In the other room, Erik was leaning gratefully against Madame Giry, surprised as always at the older woman's strength and fortitude.
"You need to tell them Erik."
Erik winced at the movement, but nodded all the same.
"I know...I know..."
She was persistent.
"Now Erik."
Erik shot her a look.
"He did slash me, you know."
Madame Giry grunted.
"I probably would have as well. Now move."
The pair moved out of the room and down by the lake, where Erik registered Micah hunched over Marie's kneeling figure. Erik braced himself against Madame Giry anew, who offered out to him her walking cane.
"Don't you need it?"
The old ballet instructor grinned mischieviously.
"Some things are better off being used for another purpose."
Erik was still smiling when Micah's voice floated up towards him. A voice, Erik noticed for the first time, which was quite pleasing to the ear... much unlike Raoul's aristocratic boom.
"Marie...I... don't know how to say this..."
Marie kneeled in her brother's arms, dreading the worst and not wanting to hear the words from Micah's mouth. It felt like she already knew.
"Mother... mother's... dead."
Marie sat wide-eyed, her body frozen in shock. No, it couldn't be! Her beautiful, sad mother dead?
CRACK.
Marie and Micah jumped and whirled around. The infamous phantom of the opera stood there trembling, an old woman supporting his body and a snapped cane clutched in his shaking fingers.
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A/N: So sorry about the shortness of this one, been very busy with the end of the school year. Then again, this chapter might need to stand on its own.. Yet you know what that means! More time to write and update! YAY!
Lol, so yeah. Also, look for my new fic, which is a humorous diary that Erik has seemed to keep...haha.
AND AS ALWAYS, REEEEEEEVIEW!
Erik thanks you.
Silinde, aka Diana.