Crash and Spyro, A Friendship Across Lifetimes

Chapter 29: The Dark Dragon Returns

Sparx and a reluctant Spyro flew through the portal that Thomas had activated from a distance. Cynder followed Spyro once Titan had lunged at the Sorceress and Astor attacked Red, trying to by Sparx and Spyro enough time.

Sparx, Spyro, and Cynder had escaped, and Thomas closed the portal, making sure that the Sorceress couldn't follow. However, this sealed the remaining Elder's... reaming Dragon's fates.

The Sorceress used the gem in her scepter to trap Titan in the air and began strangling him, he dangled in the air, unable to breathe, while Red, emanating a dark aura similar to the Sorceress', send Astor flying backwards and crashing into the ground several yards away. He never got back up. Thomas slowly got up from in front of the Senate Building and wearily looked at the Sorceress, who gripped her fist closed, and a loud cracking sound could be heard from Titan's neck. The Sorceress lowered her arm and Titan collapsed to the ground. She then walked towards Thomas with a disgusted look on her face.

"Ugh! That's twice now that little Dragon has rabbited from me! But I suppose history does have a way of repeating itself. Instead of his father sacrificing himself, we've got... his grandfather filling the role this time around. Spyro has to be running out of family at this point."

"Sorceress," Red interrupted as the Sorceress confronted Thomas. "If you wish, I can trace where Thomas has sent Spyro to and we can follow him, all we need to do is finish off the Council of Elders and we can proceed."

"Ah, you're proving to be quite useful for a Dragon, Red. Hear that, Thomas, you failed. I guess today still might be my lucky day after all."

Magnus walked over defeated and stood next to Thomas, prepared to die next beside his best friend. Thomas could only look up to the sky, knowing this was the end. For months the Elder Dragons knew the Sorceress was so close to finally finding the Dragon Realms. But like Red said, they never really did anything about it. They put their faith in the legends, the legends surrounding the mythos of the purple Dragon, his grandson. Thomas couldn't help but think that Red had uttered one truth in their meeting earlier. The Sorceress lowered her Scepter to finally finish of the last two Elder Dragons. Red walked towards the portal, ready to locate where in the world Spyro had been teleported to, but something unexpected happened before Red had attempted to track Spyro.

The portal activated suddenly, and glowed intensely, blinding Red and caused the Sorceress to turn around in confusion. A gust of wind emanated from the portal itself, and Red was sent back by the current. The Sorceress cape fluttered because of the breeze as she covered her eyes, shielding them from the light and wind emanating from Artisans' portal. "What now!" The Sorceress though impatiently. Red regained his posture and looked in astonishment at the Dragon that appeared before him and the Sorceress.

Malefor with six Power Gems hovering in a circle above him strutted forward towards the Sorceress with a severe look on his face. It took a moment for the Sorceress's eyes to adjust and study the creature before her, and then her memory of this Dragon finally came to her.

"Well if it isn't Malefor the 'other' purple Dragon" The Sorceress said gleefully. "It's taken you six years, but you've finally found the courage to face me once again. I'm actually grateful to see you again, purple Dragon. With you here, I can exterminate every living Dragon and have all seven Power Gems in one day."

Malefor didn't respond to the Sorceress, he instead looked around for a moment before looking at Thomas.

"Spyro isn't here. Where is he, father?"

Thomas didn't know what to say, while the Sorceress growled angrily.

"Hey! What, have you forgotten about me, Malefor? Well I haven't forgotten about you. If I recall correctly, your life's ambition was to kill me."

"Things change." Malefor responded calmly. He Stared at the Sorceress and then smiled. "But I do have a question to ask you, Sorceress. All those centuries ago when you first had all seven Power Gems at your disposal, when they first flooded your body with their power and knowledge, did you feel it Sorceress, The trans-dimensional, cosmic force of legend?"

The Sorceress' angry demeanor suddenly changed to panic. If he was talking about what she thought Malefor was talking about, then she was in trouble.

"No, fully wielding the convexity is only a myth! It doesn't exist in any universe and therefore cannot be accessed!"

"Then why did you murder every Dragonfly in existence? You had to have known what the golden glow meant for Dragonflies which have a special connection to the Power Gems."

The Sorceress looked at Malefor anxiously; had he done it? No, he couldn't have, he didn't have the golden glow and those eyes. "Well, if you're implying that you've gained access to the convexity, you're surely mistaken" The Sorceress replied to Malefor, with her best poker face.

"Do you need a demonstration?" Malefor said with a twisted smile on his face. He turned towards Red and opened his mouth. A spherical beam of purple energy appeared in his mouth and after four seconds, he unleashed the convexity at Red. He didn't even have time to react, the purple beam enveloped Red, and he was vaporized in seconds; a trail of destruction was laid as the beam continued on its path forward.

The Sorceress breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't transform. "Phew, you had me worried there for a moment Malefor, but you obviously haven't done your homework in these six years of hiding."

Malefor wasn't affected by the Sorceress comment. But he was curious, what did she know that she was withholding from him? "I wield the convexity, yet you're not impressed. What is it that you're not telling me? If you're confident you can kill me here and now, then I'm sure you don't have anything to worry about."

"Oh you poor, innocent Dragon. Yes, your blast was derived via the Power of the Gems, but it certainly wasn't manipulating the convexity in its entirety. If you'd done that, then you would have accomplished what I've spent my entire life trying to do." The Sorceress raised her right hand, which faced perpendicular to Malefor, and a similar purple sphere pooled in her palm, before she released the purple energy in a beam of destruction, which tore through Artisans in a similar fashion as Malefor's blast. Thomas and Magnus could only watch as the Sorceress and Malefor stared at each other intensely, along with looking at the destruction that had ensued only from demonstrations of their power.

"Now if you don't mind Malefor, I'd like to collect my Gems get out of here. I suppose I'm going to have to take them from you. Such a promising Dragon, too. You remind me of the Dragon that killed my father. Strong, arrogant, proud, and also babbled about the convexity, though his moral compass certainly pointed a little farther north than yours does."

Malefor needed to know for sure that the Sorceress hadn't accomplished wielding the convexity. He had been trying for years, but couldn't manage. When he was at his lowest, he was presented with a vision from the Power Gems of Spyro. Spyro was the Dragon of prophesy, but wielding the convexity was a different story, though Malefor had a suspicion that Spyro could if he was properly motivated. He needed to make sure that didn't happen. A complicated game was to ensure, and he needed the Sorceress alive for it to work.

"Sorry Dionaca, but these Power Gems belong to me, though I'll strike a deal with you."

"No one knew my real name, what else had these gems shown Malefor?" The Sorceress thought to herself.

"I'll let you keep your Purple Gem, in exchange for my father and his friend."

"Oh, so you've grown a heart since we've last met. Before you'd ditch your own brother to keep those Power Gems floating above you, but now bargain for the lives of these two Dragons. You've certainly changed, Malefor."

Thomas and Magnus looked at each other. That wasn't possible.

"If you refuse, you can always just try to kill me, though I think you'll have more trouble this time around then six years ago."

"If you insist, Malefor."

Their battle ensured, with Thomas and Magnus as spectators.