Dodavion's Dark Return

Nearly an hour passed. The bottle was almost empty and Joe was half asleep. He was about to completely nod off when he heard a key turning in the lock. He jerked his head up, rubbing his temples.
It was Krit.

"You sure took your time getting here...," Joe said tiredly. "I was beginning to think that-"

"That I wouldn't come?" Krit finished. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."

Outside things seemed to grow darker. Past the pitch blackness that already was and into depths unknown.

It started to rain. Heavy. Water poured down in endless sheets from the cloud choked sky.
Zephyr wrapped herself in a dark cloak and quickly made her way to the pub.

Adrastia was busy locking up her own bar when Merge ran in.
"You better hurry, Tia," he urged. "And don't forget the book."

When everyone finally congregated at the pub, Joe looked around shaking his head. "I really hate to do this... Especially now. But I guess it can't be helped. Tia, if you would be so kind..."

Adrastia took a large, leatherbound book from a bag slung over her shoulder and placed it on the table everyone was seated at.
"Are you sure, Joe?" She asked. "You do know how dangerous this could be..."

Joe nodded and began to page through the tome. Krit poured himself some mako tea and offered the rest to the others.

"Found it yet, Joe?" Zephyr asked.

Joe shook his head and continued to search the book. Merge leaned over his shoulder curiously. Suddenly he saw something familiar and pointed it out. "That's it..., Right?"

"Yes," Joe replied, sighing. "That's it..."

"This isn't a normal seance...," Adrastia said. "Infact, it really isn't a seance at all. We aren't contacting the dead..."

"Close enough though...," Krit said, sipping mako tea. "Close enough..."

"Zephyr and Tia should start this...," Joe began.

"Why?" The two women asked, nearly in unison.

"Well," Joe explained. "Zephyr has the shrine. And isn't Halloween your favorite holiday, Tia?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Adrastia asked.

"Well...."

"AHEM!"

"It's the.... the.... Well, just look at you!" Merge cried, finishing Joe's thought.

Adrastia grumbled and began to follow the text with her fingers. "Dodavion.... Hmm... I don't know much latin... But, oh well. Let us start."

Everything was silent as Adrastia and Zephyr began to chant the text. Their voices were soft and elegant. Krit placed an offering of materia on the table, Joe's offering was water from the Lifestream.
Merge came foward with the final, and perhaps most important gift. A bottle filled with a certain alchoholic beverage. Dodavion's signiture brew. The Scott Hall Special.

The objects were arranged around the lamp fueled by mako oil. When the chanting stopped, so did the flame.

A bolt of lightning struck one of the old oaks outside. It fell, crashing through the window of the pub. Everyone took cover.

Joe got up cautiously. Brushing glass off of himself. Blood ran down his neck. "That was close..."

"Is that supposed to happen?" Merge asked. "Damn...."

"Where is Dodavion?" Krit said, helping Adrastia up. Joe helped Zephyr and Merge and they all looked around. There was nothing.

"Something is wrong...," Zephyr said cautiously.

She looked towards the window "glass blew around her suddenly and fiercely. She cast Barrier quickly but not quick enough to save her face from being cut a few times.

Something rose up from behind the tree, laughing.
"It sounds like Dodavion...," Merge said.

"That's because it is Dodavion!" The voice hissed.

Adrastia stepped back. "Vampire....," she whispered.

"What the hell!" Merge said. "What happened here? How could Dodavion be a vampire?"

"I don't know," Adrastia answered, turning to Zephyr. "Do you?"

Zephyr nodded and picked the old book up from the floor. Glass spilled off of the pages. "Perhaps Adrastia contaminated the spell....."

Dodavion laughed maniacaly. "You should never let a vampire ressurrect someone from beyond the dimensions!"

"I'm sorry...."

Krit drew his katana. "Let's get rid of him before something happens!"

"I don't think so wolfy!" Dark Dodavion hissed as he flew away laughing.

Outside the sky began to clear up. Then, the clocks started going backwards.

No one in the bar was effected by the time flux because Dodavion had other plans for them.

"He's using the power of the Feezy to turn back time," Merge said.

"But why?" Krit mused. "What's the point..."

Joe nodded as he absently kicked away a large oak twig.
"Halloween was cancelled because of threatening storms and high winds. Now it's all cleared up... And if it stays that way then Dodavion can prey upon the trick or treaters that would of been out earlier..."

"If he turns back time...," Zephyr finished.

With this said everyone rushed outside.

It was easy to see how the time spell had changed things. The sun was just going down now and children were out on the streets with their candy bags.

"We have to stop them. Warn them." Merge said. "Did you grab the book Tia?"

She nodded and tapped the cover. "Maybe I should give it to Zephyr... You know, since I..."

Zephy shook her head. "You may be the only one who can send him back now...."

"And it's not your fault," Joe added.

"Isn't that Cadarn?" Adrastia said, pointing to a man in a chicken costume. "Aren't you a little old for halloween?"

"Err.... uhh.... I have this thing for M&Ms..." Cadarn answered. "What's your excuse?"

Joe explained what had happened. He was quick and to the point. Soon Cadarn was running off to warn people about Dodavion. He dropped a few M&Ms on the sidewalk and they quickly turned evil and ran into the sewers.

In the flickering light of the decorated streets Zephyr saw a shadow. "Dodavion..."

He was accosting a girl dressed as Aeris.

"Let me go!" She screamed, trying to turn away from the hissing fangs of Dark Dodavion.

"Get off of her!" Krit cried, unsheathing his katana. Dodavion dropped the girl who was quickly sheilded from harm by Adrastia.

"Hey there wolfy! Have you seen my mad skills?" The evil vampire asked as he floated towards Krit.

Zephyr zapped him with lightning and he laughed viciously.

"I don't like it when people disturb my meals!" He yelled, zapping Zephyr with the power of Feezy. She was thrown back and Joe ran to her.

Krit tried to slash at Dodavin but he quickly turned to wraith form, rendering the noble attacks useless.

Zephyr struggled to get back up and zapped him again. He screamed.

"When he's a wraith he's weak against magic...," Adrastia said.

Adrastia cast Firestorm on him and Merge finished with Star Flare, causing Dodavion to return to his fleshy form. Krit then wounded him with a quick slash and he disappeared.

"Where'd he go now?" Joe asked.

"There's a Halloween party at the YMCA....," the girl in the Aeris costume said. "Maybe he went there..."

"Then we had better go there too." Merge said.

"But what if he went elsewhere?" Zephyr asked.

Adrastia shook her head "No, that's where he went.... I can feel it...."

"What's your name kid?" Joe asked the little girl, who was still quite shaken.

"Windy...," she answered.

"Run home Windy," Joe said. "And don't stop for any reason."

"And don't go back outside...," Merge finished as they started off towards the YMCA.

Even a block away from the building screams could be heard. They rushed in to see the ensuing bloodbath was about to get worse.

Dodavion had already exsanguinated about a dozen people and he didn't seem even partially satiated.

"He'll never stop feeding.....," Adrastia sighed. "He's cursed. "We have to stop him."

The evil vampire spotted the five of them and dropped the lifeless body of Ass Wind to the floor. Dodavion then began to fade out.

"Your stupid wraith trick won't work with us anymore!" Merge cried, readying Star Flare. "You must be pretty stupid."

Dodavion hissed and rushed towards Merge, who narrowly dodged his pursuit.

"You had to make him mad....," Zephyr sighed.

Dodavion crashed into the refreshment table after Merge, who was now running. He tripped over the body of El Fred, who was barely alive and muttering something about super ninja robots.

The pursuit gave the party goers time to escape but Merge was caught, fangs scraping against his neck.

"No!" He cried. "Help!"

"Come any closer and I'll exsanguinate him with my mad skills! Feezy skills!" Dodavion hissed.

"Your bluffing!" Adrastia said.

"Oh really? Want to see how much I'm bluffing?"
He opened his mouth wider, hissing louder.

"In wraith form you can be hurt by magic, in flesh form by weapons. We have both, Dodavion. Now let Merge go."

"Never!" He cried. "You brought me back from limbo and you cursed me with your vampiric powers! You should of known better! Now everyone will feel my pain! Arise, servants of Feezy!"

Dodavion threw Merge down and snapped his fingers. All of the bodies arose, zombie-like, from the floor.

Merge then kicked him and he spun around. "Very funny!" He yelled. But if I don't get you, then they will!"

"Zombies will destroy the town!" Joe cried. "Barricade the doors, don't let them out!"

Zephyr rushed to the entrance and Adrastia to the exit, each putting up strong magic barriers. Krit began beheading zombies with his katana and Joe unsheathed Bloodlust. Merge was more than ready to cast Star Flare.

"Give it up, Dodavion!" Joe ordered. "You are completely cornered and sealed in. And you know it!"

"Never!" Dodavion cried. "Servants of Feezy! Attack!"

The zombies began to spit poison and shoot bolts of energy. Krit had to dash out of the path of their projectiles several times. He beheaded five zombies in a row but there were still atleast twenty left.

Merge cast Star Flare, reducing three of the zombies to ashes. "We just wanted you back Dodavion. We didn't know that you would end up evil."

"Too late for apologies!" Dark Dodavion cried, firing bolts of super strong Feezy laden power. Merge and Krit were thrown back.

Joe rushed at him with the Bloodlust, slashing feircly. Dodavion's left arm fell to the floor. He screamed.

"Tia!" Joe cried. "The book!"

Still exerting most of her energy to keep the barrier up, Adrastia paged quickly through the book until she found the incantation for sealing summoned beings.
"He has to be weakened!"

Joe quickly chopped off another arm while Dodavion was stil dazed.

"AHHH! Look what you did!"
Adrastia started chanting the spell to seal Dodavion up. A well of enery appeared in the middle of the floor. Joe restrained him while Krit and Merge continued to pick off the remaining zombies.

"Feezy will never let you get away with this!"

"You forget," Joe said. "Feezy hates vampires."

Suddenly a thunderous laugh was heard far off past the heavens. Dodavion began to lose his powers.

"Why has thou forsaken me!" He cried as the seal began to draw him in.

Suddenly Dodavion gained a final burst of energy and zapped Joe who dropped his sword.

Zephyr then broke her barrier and cast a lighning bolt his way. Dodavion was drawn further into the seal as Adrastia finished the incantation.

With a sudden flash Dodavion was gone and the zombies fell to the floor, motionless. Krit and Merge beheaded the last six just in case as Adrastia and Zephyr ran to Joe.

"You ok?" Adrastia asked.

He nodded and got up, retrieving his sword. "I'm fine."

"Good," Zephyr said, relieved. "As for Dodavion..."

"Vampires aren't meant to ressurect dormant beings with this book I suppose....," Adrastia said. "But the curse on him should be broken now. Maybe someday we can bring him back..."

"And this time we'll have only mortals chant the spell." Joe said.

"Yeah..."

The group went back to the pub and Zephyr set the book on the bar, brushing away broken glass.
"This incantation will recant the time spell that the evil Dodavion used," she said.

"So none of this would of ever happened?" Lonewolf asked.

Zephyr nodded. "And only we would know..."

Everyone nodded in agreement and Zephyr chanted the spell. Outside time began to flow backwards, the sky filled with clouds and the fallen tree once again stood tall. The glass flew up, each shard finding it's rightfull place as the broken window melded back together, becoming whole once more.

Zephyr then closed the book. "It's done," she said solemnly.

"I'm so glad that it's over...," Adrastia said.

"Yeah, me too...," Joe said tiredly.

Krit began to clean his katana. "I can't remember the last time I killed that many zombies."

"Atleast none of us were seriously hurt," Zephyr said, relieved. "I thought Merge was a goner."

Merge grabbed the book and looked through it. "Hey, you think Dodavion is mad at us now?"

Adrastia nodded. "Yeah, but I'm sure he'll get over it."

"Hey," Merge said. "I got an idea! Next Halloween, let's ressurect Ass Wind!"

Everyone glared at him. Adrastia grabbed the book and burned it with her magic fire.

"No way Merge!" They all said in unison. "Not in a million years!"

THE END!

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