Spyro: DoL, 3-30

SPYRO: DAWN OF LIGHT
Part 3



CHAPTER 30




"You sure it won't be any trouble?" Neves asked, watching the long multicolored cloud of dragonflies filtering from the portal to the Dreamweavers' castle.  The elder dragon nodded, his paw stroking his long braided beard.

"Positive.  We're incredibly grateful you children located them again.  The Department has little power out here with their technology, so they pose no threat to us.  Unlike the Inner Realmers, we will not bow to them."

Neves had to fight back a disapproving look.  These attitudes are growing worse... he thought to himself.  

"By the way, did you manage to find your friend?"

"Yeah.  She's okay.  She's resting at the Temple, she had a very long four months of combat."

"Good, very good."  Watching the last of the batch of insects fly through, the old dragon glanced at him.  "You don't have a dragonfly?  I thought you did several years ago."

"Eh...they were temporary for our training, I don't know where they went."

"I'd say you children should get permanent assignations.  The spare dragonflies will have to be paired up with other dragons in the Inner Realms too..."  That last part of his remark was made with a darker tone, making Neves fight his urge to speak out again.  "Alright young one, good job, we will keep them safe until the Council has made their decision."

At this Neves cleared his throat, hesitating for the briefest moment.  "We may not have that long.  Do you think you could get the children here at least and get them assigned with dragonflies, if they haven't already?"

The pale blue dragon blinked at him in confusion.  "Say what again?"

"The Council will take too long.  Things are shaping up all over and it's not looking good.  We don't have that kind of time to wait on bureaucracy.  At the very least, I urge you elders to get the children assigned with dragonflies, in case something happens again.  Green Rain, pirate raids, gemshowers, anything could happen.  Starting with the children and females, we need to get everyone protected."

"But assigning the dragonflies would expose them to capture again."

Shaking his head, Neves stood up and pawed at the ground anxiously.  "Please, sir, I don't mean to be rude but I don't have time to argue with you on this!  They captured the dragonflies to revive Ripto, but Ripto has more or less rematerialized without them.  He has no further need for their magic!"

Giving the ice dragon a calculating, studying glare, the old one finally sighed.  "Alright.  I can see there is much urgency.  I will do what I can."

"Thanks," Neves said, turning immediately and running back to the Temple portal.  Instead of going back though, he ran past and over the floating islands to the second Dreamweavers palace he'd visited not too long ago, having to wait between islands for a winding midair river to change into a purple crystal bridge edged with rainbow flames.  "Boy, they just keep churning out the weird stuff," he said to himself as he scurried over the bridge, the construction switching back to slow-twisting water once he'd passed.  The palace was unusually empty, the workers having moved to the other palace in preparation for the dragonflies.  Winding his way through the corridors, deeper and deeper, he finally came to that strange, heavy locked door he'd found.  The layer of dust at his paws told that no one else had come down here for a while.  Stifling a sneeze with his wing, he padded up to the door feeling it trying to push him back.  "What the heck are you..."  Reaching a paw up, it felt almost as if an opposing paw were being pressed against him.  The harder he pushed, the more it pushed back, until with a great snap he was flung backwards again like last time.  His glasses skittered across the floor on impact.  "Oww..." he whimpered, then gave a mighty sneeze, kicking up a cloud of dust that only made it worse.  Blindly groping for his glasses he went up to the door, his wing pressed over his muzzle as he struggled to contain himself.  

"You've got a lot of guts coming down here," came a voice just down the hallway.  From the shadows, a cloaked figure emerged carrying a spear with a sheathed blade.  "I ought to put you under arrest, Neves of the Guardians.  You and your friends are causing too much trouble for the world to handle."

A growl rumbled from the ice dragon, his spines flaring.  "Yeah well, I haven't seen the Department doing anything about the resurrecting evil spirits."

"We are but a small containment force, spread thin by repelling the Gnorc attacks."  Smoke poured out from under the hood, the dull red glow of a lighted cigar making itself briefly known as the unknown presence pulled in a breath.  "Attacks which you and your band should have been focusing on, instead of running around on fool's errands like this."

"Is that what you honestly believe?" Neves snarled.  "That we are wasting our time tracking and slaying these creatures that could wipe your sorry ass across the floor with the flick of a wand?"

A halo of smoke puffed forth with a disgruntled huff.  "Actually, no, that is not what I honestly believe.  I don't know what to make of you brats and your decrepit teachers."  Striding closer into the dim light of the dust-caked stained glass windows, all Neves could see was a hint of blue fur on the feline tail.  A black form-fitting suit obscured the rest of the body beneath the brown cloak of the Department of Containment's dress code.  The cigar was pinched in the fabric around the mouth.  No eyes were visible either; a full-face mask.  "I only believe what I see with my own two eyes.  I should arrest you, but I have not myself seen any reason to do so...yet."  Taking the cigar between two fingers he tapped it against the wall rather disrespectfully to dislodge the ashes.  How he was able to blow the smoke through that cloth without smoking his own face was beyond Neves' guess.  

"Then why are you here and how did you know I'd be here?"

"You were in the area but you bored me.  I come down here often to look at that door."  He motioned to that magically sealed door.  "When I'm not chasing you brats around, I wonder what's behind that door.  That's all.  That you should be here with me is a case of bad timing."  Spinning his spear idly around his paw, he grunted, blowing another smoke ring.  "The Department is not pleased, and no longer will they sit idle after your sister's confrontation with the Sorceress caused those Dark Gems to be scattered.  They're already destroying the land.  So far as we're concerned, you're accomplices to that crime and you will be brought in.  But, I wasn't there to see it, so I don't care either way.  Maybe Zeofols was makin' it up, maybe he ain't."

"She's not my sister.  I'm an only child."

"Cheh.  You wish.  Four months old now are they?  Ice, shadow and water.  Bet you an' that hybrid you've got the hots for would make a similar batch."

Repressing his snappy remark, the ice dragon stood up.  "That had better be all you intend to say."

"Yep.  Get lost.  I was here first."  As Neves turned to leave, the cat blew a long breath of thought.  "One more thing, tell that fatass bear he still owes me."

The journey home was less victorious than Neves had hoped.  The dragonfly issue was settled, but...that Department guard had him somewhat rattled.  His mother was so concerned for the little ones' safety that she had kept the news of their birth and identities as secret as possible.  How did the Department know about his siblings?  His relationship with Shimmer was no secret, and the other members of the Department probably inferred his dealing with Moneybags from the incident at Firetalon, but the tone of voice at the mention of his siblings...it was too threatening to be a mere passing note.  There was definite intent behind that exchange.  Landing at the Temple he shook himself off, finding Rivyera making a salve for Sidian in the Dojo while the earth dragon trained his crystal-breath accuracy against Terrador.  She glanced up at the portal and gave a small smile.  "Hey Nev."

"Hey mom...Did you know the Department knows about them?  The babies?" he asked hurriedly with a tone of worry.  Her smile faded into a sigh.

"I had my suspicions...are they following you?"

He shook himself again at the memory, trying to calm himself.  "No...I delivered the dragonflies, but then went to check on something and ran across one of their more passive guards.  He says he doesn't arrest without actually seeing the crime for himself, but...I don't buy it.  He spoke like he's been tracking me very closely...and when I tested him by testing his error about Plazyma being my sister, he called me out and...gave their age and elements."

Terrador paused Sidian's training, striding over to Neves.  "Young dragon...tread carefully.  That sounds to me like an underhanded threat."

"Let 'em try it," Rivyera snarled.  "I'm getting sick of them."  

The earth dragon shook his head.  "No, invitation would not be the wisest choice.  We're already under their watch if they're stooping to this.  Neves, you need to inform the others that they are also very likely under scrutiny.  Go now, if an agent was there with you, they're likely present with the others as well."

"No rest for the weary," the ice dragon grumbled.  "Cynder was right last night."  Turning a rune on the portal gate, he watched the image flicker a few times before settling on the Beastmakers' homeworld, then stepped through.  Rivyera growled to herself.

"They dare threaten my children..."

"They dare many things.  You finish up with Sidian, I'll get the others."

Sidian whimpered as Rivyera approached him.  "I don't like that medicine..."

"I know, dear," she whispered, watching him wince and hiss as she slathered it onto his back.  "Let it sit and then go wash it off."

"A-a-are the others...g-gonna b-be alright?"

"I hope so."  Patting his hindquarters she added "You may want to head to the garden and cool off from your training in the hot spring."

Fairly soon after he'd left, the other Guardians came into the dojo, Nightshade devoid of the babies as they soundly slept in their hidden chamber.  Volteer was the last to join, barely lifting his paws as he shuffled in and flumped to the floor with a mighty yawn.  The Professor toddled in after them and sat by the doorway against a soft patch of moss.

"This is troubling news indeed..." Ignitus grumbled.  "Just as I suspected though, they view the children as a threat.  Whether this is a political move, or an underhanded attempt to clear the way for the released evils..."

"Shouldn't we hide them here?" the Mole asked, not looking up from his clipboard.

"No, their power is needed for sure this time with those Dark Gems abroad," Nightshade replied.

"We've done what we can for them," the fire elder continued.  "But now I feel it may be time for us to take the back seat entirely.  We knew a day like this would come."

"But the Department will arrest them and jail them for sure," Terrador interjected.  "They know the elemental power of dragons, they were actively hunting Neves at the portal gate and then in Firetalon."

"I am aware of the danger.  But now I believe it is time for them to be on their own, without our influence.  Spyro especially.  He's naturally cautious, but even more inquisitive and impulsive.  I have...dreaded letting him discover things for himself, but...I feel he may have enough of a basis now, from us, to make his own decisions.  We have curbed his impulsive nature, but something in my heart tells me that his rashness may be key to combatting this darkness.  Look at what he's done already.  He went off on his own to seek Cynder, and he freed her.  Against our wishes he went off before the Eternal Night and destroyed three evil sources at Boysitbyg, Tall Plains, and Dante's Freezer.  He gave in to his nature and freed Cynder again from their clutches on the Night itself."

"Mmm...not only that but he openly defied Crespus, though he did intoxicate himself on the truth serums in the food," Nightshade added.  

"And he did devise several methods on the spot to try to break Sidian's darkness," Rivyera also chimed in.  "I was quite impressed with his use of light despite his inexperience."

"That inner nature of impulse may be his key to standing against these terrible foes and circumstances," Ignitus said with a tone of finality.  "I feel we may need that impulse especially against the methodical deployment and actions of the Department of Containment.  But, he cannot exercise it properly with us hovering over him."

Silence fell briefly as they mulled this over, until Volteer finally spoke up.  "Are you implying, Ignitus, that we are effectually finished as Guardians?  That our time is spent?"

"Perhaps..." the old one replied slowly.  "Except for Rivyera and Nightshade, we are growing too told to continue our office...at the very least I am.  And the world is progressing without us, moving into a new era of development where we may very well have no place, be it for good or ill.  We still have our wisdom, but we can no longer effectively lead combat against these foes.  I know I'm not the only one who was having shortness of breath and aching joints during the attack earlier.  It is up to the children.  I do not wish to merely stand aside, but...these troubles that we strove so long to bury and destroy have gone beyond us.  Even if the children were to turn the world around by tomorrow, what awaits us the day after may not be something the guardianship can preside over anymore.  Few Temples are still occupied for their purpose, ours is the only main one for our age.  With the Department on the rise and challenging our limited network...I fear this is the end of our office."

Terrador grunted.  "All things come to an end eventually.  The world does not sit still even for a moment.  But, Ignitus, I think you may be wrong."  The others all looked at him sharply.  "There is still a chance that the kids will take up the mantle.  Though he said earlier that he wanted nothing to do with it, I think Neves, and Shimmer, may be seriously considering further apprenticeship here.  You and Nightshade have done quite a lot to tame and temper Flame, and he's improved in leaps and bounds.  Without really meaning to, he's already becoming a Guardian now.  Caelos seems to show some interest too, and if he becomes a Guardian, Plazyma might follow his lead.  If those five right there make that choice, that's five elements represented.  But I don't really see Spyro or Cynder being called for guardianship."

"Nor do I," the fire elder agreed.  "You are right, Terrador, forgive my doubts.  But it is still a very real possibility that we may be the last of our office."

"I realize that."

"There may be other young children who would be interested, but with the darkness plaguing our world, their decisions would likewise be clouded.  But the point is, it's time the children operated on their own and branched out on their own paths.  If these evils are overcome, they need a foundation to work from.  Plazyma and Caelos already seem keen on roughing it in the mountains away from society, but Cynder and Spyro...I am worried about them.  Without enemies to fight and worlds to save on a daily basis..."

Nightshade and Terrador both nodded.  "Warrior's Restless Longing.  I know the illness," Terrador sighed.  "It is true that all the children have known for the longest time is running around, training, and fighting for their lives and the lives of others.  There's no easy way to simply drop that once peace returns.  Habits are difficult to break."

"Yes...and that is why I wish for them to branch out and make their choices even while they're still unified against the darkness.  Sidian, Spyro, Cynder, and Flame are the ones I really worry about."

"Should we devise some sort of conditioning for them, should they manage to settle the world?" Rivyera asked.

"I doubt it'll be that easy," Nightshade growled.  "There are too many deep-set hatreds and problems that are coalescing into the problems the kids are striving against right now.  Simply defeating the Dark Master and his minions won't instantly heal the world of all those generational hurts and secrets.  It's possible that even if they destroy all these evil spirits, push back the Dark Master and whatever is behind it all...they may not see the final end of the strife from all that dark meddling.  In fact their children may not see those days either.  One can always hope for a happy ending, but there will always be evil.  And these evils have been stewing and contriving for so long that we can't fathom what else may be in store, lying in wait for the Dark Master's fall.  They have lain in wait for so long, and they will not give up so easily when so close to achieving their ends."

"Shadow dragons, always so grim and dark," Rivyera replied, shooting him a teasing smirk.

"What will be, will be," Ignitus finally said.  "When they return, we must send them at once to deal with the Sorceress at Warfang.  I pray that the interference with Ripto's formation will prevent him from returning to this world.  Even with the return of magic out there, he should be hard-pressed to do anything major any more than he already did before he arrived here, after all the children still can't fly or properly utilize their powers out there."

"You've been rather silent, Professor," Volteer noted.  The mole just nodded, staring at his notes.

"Just listening and calculating.  Don't mind me."

"Calculating what, exactly, if I may?" Rivyera asked.

"Still going over the differences between the worlds and just how things are connected.  It's a problem Spyro was facing, and one that I'm finding quite perplexing myself.  I feel there's a very important correlation between everything but I just can't narrow it down.  However, I do agree with you on the end of the guardianship.  I also agree with Terrador, after seeing their group dynamics firsthand out there.  They may not become guardians like you all are, but perhaps they'll become a different kind of guardian force, to match whatever evolution the world adopts.  Rivyera, I'm told, is an ambassador of the Oceanic Isles; I honestly cannot see Plazyma in any sort of political position."  Small chuckles of agreement went around the room.  "But, I can see her becoming a very prominent trainer, or military leader, or something along those lines.  Right now though I'm still fascinated by the sheer magic power output from those dragonflies!  To think they would restore the abilities of the children!  It makes me so very curious about the Beastmakers tribe and just how they managed to contrive such a potent yet minuscule companion!"

"Perhaps you will have a chance to sit down with the tribe remnants to discuss their history," Volteer offered, then gave a wide yawn, his eyes rather glassy.  "Right now though, I hear they are very hard at work trying to revive their old techniques to create a defensive force for their own villages, and if that proves successful, they may very well extend the service to the other Outer Realms worlds.  The Dreamweavers still create creatures at their whims, but hardly on the scale of the elder days."

"You look terrible Volteer," Rivyera interrupted.  "Are you alright?"

"Spending too long in the library."

The Professor nodded again.  "I think it best we retire here.  Though I must say I am worried about Hunter and Bianca."

"The Warfang Golem must have an intricate network of passages to itself," Terrador replied.  "If they're hunting it, we can expect a lengthy delay.  Bianca was quite perturbed by it."

"Their primary focus is Warfang.  There must be something there we are not privy to," Nightshade grumbled.  "I had thought it was merely to desecrate the image of dragons, after all Warfang was built in honor of friendship with the dragons, but...their persistence is starting to worry me."

"It also sits across from the volcanic peak of the Thermalscale Mountains, and the entry to the safest passage through the Burned Lands.  Dark tales revolve around that area..." Terrador grunted, the mace on his tail butting the wall repeatedly with his tail's motions.  "I think it would be best if we send the children on a Dark Gem quest.  Whatever the enemy is planning, it hinges on those crystals."

"Indeed..." Ignitus sighed.  "I think they should also be outfitted with their elemental orbs, if they have not already.  We must also keep our eyes out for Gnasty Gnorc and Tephra and the others who seem to be operating free from the reincarnating creatures.  Tephra will strike hard, and soon, I fear.  She has already sent out many crystal golems and troops, especially to Warfang...yet all they do is lay siege."

Rivyera shook her head.  "Tephra has changed.  She was bull-headed, but we know that in the absence of Ripto, Gaul, and Grendor, she is the last competent leader...and yet that straightforward rage has not shown itself.  They're waiting for something.  These sieges are not random, nor poorly-planned, in fact for every Gnorc or Rhynoc we strike down there are twenty more to fill in for them.  No...Ignitus' fears may be correct.  Something far more disastrous is approaching, and they are lying in wait.  Whatever is coming, its approach will herald the tightening of the collective noose around our properties.  Those Dark Gems play a significant factor in their plans, that much we know."

The Professor fiddled with his glasses.  "Those power vortices Shimmer was nullifying...would it be in our best interests to send Neves and another with her so she can continue to counteract their effects?  Even without the Dark Gems, the resurrectors were quite bent on those locations.  Perhaps Sidian would be a logical-"

Rivyera's paw slapped the floor.  "NO."  When everyone stared at her in alarm she blushed.  "I'm sorry..."  Gritting her teeth she shook her head.  "Shimmer suggested something similar.  But, as a medic who has seen firsthand the devastating effects of continued usage of a power not natural to the body...it doesn't matter how careful she is, or how proficient he is, how exposed they are already to that side of power, I can't bear the thought of...of..."  A disgusted ripple of shivering visibly shot along her body.  "Neves is happy with her, and she with him, I don't want more than their current quest coming between them.  I will not tolerate my son's girlfriend, my best student, dabbling any further in that destructive path."

"It is true," Ignitus admitted to the Professor, their eyes meeting.  "While a dragon's body does have a certain filtration of magical power, it is merely passive.  Conscious channeling of magic has...negative effects, varying with the degree of the power of course, but very rarely is it possible for one to properly channel magic consistently and thus avoid the degenerative effects.  In fact...I hate to even suggest it but Spyro may be the only being capable of naturally wielding magic in addition to the elements, without suffering its physical effects."

"I see..." the old Mole said with a sigh.  "That...does offer a small insight to my observations in the Forgotten Realms...though many old magical constructs are still quite operational out there."  Looking around at the much larger dragons around him, he scratched his head, thinking.  "Something about all this isn't adding up, as I've said before.  I have a terrible feeling about all this.  Where has Cyril gone, by the way?"

"Researching the portal gate up in Concurrent Skies, the ancient banishment gate.  It has eight slots that would fit the elemental orbs the children have discovered.  Ripto was unearthing them a while ago in the Outer Realms.  We don't understand the connection, but things have been very quiet on that front, which unnerves me."  Ignitus shakily stood up and stretched.  "Glacia, a kidnapped child, was corrupted into a powerful adult form much as Cynder had been, and she guarded Concurrent Skies.  Cynder, for a time, guarded that place too, but it has lain unusually quiet since then.  The Dark Master would likely be quite hateful of the lower half of those islands, the Sky Kingdom, where the Light Dragons live....he was ultimately defeated and banished by the last Light Guardian.  We thought he had been slowly exerting his power to their lands from Concurrent Skies, but...it has grown silent.  And it does not bode well in my heart."

"I will need to look more into this, but later."

"Yes, later," Nightshade grunted, then yawned wide.  "It is getting late, we should follow up on the Professor's words earlier and retire here.  When the kids get back, we must send them gem-hunting.  The Outer Realms treasure is the spawning basis for most of Tephra's army...if we can gather that while destroying the Dark Gems, we can likely cripple two fronts at once, and I bet there are gem-spawned forces ready to guard these evil crystals."

The portal fired up, the kids flying through a few moments later.  Shaking himself off, Flame dislodged an orange dragonfly trying to hide behind his horn.  "Oops, sorry...not used to having a dragonfly."  Sparx buzzed around them, then flitted over to the bedroom where Spyro was still snoozing.  Cynder followed while Neves approached the gathered elders.  

"Alright...we've got the dragonflies delivered and they're being assigned to the children first as we speak.  What did the Council say?"

"No word yet, and I've a bad feeling we'll be kept in the dark," Ignitus grunted.  

Nightshade stood up.  "It's nearing afternoon.  Has Cynder said anything else?"

"No."

"Get yourselves a meal.  The Dark Gems are growing stronger.  Take Spyro with you, his medicines should be wearing off by now, and Sidian's out in the garden."

In the bedroom, Cynder was sitting by Spyro's bed with her chin on the edge, watching him sleep.  Hearing Nightshade say his name, she sighed and gently shook him.  "Yo, derpface, wake up."

"Huh...?" he grumbled, eyes slowly opening but unfocused.  "Where...oh...hey Cynder."

"You okay?"

He stretched and shivered a little with the effort.  "Yeah, just...what the hell did Rivyera put in that medicine?  My head's swirling."

"Dunno."

They sat there in silence for a few moments, Spyro on his side as he slowly woke up.  "Hey, Cyn..."

"Hm?"

A small smile pulled at his lips.  "I'm glad you came back."

She blinked in confusion.  "Of course I came back, why wouldn't I?"

"No, I mean...I was worried something may have happened to you out there.  You did really good, finding those dragonflies."

Pulling back with a blush, the black dragoness shook her head.  "C'mon, let's get ready.  We've gotta smash as many of those Dark Gems as we can."

Blinking repeatedly and scrunching his face, the purple dragon found he could see much better than before.  Still a little blurry, but passable as long as someone was with him.  Hopping off his bed he followed Cynder.

Lunch was, again, not much of a grand fare, more sauteed mushrooms and some fish jerky.  As he ate, Spyro's mind was racing.  "Ignitus...will all this trouble end if we can just stop the Eternal Night?"

"I don't know...I truly don't."

Volteer huffed.  "Young ones, the Eternal Night has, until now, only been theory.  Smaller attempts were successful in the distant past, lending to the assumed severity of the current calamity, but this is an entirely new phenomenon for any of us.  The only ones with any knowledge of its workings are the Apes...and you slew the prime inheritor of that power."

"I know...I'm just...if the Dark Master's soul was captured by the Well...I'm just wondering if defeating him will end all this chaos.  The plants around the world are dying because the sun has been blotted out for what...a month?  The sky's all brown and hazy, I don't really remember what it looks like normally anymore."

"I have no answers, Spyro," the old fire dragon replied a little shortly.  "As Volteer said, this is entirely new for any of us.  The Dark Master Malefor appears to be the underlying mastermind behind it all.  That being said, I doubt simply removing him from the picture would have much effect.  You've seen just how many ancient troubles are arising again.  His seeds are many, and the vines from them are intricately entangled in many areas."

"First things first though," Flame cut in, "we smash their precious Dark Gems.  You guys ready?"

"Do we have a map or somethin'?" Plazyma demanded.  "We have no idea where they all are."

Terrador nodded and produced a parchment map of the continent.  "So far our scouts and associates have given us the bearings for about thirty of these crystals.  Most of them lie in straight lines from Warfang, after Tephra's stunt.  However, given the situation at Warfang, what would you think of this Flame?"

The red dragon stared at the map for a few moments before realizing things had gone quiet.  "Wait huh?"

"Given these locations, and the situation at Warfang, what would you suggest be the course of attack?"

"Uuuuhhhh..."  He glanced at Neves.  "This was more your area than mine."

Shifting his glasses with his wingthumb the ice dragon looked over the map again.  "I'd say we should split into...hm.  Groups of two.  The biggest collection of crystals is around the general Warfang territory, with a few scattered as far as the Settlement and Firetalon.  Zig-zag back and forth, going from the outer rim of this 'circle' here around Warfang and work our way in, towards the city.  Then we use the portals to split into two groups of four and head out to tackle the other Gems that have been placed to the east and south."

"There's no way we can get them all in time like that though, even if we split up," Cynder grumbled, tracing a claw along the map.  "Weren't there also Dark Gems near Akocanthe?  There've gotta be many others out there too, and much more obvious since we've been running everywhere else ever since the challenges started."

"That is very true," Rivyera sighed.  "I believe that's a contention point between the public and us, at least, one which the Department of Containment would like to stress."

Spyro leaned in close to the map, squinting to see.  "Terrador, do you have a map of the older Dark Gems maybe?"

Pulling out a much larger sheet, the old dragon smoothed it out on the floor for them, then placed the Warfang map over its approximate location.  It was a general map of their world.  The kids stared in amazement at just how vast the planet suddenly became.  They knew the general size and area around Warfang and the Settlement, but to see it so incredibly tiny compared to the rest of the world!  It was dizzying to say the least.  "Whoa...we were that far away?!" Flame gasped, pointing with his wing at Mount Sarlob.  Their own Dragon Temple island was marked with gold foil.  Various other markings were scattered everywhere, from the charted paths of Concurrent Skies' cyclical orbit to standard fixed portal connections, from strange runes possibly denoting distances and altitudes to contours that must mean something, but the kids couldn't read the fine letters without a translation key.  Bright red circles had been hastily added somewhat recently.  "Are these red circles the Dark Gems?"

"Yes."

Spyro made a strange growl of contemplation that got their attention.  "We can't do that.  The distances are too great.  It would take us like...six months or something even with the use of portals.  At the rate things are decaying, we don't have even two months left, and destroying these gems would take all of us away from the core problem of the Eternal Night and the evil spirits."

"Do you have a better suggestion?" Plazyma snipped.

"Not better...but an alternative nonetheless."  He looked up at Sidian, who was batting at a green dragonfly buzzing around him.  Only now did Spyro notice that each of them had a dragonfly.  Sparx was snoozing on Spyro's horn.  Neves and Shimmer had blue bugs, Flame's was a vivid orange, Cynder's was a ruby red, Plazyma and Caelos had yellow ones like Sparx but with different-colored wings, and Sidian's was an emerald green.  Re-focusing on Sidian, he continued.  "There's someone he can learn more earth tricks from.  And the fact that he hasn't really been out of the Temple here in the Inner Realms makes it much easier to pull off..."

"You can't mean..." Shimmer gasped.  Neves and Flame both stared at him.

"You want to go after Tephra?!"

"We have to.  But first we need Sidian to remember, but we don't have time..."  Pawing at his head he growled.  "And Cynder said an attack was planned for tonight..."

"If we're to get any progress on that, we need to leave now," Flame urged, getting up towards the portal.  Spyro, however, held up a wing.

"No.  Plazyma and I alone will go after the Gems."

Cynder's head jerked up at that, but she stayed silent as Plazyma and Caelos stood up.  "Whaddaya mean?"

Neves' eyes widened with realization.  "I see...but Spyro, are you sure you can handle it?  Can you see at all?"

"You guys are blurry but I can make out faces at least.  I need Plazyma to grab a big stock of mana shards."

"I'm frickin' lost," she grumbled.

"You guys will head to Warfang, and we need to keep lines of communication open in case the attack is not at Warfang.  Plazyma and I will deal with the Gems as best we can."

Looking at her boyfriend but only getting a nod in return, Plazyma sighed.  "I don't get it, but fine.  Lemme guess, lightning jumping?"

"You got it."

"But I can't pinpoint the Gems just by shocking into the clouds, and those things sapped Shimmer real bad, how're you gonna destroy them?"

"It was easy enough here, I doubt the others are as difficult around Warfang...it's the others lying further out I'm worried about, and those we may need help with.  Now let's get moving, we've spent too long already."

"We will go as well," Ignitus said as he stood up again.  "The Department is certainly on the lookout for you, our presence may be needed, at least to buy you children some time to execute this plan."

"We'll go too," Sandra chimed in from the doorway.  "We may not be elemental avatars or some other special thing but we can't just sit around while everyone else is off fighting."

Flame growled in thought.  "It might be best to gather other forces too."

"If you have Sidian with you that'd be the best course," Spyro added, getting confused looks.  "Just trust me.  Keep Sidian close to the portal in case he needs a moment or is about to break down, there's sure to be chaos there."

"Agreed," Ignitus said.  "Let's get going.  Volteer, we'll need you here at the Temple just in case."

"At present I have no inclination to leave.  I am exhausted and in no fighting condition."

"I'll stay with him," Rivyera offered.

"Well someone needs to stay with the kids," Night jested back, getting a swat from her tail.

"Old habits I suppose.  Good thing they're at the sleepy stage."

"Alright, are we ready?" Flame asked as the others gathered near the portal.  Sidian padded up to the frame, his hide giving a dim flash as he called up Terrador's armor.  "Stick with me, Sid, no matter what.  Warfang's a big place and you'd get lost easily.  It's a lot of sensory input."

"O-Okay."

Spyro and Plazyma hung back behind them, the yellow dragoness giving her silver boyfriend a quick kiss before he left.  When his tail disappeared into the portal field, Spyro reached for the frame and slightly adjusted the destination.  "What're you doing?" she demanded.

"We need secrecy.  There's another portal on the outskirts of the territory, near one of the old guard houses.  We start around the edges of Warfang's lands and work our way inwards, towards the citadel.  Just get me up above the land and I can probably give you a rough destination to zap to, if their interference isn't enough of an electrical signature giveaway."

"Alright then."  She followed him into the portal, blushing a bit at what was being asked of her.  Zap-jumping someone else usually required physical contact, if they were flying that meant she'd have to hold him, or he carry her.  Landing at the guard house and finding it unoccupied, Spyro closed his eyes and started to feel around the local area, trying to replicate that strange sight he'd had before.  Where he'd had confidence before, now he wasn't so sure of it, his eyes refusing to focus on that smoky energy flow.  "So how are we doin' this?" Plazyma grunted.  

"I think I feel one...that way..." he mumbled, pointing southeast with his wing.  "I'm probably gonna need you to jump me around from point to point."  Glancing back at her, all he saw was a yellow blur.  She came up to him and then hesitated, catching his attention.  "Something wrong?"

"No," she snapped, stepping away.  "Are you sure it's that direction?"

"It's too faint to tell for sure."  She reached for him again but her paw stopped.  Spyro cocked his head curiously.  "Plazyma...what's wrong?  You're acting like you did on the mountain when we met."  Instead of replying, she huffed and looked away.  "Is it because you had a crush on me?" he asked in a softer voice.

"...I don't know."

"Well, I can kinda understand...it's been a while since we were last alone together."

"Don't say it like that..." she growled.

"That's not how I meant it."  With a sigh he turned to face her.  "If it's that awkward for you, you can hang out in the sky and try to sense for the gems, and be a waypoint for my electricity so I can do the jumping.  Sound fair?  You set up the tracers and I jump between you and them?"  When she just stared out over the land, he nudged her with his wing.  "Being here with me and getting these Gems shattered while he's out there fighting...you being here with me isn't gonna change things between you two.  I'm not gonna butt in."

"I know you won't..." she whispered.  "I just...I don't know.  Ever since...him and I... I just don't know what I feel about myself.  I mean, I'm happier with him than I've ever been, but I feel like two different mes, if that makes sense...and I don't know which is real."  She snorted and tossed her crests back from her face.  "And here I had the audacity to lecture Cynder..."

"I think they're both real.  I think you're so used to pushing everyone away and shooting down your feelings that you don't know how to deal with them."

"Yeah no duh."

"But you need to balance those two yous."  When she didn't reply he nudged her again.  "C'mon, let's get those gems shattered.  The longer they survive, the more enemies Caelos has to beat down."

In the far distance the clouds seemed to darken quickly and a vortex started to form in them.  Plazyma smirked and laughed to herself.  "I don't think that's really much of a concern.  But yeah...alright, let's smack 'em."  Without waiting for his response she crackled and jumped up into the air, then with a bright flash and peal of thunder she was in the sky.  Crackling with electricity himself, Spyro waited until he could feel her tracers, then arced himself between them, finding himself up in the clouds.  The cold moisture bit into his hide immediately.  Next to him, Plazyma was beating her wings against the wind, trying to stay in place as she felt the ground below for electrical patterns and disturbances.  "Damnit I keep forgetting his tornadoes are massive electrical disturbances..."

"Feel one yet??" Spyro called over the wind.

"Just keep yourself charged!" she shot back, not liking the interruption.  A big black dot made itself known to her amid the chaos of electricity and magnetism below.  As soon as she laid her tracer within a hundred feet of it though, her power was nullified, eaten up by the hungry darkness of the Gem.  Spyro, however, had felt the brief flash of her power and zapped himself down to its general location.  The Dark Gem was there all right; ravenously hungry and pulling in energy all around itself, far more destructive than the Gem on the island had been.  With an angry snarl the purple dragon lunged in, claws glittering with his Spirit Shard's energy.  Lashing out just before reaching it he sent himself into a spin, his limbs flailing out.  Three rapid strikes landed on the crystal and with an enraged howl of escaping dark power it shattered.  Not wanting to remain in the sickly-feeling area he jumped back up to Plazyma, finding that she'd already located two more.  Charging his claws again, he raced down to her first tracer, coming up out of the blast with his wind power and blasting straight at the Gem like a clawed cannonball.  With a bright flash and another loathsome screech it succumbed to his assault, collapsing on itself in a shower of dark shards.  Wasting no time he zapped up and over the land to the next point, cannonballing himself once more and overshooting his target.  Diving into the earth, he breathed hard and pushed the earth aside to form a tunnel, then raced along it and popped up under the shard, utterly decimating it with his horns.  

Plazyma tried to follow his actions, rather impressed at his speed.  Without warning something smacked her aside, sending her hurtling through the clouds with a pained yelp.  Righting herself, she just barely dodged something rushing at her, getting clipped in the neck by a passing wing strike.  "WHO THE FU-" she started, then gagged when a snowball lodged itself in her snarling maw.  Lightning coursed over her body, instantly melting the snow.  "I'M GONNA RIP YOUR INTESTINES OUT FOR ARMOR BELTS!!" she shrieked, seeing a foggy figure through the clouds nearby.  

"Seeing as I don't have any, that would be an amusing feat," came the reply.  Into view came the Sorceress, her comically tiny crown glittering madly in the shifting light and the gem at the end of her staff casting soft glimmers.  Behind her back, great shiny translucent wings of magic power stretched like some demonic bat, catching the weak sunlight and the occasional flashes of lightning in the distance near Caelos' tornado.

"Gutless as you may be then, you're still gonna die," the lightning dragoness snarled.

"You impertinent whelpling!" the Sorceress shrieked, pointing her staff at the dragoness.  "I'm gonna harvest your wings and build myself a real body!"

Confused by the lack of tracers, Spyro zapped himself back into the sky.  Looking and feeling around, several powerful flashes caught his attention not too far away, but in the clouds he couldn't see what was making them.  Breathing sharply he focused wind into a sharp blast, clearing a line of sight as far as he could get the blast to reach, then he breathed onto his paw and formed some crude lenses with ice and held them to his face, rubbing hi pads across them to focus them.  Plazyma darted past the opening in the clouds ahead, a small yellow speck with the distance, then from her mouth leapt a terrific blast of electricity.  Racing forward, Spyro felt a dark presence ahead.  He lost Plazyma in the thunderhead again, but he could feel her generating lots of small electrical charges all over the place.  "I'm gonna have to set up an electrical language with her," he said to himself, focusing instead on whatever this dark creature was.  

"Another whelpling!" a snide voice jeered loudly over the chaotic winds.  "Your wings will do nicely!"  Ahead of him, the Sorceress swooped and rolled, laughing as her staff glittered and a myriad of magic beams shot everywhere.  Breathing quickly, Spyro formed an ice shield, the ice reflecting the beam but shattering from the impact.  "You must be that one brat the Master wants done in!  Your power is what I need!"

Instead of replying, he reached out into the clouds with a slow breath, drawing in a few of Plazyma's lightning mines.  He clapped them together with his own lightning breath, then took the combined charge into his mouth and chased after her.  With a roar he launched several enormous forks of lightning all at once around her, creating more mines, then after the initial blast he remotely detonated them was a clench of his paw.  More branches lanced out and struck her, but her body glowed and sent off several shockwaves of sparks.  

"Lightning won't work on her!" Plazyma called out behind him as she approached.  "She's got some kind of magic armor or something!"

"Hmph," Spyro snarled.  "We don't have time to figure out her weakness!  Charge yourself and set up tracers for me!"  With that he flew rapidly at the Sorceress, his body glowing.  

"Bring it!" she cried in response, gathering magic power into her staff.  With a loud roar and several powerful flaps, Spyro suddenly braked with his wings, his gathered wind energy lashing through the air at her.  The gusts buffeted her and caught her wings, destabilizing her flight.  With a sweep of one wing Spyro threw himself into a mad spin, creating a terrible whirlpool of air.  "Stop it!  Stop this instant!" the fat mage cried out, but her magic-formed wings caught the wind and sent her into a plummeting spin along with the whirlwind.  Her enraged screaming was quickly drowned out in the storm as she fell.  Coming out of his spin, Spyro shook his head, his eyes jerking, every gust around him feeling like it would send him toppling head over paws.  

"Urgh I don't feel so good..." he groaned, shaking his head more as he struggled to see straight.  Feeling Plazyma's tracers, he zapped himself to them.  That, at least, didn't require much sense of balance.  

"Where is she?"

"I sent her falling.  Find as many of the gems as you can and set up tracers as close as you can maintain them."  Seeing his impaired mobility she quickly grabbed him, holding him steady while she searched for more Gems.

In the city itself, the kids were busy alongside the guards and capable citizens, and even some squads from the Department.  With Caelos' help distracting the enemy out in the field, they were quickly able to push back the invading force.  The Department researchers not aiding the combat scrambled madly with an array of crystals, placing them along the outer walls.  Once the enemy creatures were fully flushed out of the city, a thunderclap echoed over the area and a powerful Spirit Crystal forcefield was tossed up, completely shrouding the city in a glimmering network of fine energy fibers glistening like infinitesimal rainbow threads.  A siege tower in the distance fired a long-range lob, arcing up and over the city walls but it was destroyed on impact with the field.  

"Are you sure this will work?" the Department chief growled at Neves.

"It's the first step to probably our only chance at seriously weakening them," the ice dragon replied.

"Have your men stand down," Ignitus growled back.

"Only because the Council says to obey," he shot back, then gave a quick signal with a whistle and some swift paw motions.  The Department members reluctantly fell back, all eyes on the guardians and their students.  Flame gulped nervously, wincing at the crackling of thunder rapidly in the distance.  The situation was pretty tense.  All of Warfang especially these Department soldiers, were waiting for any sign of failure in order to pounce on them.  

"This better work," he whispered.  Shimmer could only nod as she looked out over the battlefield.  With the demonstration of the forcefield, the enemy had grown silent.

"Evacuate the citizens to the lower tunnels," Ignitus ordered.  "I don't like this.  They gave up too easily."

"You heard the dragon, everyone move!" Terrador barked.  "All citizens take cover!"

"Belay that," the Department captain shouted back.  "We wait until we see their next move."  Off in the distance, between the citadel and the entrance to the Burned Lands, several forks of lightning smote the ground one after another.  After that they stopped.  

"We don't have time to waste on your policies and ass-covering," Terrador snarled.  "Everyone needs to get moving now, not when an attack is under way."

"If you had done your jobs, you might have jurisdiction here, but you do not anymore," the lion growled back, paw clenching on the haft of his spear.  

Sidian shivered at the argument, drawing his chainmail hood closer over his head.  The steel armor covering him nearly obscured his whole body.  Flame prodded him.  

"C'mon, let's head down to the gates and inspect the damage while they fight this out.  Maybe you can help repair some of the damage?"

Quietly nodding, the earth dragon followed him, Flame pausing a few times to readjust the leather armor on himself.  The courtyard was a mess.  A domed tower had been shattered by a ballistic shot, its remains blocking off the main pathway leading deeper into the city.  Flaming projectiles sizzled and crackled in their craters in the paving stones, and pieces of the walls lay in dejected piles.  "Th-this is awful..." Sidian squeaked.

"It could've been far worse."

A loud roar echoed over the city, and the ground shook and quaked under them.  Sidian yelped and fled to the shade of a wall fragment, peeking out timidly.  Flame yelped and ran too when the courtyard paving lurched and started to dome up.  Rocks and dirt and tiles flew everywhere as Tephra emerged with a victiorious spin, flinging her wings out in typical fashion and casting bits of lava off her body.  With a blast of her Earth breath aimed downwards, she shook the ground, somehow knocking most of the pieces back into place for her to land on.  Spotting Flame nearby she grinned wickedly.  "I knew you brats were here.  But tell me, who dares go destroying the Dark Gems?"

"A greater master of earth than you," Flame spat back.  Her grin flattened almost instantly.

"Well, your great master of earth is off distracted...which works for me.  This city is a lost cause for you anyway.  I have other places to destroy, this one's taking too long."  Her grin crept back up again as she jumped into the air, beating her wings.  "Can't resist a parting shot though..." she cackled, then drew her wings around herself, a terribly powerful elemental pressure growing around her.  

"RUN!!" Flame screamed, darting away.  "EARTH FURY!!"

Sidian stared in terror, rooted to his hiding place as the air around Tephra glowed green and wavered ever brighter, then with a mighty roar she flung her wings apart and all the energy blasted the ground beneath her like a point-blank cannon, the explosion rippling in powerful waves through the city and shaking everything.  Laughing madly, she dove into the resultant crater, not bothering to watch the destabilized towers falling over nearby with thunderous crashes.  

Shaking the dust and rubble off himself, Flame coughed, then headed over to Sidian, finding the black-scaled boy still staring at the crater and shuddering as if caught in a blizzard.  It took some shaking and a light slap to the cheek to snap him out of it, the two traveling back up to meet the Guardians.  As they approached, the Department members came out of hiding, their spears unsheathed.  

"So once again you did nothing while the city was destroyed."

"We should say the same about your inaction," Ignitus replied simply.  "We waited for their move, same as you.  Right, Flame?"

"Wha?  Oh...uh, yeah."

"Cheh..." the captain scoffed.  Looking over the battlefield again, he squinted, then snapped his fingers, his aide bringing a telescope.  "They've fallen back but aren't retreating."

"Tephra said this city is a lost cause anyway," Flame replied.  "Are they planning something?"

Heavy panting and rapid footfalls came up to them, Bianca swinging around a corner and nearly toppling over in her hurry.  Hunter came up behind, leaping up and shoving off a wall to outstrip her.  "Get everyone to cover!" she cried out.  She tripped and fell just before reaching the Guardians, Hunter stopping to help her up.

"The Warfang golem is coming back!" he shouted.

"How long do we have?" Ignitus demanded.

"I don't know, but it's on its way back!"

Ignitus snarled, wings flaring.  "So that was her plan all along...lure us here and take us out with that thing."

"We can't use the lower tunnels now if it's returning," the Department chief replied.  

The city shuddered and a low howl echoed beneath them.  Panicked screams rose up from the dwellings.  The Department members quickly rushed into action, disappearing and leaving the elders and kids.  The courtyard floor again shuddered and rolled about, magma oozing up from Tephra's crater.  A great claw of stone reached up and planted itself on the road, an all-too-familiar beaked rock face with glowing red eyes thrusting up and howling to the sky.

"What do we do?!" Flame whimpered.  "This wasn't part of the plan!"

"I did say it was gonna be a bad day didn't I?" Cynder asked.  "We've gotta fight it, we don't have a choice!  Tephra obviously summoned it here to finish her work!"

"LOOK OUT!" Neves yelped, grabbing Sidian and rolling aside as a great chunk of the wall came flying at them.  The Golem picked up another chunk and lobbed it far into the city with its free arm, then it shuddered and pulled itself completely up through the ground, three spidery legs supporting its body and a long scorpion tail lashing behind it.  Looking over its surroundings it gave another terrific cry and lunged onto the tall buildings before it.

"It's so huge!" Flame whimpered again, shivering.

"Get a grip!" Cynder barked.  "We've gotta take it down!  Hunter, Bianca, didn't it have a weak spot?"

"It has a hybrid of Dark Gems powering its body!" Bianca replied over the din.  "You have to destroy those crystals!"

"Alright guys, before it destroys the city!" Neves yelled.  "Flame, plan of attack?"

While they quickly bantered, Sidian was still paralyzed with fear, and with memories.  Flashes of green figures were flitting through his mind, Tephra's face seemingly plastered on the backs of his eyeballs.  The Golem's calls sent more flashes through his vision, memories of rock animations, and of voices and battle plans and spells.  He didn't respond when Cynder tried to shake him, his mind was flickering too fast as hundreds of shards were clicking madly together into bigger and bigger pictures.  Images of Tephra here, and there, left and right, further back, up close, all sorts of memories were swiftly making themselves known, everything piecing together as if her images were centers of webs all lacing themselves together and branching out into other areas of his mind.

"Tephra..." he whispered slowly as the others darted off without him to confront the Golem.  "...Tephra...why...?"