Draconian Chronicles 3
Chapter 6: Battle Over Atlantis
Van looked down at Hitomi one last time. Her light brown hair fell slightly over her eyes, which were closed, as she fought her nightmares in her sleep. She knew who she was now, and she didn't like it at all. She was the granddaughter of Emperor Dornkirk himself. But Van's love was true, and he would fight for her. He now stood before Dilandau, eyes narrowed at the dragon slayer.
Van closed his eyes and formed his light sword in front of him. Dilandau unsheathed his own sword and the two began to circle each other.
Dilandau smirked. "I never thought that wretched girl was one of us."
Van growled. "Her spirit is that ten times what yours is! She may have evil blood running through her, but her heart and soul are pure."
Dilandau let out a small laugh. "When I defeat you, our emperor will make me successor of this land, and your precious Hitomi will be turned evil…she will be my queen."
Van gasped. "No! I won't allow that!" Then he thought back. "What about Folken?" He would think Folken would naturally be the next in line after Dornkirk.
Emperor Dornkirk answered that. "He is not a factor anymore, Protector. The evil I tainted him with has flowed out of him and he no longer has what it takes to be leader."
Van blinked back his shock. "You…what?"
Emperor Dornkirk smiled at the confusion in Van's features. "You don't think he actually had it in him to be evil on his own do you? No…I gave that to him. He needed that extra boost to change him. That was what turned him against you, and after I take over Atlantis, he will be destroyed. Dilandau here has what it takes and as when I taint the Angel of Light the same way, I will be unstoppable!"
Van was very mad. "I won't let you touch her or destroy her innocence the way you did my brother! I will fight for both of them to ensure the safety of everyone!"
"Oh, how very touching. Now put those words to the test!" Dilandau said as he charged in…
Kokoro sat with Merle and Reeko, watching over his sister, Kiseki. She was still unconscious. Kokoro's wings twitched in nervousness. "I don't like the fact he left on his own. We don't know what the evil forces will try."
Merle turned to him. "Everything. They will try anything to get the power of Atlantis."
Reeko's back stiffened and the hair on his neck stood on end. "Someone's here."
Merle sniffed the air. "Folken." She hissed.
Folken came materialized out of the shadows. "Very good, Merle. Still recognize my scent I see."
Reeko and Merle stood in front of Kokoro and Kiseki protectively. "What the hell are you doing here?" Reeko demanded.
Folken raised a hand. "You need not worry about me anymore. I am no longer fighting against you. You see, I fight for my own cause now. The Emperor has named his successor, and that is Dilandau. I will not stand for it. Plus, he is the reason for all my suffering after I lost my arm to the dragon. I did not want to fight against my brother, but he made me and controlled me. I have finally broken free." He raised a hand to the ceiling and Kiseki was enveloped in a blue light.
She moaned once and opened her eyes.
"Sister! Are you alright?" Kokoro asked worriedly.
Kiseki slowly sat up. "Yes, I have been fully healed and recharged." She turned to Folken. "You did this?"
Folken nodded. "I ask for your help in bringing down the Emperor. By helping me, you also save your kingdom of Atlantis. Because I know something the Emperor doesn't and that is that no one can control the power of Atlantis. It is the power of human will and cannot be controlled or predicted. The Angel of Light has a strong will, which makes it possible for her to access the power, but still even she has no control over it."
Reeko caught on. "So, the Emperor is on a futile mission."
"And always has been." Merle finished. "So, what happens to Hitomi if Dornkirk doesn't get what he wants."
"He will kill her. I am sure of that." Folken answered. "Van and Dilandau are battling right now as we speak."
Merle gasped. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Everyone nodded. "Let me lead the way." Folken took lead and led the group towards their friends.
Van went flying back and landed hard against the metal wall. A snap was heard and Van winced as he felt his wing break in several places.
Dilandau laughed. "That's what you get, demon. Draconians were never meant to survive. You are a curse to mankind!" He charged in again and attempted a vertical swipe at Van. Van rolled to the side and cut high with his light sword, making a gash in Dilandau's back.
"Looks like someone's getting a little slow!" Van growled.
Dilandau turned to him. "I still have a few tricks up my sleeve!" He threw his hand forward and a large blast of red energy came forth, hitting Van square in the chest, ripping apart his shirt and pushing him to his knees.
"Wh-what the hell?" Van managed.
Dornkirk laughed. "It seems Dilandau has some unearthly powers such as yourself, Protector." He said. "It's amazing what you can do by borrowing the great Angel of Light's powers."
Dilandau smirked. "You can win. Just give up, Van."
Van struggled to his feet. "Never."
Dilandau blasted him again, and Van once again went flying into the wall, this time slumping to the ground. "Looks like Atlantis is as good as ours."
"That's what you think!" Merle shouted. Behind her, Kiseki, Kokoro and Reeko stood firmly, ready to fight.
"More victims? You all do wish to die, don't you? Well watch then as your precious Protector dies!" Dilandau released another blast at Van.
The blast, instead of hitting Van, hit Folken in the back, as he covered Van's body with his own.
"Brother?" Van whispered.
"Van, I am sorry. Rest now. I will finish this." Folken said, standing up, wincing as blood poured fourth from his open wound.
Emperor Dornkirk raised an eyebrow. "You decided to go all the way and become a full traitor I see? I can't say that's unexpected."
Folken crossed his arms. "And I can say something that is unexpected. You can never get the power of Atlantis, Rhoan." He said.
Dilandau snorted. "That's a lie. It's practically in our hands."
"Not…if I can help it…" Another voice said. The group turned around and saw none other than Hitomi slowly get to her feet.
"She is now completely healed." Kiseki said, proudly.
Hitomi glared at Emperor Dornkirk. "The power of Atlantis…it's not something you can just claim. It's an intangible power. Something even someone as powerful as you cannot have." She said.
Dornkirk ground his teeth together. "You, Angel of Light, have been getting on my nerves and relative or not, I will not distill for this." He threw his hand forward and lightning lanced forward.
Hitomi and Kiseki both flew into the air and dodged the attack. "Is that all you got?" She formed her staff in her hands and made a large swipe in the air, blasting a long powerful attack at her grandfather.
Dornkirk smirked and simply made a shield in front of him, dissipating the blast and coming unharmed. "Someone as powerful as you should be able to come up with attacks better than that. I'm disappointed in you, dear granddaughter."
Hitomi growled. Folken helped Van to his feet and looked at his former master. "You're outnumbered, Rhoan. Give up now."
Dilandau laughed and jumped forward. "That's what you think!" He formed a ball of energy in his hand and aimed it at Folken and Van.
In one swift move, Folken revealed his jet-black wings and took to their air with Van in his arms.
Hitomi opened her mouth in shock. "But…how? Dilandau isn't draconian!"
Kiseki closed her eyes and focused on the enemy. "He's taking power from The Emperor! They have a bond that allows him to use the Emperor's magic!"
Dilandau smirked. "That's right! I cannot be defeated!"
"And I will not lose!" Hitomi shouted.
Hitomi…
Hitomi
stopped short. She recognized that
voice… Grandma?
Hitomi…you
mustn't allow Rhoan to have the power of Atlantis. Use my powers…and defeat him…
Are you
sure?
Hitomi closed her eyes and felt her body be enveloped with her familiar pink aura, but it was now much more powerful.
"H-Hitomi?" Van asked.
Hitomi opened her eyes and they were of the purest white. Rhoan stopped short. "S-Saino?" He took an involuntary step back.
"I will not let you have the power of Atlantis!" Hitomi/Saino said. "I will stop you!" She threw both hands forward, letting lose a large ball of energy. Dornkirk tried to dodge it, but it moved with him, blasting him aside like a rag doll.
"Let's do this!" Folken said, letting go of van, since Van had recovered and could fly on his own.
"It's good to have you back on our side, brother." Van said.
Folken smiled. "It's good to be back. We'll have a lot of catching up to do, won't we?" Van nodded. Folken winked. "Especially about your recent engagement to Hitomi." Folken flew down to engage Dilandau, leaving a shocked Van behind.
Kokoro stayed behind with Merle and Reeko, making a shield of his own to protect them. Kiseki called upon the power of lighting and electricity fell from the ceiling, as if it were covered in storm clouds, hitting Dilandau several times.
Folken unsheathed his sword and began to sword fight.
Hitomi sent blast after blast at Dornkirk, and the Emperor was barely holding his own. Hitomi was powerful, there was no denying that, but now that she had coupled with the power of her grandmother, would Rhoan survive?
Van added in his power and made another swipe with his sword, cutting a large gash in the Emperor's side. "This ends here!"
Rhoan let loose a blast of his own, pinning Hitomi and Van to the wall with electric bonds. "I haven't lost yet! You will never defeat me!" Van and Hitomi struggled, but couldn't break the bonds.
"Let him go!" Merle jumped onto the back of Rhoan and bit down hard on his back. Reeko came forward and made a slash with his claws, breaking the bonds and setting Hitomi and Van free.
Rhoan raised a hand to Merle, and sent electricity running throughout her whole body. She screamed and let go, falling to the floor.
"Merle!" Reeko ran to her side and looked down on her sadly. Her fur was singed in many places. He took off his shirt and began to bandage her burns.
Kiseki was knocked unconscious by a ball of energy from Dilandau that sent her into the wall. Folken battled fiercely with Dilandau, but Dilandau blocked every one of his attacks. Folken grew tired and Dilandau scored a hit…a major hit.
Van screamed out his brother's name as he saw Dilandau embed his own sword right through Folken's stomach. Time stood still and Folken slowly fell to his knees. Dilandau laughed at his victory and used his foot to shoved Folken off his sword, leaving it covered in blood.
Hitomi's eyes shone brightly and she cat her last spell…
"Power of Atlantis!!" Down below, the center of the city of Atlantis began to shake and power erupted from it's very core, going straight into the floating fortress and into the one who had called it. "I summon thy power to seal this demon away for all eternity!!"
A large black bubble formed around Emperor Dornkirk and his powers were thereby erased. "No! This can't be! I will not be denied my power!"
"It was never yours! Now be gone to the depths of hell!" Hitomi poured more energy into her spell, and opened her eyes in shock as she felt the power of Van, Kiseki, and Kokoro add to hers. It was all draconians fighting to save their land…earning back their reputations and destroying their evil name by replacing it with a new one, a brighter one.
Dornkirk screamed and disappeared, vanishing from sight forever.
Dilandau slowly backed away as the draconian's in the air caught their breath. He stopped cold, when he felt a knife embed itself into his heart…from behind. With Dornkirk sealed away, Dilandau had his powers taken away also, and therefore felt death consume him, and he fell to the ground.
The others turned to him in shock as Kokoro released his hold on the dagger, which he himself had killed Dilandau with. "You will not kill any other draconians, anymore." He breathed heavily and shook with what he had done.
Kiseki flew down and landed beside him. "You did the right thing."
With the spell done, Hitomi fell from the sky, exhausted and completely drained. Van flew over and caught her swiftly in his arms. Hitomi cried in relief and pain. "I'm sorry…I didn't know what I was…I hereby break our engagement, so I…"
"No." Van said. "You are still the same lovely woman I ran into all those months ago. I feel no different about you than I did before. I love you more than anything in this world, so please, don't say you plan to leave me. I need you." He smiled. "Fanelia needs a queen doesn't she?"
Hitomi smiled and nodded.
"We will rebuild it stronger and more dedicated to its people than ever. We will reunite the refugees of the city and make it the great kingdom it once was, but only if you stay by my side." He held her close, never wanted to let go.
"Eww! Okay! I'm fine! Now stop licking me!" Merle voice came suddenly, breaking the romantic moment.
Reeko sweat dropped. "Well, sorry Ms. Kitty Cat. I was only worried…" He was cut off by Merle's lips kissing his own.
She broke the kiss and smiled. "Thanks."
Reeko blushed so much, it showed right through his blue fur.
"Van…" Kiseki called forth their attention, motioning down to the dying Folken. "I cannot heal him…his wound is too serious."
Van nodded and flew down, letting Hitomi down carefully, Kokoro helping to support her. Van walked over to his brother and knelt beside him. "I…"
"Brother…Van, you have no idea how proud I am of you." Van looked up in shock. Folken forced a smile. "After father died, mother was so worried for you, but I knew, and I reassured her that you would grow up to be a fine prince. It was what you were meant to be. Now you can be king."
Van felt tears fall down his cheeks. "Folken…I looked up to you so much. And in the end, you didn't let me down. You truly are a great warrior and brother. I know father and mother would be happy if they were here."
Folken nodded. "I will join them soon. It was inevitable. Please, do not mourn for me. Rebuild Fanelia, our great home and birthplace, and lead with peace and mercy with your new queen."
Van held onto his brother's hand. "I will miss you, brother."
"We will be reunited once more…in the after life. Then there will be a family reunion like never before." He winced as his vision began to darken. "I will be waiting for you, brother…be strong…" Folken closed his eyes, and was gone.
Van cried openly, as did everyone else in the room, Hitomi burying her head in Kokoro's robe and shaking with sobs. Van held onto his brother's hand, even as Folken began to disappear and fade from existence.
"He has rejoined the heavens, where all man and woman begin and end their lives. The rest of the draconian descendants will keep him good company." Kiseki said, smiling through her tears.
Down below, Atlantis stood quiet and majestic. Van stood up. "Good bye, brother." He turned to everyone else, whipped the tears from his eyes, and smiled. "Let's go home."
A/N- I think that was a good chapter. I have lots planned for the epilogue, so please stay tuned!
