Chapter 18

Aisling was grateful for the fact that the dress didn't come with a corset, but she still had a hard time with it. First she wasn't sure how she was going to put it on by herself, then it came down to doing it all up. The dress still came with ties in the back to help make it tight enough to fit, but it wasn't easy working them up. She kept reaching in back to fascine the ties but only succeeded in frustrating herself.

"Urgh! Stupid dress!" She groaned as she worked the ties but just pulled her arms back around and stamped her foot. She reached back and grabbed the ribbons again but stopped when she felt a pair of hands upon her own, taking them from her hands.

"Allow me." Aisling felt her cheeks burn while his hands remained on hers. She released the ties and brought her hands back around and clasped them in front of her. "I heard you struggling and knew you wouldn't come looking for help." She sighed.

"Too many years of refusing to ask for help." She said flatly.

"Some traits never leave us, my dear." He said. "For example, you still sing to yourself when you think no one's looking." Aisling looked away embarrassed. "You also see the good in everything and everyone."

"Only in those who have good in them." She said. He halted his work for a moment.

"I'm still amazed that you can find anything good in me." He said, his voice almost a whisper. She looked over her shoulder at him.

"Erik, I've told you. You're a good man, you've just had a lot of bad things happen to you." She gave him a reassuring smile and he smiled back. He resumed working the ties and gave them one last tug before tying them off.

"There. That should do it." She stepped away from him and looked herself over. The dress was certainly very beautiful, but she wanted to see herself in a mirror. Of course, there were no mirrors around.

"How does it look?" She asked looking back to Erik.

"The most beautiful bride in the world." Aisling just laughed and shook her head. "I'm being serious."

"There's no way I'm the most beautiful bride in the world Erik." He lightly brushed a strand of hair from her face then rested his hand against her cheek.

"You are more beautiful than you know." Erik began leaning closer to her for a kiss but stopped half way as of sensing something… or someone.

"What's wrong?" Aisling wondered seeing the annoyance etched on his face. He backed away and made to leave the room.

"Wait right here." He said over his shoulder and left his fiancé alone. As he made his way over to the lake, he saw Christine standing behind the gate on the opposite side. "Well, this is quite the surprise." He said dryly. "Sick of your boy already Miss Daae?"

"I'm here to take Aisling back." She stated. Erik laughed.

"How sweet of you Christine." He said bitterly. "You're so concerned for your friend that you're willing to walk straight into the lion's den to retrieve her and return to your world of light. That world of cold, cruel light."

"Please, let her go! If you wish to punish someone, then punish me. Aisling doesn't deserve this!" She pleaded pressing herself against the iron gate as if believing she could meld through the bars to the other side.

"Christine, Christine. You understand nothing. This goes farther than just tonight. The girl stays." He said and began making his way back to the bedroom.

"I know Aisling gave you her word that she wouldn't sing again, I know she went back on her word not once but twice, but you must understand!" Erik rounded on her at that moment. She recoiled from the rage radiating from him at that moment.

"It is you who doesn't understand!" He shouted. "This goes farther than a few months dear Christine. Aisling is mine. She's been mine for years. I will not give her up again, not after struggling for so long." Christine became confused. What did he mean?

"Christine?" Both heads turned to find Aisling standing just a short ways from Erik. Christine noticed the wedding dress and more questions rose in her mind.

"Aisling? What is going on?" She asked. Aisling looked at her friend guiltily.

"I'm sorry Christine, but there's still something about me you never knew." She said. "I wanted to tell you when this was over…" Christine kept shifting between Erik and Aisling and it began to sink in. Her eyes widened as she finally understood.

"You… and him?" She asked. Erik scoffed at her.

"You're not the first one to misunderstand my intentions Christine." He said pessimistically. "The first time I took Aisling years ago, everyone thought I intended to kill her. Then again, what more can your world think of someone with a face like this." He pointed to his deformed face and Christine flinched. Aisling on the other hand came closer to him and turned him to face her.

"This haunted face holds no horror for me now." She began. Erik tried to say something but she placed one finger on his lips to shush him. "For in your soul I have seen the man inside." Erik was on the verge of tears, but the new figure behind Christine returned him to his Phantom persona.

"Wait, it seems my dear, we've one more guest!" Aisling and Christine turned to see Raoul standing some ways away.

"Raoul, why are you here?" Christine questioned frantically.

"Sir, this is indeed an unparalleled delight!" Erik said sarcastically. "I had rather hoped that you would come. And now, my wish comes true, you have truly made my night." He stepped in front of Aisling to shield him from the vicomte's eyes.

"Free her! Do what you like, only free her! Have you no pity?"

"Ha! Your lover makes a passionate plea!"He said mockingly.

"Please Raoul it's useless!" She said trying to stop him.

"Release her! She's just a child! Release her! Show some compassion!" Erik's eyes flashed with anger at the boy.

"Did the world so compassion to me?" He was about ready to charge towards the gates but Aisling took hold of his arm and he immediately stopped himself.

"Please, at least let me see her!" Christine begged. Erik turned to look at Aisling and she nodded.

"Be my guest dear." He said and the gate started to rise. Raoul and Christine entered his lair and the gate quickly closed behind them. Aisling moved out from behind Erik and moved towards her friend. Christine embraced her when she came close enough. Erik watched the two girls for a moment and smiled before turning his attention to Raoul. "Monsieur, I bit you welcome. Did you think that I would harm her? Why would I make her pay for the sins which are yours?" He pulled a lasso as if from nowhere and threw it around Raoul's neck causing Christine to let out a frightened gasp. The end of the rope was levitating as if on its own but Aisling could see a very thin wire holding it up. "Order your fine horses now! Raise up your hand to the level of your eyes. Nothing can save you now! No, not even Christine." He kept gazing at him angrily as he made his way to his organ. "I won't lose her again. I lost her once those years ago. And those who dare try, I'll send them to their deaths! This is the price! This is the point of no return!" He pressed the keys of his organ playing an angry chord.

"And what about you, monsieur?" Raoul shot back. "You're obsessed with her! You killed her so no one could take her from you!" Erik let out a cruel laugh at his comment. Even Aisling felt her hair stand on end at the sound.

"Ah, you still don't get it do you?" He said. "I've already told you, I would never harm her."

"Aisling told me everything. She told me how you hypnotized her while she slept, luring her to you each night. You kidnapped her and held her prisoner until the police found you!" His statement only made Erik laugh harder. He found his naiveté so amusing.

"Yes, I know the fable you've been told. But this is only a story made up by those who refused to acknowledge the truth." He grabbed Raoul by his shirt and slammed him against the iron bars. "After all, who could love a monster? The only way I can make anyone love me is to control them. Perhaps I did control her, ever since she first heard my music she's been under my spell. No! Aisling found me. She ventured into my realm and sang for me before I even knew her name. She was mine before either of us knew it."

"You're delusional!" Raoul shouted.

"Raoul, shut up!" Aisling said. "You're making it worse."

"No, he needs to hear this. She doesn't really love you! She's been protecting Christine from you by facing you herself." Erik had his hand on his neck now.

"You never know when to shut up, do you?" He said in a low voice. Aisling had to do something. If she didn't, he'd kill him. She ran over to him and grabbed his sleeve.

"Erik, please stop this now." She begged.

"He has to die Aisling." He said in that same voice. "He'll try and take you from me, just as they did long ago." She grabbed his arm and pulled him away. He turned to face her and she clutched at his shirt.

"Stop all this pointless killing!" He looked down at Aisling and saw the tears falling down her face. "Don't let our freedom be stained with blood." While in her wedding dress she looked like an angel. But with her tears she seemed like a broken angel. He couldn't stand to see her this way. He gently wiped away one of her tears.

"I can't lose you again." He said in a broken voice. Aisling brought a hand to touch his ravaged face.

"You'll never be alone again."

With that being said, Aisling stood up on her tip toes and caught him in a loving kiss. She wouldn't leave him, no matter what. From the very first time she sang his music she belonged to him. There was nothing in either of their worlds that could divide them now.

"There's nothing they can do Erik." She pleaded. "Just let them go." Erik looked into her eyes and knew he couldn't deny her request. He went over to one of the many candelabras and plucked one of the lit sticks from its resting place. He went over to Raoul and held the flame over the rope holding the lasso up and it snapped releasing him.

"I want you to leave here and never return." He warned him. "If it wasn't for Aisling, you'd be dead by now." He threw the candle aside and returned to Aisling's side. Finally, the fight was over and they were free. But as quickly as their happiness came, the faster it went. Aisling's eye caught sight of Raoul pulling something from his shirt and saw a gun. He aimed it at Erik and was ready to shoot.

"NO!" She jumped in front of him just as the gun went off and soon felt a stabbing pain in her back and something warm and wet flowing from the wound. Erik and Christine watched in horror as Aisling, for the second time, protected her love from certain death.

"Aisling!" He caught her just before she fell to the ground and pulled one of his hands away from her back to find it covered in blood. "No… no this can't be happening!" He turned to Raoul and began seeing red. He carefully rested Aisling on the ground then strode over to him picking up the lasso and catching him with it around his neck. He was about ready to snap his neck when he heard the chanting of a mob.

"Track down this murderer! He must be found!"

He threw Raoul aside and released the rope that was around his neck.

"Leave here, forget me, forget all of this!" He shouted to Raoul and Christine. Christine tried approaching him but he merely pushed her away.

"Leave me alone!" He bellowed. "Forget all you've seen. Go now, don't let them find you!" Christine ran over to Raoul and pulled him up and began leading him away. "Take the boat, swear to me never to tell… the secrets you know of this angel in hell!" He watched as they made their escape and he continued shouting after them. "Go! Go now and leave me!" He collapsed next to Aisling's body and gathered her in his arms. In the distance, the sound of a music box was heard playing Masquerade. Aisling's head turned towards the sound and smiled.

"Masquerade…" She sang weakly, "…paper faces on parade. Masquerade…"

"Hide your face so the world will never find you." He finished and she focused her gaze on him once more. He leaned down and kissed her forehead then rested his own on hers. "Aisling, I love you." Aisling let out a painful laugh before she started coughing.

"You have to get out of here." She whispered.

"I'm not leaving you here. I promised I would never leave you again." She just shook her head.

"If they catch you, they'll kill you. And if they do, I won't forgive you." She said with a hint of humor in her voice. Erik looked down at the dying girl and let a single tear fall from his eye and hit her cheek. Her head soon went limp and she let out her last breath. Erik could no longer hold back the sobs over the loss of his love. For the second time she died because of him and he knew it. Her words rang through his mind.

"…I won't forgive you…"

He knew he had to escape before the mob came. He got to his feet with Aisling still in his arms and brought her back into the bed room and rested her on the bed. He took the sheet and brought it over her, covering her from head to toe. He couldn't bear to leave her, but he had no choice. He quickly made his way to his organ and moved it aside revealing a secret door. He pressed a secret switch and the door opened allowing him to escape. And just as the door closed, the organ moved back into place.

When the mob finally made it down to the Phantom's lair, they had just missed him leaving. Meg began wandering around and found the mask resting on the bench in front of the organ. She knew that he was no longer there, meaning that he escaped with Aisling. She went into the bedroom and saw there was something on the bed. She couldn't see what it was because there was a sheet covering it. It almost had the shape of a person.

Oh, please no! She thought. She grabbed the sheet and pulled it away…

Erik had made it safely outside the walls of the Palais Garnier. He looked back into the dark corridor he had just fled through and felt the overwhelming need to go back. He couldn't stand that he just left her there. But he had no choice. He sealed the exit and just stood and leaned against the wall letting his heart mourn the loss of the only girl who had ever truly loved him.

"So, you're still here?" He turned to see the stern face of Madame Giry. He slipped into a stone cold mask as he addressed the ballet mistress. "Meg had just returned. She thought you may want this back." She held out his mask to him and he took it and placed it on his face. "Is Aisling not with you?" At the mere mention of her name he felt himself being ripped apart.

"Aisling is dead." He said tonelessly trying to hide his sorrow and anger. "Surely your daughter would have figured that out."

"Meg thought she was with you."

"And why would she think that?" He shouted.

"Because, if she was dead, there was no sign of her anywhere." Erik head snapped around to face her.

"She was in the bedroom. I covered her with a sheet."

"Meg saw the form in the sheet Erik. But when she tore it away there was nothing there." Rik's face fell into a look of shock. There were no words that could be said for him. She had to be dead! But then, if she wasn't found…

Aisling felt sore all over. The world was dark and there was nothing in sight, but she felt every muscle in her body cry out when she tried to move. She didn't expect death to be this painful. She thought she wouldn't feel anything once she let go. Though, she didn't feel like moving anyway. The stillness felt nice and peaceful. Her eyes barely stayed open as she tried to focus on her surroundings. Soon, she began to notice a bright light somewhere in the distance. It almost looked like the moon to her. She also heard the faint sound of bells tolling away. Perhaps she's living her funeral.

"…ling…"

She twitched a little at the new sound. It was faint but sounded vaguely familiar.

"Aisling…"

The voice became louder. She felt her body being shaken and the pain returned. The darkness began to recede from her eyes and her mind began waking up again.

"Aisling! Wake up! Can you hear me?"

Aisling's eyes slowly opened. There were about four shadows standing over but as her eyes adjusted she took in the faces of two boys and two girls. She scanned each face then landed on the second female and recognized her as her roommate, Chelsea. Her face brightened seeing her wake up.

"Thank goodness, we thought you were dead for a moment." She said. Aisling's mind was still a bit fuzzy, barely remembering anything that happened. She looked around trying not to move her pounding head and found she was still lying on the ground just outside her dorm building at school. As her gaze fixed on the "moon" in the distance, she took in the sight of the clock tower. The face reading one o'clock.

"Chelsea, what happened to me?" She asked, her voice coming out like a croak. Chelsea took her hand.

"We don't know. We just found you lying here." She said. Aisling felt disappointed for some reason. She had another dream about him. It felt so real this time. If this was just another dream, why did she feel so awful?

"We just called an ambulance a few minutes ago. They'll be here soon." Said the other girl.

"Yeah, it looks like you lost a lot of blood. Whatever happened to you, it must have been bad." She heard one of the boys say. Something in her mind went off at that moment. What did he mean 'lost a lot of blood'? She lifted her head, ignoring the pounding on her brain, and could see a large red stain on her clothes. She panicked thinking something did happen to her while she was out cold. She moved a hand over the area to feel for a wound but met nothing. No pain, no gash, and the blood on her clothing felt dry.

"There's nothing there." She said. Her friends gave her a queer look but then Chelsea gasped and grabbed her hand.

"Oh my God, this is beautiful!" She said. "Who gave it to you?" Aisling thought she was crazy.

"What are you talking about?" She pulled her hand back and caught a glint of something metallic. She brought her hand to her face and found the ring. The silver band, the roses, the blue stone in the center… Then it hit her.

Impossible. Her head began to swim and fell backwards on the ground. She could hear various voices calling her name as she drifted back into unconsciousness. Her eye catching the blaring red lights of the ambulance before the darkness claimed her again.

Bits of The Final Lair from ALW's The Phantom of the Opera.