Disclaimer: I do not own Hakuoki. This amazing anime was created by Asuka Yamazaki, Kazuhiko Hasegawa and Mitsutoshi Ogura. I only created my Asuna and some side characters.

Beta Reader: Waffle (Thank you for being the bestest!)

Rated Teen for violence, blood, coarse language and / or sexually suggestive scenes (rating will change to Mature in the future as story progresses, readers have been advised).

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Kiss Of Snow

By: Swanna

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Chapter 20: The Waterfall

Once Asuna was free of the Shinsengumi's premises, she felt like she could breathe and think clearly again; that she was back in control. It'd been a long time since her demonic form had pushed so close to the surface that she'd barely held on to her humanity. Standing by the entrance for a while, she took deep, calming breaths of the tangy spring air. It was gradual, but the rage that had been lurking and clawing inside her earlier, began to dissolve.

As it was still early in the day, the street brimmed with chattering voices and busy townspeople going about their own business, coming and going with the day's work before sunset.

I need to leave this place, she thought to herself as she started walking.

But having no destination in mind made her almost pull away from the idea. She had never done anything unless she had a purpose, an outcome or a goal in mind. Anything that would set a clear path for her. Without all that, she wasn't certain what she should do.

Perhaps this was also her dilemma. She had always known what she was doing or what course of action to take. In many ways she was just like her father, a man who had always attempted to control his environment so everything worked out the way he had wanted. Although sometimes carrying out this practice in real life was a different proposition altogether, it had never kept either of them from trying.

Asuna went down the street and walked past two mortal men when she turned into a quiet alleyway. From the corner of her eye, she saw the men exchange a quick glance before moving ahead to stand directly in her path, blocking her. At that precise moment, she felt a wisp of demon energy present. Initially it was very faint and sporadic, with no definite pattern to it. Then it disappeared all of a sudden before she could investigate the direction it was fluctuating from.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing out here all alone?" Said one of the men, breaking her concentration.

"Step out of my way," Asuna told them in a quiet voice. A threat promising suffering and punishment if they refused to comply with her command.

A lecherous grin grew on his lips. "Why? Don't you want us both to keep you accompanied?"

"Yeah, we can have some fun together," the other man stated as he reached out to her face.

Hijikata appeared from behind her and caught the man's arm, twisting it until he went down on his knees with a howl of pain. He then followed through with a stout kick to the man's chest, sending him toppling over on the ground.

"Don't touch her." Hijikata glowered down at them, his violet eyes darkening like thunderclouds as a warning growl left his throat. "Now get the hell out of here before I change my mind."

Trembling with fear, the two men nodded, careful to avoid eye contact, and scampered away in a hurried flight.

Asuna's bitter frustration became immediately apparent when she cast him a curious glare. He was like a bloodhound on her trail, destroying her decision to keep him at a distance. Though right now, his presence also had a calming effect upon her in spite of her reluctance to admit that fact. It secretly gave her the strength necessary to push the veil of darkness out of her mind entirely. It was something that only Takeda had been able to do in the past when she'd lost focus.

However, this was also the very reason she grew angry with herself once again. It greatly agitated her at finding how the sight of Hijikata moved her in a strange and unexpected way; reactions that she simply didn't want to acknowledge at this time. He may have stopped the manifestation of violence inside her, but he was also the source of disturbance to her in other unexplainable ways. Somehow, he had a way of turning her behaviour treacherously unpredictable. What Asuna didn't understand was why he couldn't just leave her in peace when she desired it and stay out of her affairs.

"Why are you here? I thought I told you to leave me alone." She didn't bother to conceal the edge in her voice. The emotions in her mind were too tumultuous for her to be considerate of the Vice-Commander's finer feelings.

His eyes were studying her just as intently as she was studying him. "I can't let you go out in public when you're losing control like this."

It took Asuna a brief moment to get over the bluntness of that declaration. Hijikata's words bruised her pride, causing her to respond back defiantly with provocation. "What did you think would happen? That I would mercilessly claim the life of a random mortal just like that Rasetsu stated?"

A distinct dark tension sharpened the angular planes of his face when he replied, "You know damn well that's not what I meant. And considering your current state of mind, do you really think it's the best idea for you to be out in a busy street full of humans?"

"You seem to forget that you're also a human."

"I'm sure it's easier for you to deal with me only."

But that was where he was wrong. Asuna didn't want to be alone with him or be the recipient of his undivided attention. There were too many mixed feelings and too much unsettling energy between them. Everything became very confusing for her mind to process. And the more she tried to contain her feelings, the more her mind floundered vainly with the weight of it all.

Her eyes narrowed as she met Hijikata's gaze in a last attempt to hold her ground. "I don't want to be in the presence of any mortals, least of all you."

"I'm not letting you out of my sight. You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not," he retorted in a manner that demanded unequivocal obedience.

Asuna could see a surge of determination in his expression and knew that he wasn't going to give in, either. In fact, this man just never seemed to know when to give up or when to back down. His persistence irked her, yet in an odd way, it also made her take notice. It was as if he intended to break her down until he got her to see things his way. She wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not, especially when she was always driven to do things on her own terms.

"You're starting to aggravate me." Her lips tightened, though the remark was said without heat as her anger quickly dissipated into exhaustion. She decided to draw from an argument she knew she wouldn't win, and let him have his way since her patience was already worn thin.

"Well, that wouldn't be the first time or the last," he sounded triumphant. A slow grin replaced the stubborn set to his mouth.

She chose to ignore his comment by changing the subject. "I don't want to go back yet."

"That's fine, I'm not asking you to go back in there right now. So what do you want to do?" Hijikata asked as he continued to regard her.

Asuna had to swivel away from the intensity of his gaze, which made her feel as if he was scrutinizing her thoughts, and she looked out at the street instead. It was the same question she'd had for herself and had failed to answer. She only knew she sought to silence her mind, something that was proving to be a challenge lately.

Realizing that he wasn't getting a reply, he then said, "If you don't have any suggestions then there's a place we can go. It's more isolated and away from people. I'll show you the way."

X X X

"Where is this place you wish to take me?" Asuna asked as she followed Hijikata, deliberately keeping a short distance behind him like a shadow.

They were on the outskirts of the city, and had been walking on a small dirt path that curled uphill through the woods for almost three miles now. The serene land was filled with birdsongs and the sound of the light breeze rustling softly through the trees. The familiar sound of nature had a pleasant effect on Asuna and it was soothing away her exhaustion, despite the long walk.

"It's not too much farther away. We're almost there," he answered, without looking back at her.

They had both stayed silent during their stroll through the secluded spring green woodland, and it was a silence heavy with things unsaid. Hijikata, at the very least, seemed to understand that she wasn't a demon of emotions and that she wanted and needed her solitude. And he had respected that when he made no attempt at conversation while they were on their way, giving her time to regain her composure. But nothing had changed. Her mind was still filled with thoughts of him as she wondered at his motives.

Staring at his back, Asuna couldn't tell what he was thinking now. Hijikata had made it very clear that he lacked confidence in her ability to keep herself under control after the occurrence of today's violent event. His doubt was insulting to an extent. Though she couldn't blame him since she hadn't given him much reason to trust her, either. Especially when time after time, she'd moved forward without considering the consequences, thinking only of her own desire for action and quick resolution to conflicts. Regardless, did he trust her so little that he thought she'd be off doing something she shouldn't? Was he so concerned to the point of feeling the need to go through all this trouble just to keep watch over her?

Suddenly Asuna's acute senses caught something in the air and she stiffened, while Hijikata continued unabated in the direction of his walk. It took her an instant to realize it was the same demonic energy she'd picked up back at the alley. Only now, it felt even closer. And just like earlier, it was gone before she could identify the source. All this could only mean one thing – they were being followed. The real questions were, why were they being followed and who was following them?

Taking notice that she had stopped walking, Hijikata looked over at her and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Asuna stood still momentarily as she did another mental sweep of the area and didn't identify anything suspicious or unusual. Since she could find no reason to alarm him unnecessarily, she replied, "It's nothing."

They resumed their trek once again along the pathway until there was a languid sound rising slowly from within the noise of the woods. Her full attention was turned to her surroundings as she stayed alert for any sign of abnormalities. It'd only be a matter of time before their stalker would eventually come out of hiding and accost them. In such a game of wits, Asuna was determined to outsmart and win against her opponent, whoever they may be.

"We're here," Hijikata declared, pulling her mind back to the path before them as they approached the clearing that apparently led to the viewpoint of a clifftop.

It was one of the most captivating views she'd seen since she'd arrived at Kyoto. The sound of a large waterfall became more prominent and louder; she could smell the dampness, the saltiness. In the distance, the mountains stood tall and proud, their edges meeting one another as the clouds clasped at their peaks. Mesmerized, Asuna walked over to the edge of the cliff and looked down at the waterfall below her feet. The water was tumbling down the fringe of the cliff to crash upon boulders that were close to shore, and flowed into the calm pool of water.

Hijikata grabbed her elbow from behind and pulled her back towards him. "Careful, don't get too close to the edge."

Although Asuna didn't look over her shoulder, she could feel his tall, powerful body and the warmth of his closeness. Ignoring the heat rising up the back of her neck, she stepped out of his touch and said in a tone as calm and detached as her expression, "There's no one else here, you can leave me be now."

Oblivious to her ambivalence, he continued to persist in his stubborn way. "So you can have the place all to yourself? I don't think so. Besides, you can't get rid of me that easily."

Hijikata evidently wasn't at all concerned with the look of indignant curiosity that she was giving him now. As a matter of fact, he looked rather insufferably smug with his cleverness while he gazed out into the far distance.

"Don't you have work waiting for you back at the Shinsengumi headquarters? You must have more important things to do than spend time with me."

"Work will still be there when I return." Came a nonchalant response as he crossed his arms over his chest obstinately. "Not a bad view, right?"

There was a peculiar irony in the response coming from a man who could never stop working, and enjoyed wiping himself out to prove that he was inexhaustible. Knowing that she couldn't get him to leave her alone, she begrudgingly joined him to take in the scenic splendor. From atop here, the world looked greener, more harmonious and beautiful.

"It's peaceful out here," Asuna commented as she took a deep breath, finding herself feeling more invigorated and genuinely delighted. Even she would have to concede that perhaps this diversion wasn't a bad idea after all.

"That's why I come here whenever I need to clear my head. I like to just sit and think, put things into perspective. There's something about the air and the scenery that always draws me back here."

They stood together quietly, unmoving, for several long moments until eventually, she broke the silence and asked the question that had been festering since her fallout with Itou.

"Why did you stop me from killing Itou? Is it because he can help to elevate the Shinsengumi's status?"

Hijikata's face was drawn into a heavy frown at her question, and his jaw was a brutally hard line. "Is that what you really think of me? You think I'm a man who would bend my own principles for expediency sake?"

Although Asuna was surprised to find that her opinion of him actually mattered so much, it was much too late for regrets now. Especially when she still wished to know the answer, so she pushed further.

"Then what was your reason? It can't only be because you didn't want others to raise questions and doubts."

"Killing him won't change anything and it certainly won't right whatever wrong happened to you and your family. You know that, and if you won't get the satisfaction you want then what good will it do?"

An immense heaviness immediately invaded her heart, as it always did when she recalled her parents' death and the destruction of her family. Asuna felt paralyzed by the familiar darkness that threatened to overwhelm her once again, and drag her down to the hollow and dreary place within.

And that wasn't the worst of it. Above all, even though Hijikata's face didn't change, there was that hint of emotion in his voice, of something like understanding, sympathy. It was suffocating her; black, thick and inflaming. Almost as if he was able to see the pain and suffering through her stoic appearance.

Trying to not let him see how much his intrusiveness was affecting her, she forced herself to pose another question instead of giving a direct reply. "Are you suggesting he should go unpunished for the things he said about demons?"

"Humans are opinionated beings in general and we tend to project our feelings onto others. It might be easier for you to just stop caring about what people have to say and just ignore them."

"I'm not human, so don't preach your mortal philosophy to me. I can do without the disruptions," Asuna reminded him icily with a stone in place of her heart now.

He unfolded his arms. "Weren't you the one who caused a disruption by attacking Itou?"

Hijikata had just hurled another insult at her. For a fleeting second, she considered calling attention to the insult, but then she stifled the reaction as irrelevant. This was pointless. A complete waste of time. There was no particular value on continuing this argument with the Shinsengumi's Vice-Commander. An argument they would never settle due to the differences that stood as a barrier between them. To the mortals, she was an enemy, not an ally.

Asuna decided to take her leave without another word and headed back towards the woods. But Hijikata already started after her, his strides long and confident. When he caught up with her, he grabbed her arm and turned her to face him.

He touched her again.

He should not have touched her, stroked her hair or even conversed with her. Everything felt too much like a connection. What was he thinking to foster from all that? Was he hoping that his actions would warm her to his cause?

"Where are yo-"

Asuna cut him off when she pulled free of his grip with a strength born of the cold anger that he'd awakened. "If you think I will allow that Rasetsu or anyone who insults my family to walk away freely, then you have made a grave mistake."

"People will say whatever they want to say. You can't silence them all." It was an astute remark.

"Then they should at least expect to face consequences for their actions, especially those who are foolish enough to cross a demon. No matter how hard you push, I will always remain a demon."

She knew no other way to be than the way she was. And there was never a moment in her existence that she would want to be anyone else for the world.

His eyes were now flashing with a raw emotion that she didn't recognize. "Aren't you also being opinionated about us too when you think we're all greedy and self-interested?"

"Is it not true then?" Taking a step forward, Asuna met his heated gaze with a level stare of her own as she challenged him, daring him to prove her wrong. "Why do you think your race is constantly plagued with wars, deaths and the overthrowing of empires time and again?"

She waited for his response, waited for him to deny the accusation. To protest and give some twisted excuse like all mortals had always done. Instead, he stayed silent.

"Maybe you're right," he began earnestly. "Maybe we are too corrupted by our own power and beyond salvation. But this isn't about humans or demons, it's about you."

For an instant, confusion gripped her. "What about me?"

"I don't want you to make rash decisions that you will come to regret later."

"Whatever action I take or don't take, whether it's good or bad, right or wrong, it will still be my decision to make and I will be held responsible for it alone."

There was a very deliberate pause as Hijikata contemplated her words. His narrowed eyes were dark, intense and extraordinarily focused on her features, assessing her reaction. "Should I have left you to your self-destructive urges, then? Because that would've made my life considerably simpler."

"That's what I want to know. Why didn't you just stay out of my business?"

Suddenly he subsided into silence. But something unexpected replaced the agitation on his face. He looked almost…dazed, as if he was trying to weigh what to say next. It was evident that he was struggling with something that was difficult to put into words. Asuna tilted her head and looked at him. Really looked, peering into those deep, violet eyes to find the truth. It made her wonder what it was that made him want to select his words so carefully. Being the assertive and dominant man that he was, this was unlike him. Was he trying to spare her dignity?

"Well, well. It looks like we're interrupting a lover's quarrel here, doesn't it, Shiranui?" A voice cut into their conversation.

They both froze. Immediately behind them, two men emerged from behind the tall trees. Right away Asuna knew they were demons as she could sense their robust demonic aura, and recognized them as a threat.

"You were the one following me. Back in the city and now here," she stated flatly to the leaner demon with dark brown hair. His features held a look of half perplexity, half interest, as if no one had ever caught on to him before.

"That was me, yes. But I wasn't following you. I was following him." The focus of his attention had shifted to Hijikata. Something about the way he was looking at him made Asuna uneasy, and she couldn't shake off the sense of foreboding settling on her. "I've been waiting for an opportunity to catch him alone since he rarely leaves his base without a group of mortals tailing after him."

At least this demon didn't make the common mistake of overestimating his own abilities. He understood Hijikata and his Captains weren't easy opponents to overcome. The men weren't demons or first-rate samurais, but they were still tenacious. Asuna had witnessed their obstinacy displayed before her. Even if they might not be able to win against their enemies, they would still fight with everything they had in the hopes of taking their enemies down with them.

"Oi, you said we're here for the mortal, so why is there a demon here too?" asked the taller man with long, wavy blue hair tied up in a high ponytail.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of a woman."

The demon's light brown eyes flickered to Asuna and responded with a snort. "I'm just not up for fighting one of our own kind, especially a girl who looks as weak and delicate as her. She probably can't fight for herself anyway."

Weak and delicate? Interesting choice of words. A typical demon male underestimating a female. Even more foolish than the humans. He obviously ridiculed her on purpose to get a reaction from her – the roguish grin on his face told her that much. So instead of giving him the satisfaction, Asuna kept her anger tightly leashed and did not let him get to her. Depending on their reason for the ambush, she might not take their lives. However, she wouldn't hesitate to make a point and demonstrate her lethal potential and make him suffer for underestimating her capabilities because she was a woman.

"Her presence doesn't change anything for us. We will get what we came here for."

"Are you two going to just stand there and run your mouth at us all day? Or are you going to tell us who the hell you are?" Hijikata demanded.

The demon's lips twitched in amusement. "I'm Shiranui Kyou and this is Maeda Haruma. You're the Shinsengumi's Vice-Commander, right?"

"The name's Hijikata Toshizou. And if you know who I am, then you know you're messing with the wrong damn person. What business do you have with me?" His fury was quiet, a gathering storm beneath the smooth surface that he showed to these demons.

"He will be dead soon enough. Why are you wasting words with him?"

Shiranui shot Hijikata a toothy grin that clashed with his menacing tone. "The man should at least learn our names before we kill him."

"Why do you want to kill him?" Asuna asked.

They appeared very determined and bent upon taking a mortal's life, as if they could not be swayed for any reason. She did not understand it.

"He killed our clan leader's sister and took their family sword," Maeda proclaimed so matter-of-factly that Asuna could feel the promise of violence tinging the air. "We've been ordered to bring his head and the sword back to our clan leader as proof of his death."

Her heart skipped a beat; the answer finally sliding into place. This was the reason why the demons were after Hijikata's life.

At that time, new and strange thoughts raced through her mind. An oppressive feeling of guilt gripped her chest when she realized these demons had in fact come for the killer who'd slayed Mitsuru. And they'd conceived the wrong idea that Hijikata was responsible for her death, because he held the demon slaying sword that Asuna had given to him. She'd unintentionally gotten him entangled in this grisly affair, and had thrown him and her supposed enemies into their current situation.

"I don't know who the hell you're talking about, but if you think you can detach my head from my neck, then come for it. If you fail, you're dead." Cold, flat words. Hijikata's expression was pure dominant male in warrior stance, no hint of give in him.

"You're one arrogant son of a bitch, aren't you?" Shiranui sneered.

"I'm the one who killed Mitsuru, not him. So if you intend to take her killer's head, it should be mine." Asuna told them with the type of blunt honesty that demons appreciated, particularly when most of them were good at detecting lies.

A silent exchange passed between the men. Her unexpected admission even made Hijikata glance at her, a question in his eyes. In all this confusion there was no time for questions of any sort. Not when the demons had already gone deathly-quiet and seemed poised to attack any time now.

"Now that's a twist I didn't see coming." The corner of Shiranui's mouth quirked up, breaking the silence. Though his comrade didn't share his amusement.

"Why did you kill her? So many of us have been slaughtered by humans and we've almost been driven to extinction. Did you not know you violated the rules of demons when you killed one of our own?" Maeda's tone grew rigid with suppressed anger, his fangs lengthening.

"I don't care about the rules and I also don't believe that I owe you any explanation in the matter. If you're here to avenge Mitsuru's death, then what are you waiting for?"

Without any warning, Maeda charged fast towards Asuna and lunged with a powerful slash of his unsheathed blade. She braced for the blow when he was within striking distance, her weapon already drawn in one fluid movement. Immediately she raised her sword with her enhanced speed and struck down on Maeda, but he blocked the attack. Metal crashed on metal, and sparks could be seen when they placed powerful pressure on their swords and collided with each other.

As his blade arced up towards her shoulder, Hijikata rushed in to her defense and parried it with the demon slaying shortsword. Asuna seized the opportunity to land a kick on Maeda, who staggered back. She thrusted at his chest, and he hopped back, landing flat on both feet at a small distance away.

"What are you doing?" She almost snarled at Hijikata for his unwanted and entirely unnecessary interference.

"I don't know what's going on, but I'm not standing here watching you fight alone," he said through clenched teeth.

Her stomach knotted with a mix of worry and exasperation. An irrational worry, but worry all the same. "This has nothing to do with you and you can't help, either. So stay out of it."

Hijikata didn't react. He simply looked back at her rather grimly, attempting to keep his emotions under control. "I already told you that you're not getting rid of me that easily. Just remember that you're never alone."

For an instant, Asuna stared at him in stunned confusion until she eventually grasped the meaning of what he had said. His tone was bleak and final, but it was the enormity and significance of his words that hit her hard.

"I was going to spare your life, human," Maeda said. "But if you want to die with her so desperately, I'll oblige you."

He was already lurching forward and rushed at Asuna, attacking with a flurry of strikes aimed at her head. Hijikata stepped in front of her and barely had time to raise his sword to deflect the oncoming blows. The move was so reckless that it caught her by surprise.

"I'm your opponent, so don't get distracted," Hijikata told him as their blades met with a clamorous ring again and locked for the briefest of moments.

"You really have a death wish, don't you?" Maeda broke the contact and slashed his sword at Hijikata's chest. He stepped to one side as the tip of the blade hissed through the air a few inches from him.

"Too bad for you, because you'll be in for disappointment when you find I'm not easy to kill."

At once, Hijikata made a cut towards his opponent's sword arm and sensed a faint jarring as the edge of the blade nicked his skin. Maeda fell back and raised his arm to look at the wound that wasn't mending. It was only a shallow scratch but the blood was flowing freely, droplets scoring jagged crimson lines down his forearm as he stared at the cut flesh.

He fixed Hijikata with an inimical stare. "That is why I'm going to enjoy killing you much more."

A sudden gust of strong wind rushed across the field. Asuna's blood went cold, not at the menacing threat, but at the abundant, invisible demon energy that she sensed emerging from Maeda's body and surged forth like raging waves. Hijikata would be no match for the demon's strength were he to summon his power.

Ready to get this fight over with, she leveled her sword in her hand and was about to charge at Maeda from behind. But Shiranui teleported in front of her and threw a punch at her abdomen. She shifted to lessen the impact of the attack, but the force was still strong enough to cause her to skid across the ground.

"You seem to have forgotten about me and I'm feeling very offended," he said with a grin showing his fangs, his hand held a strange-looking device. "It's a pity though, since I really don't want to kill another demon."

Quickly, feeling there was no time to waste as Asuna was concerned for Hijikata's safety, with her sword outstretched at her side, she dashed at Shiranui.

Bang!

The sound coming from the device was so abrupt, so startling and sharp, that she had to stop in her tracks. There was a puff of smoke followed by sickly fumes that made her skin crawl. She then noticed the blood on her right shoulder was gradually seeping through the fabric of her kimono. It took her a fleeting moment to fully comprehend that she had been wounded. Though she wondered why she didn't feel any pain if she was injured.

"Why didn't you dodge?" His face now held a serious expression and he sounded almost regretful. "You can obviously avoid the bullet, but why didn't you?"

Asuna glanced at her shoulder instead and disregarded him. Upon closer inspection she noticed a small powder-burned hole in her kimono. Underneath it was a wound that was already closing up. But she could feel a foreign body lodged inside. Without a trace of hesitation, she dug her finger into the wound before it healed completely to extract the object. As her finger pushed deeper into the injury, the wet sound of soft flesh ripping and the harrowing pain reverberated through her bones. Finally, she was able to pull out the tiny round object that appeared to be some kind of projectile used to penetrate flesh and muscle.

The black haze of anger returned, powerful enough that Asuna had to fight to keep her demonic true-form beneath from pushing out. Fury was pulsating through every inch of her being. She raised her eyes at Shiranui, licking the blood from her finger to make sure he was watching her. She wanted him to know he would be punished for what he had done.

She charged forward. Shiranui teleported behind Asuna, firing bullets, which she deflected with her blade. She continued to slash her sword back and forth, attacking and deflecting, as she took advantage of the double edges of her family weapon. Muscles tensed, senses sharp; their powerful auras sizzling, crackling through their surroundings.

"Someone's getting serious. Good, I always like a good fight." He smirked at her, and then dodged another strike.

She kept her eyes on him as she assessed the situation. The demon had somehow maneuvered himself through every blow she'd given him. He acted like he was untouchable, and by the look of his smirk, he was getting a great deal of enjoyment out of this fight. But even Asuna knew everyone had a weakness and everyone could be defeated. To find a crack in his armor, she would have to first find a crack in the man.

"Don't worry, I will give you what you want; a performance to remember," she told him just when the trigger was pulled again. The bullet brushed past her cheek as she contorted to evade it.

"I take back what I said earlier about you being weak and delicate." Eyes lit with excited humor, he proceeded without a moment's delay to reload his weapon. "You sure know how to move and you haven't bored me yet."

Asuna swung her sword in a feint and put more distance between them. Usually, this was a poor strategy to give the opponent the advantage in range, especially when a long-range weapon was in used. This demon, however, was also formidable in close-range combat. Therefore, she would have to fight at the best distance for her strikes as long as it was possible, until she gained a feel for the pattern of his attacks. Shiranui was fast, she would give him that, but she was faster.

"Do you always talk so much when fighting?"

He chuckled, taking aim to shoot her down. "By the way, what's your name?"

But she was expecting that, so she redirected the projectile back at him. "Shinohara Asuna, and you should remember it well."

A hint of surprise crossed Shiranui's face as he dodged the flying bullets. In that split second, Asuna called upon her innate powers. A glowing indigo-blue light swirling around her as she directed her flowing demon energy into the blade of her sword. She then seized the moment of opportunity when he had to reload his weapon again. Even though the distance between them was short, she teleported and went straight for him. With a twirl of her wrist, the downward driving arc of her sword cut his weapon in half. His eyes widened as she thrust her blade into his chest and out of his back.

He dropped his useless weapon and clutched her double-edged blade; blood was dripping from his hands. The pain he felt had him smiling. "You missed, Shinohara Asuna."

"No, I didn't. I'm returning the courtesy. I know you weren't aiming for my heart before and that you were only testing my strength." She gave him an icy stare as she pulled the sword out of him. "But if you insist on becoming my enemy, then I won't miss my mark next time."

Asuna then left him standing as if rooted to the spot, and rushed over to assist Hijikata near the cliffside. Sensing her approaching form, Maeda turned his attention to her. In one quick motion, she swung her sword up to hold it sideways above her head. His downward slicing weapon clanged hard against her blade. She blocked a few more blows as he drove at her, pushing her back towards the cliff edge.

In a sudden flurry of movements, a chain-sickle flew over her head, missing her by inches. At the same time, Maeda planted a forceful kick in her midsection, sending her reeling backward and falling over the edge of the cliff. Just as she was bracing herself for an earthward plunge, a hand caught hers and kept her from falling. Asuna looked above and saw Hijikata hanging on to her with a strained expression, his other hand was grabbing a jagged rock from the cliffside.

"Hold on tight!" He warned as he exerted all his strength to keep his firm hold.

"Let go!" Asuna demanded fiercely as she found herself struggling with a cold, strange dread that she'd never experienced before welling up inside her. She feared not for her own life, but for his. "You're going to fall with me if you don't let go."

His angry gaze met hers, his expression unyielding. "Stop protesting! I'm not letting go of you!"

Their combined weight was too much for him to handle, and he knew that. Yet he held on with a stubbornness that defied logic, completely disregarding his own safety. The thought of allowing another person to die protecting her made her chest tighten with a sickening constriction, and her usual calm was impossible to maintain.

She didn't want Hijikata Toshizou to die, not because of her.

Maeda's voice was heard from the clifftop as he spoke to his accomplice. "Took you long enough to show up."

"Who would've thought that you two can't even handle a mortal on your own." The other voice was unmistakably callous, and there was no hint of sarcasm. He conversed in an authoritative tone that commanded respect.

"There were complications."

In that instant, a man with hair the color of sand looked over the rocky ledge, his grey eyes were reproachful as he stared at Hijikata.

"Hey, you heard her. You have no choice if you want to live. Just drop her and hand me the sword," he said without a trace of emotion. Hijikata didn't reply as he conserved his strength and ignored the demon's words. "Fine, suit yourself. We'll just retrieve it along with your body at the bottom of the cliff later."

With that last comment, the demon then swung his chain-sickle in their direction. It collided with the slabs right above Hijikata. A long crack extended across the slope and the rock mass broke away, dropping them as they both plummeted down the waterfall and straight into the pool at the bottom. Seconds later, when Asuna's body hit the cold water below, she felt an immense pain in the back of her skull. A wave of dizziness crashed over her. Then everything skidded to a halt. Her breathing stopped; her heart no longer pounded in her ears. Her world went black and silent.

X X X

The moment Hijikata hit the water, he sunk to the bottom of the pool. Right away, he started swimming back to the surface. His head broke the water and he shook himself to clear his vision. He knew he was damn lucky, because somehow, he had managed to avoid crashing below on one of the stones by the edges. His eyes darted around, searching for Asuna impatiently. But when he realized she wasn't emerging from the water, he became terrified.

Sucking in a gulp of air, he then went back into the water. When he found her, his breath stalled in his throat. Her lifeless body sank aimlessly towards the bottom of the pool and there was blood in the water. There was so much blood, it couldn't possibly all have been hers. A shiver ran through him, not of cold, but of fear. Never in his life had he been so thoroughly frightened, never before had he felt his hands and legs tremble.

Despite Hijikata's struggles, he immediately swam to her. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he dragged her out of the water and onto the sandy shore, behind the waterfall to hide themselves temporarily. The demons wouldn't be able to spot them from the clifftop when they looked over the rocky ledge, as they were shielded by a veil of water. Sunset skylights bathed the small area and shone inside the waterfall, flooding it with a warm golden glow.

"Asuna?" He lowered her on the ground and tried to bring her back to consciousness, but she failed to respond. Pushing back her wet hair, he ran his fingers over her face and quickly listened for her breathing.

There was none.

She wasn't breathing.

Fuck, no! This isn't happening! His mind screamed silently as a shudder shook his frame. I'm not letting you go like this. Not like this.

Hijikata put his mouth on hers. She was cold. So cold that her lips were like ice against his.

He blew into her mouth. Take my breath. Come on, breathe for me!

Nothing.

A vein ticked in his temple and the tendons in his neck strained against his fury as he looked at Asuna's limp body. He gave her his breath again.

Come on, breathe! He pushed air into her mouth once more. I'm not letting you die!

And she finally jerked beneath him.

Instant relief washed over Hijikata when she coughed up water and seemed to be breathing slowly now. His head lifted and as he stared down at her, desperate, Asuna's eyelashes began to flutter.

"Open your eyes," he whispered the demand. Please.

Because he needed to see that beautiful aquamarine gaze again. Needed to see her. To smell her and touch her. He needed to run his fingers through her long silky hair.

Gradually, her eyes opened into slits, though she was slipping in and out of consciousness. Hijikata had a rushing impulse to kiss her, to bury his face in the soft curve of her throat. But more than that, he wanted to make sure she was fine, if not make her better. He would've tried to determine the extent of her injuries, but he knew he wouldn't find anything since her wounds would have been healed up already.

Without thinking, Hijikata quickly picked up the demon slaying sword that was lying close-by and sliced his palm. A line of red appeared from the deep cut. He put his palm to her mouth. At the first taste of his blood, he heard the sharp inhalation of her breath. The scent was driving her wild, he could tell from how her nostrils flared instantly and the way she grabbed hold of his wrist, pressing her mouth against his palm with desperation.

"Take more," he ordered, staring at her face.

Asuna's mouth pressed even harder against him and he felt the scrape of her fangs. Memories slammed into him as he recalled the first time she'd taken his blood. Her mouth on his skin felt good. There was no pain, only pleasure. A pleasure he'd never expected to feel from a demon's bite.

Fuck. Despite himself and all that had just happened, he found he was getting aroused while a demon was feeding on him. The depth of his attraction and his hidden feelings for her all pulled heavily upon him at that moment. Asuna's fangs sank into his palm and she sucked harder, sending him out of his head with desire. The rush of pleasure had his breath panting out. This was no longer about saving her anymore. Now he was the one who wanted more.

He wanted her.

Hijikata's hand tunneled in her hair. Not to force her away from his palm, but to hold her against him. To urge her to take more. When she darted the tip of her tongue to lick the last drop of blood, it was a surge of pleasure right to his core.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he gave himself a hard mental shake to regain his composure. He wasn't sure how long it took but his breathing was returning back to normal and the pressure in his chest began to diminish. Then he eased his eyes open again and forced his head to lift as he stared out at the waterfall. The demons were still out there, and they could come for them anytime. They needed to get out of here, fast.

After Hijikata retrieved all their weapons, he returned to where Asuna was resting and gazed down at her again. Her raven hair was wet around her, and her clothes clung tightly against her body. But she still hadn't regained full consciousness yet. He pulled her close and positioned her at his back, with her head resting on one shoulder and legs under his arms by his side. Her tense body relaxed, becoming soft and pliant.

As time passed by, Hijikata realized just how truly dangerous Asuna was to him. Not only had she made him care for her, but he was also ready to do anything in order to protect her, including willingly throwing his life away for her.

He finally understood the strength of his feelings for her. It simply could not be fought.

X X X

AUTHOR NOTE:

Hi friends! I hope you guys love this chapter because there was so much happening! It was one heck of a chapter if I must say so myself lol. I honestly had a lot of fun writing it, especially the fight scene and the last scene.

Speaking of the last scene, so there you have it. A 'kiss' scene…but does mouth-to-mouth resuscitation count as a kiss? Hmm…lol oh whatever, you guys are expecting too much if you think they're going to kiss already! But trust me, my room was getting hot and stuffy when I was writing that scene...I figured it must be my heater…lol!

Alrighty, time to wrap up! Let me know what you think of this chapter if you have time! Reviews are always appreciated as usual! And look forward to next chapter as there will be more Asuna and Hijikata moments coming up! See you soon!