'This...Can't Be Real...'

"…oh…"

"I think he's waking up."

"Who…who's…"

"Sh…It's alright.  You're among friends.  That was a QUITE a fall you had there.  You okay?"

"Fall?  I don't remember a f…"  He trailed off as he finally opened his eyes.  He could NOT believe what he was seeing in front of him.

The black dragoness in front of him…it…it COULDN'T be.  …could it?  Grathiam groaned as he sat up.  Wait.  Sat?  He…WHAT?!  The black dragoness gently put a paw on him, calming him for a moment simply out of the shock that her touch was REAL, "Don't push yourself.  You might be hurt."

Grathiam shook a little, "But…I'm…I not SUPPOSED to be…I…"

"Not supposed to be what?"  She smiled at him, "I'm Cynder, by the way.  What's your name?"

"…CYNDER?"  He REALLY shook now.  It WAS her?  Grathiam covered his eyes with his pa-with PAWS?!  He…this wasn't REAL, was it?  Some kind of freakish dream, right?  RIGHT?!  He had to get back!  Hlen was still-"OW!  What was THAT for?!"  Cynder had slapped him across the face with her tail.  He winced as he felt a warm trickle of blood seep from his cheek..

She sighed a little, "You were starting to freak out.  I figured a slap would keep you grounded…you know?"

Grathiam sighed, "…I guess.  It's just…I'm not supposed to BE here.  I'm not a dragon."

"…you must have had a worse fall than I saw."

"No!  I mean it!  I'm NOT a dragon!  Or…not supposed to be one.  I'm supposed to be HUMAN."

Cynder gave him an odd look, "What's a human?"

Grathiam shook his head, still unable to REALLY believe he was ACTUALLY a dragon and HONESTLY talking to one of his favorite video game characters!  VIDEO GAME characters!  People that weren't supposed to be real!  And he felt so AWKWARD in this body.  He was NOT used to four legs and a tail…

…and wings…

…and a muzzle…

Not to mention everything ELSE about him that had just changed!  He shook his head to stop from freaking out again.  He didn't want ANOTHER cut across his cheek.  After another sigh, he looked back to Cynder, "…my name is Grathiam.  And before you say anything else, I know ALL about you, Cynder.  I know about Malefor, and about Spyro, and Ignitus and Sparx and Hunter and ALL of them.  I haven't gotten to see all of your life, but I saw one of the most important parts of it."  He chuckled slightly, "…even…in a way…kind of helped.  When you and Spyro saved the planet from Malefor."

Cynder took a step back, eyeing him somewhat confusedly now.

He stepped forward to compensate, "I mean it!  See, where I come from…with me being HUMAN there, you and Spyro are the main characters of a game I play a lot of.  And in that game it's my job to control you two and make sure you end up defeating Malefor and everything."

"So…you…"

"Did you already beat Malefor?"

"Yeah.  Spyro and I defeated him…"  She took another step back, "SPYRO!!!!!!"  Cynder spun around and lunged into the sky.

Grathiam panicked and tried to follow her, but his new form tripped him up in the first step, and his wings wouldn't unfold properly…and his tail felt more like a dead weight than anything else…"WAIT!  PLEASE!  I…I'm sorry!  I didn't mean to frighten you!  I just…I'm CONFUSED!!!!  PLEASE!!!!"  But…she flew on.



…Grathiam hadn't seen anyone after Cynder for the next couple days.  He winced and turned his head, ignoring the growl in his stomach…and the pain.  He'd been lucky enough to find a stream to drink water from, but it only did so much, and he couldn't FISH in there.  He saw the fish, yes, but was TERRIBLE at catching them.  He couldn't fashion a net or a pole since he was without thumbs, and he STILL couldn't figure out his tail or wings.  Grathiam tried to stand up to get another drink of water, and he managed, but his legs shook hard without sustenance for strength.  Ugh…he dropped himself right by the edge of the water and closed his eyes.  He was TIRED…

…

… …"Yeesh.  You sure about him?  He looks harmless."

"But the way he talked about us…he KNEW.  He wasn't lying or crazy.  He KNEW what we had gone through."

"Well, he obviously can't take care of himself.  Come on.  Help me get him away from the water.  He'll get too cold."  Grathiam was dimly aware of someone pushing him farther away from the water.  He protested a little, but was too weak to stop them.  The male voice continued speaking once Grathiam stopped moving, "I'll catch him something to eat.  Could you get some wood for a fire?"

The female voice sighed slightly, "Alright.  But it's kind of CREEPY.  I REALLY think this is a bad idea."

"Yeah?  He's another dragon who needs help.  He's red.  A fire dragon.  Ignitus helped me TOO much while I was learning about myself for me to turn my back on ANY red dragon.  Please Cynder?"

She sighed again, "Alright.  Alright…"  The sound of wings, and then it was just the male voice.

"Don't worry.  We're here to help you this time.  Just relax.  Don't fall asleep!  Just wait a bit.  I'll get you some food.  I'm Spyro.  Cynder says you know my name and all about me."  He laughed, "When you're strong enough, I want to know just how much, Red."

"N…not…not…red…G…Gra…"

"Don't try to talk yet.  Let me get you some food, first."

"Th…thanks…"  Grathiam stopped trying to talk and focused on keeping his eyes open.



…"Cynder?"

She looked over at Grathiam, "Yeah?"

"Sorry I scared you earlier.  I…I REALLY didn't mean to."

She shook her head, "It's okay.  I…I guess we both kind of lost it back then."

Grathiam glanced to the other side, over at SPYRO.  He couldn't BELIEVE he was looking at SPYRO!  Grathiam absently bent his head down and tore off another bit of fish, "…"

Spyro returned the look, although confused, "Something wrong?"

"No…I…I just…I didn't think I'd ever MEET you.  It's…it's a bit new for me."

"Heh.  Nice to meet you too.  So…your name is Grathiam?"

"Yeah.  Hey…something I've been wanting to ask…what do you and Cynder DO in these fields?  I mean…haven't you ever thought to go look for your friends again?  Doesn't it get lonely or boring after a while?"

Spyro shook his head, "Nah.   To be honest, it's nice.  We don't have to DO anything.  After what we went through, we kind of feel like we deserve this break."

"…oh."  He shrugged, "I guess that makes sense.  Never really thought about it like that before."

Spyro tossed away what was left of his fish and turned his full attention to Grathiam, "So…Any idea?"

Grathiam gulped down a bit of fish before answering, "About what?"

"How you got here.  How you'll get home."

"…you…you believe me?  Just like that?  Cynder RAN from me when I…"

"Well…look at me.  I didn't know I wasn't a dragonfly until I was SEVEN.  And to top that, I had a huge calling on my shoulders.  I was supposed to be legendary, but if I hadn't had my friends and EVERYONE with me, I probably wouldn't have been able to do what I did for this world.  I'm an example of strange things.  It's not a hard concept for me to grasp.  If you say you're from another world, I accept that.  If you say you're not supposed to be a dragon, I can accept that, too.  I mean…you said you know about my fight with Malefor.  If that's true, it shouldn't be so surprising that I'm used to strange things happening."

"Heh.  Yeah…really."  Grathiam shrugged, "Um…I have a question for you."

"Yeah?"

"…How do I fly?  I have wings, but I can't even OPEN them."

"…you can't?  Hang on.  Let me take a look."  He stood up and went to Grathiam's back.  Grathiam felt a paw gently press a couple places, and then Spyro spoke again, "…nothing LOOKS wrong.  Try opening them?"

"…that's just it.  I don't know HOW.  I don't know how to use wings.  At all."

"You don't even know how to open them?"

"No."

"…huh.  Well, whatever happens, it's probably better if we don't try right now.  You have to get your strength up, first.  You were half starved by the time Cynder found the spot she'd first seen you at.  I'm glad you at least found the stream."

"Yeah…me too."  They continued to eat in silence for a while.  Grathiam had several fishes eaten by the time everyone was full, with Cynder and Spyro both at two each.  After his last, Grathiam smiled, "I…heh.  You know?  While I was a human, I HATED fish.  They've NEVER tasted so good before now.  Starvation makes a good sauce I guess."  He chuckled and shook his head, "Wow.  I…I'm sorry…I just…can't believe it's YOU.  BOTH of you.  I…I never once expected you two could be REAL…"

Cynder shrugged it off, "Well, it's not like humans are a normal topic of conversation for US.  So…we'll call it even."  She gave him another smile.

After that, the days passed slower than Grathiam would have liked, but they were still enjoyable.  Seemed that Grathiam being there was something of interest to Spyro and Cynder.  The three of them traded stories back and forth when Spyro and Cynder weren't trying to teach Grathiam the basics.  He STILL hadn't mastered flight, but they'd managed to show him how his tail helped him run and keep his balance.  He was more sure on his feet after using them so much, although he often felt compelled to try and lift onto his hind legs and walk like that again.  It made Cynder and Spyro laugh every time they saw him try, though.  To them, he looked ABSOLUTELY ridiculous, but…he would smile.  They were right.  Taking it easy like this DID help a little.  It made him appreciate the smaller things in life…like the bugs flying around in the air, or the simple smell of a flower, or the majestic view of the landscape…it…it was nice.  REALLY nice.  Better than he was used to, and it was SIMPLER than he was used to, as well.  He could…he could enjoy himself here.  Enough that getting back home started to feel less and less like a priority…

…until one night.  Grathiam was laying beneath the clouds as he drifted off to sleep…as he fell into a dream…

"Hlen?"

Hlen looked up at Grathiam with a gentle smile, "What's wrong?"

"I…I…nothing.  I guess not.  Just…starting to worry.  I'm not even sure WHY, really."

She shrugged.  After a moment, she spoke up, "Oh, by the way, Telrick stopped by earlier."

That name sent a CHILL up Grathiam's spine.  He looked back at her, "Wh…wha…who?"

"Telrick.  He's been stopping by a lot lately.  Concerned about me…especially after you went into that coma."

"Coma?  I…I don't remember being in a coma…I-"  He paused at a knock on the door.

Hlen perked up considerably and rushed to the door.  A HUGE man was on the other side, smiling and holding out a bunch of flowers.  She squealed and hugged him tight, acting like Grathiam wasn't even THERE, "Telrick!  Flowers?  Oh, you SHOULDN'T have…"

Telrick gently patted her shoulder, "Aw, it's nothing for my favorite, perfect woman."

"Oh, you…"

Grathiam scowled, "HEY!  Hlen, what are you DOING?!"

Telrick looked his way, "Now now…Grathiam, that's no way to talk to her.  You see, she doesn't even know you exist while I'm here.  While you're gone, she's MINE.  I'm the only one who can see you."

"The only…WHY?!"

His face started to gain angles and points, turned golden and grew SCALES, loomed in front of him, grinning, "Because I'm the one who sent you away."

"NO!!!"  Grathiam's head whipped up as he screamed.  He looked about in absolute horror, but calmed when he found his surroundings to be simple.  Yes, it was still the field, but at least nothing strange was…

…happening?



…

… … … ……………………………………"WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  Grathiam shouted the absolute instant he found Spyro and Cynder.  They jolted awake at his shout and looked to him to see what was the matter.  To answer, he pointed to the sky.

The dragon face from his dream was emerging out of a massive hole in the air.  He turned and looked down at the three dragons, "Grathiam…I've finally found you."  There were two differences from his dream.  The first and most notable was the SIZE.  The dragon was MASSIVE!!!!!  Larger than the Destroyer compared to Spyro and Cynder!  This...this was HUGE!  In the game, Grathiam had made Spyro and Cynder escape the Destroyer while it was blowing up by having them fly out of its mouth, which had only JUST been big enough for them.  THIS dragon had a mouth that looked like it could fit them walking side by side about a dozen times and still have room to walk!  At a distance, the huge dragon was normally proportioned, just MASSIVE!!!!!

The other feature that differed from his dream was a huge black gemstone on Telrick's forehead.  It looked half imbedded into the dragon's skull.

Everyone backed up a step when one of the dragon's massive paws exited the hole in the sky.  It hit the ground and caused a HUGE tremor.  This dragon looked bigger than the biggest mountain Grathiam KNEW of!!!

He heard Spyro mutter something similar, "This guy looks bigger than Mount Boyzitbig!"

Cynder frowned, "Where?"

"The mountain that you took Terrador to while you were still under Malefor's spell.  A while back.  Before I met the Chronicler."

Grathiam blanched, "What does he want with ME?"

Telrick's eyes widened a little, and he grinned, "You REALLY don't remember?  That's WONDERFUL!"  He laughed.  His laugh shook the very trees.  By the time he was out, he had caused four major tremors, his constantly swishing tail and lightly beating wings made it hard to stay in one spot on the ground, and MORE than impossible to hear anything but the rush of wind.  And then suddenly, he was still.  He bent down until his head rested on the ground, and once it had, he spoke to them, "Grathiam, you should already know.  Wasn't that dream of yours enough of a hint?  I sent it to you on purpose!"

"You…you know me?  But I've never met you before in my life!"

"Yeah.  That's the beauty of wiping your memory.  You think you've lived a human life, all this time.  But instead, you've lived HERE, on this world.  I took you and your mate away and wiped your memory as clean as I could.  The sad thing is, some of your memory remained, and two things kept from my reach.  You remembered Hlen, and the legends of Spyro and Cynder.  Ancient warriors that paved the way for dragons like you to rise up.  I swore a blood oath against you, Grathiam.  I swore I would kill you one day, and that day has come.  It's a pity for you that your beloved heroes get to die with you, but future dragons of the purest darkness will thank me for it."  He lifted one of his massive paws, and brought it down.  As it came toward them, Grathiam's mind jolted back into its proper place, flooding him with memories…

…and POWER.  He grew spines along his back made of pure white crystal.  His talons became the same crystal, and his horns tipped themselves with the same material.  A shield made of pure energy sprang up around them, stopping Telrick's attack in an instant.  He lifted his foot with a snarl, "You broke the spell already?  This is why I DESPISE you, Grathiam."

Grathiam snarled, "You…you KILLED HER!!!!!"  He roared, and his wings FLARED open.  The undersides were coated in the same white crystal.  He rose up, shining brightly as an unseen force carried him higher and higher.  Cynder and Spyro nodded to each other and took to the air, following Grathiam's ascent.

When Grathiam had reached the same height as Telrick's head, a white mist began to shroud him, Spyro, and Cynder.  The two dragons could only stare in wonder as the mist began to form around them…become solid with them inside a bubble, suspended in its middle.  After a few seconds, three huge replicas of Spyro, Cynder, and Grathiam stood before Telrick, only slightly smaller than he was.  Spyro and Cynder glanced to Grathiam, who nodded to them, "Fight as you normally would.  The power that surrounds you is an extension of yourselves through me.  It will do what you do."

Telrick snarled, "Perfect.  JUST PERFECT.  It's only been two seconds since you regin your memory, and you ALREADY remember THAT much?!  I HATE you."  He growled and crouched down.

Grathiam snarled and did the same, "Whatever you do, if he jumps, don't let him land.  He will create a crater so MASSIVE it could send the entire planet out of orbit.  It's the same thing he tried to do the LAST time we fought."  He charged forward at Telrick, leaving the other two to hurry and catch up to him.

Telrick grinned and charged THEM as well.  As he roared, his gemstone had strange…tendrils growing from it.  The tendrils whipped out at the larger versions of Spyro and Cynder, and wherever the tendrils struck they felt TERRIBLE pain.

Grathiam closed his eyes and exhaled.  The wounds healed, and the pain ebbed, but the knowledge that he could still harm them was there now.  Grathiam ran in and ducked beneath Telrick, the shoved straight up, into the dragon's chest.  He roared out in pain and backed up, "You…You HURT ME!!!!!"

Grathiam found a grin, "Forget about that?  You killed my MATE.  Hlen DIED ecause of you.  You swore a blood oath on me, but I swore you would be brought to justice for what you DID to her!!!!  Spyro!  Cynder!  I need your help!!!!"  The two didn't need more prompting than that.  They rushed Telrick from either side.  Spyro rose up and brought his paws down on top of Telrick, hoping to hold him in place.  Cynder exhaled the strongest blast of poison she could muster, and found her gigantic form doing the same, RIGHT in Telrick's eyes.  He roared out in pain and tried to back off again, but Spyro kept him from it.  Grathiam approached him and placed a paw on the golden dragon's gem, "Telrick…for destroying the simple life I could have lived…for killing my innocent mate, Hlen, I condemn you back to your prison."

Telrick growled, trying HARDER to get away, but Cynder had risen up and was holding him down the same way Spyro was.  He roared out in pure ANGER as Grathiam's paw went to the slight indent just at the back of the gemstone.  He pressed his talon against the indent and pulled back, and the gemstone pulled out with his paw.  Telrick managed one last angry shout before his body completely vanished, leaving nothing left of him but the gemstone in Grathiam's paw…

Grathiam held it with a scowl, "I wish you could DIE, Telrick.  You deserve death…but that's not for me to give."  Another blackened hole appeared in the air, which Grathiam shoved Telrick's gemstone through.  Once it was completely through, the hole vanished, and the forms Grathiam had created began to shrink and fade away.  Grathiam looked at Spyro and Cynder in turn, smiling at them, "Thank you…both of you.  I…too many times, he's gotten away from me before I could trap him again."

Cynder frowned, "HOW did you trap him?"

"His soul is bound to that black gemstone.  Without it attached to a body, the body dissipates as if it never was.  Telrick's true body and single greatest weakness and strength is that gemstone of his.  And…now…I have to leave."

Spyro shook his head, "No!  Stay with us!  What you did there was incredible!"

"Yeah?  It's not something normal for me.  It only happens two different ways.  Either I have to get REALLY emotional, or be near a purple dragon…"  His gaze shifted to Spyro, "That's why, when Telrick took my memory, YOU did not leave it.  My powers are focused so CLOSELY on you that…well…honestly?"  He sighed a little, "One of the biggest reasons you stayed in my memory, Spyro…is because…you and Cynder…are my ancestors.  My DIRECT ancestors.  I am no purple dragon, but…your family line has a huge number of special people in it.  Thanks for helping me…"

"…so…that's it?  You…you'll just leave?"

Grathiam nodded, "I can't really STAY.  I might mess up the timeline.  I'm your DESCENDANT, after all."  He smiled, "But…I might visit again soon, if that's okay with you?"

"ABSOLUTELY!!!!"  They both shouted, grinning happily.  Grathiam did too.  Eventually, they all reached their proper sizes, and Grathiam…stayed…bigger than they were.

He still smiled at them, "I have a mate, remember?  I'm not a KID."

"Oh…of course not."  Cynder couldn't tear her gaze away from him.  He was bigger than IGNITUS!  Bigger than TERRADOR!

Grathiam opened another hole in the air and began to step through it.  He grinned back at them, "…thanks again.  Hlen can finally rest easy because you two just helped me."

"Sure.  Just…come back soon, okay?"

"I will."  Grathiam stepped completely through, and the hole closed behind him.

Spyro looked at Cynder, who was looking at him, "So…he's…our descendant."

Cynder was blushing a little, "I…I heard."

Spyro grinned slightly, "Well, it's nice to know our descendants will be good people.  Come on.  I saw something the other day and I wanted to show it to you.  Wanna come?"

"Sure!"  She smiled back at him.  The two flew close together as they left the place Grathiam had left.



…Grathiam exited and looked around.  Yep.  Same old home.  Oh well.  He walked up to a fountain, smiling up at the two statues that stood at the to-wait…

…there was a THIRD one?  There hadn't been three when he'd LAST seen this fountain!  Who…whoa.  Grathiam laughed and shook his head.  That was TOO much.

…he was up there with them now…

Up with Spyro and Cynder…the honor or being beside the two greatest dragons his world had ever known.