A/N: …..

This took longer than expected. But thank you for waiting… you know I wouldn't fail my DEAREST READERS ^_^x. Review Responses at the end of the page, please. Here's chapter 2! Enjoy and don't forget to review. (Onegai minna-san don't make me remind you.)

This chapter is beta-edited by my remarkable beta onii-san JLucPitard. Yay! At last!

DISCLAIMER: I promise I won't claim RK (crossing fingers from behind)

The Freezing Fire and the Warm Ice

~Tiger-Lily~

CHAPTER 2 – Shooting Flares of Temper

"What are you fighting for?"

"..."

"What are you fighting for Battousai?"

He hesitated.

"I fight... to protect the happiness of the weak."

He heard the voice chuckle.

"Who are you?" Kenshin shouted. This rage was different from his composure during fights on the battlefield.

"I am YOU Battousai.."

Suddenly, a man appeared from the shadows. When he turned to look directly at him, he noticed the unmistakable resemblance of red hair, amber eyes and a cross shaped scar.

His eyes grew to the size of saucers on seeing this mirror image of himself.

"You've destroyed many lives, many people's happiness," he smirked. "... Even YOUR own…"

The intensity of the impostor's gaze made his body freeze.

"Is that what you're really fighting for?"

"... No…" The thought resonated in his head, is this really the assassin I've been harboring inside myself? "I don't find pleasure in killing! I just did what had to be done. To protect… "

"To protect?" The question came out like a chuckle. "How can a merciless killer brag about protecting happiness when he has killed so much? Do you think that the families of the ones you murdered found happiness right now?" His question struck him.

"N-NO! THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Adrenaline rushed through him as Kenshin held onto his katana, preparing to strike.

"You stole her happiness and then you killed her. Whether you admit it or not, it was still your own doing," he sneered. "... The joke is on you, Battousai."

Though confused, he was still as alert as during battle. He seemed to understand what the impostor was getting at. Why wouldn't I, he asked himself, when he'd said we are one?

There's only one way to know. Kenshin needed to try it. He prepared to draw his sword from its sheath.

"You're a fool, Battousai. Do you really think you can draw that sword against me?" he warned.

Amber eyes glinted. "So be it. If it means finishing you off for good, I won't hold back- even if it cost me my own life." There was no other no way, he decided.

"That's just like you Battousai, risking your own life to slake your bloodlust."

"Enough talking," he spat. Moving with god-speed in the wink of an eye, he charged forward without hesitation, ready for anything to come.

"We're one Kenshin. Accept the truth. You're just an empty vessel for me to take over."

A strike.

A push.

Red.

Then darkness.

His breathing was ragged. Sweat dripped like tiny beads, all over him. He covered his face with his palms, trying to banish the shock of the nightmare he'd just awoken from.

When his breathing normalized, he managed to look around the unfamiliar room. It was bigger than the inn he'd stayed in for the past weeks, but it looked inviting, even for a man slayer.

He looked at himself and noticed that he was wearing a blue yukata. He struggled to remember how he got there in the first place.

The scenes from that night came back to him with a vengeance. Images of dead bodies, blood mixing with rainwater and the burning deck. Everything was still fresh on his mind. He shoved the memory aside. The burning smell hadn't left.

Wait…

It wasn't his imagination; he really could smell something burning. He got up to his feet. Thinking he was abducted by the pirates and imprisoned on that place to be burned, he reached for the katana on his left, only to find that it wasn't there. His adrenaline surged. Whoever had taken him kept it. They must've thought the assassin was useless without his sword. He rushed out of the room to find where the burning smell originated.

He came to a stop when he reached the source. It was a run-down kitchen but what really caught his attention was the kimono-clad girl who stood in front of a burning pot. When the girl noticed his presence, he was rewarded by two cerulean eyes that greeted his. Her ebony hair was swept into a high ponytail, held by a ribbon which complemented the color of her eyes.

"Aoi-"

A faint memory twinged in his heart. But before it fully resurfaced, he noticed the bashful look which flashed in the girl's face the moment he stepped into the kitchen.

"Well. Um… o-ohayou.." She turned half her attention to him. "I'm sorry if I woke you, I'm just not good at cook–"

Before she finished her speech, she was pinned to the wall with the stranger's forearm weighing down her throat, keeping her immobile. She froze at the attack, but managed to look directly at his eyes. They were burning like the sun.

If memory served her right, his eyes weren't like that when she first saw him.

FLASHBACK…

Kaoru reached the gates of the dojo with the man still clinging on her shoulders. He'd fallen unconscious minutes ago and that only made the situation harder for her. She kicked the gate open and shifted his position on her shoulders again. They entered the gates and she kicked the door closed. Relief was her sanctuary when she reached her room. She settled him on the wall while she prepared the futon for him. As she opened the mattress, she looked over her shoulders to get a look at the unconscious stranger.

How naive of her to be so trusting! She didn't even know where he came from. What if he was a murderer who'd escaped from jail or a hired killer? Shivers ran through her spine. But for right now, she intended to help her fellow swordsmen.

She remembered hearing a couple of women wagging their tongues over some shipwreck the night before and some people they'd met. To her dismay, they'd cast suspicious glances over at her. She dared not waste her time worrying about them, her concentration now focused over the dripping man. She searched her closet to find something for the man to wear and then went out to fetch warm water. She hesitated before pulling the man's garments off. Her eyes scanned the skinny figure of the man.

She removed her own damp haori she'd thrown over his shoulders earlier and settled on changing his clothes. Before she untied his hakama, she took note of the sword on his left. "He must be a well-trained warrior to be able to survive the sea for a whole night and still keeping this intact," she thought as she slid the heavy metal off his side and laid it aside.

He looked pale and his lips were almost gray. She wiped him with the towel soaked in warm water to soothe the stinging coldness of his skin. Color slowly came back to his skin. She immediately slipped the dry yukata over him and fixed the collar snugly over his chest.

Shifting his weight on her again, she laid him on the futon. Thank the Kami Dr. Genzai had taught her basic first aid- very much required in her profession. She removed the leather band holding his hair to release the wet mass. He'd wake up with a terrible headache if she didn't. Kaoru pulled the blanket over his chest and reached for his hand.

It was cold as ice. Her need to protect him increased as she rubbed her palms over his to generate warmth in him.

Medicines! Her mind shouted. She remembered her real purpose at the pier this morning. It was still early, maybe she could go back to check the public trading ships at the docks? Kaoru had banished it from her mind earlier because of her drive to save the man. Now she realized it was equally important.

Looking over the still form of the man, she gathered her wits and decided to go back to the wharf. She ran outside and closed the gates of the dojo.

All her hard work was rewarded when she got to the pier and saw the trading ship. Onlookers thronged forward as knobby bundles and packages were passed over the sides into their eager hands.

"Thank the Kami!" She ran and inquired after her package. A deckhand went inside and came back to her with a miniature wooden cabinet. She thanked the ship's crew and walked away from the wharf.

Around her, she heard people talking about what had happened last night.

" … It might be one of the pirate assaults again!" one of them shouted. She hugged the bundle hard against her and continued walking to get away from the disturbance.

When she got back, she immediately prepared the medicine for her new patient. Dr. Genzai had included instructions for different ingredients to be used in making certain medicines. After finishing the powdered mixture she carefully brought it to the room where the man slept.

"Ah." She smiled contentedly. His body had regained its normal warmth from the last time she'd checked. She scanned him for a second before kneeling beside him and lifting her hands to his mouth and pushing his jaw open with her thumb. His cracked lips gave way for the folded piece of rice paper containing the right dosage of medicine she'd prepared for him. He let out a small moan as he tasted the mixture. Kaoru smiled at this. It seemed like even at his unconscious state, his senses of taste quickly responded to the bitter mixture she made him intake. Deftly, she poured a small amount of tea in a sake cup, to easily slip the liquid in his mouth without making him get up. She hoped it would help him endure the bitterness of the medicine.

She got up to her knees and began tidying up the room. In few quick sweeps, she picked up the drenched clothes she'd tossed aside to the corner of the room earlier. Her eyes fell on the gleaming black scabbard of the katana. She picked up the sword and slid the shoji closed.

END OF FLASHBACK

He grunted when he read no response in her eyes. She must be spacing out.

He pinned her harder to the wall to pull her back to her senses. Their bodies pressed harder against each other. He felt something which he couldn't fathom- as if he didn't want this moment to end. The girl felt right, under his own skin.

Feeling him pinning his knees against her thigh harder, she clenched her jaw and shot a glare at him.

THE NERVE OF THIS GUY! Her dagger sharp orbs tried to pierce his. After all the fuss I went through to save this IDIOT's life, she thought, he's paying me back with this?

She tried to push him off her, only to be get knocked back again. He was too strong for her and too close! Kaoru could feel his breath ghosting against hers.

Good thing she'd kept his katana away from him. She had taken some safety precaution after taking this man in. If she hadn't, she'd be another mutilated body on the papers by afternoon. In this moment, he'd proven that he was just as dangerous without his sword.

Who could this man be?

He fought against the strong will in her eyes and noticed their blue color had dropped to a darker shade, though not from fear. She wasn't not afraid of him? He'd seen this look from some of the strongest opponents he'd fought at the height of his career as an assassin. Most of his opponents couldn't even stand up to his glare but this,this GIRL! He took note that she was… beautiful. As her kenki raged, her eyes gave away her fierceness. Never in his life had he seen a woman with such a fiery spirit as hers.

"Who are you?" he asked with the roughness of his unused voice. He emphasized his fury by pressing her even harder.

"Ugh!" She felt her body stiffen against his. At least give me some air to breathe, she thought!

"Kamiya…" It sounded more harsh choking, but her voice was strong despite her situation. "Kamiya Kaoru.."

Her name didn't sound like one of the pirates. He let her go carefully.

"Where's my katana?"

Kenshin was sure he'd still had it as his body struck the water.

Kaoru hesitated, afraid that he'd truly kill her once he got hold of his sword.

"I… I kept it.."

"Where?"

"In the dojo." she muttered. Not caring whether he heard it clear enough.

In the wink of an eye, he was outside, as if he knew where he was going. Finally, his feet found the polished floors of the dojo and he saw his katana resting among the wooden practice swords. He grabbed the weapon and looked up, reading the exquisite calligraphy of the plaque. "Kamiya Kasshin Ryu Katsujin- ken"

He stopped and observed the room. Nameplates hung on the other side of the wall. He was surprised when he noticed that it only had five students. Then he read one nameplate "Kamiya Kaoru (shihandai)"

"So, the girl practices kendo," he thought. That's where she got her balance. Maybe, she was just another spy with plans to kill him. But she could've done it in the first place. Confusion goaded him, angering him further.

He found her standing at the doorway of the dojo and took a few steps towards her. His hands still clutched his sword.

"How long have I been at this place? Why did you bring me here?" he tried to calm his voice. He prepared himself for that the lies that might roll off her tongue.

"I found you one morning at the docks while I was waiting for the ship that carried my package..." she paused as she felt the coldness he radiated. "You were clinging to the foundations, under the planking. When I pulled you over the edge, you fell unconscious… and you've been bedridden since then."

She was amazed that her voice managed to be steady, even after his assaults earlier.

He was dazed by the girl said, the words that tumbled out were not- as he'd first thought- lies. He remembered the blueness and the concern in her eyes. She was so naïve to be so trusting, he thought, so innocent.

She wanted to say more about the past nights, when she'd woken up whenever she heard him groaning in his sleep. He must've been having nightmares. She'd sat by his side every night, to croon to him every once in a while. She'd barely gotten any sleep herself. Embarrassed, she shrugged it off and decided not to tell him.

She wanted to ask him many questions but the way he behaved told her not to. One thing, though. "May I know who you are and how you got into that state?" She saw him flinch as she asked.

He couldn't possibly let her know.

Silence fell. Just as she expected, the rude man ignored her and walked past her, to the door.

"Where are you going?" She knew he'd avoid her question again.

"Where are my clothes?" without answering her, he asked back.

"I had it washed and it needed mending, so I patched it decently enough..." Her cheeks reddened.

He continued to march away from the dojo, but before he totally vanished from her sight, she let out her fury.

"WAIT!" Her ki reached dangerous levels.

He suddenly came to a stop. What was it now?

"If you're planning to go away, then I don't care! I don't give a damn about who you are, but at least save me the effort of saving you again by eating something before you go! You've been sleeping for three days straight and haven't had anything in your stomach but medicine!" She paused to catch a bit of her breath before starting again, "I –"

She paused when he stopped. He seemed to feel the force of her anger.

"I… won't bother saving you for the second time if you try to leave and pass out in the middle of the street starving!" silently she added, 'Idon't want to see anyone suffering.'

Finally, he turned around to look at her red-tinted face. "I don't accept your charity."I didn't deserve any of it, he thought.

"CHARITY?" Her patience ran out but she retained some composure even though she felt like she could tear out all of the man's beautiful hair.

"You practice swordsmanship, right?"Breathe in, Breathe out. "Then I believe, SIR..." she emphasized the honorific sarcastically."That even the likes of you know that it's NOT an act of charity but merely what a normal swordsman should do for his fellow man."

Kaoru said her next words with pride, "My father's ideal of Kamiya Kasshin- Ryu is 'the sword that protects life' and I live by those words."

He was flabbergasted at her words. Never had he heard such proud words from any woman.

Indeed, he thought with a secret chuckle, the girl really did have the spirit of a true samurai.

She stared at him for a long time, waiting and hoping for anything she might take as a response. Others despised her school's beliefs and she braced herself for his laughter.

Without saying anything, he walked in the direction he remembered the kitchen to be in.

He heard her shouting again.

"Hey! Don't turn your back when someone's talking to you! Don't you have any manners at all?" She quickly closed the distance between them. Just before she grabbed the man, he finally faced her.

The next words that came out of his lips were surely her imagination! He left her frozen to the spot, stunned.

"I'm going to fix the mess you did with the tofu, angel.."

TBC

Hotaru HImura- actually, I just needed her for some details in the canon. Of course Kenshin hasn't moved on, yet., O_o Haha thanks for your review! I hope you enjoyed this chappy!

donhisiewen - if it weren't for ALL OF YOU I would'nt have updated. Thanks for the support. The truth is, the chapter you read is the draft of the chapter. I have uploaded the wrong document lol. I had a lot of trouble editing it..X( coz whenever I saved the changes it's still the same unedited ROUGH draft! so I had to delete the chapter and re-upload it slapping myself Anyway, I like kaoru with Battousai too. Their pairing sounds so sexy. O_o is that the appropriate word?

crayontesla - oh,...gomen if I didn't mention it. Kenshin is aboard a PRIVATE TRADING SHIP and kaoru's package was shipped in a PUBLIC SHIP. That's the difference. ^_^ sorry for the confusion... love lots!

katwalkchan - yeah,..I like your name... sounded like cat walk...hugs actually I had a little trouble patching up details together for this one. My perspective for Kaoru is slight OOCpathetic sigh gomen nasai, the last line was a bit lame….

And to others I have not mention; I'll get to you next time! Thanks for supporting this story! I'm expressing my deepest gratitude to all…..I'm not spoiling anything so bear with me! T-L