Spyro: Dawn of Light, 3-28

SPYRO: DAWN OF LIGHT
Part 3




CHAPTER 28




"That's really strange..."

Spyro nodded, curling his tail around himself as he yawned.  "It was..."  Neves gave him a studying look.

"You don't seem eager to talk about it though."

Shaking his head, the purple dragon sighed.  "I feel like it's something I shouldn't talk about but... honestly, it's been eating away at me.  I told Ignitus about it but he told me to forget about it, that it could be a dangerous discovery that only I am capable of exploring."

Readjusting his glasses, the icy male nodded.  "I don't have nearly the experience or knowledge of Ignitus, but I'd have to say he's right.  To me it sounds like some sort of...incomplete world, or a reflection of something...or a shadow of something.  Pure power everywhere... I don't know but it sounds like...if Ignitus said that you were in neither a living nor dead world... some scrolls I came across contain rumors and musings of how energy, material...all of Creation, how it works and what else may be out there, and that for this world there may be alternates somewhere out there in different planes of existence that we can't access, worlds that are in different states of being.  It sounds like you managed to force the portal to connect to...a limbo world.  Or a world waiting for something.  Or a world on standby.  It's neither alive, nor dead, it simply 'is'.  Which would make sense for you to be the only creature capable of exploring it, if Ignitus is right.  I would err on the side of caution and agree with him."

"I know, and I do, but part of me still wants to...make sure, I guess.  But since the portal goes out every time I come back, I don't dare stay there too long.  It doesn't connect to a portal base out there, it's simply a dark image of Summer Forest hovering in the air."

"All the more reason to avoid going back.  For all you know the strain of returning might itself knock out the connection the instant you land.  Portals are not easy to make either, and I have a feeling a portal would need to be made of that world's materials, of which we know nothing.  It would take you years to learn the material properties enough to form even a crude Power Gate."

"But I have no idea how to make one."

"Exactly."

Spyro huffed and rolled onto his back, wincing as his blindfold slipped over his forehead and the sunlight illuminated his eyelids.  The sounds of Sidian and Sandra and Dune yelling and roaring at training dummies in the Dojo came muffled through the bedroom door.  "So bored..."

"Don't jinx it or someone might crash the Temple."  Stretching and yawning, Neves shook his wings and turned around.  "Need anything?"

"Yeah.  New eyes."

"Well we're fresh out of those but we do have some mushroom pods, they're spherical enough."

"I'll have those, yeah."

"Sautee'd?  Seasoned?"

"Yes."

Padding out of the room, Neves spread his wings and lunged up to the ledge above the doors, using it to avoid the floor where utter chaos was reigning.  Straw and sticks were flying everywhere, cyan crystals were exploding, slightly different Earth Shots and Tornado Bombs were thundering and swirling all across the floor, the fake Apes being torn apart mercilessly.  Sidian was in the fray, his eyes wide with a manic fire and a wild grin plastered across his muzzle as he lunged back and forth in a flurry of melee attacks.  Neves stared at him.  

He'd heard of Berserker fighting before, and had seen Gnasty going berserk at the Oceanic Isles, but to see a dragon...it was scary.  Sidian was completely transformed, not a care in the world except scoring another vicious kill.  The look in his eyes was one of bloodlust.  Neves had never really ridden an adrenaline high for combat, but it was quite plain as day that Sidian was an adrenaline fighter, there was a difference in how he carried himself, full of too much energy, too twitchy, too reflexive, but Sandra and Dune were doing a marvelous job of curbing that energy into the proper channels.  Sidian was flinging himself around, but he still had just enough presence of mind to watch his footing and stances, and he was learning how to tune in to his heightened reflexes to dodge incoming attacks.  A few times he even sacrificed a clean kill opening so that two Apes would connect instead, then he would finish them off with a skullbash or a tailwhip.  It still made the ice dragon nervous though.  Dune and Sandra were keeping their distance from Sidian.  Did he not have enough control to keep track of them, or even register them as allies in his heated craze?  Shaking his head he darted off and then vaulted down to the Pool door, winding his way down the halls to the underground tunnels.  In the cooking chamber he found a wonderful aroma of seasoned mushrooms and vegetables simmering in goose fat, Shimmer curled up at the table reading a book with sleep-heavy eyes.  Silently padding up to her he nuzzled her, to which she purred softly and nuzzled back.

"How're you?" he whispered.

"Still so very tired...I felt it necessary to attend to some cooking lest I sleep the day away."

"You need it though."

"Nay, Neves, I need it not...I may be deprived of sleep from my sojourn but a surplus of rest doth detriment the body."

"You're slipping your tongue again," he teased.  She paused, then shook her head.

"Shut up."

"That's better."  Giving her cheek a lick he went to check on the food, taking another simmering pot and filling it with mushroom pods, seasoning, and some oil for Spyro.  Setting it over the fire next to Shimmer's creation he rejoined her at the table, laying his wing over her back.  "I'll treat you to dinner tonight, Shim.  I still owe you that lunch I missed."

She rolled her eyes but was grinning a bit.  "Oh let that go already."

"Nope.  I gave you my word on it and I derped on that, it's my duty to make it up to you."

"As you please then," she dismissed, yawning again.  "Mph...actually I think I shall sleep..."  She shot him a sidelong sly grin.  "Do my eyes play tricks on me these past few days, or are you close with your siblings?"

A slight blush tinged his cheeks.  "Well I...um...Mom's been needing me to babysit..."

"Need?  Last night it was not nearly a requirement."

"Alright yes I admit it, happy?"

She giggled and leaned on him.  "You're so fun to ruffle."  Nuzzling into his neck she smiled warmly.  "I'm glad though.  Does this mean you really do want kids?"

"Well...yeah."

"You hesitated."

He sighed.  "I'm just...I do want kids with you Shimmer, I truly do...but what kind of dad am I?  I know nothing of childcare."

"You seemed to be doing pretty well on your own most of last night while we were treating your father."

"That stuff is easy.  But...I didn't exactly have a childhood I can reflect on for experience.  I don't want to end up being what dad was to me before Spyro and Cynder showed up.  I mean, he's a good dad but he and everyone here were pushing me to be a guardian more than a kid should be pushed.  That's all I know, is training and reading and more training and more studies.  I...don't know how a 'normal' family works.  And I don't want our kids to go through the same loneliness and all that..."

She reached up and held his chin, turned his face to hers, and pressed her nose to his, staring in his eyes.  "That, right there, is what would make you a great dad."  She licked his lips, prompting a soft blush from him.  "We're not old enough to be mates yet and you're already concerned for their wellbeing and happiness."

"Or just nervous about the idea of being a dad and having to raise kids for twenty some-odd years."

"Don't deceive yourself."

Rolling his eyes, he huffed and went over to check on the food, prodding it with his wingblades.  "What's with those power vortices you were talking about?"

"It seems the magic power unleashed by the Eternal Night flows across the planet's surface in parallel rivers going opposite directions.  The vortices are most copious around these territories due to the concentration of power being right there at Elamrof."

"But if it flows like that, how did you destroy them?"

"The vortices are caused by pockets wherein there lies a dearth of magical power.  A void, so to speak.  By channeling the power from the rivers into the pocket, it smooths out the ether flows.  The vortices themselves are caused by the magic power trying to swirl in but being countered in force by the neighboring river.  They're not true rivers, but it is difficult to put into words that which lies beyond our sense."  She yawned again.  "I do hope they recover the dragonflies."

"I hope Spyro's eyes recover soon."

Yawning once more she stretched out, shaking a bit, then went over to the far wall and hopped up on a mushroom shelf.  "Gotta get him some more...some more...oh what is it..."

Neves padded over and licked her cheek.  "Shush.  I'll take care of stuff, you get your sleep.  You've still got discoloration under your eyes."

"Alright..." she whispered, already dozing off.  Neves licked her cheek softly, then returned to the food.

Up in the dojo, Sidian was sprawled out panting for breath, Dune and Sandra up on the wall rings relaxing.  Sitting up and wincing at his muscles pulling at him, the black earth dragon held out his paw and clenched his eyes with focus, trying to draw out that Spirit Particle Neves had given him.  After several failed attempts he huffed and let his paw flop to the ground.  Great.  He'd been entrusted with this thing, and now it was hidden and he couldn't bring it back.  What was this "storage" thing anyway?  All dragons apparently had it, but...what was it?  It wasn't some sort of elemental power, elements couldn't simply make objects vanish and reappear at will.  Most dragons couldn't even use their elements at will without first making a breath manifestation to actually draw out that power.  If it wasn't elemental...was it...some form of natural magic, maybe?  On this line of thought he tried again, holding out his paw and trying to picture the orb appearing.  Nothing.  Maybe something different?  He relaxed his body as much as he could, trying to feel like he was letting everything go.  

Something felt different.  He felt like he had dropped something from under his wing.  Looking to either side, he stopped and stared.  The Spirit Particle was sitting right there next to him.  Grabbing it with his paw, he flexed his toes against it; Shimmer was right, it tickled but felt warm and soothing.  With a thought of pulling it in, he watched it spin around him like it had the first time, then vanish with a small burst of warmth on his scales.  With a giddy smile and rush of accomplishment, he closed his eyes and tried to "let go" again.  That same feeling of something dropping off his side, and there was the Particle.  Picking it up and storing it again, he held out his paw, trying to recreate that feeling of letting something go from his paw.  Up popped the Spirit Particle.  "HA!!" he laughed, startling his trainers out of their naps.  They watched in confusion as he hopped up, spun around a few times laughing to himself, then darted off into the bedroom, the doors shutting behind him.  

Spyro sat at the window with the sun's dull rays on his face.  His stomach growled at him, but he didn't really notice, his mind was spinning again.  Today more than ever, he felt an encroaching evil will.  A strange sense of desperation was welling up in him, but he couldn't figure out why.  "Chronicler...if you're there...I really need help..."  

What came in through the door though was not the Chronicler, but an excited young earth dragon racing up to him.  "Hey!  Spyro!  Spyro!"

The purple dragon jumped a bit.  "What?  What's going on?"

"Lookit lookit!"  Sidian sat up and held out his paw, but nothing happened this time.  Blinking in confusion they both stared at his paw.  Sidian grunted and flexed a few times, but the Spirit Particle wouldn't reappear.  "No, I had it just now..."

"Same thing happens to all of us," Spyro explained.  "It takes practice, just like everything else."

Sidian sighed and let his paw fall.  "But I had it..."  His eyes lit up with a sudden memory and realization.  "Oh!  Remember when you were saying dragons can't use magic?"

"Yeah?  What about it?"

"I figured out what this storage thing is!  It's natural magic!"

Spyro froze, totally blank.  Of course!  It couldn't be anything else but some form of natural magic!  That was how the rare books and materials from libraries couldn't be stored away and smuggled out!  They had been using magic all this time yet never questioned it.  "Heh...figures."

"Huh?"

"Nothing.  I just...never thought to question it."

"But it proves dragons can use magic, doesn't it?"

"Yeah."  

Silence fell between them, neither really knowing where else to go with the discussion.  Spyro felt even more awkward than usual since he couldn't actually see the nuances of Sidian's expressions, all he heard were words and excitement, but without the visual cues he felt a bit lost.  Sidian, however, finally sighed.  "Spyro...can I uh...tell you something?"

"Sure?"

"I'm what?"

"No, not you're, I said sure.  Yes."

"Oh...sorry.  But...after last night...I've been having memories, I think.  But I can't tell for sure.  But I also don't wanna tell the guardians...I don't want them pushing me to remember stuff..."

The purple dragon shook his head, though inside he was grinning at the success of his idea.  "One thing you've gotta learn Sidian is that the guardians can be trusted.  They're desperate for information, but they're not gonna push you for it.  They already know how painful it is for you.  Cynder was much like you not too long ago, when we rescued her from Gaul's magic."

"I just...I d-...I don't feel very comfortable telling them.  Not yet."  He shivered.  "I-I-I w-wanna help but...I just...I c-can't remember.  But I feel like...like I know something you all need to know..."

"Don't force it, but I would still like you to talk to the Guardians about it too.  They may know of a way to help you remember more, now that it's coming back."

Sidian didn't seem to hear him though, his eyes closed with thought.  "I think...I remember seeing Cynder...and someone like her but green...and...and  tiny guy with an R...and...this big figure with...with a green glowing eye..."

Gaul... Spyro thought with a growl.

"Someplace dark...but...but I-I-I can't..."  He suddenly grabbed his head with a sharp cry of pain, Spyro jumping back in alarm.

"Sidian?!"

"OOWWW!!! LET ME GO!! LEGGO!! GO AWAAAYY!!!" he cried, his claws piercing his forehead as he clutched his skull in pain, hind legs and tail flailing at some unseen attacker.  "GET OUTTA MY HEAD GO AWAY GO AWAY!!"

Oh crap what do I do what do I do?! Spyro panicked, staring sightlessly at the flailing dragon.  In that moment of panic his mind felt blank.  And then it hit him.  Darting up quickly he laid his paws on Sidian's face and breathed deep, then exhaled, a bright flash sweeping through the room.  When it died off, Spyro's forelegs were glowing a brilliant white, sparkling as if rainbows were flickering rapidly across every detail of his scales.  With another bright flash Sidian's body dully glowed, then faded to normal.  The earth dragon fell limp, sound asleep.

The door flew open and Ignitus dashed in, almost tripping over his bad leg.  "What on earth is going on?!" he demanded, stooping over Sidian.  "Spyro what did you do to him?"

"N-Nothing!" the purple stammered, backing up quickly.  "He just...fell over screaming and yelling and I..."

"We will talk later," the fire guardian stated simply, holding Sidian with a foreleg and darting back out of the room.  Had Spyro the use of his eyes, he would've seen not anger as he assumed, but a curious look of realization on the old one's face.  But, lacking the ability to discern such fine detail with his aerial feeling, he curled up on his bed and shivered, feeling like he had done something horrible.

Several minutes later, Ignitus padded back into the room to find Spyro curled up in a corner.  "Spyro?"

"What?"

"I need you to tell me what happened.  Dune and Sandra came to get me when they heard Sidian yelling."

"I didn't do anything I swear!"

"Spyro, look at me-" he paused, then shook his head.  "Listen, young one, I didn't accuse you of hurting him."

"But you asked what I did to him."

"Not in that way.  You did something, young dragon, you put him to sleep.  I need you, for Rivyera's sake, to tell me what you did.  What happened to him that would make you lay paws on him?"

"I didn't attack him..."

"I didn't say you did.  I simply need to know what happened."

Spyro sighed heavily and shuddered.  "He was...talking to me.  He's scared of telling you what he told me because he doesn't want you guys hounding him about his memories."

"Is he remembering more?"

"A bit, yes.  But he was telling me things he was remembering, and then he...he screamed like someone hurt him and he fell over screaming at someone to go away, to get out of his head."

"And then what did you do?"

Hesitant to admit it, Spyro's voice lowered.  "I panicked..."  The silence from the fire guardian prompted him to continue.  "I panicked and then...I thought my light might help him."

"Your light?"

"Yeah...I've used it to restore myself before...I thought maybe it could heal him or drive out whatever was attacking him... He's not hurt is he?"

The old one chuckled softly.  "No, in fact he's in a deeper sleep than we've yet seen him.  I think your action now was perhaps far better than Rivyera could perform for him.  But Spyro...you will need to train your ability.  There's a real danger there, with using your powers to heal others.  Too much could overload them."

"Oh..."

Laying a paw on the younger dragon, Ignitus sighed softly.  "But I am very proud of you, young one.  Very proud indeed.  You continue to show wisdom and understanding beyond your age even if you don't understand things."

"You said that earlier... But that's just it...I don't understand.  I wasn't really thinking when I did it.  My mind's been everywhere today..."

"Have you the heart to explain?"

"I just...I feel...restless.  I don't know.  I feel like I have to get out there and do something, and now, like...like something terrible is coming and I have to do something about it."

"You may be reacting to the Dark Gems.  Their influence and destruction is growing, and the Eternal Night sphere appears to be accelerating once again now that they've been unleashed."

Spyro groaned and clawed at the cloth over his eyes.  "I wish my eyes would heal already!"

"Patience, young dragon.  Not all is lost yet.  I will send Neves to deal with what Dark Gems he can.  If Shimmer is up to it, she too shall assist."

"But that doesn't help me right now, Ignitus, why am I so restless?  I don't like it, it feels like I'm being caught in a corner!"

The old one growled in thought, frowning.  "I do not know, Spyro.  But do not give in to despair yet.  Being deprived of a sense can be overwhelming, but you are healing.  Some things you cannot rush.  Your light will require a clear mind.  This may be a way of telling you to practice that.  To keep your mind clear and free in the face of adversity.  Only through freeing your mind will you realize what your ancient blood already knows.  Only then will you realize your true power, the true dragon within you which will overcome these dark times."  Giving him a rubbing pat he stood back.  "I will relay to Rivyera that she needs not worry.  But you, young dragon, I would advise the same, that you not worry either.  If this is a trick of the enemy, you should not allow them the upper hand."  With that he walked away, the door sliding shut behind him.

Spyro sighed and flopped on the floor, his mind spinning again.  Ignitus was right, but part of him didn't want to admit it.
There was so much going on all at once, and so many loose ends that might snap at them if he didn't make the connections, but...
Then he remembered that clarity of mind that had allowed him to think of his light's healing properties not twenty minutes ago.  Ignitus was, as usual, right about that.  As was the Chronicler.  
But it was just so hard trying to slow down and not fret...especially when everything rested on his power.  His damn color.

But then...no, not everything depended on him, did it?
He wasn't there when Neves took on those challenges and destroyed the Dark Gems, or took down Jinaya and ended her attacks.
Caelos and Plazyma had been off
He hadn't been there for Shimmer at all and she had apparently been stalling the evil powers in their manifestations ever since the Night happened.
In fact, now that he thought about it, he'd done comparatively little after the episode at Elamrof.  All he'd done was gather gems, same as the others, and fight off Gnasty, but he hadn't managed to save the mountain.  Really, any of them might've been able to fight the brute.  All he'd done was challenge Crespus, but even then it was Nightshade who had taken the elder down and dealt with the situation.  Then there was storming the Skavengers' flagship, but...what had he done, really?  Flashed a bit of his power, stalled Skabb and drawn his focus, but then again...was that even necessary?  He would've died anyway in the massive explosion that Caelos and Plazyma had rigged, same as all the other dogs.

Looking back on the last little while, he suddenly felt rather small and useless.  His problems were all mental at best right now.  All he was doing was worrying about putting pieces together, but everyone else was off actually doing something.  After the Night, he'd really only been supplemental at best.  Sure, he'd had a plan for getting onto the ship, but Caelos, Plazyma, Flame, Cynder...they'd all worked together around him to weaken the Fellmuth.  They'd gone and collected Gems and Power Orbs while he chatted with the Professor.  He'd been injured with that strange bruise, but...it felt like after the bilunar eclipse, suddenly everything was on everyone else's shoulders.  And now, Cynder and the others were off saving the dragonflies, while he was here blind and pathetically stewing on his random strings of thought and coincidence.  His chest hurt.  He'd been doing almost nothing compared to everyone else.

His scales began to darken as his thoughts descended into deeper blackness.  It wasn't just after the Night...he had failed to destroy Ripto, he hadn't stopped the Night at all despite killing Gaul...the last major accomplishment he'd had, to his memory, was freeing Sidian.  All his rambling to Cynder about things hinging on him...was any of it really true now?  Cynder was out doing more than he was.  His scales turned black as a void, his eyes glowing purple and a faint steam of darkness rising and swirling around him.

What use was he now when the others were doing what he should have done?
How could he be the savior everyone - including himself - thought he was if he couldn't finish off Ripto or stop Gaul, or was even injured simply by an enemy warping away?  
What good could he do if he couldn't see anything?

"I'm not really as special as I thought..." he finally sighed to himself, the darkness around him growing stronger.  But then, his mind wandered to Cynder.  What would she say if she heard him say that?  Something like "special or not, you're you", he mused to himself.

The darkness started to fade.

As if his random straying mind had latched onto a small beam of light, he realized the truth of those words she might have said.  He wasn't as special as he thought he was, but...wasn't he taking too much onto himself again?  But this time it was his pride, leading him into disillusion that he was...alone.  Alone in his dealings, alone in his chores, alone in his power.

But wasn't that the very same thing he had just tried to save Sidian from?

Now his mind began to clear, that beam of light spreading and brightening.  He wasn't the only one cornered, they all were.  And he certainly wasn't the only one with problems, Shimmer probably had a significant number of her own out there by herself that had made her look so worn down and exhausted.  And Cynder still needed that link of darkness in her mind broken.  He wasn't alone...wasn't that what he had just tried to teach Sidian, and still needed to prove to Cynder?

The blanket of shadow disappeared from him as he sighed.  No, not everything depended on him piecing clues together.  

He didn't realize how long he'd been thinking about things until Sidian came back into the room.  "Hey...Spyro?" he whispered.  The purple dragon jumped.

"Who's there?"

"It's Sidian..."

"You okay?"

"Yeah...listen, about what you did earlier...I-I-I think...I think it...it did something.  But when I try to remember stuff, I feel like...like...like I'm...like someone is standing in my way, or stabbing me in the head..."  He winced and growled.  "There it is again..."

Spyro sat up and headed over, slightly correcting his path a few times as Sidian's heavy breathing distorted his aerial image.  "Do you...happen to see anyone?  Can you tell who it is that might be standing in your way?"

"Not really...it's all black...and...hot...and-and...ow go away..."

Padding up close, Spyro laid his paw softly on Sidian's head.  "I'm gonna try something like before...but smaller...if that's okay?"

"Make him go away..." Sidian whimpered.

Spyro closed his eyes and breathed a slow tongue of flame.  The light from the fire seemed to backtrack and trail swiftly down Spyro's jaw, chin, neck, and chest, up along his foreleg and into his paw, his hide glowing as if a strong light were being cast from behind.  "Does this help?"  All he got in reply was more frantic whimpering.  Breathing another small tongue of flame, the same thing happened, but his paw glowed a little brighter.  When Sidian didn't respond, he repeated it once more.  The luminescence began to spread into Sidian's black hide, weaving between his scales with a dim red fleshy glow.  At once, Spyro felt something pushing back...something dark and hot and heavy.  He snarled and pushed more light against that presence, Sidian whimpering in pain.  "In the name of all that is good I command you to leave Sidian and unblock his mind...I defy you, I name you Evil and I defy you, I cast you out!" he commanded.  In his mind's eye he thought he saw red eyes flash with laughter at him.  "In the name of Light I command you to be gone!"

Sidian gasped and his eyes flew open, but he was sightless, his mind suddenly spinning.  It wasn't much, but the clarity of his memory shards was suddenly a little greater, and it was enough to almost overwhelm him after so many weeks of struggling against them.  That presence was still in his mind, but he could also feel Spyro's light pushing it back, as if there were a pressure between them like the fine spray of water against a hard surface, and he were just close enough to feel the force of the water's splashing.  The heavy darkness shrouding his memories was a little thinner than before, and not so heavy.  "I-I-I see...green...Mount Elamrof!  Two Elamrof peaks...OW!!"

Spyro hissed as that presence suddenly "stepped aside" and attacked Sidian.  Re-focusing his attention he engaged the enemy once more, breathing a little more fire to refuel and strengthen his light.  "BEGONE!!" he shouted forcefully.  "Sidian I need you to push too!  Fight him!"

"I-I c-c-can't!" he whimpered back, eyes clenching shut and teeth gritted from the pain.  With a low roar of effort Spyro placed both paws on Sidian and breathed fire over him, enveloping him in a thin, body-tight shell of glowing power, the boy's hide glowing brighter between his scales.  "OW GO AWAY!!"

"Sh don't freak, don't give him power in your fear!" Spyro snarled, more out of anger at this thing in the earth dragon.  He could see it in his own head now, it was a dark, cloudy figure that was trying to spread itself over Sidian's mind and choke out his memories.  It had a very heavy, almost blood-red presence, and made Spyro swear he could smell sulfur.  As he struggled, he could feel the presence seeking through Sidian's reactions, trying to grab at the spikes of panic whenever it struck pain in him.  It was trying to give itself an ever stronger hold by making Sidian fear it through the pain it inflicted.  Finally Sidian broke free of Spyro's paws and flinched backwards breathing heavily, eyes filled with fear.  Spyro shook himself off and groaned, feeling drained.  

"I-I-I s-s-saw something!" the black one cried out, shaking off his fear at the revelation.  "I-I s-saw...I saw more memories!"  He watched Spyro flop onto the floor and roll over.  "Spyro...wh-what was that thing?"

"Don't know..."  He clenched his paws in frustration.  "Whatever it is it's stubborn...I may not be able to fight it off."

"But you...you pushed it aside and I saw stuff!"

Forcing himself to sit up again, Spyro took a few deep breaths to calm himself.  "True...I was able to push it away... I think...I think we need to take this slow and only work a little at a time.  It's on you pretty tight.  Are you fine with that?"

"It hurt but...y-y-yeah I-I think...I think I can do it...I want it gone..."  Sidian padded up and laid his paws on Spyro's head, much to the purple's confusion.  "You helped me a bit, I-I-I th-think I can...can help your eyes..."  Without warning, a sharp but not very painful heat flowed from Sidian's paws through his forehead and down his face, focusing on his eyes.  His own eyes glowing bright cyan, Sidian winced as his irises changed color, becoming nearly a perfect mirror of Spyro's own damaged eyeballs.  With a low growl, a surge of power flashed across Spyro's eyelids, making him gasp and flinch away involuntarily.  Sidian shook his head and scrunched his face, blinking as his eyes went back to their slate-grey color.  "Ouch!"

Spyro hurriedly swept off the bandana and the hot compresses, rubbing his eyes furiously against the backs of his paws.  "Owowowow...what the hell..."

"Use your- use your l-light quick!  Try it!" Sidian stammered, blinking back some tears from the itchy residual feeling.  Spyro breathed a quick fire, gathered it in his paws to create a bright ball of glowing power, then slapped his paws to his face with a bright flash.  A blazing heat spread through his face.

"Aren't we gonna stop them?" Shimmer whispered, peering around the doorway with Rivyera.  "You told me not to dabble with magic..."

"It's a bit late now but Sidian surely has far more practice than ye," the elder whispered back, watching as Spyro blinked and winced as he tried to look around the room.  "But this is very good progress for Sidian, if he can remember healing magic, which would likely have been locked away by Grendor during his possession."

"But couldn't he hurt Spyro with that?  Couldn't Spyro hurt himself?  I don't get how light works..."

"None of us do, young one.  But...let's trust them for now.  Spyro was very careful and methodical with his battle there, I imagine Sidian, who is learning quite swiftly, did the same with that magic just now.  We will converse with them later, but for now let's give them space.  This is good bonding for Sidian too."

"Spyro was right...the trigger for Sidian's blockade was loneliness?"

"It would appear that way.  Perhaps Spyro would be willing to work with us with his light so we may too learn its effects, but for now, let us retreat to the lower tunnels and let them deal with things.  Spyro is well aware of the dangers and I do not expect he will commit anything too hazardous."  As they pulled back from the door, she glanced down at the younger water dragon.  "Are ye prepared to assist Neves?"

"In truth, nay...I daren't risk mine health."  She sighed and shook her head, trying to chase away the fatigue.  "I am very weary..."

"And shalt be for a great while."

"Why are we talking like this?  I keep slipping into this fancy tongue."

Rivyera chuckled as they came to the door to the lower tunnels.  "It's good practice, if you desire to become a guardian.  Such speech is part of our heritage after all, if you remember your visits to the Oceanic Isles.  If you were to become an ambassador, or have regular dealings with your city of heritage, you would need to be familiar with that mode of language."

"I keep falling back on it after only a few months, but...every time I catch myself I feel snobbish."

The elder laughed softly.  "That would be the association with the higher echelons of the Oceanic Isles, they believe fine speech separates them from the lower classes."  Passing ino the hidden chamber, they found Neves again napping with his siblings.  Shimmer giggled, blushing a little bit.  

"I still can't fully believe this..." she whispered.

"It's done him a world of good."  Rivyera gave her a little smirk.  "You are still keen on being mates with him?"

"Yes ma'am..." she replied a bit sheepishly, not expecting to be put on the spot like that.  

A great shuddering BOOM rocked the island, making everything shiver like a tremor from an earthquake.  Neves and the babies immediately woke up, the little ones crying in confusion.  Neves scrambled for his glasses and shot out of the nest, Shimmer following.  Rivyera moved to quiet the little ones.

"What is it?" Shimmer asked hurriedly.

"Cynder and Sidian found rifts in the air around the Temple island and I think they finally did something!"  He sounded frantic.  Ducking into the grand halls, he led her to the outside, right into the garden's further edges.  A gaping black tear sat in midair, the air around it bulging as if it were a thick sack holding a hostage struggling to escape.  With another shuddering BOOM and a surge of energy, the rift seemed to split along the bulged and a translucent, clawed hand and a leg with a cruel foot appeared with a snarl, then a deformed, translucent head with glowing green orbs for eyeballs shoved through against its arm, mouth opened in a bloodthirsty snarl.  "An Ape...Convexity Poisoning..." Neves growled in response as it struggled against the rift, tearing it further, more of its body appearing.  "Shimmer, you up for some ass kicking?"

She rolled her shoulders and flexed her wings.  "They shall not gain victory here!"

With a final surge of power the rift tore open and then snapped shut as the Ape-ish form tumbled out and landed on the ground, its entire body a translucent yellow, bones more visible than the skin and organs, a cache of Gems in its belly and its eyes giving off a distinct thirst for blood and treasure.  It lifted his head and joined a rising howl all across the island.  

The enemy had finally arrived.

Sidian came bolting out of the Temple, Ignitus and Volteer hot on his tail with Dune and Sandra, finding Neves and Shimmer already hard at work as a massive force of Poisoned creatures leapt across the Mushroom Forest, the Temple their sole target.  With a loud roar Sidian flung himself into the fray as a group of them landed on the balcony, his eyes wide with sudden battlelust as Terrador's armor appeared on his body and he swept in with claws outstretched.  Dune and Sandra tackled the nearby edges of the balcony's cliff, Apes trying to climb their way up from the forest below.  Volteer ducked back inside to lock the Temple and help Terrador get the defensive shields running, while Ignitus charged himself with fire and swept off to join Neves and Shimmer as they slowly but surely took back ground in the Gardens.

Inside, Spyro shuddered at the blasts of darkness, his paws over his eyes.  "C'mon...come on...heal already..." he growled as he tried to pass light energy over his eyes, but every time he looked around, things were still blurry and it hurt him to see anything for too long.  Sidian's treatment had helped significantly, but it still wasn't enough to safely battle.  With a heavy sigh, the purple dragon flopped on the floor.  An enticing smell suddenly caught his nose.  Sautéed spiced mushrooms.  His mind flashed back to Neves.  When had he dropped those off?  How long had they been sitting waiting for him?  Drawing closer to the smell, it was a little "cold".  Maybe Sidian had been sent up with it earlier and they'd gotten distracted with that light stuff?  Feeling carefully with his paw, he poked a few with his claws and nibbled on them.  Suddenly it dawned on him that he'd barely eaten yet, and hadn't had much at all yesterday!  There was a hefty serving here too, and some of them were spiced or flavored differently.  He soon found himself nearly finished, stopping when he realized how swiftly he'd eaten.  No wonder he'd felt so drained and tired.  And maybe that was why his eyes weren't healing?  Washing off his paws and claws with a gush of water, he breathed fire again to dry them off, then charged the light into his paws and held them to his eyes again.  This time a different, much more wholesome warmth bloomed up inside him and his eyes seemed to burn all over briefly.  He winced and whimpered, but slowly opened his eyes, wiping away the tears from clenching his face against the pain.  Squinting against the light outside, and the flashed of Ignitus's fire through the window, he gasped and then grinned.

The door to the balcony rolled open, Ignitus pausing as Spyro emerged, eyes still closed.  Several Poisoned Apes sprang down from the roof at him, but howled and flew backwards to their gem-scattering deaths as shafts of light shot from the dragon's wings and lanced them.  With a breath of fire that curled around his body swiftly, Spyro flashed briefly and then slowly dimmed, another protective shot charged.  Again, more Apes tried to ambush him from atop the great arch at the balcony, but he loosed a volley of light beams from his wings, instantly downing them.  The fire elder smiled, panting a bit from the combat.  "Spyro, are you sure you should be out here?"

"Well I can't be inside when everyone else is protecting the Temple."  His face scrunched a bit with concentration, then he flared his wing out suddenly, scattering a close volley at a group of Apes hemming Sandra in against the balcony railing.  "I gotta start pulling more of my weight."

"Are your eyes healed then?"

"More than just my eyes," he replied with a grin, though he kept them closed.  "But I gotta get going, Shimmer and Neves are getting cornered."

The fire guardian watched as Spyro took off, nearly clipping the archway as he veered over to the Garden.  "Well, good a chance as any to practice I suppose."