A New Start Chapter 20: The shadow has fallen

Andre and Firmin stared at the note that lay before them with expressions of awe and horror. The envelope with the seal of a skull lay unoticed on the floor because it had fallen from Firmin's fingers as he read the note.

"Dear managers of this most succsessful opera house,
I bid a good day to you. I know that you are busy preparing for tonight's gala, so I will just give you this bit of advice. Do not expect to see the Vicomte de Chagny this evening, for he is caught up in some affairs. In, fact, I suggest that you secure a new patron , for the Vicomte will not be returning to you. Oh, and you had best see Madame Giry for more information on this matter.
Good day, O.G."

The managers looked up at one another, actually worried about something other than buisness for once.

"What do you think he has done with Raoul?" asked Andre uncertainly.

"Firmin shook his head and sighed heavily, his shoulders drooping.

"I don't know, but considering his contempt for the Vicomte, I fear that it may be the worst." he said sadly. "I do hope that he is alright. He has become a good friend to us over the years."

"He said something about Madame Giry, "said Andre slowly, trying to think of something, anything, that would help them figure out what was going on. " We'd better go and search her out, and see what she knows."

The two searched for the mysterious woman around the theater for a few minutes before finding her standing in the back of the ballet dormitories with Meg. She held a letter in her hand and she had a very serious look on her face. She turned when she heard them enter.

"Monsieurs," she said, her normally emotionless face contorted with worry. "I believe we have a problem."

She handed the note silently to Meg who was staring motionlessly at the floor. Meg took it into her hands and began to read.

'My dear Madame Giry, Fondest greetings to you on this afternoon. I wrote this note to inform you that you will be missing a certain someone from the opera this evening, so you had best find a replacement. Of course no one could ever match the beauty of her voice, but nevertheless she will not be there. I assume you know who I am talking about, for I am reffering to my angel of music, Christine Daae. You had best alert those idiot managers, for I have sent them a note as well.
Sincerely,
O.G.'

Meg finished reading, tears filling her eyes. Even Madame Giry's eyes teared, for her heart was torn in two. She hated having to betray Erik, after she had helped him when he was younger, but she could not let him do this to the the de Chagnys. She had promised Christine's father after all, that she would look after Christine. And she cared deeply for Raoul and Marie as well. Erik had clearly lost control. Meg looked up at Andre and Firmin.

"He sent you a note as well?" she asked.

Andre and Firmin nodded, but their words were interrupted by footsteps running towards them and the door flying open. Lizzie ran in, blonde hair askew and sheer terror in her green eyes. All were silent for a moment as she caught her breath and curtseyed out of habit. She too, had a letter in her hand, a letter with that ever so familiar blood red skull.

"He's taken Marie Claire," she said without prelude, "She's gone." said Lizzie breathlessly as she walked over to her mother.

"Are you sure?" asked Meg, not wanting to believe it as she took the letter from her daughter and read it.

' Dear madmoiselle,
In case you are wondering where your friend had gone, I have her safely in my posession. But do not fret, I will not harm her.Take this note immediatley to the opera house.
Sincerely,
O.G.'

"He's got the whole blasted family." said Firmin, shell shocked. "And from right under our very noses. And I fear that he may have killed Raoul. " he said, his eyes downcast.

"That's just what he wants you to think." said a young, deep, male voice. It was Arthur, who was holding Raoul's sword in one hand and his own in another.

Everyone looked up, confused and puzzled.

"But Monsieur Arthur," began Meg, her voice laced with tears, for she was sick with worry over Raoul, Christine, and Marie, "It states very clearly in the note."

Arthur shook his head.

"He's trying to confuse you. I saw him lock Raoul in the room, but I didn't want to let him out until I was totally sure that the Phantom was back in his lair. So I went to the de Chagny estate to pick up Monsieur de Chagny's sword, because I am sure that he will be needing it. If my timing is correct, then he should be back in his lair by now." Arthur stopped, letting it all sink in. But they all stared back blankly, so he went on. "He was trying to get Raoul out of the way, so he could get to Christine and Marie more easily. Once he got the two, he was going to go back and kill Raoul. But unluckily for the Phantom, I have caught on to his plan. I'm going to find the Vicomte now. " said Arthur, his voice and ocean of sadness and worry, but his eyes a sea of fiery determination.

"You are going to go down there monsieur?" asked Madame Giry seriously, seeing the same look in Arthur's young eyes that she had seen in Raoul's all those years ago. She was quite sure that at this very moment Raoul had that same look in his eyes as well.

"Yes, I am getting Raoul out of that room, and we are going down there to save the ones we love. " said Arthur, a single tear sliding slowly down every crease on his handsome face, before falling to the floor.

"But Arthur, he will kill you." said Lizzie in a small voice as she walked over to Arthur and gave him a comforting hug.

"I don't care. I will put my life on the line." he said looking into Lizzie' s terrified eyes. Then he looked around at everyone in the room, all people very close to the de Chagnys. "I will put my life on the line and then some, and I know that Raoul will as well. Think how he must feel, his wife and daughter are both down there! It is up to you what you decide to do, But you must do something to help." he said as he turned and walked out of the room.

Everyone was silent for a moment, but then they turned to each other, deciding what action to take that wouldn't endanger the de Chagnys or Arthur even more. But none of them noticed Lizzie slip out of the room, not to far behind Arthur.
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Arthur found the room where Erik had locked Raoul up after several minutes of searching. He picked the lock and kicked the door open, hoping that Raoul was alright. As he entered, Raoul stood before him, having managed to get his hands free from the ropes, but his wrists were bleeding profusely. There was a very large bruise on his face and immense sadness in his blue eyes. He was shaking, but he walked toward Arthur with determinatin and focus. Arthur had a horrified look on his face at the sight of the state of his future father in law.

"Arthur," said Raoul, the relief clear in his voice. "I'm so glad that you've come. I don't know how I would have gotten out otherwise, there isn't a blasted thing to pick the lock with in here."

Arthur smiled worriedly at Raoul.

"Monsieur Vicomte are you alright?" asked Arthur, gazing at Raoul's wrists and his bruised face.

"I'll be fine." said Raoul, ignoring the throbbing pains in his face and wrists. "What's that you've got there?" asked Raoul, glancing down at the swords in Arthur's hands.

"Its your sword." said Arthur, handing it to Raoul. "I was quite sure we'd be needing them." he said grimly.

The two locked eyes for a moment, both hearts filled with dread.

"Thankyou my boy." said Raoul, clasping Arthur on the shoulder. "But we must go now and find Christine and Marie Claire, before something happens. I can see by the look in your eyes that you will do anything to save Marie, and I second the motion. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to Christine and Marie." he said, the tears starting to form in his eyes, but he wiped them away. He and Arthur had a job to do. Raoul began to run towards the door, and Arthur followed.

"I know the way." said Arthur solemnly.

The two found the entrance to the vaults rather easily. As they began their desecent, they found themselves in almost pitch black darkness that seemed to completely surround them. The walls were grimy, and water dripped from the ceiling. There was a very eerie feeling about the place.

"I remember feeling almost exactly this same way when I came after Christine at the old opera house all those years ago." said Raoul as he threw off his coat and watched it fall into the bottomless darkness. "But it is worse this time, since both Christine and Marie are down there with him." he said, his voice incredibly melancholy and despairing.

'Its a bit like deja vu, isn't it?" asked Arthur in a whisper.

"Yes," said Raoul, his heart hammering, "Very unpleasant deja vu."

"Well," said Arthur, "Here goes nothing."

The two stepped down onto the first step, and then the second. But as they stepped down onto the third, the stairs suddenly sunk in, forming a long, winding, stone slide. The two gave a yell as they began to slide down to what seemed like imminent doom.
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The Phantom and Christine stood before Marie Claire as she slowly came out of her state of unconsciousness. She slowly sat up, shaking her curls that were falling in her eyes. She jumped back in fear as she looked around, her eyes realizing where she was, and her soul began to fill with terror. Christine came over and put her arm around her daughter, wishing she could do something to comfort her. Erik looked down upon the pair with a look of triumph.

"Well, well, here we are mamselles." he said, a slight smirk on his face. His musical genius would be perfect now, with the voices of the two people standing before him.

Christine looked sadly at the man who had once been her angel of music.

"Please Erik, must you keep us here? Can't you let us go? Why this torment?" she asked, pleading in her dark eyes.

Erik looked back at her, his eyes traveling over her face and the face of her daughter. He looked in their sad eyes, not liking the fact that he was causing them pain, but it could not be prevented.

"It will not be torment for long." he said slowly, "Soon you will see that I am right. You will forget all of this."

"No, I won't." said Christine as her thoughts turned to her Raoul. "Raoul will come for us. And so will Arthur."

Erik chuckled at this. "No, I'm afraid you are wrong there my dear," he said, his eyes turning cold, "It isn't possible for your dear husband to come, and I doubt that young Arthur even knows whats going on, I made sure of that."

Oh, how wrong he was, considering those exact people were headed straight for the lair.
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A/N: Ya I know its another cliffhanger, but when you get to the climatic parts of a story you can't really help it. I hope to have the next chapter up by the end of the weekend. So, I hope you like this. And by the way, I'm thinking of writing a sequal to this story, what do ya think? With what I want to accomplish with this story, I think that having two fics would work really well. Well until next time, read and review!