Disclaimer: See chapters 1-18. It's there in every single one.

Chapter 36

/I think I'll go pay Yami a visit./

Ryou followed as Kenshin started walking. "You know, I think Yami must have had a good reason to tell them," he said tentatively, trying to pacify Kenshin's anger. Yugi was his friend, and he rather enjoyed his friend being alive.

Kenshin didn't even stop walking as he answered Ryou. /Then I shall ask his reason, although there is none that I can think of that would warrant him telling others about my secrets,/ he said evenly. Ryou wasn't sure whether that boded well or not.

As they rounded a corner, they ran into a group of thugs. Kenshin ignored them, continuing on. They posed no threat if he had his body and being a spirit made him even more invulnerable to their attacks. Ryou, however, wasn't quite as lucky. They blocked his path as he tried to walk past them.

"What's your hurry, pretty boy?" one of them said, taunting.

Ryou took an instinctive step back as they started toward him. "Yes, well, it is late and I really must be getting home," he said, trying to edge away. Another member of the gang came up behind him, blocking his exit.

"You've entered our turf. Now, you have to play by our rules. And we don't like pretty boys trespassing on our turf."

Kenshin, feeling the hostile ki of the thugs, stopped. He looked back and saw Ryou was cornered. He took a quick survey of the surrounding area, considering his options. A broken mop handle sticking out of a trash can by the wall caught his eye. A plan formed in his mind, but he would need Ryou's permission.

/Ryou, would you mind if I took over your body?/

Ryou blinked in surprise. "If you have a plan, then by all means," he said. The thugs looked at him, confused.

"What'd you say? Who ya talkin' to?"

Ryou kept silent, focusing instead on Kenshin. Kenshin had walked back to the group, standing next to Ryou. He closed his eyes, concentrating on merging with Ryou's body. Surprisingly enough, he was repelled by a shield of some sort. He focused on the boy, detecting a faint shield surrounding him, but not emanating from him. He looked for the source of the shield. It was the Ring. On an impulse, Kenshin closed his eyes again, this time trying to merge with Ryou by going through the Ring first. He opened his eyes and saw one of the thugs staring back at him. He had succeeded. He allowed himself to smile.

The thug seemed to take it the wrong way. "What you smilin' at, pretty boy?! How about I wipe that smile off your face!" he said, aiming a punch for Ryou's head. However, he was too slow. Kenshin had already darted over to the trash can, picking up the broken mop handle. It was about the correct length, and he gave it a test swing. /This will do nicely,/ he commented. Ryou was silent, not wanting to distract him.

Kenshin turned back to the thugs, who had just discovered where he had run to although they still had to figure out how he had gotten over there so fast. Kenshin challenged them. "You wish to fight me? Then come. I will not hold back. Do not hold me accountable for what happens here," he said. Ryou was astonished by how cold his voice sounded. Kenshin must really be mad, he thought, not realizing he had said that aloud.

Kenshin smirked. /Do not send me the thoughts you do not wish me to hear,/ Kenshin said, a little amusement in his voice, before turning back to the matter at hand.

Kenshin's words had implied that the gang was no match for him. They could not take a blow like that to their pride sitting down. At a signal from their leader, everyone rushed Kenshin at once.

A few seconds later, Kenshin dropped the pieces of what used to be a mop handle back into the trash. He then made his way over and around the moaning bodies of the gang members. He rounded the next corner before giving control back to Ryou. Ryou looked a little nervous.

/What's wrong?/ Kenshin asked. He couldn't explain why, but he felt a certain—attachment to this boy now, and didn't wish to leave him. He shook off the feeling.

"Well, it's just that, well, you shouldn't have beaten them," Ryou said softly. Kenshin was a little surprised.

/Their ki wasn't exactly friendly. They'd have done much worse to you than what I did to them. Even though I said I wouldn't hold back I had to. They were too weak,/ Kenshin replied, brushing it off.

"It's not that—it's just that, well, now that you've beaten them, they're going to want revenge on me," Ryou explained.

/They would do well to remember how effortlessly you defeated them the first time./

"Well, they will probably have a lot more people the next time and it will probably be an ambush."

/I can sense their ki. They cannot hide from me./

"That may be so, but it's not you they are after, is it? It's me."

Kenshin stopped walking. He had reacted to the situation as he would in his own body. He had forgotten that the repercussions would come back, not on him, but on Ryou.

/I'm sorry. I did not think about the consequences of my actions. To make up for it, I shall stay and protect you for a few days, until they try for their revenge. I suppose I shall have to teach them the lesson better the second time through to make sure they don't try again,/ Kenshin said, an idea already forming in his mind. Ryou had to disagree.

"But Kenshin, what about Battousai? He seems to be a bit temperamental. Do you think he can hide the fact that you're not in control of the body from Yami? Won't he be worried about you?" Ryou asked.

/Don't worry about Battousai. I'll talk to him,/ Kenshin said reassuringly. As if summoned by their conversation, Kenshin suddenly heard a worried voice calling him.

//Kenshin!//

Battousai opened his eyes and looked around. He was in his soul room--his soul room, not Kenshin's. How did I get back in here? he thought, a little confused. The memories came back to him slowly.

I was playing a shadow game with Yami. After I answered his question, I saw the attack coming. But right before I jumped out of the way I was distracted by-- //Kenshin!// he yelled the last part, not really expecting a response.

/Hai?/ That simple word caused Battousai to jump about four feet in the air.

//Kenshin? Is that really you? Where have you been?!// Battousai demanded in a very loud voice.

Kenshin winced. /Really, Battousai, there's no need to yell./

//There's no need to yell? I haven't seen hide nor hair of you since yesterday afternoon, I haven't been able to talk to you or even sense you, I'm stuck trying to live YOUR life while convincing everyone that I'm YOU! Here I've been worried sick about you and all you have to say is THERE'S NO NEED TO YELL?!// Battousai practically screamed.

Kenshin resisted the temptation to put his hand to his head, focusing instead on what Battousai had said. /You were worried about me?/ he asked.

//Hmph.// Kenshin could practically see Battousai folding his arms and tossing his head to the side as if he didn't care. He always did that when he had revealed too much about his feelings.

//Of course I was worried about you. I knew Kaiba had done something with your soul because every time I tried to leave the body, I could only go to your soul room. It feels good to finally be back in my own room,// he said, changing the subject.

Ryou interrupted before Kenshin could reply. "Um, Kenshin? Are you talking to Battousai?" he asked a little uncertainly.

Kenshin looked at him. /Yes, why?/

//What?//

/Ryou asked me a question and I answered him,/ Kenshin explained.

//Then why can I hear you?//

/Because I happen to be a spirit right now, as you have my body, and this is the only way I can communicate,/ Kenshin explained.

Guys? I can hear you both, Ryou said, interrupting them.

Kenshin just stared at him. /How can you…?/ Kenshin trailed off, confused.

Battousai was a little more vocal about his feelings. //What are you doing here?! How can you hear us?! Why are you eavesdropping on our conversation?!// he demanded.

/Be quiet!/ Kenshin commanded in a tone that brooked no room for argument. Battousai did as he was told. Kenshin turned to the slightly frightened boy at his side. /How are you able to hear us?/ he asked gently.

Ryou shook his head. "I don't know. I never could before."

//Answer him, boy!//

/He did, only you couldn't hear it./

//Oh. Well, what did he say?//

I don't know why I can hear you. I never could before, so I don't know why I can now, Ryou repeated, for Battousai's sake. Suddenly, Ryou yawned, alerting Kenshin to how late it was.

/I'm sorry, Ryou, I didn't realize how late it was. You have school tomorrow, don't you?/

"Yeah," he admitted.

/Well, we should be getting back. I can't leave you alone incase those thugs didn't get the message the first time, so I suppose I'll have to wait to talk to Yami until tomorrow./

//Why is he trying to exclude me from the conversation?!//

/Because you're too easily angered and tend to point accusations a little too readily. Besides, you're scaring the poor boy. I'll see you tomorrow in school,/ he said, closing the link between their minds. He didn't hear Battousai's last comment.

//No, you won't.//

Ryou waited for the remark that was sure to come from Battousai, but there was only silence. "What happened to Battousai?" he asked after a few minutes.

Kenshin looked at the boy. /Well, that is interesting. It appears that you can only hear Battousai because I can hear him. I closed the link between our minds,/ Kenshin explained.

That means our minds must be linked somehow. I wonder if it happened with I took over his body. That must have been it. But why? Kenshin wondered. He looked over at Ryou and noticed that the poor boy was practically falling asleep on his feet. Kenshin decided to take pity on the boy.

/Ryou, if you would let me, I could possess your body and get you home in a matter of minutes,/ Kenshin offered. Ryou seemed to consider it and then agreed. Kenshin noticed that the shield around Ryou which had pushed him away before, now invited him in. That's very odd, he thought to himself. He decided he would ponder the matter later, and began to run. He reached Ryou's house and let the boy have control. He waited until Ryou was asleep before he left. He went to go check on the proceedings of the gang to see if they were indeed planning retribution—or at least, he tried to. He hadn't gone more than a block from Ryou's house when he was pulled back by an invisible force field.

Startled, he tried again with the same results. He tried going I different directions, but he could only get so far from a certain point. Upon further inspection, he discovered that this central point happened to be located in Ryou's house, or more specifically, Ryou's room.

Not wanting to intrude upon Ryou's privacy, he sat down at the kitchen table. He rested his head in his hands, looking down at the table. He thought about the newest problem, trying to come up with an explanation. He had all but given up when he noticed something on his chest. He almost fell out of his chair in surprise. Oh, this is just not my day, he thought dejectedly, letting his head fall back into his hands.

Hanging around Kenshin's neck on a non-descript brown cord, was the Millennium Ring.