Chapter Three: The Ultimate Prison

They climbed all the way up until they got to the top.

"Well guys," said Blink, "I hope you know what your doing."

"Blink," said Spyro, "Do you really think that Red could have returned?"

"I don't know Spyro… Its really hard to tell, I have no idea. I can't say that is true. Even if he does, you can always count on me to help you!"

"Yeah. Ok, Bye Blink!"

"See you guys!"

They walked over to the Professor's Laboratory and knocked on the door.

"Professor," said Spyro. "We have something to tell you."

"Come in then," replied the Professor.

"We need your help! Do you know anything about the Dark Forces?"

He was silent for a while.

"Of course I do! I can show you if you want!"

"Wait!"

Spyro saw the Tin can on the floor that Red was in, and he wasn't in there.

"Where has Red gone? Red The Dragon?!"

"I lost control. He escaped.""Just like that?! That's impossible!!"

"So, shall I show you?"

Spyro was really confused. The Professor was really strange. Why was everything really unusual?

They walked down to the Earth Pit that Blink showed them the way to Blink.

"Why are we going down to Blink/Link?"

"You'll see."

They walked down to Link's house and then turned left to a wall.

"Umm, Professor? This is a rock solid wall!"

He touched the middle of the wall and then a secret passage opened.

"Time to see my master!"

Master? Master?! What was he playing at now?

There was a room with loads of cobwebs, and a few medium sized spiders. They were blocking a passageway.

"Professor what is-"

And there he saw it. The first time he saw him in ages. He had seen once again, Gnasty Gnorc.

"Spyro the Dragon," bellowed Gnasty in a cold voice, "We meet again."

Spyro looked at him.

"I-Impossible.." stammered Spyro.

"As you can see the Professor is evil," explained Gnasty, "There is nothing you can do."

"But how?"

"HOW?! Why, he is under my force. He is being controlled."

"A third time…"

"A Third Time!" Laughed Gnasty, "Exactly Spyro. There is nothing you can do, and this time it is more darker than ever!"

He laughed in his cold voice. He changed completely. His skin was all rotten. It wasn't a pretty sight, like any Gnorc. But he was the ugliest. His horns weren't straight, they were oddly shaped.

He had his club still. It was large and spikes came out of it at the very tip of the top. His eyes were Green like his body anyway. His teeth were sharp shaped as usual.

"I have changed over the years Spyro. Many changes. It is the Professor who set Red The Dragon free. And he escaped ages ago. And he is back, again."

"I can't believe it! Lets fight for the last time!"

"Oh, I can't fight you now. I am fully protected and I always am. I am going to do my best to get rid of you. My Gnorc army protects me, and along with Red's Dark Magic. The Dark Forces made me return."

"What are the Dark Forces?!"

"I cannot tell you. But you must come to me, for I must show y"ou Red's Ultimate Prison. Sorry but it is for your own good. I cannot defeat you now. I'll suppose you won't even live. Try and escape? Then you will have the hardest time of your life. The ONLY thing you can do is follow me!"

This was very harsh, but it had to be done. Spyro had to go to this "Ultimate Prison" and Suffer there. They went back up to the top and walked for ages. They passed Gnasty's cave and saw it.

"Soon that will be my home once again! No Dark Gems to help you destroy it now, can you!"

Sparx followed him. "There must be a way Spyro!"

"There always is Sparx!"

Once they walked longer, it got darker. And they could see a silhouette of a large Castle.

"This is it! It is likely this will be the last you'll ever be seen. Even if you do survive, there will be many forces to stop you."

They walked to the castle door. Spyro had no idea where they were. There was the Castle Moat, it didn't look like water. It was yellow. It looked like fire!

Gnasty Gnorc approached the door.

"RED! We have some prisoners for you."

"- some more Prisoners, yes," came a familiar voice. "What?!"

There was Red The Dragon, staring down at them.

"If It isn't the Purple Dragon," bellowed a voice. "I have awaited for such a long time. Gnasty, how did you get them? I'm speechless!"

"Just force, Red, force…"

Red looked at them, and the Professor.

"And what is HE doing here?" As he looked at the professor.

"Force, again Red, Force…"

"Come in now, we have your cell," grinned Red.

Spyro would find a way. He always does. He's Spyro the Dragon, and someone would bound to rescue him. For sure!

They walked up a circular spiral staircase and there was a few cells up there.

"Unfortunately there is no cells left… You will have to share one. You will have to share with an unfortunate friend…"

An unfortunate friend? Spyro and Sparx looked at each over. What was this all about?

There was a kind of animal in there, sulking in the corner of the cell.

"You may have seen him before.." He said sadly. "But you will have to go in here."

Spyro looked at this kind of animal. He looked familiar.

The door opened. The animal was sulking still, looked very sad.

"HUNTER!" Red Bellowed as he spoke, "Do not cause any trouble while these unfortunates stay here!"

He looked round. It was Spyro and Sparx.

"I will leave you here. You will not have any food at all. You shouldn't be poking around with the Professor now, should you?"

They remained silent.

Red and Gnasty's footsteps died away and Hunter looked at them.

"I can't believe it! Is it really you? Spyro and Sparx?!"

"It's a pleasure to see you again Hunter!" Exclaimed Spyro. "But not in this state."

His stomach looked really empty. His nails had been overgrown and he looked in a terrible state.

"I've been here for 20 days. With no food. I got caught by trying to steal something from the Dark Forces."

"Hunter," said Spyro in a tone of a final voice, "can you please tell me what the Dark Forces are? Please?"

Hunter remained silent.

"Well, its hard to explain. I knew about it. It was a secret organisation to make Red The Dragon return. The person who founded it was an ancient being. Sorry but that is all I can tell you."

"But someone said it is likely that Gnasty Gnorc returned by the Dark Forces. But how?"

"I don't think I am the right person to tell you that Spyro. Someone will though, don't you worry. We will sort something out."

Spyro sighed.

"Have you seen any sign of Bianca?"

"Bianca?"

"Oh my, Spyro! Can't you remember?"

"Oh yeah, Bianca!" Spyro didn't look pleased saying that.

"Well?"

"No.." That was a stupid question. Bianca was probably in a distant land. Wouldn't be in Dragon Kingdom, would she?

"I just wanted to know.."

"Thinking of pairing up again?"

"Umm, no.."

"Remember that time on the top of the Sorceress's Fireworks Factory? And Sgt. Byrd sending out the Fireworks?"

"Okay, I think that is enough. Lets talk about something else."

There was a long silence, where everyone tried to think of saying something. Spyro was still wondering about the Dark Forces.

"What were you trying to steal from the Dark Forces, Hunter?"

"Some sort of collection of gems," he said. "Something like a cluster." (Spyro and Sparx looked at each other) . "It allows anyone to have ultimate power, and I wonder who wanted it?"

"Maybe they would give it to Red when he came back?" Thought Sparx.

"Well that could-"

There was a humongous noise down below.

"What the heck is that?!" Shouted Sparx.

"Its an Earthquake!" Bellowed Spyro.

And then suddenly, there was a huge hole in the centre of the cell…