Chapter 9

Kaki was grounding a moon stone into powder to make Leonardo human while he sat nervously fiddling with his face mask. He had tried to tell her about how he had come from another world and was never human to begin with, but she brushed him off. Leo let it drop only because he decided that in this world it would be easier (and safer) to be human. Plus, he would have an advantage over Karai, who would be unable to recognize him. It would make revenge sweeter.

His only concern was how he would turn BACK into a turtle. He definitely couldn't go home as a human. He asked Kaki if there was a way, but she just exclaimed, "Why would you want to turn back into a bakemono?"

The whole concept of other worlds and mutation was lost on her, so all Leo could do was accept defeat.

"I hope you're not planning to blow that stuff in my face." Leo said, sulking.

Kaki brushed aside the hair that had fallen into her face as she finished making the powder. "Of course not! That is unless you misbehave." She said with a raised eyebrow.

Leo pretended to frown as she laughed and left the room.

…

Coming back a few minuets later, she set down a cup of hot tea. Sitting down across from him, she explained the process. "For most cases, the powder is worked into an ointment and applied to the wound received by a bakemono. That way it can immediately fight the source of the infection and revert you back to normal. But in this case, since you insist you were not bitten and you're already human enough as it is, I think that drinking it will suffice."

Leo stared at the cup of tea and tried to mentally prep himself. He was just going to drink it and get it over with. He drank tea all the time, so it was no big deal. He just felt that for some reason, this was an important decision. Maybe it would be better if he didn't….

But then he thought of Kaki. Looking up at her smiling face, he knew he had to trust her. She was trying to do the right thing, but Leo couldn't keep the voice out of head telling him that she could be wrong.

"I have to warn you that it's going to hurt a little, but it'll be alright!" she encouraged.

Leo took a deep breath, ignored the voice in his head, and drank the tea. It was warm and soothing against his throat and tasted bitter-sweet. Gulping down the whole drink, Leo set it back down.

Waiting for the changes to occur was nerve-racking. Each second passed by like minuets and Leo swallowed anxiously. He didn't feel any different from before and glanced at himself, wondering if it wasn't going to work since he had never been infected in the first place.

Suddenly pain blossomed in his chest and Leonardo's body tensed up. He vision bleared and his head began to throb again. The pain in his chest spread to every part of his body, until all he could feel was agonizing pain. Blood pounded in his ears and he twisted and turned; trying to make the adjustments that were being forced upon his body. Leo just kept breathing in and out, in and out.

Then, slowly but surely, the pain began to fade. It vaporized into the air around him and the throbbing and pounding came to a halt. Leo cracked open eyes he hadn't remembered closing and looked around groggily.

A white kimono landed in his face. Leo pulled the soft material off and slowly sat up. He looked at himself and found pale human flesh where green-reptilian skin should have been. Lifting his hand his flexed five, instead of three, fingers. He ran it over his face, feeling a defined nose and lips. He ran it over his head which was now covered with silky, smooth hair.

He glanced up at Kaki who was smiling excitedly. She put her hands together and affirmed what Leo was both dreading and hoping, "It worked! Your human gain, Leonardo-san!"

TBC…..

[Japanese Notes: Kimono- traditional garment or tunic, Bakemono-monster]