Chapter 14: What Needs to Open
The jade dragon Zircronis widens his eyes. "You youngsters were once trained by dragons?" He asks them. Natsu nods. "Yes. We were. We just couldn't get over for what they've done for us when Tartaros' Face was about to zap away our magic. So we need to make they know how truly we're grateful." Natsu explains his answer to the jade dragon. Zircronis raised his claw to his chin. "Well. That's something to think about giving you dragon slayers permission to pass through. But it's not that easy." Zircronis tells them disappointedly. Wendy steps up to him. "Why not?" She asks him. Zircronis lowers his body close to the ground. "I'm not saying that's impossible to get through. What I'm trying to tell you is that I simply cannot open the passageway to Draco Orbits. What the passagaeway needs is the magic of the dragons in order to open it. And since you youngsters are full of your foster parents' magic power, it shouldn't be that hard to open the passageway." He tells them, making them smile in releif. "However, there's only one thing that you must know?" He warns them quickly.
Gajeel comes up. "What is it?" He tilts his head. Zircronis turns around, "Come with me." He said as he walks towards the ruins that are up ahead. The group all looked at one another, and then turns to follow the ghostly jade dragon. Zircronis comes up to a pedistal that is in the middle of the ruins. The group look around with more fascination in their eyes. There are more statues like the ones before. They see the pedistal where Zircronis is standing by. "What's that?" Sting asks this time. Zircronis chuckles. "This here is the passageway to Draco Orbits. Like I said before, only dragon magic are able to open it. However, that's not the only thing that is needed to make it happen." He explains the purpose.
Zircronis looks out west, "You see the sun setting…" He starts off. The group follow his gaze to see the sun hitting the horizon. As such it's giving up such a hue of orange and red in the sky, thus allowing the stars to appear in the darkened sky. "There is a time when the sun will be blocked off by the moon, thus making it nighttime for a short period of time." He tells them. Lucy knows immediately what he's talking. "Oh you mean the solar eclipse. What magnifisence does it have here?" She asks him. Zircronis looks down to the blonde haired girl. "Oh, well. You see, there are times when the sun will be blcoked off by the moon. And if that were to happened, then the moon will be blocked off by the earth." He tells her. "A Lunar eclipse." She tells him. "Yes. Once both events happen, along with the dragon magic, it'll be powerful enough to open up the passageway." Zircronis tells them.
Sting and Rogue knew something unusual happened two weeks ago. "If I'm not mistaken, but there was a lunar eclipse two weeks ago." Rogue tells Zircronis hopefully. Zircronis nods his head. "Yes, so that means that one thing has passed. So the next is the solar eclipse. Once that's pass, the pedistal you see here, will be halfway fueled up from those two events." He tells them. "But why eclipses? Shouldn't it just open up anyway?" Gray asks the dragon. Zircronis chuckles. "Sorry. But the pedistal needs the rings from the sun and moon in order to happen. During the solar elcipse, the pedistal needs the power of the suns's ring, the cronus in order to glow. And during the lunar, it needs the red glow that is the refraction from the sun to continue on." He tells them. "Luckily the solar eclipse is tomorrow, so we need to call it a day. It'll give you guys some rest so that you guys can be a full strength." He suggestes as he disappears in green lights.
After the disappearance of the jade dragon, Natsu walks out of the ruins and towards the cliff with Happy flying close to him. The rest of the group decide to set up camp close to the ruins. Lucy turns to see Natsu hasn't move for awhile. She stands up and goes up to him. Natsu sits down on the rocks, while Happy sits by him. "Hey." Lucy leans forward. Natsu looks up to her to see her eyes full of concern. "Oh hey." He turns back towards the west. Lucy decides to sits by him. "I bet you were upset about today." She tells him softly. Natsu nods, "Yeah. Pretty much." He answers her with his eyes closes. "But there's the bright side." Happy tells him. Natsu looks down to him. "How so?" He asks his blue cat friend. "So far for what we know. There was a lunar eclipse. All that's left is the solar eclipse." He cheers him. All Natsu does is nod back. "Yeah, but that's not why I'm upset." He tells them. "They why is it that you're upset?" Lucy asks him curiously. She knows better that she shouldn't stick her nose into someone else's business. But not this time. All she wants to do is help him any way she can.
Natsu shows a small smile. "It's just for what this Draco Orbits will look like when we get there." He confesses to them. Hearing that made Lucy and Happy look at each other, realizing what Natsu meant. "Do you think that it'll be like Edolas?" Happy asks him. Natsu shakes his head. "I hope not. Remember when we got there. We couldn't use our magic for awhile until Gray and Erza gave us those x-balls so our magic wouldn't go away." He reminds the blue cat. Happy nods. "Yeah, but Carla and I were about to get our magic because we wanted to save you guys from the king's grasps." He tells Natsu with determination in his voice. "Well, let's just hope that Draco Orbits will be nothing like Edolas. I don't want to go through that crap again." Natsu said with a bit of anger in his voice. Lucy knows it's best that she leaves. "I'm calling it a day. I'll see you guys in the morning." She waves them good-bye and heads back to the group. Natsu on the other hand decides to stay in his spot for a few more minutes. Happy snuggles up to his leg falling asleep. Natsu looks down with a soft smile. 'Sleep tight, little buddy.' He craddles him in his arms and heads back to get some sleep as well.