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Chapter 38: The Final Key

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

May 7, 2204

2132 Hours

The Winter Tundra

The wind blew softly as snow fell in the early night, placing a soft covering all along the cold stone walls of the "Winter Tundra", as the Apes called it. Spyro sat at the top of the main structure within the walls, looking down at the huge empty portal as snow flakes passed through it.

It had been roughly a few hours now since they had captured the fort and Spyro could see the rotors on the Sparrowhawk still turning softly as the pilot kept the engine on to keep it from freezing- or at least that's what Karson told him. He turned his head, looking over to the pile of bodies that they had set off to the side after the fighting, one of the Marines from the drop ship guarding it. Since Warfang, Spyro had been curious as to how and why the Apes had returned. Thanks to their newly acquired prisoners, Spyro knew exactly why.

Apparently all of the Apes had been reduced to the glowing skeleton apparitions that wandered Warfang's ruins but after the incident where the humans "nuked" a large army the Dark Master had amassed, he felt he needed more help. He recruited the Apes again to take up arms and fight their enemies once more. It was them who lead the attack on Warfang and them who took occupied this entire mountainside. To be honest, Spyro felt a little more comfortable fighting the Apes. They were familiar to him. However, this didn't take away from the tactical advantage they posed for Malefor. The Apes always were the more trained and organized fighting force within the Dark Master's armies. They saw that happen at Warfang, and Spyro knew they'd have to increase their efforts to defeat them again. This time they didn't have Gaul though, they were in essence, leaderless. Fang died at Dale, so Spyro wondered if Malefor had anymore top lieutenants up for second in command now. Spyro didn't seem to think so- at least not right now.

However, what worried Spyro the most were those new creatures that they had seen more and more often. Those "Drone" creatures that Malefor had added to his ranks as of late as well as what he himself described as the "Plague". He had never seen or heard any trace of these creatures before. He was also curious as to how they took down that enormous human craft that hovered over Warfang. A lot of that didn't add up just yet.

Spyro let out a soft sigh.

"What's wrong?"

Spyro turned, seeing Cynder walk to join him at the top of the steps as she had been inspecting the door behind them.

"Oh nothing, just thinking to myself." He said with a soft smirk. He couldn't hide the fact he was nervous or even worried. Not from her, never from her. She smirked back at him.

"Well, you'll need to tell us what you're thinking." She turned to look out over the walls, watching the Sparrowhawk as it sat along the cliff edge. "After all, you're supposed to be leading us, remember?" She turned to give him a smile. This time he returned it, confidently.

"Right."

He turned to look at the aircraft as well, feeling a soft gust of wind hit against his scales.

"I just hope the others aren't too pissed at what I did..." He muttered lowly.

"They probably are."

"You're no help." He said as he turned, a soft chuckle escaping him.

"Hey, you did run off to come find me." She leaned in to kiss his cheek softly. "And I thank you for that..." She said as she leaned back. Spyro went wide eyed for a moment before smiling.

"Well see, it wasn't a bad thing after all..."

"Yes and we also found this gate into the citadel. This'll more then make up for any of that." She said while turning to look at the door.

"All we need are those orbs to open it. Then we can pass on through." Spyro turned back, hearing the soft whine of the human's engines. He could see through the night and snow a pair of lights coming across the cliffs in the distance. Their Nighthawk entered his vision as it banked around the cliff and flew over to the cliff side.

"Well time to face the music." She said. He turned to look at her before smirking again.

"Yeah, sure." He started off towards the bottom of the stairs. She couldn't help but giggle softly at him. He was fun to pick on. Holding her tail up happily, she followed him to the base of the stairs.

Snow continued to fall from the sky as they both trotted over by Bently who stood by the gate leading outside, he smiling at them as they passed.

By now, the Nighthawk was over the cliff face, slowly descending for a land. Two of the Marines from the Sparrowhawk, including Karson, were guiding the bird in. The Nighthawk landed snuggly beside the Sparrowhawk and next to where the gun emplacement used to be for the Apes. Thankfully they had knocked that thing down the side of the cliff first chance they got.

As the doors opened, Roxy and Tom came into view and leapt down first. They were followed by a few of the other Marines like Spears, Henderson and even the HACOs and Lakadors had been sitting in the Nighthawk. Finally, Wagner stepped out, clutching his side softly as he brought his other arm up to shield his face from the snow being kicked up by the engines.

"Wagner! Where the hell did you go?" Karson said as he walked over, trying to speak over the engines.

"You know, I don't know what you guys are talking about, I didn't go anywhere!" He said in response, walking with Karson towards Spyro and Cynder.

"Bullshit! You were nowhere at the landing site!"

"I don't know what to tell you then." Wagner simply replied.

"SPYRO!" Roxy yelled, running over. By this time, Aaron and Zephyr had come around the cliffs, tailing the Nighthawk with Krypto as they landed nearby, trotting over to join the dragons.

"Where in the hell did you go?!" Aaron said, panting slightly.

"I couldn't stand the thought of leaving Cynder out here. I heard the guards talking about her being nearby." He said in response.

"You left us out there to dry! Why didn't you say anything? Anything!" Roxy's face was flushed, Spyro could tell she was very angry.

"I... didn't think you guys would approve. I had to find Cynder." Cynder frowned. She caused all of this herself. Spyro saw her face and brought his wing over her comfortingly.

"Hey guys, we found this way into the citadel, maybe it was a good thing they left." Zephyr said, trying to cool the argument.

"That is correct, we should be thanking Spyro." Tom added in.

"Guess so." Roxy finally said.

"Spyro!" Wagner walked over now, his hand removed from his side as it looked much better now.

"Karson already briefed me on the situation here, but tell me what you know so far..." Wagner grabbed his rifle from his back and gripped it in his hands as they walked over towards the main walls.

"We captured a few apes, and they told us this is one of the few ways into the citadel. This door, goes just beyond the shield wall." They entered the small fortress, passing the empty gateway, stopping just short of the steps.

"The Apes said we need orbs to open the door." He said before turning back to Wagner.

"Oh! Like those orbs the lady gave us back at the coastal town!" Roxy said, digging through her pack to find them. She brought her hand back, holding several of the small green gems encased in the golden arches.

"Perfect, we just need to open that door and we can sneak on through. Karson, tell Buckman to form up his squads, we're moving out immediately!"

"Roger that." He sprinted off, passing through the empty gate.

"You sure you'rer up to this fight commander?" Cynder asked, looking at his wound.

"Oh yeah, I'll be fine. We need everyone we can get to stop the Dark Master." She frowned, but it returned to a smile as Wagner put on a solid look of determination. They stood at the base of the steps as the others got ready. Bently strolled over with his brother, holding his large ice club to his side.

"So I guess these're your mates eh?" Bently asked, placing his club down while putting his weight on it, like a cane. Spyro nodded, smiling at the group.

"This is Wagner, he's the human commander here." Wagner brought his hand out to shake Bently's.

"Thank you for helping our purple friend here find his friend."

"Oh the pleasure's all mine. He's a right good fellow, and he looks after the ones he cares about."

Spyro blushed slightly at the comment, which got a smile from Cynder.

"If you don't mind Spyro, I'm going to take my brother here home. It's way too late for him to be out and about."

"Hey I can hand-" Bartholomew started, but was cut off by Bently.

"No, no, you need your rest. Come on now." He scooped up the little yeti who still protested, getting a few chuckles from the group.

"Bye Bently! Thank you!" Spyro yelled to the yeti as he got close to the gate.

"Oh no problem Spyro! Hey, be sure to tell me when this final fights going down, I wouldn't want to miss it!" He said while walking backwards out the door.

"I'll be glad to have any help I can get!" Spyro yelled in return. As the yeti exited the fort and began his walk across the snowy expanse, Spyro smiled. It was people like Bently that kept Spyro going, knowing that there were people worth fighting for. He turned back up to the top of the stairs and the door just beyond. Soon, they'd be fighting for everyone.

"Say, what's with this gateway?" Allison asked as she inspected the very large arch that dominated the central courtyard.

"Not sure, some kind of portal?" Roxy suggested.

"There's several of them dotting this courtyard it seems." Wagner commented as he turned to see one along the wall to their left.

"I remember the Dark Master calling them portals. Gaul used to tell me that they used to be activated and spread all over the realms. They were used to travel from one area to another fast and conviently. It was one of the first networks Malefor took down in the early days of his invasion years ago..." Cynder said with a deep frown, inspecting the portal closer.

"That's why I can't remember any of these being used..." Aaron commented as he looked it over too.

"Yeah I've seen these before too, though like Cynder said, none of them work." Zephyr walked in the center and looked straight up, seeing the very top.

"They interconnected the entire realms, you could travel from one world to another. Now none of them work." Cynder sighed.

"It's so sad, to see all these great megolythes laying in ruin." Allison placed her hand along the arch, feeling the fine texture along her hand before removing it. "I wonder who built them..." She said while pulling back.

"Probably the same people who created the Final Solution." Wagner commented.

"The Council?" Asked Aaron.

"Possibly, or from that first tier Rithul and Diablo talked about."

Karson ran back into the courtyard, followed by Buckman and the others. Hunter came in with the HACOs in tow, all ready for combat now.

"Right, Spyro, let's get that door open." Wagner started up the stairs, motioning his hand forward for the others to follow.

"Buckman, leave a squad behind to defend the fort and the birds. We'll try to lower the shield from the inside so we can get air support. This is our fall back position if things go wrong." Wagner instructed.

"Right, 3rd squad, you stay on defense." Buckman ordered.

"Right sir." A few of the Marines peeled off and stood guard over the fortress.

"The Apes said the shield was powered by three energy pylons, we knock those out and we knock down the shield wall." Spyro said as he reached the top, looking back at the human commander who just reached the apex of the stairs.

"Right, those'll be our first target then."

Spyro looked at the door and presented the orbs. The orbs glowed and slowly floated into the air. They suddenly formed a pattern that resembled the square profile of the door before moving forward suddenly and jamming themselves into the wall. They fit perfectly as they gave off a low green hue. The door creaked open and revealed a dark passageway, just narrow enough for them to squeeze through.

"Alright, everyone through. One at a time."

With that, they all squeezed through the narrow passageway.

The starry night was still over them by the time the group filtered onto the opposite side of the shield. On the other side was more of the same, castle, snow and from where they could see, the citadel's entrance. Where they were seemed to be a little secret opening in the wall, a castle courtyard sitting beyond the shield.

Beyond the courtyard sat a snowy hill which was topped with a defensive wall that circled throughout the inside of the shield wall, encasing the citadel within its protective concrete and brick. From here they could see that there wasn't just the citadel encased in the wall, there were several smaller structures and perhaps more of the village and or a small town housed within the walls.

They could also see that there were four pylons within the castle walls that seemed to be responsible for the shield. Perhaps if they removed those, they could rely on the two drop ships for air support, maybe even use the target locator the HACOs had recovered earlier.

"Alright, here's how we're going to do things. We'll hit those pylons to lower the shield, and we'll move under cover of the Typhus' rail gun. First we gotta sneak in there so we need an advance team to carve us a path. Once that gun goes off, our cover is gone and every solider on this mountain side will be on us." Wagner motioned towards the pylons as he spoke, snow falling all around as the others listened.

"Spyro, go with some of the HACOs with Cynder and Aaron. You will advance into the wall and we'll move in right behind you. After that, Karson, Allison, you lead another strike team to hit pylon number two and Spears, take a third group with Roxy and Tom to the final pylon. Once you're in position, use the short wave radios, we should be within range of one another, even in this disturbance. At that point we'll fire the cannon. Everyone got it?" Everyone else nodded, Spyro, Cynder, Aaron and the HACOs moved up and in position.

"Right, suppressed weapons only, move out." Spyro and the others moved forward with the black clad soldiers out of the courtyard and into the snow, the wall being only yards from them as most of the nearby structures had been demolished to give the guards on the walls a better view of approaching hostiles.

That field was going to be a problem.

One of the walls, however, had a break in it, a partial collapse. This presented a breach in the wall but the Apes compensated for this by sealing up the hole with a barricade behind the wall. This meant they could get up close and scale the wall under more cover that way on the flank rather then head on.

It was dark and cloudy above as snow fell onto the shield and some even sipped through. However, there was enough residual light from torch posts and guard towers that they couldn't just walk across unnoticed. They'd have to try something else...

"How're we going to get across...?" Aaron asked softly

"They'll see us once we start going over..." Cynder commented. Anderson, one of the HACOs, was staring intently at one of the torches hanging on the wall, two Ape guards standing by it.

"I'll shoot that down and it'll serve as a distraction. Once the Apes all focus on it, dash across the snow." The others nodded as he raised his rifle, peering through a scope mounted on the weapon. He was silent a few moments as he adjusted his aim before firing a single round, a soft PUT sound escaping the weapon as they looked down range to the torch, seeing nothing happen before they saw sparks fly from it and the torch falling to the ground. Fire raged on the ground, the Apes guarding now alarmed as they tried to put the flames out. The other guards turned to see what the commotion was, abandoning their posts.

"Nice shot." Cynder commented. The Haco waved his arm forward, the others taking the signal and sprinting across the open field. It only took a few seconds to cross the field, but to the group, it felt like the longest few seconds ever. They reached the opposite end, sneaking along the collapsed wall.

"Alright, up and over. Jenkins, kill the lights." Anderson threw a grapple to the top and tugged to make sure it was secure. Jenkins raised his rifle and aimed at a torch further down the wall as he leaned out, firing at it as another soft PUT came from the weapon. The torch shuddered as it flew from its post and landed on the ground, igniting from impact. The apes near it panicked and tried to kill the flames, the two guards above them turning to face the fires as Anderson started his ascent. Spyro, Cynder and Aaron started climbing up on the fallen rocks, Spyro the first to peer his head over. The two apes stood right before him, looking the other way. Spyro turned to Anderson who was right beside him who motioned to the Ape and then he motioned to the ground. Understanding what he meant, Spyro nodded and grabbed the belt of the Ape to the right and yanked, pulling the Ape down. At the same time, Anderson grabbed the Ape on the left and yanked, bringing both into the snow where Cynder and Aaron silenced them. Once the area was clear, Spyro and Anderson climbed up on top. Spyro stuck to the side wall, hiding in the shadows as Anderson laid on the ground, aiming out at the second group.

The second group was watching the torch a bit as another group of Apes tried to extinguish the flames. Anderson motioned for Spyro to move up, keeping his scoped weapon trained on the Apes. Spyro crawled his way to them, using the shadows to mask his approach. After a minute or two, he reached them, they turning around as the fires were extinguished finally. They were met with Spyro who grabbed the one on the right and threw him down. Before the other could react, a single round slammed into his head, causing the Ape to fall over.

The first Ape finally stopped struggling in Spyro's grasp, Spyro tossing the two dead Apes off the side of the wall and returned to the shadows. By this time, Jenkins and Doslan had climbed up with Aaron and Cynder and were slowly making their way down the blackened wall. They all moved silently to the first guard tower, which was where the second group of Apes had previously been. Inside, Spyro watched through a window as the other Apes went on their guarding duties.

Cynder and Aaron slipped inside the crampt tower, a ladder heading up to a post above. In that post, sat a sleeping Ape holding a crossbow. Thankfully, he had slept through that entire previous engagement. Spyro boosted Cynder up the ladder where she slowly crept to the Ape as he was leaned against the wooden railings. She smirked softly before leaping forward, sinking her venomous fangs into the sleeping creature. He hit the ground dead.

She slipped back down, letting Doslan take up position in the tower with his sniper rifle, training it out as Anderson and Jenkins had gotten into position. Spyro and Aaron moved too, using the blackened wall to move without having to crawl. The second guard tower overlooked the wall and a secondary path that went down beyond the wall and to another larger guard post beyond. From there, they had free range in the cover of shadows cast from large walls, towers and structures that were scattered throughout the facility.

Spyro and Aaron came to a stop just near the shadow's borders, watching a group of Apes trying to put the torch back on the guard tower's walls and reignite it. There were only three Apes, and one above in the tower. Unlike their tower, this one was awake and keeping a look out. Spyro watched him as he turned to their tower and noticed there was no movement over there. The Ape squinted his eyes as he lowered his weapon, trying to see where the others were.

It wasn't long before the Ape suddenly jolted and fell backwards onto the wooden floor. The sound of a body impacting wood alerted the other three who started looking in every direction, one drawing his sword as another grabbed the torch and ignited it, holding it around for better visibility. Aaron and Spyro sat at the ready, waiting for Anderson and Jenkins to act first.

They didn't have to wait long.

The Ape holding the sword let out a soft grunt as he gripped his stomach and fell over, the one to his far right turning to see his falling comrade only to lurch backwards from an impact to his gut then again as his head took a blow, knocking him down. The last one turned frantically as his counterparts were dropping from his unforeseen ghost, almost panicking as he dropped the torch. As it hit the ground and ignited, Spyro and Aaron pounced, knocking the Ape down. The Ape opened its mouth to scream an alert to the others, but never got that chance. Aaron removed his teeth from the creature's throat and Spyro used his ice to extinguish the flames, blackness claiming this guard tower as well.

The three HACOs moved forward along with Cynder. They reached the tower and Anderson crouched, looking out at the remainder of the wall and the other towers before looking down at the path that went down to the right and towards a much larger, circular tower.

"Ignore the rest of them and head down. We'll have much better cover there." Anderson said. They nodded and headed down. Torches lined the walls, Spyro making sure to put out each of them. They reached the entrance to the main tower, seeing a single guard moving towards them with a sword. The guard looked sleepy, fatigued. Cynder smirked, getting an idea. She used her shadow to sink into the ground, making the HACOs snap their heads. They hadn't seen her use her shadow abilities before, Spyro giving them a reassurance as they calmed their nerves. Cynder continued on, emerging on the opposite side of the guard and tossing a small pebble down the hall behind him before sinking back into the ground. The Ape turned suddenly, looking down the hall and squinting as he drew his sword and walked down towards the door again, peering inside. Seeing nobody, he scratched his head and turned again. Spyro decided to add to it, tossing a small pebble down the hall in their direction as they all hugged the walls. The Ape gripped his sword as he went into a fighting stance, walking towards them. Cynder threw another back into the door, causing him to turn around rapidly in fear.

He finally turned to the door and started making his way back, almost in a sprint before the sounds of footsteps caused him to turn around again. He was met with the image of a humanoid figure clad in black armor holding a solid black weapon which he presumed was a crossbow with a telescope on the top of it. The soldier had no eyes... only... blackness as it covered his face and features. A soft PUT was all he heard before the Ape fell over dead onto the floor. Cynder emerged, giggling a bit. Aaron smirked at the Ape, grabbing him and tossing him out one of the side windows into the snow.

"Out you go tubby..." He remarked softly.

They moved to the door, the HACOs going in and searching the area ahead. Satisfied it was clear, they motioned for the others to follow. They were now on the bottom floor of the three story tower. Each level above could peer down onto their level as they could see balconies above them with wooden railings. There weren't many guards out tonight, only two on the top level. The entire tower was illuminated though... so this was going to be tricky.

The group hugged the wall as they moved to a staircase on the opposite side, moving up. They climbed the second stair case before slowing down on the top level. The two guards stood on opposite sides of the railing, one having a sword and the other a crossbow. Spyro got on the ground and crawled into a good pouncing position, Jenkins doing the same and aiming his rifle. He trained it on the Ape across from them and fired, hitting him square in the head as he was leaning over the railing and causing him to fall over the railing. Alarmed, the second Ape backed away from the railing and turned, seeing Spyro leap onto him.

As Spyro finished up, the group pushed to the other side. On the other side, there was a hallway leading out to a second tower. This one was opened up however, a large courtyard at its base and heading out away from the tower. In the middle of the courtyard, sat the Pylon. The large structure was both made of metal and stone, emitting a soft blue pulse every so often as snow hit against it. A few Apes sat around it, walking in a loose patrol formation as one larger Ape stood behind the pylon overlooking the shield beyond.

Anderson crouched and placed his hand against his ear where his radio piece was.

"This is Team 1, we are in position."

There was a brief moment of silence as they could hear the soft sounds of the wind blowing all around them. Finally the radio sparked something back at them.

"This is Team 2, stand by."

"This is Team 3, preparing to breach, stand by."

Spyro sat next to Anderson as he held his hand to his helmet, listening in as he could see one of the other pylons from where they were. He could see movement in the shadows near the pylon however, the second one being in a courtyard much like theirs with a guard tower to match. Moments later, Spyro caught a slight glint of Karson's armor from atop the tower before he sank back into the shadows.

"Team2 inposition."

"Team 3 ready to go. Anderson, hit it."

"Roger that, stand by..." Anderson reached for his pack and unzipped it, pulling out a small device that looked like one of their scopes attached to a metallic tube, adorned with several smaller notches and pieces. Spyro thought Anderson was going to fire something out at the Pylon but instead he was aiming at the shield. Anderson sat there a while before he heard him exhale.

"Target sighted, going loud." He said softly. Spyro heard a small chirp coming from the device before silence once again claimed the land. There was a brief moment where Spyro was confused, wondering what he had done before it became very, very apparent.

The shield exploded as far, far in the distance the rear cannon of the Typhus sparked to life and fired a shell at nearly200 milesper second. The round impacted suddenly, sending a huge shockwave throughout the shield and creating a huge explosion that ripped through the night, shattering the calm. A nearby mountain-side crumbled from the force exerted, force being transferred inside as well as a visible amount of snow was kicked off the surface of each structure. Each Ape in the courtyard below was knocked off their feet by the deafening CRACK that followed, grabbing their head. After that, a short wailing sound was heard, much like what Spyro had heard when one of their tanks fired nearby or artillery guns. The round was traveling too fast for the sound to keep up.

"Move, hit them now!" Anderson yelled as he grabbed a wire from his pack and tossed it down, securing it to a nearby rocky railing and using it to descend down. Doslan laid down on the floor with his rifle extended out, Jenkins moving to follow Anderson.

"Come on Spyro, time to go to work!" Cynder said joyfully as she flew down, Spyro smiling as he flapped his wings to follow. Aaron wasted no time in doing the same.

As they moved down, Spyro could hear another rumble as snow from the nearby mountains began to crumble from above, creating an avalanche from the rail gun round's kinetic energy. The snow moved down the side of the mountain, crushing the village beyond that had been occupied by the Apes, some even settling on the shield as it packed up below the wall where the shield was emanating from.

Anderson was the first to touch down below, bringing his rifle up and firing short bursts into an Ape who tried to stand back up. He immediately fell over, dropping his sword. Two other Apes had gotten back up already, one still clutching one of his ears while trying to reach for his sword. The third held a bow in his hands and he reached to his back for an arrow, pulling the string back.

The first Ape was quick downed by Jenkins who moved in a low crouched position, using two accurate shots to drop the Ape. The one with the bow jolted to the side before falling over face first onto the snow-covered stones, his arrow landing a few feet before him. Spyro looked up, seeing Doslan above, twisting his rifle around to engage another Ape who came out from a corridor running along the courtyard.

Spyro saw them, the small group having Grublins as well, two Orcs also emerging from another passageway.

"Get them, don't let them destroy the Pylon!" The larger Ape said as he stood back up, bringing his sword to bear.

"Try to stop us!" Aaron said tauntingly, flying around behind him and firing a bolt into his back. The Ape yelled loudly as he turned, swinging his sword. The sword shot a wave of energy that slammed into the wall behind Aaron, breaking a few of the stone columns and causing a section of the wall to collapse.

"Woah!" Aaron said as Cynder fired a ball of shadow energy that impacted the Ape, making him turn back around to face them. Spyro joined in, swooping in from above and impaling the creature with shards of ice, causing him to fall over. He grunted, trying to get back up and reach for his weapon. Doslan made sure he didn't, putting a round into his chest and causing him to let a soft exhale before he went still.

Spyro turned his head, hovering above as he saw Anderson and Jenkins by a small rail in the courtyard, firing towards the corridors as two Apes fell from their shots, the Grublins proving hard to hit as they darted quickly from side to side, some even flying at them.

Cynder wasted no time, leaping up and sinking her fangs into one while Aaron fired a beam at two more. Spyro reared his head up and cast it back down, unleashing a bolt of lightning that hit one Grublin, the current transferring to several nearby ones, they hovering in mid-air as the current sent lethal amounts of electricity through their bodies. Spyro ended the current, letting their bodies hit the snow.

"Thanks for that." Anderson said as he nodded to the dragons.

"Charge planted!" Jenkins declared as he placed a small box on the pylon, all of them running to cover.

"Fire in the hole!" Jenkins said again as he ignited it, the explosive charging and blowing out the base of the pylon, sending bits of metal and fragments everywhere as the top portion fell over, or, what was left of the top portion of the pylon. Most of it now lay on the ground in shattered pieces of metal and stone as the pulse died away. Silence filled the air as they got up, though Spyro could hear small thuds in the distance before he saw another explosion claiming the pylon he saw earlier. The shield flickered each time, very faint now from two pylons being destroyed. Another thud in the background caused the shield to flicker and then vanish, the blackness of the night claiming the area.

Spyro had expected an army to cross over now that the shield was down, but only silence answered back. The avalanche had actually taken out any army that might have existed beyond the barrier, giving them a great opportunity to move up.

On cue, the Marines' Nighthawk and Sparrowhawk flew over the mountains, hovering nearby as any bit of stealth had been blown at this point. They hovered nearby, the Sparrow tilting forward and speeding up to fire missiles deeper into the citadel as the Nigththawk flew in behind, landing just beyond the corridor where the apes had originated from. Spyro presumed there was another courtyard up ahead.

"Go, go, push inwards!" Wagner yelled over the radio, Anderson nodding as he waved the others to quickly follow. Spyro flew over the group and landed nearby, entering the corridors as he caught a glimpse of Krypto above, fighting with a few Dark Wings as they soared up to contest the human flying machines.

"Way to kick down the front door." Aaron said with a smirk as the HACOs moved forward, their guns up at the ready at all times as they pressed the stocks of the weapons against their shoulders. Doslan came from behind, regrouping with them as he had his side arm drawn.

"Think the Dark Master is back here already?" Cynder asked Spyro as they ran behind the HACOs.

"He probably is..." Spyro frowned. He knew Malefor had to have come back here already. They had been trying to force an entry for over 24 hours. Though maybe there was still a chance...

They reached the end of the corridor, a wooden door blocking their way. Anderson shot off a lock then proceeded to kick the door down, it falling easily off of its hinges into the snow. Beyond sat another courtyard with two statues of dragons sitting on either side. The entire courtyard was lined with a corridors and on the opposite end sat a staircase leading up to a stone tower. The tower, lead to the citadel's entrance.

In the center of the courtyard the Nighthawk sat, its troop bay open as several of the Marines sat, firing outwards to the army of advancing Apes, Orcs and Grublins, all the while being bombarded by the snow being kicked up from the Nighthawk's engines.

"Go, go!" Wanger yelled as he dashed in from a side passage, waving his arm at them. Zephyr and Roxy moved in behind him with Karson and Allison as Karson stopped and crouched, firing a few rounds into an oncoming Ape, his body tumbling into the snow.

"We're clear, break off Dagger 1." Wagner said into his mic, the Nighthawk flared and flew upwards. The chain gun on the nose activated, a ripping sound filling their ears as rounds bombarded Apes who were running along the roof of the buildings around them.

"Dagger 1 clear, moving into holding pattern."

"Up the stairs, move!" Wagner yelled as the Marines started to climb the steps. Spyro was right behind, firing several balls of fire into the Apes, several more running down the stairs to contest them as two Ape commanders closed a set of double doors at the top of the stairs.

"Don't stop! Keep going!" Wagner yelled as he fired while running, keeping the rifle pressed against his shoulder as the Apes tumbled down the stairs by them.

"Come on! Go!" Spyro added in. He felt it, the rush of the finale. They were close, so close now. They raced up the stairs, the two dropships flying strafe runs across the citadel's walls, blowing huge chunks from it as catapults launched from the higher levels.

"We gotta get that door open!" One of the Marines, Henderson, yelled as they were getting closer to the large double doors.

At that point, Krypto swooped in, firing a ball of fire before pulling up and rejoining the arial battle, the sphere contacting with the door and blowing it apart. Wood and bits of metal flew through the air as the two Ape commanders were thrown the floor inside.

Spyro reached the top of the stairs with Wagner, seeing inside.

The room inside the tower was large and dimly lit as a few torches cast their light inside. The room was circular and in the back, two staircases lined the wall and ascended to the second level which had a balcony that overlooked the room. Inside the room, a large group of Orcs waited. Upon seeing the door explode, they readied themselves for a charge. Upon seeing Spyro, they initiated their charge, rushing the group with no mercy.

Wagner turned his head before leaping onto Spyro.

"Down! Down!" He yelled. Spyro was about to ask why when he heard the sounds of engines behind them, the Sparrowhawk hovering behind them and using two chain guns mounted on either side of its hull to mow through the Orcs, their bodies hitting the floor as bits of armor and bone were all blown apart from the intense fire. The room fell silent as the Sparrowhawk broke off, flying away.

"Alright, we're clear." Wagner said as he got back up. Spyro did the same, leaping over the bodies and to the staircase. The others did the same, Hunter joining them as well as he leaped across several smaller stones on the walls to get atop before the others. Several Apes raced from the second floor towards them, running down the stairs with their swords drawn. Spyro was the first one in line so he lowered his head and went into a dead charge, hitting one Ape and using his impaled horns to toss the creature off of the stairs and to the cold stones below. A second one was knocked to the side, Wagner stepping on his chest and putting a round in the Ape to silence him. Karson and Allison shot just behind, Karson unleashing a wave of fire with his hands onto a group of Grublins who flew in from above.

Spyro reached the top with Hunter, he already fighting one of the Ape commanders as he leaped to the side to avoid a sword, rolling as he hit the ground. He then leaped over towards the Ape then climbed up his side and used his bow to subdue the creature by the neck. Spyro took this chance, charging right into the Ape's vulnerable stomach. The Ape let out a cry before falling to the ground, silent. Cynder and Aaron flew over the railings to join them, both grabbing another Ape about to attack Spyro and tossing the creature down below.

Before them sat another door, a cowering Ape knocking on it trying to retreat. Spyro shot a ball of fire at him, the Ape letting out a yell before the ball impacted, blowing the door open and sending the Ape flying onto the other side.

Just beyond was a narrow stone bridge, spanning the gap towards the citadel's main entrance as Krypto flew overhead, having grabbed onto a Dark Wing and was ferociously biting at its head. The Nighthawk flew over as well, firing its weapons at two Wyverns who had joined in on the fray.

Spryo and Cynder raced across the bridge, the Citadel towering over them. This was it. They were so close now.... Images flew through his mind, harkening back to their approach to Malefor's lair...

They reached the other end of the bridge, the wind slapping them the entire time as the others tried to keep themselves on the narrow bridge. A small flight of stairs lead to a foyer, much like the one from the tower they had just come from. The structure was made out of a blueish-silver that reflected the moon light. The structure was adorned with several spires and this was true along the walls and doorways as well. The floors were made from solid black tiles in a hexagonal shape.

"Anyone know how to get to the key chamber?" Wagner said as he walked in, the others not far behind.

"I'm not sure, there has to be some sort of passage somewhere that goes below. Karson walked in and looked around, amazed by the architecture of the place.

"Come on, let's try this door up here!" Cynder yelled up from the second story. They ran up the stairs to meet her, seeing a door just beyond that slid open slowly as they approached.

"Buckman, stay here with the Marines and watch our six, don't let anyone else in." Wagner instructed. His second in command nodded as he motioned for the other Marines to remain there with him.

Wagner turned back around, entering the room with Spyro. The room beyond was large, square in shape. On the far end sat a large throne, crystals pulsing black energy surrounding it as a lone figure sat atop- Malefor.

"I have been expecting you. I took the pleasure of expelling my guards to allow you an... easier entrance." Spyro growled, glaring at Malefor as he stepped closer.

"Ah." Malefor leapt down from his throne, holding his paw up.

"I already know about the key below this facility and yes, I also have the Talisman to unlock it." Malefor held out a small stone object with the symbol of a yeti on it.

"It wasn't hard to find it amongst the villagers who used to live in the valley below. They were very... quick to give it up in exchange for their lives. Pity they didn't survive long enough to enjoy it."

"You bastard..." Spyro said lowly.

"Now the question remains. Can you stop me from unlocking the key?" Malefor bore his teeth, smiling wickedly at them.

"We will stop you! We'll stop you once and for all!" Spyro yelled back. Malefor opened his wings, initiating a small hover as dark energy sparked all around the walls. He flapped his wings hard, sending the group onto the ground hard. Spyro quickly got back up, grunting as he flew straight at Malefor, Cynder right behind him.

Wagner got back to his feet, raising his rifle only to stumble to the floor as the ground shook. The group looked onto Malefor who only laughed, the floor below Karson and Allison glowing bright before a section in-between them and Malefor parted open.

"It seems this one will only open for the chosen ones... Now that you have opened the door for me, I shall be on my way." Malefor said before he flew down the hole.

"Shit, after him!" Spyro yelled before giving chase with Cynder.

Yahade' and the other Lakadors sprinted up to join the group, Aaron and Zephyr already in flight downwards to keep up with Spyro and Cynder.

"Where did the Dark Master go?" Yahade' asked, looking around.

"Down there! Quickly!" Wagner yelled as he lead the others to a small lift that sat at the edge of the opening. After they all boarded, it shot down quickly into the depths of the citadel, moving to a much larger shaft which was lined with crystal structures and the strange blue-silver metal.

"Where'd they go? I can't see them!" Roxy yelled as she stood by Tom, all peering down to catch a glimpse of the others.

"There! There they are!" Allison yelled, pointing further down the shaft.

Farther down, the shaft tilted 45 degrees, going towards a structure buried in the rock below the citadel. In front of the structure, Spyro and Cynder were hard at work fighting Malefor.

"Spyro! Look out!" Cynder yelled. Spyro grunted, sailing downwards to avoid a swipe from Malefor's tail. It instead hit Zephyr who swooped in to help, he skidding on the ground before coming to a halt several feet away.

"Zephyr!" Aaron yelled back.

"It's fine! I'm fine!" He yelled back, rolling to get back up.

"You little ungrateful servants... I should have killed you years ago when I had the chance..."

Malefor opened his muzzle, a beam of purple energy shooting out and scorching the rock and metal behind the group. Spyro growled, rearing his head back and firing a beam of concentrated heat, hitting against Malefor's scales and causing him to grunt. He broke the beam by sending a wave of energy that slapped into the young dragon, sending him down.

Spyro regained himself and fired another beam, this time the beam being more purple as his convexity beam was being activated, dark energy cascading towards the Dark Master. He smirked, dashing to the side and returning with a beam of his own. The beam overpowered Spyro's, sending him back into the ground.

"Get him!" Aaron yelled as he and Cynder bombarded the Dark Master with their own bolts of energy, the explosive bolts sending Malefor back into the wall as they continued to pelt him. He brought up his wings to shield him, Zephyr leaping up and spinning rapidly, creating a tornado that threw the Dark Master off balance, making him a better target for Aaron and Cynder.

"I will unlock the power of the ancients!" He turned around, smashing open the door that lead into the structure. He flew into the smoke as pieces of metal scattered across the floor.

"After him!" Wagner yelled as the lift finally reached the bottom, the group piling off and racing for the structure. By this time, Spyro, Cynder, Aaron and Zephyr had already entered after him.

Inside sat the familiar circular room which housed the key in the far back of the room. Malefor raced for the key, only to have Spyro and Cynder combine their convexity beams and hit him directly in the back, sending him reeling as the beams exploded with great force upon impact.

"Light him up! Don't let him escape!" Wagner yelled, raising his rifle. He, Yahade' and the Lakadors opened fire, bullets and dark energy rounds peppering the Dark Master. Aaron and Zephyr unleashed their own elemental attacks, Karson and Allison dashing up to add their own, fire and ice raining down upon the dragon. Malefor was pressed into the wall from the onslaught of attacks, the talisman skidding nearby.

"I've got it!" Hunter yelled as he ran over and scooped the talisman off of the ground. Malefor growled as he leapt forward, knocking Spyro and Cynder into the wall as he fired a beam at the others who were clustering together. The resulting blast sent Wagner and the others flying. Hunter hit the ground and skid, the talisman once again flying across the floor.

"No!" Spyro said as he dashed over, trying to grab it. Malefor placed his talons on it calmly, smiling to the young dragon as he leapt up to attack the larger dragon. Malefor merely flew into Spyro, using his larger mass to crash into him and send the younger dragon into the floor.

"I win Spyro. I always win." Malefor said as he brought Spyro up to face him, his menecing eyes looking deep into Spyro's as if trying to suck out his soul.

Spyro could only growl in anger.

Suddenly, a beam of purple energy collided with Malefor's claws, blasting the Talisman out of his paws and sending it once more into the air.

Malefor let out a bellow as he backed off of Spyro, gripping his claws.

Cynder grunted as she leapt into the air, grabbing the talisman and flapping her wings to escape.

"No! Get back here you little traitor!" Malefor opened his massive wings to give chase, the force of the wind slamming into Spyro and pinning him down as he took off after her. Cynder grunted, flying up to one of the ducts in the cieling. She blew through the thin metal barriers and clawed her way out.

"Go Cynder! Run!" Aaron yelled as he too took flight, flying to another duct to aid her.

Spyro flapped his wings once Malefor was airborne, streaking up to assist as well.

Cynder clawed her way through the cramp metal ducts, finally arriving at its exit. She leapt out into a massive crevice, black machinery lining each wall. In the center a large circular mechanism hummed with a low vibration, as if ready to be activated- just not yet. Lava poured from small cracks in the walls, dumping into trays that funneled them into the large machine. There was a large break in the machinery, a large duct that went straight up. She presumed she was behind where they just were, and this was the actual mechanism that fired the onimous purple beam they had seen each time a key was activated. That meant that the duct traveled all the way to the surface. She could escape!

She grunted, flapping her wings to reach the large circular vent. Loud flapping sounds were heard behind her as Malefor flew in front of her, impeding her progress.

"Give me the talisman!" He demanded, eyes full of rage.

"Never! We stopped you before! We'll do it here too!"

"You're wrong, you only helped me! Brought me this closer to my ultimate goal!" He flew into her, using his poweful claws to smack her into a wall.

"Cynder!" Aaron yelled, flying in low, firing his own purple beam at the Dark Master's back.

"Ah, my young apprentice, how much you still have to learn!" Malefor roared while rearing back, firing his own beam that overpowered Aaron's, sending him back as he tried to regain his flight.

"Leave them alone!" Spyro yelled as he flew in fast, gaining enough speed in the open area to bring Malefor down and onto the large turbine that sat at the base of the room. Malefor growled, grabbing Spyro and slamming him into the turbine itself. He didn't relent. He grabbed his head again and brought it over to where the lava was pooling into the machinery, trying to push his face into the molten rock.

"Don't be afraid Spyro, just accept your fate! It won't be long until the power of the Ancients is fully realized!" Spyro grunted as he pushed back with all he could, keeping his face away from the molten slag, the heat causing his face to steam as he was only inches from it.

Beams fired off, hitting Malefor in the back as Cynder and Aaron both fired from their hovering positions, trying desperately to help Spyro.

Spyro took this chance, overcharging his body with his convexity energy, sending the pulse outwards and knocking Malefor back just enough for him to slip out and slam Malefor into the machinery. His arm landed in the lava, causing him to roar loudly as he flapped his wings to get away from the molten rock.

He opened his muzzle, beams of ice streaking through the air and hitting the machinery behind them. Spyro flew down, landing on a side catwalk as Aaron launched himself against a nearby wall for leverage. Cynder groaned, rubbing her arm as she grunted, opening her muzzle and creating a whirlwind that captured Malefor in it.

"Spyro! Cynder!" Karson and Yahade' came down from another duct that went onto the catwalk, placing a grate aside. They both sprinted over to where Cynder was, just as Malefor canceled out her whirlwind with one of his own.

"Here! Take this and get out of here!" Cynder said as she gave Yahade' the talisman.

"Go, I'll cover you!" Karson yelled. He placed his rifle on his back and flexed his hands.

"Let's see just what these powers can do..." He focused his hands and started to form a small sphere of fire. It grew to the size of a basket ball before he unleashed it, the ball hurling at Malefor and colliding with him, adding to the other attacks Spyro and Aaron were already sending his way.

Yahade' stood and watched before remembering the talisman. He sprinted over to the grate, crouching down to enter.

"No, you cannot escape!" Malefor said before firing a beam of purple energy that hit the wall just above the grate, a shockwave sending the Lakador commander skidding on the ground. Dark electricity sparked from his body, Yahade' yelling loudly.

"Shit! Stay down!" Karson sprinted over to help him up, the energy arcing towards him and causing Karson to back up, shielding himself with his arms.

Yahade' opened his eyes, getting up slowly as the energy sparked from him still, he feeling no pain.

"It... doesn't hurt!" Yahade' said as he looked at his hands, both sparking with the elemental energy. He glared at the Dark Master, shoving his hands forward and sending a dark pulse towards the dragon. Malefor caught it on his chest and snarled, recoiling backwards.

"Shit, when did you plan to tell us you can use dark energy without weapons?!" Karson yelled as he lowered his arms.

"We can't! It isn't natural to us!" Yahade' yelled back.

"Then that means...."

"Get down!" Cynder yelled, leaping back up to fight Malefor as he rushed the two standing on the catwalk.

"Go, go!" Karson ushered Yahade' back into the grate, firing his rifle before entering himself. They had to get the Talisman away from Malefor. Allison was in the grate now, ushering for them to hurry as she backed up to give them room.

"Wagner, we got it!" She yelled back.

"Hurry, we've got hostiles inbound!" He yelled at her from within the chamber beyond.

They all crawled out into the chamber, seeing Wagner, Hunter, Zephyr, Roxy and Tom fighting more of those Plague creatures that had crawled in from the citadel. They were swarming now from down the elevator shaft, Wagner quickly running over to seal the door to the chamber.

"We need to find another route out of here!" He yelled.

"Quickly, we must use these ducts to escape the citadel." Hunter suggested as he moved to another unopened grate, trying to open it. Wagner placed his rifle on his back as he ran over, trying to help open the grate.

Suddenly, the wall behind them exploded open, Spyro and Aaron sliding on the metal floor inside. Malefor stood on the other side, holding Cynder in his claws. He tossed her onto the ground and snarled.

"Give me the talisman..." He ordered. Yahade' raised his claws, they now sparking with the dark energy.

"Fine then, have it your way..."

As soon as he said that, a blast of earth energy shot them all off their feet and into the wall. Malefor leaped forward, his claws bore at them. Spyro grunted as he got up slowly, rubbing his head.

"No!" He scrambled to his feet, Cynder and Aaron getting up as well. They leapt at Malefor, only to be knocked back down as his tail sliced through the air like a knife, instantly immobilizing them.

Malefor walked over to Yahade', stepping hard on the Lakador's arm, causing him to yell out in pain before releasing the talisman.

"This... is where you loose Spyro. This is where you all will loose." He walked over to the mechanical tube that emanated from the wall, blue energy pulsing through it. Spyro tried to get up, stop him, anything. He just brought his head around and nailed him with another dark blast. It was futile.

He turned, placing the talisman in the pulsing blue field, it becoming suspended and glowing. To the right of the tube they could see through the hole where Malefor had entered, the machinery coming to life. Sparks danced in the room before a purple beam shot from the base of the mechanism to the duct above, all the way to the surface. The final gate had been unlocked.

"No!" Spyro said as he sat up, seeing the beam shooting upwards.

"Yes young dragon, it is now time. Time to awaken the weapon...." He charged up a beam of energy, the room growing purple as its light danced all around. Instead of hitting him like he expected, he fired the beam at the doorway behind them that Wagner had sealed. The beam cut right through it and blew the doors off of their sliding tracks, sending them skidding across the elevator landing outside. The creatures outside watched the door skid before turning, racing for the entrance as Malefor flapped his wings and sailed through and to the surface.

"It's over..." Spyro muttered softly.

"No, no, no, there's still time! Come on!" Wagner said as he ran over, grabbing Spyro to try to get him up. The others clamored to their feet as Karson and Allison discharged their rifles at the oncoming creatures. Two were killed immediately as another was hit several times, causing it to stand on its hind legs straight up into the air, roaring in defiance.

Zephyr quickly fired a blast of wind that sent the creature flying out of the doorway.

"Come on, this way!" Wagner yelled as he sprinted out of the door.

"Commander! Come in! Did he just unlock the key?! The whole citadel is lit up, energy cascades all over the mountains!" Wagner pressed his finger against his ear piece, hearing Buckman calling over the channel.

"He unlocked it! We're heading topside! Keep an eye out, the weapon should be revealing itself soon! We need to move out immediately!" He yelled back, standing on the elevator platform with the others. Spyro, still weak from the fight, joined them on the crowded platform. It shuddered softly before going upwards towards the surface. Snow filtered in from outside as they were back in the throne room. The entire citadel was shaking as the beam cut through the structure, great amounts of energy pouring into the surrounding air space. They could all feel it, down to their bones. This was not good, not good at all.

They raced to the foyer and to the central entrance as the black sky was now ablaze from the purple beam as it cut into the sky.

"All units this is Lieutenant Wagner, we are pulling back, fall back to your birds and prepare for arrival evac, we are pulling out!" As he said that he saw their Sparrowhawk fly in from around the citadel and bank around, coming towards them. It tilted its engines up as it slowed down for a landing, hovering just near the entrance now.

"Coming in for a low evac- wait hold on, contact!" Suddenly a purple beam cut across the sky and slammed into the aircraft, slicing it all the way through its wing and engine, causing it to explode.

The aircraft spun around as smoke and fire raged from the aft section of the craft.

"Mayday, mayday! We're going in hard!" The aircraft plummeted from its position, hitting the narrow bridge that spanned the chasm in front of the citadel and shattering the bridge to pieces. The craft's nose slammed into the mountain side and caused the other wing to slam into the mountainside as well, destroying the other engine and rupturing the main fuel line. By the time the aircraft slammed into the ground below, most of it had already been destroyed.

"Dagger 2 come in! Come in!" Wagner yelled, looking down over the edge.

"God damn it!" Karson yelled as he looked over then recoiled quickly from the sight.

"We're getting our freaking asses kicked!" Zephyr siad while panting from the run.

"The hell do we do no-" The ground suddenly started shaking, thunderous bangs emanating from everywhere.

Off in the distance, far beyond the valley of mandobar and the mountain pass, a single purple beam joined the other four and cut into the air. The beam sliced through clouds that sat over that region, causing them to part and spin around the beam. Suddenly a burst of energy shot out from the area, banishing all the clouds from the sky for what appeared to be hundreds of miles.

"I can't believe it..." Allison muttered lowly.

"At long last, it is time."

"What, who said that?" Spyro asked, looking around as a mysterious voice had cut through everything. Everyone joined in, looking around as they couldn't put a name on that statement either. Suddenly they saw him. A shadowy figure sat perched on one of the many spires that sprang into the air along the entrance to the citadel. They couldn't see any of his features, not even his face as his entire body was cloaked in shadow. The only namable features other then his draconic silhouette was two piercing and pure yellow eyes that stared out towards the beam.

"At long last, the Final Solution has revealed itself to the world. Just as it did when the Ancestors went extinct, and the council died off..." He muttered lowly.

"What? What're you talking about? What's... what's going to happen?" Spyro asked as he approached him slowly. The figure turned, looking down to him from his high perch.

"You're the young purple dragon they call Spyro. You defeated the one called the Dark Master, yet now you sit, beaten twice in a row by your former adversary."

Spyro opened his mouth as if to speak, but slowly closed it. The figure turned his head again, looking at the beam.

"Those fools, they think it's a weapon. Rithul, Diablo, all those ignorant fools."

"What? Rithul? How're they fools?" Spyro asked, a little thrown off by his comment.

"They think it's a weapon. Rithul may have seen it used back in the age of the council but they never truly understood the relays. They thought they fully understood it, they thought they were on the edge of unlocking its secrets. This is what brought them their destruction. Rithul has no true idea of what power lies within the relays."

"What do you mean...? The relay? What does it do...?"

The figure turned to him again.

"Young dragon, that relay is about to unleash horrors beyond your deepest comprehension." The figure leapt down, walking up to Spyro and craning his head down so his face was level with Spyro's. His piercing yellow eyes looked deep into him, as if examining his soul.

"These unspeakable horrors are what killed the ancestors. They're what killed the Council. It will kill all of you unless you stop the relay from firing." There was a brief moment of silence as he continued to look into Spyro's eyes. Finally he leaned back, looking down at him with a slightly less intensive gaze.

"Yes, you are adequate. You can stop the relay." He said softly.

"What? How do I stop it?"

The figure leapt back up to his perch, looking out over towards the beam again.

"You really are the key Spyro. You're heart, your mind..." He closed those yellow eyes before opening them again.

"Your friends are already at the relay, no doubt fighting hard against the forces of darkness to secure it. You should aid them in their battle."

"What?! The others are alive?! Terrador? Cyril? Volteer?"

"Yes, they and the humans along with the Lakadors. What numbers that remain have repeled the enemy to the relay site. At this very moment they sit at its door step." He turned to look at Spyro again.

"However they need a leader to see them through. Will you fufill the prophecy and be that leader?"

"I... I think I can." The figure continued to look at him. Spyro closed his eyes and regianed himself, putting on a determined face.

"I know I can."

"Good. Go on Spyro, lead them to victory. Send this evil back to where it came." He turned back towards the beam.

"Who are you...?" Spyro asked.

"The Shadow. There is a tram located beneath this citadel. It will take you to the relay station. Make haste young one." The figure said before leaping down and out of sight.

The group stood motionless before Spyro took in a deep breath.

"Come on guys, we've got to stop the Dark Master. There's only one way to do that now." He ran back into the citadel, going towards the throne room again.

"Wait, hold on Spyro, how do you know that guy's telling the truth? How do we know we can really stop this thing?" Roxy asked as she slowed to a walk. Spyro stopped midway up the stairs in the foyer, looking down to her.

"We have no other choice Roxy. We've come this far, we can't stop! Not while... that thing is active. Not while the Dark Master is this close."

"Spyro's right. We have to keep going. We can't stop- not for anything." Cynder said as she walked up next to Spyro on the stairs. Roxy frowned before smiling.

"Alright, let's go then." She said softly.

"This is Lieutenant Wagner to Dagger 1, extract all Marine forces and follow us in, we're going to head to the Final Solution on a ground-based tram."

"Roger that, we'll follow you in. Extracting Marine forces."

"This is Lieutenant Buckman, see you there commander."

"Roger that, good luck, Wagner out." He turned off his mic, nodding to Spyro as he went off to follow him.

They went down the elevator once more, it slowly coming to a halt at the bottom of the shaft. As they disembarked, they saw the sloped wall slowly move, it moving upwards to reveal a large tunnel.

Lights within the tunnel started to flicker on, revealing the tunnel going on for miles and miles beneath the surface as it was lined with metallic bracers and elegant structures. Just before them sat a platform servicing what appeared to be two multi-storied gondolas that sat suspended by a cable that ran along the roof of the structure. As they walked in to the large tunnel, the door behind them slid shut, clicking as it locked.

"No where else to go now..." Aaron muttered as they slowly approached the gondola on the left. They boarded it, taking seats along what they perceived were seats. Wagner walked to the front of the gondola, looking around for any controls. He didn't really see much of anything.

"Huh... wonder how this thing works..." He muttered as Karson walked beside him, searching as well. They suddenly heard some sort of automated voice come from somewhere, but they couldn't put just where. It spoke a language none of them were familiar with.

"Anyone catch that?" Wagner asked. Spyro and the others shook their heads. The language was dead to them too. Suddenly and without warning the gondola came to life, jolting forward with enough force to knock the Lieutenant and the Private to their backs, grunting as the gondola raced through the tunnel and towards the Final Solution's central relay.

End of Chapter 38