//------------------------------// // Im in ur base, ruinin ur doods // Story: Little Dragon in a Strange New World // by Zeryurijin //------------------------------// Spyyroo . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spyyyyroooo . . . . . . . . . . . . Spyyyyyy. . . .oh for the love of WAKE UP! He jerked awake with a labored gasp, his aching lungs filling with air. That was the first mistake. His body all but launched an outrage that he even dared to move to begin with. Muscle, sinew, skin and even scale seemed to scream at the dragon at such levels, it hardly helped the massive headache wracking his skull to begin with. Even his wings protested and refused to budge, leaving the purple dragon to lie there in a heap. All Spyro really could do was breathe. Breathe despite his aching ribs expanding as he continued to draw air. Bout damn time you awoke. I was beginning to wonder whether or not to rattle your skull with a few loose bricks just to wake you. I am rather grateful it did not come to that. Dull eyes scanned the cell he was in. Nothing but black shadows and outlines of what appeared to be clothed figures on the other side of bars greeted him. "W..where am I?" he mumbled. We are currently in a prison cell located at the bottom of a earthen castle. Malefor has overthrown the current ruler and is in control. "W..why does everything hurt?" Why....hmmm why does our body hurt...oh I'll tell you. You were idiotic enough to knock that stupid beast with wings out of the way before Malefor could turn her into charcoal. Just had to play hero didn't you? Couldn't just stay low could you? Now look at us. Battered to an inch of what ever is left of our life, most likely to rot down here, while our arch nemesis concocts a way to throw this world into a hellish nightmare. "Not going to just sit around...*urk* and let Malefor hurt more innocents." His dark self scoffed and muttered something under his breath while they laid there in silence. The memories were fuzzy but coming back. The explosion rocking the castle after the duel. Malefor assaulting Celestia while Luna fended off his attacks. Spyro intervening only to take the brunt of his foe's attack. And then emptiness. There was a bout of agonizing pain somewhere in the middle. He felt drained... more so then usual after spending his magic that is. Oh that? Malefor has managed to obtain some sort of spell or incantation, granting him the ability to rob an individual's life force. We were the first to be drained, granting him the power to over throw this kingdom. "If that is the case, why do I still live?" Why do WE still live? I am not fully sure. By all means we should be nothing left but a withered husk whose bones should be lying out there bleaching under the sun. Mayhaps this world magic effects outsiders such as ourselves differently then the inhabitants. But I distress. Now is not the time to ponder what slim gracious mercy we've been granted. A lackey serving Malefor has been keeping tabs on us. I don't know about you, but I refuse to be ANY one's midnight life draining snack. The purple dragon stared dully at his guards. They didn't even glance in his direction. In fact, come to think of it, his chains had rustled against the floor, yet neither one reacted. I've placed a temporary bubble around us. They can't hear for squat, even if you were to scream at the top of your lungs. Not that you have the energy to do so. "What do you want?" Pardon? Spyro winced as he shifted with discomfort,"I said, what do you want? You hardly ever take the time or effort to awaken me, let alone hold my attention." I desire control over our body. "Out of the question." Listen up, you thick skulled, stubborn fool. There are only two options for us. We lie here until Malefor finishes us off. Or we get the hell out of here. Maybe send some mindless fools to their final resting place. And before you can even think of protesting, let me lay this out. We did not come to this world by choice. I have no intention of being further used by our foe to continue his agenda. You are in no condition to resist. I, on the other claw, thanks to your presistant restraints am fully rested and ready to wreck havoc. The choice is yours, though I may ask will it be worth it to die? Can you do that, leaving Cynder alone? Abandon the fellow guardians back on Avalar? Leave Sparx to mourn the loss of his brother? Spyro bit back his first retort on where his dark self can shove it. The dragon would never forgive himself if he died here. Ignitis would not either if he was watching them from above. Sparx would be torn. Avalar would be in peril and the dragon guardians at risk without his presence. His dark self had a good point. But was the risks involved here worth it? Do you think it wise to abandon Twilight and her friends to Malefor? Look how he overpowered their rulers, these goddesses the unicorn had so much faith and adored? Do you wish to let Equestria become Avalar in Malefor's aftermath? A burning, writhing churning ball of molten rock set beneath a black sky choked with ash and smoke? Spyro wished he had the strength to shut his dark self up from continuing to rub these unpleasant thoughts into his bruised snout. They needed to escape and return to safety. There was no point on dragging this further. "Fine. Though I warn you. You try anything funny, attempt any thing sly, sneaky or even THINK of pushing those boundries. I would hurl your foul presence so deep within the darkest crevices of my consiousness and bury you so deep, it will take you eons just to break free." A mental huff, some mutterings of words left unspoken before the dark self finally replied, Fine. Agreed. The purple dragon of legend relaxed and allowed his darker half to take hold. The raw unbound potential power he had tapped in those past few times seeped into his aching body. He felt it rush into his lungs, filling him to the brink of bursting only to spread through his limbs tail and wing. Eyes closing, Spyro embraced that part of him he had always kept under check for fear of losing it. This was about survival. And some lines had to be stepped on to live. You have no idea how much fun we're going to have. Maybe we'll get even with Malefor for this. The two guards posted at the cell never heard the noises within the dome. No sound escaped the barrier. Not even when Dark Spyro ripped the chain off the earthen wall and bit through the links like weak rope. Two clawed paws snatched the back of their heads and before they could utter a cry, their skulls rang off each other in a rather muffled thump. The two dropped unconscious as the dragon ripped the door off the hinges. The dark entity chuckled. Mostly everything was built into this underground holding grounds. The lack of metal made for tearing doors of a breeze almost. "How does that Queen even know if a prisoner escapes?" He pondered before slithering up the stairs silently towards his next prey. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Malefor sat bored in the center of the throne room. The area was wrecked and many of its furnishing in shambles. The Queen lay bound and subdued by his magic weakened from their dual earlier. He was impressed that, despite being considered the oldest living dragon on this world, she fought with the tenacity of a young dragoness. An amused chuckle danced in his rotting throat as lewd thoughts came to mind about what would be if he were still living and chose to breed and make her his consort. Those thoughts faded as footsteps muffled across the cracked floor. Sapphire had returned from her daily outing to the dungeon below to inform on Spyro's condition. The former ambassador sat on a small stone stool a few paces from the lich dragon and shook her head. His bony tail flicked in disappointment, scattering the remains of a earthen chair that the Queen once used. No change from his adversary. Still in an a coma. The dragon leaned back and frowned. The magic used for stealing his power was temporary. Then again the magic itself was different from what he was used to. Side effects would probably be considered given they were outsiders to this world. How else would he Malefor, the great purple dragon who once terrorized Avalar and nearly had it bent under his rule was able to rise from the depths of what hells he had been plunged into to walk the lands once more? A withered scaled eyebrow twitched. Memories hazy at best, bleak and foggy danced within his hollowed skull. Why was he here instead of Avalar? The lich dragon had no more inkling of a clue then his nemesis in the dungeons below. While he brooded in silence, Sapphire exited the throne room and entered the scholar's chamber. The former ambassador took a glance at the most recent addition to the decor. Encased in black crystal was her Queen. Trapped and frozen once her power was robbed, her ruler was now nothing more then a over sized statue. A smile graced the dragoness's muzzle for a brief moment before she went over the scrolls recovered from the private vaults below. As her eyes scanned the text, her mind was working on the next phase in her plan. A plan that would set her family back in the good graces of her peers and make her both revered and feared as her ancestors were so long ago. Unknown to both ambassador and lich, what plans and schemes that were to be set in motion would find itself hitting a roadblock. Rather a few roadblocks. The first was located In the lower halls of the kingdom, the newest victims heard nary a sound before their skulls rang out with a muffled thump! The dark entity admired its handy work for a moment or two before dragging the bodies behind a stone pillar. Dark Spyro snorted. What a joke. Malefor the supposed greatest adversary his other half had managed to defeat, relying on... well sheep fodder. These fanatics were beyond pathetic. No alarm was raised no call went out. Then again he relished spoiling any attempts to ruin this spot of fun he was having, even while making a hasty departure. A small nagging voice in the back of his mind, informed the entity that time was of the essence and these constant stops had to cease if they were to escape the earthen castle. With a sigh of annoyance and mild hesitation, Dark Spyro once again slunk back into the shadows and continue on his way. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The outskirts that bordered Equestria with Draconis looked more like a desert wasteland. Homes and small huts that dotted along the main road were now in ruin, the skeletal remains of the frames were all that was left. The fields and trees that added some scenery were now charred, burned and uprooted, leaving only more misery to the already dismal lands. Celestia shook her head in dismay. Her beloved ponies forced to flee after the refugees fled. Forced to abandon their homes, their lives in fear of losing their own. At the hands of a cruel undead creature that now poised to threaten not only her kingdom but Gryf as well if she, her sister and the Elements did not stop it right at her door step. Yet in order to do so, they would require Spyro's presence. It made the need for this rescue that more important. While the alicorn was glad to have extra help in the form of Cynder and Discord, some small part of her felt it would not be enough. Two alicorns, two unicorns, two pegasus, two earth ponies, two dragons, a draconequus and a handful of elite soldiers gazed over the border. A low rumble of thunder echoed overhead while a chill wind kicked up dirt along the path. "I don't know about you, but Malefor didn't take 'apocalyptic setting' that far." All eyes turned on Discord as he surveyed,"I would have thrown in a few broken carriages, a couple of poor lost souls corpses here and there..." He glanced around and found a few harsh glares, mainly from Celestia, Luna, Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy looked uncomfortable, while Rarity showed distain for his remark. Pinkie Pie was distracted by chattering on with a few of the soldiers, some who missed what he had mentioned, while some others looked nervous with his presence. "Maybe a couple of throw pillows, some frilly curtains, hey it can be home." he finished with a grin. Some eyes rolled as Discord huffed with a crossing of his arms and was left to his mutterings. Rainbow Dash fidgeted as she landed, the sound of her hooves constantly pawing at the ground drew both Celestia and Twilight's attention. Kel pulled his robes around himself as the wind tugged at his garments. Despite being a dragon by nature who had hardy resistances to extreme weather, it was the mood of his former home that brought the un natural chill. "I know what your going to ask but in all seriousness you two. Are you positively sure we can't just teleport to the dragon's castle and surprise Malefor then give him a good beat down?" The cyan pony asked. Twilight shook her head while Celestia nodded,"Its not that easy Rainbow Dash. I may have paid the Queen a few visits during my time, but with the recent events unfolding, it will would not only be difficult but our lives could be at risk. No doubt, some protection spells could be in place to thwart any attempt to teleport into the castle. Nay Dash we must proceed with caution and without being noticed." "Ah know ya want ta go in thar an give that pile o bones a good kickin, Dash we all do. Jes dun want to have ta put up with his cronies an creatin a mess we can't git out of that's all." Rainbow Dash sighed and muttered to herself how magic could be such a downer at times, while Applejack merely chuckled at her friend's eagerness. Twilight joined her mentor's gaze as they returned to the bleak setting in front of them,"So we all go on hoof from here then, Princess. No flying no magic. Sounds difficult but if we can keep the element of surprise on our side, we can end this threat for good." Celestia smiled and was about to speak before Cynder spoke up,"Malefor will not be easily surprised. The more trouble we cause with his fanatics, the quicker he will respond with force." Eyes turned on the dragoness as she too, looked in the distance,"Malefor is more resourceful and cunning then you may give him credit for. When Spyro and I first started to interfere with his agenda, he responded with more vicious and brutal creatures. When we ended that threat, he resorted to calling up the Destroyer. A most evil monster." "Umm praytell Cynder, but what is... a destroyer? It sounds like more like something out of fantasy and fairy tales." Rarity asked, piqued. A slight shiver ran down Cynder's spine, causing her wings to flitter in anxiety. Turning to see all eyes fixated on her, the dragoness sat down with a nod,"Imagine a golem of immense size and height, greater then the biggest mountain and burning with the molten fury of every volcano your world has known of. This Destroyer would traverse around Avalar and create the Ring of Fire." "Ooh, ring of fire. Sounds like a fantastic name to call super spicy union rings." Pinkie pitched in with a lick of her lips. Cynder looked at her slightly puzzled as she tried to come to terms with this pony's constant cheerful demeanor despite how grim things were looking for them. "Umm... no pink one. This is not the name of any food item you may know of. Once the Destroyer connects the Ring of Fire, the world is reborn." "We thinks that you may be over exaggerating Cynder," Luna spoke,"For a fiery creature to create such a ring only to make the world 'anew', it does not sound so bad." "The world is reborn through its utter destruction. Every living inhabitant possibly eliminated from the surface. Take your world. Rip every continent apart and let the fires deep within overflow. Nothing would remain but a molten ball of magma." Silence fell upon the group. No pony spoke as all eyes could see Cynder's own as she spoke the truth. "Are you saying...," Celestia began,"That Malefor could conjour up this... Destroyer into Equestria?" Cynder could only shrug,"I do not know. Spyro nor myself had never heard of such a thing until Ignitis, our mentor had informed us. This was only after Malefor had summoned the creature on Avalar." A small squeak sounded, Fluttershy hiding beneath Rainbow Dash's tail as the thought of some monsterous rock terrorized their home. Rarity trotted over to comfort the pegasus as the others came to terms of just how much more dangerous this journey had become. Kel was stunned by what the dragoness had spoke of,"Truly I never thought of him being capable of such...feats. I can see why he was feared on your world, young one." Cynder looked to the dragon mage and could only give a slight nod. "Well if any pony wants to run home crying for their mothers, I won't stop you." Discord said casually. "Discord!" Celestia scowled as the draconequus merely chuckled. "All the more reason to get into Draconis castle, find Spyro then take down Malefor." Twilight commented. The rest nodded as they grouped together and formed a plan to sneak into not only Draconis with a hoofful of soldiers, but the Elements as well. Ten minutes later, they were back on the path with Cynder in the lead. Malefor may be expecting unicorn and alicorn magic having encountered both. But with Cynder's subtle shadow magic, any attempt to locate and find the group would be harder indeed. Kel pondered how the dragoness so small would be able to camoflouge such a large group as it were just to sneak inside. Thoughts such as these were put on hold as the group continued on. Five minutes after they had passed, a small speck appeared on the path. This tiny thing, when drawing closer appeared to be a young dragon. A baby dragon to be exact. Spike stopped for a moment to catch his breath. The young one had been following his friends ever since they set out from Canterlot. Despite promising Twilight that he would remain with her parents, Spike had over heard that Spyro would be weak. The group was gone before the baby dragon could return with a stash of green, red, and blue gems. It was even harder trying to convince Twilight's parents to let him just deliver these to the guards at the castle. Only to skip the castle completely and give chase. "I know Twilight is going to be mad at me." He said to himself,"But Spyro is going to need all the help he can get. What good is he, if he's weak?" Pondering he gazed at the gems he carried in satchel slung over his shoulders,"I know these are not what he's used to but it can't hurt to try." After a brief rest, the dragon was off again, chasing his friends into Draconis, into danger itself. All for the sake of helping a fellow dragon when he needed it the most. The border into Draconis fell silent again. A charred tree stood sparse and barren as the chill wind tugged at the bare branches. In a hollowed opening, a gleam shined off a crystal that was jutting from the dead plant. It flickered and glowed with eerie dark shade of purple as more started to slow grow within.