Chapter one

The rescue

Raoul's POV

Bubbles, bubbles all around me, I can hardly see as my tightly clenched eyes open a mere crack to see the phantom's grate coming down on me, as it threatens to crush me down and leave my broken form in a watery pit never to see daylight again. Oh how I wish I could just let go and be back at the house by the sea in Sweden with my love, my Christine. I longed to go back in time; to be that small boy with his 'silly name and cute ears' as she had once told me I possessed. But that was then, and this is now, now I am here beneath the cellars of the Paris opera fighting for my life and playing Christine's knight in shinning armor as I made one final attempt to save her from the deranged clutches of an infamous seducer. I grabbed hold of the wheel that controlled hiscontraption and used all the power I had to turn it, it was rather hard to do but by the third time I had managed to grab hold of the grate allowing it to carry me to the surface where I would rescue my beloved.

I splashed through the water until I came to the gate of his home or more like his prison and saw him running his horrible dead, cold fingers over my fiancée's waist. Rage bubbled inside me, how dare he touch her, how dare he force her to be with him; how dare he kidnap her! My anger grew as I saw him place a ring in her left hand, my ring! I heard the voice of my princess saying what she thought of her kidnapper and for the first time in my life a cruel smile came to my lips as I enjoyed the pained look on my rival's face. Then snapping from my revive I remembered what I had come to this horrid place for, Christine! I saw her give a sob of fear and my eyes flickered with a blue flame. He had no right to frighten her, he was doing that enough in my opinion anyways! I felt a twinge of guilt as I reflected back to just before Don Juan Triumphant when she had begged me not to make her perform and I was so caught up in my own schemes that I had made her do it even though she was terrified.

I sloshed through the water and grabbed hold of the bars just as the phantom turned noticing my presence at last, "Wait I think my dear we have a guest!" I heard him snarl. Rage coiled my insides into a knot, a sensation I was becoming used to, and who did he think he was calling her 'my dear' I held the bars tightly doing my best to contain my rage so that it wouldn't show on my face.

My voice softened into song as I looked at her emerald eyes pleading with him and showing her love for me. Oh Christine! I began to sing my voice calm but passionate, "free her do what you like only free her! Have you no pity?"

I saw him turn to her and what came out was more like a snarl than the musical sound I was sure he had intended, "Your lover makes a passionate plea!'

Then my beloved's voice rang out to me and I swear her tone was the most frightening thing I had heard yet as she told me it was useless. I shook my head it was not useless I love her, and this madman was not going to take her away from me. My voice rose to a cry as I saw him wrap his arm around her, "I love her, does that mean nothing? I love her! Show some compassion!"

He snarled his hideous face looking more twisted and ugly as he did so, and what he said was more directed at Christine than at me, or so it seemed. "The world show no compassion to me!"

Christine's POV

I wept silently in my mind as I looked upon my love, my knight in shinning armor as he made one last effort to save me from this world of darkness, this kingdom of hopelessness, and its dark insidious ruler. Oh Raoul dear god why did it all have to end like this? My master/father was going to kill my love and then force me to marry him. The thought of me marrying my father figure was absolutely revolting and I felt myself become nauseous at it. My thoughts were interrupted as I heard the deep soothing tenor of my prince sing out in desperation. "Christine… Christine let me see her!" my kidnapper gave an attempted snarl that sounded to me as a cruel, enraged and sickening laugh "Be my guest sir!" he opened the gate and my love came in. The next thing I knew my love had a rope around his neck and the phantom's horrible twisted face was smiling at me, oh no I had to make a choice… an impossible choice! I had to either give up my freedom to save Raoul, or I went free and lost the love of my life! Well what did it matter, either way the phantom would win, and if I stayed with him Raoul could find someone he could love without her being stolen from him. I made my choice, and I kissed my former master's ruined face.

Raoul's POV

My insides did a somersault as I watched her kissing him. Oh why would she be doing this? My Christine why can you not just let me dye in peace knowing I have saved you! As she pulled away,

He let us go and oh the moment that passed as I watched the love of my life as she looks into the eyes of the man. He kissed her and I felt strange warmth coming from my eyes, and I blinked it away. The masked man let out a cry and sobbed begging her for forgiveness,

"Go now!

Go now and leave me!"

Christine ran to me and undid the rope as she fell into my arms. And as I held her I whispered to her," Christine… Christine." And stroked her hair as she collapsed in my arms.

My love was hugging me to her, sobbing uncontrollably into my shirt; she clung to me as though I were her last link to sanity. I wrapped my arms around her and sang her name softly in her ear. Still she wept, and the ever-familiar need to protect my princess overwhelmed me. "Why?" she asked and I did not have the heart to answer her, how could I be the one to tell her that this mad-genius loved her and thus sought to control her forever, that the one who had stolen her music was her maestro himself.

As I stroked her raven curls in a fruitless attempt to comfort her I felt as though my world was in my arms, my angel was my life and nothing could make me let her go again. I led her to the gondola and was about to set her inside when she stopped me, "Christine?" I asked her a little confused as to why she was shaking her head at me.

"Raoul my darling; please let me say good-bye to him." She begged of me and I felt something squeeze at my heart and then a small smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. She was so compassionate, so giving even to the man whom had put her through unspeakable terrors. I nodded my head and she pulled me close again before hurrying off to bid one last farewell to the man who had once been her angel.

Christine's POV

As I walked to his side I took one last look around his once beautiful home, now in ruins from his mad rage, and found him sitting in front of his music box singing along with it sadly. My heart broke at the sound of that beautiful voice which normally held such strength and radiated such power now so raw and bitterly broken.

"Masquerade, paper faces on parade.

Masquerade;

Hide your face, so the world will never find you."

I felt dizzy, and weak as all sorts of emotions ran through my head as I gazed upon my once-upon-a-time teacher. What did I feel for him, pity, yes; but there was something else as well, a new feeling somewhat of a strange sensation whose name I could not place.

"Christine I love you!"

In that moment I realized what it was that I was feeling. I loved him, not in the way I loved Raoul, but in the way a daughter would her father. He had after all been my father figure for years. I handed him back his ring and kissed his palm, no I did not love him as a wife, but still I loved him in a way.

I whispered a soft good-bye to him and then ran back to Raoul who was awaiting me with open arms.

Raoul's POV

I held my arms open for her and caught her when she stumbled from exhaustion. She nestled against me tears still streaming down from her beautiful eyes. "It's all right little one." I whispered softly, and she shook her head sadly.

"No it is not. Raoul, I love you but please understand that I will always care for him as my father." She was once again sobbing and I had to carry her to the gondola to keep her from dropping from hysterics.

"I understand Lotte, now relax and try to rest." I said and she apparently did not hear me or if she had my words possessed no effect on her nerves for my bride continued to weep no matter what I said or did.

I reluctantly released her in order to row the boat and smiled as she asked me in a sleepy yet troubled voice," Are you angry with me for giving him your ring my love?" and despite my anger with the Phantom for putting her through this I could not help but smile gently at her.

"No sweetheart, in fact I think that was rather kind of you to…" I was cut off by a voice, a voice that I had come to despise, it was none other than the voice of her fallen angel, as loud and strong as ever, and yet meek and sickly all at once.

"You alone can make my song take flight.

It's over now the music of the night!"

I felt Christine trembling with tears I kissed her hair and sang a soft lullaby, which I remembered from her father's tales and as she calmed down she looked up and then at the slowly disappearing darkness she smiled and said, "Look a light. We are almost free my dear!" She smiled and I ran my fingers through her hair. As we made our way to the surface I felt her head begin to nod, "I am so tired Raoul." She murmured and soon fell into a shock-induced slumber.

My angel's sleep was plagued by dreadful nightmares and as I felt her shaking I tried to comfort her by singing our duet and it worked a little until she began to scream for me to save her from whomever or whatever was haunting her.

"Christine…come now my dear it's all right. Come now wake up." I whispered using my shoulder to sake her by moving my arm back and forth steadily. She awoke and fell upon me with bitter tears.

"Raoul, he took me away from you." She cried and I kissed her mouth softly, cursing the phantom inwardly for doing this to her. She was about to tell me more when we made it to the surface, so I stopped her for a moment to help her off the boat. Setting her down I was about to kiss her when…

She fainted.

"Christine!" I called frantically for her lips were turning blue. I felt her brow with my hand and withdrew quickly she was burning with a fever. I of course had known she would sicken in that wet gown but had not expected it to come that quickly.

"Raoul… so tired… so thirsty… don't leave me Raoul…" she mumbled almost incoherently and reached for me but her hand fell away. Then she closed her eyes, her breathing became slow and shallow.

"Christine! Christine my love speak to me!" I called knowing that I had to keep her awake for fear that she might lose consciousness her reply was an incoherent mumble. I knew that I must cool her down in order to save her life. "My carriage, my carriage!" I called to the driver who brought it around swiftly.

Setting her down on the velvet seats I laid her head on my lap, "To the château quickly." I shouted to the driver who nodded.

I laid her head to rest on my lap and stoked her hair beginning to sing softly:

"No more talk of darkness; forget these wide eyed fears.

I'm here; nothing can harm you

My words will warm and calm you."

I knew she could hear me and so I would sing just to let her know I was here, she would be okay I would take care of her.

She had to be okay.