Chapter 5

"Her father promised her," Christine mumbled to herself, "Her father promised her." She stared blankly at the graveyard before her. She couldn't believe the events that had befallen her in the past few days. It had been almost like a dream. A glorious dream in which a thing like an "Angel of Music" was real and could sing her to sleep. But there was no such thing as an Angel of Music was there? She had been deceived. But Christine couldn't help but think in some dark corner of her mind that somehow, there was an Angel of Music that would come to her. Her father had given her his dying word. Why would he lie?

As Christine walked through the graveyard, she remembered her father. Full memories of Father and her making music together, him on the violin, and her with her then-untrained voice. Christine had always loved those times together. Her father had been her inspiration and her best friend and her reason for living. Until he died. It had been the most devastating blow she had ever received. And it all went so fast, It seemed one day he came down with a cold, and then the next day, he was dead. Christine remembered and let a single teardrop roll down her face. It had been nearly six years, and yet the pain was still as fresh as if it had happened just yesterday.

She made her way in the gently falling snow, sometimes stopping to admire the serene angel statues that littered the gravesite. When she finally made her way to the Daae tomb, tears were streaming down her face, and her senses were so numb that she could barely feel the gentle snowflakes falling across her face. She knelt down, and began to say a prayer, when all of a sudden, a beautiful sound assaulted her ears.

Wandering child, so lost, so helpless yearning for my guidance

Daddy! Christine couldn't believe her ears, her father's spirit was right here! She rocked back and forth, savoring the sound of her father's voice. Then cruel reality set in. Hadn't this happened before? Christine called out to the voice.

Angel or Father? Friend or Phantom? Who is it there staring?

The voice chided her for her disbelief, and soon Christine found herself completely immersed in the sound of the voice. She found herself ascending the stairs of the tomb toward a warm light. The gates were opening and then all of a sudden Christine heard a familiar voice.

"Christine, whatever you believe, this man, this thing, is not your father!"

It was Raoul!

Oh this was too good! Jareth thought. What an opportune moment for the young viscount to intercede. Of course Jareth knew that he would arrive. When he returned to the human realm this morning, after making sure Christine was off to the graveyard, he had found the young viscount sleeping in a chair outside the opera house dormitory where she stayed. He thought for sure that Christine's stirring would wake him, and incite him to follow her, but alas he was a heavy sleeper. Jareth had to use his goblin's voice just to wake him up enough so he could read the note that Jareth had let inconspicuously fall from the rafters.

Christine has gone to the Daae Tomb

The phantom is there

Make no mention of this note

J.

Jareth knew that he had led Erik to believe that he was on his side, and for the most part, he was. Erik had to be ready to defend what was his. And as he watched the young viscount engage an enraged phantom, he knew that it was a lesson he would have to learn. He must learn to fight for what is his, or concede. Jareth had hoped for a fight, a concession would be just too boring. Jareth watched as Raoul pinned Erik in the swordfight. Jareth saw the look of death in Raoul's eyes, and was nearly sure that his friend was done for. He sighed. But then a cry for mercy came from Christine. Did she still harbor true feelings for a man who was so manipulative? A man who pretended to be her father? A man who tried to kill her lover? Jareth had thought previously that Erik had only wanted her because she didn't want him. But if she had feelings for him…

Obviously the fight for Christine was far from other.