Trouble in the Skies, part 2

A/N: So sorry for the wait with this chapter. I will try to be quicker with the next.

Elora, Nestor, and Zoe continued to free the Dragons and Fairies in the Castle Grounds when Spyro and Byrd burst out of the building, with Ripto right behind them.

"Get back here, you flying freaks, and face me!" Ripto yelled, sending a blast of magic after them.

"Boy, never knew shorty up there is that angry!" Spyro exclaimed.

"Believe me, son, that guy will stop at nothing until dragons are wiped out," Byrd said. "We need to lose him and regroup."

"Right," Spyro agreed. The idea of retreating from a fight didn't entirely appeal to him, but he knew better than to question Byrd's advice. He was a experienced Sergeant, after all.

"Everyone, retreat!" Byrd commanded, as Ripto sent another blast of magic their way. "Follow us!" He and Spyro took again and flew off towards the stream of what Spyro now suspected was magic. The Dragons, Fairies and Elora followed.

The moment everyone was through, Nestor brought his hammer smashing down on the plinth where the Stream was emitting, causing it to stop. "That should at least delay that old dinosaur," he muttered.

Elora went over to Spyro & Byrd. "Are you guys all right?"

"Fine," Sparx panted. "Apart from the fact we just had a nasty run-in with a dragon-phobic wizard!"

"Well, the important thing is, we have the Orb from Lofty Castle," Byrd consoled, holding it up.

"Fair point," Spyro agreed. He looked around at the Dragons and Fairies that had been freed. "Is everybody alright?"

"Yeah, we are," one of the Dragon stated.

"A bit shaken, but we're all good," Stormy agreed, with a thumbs up. "Thanks to you all."

"So where next?" Sparx asked.

"Yeah, what are the other areas here at Cloud Spires?" Spyro agreed.

"There's the Cloud Temples and the Dark Passage," Nestor told him. "You might find your Orbs there."

"But what about Ripto?" Sparx asked, looking uneasy. "Surely, he'll be after us."

"I think we can handle him," Spyro assured him. "He can't be much tougher than the other leaders we've faced before."

"You know, you never properly beat them," Sparx noted. "I think you only got Sirorrialth because of his big head."

"We'll tread carefully," Byrd said. "Besides, I think these Orbs might come in handy when dealing with him."

"Oh yeah, Cosmos said the Orbs can provide brief boosts in power," Spyro remembered. "So, I think we'll try Cloud Temples first. Then the Dark Passage."

"Good luck, young dragon. Be careful out there. It'll be a tough journey," Nestor said. "You do not need to worry about us. We'll get to a safe place."

Spyro nodded. "You should find the Wind Guardian, Aureole, hiding nearby. She'll be accompanied by a Faun named Sapia."

"Right," Nestor acknowledged.

"Follow me," Zoe said. "I'll lead you to Cloud Temples."

Dragon Temple, Horntail

At the Dragon Temple, the Guardians had defeated the remaining Apes. Though exhausted from the battle, Ignitus felt relieved that the sacred grounds belonged to the Dragons once again. "Ah, home sweet home," he sighed with a smile. "Things certainly have been going our way lately. I hope that Spyro and the others are alright."

"You worry too much, Ignitus," Cyril proclaimed, in what he thought was a reassuring voice.

"Yeah, too much worrying causes an overdose of cortisol, which leads to various bodily tics, such as..."

"Putting a cork in it!" Cyril snapped. Volteer scowled at his fellow Guardian, but said no more.

The group gathered in a large circular room, with tattered banners adorning the walls. Each was marked with a symbol representing one of the elements. In the very middle on the room was a large pool of deep green liquid that glowed slightly.

"What's with the pool, Ignitus?" Flash asked.

"This, my friend, is the Pool of Visions. Some Dragons, like myself, can use it to see events happening far away," the red Guardian explained. "It can also help reveal the thoughts, memories and dreams of certain beings."

"Ah, I see. So, can we use it to see how Spyro and the others are doing?" Flash asked.

"Why, yes. And we can see where our allies and our enemies are, which will give us the advantage," Cyril proclaimed proudly.

"Indeed," Ignitus said. "But the visions we see aren't always straightforward. Sometimes, they are only predictions. Possibilities. And what we see is affected by our own perspectives; what we want to see, rather than what actually is."

"That is interesting," Flash said.

"Ya think Terrador will be saved?" Sheila asked.

"I believe so," Ignitus assured her. "But I'm concerned for Spyro... If the Dark Master does return... Spyro won't stand a chance." Everyone, except Flash and Nina, shuddered when Ignitus mentioned the Dark Master.

"I'm guessing this 'Dark Master' is a real nasty guy," Nina surmised.

"That... would be putting it very mildly, young insect," Cyril murmured.

Just then, the walls shook. "What was that?" Flash cried.

"Looks like we have company, guests, visitors, callers..." Volteer rambled.

"Well, whoever it is, we'll come 'em what for!" Sheila said, her gloved hands raised for a fight.

"I agree! Be ready, everyone!" Ignitus rallied, as he readied his spear.

Outside, they found both Red and Sirorrialth waiting for them. The latter looked a little worse for wear, scarred and shaken, his robes ragged. But his black eyes burned with anger.

"Ignitus! Come out and fight!" Sirorrialth shouted. "You and that purple runt will pay for what you've done to me!"

The Fire Guardian stepped forward, ready for battle, his allies at his heels.

"Well, well. I see that the 'heroes' of Avalar have managed to take the temple back," Red smirked.

"Cut the foolish talk, Red! You and Sirorriath are charged for treason against our kind and siding with the Dark Armies!" Ignitus accused.

"Oh, spare us your lectures, old man!" Sirorrialth yelled, shooting a blast of Shadow at the Fire Guardian. Ignitus jumped out of the way.

"Watch it, you fool!" Red yelled at his fellow General. "We need him alive, remember?!"

"Fine! But after we use Ignitus' power, he's dead!" the pseudo-Purple Dragon snarled.

"You expect me to be scared by a pompous sycophant?" Ignitus chided.

"That's it!" Sirorrialth roared. "You're so getting it now!" And he charged at Ignitus, only to be tackled by Cyril and Volteer.

"Looks like it's you and me again, Red!" Ignitus growled.

"Time to finish our little contest," Red smirked. "Prepare to be properly schooled!" The two Fire Dragons charged into battle once more.

Meanwhile, Sirorriath fired blasts at Sheila, Cyril and Volteer. "It's clear, Sirorrialth," Volteer rambled, counterattacking in kind, "that your magical aptitude remains well-honed. But your cortisol levels are clearly too high for you, thus explaining your poor co-ordination and-"

"OH, SHUT UP!" Sirorrialth shrieked. The punishment inflicted upon him had driven him half-mad. He sent out a wave of pulsating Shadow in his fury, which would have likely incinerated the two Dragons and Kangaroo had they not moved quickly back.

"Crikey!" Sheila cried. "He's mad!"

"He's always been mad!" Cyril scoffed. "It just shows more clearly now. It's time he learns what a proper Magic Crafter can do."

Cloud Temples

Cloud Temples was where the Wind Dragons came to meditate and study dreams in peace. The temples themselves were generally two-tier with eaves, except for the central temple; the largest and highest of all.

Spyro and his friends arrived at the Temples. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Spyro, Elora, and Sparx were dazzled by the scenery.

"Wow, looks great. Must be a wonderful place to relax," Elora said.

"Flattered to hear that. I like it here," Zoe agreed. "But..."

"We know. There are guards about," Sparx groaned. "Can't we at least appreciate the scenery?"

"We can. But let's not get too distracted," Spyro conceded. "Come on."

As they approached the nearest Temple, they came upon a door that was locked shut. "Leave this to me!" Spyro cried. He shot a blast of Fire at the door, yet it did not budge.

"Yeah. That won't work," Zoe said. "These doors are Elemental-proof. Only the local wizards can open these doors."

"Do you think they've been imprisoned around here?"

"Most likely..."

"Okay then. Let's find them and ask if they'll help us out."

"I'll look around and signal you if I see anything," Byrd said as he flew up to get a birds-eye view of the area.

"But while we wait..." Spyro dashed over to a Crystal Statue. The Dragon he subsequently released was very slim with an upturned moustache, holding a hammer and a chisel, and wearing a beret and scarf.

"Ah, thank you," he sighed. "Oooh, now I know how it feels to be a statue, I'll never look at mine the same way again. I'm Nils, by the way. You must be the Purple Dragon I've heard about."

"Yep, that's me," Spyro confirmed. "You don't happen to know exactly where the local wizards are being held, do you?"

"Why yes, actually, I do. The evil warlocks have imprisoned them at the Bell Tower up above. The rest are in the Haunted Towers, forced to serve Ripto's nasty goons, and stand guard over Terrador!"

"Thanks for the advice, Nils," Elora said.

"I assume you'll be aiming to free them."

"Yep. It's what we heroes do," Spyro said with a smile.

"Spyro," Elora spoke up, "you deal with the warlocks. I'll go into the Bell Tower and free the Wizards."

Once, Spyro might have voiced concern for Elora's safety. However, despite her recent imprisonment, he trusted her ability to look out for herself.

"Okay, sis. Good luck!"

"Cheers," Elora grinned.

Spyro and Sparx went on ahead towards one of the bell towers. A few dog-like creatures were patrolling outside, armed with wands. The Warlocks.

"Hey, dog-breaths!" Sparx crowed. "Bet you couldn't hex the broadside of a building!"

This angered the warlocks, and they came charging at him and Spyro, leaving Elora and Zoe to sneak past them into the bell tower. Elora found herself in a large room. The walls of which were lined with bookshelves, though most of the books had been strewn across the floor.

"Huh, typical brutes. No respect to fine literature," Elora snorted.

"Tell me about it," Zoe agreed.

Elora bent down and picked up one of the books, flicking through its pages.

"I'm guessing these wizards aid the Wind Dragons in their studies of dreams."

"Yes. Some are even able to consciously enter the dreams of others for better study.

"That's pretty cool," Elora mused.

"Yes, but it's a delicate technique. You don't want to upset the person who is dreaming. Reckless dream-walking can potentially damage the person's mind."

"Yikes..." Elora shivered. She placed the book on one of the shelves and continued onward. Ahead, they saw a Riptoc guarding a door that went up to the tower.

"Great, a Riptoc guard," Zoe fumed.

"I'll take care of this," Elora grinned. "It's a trick I pulled off in Dante's Freezer."

Zoe, interested, watched as Elora pulled out a rock. She took aim at the Riptoc's head and sent it flying at him. The rock hit the Riptoc square between the eyes, causing him to stagger and collapse to the floor.

"Good shot!" Zoe marvelled.

Elora chuckled as she retrieved the guard's keys from his belt. "Thanks. Sapia taught me well. Plus, I've had years of practice."

She and Zoe climbed the stairs to the top of the bell tower. There, they found some wizards locked up. Most looked very morose. One was playing cards, clearly just to give him something to do.

"Any of you know how to play Go Fish?" he asked.

"I won't mind," Elora offered pleasantly.

The wizards started in shock and looked round. "Oh my stars, a Faun and a Fairy!"

"Hello!" Elora waved at them.

"Hang on!" Zoe called, flying up to them. "I'll set you free!"

Zoe used her wand to zap the lock on the door so the wizards could climb out. They were very relieved

"Oh thank you, ladies. We're free!" a wizard said excitedly. "But how did you get past the Riptoc guard?"

"Let's say he's taking a nap downstairs. Anyway, my brother Spyro is dealing with the warlocks outside," Elora smirked.

"Your brother?" another wizard asked. "He must be a brave Faun, then."

"Actually, Spyro's a Dragon. A Purple Dragon."

"Wait, so it's true? There's another?!"

Before Elora could reply, they heard footsteps thundering up the stairs. "Get behind me!" she warned the Wizards as she drew her bow and an arrow. The cell door swung open, and a Warlock entered with two Riptoc guards right behind him.

"What the?! Who let you out?!"

"Surprise!" Elora shot an arrow at the warlock in the chest, causing him to scream in pain and stagger back into the guards. Elora, taking advantage of this, ran forward and slammed both hooves into the Warlock. Then Byrd swooped in through a window and head-butted the guards hard, sending all three tumbling down the stairs.

"Thanks, Sergeant!" Elora called.

"Don't mention it, my dear!" Byrd cried, as he flew out again.

"Come on! We better go before more come!" Elora said to the wizards. Together, they charged down the stairs.

Dragon Temple

Sirorrialth had worked himself into a frenzy thanks to both Cyril and Volteer goading him and Sheila taking random punches at him. "Blasted creatures! You will suffer for standing against us!" Sirorrialth shouted.

"We'll see about that!" Cyril sneered.

"Come on, you scaly windbag!" Sheila teased. "You call yourself a great Dragon? You're just a silly little whelp!"

"THAT'S IT!" Sirorrialth screamed. He sent what looked two Furies one after the other: first Poison, then Shadow. But this was what Cyril And Volteer had intended. Having teleported themselves and Sheila out of harm's way, they now watched as the dark Sorcerer doubled over, gasping.

"My powers... I have overused them..." Sirorrialth gasped. "No... I can't lose!"

"That's what you get for enacting morally abhorrent deeds and exploiting your talents to inflict physical and emotional harm on the innocent!" Volteer rambled.

"If you think I'm letting this stop me, you're sadly mistaken, you overgrown dictionary!" Sirorrialth rasped.

"I take offence to that! " Volteer cried.

"It's over Sirorrialth! It's time you have justice for your crimes!" Cyril declared. To his surprise, the evil dragon chuckled wickedly.

"What's so funny, you conniving little blighter?" Sheila demanded.

"You all insisted on coming here, when you should have gone with Spyro," Sirorrialth grinned. "He doesn't realise that he's walking into a trap when he finds Terrador. Even if Ripto fails, Cynder will be waiting for him. I'm afraid your precious little hero is doomed!" And before Volteer, Cyril or Sheila could move in, he teleported away, though his maniacal laughter seemed to echo around the area.

Meanwhile, Red has fought Ignitus to a standstill once again. Upon seeing Sirorrialth's departure, though, he decided to take his leave too. "Farewell, my old student," he sneered. "Next time we meet, my victory will be guaranteed." And he too vanished, before Ignitus could grab him.

"No!" Ignitus cursed, pounding the ground with his fist.

"Ignitus, we have a problem!" Sheila panted, hurrying over to him

"What is it?"

"The Dark Armies are setting a trap for Spyro for when they find Terrador, Cynder will grab him!" Cyril relayed.

"But how do we know if Sirorrialth is proclaiming facts?" Volteer noted. "He could have been stating falsehoods, to tempt Ignitus into a situation where they can incapacitate and therefore acquire his inner mana."

"Maybe, but I still think we should warn Spyro!" Sheila wondered anxiously.

"Well, what can we do?" Cyril asked.

"I think one of us should head up to Cloud Spires and warn Spyro," Cordelia said. "Or perhaps, Cyril, you send a telepathic message to Aureole. Tell her to warn Spyro."

"Right as I can do that," Cyril nodded. He closed his eyes and began to weave his telepathic spell. Ignitus watched, feeling gravely concerned. What if Spyro did fall for a trap? Would he be warned in time?

At Cloud Spires, Aureole, accompanied by Sapia, had just freed another dragon, Delbin, from his crystal prison when she received Cyril's message.

'Aureole, Spryo is in danger. He is walking into a trap. Cynder will be waiting for him with Terrador. Warn him!' Aureole gasped.

"What is it?!" Sapia asked anxiously.

"We must find Spyro!" Aureole hastened to say. "We have to warn-ARGH!"

She was suddenly hit in the back by a blast of magic, which sent her sprawling to the ground, unconscious. It was Ripto.

"Well, well, well. The airhead Guardian. Here for her dumb-as-dirt husband!"

"Ripto!" Sapia growled at the sight of the wizard.

"And Sapia. It's been a while..." Ripto smirked. "Still helping those filthy dragons, I see?"

"Yes, and I won't let you or your race harm them!"

Sapia raised her bow, ready to fire, but a hard shockwave behind her knocked Sapia off-balance. She was then grabbed by Crush.

"Well, too bad. You're now my captive guest! And I'll make sure you have a front row seat for the Guardians' demise, as well as Spyro's once Cynder and Gaul are done with him!" Ripto boasted, tapping his sceptre against his palm.

Meanwhile, Spyro and co had just liberated Cloud Temples of the Warlocks. In gratitude, the Wizards opened the door Spyro had failed to burn down.

"Thanks for opening the door!" Spyro said with a smile.

"Our pleasure, young dragon. You and your friends has helped us in a great time of need." The wizard leader said. "You should find the Orb you need in there."

"Sweet. We're one step closer to saving Terrador!" Spyro said, heading inside to retrieve the Orb.

"Okay, one more Orb to collect," Elora noted. "The last place to look is Dark Passage. Right, Zoe?"

"That's right," Zoe confirmed. But before they could do anything, Nestor hurried towards them.

"Friends! Aureole and Sapia have been captured by Ripto!"

"Oh no, that's terrible!" Elora said.

"We have to find that last Orb!" Spyro said. "Zoe, lead the way to Dark Passage!"

"Spyro, wait!" Nestor hastened to say. "Aureole said she wanted to warn you about something. I have a feeling Ripto wants you to come to Terrador's rescue. He mentioned Cynder too! By all means, try and save our Guardian, but please proceed with caution."

Spyro nodded. He wouldn't make that mistake again. "I'll be careful."

A little later, the group arrived at Dark Passage. The moment they got there, they all immediately felt a little scared. Even Spyro felt uneasy. Dark Passage, befitting its name, seemed to be in a perpetual night. Black mountains towered above them, with tunnels and caves carved into the rock, as dark within as a snuffed-out torch. An ominous presence seemed to emanate from the tunnels, as if there was something terrible inside. Sparx and Elora moved closer to Spyro.

"This place makes my fur stand on end," Elora whispered.

"And my exoskeleton squirm," Sparx agreed.

Spyro didn't know what to say.

"I must warn you guys," Zoe cautioned, "this is the place where the Dream Weavers study nightmares, their effect on the mind, and what they can represent. To do so, they essentially bring nightmares to life. Such studies aren't for the faint-hearted."

"You got that right on 'faint'," Sparx shivered.

"Thanks to the dark magic of Red and Sirorrialth, the magic of the caves has now become so powerful that without the presence of bright light, anyone who goes in there can fall victim to it. They could either be turned into something monstrous or experience their worst nightmares brought to life."

"Then how do we proceed?" Elora asked.

"You're with Sparx and me," Zoe assured her. "Our light should be enough."

"Just so long as Sparx doesn't lose his spine!" Spyro teased.

"Hey, I don't have a spine!" Sparx cried. "I'm a Dragonfly!"

"Whatever, you undersized chicken," Spyro muttered, as they proceeded forward towards the blackness of the cave, Zoe creating a bright ball of light with her wand.

"As long as we don't encounter more apes or Riptocs, we're good," Spyro whispered, trying to assure himself as much as the others, as they used a stream of magic to ascend upwards.

"Be careful what you say," Sparx hissed. "You don't want to jinx it."

"I concur," Zoe agreed. "It's not wise to tempt fate. You never know what it might throw at you."

"Finally, someone agrees with me," Sparx grinned, relieved. Just then, they heard a growling noise ahead. "What was that?" he whimpered.

"Devil Dogs and Snapping Armoured Turtles," Zoe replied. "But don't worry. The moment they're in the light, they become harmless."

"Devil Dogs? As if the Dark Armies aren't enough," Sparx gibbered.

"Shhhh! I can hear them coming," Byrd muttered. Ahead, they could just make out two large creatures sniffing for them.

"Whoa, those are big!" Spyro gasped.

"Well, luckily I have the light." Zoe said. She zoomed forward to illuminate the room. The moment the light hit them, the two Dogs shrank down into smaller, more harmless-looking pups. They growled at the intruders, but it just made them look cuter.

"Aww, look out, guys, these little pups are trying to maul us!" Elora cried, pretending to be afraid.

"Oh dear, whatever shall we do!" Spyro fake-whimpered, before torching them with a blast of Fire. "Fancy a hot dog, anyone?"

"No thanks. Fish are my preferred dish," Byrd replied.

"Wow! That is their weak forms? I feel so much better." Sparx smiled in relief. In the next cavern, they ran into a pair of Armoured Turtles. For a moment, they seemed ready to launch fireballs at them. Though when Zoe's light hit them, they immediately shrunk into smaller turtles. Their shells were still resistant to flames, so Spyro simply charged into them, knocking them aside. Elora kicked one for good measure.

Further along the Passage, they found another Dragon Statue. "Alright, another Dragon to free!" Sparx cried. But before they could move forward, Zoe was suddenly hit by a fiery arrow, knocking her to the floor.

"Zoe!" Elora cried, grabbing her.

"Say goodbye to your bright lights!" jeered a voice.

Suddenly, they were plunged into darkness. The moment the cavern darkened, Spyro, Elora and Byrd all began to feel awful. Spyro felt like when Sirorrialth had hit him with a Fear blast, while Elora and Byrd experienced a terrible sensation.

"Argh! I don't feel so good!" Byrd groaned.

"Sparx, we may need your help!" Spyro cried. "We can't see!"

Suddenly, they heard growling. It sounded awfully like Devil Dogs were approaching them.

"Oh no! Are more coming?" Elora groaned, doubled over, trying to resist the darkness eating at her mind.

"I don't know! I can barely see an inch in front of me! Sparx wailed.

"Spyro, do something! I'm feeling worse by the second!" Elora cried.

"On it! Get down!" Spyro unleashed a blast of Electricity, which quickly lit up the cavern. The moment it did, the Devil Dogs immediately reverted to their harmless states. A shot of it also hit a goblin-like creature, holding an extinguished lantern. The moment he dropped it, it lit up again.

The smaller dogs snarled at Spyro, only to be torched by the Purple Dragon. He also spotted what looked like a flying demon holding a bow and arrow. He aimed another flaming arrow at Spyro, only to be dropped by an arrow from Elora.

"That was too close," Sparx sighed.

"I agree. That felt worse than even the most intense of my training..." Byrd said with relief.

"Zoe mentioned something about the magic of these caves turning creatures into monsters in the dark," Elora said, picking up the dropped lantern in one hand and holding the unconscious Zoe in the other. "Do you think we were about to become monsters too?"

"It sounds like it." Spyro shuddered at the thought. "Come on, we better get ahead to find the last orb! But first..."

The Dragon he released was elderly, with a small quantity of white hair on his ears and tail, a pince-nez on his snout, and clay spattered on his apron. "Oh, thank goodness!" he gasped. "This place has been giving me the heebie-jeebies. Mind how you know, young ones. This place is a living nightmare!"

"Yeah, we noticed," Spyro muttered.

Unbeknown to any of them, an Ape was watching from a distance, a Riptoc alongside him. The Ape was none other than Tukekar Ghostthief, the one who had abducted Spyro and Elora's parents.

"Shall I blast them, sir?" the Riptoc asked.

"No, actually, Anzu, I have a better idea. Let's release the other Dragons imprisoned here and let the dark magic do its work," Tukekar grinned.

"Are you sure, sir?" Anzu asked. "I mean, what if they have light on them?"

"I know what to do about that," Tukekar grinned.

The Ape and Riptoc left to release the dragons. Meanwhile, Spyro and company continued their talk with the freed dragon, whose name was Thor.

"We need to free my friends and leave this horrible place!" Thor ventured.

"We'll help you. I promise," Spyro vowed. "But can you help us find an Orb that should be here, please?"

"We need it to get to Haunted Towers and save our friends," Elora explained

"Hmmm, maybe we can help each other with our tasks."

"How so?" Byrd asked.

"If you can help the three dragons here by escorting them out, I can give you an orb in the treasure room."

"Hmmm, sounds like a deal," Spyro nodded.

"Perfect. Follow me and stay in the light," Thor reminded as he led the way onward.

Surprisingly, they found no sign of any of the other Dragons, though they did find several more Devil Dogs, Snapping Turtles, and flying devils, which Thor said were called Cupids. Soon, they reached the very centre of Dark Passage, but there was no sign of the other Dragons there either.

"Delbin? Argus? Tomas?" Thor called. "Where are you guys?"

"We can't find them here. Maybe they're saved." Elora suggested.

"Was someone else here?" Spyro asked. "Why would they be freed? Unless..."

Then they heard a terrible growling. It sounded nothing like the Devil Dogs. "Did you hear that?" Sparx whimpered. Then they heard a triumphant cry.

"Lights out!" Next moment, the lantern Elora was carrying was hit by an arrow, and went out, plunging them into darkness.

"Not again!" Elora cried. "Spyro, use Electricity!"

"Oh, I don't think that's a very good idea, children!" sneered the voice.

"And why ever not, Tukekar?!" Spyro demanded, recognizing it. "Are you afraid to face yourself?!"

"No! And neither are your Dragon friends, given they've just been amped up on darkness!"

"What?!"

"Be mindful of what you hit! You don't want to hit the innocent now! He, he, he!"

The heroes looked round; even in the darkness, they could make out three massive shapes, larger than any Turtle or Dog

"Oh no!" Thor cried. "Those aren't-"

"Yes! Your friends! Have fun fighting the dragons, kids!" Tukekar laughed, as Elora and Byrd collapsed under the weight of the darkness's power.

Dragon Temple

Ignitus paced about fretfully. Cyril had told him that Aureole had been recaptured before she could warn Spyro. This meant the young Dragon was in great danger. Ignitus trusted that Spyro would be more cautious since their mission to Dino Mines, but you couldn't never be too careful with Cynder. Whatever his feelings about the situation, Ignitus loved his son and felt a responsibility to protect him.

"Ignitus?" The Fire Guardian looked around. Flash and Nina had joined him.

"You seem troubled," Flash noted.

Ignitus sighed. "It's Spyro. I don't want him to get hurt."

"Nor do we," Nina agreed. "We don't want to lose our son again, especially when we just got him back. Oh, what if Cynder gets him? What if he gets killed?"

"'What-ifing' isn't going to help anything," Ignitus remonstrated.

"Well, what else can I do?!" Nina cried, rather hysterically.

"Calm down, darling," Flash soothed. "Go back to the others for a moment."

Nina flew off, still fretting.

Flash looked at Ignitus, right in the eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "You're Spyro's real father, aren't you?"

Ignitus gaped at the blue Dragonfly. "W-what?! How did you find out?!"

"I've noticed that you bear physical similarities to Spyro. Plus, your concern for Spyro came off to me as more than just him being his teacher. What really confirmed it was that I kinda overheard your argument with the other Guardians last night."

Ignitus sighed. "Then you know why you are Spyro's real father. You did all the things that a father should that I never did. I have no right to that honour." He looked towards the sky. "But the least I can do is ensure Spyro comes to no harm!"

He flew off without another word before Flash could say anything else.