To be an Ecologist is to be an observer.

No matter what field or profession the pursuit for knowledge led you towards, the first lesson for every follower of Volteer would always be this: keep your eyes on the world around you.

Sometimes Sofia wondered if she upheld this motto a little too well. Ever since her inclusion into the dragon council meetings began, the dark dragoness found herself oft people-watching more than joining in the conversations. To be fair, she was the daughter of a psychoanalyst but even that should not warrant sectioning herself like a quarantined patient. Thank goodness Jesse, Eugene, and (in recent years) Nico's efforts to keep her mind from drifting off-planet.

And Lateef would apparently be joining those ranks for the dream guru, despite his mooniness, excelled in keeping others focused on the task at hand.

Fortunate since Sofia had come to a rather chagrining conclusion after attending the first few meetings: nearly all the other dragon leaders had a tendency toward pettiness. Cosmos, of course, she expected if his not-so-subtle showboating weren't hint enough and perhaps Titan as well given his younger age but sometimes the grizzled Bruno or even pacifistic Nestor would let the current argument subsume them. Only Lateef seemed immune to the squabbling.

Sometimes Sofia had to wonder if the Founders had ever been this bad.

Granted, the arguments were not constant and save for a few jabs or smart remarks Nestor and the others knew when to act their age and get business done, like in that one meeting the day after the incident with Nico and the Artisans for example. Among the ornate walls of Lofty Castle's meeting room, Nestor had shared all findings and suspicions about the incident and its perpetrators, including how the scheme had backfired. All attendees had conducted themselves with utmost dignity and respect.

Now on the other hand…

"For the last time, you backwater hillbilly," Cosmos harped, "the Realms' defense will benefit more from the magic archives' expansion! Use your tiny mind for once and imagine the added utility!"

"Utility, mah raw hide! Them archives are just for braggin' rights and you Magic Crafters know it! If ya really wanna talk about doing somethin' about these punks, how about puttin' all those new portals to Avalar to good use? With all them new resources available ta us –"

"Bruno, you know we can't siphon all that material into one project, especially with the threat of sabotage lingering over us. Besides, we've barely established relationships with the denizens there, never mind trust. We need to exercise prudence in how we distribute these commodities!"

"You mean like in more pretty statues and stuff, Nessie?"

"Titan, for the last time…"

"Oh, come off it, you wet blanket pacifist! As if you Artisans would even know what to do without your minds drifting to arts and crafts! Hardly any wonder how your clan wound up in that debacle two weeks ago to begin with!"

Nestor did not take that last comment from Cosmos well and even Sofia knew what would follow before the yelling and fisticuffs (yes fisticuffs) began.

Okay I could have done without this, she mentally bemoaned.

Sharp heated words were one thing but this? Disheartening at the least as well as disappointing, especially with Nestor succumbing to such childish behavior. Alas, Sofia still felt too akin to the new kid on the block to stand up and demand they stop. No, she'd broken fights up before, but what approach would make the strongest impact on a group of such hard-headed individuals? Otherwise, a consensus on how to proceed would never come to pass.

Just then she noticed Lateef reaching into a scarlet satchel on his waist. The sage caught the dragoness staring and managed a serene assuring smile despite the surrounding bedlam.

"My apologies that you must witness this. Worry not, a few dashes of sleeping powder always suffices in quelling these four whenever they make a scene."

Make a scene. Those last three words rearranged and reconfigured in the lady dragon's mind until they assembled into something new and coherent: an idea.

Sofia suddenly put a hand on the older dragon's wrist, giving him pause and an inspired smile. "I may have a better solution."

XXX

Consciousness returned in pieces as Cosmos lifted his head from sleep with a faint moan, the familiar telltale smell of dream magic lingering in his nose.

The first sight to greet him comprised Lateef and Sofia in amicable conversation over tea, both dragons so engrossed that they hadn't noticed him wake up yet.

Always count on the eldest of our group to break us up.

This observation made Cosmos wilt, pride withstanding. As much as the Magic Crafter leader wished to frame his and the others' arguments otherwise, even he had to admit these fights weren't the most conducive in formulating solutions. That said, the wizard didn't fancy playing sycophant for the sake of ease either. He never minced words and he had no intentions of starting now.

Still, Cosmos amended as he got up with a crick to his neck, maybe a touch more restraint in front of our new member would prove beneficial. After all, just because he thought little of her didn't mean he and the others wanted the same in return.

On a side note, why did his lips feel wet? He never drooled in his sleep (or so he hoped).

An orchestra of yawns and groans followed in suit as the other three dragon leaders returned to the waking world as well.

Sofia at last looked up from her tea to regard her colleagues with a welcoming smile. "Good afternoon, gentlemen! Enjoy your nap?"

"About as much as we usually do," Titan remarked in a groggy tone as he stretched his muscular arms over his head. "On the bright side, Lateef at least had company this time."

Sofia's smile right then took on an eerie pleasantness that both wizard and general found unnerving. "Speaking of whom, he had some fascinating things to share."

"Oh yes," Lateef airily agreed sporting a similar grin. "I had just finished regaling to Miss Sofia some of my shared experiences with you all."

What? Nestor, Bruno, Cosmos, and Titan all shared a nervous look at that statement. Whichever 'experiences' Lateef meant, they could only guess (and feared the correct answer).

"And…which would those be?" Nestor asked in caution.

Sofia set her cup down and clasped her hands together in a far too innocent manner. "Oh, only the ones that prove that you don't detest one another as much you lead on. In fact," from beneath the table she produced a strange magenta device (a cellphone if Nestor remembered right) and swiped her finger against its glass-looking surface, "I'd say you guys can be rather affectionate when you want to be."

Again what?

A disbelieving snort burst from Bruno who twisted his face in amusement. "Woman, you must be from anotha' planet cuz there ain't no…way…"

The trail-off in the Beast Maker's response resulted from Sofia twisting her device around to show the source of her and Lateef's amusement: a full view picture of Nestor hugging Bruno nice and close while pressing a kiss to the smaller dragon's head. Bruno's face radiated dopey and giggly as he angled his clasped hands downwards like a giddy hatchling receiving a kiss from their first crush.

Everyone sans Sofia and Lateef stared in wordless shock, mouths agape enough to reach the planet's core.

Their silence lasted an impressive three seconds.

Nestor blushed so bright green he would've made a decent beacon; Bruno huffed up like an offended Attack Frog and would have grabbed his staff to wallop the green dragon senseless if not for Titan holding him back – albeit not effectively due to the general struggling with his own laughing fit. Cosmos did a better job containing himself even though he made no effort to hide his amused smirk as he mockingly patted Nestor's rigid back.

"With all due respect, Nestor," he commented with no due respect whatsoever, "you and Bruno do make an adorable pair." A lesser being would have melted under the dark glare Nestor shot his way.

Bruno meanwhile growled something about being a married man. Titan guffawed even louder.

"Not as adorable as you and Titan though, Cosmos," Sofia coolly countered.

The general and wizard blanched in an instant, all mirth sent down the drain.

Titan's brows furrowed at the Ecologist leader and then her device in wary suspicion. "What do you mean?"

Sofia obliged and, well, if the first photo had been incriminating, this one...oh wow.

For starters, Titan and Cosmos were pressed up front to front in a kiss – and not a simple peck either but full out, linked-up-like-laundry-clasps kissing, closed eyes and all! If that weren't enough, Cosmos had his arms snaked around Titan's neck while the golden dragon had one hand on the small of Cosmos' back and the other nestled rather suggestively on the underside of the wizard's massive left thigh, lifted up against the general's hip in a provocative manner.

Now Titan was the one blushing hard, let alone grabbing the nearest water bottle to purge the taste of old fart out of his mouth! In the process he dropped Bruno face-first on the floor – painfully so, resulting in the room filling up with swear words colorful enough to create a painting.

And Cosmos? Cosmos sat in a level of catatonia beyond comprehension. His poor brain could not even begin to comprehend this assault on his eyes.

Sofia turned the phone back to herself. "To be fair, there is credence to the adage 'opposites attract' and I've known plenty of happy couples with personalities similar to yours so who knows? I can see you leading a good life together."

The eye twitch on the Magic Crafter patriarch could not have been more obvious. His voice emerged low and acidic. "You did this to us?"

"To be fair, it proved difficult at first finding suitable poses for each of you," Lateef chimed in. "Fortunately, my tantric knowledge gave proper inspiration."

If not for his abject horror, Cosmos would have marveled how the color hadn't drained from his own scales. "You helped?"

Lateef's shrug could not have been more nonchalant. "Only because a little blackmail will insure you all stay on track. Speaking of which, may I suggest instead of squabbling over separate means that we formulate one able to benefit us all?"

The other leaders, try as they might, could not formulate a proper response.

Nestor and Titan shared a reproached look, knowing that Lateef spoke only the truth. Bruno, with a rough sigh, rubbed his nape.

Cosmos opened his mouth to retort, wounded pride at stake.

"Cosmos might be onto something about expanding the archives."

Only for the sea foam dragon to halt, mid-gape. What did he just hear?

Sofia noticed and nodded his way as she set down her cellphone. "Well, the culprits are mixing and matching magic with technology, so there's no reason we couldn't stand to benefit from information pertaining to this." This couldn't be the first instance after all. "Plus, there's a whole plethora of previously inaccessible arcane knowledge that all clans can access now that the Dragon Temple over in the Forgotten Worlds is free of the Sorceress' control."

Despite his shock Cosmos hastily regained his composure, muttering agreement while Sofia turned to Bruno next.

"And if we develop countermeasures yet lack the means and resources to carry them out, that's where those new routes could prove useful. Although" – then she shifted attention to Nestor – "putting all our eggs in one basket would be unwise. How about a central Plan A with modified versions of it as contingencies? That way, we have a degree of flexibility in our ability to respond to whatever these miscreants cook up next."

Titan quirked one corner of his lips, thoughtful. "Not a bad idea, but revisions will do us little good when we've got no way to predict how and when these guys will strike. We don't even know their general location."

Sofia pursed her lips. "No, but we might have a good idea of where they're not."

The golden general blinked, puzzled, and hand-gestured the scientist to elaborate.

From the crimson reticle of her left hand, Sofia pulled out holographic schematics of the nanites. "I know who created these. The model's a little different but the design is unmistakable. His name was – is Edison and he excels at robotics. Out of all the Ecologists, he was the most vehement against us giving the other dragons shelter. He disappeared after a particularly nasty raid on our base and hasn't been seen since. He taught me and many of the Ecologists a lot of what we know about machines."

Nestor leaned forward on his arms. "Then you and your clan are familiar with his old haunts?"

"Yes, which means there's no way he'd risk using any of those places as hideouts since they're all accessible by one means or another. A little dangerous, some of them, but accessible."

"Doesn't mean they aren't worth checking out," Titan chipped in as he leaned back in his chair with one arm draped over the back. "He might have left behind stuff that could give us a hint to what he's got cooked up. Even if he hasn't, keeping them under surveillance could limit his movements, make him and his buddies easier to predict."

Lateef stroked his beard in a pondering manner. "There still remains the question of his allies. Spyro and Miss Elora confirmed that they indeed saw Ripto perish. However, if this Edison found a way to revive him, let alone a Tyrasaur to recruit of all people, we must assume that he's likely sought help from other unlikely sources. It would make him more unpredictable."

A grimace came to Sofia. "Based on what Dian and Madison told me, I'm quite certain 'recruit' isn't the proper word."

Bruno tapped a finger against the table surface, grunting in agreement. "Only goes ta show the lengths this fella will go ta get what he wants, whateva' that is."

Cosmos spoke up at last, clearing his throat to gather the other leaders' attention. "Is no one else going to bring up the implication of him having someone well-versed in not only magic but dark magic on his side? I'm quite certain Spyro mentioned nothing of Ripto using anything of the sort against him, and even Gnasty never went so far. Only the Sorceress delved into that field and even then, she never used them in such discreet means."

"All the more reason for us to go to the Dragon Temple and search for any relevant records," Sofia calmly interjected. "Who knows? There might even be something on the Sorceress the Rhynocs left behind after her defeat. At the least, we can't rule out their involvement until proven otherwise. Same with the Gnorcs."

Titan scoffed. "After what happened back in Peace Keepers, I'm almost certain the Gnorcs are in on this. It lines up way too well with their silence these past months."

Nestor nodded. "As would the Rhynocs' involvement since they are supposedly without a leader now thanks to Spyro." Though that's not say they hadn't found a new one since the Sorceress' death. "From what the female Artisans told me, the Rhynocs never stopped being a threat. They're only disorganized now and easier to manage."

When he looked to Sofia for confirmation, the dragoness shook her head.

"That might not be the case anymore. Some friends of my clan have been monitoring the Rhynocs' movements over in the Clockwork Canyons. According to the reports, it seems as though they've been keeping their movements small and contained in this one area in particular."

The black dragoness, as she spoke, changed the nanite hologram into a globular view of the world. A spot lit up with a red dot centered in what appeared to be the eastern branch of a mountainous valley.

Lateef, head craning, narrowed his eyes at the location. "Ah, I remember tales pertaining to that area. Was there not one of a civilization in the clouds that watched over it?"

"Not mere tales, history. My clan and our allies found records of such a place in the surrounding regions – or at least the ones we managed to acquire intact no thanks to Rhynoc interference."

Bruno huffed and crossed his arms. "Abandoned most likely. The only reason nobody ever came across it is cuz all them horror stories spooked everybody clear of it."

Sounds like the perfect place to set home base then, Titan mused. Never mind the crazy reason those canyons got their name.

The entire room went silent as all the leaders contemplated the ramifications of this information. If the Rhynocs had set up shop there, then no telling what they could be up to if anything, let alone whether the new management (if they found any) had ties to this Edison fellow and that so-called 'Sorcerer'.

Cosmos broke the silence in a hesitant tone. "Then we trust the Ecologists and their allies can keep the rest of us abreast with developments there?"

Sofia brushed back a loose bang, sighing. "Not only for us dragons. We'd also have to consider the residents in the Forgotten Worlds too. The Rhynocs caused plenty of trouble in our absence after all."

Murmurs of agreement passed around the table. From what Nestor had learned from Spyro and his friends, especially the Sorceress's former apprentice, the people over there had a long way to go in adjusting to life without a tyrant.

However, that fact brought up another point, one Cosmos couldn't help but voice. "Your clan has resided on the west coast of the Adamas continent, opposite of the Forgotten Worlds, correct? You said the Rhynocs never stopped being a threat yet never specified how so. Did they never discover your people's location at all?"

A shift came across Sofia's face as the black dragoness averted eye contact, one Cosmos couldn't quite read. "They didn't. As far as they were concerned, we were essentially extinct. Had plenty of close calls over the millennia, but we always gave them the slip – that is until the others came."

Only when Sofia faced the others at last did the Magic Crafters' leader recognize the guilt and second-guessing. For all his misgivings about the Ecologists, even the wizard could not deny a touch of understanding. Leadership always carried burden no matter who you might be, and Cosmos knew this fact all too well.

At that moment, Lateef's words from their first encounter with the Ecologist leader came back to mind, the advice about empathy, and the green reptile briefly found himself tussling between pride and sensibility. As much as he loathed to imply eating humble pie, Cosmos chose the path of integrity through the following question as he crossed his hands on the table and cast an imploring yet genuine gaze on Sofia.

For peace of mind and nothing else, he needed to confirm.

"Do you regret giving them sanctuary?"

Sofia faced him instantly firm and honest, as did her answer. "No. Given the choice to go back in time, I'd gladly do it again." Cosmos' sharp eyes did not miss how she absentmindedly reached for the bracelet on her wrist, the one made by her apprentice. "Albeit without the losses that followed."

Through his nose Cosmos expelled a sigh he hadn't been aware of holding and nodded, terse. That answer contained all he needed to know. He also pretended to not notice Lateef's knowing smile.

Nestor chose this moment to stand up, figure and poise striking in the pink afternoon light. "She's right. Though reuniting our clans remains top priority, we mustn't forget how much of a threat the Rhynocs pose, let alone how they've terrorized others in the Forgotten Worlds as well. I suggest we start arrangements to meet with the leaders there. Spyro can help on that front."

The various denizens owed him one after all.

"And what about the reintegration efforts?" Titan voiced. "We still haven't decided yet who's up next on tour guide duty."

"Well, we know that these ruffians only strike wherever the Ecologists are allotted to visit," Cosmos huffed, "meaning they've been using some means to eavesdrop on us and our peoples."

Nestor and Titan nodded in agreement. The culprits wouldn't have been able to pull off their schemes so far otherwise.

"Probably Edison's spider-bots," Sofia suggested. "He loves those things: small, silent, swift. In fact, right before he disappeared, he seemed to be working on adding light refraction mods so they could go invisible. Of course, that's only one way he could go about spying on everyone."

Lateef, still stroking his beard, frowned in worry. "In any event, how would we guard ourselves against this sort of infiltration, considering the rest of us lack the Ecologists' acumen for technology?"

A curt snort brought everyone's attention to Bruno. "Ya mean most of us. We Beast Makers may not have as fancy of gadgets, but we know a thing o' two 'bout sniffin' out tech, let alone breakin' it." Some of us more than others, he added to himself, a certain blue terror coming to mind.

Sofia blinked in surprise at the much shorter dragon. Unless the Beast Makers possess EMP tech, which she highly doubted, she couldn't fathom what safeguard they could have to tackle this situation.

"Believe it o' not, there's a pest in certain parts of the swamp that loves the taste of metal – shredder locusts we call 'em. Can sniff out even the smallest trace of iron from a mile away. We gotta give the tech a coat of special powder that keep their mitts off durin' flood season since that's when they're on the move most."

Huh, interesting. Sofia set one elbow in her opposite hand and tapped the index of the other, the metal one, against her chin. Personally, she wondered why any Beast Maker would make such a troublesome creature but put that question on the backburner for now. "Have you and the other Makers ever tried to domesticate them, put them to good use?"

Bruno let off a bark of head-throwing laughter. "Only the insane of us! These some touchy critters we talkin' 'bout here, even compared to the usual wildlife. But that ain't to say we can't come up with somethin' ta counter those troublemakers. In fact, how's about we make it the impetus ta the next visit?"

Sofia cocked her head as she thought the suggestion over. "You mean having Jesse drop by to share his two cents? His specialty lies more in plants than animals, although his botanical knowledge could still prove useful." After all, the Beast Makers' potions make heavy use of local plants; Jesse could offer some alternatives. "In the meantime, Madison's working on radars for spyware; Jesse can bring them by during his visit."

Sounded like a plan to Bruno, who pursed his lips in satisfaction and nodded. "Now then," he continued, "that just leaves the matta' if yer clan's planning on attending the Unity Festival this comin' week."

The elder dragon's smirk shifted into confusion at Sofia's sudden gasp and subsequent fervent headshake.

What, did he say something nerve-wracking?

Before long, the black dragoness took a steadying breath before sidling her eyes in a self-conscious manner. "My clan's made a point to avoid celebrations unless it's someone we know well, and considering our exile…"

An amused chuckle from Titan interrupted her. Seeing the usually composed woman act so flustered out of nowhere simply tickled the general.

"Come on. Your people's return is old news by now." The golden dragon leaned forward on his arms and shrugged. "Besides, It's not like we're telling you to bring your whole clan to Dragon Shores. Just letting two or three of them show up would do fine."

"'Reemergence' would be more apt," Sofia corrected in a firmer tone. "And it hasn't been that long since then. We're barely halfway through Phase 1 of the reintegration process at this rate, so wouldn't any number of my people attending anything outside that context invite risk?"

Let alone an event that open?

Cosmos rolled his eyes at her concern. He sincerely doubted those foolish saboteurs would target something obvious like a species-wide celebration that'd been going on since the dawn of civilization. To his great annoyance his confidence did not persist among the other leaders, who all shared a consulting gaze over Sofia's words.

At last, Nestor cleared his throat to break the pregnant silence. "In that case, perhaps a buddy-system would alleviate that issue. We could include the other clans who haven't had a chance to host the Ecologists yet." Namely the ones likeliest to drag their feet in accepting the Ecologists. "Doing so would go a long way in facilitating future trips as well."

Sofia tapped her chin for a moment, pondering the idea. Simple yet effective in the long-term, she could get behind such a plan. A pleased smile graced her face. "I believe that will suffice."

Nestor smiled back – at least until Sofia pulled the incriminating photo back out.

"I'm still keeping the blackmail by the way, if only to ensure none of you back out of the deal."

Everyone else except Lateef sighed in varying sighs of defeat and/or frustration. The Dream Weaver masked a chuckle behind his hand by contrast.

Oh yes, he very much looked forward to future team-ups with the Ecologist leader.

For reference pictures of my OCs:

Artisans - ~professorrat/submissions/1927291/artisan-residents-ocs

Peace Keepers - ~professorrat/submissions/1927292/peace-keeper-residents-ocs

Magic Crafters - ~professorrat/submissions/1927294/magic-crafter-residents-ocs

Ecologists - ~professorrat/submissions/1944688/ecologist-residents-ocs

Beast Makers - ~professorrat/submissions/1927295/beast-maker-residents-ocs

Dream Weavers - ~professorrat/submissions/1927289/dream-weaver-residents-ocs

For the world map - ~professorrat/submissions/2054834/spyro-world-map-surface