Chapter Two: The Key

"Where have they gone to now? Why didn't they tell us where they were going?"

"Ignitus, are you saying you'd rather they woke you in the middle of the night?" Volteer inquired. "Personally, I'd rather they just left a note." Volteer raised his claws to his face, feigning the reading of a note. "'Dear guardians, we're off to save the world now, sincerely, Spyro and Cynder.'"

"Maybe they were in a hurry?" interrupted Terrador. "Maybe they didn't have time?"

"Maybe." Ignitus scratched his chin, thinking. "What do you think, Cyril?... Cyril?" Ignitus turned to Cyril, who was staring in another direction.

"Look at that." Cyril pointed to something in the sky.

"What is that?" breathed Ignitus. "A falling star?"

"I don't think so." replied Terrador. The strange object floated down, landing gently, mere feet from the guardians. "Is it... a... vehicle of some sort?" The machine, as it now revealed itself to be, was decorated with outlandish, bright colors. The window was too heavily tinted to fully make out anything, but they could see figures moving about within. A door opened out of the side of the craft, and three of the most ridiculous creatures the guardians had ever seen emerged from the ship.

Sora had a bad feeling about that world as soon as he saw it. He was in no hurry to leave the Gummi Ship and confront the huge creatures outside, however he knew he had no choice. He collected his composure and craned his neck to meet the gaze of the nearest of the four.

"My name is Sora, what's yours?" He would have liked to have said something more formal, but that was all that came to him at that particular moment.

"My name is Ignitus," the dragon replied with a little bow. Sora attempted to return the bow without breaking eye contact. The result was painful.

Sora waved his hand toward his companions, feeling a little more confident now. "These are my friends, Donald and Goofy."

"At your service, sirs!" they added. The giants exchanged glances.

"Those are... er... interesting names," replied a green dragon. "My name is Terrador. These are my fellow guardians, Volteer..." Terrador indicated a yellow dragon currently staring open-mouthed at Donald's feet. "... And Cyril," this time indicating a blue dragon who appeared to be trying not to burst out laughing.

Cynder peered through the bushes, watching the strangers from afar. She had seen the ship landing as she had approached the temple. There was one wearing green who appeared to be no threat, another in blue who appeared no more dangerous than the first, and then there was the third... her heart skipped a beat. In his hand... a key? Could that be what the Dark Master was referring to?

She stepped out of the bushes and approached the guardians from behind. "Ignitus," she said, prodding him in the back.

Ignitus gave a start, then turned to face her. "Cynder! There you are!" Ignitus looked left, then right. "Where's Spyro?" he inquired.

"The Dark Master has him." Cynder quickly replied. "We have about an hour to bring him 'the key' before he kills Spyro." She attempted to keep her voice calm, but it wavered nonetheless.

"The key?" Sora sounded puzzled. "Does he mean the Keyblade?" he asked, holding his weapon up to the moonlight. Cynder nodded. "I couldn't give this to anyone. Not even if I wanted to. Only I can wield it. Sorry. But there is an alternative..." Sora put his hand to his chin.

"What is it? What can we do? Why can't we just give him the Keyblade?" Cynder said, struggling to keep the panic out of her voice.

"Well... we only really have one choice," Sora reasoned.

"A direct attack on Spyro's prison," Ignitus finished.

"But we don't know where he's being held!" interrupted Terrador.

"Not to mention that it would be suicide! And they would waste no time killing Spyro if that were to happen! Can't we just give him the Keyblade?" Cynder pleaded.

"Not a chance."

"But Ignitus! Cynder is right!" interrupted Cyril. "They would kill Spyro immediately!"

"It would stand to reason that the Dark Master would use the Keyblade..." Ignitus gestured to Sora's weapon, "... to somehow brake himself out of his prison. We cannot allow that to happen!"

Sora looked down at the Keyblade in his hand. "The Dark Master is imprisoned... and he wants this in order to brake himself out? That would make sense. The Keyblade will open any lock. But hold on, isn't the Dark Master the one who captured this Spyro fellow?"

"I'm confused!" Said Donald, scratching his head.

"The Dark Master works through his goons," replied Cynder, attempting to keep calm.

"Let me guess," said Sora, with his hand to his chin, "are his goons little black things with yellow eyes?"

Cynder blinked. "Actually, they are!"

"So he's recruited the Heartless."

"If you don't mind me asking," interrupted Volteer, "what are the Heartless?"

"It's a long story, which this is hardly the time for," replied Sora. "Long story short, the Keyblade is the only effective weapon against the Heartless. That's why my friends and I..." Sora gestured to Donald and Goofy, "... have to go around in our Gummi Ship saving everyone from them." Sora turned back to the guardians.

"Gummi... Ship?..." Volteer couldn't help chuckling. He had never heard such a ridiculous thing before in his life.

"So..." Sora bit his lip. "we need to figure out where Spyro is being held, take down whatever is guarding him, and bring him back."

"This isn't going to work." Cynder muttered.

"How will we figure out where Spyro is being held?" Terrador pointed out.

"I believe I might be able to help with that, actually."

Cynder spun around towards the source of the voice. "Sparx??"