Trouble in the Skies, part 3

Spyro was in a terrible predicament; he and his friends were surrounded by darkness that was slowly corrupting him and his friends. Elora and Byrd's groans were turning into growls. He himself was trying with all his might to resist the influence. As if that wasn't enough, three Wind Dragons were bearing down on them, already turned into monsters by the darkness.

"Spyro, do something!" Sparx cried.

"I-I-I don't know how..." Spyro spluttered nervously as the monsters closed in on him, while Elora and Byrd groaned in pain.

"S-Spyro, use some Fire or Electricity for us!" Elora rasped, her voice sounding more like a wraith.

"I don't want to hurt anyone again!" Spyro almost wailed. "PLEASE, ANCESTORS, HELP US!"

Next moment, there was a blinding flash of light that lit the whole room. The moment it hit Elora and Byrd, the pain subsided, and their bodies, which had turned to mutate, returned to normal. The three Dragons, Delbin, Argus and Tomas, also returned to normal.

Spyro opened his eyes and was surprised to see everyone was back to normal now and that the cavern was aglow.

"What happened? Did I do something? Where's the light coming from?"

"Believe it or not, buddy, it's coming from you," Sparx said. "Look!"

Spyro looked down at his body, and sure enough, it was glowing.

"W-what is this?" he stammered.

"I don't know, but it's incredible!" Elora breathed. "Maybe you are part-dragonfly after all..."

"ARGH!" Spyro looked up; Tukekar Ghostthief stood on a ledge above them, shielding his eyes.

"It's too bright! I can't see!" the Ape Captain howled. Spyro saw his chance; he flew up to the ledge where Tukekar stood, and growled loudly.

"You made a big mistake, creep!" he snarled. Tukekar, and a few Riptocs with him, back-pedalled in fear, aware they couldn't fight the dragon in this state.

"Retreat!" Tukekar shouted. He and his troops ran to their Dreadwings. Spyro decided to let them go, but he did send a jet of flame after Tukekar, causing the Ape to howl in pain.

"That's for abducting our parents," he muttered, before returning to his friends. "Everyone alright?"

"I think we are," Elora gasped.

"I am jolly good too, old bean. I've had worse days," Byrd agreed, shaking himself.

"I myself am glad to be reunited with my friends," Thor thanked, as he helped his friends to their feet. "Much obliged, young dragon."

"No problem. Glad I was able to free them without doing any harm," Spyro smiled. "I must say; this random appearing of elements out of me is... perplexing. I didn't know Dragons could generate light."

"Hmmm, maybe it's a new ability purple dragons have," Thor thought aloud. "Purple Dragons are able to wield elements not commonly seen.

"Good point. But this is getting weird," Spyro observed.

"Weird? Heh, you have a lot of superpowers, and now you think it's weird?" Sparx teased.

"Oh, let's just go!" Spyro hastened. "Terrador and Aureole need us."

"Right!" Sparx nodded.

"Well, before you go, I should keep my end of the deal and give you the Orb you need, Spyro. You deserve it for your trouble," Thor offered.

"Thanks, Thor," Spyro beamed. "I think it'll help in my fight with Ripto."

"Maybe you can try this trick against him," Elora suggested, gesturing to Spyro's glowing body, as Thor went to find the Orb.

"I don't know," Spyro doubted, as they left the epicentre of Dark Passage. "I just did it out of desperation, really. And how am I supposed to learn how to use it properly?"

Just as they left the cavern, Spyro's light went out.

"Well maybe you just need to learn more," Sparx said. "Or have a chat with the Guardians, as they know this whole shtick better then you."

"Hmmm, good point," Spyro conceded, just as Thor returned with the third Orb.

Soon, the group had rendezvoused with their allies in the centre of Cloud Spires. They all came a watch out for Ripto and his goons, but there was no sign of them. It seemed rather fishy.

Things got even fishier when they found the barrier surrounding the entrance to Haunted Towers, a massive castle situated, as mentioned, on the largest island of all, had been lowered.

"Whoa, this that Haunted Towers?" Spyro enquired.

"Yes and it appears it's getting lowered," Byrd noted.

"I wonder why? It doesn't feel right," Elora suggested, worried.

"I agree, Lora," Spyro agreed. "They won't make it easier for us; unless it's a trap."

"I have a feeling Ripto wants you to come to him, Spyro," Byrd warned. "Knowing him and his hatred of Dragons, I won't be surprised if he wants to be the one to capture or destroy you himself."

"Well, he'll make a big mistake challenging me!" Spyro declared

"Hold it, buddy! We need a plan!" Sparx cautioned. "This Ripto guy has dinosaur thugs and Apes at his back!"

Spyro chuckled. "Don't worry, Sparx; I wasn't going to charge into things again. Byrd, what do you suggest we do once we go in?"

"Well, most importantly, we should stay together," the Sergeant Penguin advised. "And maybe with the wizards at our side, we can use back-up to deal with the army."

"Sounds like a good plan!" Spyro nodded.

"What about that sceptre of his?" Elora suggested. "Reckon we could try getting from him?"

"You do what you want," Sparx encouraged, "but count me out of that! I'm not going near that dinosaur!"

"It's fine. Right, let's go!"

Zoe and her fairy friends flew off to get the wizards, while Spyro and his friends proceeded into the Haunted Towers. They didn't have to get far before they saw that the name of the place was fitting. Ethereal whispers seemed to emanate from the walls themselves, and their visions seemed to distort before their eyes.

"I don't like this!" Sparx whimpered.

"Me neither," Elora agreed.

"Oi, you!"

Riptocs were blocking their way, but they were no real challenge. Spyro used his Electric Stream to zap some of them and fling them into other; Elora felled another with her bow and arrow; and Byrd blasted more away with his rockets. Just past them, they reached a steel door too big to break open.

"Great... we need something stronger to get inside!"

Just then, they heard fluttering behind them and looked round. Zoe and her Fairy friends were flying towards them, with the Wizards right behind them.

"We can help!" Zoe offered. "It looks like these Doors need a little extra charge! Spyro, come here."

Spyro stepped forward and a few Fairies flew down and kissed him.

"Whoa, what was that?" Spyro wondered. Then, he realised he was going pink.

"Our combined magic can boost your powers. You should be able to break metal but it won't last, so make the most of it" Zoe advised.

"Thanks for the heads-up." Spyro turned to the door and let loose a stream of Fire that blew the door right off its hinges, also knocking down a few Guards stationed behind it. "Wow, that was cool! Okay, guys, let's keep moving."

"Save your boost for Ripto," Zoe suggested. "Let us and the Wizards take care of the guards."

"Got it!"

Heeding this advice, Spyro let Zoe, the fairies and the wizards deal with the Riptocs. A few more were coming, only for one to be turned into a toad by a Wizard, and others got turned into small lizards.

"Ha ha ha! That is fun to watch!" Sparx guffawed, enjoying the sight.

"Keep moving," Elora urged.

They hurried down the hallway of the castle. They continued to hear voices emanate seemingly from the walls.

"What are these voices?" Elora wondered.

"No doubt the dark spirits inhabiting this place," Byrd replied. "And they're not friendly."

The group came to a winding flight of steps. Piles of armour lay scattered on the floor and the bottom steps.

"Well, up we go," Byrd declared, but before they could, the armour suddenly rose from the floor and came to life, forming sapient forms that glowed an eerie green.

"Ah, ghosts!" Sparx yelping, darting behind Elora. "Looks like you were right, Sergeant!"

"What the heck?" Spyro shouted.

"This reminds me of those skeletons at Dante's Freezer!" Elora shuddered.

"Well, don't you worry; these guys will fall just as they did!" Spyro declared, and he charged the living suits of armour, only to bounce back, dropping one of the Orbs in the process. A knight scooped it up and scurried off.

"Hey, get back here!" Elora cried, shooting an arrow after it, only for it to bounce off the armour.

Byrd's rockets were no more effective against the living suits of armour. Spyro decided to use his Fairy Boost again.

"Stand back!" he warned Elora and Byrd; both managed to extricate themselves from their exchanges and out of the line of literal Fire.

"Hope you like it hot!" Spyro quipped, before sending a massive Fireball at them. The moment it hit them, they disintegrated into ash.

"I'm really liking this Fairy Boost," Spyro mused.

They pursued the last living armour up the stairs in almost dizzying circles. As they did so, they expected more enemies to block their path, but there was nothing. Somehow, this seemed more ominous.

At the top of the steps, they emerged into a large courtyard completely paved with metal. Directly on the other side, imprisoned in a floating metal cage, was an Earth Dragon; undoubtedly Terrador. Even from this distance, Spyro could tell he was massive.

"A big dragon in a metallic cage? Yeah, that's got to be Terrador!" Sparx remarked.

"Careful, lad; Ripto is expecting us! We should stay alert!" Byrd cautioned

"And together," Elora agreed.

As they crept slowly forward, a large electric gate suddenly sprung up behind them blocking the exit. Then, they heard a familiar laugh.

"So, the purple dragon and his annoying friends are here to save this kingdom!"

Ripto came into sight, riding on Gulp, the green dinosaur grinning rather stupidly.

"I would say nice to see you again, but the mere sight of you disgusts me!" Ripto sneered at Spyro.

"Whatever, shorty!" Spyro snarled. "We're here to save Terrador and leave. Unless you want your face torched, don't get in our way!"

"I will not be mocked by a small runt like you!"

"Ha, you're not exactly Mr Big and Nasty yourself!" Elora taunted. This made Ripto's face glow red.

"Silence, you she-goat! Unless you want your mentor to die!"

"Sapia!" Elora cried.

"Where is she, you walking fossil?!" Byrd demanded.

Ripto smirked, and raised his staff. A second cage rose into view; Aureole and Sapia were trapped inside.

"Sapia!" Elora gasped.

"Aureole!" Spyro shouted as he glared at Ripto. "Let them go!"

"Oh sure, I'm just going to hand them over to you!" Ripto leered mockingly. "Of course, if you agree to turn Ignitus over to us, I might reconsider.

"You'll have Ignitus when my Fire burns out!" Spyro hissed.

"Turn Sapia and Aureole free or else!" Elora threatened.

"Really?" Ripto taunted Elora, as he climbed down from Gulp. "Please, she's the one making a mistake bringing you here! An inexperienced child! Ha! Now she has to watch you pay the price for messing with the Dark Master's vision!"

"You won't get away with this!" Sapia shouted.

"Oh please, you know the response to that!" Ripto snorted nonchalantly. "But enough talk!" He drew out the Orb that the Knight had taken from Spyro. "Never send a Dragon to kill another Dragon! Gaul might have wanted you alive, but given how much of a pest problem you've been, I think he'll permit you being eliminated!"

"Well, allow me to oblige!" Spyro growled.

"I've been longing for this since you first showed your ugly face!" Ripto grinned wickedly. "Gulp! Deal with the bird and the she-goat; the purple punk is mine!"

"Ha ha ha! You got it, boss, I'm dying to eat again!" Gulp chuckled stupidly, as he advanced on Elora and Byrd.

"I think you'll find Byrd and Elora taste terrible," Sparx offered.

"Don't encourage him to test that, lad!" Byrd cried, as Gulp licked his lips.

"Gulp will find us the kind of food that bites back!" Elora quipped. Byrd rolled his eyes. "We'll handle him, Spyro!"

"Right!" Spyro squared up to Ripto, ready. "Your move, shorty! I have Orbs of my own, you know! Two, in fact!"

"Not for long!" Absorbing the Orb, Ripto sent an energy ball at Spyro, which he dodged easily, before charging at him with a Comet Dash. Ripto quickly conjured an Ice Orb to parry it. Then, it changed into an Electric Orb, which shocked Spyro, sending volts through his body. Shaking it off, Spyro sent a blast of Earth at the Riptoc, but Ripto turned it to mud with a stream of Water.

"Impressive, huh, Dragon?" he taunted.

"Not bad for a half-pint!"

Ripto, losing patience with the 'short' insults, shot a stream of energy at the Purple Dragon. Spyro flew up into the air to avoid it, then swooped down towards the wizard. Using the Fairy Magic bestowed on him, he sent a stream of super-hot Fire at Ripto; though the dinosaur managed to shield himself from the worst of the blast, it did send his robes ablaze.

"Ahhhh! You purple demon! This was my best cape!" Ripto shouted, dousing the flames with Ice, leaving his robes charred and smoking.

"Heh, not as tough as you look!"

Ripto's face went hotter than his robes, and fired a stream of Plasma. Spyro ripped up several rocks from the floor and chucked them back to the dinosaur. Ripto dodged most of the rocks and blasted the last one with lightning blowing it into pieces. But Spyro used this as a cover to create a Tornado and whirl Ripto into the air. He fell back to earth, snarling.

"You're really made me mad, Spyro! Now you will feel my true power!"

The jewel on his sceptre glowed green and so did his eyes. The dragon-hating dinosaur fired green plasma fireballs from his mouth and Spyro had to apply Aureole's Wind agility training to avoid them.

Elora, Sparx and Byrd were having their own difficult time with Gulp. The Riptoc minion charged at the penguin, who did a drop and roll to evade him. Rising to his webbed feet, Byrd fired rockets at him, but they didn't leave so much as a scratch. Elora's bout of arrows were no more effective. Gulp laughed.

"Stop that, you're tickling me!"

He fired laser bursts from his mounted cannons, which blasted craters in the floor as Byrd hoisted Elora into the air.

"His scales are hard as rock!" Elora cried.

"Nah, even rock would be fazed by my rockets," Byrd disagreed.

"Get down here, you pests!" Gulp roared, shooting an energy beam that formed into a net. Byrd quickly dropped Elora, and tried to avoid the net, but the sergeant wasn't fast enough. The net wrapped around him, disabling his rockets, and he fell to earth with a thud.

"I'm trapped!" Byrd grunted. Elora ran over to try and free him, but Gulp pawed at the ground. Elora stepped in front of Byrd, drawing her sword.

"Oh yeah, now I'll enjoy crushing your bones!" Gulp began to stomp towards the captive Penguin and his Faun guardian, but Sparx flew in front of him.

"Hey, buddy! You're not going to harm them when I'm around!" Sparx shouted.

"HA HA HA! You? What can you do, bug boy?" Gulp laughed.

"This!" He flew into Gulp's face and glowed brightly. This overwhelmed Gulp's retinas and he screamed.

"DAH! You little pest!" Gulp howled, and he charged in the direction he knew Sparx was in. Sparx only just got out of the way. He flew over to help Elora with Byrd.

"How do I break this?" he wondered.

Just then, Spyro landed beside them, blasted back by Ripto.

"How about we up the stakes here, eh, Spyro?" Ripto snarled. "Gulp, to me!"

Gulp heard his master's call, and stomped over to him. The Dino wizard once again mounted his minion.

"So, you decided to go down together, eh!?" Spyro quipped.

"We're not afraid of you!" Elora hissed, brandishing her sword.

Ripto grinned. "You should be. How's this?" He waved his sceptre, and Gulp was suddenly encased in robotic armour.

Spyro and Elora were taken back. "Okay, that's new!"

"Now then, with my spells and Gulp's armour, I shall succeed where that murderous old Red and that big-headed Sirorrialth failed!"

"Yeah! Time to crush that dragon!" Gulp charged at Spyro and Elora, who dived aside to avoid the attack.

"It'll take more than size and magic to stop us!" Spyro hissed. "We're going to get Terrador out of here, whatever you do!"

"Heh, let's see how long it'll be before you eat those words!" Ripto smirked. He sent a fireball at the two siblings; Spyro countered with Ice. Thanks to the Fairy Boost, it proved effective in protecting him and Elora. He then tried to use it on Gulp's armour, but when the Ice Shards hit the armour, it only did superficial damage.

"Heh, not bad. Now, feel the wrath of Gulp's Gamma Rays!"

Gulp opened fire at Spyro and Elora, blowing large craters in the walls and floor. The two young warriors had to leg it as fast they could to avoid being atomised.

Ripto is tough, and so is his brute-minion-pet-whatever... Spyro thought desperately. Even with the Fairy Boost, they're tough!

Elora, meanwhile, was wracking her brain about what she could do; her arrows were clearly ineffective, and moving in to try and use her sword was potentially suicidal.

This thinking almost cost both of them their lives, when rubble blasted from the wall by Gulp knocked them off their feet.

"Get up purple brat, I'm not done with you yet!" Ripto demanded. "I want you to suffer, so your worthless friends will see you break!"

"Big words from a small bully who uses his buddies as thugs!" Spyro remarked as he dodged Ripto's Electrified Fireballs. He noted that Ripto had apparently disregarded Elora, not considering her a threat. This gave Spyro another idea; he just hoped it worked.

"Hey, Gulp, bet your mother considers a work of art, with that ugly mug!"

Gulp, snarling, charged at Spyro, only for the Purple Dragon to leap clear. Gulp crashed into the metal wall surrounding the courtyard, and he staggered, dazed.

"Get up, you lummox! You can't lose!" Ripto growled.

"OW! Sorry boss, the dragon is fast!" Gulp burbled.

Taking advantage of this quick reprieve, Spyro went to Elora and handed her one of the two Orbs he still had.

"Elora, take this," he advised. "Wait for my signal."

Elora wondered if it would work; she didn't know if Orbs would empower Fauns the same way it did Dragons. But she trusted her brother's judgement; taking the Orb, she scurried out of the way as Gulp rose to his feet again.

"Ready to meet the bottom of my foot, whelp?!" he grunted.

"Only if it can handle several Elemental blasts!" Spyro retorted, absorbing the power of the Orb into himself. Like with the Soul Gems, Spyro felt an incredible surge of power.

"Now things should be more even!"

"What? NO!" Ripto shouted. He sent a Electric Stream at Spyro. But Spyro ripped up part of the floor to protect himself from the blast, before using the metal as a battering ram before a Earth blast to slam into Gulp, cracking his armour further.

"Did you hit me, dragon?!" Gulp roared. "Nobody is stronger than me!"

The green dinosaur charged again at Spyro, but Spyro was ready, rolling out of the way as Gulp attempted to crush him into the ground. This shook Ripto off his back.

"Watch where you're going, idiot!" Ripto shouted at his minion.

"Sorry!"

Ripto raised his sceptre to the sky, and lightning bolts rained down from the clouds. Spyro Comet Dashed about to avoid the shots; meanwhile, Elora seized her chance. Orb in hand, she ran forward and thrust her sword forward, and pierced Gulp's armour, plunging the blade into Gulp's flank. Gulp gave a roar of pain which startled Ripto

"Hey meathead! Come and get me! You too big to crush me?" Elora taunted Gulp to get his attention.

This made Gulp angry; before Ripto could stop him, he charged at Elora. Spyro Comet Dashed Elora out of harm's way, and Gulp hit the wall with tremendous force. The armour around his head cracked, and he collapsed, unconscious.

"What?! No! NO! Get up, you idiot!" Ripto snapped, zapping Gulp's flank to rouse him, but no luck. Spyro smirked.

"That's why brains beat brawn!" he jeered, before he and Elora charged again.

Ripto screamed, as he was struck by a powerful Comet Dash, followed by a powerful sword stroke that cleaved off his left arm, which was watching his sceptre. It span away across the floor. Ripto, clutching the stump of his arm, made a run for it. But Elora beat him to it; she smashed her sword down on it, shattering the sceptre's gem, before Spyro turned a burst of magic on Ripto, slamming him into a wall, where he collapsed, unconscious.

"And stay down!" Spyro gasped. He felt exhausted. The Fairies' magic finally worn off.

"Spyro, we did it!" Elora cried. She and Spyro hi-fived each other in relief

"Jolly good show, chaps! Now, can you help me out?" Byrd asked.

"Sure."

Spyro and Elora went over to undo undo the energy net, thus freeing the Sergeant Penguin. With Ripto down, the cage imprisoning Aureole and Sapia vanished, freeing them.

Elora ran to Sapia and hugged her. "Are you alright?"

"All the better now you've freed us," Sapia replied.

Aureole went over to Terrador, whose cage had also vanished. The Earth Guardian was definitely the largest and most physically imposing of the Guardians; 10 feet tall, large and powerfully built, with armoured robes; quite the opposite of Aureole's lithe and minimalist appearance.

"Terrador?" she whispered. "Are you alright? Can you hear me, my big boulder?"

Terrador lifted himself up slowly. He shook his head to clear it, and gazed blearily at his wife.

"Aureole?" he rumbled. "My gentle breeze, is it you?"

Aureole smiled warmly. "Yes it is."

The two Guardians hugged each other tightly; for them, being apart for this long felt like an eternity. Spyro and the others approached them, just as Terrador noticed Spyro.

"The purple dragon lives!" he exclaimed.

"He has a name, you know," Sparx pointed out.

"Yes, my name is Spyro and those are my siblings, Sparx and Elora. I suppose you know Byrd and Sapia."

"Yes, indeed. Are Ignitus and the other Guardians okay?"

"Yes, we saved them all, old friend," Byrd informed, "but I propose we save reunions for later. That Orb behind you looks unpleasant, and I don't think we should leave it."

"Agreed," Terrador concurred. "It's all part of Cynder's plan to-"

But he got no further. There was a horrible wraith-like shriek, and a dark figure appeared above them: a massive, lithe Dragoness with pitch-black scales, magenta underbelly and wing membranes, six long horns, and spikes on her wing carpals and tail. Platinum braces adorned her foreleg wrists and long tail, as well as a choker on her long neck. She glared at them with poisonous green eyes, and snarled menacingly.

"C-C-C-Cynder!" Aureole screamed, an expression of utmost horror on her face.

"That's Cynder?!" Sparx shrieked, as he flew behind Elora's head.

Spyro too felt utter terror; he was already tired from his fight with Ripto, and the Fairies' magic had now worn off. But this was more; he felt as though all the bravado had gone out of him. He couldn't think straight. A red mist seemed to be emanating from Cynder, affecting his ability to think.

"Spyro! Run!" Terrador shouted. "She's dangerous!"

The evil dragon swooped towards the group. They scattered to avoid her claws and she grabbed the Earth orb.

"So, this is the purple dragon I heard about. I knew you would come here..."

"You mean we were expected?!" Sparx cried.

"Why yes! My master had Ripto and his minions lure you here to be ripe for the picking! Soon, both you, Spyro, and Ignitus, will be mine!"

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Sapia said, aiming her crossbow at Cynder. "Kids! Run! You need to get away from her!"

She fired an arrow at Cynder, but it didn't even faze her.

"So, decided to get in the way, huh?"

Cynder sent a wave of poisonous green Fire at Sapia, which she narrowly avoided. Byrd fired rockets at her, but Cynder merged with her own shadow, slunk across the floor, and swiped at Byrd with her claws, leaving several deep cuts.

Terrador flew at the Orb, trying to grab it from Cynder, but she whipped him away with ease.

"Cynder! Don't do this!" Aureole pleaded.

"Save your words, you old bird! You mean nothing to me!"

"Fly, Spyro!" Terrador yelled. "Fly like you've never flown before!"

Spyro didn't need telling twice. Grabbing Elora and swinging her onto his back, he took to the skies.

"Wait for me!" Sparx shouted, following the duo. Cynder flew after them, clearly trying to get at Spyro.

"She's going after Spyro!" Aureole fretted, worried.

"And Elora too!" Sapia added. They were so frantic that none of them noticed Ripto get to his feet and sneak away.

Spyro, Elora and Sparx were flying across the Towers, when they heard Cynder's wraith-like roar, and felt a wave of dread sweep over them.

"She's following us!" Elora yelled.

"Get away, get away, get away!" Sparx freaked out, grabbing onto Spyro's tail, as Spyro flew as fast as he could.

They swooped over Cloud Spires, Cynder sending bursts of dark Fire, Poison, Shadow and Sonic Screams after them, narrowly missing, but shattering various buildings.

"Pathetic fools!" Cynder crowed, snapping at them with her long snout. "There's no escape!"

"Back off, you freak!" Elora shouted back, throwing her last arrow at Cynder. It just bounced off her scales; and she sneered mockingly.

"Nice try..."

"Hurry, Spyro! Fly faster!" Elora shouted to her brother.

"I'm doing my best!" Spyro said, as he took a sharp turn around a Tower, Cynder in hot pursuit. The evil dragon sent another big dark fireball at them, shattering the Tower. Spyro tried to shake Cynder off, by flying through the falling rumble, though his siblings shrieked in protest. They narrowly made it through, but so did Cynder.

"Enough of this!" Cynder cried, and she suddenly began to spin her body, forming a tornado, which began to pull them in. Spyro struggled not to be pulled in; but his strength was failing.

"Elora; Sparx..."

"If you tell us to leave you, Spyro, I'll deck you over the horns!"

"It's me she wants!"

"Then she'll have to kill us all!"

"But-"

Their argument was interrupted by Ignitus, swooping past them and tackling Cynder in mid-air. The trio are shocked to see Ignitus here.

"Ignitus?!"

"Run Spyro! Save yourselves!" Ignitus grunted as he struggled against Cynder. The Fire Guardian tried to restrain the Terror of the Skies, but she clawed viciously at him, before slamming him into another Tower.

"I knew you would come Ignitus!" Cynder laughed.

"If you dare harm Spyro, I will make you regret it!"

"The only one who will have regrets will be you; for turning yourself in for us!"

Cynder hit Ignitus with Poison, making him cry out. Despite the awful sickness spreading through his body, Ignitus still stood his ground, refusing to let Cynder hurt Spyro. Then, a beam of Magic struck them both. It was Ripto; even without his sceptre, he had some magic at his disposal. His spell partially encased both Dragons in crystal and sent them plummeting down, screaming. Spyro, Elora and Sparx watched in horror, as Ignitus and Cynder disappeared into the clouds below. There was a rumble of thunder; and it began to rain.

"IGNITUS!" Spyro shouted.

"The trap worked!" Ripto crowed and laughed maniacally, before teleporting away.

Spyro made to follow after Ignitus and Cynder, but both Terrador and Aureole suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking him.

"We have to save him! Save Ignitus!"

"He's gone, Spyro; there's nothing we can do now..." Sparx said sadly.

"I don't care, he won't leave us."

"Spyro, he's right..." Terrador affirmed.

"I am? Oh man, that's a first."

"They'll be long gone, Spyro," Aureole murmured, looking distracted. "They'll probably be at Cynder's fortress by now."

"And you're in no fit condition to fight Cynder right now," Terrador added. "We will rescue Ignitus; I promise. But it is not now. It's better to recover to fight another day.

Spyro looked down gloomily, and sighed heavily, knowing that Sparx and Terrador were right.

"Let's go," he mumbled, dejected.

Elora and Sparx did their best to comfort their brother for the loss, as they followed Terrador and Aureole to regroup with the others.