Trouble in the Sky, Part 1

Next morning, Spyro, Sparx and Elora rose from their sleep, feeling refreshed and relaxed after the stressful events of yesterday. Aureole had once again helped them sleep with her chanting, ensuring they were well prepared for the day ahead.

"Man, that was a good sleep," Spyro said, stretching.

"That Aureole really knows her stuff," Flash noted, as he and Nina rose.

"Well, she is a Dream... Knitter, Blender, whatever," Sparx replied.

"Weaver," Elora muttered.

"I... I wonder how Cleem and Shabae are doing," Spyro wondered. "I hope Cleem isn't still mad at me."

"I'm sure he's calmed down and that Mom feels better," Elora assured.

"It won't hurt to check up on them," Nina said.

The family left the room and proceeded to the infirmary. They saw Cleem sitting besides Shabae's bed, holding her hand as she slept. It was clear Cleem had only just woken up. Spyro knocked hesitantly.

The elder faun looked up. "Spyro?" To the young Dragon's relief, his foster father no longer seemed bitter towards him. "Did you sleep well?"

"I am truly sorry about what happened to Shabae. You know I would never hurt her..."

"I know you wouldn't, Spyro. I'm sorry I seemed angry at you last night. I was really angry at Ignitus for lying to me."

"He was trying to help," Spyro explained. "But he realises that what he did only made things worse."

"Well, he certainly did that," Cleem huffed.

"Hey, be reasonable, Cleem," Nina admonished. "Don't be too hard on him. He did save our children from harm."

Cleem sighed. "Alright, then." He looked at Spyro again. "I'm grateful to see you and Elora safe and sound again." Sparx cleared his throat, making Cleem chuckle. "I missed you too, Sparx. That time in the mines was rather dull without your constant wise-cracks."

"Well, it is part of my charm," Sparx smiled.

"And your annoyance factor," Elora added.

"Elora," Shabae whispered, her eyes still closed, "be nice to your brother."

"Heh, sorry," Elora smiled. "How are you feeling, Mum?"

"Much better, thanks, sweetie," Shabae said, opening her eyes. "It's so good that we're all together again."

"Indeed," Cleem nodded. "So, Spyro. Elora has told me you've awakened your Elemental Powers. How does it feel being able to breathe fire and ice and all that?"

"Honestly... both exciting, and recently, unnerving," Spyro admitted. "I've learned that there's so much I can do that I never realised. And yet, I don't always have control over them, like how I lost it before."

"Don't worry, son," Flash said. "You'll learn to master your abilities in time. Acknowledging your mistakes and making the choice to do better shows that you're becoming responsible with your powers. We're so proud that you're using them to help the people of Avalar."

"He is right," Cleem agreed. "And in the meantime, you'll always have your family to help you."

Spyro smiled. "Thanks, Dad and Cleem."

After a hasty breakfast, Spyro joined the Guardians in the Portal room, where the Professor were making final preparations.

"Okay, Spyro," Aureole said. "Are you ready to go?"

"Ready as Sparx is to crack jokes," Spyro replied.

"Oi!"

"There's something you should know, Spyro, before you depart," Ignitus added. "While you and Aureole head for Cloud Spires, we're going to liberate the Dragon Temple."

"Oh okay," Spyro said. "But I thought you guys are drained of your magic."

"We've had time to recover some of it. With what we've regained thus far, we should be enough against those Apes," Cyril said. "It takes much more than sapping our strength to keep us Dragons down." He spoke the last words with great pride.

"I'll fighting alongside the Guardians," Sheila said.

"You're not coming with us?" Elora asked.

"Nah, figure the Guardians need my help more," Sheila said. "You lot should be able to handle things without me."

"Okay, well, good luck," Spyro said.

"And you too, young Dragon," Ignitus said.

"Stay back, boys," Flash said, as he and Nina hugged their sons goodbye.

"Oh, we will. As long as no seriously evil monsters come for us again!" Sparx cried.

"Cloud Spires, as you may know, is the home of the Dream Weavers. We believe dreams have significant meaning and can become real with the right approach. As such, be prepared for some... unusual features as a reflection of our oneirology."

"On-ur- what?"

"That's the technical term for the study of dreams."

"Ah!"

Our heroes had arrived on a floating island, high up in the clouds. Aureole had taken a moment to admire the view before explaining what her domain was like.

"You know," Aureole added. "It is good to be home, even if it's only temporary."

"Yeah, it is quite beautiful here," Spyro admired. "It'll be awesome to fly around this place."

"I'm sure it will. But first things first; you need to rendezvous with Sergeant Byrd. He said he'd be here soon."

"Speak the magic words, and I shall appear, my good lady," called a voice. Sergeant Byrd soared into view on a jet-pack.

"Hello there, my friends," he greeted. "How nice to see you again."

"Great to see you again too, Byrd," Spyro smiled.

"Glad you'll be joining us in saving Terrador," Elora said.

"Well, of course. A good soldier never leaves a man behind!" Byrd pounded his chest.

"So, you know where the big guy is?" Sparx asked.

"We have a good idea," Byrd confirmed. "Our intelligence suggests that he is being held captive in the Haunted Towers. They're on the largest island within the vicinity. Unfortunately, the entrance is sealed up tight. It needs Orbs to be opened, but it also has a spell cast that we think only a Riptoc can lift. Any run-of-the-mill specimen would be simple to handle. Alas, that blasted old dinosaur, Ripto, is here as well! That makes our mission more complicated."

"Great! Guess we have to deal with him as well as finding the Orbs," Spyro grunted.

"Exactly," said Byrd. "I think I know where one of the Orbs is; inside Lofty Castle."

"Then that's where we start," Sparx said.

"I'll stay with Aureole," Sapia said. "To keep her safe, if it's okay."

"Your help is welcomed," Aureole smiled, before speaking to Spyro and the others. "May the Ancestors see you safely to your goal. Be careful."

"We will, don't worry," Spyro said. "Byrd, lead on."

They left Sapia and Aureole inside the temple they'd convened in and proceeded outside. Despite the severity of the situation, the group couldn't help but appreciate the beauty of Cloud Spires. The realm looked like something from a dream, with its opulent castle, glowing, oddly shaped plants, and sparkling pools of water.

"Sure is nice up here," Sparx commented.

"Indeed, but be careful, lad. Since the Apes took over, magic has been running low, and nightmares have been plaguing our allies to no end," Byrd explained, before turning to Spyro. "So, Spyro. How does it feel, fighting the good fight?"

"Well," Spyro mumbled. "It's been exciting for the most part, but difficult; and dangerous too. I've seen someone die right in front of me. I've gone into a Fury Surge twice. I've seen my family kidnapped. And I very nearly killed my foster mother. To be honest, I'm starting to wonder if I'm cut out for all this."

"I see," Byrd said. "Must've been hard for you."

"Believe me, you have no idea," Sparx said.

"I'm no stranger to death, lad. Although, I will admit that much of your other experiences are beyond my imagination. Nonetheless, know that you can always count on me for moral support," the penguin comforted. "After all, one of the key things that makes a soldier is loyalty to his men."

Spyro smiled, his heart lifting more. "Thanks, Sarge."

"No need for formalities to a fellow soldier. Byrd will do. Now, let's go."

Byrd led them to what looked like an upward stream of sparks and stepped into it. He rose into the air and then vanished. Spyro, Elora and Sparx followed. It was a curious sensation. Spyro felt energy tickling his body as he rose off his paws. The world twisted and distorted around them in a whirl of colour.

Next thing he knew, he was standing on another floating island and looking up at a vast, beautifully crafted castle that spanned several islands. Several turrets and spirals towered into the sky, where planets shone, and the colours were exquisite.

"Wow!" Spyro breathed.

"I know," Byrd agreed. "Quite an amazing construct. But don't let it distract you. This place is swarming with Apes, as well as Riptocs and Dreadwings."

"Got it! We'll let you take the lead here, Byrd," Spyro conceded.

"Wise decision, chum," Byrd said. "Now follow me. I know a way to get inside the castle undetected."

Byrd led the trio to a lower island below the castle. They ducked out of sight of a patrolling Ape soldier. The Ape scratched his body as he walked before stopping at the ledge to admire the view. Byrd signalled Spyro to knock him over the edge. With a nod, the Purple Dragon charged, slamming his horned head into the Ape's back. The Ape screamed shrilly as he fell into the abyss.

"See you next fall!" Sparx called after him, ignoring the headshakes at this rather poor joke. Byrd led them on to an opening, where Water was pouring out, though like before, it wasn't falling, but flowing up.

"Here we are."

"Not much for gravity, this water," Elora noted,

"When you study dreams, physics don't always apply," Byrd said. "Come on. And keep your heads down until I give the word."

"Right!" They all jumped into the water and it carried them into the castle.

Ahead, they saw two Riptocs guarding a cage. Trapped inside of it was a fairy. Below the surface of the water, Byrd signalled to Spyro, who understood at once. He decided to apply his training in Water manipulation here. Focusing on the two Riptocs, he made two spheres of water rise and engulf their heads. Bubbles erupted from their mouths as they discovered they suddenly couldn't breathe. Elora and Byrd took advantage of their panic to climb up and take the Apes down with hard decks. As an added precaution, Spyro froze them in place with a shot of Ice. He released the water surrounding their faces.

Sparx flew up to the cage and released the fairy inside. She had green eyes, ginger orange hair, a golden dress, and like Sparx, emitted a soft golden glow.

"Oh, thank you ever so much!" the fairy said.

"No problem! Always here to help," Spyro replied. "Name's Spyro; and the others are Sparx, Elora, and Byrd."

"A pleasure. My name is Zoe."

"What a lovely name," Elora replied. "So, why did those Riptoc creeps capture you?"

"For the fun of it, more than anything else," Zoe lamented. "Though we do have our magic; and they didn't want us pestering them."

"Where are the others, young miss?" Byrd asked.

"They're spread throughout the area, like the Dragon statues they have here."

"Can you show us where they are?"

"Of course," Zoe smiled. "We Fairies love to show newcomers around. Follow me." She flew off along the corridor, and the group followed her.

"She seems nice," Sparx said.

"And the more nice people we meet, the better," Spyro said. "Actually feels like a nice change after the reception we got at Tall Plains."

"Don't forget the Manweersmalls," Elora reminded.

"Ah yes, thanks."

The Dragon Temple stood as part of the settlement known as Horntail. It had been the epicentre of Dragon rearing and training for thousands of years. However, it had long since fallen under Dark Army control. But Ignitus and the other Guardians sought to change that.

The group had gathered under the shade of the woods near the town. "Here we are my friends: The Dragon Temple..." Ignitus sighed.

"Indeed," Cyril declared. "A safe haven for us and our young charges. Or at least, it was."

"Well now, we're going to salvage it," Volteer rambled, excited. "So, you have a plan of offence, attack, incursion, Ignitus?"

"I have given it some thought," Ignitus shared. "Given only one of us is at full strength, a frontal assault won't work. There are too many sentries on patrol here. We could try tunnelling underneath them and catch them unawares, but that would be difficult without Terrador to help. And flying overhead won't be an option because of the Dreadwings above us. We could try splitting and dividing their attention, but..." He trailed off.

"But what?" Sheila asked.

"It'll make us easy targets. We will need to distract them one-by-one and lure them away from the temple. That way we can thin their numbers without fearing reinforcements. It's a risk, but might be our best chance."

"It could work, All right then," Cordelia said. "Miss Sheila, would you do the honours?"

"Sure thing, mate," Sheila said. She hopped out into the open and slowly made her way towards the nearest guard. As soon as she was close enough, she tapped him on the shoulder.

"Yoo-hoo."

The Ape whirled round, only to get an arrow to the face, fired by Zen.

"Gotcha!" Zen said, smirking.

As the Ape dropped dead, Sheila hopped over to another and knocked him out with a right hook to the face, before darting out of sight. A third Ape noticed two of his comrades were dead and looked around; alarmed and confused. He never saw Sheila's feet coming at him.

The commotion drew several other Apes towards Sheila, who hopped back towards the trees, luring them into her allies' trap. The moment the Apes reached the trees, Cyril gave the signal.

"NOW!" The Guardians and their allies pounced on the Apes, rendering them either knocked out or dead. Ignitus nodded at their handiwork.

"Now, we need to distract the Dreadwings so we have a clear run to the Temple. Any ideas?"

"Maybe Nina, Sheila and I could draw them away. Then you can move in," Flash suggested.

"That could work..." Ignitus agreed, though he looked apprehensive. Dreadwings were viscous beasts. If they were to catch Sheila and the dragonflies…

"Don't worry mate, they're trouble in the air, but I am faster on the ground. We could do this," Sheila reassured.

"And we're too small for them to make an easy grab."

"Very well. Good luck."

Sheila, Flash and Nina made their way out into the open again. The two dragonflies flew up towards the Dreadwings and began darting around to catch their attention.

"Hey, what are those things?" one of the Apes wondered.

"Glowing bugs! And colourful too!" another Ape said as he tried to swat them.

"Try and catch us, you creeps!" Flash said as he threw dust into the Ape's face

"Hey! Not cool! Get them!" the first Ape ordered.

"Why? They're no threat..." the second Ape noted. But he quickly changed his tune when Sheila leapt up high at them.

"Hey, mates!" the kangaroo smirked. She threw fruit at the apes' faces and pulled a face at them before turning and hopping away.

"Okay! Find that rodent lady and kill her!" the leader shouted. The others roared, as they flew down to the ground in pursuit of Sheila and the dragonflies.

"Right, here's our chance!" Ignitus said to the others. "Let's go!"

The group darted out from their cover towards the Temple. A few guards met them at the door, but they were either lifted into the air and slammed into hard surfaces, or else, transformed into harmless creatures, courtesy of Cyril and Volteer. With the way clear, the dragons entered the Temple.

The Dragon Temple was the same as Ignitus remembered it. Admittedly, it was a lot dustier than before, and the banner on the walls were tattered. Clearly, the Apes had chosen to just let it decay. But all in all, it was nothing they couldn't fix.

"Ah, home sweet home..." Ignitus sighed.

"Indeed. Now that we're almost together, we can prepare for our uprising against the Dark Armies!" Cyril proclaimed proudly.

"And hopefully, we can stop Cynder's rise and prevent Malefor's return..." Ignitus muttered, almost to himself, as he glanced at a large statue.

Lofty Castle

Zoe led Spyro and his compatriots to a courtyard. There, a Crystal Statue stood alongside two more Fairies in cages, all guarded by Riptocs and Apes.

"The Dragon is Nestor," Zoe whispered, as they hid from view. "The two Fairies are my friends, Stormy and Lucia."

"How do they keep you from using your magic?" Elora asked.

"Dark Magic infused with the cages," Zoe explained. "It nullifies our power."

"That stinks!" Sparx said.

"We'll see to that!" Spyro said. "You guys ready?"

"Yep!" the others shouted.

"Alright! Let's go!" Spyro said. They charged out of their hiding place.

"Hey, it's the purple dragon!" a Riptoc Guard shouted. "Kill him!"

"Sorry to be a bother, but you creeps have got to go!" Spyro said, sending Ice Shards at the Riptocs and Apes, freezing them where they stood, then torching them with Fire. Byrd fired rockets at more Apes, blowing them up. Elora shot another with an arrow, causing him to drop a key for the cages.

"That hurt!" the guard wailed.

"Then let me end the pain," Elora smirked, kicking him in the face with a hoof.

Spyro picked up the key and tossed to Zoe, before walking over to the Dragon Statue and touching, releasing Nestor. He was a green dragon, wearing a dark green vest with a golden necklace securing it. He carried a hammer in his right hand.

"Thank you for releasing me, young Dragon," Nestor said, stretching to ease the stiffness from his body.

"You are Nestor, I believe?"

"That is correct. And you are Spyro, no doubt."

"How do you know?"

"These goons talk a lot when they're bored."

Zoe went to the cages to release her fellow Fairies. One a male, the other female.

"Stormy, Lucia, are you guys alright?"

"Yeah, we are," Stormy replied.

"Oh, is that a purple dragon who saved us?" Lucia asked, surprised to see Spyro.

"Yes, this is Spyro and his friends, Sparx, Elora, and Sergeant Byrd. They came here to save us and the Earth Guardian. But they need the Orbs and a way to undo Ripto's spell."

"Amazing."

"Are there any other dragons here?" Spyro asked Nestor.

"Yes. There are more around the castle, and maybe one or two inside."

"Do any of you know where an Orb might be kept here?" Spyro asked.

"I think so. It's in a treasure room in the castle. The Apes always keep them with the other riches they've hoarded," Nestor replied.

"Sounds like the place for the bad guys to keep it," Sparx noted.

"I'll get the Orb!" Spyro declared. "The rest of you free the other Dragons and Fairies."

"Good idea!" Byrd approved. "I'll go with you!" He looked at Storm and Lucia. "Care to lead us there, little Fairies?"

"Oh, sure thing," Lucia agreed. "As we know the way."

"Good luck, you guys!" Elora said.

"Same to you, sis," Spyro said. He, Byrd and the Fairies flew up towards the castle. Meanwhile, Elora, Zoe, Sparx and Nestor continued their mission around the castle grounds. As Spyro and Byrd flew inside, a Riptoc guard ran to report their presence to his boss, Ripto.

The dinosaur wizard was walking down the hallway, admiring the aesthetic and grinning nastily. "Once I get rid of Spyro and those flithy creatures, I'll truly be on Gaul's good terms. Perhaps he'll let me have this place as my new home, and agree to do away with Red and Sirorrialth!"

"Boss, boss!" the guard cried as he approached Ripto. This annoyed him significantly.

"Can't you see I'm admiring my new fortress, you blockhead?!" Ripto snarled.

"Sorry, boss. But I just spotted the dragon with that flying penguin and two fairies! They're in the castle right now!"

"WHAT?!" Ripto cried. "Well, don't just stand there, you imbecile! Sound the alarm!"

"Yes, sir!" The soldier pressed a button. A klaxon started throughout the castle. Spyro and Byrd winced as the sound battered their eardrums.

"Uh-oh! Looks like Ripto knows we're here!" Byrd yelled over the noise.

"Well, we can't let that stop us!" Spyro said firmly. "They were going to find out, anyway. Let's keep going!"

"Right!" Byrd agreed.

They continued down the halls. Two Riptoc soldiers came charging at them, but Spyro merely blasted them aside with gusts of Wind.

"Out of the way, bozos!" Byrd cried.

A little further along, they found more cages with Fairies trapped inside, hanging from the ceiling and guarded by Apes.

"Allow me, young Dragon!" Byrd declared. He sent rockets flying at the guards. Getting an idea, Spyro decided to up the potency with charges of Electricity. Not only did this mean the Apes who got hit received a nasty shock, but those who weren't hit still got zapped when the rockets exploded.

"Smart thinking, kid!" Byrd grinned. "You'd make a great soldier!"

"I think I already am, Sergeant!" Spyro replied, saluting.

Storm and Lucia had just released their fellow Fairies. After they thanked the Dragon and Penguin for saving them, they flew off to safety.

A little way on, the group came to the treasury, where piles of gold, silver, and gems were heaped around the room. Among them was an Orb identical to the ones used at Dante's Freezer.

"There we are!" Byrd exclaimed, running over to pick it up. "One down, two to go!"

"Put that Orb back, you pesky bird!" came a voice from the doorway. It was Ripto.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Ripto!" Byrd affirmed, as he whirled to face the Riptoc sorcerer.

"That's Ripto?" Spyro chuckled. "He looks a bit short to be threatening!"

This proved a mistake, as Ripto, snarling with fury, sent a blast of energy at Spyro, which gazed his scales as he dodged it.

"Silence, you purple pest! Nobody ever makes fun of me and gets away with it!" Ripto shouted.

"Sheesh, you sure have an anger problem!" Sparx noted, hiding behind his brother.

"Careful, son! Ripto may be small, but he's a dangerous fellow!" Byrd warned. "He has a strong grudge against all dragons."

"Let me guess. It's because Red ordered the extermination of your kind?"

"Yes! Wait, what?!"

"You mean you didn't know?" Spyro asked, surprised.

"I don't think he does!" Sparx said.

"Red ordered my people to be wiped out?! I was told that the Guardians were to blame!" Ripto howled in fury. "Next time I see that red salamander, I'll kill him! I'll start with you!" He pointed at Spyro. "But I need you alive for Gaul and his dragon pet!"

"Sorry, shorty, but my calendar is filled with saving Avalar from the likes of you!" And Spyro shot a stream of Ice at the Riptoc wizard, who blocked it with a cast of Fire.

"Nice try, dragon! You're not the only one who can control the elements. My handle is better!"

Ripto summoned an Ice sphere around him like a shield. He then formed small boulders infused with Fire and sent them flying to Spyro and Byrd. The penguin Sergeant fired, blowing up the boulders, but red-hot pebbles sprayed everywhere, leaving Byrd's feathers singed, and causing him to drop the Orb.

"You'll make a lovely meal for Crush and Gulp when I'm through with you, birdy!" Ripto chuckled.

"Your goons wouldn't want to eat me! I'm too strong for their tastes!"

Spyro charged at Ripto with a Comet Dash. But the wizard transformed his barrier into Electricity, zapping Spyro and throwing him back.

"Spyro!" Sparx shouted, worried.

"You can't win! You're out of your depth!" Ripto mocked.

Spyro got up, not out of the fight yet. Ripto sent a stream of Electricity at him. Spyro flew over it and sent a stream of Water at Ripto, which conducted the Electricity and gave him a nasty shock.

"How's that for out of my depth?!" Spyro demanded.

"Ugh, clever trick, dragon! But it won't be enough! I'm not like my, ugh, 'comrades', Red and Sirorrialth!"

"Really? You don't seem as threatening as they are, shorty!"

"That's because I have fearsome minions at my side! Crush! Gulp!"

The room began to shake with heavy stomps and roars. Just then, the door smashed open, revealing to be two dinosaur monsters. One was blue with a large club and the other was a green giant who walked on all fours.

"Holy cow, they're big!" Sparx yelped, frightened.

"Very cowardly, shorty! Wanting to use other thugs to do your dirty work!"

"It's common sense to have minions who share my hatred for your kind. Now you're outnumbered!" Ripto hissed.

"You mean we're now equal!" Zoe cried, sending a zap of magic from her wand at Crush and Gulp, but it was easy to dodge as it was such a small blast.

"And I'm faster." Spyro sent a stream of Fire at the two minions, but they weathered it easily.

"The orb!" Byro made a grab for the orb, but Crush took a massive swipe at him with his club. Byrd only just dodged it. However, it did scrape his jetpack, damaging it. The club ultimately struck the wall, leaving a crack in it.

"Watch it, you idiot!" Ripto yelled. "You'll bring the roof down if you're not careful!"

"Sorry, boss!"

"I see the Orb!" Gulp spotted it on the ground, Crush having sent it flying. "It's mine!"

"Oh, no, you don't!" Spyro swooped down and grabbed it, only to be knocked back by a hard stamp by Gulp, causing the young Dragon to drop the Orb.

"Ooh, you're tough!" Byrd hissed. "But can you handle this?" And he fired a rocket at Gulp. But the green dinosaur simply opened his mouth and swallowed it. Smoke streamed from his mouth.

"Ha ha ha ha! Nice try, birdbrain!" Gulp laughed, before firing the laser guns on his back, which blew chunks from the ceiling.

"Spyro, we have to retreat! Fall back!" Byrd cried. Spyro didn't need telling twice. Using the Earth shot he'd picked up at Boyzitbig, he blasted a hole in the wall. Then he, Byrd, Zoe and Sparx swooped out.

"AFTER THEM!" Ripto yelled.

"You got it, boss!" Crush said as he smashed the hole wider and chased after the group, Gulp right behind him.

Spyro, Sparx, Zoe and Byrd ran ahead, trying to think of a way to get the orb from Ripto.

"Great, looks like Ripto has the orb now!" Spyro said.

"There is a chance to get it, but we do need to divide Ripto's goons, first" Byrd said. "They're brutal but aren't very bright."

"Then allow me!" Sparx said. "I'm the one with the sharpest tongue!"

He turned and pulled a face at Crush and Gulp.

"Hey, boys! Your mommas were so ugly, they'd make an onion cry!"

"Hey! Nobody insults my mother!" Gulp shouted.

"Or mine! Let's crush the bug!" Crush said, as he and Gulp chased after Sparx, getting them away from Spyro and Byrd.

"What do you know? Sparx's big mouth is actually good for something," Spyro said, just as Ripto appeared, looking for his minions.

"Where are those idiots?!"

Then Spyro charged at Ripto, hitting him hard in the stomach. The Orb flew into the air and Byrd caught it.

"What the?! You!"

"Thanks for the Orb, shorty. We'll be on our way!"

"Oh no you don't!" Ripto fired an energy blast at Spyro. He, Zoe and Byrd flew off down the corridors of the castle, the Riptoc wizard in hot wizard in hot pursuit.