Beauty and the Phantom

Chapter Sixteen: You Came Back

Erik continued to try and climb up the roof but his injury was really taking a toll on him. Gaston yelled that he was coming for him. Erik slid down the roof, just barely staying on as the old tiles fell off. Gaston slid down a slanted roof and used a stuck-out window to put him on another part of the castle, all the while (Y/N) was following. Erik used all his strength to jump onto another roof, just barely catching it. As (Y/N) ran, she had to jump over a crumbling bridge just to find a safe way to get to Erik or Gaston's pistol. Erik, once again, jumped onto another roof, sliding down it a bit but managed to get his grip and climb.

(Y/N) made it to a tower window where she could see Erik. He managed to get onto a small platform on the roof and stand there for a bit. But he almost slipped getting up there, making (Y/N) yell out to him. Hearing her voice, Erik looked over to see (Y/N) just a few feet away. He had never been happier to see her. (Y/N) explained that she tried to stop the mob from coming for him but he didn't care. He told her to stay there while he made his way over to her. Gaston heard their yelling and watched as Erik made a leap of faith to make it onto another rooftop.

He landed perfectly before attempting a slightly further jump. He just barely made it, grabbing onto the crumbling platform and pulling himself up. He tried to use a safe way to get to (Y/N) but Gaston made a part of the castle fall on Erik before jumping down himself. Seeing this, (Y/N) left to try and find a way to help him. Gaston took a piece of architecture from the castle and used it to bash Erik into a wall and onto a walkway. With Erik down, Gaston kicked him to a sheltered tower, (Y/N) watching from the other side, next to Erik's room. She tried yelling at Gaston to stop but he wouldn't listen. But Erik had finally had enough.

Before Gaston could take another swing, Erik caught it and stood up, stopping Gaston from hitting him again. He got the architecture out of Gaston's hands before taking him by the neck, leaning Gaston over the edge. Seeing how close he was to death, Gaston begged for his life, saying he would do anything to stay alive. Erik pulled him close, telling Gaston that he wasn't a Phantom as that's what Gaston had called him during his pleas. Erik threw Gaston to the ground, telling him to leave. As quick as a flash, Gaston ran away. Seeing (Y/N) just a jump away, Erik made a run and jump, just barely making it.

He had to climb up the balcony but he made it to (Y/N), safe and sound. Until he wasn't. Gaston had found his pistol and shot Erik in the back. Erik collapsed forward and (Y/N) started to attempt to drag him back into the castle and away from Gaston who was reloading his pistol. And, once he had, he shot Erik in the back once more, the force of the blow throwing Erik into the West Wing. (Y/N) ran over to Erik as Gaston started to realise he was in danger. The walkway he was standing on was collapsing. And, before Gaston could react, the walkway fell, making him fall all the way to the world below him. Meanwhile, (Y/N) remained with Erik as he lay dying on the floor. She supported his head and held his hand.

"You came back," Erik said, breathlessly

"Of course, I came back," (Y/N) said with tears in her eyes, "I'll never leave you again."

"I'm afraid it's my turn to leave."

"We're together now. It's gonna be fine."

"At least I got to see you... One last time."

And, with that, the last petal fell. Erik quickly gave in to his injuries, dying in (Y/N)'s arms. She begged him to come back to her but it was too late. As the petal hit the table, and the villagers left, Lumiere was celebrating with Plumette when she suddenly went limp in his arms. Seeing this, Lumiere realised that the last petal had fallen. She has become like any other feather duster. He placed her on the ground as he wallowed in sorrow at his lover's final moments. Next to him and Cogsworth, De Garderobe felt her time coming too. She bid her lover goodbye before becoming an ordinary wardrobe.

Cadenza begged her not to leave him before his music slowly faded away. He had become a normal Piano. Froufrou saw what had happened and ran up to his owners, whimpering and scratching at them, hoping to get a reaction, only to fall backward and become an ordinary footstool. Mrs. Potts came forward on her tea trolly, trying to find Chip as he had disappeared during the fight. But, before they could reunite, Mrs. Potts' face faded away and she was now an ordinary, china teapot. Hearing her cries, Chip jumped down from a window to see her, only to become a normal teacup mid-fall. He was thankfully caught by the coat hanger, placing Chip next to his mother before turning into a normal coathanger. With only Cogsworth and Lumiere left, Cogsworth felt himself stiffen.

"Lumière..." Cogsworth struggled to get his words out, "I can't... speak."

"It's all right, Cogsworth," Lumiere assured him

"I can't... Lumière... my friend. It was an honor to serve... with you."

With that, Cogsworth stopped moving and his hands went to Twelve AM.

"The honor was mine."

Lumiere spun, accepting that it was now his time to go, making himself into a normal candelabra. With the spell still unbroken, they had become the objects they had been cursed into. Meanwhile, (Y/N) was still crying over Erik's dead body. She begged him desperately to come back to him. But he was already gone. Agathe had walked into the West Wing, watching the scene in front of her. Yet she did nothing. Just watched. But, as she stood near the rose, she heard the three words that (Y/N) needed to say.

"I love you."

And an added kiss on his disfigurement. Seeing what she needed to see, Agathe made the rose's fallen petals float back up in the glass casing. The petals regained their red appearance as the glass suddenly disappeared. Agathe made the petals float over to Erik, clouding him in a golden mist that lifted him up, away from (Y/N). (Y/N) stood up and macked away as the petals and mist took Erik into the air, surrounding him and facing him away from her. There, the magic started changing his appearance and brought him back to life. When the magic had done its part, it lowered him back to the ground where he started to take in what he was feeling.

He looked back to (Y/N) to show his new appearance. He now had raven hair which had been slicked back and he now wore a white mask which covered the right side of his face. (Y/N) walked up to him, taking in his appearance. While she liked the new hair, there was one thing she didn't like. The mask. So, she took it off, revealing that his disfigurement stayed. But she didn't care. She loved him just as he was. And, with that, the two shared their first kiss, officially breaking the curse. All of the broken parts of the castle started to rebuild itself. But that was just the beginning.