Chapter Text
About 100,006 years ago…
Emerald gave his gleaming white scales one last look over, making sure his brilliant gold-and-sky-blue rune markings shone even more brightly than usual. He pulled on his silver bracelets, checking to make sure the brilliant green emeralds inlaid in it weren’t scuffed or scratched.
He took one last look at himself in the mirror- he had always liked how the gems matched his eyes. Others were often confused why his name was “Emerald” when he was a white, blue, and gold AncientWing dragon- so the bracelets were a nice, subtle way to draw attention to the brilliant, vibrant hue of his eyes that he was named after.
He wouldn’t normally care about his appearance this much, but the Keepers of the other Dimensions would be at tonight's gala- best to make a good impression. Blech, politics, he always wondered how his stoic but free-spirited parents could stand it. (He knew they often didn’t- his father, Prince Stormsurge, had thrown more than one snotty noble out the window of the tallest tower in the palace for even an implied insult to his mother, Queen Sunrise.)
Heh, I wonder if father will snap again tonight; it’s honestly pretty funny, and he’s seemed more on-edge lately. It would do him some good to let out some stress. Emerald mused to himself.
Satisfied with the gleaming of his scales, Emerald walked out towards the balcony opposite his bedroom doorway. As he crouched to take flight, his left wing hit something- followed immediately by an outraged squawk.
He turned towards the sound to find his youngest sister staring at him with a very miffed expression, indignant but playful anger present on her face.
“Sorry Solaris,” he said, “I didn’t see you there.”
“Real perceptive for the captain of the royal guard, heading to the gala already?” She snarked, her signature good-natured smirk plastered all over her face.
“You know I’m better suited for open fighting and strategizing than observation and spying, besides, it’s not like anything other than you would want to sneak up on me in the castle.” Emerald joked, “And I want to make a good impression on the royal snobs I’ll be seeing tonight, so I’m heading over early.”
Emerald leaped into the air, his giant gold-patterned blue wings beating heavily in the air to keep him aloft.
He stared at the world around him for a moment, yet again in awe at the beauty of his world. “The planets of the Core Dimension are not ordinary,” He remembered his tutor telling him all those years ago, “there are multiple hollow earth layers within these massive celestial bodies- each one represents an era of the Dimension it is tied to. The Core Planet, which represents the Core Dimension, has the most layers. The Queen of the Verdance Realm- your mother- lives in the innermost layer, as do you.” He had immediately made his own home on the Surface as soon as he was old enough to live on his own- as beautiful as his family’s palace was, it just didn’t compare to the beauty of the glistening night sky.
He paused in confusion as his sister followed him into the cool night air, tailing him as he flew towards the chasm that would take them down to the palace.
“And where might you be off to? Miss aggressive-request-to-not-attend-the-gala?”
Solaris’ cheery demeanor vanished in an instant, and for the first time that night, her bright eyes met his own.
“...I felt that I have to be there tonight,” She muttered, concerned. “It felt like a warning.”
She paused, hovering over the chasm, staring into the abyss before them.
“Something is going to happen tonight,” She said with certainty. “At the gala.”
She took a deep breath before continuing.
“Whatever it is, whatever is going to happen, we can’t stop it, and nothing will ever be the same again.”
Emerald was silent as the sprawling palace came into view, soaring through the towering spires and buildings with practiced ease. He soared by a well guarded, short domed tower on the side of the main palace, pausing by it for just a moment.
The hatchery.
He had three little sisters in there, all due to hatch in about two months…
I hope that, with whatever is changing, this world will still be safe for them.