Disclaimer: The original characters of Phantom of the Opera are not owned by me.

A/N: Once again, a huge thanks to all my reviewers. You people are awesome. I'm out of cake, so you all get cookies and an hour with Erik (Don't worry, he'll be good. If he's not, then he gets locked in the pink room, my specially designed torture chamber) and I'm really sorry about the long pause between updates. I've been really busy, since my mom has signed me up for a swim team, so there's lot of meets that last for hours. Any how, on with the fic!

"What happened?" Christine asked, looking desperately between the two thieve souls, and Erik, crumpled on the ground.

"I don't really know, but whatever happened it knocked him out cold." said Alyth drifting closer to the fallen necromancer.

For a moment, Christine was busy with a vicious internal battle. 'Should I help him? Or should I just let things run their course?' Almost immediately, her mind came up with distinct, and opposite viewpoints:

'Help him. It's the right thing to do'

'Just leave him there. After all, it's not like he'd ever help you.'

'There's no proof of that. And he did show some mercy, even if wasn't a lot. But, there's at least some good in everybody, so help him'

'Some people, people like him are just evil. He's holding you against your will. Give an eye for an eye. He wronged you, so just walk away.' This continued on and on, with equally persuasive arguments from both sides.

Finally though, what her father had once told her, "that since only the angels are perfect, so we have to do what we can to help, and give a second chance no matter what" won. 'He's a person before anything else he might be. Helping people is what's right, no matter what'

Christine looked at Hikari and Alyth, who had remained where they had stood at the beginning of Christine's conflict. "What should I do?"

It was Hikari who answered the question "Well, he's unconscious, so about the only thing you can do is keep waiting. Unless you want to try and wake him up right now, but that might not be such a good idea. So just lay him down somewhere comfortable."

Alyth decided to pipe in with a suggestion of her own "And you might want to take is shirt off while you're at it."

"WHAT?" that particular suggestion nearly scared Christine to death. One part of her screamed that it was wrong by all definitions of the word, and another was almost delighted at the prospect.

"Look, he fell. That means he might have gotten injured or something. If there's Glass on the floor, there'll be a cut. And a fall like that could cause a sprain. And to check for a sprain, you have come into direct contact with the skin. Either way, you have to take the shirt off."

Christine gulped, but did as instructed. Erik had no serious injury, but many old scars on his chest. Christine gasped at the sheer amount of scars present. Hesitantly she reached out one hand to touch Erik's face, which looked almost peaceful while he was locked in sleep. 'I wonder if the rumors are true. If the phantom's skin really as cold as a corpse?'

Her fingers lightly brushed against the skin of Erik's unmasked cheek. His skin was only slightly cool to the touch, most likely a result of his living underground. From their vantage point in a corner, Alyth and Hikari watched silently while having a conversation only they could hear.

"There is way too much romance in the air, and it's choking me" Alyth announced telepathically to Hikari. The other soul shook his head

"Alyth, you can't choke, you're dead. And just leave the girl be, at least she's helping." Hikari said practically. Alyth crossed her arms and sighed softly

"I know, I know. I just wish that we could do something other than explain and advise. But since we're dead, that's all we can do. I miss being alive" Hikari put a hand on his friends shoulder

"Me too Alyth, me too." They two former thieves ended their conversation and turned back to watch the events unfolding between Erik and Christine.

Christine had been keeping dutiful watch over the unconscious necromancer for about the past two hours. But, one thing kept wandering through her head 'What's behind the mask?' She couldn't help but wonder and wondering caused Christine to run a hand along the cool surface of the mask from time to time. Finally though, her curiosity got the better of her and Christine pulled the mask away.

Unfortunately, the second she took off the mask, Erik regained consciousness. He sprang to his feet with extraordinary speed, knocking Christine to the floor. If looks could kill, then Christine was dead already. She cowered on the floor, in fear of the necromancer obvious fury, and in revulsion of his unmasked face. The side previously covered by the mask was horrifically deformed. He eye socket was misshapen, and a large chunk of hair had vanished. The exposed area of his scalp was missing a patch of skin, so the bone of Erik's skull was clearly visible. The skin was pockmarked, and several deep gashes that were livid red scar tissue instead of skin were present on his cheek. The flesh was some-what twisted and the side of Erik's nose that had covered by the mask was twisted as well and pulled over to one side. It was a face from hell; one that not evens a mother could love.

"Why so afraid? You were the one who stole my mask after all. Tell me, is this what you wanted to see?" he sneered "did you perhaps think that the mask was just for show? A mere eccentricity of madman?" The accusations poured out as Erik cursed Christine, the mage's council, and the world in general. Christine began to weep softly, not only because she was afraid, but also at the grief, and the pain that were mixed with rage in Erik's voice. Erik held one hand over the maimed side of his face, and turned his back on Christine "Damn you" he whispered "Damn you all"

Erik replaced his mask, picked up his shirt, turned on his heel, and walked away. He called forth the souls that he had sent to torment the Head mage. Their leader drifted forward

"Yes master?" it hissed "What would you have us do now?"

"Wreak havoc. Terrify them all. I don't care how you do it, just bring hell to earth" Erik commanded. His command given, the souls went out cackling to do their "merry" work and Erik stalked away to what Christine assumed was his bedroom.

Christine was left with the horrible feeling of guilt and the thought 'This is all my fault. People are going to be hurt, because he said he didn't care what those spirits did, and it's all my fault. If I hadn't taken off his mask, then he wouldn't be so angry and none of this would have happened' Tears trickled down Christine's cheeks as that thought played endlessly around in her mind. The sight of her crying caused Hikari and Alyth to leave their place in a corner and drift over.

"What's wrong?" whispered Alyth

"Why are you crying" Hikari asked

Christine looked up at the two thief souls that seemed to be her life-line in an unfamiliar place "I just feel like this is all my fault. That if I hadn't done what I did, this wouldn't have happened."

"Don't tell yourself that. For one, it's wrong, and secondly, it won't make anything better" Alyth informed Christine

"I agree. Felling guilt over circumstances beyond your control only make you feel miserable, and then your misery can carry over to people around you. None of this is your fault. True, you made the necromancer angry which caused him to send out the more malicious souls, but isn't your fault that he chose to react that way." That comment came from the ever-practical Hikari.

"Thanks. But there's still something I don't understand. Why is he trying to get revenge by sending out souls to torment people? There are millions of other things that he could have done to get back whoever he's trying to hurt." Christine said

Hikari and Alyth shared view pints on that subject, while Erik schemed and cursed himself or beginning to trust Christine. In the mean time, the mage's council was in yet another emergency meeting. This time, however, the meeting was not called by Raoul, and wasn't about going to rescue Christine. This meeting had called by the Head mage, on the subject of the dead tormenting everyone and spreading mass chaos.

"The meeting is now in session" the Head mage announced. Immediately debates began, suggestions were hurled left and right, and Raoul, who was invited because of his part in the whole affair, glanced around nervously and wondered what they were talking about. Finally it was decide that they would summon a spirit of their own to capture Erik, and at Raoul's insistence, rescue Christine. The Destroyer, who had been feeding off the terror of the all people who getting tormented, heard about the summoning and saw it's chance to start its master plan.

So, when the mage's council began the summoning, the Destroyer made sure that it was the only one available to summon. When summoned the destroyer took its favored from; that of an enormous blood red serpent. It's task? To capture the "Phantom" at all costs.

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