Crash and Spyro, A Friendship Across Lifetimes

Chapter 17: Dreams or Delusions?

NIKO and Crash sat at the end of a wooden pier. They had been fishing for around an hour and a half, and the sun was just starting to set on the horizon.

<You know, I'm glad I gave you a chance Crash. I wasn't sure what my sister was thinking when she let you into our house all those weeks ago. One of Cortex's 'abominations', yet you managed to change. I'm sorry that none of the other villagers see you the way Coco or I do. I guess they're just afraid of what they don't understand. Man, you really don't talk much, do you?>

Crash looked at him and grinned.

<You being around seems to make Coco, I don't know, happier; the happiest I've seen her in a while.> After a long pause, Niko continued. <I remember when our mother passed away when I was around five years old. Coco took it so hard; I didn't really know what was going on, but I do remember my sister crying a lot. After a while, though, Coco kind of just assumed the role that my mom left behind. And now when I think about her I can hardly remember her face. All I can see is Coco's. I guess what I'm trying to say is Coco is the only family I have. My dad, sure, but he's more concerned with the tribe than me. But I guess I have to include you now, too.>

This was the last time Crash saw Niko alive. When Crash looked over at Niko again, all he could see was the machine that took his place.

"Crash, Why did you let him do this to me? Why did you let him kill my father? Does Coco even love me anymore?"

Crash couldn't look at N-Gin anymore, for he felt too guilty. N-Gin stood up from the peer and walked closer to Crash. Crash tried to retreat but N-Gin grabbed him before he could. His mechanical voice and the metal covered face and torso that held him together and kept him alive was all just too painful to look at.

"How could I hurt my own sister?" A tear was streaming down from N-Gin's left eye, while his artificial eye maintained its gaze at Crash.

"I can never forgive myself for the things I've done! And now I'm a bigger monster than Cortex is. I'm his worst creation! The things I did for him, the people I murdered. I became what you were supposed to be!"

Despite what Spyro had told his friends, there was one time when he did leave Artisans. He was around four years old, and he snuck out one night to follow an adult dragon. Ignitus made his way to the portal near the Senate Building and activated it. He walked through and Spyro and Sparx followed him before the portal shut down. Once they made it through, The Dragon they were following continued to move forward quite quickly. Spyro had grown quit attached to Ignitus during the past year. He was one of the few Adult Dragons that he enjoyed hanging out with, and now that he was old enough to wonder around for a few, Spyro tried to be with him as much as he could. He felt a connection with Ignitus, and Ignitus liked mentoring the young Dragon, too. Ignitus told Spyro of the numerous adventures he had throughout the Dragon Realms, the beautiful places he had explored and the people he met on his journeys. Spyro was enchanted by the stories, and always want to be like Ignitus when he grew up. Tonight, Ignitus was definitely in a hurry, he took off in flight soon after he exited the portal, leaving Spyro and Sparx behind. Spyro was lost and stranded in an unfamiliar area. The portal behind Spyro had already closed.

"Oh no Sparx, where... where are we?" Sparx's glowing kept Spyro out of the dark, and did some to alleviate his fear. Spyro sat down and began to panic. Spyro was four years old at the time, and he could not fly, breath fire, nor defend himself with his horns which had yet to grow in fully. It was nighttime in this strange world, and Spyro had never felt this alone before. He began to sob softly, fearing that he would never see Ignitus or the other Dragons in Artisans again. Suddenly, something tapped Spyro on his back and he jumped startled in the opposite direction. When he faced who had touched him, he saw a creature whom he had never seen before. She must have been a couple of years older than he was, for she wasn't very tall or sounded like an adult, but unlike him, she wasn't scared or sad.

"Hey, what are you doing here all by yourself, little guy?"

Spyro felt embarrassed for being so timid and fearful. He quickly buried his emotions and tried to sound as normal as he could in his response.

"My name's Spyro and I am..." Spyro was trying to think of a reason for being here, "exploring."

"Oh really, sounds adventurous. Although you look kind of young to be all by yourself. Where's your mommy and daddy?"

The question threw Spyro off guard. What did she mean by "mommy" and "daddy"? For Dragons, your parents were all those who mentored you and helped you become strong and knowledgeable.

"All of my parents are back in Artisans, my home."

" 'All' of your parents? What do you mean? Don't you have a mom and dad who you live with and who take care of you?"

"No, all Dragons take care of me."

"Wait! You're a Dragon! I have to show you to Professor!"

"And you're some sort of goat, right?"

"I'm a faun you dork. Now come with me. And my name's Elora, buy the way."

Spyro thought about it for a moment, and decided to follow Elora (Spyro later found out was Summer Falls) and eventually made it to a small laboratory. Once he and Elora arrived at the Professor's laboratory, Spyro was confronted by a scientist who was just as tall as he was.

"Why hello Elora, what brings you here at such a late hour... Oh My! Is that a Dragon?"

"Yes it is Professor. I found him next to that archway on the outskirts of town. You said that arc was potentially a portal to a different realm. I guess you were right."

"I knew I wasn't mad! Oh, now where is that blasted book?" He searched around his cluttered desk and then proceeded to search a bookstand. "Oh here it is." He opened the book and began to scan the words of the book. Spyro, nervous about being so far from home and still wondering what Ignitus was up to, started to shake a little.

"All thought that Dragons went extinct one thousand years ago when they lost their war with the Sorceress. What was left of their civilization was sacked and destroyed by her forces. And the Sorceress slowly claimed the rest of the world, including Avalar, as her own. However, some artifacts and knowledge has been preserved, like this book and others you see here. Dragons are a very magically inclined species, and are in harmony with the forces of nature in which magic interacts with. However, even greater sources of magic are the Power Gems which these texts describe. I actually discovered one Power Gem here in Avalar almost twenty five years ago, and have been studying it ever since. But now a Dragon stands before me."

The Professor entered a different room and returned holing a fairly large diamond in his hands. He placed the gem near Spyro and pulled out some sort of gauge from his lab coat. He starred at the device intriguingly as he placed it close to the Gem and to Spyro. Spyro started to feel even more uncomfortable. Sparx started to fly around the room frantically.

"Just as I suspected. A purple Dragon like... ugh, what's his name?" The Professor asked.

"Spyro" Elora responded.

"Right. A purple Dragon like Spyro here has a strong connection to this Power Gem. I can tell with this device the energy dissipating from this Gem and entering Spyro. This book also confirms that purple Dragons are a special. When this Dragon grows up, I think, no I know that he can defeat the Sorceress."

"I... I want to go home" Spyro said nervously to Elora and the Professor. Sparx continued to fly around frantically.

"Aww, the little guys home sick. But how do we activate the portal? You've never gotten it to work Professor."

"Very true, Elora. The portals are an invention of the Dragons and function because of their mastery of magic. I'm not sure if I will ever figure out how those portal works."

At that moment, the Power Gem began to light up intensely, and screams of terror could be heard outside.

"What in the world is going on out there?" The professor asked. Suddenly A large, purple Dragon crashed through the wall behind the Professor and Elora, and the impact flung them forward towards Spyro. The Professor crashed into Spyro and they both slid backwards, while Elora collided with another wall violently as debris landed on top of her.

"At last, the sixth Power Gem" The large Dragon uttered as he stared deeply into the Gem that lay before him. Another Dragon, this one red, landed at the entrance way the purple Dragon created.

"Malefor, this has gone too far. Don't you see what those gems are doing to you? Brother, please, I know you have the will to overcome this."

"Ignitus, that's enough. I now have the power to defeat the Sorceress." A dark aura began to form around Malefor, signifying his control over the Power Gems energy. "I feel the location of the seventh Power Gem, it is nearby. The Sorceress has come to Avalar, just as I anticipated. Her final hour is at hand."

Spyro got up slowly from the ground and looked at the two Dragons that were across the room. Neither of them had noticed him yet. The Professor was knocked unconscious, but Spyro could hear Elora from under the debris. He went towards her and started clawing at the rubble. He was able to get here head free, but not much else. She didn't move when Spyro touched her face. Sparx flew closer to Elora, but did not look at her for long.

"Malefor," Ignitus pleaded, "I won't allow you to keep doing this. Don't you realize how many Dragons and citizens of Avalar you've murdered just to get six Power Gems? I know you wouldn't do this, you're my brother, and I've always looked up to you and know just how much you care about me and our heritage. But these Gems have corrupted you; they are making you kill all those who can wield magic."

"We've looked into the Power Gem, Ignitus, and it showed us our fate. I will end the Sorceress, and I will control the Gems. Now get out of my way."

"Malefor, you won't just kill the Sorceress if you succeed. I, my son, the Dragon Elders, and the rest of the Dragon Realms are in danger because of what you've become. And I won't let you hurt anyone else."

"You dare defy me!" Malefor swooped forward and tackled Ignitus. They both went crashing into the burring town.

Spyro stood helplessly over Elora's dead body with tears streaming down his face and was stricken with fear. That was Ignitus, his best friend, and now he was in danger. Fear prevented Spyro from following Ignitus and Malefor, but somehow Spyro found the courage to exit the laboratory. When he made it outside, all the surrounding buildings were on fire, and both Ignitus and Malefor could be seen overhead battling in the sky. Moments later, Ignitus crashed into the ground and Malefor landed a few feet in front of him.

"Ignitus, we were going to stop the Sorceress together. Why did you betray me?"

"Malefor, I never betrayed you. I love you too much to let you become this way. And I know that somewhere in your heart you still love me."

Malefor hesitated for a moment, before the dark aura returned. Just then, a purple beam struck Malefor and he was sent hurdling into a burning building.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the legendry Purple Dragon destined to defeat me. I see you too have become adept wielding the Power Gems, like some of your ancestors failed miserably at. The moment you brought the Dragon Realm's five Power Crystals outside of the barrier that insulated their magic from me is the moment you sealed your fate."

Malefor emerged relatively intact from the wreckage and confronted the Sorceress.

"The moment I tear you beating heart from your chest is when I fulfill my destiny, witch! Don't think I didn't expect you to show up thirsty to feel the full power of the Seven Power Gems!"

Ignitus could only watch in horror as his brother and his people's sworn enemy faced each other down in a decimated and smoldering town.

Spyro again was frozen in place. He could only watch as the Sorceress and Malefor began their epic battle. He also noticed Ignitus laying injured on the ground. Spyro, acting instinctually, ran towards Ignitus and stood by his side.

"Ignitus!" Spyro yelled in trepidation.

"Spyro, what... what are you doing here?"

"I... followed you here from Artisans. I... wanted to go on an adventure with you."

Ignitus, still wounded, found the strength to hold his son in his arms.

"Spyro, I need you to get out of her, now. Go to the portal at the edge of town and get out of here. I'll activate it from here."

"But... Ignitus... I"

"Go, Now!" Ignitus struggled to get to his feet, as he did so, Malefor crashed into his brother after being sent in that direction by the Sorceress. The six Gems brought to Avalar by Malefor and the one in the possession of the Sorceress now freely poured their energy into her.

"Ignitus!" Spyro shrieked as he and his brother struggled to get up.

"And what do we have here, a second purple Dragon? Fate must be kind to give me the chance to kill two purple dragons with one stone. Or should I say seven Gems?"

The Sorceress laughed maniacally as the dark aura surrounding her began to grow in size. Malefor was struggling to maintain dominance over the use of the Power Gems, while Ignitus remained on the ground, still wounded from his struggle with his brother. Spyro, stuck in the middle of this nightmare, reached for something inside him that gave him the strength to defend himself and his best friend. The result was a flood from the outside.

"Stay... away... from... Ignitus!" Spyro focused all his malice towards the sorceress, and she was flung backwards by a force which Spyro did not comprehend, but unknowingly controlled. The power subsided, and the fear returned. Spyro ran past Malefor who could only just barely believe what Spyro had just done and once again stood beside Ignitus.

"Spyro, I..." Ignitus could also not believe what his son had just done. He seemed to accomplish what his uncle has spent years trying to perfect by accident. "I thought I told you to leave."

"But... Ignitus... I don't want to leave without you. I... love you." Spyro's words stung, considering what Ignitus was considering doing.

"I love you too, Spyro." He hugged his son one last time.

"Sparx, guide Spyro to the portal, now."

Sparx blinked once and proceeded to head towards Avalar's portal. Spyro watched his brother leaving and yearned to follow him, but remained by Ignitus side. The Sorceress emerged from where she crashed at enraged.

"You Dragons are going to pay!" She yelled in a furry.

"Go, Now!" Ignitus yelled and Spyro began to flee.

"Malefor, we need to make sure my son makes it to the Portal. Can you hold off the Sorceress?"

Malefor looked at his brother and nodded his head. A dark aura began to form around him and he charged at the Sorceress. Spyro ran as fast as he could and finally made it to the portal; Sparx was waiting near it and flew over Spyro as he approached it. Spyro looked back one last time to see Ignitus and Malefor in the sky, avoiding attacks from the Sorceress below. Spyro ran into the portal and was followed by Sparx. Once Spyro had made it back to Artisans, Ignitus diverted from his brother's side and proceeded to destroy the portal home.

"Crash" Tawna said as she laid in her bed. She could barely get the words out of her mouth. "These few months have been perfect, Crash. Thank you for freeing me... for showing me what love is."

Crash held Tawna's hand as the sky slowly darkened. It was going to rain soon.

"I love you, Crash." Tawna's eyes closed and her head tilted to the side.

"I love you, too." Crash whispered to her.

Spyro woke up suddenly and startled Sparx, who was sleeping on Spyro's tail. Spyro looked around and noticed Crash, sobbing silently to himself while still asleep.