The White King and Dark Lord Mage 
by: Tiga Shadow & Van Donovan
duo@trowa.com || trowa@trowa.com

an Escaflowne / Weiß kreuz crossover
------------------------------------

The following story is shounen-ai/yaoi.  If you don't know what this means/don't want to 
read it, please go away. ^_^  Otherwise, enjoy.  The setting takes place one year after
Escaflowne ends and somewhere in the middle of Weiß kreuz TV series.  Please warned there
are many spoilers mentioned for the whole Escaflowne series.  Weiß kreuz spoilers may
abound as well.

--------
	
	The mission had been simple enough: infiltrate, assassinate, escape.  There wasn't
too much risk for things to go wrong.  Ken stalked stealthily through the shadows, making 
sure to keep himself hidden.  He rounded a corner and was suddenly blinded by a huge beam of 
light.  He blinked a few times and shielded his eyes, squinting and keeping to the shadows, 
wondering that the hell was going on.  He brought his claws up to the fore, ready to take on
any sort of action that might be turned toward him.  After all, he wasn't a trained 
assassin for nothing.  The light was blinding and came down with a huge humming.  It didn't
seem earthly.
	Van's stomach rolled as the ground finally materialized and he felt his feet 
touch down on the asphalt. Vibrant rubicund eyes snapped open as the light faded and he 
looked through the darkness, eyes instantly adjusting, seeing the other man across from him.
Luckily, his sword was already in hand and he dropped back into a fighting stance, holding it 
up. This wasn't Gaea, but he hadn't expected it to be.  "Who th'Hell're you!?" he hissed.
Best to take charge first and ask questions later.  Besides, the man was holding metal knives
at him already!
	Ken blinked. There was a guy that just appeared out of a beam of light who was now 
threatening him with a sword. Too bad Aya wasn't there.  "I could ask you the same question."
he replied, not really giving in.  It could be a trap. Van's eyes narrowed at Ken standing 
there.  He almost swore a dragon would follow him, but there was nothing. He looked around, 
getting his bearings and then back to Ken.  
	"I'm Van Fanel, King of Fanelia. Where is this place?" he haughtily asked.
	"Well, your majesty, you're on Earth." Ken didn't buy a word of it.
He wondered what the kid'd been drinking.  Van lowered his sword slightly, eyeing Ken 
contemptuously. Of course he was on -Earth-. He pretended to ignore the sarcasm.  Earth.  But
then, where was Hitomi? 
	"Take me to Hitomi." he ordered, jamming the tip of his sword into the earth.
	Hitomi, Hitomi . . . wasn't one of Youji's dates called Hitomi?   Ken could never 
keep them straight.  For a moment, he forgot he was supposed to be on a mission.  "There are 
a ton of Hitomi’s around here. Be more specific."
	Van opened his mouth, daunted, then shut it. He didn't know Hitomi's last name. 
Kan . . . something. SHIT!!! of all the important things to forget!  "I don't . . . remember 
her last name." He stated, blinking, looking at Ken and for once appearing more his young age 
than the brash ass he'd first appeared to be.
	Ken shrugged, retracting his bugnuks.   "Then you're out of luck."  He studied
him, and realized that he was just a kid.  Fifteen, maybe sixteen years old.  He felt kind of 
sorry for the kid.  "My name's Hidaka Ken. I'll assume you aren't from anywhere around 
here . .  . ?"
	Van just looked at Ken and then around the dark alley he'd been deposited into. 
Where . . . how was he supposed to find anything, anyone . . . What if this wasn't even the 
same place on Earth Hitomi was? How could he ever hope to find her?!  He eyed the strange
man.  "Hidaka?"  He repeated, and then looked up. There was just a sliver of moon up there. 
"I'm from Gaea." He stated, with no clue how weird that'd sound to a native.  He'd get 
himself locked away if he didn't watch it.  He lifted his sword and looked at the handle of 
it, bearing the Fanelian crest. He wanted to return home already.
	Ken raised an inquiring eyebrow.  "'Gaea'?  Never heard of it."
	Van looked up at Ken and then raised a brown-gloved hand, pointing at the moon. "It's 
there."  Ken couldn't help but laugh a little. 
	"Either you've got a great imagination, or you're high on something, kid."  He shook
his head.  "Yet, it's so weird I can almost believe it."
	Van's eyes narrowed and he looked coldly at Ken, then threw his head back, 
ramming the tip of his sword into the ground again for a statement.  "I'm not lying! I have 
to find Hitomi!"
	Ken shook his head regretfully.  "I can't help you then.  There must be millions of
Hitomi's in the world."
	In the distance, another figure is ran along the street, invisible except for 
the cross-strips on his arms. He harshly whispered in Ken's direction.  "Th'hell're you 
doin'? Lets move!"  Youji cried and ducked into the shadows, slipping next to silent Aya.
	"Aa . . . hai."  Ken replied as he glanced at Van again.  He turned to go with Youji,
but something stopped him. The kid's story was so outrageous . . . and he -had- seen 
him appear with his own eyes.  He turned back to Van.  "You want to come with us?
	Near Aya, seeing Van next to Ken Omi softly asked: "Who's that?  What's Kenkun 
doing?"  Aya just frowned in response.  He had no desire for a stranger -- no matter who it 
was -- to come with them.  Van looked now, seeing the other three men hidden in the darkness. 
What choice did he really have?  "Anywhere is better than here."  He stated, and then 
followed Ken.  At least that was the truth.
	Ken nodded in agreement.  "Good, lets move."  Youji dropped back and looked at Ken as 
he and the other kid started coming to chase up. 
	"Who's he?  One of kidnapped kids?" the smoker questioned and slipped into the 
shadows. Aya and Omi went around the other corner together.
	Ken decided it was best to tell a white lie, at least for now:  "Aa. He doesn't have 
anywhere to go . . . we'll take him with us for now."  Youji glanced at Van and then nodded.
	"All right, keep an eye on him." he warned and then he slipped around and went into a 
building. Their mission really was easy enough, and with all four of them, they'd be done in 
no time. Aya and Omi were going in to make the kill. He and Ken were just outside guard 
watch.  Sensing a tension in the air, and a mysteriousness of danger, Van kept his sword out 
and held to the fore, remaining close to Ken if something were to attack.  Ken went to Van 
and whispered to him.  "You gotta follow my lead here . . . pretend you're one of the 
kidnapped children we're here to free. . . and don't say where you're from.  If he asks, say 
you're from the Nerima district.  Got that?"
	"Nerima?"  Van blinked and then just nodded as he realized he needed to do as this guy 
said. For now, at least.  "All right."
	Ken sighed and nodded.  "Good, and be careful with that thing." He added, gesturing
to his large sword.  Van's eyes narrowed.
	"I can handle my own sword!" he hissed out loud.
	Ken's eyes went huge.  "Shh! Not so loud dammit!"
	Van shut his mouth, but his eyes still held anger and he looked pissed. "Fine."
	"Yell at me all you want, later." he snickered, starting after Youji.  "For right now
though, if you value your life, you'll just do what I say."  he caught Youji's eye and nodded
to the blonde.  
	Youji glanced to Ken and the kid tagging along. He had a nagging sensation in the 
back of his neck but just forced it back.  No alarms so far meant Aya and Omi hadn't been 
discovered.  He pulled his head set out and put it on, listening in. Softly, he spoke. 
"Bonbee, Abynissian, this is Balinese. Remain radio silence if mission is well. Siberia and 
I are heading to rendezvous point G." he left the sound on and dropped down a small ledge, 
continuing along in the darkness, aware Ken would follow.  Van moved to creep along after Ken.
Ken grinned a little as he walked silently along, hoping the mission would be finished 
quickly.  He wanted to go home and eat.  Lucky for him, it was Aya's turn to cook, and he was 
the only one who really could.
	Youji held up a hand for stop and cupped his other hand over the ear piece. It 
was Aya, and he was saying they'd already made the kill and were on their way out. Just then,
the alarms went off.  The womanizer grinned.  "The kittens are coming home, Ken. Lets play."
	"Oh, good." Ken grinned and slipping off into the shadows, heading back for 
the Koneko, making sure Van followed close behind.  If there were problems, he'd know about 
it.  Youji ducked down too and caught site of Omi and Aya running in the distance. Easy 
mission, he thought as he fished out a cigarette to smoke.  Van padded along silently after
Ken, sheathing his sword as he ran.
	Ken went in the backdoor of the flower shop, the part that opened to their apartment
rooms, and took off his goggles, sighing in relief.  "I'm glad that went so well!"  Van 
entered and stood, looking around at everything with wide eyes.  Ken grinned at him.  "Want
me to show you around the place?"
	Aya and Youji slipped through next, Youji heading to his room, upstairs, Aya to his
around the corner.  Omi was the only one who seemed disturbed by the fact that Ken had 
brought Van back home with him.  "You brought him here, Kenkun?"  Van looked from Omi to Ken
and back again.
	Ken blinked and looked at Omi, turning.  "Well, yeah.  He doesn't exactly have any
place to go, so I figured we could house him here 'til Manx tells us what to do with him."
	Omi seemed to consider that a moment and Ken wondered how well his on-the-fly lying
was.  "Aa, sou ka." the young seventeen year old said.  "I guess that's all right." He waved
once and started down the stairs to the basement.
	Ken turned back to Van, smiling crookedly.  "Anyway, want that tour now?"
	Van Looked back at Ken as Omi left. Show him around?  "I . . ."  he rested 
a hand on his hip. In the light, it was obvious to see he wasn't dressed like a native
Japanese person, but that didn't necessarily mean he was from the moon, but . . .  "I suppose 
. . ." he looked at Ken, seeming really lost.  "How is it light in here without torches?"
	Amused, Ken pointed to the overhead lights.  "The lights.  We use electricity.  Don't
you use 'em on . . . wherever you said you came from?"  he started towards the kitchen.
	Van frowned but followed none the less.  "Only Zaibach had a controllable fire.  We 
just used torches with"  there he was, using more non-Japanese words.  "just fire." he 
finished, starting to feel better.
	Ken started the tour.  "Well, we use fire too, but not so much for light than to
keep warm.  Anyway," he gestured to the room.  "this is the kitchen room, where we prepare
our meals."  Van didn't seem very impressed.
	"Small." he dryly stated.
	"It's about normal, actually." Ken corrected, chuckling.
	Van glanced at Ken passively, with a flat look.  "I live in a castle." He answered.
	Ken had a feeling he'd get really sick of being reminded of Van's rank ever other
sentence.  "You're a king, but you're . . . what, fifteen? fourteen?  This isn't a castle, 
it's a little place above a flower shop."
	Van eyed Ken again and then looked around coolly.  "My parents and my brother are 
dead." He met Ken's glance again, and his vibrant red eyes were serious and hard.  "I may 
only be sixteen, but I am King by duty none the less."  Ken was momentarily confused: how could
a boy of sixteen be so damned arrogant?  And so SERIOUS?  He looked like he'd seen things 
far worse than he had, and -he- was an assassin! 
	"Yeah . . ." Ken dumbly commented.  He didn't have anything to say. "Uh, what'll 
happen while you're gone, then?"
	Van's voice was flat but carried the same tone that Ken's did when he replied.  "I 
have chancellors and a High Council.  They should be able to hold off in my absence." He ran 
a gloved hand over the countertop, then looked at his fingertip.  "Fanelia was destroyed." 
he said, and his voice carried a hint of venom before he controlled it and he walked toward 
the sink, looking down at it. "They can make due with rebuilding without me. For a while." 
He looked back up at Ken, his face still unbefitting for his age.  He abruptly changed  
subjects. "Who did you kill tonight?"
	Ken shrugged.  "Someone unimportant. I'm sure you know now what we are. Don't tell 
anyone, please."
	Van shook his head.  Like he had anyone he knew to tell anyway.  He looked back 
around the kitchen, then to Ken again.  "What you did is your business. I can't be bothered 
to get involved. Who is the King of this city?"
	Ken shook his head sadly.  "We don't have kings and queens here. It's different. The 
city is run by a mayor and a city council, and it's governed by the Emperor, but there's no way
he'd believe who you say you are."
	Van didn't seemed to care.  "I need to speak with the Mayor, then.  When can 
a meeting be arranged?"
	Ken raised an eyebrow, trying hard not to laugh in Van's face, knowing that'd only piss 
him off.  "You can't talk to the mayor either. He doesn't care who you are. He's busy with 
other things."
	Van's face showed he obviously wasn't pleased by that answer.  This world was so 
frustrating!  "K'sou. How am I supposed to find Hitomi then?  She's the only one who knows me."
	"I'm telling you, if you don't know her last name, you can't find her."  Ken replied,
hopping onto the counter and looking at him critically.
	 "That's not an acceptable answer!"  the young King shouted.  He had no desire to return
to Gaea without Hitomi.
	Ken, getting annoyed, retorted:  "Don't talk to me like that! In case you didn't notice, 
I'm older than you, and contrary to whatever you might think, I'm not stupid."
	Age, to Van, didn't matter, but to the rest of -this- world, it did. He slumped back 
against the counter and turned his head to the side.  What could he do?  This guy wasn't gonna 
let him pull rank on him.  No one cared.  No one knew who he was . . . Dejectedly then, with 
pain slipping into his voice, he softly said.  "What -can- I do, then . . . ?"
	Ken, startled at the sudden pain in Van's voice,  reminded himself that Van was a boy far 
away from home, wherever or whatever home may be, to him. When he spoke, his voice was gentler 
than it was before.  "Stay here for awhile. We'll help you look for Hitomi."
	Van looked back to Ken, his eyes not as hard as before, trying to study him as if to 
see if he were telling the truth.  "Your companions won't agree to that."
	Ken grinned at the very idea.  "They will. Youji and Omi will like you eventually . . . 
and I'm sure even Aya will too, after awhile." he doesn't add on that Van would have to stop 
being an arrogant asshole. He figured that was about as likely as Aya growing a personality.
	Van put his hand on the counter, looking away from Ken.  "I have nothing to pay with."
	Ken shrugged: payment was the least of his worries.  "Dont' worry about it, you can 
work in the flower shop with us."
	Van lifted his head, eyes inquisitive.  "Flower . . . shop?"
	Ken nodded, explaining.  "Aa, downstairs.  Here, follow me."  he hopped off the counter
and ran down the stairs, flipping on the lights in the shop.  Van followed, looking up at the
lights in amazement as they flipped on, and then around at the potted plants and vased flowers
around them.
	"You . . . sell flowers?" he asked, a bit unsure sounding.
	"Yup."  Ken smiled, looking about him.  "It's kind of fun, actually.  I've always had a
love for plants and flowers are no exception."
	Van flicked the head of a young bud, his brows beetling.  He looked back at Ken, as if
still not quite understanding.  "But flowers grow for free.  Why would people pay you for them?"
	Ken shrugged again.  "I'm not really sure myself.  But, hey, it's a living, na?"  he
laughed at the idea.
	"I suppose."  the boy replied, a bit softly.  He looked back to Ken and then bowed his
head suddenly.  "Aa, thank you for taking me in."  he sputtered.
	Ken blinked, a bit taken aback from the mood swing.  "Hey, it's no problem.  If you 
don't have anywhere to go . . . and you really -aren't- from around here, then you're better off
with us."
	"Aa." Van softly agreed, his hand absently going to rest on the hilt of his sword, but 
he kept his head bowed.  "You . . . still don't believe me, do you?"  it was more a statement
than a question.
	"I'm starting to."  Ken replied with a sigh.  He went to shut the flower shop lights off
"It's really strange . . . strange enough that you probably couldn't have just made it up."
	Van remained standing there even once the lights had turned off.  He kept his head bowed
and quietly stated.  "I didn't make it up."
	Ken looked at him and slowly nodded.  For some reason, he believed him.  "I believe you.
Let's go back upstairs now, okay?  I'm starving."
	Van looked up at Ken, meeting the other's vibrant verdant eyes with his own, and nodded
and swallowed.  "All right.  Thank you."
	"It's cool."  Ken replied, bounding up the stairs.
	Youji waved to Ken and Van as he started down the stairs, heading for Aya's room, at the
same time Ken and Van were starting up.  The smoker leaned against the railing, trying to look
nonchalant.  He knew Ken would know where he was headed, but he didn't need that other guy to
be thinking that about him.  Ken, jogging up the stairs, just spoke.  "I guess Aya's 
disappeared for tonight, so I can cook something for you."  he waved knowingly to Youji.  "Yo,
Youji."  he looked back to Van.  "So, what kind of food do you like?"  Youji just ducked his
head and started down the stairs again.
	Van paused a moment, watching the odd exchange between Ken and Youji and then kept going
up the stairs, following Ken.  "I don't know what you have here.  Hitomi never knew any of the
foods we served her."
	"Oh."  Ken frowned a little, then chuckled.  "Well, I'm a terrible cook, so you'll most 
likely hate whatever I fix anyway."  He rummaged in the refrigerator and came up with stir-fry.  
"This looks good." He said to himself, grabbing a frying pan and putting it on the stove.  He 
turned it on, and dumped the stuff in.  He started chopping up the chicken, still paying attention 
to whatever Van said.  Van watched Ken cooking with wide eyes. The concentrated flame out of the 
stove amazed him the most. 
	"This place is . . . really impressive, however small."  
	Ken, while stirring the mix.  "Well, I guess I'm used it to, so I'm taking it for 
granted.  I guess it's nice, thanks."
	"Apparently.  How'd you make the flame without coal or a lighter?"  he inquired.
	Ken grinned, and tried to explain, but mechanics were Omi's field, not his.  "It's a gas
stove.  You just turn it on, and the fire appears."
	"Gas?"  Van repeated, leaning close, bending down right beside Ken and looking at the
bright blue flame.  "We have nothing like this."
	With a warning tone.  "Careful, it'll still burn you good."  the older one said.
	"Aa, I'm not a kid."  Van replied, but the venom was lost by his fascinated look at the
glowing blue flame.  He straightened and looked at Ken finally.  He stepped back, as they were
a little too close for comfort and looked back at the food in the pan.  "It smells good.  What
is it?"
	"Stir-fry."  Ken said with a grin, mixing it more, trying to make certain that it cooked
evenly.  "It's really good, when done right.  Basically, it's mixed vegetables and chicken."
	Van nodded and took another inhaled scent of it.  "You seem to be cooking it fine.  You
said you were bad.  Or was that just modesty?"
	Ken made a face.  "Well, it's not done yet.  Just wait, half of it will be burned, and
half still frozen."  but he was actually taking more care than he usual did with food,
since Van kept reminding him of it.  Van grinned himself for once, rocking back on his heels.
	"I think you lying."
	Ken laughed, glad the other was loosening up some.  "I'm not.  Ask anyone else who lives
here.  I'm a terrible cook."  he stirred it again, amazed himself at how heavenly it smelt.
	Van pulled his gloves off, stuffing them in the hem of his pants, crossing his arms.
"Well, then, they're idiots."
	Ken blinked and blushed a little at the praise.  No one ever complimented his cooking.
Not over Aya's anyway.  It was usually: Ken's cooking tonight?  Can't we just spare the time and
go out to eat?  He stirred the food once more then turned off the fire and the stove.  "Well,
it's done.  Lets see if it's a good as you think it is."
	"Mmm." Van softly said in agreement and just followed Ken, not thinking to ask if he
needed help.  He'd have no clue how to do anything anyway.
	Ken scooped two equal portions onto plates, handing one to Van.  "Here you go!"  He got
chopsticks too, and settled down with his own portion.
	Van sat and managed the chopsticks just fine, eating away.  He chewed thoughtfully and
swallowed.  He glanced to Ken, made a face and then laughed.  "It's good!"
	Ken laughed with him, sounding a little surprised.  "Aa, it actually is!"  he wondered
over in his head what he put in it or did differently to make it burn resistant.
	Van polished it off before long and set the plate down.  "Since you sound surprised too,
I'll assume you usually -do- do bad at cooking.  But, it was good, this time."  he nodded, with
a smile, looking at Ken.
	Ken finished his too and put the plate on the counter, nodding, a little mystified. 
"Aa, I generally can't cook worth a damn."
	"Perhaps I'm good luck." Van said, with a smirk, watching Ken.
	"You might be."
	He held his hand out, teasingly.  "Rub my hand, it's good luck." he joked.
	Ken laughed, reaching out to take his hand, surprised at how warm it was.  "I'll be sure
to keep you with me for the next soccer game I play, then."
	Van blinked and looked at him as he took his hand.  He felt a little flood of heat all
of the sudden but dismissed the feeling by saying.  "What's soccer?"
	"Well, it's a game."  Ken smiled, explaining.  "You kick the ball around and try to get
it into the other teams goal."
	Van pulled his hand back.  "Aa, I never had much time for fun as a child."  and he said
it as if he didn't consider himself a kid anymore.  "I was always in training for something."
	Ken let Van's hand go, chuckling.  "I'm still having fun."
	"Well, perhaps you can show me, then." Van said, looking away.  "My instructor . . ."
his voice tightened, just slightly.  "is dead too, so I have nothing more to learn from him."
he blinked tightly and then looked back up, getting to his feet.
	"Well, if you're into swords, I'll bet Aya could be persuaded to work with you."  Ken
said, trying to dismiss the sad mood that had suddenly fallen.
	Van's jaw tightened.  "I actually don't like using the sword.  It's just something I had
to learn."  
	"Well, what do you like?"  Ken asked, having a feeling nobody had bothered to ask the
boy before.  Van blinked and smiled ruggedly, dismissing the odd air.
	"The bow and arrow."  he simply replied.
	"Well! talk to Omi!  He shoots with a bow and arrow set.  Darts too.  You're about the
same age, too." he said, grinning.
	Van shook his head.  "What do -you- use?"
	Ken, shrugging said.  "I use a weapon called a bugnuk . . . a tiger's claw. It's like a 
glove, and when you clench your fist, the claws come out."  He glances at Van's sword again.
"Do you even have a bow here, or is that your only weapon?" Van listened to Ken and then patted 
his sword, pulling it out of its sheath with a low hiss of metal on dried leather and wood. 
	"This is all I have with me." The sword looked too big for him. He was just a lanky 
kid with droopy black hair and knobby knees.  He held the hilt up, for Ken to see the 
Fanelia flower and logo on it.  "It's the King's sword. The design is my country's emblem."
	Ken blinked.  "That thing's almost bigger than you are." He looked at it closer.  "It 
looks neat, though. Is it ornamental, or do you fight with it?"
	He made a face and lifted it, resting the bladed edge on his other hand, flat side to his 
palm.  "I'll grow into it." He ran a finger along the blade.  "Of course I use it, as much as I 
hate to.  See the pock marks?" he smiled wanly.  "I'm still not that good."
	Ken nodded.  "Aa. I know how it feels to have to fight and not want to. I don't exactly 
like my job." he smiled wanly back.  "But the flowers are fun, and Aya, Omi, and Youji are great 
people to hang around with."
	He jammed the blade back into its sheath and looked around the kitchen.  "Strange 
occupation."  he stated, but he didn't condone it.
	"No stranger than being a king at only sixteen."  he glanced at the freezer.  "Want 
dessert? Unless Youji ate it, I think we have some ice cream left."
	"It wasn't my choice to be King so young." He said, his voice flat.  "I'm the last one of 
my family line, though. I have no choice."  He sounded a little sad and then shrugged at the 
thought of dessert. "I'm not really hungry anymore."
	Ken blinked.  "What happened to your family?" He realized that that was most likely not 
the most tactful question, and winced inwardly at being so stupid. He supposed Youji was right in 
telling him he should start thinking first and THEN speak.  Van looked to the side, his eyes shaded 
by shaggy bangs. He sighed, and briefly told his families demise to the other.  
	"My father fell ill and died when I was little. My brother was killed in the ritual to 
ascend to Kingship," this man didn't need to know about Folken's traitorship into Zaibach.  "and 
my mother vanished going into the forest to look for him."  He looked back up at Ken, eyes 
narrowed.  "But that was eleven years ago, so it's not . . . as recent."
	"The ritual to ascend to . . . what?"  Ken repeated, interested. He'd heard about some 
ancient people practicing rites to come of age. Was this something similar?
	Van looked annoyed.  "To ascend to Kingship. The ritual holds that when the previous king 
dies, or when the Crown Price, as in my case, reaches fifteen, he must prove he is fit to rule by 
slaying an earth dragon. We have to do it alone." he fingered a chain around his neck as he spoke,
looking absently into the air, remembering.  "For proof, we bring back the dragons heart. My 
brother died fighting." he looked up at Ken, then: "I didn't."
	Ken whistled lowly.  "Fight a DRAGON? Damn. You must be pretty strong!"  he had to admit, 
now he -really- admired the kid.  Killing a dragon?  Somehow, it was once again so bizarre that 
he just believed it.  Van looked away, fighting the blush creeping to his face. No one had ever 
admired his ability to kill a dragon like that.  Hitomi'd slapped him, after all.  Modestly he 
replied.
	"I'm not that strong."
	"Yeah, but aren't dragons, like . . . as big as houses?" he ran a hand through his hair. 
"I don't even think Aya could kill a dragon. If they existed here, anyway."
	"They're very big. And they breath fire and can fly." Van agreed as he leaned back against 
the counter, crossing his arms.  "You're lucky you don't have them here. After Fanelia was 
destroyed," his voice cinched a little and he cleared his throat. "the dragons took over.  We've 
had a hard time getting them out of the city."
	"And you killed one by yourself?!"
	Van looked away again, crimson.  "Aa, I had to."
	Ken, really, honestly amazed, said: "That's something else . . ."
	He couldn't take how the compliments were making him feel and just waved his hand, in a
dismissive manner.  "It doesn't matter.  Let's talk about something else."
	Ken, aware of Van's uncomfortableness at the subject, wondered: hadn't this boy ever 
received praise for what he'd done?  "Well . . . uh . . . what else do you do on your planet, 
then?"   Van swallowed and forced himself to relax. 
	"Typical things. Mostly its boring, signing treaties and papers and talking with 
diplomats. We're rebuilding the city, so there is always talk of remodeling and reconstruction." 
He sighed, crossing his arms, brooding now.  "And with winter coming, there is a shortage of food,
and the livestock were all killed, so we have no hide to make boots out of. The people who came 
back are willing to help and provide, but, I fear many won't survive the snow."
	Trying to be helpful, Ken suggested an idea: "Can you hunt somewhere else?  Outside your 
kingdom, maybe?"
	"Fanelia isn't big, but it's not feasible to hunt game beyond the remains of the forest. 
Besides, there are many dragon's there."  He shook his head.  "We import food from Astoria, and 
even though we have excellent trade with them now, we still don't have much to give in return. 
Fanelia is very much indebted."
	"Well, is there anything you have a lot of that might be valuable to other people?  Gold
or something?"  he was grasping straws here.
	Van snorted at the notion.  "If only it were that easy.  We trade what we have.  We don't 
have much; charred cinders and corpses."  he dejectedly said and shrugged, sighing.  "We'll make 
do, though. Fanelia is back on her feet already.  I have an excellent chancellor and High Council 
to help me negotiate. It's just daunting that to save the country, some of the people will 
inevitably die."
	Ken's eyes had progressively gotten wider as the story had gone on.  "I think, if I were 
in your position, that I probably wouldn't have made it past the dragon . . . and if I was lucky 
enough to do that, the country would have fallen into ruin and I probably would have been shot."
	"'Shot?'" Van questioned and then turned to look at him. Despite it all, he still found a 
reason to smile.  "You have to understand I was raised since I was a child to fill this role. I 
have a better background for the skills needed."  He dropped his hands to his side and looked at 
the tiled floor.  "But . . . you can see why I'd rather not be King."
	Ken vigorously nodded.  "But still, it takes a real man not to just give up and run away."
	Van clenched his teeth, thinking of Folken, but he nodded.  "Aa, thank you."
	Ken smiled, a bit of his hair falling into his green eyes.  "You're welcome.  I really
think you deserve it."
	He looked at Ken and wasn't able to hide his blush this time without making it obvious. If 
he turned away, it'd look rude.  He just averted his eyes and burned brightly.
	And that answered Ken's previous question: nobody had ever taken the time to praise Van
for what he'd done well.  Most likely, he'd only been told what he did wrong.  He decided it was 
time for a subject change.  "Are you tired or anything?  I'm not sure where you can sleep, but you 
can take a shower while I figure it out if you want to."
	"Aa, I am a little tired."  he looked ack up.  "'Shower'?" he inquired.
	"Yeah, it's how we bathe here.  C'mon, I'll show you how it works."  he hopped off the
counter and started upstairs.  Van just nodded and followed him.  Ken went into the bathroom and 
flipped on the light.  "Okay, here's how this works."  he said as he knelt by the tub and 
explained how to work the water, and how to adjust the temperature to the way you want it.  Van
took his belt off and his sword, resting them against the toilet, bending close and listening,
nodding at random intervals to show he was understanding.   "And finally, pull here."  he pulled.
"and the shower starts."  he grinned at him.  "You just step in and wash off.  There's soap and
shampoo and everything."
	Van stood and nodded.  "I think I understand."
	"Cool.  Just leave your clothes on the floor.  I'll leave a pair of my jeans and a shirt
outside the door for you to brag when you're done."  he grinned at him more.  "In the meant time,
I'll figure out where we can put you."
	Van just nodded and smiled.  When Ken left, he shed his clothes, got in the shower and 
washed. He eyed the shampoos and conditioners oddly and timidly used them both, applying suds 
everywhere. He washed and dried with a towel and found the small pile of clothes outside and 
dressed. He opened the door relaxed and clean and looking remarkably like a wet Ken as he headed 
down the hall, looking for the other.
	Ken was jogging up the stairs, looking slightly annoyed.  He brightened a little when he 
saw Van.  "Aa, done?  Well, it looks like you have to share my room with me, if you don't mind." 
He made a face.  "Aya says the basement is off limits."
	Van was absently rebuckling his sword and sheath around his waist.  He was practically
drowning in Ken's jeans and shook his head, looking up through wet bangs.  "I don't meant to 
inconvenience you."
	"It's not a big deal, I don't mind." Ken said and grinned ruefully.  "But it means I have 
to clean my room. It's this way . . . "  he lead the way and opened the door, kicking some stuff
out of the way in the process.
	Van followed and looked at the mess, cocking a narrow hip slightly.  "Well, we definitely 
need some work done in here."  he bent and picked some magazines up.  "It must be nice to have 
this much stuff." He absently commented, picking another magazine up.
	Ken laughed.  "I guess you could say that."  He gathered up armload after armload of junk 
and piled it on the other side of his bed.  "It's mostly just a pain." after awhile, he dusted his 
hands off and nodded.  "Yeah, this'll work." he headed to his closet and brought out a sleeping bag 
and a pillow.  "Think you'll need blankets too?"
	He set his stuff down on the floor in a neat little pile and shrugged.  "I'll be all right." 
He felt bad, making the other do so much work, but had no clue where to begin to help.
	"Are you sure?  I sleep with the window open, and it gets cold in here sometimes."
	Van shrugged: "Well, leave one out, I guess. I'll use it if I need it." and then he moved
to sit on the edge of Ken's bed a moment.  "I live in a stone castle most of the time though, so
it's cold enough."
	The assassin blinked.  "Well, okay, if you're sure. There are plenty on the bed."  he 
pulled out a couple and laid them neatly over the sleeping bag, then sat down on it and looked up 
at him.  "If you get cold, just wake me up and I'll shut the window."  he said with a smile.
	"Aa, all right."  Van said with a nod and looked down at him, sitting on the blankets on the 
floor. It wasn't like him to be so thankful, and to constantly tell someone he appreciated them, 
but he did anyway.  "Thank you, again, Hidaka."
	"It's okay.  And you can call me Ken, if you want."  he smiled again, his hair falling 
over his eyes.  He brushed it away with an exasperated sound.  "Time to get a trim."
	"Ken, then." Van affirmed and looked at Ken's hair and chuckled, brushing his own out of
his eyes.  "Mine's worse, and I like it this way."
	Ken laughed with him  "You might be used to it that way, but I'm not."
	"Perhaps so."  he shrugged and moved to get to his feet, unbuckling his belt and sword
resting them on the night stand.  Ken waited until Van was done, then flicked the light off and
stretched out on the sleeping bag.
	"What time do you usually get up in the morning?" 
	Van blinked, looking down at Ken in the near darkness.  "When the sun rises." he commented,
"isn't that when everyone gets up?"
	Ken blinked.  "Really?  Well, not here.  Tomorrow's Sunday, so we don't have to work." he
grinned a little.  "I generally stay up this late -- or later, if I have someone willing to talk
to me, Omi will come in and talk sometimes -- and then sleep really late. It's -so- nice to sleep
in late."
	"There are no days off for me."  Van stated and nudged Ken's side with his toe.  "Get up,
you're not sleeping down there."
	Ken blinked and grinned up at him .  "Sure I am.  I sleep on the floor even when I don't
have to.  You can have the bed."  Van shook his head, disagreeing.
	"It's not right."  he stated.  "I'll sleep on the floor.  I'm quite used to it."
	"No, you're the guest, so you get the bed."  Ken said and nodded.
	"Don't be difficult, Ken. This is your home, so I'll not put you out of your bed. I'm a 
guy too, so there's no need to be so soft." Van retorted.
	"Yeah, but you're a king, and you're younger than me. So, take the bed." He grinned at Van. 
"Either way, I'm staying on the floor."
	He sighed and sat on Ken's bed, looking down at him in the darkness. Those were two things 
he couldn't argue, and he knew he'd be the same if the roles were reversed.  Complimenting, he 
said.  "You'd make a fine knight." and then swung his legs onto the mattress and laid down.
	"Me?  A knight?"  Ken chuckled a little.  "I doubt it.  I'm a total blunder with a sword."
	Van stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling, thinking about that.  "Have you ever really tried
to train with one before?"
	"Well, not really. I like my claws." Ken also grinned up at the ceiling.  "I did fool
around with a staff when I was younger.  My cousins and I would play 'Knights and Mages' . . . I 
always got to be the mage, and thus, waved a broomstick around and chanted 'spells'." he laughed 
at the fond memory.
	Van smiled ruefully up at the ceiling and chuckled gently.  "Sounds like it was a fun 
childhood."  He turned on his side, tucking an arm under his head, looking down at Ken.  "I 
suppose it doesn't matter anyway. You're probably to old to apply for knightship, anyway."  He 
smiled down at him in the near darkness.
	Ken snorted.  "I'm probably not as hold as you think I am."  he rolled onto his side, to
look up at Van.
	Van kept smiling, tilting his head into the crook of his arm.  "How old are you?"
	"I'm nineteen."  Ken stated, grinning.
	"That's true, I thought you were older."  he yawned sleepily, eyes drooping a little.
"But that's still probably too old to apply for a knight.  Especially if you've never worked with
a sword before."
	Ken found himself oddly enchanted with the king's sleepy smile.  Van was quite attractive. 
"Hai, probably so." he laughed. "And if you have to kill a dragon to be a knight, too, then I'd 
be smoked."
	"No, no dragon killing involved."  he reassured kindly.  He yawned again and spoke more.
"I think I'd rather have you closer to me as a courier or council member than a knight, anyway.
No sense in letting you get killed."
	Ken laughed and felt his face heat up a little.  "Thanks, it's good to know I wouldn't 
readily be risking my life . . . not like I don't already.  So what would I do as a courier or 
council member?"
	"Mm. Courier's just tend to serve me, running messages and stuff. Not that I'm a pampered 
King. Mostly it's boring stuff.  Filling my ink well, putting more wood on the fire, letting me 
dictate to them.  Council members just help me think.  They're the brains of the Kingdom.  You seem
smart enough to be useful there.  Plus, you're worldly." He smiled broader.  "Perhaps you could be 
my personal bodyguard, mm?  No one would expect a non-catboy to have claws."
	"'Catboy'"?" he questioned, and then added.  "And I don't have them if I'm not wearing the 
gloves, remember." he chuckled, at the picture Van was painting for him, though.  "I don't know, I 
think it might be interesting to see what life is like there . . . but why do you have someone to 
dictate to?  You can read and write, can't you?"
	"Of course I can, but my skills don't lie with the pen." Van laughed, rolling onto his 
back, staring at the ceiling.  "I often can't read my own writing.  Aah, you don't have cat people 
here, do you?  I remember how shocked Hitomi was, seeing Merle and the Ubarus the first few times. 
Well. If we find her, you can come back with us.  I need to repay you somehow, anyway."
	Ken laughed more; Van had put him in a lovely relaxed mood.  "Sounds like me!  My handwriting 
is horrible."  He grinned madly.  "Well, I don't know about going back." he sighed and sounded a 
little wistful. "I'd like to, but . . . there are so many things I'm supposed to be doing here."
	"Well. Of course you wouldn't have to stay, if you didn't want to." Van shrugged and moved 
on the bed, wriggling under the covers.  "It would be fun to show you all of Fanelia though." he 
leaned on his side again, propping his head up with a hand, letting his hair drape in front of his 
eyes, looking down at Ken.  "Prove that I'm completely serious about everything I've told you."
	Ken smiled up at him.  "That does sound like fun.  I think I'll go with you."  he laughed.
	"I'd like that." Van commented and flopped to his back again, yawning, taking Ken 
completely seriously.  "I hope it doesn't disappoint you. It's mostly reconstruction, still.  
Hitomi'll be jealous, I think.  Especially if you stay."
	"Why would she be jealous?"  Ken asked and blinked.  "Is she your girlfriend or something?"
	"Aah, not exactly.  She's just the kind of girl to get jealous over strange things."  Van 
cleared his throat, looking up.  "We're close, though. If she could give up this world and come 
live on Gaea with me forever, then . . . I think we'd be closer.  But, I suppose it's pointless to 
love her if I can't hardly ever see her." He sounded a little sad.  "Right?"
	"Well, not really . . . although I guess if she lives here on Earth, it might be a bad 
thing . . ."  he said, and added sympathetically: "I have the same problem . . . a girl I like 
moved to Australia . . . so my feelings are pointless now."
	"I assume Australia is far away?"  Van sighed and put his hands behind his head, and 
closed his eyes.  "I guess we're in the same boat. Why didn't you move with her?"
	"I was going to.  I seriously was."  he sighed.  "But . . . I couldn't.  My friends, and 
my job . . . I couldn't just leave all of that for a girl . . . I'm not sure I was even in love 
with her.  I thought I was."
	Vans brows beetled and he opened his eyes, looking up into the darkness.  "Then how could 
you go with me to Gaea?" his voice dropped, sounding offended.  "Or are you just humouring me in 
believing that I'd be willing to take you?"
	"Well, Gaea is another PLANET. Australia’s just another country. I want to see how life 
is there."   Ken said, smiling.
	Softly, Van replied.  "You probably won't like it."
	"I bet I will." he grinned.  "I like fantasy novels . . . knights and sorcery and kingdoms,
and all that rot. I'm sure I'd love it." he laughed at the romantic idea of it all.  "Besides, I 
could help with the rebuilding for awhile."
	"Aa.  Well.  We'll see, I suppose.  You're always welcome."  Van softly replied.
	"Howe're we gonna get there, though?"  Ken asked and blinked.
	"If we find Hitomi, it'll happen then. If not . . ." he fingered the pendant necklace he 
wore under his shirt, given to him by Hitomi.  ". . . well, I hope I can activate the energist 
and transport back."
	"If you can't, are you stuck here?"  Ken inquired.
	Van stared at the ceiling, brows drawing together.  "I suppose so."
	Ken frowned a little.  "What about your kingdom, though?"
	Van pulled a pillow under his head, inhaling the scent that was Ken's imprinted on it and 
closed his eyes.  "I just . . . hope I can find her." and softer he added.  "But I don't even know 
where to start."
	Ken smiled.  "I'll help you find her. Don't worry."
	Van's voice remained soft.  "I can't help but worry." he said, nestling into the bed and 
muttered softly.  "Your bed is very comfortable." he yawned, snuggling down.
	"Hai, it is." he agreed with a lightly chuckle.  "I'm exhausted . . . I'm going to go to 
sleep. Oyasumi, Vankun."
	"Ore mo." Van murmured, his words slurring. "'Yas'mi." he added, and soon was fast asleep.


--end part one--