A/N: Another chapter, another chance for me to thank all of you for reading. Thank you so very much! Alright, we're jumping right in, so please stay with me.

A deepening dream

A soft song

Insanity's gentle caress

It is a carnival of a dark and beautiful madness

Chapter 8: Madness Carnival

BAM

"Yuri Black Jack Lowell!"

BAM

"E-E-E-EGGBEAR!"

"Less talkin' more running Karol!"

Outside of Yuri and Estelle's "oblivious bubble" the room grew very tense. Not moments after they started for the stairs, both doors on either side exploded open. On one side, a blonde, bunny-eared woman wearing knightly armor rushed into the room. Her panicked eyes grew angered the instant she set them upon the rabbit-eared swordsman. Her jaw grew tight with every moment she glared at him.

The other door had opened to reveal two other in armor. Though lacking the azure of knights, they still looked far from being servants or peasants. The boy had a look of fear in his eyes, and his face is pale with fright. The older man looked afraid, but no where near as much as his young companion.

"DosomethingRavenBlackJackLowellwhatareyoudoinghereWhatdoyouwantmetodoaboutHeyanswermealready!"

Rita covered her ears when the knight and the two frightened warriors started talking at once, "Gah, shut up already!" She roared in frustration. The silence that suddenly hung in the room settled her throbbing head, "Good, keep it that way."

"Hey," The knight squinted her violet eyes at Rita, "aren't you that maid that dances in the Dining Hall?" She looked beside Rita and at Fen, "And you too."

Before Rita could speak, Fen put his arm around her shoulders, "Glad you recognized us." He grinned despite Rita's heel pressing into his foot.

"Hands off mutt."

Judy, although amused by Fen's antics, decided it best not to test this woman's patience. "What's the problem?" Her smooth smile faltered a little when the knight's eyes angrily glared daggers at the side of Yuri's head. Repede rolled his eyes, as if knowing what is coming next.

"Grr, I don't have time for you anyway Lowell!" She made sure to spit his name before rushing towards the stairs, "I have to warn Sir Whitehorse!"

"Hold on, Whitehorse is-" Rita tried to warn her before she stormed up the stairs towards the north tower, "or you can just run around like a blockhead." Her expression grew uninterested, "That's what I get for trying to care."

Fen looked at the direction she had come from, "Hmm," He turned to look at Judy, "You deal with those two," He pointed to the frantic looking warriors, "I'll go see what she was so flustered about." He walked towards the door to their left, only to stop suddenly.

"Something wrong?" Rita tapped her foot.

"I smell something." Fen looked around and noticed the room looked different somehow.

The boy still standing near the door yelped when it suddenly slammed closed once more. "T-That's not good." He whined when the other doors slammed closed, locking them within the small intersection of hallways.

"I'm getting too old for this type of thing." His older companion made his way towards Judy and the others. He quickly snapped Yuri and Estelle out of their trance, "No time for romance kids, I think we're not alone in here."

Yuri glanced towards Estelle once more before drawing his sword. "The shadows are moving again."

"Grrr," Repede caught a whiff of the gathering black fog and growled. His animal instincts told him all he needed to know about what is going to happen. He reached over his shoulder and took the dagger between his teeth.

Estelle gasped at the feeling that washed through her body. It started as a light tug in her chest before expanding to her entire body, almost like she is underwater. "Something is... different." Her hand went to the base of her throat when she felt a cold touch brush her skin. Indeed, this is different.

In much the same fashion as before, the black fog swirled with a chilling wail. As if alive, the fog built up like a thin cyclone. It split into three parts and entered the walls of the room, wailing as it passed through. Not a breath later, three golems of plaster, steel wire, and marble parted from the walls. Large, white pillars made up their arm from elbow to hands.

"Stay back Estelle," Yuri stepped in front of her and joined the others in facing the Sentinels.

All three golems rushed them, leading with their marble-covered shoulders. Everyone swiftly moved out of the way and allowed the trio to slam their shoulders together. They turned and reached for those behind them, narrowly missing the small boy and Rita.

"Karol," Raven jumped over the broad reach of a golem and fired three arrows towards another. The moment he landed, he readied his dagger and weaved between the short legs of the Sentinel. Sparks danced as he scraped the marble that made up its legs, "Its too tough, I can't do any damage."

"Azure Edge!" A burst of blue light struck the Sentinel's leg behind the knee. Its leg easily gave out, forcing it to kneel and forget its pursuit of Repede. "Go for it Judy!" Yuri looked upwards and watched Judy flip and slam her heel against the Sentinel's head, cracking it.

Judy landed lightly on her feet and rushed to Karol. "Need some help?"

The boy's jaw tightened as the second Sentinel pushed against his large sword. "Please hurry." He whimpered as a pain shot through his arm. He looked behind him, "How much more time do you need?"

"A few more seconds, don't rush me!" Rita growled and continued to focus.

"Then allow me." Fen summersaulted to Judy's side, "Shall we?"

Judy smiled at the unsuspecting Sentinel, "After you." Both leaped high into the air before Judy placed her foot in Fen's clasped hands. With a grunt, he catapulted her higher, while he prepared for his part of the attack. Judy threw her weight forward and sent herself spinning for the Sentinel's back.

Fen landed on the ground and charged in low, his fists held down t scrape the floor. With a strong cry, he drove his fist into the golem's leg and broke it in two. The Sentinel roared as it topped down, only to have Judy slam into the base of its neck, destroying its head completely. The wolf-eared butler shook his stinging hand, "Punching through stone can't be good for the knuckles."

"Oh, don't be a baby." Judy smirked at him. A frightened yell drew their attention to the other side of the room. The third Sentinel had slapped Repede aside and is now closing in on Estelle.

Fen looked back, "Rita!"

"I can't reach that far, I'd have to start all over again!" She cursed her miscalculation, "Get to her Fen!"

"I won't make it in time!" He yelled back, already rushing as fast he can. "Yuri, get Estelle!"

The bunny-eared swordsman slid between his enemy's legs and bee-lined for Estelle. Unfortunately, he is too far to get to her in time also.

Estelle felt the wall at her back as the towering golem closed in on her. She wanted to scream for help, but couldn't. Frantic, she glanced around for a way out, but the golem had trapped her in a corner. The only way out is through it. Her emerald eyes closed tightly. For the first time, she wished she was back in her room, only reading about such things.

Didn't I tell you to not be afraid?

"Huh?" Estelle opened her eyes at the voice. Everything froze and was bathed in a blue hue. Her body jerked suddenly, as if hands are guiding her. She felt one hand grip her wrist and raise her hand towards the Sentinel.

Now focus. See your power.

Her heart suddenly felt hot, as a white light filled her vision. Just before the flash of bright light, she saw the Nightingale perched on her wrist. When the light faded, Estelle gasped at what she saw. The Sentinel was pushed back by the intense light. It fell onto its back, only to look up at spears of light hovering over it. The lances skewered the golem, greatly damaging its torso.

"Estelle," Yuri took her by the hand and ran out of the corner and towards the others. When gathered with their friends, he stopped her, "Estelle that was amazing!"

"Yeah, that was really cool!" Karol grinned up at her, "How did you do that!?"

Estelle looked down, cheeks pink at the attention, "I don't really know." She looked at Rita, "Is it just another power from being the Child of the Full Moon?"

The scholarly maid tapped her chin, still deciphering the possibilities, "That would be the simple answer." She stared at Estelle with a strange expression. A part of her suspected there's more to this than Estelle just stumbling on to these powers. And what of that man Judy had mentioned?

"We should figure it out later," Raven called their attention forward, "we still have company." All three Sentinels got up to regroup. One hopped on one foot, headless, while the other two simply towered over all of them. They roared again before beginning their charge, but stopped at a loud banging noise.

BANG BANG BANG

Everyone looked to one of the three doors. It shook violently, the hinges whining under great stress. Karol and Raven paled when they realized it is the door they had entered through.

BANG BANG BANG

"Uh oh," Karol and Raven chorused and looked at each other with wide eyes.

Estelle blinked, "What could that be?"

His face falling in exasperated horror, Fen looked at Karol, "Didn't you say something about an Eggbear not too long ago?"

BANG

Karol shivered, "Oh no."

BANG

He ducked his head and whimpered, "Oh no, oh no, oh no!"

Fen hummed, "Maybe I shouldn't have brought it inside." He felt Rita glare at him.

CRASH

The door finally gave in and shattered. The cloud of splintered wood, dust, and shattered hinges soon lifted to reveal... a small, teddy-bear-like creature. It waddled into the room and glanced around with big, brown eyes.

"Its so... cute." Estelle fought the urge to run over and hug it.

Rita slowly looked at Fen, "You mind explaining how that thing got in here!?"

"Nope, I'm good." Fen whistled and slowly made his way to the stairs, one step at a time. He side-stepped the golems and tip-toed up the first three stairs.

Estelle's forehead wrinkled with confusion, "How can such a small thing make so much noise anyway?" She's certain it is no taller than her knee. Her look of confusion turned to shock when its stomach growled like an angry lion, "Oh my."

"Oh no." Rita groaned.

"Oh shit." Yuri snatched Estelle up by her waste and threw her over his shoulder, "RUN!" A part of him wasn't surprised when he saw Raven, Repede, Karol, and Judy already on the stairs with Fen. He was surprised to see Rita not too far behind.

Estelle, however, was baffled when she saw the small, cute, teddy-bear suddenly grow into a monstrously huge bear. Its club-like arms ended with long, razor-sharp claws. Glowing, red eyes grew feral when it let out a bellowing roar that rattled the entire room, "I liked the other one better." She pouted.

"What about the golems?" Estelle asked when Yuri finally set her back down.

"Woof!" Repede seemed to shrug his shoulders and saunter up the staircase.

"For once, I agree with the dog." Rita scowled at the thought.

Karol nodded, still shivering at the chaotic sounds of the Eggbear fighting the Sentinels, "I-I'm not going back down there!"

"Our goal is to light the next statue right? I think there's one in the north tower." Judy followed Repede.

Yuri nodded, "That way, we can see about Whitehorse and light the statue." He looked back at Estelle and offered his hand, "You coming?"

Estelle smiled and reached out for his hand, but another beat her to it. "Ahh, it does my heart good to see the young people helpin' out the elderly." Raven took Yuri's hand and pulled himself along. Without another word, he caught up with Judy and took her hand, "I can't call myself a man if I don't watch out for the ladies." He smirked at Judy, "Right?"

"Sorry," The fox-eared woman smiled sweetly, "but I'm spoken for."

Raven gasped, "M-M-Married!? When!?"

"Oh I'm not married." Judy continued to smile as she forcefully removed her hand from Raven's grasp.

"Then what did you mean?"

Still holding her sweet smile, Judy brandished her black lance, "Are you sure you want to know?"

Raven fell back to hide behind Fen, "No, that's alright, I'm fine."

"Great," Rita snorted, "another goof to finish the set."

A/N: Haha, nothing says fun like a comical encounter with an Eggbear. Sorry this was a bit later than the others. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for reading, and please leave a review!