Hey, finally got this chap written.  This is the second to last one in the fic, sadly.  Don't have much else to say but stay tuned for the shocking ending.

Here's the next chappie

Enjoy

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"Why so shocked Albatou?  I'd expect that kind of look from Van," Velannaf leered at the albino whose mouth was gaping and whose eyes were shockingly wide, "You told me only a minute ago that you knew who I was."  He glanced away from Dilandau, surveying his audience of bewildered faces.  His gaze rested on the girl from the Mystic Moon.  "But tell me, you must have had help," he said, eyeing Hitomi through narrowed eyes.  "I have difficulty believing that a mindless twat, such as you, could see through my disguise."

Dilandau made to answer but Velannaf brushed past, ignoring him completely and walked over to Van.  Hitomi and Merle hung off either arm, gripping them tighter as Velannaf got closer and closer.  Van's dark image stopped before the young prince and gave him an arrant grin.  "Like looking into a mirror, isn't it?"

Despite his desire, Van could not force all the thoughts that were welling in his head into a single response.  He wanted to yell, curse, and even beat the living daylights out of the man who stood before him but his mind and body would not comply with his wishes.  Van just stared dumbly at his dark self, rooted to the spot, feeling all the more like an idiot the longer he looked into Velannaf's dangerous eyes.

"Poor Van," Velannaf said in a condescending tone when Van would not reply.  "Hasn't been much of a birthday for you has it?  First you get assaulted by dear, sweet Merle," the cat girl's eyes fell as she was mentioned, "Then you are coaxed into holding a surprise guymelef tournament.  You had the shit beaten out of you by someone you were led to believe was a friend.  Thought you had been betrayed and then…" With a swivel of his head, Velannaf redirected everyone's attention across the garden, to where Millerna still held Allen's lifeless body, not too far from a smoldering Scherzade.  Hitomi gasped at the sight, whereas Dilandau broke into a fit of hideous laughter, being that they were the only two who had not seen the blond knight die.  While they looked on, Velannaf turned back to Van, meeting the young king's fierce glare with one of his own.  He smiled sardonically, whispering his next words, "And then you watched Allen take his last…agonizing…breath."

Van listened to Velannaf, gritting his teeth as the man drew out his last few words.  The further his image polluted the air with his voice, the angrier Van became.   "Who the hell are you," the young king spit fire at the shadow of himself.

"I thought that was blatantly obvious," said Velannaf, "Unless of course you haven't looked at your reflection for some time.  Maybe if you were vain like our friend here," he motioned to Dilandau, "We wouldn't be having this conversation."

"But you can't be me," said Van defensively.  "You...you must be a doppelganger."

The shadow sighed, "Van, if I was a doppelganger you'd be dead right now.  Are you dead?"  Van shook his head.  "Then no, I am not a doppelganger and therefore I must be you."

"No, I won't believe that.  You aren't me.  I would never hurt my friends," Van stated defiantly, "You're a monster."

"Careful Van," Velannaf warned, "You could hurt my feelings."

"You don't have any feelings."

"Ha," the shadow smirked, "That isn't necessarily true.  But if I don't, I have you to thank for that.  I am only what you made me."

"Made you?"  Van's heart quickened, "But how?"

"Oh, decided to come around have we?" Velannaf jibed, making the young king scowl and send him a fiery look.  "I suppose it's about time I let you out of the dark...since that is exactly what you've done for me."

"What?" Van questioned, furrowing his brow

"You are a draconian," said Velannaf, not bothering to ask Van the question he already knew the answer to.  "By such you are bestowed with immense power.  Whether you realize it or not your mind is exceptionally powerful and-"

Velannaf was interrupted by Dilandau's sudden burst of hysterical laughter.  The psychotic albino had gotten bored with Allen's demise and had returned his attention to his master.  Velannaf shot him an icy glare that could have frozen over hell itself, "Silence ingrate unless you desire to lose what little mind you have left."  The shadow spoke venom and was about to continue his story when he paused, smoothing raven bangs out of his face before the wind swept them back into his deep ruby eyes.  He watched Dilandau coolly.  "Though," he began, unsmiling, "Since you don't seem all that interested in what I have to say, I'll deal with you first."

Velannaf tore off his cloak, tossing it uncaringly to the side, revealing a sheath that had been hidden beneath the dark shroud.  He rolled his shoulders and neck, stretching his well defined muscles, before he retracted a long, glimmering saber from its holder.  He held his arm out to the side, the blade hovering less than an inch above the ground, "You've lived long enough."

Dilandau hardly had time to raise his sword before the shadow was on him, slashing up and down, side to side, sending blow after glancing blow towards his unarmored body.  He managed to block most of the attacks but winced and growled as a few of Velannaf's better aimed assaults met their mark.  Blood oozed out of the long, slender gashes that streaked across his arm, shoulder and chest, like tepid crimson rivers.  The fight had only just begun and already Dilandau was losing.

"What's wrong Albatou?" Velannaf taunted, "Isn't this what you've been waiting for...your revenge?"  He sliced at the white-haired Adonis, smiling as Dilandau barely managed to duck under his whisking blade, "I thought you'd be more of a challenge after all your mouthing off."

Dilandau cried out in fury, his eyes flashing wildly as he lunged forward with his blade angled at the shadow's heart.  Velannaf blocked the thrust to his chest, knocking the boy's blade back towards him.  He spun round, twirling has sword as he completed a 360 and came at the former dragon slayer from behind.  Jutting out his weapon, he caught Dilandau under the arm, slicing through the boy's ribcage.  Dilandau howled in pain as more of his blood trickled down his body in steady streams.  His head was becoming light and his body jittery at the constant loss of the scarlet liquid, but there was nothing he could do.  Velannaf had one of his arms pinned behind his back and the other was too maimed to be of any use.

"Pathetic," Velannaf hissed, wrenching Dilandau's weapon from his wounded arm.  The boy whimpered.  "You really are a useless whelp," Velannaf said in Dilandau's ear, "Though you did serve your purpose."  He stroked the frightened boy's cheek delicately, smiling at the scar.  "I remember giving this to you."  Dilandau cringed under the touch.  "Things were so much different then...though maybe not so much.  You were worthless even then."

Velannaf released his hold on the white-haired demon, letting the boy drop to the ground in a heap.  "Did you honestly think you would ever beat me?  That I would just bend over and take it up the ass?"  Velannaf kicked the slayer harshly in the side he had just marred, causing a piercing shriek to sound from the boy's pale twisted lips.  The shadow scowled down at him, an unsettling look of fanatical delight in his eyes.  "You're weak, insignificant and I no longer have any use for you."  Velannaf raised his sword, the sharp edge glinting in the moonlight as it hung over Dilandau's chest, "Goodbye Albatou."

Gliding his sword through the air, Velannaf swung his blade up and brought it speeding down at his prey's heart.  Inches from his target, his concentration fell and he dropped his weapon.  It fell to the ground with a sharp clink, landing right beside Dilandau's splayed body.  Velannaf gripped his wrist, blood rising between his fingers.  He gasped at the pain, falling to one knee and shot a death glare back at Van.  The ebony-haired prince smiled grimly, hand clasped around his own wrist as the other held a sword, freshly coated in a thin line of blood.

"Fool!" Velannaf bellowed, rising to his feet.  "What are you doing?  We were so close."

"I know," said Van, "And now I know how you work."  He pulled his hand away from his wrist and showed it to Velannaf, who was still clutching his arm.  Now that the pressure was off, blood seeped from the wound faster and slid down Van's naked arm.  Velannaf stared blackly at the young king.  "I don't know how, but you feel everything I feel.  I didn't believe it before...but now looking at this, I'm sure." Van's eyes bore into crimson orbs much like his own, "You are me."

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Velannaf tried to suppress his rage.  He glowered at Van, "I'm glad you've finally come to your senses, but couldn't you have at least waited until I killed Albatou before putting on this little spectacle?"  He released his wrist, growling as the blood flow mirrored that of Van's.

"I couldn't let you kill him," said Van flatly, capturing Velannaf's attention.  "As much as I hate what Dilandau did to me and others in the past, that's all it is.  He doesn't deserve to die."

"Even if he's the one who killed Allen?"

"What?"

"That's right Van," Velannaf smirked, "You're past has come back to bite you in the ass.  Allen is dead because of Dilandau and you're telling me you don't want to see the little bastard pay?"

"The last time I saw him, Dilandau had turned back into Celena.  Whatever he's done, I'm sure you had your hand in it," said Van coolly, "He could not have turned back into his former self without help."

"Hm," Velannaf huffed, "Very true, I forget we have the same mind." 

"About that," Van broke in, "You never told me how that is."

"It's very simple, Van.  I am your shadow."  Velannaf sighed as he saw Van raise an eyebrow.  He was no longer in the mood to explain his origins in great detail and was becoming impatient with all the questioning.   He wanted to get the interrogation over with as quickly as possible.  "When the dragon wars ended three yrs ago, instead of feeling happy about it, you began feeling very depressed.  How could you not.  Your country was...well, no longer existing.  You were king of a pile of rubble.  Your brother was dead and your woman," Velannaf glared at Hitomi, "Left you to return home.  You had nothing."  The shadow waved a hand.  "To make a long story short, your intense grieving awakened your long dormant power and in turn brought me into reality."

Van stood in silence for a few moments, taking in everything that had been told to him.  If what Velannaf was saying was true, then is shadow had been growing inside him for many years, though given that, Van began to wonder just how long Velannaf had been in existence.

"When...when did you appear?" asked Van.

"Actually," Velannaf grinned, "Only yesterday.

Van's eyes grew wide.

"What?"  Joined Hitomi and Merle, who had been listening intently to the shadow's story.

Velannaf smirked at them all, stepping closer to the group.  "Before yesterday I was not strong enough to take a human form...but now," he bared his teeth, pointed canines glistening, "I'm free."

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Well, that's the end of another chapter.  Hope you guys liked it.  There's only one more after this then the fic's over.  *tear*

Oh well, PLEASE review...or i might just make you wait forever for the finale. *laughs evilly*

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