Chapter Text
The Oracle was to hold an important meeting the night of the blue moon.
It worried Galaxia greatly, the urgence and panic in the Oracle’s cracking voice and the fear flowing through the old woman’s pale, gold eyes. The Oracle had many visions, none of which were large concerns for the Draconic Circle. The last event to have caused action from the Circle was the prophecy of Acnologia, which… did not end well. For anyone.
The Draconic Circle had yet to meet since then. The failure of stopping Acnologia before he became something unchangeable had weighed down heavily on the bonds of the Circle and tore it apart.
So, what significant danger loomed in the horizon could cause the Oracle of Dragons to call the Circle back together again?
The Draconic Circle was a mighty yet unknown force— an alliance between powerful dragons of all tribes to stop worldly threats to not only dragon kind, but to the world itself. A secret, a shield… a broken sphere.
Galaxia’s heart ached at the lost lives they couldn’t save from Acnologia and at the friendships she made that she just as soon lost.
She focused her mind on the task of flying through the star-filled sky to the Oracle’s hut in the woods, far from any society. An old woman, blind in the physical realm but endless sight in the future. Her true name unknown, her humanity lost to time— the Draconic Circle’s confidential advisor.
Galaxia’s noble wings, as dark as the night sky and dotted with silver scales like stars, flapped slowly as she landed and activated her human appearance. An ability few dragons could achieve, but a necessary one in order to blend in. It was a safety precaution to keep the location of the Oracle hidden, even if her hut was located oceans away from any socialization.
Her human form— dark in skin, her silver scales turning to lighter freckles, her light blue eyes rounding to a more human shape, and black hair cascading down her back— was uncomfortable. It felt tight and like she was stuffed into a box, but everyone in the Circle agreed to conform to human appearances for the safety of the Oracle. Their sizes were just too much of a risk.
Strolling down the stone path covered in moss and willow trees, Galaxia hummed in thought. She was beyond concerned with the urgency of the meeting and the threat sure to be warned of. And how the others would react when meeting each other once again.
As the Queen of Celestial Dragons, the ruler of the stars that dotted Earth Land… the empress of a lost dragon species and the last of her kind… she could not handle another wipeout. Not again.
Her eyes closed as she sensed a familiar presence fly down, his reckless and cocky flying carrying into his rough landing. She heard the sigh and stretch as he shifted to his human appearance.
“Igneel,” Galaxia acknowledged without stopping her stroll. It was a long walk.
“Galaxia! Long time, old friend!” He chuckled loudly, despite the doom in the horizon. He caught up in step with her and she smiled despite trying to stay regal and composed. Her and Igneel were great friends, and she missed his antics. A king who ruled with a furious fist, but also a great being with a strong sense of compassion. They were the few of the circle on good terms after the split.
His human form was tall and mighty, much like his natural form. Bulky muscles and spiky, red hair tied in a human-like ponytail. His scars carried over onto his tan skin.
“How has the sky been treating you, Galaxia?” Igneel asked, keeping the atmosphere as light as possible. He was the type to start the serious conversations once it was truly time to have them.
Galaxia nodded. “Peaceful. Though, it often leaves me to think thoughts I wish not to experience. Loneliness can only do so much to a living being.”
Igneel nodded in understanding. He furrowed his brows. “So it can,” he said.
A quick and sharp landing from their right made them stop, waiting for the expecting harder landing that usually followed. Grandeeney’s human appearance, slender with short, pink hair, appeared furious as Metalicana’s bigger form transformed next to her. The sky dragon’s blue eyes were lit with aggression. She stomped forward to Igneel and Galaxia, still maintaining her elegant stance.
“Oaf! Fool! Idiotic metal brain!” The small but powerful Grandeeney exclaimed as she continued down the stone path, ignoring the other two dragons.
Igneel huffed a quiet laugh and turned to Galaxia, “Looks like the lovers are here.”
“You got something to say, bastard!?” Metalicana’s human form was even larger in height and muscle than Ignee’s, with long, flowing hair, silver and shiny. Metal protrusions sprouted from various spots on his pale skin. His eyes were most like his natural form— slender, nearly all black with small pricks of silver light.
Igneel, who was never one to back down from a challenge (especially Metalicana), stood straighter. “Oh, don’t mind me! Just commenting on what I see before me!” He waved his hand, brushing the whole thing off and continuing walking. “What did dearest do now, Grandeeney!”
Veins popped in Metalicana’s forehead. Galaxia decided that then was the time to step in. No sort of fights were needed that night.
“Both of you better stop your antics.” She said in a stern voice. She let off a wave of power, reminding them of who the most powerful one was and who the original leader of the Circle was. “Now.”
Despite both males' attempts to remain unbothered, both swallowed in knowing fear. “Yes, mam,” they said quietly in sync.
“Tch.” Grandeeney spat out, leading the group forward into the forest. “Spineless oafs.” The sky dragon was in a very bad mood. Only the worst of moods could bring out the venom of the usually kind and soft Grandeeney.
“What’s bothering you, dear sister?” Galaxia asked.
As three more lands sounded behind them, Igneel gasped offensively. He pointed at Galaxia and turned toward the three new members that joined them. “Favoritism! There is favoritism happening in this circle!”
On a rare occasion of Metalicana agreeing with Igneel, he huffed a rough grunt. “Sure, tell us to shut it when we cause noise but go all soft on the bitchy one! Female dragons and their damn biases, I tell ya’!”
“What was that?” Asked a sharp, feminine voice from behind the group.
Metalicana kept a stone cold voice as he shivered. “What was what?”
“That’s what I thought,” said Trifary. The ruling dragon of the seas, her usual coat of grey and blue scales was traded for sand colored skin. The unique features that were her teal fins on her body turned into wavy hair. She was tall, evening with Igneel in height. The rounder versions of her pearl colored eyes held the same sharpness that her natural form held.
“I keep telling you not to mess with the females. They’ll bite your head off!” Weisslogia shook his head. His human disguise was extremely pale, almost as white as his king, straight hair. He had a beard and bushy brows, having the oldest appearing human form out of all of them. Skiadrum, who held a similar form to his friend but with darker colors and a shaved head, only nodded along silently. Both were as elegant as their sleek, monochrome natural forms.
Metalicana threw his hands up. “What is this, ‘nitpick Metalicana day’?!”
“Everyday is ‘nitpick Metalicana day to me’.” A new voice appeared. Raidex, the prince of the lightning dragon kingdom, was charming and suave, but childish. His bright, yellow scales glowed in the night. His wings, a gradient of lime to lemon colors. He transformed to a younger looking human, blonde hair short and neon, green eyes sparkling. Slight strands of green ran through his hair. “It’s always fun to see his reactions, huh?” He flipped his hair back and strutted towards the group.
“You’re on thin fucking ice, kid.” Metalicana growled. No one knew why the rough metal dragon held a soft spot for the younger dragon, but it was a surreal sight to see.
As the last two members of the former circle arrived, Galaxia silently allowed a wave of relief to wash over her. The crimson dragon with violet eyes and wings, king of the poison dragons, Valpiper. Occupied by him, his cousin, the queen of the forest dragons in her graceful and slender form with shades of vine and moss colored scales and flowers growing from the cracks between her scales, Diavinne. Their human appearances were more of twins, however— identical olive skin, pointy human noses and relatively similar frames. The only noticeable differences were their hair and eye— violet eyed from Valpiper and lilac from Diavinne; short, half shaved crimson hair and braided, pale green hair contrasted greatly.
“Are we late to the festivities, or are we just on time?” Valpiper snidely remarked. Diavinne rolled her eyes at her cousin's immaturity.
“Remind me again how you and Raidex aren’t the best of friends considering the remarkably similar and annoying ignorance you have?” Weisslogia commented in irritation.
Raidex scoffed. “As if Strawberry over there could compare to me!”
Valpiper laughed loudly, though no humor came off him. “You really are a humorous fellow! It’s as if nothing changed! The thought of you being greater than me is laughable!”
As petty arguments broke out, Galaxia started to form a headache. “Enough!” She shouted at the group. Everyone noticeably quieted up as Galaxia took the lead of the group again and walked down the path. “Do you have no common sense? We have been called after decades of being broken apart because of a world-threatening emergency! Such childish bickering can stay outside the conflict. We need to focus on the matter at hand!” Galaxia finished as the Oracle’s hut came into view.
The silence between the former group filled with tense energy as they came up to the hut. Any worry of needing to find the Oracle was soon erased as the group held the sight of the old woman staring blankly into the night sky. Her mouth mumbled silent words urgently, her endless gaze far off into the future. Everyone was silent, knowing the Oracle was finishing a reading. And judging by the hearing they were called to, it was an important reading.
“You’re all ignorant.”
The scratchy voice of the Oracle made a few members jump (mainly, Raidex and Valpiper.) Her gaze never turned from the sky, her form still as a statue.
“Ignorance!” She suddenly yelled. “Ignorance plagues all of your souls. The once saviors of Earth Land broken apart by mere failure! You have broken the future because of your ignorance!”
Galaxia felt a sharp white anger at her core. “‘Mere failure’, you say? It was nothing but! A great devastation wiped out nearly all life! All of my subjects!”
The Oracle suddenly threw her form to the group. A blaring fire set in her dull eyes, one Galaxia has never seen! “Ignorance! Pure ignorance holds you! You can never recover from your ignorance and it has doomed us all!” The old woman gasped and cried as she sank to the ground, wildly shaking her head.
Igneel tried to kneel down to calm her. “Oracle, please, explain the situation—“ He was cut off as the form of the Oracle suddenly snapped, her back cracking as her upper body turned toward the sky. Energy surrounded her, her mouth agape as unknown whispers escaped it without it ever moving. Her eyes turned pure white.
A brand new prophecy was about to be released from the Oracle. Being anywhere near her would cause any one living person to go insane from the whispers. “Back! Everyone!” She shouted!
The group quickly gave the Oracle room, surrounding her in a distant circle to watch the rare sight of a new prophecy. The whispers grew louder, tempting even the strongest beings to lean closer and hear their forbidden secrets. No one dared to listen to them.
A loud scream came from the Oracles mouth as the words escaped so loudly but soft as a huff of air, revealing the path of the future for Earth Land;
“The end of everything,
The setting of life,
The dawn of nothing,
The era of strife!
His time nears,
His deathly reign,
The emperor of fear,
The king of pain,
Chaos has no meaning,
Peace has no place,
In the birth of void,
In the endless space,
Time breaks and shatters,
Day and night destroyed,
The black hole of matter,
Love and light devoid,
One hope flickers near,
In the waiting abyss,
Children of ten, make it clear!
Your strength, together,
Will return the light and bliss!”
A screech that was more human came from the Oracle as the energy vanished and she crumpled to the ground. Grandeeney rushed forward and rested the old woman’s head on her lap, immediately casting a healing circle around her. Galaxia distantly recognized it as one for reviving energy.
The Oracle still mumbled words urgently as the group surrounded her with concern. She consistently gasped for breath.
“The slayers! The slayers! The children of slayer magic, you must find them! You must find them! Find them!”
Metalicana growled loudly. “Who is coming? What threat is this? Is it Acnologia again?” He hurriedly asked, the group tensing at the thought.
The Oracle shook her head crazily. “No! Much worse! So much worse!” She sobbed into Grandeeney’s lap, who looked increasingly panicked. Galaxia made the mistake of ignoring her sky sister.
“Who could be worse than Acnologia, Oracle?” Galaxia asked, hands gripping the grass below her tightly. Visions of death and genocide flashed between her eyes.
“Worse! Much worse! He’s coming, the Dragon of the Void! He approaches! He approaches!”
Grandeeney suddenly shook the old woman, healing circles becoming brighter and larger. “Stop! You’ll kill yourself, Oracle! You need to stop using your magic!”
As the Oracle let out more strangled breaths of air, she whispered her last word. A name that was unheard of yet still sent shivers down the powerful group of dragons spines. Her eyes dulled and her frame stilled as the last breath left her lips.
“Thanomia.”
And with that, the grand and humble Oracle of Dragons, who lived hundreds of years aiding the dragons in saving countless lives, gave her own to deliver the most important prophecy that time will ever know.
The wind roared in Galaxia’s face as she raced through the starry night sky that was glazed in the light of the blue moon. Her thoughts raced and simultaneously stayed still as the Oracle’s prophecy repeated endlessly.
Ten slayers… Dragon Slayers. That every member of the Circle was to raise a child to defeat a great evil that was to come.
The only productive action that came out of that night was a hasty agreement of the Circle to meet in a week's time to discuss the fate of their future and what plan they’d have for the slayers. It was...it was all so much information to process.
But that’s what Galaxia was born to do. She was once the ruler of some of the mightiest dragons in history, a power to behold and a force to respect. Not only a warrior to be feared, but a leader that had to process important facts and make difficult decisions.
Galaxia understood one fact: there would be several members unwilling to train Dragon Slayers, most likely Valpiper and Raidex. Their discrimination against humans was the biggest factor in the Circle first breaking down and crumbling. How was one to protect a world in which many of the habitants are those one holds hatred for? The question was asked many times by Galaxia to both the younger dragons. It was true that neither could actively commit violence against humans under the dominant eye of Galaxia, but that did not erase their lack of motivation to save.
Persuading the two to agree to train Dragon Slayers would be impossible. And with some members being protective of humans and determined to successfully fulfill the prophecy, there was bound to be serious fights. Igneel already looked as if he was going to strangle Raidex at the Oracle’s hut when the lightning dragon prince ranted about how humans were scum and had no worth learning the ways of the dragon.
It was Galaxia’s responsibility, however, to step up as the leader of the Draconic Circle. She had to find a way to get everyone to work together to prevent another disaster from happening. Another Acnologia event, or perhaps one worse than that according to the Oracle, was her worst nightmare. A dreaded fate.
The end of the universe as they knew it.
With infinite thoughts and seeds of plans swirling in her mind, Galaxia almost missed a faint yet clear sound. A high pitched whine, a cry. The sound of a child.
Galaxia was a caring soul, an ancient one who had seen what true tragedy and nightmares were. But throughout all the years she lived and tears she cried, she kept her kindness close to her mighty heart. The stars shone for everyone.
She circled the skies growing near the sharp tang of salty tears. Trees blocked most of the ground completely, so she made sure to sharpen her eyes to the maximum of her ability. The cry sounded so young and afraid that an urgency was present in her veins.
A clearing in the woods appeared in her sight. No, a meadow. One of wildflowers and tall grass, fireflies floating like cotton in the air. Upon the grass was a bundle of pink blankets and a young child wrapped in them, safe and tight.
Not a child. A baby.
The babe stopped crying once the great shadow of Galaxia flooded above her. Big, brown eyes, watery from tears, looked up in curiosity. A brave soul already. Galaxia tilted her head along with the babe, pondering where they—no, she, from the smell—came from. There was nothing especially strange about the smell of her, no special or dangerous magic around her. Just an ordinary baby girl, abandoned in a meadow.
When the babe started crying again, Galaxia immediately shifted to her human form. She took the baby into her arms, hushing and swaying her. She hummed a familiar tune, an old lullaby of her kind. A forgotten song, only remembered by the stars.
Upon the blankets that wrapped the now calm babe were letters of the human tongue, written in gold thread. Lucy.
Something was eerily familiar about the baby girl. The look in her chocolate eyes, the pale wisps of blonde hair. The faint feeling of a thrum of stardust from her. Anna.
Galaxia would inquire if she recognized the babe when she next came face to face with her old friend. For now, however, she smiled softly down at the drifting girl.
“Hello, Lucy.”