Fandom The Gathering of Death Eater Children

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Lady..." Alastair began singing. "Flattering child, you shall know me. See why in shadow I hide. Look at your face in the mirror. I am there inside Flattering child, you shall know me. See why in shadow I hide. Look at your face in the mirror. I am there inside." His voice wasn't the deepest; it was lighter than the Phantom's usually was. But Alastair's had a soft, melodious charm to it; it was more than acceptable...It was smooth and strong. And each note sounded as if he meant it passionately, as he began to appear inside the mirror into which Aislynn peered.

"Angel of music, guide and guardian, grant to me your glory. Angel of music, hide no longer. Come to me, strange Angel." Aislynn sang.

"I am your Angel of Music. Come to the angel of music...I am your Angel of Music. Come to the Angel of Music...Come to me, my fairest lady..." Alastair smiled, his hand outstretched as if to beckon her.

As soon as Aislynn took Alastair's hand, an organ music began playing a tune that was equally eerie and intriguing.

As Aislynn sang, Alastair seemed to lead her down a long corridor lit by candelabras, and then a wide, twisting flight of steps, until they reached a gondola waiting for them. It was tied to a pillar, to keep it from floating away on the long, underground waterway that lead to his lair. As he guided her...as he firmly held her hand as she entered the boat, and then as he rowed for her, he kept a warm and gentle gaze fixed upon her.

"Sing once again with me. Our strange duet...My power over you...Grows stronger yet.
And though you turn from me...To glance behind...The Phantom of the Opera is there...
Inside your mind..."


"It's me they hear."

And then they began to sing together, creating such a lovely pair of a higher and a lower tone.

"Your spirit and my voice...In one combined. The Phantom of the Opera is there...Inside your mind."


"In all your fantasies...You always knew...That man and mystery..."



"And in this labyrinth...Where night is blind. The Phantom of the Opera is there...Inside your mind."


"Sing my lady, only for me." Alastair sang in a pleading voice. "My lady, your beauty...is mine to see..."

"I have brought you...To the seat of sweet music's throne. To this kingdom where all must pay homage to music...Music..."

And then Alastair began to speak. "You have come here...For one purpose and one alone. Since the moment I first saw your eyes...I felt such joy...I have needed you with me...My lady. The thought that anyone else could gaze into those eyes and feel the same joy I do...Is unbearable. " He said passionately. "To see your dragon form...And hear your delicate voice sing with such grace."

 

[Hikari Chan]

Aislinn took Alastair's outstretched hand and walked through the enchanted mirror.

She started to sing when a different kind of music started to play as soon as they entered a long corridor lit by candelabras.

"In sleep he sang to me
In dreams he came
That voice which calls to me
And speaks my name
And do I dream again
For now I find
The Phantom of the Opera is there
Inside my mind"

"Sing once again with me. Our strange duet...My power over you...Grows stronger yet.
And though you turn from me...To glance behind...The Phantom of the Opera is there...
Inside your mind..."

"Those who have seen your face
Draw back in fear
I am the mask you wear"

My goodness, Alastair has a such a lovely and charming voice when he sings...my voice is nothing compared to his. My voice is subtle and low, if it had not been because of the sonorus charm, my voice would not have been heard over the playing music... She thought.

"It's me they hear."

"Your spirit and my voice...In one combined. The Phantom of the Opera is there...Inside my mind." She sang with him. What a coincidence... She thought for herself. A spirit of a demon combined with a voice of a human girl...

"He's there the Phantom of the Opera!" She spoke.

"In all your fantasies...You always knew. ...That man and mystery..."

"Were both in you"

"And in this labyrinth...Where night is blind. The Phantom of the Opera is there...Inside my mind." Once again, she sang with him, wishing that she had a lovely voice like him as well. ...and we would be like equals in singing...

"Sing my lady, only for me." Alastair sang in a pleading voice. "My lady, your beauty...is mine to see..."

Aislinn tried her best to vocalize the rest of the song, because she was supposed to do so, but it was more difficult than just singing words to music. Her voice was a plain when she was vocalizing. She was feeling very embarrassed over this moment and she wished she had borrowed Raven's voice for this part. Though she tried to do her best with the vocalizing without starting to scream by mistake. She managed to keep her tone and voice decent without screaming, though her voice was still subtle which could be heard through the sonorus charm. Any professional opera singer would immediately notice her as an amateur in vocalizing.

"AAaaaaaaAaaaaAaaaAaaaAaAaaaaaa"

"I have brought you...To the seat of sweet music's throne. To this kingdom where all must pay homage to music...Music..."

And then Alastair began to speak. "You have come here...For one purpose and one alone. Since the moment I first saw your eyes...I felt such joy...I have needed you with me...My lady. The thought that anyone else could gaze into those eyes and feel the same joy I do...Is unbearable. " He said passionately. "To see your dragon form...And hear your delicate voice sing with such grace."

Aislinn stared speechlessly at Alastair, her heart beating faster than usual and her cheeks glowing red. Then she realized what he had actually said. ...my dragon form? ...we are actually playing a play, where I am Christine from the 19th century and he is the Phantom from the same time period. Perhaps he is literary taking this play too seriously...I just hope he does not take it personally in the end when we have to play the part where Christine choose the Viscount over the Phantom and leaves the latter one for good...well I will speak to Alastair afterwards about this... She thought for herself.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"What say you...Christine?" Alastair asked. "Will you sing for me again? Perhaps in the upcoming performance of Faust?"

 

[Hikari Chan]

"I will sing for you, my Angel of music," Aislinn replied. "I will sing for you again and again, in every upcoming performance, if it pleases you," She smiled as she looked at the mysterious face which was wearing a mask. She was curious to see the face behind the mask. She was mostly curious to see how far Alastair had went to magically distort part of his face. In the play she pretended to not know the face behind the mask.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"It does and will please me, my lady." Alastair smiled contentedly, and the lights went out.

When the stage was illuminated again, Raven stood before Aislynn, and the stage was plain. "Christine?" Raven asked. "I must tell you something." she said quietly, one arm holding the other nervously in preparation to confess. "I wished to speak with you the other night, and went to your dressing room. However, I heard a man's voice, speaking to you. Who, may I ask, was this man?"

After Aislynn explained that it was her 'Angel of Music', Raven replied simply "Ah...I see. I believe you." I just want to bypass all of that 'I don't believe you' nonsense. Raven thought. "Do you love him?" she asked, pretending to be hurt. Of course, she didn't have to pretend; she was enraged that he was the person that Alastair chose to focus his kindness on, rather than herself. "Tell me that you have not forgotten me...I...Who retrieved your scarf from the sea that time in our youth." Raven said dramatically.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"My dear, it was not a strange man, it was the Angel of music, the one who tutored me to sing. My father once spoke of an angel and I used to dream he'd appear. Now, whenever I sing
I can sense the Angel and I know he is here, calling me softly, somewhere inside hiding. He has always been with me, an unseen genius, last night this Angel appeared to me."

"Ah...I see. I believe you.... Do you love him?"

Aislinn gave Raven a confused look, as if she was not understanding Raven's question. She was speechless for a second, pretending that she had no reply for that question.

"Tell me that you have not forgotten me...I... who retrieved your scarf from the sea that time in our youth?” Raven said dramatically.

“I have never forgotten you, my dear,” Aislinn replied with dramatic honesty. “How could I ever forget you? I always remember and cherish our childhood memories.” She smiled.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"I have longed to hear similar words from you for many years." Raven sighed, relieved.

"You know..." Raven began quietly. "Yesterday night, the managers of this Opera House received a threatening letter from the Phantom, demanding that they allow you to perform in the upcoming opera Faust, lest the Phantom curse this place. My brother and I were looking forward to your performance. You see, we were hoping that the managers would heed the Phantom's threats...However, they have chosen to ignore the letter, and they have planned for Carlotta to play the role. On that night-" Raven asked, trying to sound romantic "-would you like to go to a charming restaurant with me for dinner?" If she decides to go with me, then it will change the plot of the story. So, I assume she will politely decline, so that she can spend the time in the dressing room during the cursed performance, and get kidnapped by the Phantom, and then tell me about it on the rooftop, where the Phantom will be listening, of course. So far, it seems like they have barely changed anything. Wasn't the point of this to change it to suit the ending they wanted from the book?

 

[Hikari Chan]

"The Phantom?" Aislinn looked even more confused at Raven. "I do not believe that there is such a Phantom in the opera. There's only an Angel of music, guarding me, and he asked me to sing the Faust at the coming performance. I have still not heard from the managers that they intend to replace me with Carlotta. But whatever they have planned...I... I cannot leave this place. I appreciate your invite for a dinner...though unfortunately I cannot join you that evening, but another evening I promise I will when none have asked me to sing. Since I have promised the Angel of music to sing the Faust, I feel obliged to keep my promise. Therefor I have decided to remain here to find out the truth, to see what truly happens if they replace me with Carlotta.....Do not worry about me, dear, the Angel of music will protect me if this Phantom truly exists here...and I believe you will also protect me, if anything happens, won't you?"

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"...Do not worry about me, dear, the Angel of music will protect me if this Phantom truly exists here...and I believe you will also protect me, if anything happens, won't you?"

She....Of course she doesn't understand...Now, she thinks that the Phantom and her 'Angel' are different people entirely...Since her character never really heard about the Phantom? But...How was she singing The Phantom of the Opera without the knowledge that her Angel and the Phantom were one and the same? This is confusing me now... "Yes; I promise to try my hardest to protect you should the Phantom try to cause any harm." Raven promised loyally. "Have a pleasant evening." she said, kissing Aislynn's hand in farewell, before turning and walking away. Whatever...we both know who would win if Alastair and I were to actually battle. My emotions would be my weakness; not my magic. Raven laughed to herself quietly as the scene went dark.

The stage was set to look like the Phantom’s lair. Alastair stood in front of Aislynn calmly, with an air of control, as if he knew she would have no escape lest he allowed her. “I saw you speaking to your friend the Viscount.” Alastair said, with undertones of anger in his otherwise calm voice. “Your feelings for each other extend beyond friends, though, don’t they?” he asked, hurt. And now the mask comes off. And she convinces me to grant her freedom through her compassion, only to turn her back on me the moment she leaves, snitching on me to the Viscount. It will overhear their conversation and change their plans to run away together.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Farewell," Aislinn smiled softly and turned away to leave to her chamber, walking the opposite way.

Before the stage changed, she changed back to her nightgown and robe, having been wearing a simple gown when being with Raven. Pressing just a button to change a costume within the matters of seconds, was very convenient.

Aislinn was now in the phantom's lair, pretending to be nervous and a little scared like Christine.

“I saw you speaking to your friend the Viscount.” Alastair said, with undertones of anger in his otherwise calm voice. “Your feelings for each other extend beyond friends, though, don’t they?” he asked, hurt.

She was speechless for a second, looking down at the ground and then looking up at him.

"I..." Am I obliged to love the Angel of music because he has tutored me to sing? Perhaps father would have agreed to this...because it was him who told me about the angel of music, and I trust my father.... oo I wish father was alive so I could have asked him for advice...

"Yes, we spoke," she finally managed to speak, almost confessing. "Viscount is a dear friend of mine, we grew up together and I see him as a brother, not differently... " She wondered for a split second if she was telling the truth or if she was fooling herself. Still, she could not understand if she truly loved the Viscount or not. Her feelings towards him and her feelings towards the phantom…everything was a jumble of feelings which she could not sort out.

She looked at the phantom with pleading eyes, her expression asking him to forgive her.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"That's quite alright, my dearest Christine." Alastair said understandingly. For a moment, it seemed as if he was about to forgive and forget. But then he spoke. "I will simply keep you here with me until you make up your mind." he smiled, as if that had been his plan from the beginning. "You'll find that there is a comfortable bedroom, and a bathroom. Now, if you will excuse me, I will go and purchase the things you may need."

When Aislynn didn't speak, Alastair made for a fake door, and froze just before he was about to open it. "Don't worry my dear Christine; you won't be here for more than a week's time."

Maybe... Raven thought as she watched them She can decide between Alastair and her childhood friend Vincent...But wait; she doesn't have feelings for him beyond friendship, does she? She thought, reminding herself.

Luna stood before her full length mirror, with the window to her balcony ajar. In the center of the labyrinth, classical music played loudly so that she could hear it from her bedroom.



"I am so excited to spend time with Alastair, just the two of us. He made that smile that he makes when he has a wonderful surprise for me..." Luna said as she used Elias's mirror to fix her hair.

"Why don't you try something different with your hair today?" Nagini asked.

"Hmm?" Luna asked, open for suggestions.

"Why not try a white streak through your hair, from your hairline to the tips? It would look very mysterious."

"It doesn't look very bad at all. I didn't think it would look like this, in all honesty." Luna said after trying it out; she was wearing an elegant half-up half-down hairstyle, and the streak of white suited her surprisingly well. "I think I will wear it like this today, and if Alastair compliments me on it they it will be part of my attire for Halloween." Luna decided. "Now for the dress..."

 

[Hikari Chan]

Aislinn smiled softly, feeling relieved that it ended well but then her smile faltered when Alastair said:

"I will simply keep you here with me until you make up your mind." he smiled, as if that had been his plan from the beginning. "You'll find that there is a comfortable bedroom, and a bathroom. Now, if you will excuse me, I will go and purchase the things you may need."

She was speechless as if she could not believe him. She opened her mouth to speak but could not bring her to say anything coherent.

A week....oh my....a week, away from my friends....away from the safety, kept away in this darkness...oh poor Raoul...poor his soul…what will he do if he finds out that I have been deprived from my freedom....oh my father, I won't be able to pay a visit to his grave on Sunday...

"Don't worry my dear Christine; you won't be here for more than a week's time."

"Bu-bu-bu-but..." Aislinn improvised a stammer as she twisted her hands in agony. She neared Alastair and tried to reason with him in a calm town.

"If I am gone away for a week from my home, from the opera...the-they....I don't think it is a good idea that I stay here for a week, why can't I just come and see you here every day...if I do not return to the opera they will worry about me, especially if I am gone for a week and then if I suddenly turn up after a week...I mean what shall I tell them?, that I chose to stay in the catacombs with the Phantom? I am a bad liar and they will understand that this was not my choice at all. And it will be bad for your reputation...they are already speaking about that you have threatened them to curse the opera if they replace me with Carlotta at the performance of Faust. Yes I know this, the Viscount told me, but I could not believe that my Angel of music would curse this place...."

She paused for a moment and then looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Please...I beg you....not only for my own sake, but also for your own sake as well...please...I promised you to sing the Faust for you and that I always shall sing for you, I will now sing for you, the song you wished me to sing, yes here and now, even if they did not allow me to perform at the stage this evening, please anything but do not keep me here for a week."

Her hand shook as she touched his right cheek, caressing it softly. Even if she was feeling nervous and a little scared, she was curious about the face which was hiding behind the mask.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

".... Yes I know this, the Viscount told me, but I could not believe that my Angel of music would curse this place...."

"I would, my lady. I desire their fear; then they would heed my requests, which would not have to turn into demands, and then threats. And, if they saw it fit to replace you with that painfully average Carlotta for the upcoming performance, they will not miss you no matter how long you remain with me." Alastair said strictly.

Aislynn looked at him with pleading eyes. "Please...I beg you....not only for my own sake, but also for your own sake as well...please...I promised you to sing the Faust for you and that I always shall sing for you, I will now sing for you, the song you wished me to sing, yes here and now, even if they did not allow me to perform at the stage this evening, please anything but do not keep me here for a week." Her hand shook as she touched his right cheek, caressing it softly. Even if she was feeling nervous and a little scared, she was curious about the face which was hiding behind the mask.

Alastair took a step back, and sighed, trying to make her understand. How will she remove the mask? With that done, this scene will end if she expresses compassion. "My lady..." Alastair began, in the tone that said he was about to explain something. But all of a sudden it switched to the same poetically dramatic and passionate voice his father used while confessing his love to Evelyn. "How can I let you to walk free....When you have yet to decide your feelings about me? If I allow you to leave, my dear...you may just forget to return....Many days will pass, time will drag....My eyes see only you, but you will run away, eventually...What can I say to you? What can I do to prove my love?" You know, I really don't think that she will remove my mask...Perhaps it is time to begin to change things more drastically? Alastair thought.

A slow, romantic violin was playing as he spoke, suiting the moment perfectly ; thanks to Raven.

 

[Hikari Chan]

Love? oh father might have foreseen this, it was he after all, who told me about the angel of music...oh how I wish father had been alive and told me more than only giving me hints about an Angel of Music. I wonder who is this stranger, this angel...this man who now has confessed his love and wishes to prove it to me...is he real or a dream? ...Could it be Raoul who is trying to surprise me…?

Aislinn neared Alastair again and this time she managed to snatch of his mask. She gasped in surprise when she saw the distorted part of his face. She was unable to look away, staring at his face lovingly.

Am I weird to find Alastair so beautiful now? She thought as she tried not to laugh at her own thoughts but pretending to look with surprise and compassion at him as it was expected by her character.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Aislynn neared Alastair again and Alastair backed away swiftly, but not so fast that she didn't have time to do as expected. He showed the sort of ashamed surprise as someone who was hiding a dangerous secret; his reaction was that of himself, if Aislynn saw his other side, or the physical state of his skin at the present time.

She gasped in surprise, and Alastair expected her to look away before switching to a more compassionate reaction. She was unable to look away, staring at his face lovingly, and he wondered if it would have been the same in real life, if she were to see either of the two things he feared she would eventually see.

"You see a horror before you; and yet you do not look away." Alastair said quietly, looking away himself. He stated it as a fact; although there was a measure of surprise in his voice. "My own mother has never in her entire life offered me such a compassion as you have just now..." He looked back into her eyes, and something seemed to have changed inside him. And he repents for his foolishly selfish actions. He changes his mind, and allows her to leave with a ring.... "Christine; I was wrong to keep you with me. You may come and go as you please, for you are no longer my prisoner. Just promise me one thing;" Alastair put a hand inside his coat pocket, retrieving a ruby ring, which was fake, of course, "that you will wear this ring as a sign that you will remain faithful to me..." he pleaded. It was simple; what he really said was 'your freedom depends on whether you intend on remaining loyal to me'. Take the ring with you instead of remaining here.' The choice was obvious. Ruby is not my first choice, but none of the other rings held any sort of elegance...

 

[Hikari Chan]

"You see a horror before you; and yet you do not look away." Alastair said quietly, looking away himself.

"You do not look like horror..." Aislinn spoke with a thin voice, still looking at him.

"My own mother has never in her entire life offered me such a compassion as you have just now..."

She blushed deeply, and it was not pretended. She was about to blurt out that she loved him no matter what and flung herself around his neck in an embrace, though she managed to get a hold of herself and remind her that they were playing an act at the Theatre of Games in Venice.

He looked back into her eyes, and something seemed to have changed inside him.

"Christine; I was wrong to keep you with me. You may come and go as you please, for you are no longer my prisoner. Just promise me one thing;" Alastair put a hand inside his coat pocket, retrieving a ruby ring, which was fake, of course, "that you will wear this ring as a sign that you will remain faithful to me..." he pleaded.

"…I...." She looked speechlessly at him and then at the ring. "...Yes..." She blurted out after several seconds. Wait, what did I just say…?
"…I…I... mean...I promise to remain faithful to you..." She finally managed to say, looking deep into his eyes. She had become truly nervous at this stage and she was still blushing.

Aislinn almost forgot the time and place when he showed her the ring. It was not because of the jewellery itself. She never had and still do not have any interest for fancy jewelries. He could have showed her a simple silver ring or even a ring made out of plastic and she would have reacted the same. It was the symbolic meaning of a ring that had made her forget that it was a play. She found it weird that he was handing her a ring instead for going down on his knee and stared at him for a whole second, twisting the mask in her hand until she looked down to see what she was holding in her hands and suddenly remembered what they were both doing. She handed the mask over to him and took the ring hesitatingly, because she was still expecting him to propose to her in a proper way.

"I promise to remain faithful to you..." She repeated.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"That is wonderful, my dearest." Alastair said taking the mask back. It seemed that he was satisfied. "I cannot express the joy I feel, at this very moment." he smiled with his eyes closed. He let out such a contented sigh that anyone watching would have felt so happy for the peace of mind he seemed to be feeling.

And then the stage went dark, and Alastair gently slipped away, and Raven entered the stage. When the lights returned, it now looked like the roof of the Opera House, on which Christine would plead for Raoul to take her away, some place the Phantom would never find her.

"It must have been so horrible for you..." Raven sympathized once 'Christine' had recounted the abduction to her. "Is there anything I can do to sooth your mind?"

And she explained

"I understand; tomorrow, I shall take you away to such a safe place that soon, the Phantom will be no more than a faint dream...Be prepared to leave tomorrow; I shall depart to make our preparations, Christine." Raven promised loyally.

Some distance away, Alastair's face; covered by the mask again, portrayed a heartbreak that came from betrayal. In the next scene, Christine was supposed to be held captive by the Phantom and forced to marry him... Alastair thought, annoyed. Why must I portray someone so selfish? Can he not see that his lady is uncomfortable around him? That she has no feelings for him? And what is love but a useless, temporary infatuation? She was such a young woman; perhaps it was merely her loneliness that drove her to believe that she could ever love such a man. In the end, she is forced to lie to him to save her true love, and everyone else in the Opera House...So he didn't get what he wanted after all; what good is a relationship if it is forced? It is truly....worthless... Alastair thought with a twinge of sadness.

 

[Hikari Chan]

Aislinn smiled lovingly at Alastair before the stage went dark and changed to look like the roof the Opera house. She sighed, because she detested this scene where she had to play against her own heart.

"Raoul..." She spoke to Raven in a pretended pleading voice. "You have no idea what happened last night. The phantom took me away to his lair threatened me to keep me imprisoned, away from the daylight, away from my friends, if-if...if I did not promise to remain faithful to him and only him..."

"It must have been so horrible for you..." Raven sympathized. "Is there anything I can do to sooth your mind?"

"I wish for freedom, to be free and safe where I do not need to fear anyone..." Aislinn sighed.

"I understand; tomorrow, I shall take you away to such a safe place that soon, the Phantom will be no more than a faint dream...Be prepared to leave tomorrow; I shall depart to make our preparations, Christine." Raven promised loyally.

“...understood..." Aislinn replied with a sigh, pretending to be sad and that she deep inside knew she did not want to leave the opera, but she had no other choice.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

She can begin to change it whenever she wishes! Both Raven and Alastair thought, both slightly annoyed.

And the stage went dark again, changing back to the Phantom's lair.

"And after your promise...you plan to run away..." Alastair said in a quiet voice which shook with pain and surprise. "...You....lied to me...Christine..." Change the story-line, Aislynn. Alastair pleaded, screaming the words in his mind. Do not disappoint me now...

"I wanted you to be my close friend....I was willing to accept that, if that, at least, was all that you were willing to give..." Alastair said with a hand to his forehead, his eyes shut. It was as if he was so troubled by it that he could not bear to keep his eyes open. I simply will not force her to marry me, as the Phantom did. I refuse. I would rather remain in this position until she does something different...

 

[Hikari Chan]

Aislinn gulped hard, as if something was stuck and thickening in her throat. She stood speechlessly in front of Alastair and twisted her hands in agony. She could see that he was troubled now.

It is just a play...and...and Alastair is taking it too seriously, as if this is reality for him... She thought with a frown and then she suddenly realized it, the truth, which made her nearly faint.

Merlin's beard, why did I not think about it from the beginning...how could I be so blind...all the time I have been thinking that we have just been playing games at the Theatre of Games for our enjoyment, but the truth is that he does not distinguish a play from reality, that he use a play to truly express himself. The first play we had here, then his insisting of him being my servant and later, his suggestion about a play about the princess who falls in love with a servant....everything makes sense now....but...but when I suggested him this play, wasn't he aware about the story line? He mentioned that he knew it, but yet he chose to play the Phantom...why did he not chose to be the Viscount? There must be a good reason to his choice...like his reasons of being my servant…

"Oo I never meant to lie...I never lied!" She burst out. She could not hold it any longer. She rushed towards him and flung herself around his neck in an embrace. It was impossible for her to follow the exact story line of this play when he had been taking it too seriously. She felt that she would break their both hearts if they followed the story line. She did not care if she changed it. There were no audience and even if there was anyone watching them, she would not care at all. All that mattered for her was to make him to feel happy.

She wept with such passion, against his shoulder, as if her heart was going to burst any second. She mumbled, in between her sobs, that she was sorry, that she neither meant to lie or break her promise to him nor did she wish to run away from him.

When she had calmed down a bit, she looked up at him, tears were still streaming down her cheeks. Then, she removed his mask and kissed his scars lovingly.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Oo I never meant to lie...I never lied!" She burst out.

Alastair did not move, although he was curious to see what her next move would be. When she embraced him quickly, he opened his eyes and his hand lowered without a second thought. He looked at her as she began weeping passionately, a look of pleasant surprise on his face.

Aislynn understands now…Raven thought, rolling her eyes… what had been obvious all along. If we had switched our roles, Aislynn falling for him would have been obligatory...He chose the part of the Phantom, because ‘Christine’ would have to make the choice to change the way everything was supposed to be, according to her heart. He wanted to see her make that choice.

When Aislynn had calmed down a bit, she looked up, and Alastair wore a very loving look. He closed his eyes when he saw her hand moving to remove his mask. “Ah…you…chose me.” He sighed in pleasure as she lovingly kissed his scars. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and pushed her away gently. “You understand now.” Alastair said, his eyes conveying his deep gratitude.

“And this…” he held her hand with one of his, and put his other on her shoulder, as if they were about to dance”…is the perfect ending, is it not?” Before she could reply, he opened his mouth, and began singing in a very heartfelt voice as they began to waltz “A tale as old as time…tune as old as song. Bitter sweet and strange…Finding you can change…A story’s unfair end…Certain as the sun…rising in the east…Tale as old as time…Song as old as rhyme…Beauty-“ Alastair smiled at Aislynn “…and the beast…” Alastair closed his eyes as he stretched the one word beast passionately. He stopped after that, having sung the last verse of the song rather than start from the beginning.

Raven had made herself an obvious spectator from behind a pillar in the Phantom’s lair, and now came out to approach Aislynn. Alastair said nothing, taking a step away from Aislynn to let her deal with Raven without his influence. “Dearest Christine, I thought, for a moment too long, that we were fated to be together…Alas, that is not the case…” Raven spoke sadly, eyeing Aislynn as if she would correct her by proving that her love for the Phantom was merely a lie.

 

[Hikari Chan]

“You understand now.” Alastair said, his eyes conveying his deep gratitude.

Aislinn blushed as she smiled. She did not say anything, but the look in her eyes where enough to tell that she finally had understood.

“And this…” he held her hand with one of his, and put his other on her shoulder, as if they were about to dance”…is the perfect ending, is it not?”

She smiled happily and mentally agreed with him with one look in her eyes. She let him lead her in a waltz as he started to sing. His singing voice was beautiful and soothing. She sighed when he stopped after singing about ten sentences and wished that he would have continued. She was even confused about the last words of the song. …Beauty and the beast? She then realized that he must had meant her to be a beauty and him with the phantom's character to be a beast.

When he had stopped singing and let go of her, Raven entered the scene and Aislinn knew that the play was not over yet. She had to deal with the viscount.

“Dearest Christine, I thought, for a moment too long, that we were fated to be together…Alas, that is not the case…” Raven spoke sadly.

Aislinn gave Raven a thoughtfully look for five seconds before replying:

"My dear Raoul, I do not have the same feelings for you as you have for me. My feelings for you do not extend the barrier of friendship. You have been a dear friend of mine since my childhood and nothing of that has changed. Not even when I met my Angel of music for the first time, nothing changed. I did not like you less or more of whatever that have come in my way. When I confessed to you what happened to me in the lair last night, I was only seeking for help, a solution, that would not only save me but also save my Angel of music, because I was scared to be imprisoned in this lair and deprived from my freedom and because I was scared that something would happen to him should he had imprisoned me and the authority had found out. Besides I could never and still I do not believe that he is an evil phantom as everyone else in this opera thinks. I told you because I trusted you to help me, as a brother would have helped his sister. I never expected you to ask me to run away from this place. Your suggested solution broke my heart. Anyway, I did not realize until today that the Angel of music is trying to do anything for me, turning the impossible to possible because he loves me. My father told me once that there will be an Angel of Music in my life after he would part this world of living. He told me that this angel would teach me to sing and guard and protect me. I believe that I am meant to be with the Angel of music and that it would please my father if he had been alive to this day to witness my fate."

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"I understand..." Raven said, bowing in a last farewell to 'Christine'.

And then scene went dark. The costume rack was the only thing that decorated the stage when the lights returned.

"Did you...have fun?" Alastair asked, his face back to normal again. He still wore the Phantom's clothes, but the mask was back where he had found it, near the costume rack. It was ever so touching to see her change everything...There is nothing I am dissatisfied about. On the contrary, I enjoyed the ending to its fullest. Alastair thought.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Mhm..." Aislinn giggled as reply. She was not surprised that she had changed the plot line at the end of the play. It was something that she had unconsciously wished to do when she had read the book years ago, because she had disliked how it had ended, feeling compassion for the phantom. She was glad that Alastair had chosen the phantom's role because she had never liked the viscount.

"I am happy that you chose the phantom for your role..." She told him with a blushing smile. "He is my favorite character of this story..." ...it was impossible for me to sympathize with the viscount, because I have always associated him with Sherwood... She thought for herself as she smoothed out a few wrinkles in her white gown.

"By the way..." She bit her lower lip in a grin when she suddenly got an idea. "You do remember when you told me about celebrating Halloween, don't you? Well I was thinking about that we could dress up as Christine and the Phantom for Halloween, what do you think?"

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"I am happy that you chose the phantom for your role...” She told him with a blushing smile, and Alastair raised his eyebrows. 'Why?' His expression said.

"He is my favorite character of this story..."

Even though he was so selfish? Alastair wondered.

"Well I was thinking about that we could dress up as Christine and the Phantom for Halloween, what do you think?"

"I think that is such a charming idea." Alastair said approvingly as he put his arm around her shoulders elegantly, leading them both to the glass door to leave the stage. I was thinking Sebastian and...Well, never mind. It seems that she loves this book with a certain nostalgia; I won't argue with her about this; it seems that it gave her something to love in her lonely past; she views it the way I view Kuroshitsuji... "Well, simply take the clothes with you on a hanger, and wear the dress you wish to wear on Halloween now. I will tell the lady at the front desk that you wish to take that dress with you." Alastair explained. "You are allowed to take a costume with you every time you come. We don't have to pay for the one you choose now because you forgot to choose one last time." Alastair laughed. "As did I."

When they were on their way out, Alastair explained this to the lady at the front desk, who was dressed as Morticia Addams from the Addams Family, who smiled and thanked him for coming.

"So, my dear, our final stop for the night would be a restaurant for dinner." Alastair said as they walked out the entrance and gazed at the canal at night. With all of the bright lights reflecting in the water, the happy chatter of couples from nearby restaurants and stores, and the gondolas floating back and forth, the whole scene looked so enchanting. "What do you desire?" Alastair asked smilingly, stretching his arms wide theatrically; he still wore the Phantom's costume, so it looked rather amusing with the cape stretching out behind him in the soft wind.