Disclaimer: I have not, do not, and will not ever own either "Rurouni Kenshin" or "Yu-Gi-Oh!".

Notes:

//...// Battousai to Kenshin

/.../ Kenshin to Battousai

\\...\\ Yami to Yugi

\...\ Yugi to Yami

italics thoughts

~*~ scene change

Chapter 2

Yugi Mutou was walking home from school alone. Normally, his friends would have accompanied him, but they all had prior engagements. Tea had the dance classes she had signed up for, the first step to making her dream of being a dancer come true, while Joey and Tristan were enjoying detention after starting a food fight in the cafeteria--again. Yugi didn't mind walking home alone--after all, it gave him a chance to talk to Yami. It was during their conversation that Yami felt it.

\What is it, Yami?\ asked Yugi.

\\I'm not sure. I felt a strong magical energy just now. It felt as if it was trying to pull itself toward me, but then it just...stopped,\\ Yami sounded a little confused.

\Is it dangerous, do you think?\

\\I'm not sure, aibou,\\Yami admitted.

Yugi was so wrapped up in his thoughts, that he almost failed to notice the prone form of a teenager lying in the alley between the Kame Game Shop and the next building. Once Yugi noticed him, he ran over to see if the teenager was alright. The boy was lying on his back, as if he had been thrown backwards. He had long red hair that was pulled up into a ponytail on top of his head. He was wearing a midnight blue gi and a grey hakama. He had two arm guards going from the back of his hands half way up both arms and also had two swords, a shorter one in a sheath at his waist, and a longer one held limply in his right hand.

Well, that's certainly not a sight you see everyday. I wonder where he got those weird clothes? They look like something from my history book!, thought Yugi. It was then that Yugi noticed the dark stains on both the gi and hakama, and the pool of blood that was starting to form around the boy. Coming closer, Yugi checked the boy's pulse to see if he was alive. He was, and Yugi also noticed a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. When Yugi touched him, the boy moaned and moved his head to the other side, allowing Yugi a view of his scar. Yami, however, noticed a flash of light given off by the pendent the boy wore, as it caught the sunlight when he moved.

\\That's interesting...\\ Yami said, drawing Yugi's attention to the pendent. It was a doll-sized mask that appeared to be made of gold with large eyes painted in black. The expression was neutral and it had a headdress that was black and gold striped that went down past where the shoulders would be. It also had a third Egyptian eye in upraised gold in the middle of it's forehead. A loop on the top allowed it to be worn on a string or chain about one's neck.

\Do you think that the power you felt earlier came from that?\ asked Yugi.

\\Perhaps... We won't know for sure until he wakes up,\\ Yami replied.

Carefully removing the swords and arm guards (swords are still illegal), Yugi ran and hid them in his room, and then called an ambulance. The ambulance arrived in a few minutes and took the unconscious boy to the hospital. The police arrived shortly after to get as much information from Yugi as they could (which wasn't a lot, seeing as Yugi knew about as much as they did) before going to investigate the matter.

Yugi had asked the paramedics which hospital the boy would be taken to so he could check up on him later. Yami also wanted to keep an eye on the boy, to see if his pendent was indeed the Millennium Mask.

~*~

Kenshin was drifting somewhere between his dreams and reality. His body was trying to wake up, but his mind wanted to stay in oblivion, knowing the aches and pains from the battles and wounds he endured would be waiting for him. It was a losing battle and, finally, he gave up trying to go back to sleep and opened his eyes. Huh?! Where am I? What is this place...? Kenshin thought, confused. He was on a bed in a white room, dressed only in an odd white gi that didn't close completely in the back and came almost to his knees. He was covered in a sheet, although there were more blankets folded neatly at the foot of the bed. Next to his bed, there was a table with the Millennium Mask resting on it. Behind that were several...things...that appeared to be made out of metal and glass that beeped and had flashing lights. He placed the Millennium Mask back around his neck as he searched his memory, but found nothing that could help him identify where he was. He remembered Hiko, standing over him with his sword drawn, ready to strike. But what happened after that? Battousai started mumbling something I couldn't understand...Oh, of course! The Millennium Mask! He must have evoked it's powers to get us out of there! But where is here? It's like I'm in another world...or maybe...just in a different time? Kenshin thought. Suddenly, he remembered the wounds Hiko had given him. Wounds? But I'm not in any pain... Kenshin looked down to see his bandaged arms. He checked and found similar bandages on his sides and legs as well. At least I'm not dead...I think... Kenshin tried asking Battousai about what had happened.

/Battousai?/ Kenshin called, softly. /Battousai, can you hear me?/

Kenshin could feel his presence, but he wasn't answering. That spell must have really drained him...I'll try again later, he thought. Suddenly, the door to his room opened and an older man, dressed in white, with a long coat, entered carrying a thin board of some sort. He saw Kenshin staring at him and smiled.

"So, you're awake, are you? Good. My name is Dr. Kagarashi. You were brought in to the hospital last night. Your injuries, although somewhat serious, should heal soon because they were treated so quickly, but I am curious as to how you received sword wounds. I mean, really, who uses swords in this day and age? What happened to you, young man?" the doctor inquired.

It was just a simple question, but it made Kenshin freeze. His thoughts were racing. What does he mean "who uses swords in this day and age?" Everyone uses swords...Oh, no, in this day and age... I must have gone to the future! What do I tell him? What can I tell him?!

The doctor took the panicked expression on Kenshin's face to mean that he couldn't remember. "Do you not remember what happened, son? Can you tell me your name? Do you know where you are?"

Kenshin saw the opportunity to escape and took it eagerly. "My name is Kenshin. Kenshin Himura. As to what happened and where I am, I have no idea." Well, it was half true. He didn't know where he was or how he had gotten there. The doctor hadn't specifically asked how he had gotten the sword wounds.

The doctor's eyes softened. He looked at Kenshin with sad eyes. It must have been a very traumatizing experience to cause memory loss without a blow to the head. This was already turning out to be a tricky case. This boy had no medical file, no records at the police station, no one had filed a missing person report and he had no form of identification on him whatsoever. And to top it all off, the boy might not even remember enough to help them. "Do you remember anything else besides your name, son?", the doctor inquired, softly.

Kenshin didn't know exactly how far in the future he was, so he decided the less he claimed to know, the better. Kenshin slowly shook his head, putting on an expression of a lost child who has just found out that they are alone in the world. Hey, I might as well play the part, Kenshin thought, trying not to laugh at the looks of sympathy the doctor was giving him.

//I see nothing funny about this predicament we're in, Kenshin,// said a tired voice in the back of Kenshin's mind. Kenshin, although startled, didn't show it. Assuming the doctor was done, he started fiddling with his pendent, as if straining to remember. The doctor turned to go, leaving the teenager alone with his thoughts. Kenshin, however, was talking to Battousai.

/Battousai! You're awake! I was worried,/ Kenshin said to his darker half.

//Yes, that spell took more energy than I had to give. It might be a few days before I have all of my strength back,// Battousai admitted.

/Speaking of which, what did you do? Where are we?/ Kenshin asked.

Battousai chuckled a little nervously. //Actually, Kenshin, I'm not really sure where, or to be more precise, when we are. You see, the spell I cast is one allowing time travel, one of the powers of the Millennium Mask. The only drawback is that the caster cannot control when in time he will end up. However, I did sense another Millennium Item and, more importantly, the hikari's aura was innocent and pure. I tried to draw us to him, but I lost consciousness before I was able to find him. I should imagine that we are somewhere close to him, in his time.//

/So, basically, you have no clue,/ Kenshin said, recapping Battousai's explanation.

//No.//

They didn't say anything for awhile, both lost in their own thoughts, until Battousai broke the silence.

//Well, Kenshin, it appears that we are closer than I thought. I sense a Millennium Item, being carried by the same hikari that I sensed before. He is coming here.//

~*~

"Excuse me, Miss?" Yugi said, trying to get the nurse's attention. It was Saturday, so no school, and Yugi decided to check up on that strange boy he had found in the alley the previous day.

The nurse looked over the counter at Yugi. "Can I help you, little one?" she said in a sweet voice, obviously reserved for children. Yugi cringed.

\Why does everyone think I'm a kid?!\ he complained.

\\Well, it could have something to do with your size. You are rather small for your age,\\ Yami commented.

\Yeah, but they don't have to point that out every chance they get,\ Yugi grumbled. To the nurse he said, "Um, I found this boy in an alley by my house yesterday and I wanted to check up on him and make sure he was okay."

The nurse typed something on the keyboard and then stared at the screen for a few minutes, clicking the mouse occasionally. Finally, she said, "Oh, here he is! One Kenshin Himura, brought in yesterday to be treated for six sword wounds, correct?"

"Um, I didn't get his name because he was unconscious, but those wounds could have been made by swords, yeah," Yugi answered.

The nurse peered at her chart again. "I'm sorry, it says only immediate family is allowed to visit him...wait a minute," she looked at the chart again. "Apparently, no family can be found, and the boy can't give any information regarding them, due to amnesia. Hmm. Well, since there is apparently no family, I suppose it would be all right if you visited him. He's in room 207, the seventh door on the left on the second floor."

"Thank you," Yugi said, as he turned to go.

"Wait a minute--where are your parents? Aren't you a little young to be running around by yourself?" the ever helpful nurse asked.

Yugi ground his teeth in frustration, as Yami chuckled at the mistake. Turning back around, he put a cheerful smile on his face. "Oh, my Grandpa went to get a drink of water and sent me to find out the room number. We're supposed to meet back in the lobby," he said, pointing in the direction he was trying to go.

"Okay. Do you want someone to go with you, so you don't get lost?" the nurse asked.

Yugi was trying to keep the smile on his face. "No, that's okay, I can find it by myself."

"Okay."

Yugi walked over to the elevator, muttering under his breath, while Yami's laughter echoed in his mind.

\It wasn't that funny, Yami,\ Yugi said, punching the button for the second floor.

\\I'm sorry, aibou. I shouldn't have laughed at you,\\ Yami apologized.

Yugi sighed. \It's okay, it just gets annoying, always having to correct people on my age.\

The elevator opened and Yugi walked to room 207, opened the door, and went inside.

~*~