FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 7 is flying along, helps that I'm copy&pasting/editing parts of the roughdraft...

even with that, though, it's still taking me a while. Got tons of shit I gotta do each day and it's driving me up the wall through the ceiling...

Anyway, enough self-pity, here's the chapter. And thanks for the support so far, people, it's really helping me stay focused on getting this written.

If you're under legal yiff age (18), G.T.F.O. NAO. Spyro no likey you reading this.

===========

-- Chapter 5 --

===========

Spyro woke sharply as he felt a familiar paw slap him hard, its claws grazing his cheek. He sat up quickly and flopped back as his forelegs gave out under him, and at the same time he heard Cynder inhale sharply through her teeth.

"Sorry...didn't mean to scratch you..."

"What was that for?!"

"I'm really sorry, but you weren't waking up and you were scaring me!"

His face softened. "What was going on?"

"You were throwing yourself around and I thought you were gonna pull something or hurt yourself." His paw went over the small scratches on his cheek, and her eyes took on a sad look. "I'm sorry..." She looked down at the bed covers.

He used his tail to lift her face up again and she couldn't help but giggle as he used the fin at the end to tickle her. He slowly sat up, his head throbbing. He looked outside and saw that night was falling.

"How long was I out?"

"You really had us worried, Spyro...seven days is a long time."

His eyes dilated. "Wow! No wonder I feel so hungry..."

They heard Solar laugh as he walked into the room. "I figured he wouldn't be awake more than a minute without saying that." He walked over to the bedside and Cynder rolled away and flopped back beside Spyro. "Feeling any better?"

"I don't think I'd be up if I wasn't."

"Well, look who's up," said a familiar voice, and in flew a golden glow. "Not only is he fat, he's also incredibly lazy."

"SPARX?!" Spyro half-shouted, excited.

"Yeah, that's me, former god of the Atllawa tribe, savior of the dragon-realms..." Sparx looked over his hand cockily. "Oh, and brother of the purple dragon that always gets into trouble."

Spyro rolled his eyes...Sparx hadn't changed a bit since his last visit. "So, how's things going in the swamp? Mom and Dad still fine?"

"Everything's still all flowers and non-bad stuff, the usual. Just came to check on how the purple legend and his psychotic she-dragon are doing before I head off to Tall Plains. Y'know, to bask in the praise that I deserve."

Cynder giggled. "Well, Sparx, I see you still don't approve of me."

"Well excyuuuuse me for not trusting the dragon that nearly killed us and brought back the Dark Master. Old scars don't sit well."

Spyro groaned. "Sparx, we didn't even know about Cynder or the Dark Master until we met Ignitus...doesn't really count as a 'scar'."

"It does when you're chased ruthlessly through a volcano ready to explode and then almost killed out in who-knows-where near a mystic portal containing the most evil dragon ever. Other than...y'know..."

Spyro was about to retort when Cynder took hold of his paw and shot him a sly glance. Through their bond he knew what on her mind and smirked. She looked back up at Sparx. "Well, guess what? Your brother's now 'Daddy' Spyro." She rubbed her belly hintingly.

Sparx paused for a second, and they all burst out laughing when his jaw dropped.

"Wha...Spyro...Cynder...preg...eggs?" he said inarticulately, stunned.

"Better believe it," Spyro laughed. "You're Uncle Sparx now, buddy."

Sparx groaned and hid his face in his hands. "Just great...more little Cynders running around wreaking havoc..."

They laughed again and Sparx flew out of the room, obviously a bit shaken with this. Solar looked at Cynder with a half-smile.

"He really doesn't like you, does he?"

Cynder shook her head. "Nope. Even after all this time..."

"Oh well, his problem, not ours," Spyro said, and Cynder hugged him.

Solar cleared his throat. "Well, Spyro, there's food out there waiting for you and Cynder...but take it easy. You may be up but I get the feeling you're still not fully recovered from the shock." He walked out of the room, and Cynder suddenly groaned, clutching her midsection. Spyro snapped his head to her in alarm.

"You okay?"

"Yes...yes, I'm fine..." The pain quickly left her and she sighed in relief. "That's the fifth time in three days..."

"Maybe something to eat will help?" Spyro asked, getting up and walking out of the room. He came back in with their food, and after Cynder ate her fill she insisted on feeding him like he did with her.

"I wish I could freeze these for you," she said as she placed a berry on his tongue.

"You don't need to. The fact that you're touching them makes them all the sweeter."

She gave him the last berry with a smile. "You are such a suck-up, Spyro..."

He laughed and they got back up on the bed. There was a bit of silence before Spyro looked her in the eyes. "You feel apprehensive, Cynder...something I should know? Is something bothering you?"

She hesitated. "Well...two things really...what the shadow said about defeating you and you living with it every day."

"Shadow?"

"Oh...that's right, you were out cold the whole time..."

"No...wait..." Spyro suddenly started hearing the entire conversation that had taken place around him a week ago. "No, he didn't defeat me, I beat him! I watched him disappear after blasting him with light."

Cynder looked very confused. "I thought maybe your little dark-thing that happened while training may have been what he was referring to...but, you beat him?"

"I'm sure I did..." Spyro's face suddenly looked a bit panicked. "Unless...unless he..."

"Unless he what?"

Spyro shook his head. "No, not right now...what else has been bothering you?"

"Not really bothering..." she said with a slight smile. "I get the feeling we'll have more than one."

She took his paw and put it against her ruby-red underbelly, and after a bit he grinned. "Yep, I see what you're saying."

She hugged him. "Oh Spyro...I'm so happy..."

He pulled the cover over both of them and wrapped his arms and wings around her. "You're not alone in that."

A memory suddenly came to her head and Spyro saw her eyes light up. "Sit up," she said, sitting up herself. Confused, he sat up,and she silently motioned for him to turn away from her. He did, and felt her paws on his back.

"What're you doing?" he asked with a smile.

"I owe you a little something from a week ago," she whispered. Her paws began caressing and pressing against his scales and he let out a low groan as his muscles relaxed under her touch. She smiled happily as she felt his reaction.

Cynder spent a good fifteen minutes massaging those tough muscles of her purple mate, working her way from his back to his shoulders to his neck before finally edging around him and locking her mouth to his. He shivered and she watched as he stretched with a long groan of contentment.

"Ooohhhhh...that felt good," he said quietly. "Thanks..."

She wrapped her forelegs around him. "Anything for you, Spyro." He hugged her back and kissed her, pulling her down onto the bed with him. She sighed happily and pressed her whole length against his, nestling her head between his chin and chest and feeling his warm heartbeat pulsing in perfect synchronization with hers.

Out on the balcony, Flare opened her eyes a crack and smiled as Solar quietly lay down next to her and draped his wing over her, putting his head down next to hers.

"Aurora," she whispered, and he raised an eyebrow. "What if our firsthatched is a boy? Aurora is a bit too feminine..."

"Auros? Auror? Auroris? Auroros? Auroron?" Solar suggested.

"I like the fifth one...Auroron...but what about our other children?"

She giggled as his eye nearest her opened wider. "What?"

"Solar, you know it's common for females to have more than one egg a clutch," she said, lifting her arm and punching him lightly. "Mr. My-memory's-an-entire-database." He rolled his eyes with a humored snort. "Anyway, I think we can expect at least three." She rolled on her side. "Go ahead," she whispered.

He lay his paw on her rounded midsection, and smiled after a bit. "You're probably right..."

She wrapped her arms around him. "Another month and a half..."

"You and Cynder sure get along well," he said.

"Well that's a random topic change..."

"Not really, I heard you two talking about the 'another month-and-a-half' thing earlier today..."

Flare sighed, looking away. "Cynder and I...somehow, we both think we're gonna give birth on the same day..."

Solar looked at her quizzically. "Well, when two female dragons are in the same place and are pregnant at the same time, I know there have been similar cases..."

"But at the same time in the same day?"

His eyes narrowed. "That's a bit extreme..."

"We both had a dream about it two nights ago...but it wasn't a clear dream, not like a vision or anything. But the fact we both had it the same night gets me thinking..."

"Does Spyro know?"

"Cynder said she'd tell him, but I think she may have forgotten tonight. She was awfully tired today."

"Well, remember, she's a good five years younger than you, if not more. She may be younger, but you're more physically grown and better able to handle...egg-bearing."

"You worried about her?"

"Kind of..." He looked up at the sky. "I'm just afraid of how her body will take the day. Something tells me she'll be fine but...I can't help worrying. And she and Spyro love each other so deeply, it'd be devastating to either if something happened."

Flare nuzzled against him, pulling him tighter in her embrace. "I love you, Solar...you're always so concerned about others..."

He smiled and kissed her. "And I love you, Flare...you're the whole world to me. Though I still don't see how you put up with me and my quirks..."

"Because you're my ice monster." They fell into a loving, passionate kiss as he wrapped his arms around her, and she wrapped her tail around his before they both slowly fell asleep, their mouths still lovingly attached to each other.

Alex sat on the statue, his green tail and wings swaying absently as he watched Solar and Flare. He turned his head and saw Spyro and Cynder cuddled together on their bed. A sharp pain shot through him--a pain of longing. How he wanted Christine to be there with him...

"Hey buddy, you okay? Lookin' a little green around the gills," came Sparx's voice behind him, and Alex jumped and whipped around.

"Oh...Sparx..." Alex slumped against the statue again.

"You didn't get that, did you?"

"I got it..."

"Oh come on, that was at least worth somewhat of a laugh!"

"Ha."

Sparx groaned. "Well, I did ask for a laugh..." He buzzed around so he was in front of Alex. "Something buggin' ya? Other than me, I mean."

Alex shrugged. "I miss my girlfriend...and I don't belong here yet I have nowhere to go, or any way of escape."

"Would your girlfriend happen to be that blue look-alike to you that's been sneaking around here?"

Alex looked at him oddly. "It's a girl?"

"I dunno, from the voice and all I'd say she is."

"You heard it--her--speak?"

"Yeah, I followed her around the building before she noticed me." Sparx saw the light in Alex's eyes. "Nuh uh! I'm not doin' no recon, buddy! She almost cut my wings off...she's almost as bad as Cynder. Well, bad as Cynder used to be..."

"I heard you talking with them...why don't you like Cynder?"

Sparx huffed. "One, she nearly killed us. Two, we had to go through all sorts of chaos because of what she did. Three, she tried to kill us. And four...well, she tried to KILL US!!"

"If it helps any, Sparx, she has no connection with her darker self now. Spyro's brought her into the light, I can sense that just being near them."

Sparx grumbled. "Oh all right...guess if it comes from a complete stranger it's gotta be true...but still, she just gives me the creeps dude. Just lookin' at her..." He faked a shiver.

Alex laughed. "Well, she'll send shivers through the enemies planning to attack us if I can't get out of here."

There was a noise nearby and Alex whipped around to see a faint navy-blur rush by. Alex lunged off the statue and ran after it into the underground tunnels. Finding his enemy gone without a trace, Alex growled in frustration and headed back to the dojo. Sparx had left, so Alex made himself comfortable on the plants lining the room and fell asleep.

* * * * *

Spyro jerked awake with a shout and fell off the bed. The crack of his horns against the stone floor brought Cynder to reality and she jumped up with a yell.

"Spyro?!"

"Owww..."

"You okay?"

Spyro grunted, but popped back up with a small grin. "Yeah, bad dream."

"Dream?" She looked up at the ceiling and Spyro could see she was trying to remember something.

"Cynder?"

"Gah, I can't remember..." she said, shaking her head. She yawned and he got back up on the bed and sat next to her.

"Well, seeing how you wanna stay in shape...you up for some training after breakfast?"

She shook her head. "Not really...I'm kinda feeling sick right now."

Spyro nodded and ran his paw over her face. "You sleep some more, I'm gonna go let out some energy. I'm feeling kinda restless."

She nodded and fell back on her pillow, and smiled as he pulled the cover over her. "Don't stay out too long, okay?"

"I'll bring you back some food," he said, and kissed her. She closed her eyes and felt the bed move slightly as he slipped off. He turned his head as he walked and looked at her...she was so beautiful...

THUD! Cynder snapped up in the bed and saw Spyro holding his head by the doorway. "You ditz!" she laughed. "What's with you today?"

"No clue," he said, still rubbing his head. "Ow...okay, I'd better get going before I kill myself on this temple." She laughed again and fell back on the pillow as he ran off to the balcony and took off. Solar and Flare weren't there--he figured they were either out flying or inside the tunnels of the temple. "I thought Sparx was still here?" he said to himself, looking around but seeing no sign of the golden dragonfly. With a shrug he flew out to his and Cynder's old training spot, not too far away from their favorite spot by the river. When he landed he looked around to make sure no one else was around, and closed his eyes. Anyone watching would have seen him suddenly shimmer and turn translucent, time and light powers swirling around him ever so faintly. "Now to try and find out why the heck this thing is still in me," he said to himself, and opened his eyes.

In the dojo, Alex was once again demonstrating his lightning breath for Volteer. Like Spyro, Alex had gotten to the point where he could home in on enemies with his electricity from where he stood, but for him it still took a lot of concentration. And he still needed to try flying...

"I think you've spent enough energy for one trial," Volteer said, and the dummies all vanished. Alex gasped with the strain and sat down, his arms over his knees. "Are you up for some aerial training?"

"If those wings can even carry ya," Sparx said, looking over his hand cockily like he usually did.

Alex stood up slowly, flexing his wings. With a powerful jump he launched himself into the air, and hovered for a few seconds, straining his wings against the air. He still didn't have enough stamina, though, and fell back to the floor, landing on all fours. He swore as his dew-claw above his ankle caught his pant leg and ripped the cuff a bit more. "I don't have another pair of these things and I'm not gonna strip here."

"You'll acquire it soon enough," Volteer said, and walked out of the room. Sparx buzzed off to find someone else to torment, and Alex sat against the statue after it had risen back into place. His head was swimming...he felt, somehow, that Christine was a lot closer than he thought, but something was blocking him from communicating with her.

"Two frickin' months...I can't get out of here in that amount of time..." he grumbled. "Just by being here I've doomed these dragons and their world. Maybe I should just run away and draw the enemy's attention from here..."

Solar was walking into the room when Alex suddenly yelled with a loud, unearthly growl. Running quickly around the statue Solar found Alex jerking, holding his head and groaning loudly, his teeth clenched.

"Alex?!"

"It's...dammit, it's back!!" Alex hissed, his voice oddly changed. Solar saw a dark field around Alex, and his paws lit up and he stood on his hind legs and grabbed Alex's head, focusing light energy into him. Alex shuddered and slumped against the statue and Solar stood back with a grunt.

"Alex, did that help any?"

In reply, Solar heard Alex laugh, and the green-scaled dragon-human looked up at him with an evil gleam in his eye. "I must thank you, stupid dragon, for knocking him out and giving me a fair chance," said a voice from Alex's mouth that was CLEARLY not Alex. Alex's body suddenly vibrated and the evil gleam left his eyes, along with a hideous groaning that seemed to shake the air. Alex's real voice cut in with a returning growl of determination, and there was an audible snap and the green dragon-human fell to the floor, panting.

"Spy...Spyro's...something's wrong..." he said, and blacked out from the struggle.

Flare rushed into the room, having heard the growling. "Solar, what's going on?"

"You stay here with Alex," Solar said, and rushed off to Spyro's room. Cynder was asleep but woke up when she heard Solar's hurried paws on the floor nearby.

"So-Solar? Wh...at's going on?" she asked through a yawn.

"Cynder, can you fly?"

"Yeah, why?" She saw his face and worry suddenly struck her. "Oh no...Spyro?"

"Yes, we need to find him!" Cynder jumped out of bed, ignoring the sick feeling in her stomach, and rushed after Solar. He quickly stopped by Flare and gave her a quick kiss. "Sorry, but we need to find Spyro. You stay here and keep an eye on Alex."

Flare nodded and Solar and Cynder rushed out to the balcony and flew off. When they were airborne, Solar suddenly stopped, and Cynder doubled back.

"Something wrong?"

"Cynder, remember those light crystals? The ones we collected two years ago?"

She released the crystal she still had, and it floated over to Solar. "What about them?"

He took his own and placed the two crystals next to each other. Like they had two years ago, the four-point-star glowing jewels didn't face each other--instead they turned themselves slightly. Cynder looked confused.

"I explained this to Spyro back when we were looking for you when you ran away. The crystals, having the same energy signal, behave like magnets, and no matter how far apart they are they try to face each other. Using their positions we can find Spyro."

Her eyes lit up and she followed him as he kept the crystals in front of himself, adjusting his flight path as the crystals realigned themselves. With their flight speed, it didn't take long--soon the crystals were facing downward at the mushroom forest below.

"He's down there!!" Cynder said excitedly, feeling Spyro nearby. Solar gave her crystal back and they circled, looking for any sign of Spyro.

Before they could react, a fireball sailed from between two mushrooms and knocked Cynder backwards. She shrieked and Solar caught her. The fireball hadn't hurt her with its heat, but the impact had slightly winded her. Solar looked down to see a black shape suddenly run off below them.

"Come on!" he said, and held Cynder as she regained her breath, flying off after the dark shape. Because of his enhancements, Solar could see the dark field emanating from whatever was below them, but the aura was so thick he couldn't see the creature's form. Whatever it was sensed the pursuit and seemed to vanish. Solar saw it dart away at an unimaginable speed. Cynder pushed herself out of Solar's grasp and looked around, whimpering. He looked at her in sympathy. "Cynder, what's wrong?"

"Spyro's hurt, I can feel it!" She suddenly rushed off and Solar followed her, but he was untrusting. Something felt horribly wrong.

An hour later Cynder's wings gave out and she fell atop a mushroom. Desperate, she forced herself back up and jumped down as Solar landed behind her. She ran through the forest, somehow feeling that this was where Spyro had gone, Solar close behind her. As the ice dragon followed the sleek black dragoness he looked up at the sky. The clouds were gathering above them...a little too fast for comfort. Something dark was gathering before them, and Cynder was running straight for it.

They came into a small clearing: a large bowl in the ground, with a small rock outcrop in the center below. Cynder cried out in relief--Spyro was sitting on the rock, his back to them as he looked at the sky.

"No!" Solar hissed, grabbing her by the tail as she rushed forward. "It doesn't feel right, Cynder. Something's terribly wrong." Spyro's scales were a darker purple color than normal, and there was something wrong with the coloration of his horns.

Cynder wasn't listening. "Lemme go!" she growled, and wrenched her tail free of his paw and shot forward. She tumbled down the edge of the depression and raced to Spyro, but slowed as she approached him. He usually turned to her or something when she was near, but he didn't make a move. Now her senses kicked in...something wasn't right about this. She couldn't sense his thoughts at ALL now.

"So you came after me," he said, and she heard his voice as if he was right next to her.

"Spyro, what's going on here?" she asked warily. Solar came down and stood next to her, feeling that something was about to happen.

Spyro slowly turned around, his scales turning black and his wingskins turning a hideous purple-gray color. Cynder's face fell and her mind went blank as his head turned to them to reveal glowing eyes. "Surprised?" he asked with a smirk.

"NOO!!" Cynder screamed, backing away--this was one of those dreams she'd had! "You're not Spyro!"

Spyro shivered and his scales turned purple briefly, but something in him growled and he turned black again. Solar and Cynder backed away as Spyro came down off the rock, grinning at them maliciously. "But Cynder, surely you recognize me?" He laughed evilly. "After all these years I thought you'd still know me."

She stared at him in horror. "It can't be..."

"But it is."

Solar bristled and Spyro's glowing eyes turned to him. "Ah yes, Solar. You wish to fight me?"

"You, yes, not my friend you're controlling."

Spyro shook and again flashed purple, a bit more strongly than last time, but the growl came again and he turned black. "Then you'll finally die like the failed experiment you are."

"Cynder, get back to the temple," Solar hissed, "you need to stay safe." Cynder hesitantly backed away, but felt something stop her. She looked around but saw nothing. Spyro smirked at her.

"You're not going anywhere," he said, and she felt something force her to lie down. "You stay there like a good girl and let me deal with this menace."

Cynder struggled against the force holding her as Solar and Spyro circled around each other, Spyro flexing his claws and tail eagerly. Solar maintained eye contact with the black dragon, and saw that there was a struggle going on behind that cruel face. For the moment, though, the Dark Master's control on Spyro was prevailing. Cynder watched as her beloved mate circled Solar, planning to tear the ice dragon apart. The next thing she knew they were at each others' throats, claws and teeth striving madly at each other. Their hides were a bit too tough, but they were still leaving scratch-marks on each other. Spyro knocked Solar down and flipped backwards into the air, sending fireballs at Solar. Solar hurriedly rolled away and froze Spyro's wing with a blast of ice from his mouth. Spyro roared and fell to the ground, and to their surprise began violently thrashing, his whole body a purple-black blur as he flashed between himself and his possessor.

"SPYRO!!" Cynder shouted, and he slowly stood up, back in black. He looked at her and began charging up a dark blast, but to his utter surprise he was hit with ten beams of light as she roared at him. He flew backwards and Cynder gasped in utter shock--it looked like he'd split in half! "NO!!" she screamed, and broke free of the repressive power on her and ran over to Spyro. He was still whole...she looked over and saw a black form almost EXACTLY like Spyro lying on the ground. The real Spyro slowly sat up, reeling a bit, and Cynder caught him.

"Cynder..." he groaned, and looked over at the black copy of himself. "Oh no..."

"What is that?" Solar asked, limping over.

Spyro stood up and walked over to the black shell. "It's a copy of me...dammit, I knew it!" He punched the ground in frustration. "I KNEW he was gonna try that again..."

"Spyro?" Cynder asked, a bit scared.

"The shadow did beat me," he groaned, looking at her. "I remembered a few hours ago...he cast an illusion on me and knocked me out as I blasted what I thought was him. He then planted this thing in me..."

"But what of the Dark Master?" Solar asked, confused.

"He was controlling me with the copy, but Cynder knocked both of us from his control." He growled at the copy lying on the ground. "It's just an empty shell now, lifeless unless some evil thing inhabits it."

"A clone," Solar said, suddenly understanding. "A clone made of dark matter..."

"Whatever it is, we need to make sure the shadow doesn't find it."

"Why?" Cynder asked.

"Because if the shadow finds it and inhabits it, the Dark Master can then come back to a small degree. And it'd basically be like fighting me...only far stronger." He grunted, his mind racing. "Only thing I can do right now..." He flew up into the air and motioned for them to get back, and when they were far enough away he charged up his lightbreath and blasted the dark form of himself. There was a huge explosion, and when the dust cleared the depression was a crater, with a large black coloring like a scorch-mark where his copy had been. He shook his head and flew off, and Solar and Cynder followed him. Cynder came up alongside Spyro, but he didn't notice her--his mind was a whirlwind.

"Spyro?"

He started violently, dropping a few feet but climbing back up. "Yeah?"

"Is that what you couldn't tell us?"

He shook his head. "No, I only knew about that as of over a week ago. On my mission, the shadow implanted dark energy into a few of my enemies as a counter to my lightbreath, but he didn't plan far enough to see that the copies--or clones, as Solar put it--need something either to control them or for them to manipulate. The last few battles like that he was there to control the clones, but my lightbreath obliterated them." He sighed and looked at the ground as they flew. "This morning I finally remembered what felt wrong about that last battle...that stupid shadow beat me, knocked me out, and apparently implanted dark matter in me. I just hope there's none left or else it'll grow into another copy."

"Can't you tell if it's there?"

"If I could, I wouldn't have gone this long with it."

"Oh..."

He sideglanced at her and smirked humorously. "Least I won't be so clumsy anymore."

Cynder laughed and bumped into him. "Was that what was making you such a klutz this morning?"

"Yeah...it was trying to take me over and I made the mistake of giving in, thinking I could battle it from within."

Solar was really quiet, and Cynder looked over her shoulder at him. His eyes were glazed over as he blindly followed them, and he didn't notice them change course slightly. "Hey, Solar? Something up?"

He shook his head quickly and blinked at her. "Oh, sorry...just thinking..." Something about all this seemed awfully familiar but he couldn't place it...almost as if he'd seen this before. He looked back up at Cynder when she suddenly gasped and dropped a few inches.

"Cynder?" Spyro asked, worried.

"Spyro...I don't think I can make it there..." she groaned, her face clenched.

Deciding to try something, Spyro flew underneath her, holding his wings out straight. "Cynder, I'll carry you, grab hold."

She let herself gently fall on his back and wrapped her fore- and hind-legs around him. Solar looked at Spyro oddly--he was actually ascending with Cynder's weight instead of descending slightly. Spyro grunted and flapped his wings, and there was a slight pop of air underneath his chest. Solar came up alongside him with a quizzical look.

"What was that?"

"I found use of air on my mission," Spyro replied. "Hang on, Cynder, you're slipping." He thrust his hips upward, sliding her a little bit higher up on his back, and she readjusted her arms around his neck. "I was floating on an air cushion...but boy, air is hard stuff to use!"

They finally got back to the temple, and while Solar checked on the still-unconscious Alex, Spyro carried Cynder to the bed and tucked her in. As he pulled the blanket over her she looked at him quickly--he was walking sideways on his hind legs. So that was why he looked so much taller next to the bed...

"Spyro? Since when could you do that?" she asked.

"Do what? Walk like this?"

"Yeah, like that."

"I've been practicing on and off. Solar was right, it does come in handy...but I can't stay up for very long."

"I just can't picture you walking like that," she said, shaking her head against the pillow. He smirked, backed up a bit, and stood up as straight as he could on his hind legs. She laughed as he playfully thrust his chest out and gave her a "heroic" look. "Okay, show-off, go take a walk and save something...save me from hunger."

He fell onto all fours again and came over to the bed, standing up again and putting his paw on her head. "That pain still there?"

"A little bit..."

She felt a familiar, soothing warmth from his paw as he used his light on her, and the pain and sick feeling subsided. Giving her a quick kiss he rushed off to get her some food. Alex was waking up, and he saw Spyro and jumped. Solar forced him back down.

"Alex, what's wrong?"

"Spyro! That's what's wrong!" he said. Solar and Spyro looked at each other--somehow, Alex had seen Spyro in his dark form.

"Calm down, Alex, Spyro's fine."

"I saw him! The shadow took us both over at the same time!" Alex was hysterical, and Solar put his paw on the green dragon's head.

"He's not fully conscious," he grunted, and there was a flash of light and Alex fell to the floor. "Sorry, Alex, but it's for your own good."

"What'd you do?" Spyro asked, confused.

"Had to knock him out. Hopefully when he wakes up again he'll be better."

"He's just been passing out a lot lately," Spyro said, shaking his head. To their surprise Alex groaned and slowly sat up.

"Alex, you need to stay down," Solar said, but Alex pushed his paws back.

"No...Spyro, you need to get out there," he said hoarsely. "Dante's Freezer...under attack..." He slumped to the floor, holding his head.

Spyro hesitated. "Solar, you coming or am I solo this time?"

It was Solar's turn to hesitate. "I don't feel comfortable leaving Flare and Cynder here, if Alex has another outbreak we won't be here to help him."

"Both of you, get going!" came Ignitus' voice from the next room as he ran in. "I'll watch Alex, you two clear out the threat!"

Spyro ran to his room to quickly tell Cynder where he was, then ran outside to find Solar talking quickly with Flare. With that, they both flew off into the afternoon heat.

"I really don't like the feeling of this," Solar said, shaking his head. "I feel like we're gonna find something that'll be really pivotal."

"I just hope it doesn't mean harm for us...or our families," Spyro said, and Solar nodded in agreement and they flew as fast as they could towards Dante's Freezer.

__________________________________________

Uh oh... dun dun DUUUN. Looks like trouble could happen

I couldn't resist bringing Sparx back, but he won't be around long. I can't do anything with him. I think I've got his personality here, but here he's more the David Spade voicing I'm so used to from playing New Beginning.