Chapter 12: Opera Ghost Confronts His Past
" You're a prideful bastard Ladet," Nicolas said
" Am I Cassé ?" David said
They circled one another like sharks circling prey. They knew each other's moves, and equal in the skill of fighting. Nicolas did not flinch and David narrowed his eyes.
" For one year, I have waited for a moment to kill you Nicolas," David said, " You dishonored me, my dear friend. I was the one who helped you."
" Perhaps you did, but it was your greed that killed her," Nicolas said
He sheathed his blade and looked at David as he backed off.
" I won't fight you," Nicolas said
Nicolas climbed the stairs towards the center of the two sets of stairs. David did not like his opponent running from a fight, that he wished to win. David went after him blade fully extended to stab Nicolas.
" Nicolas!" Victoire shouted
Nicolas turned around with a flip of his wrist, his cloak was on the ground and he was gone. The guest gasped seeing only his black cloak on the ground. David narrowed his eyes and looked around, Meg and Victoire breathed deep.
" Nicolas," she thought
" Did you think that I would run from someone as foolish as you!" Nicolas' voice rang through the halls and lobby of the opera house
Nicolas laughed and David looked around for his opponent, his patience was wearing thin.
" Come out you coward!" David shouted
" A coward am I?" Nicolas laughed, " You jealousy of my power is amusing."
" We'll see who is amusing," David said
He grabbed Victoire and looked around, the blade came to her neck as he back off.
" Let her go," Meg said
" Stay back young lady," he said, " You have nothing to do with this."
" Let her go," Meg growled
" Sorry," David said
Nicolas narrowed his eyes and jumped down in the shadows, and then came at David. He slashed his arm and David turned around, he pushed Victoire out of his hold. She hit the ground hitting her head, she fell unconscious, Nicolas slashed his blade at him.
" We finish this now!" Nicolas shouted
His half mask stared at him and David narrowed his eyes.
" Phantom you will no longer haunt me," David said as he attacked
Nicolas blocked him and threw him back with no hesitation.
" You betrayed me, you were jealous," Nicolas said, " How could you think of ever calling yourself my friend?"
Nicolas attacked and slashed him across the faced with the tip of his blade. He breathed deep and David looked at him.
" I betrayed you, you betrayed me for some chorus whore," David said
Their blades danced with one another as they attacked each other. David and Nicolas looked at each other and fiercely held their positions. Nicolas kicked him in the gut and backed off.
" You won't pull your disappearing act again," David said
Henri lifted Victoire and called the doctor over to take her away. Henri took off and towards the office and Meg looked at her husband.
" Henri," Meg said
Jacque placed his hand on Meg's shoulder.
" Don't worry," Jacque said, " He won't do anything he isn't good at."
David looked at Nicolas and nailed him in the gut with his knee. He hit him with the back of his sword hilt, then stabbed Nicolas through his shoulder. Nicolas let out a painful scream, David grabbed Nicolas by his neck and looked at him.
" I want them to look upon the face of the Phantom phony," David said, " before I kill you in front of these people, I will unmask you."
Nicolas struggled as his shoulder bled and dripped down his arm. David reached for the white mask to unmask him. Meg looked at Nicolas cloak and grabbed it, she ran towards David.
" Erik please give me your strength," she whispered
She opened the cloak and leapt past David and wrapped the cloak around his neck and pulled him down as she fell. David fell and Nicolas fell out of his grip. David struggled with the cloak and dropped his blade. Meg got up and ran to the blade and David got up, to get the fallen blade. Nicolas drew his blade and went after David. Meg reached for it and David slapped Meg across the face, she fell back.
" You will pay," he said
" No!" Nicolas shouted
David thrust the blade towards Meg as she moved quickly. The blade stabbed a piece of her dress and David pulled a dagger from the hilt of his sword. He threw it at Meg, but a blade was thrown and hit the dagger. David turned and looked at Henri standing there. Meg looked at husband as he walked down the stairs, and drew a red blade that had a gold hilt with a skull. Meg looked at the blade and breathed deep as she stared at it.
" Erik's red blade," Meg whispered
Henri raised the blade and made a slash across the air.
" Monsieur you are on dangerous grounds," Henri said
" And you Monsieur have a murderer in your presence," David said
Nicolas looked at Henri and raised his blade straight up ,tip at his forehead, Henri nodded and Nicolas turned and looked at David.
" On the grave of the formal Phantom's grave, I will kill you tonight," Nicolas said
He pulled the blade back and David grabbed his blade and came at Nicolas. Someone helped Meg up and she watched as rivals met their blades in the middle. Sparks flew and she looked at her husband who prepared to help if necessary.
" You killed her because of jealousy," Nicolas said, " and you will pay."
It was at that moment that Nicolas seemed to become stronger suddenly. He was fighting with true strength and throwing David off. David fell back and looked at Nicolas as he came at him.
" Turn you're head the other way!" Nicolas shouted
Nicolas closed his eyes and swung his blade with power. There were gasp through out the opera house then silence. Nicolas breathed deep and Meg looked at Nicolas, he sheathed his blade. Nicolas closed his eyes as he knelt down and lowered his head.
" I am the Phantom of the Opera, there is no other man that can take my place…take my density," Nicolas thought
He reached downward and lifted David's head and looked at him.
" You have met your fate," Nicolas whispered, " Patricia your death has been revenged."
Nicolas walked off slowly as people backed away from him, he vanished into the shadows. Henri ran to Meg and embraced his wife, she shook in horror as she stared at the body.
" He's dead right," she whispered
The police came after someone had ran off to get them, they saw the dead body and looked around.
" Who did this?" the police captain asked
" The Opera Ghost," someone said
" Find him," he told his men
" No," Meg said
Everyone looked at her as she pulled away from her husband's loving embrace.
" He saved us all from this man, he saved me, he saved one of my students," Meg said, " The Phantom of the Opera is no murderer."
" Then who do we charge for this murderer?" he asked
" I will take the blame," Henri said
" Henri," Meg whispered
" If you must charge someone, then charge me. If he's guilty for doing this, then I am too," Henri said
The police looked at Henri and sighed, they walked over to him.
" And me too," Jacque said
The police captain looked at Jacque and Henri, the brothers of the Opera house. Meg stood and grabbed her husband's hand.
" And me too, for having pity on him," Meg said
6 of the 12 dancers walked over and stood before them.
" Your going to have to arrest us, if you take Madame Abney and the two mangers, cause without them this Opera house is nothing," they said
Nicolas watched as the people who feared him stood up for him, he was seeing compassion everywhere…for the Phantom of the Opera.
" Why?" he whispered, " Why are they doing this?"
" It's called compassion Nicolas,"
Nicolas turned around and saw Patricia standing beside him.
" Patricia," he whispered
" Oh, Nicolas, isn't it about time that someone saved you from your darkness?" Patricia asked
" I can't, I've known only darkness," Nicolas replied
" You will always be the Phantom of the Opera, he never dies," Patricia said, " You have revenged my death Nicolas, there is a life beyond this day of darkness. These people have proven it."
Nicolas looked at the company of the Opera Populaire standing up for him.
" How can they do this for me? I've murdered without a thought and broke innocence all around this opera house," Nicolas remarked, " I truly don't deserver this type of compassion."
" Lies, my beloved. You will see more," she said
She kissed him and then vanished and Nicolas looked at the company.
" Compassion, it's been so long since I have seen compassion," Nicolas whispered, " I have only fled from my past to become this man that I really am not."
Nicolas vanished from the shadows and went to find Victoire. He came to a room and hid there.
" Is she alright?" he asked
" Come in Nicolas, she is fine," the doctor said
Nicolas walked out of the shadows and looked at the old doctor, he sat down beside Victoire as she laid there.
" Nicolas, she is truly a beautiful woman," the doctor said
Nicolas gently stroked her head and kissed her cheek.
" It has been a long time hasn't it Nicolas, since you've waited for this young woman?" the doctor stated
" Yes, very long," Nicolas said
He removed the white mask and the doctor looked at him.
" It looks like the acid burns have healed finally, I can see some improvement, though permanent scaring," the doctor said
" These past months have been enlightening for me," Nicolas said, " I thought I would always be bitter until my life ended. I see now that people are slowly changing around here."
" It is thanks to Meg," the doctor said, " But also to her mother, Madame Giry, who saved Erik."
" Did you have the honor in meeting Erik?" Nicolas asked
" Yes, I have. Several times to dress the wounds of a man who never gave up, Erik was a stubborn man from the time he met her to the end of his days," the doctor said, " He was a good hearted person, though hated by most because of his past."
Victoire moaned and her eyes fluttered up and she saw Nicolas sitting beside her.
" Nicolas," she whispered
" I'm here," Nicolas whispered
He grabbed her hand and kissed it.
" Oh, Nicolas I was so scared, I didn't know if you were going to live. I tried to help you," she whispered
He silenced her with a kissed on the lips and she kissed him in returned.
" I'm here and will always be here," Nicolas said, " You just rest, all of this is over."
" I'm glad," Victoire whispered, " I don't want you to fight."
She sat up and wrapped her arms around Nicolas, she found his mask was off and looked at the doctor.
" Thank you Monsieur," she said
" It was my pleasure mademoiselle," he said
The doctor smiled and walked off and then Nicolas sat closer to Victoire. She kissed him and gently stroked his cheeks.
" I want you to stay with me Victoire," he said, " Here in the Opera house…everything would be here for us."
" Nicolas, you are welcome among friends, perhaps there is a place outside of darkness that would welcome you," Victoire whispered
She pushed back some falling hair on his left side and smiled. She kissed him and Nicolas closed his eyes, feeling her lips on his. Her tender touch was everything he wanted.
" Nicolas, you are everything, one could ask for, so why not show it off," Victoire said, " Your music needs to live again, just as it has once before."
Alexander leaned against the opera house's walls and slipped his dress coat on.
" So, the past has failed, now it is up to me," Alexander whispered