Chapter 12: Why So Silent?

Christine continued talking to Meg as Erik left for the "restroom". Christine knew that she and Meg had not been as close as they used to be recently and she felt saddened by that. Thankfully though they would be able to talk for a little while now.

Raoul sat in complete and utter boredom as he watched the two ladies in front of him gossip about their childhood together here and at Madame Giry's home. Raoul could not care less about what flowers they picked or the kind of cookies they baked. All he wanted was some form of entertainment to keep his mind off of Christine's bust that was very visible in the dress she was wearing. He knew that if Meg were to leave them alone, and he was certain that she wouldn't; damn that girl, then he would flirt with Christine and not let her leave him this time.

Just as the music began to end everyone was astounded to see an ominous figure standing at the top of the staircase in front of them. The tall masculine figure wearing a black suit was wearing a half faced white leather mask and then everyone knew—the Phantom of the Opera made his appearance after so many months! Everyone became instantly frightened and back away a couple of steps as he drew into the main foyer. For a long time no one made a sound as they watched the Phantom stand there.

Erik, on the other hand, had enough of their bitter silence and took a step downward the staircase as he began to address the entire crowd of people standing before him. Most of the men were shaking slightly with the women trembling behind their dates. However, Carlotta Guidicelli was one of the few women that included Christine, Meg and Antoinette who did not hide.

"Why so silent, good messieurs?

Did you think that I had left you for good?

Have you missed me, good messieurs?

I have written you an opera!

Here I bring the finished score

'Don Juan Triumphant!"

Once Erik had reached the bottom of the staircase he threw the score down at the feet of the managers and pulled out his sword. He heard many gasps escape from quite a few of the women in the audience and was surprised that he heard some men squeal as well—the bastards weren't worthy to be called "men" if they can't even hold in that they were frightened in front of women. What use was a man if he can't control his emotions during battle?

Erik bowed to his audience with only his head and held his sword in both his hands. He now had to let everyone know who it was that actually ran this opera house, who made it the success it is today! He kept his cool, powerful, demeanor as he continued on with his performance.

"Fondest greetings to you all!

A few instructions just before rehearsal starts:

Carlotta must be taught to act, not her normal trick

Of strutting round the stage.

Our Don Juan must lose some weight—

It's not healthy in a man of Piangi's age.

And my managers must learn that their place is in an office, not the arts"

Erik walked over to Carlotta and Piangi and telling his strict instructions for how his opera is to directed. To emphasize Carlotta's excessive need for the spotlight he rustled the hat that reminded him of a Shahbanu, the wife of a shah's, hat. The jewels twinkled in the light as his sword messed with them and Carlotta uttered a toad-like gasp from her mouth in astonishment. Erik had to hold himself from rolling his eyes at the most stupid scene that she was making of herself and continued on to Piangi.

The large, obese, man was standing his ground to Erik. This pleased Erik as he realized that he was acting like a true man should—nevertheless, Erik knew just how to put fear into anyone that he wished to. He began to tell Piangi the instructions for his role as the leading male in his opera and pushed the tip of his sword into Piangi's stomach as a warning and a good way of insulting the man of the wife that never does as she is told. The man nodded his head in understanding and Erik continued on to the two older men to his left that called themselves the managers. Erik laughed internally as he realized just how much they looked like idiots now—Andre's costume as a chicken was given justice for the way he was acting right now.

As he made his way to the two men that held the title of "owners" of his opera house Erik pointed his sword at their faces to emphasize that the only useful thing they could do for the musical arts is to stay in their offices and sign the pay checks and bills—that's it, all they should be able to do is the paper work, but even then Erik wished he could do just that so that he could have complete control of his opera house. It killed him that he wasn't perfect, otherwise he would be running the Opera Populaire much more efficiently than these two men ever could. But alas the show must go on and Erik continued with his instructions.

"As for our star, Miss Christine Daae…

No doubt she'll do her best—it's true her voice is good

She knows, though, should she wish to excel

She has much still to learn, if pride will let her return to me

Her teacher, her teacher…"

Christine played her role exactly as how Erik explained to her. She knew that everyone else would be lividly terrified to see the opera ghost in flesh and so she mirrored how she had seen all the other women react. She looked into a mirror and for a second she truly believed that she was actually frightened to death of her Erik. But never once did she break her facade.

When Erik had called her name above the crowd she looked up to see his eyes piercing into hers. For a while she stared back at him as if he were the only other person in the room. In that moment she knew that no one else mattered but him, and dear god how grateful was she that they were courting now. After such a long time of waiting he had finally wanted to take their relationship further! Christine finally understood the virtue of patience and how rewarding its outcome could be!

Christine then felt a shift in the way Erik was talking and she felt an internal pull that tugged her into Erik's direction. It was amazing how it felt to feel oneself have this underlying need to be near the one that a person loved more than their own life. As she slowly made her way to her Erik she watched at how his breathing quickened ever so slightly and she saw the silent message of love in his eyes, and dare she say an apology? Before she had too much time to dwell into that second message Erik's voice rang with a power most people were frightened of.

"Your chains are still mine!

You belong to me!"

Erik hissed as he grabbed Christine's ring from her neck and made his way back to where he started from. He saw the frightened look on his Christine's face and it tore his heart, but then he remembered what he had told her to do and the pride he held for her swelled inside his heart.

As he finally made it back to the Opera Populaire's insignia at the top of the staircase he threw one of his homemade smoke bombs onto the floor next to him and opened the secret trap that led him to a storage area underneath the main foyer. He heard many screams from above but never once did he think that the little Vicomte would follow after him.

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The opera ghost had finally made an appearance and Raoul embedded the picture of him down to great detail. Raoul was angered by the Phantom's appearance, mostly because he saw what the Phantom's presence was doing to Christine right now. Raoul wanted Christine badly and knew that the Phantom was only making the matters worse. He felt his sword at his side and knew that if the Phantom got anywhere near Christine he would feel no qualms about pushing it through the Phantom's heart.

A heart? Raoul thought. If this opera ghost has a heart then that means he is not an opera ghost but a man. A ordinary, regular, and very killable man. What kind of freak poses as an opera ghost and demands a salary every month? I swear to god himself that I will stop this freak from laying a hand on Christine. She will be mine and she will come with me to my home and live with me until I can propose to her and we can get married. Then she and I can produce an heir for the DeChagny legacy. Or maybe four heirs…or more…

Raoul saw that during his long think about taking Christine to be his, completely, she had done the opposite to what he expected her to do. She was actually walking towards that monster! Raoul heard the way that the man was talking about her, being the leading soprano in his opera, and how she was reacting to his voice. His voice. Raoul really believed that someone or something hit him in the back of his head as he realized that this Phantom was putting his Christine under a magical spell with his voice. Raoul knew that he needed to act quickly before something happened—and then something just happened.

The Phantom had created a distraction with a vast amount of smoke and Raoul started running before he thought of anything through. As he neared the smoke he felt the ground give way underneath him and he jumped into the hole not knowing what laid ahead of him.

As Raoul fell and landed onto his two feet he looked around as saw that there were mirrors everywhere surrounding him. Raoul's head started to hurt as he looked around and only saw himself because he knew that he needed to find this so called "opera ghost" to put an end to him, become a hero, and take Christine for himself. It was obvious that the Phantom had feelings for Christine and it was up to Raoul to put an end to this insane man so that Christine can have her mind set back to normal and she can see just how perfect Raoul was for her and her future.

A flash of red echoed through all the mirrors and Raoul pulled out his sword. The infamous white half mask was then floating behind Raoul's head everywhere and Raoul had to blindly slash out behind him but nothing was there and so Raoul continued his half crazed need to kill the man that was playing tricks against his mind.

Erik watched as the stupid little boy continued in his attempts to hurt himself and shook his head at how easy it would be to kill him—Erik almost pitied the boy's "valiant" attempt. Erik pulled out his Punjab lasso and hung it in the middle of the room, he knew that it wouldn't be too long before the boy's mind went crazed over the torture chamber Erik had built and Erik continued to watch from his safe corner.

Raoul searched everywhere but to no avail the opera ghost was never to be found. He drew closer to the middle to get a good look everywhere. Unknowingly Raoul stood right under Erik's lasso and stood waiting for something to happen.

Erik smiled off in the distance and began to slowly lower the lasso to right above Raoul's head, however fate decided to help Raoul and Erik watched as Antoinette, his adopted sister, helped the foul little fop out of his torture chamber. As the two people left Erik was enraged but knew that he must hold the anger back for now and changed his costume back as he returned to the masquerade to keep his identity concealed.

As he entered the building through a secret passageway near the restrooms he quickly made his way back to Christine and hugged her tightly. He pulled her back and said a little louder than normal so that others could hear him as well.

"I'm sorry my dear, I seemed to have lost my way coming back and it took me a while to find out how to get back to the main foyer. I heard many people gossiping on my way here and I was afraid for you so I hurried as fast as I could," Erik told Christine as he kissed her forehead tenderly. Christine caught onto what Erik was doing and hugged him tightly before replying.

"Oh dear god Erik, they were true, but now that you are here I feel safe." Christine said as she pressed herself against her chest. There were many people murmuring in their growing audience, some were "awing" and the others were discussing the events that had just taken place. Christine instantly felt just as uncomfortable as Erik did in the growing crowd and told him that she was growing tired.

Erik smiled down upon his lovely Christine, silently thanking her with his eyes, and decided that it was time for them to leave the party for Christine to get some rest.

Christine knew that she needed to discuss many things with Erik such as how they were going to solve the Phantom issue with him showing himself in public now. She had heard of many unorthodox practices but that was of little concern right now. She also was curious about where Raoul went off to and how Erik was feeling. She leaned her head against his arm as they walked hand and hand back outside the opera house only to walk through Erik's secret entrance back down to his home.

Erik sighed as he began wondering what he was going to do now that he had shown himself as a man. People will want to see him without the mask on but how would he be able to do such a thing without scaring away every person that looked upon the devil's mark.