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Heroes Returning Home

Seraphor felt light, despite of the wounds he got. He was jumping around the corner, trying to find a cover from a dragon fire blast that was directed to him. His friends from both worlds were trying to fight back, but this dragon was too much for them. Then, before his eyes, he saw his mate trying to fight one on one with the dragon horror that was flying above them. The silver red couldn't move more, being too injured and also the dizziness after having his head got hit by the ruined wall. He also lost too much blood. He wanted to help his mate.

But then the horror happened. When his mate lunged toward the dragon, the dragon managed to fly aside and readied his claws. His counter-attack proved successful, and in only a split second, Seraphor saw, the big black claws cut through his mate's chest scales, penetrating the weakest part a dragon had, through her heart. She slumped, dead.

"Avila!"

The shout that was followed by a roar was replaced by a black surrounding and suddenly, Seraphor was seeing the same inn room when he woke up after sustaining a great injury. A classic song was playing loudly from the lobby. When the dragon tried to lift his head, he felt something stinging from behind him. It was like a cut, but again, he didn't saw any dripping blood.

It was bright. The sun was shining and the room was pleasant. Seraphor saw his dragon body got bandaged in almost all parts, including his tail. When he tried to lift his tail, it was stiff. They were bandaged to the point Seraphor couldn't move it much. He saw his back leg was being covered by black substance that made him couldn't bent his back leg. When he moved, he realized the pain. It was because his back leg's bone was fractured.

"He did his best to save you, right?"

The familiar voice came from the other side of the room, where Seraphor saw an open door. Terrador was facing him, a toothy grin on his face. Somehow the earth guardian was also very tired. He must had taking care of their wounds and ailments for an uncertain time.

"W...when did you ever get a sleep, Terrador?"

"Kid, you think I've never been asleep tending on you both? I've just waken up, for ancestor's sake."

"Uh? Then, the dragon that..."

"I asked a friend of mine in this Continent to patch you up. I'm a quad model, so I can't help you with tending this and that. He's the best there is, although he's now around 214 years old. Anyway, your back leg is broken, so don't push your body more."

"Thanks for the concern."

The earth guardian then walked inside the room. He was yawning, as expected from a freshly awaken dragon. He lied down beside Seraphor and started to twitch the plant in front of him, then he ate his breakfast that made Seraphor disgusted: a cabbage.

"Hmm? Oh, you're saying about this cabbage?" said Terrador while munching on the cabbage he was holding with his paw, when Seraphor asked him. "I'm vegetarian."

"No! No!! It's disgusting to see a dragon eating green stuffs! Just...will you eat at another place?!"

"Oh? There's no vegetarian dragon in your world? You came from a classic era, I guess."

Seraphor didn't get him. So, the world he originated from was old-fashioned and Guardiola was the only one that kept with trend? The silver red's mind got very dizzy because of thinking what the future dragons might be there when he wasn't even there. He just wished old meat-eating dragons still existed.

"My friend...told me that somehow he had an illusion of seeing an old friend helping him in tending you," said Terrador.

"Old friend?"

"Maybe it's because of Spyro's appearance that he somehow almost thought he was seeing a long dead friend. You must be grateful of that kid. He and my friend tended you the whole night, despite of him being poisoned and put in the same position as you. I couldn't keep up with their pace because I had this...tired issue since I was a lad. But...you know, at first glance when I saw both of them tending you, it's like what he said. I saw him like Shyplis."

"Shyplis? Shyplis was your old friend?"

Terrador didn't reply. He just turned his head toward the window, where they could see a good view of the beach. "Well, it's an old memory worth keeping for," he said. Unknown to him, Seraphor just made a cold-sweat.

"Damn that tricky son of a bitch," thought Seraphor. "If this guardian ever find out you're the monster that ruined Spyro's life for a moment, he'll got very angry."

"Anyways, if he's in turn the one what Spyro said his inner demon," said Terrador with a smirk. "I'll gonna bust his balls for ever making it a secret that he's revived from death. That evil genius..."

"Uh...I guess...giving away a secret won't be a nice idea," thought Seraphor. "This guardian...is ready to kill Shyplis..."

"As expected from an earth guardian," said a familiar voice. "He never changed."

"Shyplis?" thought Seraphor, knowing that it was the dark purple dragon that talked, "How did you..."

"Since Terra never saw me changed, my little secret is alright with Spyro. Anyway, Sera...can I call you that?"

"Suit yourself."

"Okay, Sera, since now the problem is over, where do you want to start from? You still want to go back to your world, right?"

"Right, I'm completely forgotten about that," thought Seraphor with more effort. "But, the technological advancement isn't ready to make what you said 'inter-dimensional portal'. For now, only magic can help me back."

"In the whole history of dragons in this world, there's not a single dragon able to use inter-dimensional portal. The best portal in record was inter-continental portal. Being unlimited isn't enough. One must have a very great endurance in both crossing and conjuring the portals. Normal dragons could surely be ripped to pieces if they forced themselves."

"Uh...you sure know a lot, Shyplis."

"I liked to read when the previous guardians gave me the liberty on going into the archives. This part of the continent is so poor that dragons couldn't even read..."

"Dragons...are not supposed to be able to read normally, right?"

"Welcome to the real world, Sera. Forget your fantasy world for a while. If you want to go on with life around here, do what the dragons here do. Easy, right?"

"Including...drinking coconut water, tea, and those nasty green things? I thought I could go back after beating the shit out of that nasty dragon."

"Dark portals aren't even available. What are you, some kind of a dark magician?"

"I...I'm going to hell..."

"Seraphor? Kid? You like you've been imagining hell."

The silver red somehow realized Terrador was trying to make a gag out of the condition, so he said, "A...certain experience caught my mind for a moment there."

"An experience going to hell?"

"No! I...mean, yes, but...it's not what I'm thinking about the red fiery place where hell dragons should've lived."

"Uh...red fiery place.... I remember seeing a video game Spyro once played. It's just at the same condition...."

"It's Drakengard."

The same purple dragon that Terrador was thinking walked to the room and carried something on his back. It was a steak that Seraphor usually liked. Seeing the big lump of meat made the silver red hungry and started to hog away, eating them while Spyro was trying to hold on the weight Seraphor gave on him (Seraphor was pretty light). In only a short time, Seraphor ate the steak.

"You damn piggy! You ate the whole steak and still you're piggy-backing on my fucking back?! Do you know how big you're?"

"What? Oh, sorry, I...was carried away? You were saying?"

"Drakengard? Oh, that game really sucks. I mean, it's cool, having using cool swords and stuff, but the dragon character was like an old hag trying to shoot its way around with only a crazy rune stuff she made before doing the special attack! And why the hell did she have to concern on even making a sacrifice! The game's ending was the worst ending I've ever known! I swear to my ancestors if I've ever meet the ones making this game I'll swear I make Angelus a real hero..."

"Uh...Angelus?" thought Seraphor. "He means...THAT Angelus?!"

"Calm down, kid. Why are you very much mad about? The game's ended, right?"

While Spyro was muttering about the worst of the game, Seraphor just tried to regain his composure. If the Angelus Spyro meant was the same Angelus Seraphor had befriended with, then that mean...

"Angelus...and all of us...are video game characters?" said Seraphor to himself, which was loud enough for Spyro to hear.

"What? You met Angelus? Does she look like a red scaled wyvern with weird head and white eyes?"

"She...fits your description...except that she hadn't white eyes." Seraphor then look at Spyro's provided image (from Shyplis). She isn't this weird. She looked very young and very strong, like a young female dragon. But, that shrill voice..."

The silver red hadn't forgotten the shrill voice she always made when she talked. In some cases when she talked, some dragons could simply shiver, especially when she talked like what the image was.

"She...called humans mortals...but not resent them."

"Oh...what with this conversation anyway? Damn, I felt like I'm inside a game and we've just ended a darn quest while we're discussing about another game."

The silence was overwhelming. Seraphor was thinking that he was inside a game because he was meeting with Angelus, Terrador that had just finished eating his vegetable just yawned, and Spyro became confused on what he said.

"Wait...there's a possibility, right? We're all just video game characters," said Spyro in confusion. "I mean, all of our movements are scripted and thus we're..."

"Just snap out of it. Let's see both of you."

A voice was out from the blackness of the corridor, and the next thing Seraphor saw; he thought he was seeing the two black dragons that were trying to trap him back at the hot spring. But what he saw was an older dragon that he thought was as old as Terrador. His scales were not as smooth as the dragons he met, but they were almost the same. Ornia and Mikol suddenly got out from the back, and they quickly recognized Seraphor.

"You're the silver red with our grandpa's friend," said Mikol. "Where's he?"

"He's...having a trip far from here, yeah."

Unknown to them, Terrador and the old black scaled stared at each other, before the black scaled said, "Long time no see, Terra. You seemed to get a lot like a tree now."

"How about you, Jet?" said Terrador with a smirk. "You still the leader of those poachers?"

"No, I'm not. You see, I've retired. We're both old, so it's time for the next generation to continue family traditions. Like I said, I'm a doctor now. These two were recovering quickly, I must say...and how about you?"

Terrador was quickly taken by how fast Jet put his head to him. He was like smaller than Jet when it came to the thing. The black's yellow eyes were glaring on Terrador's green ones. The scenery made both Seraphor and Spyro lost of words as they saw the earth guardian that was actually a battle veteran and the most straightforward of all of the guardians, shivered.

"You still say you don't want any shots? Hmm?" Now Jet's expression became menacing. "Those hard scales of yours won't protect you forever from them."

"Ah...uhmm...do...don't talk about old time, okay? Ehmm...hey kid, get out of here...will ya..."

"They can stay. You're the embarrassment here, Terra. Ornia, my usual."

Ornia gave his grandfather a big syringe that made Terrador shivered more. It was enough to pierce through normal dragon's scales, and it was enough to pierce the bark-like scales that covered Terrador's body. The earth dragon tried to argue, but his jaws were clenched shut by Jet, while he was gagged by Jet's tail.

"So, I'll enjoy the every bit when you whimper in agony of sudden pain you've never take," said Jet while giggling menacingly. "And I want to see you cry...for all these 200 years you tried to act tough."

Seraphor then thought, "That old dragon is creepy for his level. It's like Avila more."

Spyro also thought, "That old friend of Terrador's...is a sadist...huh? He even...made that dragon cried."

After a while...

"Now, because Terra is out cold, let me tell you something...huh, why you both go to the corner?"

"N...no, it's just...we're both taken by fear."

"Fear? No need to fear me, though. I'm only teasing Terra. You both are too scared for that. Anyway, let me tell you something. Although that poison had been extracted and neutralized from your body, I can't guarantee any long life, though. The poison damaged most of your inner organs and if you two find it difficult to accept, I understand. But...I must ask you two."

He then moved closer to them, "Did you two...chip the whole mountain top?"

"Uh...it's not me. It's Sera," said Spyro while defending himself.

"Hmm...maybe something like that can be dangerous one day. So be careful on controlling the powers."

They were having a walk around the small dragon town where the two counterpart's inn was located. The town, much like when Seraphor first reached the place, was still shabby and full of rowdy dragons. Just like before, they were the only quads there in the middle of bipeds, and of course they were also involved in the middle of a bar fight.

"You know...this place is a wild place," said Spyro when he sat. "Why are we in this place the first time?"

Seraphor got in time to lash his tail and swatted a dragon that almost hit him. "Maybe you're walking inside your sleep?"

"Sleepwalking can't cross the sea! Like I give a shit about that!"

"Hey, it's just speculation. There are worse things, right?"

"I know...but your tone seemed...serious, man. Anyway, where's Sparx?"

Seraphor had completely forgotten about the small dragonfly's existence. Despite of being small, he had greatly helped their adventures and of course without him, they couldn't have finished everything that had happened. They should have thanked the small creature, but for a mean time, he could be back at his place, watching the movies, having a nice life. But then, they left him back at the pleasant place and since going to where Terrador took them to confront the mysterious blue dragon and Seraphor's first encounter with Shyplis as a conscious dragon, Sparx wasn't even with Spyro, despite of them always together.

"Again...oh...I...forgot. Hunter...he's dead...right?"

Because of the urgency of fighting, Spyro had almost forgotten how his old friend died. Thinking of that, he started to shed tears again, but relented after he knew, "Well, good thing always ends fast. I feel like...my friends will get some endings that's not very pleasant. Started with Cynder...then Hunter. Maybe I'm full of it...but where's Ember?"

Recalling the name made Seraphor realized that since their fight Ember wasn't even seen anywhere. There was a silence, before Spyro said, "Sera! Sera! What have you done to Ember! Did you turn her into sudden sand?! No!!!"

"Fuck! Everything I done is always a mess! Why?! Why everything must end like this!"

"Hey, can you turn back time, man?! Save Ember, you goddamn screw-up! You've failed the mission we started! Then when will this story going to end, you asshole!"

"I...I don't know we're in a story..."

"If all of these are not a story, then what?! Usual shit?! You gotta replay this whole story and stop getting your ass cool just because you can use that sand disintegration shit! You gotta be responsible for..."

"We're in a story?! Oh ancestors, I don't know that! Tell me anything you know about this, Spyro! Is there the part where I'll gonna be your mate?!"

"No, I don't think the author wants to...wait a sec...Ember?!"

The pink dragoness was at their side, lashing her tail happily. Something in the counterparts' conversation made her excited like she always used to be. But instead of being relieved, Spyro backed and even he tried to run, when Seraphor that could hold his composure (as always) pulled the purple dragon's tail and said, "Hey, why are you scared of? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I've seen a ghost, alright! You haven't even replayed the whole story!"

"We're not in a story, okay? You're just hallucinating. I know the Ember in front of us is real. I can sense her. Anyway, Ember, how did you get away from the place? At first we thought you're disintegrated along with other unfortunate dragons because of my Irkras Karhonas."

"Oh, you mean...this?"

Seraphor got surprised, so did Spyro that stopped his attempted escape. Because they became dumbfounded, Ember said, "So, I woke up right after I heard a rumbling sound. I...I thought I would die, so I closed my eyes, hoping for the best and...pop! I'm down here, at the beach. Then, I heard you two arguing about this thing is a story or what."

"What the hell...that's a rather slow blink you got there, Em," said Spyro. "I thought you're gone for sure."

"I won't be gone. Not until I can see Dragon Realm again. Wha...what happened to the mountain! It's like the top got taken by a god!"

"Ember, please, don't get over excited! You're drawing attention!"

"It seems that everything finished in a very awkward way," said Terrador when he walked to the beach. Shall we go back to Dragon Realm?"

"I...think it's time for us to leave the new-found place, huh?" said Spyro. "This world is very large."

"As large as your magical potential, kid," said Terrador to Spyro. "Can you...fly now?"

"No...but I will be."

Seraphor had walked first to the sea, then he used his usual ice platform that made a great platform that was directing toward Dragon Realm. He still remembered the direction which went to the place where he started his adventure in the parallel world. When they started walking, Ember that never saw how Seraphor made the ice platform exclaimed, "How did you make that ice platform?!"

"Shut up..."