The Phantom's Angel of Fire
By- Cala Lai
The Phantom of the Opera fled the place he had lived for years upon years. He had lost his home, such as it was, he had lost all his possessions, but worst of all he had lost her. Christine Daae was worth more to him than everything he had. And now she was gone, stolen from him by that fiend, the Vicomte Raoul de Chagny.
All because of my face, the Phantom cursed himself. If this face was whole and pure, he could never have taken her from me.
The Phantom stumbled through the dark alleyways of Paris, trying to stay in the shadows and keep his face hidden, for he no longer had a mask. Suddenly, the figure of a person stood before him. It was a woman with fiery red hair and deep blue eyes. She was of a medium stature and glowed with an ethereal light. She wore a sleeveless white dress, which flowed around her figure and a cloak of gold cloth, the color of sunshine. Her wildly curly hair was contained by a waterfall braid, which wrapped around the back of her head.
"Who are you?" the Phantom demanded of her gruffly. "What do you want of me?"
"I have always been with you, Erik," she said quietly, and the Phantom, Erik, paled at the use of his real name. "I have always watched over you. Who do you think guided you to know when to escape the Gypsies? Why do you think Marie Giry just happened to be there that day to take you to safety? I have been with you, caring for you since your birth."
Erik regarded her with cold eyes, forgetting his attempts to hide his scarred face. "If you have always watched over me, then why did you let my mother abandon me? Why did you let me be taken by the Gypsies in the first place?"
She paled a bit and said, "It was meant to be for a reason, and I was not allowed to interfere. My Father causes everything to work for the good of His children, and His children cannot always see the end results. If I had interfered, Abba's plans would have been delayed, though they would have eventually come to pass."
His eyes began to blaze, and his stepped towards her threateningly. "Who are you? And this time, answer me!"
"I am Narylfiel," she said. "I am literally your guardian angel. Therefore, He Who I call Father is God Most High. Tonight, He has allowed me to reveal myself to you. A great choice lies before you, Erik, just as it does me. I have already chosen, but what will you decide?"
"What is the choice?" said he.
"My Father has given me great power," Narylfiel answered him. "Power great enough to heal your face and make it as though you had never contracted an infection."
The Phantom was struck dumb by her offer. Slowly though, hope began to dawn in his eyes, and pain flowed through the angel's heart. She knew that if he accepted, he would go after Christine, and that he could be killed. But even though she loved him, of perhaps because she did, she was willing to heal him. She cared not how his face looked, for she loved him no matter what his appearance. However, he did care, and she wanted to rid him of his pain and save him from any more harsh treatment.
"Tell me you do not jest," Erik breathed softly, his voice so low she barely heard him.
Narylfiel shook her head slowly. "I am completely in earnest," she said solemnly. "Do you accept my offer?"
A sudden fire burned in his eyes, kindled by the hope he now felt. "I would do anything to be whole," he said fiercely.
Narylfiel walked towards him slowly, gently raising her hand until she touched the injured side of his face. Erik flinched away from her hand, unused to the kind touch of a human hand. She touched his arm softly, her eyes filled with all her understanding and love for him.
"Erik," she said. "I'll not harm you; I mean only to heal." She moved her hand towards his face again. "Trust me; let me touch you."
He stayed still, and Narylfiel once again placed her hand on the deformed half of his face. She began to hum a haunting melody, then broke out into song, singing words in a strange language, which Erik had no name for. He could only think that it must be the language of the angels.
Narylfiel began to glow with many colors of light, which danced around her, flowing from her heart into her hands. She placed her right hand over his heart and kept singing. Her voice had started out strong and sure but was now fading with every word, every note she uttered.
Narylfiel watched in amazement as Erik's face began to heal before her very eyes. New, healed skin began to grow, knitting itself together over the scarred area. She poured all her strength and love into healing him, leaving nothing left for her.
She soon finished healing him. Erik lifted his hand to his face as hers fell away, though her hand remained above his heart. He felt the new skin, which now made his face look normal, where it used to be mangled and scarred.
"Go," Narylfiel said, moving her hand from his heart, releasing him. "I know you wish to go to her."
Without a word, Erik left her, returning to the opera house. As soon as her was out of sight, Narylfiel collapsed with a small gasp of pain.
Erik found Raoul and Christine fleeing through the grating where he had entered the Opera Populaire so many years ago.
"Christine!" he called running to them. "Christine!"
Both of them immediately recognized the voice of the Phantom. Raoul spun around, putting Christine behind him and drawing his sword in the same smooth movement.
"Christine," Erik said softly. "I'm healed. My face is healed."
Christine moved out from behind Raoul, lowering his sword arm with a gentle press of her hand.
"He does not mean us harm, Raoul," she said, her eyes fixed upon the man she had always known as the Angel of Music. Her face softened as she gazed upon Erik, but she said nothing to him. "Come, Raoul," she said, tugging on his arm. "Let us go now."
Raoul put his arm around Christine's shoulders, guiding her away, and Erik let them go without a word. The Phantom of the Opera was no more, for when Narylfiel healed him, all anger and bitterness was driven out of his heart.
"Raoul, Christine!" he called to them. They turned in surprise, for he had called to them both. "You know me only as the Opera Ghost, but I am called Erik. I ask you both for your forgiveness, for my actions have been unpardonable. Please, forgive me!"
Tears welled in Christine's eyes, and she nodded.
"You are forgiven, Erik," she said softly. She looked up at Raoul who nodded slowly.
"Your sins were against Christine," he said. "If she has forgiven you, I can as well."
Erik nodded. "God be with you both." He did not know why he had said that. He had never revered God, since he blamed Him for his face, but he had felt compelled to say it now.
Raoul nodded. "And with you, Erik."
The two turned and left, while Erik raced back to the spot where he had left Narylfiel. He felt great remorse, for she had healed him, and he had left her without even a word of thanks. He finally reached the alley where he had left the angel, and his heart stopped beating.
Narylfiel was lying on the ground, her fire-red hair now dulled to copper and splayed about her. Her eyes were closed, and she was barely breathing.
Erik fell to his knees at her side and pulled her still body into his arms, cradling her gently. Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled faintly upon seeing tears welling in his eyes.
"Nay," said she. "Do not grieve for me, Erik. I am simply returning to my Father. Death is not the end for me. This mortal form was weak, but my spirit is still a strong fire-brand."
"Why?" he asked her. "Why did you heal me if you knew it would cost you your life?"
With great effort, the angel raised her hand, gently touching the healed side of Erik's face. "Too long have you lived with anger and hatred in your heart. Too long have people scorned, hated, and mocked you for that which was beyond your control. I could not bear it any longer…"
She paused, seeming to struggle for the energy to speak. Erik waited patiently, and when she spoke again, he was stunned.
"I loved you too much to see you in so much pain. I had been given the power to heal you and banish the pain and anger from your heart. It cost me all my strength, but 'tis a small price to pay for you.
She smiled again, peace filling her eyes. He held her tightly, weeping for that she had told him.
"No," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "I only just found that I was not alone. You can't leave me now; you must not!"
"Fare thee well, Erik, 'til we meet again." With those last words her eyes closed, and her breath ceased.
Erik knelt there, how long he didn't know, holding the woman, the angel, who had healed him. Narylfiel's spirit had departed from her mortal body, but he couldn't bring himself to let her go.
Narylfiel's spirit returned to Heaven and stood before her Father. He held out His arms to her, and she ran to Him, climbing into His lap where He held her close.
"You love him," her Father said. It was said as a statement, not a question, but Narylfiel answered anyway.
"Yes, Abba, I do," she said.
"You loved him enough to give up everything for him, even though he loves another."
She lowered her eyes, for she knew what He would say.
"Erik Sauvage has done many wrong things. Three times he has murdered, and a fourth time he has attempted it."
"But he didn't, Abba," Narylfiel said, looking at her Father pleadingly. "He let Raoul and Christine go twice. There is good in him, Abba. I have felt it!"
Her Father gazed at her, chuckling slightly. "You have always fought for those who yet have light within them." He stopped, seeming to listen to something, and then He waved His hand, making an image appear in the mist surrounding them. "He weeps for you."
Narylfiel gazed upon the image of Erik holding her lifeless body in his arms as he wept frantically, and her heart contracted painfully. She knew that she belonged with her Father, but she loved Erik too.
The Father caressed her fiery hair lovingly.
"Erik needs you still, my daughter," her Father told her. "He weeps for you, Narylfiel, for in time he will grow to love you greatly. I will return you to him, but you will no longer be an angel. You will age, and when he dies, so will you."
Narylfiel threw her arms around her Father's neck. "Abba, thank You, thank You!"
The Father breathed upon His child's face. As she closed her eyes, her spirit left the halls of her Father, returning to her body.
As Erik's tears fell on Narylfiel's still, peaceful face, her entire body began to glow, her hair becoming a flame once more. Her eyes opened, revealing deep pools of azure blue.
Erik let out a cry of joy and held her tightly to him, rocking her back and forth. Narylfiel laughed softly, clinging to his strong arms.
"How?" he asked. "You were dead; you stopped breathing!"
The former angel smiled at the former Phantom. "My Father saw how you wept over me. He said that you still needed me, and He returned me to the body I had left behind."
Erik bowed his head in relief, glad that she had returned.
"Before you left," he began, unable to acknowledge her death. "You told me that you had always loved me."
Narylfiel's eyes softened. "Yes, I have. Yet I also know that you love Christine deeply."
He nodded. "Yes. I don't know if I'll stop loving her."
"You don't have to," Narylfiel said. "Your love for her was pure and good, though you went about it in a manner that was completely wrong."
"I know that I have done horrible things," Erik told her. "Something happened when you healed me. I don't know what it was, but I am different now."
"The power which my Father has given to me was great enough to heal not only your face, but your heart as well," she said. "The love of my Father was and is powerful enough to drive out all the bitterness and hatred which was festering there. Abba used me to show you what was right in all that you have done, as well as what was wrong."
He nodded, and then helped her to stand, catching her when she started to fall.
"You're not strong enough to walk on you own right now," Erik told her. "I will carry you."
"But where?" the former angel said. "Where will you go now?"
"Thanks to you, I am free to go wherever I will," Erik said.
Narylfiel smiled, lowering her head to rest on his shoulder, content in the embrace of the man she loved.
Several years passed, and Erik and Narylfiel traveled many places together. Erik never truly forgot Christine, for she had been his first love, but he eventually came to the place where he remembered her with only affection.
As the years moved on, he grew to love Narylfiel greatly, for she had loved him enough to give her life to save him from further torment. The power of the Father had allowed her to heal his heart of all anger and hatred towards those who had wronged him.
The former Phantom and the former angel were married, and they had several children. Their first child, who was a girl, they named Christine, for Narylfiel remembered the girl with fondness. The second was a son, and they called him Laurent. The Sauvages were then given twins, a boy and a girl. The boy they named Henri, and the girl was called Margaret, or Meg for short.
Thus ends one of the most mysterious tales of all time- the tale of the Phantom of the Opera.