Legend of Spyro: Four Pillars of Aether, Book II

by Blazcowitz43

Three years later, Warfang has fallen and tyranny reigns. Guilt-ridden and long thought dead, Spyro has left his home and prophecy behind for a new life of peace with the dragonflies in the distant swamps. But the war rages on for Cynder, Flame and Ember, who among others fight back against Gaul's rule as Malefor's return draws nearer. Will the Four Who Lived become one again?

7. Chapter 7: The Purple Dragonfly

Chapter 7:

The Purple Dragonfly

The darkness ahead seemed infinite, stretching before the eyes like the mouth of some great monster that was just lying-in wait for its unsuspecting prey to wander cluelessly into its maw. The little light that shone on the edge of the dark was of little comfort as it barely seemed to penetrate it, anxious and fearful of what awaited further on. Just how long did it go on for? How long could it? How could anyone be truly sure of where it led to?

All these things ran through Sparx the dragonfly's mind as he sat hovering outside the forbidden cave, wringing his hands anxiously as he starred at its frightful mouth, an aptly suitable term given that its entrance was in fact the fossilised head of a long extinct giant snake that once lived many centuries ago. Its long fangs stretched down to the ground like the pillars of an entrance hall, leading into the unknown darkness beyond. The cave was almost hidden from view thanks to the shade provided by the overhanging mushroom canopy that blocked out the sunlight in the otherwise usually well-lit swamp. The cave had always been there for as long as he had lived, but even he had never been defiant or courageous enough to dare break this particular rule, never venturing into it nor had any other of his fellow dragonflies. In a seeming state of panic, Sparx looked over both his shoulders as if looking out for something, something that was apparently frightening enough to make him consider going in there, the place they had always been told to stay out of.

"Not today!" he exclaimed frightfully, spinning as though he had legs and zipping away as fast as his glittering wings would take him, leaving the forbidden snake cave behind him as he flew back down the way he had come. The walls of dirt and roots formed a natural path through the dense swamp as he glanced up at the overhanging mushrooms, wary of the possible danger that might be lurking there. He zoomed down the corridor of earth, passing over a long drop where the ground gave way to a deep ditch that might have proven difficult for a Frogweed or other land-dwelling creature to navigate, but which Sparx flew across effortlessly. The fluttering of his wings proved to be a curse, as did his natural luminesce as he left a sparkling trail a few feet behind him the faster he flew. He emerged out of the natural corridor, the swamp opening up as the bright blue sky spread out overhead, the clouds parting away to let the orange sun reign supreme over the mushroom canopy. As Sparx came to a fearful halt, he spun around frantically, his eyes darting from place to place as he heard a heart stopping crash somewhere nearby, something rummaging and thrashing its way through the mushroom forest towards him!

With a shrieking gasp, Sparx turned and dove off the path and into the undergrowth to his side, speeding through the dense forest of mushrooms, bulbous plants, and moss-covered trees. Like an obstacle course, Sparx sailed through as fast as he could, zipping around the stalks of mushrooms, speeding through the swirling gaps between roots that stretched like fingers reaching out for him. He zoomed over steaming clumps of swamp plants, dived through dead tree trunks and broke into a new direction every few moments, hoping his glittering trail would not give him away. He dared not look back, dared not slow down, dared not take his eyes off what was in front of him less he crash and fall victim to the danger he was sure was right behind him. He crashed through a tall wall of flower like weeds, the swamp opening once more into a clearing where the mushroom canopy gave way to open sky, a shallow lake of muddy water spreading out before him as he came to a quick pause. All around him was a proverbial jungle, strange plants and decaying trees poking out from the muddy water as giant water lilies floated on the surface, tiny frogs croaking and hopping between them, unphased by his appearance.

Left, right, left right! Sparx swung his head both ways as he looked for salvation, a sign of hope, a place to hide! His heart jumped as he heard crashing and crunching in the forest behind, telling him the danger was closing in! With a frightful wail, the dragonfly flew off in a panic, fluttering over the heads of the frogs that jumped into the water on reflex as he came near them, ribbiting in protest. He didn't think to warn them, perhaps hoping the danger would have its way with them first, giving him a chance to escape. Sparx zoomed over the surface of the water, zigzagging around the protruding plants and mushrooms that formed little islands across the muddy lake, hoping to hide his trail behind them. He sped under a tall mushroom, breaking through a curtain of moss dangling from its head as he tried desperately to shake it off, refusing to slow down. A loud crash from the undergrowth and splashes behind him made him look back; though it was out of sight, it was here! It had followed him to the lake!

"Get outta the open! Get outta the open!" he told himself in a state of near madness, no longer compelled to flee but to hide, the dragonfly zipped behind the thick stalk of a great mushroom towering above the lake, a short distance behind it he saw a half-submerged tree hollow laying across the water, pointing at a low angle into the air, his only possible salvation now that the monster was close at hand. Sparx aimed for it, throwing off the last of the tangled moss as he flew for the 'V' shaped split in its side, looking precariously over his shoulder as he knew it was now or never, drawing his breath as he grasped the edge of the split and pulled himself inside.

At once he hit water, the force of his pull throwing him into the murky liquid that filled the bottom of the hollow, Sparx trying not to cough as his mouth filled with swamp water, his drenched wings weighing him down as he wallowed in the putrid water. Holding his head above the water line, he grossly spat out the slimy liquid as he clawed at the inside of the hollow to escape the water, eyeing the tight, decaying insides of it anxiously as he pulled himself along, crawling up the trunk. Wiping off his eyes, the dragonfly pulled himself through the log until he had left the water behind, gazing up at the open mouth of the hollow a few meters away as he wished more than anything that he could stop glowing like a lantern in dark places like this!

Sparx lay still, hunching his head down into his shoulders as he waited helplessly, his ears straining to hear for the sound of movements that could only spell danger, the fear of being caught enough to make him forget the slimy taste in his mouth. His fingers clenched hard into his palms as he heard stomping and splashing outside; the sound of heavy feet thrashing their way through the shallow lake as they sought out their prey, Sparx hugging the bottom of the log as he heard the waves rippling outside. The sounds continued, sloshing their way through the water somewhere behind the great mushroom, each step making waves that Sparx felt lap against the log he was sheltered in. As long as those sounds didn't come closer, he was within a chance.

The sounds stopped, the maker of them seeming to come to a pause, probably scanning the surroundings of the swamp, trying to deduce where the helpless dragonfly had gone. Sparx gulped hard, his heart thumping against the log as he lay still, the new silence somehow more frightening than the stomping and sloshing moments earlier. The gentle lapping of the disturbed water brushed against the log, Sparx's eyes turning around in his sockets as he directed his hearing to where they were looking, listening for any chance he was safe. A thrust of mighty force outside made waves in the pond, Sparx hunching down again as the sound of a great pair of wings sent shivers down his spine, flapping and thrashing the water as they took flight, the dragonfly crossing his fingers on both hands that the winged danger was moving on, thinking he had escaped the pond and would search elsewhere, giving him a chance to escape. He listened as the sound of flapping became fainter, fading away somewhere above until, in a few moments, the sound of croaking and the gentle lapping of the pond water was all could be heard outside. Sparx slowly lifted his head, his antenna rising hopefully as he looked towards the opening at the end of the hollow. A few more moments, maybe a minute passed by, not a single rustle could be heard outside.

"Come on…" Sparx muttered barely above a whisper, "Let me win this time…"

SPLASH! Something slammed into the pond right beside the hollow with the force of a giant fist, shaking the ground and sending a surge of murky water billowing over the hollow, rocking it sideways. Sparx could not help but scream as water flooded through the crack he had squeezed through, drenching him again in the disgusting pond water as the log rocked side to side, rocking his stomach with it. Outside there were more splashes of great feet as the monster peered in closer to the old hollow as it became steady, Sparx shuddering in cold terror as he knew the game was up; he was doomed. Feeling its presence burrowing into his head, the dragonfly slowly turned his head over his left shoulder, gazing towards the crack in the hollow and the hungry eyes that stared through from the other side.

"I see you, my little glowing friend…" the deceptively friendly voice said, shimmering purple eyes latching onto him with needle like precision.

"NO!" Sparx screamed at the top of his lungs as he dragged himself up, his glittering wings breaking into a frenzy as he took off, shooting towards the opening of the hollow, determined not to make it easy even when faced with the inevitable. Like a spring, he shot out the end of the hollow towards the sky as his pursuer galloped after on top of the hollow, the purple dragon launching out after him in a great leap. His great three toed paws reached out in front, clapping around the helpless dragonfly as his face lit up in supreme victory.

"Got you!" Spyro yelled out triumphantly as they reached the peak of the jump, clasping his brother tight in his paws before they dove and crashed down into the pond with a mighty splash, dragon and dragonfly sliding across the pond as all manner of mud, grime and weeds flushed across the water. The water was shallow enough for Sparx to be held above the tide as Spyro laughed victoriously, which only further vexed the defeated dragonfly whose face hung low in bored resignation.

"Yeah, yeah, you caught me, woo-hoo," he remarked in bitter sarcasm as the water began to calm, resting his elbow on Spyro's paw and placing his chin in his tiny palm, "Who could've seen that? What's next? You going to tell me it gets dark at night?"

"Ha-ha!" chuckled the purple dragon, his now grown out wings laying across the pond and surrounding them in angel shaped ripples, "I think maybe you're just a sore loser!"

Sparx grumbled and began twisting himself around in his foster brother's grasp, Spyro finally loosening his grip as the dragonfly broke free and fluttered off just to Spyro's right side. With his back to him, he wiped his hands over his stick like body, wiping off the grime before shaking off his arms and head, his lips flapping about as he did so. When finally he became still, he turned back to Spyro, who eyed him with a mischievous grin that caused him to raise a cautious eyebrow.

"What?" Sparx queried. The purple dragon chuckled, his eyes brimming with humorous excitement as he rose quickly to his feet, mud dripping from his legs and body as his soaked wings rose behind his back. Within a few moments, the golden dragonfly saw to his horror what was coming but had no time for anything other than to exclaim;

"No, wait!"

With one great bound, Spyro leapt into the air, his broad orange wings carrying him effortlessly as his now longer tail stretched out behind him. A single flap threw off the grime they carried, Spyro twirling upwards like a spinning corkscrew, the mud, dirt and slime he had picked up in his pursuit flying off across the pond as he spun in air. Sparx threw his arms up as a clump of damp mud struck him, sending him falling back into the muck as Spyro completed his spin, hovering above the pond with the grace of a swan as his deep purple eyes opened again.

Much had changed about Spyro in the three years he had been living in the swamp, with his size being the most obvious. Though always large by dragonfly standards, the small and sickly purple dragon who had stumbled into the swamp had since grown into a tall, broad chested dragon adolescent. His scales had enriched in color and shine, his body was more angular and firmer with his front half more muscular and his chest more rounded and grown out. His legs were longer and stronger while his paws had filled out to better support his growing frame. His yellow underbelly had hardened with his growing, now resembling layers of armor though it was still soft flesh. The fin like spines growing from the center of his head were now all yellow to match his horns and underbelly while those along his back still had their red bodies with yellow edges. His squarish head had become more refined, his distinctive jawline had sharpened and his pudgy snout had become more taught and slightly longer while his tail had grown out a few feet longer. The spade on its end had grown wider with three sets of cut like indentations along its length, giving it a flexibility it once did not have. His overall appearance was leaner and slenderer, though it hadn't stopped the endless insistence of Sparx that he was plagued by 'weight issues' that he needed to correct by dieting.

Spyro floated slowly down as he watched Sparx lift himself up from the pile of muck he had been smothered in, glaring back at him scornfully as he wiped the mud of his face. Spyro stretched out his left back leg as he floated down, dipping it into the pond water before easing the rest of himself down, his feet disappearing into the murky water as Sparx sprang up into the air, crossly shaking himself off again as the purple dragon wore the smuggest of all smiles. The dragonfly flew over and hovered in front of his eyes, sneering and pointing an angry finger at his big purple foster brother.

"I was always the one who won this game until you came along!" Sparx told him crossly, his tone bouncing off the purple dragon's boastful face, who could only regard him with sincere humor as he raved on, "Now you've ruined my streak! My standing with the other dragonflies is in the weeds!"

"And what standing was that?" called a sarcastic voice from behind, Spyro turning his head to his right to see the owner of the voice fluttering towards them, accompanied by a half dozen other dragonflies. It was none other than Amber, the yellowed eyed, orange bodied she-dragonfly and daughter of the temperamental 'Red' Firmin, the appointed leader of Dragonfly Falls. She led the small band of other adolescent dragonflies towards them, the lot of them having borne witness to Sparx's capture and were equally amused by his grumpiness about it. They came to a halt just to the right of the purple dragon as Sparx crossed his arms moodily at their appearance.

"Oh, and what do you guys want?" Sparx queried sardonically, "Come to rub salt into my wounds?"

"No worse than you would have done had it been one of us," Amber replied with a confident smirk, "Besides, someone had to knock you off your perch sometime. Look at what happened to Arborick; the bigger they come, the harder they fall!"

Sparx rolled his eyes as Amber yet again bought up the now slain golem that had once terrorized the Ancient Grove and the dragonfly's swamp until the arrival of Spyro who had defeated him. The purple dragon smiled proudly at her mention of his exploits, even if it was mainly for how much it annoyed his smaller foster brother.

"She is right, Sparx," Spyro told him with a mocking nod, the yellow dragonfly performing an exaggerated yawn in response.

"Geez, he beats one log monster and suddenly he's a celebrity!" he groaned as he held his palms up as he shrugged his shoulders, "Who even invited this guy here in the first place?"

"Uh, wasn't it you?" Spyro asked innocently, "After I saved you from those Toadweeds in the Grove?"

"Well, yeah," Sparx stammered as he looked between him and his fellow dragonflies, suddenly bursting out in an inspired brag, "But don't forget that I saved you from Arborick the first time, right, huh? I jumped right into his face when he had you like this!" he said as he held up his clenched fist in dramatization of what had happened three years ago, "If I hadn't have done that, you would've never made it back to the swamp so then you could beat that log head for good! So really, when you really think about it, I'm the one you should be all thanking! I'm the one who bought purple boy here! I'm the one who really saved the village!"

Sparx was panting like mad and gritting his teeth as he finished his proclamation, holding his arms out like he was cheering, hoping to inspire some praise from his fellow dragonflies. He didn't blink for several moments as the raucous applause he was hoping for never came.

"Oh, well, you have a point," Spyro conceded with thinly veiled sarcasm, "I couldn't have done it without you, Sparx, no way in the world."

Amber and the other dragonflies giggled at Spyro's obvious faux sincerity, earning now a pair of raised eyebrows from the yellow dragonfly as he looked across at Spyro from the corner of his eye.

"You know, I don't much appreciate your tone, big head," Sparx said with a frown.

"It's called sarcasm, Sparx," Amber said crisply, "You know, the thing you are usually so annoyingly good at?"

"That's for sure!' said a male voice of one of the dragonflies behind her, earning another bout of laugher from the group. Sparx pouted as he looked away from them, causing an immediate reaction from Spyro who turned his head critically to the others.

"Alright guys, I think that's enough," he said with genuine sincerity this time, "We've all had a laugh but let's not go too far."

"Oh, so now you're going to stick up for me?" Sparx cried sardonically, "After you nearly drowned me in mud?"

"I'm sorry," Spyro apologized sheepishly, "That was a little mean of me…"

Amber laughed mockingly, "Don't apologize, Spyro, you gave us all a good laugh! Besides, you know Sparx will find a way to make it even."

The purple dragon looked in her direction, smiling as he chuckled grimly, "Oh, of that I'm sure…"

Spyro saw the eyes of the other dragonflies widen as Amber seemed about to exclaim, but too late as he felt a cold splash of mud tossed against his face, followed by a swift collective gasp from the others. He grimaced as he felt the wet slap against his left cheek, his eyes darting to the edge of his sockets as he turned indignantly to where it had come from. Sparx hovered where he was, hands dripping with leftovers of the hastily collected mud he had thrown, letting out a hearty laugh of vengeance. Spyro lifted his left paw and wiped the mud off his cheek with the side of it, slowly dropping it back into the water.

"That make us even?" he asked the dragonfly cynically.

"Not even close," Sparx replied menacingly, shaking off his muddy hands before he suddenly swept forward and hovered close to Spyro's snout, Amber and the other dragonflies watching with bated breath as the two foster brothers peered into each other, Spyro leaning his head back with an air of cocky confidence, waiting to hear what his dragonfly companion had to say. Sparx's right hand sprang up as an idea came into his head, jabbing a finger pointedly to the purple dragon as he declared, "There's one thing I know I can beat you at for sure!"

Spyro smirked, "Would that be being chief of the annoying pest club?" he asked frankly, earning a chorus of laughs from the assembled dragonflies as Sparx did his best to hide the twitches of anger he was exhibiting.

"No, smart-alec," he replied civilly, "The racing club."

"Racing?" asked Amber, "Where?"

"From here," Sparx answered quickly to her, turning back to Spyro, "I bet I could beat you from here to all the way to the top house in Dragonfly Falls! All the way around the winding path and right to the end!" The purple dragon looked amused by his challenge.

"What's so hard about that? We've gone up their dozens of times," he scoffed, "Besides, Red says he doesn't like me running around the village. He says with my size I could break something or hurt somebody."

"Oh, you're oversized alright!" Sparx exclaimed, jumping at the easy opportunity to target his naturally larger mass, never minding the fact he was a dragon and not a dragonfly, "Afraid all that weight will slow you down?"

"No, I'm afraid Red will bite my head off," Spyro replied dryly, "And then Dad will bite it off again for me getting Red cross with him!"

"Oh, you're scared!" Sparx said mockingly, his claim igniting a chorus of critical whistles and gasps from Amber and the others as Sparx began to slowly flutter in a circle around the purple dragon.

"I'm not scared," Spyro insisted calmly, though his growing frown gave away his rising frustration as he turned his head to keep pace with the circling Sparx.

"Oh, the big hot-shot dragon is scared of mean old 'Red' Firmin!" he teased egregiously, "Oh, I didn't know that! I'm sorry, oh no, I'm sorry, little baby. Why don't I get your pillow laid out?"

Spyro scowled deeply, his hidden front paws clenching into the mud beneath the pond as he became tempted to smother the dragonfly in the murky water, but alas he had too many witnesses for such a thing to be carried out. He glanced over to Amber and the others who all watched him with the anticipation of seeing a perturbed snake lunge out and devour the fool who poked it with a stick.

"You really going to take that, Spyro?" asked one of the other dragonflies. He firmly decided he was not.

"Alright," he nodded confidently, defiantly, "Is that all there is to it?"

Sparx grinned devilishly, "Nu-uh. You've got to beat me to the top… without using you're wings!" he proclaimed fiendishly. Spyro's confidence suddenly became subdued.

"You mean you want me to run the whole way?" he baulked, "Back through all this?"

"You could always forfeit," Sparx suggested as he pretended to inspect his fingernails, Spyro showing his teeth as his annoyance with his foster brother reached a boiling point. He drew a deep breath as he cooled his mind, shrugging his shoulders in an effort to maintain his composure.

"Fine. I'll run. I guess I don't want to beat you too easily," he jeered with a cocky smirk to the assembled audience. They laughed and cheered at the prospect of watching the two of them compete, Sparx lazily stretching out his arms as he pretended to yawn and rocked his shoulders. "So, we're agreed then?" he asked casually as he performed some nonplussed exercise stretches, Spyro noticing how he kept glancing towards Amber, seemingly in the hope it would impress the village leader's daughter who watched the two of them with barely composed excitement.

"Yeah," the purple dragon nodded swiftly, rolling his eyes at Sparx's efforts to woo Amber, "So when do we start?"

"Start?" Sparx shrugged disinterestedly, "Well, I guess we could just…LOOKOUT! A FROGWEED!" he screamed, pointing behind the other dragonflies as Spyro jumped about in a flash, the rest of the dragonflies scattering in a panic.

"Where?! Where?!" he cried, eyes wide and heart racing as he looked for the danger, seeing only a patch of now empty swamp where Sparx had pointed as the others crowded near him for protection.

"I don't see anything," Amber muttered, albeit with a sense of fear as Spyro looked back around, just in time to see the golden dragonfly leaving a glittering trail behind him, laughing as he sped off around the great mushroom stalk with a head start! Spyro's face twisted as he realised the deception.

"You little cheat!" he snapped angrily as the purple dragon took off in a gallop after him, leaving the bamboozled dragonflies behind, "You're toast when I catch you!"

He only heard Sparx laugh again as he zipped easily across the murky pondwater, Spyro splashing through it as he gave chase, the thick and slippery mud making his feet slide as he fought through the water splashing over and into his eyes, blurring his vision. In mere moments, Sparx had pulled ahead and shot into the undergrowth, disappearing from view as the undergrowth rocked from his frantic speed. Spyro's purple scales were darkened by mud and grime by the time he reached the edge of the pond, clawing his way onto solid ground as he scampered into the forest. He heard cheers and shouts behind him as he did, but paid no attention as he charged forward, his mind fixed only on winning the race.

"Never catch me this time!" he heard Sparx shout somewhere ahead, Spyro galloping across the dirt as he weaved under and around the stalks of great mushrooms and trees, his eyes straining for a glimpse at the yellow glow of his dragonfly companion and competitor, unable to think of anything worse than losing to him. He wondered why he was surprised that Sparx would pull a trick like he did; intentionally crying wolf, or in this case, Frogweed, knowing that Spyro's first instinct would be to protect him and the others from it as he had many times since he arrived in the swamp. The Frogweeds rarely came anywhere near the village now they knew of the presence of the purple dragon, usually burying themselves in the ground as soon as they saw him or scurrying away back into the undergrowth. The nocturnal Toadweeds tended to be more aggressive, but they usually knew better now than to try their luck around the dragonfly village.

Running through the grass and bowling over plants, Spyro finally crashed through the edge of the forest, finding the dirt path from earlier that would lead back to Dragonfly Falls. Turning right as soon as he came through, he looked up and saw Sparx far ahead, his wings fluttering madly along the path as he strived to keep his lead. Spyro's claws dug into the ground as he set off, panting and growling as he left a trail of dust in his wake, a determined scowl worn over his face. Sparx vanished around a left-hand curve in the path, Spyro fuming and snorting as he gave chase, angling himself as he took the curve leaning on his side, cutting the corner as sharply as he could, catching another glimpse of Sparx up ahead. His head start was slipping, but the dragonfly zipped easily through the winding path of tall mushrooms as Spyro's grounded weight and width was less nimble. He lamented his wings hanging uselessly behind him, tempted to simply take flight and soar overtop of the mushroom canopy and easily beat Sparx to the finish line, but he knew cheating would make the victory hollow and that the dragonfly, hypocritically, would never let him forget his unfairness. He would beat Sparx and he would do it on foot just as he had said he must, and Spyro would never let him forget it after.

Rounding the corner, he saw the frightening snake mouthed cave they were forbidden from entering, Spyro rushing past as if it might bite at him, its eerie presence quickening his already stampeding heart as he shot past in a purple blur. Ahead was the tall trench of dirt and roots he had passed through earlier, Sparx already halfway across by the time he saw it. Looking over his shoulder, the dragonfly shouted as he crossed the gap, "No wings, remember!"

"What?!" Spyro cried, his pupils shrinking as he was seconds away from reaching the gap! He knew he could make the jump easy by gliding to the other side, but without wings, he would simply plummet to the bottom and have to climb out, giving Sparx a lead he could never catch up to. At that moment, his eyes caught onto something he'd barely noticed before, the mass of vines growing across the wall of the trench, covering the distance between the gap, looking as though he could grasp hold of them… Reacting in the blink of an eye, Spyro dashed as fast as he could, eyeing the vines as he steered towards the wall as the gap opened up before him, springing into the air with a powerful thrust of his legs, rolling on his right side as he reached for the vines. Aided by his fast momentum, Spyro's claws grasped the vines as he ran across the side of the trench, his powerful strides enough to keep him from falling as he crossed halfway over the gap before he felt himself slipping.

As soon as he felt it, he launched himself away from the wall, barrel rolling in the air as his feet barely passed the edge of the drop, making a running landing on the other side, catching a breath of surprise as he scampered on after his rival.

"Woo!" he cheered triumphantly, "I'm coming for you, Sparx!"

"Damnit!" the dragonfly cried as his trap failed, fluttering onwards with the purple dragon hot on his tail. He zoomed ahead as fast as he could along the trail, Spyro still kicking up dust as he ran, his characteristic cocky smile lighting up his face as he saw the panic in Sparx's rearward glances. Ahead, a dying mushroom had collapsed across the path, its wide head leaving it on an acute angle as they rushed towards it. Sparx hopped over top of the stalk, leaving a hump shaped glittering trail behind as Spyro hunched low during the dash, picking the highest point to pass under as he shot under like an arrow, grinning all the way.

The village was only a few minutes away and Sparx still had the lead, the insufferable dragonfly still in with a chance of egregious bragging rights as they swerved through the winding dirt path. Up ahead, the mushroom forest opened up on the left side as the sun came into view, the scenery changing as the ground below dropped down far into an expanse of wetlands as the path curved to the left, bending back around gradually to a reversed 'c' shape before continuing on straight. Approaching the curve, Spyro looked across the line of several tall mushrooms standing up in the water and stretching in a near perfect line across to the other side, their wide brimmed tops almost level with him and presenting an opportunity he'd never noticed before. His heart jumped at the possibility of a shortcut, but the drop would surely leave him injured if he missed, only avoidable if he used his wings which Spyro knew wasn't an option. Anything was worth the risk if it meant beating Sparx.

As the dragonfly followed the long way around the pond, Spyro instead turned left, aiming for the nearest mushroom and hoping he could jump that far. He reached the edge of the drop and pounced, jumping like a cat through the air as his wings flailed unused behind him, his heart stopping as he hung in the air and dove towards the mushroom. His feet landed on the soft top with barely a hitch, Spyro not stopping as he bounded across to the next, Sparx finally noticing his act as he followed the long path around, fuming grievously.

"That's cheating!" Sparx wailed as he saw the purple dragon jump from the third to the fourth mushroom, bouncing between them like a frog on waterlilies, Spyro laughing in disbelief at his own skill, or more probably luck, as he bounded across the rest of the line.

"No wings!" he sang as he jumped off the last mushroom, stretching out across the air as the gap to the edge was longer this time, Spyro holding his breath as he reached out with his claws, slashing down hard as they clung to the root covered ledge, his lower half slamming down hard as his weight threatened to drag him down. With one great cry of effort, he pulled himself speedily onto the ledge, his tail flailing upward as Spyro hopped up and sprinted off, his lungs burning as he panted like mad, now taking the lead from Sparx!

"Get back here, you cheated!" the dragonfly snapped as he angrily waved his fist from behind, Spyro grinning as he glanced over his shoulder at him.

"Look who's talking!" he laughed as he sprinted ahead, knowing the village wasn't far now! He had a fair lead, leaving the dragonfly in the dust as he rushed back into the forest, the path narrowing as the forest grew denser, marking the final stretch towards Dragonfly Falls and the finish line. The exhilaration was intoxicating, the promise of victory tantalizing as the purple dragon rushed forward with every fibre of his being, his senses unable to recall the last time he felt so engrossed. Then he remembered.

Something strange happened to him as he was suddenly overcome by a great wave of nostalgia that overtook his mind. Spyro's eyes felt like they had lenses placed over them that changed what he saw as the rest of his senses followed suite. The dirt beneath his feet changed into a hard wooden floor as the tall mushrooms and swamp plants morphed into carved railings and wind-swept sails, the smell of dirt and fragrant plants replaced by the smell of barrels of black powder and frothing soap. In that moment, he was not racing through the swamp, he was running across the portside deck of the Doxantha airship, sliding like his feet were on ice across the soapy floor between several moles that were cleaning it, racing towards the front of the ship! His heart jumped as his eyes replayed the vision as he recalled it, leaping from his soapy slide to atop a deck cannon and onto the next, making a final leap for the portside staircase to the foredeck while his competitor raced level with him from the starboard side, the two neck and neck as they made the final climb with the purple dragon claiming victory by only a fraction of a second! He turned and boastfully held out his tongue towards her, licking the air in front of himself as a nod to how she had bested him in the dojo the day before.

"Now we're even!" he had told Cynder triumphantly, Spyro remembering so clearly the mocking smile she gave him in retort, the vision seeming to freeze on that moment as he allowed the image of her face to take center stage in his mind and his heart…

"Cynder…" he muttered lowly to himself.

The vision ended violently as Spyro suddenly felt his feet hit something, the shady confines of the swamp coming back as he tripped over an exposed root in the path, crying out in shock as he tumbled backend over front, rolling limply into a ball before he was knocked on his side where he tumbled several times more before coming to a halt. He was too wide eyed with shock to feel the pain as his heart felt twisted around his other organs, his face pale as though he had seen a ghost. He lay panting and staring blankly at the undergrowth beside the path, until a voice behind him bought reality, and the pain of the tumble, back to him.

"Have a nice trip?" Sparx laughed as he zipped overtop of the crumpled purple pile, Spyro's head shooting up as he saw the dragonfly zoom ahead, growling through pain and anger as he wincingly scrambled back to his feet to give chase.

"Give it up, Spyro, I've got my name all over this!" Sparx proclaimed vengefully as he zipped through the winding path that they both knew Dragonfly Falls was on the other side of.

"It's not over yet!" Spyro shouted back, feeling his muscles burn as they fought the pain of the crash and the beating he was giving them to squeeze every ounce of speed he needed to close the gap with Sparx. He shook his head to clear any wandering thoughts, funneling his train of thought into only beating Sparx and nothing more, not even thoughts of before the swamp. Of the others… of her…

Sparx came flying out of the winding path as the dirt pathway suddenly vanished, swerving to his right as the forest opened into a wide stream of murky water as Spyro came charging out behind him, following him around as he thrashed in the previously calm water. Just ahead was the center of Dragonfly Falls, the village built in and around a shallow, wide open pond where a waterfall gently trickled down a tall wall of earth and roots before passing through the village to the falls beyond where the monstrous Arborick had met his demise. In the center of the clearing were the tall mushroom towers where the dragonfly sized huts all hung from, alongside the strung-up Spirit Gems which served only ornamental purposes. The village was a hive of activity as the numerous members of the village went about their daily tasks, unaware of the furious competition that was about to sweep through their homes! Sparx had the lead, but only narrowly as Spyro galloped through the water, making great splashes as he ran, both competitors eyeing the rising path that led to around the back of the village to the top of the fractured bowl of earth that the village was built inside, the place where victory would be claimed!

"Comin' through!" Sparx wailed as he buzzed in between two conversing dragonfly adults, who were nearly bowled over as he sped through, and then nearly again as Spyro came through moments after, the dragonflies flying apart as his horns nearly caught them both.

"Sorry, can't stop!" The commotion caught the attention of the rest of the village as they all looked on in shock at the sudden appearance of Sparx and Spyro, racing through the village with all caution thrown to the wind. The duo split in two, Sparx left and Spyro right, rushing down either side of the mushroom towers in a bid to get ahead of each other, spreading chaos as they did with a chorus of disapproving voices following them;

"Watch out!"

"Look where you're going!"

"Are you crazy?!"

"My house!"

"I'm telling your parents!"

Spyro blitzed past a pink and brown dragonfly couple, Mr and Mrs Buzzbii, raising a piece of a Spirit Gem for decoration, causing them to drop it and shatter across the base of the tower while Sparx accidently knocked down a dark blue dragonfly, Marko, carrying a fruit in his arms, sending him and the fruit both splattering into the pond as Sparx barely kept his bearings as he sped on, he and Spyro meeting on the other side at nearly the same time. The race was neck and neck as they reached the bottom of the winding path that curved around the top of the earth wall, the two charging up the climbing slope as the dragonflies near their homes along the path moved clear to avoid the mayhem.

"Last one there's a Stink Beetle!" cried Sparx as he flew with one arm out in front like some kind of athletic hero, Spyro tearing up the ground as he galloped amidst screaming muscles, lowering his head and horns for every inch he could squeeze to get ahead of the golden dragonfly, the top of the slope only seconds away…

"SPARX! SPYRO!" boomed a voice that immediately instilled the fear of doom in them.

As if pulled back by invisible chains, the pair came to a shuddering, screeching halt, Spyro forming a mound of dirt around his feet as he skidded on the ground, Sparx flailing his arms out to slow himself as a fiery red glare in front of them burned through to their very souls. The purple dragon and golden dragonfly remained wide eyed and speechless as if they had turned to stone, feeling themselves shrink as they gazed into the furious crimson face of the last person they expected or hoped to find on the way to their finish line; the cantankerous 'Red' Firmin.

"DUMBHEADS! JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE PLAYING AT?" roared the round headed, perpetually foul tempered red and orange dragonfly who, by sheer bad luck, happened to be right in front of the spot that would have been the end of their race when they came charging through the village, leaving a wake of destruction and disorder as they did.

"I just watched you two tearing through my village with no regard for others or their property!" he continued as he raised a threatening finger at the both of them, "If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times; NO RACING, CHASING, PRANKING, FLIPPANTRY, LOLLIGAGING, STUNTS, AEROBATICS OR LOUD NOISES IN MY VILLAGE!"

Spyro and Sparx gulped nervously together as Red's booming voice echoed throughout the swamp, his orange wings glittering like fire as he zoomed up to Spyro's face, sneering before he did the same to Sparx as they did their best not to breath less it offend him. The purple dragon's heart dropped as Red swept back over in front of him, poking out his finger again, "You think that because you dealt with that monster Arborick that you have free reign to do whatever you want in this swamp? Let me remind you that its only through my grace that you are even living here! I won't tolerate…"

"Father!" a voice intervened, Spyro barely resisting the impulse to look its way even if he recognized it immediately as Amber. But then who else would call Red Firmin 'father'? The crimson dragonfly peered to the left of Spyro's head, seeing his daughter and her accompanying entourage of the other juvenile dragonflies as she buzzed up to him.

"Amber, what is it?" he asked her as Spyro kept a statue like pose with his eyes fixed straight ahead of him.

"They were just playing a game, father. They weren't trying to cause any trouble," she stated in a voice the deeply invited sympathy.

"A game?!" her father bellowed, "Have you seen what they did? The village looks like a hurricane has blown through!"

"I don't think it's that bad, father," Amber replied with a humorous smile, glancing between the two accused as they remained as still as rocks, "Please don't be too harsh on them, father. Remember that Spyro saved my life."

Firmin's eye twitched as she said this, his darkened brow quivering as he looked away from his daughter's gaze, holding up a cautionary finger, "Don't play this game with me, Amber…"

"But he did!" she cried in a frail tone, ushering up and grabbing her father gently by the arms, "Surely it's not all that bad!"

Spyro dared to look out of the corner of his eye as Firmin sighed, his daughter's charms beginning to penetrate his hardened exterior.

"Sweetheart, they broke the rules…" he argued limply.

"And when was the last time you saw a Frogweed or Toadweed anywhere near the village? Do you remember, father?" asked Amber knowingly. Out of the corner of his eyes, Spyro saw Sparx grin as Amber worked her magic, Red bending his head back as he groaned irritably.

"Yes," he said vexingly, like he was being forced to repeat a worn-out slogan, "Not since Spyro has been here…"

"Damn right!' Sparx suddenly blurted out, Red's demonic eyes flashing to him in an instant as Amber covered her mouth to hide a giggle, Spyro biting his tongue to stop himself doing the same.

"Watch your tongue before I get tempted to pull it out!" Red snarled harshly.

"Sorry, sorry!" Sparx apologized frantically, locking his arms down at his sides and his eyes forward.

"Well, he's not wrong, father," Amber remarked casually, "He's just a little impulsive."

"You can say that again," Spyro agreed almost without realizing what he had said, now making it his turn to receive Red Firmin's wrath. "Did I say you could open your mouth, dragon-boy?"

"What's going on here?" called a new female voice coming from down the slope, "We heard our son's names get shouted a mile away!"

Spyro and Sparx both turned to look over their shoulders as they recognized the voice straight away, "Mum! Dad!" they both exclaimed. The appearance of their parents was simultaneously reliving and foreboding. Flash and Nina hovered side by side up the slope towards them, Flash folding his arms as his chin waggled thoughtfully while Nina's hands rested on her hips.

"Just what is this all about?" the blue male dragonfly asked moodily, "We thought our son's lives might be in danger!"

'They might be yet,' Spyro thought grimly as Red gently moved Amber aside before fluttering up to Flash and Nina.

"I'll tell you what it's all about!" he began furiously, "These two out of control delinquents have shown their usual disregard for the rules of this village and have left a trail of mayhem behind everywhere they've been!"

"Really?" asked Flash, though his tone suggested he did not quite believe the severity of the claims. Spyro shuffled around to face them as he felt compelled to defend himself and his brother.

"We were just playing, Dad," he said plaintively before looking to Nina, "Mum, we weren't trying to cause trouble."

"Yeah, what he said!" Sparx added swiftly, "It was just a little race is all."

"Is all?" Red repeated angrily as he turned to him, "Is all that you have to say?" he asked mockingly as Flash quickly moved up to touch his shoulder, preventing him from moving any further.

"Now let's not get carried away," he said calmly, "I'm sure the boys didn't mean any harm. From up here the village still looks to be in one piece."

"Really?" Firmin asked intensely, "Because what I see is calamity and chaos!"

"Red, please…" Flash began. As they two of them began to argue back and forth, Nina moved up quickly to the pair of accused anarchists, both of them trying their best not to look guilty as she hovered between the pair, hands firmly on her hips as she looked between them.

She shook her head disapprovingly, "Sparx, Spyro, you two know better than to go treading on Firmin's nerves!"

The two of them looked into her eyes solemnly, for there was no worse feeling they knew than to receive such a look from her. At that point, she scanned Spyro from head to toe, shaking her head again as she fluttered up to him and eyed the dirt and slime accumulated from their escapades.

"Look at you! What a mess!" she frowned as she licked her thumb and tried wiping away the grime on Spyro's right cheek.

"Mum!" he complained sheepishly, his cheeks turning red as Amber and all her friends began snickering, "Can we do this later?"

"And what are these?" she asked frightfully, running her hand gingerly on a scuff on the side of his face, "And I can see more of them all over you!" she said as she eyed the several more dotted about his sides and legs.

"I had a little trip, that's all," he replied lowly, trying to not let the images that had overcome his mind in that moment flood back. Nina continued to fuss over him as Spyro looked away from the others in embarrassment, all the while Flash and Firmin continued to have words with each other. Eventually, Sparx became jealous of the amount of attention his purple foster brother was getting as he stopped laughing and crossed his arms moodily.

"Hey, Mum! Don't forget your other son, huh? Aren't I worth worrying over?"

"Dawww," one of the other dragonflies said teasingly, "Is little Sparx not mummies favorite anymore?"

"Hey, can it!" Red suddenly interjected, "All of you can go be someplace else. That includes you, Amber!" he snapped just as Nina fluttered over suddenly and grabbed Sparx by the sides of his head, the young dragonfly becoming virtually powerless in her grasp as the others flew away.

"And what have you been doing?" she asked with an aghast frown, "You look like you've been wallowing in mud!"

"It's his fault!" he blurted out crossly as he saw Spyro snickering behind her.

"Now, don't go blaming each other!" Nina said firmly, "You are both in trouble and neither of you is going to get it any easier than the other."

"Oh, brother…" Sparx groaned irritably.

Spyro sat as he was as Sparx took his turn to be fussed over, Red and Flash still arguing off to his side to which Spyro had long tuned out of as Amber and her friends fluttered off down the hill. In the moments he had to himself, he couldn't stop thinking back to the memories that had overcome him like he was dreaming, recalling that day on the Doxantha and the leisurely free time he had spent with his friends in Warfang. It seemed so much longer than three years ago; it seemed as if they were memories of another version of himself in another world.

"Spyro, Sparx," came the stern voice of Flash, "Both of you come over here."

The purple dragon shook himself out of his daydream as he turned to face the blue dragonfly as he fluttered slowly over to them. Behind him, 'Red' Firmin fluttered away down the hill, apparently having had enough as his head kept shaking crossly while muttering to himself as he continued to jostle his arms about like he was still arguing with Sparx's father. Nina let go of Sparx long enough for him to float over next to his foster brother as their father looked between them with a disappointed glare.

"Boys, I've had this talk with you before and yet here we are again," he remarked calmly but with exhausted anger, "And frankly, I'm getting tired of all the heat I always get from Red over it. If he's going to go off at anyone, I'd rather it be me and not you two, but this time he has a point. You didn't just tread on his nerves, you actually barged some of our neighbors out of the way and damaged some of their property."

"That was an accident, Dad," Spyro answered solemnly, "I guess we were just too focused on trying to beat each other and not thinking about anyone else."

"Yeah, what he said!" said Sparx again.

"He knows that," added Nina as she shuffled in beside her husband, "We both know you boys wouldn't deliberately try to hurt or bother anybody. But it was still very reckless and disobedient of you to go racing through the village like that. That's why we tell you to keep your games well away from here."

"Yes, Mum. Sorry, Mum," Spyro and Sparx said simultaneously.

"Don't say sorry to your mother," Flash interjected firmly, "You two are going to say sorry to everyone down there for the trouble you've caused and then you are going to clean up that broken gem and find another one to replace it."

"Yes, Dad," they said again in unison. But before they could set off, Nina was able to get in the last word as she moved ahead of her husband, closer to her two children.

"But before all that, you too are going to march down to that waterfall and clean yourselves up. You are going to look presentable before you start putting things right."

"Yes, Mum," they said.

With that, Flash and Nina moved over to the side as Spyro got up from his haunches and Sparx fluttered in beside him, the pair slowly and with heads low moving past their parents as they started the trek down the hill. From the multiple tiny huts that spanned down the hill, the numerous faces of other dragonflies peered out as the guilty pair marched by with the expected gossip about them floating out from the various dragonfly homes. As they came close to the bottom, they moved faster as if they were safer being further away from their parents, though they remained in full view of them. Neither Sprax nor Spyro said anything to each other as they marched, avoiding the shameful gazes of the other dragonflies as they made it back to the shallow pond of the village. As they did, they happened upon the couple Mr and Mrs Buzzbii picking up the pieces of the shattered gem whilst Red was speaking to the dragonfly Marko who Sparx had sent tumbling along with his fruit into the pond. Hearing them approach, Red turned around and glared at them.

"So, returned to the scene of the crime, eh?" he sneered coldly.

"Look, we're sorry, alright?" Sparx burst out impatiently, "We shouldn't have done it but we'll get right to it, okay? As soon as we've cleaned up…"

"Then hurry up and get to it!" Red snapped before he turned his back and fluttered away, leaving the pair to contend with the victims of their recklessness. Marko, the dark blue dragonfly, hovered up first. After looking to see that Red was a distance away, he said with a chuckle,

"You know, I'd wanted to have that fruit later, not right now!"

It had been lucky that Sparx had collided with Marko, one of the more easy-going residents of the village. He was fairly happy go lucky, certainly more even tempered than Red Firmin, though that wasn't really saying much.

"Sorry, Marko," Sparx replied as he scratched the back of his head, "You can smash my head into one of those fruits if you want," he offered.

"Yeah, please!" Spyro added with a sly chuckle and grin, only for to vanish as Mr and Mrs Buzzbii hovered over to him.

"Really, Spyro!" said the salmon pink Mr Buzzbii with crossed arms, "Out of you two, I always thought you were the more sensible one!"

"I'm really sorry, Mr Buzzbii," he apologised earnestly, putting a paw up on his golden chest, "I'll be sure to find a gem to replace the one I broke, one even better!"

"For a start, young dragon," said the chocolate brown Mrs Buzzbii, "You can help finish cleaning up this mess and then we'll see about a replacement!"

"Sure thing," Spyro nodded readily, "It's just Mum wants us to get cleaned up first," he said just as, to his surprise, Flash and Nina appeared coming from behind him, close enough to hear his conversation.

"Yes, I did," she confirmed to the trio of victims of the troublesome twosome, "Now hurry along and wash up so you don't leave these nice people waiting!"

"Yes, Mum," they said, and Spyro and Sparx wandered off towards the waterfall as the group of adults watched them before Flash and Nina started to talk with Marko and the Buzzbii's.

The water flowed gently down the wall of earth and roots before it flowed slowly through the village, Spyro and Sparx moving up to it as they felt the first sprays of its majesty as they neared it. The former wasted no time as he ducked his head under the flow to the right side of the fall before he stood up on his hind legs and pressed his front paws against the wall, dousing himself as he tossed his head left and right while his wings fanned out to catch the falling water. Sparx was much flightier, ducking in and out in quick succession multiple times to the left of him, rubbing himself down in between bounds into the falls as Spyro settled on his haunches and rubbed himself down.

"So, uh," Sparx announced awkwardly, "I guess we call it a draw, then?"

Spyro washed off his eyes and leaned his head out of the water as he looked over at him, giving a light shrug as he said, "I guess so."

"But if Red hadn't been there, I still would have beaten you," he added smugly, causing the purple dragon to roll his eyes irritably.

"Whatever, Sparx, forget about it. We'd still be in trouble all the same. Next time, pick somewhere outside of town, okay?"

"Alright, fine," Sparx replied tersely, forming a cup with his hands and collecting water to rub on his face before he turned to Spyro and pointed at him, "But we still gotta settle this at some point!"

"Sparx!" Spyro growled.

"Just sayin' just sayin'," the golden dragonfly replied diplomatically as he grinned before he turned and went back to his washing. The purple dragon ducked back under the waterfall, shaking his head at the dragonfly's insistence whilst also quietly laughing about it to himself, hoping he wouldn't notice. Spyro ducked his head down, drawing a full breath while letting the water pour down his neck and back before he slowly lifted his head up, keeping his eyes closed as the water washed down his face. He let out his breath in a single burst from his cheeks, breathing back through his mouth as the heavenly falls pampered him. His smeared purple scales once more glistened in their mature and rich color, his wings folding out slowly as the water ran down them like the smooth sails on a ship.

A ship. The Doxantha.

No sooner did the name cross his mind did his eyes shoot open in a start as his head become filled with more memories of the past; the elegant majesty of the great airship when she had docked at the Dragon Temple for the remembrance ceremony; the leisurely journey from the temple to Warfang, the Captain purposefully swinging alongside the great viaduct to offer an impressive view of her for the citizens traveling across it. Spyro ducked his head and sighed grimly, knowing it did him no good to let himself dwell on the memories of his life before all this, but lately they had started to reoccur in a way they had not since the first months he lived in the swamp. In those days he had trouble sleeping, constantly disturbed by everything he wanted to forget; everything he wanted to keep Sparx, his parents and the other dragonflies in the dark about. For three years he had accomplished this with the half-truths he let out occasionally, hiding behind the story he had fabricated of him being a war orphan with nowhere else to go and no one to return to. That was all close enough, they didn't need to know about what his alleged real purpose was in the world, about the prophecy, about Malefor, none of it.

Spyro stood up and walked out of the curtain of water, rocking his head side to side as he flapped his wings off, throwing water across the pond as Sparx shortly joined him, shaking off his hands and arms.

"Well, I guess it's clean up time, then," he mused with a bored sigh, "Come on, purple boy."

"Right behind you," Spyro replied softly, purposefully pausing to allow him to go ahead as he slowly walked behind, Sparx gaining a lead on him as they made their way back towards the village. As he strode on slowly, the purple dragon's brow furrowed as he wrestled with his mind as it continued to bite back at him with everything he no longer wished to remember. It bought him nothing but pain to remember them, even the things he loved and missed about how things used to be. That was all behind him; the temple, Warfang, Avalar, the prophecy, the Chronicler…

The Chronicler! The mere thought of the name bought him to a halt, awkwardly so as if he had been frozen in place. Spyro realized how long it had been since the name had passed through his mind, months or even a year since he last thought or spoke the name Chronicler, even if it wasn't really a name. The mysterious voice that had spoken to him in his dreams when he had found himself in the bizarre realm unlike anything he had ever seen. The voice that had told him he had a key role to play in the future, the voice that had convinced him to abandon his plans of returning to the temple and had led him to finding this place. Was coming here always part of his plan? Or had Spyro simply been lucky the night he met Sparx?

'Whatever,' he thought to himself, immediately burying those thoughts back into the furthest corner of his mind where it belonged. He didn't care to think about it anymore, not since he had stopped lying awake at night, expecting to drift off to sleep and finally receive the Chronicler's summon as he said he would. He had slept soundly after he stopped doing that, stopped trying to be ready to leave at a moment's notice and leave behind the family he had found here. Spyro shook himself out of his frozen state, looking ahead to the village as Sparx now left him far behind, yet for a new reason found himself not moving as he stared ahead at the scene before him. He saw Flash and Nina still talking with Marko and Mr and Mrs Buzzbii, the four of them seemingly jovial and easy going now as they waited for him and Sparx to return and clean up the mess they had made. As they did, the other dragonflies had returned to their usual routines, quickly forgetting about the chaos that had previously raged through their village, only dwarfed by the anger of Red Firmin.

"Hey! You day dreaming or what?" Sparx cried as he turned and saw him standing far behind.

"Oh, er, coming! Sorry!" Spyro replied hastily, quickly moving to catch up as he snapped out of his daydream. He presently re-joined the golden dragonfly as they approached the adult dragonflies who were caught up in conversation.

"There you are!" Nina exclaimed cheerfully, "Much better."

Flash chuckled, "Much more presentable. Now you boys get to work, Mr and Mrs Buzzbii want this mess cleaned up!"

"Yes, Dad," Spyro and Sparx repeated, slowly turning and looking at the scattered pieces of the broken gem cluster piled around the mushroom tower. Much of it had since floated away with the current, but it was enough to make it a slow and methodical job.

"I'll get some baskets for you to use," said Mrs Buzzbii as she fluttered up and disappeared into one of the huts hanging from the tower. Spyro watched her as she swiftly returned with two tiny baskets made of twigs tied with grass, looking almost like bird nests with handles. They were, of course, dragonfly sized and presented the obvious problem with how Spyro with his massive paws and lack of thumbs was going to pick up every tiny piece of broken gem, but he accepted the difficulty as part of the punishment. Besides, Sparx could pick up what he couldn't.

"Thanks, Mrs B," Sparx said dully as he carefully took the baskets from her, the brown she-dragonfly chuckling,

"Oh, thank you for saving me the trouble!"

Sparx gritted his teeth in the phoniest grin he had ever displayed, laughing coarsely as he turned his back and eyed Spyro grouchily. He looked away from his smug grin and eyed his giant feet, seeing the obvious problem.

"Your hands are too big for this, chubby," he said flatly, "Why don't you go find another gem while I get started on this?"

"Chubby? Really?" Spyro asked sarcastically.

"Come on, let's get this over with," Sparx replied impatiently as he set the baskets down at the base of the tower and began to pick out every glittering piece of gem he could see. Spyro smirked as he looked up at the observing eyes of the adults before looking back and nodding in agreement.

"Alright. See you later in the day," he said teasingly as he turned and began to stroll away, tail twirling gaily.

"Hey, no goldbricking!" Sparx rasped as he returned to his toiling, the adult dragonflies laughing to themselves as Spyro flashed a quick grin at them. He strolled out of the main village in search of a replacement Spirit Gem, yet once he was out of sight, he could not stop himself from stepping off the dirt path and forcing his way through the undergrowth, heading back the way he came until the village came into view again. Concealed behind a wall of tall grass and smaller mushrooms, Spyro peered quietly across at the now much larger picture of Dragonfly Falls.

He felt his heart glow with the strength of the sun as he looked upon the scene like it was a living painting representing the ideal vision of the artist. The sunlight glimmered off the water as it flowed gently through the village towards the outer falls. He watched the dragonflies moving about the village, busying themselves with their routines as their many colors filled the air like a living, shifting rainbow. The calming rhythms of the swamp mingled with the cheery voices of the dragonflies as they lived their lives so freely and fully. His eyes caught on to Red and his daughter, Amber, the latter holding her father by his left side as they fluttered through the village, seemingly trying to talk him out of his characteristic anger. Spyro's face lit up as he saw him seemingly give in as his permanent frown became inverted as he reached out and clutched his daughter closely.

Going the other way was Jurien, the dark tan and green village physician with his curiously egg-shaped head of which he had both hands clutching the side of as he undoubtedly tried to unravel some ponderance on his mind. His face was twisted in deep concentration as he muttered to himself in his coarse accent. Spyro couldn't ignore the similarities between him and a certain mole he once knew, and he wondered how Jurien would react if he had access to the knowledge and tools as Mason had in Warfang. How far could Jurien go if he had the means to reach his full potential?

"Doesn't matter," he muttered to himself, feeling foolish for letting his mind wander there again. Jurien was perfectly content being the village physician and resident egghead and there was no need for that to change. There was no need for any of it to change. He didn't want Red to suddenly become mellow, having grown quite used to it and sometimes finding it humorous. He didn't want Sparx, the dragonfly who was now a brother to him, to become any less annoying or arrogant than he was. Well, perhaps a little change wouldn't hurt…

Spyro stepped back into the undergrowth, turning around and looking towards the dirt path he had left, sighing deeply before he began walking his way back towards it. In a few moments, he stepped out of the undergrowth and back onto the path, pausing as he took in his surroundings and his thoughts. The purple dragon sat on his haunches as he smiled and looked about carefreely, the lush, earthy colors of the swamp plants and mushrooms soothing his eyes as the voices of the village echoed down to him. Truth be told, he had not found the swamp the most pleasant of all places in the early days of his arrival, even if it closely resembled the surroundings of the dragon temple. Perhaps that was why he had not taken to it so soon, as well as the fact he had expected to have to leave eventually to answer the Chronicler's call which had never come. It had been three years now since then and Spyro had begun to wonder if he had just imagined it all. Maybe if he had asked the Guardians if they had heard of the Chronicler when he had the chance, he would know for sure… Spyro's smile vanished as he angrily stamped his right paw on the ground, scowling as he cursed himself for letting his mind yet again wander back to his old life.

"Don't," he told himself crossly, "It doesn't help at all. That's all behind you."

Drawing a breath to calm himself, he stood up and began walking along the path in search of a Spirit Gem he could find to replace that of the Buzzbii's. He tuned his mind back to the events of the day and soon found himself smiling again as relived the excitement and fun of it all as he strutted on through the swamp. He soon gave up on walking and opened his wings, flying just above the ground as he swept along the path, banking in and out of its curves as he scanned like an eagle for the glow of the gems he was searching for. It dawned on him that he should have better view from higher up, Spyro grinned as he propelled upward like a grasshopper, swooping past a tall mushroom as he broke out into the sky, the clear air blowing across his body. He bent his head forward and the rest of his form lifted behind him until he was flying level, Spyro's eyes brightening as he gazed across the massive expense of mushroom forest stretching all around below him.

He banked playfully to the left and swung back around, retracing his steps as he looked down until he saw the clearing of the village. He held himself in a glide as he looked down on Dragonfly Falls, seeing the river trailing through the forest before it reached the falls, the streams of multi-colored dragonflies from above were even more dazzling than on the ground as they weaved in and around their homes. Some of the dragonflies looked up and waved at him, Spyro looking to the spot Flash and Nina had been, seeing them both next to Sparx as he too looked up from his toils. He saw his adoptive parent's wave to him, Spyro smiling even more brightly as he waved back, keeping his eyes locked on them even as he drifted over the village and crested the waterfall that overlooked it.

Spyro laughed happily, banking left once again as he slowly came around, taking in the view once more as the glorious sun shined down on the little hidden corner of the world that he gladly called home. It was not the world that he was born into, but it was the one he had found for himself and was now all he ever wanted. Sometimes he didn't even think of himself as a dragon anymore; he thought of himself as being just another one of the dragonflies. A big purple one of them, true, but one of them nonetheless. As he glided over the village again, Spyro looked out over the horizon, the woolly clouds above shielding the sun from his eyes for a moment as he gazed out into the distance. He looked up at them, his heart stopping for a moment as a particular cloud formation caught his eye.

He knew it was just his imagination, but to stare at it he could not help but see a certain likeness appear; he saw the cloud take on a horned shape, a pair of them stretching out from a triangular head with two more on each side, a beak like snout forming at its point as though the face was looking right towards him. In only a few moments, the cloud had shifted and become something else, but there was no doubt in his mind who it had reminded him of. Spyro's expression became numb. He knew what he had just told himself about dwelling on the past, but he let his mind go back just one more time and imagine the world he left behind hiding somewhere beyond the horizon and those he had left behind with it. He sighted a flight of four birds off in the distance, flying in the shape of an arrow head across his path. The fact there was four of them specifically didn't go unnoticed as he felt a lump form in his throat.

'They're with Ignitus now,' he thought solemnly, 'Surely in a better place than what I left.'

Spyro sighed as he entered a slow glide back towards the ground, tuning his mind back to the search for Spirit Gems, content to forget everything about his old life, but knowing he could never forget the faces of who made that life what it was for him, even if he tried. After all, the memory of their faces was all that remained. Volteer, Cyril, Terrador, Ignitus. Hunter and Mason. Flame and Ember…

And Cynder, whose face he had seen in the clouds, and wondered what would she think if she could see him now.

End of Chapter 7

Next Chapter: Frozen Secrets

"As Hunter leads his companions beneath Perisher's Keep in search of Volteer, the missing Guardian of Electricity, they find the decaying fortress contains much more than they expected to find; dark secrets of the past and that they are not alone in the frozen tombs of the artic citadel. They are trespassing in a new ruler's domain..."

Note from the author: If you are reading this, thank you very much! I originally wrote this chapter much later than this, but I decided to move it forward because I thought some people would be unhappy with having to wait so long to see anything of Spyro. Fortunately I could move this one around without breaking chronology. As before, a new chapter will be posted every month from now on. Comments and feedback and much appreciated. Hope to see you then!