Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or any of its characters.

Beyblade

Broken Down Ghost House

By: Plushie-Sensei

Chapter 7: Return For Choice

You would've said the sun fell into the sea like poetry in motion, but it was incredibly difficult to even see the sun through the thick fog surrounding the Old abandoned Apple Ridge Inn. Unfortunately, for your sanity that is, it wasn't exactly abandoned to say the least. So you've been told...

"It's been a week now... Where are they!" A thick glass filled with wine smashed against the tall fireplace as the flames flickered with anguish. Mrs. Romanoff stood by with a distressed look upon her face.

"Miss Mary, I'm sure they'll come back. After all, the neko-boy's soul is currently separated from his body, so-" Mrs. Romanoff stopped suddenly as Miss Mary rose to her feet with an expression of remembrance.

"That's right... And his spirit was in the form of an animal, too..." Mrs. Romanoff looked confused.

"I don't believe we've ever encountered an animal spirit..."

"We haven't! And I'm sure his friends have something special about them as well..." Mary turned to her companion with an evil smirk, disfiguring her already bleeding face. "Do you know how powerful those spirits would make me..." Mrs. Romanoff suddenly smiled.

"You'd be able to keep your youth for beyond the capabilities of a hoard of humans... You wouldn't need to keep draining the town of its little ones." Miss Mary nodded.

"Not that I mind..." she said, turning back to the fireplace. A particular spirit caught her eye; the spirit of a young girl with pigtails. Miss Mary frowned, waving her hand toward the fire. Screams lit up the silent living room for a haunting moment, then relinquished. "Rei's spirit may be the only one I need... We'll see which ones have that rare animal spirit..."

Robert Newman released a tired sigh as he put his papers down looking pleased with himself. He leaned back, stretching his stiff back then reached forward to pick up a piece of paper, but a small white paw stopped him as it slammed the paper back down. He looked up to see a very angry cat on his desk.

"How long is this going to take!" Rei yelled stepping forward. Robert looked absolutely stunned at Rei's aggression, but his surprise faded as he thought about it and understood. Rei was tired of being a cat, and that was painfully obvious.

"I don't know-"

"Don't lie to me, dammit! Tell me!" Robert remained indifferent as he pulled on the paper he was originally reaching for. He was unable to do so, though, as Rei scratched his hand. "Tell me!" Rei hissed, his nose cringed as he snarled. Robert frowned, feeling genuinely sorry for Rei.

"Rei, I may have the answer I was looking for-"

"Then let's go! I can become human again!" Rei hunched his hind legs to jump off the table but Robert's hand stopped him. Rei looked up with hopeful eyes making Robert's heart sink. "What's wrong...?"

"I wasn't finished." Rei felt his hope drain right down to his tail as he sat back on Robert's desk.

"Then... Your so-called answer..." Rei hissed through gritted fangs.

"I have one, but it's more like a hypothesis. It's experimental, but I think I'm pretty close."

"So... How close do you think you are...? Give me anything, I don't even care anymore..." Robert looked up with a silent gasp as a few tear drops fell to the papers on his desk. Rei bowed his head, his ears flopping over his eyes as tears continually fell.

"Rei..."

"I'm... so scared... I've never felt so scared in all my life... Not when I fell in the bayou, or when I was all by myself in that horrible hotel... Everyday I wake up and find this disgusting body... This disgusting body! I-I want to be my old self! I want to run on two legs and hold things with my fingers! I want..." Rei paused as the door to Robert's room opened up and revealed the crimson eyed captain that made Rei feel so vulnerable.

"Is everything okay?" came his soft voice. Robert turned back to Rei with a worried expression as the neko gazed at Kai, his tears refusing to stop.

"Kai..." Rei whispered, and in an instant bounded off the desk and straight into Kai's chest. Kai quickly raised his arms, catching the small whimpering cat, feeling his heart cringe with every sob that racked Rei's body. Kai looked up at Robert, catching the sorrowful look on the older man's face. He promptly fell back, collapsing into the chair behind him and wrapped his arm securely around Rei's trembling form.

"Robert..."

"I know..."

"We have to do something..." Kai murmured, trying to keep Rei still as he squirmed to get closer, as if to loose himself in the folds of Kai's shirt.

"I've read up and I believe I have the answer. Like I told Rei, there's a great possibility that it won't work, but I believe it's worth a try." Kai nodded, once again trying to keep Rei still.

"Go ahead. Explain..." he said quietly, nuzzling his nose in Rei's soft fur. This action seemed to calm the neko further.

"Well," Robert began, "I believe that there is a way to defeat this Mary person. The only problem is, it's located deep within the house and I'm not even sure where it is exactly."

"What is it?" Kai asked, gently stroking Rei's cheek with his thumb. Rei's sobs were gone now and were replaced with small sniffles and mews, but it looked as though he was falling asleep.

"It's a room."

"A room? A room is going to defeat a restless spirit...?" Kai sounded unbelieving.

"Yes. Within it are countless souls she's trapped over the centuries. It's my theory that if we release these souls her energy would weaken and we could destroy her by way of an exorcism. Reuniting Rei's spirit and body, though... may prove a little bit more difficult..." Kai gazed at Rei's sleeping form with regret.

"A little... more difficult..." he repeated, his eyes narrowing. "At this point, I don't care how difficult you think it may be. It isn't right to leave Rei like this for so long. Tomorrow, we go back... and we finish this once and for all..."

The night calmed the streets of Devin's Creek, escorting its various citizens back to their homes. Most of the city was asleep though a hazy fog that settled in seemed a little more alive than normal. It swooped through the town as if on the hunt for something important. Within the mist, a small trace of light shined as it passed a particular hotel on the outer limits of the town. The fog slowed upon arrival to the front doors. The light had apparently found what it was looking for.

The breeze filtered through a second story window, blowing the curtains within and around. The fog rose substantially and slowly seeped through the open window carefully laying low to the ground. The bed, with its crisp white sheets, stood near the window, accompanied by another stationed near the door leading to the main hallway. Within the bed closest to the window, Hilary slept soundly, moving on occasion. She turned over once, facing the window, pulling the blankets down revealing her pink night gown fluttering around her knees. She remained asleep even as the fog surrounded the under layer of her mattress. Soon enough, the fog rose and a figure appeared at Hilary's bedside.

A young girl with pigtails and a scrape on her ankle stood over the sleeping girl with a blank face, void of any emotion. The young girl raised her arm and placed on finger on Hilary's forehead, making her glow with an eerie bluish light. Hilary's eyelids tightened for a moment before she opened them. Her orbs stood out in the darkened room glowing with their natural ruby color, though they were devoid of any shine and looked rather lifeless.

Hilary sat up in her bed, her head lolling sleepily forward. The young girl was no longer present in the room, nor was the ominous fog that once settled in. She stood up, her bare feet padding toward the balcony. Within moments, Hilary was standing on the railing of the balcony, the streets directly below. She swayed only slightly with the various movements of the wind, but otherwise kept perfectly balanced.

On the other bed, Kenny tossed and turned, then suddenly sprung forward gasping in fright. He raised a hand to his chest, breathing hard, his heart beating with equal strength. After a few calming breaths he turned to his side with a questioning glance. The fuzzy image of Hilary standing on the railing caught his eyes suddenly and within seconds of processing the situation, he screamed.

Tyson awoke with a start, though behind him, Max was much more sluggish.

"Did you hear that?" he asked, sitting up.

"Yeah," Max replied while rubbing his eyes. "It sounded like Kenny, huh?" Max looked up to find Tyson racing out of the room looking rather distressed. A sat there a moment, then paled; suddenly awake enough to understand what had just happened.

"Kenny!" Tyson yelled as he thrust open the door. He froze immediately as a large gust of wind ricocheted against every wall, blowing up the sheets on the beds and the curtains by the window. Tyson glanced down catching Kenny with his hands over his head by the nearest bed. "Kenny, what's going on!" he yelled over the gusting wind.

"I'm not sure! Suddenly this gust started up, but that's not the problem! Hilary's out on the balcony and she looks like she's about to jump!" Tyson snapped to the window with a deep expression of worry, and upon sight of Hilary hovering above her death, he rushed forward.

"Hilary, what are you doing!" He was cut off in his hurry to get to her by a sudden spark of lightning striking just in front of his bare feet. "Why?"

"Which one of you boys have an animal spirit...?" came Hilary's echoed voice as she turned around on the railing. Tyson blinked in surprise to the strange voice not belonging t the Hilary he knew.

"Who are you!" he challenged. "Why are you doing this to Hilary!"

"Tyson!" Tyson turned to see Kai and Rei standing in the doorway, with Max behind them.

"Nice to see you again, Rei..." Tyson turned back to Hilary with a sorrowful facade. Rei in turn took a step back, recognizing the haunting voice accompanying Hilary's own voice.

"It's her..." Rei whispered, his hind legs dragging him to Kai's leg, his tail tucked fearfully under him.

"What do you want!" Kai yelled over the wind, then suddenly, the wind dissipated. The door behind Max shook then and the blond turned around just as the door slammed shut, knocking him a distance into the room.

"I want to know which one of you has the coveted animal spirit. I know Rei has one, as it is painfully plain to the naked eye. This girl's body harbors a strange spirit as well, though I know little of its origins. I care not, for I need the animal spirits! Rei, I know you know, so tell me..." Hilary's eyes widened and lit up with a golden glow, and Rei's eyes did the same. Rei's body slacked a bit as the glow grew brighter...

Rei opened his eyes to find himself within the same room as before, except for the fact that the rooms walls, occupants, and items all shone with that eerie bluish light. Rei glanced around and gasped, leaping to the side at the sight of Kai's body. Within his chest cavity a small flame resided, seemingly burning his insides, but doing no damage.

"What... What did she do?" he hissed and turned, gasping again. Tyson and Max, and even Hilary and Kenny all had a similar occurrence within their chest cavities, though the substance was different with each one. A liquid substance filled Max as a metallic substance filled Kenny, while Hilary and Tyson's chests both contained small whirlwinds and air pockets. Rei looked at each one in wonder and slight concern. It was when he saw life the strange voids that he backed up; a roaring chimera within Max, A fiery phoenix within Kai, a nameless being within Kenny, and elegant dragons within Hilary and Tyson. It was then he also realized that everyone had the animal spirit.

She wanted each and every one of them.

"Mary! What do you plan to do!" Rei called, suddenly reappearing in the silent eerie room everyone was in again. Kai glanced down at Rei, then back up as Hilary smirked.

"I need to sustain this body and in order to do that, I need souls, but not just any souls... I need tragic souls..." Tyson looked down then back at Rei's small cat form, watching the neko shrink back again, bowing his head looking suddenly shameful.

"Why?" he asked, turning back to Hilary, wishing it wasn't her Mary had messed with.

"Because... You hear about haunting, and paranormal activity? The angrier the spirit that more activity. The more tragic, the stronger... The stronger the spirit, the longer I last..." Kai glared at her, glancing down at Rei, looking inquisitive as to why Rei looked so shameful.

"What about an animal spirit...?" he asked, his eyes glued on Rei's form.

"An animal spirit is one of the strongest spirits there are! With even one I would last for centuries longer than a normal tortured soul! And just imagine the power I'd have with a tragic animal spirit..." Everyone in the room seemed to turn to the trembling cat slowly backing away from his human companions.

"Rei?" Rei froze at the sound of Kai's voice, gulping in fright, but not daring enough to look up. "What does she mean... by tragic...?" Hilary's sinister smirk grew at the sight of Rei backing up further, his back arched and his tail shaking underneath him.

"I'll explain, if you'd like..."

"No!" Kai jumped slightly at Rei's sudden yelp, and once again all eyes were on Rei's trembling form.

"It's already too late, Rei... You're dead now, and your body his slowly desecrating into nothing. It's pointless to stick around the living like this. I'm sure even you've noticed that less and less people acknowledge your existence, and even you have a hard time finding yourself in mirrors you pass by..." Kai clenched his fists tightly, his face twisting with inner rage.

"No... I still have chance..." Rei murmured into his fur as he curled tighter into himself, feeling dizzy from nervousness.

"No, you don't. Come with me now and I will help you deal with the pain in your heart..."

"What pain!" Hilary looked up to see Kai glaring intensely at her, fire in his already crimson eyes. "What are you talking about? How is Rei a tragic soul?" he asked, looking back at Rei. Rei stood up then, his amber slowly looking up into Kai's eyes with a deep regretful look. He bowed his head then, his ears flopping forward as he began to walk toward Hilary.

"It is because he died before he had a chance to reveal his innermost feelings to the one person he longed to be with..." Kai felt his heart speed up as Rei walked even quicker toward the girl on the railing.

"Longed to be with...?" he questioned quietly.

"That's enough!" Rei yelled, his bowed head rising, his glaring amber eyes coming in contact with Hilary's. "I... will defeat you myself!" Hilary gasped then as Rei raced up and leapt right through her abdomen. Suddenly Miss Mary's astral body began to fall to the ground, with Rei's spirit keeping a tough grip on her shirt with his fangful jaws. Miss Mary of course regained her balance and looked down at Rei with a pleased smile, stroking his spiritual fur as tears streamed from the cat's shut eyes.

Hilary's body released its glow and she slowly fell forward, right into Tyson's arms. Tyson held her close to him, his heart slowing back to normal in reassurance that she was alright.

Kai leaned over the railing to see what had happened to Mary and Rei, but backed up when Mary rose up, hovering a short distance from the balcony itself. She seemed very pleased as she held Rei comfortably in her arms. Rei's small chest rose and fell with his breaths, but his expression was unreadable.

"Rei...?" Kai called. He frowned when Rei flinched and buried his nose into the folds of Mary's shirt.

"Rei is to come with me now."

"No!"

"He chooses to do so!" Kai stepped back at Mary's yell and she smirked to herself. "Rei no longer wishes to reside here with his pain. A spirit is a very fragile state of being and emotions can lead to the destruction of not only himself, but those around him." Rei gave a small sniff, his eyes remaining closed and his ears low on his collared neck.

"But, I can still save him... Rei, don't go with her, she's just going to use you to make herself stronger!" Rei turned toward Kai with a sorrowful expression, releasing a whimpering meow.

"With the Tiger of Lightning I will live for a decent amount of time. With his heart torn due to his affections that are unable to reach his target, his spirit is even stronger. I'm sorry it had to end up this way... Though, if you wish to save Rei, you may return to my island to try... I wouldn't mind a challenge..." With that, Mary's body faded into a thick mist, along with Rei, and the mist dispersed into the air.

Kai stared out into the nothingness of the night for the longest time, raising a hand to the railing. Tyson watched as he bowed his head, resting his temple against the cold steel.

"Damn... I lost him again..." Tyson stood, carrying Hilary in a bridal fashion and stepped forward.

"Kai, we can still help him. She said, they'd be on her island-"

"Don't you get it!" Tyson backed up in surprise as Kai lifted his head to glare angrily at him. The railing also caught his attention. A small stack of steam began to rise from underneath Kai's hands for some unknown reason... "Rei chose to go with her! He wanted to leave, so... what am I supposed... to do!" He suddenly pulled away from the railing making everyone gasp. He blinked a few times before looking down at his hands. A piece of the railing sat in each hand, melted to the core. Kai promptly dropped the pieces looking absolutely terrified. "What the hell just happened!"

"Wow..." Max breathed reaching out to touch the metal pieces but quickly recoiled as it burned his fingers. "It's still hot..." he whined, sucking on his throbbing fingers.

"Kai, how did you do that...?" Kenny asked, examining the twisted metal on the floor. Tyson placed Hilary back onto the bed and turned toward Kai frowning at the distant look on his face as he stared at his hands.

"He has found a way to harness the animal spirit within him..." Everyone looked up to see Robert standing in the doorway, fully dressed with a small backpack on.

"What are you talking about?" Kai asked, looking more exasperated now.

"Kai, you care about Rei, right?" Suddenly the room went silent as everyone turned to Kai. Kai stepped back smiling nervously.

"W-well, of course I do, I mean... He's my teammate-"

"No, that's not what I meant," Robert said, looking a bit confused as to why Kai was acting that way. "You know what I mean, don't you?" Once again, all eyes were on Kai.

"What the hell's your point!" Robert remained silent for a moment before he became serious once again.

"My point is, now that Rei is gone and you want him back..." Kai really hated how his fellow teammates kept giving him odd looks. "You are able to use the power of your internal spirit. In your case, I'm guessing the power to rely on fire." Kai looked down at his hands again, focusing intensely and suddenly a small flame appeared on both of his palms. He watched the fire for a moment before closing his palms and extinguishing the flames. Robert smiled as Kai bowed his head, his bangs covering his eyes.

"Well then... I see now..." Kai looked up again, his eyes radiating determination. "Let's go get Rei back, and destroy that witch, right now..."

Miss Mary landed gently on the porch of the Apple Ridge Inn and strode through the massive double door, Rei in hand. She released a pleased sigh and looked down at the blank-faced cat in her arms.

"Welcome home, sweetie." Mrs. Romanoff and Evelyn soon greeted them, coming through the door leading into the main dining room.

"Oh, Miss Mary, I see you've retrieved the small cat beast, yeah?" Romanoff asked, smiling. Mary nodded.

"And soon I will have the others as well. Evelyn, prepare a different trunk for the newest arrivals. They'll need all the room they can get..." Mary ran a few fingers along Rei's back as she spoke. Evelyn bowed respectively and left to accomplish her task in a different area. Rei's eyes flashed as he followed Evelyn's form. "Well, Rei, I trust you won't run away, since you know that you returning to normal is useless..." Rei looked up at her with large eyes.

"There's no use running away... I understand that..." Miss Mary looked at Rei for the longest time, then held him out in front of her with a sudden bright smile.

"You do...?" Rei nodded.

"I do..." He looked up at her and yelped as she started laughing. "What's... so funny...?" he asked, looking a bit scared.

"I just had a brilliant idea! Rei, you are an ideal spirit to absorb when the moon is out, but I just realized that with your little friends I'll have spirit to spare!" Rei looked confused.

"Moon...?"

"Yes, of course!" she replied, carrying Rei into the living room. She plopped down the couch, keeping Rei on her lap as the fireplace started up with a wave of her hand. "Every few centuries I have to absorb the souls I've collected over the years, but it has to be when the moon is full. Everyone knows that the spirit world and earth are closer when the moon is full. Take werewolves for example..."

"Yes, but what was your idea...?" Rei felt Mary pull him to her and snuggle his fur, tapping on the white collar surrounding his neck.

"My idea? Perhaps you needn't be used in my soul sucking process..." Rei looked up in question.

"You mean...?"

"Why not? I think I'll keep you as a pet instead..." Rei choked a little as she yanked his collar toward her. She smeared the writing on the collar with her thumb and with another sweep of her thumb, the writing changed. Not only that, but she added a bell as well. "There, now you're Rei, whom belongs to me..." Rei looked down, frowning a bit. "Oh, don't be sad," she cooed. "Now, at least, you'll live on forever! Like me!" Rei remained silent.

"Miss Mary, a trunk has been prepared," came Evelyn's voice from the doorway. Mary nodded and stood, placing Rei on the couch.

"Very well. Rei, feel free to explore your new home. I'll inform our residents of their new companion. Hey, you might even get along with Madeline!" Before Rei could ask whom that was exactly, Miss Mary was off. Rei sighed slowly.

"Master Rei, perhaps you'd like to meet Mistress Madeline?" Rei looked up in surprise to his new title, then paled. Evelyn leaned over the edge of the couch placing a small bat on the cushion. Rei's fur stood up as the bat scurried toward him and affectionately nuzzled in his fur.

"What! Not you again!" Rei definitely recognized that bat from his first visit, and he wasn't too keen on being friendly with it... or her...

"Well, it seems she likes you. I shall be leaving then. If you need my assistance you may come and find me or call. I will be either in the upstairs bedrooms or in the dining area." With that said, she bowed and exited the room.

"No wait, don't leave me here with-" Rei paled as the maid disappeared from his keen vision.

"Is she gone?" Rei nodded in response, then-... Wait...

"Did you just-!" Rei was hushed as the bat placed one hooked finger in front of his muzzle.

"Shh..." She looked around. "You're the second animal she's taken in... You must be special, because the mistress doesn't take just anyone..." Rei looked positively confused.

"Okay..."

"Quickly, follow me," she said suddenly, and jumped off the couch to take flight. Rei quickly leapt off the couch to follow her down the hall. Suddenly, his visit became much more interesting...

TBC...