Suddenly, Jenna's vision failed her, and she fainted away.

   The husky awoke to the sound of some kind of booming crescendo, pulsating and almost shaking the very walls of the room she was in. She then drearily remembered what happened moments before. The song that Balto and her had sung together, and Balto tearing off the mask, that was still on the floor of the bedroom. She couldn't help but shiver when she remembered every gruesome detail of that awful face of him. However, her ears perked up at the sound of the organ that was vibrating all around her. She knew Balto must have felt terrible, and she couldn't help but feel bad for him. He probably wanted to show her his face, despite his previous protests.

   No wonder he wears a mask, she thought, walking over to the door, to hide that…face… She shook her head, trying her best to get rid of that image in her head. She slowly opened the door, and upon poking her head out, she saw Balto, with his back to hers, as he sat on his stool, his paws pounding away at the organ keys. He struck every key down with incredible force, the pipes on the organ blasting out note after note. It was almost like every single one of his emotions was being taken out on that instrument.

   "I can hear you…" He said depressingly. Jenna sighed, as she slowly made her way out of the room, and she crept over to the hybrid.

   "Balto…" She began, "I'm…I'm sorry about what happened. I didn't mean to-,"

   "I knew it," He interrupted solemnly, "You…you're just the same. You're just like all the rest."

   "Balto, please, I swear I didn't mean to be-," The hybrid spun around on his chair, to reveal his hideous face.

   "Afraid?" He growled, "You're afraid, aren't you? Even after you said you wouldn't be," The wolf-dog then chuckled, his soft, pure voice was now like that of a monster. It sounded deeper, and darker, "It's truly something, isn't it? How easily one can change their opinions on someone, based on their overall appearance." He then placed his paws on each side of his face, rocking that sick head back and forth, "Well, are you satisfied? I'm very handsome, huh? I'm exactly what you wanted me to be, huh? You're a liar, Jenna, you lied to me. I…I thought I could trust you…"

   "Balto, please, listen to me, I'm sorry for what I did," Jenna wasn't sure what to do, as this didn't seem like Balto. It was almost like he was a completely different dog. Considering her previous assumptions, she knew that Balto was still a criminal, and if this is who he really is, then who knows what he could be capable of. "I really want you to know that."

   "Don't you see, Jenna? Don't you see that this is who I am?" He slowly walked towards the husky, who couldn't help but slowly back away, that face getting closer and closer. "Well, I'm still regular Balto, your Angel of Music, the Opera Ghost, and your incredible teacher and friend. But this," He then drew himself up on his hind legs, "this is what I hide, this is the true horror that lurks within the Opera Canine!" He then squinted darkly at the husky, "And you found him."

   Jenna didn't answer, as she wasn't sure what to do. She had to find some way to make Balto calm down, but she was too afraid to try anything.

   "You think that I'm a bad dog, don't you? All those rumors about me are somewhat true, but they don't know everything. I'm just a lost soul, who wants nothing more to be accepted, but this face of mine is a curse, a terrible disease that decays the body, and unfortunately it has started on my face, ever since I was born. I thought you could take it, I thought you could handle it!" He soon became desperate again, his voice almost breaking out of sadness, "I thought you, my dearest friend, would love me back, and after all this time, this was my final task for you to accomplish. I thought someone as kind, as generous, and as beautiful of a dog like you would understand." He then slowly turned away from the husky, "But, I was wrong."

   "Balto, please, I was afraid, but there's nothing wrong with you. Your face isn't the problem, it's-," Jenna was once again interrupted as the hybrid suddenly, as he forced Jenna to the wall behind her, as he shook with a furious anger, as he angrily gazed down at her.

   "You don't know anything, Jenna!" He whispered, "I've had this all my life. It's been a problem that I've never been able to fix. Sure, a mask can hide it away, but I can't deny it forever." Jenna could see the tears forming in his eyes, "I…can't even…look at myself in a mirror…every night, I dream of a better place for me, a place where I can touch my face, and there will be fur, just like the rest of my body, but no! I can't have that kind of happiness. That's why I live down here, that's why I can never show my face, nor can I ever be with others. It's because of that dangerous curiosity that you clearly have, you just had to look, didn't you?" Jenna cringed the hybrid's awful face drew closer and closer to her, and she turned away, "Look…look at me!" He growled, forcing her to make contact with him once again, "I want you to see, Jenna, I want you to look at the face you wanted to look at. You think this is another mask, but you're wrong. Oh, you are so wrong. Go ahead, scream, try and shield yourself from the horror that's before you. Feast your eyes, and glut your soul on my cursed ugliness!"

   Jenna was shaking like a leaf as she couldn't tear herself away. Her heart was beating 100 miles per hour, and she felt like she was going to die of fright.

   "Please, Balto," She whimpered, "I'm sorry, please, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please, don't be angry, I didn't know, I swear I didn't know."

   "So, I should just let you go after all of this?" He backed away from the husky, leaving her frozen on the spot, "You'd probably tell that Jean-Claude, or the Managers, or you're friend Monsieur Vicomte, wouldn't you? You'd tell the whole world about me. I know you, I know dogs just like you. One minute they love you, the next their running away from you!"

   "Balto, please, can't you just listen to me?" Jenna begged, "I'll say it again, I'm sorry for what I did. I'd never hurt you, much like you'd never hurt me." She then walked up to the hybrid, who turned his face away, "I'm not like the rest of those dogs, Balto. I don't see you as a monster, I really don't. I've trusted you as a friend, and as a teacher. You're an amazing dog, Balto. I know you don't really think I'd ever hate you."

   The hybrid then sighed, "How can I trust you? I thought you'd…love me…" Jenna then took hold of the hybrid's paw, making him gasp.

   "I know what I did was wrong, Balto, but you have to understand that I'll never forget all that you've done. You're still the same wolf-dog that I know, and I know you can trust me again. Please, Balto." The hybrid looked down at the floor, and he seemed unconvinced. Jenna knew she was running out of options, and there just had to be some way to cheer him up.

   His mask, she thought of the mask that was still left on the floor of the bedroom, and she immediately went over to fetch it. Upon returning, she handed it over to him.

   "You…you really do understand, do you?" The hybrid's confidence seemed to be coming back, but Jenna could still see the doubt in his yellow eyes. He then took the mask from the husky, and he quickly placed it on his face.

   That face of his was finally gone, for now.

   "I guess I should apologize, Jenna. I didn't mean to snap at you." He made his way over to the coat rack, and took his cape and hat from it, and placed it on himself. "I'll take you back to your dressing room, now."

   Jenna followed the hybrid across the lake and up the long staircase in complete silence. They had nothing to say to each other, and Jenna was still perturbed from what had happened, and she knew Balto was just as doubtful as she was about him.

   Finally, they were near Jenna's dressing room. "I will leave now." Balto said, but before Jenna could turn to leave, he spoke up, his face had a hopeful expression, "You will come back, right?"

   Jenna replied, "Yes, I promise to come back. Good night, Balto."

   The hybrid nodded, "Bonne nuit, Mademoiselle." With one final smile that Jenna could make out in the dark, the hybrid vanished into the pitch-black darkness that surrounded them.

   "Then what happened?" Steele asked, as he was somewhat excited by what he had been hearing.

   "He left me there, and to tell you the truth, I didn't feel safe in my dressing room, nor did I feel safe in any part of the Canine. So, when I went home that night, I immediately wrote to you, saying that I needed your help."

   "And now where here."