Well hello again and welcome to the latest installment of our little Yugioh horror-fest! We've got a real treat for you as this moves on, though we are noticing that some people have vanished from our list of regular reviewers. I guess they just didn't have the stomach for our creepy crawly antics, hmm? But its ok, more for everyone else to enjoy, and if those that have gone MIA would care to return, we promise we won't bite. *g* And now to tackle the list of reviews. Whew, there sure are a lot! Thanks so much to everyone, this wouldn't move along nearly as fast without you the readers letting us know what you think!

Shadow's Girl12 – I'm sorry! Lena and I have three cats and we'd hate to lose any of them! Poor dear, well at least you seemed to like the chapter. Thanks for dropping by, even if we did evoke sad memories…

Wingweaver Hope – Yikes, we didn't realize there were mad review butchers out there. We'll have to post a wanted poster or something. Poor Mokuba, but at least he's safe upstairs … right? I mean, its not like Seto would go up there, right? Right? And of course Gozaburo is evil! He did some really mean things to poor Seto, and though he may not have been purely evil in life, the Overlook has that effect on spirits it seems. We're both pretty excited about you reading the book! That's a great part, the Hallorann and Danny conversation scene. Don't worry, though, more will happen soon enough in there. *g*

angelohaku – Wow, that's two damaged reviews. We really do need to hire a hit man or something, one that specializes in glitches and review killers. Yeah, the Overlook seems to attract wacky ghosts. The dogman, that bathroom lady … and why'd she twist the blade? Cause if you're gonna do it you may as well go all the way I guess. I'm no killer so I couldn't say, maybe she was just having a really bad day. *g* I'm glad you like this story so much! Comparing us to Fellowship? Ah, flattery! You tease you! =P And of course Gozaburo belongs on any hit list… he's a real jerk. But then, he is dead after all… there's not much more you can really do to a guy who's taken a forced swan dive out a window.

Chibi Angelic Slayer – Hey thanks! Yea, we are enjoying the writing that goes into this story, but we do feel bad for poor Seto. He's going through an awful lot and, unfortunately, its gotta get worse before it can ever get better.

Saisaishi – Could care less about Pegasus? *sob* Why does everyone hate him so! *sniffle* Anyway, Yami and Yugi might return if we can afford to extend their contract. They're on loan after all…

Josh – Hey its ok, this is all about Seto getting violent. No apology necessary, glad you're enjoying the horror-fest!

evilcourtney - *smiles* Arise, yon reader! Thou dost us a great disservice to proclaim us great, for we art but mortal women without compare to the loftier wealthy authors in such abundance upon this good earth. *g* We're glad you're so happy! Wow, you read the book while you were waiting? Cool, and now you have a pretty good idea of where we're going, but don't forget that this is a crossover. We've already changed a myriad of things.

Firewing – Puts you to shame?! Don't say that, you're story is fantastic and we're following it closely every step of the way! Don't put yourself down dear. *hugs* But back to your review, we're glad you picked up on the variation! *s* Yea, he hasn't gotten out completely yet; but at least he's getting a work out, right? Poor Seto, he might have been ok if not for that little push. Now its kinda downhill for him… unless something can help. Yea, we had to get into Pegasus' perspective after he's been gone for so long. Most people hate him, and we needed to show a little motivation for those who automatically think he's a jerk. And yes, Go Croquet! That man grows on me the more I read/write of him! Don't they have just the best relationship? *g* Thankies, dear!

General Dredge – It only took you two days! Wow, that's pretty good considering there's not just twenty-one chapters, but twenty-one loooooooong chapters! *g* Of course we'll continue, though updates seem to be coming every two weeks now. We're not gonna drop our readers, don't worry. Thanks for taking the time to go through it all and review! It does mean a lot when people enjoy a story so much that they're willing to do that. Thanks!

lily22 – Don't be afraid, dear! Or at least don't be too afraid… it is nearly Halloween after all. *g* And just so you know, we're typing this whole thing in Word and its 239 pages so far single spaced (though that does include three pages or so of the next chapter, but you know how it is *g*).

BlackHoleSun - *LOL* Rebecca! Oh, that's hilarious! I had no idea what you meant at first, then I reread the dialogue of the kid in the well and it sure does sound like her! I guess subconsciously Lena and I have always wanted to chunk that kid into a deep dark place and forget about her. *g* Mokuba's death in 25 … hey, who told you! *s*

Lil' Washu7 – No, creepy works just fine. *g* Glad you like it so much! Deliciously creepy… that has a lovely ring to it! Thank you!

Tornado 666 – Yup, Pegasus and Seto both have a hard time of it right now. Gotta feel for those guys – so misunderstood, so abused by the hotel. Yugi? *blink* Who's Yugi?

Elli the Ghostie - *pout* But it's in our outline and everything! No fair!

MoonlightDewz – Everyone keeps talking about this Yugi – who is he? I don't know what you're talking about. *g* Not overly gross? I think some readers might disagree with you, though I too think we're holding back pretty well. I personally adore gore, but we don't wanna freak out too many people. Of course if we let Ryou in he'd just bring Yami Bakura and the gore scale would go up significantly. Not that I have anything against the cute little Brit though. He's so adorable! I know he's not supposed to have a British accent in the real version, but it suits him so well!

Rinaidran Warrior – Its ok, we understand not being able to review for a chapter or two. Studying takes up our time too… *sigh* more than I'd like though Lena's just doing real work this semester. Torturing Seto is a blast! Its not that I dislike him or anything, and Lena's a die-hard Kaiba fangirl, but the guy just glares instead of screams and it's just great. *g* The prideful ones are always a barrel of laughs. Thanks for coming back, even if you do have a lot of work!

JennyRogue – Yikes, Joey/Croquet would be scary as hell! I- I can't even imagine it! *smacks her own head into a brick wall as well*

Chibi Arwen – Well sorry we didn't write as much as you'd expected, though to us it seemed pretty darn long and no shorter than the other chapters by any means. But I digress, we're glad you liked The Shining *g* but we're not promising anything! HAHAHAHAAA!!! See? Aren't we evil? *laughs manically* You'll just have to keep reading to find out what happens. C'mon, don't you trust us? *eg*

mistress-knowledgetree9 – Aww, thanks so much! Lena really does appreciate it; though don't forget this story is posted in two places. I wish Lena could get more attention on her site, but yeah, only 33 reviews over there.  It is posted on Anime Crossovers after all, and let's face it, not many people wander around over there. Poor dear, but we share reviews the best we can so it's ok. *g* Thanks for dropping by! We love new readers!

WHEW! My fingers are all achy now! *wrings hands* But the pain is worthwhile for our readers – we love the attention we get from all of you, thanks so much! Can you believe we're on Chapter 22? Neither can we, it's a good feeling! You're reviews keep this story going as much as we do – thank you so much! We hope you enjoy this chapter. It's beginning to get more violent, but we think that sometimes violence is necessary to get across the truth in any story. Thanks for sticking with us, we hope you continue to do so. Don't forget to review!

--Lena & Kabuki

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Chapter 22:

It took a few moments, but Croquet managed to clear the path of snow that led to the grand entrance of the Overlook Hotel.  As he pulled open one of the massive double doors, Joey stood behind him trembling, his entire body shaking uncontrollably as the comparative brightness of the inner chamber greeted them. Croquet lifted the boy gruffly, carrying him over the threshold and into the warmth of the lobby like the beginning of some demented honeymoon. Joey wiped tears from his eyes with frozen fingers, the cold having beaten out any shred of pride.  Without the eerie sound of the howling wind outside, the chattering of the poor boy's teeth seemed deafening. It was hard to believe that he'd stood in the same doorway only a few hours ago with Yugi and Tea cracking jokes and carrying firewood inside in preparation for the storm. If only he'd listened to the two of them and delayed the trimming of those damned killer bushes until the morning.  The pain in his back throbbed like mad, his face was bruised and his nose was bleeding from the impact with the hard icy snow – but for some reason all he could think about was warmth.

"Come on now, Wheeler," the blond duelist popsicle wasn't sure if his hearing was off, but it sounded like Croquet's voice was tinged with kindness as he set the younger man on his feet; but Joey figured that he was probably somewhat delirious.  The duelist felt a slight nudge in his back that urged him forward as the normally stern bodyguard led him toward the dying fireplace.  Joey moved slowly, his joints thawing somewhat after escaping the harsh winds outside.  He sank slowly into one of the large cloth armchairs closest to the fire, his movements slow as though he'd gained thirty years.  He hugged his knees tight mindless of the melting snow that pooled on the parquet floor.

From behind him, Croquet hauled the massive door closed against the howling wind and then moved quickly to stir the embers of the fire.  The flame had completely died, and the unnaturally calm bodyguard began piling up the logs Tea and Yugi had brought in merely hours before.  He was worried that Wheeler had acquired hypothermia from his long exposure to the cold, and dearly wanted to examine the outer extremities for frostbite.  He doubted that so much blood loss would help the situation, of course, and planned to remedy that as soon as he could get to the kitchen.  He couldn't help but think about Pegasus, though, outside perhaps lost and blind in the snow as he searched aimlessly for the Overlook.  He wondered if he was making the right decision by leaving the relatively young adventurer on his own, but then he scrutinized Joey's condition again.  The boy's vacant eyes gleamed back at the starting fire, his pallor a deathly white and his lips a slight shade of blue beneath the clump of frozen blood.  The bodyguard stood with a grunting sigh, moving with determined strides toward the kitchen.  He'd almost reached the darkened hall when Joey's rasping cry broke the thin silence of the lobby.  Croquet frowned as he listened to the boy's dry voice, like a rake pulled over concrete.

"Where are you goin'?"

Croquet turned slowly, his eyes wide in confusion as he stared at the trembling boy.  "To get matches," he licked his chapped lips slowly.  "They're in the kitchen."

"No…" Joey made to stand but collapsed again helplessly against the chair again as a fit of coughing struck him.  Croquet winced slightly, his hands rising as he considered going to the boy's aid, but then Joey found the ability to speak once more.  "You can't… go in there," he made a last choking gag.  "That's where Mokuba got hurt.  The… the guy might still be around, we weren't sure what happened…"

Croquet's eyes became slits, "What guy?" He sneered as the blond hunched over with his head between his knees in exhaustion.

"I don't know.  He went after Mokuba when Kaiba 'n I were fightin' outside."

"You two were fighting?  Did you forget, Wheeler, that you were brought here to clean, not to bicker like goddamned children?"

"I know!" Joey sobbed, cuddling his weary head in his hands.  Croquet blinked, curbing the sharp tongue that wanted to lash out at one of the duelists that had succeeded in Pegasus' tournament where his master had failed.  He'd never thought it was right that the boy had obtained so much of the prize money even though he'd merely earned second place.  The charity of Yugi Moto made Croquet both suspicious and annoyed, but then it really wasn't any of his business when it came down to it.

"Well… how do you expect me to get this fire going?" Croquet's voice was clipped as his temper grew thin.  He understood that the boy had been through a lot, he'd seen how young people reacted to unexpectedly dangerous situations; however, after being in the military after having to bury so many of his closest comrades, Croquet had no choice but to reign in his pity and remorse. This was no time for emotional baggage, already the hotel had become something of a war zone; he had to think quickly if he planned to get everybody out of this accursed place alive.  He understood what Joey was going through, hell knows he'd seen more death and destruction in his younger years than he wished to remember.  At the same time, however, he knew his role as bodyguard and protector, and the longer this boy delayed his actions, the closer Pegasus and the others might be to death.  He crossed his arms and glared at the shaggy blond head in irritation.

"We brought some matches out earlier," Joey nodded to one of the end tables. "They should still be there, unless some goddamned ghost moved 'em." Croquet moved to fetch the matches as Joey grew silent, his breath coming in ragged rhythms that made Croquet consider pneumonia.

Croquet lit the dry timber, the flames devouring the wood in a great blaze of heat and light.  To be honest, the gruff man didn't know what to say to the boy.  It seemed as though Mr. Wheeler was not only mentally fatigued but his body looked ready to collapse.  He shrugged out of his giant orange parka, and dropped the sopping garment to the ground next to the fireplace to dry.  "Is there a first aid kit?"

"Huh?" Joey's eyes were glassy with unshed tears as he stared up into Croquet's dark eyes and wiped his ruby nose with the back of one trembling hand.

"The first aid kit."  It had been a long time since Croquet had seen anyone this emotionally upset.  Being employed by Pegasus Crawford, he was used to dealing with high-class idiots, but the raw emotion he saw in Joey Wheeler's face took him back to times before his employment with the Crawford family.  He reasoned with a small grunt that he hadn't seen anyone this upset since the death of the Lady Cecelia.

"I don't know!  I don't care!" Joey spat out, his voice nearly breaking into another coughing fit.  "What the hell would I want with a goddamned first aid kit?!  I just got attacked by bushes, man, what the hell would I know about it?"

Croquet sighed.  If this was any indication of how this night was going to be, the bodyguard wondered if it had been a good idea to allow Pegasus to come.  These children were too soft for their own good, and especially for the intense environment they were trapped in now.  If he'd had his way, this would have been a solo job.  In fact, he was against the idea of the kids coming to this cursed place from the beginning.

A great crash suddenly echoed through the lobby with enough ferocity that Joey jumped to his feet without thinking.  His nerves were so frazzled that he'd thought to do little else as his bloodshot eyes darted around the room.  It took all of the blond duelist's effort to keep his feet rooted to the floor and not run for his life again as his overactive imagination saw the shadows of hedge monsters in every corner of the room.

"What the hell was that?" Joey yelped in surprise.

"Shut up, Wheeler!" Croquet hissed, drawing his trusty .45 magnum from his belt and moving closer toward the source of the continuous racket.  The closer he got, the more it sounded like some crazy psycho bashing in the hood of a car.

"Hey, look out, Croquet.  That's where the stairs fell and – "

"Quiet!" Croquet felt the hair stand on the back of his neck as he heard Joey's rattled breathing behind him, but at least the boy had fallen silent enough that he could focus on his mission.  If memory served him correctly, he was nearing the staircase.  Pegasus had told him many times that the door at the back of the stairway led to the basement – perhaps that's where the perpetrator had been hiding all along.  Stupid kids, didn't know where to look.  Lives were in danger – most importantly Master Pegasus' life, what were these kids thinking?  The sooner this night was over the better.

Then the smashing noise stopped, as suddenly as it had started.  Croquet felt the breath hilt in his throat as an ominous feeling of dread settled over him.  A creepy, superstitious feeling came over him, completely alien to the hardened man.  He felt as though he should run, as though he needed to flee as quickly as possible, but he was determined to stay for Pegasus' sake if nothing else.  Let the hotel be damned.

The movements were so fast that Croquet didn't have time to get off a shot.  Suddenly a white form darted in front of him, pale and bloody like some kind of demented haunt.  The scent that accompanied it was of dust and long dead corpses left to rot in a hot furnace.  Croquet was caught completely by surprise as a shiny metal object arced through the air to collide with a gruesome thwack into the side of his head near his right temple.  A flaming pain bloomed before his eyes as his body slowly grew numb.  He vaguely realized he was falling as a thick blackness enveloped his vision, Croquet was rather reminded of the time Pegasus had locked him in the Shadow Realm.  In the bleary distance he heard Joey cry out, and he realized with a sinking heart that this would be the second time in his life that for all his preparations he would still fail to protect his charge.

*****

Mokuba and Duke were panting as Tea shook her head, her voice breathy. "What was that? Why was a man in a dog suit outside the door?" The sound of mad laughter and scratching echoed throughout the room as the assailant tried desperately to reach his cornered prey. "What's he doing? Is he crazy?"

Duke sighed. "Surely you thought that guy with the gun upstairs was a little off his rocker, Tea.  Besides, this wacko did the same thing to Tristan and me earlier today."

"Well how'd you get rid of him last time?"

"We didn't! Kaiba showed up and scared him away."

Tea yelped in panic as another loud bark of laughter echoed down the hallway, almost seeming to enter through the cracks of the tiny, now almost claustrophobic room.  "What are we gonna do?  Guys, we can't just stand here gaping at the door.  The longer we wait, the worse off Yugi might be.  We have to find him!  He needs us, he could be dying, Tristan!"

"Well what do you want me to do?" Tristan scoffed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. "There's nothing I can do from here!"

"Oh my God!  Joey!  Tristan, he's still outside trimming hedge animals!"

"Joey?" Tristan ran to the window, attempting to see through the thrashing blizzard outside, but all he saw was a white cloud.  "Dammit, Joey.  Why do you always get into so much trouble?"

"I'm so sorry, Tristan!  Yugi and I tried to stop him, but he said he'd meet us on the third floor!  You don't think he's…"

"No, Tea.  Don't go there.  Like I said, we can't do anything from up here." Tristan shook his head in annoyance as he stepped away from the windowsill.  The dogman howled again in glee, and Tristan felt his temper rising.  "What do you want me to do, Tea? Want me to ask him to leave?  I don't think he'll listen, do you?"

"But what about Yugi and Joey?!"  Tea practically shrieked in the biker's face, and Duke winced at the banshee wail.

"Geez, Tea!  I don't know which is worse – you or the Dogman!"

Mokuba squeezed his eyes shut as the crazed laughter jangled outside the door. "He's trying to keep us busy. He'll hold us here until the hotel gets what it wants." He lowered his head, allowing his mind to dart about the hotel like a remote controlled airplane, pushing his mental abilities as hard as he could.  "They're after Seto now, I know it!  I don't care how much danger Yugi's in, we've got to help Seto first!  He's in a lot more danger!"

Duke let out a sigh of relief, "Whew!  At least the Overlook doesn't want anything from us!"

Tristan smacked him in the head.  "Yeah, that means if we die, it doesn't matter you dimwit!"

"Mokuba," Tea stared at the boy in a strange mixture of confusion and shock.  "What are you talking about?  How do you know this hotel wants anything?"

"Well how do you explain the things you saw upstairs, Tea?  Obviously, it was frightening enough to make you scale the walls outside!  Don't you think this hotel has some kind of evil intent for us?  Like, a plan?"

Tea shook her head, "You're right, Mokuba.  I just… I just want to find Yugi.  I don't want him to be hurt, what if he needs me?"

Mokuba took hold of Tea's hand, clasping it firmly with his small fingers, "We can't help him right now, Tea.  I'm sorry, but even I can't find him.  We can't go outside to look because the blizzard's too bad.  I'm afraid Yugi has no choice but to figure it out on his own."

Tea's eyes grew wide at Mokuba's words, "How can you say that?  After all Yugi's done for you and your brother, you would just leave him to die?"  Mokuba's chocolate eyes welled up with tears, and slowly he slid his fingers out of her grasp, moving away from her dejectedly.

The dogman howled, the unearthly sound seeming to seep from the cracks of each grain of wood in the room as the beastly creature continued his assault, physically throwing his body against the door, splintering the wood a little more with each thrust. Tea shook her head, her hands clutching at her ears as fresh, warm tears streamed down her cheeks. "Well we can't just sit here!"

"No," Tristan's eyes grew hard as steel. "For once, you're right Tea.  We can't sit here and panic – if Mokuba's right, that's what this place wants.  Even if Yugi's dead, he wouldn't want us to just give up."  The stern biker gave out a small mirthless laugh, his shoulders shaking slightly.  "Yugi would want us to get out of here with our lives.  He'd want us to win, that guy's the best man I ever knew – better than I could ever hope to be.  We won't disrespect him by cowering here and waiting for our deaths.  We have to keep focused, we have to keep moving, the sooner the better." He stood apart from the group, cracking his knuckles slowly as he leveled a penetrating stare at the door.

Duke gave him a disbelieving look. "I hope you're not planning what I think you're planning.  Are you crazy?  Do you really think Yugi would want you to sacrifice yourself for us?  Put this macho bullshit aside, man.  You're being ridiculous!"

"Well, we never tried fighting back the last time, remember Duke?  I'm tired of running from him, Duke! We've been running from this hotel this entire weekend, but at the same time, we've been forced to stay.  We've got to make a stand and I refuse to hide from a stupid knucklehead in a costume. I've had it with this coward's ways."

"Tristan," Tea pleaded, her eyes wide as she grabbed his elbow desperately.  "You can't just hit anything that scares you!  That guy is not human, you can't hurt him and you can't intimidate him.  He doesn't care!"

"Joey would understand," Tristan's fiery eyes moved from Tea to Duke.  "If my best buddy were here he wouldn't question me.  He'd back me all the way – that's what friends do, Duke.  They back you, even if the odds are against you."  Duke met his gaze with equal determination.

"Tristan, it's okay to be scared of him," Tea's voice was soft.

"I'm not scared of him!" Tristan pulled away from her slim fingers.  He turned quickly to find Duke still glaring at him with a seething verdant stare hot enough to sear Tristan's soul.

"Not scared of him?  What was that big speech you gave me back there?  You know, where you told me to face my fears?  Was that a load of bullshit, man?  Were you just trying to use me to show off to Kaiba?"

"Duke, this has nothing to do with that!  Stop screwing around.  I'm not trying to use you, Kaiba's not behind this, and Mokuba's not faking his wounds.  Grow up, Duke!  I'm sick of dealing with your crap today!"

Duke shook his head, idling flipping a strand of ebony hair behind an ear. "You've completely lost your mind if you think that going out there will help anything.  You think I need to grow up?  At least I don't act like a schoolyard bully."

"What, and you've got a better idea Mr. Pansy? Yugi and Joey need us! If this hotel thinks it can keep me from helping my two friends, it's got another thing coming."

"Well, sorry, Tristan, but your hard-headed ways aren't helping.  You're full of crap if you think I'm going to let you go out there."  Duke crossed his arms and moved to barricade the door with his body.  "You wanna let that crack-head inside?  You've got to go through me."

"You've all lost it!  Is anyone here sane at all?" Tea sobbed, her eyes wide as she watched the wood of the door splinter again at the hinges. "You're both going to get us all killed with this arguing!  We've got to work together!"

"Oh shut up, Tea!" Tristan snapped.

Tea's brows furrowed in utter despair and she turned away.  Mokuba glared at Tristan, suddenly protective of his friend.  "Watch what you're saying, Tristan.  Don't let this place get to you, it'll eat you alive."

Tristan gave the bushy headed boy a heated glance as if in warning before he returned his attention to Duke.  "Really, Duke, I could flatten you in an instant!"

Duke wiped his mouth with the back of his arm, a smile spreading on his lips.  "Well I guess you've got no other choice, tough guy.  And if you're crazy enough to go through me, then maybe you deserve being ripped to shreds by that thing.  Hell, you sit and insult the poor lady when she's clearly not in the mood to deal with you.  Now, I'm pissed."

Tea blinked at Duke, her face stained with tears.  She tried to smile but the thought of Yugi and Joey outside banished any hope of happiness.  If either of them were dead, she would never forgive herself.

The biker stared at his unexpected rival in confusion, "What are you talking about?  I hope you're not trying to impress Tea – she won't go to bed with you." Tristan smirked and his expression was uncharacteristically hollow.

"You gave me that long dramatic friendship speech earlier, right?"  Duke's eyes were moistened with tears, "Well, maybe I want to test this out.  As your friend, it's my job to keep you safe from your own stupidity. But if you're so damned determined to go out there and get killed that you'd go through me, well then maybe you and the Dogman deserve each other.  Hell, maybe you and this Hotel might be happy together, I couldn't be friends with someone who would willingly enjoy this place."

Tristan threw up his arms. "Look, we have to do something, Duke! There's no point in throwing insults around."  Tea and Duke exchanged frustrated glances as Tristan continued, "I don't wanna go through you. I don't wanna hurt you.  But if it means saving our lives then I'll do what I have to do."

"Then come on, tough guy! Show me how little your bullshit words are worth!" The two boys leveled glares at each other, their stares so powerful that the air seemed to crackle with electricity. Tea stood back from the pair, amazed and a little afraid. She didn't quite know how to handle the situation, and even though she was used to these two fighting over Serenity's affections, now they stood ready to rip each other apart. "Tristan, Duke, please don't fight! We can't help our friends if we don't rely on our friendship to –"

"Friendship?" Duke uttered a humorless bark of laughter, his eyes never leaving Tristan's face. "What good is that when assholes like Tristan here are so intent on beating up his friends? That's some tough love if you ask me. You wanna fight that thing, but what if you lose, Tristan? I don't think the two of us together -- even if I decided to help you out – could beat that guy down. Are you gonna be responsible for what happens to Mokuba and Tea afterwards?  All in all, it was our responsibility to look after Mokuba, wasn't it?"

"Well what do you think we should do then?"

Duke sighed in utter frustration. "I don't know you lumbering idiot!"

"Guys please …"

The voices were raised in fury, the threesome arguing and pleading interchangeably. It was a cacophony that only a madman would be proud of, and from his seat on the bed Mokuba sighed and cradled his head in his hands. He didn't understand them, not at all. They all wanted to keep each other safe, but Mokuba had never dreamed there could be so many options for solving one problem. He opened his mind again, trying his best to drown out the endless bickering and attempted to contact his brother. His mind darted about easily enough, but eventually he brushed against the Dogman's thoughts.  Mokuba's eyes flew wide, a crease forming between his brows as he came to the uneasy realization that the creature's mind was empty.  Utterly empty.  Was that what the thoughts of a ghost were then?  Nothingness?  An unnatural shudder shook the small boy's tiny body as he tried with newly found panic to locate his brother. He must be downstairs the boy thought, but when he tried once again to slip into the lower levels –

Nothing.

Mokuba's face scrunched up in confusion as he tried once again, but this time he suddenly had a giant image of a stone wall.  Very old and somewhat decrepit, but the age-old architecture stood firm against the battering ram of his mind.  It was impenetrable.  The hotel was blocking him off, keeping him separated from his big brother. The boy's lower lip trembled as the sudden sinking feeling entered his mind that it may be too late for his brother. "Seto…" He blinked, shaking his head. There had to be another way. He looked toward the trio and watched their argument for a moment unmoved before once again he allowed a thin thread of his consciousness to slide like silk from his mind and move about the hotel, this time directed outside. Maybe he could at least find Yugi.  Maybe the infamous King of Duels would be able to help him like he had countless times in the past… if he were still alive…

::Mokuba?::

The voice was vaguely familiar, and the boy nearly jumped out of his skin in surprise as he realized who he was talking to. ::Pegasus??:: The two telepaths sent their energies back and forth, like two computers talking to each other at unbelievable connection speeds.  Pegasus' thoughts were slower to form unlike Mokuba's, and the boy very readily filled up the Creator's mind with his anxious thoughts. ::You really came!  I'm so happy to hear from you.  I thought you wouldn't come, or that the hotel had gotten you, or that you simply didn't care, or…::

::Of course I did. But there's no time for this, Mokuba. What's going on?::

The boy grinned from ear to ear. He'd never been so happy to hear from Peagsus in his whole life. Eagerly he began to relate the experiences and fears of the past two days, a huge montage of information filtered through a child's colorful understanding of the world. It was a good thing Pegasus was rather child-like in his own mindset, or else the boy's dramatic descriptions might have made it even more difficult to understand.  In a great burst of energy; however, Pegasus abruptly cut off the steady stream of information with something like a mental gasp for air. ::I don't care about that, stop it! I can't think! Don't you have any tact?::

Mokuba tentatively reeled in his thoughts in confusion.  What in the world was Pegasus' problem?  Hadn't he come to save them?  Pegasus had showed him how to do this to begin with, why was he so slow about it?  ::What's wrong?  What'd I do?  I just learned how to do this today! Geez, give me a break.::

::Well I'm rather lost in the middle of a blizzard, Mokuba-boy, what do you expect me to do? Just hold off a little bit longer on all that information if you would until I can get to someplace warm. Keep your mind receptive, I'll head towards your mind and pinpoint your exact location.::

::You mean, like a tracking device?  Or like sonar?:: Pegasus had to smile at the boy's overwhelming enthusiasm.  Despite his sometimes cruel persona, Pegasus really did have a soft spot for energetic kids.  Hell, he still was one.

::Uh, yes.  Like a tracking device, if you prefer to think of it like that…::

::But… no, wait, you can't come!  Not just yet at least!::

Pegasus groaned, his irritation growing more obvious as the conversation continued. Mokuba could sense the aching body and fearful mind that held an unmistakable undercurrent of mute panic.  ::Why, Mokuba-boy, are you planning a surprise party?::

Mokuba was about to say more when an image flared in his mind of a bone-chilling face – no not a face, more like a skull, grinning from ear to ear in a deformed smile that made his stomach turn.  His perception was pulled backwards slowly as the skull-like face emerged upon shoulders which connected to a torso and legs.  It resembled a small boy, covered in a moldy fur coat, a blue knit hat clutched tightly on his head.  He held a dead and decaying carcass of a cat in his right hand, as though in sick offering.  His voice hit Mokuba's mind like rolling thunder, but it never reached his ears.  "Come play with me, Mokuba. Please come play…"

The Dogman's face then appeared, like a shadowy nightmare far worse than that of the dead boy.  His masked face leered over him as drool slid down the rubber fangs.  Then more shadows appeared behind him, all giants that seemed to tower over Mokuba.  Among them a bloated grinning woman dripping green water and flanking her were the eyeless, skinless wraithlike forms endlessly writhing on meat hooks. The ghastly montage washed forward in wave upon wave of cruelty and madness, and as the boy recoiled, the laughter lowered and became more familiar, singling in on one voice.  It was a terribly familiar voice that laughed and laughed with insane abandon, the creature's angry footsteps echoing about the empty hallways of the Overlook Hotel. Mokuba cringed; he knew he had no choice but to cut his telepathic connection short. The hotel was onto him, and now it knew that Pegasus was not only on his way, but that he was lost and cold, possibly abandoned to the fierce storm outside.  If the Overlook had its way, Pegasus would never reach the hotel alive.  But worse than that… Mokuba swallowed hard and his eyes filled with tears.

The group was still arguing, but Mokuba broke their debate with his low voice. "There's no need to fuss anymore, guys. The Dogman's gone, didn't you notice?"

The threesome stared at the boy, and then Tea responded. "You know, he's right! I can't believe how stupid we are!"

Tristan nodded, shoving Duke aside to try the handle. "Well that means we can finally get out of here and find out what's going on!"

Mokuba shook his head. "The hotel wouldn't let us out unless it was finished." He swallowed hard as he looked up at the other students with eyes moist and glassy. "It has my brother.  And we're too late to save him."

Silence filled the room before Mokuba continued.

"We're all doomed."