One planet, blue, and the other, red, floated in the black void of space.  The light given off by each of the glowing spheres intermingled to form a violet haze.

Three figures materialized within that glowing light.  One, a tall blonde, spoke.  "Well, looks like we got here just in time."  She seemed amused by something.  "No thanks to you Noin."

Noin opened her mouth as if to retort, her cheeks red from embarassment, only to be interrrupted by the other dark haired girl's amused tones. "Probably off to watch that blonde haired brat she's so obsessed with, ne Sally?"

Sally let out a laugh which she immediately covered with a cough at Noin's pointed glance.  The black haired woman turned to face Hirde.  "Very funny, Hirde."  She glared daggers at the cheekily smiling younger girl.

"Well, it's true.  Ever since he came into that world," she gestured at the red planet offhandedly, "You've been hovering around him."  Her tone of voice suddenly sharpened.  "You do know that what lies ahead for all of them is much more important than one half blooded dragon brat?"

Noin flushed, this time in anger.  "I know my duty.  And he won't interfere."

"It had better not."  The two black haired women faced each other, the two obviously having had several previous arguments along the same subject many times.

A diffident cough broke the tense silence.  "Well, if you two have finished, it *is* time."

"I know.  And I'm so~~ disappointed you didn't call me."  A new voice spoke out.

The three women whirled to face the newcomer.

A girl, Hirde's age, materialized.  Her long whitish blond hair was loose and flowing, her eyebrows extended in almost wing like extensions, she approached the threesome.

"Dorothy."

Dorothy let out a slight chuckle.  "You are glad to see me, aren't you?"

"We won't let you interfere, " Sally said.  The younger blonde girl raised and eyebrow.  "I'm here to merely observe the birth of the Dragons."

After exchanging wary glances, the three went went back to watching the two glowing planets, Dorthy drifting in beside them.

Suddenly 5 beams of light arched up from the planets, two from the red and three from the blue.

"Masaka."  Hirde sounded stunned.

Sally and Noin were equal looks of bafflement on their faces.   "There's only supposed to be four..."

Only Dorothy retained her usual look of calm amusement.  "Isn't life more interesting with these... little unexpected moments?"

Noin, face pale, turned to the smirking girl.  "Surely, *you* didn't..."

Dorothy shrugged eloquently.  "You know very well I don't have that sort of power."  With a malicious look, she added.  "No need to look so out of sorts.  These little things happen."

"Little things!  What about the prophecy... The one we've been waiting for!"  Noin seemed to be taking this unexpected turn of evens the hardest.  Sally looked thoughtful, while Hirde, at first shocked, watched on in interest as Noin and Dorothy argued.

"Mou...This is what you get for relying on such an old thing.  Have you ever planned for what will happen once the Dragons appear?"  She laughed lightly at the looks of discomfort on the other three's faces.  She pointed at Sally.  "Future.  You should have been looking at the possibilities as well as the predicted outcome.  Present."  She turned to Hilde.  "Perhaps concentrating on the actions of the people below instead of merely observing?"  Lastly, she gazed at Noin.  "Poor Past, without anywhere to turn to."  She smirked and faded into the darkness once more, her voice calling out mockingly, "End of lecture.  I look forward to seeing how the "Great Ones" plan on handling this."

Sally shook her head in response to the other's little speech.  "This is... this is unexpected."

"We'll have to discuss how to handle the Unknown Dragon."

"Agreed."

A piercing newborn's cry stirred the gathered people.  Whispers raced wildly through the crowd.

"Is it a boy?  The heir?"

"The prophecized dragon has been born."

"How is the queen doing?"

"Will The Protector step down?"

A hush fell over the crowd as the kingdom's advisor, Wizard J appeared from behind the throne room curtains.  Many speculated that his gleaming arm and eyes came from a magical experiment gone wrong; others thought that he had traded them for knowledge of the mystic arts and the ability to see into the future.  After the King of Xednaps had passed away, less than a year ago, he was the one to advise the queen on affairs of state.  Even more rumors ran wild that the Wizard and the Protector were constantly at odds with one another.

J raised his hand to call for silence.  He called out, "The new king has been born and named Heero, after his deceased father. The Wind Dragon has appeared as prophecized."  He then returned to the throne room, appearing unaffected by the flutters and gossiping now running rampant from his speech.

And from behind the crowd, the Protector smiled grimly.  He looked down at his son, a beautfiul young blonde boy named Zechs.  He would not let the new king ascend his throne, or fulfill the prophecy of the Four Dragons.  Either he, or his son, would make sure of it.  *He* would make
sure of it.

On the same planet of Erosu, within a small wealthy kingdom, another newborn was born at the same time as the new king.

"Masaka.  A male?"

"He has the mark of the Dragons..."

"But not of the four that were prophesized."

The young mother could only stare down at the peacefully sleeping babe within her arms.  Surely, they didn't mean to...

Her husband entered the chambers, trailed by a tall figure draped in black.  An aura of power emanated from him? her?  It spoke... in a decidedly female voice.

"So this is the little Dragon that has been causing so much discern amongst my sisters."  She gestured, not unkindly, for the newborn to be given to her.  The mother bowed her head and brushed a quick kiss across her child's forehead.

The stranger lifted the hood from her head, revealing thick brownish gold hair set in two twists to flow across her shoulders.  She took the babe in her arms.  Turning to leave, she hesitated briefly and spoke.  "Would you like to name him?"

The younger woman responded in a choked voice. "Quatre."

The black clad figured seemed to find the name amusing, giving voice to a low musical chuckle,  Quatre...Four... how ironic."  She nodded briskly at the stoic father before addressing the mother once more in a calm, reassuring tone "This may bring no comfort to you now, but he will be raised with care."  She left, leaving a softly weeping woman behind her.  Her husband
quickly went to her side, gently stroking her long silky hair.

"I couldn't... the prophecy."

She wept even harder.  "I know."

The silent room echoed with her sorrow.

Within a small cottage, on the blue planet of Saiki, another babe gave voice to a wailing cry.  A young father's exuberant whoop filled the small clearing.  "He's beautiful!  He is a he, right?  It doesn't matter!  She's beautiful.  I love you."

A woman's tired voice replied, amusement and love lingering rich in her tone.  "It's a boy, silly.  I thought you'd be able to figure these things out by now."

He replied, "Well, you're the smart one.  Can I... hold him?"  The hesitation in his voice was echoed by the minute tremblings of his fingers as he gently brushed them across the newborn's soft, silky cheeks.

"Of course you can."  The woman, seated in bed, carefully held out the sleeping baby.  The young man, slim with brown hair streaked in gold, gently clutched the newborn to his chest.  An awed expression spread itself across his face as the baby made soft suckling noises.  He brushed a callused finger, curiously, across the petal soft lips.

The red headed woman laughed delightedly at her husband's face.  "What should we name him?"

"Duo."  He gazed at his violet eyed childhood sweet heart, now wife. "Thank you."

She grinned, lips turning up in a cheekily mischievous expression.  "Well... you helped too."  Lovingly, he brushed a quick kiss across her cheek.  If the gods gave him nothing else, he would be content.

Unaware to the couple, a tiny bluish silver tatoo glowed on the baby's right hip.  The symbol of the Water Dragon.

Within only miles of one happy couple, another celebrated the newest addition to their tiny family.  Well wishers from their performing troupe were gathered expectantly around the wagon.

The father, a rather solemn tall man with a shock of light brown hair, burst outside, unusually clumsy.  "It's a boy! We've decided to name him Trowa."

Cheers and offers of congratulations were cast out as musicians began to play, and wine skins were passed out.  The man picked up his young daughter, a small toddler with red hair and vivid green eyes.  He swung her around and around in joy, egged on by her squealing cries for more.

"Cathrine, you've got a baby brother now."

The little girl seemed to take this new fact in with utter seriousness, twisting a curl around her finger.  "Can I play with him?"

"Not yet, when he's older though."

"Well, what good is he?"

"He's your responsibility.  You have to take care of him now."

"Like Tiral takes care of the naminals?"

He let out a surprised laugh.  "Not quite."

She seemed to think mull over this little fact even more.  "Ok, but he'd better be worth it."

The man muffled another laugh within her bright red curls, hefting her over his shoulder.  "Why don't I introduce you to Trowa now?"

The Earth Dragon was born.

The room, elaborately decorated with tapestries and ornaments, was grim as everyone waited for the expected announcement.  This newly born, their new leader's son, was born under the wrong star whispered the people.  He would bring destruction and death to their camp.  The strange tatoo on his left shoulder, a glowing symbol of red, only confirmed their suspicions.

"We should drown it."

Skeptics advised elsewise.  "No, what about the prophecy of the Four Dragons?  He could be the one."

"Baaah, who believes in old myths like that.  The signs clearly indicate that he will be the one to destroy us."

"Abandon him in the woods."

A deep voice spoke out.  "No, he will be raised in this village."  He pointed at one particularly loud protestor, "And be engaged to your soon to be born daughter."  With a curt nod, he strode back into the room.

The Fire Dragon was born.

Dorothy let out a delighted laugh as she watched the antics of the people below on both planets.  "So Sally seeks to dampen the effects of the Unknown?  Why don't they understand?... Nothing is set in stone, but nothing can be manipulated either."  She suddenly whirled around.

"Ara?  What are you doing here?"

A slender black clad figured separated itself from the shadows.  "I wish to bargain."

The blonde flipped back a strand of blonde hair.  "Do you?  Well then do sit down."