B&TB Ch 7

Tori and her father made it back to the house. Tori put Philippe in his stall and went to nurse her father, who was asleep in bed. He'd been passed out when Tori found him. Tori took a damp cloth and put it on her father's forehead. He definitely had a fever. His eyes fluttered open a moment later.

"Tori?" he said groggily, "I thought I'd never see you again!" Mr. Vega embraced his daughter and asked how she'd escaped.

"I didn't escape, Papa. She…she let me go," said Tori lovingly.

"That horrible beast?" exclaimed her father.

"No! No! She's kind. She's…changed somehow," replied Tori. They heard a clank and Robbie came rolling out of Tori's bag.

"Tori? Why'd you go away?" He asked, "Is it because you don't like us?"

"Oh, Robbie, of course I like you," reassured Tori. There was a knock at the door. Tori got up and opened the door to a hideously skinny and sickly looking man.

"I've come to collect your father," said the dark voice of the man. He gestured to the coach behind him that had the logo of the town's insane asylum painted on the side. Tori's eyes widened.

"My father's not crazy!" she shouted at the man.

"So this monster he tells us all of is real?" said the man evilly, "And he's obviously captured you!" The men by the coach roared with laughter.

"I can prove it!" said Tori, rushing to get the mirror. She held it to the crowd that was gathering. "Show me the beast!" The mirror glowed and the crowd gasped as an image of Jade appeared. She roared ferociously.

"Is it dangerous?" yelled woman.

"No!" exclaimed Tori, "She looks rough but she's really kind and gentle."

"She's as crazy as the old man!" Ryder called out, "She'll make off with your children! She'll come after them in the night. We're not safe until she's dead!" They threw Tori and her father in the basement and locked the door from the outside. Ryder got on his black steed and led the men out of town and into the darkening forest as rain began to fall. Tori and her father banged at the cellar door but it was no use.

Robbie, who'd been watching from the window, had been playing around with some sort of contraption with an axe at the end. It seemed like the perfect thing to get Tori and her father out with. He started it up and made sure the coals were hot. The machine sprung to life and began moving toward the wooden door. The axe chopped right through but the machine was ruined in the process.

"You guys gotta try this thing," said a loopy Robbie. Tori thanked him and her and her father got the horse. They were once again making the journey to the beast's castle but this time, they were going to save the beast herself.

Ryder led the men to the castle door and had them cut down a tree to use as a battering ram. The men broke through the door and a deadly silence fell over the group. They expected all hell to break loose yet all they saw was a castle that lay in shambles. The men slowly walked into the once grand foyer, looking cautiously from side to side at the dusty objects that lay all around them.

"Now!" yelled a voice from within the castle. The objects sprang to life and began attacking the men. Cat and her other tea pots poured boiling water down onto the men's heads, sharp objects were chasing people left and right, and Trina was dressing men up in women's clothing. Ryder somehow managed to make it through the chaos and ran up the stairs in search of the monster his future wife was so fond of. The staff rejoiced as the defeated army ran, stumbled, and crawled away from the castle.

Ryder found Jade in her room, looking solemnly out the window. Jade turned around, pain in her eyes. She saw that Ryder was here to kill her, but she just turned her back and continued gazing out the window. Ryder took aim with his bow and arrow and released it into the beast's back. Jade sprung up and roared in pain. As she did so, Ryder ran up and pushed her through the glass onto the balcony. He cackled and kicked Jade off the balcony and onto the roof. Jade lay where she landed, unmoving, as Ryder jumped down after her.

"Get up!" Ryder mocked and kicked Jade further towards the edge, "What's the matter, beast? To kind and gentle to fight back?" Jade looked down as Tori and her father ran over the drawbridge.

"No! Ryder don't!" called Tori. Ryder was about the club Jade in the head.

"Tori?" said Jade weakly. Ryder swung but Jade caught the club and growled. Tori came back for her and that gave her all the strength she could ever need. Jade began pushing Ryder backwards as Tori rushed right through the front doors and up the stairs with Philippe. Lightning flashed and rain came down in sheets as Jade pursued Ryder across the rooftops.

Ryder took the head off of what he thought was Jade but was a stone gargoyle. There were several in a row and he couldn't tell which one was Jade in the night. He began to walk slowly down the row of stone creatures.

"Come on out and fight!" shouted Ryder, "Were you in love with her beast? Did you honestly think she'd want you, when she had someone like me?!" Jade fumed with anger as Ryder past her. She crept up behind him and he swung his stone club. Jade backed off as Ryder flailed the club in her direction.

"It's over, beast, Tori is mine!" Ryder declared. Jades brow furrowed in hate and she grabbed Ryder by the neck and held him over the side of the roof.

"Oh, please! Don't hurt me! I'll do anything!" begged Ryder. What a coward, Jade thought. But she hesitated. Was she really going to let this man fall to his death? She brought Ryder back to the roof and dropped him.

"Get out," she growled to Ryder. Suddenly the voice of an angel reached the beast's ears.

"Jade!" Tori appeared on a balcony just a little ways above Jade.

"Tori?" said Jade hopefully. Tori held out her hand and Jade began to slowly climb toward her, her wounds slowing her. There hands touched and Jade cupped Tori's face with one paw.

"Tori, you came back," She whispered. Both of Tori's hand caressed the paw that Jade held to her face and she closed her eyes. Suddenly, a horrible ripping sound rang through the air and Jade roared. Ryder had climbed up behind Jade and stabbed her in the back. He went in for a second stab but lost his holding and fell unceremoniously to his death. Tori caught the front of Jade's shirt and pulled her up onto the balcony. It was clear though. The great beast was dying.