_~* A.N: Thank you all so much for waiting! Those of you who are still reading this story please leave a review or two and let me know what you think. Also if there are songs you think would fit nicely i would love to hear them, and possibly use them. As always I do not own any of the origional Phantom characters or the music that is sung through out the story. I hope all of you enjoy this next chapter. It is night one of the masquerade. Thank you all again! I love you all! *~_
Rose had been expecting to leave the ship right after it had docked, but instead she was sitting in her mother's room on the ship, letting her run a brush through her hair for the hundredth time. Christine had said that they should stay on the ship for as long as they could before the Masquerade started, so that their arival was more of a surprise. As much as the thought of not being in those walls for another moment tourmented Rose, she knew what her mother was saying was the right thing to do...even if she was questioning if that really was Christine's reason for not wanting to leave the ship just yet. So Rose sat in front of a full length mirror and watched as her mother brushed sections of hair and pinned others together. Her mother was doing a wonderful job, weaving and braiding her hair into the most elegant paterns. Her hair was still hanging passed her shoulders, but the back of it was braided and pinned to drape in the most breath taking of ways. When Christine was finished with Rose's hair she moved on to doing her make up. Her eyes were turned to a smokey blue, like the night sky to blend perfectly with the mask she would be wearing, and her bright green eyes shown stunningly in contrast with the dark blue. It was passed sunset when Rose was finally able to slip into her midnight blue dress that hung just above her knees, and into her matching ballet slippers that she had been practicing in so ferverantly latley. When she was finished getting ready Raoul and Nikki appeared right on que to escort her and her mother to the Masquerade. Rose wrapped her arm in Nikki's who was staring at her in amusement, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and he hoped more than anything, that he would get the courage to tell her. The four of them walked off of the boat and entered their carriage that was to take them to the opera house. Many people watched them, and tried their hardest to guess the faces hiding behind the masks but to no avail. Rose could see their destination from her window in the carraige and her stomach grew tight in anticipation, and nervousness of what was to come.
The week of the masquerade had always been one to set both Erik and Luccus on edge, they both sat at opposite sides of the giant underground lair, deep in thought both about the same thing, to an extent. They missed her...more than anything they wanted to hear her laughter and singing ring through the room again. They were both happiest when she was around. And now, all of the talk of masks around the opera house reminded them even more of Rose and how she had hated the masks they wore... and of how they werent allowed to wear them around her. Erik was mummbleing something under his breath that Luccus couldnt hear, and he didnt go out of his way to eaither. In one swift move Erik placed his mask on and stormed towards one of the exits up to the main floors of the opera house, leaving Luccus alone to wallow in his thoughts.
No response...Madame Giry had sent the letter weeks ago...and Rose never responded. He couldnt help but think that maybe she didn't want to come back...maybe she was truely happy wherever she was. The thought of her being happy without him made him sick, and then realizing his selfishness, his stomach twisted tight with anger at himself. He rather her be happy...every day...even if he wasn't there, but he wished that he could be. He thumbed the mask that was clutched in his fingers, and thought for a second, that if he were to put it on, she would appear and swipe it away from him,giggling while she did...like she used to. A small pang drummed in his stomach..he missed her so much. Luccus rose from his spot on one of the stone steps and put his mask on, he didn't want to stay down there alone and cling to false hopes. He began making his way up to the ball room where the masquerade was being held. Thoughts of Rose swirling around in his head.
Luccus:
The day starts, the day ends
Time crawls by
Night steals in, pacing the floor
The moments creep,
Yet I can't bear to sleep
Till I hear you sing
And weeks pass, and months pass
Seasons fly
Still you don't walk through the door
And in a haze
I count the silent days
Till I hear you sing once more.
And sometimes at night time
I dream that you are there
But wake holding nothing but the empty air
And years come, and years go
Time runs dry
Still I ache down to the core
My broken soul
Can't be alive and whole
Till I hear you sing once more
And music, your music
It teases at my ear
I turn and it fades away and you're not here
Let hopes pass, let dreams pass
Let them die
Without you, what are they for?
I'll always feel
No more than halfway real
Till I hear you sing once more.
Luccus pressed lightly against a paneling on the nearest wall to him, and a hidden door opened. He waited a few seconds and listened for noise of passersby before sliding out into the shadows of one of the opera house corridors. There was a hushed roar not too far off, people calling out to one another for instructions on where to be and what to do. The doors to the opera populaire will open in just a few moments for a large crowd to witness and partake in this weekend's three night masquerade. Luccus stopped, still, becoming one of the shadows as a small group of ballet girls went prancing down the corridor towards the ballroom, and focal point for the masquerade. The young man in the shadows went completely unnoticed, just like always. When the girls were far gone, Luccus continued on his own way to the ballroom, planning to slip into the crowd and ,just for a moment, feel like he belonged somewhere. It was true that masquerades held a bitter spot in his heart, and his master's, but still they were drawn to them. It was the only time they could stand shoulder to shoulder with someone and not have them flee in fear. Luccus knew Erik would be there too, watching, listening, and remembering.
The opera house doors were opened and hordes of guests filed through them, all wearing masks and extravagant gowns and suits. Luccus looked down at himself, he was wearing a suit darker than the night sky, and his mask matched perfetly, it was simple and captivating, one of Erik's best creations. He stood on the edge of a shadow for a few more minutes, and when the next wave of guests rushed in, Luccus stepped forward to join them in entering the ballroom. It was even more glamorous than the years before, as well as the people who filled its walls. Soft music was being played and some were already swaying and spinning to it. Luccus stood close to the middle of the room, soaking up everything around him, listening to people's conversations, imagining what he would say if he were part of them. One conversation caught his attention...and held it.
"CHRISTINE DAAE!"
"MEG!"
Luccus' head turned quickly in the direction of the high pitched calls, his eyes locked on to the two women talking animatedly to one another, while the man beside them looked around the room searching for something..someone..he was never going to find.
"Oh Christine, mother and I are so very happy you and your family decided to come back!"
Meg hugged Christine for what must have been the fifth time, and smiled happily up at Raoul. Some of the people around them were whispering and eying Christine with surprised delight. Luccus' chest was on fire, and it took him a moment to realize that he had stopped breathing entirely. He let his breath out and took in fresh air, heart hammering in his chest. Madame Giry...and her blonde lily of a daughter had lied to Erik...She had said that no news had been heard of them. But there they stand beside her Christine whispering something, smiling brightly to Meg, Raoul still searching the many faces in the room for one in particular. Two...two out of the four who had left are standing there...where was she then? Luccus pulled his gaze away from the talking women and the concern faced man and started scanning the crowd himself. Masks, everywhere he looked that is what he found, but surely he would know her when he saw her but still, he couldn't find musicians stopped their playing for a moment and a strong voice rang across the crowd, causing every head to turn, including Luccus, all eyes falling on Madame Giry.
"Ladies and gentleman, as a surprise opening performance, to you, our honored guests, I am very pleased to introduce Nikkoli De'Lacruez, and making her singing debut at long last...Miss Rose Daae!"
Luccus' eyes were scanning again, all sound at that moment being drowned out by the thundering of his heart, making its way out of his chest. The room was plunged into complete darkness, and a few people let out startled gasps. At first Luccus thought the lights had something to do with Erik, but slowly a soft blue light rose from the very center of the ballroom. Men and women began backing away, Luccus stayed his ground until he was right at the edge of the crowd. They had made a large circular space, the only two within the empty circle, was a tall handsome young man, and a remarkabley, stunning young woman, dressed in midnight blues, black, and silver. The young man was starring down lovingly at the woman, who was slowly glancing around the room. Her eyes beamed a bright green from behind the blue mask she wore, her rosey red lips turned up in a small familiar smile. She raised a small delicate hand and brushed a stray curl behind her shoulder, Luccus' eyes locked onto the glimmering bracelet that clung nicely to her wrist. It was covered with dark obsidian music notes, but there was a charm that hung lower than the rest. Swaying with the movement of this beautiful girl's hand, was a small rose made from rubies and emeralds. The hammering in Luccus's chest silenced for a second and returned as very fast, quiet sputters.
It was her, he knew it in his heart, this was his Rose, his best friend, his lost love. He went to take a step forward, to call to her, but as he did Rose lifted her arms and wrapped them gently around Nikkoli's neck, Luccus was frozen by the time Nikkoli had his arms firmly around her waist. Pain etched its way from his stomach up to his heart. The annoying boy, the one who followed her around all of the time and grown into a very handsome man, and he had his arms around Rose, holding her close all eyes on the two of them. Luccus wished for a second he could look away, feeling he was going to be sick, but in that moment the musicians had started playing. Rose inhaled and began to sing, being lead around the room by Nikkoli, both one with each other gliding with the music trusting each other, captivating all in the room.
Rose:
We are the lucky ones
We shine like a thousand suns
When all of the color runs together
I'll keep you company
In one glorious harmony
Waltzing with destiny forever
Dance me into the light
Underneath the moon shining so bright
Turning me into the night
Time dances whirling past
I gaze through the looking glass
And feel just beyond my grasp is heaven
Sacred geometry
Where movement is poetry
Visions of you and me forever
Dance me into the light
Underneath the moon shining so bright
Turning me into the night
Dance me into the light
Underneath the moon shining so bright
Let the dark waltz begin
Oh let me wheel - let me spin
Let it take me again
Turning me into the night...
The last note was held as Rose twirled round and round, she came to rest back in Nikkoli's arms as her last note ended and the crowd went wild with applause, louder than any Luccus had ever heard before. He had missed it so much, her voice that had just finished echoing off of the walls, as he wiped a few shed tears from his face. She was beautiful, and the performance itself was spectacular, never mind the man at her side, Luccus could feel her music calling to him, he could feel her reaching out, not only to him, but to Erik as well. Rose was slightly bowing, in awe of the contiued applause, smiling from ear to ear. It seemed for a while that the roar would never die down, until Nikkoli raised a hand and beckond for silence. Within a few seconds the room fell quiet, Rose glancing from the crowd to Nikkoli with a curious gaze, she didn't know what was going on. Nikkoli took Rose's hands in his but adressed the audiance around him, before her.
"She is a spectical, is she not?" The crowd applauded shortly before letting him continue.
"I have been with Rose for most of my life, as a young child i clung to her like a weed, and as we grew up together across the seas I was able to witness her bloom into the astonishing flower you see before you." Rose's cheeks flushed a light pink color and her hands began shaking slightly. Whispers were starting around in the crowd and others began hushing them, trying to hear what Nikkoli would say next. Luccus was staring at the man with growing panic, he had seen this sort of thing happen many times from the shadows of the opera house, but this time he didn't want to watch, or hear anymore of what he had to say, but clinging to the hope that he was jumping to coclusions he stayed still in his spot as Nikkoli turned back to face Rose.
" Every day that I have spent with you is an incredible gift, whether you were shooing me away as a child or dancing on the beach with me in the states. Every single second is a miracle to me, so Rose, my dearest friend... I have a very important favor to ask of you." Luccus' chest tightend and his face went paler than the dead, he drew in a jagged breath and held, eyes fixed on the demon speaking in front of him. He watched as he lowered himself to one knee, and blocked out the many whispers and squeals from the people around him. Nikkoli reached into his over coat pocket and pulled out a very small velvet covered box, as a tear escaped down Luccus' cheek.
" Rose I truthfully love you, with all of my heart, i can only hope you feel the same, so would you do me the great honor of marrying me?" Nikkoli popped open the velvet case to reveal a very elegant blue diamond ring, with platinum band. Cheers sprang at the question and then quickly died down. Luccus' eyes were clouded with tears but had left Nikkoli, to rest on the astonished face of his beloved Rose.
Her lips parted for a moment as she stared down at Nikkoli and then closed tightly as she glanced around the room, for who? For a while it seemed she wouldn't speak, it seemed that she had locked her words away and wouldn't let them out. She was thinking long and hard, to the crowd it would seem that she was teasing Nikki, making him wait for the obvious yes she would give. But Rose was thinking of a way out, a way of saying no without breaking his heart. Her mind hatched a plan and with such pressure on her, she went with it straight away.
"Nikki...I-...I am over joyed...I can hardly think of anything to sa-"
The sudden flurry of a shadow caught Rose's eyes she watched as a member of the crowd closest to her turned and began moving away in fluid strides. No one took notice, all eyes were on her. Her heart felt like it was going to shatter, she wanted more than anything to call that person back, knowing in her heart what face hides behind that disappearing mask. In a rush she turned her gaze back on Nikki, letting Luccus leave, for now. When she spoke again her voice was strong and rather playful as she gently pulled Nikki from his knee, to stand beside her.
" Nikki my closest friend, you know all of my secrets in this world. And you and I have often played games with one another...so as an answer to this most indearing question I will leave you with a proposition." She took in a deep breath and smiled wonderfuly for the attention captured crowd.
"Tomorrow I will dance with any masked man that would also like my hand, and if by some odd chance i can find one who captures my heart more than you, dear Nikki, I will marry him. Are you willing to bet that you will hold my heart over all?" Rose flashed him her smile, eyes capturing his, taunting him playfully with her gaze. She watched as he closed the ring box and started to laugh as he bent forward to press his lips against her forehead.
"There is no one in this earth who loves you more than I, I accept your challenge, so the question remains, until tomorrow." Nikki kissed her forehead one last time before turning away and slipping through the crowd toward Raoul and her mother. Rose turned and confronted the gossiping crowd with confidence.
"It gives you all a reason to come back again tomorrow night...what will my answer be, ah, but until then, please enjoy the masquerade... maestro please!." With a wave of her hand the music started again and the crowd began dancing around her. With a stern look washing over her face Rose weaved her way to the ballroom door and made her escape down the poorly light corridor. Tears of humiliation and shame washed down her face. Rose broke into a run once she was far enough away from the ballroom not to be seen, her feet barely making any noise as she moved. She wasn't sure where she was going, she could barely see through the tears but her feet kept her moving. After a while she became short for breath and slowed to a stop, sitting on the bottom step of a stair well.
She sat there and thought about what had just happened, she loved Nikki, in some way, she knew that deep down, but the love she had for him wasn't the kind of love that would make her marry him, that love was saved for someone else. Someone who had seen the performance he was meant to see, hear the song she was singing for him, someone who watched until he couldn't anymore, how horrible this surprise must have been for him.
Rose wiped the last of her tears from her eyes and looked around for signs of where in the opera house she had wound up. Everything in front of and beside her looked like any other corridor, but as she glanced up the stairwell. A small smile found its way back onto her lips as she stood and started to climb the stairs. The door at the top was slightly cracked and the light from the moon and the stars was shinning brightly through. She pressed softly against the door and opened it with out making any noise, she moved forward and studied the space around her. Everything was just the same as she left it, every last detail down to the masked figure nestled against her favorite statue. Only what was once a young boy was now grown into stunning young man. Rose took another step forward, her ears just catching the sound of soft crying that was being muffled by the blowing wind and falling snow. She was drawn even closer to him still, and her movements went unnoticed until her shadow wrapped around him, in an embrace she wish she could find the courage to give him.
Luccus looked up for the source of the shadow and almost fell backwards off of the roof. If anything was certain in this world it was how like her father she was, no one else would have been able to get that close to him without him knowing. Luccus reached up and wiped the tears from his face, " You were wonderful tonight Rosey." His eyes were scanning the air around her, not able to look her in the eye. He didn't want to know what they were going to say to him. 'I'm sorry that I moved on and found someone else. Why couldn't you have moved on too? Please don't make this hard for me...I never really loved you.' His heart tore at the possibilities of what she could possibly want with him now. He would move the earth for her if he could, yet she simply cast him aside. Rose sat down on the ledge beside him, stealing a quick glance over the edge before looking back at him.
"Thank you...Luccus..." His name left her lips in a sigh, filled with so many things; concern for him, contentment at being beside him again, and longing, to tell him every single thing that has been on her mind since the day she left, right up until this very second. A damp spot on his cheek he had missed glistened, and she reached forward to wipe it away, instinctively he pulled away, and looked at her, slightly alarmed, forgetting for a second who was sitting beside him.
"You are looking at me like I am a stranger...you pull away from me...Luccus what happened down there it-"
"You really don't have to explain anything to me Rose, I understand, really I do...I really couldn't be happier for you, I'm just a little shocked is all, it all happened so suddenly."
Rose shook her head and looked passed him at the city's night lights.
"I am too...more than shocked actually, that you of all people would believe even for a second, that i could give my heart away to someone other...than you."
Luccus was staring straight at her now, mouth hanging slightly open, unable to speak. He watched as she rose from her spot beside him and began walking slowly towards the door.
"What do you mean Rose?"
"Only that i wish you had stayed, for my answer that is...then perhaps you would know how unneeded those tears are, I didn't give him an answer Luccus."
"Not an answer? So you didn't say no either?"
"Luccus, I...I do love him, even he knows I love him, while we were gone he helped me keep living, believe me, there were so many times I wanted to give up, but he was there to help me"
"I would have helped if i could have.."
"I know...but I need you to know that...he isn't the annoying boy from the past, he is important to me...but you will always be the one that my heart belongs to. There should never have been a question of that."
"Why?"
"..excuse me?"
"Why? Why didn't you say yes, you would be better off with him anyway, happier in the long run, why did you choose to stay with me?"
Tears were starting to well in Rose's eyes she couldn't believe he was saying things like that, she continued walking again coming to a stop just outside of the door, her gaze went from the moon and stars in the sky back to Luccus.
"Because I don't want to do what everyone thinks is best for me, I don't want to do what everyone else thinks will make me happiest...because despite what people think, you made me happy, all of those years ago...and i know you will make me happy now. I missed you so much while I was gone, there was not a single day where I didn't think about you and dad and wondered how I could get back to you...and missing you, made me love you even more."
Luccus was by her side in seconds driven by something he couldn't explain, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly to his chest, her head rested there as her arms found their way around him. Luccus pulled away to look down at her, green eyes shinning up at him from behind her mask. Now he knew what it was she hated about them, it was hiding her from him, he reached forward and removed her mask, letting it fall to the floor. He brushed a thumb across her cheek, he knew his mask was the next to go and this time he didn't move as she reached for him, her fingers swiftly pulled the mask off and she too let it fall to the floor.
"Say it again Rose...say..that you love me.." Rose smiled up at him as she caressed the spot where his mask used to be.
"I love you."
Luccus dipped forward, still holding her face in his hands and pressed his lips gently against hers, afraid she might try and pull away. Instead he felt her arms wrapping around him again as she returned his kiss more passionately than he had started it, which was fine with stayed in each others embrace, not wanting to pull away, not wanting this moment to end. But after a long few moments, Luccus broke their kiss, with heavy reluctance.
"If you didn't say yes..and you didn't say no...what are you going to do Rose?" It took Rose a few seconds to catch her breath before answering his question.
"I have an Idea.. but we are going to need help."
