There was no moon.

Sano stood quietly, staring up at the sky. He knew something was missing in his life. But what?

He had friends. They were the people he cared about.

he said. Jou-chan. Yahiko. Fox lady. Katsu. Ginji. Tomo. He counted off the names, like one counted off the stars, the only sources of light in the pitch-black sky.

He closed his eyes. He knew what he was missing.

An identity.

Sagara Sanosuke. Who was he?

he called into the sky. You knew me more than anyone else. Who am I?

He felt stupid. Of course, Sagara-kanchou couldn't hear him. What kind of idiot was he?

He continued to walk, not really caring where he went. He wondered if Kenshin was asleep as well, or awake thinking about Kaoru. He wondered if Megumi was having a peaceful night, or if she was helping Gensai-sensei with some operation. He wondered if Katsu was doing all right. He hadn't spoken to him in a while.

Who am I? he wondered again. Why is it that I can pick out who everyone else is, but not who I am?

He sat down on the ground. He thought about his friends. He thought about the Sekihoutai. He thought about all the fights he'd gotten into, and all the rash decisions he'd made. He remembered when he first fought Kenshin, when he couldn't forgive Megumi for making the opium that killed his friend, when he and Yahiko tried to rescue Kaoru and Kenshin, only to find out that their services weren't needed.

How many times had he mooched off of Kaoru? How many times had he teased Megumi? How many times had he called Yahiko ? How many times had he insisted that Kenshin was invincible?

Kenshin, Kaoru, Yahiko, Megumi, Katsu, Ginji, Tomo. Their names echoed inside his head. Seemingly unimportant events swirled around in his brain. Buying portraits for Tae and Tsubame, gambling with Ginji and Tomo, having his Zanbattou split in two, looking for Kenshin in Kyoto, being used as a target for throwing knives, stopping Megumi from killing herself, getting hit by Aoshi, throwing Toma's sword into the river, hitting Yahiko for accusing Megumi and him of being playful, being stabbed by Sano, he and Yahiko at Megumi and Kaoru, beating Kenshin in a drinking contest.

Sanosuke opened his eyes. It was as though a voice had sounded off inside his head.

You are Sagara Sanosuke.

Sagara-kanchou? he thought. It sounded so much like him.

You are Sagara Sanosuke.

Sano smiled a little. There was no mistaking it. Wherever Sagara-kanchou was, he was always watching over him, just as he had when he was alive.

I am Sagara Sanosuke, he repeated in his head.

That's all that's important. I am Sagara Sanosuke. That is who I'll always be. Thank you, Sagara-kanchou.

He stood up and headed home. Tomorrow, he'd go over to the Kamiya Dojo. He'd eat, get yelled at by Kaoru, joke around with Kenshin, tease Yahiko, annoy Megumi, laugh, live, love.

Because he was Sagara Sanosuke.

And that was who he'd always be.