(Chapter beta-read by Riverstyxx. Further comments below.)
Legend 29.1:
Eric the Slayer charged through the halls of the underground fortress, glancing around corridors and into rooms as he searched for his brethren. For the longest time, he and the other specter knights had been at war with the apes that dared invaded their homeland of Dante's Freezer. They had no idea how long it had been going on, or why they were attacking in the first place, nor did they care. For millennia they had been bound to this frozen wasteland and, regardless of the reasoning, they weren't about to give it up. All they knew was the grunts were apes, their leader was a purple dragon, and that was all they needed.
Eric skidded to a stop. The underground bunker was eerily quiet. With a frown, he turned. Raising his head, he paused and grasped the handle of his sword tightly.
"I'm telling you, man! These things are endless! Just give it another minute!"
"Sparx. It's been fifteen minutes since the last one came out. You're just stalling because you don't want to lose!"
"I'm telling you! Another one's going to charge out any second now!"
Eric narrowed his eyes. He didn't know who those voices belonged to, but he did know that they didn't sound friendly. Readying his sword, he charged down the hallway, making his way to the staircase that led up to one of the many electrical towers on the surface. Racing up the steps, he charged out into the blinding white tundra…and promptly skidded to a stop.
Piled up by the drop-off of a steep cliff, Eric saw a huge mountain of armored specters, each one out cold.
"Aha! Told ya!"
Eric turned to see a golden-yellow orb floating around a purple dragon. Grasping his sword tightly, he charged forward. The dragon looked on with an annoyed expression. Before he could so much as react, Eric was struck with a stream of electricity and, with a swift flick of the dragon's head, sent flying into the pile.
Sparx flew in front of Spyro's face, arms crossed and grinning widely. "Pay up!"
"Sparx, that was only one guy after fifteen minutes," Spyro said, giving him a flat glance. "That proves nothing."
"Really? Fine, then. Let's wait here until another one comes out!" Sparx said, looking back at the tower. "It's like I told you! These things spawn these guys indefinitely!"
"Sparx, I'm not going to wait another fifteen minutes just because you don't want to lose," Spyro said, narrowing his eyes. "You already made me miss turning Cynder back to normal because you wanted to test this, and who knows what else is being thrown out of balance because of how much time we're taking!"
"So you forfeit, then?" Sparx asked, a smirk on his face. "I knew it! Face it, Spyro! When it comes to bets, you can never beat the Sparx!"
Spyro frowned before looking back towards the tower. Sitting down, he shook his head. If nothing else, at least he'd learned how easy it was to throw things off cliffs with electricity...
Classic 29.2: (Looking Towards the Future pt. 2)
Spyro and Ember flew through the skies of Dragon Shores, the former looking down at a tablet-like device in his paws. He narrowed his eyes, poking at the screen, which showed several lines rippling outwards. Spyro shook his head, letting out an annoyed sigh.
"I'm beginning to think the Professor is full of it," he said, glancing over to Ember. "I'm getting nothing on this thing."
"Isn't it supposed to cause a signal to echo back on it or…something?" Ember asked, tilting her head.
"Yeah, when a looper is in the nearby area," Spyro said, looking flatly at it. "But it's not even picking us up… Somehow, I get the feeling the Professor isn't as smart as he thinks he is."
"Or…maybe you and your loop brother have more in common than you thought," Ember said, a sly smirk on her face.
"Oh, har har, little miss comedy queen," Spyro said, looking over at Ember with a flat expression. "Let me remind you that, unlike Ro, I didn't get my paw caught in a vacuum cleaner when Nina wanted us to help with the chores."
Ember laughed and Spyro let out a slight chuckle in return. Looking back down at the tracker, he narrowed his eyes, giving it several more taps. He scratched his head and looked down at the buttons below the screen. Raising an eyebrow, he pressed one of them. A sharp blade shot out of the top of it, causing Spyro to jolt. After a moment, his expression went flat.
"Dang it, Professor…" he muttered, face-pawing.
"Try it now," Ember said, flying up next to him. "Maybe it acts as a transmitter."
"Ember, why in the Dragon Realms would the Professor—"
Before Spyro could finish his sentence, Ember placed a claw on the screen. The sonar echoed out and, at last, a reply signal echoed back at them. Spyro blinked before glancing over to Ember, who had a rather cheeky smirk on her face.
He sighed, shaking his head. "I will never understand the Professor's logic."
Spyro gave Ember a flat glance and the two of them picked up the pace. They followed the signal to the dense forest below and Spyro narrowed his eyes. Normally, beings in the Dragon Realms never ventured out into unexplored areas.
"Whoever this looper is," Spyro said, narrowing his eyes, "they certainly aren't the smartest of the bunch."
"Staying out of uncharted territory is one of the major rules the elders put in place," Ember said, looking down with a frown. "They say that some of the most dangerous creatures in the realms exist out here."
Spyro looked down, giving a smirk as he slowly began to descend. Ember gasped, quickly flying in front of him.
"Spyro! What are you doing!?" she asked, her eyes going wide.
"Relax, Ember," Spyro said, rolling his eyes. "That rule's only in place for those who don't have looper hacks. With how much I've been studying magic, I think I'm more than capable of handling myself down there." He gave a cocky grin.
Ember frowned, looking at him with concern. "But…"
"Come on, Embs… You're not scared, are you?" Spyro asked, a sly smirk on his face.
"What? N-no!" Ember said, glancing away as she scratched the back of her neck. "It's just that… The elders probably put that rule in place for a reason, and we have no idea who or what is down there." She shook her head before glancing back at Spyro. "If this looper can survive in that place, they have to be pretty powerful. And if they aren't exactly the friendly type…"
"Again, relax, Embs," Spyro said, crossing his forelegs. "You've been training to defend yourself, right? We can handle whatever it is that's down there, no sweat!"
Before she could protest, Spyro was already off, darting towards the ground. Ember sighed, rolling her eyes as she reluctantly followed.
Sunlight could hardly make it through the trees as the two dragons landed down in the thick overgrowth of the forest. Spyro raised an eyebrow, looking around unconcernedly.
"This place kind of reminds me of that one place from the Equestria loops…" he muttered, then a smirk quickly made its way onto his face. "Of course, it's a tad less creepy to us because we're used to the whole horror of 'plants that grow by themselves!'"
Spyro chuckled, bringing up the looper tracker. Ember looked around with wide eyes, an occasional leg twitch causing her to snap her head around in alarm, the frown on her face growing by the second.
"I don't like this, Spyro," she said, looking over at him. "Let's just find this mystery looper and get the heck out of here already."
"What's the matter? Scared?" he asked, smirking. "C'mon, Embs, it's just a forest!"
"I know, but I've heard some rather unnerving stuff about the uncharted parts of the Dragon Realms…" Ember muttered, slowly walking over to Spyro, still looking around worriedly. "Supposedly, some pretty nasty creatures exist in this place, some that are far more dangerous than anything Gnasty or Ripto were ever capable of…"
Spyro's expression flattened and he glanced over to Ember with narrowed eyes. "Please. That just sounds like some spooky tale made to scare younglings so they don't wander off."
"I don't know, Spyro," Ember said, frowning at him. "There has to be some reason the elders haven't charted these parts out yet, or attempt to colonize them."
The sound of a branch snapping echoed throughout the woods, causing Ember to jump and swing her head towards the sound. Spyro merely raised an eyebrow. Her body trembling, Ember looked back over to Spyro with wide eyes. "You know, I've even heard rumors that there exists a creature in these parts that's the only known natural predator to dragonkind…"
"Ember, calm down!" Spyro said, placing a paw on her shoulder. "We'll be fine. There's no way such a thing could exist. Dragons are the dominate species of the Dragon Realms." He closed his eyes, grinning. "If such a thing even did exist, it'd probably have died out by now, considering how we're not constantly being hunted."
"And besides," he said, pointing a claw at himself, "I have my magic command line. Even if we encounter whatever it is, I have enough spells to send it running back to whatever cave it crawled out of."
Ember raised her head, looking at Spyro blankly. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. "I suppose that's true…" She reopened her eyes, smiling now. "The tales I've heard never did mention it being strong against magic…"
"See? Now calm down," Spyro said, looking back down at the tracker. "We have a looper to find, after all."
Ember nodded and they began to head off in the direction the signal was coming from.
Night-time was quickly approaching, the soft orange glow of sunlight peering through the trees. Cynder sighed, laying her head down on the cold stone of the cave she hid in. She still had no idea where the heck she was, or what this world was about. All she knew was that she was getting tired. She had been flying ever since the start of the loop, trying to get an aerial view of wherever her Spyro might have been.
Right off the bat, she had noticed something radically different about this loop. There were only two purple dragons in her baseline, but here it seemed to be like its own element. She had passed several different kinds of purple dragons as she flew, each one not even coming close to what Spyro looked like. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she took a moment to gather her thoughts.
"Spyro…"
Cynder shook her head. As much as she didn't want to admit it, it looked like she was by herself this loop. She opened her eyes, looking out at the dense forest with a frown. This place seemed like it had villages and cities close to what was in her world, where dragons lived together. She had thought about spending the night there, but when she had gotten close… She wasn't quite sure why, but she found it hard to approach; her heart would beat faster when she saw dragons going about their daily business.
Sighing, she laid her head on the ground. It wasn't like a cave in the forest was one of the worst places she had spent a night in before.
"—areful. The tracker says we're getting close. Stay on your claws."
Cynder raised her head as the faint voice echoed through the woods. She blinked; it sounded vaguely familiar. Getting to her paws, she slowly made her way out of the cave and glanced around. The bushes nearby began to rustle and move, and Cynder hunkered down into attack position. When whatever was making the noise poked through the foliage, her eyes went wide.
Spyro paused, blinking as he looked at the dragoness standing in front of him. "...Hey, aren't you—ack!"
Before Spyro could finish, he was nearly knocked back when the dragoness threw her forelegs around his neck. His eyes went wide.
Cynder sighed. "Thank the ancestors we found each other. This loop hasn't started off well for me…"
Spyro gulped as Cynder hugged him tighter. As she started to nuzzle his neck, his head shot up and he closed his eyes. "Wrong Spyro! Wrong Spyro!"
Cynder's eyes blinked open and she pulled away as she got a good look at him. Her expression went blank for several seconds before her eyes went wide. Glancing away with a bright blush pushing through her scales, she took a few steps back. "O-oh! Uh… S-sorry…"
An awkward silence fell over them as they glanced away from each other. Before things could get anymore awkward, the bushes began to rustle again and a pink head popped out.
"... Cynder!" Ember exclaimed, her expression brightening. She quickly pushed through the foliage and ran over to her side.
The smile returned to Cynder's face as Ember threw her forelegs around her. Cynder placed one of her wings around Ember before looking back at Spyro. "What are you two doing here? Is my Spyro in this loop as well?"
"We should be asking you a similar question, considering this is our baseline and all," Spyro said, shaking off any remaining awkward feelings as he looked at Cynder. "And, no. As far as we know, you're the only outside looper here…" Several seconds passed before Spyro narrowed his eyes. "Which means…"
Ember's eyes went wide, the realization hitting her like a flying bag of hammers. Seeing the expression on Spyro's face growing colder by the second, and Cynder's own expression starting to break as her eyes grew wider and her frown deepened, Ember quickly stepped in between them.
"N-now, hold on a second!" she said, looking at Spyro with a frown. "Just because she's the only other looper we've found so far doesn't mean anything! Besides, I don't think this is the best place to discuss this sort of thing! Let's at least wait until we get back to the Professor's lab before we start with the interrogations!"
Ember looked at him with pleading eyes, and Spyro looked on with an indifferent expression. "...Fine. But she better have a good explanation when we get back."
With that, he spread his wings and flew up through the canopy. Ember frowned before looking back over at Cynder, who seemed almost frozen in place. With a concerned frown, Ember walked over to her, placing a paw on her shoulder. "Cynder? Are you alright?"
"H-huh?" Cynder said, springing back to life as she looked at Ember. "O-oh, yeah…"
Ember frowned as Cynder glanced away, a frown on her face and her eyelids drooping. Ember glanced down to look her in the eyes.
"Hey, it's okay. My Spyro's just dealing with a rather touchy subject for him at the moment. I'm sure things will work out fine in the end," she said, smiling. "Now, come on. I'll take you to the Professor's lab. I think you'll like our world. We have a lot of fun stuff here."
Cynder glanced up, watching as Ember spread her wings and flew up into the air. She hovered above the ground, looking down with a smile. Cynder's expression went blank, though she eventually spread her wings too, following her into the air.
As silence fell again in the forest, a rustling sound trembled through the undergrowth and a long, stick-like leg pushed itself out of the bushes…
Legend 29.3 (Reconnection pt. 2)
Spyro rolled his eyes as Volteer rambled off his usual dialogue after his rescue from Dante's Freeze and the trip back to the temple. Though it sounded a bit crazy, Spyro could have sworn the electric guardian's speech got faster with every other loop. He shook his head to rid that thought. It was doubtful Volteer was looping, considering he had yet to break baseline script.
"Yes, yes, Volteer, it is good to have you back as well," Ignitus finally interrupted, shaking his head. "But we do have bigger matters to attend to here. We're still short two guardians and, on top of that, there's also the other dragon Spyro brought back with him."
Spyro kept a solid expression. Usually the guardians were pretty good at accepting Cynder into the temple, as, even in baseline, they felt that what happened to her was more so their fault, since they had not been able to protect the hatchery properly. Still, he stood on guard, just in case any possible variants were to pop up.
Volteer shook his head, look back at Ignitus with a grin. "Yes, yes, it is very fortunate that Spyro knew enough about the absolute enigma that is Convexity to free the trapped spirit. It is a relief after our…most unfortunate incompetence on that day..." Volteer trailed off, closing his eyes as he did something most would never expect: take a moment's silence.
"Indeed. While this is a joyous occasion, we must also be concerned about the Dark Army's next course of action," Ignitus said, glancing towards the pool of visions. "With their main general gone, they are most likely in a state of confusion. It would be best if we use this time to rescue the next guardian."
"Um… Ignitus?"
Ignitus looked down, seeing the frown on Spyro's face as he looked up with sad eyes. He gave a gentle smile. "Yes, Spyro?"
"I know we're in desperate times, and that the other guardians need rescuing…" Spyro glanced down, finding it hard to believe what he was about to say, "but is it alright if I take a short reprieve?"
Spyro winced under Ignitus's look, though the elder's expression was not one of disappointment. He raised an eyebrow, looking down with concern. "Why? Is something the matter, Spyro?"
"W-well…" Spyro had a hard time looking Ignitus in the eyes. Even when he attempted to raise his head, his eyes still stayed firmly fixated on the ground. "It's just that… I understand that I possess powers like no other dragon, but I am also still just a child, too..."
"Yeah, and don't mind me adding on, but we almost became popsicles trying to rescue voltage-tongue over there," Sparx butted in, looking over towards Volteer with a smirk. "The least you could do is give us some breathing time before you send us back into a warzone."
Spyro shook his head. He would have greatly preferred if Sparx hadn't tried to help out, especially when he wasn't looping. Ignitus took a deep breath, letting out a soft sigh. Nobody paid attention to Volteer's, "Well, I never!"
Ignitus looked down at Spyro with a frown, his gaze soft.
"Believe me, Spyro, if we had a choice, we'd never send a child out into a warzone, regardless of if they were purple or not," he said, closing his eyes. "However, we do not have much of a choice here. I need to stay here to guard the temple, and Volteer, as well as any of the other guardians you meet, will need time to recover their strength after the events that transpired."
"Indeed," Volteer said, shaking his head. "As much as I would like to assist you in recovering our fellow brethren, I am afraid that crystalline energy-absorption device they had me hooked up to has drained a vast majority of my power. As such, I regret to inform you that the most I can do is teach you of the electrifying intrigue the element I, and now you, possess." He paused, looking over to Ignitus. "That said, I suppose it wouldn't be too much of a request to postpone the training to give them adequate time to rest. I do have some mild concerns about what sending a dragon so young into the middle of chaotic warzone might do to Spyro's psyche."
Ignitus looked over at Volteer emotionlessly before looking back down at Spyro. "I suppose some rest is in order," he said, giving a smile. "It can't be for too long, however, as Cyril is likely waiting on us. Maybe an hour at most."
"Thank you, Ignitus," Spyro said, giving a respectful bow before heading out the door.
"Do not wander too far from the temple, though!" Ignitus called out, his voice echoing through the halls. "Who knows what's lurking, waiting to strike!"
"Don't worry, Iggy!" Sparx said, hovering by the door as he gave a thumbs-up. "You don't have to worry about that. I'll make sure Spyro doesn't do anything stupid."
Ignitus shook his head as Sparx flew off, looking towards the door with a frown. 'Why does this not reassure me…?'
Classic 29.4: (Sick Loop pt. 3)
Sparx flew through the air, heading past groups of dragons in the village, his eyes shifting back and forth as he looked around for one dragon in particular. He had checked to see if Hunter was awake, but from the blank stare he'd received when he'd had asked, he could only assume that was a 'no.' That meant he was left with one other choice, one which he was unsure of.
Sparx glanced towards one of the streets at the sound of a sweet, if a bit high-pitched, voice letting out an 'eek!' He watched as Ember was scooted away from a building by an elder dragon.
She turned back in protest. "Please! I can really help with—"
"Ember, it's sweet that you want to help and all…" the elder dragoness said, a concerned look on her face. "But you're a bit young to be helping with psychological problems. Come back in a few years when you're older and possibly have a degree in the subject."
"But—!" Before Ember could protest, the door was closed in her face. She paused before letting out a solemn sigh, her posture drooping as she closed her eyes.
"Yo! Ember!"
Ember turned her head, blinking as she saw the golden dragonfly heading towards her.
"Sparx?" she asked, tilting her head. "What are you doing here?"
"Spyro sent me," Sparx said, smirking. "He's sick and refuses to take his medication."
Ember blinked, looking at Sparx blankly. He shook his head, rolling his eyes before looking at her again.
"Spyro's sick and doesn't want the Artisan elders trying to help him because of events that happened when he was a kid," Sparx elaborated. "I'd take care of the big purple baby myself, but…ya know, small dragonfly."
Ember raised an eyebrow, sitting down and looking at Sparx curiously. "How does a looper get sick?"
"Trust me. When you hear the events that led up to it, you'd be surprised that a cold is all he got," Sparx said, chuckling to himself. Taking a deep breath to stifle his giggles, he looked at Ember with a smile. "So, mind helping out?"
Ember paused, glancing away as she scratched the back of her neck. "Oh, uh… Gee… I don't know. I was…uh…kind of busy this loop and all…" She looked back at Sparx, giving a sheepish smile. "Couldn't Hunter take care of him?"
"Already checked. Hunter isn't awake and, honestly, I'd think he'd end up doing more harm than good," Sparx said, rolling his eyes as he forced himself to subdue a chuckle.
"Well, maybe we have an outside looper this loop? Or someone new woke up?" Ember said, glancing away awkwardly. "I know Spyro made a lot of friends during his adventure to take down the Sorceress and all…"
Sparx narrowed his eyes, quickly flying in front of Ember's face to make eye contact. "What's up with you?" he asked, placing a hand to his chin. "I mean, I know you don't go ultra uber fangirl mode for Spyro anymore, but I would have thought you of all dragons would want to help him…"
"Well, it's just that…" Ember paused, having a hard time looking Sparx in the eyes, her mouth curling into a small frown. She gave a soft sigh and closed her eyes before taking a deep breath. "...Alright. I'll help, but is it alright if I do something first?"
Sparx blinked, raising an eyebrow at her as she gave a meek smile.
Spyro groaned. His throat felt like it was on fire. Coughing, he looked irritably at the branches of the bush poking into his side. He'd not even wanted to risk the elders stumbling upon him by accident, so he'd chosen to hide directly in the hedges of the maze—or what accounted to a maze by Artisan logic.
Spyro took soft breaths, as each one felt like someone was taking a cheese-grater to his throat. He groaned, sprawling out as best as he could without causing anymore discomfort than he was already in. He snorted, trying in vain to push out whatever was blocking his nostrils. Groaning again, he scowled and his eyelids drooped.
"This sucks," he said flatly, giving a pathetic sigh.
"Hey, Spyro! You in here?"
Spyro raised his head as Sparx's voice reverberated throughout the maze. Carefully poking his head out, he saw the dragonfly looking around, trying and failing to subdue a wide grin. Spyro groaned, weakly pulling himself out of the bush and plopping back down on the ground. A weak groan was the only thing that alerted his buddy to his presence. Sparx looked over, smirking.
"You still hanging on?" he asked.
"Just barely…" Spyro moaned, closing his eyes. "If it weren't for the fact that I have zero energy right now, I would have just ended this loop by now. I hate being sick…"
"Come on, Spyro. Talking like that when you accidently caused every villain you've made in baseline to attack you at once is one thing, but this..." Sparx rolled his eyes. "I'm beginning to worry about you, to be honest."
"Fine, fine…" Spyro moaned, his voice barely reaching above a whisper. "We'll talk about it later. For now, did you manage to find anyone?"
"So far, only Ember. Hunter isn't awake."
Spyro let out a low moan, his eyes drooping. "Okay… Where is she?"
"We'll, she's here, but…" Sparx paused, shaking his head as he looked down with a smirk. "Well, it's best if you just see for yourself." He turned around, a grin on his face. "Come on, you big pink chicken! It's not like he has the plague, for Pete's sake!"
Spyro glanced up, his eyes full of confusion as Sparx's grin got wider. The bushes rustled and a timid voice made itself known. "O-okay…"
Spyro blinked as Ember made her way out of the bushes. Or, at least, it kind of looked like her under the getup she was wearing. A doctor's mask was firmly over her mouth, and a pair of goggles were placed over her eyes. As she wriggled out of the bushes, she unhooked the large blue robe she was wearing from a branch, her green rubber-gloves squeaking as she walked. Spyro looked on blankly and Ember met his gaze.
"S-so…" she said, the mask shifting slightly over her mouth. "How…how bad is it?"
"Well… I definitely don't need surgery, if that's what you're implying," Spyro said flatly, frowning at her. "Don't you think the getup is a bit overkill?"
"Sorry, Spyro, but it was the only way I could convince her to come," Sparx said, looking over flatly.
Ember shuffled around nervously as she looked back towards the open fields not far off. She glanced back at Spyro, her eyes glazed with slight apprehension. "Uh, Spyro? I don't mean to sound rude, but…are you sure you don't want the elders taking care of you this loop?"
"Yeah, I'm sure," Spyro said flatly, scowling. "The last thing I need is them giving me something that tastes like a shoe, or bathing me in vin-vin-viiiiiiin—"
Spyro sneezed, which was quickly followed by a shrill 'eek!' as Ember darted back, pulling out a can of disinfectant from her subspace and spraying it for a good several seconds. Spyro blinked before turning to Sparx. He shrugged and they both looked at Ember. She slid the can back into her subspace and gave a meek grin under her mask.
"Hey… Listen, Ember…" Spyro said, looking up with a concerned glance. "You don't have to actually be around me when I'm sick. I just need to…rest this off." He inhaled deeply and let his head go limp on the ground. "I just need you to keep the elders busy while I'm getting better."
"B-but…" Ember looked down, her eyes wide as she willed herself to move closer, if only by an inch. "Where are you going to do that?"
"I dunno…" Spyro raised his head, a blank look in his eyes. "Here, I guess."
"That's a terrible idea, though!" Ember said, shaking her head. "You should be in bed resting! Laying outside while sick will likely only make it worse!"
"Well, what do you suggest?" Spyro asked, resting his head on his paws as he gazed up at her flatly. "I doubt your parents would be cool with the idea of taking a sick dragon in, regardless of how famous he may be." Spyro shot Sparx a sharp glare when he noticed the dragonfly rolling his eyes. "And I'll take a swim in that blue goop the Magic Crafters call water before I risk the elders finding out about this."
Ember frowned under her mask, glancing between the two as she took a step back. Sparx placed a hand to his chin before giving a smirk.
"I have an idea!" he said, his smirk turning into a grin. "It was something I wanted to try, but haven't really had the chance until now."
Spyro and Ember glanced at each other before looking back at Sparx.
Sparx shook his head, the grin reappearing on his face not a second later. "Trust me. You're gonna love this!"
Legend 29.5:
Spyro and Sparx walked through the caves of Dante's Freezer. It was a rather rare occurrence in that neither one was awake and, so far, things had pretty much gone like they had the first time around. Spyro chuckled, lifting his head with a grin.
"Alright, my turn," he said, raising a wing as he looked forward. "Hellooooooooooooo!"
As his voice echoed through the tunnel, the sound of chuckling apes soon answered. Spyro and Sparx walked towards the edge, seeing the mob waiting for them below.
Spyro glanced over to Sparx with a cheeky expression. "Who's the genius now, echo man?"
Then his expression took a turn for the serious as he looked down at the apes. Spreading his wings, he was about to jump down, but a loud blast echoed throughout the caverns, causing everyone in the area to cover their ears. The sound of apes screeching as they went flying into the air soon followed before Spyro finally got a good look at what was going on.
In the small arena where the apes were, stood an odd metallic man with large speakers for shoulders, somehow managing to retain balance on two legs. The robot man looked around before running down the pathway. Spyro and Sparx looked on blankly before looking at each other.
Then, in a flash of blue light, another metallic man appeared in the area, wearing blue battle-armor with some form of a cannon attached to his arm. The robot glanced around, taking note of Spyro and Sparx.
"Oh, hey!" he said, raising a hand to them. "I don't suppose you saw another metallic being like me run through here, huh?"
Spyro and Sparx blinked before Spyro slowly raised a wing towards the tunnel where the other man had gone. The blue robot smirked.
"Thanks!" he said before running down the path.
Mega Man frowned, his eyes narrowing as he began charging his buster. This loop was turning out to be majorly weird. Even if Light had isolated himself from the rest of the world, he wasn't sure how he was still able to make technology well above the era they were in, let alone how Wily was able to do the same. Though, given the amount of insane stuff even an unawake Wily had pulled off in the past, it wasn't that surprising.
Nonetheless, there was no sense thinking about it now. Wily was helping to revive this 'Dark Master' with his robots, and it was up to him to keep that from happening. While taking on an army seemed daunting, for now it was best to start it like he did every loop: take out the eight robot masters he'd made this time, starting with Echo Man.
Classic 29.6: (What Makes a Hero? pt. 2)
"You're going to be fighting robots this loop?" Ember asked, lying down on the floor of the Professor's laboratory.
"Apparently," Spyro said, lying down as well and looking towards one of the computer monitors. "I mean, I've faced robots before, but these guys are shaping up to be a thing. No matter how hard I tried, I could only damage them with magic attacks. Not sure what they're made out of, but it's definitely not something from our baseline if even chi attacks couldn't dent them."
"This is so intriguing!" the Professor said, shaking in eager anticipation like a child on Christmas morning. "They sound like something that could provide great benefits to our own world if we can figure out what they're made of and what makes them tick!" The Professor slid his glasses back on his face, looking towards Spyro with a grin. "Spyro! Please promise me you'll bring me back a specimen, even if it's mangled beyond repair! I can't wait to start analyzing these things!"
Spyro chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Will do, Professor. Just promise not to cause a loop crash with it."
"Come now. How could I possibly crash the loop by studying armor?" the Professor asked, scratching his head.
"Trust us. We know you when it comes to experimenting in the loops," Sparx said, a cheeky smirk on his face. "Somehow, you'll find a way."
The room burst into a chorus of laughter as the Professor scowled, placing his hands on his hips. He groaned, turning around and muttering something about 'kids these days' as he headed towards his computer monitor. As the laughter began to die down, Ember turned to Spyro.
"These robots, though… They sound really dangerous to non-magic-users if that's the only thing that damages them," Ember said, looking concerned. "Maybe we should warn the elders?"
"Eh, I doubt they'll listen until they see it with their own eyes," Spyro said, nonchalantly waving his paw. "Keep in mind, I haven't stopped a big bad trying to take over the world yet, so right now, to them, I'm still just a normal dragon." Spyro smirked, clenching one paw into a fist and slamming it into the palm of his other one. "Don't worry, though, once I smash a few robots, I'll be back to my usual status soon enough."
"Geez, don't get a fat head or anything," Sparx said with a snarky grin.
As Spyro shot Sparx a sharp glare, Ember frowned, still looking concerned.
"I don't know… Maybe you should try teaching others magic as well?" she said, tilting her head. "Even if it's only other loopers, it'll make me feel safer."
"I don't know… Only you and the Professor are awake this loop, and I doubt the Professor has a magical bone in his body," Spyro said, a snide smirk on his face when he saw the Professor looking back at him with a flat glance. Looking back at Ember, he raised an eyebrow. "Besides, I thought you were already good with magic."
"Well, only barrier magic," Ember said, looking down timidly. "Everything else I only have a basic understanding of." Looking back to Spyro, she gave a sheepish smile. "What with trying to get my village to take me seriously when I try to help non-loopers, I don't get much practice when it comes to self-defence arts outside of variants, and even then it's mostly physical and fire arts."
Ember took a deep breath, steadying her nerves. "If what you say is true, though, I get the feeling that I'm going to regret slacking off on my studies…"
Spyro looked at Ember blankly for a few seconds before a smirk appeared on his face. "If you want, I can teach you how to use some offensive magic."
"Really?" Ember asked, looking up with wide eyes. "Is that okay? You're already helping me with Dragon Kata until I know enough to impress Sensei Ragnar. I don't want to be a burden…"
"No problem, Embs!" Spyro said, a wide grin on his face. "If you want, I can continue to teach you both. You have to admit, I'm a lot more fun than a bunch of stuffy elders."
Both dragons shared a laugh at this, and Sparx smirked at them. Spyro stood up, a smirk on his face as he looked towards Ember.
"Come on. If you learn enough, you may be able to join in on this," he said, offering a paw. "Nothing says I have to hog all the glory myself."
"Why, thanks," Ember said, grinning as she stood up. "Just be careful not to not teach me too much. Don't want to be upstaged by a bright pink dragoness now." She gave a wink, sticking her tongue out at him.
Spyro snorted and Ember giggled as she walked past him. He shook his head before quickly following behind with a smirk. Sparx rolled his eyes, an amused expression on his face.
The air was cool in Autumn Plains as the two dragons sat outside the castle. Spyro smirked as a lightning bolt flew through the air and struck one of the targets he had set up. Having spent a good portion of the day giving Ember a general idea of how basic attack spells went, Spyro was rather surprised by how quickly she had caught on. Even though she had denied the magic command line, she was still able to get the basics of firing a lightning bolt down.
Ember gave a confident smile, tracing the runes with her tail as the air became electrically charged. In a swift motion, a bolt of lightning shot out, slamming into the wooden target and smashing it to pieces. Taking a deep breath, she stood up, a grin on her face. Spyro walked over to her, smirking.
"Not bad," he said, giving her a pat on the back.
"Thanks," Ember said, looking over with a smile.
"You catch on quick. You sure you don't want to learn the command line?" Spyro asked, raising an eyebrow. "If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times… Magical Calligraphy is just crap."
Ember smirked, looking over at Spyro with narrowed eyes. "I don't know. You sure the Artisans forced you to take art classes?"
"Oh, har har," Spyro said, his expression going flat as he looked her in the eyes. "Seriously, though. Disregarding the fact I ditched most of those, Magical Calligraphy is just not practical in battle."
"Really?" Ember asked, tilting her head. "How so?"
"Well, for starters, have you tried using any other spells besides reflect when you have enemies all around you?" Spyro asked, crossing his forelegs as he sat up on his hind legs.
"Not really. Again, that was the only spell I really knew," Ember said, a confused expression on her face as she sat down.
Spyro huffed, sitting back down with a frown. "Well, let me tell you, disregarding the fact that I need to take art classes, trying to draw shapes when you're constantly moving isn't easy, and even then..." Spyro rose his forelegs into the air. "The whole thing can be nullified by grabbing the caster's tail!" Spyro placed his paws back on the ground, an annoyed expression on his face. "At least with the command line, I can still cast while I'm blindfolded, even if I can't see where I'm firing."
Ember raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a frown. "I kind of get what you're saying, but…I don't know." She shook her head. "I don't think I'd be able to get it like you do. It just sounds way too complicated."
Spyro smirked, reaching out and placing a paw on Ember's shoulder. "Don't worry, Embs. That's what I thought at first, but once I really started to get into it, it was surprisingly easy."
"I don't know…" Ember paused, glancing down as a glint of apprehension appeared in her eyes. "I'll…I'll have to think about it. Until then, it's probably best I just learn something basic to defend myself with this loop."
"Fair enough," Spyro said, giving a cheeky smirk. "Just remember, if you know a command line, you can actually create your own spells, like this!"
He grinned, turning around and standing up on his hind legs as a blast of magic flew into the air. It ascended higher and higher and, when it was above all possible landmarks, it exploded in a radiant purple blast, forming a translucid image of Spyro's head. It lasted for a barely a few seconds before slowly fading away. Ember chuckled at the sight, rolling her eyes as she looked at Spyro.
"Interesting. Other than an ego boost, I'm not sure what purpose it serves, though," she said, smirking.
"I don't think of it as an ego boost," Spyro said, a grin on his face. "Just a little reminder that I am, indeed, awesome."
Both dragons shared a laugh that lasted for a few seconds before Spyro broke it off with a deep breath. Giving a grin, he stretched and got up.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm getting a bit bored," he said, turning around. Looking back at Ember, he grinned. "How about we take a break? I have this crazy idea to troll Ripto that involves some rather extensive magic use, as well as two tons of cotton candy." Spyro smirked. "Even if you still want to study, you might learn something from it."
Ember snorted, a grin on her face. "Like what? How to give villains a sugar rush?"
"Oh, you'll see…" Spyro said, a devious grin on his face. "Let's just say Ripto's going to find it a lot harder to be taken seriously when all his spells somehow end up involving sugary snacks."
Ember snorted out in a laugh, quickly covering her mouth with her paws. Taking a few seconds to compose herself, she looked at Spyro with a grin. "Be careful now. We don't want the younglings flocking to—"
Before Ember could finish her statement, a low whooshing sound swept through the plains. Both dragons raised their heads, looking around curiously.
"What the…?" Ember muttered, turning to Spyro with wide eyes. "Is that a normal sound here?"
Spyro shook his head, looking up with narrowed eyes. "No. Not unless Hunter's trying out some new plane he found."
He quickly ran out towards the main field near the pond, Ember in tow, looking around for the source of the noise. Spyro glanced up, his eyes going wide at the sight of a massive green beam of energy slicing overhead. It struck the castle with a resounding explosion and both dragons quickly covered their faces with their wings to block the ensuing dust-cloud. As the dust began to clear, Spyro removed his wings from over his face and his eyes went wide.
Odd metallic ships, bearing the same color-scheme as the robot he had fought earlier in the loop, flew overhead, multiple robots attached to the undersides. One by one, they began to disembark, falling down to the ground below.
Despite the overwhelming odds, Spyro gave a cocky grin. "Well, Ember, time to put what you just learned to work!"
Legend 29.7
"This better be good, Sparx. You know I don't like making unawake Cynder spend any unnecessary time under Malefor's control."
"Relax, bro! This is going to be good!"
Spyro gave Sparx, and the ridiculous getup he wore, a flat glance. A blue t-shirt adorned his body, the hat on his head sported a rainbow of colors, and he wore a fake thick mustache on his face that rivaled the likes of Mario. Spyro shook his head, looking up at the ominous black tower that had become Cynder's lair while under the Dark Master's control.
Spyro sighed, placing a paw over his forehead. "I have no idea how I let you talk me into this…"
"Calm down, bro! It's like I told ya, this is going to be sweet!" Sparx said, grinning under his bushy fake mustache. Reaching into his subspace pocket, he pulled out a large pizza box, somehow managing to support it above himself despite the weight and balance differences.
He darted off not a second later, and Spyro glanced over the crystal he was hiding behind with a flat expression, watching as Sparx flew over and rang the doorbell. Why an ominous fortress of evil had a doorbell, he would never know. Either way, Spyro was ready to act in an instant should this harebrained prank of Sparx's went horribly, horrible wrong.
As the fortress door slowly swung open, a muscular ape came out, a snarl escaping his lips as he eyed the dragonfly.
"Hello-a!" Sparx said, twirling his fake mustache as he somehow held the box over his head one-handed. "I have a pizza delivery to-a one miss Terror of the Skies! Is she-a in?"
The ape snarled, attempting to take a swipe at Sparx, but the dragonfly quickly darted up into the air.
"Now, now! No need-a to be rude!" Sparx said, wagging his finger at the ape. "I'll have-a you know, I came all the way-a from the Well of Souls to deliver this-a! The Mountain of Malefor-a; it's-a fires make-a the best for cooking pizza!"
The ape blinked, eying Sparx curiously as the dragonfly gave a wide smile under his moustache. Scratching his head, the ape slowly walked back into the fortress. Several moments passed before a screech pierced the air. A slender figure landed down next to Sparx, a sharp piercing gaze looking over him.
Cynder, Terror of the Skies, wasted no time on readying to strike, claws at the ready as she hunkered down. "You have five seconds to explain who you are and why you're here. Not like it would matter either way."
"Now, now missy! Is that any-a way to greet a delivery boy?" Sparx said, unflinching as he flew up right into Cynder's face to look her in the eyes. "I'll have-a you know I had to cross-a the frigid wasteland of Dante's Freezer to get this-a to you! Do you have-a any idea how hard it is to keep-a the pizza warm in a frigid-a wasteland!?"
Cynder snarled, baring her fangs as she narrowed her eyes. "Speak!"
"Alright-a, alright-a, no need to preserve-a your evil reputation in front of your own-a fortress!" Sparx said, flying backwards before opening the pizza box. "I have-a the pizza you order, miss Skies!"
Cynder blinked, eying the odd confection in the box blankly before narrowing her eyes again. "I did not order such an abomination of what one would consider food."
"Oh, your words-a, they cut-a deep!" Sparx said, dramatically raising his hand over his eyes as he held the box out.
"That's not the only thing about to cut deep…" Cynder muttered, readying her tailblade behind her.
"I'll have-a you know, I escaped from my own-a kind and had-a to deal with the harsh words-a they gave, all so I could use-a my family's old recipe to support-a the glorious Dark Army!" Sparx said, quickly flying into the air and dodging a tailblade-strike with ease. "Why, when Malefor said he'd-a let me open up-a my own restaurant in-a his stronghold, I was-a thrilled! How would-a you think he'd-a respond to his right-hand dragon calling it an abomination!?"
Cynder paused, eying Sparx curiously as she blinked. "...Why in the realms would my master allow a restaurant to be opened in his fortress?"
"Ah, morale, she is a thing that-a comes and goes with-a the tide!" Sparx said, looking back with a smile. "My pizzas, what you so crudely insulted, they help keep-a up the morale! When the Dark Master saw how they helped keep-a the morale up, he hired me-a in a heartbeat!" Sparx frowned, quickly placing a hand on his hip. "And may I remind-a you, you also ordered one of my pizzas!"
Cynder narrowed her eyes, standing on all fours as she glared down coldly at the dragonfly. "I did no such thing. Regardless of my master's minions' lack of taste, I would never be caught dead eating such garbage!"
"But-a I gotta the letter from you-a this morning!" Sparx said, pulling out a piece of paper from seemingly nowhere. "'Dear Mister Glowy, I have-a heard-a many good things about-a your pizzas. I wish-a to try one myself. Despite being the head of-a Malefor's army, I am nothing but scales and-a bones! I need-a more meat if I wish to properly inspire the troops! From Cynder, Terror of-a the Skies!"
Cynder began tapping a claw on the ground, scowling as she heard the chuckles from the apes that had gathered behind her in the entrance of the fortress. Letting out a low growl, she glared at Sparx coldly.
"Let me see that," Cynder demanded, taking the paper from Sparx with a swift flick of her paw. She narrowed her eyes him, a puff of black smoke escaping her nostrils. "I will also have you know that I am notmerescales and bones. I have taken down dragons twice my size, so watch your tongue!"
"But Miss-a Cynder, I am only repeating what-a you said on-a the note!" Sparx said, then placed a finger on his chin. "Although, while I would-a usually point out-a how others should watch-a the weight..."—Sparx internally smirked, able to just sense Spyro scowling from behind the crystal—"...you look-a rather measured! I know-a finding a mate is a major thing-a in life, but it should not-a be at the expense of-a one's health!"
Cynder's left eye twitched and she quickly shot a sharp glare towards the apes chuckling behind the frame of the entrance. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she looked over the note. After a few seconds' pause, she looked at Sparx with a scowl.
"This is not my writing," she said flatly, giving Sparx a glare. "This chicken-scratch looks like it could have only been written by the likes of an idiot."
At this, Sparx internally scowled, swearing he could hear Spyro chuckling behind him. Quickly brushing it off, he looked at Cynder with wide eyes.
"But-a Miss Cynder, I can't-a just take-a this back!" he said, placing a hand on his head with a look of fake shock. "All of-a my pizzas must-a be used to support-a the cause!"
"Throw it to the Dreadwings," Cynder said sharply, turning around and heading back into her fortress. "Malefor knows they're the only things that slope is fit for."
"But-a, Miss Cynder! All-a my pizzas can only be eaten by-a the troops!" Sparx said, quickly flying after her. "And there's-a the small matter of the fee!"
"I DIDN'T ORDER THIS SLOP!" Cynder snapped, glaring at Sparx with fangs bared. "Why in the realms should I have to pay for it!?"
"All profits go-a directly to supporting the Dark Army!" Sparx said, a grin on his face. "Surely its-a general would-a want to support it most-a of all!"
"That makes no sense, though!" Cynder said, growling as a visible anger vein pulsed on her forehead. "If I wanted to support it, I would use my funds DIRECTLY for it! Why the hell would I buy this slop!? Scratch that, why the hell would anyone in this army buy it to support it, instead of directly doing so themselves!?"
"I'm-a sorry, Miss-a Cynder!" Sparx said, raising a hand in front of himself. "I do not make-a the rules! I just-a follow them!"
Cynder's left eye began twitching again as she growled, and all the while the laughter of apes bellowed out from the entrance hall. Her blood boiled, smoke billowed out of her nostrils, and her claws dug into the ground. Then, as suddenly as the breakdown began to start, it stopped, her face becoming surprisingly tranquil.
"You know what? You're right. Silly me," Cynder said, her voice dissonantly calm. "I should support the cause. Tell me, how much does this meal cost?"
Sparx blinked, noting the uneasy silence as the apes curiously poked their heads out from behind the entrance frame. Nevertheless, he effortlessly kept up his charade.
"Only-a fifty gems. Barely a pocket's worth in-a comparison to-a some other stuff," Sparx said, a grin on his face.
"Very well," Cynder said, quickly heading back into the fortress. Several moments passed before she came back out with the appropriate gems in paw. "Here you go."
"Thank you-a, Miss Cynder! The Dark Army thanks you for-a the support!" Sparx said, quickly exchanging the box for the gems.
"Tell them they are welcome," Cynder said, a surprisingly calm smile on her face as she turned back to her fortress.
An eerie silence fell as everyone watched the surprisingly calm Terror of the Skies walk back towards her fortress with an out-of-place smile on her face. Spyro, Sparx, and even the apes gave her blank looks as she stopped just before the door, pizza box held delicately in her paw.
"Tell me…which one of my minions thought this would be funny?" Cynder said, a small smile on her face, her voice carrying a frighteningly sweet tone. "Because one of you has food that needs to be eaten…"
Her eyes went sharp, her wings flared and her teeth bared, and her voice rose to an ungodly roar, fire spitting from her throat.
"IN ONE BITE!"
All the apes at the entrance took off as Cynder letting out an unholy screech and flew after them, her claws tearing through the box as she raised it up over her head. Tendrils of darkness exploded out in front of her as even the fiery pits of hell couldn't match the sheer fury she displayed in that moment.
Sparx blinked as he heard the terror-filled shrieks of apes screeching far and wide. Spyro skulked out of his hiding place, giving him a flat glance.
"...Maybe we should wait until she cools off before trying to return her to normal?' Sparx said, scratching his cheek.
Spyro let out a solemn sigh, placing a paw over his face.
Fused 29.8: (Both Spyros and Red VS Blue) (Feat: GammaTron)
When Classic first awoke, he realized it'd be a strange loop. For one, he was wearing red armor with purple markings. Secondly, he was standing next to someone who wore armour with reversed colours to his own. And thirdly? He was human.
"Spy?" the other person asked.
"Ro?" Classic raised a brow under his helmet.
"Why are we here?" Legend asked.
"I have no clue," Classic replied.
"Hola (Hello)." Both jumped before turning around to see another human in similar bronze armor. "Mi nombre es López. ¿Estás dos despiertos para este circuito?"
"...What did he say?" Legend asked.
"All I got out of that was 'Lopez,' " Classic replied.
The bronze soldier sighed before tapping his neck three times. "I said: My name is Lopez. Are you two awake for this loop?"
"Oh. Why didn't you say that before?"
"I prefer Spanish," Lopez replied. "Now, let me hurry before the others learn that I can talk English. I love to mess with their heads. Humans, such amusement."
"You're not a human?"
"No. I am a robot," Lopez replied. "...Why is that one looking at me like a fangirl does her favorite teen idol?"
"He's a robot fan," Classic replied, earning a whack to the back of his head. "Gah! The back of my head!"
"Sh-shut up!" Legend blushed under his helmet.
"Is this your first Fused Loop?" Lopez asked.
"No," both of them replied.
"That is good. I didn't want to explain anything." Lopez snorted. "But welcome to Blood Gulch, the first home of us: the Reds and Blues of Project Freelancer."
"Blood Gulch?" Classic asked.
"Reds and Blues?" Legend repeated.
"Yes. Do either of you know a Michael J. Caboose?"
"That guy shot me in the back with a bazooka and said Hunter did it!" Classic informed.
"He looped in as Malefor once while Sparx was replaced with his best friend Church." Legend shuddered. "I...don't like to talk about that Loop."
"Understandable." Lopez nodded. "Caboose is a special case among anchors. His mental levels are so dangerous that the Admins have all agreed upon calling his issue 'Caboose Syndrome.' "
"Caboose Syndrome?"
"It is when someone has Sakura Syndrome and Setsuna Syndrome fused into one, mixed with any other type of mental illness that may or may not be normal to their loops," Lopez informed. "Caboose is only able to be 'cured' by having someone he knows in the same loop as him. If at least one person from our loop here isn't with him, well..." He sighed. "There's a reason why he's given read-only loop punishments after the first time involved him killing five other loopers in a punishment loop, one of them being Twilight Sparkle and another being Ranma Saotome. I heard that Ranma's skull got ripped out of his head and was used to beat him to death."
"That doesn't make any sense!" Legend argued.
"That's what I heard Ranma screaming before Caboose killed him with his own skull." Lopez shrugged.
"Lopez! Are ya up here?"
"Si," Lopez replied before a human in full red armor got outside.
"There ya are, Lopez. Ah..." the man began, before noticing the other two. "You two ain't Grif and Simmons. Names, soldiers!"
"Spyro the Dragon, but I go by 'Classic' or just 'Spy,' " Classic informed.
"Likewise, but I go by 'Legend' or 'Ro,' " Legend said.
"Well, Classic, Legend, welcome t' Red Team!" the man informed. "Mah name is Sergeant General...but y'all can just call me 'Sarge.' "
"Sarge? Aren't you the guy who crashed a loop just because you were in Sonic's body that loop?" Classic asked.
"He was a Blue! A dirty, dirty Blue!" Sarge argued. "Ah couldn't go on with mahself, knowing that Ah was a Blue. So Ah rigged a doomsday device and set it off. Loop crashed and Ah got Eiken and Caboose and his boo Lin Grace from that loop laid."
"...Someone likes that loop?" Classic and Legend asked after a few moments of awkward silence.
"Now why does everyone hate that there loop?" Sarge demanded. "Sure it can be borin', but ya just have t' know how t' spice it up!"
"Bull," Classic coughed.
"That's it! Y'all are now mah Grif this loop!" Sarge declared before shooting Classic.
"Gah! The side of my waist!"
"What the heck?!" Legend exclaimed.
"Legend, y'all remember this now: all of Red Team's plans rely heavily on Classic there being harmed in any way, shape, or form," Sarge informed. "As such, you are mah Simmons. Y'all are in charge of figurin' stuff out fer Red Team. Now go out to Blue Team and see if they're looping, Classic. If'n we hear yer screams of pain and agony as they torture ya, then we'll know they're not awake. If'n y'all get hit with Sheila, they're awake."
"Voy a ir con él (I will go with him)," Lopez informed as he pulled Classic off.
"Heh-heh-heh. Lopez, you kidder, you." Sarge chuckled before turning to the appalled and nervous Legend. "Now, Legend, let me share wit' y'all th' tale of our loop. Ya see, in the hub loop we're a web-based action-comedy show that's twelve seasons in so far. If th' Blues aren't awake, we're gonna go through a baseline loop fer ya both." He tossed Legend a shotgun. "Now, take this. It's th' shotgun Ah woke up with this loop. Ah've got mah own shotgun that I named...Butch."
Legend groaned. What sort of loop had he gotten into now?
Classic 29.9: (Idea by HKGhost, written by Toko)
"I suppose you could call this karma, in a way."
"Shut up, Sparx."
Spyro sighed, his eye twitching as he stubbornly dug his claws into the ground. "I'm just glad nobody is awake to see this…"
"Come on now, Spyro! Get back to your herd!"
Spyro let out a low groan, finally hanging his head low as he headed back over to a herd of dragons. All the while, a bunch of sheep looked on to make sure he didn't try to wander off again.
Legend 29.10: (Vice-Versa pt. 2) (Feat: HKGhost, AbZ)
Cynder sighed as she stepped into the training room, trying to work out her feelings. Taking one look at the center, she growled. 'He's here.'
'Of course he's here.' A conflicting train of thought smashed into the forefront of her mind. 'He's always here if he can help it. Don't know why he just doesn't sleep here. Probably would enjoy fighting in his sleep.'
And wasn't that a frightening thought? Cynder watched the oddball dragon eviscerate the training dummies. It wasn't that he was being cruel or seemed to enjoy inflicting what would have normally been debilitating or deadly wounds, it was the speed and efficiency with which he did it. It was... 'Scary' was the first word that came to mind. And the way he was fighting now, it was so different to when they had fought months ago. Though, during that fight, had she been forced to describe it, she would have said 'terrifying,' 'powerful,' and 'wrong.'
During that fight, it had almost been as if some primal trigger had cried "Predator/Elder angry. Run away!" But with the way he was moving now, and had been since he'd come to the temple... It wasn't that he was wrong, it was that everything about him seemed to scream 'not a child.' Which made no sense. The guardians had tried to protect his egg twelve years ago, but it was lost. Lost at the same time that her own egg had been launched downstream to a colony of dragonflies. So, obviously, they were the same age, give or take the variance in regards to hatching.
"I wonder," said a voice with the timber of a landslide. Cynder turned from the dragon in the center of the fight—more like 'slaughter'—to see the Earth Guardian tread lightly to her side, his eyes somehow taking in both her and the male in the center at once. "What is it that your young eyes see that makes you tense so?"
Biting her lip at being caught, she turned away. For a moment, neither said anything, until Cynder finally slumped slightly and muttered, "There's something about him... It makes no sense. He doesn't smile much. Whenever I try to...convince...Sparx and him that we should all do something together, he gets this weird look in his eyes, like 'Okay, I'll humor you.' Like he's so much older and what we're doing doesn't really matter. And that just ticks me off!
"But it's not just that, you know? He walks into a room and his eyes dart everywhere. And then whenever he's nearing anyone...he starts moving, then stops and flinches like he had second thoughts, and it makes no sense, you know?"
A deep rumble came from the Earth Guardian and the silence between them returned for a time. Cynder kept her head turned, the edge of her vision keeping in sight the dragon who was now taking on a new wave of enemies.
"So, even the youngest among us worries about him." Terrador sighed. "But then, perhaps we have not done our best to show it..." A snort this time. "Though, we are not beings of pure logic and, even if we were, when logic states caution is required, how is emotion to act unconditionally?"
Cynder's head whipped around to lock Terrador firmly in her vision. "What?"
Terrador closed his eyes and snorted again, a small smile playing on the edge of his lips. "When you watch the boy move, what do you see?"
Cynder turned back toward the dragon in question with a frown.
"Well?" Terrador prompted.
Cynder sighed as she tried to analyze the movements that just never quite seemed to suit her. She could use them, but it was like she was constantly going against instincts to do it.
"He doesn't hesitate," she began. "Every step has a purpose, every strike is pinpoint accurate, and he always knows exactly how much force he's putting behind it. It's completely different to how he was like before..." She gathered her breath and plunged back into that horrible time. "Before... When we fought, he was cruel. He was powerful, yes, but it led to great arrogance. It was like he was insulted by the very idea of me. A child that could somehow luck out and harry his plans every step of the way? He didn't treat me as a threat. And when I started to land blows...he lost it. Now, every move is controlled. It...it's different. I didn't think that someone could completely change their style like that."
"Most cannot," Terrador agreed. "Though, tell me, when you see him fight, do you see him as himself or do you see reflections of others in his motion?"
Looking over his technique again, she paid attention as he shifted from a jab to a bite and from there into "salmon climbs waterfall" before throwing his victim down, spinning down and smashing it to bits. "It looks like he's been taking and adapting from all four main fighting styles."
Terrador hummed. "But not of the standard style."
"What do you mean?"
"There are differences that I see in his movements, things that are not taught as the norm should you bring together even ten dragons who say they use the same style and compared them. That in itself is not bad. Styles should evolve as time passes. As new situations become possible, as new counters are developed or discovered... A style which does not vary, does not adapt, is dead. But the motions he makes... I see Ignitus in his counters, Volteer in his targets, Cyril in his stances, and myself in his striking motions. He uses adaptations that we ourselves found and made, yet we have not shown him all these. At least, not as teachers."
Cynder sent him a questioning glance.
"When he came for us," Terrador continued, "under that spell's control, we all fought him. The encounter was as long as one can expect a fight. It had finished before the shadows had noticeably changed. And yet, when we fought, we did not keep our adaptations hidden. I can think of no other time when we used them before him."
Cynder looked back at the young dragon with wide eyes. "Wait, you mean he learned his style from fighting you guys once?"
"And if his words are true, he didn't even have control of his body while he did," Terrador confirmed.
Cynder shuddered. That kind of skill... If they ever had to fight again, her chances were looking a lot slimmer. He wouldn't fall for the same tricks twice.
"That was not our only concern," Terrador continued. "While the situation itself is unique, as are all cases of magical interference on a being, there are some worries that our studies have shown. The fault for these lie not with him, but it leaves us wary."
"What do you mean?"
"For a plethora of factors, his life even before he became that beast was unsuitable for a dragon. Your childhood, by contrast, was almost the best that any could ask for. Had I one complaint, it was the lack of teachings on custom and decorum, but when it comes to what makes for a good childhood, that is the absolute last thing required. His childhood lacked what we would consider good role models, and it lacked love... There were so many things wrong with his childhood that, if his worldview is skewed and he is unable to ever understand common morality, it is not a surprise.
"But that puts everyone near him in danger. If he cannot understand the reasons why something is done—why a law exists—he cannot honor its spirit even if he must warp the letter. And if he sees one from whom he should be learning bend a law for that reason, he might come to the wrong conclusion that it is right to ignore a law, making us seem contrary and backwards."
Terrador saw the muscles in Cynder's neck tense, but continued on. She had to know both why it was necessary to be cautious around this young dragon, as well as why they needed to help him. "And even should that trapped path be navigated perfectly, he was not in the best position to see and understand just what that ritual was meant to do or what it did. They are two very different things. There might be magical or biological triggers that will force him to act in a manner that he does not desire, to strike or even kill one that he cares deeply for.
"And yet, I must restate, none of these things are his fault. We must be aware of these factors, prepare for them, but if we want him to be as an ally or, dare I say it, a friend, we must acknowledge and move past these things."
Had he been anywhere else, under any other extremely odd circumstances like he was now, Spyro would have left for the hills. He had actually found a cozy little cave overlooking a picturesque glade. He went there when the loops went out of control or he didn't want to be bothered.
So why did Spyro stay at the temple when, in this loop, he and Cynder had switched places? The answer was simple: he wanted to understand Cynder. While it was rare for her to depressed by her past, it still happened. Spyro would always try to help comfort her, but he didn't know how. However, now he could learn exactly how she felt. He could understand what his lover had been through, and know how to comfort her.
Spyro sat now on a balcony at the Dragon Temple, staring at the moons. He recognized their phase and duly realized that the temple was supposed to be raided soon. He turned his gaze from the sky to the forest, recognizing the exact path Cynder would take in the baseline. Letting out sigh a solemn, he rested his chin on the guardrail, slowly blinking. He could understand why she would run in the first place.
He had never realized just how much Cynder—and now him—was resented by the guardians. It was not that they insulted him or cursed his name. It was the little things. It was the way Terrador's body would tense when Spyro walked behind him, as if expecting a stab in the back. The way that Volteer would eye him up and down, humming as he studied Spyro, making him feel more like a specimen and not a living creature. There was the way that Cyril let out a little forced bow whenever Spyro left, and the way that Ignitus would flinch when Spyro called out to him, and look down at him with pity and failure in his eyes.
Their resentment and fear wasn't vocal or active, but it was there. Every moment of every day. Spyro picked up his head and gently batted his snout with his paw, distracting his mind from his weakening resolve. It would be so much easier to just leave, and maybe convince Cynder to come with him.
That is, if she would even give him the time of day. She was more vocal in her resentment, questioning his every attempt at friendship. He could barely watch her train without receiving a critical eye from her. Although she had recently lightened up, it seemed like she still remembered fighting against him quite vividly.
Spyro sighed. It was almost as lonely as when he had started looping, but this time, all the friends he knew and had looped with were asleep, and he was being ostracized instead of taught. On second thought, it was more lonely than when he had started looping.
And who could blame them. He had gone through his in-loop memories over and over again and could see himself killing, feel himself killing, and even remember the exhilaration of the blood on his fangs. In-loop memories normally never affected him so. From what he understood, traumatic in-loop memories never affected loopers as much as actually experiencing them.
Not so with these memories.
Spyro could almost perfectly feel the sensations of these memories. He had to chalk it up to how close he was with Cynder. He groaned as the unwelcome memories entered his head, as they did randomly throughout the day. This was one of Spyro personally ruining the temple and fighting the guardians.
The destruction was massive. He tore down hallways in order to kill his mentors, the guardians, his enemies. But through the destruction of his home, through the sounds of his teachers crying out in pain and the sight of their blood on his claws, Spyro smiled. He felt a wild adrenaline-filled euphoria cover him as a smile split his face and he began to delve into the memory. He remembered what it felt like to be so powerful. It filled his veins with adrenaline and caused his senses to sharpen. The memory, the traces of that lost power, they felt amazing…
Spyro immediately bit himself, sinking his fangs so deep into his paw his gums pressed against the scales. He jerked his head back, spitting the blood over the balcony. Sighing, he pulled out a simple bandage from his subspace pocket and applied it to the injured paw. As he was doing so, he counted the other bite-marks on his paws that had been made in the same fashion for the same reason. He had lost count of the scars now. Staring at them, he sighed again.
He could pick out a darkened path in the mushroom forest, one that he knew well. He would run down it often, since it was the path Cynder would run in the baseline. It would be easy to leave the temple behind. Leave behind Cynder's attitude, despite how much he still longed for her comfort, leave behind Ignitus's pity, Volteer's fascination, Cyril's forced courtesy, and Terrador's fear of attack. All he had to do was run.
He lifted his head, looking up to the two moons in the sky. Maybe it was because he was more connected to the one who had experienced these memories originally... Shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts as far back as they would go. Regardless, Spyro clutched his head, closing his eyes as tightly as he could. No mattered how hard he tried, the memories refused to subside.
'Is this what it's like for Cynder? Even when the events are far gone now in the loops?' Spyro took a deep breath, rubbing his temples. 'I think I'm starting to understand why Cynder still dwelled on it, even with my attempts to make things easy on her. Hopefully, pushing through this loop will finally allow me to comfort her properly…'
Running away came to mind again. That peaceful little cave and the picturesque glade...
'But how can I run from the memories?' Spyro thought to himself. 'I can't. But I can still leave behind part of my issue.'
He cast a second long glance over his shoulder, knowing the 'issues' he would leave behind were also his friends and teachers. He turned his head back to the moons with a sigh, drumming his claws against the stone in his restless thoughts.
"What are you thinking about?" Spyro's head perked at the familiar feminine tone.
"Nothing much," he said as Cynder walked up and stood beside him.
Spyro let his thoughts derail, wanting to just enjoy the simple pleasure of having Cynder stand by his side. An awkward silence fell between the two of them. Spyro could easily feel Cynder squirming with discomfort. Her paws shuffled across the ground and she let out small huffs of air. Her tail tapped against the stone insistently. He continued to stare at the night sky and, after a few minutes of her tapping and moving, Cynder spoke up.
"Look, I may have been kinda harsh on you since you got here…" she said. "And I wanna say I'm sorry. See, I was learning about magic earlier today, and I finally learned what happened to you. You didn't do anything bad. The Dark Master screwed your mind beyond sanity, then put in his own little mind that he could control. So, I guess I have kinda been giving you crap for nothing. Sooo... Sorry."
With that, Cynder turned and left, leaving Spyro confused. She was asking forgiveness? After what he had done? He was the one that should be begging forgiveness, groveling at her feet and offering his life to repay—
'Oh,' Spyro thought to himself as he realized how Cynder felt. He had heard her explain it a few times, but actually experiencing the feeling made him understand. His eyes went wide before he quickly closed them, his lips somehow stuck halfway between a smile and a frown.
He turned, in hopes of saying something to Cynder, but she had already left. Spyro looked back to the moons and sighed. If he was correct, Cynder would have been running away in the baseline at that very moment. There was only one thing to do if he wanted to know everything Cynder felt: relive the baseline in her position.
Looking around and making sure he spotted a yellow glowing light, Spyro leapt off the balcony and hit the ground with a firm thump. He began to run, not to his picturesque glade in the mountains, but to somewhere else entirely.
'Where do I find those Scavengers?'
(A/N: Not much to say here, really. More arcs and some silliness finally starting to raise its head in the Legendverse. I was debating whether or not it was still too early for shenanigans like Sparx messing with possessed Cynder, but I decided to just go ahead and write it.
A lot of the sillier stuff I have planned for the Legendverse is still a ways away, and I won't lie when I say I'm getting a bit tired of waiting for the appropriate character development to happen so it doesn't feel too forced or out-of-character. True, a lot of loop compilations have the characters messing with each other from the start, but Legend is a bit of special case, considering all he's gone through. With how close he is to everyone in his loop, he'd be more inclined to scowl at anyone who pulls a prank on them than prank them himself.
True, we could just have Classic handle that, but... Let's just say there are special reasons we're keeping him out of the pure Legendverse baseline for now.
Anyways, like always, remember to leave a review because it really helps us out, and if you have your own snip you'd like to submit to the compilation, make sure to check out the official FF.N Forum.
Loops:
29.1: The joys of being part of an infinitely spawning mook horde.
29.2: If it's any consolation, a purple dragon that's slightly peeved at her is still better than a psychopath that brainwashed her.
29.3: Sparx has clearly got this. You're just paranoid, Iggy.
29.4: To be fair, no one likes getting sick.
29.5: Insert Mega Man 'level selected' jingle here.
29.6: This...is kind of filler. I was thinking of adding the battle to this snip, but I didn't want the chapter going on for another 5,000-plus words.
29.7: What? No tip?
29.8: I know nothing of Red VS Blue. Just putting this out there right now. If there are any loop writers who have a major problem with this snip, please take it up with the writer. Don't shoot the compiler, please. D:
29.9: I'm still surprised that I didn't think of this one myself.
29.10: It's always a weird thing seeing things from the other perspective. )
