Rosario + Ghost Rider

Episode 17: The weeds of the past

A golden pan to the head can only keep someone unconscious for so long but luckily it did keep Rubi out long enough for Rane and his friends to take her back to their tent. Kurumu kept her hands on Rubi's wand so they didn't feel it necessary to tie her up since she couldn't use magic. She woke up a while after the sun had set and the the others were eating dinner. Yukari decided to bring a bowl of food to Rubi.
Yukari: Eat
Rubi: Why?
Yukari: Just do it.
Rubi took the bowl and ate keeping an unpleasant look on her face. Her awakening made dinner a time of silence for everyone mostly because almost nobody could think of what to say so instead Rane asked questions.
Rane: Ok so who are you, and why did you throw me off a cliff?
Rubi: I have no reason to answer the questions of someone like you.
Yukari: Then tell me.
Rubi looked at her depressed but speaking to a fellow witch must've made her feel better because she started talking.
Rubi: As you know we witches are not truly accepted by either side. Neither humans nor monsters wish to be in our presence so we stayed with out own kind. Where I stayed was the mansion in the sunflower field with my master.
Yukari: Another witch?
Rubi: Yes. I lived there since I was little and I felt safe there. But recently the humans made plans to destroy the house and the field. I detest them with a passion and refuse to give them my home.
Yukari: Ok but why find me like that? And why attack Rane.
Rubi: Because with two witches we can fight off any number of humans. We'll crush them and make sure they keep their distance.
Rane: And when they don't?
Rubi: We kill them.
Rane: And that's where things go too far.
Yukari: You can't just slaughter people like that!
Rubi: I'll do what I need to to protect what I love.
Rane: So a building and a field are worth more than the lives of others? I can understand wanting to protect it but you're ready to slaughter them!
Rubi: I will if that's what I have to do!
The anger between the two of them began to boil as they glared at each other. Luckily Moka decided to step in.
Moka: Maybe this isn't the best idea but what if she came back to the school with us?
Rubi and Rane: What?
Moka: Yeah she can come to the school and stay there. Ms. Nekonome should be able to arrange something for her and she can stay with the rest of us.
Shizuka: I could.
Kurumu: That's not a bad idea
Mizore: It would make things easier for all of us.
Yukari: And we can still be friends Rubi.
Rubi: Really? But I have so much here. I don't know if I can leave it.
Yukari: You've been here for years right? I think it's time you saw more of the world.
Rubi looked at the ground pondering her thoughts and finally decided.
Rubi: Ok I'll do it.
Rane: That was a little quick.
Kurumu: You worry too much Rane. Here Rubi, have your wand back.
Kurumu handed Rubi her wand and she smiled as she held it in her hands.
Rubi: Thank you, all of you. You're all fools.
Before anyone could move Rubi raised her wand in the air and vines ripped through the tent ant lifted her out of it and to the top of the cliff. All the while Rane glared at Kurumu.
Kurumu: Ok maybe I was a bit too quick to give her the wand back.
Rane: YOU THINK!!!! We need to get up there now!
Shizuka: Wait, you guys just can't go up and fight!
They were contemplating if they should until a vine pierced through the tent and grabbed Yukari pulling her out.
Rane: Now can we go fight?
Shizuka: Go ahead.
Rane: Mizore, Kurumu, help us up there.
Mizore and Kurumu: Right!
They went outside the tent and Rane stood beside Mizore who created a pillar of ice that lifted them to the top while Kurumu carried Moka to the top with them. As they arrived they found Rubi standing next to Yukari who was wrapped up in the arms of some plant monster.
Rane: Rubi just let her go.
Rubi: I'd rather not. This seems like a better solution.
With a waver of her wand the sunflower field began to stir. The ground shook as roots and vines ripped through the ground. One plant monster would rise, then two, then ten until there was an army of them.
Yukari: Guys, get me out of here and quick!
Rane: We're gonna need some power.
The rider was still something Rane couldn't control so it wasn't his power he wanted to use but there was one with power who rivaled it. Rane grabbed Moka's wrist and pull her close to him and he yanked off the rosary around her chest. The crimson light turned the moonlight into a scarlet red. The bats began to gather as her hair turned silver and her body changed and it was all topped of with her red eyes and sinister smile.
Moka: Well looks like we got ourselves into a little bit of trouble.
Rane: And hopefully we can get out.
Moka: Maybe you should stay out of this one. You're kinda useless the way you are now.
Rane: Wait what?
Moka: No time to argue but you know it's true.
With that she dashed into the fray and the others followed behind her except Rane who stayed behind. Moka thought it would be a good idea to shake things up so she lifted her leg up high and slammed it into the ground causing it to crack and shake. It made the plant monster holding Yukari lose its grip making it possible for her to escape. In the meantime Kurumu was flying around turning any monsters into shredded bits with her claws and Mizore had been freezing a couple at a time setting them up for Moka to shatter them. Rane might not have been a part of the fight but he had a clear seat to see everything and apparently he was also the only one to see that something was missing.
Rane: Rubi is gone! Guys she isn't here anymore!
Kurumu: What?!!!
Moka: Where could she have gone?
Yukari: The mansion!
Rane: Yukari can you take me there?
Yukari: Ok.
She summoned her witch broom and hopped on, flying towards Rane who grabbed her hand as she flew by. They flew over the army and headed straight towards the mansion where they landed at the front door.
Yukari: You have to go in. The others need my help fighting.
Rane: Wait I have to go in alone?
Yukari: Sustaining these things isn't easy so I doubt she has what it takes to use magic in a fight.
Rane: I'm gonna trust and hope you're right. Ok get back to the others.
With that Yukari flew back to the battlefield unleashing gusts of wind that slashed down monsters left and right. As the battle raged on Rane opened the door to the mansion and sure enough Rubi was inside standing in the center of the hall and seeing Rane made her frightened.
Rubi: You made it past my monsters.
Rane: I had some help so I'm here to stop you.
Rubi: What will you do if I don't? Go on a rampage in your monster form.
Rane: Sorry to break it to you but I'm no monster.
Rubi: What?
Rane: I'm a hundred percent human and I just want this fight to stop.
Rubi: I especially won't submit to a human! You try to take my home from me especially when my master is ill.
Rane: I get it, a lot of us humans suck.
Rubi: And I refuse to do as any human says. The life of my master depends on it.
Rane: You talk about this master a lot. I'd like to meet her
Rubi: You will go nowhere near her.
Rane: So you actually have the power to stop me? I think you need it to hold my friends off or they'll bust in here too.
The expression on her face showed fear, and anger which proved she had not magic to stop him so Rane casually walked passed her and began walking up the staircase as Rubi chased after him.
Rubi: Stay away from her!
She lunged at him multiple times but Rane dodged everyone as he walked down a corridor.
Rane: Am I going the right way?
Rubi: This is your final warning to turn away!
Rane: Ok I'm going the right way.
As he continued walking he began opening door after door finding empty room after empty room but then he walked toward another door. It didn't look special but Rubi proved it was because her most dangerous attempt to stop Rane involved an old sword that nearly stabbed him in the back but Rane twisted her arm and kick the sword away.
Rane: So she's in here then?
Rubi: Leave her alone.
Rane decided to hold her arms behind her back so she couldn't do anything else as he opened the door inside. It was the same as the previous rooms with a veil covering the bed but unlike the others someone was there. Pushing Rubi, Rane walked towards the body letting her go as he put his hands on the veil and began opening it to see who lied on the bed. The sight was horrifying. There was a body there but the decay on it suggested it had been dead for months now.
Rane: She's dead.
Rubi: No she's resting and you are disturbing her! Now leave!
Rane: GODDAMMIT SHE'S DEAD!! Are you attatched to this place that much that you'd care for a corpse!
Rubi: Be silent you fool!
Rane's breath started to get heavy. The ground around him started to smoke.
Rane: I'm the fool? You're the one who locked herself away, has been living a fantasy because you can't accept what's right in front of your eyes!!!
Rubi: Rane what is happening to you?
His body was beginning to be engulfed in fire but Rane didn't even notice it.
Rane: You turned a place that was a home into an asylum! Your wasting your life here and that PISSES ME OFF!!!
He roared in fury as his body became fire and bones wrapped in leather and steel chains. The rider rose once again but through Rubi's eyes she saw only a terrible creature with bloodlust. She ran from the rider as fast as she could without looming back. She returned to the hall, running to the front door but almost out of nowhere she was pinned to it. She was forced to turn around and face what held her. She faced the ghost rider and remained helpless as the rider clenched his fist, wrapped in chains. The chains soon turned a burning yellow from the heat running through it and the rider drove that fist right into Rubi's face making her smash through the door. She rolled along the ground to hurt to move and the rider walked to her. He grabbed by the neck and forced her to kneel and he faced her towards the sunflower field. While he held her by the chin in one hand his other hand held his chain which he let hang. He lifted the chain enough so that the end dangled in Rubi's face and she watched it. She watched it change as the end became a razor sharp hook. Realizing what was soon to come Rubi's eyes began to tear up.
Rubi: Please don't do this. I'll stop the monsters, I'll never harm another person but please stop.
Ghost Rider: Say goodbye.
Rubi: NOOOOOOOOO!!!!
The rider swung his chain into the field and the hook cut hundreds of the flowers down causing them be lit with a fire that spread to the rest. It burned everything, the field and the army and Rubi looked at it with tears in her eyes sobbing but the rider just gazed into the fire with only a few words to say.
Ghost rider: You are now free.
And then he passed out.