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"WHAT IS THAT FLASH DOES ANY-"

Danny blinked a few times. Wait a second. This was where they had began! The flash, the traps, the tent, all of it was gone. Had it ever even happened? Was this one of those col deja vu thingies??

Wait no, Roch was standing right there talking with Riyo and ... Okay yeah, something weird had definitely just happened. Her head hurt just thinking about the bright flash that seemed to wipe her from oblivion. Every time she thought of it, her mind went blank- an instinct, a response to ...

So did this mean she had died?

For once in her life, Danny quiet walked to Roch's side, and didn't say a word.

((Entering from Gauntlet))

Chrsitof had been untying her legs, and Clader was pushing herself back to her hooves again. Back up. Back up! They would get up, and Chrsitof would ride her, and they would get going. Come one! COME ON! What sort of kelpie was she if she wasn't even catching up. All she wanted to do was trample those cloaked creatures. All she wanted to do was break in and throw them away. To scoop up the demon, have him safe and secure on her back, and run away. She just wanted Barth back - safe and sound.

And just as she felt the chain slip away from her ankle and rose up, bowing to let Christof get on once more - determined she would not trip again - the world flashed white. The ghoul cried out again, and before she could cry out once more, he dissipated.

He awoke, collecting into solid matter on the ground. Tittering, Calder touched his head and sat up, looking about. Hands. No longer a mare.. Groggy, sore, and feeling sick to his stomach, his eyes focused before his ears perked up in alarm. This wasn't the battle field. They were not thrown back to recover and attempt to go to where Barth was. In fact, Barth wasn't anywhere.

He struggled to get to his feet, ankle sore and butt aching from the hunter attacks, before he stood. Students were all about, but as his eyes darted about, looking for the slouching form of the sloth demon, he saw no such student.

He wasn't here. "Barth?" No where. If he wasn't here....If he wasn't here.....

A equine cry shot out. "BARTH?!" Where was he? Where was that place? How could they get there? That ghoul that brought them - the one with pink hair. She knew. Where was she? Did anyone know? "BARTH?!!!"

((Entering from Gaunlet))

Willow's head was spinning. The bright light, oh jack that stung... then suddenly she felt herself hit the ground. "Ugh..." Even as a ghost that hurt.

She sat up looking around for Bul, Demi, Cady and Bea. She hadn't seen Bea in the tent either.... her ears fell as she looked around. Where were they... wait this was outside of the house.... Was she back where they had started!?

Her eyes went large as she looked around, others were there too. Freya looked kinda bad and the panic of Calder yelling for Barth. Willow wasn't really sure what to do. She looked this way and that before slowly getting up.

"What happened?" She asked looking at Calder before moving towards the Kelpie, looking concerned.

Entering from the Gauntlet
Team Misery Inc

Christof groaned, reeling from the sudden warp in time and space. He was... and Calder was... he glanced around frantically, for any sign of the horse, but all he heard was Calder's voice suddenly shrieking exactly what was on his mind. Where was Barth?

Master... Master! No, no no no no NO NO NO NO NO NO!! Without bothering to check to see if everyone else was accounted for, the hunchback suddenly lurched towards the building's front door, fists raised- was he in there? Behind? Where had they been? He was all turned around with all of this teleporting or whatever but... but.. no no no they HAD him they couldn't have him! They COULDN'T HAVE HIM! "HRRRRRRRRNNNN!!" He wailed, slamming fist after fist against the door uselessly before finally staggering back. Another way in, there had to be another way in, maybe around... they had been outside, maybe he was still nearby- he knew it was suicide to try alone but he HAD to try!

Barth was... Barth was his Master! His... his... his... he was... he was *family*... more of a brother than he had ever had, more family than he'd ever had. And now he was gone.

His breathing came in sharp spurts as the panic attack gripped him, frantically clawing at his sleeve to check- yes, the Mark was still there. Barth was still alive.

Shaking, he dropped down to the front step, rocking back and forth as he pressed the marked hand against his face, frantically trying to think. If... if he commanded him to come to him maybe... maybe he... no, no those horrible people would kill him on sight. He... what... he... they had been so close... he had been *right there*... he... but he had been useless. Failure. Bad Parts. He had been a bad Igor.... he shouldn't have let him out of his sight, he shouldn't have....

He felt like he was going to throw up.

He wished Mistress was there more than ever, she would have torn them all limb from limb, sliced through them all like so much butter, cleared the way for him to get his Sloth Demon back.

But she wasn't here. This wasn't her problem.

Bartholomew Mudd...

Christof hadn't even realized he was sobbing.

((Entering From Hunter Tent, Gauntlet))

Team: Scarlet Sabbath

Moure was still about to revel in the fact that he'd landed a hit for once (against the powerful false-reaper in the Tent even!) when suddenly his senses had been engulfed in pure white, in a feeling not unlike that of the Soul Harvester, although this one was only of peace. There was no sense of belonging in this one. He heard a conversation occuring, identifying one speaker as the Soul Harvester, the other speaker unknown to him. What were they talking about...? Then, he felt the grass of the backyard, saw Her lighting up as if she had combusted from the inside.

And then Moure found himself slamming into reality in the front yard of the Haunted House, stumbling slightly as he got his feet under him. Quickly, he looked around, seeing others coming out of similar states as his own. Wait. Edel. Where was Edel? Moure looked around for her, hoping that after all that, after seeing her on the other side of the tent, slashing at their enemy, that she had been pulled through as well. However they'd been pulled through. Then Moure's mind went to the Soul Harvester, at her bright shine as the students were teleported away from the tent, and apparently from the war field as well. was She safe? Moure's brows furrowed in worry as he looked around for their protector, for the woman who had made him feel, for once, like he belonged somewhere.

Then, Moure looked down to himself, taking in his undamaged appearance, knowing he had not been hit at all during the fight, njot even while he'd been inside the enemy's base. He hoped others might also be so lucky to find themselves all in one piece. The Runner, then noticed Danny and Roch off to one side, and gave a breath of relief. He'd seen both destroyed by that powerful false-reaper's attack out on the field. Quickly, he crossed over to be nearer to his group, all the while looking around for Edel. Surely she must be safely returned too. It would make sense, after all...

Another student, the one who'd been a horse on the battle field, was calling out for Barth, the Sloth demon Moure had helped out before Prom. Moure's attention shifted slightly, watching the equine student with growing worry. Had something happened to Barth? And if something was stopping Barth from coming back...did that mean others like Edel and Lizzy might not return, too? Moure noticed a bulking stitched up shape and realized with a start that it was his neighbor, Christof. Barth had mentioned that the other patchwork worked with him before, in passing. Looking between Christof and Calder, Moure realized that the equine student hadn't just been panicking. Something had really happened to Barth. Moure could only hope that the Sloth demon was saved along with the rest of them. Hopefully the rest of them...

Calder was the emotional one, but turning to see Christof, to at least see he was safe, frantic tore him deeply. At least he was here, but it didn't change the fact they were one member short. They were one friend short. It just didn't seem right that the trio was down to a duo, and Calder watched as he Chrsitof pounded the door, tearing at himself, and it was with those same feelings that the kelpie pushed past those who were inquiring, not able to even address them and give them a explanation, as he moved to the Igor. He didn't want the patchwork to hurt himself. He didn't want to see him beat up to.

He shouldn't have let Barth walk by himself. He KNEW he was slow. The boil hadn't even fought well when they were practicing, and yet Barth had always felt stronger then all of them. Reaching out, Calder wanted the boil to stop tearing at himself, but noticed the mark and what it must mean. And then before he could even say anything, the words strangled in his throat, the Igor started to cry.

Calder moved over, wrapping his arms about the boil and pressing his forehead to his. "Shh.." He felt he could almost laugh at himself for trying to comfort someone when he was the one feeling just as ripped to shreds about all of this. "We'll....We'll get him. You'll see." His voice was barely a wet whisper, and as he felt the Igor's massive shoulders shake with his sobs, the infectious sorrow gripped him as well. It wasn't out of the ordinary. Calder felt that he cried too much. He always wanted to be stronger, but it seemed he was still a weak crybaby even now when his friends needed him the most. "You'll see."

Lattice.

Herryk tightened his arms around the ghoul in his arms. He could only hope that Lattice would be here as well. Only then would Freya have peace of mind, and Herryk could only hold her tightly to his chest in the meantime.

"Herryk knows Freya did all she could," he whispered softly in her ear. His gaze moved from Calder to Christof. It hurt to see the igor sob, just as it hurt to see Calder's frantic search for Barth. So much pain was evident on the faces of everyone around him. Herryk squeezed his eyes shut and focused on Freya.

At this moment she was all that mattered.

"Shh, shh," he nearly begged, the soothing noise a mere exhalation of breath. It killed him to see her so upset, so painfully broken and bruised. Herryk wished he could take away all the pain that was trapped inside his soft, strong Valkyrie. Herryk drove a hand through her hair, cupping the back of her head, and buried his face in her neck.