Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy Seven or The Story "The Darksword
Trilogy" which I got the Darksword from.
Chapter 5: Swords, Legends, and The Beast Revealed, Oh My!
Aeris slowly made her way back home. They had left almost as soon as they were done kissing. Rueben seemed to be a little confused, but happy. Aeris was bursting with joy. She had thought she could never love a man like she did Cloud, and she was right. She loved Rueben more. When Rueben said for her to go home and get some sleep, she reluctantly agreed. It was now one in the morning, and she felt exhausted, and excited at the same time. Later today Rueben was going to tell her everything. He knew everything about her, since he was the Watchman. But Aeris knew nothing of Rueben, but she wanted to know. And now she would. She walked into her home, and quietly sneaked past Marie's room. When she got to her room, she barely had enough energy to change her clothes. With a huge yawn, she collapsed on her bed and fell into a deep sleep.
*****
Rueben awoke at noon to hear a pounding on his door. He groaned and tied to shut it out. He began to feel the apprehension when the time came for "The Change" approached. He groaned as his body began to tremble from anticipation. It got worse the closer the night of the change approached. He sighed, and got up to dress.
Aeris pounded on the door with her left hand, and balanced the picnic basket on her right arm. Rueben hadn't said they would go out for a picnic, but she figured they might as well. And it might make Rueben for comfortable as he told her everything. She giggled in excitement as Rueben opened the door. He stood there in his shorts, and he went red when he saw her. Aeris felt a flash of heat as she looked at him, and then burst out laughing. Then Rueben did another first for him. HE started to laugh.
"Well don't' just stand there. Come in, and I'll take a shower, and get dressed." He said, and opened the screen door. Aeris felt a cold breeze behind her, and stepped inside. Instead of leading her into the room where he had first met her, he lead her into a huge room filled with books. Every part of the wall, from floor to ceiling, was crammed with books. There was not one shelf that didn't have books on it. The only wall that didn't have books on it was the wall where a fireplace stood. Even above to doorway, there were books crammed into shelves. There were chairs in the center of the room, facing the fireplace. Aeris gazed in wonder at the room.
"You're the only one I've brought in here. Do you like it?" he asked.
"I love it! Are all these yours?" Aeris asked and set the basket on a near by table. She went to a wall and peered at the books.
"Yes, they're all mine. When I realized I might never go back, I began a life long dream of mine. I accomplished it about a thousand years ago." He said. He lovingly ran a hand along a row of books. Aeris turned around and smile at him.
"How did you get them all?" she asked, and he shrugged.
"Ordered them from the store. They each took a year for the planet to conjure. And I could only order ten at a time."
"But I order a gardening book and it took only a week." Aeris pointed out, and Rueben shrugged. There was something's even he didn't know about.
"I'll get dressed. Be back in a second." He said, and headed for the stairs. Aeris turned back to the books. She noticed the books were in alphabetical order, by authors. She picked on up from the "S" section. William Shakespeare's Hamlet. She frowned, and opened it. It made little sense to her.
"That on is hard to make sense of, unless you know what is the format." Rueben said. Aeris jumped, and dropped the book. Rueben picked it up.
"I'm sorry, but you scared me!" she said, and Rueben laughed.
"Sorry, but you had the most puzzled look on your face." He said and put the book back. He turned to face her again. He was clean, dressed in his usual attire, but looked different than usual. Then she noticed his clothes were brand new, and his hair had been cut recently.
"Oh? And what is this format?" she asked. He grinned, and walked to the door.
"It's meant to be a play. Shakespeare wrote most of his work as plays." He said and picked up his trench coat and hat. His sword was already strapped to his back. He shrugged on his coat and hat.
"Ready?" he asked. Aeris picked up the basket, and walked to him. She then noticed his aura was back to crystal clear.
"Where do you want to go?" she asked. He thought for a moment and then grinned.
"How about the public park?" he said. Aeris gawked at him.
"But everyone will see you with me and your aura. Don't you want to keep it a secret from them?"
"No. What I tell you I want to keep between us, but I think I've been too much of an ass. They deserve a better Watchman. Besides, do you want to keep our relationship a secret?" he asked. Aeris blushed and shook her head. Rueben smiled and extended his arm. Aeris took it and they walked outside.
*****
Aeris felt pleased as people whispered, pointed, stared, and gawked at them. Soon, they had a little crowd following them to the park once they arrived at the park; Rueben turned to face them. The whispers immediately stopped as Rueben glared at them. They all hurried of, when he waved his hand at them. They made their way to a picnic table. He helped her set the tablecloth on the table and put all the sandwiches on the table. Aeris had brought ham sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, roast beef sandwiches, and even peanut butter and jelly. Rueben began to laugh as she unpacked the side dishes. She looked at him puzzled.
"I'm sorry, Aeris, it's just so funny! You brought enough food for everyone in the park!" Rueben laughed.
"I didn't know what kind of food you liked." She said, defensively. Rueben eventually stopped laughing and helped her with the rest of the food. Aeris marveled at the short time he had changed. It was only yesterday that he was gruff, and cold hearted towards her, and now... She shook her head, and dismissed it. Yet she still wondered when it was he fell in love with her.
"So where should we start? Roast beef or peanut butter and jelly?" Rueben asked with a grin. Aeris smiled and picked up a turkey sandwich.
"How about your family?" she asked, pointedly. Rueben's smile disappeared, and he glanced at the sun. He thought for a moment.
"Alright." He said, and picked up a ham sandwich. He took a bite, and chewed slowly as he remembered for a bit.
"I guess I'll start from where I was born. I was born in...."
*****
"I was born in a valley called Cosmos. It was named Cosmos because you could best see the stars from the top of our homes. We lived in this mountain that we carved out tunnels in. We also lived with another race of beings here. They were called Trumlions. They looked like a lion and a wolf mix. All of their tail ends blazed like fire. (At this Aeris whispers under her breath, "Nanaki!")
"We lived peacefully with them for years. If I remember right, before the war started a group of them let to live on a small island. I wonder if they're still there? Anyway, I was born to a woman named Marie Tocnar. My father was unknown, and my mother died in childbirth. At the time, no one would take me into their family, because of the shortage of food at the time. I was given to a family of Trumlions to raise. They raised me as one of their own. At an early age, I was the strongest of my people." Rueben hesitates for a bit at this point.
"My people had no name. We lived with the Trumlions to protect the valley. It was fairly easy task. There was a rainforest surrounding the entire are of the valley, all the way up to our homes. One person from our tribe and one Trumlion would be appointed to be the leaders of the valley. The Trumlions held an election every thirty years. For us it was simpler. The Trumlions called us shape changers, and every hundred years or so, one would be born who could change into a specific...animal..and he was chosen to lead. All the others could only change into one animal. Such as a chocobo, a wolf, a bear, and so on." Rueben paused again.
"I was the one who is born every hundred years, but no one knew that. They hadn't even bothered to test me. My Trumlion mother, Shicka, sensed it in me, but kept it between us. When I turned fifteen, she told me what my animal was. I, of course, knew the legends, and was ecstatic. She on the other hand, knew of the great burden that came with the power of that animal. She had been training me since I was four to fight. I was also told never to change in public. When I was thirty-five my world changed forever."
"A clan known as the Gi attacked the valley. They began systematically destroying so many trees and plants that the valley was permanently harmed. We knew that in a thousand years or so, in would become a hot desert if we didn't stop them. We all attacked with the Trumlions. My people were so viscous on the battlefield, that we earned the name Demon Knights. We liked it and kept it as our tribe's name. But the Gi attacked again, this time with a weapon known as the Darksword. Their leader began to use it to call forth-such attacks, that the very Planet cried out in pain. It not only used the Black Materia to cast spells, but the ore it is made up of, absorbed energy. It left many Demon Knights and Trumlions defenseless. During this, I had been forbidden to fight in the battle. I had angrily stayed back with the wounded and weak. When my beloved surrogate mother was killed I lost control. I went to the battlefield for the first time and changed. People gazed in awe at me as I tore threw the Gi ranks till I met the leader. I tore the Darksword from his very hands and used it against him. A few of his people survived after I killed him and vowed to return when I was sure to be dead. All of my people were either dead or dying. I eventually came to be the sole survivor."
"For a few years it was relatively calm and peaceful. The she came. A woman named Jenova appeared and began attacking the Cetra race. Humans and Cetra alike took refuge in our caves. I went to face her with the last few Cetra in the valley. The Darksword saved me many times. It soon became clear I could not kill her. I grabbed her, and then threw us into a deep pit inside the huge crater where she had landed. She froze instantly but again the Darksword tried to save me. They took me back to the valley where I eventually died of my wounds. And then I ended up here."
*****
It was late in the afternoon by the time he finished. Aeris had stopped eating, and so had he. She gazed in wonder at him. He had not only saved the world once, but twice! She took a deep breath and let it out shakily.
"You were one of the people who originally fought Jenova?" she said, wonderingly. He nodded.
"But your friends killed her. They are far more powerful than I was. But now I could have beat her easily." He said , and stretched.
"So the sword you wear is the Darksword?" she asked and looked at the sword on his back. He nodded and drew the sword. It looked even more menacing now that she knew who created it. She shivered, and then Rueben put it away.
"So tell me Rueben, what did you change into?" she whispered. Rueben looked at her and then the sun again. He shook his head.
"Later. I promise to tell you later. But first let's get this food gathered up. We don't want to be late for Boris and Katreena's performance tonight." He said. He got up and began to put the food away. Aeris noticed for the first time how vulnerable and hurt he was from his experiences. She went around the table and put her arms around him from behind. He noticeably relaxed and sighed. He turned around and hugged her back.
*****
When they arrived at the hall there were murmurs as they strolled hand in hand to the front row. Aeris noticed whispers not about that they were together, but that Rueben was attending a performance. Boris and Katreena became extremely nervous, and began to fidget. Rueben led Aeris to her seat and then went to speak with Boris and Katreena. While he spoke to them, they relaxed and even grinned. Rueben eventually made his way back to Aeris, and sat beside her. Aeris leaned over to whisper in his ear.
"You've watched them before haven't you? The dark shape I noticed one night was you wasn't it?" she murmured. He grinned and gave a slight nod. Aeris grinned as the lights dimmed. Boris and Katreena began to play and soon Katreena also began to sing.
*****
By the time the concert was finished, the sun had almost finished setting. People were hurrying to get home before the beast came out. Marie was at the concert with Johnny, and now she made her way over to Aeris while Rueben was busy talking with Boris. She hugged Aeris and then looked her over.
"Hmmm! I wonder what helped you get Rueben? The fact that you're smarter than him or better looking?" she teased.
"Marie! Please! It kind of just happened." Aeris said blushing.
"Right. And I thought you were training all that time in the woods." Marie said. Aeris's face began to represent an apple.
"Marie!" she said shocked. Thankfully, Rueben made his way back over to Aeris. He looked from Aeris's face and Marie. He raised his eyebrows in wonder.
"Did I miss something?" he asked. Aeris immediately shook her head, and took his arm.
"No! We were just talking." Aeris said. Marie grinned and looked at them. They seemed to fit, in her opinion.
"So, Aeris when are you coming home?" Marie asked.
"I have some things to tell her, Marie. She'll be staying at my place tonight." He said coldly. Aeris looked at him puzzled and Marie just grinned even more.
"Okay. Goodnight Rueben, And behave yourself." Marie said as she walked off. Rueben snorted and Aeris gasped.
"Marie!"
*****
They walked at a leisurely pace back to Rueben's home. Aeris had left the basket there, and she had intended to get it and then go home. But now. She glanced at him, and then looked foreword again. He didn't seem like a person who would trying "something" as Marie put it. She sighed, and was about to ask Rueben what he had in mind when he spoke for the first time since they left the hall.
"You wanted to know what I turned into right?" he asked, quietly. Aeris nodded.
"Okay, I'll tell you about the curse too, but we need to stop at my home first." He said. When they got there he left Aeris on the porch while he went inside. Aeris shivered as it got colder. It felt like the first frost would be tonight. Rueben came back out side holding a pair of tattered jeans in his hand.
"Let's go." He said. They began to walk to towards the training grounds. The entire way, Rueben was silent. Aeris sensed he felt nervous. It was almost moon rise when they got there. Rueben walked over to a rock, and lifted it up. There was a pair of shackles under it. Aeris began to get nervous when he put the shackles around the tree. He looked at her, and she noticed for the first time he looked about to cry.
"Can you turn around? I have to change my clothes." He said. Aeris reluctantly turned around. Eventually, Rueben said she could turn around. When she did, she gasped. He was dressed in nothing but the torn jeans that he had brought. On his now bare chest, hung the key to the shackles. He had put himself in the shackles.
"Rueben! What's going on? Why did you shackle yourself?" she demanded. Rueben lowered his head.
"If you let me tell you I will. But I also want you to know that if you never want to see me again after tonight I understand." He mumbled, ashamed. Aeris came near him, and looked at him.
"I told you that there was a burden. It's more like a curse. Every full moon my animal side forces itself out. I become a danger to others. Its like falling asleep. That is after the extreme pain of the change. It's the only time the change ever hurts. And the sooner day comes, the more anxious I feel for it." Rueben whispered. Aeris could barely hear him.
"So you're the beast that comes out once a month. But you still haven't told me what you become!" Aeris said with pity. Rueben hesitated, and then said two words so quietly that Aeris barely heard them. But they were two words that changed her life forever.
"A werewolf."
Chapter 5: Swords, Legends, and The Beast Revealed, Oh My!
Aeris slowly made her way back home. They had left almost as soon as they were done kissing. Rueben seemed to be a little confused, but happy. Aeris was bursting with joy. She had thought she could never love a man like she did Cloud, and she was right. She loved Rueben more. When Rueben said for her to go home and get some sleep, she reluctantly agreed. It was now one in the morning, and she felt exhausted, and excited at the same time. Later today Rueben was going to tell her everything. He knew everything about her, since he was the Watchman. But Aeris knew nothing of Rueben, but she wanted to know. And now she would. She walked into her home, and quietly sneaked past Marie's room. When she got to her room, she barely had enough energy to change her clothes. With a huge yawn, she collapsed on her bed and fell into a deep sleep.
*****
Rueben awoke at noon to hear a pounding on his door. He groaned and tied to shut it out. He began to feel the apprehension when the time came for "The Change" approached. He groaned as his body began to tremble from anticipation. It got worse the closer the night of the change approached. He sighed, and got up to dress.
Aeris pounded on the door with her left hand, and balanced the picnic basket on her right arm. Rueben hadn't said they would go out for a picnic, but she figured they might as well. And it might make Rueben for comfortable as he told her everything. She giggled in excitement as Rueben opened the door. He stood there in his shorts, and he went red when he saw her. Aeris felt a flash of heat as she looked at him, and then burst out laughing. Then Rueben did another first for him. HE started to laugh.
"Well don't' just stand there. Come in, and I'll take a shower, and get dressed." He said, and opened the screen door. Aeris felt a cold breeze behind her, and stepped inside. Instead of leading her into the room where he had first met her, he lead her into a huge room filled with books. Every part of the wall, from floor to ceiling, was crammed with books. There was not one shelf that didn't have books on it. The only wall that didn't have books on it was the wall where a fireplace stood. Even above to doorway, there were books crammed into shelves. There were chairs in the center of the room, facing the fireplace. Aeris gazed in wonder at the room.
"You're the only one I've brought in here. Do you like it?" he asked.
"I love it! Are all these yours?" Aeris asked and set the basket on a near by table. She went to a wall and peered at the books.
"Yes, they're all mine. When I realized I might never go back, I began a life long dream of mine. I accomplished it about a thousand years ago." He said. He lovingly ran a hand along a row of books. Aeris turned around and smile at him.
"How did you get them all?" she asked, and he shrugged.
"Ordered them from the store. They each took a year for the planet to conjure. And I could only order ten at a time."
"But I order a gardening book and it took only a week." Aeris pointed out, and Rueben shrugged. There was something's even he didn't know about.
"I'll get dressed. Be back in a second." He said, and headed for the stairs. Aeris turned back to the books. She noticed the books were in alphabetical order, by authors. She picked on up from the "S" section. William Shakespeare's Hamlet. She frowned, and opened it. It made little sense to her.
"That on is hard to make sense of, unless you know what is the format." Rueben said. Aeris jumped, and dropped the book. Rueben picked it up.
"I'm sorry, but you scared me!" she said, and Rueben laughed.
"Sorry, but you had the most puzzled look on your face." He said and put the book back. He turned to face her again. He was clean, dressed in his usual attire, but looked different than usual. Then she noticed his clothes were brand new, and his hair had been cut recently.
"Oh? And what is this format?" she asked. He grinned, and walked to the door.
"It's meant to be a play. Shakespeare wrote most of his work as plays." He said and picked up his trench coat and hat. His sword was already strapped to his back. He shrugged on his coat and hat.
"Ready?" he asked. Aeris picked up the basket, and walked to him. She then noticed his aura was back to crystal clear.
"Where do you want to go?" she asked. He thought for a moment and then grinned.
"How about the public park?" he said. Aeris gawked at him.
"But everyone will see you with me and your aura. Don't you want to keep it a secret from them?"
"No. What I tell you I want to keep between us, but I think I've been too much of an ass. They deserve a better Watchman. Besides, do you want to keep our relationship a secret?" he asked. Aeris blushed and shook her head. Rueben smiled and extended his arm. Aeris took it and they walked outside.
*****
Aeris felt pleased as people whispered, pointed, stared, and gawked at them. Soon, they had a little crowd following them to the park once they arrived at the park; Rueben turned to face them. The whispers immediately stopped as Rueben glared at them. They all hurried of, when he waved his hand at them. They made their way to a picnic table. He helped her set the tablecloth on the table and put all the sandwiches on the table. Aeris had brought ham sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, roast beef sandwiches, and even peanut butter and jelly. Rueben began to laugh as she unpacked the side dishes. She looked at him puzzled.
"I'm sorry, Aeris, it's just so funny! You brought enough food for everyone in the park!" Rueben laughed.
"I didn't know what kind of food you liked." She said, defensively. Rueben eventually stopped laughing and helped her with the rest of the food. Aeris marveled at the short time he had changed. It was only yesterday that he was gruff, and cold hearted towards her, and now... She shook her head, and dismissed it. Yet she still wondered when it was he fell in love with her.
"So where should we start? Roast beef or peanut butter and jelly?" Rueben asked with a grin. Aeris smiled and picked up a turkey sandwich.
"How about your family?" she asked, pointedly. Rueben's smile disappeared, and he glanced at the sun. He thought for a moment.
"Alright." He said, and picked up a ham sandwich. He took a bite, and chewed slowly as he remembered for a bit.
"I guess I'll start from where I was born. I was born in...."
*****
"I was born in a valley called Cosmos. It was named Cosmos because you could best see the stars from the top of our homes. We lived in this mountain that we carved out tunnels in. We also lived with another race of beings here. They were called Trumlions. They looked like a lion and a wolf mix. All of their tail ends blazed like fire. (At this Aeris whispers under her breath, "Nanaki!")
"We lived peacefully with them for years. If I remember right, before the war started a group of them let to live on a small island. I wonder if they're still there? Anyway, I was born to a woman named Marie Tocnar. My father was unknown, and my mother died in childbirth. At the time, no one would take me into their family, because of the shortage of food at the time. I was given to a family of Trumlions to raise. They raised me as one of their own. At an early age, I was the strongest of my people." Rueben hesitates for a bit at this point.
"My people had no name. We lived with the Trumlions to protect the valley. It was fairly easy task. There was a rainforest surrounding the entire are of the valley, all the way up to our homes. One person from our tribe and one Trumlion would be appointed to be the leaders of the valley. The Trumlions held an election every thirty years. For us it was simpler. The Trumlions called us shape changers, and every hundred years or so, one would be born who could change into a specific...animal..and he was chosen to lead. All the others could only change into one animal. Such as a chocobo, a wolf, a bear, and so on." Rueben paused again.
"I was the one who is born every hundred years, but no one knew that. They hadn't even bothered to test me. My Trumlion mother, Shicka, sensed it in me, but kept it between us. When I turned fifteen, she told me what my animal was. I, of course, knew the legends, and was ecstatic. She on the other hand, knew of the great burden that came with the power of that animal. She had been training me since I was four to fight. I was also told never to change in public. When I was thirty-five my world changed forever."
"A clan known as the Gi attacked the valley. They began systematically destroying so many trees and plants that the valley was permanently harmed. We knew that in a thousand years or so, in would become a hot desert if we didn't stop them. We all attacked with the Trumlions. My people were so viscous on the battlefield, that we earned the name Demon Knights. We liked it and kept it as our tribe's name. But the Gi attacked again, this time with a weapon known as the Darksword. Their leader began to use it to call forth-such attacks, that the very Planet cried out in pain. It not only used the Black Materia to cast spells, but the ore it is made up of, absorbed energy. It left many Demon Knights and Trumlions defenseless. During this, I had been forbidden to fight in the battle. I had angrily stayed back with the wounded and weak. When my beloved surrogate mother was killed I lost control. I went to the battlefield for the first time and changed. People gazed in awe at me as I tore threw the Gi ranks till I met the leader. I tore the Darksword from his very hands and used it against him. A few of his people survived after I killed him and vowed to return when I was sure to be dead. All of my people were either dead or dying. I eventually came to be the sole survivor."
"For a few years it was relatively calm and peaceful. The she came. A woman named Jenova appeared and began attacking the Cetra race. Humans and Cetra alike took refuge in our caves. I went to face her with the last few Cetra in the valley. The Darksword saved me many times. It soon became clear I could not kill her. I grabbed her, and then threw us into a deep pit inside the huge crater where she had landed. She froze instantly but again the Darksword tried to save me. They took me back to the valley where I eventually died of my wounds. And then I ended up here."
*****
It was late in the afternoon by the time he finished. Aeris had stopped eating, and so had he. She gazed in wonder at him. He had not only saved the world once, but twice! She took a deep breath and let it out shakily.
"You were one of the people who originally fought Jenova?" she said, wonderingly. He nodded.
"But your friends killed her. They are far more powerful than I was. But now I could have beat her easily." He said , and stretched.
"So the sword you wear is the Darksword?" she asked and looked at the sword on his back. He nodded and drew the sword. It looked even more menacing now that she knew who created it. She shivered, and then Rueben put it away.
"So tell me Rueben, what did you change into?" she whispered. Rueben looked at her and then the sun again. He shook his head.
"Later. I promise to tell you later. But first let's get this food gathered up. We don't want to be late for Boris and Katreena's performance tonight." He said. He got up and began to put the food away. Aeris noticed for the first time how vulnerable and hurt he was from his experiences. She went around the table and put her arms around him from behind. He noticeably relaxed and sighed. He turned around and hugged her back.
*****
When they arrived at the hall there were murmurs as they strolled hand in hand to the front row. Aeris noticed whispers not about that they were together, but that Rueben was attending a performance. Boris and Katreena became extremely nervous, and began to fidget. Rueben led Aeris to her seat and then went to speak with Boris and Katreena. While he spoke to them, they relaxed and even grinned. Rueben eventually made his way back to Aeris, and sat beside her. Aeris leaned over to whisper in his ear.
"You've watched them before haven't you? The dark shape I noticed one night was you wasn't it?" she murmured. He grinned and gave a slight nod. Aeris grinned as the lights dimmed. Boris and Katreena began to play and soon Katreena also began to sing.
*****
By the time the concert was finished, the sun had almost finished setting. People were hurrying to get home before the beast came out. Marie was at the concert with Johnny, and now she made her way over to Aeris while Rueben was busy talking with Boris. She hugged Aeris and then looked her over.
"Hmmm! I wonder what helped you get Rueben? The fact that you're smarter than him or better looking?" she teased.
"Marie! Please! It kind of just happened." Aeris said blushing.
"Right. And I thought you were training all that time in the woods." Marie said. Aeris's face began to represent an apple.
"Marie!" she said shocked. Thankfully, Rueben made his way back over to Aeris. He looked from Aeris's face and Marie. He raised his eyebrows in wonder.
"Did I miss something?" he asked. Aeris immediately shook her head, and took his arm.
"No! We were just talking." Aeris said. Marie grinned and looked at them. They seemed to fit, in her opinion.
"So, Aeris when are you coming home?" Marie asked.
"I have some things to tell her, Marie. She'll be staying at my place tonight." He said coldly. Aeris looked at him puzzled and Marie just grinned even more.
"Okay. Goodnight Rueben, And behave yourself." Marie said as she walked off. Rueben snorted and Aeris gasped.
"Marie!"
*****
They walked at a leisurely pace back to Rueben's home. Aeris had left the basket there, and she had intended to get it and then go home. But now. She glanced at him, and then looked foreword again. He didn't seem like a person who would trying "something" as Marie put it. She sighed, and was about to ask Rueben what he had in mind when he spoke for the first time since they left the hall.
"You wanted to know what I turned into right?" he asked, quietly. Aeris nodded.
"Okay, I'll tell you about the curse too, but we need to stop at my home first." He said. When they got there he left Aeris on the porch while he went inside. Aeris shivered as it got colder. It felt like the first frost would be tonight. Rueben came back out side holding a pair of tattered jeans in his hand.
"Let's go." He said. They began to walk to towards the training grounds. The entire way, Rueben was silent. Aeris sensed he felt nervous. It was almost moon rise when they got there. Rueben walked over to a rock, and lifted it up. There was a pair of shackles under it. Aeris began to get nervous when he put the shackles around the tree. He looked at her, and she noticed for the first time he looked about to cry.
"Can you turn around? I have to change my clothes." He said. Aeris reluctantly turned around. Eventually, Rueben said she could turn around. When she did, she gasped. He was dressed in nothing but the torn jeans that he had brought. On his now bare chest, hung the key to the shackles. He had put himself in the shackles.
"Rueben! What's going on? Why did you shackle yourself?" she demanded. Rueben lowered his head.
"If you let me tell you I will. But I also want you to know that if you never want to see me again after tonight I understand." He mumbled, ashamed. Aeris came near him, and looked at him.
"I told you that there was a burden. It's more like a curse. Every full moon my animal side forces itself out. I become a danger to others. Its like falling asleep. That is after the extreme pain of the change. It's the only time the change ever hurts. And the sooner day comes, the more anxious I feel for it." Rueben whispered. Aeris could barely hear him.
"So you're the beast that comes out once a month. But you still haven't told me what you become!" Aeris said with pity. Rueben hesitated, and then said two words so quietly that Aeris barely heard them. But they were two words that changed her life forever.
"A werewolf."