~Backstage~

Zayril: Hey Guys! Another chapter update!

Felix: YEY!

Richer: This is great.

Alec: Wow...that is...wow.

Felix: Enough with the talk, disclaimer time!

Alec and Felix: Viperwatcher owns nothing except his characters.

Richer: Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.

Zayril: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.

EXTRA DISCLAIMERS: Richer1992 owns the characters Spirit, Krystal, Amy and Despair

Chapter 25

Every Clue Matters

Josh's mind was completely on overdrive now as everything he knew turned upside down. What in the world was Spyro doing here? What was he doing in this unknown world that they have arrived into? Why was he acting all strange? Why was he acting in a manner that he apparently doesn't seemed to know who they are? Questions buzzed haphazardly inside his mind, wanting desperately to be answered. It seemed like every corner they turned had more questions than answers. And sometimes, questions on the corner's corner as well.

"…Spyro?" Despair asked baffled. Felix on the other hand just had his maw open, gaping widely, and an unfathomable expression on his face.

And as if things couldn't get any weirder anymore, it just did.

Spyro approached the three of them and suddenly stopped in his tracks. A number of expressions crossed his face; surprise, shock, fear, anger and lastly…fury; in that order. Felix's expression on the other hand changed to fear as he saw Spyro's expression. He slowly then backed away, going to Josh's side. He was a brave dragon. But he knew the right time to have fear.

"Uh…Josh…" He said, as he started backing away. Despair on the other hand was struck with fear as he Spyro look at him a deadly stare. If looks could kill, he was already dead seconds ago.

"What in the world is going on?" asked Josh backing away as well.

Despair slowly started backing away as they saw the legendary purple dragon stalk them like prey.

"Ditto…" He said, gulping.

"You…" muttered Spyro under his breath, his expression apparently fixed on Despair. "I don't know how you lived through that, but I don't care. I am just going to do it again, even if it's the last thing I do."

"What is he talking about!" asked Felix.

"I don't know!" exclaimed Despair. Apparently Spyro heard this.

"Playing dumb are we?" He then spat some saliva at the side before continuing. "You won't be until I'm through with YOU!"

Then all hell broke loose.

Spyro suddenly unleashed at the three of them three large fireballs fired one after the other.

"RUN!" exclaimed Josh then dive rolled out of the way. Felix on the other hand was fear struck and couldn't move. Luckily Despair was at his side and quickly pushed him out of the way with the help of his tail. The fireballs hit a wall, rock fragments flying everywhere.

"Go with Josh Felix!" yelled Despair. "He's not after you! He's after me!" Then he ran away from the two of them as Spyro gave chase.

"You're not getting away from me! Get back here!" He then lobbed fireballs again, doing the same technique Felix used when he fought that Fear Hound.

Felix ran as fast as he could and went over to Josh who was hiding behind a tree.

"What in the world is going on!" asked Felix as he turned around and examined the fight before them.

Despair was running around widely in the area, dodging and avoiding Spyro's attacks, whom slowly got frustrated. The entire area around them was literally destroyed in seconds, like a humongous battle had started here. The Temple walls were smashed to smithereens, having gaping holes in them. The grass was burned to nothing but a crisp as the fireballs grazed over them as well.

"I don't know! But if we don't stop Spyro he'll destroy this entire area before we know it!" exclaimed Josh.

"Agreed! But how do you intend we do that?" Then Felix ducked as a rock fragment came whizzing above his head, whom just turned to dust when it hit a tree.

"Just…just…injure him!" said Josh, trying to think strategically.

And so they did. But…of course, plans newly hatched have a tendency to fall from the nest.

They were about to run out their and charge at Spyro when all of a sudden something hit Josh in the head. He fell down the ground completely unconscious. Felix gasped and saw it was an orb like material that was glowing. He turned his head and his eyes widened.

"No!"

Before he knew it, he was struck and his eyesight faded into nothing but darkness.

0 0 0 0 0

Pain.

Pain was the first thing Josh felt when he slowly regained his senses.

Warmth.

It was the second thing that registered as he felt something warm placed up near him. He opened his eyes and saw nothing but darkness. They still needed to readjust. As it did so, his mind suddenly flooded itself with the recent memories of what had happened; Spyro attacking them; Despair running around widely, trying to live; Felix with him; then to him passing out.

He bolted upright on his four paws so fast, he felt dizzy. Felix! What had happened to Felix! He was equally worried about Despair but Felix was much of a concern seeing as he was just a child; as he stood up, the mass that was on top of him, rolled to the ground with a thud, accompanied by a groan.

He turned around and sighed, a sigh of relief. There was Felix beside him, unharmed.

He checked over him and sense that he was still breathing. Good, at least he wasn't hurt or anything. Then, that was the time he took the time to check his bearings. He looked around and saw that they were in a metallic cage, inside a dark cave, seeing as they could see the outside mouth of the cave. It was pretty barren, and the only source of light was from a hole on top of them, making it seem like a spotlight, and from the mouth cave.

He sighed and lied down. He needed to think.

They had just arrived at this Unknown world and they seemed to have been thrown into a whirlwind of confusion. From how things were, it felt impossible to see through the haze of confusion that was set before them. He just hoped that Despair was alright, and they managed to get through this mission alive.

Then his train of thought stopped when Felix woke up with a grunt.

"Uh…my head…" he groaned, sitting up." Josh smiled.

"You're awake." He nodded and sat beside him. It took Felix a few moments to regain his composure then his memories came back.

"Where's Despair!" he suddenly exclaimed.

Josh looked at him flatly. "I don't know."

"Well this is just great." Felix rested his head on the cage wall.

"Ditto," said Josh.

There was a silence between the two and as if on cue, they heard voices outside. It was coming from the mouth of the cave.

"Hear that?" asked Josh, perking up.

"Yeah." said Felix.

The two strained their ears to hear the conversation between the two. And when they heard it, expressions of shock came across their faces. One of the voices sounded somewhat familiar, but at the same time alien. It was quite weird. The other was completely different for Felix but Josh felt like he had heard this voice before.

"What are we going to do about him?" asked a female voice.

"I don't know, but I do know this. If he survived, it's for sure that his Master survived as well." replied the male voice.

"But Hunter, what are we going to do about the other two? He wasn't the type to have minions with him? Plus, he…seems different." said the female voice.

Hunter sighed. "I know. I sense it too. In the case of his companions, my first impression is that, they're not evil."

"I as well." said the female voice.

"That's why we're here. Interrogation time; ready for this Bianca?" asked Hunter.

"I'm always ready Hunter." replied the being that was named Bianca.

"Wait, I think I forgot something." said Bianca. "Wait for me."

Then the two of them heard footsteps. Bianca left.

Josh's eyes widened as the names of the people talking registered in his mind. Hunter…Hunter the Cheetah. What in the world! Now Hunter was in this world too? Plus…Bianca…that name resounded in his mind and felt familiar. He had seen that name before but where? Where? He jogged his mind so badly he felt like he would have a headache.

Everything seemed to have been falling apart…but now…it seemed like it wasn't. The clues were all there. Spyro…Hunter…Bianca…where have he seen this compilations of names before? He knew it existed somewhere deep inside his mind. Along with the names, the locations too; the pink leaves on the trees…the dragoness wearing an apron…the egg thief. It seemed like it was right in front of him, yet he still didn't get it.

"The egg…the thief…Hunter…Bianca…Spyro…the apron…" he mumbled to himself, trying to find something among the name of things he mentioned.

"Is that Hunter, the Hunter we know?" Felix asked, trying to understand what was laid out in front of them.

For a moment, Josh pondered on it. Was it the same Hunter? And this led to an even bigger question. Was the Spyro they fought the Spyro they knew? Was it even him? All the clues pointed to the fact that it wasn't him. If Spyro knew them, he wouldn't attack like that.

"…No." he replied.

Felix sighed and flicked his tail as he tried to think.

Absentmindedly Josh's eyes wandered to Felix's tail. Since he had nothing to look at, he just fancied to follow the motion of Felix's tail with his eyes as he thought.

"What does it all have in common…" he thought to himself.

Flick…

Flick…

Flick…

"…tail…tail…tail…" he mumbled to himself, his eyes slowly widening. Felix stopped flicking his tail and looked at Josh.

"What is it?" he asked.

Josh gasped as the memories flooded into him. He felt a light bulb light inside him as the memories connected themselves, making a chain of memories, leading him to the memory he needed to access.

He looked at Felix with a smile. "A Hero's Tail."

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