Ominous would be one way to describe the cave that they were entering, but there were plenty of other words that could be thought up, too. Foreboding. Somber. Daunting. Uninviting. The last synonym in particular was most fitting, and also the most opposing adjective that they would've liked to use as they filed into the cavern. No one wanted to go somewhere where they felt unwelcome. Yet this was the aura that had permeated every fiber of Drac, Johnny, Mavis, and Ericka's beings since they'd stepped foot inside.
The long hall of darkness seemed to stretch on and on, its wide rock walls narrowing down and making the space seem even more confining. Creepy crawlers and spiders scurried along beneath their feet, heard but unseen, and causing Drac to nearly stumble at their sudden passage almost every time. The sound of their footsteps shuffling along left behind the faintest echoes off the stone, an answering chill in the air sending more than enough shivers down spines. Their path went on like this for a while, until the surroundings began to change. Subtle details at first, such as the rock becoming slightly smoother with each progressing step, and then much more obvious ones, such as the eventual hard switch from the slate stone to a tiled flooring: that of an actual corridor.
It was styled in deep crimson and black shades, with decorative carvings and patterns inlaid onto the walls at regular intervals. Some were intricate, swirling ones that were clearly designed with the intention to be of the highest ornate quality. Others were simplistic, just straight lines interspersed with odd, random symbols and patterns, the latter looking far too complex to not have been created purposefully. Such features would have been missed in entirety had it not been for the torches that lined both sides of the corridor, aiding to illuminate their surroundings with its warm orange glow. Then, as if that weren't enough, something else came into sight, propped up on the wall as well and further down. It was when the group approached that they realized what it was. A portrait. In fact, a whole series of portraits, each larger than life and painted in a stunning acrylic medium framed with gilded silver and gold filigree.
It could be noted upon further inspection that the figures depicted were quite recognizable in fact, and Johnny couldn't help but voice his thoughts aloud. "Hey," he said, approaching the closest to him. "Is that... Bigfoot?"
As certain as the sun came out in the day, it sure was. The massive creature's giant foot was hardly unrecognizable to those who saw it, therefore, the redhead's inquiry came off as more of a rhetorical question.
"And that looks like the Creature from the Black Lagoon," Ericka added, pointing out one of the paintings on the other side. She recognized the swamp monster from his many visits to the hotel during the wet season.
"I just found the Phantom of the Opera," Mavis piped up, showing them the portrait of the half-masked ghoul.
"Seriously?" Drac scoffed. "They included that guy in this... Hall of Fame sort of thingy?"
"Aw, don't be so jelly, Drac," Johnny said. "I just found yours and your dad's! See?" He waved Drac over and showed him the said portraits of Vlad and the Count alongside each other. The paintings were grouped together with a third one adjacent to theirs, though Johnny scrunched his brow in confusion at attempting to search his brain for any recollection of who this third figure could be. "Uh, Drac... who is that other guy?"
The man took a closer look at the last portrait. It was a barrel-chested vampire in a rich black coat with cream fur lining the collar. A protruding jaw with an underbite of fangs was on his face, the monster's dark eyes glowing a menacing red that, even in painting form, felt as though they held you under its hypnotic power. Recognition flashed in Drac's eyes. "Lycidias..."
"Who?" Johnny said, having never heard such a name before. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and saw that it was Mavis's.
His wife was staring up at the portrait as grimly as her father was. "He was one of the first Dracula's... and the most powerful." Some kind of memory ran through Mavis's mind, though it remained unspoken, leaving the redhead to wonder just what it was. The girl not wishing to take a step closer to it, it was Drac who approached the portrait, and chose to run his fingers over the canvas surface. Its colors were still pristine, and no surface of dust coated it.
Then, almost as if it were in response to it, Dracula was startled by a sound. It was the flapping of bat wings, and it sounded as though it had come from just a short distance down the corridor. Upon investigating, the group discovered a set of large, wooden, double-doors - the end to the long hallway they'd trekked.
"The conference room," Drac mused aloud, remembering it from his last visit there. And, as he soon discovered, along with its enormity the doors were also quite heavy. He tugged and heaved for a good minute, grunting with exertion to try and get them open but ultimately doing so to no avail. He groaned, about to try it again, when Mavis grabbed him by the shoulders and attempted to move him aside.
"Oookay, Dad, that's enough for you. Take it easy, or you'll throw out your back again!"
"It's just a door, Mavy," he said, speaking in between his straining. "How hard... could it be... to open...?"
Mavis sighed. Her poor father. He just didn't want to give up and think that he was useless. So, humoring him, she quietly used her magic to make the doors open up wide before them, right as Drac exhausted his last push. He fell to the ground in surprise, but smiled. "See? Easy peasy! Now we can go in!"
Mavis stifled a chuckle as her father got back to his feet and eagerly proceeded with the others behind him. Her expression soon turned to one of astonishment though, as she beheld the expansive room before her eyes. The conference room, like one of humans, was large and quite spacious, able to hold as many of an estimated hundred or so individuals inside if need be, the seating arranged in an auditorium like fashion with an open section intended as a stage of sorts. But that was just about where the similarly ended, though. Because unlike one of humans, it was dank and grave, giving one the impression more of a cemetery. Or a dungeon. A very morbid place indeed, with its shadowy architecture, cobwebbed ceiling and dark, oppressive atmosphere. Even the torches did little to combat the depressing feeling pervading the space. If anything, they only brought attention to the stone statues near the ceiling, aged but not crumbling yet, each depicting some gruesome beast in various poses, all of which portrayed an unmistakable bloodlust in their eyes. The four stony bats at each corner of the ceiling were the only ones of the collection that did not hold the same level of malice within their still gazes. They sat peacefully perched, watching the intruders with their unmoving gray eyes. And somehow, that was even more unnerving than anything else in the spacious room.
But, let it be known that silence in the air will not long when in the presence of Johnathan Loughran. The redhead was always bound to make conversation of anything no matter what the situation may be, something the friends and family of Hotel Transylvania had learned long ago. This point in time was no different. Johnny had been silent thus far, but only because he stood in rapt observation of his surroundings, building up the words to say next. And, sure enough, they came.
"Yikes!" he exclaimed, rubbing his hands up and down his arms. "I mean, talk about a fixer-upper, am I right? There's gotta be something they can do about that draft. You do feel that chill, right? And this lighting... I mean, I'm all for being vintage, I have a thing for the hippie era of the 70s myself, but I could totally see some electrical wires being worked in somewhere in the walls here. Oh! And you know what else would be super cool? Escalators! That way it's a much smoother way to travel. Err, wait, no, maybe scooters would be better since – "
"HAhaHahA!"
Spooked by the sudden laughter that rang out, Johnny immediately stopped talking. He hadn't a clue where in the world it came from, as it sounded nothing like the recognizable tones of Mavis, Ericka, or Drac. There seemed to be nobody else in the room. Perhaps a ghoul or a haunted spirit? It wasn't implausible, and the disembodied voice began to actually speak.
"Well, well, well... our first visitors in nearly ten years, and already there is an attempt to 'correct' our ways. By a human, no less. An amusing notion, is it not, Orlock?"
A second voice, just as disembodied as the first, piped a response. "Indeed, but perhaps moreso, Lugosi. We are in the presence of three humans. Their scent is rank in the air... especially the fat one's."
Drac rolled his eyes, knowing that they were talking about him.
"He's not fat!" Johnny cried out, defending his father-in-law. "It's just water weight!"
"Yeah, exactly!" Drac agreed. "It's just water weight!" Then, in a low voice, he whispered to Ericka, "what in the heaven is that?"
"The hyper one is right," a third voice disembodied voice joined in. "We should not be rude to our guests. From what Jiangshi informed us, this unusual man is the one and only Count Dracula."
This brought a fourth voice into a frenzy.
"What? Are you out of your mind, Barnabas? Surely this gangly, pot-bellied, wannabe imposter couldn't be our Grand Vamp. More like the Grand Scamp!" This got her and the first two voices snickering.
"Be that as it may, Lamia," the third voice, Barnabas, said in an attempt to diffuse the situation, "but Jiangshi witnessed proof of the matter with his very eyes. He knows the consequences should he fib to us. He still bears the marks on his eyelids as reminder."
The other three voices murmured in a reluctant agreement. "So you say, Barnabas," the first voice, Lugosi, said. "But I must take a closer look for myself!"
"As I would," the second voice, Orlock, agreed.
"And I!" the third voice, Lamia, also added.
Barnabas sighed. "If you wish," he said.
Then, the great sound of flapping commenced, the four voices, as it turned out, having come from what had initially been believed to be stone bat statues. Instead, these bats turned out to be real bats, now rapidly descending upon the gathered four in the center of the room. Each bat landed with a great thump that resonated on the ground, the telltale magical chimes of vampiric power preceding the anticipated shapeshift that always followed. And what a shapeshift it was – each bat's wings morphed into a long, charcoal cape, lined a silky magenta color on the inside. Through the misty colored poofs clouds – red, purple, blue, and green respectively – they could make out the bats features shifting to be more humanoid. Noses turned pointed, large ears shrunk, gray fur turned to pale skin. The only thing remaining were the intuitive eyes, ever-watchful, glowing with interest in their mysterious red hue through the shadowed hoods that obscured most of the figures' faces.
As any curious creature would, the four vampires cocked their eyes and narrowed their eyes, an obvious scrutiny to their new arrivals. A distance was kept as they circled around, looking each up and down with a scrunched nose, tentatively sniffing, tentatively shifting a step closer in their long strides. A pause befell one of the cloaked figures upon coming across Mavis, some of the judgement dissipating from those piercing red orbs, and a more relaxed stance taking over the figure's posture. He nodded at her approvingly. "Ahh... so it would seem we do have a vampire in our midst," he said, the voice matching that of the one Mavis remembered to have been called Barnabas. "And you may be...?"
"Mavis Dracula," she answered coolly. "The daughter of Count Dracula."
"The daughter of Count Dracula," he echoed, the tone not mocking, but sounding more as though he were testing the very concept on his tongue. He peered at the other hooded vampires. "Jiangshi did mention something of a woman carrying him in. I had initially presumed she would've been human."
"Perhaps it was this one," another said, the voice matching the one to have been called Lugosi, and he gestured to Ericka. "He has her scent all over him... a rather pleasant one, if I may say." He leaned in to take a whiff, enraging the former Count himself.
"Okay, okay, back up!" Drac demanded, stepping in front of the woman. "Nobody takes a bite out of my wife, except for me!"
Mavis scrunched her nose at the threat. "Super gross, Dad," she muttered, trying not to envision something raunchy from his words.
Luckily, the hooded vampire did not interpret the meaning as such. Lugosi focused instead on another part of that sentence. "His wife. Did you hear that, fellas? Our supposed Count has gone off and married a human."
"I did too," Mavis cut in, standing next to Johnny and crossing her arms. "So what?"
The vampire shrugged. "It would seem that the Great Count Dracula has found such an appeal towards humans, that he has chosen to turn himself into one."
"A rather ambitious move, don't you think, Lugosi?" the other hooded vampire, voice matching to the one they remembered to have been called Orlock, said. Lugosi nodded.
Drac chuckled nervously. "Eh heh heh... more like an accidental move," he admitted.
"Is that so?" Orlock said, looking intrigued.
Dracula nodded. "Long story short, a transformation ray was used to turn Johnny into a monster, and my friends and I into humans."
"But the transformation had a mutation!" Johnny said, helping explain. "And Van Helsing told us that the mutation would keep happening to me if I stayed a monster too long, and turn me into some kind of tripped out maniac!"
The last of the four vampires, the one called Lamia, put a hand up. "I must stop you there, if I may. You mention a 'Van Helsing' fellow?"
"As in Abraham Van Helsing?" Lugosi said.
"Yeeep," Ericka answered. "My great-grandfather. I promise you we're not monster hunters anymore. But still, can't exactly say his new hobby of tinkering around in the lab is any safer, though."
The vampires chuckled to themselves, remembering just how quirky the professor and his entire line of ancestors were. "I could only imagine. Do go on," the vampiress said after a moment, composing herself.
Dracula sighed, and recounted the rest of the events that led them there. He told them about the perilous journey into the wild Amazon, with all its unpleasant heat, terrible humidity, and endless foliage. He explained how they'd ventured into the dangerous Crystal Cave, with all of its deadly obstacles that nearly fried, drowned, and scared him to death. He concluded in telling them about how the special red crystal was retrieved, and used for the ray to transform Johnny back. Johnny helped expand by telling of the heartwarming lessons learned and how he and Drac finally reconciled.
"... And then we gave each other the most AWESOMEST hug. Like this!" The redhead demonstrated by slinging his arms around his father-in-law's body, squeezing him tightly. It was so tight, in fact, that Drac could barely breathe!
"Okay, that's enough, Johnny," he wheezed.
"Whoops, sorry!" Johnny quickly realized Drac, and the man caught his breath before he continued.
"Yes, yes. We shared the hugs and the love, but then afterwards, when we got back to the blimp and began changing back, I..." He sighed, and forced the word out. "Didn't." Drac hung his head.
The vampires all looked invested in the tale. "I see," Lugosi said. "And we are correct to presume that you have attempted strategies of your own to resolve this issue?"
Drac raised a finger to speak, but Johnny beat him to it. "Most def! It was pretty freaky, too. First, our mummy friend tried to send him back in time but apparently they went too far back in time and came across this dinosaur, which was super scary! Well, I didn't see it, but I heard it was totally scary and awesome, and then the invisible dude tried to give him this potion he made, but it kinda gave him gas, so then Frank tried to do some kind of electrical experiment on him but that didn't work either! And neither did the werewolf man's idea to have Mavis bite him on the neck and transform him back. So, we're kinda lost at this point!"
A myriad of reactions were on the faces of everyone who had listened to Johnny's explanation. Mavis and Ericka had grimaced throughout the entire thing, not really wanting to remember how unsuccessful the thoughtful attempts had been. Dracula had tucked his head in between his shoulders, blood rushing to his cheeks in a furious blush of embarrassment. The four vampires' eyes were wide, silently glad that they had not been a witness to the chaotic scene described. "Yes... we are admittedly kind of lost, too," Orlock said, still processing the story.
"Perhaps you are, Orlock," Barnabas said. "But the manner in which I see it, the solution is a rather simple one."
"Oh? And you would know, Barnabas? As if we have handled a case like this before?" Lamia challenged.
"Do not be so cynical, Lamia," Barnabas said. "True, no situation such as this one has presented itself to us, but it is not to say that we cannot take the initiative and therefore take control of the matter."
Lamia rolled her eyes, skeptical. "And what 'solution' is this?" she asked.
Barnabas turned back to Dracula. "Your friend here..."
"My son-in-law," Drac clarified.
"Right. Your son-in-law here mentions that a bite was attempted by your daughter?"
"Correct," he said, pulling down the collar of his shirt to show the two puncture marks left from Mavis's fangs. Then he shook his head. "But it didn't work!"
"An unusual happening indeed," Barnabas mused. "As you are well aware, a vampire's bite can easily transform a human into the creatures themselves. With the strange effect that this gem has had on you, I propose we take this a step further."
Drac narrowed his eyes. "And by that you mean...?"
"Another vampire bite," he stated. "But this time... on the Blood Moon."
The skepticism initially felt by Lamia evaporated in an instant. "Ahhh, an excellent idea Barnabas!"
The other two vampires nodded. "A most intelligent notion!" Lugosi complimented.
Johnny raised an eyebrow. "The Blood Moon?" he questioned to Mavis.
Mavis on the other hand was quite excited. "Holy rabies, holy rabies! It really is a good idea! Right, Dad?" She looked at her father, who was contemplative.
"The Blood Moon..." Drac whispered. Then, like a switch had been turned on in the man, he straightened up and smiled broadly. "Why... why YES! Of course! Why didn't I think of that before?"
"Well, with the change from the vampire body into the human body, it is possible that the translation on the memory and cognitive functions will shift accordingly to fit with the aged brain," Orlock theorized.
Drac simply nodded in agreement, too happy to tell him that it was only a rhetorical question that he presented.
"Wait," Ericka said. "So what is this Blood Moon? How's it going to help?"
Lamia took the stage with this one. She stepped forward, and snapped her fingers. "Lugosi! My staff?"
The vampire conjured up the said item, and the woman grasped it in her hands. In tapping it on the ground, it produced a whooshing gust of wind, the sands and dust around them swirling in the air before the group and producing an image as she spoke.
"The Blood Moon is an astronomical event in which the moon, fully illuminated in the night by the sun's reflective rays, travels in such a way that passes within our Earth's shadow. A phenomenon better known to humans as – "
"A total lunar eclipse!" Ericka realized, watching as the sands and dust had depicted the recognizable orbs of the sun and moon.
Lamia nodded. "Precisely. Its effect is similar to the one that the Blue Moon has on werewolves. For it is at this time, under its glowing red light, that all vampires' powers are enhanced in its duration." The sands shifted to show the figure of a vampire, strikingly similar in appearance to Dracula as he was. Lamia kept talking, and made the figure move as she did.
"They become stronger."
The sand vampire was shown picking up an enormous boulder and smashing it to the ground where it splintered into pebbles, his muscles bulging.
"The ability to shapeshift expands significantly."
The sand vampire was shown morphing into a magnificent dragon, towering tall atop a mountaintop and breathing fire.
"And their vision is remarkable."
The sand vampire was shown up close at first, narrowing its eyes. Then, the vision shrunk to show the globe, and how he was able to see someone clear across to another continent.
"Wow!" Johnny said, fascinated by it all. "So it's kinda like becoming Superman!"
"Superwhat?" Drac asked in confusion.
"Come on, Drac, you remember when you and Dennis watched that movie last week where Batman was fighting that other guy with powers?"
Drac paused, and then did recall. "Oh, yes! That man with the red underwear."
"Ehhh," Johnny shrugged. "I guess it kinda looks like it. But anyway, he gets all those supercool laser-eyes and ice-breath and x-ray vision powers and stuff from being under the yellow sun. Except for you guys, it's the red moon!"
"The Blood Moon," Mavis gently reminded him.
Johnny nodded. "Right, exactly!"
Drac put his hands up, getting them back on track. "All right, listen, I don't know a whole lot about any 'Super Man,' but what I would like to know, is just when this next Blood Moon is." He glanced up at the four council members expectantly.
Lugosi stepped forth. "According to the most recent calculations that were determined, the next Blood Moon is not scheduled to occur until another year and a half – "
"A YEAR and a HALF?!" Dracula shouted at the top of his lungs in horror. "I'M STUCK AS A HUMAN FOR ANOTHER YEAR AND A HALF?!"
"- IF you do not make it to the one occurring in the next week," Lugosi finished, not too happy to have been interrupted by Drac's outburst.
The vampire-turned-human, no doubt on the verge of having his first heart attack, breathed a great sigh of relief. "Oh... Oh, thank goodness," he huffed. "This really is simple! We can just go back to Transylvania, and since the hotel is gone" - he paused, swallowing down a lump in his throat caused from emotion – "we can just check into that Holiday Inn by the airport and wait it out until – "
"Whoa there, 'hold your horses' as you humans say," Lugosi said. "We did not mention anything of the sort in regards to the location."
Drac blinked. "What? Agghh!" He couldn't help groaning. "I swear, I am going to go bat-poop if you tell me that it's the Amazon again!"
"Not to worry, Dracula," Lamia said, stifling a laugh as she conjured up the sands of the room again with her staff. "I think you will find the location quite appealing. A place of serenity and peace. Some humans even call it Paradise."
Dracula gasped at the vision she set before them. The palm trees, the volcanic structures, the vast sandy beaches... "Is that...?"
"Hawaii!" Johnny, Mavis, and Ericka exclaimed at the same time.
Drac gaped. "So let me get this straight: I have to go to Hawaii, get a bite under the light of the Blood Moon, and then everything will go back to normal?"
Barnabas put up a hand. "Now, please keep in mind that we are solely basing this on a theoretical concept. It may as well be possible that even the power that the Blood Moon provides cannot undo what has already been done. And if such is the case..." The vampire trailed off, suddenly rethinking what he was about to say.
But Dracula's interest was already piqued. "What?"
Barnabas consulted with the other vampires. "Perhaps we should wait to tell him?"
The three shook their heads. "I'm afraid you have already opened the can of worms, so to speak," Lamia said.
"Very well," Barnabas conceded, and addressed Drac once more. "In accordance with the ancient vampire law, we will be forced to resign your position of Grand Vamp to the next eligible contender."
Drac sucked in a breath. "No!" he whined. "No, you can't do that! I've been with you for hundreds of years!"
The council members shook their heads. "I'm afraid it is what must be done," Orlock stated matter-of-factly.
"Come on, there has to be a loophole or something?" Drac pleaded.
Again, the vampires shook their heads.
Drac crossed his arms and pouted. "And who in the world could that 'contender' possibly be?"
"Me."
All heads whipped around to the source of the new voice, gruff and accented, and belonging to a familiar vampire woman with deep purple attire, her facial features similar to those of Drac's, and a tall black and white swirled hairstyle.
Drac recoiled in disgust. "YOU? Ugh!"
"Well, that's hardly a way to greet the sister you haven't seen in over a decade," she scoffed, turning her nose up at him.
Ericka's eyes widened, and she looked at Mavis, mouthing the word "sister" with a question in her eyes.
Mavis nodded reluctantly. "Aunt Lydia," she mumbled between gritted teeth.
"Oh, I was talking about that ridiculous chicken you still have," Drac sneered at the woman, referencing the peculiar hen that was only just noticed by the rest, the feathers having blended in with her hair. It clucked apprehensively, then snuggled deeper into the strands. "You on the other hand?" Drac said, continuing. "I have nothing to say about or to you!"
Now Lydia began to get annoyed. "Well, you're never a sight for sore eyes. Even worse this time around," she said, gesturing to his unsightly human self.
Drac groaned, looking up at the council members. "Does it have to be her?"
They nodded. "She is the next in line."
Drac pinched the bridge of his nose while Lydia stood off to the side, smirking.
"There's no need to worry, my younger brother," she said insincerely. "You can trust me."
"Trust you?" Drac exclaimed. "Trust you? Is that what you said? After you tried sabotaging my daughter and the hotel, you expect me to TRUST YOU?!" He gnashed his teeth at her, his face red.
But Lydia only clicked her tongue. "Not as effective without your roar," she chuckled.
Dracula growled with rage, but Mavis grabbed him by the shoulders and tugged him away before any more could ensue. "Okay Dad, let's tone it down a notch and stop yelling at folks. No matter how much they deserve it," she said, glaring at Lydia.
Lydia scoffed with indifference. "I am not 'folks,' I am your Aunt."
"Sadly," Mavis muttered. She gathered her father, Johnny, and Ericka in a secluded little group huddle, the four speaking in low tones.
"Okay, so we don't want Lydia to be the Grand Vamp," Mavis started. "I think we can all agree on that."
Ericka raised a hand. "I didn't even know about the existence of that woman until about a minute ago, but I can give a definite no on that."
"Same!" Johnny said with a sharp nod of his head. "She's totally giving me the creeps." He dared a glance back at her, the woman giving him a sinister smile. He surprised a startled cry and got back to the conversation.
"At the same time, we've kind of got our hands tied here," Mavis continued. "I am every bit confident that the bite on the Blood Moon is going to work like they say, but still there's that chance that it won't."
Worrisome looks were exchanged amongst the four.
"So what are we going to do?" Drac asked. It was difficult to tell who was the most concerned over everything, but it would be natural to assume that it was he, given that he was the one that the whole ordeal was centered upon.
"I'll tell you what we're going to do," Ericka said with determination. "We're going to get Drac to Hawaii as soon as possible, hang out there for about a week until Mavis can do the bite under the Blood Moon, and then BOOM!" She clapped her hands together for emphasis. "Good as new!"
Mavis grinned. "You pretty much stole the words right out of my mouth, Ericka," she chuckled, fist bumping the woman. "Only, I'm going to be meeting you guys there."
"Huh?" Drac, Ericka, and Johnny were surprised to hear this.
"But Mavy!" Drac said. "You are the one who has to do the bite!"
"Plus, it's Hawaii," Johnny said, mimicking a grass skirt dance. "Hon, you remember how much fun we had in Waikiki on our vacation a couple years before Dennis was born?"
"I know Johnny," Mavis said, "and I would love to do that again. But, I had a more important project I really wanted to get started on. Just as important as trying to get Dad back to normal." She looked at her father deeply in the eyes and took his frail hands into hers. "Daddy," she said softly, "Let me rebuild the hotel for you."
Drac was aghast. "What?"
"I think with a good crew, we should be able to get quite a bit started in the next week," she said confidently. "And I'll make sure to have it built just the way it was."
Drac was silent for a moment, thinking. Then he shook his head. "No."
The grin on Mavis's face dissipated, morphing into one of perplexity. "But Dad, why not? You don't trust me?"
"Oh, Mavy," he cooed, caressing her cheek with a hand and tucking a lock of her black hair behind her ear. "Of course I trust you, my little devil chops. In fact, I trust you so much, that I want you to build the hotel the way you want to. You and Johnny."
Johnny's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "Whoa, seriously dude?"
"You are a part of this family, aren't you?" Drac asked, playfully giving Johnny a side hug and pulling him in closer.
The redhead beamed. "SWEET!" He buzzed with excitement. "So wait, so wait, does this mean I can add in horizontal escalators?"
"Yes," Drac replied.
"And have name tags for all the casual guest relations?"
"Yes."
"And place green-energy-saving options?"
"That is right."
"And have stationary bikes in each room as a power source?"
"I've been saying yes, right?"
"And put a rock-climbing wall in the lobby?"
"If you can think it, you can do it Johnny."
"Oh! And what about – "
"JOHNNY," Drac said, getting his son-in-law's attention. He waved a warning finger at him. "Don't make me change my mind!"
Johnny smiled sheepishly. "Whoops! Sorry, Drac, I'm just so pumped up!"
"I know you are," Drac said, unable to help laughing. "Just take it down a notch for me, okay?"
"Sure thing, Drac," he replied, sneaking in one last hug before letting the man be.
With that, Drac, Johnny, Mavis, and Ericka all broke from their huddle and went back to the council.
"Uggh, it's about time," Lydia snarled. "Any more of that sunshine and rainbows nonsense, and I would have thrown up."
The spiteful vampire woman was ignored, and Drac spoke up. "We have come to a decision."
"Is that so," Lydia mocked again. "Not that there was much of one to begin with. You could just give me title of Grand Vamp and be done with it!"
"Hush now, Lydia," Lamia said, her tone demanding. "Our current Grand Vamp is speaking."
Lydia frowned in annoyance. "Grand Vamp? Fah! He's not even a vampire right now!"
"You were told be QUIET!" Lamia boomed, smashing the staff against the ground. A boom of thunder and a flash of lightning erupted inside the room, and Lydia was magically thrown to one corner, her lips zipped. She protested with angry muffles, waving her arms about wildly, but unable to move from her spot.
Dracula grinned at the sight, and proceeded to finish his thought. "I will be present for the Blood Moon in Hawaii and proceed with transformation as discussed."
At that, Barnabas, Orlock, Lugosi, and Lamia exchanged glances among each other, nodding with approval. They gave a slight bow to Drac in a respectful unison, their final words to the group ringing in their ears for the rest of that evening.
"Then go forth, and see that it be done."