Spyro: Dawn of Light

Part 2, Chapter 16


"FLAME MOVE YOUR ASS!"

"OW!"

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Flame barrel-rolled to the side just in time to avoid Plazyma's lightning breath. The Dreadwing assaulting the red dragon shrieked and fell, carrying its rider with it into the fog below and whatever lay there to claim them. On a nearby rock spire Ignitus and Cynder sat and watched the other young dragons combat the swarm of enemies trying to invade Tall Plains. Cynder just sat staring at them. As wise as he was, Ignitus couldn't tell what was going on in her head. "You used to do this a lot with Spyro."

"I did?" she asked, the mention of his name making her eyes seek him out and track the purple dragon's movements.

"Indeed. You and Spyro were probably the strongest of the group together."

"...I think I remember a little bit..." She looked down at the edge of the spire sadly, then up at him. "Aren't you going to go help them?"

He smiled wryly. "Nice try. They don't need our help, they're capable on their own though they are a bit rusty from inactivity." He folded his wing around her. "I'm not letting you out of my sight."

She scowled, then sighed and leaned against his foreleg. "Daddy..."

She's having another delirium swing... he thought to himself as she closed her eyes and slowly slumped to the ground in slumber. He sighed and watched the others, noting how Neves and Shimmer stayed side-by-side.

Spyro rolled to one side, then another, dodging arrows from a Dreadwing's mount. Spinning past he flung his paw out, catching the ape's bowstring and yanking the weapon from its grasp. The armored primate went to draw its sword, but Spyro looped around tightly, spinning vertically and bringing his earth-hardened tail down on its helmet. Stunned, it slipped sideways off the saddle and fell into the fog-covered doom below. The Dreadwing wheeled around, dodging a swipe to the face. "Crap I missed!" Spyro hissed under his breath, not a second before the thing bellowed, knocking him back with a high-pitched pressure blast. Spyro was sent out of control briefly; as he pulled up he spotted Ignitus and... "CYNDER NO!" He zapped forward and caught her just before she crept over the spire edge. Ignitus looked down in shock as the purple dragon hoisted her back up.

"Faking your own delusions now? Cynder, do we need to lock you up in that room again?"

"No..." she whimpered, shying against his side away from Spyro.

"Then enough with the suicide attempts."

Spyro sat there watching her, feeling very hurt, but a cry from Shimmer redirected his attention to the task at hand. Up in the cloud a few air golems had materialized and were pitting their strength against Caelos' whirlwinds, the wind dragon caught against three foes while the Dreadwings kept the others occupied. Spyro raced up, enveloping himself in fire and shooting past Shimmer and Neves, knocking out the foe they were doubleteaming against. "GO HELP CAELOS!" he shouted looping around for another strike as the Dreadwing righted itself. Nearby, Flame breathed fire all over two Dreadwings and their mounts, forming bubbles of suspended fire energy around them. He dodged a sword strike right into the path of another, yelping as it cut across his back. Plazyma held out her paws towards the Dreadwings, electricity streaming from her mouth down her forelegs and pooling around her paws. At Flame's cry of pain she flicked her toes, huge arcs of lightning leaping forward and striking the flying creatures, the energy disruption causing Flame's fire bubbles to burst in fiery explosions. She zapped down and caught Flame before one of the falling fireballs carried him with itself.

"That's one I've never seen before," she said, watching the fog part briefly around the flaming bodies. "You okay?"

"It wasn't a deep cut..." he hissed through his teeth. His back stung against her chest as she held him.

Looking around she noticed that Spyro had the other Dreadwings and apes distracted. "Well, guess we're done here, get over to Ignitus."

"I can't fly..."

With a heavy sigh of frustration she flew him over to the fire guardian. Up in the clouds Neves and Shimmer spiraled around gusts of wind, Caelos using the drafts from the golem strikes to propel them and help them dodge. Handling three at once though going at full power was taking a heavy toll on him, he was already exhausted from the multitasking.

"I can't freeze them!" Neves growled, another of his ice attacks getting blown away. Caelos roared, a huge plume of spiraling air sucking up the golems and crushing them together under intense air pressure. Shimmer yelped as it sucked her in too. "AGH!" Caelos stopped immediately, the spot of air pressure rushing outwards and sending them all hurtling backwards. The combined lump of water, ice and atmospheric particles shivered and rumbled, flying apart again and forming into a supergolem, the air around them howling like a tornado. Before they could react it had them caught in a vortex, spinning them around violently.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHIIII FEEEL SIIIIIICK!" Shimmer screamed.

Down below, Spyro was finishing off the last Dreadwing when he felt a huge shift in air pressure; looking up he saw the huge air golem binding his friends in a crosswind too strong for them to escape from. The distraction however gave the ape he was dueling enough time to draw its sword and catch him with the draw, his horn catching the blade but the force throwing him off enough for the Dreadwing to grab with its claws. "Ah crap..." he grumbled, grimacing as it shrieked in his face. He blasted it with electricity, freeing himself long enough to slip into his time powers, darting around the frozen winged beast. He froze its wings and tail, then backed off as he felt his limit approaching. It was rather comical to watch the Dreadwing and its rider look about in utter confusion and fear as they fell through the fog, unable to move. Panting, he glanced up at the fight above just in time to watch an icy explosion settle the dispute, a shower if frozen shards falling like a waterfall into the fog and out of sight. Neves and Caelos reappeared from the growing cloud cover, Neves carrying a rather sick-looking Shimmer. "What happened up there?" he asked, following them back to Ignitus.

"Er...well...we needed water or something to get sucked up in the golem's body so I could freeze it and..." Shimmer burped a bit and clutched her stomach with a pathetic whine. Spyro's face contorted.

"...Ew."

"Yeah. In battle, you use whatever cards you're dealt..." Neves looked a little queasy himself so Spyro decided not to have them talk anymore until they were feeling better. Caelos again seemed to be avoiding Shimmer, even when his help was needed to carry her back to the Atllawa village so Flame could be patched up and the others could rest before the flight home. As they were relaxing in the sunlight poking through the gathering stormclouds, Ignitus wandered out by himself, overlooking the village. They were still recovering from the Elite attack Spyro had helped repel, most of the crops had been destroyed. Sitting atop a cliff by a waterfall he watched Spyro, exhausted as he was from the battle and from inexperience with his time powers, wandering amid the fields and using his earth power to help the crops grow a little more.

~He should be to the point where he can summon a storm, should he not?~

The old fire dragon sighed and flicked his tail, then shrugged with his wings and turned around to walk into the forest. Watching a few quetzal-like birds weave between the branches, their long streamer tailfeathers curling like dancer ribbons, he came to a clearing and sat down again, closing his eyes and sunning himself with outspread wings. "Sometimes I wonder, really. But we shouldn't push him too hard."

~Agreed. Pushing youth too hard can have irreversible effects on the psyche. Still, you should give him a power goal to strive towards instead of using Cynder as a sole basis. A storm is more easily calculable in terms of goal strength to achieve.~

"I realize that. And I will present them with the idea soon. Are the preparations ready for their training?"

~They have been ready for over two ages, primed for the advent of this veil of darkness rearing its head.~

Ignitus sighed. "As much as they need to...I don't know why but I hesitate." Looking over his shoulder at the path he'd trod through the trees, he fell quiet briefly. "Is it..."

~Your desire to be a father? Perhaps, and most likely. But the path you've chosen is itself as noble as parenthood. They are your children essentially, especially since most of them have no family. But, the time has come for you to let them go. Sometimes, the time to let them go and be on their own is also the most dangerous time of their lives, but you can't teach them life for them, they must find everything out on their own.~

"I realize this, but..."

~Have faith. There is another on your side who has assisted them several times in the recent past and is continuing to do so. He is trustworthy. There are others too working in the background. On both sides. And some of them should not be here.~

The fire dragon's eyes widened. "How do you mean? Explain this to me."

~I cannot do that. I cannot reveal information that may change the course of events already set in motion. All I can do is tell what is, and offer hints, not direct information. But I am allowed to "cheat" a bit, so I will say this. The dark side itself you are fighting has an ulterior source that is not of this plane. Why it has not stricken the world yet, I do not know, it possesses the power to eliminate Spyro with a mere wave of its claws.~

"Is it like yourself, unable to directly interfere?"

~That is but one theory of mine. Possibly the most accurate, but only time will tell. Continue your guidance. And...Ignitus, why are you so tense at hearing mention of me?~

The guardian stiffened a bit. "Has your memory given out?"

A faint chuckle echoed around him, one of warm amusement. ~So you still remember. It is entirely your choice, keep in mind I have offered it to you alone out of many others.~

"I don't want to leave them all..."

~What we want is rarely ever valid against the progression of life. Have faith in your children, in your friends, and in your ability to teach them and protect them. Maybe it won't be enough in itself, but... you're not the only one in this, other influences will keep them going should anything happen. Guide them well and may the ancestors look after you.~

"May they look after us all..." Ignitus mumbled. The whispering voice faded into the soft murmur of the wind in the leaves, carrying the bubbling voice of the nearby creek and the faint myriad of twitters from the forest birds. Looking around at the nature around him he stretched out his wings again, using the very tip of one to softly caress a sleeping rodent on a branch. It looked up at him in alarm, then stretched and curled up again in another position. "To sleep like this in oblivion of the surrounding world...how I miss those days."

The flight back to the temple was quiet and tense, with Cynder having to ride on Ignitus' back so she wouldn't try something. When they got back he took her down to the basement for Rivyera to talk to her while the others sparred against animated dummies in the dojo. Instead of hanging around Spyro, Sparx kept himself occupied by patrolling the Temple and the surrounding grounds. Whatever that glowing thing was, the dragonfly couldn't stop thinking about it. Flitting precariously around spider webs, the glowing bug eventually gave up the day's search and flew into the bedroom where the young dragons slept, perching on a root sticking out of the ceiling and waiting for Spyro to come back in. He didn't have to wait long; the door rolled open a few minutes later, Shimmer, Spyro and Plazyma limping in. Sparx immediately flew over and perched on Spyro's left horn.

"Owww...that was harsh..." Shimmer grumbled, heading over to the small stone table by her bed. She started working on a lotion for their sore muscles, crushing leaves and mixing some stuff in a small bowl.

"Hopefully Rivyera can talk some sense into that blockhead," Plazyma huffed, hopping up onto her bed and laying down with her paws tucked under her chest. "Ignitus sure seemed tense on the way back here."

Spyro sighed and looked out the window. "I hope she'll be okay..."

Caelos came in quietly, playfully giving Plazyma a soft swat on the shoulder with his tail as he passed her bed. Shimmer glanced up at the sound. "Hey Caelos, you look sore." He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Don't give me that, your body language is like a book now. Is something wrong?" He looked over his shoulder back at the doorway. "Oh...it's Neves isn't it?" He nodded and she sighed deeply, shaking her head.

"Something wrong with the ass again?" Plazyma asked. Flame stopped in his tracks as he entered the room, pausing at her remark. "Not you, hothead, the coldheart, the other ass."

"Wonder what's wrong this time..." Spyro grumbled, turning from the window and heading back out into the dojo to find Neves staring out the open doorway to the balcony. "Hey Neves, you okay after all that?"

"Sure. Fine."

"You don't sound it."

The others walked into the room, all curious as to what might be on his mind. Before Neves could answer though, the far door rolled open and Cynder wandered into the room. "Hey Cynder...feeling any better?" Neves asked as she approached. She giggled and nodded.

"The water dragoness let me warm one of the eggs!"

The ice dragon's tail and wings stiffened, a slight scowl appearing on his face. "Oh, really..."

Cynder squealed and skipped around Spyro, flicking him with her tail. "IcantwaitIcantwaitIcantwait!" she chanted, making him laugh. "Oohhh I wanna see them! I can't wait until they hatch!" She glanced over at Neves and shot him a huge smile. "You're so lucky! You get to have cute little baby siblings!"

Shimmer smiled too, but when she looked at Neves her smile faded. "Something wrong?"

He just shrugged, then stood up and turned away. "I'm gonna go scout the island for that glowing object again, I'll be back soon."

"Wait Nev-" Shimmer said, but he sprinted off to the balcony and disappeared. She sat there with her paw held out, falling from a stopping gesture to a limp, confused position as she stared at the door.

"What's up his butt?" Plazyma scoffed. "What's he got to be upset about? I'd be grateful to have siblings." They all turned to her in surprise. She just cocked an eyebrow. "What's your problem?"

Flame sighed. "I think he's jealous and upset; ever since Rivyera laid, she and Nightshade have been in hiding."

Shimmer rubbed her foreleg, staring at the floor. "I wish he'd stop taking everything so personal..." Spyro nuzzled her comfortingly, getting a returning purr.

Neves landed on the island shore and folded his wings against his sides, grumbling to himself. Looking out at the sea he sighed, remembering his mother teaching him how to swim, his father always hovering nearby worriedly in case he started drowning... how he longed for those days again, when it was just him and them, none of this training day in and day out, guardian this, guardian that... He laid down on the thin sandy bar and lay his head on his paws, the water lapping at his toepads and the little beard-like tuft of scales on his chin. "Why...OW!" He yelped and shot up, looking around and spotting a small berry rolling away from him into the water. Feeling the juice dripping down the side of his head he turned in that direction, ears attentive. Something made a very faint rustle. In a flash he was on it, hunkered low to the ground like a cat, stalking forward. Something white darted just out of sight. Neves gave pursuit, always just seeing a flash of white disappear around a mushroom or a rocky outcrop. He chased it up to the "cliff" overlooking the sea, then lost sight of it near the boulder off to the side. Walking around the boulder he paused...where had it gone? Shrugging to himself he turned back to the shore, but then looked back over his shoulder at the boulder. "Shimmer..." His mind rolled back to that night a year ago where he had somewhat proposed to her and she had wholeheartedly accepted, the two of them perched atop that boulder. And again, not too long ago, he had meticulously prepared her favorite dish and hidden it behind that boulder to present to her as a little snack for a date. "Shimmer..." he said to himself again, looking up at the Temple and remembering her words to him just before he'd left. Turning around once more he sat at the cliff edge, watching the sunlight dance off the waves, some gulls in the distance circling as they rode the thermals. "I just don't know...my parents don't care about me much anymore, they'd rather be with each other and their new eggs...they've replaced me..."

"You're never replaced."

The ice dragon jumped and whirled around, looking for the voice's source. "Who's there?"

"Why do you think you're replaced?" It seemed to come from one of the tallest mushrooms not too far off. Neves crept up to it silently. "At peace, dragon. I'm on your side, although I do not wish to be seen. You won't be able to catch me anyway, so waste not the effort."

"How can I trust you?"

"How can you trust anyone, indeed? Even your friends?" Neves cocked his head at this, confused. "You can't even trust your own parents, it sounds like."

He sighed. "Sometimes I wonder..."

"Don't wonder. Just trust. Have faith. Just like I'm asking you to right now. Sometimes, when you need proof the most, you will be denied it, so it is best to go by what your heart says, not your mind or your reason."

As tempted as he was to peek up and see who it was, Neves somehow felt he could trust this voice. It was a male voice, probably a few years older than himself, but it also sounded weary and a tad lonely. "But how can I trust my parents when they've replaced me?"

"Why do you think they replaced you?"

"They have eggs now...three of them. And mom has always been wanting kids..."

"Didn't you do the 'replacing' before them?"

Neves felt affronted, a growl escaping his mouth. "How?"

"You replaced your parents, who love you, with new friends about three years ago. Have you stopped to think of it from that angle? You could have spent time with your parents instead, but you chose to spend it with your friends."

"I-...uh..." Neves fumbled. "It's not the same..."

"It is, and you know it. Allow me to offer another change of perspective. You are growing older and more mature, and soon you'll be out in the world, 'replacing' them with Shimmer and an eventual family. Your parents too are growing older, and because you're going to be leaving them soon, they still wish to have kids to raise. They would be lonely without you wouldn't they?"

"Well...I...I guess, maybe..."

A faint chuckle came from the mushroom's occupant. "But, we're focusing on a slightly erred angle of this perspective. Your parents love you and always will. You are their child and nothing can ever change that. But, as you age, you draw farther from them, and one day you'll have your own family, and then you won't have much time for your parents at all. They're filling that gap. Replacing you would mean that they stop loving you, that you cease being their son. Wouldn't it, if you think about it logically? They want to continue having someone around to love and care for."

Neves couldn't refute it. "I suppose so...but...why are they always cooped up then? Away from me?"

"Firstly, you have your duties to attend to as the world darkens, therefore, you are away from them. Secondly, you'll find out when you have a family with Shimmer, that's all I can say. You'll have to converse with your mother on that subject. But bear in mind, it has nothing to do with them willingly estranging themselves from you. It pains them to leave you alone, but it's necessary for a short while. You're old enough to handle it, so please do so."

The ice dragon sighed. He didn't want to admit it, but this...voice...was right. Looking back up at the temple briefly he crept closer to the mushroom. "Um...can I ask what your name is?" No reply came, not a breath or a sound. Curious, he fluttered up to the top of the mushroom to find it vacated. Was this thing invisible or...had he already moved? He shook his head and flew back up to the balcony to find Shimmer sunning herself. She looked like she was asleep, laying there on her back with her paws curled up in the air. He stood there looking at her, a slight blush on his face at how cute she was.

Shimmer wasn't really asleep but she was wavering, having been lying there for a while waiting for him. She was daydreaming about having a big family with him, but around the time he landed beside her, her mind let reality take over. Neves wasn't keen on having kids, and in fact he seemed to hate them now because his parents were paying more attention to the eggs than to him. Maybe my dream will never come true...I'll just be mated to him... She suddenly felt a bit cooler and darker; opening her eyes she saw Neves standing over her looking down at her, without his glasses. He lay down atop her, his body warmer than the slightly cloudy sunlight she'd been getting. "Nev?"

He nuzzled her nose and purred to her, folding his wings down around her. "Hey Shimmer...I'm sorry for how I've been acting." He licked her nose softly, making her blush. "Listen...when we're mates...how many kids do you want to have?"

She just stared at him, wondering if this wasn't some dream her mind was fabricating. "Are you feeling okay? Did something get you?"

He just smiled. "Let's just say some sort of muse talked some sense into me." He hugged her and sighed. "I'm truly sorry Shimmer...I've been such an ass lately when I shouldn't have been. I was only focusing on the fact that mom and dad have been secluded, not the real reason why...I shouldn't have snapped earlier or been so cold, especially to you..."

She wrapped her legs around him and squeezed him tightly with a giggle. "Love you Neves, you're so sweet." Pushing him back a bit she licked his nose and smirked. "I'm thinking...8?"

He tilted his head and laughed a bit. "I was almost thinking 9."

They both laughed and rolled to the side as Shimmer started playfully wrestling with him. From the garden walkway and atop the temple, Flame and Spyro respectively were watching them, both feeling an intense heartache. Flame sighed and turned around, then meeped when he bumped into Cynder. "Hey Flame..."

"Something wrong?"

She rubbed against him, looking very sad. "I feel like I don't belong here..."

"Why's that? You were happy for Neves like, half an hour ago."

"But he looked so mean and upset...because of what I said..."

Spyro fought back tears as he watched Flame hug Cynder. Paws walking up behind made him turn around to see Ember walking up to him, looking sad as well with a message in her mouth. "Ember? What're you doing here?" he asked, standing up and eyeing her suspiciously. Why did she keep popping up lately? Warfang, the Settlement, now here at the Temple again? As distressed as she looked now he couldn't help but feel wary. She paused, wings folding tight against her sides. "Sorry, I'm just...surprised, I wasn't expecting to see you at all here."

She set the letter down and looked away. "The Warfang elders sent me to run this to the guardians..."

"Everything okay?"

She looked down at the garden to see Flame's back towards her. "No... I feel horrible about what I did to Flame but... Spyro... I do love you and I wanna be your girlfriend, but... I've been such a flip-flopping idiot, I don't think I deserve anyone as good as you or Flame... I'm just gonna go."

"Ember..." She paused when he said her name. "Maybe a relationship isn't a good idea right now for any of us. Wanna just try being friends first since you- well... we got off on that bad start with the rescue mission?"

"Sure..." she whispered shyly, then flew off, face beet-red. Spyro wondered what was going on that would make the normally boisterous and chirpy Ember so skittish and downcast.

~Friends first?~

Spyro sighed and walked down the roof, falling off and gliding into the window to their room. He found Caelos on his bed with a book. "I dunno...what else was I supposed to say?"

~Fight for Cynder maybe?~

"Cynder's moving on...I just don't know anymore."

Caelos shrugged with his wings, turning a page using his air manipulation. ~Then maybe you should move on too, if you feel she is. If one moves, it's not good for the other to stagnate in place waiting for the moving one, or else you'll go all moldy.~

"...That's...uh...an interesting metaphor..." Caelos silently chuckled at the purple dragon's disgust at the thought of mold. "I just...I don't know what to do..." He slowly walked out of the room, Caelos following him with his eyes but otherwise making no further attempt at communication. Spyro wandered into the dojo, glancing up across the room to see Flame and Cynder walking into the Visions room, Cynder blushing a bit and looking away shyly as Flame whispered to her. She wandered off into the library tunnel, leaving him alone. Flame watched her, then sighed, his face falling before he headed into the dojo as well.

"Hey Spyro..."

"Hey..."

The red dragon lay down on the floor. "Can I uh...talk to you?"

"Maybe...I need to talk to you too."

"It's about Ember-"
"It's about Cynder-"

They both paused and stared at each other. Flame cleared his throat. "Did she..."

"Yeah...she told me."

Flame looked away sadly, his wings hugging his sides. "Spyro...will you take care of her for me?"

The purple dragon hesitated, then looked at the floor. "Will you take care of Cynder for me?"

"...Yes..."

"Then I...guess we're done here."

"Yeah...I guess..." Flame glanced up at him nervously. "Spyro I'm so sorry, I've been wanting Cynder for so long too but I...I-I feel like a thief now...even though I didn't do anything..."

"No...it's not you. Cynder's changed... and she prefers you over me now."

Flame watched him carefully, seeing he was depressed and upset about it. "Are you...sure you can give her up like this? I-I mean...I'll take care of her but...I know she means a lot to you..."

"She was never mine in the first place, I have no giving or taking to do... it's her choice, not mine. Are you sure you can give up Ember?"

"...No...but...you just said it. I have no choice in the matter...she's the one who gave up first." Flame stood up slowly, looking ready to just lie down again and give up. "Take care of her..."

"I will..."

With that they both left the room. Unknown to them a pair of dim red eyes was watching them from the mossy shadows at the far end of the room. As Flame headed down to the library, the stone doors rolling shut behind him, Nightshade materialized in the Visions room and made his way down the tunnels to his mate's nesting room. Rivyera looked up and snarled at the moving door, bristling over her clutch. "Calm down, it's me," the dark dragon said softly as he entered. She shook her head and lay down again.

"Sorry, I can't help it."

"I know. Maternal instinct." He curled up around her, smiling as she purred to him and nuzzled his shoulder.

"How are they upstairs?"

"Neves seems to have gotten over himself for now, though I think it best you talk to him soon. Spyro and Flame have..."

"...Given up?" she asked, looking very worried at his pause.

"No...well, yes and no. They've traded girls."

She nodded and yawned, looking down at the three eggs under her wing. "Probably for the best for now."

"Maybe. But Ignitus is worried. This tense peace is about to shatter." He looked down at the eggs too and lay his head on her shoulder, staring at them with half-lidded eyes. "Whatever power placed us here and gave us life, I hope it shields these little ones from the tides about to sweep us up..."

A tiny, almost inaudible chirp answered him from the dark-blue egg. They both chuckled and purred softly. "Soon... All three eggs are healthy this time, Night. Maybe that's a sign...that amid such a creeping shadow, there's still a lot of hope."

"How did Cynder take to your lecture?"

She smiled and nuzzled the eggs softly, laying her wing over them. "Very well. Whatever darkness has her true self isolated, I don't think it completely overshadowed her fondness for children. Her eyes changed somehow as I spoke to her...they seemed a little clearer, more attentive, in the presence of these eggs. Not by much, but it's potential progress."

He lay his wing over hers and softly groomed the back of her neck with his teeth, making her shiver as he got one of her common itchy areas. "Well then, looks like we'll have to send her down here every day for a little while and see if that helps. Any leverage we can get before the storm hits, the better off we'll be."

Rivyera nodded, then paused, her head jerking up as she stared at the door. It swung open quietly and she growled, teeth bared. Volteer's yellow-scaled face peeked in. "Settle down Rivyera it's just me." He came in and sat down at a distance, watching her curl up around her eggs again. "Warfang has sent us another message...the Catacombs underlying the citadel appear to be radiating some sort of power field, they suspect the enemy may be at work but the strength and numbers needed for safety in the tunnels against a possible invasion are somewhat lacking."

Nightshade sighed. "Looks like the kids get another field trip."