Chapter 23: A fight for love and life
Erik stopped, inches from where Raoul, Christine, Marie Claire, and Arthur stood. He smirked at them, and eerie laugh slipping from his mouth.
"That was a good trick I must say. You got the better of me. It wouldn't have worked better if you'd planned it." he said, his voice amused, but hard. "But it is time for this to end." he said as he pointed the sword at Raoul, then at Arthur.
Christine gasped, her formerly confused eyes, filling with tears as she moved even closer to Raoul.
"Erik, please, don't do this! This is not the way to cure your lonliness. I know you can find it in your heart to do so!" she said, her voice sounding so innocent.
"No Christine, I can't. As you said, its in my soul that the true distortion lies." he said as he gazed at her sad, pretty features, thinking of how her musical voice had said this to him in and angry, dissapointed tone. He had been shocked at those words, shocked and hurt,for he had known, he was falling in her esteem. But as he saw it now, the only way to gain her esteem back was to make her stay with him, make her see the real him. But it didn't occur to him that she already did.
"If I stay, will you let everyone go?" she asked, the very thought breaking her heart as she gazed at her dear ones faces.
Erik looked at her, once again shocked that she would stay here with him, even though she truly loved another, just to save other people's lives. But he shook his head at her, throwing off his black cape. There was going to be no choice this time, for the choice had won him nothing before.
"No angel of music. You and your daughter will stay here, and we will be a family of music. And the Vicomte and young Monsieur Page' wil be dead. This is the way that it should be." he said, showing no remorse at the cold words he spoke. He knew he was hurting her, but he had to have her here, he had to.
Just then, Arthur stepped forward, his head pounding and his eyes furious. He kissed Marie sweetly and innocently before turning towards Erik, Marie trying desperatley to stop him. Raoul saw him do this and stepped forward as well, refusing to let his future son in law encounter the Phantom alone. He knew from experience that rash actions were not a good plan when confronting the Phantom. But before he did, he kissed Christine, and she kissed him back, with all of the love she felt inside for him, so terribly afraid that this was the last kiss they would ever share. Memories rushed into her head as they embraced, memories of their blissful life together with their children, memories of when they had first been reunited, memories of their childhood. She thought of all that he had risked for her, willing to let himself be killed, just so she could be free. She wouldn't, she couldn't let go. But Raoul looked sadly in her eyes, and she knew she had to. Raoul and Arthur turned to face Erik, both eyes filled with passionate anger. Erik gazed at them, his eyes burning with contempt. Raoul squeezed Arthur's shoulder in a fatherly fashion, trying to reassure the young man, for he knew exactly how he felt. As the three swords clanged together, Marie Claire fell into Christine's arms, her very soul feeling as if it were dying. Christine held her daughter tightly, trying to soothe her irrepressable sobs. She watched wordlessly as another fight began, looking at Arthur and Raoul, her skin crawling every time the swords connected. She held Marie, hating that she had to go throught this. She had always wanted to protect Marie Claire from the very thing that she herself had gone through. Then suddenly a yell rang through the air as Arthur swung wildy, managing to knock Erik off of his feet. Raoul quickly pried the sword from the Phantom's ironlike grip, throwing it across the room.
"Now monsieur, I believe we will be leaving." said Arthur, turning to go.
Erik glared at the young man, and then turned to Raoul.
"Not going to do me in, Vicomte?" he asked, his voice sarcastic and sly.
"No," said Raoul slowly, "I'm not like you. If I took someone's life I would regret it forever."
Erik stared at him, surprised. He did not understand compassionate people, for the world was an uncompassionate place. And yet his mortal enemy had shown him compassion.
"Go." said Erik, looking Raoul and Arthur in the eyes. "Take them and go."
Raoul and Arthur did not question this and they made their way quickly to Christine and Marie Claire. But in the warm embrace of Arthur's arms, Marie Claire felt that there was something wrong, very wrong with this scenario. And the intelligent girl proved to be right, for as soon as they reached the gate, two punjab lassos came out of nowhere, catching both Raoul and Arthur firmly by the neck.
"You fell for that far to easily." said Erik, slamming them helplessly against the gate. "I said that I would not lose this time." he said as he tied them, before turning to Christine and Marie.
Christine stared at her former teacher in absolute horror, salty tears falling from her chocolate eyes and onto the cold stone floor.
"How can you do this to me! You claimed to be my teacher and my protector for all of those years, but now you do the thing that hurts me the very most. I trusted you and then you betrayed me. And now you betray me again! Erik, I don't understand!" she said as she held Marie to her.
Erik took her face in his hands, and made her look him in the eyes.
"No Christine, you betrayed me. But I was willing to forgive you because you are my angel of music, my love." he said softly.
Christine shook at his touch, the voice that had once inspired her voice, now making her want to faint.
"Please Erik, let them go. I beg of you. Arthur has never done anything but love Marie, and Raoul has never done anything but love me. Don't you understand Erik, I love them." she said, tears still continuing to fall.
"Christine, you and Marie belong here with me. That is my final word." he said, coldly, his eyes looking directly into hers.
She shook her head away from his touch, now so distraught that she could no longer speak. Marie Claire looked up at Erik, and for the first time in some while, she spoke.
"If you keep me here Erik, I will slowly fade away. I cannot live if my papa and my fiance do not." she said, her voice so sad that it almost touched his heart. "You are wasting your musical genius and have turned into a killer. Why?"
Erik looked into her young face, almost wanting to laugh at her innocence.
"Because the world made me this way, madmoiselle. Because of the wickedness of this abhorrent face!" he said, ripping off his mask in his rage.
Marie's eyes widened at the sight, as he quickly put the mask back on.
"Do you see now? Do you see why I am forced to live this life?" he said as he put a firm hand on her shoulder. "But it won't matter for long for you will learn to see the man behind the monster, sooner than you think!"
Marie Claire looked at her father and Arthur clinging to life and then at Erik, tears streaming down her white face.
"I already do. I see a lonely and desperate man gone mad. As my mother said, it is not your face that people fear, it is the things you have done. Unless you look into your soul, you will never change." she said, her heart breaking at the sight of her father and fiance.
Erik gazed at the young soprano. How much like her mother she was, and for that reason, he was not willing to give them up, not this time.
"You know not of what you speak madmoiselle. Soon you will see things as I see them, for you will have no other choice!" he yelled as he stormed over to Raoul and Arthur, even angrier than before.
His eyes were filled with ultimate, insane, hatred as he yanked hard on the noose holding Arthur. Arthur gasped for air, but found none. He looked at the Phantom, his eyes filled with brokenhearted tears.
"It is to bad that your life has to end this way, Arthur, you could have a great singer. If only you had listened to me!" he said, pulling even harder.
Arthur looked him in the eyes, and spoke faintly.
"I would rather die fighting to protect the ones I love, than thoughtlessly give into your every demand."
Erik, laughed at this, then turned to Raoul his eyes filled with ultimate triumph.
"I believe I have seen this before. Ah yes, about twenty years ago. But this time you will not be leaving alive!" he said, pulling violently on the rope.
Raoul choked out some very quiet, but powerful words, his eyes filled with tears of worry and pain.
"You are only going to make them hate you by doing this! I beg of you one last time, for the love of God let them go!" he pleaded, hardly able to breath. "Why make them lie to you?"
"No Vicomte, they will end their days with me, give it up!" said the Phantom angrily, still amazed that even though Raoul could hardly breath, he was still fighting for Christine and Marie.
As the Phantom gave one last tug, Raoul felt the life slipping from him, as did Arthur, as they both looked at Christine and Marie, thoughts and memories flooding their minds. They fought desperatley to try and hold on to life, but it was getting difficult.
Erik stood in the middle of the room, ignoring the ringing cries of protest and despair coming from Christine and Marie Claire, feeling ultimate triumph in his soul. A resounding laugh, a maniacal laugh, rang throughout the room. He would finally have life, love, and all he desired. He had won! The Music of the Night would prevail! But just then, the opera house began to shake, and things began to topple over and fall from the ceiling. The storm outside had raged into a tornado, that was doing sufficient damage to the opera house. He looked over at Christine and Marie, their horrified and sad faces hardly even noticing that the room was falling down around them. He didn't want harm to come to them, then all of this would have been for nothing. Then he heard footsteps not very far off in the distance. He cursed. That blasted Arthur had probably summoned them. He did not want to be chased all over Paris by the police with Christine and Marie in his possession. If they caught him, he would be charged with murder and kidnapping and all of his plans would be unfurled. He had wanted to do this in ultimate secrecy. Christine looked over at him, noticing that there was a conflict going on in his head and hoping that maybe he would let them go. Then suddenly he let out a cry of anger, frustrated tears streaming down his cheeks. He turned to face them all.
"Go! You may have won this time, but it is only by default. I will I will return to finish this, for the Phantom always returns!" he screamed before dissappearing in ball of fire.
And as soon as he did, Andre, Firmin, Meg, Madame Giry, and Lizzie all appeared before the gate, horrified at what they found, but in a rush to get out of the opera house safely. Christine and Marie ran to Raoul and Arthur quickly untying the taught ropes around their necks, hoping that it wasn't to late. As the ropes were untied, both men fell into their love's arms, gasping for air. All four shared a brief embrace, but there was no time to waste.
"Oh my goodness, you are all in a state!" cried Firmin, "But we must get out, the place is falling down!"
"Where did the Phantom go?" asked Meg, looking around.
"He dissappeared!" cried Christine.
Raoul and Arthur by some miracle managed to stand and opened the gate, and grabbing Christine's and Marie's hands, the whole group ran, with Madame Giry leading the way, the opera house collapsing around them.
