Ah, I get it, now even I'm getting confused. But now I will do something so we know who's talking! If you see this; Erik, or this; Diana, or even this; Phantom "meow?"

Then that person is who we're in the mind of! Okay, let's go!

Act Three

The storm outside the Viscount's house rattles the shutters and shakes the branches in the ancient trees strewn about the grounds. The ponds vibrated violently with the raindrops shattering their smooth surfaces, transforming them into violent seas. The entire estate shakes with each boom of thunder. Within the walls, on the third floor, last room down the corridor …with all candles extinguished. Roul watched the rain falling. In one white knuckled hand he held an empty picture frame, in the other, a pistol.

The lightning flashed across his face as he raised the gun level with his eyes. He razed the hand with the frame, and threw it into the air. The sound of a shot being fired is drowned out by a clap of thunder.

… … …Daroga and Roul stared in shock at the bullet hole in the ceiling, both going into fits of nervous laughter. "whhehehe!.. For a moment I lost my nerve!" Daroga snorted and sat down on the floor to keep from falling, dropping the Punjab lasso. Yes, and your ceiling suffered for it! Mhmhmhmh…hahahahah!" Roul nodded still snorting and handed him a handkerchief to dry his eyes. He picked up the noose and took the wood from it. "Next time you want to show me how to use a Punjab lasso, we do the demonstration outside!"

Daroga nodded, "Perhaps we should also use a soup ladle instead of a pistol for your protection! Just in case you loose your nerve again!"

The noise caused by the shot drew several members of the house staff to the scene, and mild chaos ensued. When the situation was once more under control, Roul and Daroga moved to the library. There, amongst the old books and leather armchairs, the sounds of the storm outside seemed to be swallowed and discarded. For a while neither spoke, their minds free to wander the vast room. Finally, Roul offered to get them a drink and left to fetch the glasses. From down the hallway a door opened, Erik entered the room. Daroga smiled and offered him a chair. With a sigh Erik sank into it, a raised eye brow locked on him. "…have the damn camels gone? I heard a shot."

Daroga blinked, turned a nice shade of maroon, and sighed. "…how long have you known about the camels?" Erik blinked, "Daroga, the gun? The shooting? Slightly more important than a bizarre nightmare." Roul returned, a happy smile on his face. He paused as he spotted Erik. "Did we wake you my friend?"

Erik scoffed, "No, I was already awake… all hell would have broken loose if you'd woken me like that!" Daroga nodded, a small smile playing across his lips. "I have spoken Giry, she will arrive with Diana tomorrow, and then..," Erik's eyes shut, his lips curled. "It's hard to believe, I'm still in denial… Daroga, am I dreaming?" Roul leaned back, "So why couldn't you sleep? Oh damn…" He paused, realizing he was now a glass short. "No, idea, perhaps it's the storm, it's been a while since I slept anywhere I can hear rain." Noticing Roul's expression, he smiled and shook his head no. Roul nodded relieved, and poured himself and Daroga a glass. All three sighed contently.

"This is the funniest thing you realize," both Erik and Daroga shot him a questioning look. "Christine thought the three of us would never sit peacefully together." Erik nodded, his eyes reflecting the soft glow of the candles. Daroga could almost feel the quiet excitement in his friends form. After all these years, to find such happiness… how must that feel? How must it feel, knowing, after such a long life of solitude, that tomorrow you will take a vow to never be alone again? A smile formed on his face, what a day tomorrow will be.

Diana watched with excitement as the stableman tethered the horses to the coach. From her seat by the window, Kirsty chatted with Meg in excited tones. Madam Giry stood watch at the door and kept her eyes open for trouble. The entire cast had been given a weeks vacation, but Jonathan might ask where they were going… the goal was to leave before he could.

"Diana! Are you excited? I still can't believe this is happening! I had better catch the bouquet when you throw it! " Meg gave Kirsty a look, "Hey, I haven't gotten married yet! And I'm older than either of you, so I should catch the bouquet." Kirsty considered this for a moment, and then smiled. Meg was still very pretty, and she had a point… Diana smiled. "Thank you again for coming Meg, I appreciate it. How is peter?" Meg sighed, "he's… he's well enough. Diana, about all of that, I am sorry. It's just that, well… I remembered how it had been for Chris… I didn't know you knew. If you knew who he was, you see? I was only worried. If I had known, I never would have mentioned it. Really." Diana nodded, her eyes slightly sad. "…Meg, do you think he's a monster?"

Meg stopped short. "Mon due? No! I never said that! …there was a time when I questioned, sometimes I still question… but that day, when I heard the moaning, and I saw him lying there… alone. No, I could never think him a monster again. Just a man, a forgotten man with a temper I pray to heaven you will break. …And while you're at it, do something about his sense of humor too!"

Giry laughed quietly at Diana's frayed expression, somewhere between laughing and 'WhaT!'" Kirsty got that deep in thought look. "Wait…how do we know before hand who will catch the bouquet? Have we developed magic powers? Some flower throwing sense? What! I'm serious!" Diana laughed with them, her heart fluttering. Already she felt Erik's arms around her.

Peter watched them preparing to go, turned to head back inside, and stopped.

Peter

"…I don't approve, I don't really know this man, but Diana…" he paused looking torn. "…it's still Diana's wedding I'm missing, and that's not right either…" He leaned back, picturing the Phantom on the catwalk, the man in the mask at the masquerade, the voice in the theater teaching Diana to sing. "…They trust him, despite the deaths, the madness… and since that first week here… I have not seen him touch a soul." The thunder crashed, came in through the window and splashed his face with rain. "and that one night… that night…"

Flashback to a month after the masquerade:

Drip… drip… drip…

Running footsteps, the slapping of leather on stones.

The figure in front slides into a shadow.

"Wait, wait a moment! I need to speak with you!" The man paused, as if surprised to hear a voice, tense, wary. "…Peter Grey? What brings you to the cellars?" I smiled, "well, you really. I want to speak with you." Erik turned, still too far into the shadows to be seen. "Did you now? What is it you need then? Soon someone will miss you upstairs." I laugh, "Let them miss me for a moment! I need a break from it all anyway. Listen, I know it might not mean anything but… you are teaching my sister, and I don't get the feeling you're being paid." Erik stood a little taller, "Monsieur, I am a lover of music, a miser of beauty I fear, and your sisters song is all the payment I need."

I shake my head, "That's noble of you sir, but unfair. I'm sure there are others in need of instructing who would pay quite well, and it bothers me that we are not. Mind you… I cannot make regular payments… but I will get you the money when I can. You have my word. So, what is the cost thus far?" Silence, than a soft laugh. Warm, as if finally melting after being an icicle. "…you are a good man, Peter Grey, and those are more rare in these days than you know." His eyes are all I can see by know, glowing a soft tawny gold from the shadows. "So while I thank you, I stand firm. My free tutoring is a small gift to give, to the last innocents on earth…" The eyes vanished.

I move forward, but he is gone, and the shadow is already fleeing my candles meager flame.

Present:

I turn my eyes back to the window. "…the last innocents on earth," Diana moves forward and bends to stroke one of the horses, a smile in her eyes. "No Erik, the last innocent."

Without another thought he stepped outside.

"Well, looks like the coach is ready, It's raining bathtubs out there!" His eyes fell on Diana's, she stared at him, then smiled and pulled him into a hug. "Oh Peter, thank you thank you! It wouldn't have been right without you!"

Peter I smile, pulling a piece of wet hair off her forehead. "How do you feel Diana?" I shook my head, she looked wonderful…why was I asking such a stupid question. "I cant believe it, my little sister, getting married." madam Giry blinked, her eyes growing wide as she stared out the door. "I think it's time we got going!" The small group burst into action, grabbing bags and trunks and fleeing out into the storm.

Peter thought quickly and jumped into the driver's seat. He chucked the reins sharply and they pulled away from the theater just as Jonathan emerged from the doorway.

His expression was thoughtful as he watched the lone coach vanish down the dark street. "So it is to be war between us to, eh Diana? It's a pity… you've chosen the wrong side."

Diana

Phantom curled up in my lap as the ride into the country progressed, her warm fluffy body warming my hands. I know that Jonathan saw us… how will we explain this when we gat back? What will I tell him when he discovers I've been married? …sigh, there's always a catch. I fear I've been learning this the hard way. Our small party is very quiet during the ride. The only conversation I can hear is, well it seems Peter is speaking with the horses… strange, but I'm so glad he came! Why did he change his mind?

I'm not sure how long we've been traveling; all I know is that we will be there soon. I try to picture how the trip must have been for Erik, since it was dry yesterday. I knew that Erik had taken C'esar, His favorite horse from the stables at the opera. I like C'esar well, the large snow colored beast is as sweet as a lamb. To be sure, he isn't as young as he use to be, but he is still a strong one. Erik had complete confidence in him when they set off. I smile, that horse loves Erik. I've seen him come bounding to Erik's side when he is whistled for, as happy and spunky as a young colt!

To be sure, C'esar belongs more to Erik than to the opera house itself. I don't think C'esar would have it any other way.

A bump rocks us to the right and Phantom leaps from my arms with a yowl. "Diana! Are you alright?" I paid Meg no heed, my eyes are on the three horses that now run beside our coach. For a moment it seemed we speed up, then come to a dead stop.

Peter

My first instinct was to flee, but the riders on each side of me had a look about them that told me to run would mean bad things for us all… without another choice of action, I stopped the horses. The riders also stopped, one of the scoundrels tore the reins from my hand and flung me to the ground. I could hear them laughing as I spat out mud and struggled to stand in the ditch beside the path. "Get a load of him!" The one to speak out pulled me from the mud and held me at gunpoint, a musket against my ear. He scoffed and looked me up and down. "An where are you headed on a night like this? In such a hurry, an in our territory. Delivering something of value?" I shook my head no, his eyes narrowed. One of the other riders opened the door and pulled Kirsty from the coach. "Es got fine ladies with I'm boss! Pretty Ladies!" In response to that I believe she bit his hand! The man beside him pulled Kirsty into his arms with a laugh, "Seems that this one has a temper! I like my women feisty!"

Kirsty screamed, trying to ram him in the face with her elbow. "Leave them alone! Get your hands off her!" The blunt end of the weapon smashed into my face, I pulled away from the pain and then sprang at its source. Too late. Another blow sent me tumbling into the ditch, the screams of the others reached my ears. "Get your hands off me! Peter!" my eyes grew wide, god… not Diana! "Well my dear, you have a pretty bobble on your throat! Ows about giving it here?"

I couldn't see what happened next, I was climbing out of the ditch. But I did hear the cry, cut off at the throat.

"I believe. that necklace. …doesn't belong to you."

Meg

My eyes widened, the opera ghost! In all my years at the opera house I had never seen him like this. He did not dismount from C'esar's back, nor did he remove the noose from the dead man's throat. However his eyes… they were more than still. Latched on to the leaders gaze he glared the man down with his eyes of fire. I must believe that he knew that there were other thieves there, but he ignored them completely.

The group's leader released Diana with trembling hands, where from she dove into the ditch of the side of the road. The other men followed their leader's example and released us. "I don't know who you were, but I promise you that you're a dead man now." All drew their weapons and leveled them at his chest, and for a moment I had a flash of panic, exposed, he's too exposed! He moved faster than I could follow; leaping from C'esar's back and drawing a long blade from his belt. C'esar reared as one fool tried to greb his reighns, tossing his head and striking the man into the ground with his hooves. He screamed a stallions roar and followed where Erik leapt, trampling the few who failed to get out of the way. All the while the storm around us grew worse, and as Erik reached their leader, his blade already stained, a lightning bolt from the sky lit up the scene.

I did not hear the shot ring out, I had not seen the man crouched behind the coach, but I did see C'esar fall screaming, his snowy coat streaming with blood… Slowly, time returned to its normal course. Erik dropped the leaders head next to his carcass, his eyes turning to the man behind the coach. A soft sound came from his throat, almost a growl. If the fool hadn't tried to run… I saw the lasso fly through the air and wrap around that mans neck. We heard his spine break as his own momentum jerked him down.

The fire seemed to depart from Erik's eyes. He moved to remove the lasso, his hands steady, but his breath shook. Once this was done he turned to us, his eyes silently asking us if we are alright. A pitiful moan from behind us froze us all in our tracks. C'esar was lying near the ditch, his front legs struggling to push him of the ground. His eyes were wide… wide and so full of suffering… he whinnied, thrusting his head forward and pulling with all his strength. Blood coated his once snowy chest, his painful, heaving flanks… Erik walked beside the ditch, knelt, pulling the great beasts face into his arms. I heard something, a cry that didn't escape with enough air to sound. "…steady, easy…easy, it's alright…steady…" Kirsty went over and stood as close as she dared, Diana went further. She wrapped her arms around the horse's neck.

My mother handed Peter a handkerchief to wipe himself off, amazed that other then being bruised he was unharmed. Diana looked up at Erik, her eyes wide. "How badly is he hurt?.." Erik shook his head, he didn't reply.

"…Get control of your horses, go on your way. I'll take care of this," Diana shook her head no. Reaching out to place a hand on his arm, he allowed it, but told her again. "Go on Diana, I'll catch up with you." Peter moved forward and picked her up, bringing her back to the coach. He looked back at the ghost, a kind of silent awe in his face. Soon the horses were quiet and ready, Peter, who had continued to watch Erik, spoke up. "Where do you want us to wait for you? You can't get far without a horse…" Erik looked over, his mask catching the little light that remained like a sliver of the moon. All the rest was shadowed. "…Wait for me, around the next bend in the road, I won't be long."

I was almost deaf to the feel of the coach moving below us, I knew what was going to happen.

When we rounded the bend in the road, a shot rang out behind us.

Then all was still.