CHAPTER FORTY-THREE: Charming

"So let me get this straight: your princess has been kidnapped by a cat, forced to marry the evil cat prince. And his army of evil cat-wizards has taken over the Ridge to keep you guys from finding and rescuing her."

"Oui," Liz nodded, a pleading look in her sparkling fairy eyes. "Will you 'elp us, Spyro? Please?"

Of course he would. At this point, there was no not helping people. Being the conquering hero in times of baddie-related crisis was his life calling. Spyro's only hesitation was declaring war on a race that just a few hours ago, he was freezing and pushing into hockey goals for fun.

And so, after the customary whining from Sparx about how their quests got more and more ridiculous by the day, our heroes began their adventures of the Charmed Ridge.

At first, Spyro didn't see the danger of the situation. They were cats, how much trouble could they cause? But as he walked through the Charmed Ridge, Spyro began to notice a plethora of similarities. It was a warm place, covered in a gentle breeze that was likely once a superfly enchantment for the local dragonlets (since walking from place to place was IMPOSSIBLE), but with a light sensation of magic in the air. The atmosphere spoke to the Magic Crafters, even if the local fae and bright colors suggested a Dream Weaver history.

But it wasn't just the atmosphere the Ridge had borrowed from the dragons, but also the ancient ways of the Crafters magic. Spyro just didn't put the pieces together until he had to push past a giant blockade chess piece to reach a set of stairs that flattened into a slide every few seconds. It was the druids of Alpine Ridge crossed with the evil armor sets of the Haunted Towers, a magical combination Spyro could only picture in his worst recurring nightmares.

After finally clearing the treacherous stairs (and putting up to the shrieking laughter of the cat-wizards, sat on a peak high above the paths and out of Spyro's flightless reach), the Artisan came across a familiar face in the mess of green-garbed fairies that called the Ridge home. "Hey, Zoe! You gonna put on a French accent and whine about this Prince Azrael guy, too?"

"Sorry, Spyro, I'm as lost as you are," Zoe laughed. "We haven't had contact with the Forgotten Worlds in a thousand years, either. The fairies split into two camps and half of them left with the dragons. You can tell what team my ancestors were on."

"Yeah, those stories about the dragons living here? I buy them now," Spyro groaned, taking a moment to stretch his back paws, which twisted a bit in his scurry up the stairs. "I just don't get where everyone can pick up all this dragon magic: first it was Gnasty and those druids, and now it's the Sorceress and these cat-wizards."

"Dragons aren't the only ones who can use magic, Spyro. They just have to be around for it to work right. Anyone with a little know-how and the right dragon tomes can pick it up, really." She nervously looked over to a nearby pond, where a cat-wizard had constructed an enormous pillar and was using it to tear up a mountainside. "I've been talking with Liz and Eileen. I guess the reason the cat-wizards are here is because Felinia's magic finally dried up not too long before the Year of the Dragon, so they need the fairies and Charmed Ridge to keep practicing."

"Well, they're not making a great first impression by kidnapping the princess." Spyro yelped as the taunting cat-wizards shot a fireball straight into his hide - not enough to hurt, just to rub in that they were out of his reach. "Or being really annoying instead of coming down and fighting!"

"You know, Spyro, they're not the only trace of dragon magic in Charmed Ridge," Zoe teased.

"Do tell."

"There's a superflame power-up just around the corner. Think that would help you clear those guys out?"

Spyro bowed. "Lead the way, milady."

oo00oo00oo

Yes, the Charmed Ridge was a world of magic and wonder, with their giant golden geese and instagrow mushrooms making things wild enough without the addition of the all-powerful cat-wizards and their fairy princess-napping prince. Clearly, this was a land of the ancient Dream Weavers, where strictness and order could never exist.

Which is why it was such a surprise to run across Sergeant Byrd as they searched the Ridge for the missing princess. "Atten-hut, soldier!" Spyro called out, greeting the soldier-penguin with a playful jab.

Byrd gave a nervous squawk, but regained composure and faced Spyro with a solid salute. "Salutations, Spyro! I, er...wasn't expecting to run across you here. I-I mean, I was, just, er...n-not so soon, or-"

"You're stuttering," Spyro noted with a laugh. "Should I be worried?"

"Absolutely not, I have everything under control," Byrd harshly assured. "How goes the search for the dragon eggs?"

"Sidetracked by a missing princess and a bunch of angry cat-wizards. What are you doing here?"

"Can't a penguin have business to take care of in the Ridge?" Byrd accused. "I'll have you know that most of my hummingbird soldiers originate from here; I happen to have a lot of personal ties to the area. Since we were in the Lake, I didn't see any issue in stopping by to say hello to a friend."

"A friend?" Spyro asked, raising an eyebrow.

Byrd's flustered face returned as he had to right his posture. "Yes, an old, dear friend; nothing more."

"Is it a girl friend?"

"She's female, if that's what you're getting at."

Still, Sparx took the opportunity to 'oooh' playfully. "Really, Byrd?" Spyro laughed. "Ditching the mission to go out with a girl? Never pinned you as the goof-off type."

"First off, dragon, I assure you this, er...relationship is completely platonic, of course!" Steering the topic away from his "friend" before it complicated, he then pointed out, "Besides, I do believe last we encountered, you and Hunter were exploring the Enchanted Towers skate park. If you're entitled to a bit of free time, then so am I."

"Have you seen Hunter? I've been looking for him all day."

"Negative." Byrd ended abruptly with a salute before turning on his flippers. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have matters to attend to. Soldiers must always respond to meetings with the utmost punctuality."

"You just don't wanna keep your girlfriend waiting," Sparx laughed.

"Tell her we said hi, Byrd! Don't get too gross, okay?" Spyro added, running off to return to his quest for the missing princess.

oo00oo00oo

Byrd breathed a sigh of relief as he entered the old Charmed Temple. Getting Spyro off his back proved to be a bit more nerve-wracking than he expected. (Though as they established earlier, the dragon was still just a child. He would understand the importance of women later.)

For now, though, the sergeant had an important date to keep. Namely, a date with an old flame from his days in the hummingbird corps. (Even if the cat-wizards outside did mean he was running a bit late.) "Isabelle, darling?"

"There you are, James!" Isabelle floated down to meet the penguin, a scowl painted onto her delicate fairy face. "Vhere have you been? We were supposed to meet an hour ago!"

"My apologies, Isabelle, but you know how-"

"Ah-ah-ah! Don't you give me zat 'matters of national security' line again! You're a sergeant of ze hummingbirds, you should be more punctual than zat." She sighed, straightening her skirt. "Oh, vell. It doesn't matter anyway. Those felinian vitches took over ze temple, so I guess we'll just have to call it off."

"Call it off?" Byrd had first laid eyes on Isabelle during the hummingbirds induction ceremony; it was their first date, first kiss...and he was going to allow such a beautiful institution of the Charmed Ridge fae to be destroyed by cat-witches?

"Not a chance, Isabelle. You and your pretty little wings sit tight; I'll take care of those blasted cat-witches."

"No, James, stop, don't," Isabelle called out flatly, fussing over her nails.

It had been years since Byrd's days in the corps, so quite some time since Isabelle was actually impressed by the penguin's military might. He had full intent of impressing her before he left the Ridge. Taking to the air, he rushed into the main chamber of the temple, where a swarm of cat-witches cackled from up above as they circled around, firing magical blasts around and shattering the temple walls.

A few well-placed rockets later, and the witches were no more. "How'd you like them apples, Isabelle?" Byrd called down to his awaiting fairy.

"I's a good thing your accuracy is better than your punctuality!"

Byrd rolled his eyes. Women.

A sharp cackle rang out from the back halls, and the sergeant had to dive-bomb the exits as another hail of witches started to pour out, unloading shot after shot into the abyss to hold back their swarm. The laughter quieted after a bit, leading the soldier to believe he had gotten them all-

"JAMES! Look out!"

With a squawk, Byrd looked up. More cat-witches had appeared, shattering the gorgeous rosette windows to break in, holding huge vats of ooze. It was a deadly substance, left over from the draconic ages. It was an electric blue, but it burned like acid; once you sank into it, there was zero hope of crawling out alive.

Reacting as quickly as he could, Byrd fired off at the witches, knocking them off of their brooms and forcing them to drop their evil ooze, taking a blast of magic to the wing when he slid a bit too close to one and having to flap extra-hard to avoid spilling into any of the ooze-puddles that were already dropped. With the witches dismissed, the penguin rushed in, catching the vats as smoothly as his flippers would allow and tossing them back outside. The witches caused enough damage between blasting the walls to death and shattering the elaborate stained glass; he had to do what he could to save the rest of their beloved temple.

With the witch-threat cleared out, Byrd and his burning wing carefully lowered down into a relatively-undamaged area of the old temple, still standing after the onslaught, if only barely. "James!" Her annoyance turned to concern, Isabelle rushed out from her hiding place in the corridors to tend to her penguin. "That last attack looked like it hurt. Are you okay?"

"Nothing a tough soldier like me can't handle," Byrd smiled playfully.

Isabelle smiled back, kneeling to his level before giving him a kiss. "My goodness, James, I haven't seen sharpshooting like that from you since you started ze Hummingbird Rezistance Movement. I knew those new rocket-launchers of yours weren't jus' for show."

"All part of the job, my dear Isabelle. I'm just sorry I couldn't save more of the temple."

Isabelle scoffed with a flick of her hand. "Ze temple can be repaired. You are forgetting ze most important part, James."

"Am I now?"

"Ze point is, we have it all to ourzelves now. And hour late or not, you still promised me a date."

oo00oo00oo

"Alright, cat-boy! The jig is up! Time...to...huh?"

Spyro and Sparx did a double-take as they finally broke past the castle gates, where the cat-wizards were holding the princess "hostage". Rather than the epic battle to rescue the damsel that they were expecting, Princess Ami and Prince Azrael were loading up a motorcycle, exchanging delicate kisses and nuzzles as they worked.

"Uh...Princess Ami?" Spyro interrupted, catching both of their attentions. "I'm, uh...here to rescue you?"

"Oh, hello," Ami answered hushedly, tending to Spyro while Azrael finished their preparations. "You must be the dragon I've been hearing so much about. Nice to meet you! Anyway, don't worry, I won't be needing rescue anytime soon. Sorry for the confusion!"

"So...you weren't kidnapped?"

The princess gave an airy giggle. "No, no, not at all." She gave a longing look back to the cat-prince. "Unless you count the way Azrael stole my heart." (The dragon bit back the urge to gag.) "We're in love, but since Charmed Ridge and Felinia are at war over this whole magic nonsense, we're going to elope!"

She eyed about for any of the cat-wizards, and pulled out a dragon egg once she failed to find any. "You're looking for these, right? The Sorceress told the cat-wizards to guard it, but Azrael says you can have it." She handed it off with a wink. "IF you don't tell anybody where we've gone, that is."

With an excited giggle, Ami jumped on the back of Azrael's bike, just as the cat-prince revved it up. "Thanks, dragon! Tah-tah!" With a mighty roar of the magic bike's engine, the two soared off into the Charmed Ridge sunset.

They picked up a few dragon eggs and saw a young couple off to their happily ever after. Mission technically accomplished, right?

Until FFN finally gives us this copy-protection disabler, I'm officially abandoning my sig and disclaimers for the rest of the story, but for legal reasons, know that they do still apply to these last few chapters. Y'know, if anyone cares to know I'm not trying to steal Spyro with my fanfiction. XD

Speaking of chapters, we're back to normal length again! I decided to just give Charmed Ridge its own chapter rather than try to shoehorn in a bunch of other stuff and make this chapter stupid-longer than it needs to be. Besides, who doesn't love this level if you ignore that god-awful part with the chess piece and that stupid mini-game for the golden goose? :D;

So tune in next week, when all the other stuff happens! Hope you enjoyed, guys, thanks for reading!