By Day I Cry, By Night I Howl

By Unicorn13564 (Kim)

Chapter 10: Exposed!

Horo stumbled through the forest, going down the familiar route he'd taken before. Horo's mind was filled with questions he wasn't able to answer, so what would Ren think? Ren's defiantly going to have some questions, who wouldn't?

'What will I tell him? What will he think, if the friend he was travelling with, the very friend who has feelings for him… was a murderer… a werewolf… a threat to man-kind…?'

Horo quickly decided that no matter what the out-come, he couldn't wait no longer.

'If I don't tell Ren soon, he could end up being my next victim, and I'm not about to let that happen!'

Horo cared for Ren deeply, and although he never told him, he cared for him more than the average friend. The young shaman smiled, it's the first time he'd actually admitted it to himself.

Horo picked up the pace and began to jog through the forest, wanting to get to Ren, but also biding his time until he could figure a way out of this situation, I mean, it's not every day you tell your closest friend you're a Lycan and have been preying upon the villagers…

'I wonder if Ren will report me and I go down for murder or something… or maybe someone will find out and- the Slayer!'

Horo ran faster now, he had to be extra careful, the Slayer was still a threat to him even in his human state of mind.

As Horo neared the camp site, he could smell something burning.

'Burning…? Why would there be-'

Horo began to run faster as the thought of a camp fire scared him.

'Ren please be alright!'

Horo was getting closer and could now see the smoke rising through the trees, "REN!" He started to yell, "REN, REN ARE YOU OK, REN!" Horo leaped through the bushed and stared blankly at Ren.

"What's all the noise about…?" Asked Ren, holding a hot dog above a small camp fire.

"Ren," sighed Horo, "I though there was a fire or something… and you tell me about starting a forest fire, there's thick smoke polluting the air."

"Yes well unlike you I have control over my actions."

"W-What did you say?" Stuttered Horo, worried by Ren's choice of words.

"Doesn't matter."

"No, it does, what did you say?"

"Horo you seem jumpy, are you ok?"

"Fine, just tell me what you said."

Ren sighed, "If it will make you happy, fine. I said 'Yes well unlike you I have control over my actions.' There, I said it, now will you calm down?"

Horo sat on the ground where he'd been standing, "Ren… there's something I need to tell you…"

"Really, what?" I

"- I know this may sound weird, and I understand if you don't want to come near me afterwards… but… I'm the-"

Suddenly gunshots were heard and a mob of men and woman appeared out of the trees.

"What's going on? I demand you leave at once!" Scolded Ren, annoyed at their timing.

"Sorry but we can't do that."

"Yeah, were hunting for the beast!"

"But it only comes out at night…" said Horo.

"See, that's what we figured out. If it only comes out at night then it has to stay somewhere don't it."

Both shamans sighed. "So, ya joining the hunt or what?"

"No, sorry, were busy making scout cookies." Replied Ren sarcastically.

"Suit yaself."

"We will." Replied Ren coldly.

The group were about to move on, but one of them stopped and turned to face the two. "Be extra careful, the Slayer gone missin' so we don't know if he'd been killed or what, but just so ya know, three teenagers were killed last night, one is still missin'. It's a few hours till dark and apparently there's gonna be a full moon tonight, so stay inside ya tents if ya wont to live."

"Will do, now get lost."

"Calm down kid, were only looking out for ya."

"Well I don't need looking out for so go away and don't come back."

As they disappeared, Horo decided he needed to think things through before telling Ren the truth. "So, what were you saying about yourself…?"

"D-Doesn't matter."

"Ok, so what are we going to do about this werewolf business?"

Horo went inside his tent and after a few minuets, emerged with a rifle. (type of gun) "Take this, you might need it." He said as he handed it to Ren, a hint of sadness in his tone.

"Horo, don't you think that's a bit… excessive…?"

Horo practically glared at the gun, "No, I think its necessary."

"Why the hell'd you bring this thing anyway? And why aren't you having it?"

"I brought it because I did some research on this place before we came here, and I read that the forest had an unnatural history to it, and because the site that I was on didn't reveal it, I brought a rifle encase we needed some sort of protection to whatever it was that was supposed to be unnatural. And I'm not having it because I won't need it… it's already loaded with three bullets."

A/N: dunno if you can have three bullets in a rifle but in this story you can.

"…Horo-"

Horo turned round and entered his tent, leaving Ren standing there. The Chinese shaman hesitated; then the questioning began. "Where did you go last night? And why do you keep coming back half naked!"

Horo looked at his unclothed top half; he'd only just noticed his top was missing… again… Horo sighed and called out 'I'll tell you later'. Ren silently agreed and put out the fire.

A few hours had passed when Horo finally emerged from his tent, he'd figured out that the best way to tell Ren was to tell him everything that had happened to him. The killing, the flashbacks, the Slayer- everything. "Ren… Ren I'll tell you now… Ren…?" Horo looked around at the deserted camp. "Ren, hello…? Re-"

As Horo peered inside Ren's tent, he smiled as he saw a sleeping Tao. He had his arm round his pillow, hugging it.

'Bless. I hate to wake him, but he has to know.'

Horo went in and shook Ren gently. "Ren- hey Ren," he said softly, "wake up. It's me Horo; I need to talk to you." Ren sat up slowly.

"Horo," he said whilst yawning.

"Yeah, Horo, I need to talk to you, its urgent."

"Fine, what is it?" He asked, crawling past Horo and out of the tent. Horo followed.

"It's about the werewolf thing… I didn't really know how to tell you, I didn't want to at first, and I'm not sure if I still do… but it's for your own safety that you know…"

"Own safety…?"

"I'm… you know the Lycan that's been killing the people in the village… well… that's-" as Horo looked up to meet Ren's eyes, he saw what he feared the most. Behind Ren, high in the night sky was the full moon that had awaited him. "…No…" Horo's heart began to race, "Ren run!" His head began to pound, "I said run!" then it began. His pupils narrowed into slits, skin was replaced by dark brown fur, and his fingernails became claws. The pain quickly became unbearable, and with only seconds before he'd looses control, he shouted out into the night. "REN!" Ren sat there, the no-longer human figure towering over him.

"H-Horo! Horo don't!" Ren panicked as Horo raised his paw, ready to slice Ren in two with his sharp claws, "Horo!" Ren suddenly got the rifle that had been next to him, closed his eyes and pointed it in front of him. Ren stayed statue still for a moment, cowering before the beast whilst pointing the weapon at it. As he opened his eyes, he saw that Horo had gone.

Unicorn13564: NOOOOO! HORO! Damn it! This is my story and I know what to expect, but damn, did I have to make it so emotional! My eyes are watering! Hmm… wonder if Kya will cry… Lol. Horo's the best! REVIEW HOROxREN FANS!