Chapter Two

DISCLAIMER: OK; I don't own phantom of the opera. Plain and simple

Another day of Ballet. Karen and Iris practiced along side Meg Giry; spinning in unison with her.

"so your telling me." Meg Giry spoke to Karen as they spinned; twirled and danced. "That before you came here; long before you even considered it; you were engaged?"

"Yes. His name was Raphael and I was actually happy with our engagement for a while."

"What happened?" Meg asked; falling out of step with everyone else.

"Girls! Stop your chattering and keep dancing!" The instructor bellowed; smacking the instructor's rod against the stage.

"I'll tell you later." Karen whispered to her as they fell back into step and kept dancing. That went on until it was time to stop; and head to the showers for their baths and to ready themselves for bed. Her feet were sore; they had been practicing non-stop; because their performance was to be in two days; and they had to be prepared. Karen; Iris; and Meg all headed down to the showers; as Karen recalled her childhood engagement, and told Meg the whole story.


She was nine; and she had a male friend. His name was Raphael; and he "Cared" about her with all his heart. He would take her to the hill behind the house; and dance with her under the twilight. He knew how to waltz as if he had been dancing his whole life. He was handsome for his age; and was a regular prince charming. It wasn't until they had been friends for almost a year; that he brought her up to the hill; and just as the twilight was turning into night; and the sky was being studded with diamond stars; he had told her he liked her; and kissed her for the first time. A first kiss isn't something someone forgets; and she remembers her's clearly. She remembered how he took her chin between his index finger and thumb; and pulled her into her first kiss. A feeling of passion and romance swept over her so quickly; that she couldn't ever forget it.

Two months after wards; Raphael gave her a diamond ring; and spoke to her with such passion.

"When we grow up." He promised her. "I'll marry you. This ring will let everyone know your my fiance until we get married."

That however; didn't last long. Three years later; he ran off with her best friend and she threw the ring in the ocean in anger.


"How romantic!" Meg Giry breathed. They had just finished their bath and were in the dormitories brushing their hair. Karen tied her hair into a pony tail; and was brushing Iris's. "It's like something out of a story-book. Except the ending. Raphael sounds like a romantic."

"He was." She told Meg. "He was handsome; and strong; and great with a sword. But I was young and foolish. After he left; I never trusted a man ever again." Iris hugged her sister good night; and Karen paused in the middle of her story to say goodnight to Iris. Iris walked off from her sister and layed down under the blankets on the bed. "He never came back; and I never want to see him again. I thought he was someone I could care about but apparently I was wrong."

"Don't think all men are like that." Meg told her. "Some of them are really good. Christine is happy with Raoul. He treats her well; and even risked his life for her."

"At least Christine Daae is happy." Karen replied; she was actually happy for Christine; having found someone to love her so. "What about you Meg? Any lucky gentleman come to claim your body for his own?"

"Not yet." Meg replied; trying to picture the perfect man. "I want my man to be handsome; strong; loyal; and romantic. What about you? You may not love anyone; but you've got to have an idea of whom you'd like to love."

"Mine will have to want to guard me with his life." Karen replied; laying down on her bed; closing her eyes and picturing him. "He'll be handsome to only me; others might not see him so. But I want a down-to-earth guy who is good enough to tell me he loves me. Someone to care for me and only me."

"Why don't you want a handsome guy? A guy who is handsome to others besides you?"

"Because; Raphael was handsome to everyone; and he ran off. If I'm the only one who sees him as handsome; he won't run away. I won't be forty years old; and a bitter old woman. My guy will have to be a romantic.." Her voice trailed off; as she went into deeper thought. Her thoughts of her perfect man were that of any other woman.

"Lights out!" The instructor had come into the room and yelled at them. Meg Giry left Karen and went to her own bed; while Karen climbed under the blankets and fell asleep thinking of her perfect man.


Erik rested on his bed. His monkey music box was making it's usual sound; which he had become accustomed to. He had the ring Christine had left behind resting between his index finger and thumb. He felt the gold band around it; it was an expensive ring. Though he had stolen it from her to begin with; he had gotten it back and now didn't know what to do with it. He feared he would have to rid himself of it; of a ring that belongs on his true love's finger. On Christine Daae's finger. He wouldn't have harmed her; she may have thought he would have; but he wouldn't. His mask was his sanity thread. When she pulled it off and showed the world what he regretted; what he hated; he felt himself falling deeper into the pool of insanity. Of mental unstableness. He was bound to the world of darkness; without a light of hope; or a beautiful woman's body that he would be able to hold onto when he needed to; or if he just wanted to. It had been that way since he was a child; living in the darkness; making his mind sharp; and learning all he was able to. He learned a way with the swords; a way to make himself a shadow of the opera Populair. He painted; he sang; he played the organ. He did so many things that he himself forgot what he could do.

Then Christine Daae came into the picture.

She was beautiful; and could sing like an angel after he taught her. To him she was beautiful anyway. Him and Raoul saw her a goddess; everyone else saw her as a homely ballet girl whom would only dance. Carlotta saw her a toad; Meg saw her a friend. Everyone saw her differently; but all came down to the fact was that they were thinking of Christine Daae.

Deep down; after Raoul had come in; he knew he didn't have much a chance to win her. But he never saw Raoul as much of a challenge; until he started in on Erik's territory. He started romancing Christine; he started talking to her as Erik would have if Christine was his.

That fateful night came when his world shattered. It was late December; and the streets of Paris were covered in a blanket of snow. Joseph Boughet had died; the Phantom had killed him. But he followed Christine and Raoul to the roof of the Opera Populaire; and heard them declaire their love for each other. The could feel pieces of the sky giving way; he felt as if he had been stabbed. He fell to his knees near the rose with the black ribbon. He had regretted at that moment; giving Christine Daae his heart, his music, and his soul. The Harpie of a soprano left him shattered; left him and heart; broken.

He was not one to give up so quickly. He fought with his wits; and almost won. In the end; he almost beat Raoul to Christine. But the ending came to quickly; Christine had kissed him to free Raoul. He was not sure why he wanted her to lie to him just to free Raoul; it was probably at that moment which he didn't care. He just wanted Christine.

She was gone now; and he was alone. As it should be. He was a hideous creature of the night and no woman in her right mind would love him.


woo the end of Chappie 2! They still haven't met! I'm post poning it as long as I can. :D