No one knew what to say on the ride back to the Hotel. Dracula refused to let go of Mavis. They had torn off part of Murray's bandages and wrapped her bleeding arm up. The girl held her golden locket in her hands. She had calmed down now she was in her father's protective arms, yet something kept playing over in her mind. Amongst the horrible humans she had seen, there was one who didn't want to see her hurt. Why would a human care about her? Even one so young? She question herself.
The hearse pulled up outside the huge castle. Dracula held Mavis with her head resting over his shoulder. The group didn't dare say anything. Dracula's expression was blank, but they knew him too well to believe that it was real.
"My goodness, she's ok!" Wanda ran over to them and cuddled little Mavis.
"Don't let her out of your sight." Dracula said quietly.
"Drac? Where are you going?" Frank spoke up.
The Vampire walked away and disappeared through one of the many corridors. He closed the door behind him as he entered one of the guest rooms. He clenched his fingers in both hands and roared. With all his strength he smashed the furniture next to him. The bed roll was torn by his claws before the entire bed was upturned. The bed frame cracked under the pressure. The bedroom mirror was shattered into glistening fragments and left to scatter on the floor. A suit of armour swung the door open to see what the hell was going on. It didn't expect to see his master destroying the room. He only stopped when there was nothing left intact. With a deep breath he turned and walked past the suit.
"Have this room cleaned up." His commanded with the voice of a broken man.
The guests stood in the lobby in utter silence. They had heard everything. It was difficult not to. Mavis was shaking with fear. Dracula saw her and immediately regretted what he had just done.
"Mavy, honey." He walked towards her but she pulled away from Wanda's arms and ran into the castle crying.
Dracula's face fell into his hands.
"I can't do this." His voice was erratic. "I need my Martha."
Frank placed his hand on his friends shoulder and saw something he had never experienced before. The Vampire had tears falling from his eyes.
"Oh, Drac. We are all here for you, buddy."
The whole group gathered around.
"Think of us all as family from now on Drac. With all of us, there's no chance a Human is going to lay a finger on Mavis." Wayne encouraged him.
Dracula smiled through the pain.
"You are family." He answered.
There was one person amongst them stood alone. Eunice felt guilty for what had happened. She looked at Dracula with regret, expecting him to hate her for eternity. Instead, he reached out his hand for her to join them. She was so relieved. Joining the group she stood by her husband.
"We stand together. This is what Hotel Transylvania means now. One united family."
I little while later, Dracula stood outside room 174. He knocked gently and waited for a response. He could hear the soft sound of crying and occasionally sniffs.
"Can I come in my little mouse?"
She didn't answer, but Dracula knew he had to explain.
She was curled up on her bed, clutching her locket.
"Sorry." She said, not daring to look at him.
"Oh Mavy, Daddy is not angry at you. I could never be."
She turned to him in confusion, sat up and wiped her face.
"I ran away to find Mummy. You said I shouldn't leave, but Mummy isn't safe with Humans."
Dracula knew he had to let her know.
He sat on the bed beside her. He expected her to hide away but instead she cuddled up to him.
"I'm sorry I scared you Mavis. Daddy was angry at the humans that hurt you."
He was struggling to bring himself to say it. She had to know, but it was destroying him inside.
"Mummy… she isn't in paradise."
Mavis' large eyes looked up at him.
"… She has gone. There is a time in a Monster's life when they can't live in this world anymore. They have to go away to another place. Mummy has travelled there, sweet heart. She can't come back, ever."
Mavis began to whimper.
"Why…" She asked weakly.
"I don't know." Was all he had the strength to say.
That sat together in each other's arms. Both felt the pain that Dracula had tried to hide for so long. Together they felt the grief… together they cried as one soul.
Frank and the others listened on from behind the door. They felt bad for listening in on them but they felt so helpless.
"That is the bravest man I have ever met." Frank had to fight back his own tears as he began to short circuit.
"Don't cry yourself, silly. You know what it does to you." She slapped him on the shoulder gently.
After some time, the door opened, revealing the two vampires.
"We are going to make Martha proud." He told them with suddenly high spirit. Hand in hand with Mavis they travelled back towards the lobby.
"You already have Drac." Frank whispered so that none of them could hear him.
"When our first wave of guests arrive tomorrow night, we will have the largest party they have ever seen! No fireworks though, we don't want to attract too much attention. Soldier!"
A suit appeared from around the corner.
"How does he do that?" Griffin queried.
"Yes sir!" It shouted with a salute.
"Tell Quasimodo to prepare a feast of Monstrous proportions! And I want games and activities ready for our guests!"
Mavis gestured for her to go and see the decorative lights she had spotted the housekeeping flying through the room with. Dracula smiled and nodded. She ran off in a flash. Frank saw his chance to speak alone with his friend.
"I'm amazed Drac. If you don't mind me asking. What stopped you from killing that human on the road?"
Dracula ceased walking. He thought for a moment before turning to Frank.
"The fear that if I took revenge on one Human… I would never be able to stop."
"You're stronger than I ever thought you were Drac. You have so much anger, quite rightly, and so much strength. Yet, you can stop yourself from using it for her."
They watched his daughter dance around the lights the housekeeping were putting up throughout the lobby.
"So told me about one of the Humans she saw, Frank… she helped her."
Frank was completely dumbfounded by what he had said.
"A human, what?" he thought he had been mistaken.
"A human girl helped her…. But why Frank?"
Frank didn't know how to respond.
"As for that man who tried to shoot us. There was something about him. He had no fear. I sensed… pain. The same I've felt for so long. He wasn't like any human I've ever encountered."
…
From across the land, Monster's began to leave their secret homes to travel to one place. It was the talk of their kind. A place where every Monster was welcome to share in joint safety and tranquillity. Naturally, many a Monster jumped at the chance to see this magnificent place. But for some unlucky souls amongst them, someone was standing in their way.
A host of zombies lie across the road in pieces, their carriage overturned and their horses killed or fleeing from sight. A terrified Monster knelt in the road as she watched her husband be raised with one hand by the throat. Their attacker held a pistol to the woman's head.
"You're going to tell me where you were headed, creature."
"I'll never tell you, Human!" He struggled to speak through the man's tight grip.
The hunter cocked the weapon in his other hand.
"How much 'persuasion' would you like?" He threatened.
"No, please! Let her go! Kill me instead!" The Monster pleaded.
"I get to know where you are going, and she lives. And if you lie to me…"
The Monster dared not hear what the consequence would be.
"Hotel Transylvania!" It shouted.
Eustice's mouth opened.
"… A hotel?" He asked.
The Monster nodded through the strong hunter's grip.
"A place of safety, I presume?" He mocked.
"Please let her go."
The hunter thought for a moment.
"Very well."
The bang scared the nearby crows away from their perches as they filled the sky. The Monster in the hunter's grip couldn't even scream for his loss before his windpipe was crushed.
"A place of safety? I call it a killing ground!"
