sure you've heard of Benilde Maurier's retirement."
"The Paris Ambassador to Luna? Yes,
sir. I have."
"Well, I was asked by the French
Council as to who would be the best man to replace him," DeQuervain carefully
began. "I gave them your name."
Albert's jaw dropped instantly. He
felt like he had been hit on the head with a bat. "Sir, I am flattered
that you think so highly of me, but surely there are others who are more
qualified to the position."
"There is no one with the impeccable
credentials that you possess. Truth be told, our present peaceful relationship
with the Empire could not have been attained without your able assistance.
Plus, another factor in your favor is your youth. Luna is a progressive
nation, and France needs an ambassador who possesses the flexibility and
the capacity to adapt to that ever-changing society."
"But what about�my family history?
I don't think the Council would approve�"
"Actually, they didn't. However,
I most certainly did not recommend anyone else for the post. Besides that,
I strongly impressed upon the members of the Council the simple fact that
the sins of the father are not that of the son's. They never questioned
my judgment before. I see no reason for them to question it now."
Albert was humbled by the man's overwhelming
confidence in him. "Monsieur Alain�I don't know what to say."
"All I want to hear from you, my
boy, is a yes. And, perhaps, a small promise that you won't disappoint
me?" DeQuervain said this with a knowing wink.
Eugenie's letter suddenly entered
Albert's mind. "Monsieur Alain�I want to ask�have you ever heard of the
'Nightingale of Luna'?"
"Why, yes! From Benilde, in fact.
A talented young man with the face and voice of an angel. Benilde somehow
managed to record one of his performances in secret. It seems his employer
is overprotective of his star's talent. Would you like to listen?"
Albert brightened at that suggestion.
"Yes, I would love to very much, Sir."
DeQuervain turned off the piano piece
he was listening to and selected a track on his computer. As the opening
notes began to play, Albert recognized the song as a popular love ballad
in Luna. Then, the Nightingale himself began to sing, and Albert found
his jaw dropping for the second time.
No word could describe the richness
of the man's voice. From the low notes of the baritone, he could soar to
the countertenor range with fluid ease. And he had to agree with Eugenie.
He could feel his heart beating rapidly with the emotions that were being
aroused in him. Indeed, this man was no ordinary singer.
DeQuervain noticed the rapturous
expression on his protégé's face. "What do you think, my
boy? Does his voice not make you feel that you are in the highest heavens?"
"He is amazing!" Albert gushed excitedly.
"Even the great opera legend Ludivigo Cassal's voice could not compare
to his!"
"How did you learn of the
'Nightingale of Luna', if I may ask?"
"Eugenie Danglars mentioned him to
me in her letter that I just received this afternoon. She never told me
his name though."
"His name is Etienne Delacroix. And
I know that if there's anyone who could recognize a musical gift, it's
definitely Mademoiselle Danglars." DeQuervain swiftly threw the bait at
his enrapt young aide. "You know, Albert. If you accept the post in Luna,
you will be able to hear Etienne sing. Perhaps, you could even meet him."
With Etienne Delacroix's voice filling
that empty place inside his heart that was once occupied by a mysterious
man with a dark, haunted past, Albert seized the ambassador's offer with
both hands and an enthusiastic smile.
"Yes, Monsieur Alain. I accept the
post as the new Ambassador to Luna."

* * * * * * * * * *
TO BE CONTINUED�
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Gankutsuou Reborn