The Journey Home

by NewLegend1

Settings may change, but conflict doesn't. Young Spyro finds himself in a world once inhabited by Humans, now left abandoned to dragons. Destroyed long ago in a war, only Humanity's ruins remain. His once peaceful city is shattered when a new creature arrives-a human. Alternate universe, M for violence. Now with new chapters!

12. Campfire

Chapter 12: Campfire

November 8, 6:32 PM

"Come on, tell us! Why won't you tell us?" Flame called out, flapping his wings to keep up with the other two dragons who had very clearly left him in the dust. Spyro smirked at his friend while Sparx zipped under him, keeping marvelous pace with the larger beasts who soared high in the dark orange skies of dusk. Cynder laughed, shaking her head as she didn't even look back at the red dragon behind her.

"Because the question is just… stupid!" Cynder cried out, shaking her head. Flame just let out a soft laugh, flapping his wings to catch up to the black dragoness soaring in front of him.

"Come on! Spyro, you know you're curious, come on! Answer us Cynder!" Flame tried appealing to Spyro who just smirked, shaking his head before looking at Cynder who shot him a very unimpressed look.

"I don't feel like I even have to answer. I shouldn't have to, it's just so… silly! Of course we don't just mash up gemstones and eat them, that's so childish."

"You'd be surprised about the rumors that go around about you guys. That's just one of the more plausible ones." Spyro said, looking back at her.

"'The more plausible ones?' Do I even want to know?" Cynder asked, shaking her head.

"Well… do you guys might-"

"Uh, I think that's enough for now Flame!" Spyro said, cutting his friend off. Cynder just shook her head.

"Do they really say these things about us over here?"

"Well, I mean we don't really get that many chances to ask you guys, given…" Spyro started, but trailed off as he didn't have a correct way to phrase his response.

"Given you guys walk around with armor and invade everybody." Flame said, finishing for his friend.

"Yeah- that." Spyro said in reply.

"Hey guys, check that out!" Flame pointed, directing them towards a small formation of buildings down below in the trees. Spyro looked down, immediately seeing them. They were a little ways from the main pathway that they had been flying over, and they had gotten lost in idle chit chat that Spyro had forgotten what they were even doing. They were scouting for a place to settle in for the night, settle in for the inevitable long walk the next day. They had left the land of the dragons some time ago, after having successfully met their wishes, the dragon elders permitted them to leave, and even showed them a safe and quick way out of their territory. It brought them out from the thick forests to a large, cleared out valley with a dirt road that ran through the center of it. Cynder said it was a smaller trading road that if they followed it long enough would meet up with a much larger one that should… should take them into Baltimore. Spyro had heard that already, about how this path and that path was a straight shot into Baltimore, but that had all yet to be proven. They had set forth into the skies to see if there was possibly a nice safe place to settle in for the night, since dusk was approaching quickly. Sleeping on the side of the road in an open field… presented some obvious problems.

"That looks as good as any! Perhaps there's some nice beds in there!" Flame said as the others stopped to inspect it from their position in the clouds.

"I'd just be happy for a covered roof." Cynder said with a shrug.

"Come on, we should get Jericho then." Spyro said, turning around to return to Jericho.

"What if we can't find this place again?" Flame asked, turning to his friend.

"It's along the path, I'll just have Sparx lead us there!" Spyro called out, already on his way back to the wingless human, quite a ways back.

"Come on Spyro, I'll race you back!" Cynder called out, opening her wings and sailing forward with great speed.

"We'll see about that!" Spyro responded, flapping his wings to speed up himself. Flame just blinked, watching the two get smaller in the distance. He hovered next to Sparx who himself shook his little insect head.

"Oh, I agree Sparx, I agree." Flame simply said before swooping down to the buildings to get a closer look himself.

The other two dragons were already far gone, speeding back to the human they had left behind on the path below. Cynder had already caught back up with Spyro and was even on her way to pull ahead, using sweeping motions with her body to gain great speed.

"Man, where'd you learn to fly like that?" Spyro asked, struggling not to get left behind.

"You can't afford to be a bad flier! Back where I grew up, we're all great fliers. It's in our blood." She simply said while pulling ahead. Spyro pouted softly, trying his hardest to gain speed. He could barely make out the human walking on the dirt road below, his dark form almost lost in the sea of dark greens that made up the fields in the waning sunlight.

As they drew closer, Spyro could see that Cynder was purposely slowing down to let Spyro catch up, only to soar ahead to gain the lead.

"Come on! That's not fair!" Spyro yelled out to her, only to get a wave of her head, as if to show she hadn't heard him while pulling ahead of him again. Spyro just shook his head. She was having way too much fun with this…

Jericho stopped, seeing the dragons approach. He was wearing his hood up, along with his gasmask on to detour anyone they might run into from recognizing that he was human. Well, not that they had even run into anyone on this small dirt road, but it still served to be cautious. They were on open ground now, after all.

"Jericho! We found a place that we might be able to settle in to. It's a bit farther up the path." Spyro explained, flapping his wings to get low enough to talk to him. Cynder circled up above, almost fading into the blackening sky.

"Well, I'd hope so, it's getting pretty late. I'll follow you guys there, just… try not to go to far ahead, alright?" He asked, looking up at the purple dragon. Spyro opened his mouth to answer, but Cynder interrupted him before he could even say anything.

"No promises!" She yelled down from where she was.

"Funny!" Jericho yelled back up at her, shaking his head. She just stuck her tongue out before taking off back to where Flame and Sparx were.

"Boy, she seems to be acting strange lately." Jericho commented to Spyro, who was still close enough to hear.

"Strange?"

"Yeah, like she's displaying normal emotions. Normal emotions, from a Sentinel. What's this world come to?" Jericho asked, in a comical way. Spyro just smirked and shook his head, looking up at Cynder while she took off ahead of them. He was right though, she seemed much happier than normal. Perhaps… perhaps it was just that she was finally getting comfortable being around them, being around Jericho as well.

Spyro took off after her, but kept slow enough to keep within eyesight of Jericho. With the sun slowly setting in the distance, and nighttime overtaking them, it got a little harder and they had to stay closer and closer to Jericho. With him on the ground walking, it took some time before they were able to see the faint glimmer of Sparx in the sky, showing where they had discovered the buildings. The buildings themselves were off the path some ways, hidden in a thick patch of trees. If you were standing on the ground where Jericho was, you would have easily missed them. But, from the sky where they sat, it was plain for all to see where they were. You could hardly miss it.

They arrived not soon after, following Sparx and Flame they managed to bring Jericho safety in to the hidden patch of buildings, and thankfully it all looked quiet and uneventful. Good, Spyro thought to himself, no surprises.

The buildings were arranged in what appeared to be a horseshoe shape, a very boxy one at that. They seemed to surround a square concrete field that was slowly being covered by dirt and grass. The buildings all faced the clearing, and it wasn't too large either. Rusted shells of what appeared to be old Forger cars littered the clearing as well, slowly being reclaimed by nature. The buildings were also small, none of them having more then two stories to them, and that was if they were fully intact. What buildings remained were worn from the elements, but thankfully still standing and in one piece.

Flame sat perched on one of them, looking down as the others entered the clearing for a better look.

"Fancy, isn't it?" Flame said, calling out to them.

"Looks like an old shopping center. Well, what's left of one. Might have been a town here at some point." Jericho commented as he looked around. He pulled off his gasmask and hood, sensing that they were well enough off of the path now.

"An old market?" Spyro asked, turning to the human. Jericho nodded while walking to where Flame was.

"My father called them strip malls, or just shopping centers. They were usually closer to larger stores to get more attention and usually had a lot of smaller shops in them. I'm sure there are more ruins in these woods here. These are just the most intact ones." He replied.

"I checked a few of them, they're a bit empty but these buildings have some nice little trinkets in them, even a few beds!" Flame said as he glided down to meet them from his roof.

"Beds?" Cynder asked, her head perking up. Flame nodded, trotting over towards the front entrance. The smashed windows of the main entrance proved easy to navigate, and made Spyro reminisce about the underground mall they had uncovered days before. The shops were similar in size, in fact they looked almost just like them. This one in particular had a lot of tables in its main room, and a counter near the back. A wall had been knocked down between this one and the next shop next door on the right, a lot of counters and what looked like booths were in the shop next door.

"Hmm, looks like a small restaurant, next to an old bank. Where'd you find the beds Flame?" Jericho asked, looking at the dragon.

"Here, in the back. They're up on the second floor. There are some stairs in the back as well." He said, walking towards the back of the restaurant. Sparx flew near him as well, illuminating the entire room for them with his bright yellow light. With the sun having set a few minutes ago, the outside light was slowly going away, leaving only darkness. Jericho rummaged through his pack for a few moments before bringing out a flashlight, giving them even better light.

"You sure you didn't find anybody here in these ruins?" Cynder asked, craning her head around the dark room.

"No, there wasn't anyone. Though, looks like people might have been here before. Not sure when." He answered as they moved through the back rooms. They finally found the stairs after navigating a small hallway. The stairs took them up the second floor, which was much more opened to the outside. There was even one room where the roof and wall were missing entirely, exposing the entire room to the night time air. There were covered rooms, and it looked like Flame was right. Several beds were inside those rooms, along with several boxes containing various items. From a glance, they looked to be different kinds of survival gear.

"This place does look lived in… though not recently." Jericho said, inspecting the supplies.

"Yeah, these beds are a little dusty." Cynder remarked herself, looking over the cloth.

"Dust, smust! It's cloth and soft that's all I care about!" Flame said before diving headfirst into a bed. His body kicked up a cloud of dust, which made Spyro and Cynder both cough. Flame sat upright and looked at them for a few moments before letting out a huge sneeze.

"Way to go genius." Cynder said in-between coughs. Flame didn't seem to care, quickly snuggling himself up to the warm covers.

Sparx quickly found himself a nice spot in a pile of discarded blankets, his bright yellow light quickly dimming behind all the cloths.

"This place is amazing…" Spyro said, looking around as this place was a Godsend to them.

"Might be an outpost, or… someone's hiding spot." Jericho said, walking over to them.

"Well, it's not Sentinel, that's for sure." Cynder said.

"Thank the ancestors for that. I'd hate for them to find us here." Flame sad with a shiver.

"Scavenger?" Spyro asked, looking to the human.

"Maybe… there's a lot of old Army gear in here. Makes me wonder since a lot of it is really high quality. Maybe there're some well-connected scavengers who use this place. Least they're not here right now." Jericho said.

"Army gear, like what?" Spyro asked.

"An old handgun for one, a lot of ammo, a compass, axes, fire starters, smoke grenades, flares… I could make an entire list." Jericho opened the box, rummaging through all the supplies.

"Yeah, sounds like a well-connected scavenger." Cynder said with a yawn.

"Man, I'm starving is there any food in there?" Flame asked, stuffing his nose into the box like a curious child. Jericho just looked down at him for a second before shaking his head.

"If you like really old canned food, then no. We have what the dragons gifted to us and what we can make of it." Jericho said. He set his pack down, removing a small steel case he had been given from the dragons before they left. It contained a small stew that they could eat, they just hadn't been able to sit down and eat it. Cicilian had given it to them- of all people. However, it wasn't enough for all of them really for a full meal, so they'd still have to forage for some food.

"Come on, let's eat already then!" Flame said with excitement.

"Not so fast there fireboy. We need to get more food, as well as some wood to heat up this stew."

"I can get some firewood, and see if we can't hunt something down in these woods." Cynder said, volunteering.

"I'll go too, I wanna see what's in those woods!" Flame said with glee. Spyro was an inch away from volunteering, but Flame beat him to the punch. With a frown he turned to Jericho who turned to him while holding the metal can.

"I guess that means you'll help me make this meal then Spyro. We can probably forage something from downstairs to help." Jericho said. Spyro withdrew his frown and smiled, nodding.

"Alright 'fireboy', let's get going." Cynder said, drawing a grimace from Flame.

"Hey, the name's Flame!" He called out to her as she leaped down from their second floor room, and onto the grassy ground below. Flame quickly followed, disappearing into the blackness beyond.

"So, what do you need me to do?" Spyro asked, turning to the human. Jericho brought the large metal can to a nearby table and set it down.

"Well, we'll need to see what's downstairs that we can use, also to clear a space for a fire. Don't want to start one in here." Jericho said, motioning to the flammable cloths laying everywhere.

"What about in here?" Spyro asked, walking to the room that was exposed to the air. The floor there was bare concrete, and the room gave one hell of a view to the trees and low hills beyond.

"Right then, let's see what's downstairs." Jericho said, nodding. Spyro followed right behind the human as they went down the stairs back into the restaurant below. Sparx had come from his hiding space by now, and was slowly hovering his way around the room with them, excited to explore again. His faint yellow light cast itself against all the walls, along with Jericho's flashlight. Spyro didn't get a good look at the place while they worked their way to the back, now was his perfect chance.

They were back in the downstairs restaurant, moving through the back rooms where there were several large metal appliances of some sorts. If this was a restaurant, they were possibly furnaces or cookers of some sort. Come to think of it, Spyro had never seen the inside of a Forger restaurant, or even a regular one anyway. He was never one for cooking… at least beyond a simple pot on top of a fire.

"So, what was this place like, ya know, back in the day?" Spyro asked, watching Jericho walk over a pile of fallen concrete.

"Well, most of what I know is based on what my father told me. Even then, his stories are sometimes from his father too, he was very young when the world fell apart. A place like this, a shopping center, was a small marketplace, compared to the megastores next door."

"Megastores? Bigger then these?"

"Yeah, large chain stores. They were the kings of shopping centers like this, the big attractions. Smaller shops like these were side shops, hoping to get business off of the larger places, second stops for people passing through. That's how my dad explained it to me. A restaurant like this? This one looks small, probably a smaller chain for a few people at a time. Smaller ones like this were for families to get a quick bite, nothing too fancy."

"What's with the concrete field out there? I've seen so many like it, parking lots are they? Where they for your… cars?"

"Pretty much. Before the war, cars were as plentiful as people. Every family had a car, or more sometimes. A store like this wasn't meant for you to walk to, you'd drive your car from your home to this place, park outside and come inside. In its heyday, I imagine the parking lot would have been packed to the brim with cars, all shiny with their fresh coats of paint, not… rusted and empty like they are. My dad said he remembers the strong smell of gasoline every time he walked by a packed parking lot, and the mad dash there was to find parking on a busy day."

"Gasoline?"

"You know, the fuel they ran off of. We didn't have crystals back then, in fact, they never existed back then."

"Did you ever get to see a full parking lot like that?"

"No, I've only seen ones like you have. My dad did, he saw a lot as a child."

"So… I guess if everyone had a car, and went everywhere by car, I guess that explains all the roads you built. I could never understand why you guys built so many; I didn't think cars were that plentiful."

"Oh, they were. My dad told me entire cities were built around road systems, trying to get cars here and there. I wish I could have seen them, the massive cities of old. Sadly, few exist anymore."

"So… if you don't mind me asking… what did happen to your dad?" Spyro looked at Jericho, watching him pull open one of the old cookers, peering inside. Jericho stopped when he asked that, and looked at the ground. He stared for a few moments before returning to his searching.

"He didn't make it as far as I did. As far as any of us did."

"Was he…?"

"Killed by the Sentinels? Yes, he was. Killed… by the very same ones who attacked us in your hometown. They were hunting us." He stood up from the cooker, throwing a piece of metal onto the floor for emphasis.

"What do they want so badly?"

"This USB." Jericho pulled the device from his coat, only a soft glimmer of its plastic casing visible to Spyro before he hid it again.

"And you have no idea why they want it so badly?"

"Nope. Only that my father believed in protecting it so much that he gave his life for it. It also drove them to attack and destroy my home. They won't give up until they have it."

"If the Sentinels want it, do you think Cynder would know about the USB?"

"I'm not sure. She was in the city too, so if she did know she might have been helping to hunt it, but she wasn't. She's just an initiate after all, there might not be things they'd tell them." Jericho suggested, moving into the main restaurant.

"Right…" Spyro said in agreement, walking into the room with him.

"Doesn't look like there's much left, though we could always use one of these tables." Jericho said, lifting one of the tables up to carry up the stairs. The table looked heavy at first but Spyro quickly saw the table was very light, not even made of wood but some plastic material meant to resemble wood from the faded paint job. Why would you do that, why not just use wood?

"No wood in here, it's all rotten or plastic. Let's hope the others bring back some wood." Jericho said while carrying the table. Spyro wished he could help him but… he didn't exactly have thumbs!

/Transitioning.../

[Done]

"Over there, see it?" Cynder whispered to Flame while crouching through the brush. Flame remained silent, trying to tilt his head to see just what she was looking at. He inched forward, peering through the leaves before him. He saw it, the small rabbit that hobbled in a small opening before them. It was small, and feral, perfect hunting opportunity.

"Yeah… I see it. Hardly any meat though…" Flame said with a pout.

"You rather we wait, we might never find a deer out here. Might as well take this one." Cynder whispered back.

"Fine, let's get it then."

Cynder didn't even respond, instead leaping forth from the hidden brush to ambush the poor little rabbit. It saw the large dragoness coming its way and attempted to flee, scurrying to a small hole several feet away. Flame raced out after her, hoping to cut the rabbit off. She didn't need the help.

She pounced with great force, landing on the rabbit and subduing the small creature with little effort. With a deep bite into its neck, the creature stopped fighting and became limp. A perfect kill.

"Nice one Cynder! Now we just need some firewood." Flame leaned down, gripping some fallen tree limbs with his mouth. He turned his head, flinging them onto his back where they'd rest in-between his neck and wings. Cynder placed her kill on her back, holding it between her wings. She'd just have to walk carefully.

"Man, it gets creepy out here at night." Flame said as he looked around at the tall oak trees that surrounded them. It was dark everywhere except for where the moon gave its light. It hovered high above them, silently giving its light. If it wasn't for that, it'd be pitch black.

"Yeah, creepy. You never know when a pack of hungry dragons might come baring down on you." Cynder remarked with a smile. Flame just shook his head, trotting over to another pile of fallen tree limbs to pick them up.

"So you, and Spyro, how long you two known each other?" Cynder asked, turning to the red dragon.

"Since… as long as I can remember! We were both orphans, and we just… decided to help look after one another. We've been best friends ever since. What about you, having any cool friends back home in evil town?"

"It's not evil town! And I did have a good friend, just one though."

"Oh? Who was that?"

"Nobody. Anyway, I think we might find something over here, come on!" She said, moving forward and farther into the thick blackness of the forest.

"Ah come on, you can't leave it hanging like that! No fair!" Flame bolted after her, trying to keep the wood from falling off his back. They moved through the uneven ground, trying to find anything of value, or just more firewood.

"Man, I sure hope that rabbit goes good with that stew… I'm so famished…" Flame said lowly, watching the rabbit hobble about on Cynder's back.

"Oh quit your whining fireboy, it should be enough. Keep talking and I might have to take your share for myself."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!"

"Exactly." She said with a sly smile, picking up a piece of wood and tossing it his way. "Here, catch!" She said with a laugh.

"Hey!" Flame moved quickly, just barely managing to land it in his wood pile. Flame was about to say something to her when a glint caught his eye. "Hey, what's that?" He asked, getting her attention. Cynder turned around, looking back to catch the glimmer for herself.

"What is that indeed… Come on, let's go check it out!" Cynder said, darting off towards it.

"Hey wait for me! I'm the one with twelve logs on his back!" Flame called back. They traversed large roots and fallen tree trunks to find the glimmer was that from a crystal, a crystal held by an interesting individual. It was held by a silent body, a dead figure gripping the crystal which what might have appeared to be his last defying act.

"Blech!" Flame said, seeing the body.

"Oh calm down." Cynder bent down, examining the body closer. The figure wore what appeared to be combat fatigues and body armor, and his face was concealed behind a helmet with an accompanying visor and cover for the mouth. A fallen weapon was by his side, Forger in origin. In fact, it was safe to say all the gear the creature wore bore Forger origins.

"A Forger?" Flame asked, looking over the creature.

"Probably. Looks like one of those old soldiers from before the war." Cynder remarked while looking his uniform over.

"The… Amicans?"

"American. See there, that's their flag." She pointed to a very worn but still readable patch of cloth sown to his shoulder. A small flag, baring red and white stripes with a blue field holding stars.

"I've seen that before, many times!" Flame recalled, the flag having been everywhere in his old town.

"Not surprising, it was the flag of the nation who used to rule this place. Now, it is as dead as this soldier."

"Well, he looks like he's in great condition for having been dead forever."

"You're right." She looked closer at his body, noting that the fabric on his clothing was torn little, and wasn't falling apart like you'd expect after decades of abandonment in the forest. The only tear was that of a single hole in his chest, a likely bullet wound that proved fatal.

"Could he… be a recent one?" Flame asked, looking towards the dragoness.

"Hard to tell. He might be an old survivor, clinging to a flag long gone. He met his end either way." Cynder looked down at his body, a look that Flame caught. Her words told of dismissiveness she was giving to this human's death, yet her eyes almost seemed… longing.

"You really think so?" Flame asked her, prodding her.

"I do. Still, I wonder what it might have been like."

Flame gave her a very peculiar glance at her, one she caught.

"Him, the Americans. The humans. Spyro's curiosity seems to have rubbed off on me." She said, shaking her head while turning around. Flame watched her for a moment before bending down to retrieve the crystal, feeling its warmth on his talons.

"What do you think this human might have wanted with the crystal?" Flame asked aloud. She stopped before turning to him.

"I'm not certain. Humans are one of the only creatures on this planet who do not draw strength and life from these gems. We dragons covet them the most, we rely upon them for our very survival. Humans… along with all feral creatures on this world do not. It's strange to me how they can seemingly live without it. Perhaps he was curious about it himself." Cynder said before turning to walk back to their hide away.

Flame turned, looking back at the shining crystal in his talons. He looked at it for a few more moments before bringing his gaze back up to the Forger, watching him before turning to return with Cynder.

/Transitioning.../

[Done]

"I have to say, that does smell really good." Cynder stood over the metal pot, steam rising from it as Jericho slowly stirred its ingredients. Flame and Cynder had returned successful, having found two more rabbits while coming back to cook and a healthy amount of wood. Jericho had cleared a nice space upstairs in the open room exposed to the night sky, where the stairs met the second floor. Stars twinkled above them softly as Jericho continued to cook their meal over the open flame. Spyro and Flame sat back, watching with wonder on some pads that they had retrieved from both downstairs and from the hideaway near the beds. Jericho sat on his own chair, and Cynder and Sparx hovered near the pot itself. Cynder had actually lent her own talents to the meal, having suggested some different ways to prepare the rabbits with the stew. It was beginning to smell really good, and both Spyro and Flame waited with great anticipation.

"Thanks Sentinel. I am excited to have a nice meal out here instead of just some canned food or berries. I'd hate to go back to that after that feast…"

"Yeah, tell me about it." Cynder agreed.

"Find anything interesting out there?" Spyro asked, turning to the fire drake sitting beside him.

"Well… we did come across this." Flame reached over to his small pack that he carried on his side, his talons fishing out a pulsing blue crystal.

"Oh wow…" Spyro said, looking at it. Even from a few feet away, he could feel its warmth. It was a crystal similar in nature to the ones that grew in the fields they had saved for the dragons just earlier that day. They were the same as the crystals that grew amongst the bones of fallen dragons, grown from their life energies.

"We also found a solider in the forest, a Human soldier."

"Oh? Dead I presume?" Jericho asked as he continued to stir the pot.

"You expect otherwise? He wore the flag of the United States, and his body hadn't been there that long."

"You mean there are more of them? Here?" Spyro asked, excited by the news.

"I doubt it. That nation, along with most of humanity ceased to exist long ago. If anything he was just holding onto that flag in defiance. Someone who can't let go of what's gone"

"There are people like that, yeah. There were some in my own hometown. My father would call our home 'The Last Vestige of these United States.'" Jericho chuckled softly, looking out towards the trees with a look that spoke of deep thought.

"You've talked about your home so much, what was it like there?" Flame asked, finally bringing up the question again. Spyro turned to Flame for a moment before turning to Jericho, hoping this time, he'd finally ask the question. Jericho didn't answer for a little bit, instead staring down at the pot of cooking food. The soft sounds of the night winds moved around them, only amplified by his silence.

"Well? Now I'm curious. I promise to talk about my home more if you tell yours." Cynder offered looking at the human. He looked at her for a moment before smiling and shaking his head.

"Of all people, you? Alright… alright I'll talk about it." Jericho adjusted himself while stirring the food, setting the spoon aside so the meat could simmer over the open flame. The others all looked in towards him, as well as Sparx who had settled down on a small crate nearby, watching the human.

"I came from a small town to the northwest, in old Ohio. We were part of a network of human towns, not farther than a mile apart from one another. We all shared a mutual agreement of trade, security and survival. There were five towns in our little network, all surrounding a small lake. Mine was the farthest west, the gateway heading towards the frontier. It was quiet there, few if any anthros and of course- no Sentinels. They were too far west to ever both us, we were safe and secure there as we had been for many, many years."

"Did you build your homes new or did you use old ones, from before the war?" Spyro asked, trying to imagine what world Jericho might have grown up in.

"Mostly newly built ones. These towns were founded by survivors who huddled together, taking talents from all walks of life before the war. Former construction workers, plumbers and electricians banded together to build new houses just like from before the war. They had working electricity and running water, and we even enjoyed old luxuries like watching old TV shows or archived videos from before the war. It was one of the best places I've ever seen in this new world, as much as the old world as I could ever imagine. Old soldiers who had survived were our security, building tall walls to keep everyone else out. My father was the head of security in my town, taught by his father who was a soldier during the war. When he retired, I was to take his place as head of security."

"Any kings, or leaders?" Flame inquired, leaning in.

"No kings, we elected members in our community to be part of a council that attended to matters in every town, not just ours. We tried to keep alive what democracy we could from the old United States. It worked, for a long while, and I couldn't have asked for a better upbringing."

"So then what happened?" Cynder asked. Spyro turned to her, having heard the answer already from Jericho, and knew what it meant. He could tell that Cynder perhaps knew herself, possibly not overtly, but she might have had a feeling.

"It was attacked, and destroyed- by Sentinels." Jericho said, his voice cracking a bit as he got to the end of his sentence.

"Oh… I see." Cynder replied, looking at the ground.

"For weeks, scouts had noticed some oddities. The small and distant communities of anthros that did live near our towns had gone silent, their own villages abandoned. We could tell something was wrong, that something was baring down our necks. Then… one day… it just happened. One guard yelled out something, then he was suddenly dead. Suddenly, black figures were leaping over the walls and attacking us, shooting or slashing anything that moved. The soldiers acted fast, trying to defend us but they were far too few. My father knew what was happening and quickly found me and his best men and set out, not even attempting to defend the town. The rest of the soldiers rounded up as many people as they could and fled to the north. They fled north along with the other towns, and that was the last time I saw them."

"Why didn't he say behind, and fight? He was… head of security, right?" Jericho turned to Flame, who lowered his head, thinking he offended Jericho but Jericho instead just took in a deep breath before continuing.

"No, he knew why they were there. As I told Spyro already, this was no ordinary Sentinel raiding party. They weren't there to simply slaughter us and burn the village. They were hunting something, and he knew if he could take that item and flee, they could follow. He was right, and it possibly saved the lives of many in my town. He took a squad of his finest soldiers, along with me and a few of my friends who stayed and we moved as far east as we could."

"I'd ask what they were after, but I know you probably wouldn't tell me. I don't blame you honestly." Cynder said, shaking her head.

"No, it's alright. I've agreed to help you north to Baltimore and have saved your life a few times, I hope you remember that." Jericho said, with a slight bit of sarcasm in his voice. Cynder laughed.

"Oh, don't worry about that…"

"Well, then I'd hope it'd be enough so I can tell you this in good faith. Since we're all helping each other north, I think it's only fair I tell you why I'm going there, as I know why you are." He looked at her for a moment before reaching into his jacket, fishing something out. Spyro leaned in, unsure of Jericho should be doing this. Even after all this, he still felt… nervous about him revealing this. It was Cynder though, and Spyro did trust Cynder. Still, how much did Jericho trust her…?

He grabbed what he was searching for and slowly pulled it out, revealing the small plastic rectangle device attached to his necklace. The small emblem baring the words "Aurora Borealis" shined in the light of the fire, and Cynder looked at it for a long while.

"It's an old storage device, from before the war, isn't it?" She asked, looking it over.

"Indeed. A USB device, a very powerful one my father said. It could hold more information than the books in a library in its time, and it's what the Sentinels were after. There's something on this device, something they want desperately. It was my father's mission, along with his father's mission to deliver this to New York City. Now, it is my mission."

"New York? You're heading to New York?" Cynder asked, a small laugh in her voice, one of disbelief.

"I am." Jericho said, placing the device back in his coat.

"But, that's in the middle of the Forbidden Zone. There's nothing out there, it's all uncharted and in ruin from the war. Nobody ever returns from that place, and you expect to find someone there to give this to?"

"I don't, honestly. But it's what my father and grandfather strived for, and it's what they died for. I will see this mission to its completion, even if I have to lay this down on a pile of rubble, I will do just that."

"It's as I said before, there is no humanity left Jericho, I'm sorry to tell you this. The old United States died at the end of the war, whether by their own hands, or ours as you claim. Whatever is there now is just ruins and dust, irradiated by humanity's own weapons. It'd be suicide to go that way."

"I won't ask you to go with me to New York, I'll go alone if I have to. This is… personal to me Cynder, I have to do this. There's also a part of me that is deeply curious to see what is there, this goal my family has strived to for so many years, I feel as if it's my duty to do this."

"Well I'll be right there with you Jericho. You can count on that." Spyro said, smiling.

"Wherever Spyro goes, I go." Flame chipped in. Sparx gave his own nod of approval as he zipped up from his spot on the crate. Cynder looked at them all, laughing.

"You're all crazy to go there, crazier than me to go into Baltimore!" She looked around at them for a bit longer before shaking her head.

"Fine, fine. Perhaps there is more there then ashes and soot, but I doubt it. If I don't get locked up while in Baltimore, I guess I'll just have to join you then."

Jericho smiled and laughed, looking at the dragoness.

"Well, that's if they don't arrest you. I don't know how they'll feel about a rogue Sentinel, after all."

"Well, we'll see. No guarantees. I'm only going because now you've gotten me so curious. Thanks to you and Spyro now I've started wondering about things."

"Like what?" Jericho asked.

"Well, everything! There's so much mystery in this world, even if I've studied the history taught by the Sentinels, even the stories that went back and forth between the different merchants in Baltimore."

"And what makes you think that history is the right history?"

"It's the only history we've got so far, isn't it?" She asked with a shrug. Jericho returned the shrug, removing the pot from the flames so it could cool off now that the food was done.

"So then Sentinel, I answered you, now, talk about your home a bit more." Jericho suggested, setting the pot down.

"Yeah, you said you grew up in Kansas City, what was that like? You've talked about it a bit, but what is it really like there, in the Dark Master's lands?"

"Well for one we refer to him as The Master. For two, it was nice, growing up there. Things were organized, and we've begun building our own buildings and architecture there, just like they have in the core of his lands. Hard metal structures, some made of pure crystalline material like the armor forged for the Sentinels. There are still a lot of old human structures around, and sometimes they're mixed into a hybrid building, both new and old. My own home was like that, my home used to be an old human building that we turned into a living space for dragons. We're ruled by The Master and his underlings, though we don't ever hear or see much of The Master. We just know he's there… watching from his fortress deep in the west. His underlings rule over us, and the military guard keep the peace. It's all about order in our society, and ensuring that we can build a better tomorrow for everyone. We…" Cynder stopped there, looking at the ground.

"You… what?" Spyro asked, tilting his head.

"We accepted, a lot of things… When I grew up, we accepted what happened, what abuses may have happened from the guard, what things the underlings did to us… it was all in the name of order and peace, and that what lay out here was a land unfit for living in. That it was just better under The Master's rule. After having come out here, seen these places and heard of what is out here… I'm not so sure anymore. It wasn't… terrible, at least there in the border lands but… I don't know. It's very strict, and you aren't allowed to question The Master or those who serve him, to do so… is punishable… with extreme consequences."

"We've always heard that it's bad where you all live, that you're ruled with an iron fist, and made out to be slaves." Flame spoke softly, recounting all he had heard from the different traders going through the markets back home.

"No, we're not slaves, that much is for sure. There are some genuine people back home, all caring and loving. There's no evil in their hearts… I'm just not so sure what I was supposed to accept should have been accepted. At least… now that I know not all things they say are true."

"I think that's enough for now, why don't we eat?" Jericho offered, pouring a bowl of hot food for everyone. Cynder nodded, taking the bowl into her paws and setting it down to eat from. Jericho held his bowl in his own hands, using his thumbs to their full potential as he sipped in some of the stew. Spyro and Flame both grabbed their bowls, making short work of it. Jericho just shook his head as they sucked the meat in like animals that had been starved for days. Cynder just laughed at it herself, continuing to eat her own food.

The clouds continued to pass overhead, blocking some of the moonlight as they continued their dinner. They all finished on their own, and all made their way into the room with the beds on their own. After their… adventures today they all were just ready for sleep. They didn't even have to tell each other this, they all just made their ways to their own beds, ready to embrace a warm blanket with a belly full of warm food.

Spyro found himself sitting atop his bed, unable to remember the last time he was able to feel a clean and comfortable bed beneath him. The last time… must have been his own bed, back home. His warm bed, scavenged from the old Forger hotel, one of the only pristine ones left in good enough condition for sleep. These beds here, they reminded him of that, of home.

Spyro hadn't even thought much about it since they left his home town more than a week or so prior. This constant movement, this constant going from place to place, threat to threat… it was starting to affect him. He was starting to miss the relative safety of his hometown, of his hideaway and his bed. Sure, his town had its fair share of problems, but there were no wars, there was no… group trying to kill the other. There was just the everyday strife that many had to deal with, and the home that Spyro and Flame had forged for themselves in the middle of it. It was enough for Spyro to sigh, missing it all. He wondered at the end of this, if it would even be possible to return to that. Would he even want it, when all this was over? Would he ever want to return? Would he even have the choice? With the way things were heading, Spyro couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps the world was quickly going to change, forever.

He didn't want to think like that, he didn't like thinking too hard on those sorts of possibilities. True, he always found himself thinking on those subjects, but he hated it. He hated how it ate away at him, little by little. He was much happier being able to be within the now, in the everyday. He felt he was far more able to do what was necessary, to survive.

Perhaps that's how he'd get home. He looked over to the other beds, seeing Flame, Jericho and Cynder all in their beds. They all slept soundly as the moonlight filtered in through the windows. It… it really did remind him of home. Had this perhaps been a home? Had it been a hideaway, for someone? Had it been their sanctuary? It all seemed so perfect in the way it was set up, like they were almost meant to find this place. In any case, Spyro was glad. He slowly moved his body, using his tail and hind legs to lift up the blankets and sheets, so he could slip underneath them. The cold air of the night crept in with every moment, and the warm sheets proved very successful in holding them back. They were a glorious reprieve, one he was thankful for. With that, Spyro closed his eyes, hoping that some good rest would do him well.

/Transitioning…/

[Done.]

Where was he? What was all of this? He couldn't be sure, none of this made any sense!

Spyro looked around, trying to make sense of the world around him, but everything seemed to just be in a haze, a fog. Finally he could make out shapes, figures, scenery.

He was standing in a room, a room that looked a lot like the room he was in earlier- with the beds. However, they were different, filled with desks, chairs and many other items Spyro hadn't ever seen before. The windows, floor, ceiling, it was also perfect, immaculate and undamaged. It was like this was before the war. Was that it then, another memory?

Spyro stood up, walking from where his bed… was. Now it was just an empty spot in the corner of the room. He looked around, seeing nobody around. He could hear voices though, from downstairs. Downstairs! Of course!

Spyro raced out of the room, walking into where they had just eaten dinner, finding that the room was still whole, its walls still standing and sealed from the outside. There was a window in the back of the room, looking out where the forest had once been. Now, there was no forest. He could only see sky, sunny sky. He also saw buildings, many of them, going out as far as he could see.

With great excitement, he raced down the stairs, finding himself in the kitchen. Now, those dark, decrypt and aging appliances were full of life, steam rising from them and light reflecting off of their pristine silver bodies. It was a far cry from their rusted and busted counterparts Spyro was more than familiar with from his own time. He saw… people! Yes, he saw people, all moving around hm. They were humans, Forgers, all moving about their way, wearing pristine white clothing as they prepared food and cooked meals on the appliances. The air was full of different smells and fragrances, all making Spyro smile and his stomach and tongue desire everything that was in this room.

He could see light coming from the entryway, making Spyro forget the wonderful smells in search of what lay beyond. He raced beyond the kitchen and its many cooks into the lobby, finding the tables and chairs in their upright positions, filled with many humans of all shapes and sizes. All of them were eating food, talking amongst each other without a care in the world. He watched as people laughed, as people lived…

Outside he could see the same concrete field from before, now filled with many cars… so many cars that Spyro couldn't even count them all. Their colors were so vibrant, from powerful reds to faint blues and silvers. His eyes opened with wonder as he drew closer to the windows separating him from the outside. The cars looked so majestic, parking in their spots, or backing up to leave this lot… it was a sight he had never seen before! These… old… rusted out husks that Spyro was so familiar with were now before him, in their full color, in their full life and prime… it wasn't possible for Spyro to explain how wonderful this felt.

The broken and shattered buildings that he had seen just the night before were now replaced with buildings that were in pristine condition, touting as many colors as the cars in some cases! The trees and thick overgrowth was long gone, replaced with just a few fields of grass bordering the buildings. He could see houses too nearby, as well as even more buildings and streets. Had this entire area been a town? An entire town, turned into a thick forest… oh… how things do change…

Spyro sat there, watching people go about their day, wondering if he could just sit here and do this for all eternity. A small smile crept across his face as he watched, taking note of all the humans coming and leaving, who bought more than the others and who were the happiest amongst all who were there.

A flash caught Spyro's attention, a flash and a lot of smoke. Shocked, Spyro looked around, trying to see what was going on. The scene, the characters, the scenery, it was all changing! The vibrant buildings were being overpowered by an orange fog that was racing through the area. The peaceful humans and their cars began to move erratically, as if Spyro was witnessing the passage of time in fast forward.

Eventually things slowed, and the buildings began to slowly morph into the damaged husks that Spyro was more familiar with. The cars slowly began to all disappear, becoming more and more scarce along the humans. Soon the parking lot was empty, save for the cars that Spyro imaged would become the rusted hulks that he had seen earlier that day. There were no more humans, and all the buildings around him, the houses, the shopping buildings, all of them were now in a state of deep decay and destruction. The sky was a dark orange, and everything took on a shade of black. There seemed to be a soft rain of ash coming down from the cloudy sky… slowly accumulating on the ground.

Spyro pushed on the doors, feeling them open to his touch. He stepped outside, feeling a heat come over his scales at once. He looked around, hoping to see someone… anyone in this changed world. Was this what it was like during the war? After the war? When was this? It was obvious this was far before they arrived… he was caught in twilight, a place in-between worlds, a place where there was only death…

A new sound came onto Spyro's ears, making him look into the sky. He could hear… helicopters! Yes, helicopters, like Jericho's Osprey! He raced into the center of the parking lot, looking up, hoping to catch a glimpse of something, anything!

Eventually he saw them, a flight of four aircraft that resembled Jericho's Osprey, racing across the sky at a high altitude. They were tailed by a few other aircraft that looked like the Osprey too, but they only had one main rotor, placed on top of theirs instead of at the end of two wings like the Osprey. They flew in formation, high above the buildings. Something chased after them with quick speed, something that… wasn't a helicopter at all. Spyro watched in amazement as it looked almost like a dragon, but not, at the same time! It was some sort of winged beast, but its skin was black, with only two pale green eyes providing any detail. It caught up to the helicopter in the back of the formation, and it grabbed it with great force, breaking the tail and forcing the craft down. The creature let it go, letting it fall to the ground and burst into flames.

Spyro stood there, watching this… this creature that looked like none he had ever seen before. It wasn't a dragon, but a demon of some sort, a creature that looked of pure evil. It hovered there for a few moments before letting out a loud and deep wail that split Spyro's ears. He grit his teeth, trying to look away as it almost brought him to his knees.

Finally, another aircraft flew into the scene, one Spyro hadn't seen before either. It looked like the ones on the Carrier near Horren's home, but slightly different. It flew low, and at a lower speed. It flew around in a circle before lining up to the creature, who had caught sight of the craft by now. It flapped its wings with great force, as if to challenge the craft. The aircraft spun its own wings, as if to answer that challenge.

Both the craft and the creature soared at one another at great speeds, a collision imminent. A loud and overpowering rapid buzzing sound escaped the aircraft as it drew in, and Spyro could see a bright fire coming from the nose of the craft. Smoke and fire erupted from it, like a mighty canon going off. It continued, the sounds even overpowering that of the creature's wails from earlier.

He could see the effects of the thunderous fire, the rounds from this canon striking the creature and causing it to cry out in pain. Huge plumes of dust and green blood escaped the creature as the gun did its damage. It must have been a gun unlike anything Spyro had ever seen, as the entire creature was shrouded in a cloud of mist and blood.

Eventually Spyro saw the creature fall from the sky, falling downwards following the momentum from its earlier charge. It fell from Spyro's view, hitting the ground some distance beyond the rooftops of the buildings around him. The aircraft swooped up above the clouds it had created, victorious and alive. There, in that moment, Spyro could see it so clearly.

It looked like the aircrafts from the carrier, yes, but there were some differences, some that Spyro took in. Its body was so much more narrow and boxier. Narrow, rectangular wings reached out from its body, unlike the swept back ones on the carrier crafts. It also had a forked tail, much like Jericho's Osprey. Two large circular canisters rested on either side of its body, towards the tail. From the looks of it, they were its engines. One main detail stood out to Spyro however, which was its gun. It was massive, and rested on the bottom of its nose. It was like a steel drum, with many pipes reaching out, almost like they were much smaller guns! When it had fired they spun with a speed Spyro could not describe.

The craft flew right above Spyro, passing overhead and quickly disappearing from his vision. Spyro flapped his wings, taking to the sky to get above the buildings, to see where it was going. As he got high enough, he saw it, the aircraft continuing forward. Spyro's eyes widened as he saw more of those creatures, an entire formation of them flying far off in the distance. The aircraft joined a small formation of craft just like it, all flying head on to the formation of creatures. More helicopters like the Osprey flew in formation perpendicular to the craft, as if flying to their own destination. They flew so low and slow that they looked easy prey for these creatures… and these other attack aircraft were their only cover, their only protection. The creatures in the distance must have numbered at least a hundred… and the aircraft moving to challenge them numbered only… seven.

Spyro gulped, knowing the outcome of such a battle. He turned away, unsure if he would even be able to stomach such a sight.

"Hey! Hey wait! Don't leave, there are still survivors here! Hey!" A voice caught Spyro's attention, forcing his gaze back down towards the parking lot. He saw two humans, an adult male, and a younger male the age of a teenager clutching a weapon. The older man stood in the middle of the parking lot, waving his hands in the air in Spyro's direction. Could he… see Spyro? Did he know who he was?

It was then that Spyro realized he was actually trying to get the attention of the Ospreys, who were quickly racing away from the scene. They seemed to pay little to no attention to the man's cries. Spyro frowned, wishing one of them would notice, that one of them would turn around and fly down to pick up this man and his son.

He turned back to the pair, seeing they were still trying to signal the choppers. He wanted to help… but he couldn't… this was all a memory, all a dream.

It was then that Spyro noticed a large figure, lumbering inside one of the shops nearby. He squinted his eyes, trying to get a view of it. It was too large to be a human which meant… oh no!

The figure burst forth from the building, making its presence well known to the two humans in the parking lot. Spyro's eyes widened as he got a good view of the creature. It was large, very large. It was easily the mass of a grown adult dragon but it didn't resemble a dragon at all! It looked more like a large gorilla, but that wasn't even the right description for it either! Its skin was a pale gray, with thick plates of hardened plates covering its body, and two… two pale green eyes peering from a piece of armor covering its head. It stood with the stature of a gorilla, using both of its mighty fists to move about the area. It roared loudly before charging the two humans. The humans immediately raced out of its charge, the young teenager grabbing his weapon and immediately opening fire onto the creature. Bullets poured forth from his rifle, striking the creature but they did nothing to it! They only bounced harmlessly off of its mighty scales, striking the environment around it!

The older man drew out a pistol firing it hopelessly into the creature. The creature shrugged off the rounds, charging him down. Spyro gasped, utterly horrified as he saw the older male unable to escape the monster's grasp. Spyro clenched his eyes shut, seeing the creature about to strike the human against a car.

Spyro opened his eyes, though only with great hesitation. He saw the man's disfigured body pinned against the now crushed car, its shape and contortions now perfectly matching one that Spyro had seen in the parking lot himself, now knowing exactly how it came to have its shape…

The creature let out a victorious roar, lifting its hands from the deceased human. The young boy cried out in agony, yelling for his father who could no longer hear anything. The boy grabbed his rifle, emptying what ammo he had left into the creature… but to the same effect as before.

The creature raced forwards to get this human now, to bring onto him the same fate he had just given his father. No! No, Spyro thought to himself. No, this boy had to live! He just HAD to! But what could Spyro do? What could he do, he wasn't even there! He couldn't do anything but just watch!

In a panic Spyro flew down to the parking lot, looking around for something, anything that could help! No, it wouldn't matter! Even if he found something he couldn't do anything but watch! Spyro was in a panic, being defeated by his natural intentions to help. Spyro grit his teeth as he watched the human roll out of the way of this creature, letting him smash his head into a nearby building. The creature let out a low moan as he couldn't stop himself and was soon buried in concrete and soot from the building. The human had fallen to the ground nearby but quickly got up, retrieving his weapon and slowly began to back away. The creature wasn't done yet, there was still life coursing through its veins. Slowly, it rose from the crushed concrete, slowly turning to the human. The young boy only looked at it in great fear, his body locked up. If the beast were to strike now, the boy would not survive.

No Spyro thought, no, this could NOT be how this ends.

The creature raced forward, his large body gaining speed as he drew towards the human. Spyro grit his teeth and clenched his eyes, feeling a great rage boil deep within him. He opened his muzzle and felt a great force leave him, and project itself out into the world.

He opened his eyes, only to see that he had fired a bolt of ice at the creature. It had struck the creature, struck him and had frozen him in place! His entire back was covered in frost, thick and solid, enough to pin the creature to the ground. The human had fallen to his feet again, feet away from where the creature was. His eyes were wide, just as Spyro's own.

Had he just use ice?! He had! He had used ice, and on this creature! On this creature in the past! What the hell was going on?! The human looked over towards Spyro's direction, and a wave of panic had now overtaken the human. He scrambled to his feet and quickly backed himself onto a car, aiming his weapon at both Spyro and the creature.

What in the hell…? Could he…. SEE Spyro? Was… Spyro really here?! What the hell?!

The creature didn't appear to be awestruck, instead he appeared to be… very… very angry. The creature flexed its powerful muscles, shattering the ice that had trapped its legs. It turned to face Spyro, rage surging through its… demonic body. Spyro gulped deep, flapping his wings to take to the air. Oh… he did see Spyro… and Spyro was very much here…

The human was still frozen, his hands clutching the weapon in a great panic, unsure of what to do. Spyro turned to him, panting. If he could see Spyro, then he could hear him!

"Run! Get out of here! Live!" Spyro yelled. The human's eyes went even wider, his weapon shaking as he didn't know what to do.

"Run!" Spyro yelled again before the creature began its charge. It raced forth with such great speed, and such force! Spyro had to give his wings a powerful thrust to propel him above the creature in time. The creature slammed its fists into the ground hard, trying to stop himself so he could turn around to face the dragon. He slammed into a pair of cars, crunching their metallic husks like dried, brittle leaves in the dead of summer.

It spun around quickly, smoke and dust obscuring its armored body. Armored… Spyro was going to have his hands full. He took in a deep breath before charging forward, opening his muzzle to unleash a wave of fire, the deep heat and energy scorching the creature but doing little to his armor. The creature waved its large hands in the air, the force dispersing Spyro's flame and making it useless. Spyro grunted, sailing above him and spinning around to face him again. He clenched his paws, focusing his energy. He could control Earth… let's see just how well he could!

Using his elemental abilities he manipulated rock and Earth below the concrete of the parking lot, shattering the stone and sending large chunks of rock straight to the creature. The impact, the force cracking his armor and causing him to stagger back.

Perfect, he could hurt it! He flapped his wings to gain altitude, changing elements and focus. He had used ice already, and remembered how Cicillian had used it earlier. He took in a deep breath before opening his muzzle, shards of ice escaping him and soaring down to the creature. The sharp ice shards shattered on his armor, but some found their marks on the cracks in his plating, or his exposed skin. They sliced deep, causing the creature to howl in pain. Plates of armor shattered and fell to the ground, exposing more flesh.

Spyro soared above the creature again, he flapping his wings so he could spin around again and prepare another successful strafing run. He took in a breath before doing it again, firing shards of ice down. Again, they struck hard, with many shattering harmlessly but some managed to find weak points, parts of his exposed and vulnerable skin. They pierced hard, forcing the creature to stagger back again, the creature unwilling to give in to Spyro's attack.

As Spyro drew in close, the creature decided to change the pace of battle, he waving one of his large fists right into Spyro's flight path. Spyro gasped, seeing it far too late to change his trajectory. He hit, hard and fell right to the ground. He skid on the ground for a few feet before slamming into a car. All the air left his body at once and he groaned in pain.

The creature picked itself up, blood oozing from wounds sustained on its shoulder and part of its chest but it showed no signs of giving up. Any normal creature would have succumb to this… even a Sentinel. This creature… it was so much more than a Sentinel… there was an evil about this creature that Spyro could feel, feel right to his bones.

Spyro quickly tried to get up, but the creature was so fast! It struck Spyro in the gut, sending him flying again before he hit the ground again hard. There was so much mass in the creature, so much… pure force… This was a creature bred for war, there was no question about that! Spyro quickly regained himself, managing to avoid another strike from the beast. He breathed another jet of hot flame onto the creature, forcing him to stay back. Like before however, the creature just waved his large arms to disperse the flames, making the attack useless!

The creature struck again, forcing Spyro to take to the skies, but the creature had other ideas. Using its powerful legs, it leapt into the air, grabbing onto Spyro's tail and flinging him back down to the ground. Spyro flapped his wings to try and avoid the fall but was only able to save himself from possibly breaking a few bones as he only managed to cushion a fall. He slammed onto the ground again, just in time to see the creature pound both its fists into the ground. It was going to charge again.

Shit! Shit, he had to move! Spyro grunted, quickly trying to get to his feet but a loud TAT TAT TAT sound broke the panic of the moment. Spyro turned, seeing that the young boy had not run off, but had watched the fight play out, and was now partaking himself. His rifle blared a bright white as he fired round after round into the creature, aiming for the spots that Spyro had exposed. Rounds pierced in deep, causing the creature to moan in pain. Round after round struck, every single one finding its mark. The creature, however, would just not go down. It didn't appear this barrage of bullets was going to kill it, but Spyro recognized an opportunity. He got to his feet quickly, and raced towards the creature, careful to move under the boy's line of fire. He felt a wave of energy pulse over his body, and a great heat begin to shroud around him. He aimed directly for the creature's chest, and hoped to his ancestors that this would work.

Heat and fire surrounded Spyro like a ball of pure white energy, just in time as his body impacted with the creatures. With great force and power Spyro hit the creature, sending the mighty beast flying. A loud WHACK sounded off as Spyro hit, all of the energy he had accumulated around him dispersing all at once, breaking the sound barrier. The creature flew for at least two dozen feet before slamming hard into the ground! It skid, for at least another two dozen feet before finally coming to a rest in a parking lot farther down then theirs. Ash and soot, raining down softly from above slowly began to accumulate onto the creature.

It appeared, that the creature was now dead.

Spyro breathed hard, the attack having drained him a little bit. He… he still felt as though his body was fatigued from the actions he had done earlier. What was this? What was any of this? It wasn't a dream… it surely wasn't a memory… What was going on?

Spyro turned, looking at the human boy who was still clutching his rifle. The boy looked at Spyro, a look of disbelief on his own face. Spyro wanted to say something to him, anything… but… words failed the dragon at that moment. It didn't matter for long as the boy snapped out of his trance before Spyro did, quickly moving into a dead sprint, moving to where his father had been killed. Spyro didn't follow him, feeling a… tiredness come about his body.

He felt dizzy, and his world began to spin. He soon felt his body falling, and fading…

Everything went to black.

Spyro's eyes shot open sometime later, what might have been… many hours later, Spyro couldn't tell. He rubbed his head, sitting up. He… was outside. He looked around, in a deep panic. He was in the parking lot from earlier, but it was now night time. Grass, and thick shrubbery had overtaken the parking lot, as well as all the other structures here. He… was back in his own world. The… normal world, or whatever in the hell any of this was.

His head shot around, seeing a dark form resting where the creature had died. Trees and thick vegetation had completely overtaken it, as well as many of the other spots where Spyro had fought. Spyro breathed in hard, moving slowly around the area before feeling something metallic at his feet. He looked down, seeing moonlight softly reflecting off of shell casings. Shell casings- fired from a rifle. It must have been from the boy's rifle.

He quickly panned his head, in the direction of the crushed car where his father had been killed. He moved over to it, finding no body there, only the rusted and crushed hulk of the vehicle. The boy must have moved the father, buried him perhaps. There were so many signs of battle, struggle here from his fight, all obscured from the night. Perhaps daylight would reveal it all to him. He sighed, moving back towards their outpost. He entered the restaurant through the front, just the same way he had left earlier.

He moved through the dark and dead kitchen, arriving to the same flight of stairs as well. He ascended them, hoping that he'd be able to just slip back into bed and rest. Still… an uneasiness was about him. What was all that…? Was it all a dream…? What were these strange memories… and how had he even… done any of that? He wasn't even sure himself, it was all so confusing, so… crazy to him.

He reached the top of the stairs, and was about to move back into the room with the beds when a figure sitting nearby caught his eye. Spyro looked over, seeing Cynder sitting at the edge of the cracked floor, looking out of the shattered wall to the forest beyond.

"Cynder?" Spyro asked, walking over to her.

"Oh, hey there Spyro. Didn't go to sleep with the others?" She asked, a small smirk visible on her face.

"No, I guess not. I uh… had a strange dream." Spyro said, shaking his head, trying not to think of it.

"Oh? What kind of dream?"

"Just… these flashes I keep getting. They're nothing." He admitted, unsure of what to say of the strange visions he had been having.

"Now, now, that can't be true. Dreams are the gateway to one's inner self, so they say."

"Says who?" Spyro joked, almost giving a soft chuckle.

"My mother did, back home. She used to ask me what my dreams were of every morning when I woke up. She would always hear what I could remember, and tell me what they meant. She'd tell me what they spoke of the person I'd become."

"Do you think she was right?"

"Maybe, it's hard to say since I'm still… young."

"Well, what do you dream about?" Spyro turned to Cynder, seeing her smirk at his question. She continued looking out to the trees before opening her mouth to speak, looking as if she was in deep thought.

"It's hard to say, you never remember your dreams for very long. Sometimes they're peaceful but the ones that keep coming back are of me running… from what I can't ever see. It's just a thick blackness coming at me and I'm always running away, running towards some bright light. The light is always warm… but I never get to it, I always wake up first. I've had them since I was very little."

"Are you afraid of something happening, something coming?"

"Maybe, though what it is I don't know. After what's happened, maybe it's me afraid of what I let happen to me all these years trying to become a Sentinel."

"I don't know how you can remember your dreams, I always forget mine the moment I wake up. Lately I've been having vivid dreams, flashes of things."

"Like what?"

"Of… people. People I don't know. Almost like I'm seeing memories, but not my own. It's like I'm picking them up, from all around me, it's so strange…"

"That is strange… I've never heard of such a thing. Are you sure you're not just going crazy?" Spyro laughed at her comment, shaking his head.

"I wished it was that easy of an answer. They didn't start until I left my home, and ventured out here."

"Well you know what they say about the wilderness out there… Strange energies drift through this world, some that can't be possibly explained. It's like magic mixed with the old weapons and the science mankind left behind and created strange things. It's why places like the Forgotten and Forbidden zones are so dangerous, those energies can just consume you."

"Maybe…" Spyro looked out, staring at the tree line. He took in the view for a few more silent moments before remembering a question he had for Cynder, something he had been very curious about for a long while now. "Hey I just remembered something, a question I had wanted to ask you a while back but kept forgetting."

"Well, we're here now, so… ask." Cynder simply responded, turning to Spyro.

"When we first met, when I found you in that alleyway with that ape… you called me a name, Orrick I believe. Who is that?" He asked, recalling the first incident where they met. He remembered he called him that name, while in her delirious state. When Spyro mentioned the name it made Cynder blush, turning away for a bit. Spyro leaned in a bit, confused, worried he might have asked her something way to personal. He was about to apologize, say he was sorry for bringing that up when she turned, sighing softly.

"He… he was an old friend of mine. A really good friend of mine."

"A friend from back home?" Spyro asked her, getting a nod from the dragoness.

"We were sort of childhood friends, we grew up together. We… did everything together."

"What happened to him?"

"One day… one day he disappeared, and nobody knew what happened to him. We lived on the frontier, the edge of The Master's lands. Beyond the city, it wasn't tamed lands, there were still bandits, hunters, and rival factions lurking about. We used to play all the time in the forests beyond the city, in areas our families had forbidden us to go. A few days before he disappeared, he told me he had found a place in a hillside, a place farther then both of us dared to venture. He said flowers of many colors blossomed up there, different violets, shades of blue and deep, dark reds. He said they reminded him of me, and that he wanted to go there, see just what was hidden amongst those flowers. That was the last time I ever saw him, the next day he was gone. He was nowhere to be found… even after weeks of searching by the guards…"

"I… see…" Spyro said, looking down at the ground.

"He was probably captured, captured and killed by bandits. Dragons are prized creatures to many, though this I don't have to tell you. Our souls, our bodies are so unique, so in tune with this world that many creatures covet our souls, try to harness their raw energy for their own use. Of course they probably just wanted his scales for their armor, or jackets." She stood up, striking a small piece of rock on the floor with her claws, sending it flying towards the trees with great force. It flew for a while before striking a tree nearby, shattering and turning into a fine dust. Spyro could tell there was some anger, some deep resentment in that. He obviously meant a lot to her, and those ideas sickened her.

"You liked him, didn't you?" Spyro asked, looking at her again.

"I did… we did… We liked each other deeply, but shared it privately. It's forbidden to take a love before you've reached the age to decide your life path. With me just starting Sentinel training and he beginning his own, we were not ready to make that commitment, at least not in the eyes of our overseers and family. Still… he was such an amazing dragon… You'd be hard pressed to find another like him. He had onyx scales similar to mine, but with a deep red tint, one you could see reflecting in his scales. He… actually looked a lot like you as a matter of fact." She said, turning to Spyro who blushed somewhat himself.

"Me? But my scales are purple, not black." Spyro simply said in response.

"Well of course, but his horns were similar to yours, his face… That's probably why I called you that when we first met. In that lighting, with me being dizzy and disoriented… you looked just like him. Maybe that's why I trusted you so quickly and helped you so easily back then. I guess it all paid off in the end but… I guess that's why." She said with a soft smile. It quickly faded, reverting to her normal expression. She turned, quickly looking back out towards the trees, as if to hide something.

"Thanks… it felt so odd that you seemed to trust a random stranger so quickly. If it wasn't for your help we might not have been able to escape the city… at least not for a while."

"True. Also you had saved my life, so I had to help you. You and Jericho, you two just keep saving me, over and over again. I feel like I owe you guys three times over." She said, shaking her head.

"Friends help each other, and when I saw you being attacked by that Gorilla, I just felt like I couldn't not help you."

"Well of course! You… always helping people, no matter what it is. You're… so strange Spyro, you know that?"

"Me? Why?"

"You just… help people! Every time I ask you why you do things you just don't have a good answer you just say you do because… you wanted to help. That's a rare trait in this world. Everyone's out for something, out for themselves. You… you help because it's right, because it's what should be done. I guess that makes you a pretty special person, huh?" She asked, turning to hm. Spyro looked at her with a blush, unsure of just what to say back to her. He did look deep into her green eyes, watching as they looked back at him. For a moment, he couldn't think, he couldn't analyze, he couldn't… do… anything except return the look into her eyes. In that moment they just had such a sheen to them, such a nice, beautiful sheen that he couldn't look at anything else but them.

A cough brought his attention back to reality, only to realize he was blushing madly at what she had said. She herself had turned away, hiding what might have been a blush as well, but Spyro wasn't able to see it if she had one. She brought up her paw up to her face while she gave a low cough, looking around for something as a distraction.

"Sorry I said that, I just thought I should tell you that since-"

"Thank you… It's alright, I just… didn't know what to say is all." Spyro said, cutting her off. His vision drifted back towards the trees as he gave a soft chuckle to end his own sentence. He looked out for a bit, thinking about her words, about his need and want to help people. It was just part of who he was, part of his being.

"You're right, I guess it is strange how I help people so quickly, and without thought about what it might do to me. I helped you, and I helped Jericho. A normal sane person- like Flame- would have told me I was an absolute fool for doing that."

"Something tells me he did…"

"Yeah, yeah you're right about that. It is strange I do this… I guess it's just that I've sat inside my hometown, watching how the world is a terrible place, how terrible people treat each other… how this world is take all or be taken. I've sat and I've watched it all since I've grown up and… I just imagine a better world. I ask myself, what if there was another way? Why can't someone just… go that extra mile and fix things? Why can't there be a happy ending? I guess… I guess I figure it nobody else will do that, I will." Spyro continued to look out towards the trees while speaking, though finally turning to Cynder who just looked at him, her mouth open slightly as if she didn't know what to say. Her eyes were fixated on him, her face speaking of astonishment. Finally she took in a breath and smiled somewhat.

"You're crazy, you know that? Crazy and amazing. I don't think I've ever heard someone talk like that. You'd be the only person in this entire God forsaken world that would talk like that." She looked out towards the trees, shaking her head slightly before inhaling deeply. "Maybe you're what this world needs. Maybe we really do need more dragons and people like you. More of you and less… of everyone else, including me." She said, sighing softly.

"Don't say that, I think the world needs people like you, people like… everyone who's here. Without them, without people like you, the world wouldn't be worth living for… well I mean, at least that's how I'd see it." He blushed a bit, realizing what he had said as he tried to walk it back. She blushed softly as well, but looked past it.

"Well… if it's you fighting for this world then I think this world has a better future then. A bright one… at least. Hell, maybe you are the one to save us all. Listen to me, I sound crazy don't I?"

"No, no I think you're perfectly fine. I'm the crazy one remember?" Spyro said, laughing. Cynder laughed too, though it was almost like a giggle more than anything. A giggle, now that was something Spyro hadn't heard from her, not one moment since they had first met. She truly was changing, and for the better.

"You know you really do remind me of Orrick, in so many ways than one."

"Oh?"

"He used to talk like you, talk about a better world, even better than one The Master could make. I think that's why he wanted to join the Sentinels, more than serving his home or anything. He wanted to change things, for the better. I wish I could have seen what he could do. I hope you can do far more then him, and maybe you will change the world."

"I hope… though it might just take more than me to do anything here. There's still so much of the world that I don't know about, that I don't understand."

"Maybe that's your greatest strength Spyro, that you haven't been shown the world… that you haven't been brought into this bubble that everyone else is in. Maybe you are all that it's going to take, a light from outside the world to just make everyone… to just make everyone wake up."

Spyro smiled at that, thinking for a while on that. It was a romantic thought, invigorating even. Yet, Spyro knew it was a monumental task, one he knew he was still so far away from doing. Still, the idea was exciting, even if he didn't want to admit it.

"Thanks Cynder. Maybe it'll take all us of together, our little group. Maybe that'll do it."

"Hah, maybe yeah…"

They sat together in silence for a few minutes, looking up at the moon as it crested slowly across the night sky. Spyro looked at it for a long while before turning to Cynder again.

"Cynder? What're you going to do in Baltimore? Like I know you've said it before, but… what exactly are you going to do when we get to Baltimore?" Cynder looked at the ground for a minute before collecting her thoughts, and her response.

"I don't know honestly. I… I'm going to find and ask Vivex why he did that. Why he left me there… even after all that time we had spent training. I just feel so betrayed…"

"You don't think he'll have you arrested or… punished for essentially breaking that deal?"

"Oh I'm sure… I pretty much ruined the chances of that alliance by not selling myself to those… pigs. If he arrests me then so be it. I'll find a way out of it and join you guys in New York."

"Are you sure it'll be that easy?"

"I've gotten through worse. I'll find a way. Either way, don't come looking for me, just go to New York with Jericho."

"I won't leave you there in Baltimore, I won't leave you to the Sentinels."

"Don't do that Spyro. Don't come back for me, promise me you'll continue on to New York. I want to deal with this and find my own path. Don't make it for me."

Spyro raised his head, unwilling to believe that was the only course of action available. He wasn't going to abandon her to her face, that was for sure. But what would he do? Abandon Jericho or her?

"I can't do that Cynder… I just can't. There has to be another way. Just keep going with us to New York, you don't have to do this."

"No, I do Spyro. I… have to. I have to determine whether or not I am a Sentinel. Whether or not this is my path."

"It isn't Cynder! You're so much better than this, then them! If you don't want to be a Sentinel you don't have to. Just keep going with us to New York. For all they know, you're long gone. It won't even matter to them!"

"No Spyro, it matters to me… I still believe heavily in our message, our belief and our Master's fight. Even if he left me forsaken in that city, I can't blame all the Sentinels for this. We aren't all evil, just as I've come to see that not all humans or eastern dragons are evil. There's good everywhere, and I can't just walk away. I have to go there, confront him and find out for myself whether or not I want this. I need to do this Spyro, don't you understand?"

"I… I understand…" Spyro said, looking down at the ground with a sullen look. He knew why she was doing this, he was just fighting with all his strength to make her reconsider.

"Before I came here, I was convinced that we were the champions of peace and order in these lands, that all of humanity's remnants had to be exterminated and the rebellious east coast had to be taken under our rule, made to live in our peace… That it would be better for them, better for everyone if we just did this. It takes centuries to craft a good world, and we have a plan to have it happen in a mere hundred years. This is our dream, our goal. Now, after meeting you, meeting Jericho and seeing all these people and places… maybe that plan is so far-fetched that its destined for failure. Maybe our… force would just create far more problems than it would ever solve. Maybe we are just tyrants, but I don't want to believe that. I want to believe there's a force of good out there, and I want to be part of it. Part of me still wants the Sentinels to be that force, that banner of unity and peace. I have to go to Baltimore, and find out whether or not it will be. Still, I will join you in New York, that much I promise to you Spyro." She smiled at Spyro, which made him smile back. He nodded to her, sighing as he fully understood her reasons, even if he himself was so unsure of this. He remembered Horren's words, talking about… the darkness that surrounds the Sentinels, that surrounds the Dark Master. If she did join the Sentinels… she'd be tainted, corrupted by his kiss. It would be an irreversible act that would corrupt her forever. Though… standing here in the east it was easy to see the evil that sat within the Dark Master and his armies… but to her, who lived in those realms, and grew up believing this, it would be hard to break her from those beliefs, make her see what the Sentinels truly were. Perhaps… perhaps she did need to do this. Maybe it was for the better, for everyone.

"Then I'll be waiting for you, at the gates of Baltimore leading out. I won't leave Baltimore without you, and we'll all walk to New York, and discover what's there for ourselves." Spyro said, smiling to Cynder.

"Well… then I can't say no. That's it then, dragons, humans, Sentinels… all of us, will march together to New York. We'll finish Jericho's mission then… what will we do then?"

"Well, then we'll… I don't know." Spyro laughed, unable to answer her question. What the hell were they going to do once in New York? Once they delivered the USB they'd… well, really have nowhere else to go."

"Go home, we'll all just go home."

"What's home? We have so many homes Cynder, spread out all over the country."

"Not that kind of home silly. The kind of home you make. It's like my mother always said, home isn't where you're from, it's what you make. It's the place you make for yourself, the world you craft with your own hands for your future. That's where we'll go after all this, home."

Spyro smiled and laughed, liking the idea.

"Yeah, that's it then. This journey of ours? It's a journey home, to our home."

Cynder smiled and leaned in to Spyro without even realizing it. Spyro blushed when he felt her body up against his, even if it was just their shoulders and sides touching. Still, it was enough to make his heart flutter and his mind and soul feel at ease.

"To home." Cynder said softly, looking up at the stars.

"Yes, to a new home…" Spyro said with a soft smile, placing his paw next to hers. He felt her own paw move to embrace his. He didn't dare look down, he could only take in a deep gulp and feel his breath and heart speed up. He finally calmed down after he felt how nice it felt… how… peaceful it felt. He accepted it, and didn't fight it.

They would make a home together, carving it in this God forsaken world. Wherever it would be, Spyro knew it was going to be good, a place for them, for Jericho, for Cynder, for everyone.

Yes, this was indeed a journey, a journey home.

End of Chapter 12

A/N: Hey guys, NewLegend1 here! It's been a while, hasn't it? I've been really quiet lately, but I recently had a burst of writing inspiration, so look forward to a LOT of chapters in the next week or so if not few days. Hope you guys enjoy what you see!

Check out my deviantART page for pictures and concept art!