Chapter 2: Ordinary Foes, Abnormal Events
"So... your nightmares stopped..." said the Professor.
The purple male dragon nodded. "Yeah. Ever since that weird dream, I stopped having nightmares." stated Spyro.
"... me too!" added Sparx.
The mole scientist slowly nodded while he thought about it. A recurrent dream about death... and then, out of a sudden, it stops with two unknown figures that were obviously evil speaking about how they would act? "Well... the most probable theory is that your constant adventures traumatized you both. As you must know, you are both very young... actually, although your minds have matured from your adventures, your bodies are that of children... and you do have some mental characteristics from children..."
"Which means...?" interrupted Sparx, obviously not willing to hear a long-winded explanation he wouldn't understand. A glare from the purple dragon nearby convinced the dragonfly from letting the mole speak.
Said mole cleared his throat and then, the Professor resumed. "Anyway... as I was saying... you mustn't forget that you aren't mature. As such, I believe that facing all those foes and villains eventually gave you nightmares. In order to exorcise such nightmares, you made up those imaginary villains, Vanguard and Verdun. By giving a form that you could fight to your fears, you could overcome your nightmares."
Spyro and Sparx looked at each others. It was very possible indeed and although the two had a pretty big ego that prevented them from being affected by fear much or rather, from facing their fears much, the two could only admit that it was very possible and very logical even...
"HOWEVER!" the Professor called, bringing the duo out of their thoughts. "One mustn't forget that there is such a thing as Magic... and that as such, there are such things as visions. It is very probable that Vanguard and Verdun were actually real villains that contacted you through your nightmares... and the fact that you both used to have the same shared nightmares makes this theory possible as well..."
While Spyro continued to listen, Sparx, him, crossed his arms. "So you mean that you don't know?" asked the dragonfly, annoyed. Another glare... "Okay okay... I'll shut up!"
"Well..." begun the Professor anew. "... it IS true that I do not know for sure..." at this moment, both the dragon and insect sighed, causing the elderly mole scientist to be the one to be annoyed this time. "HOWEVER!" once again, the two were listening. "... as you already know, I am an expert in nearly every field of science and in the physics of Magic... so the chance of either of my theories being wrong is actually very low."
Spyro slowly sat down, satisfied, grinning. Sparx, on another hand, had a big frown on his face, shaking his head, arms crossed.
"Now... as for the reason I called you to my lab..." the mole approached the room's terminal and pressed a button causing a massive screen to come out of the ceiling. All three creatures turned to face it as the scientist loaded into the computer the file he wished to show them...
On-screen, a video was shown. A horde of humanoid rhinoceros running around, breaking everything they found, causing disorder, and otherwise playing nasty tricks on every single creature they ran into.
"Ripto, the evil magician, has once again attempted to take over the Realms! He has once again enlisted those nefarious Rhynocs from the Forgotten Realm to help him in his evil plans!... and as usual, your assistance would be appreciated in overthrowing the villain's latest attempt at world domination." explained to two very exasperated creatures.
Spyro's eyes narrowed and he turned to Sparx. Both rolled their eyes. Ripto. Again. ALWAYS Ripto. That stupid Ripto who always come up with silly plans to take over the world. That stupid Ripto who never thought about making his cape fireproof. Toasted he shall be, once again... and by the great Spyro, again. Always by Spyro. Because nobody else think about doing it and since, anyway, nobody does it better than Spyro. After all... while Ripto was routine for the purple dragon, he remained a very dangerous and relatively clever tyrant. Agent 9, Sergeant Byrd, and other people had tried to stop him single-handily before, whenever may it be because they were threatened or to save Spyro some work. Every time, Ripto's magic had been too much for them. Spyro would do it in the end, like always...
It's then that Sparx came up with his own theory. "Hey Spyro! You know... Ripto is a magician, right?" Spyro stared at Sparx with a "DUH!" expression on his face. "Well... maybe it was Ripto, after all! Remember how the Vanguard shadow was strangely small? Well... it could have been Ripto in disguise!"
"Actually, this is an interesting theory!" the Professor smiled. "Ripto is, indeed, a powerful wizard. It is highly possible he could have found a new magic spell book that allow him to manipulate dreams. In fact... this is maybe even better than my theories!" he turned to the screen and took out a remote. He then stopped the record at a specific moment... Ripto casting a certain spell. "Indeed... Ripto was able to pull off his latest attempt by casting a powerful spell on the guardians of each Realm during their sleep. Maybe the nightmares you were having was a test of his spell or an attempt to use what defeated the guardians of the Realms on you!"
Spyro considered it all. Maybe it was Ripto behind it all after all... like always. In a way, things were getting more interesting now. Was Ripto finally getting smarter? This might be fun after all...
The dragon got on his four and turned to Sparx. "Well, whatever it was... Ripto is taking over the Realms and we'll beat him, as usual! Let's go, Sparx!"
"I'm right behind you, buddy!... actually, I'm right in front of you!" answered the dragonfly.
The Professor, satisfied with the situation, turned to the terminal. "Good! Now I'll unlock the door so you two can..."
CRASH!
"... go on..." the Professor turned to see a Spyro-shaped hole in his door. "... with... your..." he stopped and a feeling of intense frustration hammered into his soul. His eyes widened and the mole couldn't help but grit his teeth. "It's the fifth time this week! I had ENOUGH!"
Of course, Spyro did not hear that.
888888888888
Outside, things were as one would expect during one of Ripto's attempts to take over the worlds. Well... one had to remember that in Ripto's mouth, "to take over the world" was more about bullying people than really ruling over them. As such, rather than terrorizing the countryside, trying to force the population into Ripto's bidding, the Rhynoc soldiers serving under the evil wizard were just running around rather aimlessly, destroying what they could, bullying anyone they found for little to no good reason.
... and as usual, a purple dragon will crash their party and make things very, very painful for them.
At the edge of town, two dragons stood before a pack of Rhynocs. Ember, the female pink dragon, and Flame, an equally young red dragon. The large rhinoceros were wearing ridiculous green soldier uniforms and were pointing old style guns at the two, ready to fire. Of course, as the Rhynocs were bullies, not murderers, the guns contained no bullets... but it still was enough to annoy the female and terrorize the male.
"I... I will pr-pr-protect you!" Flame stood in front of the female, shaking in fear. The female dragon rolled her eyes and sighed. "Those are just three Rhynoc clowns..." muttered Ember.
The three evil humanoids laughed in a rather goofy way, wondering of the way they could beat up the female dragon to show her that they meant business... but they didn't wonder very long, not that they found an idea. It was more because of the fact that a purple blur slammed straight into the left Rhynoc, sending it tumbling toward a conveniently placed cliff.
Flame's eyes widened and a huge smile came to his face as Spyro had arrived. Ember, her, seemed pained for a second and turned to the side, trying to ignore the course of events.
"It's Spyro! GET'IM!" yelled one of the three Rhynocs... but the two others ignored him, the second being busy helping the third one not fall off the cliff.
Spyro just stood there, waiting for the three idiots to position themselves, Sparx hovering silently near him... well, maybe not so silently. "Man! What a bunch of losers! They never learn, don't they?"
The reptile smiled confidently. "Indeed. They just keep on coming, no matter how many times we humiliate them." the dragon shook his head and a fake, sarcastic sigh escaped his throat. "Guess they must actually like losing to us all the time..."
Spyro's insult did its work, infuriating the Rhynocs. The closest one, the one who had given the order, charged forward, dropping his gun and flailing his arms around like a maniac... only to receive a headbutt in the stomach that sent him flying while the second one, in the back, decided to let the third one fall to his death so he could run after Spyro as well!
With the Rhynoc in the air, the dragon placed himself on his hind legs and waited for it to come down... and then...
SMACK!
He smacked his tail straight into the Rhynoc with great strength, sending him flying!
BAM!
Direct hit! The flying Rhynoc collided into the running one!... which hurled both of them off the cliff. Three less Rhynocs in the Realms!
"Too easy!" commented proudly Spyro after taking care of the three idiotic enemies. He turned to face the ones he had just saved... and his smile disappeared.
Flame was staring at him adoringly... but frankly, Spyro couldn't care less. He knew very well why the dragon was so hell-bent on being like him... and frankly, he despised the red-colored hypocrite. The fact that he was basically identical to him except for the bright red color and slightly taller although weaker frame was creepy. As such, he paid little attention to the red dragon...
It was Ember who was attracting his attention...
She turned to face him. Her gaze was cold... very cold. Ever since the Sorcerer incident, she had always been rather cold to him. He had thought that her new relationship with Mighty would make her forget... but it was seemingly not the case. In fact... he had always felt weird, himself... as if he had lost something but didn't know what. It was so awkward and it made him feel bad... very bad.
"Those were just a few Rhynocs. We did not need your help." her voice was cold, icy cold too. Spyro remembered... it used to be warm. Ember was once a bundle of energy full of happiness and life but now... she had changed. She was cold, distant, as if somewhere else...
"Sheesh! So much for gratitude!" commented the dragonfly. Ember glared angrily at the insect... "Nobody asked you, mosquito!"
"Hey! I'm not a mosquito!" it was a known fact... Sparx could shoot out insults at a frightening pace yet, he cannot stomach even the slightest counter. Although Spyro sometimes took advantage of this, in this case, it was not the time to argue. He simply turned to Sparx and made a small gesture. The dragonfly rolled his eyes, understanding. "Yeah yeah, I got it. I'll shut up..."
The duo turned to the female dragon again. The nightmares... he remembered them and... nah... there's no time for this. They have to stop Ripto before he wreck all of the Realms! "Take care Ember!"
Turning toward his next destination, Spyro resumed his journey. Frankly, he didn't expect a reply... and well, although he was disappointed for some reason for the fraction of a second, he indeed never did receive a reply from the pink dragon.
Oh well... the time was not for thoughts but for moving ahead. He wondered what Realms were threatened this time... but well, as he made his way toward the tunnel that lead beyond the mountains that marked the limit of the valley in which Dragon Village was located, he figured that he would find out in time...
88888888
The inside of the tunnel was dark and humid... like most caves were. The world under the surface of the Realms was one of silence, one of empty echoes, one of loneliness and darkness. Dragons, used to their life on the surface and in the skies, were not used to the underworld and feared it.
Spyro knew it. He knew that whenever it might be instincts or just a general claustrophobia of sorts, his specie preferred the world above to the damp caves and tunnels that were everywhere in the worlds. Himself, he knew that he once dreaded the darkness, afraid of what might lie in the unknown shadows...
Years of adventuring had eventually allowed him to get over the feelings of his fellow dragons regarding the darkness. The caves were empty, the silence only broken by a hollow wind that came died not even halfway through the tunnel and by the repetitive sounds of his claws on the rocky ground mixed to the buzzing of Sparx's wings.
Torches, suspended with ropes to the walls of the tunnel, provided the faint light that the duo used to navigate through. It was funny that despite the presence of sufficient technology within this Realm to place electric lamps in the tunnel, no one had thought of doing so.
But in a way... it was not so surprising. The dragons dreaded underground passages while the moles, the other main specie, was a specie from the underworld and actually enjoyed the darkness of the caves more than the daylight. As such, in a way, it was normal that no one would bother to try and bring bright light to this tunnel...
... especially considering that it led to the Crocodile Swamp, the neighbor region.
As its name indicated, Crocodile Swamp was home to crocodiles... and Spyro knew that they had an enduring hatred toward dragons.
In a way, it was understandable. Before the alliance of the Dragon Realms, the Realms over which the dragons ruled, and Avalar, the moles' Realm, the Realm of Dragon Kingdom was unnamed and mostly empty. After the alliance, the Realm was named and colonized by dragons and moles alike, becoming Dragon Kingdom... but also, by mistake, invading the territory of the sentient crocodiles that had been living there before them.
Spyro and his friends had been busy fighting various villains and only actually came to Dragon Kingdom later. He had heard rumors that the first months of the dragons' arrival in Dragon Kingdom had been... not exactly smooth. Tales of war, brutal clashes between the newcomers and the original inhabitants.
In time, a fragile truce was established between the two sides as the crocodiles found themselves in a losing situation. A few months later, after the scars of war begun to fade, Spyro and his friends came to this world and decided to make it their home...
The Dragon Realms... Spyro remembered the Realm of Artisans, the very Realm where he had arrived after being forced out of Dragon Land. The Dragon Realms were linked through magic, different clans of dragons living in each. The dragons of Dragon Realms were unlike the dragons of Dragon Land however. Humanoid, dependant upon other beings to supply them with powers, separated from their past, following laws with origins they forgot... In a way, although the bipedal dragons of the Dragon Realms were much larger and, in a way, much more intelligent and open-minded that the few dragons he had knew back in his own Realm, it didn't matter that the purple dragon just couldn't identify himself to those new dragons. They were too... different... too...
... and what does it matter?
The moles... in a way, he was responsible for the alliance between moles and dragons. Ripto's very first attack had been on Avalar, Realm of the moles. The moles, using technology rather than magic, were a mighty people... but one that was powerless before the magic of Ripto. It was then that Spyro met, all of a sudden, without ever expecting it, the Professor and most of his friends. Called to Avalar via the means of technology, Spyro fought to protect a Realm that was not his own against an enemy that was, at the time, unknown to him.
Yet, in the end, it was all worth it. Many friends he made and when he returned, the dragons and moles soon had their first contacts and the alliance was quickly formed.
Such a nice set of coincidences in a way... or was it fate? Back in his world, his very life was linked to fate, both having the power to control and change it just as it manipulated him and changed him...
... is he still a Chosen One, even out of his own timeline? Is he still marking the ages with the stamp of the legendary purple dragon within those Realms, prophecies from other worlds carrying into the unknown?
It was unsure...
The tunnel was quiet... so very quiet...
He reached the midway point. He knew it was the midway point because it was the location where the caves changed. As a natural tunnel, the walls were not straight and it was actually a serie of "rooms" all forming an uneven, large corridor. It was probably formed by an earthquake long ago or a river that no longer exist...
The midway point was the largest room. Circular, massive, the hatchling had expected it to be an important spot or at least have anything special since it was so large. After all, usually, the villains he fought had a tendency to hide important items in large rooms for a reason he didn't knew...
Yet, the room had been empty. He and Sparx were worried the first time they made it here... only to find out it was just your average big room, there for no good reason other than the fact that it's there.
There was no need to talk, nothing to do but move ahead, continuously, until the daylight would be once again be spotted, meaning the end of the tunnel...
"Hey. Stop." called Sparx.
The purple dragon stopped marching forward, slowly turning to face the dragonfly. As an insect, Sparx had senses and perceptions of the world that were different from the dragon's... so it was a good idea to listen... when he was serious. Sparx was known for his sarcasm and jokes... especially in times of great danger, when he masked his own fear with a healthy or even, sometimes, unhealthy dose of bitter sarcasm. But well, considering how the place was quiet, this was probably not the case.
Still, Sparx seemed strangely serious... what for? "Is it me... or is there something rotten?" asked the dragonfly.
Spyro rose an eyebrow. Rotten? He understood the meaning and looked around. "Now that you mention it... There's something fishy about this place..." he replied as he begun to look around, feeling that there was something bad and dangerous about this place. Yet, as usual, the tunnel was empty and neither his vision, hearing, or sense of smell could detect anything abnormal about the place. It was the same dark, humid, creepy, cold yet boring tunnel as always with that same suspicious yet totally pointless huge room in the middle of the path.
"I see nothing, Sparx. Maybe... we just imagined..." he couldn't finish his sentence that...
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion and the ground begun to shake! Spyro hammered his clawed paws into the floor, holding his ground while Sparx's expression turned to one of sheer terror as he begun to mutter his usual self-calming quotes, trying to keep himself from panicking.
Then, much to the horror of the duo, the entrance to the room crumbled down, the ceiling giving away and blocking the path. At the same time, on the other side, the same was happening to the exit. The two turned to realize it.
Then, as the earthquake of sorts stopped, Sparx opened his mouth to uther a nasty word, expressing his feeling about the situation... but couldn't do it as a sudden flash of light filled the room... magical light.
FLASH!
The reptile covered his eyes for a moment and then, when he could see again, a familiar figure stood before him...
Near the exit, wielding a plain-looking blue magical scepter, was the evil wizard, Ripto. A small frame the height of Spyro, the best way to describe the tyrant wannabe was probably as a fat red frog with a horn on top of his head wielding fancy blue clothes and a big blue cape that was way too big for him. Although the creature was quite the grotesque sight and was not much of a challenge by now for the purple dragon, both he and his dragonfly partner knew that Ripto remained dangerous. Furthermore, considering his latest plan and what he just did, it means that he must be getting smarter.
In fact, Ripto had rarely dared to face Spyro this early when the two were fighting each others. Usually, he would wait in his castle and wait until his so-called new flawless plan was complete before trying to face Spyro. If he was standing there, before the purple dragon... then it meant that he must be pretty confident and must be believing he can take out the reptile right here and now!... which, frankly, was bad news since it meant Ripto had some kind of all-new crazy device or spell in his possession and that he was hitching to make dragon steak out of Spyro with it.
"So... shouldn't we get this over with, shortie?" taunted the reptile, not wanting to prolong this any longer. It was usually best to send bad guys in a tantrum so they would not think straight and make mistakes during the fight than to wait patiently for them to pull off a carefully planned plan step by step... so, like usual, Spyro speeded up things by striking Ripto's weak spot... his little problem with the fact that he was, well, barely as tall as the short purple hatchling.
Spyro expected Ripto's red face to turn even more red than normal, the usual sign that his taunt had made its mark... but the usual reaction did not come. Ripto remained there, his eyes glowing in anticipation, an evil grin on his face. This was bad news... REALLY bad news...
"Hmph! Still as arrogant as ever, as I can see. Really, I didn't expect you to turn up and try to stop me!" sarcasm? Ripto only used sarcasm when he REALLY had the advantage. The dragon was creeped out by now and Sparx was slowly hovering backward, eyeing the place for possible cover... "... actually, you shown up right on cue! I knew that if I released a few Rhynocs here and there, that this idiotic Professor would think that I was taking over the Realms... which is not entirely false. What he didn't know was that I knew about his cameras and that I dispatched Rhynocs only to lure you out in the open so... that I may use..."
The wizard tyrant took out his magical scepter... but it was different from usual. It was gold-colored, with intricate designs carved all over it. The magical gem at the tip was glowing in a weird way, a red miasma pulsating within... "I have a bad feeling about this..." Sparx didn't like the looks of this and neither was Spyro...
"This is the product of long months of research and experimentation! This is... the Dream Scepter, a powerful artifact in which I have put all of my power, knowledge..." Ripto stared into Spyro's eyes, his eyes glowing in murderous fury. "... and hatred. This weapon is the ultimate in dragon-slaying! It can rip apart the very space-time continuum! With it... I shall finally make you pay for all the humiliations you made me suffer through! At long last, the stupid purple dragon will fall!"
It's strange... Ripto usually was known to lose his temper but this... was different. Ripto wasn't throwing a tantrum. He was strangely still, calm... and yet, never had Spyro felt so much hatred and desire for destruction in his voice. Looks like Ripto is REALLY being serious this time... Not that he should be afraid! The dragon got ahold of himself and then, turning to Sparx, nodded. The dragonfly, although still scared, weakly nodded in response. They had beaten this guy before. They will beat him again, Dream Scepter or not!
Spyro lowered his head and charged. He will knock that silly thing down! Just in case, he was ready to dive to the side should an attack be coming... and one probably would come!
... yet, as he charged, Ripto did not move... not even an inch. He ran up until he was so close that he could swear he could smell his breath, half a second from making the tyrant wannabe taste some horn sandwich...
He closed his eyes and awaited the impact, already planning his next assault, assuming he had most definitely delivered the first strike of this battle... but...
"You used to be stronger than this... much stronger..." that voice... it was... his own?
ZAP!
He could barely comprehend what had happened that he opened his eyes and gasped, pain registering as he was suddenly very, very far from Ripto. In fact, he had been blasted and sent flying into the wall, where he had been slammed with so much strength that the purple dragon could feel intense pain through all of his body... and through all of Sparx's. It was like an intense burn to the heart... and a massive surge of pain that goes to an exterior part of your body. It was no longer his pain... but the impact had been so violent, so brutal, that he felt it completely.
Although he knew that his body was intact as he fell down, he couldn't help but feel that his wings, right leg, and many bones in his chest should be broken. When Ripto had said that this new wand was powerful... he hadn't been joking at all! In fact, it had been a long while since he saw and felt magic that was so terribly powerful.
"Man! That was HORRIBLE!" Sparx's pained voice came to him as his glow had already turned green and dull from the injuries that had been transferred into his body. Worry gripped Spyro's heart... both for himself and for Sparx. He knew that it was in his interest not to let this battle drag on too much...
"Ha! Your pathetic attacks won't beat me this time, lizard!" the villain taunted, a force field rising. He then stood there, as if waiting...
Spyro slowly approached the force field, making sure to see if there would be any signs of an incoming attack... but Ripto was once again still and silent. This... was infuriating. Where did Ripto get all this power?!?
The dragon, seeing nothing coming, slowly sat down in front of the force field. Obviously, the enemy was trying his patience, waiting for him to do a mistake... Well! He can play that game too! He stared into Ripto's eyes while he returned the gaze, cold, confident hatred in his eyes...
He did not move an inch. His tail was still, his wings did not beat, he did not blink. He remained there, only the sound of the magical flow of the force field piercing the silence. Ripto remained still, wand at his side, not even blinking once as well, standing in a pose that reminded the dragon of a duelist waiting for its opponent to make a move...
The two enemies remained still... the magic continued to flow... no movement or sound...
Sparx flew about, looking at the two, waiting for one of them to move. His patience was put to the test by those two in a way... and the fact that his wings were hurting and that he couldn't feel his right arm didn't help, frankly. The dragonfly, still, didn't say a word and kept flying, waiting for the moment to react...
"There is still a bit of skill left in you, however..." the purple dragon heard his own voice again. Where from?
That... that was just like in the nightmares... Was this the doing of Ripto? A new way of taunting him? With his newfound powers, it might be a possibility after all...
Ripto blinked and seemed to change his stance, as if getting tired of keeping his stance.
Spyro reacted instantly and sprung up. He inhaled deeply and then, focused on his target, flapped his wings wildly to suspend his body in position while supporting his frame with his front paws. Closing his eyes to shield his eyes, he opened his mouth and exhaled with all of his strength.
The magical energies within Spyro ignited upon coming into contact with the air and caused a stream of fire clouds to be sent flying toward the force field at an incredible speed and with pinpoint accuracy! The stream of fire slammed into the force field violently as Ripto regained his balance and pointed his wand.
A duel of tug-o-war of sorts had begun between the two. Spyro kept breathing fire at the wall while Ripto unleashed his powers to maintain the force field. Sparx flew behind Spyro in case things would get explosive and observed, pondering if he should use his connection to the purple dragon to help him overcome the evil wizard...
For a moment, it seemed like the two were even-matched... but then, Spyro felt his lungs beginning to burn as his body screamed for oxygen. He stopped flapping his wings, his feet touching the ground, his fire breath weakening.
Despite how blinding the flames were, Spyro couldn't help but open his eyes... and through the blinding yellow light of his fire, he saw Ripto's triumphant expression. This victorious smile on the villain's face instilled the dragon with rage and made him feel like burning him up even more than ever... but his body couldn't take it anymore.
The flames stopped coming and the dragon found himself panting...
"Is that all? Come on! I'm not breaking a sweat here!" taunted the villain in that ever so-annoying voice.
This time, he had ENOUGH! He felt warm as the power flowed from Sparx to him, his weariness disappearing in an instant as his partner gave him the strength to resume his attacks. He wasn't going to waste it, oh no! This time, he's going all out! Ripto is not getting his first victory, no way!
He gathered all of the magical energy in his mouth. This time, he was going to REALLY nuke him! He closed his mouth and forced it all into his mouth. As the power flowed, he clenched his teeth as soon enough, the sphere got bigger and bigger and bigger... and soon, felt so big he could swear it was bigger than his head! Yet, he clenched his teeth to contain the pressure, gathering all of his power... and rage... into this one attack.
Then, he swung his head down and then back up, in a low arc, as he spitted the sphere. Instantly, the sphere caught on fire and formed a massive fireball that flew right over the magical wall. Ripto's eyes narrowed and brought his wand up to protect himself as the fireball sailed over his protective wall and straight toward his vulnerable frame...
BOOOOOOM!
There was a big flash of light and both the dragon and dragonfly felt the shockwaves of the explosion caused by the fireball. Both creatures covered their eyes to shield themselves from the light. Spyro smiled... he must have likely won. The fireball passed through the wizard's protection and struck him directly... and considering the amount of power he placed into this attack, it must have been more than enough to knock him out.
Slowly, the smoke begun to clear... and the purple dragon and his partner's eyes widened.
"Oh my dear! What does it take to take out this guy?" asked the dragonfly, shocked just as much as Spyro that Ripto was standing before them, completely intact. He didn't even have the slightest hint of a burn...
"So much wasted potential..." why was Ripto talking to him using his own voice? What's the meaning of this?!?
"So... I was right. Your fancy breath attacks are no match for the new me. It's not even worth it to toy with you anymore." announced the tyrant, pointing his wand at the dragon. "Now... GOOD NIGHT!"
ZAP!
Another surge of incredible pain. Once again, the dragon clenched his teeth. His eyes widened as the surge of pain went through him whole as he was slammed into the wall. Again, the strange feeling as Sparx took it... and...
... something snapped. Sparx cried loudly in pain and Spyro understood that he had been unable to take it all, this time. Yet, the worry didn't even have the time to register that the half of the destructive power Sparx hadn't absorbed registered proper into Spyro's body.
His eyes widened and the dragon downright screamed as he felt his chest ripped inside out, bones shattering, as the deadly magical energy pulsated through him. Then, he painfully found himself crashing face-down into the ground. Clenching his teeth even more, he tried to stand up... and although his legs were intact, he found himself trembling from the sharp feeling in his nerves. It had been a long time, very long since he hadn't felt like this...
He tried to locate Ripto but everything was so... so vague... so scrambled. Wet... he could taste his own blood and he was sweating... but this... Spyro realized... that he was crying.
He cursed himself for his weakness. All those years having Sparx taking hits for him must have caused him to go soft. After all, ever since he left the homeworld and found out about Sparx's powers, he had never went on an adventure without him using his powers to protect him. In a way, he had become weak from this. He could no longer bear pain it seemed...
... and Sparx?... SPARX!
How could he forget about him! He looked frantically around... but with those tears scrambling his vision, it was hard to locate him. He tried to wipe them off his face... but more came to trouble him. He was blinded... but even in this state, he was going to find his friend! Who cares about Ripto! Sparx... he must find his friend...
He stepped forward... well, toward what he assumed was forward. It felt so horrible... Ripto's magic pulsated through him and made him feel so weak... and then... huh? Just at his feet! There!
Sparx... is no longer glowing? For a moment, the heart of the dragon seemed to stop... but then, through his tears, he saw the dragonfly move... and he felt so very relieved...
"I'm... sorry Spyro. It was too much... to take. Guess... Ripto REALLY has improved..." the dragon shook his head. He wouldn't have Sparx blaming himself. Not now. "No more... let me take him out..."
He turned to see the vague shape of Ripto... but even if his body was so scrambled in his tears, his evil gaze remained ever so visible and intense...
"Finally... revenge! Sweet revenge..." he was not going to allow it! NEVER!
ZAP!
Spyro's eyes widened and he gulped. The entire world was spinning... so dizzy... so tired...
The purple dragon lost his balance and collapsed on his side. A massive blanket of darkness, like a cement block smashing into him, knocked him out. He rolled his eyes, unconscious before he could even realize it.
Silence...
"What's the matter, Spyro? Feeling a bit... dead?" this voice, again... coming from him. This time however, he felt like he could place a name on it... yet, the name did not come. Why? "You are stronger than this. As if a shrimp like Ripto could TRULY kill you! PAH!"
"We told you we would do something, right? We will do something... just watch... and see your true power!"
What happened after this went like a vision... or maybe a nightmare.
Spyro and Sparx saw themselves suddenly spring up, like a mysterious force making a couple of puppets rise to life. It was so strange... they had just risen, they could see... and yet, they were not there, it was not them... and yet, they knew it was themselves.
Ripto stepped backward, shocked... and Spyro saw a cruel smile on his own face as he stared at the shrimp in such a scary way...
... then what happened was a blur.
There was a roar of sorts and then, a purple blur all around Ripto. Sounds of claws tearing flesh, cries of pain, flames erupting everywhere... and then, fireballs raining from nowhere. He saw... a massive wave of pure energy... and then, he felt in a trance...
Sparx was glowing brightly, his own glow extending, his light taking the form of a bladed orb... blades with physical substance.
There were explosions... more cries of pain... then flight... flight? It was so confusing...
Outside, he saw figures of Rhynocs twisting and falling. He saw their faces imprinted with sheer, raw terror. The entire world seemed to turn dark and red... blood red.
There were two figures... two of various sizes. A small purple dragon and its yellow dragonfly friend. Both had glowing maniacal eyes, both had the blood of Rhynocs all over them, a sly murderous smile on their faces...
"I am back, Spyro... Missed me?" said Vanguard.
The Dark Gem shard pulsated... beating like a heart...
A thousands suns shine in the sky... and the Distortion was unleashed. Past... present... future... The road to Dawn will be long... The two halves of the Black Heart beat in unison, longing to be reunited.
Before the two, a world where neither time nor space made sense stood... a world of silence... a world of regrets... a world of ruin...
Yet, it remained a vision... and reality called back. Is it another nightmare? What of Ripto?... and Vanguard? What did he meant? What did he do?
The Dark Gem shard is pulsating...
To be continued...
