A few days later Cynder and Shimmer were sunning themselves just outside the Settlement walls while Caelos, Plazyma, Spyro and Neves stayed in the library, studying that weird staff Shimmer had snatched from the ninja.  "There's some sort of connection between this staff and that necklace..." Neves muttered to himself.  "Is that what's causing..."

Spyro yawned and stretched.  "Ai yai yai this is boring...the staff was a gnorcish weapon captured and modified by rhynocs, but the info we need is probably in the forbidden rooms..."

"The technology and make of this staff is derived from Concurrent Skies," Plazyma said as she flipped through a book.  "Not much more than that."

"There's an anti-Non tool in Concurrent Skies too," Caelos added, glaring at Plazyma when she gave him a warning static shock.

Shimmer hurried in.  "Guys, Ripto's at it again, he's sending more air golems to Concurrent Skies according to Ignitus.  Something's up there...he's also sending monsters to Tall Plains and Dragon Shores."

"It seems we'll need to head to Concurrent Skies..." Neves said with a bit of a shiver.

"Isn't that where Malefor was sealed?"

"Yes.  Actually, Concurrent Skies is the northern, taller half of Sky Kingdom.  Wind dragons live there in the lower half, but they've blocked off the kingdom from access because of the corruption that filters from the higher towers."  Caelos looked up at him in surprise.  Wind dragons?

"When do we leave?" Spyro asked.

"We should leave today if possible, but we won't get there until nightfall and I'd rather explore by daylight.  What we're gonna do, is take a nap now and fly by night so we get there by morning."

"Concurrent Skies is shrouded in storm clouds," Shimmer responded, "what's it matter then what time of day we get there?"

"There are clouds, yes, but light can still get through."

"One problem though," Plazyma said, flexing her wings.  "None of us can fly very far still, how do we fly there?"

Neves fell silent, considering this problem.  "There is no active transportation to that location, and charging the Temple's portal would take too long...is Flame here yet?"

"No, Ember had an epiphany last night and seems to have calmed down...at least we can hope she has.  He's been with her all day at her house."

"Yeah right..." came Flame's voice as he walked into the room, his tail dragging on the floor.  "I thought she'd returned to normal but apparently not..."

"Maybe she will when we're done with our next mission," Neves said as Cynder walked in.  "Now that we're all here, listen up.  Our next destination is Concurrent Skies.  We've done all we can here for now, so everyone order a good lunch and meet back here in an hour.  I'm gonna go tell the guardians our plans.  In an hour we're all going to get some sleep, and then we'll head out by night so that by the time we get there, it'll be dawn and we'll have daylight to navigate by.  Get yourselves some comfortable areas here, we've got the room reserved so I'd suggest getting some soft pillows and a warm lunch."

"What's the rush?" Flame asked.

"There's something at Concurrent Skies that Ripto sees a need to guard with air golems, and we're gonna find it and secure it before he does.  You all have the plan right?  Let's go."

----------------------------

"Wow this is AWESOME!!!!" Cynder squealed, looping through the air around Spyro.  "Lookit meeeee!!" she shouted excitedly, making Spyro laugh. 

"This is kinda peaceful," Shimmer said, looking around at the clouds below and the moon illuminating them from the horizon.  "Neves, what did you do to that portal?"

His eyes widened and he shook his head.  "Quiet about that; I had to...do some stuff to get it to work," he said anxiously.  They weren't supposed to touch the Wing Portal but Ignitus had given them secret permission.  "Just be glad we can be doing this, I'll explain later."

"Are there any directional marks?" Plazyma asked, looking around.  "Clouds aren't good markers."

"Currently, Sky Kingdom's orbital path should put it above Toasty's Peak.  We should be able to see the peak within the next hour or so."

"This is gonna take a while..." Flame groaned, earning a tail-slap from Shimmer as she passed overhead.  The flight was fairly silent until Cynder spotted a gigantic stone formation on the ground that looked like a dragon head.  "What's that?" Flame asked as they flew over it towards the approaching mountain peak jutting above the clouds.

"That's Toasty's lair.  He's a shepherd that uses fire magic.  We don't need to go there, at least I hope not.  He's not nice."  They reached the mountain and flew up to its peak, hovering to catch their breath while Neves looked around. 

"Something's near," Shimmer said, feeling the air.  "There's a disturbance right above us."

"I think I see it...we should be right under it.  C'mon guys, around this anvilhead," he replied, indicating a tall thunderhead above them. 

A pair of dark blue eyes glittered atop the archway leading into the castle in the morning gloom, watching seven young dragons arrive and rush into the foyer to escape two air golems.  With a blur of ice-blue and navy-blue the owner of those eyes whisked away, crawling through the window and watching the small intruders from the rafters of the long hallway.  They were too far away to hear the gentle clinking of silver chain links holding a deep-blue sapphire amulet around the observer's neck, or the grinding of claws against metal as paws clenched repeatedly in self-control.  The newcomers disappeared beyond the main door, unaware of the long lithe form quickly creeping along the rafters and slipping through the tower in pursuit.

"It's awful quiet in here," Shimmer mused uncertainly.  "Neves, does anything live up here?"

"Probably.  We'll have to be very cautious.  Spyro, can you feel anything?  Cynder?  Plazyma?"

Cynder lay her paws on Spyro and he closed his eyes as he searched the dark energy fields around them.  "There are a lot of presences around us, that's all I know; I can't tell how far or where exactly they are."

"Something alive is nearby for sure," Plazyma growled, looking at the ceiling.  "These halls look more like a playground with those rafters and platforms...I can feel an electrical disturbance consistent with a living form not too far away, maybe even in this room.  But this place sits on a thunderhead, so I can't tell for sure amid the electrical fields here."

"The weather's pretty consistent here," Shimmer said, feeling the air.  "Not much fluctuation in pressure or current, or even latent water...that's odd.  There should be a lot of shifting around in a stormcloud."

The dark blue eyes studied them maliciously...what were these mere children doing here?  No one was allowed here, not even most of the Sky Kingdom civilians.

Cynder growled to herself, shivering.  "I hate this place...it feels really evil."

"It is," Neves admitted with a solemn nod.  "When Malefor was sealed in the portal at the top of this castle, he unleashed a powerful blast of dark magic that has distorted this building.  It gives off a faint evil radiation, which is why no one lives here and why we need to be extremely careful.  It slowly, surely corrupts those nearby and submits them to the Dark Master's will.  We should be fairly safe since those effects can take months to settle in, but nonetheless, be cautious.  And swift."

"Who would make this place their home anyway?  It's so lonely here," Flame said as he looked around.

"This is MY home," a voice growled almost inaudibly above them, the air around the speaker growing so cold a cloud of fog shrouded her from view and coated her light-blue scales in a delicate frost.  The sapphire amulet hanging from her neck flashed with a faint light.  Spyro looked up sharply when he felt a slight, cool breeze fall on him.

"Spyro?"

"There's fog up there..." he said, pointing.  Fog was slowly drifting down and fading from one of the rafters, with a fading trail leading away and moving in its own direction from the air current of sudden motion.  "Let's keep going and find a more open spot."

Half an hour later, after a stressful battle against fog-based miniature golems on a vertically moving elevator and several long hallways of electrically charged pillars forming a navigational puzzle, they reached the summit of one of the lower towers, squinting against the high winds whistling around their horns and shrieking against the tower.  "This place is really creepy!" Shimmer shouted over the wind.  Caelos closed his eyes and then opened them again, taking Plazyma by surprise when she saw his eyes were glowing slightly.  The wind flowed over a protective dome of wind energy streaming from Caelos, allowing them to walk along a narrow bridge spanning the terrifying gap between their current location and the next tower over.  Plazyma had to drag Flame by his tail; he wouldn't stop looking over the edge and freaking out when he saw nothing but clouds far below.  The next tower had more electrical puzzles, but also some mysterious ice formations all over the place.  Neves had to safeguard them from a storm of falling icicles as they ascended to the tower's summit. 

"Where the heck is this item already?!" Shimmer shouted angrily.

"Shh," Cynder hissed, clapping her paw over the water dragoness's mouth.  "Did you guys hear that?"

"Sure did," Flame growled, scanning the ceiling.  They had heard a strange laugh above, followed by another falling cloud of fog.  Unable to do anything except continue they slowly climbed the staircase, constantly eyeing their surroundings for any sign of whatever was chasing them.  They finally reached the peak of the tower, and Flame cried out in exasperation when he saw that they were barely even close to the highest tower in the castle.  "HOW BIG IS THIS *bleep* PLACE?!?" he shouted, dropping to the floor.  "My joints are killing me already!"

"It's the air pressure up here," Neves said with a sigh.  "We'll rest here for a while, take out the food you brought.  Spyro, Cynder, can you keep an eye out for danger?"

"Danger's already keeping an eye out for us," Spyro said, pointing towards the edge of the huge flat floor they were standing on under the tower's pointed roof.  There was a large air golem hovering around, looking at them but not entering.  "Those things are freaky..."  He stared at the golem, watching the fog and dust that made its body visible constantly whirl around at breakneck speed as if the creature was a living set of tornadoes.  "Talk about a boss enemy in itself..."

"We're lucky the two guarding the gates let us through, they would have killed us had we attacked them," Shimmer groaned, flexing her tail.  "Ow...I'm sore all over already..."

"We're really high up," Caelos remarked.  "Much less air pressure."  He yelped and glared at Plazyma when she shocked him.

Cynder froze and quickly crept over to the edge of the floor, looking down and bristling.  "GET BACK HERE!!!" she shouted, but her voice was lost in the high wind.  She dashed back to the others.  "I think we've got company, we need to move."

"Caelos, save your wind energy," Neves ordered.  "If we're caught out here in the open you'll need to save us if we end up getting tossed over an edge."

"Isn't that portal still active?" Flame asked as he chewed on a pear.

"Sadly, no.  That's why we had to land at the gates.  If it were still active we could fly straight to that tower instead of going through this maze.  It only powers our flight for a certain distance and was energized to give us about a quarter of a mile of leeway in case the castle's position wasn't where it should have been."

With a collective groan of fatigue they trudged onwards, continuing to pass through more puzzle-filled hallways and enemy-infested elevators.  As they rose higher and higher it began growing colder and they found more and more ice formations and ice-based traps.  As they rested by a window to catch their breath, Spyro glanced out and froze when he saw a long, lithe dragon silhouette fly by at a distance before disappearing in a cloud of fog.  "Guys, there's a dragon around here..."

"Really?" Neves asked, sitting up quickly.  "What type?"

"Couldn't tell, it was too far off."

Neves' eyes narrowed.  "That could be good or bad news..."

A short while later, that same pair of dark-blue eyes watched them crawl up a ridiculously wide and long flight of stairs to the expansive circular tiled courtyard area just before the main hall of the castle.  The doors were locked tight and the windows they could see were well beyond jumping distance.  Cynder eyed the tall towers and arches around the courtyard, studying the purple electric beams flowing between their spiky pinnacles like a fence.  She suddenly hissed and they all whipped around just in time to see a large wing duck out of sight behind a tower.  "Who's there?!?" she shouted.

"Don't encourage it," Shimmer warned.  Something flashed from the tower and they all shouted and dodged a hail of sharp bladed icicles.  The air grew sharply colder around them, fog quickly forming and limiting their vision severely.  Spyro let loose a wave of fire energy, pushing back the cloud.  They all froze in fright when they saw a tall, slim full-grown dragoness grinning at them maliciously, frost covering her ice-blue scales and navy-blue underbelly and wings.  The sapphire suspended from her necklace glittered madly as she slowly stepped forward to them with a cold, malicious intent in her deep-blue eyes. 

"Who are you?" Spyro shouted over the wind as it swiftly picked up.  The dragoness stared at him intently, considering him.  Purple scales?

"Glacia," she replied with a hiss, spreading her wings and crouching in front of him in a challenging posture.

"What the heck?! What's everyone's problem with me?!" he shouted, backing away quickly.

Shimmer stepped forward cautiously.  "Glacia?  We're not here to fight, we're only here to find something before someone else does."  Glacia turned her dark eyes to Shimmer and glared at her.  "We're already tired from the flight and climbing up here, can we just find whatever it is and get it?"  Glacia made no reply or movement, unnerving Shimmer with her cold, steady gaze.  "Um...if...if we don't get it, someone else will, and he'll probably kill you for it...can we...pass through maybe?"

"You come into my territory unwelcomed and expect to pass through?" Glacia hissed.  "My master will not have any of this."

Neves' eyes shot wide.  "She's corrupted!!  She's one of Malefor's-" A snowball wrapped itself around his muzzle and silenced him as Glacia rolled to the side and leapt into the air, charging an Ice Fury.

"Get close to me!" Spyro shouted, his body ripping with fire.  The others crowded around him and covered their eyes as Spyro gave a low roar and floated a bit above the ground, casting a bright shield of fire around them.  Glacia threw her wings apart and the air snapped, everything coated in ice, the archways around the circular arena folding back quickly on hinges from the blast.  Spyro yelled and cast a thick ice shield under the fire shield as a hailstorm of icicles fell from the sky aiming straight at them.  Shimmer whimpered and covered her ears as the impacts made sharp screeching sounds, the icicles scratching the ice shield around them and cracking it.  Spyro groaned under the strain as the storm continued; he couldn't keep this up for much longer.  "Neves...help..." he grunted, already feeling drained from sustaining the shield.  Neves breathed ice into the shield, wincing as the sounds from the impacts outside bit his ears.  "Flame, charge your firebreath, Plazyma, shock her.  Cynder, melt all this ice for Shimmer to use.  Caelos, backup."  They nodded and Spyro melted a quick hole in the side so he could escape and draw Glacia's fire away from the others.  She had both paws pointing at the dome of ice, but she she saw Spyro leave she moved one paw to point at him.  Spyro yelped and dodged from side to side around the falling spears of icy death, seeing that his distraction had only put him in danger and had no effect on her attacks on his friends.  He shot a fireball at her but it exploded against an invisible barrier of ice energy surrounding her. 

"Lord Malefor does not approve of your presence here," she remarked rather calmly, the rain of ice still continuing with no signs of slowing down.  This power was insane!  Where was she getting it all from?!  Spyro roared and shot a powerful arc of electricity at her.  Again it only rippled around the barrier protecting her, but her icy barrage had slowed.  Spyro breathed harder and she yelled, breaking her focus as she maintained her shield.  All at once Neves and the others sprang from the icy dome, Neves a bit dizzy, the others sliding on the ice covering the floor.  Cynder helped Spyro and blasted Glacia with a shadowy beam.  Glacia roared and sent icicles at them, falling below the courtyard level and flying out a short distance to circle the courtyard safely and spare her energy shield, choosing her next attack scheme.  She saw Flame and Plazyma watching her, their bodies glowing slightly.  Something tingled near her and she folded her wings and dropped quickly, avoiding a sharp blast of lightning.  "Hmph," she grunted, not amused.  "Impressive range, but nothing worth mentioning."  She dodged several more strikes and then swooped over them, rolling to the side in midair to avoid fireballs from Spyro.  She glanced back and her eyes widened a bit when the fireballs swung around and pursued her.  "Weak," she said with a roll of her eyes, sending icicles and spearing the flying collections of fire energy.

"Nothing's hitting her," Flame groaned as he watched.

"Good," Spyro replied, his eyes glued to the flying ice dragoness and watching for a possible attack.  "Make her think we're weak, she'll come in for a physical strike or two."

Glacia swung around in midair, looping under the floating courtyard arena to throw them off.  She was right under Spyro.  Spyro shouted and fell into a hole as the tiles under him quickly dropped and then closed up over him.  "NO!!!" Cynder shouted in rage.  Caelos jumped off the edge and swooped under the courtyard, snatching Spyro just before Glacia could blast him with ice.  Catching an updraft Caelos flew back up and dropped Spyro off with the others, then looped around and came in for a landing himself as Glacia flew up and began circling again.  "We need a way to hit her...we need to fly," Cynder growled.  "She could circle us forever at this rate."

"Flame, is your breath charged for long-range?" Neves asked.

"No, I thought we were doing fireballs!"

"Charge it for long-range then!  Now!!"  Glacia came in for another swoop.  "Crap!"  Neves shouted in surprise and fear as Glacia caught him by the tail and flew off with him.

"NEVES!!!" Shimmer shouted.  Cynder's breath finally recovered and she quickly melted the ice around Shimmer, letting her gather the water to charge a watery blast.

"Glacia, stop!" Neves shouted as he hung by his tail from her grip.  He shouted when he saw several large air golems approaching to check on the disturbance, but Glacia calmly swooped around their aerial blasts and froze them solid, using their cloudy composition against them and turning them into hail and snow.  "I guess that's one way of doing it," he said to himself, watching the remains quickly fall beyond sight.  She swooped back and spun around, flinging Neves at the clouds surrounding the courtyard.  Shimmer leapt up and caught him, both of them landing in a thick bubble of water.  Glacia doubled back for another sweep.

"Flame, now!" Spyro shouted.  Flame let loose a sharp, straight laser beam that shot clean through Glacia's barrier, just barely grazing her underbelly and startling her badly enough to make her crash-land nearby.  She quickly flipped up with an angry shriek and tossed up a cloud of fog around everything, shrouding herself from them.  "*bleep* it, where is she?!" Spyro shouted.  His question was swiftly answered when he was quickly hoisted into the air by his tail, cold teeth and breath against his scales.  "Great, another Tephra," he groaned, then yelled as she swung him around and then flung him.  In his mad aerial tumbling he saw the arena flash by under him and then a great expanse of clouds and dark landscape below.  A string of curse words flew from his mouth as he flapped his wings like crazy, trying to straighten himself out and at least hover so Caelos could reach him.  He finally straightened out and started gliding, flapping his wings desperately.

"Oh Spyro no..." Cynder whimpered, staring over the edge of the courtyard perimeter.  Glacia was still circling beyond their range.  "*bleep* YOU!!!" she shouted, tears running down her face.  "Caelos, please find him..." she pleaded.  Caelos had immediately shot off, following Spyro's voice when Glacia tossed him.

"Cynder, you have poison in your claws, right?" Neves asked.

"Wha...yeah?"

"I'm gonna freeze her wings and bring her down here when she comes in again.  You're in charge of melee.  Flame has to recharge, so Plazyma's covering him."

"But...Spyro..."

"He'll be...okay," Neves said a bit lamely.  "Come on, while she makes up her mind on how to attack us next, we'll strategize."  He ushered her away from the edge and they waited for Glacia's next move.  It came sooner than expected; as she circled she slowed down a bit, small glimmers around her catching the light from the morning sun.  "What's she...CRAP!!!"  They all dodged and ran around in near-panic as another storm of icicles rained down at them in a completely random stream from Glacia as she lazily flew around them.  "PLAZYMA!!!"

Glacia suddenly shrieked and fell in the air several hundred feet after being struck by a small lightning bolt.  She recovered quickly and swooped in, aiming right at the electric dragoness.  Plazyma charged herself as a decoy, purposely not looking at the others as she waited for their attack.  Flame cowered behind her.  All at once Glacia let out a surprised cry as water suddenly splashed all over her wings and instantly froze, bringing her down hard and fast as her now-useless wings gave out.  Plazyma and Flame flipped to the side, Flame yelling in pain as her rock-hard frozen wing clipped his hind leg hard enough to give him a sharp, crippling blast of pain.  Cynder was instantly upon Glacia, sinking her claws deep into the ice dragoness's scales. 

"Get off me!!" Glacia shrieked, her long, lithe tail whipping around and flicking Cynder off with surprising ease.  Cynder's job was done, though; Glacia was poisoned.  It wouldn't last long but Cynder had tried to give just enough to let them score some damage before she could recover.  Glacia spotted Flame charging another laser and turned her cold gaze to him.  Plazyma positioned herself between them and growled, her whole body laced with electricity.  Neves, Shimmer and Cynder took the chance and surrounded her.  She looked around, her face barely changing when she realized her position.  "What can five brats do against the power of the Dark Lord?" she asked with an amused laugh.  The fog appeared again but Cynder cleared the area around herself with a steady stream of fire from her mouth.  Shimmer spat a flurry of water streams which Neves quickly turned into a barrage of ice.  Glacia grunted as they hit her, but they barely did anything to her except annoy her.  Plazyma shot several arcs of electricity at her but she dodged them rather fluidly, twisting like a snake.

"We can't do anything to her without Spyro!" Shimmer complained, backing up to avoid Glacia's tail.

"Well I sure can!" Flame shouted, and shot at Glacia's neck.  Glacia moved her head quickly to the side.

All at once there was a bright flash and several loud explosions behind them, followed by a sharp, ethereal scream as Flame's laser shot through the sapphire on Glacia's neck and split into five smaller beams.  Glacia froze, her head flung back in a silent scream before she toppled over and went limp, much to everyone's confusion.  Shimmer stepped forward cautiously.  "...What just happened?"

"*bleep*...we missed all the...action...ow..." came Spyro's voice behind Cynder.  She whipped around and squealed, tackling him out of Caelos' arms as the wind dragon came in for a landing.

"I thought you were gone..." she whimpered.

"What do we do now?" Plazyma asked, looking over the motionless dragoness lying in their midst.  "Just keep going?"

Before Neves could answer, Glacia glowed and shrank in size, appearing maybe a year older than they were.  "Wow...she's kinda pretty," Flame said as he walked closer.  The girls just rolled their eyes.  "What was all this then?"

"I don't know...transformation magic probably, I guess," Neves replied, studying the unconscious ice dragoness.  "Flame got a lucky shot it seems, I don't think we could've lasted much longer."

Glacia moaned and her eyes fluttered open briefly before clenching shut with the pain of a headache.  "wha..."

The hallway echoed with eight sets of claws clicking on the floors and the low murmur of voices.  "Yeah...I've been here for what...about 3 years?  I dunno...I came across that flight portal and came up here.  I thought the wind dragons would know where my parents were, but I couldn't get in...and without anywhere else to go I came up here since the portal's power was wearing off."

"But how did you get so...big?" Cynder asked.

"I dunno.  This really nice guy kept appearing in my dreams and when I woke up I'd be a bit more grown-up just like he said.  I don't remember what he looked like but he kept offering me things like long life and such so I could find my family, and I accepted because I was stuck here..."

"That was Malefor," Neves growled.

"I guess so now that I think about it.  He was so nice though..."

"Many use the guise of kindness for their selfish desires...Malefor was sealed in this castle's highest tower and his power is still here."

Glacia sighed and looked out one of the windows.  "I know what you guys are seeking, but we can't get up there.  The guardians long ago placed a strange gem here, guarded by multiple elemental powers.  It lies in the highest tower's basement, down a really long vertical tunnel.  I've gotten down there many times just to hide and be near it because it felt so calming, but I can't reach it."

"Can you take us there?  Is there a faster way up?"

Glacia smirked and nodded, leading them to a balcony at the end of the hallway they were walking through.  She breathed ice on a big gem-like dome in the floor, and the whole balcony shifted and began floating.  "All the balconies here do this.  I just don't use them because it was more fun to crawl around the rafters."

"Now we find this out," Flame moaned, flopping onto the floor.  "My legs are gonna die when I get to sleep..."

"These only respond to ice, wind and electric energy."

They floated in silence, the platform humming lightly as it moved along a very faint path of purple electricity.  Neves cleared his throat to catch Glacia's attention.  "I think you should come back with us.  The guardians might be able to find your parents."

"Would if I could, but you guys got here the same way I did and until we can fly on our own, there's no way back down."

The others all looked at Neves in alarm but he grinned.  "I have my ways...but first we need to find that gem.  It's probably the wind crystal."

"Wind crystal?"

"A gem infused with wind essence, like those gems we got in the Outer Realms.  I thought the items might have been an ancient device or weapon, but Glacia's description means it's most likely the wind gem."

Plazyma shrieked and lightning cracked nearby.  They all whipped around and saw several air golems flying towards the platform.  Spyro sent a flurry of fireballs at them, but the fireballs only got tossed around by the wind whipping around the monsters' bodies.  "No!  Only ice works!" Glacia called over the growing wind.  One of the golems shot forward and grabbed Caelos, but quickly turned into a flurry of snow and hail with a high shriek as Spyro shot ice at it.  Another aimed for Glacia and she blasted it, but her power was only enough to remove its arm.  "Wha--HELP!!!" she screamed as its other arm came around and grabbed her off the platform.  Neves froze it solid and Caelos swooped in and grabbed her before she could fall.

"Can we make this thing move faster?" Plazyma asked.

"Thunder strikes make it move more quickly," Glacia explained as Caelos set her down.  Plazyma crackled with electricity and the platform began to move at a much faster pace towards the highest tower of the complex.  Glacia looked at them in awe.  "What are you guys?!"

"It's a long story..." Spyro replied, rubbing his neck.

"We're some sort of foretold group with unimaginable elemental power," Cynder said.  "We have to gather whatever powerful items we can before Ripto can get them.  He's out to control the world it seems."

"Then why not go kick his *bleep*?" Glacia asked.

"He's wicked-strong," Flame grunted.  "Spyro's the strongest one here and even he can't stand up to Ripto yet."

"Strongest?" She turned to Spyro with a questioning glance.  "You're stronger than the guardians?"

"Kinda-sorta but not quite yet I think...I have much stronger elemental powers but I can't use them like that yet, at least not on a regular basis."

"We're here," Shimmer said just before the platform sank into place with a deafening THUD that sent them all skidding into the wall.  "OW!!" Shimmer yelped as Neves fell onto her.

"Sorry..." Plazyma groaned, rubbing her head.  "I stopped way back there but it wouldn't slow down..."

"I forgot about that..." Glacia grunted.  "Another reason I don't like riding these..."  Up ahead lay an insanely long staircase spiraling around the tower, but before Flame's legs could give out in dread of the climb, Glacia showed them a series of small elevators along the side, their tracks and protective cases making them look like incredibly tall stalks of crystal.  The ride was fairly long but it gave them time to rest.  As they reached the halfway point, Spyro suddenly realized they were heading to the top, not to the basement or wherever it was.

"Um...if it's down there, why are we going up?" Spyro asked.

"The only way down to the gem is the vertical shaft.  This elevator stops at the stairway that leads to the summit portal, but not too far along the side of the stairs is the entrance.  I can't open it now though because it needs intense ice power...which I don't have anymore..."

Eventually they reached the door and Neves opened it rather easily after filling the gems around the door with ice energy.  There was a bit of debate, but they decided that if there were multiple elements protecting it, Spyro would be the best one to send down since he had control over all elements.  Caelos would have to go down too since Spyro couldn't fly.  Spyro and Caelos went down the thin tunnel, letting themselves free-fall for a while and then flapping their wings to slowly hover until Spyro could see a faint glow down below.  It looked like they were going down into a pit of molten metal almost from the color of the light.  Finally they reached it: a bright greenish-blue gem swirling with wind energy, several bright speheres of elemental power surrounding it.  Small but deadly streams of electricity were feeding the elemental shields, flowing from the floor and pedestal the gem was sitting on.  The floor at the bottom of the shaft was flat, with the gem's three-foot pedestal situated smack in the middle.  There was room enough for only one grown dragon in here, which gave Spyro and Caelos some walking room but not much.  Spyro nervously stood up and reached for the gem, his paws passing through the elemental shields with very little resistance until he touched the gem.  Caelos shouted in fear when Spyro got flung back and pinned to the wall by a sharp blast of electricity.  Spyro groaned and fell to the floor, his scales crackling slightly with small forks of electricity.

Up above there was a loud banging noise and Caelos and Spyro shouted as a spire of ice plunged down and a loud crack of thunder sounded around them.  The spire had landed right next to the gem, siphoning the electricity back into the pedestal.  Spyro jumped forward and snatched the gem off the pedestal just before the ice spire shattered and vaporized from the intense electrical field surging through it.  The gem disappeared as soon as Spyro landed on the floor.  Caelos grabbed him and carried him up on a sharp blast of air, using the air and his wide wingspan to carry them back up to the top.  Glacia grinned and helped Spyro up as Caelos handed him up.  "Did my ice spire help?" she asked.  "There was a blast of electricity along the walls and I heard you two shout!"

"Yeah, the gem shocked me..." Spyro said, rubbing his numb paw.  "The ice focused the electricity back into the stand though."

"That was a lucky shot," Cynder remarked.  "She jumped against the wall and spat it down, then jumped back over here."

"Thanks for the help," Neves said.  Glacia blushed slightly.  There was a slight groan behind them and they turned to see Flame pass out.  Neves dashed over to him and swore under his breath.  "He didn't eat much for lunch or breakfast...we need to get him some food."

"I think I can help again," Glacia said a bit timidly.  "There's a food portal in the castle, it's where I've gotten all my food so far."

"Did you say food?!" Spyro and Cynder asked simultaneously, their stomachs growling.

The next morning, after a large meal and a restful sleep, eight young dragons left Concurrent Skies' main gateway, narrowly missing several ambushes from air golems before making it back down to Toasty's Peak.  Neves had charged several gems with energy from the flight portal, which was currently letting them fly.  They had to be quick though, since the gems couldn't hold much of a charge.  For the most part they were gliding quickly instead of expending their energy trying to fly.  It took a few hours, but they finally reached the Settlement where Ignitus and Nightshade were waiting for them.  "I guess this is goodbye," Spyro said as Glacia landed behind him.

"I guess...I'm sorry for throwing you off the edge like that.  But how'd you get back?"

"He was flying," Caelos replied.  Spyro blushed a bit when the others all looked at him in shock.  "Not very well though, but he was gaining altitude."

Glacia sighed.  "Well...thanks guys...maybe now I can find my family..."

"Thanks for helping us up there, especially with the food issue," Cynder said with a grin, glancing at Flame with a slight glare.  "We'd probably be lost and starving up there."

The ice dragoness rubbed the sapphire amulet hanging around her neck, then looked up at Ignitus.  "He said you could help me find my family...can you?"

Ignitus nodded.  "Come back to the temple with us and I'll see what I can do."

Nightshade cleared his throat.  "There's someone who wants to see you about armor, Neves.  Hunter's been freaking out trying to find you all."

Caelos roared and charged his wind breath, crouching in wait.  He leapt over three waves of electric energy and then dashed in, letting loose a sharp blast of air that seemed to cut right through the bulky blue winged dinosaur.  Crush yelled and fell over, his club shattering as he dropped it.  Caelos wasn't finished yet, though; with another loud yell he bashed into Crush's forehead.  Crush let loose a loud roar and fell silent, defeated for the time being.  Neves rushed in as Caelos limped away.  "You okay?"

"I'm at my limit," Caelos groaned, feeling the punishment of his curse very near. 

"Get yourself outta here.  Don't hurt yourself over us, at least not yet.  We'll break that curse yet."  He watched as Caelos quickly signed.  "Um...the others...Plazyma?  No...Spyro?  Okay...Spyro...is Spyro okay?"  Caelos nodded.  "I don't know, but he won't be if Plazyma doesn't shut down Gulp's machines."

Shimmer cantered up to Neves and leaned against him after a running landing.  "Hey...finally...got it..." she panted, and produced a strange, blunt spear, its head wrapped in leather.  "*bleep* ninja..."

"Good," Neves said, taking the spear and putting it away.  He then nuzzled her softly as she leaned on him.  "You okay?"

"Yeah...yeah I'm fine...need rest...bad scare..."

"Scare?"

Caelos grabbed Neves and pointed wildly behind him.  Neves looked over his shoulder and froze in shock and terror as he saw a creepy, ghostly face vanish from a window.  Shimmer whimpered and pressed herself against Neves.  "They're following me..."

He lay his wing over her and growled.  "They won't get you...I'll make sure of it."  He started as something raced between houses in the corner of his eye.  Fighting his urge to panic he looked around, spotting a few more spine-chilling figures.  "They're playing mind games with us."  Caelos quickly started motioning again, looking very scared.  "Sleep...ghosts?"  Neves' eyes narrowed in fright.  "Nonsleepers...what the hell are they doing all the way out here?!?!"

Plazyma rolled to the side and ran to the opposite edge of the circular arena as the huge green quadruped tried to crush her with a falling tackle.  Gulp turned to face her and stood still, the two electrical cannons on his back pointing up and charging.  Plazyma just sat there and fiddled with the finscale hanging in front of her face.  Gulp shuddered repeatedly under the force of the cannons as they fired sphere after sphere of energy at her.  She just yawned as the electrical explosions passed over her like a simple breeze.  "He still doesn't get it," she said to herself as she walked up to him, the spheres still falling on her with no effect.  Gulp fired a huge volley of electric orbs into the air, making Plazyma grin evilly.  She shot electric breath at them, making them halt in mid-air and forcing them to obey her will as she made them spiral around Gulp's dual cannons.  With a loud crack of thunder she shorted his weapons, the explosion injuring him badly and making him roar as he fainted.  She gave him a few parting zaps, leaving burn marks on his hide, then swiftly ran back to the alley to locate Neves and the others.  She found them huddled in a circle, surrounded by a group of ghosts...suddenly overcome by a strangely intense wave of fear, Plazyma froze, unable to think.  Her mind snapped back to reality when Shimmer screamed in terror as she, Neves and Caelos were lifted into the air.  Neves looked around wildly and spotted Plazyma.

"RUN!!! GET YOUR *bleep* OUTTA HERE!!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.  Plazyma couldn't move; should she run, or try to save them?  "PLAZYMA GO!!!"

"NO!!!" she screamed back, suddenly bolting in and unleashing an intense barrage of lightning strikes amid the cloud of ghostly enemies.

"STOP!!!  SAVE YOURSELF, NOT US!!!" Caelos shouted, then yelled in pain as his curse zapped him.  His wings turned pale.  Plazyma stared at him in shock.

"YOU MORON!!!" she shouted at him.  "STOP SUFFERING FOR ME!!!"  With that she let loose a loud roar, the air suddenly crackling all over and pulsating with an intense static field.  The ghosts screeched and faded away, falling back several yards into the buildings.  Shimmer felt the deathly cold telekinetic grip on her dissolve, and began beating her wings frantically to hover.  Neves shouted behind her and dove after the flight-stripped Caelos as he fell.  Plazyma raced forward at Caelos and leapt up to catch him, zapping away at the last second as she remembered his curse limitations.  Shimmer groaned with strain and created a thick bubble of water under them, Neves and Caelos splashing into it and slowing to a stop just before hitting the street tiles.  She released them and fell to the ground.

"Not you too!!" Neves shouted in exasperation, lunging to catch her.  He skidded to a halt as the air snapped and Plazyma grabbed Shimmer into a rolling landing, sparing them both a hard impact.

"Th-thanks..." Shimmer gasped as Plazyma let her go.  Plazyma immediately turned to Caelos with a fierce scowl.

"Do I have to paralyze you for life until we break your curse?!"  Caelos didn't look up at her; he just lay there staring at the road.  "You just robbed yourself of your ability to fly for the rest of the day, and for what?!"  She shrieked as something slapped her and turned to see Neves glaring at her, his paw still in the air.

"Leave him alone already!!  Stop being such an ingrate when someone expresses concern about you!!"  Plazyma just stared at him in shock.  "You may have sent them running, but you had no business disobeying my orders to get to safety!!  After all our training you're still pulling these acts of defiance?!"

"I am not subject to you!" she shouted back. 

"No, but I'm the leader of this group!  Our responsibility is to protect Spyro!"

"How the hell can you protect him if those things are snaring you?!"

"Your duty was to head back to Spyro and Cynder and make sure they're safe, that's the top priority of this mission!!  Had your electric field not broken their wills, those ghosts could have caught you as well, and then who would see to Spyro's safety?  No one else is left, Plazyma!!  I appreciate the help, don't get me wrong there, but you cannot be a loner in a team mission!"

The electric dragoness fumbled, then looked down at the ground, fuming.  "What good is a team if the members can't think for themselves then?"

"A team is not about mindlessly following orders, nor is it about doing your own thing on your own.  You can think for yourself but you need to also consider what you're supposed to be doing.  We'll talk about this later.  Caelos didn't want you to get trapped, Plazyma, and you weren't listening to me, that's why he shouted at you and broke his first limit.  For now, drop it, get up, and follow me, Spyro's battle isn't over yet from what I've seen.  Gnasty's got something planned."  With that he started walking away, Shimmer hesitantly following him.  Plazyma sighed, her wings sagging as she realized Neves was right... she slowly followed them, stopping by Caelos as he lay on the ground quietly.

"Sorry..." she mumbled.  "But I mean it; stop suffering for my sake."  He slowly stood up, his face downcast as his wings hung limp from his shoulders. 

-----------------------------------

Rivyera sighed as she watched the horizon, her tail twitching anxiously.  Nightshade came up next to her quietly and lay his wing over her back.  "He's fine."

"Did Ignitus see them?"

"Not yet."

She groaned.  "I just know something's happened, I just know it..."

Cyril came outside looking for Nightshade.  "Shade, Ignitus wants you inside with Flame."

Nightshade gave Rivyera a quick peck on the cheek.  "He'll be fine, have a little faith in your own child."  With that he went back inside, Cyril staying out on the balcony.  Rivyera sighed again as Cyril sat down near her.

"Cyril, can't you fly and see if they're okay?"

"Most certainly not...I can barely make it to the shores, much less to the Ancient City.  They've surpassed training trials harder than I ever endured with frightening ease and speed, their victory is assured at least this time."

"Victory, maybe, but it's possible to win and not survive."

"Such a barbaric country is yours if it instills such a hard-grained sense of worry," the old ice dragon sighed.  "I realize your fears, Rivyera, but just as Nightshade said, trust their abilities.  I believe it'll take more than an underhanded trap such as this to defeat them."

The water dragoness looked out at the horizon again as Cyril left her to her thoughts.  "Flame returned rather quickly...I hope everything is all right in the Settlement, so much wrong has been done there over the years..."

Flame came outside after a while as the sun set, and jumped up onto the balcony railing to look out over the mushroom forest below.  Nightshade followed him and sat behind him.  "She's just not the same anymore..."

"It's difficult to deal with the haphazard nature of females, Flame, especially at your age.  Give her time."

"She told me she didn't wanna see me again; all I did was help another dragoness that needed to carry stuff home."

"Jealousy and rashness are characteristic of teenage girls and it's hard to avoid.  Just give her some alone-time, I'm sure she'll eventually realize how ridiculous she is."

Flame just shrugged and fell silent.  Rivyera stood up and stretched quickly, then quietly padded over to them.  "What's the problem?"

"Ember," Nightshade grunted. 

"Ah..."  She rubbed Flame's back with an understanding smile.  "Y'know Flame, I did the same things she's doing when I was that age...didn't take me long to recover from that phase, especially when the big guy here let me have it one night."

"Huh?"

Rivyera laughed to herself, a bit embarrassed by the memory.  "Nightshade and I were dating-"

"Do we have to go here?" Nightshade groaned, much to Flame's amusement.

"-and one night I started teasing him about his element, and he ended up lecturing me for two hours.  That was the most I've ever heard him speak in one sitting...but to sum it up, little one, maybe you need to confront Ember.  If she pushes you around like this, stand up for yourself.  Maybe what she needs is a proverbial slap to the face with logic."

"But..."

"I know you aren't keen on confronting females, I've seen that when you're around Cynder and Shimmer.  But take it from me, sometimes we need an abrupt nudge.  Just be careful you don't go overboard or you'll really turn her away."  She glanced at Nightshade with a teasing grin.  "'Haphazard', are we?"

Nightshade stuttered, making Flame laugh quietly.  "Um...well...it's true y'know...at least from the male standpoint..."

"We'll discuss this later," she said with a mock-threatening tone before turning to Flame.  "Just be patient, Flame.  Give her some space, try again, and if she continues, talk with her.  Don't be afraid to push back, but don't hurt her."

"It's easy to let yourself sway to their demands," Nightshade added with a wary sideglance at Rivyera, "but if you give in and remain upset with every 'betrayal' or offense, they'll walk all over you."

"You'd know, wouldn't you?" Rivyera cooed teasingly, getting a laugh from Flame as Nightshade backed away with a reddish tinge to his facial scales.  "Just think about it Flame," she said before following Nightshade to the temple as he tried to sneak away.  "As for you..."

"Please let's not go there," he groaned, making his mate laugh as they disappeared through the doorway.  Flame laughed to himself but sighed again as he looked at the sky.

"I wish I knew what to do...I can't help liking girls.  Cynder's pretty, Shimmer's just plain beautiful, Plazyma's attractive in her own way...Ember..."  He trailed off as memories floated through his head. 

---------------------------------------------

Spyro yelped as he rolled to the side, barely avoiding a petrifying spell from Gnasty's hammer.  *bleep* it!!  I'm being trapped!! he thought to himself as he looked around.  Gnasty had him in a lose/lose dodging situation; if one of those spells hit him, he would be encased in stone, but if he dodged it, it would create an electrically charged spire of rock from the ground...and Gnasty was making him dodge and roll right into a circle of these spires.  "You've gotten smarter, I'll give you that," he said, rubbing a bruise on his shoulder.

"You wanted another easy fight," Gnasty laughed, jumping down and walking over to the spires, blocking Spyro's only remaining ground-based escape.  His left arm was still encased in ice and thus immobile.  "No one beats me and lives, dragon."

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's not your place to invade towns."

"You shouldn't interfere."

"You shouldn't be surprised when others defend themselves."

Gnasty just laughed and stood over the purple dragon, swinging his hammer idly.  "I don't care if you're the doom of the world or the light, you die today."  Spyro and Cynder both stared at him, which gave him all the opportunity he needed.  Spyro yelled and then screamed as he was clubbed like a golf ball right up against a spire and then electrocuted. 

"NOO!!!" Cynder screamed, unable to move as she watched her best friend scream in agony.  She dragged herself by her forelegs, still unable to stand up because of the pain in her back, gritting her teeth, her eyes blazing with wrath and the necklace around her neck glittering brightly.

Gnasty released Spyro from the electric punishment and laughed as Spyro simply flopped to the ground, curled up in pain.  "Thanks to Grendor my earth powers have increased, dragon," he gloated.  "Soon the ape lord will ally with us and then nothing can stop us."

Spyro coughed and looked up at the ugly green gnorc giant.  "What did you mean, 'doom of the world or the light'?" he panted.

Gnasty just laughed again, much like Ripto...Spyro gritted his teeth and fought back his anger at how annoying and rude that was.  "You won't live to find out."  Gnasty stepped closer and Spyro grinned to himself inside amidst the excruciating pain running all over him. 

"Gnasty, let me...let me get something straight before you finish me off..." he grunted as he forced himself to sit up, staring at the ground in front of him just out of reach of the gnorc's hammer.  "I'm confused.  Tephra isn't allowed to finish me off, and Ripto has probably ordered you to let me live."  Gnasty just kept slowly walking closer.  "Why wouldn't he let you or Tephra kill me?  Doesn't that mean that if your plans are to succeed, I need to live?  If you kill me here, it seems that Ripto's ultimate plan or whatever will be foiled...and by your doing."  Just a little closer... he thought to himself.

Gnasty just smirked.  "What do I care?  His goal means nothing to me; I'll flatten him!!"  To add emphasis he smote the ground right in front of Spyro with his hammer.  All at once a huge collection of icy spikes burst out of the ground, impaling and encasing the shocked gnorc. 

It won't hold him for long, it's just elemental energy projections, not physical Spyro said to himself, grunting as he tried to stand up.  Come ON!!!! he mentally shouted at himself.  Out of nowhere a bubbling line of dark energy shot through Gnasty and sent him flying into one of the earthen spires, submitting him to his own electrical attack.  Cynder lay there on the ground, panting with an absolutely vicious scowl on her face.  "Cynder, get back!!" Spyro shouted.

"Shut up!" she barked, the necklace glittering madly. 

"Okay, I've had enough!!" came a familiar voice that made Spyro cringe.  Out of nowhere Ripto appeared in the middle of the arena, shattering Gnasty's spires with a wave of his staff.  "I'll capture you myself then!" he shouted at Spyro.  Cynder roared and shot him with dark energy again, but it simply washed over a protective magic dome around the small red dinosaur.  Ripto laughed and sent both Spyro and Cynder flying into the stone seats around the arena.  "Gnasty, you can finish off the little brat that shot you.  I told you Spyro is to live, didn't I?"  Gnasty lumbered over to the stands, passing Ripto, but at the last minute he whipped around and brought his charged hammer around right at Ripto.  There was a terrific blast as Ripto blocked and stopped the hammer with just his hand, then threw Gnasty backwards, shattering his armor on the stone floor.  "You know better than that," Ripto growled.  "OOOOOOOWWWWWWWW!!!!!" he shouted, jumping around madly as his cape suddenly ignited.  Spyro stood there bristling at him, his mouth smoking. 

"You don't know when to quit do you?"

Ripto couldn't answer as he ran around like a madman, screaming his head off as the fire refused to go out.  Gnasty stood up and headed over to the two dragons, grabbing Cynder by the neck.  "Lemme go -ghk!" Cynder choked, trying to free herself but unable to kick at him with her hind legs.

"Die," Gnasty said simply, and threw her out of the arena.  He turned to Spyro and froze him with a beam of ice.  "I said no one who beats me lives," he growled, limping over to Spyro and lifting his hammer.

The blow never fell.  There was a sharp blast of ice and snow, and Gnasty's hammer flew from his hand.  The ice around Spyro shattered as a large knife flew through the air and stuck itself in his icy prison, clattering to the floor and disappearing in a small puff of smoke as Spyro fell over, trying to stay awake.  All he saw after that was a two-legged figure darting in with Cynder slung over its shoulder, freezing Gnasty before grabbing Spyro just as he lost consciousness.

"Spyro...Spyro, wake up, c'mon!!"

Spyro groaned and forced his eyes open, unable to see much through the dark blur hanging in his eyes.  "Wha..."

"He's awake!!  Neves!!"

"Shimmer...?" Spyro whispered, unable to move.  He felt like his whole body was on fire.

Neves limped over to Spyro.  "Hey, can you move?"

"No..."

"*bleep* it..." Neves hissed.  "The guardians are on their way.  Did you beat him?"

"...Huh.?"

"Did you beat Gnasty?"

"No..."

Shimmer cocked and eyebrow at him.  "But...then...why are you here?  Didn't you even fight him?"

"He fought Gnasty all right, didn't I tell you?" Plazyma snorted nearby.  "I dropped Cynder off with him at the arena."

"But why is he lying on the road?"

"I don't know, ask him!  Cynder won't wake up."

Spyro groaned.  "Is...is Cynder okay?" he asked as his vision cleared, seeing that it was night and he was lying on the road near the fountain and berry bushes.

"Yeah, she just fell asleep.  We found her lying on top of you crying."

"Gnasty beat us...Gnasty and Ripto..."

Neves glared down the road towards the arena.  "*bleep* it, I knew they were gonna fight dirty.  But how'd you get out here?"

"I don't know..."

Caelos glided over, having regained use of his wings now that it was midnight.  "Something's out there, Neves.  It looked like that ninja rhynoc Plazyma fought, but it was dressed in white.  I couldn't get a good look at it, but it's about as tall as Hunter.  No tail or ears from what I could see."

"White?" Spyro asked, lifting his head.  "Dressed in white?"

"Yeah?"

"I think...I think that guy saved us...I saw something white freeze Gnasty and then run at me."

Neves sat back, rubbing his forehead as he thought.  "Whatever it is, I still don't know if it can be trusted or not.  Spyro, can you stand now?"  The purple dragon tried to stand up but only succeeded in flopping onto the ground again.  "Caelos, you'll have to carry him.  Plazyma, carry Cynder.  We need to keep moving or something else will find us."

"Too late," came a laughing voice from under them.  The road began shaking and several tiles not too far away began glowing.

"Not now Tephra!" Neves shouted in frustration.  Up through the tiles shot Tephra, without her usual ball of magma or display of fire.  She hovered in the air, sneering at them.

"Oh isn't this just perfect?  Gnasty's left you all nice and worn out for me to play with," she cackled, landing and striding up to them.  Shimmer blasted her with water, but Tephra just shook it off and grabbed Cynder.  "This necklace of hers doesn't quite suit her," she mused, lifting the necklace to look at it as Cynder lay unconscious in her grasp.  "I think I'll relieve her of its burden."

"Leave her alone!" Plazyma shouted, crackling with electricity.  Tephra just laughed at her.

"I'm immune to electricity, little fool," she jeered.  Plazyma growled and backed away a bit.  "Good.  None of you can stand up to me so don't even bother."  A sharp whirring sound hit their ears and Tephra glanced back as a tall cloaked rhynoc appeared, his face completely shadowed under his wide-brimmed wizard hat.  "You're a bit late, Grendor."

"Oh crap..." Neves hissed as Grendor walked closer.

"Put her down, Tephra, the time will come soon enough," he said as he stood next to the green dragoness.  She pouted.

"I want the necklace, that's all I'm looking for!"

"Like I said, the time will come later.  Put her down."  Tephra sighed and put Cynder down a bit roughly.  "Now, I've come on behalf of Ripto to establish some territory with you young ones," he said, turning to the dragons as they crouched on the ground ready to run.

"What sort of territory?" Neves growled.

Grendor brushed back his cloak and Spyro's eyes widened as he briefly saw another of those weird golden spear-like weapons hanging from his belt.  "Unlike Ripto, I believe in diplomacy first, action later.  In everyone's best interests I'd like to discuss certain boundaries for our parties."

"Why should we give you any sort of leeway?" Caelos snorted. 

"I'm not going to discuss our goals, but nonetheless, I know all about your curse, wind dragon.  I may or may not be able to lift it from you, no strings attached, if you all agree to our terms."

"Not showing your face in a negotiation shows lack of trust," Neves said sternly.

"I cannot remove my hat, sadly.  I'll put it simply and save us time.  Ripto and I desire the Outer Realms for a brief time span.  We only wish to locate specific items there, after that our presence will be removed from the outlying worlds.  During this time you are not to interfere.  Tephra has agreed to stop hunting you, so long as you refrain from inhibiting her sojourns here around the coast.  Essentially, we want room to maneuver."

"Like hell we'd agree to that," Plazyma barked, crackling with electricity again.

"You do not know and would not understand our goals, young ones.  Ripto is hot-headed and Tephra carries great suffering, which make them rather impulsive and as such inappropriate advocates of our cause.  What were are ultimately trying to do is for the true benefit of the world...a new beginning, without pain or suffering or war."

"I don't buy this," Spyro whispered, getting a nod from Neves. 

Tephra sighed.  "All we're really looking for now is freedom to set up a base for accomplishing our goal.  You all have your Dragon Gems and the Temple and other resources at your disposal, but we don't have much of anything.  Not much of a fair fight; all we're asking for at the moment is some level playing ground."

Neves paused, considering this.  "You have given no guarantee of safety for others; thus far all I'm hearing is a basis of selfish freedom to wreak havoc without interference."

"That is Ripto's desire, but he does not see his own folly," Grendor explained.

"I hate you beyond all else, Spyro, and I'd rather see you dead than be here, but I'm willing to 'behave' if this is accepted," Tephra said.  "Grendor only wants to see this plan succeed, he doesn't like getting directly involved in violence, so there's not much worry there.  Ripto and Gnasty can be persuaded rather easily once the trick is established with them."

"Trick?"

"Essentially beneficial deceit towards them," Grendor said with a slight laugh.  "Pride, arrogance and stupidity are fairly easy to blindfold once you know the individual trick."

"Grendor, should we tell them...about him?" Tephra asked, pointing at Spyro.

"No.  That is something he will have to find out on his own."

Spyro roared, taking them by surprise.  "ENOUGH, DAMMIT!!!  WHAT THE HELL AM I ALREADY?!?!  Every time Tephra appears she tells me I don't know what I am!  How the hell am I supposed to know if no one will offer even a clue?!"

"In time-"

"SHUT UP!!  Stop expecting me to know immediately and then telling me to wait!!  I have no idea what you idiots are planning, but what I've heard so far and what I've heard and gone through in the past is not matching up at all!  Your plan makes no sense, and if it's dangerous, I don't have time to figure it out for myself!"

Tephra glared at him, but Grendor just stood there patiently.  "Are you finished?"

"I don't know, am I?" Spyro asked angrily.  "I'm sick and tired of everyone dancing around the topic of what I am or what I'm meant to do!"

"Good," Grendor mused; his tone sounded like he was smiling.  "We have instilled the anger and passion to discover.  Now it's up to you to continue."  Spyro froze in confusion.  "Now, about our negotiations.  Gnasty is unreliable and Ripto's cronies are hard to control, but the three of us will most likely refrain from violence and so-called 'terrorism' if you were to agree to our terms.  All we want to establish is a true base of operation and an energy supply such as you have.  Thus far you know our base in Elamrof, which is rather undesirable.  I mean, who wants to dance around ghosts and demons every day?"

"You don't plan on recruiting them?" Neves asked.

"Would if we could, but they have no interest in our cause.  The Nonsleepers are a clan unto themselves, and the ghosts and demons only want freedom from the mountain and defense of their territory within Elamrof; to them, we too are intruders much as you were for the rescue mission.  So far we have convinced them that we mean no harm, but they grow more wary as we expand."

"As to be expected from evil characters," Caelos grunted.

"Even evil can desire good, little one."

"But it's the intent and methods of those goals that distinguish good from bad," Neves retorted.

"I cannot refute that.  But good often commits evil to accomplish a good end, such as self-defense.  Violence is a bad thing, no?  If it's evil, then why would a 'good' guy use it to accomplish the 'good' outcome of removing a threat to his safety?  Why do the 'good' guardians pursue us and destroy us to accomplish the 'good' outcome of protection of peace?  What we're asking for here is for both sides to be 'good' in their efforts.  We both refrain from violence and 'evil' actions, at the very least until we have had the freedom of movement to level the current playing field."

"Where's Ripto?" Shimmer butted in.

"Ripto, Gnasty and the two dinos are back at Elamrof recovering," Tephra replied, casting Shimmer a glare.  "It's just us here."

"And the Nonsleepers," Caelos added, not trusting them.

"The Nonsleepers are here?" Grendor asked, looking up in surprise.  They just barely saw the horn on his nose under the hat, but nothing else.  "They're supposed to be bound to Elamrof..."

"We would have pounded Ripto and Gnasty had they not stalled us," Plazyma growled angrily.  "They got off easy today thanks to those stupid ghosts."

Tephra looked down at Grendor with a worried expression.  "I think we should leave then."

"I think you're right."  They stepped back a bit but Grendor paused.  "We will give you dragons some time to consider this, but since the agreement is not made there is no guarantee of abstinence from further attacks or other actions from us."

"And what if we don't agree to these terms?" Cynder asked, surprising the others as she forced herself to stand up.

Tephra eyed her greedily.  "We may or may not be forced to collect some 'insurance' to persuade you then," she cackled maliciously. 

"How do we know you'll keep your end of the bargain if we do agree?" Neves growled at her.

Grendor stepped back a bit, preparing to leave.  "A sense of honor is not only for the 'good' side.  I keep my word and will do everything in my power to ensure that the agreement is adhered to on our end.  You have that."

"We sure do," Caelos growled, much to the confusion of his friends.  Tephra wrapped the end of her tail lightly around Grendor's wrist just before they both shimmered and vanished.  Neves turned to Caelos with a questioning glance.

"What did you mean just now?" he asked as Spyro helped Cynder over.

Caelos sat back and pulled out a strange squarish jewel set with tiny moving metal parts.  "This was a gift my parents gave me when I was a baby.  By fueling it with my wind power I can record and play back sounds and conversations.  I don't use it because I don't want it to break...it's all I have left of my family."

"Did it just catch that whole conversation?!" Plazyma asked in wonder.

"So far as I know.  The curse is almost back in effect so I can't fuel it anymore, it's a good thing that discussion was rather short."

"Then you'd better shut up while we wait for the guardians to get here," she replied with a teasing smirk.  Caelos rolled his eyes but fell silent.  Neves and Shimmer were inspecting Cynder as she lay on her back, Spyro standing by her and comforting her as she whimpered in pain.

"Hrmmm..." Neves growled to himself, not liking what he was finding as he felt her scales.  "That ninja really got you bad...but I don't get it, why were you asleep?  What's this bruising around your neck?"

"Gnasty grabbed me and threw me before something pulled us outta there," Cynder explained, hissing through her teeth as Shimmer rubbed her bruises.  "Ow, that hurts!"

"Sorry, but they'll heal faster with a bit of massage."

"Spyro, put your paw here," he said, indicating Cynder's chest just below the gem on her necklace.  "You feel that?"

"What?"

"A strange ebbing like a weird heartbeat...feel it?"

"...Yeah...what is it?" Spyro asked, pulling his paw away.  He didn't like the feeling of it at all, it felt dark...almost hungry in a way.

"It's also on her back...I don't get this.  We'll need to go to the library soon."

"They're coming!" Shimmer shouted.  Soon enough the six young dragons were being flown back to the Settlement on the backs of the guardians, Neves filling them in on what had happened while the others rested.  Spyro's mind was spinning again...why was everyone so concerned about "what he was"?  "Doom of the world or the light...what the heck?" he asked, repeating Gnasty's words.

"A sense of honor is not only for the 'good' side.  I keep my word and will do everything in my power to ensure that the agreement is adhered to on our end.  You have that." Caelos stopped breathing wind breath on the crystal cube and sat back to catch his breath, the guardians all sitting in silence with contemplating frowns.  Finally Ignitus spoke up.

"This is very troubling...we're lucky you had this."

"Indeed..." Cyril muttered.  "It's a tempting offer to say the least..."

"But not to be trusted," Rivyera added sternly. 

"I said nothing of acceptance."

Spyro stretched, trying to stay awake.  He, Neves and Caelos were the only ones awake with the guardians, the others were fast asleep in their rooms.  "I don't trust it.  Ripto wants to rule this world and destroy dragons, that's what he said when he appeared.  Tephra wants control too.  They also didn't mention the ape lord Gnasty was talking about, so we don't know the intentions from that side of their alliance."

"Very true, Spyro.  Their past actions and this new agreement hardly match up."  Nightshade groaned and rubbed his forehead.  "Talking of peace yet almost declaring war not too long ago, running dragons out of the Outer Realms and destroying the landscape, constantly injuring you and hunting you and then suddenly promising calm waters to 'even the playing area'?"  He growled and shook his head, the spines on his back sticking up in his anger.  "I also don't like how he tried to make good and evil sound like mere terms instead of actualities.  He's trying to justify their actions.  He has a point of us using violence and other methods, but violence begets violence and we only strike after they land a first blow.  If he wants to blame anyone for actually starting the fight, he needs to look at his own team."

Rivyera sighed and flexed her wings.  "He probably expects the good side to let it slide, 'turn the other cheek' as it were.  However, they only desire that from us because it would allow them to continue.  Essentially, the attitude he expects the good side to have is one of peace and tranquility.  He wants to be able to hit us, and have us only go 'It's okay' and move on.  Next time he'll probably tout lack of forgiveness or something.  Honestly, these villains confuse me.  They want to control and destroy, yet are confused when we exercise our right to fight back.  It's a double-standard really, 'we can hit you but you're bad if you hit us'."  She growled and leaned against Nightshade.  "Here I am ranting again...I just don't get it."

"From a warrior's standpoint this is a very tempting offer," Terrador added.  "However, it's not to be trusted in the least.  Ripto is very sly and powerful, and they gave no guarantee or basis of what they mean by a 'level ground'.  What they consider 'fair' and what we consider are far different.  There is also the power difference; already the tables are in their favor due to sheer magical power.  Spyro just got beaten and everyone was kept from assisting, and this wasn't even a serious skirmish.  We're fortunate that white creature rescued you and Cynder, Spyro."

Spyro nodded and yawned again, still sore and hurting from the battle.  Neves readjusted his glasses and cleared his throat.  "There was also Tephra's threat of 'insurance collection'..."

"That scares me the most," Volteer admitted.  "If we don't agree, they'll make us agree.  That's all she's saying.  We'll need to be careful and work quickly before they return for an answer."

"At any rate we need to locate their next point of interest and beat them to it," Neves said.  "They're looking for stuff, which inherently can't be good."

"There has been a slight increase in activity from the air golems guarding Concurrent Skies," Ignitus said, walking over to the Pool of Visions.  "Your best bet would be to go there, but first I want you to look up that staff and Cynder's necklace.  I thought it was a fake but from what you've told me, it might be the real thing.  If so...may the ancestors look after us..."

They left off with that so the young ones could finally go to sleep.  Spyro paused as he passed Cynder's door, listening to her sleeping breath.  She sounded like she was in a lot of pain...something was fighting to influence her but no one knew what it was.  He sighed...maybe giving her the necklace was a bad idea, maybe he should have kept it...

Tephra stared absently into the huge crystal orb, watching Spyro and Cynder, constantly eying the necklace around Cynder's neck.  She sighed and turned away, the orb's images fading into a gentle swirl of purple clouds.  Heading over to the large stone throne-like bed she's made for herself in the wall she threw herself onto it, staring at the ceiling.  In her mind's eye, two versions of herself appeared, one young and happy, the other grown, dark and proud.

"This was a mistake...a big mistake..." the young version said sadly.  Tephra nodded to herself.

"Mistake? Fah!" the grown version taunted.  "I have power beyond anyone else, even Spyro!  And when he comes, he'll probably make me his second in command!"

"Ripto already is."

"That little wretch can go crawl in a hole and die for all I care.  He's only in charge because of his magic.  He has no rational thought."

"That is a point, but I can't match him."

"Kill him then!  Sneak up on him and send an earth spire down his spine!  He's already messed things up enough as it is."

"Ripto knows far more than I do about how to use those gems.  They're the only way."

"That's true.  But Grendor knows too, and he's got a far more level head and a much nicer demeanor than that little red rat.  If I can't be in charge, he should be, not Ripto."

"But what was that talk of the Ape Lord today?"

"Beats me, I don't know what I don't know."

"Still, this was all a big mistake.  I need to find a way out."

"And lose all this power?  I'm not going anywhere that might make me lose this."

"Power's not the only thing in the world..." Tephra sat up quickly as those words echoed through the room.  Grendor was standing there staring into the orb.  "Ripto needs to learn that.  He keeps trying to muscle his way through things, thinking his plan is so good it can't fail."  Tephra lay down on the bed and rubbed her eyes, then got up and headed over to the orb.

"Is Ripto here?"

"Thankfully not," Grendor snorted, his cloak parting as he extended his hand to touch the crystal sphere, the armor on his hand and arm glittering in the light.  "He's gone to converse with Gnasty now that the dragons have moved from the Settlement."

"What's the plan this time?"

"Miraculously, unchanged."

"That's a first."

"Indeed."  He turned around and stood still, thinking.  "Tephra...what's your opinion of Ripto?"

She fell over laughing.  The flood gates were opened and she ranted about Ripto for almost fifteen minutes, Grendor just patiently listening.  "I can't understand why he's second in command," she said as she finally settled down.  "All he has is that dark magic control, and knowledge of how to use those gems he had our forces mine."

"Yes, his knowledge is uncanny and his power terrible in magnitude, but I have the same power levels.  I just keep a lid on them.  His parading of power will be an invitation for defeat, his pride a calling for his demise."

"Are you a seer or something?"

"Hardly."  He turned back to the orb and an image of Ripto and Gnasty appeared.  "Gnasty's already miffed, it seems.  I'm surprised his simple mind hasn't already prompted him to pancake Ripto right there."

"I wish he would.  There are other ways of achieving this goal."

"I know.  But we must rely on Ripto and weather his stupidity and pride until the opportune moment.  He wants glory and power, that's all that currently motivates him.  See here, he's already doing his pride-walk as he lectures."  Ripto was pacing around as he gloated.  "The moron doesn't realize how snide he is."

"I know all too well..."

"Did he fill you in on the Ape Lord?"

"No."

"Ah.  Well to put it simply, Ripto wants us to join forces with the apes, moreso than our current alliance.  It seems the Ape Lord shares our interests and is already at work along the lines of our goals."

"Bleh...dirty foul apes...they hit foes once then hop around like it was a deathblow on a mortal enemy."

"I know.  My hatred is more towards the gnorcs though.  It's amazing Gnasty can create them from gems, but they're simple creatures, very mindless."

Tephra glanced at his armor as he brushed his chainmail cloak aside, her eyes widened when she saw what was hanging from his hip.  "Why do you have that weapon?"

He held it up and Tephra backed away a bit...it was the weapon Ripto had used on her to transform her.  "You used this on Ember?"

"Yes...why?"

He turned to the orb and it showed Ember asleep on her bed at home.  "I don't get it...somehow she resisted it."

"I didn't get it either, she was hurt by it yes, like I was, but nothing else happened...except she got more annoying after being zapped."

Grendor grumbled, eying the small staff.  "We'll need another test subject then; you were the first and only success with it."

"Who can we use though?"

"We'll discuss that later.  Spyro and his friends are approaching the Ancient City as we speak; we need to be ready to remotely assist Gnasty and the others."

"Why can't I just go in and kill Spyro right now?"

"We need his power if we are to accomplish our mission.  Ripto wanted you to kill him to eliminate him as a threat, but I've been analyzing him remotely.  He's more powerful than we could ever guess, and we need that."

"Are we capturing him then?" she asked, confused.

"No.  We cant capture any of them, although we can injure them.  Gnasty wants revenge but he's under orders not to kill Spyro, just injure him and knock him out.  Buy us time.  If Spyro wins, however..."  Grendor chuckled and stared into the orb.

"Then what use am I anymore around here?" Tephra asked, her wings falling.  She looked up when she felt Grendor's armored hand lift her chin.

"...You don't like it here do you?"  Tephra's two sides were torn and she hesitated.  "You're torn between dream and desire, I can see that."  She pulled back with a snort.  "Don't worry.  You may not be needed now, but in time you'll be more handy than Ripto's magic.  Then he can be overthrown."

---------------------------------

Spyro sighed and stared at the sky as he lay on his back, listening to the nearby river rushing past on its way from Warfang.  He felt very lonely; the others had split up to canvas the area and find alternate routes inside the Ancient City while Spyro alone went to confront Gnasty.  He was on his own for this, like he had been for the longest time, but...

"*sigh* I wish Cynder had come with me at least..."  The sun gradually rose up above him, stabbing him in the eyes as a reminder that he should be moving.  With a groan he got up and headed along the broken tile road leading to the City.  Along the way, though, he smelled something familiar...following the scent he found a small trail shoved through the tall grass.  Spyro followed the trail through the tall grass, hearing the river drawing closer.  He finally pushed his way through and found the flowing water sparkling in the midday sun...but that wasn't what had his attention.  Off to the side, Cynder was lying at the water's edge, staring at the bottom with her muzzle inches away from the water as it lapped at the bank.  Spyro cautiously walked up to her, but she didn't respond other than a slow blink.  "Cynder?"

"What do you want?"

"To know what's bothering you."

She sniffled and turned her head away.  "You can't change it..."

He walked behind her to her other side, but she turned away again.  "Cynder, please, stop it.  What about me can't I change?"

"Your color...everything that's going on, it's because of you."

Spyro paused.  "Are you...are you jealous of me or something?"

"No...I'm sick of it.  I just wanna have a normal life, have a friendship without missions and crap getting in the way..."

"And yet you wanted to be something from a legend?"

"...yes..."

He sat down next to her.  "Cynder...I want a normal life too.  But we are what we are...I'm supposed to be some big hero, and from I've been hearing, you're supposedly very powerful yourself.  We can't change that...but, seeing how we're supposed to conquer evil or whatever, we can use our gifts to calm things down so we can have a normal life."

Cynder sighed, but then looked up at him with a quirky grin.  "You suggesting something?"

He drew a blank.  "Wha?"

"'We can have a normal life'?  Instead of 'we can have normal lives'?"  She laughed at his clueless face.  "You just sounded like you were proposing to me, Spyro!"

His eyes went wide and he blushed.  "I uh, I didn't mean..."

She giggled and nuzzled him.  "It's fine...don't you have somewhere to be though?"

"Don't you too?"

She stared back at the river as her wings sagged.  "I don't know, Spyro, but something's telling me I shouldn't be here...it's a really strong feeling but it also feels like something calling to me to distract me.  I don't know what to do."

"Why not come with me then?"

"Neves wants me to trail you, yes, but he wanted me to look for possible ambushes and make my way to the Inner Circle, wherever that is."

"Oh right...it's a big arena-type thing in the center of the city where they used to have markets and such."

"I don't wanna go..."

He gently pressed his nose against hers.  "Neither do I.  But we have to."  Spyro suddenly looked to the side as he felt something creep up.  "Cynder, something's here."

"Something's been around here," she said, standing up.  "No idea what it is."

"Whatever it is, we need to find out, can't have things trailing us."

After taking a quick drink from the stream Spyro continued his trek with Cynder shadowing him in the tall grass lining the path.  As Spyro neared the huge gates a thought struck him and made him hesitate.  Cynder quickly crept up to him.  "Something wrong?"

"I don't know..."  He sat down and scratched an itch on his wing.  "I'm kind of afraid...Tephra might appear.  She keeps getting stronger and bigger..."

Cynder rubbed against him.  "We'll be fine.  Tephra probably wouldn't interfere with Gnasty's plans."  She looked up at the gates, thinking.  "Although it strikes me as odd...Gnasty's in league with Ripto, isn't he?  So...Gnasty can't be looking to kill you."

"True...Ripto or Tephra would be after me instead.  Maybe this challenge is a stall for time..."

"Well, we don't know of anything else to stop, so we can't do anything except take the challenge."

"You mean I need to take the challenge.  You guys are just here for support in case he pulls something dirty."

"You sure you can take him?"

"Surety against Ripto's power...I don't think so.  I could take Gnasty out easily a month or so ago, but now that he's allied with them...he may be far stronger now."  He cautiously walked forward, Cynder following.  In the corner of her eye she spotted Plazyma slinking over the wall they were passing through.  As Spyro sped up down the lane of tall, crumbling pillars leading deep into the City, his mind was racing.  Cynder brought up a good point...is this really just a stall?  Gnasty wants to kill me, but Ripto...he's too clever to stoop to this, something's not right here.  His thoughts took a brief vacation as he entered a large open area, full of trees and fountains of water feeding small streams that ran in intricate patterns along the floor.  The pathways and building were tiled with various colored tiles; most of them were shattered or covered in moss and ivy.  Spyro slowed his pace as he watched a swarm of multicolor butterflies lace through the trees.  Here and there a few long-tailed birds were singing; some of them took flight as they spotted Spyro, and he stared at their long curling tail- and wing-feathers, almost like streamers as the birds flew over him to more secretive spots.  "Wow..." Spyro whispered to himself.  Looking over his shoulder he saw Cynder still following him, sitting like a cat in a windowsill as butterflies danced around her.  She held her paw out and a few butterflies landed on her arm.  "She's actually kinda cute..."  Spyro froze and his eyes dilated.  "WHAT?!?"

Cynder looked up when she heard Spyro shout.  "Hm?"  He rushed up to a tree and started bashing his head against it.  "...Ooookay?"

Shimmer and Plazyma followed Neves as he leapt and glided between brick outcrops in the alleys, keeping Spyro in their sights as he continued deeper.  The city was angling downwards into a valley as they ran.  Spyro came to stop at a crossroad and Neves called for a halt silently with his tail as Spyro and Cynder debated on which way to go.  Shimmer crept up to Neves as Plazyma took her leave to secure the other side of the road.  "Neves...this place is flat and it slopes down."

"I've noticed," he said, not taking his eyes off the purple and black dragons.

"Are we supposed to get there before Spyro?"

"Yes."

"Why not use water and ice to slide down this path?"

"That's...."  He paused.  "Actually a good idea..."  He looked down the path, calculating to himself.  "Slickness of water coupled with the angle of this path should give us more adequate velocity..."

Plazyma watched as Shimmer hovered above the building and breathed a huge amount of water onto the path while Neves quickly sculpted a platform for them to ride on.  "Something powerful is nearby...I know we're supposed to head forward ahead of him but something's wrong."  She ducked behind a low wall so no one could see her, and began charging herself with electric power, sending electric pulses through the natural static fields to feel her way around before traveling.  "Statilocation," she smirked to herself, "that Neves is a geek, making a name like that.  Echolocation...I wonder if Caelos can use that..."  Something large and heavy disturbed her signal and she zeroed on it, closing her eyes with the strain as she read the signals.  "That can't be good, whatever it is, it has some sort of electrical generation ability..."  With a small clap of thunder she shot off towards the source of the disturbance.

Neves grunted as they sat on the ice sheet.  "I think it may be better if I freeze the water, then you create a film of water for this to slide on," he said to Shimmer as they sat there motionless on the wall.  "Our weight is pushing the ice down below the water stream's surface and creating frictional resistance with the marble..."

"Nerd," she said, punching him in the shoulder lightly.  "Well, get freezing, Spyro and Cynder are on the move."  She shrieked as the ice suddenly shifted and started sliding swiftly down the path on a slick film of ice and water.  "WHOOOOOOAAAA NEVES TOO FAST!!!"

"YAHOO!!!" Neves shouted with a grin, digging his claws into the ice.  Nearby Caelos merged with their path, using his wind power to fly by them.  They were totally unaware of the silent presences trailing them through the ruins, passing through stone and plants with no effort, sweeping in swift and sure to trap the young dragons.

----------------------------------------

Tephra sighed and stared into the orb, her eyes unfocused as her thoughts fought viciously in her head.  Grendor walked in quietly and stood by her.  "You okay?"

"Huh?" she asked with a jump.  "Oh...yeah...I guess..."

"Mind telling me what's tearing you apart?"

She didn't want to but somehow she ending up crying.  "I'm so lost..."

"How so?"

"I don't wanna be here, I don't know what I wanna do, no one needs me...this was all a big mistake...Ripto's only using me, he hates dragons even though he tells me I'm different..."  She looked up as Grendor ran his hand along her side softly.

"I know you don't want to be here, Tephra, I can see that every day.  But you chose this yourself, and choices are not easy to back out of.  I know all too well...Ripto may not need you, but I do."

"For my power," she snorted, walking away.

"We need each other more than you know," he said quietly, catching her attention. 

"Huh?"

"Our goals are similar, Tephra...to rid the world of threats to its existence.  Those with common goals should work together for that goal."

"Yet you wish to overthrow Ripto, how can I tell you're not gonna overthrow me as well by the end?"

Grendor laughed sadly.  "That's a risk of allying with the darker side...but you are important, Ripto is not."

She lay on her throne-bed, stewing in her thoughts.  "Grendor...your magic enhanced me and my armies...can you...make me attractive?"

He walked over to her and ran his hand along her side again.  This time she didn't shy from the touch.  "I can try.  My magic can only enhance power and growth speed, I'm afraid.  As far as dragons go, you're pretty the way you are.  As yourself."

She stared at him in surprise.  "You're...calling me pretty?"

"I speak my mind, I call as I see."

"Then why don't you speak your mind around Ripto and call him off?"

"There are times for honesty and times for secrecy."  He walked towards the door, stopping to glance back.  "Just hang in there."

"Grendor, shouldn't I go to the Ancient City too?  At least just to monitor them firsthand?"

"Just stay here for now."

Tephra lay down on her bed again, staring at the wall.  Spyro's got it coming, he has no idea what his real purpose is... She eventually got back up and headed over to the orb to watch.  She found Spyro cautiously edging through the streets, Cynder still trailing him.  Tephra's eyes narrowed as she made the orb focus on the jewel hanging from Cynder's neck.  "That should have been mine..."  She closed her eyes and thought back, the orb returning to a swirl of light-colored gas as her focus was diverted elsewhere.

******************

"Took me a while but I finally found it!"

A tall jewel merchant grunted and snatched the necklace from Tephra's little paws.  "Good."

Tephra set her face.  "Now can I have my friend back?"

"The elders in the Settlement have already agreed we can keep him."

She froze in shock.  "Wh-wha..."

"You heard me, runt!  Scram!  We don't need you no more!"  Tephra screamed and flew to the side as the tiger kicked her upside the face. 

"TEPHRA!!!!!"

"SIDIAN!!!" Tephra cried, tasting blood in her mouth from her cheek getting scratched on her teeth.  She forced herself up and threw herself at the merchant, knocking him down and proceeding to maul him savagely.  "WE HAD A DEAL YOU *bleep*!!!" she screamed in rage.  He roared and grabbed her by the throat with his huge paw, choking her.  She grappled his arm and kicked at him, but his arm and side were plated and her little claws couldn't even scratch the armor.

"You obviously don't know how trade deals can change."  He yelled and flew backwards as she shot him with a desperate Earth Shot breath attack, freeing herself.  Dizzy from his grip on her she stumbled up to Sidian's cage and tried to blast the bars apart, but her energy was almost completely gone and what came forth was barely worth a punch. 

Sidian crawled up to her and put his paw on her.  "Tephra...take care of yourself..."

Her teary eyes met his briefly before a sudden splitting pain behind her head made everything go black.

Hours later, a Settlement guard passed by the north gate and paused as he heard someone crying nearby.  When he went to go look he found a young green-scaled earth dragoness curled up under a bush, crying bitterly in her sleep.  "It's her," he grunted, walking away.  His voice woke her up and she looked up to see him walk by.

"Wait!" she yelped, but he ignored her.  Tephra's jaw quivered and she buried her face in her paws.  "Why me...why...WHYYY?!?!" she screamed, the rocks around her floating in the air and shivering apart into dust in the wake of her fury.  What had she done to deserve this?  Her parents had died defending the Settlement from an attack, her siblings had died from disease, now her one and only friend was kidnapped and nobody gave a *bleep*...One day she had been happily chatting with her friends, the next she was shut out of her own home with her siblings...then they all fell sick, with her being the only survivor...everyone had labeled her "cursed", "haunted"...Sidian had been the only one willing to look after her through her illness and grief over her lost family.  As these thoughts filtered through her head, one in particular made her clench her paws with rage...those *bleep* elders...they were at fault.  They took her home from her, shunned her when she went to them for help with the disease, now they'd bargained her only friend away for what?  What the hell could a peddling jewelry merchant offer them that was more valuable than a child?!  Now he was probably gonna be sold off to a slave trader...or worse...

Her mind was made up.  She'd go find the elders and make them pay.  There was no possible logical reason for her suffering like this... She forced herself up and quietly slipped into the Settlement, her plan already formulating as she quickly crawled through the evening shadows.  She forced her tired legs to pull her up the side of the Settlement's governing house, one window in particular holding her interest.  The elders were holding a quorum, no doubt about their recent actions.  Finally she reached the ledge, and tucked herself as tight as she could on the windowsill just out of sight of the frame to keep from being seen. 

"...was really the right thing to do in the end, but I can't believe you idiots!  Just as we were establishing his home of all times!"

"But he was always around that Tephra brat."

Tephra bristled, her rage boiling inside her, but she paused when one of the elders immediately growled.  "Honestly, I can't believe you!  I take a year vacation and come back to find dead children and orphaned dragonlings, labeled 'cursed' of all things?!  You're lucky I don't call the Temple Guardians themselves here!"

"But what else could we do?  We needed that information, and with his diplomatic immunity we couldn't touch him!"

"You could have at least sent me a falcon," the elder growled, obviously as outraged as the little earth dragoness perched outside.  "Now what am I supposed to do?  When the community finds out what happened--"

"WE GOT YOUR INFORMATION ABOUT THE PURPLE DRAGON, YOU INGRATE!!!" one of them shouted at the top of his lungs.  The leader promptly smacked him across the face.

"You have violated your position and the foundations on which this establishment was created," he half-roared.  "Of anyone here you're the ingrate!!  There are other means of settling an information trade!!

Tephra half-listened to the debate as they argued back and forth.  So...these guys...they abused their power?  She listened more intently as the leader finally spoke up.

"Where is Tephra now?"

"Gone for all we know."

Tephra was about to creep inside and show herself when she heard her name mentioned, but stopped herself just in time; if she was caught eavesdropping the leader would punish her severely even if she had been victimized.  "Alright...what have we found out?"

Tephra listened closely and her eyes widened...the purple dragon was meant to WHAT?!  Stunned and frightened she quickly slipped away.  The leader was nice, but those others...she shook with rage again.  They had ruined her life...no...the purple dragon had ruined her life.  His existence had led them to greed and selfishness...she would pay them back and exact her revenge on the purplescale.  His purpose for existing was the reason her friend had been sold...

******************

Tephra shook herself and wiped the tears off her face, glaring at the orb again.  Had she kept that necklace for herself, she could have freed Sidian and gained herself the respect she'd been robbed of...now she needed it in order to keep Spyro from fulfilling his life's purpose.  "I'll get you yet, Spyro...just wait.  Grendor and I will see to your demise.  Personally."  She headed out into the tunnel, glancing at the walls and enjoying how they bent and pushed back at a mere glance of her power.  She headed down to the arming chamber and gaped in awe as she found Grendor enhancing her army yet again.  She walked past an empty shell of armor, glancing at its crystalline structure.  "What's all this?" she asked as she walked up behind Grendor.

"Autonomic crystalline warsuit golems," he replied, not looking away as he fed magic energy into the row of suits below.  "Controlled by Elite rhynocs, these suits can also function on their own if their operator is injured or killed.  Improved mobility, strength and speed in these newer versions here."

Tephra watched as masses of rhynocs and gnorcs trained not too far away.  "When will these be sent out?  Ripto's next plan?"

"Ripto can't know of these or he'll get some smartass failure of an idea.  Tephra, I could use your help actually."

"Sure."

"I need more of those crystals you used for the last batch of crystal golems.  That species of stone seems to be the best for this purpose."

She quickly flew down from their terrace and over the armies massed together in this gigantic cave to her stash of crystals.  Grabbing a few she made them grow into huge chunks of solid crystal.  She glanced over her shoulder as Grendor carefully placed a ruby inside a golem's head, looking like a sculptor tenderly adding the final touch to a masterpiece.  He wasn't as rude or unconcerned as that little red wuss of a dinosaur... "No one can replace Sidian...but maybe he's a real friend..." she said to herself, watching Grendor turn to another golem suit.  She still didn't know what he looked like under that robe and hat and armor, but hiding underneath was someone that actually thought about her well-being and had even bothered to attempt cheering her up... Maybe he was buttering her up for a fall in the future, maybe he really did care about her as a living being...either way, she was grateful deep down that he made an effort to cheer her up.

------------------------------------

Cynder met up with Spyro as he stopped to relax and take a drink from a nearby fountain.  The water was icy and clean, feeling very refreshing as Spyro took long, slow draws of it.  As he drank he looked at the reflection of the sky on the water's surface...it was late afternoon already.  This city was huge!  He flopped down on a nearby patch of moss and flowers, staring at the sky and letting his tired legs rest for a bit.  There was no way this city could be so vast...something was wrong here.  The city lay at the foot of the mountain; by now they should have been a decent distance inside the tunnels of the mountains, not still walking through the ruins...

Cynder yawned and lay down next to him, her stomach rumbling.  "Oh Spyro!  Berry bushes!" she said excitedly, and raced over him to a patch of berry bushes.  "Mmm!  Sargaberries, my favorite!!"

Spyro chuckled to himself and stretched before rolling up and walking over to her, remembering bringing her these kind of berries after he'd accidentally injured her leg.  They quietly snacked on the sweet, juicy yellow berries, listening to the birds around them.  The pretty long-feathered birds had disappeared, now replaced with purple-blue sparrow-like songbirds.  "Dusk sparrows," Spyro mused, watching them perch on a nearby building. 

Cynder stretched like a cat, lashing the air with her tail as she yawned.  "Mmm...I didn't think sargaberries were still in season."  She twisted her neck side-to-side, then looked up at the mountain with a frustrated expression.  "We should've been there by now..."

"I know...something's wrong here."

Cynder stared at the mountain, thinking.  "Spyro...you felt something moving in darkness earlier...can you use that to feel the area?"

"Hmmm...I think I can.  Probably can if I really do have control over all the elements."  She watched him close his eyes and feel the area around himself.  "Dah...I can't sense far enough...maybe ten feet in any direction."

Cynder surprised him by climbing onto his back.  "Lemme try something," she said with a grin, then closed her eyes as she put her arms around his neck.  Spyro stood there biting his lip; what the heck was she doing?!  The answer came fairly soon as he felt shadowy power moving from her into him.  She was fueling his dormant shadow power with hers.  Closing his eyes again he tried to study his surroundings, and was taken by surprise as he suddenly saw everything almost perfectly clear.  When he closed his eyes, he could still see everything in perfect detail, but in dark shades of purples, blues, greens, and reds, like everything was being seen through dark gemstones.  Everything was edged with iridescent filaments, allowing him to easily see edges among the dark colors.  He looked up and down the straight street...and something caught his eyes.  They were sitting right in the middle of some sort of shining dome of energy.

"Cynder...hold on."  He felt her grip tighten a bit around him as he stood up, and started walking down the street, watching the dome.  It kept them in its center, moving with them over the buildings.  Another dome was present, but only became visible when he was about five feet from it.  He carefully reached out to it with a paw, and it suddenly shimmered and vanished, the street ahead shifting in a fraction of a second.  Cynder grunted and his visual field swiftly shrank back to his normal view. 

"Ow..."

"Thanks Cynder," he said, opening his eyes.  "That was weird...we seem to be in a system of hidden domes or something."

"Something's coming closer," she whispered, quickly slipping off his back.  Spyro yelped as something hit him and whipped around to see a thin needle stuck by its very tip in his scales, not deep enough to draw blood but just enough to have caused a sharp pain.  From a nearby building came a strange whistling sound and they looked up to see that ninja-rhynoc watching them, a leather-wrapped staff in his hands. 

"I'll just make this quick, I don't have time to toy with whelps," he said as he unwrapped the staff.  It was really a gold-colored ancient spear set with strange gems and runes.

"Who're you calling a whelp?!" Cynder demanded.

The ninja rhynoc suddenly paralyzed them with magic and leapt into the air, its spear poised to strike Cynder.  Spyro roared and struggled against the electric magic, but it was simply too strong.  Cynder cried out in fear as the ninja fell on her, bringing its spear down hard.

Nothing happened.

Cynder yelled in pain as its impact bruised her hide, but the ninja froze in shock, staring at the spear as he held it against Cynder.  "It didn't...work?" he asked, then grunted and rapidly stabbed at her with the blunt blade.  Cynder screamed with rage at the violent prodding bruising her back.  Spyro roared again, shaking the ground and snapping the magic with a burst of countering earth power.  The ninja rhynoc barely avoided the purple dragon's vicious jaws and landed nearby, quickly backflipping onto the wall.  "The spear failed its purpose, I must retreat!"  With that he vanished in a puff of smoke, narrowly missing a spear of ice from Spyro's jaws. 

"*bleep* it," Spyro growled in frustration.

"Owowowowowooooooow my back huuuurts!" Cynder cried, struggling against her electric snare.  Spyro grunted and fed earth energy through the ground to her, the electric magic snapping and letting her go.  He raced over to her and lay down in front of her as tears ran down her face.

"Can you get up?"

"No..." she sobbed.  "He hit me too hard too many times...I haven't been this hurt in a long time...oooowwwww...."

Spyro nuzzled her softly.  "Can you move your legs and tail?"  She could.  "Okay, I'm gonna try to call Plazyma using electricity, she can get you outta here."

"I don't wanna leave you," she insisted, pressing her nose against his.  "I can't let you fight them alone, not after what they did to me when we first fought Ripto..."

He sighed and lay his paw over hers.  "I'm sorry, but Neves, Caelos and Shimmer are here too.  That's why we all came; if someone was injured, the others could fill in.  Now I gotta go or something else might corner us."  He stood back up and Cynder watched as he closed his eyes, electricity crackling along his body and running between his scales like glowing water.  He started straining himself, his paws curling until with a loud gasp he came back to reality.  "Crap...still can't get it...hopefully she knows it's me."

They both jumped with a startled yell as a fork of lightning shattered the air around them with a loud crack.  Plazyma materialized in a flash and shook herself.  "Was that you?" she asked.

"Y-yeah...gah that scared us!"

"Well sooorry, next time be more expectant of what you're asking for.  What's going on?"

"Cynder's injured and can't walk; a rhynoc ninja injured her back."

Plazyma growled as she glanced at the wall.  "I knew it...there was a reason for that trap."

"Trap?" Cynder asked, wiping her eyes.

"I found one of Ripto's cronies, the big green four-legged thing, powering an ancient generator with some big machines on his back."

"Green?  He was blue last time..."

"Don't ask me, I have no clue.  But you should be able to continue.  The machine was this city's first line of defense; an 'endless street dimension' as Neves called it.  You two were trapped in an endless dimension meant to snare invading armies."

"So that's why we haven't gotten there yet..." Spyro growled. 

"Yeah.  Gnasty's lair is a few blocks further down.  But be careful; I lost contact with Shimmer, something may be up ahead."

"Can you get Cynder to safety?"

Plazyma lay down and Spyro helped Cynder up onto her back.  "Hold on tight, Cynder.  I'm still not used to carrying others while--ACK!!!"  She screamed and literally bolted away a few meters as several ghostly forms appeared in the doorways around them, staring at them with creepy sullen faces.  One in particular had approached them and was blocking their path back to the outside world with gigantic foggy wings.  "WHAT THE F-" Plazyma was cut short as Spyro suddenly flew into her, having been picked up by an unseen force and flung aside.

"Rrrreetreeeaat..." came several haunting voices.  "Gooooo baaaaaack...."

Spyro groaned and flipped up into a fighting position.  "I was called here for a challenge and I intend to meet it," he growled.  "Go back to wherever you came from!!"  To their utter surprise the ghosts simply vanished.

"Something's not right here," Plazyma growled.  She started crackling with electricity, but then growled and snorted.  "*bleep* it, something's blocking me!  I can't place a tracer outside the front gates..."

"Tracer?" Spyro asked.

"Yeah, stupid!  Don't you know how lightning works?"

Spyro shot her a small glare.  "No, because I wasn't allowed to go to school."

She sighed.  "Basically, I give my entire being a negative charge, and my destination point a positive charge.  It then sends me a shock of energy and allows me to envelop myself in electric power and then move along that opened path.  Once the destination charge is equal to my charge the feedback and return strike are almost instant.  I call the positive charge-point a tracer."

Spyro just stared blankly at her, Cynder looking at the back of her head with a cocked eyebrow.  "Um...okay, think I got it," he said.  Plazyma just rolled her eyes and snorted. 

"Morons...anyway, something is keeping me from charging up a tracer beyond here.  I can go back towards the mountain, but it's preventing me from leaving."

Something up ahead exploded, letting off a bright flash and shaking the area slightly as the sound rolled over them.  "That's not good," Cynder said.

"Actually it is, it's the machine shorting out finally.  We can proceed safely now."  She paused, then glared at Spyro.  "Why the hell am I carrying her?  I'm not a beast of burden."  With that she angled her back and Cynder slid off.  Spyro sighed and let Cynder crawl up onto him.

"I'm feeling a bit better but it still hurts a lot," she groaned.

"I'll have to have Neves take a look at you and see what he can do..." Spyro said as he ran after Plazyma.  True to what the electric dragoness had said, the arena was only a few blocks away.  It was a big amphitheater design; a large circular stadium with concentric seats along one half.  At the other end was a tall wall with a throne made of marble...and sitting on it was none other than Gnasty Gnorc.  Spyro glared at him, Cynder slipping off his back as he headed slowly down the ramp.  The burly gnorc was dressed in plated gold armor studded with gems, and the head of his warhammer was really two giant gems stuck by their points to the steel haft, which had an eerie green glow to it.  Plazyma backed away, Cynder looked at her quizzically.

"I have something unfinished, I'll be back."  With that she quietly slipped away and then thunder-jumped.

"You came after all," Gnasty grunted humorously, eying the purple dragon from under his steel helm.  "Glad you made it."

"The pleasure is all yours," Spyro growled as Gnasty stood up.  "Why did you call me here?"

Gnasty growled and ran his hand along one of the gem-heads of his warhammer.  "Payback, little dragon.  I'll kill you for beating me last time."

"I doubt Ripto's orders were to kill me."

"Ripto..." Gnasty paused with a sneer, then shook his head and pointed his hammer at Spyro.  "Ripto won't control me!  I'll smash you!!"

"Bring it!" Spyro half-roared, charging himself with ice.  Gnasty roared, his warhammer glowing bright with earth energy.  The air seemed to shimmer with the tension flowing between them as they stared each other down, daring each other to go first.  Cynder shivered as she felt an unnatural power level emanating from Spyro, his energy clashing with the gnorc's as they both charged themselves.  With a loud yell they both leapt at each other, bright bolts of ice and earth sent flying ahead of them.

Five days later they were getting ready to leave for a week.  Hunter had come by the temple by boat with urgent news for Ignitus, and was staying long enough for them to hitch a ride back to the Settlement with him.  It was a rather peaceful experience, sailing to the mainland.  "What're you all planning to do in your break?" the cheetah asked.

Cynder shrugged as she let the sun warm her.  "I was thinking of checking the ruins again, maybe doing some good hunting."

"We need to locate Gnasty if possible when we're done at the library," Spyro said.

Hunter's face darkened.  "Spyro, I must warn you; Gnasty's been stocking up on powerful magic spells.  Thus far he's been able to create standard gnorcs out of gems, but he's casting for bigger fish, you might say.  I'd be careful."

"Any word from Ripto that we don't know of?"

"Ripto, Tephra and that strange mage, no.  However, Ripto's minions, Crush and Gulp, have been sighted near the ruins and south of the Settlement near the catacombs.  They're not there anymore so far as I know, but all the same, if you're planning on going there, be very cautious."

"And those...big monster things we met while leaving Elamrof?"

Hunter scowled.  "They're dissecting one in the library right now; after a long four-day battle we finally killed one that was nearing the villages.  Four days to take out just one...I can't imagine if there was an army of them."

Spyro's eyes widened but he stayed quiet and looked out over the water.  Up at the front of the boat, Shimmer was watching the waves with Neves' wing draped over her as he sat by her.  Somehow, being on the ocean was very calming for them.  Flame, Plazyma and Caelos were playing "Fire Water Grass", a draconic variation of Rock Paper Scissors; Flame had won 7-3-3 so far.  Cynder inhaled deeply and looked up at the sails.  Spyro sat down by her and nudged her softly.  "You okay?" he whispered.

"Yeah?  Why wouldn't I be?" she asked curiously.

"I meant the whole...stuck-in-my-head thing."

"Oh...that..."  She sighed.  "I don't know what to think, Spyro...ever since that battle in Tephra's lair against that huge monster, I've been..."  She paused, then growled at herself with an angered look.  "*bleep* it...every time I'm about to say it...it's like there's something in my throat...gah!  Nevermind..."

"Something in your throat...blocking your words?"

She nodded.  "It's weird..."  She looked down at the necklace, holding it in one paw.  "I...don't know why but...it feels sometimes like the 'choke' is coming from this, but sometimes it doesn't.  It's weird."  She leaned against him with a heavier sigh.  "I'm scared of myself, Spyro...I feel...'violent', I guess...and I don't like it."

He wrapped his wings around her and gently rocked her, feeling her appreciation.  "It's probably just growing up...I mean, after all, we're still technically kids."

"I hope that's all there is to it," she whispered with a hint of fear in her voice. 

"She okay?" Hunter asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine...just a little tired," she replied, getting off Spyro's shoulder and casting him a quick "Thanks" look before turning to Hunter.  "Is there a place where we can get armor?  We found Dragon Armor pieces but we can't wear them here for some reason."

"Those were probably Outer Realm pieces, they can't be used here like they are out there," Hunter said.  He thought for a bit.  "Actually...I do know a guy.  Armorsmith named Logan.  I believe he'd be able to make some stuff for you guys."

"We'll need stuff like that before long," Neves murmured as he overheard their conversation.  Shimmer yawned against him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"The sea is so pretty," she whispered.  Neves grinned and held her a bit tighter with his wing.

"Ah dang it!" Plazyma yelled, Flame and Caelos laughing.  "Are you freakin' kidding me...20 losses in a flippin' row!  Geez, are you two mindreaders or something?!"

Flame laughed and shook his head, looking out over the water as he did so.  His eyes narrowed and he stood up on his hind legs, squinting.  "Guys...I think we have company..."  They all looked at where he was pointing.  Several large ships were floating through the air above the water right towards them.

"Those are the Sky Pirates if I'm reading their symbols correctly," Neves said.  "Probably just passing by or something."

"They're flying awfully low," Hunter growled, grabbing his bow.  His suspicions were confirmed; several hatches opened along the sides of the ships and cannons peeked out, turning and aiming at the small boat and its crew of eight.  "Brace yourselves, either they're looking to capture or it's a pleasure-shooting."

"Shimmer, get behind the boat and power us with water," Neves ordered.  "Hunter, take the sail down, Shimmer needs less resistance.  Plazyma and Flame, get your distance attacks charged.  Spyro, Cynder, retaliate with fireballs if they shoot at us.  Caelos, you and I aren't much use except for direct combat."  Shimmer darted to the back end of the boat and slung herself over the edge, holding on with her front paws.  Drawing her energy along her body she began paddling with her hind legs, quickly propelling the boat as if she were a motor.  Plazyma crackled with electricity and Flame's mouth glittered with pent-up energy, small heat waves pulsing ever more rapidly from the charge as he continued increasing his breath's power.  Spyro and Cynder were likewise charging up their firebreath to cast in fireball form.  The ships drew nearer with a dull thrummmmmmmmm that pounded on their ears as they drew closer. 

"Yaaarrrr!  Be warned yeh sea-farin' lot!  Give yerselves up quietly, or we'll send ya to the depths!" came an echoing voice from the ship in front. 

Neves nodded to Flame and Plazyma.  "Get ready."

"Jump overboard if'n yeh value yer lives!"

"Don't move," Neves said.  A wave hit the boat and Spyro almost slipped off, but Caelos caught him by the tail.  "Let them strike first."

"Yeh've been warned!" The ships began to turn so all the cannons were facing the small boat.  At the same time, several small lifeboats began sailing through the air from the ships down to the water, carrying large numbers of dogs brandishing guns and cutlasses. 

"Steady..." Neves growled as Plazyma hunkered lower, preparing to blast them.  "Aim for the larger ships, we'll deal with the lifeboats."  There was a chorus of thunder as fifteen cannons let loose at their target.  Several cannonballs flew over their heads dangerously close, sending up walls of water and drenching the small boat when they hit the water.  "NOW!!!"

The pirates didn't know what hit them.  With a loud roar and a deafening crack of thunder, the skies seemed to rip open and two airships were set aflame almost instantly as gigantic forks of lightning smote them.  Flame let loose and the leading ship had a gaping hole blasted clean through it, setting off a chain of internal explosions.  Flame and Plazyma were out, their energy sapped from the attack.  The cannon fire stopped instantly as confusion dominated the crew still in the air.  The ones heading for them in the water, though, didn't relent; instead they only approached faster. 

"Here they come!" Shimmer called, still paddling.

"They're not in fireball range," Neves replied.  "Shimmer, get us closer."  Hunter, quiet until now, let Shimmer steer the boat by herself and grabbed his bow to protect her.  "Get ready...closer...closer...Now!"  Spyro and Cynder let loose a rapid-fire flurry of white-hot fireballs, the spheres of thermal energy homing in on the boats headed for them.  Up above the ships Plazyma had hit suddenly spontaneously combusted and fell to the water's surface in a bright display of fire and explosions.  The one Flame had hit was slowly falling, its crew jumping overboard to the water's better safety.  The lifeboats and remaining ships turned to assist those struggling to swim.  Caelos stared at the boats, then suddenly tapped Neves.  "What?"  Caelos pretended to be holding something, looking down an invisible length.  "Gun?"  Caelos nodded hurriedly and pointed.  Neves followed his line of sight, and his pupils contracted in fright.  "SHIMMER TURN US AROUND!!"

"Hang on then!" she grunted with the strain.  "Brace yourselves!"  They all yelled and fell over as the boat suddenly spun around and started moving at an incredible pace.  At the same time, two of the lifeboats flew up out of the water and gave rapid pursuit.  The others dug into the boat with their claws and gritted their teeth as Shimmer swam at breakneck speed, manipulating the water around the boat to give them less resistance.  Neves was amazed -- she could do this?!  She could move through water this quickly?!  He looked back over his shoulder and she shot him a quick smile before looking over her own shoulder.  "Hunter!"

Hunter looked back quickly, nocking an arrow on his bow.  One of the pursuing boats was gaining fast.  Shimmer shrieked as the wood of the boat cracked by her paw, two fresh bullet-holes smoking about five inches from her paw.  "Level us off Shimmer!" Hunter said.  Shimmer tensed herself and the water around the boat became fairly flat as she sped them along.  Hunter took aim and let an arrow fly, quickly nocking another one and taking aim.  He hit the pirate that had just taken a shot at Shimmer and the others panicked, the boat slowing down a bit.  Hunter wasted no time and shot another pirate, this one falling off the boat into the water and disappearing in a puff of sparks.  That lifeboat retreated, but the other quickly followed up and began firing at them.

"Hang on tight!" Shimmer called, a bit painfully from the strain.  The others yelled in fear as the boat gained even more speed and began zigzagging back and forth rapidly.  The pirate boat tried to keep up, shooting madly after them.  Several bullets hit the water and bounced off Shimmer's legs, thankfully robbed of their deadly speed by the water's natural resistance.  Neves growled and turned himself around, charging his ice breath. 

"What're you doing?!" Spyro asked.

"At the speed we're going and the velocity of my ice breath, I can hit them even with a short-range attack," Neves growled back, still focusing on their attackers.  "Shimmer!  Level off again!"

"I can't, they'll shoot me!" she cried.

"Just for a second!"  She did so and Neves instantly breathed into the air, creating a cloud of ice mines.  Their speed carried them past the cloud and Neves watched anxiously.  The pirate boat's underside hit the top of the falling cloud.  Spyro and Cynder cringed as they watched the tiny spheres of ice instantly expand into deadly multi-spike balls, impaling the boat and some if its crew.  The boat's underside was also coated in a thick layer of ice, throwing off its balance and making it crash into the water.

"Oh crap hang on again!" Shimmer called.  They dug their claws in again and braced themselves nervously as the boat began rapidly sidewinding.  Several huge splashes almost capsized them; the surviving airships were firing long-range cannons at them. 

"I can see the shore Shimmer!" Neves called.  "Left!"

"NNNNGH!!!"  Shimmer was almost at her limit but kept going as she plowed through the water at incredible speed.  Finally the attackers left them alone and Shimmer got them within swimming range of the shoreline.  Hunter pulled her into the boat as Neves got out and coated himself with ice to stay afloat while he pushed them the rest of the way to the beach.  The others got out in silence, staring at Shimmer as she lay on Hunter's lap, about to faint.  Neves lay down by her and she wearily climbed onto his back, going limp as he carried her.  They rested on the sand, soaking in the sun's rays as they dried off from their harrowing chase, eventually getting back up and locating a gravel path that Hunter seemed familiar with.

"That...was incredible," Flame finally said to Shimmer.  "I had no idea you could swim that fast!"  She just smirked.  "You really saved us back there!"

"Neves got us out of there though," she whispered. 

"I didn't do anything," he replied, going a bit red in the face.

"Didn't do anything?" Plazyma asked incredulously.  "You arranged us as a team, stabilized us and knew when to call us off, not to mention that final attack on the lifeboat.  Didn't do anything...load of crap."

"You led us in the attack and wisely called a retreat," Hunter affirmed. 

"Shimmer got us out of there though," he insisted. 

"You two are too modest," Cynder laughed.  "I think we should have a small party for our heroic couple here!"  Neves and Shimmer both blushed as everyone agreed rather enthusiastically.  As they chatted about the battle, Caelos got Spyro's attention.

"Something up?"  Caelos motioned at the sun and then off in a general direction.  "...I'm not following you..."  Caelos rolled his eyes and motioned to the sun, then traced his paw along the skyline to the horizon.  The others watched as Spyro tried to guess.  "Sunset?"  Caelos nodded and pointed along the grassy gravel path they were following.  "Path...town?  The Settlement?"  Caelos nodded again and shrugged.  "...Umm...sunset, Settlement...is something gonna happen at sunset?"  Caelos facepawed.  "Argh...um...will we get there before sunset?"  Caelos nodded with a grin.

"Probably not," Hunter replied.  "You're worn out from the fight and it's nearing evening as we speak.  We'll need to camp out here tonight...if there are no objections, there should be a campsite a few minutes away from here that we can settle down at for the night."

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to fall dead asleep," Flame whined. 

"You'd fall dead asleep after anything," Plazyma jeered.

"Not my fault I haven't been an orphan or guardian."

Plazyma grunted.  "Fine, you win."

A few hours later, as they sat by the fire, Cynder keeping warm under Spyro's wing, a few things popped into her head and she pulled back to look at him.  "Spyro...when you said 'I'll never forget her' about a week ago...who did you mean?  You keep saying I'm just like someone...and it's related to that tree that was over your home."

Spyro stared at the horizon as he thought over his answer, not noticing Cynder studying his face as the moon- and fire-light illuminated him.  "I don't think I should tell you now," he finally sighed.  "All I can say is...'she' was important in my younger years...very important..."

Cynder pouted.  "Aw c'mon..."

"Nope."

"Well what about the tree then?"

"We planted it there, together...then I never saw her again."  He smiled at Cynder.  "You look like a young version of her, except she was red and gold kinda like Flame."  Cynder stared at the fire with a weird look on her face that Spyro had never seen before...almost like jealousy or something.  He pulled her closer again with his wing.  "I haven't heard from her in years, Cynder...she and her family just...disappeared."

"Am I a replacement for her?" Cynder asked, catching Spyro off-guard.

"Why would you think that?"  Cynder didn't respond.  He rubbed his cheek lightly against hers.  "Cynder, you're my best friend, you replace no one."

She remained silent as she struggled with herself; Spyro thought he saw a few gleams from her necklace but couldn't tell for sure if it was the necklace or some other light source.  Eventually she leaned against him with a shiver, a tear rolling down from her eye onto his shoulder.  "Spyro...I'm scared of myself..."  She turned and buried her face against his chest as he hugged her with his forelegs.  Spyro accidentally caught himself on her horns but succeeded in leaning his head against her neck. 

On the other side of the fire Neves was stirring a small bowl of ointment for Shimmer's lower body...after that workout earlier she was going to be sore tomorrow.  Shimmer winced as her legs began to cramp.  "What's wrong with Cynder?" she asked, seeing the black dragoness's face contort with pain as she turned to the purple dragon by her.

"She's struggling with something," Neves replied, eyeing Cynder as well as Spyro hugged her.  "Something's attacking her..."

"Come to think of it she's told me a few times that she feels like she's under attack...like something's restraining her thoughts..."

Neves shook his head with a low growl.  "Something tells me it has to do with that creature...the one that caught her with its blades in Elamrof.  It stopped attacking when it got her; that leads me to believe it was after her specifically."

"But Plazyma shocked it right after that."

"It was defending itself throughout the battle until then, even against attacks it didn't directly see.  It essentially shut down when it got her."

"What was that?" Shimmer hissed quickly.  Neves looked at where she was looking and barely caught a glimpse of something...silver or white, or was it ice blue?  It was hard to tell in the moonlight, especially with the brief glimpse, but it was something large, roughly Hunter's height.

"What was that?" Neves asked Hunter, who was also watching.  The cheetah sighed in frustration.

"No one really knows.  It showed up around the time Ripto did, only sighted occasionally.  We can't tell what it is or what its intentions are...but several who were found injured at the Ruins last week said something dressed in white saved them from a band of ape generals."

"They didn't see what it was?"

"One of them thought it was me in disguise, but I was nowhere around at the time."

"That's weird..." Shimmer said, then hissed as Neves slowly poured the herbal soup over her legs.

"This is gonna sting but it'll significantly reduce the pain."

Shimmer's pains were alleviated for the time being; Neves said the plants around the area weren't the best so the effects would probably wear off rather quickly.  The salve was supposed to be a day-long effect, but they had barely made it past the Settlement gates when Shimmer's legs gave out.  Neves had to carry her again as he and Spyro headed for the library.  Popular vote had assigned Flame as a sort of tour guide for Plazyma and Caelos, so he led them around town for a bit.  Cynder accompanied them, but only briefly; after a few stops she slipped off and immediately headed for her old home, hoping someone else hadn't taken it or messed it up.  When she could see the columns, the ones Spyro used as a landmark, she paused...could she possibly do something about the tree over Spyro's home?  Or did he have something in there he might like to see again?  She really wanted to go to her old home, but...

"Ah, what the hell," she said with a shrug.  "We're here for a week."  She headed for Spyro's hill, stopping a few times to sniff at some patches of frezonias, smiling to herself...how she loved the smell of those... eventually she found his hill, and stopped in her tracks in horror.  Gnasty hadn't just wrenched up the tree, he'd smashed its limbs off and torn it completely out of the ground, then decimated the hill.  There were deep puddles from gouges in the ground left from his hammer.  "Oh my gosh..." she whimpered as she studied the tree's remains.  It was still partly alive, but a lot of it was drying and withering.  Many of the bright purple blossoms were brown and shriveled.  One lone twig caught her eye and she whipped it off with the blade on her tail, then carefully planted the cut end in the moist soil by the stream, now almost a river from the depressions in the ground from Gnasty's antics.  Cynder gazed at the green leaves and pretty blossoms still on the twig, sighing as she hoped it would survive.  Not knowing why she did so later, she busied herself with gathering as many live branches as she could and planting them in the ground, until there was a small army of purple-bloomed branches sticking up like a haphazard garden along the edges of the stream.  Smiling at her work she tried to find a way into the hill, but Gnasty had beaten the stone so much that there was no way she could get in now...even if she could, everything inside would have been crushed under the blows and debris.  Memories went through her head...how he'd carried her here, fed her, kept her warm that one night... "It's so sad; we were alone for so long..."  Unable to do much else she turned and headed for her old cave, taking one last look at the dying tree.  It was too heavy for her to move, and too wet to burn...she couldn't do anything to help it survive.  Somehow, that almost made her cry.

Deep underground in the restricted areas of the Settlement library, Neves and Spyro were feverishly flipping through books and scrolls regarding curses and the Nonsleepers while some nurses tended to Shimmer.  Spyro rubbed his eyes and shook his head.  "*bleep* it...I could probably recite a few curses now after reading all this..."

"We'll need to break that curse," Neves said as he read a page.  "Apparently Nonsleepers can manipulate existing curses...if we have to fight them, they could essentially convert Caelos to their own plans.  Ripto's got something planned and I'm starting to think he's intending to use these creatures..."

"That reminds me," Spyro said slowly.  "That dark crystal and the dragon armor we found...what were those?  Ignitus looked shocked when we brought those down to that vault."

Neves' eyes darkened.  "The dark crystal, Spyro, was a gem charged with the darkness element.  Plazyma and Caelos found an electric one, and Shimmer and I found a water one.  The Dragon Armor, though, should not have been there.  Those were ancient artifacts you two found, and very dangerous."

"...How are they dangerous?  We used them in the fight."

"Out there, they're merely armor.  Here, they enhance your abilities, but feed on your energy to do so.  And with Ripto's use of magic, he could probably cast a spell on them to suck all your energy out and transfer it to himself."

"Cynder thinks Ripto has a plan for them...what are they?"

Neves fell silent as he leafed through a book.  "I can't say," he finally sighed.  "I'm sorry, but it's a guardian secret; technically I'm not even supposed to know."  Spyro sighed and turned back to his book, a bit frustrated.  "If it helps any, Spyro, the fact that we got them means that Ripto can't complete anything with them."

"Not much of a help...gah, I can't focus, it's so dull down here!"

"We'll take a break soon, just find what you can and we'll note it down after a snack."

-----------------------------------------------

The next day didn't offer much change, except that Cynder returned from her cave after a night of hunting gnorcs.  Now that they'd had a tour of the Settlement, the others were out roaming the streets while Spyro, Neves and Caelos continued their research.  Around noon Spyro and Caelos left while Neves insisted on continuing, even though he was falling asleep.

"Did you get the stuff? Spyro asked as Cynder joined them.

"Yep.  Do Neves or Shimmer know yet?"

"Nope."

"Good!  Now c'mon!"

"Race!" Caelos shouted, bolting ahead.  Spyro and Cynder laughed and followed him shouting "Cheater!" until they spotted Flame and Plazyma with Hunter.

Down in the library, Neves suddenly snapped awake and rubbed his eyes with a groan when he felt a familiar tongue on his cheek.  "Hey Shimmer..."  He stretched with a long yawn.  The water dragoness giggled as she watched.

"You look so different without your glasses."

He just smirked and put his glasses on.  "Lemme guess, less nerdy right?"

She rubbed against him.  "Kinda...I think you need smaller frames."  Their eyes met briefly and they paused, staring at each other until at the same time they looked away with heavy blushes in their facial scales.  "Uuhhhm...why don't we find the others?" she suggested, feeling a bit awkward.

"Y-yeah..." he stuttered, rubbing his neck.  Shimmer stretched her sore, aching legs, and together they shyly left the room, sometimes gathering enough courage to tail-caress or lightly touch with their wings as they headed up to the main hallways.  Eventually though, Neves touched his muzzle to hers as he walked next to her, and she smiled and returned the gesture.

"Neves...are we old enough to...y'know, date and such?"

"In another year we will be.  If you don't count the temple games as dates," he added with a sly grin.  She laughed.  "Shimmer..."  She paused as he looked around for anyone that might be in hearing range.  "Do you...consider me a boyfriend?" he asked quietly with a slight blush.  She pretended to think it over, tapping her tail on the floor and her wings on her shoulders.

"Weeeeellllllllllllllll...maybe I do, maybe I don't."  She smiled at him, then looked away with a shy blush similar to his.  "But I like you.  You're different from other dragons."

Neves chuckled awkwardly.  "Like Flame said, the nerds get the girls..."

"You're not just a nerd, Neves!  Oh how do I put this..."  She sat down closer to him and pulled his glasses down his muzzle so she could see his blue eyes.  "You're really nice to me.  Spyro and the others are too but...I dunno..."

"Well if it helps any..."  He cleared his throat nervously.  "I don't know why really but...I...I care about you, Shimmer.  I don't know if it's sympathy and familiarity of water dragons or something else but...I just want you to...be happy, I guess.  I mean, I want the others to as well, since I watched Spyro and Cynder for almost a year, but..."  He paused to gather his thoughts, absently looking up at her with his eyes. 

"Whaddaya mean you forgot to remind him?" Cynder hissed as they came down the hallway.  Spyro shot her a glare.

"Well sorry, but it gets really bor--in..."

"What?"  Spyro turned her head and they both ducked behind a statue and peeked around it.  Neves and Shimmer were just sitting there in the middle of the hallway, staring at each other with half-closed eyes and slight smiles.  Very slowly they leaned forward and touched noses lightly, their smiles growing a bit, unaware that their tails were sweeping over the tiles in enjoyment and happiness. 

"Cynder, backtrack," Spyro whispered very quietly.  Cynder followed him as they carefully crept back around the corner.  "Maybe we should wait for a bit."

"Yeah..."  They walked back up to the gate to wait, their heads secretly ablaze in thought.  Deep inside, Spyro wished he was Neves there, and Shimmer was Cynder... Cynder too wished the same thing; she wanted to be that open with Spyro.  They sideglanced at each other; Spyro caught a slight glint of pain in her eyes, and put his wing over her and pulled her close.  Even if they couldn't openly admit they liked each other, at least he could comfort her.  Cynder leaned against him in appreciation. 

"You okay?"

"Yeah...just...a lot on my mind..."

"Let's wait for them at the main doorway since they're on their way out."

Not too long afterwards Neves and Shimmer came down the hallway with more serious expressions, trying to hide their smiles.  Spyro and Cynder intentionally rounded the corner just as they approached, Spyro almost bumping into Neves.  "Whoa, where'd you come from?" Neves asked in surprise.

"We were coming to find you, actually.  The others are waiting."

Hours later, seven tired dragons headed to the inn, full of sugar and party food and still laughing about the games they'd played.  Neves and Shimmer were still a bit confused about why they'd been given a party, but as Spyro said, it was also a bit of a celebration for their success on Elamrof and just a general escape from the stresses of their duties as partial guardians.  In the inn lobby, they met Hunter, who happened to be looking for them.

"Are you ready?"

"...Ready for what?" Plazyma asked.

"In case you forgot, you're to get outfitted tonight.  For armor.  My friend Logan has agreed to craft you your own custom armor sets."

"Agh!  I forgot all about that..." Neves groaned, facepawing.  Hunter laughed. 

"It shouldn't take him too long; all he needs to do is measure you individually, then he can work on the stuff while you rest."  The cheetah's eyes narrowed at Spyro.  "Also...Spyro, Gnasty has emerged."

"Crap...but why're you looking at me?  Shouldn't someone else take him on?"

"He's called for you specifically.  He wants a challenge.  He'll be near Warfang, in the Ancient City a few miles from the dam."

Spyro rolled his eyes and sighed.  "Great..."

"We'll come with you Spyro," Flame said a bit enthusiastically.

"No..." Spyro said, thinking.  "I don't like this.  Gnasty is in league with Ripto, so why would he alone be challenging me?  There's a trap in this..."

"It may not be a comfort at all, but Ripto's minions, Crush and Gulp, were sighted around there today.  Scouts think they're establishing a base."

"What of Tephra?"

"Nothing of her, Ripto or the mage has been found."

After a bit more conversation they followed Hunter to Logan's smithy.  It took a while for him to see them; he was busy in the back with a batch of swords, so they milled around his shop, eyeing the various armor sets and weapons and other metalworks he had on display.  "Ooooh this is cool," Flame remarked, indicating a large battle-axe set with fiery red jewels and metals.

"I've had my eye on this for a while," Hunter mumbled as he flipped a bow in his paws.  The outer edge was set with razor-sharp blades shaped like flames.

Presently the back door swung open with a rush of hot air and noise of bellows in the back room, and a tall gruff lion stepped out, wiping his paws and hammer on his apron.  "Hunter, you're late."

"They were wrapped up in a little personal event," the cheetah replied.  "These are the dragons I was talking about, the ones chosen by the guardians."

Logan eyed them briefly, then grinned.  "All right, follow me into the back.  It'll take two days to get your armor done, keep that in mind."  They followed him into the back room, blinking and cringing at the heat from the furnaces and the noise of the bellows blasting air at several rows of glowing metal rods.  Several mole-like Manweersmalls were scurrying about, tending to the furnace coals, hammering various things and cleaning every which way.  Logan took his time measuring each of the seven dragons, making sure he had their sizes and proportions accurately recorded.  He was surprised at Neves' wing-blades and the spines along his back.  "Do you use these spines in combat?" he asked as Neves flexed them, making them stand straight out.

"Not always but they do come in handy."

"Hmmm...this will be tricky."  He measures Neves' back spines, including their length, width and the gaps between them.  "Okay...the armor I'll make for you will be bi-plated, you'll need someone to help you put it on since you'll need to slide the straps under your spines."  Neves and Shimmer exchanged a brief glance and grin before the lion stood up and dismissed them.  "Come back in two days and I'll have it ready for you, or if you have to go somewhere I'll send it to you."  They thanked him and headed back to the inn, glad to be away from the heat of the furnaces and the smells of hot metal and burning coal.  As they passed by a certain street, Flame paused and the others stopped and glanced back at him.

"You guys go, I'm...gonna check in with my parents," he said nervously, as if he didn't want to go.

"I'll come with you," Hunter offered, seeing Flame's apprehension.  As the two headed down the side-street, the others headed back to the inn, walking to the room given to them.  Shimmer giggled and wiping a small bit of icing off Neves' nose.

"You've had that for two hours now," she teased.  "I think we should all take a bath before going to bed."

"Sounds really good," Caelos said with a yawn.  "Ow!" he yelped as something shocked him.

"No talking," Plazyma warned.  Caelos rolled his eyes with a sigh.  "That's better."  The others laughed and they all headed for the inn's hot spring for a quick rinse.  They were alone in there, and took the chance to goof off a bit, swimming through the water and splashing each other.  Shimmer repeated her speed trick and quickly got a strong whirlpool going as she swam in rapid circles underwater, dragging the others into the center of the liquid vortex and laughing underwater as they tried but failed to swim out of it.  Finally they were too tired to continue, climbing out of the pool and shaking themselves off.  Plazyma eyed the towels laid out for them.  "How do dragons use towels?" she asked.

"Like this," Spyro said, splaying himself on a towel and rubbing himself on it before rolling onto his back and wriggling against the fabric, drying off as much of himself as he could.  The others laughed and repeated his trick, then headed to the room when they were dry enough to not leave pawprints on the floor as they walked.  Spyro and Neves stayed behind to hang up the towels, a bit tricky without thumbs.  "Neves...think Gnasty might recruit Nonsleepers?" he asked as he walked on his hind legs, carrying three towels.

"I sure hope not, but it's possible," Neves replied as he hung the towels on some pegs on the wall, having to jump to reach them. 

"What about that...white thing Hunter was talking about?"

"Huh?"

"The white-dressed figure others are seeing around here."

Neves thought briefly.  "I'd have to see it for myself, I can't say anything about it since I don't know what it is."

Spyro sighed with apprehension.  He'd taken Gnasty out of commission more than anyone else ever had, but now that the giant gnorc was in league with Ripto and Tephra and that weird mage guy...he was scared.  What new tricks would Gnasty Gnorc have in store for him?  What bothered Spyro the most though was this weird white creature...Hunter made it sound like it had good intentions, but Spyro had seen it several times in recent dreams, coming after him to attack him...what was going on?

Later that night Flame passed by the balcony entrance, pausing to listen in on Shimmer and Cynder chatting with Plazyma. 

"Why would she, though?  She's a freakin' wimp!"

"I know!  She's also a flip-flopper; she was really rude to us until we saved her, then suddenly she's all 'you're my friend'."

"I'm just glad she's gone, the less annoyances we have the better we can fight Tephra and the others.  Ember might have some sort of power to her that Ignitus picked up on, but she doesn't have the brains to use it."

"What about Flame?"

"What about him?" Cynder asked.  "To be honest, I'd rather not be around him, I don't like how he eyes me all the time.  He doesn't have much common sense either; after being on my own and dealing with lack of common sense, it just irks me to no end."

"He can be nice but he's more of a hindrance right now than a help, unless we can get him more accurate with that beam of his."

"He's useless until he learns to fight, we're always having to save him in combat," Plazyma mused, looking over her claws.

Flame choked a bit and headed for the garden quickly.  Spyro happened to be headed in from the garden, but heard claws on the floor and hid behind a pillar to see who it was.  Flame passed by with a slight sniffle, his tail dragging on the floor...something was wrong.  Spyro quietly followed him out into the garden.  Flame went deep into the maze-like system of walls and hedges, ending up at a fountain where he sat down and wiped his eyes.  "I'm so tired of this..."

Spyro quietly neared him.  "Flame?  Something wrong?"

Flame tried to speak but fell silent when he felt he'd break down, finally just shaking his head.  Spyro felt someone coming closer and turned to see Caelos flying up to them.  Finally Flame forced himself to speak, his voice cracking badly.  "Why do I have to be so weak in everything?  Why does everyone hate what I like?"

"What triggered this?" Caelos asked.

"The girls...they hate me, they hate Ember...I'm so tired of being useless..."

Spyro sideglanced at Caelos uneasily at the mention of Ember, getting an equal reaction from the wind dragon.  "Well...nothing against Ember, Flame, but she is a bit of an airhead...to put it lightly.  But who knows, dragons can change with time, she might get better."  "Hopefully soon," he added in a whisper that Flame didn't hear.

Caelos stood by Flame.  "You'll do fine.  You just need time and patience."

"But everything I do is always a burden to someone!" Flame persisted, tears running down his face.  "I try to help my parents, I end up ruining something!  I wanted to help rescue Ember and all I did was get in the way and get yelled at!  Every time we fight together I can't do anything right!  Even simple training I can't do!!"  He punched the water angrily.  "I'm so sick of it!"

"Flame-"

"Just leave me alone," the red dragon half-yelled, running away.  Spyro and Caelos sighed and headed back inside, not seeing two shadows hiding near the doorway of the temple.  Spyro thought he smelled berries but didn't pay it much mind.

The next morning Flame woke up with a long yawn and stretch, still feeling upset and not wanting to do his training.  As he headed into the temple, not really watching where he was going because of all that was going on in his mind, he passed by Neves, who did a double-take.  "Spyro?"  Flame just kept walking, not noticing that Neves was looking at him.  "Yo, purple scales!"  Neves chased him and tapped him.

"Wha?"

"What's--whoa, Flame?!"  Neves stepped back in confusion.

"Huh?  What?"

"Take a look at yourself!"

Confused, Flame glanced back at himself and froze --  he was purple!  He suddenly realized he was also feeling sticky...he looked at his paws and caught a whiff of berry juice.  He hesitantly licked his paw.  "...Berries?!"

Shimmer and Cynder strode into the room giggling about something, but when they saw Flame they paused.  At the same moment Spyro came in looking for Neves with Plazyma and Caelos, and they all stopped as everyone looked back and forth between Flame and Spyro.  Flame felt himself going very red in the face, embarrassed and wanting to hide.  Shimmer and Cynder suddenly burst out laughing.

"WOW!  I didn't think that would happen!" Cynder laughed.  "He looks exactly like Spyro!"

"Maybe now he'll finally do something useful," Plazyma grunted as Spyro walked up to Flame.  Plazyma's comment lit the fuse...they all jumped as Flame yelled and burst out crying.

"STOP IT!!!! JUST STOP IT YOU IDIOTS!!!" he screamed.  "STOP TREATING ME LIKE AN IDIOT!!! STOP INSULTING EMBER!!! JUST STOOOP!!!!" With that he bolted off.  They all stood there in shock, the guardians hurrying into the room shortly afterward.

"What's going on here?!" Ignitus demanded angrily. He turned to Neves, but Neves flicked his eyes over at the two girls without them seeing.  "What did you do to Flame?" he asked, turning to them.

They hunkered a bit lower...they'd been caught.  "It was...just a joke..." Cynder whimpered.

"I'll get him," Spyro said, but stopped when Ignitus cleared his throat.

"No, you'll stay here.  Rivyera, Cyril, go find Flame and bring him back here."  The two elder dragons left. 

"No one is leaving this room until the dilemma is explained," Volteer said crossly.  "Such acts of foolishness are not permitted here, especially from those under instruction of guardians."

Shimmer and Cynder sat against the wall, staring at the floor and hiding behind their wings.  Spyro and Neves were eyeing them uncertainly, which made them feel even worse.  Rivyera and Cyril eventually came back with Flame, who had tear streaks down his face where his tears had washed off the berry juice.  "You owe Flame an apology."  Cyril looked at Plazyma sternly.  "You too."  Shimmer and Cynder timidly apologized to Flame, but Plazyma looked over her claws as if nothing was going on.  "Plazyma."

"What?  I didn't participate, all I've done is point out his faults."

"In a gossiping manner and behind his back."

Terrador raised his voice.  "If you're going to expend energy pointing out another's faults, you should take the initiative to help them overcome those faults."

"Lemme guess, the whole stupid 'warriors' rigmarole again?"

"Plazyma, stop," Neves growled, but she ignored him.  Terrador was angry.

"I was hoping we wouldn't have to come down to this," Nightshade grunted, rolling his eyes.  Plazyma shrieked as she fell flat to the floor, energy arcs binding her tight.  "You, young dragoness, need to learn some respect for others.  Now apologize to Flame."

"Okay okay I'm sorry!  OW lemme go!"

"Will you accept your punishment that you and these two will also partake in?" Volteer asked.

"What is it?" she demanded snidely.

"Do you accept it?"

"*bleep* you!  Yes already!"  She groaned as she was released.

"Shimmer, Plazyma, Cynder, you are to escort Flame to the garden pool and wash him off," Ignitus instructed them.  "Spyro, Neves, Caelos, we need to talk."  The three girls sullenly escorted Flame, Rivyera following them, while the others remained in the main room.  When they were gone, Ignitus closed all the doors, much to their confusion.  "What happened last night?"

Spyro shook his head.  "I don't know, all I know is that when I came in from the garden, Flame came out all upset about something."

"He felt like trash," Caelos sighed.  "Said he was weak in everything he does.  That no one respects things he likes."

Nightshade sighed.  "It's true that Flame needs a lot of training...I assume he was upset about the general attitude towards Ember?"

Neves nodded.  "He feels very strongly for her it seems."

"He does indeed.  Apparently not too long ago she wasn't such an airhead, what happened to her though, no one knows.  But he's known her his whole life and has an attraction to her, which is understandable.  He's confused, though, especially with her being oblivious to him when Spyro's around.  She's not the dragoness he used to know."

"How do you know this?" Ignitus asked.

"I found Flame out in the garden a while ago, he was depressed and I talked to him.  He was confused about females and their haphazard..." He noticed Rivyera's glance.  "Um..."  Neves and Spyro burst out laughing at Nightshade's embarrassment. 

"Well regardless of the problem, we'll need to get Flame on more effective training.  Now Spyro, Neves...do either of you know about Caelos's curse?"  Neves nodded but Spyro looked back at Caelos in confusion.  "Caelos, in order to save Plazyma from a terrible fate, allowed himself to be put under a severe curse by creatures nicknamed 'Nonsleepers'."  Neves' face darkened and his tail twitched in agitation against Spyro's, which drew Spyro's attention.

"What're Nonsleepers?" he asked.  Neves sighed and readjusted his glasses with a serious look.

"I've done a great deal of research in the Temple's lower libraries...the Nonsleepers are ghosts.  The spirits of evil mages who very long ago were taken by their own evil works and were cursed to remain here, to atone for their evildoing.  Some have atoned and passed on; the majority, however, perpetuate their curse by continuing in darkness.  The Nonsleepers have been bound to Elamrof Mountain like so many other evils upon Malefor's entrapment in Convexity; they're thought to be the reason many travelers do not return when they seek to scale the mountain.  I thought they had become dormant but it seems Tephra and Ripto's actions have re-awakened them."

Caelos looked to Cyril and the old ice dragon cleared his throat.  "Upon hearing of Caelos's plight, we guardians have decided, Neves, that we were in error with you."  Nightshade looked to them in surprise.  "In order that you might more effectively assist Caelos with his curse, and in general act to stay Ripto's forces and plans, we guardians of the Dragon Temple forthwith declare that you are no longer bound to guardianship.  Your first mission in assisting Caelos mandates this, for no one under guardian bonds may access the library we shall send you to."

Spyro stared at Neves, who sat there with a blank look of shock on his face.  His glasses slipped down his muzzle and brought him back to reality with a sharp cough.  "I-I'm...I'm not a guardian?"

Volteer sighed.  "You are still a guardian as much as Spyro and your companions; you may pursue your training as you desire or as we see fit to prepare you and the others for the road ahead.  However, you are not bound to the temple and the guardianship training you have been subjected to since your birth."

Neves couldn't decide if he was shocked or elated.  "I...I'm...free?"

"In essence, yes," Nightshade grunted with a warm grin.

"We have seen the changes in your behavior since you brought Spyro and Cynder here," Cyril explained.  "We have recently determined that, although your seclusion may have made you somewhat of a brat..." They chuckled at Neves's glare.  "Exposure to others your age has apparently been instilling more responsibility in you than your training and our guidance was capable of.  We recommend that you continue your relationships with your friends and devote less time to guardianship, if you so choose.  You have been trained too much to completely free yourself of your duties here, however, but the fact still remains that we were in error in keeping with the tradition with only one child to pass on knowledge to."

Neves sat quietly, staring at the floor as he thought this over.  A dark look passed over his eyes and he glanced back up at Ignitus.  "But...If...If I'm no longer bound to guardianship, then...doesn't that mean the time of guardians will end?"

Ignitus was quiet for a bit as he considered how to answer this.  "Neves, we're growing old.  Knowledge of the Temple's purpose has long left the majority of the world; for the most part, we are forgotten.  The new rise of evil far surpasses our abilities in our old age.  With the advent of the purple dragon always comes a great peril to the world; the guardians are the protective force in the time between the violetscales.  Our time is over.  You are proof of that.  In our time, we were what you are to us; we surpassed others in elemental prowess almost exponentially.  But now that you and the others have arrived, and have power levels ours can barely scratch, our time is over.  Guardians will be needed far later, decades after Spyro and you have left this world...but the age of guardianship has reached its end.  We are merely mentors to you young ones now."

"But what does this have to do with Caelos's curse?" Spyro asked.  "Isn't it unbreakable?"

"There is always a way to break evil," Ignitus said.  "We cannot access the libraries deep underground here, but now that Neves is no longer officially of guardian status, I need you three to head down there and research Nonsleeper curses.  Neves, you're already the best combat fighter of the group, so you can afford a gap in training.  Spyro and Caelos both carry tremendous elemental power and knowledge of how to use it in addition to their fighting abilities, so you too can afford a research delay.  But be as quick as you can about it.  The others are not to know of this just yet, especially after this blow-up from Flame."

"What about Ripto?" Caelos asked.

"No word of him yet," Rivyera sighed.  "I find this very suspicious.  It's too quiet, which is why we need you to find out what you can about Caelos's curse.  He cannot come into physical contact with Plazyma, or use his wind powers too much per day."

"If he does?" Spyro asked.  Caelos sighed sadly.

"I lose my wings.  And my wind."

A strange fire lit in Spyro's eyes as they flared in shock.  "Well then let's get cracking already!"

"While you're down there," Ignitus called as they ran, getting them to pause, "Spyro, I think you remember quite well the creatures that attacked you and almost ate Cynder?  I want you to look those up down there.  Find out what you can here, then in your next trip to the Settlement, gather more information if possible.  These things should not even exist, and they are incredibly dangerous."

Neves led the way through a maze of underground tunnels, finally pausing at a set of huge glowing doors in the side of the hallway.  "What's down there?" Spyro asked, pointing down the hallway.

"This is the farthest I've ever been, so I don't know.  Ignitus says it's incredibly dangerous down the even for him, and he's freakin' linked to this place.  Soooo...yeah, I don't trust going down there.  I want to see, but if Ignitus can't go down there safely, it must be dangerous."  The huge doors swung back silently and thousands of small lights appeared in midair.  Neves picked up a lamp with his mouth and swung it wildly through the air, catching a few of these tiny lights.  Setting it down he turned to find Caelos about to touch one.  "NO!"  Caelos jerked his paw back.  "These are caused by whatever is further down those tunnels.  Ever heard of ball lightning?"

"Yes," Spyro said, and Caelos nodded in agreement.  "But what is it?"

Neves swiftly hooked the lamp on the scythe-blade of his wing-thumb and carried it as he walked.  "These points of light are made of plasma, which is super-excited matter.  When something heats up, its matter becomes more and more excited -- it moves around a lot more as it absorbs the heat energy.  Fire is over-excited matter, mostly gas caused by this motion as the matter begins to break down from all the motion.  Plasma is the next step; in really hot fires, plasma is the core of the flame.  It's also the core of lightning."  Neves shook the lamp.  "Ball lightning is lightning in obvious spherical form, contained in this shape by strong electrical fields and floating among reactive gas such as swamp gas, which filters down here from the swamp.  These little specks can melt right through you or set your scales on fire; that's how much energy is contained in plasma.  That's probably where Plazyma gets her name from."

"But wouldn't they dissipate?" Caelos asked.

"That's what I don't understand.  Ball lightning is usually rather short-lived because its containment is unstable, so it can grow to be quite large before it dissipates.  These things though are tiny and constant, which I don't understand, but then again it may be some technology I'm unaware of."

"How come nothing's on fire here?" Spyro asked, watching the beads of light part before them.

"Again, I don't know.  We should be safe from them if we don't try to touch them here; further in, they're supposedly made of other materials.  This room we don't need anything from, nor the next room.  The next level down is where we're headed."

"So it's like a security measure..."

"Your guess is as good as mine down here, though that does seem to be the case given their dangerous potential."  They fell silent as Neves slipped the lamp off his wing and carried it in his mouth. 

"How far down is it?"

Neves shrugged.  "'Bou hree ourth," he said, making Spyro and Caelos pause in surprise.

"Three hours?! How big is this place?!?"

Neves set the lamp down.  "The libraries themselves...well, it's better to show you, we're not far from the door.  It's huge for us because we can't fly properly yet; when we can the trip will be drastically shorter.  Nightshade used to carry me down here and fly around with me on rainy days when I was really young, sometimes Rivyera would bring me down and read some really old songs."  He picked the lamp back up and led them to the far wall, in which were three gigantic stone doors of red, green and blue.  Choosing the blue door he nudged it slightly, and the door swung back with a shower of sparks.  Spyro and Caelos gaped at what lay before them; a GIGANTIC cavern containing shelves upon shelves upon shelves of books, scrolls, maps...millennia of knowledge from all over the world it looked like.  Neves set the lamp just outside the door in the room they'd come from, no longer needing it in the light of the cavern, quickly picking up a small key.  Spyro studied a silver orb as it floated by him in the gloom, casting a myriad of colors.  "Cool ithn' ih?" Neves asked.

"Cool nothing, this place is...geez!"  They followed him along huge, suspended walkways that spanned between the gigantic stone bookshelves, amazed at the construction of this place with its tall columns, long walkways and the many, many smaller paths that extended from the shelves to allow access to books not reachable from the main paths.  A gigantic central pillar bore a spiraling path that led up and down; Neves stuck the key into the railing near the ramp and something clicked down below.  He led them down along this until they couldn't see the entrance doors anymore.  Another mid-air bridge lay before them, leading to a central round platform of shelves, tables and a resting area, with more of those huge stone shelves towering just within arm's reach of the edges. Neves set the lamp down and flexed his jaw a few times.  "Is this it?" Spyro asked, noticing that they were directly underneath the entrance tunnels with the ball lightning.

"Hardly; this is the geographical history section.  I think we should try to pick up a few scrolls or books about Elamrof while we're here."

"Geographical history?  And how will we carry them?"

Just like gems and other items, a few robes dropped out of nowhere from Neves with small flashes.  "These are library robes; you keep things in the pockets.  These books are protected from our ability to collect things, to prevent theft.  It's effective since we can't easily carry books, but all the same it makes research that much harder."

"What're we looking for?" Spyro asked as he helped Caelos get a robe on.  The robes were more like capes that draped over their sides. 

"ELAMROF," Neves shouted, but not at Spyro.  All of a sudden the circular platform spun slowly, bringing their current location to a bookshelf that was now glowing.  "GEOGRAPHY."  The bookshelf buzzed and turned red, much to Neves' surprise.  He tried to grab a book and yelped when the book shocked him rather violently.

"What the hell?!"

"It's restricted," Neves groaned, flexing his paw and trying to get rid of the numbness.  "*bleep*...only the guardians can unlock it."  He sighed and shrugged.  "No point musing about it, we've got another hour or so of walking to reach our destination."

"I think Caelos has a question," Spyro said, getting Neves to stop.  Caelos motioned to his mouth and pretended to bite.

"Food?" Neves asked, getting a nod.  "How do we get food?"  Another nod.  "I've brought some, since we really don't want to rely on the Temple's food system here.  Mushrooms are good and all but if you're spending days down here researching...yeah.  Talk about upset stomach."

"Eesh," Spyro said with a shiver as they continued their journey.

----

Out in the garden, Flame was rather enjoying the attention he was getting from the girls.  "Lucky me, even if they're jerks," he mouthed to himself.  They couldn't see; they were all behind him scrubbing the last of the berry juice off his tail.  They were very quiet, not having much to say as they thought over their actions.  Plazyma looked ready to kill someone, which didn't help.  Eventually however she sighed and turned to Flame.

"I'm sorry."

The others froze and looked up at her.  "Did...did Plazyma just...apologize?" Cynder asked Shimmer.  Plazyma ignored them as Flame looked up at her in utter surprise and quickly flinched when he saw the anger-saturated glare still hanging on her face.

"Wha...?"

"Flame, I'm not gonna beat around the bush.  You're a moron, and I'm not sorry for what I said earlier because it's true.  You're useless in combat as you are now."  She turned back to his tail and splashed some more water on it, inadvertently splashing Cynder.  "But I was wrong to speak behind your back like that.  We all were.  I'm just voicing what these two are too soft-minded to say for themselves."

Shimmer and Cynder started to retort, but couldn't...they knew Plazyma was right.  After another brief period of silence Cynder groaned and scrubbed Flame's thigh rather vigorously.  "*bleep*...Flame, I think the juice stained your scales."

"Great..."

"It'll wear off in a week or so," Shimmer said, standing up to stretch. 

Cynder yawned and stood up as well.  "Flame, get up.  We're all going to the training room."

"We are?" Shimmer asked uncertainly. 

"Yes.  Flame's gonna learn how to fight."  She grabbed Flame's chin with a growl.  "Right?"

"U-uh yeah, s-sure," he squeaked.  They headed into the dojo and immediately set to training him, but as they sparred and taught Flame how to block attacks, Cynder kept glancing at the Pool room...where was Spyro?

-----

Spyro groaned and closed the book, rubbing his eyes and sending a chill of ice down his spine to wake himself up.  He was amid a mess of hours of scrolls and books and diagrams...he was scared.  Neves and Caelos were researching Elamrof and the Nonsleepers, and Spyro was supposed to be helping, but...what he'd found...

"You okay?"

"Huhwha?!" Spyro yelped with a start.

"You were nodding off," Neves said, punching Spyro lightly in the shoulder.  "Found anything?"

Spyro yawned.  "Yes and no..."  He looked at the open books a bit shamefully.  "I was...researching those monsters that almost ate Cynder."

Neves' grin flatlined.  "Ah."

"Sorry, but...I found a connection between them and those ghosts and it kinda-"

"Wait whoa whoa, connection?!"

"Uh oh..."

"Spyro you should've told us!" Neves half-yelled as Caelos came near.  "What've you found?"

Spyro quickly turned to a book and madly flipped through it.  "Here.  Nonsleepers were found enhancing predatory lizards in the southern lands about a thousand years ago, as a 'business' deal with some league of evil.  They hit on the design we've encountered several times, but as I thought after seeing these things, there are different varieties.  The one that attacked Cynder at her cave was a Darkness beast, which explains why it warped away like it did when I startled it.  I should've hit it harder; they're incredibly weak.  The one that chased me and Plazyma was a Fear variety, immune to electricity unfortunately.  The one that almost ate Cynder was a Shield; they have immense strength, more so than the other versions; they were the front lines of enemy hordes way back in those ancient times."

"How far south are we talking here?" Neves asked suspiciously.

"Uuuuhhhhh..."  Spyro read over the page again.  "Karstin.  That ring a bell?"

"Sure as hell does," Neves growled.  "I don't get it; these things are supposed to be extinct, at least this far north."

"That kinda reminds me, why'd you lead me to that skeleton?"

"Huh?"

"I know now that it was you I was following when I found that skeleton a few weeks ago; why?"

"Oh that.  I wasn't allowed in the library at the Settlement, and I wanted you to be there also for the attack because I knew Tephra was planning something.  She was targeting you specifically, so I had you go to the library not only to find out what these things are, but also so that you wouldn't have to fight her minions alone.  The attack was certain, better to have them attack the village so the guards could help you than for them to isolate and kill you, then Cynder, then move to the village."

"Ah..."

"Do these creatures have weaknesses?" Neves asked.

"Not that I can find, unfortunately.  The Darkness ones can be killed with a hard enough blast, and apparently they don't like fire but that may not be their weakness exactly.  There's nothing here so far about their weaknesses."

"Is there more about the Nonsleepers?" Caelos asked.

"Yes, actually; they would use the bigger beasts for transportation, and if a Nonsleeper was killed on top of one, the creature too would die."

"Well there we go, a weakness.  Not like a Nonsleeper's gonna hitch a ride on them while we're on Elamrof..."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Spyro said, reading further.  "This is where I stopped...hang on."  They waited while he hurriedly read.  "It seems there's a mutual parasitic-symbiotic relationship, whatever that is; the ghosts and creatures feed off each other for power and thus grow much stronger.  The ghosts attack with projectile energies, leaving the physical combat to their mounts."

"So they'll use these things readily it seems..."  Neves closed his eyes as he thought.  "You said if a Non is killed on them, they die...but how do you kill a Non?"  He turned to Caelos.  "Do you know?"  Caelos nodded.  "We'll have to discuss this tonight then.  At least we know now to watch out for these tagteams.  Did you find anything about curses, Spyro?"

"No."

"*bleep*..."  Neves sighed.  "Well...back to work then I guess.  Ignitus wouldn't be happy if he found that we didn't get any results after all this time."

"Neves...is there anything about ancient jewelry here?"

"Why?"

"No reason..."

Neves gave him an odd look.  "The Gemology and Jewel Artifacts sections are over there down that passage," he said, pointing towards a door with a large jewel shape over it.  "Don't take too long, we're supposed to be looking up Caelos' curse."  He watched Spyro disappear through the doors, then rubbed his forehead.  "I gotta get outta here...do I seem angry?" he asked, looking up at Caelos.  The wind dragon just nodded rather casually.  "Something about this room..."  His tail twitched as he looked back at the gem door.  "I know why he's concerned...I don't know if Ignitus was right in letting her keep that thing."

----------------

Cynder ran her paw over her necklace absently as she stared at the sky, lying on her back on the balcony as she sunned herself in the midday warmth.  The guys hadn't come back last night...where were they?  "Flame!  I told you to stop watching me!" she called, feeling his intent gaze.

"What the heck, I'm all the way up here!" he called back from the Temple roof.  "You're too sensitive!"

"I said stop looking at me!"

"I can't help it if you're pretty!"

Oh no he didn't!! she thought to herself.  "Maybe not but you can help your eyes!  You're supposed to be working on not watching us girls, remember?"  She twisted her neck around and watched as Flame glided down and then headed into the dojo.  "That's better..."  She turned back around and closed her eyes, spreading her wings flat over the stone tiles to catch as much sun as she could.  Somehow, she felt much stronger after a good sunbath...something about the sunlight seemed to invigorate her, especially after several rounds of sparring with plentiful breath attacks.  She rolled onto her belly and flattened herself out again, almost losing herself to sleep as she relaxed.  Shimmer quietly flew outside, practicing her flight, and glided right over Cynder before going into a rather clumsy narrow loop and landing on the balcony by the black dragoness.  She too spanned herself over the tiles with a sigh of exhaustion.  The noise snapped Cynder out of her trance.  "Oh, Shimmer...tired?"

"No duh...ow my legs," she hissed, her hind legs tensing a bit.  "Ignitus is really adamant about me learning to use my back legs more when fighting."  She stretched her wings and closed her eyes.  "When Spyro and the others get back from wherever they went, Ignitus wants to talk to all of us."

"Oh great...probably more punishment or something..."

"No, I asked him about it.  Our punishment's over.  I have a feeling he's gonna give us a break."

"I could use one..." Cynder groaned as she flexed her tail.  "Did he say where Spyro and Neves and Caelos went?"

"No, he wouldn't say."

Cynder closed her eyes again.  Spyro...where are you?

Around midnight the guys returned, looking very worn-out, and the first thing they did was throw themselves onto their beds with heavy sighs of relief.  Little did they suspect that right around the corner were three pairs of eyes watching them in the darkness, waiting to spring.  Flame walked in, trying to hide his grin and look tired.  He jumped up onto his bed and stretched, lashing the air with his tail.  "Well, look who finally decided to show up," he yawned.  "You guys have any idea how brutal girls are?"

Neves chuckled.  "Nah...they're just brutal to guys like you that try to impress them."

"I think they're brutal whenever they want to be," Spyro replied.  "Girls are weird things."

"Tell me about it..."  Caelos grunted.  "Ember's soft in the head, Cynder's rather tomboyish, Plazyma's a hardshell and Shimmer...dunno exactly how to define her, she's a mystery."

Neves stretched and rolled onto his back.  "Shimmer's not all that bad...but I can't understand why she'd go along with such a cruel prank like that."

"Or like this?!"  They all turned to the doorway with a snap and yelled as Cynder and Shimmer flew at Spyro and Neves.  "Gotcha!" Shimmer giggled as she stood on Neves.  Plazyma quietly walked in and stood by Caelos' bed.  Neves looked over at Flame with a slight glare.

"You set us up."

Flame nodded and laughed.  Cynder jumped and glided to her bed, laughing as Spyro swatted her tail.  "Ignitus is gonna be here soon."  No sooner had she that than the old fire dragon stepped into the room, followed by the other guardians.  "...That's just creepy."

"What is?" Rivyera asked.

"Coming in just when I say you guys are."

Ignitus chuckled.  "Well, now that the boys are back...we wanted everyone to be present so we wouldn't need to repeat ourselves.  This coming week, we're giving you seven some time off from training.  You may head to the mainland to do what you wish."

"I kinda wanna go back to my cave for a bit," Cynder said.  "I mean, we just kinda were here and haven't really gone back."

"Until Ripto and the others make a move, we don't have anything for you young ones to do," Cyril replied.  "You may go back to the Settlement, but don't stray too far; we may need to summon you again.  While you're there we want you to relax."

"But," Nightshade added in his strangely deep voice, "we also need you to keep your eyes and ears open for anything out of the ordinary.  Things may be quiet, but you never know what you may hear."  After some more discussion they all decided to head to the Settlement.  Spyro and Neves said they had more research to do, Cynder wanted to go visit her old haunts for a bit, and the others wanted to see if they could buy anything with the gems they had.  As the others got comfortable on their beds, Spyro could hear Neves and Caelos conversing in the corner of the room, discussing Nonsleepers again.  Neves sure was taking this seriously...

"Spyro!"

Spyro started.  "Huh?"

Cynder giggled.  "Gotcha again.  Where were you guys earlier?"

"I can't say; Ignitus told us not to."

Her grin faded and she rolled back onto her bed to stare at the ceiling.  "It was kinda boring without you."

"Sorry...it was important stuff, I'll just say that.  You'll be told later."

"I kinda want to go hunt down Gnasty if we can, I've been itching to kick some ape or rhynoc or gnorc or whatever kind of butt recently.  The training dummies here aren't much of a challenge."

Spyro smirked...he too wanted to get Gnasty.  His eyes darkened...he wanted revenge for the tree over his old home.  "He's gonna get it someday."

"Hmm?"

"He took out the tree over my house, remember?"

"Yeah, but it's just a tree isn't it?"

Spyro sighed, memories briefly flooding his head.  "No...it was more than just a tree."  Cynder turned her head and eyed him oddly as he sighed again.  "I'll never forget her," he whispered to himself.

"Forget who?" Cynder asked, but Spyro didn't hear her.  Eventually she turned back to her bed and slowly fell asleep, constantly wondering who Spyro might be remembering.

Flame yawned and stretched on his back, completely sore all over and feeling very drained.  He'd finally managed a Fire Fury, but it had almost knocked him out.  He stared at the clouds above, his mind wandering... "It'd be so cool if there was a dungeon or something made of clouds...clouds you can walk on...I bet they'd be all fluffy and cool but still warm with the sun up there..."  He sighed and stretched his wings against the ground, wishing he could fly instead of just gliding.

"HEY FLAME!!! C'MERE A SEC!!!" Neves shouted.  Flame jumped up, his limbs instantly burning, but he hurried over to where Neves's voice had come from.  Shimmer and Cynder were giggling next to each other with Plazyma and Caelos behind them looking only mildly amused.  Spyro was sitting still, an apprehensive look on his face. 

"Uhhh...what's going on?" Flame asked nervously.

"Siddown by Spyro," Shimmer said, and Flame sat down by Spyro hesitantly.  Cynder and Shimmer started laughing and Plazyma smirked. 

"What's this about?" Spyro demanded.

"Both of you look in the water pool behind you," Cynder laughed.  Curious, Spyro and Flame turned around, and their eyes widened -- they were almost mirror images of each other, but in different colors!  The girls had mentioned this several times but only now did they realize it...

"BOO!!" Neves shouted, and Spyro and Flame both yelled as they were pushed headlong into the water.  They laughed, but suddenly Neves yelled and Spyro and Flame just narrowly avoided him as he fell into the pool.  Caelos smirked where Neves had just been, and they all burst out laughing, the three males shaking themselves off.

"Ha ha, very funny," Spyro smirked.  "You okay Flame?"

"Yeah, I should've seen that coming, knowing Neves."

"That was mean, Neves!" Shimmer said, even though she was smiling.

"GET 'IM!!!" Cynder shouted, and the two dragonesses charged at him.  Neves shouted and ran away, Cynder and Shimmer hot on his tail, and the others fell down laughing, even Plazyma and Caelos. 

"OWW CLAWS SHARP!!!  HEY WATCH IT HEY WHOA, CYNDER WAIT STOP AGH!!!"

"KIDS!!" Rivyera called.  "TIME FOR TRAINING!!"

"COMING MOM!!" Neves shouted back, then yelled as Cynder nabbed his tail and Shimmer tackled him.  Spyro and the others headed into the temple with Rivyera, stretching their wings and rolling their heads to flex their necks.  Today was their first major teamwork brawl; there was a large arena in the temple basement which operated much the same as the dojo; the guardians merely had to think about something like targets and the object would appear.  Now that they knew about Caelos's curse, another factor was added to the mix; they had to keep Plazyma and Caelos from coming in contact, and because of his power limitation he couldn't use as much of his wind power as he'd like to so he'd have to be primarily a melee combatant.  Caelos was at a disadvantage there...wind dragons were elementally stronger than other kinds because for survival they had adapted to be distance fighters, sniping with air blasts, and as a result they didn't have great bodily strength.  Caelos could fare well in a group; his solitude had strengthened him considerably but he still lacked the stamina needed.  Plazyma was a loner but she knew the benefit of teamwork...and she was sly.  Her lightning-travel ability had given her a quick and sharp mind, mostly from avoiding obstacles as she moved, and with that she was able to quickly take advantage of opportunities to strike and get out fast.  Flame had to work on everything about combat, but he wasn't one to give up easily even after a beating; his main weakness he had to work on today was his habit of eyeing the girls.  Too many times he'd been knocked upside the head or slammed to the ground because he paused to watch Shimmer or Cynder or Plazyma.  Spyro...aside from Neves, Spyro was the envy of the group with his fighting prowess.  Being an orphan and an outcast had taught him a lot about fighting both physically and elementally.  Cynder knew how to fight too, but her strength was slinking in the background and then delivering a powerful or lethal strike when the chance popped up; she'd use the others to weaken the enemy, then dart in and finish them off.  Both she and Spyro could work together with the others, but Spyro tended to dominate the fight and ignore the others.  They had trained for a while in the dojo for this, working on their weaknesses and strengths in small skirmishes, but with this fight, they were going to be pitted against a real simulation of a small battle, with commanders and various levels of enemies.  When they were finally all gathered, Terrador walked in, the floor under him rising up as he walked and creating a long, curving slope that curled around the arena to a "throne" about twenty feet above them. 

"Are you ready?" he asked.  They all nodded, spreading out a bit and readying themselves.  "GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!!" the earth guardian roared, and all at once a flood of dummies began pouring into the arena from the walls.  For fifteen long grueling minutes the young dragons battled their stuffed enemies, shouting directions and warnings left and right.  Things began falling into disarray as Spyro again started going on his own in the fights, throwing off a few crucial teamwork moves. 

"SPYRO!! WAKE UP AND LISTEN!!" Neves shouted angrily, then yelled as a dummy clubbed his back.  "YOU'RE DOING IT AGAIN DAMMIT!!"

"I am?" Spyro asked, and narrowly avoided a blow as a dummy came at him from his blind spot.  He saw a huge General figure rushing at Caelos, Plazyma and Shimmer.  "GUYS, CLOTHESLINE!!" he shouted, and breathed ice on the floor.  The General slipped and slid at full speed right at the three dragons.  All three jumped into the air and Plazyma and Caelos grabbed Shimmer as she stretched between them.  They jumped up and forward at the last minute and Shimmer grunted as the General's neck slammed against her tail, "choking" the enemy. 

"SPYRO!!" Flame shouted.  "BEHIND YOU!"

"Wha?!"  Spyro was sent flying as the final General whacked him with the flat of its axe.  Cynder jumped up and caught him, both of them rolling as Spyro's inertia sent Cynder falling backwards.  A lone Soldier was behind them, and together they lashed out at the last second, Spyro's claws sinking into its "throat" as Cynder's tail sank right through its torso.  They untangled themselves from each other quickly and watched Flame set the General on fire.  Plazyma blasted it with lightning, Neves froze it solid, Shimmer blasted it with high-pressure water blasts, Caelos sliced its arms off with air blasts, and Spyro and Cynder darted in and finished it off with earth and...shadow?!  Everyone stared at her as the towering dummy fell into dark-flamed pieces and disappeared in a shower of gem shards that quickly healed them all.

"Very good, young ones," Terrador said, flying down to them.  "However, you are not completely done for the day."

"We're not?"

"Who's our...target..."  Neves's eyes widened.  "Oh crap."

"Your final test is me," Terrador growled, crouching.  The others froze in surprise, and yelled as they were rapidly pulled to the ground, unable to move.  "Your test now is to resist the power I have on you.  Tephra will no doubt be mastering gravity control soon."

"NNNGH!" Spyro grunted loudly, trying to force himself up, but the hold of Terrador's gravity power was too much. 

Terrador chuckled.  "You all have worked hard to fight against opposing forces, now you must learn to work with them; channel the earth energy binding you to the floor into your muscles, charge yourselves with it."

"But we're not earth dragons..." Plazyma choked.  "Can't breathe!"

"Don't push yourselves against it or it pulls back even harder; relax."  One by one they relaxed their bodies, if only to catch their breath.  "Feel it pulling you to the floor, feel yourself flat on the tiles...your position makes you in tune with the direction of the energy; the tiles are flat, as you are now.  Earth energy flows through contours as well as within masses; focus on it, feel it move over you."  Flame went from panic to wonder as he did indeed feel something moving through him.  "Take that motion through you, make it move in a different direction.  Make it reverse its course, through you."

There was no response for a while, until Neves began to slowly rise, his legs shaking from the effort.  Next it was Spyro, Caelos, Cynder, Plazyma, Shimmer, and finally Flame, though his tail was still glued to the floor no matter how hard he tried to pry it free from the gravity pull.  "That...was...rough..." he panted.

"Indeed, it usually is the first time," Terrador chuckled.  They all yelled as they were plastered to the floor again.  "But a second time around conditions you far more than once and then a break."

"Terrador-mmph..." Plazyma growled viciously as her legs gave out and she snapped to the floor.  Spyro growled and the earth energy snapped around him, sending visible shockwaves like ripples from where he stood.  Terrador gazed at him in amazement as the purple dragon stood there panting, defying the gravity power pulling at him. 

"Ooooowwwww I can't get up..." Flame whined, tears running down his face from the pain of a vicious cramp in his leg.  Terrador sighed and let them go, getting a simultaneous sigh of relief and exhaustion as they lay there on the floor.

"Be prepared for another round.  Go rest."  He watched as they forced themselves up and walked out slowly, their muscles feeling like fire.  "They're definitely not normal..." he said to himself, "they were able to pass that test faster than even I could."

Spyro sat and watched his friends relax in the warm springwater deep in the temple basement, the water and their wet scales reflecting the multicolored lighting from the fungi on the walls.  For some reason he'd felt stronger as he was fighting Terrador's gravity power...the others were worn out, but he felt his strength returning instead of vanishing.  What was going on?  The question left his mind as he watched Cynder stretch and yawn.  Nearby Shimmer hissed through her teeth as she flexed her foreleg and her shoulder spazzed, and Neves waded over and started gently kneading her arm.  Plazyma and Caelos, as usual, were by themselves at opposite ends of the pool, seemingly oblivious of the others.  Flame was half-asleep and half-submerged in the warm water, his hind leg pulled up a bit near his body to reduce the pain from the cramp.  "That was a brutal exercise..." he eventually groaned.  "And we gotta do it again...man, this guardianship stuff sucks."

"Well, power comes with a price," Neves sighed.  "At least you guys can leave when you want; I'm basically forced to be a guardian."

"That's stupid," Cynder said, looking up at him.

"I know!  It's an ancient rule, though, from ages ago."

"Whaddaya mean?" Caelos asked, showing a bit of interest and concern.

Neves sighed, grinning slightly as Shimmer wrapped her tail around his foreleg.  "Long ago, poor dragon families would send their unhatched eggs to the Temple here, and the guardians would watch over them.  They would raise the children, and a select few of surpassing elemental prowess would be kept at the Temple to be trained as guardians.  From there they would be sent out to the various realms.  This was back in the really dark times, back when Malefor reigned supreme in his early ages.  It's been a custom that dragons born in the Temple, or powerful ones raised here, would be destined for guardianship...I fit both categories, since Nightshade is my dad and Rivyera is my mom.  Dad fought for my freedom from this rule when I told him I didn't like being a guardian, but rules are rules and guardians are not meant to break them...there's really nothing I can do but deal with it.  Cyril doesn't have a successor, but then again neither do the others either, so if others aren't found I'm gonna end up being the only guardian.  And it gets boring FAST here, believe me."

"That really sucks," Plazyma mused but with a flat tone in her voice that irked Neves; it almost sounded like she was sarcastic.

Shimmer sighed and nuzzled Neves.  "Well, I kinda like it here, it's definitely a lot more peaceful here compared to the Settlement."  He looked at her oddly and she grinned.  "Since I don't really have any family anymore, if it's okay with Ignitus and the others I'd like to stay here."

"They'd probably encourage you, and all of you, to consider staying here," Neves said, but his smile faded.  "Ignitus wants us all to be guardians, since we're the strongest in our elements and most of us are homeless."

"My parents are probably wondering where I am," Flame grumbled.  "Not like they care, they usually don't...but I still kinda want to go back and see the Settlement again if I'm gonna be stuck here with this hellish training."

"It's not that bad, Flame," Cynder siad with a yawn.  "I mean, yeah it's tough, but we're probably gonna get hit with worse out there, especially against Ripto and Tephra.  Which reminds me...Gnasty Gnorc is usually a plague here, but ever since Ripto showed up, nothing's been heard from him."  She craned her head back and looked at Spyro upside-down.  "Spyro, have you heard or seen anything about Gnasty lately?"  He didn't respond other than a slight flick of his tail as he stared at the cavern ceiling  "Yo, Spyro!"  A snowball flew over her and hit Spyro upside the face with a resounding paff, snapping the purple dragon out of his trance in a hurry.

"Wha-wha?!"  He looked around sharply.  "What the hell..."

"Ground-zero, we've made contact with violet-scales, requesting permission to--"

"Haha, funny," Spyro growled, making the others laugh.  He wiped the snowball off his face and whipped the slush at Neves.  "What's going on?"

"Discussing enemies...Gnasty's been suspiciously vacant recently," Cynder said, snuggling back into the warm water as her muscles started to pull at her again.

"Oh yeah, that..."

"Whaddaya mean 'oh yeah, that'?" Plazyma asked shortly.

"There's a lot going on recently..."

"Stop worrying, not much we can do anyway now that the bad guys have gone into hiding," she replied. 

"So you're accepting yourself as part of the group?" Shimmer teased.

"Pfff...I could care less, I'm just in this because suddenly I'm some rare dragon everyone's expecting to save the world or something.  I intend to help Caelos with his problem since I'm the source of it, but meh, the rest of you aren't exactly what I'd call 'friend material'."  With that she got out of the water, shook herself off, and headed up to the dojo.  The others were a bit taken aback by her attitude.

"That...was a little uncalled for," Cynder said slowly.

"Geez, someone that pretty having such an attitude..." Flame muttered to himself.

Neves shrugged and massaged Shimmer's cramping foreleg again.  "She doesn't want to admit to herself that she considers us 'friends'."

"How can you tell?" Caelos asked.

"Well for starters, she's actively helping us and participating instead of lounging around and ignoring tasks given to her.  She's also had plenty of opportunities to ignore us, but she still hangs around and puts in her two cents.  If she really didn't care, she wouldn't be associating with us.  There's also her body language; she's becoming a lot less wary and more open around us.  When she first got here she seemed really tight, as if she was a spring ready to lash at a slight disturbance, but she's becoming more relaxed here as time goes by.  She also seems kinda happy around us, although she hides it rather well."

"How can you tell that?" Cynder asked, confused.

"Know how our tails kinda move on their own based on our feelings?  Her tail's been more active around us; I don't think she's aware of it though."

"You know too much," Shimmer groaned, getting a laugh from the others.  "But what did she mean about your problem, Caelos?"

He just shook his head and stayed quiet.  "Later."

Later in the day, after another brutal round of gravity training, the seven tired dragons stumbled into the dojo, where soft beds had been set up for them.  Ignitus and the other guardians were waiting for them, however.  Nightshade chuckled slightly.  "Worn out much?"

"Ha ha," Neves grunted.

Rivyera glanced at the large bowls set by the beds, and they quickly filled with cool water.  "Drink up, you've had a rough day."

"But not without progress," Terrador mused.  "I was impressed with everyone's effort and progress today.  It took me over two weeks to fight against gravity, yet all of you mastered it in half a day."  Flame gagged and the others looked up at Terrador in surprise.

"We have no doubt now that you seven are the foretold dragons.  Although..."

"Something wrong?"

Ignitus sighed.  "I'm worried.  There' should really be eight of you; we are still lacking earth.  The Pool of Visions will not show me who we are looking for, and I cannot control it enough even now in my old age to reveal who we're missing.  My hunch is that it's Tephra, but I've been sorely wrong before so I don't dare toy with such a dangerous idea."

"How were you wrong?" Plazyma asked. 

"I thought Ember was one of you, several years ago.  I thought she was one of the prophesized dragons."  They all burst out laughing, except for Flame, who just sighed and stared at the water in his bowl.  Dinner was brought out shortly after and eaten in silence.  As they went to bed, Flame groaned and stared at the stained-glass ceiling.

"You okay Flame?" Spyro asked.

"Just tired," Flame grumbled, rolling over onto his side.  Outside, Cynder and Shimmer sat on the balcony gazing at the stars and sharing stories.

"So your parents were both from Rivyera's island...how'd you get over here?"

"My mother brought me to Warfang out in the west by that huge volcano at the end of the Elamrof range...I don't remember her much, she died of disease when I was 5...I do remember her stories though.  I wanna go to my homeland, it sounds so nice there; Rivyera says she'll take me there with Neves and Nightshade when they have to report back to their homerealms."

"You like Neves, don't you?" Cynder teased.

"So what if I do?  He's a nerd, yes, but he's really nice and fun to be around."

"Not when we met him..."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, our first meeting was him stealing my necklace clean off my neck and making me and Spyro chase him all the way here."

Shimmer clapped her paw over her mouth as she laughed.  "What the-?!"

"Yeah, the elders were gonna summon us here but Neves took it on himself to bring us here early.  Jerk..."

"Where'd you get that necklace?"

Cynder looked down at the emerald gem and sighed.  "It was...well, it was a gift from Spyro; it's the second present I've ever been given."

"Aww, he's a sweetheart."

Cynder laughed.  "I dunno about that; it was more of a trade, a vendor at the Settlement gave him this as thanks for us defeating Tephra and helping clean up the village after our battle."

"I think it's cute how he looks after you."

"Oh please, I can take care of myself."

"But why'd Neves steal it?"

"To get us to follow him...but he also thought it was some dangerous artifact.  Ignitus says it's an expert replica, a fake, but...I dunno, sometimes I feel a strange ebb of energy from it."

"Can I see it?"  Shimmer walked up to Cynder and stared intently at the jewel.  She seemed to be feeling for something.  "Weeeeellllll...I can kinda feel something coming from it, but it might be you."

Cynder sighed and ran her paw over the jewel.  A sudden memory came to her mind and she smirked.  "Oh yeah...remember what we were gonna to to Flame?  Back on Elamrof?"

Shimmer's eyes dimmed as she thought back, and then widened as she laughed.  "Oh yeah!  We should do that tomorrow!"

"I know where to find the stuff," Cynder whispered, and they both giggled as they hashed out a plan.  Back in the dojo Caelos was thinking back to Elamrof and his life alone...why were the Nonsleepers out again?  Had Ripto awakened them?  He remembered his negotiations with the foul ghosts and shivered, brief flashes of his torture being relived in his hide.  Those horrible spells...

"There's gotta be something..." he said to himself.  "There's always a counter to curses..."  He turned his head and watched as the two dragonesses came in from the balcony and got comfortable on their beds.  "Cynder's really powerful, but I don't think she'll ever fully know it...she might even rival Spyro.  But...why?"

The next morning they were up bright and early, already called out for the day's training.  Spyro, however, was exempted from the rounds of exercise, and Cynder last saw him and Ignitus at the Pool of Visions before she headed outside for Volteer's elemental training guidance.  He could only coach Plazyma's electric attacks, but he could at least help them all learn elemental endurance.  "No no, Flame, don't push yourself to extremes," he barked rather angrily, surprising Flame.  "Pace yourself!  You must be conscious of your limitations and your proximity to them!"

"What'd he say?" Flame asked Neves.

"He said you need to know your limits and be aware of how close you are to them.  Stop breathing so hard."

Up at the Pool, Spyro's eyes were clenched shut as he tried to clear his mind, but he just couldn't do it; his mind was so active with everything going on that he couldn't stop thinking.  "Gah...Ignitus, is there some trick to this?"

"Look into the Pool and tell me what you can see as of yet."

Spyro sighed and looked into the pool, staring past the surface as something fuzzy and wavy slowly came into view.  "It's really blurry...I can't tell what it is."

"At least you can see something, that's very uncommon for one your age.  Try to see what it is."

"I am, but it's not getting any clearer."

"You'll need to learn how to clear your thoughts, Spyro.  A mind clouded with thoughts and concerns cannot see past that cloud; it can inhibit everything from your relationships to your combat."

"But how?  Just thinking about not thinking only makes it worse!"

"You're too tense, Spyro.  Think of something calming."

Spyro sighed and stared at the floor.  "I don't know of anything calming..."

"Make something up.  What kinds of thoughts or ideas make you calm?"

Spyro searched his mind...no, fighting apes and gnorcs wasn't calming, nor was strategy on how to defeat them...his home maybe?  No, not calming enough, too many memories...the field?  Maybe... No, too many ideas of hunting sheep.  Spyro groaned and thought harder... the Mushroom Forest?  Too colorful... Sleeping?  No, he'd get tired.  Playing with Cynder?  Hmmm...no, too active, but...  "I can't really think of anything..." Spyro said, but he just lied to himself; he didn't want to admit that thinking of Cynder was rather calming.

"Just try."  Ignitus was growing a bit impatient; he felt something drastic creeping nearer but couldn't tell what it was, and was hoping that Spyro might see it.  Spyro stared into the pool again, thinking of stargazing with Cynder.  The image in the water slowly grew clearer and clearer.  Ignitus saw Spyro's eyes narrow and focus on something.  "What are you seeing?"

"I see...the night sky...it's all around me..."

"You're in space?"

"I guess, whatever that is, there's darkness and stars everywhere...hang on..."  Spyro's eyes widened and his muscles tensed to jump back, but he was riveted by what he saw.  "There's a black shadow blotting out the stars...it's going towards a big round glowing colorful ball...what is that?"

"Is it blue with green and brown areas?"

"Yes, and white strands and patches all over."

"You're seeing our planet from space.  What's the Shadow doing?"

"I can't tell, all I see is an area where the stars can't shine...it's like a void.  It's slowly circling our...what's it called, planet?"

"Can you see anything else?  Can you move in closer to the planet?"

Spyro tried and gasped as his sight suddenly shot towards the planet at blinding speed, swirling around the Dragon Temple and then shooting off across the ocean, dodging between huge waves caught in a malicious storm as a powerful evil churned the air.  The shoreline was littered with bodies and weaponry as apes, rhynocs and gnorcs fought against dragons and other species and also amongst themselves.  But Spyro's vision didn't stop there; it swooped through the battlefield and proceeded to Elamrof Mountain, were huge bolts of elemental energies were shooting off into the sky as something happened deep below its surface.  He spun around several times and flew through Tephra's tunnel deep into the mountain's core, finding a vast underground valley with a gigantic mountain in the middle pouring green toxic liquid and noxious purple gases.  He saw thousands upon thousands of shadows, ghosts and many strange, vile creatures marching from this mountain along paths in the valley walls to the world's surface, carrying fire and various dark-magic spells ready to unleash on the world above.  A huge, draconic figure made of fire and shadow rose up from the mouth-like opening at the summit of the underground mountain, and Spyro's vision suddenly warped, as if zooming in on the figure's eye yet also zooming out to show Elamrof Mountain under a peaceful sky.  The shadowy dragon seemed to tower over Elamrof as an invisible specter, and everything again warped as the world changed to darkness...it was as if Spyro was switching from the real world to this monster's intended plans!  As Spyro's sight flew across the land he saw Gnasty Gnorc at the castle ruins he'd met Cynder at, casting powerful summoning spells that turned foes to crystal and made his gnorcs stronger.  Things warped again to show Gnasty consulting with Ripto and a strange armored mage Rhynoc, and then time-lapsed to show Gnasty and his gnorcs searching a canyon for something...Spyro's mind was reeling with everything he was seeing, and he was growing very confused, but then... everything turned black, and fires began leaping up everywhere.  He saw...he saw the Temple shattered and completely ruined, his friends lying dead among the wreckage.  The shadowy dragon enveloped them one by one in darkness, swallowing them up into a void.  Someone yelled and shot a beam of light at the dragon, and Spyro looked to see Cynder, badly injured, barely alive and crying her eyes out as she fought to stay alive.  The Shadow simply crawled over to her and she disappeared from sight as a dark cloud surrounded her.  Spyro couldn't breathe... the shadow turned to him and grinned evilly, creeping towards him with its fangs bared... Spyro yelled and jumped away from the pool, falling onto the floor in a daze as he suddenly felt incredibly dizzy.  "Wha..where..."

Ignitus was staring into the pool, but looked up as Spyro tried but failed to stand back up.  "Spyro...what you've just seen is a glimpse into the enemy's mind.  That's very uncommon for any dragon able to see in this pool."

"How..."

"How can I see what you saw?  I forced the pool to show me what it was showing you."

Spyro lay there on the floor panting from the fright.  "Gnasty...he's..."

"It seems he's out searching for something around Elamrof...or will be soon, it's hard to tell.  Spyro, I know you're exhausted, but I need you to try again.  This time, focus on Gnasty and see if the pool will reveal him."

Spyro stood up and glared at the old fire dragon.  "Why are you using me?" he grunted, his legs a bit shaky.

Ignitus glared back.  "I am not using you, Spyro, I'm helping you develop this ability.  Yes, I'm also trying to find out about these threats, but seeing how I cannot see anything recently, you're the only one that can.  The more we know, the more we can do about problems."

Spyro hesitantly edged back up to the pool and peered in.  Again, something came into view, but as Spyro watched he grew more calm; a vision of the Settlement was being shown.  Several dragonlings were playing chase under the watch of their mothers...Spyro laughed to himself and sighed, wishing he could be that young and join them...Hunter strolled by on his way to the library; he was carrying a bunch of scrolls and a few strange-looking pieces of armor.  Not too far behind him were some other guards with bows and arrows out; they seemed to be escorting Hunter.  "Oh right, Gnasty..." Spyro mused to himself.  He thought of trying to find the giant gnorc, and his view spiraled into the sky and raced over the land towards a distant ruinous area, not too far from Warfang.  The green monster and his minions were lazing about in an underground lair, with a map spread out over the table and scrawled with X's and circles and arrows and illegible writing.  Spyro forced his vision to show him the map...it appeared to be of the Outer Realms, where they had just taken out his minions.  There were X's all over, some crossed out...Gnasty got up and went over to the map, picking up a few gems from the table.  Waving his hammer over them he tossed them onto the floor and each gem turned into a gnorc.  Spyro felt himself give out and quickly saw only the glowing water of the Pool of Visions, a headache starting to take hold in his head.  "He had a map..."

"I saw too.  I couldn't read the notes, however, so I can't tell if those X marks were his personal musings or if they're something more devious."  Spyro rubbed his head with a groan.  "Go get some rest, Spyro.  You deserve it.  All of you are making astounding progress in your trainings."  Spyro just nodded and walked out, then threw himself onto his bed and listened to the others outside.  To his confusion everything suddenly went dark outside.  Ignitus hurried outside.

"HOLY CRAP RUUUUUUN!!!!!" came Neves's shout.  Spyro yelled as he felt an incredibly sharp tug, and a split second later there was a terrific snapping noise followed immediately by an equally sharp push in the opposite direction.  Dark clouds floated into the temple and seemed to melt into the air in a flurry of tentacle-like extensions.  There was a lot of surprised and panicked yelling outside, and a few seconds later Cyril came in carrying an unconscious Cynder.

"What happened?!" Spyro demanded, a bit scared.

"A Dark Fury," came Nightshade's voice as he came into the room to tend to the black dragoness.  "A Fury of such magnitude...I'm surprised she's not dead after that."  Rivyera came in as well and lay her paw on Cynder.

"She's just asleep.  She had me worried..."

Shimmer and Neves rushed inside.  "Is Cynder okay?" Shimmer asked.

"She's only asleep, but she can't wake up until she recovers some energy.  That sharp pull was dark energy being pulled into our physical realm...I think Cynder has just proven where the dark element comes from exactly."

Cynder groaned and slowly opened her eyes.  "Wha happen?"

Plazyma yawned and looked at Caelos as he sat on the cliff edge, staring at the sky.  He seemed really lonely...she brushed the stray finscale out of her face and sighed.  She wanted to talk to him, but why couldn't she?  She couldn't get herself to start a conversation with him.  She looked at her paw and clenched it, creating a small sphere of sparks and electric forks around it.  Caelos sighed and stared at the canyon depths below...tired of herself and her stubbornness Plazyma slowly stood up and approached him, sitting down quietly by his side. 

"Caelos?  Something wrong?"  He just shook his head and stayed silent.  "Why don't you talk much?"

"A curse."

She stared at him in confusion.  "Huh?"

"Elamrof creatures cursed me."

"How so?"

He shook his head again and pointed at the moon.  "Midnight."

"What about it?"

"Wait."

"Ooookay..."  She didn't let on, but it tore her apart inside when she turned away and then looked over her shoulder to see a small trail of tears glistening on his face in the moonlight. 

Midnight finally came around, cold and clear as they sat on the cliff and looked at the small town below.  A new shipment of gnorcs and rhynocs was heading in, but they weren't doing much; they seemed to be looking for something, but Caelos and Plazyma had scoured the entire city and gotten every last jewel they could locate.  "It would seem they need the gems as protection here like we need dragonflies," Caelos remarked, seeing a few simply fall over as if being strangled and then disappear in a small puff.  "Maybe that's why Ripto is using them here."

Plazyma sideglanced at him.  "Well now you're talking..."

He sighed.  "Yes...sorry about the wait.  But, now for the explanation, as I don't have much time."  He turned to face her.  "Plazyma, technically you owe me a huge debt, but I won't hold it to you.  My curse was because I saved you."

She stared at him with sarcasm.  "Oh really?"

"Don't be sarcastic.  My curse is such that if I speak too much before midnight, I lose my wings."

Her eyes widened but her face didn't change.  "Why would you do that?"

He looked up at the sky, recalling the exact events.  "I was trailing you one day, and I apologize for it, but something seemed wrong and I had a very strong urge to protect you.  Some of the Nonsleepers were stalking you, planning to sacrifice you and your immense electrical power to break the bond sealing them within Elamrof's borders."

Her face softened.  "The Nonsleepers again?"

"Yes...but these were the 'evolved' forms, those who have found their inner power.  I intercepted them while you were eating at a berry bush, and they took me to their cave."  He shivered and stared at the ground.  "It was a long, hard ordeal, but I finally convinced them that I would take a curse if they would leave you alone indefinitely."  He stretched a wing and looked it over with a sigh.  "If I speak too much, or touch a Nonsleeper, my wings will burn off."

"But, wings are a wind dragon's pride!"

"Hence the severity of the curse...but that's not all.  They knew I would eventually meet you formally...I can't come in physical contact with you more than five times a day.  And if we're paired together like this...and even that's not the end of it.  I can only use a certain amount of my wind breath every day.  I can't eat certain berries or leaves, nor can I consume water near midday.  The hour of midnight is the one time of each day where I am free of the burden."

Her face no longer bore that usual sneering look.  "But...why?  Do you like me or something?"

"Maybe...but my parents always told me to look out for others.  I couldn't sit by and watch near-invincible enemies capture and sacrifice you, even if you were a stranger to me at the time.  Better for me to suffer than for you to lose your life."

"But..."  She choked on her own words; how could he be so cruel to himself just for her life?!

"It's okay, Plazyma, you don't need to say anything."

"But is there a way to break the curse?"

He shrugged.  "I don't know.  So far it hasn't been much of a hassle, except today when I couldn't grab you and stop you from running into that fallen wall."

"How many times of contact do you have left?"

"Two."

"How long can they last?"

"One time can last the entire day if the contact is constant.  However, it's a cold night, and the curse will come into effect soon.  I made sure that they left a loophole for something like this."

"Wha?"

He touched her with his wing.  "If I use up a touch, I get a small shock.  However, as it's still midnight hour, I'm not getting that.  Technically, I can keep you warm all night without using that touch, so long as we stay in constant contact."

She shoved his wing away with a snort.  "I don't need help."  Something flashed in his eyes as they glanced down, and it tore her apart again...she'd hurt him.  "Uhhh...err...actually...it is kinda cold tonight..."  She lay down nearby, farther from the cliff edge, and he walked over and put his wing over her.  After some somewhat awkward silence she sighed and traced small abstract patterns in the dirt.  "Caelos...honest question, do you like me?  Is that why you did this to yourself?"

"No."

"...No, what?"

"It's not because I like you.  It's because it was the right thing to do at the time."  He sideglanced at her.  "However...we could be friends if you're so inclined."

She paused, mulling it over.  Could she really call him, or even herself, a friend?  Finally however she shrugged.  "I guess...I've never called anyone a friend before."

"There's a first time for everything."

The night drew on slowly around them as they slept, but unknown to Caelos, Plazyma had paralyzed him in his sleep so there was no risk of him moving away while they rested.  She lay there half-awake, staring at the side of his face in sheer confusion...how could someone almost doom themselves for the well-being of another? 

The following day was, unknown to any of the dragons, possibly the most important day of their lives, even if it wasn't immediately noticeable or even significant.  They were all ready to confront whatever the source of those strange beams was...all except Cynder.  Something kept eating away at her mind, a constant voice that she couldn't understand yet somehow did understand...a voice that was trying to confuse her.  After hours of no sleep she finally opened her eyes and looked at the beam shining into the sky.  Something about it felt very threatening, almost as if this whole situation was an elaborate trap of some sort... "If this is a trap, we'll just hafta conquer it," she whispered to herself.  Spyro groaned in his sleep and rolled onto his back, his horns digging into the sand as he stretched his head back and then relaxed again.  Cynder glanced at him and then up at the sky...why did she feel like she needed to be with him?  He was a good friend, true, but...was it her fear of this strange darkness she kept feeling?  She glanced down at the emerald necklace hanging from her neck, running her small paw over the dark green gem.

Spyro groaned again and opened his eyes sleepily when he felt Cynder's tail flick him in her agitation.  "Cynder?  Why aren't you sleeping?"

"*sigh* I can't sleep, Spyro...I don't know why.  I just...something's telling me that interrupting that beam will be a horrible mistake...but I can't tell if that's a voice trying to confuse me so I don't fight well..."

Spyro yawned, stretched his legs, and flipped right-side up and sat by her.  "Don't worry, Cynder...Ignitus probably wouldn't have sent us here if it was a threat."

"But how could he know?  He wasn't even sure if we should be here, remember?  He had a good guess at what was going on, but he even told us he didn't know what was really going on...were we lured here?"

Spyro sighed, shrugging.  "You're overthinking it, I think.  Caution is good but paranoia is misleading.  If there's a threat here, we'll stop it; it's why we're here in the first place."

She sighed, dragging her claws absently through the white sand.  She then looked around at the white-bricked buildings and overgrown gardens around them.  "Still, Spyro, something isn't right...I don't know if it's just me or what, but I can't help but get the feeling we're being used."

"Hey, we'll be fine," he said quietly, nuzzling her softly.  "We'll be okay."

"How do you know?"

"I don't."

"Then how can you say it so...certainly?"

"Because I've learned to listen to my gut feeling, and it says right now, we're fine.  Now c'mon, let's get going again and try to find some food before the fight."  Cynder slowly stretched and followed him as they canvased the nearby area for some kind of food supply.  The gnorcs and rhynocs were disgusting creatures, true, but they took careful measures to preserve food and keep it from spoiling.  Spyro and Cynder had found a locked box full of gems and wrapped food, but unfortunately, some of the apes had left most of that food out of the wrappers and thus it was stale.  Cynder laughed as Spyro tried to fly, but really only jumped and glided.  She nipped his tail near a pool, and he jumped up onto a wall and ran along it to the other side to get away from her.  He quickly climbed up a sheet of ivy on a nearby wall and jumped up onto the rooftop to look around and get a better sense of location.  Cynder followed him up and bit his tail again lightly, and he jumped and swatted her with his wing with a laugh.  "Cynder, what the heck?"

"You're it," she said with a grin, and rolled to the side and sprang away with a laugh as he went to swipe at her.  He chased her and tackled her off the building, flipping over so she landed on him when they hit the sand, and before she could jump away she screamed with laughter as his paws flew over her, tickling her.  She rolled to the side and Spyro took the chance to bolt away.  "CHEATER!!" she yelled after him, still laughing, and hobbled after him, her sides cramping a bit from laughing so hard.  Finally she stopped and sat down to wipe her eyes and catch her breath.  Spyro watched her from overhead, eyeing her as she looked back and forth down the empty streets for any sign of him. 

"Heh...she reminds me of her...so much..." he sighed to himself, thinking way back.  He suddenly sneezed and Cynder screamed and bolted.  "Oh crap, sorry!!" he called after her, jumping into the air and spreading his wings.  He glided after her and she slowed down when she realized his was following her.  "What happened?"

"Something shocked me and it hurt!"

"Something shocked you?" he asked, and suddenly sneezed again.  She instantly jumped and darted back a few feet, scared. 

"It was YOU!!"

"Huh?" he asked, sniffling.

"You shocked me!"

"I did?"

She rubbed her hind leg and he saw a small mark.  "Ow..."

"Sorry..."  He coughed onto his paw, coating it in soft snow, and held the snow against the mark on her scales.  She hissed at the chill but it felt good as it dulled the stinging pain from his electricity. 

"Spyro...why do you look after me like this?"

He sighed, then breathed on the snow to keep it on her leg.  "I don't know.  But you're the best friend I've ever had, I told you that yesterday morning.  And then you almost choked me but that's besides the point."  She giggled, looking away shyly.  "I guess it's because I've never had anyone to care about other than myself for the longest time, and it's part of dragon nature to look out for others.  Or...it used to be at least..."

"Yeah, tell that to The Settlement..."  Spyro froze as she leaned against him.  "Spyro...I know I say it a lot but thanks for being my best friend."

"Oh isn't this cute?  Blech..." came a voice nearby, and they both jumped in surprise and looked around sharply.  Up on a rooftop they saw a rather slim rhynoc dressed in black ninja garb, carrying a long staff glowing with a dark purple fire.  "Two baby dragons out to save the world, I'll guess?"

"What's it to you?" Spyro growled, and he and Cynder backed away as the rhynoc flipped off the building and landed on the street nearby.

"Lord Grendor has commissioned me to relieve you of your burdens-" he stopped short as his staff began pulsating brightly.  "Aw come on..."  He turned around and held the staff with both hands.  "Sir? ... Um, could you elaborate? ... Oh come on!!  Not another change!"

"Should we jump him now?" Cynder whispered.

"I don't think so, hang on, we may get some info."

The ninja rhynoc groaned and turned back to them, the glow of his staff fading back to normal.  "I've been called off...for now.  Best watch your backs, lest I steal your wings and souls when you least expect me."  With that he flashed and disappeared in a multicolored plume of smoke.  Spyro flapped his wings and pushed the smoke away, and Cynder growled, her tail lashing the ground in her frustration.

"Spyro, I really don't like this, he was supposed to stop us from going in there and then gets called off?  There's a trap in all this, I just know it..."

"Well we've got no choice but to confront whatever's beyond that door, Cynder.  They forced all the dragons out of here and I think they're intending to destroy or flatten this realm with whatever they're doing."

She sighed, obviously very agitated and worried.  "Well...guess going through is the lesser of two evils..."

"Let's get something to eat before we head in there, we might find some stray gems."  She nodded and followed him down the street.  He noticed her wings were sagging and she looked a bit sick.  "You okay?"

"No...there's so much going on..."  She tapped her head with a grimace.  "Too much...I don't know what to do anymore..."

Spyro studied her as she sat there staring at the street tiles, and she looked up when he lay down.  "C'mon, climb on, if you're not feeling well you'd better not wear yourself out before a fight."  She clambered onto his back without hesitation, wrapping her hind legs around his waist.  She felt colder than usual...

"Thanks," she whispered, laying her head on his between his horns.  After some searching they located a chest of food and gnorc supplies, and most of the food was still fairly fresh so they ate rather well.  Cynder felt a bit better after getting something in her stomach, and better still when Spyro breathed ice in a large stone bowl and melted it for her to drink, but she still felt queasy  and hazy so he continued to carry her as they made one last round for any missed gems.  Not finding anything they finally set themselves and headed for the huge door in the back of the town, behind which was obviously the source of that beam of light.

"You ready for this?"

"I don't have much of a choice."

"You can technically go back to the temple."

"No.  I'm not leaving you to fight this thing alone."

There was a fire-shaped mark on the door, and Spyro breathed fire on it.  It flashed quickly and the doors shuddered and began slowly opening to reveal a huge, abandoned construction site.  There was an immense hole in the ground, out of which rose that beam of light.  Cynder slipped off Spyro's back and followed him into the open area, looking around cautiously.  Neither of them noticed that she was pressing herself against him nervously.  "Spyro...where is everyone?"

"I don't know...this isn't right.  They wouldn't abandon the area like this after knowing we took out their forces in the town."  Spyro noticed his dragonfly flitting around rapidly as if distressed.  "Something up little guy?"  The glowing bug flew over to the hole and began making tight circles around something. 

"Spyro...you feel that?  Like...something's...sneaking up on us?"

"Yeah."  He looked around quickly.  "C'mon, it's probably underground.  let's get up on those rafter-things with the chains."  He and Cynder scampered up the rough wall of the site and ran along the makeshift scaffolds to some long metal pipes from which several chains were hanging, suspending various pieces of equipment. 

"Oooooo..." Cynder said, darting forward like a cat to a box of shiny things hanging from a chain.  "Spyro...look at these!"

Spyro came over and looked into the box, his eyes widening.  "...Dragon armor?!" 

"Spyro, hold my tail, I'm gonna pull some of it up!"  Spyro braced his paws against some huge bolt-heads in the pipe and grabbed Cynder's tail in his mouth, and slowly lowered her to the hanging box.  She grabbed as much as she could and he painfully pulled her back up to safety.  "Owww...okay....uhhh...wow, didn't think I grabbed this much."  They carefully spread out her findings, both trying to go as quickly as they can as they felt something lurking nearby.  "Hey Spyro, think you can strap this to my back while I put on these bracelets?"

"Sure, turn around."  It was a little hard even though the plates were made for dragons to put on, but Spyro finally got the plate attached to her back over her hips.  She helped him get his on while he fumbled with a faceplate.  He growled and tossed it aside, picking up the other one she'd grabbed.  It was a bit big but by some kind of power it stayed on his face.  He turned to Cynder as she passed him some long foreleg plates, and she raised an eyebrow under her mask when he smiled.  "You look cool in armor.  Also matches the necklace."

She glanced down at the necklace with a shy grin, but her mind flashed at her...what was with this necklace?  It was a gift from Spyro, but...why did Neves look at it oddly?  Did he know something they didn't?  She jumped when she felt his paw on hers.  "Spyro?"

"You okay?  You feel nervous and sick, Cynder..."

She wanted to tell him she was fine, but her body took over and she shook her head.  "I don't feel well, but I can't leave you here alone to fight off whatever's here.  I couldn't live with myself if I left you here and you came back barely alive."

"What makes you say that?"

"You're a good dragon, Spyro, you're the first one that ever showed any genuine concern for me.  As long as I can fight I'll help you.  Besides, it's our task, not just yours; I hafta contribute at least something to the final task."

Spyro smiled, then looked around uncertainly.  "...Speaking of which...we've been sitting here talking, why hasn't it come out yet?"

"Yeah that is odd...usually you'd think we'd get interrupted or something."  Cynder glanced at her dragonfly.  "Hey little...thing?  Sorry, don't know your gender, but can you possibly look around for us?  Did we miss something?" 

The dragonfly flew over to Spyro's and after some very rapid flashing between the two insects they flew off quickly, looking around.  "Heh, they're cute," Spyro said, watching the two white specks of light flit around the construction site.  Again, Spyro's dragonfly went to the hole in the ground and buzzed frantically, and Cynder's went over to him and they again had a little light-flash conversation.  There was a loud BOOM!! that shook everything and Cynder shrieked as she lost her footing on the metal pipe.  "CYNDER!!" Spyro yelled, jumping after her as she fell.  He caught her tail on his mouth and glided roughly to the ground, both of them landing hard and rolling to a painful stop by the hole.  A huge hand made of disconnected stones reached out and slammed onto the ground by Spyro and he rolled away with a yell.  Cynder dragged him away by the tail and they crouched defensively as a huge golem made of levitating, orbiting rock fragments rose out of the hole in the ground, the light beam reflecting off of its various pieces.  It had one developed arm extending from its serpentine body, the other arm was crafted from various mining tools (most of them pointy and/or sharp).

"Cynder...you ready for this?" Spyro asked as two glowing gems appeared where the monster's head should be.

"I've been ready since this morning," she growled, ready to spring as the two glowing gems in its head zeroed in on the two dragons. 

"JUST DIE ALREADY!!!!" Shimmer screamed, blasting a crystal piece off the golem's arm and severing its hand as it went to slap her off the platform she was standing on.  She jumped over the hand as its motion carried it along the ground towards her.  She and Neves looked at each other with a nod and aimed for its neck, Shimmer fueling his icy attack with her water breath.  The huge monster's piecework head fell off and hovered above the ground, its body splitting into pieces that also began levitating.

"*bleep* IT HIDE!!!" Neves shouted, and he and Shimmer ducked into a crater left from the golem's downward piledrive-punches as the pieces of its body began to rotate wildly like spinning blades.  Shimmer huddled against Neves and he held her by his side as they both cringed, waiting to be impaled or bashed or something.  Luckily for them, the pieces could only hover along the flat plane of the ground, leaving them unharmed in their pocket in the ground.  Things fell quiet and Neves took off his glasses.

"What're you doing?" Shimmer whispered.

Neves held up his glasses between his toes and angled them, squinting as he tilted them very slightly back and forth.  "Ahaaaaa...there you are..."

"The golem head?"

"No, little flake of crystal that was messing up my sight."

Shimmer just stared at him, but he kept looking at his glasses.  "There we go."

"The crystal flake?"

"No, the golem head."

"You dumb*bleep*," she said, punching him in the shoulder. 

"You ready for this?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Nope."

"Then yes I'm ready!"

"Good to hear, let's roll.  Aim for between the eyes, there's an energy arc flowing between them.  Sever it enough by expansion of freezing water and this guy's down."

"W-wait, how--" She scrabbled out of the crater after him and they dodged the reactionary motions of the golem's scattered pieces.  Shimmer followed Neves as he headed for the head's hiding spot in a crevice on the wall.  "NEVES WATCH IT!!" she screamed as she saw the golem's eyes suddenly flash.  Neves didn't have time to properly react and a large blast surrounded him.  Shimmer froze.  "N-Neves..."

"Watch out yourself!" She looked back up and just narrowly avoided a similar blast, the explosion sending her skidding where Neves had been hit. 

"Neves!!!!  AAAAACK!!"  Shimmer screamed as one of the huge limbs swooped by her.  "Neves please, are you okay?!?"  A stifled scream came from her mouth as she was suddenly surrounded in a shell of thick ice, just in time to protect her from a lethal blow as a sharp piece of piping flew at her.  The ice died off and out of the rubble nearby sprang the white ice dragon with a vicious look on his face.  He glanced at Shimmer and turned the shell around her into powder that quickly attacked the golem's fist as it flew at them. 

"Attack its head!" he ordered.  Shimmer aimed and charged her water breath while Neves covered her; she needed the charge for the distance required.  "Ready?!"

"Yeth!"

Neves stood next to her and they both blasted the stationary golem head square between the eyes.  All its various pieces froze in place as the expanding ice forced the carved-jewel eyes farther apart, weakening the binding arc between them.  Neves suddenly rose into the air, surrounded by ice and snow and Shimmer watched as he curled his limbs and then roared and threw his paws out towards the golem's head.  A sharp beam of ice shot from him and clove straight through the rock fragments, rapidly expanding the ice and causing the whole head to blow up in a shower of pebbles as his icy power exploded.  He fell back to the ground feeling very drained, watching wearily as the various golem segments exploded in showers of gems.  He watched his dragonfly's glow dwindle as Shimmer came to him.

"Y-you okay?"

"Yeah...I just...need more practice with Fury attacks...owwww my head..."

"Can you stand up?"

He shakily forced himself to stand up.  "You go get all the gems, I'll wait."  Shimmer hurried and gathered all the strewn gems, and carried back some tiny crystal spheres. 

"Here, found them," she said to his dragonfly.  The little glowing bug flew down to several of them and the orbs disappeared, the dragonfly's glow growing stronger with each one.  Shimmer watched as Neves felt more and more energized. "You okay now?"

"Yeah...thanks, Shimmer."  They went over to the large hole in the ground, the beam of light still shooting into the sky from it.  Shimmer looked up, her eyes following the beam to the clouds.  "Neves...this beam...there's a weird air pressure around it, and those clouds..."

"Something up?"  Normally he'd dismiss such comments, but knowing Shimmer's ability to feel the world around her he figured this may be important.

"I can't tell...but I don't trust it.  C'mon let's just find whatever they were looking for."

"I think the golem had it and they were trying to get it off the monster," Neves said.  "Look down there, it fell earlier when you knocked its hand off."

Shimmer looked down into the huge hole.  The beam of light was coming from what looked like a giant crystal, and not too far away from it in a pool of water lay a small, bright blue gem.  Neves and Shimmer spread their wings and glided down to the bottom of the pit.  Shimmer went over to pick up the blue gem, and like all the others it disappeared on contact with her scales.  She looked back over her shoulder at Neves.  "Neves?  What is it?"

"This crystal...Shimmer, these crystals are Dragon Gems."

Her eyes widened excitedly.  "Are you serious?!"  She dashed over to the crystal.  "Oh wow..."

"What it it?

"Mom used to tell me stories about these crystals..."

"Heh...I find it unusual though; these crystals can't normally survive in the Outer Realms like this..."

"Huh?"

"These gems are a source of energy for us in our world, but here their gems support them."

"I'm confused," Shimmer said, sitting down.  "Worlds?  I still don't get all this."

"It's complicated...We're still on the same planet, but on a different plane, that's why we need the portals.  The portals here also act as doorways between the different areas as well as a means of travel between the planes."

"How do you know so much?"

Neves sighed.  "I've been stuck in the temple my whole life, in guardian training.  Mom and Dad--I mean, Rivyera and Nightshade don't like it, but it's tradition and I don't really have much of a choice."

Shimmer giggled.  "That why you warmed up to me so quickly?"

He smirked.  "Part of it..."  He eyed her briefly.  "Shimmer, where's that gem you just picked up?"

She dropped it and rolled it to him.  His eyes flared and he stepped back quickly.  "Neves?  Something wrong?"

"Ripto you...oh my gosh...Shimmer, take that gem, let's break this crystal and get back to the temple!!"

"Why are we breaking it?!"

"Not only to rob Ripto's forces of an energy source, but we need the additional strength these gems give.  Back home, these crystals grow back after a while, but not out here; this one shouldn't even be here."  Together they attacked the huge crystal until it suddenly shattered.  The shards flew at them and disappeared with bright blue flashes.  Shimmer gasped as a sudden surge flew through her; she suddenly felt a bit stronger and faster.

"Okaaaay...now what?" Plazyma asked.

"Storm's coming," Caelos replied, pointing up at the sky with his wing. 

"Well, job's done, let's retreat."  She closed her eyes, trying to remember what Ignitus had told them about leaving an Outer Realm.  She strained herself, spreading her wings and hunching over as she focused.  Suddenly something hit on the hit and broke her focus.  "What?!" she snapped, seeing the pebble that had just hit her roll away.  Caelos pointed with his wing again, at a glowing portal in the wall.  "...Oh...yeah, I knew that was there."

Caelos rolled his eyes with a smirk and headed to the portal, spreading his wings as he entered and taking flight after passing through.  Plazyma looked around at the destruction in the cliff wall where they were...what the heck was Ripto up to, that would require carving a huge gap in the side of the canyon?  Her eyes flitted to the small hole in the ground where the Dragon Gem had been just moments ago...something didn't seem right about all this.  Shaking her head she followed Caelos into the portal, spreading her wings as a foggy landscape flew by under her.  Up ahead, Caelos was using the chance to practice aerial moves, but at one point he braked too hard and Shimmer nearly flew right into him.  Caelos shook his head at the near miss and followed her.  They both braked with their wings and landed as they passed through a glittering doorway and reappeared in the Temple dojo. 

"Watch out!" came a voice behind them, but they were too late to react and suddenly Shimmer and Neves landed on top of them.  Ignitus laughed at the scene, shaking his head.

"Everything went well, I take it?"

"I think so," Plazyma grunted under Shimmer.

"What, am I heavy?" Shimmer asked teasingly.

"Just get the hell offa me already..."

Neves quickly rolled off of Caelos's back and raced up to Ignitus with a worried look.  "Ignitus, we have the gems and what they were looking for...but I need to discuss what we found."

"Patience, Neves, you four just got back, you should rest a bit."

"They back yet?" Flame asked from the balcony.

"Yes, Flame, I'll be out shortly," Ignitus called back.  "Neves, I know it's urgent, but we're...dealing with our own problem here."

"What's that?"

Ignitus sighed.  "I think we know now all too well why Cynder's not fond of a certain pink-colored one."

"...Oooooh no," Neves said as he facepawed and laughed. 

Cyril walked into the dojo looking very agitated.  "Of all dragonesses...a dragon of my stature and heritage, coaching a pompous little..."

"Cyril, enough of that," Ignitus groaned.  "She's aggravating, yes, but today is her last day with Flame for a while."

"Huh?" Neves asked.

"There...have been some developments.  For the most part you young ones are free to do as you wish; however, we must be prepared for anything.  Ripto used his mining forces as a distraction; unknown to us he's been establishing control points in various locations.  We rather gladly walked into his trap, but he's not moving now, which is odd.  Construction of all his bases has halted unexpectedly and completely."

"But he hasn't pulled out yet has he?"

"No he has not, and we may need you, Spyro, and Cynder to investigate the one near Avalar."

"Hey!" Shimmer exclaimed as she overheard.  She rolled off of Plazyma and rushed up to Neves's side.  "If he's going, I'm going with him.  He needs water for more effective ice attacks."

Neves sighed and took off his glasses.  "Shimmer, I don't want to drag you into any trouble.  Your combat training is impressive, but against the golem...I think Ripto's bases are more heavily protected than what we just went through."

"Several earth golems have been sighted at strategic locations around each base, and three or four air golems."

"Air golems?" Caelos asked, surprised.  Plazyma looked at him with a half-odd, half-warning glance.

"Do you know anything about them?" Ignitus asked, turning to Caelos.  Caelos nodded but stayed quiet.  "Could you tell us more?"

Plazyma sighed.  "He can't.  I won't go into specifics but...Caelos has...a severe problem and can't talk much." 

"Ah that's right..." Ignitus mused, getting mixed reactions from the others.  Caelos nodded, Plazyma looked at Ignitus oddly, and Shimmer and Neves both looked at each other in confusion.  "Caelos has asked that it not be told to the rest of you, so I apologize for any confusion.  But yes, air golems have been located near several of Ripto's newest constructions.  Tephra was sighted near Warfang yesterday, she's either planning something or was just flying through.  But Ripto has a new ally; Grendor.  From what Ember has told me, he's the leader of the rhynocs, and the fact that he's teamed up with Ripto and Gnasty makes me suspicious.  They have a common interest, that's all too certain, and with their power levels it must be something big."

"FLAMIIIEEEE!!!" Ember shrieked, "COME PLAY WITH MEEEE!!!"

"GET AWAY FROM ME ALREADY AAAAGH!!!!"

Ignitus facepawed with a sigh.  "Neves, we'll talk later, most likely midnight with Caelos.  We need to get Ember back to the Settlement as soon as possible."  The old fire dragon walked outside, leaving the four younger dragons to their thoughts.  Plazyma looked around oddly.

"Not that it concerns me any, but where's Spyro and Cynder?"

"They were sent to a slightly tougher area because of their power level," Terrador grunted as he walked in.  "I wouldn't be surprised if they're still tackling the controlling enemy there.  But as for you four, did you gather all the gems from the realms?"

"As many as we could possibly find," Shimmer replied.

"Then follow me; we'll secure them in the Temple Vaults."

"Vaults?" Shimmer asked Neves as they followed the old earth dragon.

"Yeah, big magical rooms that only guardians can access.  I don't think even Ripto's magic or Tephra's earth power could bust into them."

As afternoon faded to evening they were growing more and more anxious...where the heck were Spyro and Cynder?  At length Neves decided to go after them and see if somehow they were unable to return to the Inner Realm.  He landed on the outermost sandbar, same as Spyro and Cynder had done, but instead of jumping and gliding to the bars he simply skated over them on a sheet of ice to the mainland. 

"I'm gonna get you!"

"ACK!!"

"Hey come on, I had you!"

"Gotta tag me twice!"

"CHEATER!!!"

Cynder laughed and ran along the building wall away from Spyro over to the next rooftop, and proceeded to climb up the bricks to the next roof up.  Using the waning light she hid behind the thin wall of an elevated garden plot, trying to steady her breath and not laugh so Spyro couldn't hear her.  Unfortunately for her, Spyro knew exactly where she was; they were both tired, and as such Cynder had forgotten about her long tail.  She shrieked and bolted when he playfully nipped her tail.

"You're it now!" he called over his shoulder as he ran.  Cynder shook her head and chased him, spreading her wings and gliding after him as he headed for the ground.  Spyro ducked behind a bush, let her run past, then snuck away quickly and scaled a patch of vines growing up to a walkway that stretched between two first-floor rooftops.  "Hope she doesn't see me," he said tho himself as he clung upside-down to the vines running along the underside of the walkway.  Eventually his limbs gave out and he fell to the ground like a cat, landing on all fours smoothly.

"Spyroooo...I give uuup...I can't run anymooore..." Cynder called.  "Where the heck are you?  Truce already, come out!"

"I'm here, I'm here," he laughed, racing over to her.  They lay down by the town's central fountain and caught their breath.  After a while Spyro put his wing over Cynder as a cold wind began to blow over them from the ocean.  "So...whaddaya think Ripto's big plan is?"

"I dunno..."  Cynder let go of the gem they'd found, and they looked it over.  It pulsated with an eerie dark color, like black clouds mixed with purple light.  "I think this thing is infused with the dark element."

"Sure looks like it.  But...why would Ripto be looking for it?"

"Power source maybe?  I have no idea, but whatever his motive is he's not getting it.  This thing is really powerful, it feels almost like it was powering the golem."  She put the gem away and lay her head down on the stone tiling under them.

"We should really head back," Spyro said, rubbing her back gently with his wing.  "They'll be worried about us."

"Yeah...they'll probably send Neves after us or something."

"SPYROOO!!! CYYYNDEEER!!!  COME ON, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"...Speak of the devil," Cynder laughed, standing up with Spyro.

"C'mon, let's get going.  Ignitus should see this crystal."  As they rushed towards Neves's voice, something kept plaguing Spyro...that gem felt more than just powerful; why was it infused with darkness?  Was it a key to something?

Out on the Dragon Temple balcony, Flame sighed as he lay on his back, staring at the sky.  "I had no idea she was that much of a flip-flopper...why does she like Spyro so much?  Or is it just a girl thing to go after whatever guy catches their eye at the time..."

He sat up as he heard heavy footfalls, and Terrador came out of the dojo.  "Flame, Ember is here now.  Your training begins in half an hour."

"Fine..."

"Training isn't as hard as you're imagining, Flame.  If you want to be able to fight alongside the others, you need to take your training seriously."

When they entered the dojo, Ember shrieked and tackled Flame to the floor, hugging him tight.  "Flame!!  We're gonna be guardians!!"

Terrador groaned.  "Ember, I've told you already, no you're not.  You and Flame are simply here to learn self-defense."

Flame tried several times to pry her off him, but finally just gave up.  "Terrador, when she gets an idea in her head, it's stuck there.  And I doubt she'll want to do the exercises..."

Terrador looked at Ember briefly and a slight grin crept over his mouth.  "Ember, your guardian evaluation begins now!  Get off him!"

Ember jumped up off Flame, slightly winding him.  "What's the first assignment?"

"First, to not injure others like you just did to Flame."

"He'll be fine."

"Your first task is to defeat these dummies."  With that several large ape-like dummies appeared and rushed towards the two younger dragons.  Ember shrieked and ran away, but Flame stood his ground and blasted them with firebreath.  He took a blow to the neck and retaliated with a clumsy tail-whip, just barely avoiding another blow as he fell on his side.  Ember was screaming at the top of her lungs as several dummies chased her.  Finally Terrador growled loudly, facepawing as Ember hid behind him.  The dummies disappeared and Flame, gasping for breath, forced himself to stand up.  Ember quickly walked out to the main floor.

"That wasn't so bad."

Terrador groaned and Flame looked about ready to kill her.  "Ember...let's try this again.  Flame, you sit down here by me this time."  Flame sat by Terrador rather gratefully.  "Flame did a very good job for his skill level.  Ember, you put forth no effort at all.  You cannot pass this test running around screaming.  Warriors do not act that way."

"But I'm not a warrior..."

"You wish to be a guardian?"

"Yes!"

"Guardians need to know how to fight.  You cannot become one until you defeat all the enemies that appear.  Now try again."

Ember looked over her shoulder and shrieked when an ape lunged at her.  "OWWW!!!!  It punched me!!!"

"Oh gee, is that such a surprise?" Flame asked.

By the time the afternoon began to fade, Flame was dead-tired.  Ember was skipping around him happily outside, chasing the butterflies as the insects investigated Flame's bright red scales.  Inside, Flame knew the guardians were discussing Ember.  "We did so well!" she sang, swatting at a butterfly.

Flame rolled his eyes.  "Ember...you failed every one of the tests.  Miserably, at that."

"We're gonna be guardians!!"

Flame facepawed.  "She's not listening at all..." he groaned.  "Why is she like this recently?"  Overhead they heard the sound of wings, and Rivyera came down carrying a small tray with their meals.  Ember shied against Flame's side; she hadn't seen Rivyera yet. 

"Hello little ones," Rivyera said softly, seeing Ember's reaction.  "I thought you could use some food after today's trials."

"Thanks," Flame said, and walked up to the tray of food.  Ember hung back, eyeing Rivyera nervously.  "How will we know the others have finished?"

"We can't unless Ignitus sees them in the Pool of Visions or when they return."

Night fell slowly and Flame stayed by Ember until she fell asleep, then wandered off on his own through the garden.  He found a dragon-head statue and studied the gems glittering in it.  "*sigh*...Why is she so different now?  I don't get it...I go away for a month and she turns into a brainless dolt..."

***
"Hey Flame!  Wanna race through the streets?"

"First one to the library--HEY YOU CHEAT!!"

Ember laughed as she ran from him, winding among the carts and villagers as they raced to the library.  She looked back quickly to see Flame get stuck in the crowds, and used the chance to scale a nearby jewelery stall and jump to the roof of a nearby hut.  Halfway along she realized something was stuck to her tail, and saw a necklace with a green gem caught on her heart-shaped fin.  She flicked it off and looked back to see Flame grinning to himself as he ran.  She laughed and ran to the library and waited, watching him run up to the huge doors.  He slowed down, looking around triumphantly.  Just before he could tag the door she jumped with a shout of "Hey Flame!" and tagged the door, landing by him as he gaped at her.  She noticed someone off along the pathway stoop to pick up the necklace she'd accidentally taken, but she figured it was the vendor and turned her attention to Flame as he studied the rooftops, trying to figure how she'd gotten ahead of him by such a large margin.  Flame laughed and held his paw up, and she slapped it and they wriggled their fingers together.  "Finally beat ya," she said with a grin.

"Yeah but you cheated, next time it's street-only and no head starts."

"Okay, fine, if you're gonna whine about losing..." She looked around "innocently" and he dodged her attempt to tag him.

"Ha!  Can't catch me!" he shouted, and he darted off, Ember close behind snapping at his tail as she tried to catch him.
***

Flame sighed at the memory, a small tear forming in his eye.  What was wrong with her now?  Or did girls just suddenly turn into brats when boys weren't looking?  Depressed, he stared at the sky overhead, losing himself to thought as he fathomed the deepness of the firmament glittering above.  Had he somehow pushed her away himself?  "I know I like girls but...could that have...could that be why she's wandering?" he asked the stars.  "I wish you could answer right now...I know I'm an idiot but do I really need to go through all this?"

He started when something dark moved by him, but his nose told him it was Nightshade.  Sure enough, the weird purple-ish aura of the dark dragon's eyes shone at Flame in the dull night glow.  "Flame, are you okay?" he grunted.

"I don't know..."  Flame's wings sagged as he sighed, and he started again when he felt something over his back.  Nightshade lay down by him, his huge wing tented over the young fire dragon.

"It's about Ember, isn't it?" Nightshade asked softly, and after some hesitation Flame nodded.  "Flame, females are indeed strange creatures, you probably know that already.  But your worries are not unfounded."

"What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know.  I do, however, feel a strange presence around her.  Flame, dragonesses can change almost instantly at times, and you and the others are going through a time of much change in your lives, same as all others your age.  Don't be surprised too much and don't take it too hard if she suddenly turns on you; just be patient."

"How do you know?"

Nightshade looked up at the sky, a reminiscing rumble emanating from his throat.  "I was in your same dilemma many years ago, Flame, way back when I was your age.  Except in my case, she left me for good, but that was partly my fault; I let her go too easily.  You're still too young to be considering a partner, but all the same, try to be patient with her as a friend."

"It's so hard, though...especially now that she's ignoring me for Spyro..."

Ignitus came outside quietly.  "Nightshade, Rivyera is asking for you."

Nightshade slowly stood up and Flame watched him.  "You'll be fine, Flame, just remember what I've said.  It's all from experience."  With that he seemed to melt into the darkness, even though he didn't really do anything other than walk away.  Ignitus watched Flame stare at the sky again. 

"Flame, is something bothering you?"

Flame shook his head, but then turned around and faced the old fire dragon.  "Ignitus...is Spyro better than me?"

Ignitus chuckled and shook his head.  "Flame, everyone is better than everyone else at certain things."  He sat down by Flame.  "Young dragon, do not doubt yourself against another.  That's a tool of the enemy; doubt, anger, jealousy, sorrow...negative emotions are his foothold.  I couldn't help overhearing that Ember is ignoring you for Spyro?"

Flame's wings sagged again.  "It sure seems that way..."

Ignitus sighed heavily.  "It's understandable, Flame.  Spyro is strong, and very good at combat.  However, I don't think he'll ever really accept Ember the way you're fearing.  Cynder is the only dragoness he's ever really associated with, and she and Ember are vastly different.  Don't worry.  Soon we'll have you in fighting shape, you just need to stick to your training and not let your emotions get the best of you."

"But what does Spyro have that I don't?  What's she going for?" Flame persisted, and Ignitus shook his head with a humored grunt.

"I just mentioned it, Flame; Spyro is stronger and better at combat than you are, which is appealing to many dragonesses.  But you have something Spyro can never have."

"Huh?"

"You're you, and the real Ember sees that still.  Don't go trying to imitate Spyro, Flame, or you will lose yourself and that which Ember still sees in you."

Flame sighed.  After some silence he glanced up at Ignitus.  "Thanks...but...what do I do now?  She thinks she's gonna be a guardian, but even I can't talk her out of it."

Ignitus groaned, remembering the training (or in Ember's case, screaming) session just a few hours ago.  "We'll...think of something."

Spyro and Cynder lay on the sandbars, watching the sun set over what they guessed to be the mainland of this realm.  Cynder lifted a finger and her dragonfly perched on her claw, flitting its wings every so often.  Spyro was surprised at how well these dragonflies guarded them -- normally, after all the beatings he'd taken today, he'd be bruised all over, but after finding some small glittering silver gems that the dragonflies quickly absorbed both he and Cynder were in top condition, no bruising or cuts or anything.  Judging by the light shining on his muzzle he guessed his dragonfly was sitting on one of his horns.  A very cold wind blew over them, chilled by the water, and Cynder scooted up to Spyro and pressed against him for warmth, grinning slightly when he put his wing over her back. 

"Spyro..."

"Hm?  What?"

Cynder paused.  "Nothing, nevermind."

"Okay?"

"I...I wanted to apologize for blowing up at you in the garden.  I shouldn't've done that."

He put his paw over hers.  "Cynder, you're fine, you already told me you don't know what happened."

"But that's what's been troubling me so much, I get these ideas and then suddenly they take me over!"  She pulled her paw from his and looked away.  "That's what happened that night...yes, I was jealous of you being with Ember, but for some reason I couldn't stop myself, I couldn't let it go..."  She looked up at him and he saw a strange look in her eyes.  "Spyro...I'm scared...I don't know what's going on with me..."

The look on her face reminded him of the incident with the huge creature attacking her cave, and he curled his tail around hers comfortingly.  "Don't worry, Cynder...if something's attacking you I'll find its source and destroy it.  If it's you, though...not much I can do."

"I don't know what to do..." she whispered, pressing herself against him even more for comfort. 

"Don't freak out about it, Cynder.  Things will work out in the end."  She lay her head down on the sand, and unseen by Spyro she grinned to herself as he lay his neck over hers to keep her warm.

"How are you not cold?"

"Huh?"

"It's freezing out here but you're not even shivering."

"I dunno, guess it's a purple perk or something.  Either that or I just like the cold."  There was quiet for a while until Cynder sighed and giggled to herself.  Spyro felt it against his throat.  "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, really...just remembering that cute little dragoness I walked home when we helped with the cleanup.  She was a sweet little thing..."

"And?"

"I dunno, but I guess it's like other girls my age...someday I wanna have a family.  But then again...with this age of darkness supposedly underway..."

"Hey, we'll make it through.  Now shut up and sleep already," he laughed, and she laughed quietly to herself and closed her eyes, grateful that he was keeping her warm.  It was a long, cold night for them, but the morning came with a comfortably warm wind as the sun rose.  Cynder yawned and stayed still, enjoying Spyro's warmth next to her.  It didn't take long, though, before her mind started to darken, and against her will she started asking herself about him.  Is he just playing games with me or is he really my friend? she thought to herself.  Spyro woke up when he heard her growl and felt the vibration against his neck, and he lifted his head and looked down at her. 

"Cynder?"

"What?"

"You okay?  Something wrong?"

She sighed heavily.  "Spyro...am I a friend?"

He hesitated, unsure of how to answer for fear of offending her, but gradually he tightened his wing around her.  "You're the only friend I've had.  What would make you think otherwise?"

"I don't know..."

He put his paw over hers and she looked up at him.  "Cynder, I'll do whatever I can to keep you safe.  I owe you at least that much.  You're a good friend even if you're confusing.  GKH!!"  Cynder suddenly caught him in another tight deathgrip of a hug.  "C-C-Cyner...nck...hrts...leggo AIR!!" he choked, and she sat back quickly as he caught his breath.

"Thanks Spyro," she said, and he froze as she gave him a quick lick on the nose and walked away to stretch.  She spotted something not too far away and poked Spyro with her tail.  "Hey Spyro, does sand make a good fort?"

"I wouldn't think so...oh."  He facepawed and laughed.  "This should be easy."

"I hope they have food stockpiled in there, I'm kinda hungry."  Cynder noticed her dragonfly hovering nearby.  "You ready to go little guy?"  Spyro rubbed his neck where Cynder had grabbed him and she giggled and rubbed against him apologetically.  "Sorry...I gotta stop doing that."

Spyro was about to say something in reply, when something caught his attention.  "MOVE!"  He shoved Cynder to the side and just barely avoided a large, hard ball of sand that had been catapulted from the sand fortress.  "We gotta get moving.  They're not gonna let us take our time here."  Together they jumped and glided between the tiny sand islands, making their way towards the growing sand fortress.  On one big island Spyro stopped and extended his wing in front of Cynder.

"What?"

"Look at the sand there," he whispered, pointing.  There was a large lump in the sand...Cynder was about to dismiss it when it quivered slightly.  "Something's hiding there, and I'm betting it has a gem seeing how all the enemies here are carrying gems."

"Leave no survivors huh?" she asked with a smirk, and quietly crept over to the hiding enemy.  Being lighter-weight and sleeker than Spyro she was better at sneaking up to something unnoticed, and with a quick motion she whipped her tail into the sand, blade-first.  Whatever was under the sand seemed to deflate, and a gem popped up and she collected it with a grin.  They continued island-hopping, taking out the enemies that jumped at them, until they reached the fortress. 

"I think, if we destroy the base of this, it'll take out everyone inside," Spyro said, looking over the bricks of sand. 

"Why not go inside and make sure?"

"I have a feeling that whatever's holding the sand up won't support us and we'll just end up getting hurt.  LOOK OUT!!"

Cynder looked up and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding another cannonball of sand.  "Geez, they just don't quit!"

"Then we'll make them quit!"  With that Spyro breathed a fireball at the base of the wall by him.  Instead of a fireball, however, a green blast shot from his mouth and a huge, continuous hole appeared in the wall.  Cynder stared at him in shock, and shrieked as the wall suddenly shivered and sand began falling. 

"Spyro RUN!"  They both ran from it and the whole wall slumped down and spilled over the shore into the water.  Gems popped up out of the sand and flew over to the two dragons.  They looked up to see that most of the fortress was still standing, and the gnorcs and rhynocs inside were mobilizing. 

The water near them splashed and Spyro whipped around only to get a plastic shovel in the face.  "OW!" he yelled as he spun to the side right into Cynder, and his dragonfly turned a light blue instead of white.  "That's not fair, they hardly hit me and it hurts like hell..."  With a small roar he froze his attacker solid, tossed it up into the air with a horn-toss, and with a powerful kick he sent it flying headlong at the sand fortress.  It hit the wall and disappeared in a puff of smoke and sparks, a single yellow gem appearing, but the two dragons stayed back and watched as that wall gave out and spilled down.  Without the support, the floors gave out and the gnorcs yelled briefly before being muffled as the sand overwhelmed them.  A myriad of gems popped up and Spyro and Cynder raced to collect the most.  Cynder tackled Spyro and they rolled over laughing when they got down to the last gem, and Spyro let her get it.  "We hafta give them up anyway later."

Hours later they had finally wound their way to the mainland and were navigating the white-bricked labyrinth of seaside houses and ruined temples and various other ancient constructs.  It was unusually quiet...

"Spyro...I feel like we're being watched..."

"Yeah, I feel it too..."

Grendor growled as he stared into the huge crystal orb.  "Those little whelps..."

"Yes, that's what they are."

"...Wait, is that really what baby dragons are called?"

"Yes, Grendor, though it's often used as an insult."  Ripto walked towards the orb.  "Perfect...they're following the plan exactly."

"Another plan?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just last night you said everything was going wrong."

"I changed the plan to fit," Ripto replied smugly, turning to face Tephra as she sat amidst glowing green crystals.  Grendor facepalmed...Ripto kept changing the plans constantly, and at the expense of his rhynocs in addition to the gnorcs...  "Tephra, are you done yet?"

"No sir, I said give me time.  Unless you want to use more magic on me, which I would advise against."

"Me, taking advice from a dragon," Ripto said to himself, but Tephra heard it and snarled inaudibly.  "All right, fine, but your move is closing in quickly.  They've almost gotten to the gemstones we seek."

"How long until the tunnel to the core is finished?" Grendor asked, turning the crystal's view to the project far below.  "I've only heard tales of what lies under there..."

"When we return his power, he will thank us," Ripto grinned. 

Tephra turned away so they wouldn't see the sheer hatred and anger on her face.  "They think they know everything...he won't thank them at all, I can say that much after being with them.  I need to eliminate Spyro soon or else..."  Finally she felt fully energized and she stood up.  "Ripto, I'm headed down to the tunnel.  With my earth power it should get done faster, and I need the practice."

"I've energized you beyond Spyro's abilities, what need is there for training?"

Grendor saw the look on Tephra's face and warped away.  Seconds later Ripto was sent flying as the ground under him turned into an animated catapult, and he slammed into the far wall with a hasty cushion of magic that exploded on impact.  "You said we're in this together, Ripto!  I don't care how powerful you think you are, I'm tired of you telling me about myself!  Now I'm going down and you're going to deal with it!  Not everything revolves around you!"  With that she glowed brightly and sank through the stone floor.  Grendor warped next to Ripto and set him upright with magic. 

"I agree with her, sadly.  You yourself said she was your partner in this, and so far all you've done is use her."

"So what?  She's a means to an end," Ripto growled, flinging the rhynoc mage backwards as he strode to the crystal orb.  "Her insolence will cost her, but not now.  It's better she got the anger out instead of using it to turn on us later."  Unknown to any of them, they were being watched, and as Ripto and Grendor turned back to the orb a tall, lithe two-legged figure swiftly ducked out of the room in a flash of white.  Grendor looked over his shoulder but shrugged to himself and watched as the orb focused on Neves and Shimmer.  "Grendor, I don't like how quickly they're getting through.  It doesn't make us look suspicious enough."

Grendor sighed.  "Ripto, I desire his return as much as you do, but I at least respect my minions.  Might I ask you not be so overzealous when assigning them?"

"We need whatever edge we can obtain to have those lizards complete our work."

"But what are the crystals for?"

"You'll see soon enough."

"Fun stuff!!"  Shimmer roughly scratched a stone and made sparks, lighting the fuse of a miniature rocket.  "Duck and Cover!" she shouted, and Neves laughed and they hunkered down jokingly next to each other as the rocket shot off.  It looped in a complex path, spinning around platforms and twisting through the air before blowing up a heavy metal box at the far end of the gorge.  A shower of gems appeared, glittering on the floor in multiple colors.

"These are fun," Neves said with a grin, locating another one.  He dragged his claws quickly against a stone and lit the fuse, and Shimmer shrieked and laughed as it shot off and looped around them before blowing up a heavy lock on a huge glowing door in the rock face.  "Awww...no more..."

Shimmer stared at the far ledge as the jewels sparkled at her.  "Think we're almost outta here?"

"I hope so, let's figure a way to get those gems first.  I think..."  Neves shifted his glasses on his muzzle and squinted at the door.  "...Yeeeeeaaaaah...I think that door needs gem power to be opened."

They were standing on an isolated ledge between two waterfalls, inside a chasm in the seemingly bottomless cliff face of the Magiccrafters Realm homeworld.  Shimmer looked up and just barely saw that beam of light stretching into the sky.  "I'ts really close...must be on the other side of the door...but how do we get over the gorge?"

"I'm thinkin', gimme a minute..."  Neves glanced around at the seven other ledges that now glittered with jewels instead of heavy metal chests.  One of them was at the same height as the one they stood on, but it was too far for them to jump and glide and they didn't dare try to use their wings for flying here.  Suddenly Neves's dragonfly starting flitting rapidly up and down.  "Oh hey what's up?"  The glowing bug flew to the nearest waterfall and flew behind it to the other ledge and then back again.

"Brilliant!  Race ya!" Shimmer shouted as she raced past Neves.

"Oh come on you cheater!"  They ran along a thin pass hidden behind the waterfall, and at the other ledge they each took half of the gems lying around.  Up above and slightly to the side was another of the ledges, and Neves spotted a thick curtain of moss on the wall.  "Shimmer, how good are you at climbing?"

Shimmer answered by latching onto the moss mat with her claws and quickly scrambling up to the ledge.  Neves stared at her in awe and she looked over the edge and stuck out her tongue at him.  "Get your tail up here, I think we gotta glide to the next ledge!"

Neves raced up after her and they collected the gems, then glided to the other ledges, collecting gems until they were standing in front of the huge doorway.  Gnorc and rhynoc tools were scattered all over, and past the door they faintly heard apes yelling and jumping around.  Neves dropped a few purple crystals and set them by the door.  "I think this is how Ignitus said to open gemdoors..."  The gems glowed brightly and the aura around the door dimmed a bit.  "Crap, not enough," he said in disappointment as the gems faded to a clear color and lost their sparkle.  "They'll need to be recharged later..."

"How many do we need?" Shimmer asked, shuffling a few gems around on the ground and arranging them by color.

"Just push them up to the door, what's not needed won't drain once the seal is unlocked."  He watched as she tossed a few gems up into the air and then slapped them at the door with her tail.  "Do you like showing off or something?"

"To annoy you, yes," she replied with a sly grin.  The door briefly glowed brightly and the aura faded.  At the same time they heard yells of attention and what sounded like a large group gathering behind the doorway.

"Crap...well, let's get this going," Neves growled, his mouth glowing as he charged his ice breath.

Spyro yawned and stared at the sky, waiting for the guardians to finish questioning the others.  Right next to him, Cynder was fast asleep, curled up into a near-perfect circle on the mushroom cap they were resting on.  She was still a bit warm and had been complaining about a headache.  Some grunting and a few impact sounds made Spyro roll onto his back and look upside-down at the punching game Neves and Caelos were having, punching each other on the shoulder progressively harder until one called for a stop.  Shimmer was nearby, blowing water-bubbles and amusing herself as she made them spin around each other in a growing sphere.  Flame and Plazyma were still inside.  Cynder yawned and rolled onto her back, stretching her legs and relaxing again as her dark scales absorbed the heat of the sun's light.  Spyro looked at her...why did she want to be around him so much now?  "Bet that monster scared her badly..."  What the hell were those things?  His eyes snapped back to reality when he realized Cynder was slowly moving, and with a yell he caught her just before she slid backwards off the mushroom.  She shrieked and woke up with a start, and Spyro pulled her back up. 

"Wha...what?!"

"You almost slid off!"

"Oh wow...how long was I asleep?  I didn't feel it at all..."

"We've only been out here for about two hours."

She yawned and rubbed her eyes.  "Mmmph...are they done yet?"

"Still waiting for Plazyma and Flame, but I think they'll be done soon."

She just nodded with closed eyes and flopped over again, covering her face with her wing.  On the ground, Neves was hovering above the ground as long as he could, and Spyro looked down when he heard Neves gasp with strain and fall to the ground.  "Owww...so painful on the wings..."  The ice dragon looked up at Caelos.  "Your wings are bigger, how long can you stay in the air?"

"Not very long.  I haven't practiced."

All of a sudden, a loud blast startled them out of their laziness and they looked up to see a dark cloud hovering in the air.  "What was that?!" Shimmer shrieked.

"Well, time to head back...that was Nightshade calling us back into the temple."

"Who?"

"You'll see him.  And Rivyera.  C'mon, they don't like to be kept waiting."  They followed Neves back into the temple and made their way into the dojo.  They found Plazyma and Flame already situated with the guardians.  When they were all seated, Neves with his parents and the others directly across from the older dragons, Cyril cleared his throat and addressed them.

"Though some things went astray on your rescue mission, you did a decent job.  However...Ripto's and Tephra's actions have awakened more evil."

"It will take some time before that evil spreads," Terrador continued.  "However, do not think you are getting any relaxation time.  You young ones are required elsewhere now."

"Where's our next mission?" Neves asked.  Ignitus sighed, his face growing serious.

"We'll need to send you youngsters in groups to different locations...to different realms."

Their faces lit up.  They were going to see new places?!  Cynder squealed.  "Yay!  Beaches and new places!"

"It's not so simple," Ignitus chuckled.  "It's good to see excitement, but at the same time, this is a dangerous assignment.  You six will not be traveling together at once.  You will need to split up."

"Six?" Flame asked.

"Yes, six," Nightshade said, folding his dark wing over the young fire dragon.  "You, Flame, will be staying here for training while they're gone."

"Awww...come on!  That's not fair!"

"Fairness is not life," Rivyera said in reply.  "Flame, unlike the others here, you do not truly know how to fight."

"Neither does Shimmer!"

"Hey!!  I'll have you know I was trained by the Settlement's best combat teacher!"

"Flame, your presence would be a burden to the others with your current knowledge.  True, your unique long-range attack would prove useful, but that's about all you have right now."  Ignitus looked Flame straight in the eyes.  "But don't worry.  I will personally see to your training in the ways of fire.  Terrador will be your combat instructor."

"Where are we going?"

"Yeah, and who're we teaming up with?"

"Patience," Terrador replied.  "Shimmer, Cynder, all of you have a few days to prepare.  We have not yet decided who's going with who, or really to where.  All we have right now are close guesses that are almost complete."

"Your duty now is to ensure that you are quite ready for the task," Cyril said.  "Gnorcs, rhynocs, and apes have invaded the various areas, most notably Cliff Town in the Peacekeeper's Canyon.  There appears to be a major project going on there.  Many of the local dragons have been forced from their dwellings there."

"I wanna go..." Flame sighed, but Rivyera chuckled to herself and lifted his face with the fin on her tail.

"Flame, trust us, it'll be better for you to avoid the trip and train here.  Where they're headed, the enemies are much stronger than the ones you've faced so far.  They're easier to kill, but for young dragons like yourself, they can knock you out in three hits easily."

"Well...I guess...will I be able to see Ember though?"  He ignored Cynder's snort.

"Most likely."

"Why isn't she here with us, though?"

The elders all turned to Ignitus, and the young dragons followed their sight as the old fire dragon sighed.  "Ember is not one of us."

Flame stared at him in disbelief.  "Yes she is!  She's my friend!"

"You do not understand, Flame.  All of us in this room are rare."  A few eyes fell on Spyro and Cynder, but Ignitus shook his head.  "Not just Spyro.  Yes, he's the purple dragon...for ages, the purple dragon has been a creature of redeeming power, sent to vanquish evil.  Throughout history, the purple dragon has been a herald of the fall of evil, but also a messenger that evil is coming."

"So he's an omen of doom," Caelos said jokingly.

"To put it bluntly, yes."

"Ah crap..."  Spyro punched the floor and the others laughed.

"However...among the prophecies surrounding these fantastic creatures...there are puzzles.  One dragon, the first one, fell to darkness and became the most powerful enemy this world and its realms have ever seen.  He laid waste to half of them, and completely destroyed a quarter of the original realms before he was imprisoned."

"Wait..."  Shimmer held up her paw, thinking hard.  "If he was so powerful, how was he imprisoned?  With energy crystals?"

"Exactly.  The guardians of that time, cornered in the tallest tower of the Sky Kingdom -- otherwise known as Concurrent Skies -- energized eight powerful crystals that served as a lock for the portal they were creating.  The evil dragon, known as Malefor or the Dark Master, caught them and killed four of them before the other four trapped him inside the portal, locking it with the crystals."

"What were the elements they used?"

"The eight elements: fire, ice, wind, electricity, water, earth, darkness, and light.  Unfortunately...the light guardian, one of the last light dragons, was the fourth to be killed as he used himself as a distraction to deter Malefor while the remaining guardians finished the portal.  Malefor hated light; it was the one element he was never able to learn."

"Why not?" Spyro asked curiously.  "If he was a purple dragon, couldn't he learn light?"

"Theoretically...but he fell to his own lust for power."

Nightshade grunted.  "It's been theorized that Malefor could not learn light because, when he reached the correct power level, he was already corrupted.  He mastered the dark element and dark magic...it's thought that this specialization, this corruption, lost him his power of light."

"What's this got to do with the rest of us?" Plazyma asked, picking at her claws as she lay on the floor.

"Spyro, technically, is the bane of this age's evil.  That is, if he succeeds.  A few prior to him have failed, like Malefor."

Rivyera spoke up as Ignitus paused.  "Young dragons...we are entering an age of heavier darkness than we've ever known.  All of you are living proof."

"Could you please just tell us?" Shimmer asked.  She looked at Neves sitting by her.  "Neves, you're really quiet..."

"I already know all this.  And what's coming up."

"Well then, Seven, why not explain it?" Rivyera asked, and Neves coughed and pushed his glasses back up his muzzle. 

"Up until this recent age, the dragon of purple alone has been enough to stop the tides of darkness.  However...this age is the rise and return of many evils, past and present.  Spyro is but one dragon against the world's most powerful evil forces predicted to arrive, purple though he is.  That's where we come in."

"How?" Plazyma asked, looking over her wings in a bored fashion, still thinking this was all a waste of her time.

"As shown by our exploits, except for Caelos and Shimmer, we are the dragons predicted to assist Spyro."

"How do you know for sure?" Caelos asked suspiciously.

"These guys are the guardians, masters of the elements, the best a dragon can naturally become.  And yet Cyril himself has admitted that I wield more power and control with ice than he can hope for.  Plazyma, your lightning strike?  For other dragons, that's only possible with a Fury attack, yet you do it as easily as a breath attack.  Flame's long-range beam is technically impossible, especially with the explosive power it yields.  Cynder is unique because she's not purple, yet wields both fire and darkness and has so far unleashed a devastating Dark Fury that is technically impossible for her age.  Caelos caused a windstorm merely by flapping his wings and breathing.  Haven't seen Shimmer do anything special yet..."

"So why do you think I'm one of the group?" she asked, confused.

"It was told that the elements would find each other all at once, and guess what?  All except earth, we've pretty much found each other.  Oh wait...that's right, Shimmer pulled off a massive wave of water to cool the lava in that battle."

"Who's earth then?" Flame asked.  "Tephra?"

Ignitus grunted.  "We don't know, Flame...Tephra has been powerful, true, but her power seems to stem from an outside source...we can't tell for sure, though, but something's at work with her.  The earth element could be anywhere...might be Tephra, might be someone else.  All we can do is wait and see."

By the time the discussion ended, everyone was hungry again.  Neves was put in charge of showing everyone where to get their own food.  Shimmer disappeared for a good half an hour, and when Spyro and Cynder went to go see what was holding her up, the three of them returned to the temple with a large haul of fish.  All through the meal Ignitus kept questioning Spyro about the rescue mission. 

"She had an elemental lock on Ember's cell?"

"Yeah, but I think Ripto put it there, not Tephra.  It responded to my breaths, and I don't know how to breathe earth yet."

"Tell us about what they did to Ember; do you know?  Did she say anything about it?"

Cynder watched and listened as Spyro recounted what Ember had told him...or rather, what he had gotten from her endless mouth amid the various stories and tangents the pink dragoness had continuously gone off on.  Cynder felt a bit hurt...Spyro almost seemed to enjoy remembering all that.  Was the whole irritation thing just an act?  She didn't see that he was trying to hide his irritation from the guardians, and when Spyro looked at her as he gathered his thoughts he paused when he saw her glaring at him.  She looked back at her meal when she realized he was looking at her, and was quiet for the rest of the time until they were sent outside for some quick flight training before nightfall.  FInally, they were told to sleep, and Spyro flopped down in his favorite spot in the garden while everyone else got themselves situated.  He looked up and saw Cynder nearby.  "Hey Cynder...ready for tomorrow?"

"I guess..."

Her tone caught his attention and he sat up.  "Is something wrong?"

Cynder lay down by him with a frustrated snort.  "Spyro, why didn't you even try to locate us in that cave?"

"Hey, I had no idea you guys had followed me!"

"That little brat..."

Spyro stared at her as she glared at a blade of grass, and presently he smirked.  "You're jealous."

She started, staring wide-eyed at him.  "What?!  That's crazy!"

"Well, you tend to be crazy yourself..."

She snorted and looked away.  "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh come off it!  Ever since the explosion when we got outta there you've been upset at me; what's going on with you?  I saw the way you stared at us when Ember tried to flirt with me."

"Flirt?!"  Spyro yelled and fell aside in surprise as she whipped around and almost lashed at him.  "THAT SNOBBY LITTLE BRAT WAS MORE THAN FLIRTING!!  And what's worse, you didn't do anything about it!!"

"Well what could I do?  I tried everything short of physical violence with her in those tunnels!  I don't know what her problem is, but--"

"But you liked it; you liked her flirting over you!!"  Cynder turned around, hitting his nose with her tail, and walked off.

"Cynder!  Wait..."  She was already running off through the garden.  "Geez, what's her problem?"  He mulled it over for a while, wanting to let her sort it out, but he just didn't understand why she was so upset with him.  He got up and followed her, and found her at the gateway to the mushrooms, staring out into the darkness.  He quietly sat down by her and she turned her head away.  "Cynder...what the heck is going on here?  Why do you have such a problem with me now?"

"I'm not gonna comment."

Spyro growled in frustration.  "How can I solve this problem if you don't tell me what it is?"

"Go figure it out yourself, pink-lover!"  She ran away again, clipping his nose with her tail-blade.  Spyro stared at her, his paw absently running over the new scratch on his scales.

"Pink-lover?  Cynder you idiot, I can't stand Ember!"  Thinking against running after her he walked back to his sleeping spot, and pounded the ground angrily.  "Gaahhh...why're girls so frustrating?!  Why is she being so stupid?!"

At the other side of the garden, Shimmer was telling Neves stories that her mother had passed on to her about their island, when she noticed something move not too far away.  "Neves...did you see that?"

"No...what was it?"

"I'm gonna go check it out."  She crept low against the ground, following the footsteps, and lunged when the creature stopped.  The two grappled at each other on the ground until Shimmer shrieked, her neck caught in her catch's mouth.

"Shimmer?!"  Cynder backed away quickly.  "I'm so sorry, I thought you were..."

"What's going on?" Shimmer asked, rubbing her neck, but to her confusion Cynder ran off again, crying.  Neves ran up behind Shimmer.

"What happened?  What was it?"

"Cynder...she's really upset about something."  Shimmer ran after her, and Neves followed at a distance, wanting to stay as out of sight as possible in case Cynder was more emotional than he thought.  They found her deeper in, close to the temple wall, crying into her wing as she lay on the ground.  Shimmer wanted to go in, but Neves stopped her and shook his head. 

"I don't think we can help her right now, give her some down-time before confronting her."  Shimmer sighed and went back to their spot, but Neves stayed where he was to study the black dragoness.  He couldn't hear what she was saying, but she kept hitting herself in the head as if trying to knock something out.  Finally she settled down a bit and curled up, crying quietly to herself, and Neves slowly walked in, keeping a safe distance.  "Cynder?  You okay?"

"No...I don't know what's wrong with me..."  She sniffled and turned away.  "Just leave me alone before I hurt someone again..."

Neves sighed and walked away.  "Something's wrong...ever since that attack in the mountain...or is this just what girls do?"

The next few days they were run through all sorts of drills and tests and training sessions, rarely given a break except maybe half a day off to go have fun.  By the end of their first week in the temple they were able to lift themselves off the ground with their wings and fly for a bit, but their wing muscles were still too weak for true flight.  Finally, in the midst of a rainstorm, Ignitus gathered them all into the dojo.

"Young dragons, we've finally located the best areas for you to test your skills against.  Ripto's forces have finally established definite areas of control, and are just now beginning to make them stronger."

Terrador grunted with a bit of strain, and the whole room shook as the statue in the center lowered into the floor.  When the floor closed itself over the statue, a glowing pattern and shimmering archway appeared in the center of the circular room.  "Your mission is to scour the realms we send you to.  There's only a few that are currently plagued, but you will be put to the test before long."

"What do we hafta do?" Shimmer asked.

Rivyera looked towards the portal.  "The locals were forced to evacuate, and in the chaos their gems were scattered and stolen.  In the realms we are sending you to, gems are very important.  They are used as currency, but also as power sources.  Gather enough and certain areas will become accessible.  We think Ripto is trying to find the sources of the power for these jewels, but whatever he's up to, he's causing too much trouble."

"As we said before, six of you will be going.  Shimmer and Neves, Spyro and Cynder, and Caelos and Plazyma."  Ignitus cocked an eyebrow at Flame as the young dragon tried to hide behind Caelos.  "Flame, over here.  You still have a lot of training to do."

"Awww...c'mon..."  Flame walked over to Ignitus and sat down, looking lonely. 

"Ember is coming to the temple tomorrow to be with you, Flame; she needs to learn how to fight, seeing how Ripto seems to be targeting her."  Rivyera sat down by him.  "Don't worry, Flame, you're not really missing out on anything.  We've located a realm for you to practice in alongside Ember if she wants to."

Neves rolled his eyes and the others leaned closer.  "Can't tell she wants more kids, can you?  She's already treating us like her children..."  They laughed among themselves while Ignitus ran his paw along the portal archway. 

"I was hoping we wouldn't have to use this portal, but the others need time to activate.  Be careful, young dragons; the ride will be a bit bumpy getting there."  The portal color turned a bit bluish and they thought they saw a mountain range through its watery rippling energy.  "Seven, Shimmer, you're first.  The Magiccrafter's realm is treacherous but should be fairly easy to navigate.  If for any odd reason, you are defeated permanently, you'll be warped back here.  Keep in mind, though; defeat only allows Ripto's forces to further their actions there, and we can't risk him completing whatever he's started there.  Gems found are to be brought back here for safekeeping until the realms are safe again.  If you find any important items, bring them here so Ripto's forces can't get them."

Shimmer glanced at the portal nervously, and Neves nudged her slightly.  "C'mon, we're the only ones that can do this.  We'll be fine.  We can leave the realm at any time we choose, if that's any comfort."

She nervously followed him into the portal, and the others watched as the field of energy swallowed them up in a small flash.  Ignitus touched the portal again.  "Spyro, Cynder, you're next."

"So...the Magiccrafter's home...this is gonna be fun."

"What?  You don't like it?"

"It's a pretty place!  But...I'm just not very comfortable in areas were you can slip and fall over ledges."  Shimmer glanced over the edge and shivered.

"Further in there's water.  C'mon."  Neves led the way, and Shimmer cautiously followed him...something didn't feel right.  She and Neves collected the scattered gems tossed around from the gnorc games as they wandered down the hallway, jumping over the pools of water in their way.

"Hey wait..."  Shimmer dove into one of the pools, and Neves walked to the edge and watched as she swam deep down and then disappeared into one of the walls through an entrance he couldn't see from above.  Half a minute later he heard bubbles in the pool behind him and Shimmer leapt out of the water with a key in her mouth.  She glanced up at him and cocked an eyebrow curiously.  "What?  Do I have something on me?"

Neves pulled his mouth shut and shook his head rapidly.  "Nothing, thought I saw something..."  She giggled and rolled her eyes, and hunkered lower to the floor.  Neves's eyes widened and he stepped back.  "Shimmer, no...ACK!!"  He shielded his face with his wing as she shook herself off, spraying water everywhere.  She laughed and flicked water at him with her tail, catching his face with the drops as he brought his wing down. 

"Gotcha," she laughed, sticking her tongue out at him.  He huffed and walked past her, and they continued into the realm entrance.  Not much further in they encountered some odd-looking silver-armored gnorcs carrying magical staves.  "Oh this is gonna be fun."  Shimmer raced up to one and ducked under its staff as it lashed at her, and she breathed a powerful stream of water at it.  Neves yelled and caught her as it hit her in the followthrough of its first strike.

"You okay?"

"Owww...I don't feel so good..."

"Armored enemies here are immune to breath attacks and most melee hits."  He quickly dashed through the whole line of gnorcs, knocking them every which way as he charged through them with his horns.  Shimmer watched as jewels flew from the gnorcs and disappeared when they touched Neves, and the enemies themselves disappeared in small puffs of sparks.  Neves looked back triumphantly, and she rolled her eyes. 

"Show-off..."  She looked back at him.  "What?"

"What's that thing floating by you?" he asked, pointing.  Shimmer looked behind herself and saw a glowing bug dancing through the air behind her with a bright blue glow. 

"Awww...it's cute!"  Shimmer stood up on her hind legs and stretched a paw to it, but it flitted around her paw and then went behind her again as she fell back on all fours.  "What're you doing here little guy?"

"Hey, I've got one too..."  She looked and saw a bright white fly buzzing around Neves.  A look of realization came across his face.  "Ahaaaa...I know why they're here."

"Why?"

"In these outer realms, some dragonflies are gifted with protective abilities...they're guarding us, Shimmer.  Yours is blue instead of white right now because it expended some energy shielding you from that hit."

"So...if I or you get hit, we're dead?"

"Not necessarily dead, but out cold definitely."

"Awww...poor little guy..."  She looked at her dragonfly.  "Do they talk?  How do we get their power back?"

"I don't think they can talk to us, but to re-energize them we need to either feed them butterflies or collect certain special power crystals...I think they're orbs.  Enough talk for now though, I hear more gnorcs outside and I don't think they're very happy."

Hundreds of miles away, another portal zapped and two dragons stepped out, their black and purple colors standing out against the sand they were walking on.

"A beach...yay, fun," Cynder said, tracing her claws in the sand.  Spyro sighed.

"Listen, Cynder, I'm sorry about that whole thing with Ember, but you're reacting to something that never was."

She sighed and looked away.  "I know..."

Spyro rubbed against her.  "Hey...c'mon, standing here isn't gonna get the problem solved."  She shrugged and followed him towards the large stone gate.  Not too far away she spotted something glittering, and cautiously crept across the sand towards it.  Spyro followed her and watched as she collected the glittering gem, and she purposely avoided his eyes as she walked back to him.  "Cynder...what would make you happy again?  I hate seeing you like this."

She shrugged again.  "I don't know..."

Spyro sat down in front of her.  "I need to know...why are you so upset about this whole me and Ember thing?  It was torture listening to her go on and on and on...why do you think I like her?"

"I can't talk about it..."

"Why not?"

"I just...I can't.  Can't talk about something I don't know."

"Well, take it from me, I never wanna see that little brat again if I can help it."

"How do I know you're not just saying that to cheer me up?"

"I guess I was wrong to assume you could trust me..."  He stood up and walked away, feeling very hurt.  Something grabbed his tail and he looked back to see Cynder following him, his tail in her mouth.  "What?"

"I'm sorry, Spyro...I don't know what's wrong with me, that's part of this whole problem..."

"Whaddaya mean, 'what's wrong with you'?"

"I don't know!" she said defensively, stopping.

"I meant, what's going on that you don't know about?  Is something bothering you?"

"...Yes..."

"What is it?"

She opened her mouth several times, choking on her words every time as if someone suddenly grabbed her throat.  Finally she sighed and looked at the sand.  "I can't say...something's keeping me from talking about it..."

Spyro studied her for a bit, trying to figure out what might be wrong.  Cynder sighed heavily, and started when she felt Spyro rub against her again.  "Hey... C'mon Cynder, let's get going.  It'll be okay, you don't need to tell me now."  She followed him up the beach, and they both stopped at the gates, then looked at each other oddly.

"Where the heck are we again?"

"I'm guessing a sandbar or something..."  They were confused as they looked past the gates...stretching before them, instead of land like they'd thought was there, was a maze of sandbars and white-bricked buildings.  It was a beautiful sight, but at the same time confusing...where was the mainland they were supposed to be at?  It didn't matter, though; shortly after they stepped past the gates, a large gnorc ran up to them with a large shovel and a bucket, and quickly socked Spyro over the head.  Cynder yelled in anger and knocked it into the water with a well-aimed headbutt.  A single yellow gem popped out of the water and disappeared when it hit Cynder's hide.

"Spyro?  You okay?"

"I suddenly feel weaker...least I'm still standing..."  He looked up and noticed her looking at him oddly.  "What?"

"What's that little glowing speck flying around you?  Is that the dragonflies Ignitus told us to look for?"

"Are they," he corrected her.  "I don't know...I think so."

"Oh!"  Cynder spotted one hovering around her.  "Huh...they're kinda cute..."  She lifted her wing to it and it perched on her black wing-finger.  "Hey, you guys gonna help us?"

"Cynder...I think we should get moving..."

"Why?"  He indicated a beam of light rising into the sky from a far sandbar.  "Uh oh..."

Plazyma yelled and slapped a gnorc off the edge of a cliff with her tail, and as it fell a red gem flew back up and disappeared when it touched her.  Caelos blasted another with a powerful blast of air-breath and claimed the resulting gem.  Plazyma sighed and eyed the beam of light up ahead.  "Wow...so close yet so far..."

Caelos glanced back at the little dragonfly hovering around him.  "I know."

"Do you ever talk?"  He just shrugged and walked forward.  She followed him, keeping a bit of a distance, until he stopped with a strange sigh.

"Plazyma...on the mountain, why did you speak against me?  I've only done anything to you once, and that was an attempt at assistance."

She looked at him oddly.  "No, you kept bugging me for an entire month after that incident, and you almost killed me in a rockslide."

He returned the look.  "That meeting with the others when Shimmer was injured was the second time I've ever seen you in my life."

They stopped, staring at each other in confusion.  "Wait...so...who was bugging me?  He looked exactly like you."

"That's weird...I'm an only child."

Their eyes both widened in realization.  "They've escaped..." Plazyma whispered. 

Caelos was about to say something when a motion caught his eye.  Plazyma shrieked painfully as he threw her to the side, rolling himself with the motion.  She sat up to beat him, but caught sight of what he'd just saved her from and all thought of vengeance left her.  A huge beast decked out with spiked and bladed armor had charged at them and was looping back around to strike at them again, its four feet pounding against the ground in a mad frenzy.  Caelos blinded it with a hurried dust blast and Plazyma shorted it permanently with a bolt of electric breath.  It disappeared in a shower of sparks and three large purple jewels, which Caelos caught with his wind power and quickly collected.  "Sharp eyes, you'd better have them."

"I'm surprised I didn't sense his magnetic field..."  They traveled along the narrowing edge of the cliff and finally located the abandoned town, keeping low to avoid being seen.  Everywhere they looked they saw gnorcs, some just standing around doing nothing, others pacing back and forth...but what really caught their attention was a beam of light shooting up from the other side of the town.  "That can't be good..."

"No it isn't."

"I know that already!  C'mon, let's just get this done with."  They glided down to the foyer of a large white-stone building and charged headlong into Cliff Town.

"You were so great back there, you were so cool!"  Ember kept skipping around by Spyro's side, fawning all over him.  Spyro just stared straight ahead at Hunter's back, not responding.  They were two days down the mountainside, and Ember's constant chatting was attracting monsters left and right.  The mountain's side had opened up with a large crack in that final explosion, and a dark cloud was beginning to gather overhead.  Hardly as dark as the glare from Cynder's eyes, though, as she watched Ember prance around Spyro and hail him.  Cynder turned her head when she heard Flame sigh.

"What?"

He just shrugged and kept walking, looking at the ground.  Cynder rolled her eyes and looked back quickly at Plazyma and Caelos.  As usual they weren't talking to anyone, and Caelos had taken it on himself to guard the back of the group.  It was pretty obvious now that he'd joined them.  Cynder sighed, thinking back to when this started...It was only supposed to have been her, Spyro, and Neves, and here they were, eight dragons and a cheetah heading back to the Settlement after probably waking up the most evil mountain in the land.  Spyro and Neves had wanted to go back in and try to stop Tephra and the others and possibly stop the mountain's inhabitants, but Hunter had convinced them that there was nothing they could do now.  Cynder glanced forward as she saw Neves look over his shoulder at the mountain.

"The guardians are gonna string us up for this, I just know it..."  He was scared.  Rightfully so, too; he knew far more about what had happened than the others could hope to guess.  Elamrof Mountain was a gathering place long ago for the most evil of creatures and spirits, and after a huge war the most powerful earth dragons had sealed the dark beings in the stone of the mountain itself.  But that wasn't what worried Neves...there were rumors even among the guardians that the mountain itself was "alive" and was waiting to awaken again.  "This was a trap..."

"Hey, settle down," Shimmer said, nudging him with her wing.  "Elamrof is very atmospherically active, a lot of storms tend to generate over its top.  No big deal."

"Why now, though?"

"It's felt like a storm ever since we went in, Neves.  Remember?  I can feel changes in nature?"

"Yeah...but still..."

"Hold up," Plazyma said loudly, and everyone came to a stop -- except Ember, who kept running circles around Spyro.

"What is it?" Hunter asked, grabbing his bow.

"I don't know...I've felt it before..."  Plazyma closed her eyes and faint sparks flew from her body.  Her eyes snapped open and she jumped up.  "Hide!!!  It's back, Spyro!!"

"Oh crap..."

"What's back?" Cynder asked, confused, but Plazyma and Spyro were already searching for places to hide.  Spyro raced up to them and lowered his voice to a loud whisper. 

"Hunter, remember those skeletons others were talking about?"

"Uh oh..."

Cynder whimpered.  "Those...those things that attacked my cave?!"

"Yes!  Guys, we need to hide!"

The ground vibrated a bit, but they all felt it and froze.  Hunter suddenly shot off with his bow in his paw, leaving them to hide themselves.  Ember whined.  "He's leaving us!"

"SHHHH!!!" Cynder hissed, grabbing Ember's face and clapping her paw over her mouth.  "Shut your freakin' mouth for once or your voice will bring it here and I'll hafta kill you before it does!"  Ember backed away against Spyro, terrified.  The ground shook again and they scattered.  There were no easy hiding places nearby.  Spyro raced up to Plazyma, and Ember bumped into him as she failed to stop, making him fall onto Plazyma.  They both glared at her. 

"Ember!  Go with Flame NOW!" Spyro hissed, and she ran without question.  "Plazyma, can you run like you did before?  Find hiding places?"

"If you'd get your purple scales off my belly so I could breathe..."  Spyro hurriedly got off her and she shook herself off.  "Gather everyone behind the trees while I look.  I might be able to distract it long enough for you all to hide."

"Thanks!"

"Oh shut up, I don't wanna hafta bury everyone's half-eaten bodies."  With that she crackled with electricity and shot off like lightning, seeming to become a living fork of electricity.  The ground shook again and Spyro froze when he saw something move downhill.  There it was...but...was that it?  It looked way different from the one that attacked him earlier...whatever it was, it was huge and was focused on killing dragons.  He slowly crept to the side and hid behind a nearby bush, hoping Plazyma could distract it and draw it away before it found them.  It crept closer, and Spyro's eyes widened when he saw how big it truly was; it was far bigger than the last one, and it had four dangerous arms completely decked out with sharp-edged spines and tipped with long, scythe-like claws.  Its four eyes glittered with a malicious red light, and as it crawled forward on its four limbs Spyro caught a glimpse of another set of thin limbs on its back laced with even more edged claws, almost like wing-limbs without the skin to complete the wings.

"What the hell are these things?!?" he asked himself, holding completely still.  A bright flash shot by it and it snarled and gave chase, the ground shaking under its feet.  Half a minute later the air shook with a frustrated roar and Plazyma suddenly appeared next to Spyro. 

"Okay, here's the plan.  I can hold out long enough for you guys to get into that really thin chasm down there.  See those reddish tall rocks?  In between lies a crack in the ground.  We can fit in there; I'll distract it some more, you get everyone else and bring them there as fast as you can." 

"But what about you?  Aren't you coming with us?"

"Well since you're with the guardians I'm assuming they'll want to question me for helping."  With that she zapped away.

Cynder cringed behind a tree, glad that her black scales were helping her blend in but afraid that her red wingskins might show.  Something moved not too far away, and she whimpered when she saw it -- the thing was freakin' HUGE!!  Far bigger than the one that had torn up her cave that night!  To her surprise, something welled up inside her...she wanted revenge, she wanted to make it pay for scaring her so badly.  What the heck?  That thing would kill me in five seconds!!  Nearby, she saw Flame, and had a sudden urge to make him jump and attract the monster.  Shaking her head she mentally slapped herself for even thinking that...

A purple streak suddenly passed her by, and she saw Spyro head over to Neves.  The two quickly chatted, and then split up, rounding up the others.  Cynder watched...and a sudden pang shot through her -- no one was coming for her!  Were they all gonna just leave her?!  "C'mon, run!" Spyro said loudly, waiting for everyone.  He looked around, confused, and smelled the air.  "Cynder?  New hiding place!"  The ground shook and Spyro hunkered down close to the ground and froze. 

"C'mon!"  Hunter hissed by her, making her jump.  She followed him, keeping low to the ground.  Up ahead, Ember suddenly screamed, and the ground shook and a loud roar filled the air.  Cynder looked over her shoulder. 

"OH SH-"

"RUN!!!"  Cynder screamed as Hunter grabbed her by the horns, and she saw a towering, snarling monster running after them.  Plazyma suddenly shot by and blasted it with lightning, but it didn't even slow down or look at her as the powerful strike simply melded around its hide and blasted the ground through its feet.  Its mouth flashed and the ground under Hunter suddenly turned into mud, and he yelled as his feet stuck and his motion made him fall flat on his face.  Cynder was sent skidding along the ground.

"CYNDER!!" Spyro shouted, and she looked up quickly to see him coming towards her.  The huge monster roared and lunged forward, landing by Cynder, and she screamed and rolled to the side as it snapped at her.  It knocked her to the side with its snout, sending her into a tree, and she weakly rolled away again and watched as its bite took a chunk out of the tree with little effort.  In its frustration it smashed the tree to the side and bit at Cynder again. 

"NOOO!!!!" everyone shouted as the creature stood up.  It went to swallow, but suddenly its whole body shook and it let out a deafening screech of pain and they saw Cynder hanging by her tail, the blade at the end stuck deep in the monster's tongue.  Cynder looked around hazily.

"Spyro...help me..." she whispered, and blacked out as she pulled herself free from the rampaging creature's mouth.

Neves and Shimmer slowly walked into the room, balancing a tray on their backs.  Hunter picked it up and set it on the bedside table, the sound of metal on stone snapping Spyro awake.  He yawned and caught himself as his forelegs slipped off the bed, and he looked at Cynder as she slept.  He'd stayed by the bedside for almost three days now...they were in an underground room that the Settlement guards used for healing.

"Spyro..." Cynder whispered faintly, then groaned and rolled onto her side facing him.  He put his paw on her head.

"Will she ever get over this fever?"

"I don't know," Neves said, standing by him.  "Move please."  Spyro stepped down and back as Neves stood up on his hind legs and placed his paws on Cynder.  "Hmmm...well, she's gone down a bit, that's good.  But she's still shaking..."  He fell onto all fours and turned to Spyro.  "Spyro, it may seem ridiculous but I need you to rub her shoulders.  Roll her onto her belly and rub her back."

"Okay but why?"

"Even in an unconscious state, the massage technique will make her body relax, which is what we need right now to quell the trembling while the medicine works."

Caelos came down with Plazyma.  "The guardians finally responded; they're on their way right now."

"How's Ember doing?" Hunter asked.

"Still not letting Flame leave the room; that chase sure shook her badly."

"Have her parents been informed yet?" Neves asked, and Hunter nodded.

"I reported to them this morning; they're taking her home when the guardians come."

Shimmer helped Spyro carefully turn Cynder over, and Spyro hopped up on the bed and started rubbing her back.  Shimmer stayed by the bedside, staring at her unconscious friend...what had knocked her out and given her this fever?  She jumped when Neves gently tapped her with his wing.  "Shimmer, do you remember where to find information on those monsters?"

"Yeah."

"After I finish Cynder's medicine, I'm gonna go to the library and look up what I can find that may help.  We don't have much time, but I know the guardians will let me stay here and research.  Could you help?"

"Sure.  But...how're you gonna get back to the temple?"

"I have my ways," he said with a sly grin as she followed him out of the room.  Caelos and Plazyma sat apart, watching everything almost as if they were guards.  Spyro looked over his shoulder at the wind dragon.

"Hey Caelos...why're you following us, exactly?  You haven't mentioned that, at least not clearly."

Caelos shrugged with a nonchalant look.  "I felt I was needed and that I was meant to come with you."

"Guys, they're here," Shimmer called.  Hunter sighed and looked at Spyro.

"Well, glad I could help.  I'll carry her upstairs."

"Thanks for the help, Hunter...sorry you couldn't do much in our fights."

"No worries, what's done is done."  He picked Cynder up carefully and Spyro followed him outside.  Ignitus, Cyril, Volteer, and Terrador were waiting for them, and Terrador bent down so Hunter could put the black dragoness on his back.  Neves whistled through his teeth in disappointment.

"What?" Shimmer asked.

"Ignitus, would you guys be able to carry them back while I do some research on the monsters?"

"Nightshade already knows what's afflicting her, Neves; we need you to get everyone back.  There is a lot to talk about." 

"What about Flame?  Shouldn't he come?" Plazyma asked, and Shimmer groaned when Cyril nodded.  "I'll go get him.  Ember's not gonna be happy."  When she came back, Flame looked ready to pass out, and Plazyma looked ready to kill someone, but they followed the guardians to the beach.  Terrador flew ahead with Cynder while the other three elders stayed with the younger dragons in case something happened on the way back.  Plazyma looked at the ocean and squinted at the tiny island.  "How do we get all the way over there?  None of us can fly."

Neves chuckled to himself and walked to the water.  Flame groaned.  "I can't swim."

"Don't need to," Neves said, wading into the water.  All around him, the water froze solid.  He jumped up onto the platform of ice and beckoned them with his tail.  "C'mon."

"Is it safe?" Caelos asked, pressing a paw on the ice.

"This is how I travel back and forth between the island and the mainland."  After some persuasion, the others followed Spyro and Cynder after him, the guardians flying overhead to help if something went wrong.  By the time they reached the temple, night had fallen, and Spyro wandered into the dojo with everyone else to find Cynder already on a bed with Nightshade gauging her fever, a half-empty bowl of medicine by him.

"Will she be okay?" he asked, walking up to the bed, and Nightshade grunted.

"She'll be fine by tomorrow, a bit heavy-headed but she'll be awake.  The poison didn't get to her much, luckily."

"Poison?" they all asked.

"Yes...those creatures have toxic breath."

"Well...at least she's okay..."  Spyro turned to the others when he heard Flame and Plazyma yawn.  "C'mon guys, garden.  Let's get some sleep."

The next morning Spyro woke up when he found that the sun was shining right on his face.  He rolled over, and his eyes shot open when he rolled right into someone.  It was Cynder!  What was she doing outside?!  Curious, he put his paw on her head...her fever was completely gone.  "Must be because she's part poison," he said to himself, and yawned and rolled away from her, forcing himself to stand up.  "Well...guess I should find some food or something..."  He wandered slowly through the garden, occasionally grabbing a lone berry off a vine, until he came to the archway where the garden turned into the mushroom forest.  He knew where some good food bushes were...but something told him not to leave Cynder for long.

"Going somewhere?"

"Who's there?"  Spyro whipped around, looking for the voice. 

"Haha, you don't know by now?"  It came from behind him, and Spyro looked over his shoulder.  A tiny piece of stone fell on his snout and he looked up.

"Nice try, Neves."

"Aw come on, I had ya goin' there for a bit."  He jumped up and spread his wings, gliding in tight circles.  "Already got food for you guys inside but don't hog everything, okay?"

"Huh?"

"Nightshade and Rivyera made me get up early and collect food for everyone."

"Oh."  Neves landed nearby and shook himself, then pushed his glasses back up his muzzle.  "Neves, why is Cynder outside?"

"She kept asking for you all through the night in her sleep, so Nightshade brought her outside and put her by you."

"Oh..."

"She liiiiikes yooooou," Neves chanted, and laughed and ran off when Spyro swung at him.  Spyro groaned, shaking his head as he turned around and headed for the temple.  As he came closer, Cynder yawned, and Spyro sat down by her and gently shook her.

"Cynder?  You awake?"

"Spyro?" She whispered, and slowly opened her eyes.  "Owww...I kept...having dreams about you...so weird..."  She stretched and then buried her face in her forelegs with a tired groan.

"Feeling any better?"

"At least I'm awake...where are we?"

"Back at the Dragon Temple."

"Wha...what happened?" she yawned, forcing herself to stand up.

"Breakfast is inside, I'll tell you while we eat."

Inside, in the dojo, they found an assortment of berries, fruits, assorted other edible plants, and two sparrows per dragon waiting for them.  While Cynder ate, Spyro quickly filled her in on what they'd done while she was out (which was simply getting off the mountain and running back to the Settlement, where they tended her).  Gradually the others filtered in; Flame scarfed down his breakfast rather quickly, whereas Plazyma and Caelos didn't seem to take much interest in eating.  Shimmer was pretty quiet while she ate, listening to everyone else while they waited for the guardians.  Finally Plazyma looked up at Neves as he sat there watching them.

"What're we doing here anyway?"

Neves pushed his glasses back up his face again.  "Ignitus and the others wish to question you five.  Spyro, Cynder and I they already know about; it's the rest of you they really need to talk to."

"About what?" Shimmer asked.

"You'll find out.  I have no clue myself, honestly."

Caelos looked outside.  "How long will this take?"

"I just said, I don't know.  Personally, I hope it takes a while."

"Why?"

"Less training any of us may have to do."

Cynder suddenly shivered and they all looked at her.  "Cynder?  Something wrong?" Spyro asked.

"No...just suddenly felt a tingle in my back, it's gone now."  She didn't want to tell them, but she'd just scared herself...she'd suddenly had a strong urge to hurt someone, but had no idea why.

Finally, when they were finished eating and were beginning to get bored, Ignitus and the rest of the guardians came into the dojo.  Flame cleared his throat.  "What're we doing here?"

Terrador looked down at him a bit disapprovingly.  "You're not making a very good first impression, Flame."  The others laughed to themselves.