A/N: Well this chapter was delayed. Sorry about that, but at least we have it out. And most of the corrections are made in the last chapter. Thank to JML for giving some info out. We forgot Sasaki's name. And I haven't seen the episode that he was in for a long time. Well we hope you enjoy this chapter!

Crimson Crystals

By LittoGrrlStephie and The Girl Who Cried Oro

Chapter Three: Match

As Kaoru walked up to the center of the ring, she picked up one of the school bokkens on the way. Kenshin did the same as her and they both step to the center of the gym; each of them on the opposite sides of the circle.

"Are you two both ready?" Sasaki asked.

Everyone in the gym watched the two. Kenshin nodded.

Kaoru looking at her current opponent said, "Yes."

With that, Sasaki raised his hand the air and brought it down in a swift motion. "Begin!"

Before Kaoru got the chance to even blink, her opponent was gone. The class all gasped, and even Sasaki had to rub his eyes to see if they were working right.

'Where...did her go?' Thought Kaoru, as she grabbed the hilt of her bokken tighter, and looked around the ring for the red head.

Suddenly, there was a tap at her left shoulder. She turned around, and noticed a bokken to her shoulder and a slight smirk on Kenshin's face.

"Himura gets a point," yelled the sensei, as he raised a hand.

He walked past Kaoru to the other side. As he passed Kaoru he whispered into her ears, "I guess that's one point for me and none for you..."

'The cocky bastard...but I have to admit, he's really fast.' Thought Kaoru, as she jumped back and got into a stance. She wasn't going to back down just yet, even if she couldn't catch up to him. Kaoru Kamiya wasn't one to give up so easily.

Once again, when Kaoru charged at him, she swiped her wooden weapon down, only to swing at air.

This was getting tiring. Kaoru gritted her teeth as she came to a halt. 'I've got to concentrate. His ki has to still be in the ring somewhere.' She closed her eyes and focused her thoughts on finding him.

'Where are you, Himura Kenshin…?' She thought and then something coming behind her. She immediately turned around and saw Kenshin coming toward her in at such incredible speed. Almost god-like. But focusing her strength, Kaoru swung her bokken at him. But thinking she had hit the man, Kaoru felt a small poke at her back. She blinked and turned her head. Kenshin was behind her and kept poking her back with back with the bokken.

Everyone in the class blinked and then cheered even if it was just tryouts.

"Second point for Himura!" Sasaki yelled again and brought down his arm.

Kaoru glared at him before jumping back. She realized he was only playing around with her. The creep was going to pay, and she was going to make him pay. Gripping the handle of her bokken more tightly, she waited for her sensei to blow the whistle before charging at the guy. Amazingly enough, Kenshin didn't vanish again causing their bokkens to collide.

The two were staring into each other's eyes, and Kaoru could swear that his amber eyes held amusement in them. It only made Kaoru angrier, causing her to pushed harder that it almost caused the two wooden weapons to nearly break from the force of their collisions.

Kenshin's eyes became a bit shocked at her sudden strength, as he jumped back from the force she was creating.

'Her aura has changed.' Thought Kenshin as he looked at her oddly.

Kaoru took in deep breaths before fixing her handle on her bokken, and getting into another stance.

"So Kamiya, you do so have experience after all." He taunted, to make her even angrier. He wanted to see more of her power and a little more of her extent. "Come."

"If that is what you so desire." She replied and gripped the wooden sword tighter and looked straight into Kenshin's eyes. "Here, I come!"

As soon as that happened, Kenshin prepared into a stance of his own.

Tension rose into the air. Everyone could feel it, no matter whom they were.

Kaoru charged at him with everything she had, but when he went into a crotch position and one hand on the hilt of his sword, something clicked in Kaoru's head.

She suddenly stopped in mid-attack just as he let out his attack. Realizing, as if this were a memory, she dropped to the floor as his attack went upward in an arc.

Kaoru used her bokken to hit his knees, but he suddenly somersaulted backwards on one hand, causing the whole class to cheer.

'How did she know my attack?' Kenshin landed on the opposite side of her, and gave her an odd look.

Kaoru only grinned at him triumphantly. 'If I can just do something like that I again, I might just get him next time.' Thought Kaoru, as she held her bokken with both hands, and got ready for Kenshin's next attack.

'I guess I can't go so easy on her than I thought. But then again, she has her power. Or at least some of it.' Kenshin grinned and suddenly vanished again. 'Oh well. At least I'll have more fun in this little spar of ours.'

He charged at her with his god-like speed. Kaoru was surprised that she could suddenly see some blurs of him. From there, she took her bokken and concentrated hard on his ki and then she turned around again and blocked his attack with her bokken. Then she pushed him backwards.

When Kenshin was pushed back, he flipped in the air and landed with grace of that of a cat. By that, he pushed his feet up and soared toward Kaoru in a full throttle.

Kaoru saw it and their bokkens hit each other. His assault was pushing her back and Kaoru trying to hold herself.

He then flipped in the air and landed behind her. Kaoru turned around to clash her bokken with his once again.

'How in the world does she know what I'm going to do?' Kenshin jumped back and looked into her determined sapphire orbs. Her eyes were way different than Tomoe's ever was. For one thing they were sapphire while Tomoe was charcoal. Another thing was that Kaoru's eyes were filled with bright determination instead of the sorrow that Tomoe held.

They were more mesmerizing, and it lured him to her. She wasn't at all like Tomoe. This girl had more energy, more spirit, determination, and was a lot more temperamental. But one thing for sure was that they both had that mysterious power that always caught him off guard.

Kaoru realized her opportunity and charged at him in the gut, but before she could make contact he had vanished from sight.

Suddenly she looked up, and he was coming down on her with the bokken first. She stopped in place, and suddenly as if on instinct, she moved her legs apart and pushed her bokken up so that the two clashed.

The pressure of the attack pushed her down, and nearly sank them both in the ground.

Realizing that the floor could give way, Kenshin somersaulted away, and landed just before her.

Kaoru was panting, but the grip on her bokken tightened. She glared at him, and fire clashed with ice.

Taking in a deep breath, she charged at him again.

This time, Kenshin didn't allow her to get so close. He jumped over her, and was about to attack her from the back again, when she turned and blocked.

Gritting his teeth, Kenshin jumped back and pushed on the floor and attacked head on.

"That's enough! I think we've seen enough. You've both made it," yelled Sasaki, he was astonished, and didn't want them to go at each other until one died or fell unconscious.

Kenshin skidded to a halt just in front of Kaoru, so that they were practically nose-to-nose.

Blushing, Kaoru pushed him aside and walked back out of the circle, but her sensei put up a hand.

"Kaoru," said Sasaki, his eyes narrowed in seriousness.

She bit her lower lip and stalked back to Kenshin, before putting out a hand to him in a sportsmanship manner.

Grinning, Kenshin took the offer and the two shook on it.

Kaoru felt a jolt go through her as they connected, and quickly bowed to him before going back to her friends. She sat down and thought about how weird that just felt, when Sasaki called another pair up.

She cleaned the sweat off her forehead with the sleeve of her gi. Her friends were besides her.

"Kaoru! You were awesome! Matching Himura like that! That battle was amazing!" Sakura said as she placed a hand on the tomboy's shoulders.

"Yeah. We never see you fight like that with your bokken. It was amazing. You have definitely improved since the last time we saw you spar." Kasumi complimented and smiled.

Kaoru smiled happily at her friend's support. "Thanks."

Kaoru felt a pair of eyes to her and turned her head and her eyes fell on Kenshin. But his eyes were watching the current pair trying out for kendo. She swore, that he had been staring at her.

Kaoru quickly shrugged it off and joined back in her friends' conversation.

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

Kaoru and her friends quickly changed before heading toward the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was swarming with students talking, joking, and studying. It was louder than the gym, and you could hardly hear yourself think. It was amazing how some still managed to study in all of this.

Kaoru and her three best friends sat down at their usually table by the window, and Kasumi got up and got them something to drink.

"So what do you think of Himura now?" asked Sakura with a grin.

Kaoru rolled her eyes, and looked out the window.

"Hello ladies," came Sano's voice, Kenshin was right behind him.

The other two girls were staring at Kenshin, as Kaoru snorted in disgust. For some reason, she really didn't like the guy. It was either the fact that he basically beat her at her best sport, or that he kept looking at her.

"What do you want Sano?" asked Kaoru angrily.

"I just came over to chat is all," said Sano innocently.

"If you're asking for money again, then forget it," snapped Kaoru. Sano was known for borrowing money; the guy practically owed every student in high school a dollar or more.

"Look Missy, does it really look like I would need more money?" asked Sano offended.

Kaoru only rolled her eyes, as Sano sat down, and forced Kaoru to sit next to Kenshin.

Kaoru sighed, tearing her eyes off of Kenshin and looking straight at Sano. "If you're not here for money, then what are you here for? I know you're not here just to 'chat' as you so say. So what is it?"

"We're just here to hang out with you and your pretty friends." Sano replied as he winked at Kasumi, Akane, and Sakura. They giggled in reaction to his flirtation.

Both Kaoru and Kenshin rolled their eyes and Sano just grinned while chewing the fishbone that was in his mouth.

She heard Kasumi, Akane, and Sakura whisper among each other and giggle. Kaoru was curious on what they were talking about.

"Hey, Kaoru. Us three are going to go to the bathroom." Akane said.

"All…three of you?" Kaoru asked suspiciously.

They grinned and nodded and then quickly scurried off.

Kaoru blinked.

She soon growled and swore under her breath when she realized what they were doing. They were leaving her to the wild dogs a.k.a. Sano and Kenshin. It was obvious since the ladies restroom was on the opposite direction on where they were going.

Kaoru looked back at Sano and Kenshin. Sanosuke was whistling innocently or trying to at least. Something was definitely up. And she was going to get that information from Sano, even if she had to choke it out of him.

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

Review Responses

JML: Thanks for the info. The last chapter is proofread more.

kiesmoon: You'll see when she'll find that dagger and pendant. She'll find it sooner or later. ^_~

Kaoru23: ::claps:: Yeah! Thanks for reading it. Now why won't you update you story… _ _ _ _ ^_^

Tsugoi Kakarlena and Icegal1: It kind of sounds like Inuyasha because we got the idea off of Inuyasha. With the Shikon no Tama and stuff. And plus the miko business. But in here Kaoru doesn't really go back to the feudal era by a well and Kenshin isn't a inu hanyou. ^_^

chris37: Yeah, Kaoru is Tomoe's reincarnation.

Ruriko2: Well explaining the supernatural stuff, will be answer throughout the story. If your confused, then you have to wait and find your answer later. If you have any certain questions, tell me or LGS and I'm sure we'll answer it. ^.~

ArchAngel of Fire: Well, Kenshin survived because Kenshin is a vampire. That's why and he could live up to modern day Japan. ^__^' I hope that fact fades a bit of your confusement. @_@ Oro. ^________^