I have returned! Sorry being a little over dramatic since school is over in a little over a month! Here is the latest chapter and one more chapter till my super special awesome plot twist appears... hehehe.

I hope you enjoy! *I don't own Yugioh or Phantom. I only own Daphne, my OC*

Yami played his organ, reading his score carefully. He was composing his new creation since he had already dropped off the notes of his demands.

Daphne didn't hear the organ but instead woke to the sound of a music box with a monkey playing the cymbals on top. She roused slowly and looked around. She didn't know where she was, only small parts of her memory remained. She climbed out of her borrowed bed and looked around.

"I remember there was mist... Swirling mist upon a vast glassy lake..." She rubbed her eye absentmindedly and walked out of the room. "There were candles all around and on the lake there was a boat." She recognized the surroundings and there was the boat that she had ridden. "And in the boat there was a man..." She saw Yami sitting at his organ writing a new section for his composition. He didn't appear to have found out that she was awake yet. "Who was that shape in the shadows?" She whispered approaching the half-masked man, "Whose is the face in the mask?" She walked up beside him and tried to take the mask but she pulled away. She tried again after gaining the courage and pulled it off his face. Yami screamed and Daphne jumped away.

"NO!" He screamed hiding his face in his hands.

Daphne walked away slowly still holding Yami's mask. She had seen the face for only an instant but she saw it. It was hideous! Deep scars and burns ran along it and Daphne's heart raced.

"Stranger than you dreamt it. Can you even dare to look? Or bare to think of me, this loathsome gargoyle, who burns in hell but secretly, yearns for heaven. Secretly, secretly." Yami sang sadly, his voice cracked as he continued to hide his face. "Oh, Daphne..." His voice cracked again.

Daphne felt herself shift but not forward or any farther backwards. "Fear can turn to love?" He questioned himself and her, "Can you learn to see? To find the man, behind the monster? This repulsive carcass! Who seems a beast but secretly dreams of beauty, secretly, secretly..." He trailed off. "No..."

The way his voice sounded heartbroken hurt Daphne in more ways than one. Compassion billowed inside of her. How confident he had been the night before was nothing like he was now, a broken shell. She walked over to the shaking man and used a hesitant finger to pull his gaze toward her. His only visible eye gave her a surprised look and she smiled. She pulled his hand away and took in his deformity. It didn't scare her anymore; she lightly put the mask back onto Yami's face and the man sighed. Her actions spoke louder than words to Yami and quickly felt better.

There was a moment of silence and then Yami stood and lightly took Daphne's hand.

"Come, we must return, those two fools who run my theater will be missing you." Yami said lightly taking her back to the boat she arrived in.

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Mako had seen the dancers enter the large entryway. He pulled out a noose and made a loud scream, effectively scaring them. He began to tell the dancers a story about the ghost that lived in the opera house.

"Like yellow parchment is his skin. A great black hole serves as the nose that... Never grew." He teased the dancers. "You must be always on your guard or he will catch you! With his magical lasso!" He threw the noose around his neck and screamed.

The dancers screamed and ran while Mako laughed and started to walk away. A cane whacked behind him and he turned to see Isis.

"Those who speak of what they know." She sang eerily, "Find too late, that prudent silence, is wise. Mako, for Ra's sake, hold your tongue! Keep your hand at the level of your eyes!" Mako rolled his eyes and walked away.

A small distance away, Timaeus had heard the exchange and thought to himself, 'I could use this to my advantage.'

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Dartz's laughter ran out of his office and into the hall. The office was filled with posters of past productions and on the desk was countless newspapers. Dartz had one in his hands.

"Mystery after gala night! It says: 'Mystery of soprano's flight!' Mystified! All the papers say: 'We are mystified, we suspect foul play.' Bad news on soprano's scene, first Teá now Daphne. Still at least the seats get sold..." He stopped for a second and smiled, "Gossip's worth it's weight in gold." He kissed the top of the newspaper and laughed again.

He grabbed another newspaper and continued. "Diva tenders resignation, cover does a midnight flit. Half your cast disappears but the crowd still cheers; Opera!" He threw his hands up and made a small cheer. "To hell with Gluck and Handel; have a scandal and you're sure to have a hit!"

"Damnable!" Pegasus shouted when he entered the room, "Will they all walk out? This is damnable!"

"Pegasus, please don't shout. It's publicity! And the take is vast. Free publicity!" He said waving his hand dismissively.

"But we have no cast!" Pegasus argued.

"But Pegasus, have you seen the queue?" Dartz asked sitting in his desk. He then noticed the two envelopes with their names on them. "Ah, it seems you have one too."

Pegasus took the envelope and began to read the contents.

"Dear Pegasus, what a charming gala, Daphne enjoyed a great success. We were hardly bereft when Lady Teá left. Otherwise, the chorus was entrancing but the dancing was a lamentable mess!" Pegasus read off the page.

Dartz took his own note out and read it carefully.

"Dear Dartz, A brief reminder. My salary has not been paid. Send it care of the ghost by return of post. P.T.O No one likes a debtor, so it's better if my orders are obeyed!"

Both men leaned against the desk in a foul mood.

"Who would have the gall to send this?" They sang together, "Someone with a puerile brain."

"These both are signed O.G" Dartz said.

"Who the hell is he?" Pegasus growled.

"Opera ghost..." They said together

"It's really not amusing." Dartz said rounding the desk again.

"He's abusing our position." Pegasus agreed.

"In addition, he wants money!" Dartz nearly shrieked.

"He's a funny sort of specter," Pegasus started.

"To expect a large retainer nothing plainer, he is clearly quite insane!" They sang together.

"Where is she?" Timaeus shouted entering the room.

"You mean Lady Teá?" Pegasus asked.

"I mean Ms. Milore! Where is she?" Timaeus growled to the managers.

"How should we know?" Dartz said flipping his hand.

"I want an answer! I take it that you sent me this note!" He held out an identical note.

"What is this nonsense?" Dartz said rolling his eyes.

"Of course not!" Pegasus argued with Timaeus.

"Don't look at us." Dartz said.

"She's not with you then?" Timaeus asked confused.

"Of course not!" Dartz nearly growled at him.

"We're in the dark!" Pegasus said.

"Please, sir, don't argue. Is this the letter you wrote?" Timaeus asked, holding out the letter.

"And what is it that we're meant to have wrote?" Dartz asked.

All eyes went to him and he quickly corrected himself. "Or written?"

Pegasus took a deep breath and began to read the note.

"Do not fear for Ms. Milore. The Angel of Music has her under his wing. Make no attempt to take her away." He showed the note to Dartz while Timaeus removed the large cloak he was wearing.

"If you didn't write it, who did?" Timaeus asked the two men.

The door opened and an angry Teá stormed into the room.

"Where is he?" She shrieked.

"Ah, welcome back!" Pegasus said running toward her.

"Your precious patron! Where is he?" Teá shrieked again.

"What is it now?" Timaeus said holding the bridge of his nose.

"I have your letter. A letter which I rather resent." She said. Sozoji stood behind her giving her a little more ego than necessary.

Dartz looked to Timaeus and asked, "Did you send it?"

"Of course not!" He said crossing his arms.

"As if he would." Pegasus agreed with Timaeus.

"You didn't send it?" Teá asked, still not believing the Lord.

"Of course not!" Timaeus said, repeating his earlier statement.

"What's going on?" Dartz asked now getting confused on the angles to the problem.

"You dare to tell me that this is not the letter you sent?" She said jutting out the letter to the obviously taller man.

"And what is it that I meant to have sent?" Timaeus asked with a sneer, taking the note.

Teá gasped and looked to Sozoji, who looked to Pegasus, who looked to Dartz, who looked to the person behind him but no one was there.

"Your days at the Opera of the Desert are numbered, Daphne Milore will be singing on your behalf tonight. Be prepared for a great misfortune, should you attempt to take her place." When he finished reading, Pegasus took the note out of his hands and looked over it with Dartz. Timaeus thought for a moment, was this ghost the voice that he heard singing in Daphne's room the previous night?

"Far too many notes for my taste." They said together, "And most of them about Daphne! All we've heard since we came is Ms. Milore's name!"

The door opened silently and Isis, Yugi, Malik, and Ryou and walked into the room. Isis banged her cane against the floor and all was silent.

"Ms. Milore has returned." Isis said simply.

"In that case, our meeting is adjourned." Dartz said throwing the notes into the air.

"Where precisely is she now?" Pegasus asked.

"I thought it best that she went home." Isis said.

"She needed rest." Yugi said agreeing with her.

"May I see her?" Timaeus asked approaching her.

"No, my lord. She will see no one." Ryou said sadly.

"Will she sing, will she sing?" Teá and Sojozi demanded.

"Here," Isis said holding up an envelope, "I have a note."

"Let me see it!" Everyone except the three boys behind Isis screamed.

"Please!" Dartz shouted as he took the envelope from Isis.

He opened it noisily and started to read. "Gentlemen, I have now sent you several notes of the most amiable nature, detailing how my theatre is to be run. You have not..." Pegasus trailed off as a ghostly voice began to sing the rest of the note. Timaeus fully recognized the voice as the one in Daphne's room.

"Followed my instructions, I shall give you one last chance... Daphne Milore has returned to you. And I am anxious her career should progress. In the new production of 'Il Muto', you will therefore cast Lady Teá as the page-boy. And put my Daphne in the role of countess. The role which my Daphne plays calls for charm and appeal. The role of the page-boy is silent, which makes my casting in a word, ideal... I shall watch the performance in my normal seat in the Pharaoh's box, which will be kept empty for me. Should these commands be ignored, a disaster beyond your imagination will occur. I remain, gentlemen, your obedient servant."

"O.G." Dartz finished after the voice stopped.

Silence filled the hall.

"Daphne... Daphne..." The three boys called out.

"Daphne!" Teá shrieked.

"Whatever next!" Pegasus shouted exasperated.

"It's all a plot to help, Daphne!" Teá continued.

"This is insane!" Dartz shouted.

"I know who sent this. The patron, her lover!" Teá said pointing to Timaeus.

"Indeed? Can you believe it?" Timaeus sneered at the egotistical Prima Donna.

"My lady!" Pegasus called to the woman who started to sing in Italian. "This is all a joke!"

"It changes nothing!" Dartz agreed, "My Lady!"

"You are our star!"

"And always will be! The man is mad!"

"We don't take orders!"

Dartz managed to get attention and said.

"Ms. Milore will be playing the page-boy. The silent role." Dartz said.

Pegasus got his train of thought and continued with him.

"Teá will be playing the lead!"

"You don't deserve her!" Sozoji sang

"It's useless trying to replace me!" Teá sang.

"Replace her!" Sozoji sang after her.

"You're only saying this to please me!" She sang again.

"Please her!" Sozoji repeated.

The two if them started to sing in Italian and became unintelligible to the small crowd.

"Abscond his word, beware to those. The Angel see, the Angel knows." Isis argued.

The constant arguing deafened many people walking by the office but then it went silent.

"Your public needs you!" Pegasus pleaded.

"We need you too." Dartz said in a obviously forced smile.

"Would you rather have your precious little upstart?" Teá argued.

"My lady, no." Both of them said, "the world wants you!"

"Prima Donna, first lady on the stage, your devotees are on their knees to implore you."

"Can you bow out when they're shouting your name?" Pegasus sang.

"Think of how they all adore you." Dartz sang obviously pulled into this.

"Prima Donna, enchant us once again!" Both of them pleaded.

"Think of your muse..." Pegasus sang taking her hand.

"And of the queues round the theatre!" Dartz sang.

"Can you deny us the triumph in store?" They both sang.

"Sing, Prima Donna, once more!" Pegasus, Dartz, and Sozoji sang to her.

"Prima Donna, your song shall live again, you took a snub, but there's a public who needs you. Think of their cry of undying support," Teá sang.

"We get our opera!" Pegasus exclaimed.

"She gets her limelight!" Dartz groaned in agreement.

"Follow where the limelight leads you! Prima Donna, your song shall never die, you'll sing again and to unending ovation. Think how you'll shine in that final encore; sing, Prima Donna, once more!" Teá sang somehow getting dressed into her costume inside the office.

"See that these demands are rejected." Timaeus agreed with the managers at last, Daphne was his alone.

"Who'd believe a diva happy to relieve a chorus girl who's gone and slept with the patron? Timaeus and she entwined in love's duet; although he may demur he must have been with her. You'd never get away with a this in a play, but if it's loudly sung and in a foreign tongue, it's just the sort of story audiences adore, in fact a perfect opera." Pegasus and Dartz sung together.

"For if his curses are on this opera." Yugi, Malik and Ryou sung to each other.

Everyone in the room sung together except Isis and the three boys and Teá. "Prima Donna, the world is at your feet, a nation waits and how it hates to be cheated."

Teá finally finished changing and and gave a overly dramatic smile.

"Light up the stage with that age old rapport; sing Prima Donna, once more!" Everyone sang.

The angry voice from earlier blared through the walls and everyone jumped.

"So... It is to be war between us! If these demands are not met, an incident beyond imagination will occur!"

Teá unfroze first and took a deep breath. A tiny scenery dropping wasn't going to scare her out of her limelight.

"Once more!" Everyone sang again.

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Yami was beyond angry when he returned to his cavern home. Steam nearly billowed out of his ears.

He forced himself to calm down and then remembered something that he had been experimenting with.

"That'll work." He said with a smirk.

Nice going, Tea. You've managed to piss off Yami, not the best thing to do.

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