Chapter 10 - Who We Are
News of Master Eon's revival and the newest addition to the Skylander team traveled fast across the Skylands, and even the popular news channel Sky 13 Action News wanted to interview the whole team after these exciting events.
"I'm Claire Skylandersson for the Sky 13 News Team! You are my audience, and this is Skylands Now: Profiles in Heroism!" a female Mabu reporter announced while heading into the team's house, and sat down with them in their living room with a few cameras rolling, "Today's subject is those plucky protectors of peace, the Skylanders! With their vast heroics, incredible powers, and even some a new team member, they've captured hearts all across Skylands! Today, I sit down with the Skylanders to ask them the important questions. Who are they? How do they spend their downtime? What's their favorite condiment—ketchup or mustard? So, let's go down the line and have each of you share without home audience what your powers are."
"Oh! My powers?! Jeez, where do I begin?" Stealth Elf gasped, stage fright obvious in her voice when a camera zoomed in on her. But all of the sudden, a helpless crying cat could be heard, and the ninja elf disappeared for a few seconds before returning without breaking a sweat, "Sorry, had to rescue a kitten from a tree across campus. What was the question, again?"
"Is being an alchemist with the ability to create magic potions and charms considered a power?" Pop Fizz questioned while opening a random beaker and drinking the liquid inside, and he turned into a sheep while everyone nodded in response, "Oh, it is? Ok, then that!"
The blue gremlin then bleated before drinking another potion and turning back to normal, and then the cameras averted their attention to Eruptor.
But the camera shy lava monster suddenly vomited all over the floor, and Black Ice helped comfort him by rubbing his back, "Sorry, I-I sometimes do that when I'm nervous…also, I can spew lava."
"Oh, is it my turn? Yes, well, all I can do is this," Jet-Vac chuckled boastfully, aiming his vac-gun at one of the cameras and shooting it down, but he quickly hopped up to fix it, fearing that he broke it, "Goodness! Sorry! My apologies!"
"What an incredible array of unique abilities you all have. Now, let's hear it from the dragons of the team. Spyro, you first. What's your special thing?" Claire asked with great curiosity.
"Well, Claire, I don't wanna overshadow my friends here, but—it's kinda hard not to when you're flying hundreds of feet above them," Soyro began with pride, hovering above the Mabu reporter, "Now, you're probably thinkin', 'Spyro, you are on fire!' Yeah! That's because I also, ya know, breathe fire!"
But while Spyro laughed, Claire only stared on with an unimpressed expression, "And?"
"And…you may applaud, or blush. Whatever you need to do ta display your awe. I can wait," Spyro replied nonchalantly.
"Well, every dragon has those abilities. I'm talking about the special superpower that only you have, which would make you an integral part of the team," Claire protested with a sneer.
"Well, um…like I said, I think if you just…i-it reminds me of…" Spyro couldn't find the right words, and instead retreated behind the couch to hide.
"Right…why don't we move onto the next and newest addition to the team: Black Ice!" Claire announced happily, as another camera hovered in front of the said dragoness' face, "Tell us, what's special about you?"
"U-Uh…um, well, I'm…a bit of a wild card…y-you see, I have more than one element type, which include Undead and Water," Black Ice began with a sheepish smile, and her nervousness was even more obvious than the others', "I can breathe ice, freeze my enemies, and even turn this entire building into an ice rink, but I haven't exactly tapped into my Undead element that much…and when I did, I kinda almost destroyed the academy."
"There you have it, Folks! Unlike a certain unimpressive teammate, Black Ice has pulled through as an interesting and mysterious new Skylander! Stick around for more answers, and maybe even some gossip on the budding romance between a certain dragoness and lava monster!" Claire spoke loudly while flashing the cameras the suggestive look.
Even some of the Skylanders looked over at Eruptor and Black Ice with smirks, but the two said lovebirds only quivered and went wide-eyed in embarrassment.
Luckily, Master Eon convinced that that subject was too private to share with the public, and so Claire interviewed the rest of the team with less-personal subjects.
"Oh, God, another second in front of that camera, and I would've thrown up as much as Eruptor," Black Ice groaned, curling up on the couch once everyone stood up from their seats.
"I feel ya. Plus, who do they think they are fer trying to invade our privacy like that?" Eruptor growled in annoyance, "They're just lucky Eon was there ta kick 'em out, or else I would've-!"
"Eruptor, it's nice that you're being so protective of us, but please, no burning anyone's skin off again," Black Ice warned while gently grabbing Eruptor's face and shaking her head.
"Alright…" the lava monster whined.
"At least the news channel actually wanted ta know out more about you, Ice! I barely got two sentences on TV," Spyro pointed out, his arms crossed in aggravation.
"Look, I'm sorry if I kinda stole your spotlight, but I didn't mean to. I didn't even wanna be interviewed in the first place."
"Skylanders!" Eon called from outside, and there was great despair obvious in his tone. So, the whole team hastily headed outside, to find the old wizard standing next to where his hover-podium would be. "Someone has absconded with my beloved podium! I want you all to make finding it your top priority!"
Everyone went their separate ways to use their abilities in finding Eon's hover-podium, and Eon and Hugo to answer the tip line…but with no luck.
And it seemed that each time the Skylanders tried to look for answers, they were slowed down by Spyro and his meddling. He even interrupted Jet-Vac's lie detector test with Hugo, and was proved false by the said machine when he said he was a professional lie detector as well.
"You ok, Spyro? Ever since yer interview, you've been actin' kinda weird," Eruptor pointed out with a quirked brow.
"You don't need to prove anything. We know how awesome you are" Stealth Elf reassured.
"I am not trying to prove anything ta anybody!" Spyro snapped.
"Super false," Jet-Vac's lie detector announced.
"Seriously, Spyro, we'll always be there for you, even if there's nothing oh-so special about you. Isn't that good enough?" Black Ice questioned softly, but Spyro only responded by grunting in aggravation and flying out of the building.
The Skylanders eventually took a break from the investigation, and Stealth Elf, Black Ice and Eruptor did so by relaxing outside of the academy together. But they all couldn't shake a certain purple dragon from their minds…
"I've never seen Spyro act like this before," Stealth Elf broke the silence.
"I'm guessin' he's so depressed about not havin' any superpowers," Eruptor figured.
But as if he jinxed it, Spyro was seen flying through the air while performing barrel rolls and loops, and he was even laughing and whooping hysterically.
"Doesn't look that depressed ta me anymore," Black Ice pointed out sarcastically, as Spyro quickly flew down to them.
"What's up?" Spyro asked nonchalantly.
"Well, someone's frown has finally turned upside-down," Stealth Elf began with a smile.
"Yeah, it's the craziest thing! Ya see, I was just bitten by a cosmic alien fly, so now I have all these amazing fly superpowers!" Spyro announced with pride, "So, get on your social media and spread the word: Spyro is part fly now. #Fly-dro."
"'Fly-dro?'" Stealth Elf repeated with a scoff, "C'mon, dude, you do not have fly powers."
"Oh, no? Well, then, how else am I able to scale buildings?" Spyro argued and quickly jumped up, clinging to the side of the academy.
"Talons," Stealth Elf replied flatly.
"Wings," Eruptor pointed out grimly.
"Recklessness," Black Ice added dryly.
"Your usual powers," Stealth Elf continued.
"Fine! I don't have fly superpowers, or super-fly powers! Is that what you wanna hear, huh?! …I'm just a powerless nobody with lame dragon abilities."
"Don't you realize I would do anything to have what you call 'lame dragon abilities'?" Stealth Elf argued with air quotes.
"Ditto. I'd even do anything just ta have fingers, so I could make air quotes," Eruptor informed while waving his giant, handless lava arms.
"And honestly, I wanna know what it's like to breathe fire," Black Ice admitted.
"It's just not fair," Spyro sighed, "Why am I the only Skylander without something exceptional about him?"
"Maybe you'd learn if there's something more exceptional about you if you spoke to another dragon," Stealth Elf suggested.
"Like that cadet, uh…Flashwing!" Eruptor informed.
Spyro only groaned and rolled his eyes, "Been there, done that. She was too busy admiring her own reflection ta even notice me. How can she be so self-centered when this is supposed to be about me?! Besides, can't you help me out with this, Ice?"
"I'd love to, but don't forget, I was orphaned, too. I know just as little about dragons as you do, let alone who we are and where we come from," Black Ice sadly explained.
"Look, dude, we get why you're so bummed out, but maybe the best thing ta do is just keep doing your normal routine, and a new power might reveal itself that way," Eruptor explained in annoyance.
"So, what you're saying is, that I just need to put myself in a situation that would force my hidden superpowers to come out! That's brilliant! Thanks, Eruptor!" Spyro cheered with realization and flew off.
"I don't think I said any of that," Eruptor pointed out in confusion.
"No, you didn't, which is why I'm gonna follow him," Black Ice agreed and flew after Spyro.
"Why do you have to go after him?!" Stealth Elf shouted.
"It takes a dragon to keep up with another dragon!"
With that, Black Ice secretly trailed Spyro all the way to one of Jet-Vac's class, which was currently in progress…before he interrupted it and ordered all of the cadets to start attacking him. So, to prevent anymore dumb ideas or injuries, Black Ice quickly called Eon on her cell phone, and it wasn't long before the wizard himself projected his ghostly head above the class.
"Cadets, cease and desist! Spyro, come see me—now."
Once again, Black Ice managed to stay hidden while following Spyro, as he shamefully sat on his haunches while Eon lectured him at the academy. But when Black Ice heard Eon say he would have to suspend Spyro from the team until further notice, she suddenly felt like it was her fault for ratting him out.
But then, Eon left the building to get the suspension papers, and the tip line suddenly started ringing. Spyro eventually answered and pinpointed the caller's location.
"Time ta go fight myself a villain," Spyro thought out loud with a devious grin.
"Uh-oh," Black Ice quietly gasped, and she knew for sure that she just couldn't sit idly by, or else Spyro would get himself killed. So, she stealthily followed the purple dragon all the way out to a small island with palm trees, and there were numerous coconuts and bombs on the ground with the infamous villain Bomb Shell in the middle.
But Spyro proved to be a much faster flier than her, so by the time she arrived, he had already started a brawl with the British turtle.
"Ignite my bombs with your fire breath, and we'll all be turned into coconut shavings!" Bomb Shell threatened, holding out a bomb to emphasize his point.
"Fine! What's the point? All my life, I thought I was special, but it turns out I'm just a regular ol' dragon with no superpowers," Spyro pouted and kicked a random bomb away in frustration.
"You mean, I almost wasted my precious bomb on a dragon with no bloody special powers?!" Bomb Shell laughed hysterically, "Because I'd rather use it on something totally bomb-worthy—like Eon's precious podium!"
"No!" both Spyro and Black Ice shouted, alerting the said purple dragon and turtle villain of her presence.
"Ice, get back! It's gonna blow!" Spyro warned…but no explosion came. Instead, the coconut-shaped bomb just bounced off of the hover-podium.
"W-What happened?" Black Ice stuttered in surprise and finally landed on the island.
"Yes. Curious. Usually, something quite explode-y happens by now," Bomb Shell pondered aloud while picking up the coconut to examine it closely, "It's a coconut! Ha! Guess I accidentally threw a coconut instead of the bomb."
"But if that's just a coconut, then where's the real bomb?" Spyro questioned slowly in terror, and he and the others turned towards a giant pile of coconuts. So, all three of them immediately went to work on skimming through the pile to find the real thing.
"Why would you even make bombs that look like coconuts?!" Black Ice snapped.
"Don't judge me! Everything's more fun with a bit of tropical island flair!" Bomb Shell argued.
"I found it!" Spyro exclaimed while holding up a metal coconut with a lit fuse, "Quick, how do you defuse it?!"
"I'm a bomb maker, not a bomb defuser," Bomb Shell informed with a sneer.
"Gimme that!" Black Ice hissed and snatched the bomb from Spyro, and she opened her mouth to try and breathe some ice, in hopes of coating the bomb and putting out the fuse. But just when she got her mouth open, the fuse ran out and the entire island was covered in a fiery explosion with a giant cloud of smoke to follow.
Just then, the rest of the Skylanders arrived to save their friends, as Bomb Shell was thrown off the island and disappeared into the clouds below…but Spyro and Black Ice were nowhere to be seen.
"Oh, no…we're too late," Stealth Elf whimpered, as tears started welling up in her eyes.
"No, this can't be! They can't be gone! Spryo, Ice, answer me!" Eruptor cried out, rock-like tears spilling from his eyes as well, "Please…"
"Hold on," Jet-Vac demanded when he swore he heard something within the smoke, so he pulled out his vac-gun and used its wind power to blow the black cloud away.
And, as if by miracle, there were to figures standing right there, completely unharmed; Spyro shielded himself with his wings wrapped around him like a cocoon, and Black Ice had turned into an intangible shadow.
"Oh, my God! You're alive! I don't believe it!" Stealth Elf cheered, as she and Eruptor were the first to rush over to the two dragons and give them great big hugs.
"You don't believe it?! I don't even know what I just did!" Black Ice protested in amazement after becoming solid again.
"Yeah, that blast should've turned us inta seared Skylanders! How is this possible?!" Spyro added in awe. Just then, Jet-Vac used his vac-gun to scan the two dragons, and he was amazed with the results.
"I'll tell you how. Spyro, your dragons scales are completely impenetrable," Jet-Vac began with excitement, "And Black Ice, your Undead element has provided you with the ability to become an invincible shadow!"
"Shut the front door! That sounds like a—dare I say it—superpower!" Spyro exclaimed with great happiness, and the others even joined him during that last part.
With the satisfaction of having an actual, non-dragon-related superpower, Spyro and the others returned home with Eon's hover-podium, and the said old wizard couldn't be happier to finally have it back—as well as the two dragons who risked their lives to get it.
"Black Ice, Spyro, I am very glad that you are safe," Eon began softly, "You—and Edgar Allen Podium! Yes, that's my podium's name! It's amazing and you know it!"
"It is," Black Ice giggled with a nod.
"Well, now that we've discovered my impenetrable scales and Ice's untouchable shadows, we have the chance to become truly great," Spyro announced proudly, looping an arm over Black Ice's shoulder.
"In all my years, I've seen many with superpowers come and go, and they've all taught me one thing: It's not powers that make one great, but how one uses those powers," Eon explained firmly yet softly.
"Well, if these powers are only manifesting now, maybe there are others left to discover!" Spyro pointed out in excitement.
"Perhaps. Who knows? You may have a more powerful beard than even mine waiting to sprout—a-at least, Spyro would."
"But we also realized that there's so much about our kind we don't even know, or if we're even from the same species at all," Black Ice informed with curiosity.
"Yeah, if we wanna be the best Skylanders we can be, we need to learn everything about our ancestors," Spyro added in agreement, but then he and Black Ice noticed the strangest thing. Eon seemed to lose his cool for just a split second.
"Uh…a-a noble quest. But never forget about all your more pressing responsibilities at the academy," Eon denied while opening the door for them.
"We won't, Master Eon," Black Ice reassured, as she and Spyro headed out.
"Did you notice something weird about Eon a second ago?" Spyro asked quietly once the door closed.
"Sure did…you think he's actually hiding something?" Black Ice questioned with worry.
"I wouldn't like to believe it. 'Sides, this is Master Eon we're talking about. He wouldn't keep such important secrets from us."
"I guess not…"
Later that night, not too long after the Skylanders had finished eating dinner, they all started getting ready for bed. But one inhabitant in particular knew he couldn't go to sleep without having a talk with Black Ice.
"Hey, Ice," Eruptor spoke up, stopping Black Ice and Stealth Elf in their tracks while they were heading up the stairs, "Can I talk ta you?"
"I'll leave you two alone," Stealth Elf informed with a smirk before disappearing.
"Is something wrong?" Black Ice asked with worry, as she climbed back down.
"No…well, not really…look, I thought I lost you taday, Ice, and I don't know what I would've done if I really had."
"You didn't forget that Spyro could've died, too, right?"
"Yer missin' the basic point here!" Eruptor rubbed his head and sighed. "Why don't ya bunk with me tonight?"
Black Ice's eyes went wide, and a faint blush spread across her face, "M-Me sleep with you? I-I mean, non-sexually, of course."
"Yeah, yeah! Just…I need ta know you're safe," Eruptor admitted sheepishly, "So, please, would you at least do it for me?"
"Of course, Dear," Black ice sighed in defeat but wore a true smile, nonetheless, and even leaned forward to kiss the lava monster's forehead.
And it wasn't just the kiss that took Eruptor by surprise, but the pet name as well. He was usually the one to call her cute names, but now that she's starting to gave him the reassurance that he was closer to her now more than ever.
And that's all Eruptor wants.
Their relationship may be all sunshine and rainbows right now, but it will be put to the test in the near future.
Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!