Author´s note: Well, here we are. This is the last chapter. However, there will be a chapter-length epilogue. You´ll find it in a few days´ time. I wish you a happy new year! And don´t forget to review!

55) Heaven´s light

Meg blushed deeply. Did all those people have to stare at her? Some were even craning their necks to get a better view on the chorus girl who had shouted that loudly. Yet what exactly she had shouted was still a mystery to many of them. The general noise level on stage had been too high to understand more than parts of words. The only thing crystal-clear was the hand that was still pointing at… whom?

Throwing each other a brief glance and nodding both managers took a step backwards, as if to indicate that the girl couldn´t possibly mean one of them. Now the only person remaining was Erik, who was too shocked to react in a sensible way. He hardly knew what was going on. Why was Meg standing next to that unpleasant Pierre Devoiraux and pointed at him?

Erik and the other people didn´t have to wait long for an explanation; Pierre loved making an exhibition of himself in public. "So you´re in love with one of your fellow dancers.", he stated. "But which one is that?" Being a regular visitor of the opera he knew the names of all dancers, whether male or female, and could usually recognise them easily. This time, however, it was very difficult – with their masks all Tin Soldiers looked more or less the same, and frankly Pierre had no idea who the man was that Meg was showing him.

The girl let her arm sink again, not saying a word. Her first impulse was grabbing Erik by the hand and disappearing. Yet such a behaviour would have caused a scandal, and she didn´t want to ruin her reputation for all times. Besides, she couldn´t let her mother deal with the consequences of such an action alone. She´d somehow have to get through this situation.

But before Meg could decide what to do Pierre had already found the easiest solution. With determined strides he marched over to the Tin Soldier, who still hadn´t moved an inch. The girl stood rooted to the spot, merely clapping a hand over her mouth. She had a terrible suspicion of what was to follow. Pierre´s next words confirmed it. "Let´s see whose face is hidden behind that mask! He has to be very handsome if you want to leave me because of him."

While M.Firmin had to stifle a nervous chuckle with his hand his partner tried to talk Pierre out of this plan. He was sure that such a confrontation would end with the young patron dangling from the chandelier, and what could be worse for an opera´s reputation? "Please, monsieur, there have to be other ways of… satisfying your curiosity.", he said. "Why don´t you just… ask him for his name?"

Pierre shook his head. "I have the right to see the face of the man who tries to take my girl away from me. After all, Meg and I were as good as engaged." "That´s a lie, and you know it.", Erik growled, taking a deep breath. He had silently sworn to remain calm as long as the other man wouldn´t touch him. "Meg would rather marry the first beggar she´d meet in the street than you."

"How dare you insult me like that?", the young man yelled, coming to a halt in front of him. "Who are you?" He reached for Erik´s mask quickly, but it wasn´t quickly enough. Erik caught his wrist in mid-air, seizing it in a firm grip. "I am the Opera Ghost.", he replied, stressing every single word. Pierre gasped in shock about this revelation. Still he tried to appear self-assured. "It seems that we have a little misunderstanding here.", he said, looking over at Meg. "This cannot be the man you´re in love with. I´ve heard about him – he´s not even a real man at all. He´s nothing but a pathetic hideous – Aah!" His sentence ended in a yelp of pain as Erik´s grip grew stronger and stronger.

"Why don´t you continue?", the man in the mask asked pleasantly. It was apparent that he enjoyed being in complete control of the situation. "A few more words like that and you´ll never use that wrist again." Finally Meg woke up from her paralysis and ran to the two men while the other spectators formed a big circle around them, anxious not to miss anything. "No, Erik!", she called. "He´s not worth it." Obediently he let go of him.

Pierre was foolish enough to believe he had the upper hand now. "Thank you, my dear.", he said, trying to pull Meg into his arms. Yet the girl quickly took her place at Erik´s side. "Since when do you know anything about real men? I did mean what I told you.", she hissed. Fed up with keeping their relationship secret she cleared her throat and declared loudly and clearly: "I love this man. I don´t expect any of you to approve of it, but that´s the way it is.".

Looking around she saw many faces that wore astonished or shocked expressions. Christine and Raoul, however, smiled at her, and her mother seemed to be positively proud of her daughter´s courage. Yet Meg had saved the best till last: Erik. He was beaming at her more brightly than she had ever seen him. "I love you, too. Thank you so much.", he whispered, wrapping his arms around her. "But why… how…?" Even though he himself wasn´t sure what he wanted to ask, Meg understood him.

"Why I suddenly know that I still love you? I´ve realised that we can´t change the past. There have been some negative incidents, but when we work hard, I trust they won´t happen again.", she explained. Then she cut off any further questions by giving him a long kiss on the lips. Christine briefly thought about applauding, but decided against it. She didn´t want to disturb them.

The two only stopped when they heard a strange noise. The elderly lady who had talked to the managers earlier was blowing her nose. "Oh, this is so romantic.", she said, giving a little sigh. "The ballerina and the Opera Ghost… will we get to see this after every performance?" M.André shook his head. "I believe this was a unique event.", he told her. "Things like that you only see once in you life."

The End