Skylanders: Second Leaf

Chapter 15 ~ Returning Home

"Nngh... wha??" Shoria finally came to, laying down on a surprisingly uncomfortable infirmary cot.

The cot itself was pushed up against the corner of the room, facing the window. Shoria slowly got up onto her knees and shifted around to face the window. Her entire body ached. She peered outside to see if any of the carnage had reached the Academy. Luckily, the destruction that had gone down had not yet reached the Academy grounds themselves, and the fighting seemed like it had died down quite a bit in the time she had been recovering. Her eyes widened, panic rising up in her chest, remembering what had happened to her and Kaos.

"K-Kaos?" Shoria asked, looking around the infirmary, then peering outside again. He was nowhere to be seen. "No... No no no no... please be alive... please..." Shoria whimpered like a wounded dog begging for help, holding back the tears that were threatening to spill from her now glassy eyes.

Kaos watched from a distance, surprised and shocked, as the Skylanders let out a cheer of victory. That little spirit... had been Skeleborg? A mabu? Kaos shook his head. How could something that started out so small and innocent become so evil? Kaos didn't really need to ask himself this question. He already knew the answer. He was a perfect example of this. Of course, as a kid, Kaos hadn't been the nicest or kindest, but he had still been good. Though, over time, the evil within him had spread like a virus. Consuming his every waking, sleeping and breathing moments until he couldn't fight it anymore. It was just who he was. Kaos looked away from the scene, a twinge of regret throbbing deep within him. He hated remembering who he used to be. That was the past. This was now. That had no relevance on who, or what, he had become. Kaos turned and began to walk away, pulling his hood up over his head. Obscuring his face from view. Without warning, Kaos was knocked to the ground and pinned roughly by something. A creature, most definitely. A creature covered head to silver claw in shimmering purple scales. Kaos struggled to escape the purple dragon's grasp, but to no avail. Spyro had him incapacitated. Trapped. Vulnerable. Spyro dug his claws into Kaos' back as he perched upon him, growling. He clearly didn't recognize the dark Portal Master.

"Who are you..." Spyro growled, "And what are you doing here!?"

Kaos gulped. He knew Spyro would be on edge from the battle, but not this much. A reddish-brown fox came up behind Spyro and grabbed the scales on his neck with its sharp front teeth. Dragging Spyro from the back of the whisp.

"Take it easy, Spyro. Let the guy speak, at least, before you go tearing him to shreds. If we didn't know any better, we'd say you were turning into Kaos."

Spyro glanced over at the fox and narrowed his eyes. "Redalox... one day I'll get you." Spyro began to laugh lightly at Redalox as the whisp turned onto its back. Spyro sighed heavily, "I guess I'm just a little shaken up. So much has happened in the past few days..."

Kaos groaned. His head hurt from Spyro's little 'welcome back gift' and a few stray drops of black blood trickled from the slight wounds Spyro had gifted him along with his newfound headache. He really didn't feel like getting up after than. Luckily, Kaos could feel the wounds rewriting themselves. Healing. Sealing themselves up. Not completely, but just enough to stop the bleeding.

Thank the Darkness for Steath's healing power...

Redalox nodded to Spyro, then turned back to the whisp. He immediately recognized insignia emblazoned on its forehead. It was glowing slightly, allowing them to see it even with the shadows cast over Kaos' face from his hood. Redalox grabbed Kaos' hood, despite the frenzied screech of protest Kaos cried at this sudden act, and slipped it down, back around Kaos' shoulders. Spyro stared at Kaos, wide eyed. The Portal Master looked mostly like his old self, accept the fact that his skin was even paler (if that was even possible for Kaos) and was turning a sickly shade of light grey. His eyes seemed to almost glow. Not their usual little crazy glimmer, but like someone had lit a fire inside of them. Kaos seemed to resonate darkness. Not that he hadn't before, but now Spyro could feel it. Crawling up his spine like cold, rotting, dead hands trying to whisk away his warmth. His energy. His life force itself. Spyro shivered, trying to shake the uneasy, stomach churning feeling Kaos was giving him.