Chapter 14: Fluffy!

Spyro looked at Jokull dumbfounded. Amazingly Jokull's story had checked out with Malefor's book. Ignitus had went to grab it when Jokull had burst into the room that they were in. Ignitus had never read Malefor's story before because he never through that the Dark Elements had a consciousness that was capable of possession. When they had said the Dark Elements possessing someone before they meant possessed with power, not in the literal sense. Spyro sighed and shook his head. His entire image of Malefor had been shattered. He was hoping that Jokull had been wrong about Malefor but no such luck. Spyro seethed. Now who should he blame for the destruction of everything that had been good.

Spyro sighed again. He didn't need anyone to blame. He just wanted someone to vent his anger on. Spyro lied down and decided to take a nap.

Jokull paced around the room. Why did he know all of these memories? How did they get put in his head and why? The memories that he had just relived were still on the forefront of his mind. These questions bugged Jokull until he heard the door open. Looking toward it he saw Ignitus walk through it with something on his back covered by his wings. It was large, judging by how his wings bulged out. Ignitus nodded to Jokull in greeting and looked behind him. A smirk covered his face. Jokull wondered what caused him to look like that and looked behind himself. A evil grin covered his maw. Spyro was asleep in the middle of the room. His head was tilted to the side, giving a perfect view of his ear sticking straight up.

Jokull slowly crept forward. Once he got to Spyro's head he tilted his own so that the very tip of his maw hung over Spyro's ear. Letting out a small trickle of freezing cold water it dripped into Spyro's ear. As soon as the water made contact with his ear, Spyro let out a yelp and scrabbled away. Jokull fell over laughing and he knew that Ignitus had the same problem due to the loud thud that echoed throughout the room.

Jokull heaved in a breath as he started to calm down. He looked at Spyro's face and burst out laughing again. It was so funny! His face was a mixture of a scowl and a twisted sort of smile. Jokull stopped laughing and finally got to his feet. He saw Spyro glaring at him and grumbling under his breath. Jokull shot him a shit-eating grin and turned to Ignitus. His amusement drained from his body. Down by the teal dragons feet lay that thing that Jokull had seen earlier in the day. Ignitus noticed Jokull's change in mood.

"Are you alright Jokull?"

The young dragon looked up at the Chronicler and shook his head. That thing scared him. It was in-explainable why. It just scared him. Another memory forced itself to the front of his mind. It was of that same creature. The thing, no the abomination, was tearing down buildings and killing all manners of creatures left and right. Its fierce strength tearing through anything that stood in its way, rending flesh and stone as if there were no difference between the two. It was tearing through a city full of dragons, their breaths not even fazing it as it slowly marched forward. The dragons tried to rally against it but the thing just screamed and they all ran away. The beast ran after them, the dragons teeth and claws doing nothing against it as it continued its bloody march.

Dragons fell left and right to its teeth and claws. The memory speed up and Jokull almost retched. The thing was eating the fallen dragons! A dark red sky framed the beast as it roared up into the sky in victory, blood dripping from its maw full of inch long teeth. The image ended and Jokull fell down shivering violently. He heaved in breaths as the feeling of pure terror filled his veins. Jokull fell to the ground and started to shiver violently. Ignitus kicked the thing out the door and sped over to where Jokull lay. He grasped the dragon in his forelegs and covered Jokull with his large wings. The young dragon grasped Ignitus's forelegs tightly, as if he feared they would disappear in an instant.

Spyro stood off to the side awkwardly as Ignitus comforted Jokull. He had not seen what the larger dragon had brought in and he didn't want to. Not if it did that to Jokull. The only time he had seen that was when Cynder had used her Fear Element on someone... Wait. Fear. Maybe this thing had a passive Fear to it. But why didn't he feel it? Slowly Spyro began to creep toward the door. He had to see for himself.

Jokull slowly calmed down. It was just a memory. It wasn't real. Just a memory. He scoffed. It had been real for the creatures that thing had killed. He began to relax. There was nothing that could be done. That had happened years ago and the beast was dead... Right?

"Hey Ignitus?" Jokull spoke his voice shaking violently.

"Yes young dragon?"

"That thing is dead. Right?"

The older dragons chest rumbled. "Of course. Do you think I would show you the dragons second most terrifying enemy if it was alive?"

Jokull had no retort to that so he just shook his head. Ignitus's grip loosed to let the younger dragon out. Jokull climbed out of the safe haven and sat on his haunches. He managed to smile weakly at his friend. Ignitus still looked at him in concern.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Ignitus asked.

Still giving his weak smile, Jokull shook his head. "No but I will be fine. Not much can keep me down for long."

Shaking his head again to get rid of the pounding headache that had started to surface, Jokull looked around for the creature. Not seeing it he sighed in relief. At least he wouldn't have to see it again.

"You said the second most terrifying enemy." Jokull said. "Who the heck is the first then?"

Jokull saw Ignitus blanch. That obviously was a scary topic. Even for him. But Jokull wanted to know so he could avoid it in the future. Hopefully. Probably not. He seemed to gravitate trouble toward himself no matter where he was.

"Really Jokull?" Spyro called. "This is what scared you?" He walked back through the door. "Sure it creepy and all but nothing to really be scared of."

Jokull was surprised. It hadn't scared him even a little bit. That was strange. Maybe because he has the memories of someone who had seen the thing firsthand. Just thinking about that thing made his blood run cold. Jokull shivered. If it didn't scare Spyro so be it because it sure scared the living everything out of him. Jokull heard Ignitus snort. His head swiveled over to where the teal dragon had moved. He was slowly shaking his head in a somber sort of amusement.

"Spyro, you were not there when this thing was let on a rampage." Ignitus said in a low tone. "It tore through flesh and stone alike, destroying everything in its way. It killed over a thousand dragons each time it was let loose by its master. The thing was only put down by chance." He lifted his head to the ceiling. "Malefor captured it in a time crystal and dropped it into a live volcano. He was hoping that the thing would melt away into nothing. Its master had placed a powerful spell on it that would have released a disease that would kill everything in the world if it died. My predecessor teleported it here and placed it in a sealed container so the disease wouldn't spread." Ignitus noticed the look of horror on the young dragons faces. "And before you freak out and run away the disease went inactive hundereds of years ago due to oxygen deprivation. It can never return."

Jokull sighed in relief. He had touched it earlier anyways. But what kind of monster would create such a beast? It was pure evil to make something that would destroy all life on the planet and it couldn't have been Malefor. Ignitus said that he had tried to destroy it. So who was it?

ROAR!

Jokull jumped. That scared the crap out of him. He had never heard that roar before. It was dark. Very dark and shook the very air in front of them. Loud thuds echoed through the halls and shook the doors. It sounded like someone was taking a large hammer and slamming it down on the floor with each step.

"Ignitus?" Jokull asked in a shaky voice. "What the heck is that?"

"That was not supposed to get out." Ignitus answered, walking over to the door and shutting it. "Jokull and Spyro, use your Ice breath on the door and seal it. After its frozen place an barrier of earth in front of that. This will only buy us a little time." His face grew dark. "I only hope that its enough."

Jokull nodded knowing that when Ignitus got like this it was bad. Spyro obviously knew the same as he started to blow ice at the door, slowly covering it. Jokull joined in and within a few seconds the door was covered. Both dragons stopped spraying ice on the door. Spyro closed his eyes and focused as Jokull stepped away to let him do his work. A low rumbling filled the air as a thick rock wall surrounded the door. It was a semicircle of solid stone and went about three feet in either direction along the wall.

Jokull whistled. "You went all out Spyro. I don't think anything is going to get through that any time soon."

"I hope and pray that you are right Jokull." Ignitus said. "I hope you are right."

Jokull was confused. What was this great enemy and why did Ignitus seem so scared of it? And what got out? "What is this great enemy?"

Ignitus sighed. "I suppose you deserve an explanation. Sit. This will take some time."

Both Spyro and Jokull sat on their haunches, patiently waiting for Ignitus to begin.

Ignitus took a deep breath and started to speak in a low tone. "No one knows were he came from. He just appeared one day and started raining destruction and death down upon the dragon realms. Few survived his raids and the few that did where never the same. He was a bipedal beast covered in hair, with two wings sprouting out of his back, not dissimilar to the beast on the other side of the door. In its hands it wielded a fearsome blade that he called Wrymsieng; Dragon Slayer. He only had a vendetta against dragons. All other manner of creature he left alone, going out of his way to not harm them. His name was-"

BOOOM!

The ground shook as the sound of the barrier around the door exploded into a million pieces. Jokull ducked and covered his head with his paws. As the dust cleared, a large figure entered the room. Jokull sucked in breath. It was a huge black dragon. It just barely fit through the door and Ignitus could have flown through that door with ease! The dragon was pure black, even darker than the one they saw earlier in the room with the hourglass. Jokull looked over at Ignitus and saw something that he thought he would never see. Fear. Ignitus's eyes were filled with fear. Pure fear.

"Younglings. You need to leave."

Jokull stared at Ignitus in shock and Spyro froze where he was. He was scared and he wanted them to leave!? Jokull went to protest but was cut off.

"No Jokull. Not this time." Ignitus turned his head to look at him. "You can not fight this beast. Leave now. Someone else will be coming with you. Do not hurt him."

Jokull felt a sense of vertigo as the floor opened beneath him and he fell through. He could only look helpless as the floor closed up above him and cut off Ignitus from view.

Jokull woke with a start and slammed into something hard. He clutched his snout as the thing yelped and fell back.

"OW! Damn it Jokull!" A familiar voice shouted.

A thwack was heard and another yelp.

"Language young lady. Language."

"Yes Ms. Ami."

Jokull blinked and looked at the occupants of the room. His mother and Kira stood at one end of the bed that he was on with excited looks on their faces. He heard loud snoring. Jokull looked over and saw his dad on another bed sleeping. Past him was Spyro on another bed. Were was he? Jokull looked around. He saw a few more beds lined up against the wall and a large wall shelf filled with baskets of red and green gems. He looked back at his mother and he saw tears welling up in her eyes.

"What's wrong mom?" Asked Jokull.

She sniffed and rubbed her eyes with a paw. "Nothing. I'm just happy you are back." She sniffed and her voice started to shake. "You disappeared again. Right after we were reunited with each other. I was worried that I may never see you again."

Her face was awash with tears again. Jokull was surprised. He shouldn't be but he was. In response he simply rolled off the bed and encompassed his mother in a hug. Wrapping his wings around her Jokull heard her sobs quiet down and she returned the hug. After a few minutes Jokull felt a larger presence join them. Craning his neck he saw his father wrap both of them up in a big wing hug. As soon as his father joined in the hug, Jokull heard the soft padding of someone's footsteps outside the door. The door opened and the footsteps stopped. Jokull saw his grandfather enter the room. He saw Jokull awake and his face lit up with joy. He took a step forward and stopped, seeing the situation Jokull was in. His mouth formed a small O and he started to back out of the room.

Jokull caught his eye and shook his head, motioning him over. Terredor stopped and seemed to fight with himself for a second before coming over. He stopped just before the family and stayed there. Not wanting to say anything, Jokull opened a wing in a silent invitation. Terredors face shifted from a look of confusion to one of surprise. He slowly walked over and Jokull wrapped a foreleg around him. Terredor stiffened for a second before relaxing and opening his enormous wings and wrapping them around all three of them.

Jokull sighed in contentment. He wished that this could last forever, the feeling of being safe in his families embrace. But all good things must come to an end as they started to pull away from each other. They all smiled at each other and Terredor cleared his throat.

"Well, I initially only came here for your parents Jokull." He said. "But I am glad to see you up and moving. That does not meant you will be able to leave here yet. You and Spyro took a pretty nasty fall. Kira has already informed us of what went on during your absence and Spyro was awake earlier today and informed us of what the Chronicler said to you these past few days."

Jokull sighed in relief and frustration. He was glad that he didn't have to tell the Guardians about what had happened but was irritated about having to stay here for a few more days. He let out a huff. It was probably for the best. he did feel a little bit sore.

His mother pulled him into a draconic hug, wrapping her neck around his and whispered into his ear. "We will see you later."

Jokull pulled away and nodded. As his parents walked out of the room his dad couldn't resist a parting quip.

"Don't you disappear on us again. You hear?"

Jokull smiled. "When have I ever done that?"

His father laughed and left the room. Now that he was alone Jokull heard a slight snoring on the other side of the room. It was coming from the side opposite of Spyro so it couldn't be him. Looking around he spotted a familiar sapphire blue lump of scales in the corner of the room. He peered over there and saw Leviathan sleeping peacefully on the floor. She looked so cute. Jokull couldn't resist nuzzling her cheek. Leviathan silently murmured in her sleep and a smile graced her face. He gave a small smile and went to lay back down. Crawling onto the bed Jokull took one more look at Leviathan before he fell into a deep sleep.

Kira smiled. She had seen everything that had just occurred. Apparently Jokull had forgotten she was in the room. Silently she padded out of the room and into the hallway where Archer was waiting.

"So how is the bag of scales?" Archer asked with a grin.

"He's doing a lot better." Replied the leopardess. "He decided to lay back down for now though."

Archer's grin morphed into a frown. "What do you think of what Spyro told us? A new enemy to the Dragon Realms? Even though they just got out of a war." He sighed. "And looks like we are caught in the middle of it."

Kira's muzzle creased into a frown. She had discovered something earlier that day that a certain new body part could do and she intended to use it on this human. Bringing her tail about she whipped him in the back of the head. Just a light rap to her but apparently it hurt pretty bad to him. Judging by his reaction that was.

"Ow!" Exclaimed Archer. "What was that for?!"

"This is my home your talking about Archer." Said Kira. "Not just some random place that we happened to fall into. My home."

Archer rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that. I just keep forgetting. Its a lot to take in you know."

Kira started walking down the hall toward her dorm. "What is?"

"This." Archer said motioning toward everything. "This is. You and Ma- er Jokull being a different species. A different world existing other that Earth." He sped up his pace to catch up with Kira. "Its all now just hitting me. We had stuff to keep us busy before, but now. Its all just coming crashing down on me all at once."

Kira was silent for a moment. "Why didn't you stay on Earth? That's your home. Not here."

Archer gave a contemplative sigh and placed his hands in his pockets. "I don't really know. Maybe because I don't have anything to go back to or because I have seen things that no one else will understand." He stopped and looked at Kira. "I was an orphan you know. I had no real family. Just a few people that knew me and you and Jokull. Even know you two have been torn away in a way. We aren't even the same species anymore."

Kira stopped and wrapped Archer up in a tight embrace. She felt him tense in surprise for a second before slightly relaxing. She felt his arms wrap around her in a returned embrace.

"You know." Archer started. "I always thought of you as an older sister. Someone to look up to." He pulled away from the hug and looked her in the face. "I always imagined getting adopted, but that dream has been shattered. Who would want to adopt something not from this world? Its just not possible."

Archer's body went limp and his face fell. Kira though about it for a second before her face lit up. She had just gotten a great idea.

"Wait here." She said "I'll be right back and maybe you can have me as an older sister."

Before giving him a chance to respond, she tore off down the halls. Running at only a speed the cheetahs could rival, Kira skidded around corners on her way to her destination. Stopping, she slid past her mothers door and slammed into the wall at the end of the corridor with a loud thud. The Guardians had been nice enough to give them a room until Shelia found a job and a place to stay within the city. Of course Kira would be staying at the Temple for other reasons, but that wasn't important right now. Kira heard a door open. Someone had heard her... mishap.

"Kira? What happened to you?"

The white leopardess turned her head from her place on the floor to smile sheepishly to her mother. She was standing in the doorway of their room and staring at her daughter in amusement.

Kira held her nose as she spoke. It was a bit sore after smacking into the wall. "I uh, ran into the wall. I was coming to see you about something important."

Shelia laughed a little and beckoned her daughter inside, wrapping her arm around Kira's shoulders. "Now what is this thing that is so important that you need to run into a wall to tell me about?"

"Well its about Archer..."

Archer stood in the corridor that Kira had left him in over an hour ago. He sighed. Where was that cat? Whatever she went to do was obviously important, but couldn't she hurry up? Archer looked at his watch. It was getting late. He looked at his watch one last time. That was the last thing he had from Earth. he didn't know how it came through, but he was glad. The watch had supposedly been his fathers before both of his parents died in a car wreck when he was extremely young. It was a nice windup one. Archer had never seen one like it. The band was made of tanned leather, and the casing was a nice silver.

Archer lifted his head. The loud thuds of something heavy on the marble floors caught his attention. He saw Cyril and two female leopards walking down the hall toward him. One leopardess was white with black spots. The other was a crimson red. He recognized the white one as Kira but he couldn't place the other one. he knew that they had met somewhere before but he couldn't place it. Archer decided to walk toward them. They were going to reach him soon anyways and he wanted to get it over with. He had an idea of what was going to happen anyway.

Archer stopped slightly in front of the small entourage. "Hello."

Cyril inclined his head in response. "It has came to my attention that you are in fact an orphan. Is that correct?"

Archer sighed. What had Kira done now?

"Yes." he answered. "I am. Are you going to stick me in an orphanage now?"

Cyril stifled a chuckle. "Of course not. Especially not when a family has expressed interest in adopting you."

Archer was confused. Who was interested in him? He saw Kira smiling and now that he was closer he could see that the leopardess beside her was in fact her mother. Why were they both smiling?

"Who?" Archer asked in a slightly wary voice.

Cyril actually gave a slight chuckle. "I think they need to tell you that on their own." He stepped a fair distance away from the small group.

Archer stared at the remaining figures in front of him. It was Kira and her mother. His face got an expression of shock on it. There was no way!

Ms. Codlin smiled. "I see you figured it out but I will ask all the same. Will you become part of our family?"

Archer stood there shell-shocked fro a few moment before tears started to form in his eyes. He silently nodded. Kira leaped the distabce between them and gave him a crushing hug.

"I always wanted a little brother." She whispered in his ear.

Ms. Codlin was a little more reserved. She walked over to him and wrapped up both of her children in a hug.

"Welcome to the family."

Sorta a nice change from everything that's been happening. A little bit of fluff for you guys. Don't flame. First time. Can you guys tell me what you think of the story as a whole? How does it compare with some of the more well known authors stories? I received a really degrading pm the other day and I want to know what the masses think about the story and my writing as a whole.

Talos889 signing out.