Under the Crystal Moon

By: Charmed Wolf

Disclaimer still stands…I don't own Rurouni Kenshin…sorry.

Gone and still going…

Suki looked into the Okashira's room only to find it to be empty; Aoshi had gone out without saying good-bye. Not only Suki was upset to see Aoshi not there, Misao wanted to see Aoshi too. "Okina, I think something is wrong," Suki just felt as if some was wrong, Okon knew that Aoshi had leave despite the dangers. Everyone knew that Aoshi was a risk taker; Okina knew that Aoshi wasn't afraid of taking risks. "Suki, you should now that Aoshi is capable of handling himself," Okina knew that Aoshi was old enough to look after himself, Misao really missed Aoshi now and it made her think.

Meanwhile, Aoshi's travel.

Aoshi misses the people at the Aoi-ya, well of course, that had been his home ever since he was 4 years old. "We are going to find some kind of employment," Aoshi stated to his four friends, but he knew there was a limit to what there was…It didn't bother Aoshi much at all, in fact, he knew what they what they were going to do.

"Okashira, I have a bad feeling about this man," Hannya whispered into Aoshi's ear, the other's around Aoshi had the same feeling that the masked man had…

It wasn't until the day his friends had passed on; driving him to the get the title of strongest for his friend…knowing it's the mid 90s, Aoshi remembered that he wasn't allowed to use any firearms to preserve the ancient techniques of the Oniwabanshu…

The problem with Shishio.

Kenshin when to fight Aoshi, knocking sense into him, Aoshi laid on the floor beyond the pain. "Himura, go, I'll catch up later," Aoshi told Kenshin to go, Sano grabbed Yumi and ran with Kenshin to the next room. Soujiro was the next fighter before Shishio.

'Hannya, Hyottoko, Beshimi, Shikijo…I'm sorry, guys, I turned you into evil spirits,' Aoshi thought as he lay on the floor, his thoughts shifted to his brother, Suki, and Misao. He was sorry for the things he did, betraying the group was a punishable offense and Aoshi wasn't ready for that punishment because of it would remind him of his abusive uncle.

'I may be in pain but I will find a way to help Himura,' Aoshi saw Saitou in the doorway looking at him; he didn't know what the Wolf was going to say. So Saitou came into the library to talk to Aoshi for a bit before moving on, Aoshi finally got his kodachi from the floor when that old Wolf came.

"So you got your ass kicked by Battousai, didn't you?" Saitou looked at Aoshi for a moment before Aoshi spoke; he didn't know that Saitou was using Kenshin to assassinate Shishio…It made him wonder what was next; Aoshi sheathed his kodachi knowing he's in some pain from Kenshin's technique across his chest. "Saitou." That was all was Aoshi said to Saitou; they talked for awhile before Saitou went onto find the others…

After Shishio.

Aoshi ran to the temple to meditate for that day, Misao was a little worried about Aoshi because of the rain that was coming. "I'm going to bring Aoshi-sama an umbrella," Misao picked up a blue umbrella for Aoshi, it was raining and Misao didn't want Aoshi to get wet from the rain.

Aoshi sat remembering what he just did, for someone who had been okashira; he knew the rules and the consequences if the rules were broken. 'I know I broke the rules, I deserve the punishment for what I did,' Aoshi's thoughts started to go through his mind as he thought of the things he did, Misao came to the Temple to be with Aoshi for awhile. Misao didn't want Aoshi to lose his life over something that was a mistake, this 16 year-old was make a pardon for Aoshi and let the mistake go.

"What you did was a mistake," the question was 'Why couldn't he just let it go?', Misao cared about him so much to help him.

Flashback

Aoshi made his final move with holding his kodachi back-handed and it was going to be called soon with no emotion, Okina tried his best to block Aoshi's attack but it wasn't enough. "It's over," Aoshi turned to leave the little shack as Misao got there; it was a face Aoshi couldn't bare to see. Tears started to come from Misao's ocean blue eyes, the man she adored walk past her without a glance.

"Aoshi-sama!" Misao cried to get his attention, he just stopped never turning around to look at the petite genki ninja girl. Aoshi had his back to the shack and to Misao, something changed in Aoshi and it wasn't good…"Never show your face to me again," Misao heard the cold voice sound, she knew the voice from Aoshi…It couldn't have been Aoshi that said that, but deep down her heart that it was Aoshi that had said what he said to her, he was just trying to protect her from himself.

'So, Kaoru and Yahiko weren't lying after all,' Misao sadly thought as she went inside to help Okina to a doctor, Aoshi made it to the Kyoto city limits and running to Soujiro finally consenting to go to Shishio's headquarters. An unholy alliance was formed between Shishio and Aoshi until the final fight between Shishio and Kenshin, Aoshi had given Kenshin enough time to recover to defeat Shishio.

"So, our alliance has dissolved then," Shishio smirked as he faced Aoshi, he knew he wasn't at his top form to defeat Shishio, but it was enough for Kenshin to recover some to finish the fight. After the fight with Shishio, the men made there way to the doors to head back to the Aoi-ya to be treated and to start the process of rebuilding, Aoshi helped Sanosuke to carry Kenshin's unconscious form out.

End of flashback

"Misao, why do you want to help me?" Aoshi looked at Misao with his ice blue eye looking so empty and emotionless; Misao looked around the temple to find her answer. The answer was with in her already and she didn't know how to tell him her feeling, which January was coming up and that was Aoshi's birthday and Kenshin and Sanosuke had planned to take Aoshi out that night for his birthday.

"Oh, I have a bad feeling that you should go out to tonight," Okina was worried that a vampires was out looking for her next victim, Aoshi never believed the vampire stories of his youth, especially when the Okashira and Okina told him the stories. Sanosuke got very scared when Misao mentioned the old stories; Misao believed in vampires and such as Okina did. "Okina, we will be fine when we go out tonight," Aoshi looked at Okina as he spoke with a cold as ice voice, although Aoshi hated his birthday, but it was really now worth celebrating that night.

Kenshin walked out with Aoshi and Sanosuke to go to see a movie, Aoshi was talking to Kenshin when he bumped into a very beautiful girl. "Oh, you should be more careful, Aoshi-san," Aoshi was surprised that this young woman knew who he was; even Kenshin and Sanosuke were surprised on how this young woman knew who Aoshi actually was. She takes Aoshi into her arms taking him to a darkened alleyway; Meisira told Aoshi the truth of how she knew him and his name.

"I know of your pain and you wish to end it," Aoshi was willing to let this mysterious woman to end his pain, he felt sharp white fangs enter into his neck and his blood drained away. By the time, his friends got to the alleyway, Aoshi was laying limply in the shadows so the sun wouldn't get to him.

"Sano, how will we tell Misao-dono?" Kenshin looked around asking Sanosuke, Sanosuke didn't the weasel girl upset over Aoshi. He looked up to see a team of black horses come up help move Aoshi's body back to the Aoi-ya, in the carriage part of the team was a black gold-trimmed sarcophagus with Aoshi's full name on it. "It's a beautiful sarcophagus, that it is," Kenshin had remarked on the intricate beauty of the sarcophagus, Sanosuke was too stunned at the magnitude of the beauty.

The black horse mad it to the Aoi-ya in time before the sun raised in the sky, two strong men carried in that sarcophagus into Aoshi's room into the shadows. "Kenshin, I don't think we should tell Misao that Aoshi had been bitten," Kenshin suddenly knew that Sanosuke was right, Okina went to Aoshi's room to talk him and Kenshin and Sanosuke tried to stop him. Of course, the next night was when Aoshi got with the hunger for blood, yes; Aoshi is now a vampire, a very hot looking vampire.

"Aoshi, you changed a lot since you were a boy," Aoshi's eyes held no emotion as usual, but they were in a different light as if he were alive yet. Okina saw that Aoshi was acting differently than what he'd normally act; Misao was starting to wonder what was wrong with Aoshi. "Himura, what's going on with Aoshi-sama?" Misao and Suki both were wondering why Aoshi was always losing his temper and storm out of the Aoi-ya, Kenshin just did not want to say anything about Aoshi's strange behavior.

To my reviewers:

Fire-onnagoddess: THANK YOU! I'm sorry that this chapter is late being uploaded, I was having a lot of problems with my computer and vacation, but I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

It.soniablade: Thank you for review in my fic, I'm glad you liked it that much. Well, I had some trouble with my computer and had to go on vacation, still, I hope you really enjoy the new chapter!

NonameJane: You're welcome for the review! And thank you for reviewing my fic, it means so much to have a review! I'm sorry if this seems to be late, I was having some problem with my computer and going on vacation, so enjoy anyway!

By email:

Sachiya: Aoshi was growing up within the Oniwabanshu and it was to the point to cut his hair, I think it makes him a little more grown up. Thanks for the review for the fic even though you couldn't get on the fic site on the web, I'm sorry I had problem with my computer and vacation, so enjoy this chapter!

Please, please! REVIEW!