Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

A/N: Thanks for sticking with me, everyone.

Naekino: The words running into each other is a standing problem. It's not only happening to me, but to several other authors here on fanfiction. I'm trying to get rid of it and didn't realize how bad it was. Thanks for pointing that out!

Everyone Else: I'm not ignoring you, but I really think I should get a move on with the chapter. Eh, heheh...

-Thoughts-

How the hell could I have forgotten the chant! The old woman made sure I had it memorized like the back of my hand before I left her pathetic excuse for a home! Damn it all!

I have always taken the old saying 'never make someone else do it, they'll mess up', to heart,but I'm the one who messed up this time!

I'll just go and try tomorrow night. By then I'll have remembered the spell

Kaoru Kamiya watched with wide eyes as Saitoh ran off like a wounded animal avoiding a fight before her gaze shifted to the silverish outline of the man she loved. However, there was something different about him, his eyes, they were narrowed, like Battosai's.

Yes. He was Battosai now. Kenshin wasn't coming back.

But...she loved Kenshin! And she didn't know if Battosai even cared about her, or anyone!

Yet while all this is going on, it's like he's not really there. Just an outline of what once was. He's not really here. Just silver lines hanging in midair. It's all her imagination, and none of this was real.

She desperately wanted it to be the truth, but she knew it would never happen. This wasn't real.

How terribly mistaken she was.

This...this is...it's...incredible...

There is no way Kenshin could be here, but he's standing right there. That could never happen if he was really absolutely dead. Wait...that's right...he couldn't be completely dead if we can see him at midnight of the full moon...

"So, Sano, you wish to know what we were discussing earlier at dinner do you?" the young boy's father asked, his eyes crinkling at the edges with laughter, "Maybe tomorrow morning. You'd get scared and have nightmares."

"Will not!" shouted the child defiantly with his arms crossed and an attempt at a scowl on his young face.

The man burst out laughing at his son's antics before saying, "If you think you can handle it, I suppose I could tell you. Just go change and get in bed." Sanosuke quickly complied and was done within a few minutes. "Alright," the man told his son, "As you might have heard, we were talking about Akio Samachi, the man who died last winter in the unexpected blizzard. May the gods have mercy on his soul, poor man, he still wanders the earth according to his son Daichi. The boy ran into the village half mad just two days ago. Said that he saw his father at midnight of the full moon and that he had told him that he was doomed to protect him for all eternity because that was his final wish."

"Why did he get a final wish?" Sanosuke interrupted, "Shouldn't his soul have gone to heaven?"

"Yes, that's what should have happened, however, before Akio had disappeared, Daichi asked that very same thing. Akio answered truthfully, finally being able to talk to his son and all, and he supposedly said something very disturbing."

"And what was that?"

"Those spirits that roam the earth like him, were all those that were thought to be dead and had been killed in battle. Yet, in truth they all died from suffocation after they were buried! Their loved ones were their true murderers!"

Holy hell, what have we done?

All of the people present watched as the Battosai's silver outline began to fade. Kaoru's eyes grew dim as tears began falling down her face. Racking sobs shook her frail form. Megumi knelt down and put her arm around the distressed woman.

Sanosuke ran forward until he was in front of the disappearing apparition. "Kenshin! I have to know!" shouted the man, "Did you die from your wounds, or from something else!"

Battosai gave him a blank look in reply as he faded completely from sight.

"I have to know, dammit!" Sanosuke screamed to the night sky, "I need to know! I need to know...if it was my fault..."

A person watched the four figures curiously. What was with that silver one? He didn't really seem to be there and the others were all distressed.

What the...? The silver man disappeared? Now the other man is screaming, insanity maybe? Are all of them insane?

Here I am. Asking myself if others are insane, and I don't even know who I am myself.

I better get back to that building before any of thoseodd people realize that I'm gone.

The figure ran into the shadow of the trees, leaving not atrace of their presence.

A/N: I wanted this to be longer (hits herself) but it didn't work out that way. Sorry.

Please review anyway.