SORRY! I failed to keep a promise and I owe you all big time. We all had finals and a bunch of other stuff to deal with, but it's finally here! (and thank you again, whatanauthorsgottado!)

So much had happened. I found a copy of a Phantom of the Opera companion book from the 80's that had a lot in it, including a full script to the ALW musical. (ARGH! If I was in that musical, I'd have that thing memorized within three days!)

It was probably for the best that this chapter was delayed, due to the tragedy that happened in Paris in November, and this chapter has a flashback that would have made the timing inappropriate. Still, I was inspired to give some support and love to the city near the end of the chapter. Paris is the setting of some great stories and movies, and Phantom of the Opera is certainly no exception. I will never give up a hope that one day I can visit this city and see all that inspires us, even after all that it has endured.


Chapter 11: The ballerina and the singer's choices

Meg figured that this had to be the fourth or fifth time that either she or Christine had gone off without telling anyone, but she was hopeful that it would be the very last time. As amusing as it was, both girls had gotten into too much trouble through their sudden disappearances, and her mother's punishments were growing worse with each passing incident.

It was the day after Meg had overheard the conversation between her mother and the stranger, and she wanted to seek out answers. She had committed what the stranger said to memory before she left the Opera House.

She was certain that she wouldn't be followed to the flat on Rue Scribe- after all, Christine would be busy with last minute rehearsals for tonight and Erik would want to focus entirely on helping her, rather than keeping an eye on Meg.

As Meg searched for the flat, her mind went back to a happier time from almost a year ago.


Both girls were standing in the dressing room and dressed in layers of clothing that, while ideal for winter, was not so much for the weather outside the building they were in. Both nervously looked at Erik, who guessed the reason for their uneasiness.

"I can assure you that it will not be as complicated or as spectacular as you imagine it to be. It will be similar to when you blink for just a second."

"You promise that you will get us back on time?" Meg asked.

"Considering the time difference between countries, that depends on how long you spend your time in the city."

"Alright then." Meg glanced to Christine as her grip Christine's hand tightened. In turn, the brunette handed the bottle over to Meg.

"I can't believe this is happening." Meg shook her head."I-"

"Choose your words carefully, or else it won't work out the way you want it to."

"Alright, hang on a moment." Meg closed her eyes and thought over how she could phrase her words, before she opened them again.

"I wish... for you to take Christine and me to Moscow in Russia, in a location where no one will see us appear- preferably in an alley. Once we are done, you will send us right back to the Opera House."

"As you wish," Erik said, but there was a hint of mischievousness in his tone that concerned the girls.

Everything turned black and there was a rush of wind that hit against the girls. Meg immediately wrapped her arms around Christine and held on for dear life, while the other girl repeated the same gesture.

And then, before either of them knew it, the air turned cold and the sound of a busy street greeted their ears.

Meg and Christine let go and found themselves in an alleyway, and they could see people passing by on the street that was not too far away from them as they spoke in a language that neither of them could understand.

WIthout even thinking twice, the ballerina grabbed the soprano's hand and pulled her out of the alleyway and into the street where they were in a city that was completely unfamiliar, but Meg recognized the cathedral in the distance- a cathedral with whimsical, colorful domes that reminded her of story book illustrations and sweets.

"St. Basil's Cathedral!" Meg let out a breathless laugh and her eyes sparkled in delight. She quickly stuck the bottle in her bag, before she turned to grab Christine's other hand and forced her to spin in a circle with her. "We're actually here!" She laughed.

It was hard not to get caught up in Meg's delight, and Christine joined in with her own laughter, while the citizens turned in confusion as the two young ladies held onto each other and spun around like two little girls a play.

Meg let out another squeal of delight and hugged Christine, while the world continued to spin around for her in her giddy state of mind. "I can't believe this is actually happening! We're more than a thousand miles away from Paris, and no one knows it!"

"I know!" Christine laughed. "And we get this day all to ourselves!"

Meg stumbled a little as she let go of Christine. "Come on!" She pulled at her friend's hand. "Let's visit the cathedral, before we head to the Bolshoi Theater! We have so much to do in such little time!"

"Wait." The girls glanced back to see the one responsible for this trip- like them, he was dressed for the weather, but he concealed most of his face with a strange black hat with a wide brim that was angled so that it would hide the masked side, while a scarf covered the lower half of his face.

"Are you staying in sight?" Christine asked in delight.

"I do not trust you to be out on your own without someone to watch over the both of you," he explained. "There is no telling what could happen, and I'd rather that nothing should happen to either of you."

"Then let's keep going!" Meg forced herself out of Erik's grasp and continued to lead Christine to the cathedral, while their guardian followed behind. "Ah, wait!" She let go off Christine and without any warning practically threw herself onto Erik, wrapped her arms around him and drew him into a tight embrace. "Thank you so much!" She laughed.

Erik remained frozen to the spot and looked as if he didn't know how to react, since he was not used to that much affection through a physical contact. It had been one thing when it was Christine, but Meg's embrace felt as if she would squeeze the life out of him.

"Mademoiselle Meg," he tried to tell her as his arms remained awkwardly hanging away from his body and the ballerina wrapped around him "as much as I appreciate your gratitude, I'm-"

Meg laughed and let out a "Sorry" as she let go of him.


It was such a wonderful day, Meg recalled. The cathedral was marvelous, and the sights were incredible, but nothing compared to the Bolshoi Theater where they watched Swan Lake. Meg was enchanted by the story and the dancing, and the music of Tchaikovsky was pleasing to listen to- she was pleased that she wanted to do something that everyone else could enjoy (with some criticism on a certain someone's part in regards to the dancing and the way the music was performed). She desired to one day dance in Swan Lake as Odette, but she doubted that it would ever reach the shores of France before she was past her prime.

It took a while, but Meg finally found the flat with the red stone wall. She had an hour and a half before her mother would possibly show up to this same location so she had to try and be fast, if it was possible.

Meg walked up to the door and knocked on it. Seconds later, a dark skinned man who appeared to be in his late twenties answered the door and gave her a confused look.

"You're-" Meg struggled to remember "-Darius, correct? I am Meg Giry- daughter of Antoinette Giry."

The man stared at her for a moment, before he pulled away from the door and called out to someone in an unfamiliar language and turned back to Meg when he was done. "Come in Mademoiselle." He moved away and allowed Meg into the flat. He led her into a small parlor filled with little furniture- just a small book case, a few chairs, a table, and a few trinkets on the mantle of the fireplace.

At that moment, another voice called out in the unfamiliar tongue, while Darius led Meg to a chair. "Wait here," he commanded, before heading through an opened door.

Meg rested her head against a fist in thought. Who was the owner of this house, and what exactly could he tell her?

She didn't have to wait long as an older man who shared the same ethnicity as Darius came in. One very noteworthy feature was his jade colored eyes, which were looking at her in a guarded manner as she stood up- they almost reminded her of Erik's own unusual yellow colored eyes.

"I am Meg Giry- daughter of Antoinette Giry," she began. "I would not be here, but I overheard you talking with my mother yesterday, and I have questions that I hope you can answer."

"Are you being followed?" the man asked.

"No," Meg answered. "I have made it a habit to check my bag, and the person you are probably thinking of has no reason to follow me today. I can assure you that he is still at the Opera House."

"So you know why you are here." The man moved to sit and turned his chair so he could face the ballerina.

"Who exactly are you, and how do you know my mother?"

"I am known to some as simply the Persian. In my country, I was 'Daroga'- the chief of police- but my name is Nadir Khan. I know your mother through a certain friend that we have in common that you know very well."

Meg clasped her hands together. She was worried about what was going to happen next, but she had to continue. "I saw the music box and the note inside-"

"I gave that music box to your mother, along with the note, in case anything happened to him." Nadir clarified. "Your father was Erik's master for almost a full year, and he was well acquainted with Jules and Antoinette. In fact, it was the very year of the Franco-Prussian War."

Meg stared in shock. She remembered the war, but she was certain that she never saw Erik during that time. "They never told me- I would have seen him!"

"Unless it was decided otherwise," Nadir suggested. "I suspect that they didn't want you to be tempted by what Erik could do for you when you were still a child."

"If mother is coming, then I don't have much time- I need to know what is going on. You implied that Erik is dangerous to both me and Christine, and I want to know why. And I want to know why my father's death plays a big part in all of this," She added, remembering her father- her wonderful, hard working father.

"Before we begin, I need to know how you met Erik and how many wishes he has granted between the two of you."

Meg, recounted as much as she could. It pained her to break the promise she made, but she thought of Christine and her mother, and why she was doing this, and kept going. Even when Darius offered them tea, she refused to stop until she concluded with Christine's night of success.

For some peculiar reason Nadir groaned with what sounded like a cross of annoyance and despair and ran a hand over his face.

"What's wrong?" Meg asked in confusion.

Nadir raised his head up a moment later and looked at Meg. "I am genuinely amazed that you were able to keep Erik in your command for that long. Granted, I was sure it was because of the willpower you share with your friend in resisting the temptations he offered you, but I'm afraid that it might have done more harm than good. You see, it is one thing for Erik to allow himself to be in servitude to someone for more than a year, but it's another if that someone would interest him that much- especially if it is someone who shares the same love for music like your friend does."

"Well, it's not a surprise really." Meg couldn't help but giggle, before she grew serious. "Now you must tell me why I should be concerned."

"First off, a question- has he asked for anything in particular, in return for his services?"

"Well, I know Christine promised to grant him a wish that he desires, along with his freedom. It hasn't happened yet, but I know it will be soon." Meg recalled. "Why do you ask?"

"Neither of you should grant him any wish that he asks for Mademoiselle Giry." Nadir cautioned. "There is a reason the three rules were forced upon him. You may think you have a powerful ally at your command, but believe me when I say that he can be more dangerous without magic. If you grant his wish, you will release a monster capable of doing whatever he wants, without any restraint, and once he puts his mind to something, there is no stopping him."

Meg felt a chill at his words and she stared at Nadir in confusion.

Nadir glanced at the clock and frowned. "I'm afraid that the only way I can best explain this is to tell you what happened to your father, since we're getting too short on time for me to tell you everything." He turned back to Meg and began his tale.

"Erik has little trust in anyone. The only known exception that I am aware of was your parents. You see, Erik was trying to escape from my country and was able to trick someone into bringing him into France. He encountered your father in Rouen, before he brought him to Paris."

"I remember my mother telling me about how my father met a man who was fascinated with architecture and music, and how he had much to share on those subjects. So much that you could barely keep my father from going to bed to get the rest he needed in order to work the next morning." Meg smiled a little. "She joked that they knew a real modern day Renaissance man."

"From what Erik told me, your parents were charming and wiser than most other people that he knew of." Nadir smiled. "He said that Jules was a wonderful man who was devoted to his family, and he envied him for his blessings. In fact, I could have sworn that he told me that Jules was not only hoping that the two of you would be able to meet in person, but he also requested that Erik would make sure that you would have security in your future before you could be married or acquire a trade or profession, in the event that something would happen to your parents."

"But what happened? If Erik was fond of my parents, why didn't he stay with them?"

"Your parents promised to use their last wish to free Erik, if they were willing to sacrifice a wish to grant the one thing he desired most. Unfortunately, when they found out how terrible..." Nadir hesitated for a moment. "When they found out what it was, Erik did not take their reaction very well, and it created a horrible misunderstanding. I think if Erik stayed calm about the whole matter, then... well, we wouldn't have had this conversation."

"What exactly does Erik wish for?" Meg was more interested than ever at this odd secret.

"I'm afraid that if he hasn't told you or Christine, than it is not in my place to tell you." Nadir apologized. "For now, we must continue.

As you know, your father assisted in the construction of the Opera, which was put to a halt when the Franco-Prussian war came right to Paris. Jules was still at the site when it erupted, and while it was was being used to house prisoners in the cellars, he found something that would cost him his life."


Someone had shot at him not that long ago and though he was only hit in the shoulder, it still hurt like hell. He tried to run away, but then he found a secret passage in the Opera House by accident, which led to this hole that he fell down into, like in the book he read to his girls to about the girl who fell down a rabbit hole and into a land of pure nonsense.

To make matters more 'pleasant,' he was in pitch black darkness.

"Damn it to hell!" Jules cursed as he held onto his shoulder in pain. He could feel the blood that managed to escape from the wound, and it was only a matter of time before it could get infected or worse pass out from blood loss.

"Jules?"

The voice in the darkness was so unexpected that the man let out a surprised yelp and let out a curse that would have earned him a slap from his wife.

"I certainly wasn't expecting you of all people to come down here," the voice rang out. "But considering what is happening outside these walls, I suppose I should have seen this coming."

And that was when Jules saw them- two yellow orbs glowing in the darkness.

For one moment, Jules felt a fear for his own life and almost entirely forgot about his family as his eyes were locked with the yellow orbs.

A light came into existence and Jules found himself in a room where his own reflection was shown at every angle, but his gaze was where the yellow orbs had vanished, only to be replaced by a set of familiar yellow eyes belonging to a familiar man in a mask.

The jinn held a great flame in one hand, and the shadows that were formed by the ever permanent scowl of the mask made him look sinister.

"You have a lot of nerve to enter Erik's hiding place, while there's a war going on." Erik said in a cold manner. "You should be back with your wife and children, where they need you."

"Erik?" Jules hissed through his teeth as he grabbed his shoulder. His blood was steadily flowing out, but not enough that the wound would turn fatal just yet. "What are you doing here? Where the hell are we?!"

"I've been hiding myself from the world, of course." Erik replied. "After how badly things went the last time we saw each other face to face-" he gave Jules a knowing, bitter smile, "-I decided that I would make myself a permanent residence here, since I can't even trust those who had showed me kindness."

"What are you saying?" Jules eyes narrowed.

"Behold the chamber in which I will hide my prison from the rest of the world." Erik gestured to the room around them. "I will hide myself in a place that suits my liking, while those who dare try to find me, or even find this room, will meet a horrible fate. There will be no escaping, and none will hear their cries of help- they will be alone with only themselves for company." He glanced to the mirror. "Ironically, the very same torture that I've endured for as long as you could barely begin to comprehend."

Jules stared in shock.

"You can't do that Erik," he finally said when he regained his senses.

"But I've already done it- thanks to you, I found a place that suits me. I admit, coming along with you and exploring what will soon be a palace of opulence has been enjoyable, and it ended up being more beneficial to me than I realized."

"I can't let you do this!" Jules snapped as he forced himself to stand. "This is supposed to be a safe haven, where people will be able to make a livelihood- where dreams can come true! And you're going to turn it into your own personal dungeon and take it out on all of us!"

"Oh yes- all of ignorant humanity should be allowed to live out their lives, while I have to hide in their shadows!"

"There are a lot of people who could never understand what you go through, but that doesn't mean that they are all the same! I let you into my home and treated you as I wanted to treat those who deserve kindness!"

"Maybe you should have kept that in mind when I warned you and Antoinette about this!" Erik growled as he pointed to his mask. "But no- you had to recoil in fear, like the rest of them!"

"You can't expect someone to not be taken surprise by what they aren't used to! I'm sorry I reacted the way I did, but you can't expect to be the only one who's suffered as you've done- in fact, you have been more fortunate than others, and I see no reason why you should regard yourself to be alone in your suffering! But this is how you take it out on us?! These actions don't justify your pain, Erik- they turn you into the monster they think you are!"

"So you see me as a monster?" Erik's eyes narrowed. "You know, I had hopes for you Jules. I wanted to believe that you weren't like other men, but you are no better than they are."

Jules noticed the bottle laying in a corner between two of the mirrors. Realizing what he had to do, he quickly got up on his feet and he forced himself towards it.

Erik, however, had noticed everything and he knew what Jules was about to do. He quickly dropped the fire, took out a long cord like rope from one of the sleeves of his robes and, with a skillful aim, sent the loop end flying out towards Jules' neck and pulled at the rope when the loop found its mark.

Jules let out a strangled cry as he felt himself be pulled back, but he still forced his feet against the ground and stay in place. He could feel Erik coming closer to him with each tug as he tried to bring him closer, but Jules was not going to give in.

He finally forced himself onto the ground and when his shoulder collided against the floor, he had to fight the urge to cry out in pain. He crawled towards the bottle, but with one hand holding onto the rope to keep him from chocking was slowing him down, and the other attached to a wounded shoulder, he couldn't get far, and Erik was slowly coming up from behind.

God- he couldn't breathe!

"S-stop!" he choked. "Erik, I can't breathe!"

"I don't want to do this Jules," Erik hissed. "I really don't, but you leave me no choice."

The victim's hand finally grabbed the neck of the bottle, just as the rope tightened and he felt the jinn kneeling over him.

In a blind state, Jules thought of his wife- she would never know what happened, and he would never see her or his daughters ever again. Despite his better judgement, despite that he was slowly loosing air, Jules cried out:

"I wish to see my wife one last time!"

Everything became dark and Erik- who was caught off guard by Jules' wish- cursed and accidentally pulled at the rope with a force stronger than what he meant to use. He glanced up in alarm, but he was forced to shut his eyes when everything turned bright, and he could hear a woman screaming.

Slowly he opened his eyes to find himself in a familiar bedroom. It was still daylight, but he could hear chaos erupting outside the window from the war that he had tried to avoid. In this room, with a blanket and a few other provisions laying at her feet, was the wife of the very man that he was strangling to death.

"What are you doing?!" Antoinette howled as she forced Erik off Jules. The jinn made no resistance as the former ballerina hurried to Jules' aid and pulled the loop off her husband's neck. "Jules?!" she pleaded as she held her husband's now blue face in her hands. "Jules speak to me!"

Jules didn't stir.

"Jules?!" Antoinette tried to listen for Jules's heartbeat in his chest, and even held a hand to his mouth and nose, but there was no air. Her husband's neck had snapped the moment after he made his wish by Erik's final pull of the deadly lasso.

What words could describe the loss of one's significant other? Antoinette could only stare at her husband as emotions ran through her. Never again would he smile, hold her, or hug his daughters close to him, for no dragon could cherish his dearest treasures as much as Jules did.

Erik realized what he had done and for the first time in what felt like eons, he was horrified. He had taken the life of one of the few people he could respect or regard as a friend, and he created a widow out of the woman before him.

Antoinette looked at Erik, and the sheer anger in her eyes almost scared him.

"Get. Out." She spoke in a low, forced tone as her hands trembled. "Get out of my family's life... and never come back."

"Antoinette," Erik found himself trying to apologize, even though he knew he could not fix this mistake. "I was being too rash, I-"

"GET OUT!" The new widow shrieked with a voice that cracked from the misuse that would strain her throat, but it was also an almost inhuman screech, as if she were about to turn into a banshee that would chase after her husband's killer to the ends of the earth. She grabbed the bottle. "GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM AND LEAVE US!"

And just like that, Antoinette got her wish- both Erik and the bottle vanished in an instant, as if they were never there to begin with.

But now she was entirely alone- alone with the corpse of her husband.

Finally she broke down and held her husband 's body close to her; she sobbed into his chest as one hand tightened around the strawberry blonde hair that he shared with Meg and other held him as tightly as she could.

"Jules," she sobbed. "Oh God, Jules."


"Erik was sent back to me, and when he told me what happened, I had to act." Nadir finished. "Erik already couldn't use magic to grant his own personal wishes, but I was the one who had to set the three rules against him: the dead cannot be brought back to life, one cannot be forced into falling in love against their will, but most importantly, he cannot kill someone ever again. Unfortunately, he proved that even with those restraints he is still a danger to others."

"Then why did he come back to Paris?" Meg finally asked. "If all you say is true, then why would he send that music box to my mother?"

Nadir's face darkened. "There are many people in my country who have used him to accomplish horrendous acts- the worst of which had occurred long before he met your family and some were even worse than the death of your father. It had been my duty to keep an eye on him, and though I did not want to lose track of him again, I knew that Darius and I had to send him out of the country before the deeds could go too far.

He wanted me to take him to Antoinette- perhaps to apologize- but he insisted on taking a secret entrance to the Opera House that you can find on this very street. I suspected that he was up to something, and the very moment we entered the cellars, I put a seal on the bottle to keep him locked away and keep him quiet." Nadir let out a slightly amused chuckle. "I managed to shut him up- I can only imagine how furious that made him." He became serious again.

"However, a member of the Opera House caught me, and in my struggle I lost the bottle and believed that I had destroyed it. In the end I was able to give your mother the music box and a note that Erik wrote, in case something would happen to him- whether it was to give her closure or to apologize, I'll never know. Believing that I was no longer bound to watching over Erik, I decided to leave Paris and my country behind me."

"And that was when Christine and I found the bottle in the fifth cellar," Meg quietly concluded as she got up off her chair and walked out to stare out the window while she tried to put together everything she had learned.

"I truly want to believe that you and your friend have changed Erik for the better," Nadir told Meg. "I want to believe that all that time spent with the both of you has healed his soul, and that he deserves all that he wishes, but I am not entirely convinced."

"He can get jealous and likes to mess with everyone's heads, but he hasn't done anything as horrible as what you've told me," Meg struggled to assure him. "He doesn't come across as dangerous."

"Think carefully Mademoiselle Giry. Has Erik ever done anything that came across as unusual or even frightening?"

Meg closed her eyes as she tried to think back- some were easier to recall than the others.

The pranking of Carlotta... the fact that he made her sick so Christine could perform... how angry he was when Christine expressed desire to see her childhood friend... and then there was how Erik reacted when Meg had no idea where Christine had gone and his threats towards her.

"I can easily damage a career as well as I can build it up, without lifting a finger. And it doesn't even have to be by my own hand."

She wanted to believe that he was just someone who could get prone to jealousy and anger like everyone else, but then she thought about the mirror room and her father again. She didn't know if she wanted to believe that the spirit she and her friend had befriended and who had changed their lives for the better was the same person who killed her father, but everything lined up all too perfectly to say otherwise.

"As I said before, neither you or your friend are safe, but I fear that Mademoiselle Christine will be in greater danger if Erik harbors an affection that goes beyond whatever feelings she has towards him. So this where I will need your help, if you are willing to undertake this task.

If you are convinced that Erik is virtuous- or if you can bring Christine to me and let me hear what she has to say- then I will leave you all alone. However, if Erik has done anything dangerous or has made either of you uncomfortable, then you have to help me do what is right, and save everyone before something horrible occurs."

Meg glanced to the clock- time was growing short. Her mother might come at any moment.

She held her face in her hands as she tried to consider her options- let things continue, or take action. Believe this man and seal Erik away, or let Christine keep her promise.

Either way, someone was going to get hurt in all of this, and there was no telling what the outcome would be.


Night had fallen and the memory of the supernatural scream from the night before had faded from the minds of the ballerinas and singers of the dormitories.

"Why Christine, you look absolutely lovely!" Lucille smiled as she helped the soprano with her make-up in front of the vanity's mirror, while a handful of girls and young women were huddled close by.

"Thank you Lucille." Christine replied with a blush as the dancer applied enough make up for the singer to stand out, but not too much that she would look ghastly, and selected only what would best match Christine's coloring.

"And now for some rouge." Lucille applied the light red coloring to Christine's lips, before drawing away.

"Christine?" The girl's eyes darted to the mirror to see Jammes holding something in her hands.

"Yes?"

The dancer crossed over and opened her hands to reveal a necklace composed of two strands of pearl like beads and a purple stone set in silver. "I still feel bad for what almost happened with your locket," she explained. "So, would it be alright if I try to make up for it by lending you this?"

Christine shot the girl a reassuring smile. "I've already forgiven you, Jammes- I was partly to blame for not telling you when you first grabbed it."

The ballerina let out a relieved smile as she made her way towards Christine and helped put the necklace around her neck.

"It matches perfectly." Christine quickly gave Jammes a squeeze on her arm before she could draw back. "Thank you for lending this to me."

"You're welcome." Jammes replied as Lucille helped Christine up from her seat.

"And now for the final presentation!" Lucille led Christine to a larger mirror that the girls all shared at the other end of the room.

"You look beautiful!" Angelique beamed.

"Almost like a princess!" Eloise squealed in delight.

Indeed, Christine looked radiant- the jasmine gown fit her just right and the white fabrics of the skirt almost seemed to shimmer from the light in the room. Her hair had not changed so much- some of it was pulled back, while the rest hung loose- and Angelique allowed Christine to borrow her opera gloves.

"You are so lucky!" Angelique sighed. "You have a lovely dress and you get to perform for the creme de la creme of the arts!"

"Surely you must have someone escorting you!" Lucille grinned knowingly. "The men of Paris would be fools if they passed you up for the chance to be in your company!"

"If only." Christine gave the older girl a modest smile as she clasped her hands together and felt the ring hiding under the satin. "Where is Meg?" she asked. "I was hoping she could see me before I had to go."

"Funny you should ask that," Eloise piped up. "I don't think we've seen much of her today."

"Enough!" Lucille declared. "I'm sure Daae's brougham is ready, and we can't keep the driver waiting."

"I'll hurry." Christine laughed as she went to her bed to put a dark blue cloak on to protect herself against the cold. She went to grab her sheet music, but she carefully went to her box and stuck the bottle in a secret pocket inside the folds of her dress, before she stood back up, only to be pulled by the arms by an eager Angelique, who lead her out of the dorm room as a trail of excited girls followed behind.

"You are going to have to tell us everything when you get back!" Violette pleaded. "You must tell us who you get to perform for!"

"Yes, and how many handsome and wealthy men there are!" Helene grinned. "Some of us are still looking for a suitor!"

"And you have to tell us what Madame DuBois' home looks like!" Eloise pleaded.

"And if the wine and food is any good!" Angelique cracked a grin at Christine. "I want to know what to sneak back into the Opera when Madame Giry isn't look-!"

"Shush!" Lucille slapped a free hand over Angelique's mouth as Madame Giry approached the group of girls. She gave them an amused look, before glancing to Christine.

"Well, I suppose there is no need for me to escort you out," she began. "However, I expect you to be on your best behavior, since you are reflecting not only the Opera, but yourself as an artist."

"I will," Christine promised.

"And you promise to come back as soon as the event is over?"

"Yes, Madame."

The woman gave Christine a hopeful smile. "I know I am being overbearing- it's just that I worry about what happens outside these walls at night, and if anything happened to you, I don't know what I would do."

"She's a good girl, Madame!" Violette reassured Madame Giry. "She sticks to the rules and she watches out for herself!"

"I wish for the best tonight." Madame Giry moved to the side to allow Christine to leave. "I know you will be wonderful, and you look beautiful for this evening."

"Thank you." Christine smiled one more time, before the girls swept her away and lead her down the hall and they didn't stop until they made it outside. The night air had a slight chill, but the sky was clear and full of stars with the moon at a perfect waxing crescent.

"There it is!" Angelique hurried to the brougham that was waiting at the steps of the Opera House. She had helped Madame Giry to arrange the brougham for Christine, and she quickly paid the driver for his troubles as the girls walked to the vehicle.

"Well, this is it!" Lucille grinned as Christine reached the brougham. "We wish you the best for tonight!"

Angelique went to the door of the brougham and opened it for Christine as the rest of the girls offered their fondest wishes, though Christine couldn't help but frown over the fact that Meg wasn't among them. Meg knew how important this was to her friend, and she had wanted to see Christine wear her dress, so where was she?

"You better get going," Angelique knew why Christine was hesitating. "I'm sure Meg will see you when you come back."

"You're right." Christine nodded and turned back to the brougham. She accepted Angelique's hand as she helped her get onto the step and into the brougham.

"Have fun!" Angelique encouraged as Christine sat down on the seat, before she closed the door for her. The girls backed away from the brougham and waved one last time to the soprano, before the driver made the horses go and head towards Christine's destination.

When she could no longer see the girls, Christine pulled the curtains of the front window down, before she sat back into the seat and held her music to her chest. The moment was coming at hand- she was going to be just in time when she would reach the chateau, but there would still be some time before she could begin to perform on her own in front of an audience.

It was still nerve wracking as when she had to do it the first time.

"You are very fortunate that all those young women support you."

She could sense that he was sitting on her left, and she could hear him close the curtains on his side of the brougham.

"They're all like family to me," she replied. "It took a while to open up to them, and we've all had our moments, but I've lived with them for so long that they are almost like my sisters. I wish Meg was with them, but Angelique is right- I'll see her afterwards."

She finally turned to face Erik. Much like at her debut in Hannibal, he wore appropriate evening wear, but his vest was a dark, almost midnight shade of blue.

"It is quite a shame that she wasn't there," he agreed. "After all, this will be the night that you will gain the favor of the patrons of the arts and those who had not witnessed your triumph in the opera, as well as their support in furthering your career. If all goes as I hope it will, you will not have to be in the chorus or serve as Carlotta's understudy ever again."

Christine had no idea how to respond to those strong words of faith and instead glanced out of her window.

"Paris is beautiful at night," she managed to say as she observed the outside world. "I haven't been able to actually go into the city at night that often ever since I came to the Opera House, but it can be beautiful, if you try to see it in the right light."

Christine opened the window and stuck her head out to examine Paris in its splendor under the night sky. There weren't too many people out and about at night, and the glow from the lights, both outside on the streets and within the buildings, gave the city an inviting atmosphere. She glanced up to the sky and took in a deep breath- Paris may not have been Sweden, but it was dear to her, for all it represented. It had seen its share of horrors, and she had a few painful memories here, but the city still survived and she knew she would always be thankful for all that it gave her.

After a while, the brougham finally made a turn and they began to pass through the Tuileries Gardens. Christine and her fellow performers would sometimes pass through them in the day time, but she wanted to know what it would be like to just ride a carriage through them during the night.

"One of these nights, I'll ride a carriage in the Tuileries," she told her companion as she observed the Gardens. "Perhaps you'll like to join me?"

There was no response.

She almost called for him, but then she remembered that the driver might hear her and kept silent. What she didn't realize was that Erik had been watching her with a thoughtful look in his eyes the whole time she was observing Paris.

"Never mind." She pulled back in and shut the window. "I was just having a wishful thought." She took out her sheet music and was about to give it one final glance over, when Erik finally spoke and took something out of his pocket.

"How much would you like to have me by your side tonight?"

She glanced around and saw that he carried a small vial with a dark liquid in between his fingers. "What is that?" she asked him.

"Something that I can't believe that I hadn't considered much sooner." Erik gave the vial a quick glance. He could not change his physical appearance, but he hadn't considered the possibility of changing the appearance of the mask to make him passable as a normal looking person, or at least match the only parts of his face that didn't bear his flaws.

The best and almost unbelievable part was that it actually worked. Granted, there was a time limit to the charm, but he was able to trick a few costumers into thinking he was just an idle nobleman trying to pass time with one of the ballerinas.

He didn't try to see what he looked like- he was too afraid that the moment he saw what the mask looked like, then the illusion would shatter, or he would be so overwhelmed by what he saw, that he might lose his sanity. The only thing that he was aware of was that the mask did have a more natural toned coloring, and it felt like it was shaped differently against his face.

"If I use this, I will be taking a serious risk on your behalf," Erik told her. "It will create an illusion- everyone will see what I want them to see, but you will be the only one to see through it. They will see the face of your tutor, but each dose will only last for an hour and to make matters more complicated, I will be using my real name and not a made up identity, so that puts my safety at risk."

For some reason he couldn't understand, he didn't want to deceive her with this charm. Was it because he was tired of keeping too many secrets? He wondered this when he took a strand of hair from her brush, but perhaps he didn't want her to think that she was seeing his true face, or the face of another person, even if the mask was just another oddity to her.

"Then why would you be willing to do this?" Christine was confused.

"Because in the event that you repay me after this night, I will never have to hide ever again," he confessed. "I will not be able to be under another's control, and I can have a normal life like everyone else. I am willing to take these risks tonight, because not only have you asked this of me, but because I am tired of trying to hide my face so that the world can never find me. I want to be able to experience what it is like to be normal, without having to hide anymore."

"You don't have to hide all the time," Christine suggested. "I mean, father told me to make the most out of what is within your control and I know that sometimes you have to just face what you fear and put yourself out- after all, you taught me that through your teachings."

Erik carefully thought over her words. "So I have." He realized the truth and the irony of it all, before he held the vial up again.

"So what will you choose Christine? Do you want me to try to be a part of the world that you've known, or should I stay hidden for just one more night?"


I really wanted the other girls to meet Erik, but everything was telling me no- that it goes against his character at that point, and too many consequences would come out of it, so sadly I had to drop it.

Though it would have involved all the girls being in total awe at him. Maybe they'll get a chance to meet him- who knows.

Will Meg betray her friends, or will she let them do as they please? Does Madame Giry have a clue as to what is going on behind her back? Will the night go smoothly, or will disaster hit? Will Christine end up becoming a Mary Sue because it seems everyone loves her? Will I stop asking stupid questions and leave you alone?

I don't know when the next chapter will be posted, but stay tuned for it. I guarantee that it's going to be a good one.