Erik

I watch as Daroga approaches me, his eyes deep with worry. I step away and move past him. The pain is too deep to speak now. I will do something we will both regret, say something I cannot bare to say. (Is she alive? I know what's been done! I know what he has done! Could we not stop it? Why do the innocent always suffer? Is that justice? That she pays for my sins!) I hiss and draw further away as his hand reaches for me. (Why do the innocent suffer? She was innocent! Damn it all she's done no wrong!) His eyes seek mine, but something forces him to back away. (Why couldn't you protect her? Is it your fault? Did you let her fall!) I take a step toward him, he stumbles as if undecided whether to flee or stand.

"Erik speak to me… you promised to speak to me…" a smile on my face, I feel the change and do nothing to stop it, I need it, I need an attack that I can strike back at... I need. "Run Nadir… run…"he pulls further away, "You do not want this Erik! Don't let it go! You know better, remember the-" I lunge and he pulls away, jumping free of my reach before swinging about on the balcony, nearly teetering into the auditorium below. But he seized his footing and swung back, his fist grazing my ear. I feel the pop before I hear it. I draw back and in a fluid motion my lasso flies free, only to fall sliced in two. He stands still across from me, holing his throwing dagger at his eyes.

For a moment we are still, I feel my legs growing weak with relief. "…Thank God for you Daroga… I needed to feel it, to feel a little justice. Thank you, thank god for you…" he smiles slowly, and lowers his dagger. "…you had me frightened." I laugh, "Rightly so, I wasn't playing with you Daroga, a lesser man would be dead by now." he moves forward, on hand goes to my shoulder. "You wouldn't have killed me; you are stronger than that, listen to me Erik! If you cannot believe that, than this plan will die in its conception! You must hold yourself with all your will, or we will accomplish nothing." Conception, I feel the tremor run down my spine… "My child, has he killed it? What has he done to her Daroga… I'm going to die from this, I feel my heart clenching…"

"Oh my friend… to think the day has come…" his expression twisted, becoming dark and angry. "That we must be the heroes, it's nearly blasphemous… I know not what to tell you, she is alive, and if she lives so does your child. We will settle this, make no mistake." I close my eyes, "I have prayed, I have not prayed for years, and in my last few days I have felt agitated doing anything else, as if my prayers will spare her. I can't bear this!" His hand squeezed, steadying me, "…don't you ever watch the falcon swoop at the sun, as if to its rising he is bound? Have you ever wondered why he shrieks, as the light cycle goes round? Because within that burning light, he himself is found. She is your falcon's sun, and only for her, will you always strike true." I smile, but it is bitter, "…the world wilts without its sun…"

Chapter Twenty

"Diana, Diana open the door! It's madam Giry!" with a shout the door opened, Diana stared at her ballet mistress, her eyes impossibly large. "…Giry..?" Giry ran inside the room and pulled her close. "It's all well, I have you, it's all to be fine."

"Madam Giry! Thank God! How did you!" Giry shook her head, "There's no time for this now! The rest of the cast cannot hold that fool much longer, and he will realize soon that someone stole his flat key! We must grab your things and go!" Before she could even finish, Diana had dashed upstairs, returning with her things. Giry nodded and the two women raced out into the street, hailing the nearest cab. Once inside, Giry told the driver to take them to the opera popular. "Are you well?"

"I knew he would send you, I felt him with me every moment! How are the others? My brother Peter? The Persian? How is Phantom? Erik took care of her right?" Giry looked over at Diana, her eyes clouded, the start of tears falling onto her clasped hands. Diana waited, searching Giry's eyes. "…Madam Giry? What's wrong…" Giry sighed, wiping her face with a handkerchief, "Oh child, it's just to see you, I've felt so responsible for this… had I followed you to his office I might have-"At Diana's expression she straitened up. "No… madam Giry… you can't be right…you could have done nothing, I thank God you weren't there! He was insane, he's the one who attacked Peter!" Giry lowered her gaze, her eyes horrified "I knew it, but I didn't want to believe it, it's hard to hear... oh child... I wish that there was some way…" her hands shook with clenched fingers. "This… this is all Jonathans Fault Giry, please don't do this, let it go." without warning, she burst into sobs, her shoulders shaking helplessly. Diana gaped for a moment, truly stunned to silence, but she pulled Giry close. Timidly, unsure how it would be received, the old ballet mistress took Diana into her arms.

"Forgive this old fool… I'm sorry, I should, I apol… I'm just so glad to see you child!" Diana held tight, letting the burning in her eyes spill free, "…you have no idea how good it is to see you, I missed you all so much!"

Giry

Her cries quiet a little, but so have mine, and we do not release our hold. Her hands grip mine, our fingers are locked, and even as her eyes hold mine I feel her hands tremble. (So this is what our manager does to those he claims to love… it seems the world is filled with monsters, and as far as they go, I prefer the one that lives in our opera house to the one strutting about in the upper crust. Why do monsters emerge from men? What is gained? Does it make them feel alive? Does it provide a substitute for trust and love, or is it like a drug, one that gives them pleasure, even as it eats away their insides...)

"…I …I know Jonathan won't leave me be. He promised himself that I am his." A ghost of a smile fell from to her lips. "He still refuses to acknowledge I am someone else's entirely. God, how is Erik? I never got to say goodbye! He always told me to be strong, he told me he loved me… and that he would never leave me alone… he was always so afraid that I would leave him. And I never got to say goodbye…" I squeeze her hand lightly, "Things will be alright now Diana, you'll see." She nods, obviously exhausted, her hand squeezes mine in return. She'll be alright as soon as she is with him… and he will be alright as soon as he realizes she is back. These two truly do live for each other… The sound of another cab behind ours startles us both out of our daze. With confusion, I shove my head out the window, and cannot help but let out an indignant huff. With weary curiosity, Diana does the same, only she stairs almost blankly at the sight behind us.

"That brother of yours is going to get himself killed, crazy young men! Oh the opera is full of them! Even comparing them to our ghost makes them seem mad!" Even though I am annoyed, the sight that they are in such good spirits cheers me. They pull up beside us, Peter grins, there are smiles shinning on their faces. "Diana! Sister!" She threw herself to the window. "Peter! Thank God! Are you well? You've been all right? Tell me everything!" He nodded, "As soon as I can I'll tell you everything. Gods it's good to see you, I'm never letting you out of my sight again!" I shake my head. "Would you keep your eyes on the road!" He seems stunned and steers the horses back to their place. "…Well! With all the experience I'm getting driving horses, perhaps I should join the stables! … If it's not stressing you to much Madam Giry…" he seemed to see my expression, for a sheepish grin spread across his face. I laugh shortly. "Stressing is not the word for what you people put me through! Peter, any word from Daroga?" his expression turned smug.

"Yes, and I'll quote him if you like." He cleared his throat with a flourish, meanwhile keeping both eyes on the horses. What developed appeared to be a frustrated Peter yelling at the horses… "Ephem, That dammed fool wont make up his mind! One moment he seems here, and the next I don't know where the blazes he is!" he trailed of into mumbles, blushing slightly. Then regaining voice strength, "And mark my words! I swear by Allah himself that when I find that idiot I'm going to kill him with my own two hands!" Diana blinked, for my own defense I didn't bat an eyelid. Peter lowered his head, slightly embarrassed.

"Well, to the best of my knowledge, that means that Erik played his part, and disappeared without telling the Persian." The opera loomed ahead of us, most of the cast still stood on its steps, laughing and cheering. As I had expected, they had scared the manager off, and standing in their midst, his eyes burning… "Erik!"

I swear that I had never seen her move that fast, she didn't even wait for the horses to stop! Simply flung open the door and leapt onto the side! His speed has never before startled me, I thought myself us to it. When those two saw each other… I highly doubt the god Hermes could have outpaced them, they were there, their hands locked, their eyes... how to describe the change in his eyes? They became warm, gentle, and almost soft…

"Erik… I was afraid…" his hand at the side of her face calmed her, "I told you, I would never leave you. Did you think I would break my word? his hands, they traced her jaw with tenderness of a fawn's caress… "I have to tell you, I never abandoned you… He forced me! If only I could have come sooner!" Once more the tears ran freely, they were mixed tears, tears both of joy and pain, of love… and relief. His arms pulled her to him, and her head fell right into the crook of his shoulder. By heaven and hell… the only thing I could see was they way they became one… their forms locking together perfectly, this is not just love… she is part of him…

"Are the plans for the opera tonight still the same?" The ghost, for that is what he became, released Diana gently. "Take her to her rooms, and stay with her Peter. We will all meet in the chosen place that we discussed." His eyes had changed as well, they were now dark, commanding, almost feral. "I want everyone who works in the opera house to stay within its walls. The Count will retaliate, most likely with the city's police, you will all be safer inside." Those who had been involved in the distraction removed their masks and nodded. "In a group he will not know which of you were responsible. Do not wear those again, until the signal has been given."