Chapter 65
Starstrike
Spyro looked into the cold empty eyes of Starstrike. Only a few days ago was when he had finally stopped Malefor and now someone was trying to avenge his death.
"Maybe we can discuss this Starstrike." Flashwing moved forwards. "I know you're not like this normally..."
"Wait, you know him?" Spyro looked at Flashwing.
"Yes, he sent me here." Flashwing sighed. "He sent me to keep the peace. He has never supported the Darkness."
"There's a first for everything." Starstrike smiled. "But I'm here for the purple dragon." Spyro growled at him. "Short tempered then? I thought that you were supposed to be more controlled than this."
"Not when a dragon demands that he wants to kill me or any of my friends." Spyro prepared to fight.
"I'm going to teach you what it means to challenge a God." Starstrike shimmered. He then moved with ferocious speed. He was then in front of Cynder.
And his claws were in Cynder's stomach.
"NO!" Spyro ran at Starstrike. But as Spyro closed in, Starstrike moved on. One at a time, the Skylanders fell. They didn't stand a chance.
"This is what it is to mess with the natural order of the World." Starstrike struck down Hex. "You shouldn't have killed him. I will let you live this time only so you can run and hide. But in the end you will fall just like these fools. This is Justice!"
Starstrike was gone. Spyro and Flashwing were the only ones standing.
"Spyro..." Cynder struggled to speak. Spyro ran over to her. "Don't...do...it...just be...strong." Cynder then went limp.
Spyro's eyes widened. "No...No, no, NO!" Spyro bowed his head. He had never been so angry. He thought that his connection to Malefor had ended but now some God kills all the Skylanders because he finished Malefor.
"Spyro, I'm sorry." Flashwing was crying. "I didn't know he would kill everyone. He usually is calm and collective."
"I'm going to kill him." Spyro muttered.
"How?" Flashwing looked worried. "He's a God. Malefor was strong but Starstrike is immortal."
"It doesn't matter how, I'm still going to kill him." Spyro shook in anger. "He killed everyone and he deserves to die."
Flashwing nodded. "So what do we do?"
"First we bury everyone. Then we find Starstrike."
The rest of the day consisted of digging and placing the bodies of the Skylanders in a grave. Spyro felt lost as he placed his closest friends in the graves. When he put Cynder in there his hear felt like it had been shattered, put back together and shattered again.
Spyro watched the sunset on the edge of the Ruins. Flashwing was sleeping but he wanted to find Starstrike. He prepared to fly off. He flapped his wings and went into the distance.
The next day Flashwing was found dead.
Chapter 66
Terrified of Death
Spyro heard this news from a Mabu near the Destiny's Caller Ruins. He flew back to the Ruins to find Flashwing barely recognisable on the blood-stained grass.
"You're all alone now Spyro." Starstrike came out from the forest. "No one to help you."
"You killed everyone." Spyro couldn't control his anger. "I'm going to kill you."
"You can try Spyro, you can try."
Spyro ran at Starstrike. He attempted to go right at the heart but Starstrike moved out of the way quickly. Spyro blew a Fireball at Starstrike but it missed.
"How are you moving so fast?" Spyro started to notice Starstrike's speed.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Starstrike shimmered and hit Spyro from behind. Spyro then recognised the attack. As Starstrike shimmered again, Spyro activated an ability that he hadn't used in ages, Dragon Time. He saw Starstrike coming at him and Spyro dodged out of the way.
"Not so fast now are you." Spyro smiled as he raked his claws along Starstrike's stomach.
"You know Dragon Time as well?" Starstrike was impressed. "You mortals surprise me."
"You know, I've come back from the void, survived a massive explosion that killed Gnasty Gnorc and Dread and killed Malefor." Spyro shimmered and hit Starstrike again. Starstrike began to bleed. But blood didn't come out but the Darkness did. Spyro realised what had happened. "You're corrupted by the Darkness."
"How do you-"
"You have the Darkness running through your veins instead of blood." Spyro looked at the Darkness pouring out of Starstrike's wound. "That's why you are usually calm and reasonable like Flashwing said. You didn't mean to kill them?"
"Of course I did." Starstrike growled. "You murdered Malefor and I need to kill you to restore the balance of Light and Dark. You exist to be the Light, Malefor to be the Dark. If there is more of one than the other then there is an unbalance. I have come to kill you to restore it."
"If you do that you destroy the world." Spyro remembered what Ignitus said. "Me and Malefor are connected to the Elements. There is one that few have heard about and that is the Convexity. It supports the world, binds it and let's it survive. If we are both dead then the world will be destroyed."
"Well then, that's a risk I'm willing to take." Starstrike prepared for his ultimate attack, Sunblast Meteor. Spyro rose up. He did what he did in Dread's castle and let out the energy into a controlled explosion. Starstrike just managed to let out the Meteor as the explosion hit him. The Darkness was torn out of him as he turned a bright white. He then smiled. "I am reborn. Thank you Spyro."
But the Sunblast Meteor had left him. Spyro lay on the ground, dead.
Then the world imploded.
Chapter 68
End of the Skylanders
Spyro was back in the void. "Come on! Why am I always here Ignitus?"
"It is not my fault that you died." Ignitus appeared beside Spyro. "And it's not my fault you sought vengeance."
"He killed everyone I loved and cared about!" Spyro became increasingly angrier. "Do you expect me to stand around and let him ruin my life more?"
Ignitus frowned. "I expected you to be more careful. You remember when I told you that the purple dragons were the lifeline for the world? Well now the world has been destroyed."
"If you had stopped being so cryptic then I might have listened!"
"You see Spyro, when the Convexity was destroyed, the Darkness flooded the Holy Land where the Gods are. Starstrike absorbed it so it didn't affect the others. Only he found out about Malefor's death. He felt that he needed to kill you. So here we are now."
"So you're saying that this is my fault for destroying the Convexity?" Spyro looked disgusted. "Once again you warned me in riddles. Maybe you should have just told me then we wouldn't be here."
Ignitus sighed. "I can't tell you the information directly or there might be a consequence. So I'm sorry. If it makes you feel better I can help you solve this."
Spyro rolled his eyes. "Yeah? So what's that?"
"I can send you back through time so you can prevent this from happening." Ignitus made a portal that radiated the Light. "I want to make sure you succeed so I can tell you that you will be in the castle of the Darkness. Cynder is the key. You must stop her corruption or else nothing can stop these events."
"Not even if I don't destroy the Convexity?" Spyro frowned.
"No, Starstrike observes the Convexity." Ignitus smiled at Spyro. "This will be your only chance. Good luck young dragon, your our only hope."
Spyro smiled. "I'm not that young anymore." He ran through the portal, ready to face his greatest enemy one last time.
Chapter 69
Back in the past
Spyro woke up in the cell he was in a few weeks ago. He did what his instinct told him, smash into the door.
The spyhole opened. "Stop it!" The guard's eye narrowed.
"Make me." Spyro began to melt the door. "If I get out there then Malefor will kill-"
"Who? You?" Malefor grabbed him through the hole in the door. "Strange, you seem older than when I last saw you. That was only a month ago."
"Oh I know that you know that I'm full of surprises." Spyro smiled. "So what would you say if I told you I know your entire plan?"
"Impossible." Malefor glared at Spyro. "You would have to be able to read minds, an ability that even I haven't learnt."
"Sorry to disappoint you." Spyro blew out a Fireball and ran along the hall. Malefor grabbed him and smashed him into a wall.
"How would you know my plan?" Malefor looked worried.
"You told me."
"No I didn't."
"How about I rephrase. You told me in the future after you corrupted Cynder and doomed the world." Spyro smiled at Malefor's shocked expression.
"How do you know this?" Malefor felt fear that his plan wouldn't work.
"I am not the Spyro you saw a month ago, I am the Spyro you will see a few weeks after your death." Spyro waited to see Malefor's reaction.
"You kill me for good?" Malefor was scared. "That is strange. Well then, I'd better kill you sooner than I planned." Malefor opened a cell and threw Spyro in. "Enjoy the last few minutes of your life. I will be back as soon as I take care of your friends." The door slammed shut.
"Spyro?" Cynder came out of the shadows. "Are you okay?"
"Fine." Spyro smiled at the sight of her. "I am so happy to see you."
"So am I." Cynder smiled.
"Well, seeming as last time I saw you were killed." Spyro expected Cynder's reaction. She looked horrified.
"What?" Cynder was shocked at this sudden news. "I was killed? By who?"
"First of, let me explain..." Spyro told Cynder what happens in the future. Malefor's death, her corruption, Starstrike and the End of the Skylanders. "Now you know what I meant about your death."
Cynder nodded. She had calmed down a bit and now understood why Spyro was so happy to see her. "So I get corrupted and that is the trigger for the events that you described?" Spyro nodded. "So what do we do?"
"We could try and reason with Malefor but that probably won't work." Spyro tried to think. "I think I know how to get you out of the altar but for that I will need more time than I had. If we can stall him long enough that Sunburn and the others can get there then we might be able to stop it."
"Too bad you are about to die." Malefor was in the doorway. "You see, your friends are a bit busy with my minions so I have all the time I need to kill you and corrupt Cynder."
"So you think that if you kill me that will make the difference?" Spyro laughed. "It was us both dying that triggered the world exploding."
"So why do I have to die?" Malefor snarled at Spyro.
"Because if you corrupt Cynder we all die." Spyro growled back. "And you would rather corrupt her than help prevent the End of the World."
"Well then, let's do it." Malefor gestured to something out of sight. Two minions came and grabbed Spyro and Cynder and dragged them to the altar, where the End of the World began.
Chapter 70
Destiny awaits
Spyro was chained to the wall and Cynder was placed in the middle of the altar. She looked scared but Spyro smiled at her to reassure her that it will be all right. She nodded as Malefor walked in.
"So, let's get started." Malefor brought in the Destiny's Caller. "I'm sure you recognise this staff?"
"Gaul's before I killed him." Spyro smiled. "By the way, why did you make me kill him when you could have easily after I freed you?"
"So I could have you on my side." Malefor explained as he prepared the ritual. "But I didn't think that you and Cynder loved each other." Malefor spat. "Love, always the solution to everything in this world. I hate the idea of it."
"Well you must have felt it." Spyro looked a bit spaced out. "You helped bring me into this world."
"Yes. That is why I hate it." Malefor looked disgusted. "I made you, my greatest enemy. You could have been my trusted ally but Ignitus had to send you down a river to some dragonflies. He made this happen and now he sits out of reach in his chamber."
"Too bad. We quite like him." Sunburn charged into Malefor while Flashwing sent out shards of crystal that released Spyro and Cynder. Spyro grabbed Malefor and dug his claws into the stomach. Malefor screamed in pain. He shot up through the roof and Spyro let go. They both landed on the roof.
"So you did it." Malefor growled. "The only thing that would improve my mood is your death so I'm not going to hesitate."
"Neither am I."
Spyro ran at Malefor and used a Comet Dash to smash into him. Malefor let out a fury of attacks. Breath, claws, whatever he could in order to kill Spyro. But not one attack connected. Spyro was using Dragon Time and dodged the attacks quicker than Malefor could attack.
"How are you doing this?" Malefor felt blood running down his leg as Spyro appeared behind him. Cynder then came up through the hole in the floor and hit Malefor with Lightening. Malefor then felt Spyro blasting him with Fire. The Fire and Lightening made an attack that hadn't been seen for a few centuries, Scarlet Death.
Malefor felt his skin tear apart. Then the pain stopped. He found himself standing in front of a white dragon. The other Skylanders came up and looked surprised at this dragon. Spyro looked horrified.
"Hello Spyro." The white dragon smiled.
"Starstrike?"
Chapter 71
The Pit
Spyro looked shocked at Starstrike's sudden appearance. He was white, not black so the Darkness was gone.
"You're the one that destroys the world?" Malefor tried to hit Starstrike but was frozen. Everyone apart from Starstrike, Spyro and Cynder was.
"There we are, a moment of peace." Starstrike looked into Malefor's yellow eye. "Fascinating, pure evil captures in one part of his body. Once seen, you will never forget it."
"Last time I saw you, you killed everyone when I said hello." Spyro looked suspicious.
"I don't remember you saying anything." Starstrike turned to Spyro. "But I'm here to help. I wish to help you unlock the true Light within you. Not just your Legendary form but your Light form."
"But I'm part of the Magic element, not the Light." Spyro sighed.
"No, you're not." Starstrike conjured up symbols all around him, each representing the elements. Each went to their owners, Light going to Spyro and Dark going to Cynder.
"Wait, Cynder-" Spyro began to panic.
"She is one with the Darkness." Starstrike nodded. "But as you have seen, she can control it, unlike Malefor who has let it control him."
Cynder looked down. She felt ashamed. "I don't think I like this. Now the others can say I'm evil."
"You're not evil Cynder." Starstrike looked at her. "It is good we have someone of the Dark element or it would be impossible for us to stop Malefor."
"Hey." Spyro smiled. "I will love you whatever element you are." Cynder smiled. "So what do we have to do?"
"We must tell the other Skylanders that they must give their elemental power to you." Starstrike let out a pulse of energy that freed the other Skylanders. "Please listen carefully. Spyro has a plan. I will leave it to him to explain."
"I need you to give me your elemental power." Spyro looked around the group.
"That's impossible without a Skylander of the Light and Dark element." Sunburn shook his head.
"We have that." Spyro indicated to himself and Cynder.
The others looked a bit shocked. But they all formed a circle around Spyro. Suddenly Malefor unfroze. The element began to combine.
"NO!" Malefor tried to stop it but the process had begun. The Skylanders started to radiate the colour of their element. The element were then sucked in by Spyro. His horns and wings turned gold, his scales a bright white and his eyes their original purple.
"You all side with the real villain?" Malefor spat. "Fine, may you all rot in Hell!" He flew up and into a large hole. "If you dare follow me Spyro, you are entering Hell. For this is the Hell's Mouth and I am the Ruler of Hell! You will not escape me down here!"
"I don't plan on doing so." Spyro rose up and dived into the Pit.
Two go in, only one comes out. Or is that the right saying for this?
Chapter 72
Welcome to Hell
Spyro landed on the ground in complete darkness. He could only see a few feet in front of him. The floor was made of obsidian and ice. Then Malefor's voice rang around the room.
"Why do you fight? Why do you put yourself through the suffering that is your existence? You are the product of everything you fear. The Darkness, death, hopelessness. All that remains is to kill you and place you in my army of the Undead."
Yellow flames ran along the edge of the room. Malefor stood on a pedestal opposite Spyro. He had fully healed. Now he glared at Spyro with two yellow eyes.
Spyro smiled. "The reason I exist is to stop your madness. I exist so you have something to fear. You know I'm the only one that can stop you forever. You're weak, pathetic and I'm going to stop you once and for all."
Spyro shot at Malefor and hit him with a ball of Light. Malefor returned it with a long stream of Convexity but Spyro dodged it with Dragon Time.
"Come on then Malefor!" Spyro hovered just above his reach. "Come up here and kill me!"
Malefor smiled. "I don't need to. I think these old friends would like revenge." Dread, Gnasty Gnorc, the Sorcerer and Red come from behind Malefor and went for Spyro.
Red instantly hit Spyro and sent him onto the ground. Gnasty Gnorc then used his hammer to knock Spyro into the centre of the room where the Sorcerer, Red and Dread sent Breath attacks at him.
"Now you know what it is like to die Spyro." Malefor laughed. "You fell right into my trap. You can never leave Hell once you enter it with me."
"Even if I die down here, I'm burying you with me." Spyro saw the rocks on the ceiling were loose. "I'm not giving up."
Spyro flashed and appeared behind the Sorcerer and used Dragon Beam. Dread managed to dodge it but then was rewarded with a ball of Light from Spyro. One at a time the four old enemies that had died fighting him fell to the Dragon Beam.
"Well, that could have gone better." Malefor rose up. The Darkness form around him to made a huge Dark Dragon. Spyro looked at its face to see the eyes were still the same as Malefor's. "So then Spyro, is that the best you can do? This is the best I can do. So I ask you one question, are you ready to die?"
Spyro grinned. He began to flap his wings and took to the skies. The Dark Dragon blew out a long breath of Darkness. Spyro looped around it and returned a stream of Light. The Dark Dragon blew to pieces.
"Is that it?" Spyro looked shocked. But then the Dark Dragon reformed around Malefor. "Okay then, time for Plan B." Spyro simply let out a Dragon Beam. Once again the Dark Dragon blew apart and reformed around Malefor. "Oh come on!" Spyro tried everything he could think of but the Dark Dragon just kept coming back for more.
"You cannot win Spyro." Malefor kept laughing. "Down here in Hell souls just keep coming back. I command the Darkness so whatever you do, you won't kill this tiny proportion of it."
"Even if I can't stop you, I won't stop until you are among these souls." Spyro did the only thing he could think of, go around the tunnels that were around the room and attack the Dark Dragon continuously. Spyro kept going as fast as he could until he hit Malefor.
The Dark Dragon roared as its arm fell off. Spyro saw his opportunity. He went straight for the stomach of the Dark Dragon and tore Malefor out of it.
Spyro stood there panting as Malefor groaned in pain. The Dark Dragon disintegrated into a pool. Malefor slowly got up.
"So you managed to stop me..." Malefor smiled. The Darkness started to move towards Spyro. "But how are you going to make sure that I don't return."
Spyro smiled. Ghostly figures of the Elder Dragons appeared around Spyro. Terrador, Cyril, Volteer, Ignitus and the Chronicler. Malefor looked surprised. The dragons each let out a Dragon Beam while Spyro fused with his to create the Dragon Comet. Spyro blasted his way into Malefor. Malefor screamed in pain as he was ripped apart from the inside. Then the other dragons stopped and Spyro stopped.
Malefor collapsed on the ground. "How...did...you..?"
Spyro smiled. "You should just look at the power you could have gained if you had stayed on the path the Elders set you on."
Malefor laughed. "How about I show you real power, the power I hold." Suddenly, the pool of Darkness rose up and landed on Spyro.
As the pool disappeared, Spyro was led on the floor in his Dark form. Malefor laughed again. His laughter filled the chamber. Then Spyro twitched.
"So you're still alive. Good." Malefor walked slowly towards Spyro's limp form. Suddenly a beam of Darkness erupted from Spyro and hit Malefor.
Malefor screamed in pain as Spyro slowly got up. "You should have killed me when you had the chance." Spyro kept the beam going until Malefor exploded.
But a spirit rose from the ashes and went into Spyro. The spirit tried to take over Spyro's mind. "No! I won't allow it. I would rather die than be your puppet."
That could be arranged.
"No...I won't let you..."
Give in Spyro, you belong to me now.
Spyro looked up. He saw some of the rocks were loose and let out a Fireball. The ceiling started to cave in. Spyro then channelled his energy to form a crystal around him.
The roof collapsed and buried the remains of Spyro and Malefor, forgotten ad lost, forever.
Chapter 73
Back again
Cynder sat on the edge of Hell's Mouth. Spyro had been in it for an hour and everyone else had gone back to the Ruins but she stayed there ready to help Spyro if he was injured or hurt. But then the ceiling of the Underworld shook.
Rocks started to fall down into Hell's Mouth. "Spyro!" Cynder shot towards the bottom only to see Spyro forming the crystal. The rocks started to fill the room and Cynder couldn't get to him. "I'll be back Spyro, that's a promise." She went back up to the surface, heartbroken.
When she got to the Ruins, Cynder found everyone asleep. Cynder made her way to Sonic Boom's tree house.
Sonic Boom and Sunburn were still awake. When the saw Cynder come in they looked worried. "Is he still alive?"
"Yes but we can't reach him." Cynder looked depressed. "He is in a crystal at the bottom of Hell's Mouth. It seems like he buried himself."
"Why would he do that?" Sunburn was confused.
"I saw his eyes." Cynder looked down. "They were like Malefor's."
Sunburn and Sonic Boom looked horrified. "Would it be wise to wake him up then?" Sonic Boom looked scared. "I mean, if Malefor has taken over his body then we could be in trouble if we let him out."
Cynder hated to admit it but Sonic Boom was right. If Malefor is in control of Spyro's mind then the results could be catastrophic. "If we wait a couple of years then Malefor's grip may loosen on his mind."
"And how long will that be?" Sunburn looked nervous.
"Ten years."
Epilogue
Kaos sat in his throne room. He had sent his minions to the Underworld to explore this new castle that had been discovered. Then the door opened and the minions came in carrying someone.
"So what have you brought me?" Kaos looked happy at this possible artefact.
"First off, I want a raise." The minion who was in charge gestured to the others. They brought the thing forward. Kaos' eyes widened as he saw it.
Then the castle exploded. The figure rose up and started laughing.
"I AM BACK! THE SKYLANDERS WILL BE DESTROYED!"
