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A Test from the Sacred Ones

The next morning, when the dragons wanted to leave in an early start, they were surprised by Ignitus, that said, "Hey, don't you want to say a good farewell for old friends, Spyro?"

"Why the rush? We'll meet next time, right?"

"I know...but I felt something is not very well in the world, so, I just want to say..."

"Don't talk like we'll gonna die. We won't die. We promised you. In fact, I've kicked Red's ass once, so it's fine for the second time," said Spyro with great optimism. "We'll find Ember and put an end to this."

"Then I wish the four of you best of luck. Oh, Spyro, don't hesitate on calling me if you need help."

"Yeah...I will."

For Seraphor," said Ignitus while turning his head to the silver red. "Protect Spyro, will you? He's this generation of purple dragon, so don't let him get into trouble."

"I understand," replied the dragon. "But then...how we'll contact you if something bad really happens?"

"Sparx had the calling horn I gave him 2 years ago. If it still works fine, then we'll come."

"Okay then. Off we go."

Because Seraphor couldn't fly, he was given the dragonfly magic to fly temporarily. At least, it was enough for him to land safely on the ground. They returned to Dragon Realm, but directly to the Temple of the Sacred Mountain, which was normally forbidden for those that didn't follow the path.

"Oh, shit, why are we in here!!" exclaimed Spyro while obscuring both Seraphor and Flame's vision with his magic.

"What? What do you mean?!" said Flame.

"Nothing! Just...don't negate my magic! You'll both be dead because of it!"

"We don't even know how to negate magic!" exclaimed Seraphor.

"I know a..."

"Oh, Spyro, taking care of intruders?"

The voice startled Spyro that he lost his grip to his magic. Luckily the mysterious voice made a fog so to obscure the real scenery. The two dragons realized Spyro was gone, and tried to call him. A voice replied their call.

"For what purpose did you two come here, young dragons?" asked the voice with booming voice, frightening Flame and wincing Seraphor because of his sensitive ears. Because Seraphor had once met with entities with same booming manner, he said, "We come in peace, noble one. We are not meant to harm you."

"You speak very wise for a young dragon like you. Where do you come from?"

When prompted by that answer, Seraphor couldn't just simply say 'from another world' as he knew entities like them came from another world and it would anger them.

Meanwhile, the 'entity' talking to them was actually Tien Shan, Spyro's mentor in illusion magic. Tien Shan was, in many aspects, was an eastern dragon with distinctive hair running from his head to his tail trailing his back. He sported deer's horn, and yellow scales. Also, he was standing on two legs and of course he had some jewels near his head and around his neck.

"You don't have to play them like that," said Spyro with sad tone. "They're my friends."

"I know, Spyro, but this is the only way to ensure this valley is not wrecked by dragons other than you," said Tien Shan. "You're the only dragon I know able to reach this place without any tricks of teleportation, so you may pass with every kind of method. But for them..."

"I know this sounds very weird, but we were all stranded here because we went flying from the sky down."

"I believe you flew from the sky, but why did you take your friends here, Spyro?"

"It's an accident!"

"Calmness, Spyro...I taught you that already, right? You're too emotional...and I understand the reason already. You need to calm your mind on the problem you're facing...and think rationally."

"Tien..."

"I know you're trying to find your pink girlfriend, but there's no point on rushing."

Spyro knew hiding his feelings and mind to Tien Shan's empathy link was pointless, so he took a deep breath and calmed himself. He felt anything that burdens his mind became clear.

"See?"

"Yeah...I feel lighter already."

"Okay, now what do you want to do with them?"

Spyro thought of something, then he said, "How about testing them with the same test Atlas gave me 2 years ago? We need to discuss the matter on how to find Hunter."

"But, not every dragon can..."

"Only Sera," interrupted Spyro. "Only Sera will be able to pass the test."

"You seem trustful with the silver one."

"Yes...and you know the answer."

Seraphor saw the fog dissipated, with Flame. He was at first puzzled, but realized the fog had the sensation of distortion, and he smacked his head.

"Shit, why am I so stupid...," thought Seraphor. "The place was concealed by illusion fog...and I fall for it."

When he blinked, thought, he found the place was merely a mountain's base, with rocky structures around him and the eerie dry place. He wasn't all that scared, knowing it was nothing compared to the hellish prison he was put into. While walking through the stairs up, he was feeling ready if there was something that would come to him.

He was prepared long before a rock slide was falling towards him. Hearing it with his sensitive hearing he ran forward a split second before some rocks reached the stairway, but he tripped because he had a hard time walking up the stairs. He was a quad, so no doubt.

Meanwhile, Spyro was astonished on how the silver red managed to evade the rockslide without even trying to slow it down with earth power.

"The dragon has enhanced hearing because of his ear leaves," said Tien Shan. "Why don't you use yours?"

"I don't have leaves. You know I'm not like you."

"I know...but these are deer's ear leaves. He's having pure scaly ears."

Seraphor slowly went through his obstacles, starting from rockslide, illusion animals, death vision, close traps (didn't use for kill, but enough to discourage a dragon), even illusions on his friends projected from his mind urging him to come back and trying to lead him to false exit that ended up at the entrance.

"Seriously, this place is full of bizarre things...," thought Seraphor while calmly walking toward his goal. But then, he heard a roar, and he knew the roar wasn't supposed to be there. The roar was the worst nightmare he had ever killed, and he became agitated.

"Cero...," murmured Seraphor in deep rage. "I hate that roar!"

Back to the mountains...

"Shit, why are you projecting that?!"

"It's to control his fear. It's the final test. He's agitated because of fear, much like when you fight you personal nightmare."

Spyro became silent, and he knew trying to help Seraphor was impossible since doing so would kill the tradition. He knew the silver red wouldn't die, but of course, like what Tien Shan once said, dragons with no powerful heart would succumb to insanity. But then, when Spyro tried to think, he overheard some word exchange between the nightmare and Seraphor.

Meanwhile, Seraphor was talking to the nightmare Cero, projected from his deepest trauma, clearly in deep rage, but still controlling his composure.

"You know what you're facing here, right? Me?" said Cero to the dragon. "I know you want to kill me, but seriously, you're just doing something that you'll regret."

"Maybe so," said Seraphor, still trying to think not to lose control or the whole place would be destroyed. "But, surely, you don't mind leaving my mind?"

"Oh, that would be a great thing, silver red," said Cero in a calm manner, unlike his real insane self. "You're imagining me, that's all."

"Then why I can't de-imagine you?"

The yellow dragon smirked, then laughed. He said, "You know you're screwed when you can't do that, aren't you? I'm your enemy, after all. Why don't you try to kill me, hmm?" "I was trying to! But, killing you will make me a different dragon! You're dead!"

"Dead is a term when the body was empty of soul, is it? Well, how about if my consciousness really lives?"

"What do you mean?"

"Think, Seraphor, think! You think how did I manage to face you?"

Seraphor was visibly shaken, and fell for the nightmare's plot, he said, "Y...you, impossible...."

"Yes, yes! You're correct! Glad to know a dragon could think by their own."

"B...but when did you..."

"Oh, about that? When that golden bastard died I transferred by sub-consciousness to you, so while the Dark Rising Heart seemed disbanded, I'm alive...and you'll be my host, forever..."

"Shit! You're not going to..."

"How? I'm your brain."

Seraphor knew fighting Cero was futile, and realized this became worse. He couldn't believe the dragon would be making his first move on taking the whole realm, starting from Seraphor.

While Seraphor was in delusion, Tien Shan saw that the silver red was going to fail the test if he attacked the nightmare he projected from his brain and given his own scenario. Also, he was succumbing to his anger, and from the empathy link the Elder made, the dragon would threaten to destroy the whole realm if he succumbed to his anger. Well, at least he could save the whole realm by making him forget everything, should he started to attack. It's hard if Spyro could be the only dragon hero around with no partner, but it was enough than if he had to kill his new found friend.

The eastern dragon started to use the memory eraser when he realized something blocked his mind, and he knew the mind was the silver red itself. Reaching Seraphor's vision, he realized something.

"Ancestors, he did it!"

Seraphor, in fact, was talked by a mysterious voice not to go into deep rage, and of course before he could use his fire, he took a deep breath and directed the energy accumulated to another place outside. He saw Cero was still calm, not very surprised.

"Refrain from killing your nightmare?" said Cero.

Seraphor still thinking for an answer, until he realized that if he avenged Cero, Raithorakh's soul wouldn't rest easy and of course...Seraphor's own life since he was, in fact, fighting with Raithorakh against the vile dragon. Now, full of optimism, he said, "You can stay in my brain for as long as you like, but you won't gonna fuck everything up in my new life. Ray knew his sacrifice is necessary so you, in my head, won't go destroy the main world I'm living and protecting."

"But then, how about this new-found life of yours?"

"Then try on. I have a trustful brother with...what the fuck?"

Cero's image was smiling to Seraphor, making Seraphor even confused. The next moment he could sense was the killer of his best friend and mentor hugged him, using his front legs in a manner for two-legged dragon. But, strangely, the silver red felt warm, and calmness came to him.

"You've overcome your fear...that is me," said the Cero image. "Do you realize that I'm merely a projection...not the real one?"

"I...I can't understand. You felt real to me," said Seraphor without any belief.

"Is this the Cero you know? The dragon you solely hate hugged you like old dragon friends and didn't try to kill you?"

Because Seraphor kept silent, couldn't believe on what just happened, the image said, "This mountain base was made by my ancestors long ago to preserve the ancient dragon training for increasing their magic potential. You're passed, and may enter the Sacred Mountain."

Cero's image was gone, leaving Seraphor that was still confused on what just happened. The whole place slowly disappeared, replaced by a pleasant place full of flower scent and clear water Seraphor could never felt in his world. The place seemed calm, out of danger, and very much bright, with many animals around him and the ground.

"Wow...if paradise is like this I'll love my aftermath," thought Seraphor watching the tranquility of the place. "I...guess I need to talk to something...."

"You don't have to find me. I'm coming to you."

Tien Shan was behind Seraphor, alongside Spyro that suddenly run toward the silver red and hugged him, saying, "I can't believe you make it pretty quick!"

"Yeah, even many times quicker than you, Spyro. He finished the test for only an hour and half, while you need..."

"Stop, okay? This is not the time to discuss that. Tien, do you have a place where we both can talk in private?"

"The private meditation room is okay. It's that hut," said Tien Shan while pointing to a red pagoda roof closed hut.

"There's no Titan there, right?"

"Oh, no, no! He's currently up at the mountain forest gathering goods. Oh, and keep your voice down there. Atlas is sleeping in the hut beside it."

"Okay. Thanks for the help, anyway."

After Tien Shan left to the temple so he could leave some offerings to the ancestors, both Seraphor and Spyro went quietly toward the hut provided. While in there, Seraphor, that was over-cautious as always, made use of his ears for sensitive hearing while at the same time talking to Spyro.

"Okay, we'll start here."