Ignitus woke up in a cold sweat, cold beads all over his scales. Shaking, he sat up and tried to ignore the way his gut clenched as the thought of his last egg came to him.

That was when he noticed it; something was wrong with the world.

He took a deep breath and stood up, looking about him cautiously as his shadow cast a sillhouette on the walls of the bright world he was in.

'Hello?' he asked loudly, trying his best to ignore the prickly feeling at the base of his neck.

'Relax, it's only me.'

He tensed instead and whipped around to see the speaker, a young dragon who looked remarkably like the Fire Guardian himself.

'You're a figment of my imagination,' he hissed fiercely at the teen, who raised an eyebrow.

'Yes.'

'Then why are you here?'

'I'm your consciousness taking on a solid form to tease you,' the dragon informed him, a cheeky smirk dancing over his lips.

Ignitus growled and advanced on the dragon, his 'consciousness,' wings flared threateningly.

'Then why is it, every time after I have a nightmare I'm summoned to a random place and time where you are?'

The dragon smiled slowly.

'Because.'

'That's not an answer.'

'It is for me.'

'Not for me,' Ignitus demanded, 'tell me why you chose the form of a teenaged dragon in which to torment me.'

'Take a guess,' the dragon said, the same cocky, triumphant grin playing across his face, the same one that irritated Ignitus so much. 'And by the way, one day, you won't think this smile is cocky.'

'How would you know? I'm not going to change that much.'

'Yes you will. Being a father does that to you,' the dragon said smugly, enjoying the way Ignitus' jaw dropped.

'WHAT?'

'This,' his 'consciousness' said, standing up and gesturing to it's body, 'is merely an illusion, created to fool and stun you. A gift from the ancestors, as you might say.'

'Why that particular body?'

'Ooh, don't talk about your son like that.'

Ignitus did a double take, well aware of the fact that the dragon was smiling cockily at him.

'My son? I don't have a son!'

'Yet. This is what your youngest will look like, though you may already know that...'

'From what?' Ignitus asked threateningly, lashing his tail about, 'from what would I know what any child of mine would look like? And why my youngest?'

'Because it's the only form the ancestors said would tease you, and besides, cause you grief,' the dragon looked up at him, that smug look right back where it had been.

Ignitus snarled violently and lunged at the dragon, only to pass right through him.

'If you don't believe me, then how about this...' the dragon teased.

Ignitus got to his feet and lunged at the dragon again, his claws digging into soft flesh, making the dragon cry out in pain. He stood above the pinned down dragon who's eyes were half closed, though still glaring up at him.

'Then how about this,' he said.

Before Ignitus could do anything, the scales began to change, and half closed eyes opened up fully, wide in fear. The red scales melted away to be replaced by purple and the now purple dragon looked up at Ignitus in amazement, the fear being swept away.

Ignitus, against his better judgement, backed off and the dragon sat up slowly, wincing with every movement.

Then the land began to change, melting into the familiar bright light.

The dragon stared up at him, seemingly unable to tear his eyes away.

'Ignitus...'

Ignitus stared hard at the dragon as he faded into the light, then swallowed and spoke the one name that seemed to spring to mind.

'Spyro...'

Then the white light consumed all.

The entire time, amber eyes were locked on amethyst.

Ignitus blinked blearily and the fuzzy figures of his fellow dragons came into view, all looking worried.

'Ignitus?'

He dimly registered a voice, but his mind was still with the dragon, his son.

'IGNITUS?'

He came back to reality with a jolt, due to someone yelling in his ear.

'W-What?'

He felt a warm paw rub his back and he sat up abruptly, aware of the relief showing on his friend's faces.

'What happened for all of you to worry?' he asked, trying to stand up, yet being forced down aagin.

'I'll tell you what,' Ignite said forcefully, 'I shook you for three minutes and you didn't even blink, and then you wouldn't wake up.'

Ignitus stared at her for a minute, then stood up and looked to the door.

'I'm going for a walk.'

He wandered down the hall, the others voices drifting to him from his room, yet he didn't register them. Eventually, his feet led him to the hatchery, to the purple dragon's egg.

As he stood there, he reached out a claw and traced it over the egg lightly. Then, in a flash of white light, for a split second, a amethyst eye appeared in the egg's surface, piercing his soul.

He knew his consciousness wouldn't be bothering him anymore.

Ignite came up behind him and placed her head on his shoulder entwining her tail with his.

'Thought up of any names for our youngest yet Iggy?' she asked, staring at the egg.

The eye blinked and disappeared, and Ignitus gave a broad smile.

'Spyro.'