Interstellar Age

Chapter 113 The Sages' Prophecy

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In another corner of the Galaxy, Princess Celestia Asterion was meeting with the Sages of the Alfheim Dominion. These men were said to have been gifted with the rare ability of foresight, and many of them were ancient beyond measure.

Of course, they were bound by oath to only use their gifts for the Asterion Dynasty, and because of this, the Light Elves had been able to maintain a stranglehold on a quarter of the Galaxy for eons. However, whether or not an Empress believed in the words spoken by these Sages determined on the individual. 

For example, while the previous Empress had been a fervent believer of the Sages and their prophecies, for whatever reason, Lunaria did not take their words with much salt. But this was not the same for Celestia. In fact, she held the prophecies of the sages with even greater regard than her grandmother. 

Thus, she quite frequently visited the Sages and their secluded paradise, where they sat in silence for years on end with nothing but their thoughts to keep them company. Today was one of the rare exceptions that Celestia could get away from her mother's grasp, and thus she entered the Sage's hideaway. As the crown Princess of the Asterion dynasty, she was one of two beings who had the right to intrude upon the Sages and their meditation. The moment she entered the cove, Celestia was greeted with a familiar voice. 

"Welcome Princess Celestia. How may we help you today?"

There was a look of anxiety on the young woman's face. The last time she had visited the sages, they gave her a foreboding prophecy. One which involved her personal future, and thus she had come on this day to see if the weave of fate had changed in any potential way. 

"The last time I was here, you told me that my future was tied to the rise of a great and foreign power. Do those words still hold true?"

The voice came from behind a veil of green fire, which concealed the figures of the men and women who spoke in unison, almost as if they were one being with a shared mind. 

"Indeed... Though you may be the Crown Princess of the Alfheim Dynasty, you will not always remain as such. After all, a great power is secretly rising in Alfheim Space. Though, for whatever reason, fate seems to be blinding us to the identity of these foreigners. Though we have determined there are a few likely subjects over the years. One of which was destroyed by the Naraku, and another was severely weakened. 

One day soon, you will meet with a mysterious figure from this unknown power. Where he will use his charm to bind you to his will. This man is destined to be bring war upon the Galaxy, and in doing so, permanently change the power structures that have provided stability to us all for so long." 

Celestia stood there while struggling to breathe. Was she really going to be responsible for such a horrific fate, one that would encompass the entire galaxy? All because of a man, no she could not believe it! However, in the next moment, she realized something peculiar. The Sages had said that fate was hiding the identity of this man, and the race he came from. But that had never happened before. 

Throughout the eons of the Great Sages' existence, they had never failed to identify a major galactic player with their visions, so why now? She was naturally compelled to speak of this newfound curiosity. 

"Wait! How is it possible that fate is hiding the future from you? That has never happened before?"

The sages merely shook their heads in unison. It had indeed never happened before, and for years they had been speculating on this matter. Finally, after nearly a century of pondering about this question, one of the sages had come to a satisfactory conclusion, which the others unanimously agreed with. However, when they gave this answer to the Princess, she nearly died of shock. 

"There is another among their race...." 

What the Sages meant by this was that one of their own had been born among another species, something which had never happened in millions of years of history. It suddenly became clear to Celestia why this power was not only concealed by fate, but was destined to rise to prominence across the galaxy. 

A sage was a powerful individual, one which was able to experience the prophecy of fate. Or so the elves believed. If they fully developed their ability, they could see centuries into the future, and determine the most likely outcomes to occur. 

Because of this, it was a rule among the Alfheim Dominion that no Sage may ever sit upon the throne. To put such overwhelming power in the hands of someone who could see the future could prove to be disastrous if left unchecked.

But if a sage were to be born among another race, and they did not know such a thing, he could very easily rise to prominence, and even lead that civilization as an iron fisted dictator. If that were to occur, then it was only a matter of time before that civilization became a galactic power, or perhaps even the supreme overlord of the Galaxy. 

This information was simply too shocking for Celestia, causing her to immediately panic. She barely managed to get the words out of her mouth as she turned to flee from the Sage's chamber. 

"I.... I must inform mother!"

However, the green flames which concealed the Sages spread across the room, blocking Celestia from existing. And act which further added to her shock, she was just about to scold the Sages for preventing her from warning the Empress, when they interrupted her, and spoke their thoughts.

"Your mother will not listen to you. She does not believe in fate, nor its prophecy. In fact, we believe that she will have her own role to play in the rise of this new great power. We simply do not know what it is yet. Or if she has already played her part. 

You can not change fate, Princess. Though we Sages see a thousand possible different outcomes, in the end one of them always comes true. Even if it is not the one we speak to the Empress. Your mother has her role to play, just as you do. It is best that you accept that."

Despite the words of the sages, Celestia could not accept that she would be partially responsible for setting the galaxy on fire. And thus she was quick to reject this idea with a loud shout. 

"Never! I will never allow myself to fall into the clutches of a madman and a warmonger! You know as well as I that a member of the Asterion Dynasty can never marry a foreigner! So, then how? How will I end up falling in love with a foreigner? By the laws of our people, I would be executed long before I ever got the chance to enable this wretch to wage war on the galaxy!"

Despite the logic in Celestia's words, the Sages did not immediately respond. When they saw that the young woman was growing impatient, they blatantly admitted they did not know how she would get away with it, but that it was fate. 

"We do not know the answer to your question, like we have said, due to the fact that this man is one of us, we can not peer into his life and background. All we know is that he will light the galaxy aflame with his wars, and bring glory to his people at the expense of everyone else. The fine balance of power that we all currently take for granted is coming to a rapid end, and you will play a part. Believe us or not, fate has already decided your path." 

After saying this, the Sages lifted their flames, and allowed Celestia to storm out of their hidden chambers. Nothing but stoicism remained on their faces as they re-entered a state of meditation. All the while, Celestia went to warn her mother of this prophecy. But that was a pointless endeavor, as Lunaria did not believe a word that came out of these old fogies mouths.