Me: Hello my lovely reader! Nightstar here to present you the new chapter for Guiding Light! I hope all of you enjoyed the last chapter. (Sorry for the delay (I had writer's block) :)
Erik: *pouts* I personally didn't like it! How dare the that fop ruin the party! I hope this gets solved because there are only 4 chapters left till the final act of Guiding Light!
Me: Well it's because of that reason that I have to make things a bit more interesting don't you think? Anyways I would like to thank SelasVictoria and Transformers' BABY for their comments as well as the new story followers xXBeautifullyRebelliousXx, Mere11, Ninja Kitty 101, InMyHeartIWish and the new recruits for the story favorite list fun686, Genius892050 and okaloosa. Thank you all so much, I am extremely flattered by this and you guys have no idea what this does to me :,)
Erik: thank you all *smiles* Now on with the story! I can't wait to kill the fop! *pulling out lasso*
Me: *grabbing his lasso* you're not killing anyone! (*in the background a choir of Aaaawwwwww! Why Not?!*) Anyways I hope you all like this new chapter. You guys know I love to read comments so please comment and review; also note if you want to see something happen before the final chapter, please message me or put it in the comments :) (Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN The Phantom of the Opera, it's characters, music, story, ect. I only am responsible for my OCs and this plot line) Now please, continue to enjoy the party and let's see what happens!
Erik's P.O.V~
There was only one person in my entire life that I hated with a passion and that was the young Viscount, the ex fop. When the events that marked my life happened I never thought that someone else would amount to the love I had for Christine and the hatred that I had for the Viscount... that is until I met Elena and Monsieur Iglesias. He strutted to Rebecca who quite frankly did not looked at all pleased with him being there. In fact she did not hide the fact that he was there, since she narrowed her eyes and began to pout crossing her arms in the process. Elena was, too, flabbergasted with his entrance as well. She probably did not invite him I thought as I stood up and stood next to Elena who in turn stepped closer to me and had her hands placed on Rebecca's shoulders. As the fop continued to come closer, I began to notice what costume he had on. I was outraged with his choice of costume! It was the same costume of the night of Don Juan! The one I wore and provoke Elena's interest! HOW DARE HE WEAR MY COSTUME! He apparently had made modifications to my costume making it of far more cheap and sleazy, he disgraced my costume. I was about to get my lasso out of my inner pocket, I always brought it with me in case I felt unsafe, but Elena stopped me. What surprised me the most was that Elena looked completely furious with the man, and a harsh red dusted her what could be seen of her face. Her luscious lips disappeared into a thin line. Her stance defensive as well as intimidating like a predator ready to fight a long rival, never letting their guard down. Her eyes were a flame a storm of fire, fury and something else, something I could not identify. It was times like these where my artistic side came out the most, I wanted to set this scene permanently in the world. If I were a painter I would have painted her as she was and called her Wrath of a Mother.
"Señor Iglesias, what a surprise," Elena coldly stated as she held Rebecca in her place. She was seething and everyone could tell that long gone was the kind and calm Elena, well everyone except the current fop.
"Señorita Vega, I only came to wish the child a very happy birthday and to celebrate with all of you," Miguel beamed exaggeratedly and walked over to where we were. He looked over at Elena and I. For a moment he looked in deep thought and then shook his head and chuckled a bit, "Excuse my laughter senorita, but it seems your friend here made it seem that you two are courting! When obviously you're not, He's obviously too old for you!"
"Excuse ME?!" I raged as Elena pulled me near her, stopping me from attacking the fop. Although he did have a point... I was no Don Juan or spring chicken but I was not a walking skeleton or a rickety old man! How dare he!
"You are excused my friend," he said without noticing my blatant attempt to choke him, "anyways I liked the song. It was very, how you say... piteous."
"I disagree, it was very heart tendering and sensitive. It was filled with love and passion, something very few people can achieve in this world. Something that everyone here knows it had," Mathew responded as he defended me and at the same time shot down the insufferable man. Meg had hurriedly disappeared into the kitchen with Elena, "now everyone please que siga la fiesta! (let the party continue!)" I retreated with Mathew to go about and mingle with the other guest, it wasn't hard to mingle with them since it was a masquerade. I had found out a bit more of Elena through her colleagues and the ballerinas in the production.
"She's a very kind woman but Monsieur Iglesias pushes his luck with her patience, why during rehearsals Elena has slapped him a few times to stop him from his crude behavior!" I learned from one of them.
"Yes, Elena is talented, as well as Miguel, but one of these days those two will drive each other insane that one of them will quit on the spot! I just hope it isn't Elena!" one of them claimed. As I kept hearing accounts of Elena's utter annoyance with said Spaniard I hardly noticed that same Spaniard was observing me.
The party carried on peacefully for a few moments and I let my guard down for a moment. I felt like I easily could get along with people. Perhaps if I had a "normal" face I would have been a great socialite and friend, but that idea soon disappeared as I saw Monsieur Iglesias approached me.
"Pardon me Monsieur, but I believe we need to talk," Miguel stated with a surprising seriousness to his voice.
"Señor Iglesias don't you think this could wait? We are, after all, in a party that is meant to be celebrated and cherished," I responded not really paying any attention to him and searching for Elena.
"Oh I think this cannot wait, despues de todo tu eres el verdarero dueño de el teatro, el fantasma de la opera. (Translation: after all you are the real owner of the theater, the phantom of the opera)" he whispered into my ear. My blood ran cold in an instant, and my heart stopped and I stiffened at the mention of my alias. I turned to look at him and nodded, agreeing to the "talk" we were about to have. We isolated ourselves into the drawing room and began our little "talk."
"How long have you known?" I inquired with a bit if an edge to my voice. Looking out at the window instead of the Spaniard, I was impressed by his observations but I was not going to let him see that.
"When we first met, I found it unusual that a man would wear a mask to a dinner party, which as much as I could tell, was not a masquerade," He answered without any tone to his voice, "second, even if you did come from a masquerade, why hide only half of your face? If you had nothing to hide you would have worn a full mask like you are now. Finally, did you really think Señor Vega has been the only one to explore the catacombs?"
I stayed silent for a moment, thinking over the options I had in order to keep Elena and Rebecca safe from the workers. One option: commit murder. It seems plausible, no one would hear from Miguel again and the harassment that Elena endured would essentially be gone; however, I would disappoint the Vega's a and the Giry's due to my actions. The other choice I had was to flee from the opera house, but in doing so I would renounce everything I have and the love of Elena. Just as I was about to take the lasso out, the Spaniard spoke again.
"Don't worry, I reveal your identity," Miguel blurted out just in time, "but I only ask one thing from you."
At this point I was intrigued this man could well enough expose me to the world right this instance, but he chose not to. "What is it you want?"
"I want to have a fair chance at capturing Elena's heart."
"WHAT?!"
"Look, Phantom. It is obvious your feelings for Elena, and her feelings for you, but do you honestly think Elena will be happy to live in the shadows? Do you honestly think she'll give up what she has up here to be in your world of darkness? Do you honestly think she will want to raise Rebecca there or her future children there? And most importantly, do you think she'll want to have children with you? Look, I may be blunt and have bad manners but I just want her to have an option of a normal life. I just ask for a chance, and if she rejects me I'll leave Elena and Paris."
I was stunned with those questions, all important questions and all plausible situations. Doubts began to invade my mind and the thought of Elena being miserable in the catacombs after a few years. Maybe I was just imagining a perfect life with Elena but never looking deeply into life. Yet what stunned me the most was the simplicity of the request and the honesty behind his promise. This was all that he wanted where as other would want money and power, riches and many other material things. Why this request? I thought to myself.
"A chance? And if she chooses you?" I said as I tuned around facing him but masking my emotions.
"If she chooses me then, that is up to her what we do, sir... I figure we have an agreement then," the Spaniard stretched his arm out to mine. I was hesitant if I didn't agree he might go around and reveal Elena's and my secret, but if I agreed then I would be at risk at losing Elena forever. Plagued by my inner demons and my impulsion to kill, I decided on the voice of reason. "I believe we do."
Elena's P.O.V~
(Around that same time)
"Oh Meg! His song was so beautiful, perhaps too beautiful! What I suspect cannot be, and yet somehow that song revealed what we both feel! Oh Meg, he loves me!"
"Elena, I told you he did! We all did and that song, well- you're in each measure of that song!" Meg giddily exclaimed as she helped me shift the cake towards the edge of the counter. Meg then left the kitchen announcing that she was going to check on the guest and get the cue from Mathew as to when the cake was going to be serve.
Once out of sight I let a long breathy sigh. So this was love? I smiled at the thought of it and I realized I couldn't stop smiling or feeling those butterflies in my stomach. My heart was fluttering and my mind was filled with happy thoughts and hopes. If the song revealed his true feelings for me, then I would be able to give him the love and care that I so long restrained myself from showing. As I was thinking this I did not notice Meg coming back into the kitchen, so Meg's voice snapped me out of my trance.
"Elena! Oh, great you're finally listening to me. I was just saying that I just heard from the maid that Erik and Miguel went into the drawing room, and they just come out. Erik didn't look too pleased with Monsieur Iglesias and vice versa... Elena I fear that this encounter could change your life."
"Meg, I fear that you might be right, but we do not know for certain. What I do know is that their is a little angel waiting for her birthday cake and this pink monstrosity most make it's appearance soon." I said with a smile while biting back my nerves. Meg looked at me and gave me a sad smile. She offered to stay in the kitchen and come out with the cake when it was time. I stepped out and soon enough I saw Erik. He seemed pensive and a bit distraught, perhaps the encounter with Miguel was the reason for his mood. As soon as he saw me however, he straighten himself and flashed a smile that could melt ice.
"Elena, this is perhaps the most wonderful party I've ever been to... Well that I actually have been invited to, that is," Erik said as he grabbed my hand and covered it with his.
"Thank you Erik, we had to but effort to his event. Rebecca deserved nothing but the best," I stated quite proud of how things went by smoothly, "Speaking about the best, I loved your song... it spoke volumes and was quite passionate. I believe it was one of your best compositions and everyone enjoyed it."
"Truth be told I had a muse for that song Elena and quite frankly without her, that song would never amount to the level of appraisal as it did today," Just then someone started to play the piano and a few people began to dance. Erik and I let out a small laugh at the sudden music and with that the phantom asked me something I did not think he was capable of. "Elena, may I have this dance?" I chuckled at his over dramatic bowing but nonetheless I accepted. The dance itself was a waltz a rather slow waltz, Erik, as I discovered, was not that great of a dancer. He had stepped on my shoes twice and by the third time he stopped. "Elena, I am sorry, I'm afraid I'm quite useless at dancing. Maybe you should dance with someone with more experience."
I observed how sad he was and that made me want to make him smile. "Then I'll teach you." I grabbed his hand and positioned him to the right stance, I whispered to him what to do; At first it was awkward, mostly because he kept looking down trying to avoid stepping on my toes. "Eyes on me," I whispered as I lifted his gaze with my hand briefly. Erik, was a fast learner, and soon enough it seemed as if he had been waltzing all his life and had even spun me three times. We had pleasant conversations and as the tempo of the song began to die down so did our dancing. We kept looking into each others eyes, his golden eyes made were sprinkled with something magical. I couldn't stray away from them.
"Elena, has anyone every told you, you have beautiful eyes?"
"Erik, my eyes are not as dazzling as yours... has anyone told you, you are the sweetest, caring and passionate man they ever met?"
He chuckled at the statement briefly, "I've been called many things but never that Elena. You look beautiful, my dear."
"Erik, I'm not beautiful. I'm just as everyone else in the world," I said as we continued to dance slower.
"Elena don't degrade yourself, for goodness sake. You are beautiful inside and out, why if I were to immortalize you in any way Elena I would write the most beautiful extensive melody, the most detailed portrait that would make anyone fall in love with you, and the most heartwarming epic anyone has ever had heard. Elena, any man would be lucky to have you."
The music stopped and Erik and I separate, "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For the dance, for your presence and your gracious conversation Erik. I feel the same way... that is any woman would be lucky to have someone like you Erik."
"Hahaha, I sincerely doubt that. Mademoiselle, thank you for the dance," Erik cordially responded as he took my hand delicately and brought it up to his lips. I blushed profoundly at his actions and once again that flutter was brought up again, but it was short lived as a rather drunk Miguel came and criticized Erik and my actions.
"Oh esto es por demas (this is too much)! Wearing identical costumes was one thing, hearing that song was another but that display of affection is all too much! Don't you think someone is a bit too old for those types of inappropriate display of affections? I mean what would the people think of your behavior tonight?"
His ranting continued for a bit, repeating the same things over and over again (he was drunk after all). It was as if his words had paralyzed us, making us seem like easy prey or targets for his obvious displeasure. I was about to say something rather rude in my native tongue when Mathew, like a angel sent from God, came into the room with the children in tow having heard enough of Iglesias's ranting.
Omniscient P.O.V~
"Iglesias please don't embarrass yourself in front of the children," Mathew stated as he tried to ease the children in the room, "You are setting a bad example to the children."
"I was merely stating how both these people are a bonita (pretty/lovely) couple but don't you think someone is a bit old for that type of inappropriate attraction and affection?" Monsieur Iglesias sneered at both the Prima Donna and the phantom, who were quite humiliated by the drunk's rather loud description. The innocent act of their dancing and Erik kissing her hand was blown to a scandalous and nearly lust driven actions. Both were off guard with Iglesias statements but fortunately for them Mathew was defending their actions and all the while entertaining the guests, children, and his niece.
"Well as ambassador of love and defender of the innocent, I hardly call a simple kiss to the hand as 'inappropriate attraction and affection.' Besides, just because you were too slow to ask my sister to a dance, does not mean that you have a right to condemn what is proper and improper monsieur."
As the bickering continued no one noticed Meg Giry coming out of the kitchen with the five teared cake struggling to balance herself and the cake. No one noticed all the children crowding around her, and no one certain noticed how oddly close the cake was to these four individuals. Then all hell broke loose as Miguel Iglesias turned around and slipped on a small fuchsia colored mask falling towards the pink monstrosity.
WHOOSH- KASPLAT!
It was as if the whole world had paused or if the scene was going painfully slow. No one could stop what tragedy the cake and the Spaniard were about to experience. Miguel Iglesias was now sporting pink frosting and almond cake all over his face and hair, the once five layered caked turned into two layers and some chunks of the third layer on top. Horrified by the state he was in, the Spaniard left without looking back and with his fair slice of cake. The adults looked horrified and the children snickered at the events that happened, but the expressions on both Elena's and Erik's face were of shock at first but then they slowly began to laugh. Following their led all of the guest began to laugh and snicker a bit. Soon they both felt guilty and responsible for Iglesias's appearance but they would deal with that later. They instead began to cut the cake and gave the guest their share of the somewhat decent sized comestible. With that Rebecca Maria Vega's birthday party was filled with laughs, happy memories, romance and reflections and also with that the party was officially over.