Arc - 1

Phase - 1

~.*.~ Happy Hatchday ~.*.~

Twelve Years Later

A single beetle glided down onto a blade of swaying grass in the middle of clearing between mushrooms that reached high into the sky. The mushrooms gave an orange tint to the swampy decor the beetle had uncaringly landed upon. Sounds of other insects and various forms of life could be heard in every direction.

Mud bubbles were popped not too far off, the trickling sound of water flowing gently whispered in the air, chirps and creaks enjoying the peace the swampy decor provided were sounded. The beetle was quick to add to the chorus as it chirped on the blade of grass without a care in the world. That was until another sound joined in, sending tiny shockwaves to the beetle that promptly flew away at whatever was trampling forth.

It was at that moment a golden glowing insect buzzed through with uncontrollable laughter. Along came chasing a purple colored beast, his purple eyes staring at the golden insect with a playful, determined expression on his scaley maw. He was laughing along with the golden insect as he blowed right through the patch of grass the beetle was just beforehand.

"You're toast when I catch you!" the purple beast said with a wide grin.

"What, you were looking the other way!" the dragonfly goaded. "That's a perfect time to introduce my world famous, and legendary, mudball of awesomeness!"

"Not on the back of my head!" the reptilian beast leapt at dragonfly figuring he was close enough. But in a burst of speed, the golden insect flew higher to escape the beast's clutches. A gasp and crash into one of the tall mushrooms occurred immediately afterwards.

"And why not? It's the perfect shape!" he said with an innocent look. "I'm sure your head appreciated it." He positioned his hands in front of his eyes in a frame. "Oh yeah, that's one for the books. Sparx, the best mudball thrower in the world, defeats the Terror of the Swamps."

With a grunt, the beast picked himself off the ground and shook his head from his self inflicted blow. He gave the dragonfly, calling himself Sparx, a curious look.

"Yeah, I would love to see that," he said with a slight chuckle.

"You're just jealous because you can't catch me."

The beast grunted in annoyance, but what Sparx said was true. He turned his body around and prepared to give chase again as he stared intently at the dragonfly for his go.

"What? No retort back? Come on bro, y'know I can't jive if ya give me nothing."

He leapt at the dragonfly again, however Sparx only needed to hover a few more inches before it was impossible for the beast to get to him. He landed back on the soft ground, this time staring angrily at the dragonfly.

"No fair, I can't catch you if you're flying that high!"

"Uh, yeah, duh," Sparx said as he shrugged. "Maybe if your wings worked..."

At that, the beast did a take on his backside. Indeed, he had wings. The golden brown membranes were folded neatly on his back. He moved one of them and gave it a little flutter. It's true, ever since he could remember, he had wings. Yet he could not fly like his brother. He was the only dragonfly in the village that couldn't fly.

In fact, compare to the other dragonflies, he was completely different from all the others. For one, at a young age, he grew a pair of antennas that looked and felt completely differently from the others. They resembled more like funny shaped thorns he'd seen on some thick vines than anything. He could walk on four legs while the others didn't have any. Instead the others had arms and hands. His face was longer than the flat faces the dragonflies sported. The soft scales boasting his entire body were nonexistent to other dragonflies. Sometimes he felt like an outsider, even though his mother and father swear he was one of them.

A frown formed on his maw. "Don't remind me."

Sparx was quick to notice his brother's demeanor and swooped down. "Hey dude, don't sweat it. Maybe you're a late bloomer, they say the late ones are the best fliers."

The beast rolled his eyes, no longer in the mood for catching. "Yeah, and I suppose that's why I don't have opposable thumbs like you too?"

"Oh come on now, Spyro buddy. You've been getting all moody lately, where's the happy go lucky bro I remember?"

The beast, who was named Spyro, only shrug at the question. His mood was quickly souring the longer his thoughts went to his differences. He was never picked on by the others for being different, but sometimes when he watched his peers fly around in the village. He only wished he could join them.

"Alright, I get it, you're thinking about the whole 'oh I'm so different, oh no' thing again, am I right?"

Spyro sighed, "Yeah, I just don't understand it."

"Well," Sparx pointed at himself, "stick with me, and eventually good ol' Sparx will give you the gift of flight, eh?"

Spyro shook his head. "No Sparx, it's not about flying... well part of it is I guess." Spyro glanced at him, the frown on his face deepening. "I don't want to be different, Sparx. I feel like I don't belong."

Sparx crossed his arms and gave Spyro a curious look. "Bro, do you see any of the others look at you funny?"

"I don't know," Spyro furrowed his brow. "No, they haven't, but I feel like something is wrong and I shouldn't be here."

The dragonfly clicked his tongue and shrugged. "Well, whether you like it or not, you're one of us. You ain't got any complaints from me, Pa, or Ma."

Spyro suddenly felt embarrassed. Both because he once again was discussing this topic with his brother who's always displeased by his self loathing, and because it always ended up going back to the same answer. That he was, in fact, a dragonfly. Honestly, he didn't truly believe he was one, but he would never doubt his family.

"Come on, let's go back home," Sparx sounded, patting Spyro on the nose. "Maybe the folks will cheer you up. It's your hatchday after all."

Indeed, today was a special occasion for this young beast. He was turning twelve, an age said to be full of responsibilities. Of course, his brother had turned that age only a few days ago and didn't even show a hint of acting responsibly. The folks did however make a delicious dinner that evening.

"But it's not even late yet," Spyro said softly.

"Nah, it's never too early to go back home. Besides, me and a couple of others chipped in something for you."

"Oh?" this peaked Spyro's interest. He raised a brow at his brother's statement. "And what may that be?"

"It's a surprise," he smiled.

"Uhuh, sure it's not just another one of your pranks?"

"What?" he asked in mocked surprise. "I'm hurt you would even think that, Spyro."

"Well when you do it every other day..."

Sparx waved his hand and shook his head. "Nu uh, no way dude. How could I prank my bro when he's already feeling down?"

Spyro smiled a little bit at that. He didn't believe him, but he appreciated his brother's willingness to cheer him up regardless.

"Well if you say," Spyro chuckled. "Lead the way."

"And I will, someone's got to collect on that Terror of the Swamp bounty!"

Spyro rolled his eyes, the smile still on his face, but he didn't respond back. Maybe an afternoon rest would do him some good and rid his unpleasant thoughts. Besides, he would be lying to himself if he wasn't curious about what Sparx mentioned. He didn't mind walking into a prank if it was good.

So they walked through the relatively calm swamp, poking fun at one another with random jokes. The mud pools they passed bursted as they usually did. Frog weeds, a plant-like sentient creature, were jumping about no doubt looking for spots to prey on smaller insects. They even spotted a bulb spider plotted next to a weird colored fungus doing something similar.

"Y'know, every time we go out of our home and into the usual spots, I'm surprised none of those spider things try to do something funny," Sparx said as he eyed the white colored spider dotted with red markings.

"I think it might be because of me," Spyro answered back with a thoughtful expression. "I mean I am bigger than you."

"Not to mention heavy."

Spyro gave a glare at Sparx who only shrugged with his arms.

"Hey, just sayin'."

"I think you have to thank me anyways, since I keep them away."

"Pff, nah, they've heard of the Great Mighty Sparx and don't want a piece of these guns," Sparx flexed one of his arms for emphasis, but Spyro only scoffed at the display.

"Oh brother..."

"And don't wear it out!"

After a few more minutes of walking through the swamp, they approached a small river. It was a landmark they both recognized as their village was right next to it. The golden tint the river shimmered from the sun's embrace gave the orange tinted swamp a poppier look. Spyro approached the bank and lowered his head to take a drink. He didn't know what was in the water, but every time he took a drink from it he felt extremely good.

He assumed Sparx felt the same as he too decided to dunk his head in the calm waters to take a sip. "Ah, always hits the spot," he would remark usually. This time was no different as he licked and smacked his lips in obvious extreme exaggeration.

They began to go upstream knowing that they would soon see their home and the colony of dragonflies that filtered about. Indeed, for it only took them a short while longer to see the first signs of their village. A group of different colored dragonflies were flying downstream on the other side of the river. The pair waved to them, though Spyro used his wing for the gesture, with some of them waving back.

It wasn't too long after seeing a second group talk amongst each other nearby that they finally reached their destination. Up the hill to their left was their home. It looked just like anywhere else in the swamp, but the difference was that instead of just pure tall mushrooms with some shrubs, weeds, and the occasional tree. There were clearly structures constructed with twigs and leaves, all of which were neatly tied and woven together in suspension from the ground on many vine lines. Some homes were hollowed out from the mushrooms where multiple entrances were carved for other families.

It wasn't anything special, least to Spyro. His home wasn't in the air like the rest were. He and his family lived in a collection of small trees that were conveniently shaped perfectly to make a cozy home. It was by far the largest home in the village.

"Oi, don't look now, but here comes the sirens."

And as if on cue, a pair of blue dragonflies adorning leafy attire approached them.

"Lets see, you are Spyro, part of the Flash Family?" one of them asked.

Spyro nodded, knowing the procedure. It was another thing he was quick to notice as he grew older that he was the only one that ever seem to be stopped by these two dragonflies in particular. He never questioned it though.

"Hey dudes, can you maybe not today? It's my bro's hatchday."

"Sorry son, but you can never be too certain." the other blue dragonfly said.

"Yeah, as the chief always says, never trust your first glances."

Sparx rolled his eyes and huffed in annoyance at the answer. "Yeah, okay dudes."

Spyro smiled apologetically to Sparx, but he still appreciated his brother's sentiments. He didn't mind it as much as Sparx. Partly due to this was something he perfectly understood needed to be done. What if something that looked like him came along and hurt his friends and family? No, he didn't want to risk that chance.

After a few more questions regarding his identity, the pair of blue dragonflies deemed that he was actually Spyro and then wished him a happy hatchday. Once they flew away back to their watchful posts, Sparx groaned in annoyance.

"It's not like there's anything else out there that looks like you anyways, big guy."

Spyro shrug as he climbed up the hill. "Well, just as they said, you can never be too sure."

"Yeah, okay, like there's another big purple dragonfly out there that walks on four legs and can't fly, am I right?"

"Sparx..."

Sparx put up his hands in defeat.

Once Spyro reached the summit, he navigated around the cluster of mushrooms. Dragonflies were casually bustling through, some of them chatting, some of them refining and tuning their homes, some of them bartering with some small stalls to the sides. It wasn't a big place, but the amount of dragonflies living here was a staggering amount.

But Spyro wasn't paying too much attention to what was happening above him. His gaze was directed to the group of trees that were intertwined into each other. The closer he got to what he called home, the more he realized that a little rest wouldn't hurt and it might bring up his spirits. A yawn suddenly escaped from him as he trekked further.

"Hey Sparx, hey Spyro!"

Spyro looked up to see a familiar red dragonfly. Sparx waved to him with wink.

"Hey dude, is everything set up?"

The red dragonfly gave Sparx a thumbs up. This caused Sparx to clap and rub his hands.

"Perfect!"

Spyro looked to the two dragonflies with suspicion. Well at least he was going to know what exactly his brother had cooked up for him now and get it over with.

"Hey there, Vaanro." Spyro said with a small grin.

"Yeah, I'm guessing Sparx already told you what we got?"

Spyro raised a brow and glanced at Sparx. Sparx only replied with a cheesy smile and a half shrug.

"I guess not then, boy are you going to be surprised!"

"So it's not some prank?" Spyro asked.

"Nah, it's your hatchday! Which, by the way, happy hatchday to you."

Spyro didn't believe it for a second, but he decided to play along anyways.

"Well if you say so, and thank you."

"Right then, if you'll just follow me..."

Vaanro flew off back where he came from. Spyro, with one more curious look to Sparx, followed along. He brisked past his home and other cluster of mushrooms before Vaanro stopped in a small clearing. Spyro approached, looking around carefully, before he entered the clearing with a confused look. Vaanro smiled at him, but it wasn't the usual obvious fake smile that Spyro was expecting to see. It was a genuine smile.

"Alright bro, now I know this is asking a lot coming from your ol' pal Sparx, but could you close your eyes?"

Spyro looked to Sparx, back to Vaanro, and back to Sparx again. The confusion on his face was only growing.

"You really weren't joking?"

"I know, right?" Sparx responded back.

Spyro turned back to Vanroo and decided to keep following along. He closed his eyes and dared not to move. He heard Sparx zoom off, as well as Vaanro, but he felt like they actually meant it this time. He sure hope so, otherwise he knows he was setting himself up hard for an easy prank.

When a minute had passed, he was back to thinking exactly that. But then he heard the fluttering of multiple wings coming towards him. It must've been the entire gang, Spyro thought. He tensed his muscles expecting the worst as he heard the others buzz around his head. He was just about to peak a look when he felt something being laced over his head and flopped down to his neck with a tiny pull.

"Alright, big guy, you can open your eyes now." came Sparx's voice.

He did as he was told and saw a group of five hovering in front of his face with huge smiles. Spyro gave them all a curious look before he glanced down to see what the sudden weight to his neck was.

He gasped at what he saw. A flood of joy soon spilled forth as a huge smile formed on his maw. Around his neck was an instrument that he wanted to play ever since he saw his mentors showed and played it. It made the most beautiful noise he had heard that came from something so simple. Unfortunately at the time, he was already much too big to try as they didn't have the same instrument that was to Spyro's size.

But now, with one around his neck and plenty big enough for him to sit down and play, made him giddy with excitement. His thoughts of resting from before were completely wiped away.

"Yeeeeah, might've thought you'd like that," Sparx said looking at his fist.

Spyro smiled as wide as he could at Sparx, his heart was ready to burst with happiness. "I didn't know this is what you were doing when you said you were hanging with Vaanro."

"It was all Sparx's idea too," Vaanro added. "Course, I was the one that got stuck carving that thing out."

"Oi, don't be taking all the credit," a green colored dragonfly next to Vaanro said before punching him lightly in the arm. "I believe I did more of that then you did."

An orange dragonfly sighed at the two and shook her head. "Honestly, can't you two not fight about something so trivial?"

"Oh uh... sorry Genox," the green one said.

Spyro chuckled, pleased to see that Genox was in on this as well. She wasn't with the group all that often, but she treated Spyro with more care than the others. Even more than Sparx, but of course he would never tell Sparx that and expect a warm reception from it. Though he was surprised to see Jarx, the green colored dragonfly. He should've expected as much, since Jarx and Vaanro are as inseparable as he is to Sparx most of the time.

"We're just happy that Sparx decided not to do something wacky like wrap your arms with vines as a gag," the last cyan dragonfly said. "Almost felt bad about that one."

Spyro snorted, remembering all well the memory of closing his eyes just last year and being treated to vines attached to stink sap as a hatchday gag. He recalls he ended up trying to whack his friends with the saps as payback before it turned into a wild goose chase of finding Sparx.

"Oh yeah, that was a great day, let me tell you," Sparx happily sighed. "Almost as good as the day I planted that spider in your leaf." He gave a toothy grin to the cyan one.

"And that was the day I learned that some spiders don't taste so bad," he replied back with a wink.

"Wait, you actually ate it?" asked Sparx with a raised brow.

The cyan one only smiled and licked his lips.

"What did it taste like, Botix?" Spyro asked with an amused look. The spiders in the swamps have been told to not be edible since most had some type of venom that's lethal. Spyro, already assuming this was a classic Botix rebuke, didn't expect much.

"Juicy."

"Yeah, something your lies lack, dude. You need to seriously work on that," Sparx said with a pointed finger.

"Yeah well." He shrugged. "This is the truth, but that's alright, I know I'm not a good liar."

"Hey Spyro, why don't you play your flute for us?" came Genox.

Spyro fidgeted, he looked down at the instrument that hanged from his neck with a sudden realization from the request.

"But I don't know how to play it."

"Pfft, so what?" came Vaanro. "Just play it anyways."

Spyro looked to his group of friends and back to his flute. He shrugged himself finding that he might as well start somewhere and sat on his haunches. With care, he took his foreclaw and took the instrument to his muzzle. He remembered how his mentors held it and tried to mimic their arm position. Thinking he was in the correct position, he blew vigorously into what he assumed was the correct place to blow.

A resulting screech and whine sounded from the instrument that caused not only Spyro to flinch, but the others as well.

"Uh, yeah, it's pretty apparent that he doesn't," Sparx replied to the hard noise.

"Try blowing softer, Spyro," Genox insisted. "Think of a soft breeze."

Spyro mentally sighed and placed the mouthpiece once more to his maw. He blew as soft as he could, but this time no sound came. He tried again, still no luck. Once more, and it again produced a loud screech.

"Wow, I didn't know it was going to be this hard to play," Spyro remarked. He examined the instrument, thinking that perhaps he was blowing into the wrong place.

"Are you covering the proper holes?" Genox asked.

"I think I am." Spyro flipped the instrument around. "I remember you had to press this one, right?" He pointed to a key on the instrument's underside. He took the piece again to his maw and softly blew a few more times. He was slowly get irritated at the lack of any noise.

"It could be also how you're blowing. It's got to be condensed."

"Condensed?" Spyro repeated.

"Yeah, like a wind tunnel, but as a soft breeze."

Spyro didn't think he understood what she meant, but he tried blowing again, forcing his maw to only let air out on the center. This time, a note definitely was sounded and Spyro's excitement grew.

"There you go!" Genox clapped.

Spyro blew again, the same note repeating over and over before he knew how forceful he needed to be with his maw and lungs. A smile crept on his features as he looked back to his group of friends.

"Thank you guys so much."

The gang nodded, smiling back at Spyro's approved gift.

"All thanks can go to me, thank you, thank you," Sparx interjected flashing an innocent grin to the others to which only Genox snorted with a disapproving glare.

"Anyways, what do you fellas want to do now?" Botix asked.

Spyro looked back to his gift wanting to spend the day practicing with his newfound flute. He looked back up apologetically to the group.

"If you guys don't mind, I'd like to try out this flute some more."

Botix waved him off. "Well that's understandable."

"Oh I know, lets go mess with the Flurks," Jarks proposed.

"Now that sounds like a good time waster. Darnx has been pretty easy to pull a fast one." Vaanro smirked.

"And this is where I go." Genox flew away from the group shaking her head.

"See, this is why no chick ever takes you seriously," Sparx said gesturing to the departing dragonfly. "If someone asks what we should do..."

Spyro shook his head as the group started to drift away from him as they began to argue. He wasn't too fond of doing what they were suggesting anyways. His attention went back to his flute with a gleeful grin. Placing the instrument back in position, he blew into the mouthpiece to hear the same note.

~.*.~

"Are you sure this is accurate?"

"I'm positive, m'lord."

A disgruntled Gaul read back over the report his personal attendant had given him. If the report wasn't wrong, by a sheer stroke of luck, the scouting party that went to the lands far east had spotted the ice guardian in contact with the Atlawas tribe. Why an ice guardian would be there is unclear, but with this knowledge they can launch a fullscale attack to quickly subdue the tribe and guardian.

"You better hope your information is correct, my servant."

The attendant merely gulped, a lanky ape in comparison to the gratuitous build his lord sprouted. "I'm sure, m'lord."

The chamber they currently in was incredibly dark. It looked more like an arena than it did with one that commanded authority. Green flames were lit in a circle in the center on the edges of a circular pit. Nothing could be seen below, only more darkness in the harsh lighting.

"Tell the scouts to relay the message back to Cynder."

"Yes, m'lord!"

The chamber looked ancient as well. The withered stone structure bearing cracks no matter where one may look. Signs of battle are obvious on the dark surface. A burning, intoxicating aroma lingered in the stale air of the chamber.

"I don't have to remind you what she will do to you if your information isn't accurate, do I?"

"No, m'lord!"

The faint sound of static could be heard echoing in the chamber. It was a barely audible, but when the two stopped talking and one were to listen, they could hear it. Gual never paid any mind to the noise however.

"Then get to it."

The attendant ran off as quickly as he was speaking, not looking back as he exited the chamber through the only visible opening on the opposite side. Gaul stared at the retreating figure before closing his only good eye in contemplation. He dared not to believe it would be this easy, but it seems fates were fortunate on his side after all the waiting he's done.

Patience is virtue, the time to strike will come with patience.

He nodded at his own thoughts. After seven years, parts of his plan were finally about to go into action. After failing to find the purple egg during their raid at the Temple, they had to resort to a more subtle approach rather than a direct one. He was confident though with how scattered the dragon population was at the moment that finding and subduing the guardians should be a simple task.

In fact, he gotten word the other day from his previous attendant that the electric guardian had been found in the harsh cold winds of the north. Cynder immediately went to the call, but not before making sport of the previous attendant. The look of shock and anguish on the ape's face as Cynder casually shoved him into the dark pit in front of him was reminded in his brief memory.

He growled in disapproval, but didn't punish. Striking fear in his men is his duty, not one from a servant, even if they were second in command.

But that was far from his concern. His main concern was what the guardians were doing as to be carelessly exposed like they have been. Again he questioned his luck, but dismissed it that it was probably by chance this happened. After all, the dragon race had been crippled for nearly twelve years now and the guardians were forced to hide. It made sense sooner or later, in which case it was the later part, that one of them would slip and expose their presence.

He hummed deeply, propping his eye to open to stare at the dark pit before him. He wished he knew where the others were, he'd been hunting them for so long that it almost seemed impossible that he left any land unchecked. But when all four of them were found and wretched apart from their powers...

A smirk stretched on his face. Just thinking about the day he acquires them sent shivers of a rare excitement down his spine.

~.*.~

She couldn't have been more happier. She had finally proved herself worthy from the dark master's blessing with her latest catch, the electric guardian!

Currently encased in a glowing sphere of energy, the electric guardian gave a piercing, angry stare at the dragoness that has caused so much destruction and chaos over the years. With her deep dark purple, almost completely black, scales, magenta wings and belly, and dark green eyes, she smirked at the guardian's distaste. It filled her with every ounce of glee. An added bonus was that the guardian bore quite a number of scratches and bruises from her attacks.

She possessed a very slim build, her thin legs and body looked as if they could squeeze through the tiniest of holes for any dragon her size. Her slender neck was tilted at an angle as she looked over the guardian before her. Her wings were folded up neatly in the back. Her tail that ended in a sharp, white spade flicked erratically behind her sitting form. The many white and long horns that extruded from her elongated head. She thought she looked to be the perfect image to strike fear and uncertainty to her foes.

"I'm impressed, Guardian. You've managed to escape my grasp for a long seven years." Her smirk grew. "I'm sure all of your friends that died for you feel same."

"Murderer..." the guardian muttered scathely. He quickly looked beyond his captor to see the destruction of a battle that had recently been fought. Dragons, young and old, littered the battlefield in the frozen landscape. Snow was gently falling over the carnage. A harsh, cold gust blew from the right, but the inclement weather had no effect on the black dragoness.

"I don't like that name," she teased. "I prefer the title others have given me, Terror of the Skies." She snorted at the sound of that. It was outright ridiculous, but the look and sound of fear when her victims mutter the words were deeply engrossing to her.

"You should feel ashamed, contrite, compunctious, mortified at what you've done," he growled. "Betraying your own race for the dark army, unforgivable!"

"You and everyone else," she replied with a chuckle. "You should be grateful, you'll soon serve a worthwhile purpose in this world."

"I'll never concede to you, you audacious, shameless, flagrant, murderer!"

She huffed, a blank stare bearing down at the enraged guardian. Another harsh gust of wind blew through the battlefield. "I would love to kill you, but my master forbade me." She sighed, annoyed at the only request that made her repulsed.

"Pathetic, deplorable. How could you follow such a one sided leader who wishes our very continuation to end?"

She scoffed, a smirk forming once more on her maw. "Clearly you don't know a thing."

With a gleam of her eye, the ball of energy started to rise up, bringing the trapped guardian with it. The guardian flashed a worried look as he was hovered about without his control.

"Now then, this place is just so dreadful to extract what I need from you. So many corpses, you understand?"

The guardian looked in horror behind the dragoness to see the strewn of dragons start to stir about. "No... you didn't-"

"Oops," the dragoness interrupted with the darkest smirk she gave. "Looks like your friends are beginning to wake up, and I don't think they're going to be happy."

At that moment, dozen or so of the fallen dragons had inexplicably risen back to their feet. Their movements were slow and sluggish, it was a wonder how some of them were moving with their fatal injuries. Their dead, glassy eyes, that stared off to the distance when they looked up though was what caused the guardian to gasp loudly.

"You wicked creature! How could you? How are you contro-"

She didn't respond, but interrupted him by jerking the ball of energy upwards. Picking herself back up, she stretched all the joints in her body, wings spread to her fullest extent. She squatted down a bit to get her kinks out before she jumped and flapped her wings to take off towards the snowy sky. The ball of energy and guardian, following behind, leaving the undead to their musings forevermore.