A/N:

Truth be told, I actually forgot about the epilogue!! I was busy with some other plot bunnies for some other fandoms (seeing as this story's done, I need something else to work on) xD Sorry about that!

It's pretty short, but I think it's long enough to tie up all loose ends (or at least, all I could think of that were important).

I'm so sorry that I haven't gotten the chance to reply to everyone's reviews! I managed to get through to some people, but my teachers decided to dump my class with a crap-load of work, and all of my free time has been taken up by sleeping, quite honestly. So if I haven't replied, hang in there becuase I'll get to it as soon as I can!

Thank you so much to BoxingBunny, xSugaryTearsx, elviella, DaEarthAngel13, kibahina-narusaku4ever, Sonia_Amane, ShadowOfAShinobi, SilverWolfStar, Byzantea, , Death-Angel-of-Anime, xKonanXbluex, lovepeacebre, and GingerSnapDragons for reviewing the last chapter! I love you guys! Remind me not to read your reviews in public, they made me squeal like a little girl and I was getting some strange looks from people, hahaha.

Enjoy the epilogue!

Disclaimer: Do I really even need to put one anymore?

Running Scared

Epilogue

His car rolled to a stop as he reached the end of the road. Even after the fire, the debris that had initially blocked the path could not be removed. The city had decided, in light of the numerous deaths that had occurred on the mountain, to leave the road as it was. He would have to finish his journey on foot.

It only took him about an hour to hike to the camp's main clearing, or, what was left of it. In the past five years, the forest had grown back at an incredible rate. There were still plenty of bare spots, places where trees had once stood, but the bushes and grass had reappeared and the forest was looking just as green as it had before the fire. As for the camp, there was barely anything that gave away its former existence. All that was left was the south wall of the cafeteria, scorched and flaking away, but still standing.

He made his way over to the wall and touched it, feeling the coarse wood under his fingers. It had been exactly five years. Five long years since he lost everything to this camp. Hyuuga Hiashi would never forgive himself for letting this happen. It was his fault that so many people had died over the years. It was his fault that his nephew and his daughter had died horrifying deaths. His fault. All his fault.

"Hiashi…" A voice behind him whispered.

He turned slowly, knowing who would be there, and wasn't disappointed. "Sachiko," He breathed, a sense of numbness overtaking him.

She looked nothing like the beautiful young girl Hiashi had known. Had killed. Her long hair was matted and tangled, her eyes gouged out, and her mouth sewn shut. She was wearing the same dress she had worn to the dance, but now it was tattered and bloody.

"You've come," She said simply, though her mouth never moved.

Hiashi swallowed, "I have."

"Why?"

"I need to make amends for what I've done."

"No, why?" There was something in her voice that Hiashi couldn't place.

"Why what?" He asked.

"Why?" Was all she said.

His brow furrowed as he thought. Why what? Then, it hit him. It was a mixture of sorrow and anger that he was hearing.

"Because you were everything I ever wanted, and the one thing I could never have," He said, trying to explain, "I wanted you to love me. I needed you to love me. But you didn't. And it tore me apart. I was angry, I was hurt. I lost control. It was never supposed to go so far. I didn't…it wasn't…I…" He was surprised to find tears on his cheeks.

What have I done?

The question reverberated in his mind over and over again, as it had for the past fifty-five years. As it had since he had murdered her.

I've destroyed her life, the lives of countless others, and my own life. I have destroyed everything.

"I'm sorry," He whispered.

"Sorry? Sorry?" Sachiko snarled, "I was kind to you! I never did anything to intentionally hurt you! You killed me. You raped me. You left me here. For fifty-five years, I have haunted this God-forsaken place, and you never came. And now you come crawling back to say sorry?"

"I know," Hiashi gasped out, "It doesn't fix anything. I know."

"Then why are you here?"

"I told you. To make amends."

"Saying 'sorry' won't cut it."

"I know. But you need my blood to leave right? Here I am. Take it. It's yours."

She faltered slightly, "What?"

"Kill me. That's the only thing that can set you free, right?"

"You came here to ask me to kill you?"

"You didn't seem to have a problem with all of those people over the past fifty-five years! Including my daughter!"

She snorted, "Oh, I'm not hesitating. I'm just surprised. Usually, people scream and beg me to spare them. You come and calmly ask me to run you through with my knife. It's precious really."

"It's my fault that Hinata and Neji are dead. I owe them this. I owe you this."

"Yes you do," She agreed coldly.

"Then what are you waiting for? Kill me!"

She smirked, which only twisted her face even more. Before Hiashi could blink, her butcher knife was buried to the hilt in his chest. He coughed painfully, feeling blood dribble down his chin. His chest was on fire, but beneath the pain he could feel the numbness. His death would be quick, unlike hers had been.

"I know…it doesn't…make anything better," He whispered, "But I…I am t…truly sorry f…for what I did."

Sachiko watched the light leave his eyes and slowly pulled her knife from his chest. He slumped limply to the ground. Hyuuga Hiashi was dead. She watched excitedly as his blood mingled with the grass, staining the green with red. It was the fifty-fifth anniversary of her death, and she now had the blood she needed to be set free. Kneeling down beside the fallen man, she dipped her fingers into the sticky liquid.

A bright light split the sky, hurting her eyes. She dropped her gaze to the crimson puddle forming around her and gasped. The beautiful face of her teenage self peered back, her beautiful blue eyes sparkling with life and her hair long and healthy. Her wounds were gone as well as any trace of blood on her body. She stood up again and found herself facing Hiashi's spirit. He was staring at her with astonishment.

"Thank you," She whispered, feeling her first true smile in over fifty years break across her face.

He locked eyes with her and nodded.

Then, they were both gone, as if they had never existed.

*K*I*B*A*H*I*N*A*

"Daisuke! Get your lazy ass up here before I drag you up by your hair!" Kyoko yelled over her shoulder, adjusting her backpack.

Takashi chuckled beside her, "Impatient much?"

"We're only about fifteen minutes away," She replied, "I want to get there before it gets dark."

"You sure you don't want to take this as an opportunity to rest for a bit?" He asked, eyeing his wife's pregnant belly.

"I swear, if you ask me that one more time…" She grumbled. But catching the worried look in her husband's eyes, she softened, "I'm fine. Really. Stop worrying so much."

He grinned sheepishly, "Can't help it. Someone as crazy as you carrying our baby? How can I not worry?"

She punched him good-naturedly, "I know. It's a shame you couldn't be the one giving birth."

He laughed, "Somehow I have a feeling that that wouldn't work too well."

"It's official," Daisuke said, appearing behind them, "You guys are the weirdest people I have ever met. You should definitely not be reproducing. Ever."

"Oh don't worry baby, Uncle Daisuke didn't mean it," Kyoko cooed, rubbing her stomach, "He's just jealous that he hasn't found someone special."

"Shut up," Daisuke quipped, unable to hide his grin, "Pregnant or not, I will kick your ass."

"Pregnant or not, I'm pretty sure she'll kick yours," Takashi teased.

Daisuke rolled his eyes, "Well, Mrs. Impatient, I'm here now, so let's get going. Unless you're too tired."

"Me? You're the one we were waiting for!"

Takashi poked Kyoko's stomach, "Baby, you better grow up to be like you're dad. I need someone cool to hang out with."

Kyoko swatted his hand away, "Stop doing that. I'm not an animal in a petting zoo."

"What? Doing this?" He rubbed both his hands over her stomach.

She giggled and pushed him away, "Seriously! Let's just get going."

Takashi relented and led the group onward. Kyoko's calculations were accurate and they reached their destination about fifteen minutes later.

"Wow," Daisuke breathed, taking in the scenery around them.

"The forest has really grown back fast," Kyoko said.

Takashi merely nodded, his eyes scanning their surroundings. It had been five years exactly since they had pulled Hyuuga Hinata from the terrible fire that had destroyed Camp Ayakashi. Over the years, the forest had grown back quickly. If it hadn't been for the scorched wall that was still standing on one side of the clearing, there would have been no way to tell that there had ever been a camp there.

"Do you think it's still haunted?" Daisuke asked, tensing slightly.

"No," Kyoko replied, "There haven't been any deaths here since the camp burned down.

"That might just be because no one ever comes up here anymore," Daisuke pointed out.

"I'm sure it's fine," Takashi said, "Why don't we set up our tents? If we're still alive by then, I think it's safe to spend the night."

"Funny," Daisuke muttered, beginning to look for a flat place to pitch his tent.

Just as Takashi suspected, they were still alive by the time both tents were pitched and Daisuke had managed to get a campfire burning. The sun had just begun to set, casting a beautiful orange and pink glow across the trees. No demented ghost popped out of the woods, no knife-wielding zombies stumbled into the clearing. The forest was peaceful. The birds were singing and every once and awhile they could see the movement of animals in the undergrowth. The haunting of Camp Ayakashi was over.

Takashi draped an arm across Kyoko's shoulders and pulled her close. It had taken them five years to work up the courage to return to the camp. At first, he hadn't wanted anything to do with the place, but Kyoko had argued that they needed some form of closure, as the numerous deaths at the camp had been haunting them. Daisuke had agreed and, here they were.

"I'm glad we came," He told her, placing a gentle kiss on her head.

"Me too," She agreed, snuggling up against his chest.

He grinned and buried his nose in her hair, enjoying the closeness.

"Hey lovebirds!" Daisuke called, ruining the mood.

"What?" Takashi asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Daisuke grinned like a little kid, "Want to tell ghost stories?"

Takashi stared dumbly at his younger friend before throwing his head back and laughing. Kyoko and Daisuke joined him and soon all three were in hysterics. Ten or so minutes later, when they all had regained their composure, Takashi felt tears on his face. Happy tears.

They still had no real idea about what horrors had taken place at the camp, and they didn't want to know. But it was over now. It was really over. And, for the first time since Takashi had agreed to go help unblock the road at the camp after the storm, he felt at peace.

A/N:

And there you have it! Running Scared is OFFICIALLY over! Thanks for coming along for the ride! I hope you had as much fun as I did xD

Do any of you watch the show Supernatural? I've recently become obsessed with it and I've already started writing my first story for it. If any of you are interested, keep an eye out for the new story in the next week or so. If not...if you like hot boys and scary ghost things, check it out. It's AMAZING!!!

You don't really have to review this, but your feedback is always loved and appreciated!

Thanks for reading! :D