Something was different. Spyro couldn't say what. Were his wings working for him or against him?

His musings reigned in his slam to open the door. "Yo, yo, yo."

He'd spent little to no time in the nurse's office based on memory. Though he could say the room where Cody had been resting looked like something out of a cheap painting from a swap meet. Birds chirping out the open window letting gentle light were the only signs the world was still moving. With Cody looking out the window, wrapped in pure white sheets, the dragon would think it was a moment frozen in time. It did give Spyro the chance to stop and smell the sweet scent of the flowers in the vase at the side-end table.

The boy paid no attention to his entrance. Spyro wondered if he even noticed the signed cast on his arm.

Day after day for weeks since the match, he found himself on a sun-lit cobblestone path heading for the nurse's office. People didn't say a word in his presence, and he said nothing in turn. Spyro would only see a flash of the face of the boy whose words ripped away a tender blanket and found a bed of worms underneath.

It wasn't like he didn't know. He did. But it made things… weird.

"Would've brought a bouquet but…" he chuckled, eyes hovering to the door. "… JV's triple-duty detention gets me out right at closing time at the student store."

The boy remained silent.

"I was thinking… luminaries? I've always said you can't go wrong with luminaries…. Um, you'd like em. They, uh, glow."

More silence. The sky was the perfect shade of blue, he could admit.

"Picked up the assignments from class. Thought you could use 'em." He set the papers at Cody's lap.

Okay, was he just asleep sitting upright?

He cleared his throat and snapped the boy back to reality. He struggled, for whatever reason, to make eye contact. "So, arm's doing okay?"

"Huh? Oh… yeah." His fingers shuffled the folds in his blankets, inspecting and navigating them through the waves of fabric. His lips shifted the state of his moth from closed to full-on shut. "… I spend a lot of time indoors. My curtains are always closed, though."

"Well, that's kind of a waste, don't you think? I mean, just look at that sky." It really was a nice sky. Perfect for flying.

The clock ticked away at the moments while the two shuffled in place. Their limbs reached for whatever they could, kept whatever body parts moving occupied. But when they came into each other's radius it was like a wall of bricks barring access. Every inch of pent-up energy seemed to be making his way to Spyro's wings, twitching and flapping. Something needed to be done or said; whatever could stop making things so weird! Just get fired up and talk!

"Look, Cody. I was… a jerk. Like, a selfish, stupid, handsome jerk. You didn't deserve me yanking you by the chain just to kick butt and take lumps." He forced it all out yet grew more solemn with every word. "…I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

The dragon blinked. "Really? Wait, are you just saying that?"

Cody hadn't found whatever he had. He went right back to staring out that window. He went right to the sheets soon after probably to break routine.

No way he could just be fine. If it were anyone else, they would be looking to carve their initials or print knuckles in his hide. Elf and Eruptor could lecture his tail off until Hugo screamed the flock was home. And after he saw that face on Cody, that totally-devoid-of-life look, he could see Cody still had his own bed still covered and set.

For some reason, though, however it came across, hearing 'it's fine' sent something into him. It was something he'd never felt before, something weird to add on to the layers of weird already there. Weird didn't keep him away all these days he'd gone to see him, though. Weird wasn't the kind of bad guy or evildoer that could keep him down after the Doom Raiders tried and fell short. This kind of weird wasn't even that bad, though…

Something about it felt… good.

Spyro gave his wings their release and flew overhead grabbing the boy's good wrist. "Okay, first order of business. Get a little more fresh air into your system. Good thing we got loads of it here."

"Huh?"

"Here's a million-coin idea! How about you and me team up for the Skylands music festival?" The dragon asked. It was just an idea that popped into his head, from where he had no clue. "I figure you got some Earth stuff that'll really liven things up. Like seriously, every other act is some kind of horn solo?"

Cody blinked, still out of it.

"Quick question, though: how are you with instruments and learning a song in a few months? Plenty of time, right?" Cody was on his feet stumbling as Spyro pulled him to the front. "You can leave the cool factor to me! Now let's get planning!"

"But the nurse says I'm not ready to leave."

Sheets spilled onto the floor as Spyro pulled Cody to his feet. "What do nurses know? It's not like they're doctors!"

Cody's stutters were lost on Spyro, but only the ones that said to stop. He was willing to slow down a little more. As long as he could take in this smile on his face growing wider as they ran out the door and into the school. This was a weird he could get used to, he thought.

The face of Kaos's tower was a solid gold glistening even in shadow, yet the Queen's touch hid itself from the moon that peeked from the clouds. Its pale rays inspected the Queen in silence as she stood with her staff at her side, watching back. She held an empty gaze like a statue, no hint as to what devious thoughts gleamed behind her ruby eyes.

Heavy steps came behind her. They were laced with a furious growl and shaking chains. She knew from the past few weeks as to who it could have been. She smiled.

"Wolfgang, pet." She spoke without turning. "Lovely moon, isn't it? I can see why you find it so appealing. But that silvery glow would be better as a shade of gold, don't you think?"

"This ain't no moonlit rendezvous, Queen! I got a bone to pick with you!"

She side-glanced at the wolf to her left. Her fingers grasped his fur coat, tossing the locks in between her fingers. "Such hostility doesn't become you. Your luxurious fur will only stand on end, it pleases me more as it is."

The wolf swatted her away. She only continued to stare at his coat. "Right now what 'pleases you' ain't really in line with what's workin', id'nt it? We could'a taken those Sky-losers by now and here we are bunking with some villain wanna-be an' letting our ranks get shaved."

"Do not concern yourself with failures, Wolfgang. I have made it clear those who disappoint me have no place in my kingdom."

"If this keeps goin', the only kingdom any of us'll have is kingdom come! As in come right back to Cloudcracker!"

The Queen stroked under his chin again. "You are better felt than heard. Make your point."

"Let's get the band together an' take down that school and every last Skylander in it for good. Klankcase an' me, we got us plans to take down that Academy, seein' as how your little double-agent ain't doing nothin' sides-"

"Dreamcatcher is fulfilling her role, I assure you."

"By making some brat cry? Whoop-de-doo!"

"If it gets me closer to the stone, it is cause for revelry. Come, pet, surely you must see there is more to gain than merely an Academy."

The moon peeked out wider as if in hearing confirmation of her schemes. She only smiled back as if to assure nothing was wrong, however strained it felt. Gold was meant to be pristine, flawless; that was why she loved it so, why she wanted the world as her kingdom stacked upon it. Yet the wolf-man next to her only babbled on, punching cracks in her perfect gold for the sake of trampling on a few students.

"An' what about Kaos? You got something to gain by stringing that little egghead on?"

"Of course I do, he has Kaossandra's spell book. The power of a Portal Master in my jeweled fingertips. All I need is for that imbecile to finish charging it with the Elemental Sources."

Her cohort showed all the intelligence expected of an animal. There was still fury, perhaps more so as the confusion only seemed to add to it.

She demanded that calm, composed persona of herself so as not to solidify the wolf for his rebellious ignorance. "Between it and the Portal, we could gain access to all dimensions, all worlds, all part of my golden kingdom. And as a nice little bonus, I get my revenge on Kaossandra. Just when she thinks she is safe in her grandiose castle."

Few people knew or remembered from the old days, but she and Kaossandra had a history. Evil had a foothold in the Skylands, Eon and his forces were pushed back, and all seemed will. Until the heel-face-turn that kept Kaossandra sitting in power and her domain reduced to a small dome in Cloudcracker Prison.

She paced towards the moon, letting her fury show, and the moon hid behind the clouds. A cold wind blew, just the kind she preferred as her vengeance would be just the same. All her time imprisoned only made her covet her gold and the sight of scores of Skylanders fallen all the more. Anyone could call it fate or coincidence, but all the pieces were now in her hands. The Queen would sit on her throne, let events play out, and in the end, she would be the ultimate victor.

"And if Kaos gets the boot or loses the book or does what he'd do?"

"I have a contingency plan. As I've mentioned before, that idiot is only useful to me so long as he completes his task."

The wolf-man rolled his eyes. "However long that'll take."

Wolfgang stomped away as furious as he came, maybe more so. His temper was practically harassment to make her complexion wither. The Queen returned her gaze to the moon, and to a tuft of his fur she ripped out. The fibers turned to silk-like gold in her clutches.

"Oh, Wolfy. You just need to do as pets do – sit and await orders."

.

Wolfgang punched a hole into the gold brick tower as he returned to the entrance. Krankcase, hovering over the entry, jumped back at the move with a yelp. He dusted himself off and tiptoed on his multiple robotic legs to the wolf-man.

"Oh dear. Quite a quandary." He tapped his fingers together darting back and forth between his ally and the ground. What do we do?"

"What the best in the biz do – go solo."

.

Little did any of the back-stabbing parties know there was another witness. A troll who had the sense to hide behind a dead tree after another unsuccessful attempt to fly a kite and cross an item off his bucket list. Glumshanks snaked from his hiding spot behind the tree just as soon as the Doom Raiders were out of sight.

For once, there was a trace of concern on his face. If only a little.

"If I were a devoted and loyal servant to an all-powerful master, I would inform Kaos of the Golden Queen's deception and help him to devise a counter-strategy. Then again, I have dinner reservations."

But then he turned to the regal castle glowing as grandiose as ever. His thoughts strayed to the powerful Dark Portal Master inside. No one knew of his relationship with her.

"Kaossandra, however… well, Moisha never returns my letters anyway."

I ended up posting this a day later than normal, but I ended up taking an impromptu break. Somehow it feels like the inspiration is sapping from me. That or the Internet is too alluring.

Anyway, a short filler chapter with the aftermath of the arena battle and a little hint as to what comes next. The Golden Queen's a little ambitious but her plan may not be as golden as she thinks. What will she do over one meddling troll?

Sorry I haven't been responding to user reviews lately. I will try and get back to that with the next chapter. In the meantime, your continued support is really motivating to me. It really inspires me to see this through to the end.

As always, review, favorite, follow! Until next time!