Well.... if the G boys are more mature at age 5 then they should be =p  Well, Wufei's had to grow up fast... as had Quatre... and Heero... *sweatdrop*  Blame it on their superior dragon ancestry *cackles* *sweatdrop* that and the fact that the only 5 year old I know right now is my genius of a 5 year old cousin ^.^ *mutters* damn brat...

"It's almost time, isn't it?"

Hirde gazed sadly down into the bright blue glow of Saiki.  Her tone was wistful as she stared at a laughing violet-eyed boy.  The short haired girl had grown inexplicably fond of the Water Dragon.

"You knew it was inevitable."  Sally spoke briskly, but not without sympathy.  She herself was rather attached to the Fire Dragon.  Hardships and prejudices rose up constantly from his tribe.  Having been born under *their* definition of an ominous sign, despite being the chief's only son, he was labelled as an objectionable addition to their little group.  Parents would caution their children not to play with him, bullies twice his size constantly made his life miserable, but still he fought back.  At age 5, he was an outcast.  She sighed slightly, the stupidity of some people.

"This has to happen."  She spoke firmly with all the knowledge of the Future available to her.  Although a small nagging doubt lingered from Dorothy's visit, from five years before.  Was the prophecy truly correct?  Was she truly seeing what would happen... or what she wished?

Another voice, Noin's spoke from the shadows, as if echoing the doubts it Sally's mind.  "You don't know that."

Sally's eyes narrowed slightly.  As Noin held the memories and power of the Past, she would always be the one most against change.  But lately...

She spoke sharply.  "The two must begin to merge.  Today is the foretold day."

"Sally sama."  A child's quiet voice spoke up.  The tense air in the dark room lessened as Quatre walked in.  As the Unknown dragon, his tattoo was more a shimmering vague mark over his collarbone.  "Dorothy sama wishes to watch with you."

Sally rolled her eyes.  Hilde let out a snort...while Noin further retreated into the shadows of the tower they occupied.  The blonde girl walked in.

"Well, what a wonderful time for a reunion.  The dragons will awaken today with the beginning of the merge."  She absently ruffled the hair of the solemn faced toddler.  He moved away, not impolitely... but more to peer into the crystal, fascinated with the clear glass table set in the middle of the tower room.  Instead of reflecting the inside of the tower, or even showing the floor, it constantly flickered and flowed with various images from the two planets.  He gently touched the glass, ignored for the most part as the women exchanged light...and not so light banter with the newcomer.

Mesmerized by the pulsating clear light emanating from his fingertips to the surface, he watched as a green eyed toddler laughed and clapped his hands happily at the trio of tumblers practicing for their performance.  If Quatre squinted... he could make out the faint outline of wings on the other boy, just like himself.  Wings, faintly visible and shifting from the darkest reds to browns threaded with gold.  They were just like his...

Within the glass, an exasperated young girl came walking up to the seated boy.  She had long brownish red curls cascading down her back, green eyes flashing imperiously.  "There you are, Trowa."  She grabbed the toddler's hand. "Come on, it's time for lunch."  Together, they made their way to the cleared area set aside for eating.

"Trowa."  He mouthed the name softly to himself, fascinated with the brown haired boy's laughter and joy in the impromptu show, his very first glimpse of someone his own age for that matter.  Quatre pressed both hands and face against the glass, standing on tiptoes and straining to see more.  Was this a family?...sister and brother...he thought, more than a little wistfully.

The picture within the crystal began to shift in preparation for a change of scene.  Instinctively, the blonde boy called out, "No!"  His protest was echoed by the sudden surge of power from his extended hands, his tattoo suddenly flaring bright.  The image of the two children within the glass abruptly cleared and solidified.

"Quatre!"  At the sound of Sally's voice, the blonde child jumped guiltily and whirled about... missing the moment when the green-eyed boy looked up directly into the mirror.  He continued to stare up until his sister insistingly tugged him away.

He fidgeted nervously and stood in front of all four women.  Dorothy seemed to be smugly amused while Hirde and Noin had identical looks of worry on their faces.  Sally... she looked thoughtful more than anything else.  She smiled soothingly at the anxious boy before speaking.  "Quatre... how did you control the mirror like that?"

"I... I just wanted to see the boy, " he stammered, silently thinking Trowa... his name is Trowa.  "It's the first time I've seen anyone my age."  or someone else with wings...

"I see."  Sally straightened and seemed to reach some sort of decision.  "Quatre, I'll be sending you to a special place... where you can learn to do more with your powers."  She smiled encouragingly.  "What do you think of that?"

Hirde snorted.  "Isn't that only for..."  She quieted under the tall blonde's steady stare...

"Would I be able to see... that boy again?"  For some reason, he didn't want to reveal the name of the green eyed boy.  It was a secret, something he could keep for himself.

Dorothy interruped with a small laugh.  "Oh, yes.  You'll be able to do that and so~ much more, Unknown..."  She was hushed by the other three immediately.

Quatre frowned slightly at being called Unknown.  He knew that he was unusual, perhaps for his tattoo that shimmered strangely with surges of his emotion, or for his wings... a small voice whispered, but that other boy had them too...  He didn't mind any of those things things, but that name, Unknown...

Sally's servants and even the "Great Ones" whispered the name amongst themselves, sometimes spoken with trepidation, fear... and even hatred, he hated that name.  It left him with a hollow sensation within the pit of his stomach, at the same time bile rose from within...

"Quatre?"  Sally sounded worried.

He smiled sweetly, as he always did.  "Hai."  It didn't matter.  He had found a boy like himself.  The women seemed relieved to hear his positive reply... although Hirde looked rather cross-eyed as if holding something in...

Sally brushed a strand of hair back and smiled.  "Good."  She peered into the glass table, carelessly passing her hand over the surface to reveal the two planets, close enough that their surrounding auras mixed, but not touching... not yet.

"We can make a little side trip to the temple and introduce you to the Head Priestess.  Her name is Relena..."

Laughter, the rising and falling cadence of voices, merry music, and the smell of cooking food filled the air as people gathered from all over for the annual trading fair.  Various merchants called out in strong voices for thier wares and merchandise.  Occasionally a carnival member could be seen working a trick or two to attract interest in their show.

Greetings, gossips, and debates rang out clearly as people clustered into small groups to discuss recent politics, family, the weather...  Smaller and quieter groups talked about the red moon which approached even closer.  Dark red and ominous it hung in the otherwise clear, blue sky.  Threaded through the mad rush and frantic pace of the occasion, it's silent looming presence underscored all of the day's activities.

"Da~~~d.  Hurry up.  I wanna see the tumblers."  The little boy tugged insistently at his father's hand while clutching a huge stick of candy in the other.  He paused and looked rather torn between urging his parent on or taking a lick of the sweet stuff.  He decided to go with the candy.

The slim young man sighed dramatically, blue eyes sparkling with amusement, and looked over at his wife.  "Well?  Should we go?"

She laughed and passed a hand through her son's hair affectionately.  "Why don't we.  Duo's not the only one who wants to see them perform.  I heard they have a little girl and boy performing with them."

Wufei walked stiffly within the crowd.  His tribe had gathered near the anuual fair so that they could trade as well as meet with the other tribes in their area.  He was used to the stares and whispers of his own... They usually ignored him, unless the bullies were particularly bored, beating him up seemed to amuse them.  But with the reunion... the others, they weren't used to his tattoo... and rumors flew wild that the red mark on his hand was somehow connected to the red moon.  Combine that with the signs present at his birth.  He walked faster, head held high and expression blank.  He was fine... if only he could get his lower lip to stop trembling... and his stomach to stop clenching.  He'd be fine.

"Wufei!"

The boy stopped and sweatdropped at the high girl's voice from behind him.  It was his betrothed... Meiran.  He winced.

"Wufei!!"  She ran up to his side, a lovely little girl with long black hair held back in braids, flashing black eyes, and a heck of a sucker punch.  "Where are you going?"  She seemed worried.

"None of your business."

"Is it because of the newcomers?  They'll get used to it."

"I don't want sympathy from you.  I'm fine."

"Don't be stupid."

"What??"

She grinned and took hold of his hand.  "C'mon.  I'll go with you.  I got some money as a present.  We can go see the tumblers!!"  She cheerily dragged him off.

Wufei snorted... but was quietly glad.  Meiran was always there to cheer him up... even when she too would get teased and sometimes bullied merely because she was engaged to him... and because she stood up for him.  Even his own parents ignored him, but she... His young eyes softened briefly.

/I'll become stronger.  So you won't have to protect me, I'll protect *you* Meiran./

"Trowa!  Hurry up, we're on in 5 minutes."  The boy nodded at his sister's words, still staring out the window at the moon above.  Something... something had called to him, he was sure of it.

"Trowa!!"

"Hai hai, neechan.  I'm coming."  He moved inside the ring area where they'd be performing.  His parents were already there, his mother as an animal tamer and his father was the ring master... He and his older sister would assist his mother.  He smiled at the thought.  The audience always seemed horrified when his mother, the most beautiful woman in the world in his eyes, stepped in with the supposedly vicious creatures.  They would be even more shocked when two little children came to assist her.

He grinned a bit more broadly at the thought of Jamik and Riki hurting anyone.  Those two were so tame it was funny just thinking of them attacking anyone, much less their *family*.  But the audience didn't know that, which was precisely how they managed to draw in crowd after crowd.

"Prince Heero.  Please stop playing with the water.  The Queen wishes to see you."  The servant scolded the solemn faced boy leaning over the pool.

The little boy snorted.  "Don't be stupid.  *She* doesn't want to see me.  Sha hates me."  He ignored the stuttering protests fo the woman and continued to peer into the water.  Others thought he was being childish by playing with the pool this way, but he knew better.  A gleeful smirk crossed his face.  He could *see* images within, more specifically of his friend.

He watched his friend clap and cheer at a performance.  Involuntarily a smile spread across his face.  Duo... his only friend.  Someone he could depend on to cheer him up... especially in *his* world.

The Protector and Wizard was now publicly arguing.  The Queen had gone into seclusion several months ago.  Rumors were flying that she had lost her mind.  Heero's lips tightened.  She hadn't lost her mind... she simply refused to take responsibility for his father's kingdom, blaming her withdrawal on her grief over her beloved sovereign's death.  Not likely.  She was carrying on an affair with the Protector.  The man who wanted to be king... and would probably love to kill the current heir.  Cynically he wondered if it was because of the prophecy, which the Protector vocally protested against... or maybe he wanted to put his own heir on the throne, the blonde boy currently being fostered within the kingdom of Sesor.

A shadow fell over the water.  "Prince Heero."  The Wizard stood behind him.  Heero nodded his head briefly in acknowledgement.

"The Queen has finally decided to hand over the power to the Protector.  It is no longer safe for you here."

"So... She's finally done it.  What do the people think?"

"They're confused... but relieved at the same time.  Someone has finally taken control and plans to lead.  The kingdom's been a mess since the Queen refuses to do anything... or relegate the power to anyone, until now that is."

"Ah."

"Will you come with me?  He's already suggested that you be sent to another kingdom... under his personal guard."

Heero shrugged indifferently.  He watched his friend... was he lost?  wander around the crowd without his parents.  The silly boy didn't even look worried that he was alone, seeming to enjoy his moment of independence.  Baka.

"Where?"

"Somewhere... the time of the prophecy has also begun."

The boy whipped around, blue eyes narrowed.  "Now?"

The Wizard's steel eyes glinted briefly.  "Soon.  Very soon."

"Will  Du... What will happen?"

The older man shrugged and chuckled.  "Don't worry.  Your Dragon will be fine."

Heero glared at the Wizard, while inwardly wincing.  Never let others see what you're thinking and especially what you're feeling... the first rule in court politics.

"Fine."  He stood up, dispelling the image of Duo, an ache in his heart that he wouldn't be able to say good bye.  But they'd meet again.  Kitto.

"Let's go."

"Relena sama.  What will happen today?  They all seem so restless."

The blonde girl smiled slightly.  "Today the divided planets will begin to merge as foretold by the prophecy."

Another girl spoke.  "But... what about the protective barriers surroudning the planets?  The ones that were set by the Ancient ones... What will happen to them?"

Relena's face turned a trifle sad even as she spoke calmly.  "The barriers will collapse with no damage to either stars.  But at the point of impact... there will be a slight disruption for both."

"Disruption?"

"A small price to pay for the prophecy."

"Ah..."

"Scacrifices have to be made so that..."

Sally's voice suddenly cut through Relena's speech.  "Tell that to the people who will die today, Relena."

The blue eyed girl started and turned, regaining her composure immediately.  "It's inevitable.  The Ancient Ones even said as such."

The older woman replied.  "Even so, those lives *will* be lost because of the prophecy.  And the future is still unclear, despite what the Ancient Ones have written."  She motioned for Quatre to step forward.

"This is Quatre... the fifth dragon.  He will be under your supervision and care at this temple."

Relena, face set in a slight frown, said, "He cannot.  This is only for women.  The Unknown one is not welcome here."

Sally straightened, her presence suddenly infused with power.  "You dare to refuse sanctuary and hospitality?  Have you forgotten the temple's purpose which the Ancient Ones had in mind?"

"The purpose of this temple was... and is to prepare for the prophecy."

"It is to provide for those who wish to come here.  Your predecessor, Lady Une, knew as much.  Was the sacrifice of your brother for nothing?  Have you not yet learned that the prophecy is not the only thing that exists in this world?"

Relena responded coldly.  "Do not mention the traitor to me.  She dared to choose a mortal over her duty as head of this temple.  As for my brother... he too has his part to play.  The prophecy is all that's left to me."  The last was said in a whisper.

Sally sighed briefly.  "But that was your choice, Relena."

"I know."

"Do not make others pay for your decision.  Take in Quatre.  Or do I have to command you?"  A hint of steel entered her voice.

Relena sighed as well, then peered over at the blonde boy.  "As you wish, Sally.  Welcome to my temple, Dragon."

(Note:  Wheeeeeee I made up a new word *beams* Shiljin means Outcast, unwanted one, etc. *grins* *sweatdrop* I hope it isn't a word from an actual language =9)

The baka in question was having the time of his life, sampling sweets and food.  It was amazing what a pair of wide eyes and a slightly tremulous lower lip could do... add a hint of tears and voila, instant food.  Duo gleefully clutched a half crushed piece of honeyed bread in one hand and the same stick of candy his father had bought him in the other.

He cheerfully wandered around the fair grounds, constantly peering into stalls to see what else he could con err persuade the merchants to give away.  Then, a small crowd of boys, about twice his age... size... weight, blocked his way.  Curious, he wormed his way between two of the noisily cheering ones.

A boy, with black hair and about Duo's age, was being shoved around by a trio while another held a furious little girl at bay.  The circle surrounding the two struggling children were laughing and jeering at the two... particularly the boy.

"The Elders were mistaken.  They should've drowned you at birth, Shiljin."

"Walking around here like you belong."

"Demon brat."

Duo had to admit that the other boy took the shoving, name calling, and even occasional vicious punch with a remarkably stoic expression, as if he was used to it, and even managed to get in his own shots.  But when they began picking on the girl...

"Stop it!  Picking on a weak girl like that."

Surprisingly enough, the girl retorted rather acerbicly, "Who're you calling weak, Wufei!"  with that, she bit down hard on her captor's arm and butted him under the chin.  He went down.  Duo gaped, stuffed the sticky bread into his pocket, clamped the candy in his mouth, and applauded vigorously as the girl began to berate the entire gathering of bullies.  She would, once in a while, include Wufei in her general rant.

"Woohoo!!"  He called out, sweatdropping as it called attention to himself.  Oops...

"What do you think you're doing, little girl?"  One of the boys blustered, trying to cover up for the way they had been thoroughly flattened verbally.

"I'm not a girl, you overgrown idiot!"  Duo fumed, or rather mumbled.  He popped the candy out of his mouth and repeated himself.

At the same time, the black eyed boy spoke out, "I don't need help from any damned girls!"

"Who're you calling a girl!" "What's wrong with girls!!"  Both Duo and Meiran screamed out, one in frustration and the other in ire.

"Ha!  You've got a bunch of girls defending you, shiljin."

Wufei was about to explode from frustration.  First, he had somehow gotten himself cornered by *them*, but not only himself... Meiran as well.  And now another girl... but apparently a boy? stepped in.  Actually, they were pretty much ignoring Wufei now, from the fuss the other two children were making.  He quietly slipped out of the bully's slack hold.  What to do, what to do...

Suddenly the chestnut haired newcomer screamed out.  "Man eating predator on the loose!! Look!"  He bounced up and down excitedly, pointing frantically behind them.

"Hah!  We're not going to fall for that."

A cheerful girl's voice replied, "Well you'd better."  As one, the crowd turned around... and froze at the sight behind them.  Two lions, their jaws wide open to reveal shiny, sharp, wonderful for ripping apart flesh rows of teeth, stood there growling softly.

Needless to say, the bullies ran off screaming.  Wufei blinked and immediately went to help Meiran, who had been knocked over in the rush.  He caught a glimpse of the other boy, who seemed bent on committing suicide apparently.  The violet eyed loudmouth was slowly approaching the two creatures, stick of candy still in hand, and he appeared mesmerized by the two pairs of tawny feline eyes that watched him.

Duo gingerly extended a small hand, more intrigued in the animals' fur than anything else, reverently stroking the soft hide.  A small boy materialized from behind the girl.  He had light brown hair falling over one side of his face, hiding one bright green eye.  He nodded his head towards the lion, the one enthusiastically responding to Duo's overtures.  "That one's Jamik.  The other's Riki."

The violet eyed boy blinked.  "What's your name?"

"Trowa.  This is my sister, Catherine."

"Hi~~~~ Trowa.  I'm Duo."  He waggled grimy chubby fingers cheerfully.  "Are they your pets?"

"More liked friends."

"Cool.  I don't think my mom would let me have one, " he mournfully proclaimed.  Then suddenly he spun about, startling the two black haired children.

"What's your names?"

"Wufei.  She's Meiran."

She pushed herself forward.  "I'm his betrothed."

"Be--?"

"It means we're going to be a mommy and daddy too."

Duo's eyes got even wider.  "Really?"  He frowned.  "I don't have one... maybe Hi-chan will..."

A woman's amused voice interrupted the children's banter.  "Why don't we first get you all cleaned up first?"

They turned.  Cathrine and Trowa gleefully ran towards the tall slim woman, rich red hair framing a beautiful striking face.  "Ne?"

Meiran and Wufei flushed.  They were dirty, bruised, and more than a little dusty.  The woman's eyes widened as they lighted on Wufei's hand.  The red tattoo... He quickly tried to hide the mark behind him, glancing up almost fearfully at the expression of disgust he was sure to find.   Instead, the woman smiled at him warmly before turning to look over at Duo.

Duo looked sheepishly down.  His face, hands, and clothes were a mess from today's little sampling excursion.  He didn't even want to know what his mom would think..."'Scuse me... ma'am?"

"Hmm?"

"My parents lost themselves.  D'you think you could find them for me?"

"Stupid."  Cathrine snorted disdainfully.  "You're the one that got lost.  Not your parents."

He vigorously shook his head, loose chestnut hair flying around his face, some settling to stick against his dirty round cheeks.  "Nu-uh.  I stayed right where I was.  They're the ones who got lost."

Cathrine opened and close her mouth, small face scrunched in concetration.  It made sense...

The red head laughed again.  "I'll see what I can do.  Come on."  She gestured again, and the children followed, chatting and occasionally stroking the lion's back.  Wufei and Meiran trailed behind them.

Wufei frowned.  Didn't she now that he was Shiljin?  What was... She turned around and gestured for the two to hurry up.

Hn.  Unable to shake off his apprehenshion and distrust... but at the same time, a small warmth began to creep over Wufei... to be accepted and trusted wholeheartedly...

"The Dragons, the Ancient ones, once lived and breeded with the people of their chosen world.  They saw how the people became too careless and dependent on the magic gifted to them and came to a decision. The planet would be split into two, Erosu and Saiki.  Equally similarly, the people's souls would be split in half, reducing their powers and their connection to the Dragons... But it also produced a longing ache within them to find their missing half.

The Ancient Ones took pity on them, and with the Great Ones, decided that the planets and people would be allowed to join together once more.  The two moons would gradually gravitate towards each other until, when the red moon is visible in Saiki, and the blue moon is visible in Erosu, the four dragons will be born.

They will be identified by the four tattoos; earth, water, fire, and wind, appearing on either Saiki or Erosu.  And then the people would once more become one, signaled by the first point of contact between the split moons and the collapse of the barriers the Ancient ones had set.

Chaos will follow, but a link will be formed between the two... then rebirth.

Watch for the Dragons.

Watch for the Unknown."

Prince Treize's audience applauded politely.

One spoke.  "Prince, what do you hope to accomplish by resurrecting such old myths..."

Treize frowned slightly, then spoke.  "They are not myths.  In the kingdom of Xednaps, the wind Dragon has been born.  Our sister planet, Saiki, is clearly visible and approaching closer day by day.  The texts of the Ancient ones left behind clearly state..."

Another interrupted in amusement and exasperation at the young man's words.  "That our planet will merge with the dead blue moon?  And that we will find our lost halves from this?  Pardon me, but I feel quite whole."

Light laughter scattered about the seated assemblage.  Treize shrugged eloquently, his eyes automatically searching for Zechs.  Ah.  The young boy was seated in a corner, staring at the blue moon above.  Treize wondered if the boy knew about his real heritage... that he was not the Protector's true son, but rather of dragon ancestry.

The Protector... His lips tightened at the thought of that traitor... Prince Heero and the Wizard should be arriving at the sanctuary soon.  He only hoped that they would reach their destination before the barriers collapsed.  Xednaps would be the hardest hit...

Noin and Hirde watched as the two planets gently touched... and both were engulfed in a flare of white light.

"The barriers are down..."

Four pillars of light... now five, extended from the two planets.

Noin whispered, horrified.  "Too soon... They aren't..."

Dorothy smiled, a peculiar touch of satisfaction touching her face.  "But they are...the Dragons are awake."

Three glowing auras, green, deep blue, and red flew up into the sky.  Within the blazing colored lights, each of the children lay curled, asleep.  Below them were the ruins of the fair grounds.  The ground was charred and several deep grooves were carved into the earth.  Bodies, crushed wooden stalls and merchandise lay scattered all throughout the area.  Various brush fires burned steadily.

On Saiki's sister moon, two light blue and white pulsing balls floated gently in the crimson sky.  In the kingdom of Xendaps, the castle stood... partially crumbled, while the villages surrounding it lay in crumbled heaps.

Where the two planets had met, all lay in ruins.  The edges of the planets lay resting side by side, barely touching.  But the link had been created.

The five lights gravitated toward each other, forming a loose circle.  Each of the sleeping children awoke... their tattoos glowing.  They sprouted wings.

The Wind dragon, white wings outlined in a light blue floated above, hovering anxiously over the Water dragon.  His friend had dark blue wings, almost black, which shifted constantly in hue, one minute a silvery blue, the next a calming turquoise. Duo floated in the sky, watching with horror filled eyes... the body of a slim young woman, violet eyes closed, and her tawny haired husband.

The Earth dragon stood emotionlessly watching the bodies of his family and friends.  His wings were a copper brown threaded with a rich green and gold.  Behind him, watching with sad blue eyes, was Quatre, wings transluscent but highlighted with every color of the rainbow, shifting as they pulsed with his heartbeat.

Wufei stood, back straight... His entire tribe had been wiped out.  Fiery red wings fluttered gently in the breeze as he clutched his small fists together.  Meiran... "I couldn't..."

They all turned at another's presence, a tall blonde woman stood watching them with sympathy filled eyes.  She said, "Dragons..."

Heero looked at her with cold suspicious eyes.  "Who are you?"

She paused and touched a hand lightly to her chest.  "I am Sally.  I would like to help."

Duo faced her with furious violet eyes.  "Help?  We're not the ones... lying there.  Why couldn't you *help* them?  Why were we..."  He trailed off staring once again at the sight below him.

Heero gently lay a hand on his friend's shoulder, only starting slightly as Duo turned toward him and hugged him tightly.  He glared over Duo's wings at the strange woman.  "Why?  Why did this happen?"

Sally gently clasped together and then spread apart her hands.  Within her palms were two balls of light, one blue and one red.  "These represent your two planets."  The lights gently moved together and touched.  "When they linked... the barriers surrounding the two collapsed... and erupted at the two points."  She nodded at Heero.  "Your kingdom of Xednaps and the fair..."

Trowa turned those empty green eyes towards her.  "Why?"

"The prophecy..."

"What prophecy?"  Wufei spat out.  "We had nothing to do with this.  This..."  He gestured at his wings and glowing tattoo.  "This is not of our choosing."

Quatre added.  "Why us?"

Sally watched the young faces of the children before her.  Already she could see the results of the devastation.  In her mind, she could see Relena's cold, resigned face, Noin's sulky wistful look, and the heart breaking grief of the young blonde mother.  All for the prophecy.  What the Ancient Ones predicted were true... but they never foretold of the regret that would surround the events... or the doubt in her heart and the magnitude of the destruction involved.

"It wasn't time yet..."

"Time for what?"  The Wind dragon spoke.  She realized she had spoken aloud.  Sally hesitated.  "Time for you to awaken.  Time for all of this."  She waved vaguely at their wings.  "It just wasn't supposed to happen."

As the dragons stared at her blankly, she once more gestured, this time whispering a soft phrase.  "Forgive me, but this has to be done.  For the prophecy.  Forget everything.  Until the prophesized time arrives.  Forget."

With that, the wings once more disappeared, and the children closed their eyes.  They floated down to their separate planets.

The Wizard picked up the sleeping prince and calmly continued their journey.

Quatre returned to the temple.

Trowa, Duo, and Wufei were picked up, still unconscious, by various survivors of the wreck, assumed to be orphans.  Just like a little red head and a black haired girl found side by side.

The Protector stared out the window.  The Wizard had taken the heir into hiding.  A cruel smile touched his lips.  It didn't matter when the time of the prophecy came, he would re-emerge.  And if he wasn't there to slay the young dragon... his son, a gift and surely a sign that *he* was doing the right thing, would.  The silken sound of a body moving langorously on sheets whispered in the dark room.

"Lover... come to bed.  It's cold."

He turned.  He had the power of a kingdom at his disposal.

*****

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee finished.... finally *collapses*  If you're confused about anything at all just let me know *spinning eyes*  But if not.. Onto  the next part!!