The Legend of Spyro: Return of Darkness, a spyro the dragon fanfic

The Legend of Spyro

Return of Darkness

It was too late! The Destroyer had completed its trek around the world, and they had failed to stop the destruction of all that they held dear. The land ruptured around them, quaking and heaving violently. all around them, pieces of the land that they once walked on flew apart, as the world threatened to tear itself apart. Two dragons looked at each other. in their eyes, despair. they had failed to do what they had sacrificed so much for! all around them, dragons and moles cried in anguish and fear. Even with all they had been through, all they had seen and done, they were powerless to stop the impending cataclysm. They had failed...

"Spyro! wake up! it's a dream!"

The dragon's eyes opened to see a familiar view of Warfang's streets, yet this time, there was no army. the volcano that never ceased churning and spewing molten rock had fallen silent. the islands that were suspended around it had fallen back to the earth.

"Cynder? What happened?"

"You were victorious. Malefor has been defeated, and the destruction of our world has been averted. Well done, young dragons."

The deep voice of Terrador, the Earth guardian shook the dragon's bones. The majority of his body was green, with ligher patches covering his flank. he had rocky crests, and his tail ended in a spherical tip that seemed more rock than scale or bone. From this sphere, spikes portruded, making the Guardian's tail a deadly weapon if provoked. Two horns portruded from his skull, curving backwards into a spiral, and on each side, two smaller horns in front of each larger horn. on his shoulders, more rock-like portrusions were found, acting like earthen shoulderplates. His wings were tattered, most likely through countless battles fought over his years. His eyes had the same rocky green as the rest of his body. His voice was deep, his words direct. At a glance, one could see that he was a battle-scarred warrior. He had a solid demeanor, and a way of speaking that made him a natural military leader.

"Yes, once again, against all odds, you've managed to save us all, young dragon. quite marvelous for one so young, and especially after having been frozen in crystal for three years only shortly before. No doubt the skills I imparted to you had quite a role in that."

A blue dragon this time, the Ice guardian known as Cyril. Merely looking at this dragon could send a chill down one's spine, for he looked as cold as his title might suggest. His body was blue, with small patches of a much lighter blue all around it. his crests were much sharper than those of Terrador, and looked much more like Ice than bone or scale. his tale ended in a very sharp and dangerous point, with even smaller tips surrounding it. should any unwise combatant lose sight of it, it could be their end. His horns, unlike Terrador's, were straight, and came to a very sharp point. on his nose was yet another spike, of bone or of ice, one could not say. three more hung from the dragon's chin. his shoulders, much like those of his earthen companion, had plates on his shoulders, of ice, scale or bone, it was once again unclear. His wings were slightly tattered towards the bottom of the membranes, and the bones also had the same icy spikes as the rest of his body. His eyes were an icy blue, and inside one could see much pride. His voice belied confidence, and the very same pride that shone in his eyes.

"And here I was wondering if I'd ever see you two again! do you have any idea how worried I was?"

This voice belonged to a Dragonfly. The unmistakable golden glow showed itself only after his voice had already betrayed his presence. Sparx, the Dragon's friend since childhood. he had helped in many situations, and had always served as a sarcastic, fearful, and hyperactive companion.

"Sparx! it's good to see you again."

The Dragon's eyes shone with relief. his childhood friend and companion was unharmed.

His eyes wandered to the nearby pool of water. He looked inside and saw the reflection of a purple dragon. While covered in dirt, ash, soot and dust, the purple scales were nearly impossible to hide. His eyes were the same brilliant purple as the rest of his body, and if one looked into them, they would see compassion. the crests that portruded from his back were golden in color, and he had spire at the end of his tail. while not as heavy as Terrador's or as sharp as Cyril's, it was certainly useful for melee combat. in his younger days, it had served him well. now, however, he had used his claws and horns for combat. His horns were jagged, almost like a lightning bolt had solidified atop his head on each side. his ruby-red wing membranes were untarnished, no tattering or holes to be seen. His chest contrasted strongly with the rest of his body, being a golden yellow, rather than a brilliant purple. His name was Spyro, and he was a rare purple dragon, a legendary creature able to wield the power of all elements, Fire, Electricity, Ice, and Earth.

Spyro's eyes turned to Cynder. She was not as obscured by dust and soot, but the reflective scales were certainly dimmed by the filth. Her body was a rather dark violet, with various markings on her skull, back, and shoulders. Blades portruded from her tail and the thumbs of her wings, and her claws were sharper than those of most other dragons. She had four horns that grew from the back of her head, two on each side. the two inner horns were about twice as long as the outer horns, but they were all sharp enough to cause significant damage, should they be used in combat. Two additional horns also portruded from just above her neck. She wore a silver choker, as well as silver bands on her front legs and her tail. Her chest, as well as the mebranes of her wings, were a brilliant magenta, and strongly contrasted with the rest of her body. Her eyes were a brilliant turquoise, and in them one could glimpse independance and regret. She had grown close to Spyro in the time they had spent together.

Terrador spoke again, "We should return to the Temple. there is much to discuss. Sparx, find Volteer. Tell him that the crisis has been averted, and that we are all to return to the Dragon Temple. Malefor may be gone, but his agents still roam the realms, and they cannot be left unchallenged. We must not ignore them." The deep voice shook Spyro's bones. rather appropriate, he thought, for the earth guardian, but painful nonetheless. Still sore from his recent battle with the Dark Master, he picked himself up, as they all left for the Temple. Grief gnawed at Spyro, as he had only recently lost his mentor and father-figure, Ignitus. But there was still much to do, if Terrador was correct, and he would likely be the one to do it.

Sparx stayed behind, at the behest of Terrador. while searching for Volteer, he muttered to himself, upset at the idea that, despite the hours he had spent wondering if his best friend and brother was alive, and now that he was able to breathe a sigh of relief, he was sent on an errand. His thoughts were interrupted by the crackle of electricity in the distance, and a flash of light from the same direction. He knew exactly what it meant, strange things like this tended to happen around Dragons. He rushed to the source of the sound, ever careful not to run into any danger. If the guardian was unleashing his power, there was no telling what else lurked in the distance. As he approached, several more bolts were fired, and cries of pain erupted from their target. Sparx arrived just in time to see Volteer's opponent flee, and the lightning guardian land on the ground in front of the survivors of the siege of Warfang.

"That's right, you heathen! Run. Flee! You were foolish indeed to think you could defeat one of the Four so easily! the nerve, the gall of some of these creatures is remarkable, simply astoudning!"

Sparx rolled his eyes. he had almost forgotten that Volteer was fond of saying too much, adding synonyms to almost every sentance, and being outright hyperactive and excitable. His body was yellow, primarily, with ligher accents running along it in the shape of the lightning that this guardian wielded and represented so well. His horns were blue, and curved toward the front of his body at the end. A strange shape for horns, but horns regardless. His chest was blue, in rather strong contrast to the rest of his body, as were the membranes of his somewhat tattered wings. The thumbs of his wings spiked out, much like Cyril's, but not to the same degree. His eyes were a golden yellow, like the majority of his body. His crests, running from his head to the tip of his tail, were also blue. His tail ended in a double-sided fin, likely useable in combat, and as an interesting trick, Sparx had seen Volteer course lightning through his tail and cause it to arc between both of its tips.

"and they say I talk a lot? Have they ever heard this guy talk?"

Regardless, he knew better than to ignore Terrador's orders. Terrador was probably the most intimidating of the guardians. Unlike Volteer, he was not prone to excessive talking, nor prideful banter like Cyril.

"Volteer!" Sparx called out.

"Sparx? oh, my, have you seen it? the world has been made whole again! this is simply astounding, amazing, it's absolutely..."

"Vol-"

"Why, if i had been told that young Spyro would put the world back together, why I'd have simply scoffed! to think that such a young dragon could accomplish so much in so little time is difficult, and that he would do so with a former minion of the Dark Master? Ha! Simply astonishing, staggering!"

"Volteer!"

"Yes?"

"Look, I realize you're excited, but Terrador and Cyril are going back to the Dragon Temple, and Terrador wanted me to tell you to do the same. And I, for one, would rather not make that guy angry. "

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about making Terrador angry. He may seem intimidating, but he's got a level head. Ignitus was the one that usually lost his patience far before any of us ever did. Where is Ignitus, by the by?"

"I have no idea. Last time i saw him, he was heading off with Spyro and Cynder to the volcano."

"Ah, then he's most likely already at the temple waiting for us! I'll just finish things up here and be on my way-"

"Actually, I'd like shove off now. See, Spyro and Cynder are with them and I'd rather not be apart from him much longer."

Volteer's jaw dropped, his eyes widened and his entire being semed to be shaken with stonishment.

"They're alive?"

On their way to the temple, Volteer was thinking aloud, as he always did.

"It's quite marvelous to think that Spyro would have survived something as taxing as bringing our world back together. quite marvelous indeed, I must say. And even more so, that he was able to defeat the Dark Master in the process. To think that a dragon so young could have acomplished so much in such a short time... truly a spectacle, a-"

But Sparx wasn't paying attention to Volteer. He was absorbed in his own thoughts. To think that his best friend and, by all accounts, his brother, had nearly died... and that Sparx couldn't even be there... It was hard to believe that he had almost lost his closest friend. And yet here he was, flying to the temple with the most hyperactive dragon he had ever known to see the same dragon he had known his whole life. The temple loomed in the distance, rapidly increasing in size.

"Do you think we'll ever get a break? It seems like we're always putting our necks out and the world is always taking a swipe at them. For once, I think I'd like a nice vacation. Maybe go back to the swamp and see my folks again."

At the temple now, the guardians had assembled by the Pool of Visions.

"We should wait for Ignitus, he-"

Spyro was clearly disturbed by the mention of the Guardian of Flame. The memory of Ignitus's sacrifice were still fresh on his mind. At the time, he had no time to grieve. No time to let it sink in. Now, however, he simply couldn't get it out of his mind.

"Spyro? What's wrong? Come on, man, you're scaring me."

Sparx looked at his friend with concern. He had never seen this happen before. Spyro was always the first to pick others up. He was the one that had made Ignitus keep fighting.

Spyro picked up his head, looked at each of the assembled guardians, and told them the tale of Ignitus's sacrifice.

"So, he's gone, is he? A shame. He was a leader to us all, as well as the most powerful of us. Second only to Terrador in military strategy. And you, young dragon? How have you fared with his loss? i understand he was like a father to you, and the "

"I haven't had time to take it in until now. Now that I do, though, I almost wish I hadn't. "

"Grief can't be fought Spyro. at least not alone. All of us, me, Sparx, Cyril, Terrador, Volteer... we're all here for you." Cynder did her best to console Spyro, but knew it would take time. As courageous as he was, he had never lost anyone before, and neither had she. The wound was fresh in both of them. Ignitus had reached out to her, giving her a place to call home when no others would. She too had come to see him as a sort of father figure, but her bond was nowhere near as strong as Spyro's. Cynder did, however, know about grief. Every day, she was reminded of her past, and it haunted her. She could see the fear and hate in the eyes of others, but be it fear or respect for her companion, they did not challenge her. a few, however, did have the nerve to do so. The hermit in the Valley of Avalar, Chief Prowlus of the cheetahs, and even Sparx. Yes, Cynder knew of grief, regret, sorrow... All of the emotions that Spyro was now facing, Cynder had known.

"You've both done so much more than we could have expected. I believe that you deserve rest, above all else. We can handle the stragglers left over from Malefor's army, but you both need rest. And besides, where's the fun in saving the world if you can't enjoy what you've saved?"

Spyro, nodded, and walked off. The burden of loss was heavier now than when it had happened. Ignitus had been his father figure, his mentor. He was the first other dragon Spyro had ever met, and had taught Spyro what it was to be a dragon. He had taught him how to fly, how to breathe fire, how to fight. He had taught Spyro what he was, and helped him find out who he was. He had helped Spyro even before his first breath, carrying his egg to safety and sending it floating down the river. Spyro recalled the first time he had seen Ignitus.

Ignitus was guardian of the element of Fire. His body was mostly red, while his chest was orange. His horns were also orange, and there were two smaller horns, one beneath each of the larger ones. His crests were red, and yellow toward the tip, and shaped much like the element that he wielded. At the end of his tail, a fin that was shaped like fire, and colored just the same as his crests. all across his body, patches of dark redpresented themselves, and on his shoulders lay the same type of armor-like bone or scales that Terrador and Cyril had, only red with orange tips. the membranes of his wings were orange, like his chest and horns, and were slightly tattered at the bottom. his eyes were a light orange, and burned with regret, failure, and despair. Yet upon meeting Spyro, the flame of hope had been reignited within him.

But that was all gone now. Ignitus was gone. Only the lessons and words that Spyro had heard were left. Only the memories of the past. Flash and Nina, the dragonflies within the Swamp where Spyro was raised, may have cared for Spyro, but Ignitus had shown him where he came from, who he was, what he was. Spyro was emotionally wounded and physically exhausted from the battles he had endured. He would need to sleep, then figure out what to do with his life now that Malefor was gone and Ignitus just the same. Now, after three long years, Spyro would rest where his journey had started. On the perch, overlooking the swamp and woods around the temple, Spyro would sleep.

Spyro awoke in a familiar, yet strange place. rocks and islands floated aimlessly through the void, and in front of him, there sood a familiar visage. The face of Ignitus looked at him, yet it was different. Gone were the red and orange scales that made this dragon so easily recognizable in the past, and in their wake, blue scales were present. He also wore the garments of the Chronicler, adorned with scrolls and books alike. Though they looked similar, this could not possibly be the dragon Spyro knew.

"Ah, there you are, young dragon. I have wondered where you might be." Even the voice that spoke was the same as the dragon Spyro had no, it could not be so. His mentor had died,scrificed himself so that Spyro and Cynder might live, might save the world.

The dragon seemed to know exactly what Spyro was thinking, because after a few moments, he spoke.

"Yes, Spyro. Though I am not as you knew me, I am Ignitus."

Even with this confirmation, Spyro still couldn't believe that what he was seeing was true, even with as much as He might have wished it. Even if this dragon were real, his scales were blue and white, not the red and orange of Spyro's mentor, Ignitus.

"I may look different young dragon, but I am still the same Ignitus you knew. My role, however, has changed. And, as it seems, my appearence to match."

"How do I know I can trust what you say? You say you're Ignitus, but I watched him sacrifice himself, so that I could put a stop to the Dark Master's schemes."

It was true. Spyro had seen his mentor sacrifice himself, had nearly given in to his rage and turned down a dark path. Only Cynder, his best friend, had been able to stop him from giving in. even so, however, Spyro could not shake the feeling that this dragon was, in fact, familiar. That he was telling the truth. His voice was the same, and his gaze. The presence was just the same, as well. He even had the same look in his eyes, full of regret and sorrow, but also, as Spyro had seen only shortly before the death of his beloved mentor, pride. Pride in a pupil that could change the world. Pride in a student that saved his masters. Pride in a son who had made a father proud.

"You're not lying. You are Ignitus, but how? you burned in the Ring of Fire. You... You died.

"No, not quite. Before I was claimed by the fire, I was transported to this place by the old Chronicler. I was to take his place, recording the events of history and striving to prevent the end of the world. And as such, I have called you here to warn you. Malefor has not been defeated. Not yet. He still schemes to destroy this land, and you, especially."

Spyro once again paused in shock and disbelief. Malefor had been destroyed, in front of his very own eyes. How could the Dark Master still live?

"What? how? I saw him destroyed with my own eyes! How could he possibly still live?"

"Malefor had many loyal servants. Gaul, one of them, was destroyed three years ago by you, just before you created the time crystal to protect yourself and your friends. However, he was merely a pawn. Even now, the remaining agents of Malefor seek to resurrect him yet again into this world, allowing him to wreak vengeance and havoc upon it once again. You must stop them, but they are clever. They will hide their tracks, and do everything they can to elude you."

"Then how will I find them?"

"The same way I found the other three guardians; The Pool of Visions."

"Me? I've never been able to see anything in it before, how would I now?"

Ignitus presented a book, one that was marked with a circle, adorned by markings that represented hooks, one on each corner of the book. Inside this circle was a large spiral. at the center, one could faintly see a dragon's head.

"This book explains that while very few dragons have ever been able to see visions within the pool, a purple dragon will always be able to. It explains that the purple dragon can see visions almost at will, and that the visions can be seen in great detail, far greater than that of any other dragon's visions. The reason that you were unable to see before is that you were young. Your mind and body had not yet matured. I believe now that you are ready to see within the Pool of Visions, and that you will be able to prevent Malefor's return. I have faith in you, young dragon, because I have seen what you can do. I have seen you stand strong in the face of dangers that would make even the most battle-hardened warriors flee in terror. You have faced trials far beyond those that any dragon your age would ever be expected to. And through these trials, you have found treasures that all seek, but few ever find. Happines. friendship. Love. These are what make you strong, Spyro, not your color. You may be able to wield all of the elemental powers when others may only wield one, but that is not where your strength comes from. You have friends and allies who would sacrifice themselves for you, and you, in turn, would do the same for them."

Ignitus moved his head close to Spyro's, and looked directly into his eyes. The dragon's scales may have changed, but his eyes still betrayed hope that had burned there since the day Spyro had met him.

"It is as i said before, young Spyro. Follow your heart. It will never fail you. Now go, Spyro. You are needed now. Know this: I am watching you. Even when you feel despair closing in around you, draining you of the will to move on, remember that I am watching over you. Even if i am not there to help you, I will continue to have faith in you. I must warn you, however. Malefor is desperate to enter our world again. He will do everything in his power to keep you from stopping him, even striking at your friends. Keep them close. You need them, and they will need you as well. He only has the means to enter our world once more. Should you stop him, he will be forever banished from our world. He knows this, and seeks to stop you at any cost."

Ignitus let out a long, drawn-out sigh.

"I have failed so many times in my life. I shudder to think what might have happened had you not interfered when you did. But out of all my failures, there is one choice that I will never regret. I will always stand by my decision to trust in you, Spyro. To believe in you, to guide you through your trials. You have made me as proud as a father might be. Ah, and on that note, I have found something interesting."

Spyro looked at Ignitus with a curious eye. As he looked around, various books shifted in place, affording him a better view of the markings inscribed upon them. Eventually, his eye settled on a large book, sitting face down away from most of the others. It floated to the two dragons, and opened.

"Inside this book lies the family tree of every dragon that ever lived. Age has rendered many of them unreadable. However, the last few generations have been recorded and are still easily read. I think that what you see in these pages may come as quite an interesting find."

Spyro awoke again, this time, in the same place he had gone to sleep. It was early in the morning. The light in the sky was dim, but unmistakable. Behind him, he could hear the sound of claws on stone. He rose, and Cynder approached.

"Spyro? are you alright?"

Spyro remembered the recent events. what he had learned had both excited him and troubled him. Once again, the world found itself perched on the edge of calamity, and once again, it had fallen to him to fix it-

No, not him. Not alone. He had friends, allies. He had Sparx, his faithful, even if sometimes obnoxious friend. He had Cyril, Volteer, and Terrador. Even though he had not known them as much as he had Ignitus, they were still his friends and allies. He had Hunter, and likely the Cheetahs of Avalar. He looked to the dragon to his left. He looked into her eyes. He saw concern, he saw fear. He saw hope and praise...

He saw love.

"Cynder, you don't need to worry about me. I'm alright."

"You don't have to be strong for me or Sparx, Spyro. I know what it's like to feel grief, despair and fear. I know sadness and that feeling that you're alone, and that nobody understands your pain. But I do. I understand what you're feeling."

Spyro appreciated her concern, and smiled at it, but now was not the time.

"No, Cynder, it's not that. I just had a dream, like those I had three years ago. The dreams that led me to the Well of Souls. The dreams that brought me to the Chronicler."

Cynder paused. She looked relieved, worried, hopeful, and fearful all in the same. Spyro took a moment to collect his thoughts. He knew that it would be best to tell everyone the news, rather than tell them one by one.

"Cynder, where are the guardians?"

Cynder blinked, and regained her wits.

"Volteer is still in the temple, resting, I think. Cyril and Terrador, I'm not sure. Sparx wanted to go back to the swamp, but I think he wants to wait for you."

Spyro paused, feeling a flash of guilt run through him. throughout his ordeals, he had allowed himself to forget about visiting the dragonflies that had raised him. Now that he had remembered, it was once again too late to do so. He vowed to visit them at a later date, when circumstances allowed.

Volteer was in the chamber that contained the Pool of Visions, staring into it.

"Ignitus, you old fool. To think that you would sacrifice yourself... it's unthinkable. I never would have expected this. Even from you, who always blamed himself for the failings that could not be prevented... You will be missed, old friend."

Spyro could swear he saw a tear form on the yellow dragon's eye, but anything more disappeared as he saw the two young dragons enter the room.

"Ahh, Spyro. You look much better than you did a short while ago. Did you sleep well? You know, sleep can do wonders for the mind and body, it's simply refreshing, rejuvenating, re-"

"Volteer, we don't have time for this right now. Where are Cyril and Terrador?"

"Well, I believe Terrador went to Warfang to help rebuild the city, and Cyril to help put out the fires that were left in the army's wake. Why do you ask, pray tell?"

"I'll tell you later. We need to gather everyone here. It's better that i tell you all at once. Time is something we can't waste. Cynder, you and I will go find Cyril. Volteer, can you find Terrador?"

"Oh, certainly. I still would like to know what it is you two are planning, but-"

Already taking off, both Spyro and Cynder yelled back at Volteer, "Later!"

Volteer scoffed, "Oh, these young dragons nowadays are so impatient. Then again, I suppose time is of the essence. This is curious indeed, simply intriguing..."

With that, the dragons were off. Spyro's mind turned to what Ignitus had told him, just before he awoke at the temple again.

The book had opened, revealing several familiar faces. Malefor, Terrador, Cyril, Volteer, Ignitus... all of the guardians were at the bottom of the book, except for one. Under Ignitus's name, there was one other name. Spyro's eyes widened once again, and he stared in awe at what that word read.

Spyro.

"I was unaware of this myself until only recently. Upon reading the story of my own life, I learned that at one point, I had relations with a dragon by the name of Anoria. She had died in an invasion, in which I lost my memories taking on a commander of the Dark Master's forces. She lost her life, but not before laying a single egg. Yours. It turns out that I was the father of that egg. Your father, Spyro."

A maelstrom of emotions consumed Spyro. Confusion, anger, happines, sadness, regret, satisfaction...

"How could this even be possible? Nobody ever knew of this?"

Ignitus could hear the emotional conflict in Spyro's voice, and chose his words carefuly:

"As I said, my memory was lost in battle. According to the book, however, this was before I had met the other three. The other survivors of the battle were severely wounded, and either died later from those same wounds, or were driven mad by the Dark Master's evil. I, by some miracle, was the only survivor to keep his mind and ability to fight. There was, as a result, nobody to tell me or you of this parentage. I felt the same way you do now when I found out."

Spyro shook his head, and tried to collect his thoughts.

"All this time, nobody knew... And yet, even though nobody knew, you were still like a father to me. You taught me who and what I was, what I could be, what it was to be a dragon..."

"All trivial when weighed against what you have done for me, young dragon. You have made right so many of the wrongs I had caused. Fixed what I had broken. You have done more for me than I have ever done for you. You have my thanks, Spyro... My son."

They both had been silent for a few moments after that. Ignitus, however, had broken the silence by clearing his throat.

"Now, then, I believe it is time for you to return. It is almost daybreak, and the days ahead will be troubling. You must gather the others. Tell them what I have told you. And, if you would be so kind, please, deliver a message to each of them for me."

The four guardians had gathered around the Pool of Visions. They all wondered what had brought them here, and what had so suddenly turned Spyro's grief into determination and motivation. They passed glances to one another. Each had his own theory as to what may have caused the sudden change of heart, but they all knew that they would soon find out.

Spyro looked at the guardians, sighed, and began to speak. "I know you all must be wondering what it is that brought about such a change in my attitude, so I won't hold out on you any longer. When Ignitus went with Cynder and I to the Belt of Fire, he sacrificed himself so that we could stop Malefor. He pushed us through, at the cost of his own life. I thought he was gone, that he had joined the ancestors, but I know now that Ignitus is the new Chroicler."

The three guardians' eyes widened in unison, and they all looked at each other in shock. Saying nothing, they turned their gaize back to the young dragon before them. Whatever questions they had may very well be answered soon.

"He told me that the Dark Master's agents still roam the realms, and that they seek to resurrect him once more. He told me that the only way to find them would be the Pool of Visions."

Cyril spoke, anger in his voice. "If that is the case, then we may very well already be doomed to fail. Ignitus was the only one among us that could see visions within the pool, and he is no longer here with us. What, then, are we to do? Wander randonly in whichever direction feels natural? Hope that a dragon capable of seeing visions within the pool steps forward and takes Ignitus's place among the Four? Hope that the servants that have eluded us thus far are incompitent, and that they are incapable of achieving their goals?"

Volteer's voice rose next. "Calm yourself, Cyril, we may yet have ways of finding our adversaries. The realms are home to many, and we may very well be able to enlist their help. We must not give up hope, Ignitus would not allow us to give up. We must persist, fight this darkness. "

Terrador spoke next, to both of the other guardians. "I believe Spyro has more to tell us. Don't you, young dragon? Ignitus would likely not have told you this if he did not have a plan to counter the threat. He must have told you something, anything that would assist us in this."

" He told me that, while most other dragons were rarely able to see visions in the pool, purple dragons could always see them. In fact, the visions were clearer and more easily seen by purple dragons."

The guardians were shocked. They knew that Ignitus could see visions in the pool, and they had resigned themselves to believing that he would be the only such dragon they might ever meet. Now, however, the very same dragon that they had so recently trained was not only their only hope, but the only known dragon that could see the visions.

"that's all well and good, but you'll need to do more than see them."

The new voice startled the entire gathering. They turned to regard the figure that had just spoke, and saw a very strange one indeed. His scales were a light blue, with black crests and light blue patches on his shoulder joints. His horns were white as well, and seemed sharp enough to hurt someone just looking at them. His tail had a strange tip; It was made of fire, white-hot fire. One could feel heat radiating off of it for quite a distance away. It would certainly cause quite the burn, if touched. His eyes were a bright blue. His voice was deep, almost like gravel, but not as deep as Terrador's. He spoke confidently, and carried himself in a dignified manner, almost arrogant. His wings, however, may have been the strangest things about him. they were the same bright blue as the rest of his body, but they were laced with white veins. Truly, he was as unique as Spyro, possibly even more so. No tales had ever been recorded of a dragon like this.

Terrador was the first to regain his wits. He looked at the new arrival, scanning for any sign that he was going to attack. When no signs were given, he asked: "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

The dragon walked over to the pool, looked within it, and sighed. "events are worse than i suspected. The agents of my enemy are already on the move, and they are moving fast.

Terrador demanded once again that the dragon identify himself. He responded with a sigh.

"I go by the name of Alterus. I don't know if that was my birth-name, or simply a name assigned to me by my... 'Hosts'." The word "Hosts" was practically spat out, discust was clear on his face. Clearly, Alterus was not fond of whomever he referred to.

"As for my intentions, I will tell you at a later date. For now, you need only know that I am here to assist you. I know of your problems, and I know a few of your targets. I myself have been hunting them for quite some time."

Cyril scoffed. "You show up here unannounced, claiming that you are our only hope, and expect us to trust whatever you say because we are what, foolish? Desperate? You have gall, I'll give you that, but you-"

Alterus growled, but stayed where he was. "What other options have you? Sit here and bicker, search for the minions that have eluded your grasp, and even my own persuit? I have hunted these agents for years, you have only just learned of their existence. You may have this Pool of Visions, but it will do little to help you. I, too, started my search within the pools, but they led me to the forest in which I was to find a single leaf."

"You can look into the pools?" Spyro asked. Spyro, while as shocked as the other dragons, wasn't as aggressive as the others had been. He knew that any enemy would know better than to so brazenly approach the home of the guardians, and the dragon who had defeated the Dark Master himself.

"Yes, I can see the visions within the pools. I will explain how later, but right now all that matters is this: We are on the verge of a war that should have been ended when you destroyed Malefor. I may not be the most trustworty of allies at the moment, but I'm your best hope. I have information and more to offer and skills to help you fight. That is more than you have."

Volteer, strangely, was silent. He was more fascinated by the dragon that stood before him than he had ever been about anything else. Nothing of the like had ever been seen before. He studied Alterus with a keen eye. Nothing about him was the norm. His tail and wings were the most curious parts, however. No dragon in recorded history has ever had a tail wreathed in white fire, or any flame at all, for that matter. And those markings, what were they? They ran through his wings, glowing with the same white-hot intensity as his tail, but the pattern was like lightning, bending and shifting almost randomly down his wings. This dragon was unlike anything any of them had heard of or seen before. His appearence alone was enough to raise questions, but they had yet to see anything of his abilities.

Spyro was the first to speak this time, and asked what they were all thinking. "What are you?" Alterus sighed, then spoke with a calm, but grave tone.

"This will go on much longer than it should unless i tell you. Very well, then. Sit, and make yourselves comfortable. This could take time."