Disclaimer: I don't own Spyro or anything in the Dragon Realms! But Afghar's device, Kolder, and Zuclyptos are my own! What the crap are they, you ask? Read on to find out.

Chapter 1: The Festival

Spyro sat gloomily, sprawled out beside the lake in Idol Springs, watching the young dragons running about excitedly. Some had already been given dragonflies, but most of them hadn't, anxiously waiting in a disorganized line, jostling each other for the next dragonfly. Spyro sighed. He could now only barely remember the day when he was presented with his lifelong friend, Sparx. he could barely remember anything anymore. Over the past three years, he had barely been left alone for a moment. Nobody ever got tired of him endlessly repeating his tales, and no one wanted him to stop. Everywhere he went, his privacy was bombarded by nosy people. The dragonfly festival was now one of the only places where he could get some peace and solitude. It was very nice in the serene environment of Idol Springs, where they had decided to hold it every year. Ever since the "Ripto Incident".

He was just beginning to relax when the sound of trotting approached him. He looked up and saw Kolder, his new best friend, coming towards him.

Kolder had deep, ruby colored scales, and deep, emerald horns. His claws were a little bigger and sharper than Spyro's, and his tail had small, curved spikes decorating it every few inches. Kolder was very different from most dragons. He was an orphan, like Spyro, and when he hatched, no one claimed him. His flame was very different, also; It wasn't quite a flame. Kolder could breathe out liquid magma in a straight pillar, though since he was young, like Spyro, it was only about an inch in diameter. He was much of an outcast, excluded from everyone else, but Spyro saw good in him. Kolder and him had been great friends for as long as he could remember, but because of his numerous adventures, they hadn't had the chance to hang out with each other very often.

"What's up?" he asked, sidling over to Spyro and sitting on the turf near the lake. "Where's Sparx?"

Spyro glanced over at a group of young dragons and dragonflies, and saw Sparx playing with them all. Sparx had become incredibly popular over his adventures, and he never had a shortage of company, either. And he didn't seem to mind. "Over there," he pointed.

"Oh."

"Where's Dyllin?"

Dyllin was Kolder's dragonfly, and he never left his side. He was his only friend, apart from Spyro, throughout his life. They were almost inseparable.

Suddenly, a blue spark popped out from behind Kolder's left horn and started jabbering excitedly.

"With me, as always," came Kolder's reply. "What's wrong? You don't...look too well."

"I'm fine," Spyro replied. "I'm just...getting a bad feeling. That something terrible is going to happen."

"How could you get that feeling today?" Kolder asked, gesturing towards the sky.

Spyro looked up, and saw the brilliant blue, cloudless sky above him, while the sun shone brilliantly. A single, bright red leaf fell from the tallest tree and slowly drifted into the lake, forming tiny ripples on the crystal clear surface. Idol Springs was always beautiful.

"It's always like this here," Spyro replied flatly.

"Exactly," Kolder replied. "Ripto's not around anymore, remember? Nothing bad is going to happen."

Hunter ran up to him, dodging a group of baby dragons playing and jabbering happily. "Hey Spyro! Great festival, eh?"

"Eh," Spyro replied, standing up and rubbing his eyes. "Is everything going alright?"

"You bet!" Bianca piped up, who had just suddenly appeared beside Hunter. "The dragonfly festival's always gone well since you got back the dragonflies!"

"Are you sure? I mean, that nothing bad's happened?"

"What's up with him?" Hunter asked.

"Seems to think something bad is going to happen," Kolder remarked.

"Where'd he get that thought?" Bianca asked. "It's a beautiful day."

"Yeah, okay," Spyro consented, getting on his feet. "Just let me know if anything happens, alright?"

"Lighten up, would ya?" said Kolder.

"Yeah, Spyro, enjoy the party!" Hunter exclaimed as he walked away.

"C'mon, let's go for a swim or something," Kolder suggested.

"Yeah, I guess," Spyro replied dejectedly. He walked over to the edge of the tranquil waters and leapt, spinning in a headbash into the water.

"Man, Spyro is really out of it, today," Kolder muttered, and followed suit, spraying water onto the grassy shore.

Underwater, Spyro saw the pillar that supported the island with the tiki head on it. He coiled his leg muscles and cut expertly through the water, charging almost as quickly as on land. He heard Kolder behind him, chasing him. But Spyro was faster. After all, he had had more experience. He precisely zig-zagged through the water, treading a zany path, while Kolder struggled to follow him. Then, suddenly, he shot upwards.

He emerged from the lake, landing in a comfortable float on his stomach. Kolder tried to copy him, but went up too fast, and he emerged from the surface flying over Spyro and landing with a splash on his other side.

Spyro laughed as Kolder emerged to the surface, shaking his sapphire wings and laughing uncontrollably. He and Spyro played in the water for a while longer, chasing each other and flipping through the air, until a loud gong sounded near the mouth of the cave. The dragons slowly walked into the cave, chattering excitedly among themselves.

"Time for closing ceremonies," Kolder declared breathlessly. "We'd better get going, too."

Spyro turned his head towards the coast, but spotted something bobbing in the water out of the corner of his eye that was shining as brilliantly as the sun.

"Are you coming?" Kolder started swimming away impatiently.

"Look at that..." said Spyro in a bewildered tone, staring at the object.

Kolder looked across the waters. "Look at what?"

"There...don't you see it? The shiny thing," Spyro said, pointing.

Kolder looked around. "I don't see anything," he said in a nervous tone.

"I'll be there in a second. Just go on," Spyro replied, starting to swim towards the object that was nearly blinding.

"Quit-quit joking around, Spyro," Kolder muttered nervously, looking around anxiously. "C'mon, we're going to be late."

"No, no, really," Spyro muttered. "Go on ahead. I'll be there in a moment."

"O-Okay," Kolder said nervously, and swam back to shore.

Spyro continued to swim closer to the object, which was so bright he had to hold up his front left leg against his eyes. He reached out with a clawed hand and touched it.

Instantly a jolt of searing, white-hot pain shot through his arm and into his stomach. Spyro wheezed as if something had just charged into him. The object dimmed until it barely shone anymore, until Spyro could comfortably gaze at it's surface.

The surface of the object seemed to be swirling, as if made out of some kind of cloud. The fascinating thing about it was that it was constantly changing colors, from bright yellow to sapphire, right to emerald green and then to silver. Spyro looked at it with great fascination.

"What could this be?" Spyro wondered aloud, reaching tentatively out to touch the object again.

He automatically withdrew it, although he hadn't felt any pain. Startled, he touched it again. No pain.

Spyro reached out and cupped the spherical object in his claws. It was about the same size as a baseball, but it felt light and warm in his hands, and as he gazed into its crystalline depths, it fixed upon a brilliant ruby, swirling inside the object. It was very odd. Spyro felt as if he had finally found something he was looking for. That this was a long lost possession returned to him at last. But he hadn't the slightest clue what it was.

"Weird," Spyro muttered simply. Grasping it in one paw, he slowly swam back to shore.

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