AN: Hi! It's getting pretty close to finishing now, there will probably only be one chapter after this one… So I will be very sad to end it… BUT! I have enjoyed writing this very very much, I will make the most of the rest of it.

Once again, all of your suggestions and opinions have been noted, and I will be attempting to include as much detail as I can based on your requests. X3

And… KYORU! For all those who have threatened to lasso me, you have more Kyoru on the way. ;………; you guys are so nasty.

Anyway… On with the fic! (I really enjoy saying that X3)

Kyo clenched his fist around the rope so it creaked slightly, and smiled at Yuki once more.

"I suppose it's time." He said, his eyes widening to reveal the whole of his flaming iris. He held up the rope, to reveal that it was in fact, as Yuki had hoped it was not, a lasso. "Do you know what this is, Yuki?"

"I-It's a Punjab. We've practiced with them before, Kyo."

"That's right. But have I mentioned how extremely good I've become with them?"

Yuki watched in terror as Kyo began swinging the Punjab above his head.

"In fact, I could probably get you right now." Kyo was delighted to see Yuki's eyes get wider and wider, until he resembled a deer caught in headlights.

Before he could even think of running, the rope fell over Yuki's head, and Kyo pulled.

Yuki fell to his knees. "K-Kyo…"

Kyo smirked. His eyes flashed and he pulled harder. Yuki closed his eyes. It hurt like hell.

"I want you to listen to me Yuki." Yuki looked up to see Kyo standing over him. He released a small length of rope from his hand, and Yuki fell over on his side in relief, taking in as much air as he could. "I want you to go back downstairs, and deliver this note to our director. I want him to obey every command that I have written. And you will persuade him. Understand?"

Yuki nodded, and Kyo dropped the note a little ahead of his face. Yuki reached forward and took it, and tried to get up. Kyo took him by the shoulder and roughly pulled him up, turned him around to face the door and pushed him out, making him fall halfway down the stairs.

Yuki lay there for about a minute, and picked himself up again. Tohru was absolutely right. He wasn't fine at all. Quite the opposite in fact.

As he dragged himself reluctantly down the last step on the stairwell, he practically fell into Shinji. Without saying anything, he handed him the note, and sat down on the floor. He could see the audience through a little gap in the set. There really did seem to be hundreds.

"What… Who gave you this Yuki?" Said Shinji, turning the note over and upside down, looking for a signature. At the bottom of the text he saw what looked like a signature, but all it said was OG. And that didn't make sense.

"It's from Kyo. He just gave it to me. What… What does it say?"

"Dear Shinji,

I will be performing as planned in the second half of this production. But I will not have Kitto Kansaki as my co-star. In the place of Christine Daae, you will place Tohru Honda, and put miss Kansaki in the role of Meg. If these commands are disregarded, a disaster beyond your imagination will occur. I remain your obedient servant,

O.G"

Shinji put a hand on his head. "This is getting ridiculous. I'm going to go and talk to him."

"I wouldn't do that Shinji-san." Said Yuki quietly, putting a hand on the side of his neck. " He's not in the best of moods."

Shinji looked where Yuki had his hands, and saw a bit of red. "You are not freaking serious." He took Yuki's hand away and saw the line of rope burn. "Did he…? Yuki nodded uncomfortably.

"Oh my god, what happened to your neck?" A couple of crewmembers were standing over Yuki. Suddenly he found that he was being surrounded by almost the entire crew, and most of the cast.

"Yuki-kun?" Tohru knelt down beside him and looked under his collar. The little audience gasped as the burns were fully revealed. Yuki blushed.

"This has gone far enough." Shinji started to make his way towards the stairwell, but was pounced on by Haru and Momiji.

"Oh no you don't." Haru said.

"Don't go up there Shinji-san!" Momiji yelled in his ear.

"Shhh! Don't yell, our audience will hear." Said Shinji, shrugging the two of them off. "He wants me to put Tohru in as Christine and Kitto as Meg! I can't change half way through a performance!"

"If you make an announcement you can." Said Momiji.

Shinji sighed. Kitto looked outraged, and Tohru had gone white. "Fine."

As the Audience waited patiently for the next half, Shinji stepped in front of the curtain. He sighed to himself, and then made the announcement.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the performance is about to resume, but if I could ask for your patience just a little longer, as the role of Christine Daae will now be played by Tohru Honda, and the role of Meg, by Kitto Kansaki."

Meanwhile, backstage, Uo was helping Tohru into Christine's dress. "Uo-chan, I don't know if I can do this."

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. I have to go, I'm on now. Anyway, you'll get to be in love with the prince, right?" Uo smirked and ran off.

"Hi." Yuki smiled sadly. "You look beautiful."

"Yuki-kun, I can't do this." Tohru looked up at him worriedly, and took both of his hands in hers. "It… It scares me." Yuki held her as close as he could manage, trying not to let their bodies touch.

"It scares me too. You just stay with me when he's onstage. I promise I'll protect you."

The Entr'act had almost begun, and everyone was rushing around once more. Ichigo dragged Yuki away to make sure that the rope burn didn't show. The whole cast was uneasy about being onstage with Kyo, but had refused, along with Shinji, to put off the performance.

Tohru found herself alone. At the very time she needed someone with her. She stood uncomfortably backstage, and wished Kyo hadn't insisted on a role switch.

The Entr'act music began, and Tohru heard a creak on one of the floorboards of the backstage area.

"Poor Tohru… You look so lost." His whisper found it's way to her through the backstage darkness.

"K-Kyo-kun? Is that you?" Tohru whispered shakily. "P-please, I don't mind talking, but please… don't hide." She broke into tears. "Please, don't scare me anymore… You, you don't have to sneak up on me and hide away! I'll find you! Just please… Don't scare me anymore."

Kyo reluctantly emerged from the darkness. He looked more scared than her. "I… I make you… Frightened?"

Tohru nodded, trying to wipe the tears away.

"I… I don't know… What I'm doing anymore." Kyo looked at the floor. "Did I… Really try to kill Yuki?"

Tohru started crying even harder, and looked at the floor herself. She tried to speak, but couldn't get past the tears.

"Please don't cry Tohru. I'm sorry. Just, don't cry. I hate to see you cry."

Tohru looked at him through her blurred teary eyes, and put a hand on his shoulder, and another on the mask side of his face. "You're in there somewhere. I know you are." Kyo looked at her in what seemed like agony. It was as if it physically hurt him to know that he was in that state.

"Tohru… What… What's happening to me?"

"I don't know Kyo-kun." She leant her head on his chest. "I don't know."

The music for the Entr'act was over, and Yuki had gone to find Tohru. She wouldn't want to be left alone.

"Yuki-kun!" Tohru was alone once more. She ran up to him and put a hand in his. "Kyo… He was here."

Yuki looked at her in shock, but before he could say anything, someone had prodded him in the back once more and he had been alerted of the next scene.

Tohru looked up at the ceiling. You're up there, aren't you?

Kyo had left as soon as Masquerade had begun. The music had immediately put him back into character, and he had left her in a state of disbelief.

Tohru held her breath as Yuki linked arms with her and led her onstage. Before the lights hit them, he whispered in her ear, "When he comes, get behind me. It'll be OK."

Tohru just hoped that he was telling the truth.

AN: OK, next chap is the last one. ;……..; Oh well. (Smokes Cuban cigar and reads newspaper)