I do not own Rosario to Vampire or Ghost Rider. Those things belong to Akihisa Ikeda and Stan Lee. The only character I do own is Barton Blaze (the OC, not Johnny's father). Everything else is copyrighted.
Ghost Rider to Vampire
By Ten-Faced Paladin
Chapter 1: Blaze to Vampire
The city of Tokyo, Japan was as bustling as ever. Like every major city it had movers and shakers, pedestrians, police, and the average joes who would be just killing some tine, waiting for their friends, next party, job, or whatnot. It was still early morning though, so not as many people were around as there could have been on an average. It just seemed like an ordinary, average day.
"Why the bloody hell do all the streets have to be so complicated?"
Resting on a parking spot at the side of the road was a young man who was mounted on a motorcycle. An American chopper to be specific, styled with chrome fittings, and a blue gas tank decorated with flames. It was polished to perfection and looked like it was brand new. Even more impressive was the fact that even though it was obvious that it had been driven, the tires hadn't collected even a bit of dirt or dust. There wasn't even a sign of wear or tear on them.
The young man who was sitting on the bike was somewhat of an irregularity in the Asian city. He was Caucasian with a hint of a darker skin tone, although if it was from mixed ancestry or constant exposure to the sun it was hard to say. He was wearing a black leather jacket which was left unzipped with a white shirt underneath with a pair of jeans and cowboy boots. Unlike the bike, the young man's clothes showed signs of dust and wear of long amounts of travelling. His eyes were covered with sunglasses and a blue helmet decorated with red flames. His hair was slightly shaggy, coloured dark brown, almost black. His last sentence hinted at a Texas accent, although it was faint from exposure to other ways of speaking.
His name was Barton Blaze. He was the son of the famous daredevil bike rider Johnny Blaze, named after his grandfather. His mother was the former newscaster Roxanne Simpson, and the long time love of his father. Barton's parents didn't live together, Johnny having gone to travel across America while Roxanne lived her life in Texas, raising Barton as best as she could. It was doubtful that Johnny even knew that he had a son, Roxanne not having told him since they hadn't seen one another since the night in which Barton had been conceived. Being the technically illegitimate son of a celebrity had brought some scorn to Barton's life and a lot of people who were hoping to cash in on him when they found out who his father was. Still, there was one thing which Barton got from his father that not cash, fame, or benefits could ever compare to.
'I smell sinners!' a deep voice, almost as if the throat of the owner was burned almost beyond use.
'Shut up Zarathos!' Barton snapped at the voice inside of his mind.
Barton had originally lived in Texas for a good portion of his life. However, after he graduated from junior high, he decided that he wanted to do something, anything, before he started high school…if he would start at all. Barton couldn't often trust himself around people, especially the kind of was liable to do bad things just because they felt like it or because it was funny. School kids tended to do that sort of thing during instances such as jocks picking on weaker kids or spoiled girls belittling others. Barton himself wasn't liable to do anything, but Zarathos on the other hand…
Taking the imitation of his father's motorcycle, Barton headed out on a road trip to try and figure out what his next move was. He knew it was going to worry his mother, but he really didn't have much of a choice. Junior High had been filled with close scrapes with the kinds of people Zarathos loved to deal with and almost causing chaos which could have turned Barton into an infamous face. So he decided to travel across a few states to see just what he could do. He really wasn't old enough to legally drive a motorcycle, but he had inherited his father's skill with them and so long as he stuck to the traffic rules and kept his helmet on, no one would think an underage driver was using the motorcycle. Getting around state troopers looking to make a bust was difficult though.
Barton had heard of a guy named Strange up in New York who had some experience with things such as Barton's 'Zarathos' problem. It had been Barton's plan to travel up there and try to see if he could talk to the man. He had even gotten around halfway between Texas and New York when something managed to catch his attention. At the hotel he had been staying at, he had received a letter written in fancy script on parchment of all things. Even stranger, it had been a letter of acceptance to a school he had never heard of before. Well, granted, it was in Japan, but still… Barton had been ready to disregard it as a prank, but when the letter wrote about his problem by name, it served to catch his interest. Since it came with a plane ticket and directions, Barton saw no real reason to say no.
One hell of a long plane trip and a strangely efficient travel service for his bike later, Barton had ended up in Tokyo. No one seemed to ask him for a passport and no one tried to stop him when he had arrived, so Barton figured that he was dealing with someone who was connected in a lot of the right ways. That in itself boded strange to him and that he should proceed with caution. Accepting assistance from someone he didn't know is what got his father into his own hellish situation.
Still looking at his map, Barton found the street name he was looking for. It was damn helpful that the maps which were available were written in English as were the street signs. Apparently Tokyo saw a lot of travellers and everything was written in both English lettering and Japanese characters.
Seeing the name he was looking for, Barton checked it against the place he was looking for in comparison to where he was, "Ah. There we go. Closer than I thought."
'Let me have one sinner before we get there!' Zarathos moaned out.
"I said shut up," Barton growled before he slipped his helmet back on. Gunning the ignition on his bike, he let the engine rev before heading out into the busy Tokyo streets.
The man simply known as the Bus Driver leaned patiently against his method of transportation and his main job, smoking his cigar. It was a few days before the new semester started at Youkai Academy and he'd have to pick up the students, both new and returningbut today was a special case. It wasn't every day that a place such as Youkai Academy got a student from overseas, but like it was mentioned before, this was a special case. Not many like Barton Blaze existed and him being so young, he needed some form of guidance lest his internal strife turn into a losing one for him and his inner problem became a problem for the rest of the world.
Taking another puff, the Bus Driver heard the sounds of a motorcycle engine rattling through the morning air. The noise itself would have more than a few of the locals complaining, but luckily they weren't going to hear it more than once that day if Blaze decided that the offer he was going to receive was to his liking. Looking down the road, he saw a very nice motorcycle with a helmeted rider dressed in leather and denim approaching. The vehicle slowed down before coming to a stop, allowing the rider to take a look at the Driver.
"You the guy from Youkai Academy?" he asked, speaking passable Japanese.
"I am," the Bus Driver nodded. He had to admit that the kid learned fast. Maybe his 'problem' had something to do with it or perhaps he had managed to grab a phrasebook or two. He would have to ask when the time was appropriate.
"Well, here I am. Barton Blaze," the young man spoke, removing his helmet. The Driver raised an eyebrow, seeing that the boy was too young to be driving a motorcycle, but the kinds of people who went to Youkai tended to not care about that sort of thing. "So what the heck is so important you sprung for not only airfare for me, but also for my bike?"
"An offer," the Driver shrugged. "My boss would like a few words with you."
"Where is he then?" asked Barton.
"He's at the Academy, getting ready for the new semester," the Bus Driver answered. "He asked me to take you there. Normally I'd just let you hitch a ride with me, but it seems you have your own wheels. If you're interested, you can follow me. Just make sure to stick close or else you'll be lost and there are a huge number of places you can end up."
Barton frowned slightly, but simply nodded. Reaching into his jacket he produced a pair of studded leather gloves before pulling them onto his hands. Reaching to the backrest of his bike, he unwrapped what had seemed to have been an ornamental chain before whipping it around his torso. The Driver nodded in approval. The boy seemed to feel that he may be headed for trouble and was getting ready for anything. People who thought like that tended to make it a decent distance.
The Driver stepped onto his bus and landed in the driver's seat, hitting the ignition and bringing it into drive. Barton stuck his helmet onto the backrest before he revved the ignition, signalling his readiness to leave. Understanding the signal, the Driver put his vehicle into gear and set out onto the road. Barton stuck to him like glue, practically tailgating, but keeping a far enough distance so that he could have some distance to stop if it was needed.
The pair drove through the streets before coming to a tunnel. Without stopping, they drove into it but Barton could already tell that it was not a normal tunnel he was driving into. The shadows were too deep and the little light there was came out as an orchestra of colours. The Driver didn't seem hesitant as he kept going and Barton really didn't have a choice but to obey him since it seemed like turning back was not a good idea at the moment. Narrowing his eyes, Barton continued forward and tried to keep from being blindsided by anything which may cause him trouble.
The drive continued until a light came at the end of the tunnel, which the pair drove through. It blinded Barton for a moment before his eyes adjusted to the scene. All around him was a deep cloudy sky which looked grim. To his left was a forest thick with scraggly trees which looked more dead than alive and littered with numerous tombstones which dotted the landscape like underbrush. Barton was sure he could see bones along the way, and not animal ones either. On his right was a cliff which overlooked into an ocean that was red instead of blue, reminding the American boy of the colour of blood.
'I like the scenery,' Zarathos chuckled as Barton continued to drive. The teenager didn't make a reply.
The bus came to a stop next to what looked like a scarecrow mixed with a bus stop sign. Barton brought his motorcycle to a stop but kept the engine running. The rear lights of the bus blinked out before the driver stepped out, still smoking his cigar.
"This is as far as I can go kid," the Driver chuckled as he stepped closer to the motorcyclist. "The roads aren't made for my bus and I just am not made for hiking. Your bike shouldn't have any problems though. Just keep going on straight and you'll find the Academy. Someone will be there to greet you and guide you up to the headmaster's office."
"…fine then," Barton frowned. Gunning the acceleration, he turned onto the road once again. His bike gave a roar before he took off down the dirt path. He passed into a canopy of the scraggly trees and even more of the creepy tombstones and bones which were decorating the landscape before. Still, he came this far so he wasn't about to back out at this point when there seemed to be an answer to his Zarathos problem.
Coming out of the canopy, he spotted a building ahead which looked like a classical haunted house/gothic mansion but it wasn't run down or anything. It was surrounded by a wall which made the place look that much more foreboding. Coming across the entry, he spied a sign which was made of metal marked 'Youkai Academy'. Barton lifted an eyebrow, somewhat surprised that this was indeed the place that he had been to told to travel to. Turning through the gate, he drove towards the front doors since he didn't see any parking places. Moving closer to the school he spied another person waiting there.
This person waiting for him was an adult woman with long chestnut hair. She had a pretty face with round glasses and a beauty mark on her chin. She wore a white button up blouse which had the sleeves rolled back and a lot of her chest exposed. She wore a brief skirt with a lot her legs exposed with high heels, the tops of her fishnet stockings being exposed with. All in all, she was a real beauty and it made Barton blink at the sight. 'My god. Sexy teachers do exist outside of a porno!"
'Oh that is one hot fox, or should I say a sexy snake?' Zarathos sneered, using Barton's eyes to ogle the woman.
"Bureizu Baton-kun?" she asked, having a bit of difficulty pronouncing his name in her native Japanese.
Shutting off his machine, Barton slipped his helmet off so to talk to her face to face, "Yes, that's me. Are you the one I was told would guide me around?"
"Yes, my name is Ririko Kagome. I'm the math teacher here," the woman explained. "Please follow me."
Dismounting his bike, Barton followed Ririko into the school. Of course, it was easy to follow her since her butt was in very fine form. They didn't speak, but Barton wasn't sure what they would talk about even if they did. The walked through the halls which indeed looked like a school rather than a mansion even if there seemed to be an underlying monster theme to a lot of the decorations which could be seen around the place. They climbed up a few flights of stairs until they reached what they had assumed to be one of the towers which were at the top of the school. He assumed that he was appearing before the boss since after Ririko brought him up another flight of stairs they ended up in front of a pair of double doors made of solid oak.
"The headmaster is behind these doors," the math teacher spoke. "Please mind your manners."
"My mother didn't raise a jackass," Barton sighed. Stepping past the sexy educator, he gripped the door handles before opening a door and stepping inside.
Inside was a deep dark office lit by actual torchlight with a large window at the opposite end with blood red curtains in front of it. In front of the window as a gothic and ornate desk which fit the dark and foreboding atmosphere which the building and scenery promoted. Sitting at the desk though was a man. He was dressed in robes similar to that of a priest, being white, a habit, and a cross hanging around his neck. The top half of his face was covered in shadow but his eyes were shining yellow with a strange power.
'I don't like this prick,' Zarathos growled.
'That makes him okay in my book then," Barton retorted. It was the guys which his inner demon found acceptable or amusing that put the motorcyclist on edge. If Zarathos didn't like him then he was likely someone good to know. Even the real bastards out there gave Zarathos better vibes than the truly good people. If the demon actually hated this guy, he had to be someone who was at least trustworthy. It helped take the guesswork out of deciding who he could trust with his friendship and/or his secrets.
"Welcome," the man smirked, a deep chuckle coming from his throat. "I'm glad to see that you were willing to come so far to listen to my proposal."
"When a dude from Japan sends a message all the way to America, somehow managing to catch me at the exact hotel that I was staying at it tends to catch my interest," Barton replied. "Just who the heck are you?"
"A fair question," the priest nodded. "My name is Tenmei Mikogami. I am an exorcist as well as the headmaster here at Youkai Academy…among other titles."
"An exorcist huh?" Barton raised an eyebrow. "You said you could help me out with my Zarathos problems?"
"Oh, we never refer to demons by name," Mikogami replied. "Names have power you know. If a demon's name becomes well-known, they become more powerful. Yours is still a newborn, derived from the power of the first Ghost Rider but that alone makes it frighteningly powerful in the first place. Saying its name so much will just help it grow in strength and power."
"…aw shit," Barton grumbled. He'd been saying the demon's name out loud ever since Zarathos had managed to achieve sentience and introduced himself. "Is there any way you can get rid of him?"
'Aw, and here I thought we were best buddies,' the demon laughed.
The exorcist shook his head, "Were your case just a simple possession or demonic infusion then it would be a somewhat simple matter. However, you were born with the demonic power inside of you. It's infused into your very being, part of your flesh and blood. It makes you what we would call a half-demon."
Frowning, Barton crossed his arms, "So then just how are you offering to help?"
"Training, education, all to help you control your power and other abilities," Mikogami replied. "Having someone with your unique skill set wandering around untrained is just asking for trouble. In other words, I'm offering you a place here in my school to continue your education and receive the training you need to master your abilities as well as those of your…dark side."
Barton had to ponder the offer, if he couldn't get rid of Zarathos then maybe getting some measure of control would be the next best thing. Still… "And you had to bring me to Japan to offer me all that?"
"Well, I am one of the premier experts and my staff is specifically trained," Mikogami shrugged. "You can say we're some of the best at what we do."
"Ah. So to get the job done right, get the best eh?" Barton nodded. "Okay, so I assume this is a school of some sort. Is it like that Xavier Institute that I heard about back home?"
"Well, we are a school that only accepts students who are…unique so I assume that there is something in common," the headmaster shrugged. "I would very much appreciate it if you would attend."
Barton scratched his head, pondering the offer further, "Will it give me the education I need both for my…problem and for when I graduate? Mom will kill me if I don't go to high school and be a drop out like my dad was."
"My school will give you everything a regular school can on top of the 'extra' education that you are going to need," Mikogami boasted. "All will be provided for as a scholarship of course. We have them for unfortunate students who have no place else to go or have special needs such as yourself."
Barton nodded, "okay then. I guess I can't afford to turn this down. Still, I smell anything funny then I am so gone."
"That's acceptable," Mikogami nodded. "Welcome to Youkai academy then, first year student Barton Blaze."
With Barton's acceptance of the headmaster's offer, he became an official student of Youkai Academy. True to his word, Mikogami supplied everything he would need for his classes from books, supplies, and his uniforms. Apparently Japanese schools required their students to attend classes in uniform rather than their casual clothes like most schools in America did. On one hand it was one less decision he had to make very day but Barton felt a little strange outside of his motorcycle outfit. He was even given choice selection of rooms in the student dormitories which got him a decent-sized room with a stove and a small fridge for preparing and keeping food.
The one snag was telling his mother that he was all the way in Japan and attending school. She was… less than pleased to hear he was on the other side of the world and without a passport or permission from her. Still, he was finally getting help with his Zarathos issues and he was getting a high school education in a foreign country which was always a plus on college and university applications. She was still angry at him, but it helped that he was getting so much good out of his latest excursion. She swore she'd let him have it once he got home though.
As if he wasn't afraid to go home before now…
Settled in, the first days of school soon came around for Barton. The other students began to arrive and began to get assigned their rooms. Barton stood out like a sore thumb thanks to his looks standing out from the norm, which got him stares from his fellow floor mates who were all guys. Still, he wasn't completely ostracized since they discovered that the chopper motorcycle parked outside the dorms belonged to him. The natural gearheads among them were always in the mood to admire a fine piece of machinery.
The first day of school finally rolled around and Barton was ready for it. He walked out of his dorm room with a backpack and the majority of his uniform on save for the green jacket and trousers. Instead, he was wearing his jeans and leather jacket which were a safer set of clothes to wear when riding on a motorcycle. Heading to the ground floor, he stepped out of the door and spied his motorcycle at the bike rack. He didn't bother chaining it or any other means of security. Anyone who tried tended to suffer some pretty severe consequences. The Hellcycle did not appreciate when someone tried to touch it without permission…and that particular piece of machinery only ever allowed one person to touch it.
Slinging his pack over his shoulder, Barton mounted his motorcycle and hit the ignition to make a loud roar from the engines. Soon enough he was racing down the dirt paths towards Youkai Academy. He reached the canopy of trees and felt a measure of peace overtake him. Driving on his bike was always something of a soothing experience for him. It was like he could leave his troubles behind at least for a little while and enjoy the open road and the scenery. The trees, the shade, the sun, the road, the purple-haired girls…
Wait, what?-!
"Dammit!" Barton bellowed, gripping the brakes of his bike. The machine let out a loud screech as Barton tried to avoid striking a female student who was standing in the middle of the road. He swerved to try and bring about a stop sooner, but the balance on his machine was quickly thrown off and her was thrown onto the dirt ground. His vision went screwy with a blur of depressing ground and overcast sky. He finally came to a halt as he stared up into the sky…
…and a pale face with purple hair.
She was definitely a Japanese girl with pale unblemished skin, pale eyes, and long purple hair which ran past her shoulders. Instead of the uniform jacket and shirt, she was wearing a black and white sweater which went over her hands with a halter top underneath. It was an easy thing to guess since the collar of the sweater was quite wide and revealed one of her shoulders. She wore the normal school skirt, but her legs were nicely accented with long socks which were striped with two different shades of purple. In her mouth was a lollipop which she rolled across her tongue as she looked down at Barton's prone form.
"Are you okay?" she asked in a soft and rather emotionless voice.
"Peachy," Barton grunted, pulling himself up into a sitting position. "Why were you standing in the middle of the road like that? I could have run you over or something."
"I was…looking for someone," the girl replied as she watched Barton get to his feet.
Shaking his head, Barton looked to see where his bike had ended up. Unsurprisingly, it was up straight looking like it had parked instead of coming to a screeching halt and throwing its rider to the dirt in an accident which may have given a normal person a concussion or worse if they had landed wrong. Fortunately Barton was not like most people. It still hurt like a bitch though and didn't make dealing with it any easier.
"Looking for someone," he muttered, shaking the dirt from his hair. There was really no point in getting mad at her since he hadn't been paying the most attention to the road, thinking that there would be no one else on it. "Well, don't just stand out in the middle of the road where someone on a bike or something could crash into you."
"LOOK OUT!"
"WAGH!"
The female cry and male scream of pain accompanied by metallic sounds not unlike a bicycle sounded off a bit of a distance away from the pair. Barton blinked at the somewhat convenient timing for his explanation but then shrugged it off, "Like them back there."
"Sorry," the pale girl bowed slightly.
"Don't worry about it," Barton shrugged, rubbing the bump on his head. "My name's Barton Blaze. Who are you?"
"Mizore Shirayuki," the girl replied, bowing a second time. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Barton nodded. "You heading to Youkai Academy too?" seeing the girl nod, he decided to make his offer. Barton was a Texan through and through and his mother taught him to always be courteous to a lady. "Need a ride? We might pass whoever it is you're looking for."
Mizore blinked at the offer before she glanced at the purring motorcycle. After a moment, she shrugged her own shoulders, "Okay."
Approaching the bike, Barton mounted on first before Mizore slung a leg over and made herself comfortable. Once both of them were on, Barton hit the ignition and made the machine roar once again. Mizore clutched the American boy tighter, but he noted that she felt rather cold instead of warm but shrugged it off. Barton had been told more than enough about the unique nature of the school and had seen it more than enough times in his floormates. Besides, he didn't really count as human himself so he had just as much right to be at the school as the other students did.
Mizore and Barton came to the front of the school and the American boy found a parking spot among the other bicycles. Mizore hopped off, looking a little wobbly for such a short ride but it was likely her first time on a motorcycle anyway so that much was understandable. Barton turned his machine and hopped off before heading towards the school.
"Aren't you going to secure your bike?" asked Mizore.
"If there's someone who can steal my bike, much less touch it without my permission then I wouldn't want to mess with them anyway," Barton shrugged. "Which class are you in? Maybe we'll see each other around?"
"Class 1-3," Mizore answered.
"With Nekonome-sensei, right?" Barton asked. Seeing Mizore nod, he grinned. "Cool. Me too."
"We can walk together then," the violet-haired girl nodded. The two new friends headed towards the school together, but they didn't say much of anything. First day of high school jitters aside, they just weren't sure what to say. Barton wasn't sure if he could ask any kind of question without offending Mizore, fearing that the Japanese had different views on what was considered an acceptable personal question. Mizore had wanted to know where Barton was from, but she was too shy to ask. She didn't want to offend a possible new friend when she had just met him.
After the welcoming ceremony for the first years in which the Headmaster made a big speech, the two made their way to the classroom in question which wasn't hard since it was on the first floor. They entered and found their homeroom teacher to be a bright and pleasant woman in a short skirt and a tank top under a white jacket. She had short tawny blonde hair which looked like she had cat ears poking out of the top of her head and there was even a cat's tail coming out from under her skirt. Normally that might be considered pretty odd, but as previously mentioned Barton knew about the nature of the school and as such his thoughts were, 'Wow. Another hot teacher. Will the wonders never cease?'
After a few words with the woman, revealing that she was indeed as bright and cheery as her looks suggested, Barton and Mizore took their assigned seating. Barton was near the right side of the room while Mizore was next to the window. One by one the other first years for the class arrived. Some of them looked ordinary while others looked like punks through and through. All in all, it was what one would expect to see in a high school to be honest. When the bell rang, the cat-like teacher moved into action.
"Welcome to Youkai Academy everyone!" Ms. Nekonome cheered. "I'll be your homeroom teacher Ms. Nekonome!" It was a sort of invitation to begin cheering, but mostly a lot of the boys drooled over their teacher. Barton wasn't too ashamed to admire the woman since she wasn't in the middle of a lesson. "Now I'm sure you all know, this is a school for monsters!"
Barton sighed, resting his head in the palm of his hand. He had been told this entire deal by the Headmaster. It was an effort to allow humans and monsters, or Youkai, to blend in better with human society. They learned everything that a human needed to know both in education and in terms of normal society. Apparently a lot of youkai lived isolated from humans and if they wanted to get anywhere in life they needed to know this sort of thing. Of course, this led to the first rule of the school. All of the students had to remain in their human forms at all times. It was forbidden to reveal ones true form to anyone.
As Ms. Nekonome explained the rules, Barton noted that one student in particular seemed ready to freak out. He looked like the definition of average, but it was leaning more towards pathetic with how freaked out he was over the announcements. Maybe he was a weak monster who was afraid of being eaten or something?
'Hell, maybe he's a human who enrolled here by accident,' Barton chuckled to himself. As if that could happen…
His chuckles were interrupted when he heard one of the students ask a question, "But sensei, couldn't we just eat the humans? I could start with the cute girls."
Barton's mood did a 180 as her glanced to see who had spoken and spotted one of the thug-like students. He had brown hair which was slicked back and piercings on his face. He was even licking his lips in anticipation of the human flesh he could eat. Barton could easily peg him as a punk and likely one of the predatory monsters that people have been telling horror stories about for centuries.
'Ahhhh, I can just smell the evil on him,' Zarathos chuckled. 'So much greed, gluttony, and lust he holds.'
'He tries anything and you'll get your chance.' Barton replied, keeping a dark stare on the punk. There was a rare few times that Barton and Zarathos agreed on anything, but when they did someone usually got an express trip to hell.
Thankfully, the dark thoughts were interrupted by the door to the classroom opening. Inside came a girl in the school uniform with long pink hair and green eyes. She was admittedly very hot and the cross around her neck was a nice touch. All in all, she was likely one of the hottest girls he'd seen since the cheerleaders from his old school when they began going through their routines during the games. Hell, this girl didn't even have to try and she was matching them.
"Sorry I'm late!" the girl fretted. "I got lost after welcoming ceremony!"
"That's alright," Ms. Nekonome smiled. "Just take your seat and we can continue."
The pinkette nodded with a relieved smile as she entered the room and headed for the only open desk. In doing so though, nearly all of the boys in the room began to gape with wide eyes and drooling mouths.
"Wow!"
"So…hot!"
"It can't be a disguise…she's too…"
"BEAUTIFUL!"
The sudden cheer from the male classmates save for a few startled the pinkette. It was soon forgotten though when she noticed the average guy who was looking like he was ready to wet himself just a few moments ago. They both looked at each other with the boy murmuring out 'Moka' which was likely the girl's name which made the pinkette beam before glomping onto him with the best hug she could manage, "It's Tsukuneeeee!"
"What?-!"
"That jerk!"
"How does he rate a hug?-!"
And just like that, the mood went from adoring to bloodthirsty when the hot girl began to lavish attention on the boy. Barton was sure that someone was going to get punched in the next few moments, the teacher's view be damned. It seemed that teenage monsters and humans weren't so different after all. As soon as a hot babe came into the room, they all started thinking with the brain down inside their pants, right between their legs. Barton noticed on student in particular, the one who screamed 'punk', was staring hungrily at the new arrival.
He was going to need to keep his eyes on him.
Barton took the opportunity to explore the school a little during the lunch hour. The gothic mansion theme seemed to apply to the entire building as everything had a creepy undertone to it. Several of the students were just as creepy, making Barton believe that they had some difficulty in getting their human forms. Some of them were giving him odd looks, but if it was out of curiosity since he was the foreign kid or if it was because they wanted to single him out for the same reason he couldn't tell yet. Still, he ignored it as he wanted to see what the school had to offe in terms of amusement.
'Oh man, this place is going to be fun! I can smell the barely restrained bloodlust, envy, anger, lust, and pride! Ha ha ha!' Zarathos chuckled from the depths of Barton's soul.
'So aside from the bloodlust, it's just like back home then,' Barton thought back mirthlessly.
Wandering around didn't reveal anything to get terribly excited about. The novelty of going to a Japanese high school kind of wore off during the first few hours and now he was just trying to find something to keep his interest. If all else failed, he could just go check on his bike and see if there was any maintenance that needed to be done. It was likely nothing was needed but it would give Barton something to do while he waited for the lunch period to end.
"Barton." That was what he heard and he looked towards a nearby pillar. Turning to see who was talking to him, he saw Mizore poking her head out from behind a pillar. She was sucking on a lollipop.
"Mizore, what are you doing hiding back there?" he asked as she walked towards him.
"You exited in a hurry so I followed you," she said as if it explained everything about her hiding.
"So, why the pillar?" Barton questioned.
"It's how I follow people without being noticed," she explained. "How do you like this school?"
"It's interesting, I can tell you that much," he said honestly. "What about you?"
"I was afraid I was going to be alone," she said honestly. "But then I met you."
"Well, we're friends, aren't we?" Barton smiled. "So, where is the cafeteria."
Then he heard a loud slam and turned to see the kid called Tsukune being harassed by the thug from homeroom who Barton had heard was called Saizou. He was holding him up and pinning him against the vending machine while Moka tried to persuade the thug to stop hurting Tsukune.
"Looks like trouble," said Barton. He may have to intervene if it kept going.
'Kill the lights and I'll step in,' Zarathos laughed darkly.
Any action was cut off when Moka managed to pry Tsukune from Saizou's grip and ran off with him, yelling about hanging out. Saizou just snickered and clenched his fis before walking away. The group of students who were watching the confrontation shuffled away, making sure to stay out of the punks' way. People whispered to one another about him and lamented Tsukune's bad luck in catching his attention. Others were hoping to be able to witness the beatdown which would no doubt come.
"Saizou Komiya," Mizore spoke as they watched the crowd disperse. "People talk about him. They say he caused so much trouble in the human world he had to be sent here as a sort of reform school. They also say he messed up a lot of human girls."
"You don't say," Barton frowned, hearing Zarathos' chuckles grow louder. "How'd you find this out? We haven't been here for even a full day."
"I hear things when I hide," the pale girl replied. "I'm very good at listening in."
"I'll bet," Barton chuckled. "Oh well, let's find a spot to hang out, or did you have lunch yet?"
A soft growl from the girl's stomach gave him all the reply he needed, "I guess we're going to the cafeteria then."
The pair entered Youkai Academy's cafeteria and got themselves something to eat. Barton took some average meal of rice and meat while Mizore took a cold meal for herself. The pair quickly found some places so they could sit down and keep talking to one another.
"So…where do you come from?" asked Mizore. "You don't look or sound like you're from Japan."
"I'm not," Barton replied, stirring his rice and meat together to make something like a stew. "I'm from Texas, the United States."
"Wow," Mizore gasped softly, her eyes widening. "How'd you get here? It's really hard for monsters to get a passport."
"The Headmaster sprung for me since he wanted me to come to school here," Barton shrugged. "Apparently I'm something of a special case."
"Amazing," the pale girl gasped. "So what is it like in the United States? I've lived in Japan my whole life."
"Texas has a lot of deserts and it's hot," Barton explained. "But it has a lot to offer. The wide open roads and sunny weather make for great driving and wonderful road trips when wanderlust gets to me. I lived in one of the big cities too so I wasn't lacking in entertainment when things got dull."
"I don't do well in heat," Mizore shivered, trembling at the thought of such a hot and dry place. "But don't you need a licence to drive a motorcycle?"
"Shh," Barton held a finger to his lips. "I won't tell if you won't."
Mizore smiled and nodded. After all, Youkai didn't have much of a need for licences and such since they didn't exist in the legal system for humans. Yes, they'd take lessons and such when it came to cars and such but they couldn't quite get certification for driving when they required proof of identity. So if one proved they could drive, they drove a car. Her mother did it with a snowmobile all the time after all. She could see Barton doing the same with his motorcycle.
Barton himself was a natural on a motorcycle and if he propped himself correctly and didn't get carded no one would have guessed that he was too young for such a machine. Still, it was nice for Mizore to be willing to keep his secrete…for what it was worth considering how youkai lived.
Things were looking up. Maybe there was hope for being normal.
The day wore on and Barton finished his classes for the time being. Saying some goodbyes to Mizore, he retuned to his room so he could change into his riding clothes. Jeans, t-shirt, jacket, gloves, the entire ensemble. Coming out of his dorms, he found his bike and quickly hopped on, gunning the engine which purred like a kitten. He then lay on the accelerator and began roaring through the grounds to explore what the desolate place could offer.
It wasn't much, but dead trees, creepy animals, and lots of tombstones to make for scenery. All in all, it was as depressing as ever but maybe youkai felt comfortable in that sort of setting. Barton considered what that might mean while he drove down to the bus stop to make his trek complete. He wanted to get a good understanding of the area so he would know all of the best driving spots for when he got some wanderlust in him. He sincerely doubted that he'd be able to go thought the tunnel whenever he was bored.
Emerging from the canopy of trees, he noticed a student waiting at the bust stop with a suitcase filled with belongings. It looked like he had rushed with it too. Just standing there he looked like a trembling mess with a cloud of depression over his head.
"Wait a sec…" Barton wondered as he drove closer. "Is that…Aono?"
Driving up to the scared student, Barton saw that it was indeed Tsukune Aono who looked like he was trying to cut ties and leave the academy. That in itself maybe wasn't strictly wrong since not everyone could tough it out at a live-in school. Make it a live-in which catered to youkai of all sizes and if you were on the lower end of the food chain and it became a lot less of a sissy action to leave such a place. Still, Tsukune was a member of Barton's class so he felt like he at least could ask for his reasons.
"Hey Aono!" Barton shouted, getting the boy's attention as he drove his bike up next to the average-looking boy.
"Uh…Bureizu-san?" the nervous boy gulped.
"Hey, you remembered my name," Barton chuckled, shutting his machine off. "So what's with the bags? You decided to quit?"
"Well…yes," Tsukune sighed, slumping. "I just don't fit in here. I mean, I don't have what it takes. More than that, Moka-san hates me."
"Moka? Hate you?" Barton blinked. "Are we talking about the same girl? The pinkette who likes to hug you a lot?"
"Yeah…" Tsukune moaned.
"Man, you must be blind. Why would she hate you?" Barton asked. He really doubted from what he had seen of the girl so far that she had in her to even dislike somebody.
Tsukune couldn't say why he believed Moka hated him, but he couldn't. It would mean his death if he ended up telling anybody about his true identity among the other students in the school. "It's because of...well...it's complicated."
'I know what the boy is talking about,' Zarathos chuckled darkly.
'And what would that be Zarathos. He a sinner like the kinds you go after?' Barton frowned mentally as he watched Tsukune stutter, trying to make an excuse as to his current situation with the pinkette who was so enchanted with him before. He highly doubted that Tsukune was secretly evil. The kid looked like a good breeze could knock him over.
'I wish,' Zarathos snorted. 'No, the boy isn't a youkai. He's a human.'
Barton blinked in shock at what he had just been told and couldn't help but blurt out, "You're human?-!"
"WAUGH!" Tsukune screamed, stumbling backwards. "How did you know?-!"
Shaking his head, Barton brought his head back into the conversation with the newly revealed human, "It's just a trick I know. Seriously though, you're actually a human?"
"Y-yes," Tsukune nodded weakly. "You're not going to tell anyone, are you?"
"Well, I don't see why I should," Barton sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "I guess that rule was made so to make sure the wrong sorts of humans who are a threat to youkai wouldn't find out but…don't this the wrong way, but you're about as threatening as a housefly."
Tsukune slumped, "…I know…" he looked up miserably. "But Moka-san says she hates humans and she was my only friend here. If she's the nicest girl around and still hates me because I'm human then what chance do I have of making any other friends here?"
"That's a tough one," Barton admitted with a nod. "Did she say why she hated humans?"
"Um…" Tsukune began. "She…she went to the human world for middle school. She said they made fun of her all the time. I think she said she was a vampire and no one left her alone afterwards."
"Ouch. Okay, that makes sense," Barton grimaced. "Still, did she actual say that she hated you?"
"Well…no…"
"Then go and clear things up," Barton pointed at Tsukune. "If you ditch her because of this, you'll leave her alone like those kids in her middle school did. You don't care about what she is do you? Maybe she won't care about what you are."
"You think so?" asked the boy with hope.
"Moka's a really sweet girl, right?" asked Barton. "I don't see why not. Just go up to her and say you're sorry and then she'll…"
"AAAHHHHHHH!"
"…scream?" Barton blinked, turning in the direction
"That was Moka!" Tsukuna gasped.
'And it seems a source of evil is making a play on her!' Zarathos whispered, anticipation rich in his voice.
"Get on!" Barton barked, his eyes narrowed in anticipation for a fight. Tsukune didn't argue as he dropped his bags and jumped onto the back of the motorcycle. It was a slightly awkward fit, but he made it work. Barton turned his machine on with a demonic roar and twisted it around before gunning for the direction the scream had comee from. Fire blasted from the exhaust pipes, almost making the bike seem to go even faster than before.
"Bureizu-san, should we be going this fast?-!" cried Tsukune over the roar of the engine.
"If anything, we should be going faster when someone's in trouble!" Barton replied, hitting the accelerator.
The machine roared even louder that before as its speed picked up. Driving down the road towards the school, Barton made a sharp turn into the underbrush that made Tsukune yelp in fright. He feared they would get stuck in the dead underbrush or the gnarled roots but that sudden stop he was waiting for didn't happen. Turning, he saw that all of the plants that they had hit with the machine so far had been rendered into ash with a smoking trail behind them. Glancing over to Barton's face, he saw that the boy was flushed as if he had a temperature spike in his body.
"Bureizu-san?" Tsukune blinked.
'Let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out!' Zarathos demanded hotly as they drew closer to the source of evil that was threatening Moka.
'If we need to, I'll find some shade to pull the guy into! Just stay calm!' Barton retorted hotly.
Breaking through the foliage the pair on the bike came into a clearing where two figures were. The first was Moka, who was backed up against a tombstone with a look of terror on her face. Opposite of her was a hulking figure who was pale and covered with a bony carapace. His muscles rippled in every move, showing off a sheer amount of strength. His face was narrow with rows of razor sharp teeth and what looked like a prehensile tongue. His hair looked wild, but slicked back at the same time. It was a little difficult to tell, but Barton immediately recognized him as Saizou Komiya.
'That bastard!' Barton snarled in his thoughts, letting his bike skid to a halt. As he stopped, he let out a breath…and cinders came out. 'What?'
"Moka-san!" Tsukune cried, dashing off of the bike and running towards his friend. In running towards her though, he didn't quite take notice of Saizou's altered form until the monster had turned around to face him "EEEEEYAAAAAHHHH!"
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Saizou snickered, drool coming from his lips.
Meanwhile, Barton was choking on his breath. Every time he coughed, more cinders would be expelled as if there was a bonfire inside of his chest. His face was an unhealthy shade of red while the tires of his bike were smoking as if affected by something. As he gasped for air, his voice came out warped, "Zarathos…what's going on? What are you doing?"
'Haven't you figured it out yet? You're in the presence of evil after all. You can't deny me at this point!'
"But…" Barton choked, expelling even more cinders. "I'm in the sun! There's not enough shadow!"
'You can't feel it can you? The barrier which creates the place where this school exists does something to the sun! It protects the students who are sensitive to it, but it also makes it as if the entire space is filled in shadow! I HAVE FREE REIGN!"
Barton's eyes widened in horror as they were overtaken by an unearthly flame, "NOOOOOOOOOO!
Saizou stopped his approach on Tsukune to see where the screaming had come from. He at first thought it was lovely Moka-chan screaming for her little pet, but the voice had come from a man even if it sounded a little strange. Looking to the motorcycle, he saw Barton dismounting it like he was struggling with something. Standing up, he panted for breath before he began to laugh. His face looked like it could break out into flames with fire in his eyes and yet he still laughed.
Then his face began to fall off.
Piece by piece, like masonry falling apart his face began to fall off to reveal bleached bone underneath. The studs on his shoulders flashed orange with heat before rising to turn into spikes. The same process happened to the studs on his gloves, turning them from decoration into lethal weapons. Inhaling deeply, Barton unleashed a bellow which shattered the remains of his head in a blast of flame that bared his skull to the outside world, engulfed in hot fire.
Moka promptly paled and began to tremble fiercely at the sight. Tsukune, managing to use the distraction, ran to the girl's side to retrieve her. "Moka-san!"
"G-G-G-G-G-!" Moka trembled, her eyes riveted on Barton's new form.
"What the hell are you?" Saizou growled, unsure of what he was looking at. Was he about to fight a wraith? A fire spirit? What?
"Me?" the new Barton snickered. Reaching to his bike, he unwrapped the chain from the seat before wrapping it around his torso in a single flick of thee wrist. "I am the Spirit if Vengeance! I am Revenge given form!" he walked towards Saizou before the orc lashed out with him with a muscled pucnh. Barton raised his left arm and let the enlarged fist collide with his spiked glove. The American didn't move an inch, but Saizou's pupils dilated as the spikes on the gloves pierced his hide like hot knives through butter. "NCK!"
"I am He Who Walks in Both Worlds! I! AM! THE GHOST RIDER!" the blazing monster finished before he reared back and punched Saizou brutally across the face, cutting through his skin with the spikes of his glove before the force of that blow sent him sailing across the clearing and crashing into a group of tombstones.
"That's…Bureizu-san?" Tsukune gasped as he watched the skull-headed monster walk towards the downed orc. "Amaz-HMPH!" His admiration was cut off when Moka clutched his head and pulled it down to her chest, making sure he couldn't see the fight while Moka kept her own eyes sealed shut.
"Don't look into his eyes Tsukune-kun!" the vampire begged her friend.
"Mrf?" Tsukune blinked, his face a cherry red for being engulfed in Moka's chest.
The Ghost Rider growled as he approached the downed orc. He could smell the evil coming from the teenage youkai. Lust, greed, gluttony, all of it was wafting off of him in waves. Whatever the rumours about the punk were, they were likely true if not underestimated. Either way, it didn't matter since the Spirit of Vengeance was going to ensure that the innocent blood that was spilled would be given justice today.
Saizou groaned and shook his head. Looking up, he saw Ghost Rider approaching him. Growling, Saizou grabbed one of the nearby tombstones before he hurled it through the air to smash the freak's skull in. The Ghost Rider ducked under the attack easily, but Saizou quickly approached and planted an uppercut into the bony chin, sending the Rider backwards before crashing into the dirt next to his motorcycle.
"How do you like that bonehead?" Saizou grinned, ignoring the painful burning sensation in his hand from the punch. "Nothing's going to stop me from making Moka my woman!"
"You need to stop thinking with the little head between your legs,"
The Ghost Rider got up, brushing dirt from his shoulder. Glaring at Saizou with the fire burning in his sockets even brighter than before, he grabbed the chains across his chest and unwound them. Bringing his arm back, one end of the chain wrapped around his wrist before he lashed with it. It cut through the air and wapped around Saizou's shoulders with ease. The orc grinned and began flexing his muscles in order to break out, but quickly found that the metal wouldn't break. "What the-?"
"Let's go for a spin!" Ghost Rider roared before he yanked on the chain, pulling Saizou off of his feet. He then spun on the spot, spinning the orc through the air before smashing him through the trees and tombstones. Another yank pulled the chain over his shoulder, bringing the orc through the air before he crashed into the dirt on the ground, sending dust in all directions while making a crater from the impact.
The Ghost Rider yanked the chain again, this time bringing the length back to himself where it wrapped around his torso to be at rest once again. A warped snicker came through his lips as he strode towards the downed youkai. Reaching the edge of the crater, he saw Saizou standing up in the middle of the dust, battered, bruised, and in his human form once again. With a growl, the Ghost Rider walked through the dust before grabbing the thug by the neck before slamming him into a nearby tree, making the disguised orc choke from the impact.
"Saizou Komiya. Look into my eyes," The Ghost Rider growled. Choking on his saliva, Saizou stared into the burning coals which was the Rider's eye sockets. "Your soul is stained by the blood of the innocent. Now, feel their pain!"
The Rider's eyes flashed with their hellish fire and suddenly Saizou's world was filled pain. One by one, all of his previous victims who he had fun with came back, only this time he was on the receiving end of the pain he inflicted. The girl in the back alley…the cheerleader from middle school…that yankee girl who tried to pick a fight with him…the girl who turned him down saying she was a lesbian…another girl who turned him down because she was with a guy already…each and every one. The pain, physical, mental, emotional….all of it was rebounded on him like burning coals shoved through his chest like they were being pushed into it with the Rider's spiked fist.
"GYAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" the orc bellowed, the pain coming through him, burning his very soul with the weight of the unforgivable sin he had committed in the name of his own pride, lust, and greed. Saizou's scream died as his body went limp. He was still alive in a sense, but his soul was ash at that point. Was it possible to recover? Well, that wasn't likely but it was up for debate.
Satisfied that his attack was finished, the Ghost Rider threw Saizou's body aside where it landed heavily in the dirt. He didn't move, didn't speak, didn't make a sound beyond blinking his eyes which looked like they were replaced with coals. The trash dealt with, the Ghost Rider glanced over his shoulder to where Moka and Tsukune were huddled.
'I…can't breathe!' Tsukune gasped as Moka continued to crush his face into her chest. Beginning to flail, he tried to get her attention by tapping her shoulders or pulling on her clothes to try and make her let go. He immediately grabbed part of her outfit and yanked on it to try and get her to let him go before he blacked out.
KLANK!
Moka's eyes snapped open as she looked down, her shock rising when she saw the rosario which hung from her neck in Tsukune's hand and not on the chain where it was supposed to be. "It…came…off?"
WOOOSH!
The Ghost Rider turned his full attention on the pair as Moka became enveloped in a pillar of monstrous energy while Tsukune was pushed back by the sudden force. The Rider didn't worry about light blinding him and instead watched as Moka's body matured, her muscles become saturated with the youkai energy, her hair turn silver, her incisor teeth become more pronounced, and her eyes turn crimson red with a slit for a pupil. When the light died down with the power being absorbed into her body, Moka was revealed as the pink-haired sweet girl that the boys in her class adored, but a silver-haired sensual vampire.
Opening her eyes and focusing, Moka turned her gaze to the Ghost Rider, taking care not to look at his eyes, "Never in a hundred years would I have expected to meet a Ghost Rider anywhere, much less at a school."
"We have ways of popping up," Ghost Rider replied. "You want to make something of it?"
Moka smirked and cracked her neck, "Well, I have been asleep for a while but I cannot simply let this opportunity pass me by. The chance to test myself against the Ghost Rider, the Spirit of Vengeance himself? I would be foolish to simply let it pass."
"M-Moka-san?" Tsukune trembled, staring at the vampiric woman in awe.
"You just stay there and keep an eye on my rosario," the silver-haired vampire spoke to Tsukune without looking at him. "And make sure not to look into the Ghost Rider's eyes. You risk your soul by doing so."
"My Penance Stare only works on the wicked. The boy has nothing to fear from me since he's about as innocent as a teenage boy can get," the Ghost Rider chuckled, making Tsukune blush from the teasing. "You have me at a disadvantage though. You know what I am, what are you?"
"Is it not obvious?" asked Moka a grin of pride coming to her lips. "I am a vampire, one of the most feared and powerful of youkai."
"Are you now?" asked the Ghost Rider. "Well then, since a lady asked me for it and apparently has the reputation to back it up, I cannot in good sense deny her."
"A gentleman," Moka smirked. "How unexpected from the devil's bounty hunter."
"Oh, if that surprised you then you are going to be in for a hell of a lot more!"
Both Moka and the Ghost Rider smirked at one another for a moment, which seemed to make the nature around them. In the next moment, both monsters lunged at one another in blurs of black and silver. They met in the middle of the clearing with the Ghost Rider attempting to punch Moka while the vampire swung at him with a powerful kick. The kick met the punch and sent cinders flying in all directions while the ground cracked. Tsukune gaped openly at the sight not in awe, but because he could see Moka's panties. Neither the Ghost Rider nor Moka cared about the flashing as they pulled back before lashing out at one another with savage blows.
Moka's leg crashed against the Ghost Rider's side. Rather than be sent flying by the blow, the Ghost Rider wrapped his arm around her leg, forcing her to stand on one leg and compromise her balance. He brought back his fist and slugged her in the face, sending her back several feet. Rather than stumble like Saizou did after such a blow, she landed on her feet before skidding back. She growled and spat out a glob of blood, showing nothing more from the strike than a swelling cheek. Frowning, she gave off a glow of monstrous aura before dashing at the Ghost Rider at a near-blinding speed. The Ghost Rider was caught off guard by the sudden burst of speed and was met with a sudden fist to his face that launched him clean off of his feet and through several tombstones which kicked up a cloud of dust.
"Wa…wa…wa…wa…" Tsukune gaped. He trembled as he looked at the vampiric woman. "M-M-Moka-san?"
"Stay down," Moka ordered sharply. "He's not down yet."
"Huh?"
"YEEE-HAW!"
Out of the dust came a length of chain which danced around Moka and wrapped around her tightly. She growled and tried to break the length, but not even her vampiric strength managed to do that. One sharp pull yanked Moka straight into the dust cloud, making Tsukune whimper in fear. A sharp crack of fist against bone sounded off before Moka was launched out of the cloud still attached to the chain. Another yank pulled her back in before another crack followed and sent her clear across the area before she smashed through a tree, toppling it to the ground.
"Moka-san!" Tsukune cried out.
"Easy there gutless wonder," Ghost Rider chuckled as he emerged from the dust cloud. "It'll take more than that to take her out."
True to the demon's words, Moka emerged from the destroyed tree, a dark aura blazing over her body. Ghost Rider merely chuckled as he cracked his knuckles, the flames on his skull growing hotter and brighter in anticipation of battle. The two planted their feet into the dirt and prepared to jump for one another for a powerful strike which would no doubt cause even more damage to one another.
"HUOOOOOO!"
"RAAAAAAAAHH!"
The Ghost Rider and Moka charged for one another, ready for another devastating blow when…
"STOP IIIIIIIIIIT!"
Ghost Rider and Moka skidded to a halt as Tsukune planted himself between the two with his palsm facing them. He was trembling like a leaf and looked incredibly pale. He was sweating and looked the image of a weakling who was caught between two sharks. Still, his eyes were drastically different. He was determined to stop the violence and prevent his friend from being in pain. Moka as she was now likely wasn't going appreciate that, but it was admirable to see someone so weak doing something so brave.
"Just…stop it….please," he panted, terrified.
Ghost Rider and Moka relaxed their stances, feeling disappointment in their battle getting cut short. Frowning, Moka approached the boy and snagged her rosario back, "Tsk! And just when it was getting good." Bringing the holy relic near her choker, she looked to Tsukune, "Don't do something so stupid again boy. Your blood is simply too good to give up to idiocy." She attached the rosary to the chain, which made another flash of light that converted the silver-haired sensual woman into the pink-haired cute teenage girl she was before. Her green eyes then turned hazy as she collapsed, barely being caught in time by her friend.
"Moka-san!" Tsukune gasped. He would have tried to rouse her, but the Ghost Rider's sudden groans of pain turned his attention to the devilish bounty hunter.
The Ghost Rider dropped to his knees, clutching his face as if the flames were hurting him. At first nothing changed, but then Tsukune watched morbid fascination as the skin, muscle, and flesh began to grow back onto the teenage demon's skull, extinguishing the flames as it went. Soon, Barton Blaze was back to normal and panting on the ground with his face slowly changing from the unhealthy red back to its normal shade.
"Bureizu-san?" Tsukune asked, slightly fearful.
"This always happens when I don't change for a while," Barton cursed under his breath. Shaking his head, he looked to Moka and Tsukune. "You two okay?"
"Uh…y-yeah," Tsukune nodded timidly. "I think we are."
"Good," Barton grunted, forcing himself back onto his feet. His body ached and it felt like his head was still on fire, but other than that he seemed okay. "Sorry you had to see that. My dark side gets to be that way when he's alone with certifiable assholes."
Taking a moment to get his balance, Barton approached his fellow students, "Need some help getting her back to the dorms?"
"I…I guess," the boy nodded.
Hoisting an arm over his shoulder, both he and Tsukune began walking Moka into the paths towards Youkai Academy. As they went, they walked past Barton's motorcycle which Tsukune commented on only to get the answer, "It'll find its way back home."
The shuffled down the path with the surprisingly heavy Moka between them, silent for the time being save for the girl's soft murmurings. Eventually it became to much for Tsukune and he allowed his curiosity to get the better of him, "Um, Bureizu-san? If it's not rude to ask, just what are you?"
"Me?" asked Barton, hefting Moka's arm slightly. "I'm what you call the Ghost Rider. Ghost Riders are spirits of vengeance who attack the wicked and stalk the guilty. In the dark and the presence of evil, I can't help but transform and my…instincts take over and I attack whoever's the most evil." Barton glanced and saw that Tsukune gulped. "Relax kid. Unless you're secretly some kind of axe murderer by night, the Ghost Rider literally cannot hurt you. He's bound by the very strict laws of his creation. Just touching you while transformed would be pushing it."
Tsukune sighed in relief feeling much better at that confession, "So, what did you do to Saizou? And if you can only transform at night, how did you change now? Why did you want to fight Moka so badly?"
"One question at a time shorty," Barton snickered. "What happened to Saizou was what is called the Penance Stare. By looking into the Ghost Rider's eyes, the wicked have all of their sins revisited onto them. All of the pain which they caused mentally, physically, and emotionally is turned on them. The more wicked you are, the worse it gets. Since Saizou had such a reaction to it, I'd say he hurt a lot of people before his parents tossed him here."
Tsukune gulped. And he was going to square down with such a monster?
"Normally I can only transform at night or at least in shadow, but the barrier here is changing things," Barton frowned. "Apparently it keeps out the purifying aspects of the sun or something which keeps me from transforming. I guess it was made to protect the students who were sensitive to such things. Only now it lets me transform when I'm in the presence of evil sunlight be damned. That's going to make hiding it harder."
'Oh I can be reasonable. I'll only take over when you're in a fight. It ruins the sweet anticipation otherwise,' Zarathos laughed, but the satisfaction of a good soul burn was quite easy to see.
"As for why the Ghost Rider fought Moka, I couldn't tell you," Barton sighed. "It's sort of a split personality thing for me. When I transform, I'm a slave to my instincts but once that task is finished what happens next is up to the Ghost Rider. He's the one in control until there's no evil or battle to be dealt with."
"So, because Moka-san challenged him he decided to stay?" asked Tsukune.
'Damn right I did,' Zarathos laughed.
"Sounds about right," Barton nodded. "So, you going to drop out?"
"Well," Tsukune sighed. "I think…I'll talk to Moka-san first. If she wants to be friends with me still, I think I'll tough it out."
"Good to hear," Barton nodded. "'Cause after all of this, I feel like we could actually be friends."
Tsukune blinked, but then began to smile, "I'd like to be friends too."
Barton grinned.
A new day of school started and Barton was driving towards the school once again. As he predicted, the next morning when he came out to go to school his motorcycle was waiting for him. He had to apologize to it since it wouldn't start but it eventually forgave him. He drove up to the school like clockwork and parked his ride next to the other bicycles once again. Dismounting and hefting his book bag over his shoulder, Barton began walking towards the front doors. As he went though, he noticed several boys grumbling and groaning to themselves. The reason why they were grumbling was because coming through the gates were Tsukune and Moka, walking together like close friends. Of course the boys would grumble over that since it looked like Moka was all but taken.
"Seems like they patched things up," Barton grinned.
'Yeah, yeah, yeah, the lovebirds are back together again. Get a move on, I want to see the cat chick again!'
'Pervert,' Barton grumbled mentally.
To be Continued...?
A/N: Okay, how is it? This Ghost Rider universe is based off of the movie. If you like it, great. If you don't like it then you can simply ignore this or you can offer me advice or ideas on how to make it better. Flamers and people who offer no constructive criticism will be subjected to the Penance Stare! RAWR!
Oh, for those of you wondering why Ms. Ririko and Tsukune were saying Barton's name differently than I write it, it's how it's pronounced in Japanese. I checked it with an online translator. I must also restate that this Barton Blaze IS NOT Johnny Blaze's father, a reincarnation, or otherwise connected to the man aside from being the man's grandson and namesake. Of course, if you haven't realized this by this point then you haven't read the fic.
