A Lifetime Forgiven
Chapter Twelve: Differences
They began their journey North as soon as the sun had peaked over the highest of mountains surrounding Kyoto. Arami, Kenshin noticed, had been quite edgy since last night. To prove his point, just this morning when he'd asked about breakfast, she'd snapped at him in a manner that made him very frightened. And considering all he'd come up as an opponent against, this was quite an accomplishment in Arami's favor.
"Shishio has managed to travel further then I would have liked. We'll need to make camp again tonight." Announced Arami in a careless tone, but there was great stress there, and straining Kenshin could just manage to hear it.
"Arami?" He asked a bit weakly. She grunted, showing her acknowledgement that she'd heard. "I've noticed since last night, you've been a bit…" because he didn't know how to exactly finish that question without having Arami angry with him, Kenshin trailed off and averted his eyes anywhere but the tense half-demon. Once a moment of the unsteady silence had passed and Arami still had not answered, Kenshin went on. "Is your uneasy mood because of your nightmare?"
For another moment, Arami gave no answer except for slowing her pace ever so slightly. Just when Kenshin was about to give up, she spoke.
"No. I'll admit my-," she paused for only a split-second, "nightmare had me a little off balance. But no, it isn't the cause of my tension." This time her pause lasted far longer and Kenshin had to bite his lip to stop himself from asking what the real reason was. "Tonight is a full moon." She stated, glancing to the east where the sun had finally managed to tower above the intimidating mountains in that direction.
Kenshin only nodded, unsure of what to say about this.
"Yes, it is." Agreed he, though sounded very uncertain.
Arami sighed exasperatedly for reasons Kenshin didn't know. "A secret that can be deadly for me lies with the full moon." Said the shifty half-demon after a few seconds of the hesitant silence that pursued her sighs.
"A secret?" He asked while trying to hide his excitement.
"Undoubtedly, this evening you'll find out." Exclaimed Arami in a timid tone of voice.
Kenshin nodded anxiously and glanced to his side as the walked on towards the North.
-Evening-
"Arami?" Asks Kenshin once they'd finally finished setting up camp.
"Hm?" She asks lazily, her eyes on the appearing stars.
He hesitates a second before asking. "You said a secret that can be deadly for you… what do you mean?"
Now is Arami's turn to hesitate before answering. But before she can, Kenshin gasps and points at her fox-like ears atop her head, or what and where they used to be.
Quickly her fox ears are vanishing from atop her head and being replaced with humanoid ears in their rightful places. Her auburn hair fades into a light, almost sand-like brown. What were once claws, are now nearly harmless humanly feminine fingernails that appear to have a pedicure to perfection. Lastly, her sapphire-silver colored eyes, fade into a pale sapphire blue. A weak smile adorns her lips as she gazes over at her stunned redheaded ally.
"When the moon is full I turn human and am defenseless." Kenshin can only gape at his suddenly human ally.
"Arami?" Gasps Kenshin, his jaw nearly touching the ground. The now human Arami nods vaguely as she gazes up at the full moon just having peaked over the cloudless mountains.
Author's note: Um… you know I can never think of anything to say here. Well at least I'm out of my depressive rut… sort of. Anyway, thanks for the reviews! And also thanks to my readers.
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin™. I do own any of my original characters, (not to mention this plot).