Dislcaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Or the Mexican ghost story this is based off of.

The Girl In White

Kenshin sighed bitterly, leaning backward in his chair. He wasn't sure why he had come to this dance. It wasn't really his thing. He wasn't considered one of the most anti-social people in school because he normally went to these typical gatherings, after all.

But he had promised Tomoe first... and then Sano... and then Tomoe's mother had gotten sick, and she had to stay home to take care of her. By then it had been too late; Sanosuke was just too excited that he had finally gotten his best friend to go to a school event. There was no way Kenshin could have backed out, even if his "girlfriend" (he used the term loosely; they were not quite dating) wasn't able to make it.

"Oy, Ken!" Kenshin's cool violet gaze flitted over to his best friend, Sanosuke Sagara, whose grin was wider than a wildcat's when it cornered its prey. He had tried to flatten his naturally spiky hair for the dance, to no avail. It still stuck in every which direction despite his obvious attempts to tame it. "You actually came!"

"Of course I did," Kenshin smiled and spoke softly, "I promised you, didn't I?"

Sanosuke laughed, patting Kenshin roughly on the shoulder, "I shoulda known you'd never back out of a promise, Kenshin. I should have had more faith in you."

Kenshin nodded absentmindedly as Sanosuke continued to speak, unconsciously drowning his friend out to a low hum in the back of his mind. His eyes involuntarily began following the various dancing couples on the floor, still few since the dance had started barely ten minutes earlier.

"...shin? Kenshin!" Kenshin jumped, his eyes going wide as he glanced wildly around before his eyes landed once again on Sanosuke. The large burly man rolled his eyes, "You really gotta stop zoning out, man. It's not cool."

"Sorry, Sano," Kenshin apologized meekly, "what were you saying?"

"I said," Sanosuke emphasized the past tense, "that I think tonight's the night I can win Megumi over." His grin widened as he pointed her out; the suave and beautiful girl was chatting reservedly with a bunch of girls that Kenshin recognized as her friends.

"What makes you think that?" Kenshin questioned off-handedly, "You've been trying for the past four years, and she's always turned you down."

"Well, yeah, but... she smiled at me today! An actual smile! Not that foxy condescending smirk of hers." He paused, glancing back at her for a second, "Oh! Look! She's alone! Now's my chance!"

"Good luck, Sano," Kenshin gave his friend a small nod of encouragement. He knew that Megumi liked Sanosuke a lot more than she actually let on. Personally, Kenshin thought Megumi enjoyed toying around with Sanosuke just to see him stare, baffled, after her. Not that he would actually tell him that.

"Thanks, Kenshin," Sanosuke smirked at his friend, "And you try to have some fun too, yeah? I know Tomoe's not here, but there's gotta be someone else you could possibly snatch a dance from."

"I'll try," Kenshin promised, though he knew it was a lie. He didn't have any interest in the dance as a whole, let alone any interest to participate. Sanosuke seemed satisfied though as he shrugged and sauntered his way through the crowd to where he had last seen Megumi standing.

Kenshin had to admit, though – the decorating committee had done a good job at decorating the bland gymnasium for the Halloween Homecoming Dance. The entire room was cloaked in orange and black with the occasional spot of dark gold. It was... stylish.

It made him feel a little bit more comfortable in the room of crowded people as well. Not only was he dressed in a black suit, but his fiery red-orange hair helped him blend in to the orange.

Kenshin sighed, sipping at his drink as his eyes darted around the room, instinctively trying to take in everything that was going on around him. It was an old habit, but like they say – old habits do die hard.

It was in that instant that Kenshin was thankful that old saying was true. His eyes caught the single person in the room that seemed to completely contrast against the barrage of dark suits and dresses. There she was, just standing in the middle of the dance floor; her pasty skin blended nearly perfectly with the flowing white gown that looked like it would better suit a prom than a homecoming. Her sleek black hair fell to her lower back.

She was just standing there, her eyes downcast as she stared at the floor.

Who was she? Kenshin wondered to himself, staring in awe at the beautiful woman he had never seen in the school before – at least, as far as he could recall. He was pretty sure he would remember seeing someone like her.

Her head snapped up then, a frantic look on her face as her eyes met his, and Kenshin was suddenly lost as his mind swam in a sea of clear blue. Before he could stop to think, Kenshin was on his feet and pushing his way through the crowd to get to her.

"Sorry," he muttered distractedly as he hit various people, "pardon. Excuse me. Could you please...?" They all turned to glare, but their scowls were nothing to him. Kenshin just had to get to her. He had to talk to her. She was just so... surreal. He feared blinking at the prospect that she might vanish.

It seemed like forever to Kenshin before he finally reached her. The girl's eyes hadn't once left his, and by the time he had finally managed to force his ay through the crowd they were both wide in shock and soft in awe.

"Uh... hi," Kenshin gulped, unsure of what to say as she stared at him with an unblinking expression. It was almost as if she had expected no one to approach her that night. Trying to break the ice, Kenshin offered his hand, "Kenshin Himura."

The look of shock slowly played down into a wide, nearly childish, grin as she grasped his hand in hers, "Kaoru Kamiya."

"Kamiya..." Kenshin murmured to himself, trying to think at why a name recognized belonged to a face he wasn't familiar with, "Have I ever seen you before?"

Kaoru shook her head slowly, "... No. I don't attend this school." Kenshin frowned. She didn't attend the school, but she was at the dance? As if reading his mind, Kaoru quickly added, "I mean, I'm home schooled. You'd only see me at dances, and I don't think you've ever been to one before."

"How did you know?" Kenshin raised a curious eyebrow, and Kaoru laughed lightly.

"I think I'd remember your hair and scar," she told him, and almost immediately Kenshin's hand darted up to cover his left cheek. He bowed his head, hiding behind his hair.

"I thought I covered it up well," he muttered. Kaoru blinked before she laughed again. It was oddly relaxing.

"Don't worry," she told him, "I can see things others can't. I doubt anyone else would notice it." She paused slightly before adding, "But you shouldn't try to cover up your faults. They are part of you."

Kenshin nodded dumbly, his eyes on the ground and his hand still pressed up against his scar.

Kaoru gazed at him with sympathetically before she gently touched his arm. Kenshin jumped slightly at her touch, glancing up at her with questioning eyes, "What?"

"Why did you come over here, Kenshin?" she asked him quietly. Kenshin blinked. Whyhad he come over to her? He couldn't remember. Did he even have a reason? He didn't think much about it.

"I... don't know," he answered honestly, letting his hand drop back down to his side, "I guess I... you stood out in the crowd. I was curious."

"Oh." Kaoru stated plainly, disappointment clear in her voice. Kenshin bit his lip a little roughly, clenching and unclenching his fists rapidly as he fought with his own mind.

You did promise Sano... Kenshin thought to himself, sighing. And she does look a bit lonely...

"Aw, screw it," Kenshin said aloud. Just for this night, he was going to relax, and he was going to have fun. He held out his hand, "Kaoru, would you dance with me?"

"I-" her eyes widened in surprise again as she glanced from his face to his hand and back again, unsure.

"I don't bite," Kenshin jokingly promised, beckoning again with his fingers. "Humor me?"

"I-" Kaoru hesitated, taking a deep breath before she accepted his hand. She spoke softly, "Just one."

For the first time since God-knows-when, a giddy grin broke over Kenshin's face. He pulled her to him in an impulsive embrace before he dragged her out to the dance floor. Kaoru stumbled along behind him, not quite sure what to do but with an equally giddy grin on her face.

One song passed, then two. Before he knew it, over an hour had passed. Kenshin was glad Kaoru hadn't pulled away from him. He enjoyed spending time with her, more than he thought was possible.

The truth was, Kenshin was fascinated by her. He was fascinated at how she seemed to barely catch the light, yet glowed like an angel. He was fascinated at the fact that no matter how long they danced, she always remained cool to the touch.

But he was concerned. All night people had constantly been bumping into them, completely oblivious to the dancing pair. Kenshin understood maybe once or twice, but it had happened at least a dozen times. And not one had turned around to apologize.

It irritated Kenshin beyond reason, yet each time he was about to yell at the latest offender Kaoru had stopped him, assuring him that it was all right.

And so he let it be.

The dance was wearing down, and for the first time in over an hour Kenshin and Kaoru left the main floor to relax. They stood by the table that kept the food and drinks and Kenshin was slowly picking through them.

"Thanks for dancing with me tonight, Kaoru," Kenshin said earnestly, "I thought I was going to have a horrible time tonight."

"Why is that?" Kaoru questioned, shaking her head slightly when he motioned to get her a drink, "I'm not thirsty."

Kenshin shrugged, setting the plastic glass back down. "Well," he explained with a smile, "I'm not really much of a dance person anyway, and... well... Tomoe, my friend who actually first convinced me to go, skimped out."

Kaoru's eyes widened almost in recognition at his words, and she watched as he drank his drink with sad eyes, "Girlfriend?"

Kenshin blinked, staring at her in surprised before he burst out laughing, "Girlfriend?!" he asked, "Well, yeah, everyone thinks so, but she's really just a good friend." Kaoru gazed at him as he continued chuckling to himself, her eyes confused. She opened her mouth to speak when another voice boomed, cutting off any words she was about to say.

"God, Kenshin! What is up with you tonight?"

Kenshin's chuckling cut off abruptly as Sanosuke loomed over him. He shrunk back in uncertainty, glancing up at his friend. "Oro?"

"People have been talking, you moron," Sanosuke growled, "They keep saying you've finally gone off the deep end.'"

"I'm sorry, Sano," Kenshin shook his head, "But what are you talking about? I thought you wanted me to dance and have a good time."

"Yeah," Sanosuke's voice dropped to a low whisper, "with another person. Not just yourself, dumbass. I thought you were just loosening up, but then I heard people say you were talking to yourself too. I came to get an explanation, only to find you cackling at the air!"

Kenshin's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Cackling at the air? Sure, he was laughing more than normal, but he hadn't been dancing with himself ortalking with himself. He would have known if he was. He had been with-

Kenshin's eyes widened suddenly in realization, and he turned his gaze slowly to the girl he had been with all night. "Kaoru?"

Had it been possible, Kenshin would have thought she had turned even paler than she was normally. Kaoru was shaking slightly, her fists curled into her dress bunching it slightly. Kenshin frowned, a sense of foreboding creeping into the pit of his stomach.

"Kaoru, what is going on?" Kenshin spoke gently, softly, as he gripped her shoulder lightly in his hand. He willed her to meet his eyes, but she refused, quickly averting them from his as he bent down to look at her.

"There you go again," Sanosuke growled lowly, "Kenshin, what ha-"

"Shut up," Kenshin snapped suddenly at his friend before he turned his attention back to Kaoru, his voice soft once again. Slowly he repeated, "What is going on?"

Kaoru continued to shake, her mouth opening and closing rapidly as if she were fighting for word that were just not coming.

"Kaoru..." Kenshin spoke again, "Kaoru, please tell me what is going on."

"I'm..." Kaoru bit her lip, pulling herself out of Kenshin's grasp, "I am so sorry, Kenshin."

Kenshin stared, dumbfounded, as she ran through the crowd without bothering a single person. It took a few seconds before it registered in his mind to chase after her.

"Hey, Kaoru!" Kenshin shouted as he pushed his way forcibly through the crowd after her, "Wait!"

"Ken- what!? Shit!" Sanosuke cursed to himself as he took after his friend, "You idiot, what are you doing!?"

Sanosuke froze in mid-stride as he saw the door that led to the outside swing open and slam shut on its own accord. The hairs stood up straight on the back of his neck as he saw Kenshin streak through the doors a second later.

"Wh-what in.. in th-the..." Sanosuke stuttered, considering for a second to turn around right there. But Kenshin... Groaning, Sanosuke took off running again, "Aww, hell. Kenshin, Kenshin stop!"

Kenshin glanced wildly about the patio outside of the school. "Kaoru!"

Something moved in the corner of his eye, and Kenshin's gaze shot towards it just in time to see the trail of her white dress disappear around the corner.

"Kaoru!" he shouted again, picking up the chase, "Please! Please, don't run!"

Why are you chasing me?

A voice echoed inside Kenshin's head, causing him to still for a second before he jogged around the corner. Kaoru's voice was in his head. Maybe he was going crazy.

You are not going crazy. There it was again. This time when Kenshin stopped, he stood stock still.

"Kaoru...?" his voice was filled with awe. "What...?"

I'm sorry, she told him. I'm sorry I lied to you. And tricked you. I was... I just... to see you again...

"What?"

I'm dead, Kenshin, her voice said quietly as if it would explain everything. I've been dead for over a hundred years.

"Dead?" Kenshin repeated dumbly as Sanosuke appeared next to him, shaking as if he were in an earthquake but with his feet planted firmly on the ground.

"Dead..." Kenshin murmured, "Then... then you're..." He couldn't bring himself to say it.

A spirit, Kaoru acknowledged as her form appeared again not far from him. My home used to be on this ground. They told me I'd need to stay at someplace I was attached to if I wasn't going to cross over.

"I..." Kenshin's heart beat furiously, and his forehead scrunched up as he tried to process everything, "Why do I feel like I know you?"

"Kenshin," she said aloud, smiling softly, "Goodbye."

Slowly her form started to disappear again, and Kenshin felt his heart start to sink, "No...no..."

He wasn't sure why, but the sight of her disappearing hurt him more than any pain he had ever felt. More than when he had seen his parents die. More than the first ten years of his foster care. More than when he had been attacked on the street and given his scar.

It was as if the more she faded, the more pain he felt.

"Please..." Kenshin managed to choke out, "don't leave. Don't leave me."

For a moment Kaoru was solid again and she approached Kenshin slowly. He had fallen down to his knees, tears running down his face from clenched eyes. His breathing was slightly erratic, and he jolted when she knelt down in front of him and placed a hand on his shoulder softly as he had done for her earlier. "Kenshin, look at me."

Kenshin glanced up briefly at her face, surprised when her familiar aqua eyes met his. He knew her, he had to. She was just so familiar... it was almost the same feeling he had gotten when he met Tomoe and Sanosuke and Megumi, he realized with a start.

"Kenshin, for nearly one hundred fifty years I have waited to see if your soul had found peace back on this planet," she told him earnestly, "and now that I have I can finally rest."

"What does that mean?" Kenshin murmured as Kaoru once again began to vanish before his eyes.

"You'll see me again," she promised, "Our souls seem to be drawn to each other, after all."

Kenshin smiled blandly at her attempt at humor, and he grabbed her hand before she had the chance to fully disappear, pressing it to his scarred cheek almost possessively.

"I'll find you," he promised back, "I'll find you."

Kaoru had the chance to smile one more time before she vanished completely. He stared at where she had been, too dumbfounded to move.

"Kenshin?"

Kenshin jumped a little as the familiar voice pierced through his distracted mind and he glanced at his friend.

"Sano," Kenshin sighed, "I forgot you were there. Sorry I yelled at you earlier."

"Sorry I didn't believe you," Sanosuke responded lightly as he helped his friend up, "She was real, wasn't she? This girl? I felt her there too, after I saw that door..."

"She was," Kenshin nodded, "She was, and I know she will be again."

"Hope, you mean?" Sanosuke clarified.

"No," Kenshin gazed at where Kaoru had been kneeling with him, and he smiled as her face flashed through his mind, "I know."

AHHH, just in time for Halloween! Our anime club at school had a Halloween-themed fanfiction challenge titled "Bump In The Night." I guess it kinda fits... It's Halloween themed, anyway. :)

This kinda toys with the ideas of afterlife and reincarnation, if you couldn't figure it out. It's also based on a Mexican ghost story I found a while back where this guy flirted with a spirit when his girlfriend couldn't make it to a party. Fun, fun.

Anyways, as always please review (I'm a review junkie, I know), and happy Halloween!

-WS