Author's Notes:
Oh man, this one took a while to crank out! Y'all better thank strykeruk for pushing me on the second half of Another. There hasn't been anything on my mind these days other than work and my wedding prep. Who knew it took so much work? It took us about three months to actually settle on a venue. (^～^;)ゞ
Strykeruk here: I know Silent is going to answer your reviews as he always does, just thought I'd reassure you that we do read them. Also, yes It took a bit of effort to work out how we were going to portray certain characters 'cough' Kaos 'cough'. I should note that the vast majority of the work goes to Silent and he constantly impresses with how much writing he can manage... when someone pesters him enough haha.
Timestamp key: "D" for days, "W" for weeks, "M" for months, "Y" for years, "EM" for early morning, "LM" for late morning, "EA" for early afternoon, "LA" for late afternoon, "EE" for early evening, "LN" for late night, and "AD" for all day. Note that the Realms follows the sexagesimal system for keeping time, just like Earth. (In other words, 60 seconds per minute and 60 minutes per hour.)
Snip category key: There are four categories of snips. "Settling In", "City Life", "Beyond the Wall", and "The Journey Home". All four represent parallel storylines that take place within Aimless, and other than "Settling In", each snip category has at least two subtypes. Those subtypes aren't listed due to potential spoilers.
Enjoy!
Beyond the Wall – Foreign Affairs
Chapter 28: Another (Final)
"A man generally has two reasons for doing a thing. One that sounds good, and a real one."
- J.P. Morgan
[32D/LM]
He knows.
HE KNOWS!
Joshua's face contorted at the revelation. A cold chill crept up his spine. His body started to quake. His lungs felt tight. He found it difficult to breathe.
That Kaos knew his deepest secret truly caught Joshua by surprise. He was utterly struck dumb. When did he know? How did he know? Impossible! He had kept this fact hidden all this time. This couldn't—no, he had to be bluffing. There was simply no f*cking way this idiot knew anything about him.
But then, if it was all just a bluff, why did Kaos resort to telepathy earlier?
"Awww, are you scared?"
The Portal Master was suddenly at his face. Joshua squealed, falling on his butt. His hands scrambled backward in retreat. "S-s-stay away! Stay away!"
"What if I don't want to?" sneered the other human. "Gonna throw your 'Unknown Element' at me? At ME?" Kaos laughed again. "HAH! Then do it, boy. Bring it on!" He raised his arms in a cocky gesture. Kaos closed in on him, the echoes of his footsteps a foreboding omen. "C'mon, show me your power!"
Oh, he tried. Jesus Christ, he really tried. Joshua flailed his hands, kicked out with his legs; a primal fear surged within him the longer he stared helplessly at Kilat, whose faded form passed through Kaos again and again to no avail.
Up close like this, there was no way Joshua could ignore the gargantuan sphere of life slowly closing in on him. It was the brightest, the largest thing his sixth sense had ever perceived, second only to Spyro's. Kaos... gave off a terrifying aura. Joshua felt he was stronger than Cynder or any one of the Guardians. Every time he considered touching that massive life signature—every time he merely dared to think of manipulating it in any fashion, his mind went blank. Unable to think. Unable to even conceive a picture depicting the simplest of intentions.
Joshua had this feeling that Kaos—that this Kaos wasn't really the same bumbling dumbass from Skylanders. That he knew so much more than he was letting on.
That attacking him would actually be a huge mistake.
"Do you even know why you're special?" The other human leered at him. Joshua remained silent and continued his retreat. "You see, I don't care who you are. I don't care why you're here. There aren't any Markazian legends or prophecies about you, but WHO CARES? The only quesTIONS worth thinking about are how you got here and what you've become!
"I can feel the World Will in you." Joshua's face blanched the second he felt the arena's wall on his back. "It's changing you, warping your body and soul. I can sense it! Even now it's letting you rise aBOVE the boundaries of your species!" With nowhere left to retreat, Joshua could only watch as the Portal Master began to loom over him. "And that's the strangest thing about you. Transcendence just doesn't happen without ridiculously powerful things like the Realmstone."
"F*ck your Youtube clickbait!" Joshua yelled at Kaos, a combination of fear, panic, and indignation giving strength to his voice. He continued to kick at him, waving his left arm, imagining the half-man soaring to the door, flying off into the distance. No matter how much the Unknown Element refused to activate, he kept trying—kept struggling. "I just want to go home!"
Finally, a white, glowing radiance encased his fist. By some miraculous fluke, a short-lived wave of energy shot out towards Kaos. It flew at him in the blink of an eye. Any Dragon Knight would have been struck by the attack.
But not Kaos. Not the Portal Master. He abruptly vanished into the ether. Joshua watched the Unknown Element uselessly pass right through the space the other human previously occupied and dissipated a meter beyond that. As suddenly as he disappeared, the warlock materialized directly beside him, pulling the gamer off the wall and putting him in one of the tightest headlocks he had ever received in his life. Even the burliest bully in his high school couldn't match up to this.
A truly foul odor invaded Joshua's nostrils and instantly shattered his thoughts. It was akin to breathing in raw sewage concentrated hundreds of times straight from the pipes. Worse, the tight, vicelike grip around his neck and chest was slick. Incredibly slimy. Joshua trembled, squeaking in disgust and very nearly vomiting everything he ate that morning. What the hell? Kaos had robes on!
"Your little girl's gonna be fine!" soothed the Portal Master as he saw the teenager's eyes focus on Kilat frantically trying to reach out to the both of them. Joshua listened but kept his gaze trained on the weeping dragoness in front of him, unable to hear a word from her snout or feel her life signature with his sixth sense. "It's just temporary spatial displacement. She'll be back in ten minutes. More than enough time to do ooooooone last thing."
Kaos' comments did not register with Joshua. She's going to be fine? Bullshit! Like hell she's fine! The poor kid's f*cking traumatized. He could already tell Kilat was going to suffer nightmares for days, maybe weeks. He teared up at the thought. If only there was some way to reach out and hug his cute, precious sister.
Kaos remained oblivious to Joshua's thoughts and continued with his monologue, describing in many ways how his very existence was a baffling puzzle. "...isn't tied to relics," he concluded, "I suspect the answer I'm looking for is embedded in your soul."
Wait, what? Did he just say…?
"'Yesss. Yes. Yes-yes-yes, that's right. A Soul Scan will definitely yield something! Haha, YES! I, Submaster Kaos, am a genius!"
"No!" Joshua buckled and pitched against the Portal Master's slimy grip. "Godf*cking dammit, NO! No more crazy shit—
"Stand still!" Kaos grumbled. "Believe me, I've used this spell loads of times and it's perfectly safe—
Joshua wrenched his only functioning arm free. He clamped down on the warlock's arm and immediately pulled back. "What the f*ck, EEW! That did NOT feel like an—
"I SAID STAND STILL!" Kaos shoved Joshua away, his grimy palms pushing back a few meters. It took the Portal Master just one snap of the fingers to conjure over ten ethereal chains and have them wrap themselves around the gamer, effectively restraining him. "I swear, it's like you don't want to listen to me."
"F*ck you, Kaos." He would have flipped him off if he could.
"A Soul Scan won't hurt at all. Mmyeah, it'll feel a little weird, BUT! I promise—as a Portal Master and a Skylander—nothing will happen to you." Using both hands Kaos started a series of hand signs. He made over twenty at once, a speed that would make Naruto Uzumaki proud. Ghostly wisps of light traced his movements, rapidly increasing in intensity and heat until crackling bolts of light of all colors burst into existence. They orbited Kaos's right forearm at speeds Joshua's viridian gaze barely perceived, whistling ominously in his ears as the prismatic colors blurred into a deep, bright indigo—
Everything went to hell. An enormous, crushing sense of doom overwhelmed Joshua. His head plunged into ice water, and his body writhed. Pain like he had never felt before flashed throughout his entire nervous system. None of the wounds, the injuries he suffered at the Gates or deep within Sunburst Woods compared to this agony, yet even that failed to disable his sixth sense...
"WOW! Who knew a plain, old divination spell could do this?"
...which urged him to run, to flee as far as possible from the force that felt like a massive event horizon looming over his feeble, insignificant life. "STOP! GET BACK!" Rendered blind, Joshua didn't know he was thrashing against the magical restraints to the extent his bones felt like they were on the verge of breaking, even as he screeched. "K-K-KEEP THAT SHIT—OH-OH-OH-OHHH GOD IT HURRTS—
Joshua's voice degenerated into incoherent screams as Kaos stepped closer, not only with indifference to his plight, but also with clear delight on his face. His red eyes dazzled at the spectacle. "I knew it!" He cackled. "The World Will IS fueling your transcendence. THIS IS AMAZING! That totally explains the violent reaction, and boy, I'm not even using a Soul Trap!"
The Portal Master smirked. "I wonder... what will happen when I touch you with this?"
Joshua couldn't see anything, couldn't feel anything. All he saw was an expanse of white. There was no more ground, no more air. Only Kaos's sphere of life and the terrifying distortion attached to it. He wanted this to stop. He wanted the horrific sensation crawling all over his skin and lighting up his insides on fire to GO AWAY.
White orbs phased into existence above Joshua's head. They fired beams of the Unknown Element at Kaos, who faced annihilation head-on. His very form warped and bent around every ray of death, seemingly intangible and impenetrable. "Ooh! So now you can manifest the Unknown Element. That's awesome! I think I know why..."
Joshua barely registered Skydancer and the two Guardians ceasing their argument. Their spheres of life shrunk and moved towards them, taking to the air. "Eeeeh, don't disturb the genius at work!" Without taking his eyes off the gamer Kaos responded to their movements with a slight wave of his left hand and instantly pushed the three adult dragons back with an invisible wall of force.
Their swirling spheres—puny in comparison to the Portal Master's—flashed green, yellow, and grey in reply. The guards scattered across Proudtail Hall assisted them to the best of their ability.
They accomplished nothing.
Kilat, displaced into another space, could only watch hopelessly.
Three spheres larger than earlier materialized around Joshua and hurled themselves at the warlock. Kaos swiped at the air and tore open a fissure, revealing opaque darkness within. All three went inside and exploded into white mist a split second before the otherworldly tear fixed itself on its own.
"How intriguing," Kaos remarked. "It's like Convexity. Similar, but not quite the same. Looks like I stumbled on something Master Eon would—whoa there!" He flickered sideways to avoid the giant, purple beam rushing his position. It carved a deep line across the enchanted bedrock.
"Whew!" Kaos frowned. If he had been just a second late in his reaction, he might have suffered a real injury there.
Spyro landed between him and Joshua, his wings flared up to look as large as possible. The Savior opened his maw and revealed an ominous purple glow inside.
"Hmph. I forgot about you. Thought you could sneak up on... huh?"
Had Joshua been able to see he would have instantly recognized the change that had overtaken his hero. The Savior glared down at the other human with glowing, white eyes. Magic power writhed across his blackened scales, the likes of which Joshua Renalia had never, ever perceived during all the times he interacted with the Purple Dragon.
Whitish-purple matter gathered in the Savior's snarling maw, forming an obloid radiating with pure power. This quickly strengthened in intensity, glowing brighter and brighter until it became a miniature sun. Spyro held that form for barely a second before violently channeling the mana into a stream of death that surged at Kaos in a coruscating line.
And as he had done with the Unknown Element, Kaos simply let the beam of Convexity through him, his body contorting, twisting around what would've been sure death. The beam streaked close to Joshua, and even that burst into innumerable particles, joining an amorphous cloud of white mist that had started accumulating around him on all sides. Snarling in frustration, the Purple Dragon, corrupted by his own power, was already preparing his follow-up attack when Kaos's eyes lit up with life, his gaze alighting upon the white mist, which now enveloped Joshua as a protective shroud. He donned a genuine smile, letting out a gasp of delight. "Aaaahhhhh...!"
The Portal Master grinned in silent understanding. Anyone paying attention to him would no doubt realize the man had just received an epiphany. "Okay, I'm done!" he declared, his voice light and whimsical. Like a child who just finished playing with their toys. With one flick of the hand, he dispelled the Soul Scan. With another, the ethereal cords binding the gamer vanished. "The World just won't let me go farther than this."
The white mist immediately dissipated; Joshua Renalia collapsed to the floor, his labored breathing the only outward sign of life. His very self still felt like it was being pricked by hundreds of needles, but even now the pain had lost a bit of its bite—a godsent relief. It's over. Jesus-Mary-Joseph, it's really f*cking over...
In concert, the instant Kaos ended his spell, the phenomenon that was Dark Spyro vanished. The Savior regained his senses as suddenly as he had lost them. His scales became a lush purple again, and the fearsome glow in his eyes gave way to a pair of beautiful, purple irises. Whilst his visage lost its ferocity, his sphere of life quaked. As he looked back and forth between Joshua, Kaos, and his own navel, it shivered. It trembled.
Joshua had just spent a full minute to push himself up with his only arm when Spyro snapped and tackled him, putting the poor boy on his back and snout-to-face with his childhood hero. But instead of continuing where Kaos left off, Spyro did something he never expected.
He screamed.
"What just happened? What did you do?"
"H-huh? W-why aren't you looking at, a-at him? You've got the wrong—
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?" Spyro yelled, spittle blanketing Joshua's face.
Joshua didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything. Spyro being visibly afraid, almost to the point of crying, and quivering like a f*cking child struck the gamer dumb. He looked—and sounded—just like Kilat.
"Don't play dumb!" Spyro yelled, burrowing his forehead into Joshua's until they were literally seeing eye-to-eye. "I, I-I went DARK! You did something. I know it's you!"
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
"You're lying!"
"No, seriously! I, DON'T, F*CKING, KNOW! It's all Kaos! That c*nt and his f*cking spell—
"I felt something when that came out," the dragon confessed. "It's terrible. I can't explain it but, I felt that, t-that if Kaos touched you, something really horrible would happen to us both. Then I blacked out, like, l-like my dark side taking control..."
"That isn't my fault! I promise you, man, I didn't do anything—
"That doesn't make sense! Aside from Sparx and Cynder, you're the only one who knows about my 'dark side' and—
"Jesus Christ, Spyro! I really don't know, I swear! I've never done anything to you. I swear, on God's name."
"No! You should know. Egeria, you have to know! I won't accept anything else—
Kaos's howling laughter interrupted him. Spyro lifted his head and ogled the Portal Master. Joshua, from his position beneath the dragon, did the same. Oh, the contempt he had for that asshole right now...
"Ohhh Spyro, you poor fool! Have you just lost your mind? Can't you tell if someone is lying to you? Joshua is telling the truth!"
"Go fly in a volcano, Kaos!" Spyro barked at him, forgetting about Joshua as he turned around. "What would you know anyway? You don't know anything—
Kaos sneered. "Is that doubt I hear?" He chortled. "You don't understand anything, 'Savior', much less yourself. Tell me, do you know what Purple Dragons really are? Do you know the role you're meant to play in this world? Can you even comprehend why Malefor turned his back on the Realms and released the Destroyer?"
Spyro rolled his eyes. He must have heard variations of these words multiple times. "Suck an egg! Your questions don't concern Joshua at all—
"Ehhh! WRONG! It's got everything to do with him, and if you can't figure that out, then you, are, pathetic. All the Purple Dragons who've come and gone had a 'dark side' to them. You aren't as special as you think, Spyro."
"You know what's going on?"
"Are we connected?"
Both Joshua and Spyro answered at the same time. Spyro glanced down at the gamer, astonished to hear what he just said. "I'm connected to you? To you? That's absurd!"
"So what if it is?" Joshua rebutted. "I'm already grasping at straws here, dude. I don't know what else to tell you!"
The dragon shook his head. "The Chronicler must have missed something if you and I are somehow related. Pfft! Me? Related to an Ape? Not possible."
Joshua couldn't help noticing how easily Spyro dismissed the possibility yet ogled the Portal Master expectantly.
He also realized he had crawled forward, stood up, and had been doing the same thing when Kaos leveled his gaze at the both of them. "I don't owe either of you anything. Nope! Not getting handouts from me! I, Submaster Kaos, am a Skylander. A TRUE Skylander! And I'll be damned if I hand over precious information to foolish bottom-dwellers." He raised his eyes, staring past Spyro and Joshua. "Oh! Which reminds me..."
The Portal Master made a few hand gestures. Joshua didn't know what exactly he did, but he started making a couple speculations after he felt a warm body tackle him from behind. "Joshua!" Kilat cried. "Joshuaaaaaaaa!" She snaked her small body all over him and buried her snout in his tunics while clinging to his body in a death grip. The little girl was shivering from fright.
Kilat was back. All his worrying over her turned into relief in an instant. The gamer clung to her just as well, rubbing his hand on the back of her head and over her curved, ram-like horns. "I'm here, Kilat. I'm here. You're okay now."
The child did not say anything. She did not do anything either, other than tighten her grip and scream bitterly into Joshua's clothes. Whatever Kaos had done to her... it was traumatic.
Skydancer touched down beside them, landing gracefully despite her oversized wings and the clear look of panic adorning her muzzle. "Submaster Kaos! Your Grace, do you realize what you've done? The Guardians—Warfang—they, t-they—
A massive net of electricity enveloped the Wind Dragon, cutting her off mid-speech. Skydancer shrieked, limbs flailing, writhing even as a gargantuan boulder crashed into her, splintering into a cloud of small rocks. Enough to encase her in stone.
Terrador loomed over the Portal Master and glowered downward. "You are hereby declared persona non grata, Submaster Kaos."
"I concur," Volteer dropped in from the other side. Joshua had never seen him look so angry before. "After you subjected our special guest to threatening, intimidating, aggressive, and invasive actions in the course of your investigation, in addition to harming an innocent child and our great Savior, I see no harm in throwing you all out."
Terrador lowered his head at Kaos, staring directly into the space above him. "This applies to you and the envoys your country put in here, dragon. The Skylands Empire is no longer welcome in the Allied Territories. You can tell your Empress you have one full week to vacate our lands and fly back to those floating islands your kind loves so much."
"Eh, I don't really care if you want to kick me out. I hate being around you bottom-dwellers. I hate it! SOOOOoooo dirty!" Kaos straightened his robes and fixed his posture, somehow looking more dignified. "Our embassies though? Ohhhh no, you really should think this through. You can't just kick out the Empire on a whim!"
"Perhaps," Volteer quipped, "You should have reconsidered the way you—
Kaos dismissed him, with a flick of the hand. "Oh please! I'm a Portal Master! I was perfectly aware of what I was doing. I can give you THREE REASONS why the Allied Territories of Warfang should still respect the Treaty of Tall Plains." He raised a hand. Specifically, he raised one finger. "One! Your furless ape suffered violent side effects from otherwise harmless spells. Side effects even I didn't know about.
"Two!" Another finger went up. Joshua wondered how this must have looked like to the dragons. "That little girl and your legendary hero attacked me when I was figuring out what happened to Joshua. I have every right to defend myself AND I have every right to notify the Empress that you declared war on US!" He waddled up to Terrador, smirking at him. "And beliiieeeve me, we would win that war."
One more finger. "But THREE! Because Skylands and Warfang can't afford to fight each other over something STUPID, I can offer you the information I gained on Joshua just now, in exchange for retracting your plan to remove our embassies."
Terrador and Volteer glared at him, their lips firm and taut. Both were clearly skeptical. "You expect us to believe you?" Volteer challenged him. "We saw you torture him! You didn't get your information. Do you take us for fools?"
"Nope! But I expected you to be smarter." Kaos said. "A Soul Scan is harmless. Every magician knows that! A low-leveled divination spell meant to see if any harm's been done on the soul, applied through direct contact. Yet Joshua suffered, and Spyro here retaliated at his full power without even realizing it!"
Volteer and Terrador shared a look with Spyro. The Purple Dragon shook his head and turned his eyes away in shame.
"So, do you understand why that's important? Do you have insights behind this? Hmm?"
Volteer stared. For once, the loquacious old dragon had nothing to say.
"Exactly what I thought." Kaos then veered towards Joshua, sauntered to him, and thrust a smelly finger at his face. "And you! You have no idea how lucky you are my path of TRUTH doesn't cross paths with this WORLD! But that doesn't mean someone else won't come for you. Spyro can hold his own, but you?" He laughed. "You're just fat sheep living right outside the butcher's house! You can be slaughtered any time, and you won't see it coming until it's too late. So let me make an offer you'd be too stupid to refuse: JOIN ME!"
Joshua was nonplussed. Join him? But, but why? Why—How could he even think he'd want to join him after putting him through so much crap without the slightest ounce of remorse—
"COME with me to the Empire, Joshua!" Kaos spoke as though reading his thoughts, "I'll teach you to wield your Element like a pro, and more! I'll have MY Skylander pals turn you into a fighter. You'll be a beast! Why, we'll even make a DOOMraider out of you!
"I guaranTEE you shall have the protection of the Sky Empress! You don't belong down here in Warfang." He gesticulated to the Guardians, eyes and fingers landing on Spyro. "These stupid bottom-dwellers FOOLISHLY treat you like garbage! But I—I! Submaster Kaos! —know your real value. Skylands will not treat you the same way. I'll even let that child of yours tag along."
To add fuel to the fire, Kaos's voice echoed within Joshua's mind. "Plus, you won't have to hide your little secret anymore. We have EXPERIENCE working with exomigrants like you. It's not like you plan on staying in this world forever, right?"
Volteer combatively shook his head. "No. Egeria's horns, no! By the Sunburst Dragon, you cannot do this!" He protested. "Joshua Renalia is our special guest. Our precious ephemeron! Our..."
Terrador spoke over his counterpart. "His place is right here. He belongs to Warfang—
"He belongs to nobody!" Kaos yelled, for once looking angry. Or irritated. Joshua ultimately pegged him as the latter. His sphere of life was just too calm. "Your 'ephemeron'—whatever THAT is—is a person. A living person! A stateless person, too, but that can be fixed easily.
"Time's up, boy! Are you coming with me or not?" Kaos walked up to Joshua, leaning close. The gamer was terrified, knowing what happened the last time he was this close, but somehow, he had the courage to stand still.
Didn't mean he knew what to say, though. "Uhhh..."
"Tell you what, when we get to Skylands, I'll pull some extra strings and get you some running water," he pushed, "because you need a real bath. You stink!" Kaos pinched his nose and waved him away in a gesture of disgust. "Really! You reek of dried dragon spit!"
The mention of running water took Joshua by surprise and, to his astonishment, evoked a feeling of longing and memories of a refreshing shower in the morning, Dove Shampoo smoothening his hair and his skin supple and smelling like Irish Spring instead of clammy and smothered in Kilat's breath.
Joshua deliberated on the offer seriously. Barring the snafu he caused earlier, Kaos was the only one who seemed to know what was going on. At this point, he surely had some theorycrafting done on the Unknown Element. On top of that there was something tying Joshua to Spyro, and from the exchange Kaos had with Volteer just now it was clear nobody in Warfang knew the answers. Knowledge-wise, it was a compelling offer. He might even find a way home!
If that had not been enough, Kaos spiced it up with talks of better treatment. Protected by the Sky Empress, living in his own place, and he'd still be with Kilat! He would also be taught by the best of the Skylanders. Sure, Joshua was still confused as to why Kaos was with them—I could've sworn he was a villain in the games—but he let it slide. This Spyro world kept throwing one sucker punch after another at his lore knowledge and this one counted among the least surprising.
Good Lord. Joshua would be lying if he said he wasn't interested at all. He had no idea how much the other human said was truth, but it sounded like heaven compared to room arrest, shitty work on almost a daily basis, hateful glares from the Temple residents, and twice-a-day tongue baths.
As a matter of fact, notwithstanding his hate for Activision's Skylanders he liked what real life Skylands had to offer. Joshua would have said yes right on the spot if he hadn't taken the time to pan his gaze around Proudtail Hall. As he did so he saw that Kilat wore a disapproving expression on her snout. Volteer crooked his head down, and his lips had curled down—he looked sad. Terrador's muzzle, he felt, appeared neutral, but his sphere of life had compacted in on itself, swirling slowly with a darkened color. Skydancer ogled them from her prison. Joshua couldn't read her with eyes, but he discerned her anxiety through his sixth sense.
Finally, he turned to Spyro. His hero.
The dragon had slumped at the corner. Confusion and terror clung onto his muzzle. Seeing his maw agape, Joshua felt Spyro was still coming to terms with what just happened. He couldn't blame the guy. If the lore correctly applied here, Dark Spyro hadn't been seen since that fight with Malefor. The fanboy knew it'd been a few years from there, so the fact Dark Spyro happened at all—and suddenly at that—definitely blew the Savior's mind away.
As for the notion he went "dark" because of him? Honestly, Joshua didn't see that coming. But what was that if not another addition to the list of questions he needed to figure out?
Joshua focused his thoughts on the generous offer before him, or rather, he tried to. He couldn't move his gaze away from Spyro, who was so distressed he retreated into himself and shut everything out. He couldn't help seeing the hesitant and scared dragon pup from A New Beginning. The fanboy in him still saw the hero he adored since childhood.
The longer he stared at Spyro, the more his thoughts turned to Cynder. He owed a debt to her. A life debt, even. He wouldn't be alive and well (relatively speaking) in Warfang if it wasn't for her. At best, he would've been a prisoner undergoing inhumane torture, and at worst, he would've been executed last month, right outside the Gates. What would she say then, if he took up Kaos's offer and left? How would she feel if he betrayed her hospitality and goodwill? How would the people around her react?
He made his decision.
.
.
.
"Kaos, it's a good offer. It's an amazing offer..."
"Yes-yes-yes, of course! I am amazing—
"And you're right, it'd be stupid of me to refuse it! But, all the same, dude, I have to decline."
Kaos's jaw dropped. "Ehhhhhhh?"
Volteer and Terrador had equally stunned looks on their snouts. His decision even pulled Spyro away from his self-absorption, turning his head at him, struck dumb by his choice.
"W-we're staying?" Kilat stuttered, looking up at Joshua.
"Yes, we are."
A couple moments later she made a huge smile. "Yey, we're staying!" The child climbed further up his chest and rested her scaly head on his shoulder, rubbing his cheeks. Kilat gave him a long, slobbery lick before whispering in his ear, "I'm happy we're not going. He's soooo scary..."
"WHY?" Kaos exclaimed. His hands moved in wild, erratic motions. His face, absolutely floored. Flabbergasted. "Don't you realize what I'm offering here? It's everything you need—everything I KNOW you want! Training! Protection! Running water! ResPECT! A REAL life!"
"I know! I know! But still, I'd rather stay here..."
"You dumb, moronic, numbskull! I—
"Before I got here"—in this world, he wanted to say—"I lived in a country where people loved shortcuts. It's popular there—breaking laws, bribing people, dropping names of people you know—all for shortcuts in life. I'm just a kid, so I haven't lived for very long, but I lived long enough to know all shortcuts have their price. I bet, if I go with you... I bet the price of living in Skylands will be so high it won't be worth it, even if life's gonna be soooooo much better than the life I'm living here in Warfang."
Taking his deal would be no different from signing a contract with the Dark Master, Joshua justified in his head. Staying in Warfang should work out better for him in the end.
The Portal Master scowled. "You fool! Don't be arrogant just 'cause you've got the World's blessing. I'm NOT lying! There are people who'll go after you, and you're too WEAK! In the Empire, you'll be trained and battle-ready before winter. I'll make sure of it!"
"I'm not worried," Joshua shrugged his shoulders, to the apparent bewilderment of the people around him. He gestured at them. "For whatever reason they have I got Spyro, Cynder, and the Guardians keeping an eye on me, which means I've got the best security Warfang can offer."
As Joshua said this, a joy he couldn't quite place rose within his heart. It was strange. His life here sucked balls. He didn't have that good a relationship with his heroes, and he wasn't exactly living the way he thought he would back on the day he inexplicably woke up in Sunburst Woods. Yet he felt... happy? Maybe it was because he had found a way to live here despite everything this world had thrown at him. Maybe it was because he lived in a multi-species society, something fantasy and science-fiction readers could only dream of back on Earth. Or... maybe it was because he was still living the greatest fantasy of a hardcore Spyro fan, even if it wasn't exactly perfect or consistent with the lore he'd known all his life.
"Grrrr!" Kaos grumbled. "Fine! Be that way," he acceded. "You just refused the offer of a lifetime, yoooouuu... you bottom-dweller! This was a one-time thing. YOU'LL REGRET THIS!"
Before Joshua could reply, space fluctuated around the other human. Kaos appeared at Skydancer's side. One flick of the arm and Terrador's stone prison went undone. The orator immediately bowed her head and lowered herself. "Thank you for releasing me, Your Grace. I am most—
The birthmarks on his forehead radiated an azure light. Swirling lime-green streaks of energy, greatly increasing in number and speed, presaged the collapse of a small space next to him as it formed an opaque disc. It then imploded in on itself, preceding the formation of a black hole as well as silencing Skydancer. Strong winds assailed Joshua from behind and even he felt the pull of gravity. This lasted for a second until the nothingness that was the event horizon grew to the height of two adult humans. And within it, perhaps—no, surely by magic, a scene appeared. It showed what looked like a wizard's laboratory, its walls, its fixtures, and its many instruments indicating its occupant's intelligence and their dedication to the pursuit of power and knowledge.
Joshua realized he was staring at a portal.
A wormhole.
Kaos leveled his gaze at the two Guardians. "The Sky Empress has FIRST RIGHTS on whatever information I have on Joshua! Luckily for you we're quick with the bureaucratic work, so you guys can get something from a Skylands orator in a couple weeks." He smirked, even winked at them. "That is, if our embassies are still standing by then."
He stepped through the wormhole he just made, but not before issuing his last command. "SkydanCER! Fix this mess!"
"Your Grace, wait, you can't just leave me! You need to be..."
The portal imploded on itself the instant his form vanished into the event horizon. One second the wormhole was there, the next, it was as if it had never been there to begin with.
"...more specific..." Skydancer's voice trailed, her wings and tail wilted from dismay. What a mess he left her with.
A few seconds passed before the room sprung into action.
Terrador went first. He flew over to the Wind Dragoness and wrapped his wing around her, pushing her with him to the massive stone doors of Proudtail Hall. "You and I are going to have a very long conversation with Councilor Tuconsis and the other Guardians, Skydancer." As they left, he shouted at his Electric counterpart, "Volteer! Return Joshua to his room immediately and meet us at the Audience Chamber."
Volteer nodded vigorously. "Of course! I was just about to do just that. But, who will call for Cynder and Cyril? I suppose one of the Dragon Knights here could—
"I'll do it." Spyro went forward, his claws ringing throughout the spacious cavern of Proudtail Hall. His snout bore a stoic expression, while his sphere of life trembled, its surface riddled with peaks and valleys. The Savior was agitated, Joshua believed. Rushing to leave, at that.
Yet Spyro could not leave Proudtail Hall fast enough before his sphere of life suddenly exploded from within. He stopped a few meters ahead of Joshua and craned his head back at him. He almost hesitated. "...Why did you stay?" Spyro asked. "Personally, I've never liked Skylanders. Too pompous; always looking down on us from their floating continent. I hate to admit it, but Kaos had a really good offer there, and he's in a position to make it happen."
Joshua honestly replied, "You and Cynder are my heroes; being around you is all I ever wanted. That's all there is to it."
Kilat clenched her paws when he spoke. He felt her claws scratching his skin through the tunic, though she didn't do anything else. This was how Joshua truly felt, and she was mature enough to know his feelings wouldn't change no matter what she thought.
Spyro, on the other hand, had a look of astonishment. He was baffled. He stared at the gamer akin to a stray cat ogling somebody with wary curiosity. "Y-y-you—I—I mean—we..." The Purple Dragon stammered gibberish in response, until he swallowed his surprise and narrowed his eyes. "You're crazy!"
He accentuated, "WE, ARE NOT, FRIENDS! And after what just happened, I believe you're an even bigger danger than I imagined. I would kill you right now if my wings weren't tied down!" Spyro's front paw stomped the floor for emphasis.
"...I know," Joshua sighed, poignantly, a sad, awkward smile gracing his lips.
Pensive and suddenly unsure, Spyro ran for the door. His life signature had gone still, rotating more slowly than usual. Warfang's legendary hero paused at the exit and looked back at Joshua. He held his gaze for a long time. It was unreadable.
When Spyro finally left Joshua alone with Kilat, Volteer, and a handful of guards, his legs gave way. Slumped on the floor, the gamer pulled the little girl in his arms closer, even if they were as close as they could possibly be. The whole ordeal with Kaos and what little information he himself had gleaned from this encounter was truly unsettling. Joshua buried his head on hers as she did on his, drawing security and comfort from her presence.
Kilat let out another whine and nuzzled his cheeks, prompting Joshua to say something. "Thanks for being with me, Kilat. I love you."
"Always, Joshua. I love you, too."
.
.
.
.
.
Volteer's heavy footfalls called his attention seconds after sharing a tender moment with his adopted sister. The old dragon smiled down at Joshua, in ostensible approval of his choice. He felt the Guardian's huge, stocky paw on his head. It was as large as he was tall at the waist. "No matter what you've become, Cynder and I know who you are and what you stand for. Those qualities and attributes and characteristics matter more than your species or your own individual abilities. We have your neck.
"Don't fret over Spyro," he assured him. "He will come around. It is only a matter of time."
Volteer stood over him for at least a minute and waited for Joshua to pick himself up from the floor. Seconds after he got to his feet the gamer started walking to the open doorway. Kilat leapt off his chest to lead the way, and the guards stepped aside to rearrange themselves in a formation and to let the three of them pass.
Upon reaching the exit, Joshua Renalia gazed up at the Electric Guardian. "Volteer, do you think I'll ever have friends here in Warfang? Like, real friends? Not just people who have something they want from me?"
Volteer's reply was a gentle smile. "As it is with Spyro, that, Joshua, is also a matter of time."
Author's Notes:
Annnd done!
So, how many of you support Joshua's decision? Would it have been better to go with Kaos and get the "perfect life" with training, running water, and respect? Or do you also think sticking it out in Warfang is still the best thing to do? I kinda suspect many of my readers here would actually accept Kaos's "offer of a lifetime" after more than a month of all the shit Joshua goes through on a normal day.
Just something to think about, really.
Oh! And if you see anything inconsistent about Joshua, like being able to use both arms, or being able to hear with both ears, please notify me asap so I can correct them.
Replies to reviews:
Abysmal Taint. Not really. I do the same whenever any of my favorites gets updated, especially if it hasn't been active for at least a year.
Velocicopter. You imagined his voice from the game? Haha! Me too! Well, i hear his voice from the Skylanders Academy series, but same voice actor, so ok. Strykeruk was a little bothered about it when i made Kaos more competent without taking out too much of his mannerisms and speech. Glad you liked it though! I'm just sad that Joshua's progression here basically killed two chapters I had in my outline (aptly titled "Breakthrough"). -_- Oh well!
Djax80. Whew! glad you liked the chapter. I took quite the risk introducing another human, and Kaos at that. This is why I was so adamant against other humans being submitted for use in Aimless.
Anyway, Kaos will continue to deliver bombshells. But, holding his secret hostage? Hmm... maybe you should give my snips' timestamps another thorough look. :P
Guest1 (anon). I think Aimless!Spyro would react defensively to that and respond that he's just looking out for Warfang, and Joshua is a danger EVEN on the off-chance (from his perspective) he isn't faking his kindness/gentle demeanor.
Really? You didn't expect Skylanders in here? After several mentions of them in past chapters?
And on your last point... WELCOME TO GEOPOLITICS! Nobody's your friend...
SKdaGamer. I have a tendency to import characters, so it wouldn't be surprising. Plus... past mentions, dude! That was just begging for one of the Skylanders characters to appear! But really? No comment on how Spyro dislikes the thought of joining the Skylanders? I thought you'd get a kick out of that. Plenty of Spyro fans hated the way Spyro's character was used...
Anyway! Yep! Kaos did ask Spyro to join him. As he did with Joshua this chapter. This is pretty much an AU, so the lore would be changed/modified.
I hope part 2 was to your satisfaction though. Kaos didn't exactly do anything with Joshua's secrets except make an attempt to bring him into Skylands.
BronzeHeart92. Yep, I know about Reignited. I'm just mad they didn't release it on PC. I would have toooootally bought it on Steam. (I bought RE2 remake!)
kingveemon. Oh yes, it really sucks. And nothing hurts more than that PLUS still wanting to have a good relationship with them.
A bit sad you didn't notice the references to my other story though, as you followed that one too.
Plague Dog UnleasheD. Joshua would definitely agree with you. Hell, I abhorred what Activision did too.
Fredrik the astral dragon. Thanks for the well-wishes! :D
Bizzleb. And Joshua destroys two of my planned chapters while he was self-reflecting! Lol.
Soooo maybe that threat he made on Vara in the "Keeping Time" snip has some bite behind it after all? XD
Kaos is definitely a gamechanger. And technically, yeah, it's another option/path available on his journey home, but... would they want him to go home?
Hope you liked this chapter!
Spyrofan2.01 (guest). Hmm, I'd say it's still mainly DotD (as opposed to an alternate one), provided you ignore the additions (like the expanded world map, the imported species, the culture, etc.). All three games of TLoS don't give much unique details to begin with. Aimless assumes 100% of the game's canon (or at least, as close to it as possible), and fills in the rest with either imported or original details.
As another example of how this is done, look at Riverstyxx's Firelight (and its sequel, Balefire). Its timeline runs parallel to ANB and TEN and also adopts the game's canon at 100% (or again, as close to it as possible), while filling in the rest with original details. (If there were any imports there, they were subtle enough that I didn't see them.)
Spyro being such a d*ck to Joshua is mainly caused by his paranoia over the guy. He sees him as a potential enemy that needs to be put down, and is obviously frustrated with how he seems to be winning over the people around them, not to mention stressed that his stance is ruining his personal relationships (which has been hinted at multiple times). I guess I need to write a snip featuring Cynder at some point, just to actually show this.
Space Communism (guest). Thank you! We're gonna be happy together :3
Guest2 (guest). Thank you for your feedback! Glad you're liking it.
Toadn2011. Thanks so much for the review!
Yes, some progress is great! Actually, this is just the beginning of that progress, because we've already seen him directly manipulate his Element on Vara in a previous snip (that took place further along the timeline).
Hehe yeah, I just had to keep his personality. It just had to stay.
As for Flynn... I don't know. I haven't thought about him yet tbh. But I can definitely say that other characters have been imported here. I just haven't found a good opportunity to reveal them.
I like it more when people deliberately write long, well-written reviews though.
Iceman3423. Oh wow! I've been going through my outbox writing short versions of my PMs and I noticed I have never sent you a reply on PM. Sorry! Guess I was too busy...
Anyway, yes, in Aimless, Kaos is competent. He is a powerful wizard who can threaten even the Purple Dragon. Still beatable, of course, if Spyro acted on strategy. Even more so if he has help.
You've gotten this far so you know Kilat's fine. Traumatized, but fine. Hope you liked this chapter too!
Piston24. Ooooh! Finally, another person paying attention to the small details :D
Yes, at least we know they're not seriously hurt (because of the timestamps). Revelations in this chapter should be damn good. XD
And ohhh yes, Aimless!Skylanders will differ greatly from the games/animated series. You don't need me to confirm that for you. I mean, they don't call themselves an Empire in canon, right?
Adventure Ind. Looks like you were able to read through the entire thing! Nice! Thanks for sticking it out!
Ehh, had to show him making progress eventually. It's been hinted at in the Teacher's Pet and Keeping Time snips anyway.
You can thank strykeruk for that. Once they got onboard with my plan for Kaos, the believability improved significantly. So thank you for your comment! As for your other question about him... no comment. Not spoiling anybody here! Still, note that everybody in the room (Spyro, Kilat, the Guardians, the various dragon guards) see him as a dragon thanks to illusion magic.
Looking forward to your next review! I hope you liked this chapter!
Chaoscontrol108. Since early 2017, huh? I wonder what chapter I was on then... Either way, I'm glad to have entertained you for two years!
As for Kaos... nah. It wasn't that hard to fit him in.
Anagnos. Nope! He's a main character. Why would I do that? He gets plenty of them in the timestamps I skip over anyway. XD
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[33D/LN/Rhetorsha] [Warfang Northeast – Mudline District]
"We understand you're the best in this place."
He gazed at the robed figure. His fur glistened, a smooth topaz under the firelight. A poor reflection of his bulak tunics shone in the figure's large, wide spectacles. The tavern was poorly-lit, hardly kept in good condition. A dragon could crash through its roof and dismantle the structure with ease. The cups and tables suffered from cracks, chipped off by time, marching ever forward to the oblivion of all things. There was hardly anything to drink other than dirty water and a murky, bitter-tasting liquor.
One would think, with the apparent destitution of the tavern, only the impoverished and the refuse of society honored its four walls. But this couldn't be any more false. The dilapidation was merely a facade, and like him, the robed brownfur knew it.
"You think so?" he replied, feeling his tail swish to the right. "There are hundreds of people like me, some with better resources."
Brownfur mused, "That's true. But, skill triumphs over all. If you weren't held back by your current, situation—
"This will not be cheap," he cut him off. Cold, green eyes sized up the counterparty. He recognized him as a mabu, a native species from Skylands. Brownfur's stood at a fourth of Corvold's height, and was easily three times his width. He was rather corpulent, unlike the moles of Warfang and Boyzitbig. "Does your master realize what he's seeking from me?"
"Yes, of course! He is fully aware of your abilities. You alone have the distinction of being the only assassin to have ever threatened the Terror of the Skies." He smirked. "It's a little sad luck was not on your side back then."
"Perhaps it was for the best. I would not have made a satisfying substitute for the Purple Dragon's... carnal desires."
"Ha! So you have a sense of humor," Brownfur snickered.
"I have children."
"That, sir, is exactly the reason we believe you will succeed in befriending the furless ape."
"Establishing a friendship with that boy will not be difficult," he said. "But to keep any information about him from reaching Submaster Kaos? That is impossible! He is close to the Sky Empress, and they share direct command over the Doomraiders Unit! Great Huntress, my work could plunge Markazia into another war—
"Do not worry, Corvold. You shall receive our full assistance." Brownfur adjusted his glasses and his green robe, before passing a sealed scroll to his hands. The cheetah studied the seal: a shining insignia. It glittered on its own in the murky darkness of the tavern. Concluding the insignia was enhanced by magic, he knew the client requesting his services through the mabu was powerful. Influential. "And if the worst comes to pass, I, Hugo, guarantee the safety of your orphans."
Corvold unfurled it. The text written on the quality paper—a treasure greatly sought after in this continent—suggested this was a contract, to be signed with blood. A jewel the size of a fist fell out. It looked no less expensive than the contract it was wrapped in.
"A gift from my master, to you," Hugo said. "Do we have a deal?"
It took a few moments for him to weigh the costs and benefits. The Sky Empress was certainly a formidable foe, but with the people supporting him, perhaps...
Corvold nodded, "Yes, we do."
"Then, you know what to do next."
The cheetah showed no hesitation in biting the tip of his paw until his fangs broke the skin. He then pressed it on the bottom of the scroll. The magic came alive. He felt it synchronize with his very soul, intertwining with it until he knew without a doubt that breaking the contract would result in unspeakable torment. Perhaps death, or worse.
"Very good!" Hugo clapped his hands. "Well! If you excuse me, I must report back to Master Eon."
The other patrons of the tavern suddenly collapsed on their own accord. All would bear ugly bruises on the side of their heads when they awoke in the morning. Lime-green streaks of light then materialized from nothing, vastly increasing in number and intensity until it formed an opaque, swirling disc of Corvold's size. It became a black void, tugging at all the objects and people inside the tavern for a second before it stabilized, with a heavily blurred image displayed within.
A portal.
Clouds puffed into existence all over the tavern, revealing multiple, green-skinned bipedals even smaller than Hugo was. They were heavily armed, each sporting sharp, golden blades that looked capable of cutting through the hardest of dragon scales. Corvold's fur tingled from all the enchantments adorning their leather armor. Their white eyes unnerved even him, each glowing brightly—ominously—under the dim light.
Elves. Corvold had heard of these creatures before. He counted at least twelve of them in this room. One would be somewhat easy to kill; a whole group could easily overwhelm and kill him even if he had been the same assassin who faced the Terror of the Skies all those years ago.
Then two bipedal creatures emerged from the portal. They towered above the mabu, easily reaching the height of a dragon on the cusp of adulthood. Flanking Hugo, they crossed their arms in an imposing posture, emphasizing their golden spaulders and the gleaming weapons of crystal adorned on their person. A bow and a short dagger, crafted to match their size. They were gigantic compared to Corvold's sheathed daggers. He felt the urge to shrink back when their yellow eyes stared back at him. This impulse increased when he realized he did not—he could not recognize their species. They resembled Ice Dragons at first glance, with their blue monochrome scales and reptilian muzzles.
Corvold's survival instincts compelled him to reach for his daggers. Every experience he has accumulated to this day screamed he was in danger, no matter how his mind insisted otherwise. Yet the two reptiles were faster than him. In the blink of an eye they had unsheathed their bows, conjured a spiny arrow even bigger than the bow on which it was set, and aimed the crystal spike straight at him. The cheetah went still. A single one of those humongous things would not only sever him in half but also lacerate his insides.
Hugo laughed. "Guys, stop!" he chuckled, before he wiped his spectacles. "You're scaring him."
The order was given. The nocked arrows dispersed into motes of light before both reptiles sheathed their weapons and returned it to their straight backs. Neither one showed emotion. No relief. No disdain. They simply followed the command they received. Hugo whistled loudly, causing every ear in the tavern that could hear him focus on his next orders. "Okay everybody, back to Lightcore. Move out!"
The stealth elves moved together in one cohesive unit. They formed a few subgroups before marching into the open portal, double file. Corvold marveled at their cold discipline. This demonstration alone convinced him they would show no hesitation when ordered to perform a suicidal attack.
Flanked by his two escorts, Hugo followed after the elves. Before he vanished into the portal, he grinned back at the red cheetah. "Goodbye," he said. The portal imploded on itself the second the mabu stepped through. Corvold found himself alone in a tavern full of unconscious people.
Hugo's last words echoed in his ears. "The Skylanders look forward to working with you."