Spyro, Cynder and the other spyro chars minus striker belong to Sierra studios...for now

The other chars belong to me and Cydra

C.P.S Chronicles: Dragon Stones

Chapter two: Avarona's freezer

The Dragon Guardians looked over Matt's body. "What sort of creature is this?" questioned Cyril. "I have no idea," said Volteer, "and I have studied many different species of creatures that live in this world, I've gone to the farthest regions of this planet and I've never seen a more peculiarly shaped being as this." "Looks like an Ape to me," said Terrador, "smells a bit like one two." "It matters not what he is, but what he is becoming," said Ignitus, "Can you not sense it?"

Matt mumbled something in his sleep...something about a place called Sy-Yong and some agent. Judging from the following language, luckily not understandable, this agent person was not on the humans popular list. Ignitus turned to two small dragons who were also watching. "Spyro? Where did you find this person?" he said kindly. "We found him on the riverbank," said Spyro, "I think he got washed up there." "Looks he's been through some big fight," said Cynder, "How long do you think he'll be unconscious?" "With you around, I'd stay unconscious," said Sparx. Matt groaned a bit more at that. Ignitus sighed. "I don't know...this creature is a mystery." he said.

--

Some time later, Matt woke to find himself laid against his still very wet backpack. He slowly got up unsteadily and staggered towards the door. "Hello?" he called, getting no answer. He drew his blaster and carefully opened the door to peer out into a huge corridor. "Where the heck am I?" said Matt. He wasn't sure if he liked the place or not. Just then, he noticed a light a little down the hallway. He slowly crept up to it and suddenly leaped out and pointed his gun at it. Too his surprise, he saw a glowing yellow dragonfly that screamed, "Please don't hurt me!" Matt had in his training covered a host of situation tests...a screaming dragonfly was not up there. "Er...ok...erm." he said, his train of thought slightly derailed before getting back on track. "Where am I?" he said, aiming again

The dragonfly spat out the answer so quickly that Matt couldn't understand him. "Whoa, slow down, take a deep breath." The dragonfly took in a deep breath and said slightly slower, "This is the Dragon Temple, we brought you here after you washed up on the riverbank, please don't shoot." Matt put the gun down slowly. "Sorry...I've had a bad day..." he said, realizing he was probably being paranoid. "Wait...did you say dragon?" he said as his brain caught up with the conversation.

"Uh, yeah, don't you know about the dragons?" said the dragonfly. "Well, I just landed in this world and was attacked by living geodes and crazy baboons, so I don't much about this place yet." Matt said before sighing and rubbing his face...and noticing something he hadn't earlier. A bandage over his eye. "What?" he said before remembering. "Who patched me up" he asked before hearing more steps behind him and turning, gun coming out again. He looked up...and further up into the face of the largest green dragon he'd seen in his life. Suddenly his gun seemed very small indeed. "Erm."

"I don't know what kind of weapons that's supposed to be, but I would not recommend firing it," said the dragon, "Anyways, you don't need it. You're in safe hands." Matt glanced at the dragon's front paws, they didn't look that dexterous. "In a manner of speaking," said Matt as he put away his gun. Matt heard more pattering of feet and turned to see two smaller dragons coming. "Well, he's up at least," said the purple one, "My name's Spyro, this is Cynder, Sparx, and Terrador. What's your name?" "Uh, Matt," said Matt, "Am I dreaming?" "No," said Sparx, "but if she was in your dream, you can be pretty sure it's a nightmare."

Matt looked at Cynder. "Can't see her being the focus of a nightmare." he muttered Matt put his gun away in his pocket at that. It not being like it would do any good, and felt something in his pocket. He pulled it out to see to his surprise the stone from the station. "The hell? Away with this." he said and made to throw it away. Terrador quickly caught Matt's arm with some weird green energy. "I don't think that's a good idea," said Terrador. "Uh, what did you just do?" asked Matt. "Besides preventing you from discarding something crucial to your identity, just some Earth power."

Matt stared at the stone. "This useless thing? It gave me a zap back where we found it...how's it gonna affect my identity?" he said, silently impressed by the earth power. "I'm not sure myself, but Ignitus will know more about it," said Terrador, "Speaking of which, he told me to bring him to you once you were able to move."

Matt shrugged. "You're the boss." he said, making to follow Terrador. As they walked along, he spoke to spyro. "so...you two found me? Thanks...I coulda been in real trouble if you hadn't." he said. "It's what I do," said Spryo. "Yep, going completely out of our way to help others for no reason whatsoever," said Sparx, "She does just the opposite." "Sparx," said Spyro in a stern voice. "What? I'm just saying." "You're always saying," said Cynder, "maybe you should practice more silence." Matt shrugged. "What is dragonfly dudes problem? Cynder seems ok to me." he said. "It's a long story," said Cynder, "a very long story."

Matt shrugged again. "Some other time then." he said as they turned into a room with a large pool in the middle. A large red dragon was standing next to it. "Ah, you're awake, er..." "Matt," said Matt, "You must be Ignitus." "That is right. I am one of the Dragon Guardians as well as Terrador. Now, could tell us what you were doing out there?"

Matt thought about it. 'What harm can it do?' he thought and started to tell everything, keeping his nullspace origins vague but telling how he had been hired to hunt down the stone. "You're acting like I have the zombie plague...what's going on with this stone?" "Well, that stone is no ordinary gem. It once held the soul of a rather nasty fire dragon. I say once because I suspect that he now resides inside you. And he may be altering your form to match his original body." Matt recalled his eyes turning red but quickly put it out of him mind, "I don't think that's the case." Said Ignitus soothingly.

Matt inwardly sighed. "So...I was used as a cheap jail breaker? Great." he said. "Well...he won't get anymore help...the scavenger ships keep tabs on each other...he'll be black listed." he said. "Perhaps, perhaps not, but that wasn't the only soul stone that was made. And if the Apes were after you, I suspect they're after the other stones as well," said Ignitus. "And I know where one is," said a icy blue dragon that walked in. Matt turned. "Another?" he said, wondering inwardly exactly how many of these guardians there were.

Matt was about to ask the new dragon his name when a row of straw figures got his attention. He wandered over and poked one. "Cool...you could almost imagine them moving." he said. Spyro said. "Er...you may wanna be careful." Matt turned. "Why? What could they...OUCH!" he said as one of the figures hit him smartly on the top of the head.

A yellow dragon came just as the dummies started ganging up on Matt. "What is this commotion? I was busy browsing through the different tomes in the book depository when I heard screams similar to that emitted by a young female dragon. Did something happen to Cynder?" "Actually, that was Sparx," said Spyro. Matt let out various screams. "Dammit its like when me n Chloe got arrested and asked for our rights...OUCH! HOW DO YOU TURN THEM OFF?" he said, kicking a dummy down before using his ion blade to slice another in half.

"No use fighting them that way," said Terrador as the halved dummy reformed, "You'd have to use magic." He turned to the others and said, "Maybe we should deactivate them." Matt seemed to snap and pulled out his blaster, nailing apparently all of them. "Heh...who needs magic?" he said and was knocked out as the last dummy nailed him on the head.

"His technique is unusual, but reasonably affective on those that can be harmed without magic," said Terrador as Matt fell to the floor, gibbering from concussion. "Well he'll need it where he's going," said Cyril. Matt moaned. "What's this 'we'? I wanna go home." he said, rubbing his head and glaring at the dummy which was doing a decent job of emitting an air of sniggering at him.

"And how will you be leaving. From what I hear, your method of entrance will no longer serve as a means of egress," said Volteer. Matt looked at the others. "Er...pardon?" he said, confused. "He meant you can't go back the way you came," said Cynder. "Why didn't he just say so?" said Matt. "That's what I keep telling him. But he doesn't listen to me," said Sparx. "With your attitude," said Matt, "I'm surprised anyone listens to you." "IF you are finished chatting," said Cyril, "there's another soul stone that must be collected immediately before Gaul's forces do. It's hidden in Dante's Freezer, so I suggest that you cover your pink flesh in a warmer attire." Matt sighed. "And how will I get there? No wings." he said.

"Don't worry, we've prepared for that," said Ignitus, "Just stand in the middle of that reflecting pool." Matt stared at the pool. He already was suspicious. "I have a bad feeling about this..." he said, standing there and turning to see the four dragons shooting a ball of light at him...and suddenly he was waist deep in snow. "Oh g-g-g-great." he said.

About two hours later, Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx landed at Dante's Freezer. "Let's see, Matt should have teleported around here..." said Spyro. "Uh, I think I found him," said Cynder. Matt was currently in a block of ice and a laser-written note in the snow said, "Please defrost me. I cannot write for much longer. I'm going nu-" "You know, I think he's better this way," said Sparx.

A little while later…

Matt finally got his brain together to find himself soaked. "Th-th-thanks, whoever did...that." he stuttered, cursing himself for not bringing his backpack along. The smoke floating from Cynder's nostrils faded in the cold wind. "Sorry I couldn't completely dry you. But I don't think you'd want my flames on your body." Matt shrugged. "I had worse...don't ask." he said, looking around at the fortress remains. "Looks like my old room." he said.

"Maybe I could try something," said Spyro. He breathed out a few pathetic flame, but it was enough to dry up Matt. "Sorry, my powers haven't completely recovered from my last battle," he said. Matt nodded. "Well...this stone could be anywhere...where should we start?" he said, kicking the ice wall. A rumbling started as a result and a wall of snow landed on him. "I hate my life." came his voice from the pile. The snow had been hiding a pair of old gates, leading into the main mountain.

"Now if I were hiding something I didn't want to be found, the interior of a mountain would be near the top of the list," said Sparx, "Nice going Matt." "I've got snow in my pants," came Matt's muffled reply. "What are pants?" asked Cynder. "I have no idea," said Spyro. Matt climbed out the pile of snow. "I think I gotta key somewhere..." he said, fumbling in his pocket, pulling out snow, a packet of tic tacs, a snoopy bobble head and finally, a glowing blue orb. "My last one." he said, throwing it into the doors and saying. "Run?" before tearing past the dragons.

The fireball removed the gates, the doorframe and part of the surrounding wall. "Cool eh?" said Matt as pieces of gate fell down. The resulting hole made by the demolition grenade showed a shadowy hall, leading into the mountain. "Gloomy looking." he said. "Yeah, why aren't we ever sent to cheerful happy places?" said Sparx. "Since when has anything important been hidden someplace cheerful and happy?" said Cynder. "What? There's plenty of important stuff there, fun, food, safety..." Sparx stopped when he noticed the other were going on without him.

Matt pulled out a flare and lit it, its red light shining around the huge hall. He looked at one of the frozen figures around the room. "Wow...they're really life like." he said, flicking it and making a 'ting' sound before seeing the others were going deeper in. As he left, the figure moved slightly...

--

The corridor, Matt, Spyro, Cynder and Sparx were in finally reached a fork. "Split up?" he suggested. "I'll go with Spyro," said Sparx. "I'm guess we're sticking together," said Cynder to Matt. As the two groups there way, Matt heard Sparx say, "Whew, glad to finally be rid of her." "Why is Sparx's problem with you?" asked Matt. "He had problems with everybody," said Cynder, "But I might have earned them more." Matt looked over. "What? You try to take over the world?" he said with a grin then stopped when he spotted her expression. "You DID try to take over the world?" he said.

"Well, I wasn't really myself, but I did to some terrible things," said Cynder. "If someone made you do it, it's not your fault," said Matt, "Trust me, I know that more than anyone."

Matt carried on, looking straight ahead. "The splitters back home have a saying. What's done is done. It's what you do next that really matters." He looked down and spotted Cynder's confused look. "No, I don't get it either...wow." he said, as a axe shot by his nose from a side corridor and embedded itself in the wall. He shone the light to see one of the ex-frozen guys hefting a sword almost as big as himself. "Hey. Aren't they supposed to be dead?" he said, drawing his blaster.

"They are dead," said Cynder, "UNdead to be precise." "Undead, that's a new thing on me," said Matt as he fired at the monster. The zombie looked down at its brand new bullet wound and looked back, grinning. "This is why I never liked resident evil." said Matt, firing a few more shots as the zombie advanced. The zombie kept coming despite the hail of blaster rounds hitting it. A missed shot hit a crack in the wall behind the monster, sending a jet of flame out for a minute. "Gas...great." he said, before smirking, lowering his gun for a second.

"What are you doing?" cried Cynder. The zombie didn't pay much attention to what Matt was doing and started to charge him. Matt raised his gun again, aiming at another crack. "Bet you I get the guy up to the top floor." he said. Cynder suddenly realised and got out the way, just as Matt shot the second gas pocket, the blue blast practically vaporising the Zombie into a pile of gems. Matt poked one that rolled next to his foot before it shot towards Cynder and vanished. "Do they all do that?" he asked before the ground shook and another blast, part of the same gas pocket, threw him bodily into...and through the wall with a cracking noise and into a room with several large energy gems growing.

Cynder winced and said, "That would hurt even me." She flew through the hole where a stunned and singed Matt was lying on the floor. "You okay?" she asked. "It hurts to shiver," he said. "Definitely a 'no'." She looked at the crystals and said, "I wonder..." Cynder did a tail slam on a red crystal formation, causing shards to fly everywhere. Matt winced again. "This is not the time for...treasure...hunting..." he said and stopped as the gems slowly started moving towards him.

"Interesting," said Cynder as some of the gems came to her, "I thought it only works on dragons. I didn't think, uh, whatever your species is, could use crystals." Matt flexed his healed fingers. "We can't..." he said as running signified that Spyro and Sparx were heading their way. He got up and absently scratched at his lower arm which had started itching.

"You guys alright?" asked Spyro. "A zombie attacked us, but Matt took care of him," said Cynder. "Hey, what's up with fleshie?" asked Sparx. "Just an itch, maybe it's a reaction to that gas," said Matt, ignoring the 'fleshie' comment. This didn't seem likely when claws popped out of the end of his fingertips. Matt took a long look at his new finger additions as red scales appeared on his hand. 'There is a logical explanation. The important thing is NOT to panic...right that's long enough' he thought and screamed. "WHAT THE SMEG? THIS IS NOT NORMAL..." he stopped and re-ran the last words back in his head before saying. "Then again...what is?"

"Hmm, my guess is you're cursed," said Sparx, "Now who do we know that knows dark magic?" "Don't point your finger at me," said Cynder, "I forgot all the spells I learned under the Dark Master's control, remember?" "Oh, right." Said Sparx. Matt sighed. "It's nothing. I was in some trouble a few weeks ago on a Colony called Sy-Yong...admittingly it wasn't red scales but...meh." he said dropping the subject and pointing out of the gem room. "Let's just find this damn pebble and get out of here so I can sleep till the next ice age." he said, yawning.

"Ok, my dragonfly's instinct for direction should point us towards that stone," said Sparx as he floated around. As Matt watched him hover, he thought, 'If he yells 'Hey! Listen!' I'm smacking him into a wall.' After a minute, Sparx pointed with his eyes closed. "It's that way." Matt looked. "That's a wall." he said simply, trying not to laugh.

A noise from the hole he'd made earlier caused him to get his gun out. "What is it?" said Spyro joining him as he stared out the hole. "Nothing...it's nothing. This place gives me the creeps." he said. From the shadows, Sonya watched them leave. "That's it, Lynch. Lead the way." she said with a grin.

The three of them followed Sparx for a while. "How does something elaborate like this appear in a mountain?" asked Matt. "It's been carved out by ice dragons over the centuries," said Cynder. "You don't say," said Matt as he paused at what was apparently dragon graffiti carved into the wall. The tunnel finally opened out into a huge hall, with a forest of icicles on the roof. There was no stone in apparent sight. "Great work, Sherlock." said Matt sarcastically looking around the room.

"There it is," said Spyro, pointing at a box frozen to the ceiling. He flew up and managed to snap it off. When he carried it back down to the floor and opened it, they could see the icy blue crystal inside. "This is kinda easy," said Matt, "You'd have thought there'd be more to this." Cynder was about to touch it when Matt remembered back on the station. "No...bad idea...when I did it I was shot across a room and was out cold for several hours." he said and stiffened when the once heard, never forgotten sound of a blaster rifle safety coming off came from a balcony above the entrance. "Close enough Lynch. Nice work, stringing those idiots along. Toss me the box." said Sonya, coming out the shadows as a dozen apes came in, led by the biggest one Matt had seen so far.

Cynder growled ferally, "Gaul!" The one-eyed ape looked down on the group and said, "Well, isn't this a motley bunch, the purple welpling, his mosquito, the traitor, and the hairless wonder." Matt stared. "Read, hairless wonder with an energy blaster, creep." he said drawing his blaster, only to have Sonya shoot it out his hand. He stared at Sonya in shock, still surprised to see her alive as she jumped down nimbly. "Sorry, Matt. Gaul's boss pays more." she said.

"I guess loyalty's becoming a harder thing to find in mercenaries," said Matt. "We have to get out of here," whispered Cynder, "I'm not strong enough and Spyro's powers aren't fully back." Matt reluctantly kicked the box towards the apes and lifted his hands up. "Well, if you've got what you want, we'll be leaving now," he said. "Wait," said Gaul, "What's that on your hand?" Matt looked at his scaly hand. "A souvenir courtesy of Exo-Gene's shoddy safety records." he said glaring, wishing Sonya would lower the weapon so he could get his ion blade out.

"Hmm, I could have sworn that the lizards have all been wiped out or cured," said Sonya. "Must be acting up again," said Matt, "I better go see a gene therapist about it." "Funny, from what I've heard, the lizards there don't usually have four fingers, unlike dragons." Said Sonya. Matt suddenly grinned. "And most villains are clever enough to check what they've been given." he said before legging it with the others. One of the apes opened the box to see an icicle. Gaul roared. "KILL THEM!"

--

Matt smiled to himself as he heard the 'Gaul' ape roar in anger and looked at the stone he'd palmed when they'd arrived. "Guess you only get a shock once." he said to it before pocketing it. "I suggest that all wings being flapping at maximum speed," said Sparx. "Good idea," said Matt, "One little problem though, I DON'T HAVE WINGS!" "Not yet, anyways, and you won't live to have them if you don't speed up," said a voice that seemed to echo in Matt's skull. A hail of gunfire got his attention back to his situation. Sonya was not far behind and firing from the hip. A fork in the corridor was coming up. "Cya outside." he said and ducked into a side corridor, Sonya going after him. Spyro skidded to a halt. "Get out of here. I'll get Matt." He said to Sparx and Cynder, taking off after Matt and Sonya.

--

Matt skidded to a halt in the same corridor he'd beaten the zombie in, it now blocked by the explosion and turned to face Sonya. "Last chance. Hand over the stone." Matt glared, then pulled out the stone in his transformed hand. "Fine…catch." He said and threw it at Sonya. Like last time, the stone sent a bolt of energy into Sonya's hand, flinging her bodily into the wall. Matt picked up her lost rifle and aimed it at her as Spyro rounded the corner.

"Not so tough without guns now, are you?" said Matt. To his surprise, Sonya stood up and started laughing. "Hey? What's so funny? And what's up with your voice?" Sonya simply kept laughing with her eyes closed before stopping. She opened her eyes to reveal they'd turned a sky blue before extending her palm and hitting Matt in the chest with a blast of super cooled air. She turned to Spyro. "Thank you for helping this fool give me a new body." she said.

"Ok," said Matt, "What the heck was in that stone?" "Such an ignorant fool. Are humans this gullible or just you mercenaries?" said 'Sonya'. "Ok, that's getting a bit personal," said Matt. Matt pulled out his ion blade and made to disarm 'Sonya' only for her to sidestep, grab his arm and spin him into a wall face first. She turned and smiled coldly before readying an icicle. "You have something that belongs to my master." she said and made to stab Matt.

"Leave him alone!" called Spyro. 'Sonya' turned and said, "Ah, the purple hatchling, I've been waiting a long time for this." "Who are you?" demanded Spyro. "The name's Avarona, not that you'll know it. I see that Cyril neglected tell you who you were bringing back." "Shouldn't it be 'talks too much'?"" said a voice behind her. Avarona turned and got a laser blast to the face as Matt shot point blank range into her, knocking her on her back. "I think its time we left. I have a feeling that won't finish her." Said Matt,

"I agree," said Spyro as he grabbed Matt and started flying away. As they flew out of the room, they didn't notice the claws and scales growing on Sonya's hands, nor the horns that were starting to appear on her head.

--

Back at the temple, Matt explained what had happened. "It was like she had a split personality." he said to the guardians. "Said I had something of her masters." "Not to mention that her eyes turned blue, like how mine turned red. And Gaul became very interested in this." Matt held up his scaly arm, "You wouldn't happen to know why it looks like a dragon's, would you?"

The guardians looked at the arm and exchanges glances. "What aren't you telling me?" said Matt, feeling his temper rising. He knew something bad was going on and he hated being out the loop. "It is time you were told the whole story," said Cyril, "The stone in the cave contained the soul of a sadistic ice dragon named Avarona. I use the past tense because it now inhabits this 'Sonya', like how Striker's soul inhabits you."

Matt glared. "I'm guessing they worked for Sonya's new boss." Ignitus nodded. "I am afraid so. Avarona and Striker were two of 5 dragons that helped him when he tried to take over our world." Matt sighed, wondering again if he was cursed. "So what's with the arm?" he asked. "Your body is adapting to hold Striker's spirit. It will eventually shift to resemble his former body. But I believe there will be a halfway point where you'll have traits of both species." "If he's changing me, why isn't he controlling me?" asked Matt. "I cannot say. You'll have to ask him yourself." Matt stared. "How would I do that?"

"I've taking the opportunity to prepare a concoction for this event," said Volteer as he placed a bottle full of reddish potion before him. "Ingestion of this brew will allow you to look within your subconscious, where Striker would reside." Matt shrugged and drank it down. "It doesn't taste so ba..." Matt was cut off when he fell asleep. Matt was a bit surprised from the sudden scenery change. He was back in the wasteland he'd dreamed back at the ship. "My brain needs a tidying." he muttered before walking forward, before coming across a TV that was playing back moments from his past adventures, at that moment displaying how he'd escaped from Balwak station during his adventures with Veemon.

Matt watched the TV for a bit, chuckling at some parts. "Ah, good times," he said to himself. "It is pretty amusing isn't it?" "Yeah, you should have seen what happened- WHOA!" Matt jumped as a red dragon had appeared beside him. "Striker I presume." said Matt darkly. "You realise how much trouble you've caused?" he said

"I know, and I'm afraid the trouble will not stop until the Dark Master has me. Even then, the trouble wouldn't stop there," said Striker, looking somewhat sad. "Thought you'd be all for it." Matt said, curious. Striker sighed. "You would, wouldn't you." he said gloomily. "Try being stuck on one of your colonies in that rock, only able to watch the world go by...gets you thinking..." he said, Matt laughed. "You got to be kidding me." he said and ducked as Striker threw a fireball at him.

"Do not mock this!" said Striker sternly, "You have no idea what it is like to be trapped in shadows, only able to watch others have happiness or sorrow and not able to be a part of it." Matt backed up as Striker advanced. "So...I can guess why you're not taking over my brain." he said. Striker relaxed, "Yes, though it seems that Avarona didn't hesitate with her host. In fact, if I know her well enough, and I unfortunately do, she'll probably be hastening her host's body's transformation."

Matt shrugged. "Great…simply great." He said. "Ah well…I made this mess…I'll help clear it up…"

So Matt's caused a little…problem…seems fair he should help Spyro and Cynder clean it up…Please R&R!