Author's notes: Notes at the end of the chapter, people! And I hope that you will like this one – a little mythological riddle for you!
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Chapter 30 – Angels and Angles
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Several weeks later, Regina was reading through her schedule and found that she had about five minutes a day for anything involving what she wanted to do. Everything was progressing so quickly – in a few days, "rehearsals" would begin. Most of her costumes had already been fitted, she had met the rest of the cast and almost sang her lungs out a few days ago.
Amanda, who wasn't needed to sing other than in "Angel of Music" was meanwhile entertaining the crew and cast with her variations of "Angle of Music". Though she didn't necessarily have the figure of a ballerina – skinny anorectics, Amanda had commented – she made up for it by sheer skill and the fact that she was the comic relief on set.
Every day, they sent a collective email to their parents, just to calm them and assure them that they were still alive. Amanda was quick to come up with reasons why Regina's parents shouldn't freak out once Regina would tell them the whole truth, but Regina somehow doubted that the fact that age differences between Hollywood actors who ended up together were somewhat common ("Think Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes." Amanda had noted with a shrug, as if that solved the problem) would be enough to earn her a blessing and not land her house arrest until the age of sixty.
Regina also took up the task of solving the mystery of how they got into the PotO storyline in the first place, but since the DVD that she had figured out had probably landed them there in the first place and the TV set in question didn't even exist yet, she was faced with a slight problem. However, that didn't really stop her.
Meanwhile, they had enough other problems to be dealing with. Regina in particular thought that soon, she would never be able to sing PotO again, because she was being made to sing it all the time by her now self-appointed Angel of Music. Apparently, Erik had read the books about him at astonishing speed and once he discovered the wonders of the internet, there was really no stopping him. Also, he seemed to have decided that his autobiography, no matter how untrue the ending was, had to be perfect. Last time Regina felt so drained was after a particularly nasty rehearsal for Don Juan Triumphant. It was insanity.
Regina finished typing the email alone – Amanda was out still practicing her ballet moves for some scene and this time she was the one hounded by Erik, a refreshing thing, Regina thought. She sighed and turned off the computer. It was time to go to bed, she decided. It was still early, but she was having trouble adapting to this new lifestyle. Plus the change of the time zones was still bugging her.
As usual, it took her at least an hour to fall asleep. Surprisingly, she dreamt a dream. She had been having pretty weird dreams as of late, probably because her whole life turned from normal to pretty weird as of late. However, this was a strange dream even compared to those. She was sitting in a… room? Or was it? It looked like out of a video game, she thought, because it seemed as if she were sitting in a gothic cathedral, but there was no religious symbols. It seemed thoroughly pagan and the three women she found herself watching were dressed in matching white robes that might have been fashionable at a funeral about two millennia ago.
They were doing something with a thread, Regina noticed as she walked towards them, and were not at all disturbed when she walked towards them. The strange thing was, Regina realized, that she could think. One couldn't think in a dream. At least, she didn't. But she was pretty sure she felt conscious.
"Ten thirty, Atropos." The middle one measuring with a rod said to the one to the left, who nodded quickly and pulled out a pair of scissors, cutting the thread. Regina was pretty sure she had seen something like this before.
The last one, who was spinning another thread already, looked up at Regina and watched her closely for a moment before saying. "A thread has been tangled. We have made a great exception in bringing you here. A mistake has been made and you have been sent to correct it, along with your dark haired friend."
"But the tangle is not yet resolved." The one with the scissors noted seriously, "In mind, you are two years older than you are in body. And even before, your mind was older. We could change your thread… but changing another might be better."
The middle one searched for something briefly and took out another thread, measuring it carefully. "We cannot return years or take them away… but we can prolong." There was a visible tangle in the thread and the moved her hand along it. She then repeated an opposite motion with two other threads. "This might undo the damage."
"You cannot change your fate." The spinner, the left one, said. "And none can change it for you. Banish your fears."
"Gin! GIN!" Amanda screamed into her ear. Regina woke up and shuddered immediately. That was weird. She decided she would have to drink less coffee. Amanda's habits were rubbing off on her. "Finally, you sleepyhead! I was wondering what you drunk to knock you out like that." The brunette said with a grin.
Regina threw a pillow at her.
Months after that, Regina had already forgotten the weird dream and Amanda had been normalized slightly. She insisted on staying after her part of the shooting was done, however, to "keep Regina entertained" she reasoned. Both of them noticed that as the weeks progressed, Erik was getting slightly more comfortable with the new life, even though there were moments when they half-expected him to go find a new Punjab lasso.
When the movie was released, it to be met with mixed reviews, as both of them had known before. But apparently, everyone was too shocked to discover how the leads sang that they didn't find much to criticize. Patrick Wilson had turned out to be a normal guy Regina could almost think of as a relative, really all-American and fun. A few tips about singing and he went from great to brilliant.
The few jokes about the making of were limited to Angle of Music, the moment when Erik asked if he could drop the chandelier himself, when Amanda spotted him shaking his head when they were preparing the hanging of Buquet, when Regina had asked if she could please have a dress that she wouldn't be afraid of falling off and, most memorable of all, when Amanda talked the cast into making a few bloopers for the DVD, including a happy end special, "because just check the net and you'll realize how many people will be out for your necks if you don't do it".
They got to be on TRL, which caused even Amanda to squeal. Naturally, there were a lot of questions about whether or not the on-screen relationships had turned into real-life ones as well. Regina had specifically asked Erik to deny everything and really call her a little sister, at least for now.
When she was checking her passport – she was heading for Europe, to visit her parents at long last – she noticed something strange. Her date of birth was incorrect somehow. It was supposed to read 1989. It read 1987. Regina frowned. In mind, you are two years older than you are in body…you cannot change your fate…
For the first time, the words strangely came back at her. She remembered the three women and then came to a possible conclusion… but that was just ridiculous. Cliché, no way. But she searched Wikipedia anyway and disliked being wrong. They fit the description easily, from head to toe.
Somehow, she was certain that the date would appear on all documents that needed her age. And after all, she had lived those two years – one in Paris and one before she even got to Paris. When Amanda and Erik both came to her with the same oddity, her hunch was confirmed. And she relaxed somewhat.
"Well, the age difference has officially been lowered." Amanda said after Regina explained everything to her. "Cheers, guys, I think you might actually be allowed to do this thing."
"What are you so happy about?" Regina asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Just so you know, we're going to the Oscars this year. I'm simply going to see whether a certain someone is going there as well."
"The age difference between you and your chosen has not been lowered that dramatically." Erik pointed out, having been filled in on most of the two's habits, likes and dislikes previously.
"The difference is, I don't care." Amanda said with a shrug.
Both Erik and Regina decided not to comment on this and satisfied themselves with a pointed look at each other and a short laugh before turning to more pleasant matters. Amanda decided this was a good time to go watch TV and thus leave the room.
Eventually, despite the fact that the movie was a major debut, Regina ended up on the stage more than on the screen – she got an audition at the Met and made her breakthrough as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro. While she complained that she was stuck with roles of pageboys with angelic names, ("First Seraphimo and now this! At least I actually get to sing, we'll see who's the better angel!") She was very happy to fulfill a dream of hers this way. Naturally, after that single performance, where she had to repeat her arias twice, there was absolutely no doubt who the next diva would be.
Amanda danced for a while but eventually decided to go for modern music and founded her own punk rock band. At first, it was hard, but once she asked Erik to help a bit with the songs ("You have to try other genres as well! I mean, c'mon, wait till you turn on MTV!") It went more than well. She eventually met Jason Isaacs, though how that went is another story entirely. Suffice it say that she didn't rest until she got his phone number and pestered him for quite a while. With pleasing results, in her opinion.
Erik got used to playing his part in life and grew to like this new kind of freedom. Once the world discovered his "hidden" talents, he was a full-scale superstar, able to choose in every matter. It was very liberating and after his existence as the Phantom, quite enjoyable. Regina introduced him to forums on the internet and at times he chatted with his "phans", enjoying the feeling of supremacy. When it came to music, however, he still had a very strict eye. Eventually, after much convincing from Regina, some of his compositions reached the ears of the world.
In less than a year, despite Amanda's predictions, the world also officially knew they were together. Regina's parents managed not to explode. EC phans all over the world were celebrating and congratulating them on many websites, at times receiving a reply from the artists themselves. And yes, after college, there was such a thing as a happily ever after… after college.
Before that happened, however, elsewhere, a chestnut-haired girl was watching TV. More ads for the Phantom of the Opera. She sighed. Oh, well, there would be other opportunities.
Still… "Why doesn't something like that ever happen to me?" Emmy Rossum sighed.
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The end
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It is finished! Oh wow! I can scarcely believe it! The insanity is actually over! And the ending is satisfying! I thank each and every person who viewed this story, or even a part of it, because they were my unending inspiration and made me go on with this even when I thought it wouldn't be possible. Any corrections or notes, please send them in! Anyway, right now, I'm off to finish writing the concept for another phic! Enrinye also sends her regards, though she was simply my critic whilst writing this phic. Chocolate for you people who discover who the three women were and what their names are! Till next time!
