Chapter 41: Return

Rift runs around the house, clapping cocoanut shells together to create the sound of horse hooves.

Silver: What are you doing?

Rift: When I was recreated, my hooman was watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Silver: Umm, Okay?

Rift: Help me reenact the scene.

Silver: Only after you finish the disclaimers.

Rift: Silver doesn't own any Spyro characters or storyline, only his OCs and story. Dragon's Claw, Void, Kara, The Legend of Rift storyline, and I are owned by Rifty Agon. If you don't like the story, than you shall snuff it.

Kafta's POV:

A groan escaped my maw as I woke. My bones were aching, my head pounding like a dozen nails were being driven into it. I opened my eyes, everything was blurry and dark. I could barely see a thing. I tried to stand, but I stumbled and fell flat on my belly. It feels like I haven't eaten anything in days.

"H-h-el-." I tried calling, but nothing came out. My throat felt dry.

After a few minutes of laying on the ground, I tried to stand once again. I soon was able on shaky paws. I let out a sigh as I looked around, I was in a ruin. Ghoul and ape armor lay everywhere, like a battle had occurred there. I slowly began to move toward the back of the large room, some sort of broken throne was there. It was a large throne, big enough to fit a giant….ghoul. The Ice King's hall!

My eyes widened as memories came flooding back like a vision. Kafta! Kafto's voice sounded so real, so near, but I knew he wasn't here. Why am I... A memory of me jumping for the Ice King, then a cold feeling like ice was crawling around on my scales. Oh ,right, he froze me. Only to be freed once he is killed, but who killed him? And where are they? How long has it been?

My strength was returning slowly. I was able to make it out of the hall and out of the ruins of the Fortress of Eisen. Memories of the attack projected in my head as I walked out. The place was in ruin, but I still remembered how to get out. If it wasn't blocked off by the ruins. Thankfully, it wasn't.

The outside air was cold and clear, but that wasn't a problem for an ice dragon. I tried to spread my wings, but was unable to. They felt way too stiff being stuck in ice for I don't know how long. For all I know, the war is over and this place is being inhabited by dragons. The outside landscape told a different story.

As far as I could see, war machines lay broken, many fortresses and war buildings around too. Both ape and ghoul architecture. By the look of things, they may be at war right now. I need to find another dragon and fast. I may not last long after a long time not eating nor drinking.

I searched the skies for any dragons, in the distance I spotted two dragons flying away. One was small while the other was big, an adult. I attempted to call out to them but all my voice could get out a loud choke. I tried flapping my wings to fly up to them but once again they were stuck at my sides. I need spirit gems.

Scanning the area I spotted a small cluster. I gave a hoarse sigh of relief as I approached it. Upon reaching the cluster, I smashed it with ease despite my current strength. Warmth spread throughout me. I wouldn't survive on just spirit gems alone though, I need food and water. Looking down at the snow beneath my paws, I scooped up a ball of snow and put it in my maw. Allowing it to melt in my mouth, providing me very little water, but still water nonetheless.

I repeated this a few more times before I dropped a snowball once I heard faint….screaming? I perked up to try and hear where it came from. Once again, I tried to open my wings and this time I was successful.

"Save your strength." A voice said. My wings returned to my sides at the sound of a soft male voice. My head spun around to find the source, I could not find it.

"Where are you?" I asked, my voice returning but still very sore. "Who are you?"

Then, right in front of me, a dragon materialized in a grey mist. He was a middle aged dragon with dark grey scales. His underbelly was a much lighter grey. In place of horns, were several little spikes traveling from the back of his head and down his back, white in color. His tail blade was dull and held a half oval shape. Meeting his eyes, they were a stormy grey. This isn't a dragon I've seen before. Not even remotely similar.

He stepped forward, causing me to jump into a fighting stance. "My name is Zoi. I am the Guardian of Spirit."

I relaxed my stance. A Guardian? "Spirit isn't an element." I said.

Zoi gave a sigh and shook his head. "That doesn't matter right now. I need your help." He took my silence as an interested silence. "Do you know the dragon Silvus?" Now he had my attention.

"I will help." I said.

He held out a paw. Hesitantly, I took it as I heard another faint scream.

When I took the Spirit Guardians paw, the surrounding area changed. Everything looked...misty like we were here, but also not... "What did you do?" I asked, my breathing increasing as I saw my own self looking misty, though my coloring stayed.

"We are in the Spirit Realm. Now come, we must get to him before it's too late." Zoi said, running off in another direction then taking off flying.

I followed. "Why are we in the Spirit Realm! I didn't even know there was a Spirit Realm!"

We were flying over the war torn land of Dante's Freezer. Everything sounded faint, almost far away. Everything looked grey and misty. Looking over at the ruins of what was left of the ice village, I saw...dragons? They were bright and glowing, I wanted to fly over and see what that was about, but I couldn't. We were pressed for time for a reason unknown to me.

"Time is slower in the Spirit Realm. If we were to fly there in reality, you would not be able to sustain flight." He explained.

No wonder flying was an ease. "What are they?" I asked, pointing towards the glowing dragons.

"Those are the dragon spirits that reside at Dante's Freezer. It is my duty to guide them along. But right now, it is my mission to save Silvus from certain death."

With that, we flew over a large snow covered forest. There were some fallen trees in the distance, which happened to be the place where we were going. Once we flew over the cleared area, we doubled back upon seeing one large dragon standing over another.

We landed. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a dragon spirit. But when I turned to look, there was nothing there. Then, I began to move towards the two dragons. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the dragon underneath was very injured, covered in blood. The dragon atop him was none other than Cynder herself. Isn't she supposed to be dead?

Everything was happening in slow motion. Cynder was turning around, a sadistic smile plastered across her face. Her claws were cover in the other dragon's blood as well as this green goo. At that moment, I realized that the injured dragon was Silvus.

"We got to help him!" I yelled at Zoi who reacted quickly.

He grabbed onto my paw, sending us back to reality. Everything seemed so fast now. Upon exiting the Spirit Realm, I yelled out Silvus' name and shot several icicles at Cynder. Zoi ran forward, disappearing then reappearing right before Cynder, knocking both of them down. He then started to glow grey as he began punching Cynder. A mystical sound was heard each time a punch connected.

Cynder threw him off her with an angry roar. I shot an icicle to distract her, but it wasn't needed. Before Zoi hit the ground, he disappeared in a grey mist then reappeared, standing in a battle stance. Then out of nowhere, several Zois popped in a cloud of grey mist. The entire area became shrouded in the mist. I couldn't see what was happening between Zoi and Cynder. All I heard was Cynder's angry roaring and Zoi's mystical blasts.

Soon, Cynder shot out of the mist. Flying off in a random direction, bleeding in several places. I didn't follow.

The mist cleared, revealing one Zoi rushing over to Silvus. "Spirit gems!" He called.

I whipped my head around looking for any when I spotted a torn satchel with spirit gems and this white fruit lying around. Ignoring the fruit, I scooped up the spirit gems and brought them over to the injured dragon.

Silvus was drenched in his own blood, his back torn up. Most of his scales were gone, blood pouring out. But nothing looked worse then his head. Two holes where his horns were supposed to be. I didn't spot the horns anywhere.

Enough of that. I brought the spirit gems over to the Guardian. He took them quickly and smashed them against his side. Though, they didn't work normally. It looked as Zoi was controlling where the gems healed, though we only had enough to stop the bleeding.

"We need to get him to a village or a city." Zoi said, making two of himself appear to pick Silvus up and put him on the actual Zoi's back. "Come, back to the Spirit Realm." Before holding out his paw, he sent his copies to pick up the armor all around the ground, along with the satchel and it's contains. Then, they disappeared with the items.

Without hesitation, I grabbed onto his paw and was back in the Spirit Realm. "Where is the nearest village?" I asked him.

"As far as I know, it's Dragon's Claw." He said. Dragon's Claw. I don't think I ever been. Then again, I've never been out of Dante's Freezer. "Come on, we have a long flight ahead of us."

Third Person Rift POV::

Silver horns slammed into a large tree with a grunt, roots failing as the mighty tree gave way. Orange scales dripped with sweat as Rift sat proudly. He guessed the tree would keep his home cozy for a long while. Rift wrapped his little maw around a root and defied gravity, pulling it back to his home.

Dragons stared in shock, making the orange dragon blush. Don't other dragons my age knock down trees?

Rift delivered the tree to his house before heading out of the village once more. His father was out on some diplomatic meeting, so he was to feed himself. He spotted a deer in the distance, the thought of fresh venison filling him with desire. The dragon clambered up a tree, knowing that he needed to counter his lack of stealth. He nearly pounced, but looked up as he heard screaming.

Jumping into the air with a flap, he followed the direction of screams. His heart dropped as he made out the bloodied figure of his cousin. The same cousin he hadn't seen in five years was now back, but not in the way would have liked.

He then ran up to the dragons with his cousin's body. "Come with me quickly!"

Rift closed his eyes and sent out an emergency burst of energy back to Dragon's Claw, specifically to Kara. He felt a burst back and sighed in relief, his friend already preparing his home for Silvus. He couldn't help but shed a tear as he saw where his cousin once had horns. He ran off towards his house, the two dragons carrying Silvus following.

Rift's house was near the edge of the village, so they got there rather quickly. The dragons in the area just stared as he brought them into his house. Finding Kara in the living room, she already had the table set up for Silvus. Kara gagged as she caught sight at the state Silvus was in. She immediately turned serious.

"Table! Now." Kara ordered to the two dragons.

The ice one didn't move an inch, while the grey one somehow duplicated himself. They took the injured dragon off the grey one's back. They carefully set him on the table. Then, they disappeared in a grey mist. Rift and Kara were hardly fazed by it.

Kara immediately got to work cleaning out the wounds on his back, while Rift held spirit gems at the ready. The grey dragon also began to clean the wounds on his head, specifically the green goo that was oozing from where his horns used to be.

"Get spirit gems in there." Kara said softly to Rift.

He began smashing the gems at Silvus' side. They all went toward the worse injury, that being the holes in his head. Most of the wounds were closing. His back was soon restored, but they would scar.

After a few more minutes of smashing gems, they had to stop. If they used to many too fast, it could stop Silvus' heart.

"Please be okay cousin." Rift whimpered.

Kara then attempting to hand Rift some gauze. "Help me bandage him. No amount of spirit gems heal those holes."

Rift barely moved. He just kept staring at the body of his cousin.

"Rift, please. Those holes go straight..to his skull. If we don't bandage them, they'll get infected." Kara said softly, handing him the gauze and he took it.

"Won't they grow back?" Rift asked, almost choking on his words.

The grey dragon shook his head. "They were taken from the source."

"How do you know?" Rift asked.

The grey dragon sighed and shook his head. Kara put her paw on his shoulder, causing him to look at her. "Whoever did this used poison...to cut them from his skull."

Rift just stared as he covered up the hole with the gauze. Once he was done, he helped cover up Silvus' remaining injuries to his back. Once they were finished, Kara sat down with a sigh.

"He'll live... Barely" She said.

Rift closed his eyes, letting out a sigh of relief. Upon realizing that his cousin was going to be okay, he began to pay attention to the two strangers in his house.

"Who are you two?" He asked.

"My name is Zoi." The grey one answered.

"I'm Kafta." The ice dragoness said.

"Thank you." Rift said. "For bringing him here."

Silver claps together his cocoanut halves and stops in front of an orange dragon.

Rift: BLEP!

Silver: Who are you?

Rift: I am the Pest that says BLEP!

Silver: No! Not the Pest that says Blep!

Rift: I shall continue to say BLEP! Until you appease me!

Silver: What is it that you want Pest that says Blep?

Rift: The Pest that says BLEP! Demands…

Silver: Screw it, I'm done. Live your fantasy on your days off. Get back to work.

Rift: I now have Crushed Dreams. I hope you all enjoyed:

Rift: Pst! Read Crushed Dreams and Resurrection on my profile to learn more about me.