Ruby...

"Look! The city of humans!" A young witch girl excitedly points to everything around her. "The lights are so twinkly... Just like stars!"

"Hahaha..." A father chuckles at his daughter's wonder. "You really like them, don't you, Ruby?"

"Mhm!"

"Ruby..." A mother softly says. "Someday... I hope a day will come when everyone, humans, wizards, sorcerers, and even monsters...can come together and understand each other."

The young girl happily nods. "Me too, Mama!"

SKRIIIII!

"LOOK OUT!"

Ruby's eyes jolt awake after having...the same nightmare. Her vision is slowly met with the presence of the same people she was trying to... Wait, the boy is still alive? "Wh-Where am I?!" Ruby feels a tinge of pain after suddenly sitting upright on the floor.

"She's awake!"

"You okay, Ruby?"

"..." Ruby didn't answer at first, she could only look at them in confusion at their...concerned expressions. Is this a dream? No, I tried to kill them...then that boy...

"How dare you?!"

"Guys, no!"

"..." Why did he...? Ruby shakes off this temporary question and demands to know the answer to her original one. "Where am I? Who are you?" She asks this new question mainly for the boy she thought she killed.

"I'm Tsukune Aono." He says with a smile. "You're back at our camp, this is where we're staying on our summer trip."

"..." This boy, he smells exactly like a human. But the others, they're monsters, while Yukari and...wait... "That boy..."

"Oh, you mean Elijah?" Yukari asks.

"Tch." Hearing the name of her best friend causes Kurumu to click her tongue. "Still don't know why he did that."

"You just feel bad after hurting him on accident."

"You hurt him too!" Kurumu shouts at Mizore.

"The three of us did," Moka corrects them. "But he'll be fine."

"...Where is he?" Now noticing along with how much of a cramped space it is in this tent, she also notices the absence of... "That boy..."

"Over here..."

A pained groan is heard from behind the group, causing everyone to look at the source. Elijah is lying flat on his back, his torso covered in bandages. Seeing him in such a state only confuses Ruby even further. Why would he protect her after she tried killing them? Surely this must be a trick.

"You really are a dummy, you know?" The Succubus crawls over to the injured boy. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that we could find a resolution that didn't end in someone else being beaten to a pulp."

"Well, now you're the one that's been beaten to a pulp, you dummy!"

"I'll be fine, Kuru."

"If not," The Snow fairy comes along to the boy's aid. "Then you're little Snow Bunny will take care of that witch who caused this.

"Please don't, and why did you call yourself-"

"Impossible..." Everyone's attention is brought back to the new witch. "Coexistence is impossible! How are you..." Wait... Elijah got hurt...protecting me? I can sense his injuries, not only does he have a bruised torso, but many of his ribs have been broken. But now most of them have been healed thanks to a healing spell, but he's still in pain... "Why... Why did you try to protect me? And why are you helping me? I tried to kill your friends. Especially that one."

Tsukune notices her gaze. "Why would we need a reason to help you? You're hurt. And Yukari is your friend, even Elijah put himself in harm's way to keep you from getting hurt too badly. Sorry about that."

"I'm sorry that I got Elijah hurt," Moka says looking down at her lap. "I'm sure the other me is sorry too."

"Doubt it," Elijah points out with a pained voice. "She'd probably say something like, 'That foolish boy shouldn't have gotten in my way, he should know his place!'"

Everyone, minus Ruby, chuckles at Elijah's impersonation of the Inner Moka. Why are they being so...friendly with one another? It's impossible for coexistence. A Vampire...a Witch...a Succubus...a Snow Fairy...a boy that is not exactly human but close enough to someone like me...and what just might be a human... How is this possible?

The Witch had many questions that she would demand to know the answers to, but for now, she would have to let down her pride...along with her hatred, and rest for the night. Seeing that she can barely move on her own and that her wand is no longer on her person, she would have to abide by her conditions.

The Next Morning...

"Ruby, breakfast!"

"..." The Witch, now hugging her knees by the dying campfire, is greeted by the human boy holding a plate full of food. She reluctantly takes it but offers no thanks to Tsukune, not even a glance in his direction. But that doesn't stop him from continuing on.

"You have a lot more color in your cheeks this morning! Witches really do have incredible healing powers, huh?"

"..." This boy... I sense nothing monster-ish about him, so he must be a human. Do his associates even realize this? If so... Tsukune notices Ruby staring and tilts his head in confusion but keeps his friendly smile. This causes her to look away, a faint sense of heat rising to her cheeks.

"Hey!"

The distant call from the familiar sound of a young boy gathers everyone's attention. When they look to see who it is, they're happily greeted by none other than Yukari and Elijah carrying a few plastic bags. One could guess that they did a little shopping for the group.

"Hey, guys!" Moka is the first to welcome them back. "How was your walk?"

"I'm a lot better than last night, still a tad sore though." Elijah answers.

"Are you alright?"

"Don't worry, Kuru. I've suffered worse."

The Succubus tilts her head and doubtfully scowls. "Stop playing the tough guy act and let me worry about you!" While they bickered for a moment, Moka wanted to know more about Yukari's second experience in the human town.

"So, how did you like the city, Yukari?"

The Young Witch giggles as she shows her bag she had filled with many goodies and snacks. "Check this out! Elijah showed me this place called a 'convenience store'! I got all of these things by myself!"

"If 'by yourself', you mean I stood outside the store and let you explore on your own." Elijah corrects her.

"I don't need you looking after me like some helpless kid!"

"I never said you were!" Elijah retorts.

"Regardless," Tsukune speaks up to stop an ensuing argument. "I'm proud of you, Yukari."

"Huh? What do you mean?" She asks.

"You were real nervous about coming to the human world before, so seeing you all excited about it now is wonderful to see."

"He's got a point," Elijah adds before he reaches into his bags, pulling out a few cans of various drinks. "By the way, we got what everyone asked for."

Everyone offers a nod in thanks as they take their choice of drink from Elijah's bag. When everyone, minus Ruby, has a seat around the campfire and starts their casual conversations, Yukari decides to speak up and offer a few words.

"I was honestly about to give up hope, I thought... I thought we could never really understand each other. But now... I know it is if we just do what's right!"

Elijah smiles and raises his can of soda. "Couldn't have said it better myself, Yukari."

"Here, here!" Tsukune adds, smiling more than everyone else.

"Eh, could use a little work. Maybe take a few speech classes first."

"Please," Elijah elbows Kurumu in the arm. "If anyone other than Mizore that needs classes, it's you, Kuru."

"Hey! I still passed my tests!"

"Only thanks to Elijah and his 'tutoring sessions'," Mizore says as she pouts at the boy. "How come I can't get tutored by you, too?"

"...You're all living in a dream." The quiet voice coming from Ruby makes everyone turn their head toward her. "Deluing yourselves..." She clutches her head and looks down at her lap...as she cries. "I'll never fall for this! Because I know! I know how rotten and selfish humans are!" The Witch glares at Elijah, feeling conflicted that someone who showed genuine care for her last night could just side with the very thing she hates. "...You."

"...Ruby, I-"

Before the boy could get a word out, Ruby lunged forward at him, her fist tightly clenched. "How could you side with-" As she was close to striking Elijah in the face, the boy counter-attacked by...raising a can to the Witch's cheek, immediately stopping her. She's confused by this strange gesture, why did it stop her so easily?

"I noticed the faint smell of green tea when we first met last night and thought you might like some. Sure, it won't be as good as you'd probably brew it, but I got it for you anyway. I even let it sit out in the sun for a moment since you probably don't like cold tea."

"..." Ruby lowers her raised hand against Elijah...and takes the drink from him. She sees that it is in fact warm, just as she likes her tea. Ruby could only stare at the can. Why...? Why is he-

"Ruby," Elijah gains her attention once more as he bears a saddened expression. "I did a little more investigating in the human town and found out more about...what'll happen to Witch Hill. I'm sorry, It was an understatement when I supposed that you hate humans. I know that an apology won't change what'll happen to your home, but as someone who is half-human, I feel...responsible. I want to help you. No, we all do. We want to hear your story, what does that hill really mean to you?"

"..." Elijah says that last part with a now more determined look in his eye, causing Ruby to feel...open. "...That hill is a place where witches have lived for a very long time and we live there in peace together, never bothering or hurting anybody, just minding our own business. Well...at least until they came barging in on us. They destroyed everything in sight... They ripped the place to shreds, treating our home like it was nothing... Explain this to me!" Her words, now dripping with more venom. "The humans... Why should we trust them?! What possible good could that do us now?! We will never trust the humans ever again!"

"Ruby..."

"Please, Yukari, Elijah," Ruby begs. "You two of all people should understand what I'm saying. Our kind call this place, 'home'. In order to keep that place safe, our only option is to destroy every last one of them!"

"But I... I don't feel that way."

"Neither do I. I strive for the coexistence between humans and monsters alike."

"But..." The poor girl still couldn't believe their words. "...we have no choice. We have to kill them!"

"Come on," Kurumu speaks up. "Do you really think it's okay to kill off everyone just to protect a hill?"

"The only ones I kill are Humans." Ruby counter-argues.

"Whether you're a human or a monster, there's no difference in the value of someone's life," Mizore states.

"..." Ruby looks down at her lap, conflicted. "...What's so wrong with killing humans?" The girl stands, throwing her can of green tea at Elijah. "So what if I killed them off?! WHO CARES ABOUT STUPID HUMANS?!"

"...I do." Elijah says firmly. Standing in front of the Witch with kind eyes, he calms down and speaks in a softer tone. "We can find a way to resolve this issue with the humans. No more blood has to be shed on either side. We can help you, Ruby..."

"...No." She says with a frown. "No way. There's no other alternative for us. Her Ladyship will bring retribution."

"Her Ladyship?" Tsukune questions.

"Come on! You can't be serious! That's pretty arrogant of you, saying that it's fine to hurt other people as long as is serves your own purpose." Kurumu calls Ruby out.

"No kidding," Mizore agrees. "That's pretty selfish."

"That makes you no different from them."

"Easy, Kuru,"

"So, that's how you people are, huh?"

"You witches are a scary lot."

"No, we're not!"

"Seriously guys, knock it off. You know that's not-"

"All of you, shut up!" Ruby shouts. "If they take that hill away from me then I'll be left without anywhere else to go!"

"Wait a second, if that's what this is all about then why don't you come with us?"

"..." Tsukune's suggestion causes Ruby to gasp out loud nearly. Why would he-

"He's right," Moka agrees. "It could get lonely being uprooted from a place you've always known but Yokai Academy has a lot to offer a girl like you!"

"Sure, it has it's hiccups every now and then but it's still a great school overall. So, what do you say?" Elijah asks with a warm smile.

"..."

"Oh, wait! Let's get her to join the Newspaper club too!"

"Good call, Moka!" Yukari agrees.

"Wait, so now we'll have two witches?"

"That's right, you will!" Yukari smirks at Kurumu and gets in her face.

"The more the merrier, after all," Elijah adds.

"..." All Ruby could do was watch as they all enjoyed each other's words of encouragement. This feeling...growing inside of her... Why are they all...so nice to me? I...I don't understand.

That night...

All seemed well as everyone seemingly fell asleep in their assigned tents, all...except for one Witch. Tsukune's offer and Elijah's words still bear on Ruby's mind, their words repeat in the girl's head as she holds the same can of green tea Elijah offered to her.

"I want to help you..."

"..." My wounds... They're healing quicker than usual. Is that because...they're taking care of me? This conclusion makes Ruby shake her head in doubt, quietly leaving her resting place. Once Ruby is outside her tent, something important comes to her mind. Where is my wand?! Don't tell me they-

"Hey, Ruby."

"Eep!" Elijah's call to her made her jump. "O-Oh, E-Elijah..."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's... Don't worry."

The boy gestures to the coast, "You...wanna walk?"

"..." Ruby silently nods, accepting Elijah's offer.

The pair of them slowly but surely head over to shore, the cool night air gives the atmosphere an ethereal feeling. It is as if the rest of the world has disappeared and the only inhabitants are two magical people. One...has a burning hatred for humanity. The other...yearns for peace amongst them. Elijah sits along the coast, the tide only a few feet away. Ruby, not wanting to seem disapproving of the boy's kind offer, joins him. She sits criss-cross beside Elijah who stares off into the distance, listening to the susurration sounds of the ocean.

"...Hey, Elijah?"

He turns to Ruby, giving her his full attention. "Yeah?"

"Where's...my wand? It... It's time that I return to my home. And I'm not safe without my wand."

Elijah raises an eyebrow. "But...we can still help, and what about coming with us?"

"Elijah..." Ruby looks up to the moon, smiling sadly. "...When I was little My parents died in an accident...caused by a human."

"..."

"A human...killed my parents." Ruby readjusts her sitting position, hugging her knees. "We were just shopping...and a human slammed his car into us. My Mother and Father were all that I had. My only comfort growing up was cursing the humans. I cursed their cities. I cursed their whole civilization."

"...Ruby, I-"

"You know, you and Yukari are fortunate..."

"What?"

Ruby stands, looking down at Elijah with...a sincere smile. "You two have friends like Tsukune and the others. I...envy you both a little."

"Ruby!" Elijah stands, holding Ruby's shoulders firmly. "I...I can't say that I know what you're feeling, but I know that it doesn't have to be this way anymore. You have friends now! Me, Yukari, Tsukune, Moka, kurumu, and even Mizore! We can help you and Her Ladyship, we can find a way, we can...I..."

"Elijah...I'm sorry." She looks up to the boy, tears filling the corners of her eyes. "I really wish I had met all of you earlier." Ruby jerks herself off of Elijah's grip, running in the opposite direction of him.

"Ruby, wait!"

Elijah's pleas fall on deaf ears. Ruby continues to run away and soon, she protrudes her wings, flying away to Witch hill. "I really am sorry, Elijah. But... Thank you, all of of you, for what you did for me."

Ruby continues her flight, eventually leading herself back home...to Witch Hill, to...Her Ladyship.

Elijah

I watch helplessly as Ruby flies away. Soon after I see a crow carrying...her wand and it follows her. I can only assume that the crow must belong to Her Ladyship. But that just brings me back to my original question. Who in the hell is 'Her Ladyship'? Seems to me that she could be the actual person we must speak to.

"Elijah?"

"AH!" I turn around in a flash, seeing my friends all lined up behind me. "Huh? When did you guys get here?"

"Well, I noticed you and Ruby leaving the camp."

"And I noticed her leave," Tsukune points his thumb at Kurumu.

"And then we all just followed," Moka says with a warm smile.

"...How much did you hear?" I ask.

"Enough to know that we can't just leave without helping her!" Yukari says. "I just... I can't believe that she left so suddenly. I really thought we were becoming friends."

"Me too, Yukari," Tsukune adds. "I understand why Ruby hates humans...but we can't let her and this 'Her Ladyship' make a horrible mistake. Killing humans isn't the answer, and neither will getting killed by humans. We have to go back to Witch Hill."

I nod. "Couldn't have said it better myself. Let's go," We start making our way to... Oh, wait a minute... "Actually, Yukari."

"Hmm?"

"You, Kurumu, and Mizore go on ahead. I need to talk with Tsukune and Moka for a minute, we'll catch up as soon as we're done. We'll be right behind you."

"..." Yukari isn't entirely sure why I want the attention of a third of our group, but the young witch reluctantly agrees. She guides the other girls to Witch Hill, eyeing down Tsukune as she gets out of earshot.

"What's wrong, Elijah?"

"..." I've been waiting for an opportunity to bring up this conversation, and now I think is the best time. "We should tell the others that you, Tsukune...are a human."

At this statement, the pair balked. "What?!"

"Shh!" I shush them. "You guys shout any louder they'll come back and hear us!"

"What do you mean we should tell them?" Moka asks me pleadingly

"Look, they might already have their suspicions, Yukari most of all. Sooner or later, they're gonna find out. And the three of us are always preaching about friendship. And friends share secrets with one another. Maybe not right now, perhaps when we get back to Yokai Academy. But the longer we keep the truth from them, the more hurt they'll feel. And I..."

"You what?" Tsukune questions why I stopped so suddenly.

"...I don't want...to hate me," I mumble.

"Huh?" They say.

"I don't want Kurumu to hate me, alright?"

Tsukune and Moka look at each other as if the same thought is going through their head. Then they look back at me with an understanding smile. "You're sure about this, man?" Tsukune asks.

"Positive," I say, ignoring the heat rising in my face.

"Alright, then..." The boy seems more determined now. "Let's do it."

"But before that..." I flip over a card I just pulled from my pocket. Tsukune manages to read it, his face contorting into a frown.

"...Not again."

"Can't we just walk?" Moka asks.

"Where's the fun in that?"

POOF!

The three of us appear in the middle of Witch Hill, the same spot where I sensed Ruby's presence the first time I was here. Tsukune is visibly in pain from the spell, but he keeps his stomach from churning. Moka on te other hand...

"I dont' feel so good..."

"Just breathe, Moka, it'll pass. You'll get used to it." Tsukune comforts the Vampire.

"How many times have you guys done this?" She asks.

"Me? At least fifty times since I was a kid. Tsukune? What was this, at least the third time now?"

"I think so," He answers.

"You guys!" The three of us turn to the call of a young witch followed by the succubus and snow fairy. "How did you guys get here before us?"

"Doesn't matter, we need to find-"

"Go back! No one is allowed on this hill!" We all focus our attention on the familiar voice of Ruby, she approaches us...with hatred in her eyes. Using her wand, she ensnares the others in the same vines as before, only leaving me and Tsukune unscathed for some reason. "No matter who you are! Leave...or perish!"

"Woah, woah, woah!" I raise my hands. WHat the hell has gotten into her?! "Ruby! What are you doing?!"

"Please, Ruby! Don't do this!" Yukari begs.

"All we want to do is help you!" Tsukune adds.

"I've heard enough!" She ignores us, motioning her wand to the sunflowers around us...but we soon realize that these are no mere sunflowers that surround us. Each flower Ruby pointed to with her wand has now uprooted themselves from the ground, revealing their true form.

"No...they can't be..."

Ruby laughs mockingly. "But they are... What you all see before you is Her Ladyship's brood. A loyal army of plant soldiers ready to defend Witch Hill!"

These 'plant soldiers' she speaks of...they're Hanabakes. They're creatures that can mimic the form of plants so they can absorb energy and water for nutrition. Their non-vegetative parts are as hard as steel, claws as sharp as swords...and razor-like teeth.

"Guys, run!" Kurumu shouts, clawing her way out from her ensarement. At least six Hanabakes have surrounded Tsukune and myself, trapping us. Thankfully, Kurumu slices through them all thanks to her claws, killing them and saving both of us boys.

"Thanks, Kuru."

"Yeah, we owe you one."

"Don't mention it."

"AAAHHH!" Moka's desperate plea causes Tsukuen to panic.

"Moka!" He runs to her without a second thought, causing me to chase after him. We need to form a plan, but then again, what kind of plan can be made with the odds so against us?! I mean, it's a thousand to one! No, I can't think like this, we'll find a way. If Kurumu can defend herself, then Mizore and Yukari can, too. I need to get Tsukune to Moka so he can pull off her rosary so we'll be able to stand a chance.

"Tsukune, look out!" I call to him as a Hanabake nearly bites his arm clean off. Thankfully, he heard me in time before any permanent damage could be done. "Here! Use this!" I catch up with Tsukune, handing him one of my Tarot Cards—specifically, the Fire Shield spell.

"Won't this be too much for me to handle?!" He questions.

"Never mind that! Just use it and get to Moka! I'll try and distract Ruby for as long as I can!" I retort.

"All right!" he agrees, seeing no reason to argue with me. Tsukune continues his pursuit, I need to see if Ruby is willing to talk...or if she can at all at this point.

"I really wish I had met all of you earlier..."

Her tone...and that sad look in her eye... I don't believe that this is entirely Ruby's doing. This could all lead back to this 'Her Ladyship' she kept bringing up. Perhaps she's the one behind everything...and if that's the case, I need to have a word with Her Ladyship in order to stop this from getting any messier than it already is.

"Ruby! Stop this!" I call out. "I know that this isn't what you want! We can still help you and Her Ladyship!"

She laughs mockingly at me. "Since when do you know anything about me? You know nothing of what I've been through! Now..." Ruby sneers, holding her wand down towards me. Some of the Hanabakes focus their attention on me but remain still...for now. "Thanks to you, all your friends will be made into a blood offering for Her Ladyship. Starting with the Human!"

"..." My eyes widen in shock. So...she was able to figure it out? Thankfully, the others are too occupied with Hanabakes to hear our conversation. "...You know?"

"What I don't understand is... How can you just knowingly side with a human?! No...I should've known from when I first laid eyes on you. After all..." Ruby looks down at me with pure disgust in her eyes. "You're father is a filthy human. I can't possibly fathom how a Witch could possibly fall for a hu-"

BOOM!

The sudden burst of energy causes Ruby to look behind her, shocked at the arrival of our local Roundhouse Kicker. Looks like my spell managed to keep Tsukune safe in order to get to Moka. The change of power in the air causes most of the Hanabakes to be blown away. "Is that...?"

"Yep," I answer. "That's a Vampire." And from the look of it, she's pissed off more than normal.

"Damn fool. Doing too much, like always." She says to Tsukune as he sits up on the ground, Moka's Rosary in his hand. "Still, you saved my ass." Inner Moka vanishes in an instant, delivering her signature kick to Ruby's abdomen. "If it's blood you want rather than peace, then blood is something I understand."

"Ruby!" Yukari shouts, sharing my concern. I don't want Moka to hurt her too much. What we need to do is find Her ladyship and-

"Fools! All of you!" Damn it, looks like Ruby isn't backing down so easily. Even after a bow like that, her resolve is still unchanged. She stands, her wand shaking as she grips it firmly. "I must defend Witch Hill! Her Ladyship demands it!"

"But what about you?!" I retort. "Is this really what you want, Ruby? What about your family? Do you really think that this is what they would want for you?"

"..." Ruby sneers, pointing her wand at me and causing the Hanabakes to charge. "My family is gone! All I need is Her ladyship!"

"Shit!" I go for my deck, but I'm too slow seeing the Hanabakes are practically on top of me. Three, from what I can see, start clawing at me. I manage to dodge some of their attacks, but I'm not always this lucky. "AUGH!" One Hanabake found an opening right on my left shoulder, biting down on me. Fuck! This isn't good! And is it just me or did these damn things get bigger?!

"Flame Eruption!"

WOOSH!

I'm dropped to the ground, surrounded by the charred remains of the Hanabakes who were about to make me their supper. Turning to my right, I see my...savior. I smirk at the sight of how far he's come. But there's no time for celebration so I get to my feet and make my way over to Tsukune.

"Thanks for the save, but we need to finish this before it gets outa hand."

The boy nods in agreement. "Yeah, we need to find Her Ladyship. She might be the only one who can get through to Ruby."

"Glad to see we're on the same page," I add before I turn my attention to the girls still fighting Ruby and her Hanabake horde. "Guys! Keep her busy! Tsukune and I are going to find Her Ladyship." I take their continuation of fighting as a sign of affirmation, so Tsukune and I run off in the opposite direction of the fight.

"I saw a house in the middle of the flower field, maybe we can find her there!"

"I was thinking the same thing, come on!"

"Yep...if she's anywhere on this hill, it's gotta be here."

"What gave that away? The fact that this is the only structure on Witch hill? Or was it the telltale roots coming out of it?"

"Both."

We move past our banter, making our way to the front door of the house. Being a pair of Witch's home, I expected better defenses, but this place looks like it's one wrong move from collapsing underneath itself. In fact, the wooden door had a noticeable amount of moss growing from the corners. I look over to my friend, sharing the same look of confusion as I am.

"Is it just me, or did we both expect...more?"

I nod. "Yeah, better take caution regardless, just in case."

"Got it."

I open the door. Well, I would've if it hadn't broken off its hinges and fallen to the floor, causing a loud slam to echo throughout the house. Now this is even more concerning, even my own Mother wouldn't live in such conditions even if she had no other choice. So why is Her Ladyship living like this? What kind of witch is she? Ignoring the unsettled living conditions, Tsukune and I head inside. We first noticed within the confines of the house were massive roots. All of them leading up the stairs. Most likely where Her Ladyship is.

"I guess there's only one way to go," I state.

"Yeah, but let's try to show her we mean no harm. This doesn't have to get any worse than it already is."

I nod, agreeing with Tsukune's suggestion as I was just thinking that myself. "Got it."

We head upstairs. As we keep following the roots, there's something else that I've noticed ever since we stepped inside. I can only sense the presence of myself along with Tsukune, so what does that mean? Is Her Ladyship not here? If that's the case, then where else could she be?

"Elijah, you're bleeding!"

"Huh?" I turn to my left, seeing Tsukune's concerned look. He's looking at my shoulder, and now that I can see it more clearly in the moonlight shining through the window, I can see a large amount of blood staining my shirt. "...Damn, that Hanabake must've gotten me good." And now that I've looked at it, and I can feel the adrenaline from earlier settling, it fucking hurts. "Dammit."

"Here, I got you, man." Tsukune readies himself with a tarot card. "Healing Touch."

Damn, he's already used to it like me. He learns fast. I feel the wound slowly but surely start to close up, it won't heal completely but it won't get any worse. "Thanks, guess I didn't notice."

"No problem," He smiles before turning his attention to the end of the corridor. "...This is it, you ready?"

I nod, my smile turning to a serious frown. "Ready as I'll ever be."

We step inside the room, noticing the figure sitting in the middle of it...not moving a muscle.

"It's you," Tsukune starts off. "You're Her Ladyship, aren't you? If so, I have a request for you. Please, let Ruby make her own decisions."

"Tsukune..."

"Please, set her free," He begs as 'Her Ladyship'...doesn't move.

"...Tsukune..."

"What?" The boy suddenly turns to me.

"...The only people in this house...are us."

"...What? What are you talking about?"

"I thought I sensed something was off when we first entered the house. The only beings I could sense were you and myself. So...that means..."

That's when one of my natural senses noticed something else, making me gag. It was a stench, one that was putrid and rotten.

Tsukune's eyes widen, coming to the same conclusion. "...No, she can't be, then why is Ruby-"

"I don't know...but I'm going to find out what this is all about. There's gotta be something around here...anything..."

'Inner' Moka

Inner Moka had no idea what to make of this development. They were all under attack by a witch on her home turf using a seemingly endless army of plant monsters. It was thanks to Tsukune and the aid of the magic boy that she could fight back properly. But Ruby had proven more resilient than Inner Moka anticipated. Where most went down with just a single kick from the vampire, Ruby fought back much harder. This was not a situation that Inner Moka was used to...and that pissed her off.

Even the Hanabakes were a pain. Whether they were cut by nails, ice, claws, or cards, they reformed to double the size. It was already proving to be exhausting for Kurumu, Yukari, and Mizore as they bought time for the boys who just ran away from the fight. If anything, this only pissed off Moka more. And to top it all off, she was already exerting plenty more energy than normal.

Nevertheless, Moka's resolve would not be squandered. She was practically fighting single-handedly in order to protect everyone. This was normally the Vampire's job, but she noticed the improvement of the other girl's fighting capabilities. They've improved, but still not enough for and endless army.

Ruby's resolve proved to be a hindrance to the group, eventually finding the upper hand and ensnaring them all in vines when a moment of faint relief left them open. The Witch sneers as she looks down on Moka, wanting to kill her first.

"This is payback for defiling Witch Hill! Now all of you...die!"

"Stop it!"

The cries from the human boy and his friends cause Ruby to stop. The girls, minus the Vampire share a look of concern as they approach the Witch.

"Guys, get back!"

"Elijah! Tsukune! No!"

"Ruby, enough of this! Let them go!" Elijah demands.

"Doing this will solve nothing, no one will care anymore!" Tsukune adds.

"Shut up!" She shouts. "Everything I'm doing is for Her Ladyship! I do this to-"

"Wake up, Ruby!" Elijah continues. "How long are you going to stay in denial?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Elijah and I went to the house to see Her Ladyship and there's no one there!"

Ruby laughs in denial. "What are you saying? Her Ladyship is inside the house!"

"NO! She's dead, Ruby! She's been dead for a long time!"

"..." Elijah's claim causes everyone to go silent, and the Hanabake army stops in its tracks at their mistress's command. "...No...that can't be."

"It's true..."

"Her Ladyship is gone, Ruby. You don't want to accept it, do you?" Elijah approaches the witch with a calm demeanor, wanting to go for reasoning rather than confrontation. "You want to believe you're carrying out her wish to ease your broken heart because if you don't, you'd be all alone again. But you remember what you told me earlier? 'I wish I had met all of you earlier'." The boy smiles. "Don't you see? You're not alone anymore. Maybe there's nothing we can do to save Witch Hill from being destroyed, but that doesn't mean you have to remain alone. Please, Ruby, you can still come with us."

"..."

Ruby

"Ruby..."

"Your Ladyship?"

"...I'm afraid that I may have acted very foolishly."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you see? All the things that I set out to do were no different from the humans..." Her Ladyship coughs, her voice becoming weaker by the second.

"Your Ladyship!"

"Please, forgive me. I'm about to leave you all by yourself again... But remember, Ruby. I will always be by your side, no matter what happens...forever..." Those were the final words of Her Ladyship...before her hand fell lifelessly by her side.

"Yes, Her ladyship may be gone, but that doesn't mean you have to be alone again, Ruby." Elijah continues on.

"..."

"...Please, Ruby. We can stop this bloodshed right now. Ask yourself this..." Elijah smiles, "What do you want?"

"Ruby...what do you want to do with your life?"

"I want to learn more about the humans, Mommy! They're all so fascinating and they can make such wondrous things without any means of magic!"

Ruby's mother laughs wholeheartedly. "Yes, they quite are a fascinating species, are they?"

"...I can't. How can I walk away from the only home someone else ever gave me? Her Ladyship gave me a home, she loved me like the daughter she never had!" Ruby scowls down at the boy in anger...but her eyes slowly fill with tears. "...I don't want to be alone. How...how can I trust you, any of you?!"

"..." Elijah reaches out his hand to Ruby. "...Because you're my friend, Ruby."

"..." The last Witch of Witch Hill...drops her head, and her wand falls to the earth, causing the Hanabakes to drop lifelessly to the earth. Ruby lowers herself to the ground, then to her knees...and cries her heart out. "...I'm sorry...Mother...Father..."

The others, not knowing how to react to the sight of the grieving girl, stand there and watch. But what confuses some is the sight of Elijah kneeling in front of the poor girl...and hugging her close. Elijah himself doesn't entirely know what he is doing, but he knows he can't just leave Ruby all alone. Soon enough, Yukari follows Elijah's lead and offers Ruby a hug of her own.

After what felt like hours to the others, Ruby's cries seemed to settle down as she tuckered herself out, falling asleep in Elijah's embrace. Seeing as he has no other choice, the boy picks up the Witch in his arms, carrying her like a princess.

Elijah...

Ruby felt light in my arms as I carried her out of Witch Hill, heading back to our camp. The poor girl was crying for God knows how long, she deserves some rest. I'd be tending to everyone else's wounds but I literally have my hands full, so Tsukune took care of it. Inner Moka refused the boy's help, of course, seeing that she'd rather heal on her own rather than rely on help from a human.

"You do realize how stupid you were, right? Both you and Tsukune."

"I'm sorry?" I look to Inner Moka as she walks with me.

"You both went straight into that house not knowing what Her Ladyship could've done to you if she were not a rotting corpse. You had no regard for your own lives and left the fighting to the rest of us."

"Ruby was not gonna stop no matter what we said to her, so we had to confront the one person she could possibly listen to. I just didn't imagine such a cruel reality Ruby was actually living in." I look down at Ruby's content...smiling face. "...I think she's learning how to let go, she looks at peace. But she's got a long way to go on this road of healing."

Inner Moka scoffs. "Please, you two make me sick to my stomach sometimes. Your goody-two-shoes shtick won't be able to solve every problem we come across."

I smirk. "You sure you're not just angry that a lowly monster such as myself solved another problem without much of your help? Hell, even Tsukune did a good job, look at him just healing everyone over there."

Inner Moka sneers at me in annoyance. "You're unbelievable, you know that? I can only imagine how irritable you must be to the Succubus."

I raise an eyebrow. "What does Kurumu have to do with this?"

She returns my earlier smirk, seeing an irony I cannot. "You have no idea what you are dealing with, I just hope that the girl doesn't break your heart too much. Otherwise, I'd lose a potential sparring partner."

I roll my eyes. "There you go again with that 'sparring partner' BS. I really don't know why of all people, you think I stand a chance against a strong vampire like you."

She shrugs. "Let's just say that I have a feeling in my gut, and that most of the time, it's never wrong."

"Whatever. If you ask me, I think you should prioritize getting your feelings together about that guy behind us."

"Excuse me?" Inner Moka looks at me, glaring...but with a faint blush in her cheeks.

"You and the Outer Moka may be different personality-wise, but I can see that in your own way, you're starting to care for Tsukune. You claim that you two are different people, but you can't fool me. Like him, you need to just admit it before-"

"Don't push it, Card Boy." Inner Moka sneers, punching me in the arm. But that alone doesn't get rid of the blushing. "Whatever you think I am compared to the other me, we are different people. Besides, just because he's swayed her doesn't mean he has the same effect on me."

"Whatever you say, Moka."

We continue our walk, my mind going back to what should be done now about Witch Hill. From what I got from the house, Her Ladyship found out that the field was going to be destroyed so a landfill could be built. Another excuse for humanity to keep ruining our world. But when Her Ladyship found out about this movement, she uprooted almost every flower on the hill and replaced it with Hanabake spawn. So, in a twisted way, she already destroyed what was already naturally beautiful. Still, that doesn't make it right to destroy it all and replace it with a human trash dump. Then again, a large land development such as this can't just be stopped with no questions asked.

...I should make a few calls when I get the chance, maybe my Mom would know what to do in my shoes.