Disclaimer: *sigh* I can only dream about owning Rurouni Kenshin and the Dark Elf Trilogy. In other words, I don't own either one of them. *sniff*

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Memories of the Past and Friendships of the Future

by koe760

Chapter 4: Unexpected Discovery

Kenshin shivered as the robed man stepped closer to him. Resisting the impulse to take a step back, he stubbornly stayed put. Tilting his head back so that he was looking at the other in the eye, he coldly regarded the man and hoped that his true feelings were not openly showing.

Smirking, the man with the red robe and the greased back brown hair took one step back from Kenshin, and that was when the redhead noticed that this person also had one of those wooden staffs that he had seen the first two outlandish people carrying. As a matter of fact, he seemed to be one of the men who he had overheard conversing in the forest the other day. The one that didn't have the black raven that had given away his position. As the man started to lift his staff into the air in a threatening manner, Kenshin had just one thought in his mind though: Dammit! Where are my swords?!?!

Snarling, Kenshin crouched in a defensive posture and waited for the blow to come his way. Without his katana he would have a difficult time being in the offensive position.

Grinning evilly, the robed man said in a mockingly concerned voice, "Oh, I am so sorry. Did I frighten you with my big stick?" Smirking again, "Don't worry, I am just getting us out of this little stuffy room," he said as if talking to a child.

Growling, Kenshin was about to launch himself at the man for mocking him, but before he got anywhere the stranger's staff flashed with orange light and then the two were standing in a large and outlandish looking room.

Taking in a shuddering breath, Kenshin watched as the whole world seemed to dip and turn, spinning around him. Feeling dizzy and nauseous, he closed his eyes and spread his feet out a bit more to try to keep his balance. When his surroundings finally seemed to stop spinning and dancing, he opened his eyes and discovered that he was seemingly alone, crouched on his hands and knees, gasping for breath, his head hanging down and his fiery bangs hiding his pale face that was covered in a fine sheen of sweat.

He blinked furiously, trying to clear away his blurry vision as he heard the unmistakable click of heeled shoes heading his way from behind him.

~*~

As Drizzt and Guenhwyvar raced companionably across the snow, Drizzt was slightly caught off guard as Guenhwyvar suddenly swerved to the side, nearly tripping the drow elf in the process.

"Guenhwyvar?" Drizzt asked the rigid panther that gazed unblinkingly in a certain direction that had absolutely no meaning to Drizzt. Scrunching his eyes in an attempt to find what Guenhwyvar was looking at didn't seem to work at all, Drizzt discovered.

Sighing he placed his hand on her rigid shoulder and waited for his panther friend to make a move.

Growling softly, Guenhwyvar sprung away and ran off onto the snow-covered hills, trusting that her drow friend would be at her heels.

~*~

Moira sat on her throne-like chair, absently stroking the lustrous black feathered head of her familiar as she lifted her gaze to the door as the robed man entered. She smiled coldly when she saw the red robe and the greased back brown hair.

"Ah, Drefan, what news do you bring me?" she purred as the man had gotten closer to her. She knew that he wouldn't have disturbed her if he didn't have some important information concerning their current mission. And it was obviously good news, if the pleased expression on Drefan's face was any indication. Moira liked good news. Very much indeed.

"Lady, I bring some good news," Drefan remarked as he stood in front of Moira. "While we were scouting out the place known as "Japan" we came across a very intriguing person. I believe he would be an immense help to our cause, he even seemed to possess a bit of magic in himself, while all the other humans I came across didn't even have a speck of it. I am very interested in him, he seemed different than all the others we found."

"Really? And you have brought him with you I assume?" Moira asked.

"Of course, Lady," Drefan answered. "I have placed him in one of the more secure cells we have. I suspected that he could have found some way to escape if I had kept him in one of the cells used for normal prisoners."

"Well then, this stranger has caught my interest. Bring him here to me," Moira commanded.

"As you wish, Lady," Drefan said as he stepped out of the room to go fetch the redhead and teleport him back here.

Hmmm, I wonder why this one seemed different from everyone else, she thought to herself.

Curious, Moira closed her eyes and let her senses leave her body. Her spirit then traveled down to where the prisoner was held. Once there, she had a good view of the redhead, sitting up against the wall of his room, glaring at the walls and snarling to himself.

Red hair...why does that seem so familiar to me...she mused.

Getting close enough to touch, yet still undetectable by normal human eyes, she gently placed the palm of her ghostly hand against the redhead's forehead.

Gasping in shocked, she stumbled back and regarded the oblivious redhead in horror and surprise.

It cannot be!