#there are ghostly echoes spoken in her own voice that mock her by saying no one can save her and no one wants to. it's chilling

[gummi-ships]

Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep - A Fragmentary Passage - The World Within

[gracie-p8-officialblog]

Deal With The Fallen Angel: Chapter 3

A/N: Oh man, I almost forgot to update this on Tumblr!  This is a What-If!AU where Christine doesn’t kiss Erik in the Final Lair and chooses to be his bride. This story is rated T overall due to graphic violence and a major character death. This fic can also be found on Ao3 and fanfiction.net  

Gah! It was SO HARD to convert the rooftop scene into dialogue! This chapter is mostly filler but still important!

Also, screw Love Never Dies! This show ain’t canon in my book! 

Raoul looked up to the ceiling in a vain attempt to sleep but the events in his mind had continued to loom over him, mocking him for his failures in protecting her. He tossed and turned, hearing that taunting voice in his head.

“The deal is struck…”

Breaking out into a cold sweat, he sighed to himself. Memories of the past few months came back to him…

* * * * *

Six months ago…

The opera house echoed with screams as the corpse of Buquet was being displayed by the mysterious prankster. He ran backstage to meet Christine, who was ashen-faced and trying not to let her tears show.

“Christine…” He began before being interrupted abruptly by her.

“Raoul! We must run away! To the roof! We’ll be safe there!” Her eyes were wide with panic and distress as she darted up the staircase, her cloak trailing behind her.

“The roof? Wait, Christine!” he cried out as he took chase alongside her.

* * * * * 

Once they reached the rooftop, Raoul found Christine trembling from the cold and from fear. She turned to face him, shoulders sagging with relief.

“Christine… we must return, now” he said, slightly terrified and confused by the recent murder.

“Raoul, don’t take me back there” she tried not to let her fear show on her face “He’ll kill you!”

“Who would kill me?” he asked, more concerned for his friend than his safety at the moment.

“The Phantom,” Christine tried not to let the tears fall down on her face “No matter what, he’ll always find us. He kills to get what he wants,”

“Christine,” Raoul began, unsure of what to say “There is no Phantom, but only a man, a prankster who has gone too far when he murdered Buquet…”

“Raoul, I know the Phantom exists!” she tried to hide the tremor in her voice as she pulled his chest to her face “He took me the same night as the Hannibal performance,”

“That night…” he silently thought to himself. “Things have changed, Raoul…” he remembered her warning that very night they reunited, that very night when she disappeared, that very night when he let down his guard and allowed her to be kidnapped…

“I remember… there was such a beautiful melody he played,” the young woman mumbled, almost as if she were being hypnotized “It wasn’t like anything I’ve ever heard of before… but when I unmasked him, he was so angry and said I could never be free…”

“Christine,” Raoul gasped slightly, shocked at her revelation. He tried to suppress his anger at that man who tried to keep her in his prison “Did he hurt you?”

“Raoul, he isn’t a bad person,” she quickly defended as she snapped out of her trance, almost as if she read his mind “I remember… his eyes, he looked so lonely and vulnerable… and so lost… underneath all his anger”

“Christine,” he called out gently “Christine…”

“Christine…” a ghostly, ethereal voice called out, the chill of the wind becoming even colder.

“What was that?” Christine asked, finally letting her tears show. His heart began to fill with worry and adoration for Christine. It was obvious she was trying not to let herself become vulnerable; it was easy to spot from the years they spent together. She would try not to burden others with her worries, remembering her plastered smiles and reassurances ever since her father’s death. It was a trait he had mixed feelings over throughout the years. “Things have changed Raoul…” She was right, things have changed.

Seeing her break down crying and crouching in a vulnerable position made the young vicomte’s heart clench. Knowing she saw things he never told her before but could understand what she had been through. But she didn’t have to face the world alone, for he would always stand by her…

During all these years they had been separated, since Gustave Daae’s death, and since they had parted ways for he wanted to be a sailor while Christine went to the conservatory to study music, he never stopped thinking of her. However, his father cut off any communication between them. It was already humiliating enough that his youngest son had been associating himself with the lower class and writing letters to her every day. Little did the late Comte de Chagny know of the blooming relationship between the Vicomte and the violinist’s daughter…

That night of the performance, Raoul had the biggest shock of his life! She really changed so much! The soft-spoken, demure girl he knew was now singing in the spotlight, almost casting an ethereal glow on her as her voice soared like a songbird’s… It was sweet and gentle, yet so clear and powerful… resounding all over the opera house. But her character never changed. She was still the kind-hearted, intelligent, brave young woman he knew and loved.

And as the month had passed by during Il Muto rehearsals, he slowly realized his love for her. It was all so sudden, but it was everlasting… he gently pulled off her hood to reveal the young woman’s tear-stained face and wrapped her up in his arms, cradling her and whispering soft words of comfort.

“Please, don’t be afraid…” he whispered, hugging her even more tightly than the first time “I’m here, nothing will harm you. I’ll be your freedom… I’ll guard you and guide you.”

Christine looked up into his eyes, love in her eyes “Talk to me about summer and light, just be with me and promise me that you’re telling the truth… Please, that’s all I ask of you,”

“Come out of hiding, I’ll keep you safe and sound…”

“I want to be free from the darkness and be with you…”

“Let me lead you from your solitude,” he felt his heart pound over his ears as he kneeled down, almost as if to propose. Now, he feared her reaction, that his love was just her ticket out of fear and madness.

“Anywhere you go, let me go to… Christine, that’s all I ask of you!” She accepted his open embrace, holding his hand as she smiled so tenderly, he knew his feelings weren’t unrequited…

“Share with me one love, one lifetime,” she answered “Say you love me,”

“You know I do…” he slowly walked towards Christine, trying to look suave as he approached her but secretly feared he might mess things up between them. He saw her flush a scarlet colour as she looked at him, like a girl anticipating her first kiss. Tenderly, they kissed, enjoying the close proximity with each other. He twirled her around in giddy excitement before Christine looked as if she remembered something. She turned to face the stairway before hesitantly turning to face him.

“I must go now. They’ll be worried sick!” She played with her long, curly hair nervously “Come with me…”

He was once again beside her, ready to protect her from any threat that would come her way…

* * * * *

Raoul sighed to himself, those empty promises resurfacing… he swore to protect her but he failed that night… now, she had to sacrifice her freedom for his own life. How pathetic was it? No… there was no use moping about, he had to search for help… who knew about the Phantom…? Madame Giry! Maybe she could help him… maybe if he showed his desperation, maybe if he fought harder… he went back to bed, resolving to save Christine from the Phantom’s prison he trapped her in…

* * * * *

Madame Marie Giry sat in her office, a steaming cup of tea in her hands. She was unable to sleep that night. “When would Erik learn to let go?”  

Marie sighed to herself. She came to care for Erik like a brother and a son… ever since that day he arrived, she sensed his presence and knew what he would be thinking. But Christine couldn’t live like this. The way Erik wanted a bride to compensate for his past… a soft knock interrupted her thoughts and she gingerly opened it, seeing the Vicomte…

“Monsieur le Vicomte…”

“I’m so sorry for waking you up this late…”

“No, no… I…”

“Couldn’t sleep either?” “Oui,”

“Madame Giry, I need your help…”

* * * * *

A/N:  Next, a dear old friend of Madame Giry comes to help… Cookies for those who could guess the identity correctly.