Anyway, I was bored last night and decided to mess around with PSP and I created a "cover" for this fic. I know in the cast list it has Rose Byrne as Isobel, but I used Liv Tyler instead. The character looks like a mixture between the two actresses. She has Rose's hair and facial features, but Liv's eyes, figure and height.
Go to Photobucket dot com, search for "Evenstar03" and look for the picture that says "Daughter of Twilight cover". It should be the first picture.
It's not the best, but I had fun making it. Pairings: Disclaimer:
Summary: When the daughter of monster hunter Gabriel Van Helsing and the Lady of the Dúnedain goes undercover with her company to capture the infamous Opera Ghost, nothing goes as planned. What will happen when three childhood friends reunite and secrets uncovered? Also, what will Erik do when he comes face to face with a child of Lúthien's line?
Chapter Ten: Foundations of Stone
It was the premiere night for Don Juan Triumphant. The firemen and gendarmes were frankly stunned to be instructed by a woman. Isabel was wearing her "monster-hunting" outfit complete with a grey-green Edain style cloak underneath a black leather duster. To top it all off, she wore a leather cowboy hat that her father had given her and she was armed to the hilt. Gwydion was similarly dressed and carrying a heavy crossbow, invented by Isobel's "Uncle" Carl.
"Do you understand your instructions?" Isobel asked, pacing like a hunting cat. The head soldier nodded. "When we hear the whistle, we immediately secure the doors and double check to make sure no one can get in or out." He recited dutifully. "Good." Gwydion said, coming to stand next to Isobel. The audience came in slowly, apprehensively. What would happen, at this Phantom's Opera?
As Isobel watched them come in, she wondered for a moment if she was doing the right thing. 'What other choice do we have? Perhaps...perhaps if I take him personally into custody, I can persuade the Council of Elders and the Vatican to lighten his sentence. Perhaps...' Isobel stared into space as Raoul gave the order to lock the doors. The audience jumped, spooked by the noise.
"Will you have a clear view from Box Five?" Raoul asked the two Hunters in a low voice. Gwydion's eyes blazed like a winter storm. "We can shoot to kill. Make no mistake about that." He said quietly. From his spot in the rafters, Erik snickered coldly. He'd been watching the Vicomte and the managers. It was darkly amusing to him that they had hired Gabriel Van Helsing's own daughter to hunt him down. As a child, Javert had terrified him into thinking that Van Helsing would kill him for being a cruel monster. An idea formed in his mind, and Erik grinned savagely. Using his mastery of ventriloquism, he shouted "I'm here: the Phantom of the Opera!" and smirked at their bewilderment.
The crowd grew spooked, and the soldiers started to run towards the direction of the voice. "I'm here: the Phantom of the Opera!" Erik called out again, this time directing his voice towards the right side. Now making it seem as if he was sitting in Box Five, he whispered into Isobel Van Helsing's ear "I'm here: the Phantom of the Opera!". The girl's cat-green eyes glittered with the promise of a fight, which made Erik smile in a twisted manner.
"Hold your fire! I don't want anyone getting hurt!" Raoul growled angrily at a trigger happy young soldier. "But..but!" he sputtered in indignation. "For once, the young Vicomte is right! So go ahead, seal my fate tonight! I hate to have to cut the fun short but the joke is wearing thin...let my opera begin!" Erik shouted and quietly dropped down to wait for the opportune moment to make his "debut."
Reyer grimaced as he began the overture. The audience winced and frowned, not liking the beginning so far. The curtain rose, and a group of gypsies with Carlotta at the lead began to sing.
Here the sire may serve the dam,
Here the master takes his meat
Here the sacrificial lamb utters one despairing bleat!
Poor young maiden!
For the thrill on your tongue of stolen sweets,
You will have to pay the bill-tangled in the winding sheets!
Serve the meal and serve the maid!
Serve the master so that when tables, plans and maids are laid
Don Juan triumphs once again!
Carlotta tried to overpower the other members of the chorus, as she felt it was an embarrassment for the reigning diva to have such a small part. One of the other cast members not-so-gently shoved her, and she shoved him back, giving a wide fake smile at the audience.
Meg Giry came out, dressed as a gypsy dancer in a skirt of black and red with a white peasant blouse. She executed a pirouette in front of Piangi in his Don Juan costume. He threw a bag of coins at her lazily and she caught it with expert hands before dancing saucily offstage.
"Passarino, my faithful friend! Recite the plan again so I know you understand my instructions fully!" Piangi bellowed, his face painted in garish makeup. "Your young guest believes I'm you-that I am the master and you the mysterious man!" Passarino recited dutifully, laughing a little.
"When you met, you wore my cloak and she could not have seen your face. So now she believes she dines with me in her master's borrowed place! Furtively, we'll scoff and quaff, stealing what in truth is mine. When it's late and modesty starts to mellow with the wine..."Piangi gave a loud chuckle.
"You will come home-I'll use your voice and slam the door like crack of doom..." Passarino added. "I shall cry 'Come hide with me! Where, oh where? Of course, my room!" Piangi finished.
"Poor thing hasn't got a chance..."the other man mused. Piangi handed him his affects. "Here's my hat, my cloak and sword. Conquest is assured if I do not forget myself and laugh!" he said. With that, he turned and disappeared into the curtain, only to meet his fate at the Punjab lasso.
Christine glanced up as Isobel, Gwydion and Raoul sitting in Box Five. Raoul gave her a small nod of encouragement and Isobel pointed to her dagger and sword belted at her side, to reassure her that she would be safe onstage. So the young soprano took a deep breath and gracefully walked on. "No thoughts within her head but thoughts of joy! No dreams within her head but dreams of love!" she sang, trying to relax.
"Master?" Passarino called on cue. "Passarino, go away! For the trap is set and waits for it's prey!" Erik sang, covering his face with his long cloak. His heart was pounding, but he ignored it and went on ruthlessly with his scheme.
You've decided...decided...
You have come here, in pursuit of your deepest urge
In pursuit of that wish, which 'till now has been silent...silent
I have brought you, that our passions may fuse and merge
In your mind you've already succumbed to me,
Dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me
Now you are here with me, no second thoughts,
Erik sang his lines, letting his voice ring with a dark power and majesty. 'Listen to your dark angel Christine. Feel the music of the night!' he thought, slowly walking towards her like a panther in the jungle. Isobel stiffened, her entire body ready for a fight. Raoul looked at Isobel, and back at the Phantom. It struck him in that moment at how similar in movement Erik and Isobel were. Van Helsing's daughter moved like a tigress due to her training as a hunter and the Phantom like a black panther from years of experience in living among the shadows. Raoul was unnerved by that similarity and he surpressed a shudder.
Past the point of no return, no backward glances Beyond the point of no return..
Our games of make-believe are at an end
Past all thought of if or when, no use resisting
Abandon thought and let the dream descend!
What raging fire shall flood the soul?
What rich desire unlocks its door?
What sweet seduction lies before us?
Past the point of no return, the final threshold
What warm unspoken secrets will we learn
Erik now lunged and grabbed Christine around the waist, gently caressing her throat. Her eyes involuntarily closed, basking in the black heat of his song. He then let her go, barely touching her arm. Christine was brought back to herself again, noticing that Isobel and Gwydion were ready to kill at a moment's notice. Her heart beat wildly-no matter what he had done, he was her dark Angel and she had to save him somehow. Closing her eyes again, she took a deep breath and subtly signaled to her friends to not shoot. You have brought me to the moment where words run dry, When will the flames at last consume us?
To the moment where speech disappears into silence...silence
I have come here, hardly knowing the reason why
In my mind I've already imagined our bodies entwining,
Denfenseless and silent, now I am here with you
No second thoughts, I've decided...decided...
Past the point of no return
No going back now, our passion play has now, at last, begun
Past all thought of right or wrong, one final question:
How long should we two wait, before we're one?
When will the blood begin to race?
The sleeping bud burst into bloom?
Erik looked up and locked eyes with Isobel Van Helsing. Blue-green met emerald-green and for one long moment, it felt as if their souls melded into one. 'Oh Eru, oh Elbereth, he's not evil! He's the man from my dream...oh Star Queen, what do I do now?' Isobel thought in utter and complete shock. She had felt his pain, his sadness and his desperation as surely as if had been her own feelings.
For Erik, he had felt all of the hunter's rage and anger disappear as their eyes locked. It had been replaced by a sort of understanding, and once more he mentally heard that ghostly whisper of "Tinúviel."
"Isobel, shoot him now!" Raoul hissed angrily. Slowly she turned around to face him, eyes glittering in a pale face. "I can't..."she whispered. "Why not?" Gwydion said curiously, noting the odd look on her face. "Because he is not evil!" Isobel snapped, then seeing Raoul's face sighed and explained her stance. "My family's life, our job, our curse, if you will is to vanquish evil. We can sense evil. This man, this Erik is not evil. He may have performed evil acts due to what society has put him through, evil may have left it's mark on him in the form of madness, but evil does not rule him. Therefore, I cannot kill him." Isobel said through gritted teeth.
"You may not be able to kill him, but the gendarmes can!" Raoul tried to motion towards the head soldier but the Hunters blocked him. "Leave it! We can handle it!" Gwydion snarled, drawing himself up to his full height. The Vicomte sighed, annoyed and sat down.
Christine started to climb the stairs that connected to the bridge, seemingly trying to enchant Erik with her angelic voice. He followed her, looking as if he didn't believe it was real. They sang together, their voices melding into a superhuman sound.
Past the point of no return, the final threshold, We've passed the point of no return
The bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn
They slowly walked towards one another, unconsciously keeping the crowd at the edge of their seats. Erik and Christine stood face to face for one long moment before holding the other's waist. They clung to one another and the Phantom twirled Christine, caressing her with a feather-light touch. The audience and stage members took a collective intake of breath as he gently turned her around to face him. Isobel stood up slowly, suddenly reminded of the Evenstar's sacrifice to be with the Elessar. 'I choose a mortal life...I would rather share one lifetime with you then face all the ages of this world alone...' resounded through the Dúnadan's mind. Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime Christine, that's all I ask of...
Lead me, save me from my solitude
Say you want me with you, here beside you
Anywhere you go, let me go too
Erik never got to finish his song, as in that moment Christine ripped his mask away, leaving his hideous face bared to all the world. He looked around, a humiliation deeper then anything he'd ever known before rising up in him as he heard the screams. Oddly though, Van Helsing's daughter had a look of deep sadness, replacing the fiery rage he'd seen earlier.
Then Erik's own rage got the better of him and he unleashed his fury. Grabbing a dagger hidden in his jacket pocket, he cut the tasseled rope that had been attached to a mechanism designed to bring the chandelier down. Erik grinned darkly as he heard the terrified screams. He grabbed Christine and together they plummeted from the balcony into the trapdoor below the fake fire.
Isobel and Gwydion's instincts kicked in and they screamed "Run!" and grabbed Raoul, dashing back down the stairs towards the backstage area. The chandelier crashed into the stage and chaos reigned. Carlotta gave an unearthly wail of pain when she saw the body of Ubaldo Piangi with a punjab lasso around his neck.
In the frenzy to escape, the two Hunters lost Raoul. "Go! This way!" Isobel said calmly, trying to make sure no one got trampled on. Gwydion noticed a crowd forming, lead by Meg Giry. "Track down this murderer! He must be found! Track him down! He must be found, he must be found!" the mob shouted, lighting torches. "Go, Aranel. Find your friends, and try to save this man of darkness. I will meet you in the small alleyway by the baker's, only a few blocks away. I will have Shadowfax and Muirgen saddled and ready. Leave the saving of the people to me, Idril. Elbereth go with you." Gwydion pushed her gently towards the crowd. Isobel nodded her thanks before confronting Meg Giry.
"Miss Giry, where is your mother?" she asked, eyes flashing with worry for her friends. "She lead Monsieur le Vicomte down into the cellars to try to save Christine." The little ballerina said, trying to hold back the mob. "Do you know of any other way to get down there? It is a matter of life and death!" Isobel was trying not to give into the frantic haste that would be a danger to her in this mission. "The mirror, in Christine's dressing room. Slide it back, and it will lead you to the Phantom's lair. Will you get Christine and Raoul back? And not harm Erik?" Meg looked up, worry evident in her wide blue eyes.
"I will do everything I can, little one. You have my word on that. Just delay the mob as long as you can!"Isobel reassured her. "Then good luck, Lady Van Helsing." Meg whispered as the older woman ran for the dressing rooms. "No!" she cried, turning to the mob and throwing her hands out. "Let the Lady Van Helsing do her duty...she can save them!" Meg implored. They did not consent, as their rage was too great. Silently, the blonde ballerina prayed that Isobel could save the three people down below in that dark maze as she tentatively led the mob down through another passage, hoping the Lady was already there.