Authors note: I know for the reader having so many chapters it beneficial for you to have so many chapters published because the more the merrier. But for me that means I will reach the end quicker which means I will need another story prepared soon, but hey let's not worry about that now, why we have a masquerade to attend.

Disclaimer: I own stuff...JK LOL...

Chapter 10: La mascarade

The new year had arrived, and the city of Paris lit up in celebration.

The masquerade followed New Year's Day, the opera house opening its doors to the grandest and strangest masks and costumes. Each more extravagant than the last, colors and shapes danced across the lobby, now a magnification ballroom.

Christine waited in her dressing room until Erik appear. Checking her hair and dress in the vanity mirror, she questioned if he would actually come. Suddenly, the mirror opened, revealing the phantom, dressed in all black, a red cape, and of course, his mask. He stepped into the light of the candle and smiled, admiring how beautiful Christine looked. "You look stunning." He marveled, bringing a blush to her face.

Christine's costume was a colorful gown, the bodice a beautifully embellished lilac that faded down to a bright pink and white. A puff of tulle rimmed around the bottom, showcased her laced silver boots. Her hair fell loosely down her back in rings, while wearing the mask Erik had made for her sat perfectly upon her face. "Do you think it will do?" She asked, smoothing the front of her gown.

Erik stepped closer and grazed her cheek that carried the mask, "you have, and always will, be the most beautiful woman in the world." She laughed her sweet melodic voice as Erik offers her his arm, which she took and held on tightly.

They departed from the dressing room and entered the main floor of the party. Christine could feel Erik tensing up right away as they moved close towards the masquerade. She leaned her head against his arm and whispered, "You are going to be alright. No one knows, we will blend with the crowd." As the noise grew, Erik clenched his jaw and his breathing became heavier. Christine made them stop and took his face in her hands, "Erik, look at me." His eyes couldn't focus, his mind somewhere else, until Christine's enchanting voice brought him back to reality. "Will you look at me Erik? I am here, right here, and I will never leave your side." He focused all of his attention on her, blocking out the distant commotion of the party. His body began to relax again, Christine sighed, "I'm here, beside you, and I will never leave."

Erik closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, "alright, I am ready."

She took his arm again, comfortingly squeezing it, smiling up at him, "I love you, do you know that?"

Erik gazed down and returned her smile, "As I love you."

As they approached the entrance to the masquerade, they were intercepted by Monsieur Andre and Monsieur Firmin. Andre greeted them first, "Ms. Daaé, a pleasure as always, and who is your guest might I ask?"

Christine's eyes widened, realizing that Erik had told her to keep his name between them alone.

As she fumbled desperately to find an appropriate response, Erik stepped forward, holding out his gloved hand. "A fantôme, Monsieur," he said, grandly gesturing to his costume and mask. Christine looked up at him with horror then back at Monsieur Andre.

To her surprise, he laughed at Erik, assuming his introduction was a joke. "A pleasure to meet you," he said with a chuckle, shaking Erik's hand.

Christine was in awe, so much so that Erik had to pull her away from the two managers. "But...why...I..." She stammered, looking with an incredulous stare.

Erik smirked and wrapped his arm around her waist to whisper in her ear, "for fools such as them, it is far easier to tell the absurd truth as though it were an absurd lie." With a lighthearted laugh, Christine leaned into his chest as the two ventured into the masquerade.

They spoke with Meg and Madame Giry, along with some other ballet friends.

Throughout most of the night, they kept to themselves, only telling sweet nothings and simple jokes to one another. Not once did Erik feel out of place. Tonight, he was a normal man, hand in hand with the most beautiful, wonderful woman.

A slow waltz began to play, Christine taking his hands in hers and began to pull him to the dance floor. "Come now Erik, you can't just stand in the shadows the entire night."

He bit his lip, hesitantly looking at the ballroom, "Christine I...I am afraid I have little knowledge of dancing. Music perhaps, but dancing, I am unaccustomed to."

Smiling sweetly yet deviously, Christine stepped closer, until their lips barely grazed one another. "Well, I suppose it's time for the teacher to become the student." She stepped away, leading him to the center of the dance floor. Erik's eyes shifted around, nervous about his new surroundings. "I'm here," Christine said softly, placing one of his hands on her waist and taking the other into her own. "Listen to the music, and you will be guided." She instructed and began to lead. Slowly, Erik began to grasp the movements. The two drifted across the floor, catching everyone's eye as they continued to dance.

He looked up nervously and whispered to her "everyone seems to be staring."

She looked over her shoulder before smiling back to him, "in truth, I had set my eyes only on you." Their eyes locked with one another, "forget the world, look at me." Erik nodded and continued to dance, his eyes never averted from the angel before him. As the song came to a close, Christine could not restrain herself. "You were wonderful!" She exclaimed throwing her arms around his neck.

A deep, musical laugh emerged out of Erik, as he held her close. "My teacher was phenomenal, after all."

She looked at him with wonder, "you laughed." It was filled with such joy and carelessness, conflicting with his usual stern demeanor. "I've never heard you laugh like that before. I... I like it."

Erik chuckled, pressing his lips softly to hers, "Perhaps I should do it more often."

Before Christine could say something, a familiar voice called her from behind, "Christine?"

She turned around to see her childhood friend, "Raoul, I didn't expect to see you here." She didn't know how she should be acting, especially after the last time they spoke, and what had happened on the roof top. "I take it you're in good health?"

"I am alright, though it is nice to see you again," Raoul said respectively. He then began to eye at the man who stood beside Christine. "And this is..."

Nervously swallowing, Christine turned her head, "my escort for the evening, an old friend." She held herself up with Erik's arm, seeking comfort. She had no clue which way this interaction would turn.

Raoul's eyes refused to leave Christine's friend, but continued to sharply converse, "now, friend of Christine, forgive me for imposing, but this costume of yours. Why, it strikingly resembles a phantom, or were you intended to dress like the opera ghost everyone fears."

"Raoul, this is neither the place nor the time," Christine stammered.

He completely ignored her, stepping closer to look Erik in the eye, "why don't you allow your friend to speak Christine, I am merely curious why resembleing the phantom of the opera is a mere joke for him?" Raoul then turned his gaze from Erik to Christine, "does your friend have a name, or shall I assume it is 'angel of music?'"

He had figured it out, she didn't even have to confirm his suspicions. "Raoul, leave it alone, leave all of this alone."

Erik grew angrier as Raoul continued to upset Christine. "I would listen to her, Monsieur," he said curtly.

"So he does speak," Raoul exclaimed with a mocking expression of shock. He then continued, "Monsieur, if we are to be formal, let us be honest with one another. Remove your mask. Show us the creature who lurks in the shadows."

"Raoul enough, you're acting like a child." Christine glared at him.

This time it was Erik comforting Christine. He was disgusted at Raoul for requesting the removal of his mask, how he didn't care how upset Christine was. "Sir, I prefer to leave my mask on, and perhaps you should change your tone, for Christine's sake."

Raoul sneered at the phantom, burning his eyes into him, "oh, you are trying to be the proper one. The last I checked, Monsieur, you would threaten everyone, anyone who took part with this opera. How disappointing to see the coward behind the monster." With a sudden grab, Raoul ripped the mask off Erik's face, which was then followed by the wig he wore. Raoul's face was stunned, filled with horror and spite.

Erik shrieked a heart wrenching cry, pulling himself away from Christine as he tried to cover his face. Everyone in the room turned to stare, some people screaming as others backed away. Erik's body filled with rage, shaking as he turned to a shocked yet smirking Vicomte de Chagny. Unable to control himself, the opera ghost lunged towards Raoul, tackling him to the ground. More shrieks and cried erupted around the room, the phantom prepared to strangle Raoul. He grasped his hands around Raoul's neck for a moment, but was quickly overpowered and thrown onto the floor.

Raoul was about to attack him, but Christine grabbed his arm and pulled him to stand, "Stop it Raoul!"

He grabs her shoulders and shook her as she whimpered. "Him Christine, you would really choose him?" He spun her around to look at Erik, quivering and hysterically crying on the ground, Christine fought against Raoul's grasp. "Look at him Christine, he's a monster, how can you love a monster like him, you deserve better than that!"

Erik couldn't take this humiliation; he couldn't even look at Christine anymore. Raoul was right, he had always been right. Christine didn't deserve this, the love from a monster. He covered half his face, tears streaming down his cursed cheek, a trembling mutt that had been thrown out onto the streets.

Christine broke free from Raoul and hurried to his side. Kneeling beside him, she placed her hand on his shoulder, to which he sharply jerked away. "Erik," she whispered, "Erik, come back to me."

He couldn't handle being here anymore. The cage, the whip, the torture from his childhood flashed across his mind as the phantom staggered to stand. The crowd parted as he fled from the room, as quickly as he could.

"Erik!" Christine yelled and tried to run after him, only to have Raoul grabbed her wrist. "You're hurting me Raoul, let go of me!" She desperately tried to wretch away from his hold, "what has happened to you Raoul! Any feelings that I once held for you are nothing anymore." With one last yank, Christine broke free, panting as she shed cold tears of hatred, "You are the real monster Raoul!"

Christine sprinted after Erik, throwing the door of her dressing room open, but found he had already vanished. A terrible thought seeped into Christine, what if he hadn't returned to his lair, what if he had left, left her?

The door opened and she whirled around, but found it to be Madame Giry. "He went this way, my child, do not worry," She said while handing Christine a lantern. "You will need this, and keep your hand at the level of your eye. He would never intentionally hurt you, but I fear he may be too blind with hatred to see clearly." Madame Giry walked past her, pulling the mirror aside for her, "will you be able to get there on your own?"

Christine gripped the handle of the lantern and shook her head, "I think I will be fine, but thank you Madame Giry, for everything. I don't know what will happen, so if I do not return immediately, please bid Meg goodbye for me."

"Be careful Christine," Madame Giry murmured, before Christine slipped away behind the mirror.

Authors note: Everybody say it with me now, "Poor Erik." So remember when I said I would be kind with Raoul, well basically what I mean by that is that he would not have some cruel death, though I could have wrote him much worse than this, in all fairness he is just a boy who wants more than he can get. So I leaving this as a cliffhanger for the time being, the next chapter will probably be up by tomorrow. As always do review and if you would like you may follow this story for when you want to know it's being updated.