A/N: (9/26/03) The first chapter made more like a Inuyasha just changing a few things here and there. Well starting from now the story will stray more away from Takahashi-sama's ideas, so Kaoru won't be going through some well.

A/N 2: (9/29/03) Okay I proofreader this chapter again. Thanks JML for the info. And the only reason we didn't know Sasaki's name was we were forgot. Seriously. I haven't seen the episodes with him in it for a while. Hehe.

A/N 3: (3/14/04) It's .een a few months since we've worked on this so therefore we've decided to go back and proofread it even more! And there are so many! --;;

Crimson Crystals

By LittoGrrlStephie and The Girl Who Cried Oro

Chapter Two: Day One

"TOMOE!!!"

Kaoru Kamiya sat right up from her bed, her navy blue eyes wide from her dream. Sweat formed on her forehead, her hand clutching to her chest as she struggled to calm her breathing.

That voice...the voice who was always in her dreams...it haunted her in her sleeps ...and sometimes...delighted her every waking moment. But the name that the masculine voice called...it was so familiar... but why?

She stood up and went to the bathroom. From there she turned on the faucet allowed the water to flow out and entering her cupped hands. Splashing the liquid onto her face, she could feel the cold water tingling against her skin and she sighed in relaxation. "That feels so much better..." she said to herself with a soft sigh and turned off the faucet.

Kaoru looked at herself in the mirror and stared at her own reflection. Her silky midnight hair flowed down her shoulders like a black waterfall and her skin looked pure and clean as each drop of water rolled down her face to her cheek and then dropping into the sink, making ripples in the water.

Suddenly she gasped as what she saw in the mirror. It was a beautiful young woman near her age with the same dark hair as her own, but tied in a low ponytail. They looked similar, but not that similar. And the woman in the mirror's eyes...they were filled with sorrow and burden, unlike her own.

The image in the mirror disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Kaoru blinked and saw her own reflection in the glass once again. She slowly lifted one of her hands and trailed the mirror down. She shook her head with her hand on her forehead. "I guess...I was imagining things...Kaoru no baka..."

Draining the sink, Kaoru Kamiya went back to her bed. She rested her head on the fluffy pillow and covered herself with a blanket, going back to her slumber.

Unbeknownst to her, a pair of golden eyes watched her every move...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Kaoru!" A girl with dark long hair yelled as she waved to her friend who was heading toward her and her other friends.

Kaoru Kamiya waved back as she entered the outside property of the school's premises. Her long hair in a ponytail, tied back with her favorite indigo ribbon. She was wearing her school uniform, which consisted of a dark blue long sleeve sailor shirt and a matching skirt that was just to her knees with her portfolio bag in her hands. "Hey! Kasumi! Sakura! Akane!" (Those three women Kenshin met in Samurai X: Trust when he was only a kid and was referred as "Shinta".)

Kaoru raced over to join her group of friends with a smile on her face.

"Where were you yesterday? You missed so much at school. And no, I don't mean schoolwork." The girl with the shoulder length black hair said to Kaoru.

"I was sick yesterday with the fever, Sakura. Huh? What do you mean? What did I miss?"

Another girl with braids answered Kaoru's question. "There's a new guy attending our school! He came yesterday and he is soo~oo hot! I mean his flaming hair and he has totally sexy eyes! Just thinking about it is going to make me faint at this very moment!"

Kaoru rolled her eyes at her boy-crazy friends. "Oh brother, can't you think of anything else but boys Akane? Is that all I miss? It doesn't really seem like much to me." She turned to the girl with her hair down. "You're the normal out of the two. Was there really anything important that I missed, Kasumi?"

"Sorry Kaoru. Not really, but the guy they were talking about is hot. Tee hee...he even makes me blush...he's different than other guys...heh..."

"Ugh...I guess I'm probably the only non-shrieking boy-crazy girl in the whole student body." Kaoru said while Sakura and Akane went into their daydream mode while Kasumi just stared at the ground with a blush across her face.

"So what's the pretty boy's name?" Kaoru asked.

"Kenshin Himura. He's a transfer. And he got one of the top scores on the entrance exams here." Kasumi explained in a whisper.

"So he's a hot nerd boy?"

"Not only that! He is also athletic! You should see him in gym during Kendo! He defeated all the guys, and was at a draw with Sensei too!!" exclaimed Akane excitedly.

"Is it me or are you guys trying to say that the guy is perfect or something? No guy can be that perfect. No one can."

Kasumi giggled at Kaoru's annoyed expression. "Well that's what you think."

Kaoru sighed as she watched her friend go off in their own dream world as they walked through the halls of their school towards their first class.

Kaoru walked into the classroom with her three friends who were still dreaming about this "perfect guy". She couldn't help but get annoyed at their ridiculous blabbering about some new kid. This new pretty boy surely couldn't have been that good.

Upon entering the room, she saw that a swarm of girls were crowded around the usually empty desk beside her, so that she couldn't get a view of what or more like who they were screaming about. Hearing her two friends squeal she had a good hunch that the center of attention was the new student.

"Can you guys move away from my desk?" asked Kaoru loudly, she wasn't in a good mood morning and that vision that she saw early just made it worse.

The squealing fan girls ignored her, causing Kaoru to get even more annoyed. She was about to speak when the teacher entered the room and slammed his book on his desk.

"That's enough! Will you all just shut up and get back to your seats? Oh yes. Welcome back Miss Kamiya," said the teacher with a forced smile on.

"Sorry Mr. Amakusa," said the girls as they all settled down, and went back to their seats. It wasn't smart to mess with their teacher; they guy had always had this strange and mysterious aura around him.

Kaoru sighed in relief when she was finally able to sit down, and noticed that her three friends were staring at the guy next to her.

She finally turned to face him for the first time. As her eyes went over his features, she had to force back a snicker. He really was a pretty boy! He had long red hair, which was placed in a high ponytail that even girls would die to have and he almost looked feminine. If it wasn't for that scar on his face...which was so...familiar...and his piercing amber eyes and the aura that was around him, she would have mistaken him for a girl.

But his eyes…they seemed so familiar, and she couldn't help but get caught in his gaze. It didn't help that he was giving her a grin that made her the other girls, including her friends, want to faint.

Kaoru turned her head, pulling away from his hypnotizing stare as the teacher started his lesson. She sighed...the lectures and lessons were boring as usual. So she snuck out a pencil, so she could doodle. She thought about what to draw, but no ideas came to her mind.

Turning her head slowly, she peeked at the new student called Kenshin and hoped that he didn't notice. She stared at his profile and narrowed her eyes. His face was beautiful and she couldn't help turn her head back to her paper and sketch the side of his face.

Kaoru first lightly sketched the outline of the side view of his face. Then she started on his hair and drew that quickly. Next, she drew his piercing eyes, making sure that it looked real. When she looked into his eyes, she couldn't help, but see sadness in them...and could wondered what secrets laid there.

Kaoru then turned to her next step and quickly sketched the large cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. She wondered how he had gotten such an injury like that...she seemed to have seen it before...

A flash of light passed through her, as she saw scenery of trees. It was shocking to see that many trees after living in the city. But that wasn't what caught her eye; there was a figure beside her. He looked like Kenshin. But he was smiling, and his eyes were bright and happy. There was no sadness to them, and he seemed to have... amethyst eyes?

Kaoru jumped when Mr. Amakusa looked her in the face. She blushed as she realized that she had been daydreaming.

"Will you get out of your daydream Miss Kamiya, and get back to work?" asked Mr. Amakusa, but it was more like an order.

Kaoru bowed her head and stuck her face into her book, but not before quickly finishing her doodle. No, it had become more than that. She would make it into a masterpiece. But not just yet...she would add the true feelings that lay beneath the true person...and maybe find the real Kenshin Himura.

As she finished the picture, she thought about her opinion about him. At first, she thought he was some snobby pretty boy, because of how her friends acted. But when she first spotted him…she was mystified by him. Those amber eyes...that scar and his flaming red locks that seemed more like blood as she looked at it harder. She sensed a mysterious aura coming from him as well. It was dark, yet not evil. His aura tickled her skin gently and sent shivers down her spine.

She completed the sketch and the shadowing of the picture and then carefully slid the paper in a folder so it wouldn't crumple. She lightly smiled. Satisfied that she was done, Kaoru lifted her head up and actually listened to the lesson that was being held.

The rest of class was pretty quiet, and not that many were giving Kenshin looks anymore; they were all too busy paying attention. Their teacher was giving them all the: pay attention or get in big trouble look, so they obediently complied.

~*~*~*~

"I told you he was hoo~oot," said Akane as they headed toward their next class in the hall. It was going to be another round of goggling over Kenshin. But this time, Kaoru knew exactly how they felt.

Stop thinking like that. 'He probably doesn't even pay attention to me. The guy has practically the entire school of girls after him.' Thought Kaoru bitterly; shaking her head to get rid of her thoughts.

"Hurry up, we have physics next, and I don't want to miss anything. You know how terrible I am at equations. I need all the time in class to get help from the teacher," said Sakura as she pushed them along; it was a good thing that the four had most of the same classes together.

They only had two subjects apart, and they were Kaoru's most dreaded classes. She was never good at History and Chemistry.

They all walked to physics class together. As they entered the room, Kaoru noticed that only half the class was there.

Kaoru blinked. Kenshin was there sitting in a seat with girls all around him. He was ignoring their yaps and turned to see Kaoru standing in front of the class.

She was soon caught in his gaze once again. A smirk tugged his lips as a blush rose to her cheeks. She looked away from his direction and mumbled, "Jerk..."

It made him smirk even more, but she didn't see it because she had turned her attention back to her friends.

Kaoru sat down by her friends, and waited for class to begin.

She was chatting with the girls and stared at them confused when they all had that dreamy look in their eyes again. Kaoru slowly turned around, and found her self facing amber eyes that locked securely on her own sapphire orbs. This time, he seemed to have drowned her in his depths.

"What?" Kaoru asked angrily, trying desperately to get her attention to wander away from his golden gaze. She didn't like the feeling of his eyes on her. It was as if he were staring deep into her soul, and knowing her every feeling. The way he watched her, it delighted her, yet scared her. It was as if he was watching her like a predator watching its prey, and she hated the fact that she was in the prey's position.

"Come on students! Class has started; this is not the time to socialize! Get into your seats." An old woman said as she entered the classroom.

The student scurried to their seats quickly.

Kaoru sighed deeply. Why were all her teachers so strict?

"Hey, Kaoru, it seems that Kenshin likes you." Kasumi whispered; slightly smirking as she saw a light blush crept to Kaoru's cheeks.

"What?! What the hell are you talking about!?"

"Don't lie to us like you don't know. He's been watching you since first period!" Akane giggled quietly.

Sakura sighed. "I'm so jealous, Kaoru. I wish he would just give me a glance."

'Well, personally I think he should stop...'

The old woman started to teach physics, but a person entered, interrupting the class from the learning. He was a tall young man with spiky brown hair; a red bandana was wrapped around his forehead and he was endlessly chewing on a toothpick.

"Sanosuke Sagara! You're late...again."

"Yeah, I know. Just sack it. It's not like it's unusual." He replied calmly as he walked towards his seat. He looked at Kenshin and Kaoru noticed that they both exchange glances like they were having a conversation without a verbal talk. Then he shrugged and went toward his seat, but not before greeting Kaoru. "Hey Missy, how are you doing today?"

"Hello to you Sano. Late as usual I see."

He just grinned and went and took his seat in the back. He lounged back in his chair and placed his feet on the desk casually.

The teacher sighed. "Disrespectful to teachers as usual, Mr. Sagara. I wonder how your parents survived."

Sano ignored the old woman as she went back to teaching.

"So what do you think of the new kid?" asked Sano, as he leaned toward Kaoru.

Kaoru only shrugged. She wasn't about to tell her friend from freshman year that she thought the guy that she just met was hot, handsome, and drop dead sexy.

Sano gave a grin to Kenshin, whose eyes seemed to sparkle a bit.

Kaoru cocked her head at Sano. Something was obviously going on, and she wanted to know what and she hated to be kept in the dark. It seemed that the two knew each other from somewhere. But Sano was usually at home or hanging out with the other guys. She was sure she never saw him with Kenshin.

"Miss Kamiya, can you come up here and share with the class the laws of physics?" asked the teacher.

Kaoru nearly jumped out of her skin, as she hastily went up to the class with a blush on her face. She then began to recite the laws of physics. Oh, how she loathed this class.

Luckily for her, art was next. It was one of her favorite subjects, and she really couldn't wait.

When she got to the art room, Kaoru immediately went to get her things and set up her artwork that she started a few weeks ago.

"Class." The art teacher started. "Just continue with your paintings. And if you don't get them finished it by today, I recommend you to stay after school and complete them."

There were a bunch of murmurs in the classes.

Kaoru started to paint her artwork. She had started mixing the colors of her artwork and trying her best to make the painting look as life like as she could.

It was a picture of a dagger and it reflected the image of a young man holding a beautiful dying woman in his arms. She didn't know how she was inspired to paint this. Maybe it was the dream she had so long ago when she was young...

"Miss Kamiya...your work is very beautiful. From what I can see, there is a story in this. Very well done as usual" The teacher complimented.

She grinned and continued to brush the paint over the canvas perfectly.

She dipped the painting, and began to work on the male's hair. For some reason she pictured Kenshin as the one holding the woman. Kaoru shook her head. So, she lightly dipped the brush into the blue paint, and mixed it with white. They were her favorite colors. She used that for his hair, and jade green eyes. It looked weird, and her mind kept placing Kenshin in the man's position.

Kaoru involved herself in her painting. She had learned to express herself through drawings and sculptures since she was young. Her dreams had been plaguing her from as long as she could remember. So artwork was something that allowed her to express how she felt.

"Why are you drawing such a sad picture?" asked a masculine voice behind her, that threatened to make her bones melt. His voice was to die for.

"It just came to me...I guess," said Kaoru, not sure what to say as she moved aside for him to see the entire picture.

Kenshin's eyes narrowed at the picture, and she found that the sadness in his eyes had steeled. It was as if the picture triggered something within him that made him want to be left alone from everyone else.

He glanced at her with a bit of sorrow that left Kaoru confused as he walked back to his canvas across from hers.

"I wonder...what that was all about..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The gym was loud as usual, as the students changed into their gym clothes. Each wore a white top, and blue shorts for the school colors.

They all rushed to the center of the gym and sat in a round circle made with a positioning of boy, girl, boy, girl. The students waited patiently for their gym teacher to come in and take role.

The gym teacher was name Sasaki, but everyone just called him Sensei, meaning teacher of course. He wasn't just the gym teacher, but one of the writing and reading teachers as well.

"Sensei sure is taking his time," said Kasumi, from the other side of a boy that sat beside Akane.

That was when a man in his late 30s walked out. He had a bokken in hand, and he wore the school gym clothes as well. Their sensei had a mustache and beard, and was pretty fit for his age. ((He's the guy that was the teacher, and use to be a manslayer. He's also one of Sano's friends. He taught the poor children to write.))

"Good morning students," said the sensei.

"Good morning sensei," responded the children in unison.

"Today, we'll be having kendo tryouts. We want the best team this year, so we can beat all of the other high schools. Those who want to tryout, go and change into your gi and hakamas and stay in the right of the room. Those who don't wish to participate go to the left. You can practice your strokes, or just be quiet," ordered the sensei.

Kaoru immediately went back to the locker room to put a gi and hakama like some of the other students. Then she came right back and went to the appointed area that Sasaki had ordered. Out of all of her friends, only she wanted to try out for kendo. She was the only one out of her small group that liked kendo anyway, and took it seriously.

About 1/4 of the class went to try out for kendo; the others went to the left to socialize.

"So let's begin. Who to choose though?" asked the sensei as he thought about it.

"How about Himura and Kamiya begin the first round?"

Kaoru blinked at him, and finally noticed that Kenshin was right behind her. She had a bad feeling about this, and with what her friends told her about how good he was she was taking second thoughts about trying out for Kendo this year. Kaoru gulped as she and Kenshin made their way to the center of the gym.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

TGWCO: Well something messed up my comp, and the work that had been proofread and fixed is still at its horrible format. And so I did it again, though the other one was actually better. Oh well. It's late, and I need my sleep. ::yawns:: Tell me if you see any mistakes; minor or not.

LGS: Hope to see you next time! Thank goodness that it's fully revised now! YAY!!!

~ The Girl Who Cried Oro and LittoGrrlStephie