Crash and Spyro, A Friendship Across Lifetimes

Chapter 44: The Atlas

THE Sorceress lay on the ground, unmoving. There fight had lasted all of five minutes, but she knew she was defeated. Spyro stood in front of her, the power of the convexity surging through him. This was different than anytime she had ever tapped into the Power of the Gems. Spyro wasn't syphoning the energy, it instead was an extension of him, his anger, his pain, and his grief; he was in command of it, instead of just using the energy. This was what the Sorceress had sought her entire life, the power she needed to wipe the Dragons from the face of the Earth. But now Spyro had it, and he was going to kill her with it. She failed.

"I don't expect you to show me mercy, Spyro. You wield the convexity now. I instead only have this... this to t-tell you." She was struggling to speak. "I carried out... the prophesy of the [unintelligible]. Act... acted as its herald. Used the con-vexity like I was shown upon first... seeing all seven Power Gems... like my father... before me. This universe... is impure... and it must be cleansed."

What the hell was she talking about? "Shut up." Spyro barked as he stood above her. Although Aku-Aku was concerned about the Sorceress' last words, Spyro didn't care or hear his concern. He instead finished of the Sorceress in the most appropriate way he could think of.

The Sorceress knew what Spyro had done as soon as it happened. She felt her immortality leave her, and she quickly began to die. Her body aged rapidly, skin eroded and bones wilted to nothing. Eventually she became a pile of dust on the ground, but at that point Spyro had returned to Crash's dead body. He sat next to his unmoving body in silence. Eventually Cynder and Ember approached Spyro, who still emanated a blinding golden aura and produced violent winds in all directions. And even with all his power at his disposal, Spyro felt helpless. He felt guilty. The Resistance had won, the Sorceress had been killed, and the Dragons were free. But no one applauded.

After a couple of days, all the species of Avalar could rejoice in the fact that they were finally free. There was the lingering issue of the Rhynocs, but they seemed content just to retreat to their homelands. Although there would always be animosity towards these mercenaries of the Sorceress, Hunter had killed their leader and the Rhynoc people were tiered of fighting. Since they were no longer under the control of the Sorceress, the Gnorks decided to leave their Realm. There was a general opposition to the commands of their leader, Gnasty, but had followed him anyway because of his relation to his father. After his and the Sorceress' defeat by Spyro, The Gnorks decided just to live in Avalar. Find a new civilization and start over. They still didn't particularly like Dragons, but they weren't there enemy.

It all ended so quickly. Two days ago, Crash was trying to show Spyro how to surf. Today his ashes were in an urn. He had brought Crash here to his favorite beach. His little hut, his finished painting of his child that never had a chance to live, wampa pits, were still here, a reminder of the friend he now held in his paws. Cynder and Sparx accompanied Spyro, her to pay their respects to a stranger who became a dear friend. Crash's SAD with its brown color and white box was strapped to the urn, as well as his Aku-Aku mask. Spyro had already mourned for his friend Flame and those who had sacrificed their lives to protect Artisans. All that was left to do was say goodbye to his brother. It was an hour and a half before sunset. The ocean sparkled both blue and orange because of the light that skimmed across the surface.

Spyro faced the ocean, with Cynder in silence. He stared solemnly at the urn in his grasp, and then looked at the sunset once again. Cynder waited patiently for Spyro to say his final goodbye. She knew this wasn't easy for him. Spyro wiped a tear from his eye before he started.

"Once... you told me that family's look out for one another, no matter how grim or bad things get. You shared with me your life in the future, the families you had and the families you've lost. How you were a creation of evil, yet the love of another allowed you to break the control of your creator. You acted selflessly; you valued the lives of those around you more than you do your own. That's what I most admire about you, Crash. You once told me that I should honor the life of my father by living in his example. Well I can do the same with you. Thanks Crash, for being the brother I never knew I needed... I love you, too."

Spyro carefully opened the urn and spread his ashes onto the beach. Cynder came up next to him when he finished spreading the ashes.

"I'm going to miss him Spyro. There was just something about the way he carried himself. So full of grief, yet he somehow found a way to make those around him happy." Cynder thought back to the dinner that Crash had prepared for them, and then of their vacation in Dragon Shores.

Spyro sniffled before he responded. "I think it was a consequence of being the only one of his kind. All he ever wanted was to be loved; to have a family. He would fight till death to ensure those he loved was safe."

It was then that Ember landed on the beach besides Spyro and Cynder and approached them. She had brought a brown satchel with her. Spyro couldn't guess what was inside.

"Hey guys" Ember said somewhat blandly. After what happened to Flame, Spyro could understand what she was feeling.

"Ember, I couldn't find you at all today? Where were you?" Spyro asked wordily. He had intended to invite her to this private ceremony.

"Sorry I was gone. But I had something important to do." She opened the bag she had brought and carefully pulled out a red book. "I've decided to go on and live in Avalar along with some other Dragons. So this may be the last time I see you in a while. But before I go, though, I need to give you this." She gently picked up the book and Spyro balanced it in his paws. He read the cover: Atlas. "The Professor told me to give this to you."

"I don't understand, Ember? Why are you leaving?"

Ember sighed before she continued. "Spyro... I don't have a future her. Not after what has happened. I'm... torn. I still love you, but that's not fair to Flame." Ember was tearing up at this point. "Having you near me is just too much of a reminder of how much I loved you and how wrong that should make me feel." She breathed in deeply and continued less emotionally. "I'm going to go explore Avalar with a colony of Dragons. Hopefully in the coming decades things can return to the way they were before the Sorceress. Dragons do belong thorough the world, not just in the Dragon Realms. But saying goodbye isn't the only reason I came here." Ember paused again before continuing. "The Professor says this book has a very special purpose of guiding whomever is reading it towards a better future. He thinks it will help you move on, like how the book showed him the path he took after Elora's death."

Spyro looked at Ember. "I don't want you to leave, Ember. But I hope you find happiness in your travels." He smiled, and they hugged. She said a tearful goodbye to Cynder as well, before Ember took off and headed towards Artisans in order to take a portal to Avalar.

Spyro held the red notebook in his hands.

"Well, aren't you going to read it?" Cynder asked.

"I was thinking we could read it together, Cynder."

They retreated towards the tree line, and sat next near Crash's home, underneath some palm trees. Spyro opened the book, and looked for the place to start reading from. He wasn't sure how a random book was supposed to help him, but as soon as he started reading, he couldn't stop.

I was a broken man when I came to the past. Sad, alone, defeated. I blamed myself for what happened to Tawna, what happened to Budakan, what happened to Niko. I had lost two families. And even though it may not have been perfect, even though it may not have made a whole lot of sense, I found a new family. I found a brother. I was willing to do anything to protect him, to preserve the family I found in the past, even though he was stronger than me, both physically and emotionally. Once again I found a community, a culture that accepted me even though I was different. And this time around I was willing to do anything to ensure that I wasn't the cause of any misfortunes for Spyro and his family. I knew this once Spyro helped me forgive myself for what happened to me in the future. He cared enough about me to help me see, help me believe that Tawna's death and Niko's torture wasn't my fault. That's why I have to do this, Professor. Whether it is because of fate or accident that I was brought to the past, it is up to me to make it mean something. So please, help me. Why am I having these visions, and what do they mean.

Have you told Spyro about these visions?

I'm afraid he'll sacrifice his life for me. He doesn't deserve to be a martyr. He has a future... when I don't.

What would you say to him if you didn't come back?

I'd tell him I was sorry I didn't hold up my end of the bargain. That I knew just how much Spyro loved Sparx, and that I wouldn't let anything bad happen to him.

Would you tell him about the Atlas?

I'd ask him to do something crazy with it.

And what would that be?

I'd ask him to put it somewhere I could find it in one hundred thousand years.