No One's POV

Everyone, including Dan's stomach was quiet on their way to the plane. [a/n: YAY!]

"What are we going to do you guys?" Julie asked.

"What else can we do? We have no idea where Alice is, who took her and what they want to do with her." Runo said sighing.

"But we should try to look for her." Shun said, almost pleading.

Only Dan noticed his best friend's tone. But, before anyone else said a word a letter quickly fell right in front of them. Like it was used as a blade to hit them.

"What? What the heck is this?" Runo said picking the note up.

It said:

Dear Brawlers,

Yes we know who you are. If you're looking for your friend don't even bother! You'll never find her. If any of you are so willing as to sacrifice yourselves then meet us at the old, abandoned Alexander Palace near St. Petersburg. Get there by midnight; sharp. If not then your little friend is done for. Bring your bakugan, you'll need them. Be warned, some of you might not survive. Till then…

- The Mages.

"W-what do they mean some will not survive?" Marucho said scared and some-what freaked out.

"I don't know but, I think it's a trap." Julie said eyeing the letter.

"Should we do it?" Dan asked.

"I think we should." Shun said.

"Are you crazy?" Runo said.

"This is our chance of finding Alice. Might as well take it."

"It is worth a shot." Julie said.

"Fine." Runo mumbled.

Everyone raced back to the ship. They had to get ready.

***2:30 pm***

"Okay Marucho are you ready?" Dan asked?

"Yea."

After gathering their things the plane landed on an empty field and started training. Taking turns they made notes on their mistakes and perfecting them. They all needed their talents for this battle.

"Bakugan Brawl!" Dan and Marucho said.

[a/n: Yeah I'm way to lazy to type a battle and I don't really know the rules but picture it in your mind.]

In the end Dan won.

"Nice job Marucho."

"Thanks."

"Okay next up Shun and Dan!" Julie said reading off a list.

"Get ready Dan." Shun said smirking.

"I was born ready." Dan replied.

"Bakugan Brawl!"

[a/n: Again picture a heated battle between friends. Back-to-back attacks until eventually….. IT'S A TIE!]

"That was fun." Dan said.

"Hn." Shun said and walked away.

"Okay I guess we're all ready to face the mages.

***11:52***

We all slowly got off the plane. Scared, nervous, and anxious about what was to happen and who they were to meet.

*Gasp*

"This place is beautiful." Julie said staring.

"Okay let's head inside." Runo said leading the way.

"Can we get food first?" Dan asked.

"NO!" Everyone, except Dan, said.

They all walked up to the grand doors and tried to open them.

"Locked…" Julie said.

"What are we going to do?" Dan said.

"Shun try the roof." Runo suggested.

"On it." He said as he jumped from pillar to pillar until he got to the top.

"There's a way in." He yelled.

"Great!" Dan said yelling back.

"How do we get up there? We don't have Shun's ninja skills." Runo said.

Shun jumped back down and walked toward them.

"How about I just carry you guys one-by-one." He suggested.

"Ha. Good luck carrying Dan." Runo snorted walking over to Shun so he could carry her.

"Hop on." Shun said.

"Wait your back?" Runo said.

"Yeah. Got a problem with that?"

"No."

Shun carried everyone to the roof but had a little trouble with Dan. [a/n: *sweat drops.* =_= oh Dan.] The reason why he carried everyone on his back is because:

They could have broken his arms because of their weight, especially Dan and

He was saving the "space" for their missing friend and crush.

"Um. Shun, were is the way in?" Julie asked some-what confused.

"There." He said pointing to a chimney.

"Oh. Okay, see you guys later." Julie said walking away.

"JULIE! Come on. We have to go!" An annoyed Shun said.

"Fine!" She said stomping over to them.

"Okay I'll go first." Dan said.

Everyone then jumped after the other. After each jump it was followed by a scream or a "you-guys-owe-me-a-new-outfit" [a/n: Guess who said that?]

***12:00***

Dan's POV

When we got inside I was sort of freaking out. I was starving, but ignored it. [a/n: WOAH! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR DAN TO IGNORE HIS HUNGER] The place looked really creepy and had a haunting look to it. What freaked me out the most was the story behind this castle. Marucho told everyone while we were training…

***Flashback***

Dan's POV

"Okay, who's next!" I asked, still pumped from the last battle.

"Um… You guys. Can you come over here for a second?" Marucho said calling to us.

"What's up buddy?" I said.

"Uh… I did a little research about the castle we're going to tonight…" He said, hesitating a bit.

"So?" Shun said a little bit impatient.

"I-it's haunted."

"What! What do you mean haunted?" I said trying to stay calm.

"Well it says here that there has been reports of paranormal activity in the castle. [a/n: For some of you who don't know what paranormal activity is it's non-human on goings, ghostly on goings. Things floating, things moving by themselves, voices being heard, etc.]

"Why? What happened to them?" Julie asked.

"Well I found this site. It has a diary entry of one of the soldiers at the death of the family…

In the evening of 16 July, between seven and eight p.m., when the time of my duty had just begun; Commandant Yurovsky, [the head of the execution squad] ordered me to take all the Nagan revolvers from the guards and to bring them to him. I took twelve revolvers from the sentries as well as from some other of the guards and brought them to the commandant's office.

Yurovsky said to me, 'We must shoot them all tonight; so notify the guards not to be alarmed if they hear shots.' I understood, therefore, that Yurovsky had it in his mind to shoot the whole of the Tsar's family, as well as the doctor and the servants who lived with them, but I did not ask him where or by whom the decision had been made...At about ten o'clock in the evening in accordance with Yurovsky's order I informed the guards not to be alarmed if they should hear firing.

About midnight Yurovsky woke up the Tsar's family. I do not know if he told them the reason they had been awakened and where they were to be taken, but I positively affirm that it was Yurovsky who entered the room occupied by the Tsar's family. In about an hour the whole of the family, the doctor, the maid and the waiters got up, washed and dressed themselves.

Just before Yurovsky went to awaken the family, two members of the Extraordinary Commission [of the Ekaterinburg Soviet] arrived at Ipatiev's house. Shortly after one o'clock a.m., the Tsar, the Tsaritsa, their four daughters, the maid, the doctor, the cook and the waiters left their rooms. The Tsar carried the heir (the son of the Tsar and brother of the sisters) in his arms. The Emperor and the heir were dressed in gimnasterkas [soldiers' shirts] and wore caps. The Empress, her daughters and the others followed him. Yurovsky, his assistant and the two above-mentioned members of the Extraordinary Commission accompanied them. I was also present.

During my presence none of the Tsar's family asked any questions. They did not weep or cry. Having descended the stairs to the first floor, we went out into the court, and from there to the second door (counting from the gate) we entered the ground floor of the house. When the room (which adjoins the store room with a sealed door) was reached, Yurovsky ordered chairs to be brought, and his assistant brought three chairs. One chair was given to the Emperor, one to the Empress, and the third to the heir.

The Empress sat by the wall by the window, near the black pillar of the arch. Behind her stood three of her daughters (I knew their faces very well, because I had seen them every day when they walked in the garden, but I didn't know their names). The heir and the Emperor sat side by side almost in the middle of the room. Doctor Botkin stood behind the heir. The maid, a very tall woman, stood at the left of the door leading to the store room; by her side stood one of the Tsar's daughters (the fourth). Two servants stood against the wall on the left from the entrance of the room.

The maid carried a pillow. The Tsar's daughters also brought small pillows with them. One pillow was put on the Empress's chair; another on the heir's chair. It seemed as if all of them guessed their fate, but not one of them uttered a single sound. At this moment eleven men entered the room: Yurovsky, his assistant, two members of the Extraordinary Commission, and seven Letts [operatives of the infamous Cheka or Secret Police]..

Yurovsky ordered me to leave, saying, 'Go on to the street, see if there is anybody there, and wait to see whether the shots have been heard.' I went out to the court, which was enclosed by a fence, but before I got to the street I heard the firing. I returned to the house immediately (only two or three minutes having elapsed) and upon entering the room where the execution had taken place, I saw that all the members of the Tsar's family were lying on the floor with many wounds in their bodies. The blood was running in streams. The doctor, the maid and two waiters had also been shot. When I entered the heir was still alive and moaned a little. Yurovsky went up and fired two or three more times at him. Then the heir was still."[a/n: This story really makes me cry. It's sad. Oh and ignore that box on the right. It just appeared out of no where.]

Everyone stayed silent.

"Woah. That story was intense. It's sad how they died." Runo said speaking up.

"Um… But they were killed somewhere else. Why are their spirits haunting the castle?" I asked confused.

"Well Dan they mostly lived in the Alexander palace. Maybe that's why they're there." Marucho said.

***Flashback Ends***

*soft laughter*

"Hey guys did you hear that!" I said freaking out.

"No. What did you hear?" Shun asked.

"I heard someone giggle… Do you think it's one of the spirits?"

"I-I think so." Marucho said with a worried face.

"Where are those mages?" Runo asked to no one in particular.

But before anyone could say another word everything went pitch black and my body when numb…