Chapter 5: Before Midnight
It was the night of the masquerade ball and Clara was applying the finishing touches to her costume before taking a step back to admire the pink ball gown... It was within the few seconds that followed that a gentle knock was applied against her door,
"Come in" Clara called gently and smiled when Christine popped her head into the room,
"Hi Clara. Have you seen Meg?" she asked politely,
"I'm sure she said something about having to rush her costume to the tailors due to it needing some small alterations" Clara explained and saw Christine sigh but then saw her eyes widen at the sight of Clara's costume,
"... Is that what you're wearing tonight? It's stunning" she murmured in awe, stepping into the room properly so that she could admire the gown properly and picked up the mask that Clara had made to go with it,
"Thank you. It's nothing compared to what my mother could make but it will do the job" Clara replied causing Christine to look at her shocked,
"... You made this?" she asked, stunned,
"Yes. I wasn't sure if I was going so I didn't really have time to go for a unique theme so its just something standard" Clara explained bashfully but saw Christine looking at the dress with a sad expression,
"Christine?... What's wrong?" Clara asked her gently,
"... I... I was looking for Meg in hopes that she might swap costumes with me" Christine admitted and Clara frowned when she left the room for a moment before returning with a blue gown and mask,
"... It's lovely but... It just doesn't feel right when I wear it" she explained as Clara looked at the grown, surprised by Christine's words,
"I'm not sure why. This gown is much more stunning than mine" Clara pointed out honestly but Christine shook her head,
"Not to me. I look at your gown and I can just tell that I would feel like Cinderella..." Christine stated before looking at Clara hopefully,
"Would... Would you switch with me?" she asked, hope shining in her eyes causing Clara to look at her utterly surprised,
"... I know it's not very fair of me to ask because its a dress you made for yourself but... It would truly mean the world to me..." Christine pressed, practically bouncing up and down in excitement as she saw Clara considering her request,
"... Please help me to feel like Cinderella and be my fairy godmother" she begged and squealed in excitement when Clara finally smiled and sighed in surrender before nodding,
"Ok. I don't see the harm in trading with you" she agreed, accepting the blue ball gown and mask from Christine whom instantly rushed to gathered up the pink ballgown and mask before thanking Clara repeatedly as she rushed out of the room.
Erik had chosen to base his masquerade costume on 'The Red Death' by Edgar Allen Poe as well as made himself a full mask that was lined with skull like detailing in order to fit the theme and he smiled at the idea of being able to attend the masquerade as if he were just like everyone else in the realm of light... He smiled brighter at the idea of his intentions to ask his beloved Christine to dance... The Phantom could not help the feeling of excitement that filled his heart.
Meg was giggling in excitement as she stood beside her mother as they watched guests begin to fill the ballroom,
"Do I look ok, mother?" she asked happily,
"Like an angel" Antoinette praised with a bright smile causing her daughter to giggle brightly due to the angel costume she was wearing but the ballet mistress was drawn to the sight of masked gentleman, draped in red velvet that clung to him like a second skin as a blood red cape dragged behind him as he searched room with his eyes,
"Sorry I'm late" Clara called, causing the ballet mistress to turn just as Clara made her way down the stairs and her eyes widened at the sight of the stunning blue gown she was wearing,
"Clara..." she murmured,
"I had a bit of trouble getting ready due to the last minuet change" Clara explained, moving to put her matching mask on but was surprised when Antoinette tried to encourage her back up the stairs,
"You need to leave" she insisted,
"What?... Why?..." Clara tried,
"No arguments just go now. I'll explain late.." Antoinette tried but a deep scarlet shadow soon hovered over them as Erik glared down at Clara,
"... I never considered that your niece would be a thief, Madame" The red death growled,
"A Thief?! I haven't..." Clara tried in confusion but cried out when Erik grasped her arm in a death like grip and dragged her to central landing of the grand staircase of the ballroom,
"It seems fitting that we are surrounded by people in masks and yet it is revealed that one guest is actually a thief!" he yelled, earning everyone's attention,
"Let go of her!" Antoinette demanded angrily,
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Clara yelled at him whilst trying to free herself from his bruising grip that held onto her arm, he soon released her causing her to fall to the ground due to not having expected him to release her suddenly,
"Quite stunning is she not?!" Erik demanded mockingly as Antoinette rushed and helped her niece to stand back up,
"... The irony is not lost on me that Cinderella A maiden portrayed as one whom asks for nothing and takes nothing... The image is tainted by the very thief trying to portray her" he sneered but frowned when a woman dressed in a pink ballgown and mask rushed to the bottom of the staircase,
"Maestro please Stop!" she begged causing Erik to look down at her, frowning in confusion,
"... Christine..." he murmured before looking back at Clara and soon developed a new glare that he aimed in her direction,
"So you not only steal my gift to her but you force her to wear your pitiful rags instead!" he roared as Madame Giry moved to stand in front of Clara, protectively,
"Maestro! I convinced Clara to trade costumes with me!" Christine yelled, once again causing the red death to look at her in surprise,
"Wh... What?... Why?... I gifted that dress to you as a token of my admiration for you... I... You told me that you wanted to feel like Cinderella and so I had that dress made based off an illustration from your beloved fairy tale book that your father would read to you..." Erik murmured in confusion as Christine looked up at him sadly just as young handsome man dressed in a military uniform came to stand behind her, placing a protective hand on her arm,
"I... I didn't want you to recognize me... I... I wanted to be Cinderella... I just... I didn't want to be your Cinderella" Christine admitted,
"... I thought that if I traded costumes with someone else then you might not be able to find me among the other guests..." she explained as Erik turned to look at Clara whom was holding her now bruising arm,
"... Clara..." he tried, taking a step towards her but saw her take a step away from him before fleeing up the staircase,
"Clara!..." Erik called after her in vain as Antoinette glared at him before she and Meg rushed off after her... The entire ballroom filled with gasps of shock when Erik suddenly vanished in a cloud of smoke and a burst of fire.
Antoinette knocked on Clara's door and sighed sadly when she didn't respond... Meg soon came to her mother's side,
"People are saying that the gentlemen that accused Clara of being a thief was the opera ghost himself! He vanished in a great ball of fire and smoke" she explained,
"Clara?... It's ok. It's just us..." Antoinette called gently, knocking on the door again,
"... Will she be ok?" Meg murmured with a sad, concerned tone that matched her expression,
"I don't..." Antoinette began but stopped when Clara finally opened the door wearing a dressing gown and she offered the blue ballgown to her aunt,
"... Give this back to him" she said simply,
"Clara..." Antoinette tried,
"... Goodnight Auntie. Goodnight Meg" she bid sadly before closing the door once again and the ballet mistress couldn't help but sigh before encouraging her daughter to come away so they could give Clara the time alone that she obviously needed.
Erik was sat at his desk in his cavern home still within his red death costume except he had removed the long red cape... He didn't react when a pool of blue silk material hit the floor beside him,
"... You will Not go near Clara again" Antoinette ordered in a firm tone, feeling her blood boil when the masked man didn't speak or turn to look at her,
"I mean it. If you so much as even try to contact her I will tell the authorities where you are myself!" she yelled angrily before storming away, leaving Erik in his dark solitude... It felt like hours before Erik finally looked down at the blue gown the laid on the floor beside his feet... He slowly reached down before picking up the heavenly soft material and he found his mind filled with the look of terror that had filled Clara's eyes when he had grabbed her arm... When he released her causing her to fall to the ground... When he had tried to approach her after learning that it was actually Christine whom had swapped dresses with her... The phantom closed his eyes hopelessly,
"... What have I done?..." He murmured as tear escaped his eye, slipping down behind his mask as he hung his head in shame.
The gown that Clara makes but Christine wears is the masquerade gown from the 2004 film 'The Phantom Of The Opera'
The gown that Erik had made for Christine but Clara wears is the ball gown from Disney's Cinderella 2015.
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