Chapter Ten: Two Dragons in the Sky

He strode into the room his long black cape flowing behind him. His red eyes took in the appearance of the group of girls as he stood before them. Millerna stepped in front of the girls while Merle gritted her teeth as she took her position in front of Hitomi determined to protect her at all cost. Yukari who had no idea what was going on remained almost motionless on the other side of Celena who also seemed to be disturbed by the figure that had entered the room, for none other then Dilandou Albatou had appeared.

"I can't believe this" Millerna said astonished, "How can this possibly be?"

"Surprised princess?" he grinned with an evil glint in his eye, "I suppose you should be. After all it has been awhile since I made my appearance last" he added as the girl's remained silent, "Lieutenant" he called over a young boy who was standing next to him, "Secure the perimeter. We might be here for awhile."

"Yes sir" the boy bowed as he departed with two other soldiers.

"Now let's see" he replied as he began to move around them, "Who have we caught in our little net this evening. We have her royal highness, Princess Millerna. Ah yes" he grinned again when he saw Merle, "We have Van's little pet kitty cat" she growled at him, "And of course, way in the corner there we have" he stopped when his eyes shifted from Celena's face to Hitomi's.

Hitomi's eyes became even wider as he pushed Merle out of the way and stared down at the girl much in the same way he had done a year before.

"Don't I know you?" Dilandou said as Hitomi's breathing rapidly sped up, "Well" he grinned again as he realized, "This is a night of surprises. Here I came all this way for someone else and instead not only do I find Van's precious little pet here but his girl too."

"Leave her alone" Yukari replied angrily when she saw the fear in her friend's eyes.

He shifted his eyes much like a snake with a frown on the other girl who had just interrupted him.

"I don't believe I have ever met you before" he said, "But you're dressed very much the same way as your friend."

"You heard her" Merle spoke up once more stepping in front of the scared girl, "Leave Hitomi alone."

"Hmm. I hate interruptions" he smiled again as he moved away, " Bu I Especially hate the people who interrupt me" he sighed, "So Captain" he turned to the other boy at his side, "Please escort the princess and her friends out of here, but leave that one" he pointed directly at Hitomi, "For questioning."

"Yes sir" he nodded and the guards moved forward as Merle leapt at them.

"No!!" she shouted, "I won't let you! Get away!"

"Merle calm down" Hitomi instructed, "Everything will be all right. Just do as they say."

"Hitomi" Yukari said starting to protest.

"It'll be fine" Hitomi insisted, "Just go. Yukari. I'll be okay" she patted her shoulder as two of the guards escorted Celena and Millerna towards the door while two more were picking up the struggling Merle by the arms.

"No!" she shouted again, "No stop! Hitomi!"

"I swear if you do anything to hurt her" Millerna added as they departed, "You will pay!"

The door shut behind them and Hitomi held her breath as Dilandou took a seat in one of the comfortable chairs.

"Well" he smiled, "Alone at last."

()

Ken peered down the hallway. It was completely silent. He took a deep breath and then slowly moved down the hall careful to not scuff his tennis shoes against the polished floor. He managed to reach the staircase but saw that there were several guards defending the front door.

"Damn" he spat angrily, "There has to be another way out of here."

He stood still for a few moments and then ran back up into the hallway this time going in the opposite direction. As he had hoped at the back of the palace was another set of stairs going down into the garden area.

"This is as good as anything" he said to himself as he ran down the steps, "I know she told me to stay put, but I don't have much of a choice."

He ran quietly through the garden and saw a back gate to the palace that led directly into the city. Strangely enough for the moment it was unguarded. Ken took another deep breath and dashed forward. He had just reached the outside of the gate at the same time the two guards came back for their nightly watch. He smiled to himself as he sprinted down the dirt road. He ran until he reached a patch of trees and just over the hill he spotted a graveyard. He stopped to catch his breath and then looked straight ahead.

"Okay" he replied slowly out loud, "I know Hitomi said that they would be at Captain Schezar's place but where is it?" he thought desperately and then as if he knew what to do he closed his eyes and began to see all sorts of visions in his head.

His eyes shot open and he looked at the hill through the graveyard. He smiled and then began to run again.

"All right" he nodded to himself, "Now I know where I am going."

()

When he arrived at the bottom of the hill he saw the large house but gasped when he also spotted the many machines that surrounded it, which oddly enough he could see even if they were invisible.

"Guymelefs" he said to himself with a frown, "Hitomi is in trouble. There's no way I can get in there now. But if they're there then" he thought hard, "Yes" he nodded, "I know what I have to do" he dashed back the way he came heading for the upper hills of palace.

When he arrived at the barn he saw that Bento was the only one around. The young cat was asleep in a chair and was snoozing quite peacefully as Ken walked over and shook him lightly.

"Ben" he replied, "Bento wake up please" the cat snored.

Ken leaned further down till his mouth was close to his ear.

"Wake up Bento!" he shouted making the cat boy spring from his chair in excitement and stand quite rigid as if he were in a line, "You awake now?" he added sarcastically.

"Master Ken?" he replied back a bit surprised and annoyed, "Why did you do that? And what are you doing here?"

"No time to talk" Ken shook his head as he moved forward towards the large sheeted object, "I have to use it."

"No Master Ken" Bento protested with a shake of his head as the teenager removed the sheet, "Jueno will get angry if we take it out."

"I have to" Ken replied as it opened up and he climbed into it, "Now is the time to use it."

"But."

"Are you coming or not?" Ken asked furiously.

"I'm coming" Bento conceded as the machine transformed rapidly into it's other form, "But are so sure you can use it?"

"I'm positive" Ken nodded as Bento wrapped his paws around his waist, "Besides I don't have much of a choice. My sister's in trouble and the only people who can help her are miles away. With this we can catch up to them quickly."

"Okay. But just so we're on the same page."

"Yea?"

"Tell him it was your idea" Bento added to which Ken smiled and nodded.

"Okay. Hold on!" he replied as the machine lifted into the air and soared into the sky.

()

Meanwhile Hitomi stood still in the room as Dilandou eyed her figure from the chair. She fidgeted a little as he stared at her his red eyes focusing mostly on her long hair.

"Don't you have anything to say?" he asked finally breaking the silence.

"I. I. I want to say something" she nodded nervously, "I just don't know how to say it."

"Just say it," he said simply.

"Okay. I will. How?" she began, "How, how can" she stopped trying to spit out what she was thinking.

"How can what?"

"How is it that this is possible? I mean you cannot possibly be here" Hitomi replied shaking her head, "Like Millerna said how can there be two of you?"

"Elaborate on that" he said sarcastically.

"We're you not standing in the same room just now, forget I said that" she replied feeling a little stupid, "What I mean is she was here and you're here. And she was you so how is it. I can't say it" she shook her head a second time, "I can't even fathom it."

"Is it really that hard to say?"

"Well, yes it is."

"Then I will answer your question," he said as he stood from the chair, "Since I think I understand what you are trying to get at. Your question" he began as he walked around her which made her hair stick on end, "Is simply how is it possible for me to exist when Celena Schezar was the one who I was to begin with?"

"Something like that yes" she nodded.

"Well it's quite simple. The miracle of modern science."

"Huh?" she blinked.

"I am the product of Celena Schezar this is true, however I am one hundred percent male now" he added staring at the back of her head as he ran his fingers through the back of her hair making her spine tighten.

She pulled away abruptly with a frown as she turned to face him.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"I like it."

"What?"

"The long hair. It suits you" he grinned back at her menacingly.

()

In the room down the hall Yukari was doing everything she could to calm Merle down while Millerna was aiding a fainted Celena who had collapsed immediately after they had been placed into the room.

"I promised Lord Van" Merle cried, "I promised I'd look after her."

"Okay" Yukari nodded, "It's okay Merle. I'm sure Hitomi's okay. But still what is going on?"

"Huh?" Millerna stared back at her sudden outburst.

"What is going on?" she repeated, "I mean who is that guy, what does he want with Hitomi, and why are all of you so scared?"

Millerna looked at Merle and then sighed.

"It's a really long story," she said slowly.

"I think we have time" Yukari replied sarcastically.

()

The Crusade flew low below the clouds as Gaddess kept an eye on things. Allen and Van stood next to each other as they flew. Nearby Gryphen also stood watching Kyo as he flew the ship so expertly. Van sighed a little making his friend turn to him.

"You okay Van?" he asked uncrossing his arms.

"I got a bad feeling. I don't know why I just do."

"I do too" Allen nodded turning his head to face the front once more, "Perhaps because we haven't seen anything that resembles a floating fortress yet."

"Yea" Van agreed, "We're almost on the border. We should have spotted them by now."

"You're right" Allen nodded a second time, "Reeden" he replied turning to the short skinny man with a bright red bandana on his head.

"Yes sir" Reeden nodded as he stood at the periscope.

"Keep a close watch on the skies, in particularly the back of us. I want you to tell me what you see."

"Yes sir" he said as he returned his eyes to the periscope and glanced out of them.

For a few moments he saw nothing until he spotted the machine flying closer toward them.

"We have an unidentified object flying our way," he announced to which Gaddess moved up next to him.

"Is it one of theirs?" Allen asked.

"Is it the flying fortress?" Van added.

"No its" Reeden began and then turned pink, "You're not going to believe this Sarge."

"What?" Gaddess replied a bit exasperated, "What is it Reeden?"

"It's a guymelef," he said hesitating a little.

"Guymelef?" Van replied, "It's got to be Zaibach!" he said angrily as he dashed off the bridge.

"Wait Van!" Allen called as he and Gryphen ran after the young king.

Van dashed all the way to where Escaflowne stood waiting. He jumped up and placed in the drag energist he had brought with him. Immediately the machine came to life and opened up. He jumped up into the cockpit and prepared to strap himself in.

"Van what are you doing?" Allen called as he and Gryphen arrived.

"I'm going out in it!" Van announced.

"But your majesty" Gryphen protested.

"Don't even try to stop me. Escaflowne is our best defense against those things" he closed the machine and began to move forward as the ships door began to open thanks to Gryphen.

"No Van!" Allen shouted, "It's too dangerous!"

But Escaflowne flew out of the ship and into the night sky. Within moments Van was atop his dragon staring into the blanket of stars searching for the mysterious guymelef.

"All right. Where are you, you bastards?"

At the same time Kentaro was flying his machine towards the Crusade. He turned a little so Bento could hear him.

"Do you see it yet?"

"What?" Bento shouted back since the wind was so loud.

"I said do you see the ship yet?" Ken shouted back loud enough for him to hear.

"Oh? Was I supposed to be looking for that?"

"Yes!"

"Okay" he nodded and then looked straight ahead trying not to look down since he was terrified of heights, "Well I can see a ship, but something else is coming our way."

"Huh?" Kentaro glanced in the direction he was pointing and now he too could clearly see the other guymelef, "That's not what I think it is, is it?"

"It must be" Bento nodded.

"That means it's the King of Fanelia. I have to get close enough to signal him. Hold on!"

"Yes sir" Bento nodded a second time as he buried his head into his friend's back so as not to see anything such as the ground that was miles below them.

Van flew ever faster towards the boys as he finally spotted the guymelef he had been searching for.

"There you are," he thought happily to himself as he grinned but then his eyebrows furrowed slightly, "But oddly enough. What the?" Van said as he glimpsed the sight of the object flying closer to him, """It can't be. Escaflowne?"

Sure enough astride creamy sand colored version of Escaflowne was no other then Hitomi's younger brother Kentaro. Van blinked his eyes to make sure he hadn't seen things. Up on the ship Allen too was finding hard to believe what he was seeing.

"There are two dragons in the sky" he whispered his eyes wide.

"What?" Gryphen almost shouted.

"There are two of them out there."

Van moved his guymelef closer to the teenagers trying to fathom the situation. Ken noticing his movement did the same. Soon the two of them were side by side.

"Nice night for a flight" Van replied not really sure what to say.

"We don't have time for that right now!" Ken shouted back.

"Huh?"

"I know you've got lots of questions!" Ken began.

"You're telling me!" Van shouted back sarcastically.

"But there isn't time!" Ken insisted, "Hitomi and" he broke away as he felt something approaching them from above.

"What?" Van shouted but then he too heard the sound from above, "Oh no. Oh damn!" he spat as he flew in the opposite direction.

"Oh this is just great" Allen replied angrily as he rushed to the bridge, "It's Zaibach. Gaddess get the ship down on the ground!" he ordered.

"Yes sir" he nodded, "Kyo" he said turning to the burly man at the wheel.

"You got it sir" he nodded back as he turned the wheel.

Kentaro watched as Van nosedived down towards the ground and then realized what he was planning.

"Hold on Ben!" he shouted.

"Master Ken! What are we doing?" he yelled back.

"We're gonna go help him."

Ken also nosedived down and landed on the grass a few feet from where Van was fighting a pair of Zaibach Guymelefs.

"Bento get down!" he ordered, "I'm going into fight mode."

Got it!" the little cat teen nodded jumping off as Ken's Escaflowne transformed a second time.

Ken slid into position and raised the sword. On the other side of the field despite being in a fight of his own Van was amazed how quickly Kentaro moved in his guymelef. Within seconds he had taken down two more guymelefs that had arrived to fight. The two of them fought for a few moments until the Zaibach soldiers forced to retreat flew into the air. As the Crusade landed and Allen approached Van climbed out of his guymelef as Ken also opened up the hatch to his own. The teenager jumped down and stood before the two of them just as Bento arrived back at his side.

"That was some amazing sword play kid" Van replied still unable to say much since he was so astonished.

"Thanks" Ken nodded a little out of breath, "Anything else you need to say."

"I have a question?" Allen said as his eyebrows rose.

"I'm sure you do" Ken nodded straightening his back, "I'm sure you have many questions but like I said up in the sky, now is not the time."

"What do you mean?" Van asked seriously.

"Hitomi and the others are in trouble" he finished.

"What?" Allen exclaimed, "What do you mean in trouble?"

"I mean they're in danger. There are several of those guys" he indicated the Zaibach guymelefs "outside of your house."

"That's impossible" Allen shook his head, "Someone would see them."

"Nope. They're invisible. I saw them."

"You saw them?" Van replied astonished, "How is that possible?"

"Look I don't have time to explain. We have to get back there. The guy with the red eyes is there."

"The guy with the red eyes?" Van said trying to figure out what he meant.

"Yes. Now can we go? Or do I have to save her myself?"

Without any hesitation Allen ordered Gaddess and the crew to depart from the field. Kentaro and Bento climbed back onto his dragon while Van and Allen climbed up onto the other. Ken at once flew up into the air, followed closely by Van who was now more worried then ever for Hitomi's safety because in his mind her suddenly realized who Kentaro had been talking about.

(To be continued..)

Authors Note: Okay I know this is a week late but here it is. I will reveal next time for those of you who are still confused why there are two dragons. I have my reasons don't ask why till then. I promise I won't leave it up in the air. So I will see you guys later!!

Next Time on Draconian Origin:

"Hitomi!" Van shouted as he dashed towards the house, "Was he here?"

"Yes" she nodded, "It was him."

"But the strangest thing was is that they were both here" Millerna explained.

"Ken?" Hitomi said surprised when she saw him and Bento leap from the guymelef, "Escaflowne? Ken what's going on?"

"That's what we all want to know" Van nodded with a frown.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance" Jueno's voice rang out angrily.

"They're were two of them?" Van replied astonished.

"There have always been two of them."

"Is this what you meant by Chosen One?" Hitomi asked her eyes wide.

"I didn't ask for any of this. I still don't know why I was chosen" Ken shook his head.

"I'm worried about Celena" Allen confided to Millerna as they sat in the throne room, "She hasn't been herself since the attack."

"No matter how I look at it, you and I are very similar in our abilities" Hitomi replied to her brother, "Can I test you?"

"Test me how?" he asked curiously as she pulled out the tarot cards from her pocket.

The Duke of Freid