I've been really stuck on my writing lately. That kind of writer's block where every little thing you write sounds like crap. God, I'm not even through the author's note and I wanna give up. My brain is blah. Well I hope you all enjoy even if it is a few thousand words of pure crap. Read and Review please? Also, shout out to Epic Score for their awesome music that has helped me write from the first fearscape chapter on!
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Disclaimer: Hey! Guess what guys? * Holds up Hotel T movie * This...this isn't mine. Duh! But the OCs are and they are fun. Blah blah blah...all rights go to proper owners...blah.
Everyone cautiously crept toward the cauldron and peered inside to gaze at the golden orange oil as it stilled. Dracula's grin diminished as he grabbed a glass cup from the cabinet and carefully filled it before bringing it to his lips.
"Whoa, whoa wait a second Drac!" Griffin shouted. "How do you know that's safe?"
"I don't." Dracula shrugged. "This is the test."
"What?!"
"Well, I will heal very quickly if something goes wrong." He stated.
"If ya turn into something freaky I'm laughing." Viore said but his expression betrayed his unease.
"Everyone calm down." Dracula ordered. "I'm certain I have it right."
Everyone watched with bated breath as he raised the cup to his lips and drank quickly. He stood for a few moments and gave everyone a gentle smile before doubling over and screaming in pain.
Frank reached him first. He grabbed Dracula and supported the Vampire so he wouldn't collapse as everyone else ran forward.
"Drac! Drac, what's wrong!?" Wayne cried out.
Suddenly his screams turned to laughter.
"Your faces!" Shadow laughed as he straightened.
"Not cool." Dracula face-palmed.
"Can you blame me? It was perfect."
"Just shut up!"
All at once the room was filled with angry screaming.
"I'm not sorry." Shadow said with a smug smirk.
The Elemental had no time to react before Frank hit him, sending him to the floor.
"You deserved that quit your whining." Dracula growled as he got to his feet. "I am so sorry." He held up his hands in surrender to the glaring crowd. "He is rarely apologetic for anything. It's safe, nothing happened."
"We need to have words with that thing in your head." Murray growled.
"Not now. Now we need to focus on the problem at hand. Will this work to prevent Vour possession and does it truly take away fear?" He shook his head. "It's safe to drink but we need a different test subject for the fear aspect, someone who's fear is easy enough to replicate and..." He paused and brought his gaze to Frank who took an uneasy step away.
"Oh no. No, no, no." He spluttered.
"Yes." Dracula grinned. "Frank it's perfect! You're afraid of fire and that's easy with the overdone fried chicken over there." He said gesturing to Viore.
"Enough o that or ahm gonna make fried bat tonigh'!" Viore growled.
The other Pillars covered their mouths to stifle their own laughter.
"Frank." Dracula pleaded. "If this works you won't be afraid of it. It's the quickest way to test this out. Please?"
"Come on Uncle Frank?" Mavis encouraged.
"Yeah! Could be fun actually! Imagine not being afraid of fire." Johnny shouted.
Frank looked around the room with wide eyes as everyone began shouting encouragements.
"Alright!" He bellowed over the noise. "Alright. I trust you Drac."
"Perfect!" Shadow clapped.
"Not you!" Frank glared and Shadow blinked.
"Told you it was too far." Dracula berated.
"I'm the oldest of the six elements, I am pure magic. I can do as I please." Shadow said with a haughty look.
Dracula's face fell as he dropped his head. He began to argue and the only change was that his accent faded at times.
"No, no you cannot do as you please. Yes I- No! No you can't! Who are you to- The person who's body you- That was your choice! It was no one's choice! Then why am I being blamed!? Point is, that was mean. I'm mean. Oh! You are a liar! Excuse me? You-Shut up! Make me! Apol- No- Yes- No- Just because you're- Stop being petty- You will treat my friends- You know they're my friends too. Then act like it! I- No- Oh come- Now- Are- Now- Fine!" Shadow threw his hands into the air in surrender. Before the scarlet glow returned to his cat slit eyes. "I recognize that my actions may not have been well planned."
Everyone just stared.
"That's probably the best you're going to get right now." Dracula said with a grimace as he noticed the stares. "I promise I'll explain everything."
"You bet you will." Frank said angrily and Dracula winced. "After what we read in that journal, you're going to be doing a lot explaining. But for now, how much do I need to drink?" He ended with a small smile.
"Let's try, half a glass?"
Frank raised his eyebrows.
"I need to figure out dosage too alright!"
He filled the glass halfway and handed it to Frank who, after a short moment, downed the contents in a single gulp as Dracula moved behind him.
"How do you feel?" Gemma asked as the camera focused on Frank.
"I don't feel any different." He grumbled. "Drac are you sure this is going to work?"
Frank turned around only to come face to face with a giant flaming eagle perched on Dracula's arm.
"Augh!" He shouted and Dracula groaned. "No, wait Drac!" Frank interjected as the vampire sulked. "I'm...actually not that scared."
"Really?" Dracula smiled.
"I'm still not coming any closer." Frank stated.
Viore spread his wings and screeched from his perch on Dracula's arm.
"Another half glass?" Dracula suggested as the shadows crept in and refilled the cup.
Frank reached out and downed the glass without hesitation as Viore preened his feathers. As soon as Frank had placed the glass on the table by the cauldron he looked at the Phoenix and felt no fear. A smile slowly spread across his face and Dracula grinned.
"It works." Frank told everyone and Dracula's grin widened.
"Now we need to see if it works to keep the Vours from possessing someone." Dracula said as his smile faded.
"I'll do it." Frank volunteered.
"Wow...it really does work." Wayne frowned.
"Frank...I think someone who can fight them off physically would be better." Griffin said.
"I can take the sword." He suggested.
"Sirith...only responds to someone of my bloodline." Dracula admitted sheepishly.
"Doesn't...that require blood magic?" Murray asked."
"Yes?" Dracula responded with a grimace.
"More blood magic?!" They all screamed as the pillars rolled their eyes and Mavis gaped.
"I'll explain later!" Dracula yelled.
"Ah call firs' whack at those rabid li'l monsters." Viore claimed as he swooped off of Dracula's arm and shifted back to his human form.
"Thirsty for a fight as ever, I see." Dracula mumbled as he filled the glass and handed it to the volunteer.
"O' course." He grinned before knocking back the whole glass in one gulp.
He took a deep breath before spreading his wings and drawing his sword.
"They strong enough ta possess folk now?" He asked.
"They are growing stronger by the minute. I think they are feeding off of the magic I've put into this place over the years. A lot of energy to devour."
"Then le's do this." He said with determination as he marched toward the door.
"One minute, sixty seconds, that is all. Understand? Keep count and after that we will open the door for you. Lorelay will give you a test to see if you have been possessed." Dracula explained as he walked beside Viore.
"See ya in one minute." Viore grinned as Dracula gave a three count before opening the door and slamming it shut behind Viore.
That one minute seemed to stretch on and on as they waited, straining their ears to try and hear anything on the other side of the stone wall. The silence seeped in as everyone counted and anxiety caused many to lose count and wait with baited breath to see if their hopes were founded.
Dracula yanked on the lever and threw the door open, lashing out with his shadows and yanking Viore back into the safety of the room before slamming the door shut and quieting the hideous shrieking of the Vours. Lorelay wasted to time and before Viore had registered what had happened she slapped an ice cold hand across his face.
Viore screamed, and the shadows bound him.
"Dang i' woman!" Viore bellowed. "Mah face?! Why mah face?! Y'all know tha' stings! Ahm fire damn it!"
The occupants of the room breathed a collective sigh of relief as it was revealed that Viore's face held not a single trace of black. Dracula released him and the Phoenix got to his feet, grumbling in irritation.
"They didn' know wha' ta do ou' there Drac." He said as his glare faded.
"Good. It works." Dracula sighed in relief.
He sucked in deep breaths before sinking to the ground and leaning his head back to rest against the wall. He squeezed his eyes shut and ground his teeth as his hands curled into fists in an attempt to stop their furious shaking.
"Are you okay?" Johnny asked quietly as he approached.
"Of course he isn't!" Inmoon snapped. "He was just pulled out of the Fearscape!"
Mavis shuddered at the memory from where she stood behind Johnny.
"I don't want to do this." Dracula gasped. "We lost everything last time. How many times do I have to lose everything?" He hissed.
"Dad?" Mavis called out as she walked over to kneel beside him.
He turned his crimson eyes to her and not a single moment had passed before he yanked her into his arms, wrapping her in a tight embrace.
"I won't lose you." He said desperately. "I'm so sorry you had to see that baby." He apologized. "You should never have seen the Fearscape, especially not mine. I thought they were gone."
He took deep breaths to prevent his tears as he clung to her, assuring himself that she was still there and that she was real. He grabbed handfuls of her dress in his hands as he held her. She shook and began to cry as she finally absorbed all of the horrors that she had seen. He held her in his arms and rocked back and forth as he tried to soothe away her tears.
"You have to do it." She whispered after a few minutes.
"I know." He whispered back. "I know."
She pulled away from his embrace and stood, moving into Johnny's arms.
"We cannot craft another gate." Dracula rasped. "We have to end this for good. We have to seal the rift."
The Pillars nodded in agreement.
"It took everything we had to create the gate." Dracula said as he stood. "We will pay more to seal the rift. The gate killed us when we were mortal and petrified us for who knows how long. I do not know what will happen should we be petrified again. That might be the cost tonight. I cannot promise that petrification will happen but I can promise more pain than we have ever endured before. Are you, as the vessels of the elements, willing to pay this price?"
"Yes." Inmoon bowed her head in respect.
"Aye." Isobel nodded.
"Yes." Zeyphx responded shortly after grabbing at something unseen.
"Yes." Lorelay said gravely.
"Oh, you bet yer sweet bippy." Viore said with a smirk. "Ain't no way Ahm gonna be responsible fer them getting' loose."
"As long as you all understand." Dracula nodded.
"A'right. What's yer idea?" Isobel asked as the room grew somber.
Dracula took a deep breath to steady his nerves and chase away his fears as he thought about what he had to do.
"The best I can think is to cancel out it's energy. The tear is nothing but energy running on a specific frequency, the frequency of their dimension inside of our own, which allows the bridge to form. We find the exact opposite frequency and the two energies should cancel each other out and close the rift, but we are going to need a lot of energy. More than what was used to create the gate."
"Could this kill us?" Lorelay asked hesitantly.
"...I don't know." Dracula whispered. "It's possible."
Mavis gasped and buried her head into Johnny's shoulder.
"Drac...buddy...you can't." Frank stuttered.
"I have to Frank. It is the responsibility of a Pillar. A vessel of the elements. We are the only ones who can do this. There is no choice here. If the Vours break free...this world...every life in it will know true suffering. I cannot allow that." Dracula said gravely as he looked upon his close friend.
Frank, Wayne, Griffin, and Murray lunged forward and enveloped Dracula in a bone crushing hug.
"You do what you have to Drac, we'll take care of the rest." Wayne said as he pulled away.
"Just do your best not to die." Griffin tried to joke but the smile didn't show in his voice.
"And we're coming with you." Frank said and the others nodded.
"Me too." Mavis said.
"Dang straight!" Johnny shouted as he stepped forward.
"No." Dracula glared.
"You can't stop us." Murray smirked.
"And I'm a Dracula." Mavis said proudly. "This falls to my shoulders too. I'm not letting you go out there alone."
"Someone's gotta represent the humans here." Johnny shrugged. "And if Mavis is going, I'm going." He glared.
"I like your friends." Lorelay smiled.
"I'm not fond of them at the moment." Dracula sulked.
Everyone drank a glass of the potion before turning their attention to the door.
"The rift is in the ballroom." Inmoon said as Dracula handed Sirith to Mavis and weapons were given to the rest of the group.
"Alright. We fight our way through to the ballroom as fast as we can. Stay together in a tight formation. Cover all sides and do not separate, but above all...keep going no matter what happens. Once there the Pillars and I will take our places and form the circle. We will be looking at the rest of you to protect us. The less we have to deal with, the faster this will go. We find the frequency, adjust our own to the opposite and hit it with everything we have and then some. Understood?"
Everyone shouted their answer as they prepared themselves.
Dracula nodded and took a deep breath before yanking on the lever and running out just as the door closed behind him, silencing the cheers of the monsters left behind. The Vours swarmed and the group charged forward with a war cry the likes of which was never heard before.
Or since.
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I recognize that those last two words were very cruel and I beg of you not to burn me at the stake. Only a few chapters left. Tell me what you thought and I will do my best to update soon! This chapter gave me SO MUCH trouble!