FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 19

"Ugh" Sparx grunted, jerking his head back when he sniffed his hand that supposedly dug through an invisible ass

He wasn't sure if his mind wasn't playing tricks on him, but he could swear that his hand smelled different. Like it would really fist an asshole.

He looked around, looking for any way he could confirm or deny his theory. Spotting the only solution to his problem. He immediately dashed towards his concentrated brother who was ascending the staircase.

"Does it smell like poo? he shoved his hand in front of his brother's nose, rubbing the top side of his hand against the purple nostrils

"Sparx!" Spyro yelped, jumping back, slamming his flank into the wall roughly "Cut it out!"

"Just take a small sniff!" he attacked again, the panic stirring hand extended forward

"Stop it!" the purple drake squealed, making another jump, this time backwards, completely forgetting that he is on the staircase. He tottered, paws slipping from steps, only due to sheer luck and Cynder's tail pressing against his butt he managed to keep himself standing and not roll down the staircase

"Guys, remember where we are" Cynder hissed

"Hey" Sparx raised his arms defensively "All I want to know is if my hand smells like poop"

"You're a poop" Spyro snapped "Stop with it already"

The dragonfly rolled his eyes.

"Stop acting like a baby and sniff my hand"

"I won't be sniffing anything!"

Cynder shook her head.

"Dorks"

Sparx offered his hand.

"Just a whiff man, I've gotta know"

Even if the hand was far away Spyro still jerked his head back.

"No" he grunted

"Cyn?" he repeated the offering gesture towards the dragoness "You?"

She winced when she looked at the hand, even if all logical thoughts were telling her that she won't smell anything, she still didn't want to risk it. Imagination alone was enough to make all of this very disgusting.

"I'll pass"

"What is wrong with you guys?" Sparx scolded both drakes with a deep frown "You have those noses for something, right?"

"Not for something like this" Spyro retorted

"It's for smelling stuff, so yeah, it is for something like this. I think you don't want to agree, cause you think I'm trying to tease you or something. Well, I'm not"

"I would believe you if not for that" Spyro pushed the tips of his two claws closer to each other, leaving only a scarce space in between "tiny little problem" purple eyes glared sternly "I know you"

"All this injustice!" he gasped" What did I do to deserve this?"

"Let's see-"

"All right!" Sparx cut his brother off, throwing his hands forward "I get it. Still that doesn't change that my intentions are strictly team friendly" he pointed at the top of the staircase "There are dragons out there, with noses, all bad news, when they're going to catch this different scent how do you think they'll react?"

"Wow" Spyro nodded, impressed "If I wouldn't be a dragon I think I would actually buy your story. I am tho and I know that our noses aren't as sensitive as you try to make us believe"

"We are wasting time Sugar"

Cynder whimpered at the sudden sound of the hollow voice, the startling effect so much more intensified due to the fact that her two companions didn't react to the sound at all. Her surprised gaze looked up, at Creep staring at her from the top of the stairs she could see.

His body was burning with shadowy flames more intensely than usual. It was perhaps because of those shadows that forced her mind into seeing things, but she could swear his brown eyes glared in irritation at the brothers.

Currently they were locked on her, as usual, she found it rather satisfying that his stares no longer felt invasive. All she could think of right now was his words and the truth behind them.

"Creep is right boys, we're wasting time"

"And time!" Sparx picked up on the thought "If they catch us, we're going to stay here for who knows how long! Who knows how time flows here, one hour here could be thousand years in our world, everyone could be dead by the time we get back!"

Spyro's mouth was already opened, ready to voice another counter-argument, but words of protest never left his mouth. Time, this was something he didn't consider, the flow might be different, all this time they've spent on teases could mean that the world they knew, the Dragon Realms they remembered were gone.

It might in fact be like Sparx said, mere minutes on this side, could mean years on the other. The thought of never seeing anyone he knew ever again was dreadful beyond any words. He felt the freezing blade of fear touching his spine, a chilling sensation flexing his every muscle.

"I-I-Is it possible for time to flow differently here?" Spyro asked, his teeth rattled as if he would be freezing

Cynder swallowed, immediately sharing the same concern.

"Creep?"

"I hear you Sugar" the otherworldly voice boomed from the staircase

"Can you answer the question?"

Creep's brown eyes remained locked on her. Shadows twirled and swiveled as if in anticipation.

"Is your imaginary friend listening to us, does he even understand us?" Sparx folded his arms on his chest "You know, I'm starting to think that this dude doesn't exist, would it hurt him so badly to show himself so we won't feel like we would be talking to a wall? Not to say that more numbers, mean more fear power, they would have think three times before attacking the four of us. Tactical advantage guys!"

Cynder scratched her choker thoughtfully as she stared back at Creep, his shadows seemed to waver and shrink, already expecting where this is going.

"He can hear you just fine, which brings us to the matter of appearance. Sparx is right, if it would come to fighting, it would be best if the rest of our team could see you Creep. Numbers are a great advantage"

"This projection is for your eyes only"

"I know that, but-"

Creep's shadows stretched in every directions, extending like scary, pleading hands that retreated as soon as they pushed forward.

"Unravel the knot Sugar, don't tie, don't cut"

Cynder sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"I know about the knot"

"What knot?" Sparx frowned, giving his brother an intense look over

Spyro's eyes widened in surprise as he met the glare of his small, glowing brother.

"Why are you looking at me? How I'm supposed to know what they're talking about?"

"How about you don't show yourself the way you present yourself to me" Cynder continued "but instead just, you know, show a bit that the boys would know you're there?"

"We are one Sugar"

"Yeah, yeah I get that. Can you like, unbecome one with me and turn into a floating ball or something?"

Creep stared at her, his tattered wings fluttered, making a single ungraceful flap, every shadow that protruded from his body shrunk into or under his scales. If Cynder would know his origins she would say that right now he was a normal, young dragon, wounded, with strange black claws.

"You need to live Sugar. Do not cast out. We are one"

"I can take care of myself, besides I have you guys around, it won't matter if I lose a portion of my power"

"This is so weird" Sparx dashed to his brother's side, following the purple gaze in the intense observation of their only feminine companion

"Tell me about it" Spyro swallowed hard "I'll never get used to it"

"You know, I always knew Cyn was crazy and kinda always imagined her ending with a wall as her friend, reputation and all that, you understand. But now when I see it..." he scratched his head "...it's not really satisfying, or fun, kinda creepy if you ask me. Or she might be mental and this Creep dude is just an excuse. She has some wit, I give her that much, so she might as well combine it with her craziness"

"It is real" Spyro responded automatically

Somehow the certainty that his mate was perfectly sane didn't particularly cheer him up, in fact he would prefer if she had some head issues as cruel as that may sound. That way he would be sure of something, she would be sick and everything would be easy.

Right now nothing was easy.

The more scarier was the fact that nothing was sure.

And in the center of it all stood Creep.

Or rather haunted.

It was like with ghost, they are spooky when invisible, making you want to I get it over with and catch a glance of them. The known is always less terrifying.

Yet in Creep's case, Spyro wasn't so sure that this rules applies.

"You cannot be weak, I like you Sugar"

"If you like me so much then please complete this small request. We can't be one if you don't add anything of yourself to the union. Right now there is four of us here, the rule applies to all of us. Just let the boys know you are there, nothing more, you don't have to show yourself"

Creep blinked and when he opened his eyes again a visible shimmer of white light flew across his brown eyes. Cynder instinctively jerked, she couldn't tell exactly why, whether the change in his eyes were the reason, or the blink was, the little single evidence of him actually having some kind of emotions and feelings.

Feelings that didn't put her in the center of attention.

"This is a mistake" Creep rumbled in his typical hollow voice and then unexpectedly he sank into the ground as if the floor would open a gaping maw below his paws

Green eyes widened in shock, yet before any sound managed to come out from her throat that would be an adequate, audible confirmation of her surprise, Creep reappeared right in front of her, quicker than one can blink.

"I like you Sugar"

With that single, deep sentence he puffed into a ball of smoke, the dark mist hovered in the air for a second before it thrust itself directly into her.

Cynder gasped, her head was thrown back, she felt as if someone would shove her into a river without her expecting a thing. The feeling of choking didn't pass however, the darkness that replaced the water traveled all across her body, through every bone and scale until she finally felt it settling on her tail tip.

She shook fiercely, feeling overpowering tingle in her spine as if someone would be pulling her tail over and over again, roughly, to its very limit.

"Cynder?!" Spyro yelped in terror

The overpowering feeling of choking was over as quick as it came, her head dropped fiercely to its natural position, the gasp that was muffled in her throat finally found its release, transforming into a soft howl. The shaking ceased, shivers stopping abruptly as if time would freeze.

She felt the rumbling, filling and hollow sound and taste of breath traveling through her body, pushing her out like a balloon.

"Whoa" she panted in relief "Holy crap, that was intense"

"Umm... Cyn?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine" she quickly reassured her companions after hearing the worried, startled rumble of Sparx

She turned her head to offer them a confident, pretty smile, yet it never appeared on her mouth. The only thing that moved were her eyebrows as she looked at the brothers, she didn't expect them to have such wide eyes and gaping mouths.

Shock.

She swallowed uncomfortably.

"What?"

Sparx' hand rose slowly, a finger extending, pointing at her rump.

"L-Look at your tail"

She frowned, but without a word obeyed the request and flung her tail so she could easily examine it. What she saw however reached beyond her expectations, once more her throat was ravaged by the stifling gasp of surprise.

Her tail tip was burning with shadowy fire.

The black magic pulsed from the surface of her tail blade, surrounding it like the dark aura surrounds Creep's body. The darkness also filled the hole, the space in her tail blade, swirling and twirling inside like a sea vortex.

"Shiiiit" she gently flicked her tip around, mesmerized by the sight of it and the dark trace each swing left in the air

"A-And your horns" Sparx stammered

"My horns?" she repeated bewildered and immediately reached above, she hissed, paw immediately jerking away when it was unexpectedly poked by a stab of elemental energy

"What's wrong with them?"

"Those four big ones... they are burning like torches, small, round flame dances above each tip, instead of red however, these are black"

"Really?"

"That's not everything"

OK, now she was getting scared, the pulse of shock and excitement faded away, surprises are only good when they last for a while. When the unexpected is being hurled at you again and again, pleasure and pleasantry is being thrown out the window at some point.

"W-What now?"

"I think we can see Creep" Spyro mumbled

Her green eyes momentarily landed on her mate who rose his paw and pointed at the wall behind her.

She instantly swung her head in that direction, heart racing in her chest. At first glance she saw nothing out of the ordinary, just their shadows being cast on the far wall.

Then her heart skipped a beat.

In that moment she realized that something is not right with her shadow, she was standing while the on the wall was clearly in a sitting pose. Not to mention that it was more thicker than her and lacked the usual stretches from the head her horns used to cast.

The shock turned into literal fear when the shadow suddenly moved, slinking across the wall and towards the staircase. She however didn't follow it, the moving on its own shadow didn't terrify her as much as the fact that there was nothing below it.

The wall was empty.

She was casting no shadow.

She licked her dry lips.

"C-Creep?"

"We are one Sugar"

She yelped, not because she heard Creep speaking louder than usual, but because the brothers let out their own gasps of shock.

"I can hear him" Spyro rasped, his voice dry as sand

"You do?"

"I think its voice is coming from all these black flames on your horns and tail"

Cynder's eyebrow rose in reaction to this statement.

"Say something Creep"

"This is a mistake"

She balked, together with her two made from flesh and blood companions. Creep's voice was indeed being projected from those flames, his voice surrounded her and echoed from every direction, this was explaining why he was so loud.

"He always sounds like a burp of a Death Hound?"

Cynder smiled innocently.

"Name pressure? Hello?"

Spyro tapped his claws against the ground, staring at the swiveling shadow on the ground and walls. There it was, the creature that haunts his mate, the creature that triggers mistrust. He had no idea if it was jealously or possessiveness, probably both, seeing the thing that interferes in her privacy, interferes in their personal and exclusive relationship, it made the blood in his veins boil.

He didn't care that most of this hate came from thinking that Cynder is his possession and every other male who tries to become intimate with her, doesn't matter on what ground, is a rival and an enemy to him. This thing in particular, not only it shoves its... itself where it doesn't belong, he didn't trust that thing even a tiny bit.

He didn't need any more arguments, he didn't have to justify it, he didn't like Creep, plain and simple. What was the reason behind this dislike, or even if it was justified didn't interest him.

"Listen" Spyro growled at the shadow "You won't do anything like that to Cynder ever again, if I see you harming her in any way, doing whatever thing I won't like, I will make you pay. Do you understand?"

"Spyro!" Cynder scolded her mate

"You understand Sugar" Creep's voice boomed from the black flames, the shadow swam across the ceiling swiftly before returning to the staircase "Projection is for the tolerant, for the adjusted, for the worthy. Many do not understand us, many do not love us as we like each other. Reminder is a mistake"

"As we like each other?!" there was a snap when his muscles flexed their limits, pressure increasing together with the rumble in his throat "I'll give you-"

"Bro!" Sparx dashed, snapping the draconic maw shut by pressing all of his strength on the purple nose, he looked straight into the amethyst, furious eyes "Remember where we are, if you will keep fighting with that thing you're going to get us all killed. I don't like that thing spying on us either, I thought seeing it would make things easier, but honestly I would take it all back now. Sadly we asked for it so here it is, so let's get the hell out of here in the mind of the simple rule that the enemy of my enemy is my friend and only when my wings can flutter against fresh air of our Realms again you can do whatever you want, okay? We must go back. Focus on that"

"I don't know what got into Sparx that made him so likeable and smart, but I agree with him. Please Spyro, I'm fine. Really. Let's get out of here and I'll make it up to you. Promise" Cynder pleaded

He didn't like this. Not even a bit. His friends were right however, the longer they spend on arguing with each other, the smaller the chances get they survive this whole adventure.

The wrinkles on his snout eased, he gave his brother a reassuring blink.

Sparx slowly let go off his snout, keeping his arms close just in case.

"You don't have to repay me Cynder" Spyro sighed, intelligent and suspicious eyes following the unnatural shadow "I love you guys and I'm going to do this for you, even if I don't like cooperating with that thing. You hear me creature? We're going to save our friends and then you are gone, I don't want to hear from you, understand?"

"We must not linger. We are one Sugar, I listen only to you"

"He really calls you Sugar" Sparx snickered "No wonder Spyro is going rabid"

"It's going to ignore us?!" the purple drake snarled, tendrils of flames bursting from his nose "Great cooperation! I knew that thing couldn't be trusted! It toys with us!"

"Calm down Spyro!" Cynder shouted, dragging her burning with shadows tail in front of her snout, eyes jumped in between her tail tip and Creep's shadow

"Can you explain once more why you insist on listening only to me?"

"We are one"

"More details Creep, you said earlier something about tolerance"

"Tolerance is problematic, knot is misunderstood, only you can comprehend. Others may listen, no understanding can be found. Unraveling leads to aggression, do not want to fuel the mistake more. I listen only to you, thought is enough for an answer. Lingering occurs otherwise. I do not want to harm you Sugar. I like you"

"Okay guys" Sparx cleared his throat "I'm probably the first one in years that's going to say this, but Volteer makes more sense than this guy. Which is weird since I understand every word and still have no idea what he's talking about!"

Cynder scratched her choker.

"In my rough translation of his words I think he says that he can hear you, but prefers not to respond, afraid that it would cause only more bad blood between us"

The dragonfly shrugged.

"Makes sense"

"Oh yeah!" Spyro snickered mockingly "Everyone pat the monster on the back and make me look like a dick just because I care!"

"Spyro, please, no one is trying to make you feel bad" Cynder explained calmly, sending her partner a loving look "But you have to admit yourself that you are not entirely thinking straight"

He felt as if a dagger would make twist in his ribcage.

She spotted the hurt spark in his eyes and momentarily regretted her words.

"Spyro, I didn't mean-"

"Whatever" he growled coldly, storming towards the staircase "Just ask the thing about the time flow and let's get out of here"

"Spyro, I'm sorry!" Cynder whined, guilt filling her voice

"Give it a rest Cyn" Sparx patted her head "Spyro will come around, give him time, he was always slow with figuring stuff out. There is nothing you could do that would make him stay mad at you for long. My silly brother for some strange reason is crazy about you, I don't know what he sees in you personally, but we all have our own perversions I guess"

As he playfully stroked the black head he couldn't shake off the feeling that he is being watched, his every move carefully examined. His gaze rose up, not seeking his brother, but immediately landing on the living shadow.

Creep's reflection had no eyes, it barely had a silhouette at all, yet as it was dormant like now, he could swear that somehow his non-existing eyes were drilling right through his small body.

He impulsively rubbed his stomach, he had the most uncomfortable feeling of something wiggling inside his stomach as if it would be filled with slimy worms.

"I don't know what happened to the annoying side of you, but I like this new Sparx"

The warm compliment woke him up from the trance, with a shake of his head he pushed back from the dragoness, offering her a full of scold frown.

"Don't get used to it"

"Are you coming or not?" Spyro hissed impatiently, each paw already placed on a different step of the staircase

Both of them jerked like a dog realizing it's on a leash, when the discomfort faded they momentarily made their way after their purple leader.

Creep's shadow slithered along the walls of the staircase8.

"Creep" Cynder called out softly "I've been meaning to-"

"Unchanged. End of the circle cleanses the earth, flow of the universe is not influenced. Alignment of stars impossible. Calendar is the detail that may differ, that is not a creation of rebirth"

"Simple _no_would suffice" Spyro grumbled, ascending the stairs with a confident pace

A staircase that was becoming darker and darker the higher they went, the natural glow of lava with no chance to reach there.

"Ugh! Yuck!" Cynder groaned from below

Everyone turned to see what was going on, only due to Sparx' natural shimmer they spotted Cynder pulling a sticky spider web from her forehead.

"Well, this probably confirms that no one has been here for a while" Sparx commented

"Which might also mean that they have guards watching this place for whole days" Spyro added, looking into the darkness

He never believed he would say this since darkness always reminded him of Corruption, but he was glad that he couldn't see anything. It meant he won't have to see Creep slithering across the walls.

"Someone must have noticed the disappearance of all these golems"

Sparx scratched the back of his head, this was a very well made point.

"Anyone kinda thinks about laying low in that room and hope for Spyro's mojo to come back?"

"And sweat into a puddle?" Cynder shook her head "No thank you, I rather try my luck with a horde of sleepy guards"

In mutual, repressed agreement they continued their climb. Afraid to betray their positions by using elemental energy they had to rely on Sparx to disperse the darkness. Something he managed to do with great difficulty and perhaps conscious reserve.

Sometimes when his glow triumphed over the blackness of the staircase and illuminated a piece of the wall, a shadow passed right through the light, making it flicker as if some kind of huge beast would soar above them.

It was Creep giving signs of his presence.

Only after Cynder's scold and several rough heart stops later Creep stopped.

"How long is this staircase?"

Sparx whispered impatiently, careful not to be too loud. Spending time with Coriza hidden in that secret room in the temple taught him that walls made of thick stone aren't as soundproof as one might think.

"Why don't we see any light yet? Shouldn't there be some doors soon?"

He gasped faintly when suddenly the light he was emanating reflected straight back at him. A wall appeared in front of him, he stared at it in disbelief. At the end of the staircase there was a wall blocking their way.

"Dead end" he crooked

"What do you mean by dead end?" Cynder's voice came from the staircase, she was the last in the line

"I mean that we shall not pass, there's a freaking wall right in front of my nose"

"How is that possible? We're on a staircase"

Sparx rolled his eyes.

"Thanks for the tip, I don't know what I could have done without you"

"Perhaps they sealed it off" Spyro added

"Don't even say things like that!" Sparx growled quietly, pointing a scolding finger at his brother "If this is true and we won't get out from here soon we all are going to suffocate!"

"Creep?"

"Period of purple dominance" hollow, otherworldly voice echoed through the staircase "Purple is the answer, purple always questioned. Purple is the key and the lock, beginning of the knot. Bad time. The origin of waste. Prolonged waste. One of the reasons why I like you Sugar"

Spyro snarled, muscles flexing in fury. Listening to that thing calling Cynder Sugar and constantly repeating how much he likes her was driving him mad. It was childish jealously, this time he was sure of it and he would give in to that reckless aggression if the lives of his loved ones wouldn't be at risk.

There was some bright spark in all of this mess however. If things would go bad he knew what thing exactly he would throw at their oppressors to stall them. At least then he wouldn't have to listen to all this sugaring.

"Tell him to repeat that several hundred more times, maybe then we're going to finally understand something" Sparx snickered

"Very funny" Cynder sighed "I've warned you that Creep has his own style"

The dragonfly shrugged.

"Whatever. He's a damn shadow, can't he slip through a crack and look for a handle on the other side or something?"

Cynder thought about the idea.

"We are one"

And she got the answer.

It was kinda funny in a way, hopelessly funny that she couldn't hold back a giggle.

"Not really" she snorted in amusement

Sparx narrowed his eyes on the barely visible silhouette of the dragoness to the best of his ability.

"You know what? I'm starting to think that you are in fact crazy"

He noticed a tip of a red tongue poking at him from the darkness.

"We must not linger" Creep reminded

"Then start making some sense!" Spyro slammed his fist into the wall, feeling the stony roughness stinging his scales

A pulse of pain shot through his nerves, reaching the brain, this gentle shock forced his eyes open. He immediately thought about a staircase, not black and dirty, but ruined and cracked, a staircase leading down.

A gaze at the staircase from the top. From the other side.

"Purple is the key and the lock" Spyro muttered

Images flashed before his eyes, reminding him of ruins, of tingling of the Veil, of the indentation in the wall which opened the way to it.

Opened the way.

Indentation.

He rose on his hind paws, momentarily tapping fervently at the wall in all different places and angles.

Sparx exchanged dumbfounded glances with Cynder.

"Whatcha doin' bro?"

Spyro continued on tapping, awkwardly moving from side to side on his back legs.

"Do you remember guys when we first came here in our time? The way to the Veil was blocked, like here, but from the other side"

Cynder's eyes widened in sudden realization.

"Yes! You've been sniffing around a wall then too, you found something then that helped you open the entrance"

"Exa-Aha!" Spyro exclaimed, his paw pushing a fake stone that judging from the grinding noise slid to the side "This is it" immediately he reached forward, clenching his teeth preparing for that gentle stab

"Whoa! Dude!" Sparx yelped, grabbing the paw by a single claw and pulling it away "What do you think you're doing?"

"What?"

"You're going to open this door and then what? Say Hi there, we came from the future, how are you all doing? To whoever is on the other side? Most likely waiting for us already?"

"We can't stay here Sparx. You got any other idea of getting out of this black corridor than this door over here then please do share"

Sparx squeezed the claw he was holding.

"We need a plan bro"

Spyro frowned.

"A plan? A plan for what? We're on a one way staircase, our options are limited here"

"I know that but..." he nodded at Cynder "Cyn's buddy said something about this world being ruled by purple. If Flare didn't lie, then that means fat dragons like you man. I don't think they're going to like a glowing dragonfly and a black as night dragoness with dancing, dark flames on her head. Flare was surprised to see both of us, so it's quite clear that we two are a rare breed here"

"Flare was a prisoner and a test subject, there's a chance he might have not seen everything" Cynder pointed out

"True, but somehow I doubt that he wouldn't hear at least rumors about other creatures. You're a chick, you know how those things work"

She snorted.

"Just because I'm a girl it doesn't mean that I spread gossip. For your information I'm a murderer, characters like me don't have many friends"

Sparx rolled his eyes with a whine.

"Yeah, yeah, cry me a river, don't throw the pity punch, we don't have the time to let Spyro put on his shinning, white armor for his lady in distress"

"That's pretty cold you know? I have feelings"

He waved his paw dismissively.

"Whatever. The important thing is that we need to forget about everything and remember that this world is most likely all about purple, purple, purple. This is our chance"

"I don't think I like where this is going" Spyro mumbled

"Yep bro, you're going have to blend in"

"You know I'm a bad liar"

"Who says anything about talking? You simply go out there, be fat, purple and avoid everyone. Easy, nothing that you didn't do before"

Spyro sighed tiredly.

"Those overweight jokes are really getting old"

Sparx shrugged.

"Who said anything about jokes? Just accept it dude, you have a belly, you couldn't pull yourself up with Cynder clutching to your tail and she is practically a walking skeleton, there's hardly any meat on her" he shivered fiercely as if a freezing waft of air would slap him "Disgusting"

"Well" Cynder sighed, taunt having no effect on her "Guess it's time to say farewell to the likeable Sparx. It was nice seeing you buddy"

"Waste" Creep's hollow voice echoed in the dark corridor, his voice seemed to rumble from all around as if every part of the shadows spoke with his voice

The trio whined softly, instinctively cuddling to each other, feeling extremely claustrophobic all of a sudden.

"Creep, stop scaring us!" Cynder admonished her previously invisible, magical companion "Do something with your voice so we won't get a heart attack the next time you speak. Who knows where we might be"

"We are one Sugar" Creep spoke again, this time his hollow voice seemed to be more quieter, coming again from only one place "I sense you. Words are harmful. They wound you deeper than a sword. Cannot listen. Must contain. I like you Sugar"

Her heart jumped to her throat, having a literal black, guardian angel wasn't something she dreamed off. Especially when that angel has troubles discerning what is just an innocent joke and what is not.

"It's not like that Creep" she quickly explained "Words no longer hurt me as much since I..." grateful glance flew across Spyro's barely visible silhouette "Things changed. What I'm doing with Sparx here has nothing to do with the pain you feel in me when it came to words. This is just a playful teasing, Sparx doesn't mean the things he says, we're friends. You know what a joke is Creep?"

There was silence, even the darkness that seemed to want to devour them eased on its pressure.

"I do not understand"

"Just don't do anything when I'm talking with people until I tell you I need you alright?"

Creep didn't respond, for a second they thought he disappeared like light in this darkness, only after a while they sensed the still released, pulsing, rather specific elemental energy.

"I get the feeling that this thing has more troubles understanding basic stuff than Flare, this alone should be enough to force your tail in a defensive position" Spyro explained

Cynder narrowed her eyes in frustration at her partner, her green eyes glistened in the dark.

"The same rule about reserve applies to everyone"

He raised his paw defensively.

"Just an observation"

"Okay gang, slow down here" Sparx lifted himself towards the ceiling, making calming gestures with his hands "Creep is right about one thing tho', we are wasting time. If they know about this portal, even if they sealed it, there will be someone here eventually and if they find us walking free in a place that is basically a prison, how do you think it'll end?"

Spyro's heart skipped a beat, his mind already picturing all the terrible scenarios.

"You're right" he extended his paw towards the depression in the wall again, stopping right before it sunk inside "We'll go with your plan, I'll take a look around and find a place where we might hide. If I-"

"Don't" Cynder cut him off sternly

"But-"

"Don't give us the if I don't come back speech. You are going to come back, I won't accept anything else. You have like ten minutes until I get impatient, so you better hurry. Do you understand Spyro? You won't leave m-us alone"

He lowered his head, her words hit him directly in the soul, he really had to come back. She was the main reason for the rush and urge, but not the complete thing. There was also his own determination, he could not abandon his soul mate, he simply knew he wouldn't be able to survive without her.

There is no alternative.

Self-preservation also demanded it.

"I'll return shortly" he replied confidently , meeting her glimmering gaze to assure her of his devotion to the task

"Good" she breathed out in relief and well quenched terror

Sparx shook his head.

"You're so whipped. Nice"

Spyro smiled and with a confident move pushed his paw into the indentation

This time he felt a sting on his paw.

"Get ready. I'm going to scout real quick"

Purple light filled the depression in the wall. Grinding echo of scratching stone against stone filled the corridor, the first ray of the long forgotten light reached into the hall through the crack that appeared at the bottom.

Created by the slowly moving upwards piece of wall.

Spyro took a deep breath as he observed the slowly raising wall and the growing in power ray of light. His heart started to race in his chest, a sign of approaching tension, blood boiled in his veins and elemental energy rumbled inside him.

It's up to him to protect his brother and his mate, his family.

The door were opening into the unknown, yet he wasn't scared, in fact he felt strong, the realization that there is no avoiding it and the thought that he's the only thing that stands between his loved ones fueled him with energy.

The door opened further.

He didn't wait.

He acted the moment enough space appeared for him to fit through.

Spyro ducked and slipped into the light. Certain of two things.

This was the first step in a big, exciting adventure of a time traveler.

And if any of that excitement will try to hurt his friends it will first have to go through him.