"So what now?"
"Good question Apollo, what ideas do you have?"
"You're the guardian here."
The two light dragons quipped on and on as they flew north. Long ago they had hit the Florida cost and were now streaking towards New York City. The plan was to contact the United Nations representatives in the UN capitol building to alert them of the coming danger.
"We don't even know what's going to happen though. It makes me feel as if a storm is coming, but I have no idea which direction it's coming from." Nova said, looking towards the horizon.
"We can only prepare. Frankly, I'm glad I'm doing something now, I was afraid of what would happen if I just stayed passive this entire time." Apollo said, twirling in mid-air to check their six.
"Was that your plan? To just stay in the shadows the entire time?"
"I, uh…"
"Apollo, you keep on acting as if everything is just fine. And it's not. You think that just cause your back means I'm going to join you and love you exactly the same as I did fifty thousand years ago."
"And why not."
"Because things change! And I thought you were dead! Things changed in the two years after I left Concurrent Skies! I became a guardian! I met other dragons of my own age! I fought in wars! And something else that happened was I fell in love!" Nova said, turning on the light dragon.
Apollo kept flying a bit before he absorbed the words.
"You what! With whom!" Apollo cried out, "When were you going to tell me?"
"I thought you were dead Apollo, so don't be going and getting jealous! In fact, I held myself back, because I felt guilty about leaving you behind!"
Nova turned again and darted forwards, using her element to pull her along. Apollo was able to keep stride, but only just.
"What would you have done if you were in my place?" Nova asked quite suddenly coming to a halt. Apollo thought it over, for a long time.
"It would have been tough, but I would have moved on." Apollo said, "What difference does it make though? I'm here now."
"Do you really think it's that simple? That I can quite suddenly renounce the one I loved after you, and just rejoin you? Now my heart is split two ways, one towards grief, the other towards joy. When the one I loved was yanked away from me, it felt as if I lost you again, Apollo. And when it was all done, do you know what I felt? Nothing! No emotion and the best I can understand it is that all the emotion was drained out of me!"
"So what is this then!"
Nova paused her mouth open, "I guess your arrival kind of yanked me out of it."
The two hovered in mid-air for a bit, each thinking hard. Apollo jerked with his head, "Come on, we gotta keep moving."
The two continued flying on in silence, till Apollo broke the thick wall between them.
"So what do you want me to do about it?"
"Back off. You keep on acting like we can go back to the way things were, and it's not that simple."
Both of them were lost in thought as they crossed over the Pennsylvania border, not paying attention to either of their surroundings.
"Sir! We have a pair of bogies about five miles out, inbound fast!" The Lieutenant cried to the colonel up standing behind the desk in the back of the room.
"What's the transponder code, ensign?" The colonel asked from his podium.
"There is none sir, all we know is it is a small blip on the screen. And their speed and altitude as well. They are inbound at mach 2.0 over our air space, ten thousand feet. And not responding, sir!"
"Then scramble air defenses! Send Ariel squad up!"
"OK, so let me get this straight. The UN is a collection of representatives of most major nations. Mostly they debate what's best overall for the world. And were going to drop into the most populated city in the world, New York City, at their headquarters building, to tell them the world is going to end."
"That sums it up in a nutshell, yes. What I'm worried about is – "
Her sentence was cut off by a sudden roar of two fighter jets, flying beneath them, and climbing to meet the two creatures.
"Ariel one, you'll meet the target in about a minute. Ariel three and four will meet you in thirty; they're setting up to form on your wing." The radio crackled in Ariel one's cockpit. Two more raptors joined the first two, forming on the outside of the wing on left and right.
"Roger that command, mach two has just been achieved, will be intercepting soon, I have the bogies on radar." Ariel one keyed in his microphone.
"Afternoon lead. Ariel three, when you gonna get that ring?" Ariel four chimed up over the radio.
"As soon as you get a girl four." Ariel three responded.
"At that rate three, you'll never be married." Ariel one chimed in over his radio.
"Lead, how's the kid doing?" Two started up. Ariel one looked over at the small picture of his baby son.
"He just said his first words this week. Father." Ariel one said more to himself than his teammates.
"Awe."
"Hehe, cute kid lead."
"Shut up guys. All wings punch it, let's catch these bogies. Maximum thrust." The four fighters' afterburners flared, rocketing the jets forward.
"Ariel squad, you're about to reach visual contact with bogies. Ten seconds."
"Roger that command, we have visual in five, four, three, two…" There was a very long thick pause.
"Ariel one, what have you got?"
Static followed, then…
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." A bright white dragon with a red chest and golden wings was hovering in front of him, flying at Mach 2, backwards, and waving energetically.
"Son of a bitch."
"Go on lead, what is it?" Command crackled over the radio.
"Um, it's a dragon, command. I kid you not…"
There was some stunned silence.
"Say again lead?"
"A dragon, command. All wings confirm you're seeing what I am."
"We got it lead. I see what you see, though I still don't believe it."
The dragon and its companion who was of similar color, gestured with its paw for the jets to follow. It then turned towards the base and headed towards the main runway.
"Sir, I think it wants to communicate with us. We are inbound now."
"This is above top level ladies and gentlemen. The president has just discretely raised our threat level to defcon 4. We are at war readiness people. And what we have found out does not leave this room." The commanding general announced to the joint chiefs, and the president of the time, an Independent President, named John Patoni. Presently, the president addressed the room.
"So what did we find out gentlemen?"
"This, Mr. President." The General pressed a button on his remote, and an image of the two dragons, eight feet tall, greeting the fighter pilots of Ariel squadron.
"These two are what we call, Draconis Europis. The European Dragon." The intensity of interest jumped dramatically, all the joint chiefs leaned forwards to get a look at the screen, "These two, not an hour ago, flew into Langley Air Force base in Virginia, and addressed themselves as Nova, and Apollo, Nova being female Apollo being male. They landed with friendly intentions at Langley, but requested that the Colonel in command phone ahead. They are on their way to New York City as we speak."
"What kind of threat level are they?" The air force chief asked.
"We believe that these two themselves don't pose any risk, however, they intend to reveal their existence to the UN council. They also told the Colonel that they have knowledge that is essential to global security."
Stunned silence followed these sentences.
"And you're taking them seriously?"
"Well, sir, they obviously know what they are doing, because if a human called us up and said two dragons told them that the world was going to end, we would hang up on them. Now we have a whole new issue, we know nothing of their capabilities, and they are outside our jurisdiction, they are not human, nor are they American. They told us they are from southern France. And the female's accent made her sound like she was French too." The general finished. The President stopped him as he went to speak again.
"The female's accent?"
"Yes sir, they both spoke in plain clear English, even if they both had accents." The general said, not meeting the president's eyes.
"Well then, suggestions everyone?" The president asked. Everybody was silent; looking at each other's stunned faces.
"Sir?" An aid over in the corner raised his hand.
"Yes son, what is it?" The president said. The man stepped into the light.
"Why not let them speak? If they are on our land, we should treat them as guests. It seems as if they like us, they want to help, and we could stand to learn something from them, even if it is just weaponry or aircraft." The aid said.
"What's your name son?" The president asked, looking at the young man.
"Lenny Kravits, sir. No relation to the singer." The aid said with a small smile.
"Well then Lenny. What would you suggest for getting to know them? We know nothing about them; they could run right into the UN building and cause havoc!" The Army joint chief commented.
"They look friendly enough to me sir." The chief just chuckled and shook his head, sitting back down, "Listen, what are you gonna do anyways? You still know nothing about them, and if legends are true, then you're going to need one hell of a battle plan to even combat two of them, who knows how many more there are. Leave them alone, and don't anger them, and I think they'll help. And if there really is a threat to global security, we need to know as soon as possible, to either keep it from happening, or to minimize casualties."
There was silence after these statements, and finally, the President leaned forwards.
"Son, since you seem so keen on them, you're going to be my official ambassador. Let's get this done people!"
"There kinda loud aren't they?" Apollo shouted over the roar of the engines of the raptors flying on their wing.
"Aye, but you should see them in a fight! They work well!" Nova shouted back. The flight was now streaking over downtown New York. In the distance, a small helicopter was moving fast across the landscape. The two dragons had been watching that craft for the last half hour.
"What is it?"
"Marine one! It's the president's personal short range transport!" Nova shouted back, eyeing the chopper.
"Marine one, they are watching you very closely." Ariel one said over his mike
"And I don't blame them lead, I'm watching them as well, it's the president, people are lucky to even see it, much less from the air so closely. Magnificent sight." Number two keyed over his mike
"Well, Ezio?" Kali asked him as they flew over the Pacific. The water stretched out wherever they looked nothing but blue.
"Are you sure Malefor made land fall?" Ezio asked.
"Yes, I talked to him myself."
"I promised him I would do this, and I am. But I think this is the best way to free ourselves. And it might lead to more dissention. Why did he come back?"
"To watch you. He doesn't trust you."
"Of course he doesn't. And I don't trust him. He revealed how he really felt when he made you fight me. Terrador, are you there?" Ezio spoke into his mike
"Of course, Ezio. Are you ready for this?" Terrador responded.
"No, but let's do this anyways. Hunter, what's the radio traffic like?" Ezio asked.
"Nova has made contact."
"Ladies and gentlemen of the United Nations! My name is Nova Brightscales! I, as you might know from legend, am a dragon! I have come myself to bring you dire news, because I need you to believe my news for the safety of the planet. Right now, the entire earth is in great danger! We have reason to believe a hyper advanced energy source is about to go superballistic, and if it goes unhindered, it will scourge the earth of life, leaving it a barren burnt wasteland. I have seen the results of this energy myself once before, when this planet was destroyed! We believe that this act of global terrorism is not self-conscious." Nova announced to the delegation before her. One of the representatives stood up then. The man had a long beard and a turban wrapped about his head.
"How can we believe you, a creature consigned to myths and legends that this event is not entirely self-conscious? Are you telling me that the doer of this wretched act is not doing it of his own free will?" The representative said to the room. A roar of assent reached the congregation at his words.
"She is telling the facts, ladies and gentlemen!" A voice came from behind the two dragons. Nova turned to find Spyro walking forwards, with the rest of the former Alpha squadron on his tail.
"The United Nations delegation does not recogni –"
"I don't care, frankly! This is a matter of life or death, ladies and gentlemen, and I have just received word that this event is taking place now! My name is Spyro, and I, unlike my comrades, am one of the few creatures who can unleash this terror on the world! Right now, even if we were to launch this second, we would be too late to stop this event from happening, the chain of events has already begun. I believe my comrades and I however, can lessen the blow on this planet, and thus preserve as much of it as possible!" An outraged cry came from this, as well as much screaming. Several people jumped for the exits, but Spyro's voice halted them.
"We must warn the world NOW!"
"How do you know of this mighty Spyro?"
Spyro shifted his eyes nervously, gauging the threat of the situation. It was going to get very bad very quickly.
"This event will take place worldwide before the day has ended! I know of this, because it was the purpose of my kind!" Several more people began screaming and running. Spyro roared to restore order, and most everybody stopped, and dead silence filled the room.
"Every member must alert their nation, immediately, and then find shelter. We believe heavy structures and basements will work. Anything made of concrete or tougher, cram as many people as you can inside. Make sure that there is order, or the deaths will come!"
At that, the doors burst open, and everyone flooded out into the daylight. The sky was unusually calm. To calm in fact, for a busy city. As the noise lessened and people took cover, Spyro could hear why. There was a low deep rumble in the ground.
"Comrades, Alpha Squadron is reformed, effective immediately, all former members on me. Cynder, you will go with Nova to the other side, use as much power as necessary to keep that energy at bay. If you can't, then use convexity to lessen it. All wings launch. Alpha Squadron flies again!"
And the eight dragons took flight, the suits of armor materializing along their bodies, and their light going superluminous as Nova used her energy to rocket them forwards. Before anyone could look up to watch, they were gone…
"So tell me Terrador, why were you guarding this spot? Is there something special I should know about?" The dark master enquired the captured Ogre. Terrador was having tough time breathing, the shadow energy shrouding him was slowly squeezing the life out of him.
"Argh. Your dead, Malefor. Your already dead anyways, the event has begun." Terrador said, smiling weekly and looking up into the Dark Masters flushed enraged face.
"What event, puny brute? Is that why Ezio is gone, and I cannot reach him?" Malefor said, but his voice was cut off by a low rumble. The dragon looked upwards towards the sky as a massive wall of blazing energy approached the south pacific island. Malefor heaved his bulk into the air, and produced a convexity shield, expanding it to a massive degree to cover the island in his shield.
"Keep it up Ez! It's working!" Kali shrieked from her convexity shield Ezio had projected for her. The noise was immense, and the strain on Ezio was beginning to show, but it was working. Kali was watching the horizon, which was now burning a golden crimson. All the water in their vicinity had evaporated as the shield had moved outwards, and the only thing left now were the hardest of rocks, and even those were melting from the sheer heat of the scourge.
"They are fighting it!" Ezio gritted his teeth as he forced more and more power into the worldwide attack.
"Who?"
"Them! Yes! That's it Alpha Squad! Fight it! Push with your all!" Ezio grinded his teeth into his tongue, pushing even harder. He felt tendons in his muscles snapping. And then he felt something break.
"NO!" Ezio stopped then, letting the energy run on, "Kali, the eastern border just broke! It's rushing towards Tokyo! I think something stopped pushing!"
Ezio continued to feel the energy flowing through him, and he was still able to control it to a slight degree. He felt the borders close up and then break again. The energy wall was about fifty miles from Tokyo now, and still moving forwards slowly. Finally, the wall was two miles from Tokyo when it shuddered to a halt. He could feel the pressure points of Alpha Squadron holding it together, only four were left now. Then another two, weaker ones joined the fray. And just as quickly, they joined and then broke. And then Ezio felt the final barrier break and fall, and it washed over Tokyo.
"No…"
"Ezio, we gotta do this now, or it'll all be for nothing!"
Cynder flew low over the ground, projecting a convexity shield behind her as she went. And no matter how much she wanted to, the tears wouldn't stop flowing.
"Oh god their all gone!"
"Push against that mental barrier, guys, come on!" Sparx yelled at the two dragons. They had landed on the smallest of Islands, to concentrate on breaking through the mental barriers keeping them under Malefor's control. Sparx had flown ahead of the main defectors, he had already broken through, and the changes were startling. He no longer had his stinger, his ugly features; he had returned to his normal glowing dragonfly self.
"Come on Kali! Push!" Finally, Kali was the first; she collapsed on the ground, and coughed hard, as if she had just nearly drowned.
"No, I'm fine Sparx, let's just wait for Ezio." She said, worry pasted across her face. They were free, but they had paid the price for their freedom. Only Ezio wincing every so often told Kali just how much Ezio was going through.
"Hold on Ez."
"You'll never get me Malefor. Yes the pain is intense, but you fail to realize that there is something more powerful than pain." Ezio said, his scars thrown into sharp relief from the dim lamp hung from the cave roof. There were no exits, and the cave was perfectly round, with a tiny pool in the center, no bigger than Ezio's head. Malefor was currently projecting a convexity field around the pool, barring Ezio's way.
"You say that." Malefor swiped at Ezio, but the claws passed right through Ezio's hide, yet still left several bleeding scars, and Ezio still screamed in pain, "But you have yet to experience true pain. The pain of loss. The pain I feel every flippin day! Because of your bastard friends! All of them be damned to Boyzitsbig's fires! May they be consumed in a torrent of fire and ash!"
"And yet I still have an ultimate weapon! I now know how you worked your healing magic, Malefor! When you first captured me, do you remember? Tell me, what was her name?" Ezio asked. Malefor stopped mid swing. His confidence seemed to fail him like nothing before now, and Ezio was forced to watch as the mighty Malefor transformed from the powerful dragon, to the week shell of a creature.
"Calypso was her name. Beauty such as that has yet to be matched in any way. When Ignitus and I were brothers, we were the best of friends, despite our color differences. Ignitus was always the scholar; he loved his scrolls, while I was the social good looking one. Ignitus always had a dream of getting the profession of Guardian, protector of the realms. I had a dream of finding just the right girl for me. Neither one of us cared about the others interests, but we always cared for each other. And on our twenty fifth birthdays, both of us got our wishes. I successfully courted Calypso, and Ignitus went to live in the temple as a guardian in training. Ah it was love like no other, nothing could match it in power."
"And then the day came when I got even better news. On the exact same day my brother became a guardian, so I became a father-to-be. Oh I was so happy that the fruits of my love with Calypso were paying off. Unlike many purple dragons, I was content to not be in the history books, to live a quiet life raising a family."
"And then everything went wrong. It is still hard for me this day to even consider her gone. The day of childbirth was too tough for her. During the final stage of egg laying, the egg got caught on her intestines. I held my beloved Calypso as she died a slow and painful death from the inside out, and when the egg finally did break free, splitting her open and pulling her entrails out, I found the shell had cracked, and my son, the embryo of my son, the only thing I had left to live for was dead, ripped in two."
"And my brother, the scholar who could have saved her did nothing! No condolences! No visits! He could have saved her! He should have been there for me in my time of pain! And he did NOTHING! And I vowed to myself on that day, during the setting of the sun that the ones responsible for my mate's death, the Guardians would pay!" He finished, roaring at the ceiling, "And no weakling punk like you shall get in my way. NOW MOVE HATCHLING!"
Malefor, instead of swiping his claws this time, spun and his tail blade whistled with deadly intent as it rocketed towards his head.
And Ezio's life flashed before his eyes…
Except, one image kept popping up…
A picture of her on his passenger seat as the green mustang rocketed them home, hoping beyond hope that she would be ok…
A picture of her soaring off into the sunset from his balcony, marveling at her smoothness, strength and mejesty…
An image of her glowing form on the beach, sobbing into his shoulder, the moon shining down on her lament…
A picture of the two of them kissing atop the Eiffel tower, as the dark form of Smaug circled their position, trying to get at them, but coming no where close…
And then finally, a picture of her glowing face, smiling ever so slightly and looking off into the morning sun…
Ezio felt the tug that meant Malefor's tail had hit home, again, in his gut. Ezio looked down to find that Malefor's tail was indeed lodged in his gut, but he felt no pain, felt no blood splattering the ground. Ezio grabbed the tail spade, and as easily as a hot knife through butter, pulled out the spade without a scratch on him. Malefor was looking on with wide eyes.
"NO!"
"You know. You have sequestered love. You only see it anymore as a tool, but do not recognize it for what it is. It is indeed a healing power, but it is not something you can twist to your own uses. Love is untamed and wild. It cannot be controlled or contained. It cannot be described or replicated or duplicated. It just is…" And with that, Ezio squeezed upon the tail spade, and from his hand onwards, Malefor began to glow with a multicolored light, and then faded completely. The convexity barrier vanished and Ezio was able to approach the pool and look downwards. In it, he could see a long shaft of darkness, with a small portal of light at the end. With a deep breath, he dived in.
It took forever to reach the top…
