Title: It Ends Tonight

Author: LittleLottexoxEriksTrueAngel

Summary: Erik's POVErik had a plan but it didn't quite go the way he thought it would. EC

Tonight, this ends. This masquerade, these games of make believe that we have played until now are at an end. Oh, Christine, you torture me with your love for him…there is nothing else for me to do…nothing else…this ends tonight…

Your subtleties

They strangle me

I can't explain myself at all

This is just how things have to be. Nothing that I could ever say or do can make up for what has to be done tonight, but this is just how things have to be. You, my little temptress, strangle me with your love for him, just as I have strangled countless others in my madness. My instinct for survival, to kill or be killed, renders me senseless as I prepare to give the final blow…Oh, Christine why did you have to ruin everything?

And all the wants

And all the needs

All I don't want to need at all

I must do this Christine. I want you to be happy and I know that it will take time for you to forgive; as I cannot justify my actions...as anger welled up inside of me, I realized that I was not in need of her forgiveness, she is the one in need of mine. She betrayed me. She lied to me. She ruined everything. No, it is not I who needs to be forgiven, it is her. She wrought this fate upon us both. I would be ready for I knew their plan; they would not suspect a thing…

The walls start breathing

My minds unweaving

Maybe it's best you leave me alone

"Seal my fate tonight, I hate to have to cut the fun short, but the jokes wearing thin, let the audience in, let my Opera begin!" I sang placing the cold, black mask on my face. The flames flickered and the small model burned. I looked around my 'lair' thinking I would never again be alone in this darkness, this hell, tonight she would be mine. Then, slowly, I dressed in the rest of my Don Juan costume and opened the small door at the end of the room. I stepped into the dank, dark corridor. I did not need a torch, for my eyes were adjusted to the darkness, the unending night that I was living in, but no more…not after tonight…

A weight is lifted

On this evening

I give the final blow

With cat like tread, I stalked my prey from above in the rafters. The rope felt light as feathers in my hands. I jumped down of the rafters like the demon that I am, and wrapped the lasso tightly around Piangi's unsuspecting neck, all the while wishing that it was the Vicomte's small, skinny, white, aristocratic neck that I was snapping in two.

When darkness turns to light

It ends tonight

It ends tonight

The darkness of backstage slowly faded away as I opened the curtain. I looked towards Christine, while singing seductively to her. There was shock in her eyes, which she tried to hide from the audience, but there was something else. Something else that I couldn't quite place…was it worry? Was she worrying for me?

The falling star

At least I fall alone

I can't explain what you can't explain

Her eyes beseeched me. 'What are you doing here?' they seemed to ask. I gave no answer in any way, shape or form. I couldn't explain myself…

You're finding things that you didn't know

I look at you with such distain

I chanced a glance up at box five...my box…where that boy sat watching the scene unfolding below. I looked at him in disdain…Oh God, how I hate him!...but it gave me a strange satisfaction that the look of jealousy in his eyes was due to me, the way Christine was singing to me, the way she was looking to me was the cause of the look of jealousy in his eyes. Our eyes met for a brief moment and he gave me the same look of disdain, but I cared not.

The walls start breathing
My mind's unweaving
Maybe it's best you leave me alone.

Our voices matched in passion…our voices blended beautifully as we climbed the ladders and I swore my love for her grew in those few precious moments before the disaster occurred…

A weight is lifted
On this evening
I give the final blow.

"Christine, that's all I ask of----"Suddenly the mask was ripped from my face, ripped off my face by my angel. Tears filled her eyes and although I could see a faint glint of regret in her eyes I read it as disgust. My anger took over quickly and I pulled Christine to me roughly. She gasped in pain as our bodies connected, but in a strange way I was glad for the distraction. I pulled my sword out of its stealth and cut the rope connected to the chandelier and we plunged downward, once again into my own personal hell, while the chandelier fell in a mix of glass and fire. I gave the final blow.

When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight,
It ends tonight.
Just a little insight won't make this right
It's too late to fight
It ends tonight,
It ends tonight.

My anger blinded me. I screamed at her and dragged her down with me further into the darkness. I barely noticed then, but looks of fear never left her face the entire time.

Now I'm on my own side

This is it. I'm beyond caring. My carefully constructed plan had been destroyed because I never took into account the possibility of Christine ripping my mask off my face…only a minor setback. I would fight for what I wanted…no, I would fight for what was mine, no matter what.

It's better than being on your side

"Why?" I spat. She couldn't answer me. She stared at me speechless and confused. I knew she wondered why I was doing this…little you know, little you care…

It's my fault when you're blind

I told, more like ordered, Christine to go and change into the wedding gown. Her eyes widened in horror, tears overflowed from her doe like eyes and she sniffed, in a very unlady like manner, before scurrying off to complete the task. When I was alone I stared at the small blue, diamond engagement ring that rested on my smallest finger. I stared into its blue depths wondering if she did indeed know what pain she caused me, that she unknowingly wrought this fate upon the people of Paris, herself, and me? Did she know that her words of love sung to him on the rooftop of my Opera House shattered my heart in a million pieces, like the shattering of glass? Did she know? Did she care?

Its better that I see it through your eyes

All these thoughts locked inside

"…Am I now to be prey to your lust for flesh?" Oh, Christine how could you say such things. I replied with a sarcastic remark, then became serious again…"This face the infection which poisons our love." I proceeded to place the missing veil on her head, letting her in on apparently my secret…this was it, I was it. "…Turn around and face your fate, an eternity of this, before your eyes" I said pointing to my hideous face. Soon after there was another kink in my plan…The Vicomte.

When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight,
It ends tonight.
Just a little insight won't make this right
It's too late to fight
It ends tonight,
It ends

"Raoul!" she cried in despair. The whole ordeal went by in a blur…this indeed was the point of no return…it ended tonight. I trapped the Vicomte with my lasso and forced her to choose…you would never believe who she chose…

When darkness turns to light

It ends tonight,

It ends tonight.

Just a little insight won't make this right

It's too late to fight

It ends tonight,

It ends tonight.

Our lips connected…Oh what bliss!...Christine, ever the actress, almost had me convinced that it was me she loved but I knew it was the Vicomte that held her heart, and not me. She, my angel, who had given me the gift of my first kiss, and, if only for a second, the first glimpse of love I have received in my entire life. I let her go. I screamed at her to leave, to leave my hell forever, and she ran off to free her lover, and they embraced.

Tonight

I sat on the edge of the swan bed with my music box…a monkey dressed in Persian robes playing the cymbals…singing along to Masquerade in my despair. Suddenly, I felt her presence in the room. I looked at her with tear filled eyes. I was a broken man.

Insight

She walked towards me, ever so slowly, tugging the engagement ring off her finger. I heard the water rippling faintly from where we were standing. Her hand came up gently to cup my cheek…caressing it. "I Love You, Angel." She whispered, placing the ring in my hand.

When darkness turns to light,

Slowly but surely her lips descended onto mine. We broke apart reluctantly, panting for breath. I took the chance and whispered, "Marry me, Christine?" She nodded enthusiastically as I slipped the sing back onto her finger. This time I took the initiative and brought my lips to hers in the softest, sweetest kiss of all.

It ends tonight.

A/N: So, what did you think? Please leave a review!