Legend of Spyro: Friendship is Magic

by FaizGuy

Tall Plains

Twilight Sparkle's Report on the Outside World and Dragons: Part 2

Dear Princess Celestia,

We’ve saved Volteer. I know this seems counter-intuitive to my shock of you doing background studies on my new friends and I, but I was hoping you could tell me a bit about Rainbow’s Past. She seemed to act so…nonchalant when it came to killing those Apes.
I have managed to learn a bit more about Dragons. It seems that infant Lightning Dragons are introduced into a small zap of electricity when they are still young in order for them to get a feel of their Lightning Breath. This allows them to learn how to create and store their own electricity by using the thought currents inside their brains and let it travel through their systems. Lightning Dragons are also some of the swiftest of the Dragons, rivaling the speed of Wind Dragons, a sub-species of one of the Four Main Elemental Dragons.
Volteer is an interesting dragon to talk with…provided you have earplugs to help in his incessant speaking. But, there are some good qualities about him. Being the most excitable of the two Dragon Masters we’ve met so far, he is best suited for battles in the air allowing him to whip, whirl, flash, and fry enemies that may whizz by. This was evident when we saw him take down a few Apes that were catapulted at us while we were coming back to the Dragon Temple.

Applejack and Fluttershy have been tasked with going to Tall Plains with Spyro and Sparx. Ignitus says that it will take them a week to fly there. From the books I’ve found on Tall Plains, it is situated upon a Cliffside amidst a rainforest. Their inhabitants are the Atlawas, bipedal, humanoid llama beings. They live in a tribe, worship gods, mainly a stone one for harvests, and tend to their large crops. The land is scenic but dangerous, as deadly booby traps intended originally for apes and monsters known as ‘Dreadwings’ litter the landscape. Creatures such as Stone Brutes and the Apes may also pose a threat to them there. However, the landscape is quite beautiful with its rolling hills, small grassy cliffs, deep forest groves, and it's large lush rainforest. So while dangerous, the sheer natural beauty of Tall Plains often makes visiting worth the risk.

Your Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle

---

“Yay! Souvenirs!” Pinkie Pie and Boomer cheered as they pulled out the Ice King’s armor.

“Oh, this is such a great housewarming present for you, Boomer!” Pinkie Pie giggled.

“And she used all the TNT!” Boomer grinned, patting Rainbow’s back, “You girls are great!”

“Yeah, well…You were the ones who gave it to me,” Rainbow chuckled.

“Yes, yes, Volteer, it's good to see you as well, but we don't have time to waste on sentiment,” Ignitus sighed, feeling the headache form that Twilight, Rainbow, and Sparx were trying to get rid of from the two weeks it took to return, while holding a plate of a yellow and lightning-blue cake Pinkie Pie had baked just for the occasion, “Back to Cynder…She was doing what to you?”

“Cynder's a chick?” Sparx gawked.

“Well, duh! Cynder’s a girl’s name, Sparx,” Pinkie Pie giggled.

“It's hard to be absolutely sure, Ignitus, but it seems she was using me as some sort of suspended, organic power source…” Volteer informed, putting down his empty, once-cake covered plate.

“Huh?” Rainbow and Sparx pondered.

“She was using him as a battery,” Twilight explained as she looked in another book of spells.

“Why didn't he just say so?” Rainbow demanded.

“He did. You didn’t understand it,” Rarity frowned.

“Not only that, she also left with a glowing yellow orb…and I believe that I somehow powered it,” Volteer continued, “Does this mean anything to you, Ignitus?”

“Perhaps…perhaps. What I do know is that we need to rescue the other Guardians…before Cynder can power any more of those orbs,” Ignitus replied.

“I agree, Ignitus, but first I'd like to impart some useful knowledge to Spyro, vis-a-vis his recently-acquired electricity-based exhalation device.”

“What?” Applejack blinked.

“He says he'd like to teach me some things about that Electricity Breath,” Spyro informed, having told the others what had happened.

“Oi! Why doesn’t he just say so?” Sparx groaned.

“Of course, this is right up the alley for Pegasi as well,” Volteer noted, ushering for Rainbow and Fluttershy to come over as the statue lowered once more, “Now, Rainbow Dash, I saw, noticed, observed you in that fight and saw a very strong spark flowing through you on that last attack.”

“I use that all the time to motivate the Reindeer during the Winter Games,” Sparx smirked.

“Sad, but true,” Spyro and Twilight sighed as Volteer, Rainbow Dash, and Spyro took their positions with Fluttershy trembling in fear.

“Now then…Electricity is the spark of life! Listen and I will teach you three all its secrets,” Volteer informed before stomping his foot down and summoning dummies with electrical sparks coming off them, “Ignitus must have already informed you three about how this works? That if you do not do it within a certain amount of time, these dummies will be set to self-destruct if you are not quick enough?”

“Yeah,” Spyro nodded.

“Good. Good,” Volteer nodded, “Spyro, you felt the spark of Electric Breath before, so just feel it and zap those dummies into the targets that came with them.”

Spyro nodded. He proceeded to perform the task as Rainbow and Fluttershy looked at the yellow dragon.

“Now as for you two, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, I taught Celestia all about how to use Electricity energy and now I shall do the same for the both of you,” Volteer informed before seeing Fluttershy’s trembles, “…Come now, young Pony.” Rainbow blinked as he noticed Volteer’s voice was becoming slow and calming, “I promise you that while this is scary, electricity is a blessing. But that is not how you want it, do you?”

“I…I’m afraid of it…” Fluttershy admitted.

“As am I,” Volteer replied, making Fluttershy blink, “Electricity is much more dangerous than one can think. One misuse and it will hurt others. The power is both a blessing and a curse. Daily, I would go out and release the strongest blast I could. However, since my energy seems to have been put into that stone, I am disconnected to my breath. I do not wish to let it be used on others, but I fear it will.” He gently ran a claw/paw through her hair, “You have a strong gift, Fluttershy, one that only your Kindness can it truly be put to harmonious use. It is that Kindness that makes me want to teach you about it especially.”

“He’s right about that. You’ve always been a kind soul to everypony, even when that happened,” Rainbow Dash admitted, “No matter the race, you always made sure to keep them treated. It was because of your Kindness were we able to end that in a matter of days.”

Fluttershy blinked while blushing at Rainbow Dash, “O…Okay. I…I’ll learn it…if it’s okay with you, Mr. Volteer.”

“Oh, please,” Volteer chuckled in his calm, slow tone, “For you, you may call me ‘Volty,’ okay, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy nodded as Spyro walked over.

“Ah! I see you grasped the concept, Spyro, excellent!” Volteer exclaimed proudly, “Now then, I want you to chase the dummies and hit them with your Electric Breath.” Spyro quickly went off after more dummies that Volteer made as the yellow dragon looked at the girls, his tone entering its calmer self once more, “Now then, I want you both to close your eyes. … …That’s it, girls, now spread your wings. Spread them as far as you can possibly let them.“

Nearby, Twilight and Rarity blinked in confusion as they looked up from their books of fire manipulation for Unicorns to watch it. The two glanced at each other, pondering just why Volteer was acting so calm and talking at a normal pace instead of his usual speed. They glanced at Ignitus, who watched the exercise Volteer was giving with a small smile.

“Volteer only does this when he feels a kindred spirit in someone that he’s teaching,” Ignitus explained to the two, “He deeply cares for others and he was always afraid of his own power. He does not fear Spyro’s ability to use it, though, for he knows that a Purple Dragon instinctively knows how to keep their breaths in check.”

“My, you’re all quick studies,” Volteer noted as Spyro walked over just as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash lowered their wings, sparks coming off them for a few moments, “In the time it took for Spyro to chase down the dummies, you two were able to summon electricity into your wings. Now then, Spyro will focus his Electric Breath into a small sphere and shoot it into an arc. But as you make it, imagining the power of it making a cage. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, you both will do the same, but instead you will summons the electricity into your wings and then bring the tips of your wings together. Celestia did this when she was first learning, so I believe that it is a good way for you two to learn it as well.”

The two Pegasi nodded before closing their eyes once more. The three stood on one side of the dojo as three dummies were made. Slowly, sparks formed on the wings of the two Pegasi as they brought the tips of their wings together before them. With Spyro, he began to feel the electricity coursing through his lungs. All three thought of cages as a sphere of electricity formed on the tips of the Pegasi wings. Spyro exhaled a sphere as Fluttershy and Rainbow ‘tossed’ their spheres at the dummies. The three spheres erupted and formed three cages that caught and electrified the dummies. Spyro and Rainbow Dash proceeded to, while all three were stunned, to pummel them all. The trio began to continue on with their training, combining the electricity in various ways. Soon, Spyro was trembling as his Fury reached its peak. Volteer gulped as everyone quickly dashed behind the two elder Dragons as Volteer summoned a large group of dummies. Spyro began to float into the air and spin. Storm clouds gathered around him before finally…

“Fury of Angtor’s Raging Storm!” Spyro roared as he unleashed a massive shockwave from the thunderstorm cloud that had engulfed him, incinerating the dummies with its sheer power.

“Your training is complete!” Volteer declared before adopting a small smile, “For now.”

“Oh, thank grandmother Faust...” Spyro sighed in relief as he, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash began to rest from the training.

“Man, I never thought I could use electricity that way,” Rainbow smirked, “Man, if I ever learn how to use it safely for entertainment, then there goes my chances of not becoming a Wonderbolt.”

Spyro and Sparx rolled their eyes as Fluttershy giggled a bit. Soon, Twilight approached Ignitus as he gazed into the waters of his reflection pool.

“Master Ignitus, what do you see?” Twilight pondered as she looked down into the green waters with the Fire Dragon Guardian.

“Something both good, yet terrible,” Ignitus replied as he turned to see the approaching Spyro, “Spyro…Cyril, the Ice Guardian, was taken to Tall Plains…You, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Sparx must go there at once…and find him.”

“Yes sir.”

“But if we see danger we should run…right?” Sparx asked hopefully as Fluttershy trembled.

“There are times when all of us need to stand up to danger, young Sparx,” Ignitus informed, “The same as well for you, young Fluttershy.”

“Yeah, maybe next month, next summer, perhaps next year…” Ignitus’ left eye twitched.

“Just go…now,” Ignitus sighed.

“Yes sir,” Sparx gulped.

“Can I ask what we may find there? That is, if it’s okay with you, Ignitus, sir.”

“Well, Fluttershy…Tall Plains was once home to a proud ancient tribe called the Atlawa…”

“Oh, bless you.”

“Sparx,” Spyro frowned.

“The Atlawa were a people in tune with the rhythms of the seasons, focused on their relationship to crops, their surroundings, their gods. They've all been driven underground by Cynder and her forces, who've taken over the tribe's Shrine,” Ignitus informed.

“Ah can’t stand it! Messin’ wit’ th’ farmers…That’s where ah draw th’ line!” Applejack growled.

“I sense that's where Cynder is keeping Cyril, trying to power another crystal. You must find him before she succeeds,” Ignitus ordered.

“Right, it's never easy, is it?” Sparx sighed.

“Nothing worthwhile ever is,” Spyro noted.

“So now you're spouting wisdom, hero boy?”

“C'mon,” Spyro sighed with a shake of his head, “Will you be able to keep up, Fluttershy?”

“Oh! Um…Well…”

“Are you kidding me?” Rainbow frowned at Spyro, “She’s the second-fastest Pegasus I know that isn’t me down in Ponyville!”

“Don’t go denyin’ it, Sugarcube,” Applejack stopped Fluttershy from opening her mouth, “Ah done saw ya when that there kitty cat done fell outta that there tree on th’ other side of town. Y’all were faster than Big Mac when he sees Cheerilee.”

Fluttershy squeaked in fear. Spyro gently patted her hand with his paw, giving her an assuring smile. Fluttershy looked at the dragon and then a Volteer, who gave a gentle nod. She returned it before spreading her wings out to take flight. Applejack got onto Spyro’s back and the two flew off, Fluttershy holding a bag of dynamite given to her by Pinkie Pie and Boomer.
---

“It…it’s so up high…” Fluttershy gulped, seeing that they were on the edge of a massive floating island.

“Eeyup,” Applejack gulped as she looked over the edge.

“Let’s get going, then. You’ll both feel a bit safer being deeper onto the land, right?” Spyro asked.

“S-Sure,” Applejack nodded as the four went off into the massive tree-filled area.

A few Apes appeared as they entered a stone pathway. Fluttershy quickly made a quick net of lightning before Applejack and Spyro pummeled them. Spyro and Sparx laughed a bit as they slid down a hollowed-out tree before Fluttershy gave a quiet ‘Yay’ as she followed with Applejack giving respect for the tree before she slid down. The four were surrounded by five Apes. Fluttershy yelped before Applejack grabbed a few sticks of dynamite and threw them, letting Spyro light them in mid-air. The resounding explosions were a good-enough distraction to let them flee.

“Great, now what do we do?” Sparx pondered as he noticed a set of four pillars were blocking the path.

“Um…I think I know a way,” Fluttershy noted softly as she pointed at a strange mural that was extending from a nearby wall.

Applejack walked over to it and kicked the mural, forcing it back into the wall. The pathway rumbled and Fluttershy hid behind Applejack while one of the pillars lowered itself into the ground.

“Nice job, Fluttershy!” Applejack beamed, “If’n we find all four, we’ll be able t’ keep on goin’!”

Fluttershy nodded. It took roughly three hours to find the remaining switches due to fighting the Apes, going around various obstacles, and when Fluttershy fainted when she was startled by Spyro once.

“…She’s uncomfortable with me, isn’t she?” Spyro asked as he carried the fainted Pegasus.

“…Promise y’all won’t tell nopony ‘bout it?” Applejack asked.

“Promise.”

“Around th’ time we were fillies, there was a strange problem up in Cloudsdale. Pegasus Fillies and Colts were havin’ nightmares ‘bout dragons and Apes,” Applejack explained, “A few of them were caught in th’ Weather Factory, trying to overload th’ systems. But th’ funny thing was that they were all sound asleep, mumblin’ somethin’ ‘bout somepony’s word was their command. Fluttershy was th’ only one that kept on wakin’ up, screamin’, just around th’ beginning of th’ nights. Ah’m kinda glad that she was stayin’ with Rainbow Dash’s family at th’ time t’ help keep her wakin’ up. Ah was told ‘bout it by ‘em t’ help with some sleepin’ problems Fluttershy done had when she came here. Seein’ y’all must have woken up some o’ th’ nightmares.”

“Seems that the Dark Armies were trying to get control of Equestria,” Spyro frowned.

“Yikes. Think about what would have happened if that had succeeded,” Sparx shuddered as they got outside…to see multiple Apes around a cage holding one of the Atlawas in it.

“Well that’s bad,” Applejack frowned as she pulled the dynamite out.

“‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend,’” Spyro quoted, recalling that Celestia once said it in a lesson she gave Twilight and him.

“Does that mean what I think it does?” Sparx gulped.

“Yeah, we've got to help him,” Spyro replied.

“Oh brother,” Sparx sighed as Spyro lit the fuses on the dynamite and Applejack threw them.

“Ooh? Ook?” one of the Apes blinked as he picked up the sticks and brought them over to the biggest member.

“What’s that? Ralencid Cavernember?” the largest of the Apes there asked before the dynamite blew them up, leaving behind a burned large Ape, “Ohhhh…Boom!”

It collapsed in a loud crash, dead. Applejack jumped along the floating paths towards the caged llama-like being and kicked a part of the wooden bars down.

“Watch it, would ya?” the Atlawa demanded, nearly getting hit.

“We were just trying to help,” Spyro argued as Fluttershy began to wake up.

“Well, the Atlawa and Kane need no help,” the Atlawa snorted.

“Oh, just about to spring into action, huh, Pardner?” Applejack smirked, putting her arms under her bust.

“Forget this guy, Applejack. Come on,” Sparx rolled his eyes.

“What did they want with you anyway?” Spyro pondered.

“It's none of your business!” Kane snorted as he got out, “Now move…I've got a tribe to save.”

“Oh you're welcome!” Sparx shouted at the leaving Atlawa…when they heard a screech.

“Sparx!” Spyro exclaimed as a massive bat/boar fusion landed before them, an Ape riding on its back.

“A Dreadwing…” Fluttershy gulped.

“A what now?” Applejack asked.

“Very dangerous. Fangs that rip through stones, claws that rend the earth, forty-foot wingspan…” Fluttershy trembled.

“Got any weaknesses?” Sparx asked.

“The only way to take them down without killing them is to strike the back of the neck, but that Ape won’t let us,” Fluttershy pointed out.

“Hmm…I got a better idea,” Spyro smirked, “Remember Volteer’s lesson?”

Fluttershy gulped and nodded. Applejack jumped onto the beast’s back and began to fight with the Ape as the Dreadwing began to jump about in a frenzy. Nearby, Spyro and Fluttershy began to summon their Electrical Breath/Wings. Sparx was on lookout as Applejack proceeded to punt the Ape off and into the abyss below.

“Now, Applejack!” Sparx shouted.

Applejack barely jumped off before twin blasts of lightning zapped the Dreadwing, sending it onto the ground in a paralyzed position. Spyro sighed in relief at seeing the beast was incapacitated. The group went on-waiting for Fluttershy to give the beast some herbs to help with the paralyzed state as an apology-and into another stone pathway. They stopped when two large wheels approached them, coming open to reveal they were strange armadillo-like beings with their shells made of a stone material.

“Armourdillos!” Fluttershy gasped in excitement before hugging one, “Aw~ You two are just so cute.”

“…What the hay just happened?” Sparx blinked/demanded as the two creatures licked the Pegasus and getting giggles from her as she petted them.

“Yer lookin’ at Fluttershy’s natural gift; she’s got a way with them critters,” Applejack explained as Fluttershy waved bye-bye to the two Armoudillos.

“Wizball and Ulira said that there are strange holes ahead that fire pointy annoyances from them,” Fluttershy explained, “They’re telling their friends now that we mean them no harm and to just let us pass.”

“Arrow traps?” Spyro raised a brow.

“Whoa! Hold on, you talk with animals?” Sparx asked.

“Um…well…Please don’t see me as strange…” Fluttershy whimpered as tears appeared in her eyes in her embarrassment.

“That’s amazing!” Spyro exclaimed, causing Fluttershy to look at him in surprise.

“Wh-What?”

“It’s really amazing,” Spyro repeated, “You can talk with animals. You’re really amazing, you know that, Fluttershy?”

“Oh! Um…” Fluttershy blushed as she played with her hair while hiding in it.

The group went on after a few minutes to let Fluttershy get over her embarrassment. Applejack held onto Spyro as they flew over a large gap in the path a few times. As they got deeper into the area, more Apes had shown themselves and were helped by the Armourdillos at times to fend them off. As they reached another area where the sky could be seen, Applejack stopped them.

“Hold on. Ah’m feelin’ somethin’ bad ‘bout this,” Applejack narrowed her eyes, looking around.

A soft rumble made them turn to a nearby moss-covered stone. The ‘stone’ proceeded to get up, revealing it was a golem of some kind, made of the moss and stones. Its right arm was the side of its torso while its blue eyes shined ominously.

“It’s a Golem!” Spyro gasped, “Twilight read me a story about them once back in Canterlot. They’re powerful beings, made from Magic.”

“Any way t’ beat ‘em?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah…You have to them them hard and fast,” Spyro replied before firing a meteor from his Fire Breath and slammed it into the Golem, causing its large arm to break apart, “…Okay, that was new.”

“Ah’m startin’ t’ think yer Breath’s getting’ stronger,” Applejack noted, “Must’ve been them gems y’all’ve been breakin’ up on our way through there.”

The Golem roared as it charged at them. Fluttershy squeaked in fear before Spyro tackled her out of the way as Applejack jumped onto the Golem’s back.

“Yeehaw! Ride ‘em, cowpony!” Applejack cheered as the Golem began to jump around to try and get her off.

Applejack got it to slam into a wall and shatter both it and the wall, revealing a rope bridge. Sparx applauded and Applejack tipped her hat to the dragonfly. As the four crossed, Spyro had to use his Electric Breath to knock away the Apes. They had to deal with another Dreadwing, managing to use the same technique they did last time. Soon, they ended up having to deal with two Golems and Applejack managed to trick them into pummeling each other.

“Boy, Golems are idiots,” Sparx admitted as the Pegasus glided over to another part of the land with Applejack on the gliding Purple Dragon.

“Well, Twilight said that they were just muscle, no brains,” Spyro noted.

“Kinda like you, huh?” Sparx joked.

Spyro rolled his eyes as they landed on the next island. They entered through another stone pathway and ended up in a rice field/wheat field area with half the area having rice paddies and the other having fields of wheat. In the wheat area was strange Aztec-themed scarecrows while both sides had various Apes. Spyro was about to attack when Applejack held an arm out. She shook her head before cracking her knuckles and walked over to the Apes.

“Hey! What are you…?” An Ape began before all Tartus occurred.

“Oh, God! My arm!”

“Ah! She ripped my spleen out!”

“Mommy!”

Fluttershy and Spyro kept their eyes covered as the sounds of the Apes screaming and pleading for mercy echoed about for minutes on end. Sparx…he was just enjoying some popcorn Pinkie Pie had packed for him in the Dynamite Sack while watching Applejack go nuts.

“And stay out!” Applejack snapped as she punted an Ape into the abyss before clapping her hands to clean the blood on them, “And that’s how we deal with that!”

“…Remind me not to piss you off about crops,” Sparx informed.

“Y’all got that right,” Applejack snorted while a pale Fluttershy and Spyro looked at them.

“Anyways…We're going to have to use the waterwheels to move ahead,” Spyro noted as he looked at various wooden and stone waterwheels…when more Golems appeared near each wheel.

“Oh, it’s never easy,” Sparx sighed.
---

“Never again!” Sparx shouted as they walked out of the area to see Kane on a higher level, surrounded by Golems.

“Kane!” Spyro cried out as Kane screamed, falling into the river at their level, knock out and being carried down to another waterfall that went off the floating island.

“Yeah, I know the guy's an ingrate, but you gotta do something, and fast!” Sparx yelped before Spyro hiccupped and released a white smoke that froze the entire river, “…” Sparx turned to the surprised Dragon, “Buddy, you're getting weirder and weirder by the second.”

“That was ice!” Applejack gawked.

“I hope Pinkie Pie doesn’t learn you can do that. She’d most likely ask for you to freeze the lake over to let her skate on it,” Fluttershy noted in concern as she ran to the Atlawa…only for the Golems to surround Applejack and Spyro.

“Holy crap!” Sparx yelped before Spyro hiccupped once more, freezing a Golem.

“…Ah’m likin’ th’ new breath,” Applejack informed before kicking the frozen Golem and shattering it, “Ah am really likin’ it at th’ moment.”

Spyro nodded. He began to think about how he felt when he hiccupped the last two times before exhaling, unleashing a stream of icy smoke that froze over the remaining Golems, letting Applejack shatter them with punches and kicks.

“This should help with the swelling,” Fluttershy informed gently as she took some of the ice into a plastic bag to help with the swelling on his left eye.

“Come on, Flutters!” Sparx called.

“Coming,” Fluttershy replied before running after her friends to go deeper into the area.
---

“Where are they getting these cannons from?!” Sparx complained as Spyro sent another ‘meteor’ from his mouth to destroy a cannon made of stone they were hiding from.

“No idea,” Spyro replied, “But it’s kinda impressive. Maybe I should take a picture of one for Twilight before we destroy it next time.”

“Ugh! You and Twilight just love tech!” Sparx groaned.

“Jest hurry up an’ help us with this here ball!” Applejack snapped as she pushed a large stone orb towards a slot with Fluttershy.

“Right, right, sorry,” Spyro apologized before he helped push it into the slot, causing a nearby gate to lower itself to reveal Kane, “Kane?”

“You again? Why don't you get outta here and leave me in peace. I'm the boss here…” he looked out at the distance in sadness, “…Nobody else.”

“Boss of what?” Sparx repeated.

“Shhh!” Spyro hushed.

“You're all alone?” Fluttershy asked in concern.

“Only until I kick these bums out,” Kane snorted, “Which reminds me, I can't stand here chatting with purple dragons, two Mares, and mosquitoes…

“Hey, whoa, whoa! Who you calling a mosquito?” Sparx demanded.

“Ah know you did not jest make a sexist comment,” Applejack growled.

“Besides, it’s not safe for you here,” Kane ignored the mad Mare.

“Why you…” Applejack growled before Spyro stopped her.

“Oh, concerned about our welfare now?”

“No need, we can take care of ourselves. Anyway, we need to get to the shrine,” Spyro replied.

“You’ll never make it. The Shrine God has not been appeased since Cynder's forces came…” he shook his head sadly, “He is not happy.”

“So, is anybody fun around here?” Sparx asked.

“Sparx!” Applejack snapped.

“You can't possibly face the God of the Shrine alone,” Kane noted as he tapped a stone wall three times, causing it to rise up.

“Not all of us are loners, Kane,” Spyro replied, “I'm not going alone.”

“He’s got us with him,” Applejack added, putting an arm on Fluttershy’s shoulders.

“It…It’s true, Mr. Kane,” Fluttershy nodded.

“Maybe someday you'll learn that two heads are better than one,” Spyro informed before looking at Sparx, “Even if they are pin heads.”

“Yeah…” Sparx nodded as Applejack snorted back a laugh while Fluttershy giggled, “…What?!”

“…” Kane looked away from them before opening another passageway and went through it.

The group, after fighting off multiple Apes and two more Golems, entered a large maze-like structure. Spyro broke apart more Spirit Gems that had been in there, somehow leading them through the maze. Applejack handled two more Golems with Spyro freezing them. One more was about to hit her from behind when Kane slammed a hoof into its head and shattered it.

“Kane?” Spyro pondered.

“I have to admit, you've done better than I thought possible,” Kane admitted before motioning them to follow him.

“Saying that had to hurt,” Sparx pointed out.

“More than you can imagine,” Kane admitted.

“Ah hear ya. A few years back, ah got sick and I refused t’ not work on th’ farm, but none of mah family would hear that. They done tied me t’ mah bed and only let me go fer bathroom breaks. Sometimes, ya jest gotta swallow yer pride and ask others t’ help ya,” Applejack advised.

“Wise words. Now then, there are some things you should know about the Shrine before you enter…” Kane informed as they stopped before an entrance to a large earthen-made coliseum/shrine before they heard a roar that made Fluttershy sound like a goat and fall onto her back, her legs and arms sticking straight up in fear.

“…She went goat on us,” Sparx blinked before gawking in fear as they saw the distant form of Cynder flying away, “And I think we're done here…”

“Not before we rescue Cyril,” Spyro argued, frowning at Sparx.

“The Atlawa Shrine has been desecrated and the God of the Shrine has not been given tribute since Cynder's forces arrived,” the Atlawa informed, “But if you can subdue his anger, the balance will be returned…and my people can come home.”

“That's fine, but I came to free Cyril,” Spyro argued.

“You must go through the God of the Shrine to free him,” Kane informed.

“Knew you were going to say that,” Sparx groaned.

“Come on, now, sugarcube, y’all can tough it fer a bit longer,” Applejack smirked.

Sparx sighed in defeat before the group walked over a long bridge made of ropes and logs. Soon, they entered the coliseum-like shrine. On the other side of them was another Dragon. He was a bit shorter than Ignitus, but around equal height of Volteer. His underbelly was a vivid violet, almost in the color of frostbite. His scales were as blue as the snow at night with icicle-shaped likes emerging from his elbows, ankles, tail, and head. Even when he was out cold, he appeared to have a regal manner.

“Be careful. Remember last time,” Spyro warned Sparx.

“I know, I know, but Cynder left and I don't see any Ice Kings hanging around this place,” Sparx noted as he flew around.

He landed on a large moss-covered ruin, easily the size of Ignitus and Volteer. Suddenly, the ‘ruin’ rumbled before rising up, revealing it was a Golem. This one seemed to be more muscular in appearance with carvings on its form. Unlike other Golems they encountered, its head was completed. It was blocky, much like its body. It had two ‘teeth’ jutting from the lower jaw and yellow ‘eyes.’

“When will I learn? When things look good, run for the hills,” Sparx sighed with a shake of his head.

“That must be their god,” Applejack gulped.

Fluttershy screamed a bit as the God swung its fist at them, the vines making its upper arms stretching out to do such. The group barely dodged the strike. Fluttershy attempted to freeze it with a sphere of electricity, but the God shrugged it off. She screamed again when it tried to swat her when a barrage of boulders slammed into it, knocking the God over. The ‘boulders’ opened up to reveal ten Armoudillos, the two at the front being the ones Fluttershy met.

“Oh my…!” Fluttershy gasped, “Th-Thank you.”

One of the Armourdillos nodded as they growled at the God. Spyro flew around it with Applejack on his back. She began to throw all the dynamite she had, only for the God to swat it away and out of the ‘shrine.’

“Horseapples,” Applejack frowned before looking at the vines, “Spyro, ah need y’all t’ freeze a vine on him.”

“Huh?”

“Look at its arms,” Applejack pointed out, “Ah’m bettin’ that it can only move because o’ them vines. Take ‘em out and it’ll be easier than bakin’ an apple pie.”

Spyro nodded before firing a wave of ice breath. He managed to freeze over a limb and Applejack jumped off the Purple Dragon to slam it with a kick, shattering the ice and causing the limb to drop off. Sparx gave a whoop near Cyril as the dragon began to wake up.

“W-what now…?” Cyril groaned as he began to elegantly rise in his stupor…only to fully awake when he saw Spyro freezing another arm to let an Armourdillo shatter it, “A Purple Dragon…!”

“Ugh!” Spyro cried out as his body began to tremble.

“Get back, y’all! He’s about to release a Fury Attack!” Applejack screamed.

"Fury of Ishlandur's Final Stand!" Spyro roared out in fury.

The creatures that came to aide them quickly picked up the two Mares and began to retreat behind the debris in the ‘shrine.’ Spyro cried out as he unleashed Ishlandur’s Fury Attack. Unlike last time, it released multiple fire shockwaves as the skies grew red. Meteors rained down and slammed into the God, causing it to cry out in pain as its vines were set on fire. As the Fury ended, the God gave a final groan and collapsed on itself, the vines it once had now ashes.
---

“You have subdued the God of the Shrine, restored balance to seasons, the land, our world,” Kane informed as he walked over from the Atlawas that had began to show up in the area again while they were bowing in respect to the large group to the two Dragons, the dragonfly, and the two Mares while the God, new vines making its upper limbs, was smiling happily as Fluttershy was plating flowers in the dirt that He had packed onto Himself to let the vines grow.

“It’s perfectly fine, Mister God,” Fluttershy replied gently and motherly, “You were upset because of what Cynder did to your people and your offerings. We’ll make sure to get her and have her apologize, okay?”

The God ‘smiled’ happily as He clapped His hands.

“The Atlawas want to worship you all now,” Kane informed.

“Beg yer pardon?” Applejack blinked in surprise.

“Eep,” Fluttershy squeaked in shyness as she zipped behind Cyril.

“Worship?” Sparx repeated in glee, “Okay, now that's what I'm talkin' about…I've never gotten the respect I deserve…the praise that should be mine…”

“That's very nice, Kane, but we have to get back to our home, figure out how to stop Cynder for good,” Spyro replied.

“And ah’ve got a farm of mah own t’ git back to when this here is all said an’ done,” Applejack added.

“My dear Atlawas, I am the mighty Sparx, scourge of despots…” Sparx began before Cyril interrupted him.

“Yes, yes, old boy, we'd like nothing more than to stay and be a part of your…” Cyril tried to word it right, “…primitive, barbaric society, but duty calls, duty calls…”

“If you must, you must. But know that you're now part of the Atlawa tribe…” Kane informed before giving them all a pendant shaped like a normal llama carved into a mountain of gold, “One of us.”

“I am the mighty Spar…” Sparx slumped when he was given a look from Applejack, “Whatever.”

“By the way…you were right,” Kane informed.

“About what?” Spyro pondered.

“Maybe two heads are better than one,” Kane admitted before he and Spyro looked at Sparx, “Even if one of them belongs to an annoying mosquito.”

“Mosquito, me? Is that…Oh,” Sparx frowned as Fluttershy giggled.
---

To my faithful student,

I wish your new friends, Spyro, and Sparx the best of luck. In the time I was with the Dragon Elders, I learned that as they absorbed more Spirit Gems, their powers were getting stronger and stronger than before. I attempted to try as well, but it ended up with me passing out from the sheer dragonic power. Do not let anypony there try to do so as well. If I passed out from it…then you should be able to correctly guess as to what a Pony not of Alicorn status would endure.
The Atlawas are a noble tribe of farmers with their God actually being a Golem given sentient life centuries ago. In truth, it was actually Luna’s guard that she made herself when she was a filly. Do not ask me the details, for I would rather not like to recall why. Their emblem is that of the ancestral Llama before a mountain, signifying their connection to both the past and the land. If Spyro and the others return with a pendant that bears this, then they will be considered members of the Atlawas.
And from what your letter before this one entailed, then Cynder must be attempting to do something with the Dragon Elements. I fear the worse if she obtains all four. Thank Mother Faust that I was able to help Ignitus not be captured.
As for the past involving Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash…It was a dark time in Cloudsdale roughly a few years back. It was isolated to just them and I made it kept secret from all other towns and cities.

I wish you the best of luck,
Princess Celestia of Equestria
Goddess of the Sun
Ally to the Dragons
Sister of Luna

PS: Shining Armor and Candace give you both warm regard and wish you all good luck.

Author's Note:

Sorry about the long wait, everyone. Just had problems with college, is all.

Comments

[TheLoserOfCheese]

Yo dude can you change the colour it's too bright and hard for me to even see