A Lifetime Forgiven

Chapter Seventeen: Revealing Ri

"So you are the infamous barbaric demon that roams this forest?" Continues Shishio, not expecting an answer. Arami glances to her right and notices many more silhouettes have gathered about the one she's been watching from the corner of her eye.  "Ah yes, you've noticed Himura and my friends… I'm guessing you two were allies?" Her eyes shot back to his and she began moving her lips rapidly in another language, though she highly doubted Shishio knew this.

Then quite suddenly, a bird chirped not far off and slowly sound began coming back to the forest.  Shishio looked thunderstruck for a solid minute before looking back to Arami, whose eyes had returned to their natural sapphire-silver selves, a smug look as her expression.

"You really think I'm that stupid?" She asks as full sound is restored to her forest.  "My lifetime multiplies yours numerously, I know any counter spell to your magic." Now Arami began considering her words.  "Ri, was your messenger?"

Finally Shishio regained his pose and a wicked smile spread to his lips.

"Yes." He announces defiantly.

"The entire thing was a trap from the moment you murdered the first of my kin." Said Arami now, matter-of-factly.  "Ri was a trap.  Since he delivered my message, you've had someone masquerading as yourself, heading north, knowing fully well I'd follow the scent."

"Quite correct, yes." Complimented Shishio.

"And all this time you've been following Ri… who also wears an illusion." Shishio's smile continues to widen. "He masks his scent, pretending to be human, when really he is a fox demon, helping you.  That's why you spared him." Anger bubbled and boiled in her voice dangerously.  "Because of him, you were able to track down the separated demons easily… and kill them with your armies.  Then he sent me that vision, which gave you information about me."

"You are smarter then you look." Says Shishio coolly.

"Once I'm dead, the last of the demonic culture will be held in Ri." Finished Arami, the anger in her voice beginning to broil.

"Yes.  And after I've killed you, I will finish off Ri… I believe Mr. Himura has his hands full already however with Mr. Aoshi." Again Arami's eyes wandered to where the stealthy shadow had been surrounded by other silhouettes.  However, now the other silhouettes were gone, supposedly collapsed into the overgrown forest brush, yet there was another stealth shadow that seemed to be waiting for something, not far from where Kenshin was hidden.  "That is, unless you'd like to finish Ri-,"

"The only filth I will be cleaning off the face of this Earth is you.  Himura has claimed Shinomori Aoshi, and I've claimed you-,"

"I can't allow that." Said a voice Arami fully recognize, and the growl she'd been holding back finally escaped. 

"Stay out of this Ri, and then I will not have to kill you as-,"

"You're only a half-breed.  What can you do to me?" Arami turned from Shishio, who wore a cold smile… but his cold was lukewarm compared to Arami's frozen expression.

Ri had dropped his illusion, but if this surprised Arami, she didn't show it.  Strangely, he still looked quite human… his hair was no longer a light blonde, but rather a strawberry blonde that still touched his shoulders, however now he had it tied back in a low tail.  His blue eyes had gained a brilliant green tint, and looked more almond-shaped.  He'd also grown two inches taller; yet he was still as muscular yet slim, though he no longer had his rounded-blade weapons with him.  Yet now his humanoid ears had a terrific point to them that stuck out of his strawberry-blonde hair, and his fanglike teeth were clearly visible as he grinned.

Even his outfit had changed.  Now he wore an old fashioned yukata colored green that brought out the brilliant green of his eyes, yet made the blue there stand out too.  Instead of a sash to keep the yukata tied, (or perhaps the sash was just hidden from her sight for now), he wore a thick leather belt around his waist, where his rounded-blade weapons had once hung from.

"Traitor." Growled Arami in her most threatening voice that Kenshin would ever have heard.  Ri made to laugh at this, but instead his grin just widened and a short chuckle escaped him.

"What should you care?  You're only half a demon, and your father wasn't anywhere near as great as his title-,"

"Don't talk about him." Shouted Arami, her anger practically seething through her pores.  "You have no right.  I may only have half the blood of a demon, but it's more than you've ever experienced.  If I die today, I die with honor, but you.  You'll die a coward." Ri's expression changed dramatically.  First flecking with fear, before he hid that with anger and then a jolt of regret, again quickly hidden by boiling anger.

"Arami!" Called Kenshin from his place, and without glancing Arami knew he had his reverse blade drawn and was just waiting for a sign.

"To your right, Kenshin!" She called back as out the corner of her eye she watched another shadow move toward Kenshin's silhouette.  A split-second later she heard the clang of two swords clashing.  She looked back to Ri, but he had disappeared.  Another growl escaped her.  It had been a distraction… Kenshin's yell had given Shishio time and a distraction to give Aoshi a signal, which had also been Ri's signal to start the battle.

"Your speed can never match mine." Said a mirage to her left, but she knew better, she'd lived alone for too long, she'd been a killer for too long not to know.  Instead she spun around and kicked the air behind her.  A pleased smirk quickly came to her lips as her small foot connected with a body and a small sworn oath went out.

"You can't fool me with your cheap parlor tricks." Hissed Arami as she put more of her demonic strength into the kick and pushed out.

"Ha!  Then I guess brute strength is what you need a taste of." And the body she'd been kicking into vanished again, then reappeared to her left and someone else's foot came about and kicked roughly into her ribs.  In a blink Arami went crashing into a nearby tree… then four others that snapped as she broke through them with her thin body.  Her teeth gritted against the pain, and before anyone could blink she was back on her feet, her fox ears flitting in every direction while she inhaled scents from miles around deeply.

"Kodachi Nitou-Ryua!" Came a yell before another clang of swords was heard.

She could easily smell Kenshin's blood, but there was also someone else's that she knew had to be Aoshi's.

"Hiten Mitsurugi style!" Another clang of swords and more yells then suddenly a snap of a twig to her right.  Arami ducked just as the clawed fist swung over her head.

Without a pause Arami swung her leg around and rammed her heel in the back of Ri's knees.  His legs buckled beneath him but Arami was ready.  Swinging a fist out she managed to catch Ri's right cheek as he dodged, then before someone could blink she was back on her feet, as was Ri, now with four slash marks on his right cheek.

"All I want is Shishio…"

"I can't let you do that." Ri lashed out at her again but Arami jumped higher then his fist had aimed.  Before landing she did a somersault in the air, and at the last second possible kicked out at Ri, managing to catch him off guard.  As Ri began to fall forward Arami quickly caught him, but instead of dealing the final blow, she pressed two pressure points at his shoulders then left him to fall face first into the underbrush.  When he tried to get up, none of his muscles seemed to respond.  "No!"

author's note: wonderful land of wonder… any-who, 2 more chapters!  Hope you people have enjoyed so far!

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin™  I don't own.  Most of this plot I do own, and a couple of the characters.