Prologue

Unborn Future

A new concoction of mine. This fic was inspired by Flameheart561's fic "Fable: Path of the Dragon".

This story is the first in a four-story saga. It follows the Princess of Albion as a 12 year-old girl and joins Spyro in his journeys. The last story will take place in Fable III.

I do not own Fable nor Spyro the Dragon.

26 Years Prior to the true beginning…

Albion:

Sparrow sighed as she entered Bowerstone Market. She had just come to the end of a long and treacherous journey, a journey that took twenty years to complete. It was at first, a quest for vengeance; but soon turned into a race against time to save the world. A destiny she had apparently been preparing for during her childhood.

When she was a young girl of six, Sparrow had lost her parents and was soon living on the grimy streets of Bowerstone's Old Town with her beloved older sister, Rose. The first year on the streets was lucky, for the two of them were able to stay with a traveling caravan of gypsies for the winter. But the following year proved to be difficult when there was no sign of the caravan and the sisters were still in the freezing streets.

Sparrow knew her sister's dream was for the two of them to live in a place like Castle Fairfax, the large stone structure that overlooked the entire town. At the time, it seemed to be a far-off dream. But that, and Sparrow's life, changed when she and her sister collected five gold coins to spend on a music box, as they were told that it would grant their wish.

But that wish never turned out to be when the ruler of the castle, Lucian Fairfax, shot and killed Rose after summoning the two sisters to the castle. He, of course, tried to kill little Sparrow as well. He shot her, the impact of the bullet causing her to crash through the stain glass window and fall to the stone street below. Amazingly, the fall did not kill Sparrow like it would for any other child. Something kept her alive. But what was it?

Several days of darkness later and Sparrow awoke to find herself in a warm bed, two familiar figures watching over her. One was the mysterious blind fortune teller of the gypsies, Theresa. The other, the dog Sparrow and Rose adopted the night the latter was killed. Weak and thirsty for revenge against the man who took the last of her family from her; Sparrow was adopted into the troupe and learned how to fight with swords and guns until the day came when she had to venture into the wide world of the kingdom of Albion and learn the mysterious art of Will.

Today, the long nightmare was over. With the death of Lucian, Theresa inherited the Spire, the structure Lucian killed many, including Rose, to build. Sparrow was then offered one of three choices. One was immediately turned down as it was for the wealth the Spire held. So that left her with two choices: revive everyone who died in the Spire's construction, or revive her sister and dog, who had sacrificed himself to save Sparrow one last time.

It was a difficult choice, but she knew Rose would be happy for her when she chose the Needs of Many. After her friend, Hammer: The Hero of Strength, left for the Warrior Monks in a far-off land; and Garth, the Hero of Will, and Reaver, the Hero of Skill, left or Garth's homeland of Samarkand; Sparrow found herself all alone. She had set her dog to rest next to the recovered body of her sister and thanked them both for giving her the will to live. And to her dog for being with her all the years.

Now, with nothing to do, Sparrow walked casually around Bowerstone Market. Many of the people there recognized her immediately and greeted her with such fervor, but there was one person Sparrow's eye caught on. Down by the docks was the trader, Murgo, who had sold her and her sister the music box all those years ago. During her journey, Sparrow and acquired two more strange objects from the salesman: a snowglobe and a golden skull. But both were enchanted by dark magic and Sparrow had to exorcise the items before they caused real damage.

Now, as curious as she was a child, Sparrow walked down to the docks and approached Murgo and his curious caravan. Seeing his best customer, Murgo greeted her.

"Well, my source has finally come through! I have in my hands the item that offers visions of the future and it's…well, not quite what I was expecting. I was hoping for a nice crystal ball, or some pretty cards, even a bucket of entrails would have been better than this."

He then handed the item to Sparrow, which was still in its packaging.

"Here, you can have it. I'll never be able to sell it to anyone else, and to tell you the truth it gives me the willies. And not the good kind."

Like with the snowglobe and the skull, the package was given to Sparrow for free. Curious as ever, Sparrow headed to one of her favorite places in Albion: Bower Lake.

As she settled on the shores of the lake, Sparrow tucked back her short brunette hair and unwrapped the package. The package was revealed to be a miniature statue of the Tattered Spire. Sparrow was confused. Why would Murgo be nervous of a little statue? The Hero had little time to react as the statuette began to glow.

Meanwhile, in the Dragon Realms…

A young red and gold dragon gazed out on a temple balcony with anxiety. The Year of the Dragon was approaching and soon, a new purple dragon would be born. It was prophesied long ago that a purple dragon, born in the Year of the Dragon, would rise up and defeat the long-time enemy of the realms. The Dark Master: Malefor.

Malefor's forces were growing strong and even without their leader, the forces of darkness were hard at work to bring down all who stand in their way. As a young dragon and the new Guardian of Fire, he was impatient for the Year of the Dragon to come. The time of prophecy had to be close if things were so dire.

"Still waiting for the Year of the Dragon to come, Ignitus?" a familiar voice spoke.

The young dragon, Ignitus, turned around and sighed in relief to find that the voice belonged to none other than Terrador: the Guardian of Earth. Terrador was considered the warrior of the four Guardians present at the temple. The smartest one being the Guardian of Electricity: Volteer, and the most proud being the Guardian of Ice: Cyril.

The green and brown dragon approached Ignitus, who returned his gaze to the stars.

"I just wish for this war to end in our favor, Terrador. Day by day, Malefor becomes stronger and his forces continue to ravage the realms."

"Yes, but remember my friend. Malefor can never escape Convexity. The seals holding him there are too strong for him to break." Terrador reassured him.

No one knew how old Malefor really was. All that was known was that he had been engaging in a war that was going to last a thousand years in two and a half decades, making it the longest war ever made in the Dragon Realms. So many creatures both sentient and non-sentient were looking forward for the day when the war would finally end, Guardians included. But hope was fading, and fast.

"Hope is dying, Terrador. If we don't do something to raise hope, I fear Malefor will win soon." Ignitus explained.

Terrador sighed at Ignitus' anxiety but knew the Fire Guardian was right. Unless hope is regained, there will be no more reasons to fight. A yawn came to the Earth Guardian as he spoke to Ignitus on last time before returning to the inner sanctum of the temple.

"Well, let us sleep on it. There is no use worrying so much that it will keep one up so late."

Ignitus nodded and bid Terrador good-night before he returned his gaze. Seeing the brightest star in the sky, Ignitus did something he hadn't done since he was a hatchling: he made a wish.

"Please, ancestors. Please grant us even a glimmer of hope to keep us going on in this war."

Just as he made his wish, Ignitus was suddenly surprised by the appearance of a blinding light.

The Tattered Spire…

Sparrow rubbed her eyes as the light faded, the statue in her hand vanishing. Where was she? What happened? Her questions were answered as she saw a familiar room in place of Bower Lake. It was the inner chamber of the Tattered Spire, where Sparrow killed Lucian with the same bullet he used to try and kill her the first time. Standing in the center of the chamber, dressed in her usual red and white gypsy garb and surrounded by moving streams of light, was Theresa.

Her face shaded by her hood and the darkness of the Spire, Theresa spoke.

"Here you are again. You knew you'd return here one day, did you not?"

Sparrow nodded as she spoke with surprise.

"Y-yes. But not for years."

But before Sparrow could ask, Theresa interrupted.

"I know what your question is. Yes, the Spire had a gift for me too. But I shall tell more when our other guest arrives."

Sparrow was just about as when another light appeared. Only this time, something was coming out. Sparrow was about to draw her sword when Theresa spoke to her.

"Do not worry, Little Sparrow. He not our enemy. In fact, he is connected to us."

The lighted dimmed to reveal a red and gold dragon who, like Sparrow before him, closed his eyes to recover his near-blinding vision. As he did, he saw where he was, and the people before him.

"Where am I? Who are you?"

Like with Sparrow, Theresa answered.

"I greet you to our world, Ignitus: Guardian of Fire. I am Theresa, the Seer of the Spire. This young woman next to me is called Sparrow. As for why you are here, I have something that concerns you both. Especially since it involves our worlds."

Hearing this, Ignitus and Sparrow remained silent as Theresa continued.

"The future has always whispered to me, and I have followed its sound blindly. But now I can see all possible futures. And not just of this realm. There are many threads - to many to count. Futures which must be fulfilled. This time, I will show you one such future. The future that has intertwined with the fates of Albion and the Dragon Realms."

She then held out her hands.

"Take my hands."

She then turned to Sparrow.

"One last time."

Hesitant, the two did, Ignitus placing a claw in the Seer's right hand and Sparrow grasping Theresa's left. As it did, everything went dark.

The darkness faded only as little as light shone on Ignitus and Sparrow. They both found Sparrow dressed in a different garb from her blue sleeveless tunic, brown pants and thick blue boots. Instead, she was dressed in a beautiful emerald gown with white and gold trimmings and a white cape flowing from her neck. Upon her head was a golden crown.

Ignitus had barely changed other than the fact that he had grown larger and had several hidden scars. But the air of wisdom flowed from him and radiated. Suddenly, Theresa's voice echoed from the shadows.

"It has been many years from now. A queen and a guardian feels age, weighing them down. And the responsibilities of their respective kingdoms."

The light went on forward by a few feet, urging the dragon and the Hero to walked down the two carpeted paths, one in dark violet and one in red, both with gold designs on them. As they walked few steps, two lines of soldiers saluted the woman as she walked between the two lines.

"These are her men. Loyal soldiers who would die for her. Many already have, some on battlefields at home and in faraway lands."

Ignitus looked down his path and saw his fellow aged Guardians, greeting him with their own smiles as he walked down between them.

"These are his fellow Guardians. Working together, they fight against the darkness that has been terrorizing their world. The respect each other like brothers."

The walk continued as people appeared. On Sparrow's side were human people. On Ignitus', animal people. Theresa spoke again, starting with Sparrow.

"These are their people. Though in different worlds, they are subjects who worship them. Who trust them to guide them, protect them, and govern them."

They stop when they reached a single throne at the end. Next to it was a small pool of water. A pool Ignitus recognized as Theresa continued with Sparrow first.

"And this is her throne. Albion's seat of power, where she has made countless decisions, delivered justice, and led a nation."

Her voice then echoed from Ignitus' side.

"Here, a pool in which he can see various visions, though it takes some concentration. It is through these visions that he can see what is going on in his world."

Theresa then finally got to the point.

"Yet none of these is of the least importance."

Another light then showed. This time, it showed a cradle, lined with grass from a nest. Curious, the pair approached the cradle and looked inside. Both of them held their breath as to what they had seen.

In the cradle, dressed in a pink blanket, was a beautiful baby, sleeping peacefully. Next to the baby was a purple dragon, recently hatched. Like with the babe, the hatchling was curled up in the nest. It was an astonishing sight to Sparrow and Ignitus. Theresa then reappeared next to the cradle and spoke.

"This is the real future. Her daughter and the hatchling he seeks, both not yet born, but both are destined for greatness, their fates intertwined. Children on whom the fate of the Dragon Realm swill depend on one day. As will the fates of Albion and Aurora."

Ignitus felt his heart stop. This was the hope he wished for not too long ago. The hope for the Dragon Realms. But it was intertwined with the fate of this new world. What exactly was this purple dragon's future?

Sparrow, on the other hand, was gazing at the infant baby that was to be her daughter. After what Lucian took from her, Sparrow never thought she would ever have a daughter, much less a family. She found herself not caring of the fact that she was going to be Queen of Albion one day, but the fact that she would become a mother as well. It was like the heavens were telling Theresa to show her this to give her a different message: to continue to live.

Theresa spoke once more.

"These things you will understand in time. For now, you must live your own lives, and prepare for what is to come."

Then everything became dark as both Sparrow and Ignitus both began to lose consciousness.

"Farewell, Little Sparrow. And to you too, Ignitus. And remember. I am always here. Always watching."

And just like that, everything when white.

After the experience, Sparrow and Ignitus found themselves back where they were before the light first took them. Both with hope for the future. Ignitus finally found the hope he was looking for and not only reassured the troops and his fellow guardians that the purple dragon would be born soon, but got a well-deserved good night's sleep out of it. He only told the guardians about the baby that would join the purple dragon in saving their world as well as the masked destiny beyond. For now, the kept that information secret until it was time.

Sparrow, on the other hand, went to work. In the years to come, she would partake in many more battles while making friends along the way. Through tact, bravery, and kindness; Sparrow had proven herself to the people of Albion to be its first monarch. The first thing the new queen did was rename Castle Fairfax. Since the castle has now become her permanent home, Sparrow wanted nothing to remind her that this was the building where Rose died. Instead, she renamed it 'Bowerstone Castle.'

But despite their separate "projects," both Ignitus and Sparrow kept in contact with each other, thanks to a set of items bearing a strange seal. Over the years, the Guardian Dragon and the Monarch became good friends, the former using one of the items to take on a human appearance: a man with red hair dressed in red and gold garb.

Shortly after, Sparrow married and gave birth to a son. Although she was eagerly awaiting her daughter's arrival, she loved her son dearly and encouraged him in his skills, knowing that he would take the throne as king one day. The prince knew of Ignitus, but not of his origins nor true identity. A rule the Queen and Dragon had put into practice long ago.

When her son, Logan, was 14, Sparrow once again gave birth. The daughter she had been waiting for so long had finally come. In all of this happiness, she nearly forgot about the destiny ahead of her child. So, the queen made various preparations. Mostly in secret as to not arouse envy in her son. She asked her friend, Sir Walter Beck, to train her children in the art of combat, while she worked on a hidden place for her daughter.

But at the same time, in the Dragon Realms, tragedy struck. On the Year of the Dragon, fourteen years after the vision, a faction of Malefor's army somehow made it to the temple. With great urgency, Ignitus took a purple egg, the only one of its kind, and flew off with it to a nearby river. Hoping for the egg's safety, Ignitus place the egg in an overturned mushroom cap and set it afloat on the Silver River. As the egg floated away, Ignitus called out to it.

"May the ancestors look after you. May they look after us all."

He then returned to the temple, but he was too late.

All of the eggs were shattered.

The next morning, Ignitus returned to Albion with a broken heart. After taking so much care in protecting the eggs from the forces of the Dark Master, nearly all of the eggs were destroyed and he had no idea where the purple egg was. Now, he was entering Bowerstone Castle to give the bad news to the Queen.

Upon entering the castle, the disguised dragon took notice of the excitement as servants quickly cleaned and decorated, leaving Ignitus confused. All of the servants bore happy voices as they murmured with excitement. Curious, Ignitus approached a young woman who was cleaning a nearby vase and cleared his throat. Once he gained her attention, the crimson man spoke.

"Excuse me, miss. But what in the world is everyone so excited about?"

The woman blinked a couple of times before smiling at the man.

"Didn't you hear? Queen Sparrow gave birth this morning. A princess. Everyone in the castle is excited with the news."

Ignitus did not know whether to be joyous at the birth of the long-awaited girl or saddened by it. He and the Queen knew of the girl's future and who she was supposed to meet. Could it be possible that Malefor had won by preventing the plans he and Sparrow made from being set into action? Shaking his head mentally, Ignitus spoke again.

"Would it be possible to see the newborn princess and her mother? I wish to give them my congratulations."

"You know you are always welcome here, Ignatius. After all, you're a friend to the queen." A boisterous voice called out from a nearby corridor.

Ignitus, or "Ignatius" as he called himself in this world, smiled as he was greeted by Sir Walter Beck. He knew the man from when Sparrow worked to unify the kingdom under a monarchy and considered him a good friend. The bearded man pointed to the stairs and spoke again.

"Her Majesty is resting in her room. I have to help the King and Prince Logan with something. Perhaps we can have a drink later?"

Ignitus laughed as he made his way to the stairs.

"I might take you up on that offer, old friend."

Following the instructions of Sir Walter and several servants, Ignitus found the door to the Queen's chambers. After knocking three times, he carefully pushed the door open as he spoke.

"Queen Sparrow? It is I, Ignitus."

Inside, Sparrow was laying in her bed, dressed in her bed clothing and her brown hair disheveled. Seeing the disguised dragon, the Queen smiled as she motioned him inside.

"Do come in, my friend. I'm actually happy that you're here. I want you to meet my daughter."

The man nodded, but the Queen's voice halted him once again.

"If it is alright, I'd rather have you meet her in your true form. After all, children are impressionable."

Ignitus was hesitant at first, but complied as he touched a medallion around his neck. The touch caused his body to be engulfed in a faint light until the dragon himself was in the place of the man. No one other than the Queen knew that this was "Ignatius' " true form and he was happy with that.

Carefully, Ignitus approached the veiled cradle next to the bed. Inside was the sweetest sight the Guardian of Fire had ever seen. Inside was the baby princess he and Sparrow had seen from Theresa's vision, sleeping comfortably under a pink and white blanket. Smiling, Ignitus spoke to the mother of the child.

"Congratulations, Sparrow. She's very lovely."

The Queen smiled at the praise as she spoke.

"With what will happen in the future, I've given her a name that would mean something. Her name is 'Helena,' which means 'Shining Light.'"

Helena. It was a perfect name for the infant. But as much as Ignitus wanted to celebrate the princess' birth, he still had to give the bad news.

"I'm afraid I came with sad tidings, Sparrow. Malefor's forces invaded the temple last night. They've smashed all of the eggs."

The Queen cupped her hands to contain a gasp. She had been hearing about the rookery of eggs for months and was especially excited to hear that the purple dragon egg was in this year's clutch. Shaken, the Queen voiced her question.

"What about the purple egg? Were you able to get it to safety?"

Ignitus only replied with a half-nod at first before going into detail on what happened. Sparrow was saddened and horrified at what Malefor's forces could do, slightly relieved that they did not know of her daughter's involvement in the oncoming prophecy. After Ignitus told her about his sending the purple egg down the Silver River in an upturned mushroom cap, Sparrow took this as a moment to speak.

"Then there is still hope, Ignitus. I'm sure by now someone may have found the egg. And I am also certain that the hatchling is being taken good care of."

Returning his gaze to the princess, Ignitus sighed as he spoke.

"I hope you are right, Sparrow. I hope you are right."

The egg did manage to float to safety. Nestled in a swamp far to the south of the temple, the egg was soon found by a pair of dragonflies. As the princess in Albion was being born, the egg hatched. Both princess and hatchling unknowingly taking their first breaths at the same time. The hatchling was immediately adopted by the dragonflies, who were also surprised that an egg of their own had hatched as well.

This is their story.