Hey howdy hey readers. Got another chapter of this story flying your way. Things might update faster now that the really tough crap is out of the way. Whooie! I'm proud of those Fearscape chapters though. REALLY want to know what you all think. Hint hint nudge nudge...Anyway, this story will be drawing to a close here in a few chapters I think. Really glad you all have stuck along for the ride...I think...* glances at review board *. On with the show!
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Disclaimer: I do not own Hotel T or any of the characters contained therein. I do own my OC's Viore, Zeyphx, Inmoon. Isobel, and Lorelay. Thanks!
The first thing that Mavis became aware of was the warm embrace she was wrapped in, next came the yelling. It seemed like hundreds of voices were yelling at the same time. The noise bounced off the thick stone walls around them and rose to a great cacophony in the small space. She peeled her eyes open and saw Johnny's face hovering over her own. His brows were pinched together and tears streamed down his cheeks as he gently stroked her cheek with his hand.
"Back off now!" She heard Viore yell. "It ain't your place to deal with this! I sure as hell ain't gonna let you fucksticks screw this up!"
She heard Zeyphx's deep rumbling voice let out a hysterical wail and she finally mustered the strength to move. Beside her Inmoon groaned as she pulled herself to her feet.
"Mavis?" Johnny's hopeful voice brought her attention back to him. "Mavis are you awake?"
She nodded as he helped her sit.
"Oh god Mavis that was probably the scariest thing I have ever seen!" He hugged her tightly and kissed her.
She leaned into the comforting press of Johnny's lips on hers and relished the feeling. She pulled back and her gaze drifted to her leg. The bite mark of the babe from the first level marred her leg but there was no laceration to her skin. It was a deep black mark with clear teeth impressions and from those the inky color stretched across her calf in varying sizes of veiny strings.
"What?" She gasped.
"I dunno. It just happened while you were out." Johnny answered as he squeezed her tighter.
Her head snapped up as the yelling rose to thunderous booms and her Uncles broke through the ring the Pillars had formed to get to Dracula who was struggling his way to wakefulness.
"Why y'all-"Viore's angry shout was cut off as Lorelay laid a hand on his shoulder and he met her eyes.
The two held a conversation through their gazes alone and Viore visibly deflated and allowed them access to Dracula as his eyes rolled while he tried to focus. Isobel desperately tried to restrain a screaming Zeyphx as he thrashed and wept in her arms. She spoke soothingly to him and stroked his matted hair gently as she tried to figure out exactly what it was he was seeing. She received only hysterical blubbering in return.
"Drac!" Frank shouted as he ripped away the stone bindings. "Drac, can you hear me?"
For a few seconds the Vampire fell limply into Frank's grasp before he managed to get his feet beneath him and stand on shaky legs.
"Drac! Buddy, are you alright?" Wayne asked and it was followed by similar questions from Griffin and Murray.
Dracula raised his hands to calm the group.
"Calm down." He said. "I'm sorry. I'm back, everything is alright now."
"What happened?" Murray shouted and everyone in the room yelled their desires for the answer.
Dracula's eyes widened as Zeyphx's screaming rose over the voices of the crowd. He dashed from the grasp of his friends and ran to Zeyphx's side. He was joined by Inmoon, Viore, and Lorelay. He listened closely as Isobel tried to work her way through his rambling and his face was pinched in despair for his friend.
"Zeyphx." He called over the Warlock's screaming. "Zeyphx, everything is alright. Inmoon and Mavis pulled me out. Whatever you are seeing is not real. Wherever you are, hear my voice and return to us."
"He's insane." Griffin muttered in horror.
"Yes." Dracula responded as he stood and left the task to Isobel. "Yes, he is. It is the price that he paid. The burden of The Eye is too great for any mind to bear, but his insanity is not cause for any disrespect." Dracula stood tall and proud as he said this. "He is The Eye, The Oracle, whatever title you care to give him. He sees everything. Not just the future, but the past and every possibility of every choice ever made. He gets...lost...sometimes."
Tense moments flew by as Isobel cradled the powerful Warlock and drew him back to reality. His cries and struggles slowly faded and after he had returned she simply held onto him and comforted him.
"I believe explanations are in order." Dracula said, his tone resigned.
There were shouts all around.
"They're called the Vours and they are...I cannot think of how to describe them. They are nightmares incarnate and insanely cruel. Their world is cold, dark, and empty and so they travel to ours. Our world holds everything they could ever want but they aren't satisfied with simply living here. They take the bodies of anyone they can so that they can feel, and taste, smell, things they can't do. They are non-corporeal beings, they don't have a physical form which is why it is so hard to fight them. "
He paused for breath and to attempt to organize his thoughts.
"Their world lies parallel to our own and long ago, before I was born and I don't know when, a...rip occurred in the fabric between the realms. Every year on Sorry Night, the Winter Solstice, the tears align and allow them to pass through. Or...that is how it used to be. They changed the rules, formed a permanent bridge somehow and so we covered the rip with the gate. It killed us. It was far too much for mortal bodies to deal with and tore us apart from the inside out. Back then the Elements were unbound and dwelled everywhere simultaneously. Magic was well known, granted by the elements when they were invoked during the ceremony."
He let out a long sigh and kept his gaze well away from any of his friends.
"A result of our spell was that the Elements, beings of immense power and the source of all magic, became bound to us. Our minds merged but we remain two separate entities dwelling in one body. They don't tend to talk much." He added as an attempt at a joke.
"Antisocial li'l jerks." Viore said with a smirk. "Well pardon me if I find the fleshies confusing." He muttered as his accent faded.
Dracula's brows knitted together as his red eyes flared a bright glowing blue.
"Fleshies?" Shadow's powerful rich voice asked in confusion as he raised a brow.
"Ha! That's a good'un!" Viore laughed.
"You, Fire." Shadow mumbled as he rubbed his eyes. "Have been hanging out with him for far too long. You're coming up with ridiculous words now too."
"Hey c'mon man!" Viore yelled before flame poured from his eyes, sparks dancing. "It was a fitting term."
"It was stupid." Shadow responded.
"I side with tall dark and handsome." Spirit stepped in, her voice strong and rich.
"He's a pale little leech." Fire sulked.
"Now that wasn't called for!" Dracula yelled stomping his foot childishly.
"Pardon the matchsticks." Inmoon laid a hand on his shoulder as the swirling purple marks around her eyes and snout faded. "They're grumpy tonight."
"Walking pile of tinder." Shadow growled and his eyes flicked back to red. "That is more than enough. You five can shut up!"
It was confusing for the onlookers to see three people arguing amongst themselves as six different beings. Johnny helped Mavis to stand and as he watched the scene unfold his eyes grew wide. He pulled away from Mavis reluctantly and walked up to Dracula, looking into the glowing blue eyes that signified Shadow was speaking.
"Oh...my...god." He muttered and the Elemental turned his gaze to him. "I've spoken to you before!" Johnny exclaimed. "I've seen those eyes before! In your room the night you and Drac told me about Martha!"
Shadow simply nodded before the eyes returned to red and Dracula let out a tired sigh.
"Anyway..." He growled. "In my haste to defend Mavis I...allowed a Vour to enter my mind. I was locked within the Fearscape, a world constructed by the Vour to contain the consciousness of their victim. It is...not a nice place. There they feed off of the fear of their victim. Inmoon and, surprisingly, Mavis journeyed into my Fearscape and retrieved me. That is what happened and if you had separated us there is no telling what damage could have been done. My friends made the right decision...whatever it was."
He paused for a few moments, rubbing the back of his neck.
"How many made it anyway?" He asked sheepishly.
"You were the last one in." Gemma shouted out and all eyes turned back to the camera crew.
"Oh! Dudes, I'm so sorry. I totally forgot about you!" Johnny shouted as he ran over. "You guys okay?"
"Shaken as hell but good." Lawrence's voice trembled as he answered. "This is whacked man!"
"I am sorry." Dracula said as he approached the group. "When I allowed you to stay I never anticipated that something like this would happen. The gate was supposed to be unbreakable."
The group of humans was holding together well despite the situation. They rooted themselves in their project and filmed every second of the chaos that had descended so suddenly. Trapped in that room their bravery had unraveled and the full impact of the situation hit them full force. The surviving guests were facing a similar situation and everyone struggled to maintain the illusion of calm. Panic would not help the situation. Eunice, Wanda and the pups had, thankfully, made it outside the Hotel before the Vours had sealed the place. Wayne and Frank had stayed behind to ensure the safety of Mavis and Dracula. They were beginning to realize that the choice may have cost them their lives.
The situation seemed hopeless the more everyone looked at it. The only thing keeping them safe from the Vours were the runes carved into the walls. The Vours would not release their hold on the Hotel until they had beaten the Pillars. They could reform the gate but no one was certain what affect it would have on the Pillars this time and it had proven to be a temporary fix. It would be pointless to try the gate again, unless they had no other option. The Vours had flooded the Hotel and there was no way to combat them on a physical plain. Their energy could be dispersed but they would only reform. The Vour that had been expelled from Dracula's mind was already, no doubt, back within the Hotel and awaiting its next opprotunity.
Opening the door would mean a fate worse than death but neither could they cower in that room while the Vours tore the world apart. The jaws of fate had sealed shut and they had no option. They must face the Vours again and find a way to defeat them. This was an unspoken decision that everyone had reached and they only waited for the Pillars to decide their battle plan. The war had never ended and now they were caught in the middle of a secret feud between the creatures of the void and the original six monsters.
"So, what do we do?" Griffin broke the silence.
"I...I don't know." Dracula whispered. "The gate didn't work. I've been trying to find a way to kill them and end this once and for all but...you can't kill something that doesn't have a body. You can displace its energy but you can't destroy it."
"We have to bloody figure something out." Lorelay sighed.
"Well do you have any suggestions?!" Dracula snapped.
"Ah dun be like that now." Isobel jumped in as she looked up at Dracula. "Gettin' yerself all wound up isn't ginnae help."
"Yeah, ah git where yer comin' from Is' but Drac here's got a point too. We are plum outta ideas." Viore chimed in as he stepped forward.
"There must be something we're missing!" Dracula hissed in frustration.
The Pillars talked and debated amongst themselves on what to do and how they could possibly get out of this one. No one interrupted the ancient beings as they conversed but they did take note of the only one who wasn't talking. Zeyphx remained on the floor and simply stared into space.
Johnny held tightly to Mavis as he wracked his brain, trying to find something. His attempts were fruitless and he only wrapped his arms more securely around her. Frank, Wayne, Griffin, and Murray were in a similar state of thought and all reached the same empty conclusion. No one moved and it was beginning to feel more and more hopeless.
Zeyphx began to rock rhythmically back and forth as he clutched his knees and through the rising voices of the other Pillars his sing song voice drifted up.
"When dark creeps in and eats the light, bury your fears on Sorry Night. For in the Winter's blackest hours comes the feasting of the Vours. No one can see it, the life they stole. Your body's here but not your soul." He cheerfully recited the old poem as he rocked back and forth on the stone ground.
He continued to repeat it, as if stuck in a loop and it slowly drew the attention of the other Pillars.
"Zeyphx." Viore growled. "Do us all a favor an' stop repeatin' that god awful poem. Gives me the creeps an' ya know it!"
"Bury your fears on sorry night."
"Zeyphx, can it!" Viore bellowed, arms outstretched to strangle to poor little African.
"Wait!" Dracula grabbed Viore by the shoulder. "I think he might be onto something."
"Aye!" Isobel clapped her hands as realization hit her. "Aye ah think he es!"
"Then spill ya two!" Viore snarled and Inmoon and Lorelay nodded.
"Alrigh' dun git yer knickers innae bunch!" Isobel shouted.
"Fear!" Dracula shouted like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Not followin'" Viore responded flatly.
"Fear. Bury your fears. A person's mind is their domain, they have total control which is why they can push the Vours out once they realize what is happening."
"Vlad..." Inmoon's skeptical tone rang out.
"Just listen!" Dracula shouted. "The Fearscape. Why the Fearscape? Wouldn't it be more affective if the victims were put into a paradise? They wouldn't want to leave."
"'Cause the Vours'r sadistic li'l critters." Viore responded.
"Because a person has total control within their own mind the Vours have to be allowed inside. They can't get in unless you open the door for them, or at least unlock it. Fear has a unique affect on the brain as does every other emotion but fear has one of the most extreme affects. What if fear is the door?"
"So, just don't be afraid? Vlad, that is near impossible!" Lorelay shreiked.
"I know, that's the problem. It's possible to not be afraid but highly improbable. Fear is an automatic response to danger but it is one that can be overwritten. Not easily mind you but it can be done."
"So, ah little liquid courage an' we cin be off then?" Isobel shrugged.
"You don't need another excuse to drink." Zeyphx's deep voice jumped in.
"Ah, nice te 'ave ye back." Isobel grumbled at the jab.
"I could maybe fix something, just...just give me a moment to think." Dracula waved them off and began pacing.
"Oh good lord this brings back flashbacks." Inmoon mumbled and Lorelay nodded.
"Hun'." Viore said as he slid his arms around the pair's shoulders. "The good lord ain't gon' save us anytime soon."
Dracula continued to pace with an intensely focused expression on his face. The entire world faded around him and his thoughts consumed him completely. His behavior only served to make the other Pillars uneasy and they all gazed warily at Dracula.
"Vlad Ah swear-" Viore was cut off by the Vampire.
"Shhh!" He hissed.
"Did ya jus'-"
"Shhhh! Everyone, shhhh! Shut up I need to think!" He yelled as he continued to pace.
A few minutes passed before he stopped beside Johnny.
"Shut up." He snarled.
"But I'm not talking." Johnny defended himself.
"You're thinking. It's loud. It's annoying. Stop it." Dracula said as he continued to pace.
Johnny glared after him.
"Yeah, he gets like that." Inmoon whispered.
"What is he doing?"
"He jus' might be about to blow us all to kingdom come." Viore grumbled. "Death by Vlad's crazed experiments. Ah am not a happy bird."
"Experiments? What do you mean?"
This conversation had attracted the attention of Frank, Wayne, Griffin, and Murray who had wandered over to join in.
"He has quite a mind for magic." Zeyphx explained. "Understands it the best."
"But...aren't you a Warlock?" Frank asked, confused.
"No need to rub it in." Zeyphx sulked.
"Why are you guys treating this like it's a bad thing?" Mavis asked.
"'Cause we've all been there for the...failures." Lorelay answered.
"Catastrophes ya mean." Viore shuddered. "Acidic gas folks. Ah happen to like my lungs. We are very attached to one another."
"What?!" Murray yelled.
"Shhhhh!" Dracula hissed as he walked above them on the ceiling.
"Look a'righ. There ain't no way he stopped his relentless fiddling with a variety of unstable things so ya'll musta noticed somethin'" Viore whispered. "A rumblin', smoke, funny smell?"
"There was a time that the lobby filled up with smoke. No one could figure out where it was coming from." Mavis answered.
"Lemme guess, ol' Drac was nowhere ta be seen?"
Everyone nodded.
"Well...thare's yer problem." Viore said, gesturing to the still pacing Vampire as he walked up the far wall.
"Oh!" Dracula shouted as his face lit up.
He dashed back down the wall as he rambled hurriedly under his breath.
"Oh dear. Here we go." Viore groaned.
"Well...if I'm gonna die I at least want to beat the Elite Four." Johnny said as he pulled out a game-boy and plopped on the ground.
Dracula hauled a massive black cauldron into a clear space before turning to Viore.
"I need this lit." He said as he turned back toward a large wooden cabinet.
"Ah am not yer pilot light!" Viore yelled.
"Do it or I'll pluck you like a chicken!" Dracula snarled. "Your choice." He added with a pleasant grin.
With a wave of Viore's hand a fire sprung to life beneath the cauldron and Frank backed away into some far corner of the room. Dracula threw open the door of the cabinet to reveal an assortment of glass and clay jars filled with oils, liquids, herbs, and a variety of animal parts. His hands flew over the jars as he snatched things, seemingly at random, and filled his arms.
"Lorelay, fill it a quarter of the way with water." He ordered as he rushed back over with the jars rattling in his arms. "Zeyphx I'll need something from you too. Isobel I need you to keep a constant flow of air evenly through the mixture at all times."
He set the jars down on a stone table Zeyphx formed for him beside the cauldron. The Pillars added what he requested and he reached out to pluck a feather from Viore's wings, hissing as it burned him, and threw it in bringing the mixture to life as it bubbled.
"Hey! Y'know ya coulda asked!" Viore yelled in protest as he rubbed his wing.
Dracula only smiled as he drew a tendril from the shadows and slowly lowered it into the bubbling cauldron. The mixture expanded and churned before settling and shifting to a deep blue.
"Good. Now..." Dracula muttered to himself as his hands hovered over the collection of jars.
He carefully selected each one and added a measured amount and each ingredient changed the texture, color, and thickness of the shifting mixture. Anything solid was dissolved instantly as it touched the liquid in the cauldron. Viore shifted uneasily as he stared at the roiling black cauldron. Tendrils of shadow reached out and took each jar when Dracula had finished and returned it to its place on the shelf.
Frank wasn't handling the situation well. Viore had been bad enough and now the fire beneath the cauldron was pushing him closer to panic. Though he couldn't see it he could hear it and as soon as Dracula realized this the shadows swarmed forward and devoured the sight and sound of the flames. The Vampire's eyes were alight and his hair mussed as he ran his hand through it repeatedly as his mind raced.
"Frank, you need to calm down. This potion is entirely emotion based. You're going to contaminate it." Dracula said as he turned to face the Flesh Golem.
"Drac, this is getting to be a little too much for me." Frank's trembling voice responded.
"Oh for-" Dracula threw up his arms as he marched toward Frank. "Here!" He shoved a severed human spine, crusted with flesh and dried blood, into Franks arms.
"Wh-what the heck it this?!" Frank bellowed as he stared, wide-eyed.
"It's a spine I thought you might need one!" Dracula snarled before his eyes widened and he snatched it back. "Oooooh wait. I need that."
He walked back over and meticulously cleaned off the bones, tendrils of shadow flying forward to help, before lowering it into the cauldron and standing back as it released a puff of black smoke and blue sparks.
"Is...was that the spine from the..." Inmoon stuttered.
"Vampire Slayer? Yes." Dracula answered as he watched the mixture carefully.
"Why...why do you have a human spine?" Murray asked fearfully.
"I thought I might need it. So, I saved it." Dracula shrugged.
"But..." Wayne mumbled.
"We ran into some Vampire Slayers. Shot Lorelay, poisoned her. Shadow lost his temper. Bye, bye Vampire Slayers...well...just one actually. The others ran for the hills." Inmoon explained.
"Inmoon." Dracula called. "I need you and this is going to be very delicate."
Inmoon made her way over and stood across from Dracula beside the cauldron.
"Isobel, keep the flow of air even and constant."
"Aye, ah am." Isobel nodded as she focused on the cauldron before her.
"Inmoon, I need to to sing." Dracula said.
"Sing?" She tilted her head.
"Yes. It needs to be pure courage, fearlessness. Try to capture fearlessness in your voice. It can be nothing less than that do you understand?" He said seriously and Inmoon nodded.
Inmoon stood before the cauldron and took a few deep breaths before closing her eyes and lifting her head in a long howl that filled the entire room. She moved smoothly into a melody and her voice drew everyone's attention. There was only silence aside from the bubbling of the cauldron and Inmoon's voice. Lorelay's voice was haunting and seductive but Inmoon's was strong and full of power. As she sang it grew and became something that was both heard, and felt. It was a song of strength, courage, and power and everyone's fears melted into nothing as they listened.
"Good. Good." Dracula encouraged. "Now envision it. Make it real." He directed.
Before their very eyes wisps and streams of color flowed elegantly from Inmoon's open snout as she sang. Pulsing streams of golden orange flowed forth and Dracula grinned. He reached forward and shadows followed his movements. He directed the shadows as they wrapped around the golden orange wisps and gently guided them into the roiling mass within the cauldron. Inmoon's song continued and Dracula continued to direct its flow into the mixture as it flared and frothed. Inmoon's song reached a close and the room stood hushed in awe as Dracula grinned.
"Johnny, I need you now." Dracula called.
Johnny looked nervously at Gemma before putting the game boy away and standing. He walked over with his head held high, he trusted Dracula.
"What is it?" He asked as he gazed warily at the violently churning mixture.
"I need your blood." He said.
"My blood?" Johnny's eyes widened.
"Just a small amount." Dracula said holding up his hand and gesturing with his fingers. "You've shown a lot of courage. You stumbled, quite literally, into this hotel and only once were you ever truly afraid. In fact, you wanted to stay more than anything while most humans would have panicked. Even now you're sitting and playing one of your games during this situation. I need human blood but yours is perfect because of your courage. All monsters stem from humans and adding your blood will stabilize the potion and allow it to work on any monster that takes it, as opposed to only monsters of a select element."
"Alright then." Johnny shrugged and Dracula smiled in thanks as he gently took hold of Johnny's wrist.
He held Johnny's hand above the cauldron and drew the bone blade of his tail across the boy's palm. Johnny had expected pain but the blade was so sharp that Johnny felt nothing as the blood pooled in his hand. Dracula guided Johnny to turn his hand and pour the blood into the mixture as he gestured for Isobel to stop the flow of air and for Viore to put out the flame.
The reaction was instant and spectacular. The roiling mass stilled immediately before a rumbling boom, felt more than heard, rattled the room and the cauldron flared a bright gold. When the light had faded bright orange gold flecks rained down throughout the room and Dracula grinned excitedly.
"Yes!" He shouted. "Haha!" He laughed as he jumped into the air after releasing Johnny's wrist. "The Mad Scientist has done it again!" He whooped.
"Great!" Viore exclaimed. "Now, what does it do?"
"Takes away fear, entirely." Dracula announced with a grin. "It will need a test run of course but if this works we'll be able to fight the Vours without the danger of possession."
The Pillars grinned in feral excitement and the spirit of the room lifted as they all gazed at the steaming cauldron filled with a golden orange oil, the same color as Inmoon's song.
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Yaaaaay! Can I get a hoorah?! Anyone? Well, I had loads of fun writing this one and the banter between the Pillars was awesome to write. Hope no one is getting annoyed by the OC's. I know that's a thing. I tried not to make them shallow characters so tell me if you have a problem with them and what it is so I can fix it! Viore is really fun to work with! R&R please, reviews always improve my mood. Give me a happy guys!