"Human Nature"

By GirlX2

Chapter the Fourth

-

The Ghostbuster landed in a crumpled heap. All was quiet. The red faded, leaving him staring into what seemed like never-ending darkness. He panted, and his thoughts finally seemed clear.

'What have I done?' He thought, horrified. He'd felt like this after his initial transformation. He stood upright, no longer wobbling on just two legs.

"What happened?" He wondered aloud. He looked into the darkness confused. "Where am I?"

He looked down at his hands. His human hands.

"Thank God." He breathed. Somehow, along with the confused state and the pulling, he'd shed the strange bestial form.

However, his new surroundings seemed just as strange. The firehouse, the feuding women, and his friends had vanished. A dim light revealed something the size and shape of a television hovering in the dark. The picture was dark, but sound issued from the 'speakers'.

Slowly, a picture slicked on the screen. It was a slanted view of the living room, as if seen from the floor. Slowly, it shifted, as if he was standing upright. Dena and the guys were standing in his view, but Sarah had disappeared.

"Now we're on even ground." Sarah's voice flowed in the room-But Ray still couldn't locate the source.

"Oh my God." Winston had gone pale. "Ray?"

"No. That's not Ray." Egon's voice shook with rage. "Its Sanguine."

"Very good." Sanguine said smugly.

Ray stared in shock as he realized Egon was pointing at him. Sarah-Sanguine had taken control of his body, shoving him into some forgotten corner of his own mind.

'She's been doing it ever since I met her.' Ray realized.

'That where the voice in my head was coming from.'

'It was me.'

"What did you do to him?" Peter's voice was rage-filled.

"She lies Peter. Believe nothing she says." Dena growled.

" 'She lies'." Sanguine mocked. "Is that all you have to say, worm?"

"She's taken possession of Ray." Dena continued grimly. "And I'd venture that Ray's being forced to watch whatever she's doing."

Peter leveled his thrower at her. "I'll pull her biometric signal off of Ray's. It's worked before."

"Do that and he dies." Sanguine said coolly. "Because right now, I'm the only thing holding his beast nature in check. Get rid of me and it overwhelms him, effectively obliterating his consciousness and leaving a monster to dispose of the rest of you."

"Lies. If that was true, why not let it go? You want us all dead anyway." Dena's voice sounded raspy.

"No, I want you to suffer as much as possible." Sanguine said in an icy tone. "And I want the were-felis freak to watch as his own claws rip you to shreds!"

The POV sprung forward as Sanguine launched herself at Peter, claws extended.

"NO!" Ray cried out, his hands pressed to the screen.

'ENOUGH!' Dena's voice roared through the darkness, and the view shifted from Peter, tumbling to the floor. Sanguine looked up shakily.

Dena had resumed Draconic from. She stood over them, her dagger-like teeth bared.

"Oh wow." Ray breathed.

'Leave him.' Dena's teeth snapped close to his face. 'Or it will go far worse for you.'

"You'll kill the innocent along with me." Sanguine's tone was shaky.

'He wouldn't want to live that way.'

"She's right!" Ray yelled into the darkness, knowing Sanguine could hear him. "She'll kill us both in order to free me from you!"

"Shut up, freak." Sanguine's voice echoed through the darkness.

"I won't!" Ray screamed. "All this time I've been listening to your lies, looking for a way to be 'cured'-Well, maybe I don't need a cure!"

"Silence!"

"No!"

-

The others watched as Ray's face contorted.

"What's happening to him?" Winston asked.

'He's fighting back.' Dena replied, not removing her clawed forepaw from the possessed man's chest.

-

"You've been warning me about 'The Beast' inside me. The only Beast inside me is you, let in by my own fear." Ray said calmly. His panic had given way to sheer placidity. "I'm not letting you take this any further."

"And what do you plan to do?" Sanguine sneered. "I hold all the cards. Your body is mine. Your consciousness is trapped in a corner of your mind."

"That's just it. Its my mind." Ray said softly. "I'm only trapped because I've let you trap me."

He concentrated on a blank spot in the darkness.

"What are you doing?" Sanguine said fearfully. She shimmered before him, now appearing ghostly in his mind's eye. "Stop it!"

"I'm not listening to you anymore." Ray walked forward. A serene smile played onto his face.

"You're a killer! Free yourself from me and you'll slay again, just like you slayed my father!" She snarled, her hands on his shoulders. "You'll tear your friends to bloody shreds!"

Ray looked deep into the red depths of her eyes. "They have the drop on me if I try."

He pushed her slowly to one side and walked into the darkness.

-

Slowly, Ray's eyes opened. The others stood above him, throwers out, but not pointed at him.

"Ray." Peter said quietly. There was no question in his voice.

Ray opened his mouth, but was stopped before he could speak.

A blood red mist shot from his open mouth, contorting into jagged, clawed shapes. It formed into a humanoid figure, very akin to common class fours they'd battled. It was screaming in rage, harrowing its murky face with insubstantial fingernails.

'Back, all of you!' Dena growled.

"But-" Peter's hand twitched over the trigger of his thrower.

'NOW!' She roared.

The Ghostbusters were quick to oblige, dragging Ray backwards with them.

"You're time will come soon, worm!" The ghostly sorceress shrieked as she began to dissolve. "I'll rend you myself!"

Dena's long face broke into a crocodile grin. 'We'll see, daughter of wickedness and lies.'

Sanguine's scream was unnervingly close to a Banshee's as she faded from sight.

"Is she dead?" Winston choked out.

'No such luck. But she's very weak. She won't be back for some time.' Dena answered.

A shaky breath drew everyone's attention back to the were-felis lying on the floor.

"My head's finally clear." Ray managed a small grin. "For the first time in a week."

The other men fell on him, hugging him fiercely.

"Don't you ever run away like that again Raymond Stantz!" Peter's lighthearted words were betrayed by the shaky tone of his voice.

"Not a chance." He replied. The furred face grew serious. "I'm sorry. For everything."

"You don't have to be. We know she's been messing with your mind, not to mention…this." Winston said the last word haltingly, chocolate brown eyes flicking over the younger man.

"This." Ray agreed. He looked up at Dena, a sad smile gracing his face. "I can't change back, can I?"

'No.'

Ray nodded. "Once I realized she was lying about who she was, I figured she was lying about everything."

"Oh Ray." Egon breathed. "I'm sorry."

"Nothing for it." Ray said mildly. "Plus, now I have an excuse to build that image inducer. I can't fight ghosts in public looking like this."

Ray climbed to his feet, wobbling unsteadily as he did. He now towered above the others, clearing Egon's head by a good six inches.

"This is gonna take some getting used to." He mumbled.

'You'd do better on four limbs.' Dena observed.

"Yeah, but I'll need to learn to balance on two. Can't work a thrower without a free set of hands." Ray said in a slightly rueful tone.

"Maybe I can help." A proverbial light bulb lit over Winston's head. Slowly, he formed a shield around Ray's shaky legs, helping support the man.

"Winston?" Ray said, confused, but grateful for the support. "What's going on?"

"Oh jeez, we didn't fill him in." Peter grinned. "We found out Winston's gift."

"He's telekinetic." Egon nodded.

Ray's eyes widened with delight. "Really? That's great!"

Peter's breath caught for a moment as he watched his younger partner. Even under all the fur and fangs, Ray's boyish face still shone through.
"It is?" Winston replied skepticially.

"Gosh, yeah! Egon and I have about a million theories about telekinetics, but we've never found one that we can test extensively."

"Ray's correct. It would be of immense scientific value." Egon's eyes gleamed. "That is, if Winston is willing to submit to testing…"

Ray looked down at the older man hopefully. Winston sighed.

"How can I say no to that?"

A toothy grin broke out over Ray's face.

-

Peter lay sprawled across the couch long after the others had retired upstairs. Ray had practically bounded up the stairs on all four limbs.

'This is definitely going to take some getting used to.' Peter thought, staring blankly at the TV.

Dena had taken over their downstairs guest room, although Peter couldn't remember anyone inviting her. She's transformed back to human form, saying to Peter she'd get some things from her apartment in the morning.

' "I don't intend to stay here forever, but I think a more experience influence would benefit you all".' She'd told him. ' "The young were-felis needs guidance. And Gaia only knows when Sanguine will return." '

Peter stared moodily at the set.

'Peter?'

The inquiry was accompanied by Egon's appearance on the spiral staircase. 'Are you okay?'

Peter shook his head. 'No Spengs.'

Egon joined him on the couch. 'Is it Ray?'

'Its Sanguine.' Peter held back a growl. 'I could have gotten her. If I had just fired we wouldn't have to worry about her coming back.'

Egon could feel the rage coming off Peter in waves.

'You did what you could. The important thing is that Ray is home safe.'

'Safe, but not the unscathed.' Peter's face had gone blank. 'If I'd figured out something was seriously wrong, maybe we could have prevented his transformation.'

'His transformation was inevitable.' Egon reminded him. 'You did the right thing, listening to Dena.'

"I could have had her!" Peter yelled, standing up. "And now she's back out there, plotting her revenge."

"Peter-" Egon rose.

"I've failed twice, and I'm not going to fail a third time!" Peter growled.

"Its not your fault." Egon place a hand on his shoulder. "You are the reason Ray and I are both safe now. You pulled me out of the hell Merdaf locked me in, and you helped get Ray out of his."

"Yeah, well, I'm the reason this whole thing got started, too." Peter replied. He turned from Egon and started up the stairs. "And God help me, I'm gonna make sure no one else gets hurt because of me."

"Peter-"

"Goodnight Egon." Peter disappeared upstairs.

Egon sat down slowly.

'He's very protective of all of you, isn't he?'

Dena emerged from the guestroom, clad in one of Peter's old tee-shirts. It hung on her slender frame, making the blond man blush slightly.

'Peter's always taken responsibility for us.' Egon replied as she sat. 'This is tearing him apart. Not to mention the fact that he feels guilty about not curing me completely.'

'He does?' Dena cocked an eyebrow.

'Well, he hasn't said as much, but he definitely feels that way. I can feel it too.' Egon said.

'You're an empath also? That's even more rare in humans than telepathy.' Dena sad.

Egon nodded. 'We thought so.'

'I have the spell that can free you from the residuals of Merdaf's powers.' Dena said. 'Tomorrow I can cast it and Peter can stop worrying.'

Egon smiled sadly. 'Oh, he'll still worry. But this will help.'

'I suggest you retire for the evening.' Dena stood up. 'You'll benefit greatly from the rest.'

Egon nodded. 'You're right. Good night.'

'Good Night.' Dena watched him traverse the stairs.

'He worries as much for Peter as Peter does for him.' She shook her head in mock exasperation.

-

"Well?"

"They live."

"You've failed me, just as you failed in retrieving the tome." A dark figure with glowing red eyes stalked before Sanguine.

"At least I survived." Sanguine glared at him.

"Your barely more than a wraith yourself." He observed. "What harm can you possibly do them?"

"I will recover." She replied. "And the plan I have will take time to set."

"This time I want to make them suffer on my terms." Merdaf snarled. "Not just separation, but death."

"Cut off the head and the body dies." Sanguine smiled.

Merdaf nodded. "Fail me again and there will be consequences far greater than death."

"I will not fail."

-

THE END