Chapter 21 A Glimpse Into K's Past and Nature
Character Rayon
Rayon watched K walk through the portal and close it as he entered. Everyone waited a few seconds to see if Ingitus could find a way to bring them back in a second but this time the group remained gone.
"Well," Terrador grumbled, "I guess K was right…again. I'll send out the word to double the watches. If anything gets on this planet then I want to know about it."
Cyril nodded and walked out of the Chamber saying, "I shall spread the word to the outlying villages."
"So we are preparing for war again," Volteer asked.
"Preparing for war but hoping for peace," Terrador replied, "I think we should at least know if something is here or not before it comes banging on our gates."
Rayon looked over to Blitz and nodded toward the door that Krista, Geyser, and Fiona were leaving through and headed in that direction. Storm caught up with them in the hall outside of the Chamber, She and Blitz turned down a side hall that led to one of the terraces they were talking about what to do if a war broke out. Always planning and not ever interested in the obvious, Rayon thought, I am going to see what is up with Kris and Geyser. He headed down the stairs and followed his nose to a garden just outside the Guardians' Chamber building. Rayon heard them before he saw them.
"I am Geyser and I always have," It was Krista.
"So want to go somewhere later, maybe without the falling rocks and almost dyeing we could enjoy a flight more," that was Geyser.
"Way to go Geyser," Rayon thought, "I wonder what the dyeing part is about?" Ray walked into the garden, "so I hear that you finally took sis out, glad for you and more so for me with her distracted I can get pounced on less," Ray said as he entered. Kris and Geyser looked somewhat surprised then smiled.
"I guess word was going to get out sooner or later," Geyser said.
Krista laughed, "if Fi knows about it then half of the world knows about it."
"So what is this rumor about death or almost dyeing at the Falls," Ray asked, "something pester you there?"
"No that would be me almost dyeing and it started at the falls," Geyser amended. Geyser continued to relate what he remembered of the events form the broken arm to when he woke up in the gardens with Kris filling in the spots that he forgot or was unconscious for.
"Wow," Ray whispered, "you did all of that to save each other and we are not even in a war…yet."
"Makes you wonder what mom and dad did for each other during the war," Krista stated. "Explains why they remained together afterward though," she continued rubbing her head against Geyser's.
"There you three are," Storm exclaimed as she, Blitz, and Fiona flew overhead, "get out of that garden and follow us to the practice chamber dad wants to see what we can do." Rayon, Geyser, and Krista took off and joined the others.
"What do we get to do today?" Ray asked as they headed for the practice grounds.
"We get to fight each other," Blitz said, "practice sparring, powers allowed."
"Only a non-damaging amount," Fiona clarified.
Ray grinned, "how are the fights going to be arranged?" he asked.
"One on one until we have all fought each other," Storm stated.
"Why such an extensive battle," Geyser asked.
"Because whoever wins the most of the fights will be in charge of the rest of us," Fiona said, "and I mean all dragons in the outlying areas when I say rest of us."
"Why not get someone with more experience," Krista asked, "it would make more sense than having us lead dragons that are older than we are."
"Its all about who the others will listen to," Blitz clarified, "someone can be appointed to a position but if no one listens to him then what good can he do."
"Who would listen to us," Ray asked.
"Almost everyone. We are either the child of a guardian or Spyro," Geyser said, "Haven't you noticed that we almost never have to argue with any other dragon, even the older ones."
"And here I thought I was clever," Ray thought, "of course that is why Terrador wants us to be leading to show the others that even if father isn't here we still are and we have his and mother's powers." The six dragons arrived at the practice field, Volteer was their.
"I am to oversee the matches," Volteer said as the six landed, "do you all know the rules and why we are asking you to do this?"
"Yes," Ray said with the others.
"Then the first match will be Storm and Blitz," Volteer said, "walk onto the field and begin."
Rayon watched as Storm and his brother went at it. Both are very aggressive and Storm was the stronger. Blitz threw everything he had at her though and managed to get the first point out of the three that could be taken. The first to two points wins the match. Storm used her mastery of electricity but Blitz was all but immune to its effects in his earth boulder. Storm just barely managed to dodge Blitz as he boulder dashed over where she had been. Storm spun around and caught Blitz across the back with her tail as he dropped the boulder shield earning her a point. Blitz rolled and came up shooting a earth missile at Storm, she deflected it with a wall of electricity. When she dropped the wall however Blitz was in mid pounce and landed on her earning the last point and winning the first fight.
"You have become trickier than the last time I fought you," Storm said to Blitz as they returned to the sideline.
"Next is Blitz and Geyser," Volteer announced as he marked off a win on a sheet of paper.
"Geyser lets see if you can do more than get hit by boulders," Blitz teased as the two "rivals" walked into the ring. Ray noticed that Geyser seemed more agitated by that comment than normal, but given the recent events concerning boulders Ray could understand.
Apparently Geyser could do a lot more than get hit by boulders. As Blitz charged Geyser sent out a wall of ice that sent Blitz flying backwards. As Blitz got up form being knocked to the ground by the wall Geyser came down on him with his tail.
"Two points to Geyser," Volteer said, Blitz you may sit down.
"That didn't last long," Storm commented, "never seen Geyser do that before."
"Next is Geyser and Rayon," Volteer, announced.
"Finally," Ray thought as he walked into the ring. Geyser didn't stand a chance. Rayon's fear doesn't have to do damage to stun. Geyser took a different approach, using his ice to halt Rayon's fear attacks. Rayon however was trickier and more powerful than Geyser when it came to spell casting. Geyser sent a spray of ice at Ray just what Ray wanted. Summoning his electrical element he zapped the ice then using his fear sent the attacks flying back at Geyser. All three hit Geyser sending him skidding over to the edge of the field. Rayon walked over to help Geyser up.
"Three points for Rayon," Volteer said, "next you will fight Krista."
"Go easy on her," Geyser said.
"After what I just did to you she will be trying to kill me," Ray said sarcastically.
Geyser was smiling as he walked back to the sidelines.
Kris walked onto the field and sat down. This took Ray by surprise as well as the others. Ray suddenly realized what Kris was doing, she was readying her Frozen Vortex. As Ray realized her intent she grinned. "Oh crap to late," Ray thought as he surrounded himself in a bubble of pure fear energy. The shield took the worst of the attack but Ray still had to get back off the ground before Kris' tail spike hit him. He rolled barely avoiding the strike and lashed out with his fear sending a pulse of stunning sound into his sister's ears. Kris froze as the fear took effect and then started to shake off the effects. The stun gave Ray time to right himself and he hit her with an electric shock.
"Tied up," Volteer said, fear never being counted as a point.
Kris came back from the stunning effects of the fear and lightning, lifting Ray off the ground with a vortex of wind. Ray blasted Kris from the air with another lightning bolt for the match winning point. The next three hours continued with duels until all but Ray and Fiona were dropped from the score board.
"Ok, Rayon, Fiona, this one is for the leadership of the outlying areas," Volteer said, "begin."
Fiona vanished in a cloud of shadow, as Ray sent a sonic wave her way. Where did she go, Ray though as he looked around for the tell-tell shadow. He spotted it on the side of a tree facing him, to late though as Ray saw the shadow Fiona blasted out of it in a Comet Blast. Ray flipped backward just getting out of Fi's range with the dash, but not out of her Shadow Wave range. As her Comet Blast died down a wave of shadow pounded into Ray and he went skidding across the field. As he slowed to a stop Ray rolled over and jumped to avoid a Fire Ball. "Sis has never been this aggressive before," Ray though as he countered a Shadow Bolt with a Siren Scream. Fiona Shadow Warped behind Ray and as he tried to avoid her fire breath and got hit by her tail.
"Two points to Fiona," Volteer said, "and so we have our General."
"Fi when did you learn to fight like that?" Ray asked in disbelief.
"K showed me how to chain my attacks together so my ability with magic could make up for my lesser strength."
"So do we have to start calling you General?" Storm asked, she was annoyed that she was beat by the youngest of the group.
"Oh, I hope not," Fi exclaimed a little alarmed, "I just did the best I could and won, I wasn't honestly expecting to become the General."
"Then you are the one who will be the best for the title," Volteer said, "In my experience those who didn't want to be what they were called to become succeed when all else fails."
"Like father and mother," Blitz said.
Ray was thinking the same thing.
Character Fiona
Fiona was still trying to comprehend her new responsibilities as her friends continued to talk around her. No one had left the practice field yet and Fi walked over to a tree to think. As she was sitting under the tree and Volteer was still talking to the others about what they would do based on how they fought, Fiona noticed a part of the field growing brighter than the surrounding ground. She watch it for a moment then yelled over to the others. "Volteer, guys you need to come look at this."
"Look at what," Volteer asked as he approached, "oh." They all were looking a the ever brightening spot on the field.
"I think we should get back," Geyser said putting himself between the glowing area and Kris.
"Agreed," Storm said as the backed away from the area, "Fiona get away from that spot."
Fiona ignored Storm, trying to hear a very faint voice that she thought was coming from the glowing area.
"Friend of Kalathanon," the voice whispered, "help me help him walk into my light so I may enter this world."
"Guys do you hear that," Fiona asked.
"Hear what," Kris asked.
"You must act now if I am to enter," the voice was begging her, "please do this for Kalathanon if no one else."
Fiona made up her mind and walked into the light. There was a flash and a thundering boom as Fiona walked into the light and for a second Fi thought she was dead. She opened her eyes to see the most beautiful dragon she had ever seen. The dragon was made of what appeared to be pure diamond, with light refracting and reflecting into and off of it in every color of the rainbow. The dragon opened its eyes they were made of pure gold.
"Thank you my friend," she said for the voice was definitely female. And what a voice it was speaking on every scale of pitch at the same time the sound was like a waterfall of musical notes. "I am Celantra," she said, "I must know where Kalathanon is I have something of his that he needs back if he is to become what he needs to be so this war can end."
"And what might that be mighty dragon," Volteer asked.
"His love," Celantra said, "He gave it to me to guard long ago but he needs it now so he can find room in his heart for mercy."
"How did you get his love," Fi dared to ask.
"I am his mate," Celantra said, "I am what he is fighting for and I need to find him, now."
"That might be difficult," Blitz said, "seeing as he just jumped about 500 years into the future, and we can't call him back."
Celantra's appearance dimmed, "then am I too late," she asked.
"No you may have come at the best time for us and him, Rayon said, If you want to meet him again then all you have to do is wait for him to come back, and you might be able to help us keep Malafor away from this planet while K is gone."
Celantra perked up at the name of K, "He still uses that name," she said, "then maybe I am not to late after all. I shall wait for him then and I see no reason to not help those who help my soul-mate what do you need."
"Well we could start with knowing just what your powers are," Volteer said, "if you don't mind."
"Certainly," Celantra said then she turned to look at Fi, "but first I would know the name of K's friend."
"My name is Fiona, but my friends call me Fi," Fiona replied a little scared of Celantra but very elated that she called her a friend of K.
"May I call you Fi then," Celantra asked in a softer tone.
"I would be honored to call you a friend," Fiona replied.
"The honor is mine," Celantra said, "very few will K's heart call a daughter." Fiona almost fainted at that statement, but Celantra reached out with a wing and supported her. The wing was warm and alive and hard, it was living crystal, Celantra was a living crystal. "I know K's heart better than he does Fi, I have his heart with me that is what I must give back to him," Celantra said as she steadied Fiona.
"K thinks of me as his daughter, as your two's daughter," Fiona stammered, "I…I never knew."
"Nether does K, not consciously, he knows that he cares for you more than anyone he has met in a long time but he doesn't know why, not without his heart," Celantra said, "I'll speak with you after I give a demonstration of what I can do."
Fiona walked over to sit beside Kris to watch Celantra's demonstration.
"Fi," Kris whispered, "your amazing."
Fiona smiled as Geyser walked up and put a wing around Kris. Turning her attention to the field and Celantra. Celantra was sitting in the field waiting for Volteer to test her.
"Ok I am going to send a lightning bolt at you can you block it?" Volteer asked.
"Of course," Celantra said, "hit me."
Volteer did and the lightning bolt bounced right off of Celantra and back at Volteer. Everyone ducked as the lightning bolt bounced around until Celantra snapped it up with her mouth.
"Your power is either very different than any of ours or you have achieved a mastery with electricity that no one has ever seen before," Volteer said, he was obviously a little shaken.
"Both," Celantra clarified as she summoned a ball of electricity in a paw, "I control the energetic properties of objects like K controls their molecular properties."
"If you are K's mate how are you made of crystal?" Storm asked.
"K's last gift to me," Celantra replied sadly, "he gave me his heart so that I would survive the universal collapses, it is his heart that turned me into a living crystal invulnerable to cold or gravity or the void that exists between the energy levels of the universes. The K you know is just a shell of what he was, both good and bad, he has only an echo of his emotions left."
"But what will happen to you if you give him back his heart?" Fi asked, "wouldn't you die."
"I don't think so," Celantra said, "I don't even think that K can change me back to what I was, not anymore and even if I die in the process, well I was ready to take that journey long ago."
"I can't imagine K would take that well," Geyser said looking at Kris, "I would rather have my heart be with my mate than lose her and get it back."
"If K is just a shadow of what he was," Fiona started, "then once you give him back his heart, and if you die, he will probably destroy the universe himself. I know that when he gets mad in the state he is in, he generally crushes things with his mind and turns objects into dust until he gets over whatever made him mad."
Celantra smiled, then laughed. "Oh K you never change do you, at least he hasn't crushed anything into a tiny black hole yet, or a big one. That is what he used to do when he got mad."
"K can create black holes," Blitz said astonished.
"Used to," Celantra said, "and still could if something could get him mad enough, but that would take a lot to do, with him being a shadow of his former self."
"Still," Ray said, "he seems to be a lot more than he lets on."
"He always has been, even with me," Celantra said looking back to Volteer, "have I passed your test by the way?"
"Yes, at least anything I could test you with," Volteer said, "Lets get back to the temple and see what the others think." With that Fiona and the rest showed Celantra to the temple.