Between Light and Shadow
Summary: Vignette. Arriving back in Paris after his escape from Persia, Erik meets a man who lends him a helping hand. But what kind of saint of a man ministers to a monster? (Book-centric)
Rating: K plus
Genre: General
Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own.
"We'll go and see the man-skeleton." – Gavroche, Les Miserables
The Daroga had smuggled him out of Persia. That may have been the easy part.
Getting back to France was harder, even with Erik's diverse set of skills. Stealing from the occasional village was easy enough, as was travelling by night. He could see in the dark just as well as a cat.
Of course, if he happened to be wandering around in a village after the sun had started to rise, that was a different story. No one in Eastern Europe trusted a man in a mask; most believed in evil spirits and chalked him up to one.
But still, he had continued on. He could think of nowhere else to go, except back to the land had been born in.
He made it to Paris late one afternoon, long after he had set out. It had been a long time since he had been able to steal anything to eat, but for a moment, all Erik could feel was relief that he had finally made it. He had no desire to return to the village he had been born in, but Paris was a glorious city he had always wanted to see.
Only for a moment.
The next moment found him collapsed on the ground, unconscious.
It had been a long walk back from Persia, after all.
When he woke again, he had no idea how long he had been on the ground. The sun, once up and shining brightly, had begun to sink towards the horizon.
Sitting at his head was a man he had never seen before, and instantly he was back up, then down, sliding away from the other man as best as he could. He still had that coil of rope he had twisted into a Punjab lasso on him…
"Are you well, my friend?" The man asked. "Surely there are better places to nap than the Earth. Though, it gives us its use for that as well, when we need it."
"Who are you?" Erik demanded.
"I am Monsieur Madeleine." The man replied. He did not ask who Erik was.
Perhaps he had seen the mask, and knew better to ask. He had a case near his feet. The street was nearly deserted, on this side of Paris so close to the edge of the city no one cared enough to bother with one who was lying in the gutter.
"Are you in need, friend?" M. Madeleine asked.
Erik didn't answer for a moment, then he said. "I…" It was strange to use a personal pronoun, but to talk as he usually did would give his name away, and he didn't want that. "Have finished a long journey."
"I see." Madeleine said. He picked up his case and stood up, then extended a hand to Erik, and pulled him to his feet after the later took it. "Well friend, a long journey such as the one you have undertaken does no wonders for one's purse other than to lighten it."
Madeleine been able to guess on seeing the other man that journey had been long, he could see it the worn and sometimes mismatched clothes the masked man wore, and the worn look on the part of his face that was visible. He opened his case and took out five Napoleons, which he handed to Erik. "Use these, friend, and start a new life here."
Erik looked at the coins, and nodded. "Thank you."
Madeleine returned the nod, then turned and started off, intent on returning to rescue Cosette and get her to their new lodgings.
Erik watched him go. The man had not asked about the mask. He did not know that Madeleine knew very well what it was to hide one's identity, but some inner instinct that assists those who try and hide gave him an inkling of it.
There goes a saint. That thought led to the next question – what kind of saint ministers to a monster? Erik looked at the coins again, and looked for the man who had given them to him. But Madeleine had gone and could not be found.
So Erik pocketed the coins and continued on into the city. The sun was setting. There would be complete darkness in a few more hours.
It was time to begin a new endeavor. Perhaps he would build a home where he could live secluded form the rest of the world, in peace in and quiet, where no one could find him.
Yes, that would be a perfect place to start…
[A/N:] And then Erik goes on to build the Opera House! So I was reading Les Miserables, and I was reading about Gavroche, and he gives the quote up there to his two tag-alongs, and that got me to thinking: In the POTO book, Erik is described as a living skeleton, if I recall correctly. So clearly, POTO and LM are set in the same universe.
I did take some liberties here. In POTO, Erik wears a mask that covers his whole face – I've gone with Webber's version here. This story is set right after Valjean (who is Madeleine for the LM movie fans – not sure the 2012 version ever made that clear) has escaped the galleys for a second time but before he goes to rescue Cosette from the Thenardiers. I might have the timeline a bit mixed up: I'm not sure if he took his fortune from the bank before or after he rescued Cosette, but I thought it was before.
So, Valjean was changed by the bishop's kindness and became a better person for it. Erik here, eh, not so much. He'll continue on the path he's already on, because he doesn't understand Valjean's motives in helping him, i.e., helping him and others avoid falling into crimes and despair, etc.
Anyway, I hope you liked it. If you've made it this far, please leave a review. I'd love to know what you think of my efforts here.