Yuri Shaboya, 27th king of Shin Makoku sat back in his desk chair, in his classroom on earth, utterly flabbergasted by what he'd just learned.

Dragons where real!

Not just in Shin Makoku, but here on earth as well. The U.N had just ruled that for the good of the global Economy they were going to unearth the Ancient global cover up.

He couldn't believe it.

Yet somehow it all made sense. Every culture on Earth had Dragon myths. It was true the dragon's featured in these myths where widely varied from one another, but didn't that make some sense? After all deer that were native to different regions where all different but they were still sheep. In addition to that Yuri remembered studying the Napoleonic wars and several other historical battles that took place before the 1870's. He'd always wondered at some of the descriptions of the many different wars and at the gaping holes in the historical picture painted by his textbooks. It was also interesting to note the fact that many of the old paintings of the different wars had featured Dragons. Things simply hadn't added up, but now the peaces of the puzzle of history he hadn't known were missing began to fall into their proper places.

Apparently when the Meiji government dismantled the old feudal system they first restricted the movements of Dragons and their riders. Then in 1876 they banished the dragons to small Island aeries, and completely demolished the Japanese aerial Corps, called the Kaze Samurai, or Wind Samurai.

With the dragons themselves banished to their aeries the Government had given their riders the option of going with their riders into a permanent exile, or taking a 3 year pension, cutting their long hair, and swearing an oath never to speak of Dragons again, before trying to assimilate into 'proper society.'

Apparently advances in technology and industry had rendered dragon's less useful, and eventually every other country had done the same. The consequence was that Dragons had been completely, globally, forgotten -except in old tales and myths.

Enduring more than a century of confined isolation – now it was all about to end. Now with the world economy resting in the hands of Capitalists, the U.N had decided that the Dragon's could be used to generate revenue. Japan was leading the way, in exactly a month they would be opening up their dragon preserves as a sort of horrible bastardization of an amusement park and a petting zoo.

Now that Dragon's where being reintroduced into the world his school and Murata's where sending the top 10% of their senior classes to witness the opening of the dragon Compound. Personally Yuri was worried about this, form what he'd witnessed of the live feed from the U.N. it didn't sound like the Dragon Riders had even been consulted on the idea of opening the grounds or using the dragon's as a public attraction.

It was true the Dragon's had once been tame, a portrait provided by the Laurence Family of one of their son's standing beside an immense black dragon carefully stroking the creature's muzzle, had supported to this. Apparently the Portrait had been commissioned by the rider's mother, and the back was labeled William and Temeraire in eloquent script. The year 1817 and the words "In loving memory of a son who risked everything for his beliefs', was written just under the label, and scrawled beside it in a different hand was the words 'A Traitor and No son of Mine'.

Yuri rather suspected there was more to that story then he would ever know. It was interesting that one parent would hail the man as courageous for fighting for his beliefs while the other would disown him as a traitor. Idly he wondered what the government had thought of it all. Despite himself his thoughts wondered to Conrad. His beloved Godfather had committed Treason against his own crown years ago, defecting to Big Shimeron in an attempt to liberate one of the 4 demon boxes from the hands of the country's insane monarch. Conrart had made an enormous sacrifice to protect his people and the interest of his king, knowing full well that he could have been executed for it.

He'd pardoned his Godfather, after the truth had come out, and had always believed Conrad had to have a very good reason for his actions – but it didn't change the risks the man had taken.

However his own Curiosity about the motives of one William Laurence aside, he didn't think it was a good idea to simply open up the world's dragon preserves and make them into an amusement park and petting zoo. After more than 130 years spent in isolation he suspected that the dragons and their riders had formed their own societies.

Still he had every intention of requesting permission from his father to go and see the dragons for himself. Thanks to Conrad and Murata he had the grades to go.

~~~***~~~

Yuri stood in his swimming trunks outside in his backyard a waterproof bag carefully wrapped around his backpack. He filled the small wading pool in the backyard and waited for Murata to escape his mother. It didn't take long the other boy joined him after a few more minutes clad in his own swimming trunks, and holding his own book bag wrapped in a waterproof bag.

"So are you planning on going to the reserve that's being opened now?" Yuri asked quietly.

"Yes, I intend to go - If only to see this insane spectacle for myself." Murata replied, the light flashing off his glasses.

Yuri sighed as he stepped into the pool. "I'm glad, I'm not the only one who feels this is a bad idea. I'm not sure why the U.N supports this idiotic idea."

Murata sighed, "I have found during the course of my many lives that Governments, will often descend into the realm of the insane during times of economic hardship, for the prospect of making a few silver pennies. Present company excluded."

Yuri snorted, "still seems idiotic."

"because it is, are you going to ask one of your parents to chaperone?" Murata asked quietly before adding "Or will you ask Conrad to accompany you as a chaperone?"

Yuri paused and waited for them to be transported through the water to Shin Makoku, before answering. "Actually I hadn't given any thought to asking my parents or Conrad to play the chaperone." Yuri replied after spitting out a mouthful of water. "However now that you mention it, it might be fun to take Conrad along as a chaperone, but I have no idea how to explain who he is."

By this time they'd managed to swim to the edge of the Maou's private bath, and climbed out making their way over to shelves lining one alcove to retrieve a pair of fluffy towels.

"Why not try the truth?" Murat asked drying off first his glasses then the rest of his body with one fluffy towel.

Yuri sighed as he dug through his bag for some dry clothing. "somehow I doubt that would work You and I still look 16 but we've only been interacting with our world for a few Years and Conrad still looks the same as he did when he delivered my soul to my parents."

Murata snorted as he buttoned up his gold trimmed black jacket "true it would be rather difficult to explain how a young man of almost 18 can have a godfather who looks like he's 20 at the oldest. I doubt anyone on earth would believe us if we told them Conrart's actually 135. However have you considered telling them he's a friend of the family or even that he's your cousin? He does look a bit like your mother at any rate. "

Yuri nodded considering that as he buttoned his own Jacket, "I suppose."

Finally fully dressed, they left the bath chamber and headed out across the castle, at this hour Conrad would be training with his men, so they were headed for the courtyard. They hadn't gotten very far when a redheaded whirlwind clad in a red and white blew past them, holding what looked like a black stuffed animal out in front of her.

Hard on the mad scientist/ scary feminist's heels came a tall lean figure clad in tan.

"Anissina, give it back." Conrad yelled rather childishly as he chased her through the halls.

Yuri turned and looked at Murata with a startled expression, "Did we just get blown into Shin Makoku's distant past or is my god father really chasing Lady Anissina through the palace over a stuffed animal?"

"No Conrad's really chasing Anissina over what appears to be a stuffed animal." Murata replied evenly.

"Shall we follow?"

"I believe that would be a good idea Shaboya."

That said they followed the two squabbling adults, though ironically at a more sedate pace. Until at last the came to the door to Gwendal's office.

"Gwen make her give back Temmy!" Conrad's voice drifted through the door.

"You're to old for stuffed animals."

They slipped into the office in time to see Lady Anisina playing Keep away with the normally very composed and dignified Lord Weller – who was currently acting a bit juvenile. For a few minutes they simply stood there, utterly bewildered by the truly odd sight. Until finally after what seemed like an hour had passed and Yozak dropped into the office through the open window.

The big spy raised an eyebrow at the scene unfolding in front of him. Gwendal was trying vainly to break apart the rapidly unfolding squabble; Anissina was nimbly evading Conrart, who was simply trying to get 'Temmy' out of her grasp. For their part Yuri and Murata where simply staring at the two.

Yozak sighed, and nimbly hopped up onto Gwendal's desk, for a moment he simply waited. Once Gisela got close enough he struck – pulling what they now realized to be a little black dragon stuffed animal out of Anissina's hands.

"Temmy," Conrart said by way of thanks when the man handed it back to him. Conrart immediately started to inspect the little thing, to ensure that it was undamaged before cradling it to his chest like a young girl with a doll.

In that moment Yuri realized something – and it had nothing to do with Conrad's mental health – that stuffed dragon looked nothing like the dragon's native to Shin Makoku or anywhere else on this world. However it was identical to the dragon on the cover of the pamphlet he'd been given in class.

Identical down to the markings and tendrils.

"Stop teasing Conrad." Yozak said sharply to the now pouting scientist.

Anissina glazed up at the annoyed spy and for one moment looked ashamed before her own pride got the better of her. "He's too old to have an imaginary friend!"

"I don't have an imaginary friend!" Conrart snapped, "Temeraire -" he stopped abruptly.

"Temeraire?" Murata inquired gently.

Conrart spun around, having only just become aware of their presence, a fierce blush making its way up his face and into his hairline. He raised his chin, squared his shoulders and walked out of the room – the very image of dignity and pride, except for the stuffed animal clutched to his chest.

Murata turned and looked at Yuri for a moment, "Temeraire is French," he said finally.

Gwendal sighed, "Just leave Conrart alone, Anissina, he'll get rid of that stuffed animal when he's ready. Besides it's not like he still takes it everywhere it just sits onto of his bed."

"Why does Conrad have a stuffed dragon toy?" Yuri inquired after a minute.

Gwendal and Yozak glanced at each other briefly, before Gwendal finally spoke. "Conrart has been having a for the most part reoccurring set of dreams since he turned 3. They all had only one thing in Common, 'Temmy' it was the best Conrart could do with the strange syllables from a language none of us had ever heard before, that and a man named Laurence -"

Temeraire and William sprang unbidden into Yuri's mind. "William Laurence," Yuri whispered in mild surprise, "the Napoleonic wars."

"After his father died, Conrad was very lonely and Mother had the toy made for him, for a while he couldn't sleep without it, as it is now he says it still gives him some level of comfort after waking up from one of his odd dreams." Gwendal continued.

Yuri stood there quietly considering the dragon in the portrait he'd seen on TV matched the dragon on the pamphlet that the school had given them, but was it possible that the 'Laurence Dragon' as it was being called had come to be in Japan? He didn't know, but he did know that Conrad would likely benefit from seeing the earth's dragon preserve, at least getting a glimpse of the dragon might help convince the man he wasn't losing his mind. Which he knew his godfather well enough to know that was likely what the other man feared.

~~~***~~~

A.N please read and review. Conrad's actual name is Lord Conrart Weller, more often then not he's simply called Conrad or Lord Weller. What do you think?