"Ah, Mr. Deagia, I almost forgot to tell you that Miss Azayl and I are going to dinner," David informed the manager as he picked up his hat from the table he had left it on. "You'll have to show her the dorm later on."

"O-of course," he stuttered in reply, having gained back his nerves from before. "What time w-will you two be back? I'll have to show her the dorm room we prepared for th-then."

"We'll be back in about two hours or so. I'll drop her off at her dressing room, so if she's not at her dressing room door by then, she's been kidnapped. Call the police," the younger man joked. "Now, I should be off. Marionette will be expecting me."

So he put on his hat and made for the direction of her dressing room.

/

"Helen…" the voice repeated. Marionette, looked around, but saw nothing, and figured someone was having a conversation outside her door. She sat down in a chair and placed her slippers off to the side before the voice made reappearance.

"You sang beautifully tonight, Helen." Now, hadn't she been the only performance that night? Surely the voice was speaking to her. Not wanting to make a fool of herself, she replied in a whisper.

"My name isn't Helen. It's Marionette."

"Ah, forgive me." So the voice had been talking to her. "Your voice and hers just sound rather alike. You sang beautifully tonight… Marionette."

"Thank you," she murmured, flushed from all the compliments she had been receiving on that night alone.

"Yes, the only difference I noticed in your voices was that hers was slightly more mature. Tell me, does your throat hurt?" So he had noticed the cup of water on her dresser.

"Slightly, but it's nothing," she said, surprising herself at how talkative she was with a complete stranger.

"I hardly call it nothing. You see, you must not be supporting your sound correctly, and that could ruin your vocal chords. Hasn't your voice teacher told you about that?"

"No, I'm self-taught."

"Well then, let me teach you to sing properly. I can make you more famous than your wildest dreams stretch."

"Why should I? Not to be rude, but I've only just met you."

"Do you not recognize this voice my child? It is I, your Angel of Music."

Marionette quickly shook her head, standing up and walking towards the door. "No, it can't be. Please don't lie to me." Her hand fumbled on the doorknob.

"But, Marionette, I am not lying to you. Your father has sent me from heaven to look after you. He told me to send all his love to his daughter, to his Lady Luck."

Marionette's hand fell from the doorknob. He knew about her childhood nickname? "It must be…" she muttered as a look of joy crossed her face.

"It is, and I will teach you to sing. But you must put all your faith in me and be rid of all love from this world."

"But… David…" she whispered to herself. Oh, was she really falling for her old childhood friend? Certainly she couldn't leave him. But it was either David or her Angel of Music, and she wasn't positive David felt the same way about her. And she could still have him as a friend.

"Very well."

"I knew such a girl as behaved as yourself would agree. Shall we have your first lesson now?"

"Oh, but I'm supposed to be having dinner with David now. He'll be here any moment. She looked to the door, listening closely for a knock.

"Is it a date?" her Angel asked, his voice turning cold. Marionette quickly shook her head. "Then there's no need to go. Surely you can make other plans."

"Well…" Marionette contemplated the idea. Her resistance faltered for just a split second, but that was all her Angel needed to convince her to come with him.

"I am your Angel of Music; come to me- Angel of Music," he sang in a low voice. Marionette froze, her feeling of resistance melting away. She turned to the mirror to see a man in a mask beckoning her. "I am your Angel of Music; come to me- Angel of Music."

She walked towards the hypnotizing voice until her hand had been placed in his and she was pulled through the mirror.

/

David knocked at his friend's dressing room door. There was no answer, thinking that perhaps she hadn't heard him, he knocked a bit louder. There was still no answer. He began to worry. After all, Marionette was a pretty, young thing, and, despite the fact that she was rather strong for her age, an older man could have easily overpowered her and abducted her from the room.

He knocked again, this time with more urgency. "Marionette?" he called, praying for an answer. "Marionette, please open the door!" He surprised himself with how desperate he sounded, but he continued knocking and calling his friend's name. "Marionette, if you don't respond, I'm going to open this door whether you're fully dressed or not!"

When there was still silence as his reply, he turned the knob, flinging the door wide open, to see the room just as it was before, with the exception of Marionette Azayl. She was missing. Not believing what he saw, David instantly made his way into the room. There was no sign of a struggle, but surely there must have been. She wouldn't have just left without telling him.

He searched the room for a sign of where she had gone, any sign at all, but all he saw was her slippers thrown on the floor and the daffodils he had given her placed carefully on the dresser, right next to her cup of water. "Marionette!" he cried loudly in his desperation. "Marionette!" he repeated, not caring if someone heard and thought him crazy.

Perhaps, he thought, she has gone with Deagia and Raide somewhere. Yes, I'll have to check with them as to her whereabouts. So he quickly ran from the dressing room, having checked everything besides the mirror.