Chapter 8

Spider-Man awoke to find himself in a large cell, "ah, welcome Spider-Man, to the greatest event in history, where I finally get to eradicate you from this Earth, and your two friends" the Tinkerer pulled away to reveal Spyro and Cynder also in their own cages. "You know, I can only imagine what working with you would've been like..." the Tinkerer spoke to Spider-Man in a diligent tone, "probably wouldn't have been pleasant...for me" Spidey retorted as the Tinkerer called two drones over, "alas, I shall kill you nonetheless" the Tinkerer pressed a button as the cage produced an electrical surge that started shocking Spider-Man, "ARGH!" Spider-Man continued to writhe in pain as both Spyro and Cynder watched in horror, "we've got to do something..." Cynder spoke to Spyro "remember...come on...remember who you are..." Spyro's throat started illuminating a bright orange as a surge of memories started flooding his mind:

"I see you, my little glowing friend" Spyro called out to his brother, Sparx as he turned to face him, "seeing and catching are two different things, big boy" Sparx tainted as he flew deeper into the swamp, "yeah, you better run" Spyro chuckled as he pursued the little dragonfly...Cynder fell on the floor as she proceeded to morph into a much smaller dragon, at this, Spyro showed an expression of shock and surprise as he examined her, "she is just like me..." immediately the world around them started to crumble as Spyro prepared to grab Cynder, "dude, we got to get out of here...NOW!" Sparx called out as Spyro looked back at Cynder, "I can't leave her behind...I've got to save her!" Spyro gave the dragonfly a look of defiance, "what? Save the beast that's been trying to kill us!?" Sparx gave a look of shock at Spyro as he tried to reason with him. "That's not her fault! She was being used by the Dark Master!" Spyro looked back on Cynder as the world broke apart further, eventually both Cynder and Spyro were pulled into the Convexity portal as Spyro dragged her back out and looked at Sparx, "now we can go" "right behind you buddy"..."where are we?" Spyro asked Sparx as the two landed in a mysterious colosseum, "the better question is: what's that smell?" Sparx replied as they saw green fire light up around them as an ominous voice boomed, "ha ha ha! The purple whelpling!" A giant ape with a glowing eye stepped out of the darkness as he sneered at Spyro "it is fitting that you should be here tonight, as we bear witness to the dawn of a new age..." the Ape sat in a large throne as more stood by him "...and the failure of your pathetic race of dragons" Spyro merely looked back with determination "I wouldn't miss it, Gaul" Spyro retorted as the Ape got out of his throne, "then please...have a seat". Gaul shot a beam from his staff onto Spyro, forcing the purple dragon to lay down as green energy coursed throughout his body, "hahahahaha! Foolish dragon...you are no match!" "I've made it this far, haven't I?" Spyro wittingly replied as Gaul grimaced. "Yes...you have been quite elusive..." Gaul sneered as he stepped closer to the purple dragon and Sparx, "had I but known that all it would take would be your miserable amity for Cynder." Gaul chuckled as Spyro looked in surprise, he wasn't wrong, he did feel slightly attached to her in a sense. Spyro glanced back to see Sparx whisper something towards an Ape, "psst, hey, what's Amity?" Spyro looked back at Gaul "how tragic really...that she should be the one to destroy you!" Immediately Spyro was caught off guard by a blurry black shape as Cynder tackled Spyro to the ground. When Spyro looked back at Sparx again, he saw his friend covering his eyes, "aaah! The nightmare never ends!" Spyro stood up slowly to look at Cynder as they circled one another "you don't need to do this, Cynder" Spyro reasoned with her as they continued to circle each other. "Just like old times, huh Spyro?" Cynder asked as she walked up to him, and whispered in his ear, "same as last time, line me up with his staff..." Spyro nodded in return as they circled each other until they were in position, then Cynder leaped for Gaul but was merely knocked aside by the Ape "argh! This isn't over!" Spyro looked in shock as Cynder hit the wall hard, immediately an Ape trodded up towards him, but Gaul stopped him immediately, "don't touch him! The whelpling is mine"...Spyro leaped off his bed in excitement "oh boy, the Skylander games are finally here!" Spyro exclaimed as he rushed out of his room, only two years ago he had been a cadet himself, managing to save the Academy from Kaos, now, he was going to watch another generation of cadets pass on into fully fledged Skylanders. "Yo, Eruptor!" Spyro said to Eruptor, who was making his practically house famous pancakes "Spyro, are you trying to end me!?" Eruptor exclaimed as he dropped his pan...with a pancake in it, "sorry Eruptor, I'm just excited for the Skylander games this year" Spyro replied "yeah, you said that last year, even more excited than this time" Eruptor said as he picked up the pan "I bet you it's because Cynder was graduating that year" both Spyro and Eruptor where startled when they saw Stealth Elf teleport out of thin air, "pfft, no! I'm just as excited" Spyro waved his paw in a 'that's not true' sort of fashion "oh come on, Spyro, drop the act, we both know Cynder is the reason, I swear, you have a crush on her" Stealth Elf rolled her eyes in response "oh really, where's your proof?" Spyro smirked at her "I've seen the way you look at her, when you see her, you don't stop looking, you're body shakes when your near her, and...you stutter" Stealth Elf counted the three reasons "what?!, no, first off, I just so happen to be cold when she's around, I couldn't speak properly, and I get lost in thought" Spyro listed his excuses as well "whatever" Stealth Elf grabbed a pancake with a look in her face saying a 'you know what I'm saying is true' kind of look, before teleporting away. Spyro looked at the clock and realized that the games were starting soon "ah crap, I need to get to the games, see ya Eruptor" Spyro said to him as he grabbed a pancake for the road and flew out the door "aw, magma" Eruptor mumbled under his breath as he face-palmed...

Almost Immediately, Spyro used his fire to burn through the cage, "what!?" The Tinkerer turned back as he freed Cynder as well, "Cynder, remember what you said to me at Malefor's mountain, before Ignitus brought us to the Skylands, you told me that you loved me, but I couldn't hear you, and so we waited for months until we revealed our feelings, remember that, Cynder?" Spyro asked desperately as Cynder closed her eyes, "I...I do" soon Cynder used her wind to blast away the incoming drones, "yes..." Spider-Man mumbled as the cage continued its electrical surge, "hmm, well, I'll just-oof!" The Tinkerer was blasted into the wall by Cynder's wind breath, Spyro then proceeded to use his electrical breath to stop the surge going through Spider-Man's cage as he broke free and strided towards the Tinkerer, "So, have any plans to work your way out of this one?" Spidey asked as he lifted the Tinkerer up by the collar of his shirt and they left the building "good to see you two back to normal" Spider-Man told Spyro and Cynder as he accessed a nearby phone, "hello, 911, Spider-Man here...no, I'm not pranking you, I just don't have my phone on me, listen, we just caught the Tinkerer, and I'm leaving him outside an abandoned warehouse, see ya soon" Spider-Man ended the fall as he webbed the Tinkerer up against the wall, as he rummaged through the Tinkerer's gadgets, something particular caught his eye, "Yes! These are all the materials needed to make a new portal and send you home!" Spidey exclaimed as he grabbed a bunch of gizmos and electronics and beckoned Spyro and Cynder to follow him "oh, don't forget him..." Spidey pointed at the Tinkerer as Spyro yanked him from the wall and both dragons carried him outside to await the police.