Chapter 2

Present

The bright sun blinded Sparx as he stepped out of the cave. He looked around before screaming with joy. 'They did it" Sparx exclaimed "I never doubted those two for a second."

"Then why have you been crying for your mother in the corner of the cave for the past two hours?" Cyril asked as he emerged from the darkness with Terrador, Volteer and the mole soldiers.

"Well, because I was just...wait…mom and dad! I gotta go make sure their safe."

"Go on" Terrador said, "we'll wait for you at Warfang, we must begin rebuilding the city." Sparx gave a quick salute before buzzing off toward the east. Terrador then addressed the two other guardians and the moles "Come on, let's go home."

"Yes, yes, simply marvelous, stupendous I can not wait to get back to my books." Volteer said, "Oh, I can feel my brain going numb from the lack of education."

"Oh, ancestors!" Cyril exclaimed "Tell me I don't have to listen to you all the way back to Warfang."

Sparx flew as fast as he could, trying to find the cave that he had led his village to. "Where the hell is it?" he said, kicking himself for not paying attention to the location of the cave.

After a few more minutes of he saw a faint glow coming from one of the caves. As he fluttered closer, the dragonfly sighed with relief.

The multicolored dragonflies all turned to greet Sparx as he entered the cave. When he saw his parents he immediately zipped to them.

"Mom, dad, your okay!" Sparx exclaimed.

"Well, It's gonna take more than the end of the world to take me down." His Father boasted.

His mother just shook her head, "Anyway, so where is your brother, Spyro?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Sparx explained, "he went with Cynder to go stop Malefore."

"So your telling me that Spyro, our son, saved the entire planet?" his mom asked with wide eyes.

"Well, you know, I helped too." Sparx said somewhat insulted

"Of course you did honey, and we are so proud of both of you." his mother said pinching Sparx's cheek.

"Oh, you know, all in a days work" Sparx said, rubbing his knuckles against his chest.

"So, who's this Cynder?" his father asked.

"A crazy, black dragoness that almost killed us" Sparx said, "Oh, and Spyro secretly has a crush on her."

"Thats my boy." Sparx's father said proudly before addressing the crowd of dragonflies "Listen up everyone, it's safe now, time to go back to the swamp" The crowd erupted in a massive cheer and the dragonflies began flying out of the cave "Are you coming with us, son?" he asked Sparx.

"Well I suppose I could spend a few days back home before going back to Warfang."

"Splendid." His mother said "think I have enough ingredients for my butterfly casserole"

Sparx licked his lips at the thought of his favorite dish, "Well, what are we waiting for?" he asked before he and his parents zipped out of the cave.

Meanwhile the dragons and the moles had arrived at Warfang. They were relieved to find that, besides a few fallen towers and a massive hole in the wall, the rest of the city remained untouched.

"Oh, thank the ancestors!" Volteer said as they came across the city's library that only had a few black marks from the soot of the battle.

"Right, well I'm glad that this puts your mind at ease," Cyril said sarcastically "but I'm more interested in the temple. You remember don't you, Volteer? It's the place with the pool of visions, the center of the city, where all our important meetings are held."

"Must you always act like such a jackass." Volteer snapped back.

"Only when I'm around you."

"Would you two stop bickering like a pair of old life-mates!" Terrador intervened.

When they had reached their destination all three guardians were relieved to find that the temple remained unharmed. As they moved into the main hall Terrador began instructing the other two guardians. "Cyril, I need you to examine the bedchambers and dining hall. Volteer, I need you to check the training grounds and the classrooms I'm going to check the ballroom and the healer's den. Meet me at the pool of visions." The other two dragons nodded before taking off down different hallways.

Little did any of them know, that in the wastes of the burning plains a foreboding black fortress stood high on the volcanic mountain where Malefore's castle used to be.

Gwar, the orc general was walking down towards the center of the complex. His head was hung low and he dreaded every step that he took, as he knew that he was about to look like fool. He pushed open the double doors to the inner sanctum, where the hooded creature was waiting in front of a large sheet of dark crystal. "Sir," Gwar began, "I'm afraid that the dark master has..."

The creature raised his hand silencing the orc "I know of Malefore's situation. Do you know how I know? It's because we all should have been dead about four hours ago!" a dark aura began emanating from the creature and purple streaks of dark lightning began radiating from his body "Do you know how long a thousand years is? Because that's how long I have waited to see the end of those murderous dragons!" The orc began to step backwards in fear before the creature let his anger subside. The purple aura disappeared and the lightning retreated back to the creature's body. "But what's worse yet, is that your scouts now tell me that there are many more dragons alive that had fled to some ancient underground cities when Malefore attacked." The creature stated before turning away from the orc and staring at the giant sheet if dark crystal.

"Is there any way we can bring the dark master back?" the orc asked.

"Come here." the creature said. The orc obeyed and stood beside the creature, "Look." the orc followed his gaze and gasped when he saw the dark master floating unconscious in the dark crystal sheet before them.

"Can he be released?" the orc asked.

"Follow me." the creature led the orc to a door on the left side of the chamber. As they went through the door, the orc found four machines, about the size of a normal orc. Each one had a dark crystal in the center and looked the same except that each had a different symbol etched into the center: a lightning bolt, a snowflake, a rock, and a flame. "First we need to set these machines up where each individual element is in the highest concentration." the creature explained.

"And then?" Gwar asked

"We'll get to that after the machines are activated."

"Then I will personally escort them to their destinations."

"No" the creature said abruptly "you will send your second in command and half of your troops to complete this task."

"Then...what am I to do?"

"You will keep your eye on Malefore, as he will be quite upset when he wakes up."

"But, sir..."

"I believe that Malefore put you under my command. Am I mistaken?"

Defeated, the orc replied "No, sir."

"Good"

"May I ask what you will be doing?"

"Why? Do you believe that I will just sit on my ass and watch you orcs do all the work?" The creature's response caught the orc off guard, since that was exactly what the orc thought the creature was going to do. "I will be surveying the land and taking note of where the other dragon cities are. Since the destroyer can't be reawakened for another two thousand years, we will have to kill the dragons the old-fashioned way…with steel and, in my case, dark crystal."

"Why can't you make me and my soldiers dark crystal weapons?"

"I can" the creature replied plainly "but my people believe that the best weapon, is one forged by your own hand."

"But we do not share your beliefs."

"You do when you're under my command."

Gwar wanted to retaliate, but knew that the creature may be the only hope of bringing back the dark master. "I will have my troops leave immediately."

"See that its done," the orc turned to leave but was stopped mid-step as the creature spoke again "and Gwar, we can not afford another failure."

"I understand" the orc replied before leaving the chamber.