Disclaimer: I own neither the Teen Titans, nor the Phantom of the Opera
A/N: Well, folks, it's finally here. I apologize for the incredibly long wait, but that wait is finally over! Today the "Beast of the Opera" comes to its amazing conclusion! Finally you will all see the ending! You will see what parts I have changed as well.
Also, it has come to my attention that I have attracted a large number of Rob/Rae fans. While I have no problem with this...I recommend that if you are one of them...you won't like this chapter much at all. I told you I was changing the ending, and I am. Thus...read with caution. Heh.
And now, it is time to end this! Read, enjoy, and review! In that order!
The Beast of the Opera
Chapter 12
THE CURTAIN DROPS
"Down to the depths of my black despair! To the home that I never knew!" cried the Beast.
Only moments ago, he had cut the wire and destroyed the set of the Opera House. The chandelier had fallen, killing many, and now the Opera House itself was in flames. But that didn't matter to the Beast, nor his captor. Raven was being dragged along beside him.
"You have doomed both of us to a fate worse than death!" he cried, turning to her. His emerald eyes, which had once held such kindness and love, now held nothing but anger and rage. Raven cowered, looking at him. His mask was gone and his bright green face was now visible to all.
With a cry, he knocked aside a secret wall and the two fell deeper into the catacombs underneath the Opera House. With a final thrust of his arm, the stone room they were in spun around and stopped moments later, to an open cavern.
"Come with me!" cried the Beast, dragging Raven behind him. They were now in the very room that served as Gar's home; filled with its giant organ, candles everywhere. The art gallery Gar had made in Raven's image was now burning, set fire by his own hand.
He threw her onto the bed with a forceful thrust.
"I loved you, Raven! And you betrayed me!" he cried. "I gave you everything! EVERYTHING! I taught you to sing! I made you popular! I saved you from yourself!"
Raven didn't answer. She was far too afraid at this moment of everything that was going on. Her friends were up in the Opera House, being burned alive because of the monster in front of her. Even Robin. It was ironic that she would lose the boy she loved because of the other boy she used to love.
"And this is how you repay me!" he cried, turning to face her. He looked terrible. His green face was twisted in rage. Scars ran along the entire face, as if a terrible accident had befallen him. His costumer was ripped in several place and his cape had three great holes in it. And yet, he still looked far too threatening.
Finally, Raven drew up the courage to speak. She thought of her friends, dying because of her. She thought of her mother, whom had died so soon. She thought of Robin, her love, fighting to protect her. No more.
"You are disgusting!" Raven cried, jumping to her feet. Her blue cloak swept around her, as if propelled by dark energy. The Beast actually took a step back here. "YOU murdered; not me! I have done nothing wrong! It's been you this whole time; you!"
Raven's courage grew with every new word she spoke. The Beast was bowing his head, but he still looked less than sorry. Anger was dominating his thoughts; nothing else. Raven saw this and thus kept talking.
"You, who have taken every crime known!" she cried. "You steal, you lie, you murder in the dark of night! You have succeeded in your lust of violence! Am I know to fulfill your lust for flesh?"
Her anger was getting the better of her. She motioned to the bed. "This is what you have prepared for, isn't it? This is all you really want! Just to take me and be done with!" She cried out. "I ahte you! I hate you sneaking around my home! I hate you whispering lies into my ear and stealing my life away! I'm nothing but a puppet to you; a way that you will finally enjoy what has so long not been yours!"
At this, the Best threw his head back up. "That's a lie! I may be a thief, I may be a murderer, but I am no liar, Raven! I do love you! I loved you with my whole heart and I still do! But you must learn the price of loving me; the price of betraying me! And you will learn soon enough!"
However, before either of them could make another move, a gate was heard crashing. Garfield turned swiftly, jumping from the bed stage he and Raven stood on. He jumped into the gentle, slimy water of the catacomb and spied ahead at the entrance to his chamber. And he grinned.
It was Robin, in full uniform. "Let her go, you monster!" he cried, pulling out weapon after weapon. The gate, however, though hundreds of years old, was still holding steady. Thick steel bars stopped Robin from entering.
"Well well, if it isn't your little boyfriend," the Beast said evilly. A sinister grin overtook his dark, green face.
"Have you no compassion?" Robin cried, stretching one arm through the criss-crossed bars of the gate. Raven wanted to run to him, but found she could not. Her legs were firm and stead; they would not move.
"This is a very pleasant surprise, my friend!" The Beast cried, walking further into the water. "I am glad we get to meet once again, Robin. I rather hoped you would come!"
"Robin, don't!" Raven cried, taking only one step towards them. But Robin didn't listen.
"I love her! Can't you see that?" Robin cried, hitting against the bars with everything in him. "I love her and I won't let you take her away from me!"
The Beast grinned. "Very well then," he said loudly. Reaching down into the water, he pulled up a tremendous lever. A loud creaking sound was heard and then the gate began to lift up. Without another word, Robin rushed underneath.
"If she is yours...then claim her. Run to her," the Beast said, sinister trickery in his voice. He watched as Robin hesitantly took several steps forward. Raven was still too much in shock to do anything. Still, she was afraid of what was going to happen.
And then Robin took one more step forward. And that's when the Beast struck. In a move faster than lightning, his arm transformed into the body of a snake and wrapped around the Boy Wonder's neck. Extending the arm ever further, the Beast succeeded in striking Robin against the wall and holding him there. The fangs did not sink themselves into Robin's neck, but rather held him against the wall.
"GAH!" Robin cried as his body slammed against the wall. The snake-arm wriggled and them when tight, holding him there, five feet above the ground.
"Pathetic!" cried Gar. "Did you really think I was going to give her up? After everything I have done for her...did you really think I wold give her up so easily? Ha! You are even dumber than I thought!"
"Let me go!" Robin choked out.
"On one condition, friend," the Beast said, taking one more step towards him. "You give Raven...to me. And then I'll let you go. Free as a bird."
"I'll...never give Raven to you!" Robin cried.
"Then you will die," the Beast said calmly. He took another step forward, tightening the snakes hold on the boy. Robin gasped as the air was forced from his lungs.
"The actors . . . are on their way here," Robin gasped. "They'll kill you!"
"I will let them try," the Beast spat. He took another step. The snake tightened its grip. Quickly, the Beast turned to Raven. "Make your choice, Raven! Who will die tonight on your account? Me...or the boy you love?"
And with that, he choked Robin again. The fangs glistened as they made ever closer for the boy's throat.
"Don't do it, Raven!" cried Robin. "Save yourself! Escape! I don't matter anymore!"
"Make your choice!" the Beast cried, choking Robin again. "Make your choice now!"
And then Raven came to her senses. Memories and thoughts drifted into her mind slowly, making her remember it all. She remembered the day she came to the Opera House and the Beast was there to help her. She remembered him singing her to sleep, wiping her tears as she slept. She remembered him kissing her that one night, so long ago, in their passion.
And she remembered Robin. Her long-lost friend. She remembered his applauding for her. She remembered him visiting her every day. She remembered him confessing his love for her. And she remembered all the time they spent together, happy.
But then wild flashes of everything else crossed her mind. She remembered Slade and Brother Blood. She remembered the Beast, fiercely murdering Red X and Johnny Rancid. She remembered Robin attacking the Beast; the fight in the graveyard. And she remembered the fires of the chandelier, destroying the Opera House above them both.
She imagined what it must have been like for Garfield all this time. All those years spent running away, alone in the world. And then, finally, he finds someone he loves, someone he can actually help. And then it fell apart before his very eyes.
Silently, Raven took a step forward, towards the best. Silence pursued her. Both Robin and the Beast...no, Garfield...watched her every step. She walked down from the rocky stage and into the slimy water of the cavern.
"Poor, pathetic creature," she sang to Garfield, just loudly enough for the both of them to hear. "You hide in a cavern...you hide your own face. You fear everything, yet you try anything. Accepted no where...you poor creature. What kind of life have you known?"
And, slowly, she made her way to Garfield. The green teen was staring at her with wander, sorrow filling his eyes. With each new word she sang, the anger inside him drew away until it was almost non-existent.
"Please..." he said sadly, his eyes full of longing. "Make your choice."
Raven approached him, tears running down her face. "I already have." And she kissed him.
To Garfield, it was the most wonderful thing he had ever experienced. He had kissed Raven once, just once, before. But...it was nothing like this. So full of love, so full of passion. His heart burst with joy as he felt his love's lisp pressed against him.
And it was his love for her that finally destroyed the madness in his mind. For the first time in months, he let his heart lead the way again. He ignored his hate, his rage, his anger. All the could remember was his love for Raven.
And that was when he realized what he had done.
Suddenly, Garfield's eyes sprang open. He pulled away from Raven with a start and looked around. "No..." he muttered. The water was red with blood; Robin's blood. The Boy Wonder was still gasping for breath. With a cry, Garfield withdrew his hand, releasing the boy.
In the distance, torches could just barely be seen. Loud, angry voices could be heard, coming for him. The actors! The cast! The police! All were coming down to kill him, capture him! The entire city wanted revenge on the Beast of the Opera.
"What have I don?" he whispered.
"Garfield..." Raven muttered. Gar looked up.
"No...no, I will set things right. I must," he said, springing to his feet. He looked over at Robin, and then to Raven. "Go! Go with him! Leave me!"
"I can't leave you," Raven told him. "I love you."
"No! Don't say that!" cried Garfield. "You love Robin, not me! Search you heart, you know it is true. The cast, the police...they are coming. We are not safe here...they are aching for blood. My blood! You must go!"
Without another word, Raven ran over to Robin and helped him stand. The boy was gasping for breath, but otherwise fine. He got up and looked over at the Beast. The green teen was shaking violently, tears springing from his eyes.
"Are you okay?" Robin asked Raven. She nodded. "But...we have to go. There is nothing we can do now."
"Go now!" cried Gar from behind them. "Don't let them find you! Leave me!"
"I can't leave you!" Raven cried back. "What if they find you? They'll kill you!"
And then, finally, Garfield smiled. "Raven, my love...if there is one thing I know how to do...it is not being found easily."
Raven smiled at him weakly.
"But you two must go!" he cried. Running at them, he grabbed both and dragged them to a secret exit; a small portion of wall that opened up once touched in a certain brick. "Take this way out half a mile, and the climb the stairs at the end. You will arrive at a church; you will be safe from there on."
Without another word, Raven and Robin walked into the secret passage. Before either could leave, however, the Beast stopped them once more. They both turned to look back at him. He looked at Raven first.
"Raven..." he said. "I will always...always...love you."
"Thank you," Raven said, tear streaming down her face. Gar smiled and turned to Robin next.
"Robin...I am sorry for everything. Please, just...take care of her for me."
And, finally, Robin smiled. "Of course...Garfield." And he extended his hand. Gar smiled and shook it.
"I have a feeling," Gar said, looking down, "that we will meet again, someday." The sound of an explosion was heard behind him. He looked back at them. "But now is not the time...go! Go now!"
"Come with us, Garfield!" Raven urged him.
"I can't," Garfield told her. "Our story together is over, my Raven. I have crimes that must be paid for. But you don't; I want you to leave a happy life. And the only way that is possible...is if I am not a part of it."
He sighed. "NOW GO!"
And the two ran off together, leaving him behind.
They ran faster and faster, never looking back. Each footstep made a loud splash as they crossed the secret passage to the hidden stairs. However, they didn't make it far. Before a hundred yards were crossed, Raven stopped. Robin halted as well and looked back at her.
"Raven? What are you doing?" he asked. She turned back to look at the way they had come.
"Robin...I can't leave him," she said, turning to him. The Boy Wonder walked up and held her hand.
"There is nothing you can do for him now, Rae...it's over."
At this, Raven looked up. "No...no it's not!" Silently, she withdrew her hand from his. "I'm sorry, Robin, but the fact is...I do love him. I'm sorry to you, I truly am, but...he is my true love. I am sure of it." Tears spread down her face. "I am so sorry..."
And then, Robin did the unimaginable. He placed a hand on her shoulder and said: "then go to him."
Raven turned with a start. "What?"
"If you truly love him," Robin started, "then go to him. I will understand."
Raven, overcome with relief, threw herself at him in a huge hug. "Thank you so much, Robin...you will always have a special place in my heart."
"As will you with me," Robin told her. He withdrew. "Now go, quickly! You can still catch up with him!"
"Thank you!" Raven cried, turning to run. "I will never forget you!"
"Neither will I," Robin said quietly as he watched his love disappear back the way she had come. "Neither will I..."
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"I never thought it would come to this," Garfield said sadly. With a thrust of his arm, he smashed yet another one of his precious mirrors. The glass shattered and spread onto the floor. "My dream is over...my life has ended..."
The sad teen threw himself at another mirror, transforming into a gorilla. With two powerful fists, he destroyed the glass of the last mirror...and broke through to the other side. The mirror was indeed the door to another secret passage...one he intended to escape through.
Without another word, he took the first step into the dark corridor beyond...and stopped as he heard a voice behind him.
"I'm not letting you go anywhere without me."
Turning, the green teen looked behind him. There, standing not five feet away from him, was his true love. Her purple hair waved back in forth from the wind of the tunnel and her beautiful amethyst eyes glowed.
"Raven...but I thought..." he muttered.
"You thought wrong," Raven replied, walking towards him. Without another word, she kissed him once again. And, once again, they both entered their own personal world of love and passion for one another. They broke off only minutes later, in need of air.
"I am ready to start a new life...a better one," Raven said, embracing him. "And I want to start it with the man I love. With you."
"I will always love you, Raven," Garfield told her, holding him close to her.
And then Raven sang. "To share one love...one lifetime..."
And Gar repeated. Smiling, he looked down at her. "Are you ready, Raven? Are you ready to share on love?"
And Raven smiled back. "I am ready to share one lifetime."
And they took each other's hands and entered the secret door together. A curtain feel over the doorway, sealing their exit behind them. Neither of them was seen again.
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The crowd of police and actors reached the cavern far too late. They found a broken cavern, filled with empty candles and a large, destroyed organ. Shattered mirrors lined the wall.
Star walked into the cavern as the rest of the actors looked around. She saw, more than anyone else, a table on the far edge, in front of the door. She felt drawn to the table, for some reason. Slowly, she walked over to it.
And there she saw a white mask, the exact one that the Beast had worn. She was about to tell someone, when she saw something else. There...on the side of the mask...an inscription. In Raven's handwriting. Raven's handwriting, on the mask of the Beast. Slowly, Star read the message. And she smiled. She looked up at the curtains.
"Did you find anything?" cried Speedy from behind her. Star turned and shook her head.
"Whatever was here...is gone now. We won't find anything here."
Speedy nodded and walked away. Star smiled, looking back down at the mask in her hands.
"Congratulations, Raven, my friend. You have finally found true love." She looked up at the other actors, all walking around and searching for clues. None of them would find anything; Gar had made that certain.
With gleaming green eyes, Star smiled yet again. "And thus ends the tale...of the Beast of the Opera."
FIN
A/N: And...cut! Print! That's a wrap people! Thanks to all of you who have read and reviewed my story! You have quickly made it one of my best fan-favorites! Thanks to all of you so so much! I truly hope you all enjoyed the story! I also hoped you liked my NEW ending! Raven ending up with Beast Boy...the Phantom ending up with Christine! I hope you all liked the new ending!
I promise you all a epilogue in the future. My dedication for this story goes to all of my faithful fans who read and reviewed! Thank you all!
And now...finally...after all this...I give you a final, well thought-out. . .
PEACE OUT!
