A/N #1: RUUUSSSHHHIIINNNGG! Sorry - I've done it again! I'm really eager to get to the end...
A/N #2: Want another reason for the upped rating? This chapter is gonna get kinda gory... I warned you in advance.
A/N #3: When nobody was looking (or writing), Christine turned sixteen. She's been sixteen for a month in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Phantom songs Journey To The Cemetery (from the movie) Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, and Wandering Child (which I had to revise a little to make more sense - Wishing and Wandering Child, I mean).
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Two months later, Cameron and Emilie were at Cameron's apartment, discussing Christine.
"Why did you go back to her, Cameron?" cried out Emilie angrily. "I thought we were finished with all of this silly business! I thought we were done with her! I really do wish you'd make up your mind... why do you keep going back to her?"
Cameron shrugged. "She's my friend," he said calmly. "I don't see why you're so angry, Emilie, darling... it's as though you're jealous! Nothing can come between us! We're just friends, that's all; just friends... I'm not in love with her, despite the fact that she's in love with me. I love you. You have nothing to worry about from her."
She sighed resignedly. "When are you going to see her again?" she asked, changing the subject.
"Sometime later tomorrow," he replied. "She's going to the cemetery to visit her father's grave... he's been dead for two years tomorrow."
"Oh, is she?" she said, a secret smile starting to come to her face. "Well, then, come closer... I have a plan..."
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The next morning, Christine woke up in her swan bedroom, got up, and dressed to go get ready to go visit Erik's grave in the cemetery.
When she was dressed in a black lace dress, she grabbed a handful of black - ribboned red roses and pulled her cloak on over her shoulders. Then she stepped onto the gondola and grabbed the rowing rod. Then she rowed away.
She reached the mirror about fifteen minutes later, stepped through, closed it behind her, and then walked out of the dressing room, making her way to the stables, where she would ride a carriage that she'd called for to the cemetery.
A few minutes later, she reached the stables. The carriage was waiting for her, and the man driving the carriage was seated in his spot, a hood covered over his head - to cover himself from the cold early - morning December wind, she assumed.
She held out a small bag of francs that was his payment out to him. He took it silently.
"To the cemetery, please; the west side," she said quietly, sitting herself down in her seat. Then the carriage rode away.
As the carriage drove through the woods, she started singing softly to herself:
In sleep, he sang to me...
In dreams, he came...
That voice which calls to me
And speaks my name...
Then the carriage pulled up to the west side of the cemetery as she finished. She stepped off and went through the gate as the carriage rode away.
She closed the gate behind her and starting walking through the cemetery silently, then said softly, "Two years... I'm sixteen now... and I'm an orphan... I've spent two years without my father... two years."
After another pause, she started singing.
You were once my one companion
You were all that mattered...
You were once a friend and father -
Then my world was shattered...
Wishing you were somehow here again...
Wishing you were somehow near...
Sometimes it seemed
If I just dreamed,
Somehow you would be here...
Wishing I could hear your voice again,
Knowing that I never would...
Dreaming of you
Won't help me to do
All that you dreamed I could...
Passing bells and sculpted angels,
Cold and monumental...
Seem for you the wrong companions -
You were warm and gentle...
She walked through the cemetery for short time silently before continuing.
Too many years
Fighting back tears...
Why can't the past just die?
Wishing you were somehow here again...
Knowing we must say goodbye...
Try to forgive,
Teach me to live...
Give me the strength to try...
She saw that she was starting to approach Erik's grave and walked faster.
No more memories,
No more silent tears,
No more gazing across
The wasted years...
She sat down on the steps of Erik's grave.
Help me say goodbye...
Help me say goodbye...
Then there was silence for a moment as she sat, thinking about the past two years without Erik. Tears started to fall down her cheeks.
And then there was music... a violin playing Angel of Music, a song that Erik had played for her when she was younger. Then a familiar male voice starting singing, soft and enticing.
Wandering child,
So lost, so helpless,
Yearning for my guidance...
She glanced up at the grave, surprised. She recognized that voice. She replied,
Angel or father
Friend or phantom?
Who is it there staring?
(Have you forgotten your father?)
Father, oh, speak -
What endless longings
Echo in this whisper...
As a light came on inside the grave, she rose as the voice continued singing.
Too long you've wandered in winter,
Far from my loving gaze...
Her eyes widened as she shook her head and sang:
Wildly, my mind beats against you,
(You resist,)
(both) Yet the soul obeys...
She started ascending the steps as she sang with the voice.
Angel of Music,
(I/You) denied (you/me),
Turning from true beauty...
Angel of Music,
My dear father; (Do not shun me;)
Come to (me/your) strange angel...
Then the voice continued by itself as she kept walking up the stairs, amazed. Her father... he was alive!
I am your Angel of Music...
Come to me, Angel of Music...
Then, suddenly, she heard the sound of hooves coming up behind her. She thought nothing of it until she heard the sound of a sword being removed from its belt.
She whirled around and saw Emilie, sword in hand, running up to her. Gasping, she pulled her sword - which she always carried with her for protection when she went out - out of its belt and ran down to meet her.
Their swords clashed with a clang as their fight began.
Emilie seemed to have the advantage; she was a very good swordswoman and was ready to fight - and kill - Christine. She always made the advance.
Christine desperately tried to fend her off, backing away and continuing to fight her. Then she heard a soft thud behind her and turned around for a second. She saw Cameron standing there, looking nervous about what was happening in front of him.
"Cameron?" she exclaimed, shocked. So Cameron had been the voice that she'd heard singing! He'd deceived her!
Her thoughts were interrupted by feeling a searing pain go through her stomach. She let out a cry of pain and staggered backward as she placed a hand on her wound that Emilie had given her for a moment, turning back to Emilie as she continued fighting.
Behind Christine, Cameron gasped and covered his mouth with his hand. He hadn't expected Emilie to be so violent!
Emilie, feeling more confident than ever, continued advancing on Christine, who was already bleeding heavily from her injury. Then she cut Christine on her waist, letting out a triumphant exclamation.
"Ah!" cried out Christine, staggering backwards again. This wasn't looking good for her.
Cameron looked terrified of his fiancee's sudden violence towards his friend. "Emilie, stop!" he protested. "Leave her alone; she's already hurt!"
Emilie ignored her fiance and continued advancing on Christine, aware that if she kept this up, she could kill Christine and be rid of her forever. She stepped forward and cut Christine across her lower chest area.
Christine let out another cry of pain and staggered back again. But she pressed on and kept trying to fend off Emilie. She wasn't going to die here!
Emilie then suddenly jumped out of sight. She was gone.
Christine panted as she made a circle, looking around for her opponent. But she didn't see her.
"Behind you, Christine!" Cameron suddenly cried out, but it was already too late.
Christine felt a hand push her down to the ground. She fell on her stomach, still holding onto her sword. She saw Emilie's shadow hovering over her.
"No!" Cameron screamed, seeing Emilie's intent, tears starting to fill his eyes.
Christine rolled over on her back as Emilie's sword narrowly missed the center of her back. But, then, before she could get up, Emilie stabbed her sword into Christine's right arm.
Christine screamed as Emilie grinned triumphantly and pulled her sword out of Christine's arm.
Christine rose, blood trickling down her arm, and continued fighting Emilie, wincing in pain every so often.
After steady fighting for several minutes, Emilie spun around. Her sword cut across Christine's left arm.
When Christine let out another cry of pain, Cameron cried out, sobbing, "Emilie! Stop it! You're killing her! Stop!"
Angry now, Christine suddenly advanced on Emilie. "That's it!" she shouted. "No more nice girl!"
Christine kept advancing on Emilie until she finally managed to push her down onto the ground. Then she kicked Emilie's sword away from Emilie's grasp, making her unarmed. She had the advantage now.
Christine raised her sword above Emilie and let out a yell of rage, preparing herself to kill Emilie with her sword, as Cameron gasped and covered his mouth with his hand, not letting out any protest.
Then, just as she was about to kill and win, Christine suddenly remembered Cameron's promise to Emilie, back when they'd first fallen in love all those months ago, on the rooftop.
"She won't hurt you; not while I'm around."
Somehow, no matter how much she hated Emilie, she couldn't have Cameron break that promise.
Sighing resignedly, she put down her sword and placed it in her belt. She gazed down at Emilie, who was staring up at her, amazed, for a moment. Then she let out another sigh and offered Emilie her hand to help her stand.
Emilie took her hand and rose with her help. She stared at Christine for a moment, stunned.
Cameron's eyes widened at this sudden change in events. What was going on?
Christine stared at Emilie for a moment, then bent down and picked up Emilie's sword from off of the ground. She straightened herself and handed it to Emilie.
Still staring at Christine in amazement, Emilie took her sword from her and placed it back in its belt.
After another moment of silence, Christine cocked her head to the side momentarily, towards Emilie's horse, to signify for her to go. Emilie turned and walked back to her horse, getting on it.
Christine started walking away, in Cameron's general direction, putting away her sword into its belt. She brushed past Cameron, who was gazing at her intently, stunned.
Cameron grabbed her arm to stop her. "Angel -"
She turned to him. "Go, Cameron," she said softly. "Your fiancee is waiting." She winced at the pain in her stomach and lower chest.
"But I -"
"Go!" she gasped in pain. "Go now and leave me!"
He gazed at her sadly for a moment, then turned and walked up to Emilie's horse, getting on in the back, wrapping his arms around Emilie, grabbed the reins, and rode off away from where Christine stood.
Christine watched them go, statring to feel enraged at her own inability to kill someone who she was sure that she would have to kill to get Cameron to be with her. She started pacing about, feeling her anger rise with each step.
She finally let out a yell of rage and whirled around to where Cameron and Emilie had ridden off a few moments before. "Now, let it be war upon you both!" she growled, then stormed off back towards the Opera.
But, after walking quickly for about five minutes, every injury that she'd just sustained sreamed out in protest. She suddenly found it hard to walk fast or to even breathe.
She pulled her sword out of its belt, placed the tip down on the ground, placed her right hand on the hilt, and started walking - more slowly than usual - back to the Opera, using the sword as a cane.