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Chapter 58 -
The Wrath Of Ruthless Ruth
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Rapunzel pushed the door open and grins as everyone in pub screams. She smiles, “Ooo! Are you telling ghost stories?”

Hookfoot chuckles, “Nah. Big Nose here was just telling us about his date last week.”

Big Nose sighs happily, “Sweet, Sweet Rhonda.”

Rudiger jumps off you and shakes his fur of water as it poofs up. You let go of Rapunzel and rub your arms before wringing out your shirt.

A blanket was draped around your shoulder and you look back to see no one. You blink and shrug it off while pulling the blanket close.

“So what are you guys doing in this lousy weather?”

You head over by the fireplace and sit down on a stool. Rudiger follow and curls up on your lap. You smile softly, “I was heading back from Old Corona and I got caught in the rain.”

They all nod and Attila comes over to hand you a mug with hot chocolate in it. You grin in thanks and lucky that you left the cocoa powder here that last time you stayed.

Rapunzel sighs a bit irritated and sits at a table, wringing her hair out, “And I thought my dad was done being overprotective, but for some reason it seemed like guards were following me everywhere today.”

You sip your drink and hear a faint voice whisper past your ear.

“(____)......don't you remember me?”

You frown in confusion and glance at Rudiger who chitters in confusion too.

The door opens again and you look to see The Captain walk in. “Well, Hello Fellas!” He salutes happily.

You raise a brow at him.

Everyone points at each other, “He did it!”

“I was just wandering by and- Princess!” He gasps fakely, “What a surprise to find you here.”

You roll your eyes and he spots you, “Lady (____)! What a surprise as well!”

“Ah-Ha. Yeah. A SURPRISE that I'm here because I always am here.” You smirk, “It's actually funny seeing YOU here.”

The Captain laughs nervously, “Funny? Why there's nothing funny about it.” He glances around, “I….I come here all the time to shoot the breeze with my old chums.” He smiles at the thugs.

“You know. Hook Toes.”

“Hook Foot.” You correct.

“Hornswoggle.”

You sip from your mug, “Attila.”

The Captain glares slightly at you, “and….” He tries to think of Ulf’s name, “...uh That Guy.”

The Mime frowns sadly and you smile softly, “Its Ulf.”

“Whatever, I….uh….I love nothing more than wetting my old whistle at the Cozy Quaker.”

You stand up and go over to sit by the piano, “Snuggly Duckling.”

“Okay, you know what? Rapunzel, (____). I'll be escorting you back to the castle.” The Captain states.

The front door opens again and this time Vlad comes in. You flinch at the lightning and hold Rudiger.

“No one’s going anywhere. The roads are all flooded.” Vlad says and closes the door.

You grow extremely worried almost like you knew Varian is worrying too from whatever he's seeing outside. “Rudiger. You're staying until this weather dies down.” You nuzzles his fur and he chitters.

“NOOOOOO!” Everyone yells.

You jump and see the Captain lifting up a club from the wall. The whole place began to shake and creak. The Captain dropped the club and Hook Foot runs over to put it back up on the wall.

The creaks stop and Hook Foot glares, “That club is never to be disturbed.”

Rapunzel walks over, “Why? What's so especially about it?”

“Not special. More like spooky.” Vlad says dramatically, “It belonged to the Duckling’s original owner…...Ruthless Ruth.”

Suddenly, spooky laughter echoed around the place and you try to calm a scared Rudiger. Vlad goes to tend to the fire, “Ruth was the meanest pub thug to ever live. She used that club to intimidate her customers.”

Hook Foot walks by, “They called it her listen up club.”

You hum and glance down, “Listen Up….that seems familiar.” It's like a melody is playing in your head. “Listen up?”

“And legend has it that whoever disturbs it will incur the Wrath of Ruthless Ruth’s wrath.” He punches his hand. The thunder claps and lightning flashes after he said it.

You mumble what he said, then blink, “Wow. Tongue twister.”

Rapunzel tilts her head, “The Wrath of Ruthless Ruth’s wrath?” Again the thunder and lightning.

“The Wrath of Ruthless Ruth's wrath!” Big Nose says again and there went the thunder and lightning.

The Captain looked annoyed and glares, “Could stop saying the Wrath of Ruthless Ruth's wrath?!”

Everyone braced themselves for the thunder, but none came. “Now, if you'll excuse me. I'd rather take my chances out in the rain than one thing one minute listening to you buffoon's silly ghost story.”

You flinch at the lightning and sigh, only to squeak a bit when the lights go out.

The fireplace fire rises very high and Vlad backs up in fear. Everyone now panics and they run to the door, “Let's get out of here!”

You notice something and stare as Shorty begins to float up after you hear spooky laughter again. “Guys?” You call out, stopping their arguing.

Shorty’s eyes open and they were glowing green, “You have disturbed my slumber! If you don't Listen Up and note my words by dawn.” He slowly floats across the room to the group. “You will all be trapped here with me forever!” His voice echoes.

“That isn't disturbing.” You say to yourself after watching this ghost possess him. Or Ruth if it's a big indication.

“Shorty or Ruth, whatever you are. What do you want?” Rapunzel asks.

You raise a brow in disbelief because clearly she didn't hear what Shorty/Ruth had said. Well they were scared, so I guess that's the problem.

“I want…..”

They all looked desperate, “Yes?”

“I want….”

Shorty fell face first onto the floor and raises a finger, now back to himself. “A sardine salami and jar of pickle brine.”

You grimace at his food choice, “Oh Shorty.”
“Enough of this nonsense!” The Captain breaks the silence.

Rapunzel sounds worried, “Captain, didn't you hear? He says we have until dawn to figure out what Ruth wants or else we're going to be trapped in here forever.”

The Captain points to Shorty, “You're gonna to listen to him? You do realize he eats cheese off the floor.”

Shorty picks up a piece of cheese and grins, “One man’s floor is another man’s plate. Clink.” He clinks his cheese with a rat’s cheese and eats his share.

You grimace again and stand up to fold the blanket since you were dry now.

“The priority is to get the princess and the lady out of this pub and back to the castle as quickly as possible!” The Captain rams the door, but it wouldn't budge. “Is there anything we can use as a battering ram?”

“(____).....don't you remember…..”

You freeze and Rudiger nuzzles close to you while you look around. There’s something familiar about that voice.

“A battering ram isn't the answer. We need to know more about Ruth and the Listen Up club.” Rapunzel says.

Something thumps to the floor along with a small metal sound before the fireplace goes out.

Big Nose lights a small candle, “Well they say she lived to terrify those around her and legend has it that people screams were music to her ears.” He makes it sound horrifying, but you weren't buying it. “And she...she would go on terrible rampages. Storming through the streets of Corona.”

Hook Foot took the candle, “No one knew when she would strike. All they knew was she would disappear from the pub and when she did no man, beast, or building foundation was safe from the swing of her fearsome club.”

“Afterwards, she would come back to the pub and etch a notch in her club for every unlucky creature she destroyed in her path.”

“Then she’d have dinner. A bowl of putrid slimy slugs!”

“I heard it was hairy spiders!”

“I heard it was both and she ate them alive!”

Big Nose and Hook Foot go back and forth with their answers and the grabbing the candle.

You shake you head and walk over to them.
“And she didn't chew.”

“And she had HORRIBLE table manners.”

“Yeah and they say all of Corona lived in fear of the mighty barbarian until the day she died.”

You take away the candle and lite the fireplace so it wasn't so dark. Once it lights up, you notice the club on the wall is now on the floor with the metal that held it up.

“And the only way to appease her is to figure out how to listen up.” Rapunzel states.

You pick up the club and tilt your head while running your fingers over the x marks carved into it.

Rudiger jumps down and picks up the hook that held up the club. He grins and gently taps it as it lets out a soft single note.

“I don't want to be stuck here forever! There's only one slice of pie left!” Hook Foot dramatically panics.

Music suddenly begins to play on a violin and you turn to see a violin playing by itself above everyone. You stare at it and your eyes shift to the all the other instruments that now float and play the same tune.

“We've gotta get out of here now!” The Captain panics and everyone picks up Vlad and use him to ram into the door.

Rapunzel backs up when a teal mist goes around her and she slightly gets scared, “Who's there?”

Rudiger squeaks when something pulls his tail and he drops the hook.

Rapunzel turns to you a bit jumpy then calms down and picks up the hook. She raises a brow, “Wait. This hook is a tuning fork.”

“A tuning fork, so….does that mean there's something that needs to be tuned?” You ask.
The two of you jump when laughter echoes around again before a strong draft winds around, then makes the curtains by the stage wave gently.

-

A hand wipes the foggy window and on the other side the rain is falling heavily. Varian stares out with very worried expression. The roads were slightly flooded and Rudiger hadn't come back yet.

Varian shakes his head. He knew you wouldn't let Rudiger go out in this condition and he wouldn't either, so he had to wait.

Varian sighs as the window fogs up again. His finger glides across the glass while writing formed and soon he makes a heart around the words. His head leans on his hand and he gazes tenderly at what he created.

(____)
and
Varian

Varian's cheeks turn a deep pink and he quickly wipes it away before continuing to stare outside.