*A FEW MINUTES AGO*

Zhang's eyes fill with unshed tears as YiYang informs him how mankind had plundered the once beautiful earth, not even thinking about what they were leaving for their descendants.

'Almost exactly like it happened on my planet.' Zhang recalls.

YiYang informs him of his people's hatred towards the human beings and how it was because of his father, Emperor YiLei, that the humans were allowed continued existence.

"So the humans are... what... what are they to this planet?" Zhang asks in a small voice.

The prince takes a deep breath and places a comforting hand on the human's shoulder, "They are nothing. If they stay without causing trouble, they are allowed to exist."

A tear makes its way down Zhang's cheek; he wipes it away with the sleeve of his shirt. He opens his mouth to say something, but before he can voice his thoughts, YiYang puts a hand on his mouth. "Captain, you saved my life. I am obligated to return the favor. My people are here. I can sense them. If they see you or your ship, I can't guarantee your safety."

Zhang nods. "What should I do?"

"Cloak your vehicle." YiYang instructs,  "Is there a way to extend the atmosphere control field of the ship so that I can leave here and go to them before they find me?" he asks, looking around.

The astronaut nods and walks to the control panel. "How far?"

"A few hundred meters should do it. I will leave this vehicle and take my people away." YiYang moves closer to Zhang, who is trying to extend the atmospheric control as far as it can go.

Zhang pushes a few buttons on the control panel, "Done!" he announces a moment later, a proud smile gracing his face.

"Thank you, Captain Zhang. I hope you have a good life." The prince says it like he means them sincerely and adds, "I know you have a lot of questions, but you are smart; you don't need me to answer them for you."

Zhang nods and bows like he had seen YiYang do earlier. The crown prince returns the gesture, "I hope I never see you again, Captain." he turns away but stops almost immediately when he hears a noise of something heavy hit the ground.

"Captain!" YiYang rushes towards Zhang and kneels down next to the human, who had his eyes closed, was clutching his chest and trembling violently. "Captain, what's wrong?" The crown prince wraps his arms around the trembling pilot. No sooner does he do that, the human opens his eyes, which are glowing: bright blue.

YiYang gasps. 'Exactly like YiHuang! Why? How?!' The crown prince wonders, looking down at the trembling human in his arms.

As the minutes tick by, Zhang slowly starts calming down; his eyes return to normal. When the tremors have subsided, he blinks his eyes open and smiles. "YiHuang," he calls like the man was standing right in front of him.

Hearing his brother's name spoken so reverently by a human who was not of their earth sends shivers down YiYang's spine. He wonders if he had heard wrong, but his doubts are dispelled when he hears it again, "YiHuang... " Zhang whispers before losing consciousness and going still in the crown prince's arms.

"Well,  that was unexpected." The crown prince sights at the rather sticky situation he had found himself in. Of course, YuanJians would never call it such. They would probably use a more culturally refined term, but the truth was that it was a sticky situation.

On the one hand, there was an unconscious pilot, the sole survivor of Earth 2.03, who had saved his life. On the other was his brother, who he could feel was closing in on the human's space vehicle.

Yes, YiYang could feel his younger brother's presence. It was one of the many things that made his race superior to humans. Those related by blood could feel the other's presence within a few hundred meters of each other if they so chose.

YiYang was well aware of how strict his people were when it came to destroying human technology. Everything that humans created was seen as a threat to the planet. It was his father's order to kill anyone trying to invent new technology or use the existing one. Thus, the crown prince knew that if Zhang was caught, he would be executed. YiYang couldn't let that happen. Not when the man in his lap had called his brother's name like a prayer before losing consciousness.

Many questions had flooded YiYang's mind when Zhang had called out for his brother.

'How does a human know my brother's name?'

'How was this human's ship able to enter our dimension?'

'Why had his eyes glowed like that!?'

After much consideration, the prince concludes that it couldn't be a coincidence. Then he recalls something that he had heard a couple of years ago.

'Could Zhang be the one, who the words of The First referred to?'

The crown prince decides that the human needed to survive. For if he does, YiYang could sneak out later and get answers to the question his unexpected arrival had raised. He carries the human to the medical bay and lies him down on the small makeshift bed that he had occupied not too long ago.

YiYang knew only part of the words The First had left for them. It was one of the most highly guarded secrets of their race. Only five elders,  including his father, knew them in their entirety, and even those who did, did not interpret it in the same way.

Thus, it was unlikely that Zhang was the one mentioned by The First. Nonetheless, there was just something about Zhang that made YiYang feel like he needed to protect the man.

With all these thoughts in mind, YiYang reckons that the best thing to do would be to leave the ship and its Captain behind and go to his brother, who he could feel was very close to discovering them.

Without further delay, YiYang goes over to the control panel and opens the ship's door, and walks out to meet his brother, who was about to touch the force field.

*Now*

The wave-like veil calls to YiHuang, but before he can touch it again, a firm hand grips his shoulder and turns him around.

"Brother," YiYang exclaims, fringing surprise at YiHuang's shocked countenance before smiling and embracing him.

Once in his brother's embrace, the pull YiHuang had felt just seconds ago fades; relief floods his heart, and in a rare display of affection, he returns the embrace. It barely lasts for a few moments, and then the younger steps away and demands, "How are you breathing the land air, brother?"
YiYang had expected it to be his brother's first question; unfrazzled, he grins, "Maybe, I have inherited father's power, Ah-Huang." He pats his bewildered-looking brother's back, "The important thing is that you rescued me!" He throws his arms around the latter's neck in the usual display of affection, annoying the latter.

YiHuang struggles out of the octopus-like grip and checks him for injuries. Satisfied that he did not need medical aid, the younger prince quirks his brow, then looking past his elder brother, he reaches for the veil once again. "Brother, I think there is something here," he informs.

Alarm bells go off in YiYang's mind. He did not want the latter to figure out Zhang's existence, at least, not till he was sure that the human was not a threat. He grabs at his chest and starts gasping for breath, trying to catch the younger's attention.

As expected, YiHuang's hand stops when it is barely a hairsbreadth away from the force field. He unhooks the mask from his waist belt and helps the latter secure it on his face. "Brother," he calls, his monolid eyes hold concern and fear for YiYang, who, even after wearing the mask, has his eyes closed and is pretending to be in immense pain. "Say something." He pleads and scans the area before pulling out his ComD (personal communication device) to inform his team that he had found the crown prince.

Not wanting more of his people to wander in the area he wanted to keep hidden, YiYang stops his brother, "I am fine now. I guess I was in shock."

This logic sits well with the second prince; he nods, "Brother, Father will want to know-"

The crown prince, however, doesn't let his brother finish. He holds his arm and leans into him, "Let's just tell father that I was being adventurous. I lost my footing and fell into the sea." he grins before winking, "And you rescued me before I was pretty far gone to be saved."

YiHuang quirks his brow, "Brother, I don't understand. You couldn't have gone too far. Then there is the blood-bond that would never abandon us. As long as you want to be found, I will come to you."

As they start walking back to the beach, YiHuang holds his peace. He could tell that his brother was hiding something, but he chooses to let him be. For he knew that pushing the crown prince for answers when he did not want to give them was futile.

Soon they are back on TengFei and are summoned by their father. The brothers do as asked and shortly find themselves in front of YiLei.

{Note :- Word count 1580

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