Author's notes:

This is my response to a writer's challenge on a Discord server I'm part of.

The prompt is as follows:

Revisit a familiar location from any TLOS game you wish! There were so many interesting and varied places that we came across all three games, and Spyro barely scratched their surface. Write about our heroes revisiting one of them, to see if the ashes of war have settled down or there's still chaos reigning on (It would be preferable if Warfang was not featured seeing as it is the chosen setting for an overwhelming majority of fanfics)

I was inspired by AtlasFF's oneshot Wings of Wind (itself a wonderful, must-read entry to a previous writer's challenge) and decided to write a oneshot that took place in Aimless canon.

I went with something that was set in the future, with references to events that are already on my outline but without giving away too much. In the process of writing my entry, the story just ballooned and as it stands, this is practically an update to Aimless. So consider it an unofficial chapter.

IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING AIMLESS AND YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS OF ANY SORT IN THE MAIN STORY, DO NOT READ THIS ONESHOT.

Now if you don't give any fucks about that, well… go ahead! Read on. Enjoy! The spoilers aren't all that significant anyway. Have fun grappling with all the questions you'll have in your head afterwards. I'm sure there'll be plenty. :D

Other readers... feel free to judge it on its own merit. I've done my best to make it palatable to people who haven't read my fic at all.

Happy reading!

The Journey Home — MacGuffins

Chasing Leads

"Some paths can't be discovered without getting lost."

~ Erol Ozan

[2Y/AD]

"I owe you for this, Spyro," Joshua said after seeing a landmass finally sprout up from the horizon ahead.

The Purple Dragon flew ahead of him, flapping his wings every now and then as he effortlessly flowed across the air. Spyro merely glanced at him. "Thank your friend instead. She's the one carrying you," he said, coldly. His voice sounded reproachful, too.

Oh, that's right. They weren't really friends.

He looked down at the dragon carrying him in the air. His arms were wrapped around their neck, hands clasped together in front of their throat. Joshua brought his face down to the wine-red scales and nuzzled it. The orange dorsal fin bent underneath his chin. "I also owe you for this, Serenya," he said. "You didn't have to fly me all the way to Munitions Forge. I could've asked Cynder to get me someone else."

The dragon he clung onto for dear life chuckled. He felt their throat rumble. "My brother gets to fly in and out of Warfang all the time," replied Serenya in her silvery voice. He felt her paw rubbing his forearm. "Why would I say no to a trip out of the city?"

"Well, I asked Vara and Corey about the trip before you and they—

"Uhm… They're not exactly the… adventurous type though?"

"True. Still, thank you."

"My pleasure," she warbled.

Joshua felt anticipation as the landmass grew a bit larger. He recognized the presence of a massive volcano on its silhouette. He tried to suppress the excitement as much as he could, but he couldn't completely get rid of it. After all, Spyro was leading them to Munitions Forge. A location that had been from the first entry in The Legend of Spyro.

It wasn't often that he went to places that had been featured in the video games, so this was a unique, once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity. He probably wouldn't be coming back here after today.

The only human being in all of the Dragon Realms, Joshua Renalia was transported to this world by unknown means years ago. Two years if he went by the local calendar. Nearly five if he converted it into Earth time. Back then he'd been the stereotypical high school student, with a penchant for video games and absolutely zero life experience at the age of fifteen years.

In the early days, Joshua was originally ecstatic for the opportunity to meet Spyro and Cynder in the flesh. Unfortunately, he learned the hard way that the video games weren't as accurate as he believed they were. That this world was much wider, more vast than whatever Krome Studios conceived.

That the Dragon Realms was also a shitty place, just like the world he once called home. He'd been lucky enough to have received a superpower—a unique element he could call his own—during his transmigration. It helped him survive despite bringing him problem after problem to his feet.

"Five years," Joshua thought to himself. He scowled. "It's 2020 back home. Damn it. I should be in University by now…"

Serenya asked, "You okay back there, Joshua? I heard you mumbling."

"It's nothing. Just"—Serenya suddenly lurched. Joshua tightened his grip on the dragoness and hung on for dear life as severe turbulence rocked both dragons.—"Oh shit! Not again!"

Considering how unusually hot it was despite being in the middle of the Fall, they were clearly in the equatorial region of the planet. The atmosphere was unstable, with the winds blowing in from unpredictable directions. Spyro's form ahead was Joshua's only leading indicator to the turbulence. If he suddenly dove downward 30 meters, then Serenya would follow five seconds later. Sometimes even faster than that. She'd been holding onto him just in case he lost his grip.

Which had happened at least three times during the trip.

To Spyro's amusement, of course. His laughter was unmistakably obvious when the dragon thought Joshua couldn't hear him.

Jesus Christ, the guy was still an asshole to him after all this time. At least their relationship was better than what it had been during his first year.

Much better.

The turbulence lasted for five minutes. Well, it felt like it lasted for five minutes. Joshua felt sick. He wanted to hurl, but he didn't want to mess up Serenya's beautiful scales and he certainly didn't want to sense Spyro's schadenfreude at his apparent inability to handle flight.

"This is like riding a plane, Joshua," he told himself. He tried to picture being seated on a passenger jet, with a seatbelt across his lap, the cool pressurized air caressing his skin, and the uncomfortable lack of space in the seat. "I'm on JAL right now, flying to Narita. Stormy weather, pilot says…"

His body suddenly lurched. It felt like he was in freefall. Joshua shrieked like a bitch and buried his face on Serenya's scales. The only reason he knew he was safe was because he could still her forepaws clutching his skin, the long sleeves of his tunic continuously blown back from the strong wind.

Agh, who was he kidding? He kept visualizing a rollercoaster that never came to an end. Hiccup riding on Toothless. Joshua's mind battered him with still pictures of the movie character enjoying a fast, speedy flight on dragonback, reveling in the acceleration, the turbulence, the unending ebbs and flows of the wind.

Unlike that one-legged bastard, Joshua couldn't find himself enjoying this. How could anyone enjoy this for hours?

"Just what are you muttering about?" a voice entered his ears. "What's a rollercoaster? And who's Hiccup?"

Joshua's eyes snapped open. He saw Sparx to the right, flying along with Serenya at a steady clip. Wasn't he with Spyro a while ago? He scowled. "Get off my case, glowstick. Can't you see I'm trying not to fall off?"

"I see someone trying to choke their friend to death."

Joshua gasped. He slackened his grip. "Oh f*ck, Serenya! I'm sorry. Really, I'm sorry."

She coughed once. "I-it's alright."

"Relaaaaax, Hairless. The turbulence is over."

"For now," Joshua replied. "And can you stop calling me that? You're reminding me of one of my friends!"

Sparx laughed. "Nope! I'll call you whatever I want, brat."

"What're you doing back here anyway? Did Spyro blow you off or something?" With how annoying he was in the Legend trilogy, it was surprising his brother hadn't swatted at him at least once. Spyro's patience was really long when it came to Sparx.

"Nah! I was just curious about something."

"What?"

Sparx pointed to the volcanic island ahead. By Joshua's best guess, they were about an hour away by now. "Purple Boy has an official reason to go to Munitions Forge, and I think that's a perfect time for some long overdue brotherly bonding. You on the other hand… aren't you wasting time here? We're going to a dump! Kid, rule #1 when going on a date: don't bring your girlfriend to a barren, volcano-ravaged wasteland."

"You asshole!" Joshua wrenched his arm out of Serenya's grasp and swatted at Sparx, who giggled as he deftly zipped away from his right hand. "She's not my—Eeeeeek!"

The human lost his balance and started sliding down the burgundy scales despite tightening his remaining grip on Serenya's neck. That he hadn't regained 100% function in his left hand sucked balls. Joshua screeched with an unusually high-pitched voice and reached out with his right hand for stability, grasping at the air.

Serenya dipped to the right and caught him before he completely slid off her back. She arrested his fall and Joshua clung to his dear friend out of fright. "Be careful," she warned him. "You're lucky we didn't hit a rough patch of wind just now."

As grateful as Joshua was for the save, his eyes—his attention was focused on Sparx, who'd been chuckling at him. "Look, you little prick. First, Serenya's not my girlfriend. Second, this isn't a f*cking date. And third…"

Third, he wanted to say, the thought of doing anything with something that wasn't his own species was disgusting and gross as hell.

"And third, I'm not here to go sightseeing!" Joshua tactfully said.

"Whatever you say," Sparx dismissed, singsong. "So why go with us? Spyro thinks you're wasting your time and, much as I hate to say it, I agree with him."

Joshua paused. "Spyro didn't tell you?"

"I never asked."

"Well, when… Serenya and I went to Uzali a couple cycles ago—

"Whoa! Uzali? That's far! A one-week trip, I think. Why'd you go there?"

"Guild work. What else? The town mayor sent Master Darius a letter asking for a full week's run of Ripto the Dragon after he saw one of our shows in Lodestar."

"Oh yeah! You wrote Ripto right?" Sparx whistled. "I admit, Stone Hill Artisans has gotten a lot better after you joined them."

Joshua kneaded Serenya's neck and massaged it. She whined happily, causing the human to chuckle. "You can thank Serenya for that. She's the one who recruited me."

"That's because you asked me to," she trilled.

"...uhh, kid, are you sure she's not—

"Sparx, are you gonna let me talk or what?"

That question shut the dragonfly up. He raised his hands in a defeated gesture. "Okay, okay… go for it then."

Finally. Thank God. "Uzali's mayor was kind enough to give my friends and I access to his private library when I asked nicely," Joshua explained. "We found an ancient scroll talking about this thing called the World Will. In case you didn't know, I think the reason I was brought into this unive"—he stuttered, backtracking his words. Almost let the truth slip out. It was hard, keeping an old lie going for two years.—"Ehem! To your part of the world involved really complex magic. Magic that the average, run-of-the-mill sorcerer can't help me with."

"So you're thinking…?"

"I'm thinking, if I investigate this 'World Will' thing, I'll find out how exactly I got summoned from the other side of the Realms and maybe even the reason why I'm here to begin with, and with an Element on top of that."

"I guess that, makes sense. So why Munitions Forge?"

"The scroll mentions that an extremely powerful wizard with ties to the 'World Will' built two lairs on Markazia thousands of years ago. One is somewhere in the Blackstone Mountains."

"Ugh. Ape land."

"And the second, somewhere on a 'volcanic island south of the dragon city'. Serenya's brother says the only place that matches the description is Munitions Forge." Joshua glanced at his back, where he wore a scabbard containing a long, sturdy swordbreaker. "I'm... not stupid enough to go exploring every nook and cranny at Blackstone Mountains just yet. Hell, I think trying to find the spot I first appeared in is also batshit crazy—

"Since Sunburst Woods is pretty close to Blackstone Pass, right. Riiight. I get you." Sparx laughed. "That means Munitions Forge is the safest starting point. Haha! At least you're not as insane as Fatty over there. Man, just thinking about all the situations he put me through during the war…"

Serenya cut into Sparx's reminiscing. "Turbulence ahead, and it looks bad."

F*ck. Here they go again! Joshua wrapped his arms and legs around Serenya and braced himself. The wind changed in a second and they plummeted into near freefall for a good ten seconds. "Aaaaaahhhhhh!"

.

.

.

.

.

.

Joshua was ecstatic when the two dragons FINALLY started a slow glide down to the volcanic island. The turbulence was over, and the cool winds that rushed across his back yielded to the heat of the sun. Serenya being a Fire dragon meant she emitted more heat than the dragons of the other elements. It became a bit warm for Joshua, and a little sweat trickled out of his skin.

He glanced down at Munitions Forge and was dumbfounded. He looked at Sparx. "Yo! I thought this place was a 'barren, volcano-ravaged wasteland'!"

"Me too!" said the dragonfly. "I haven't been here for nine years, Josh-O! Cut me some slack here!"

What was once a cesspit of rocks, minerals, spirit gems, and molten earth was now a lush, green-filled paradise. The only remnants from the video games were the black sands lining the beaches and the derelict ruins of unused cannons, visible from thousands of feet in the air. The coastline increased in detail the closer they got, with the verdant paint splitting into endless shades of green and brown. Into clumps of coconut palms, fast-growing trees, and dense shrubs.

The cool air of the atmosphere warmed further as they descended. Joshua could smell the salt in the air. From above, the turquoise waters became checkered glass half a kilometer from shore, rippling with square waves.

The landscape unfolding below his viridian eyes filled Joshua with nostalgia.

It reminded him of family.

It reminded him of home.

It was a sight he never knew he missed.

.

.

.

"Oooooooh," Serenya cooed in pleasure when she touched down on the beach. She craned her head at her passenger. "Hey Joshua, we're here!" she said. "You can let go of me now. It's—

The human leaped off of Serenya's back the second she folded her wings. He started kissing the black sand beside her paws. "Ground, ground, oooohhhhh sweet f*cking ground! Jesus-Mary-Joseph, how I missed being down here!"

Awkwardly the dragoness flinched. "Ehehe, uhm, Joshua… w-we still have to fly back later this afternoon."

"Y-you mean we're not staying here overnight?" He gaped at her. "Oh f*ck! I'll have to experience that flight so soon?"

Serenya's green eyes eluded his gaze. "I'm, I-I'm sorry…?" she meekly said. "It's not like I can do something about the turbulence."

"Uggghhhhhhhh!"

Serenya put a paw on Joshua's shoulder, where it lingered. "There, there," she comforted. "Calm down. Just focus on the present. Don't, uhm, don't think about later."

Spyro's heavy footsteps thumped on the sand as he approached them. He glanced at Joshua's whining, huffed in derision, then ignored him. The dragon ambled to Sparx, who was sadistically watching the pathetic spectacle. "Munitions Forge looks different now, huh?" the human heard him ask.

"Sure does. Nine years," Sparx replied. He clicked his tongue. "Who knew that creepy island from before could become a tropical paradise in nine years?"

"I didn't."

"You think this is better than Dragon Shores, buddy?"

"I'll withhold my opinion until I come here for a personal trip."

Joshua finally managed to shelve his trepidation for later after a minute basking on the earth beneath his feet. Serenya's muzzle hovered in front of his face, wearing a sympathetic expression. "Feeling better now?"

"Yeah, better."

She hesitantly brought her snout to his cheek and gave him a slow lick.

Joshua gently pushed her muzzle away and wiped his face on his sleeve. He didn't want to be smelling dragon saliva all morning now. "I'm fine, Serenya. Just not gonna think about the return trip later."

That satisfied her. "That works," she said, smiling at him.

Serenya let Joshua pick himself up. He looked askance, where Spyro and Sparx loitered. He could hear them discuss how shockingly beautiful the island was compared to what it had been nine years ago. Joshua performed the mental math. Nine years was roughly equivalent to… twenty-two years on Earth. That was more than enough time for seeds to fly in from the mainland and bathe this island in a sea of green.

Spyro regarded him with a withering gaze. Because he was much taller than Joshua, the Savior's look felt more condescending than it usually did. "Are you done?"

"Yes. So what's the plan now?"

"Official business, Joshua. It doesn't concern you."

Joshua frowned. He shot back, "You know, Spyro, it wouldn't hurt if you were a little more civil and—

"We're preparing for war," Sparx cut in.

Both Serenya and Joshua gasped. "War!"

"Sparx!" Spyro scolded. "He doesn't have to know!"

"He kind of has to. I don't know about you, but I think he's got a talent in getting the wrong kind of attention."

Serenya approached the Purple Dragon. "Uhh, Lord Spyro, w-why are you doing that? The Dark Master's been gone for years. We're, we're at peace now."

"Serenya, right?"

"Yes, Your Grace?"

"It's true that the Dragon Realms have known peace the last six years. We had a bit of a problem with the apes last year, but as you know we sorted that out thanks to someone here." Spyro glanced at Joshua for a split second. "I'll be honest: I don't like it. Things have been quiet for many cycles now. Too quiet, in my view. It won't hurt to be proactive.

"You probably don't know this, but we just found out Skylands has been making enormous progress conquering the lands across the Empty Sea. They absorbed a kingdom of sapient wasps into their empire last cycle, and we only know about it because Submaster Kaos let it slip in the Grand Celestial Palace the other week."

Spyro had a grim look on his snout. Even Sparx sported a somber expression. A face like that on the yellow glowstick meant business. The dragonfly wouldn't joke around when he didn't feel safe.

"I take it this means you're meeting Mole-Yair and Exhumor later?" asked Joshua.

Spyro fixed him with a long, cold stare. Long enough for the human to start fidgeting. He groused, "I forgot you humans don't care about my privacy." The Savior turned his back on them. "Anyway, we're wasting time just standing here. Go do your business and I'll work on mine." He raised his paw and pointed at the sky, where the sun was still rising to its zenith. "You have until sunset."

Serenya cringed. "Y-your Grace! I've never gone on a night flight like this before." Her ears drooped. "I, I'm not my brother."

"Your brother?"

"Merl, M-Merlveet," she clarified. "The fastest dragon in the Allied Territories."

Spyro hummed in understanding. "I've heard about him. Quiet. Keeps to himself. Shadow element too. Something you don't see very often in Warfang."

"Yes, Lord Spyro. The very same. He's sponsoring my apprenticeship in the Temple."

"Is that so? Sounds like he's been looking out for you."

"All the time," she said. Then she murmured, "It's because I'm a monoscale."

Joshua watched Serenya turn away from Spyro at the question, downcast. Unconsciously he brought his hand up to her head and ran his thumb across it, fiddling with the dorsal fins and her earflaps. The gesture drew her attention. It put a smile on her muzzle, and she purred.

Serenya nuzzled against the human hand out of reflex, eventually opening her mouth to catch the whole thing between her jaws and keep it there.

Spyro was unfazed. "It's okay! I've done night flights all the time during the war. It's scary, especially when there isn't anywhere to land in, but don't worry." He grinned confidently at the adolescent dragoness. Joshua swore he resembled Classic Spyro at that moment. Jealousy stabbed at him. He never saw this side of the great hero whenever they talked. "Just follow my lead and we'll get home in time for a good night's rest."

He rounded on Joshua next, the sudden movement causing him to flinch. "And you. Be prepared for that flight later, got it?"

"Yes, sir," Joshua said. He tugged at Serenya's tongue, trying to concentrate on the feeling so as to forget the intimidating aura Spyro was exuding. "Got it."

"You better. If not, you and your friend are spending the night in Munitions Forge."

Sheesh. He was mean. "We meet at sunset, right? Where do we meet up?"

"Somewhere around here," Spyro answered. "I'll look for you if I finish my business earlier than that."

"Okay."

"Sparx, keep an eye on these kids. Look for me if they ever get into trouble. Alona, Cynder will tear my horns off if we leave it to Gintomyr and they end up getting hurt."

"Noooo problem!" He hammered his chest. "You can count on me! Nothing will get past my eyes." Joshua was unimpressed with his act.

So was Spyro it seemed. With the instructions dispensed though, the Savior could only sigh in exasperation. He unfurled his golden wings and took to the skies. Joshua watched him head deeper into the island, the angle of his descent aimed at Boyzitbig in the distance.

"Tch!" Joshua hocked a loogie and spat on the soil. "And I thought we were starting to become friends."

Sparx hovered close. The dragonfly was a lot bigger up close, his body length no shorter than his shin. "Give Purple Boy a break, Josh-O. You know how he feels every time he's near you."

"I know that! But Spyro and I had a long, intimate one-on-one about it before! I expect"—Joshua felt sharp canines pricking his fingers. He turned to Serenya and found the dragoness sitting on her haunches, looking all comfortable mouthing his hand. He grimaced. "Uhh. Serenya, can I have my hand back?"

The dragoness stared at Joshua for a few seconds before hesitantly parting her maw. He withdrew his slickened hand as fast as possible. She spoke, "We're going now?"

"Yeah. Why do you do that anyway?" He asked her while wiping the slimy gunk on his trousers until only stickiness remained. "Kilat doesn't and we sleep on the same bed."

Her eyes glanced upward in thought. Serenya hummed. "Ehe, I, I don't know," she said, pensive. "It, errrhm, it... calms me down, I guess?"

"Oooooookay." Joshua concluded she had no idea what the hell she was doing. This wasn't even the first time she did this. It happened every once in a while. There was a pattern to this somewhere, the human was sure, although that was a problem for another time. "Let's just get outta here."

Sparx thrust his finger in a random direction. "You lead the way, hoo-man! I'll be right behind you."

"Wrong direction, twig," Joshua walked in the opposite direction, towards the volcano. "We're headed this way."

"But that goes deeper into the forest!" he whined.

"No shit. Let's go."

"If something tries to eat me, that sword you got on your back better be useful!"

"It's a swordbreaker, not a sword. It doesn't have a blade."

"Whatever! Just make sure you save me!"

Joshua chuckled. So much for being their babysitter. He pushed some shrubs aside and walked deeper inland. Serenya adjusted the satchel she brought with her and fell into step beside him, with Sparx hovering above her rump as he trailed them both.

It was unsettling, juxtaposing the tropical wonderland of post-war Munitions Forge to the desolate scenery from the game. The passage of time had such a profound effect on the place.

When the black sands of the coast gave way to volcanic red clay, Joshua brought up Spyro again. "Going back to Spyro," he began while ducking under a low-hanging tree bough, "as I was saying earlier, we had a long chat about it. Doesn't he know the truth now? So why is he still acting like… like that? Does he hate me or something? It's been two years! I—

The ground began to slope. A small hill. Joshua looked up. It wasn't that steep. He turned to Serenya. "Can you fly me up there?"

"I can't. It's too cramped here. The forest's too thick."

"Can you walk it?"

"Yeah."

Sparx didn't have a problem with the hike. A guy that small? With wings? Definitely never had a problem. At least he wasn't mocking Joshua for his lack of wings or Serenya for her size. It's as if the dragonfly had matured, too. "You judged him wrong," he finally replied. "Spyro's too kind to actually hate you. Can't you sense emotions or something?"

"No, I can't sense emotions! I'm not a mind reader." Joshua thought about his element, and the sixth sense it gifted him with. "That's not how it works. It's just another way of seeing people. I look at them the same way I'd look at Serenya's face or yours and do my best figuring out what the f*ck that all means!"

"What do you see when you look at Spyro? Did you see anything earlier?"

"Uhm. He's agitated for, for some reason. Feeling something strongly, and it's eating him from inside. I sense it every time he's near me! What is that then, if it isn't hate?"

"I'll call it doubt," Sparx said. "He's struggling every time he looks at you. It's true he knows better now, but what he thinks and how he feels don't mix well."

"That doesn't sound like something I can fix."

"You can't, kid. Too bad for you but you'll just have to live with it."

Joshua scrambled up the top of the hill using tree-trunks and exposed roots for leverage and balance. Some of these trees grew fast, dwarfing even an adult dragon after nine years on fertile soil.

When his boots finally found solid ground, he wiped the sweat off his face and turned back to check if Serenya needed any help. She didn't, being a quadruped. "Serenya, how about you?" he asked the dragoness when she caught up. "What do you think?"

"About you and Spyro?"

"Yeah. You were listening, weren't you?"

"...It's not, really my business, Joshua."

"I know, but come on! It's been bugging me for some cycles now. Just tell me what you think."

Serenya hissed, "Mother of Knowledge! I don't, really, know all the details—

"That's fine."

"—But, didn't he want to kill you before?"

"Two years ago."

Serenya stated matter-of-factly, "Then what you have now is, it's a big improvement compared to that." She accentuated, "A, a very big improvement."

Joshua complained, "Still—

Serenya cut in front of him. "Look. Look at me! I'm a monoscale. Dragons like me are, are treated differently and, there aren't many of us in the Temple to begin with. Apprentice life is crushing, and… lonely. A lot of it comes from the way people think about monoscales. Doing our best to fly high in spite of what Alona gave us is, that's all we can do.

"What you have with Spyro is the same thing. I don't know why he acts that way and I don't want to fly blindly about it. Whatever it is, that's, that's his problem to overcome, not yours." She ogled Joshua and spoke without the usual modesty in her voice. "Spread your wings and fly to the place you want to go. You can't delay your flight waiting for someone else. You, understand me, right?"

That wasn't the answer Joshua wanted to hear. He had prayed her response would've been different from Sparx's. He understood the message they were both telling him. He had a goal to achieve. A life to live. He shouldn't obsess over becoming friends with a fictional character that, for him, had long crossed over into the realm of real life.

He understood it, even if his body trembled at the very thought. It wasn't something he wanted to accept. Despite the urge to reject her advice the human stepped forward and gave Serenya a tight, prolonged hug around her neck. "I understand," he said. "I, I don't know if it's something I can accept right now but… thank you." And he meant every word. Meant it from the bottom of his heart.

They stayed like that for a few moments until Sparx butted in and startled Joshua. "...Is the drama over?"

"Way to ruin the moment, Sparx." Jesus Christ, he had forgotten about him.

Serenya stretched her head a little to study Joshua. "Uh, I think so? He looks like it."

"Good. Good. We going or what? We still have lots of ground to cover." He flew circles around them. "And by we, I mean you. You two, specifically."

That f*cker. Joshua swore. Someday he was going to tie up his wings and force the glowstick to crawl somewhere. Still, he had a point. Their time on Munitions Forge was limited. They had to keep going.

.

.

.

The trek had gone far better after that first hill. For hours, Joshua took the lead as they meandered across the landscape. They stuck to high ground, avoiding any descent down a steep incline and always kept an eye out for anything strange. The human was attuned to his sixth sense constantly, seeking anything out of the ordinary beyond the two life signatures accompanying him.

Other than the ruins of the gargantuan, ship-busting cannons that once rested on the island, the "nodding donkeys" and other signs of modern technology that had been in this particular level were gone. Rather, they didn't exist. Did Munitions Forge really have a locomotive and an automated pump back then? Were they ultimately destroyed during the eruption nine years ago? How did the Apes acquire the technology in the first place?

Joshua recalled how official TLoS lore didn't completely match up with his real-life experience. Another thought came to mind. Was that all simply something Krome Studios decided on? And if it was, then what really happened here?

Suddenly remembering he was with somebody who (technically) "fought" on the frontlines, he raised the topic.

"No clue," Sparx answered him. "It's all a blur to me. I actually don't know what you're talking about. We were too busy kicking ape butt."

"Didn't you chase a train or something?"

"Not sure what a 'train' is, brat, but it was a giant cart filled with mean furballs. What's with all the questions?"

"That's advanced technology," he said. "If that was in Warfang you wouldn't be traveling 'round the continent on foot or on dragon wings. It'll be much faster on rails."

"Advanced technology?" Sparx chortled. "You mean lost technology! Whatever Spro and I saw back then, it's gone now. Apes can't build machines like that anyway. They're too dumb! Something like that? Waaaaay beyond their brain capacity."

Joshua decided to stop pursuing this matter. Spyro and Sparx were at war that time, leading a one-dragon assault on a fortified labor camp. They weren't in a position to take stock of the technology around the place when they had people to rescue.

The hike continued until their waterskins ran dry. With time transforming Munitions Forge into a tropical island, the group quickly found a flowing stream. Serenya's hearing was strong enough for the job; so was Joshua's, thanks to his power.

His element proved particularly useful in the wilderness. The stream had a few spirit gems growing along its banks, although they didn't need it when he could kill the microbes present in the water at a thought.

The white glow of Joshua's Element faded away from the two waterskins in his hands as he stashed both inside Serenya's satchel. One, dyed in the green of her eyes, was for the dragoness herself. The other, for emergencies.

Joshua had just refilled and disinfected his own waterskin when he noticed the sun was at its zenith and called for a lunch break. The group relaxed underneath a tree and ate the dried meats they brought from Warfang Temple. Joshua also went as far as climbing up a short coconut palm nearby and knocked down three fruits using his swordbreaker. Sparx wasn't hungry; apparently the dragonfly had been eating bugs while they weren't looking.

That meant Sparx had time to ask questions. The most important one being, "Josh-O, we've been searching this island for hours!" He pointed at the dormant volcano in the distance. "We're halfway to Boyzitbig and I don't see anything that looks out of place in this forest. Are you sure this place exists?"

Joshua wished the glowstick would stop calling him by that tacky name. "Nope."

"WHAT?" Sparx was flabbergasted.

"I'm chasing leads I pulled out of a musty scroll rotting in some library up north, Sparx." He fixed a stare at him. "You think they're reliable to begin with? I'm f*cking desperate, dude. I don't even know what this World Will thing is."

"How do you know that's related to whatever put you in Sunburst Woods then?"

"I don't. It's just… I just have this feeling. Like I said, I'm desperate."

Sparx anxiously scratched at his head as though trying to pull out clumps of hair that didn't exist. "You mean I could've just been sitting at the beach this whole time enjoying this tropical paradise?" he not so much asked as he blurted.

Joshua laughed. "That's right. Ha! Too bad you have to babysit us here."

"I hate you! You're really—

A loud sluuuurp interrupted him. "Ahh," Serenya sighed. She set down a coconut fruit on the grass, which had a noticeable puncture on its top. She licked her chops. "It's not, a waste of time? I mean, I, I haven't been this far south from Warfang before. At least I got to go sightseeing."

Sparx accused Joshua, "Didn't you say you weren't here to go sightseeing?"

Joshua drank a couple gulps from a coconut of his own. "I did! But we're trekking across the island, scouring through everything we can see for anything of interest. Sightseeing is part of the job."

"Uggghhhh!" Sparx raised his hands in defeat. "You two are just—argh! I give up."

Serenya giggled. "But it's true, Sir Sparx. This is really a beautiful place! I've read tomes written about the war before and they never described Munitions Forge like this."

"Hmm, the Apes were magically inducing volcanic activity," Joshua suggested. "Somehow."

"Maybe." Serenya drank from the coconut again. Her tail swished back and forth beside Joshua as she slouched and relaxed. "Thanks for inviting me, Joshua. I'm having a good time, actually."

Joshua caught Serenya's tail in a single move. With practiced ease he ran all ten of his fingers over its soft, pliable scales. Doing it felt right, for some reason. "Sure," he replied. "I guess that's a good thing—

The dragoness gasped. "Whew~ that's good. Your grip's a little stronger from last time."

"Heh. That's because I'm still doing the exercises Getsuga taught me."

"Isn't your left hand all better now? You don't meet her in a lecture hall anymore."

"Yes, it's better, but still not as good as what it used to be. Anyway, it's good you're enjoying yourself." Joshua frowned. "If our friends were here, we'd be sweeping through Munitions Forge faster." He glared at Sparx, who was perched on the stem of a shrub near them looking bored and utterly defeated. "The company would be better too."

"Don't worry about it." Serenya shifted position so she could boop his shoulder. "Someday we'll all go on an adventure together! All six of us."

"Yeah, someday..."

"When you go," Sparx chimed in, "leave me out of it. I hate babysitting!"

"You won't be joining us, dude. One of us is already a babysitter. It's his job."

"Oh. G-good. Good. Very good!"

Joshua gave Serenya's tail one more squeeze. Her warbling put a smile on his face. Her reaction was more satisfying to watch than his adopted sister's. He ignored the disappointed look on her muzzle when he relinquished the thick tail and chugged down all the juice left in his coconut. "Looks like we're all done. Let's keep going."

"...Sure."

"Finally. I was getting bored here!"

"You can go back to the beach if you want," Joshua offered. "Serenya and I can take care of ourselves."

"Fly back by myself?" Sparx threw a fit. "No way. Nuh uh. If I leave you both alone, things might happen… to me! I saw a giant spider earlier and I am NOT gonna be bug chow! Besides, I don't want Spyro getting mad for letting you run off by yourselves."

Joshua hurled the empty husk into the stream. "Suit yourself. Just don't complain about it later."

"I won't."

"How much time do we have left?"

"About six hours."

Six hours in a twenty-seven hour day? That's plenty of time, Joshua thought.

.

.

.

All that time went away very quickly.

It wasn't long before yellow drowned out the bright purple-blue of the sky as the sun descended into the horizon. Joshua's search proved fruitless in the succeeding hours the group expended as they scoured across the transformed Munitions Forge. By the time Joshua noticed a structure worthy of interest, the titian skies had become a deep red-orange.

Whether out of desperation or out of some bizarre feeling in his gut, Joshua Renalia chose to investigate the site instead of moving further inland towards the volcano.

On arrival, Sparx was the first to break the silence. "Oh heeeeyyy! What do we have here?"

For once the dragonfly buzzed ahead. It was a small clearing just enough to fit a campsite for five or six people. Joshua watched Sparx hover around what appeared to be a curved archway partially sticking out of the reddish ground.

Serenya looked at the human. "Errr, Joshua?" she asked, questioningly.

"I'm not sure." He sniffed the air. Nothing out of the ordinary. "Can you smell anything? Like… another dragon?"

She raised her snout to the air and did the say. "Nothing."

"Hey Sparx!" Joshua hollered, brushing some bushes away from his and Serenya's path. "What'd you find over there?"

"Something, familiar?" he answered. Joshua examined the broken structure. It was made of dark stone. Black with a bluish tint all over. It was the first thing he saw this whole trip other than jungle plants and bugs. Other than that, it wasn't much to look at. It seemed too ordinary.

"Do you know what it is?"

"Not a clue, Josh-O. But I'm telling you, I feel like I saw it before!" His face brightened. "Nine years ago! Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah! I remember seeing something like this when Spyro and I beat up a bunch of Apes!"

That didn't help at all. Joshua scanned the surroundings. Vegetation had consumed everything around the clearing. There wasn't much to see but wild, unfettered nature. The human shut his eyes and retreated into his sixth sense. With practiced thought, he expanded his sense of self outwards and went as far as he could manage. Large spheres appeared in his "vision", representing Sparx and Serenya. Smaller, dimmer signatures of life sprouted from the ether, signifying other forms of life, may it be animals, insects, even microbes.

Wait a minute. Something was there. Below. Hundreds of feet below. A kilometer. Maybe two. He couldn't tell. Distance was difficult to gauge in this other sight. Merely sensing it stirred something inside Joshua. It could only be described as a kind of nostalgia, of longing. "But why?" he asked himself. He didn't understand.

"Hey, Joshua?" Serenya called his attention. Her soft tones reached his ears. "I found something. Look."

Joshua ambled to the dragoness a few steps away, closer to a tree twice Spyro's size. He saw Serenya pawing at something on the ground. It was metal, and a dull crimson. A shade or two lighter than the dark red of her scales.

"Let me see that." Serenya stepped aside and let Joshua pick up the object. It was straight and rough to the touch. About eight inches stuck out from the soil in a 45-degree angle. Joshua's curiosity compelled him to pull the thing out.

"What's that you got there?" Sparx asked.

Joshua grunted. Two foot of it was out now. Jesus! Even with his enhanced strength, the earth refused to let go. "I don't know! We're about to find out!" He barked at the only other person who could really help him, "Serenya, help me out here. Grab the other end with your teeth and pull!"

It took a full ten minutes to dislodge the whole object from the soil, with the last pull requiring an unusually high amount of effort. The earth exploded as a large round thing burst forth. It was half the size of a prepubescent dragon.

A misshapen sphere of rock, made of the same material as the broken arch.

"So what is it?" Serenya asked. She ran her nose all over the object. "I've never seen something like this before."

Joshua knew the answer the moment he saw the scarlet metal pole and the boulder attached to the end. "It's a clapper. This thing was attached to a bell before."

"Hm. Interesting." Sparx's reply was dismissive. "Oh well, bell's gone! Can't do a thing about it now. How about we move on?"

"Joshua?"

"Wait!" The human racked his brain to figure out why Sparx seemed drawn to this place to begin with. It took about a minute of thinking.

Serenya nuzzled his shoulder to get his attention. "Ummm…"

"Ah!" Joshua exclaimed, catching her by surprise. He ran over to Sparx. "Sparx! Do you remember when Spyro started using the Earth element?"

"Sort of? Like I said before, it's all a blur…"

Not to Joshua. What kind of Spyro fan would he be if he didn't actually remember his favorite all-time video game? He had played both the Classic and Legend trilogies multiple times in his childhood. It may have been years since his hands last touched a PlayStation or XBox and some of the popular titles of the early 2010s have begun to fade from his mind, but there was no way in f*cking hell he'd forget the one game that started it all.

"You and Spyro came across a bell while you were headed to meet Exhumor at the labor camp. You tricked him into ringing it! The thing fell on him and you couldn't get him out, remember? He escaped by—

"Blasting it with Earth," Sparx finished for him. He was awed. "Whoa. That was here?" He snorted from disbelief. "I can't believe it. This used to be a cave!"

Joshua grinned. "Yep! Amazing, isn't it? I also think there was something special about that place."

"Why?"

"Because I feel something here." Joshua pointed at the broken arch a few steps away. Suspiciously, that spot was barren. Nothing grew on it. "Directly below that spot and really deep underground."

Serenya brightened at the news. "You mean you found something?" Her forepaws moved rapidly, like somebody doing a football shuffle. "Egeria, th-that sounds exciting!"

"Hold up," Sparx said. "Just how are we getting down there?"

Joshua made a reply, but his voice died as the words left his mouth. "What we can do is…"

A few seconds passed. "Nothing," he said. "We don't have the tools to dig down there, and we don't have the time."

The group fell into awkward silence. Serenya and Sparx were struck dumb by the revelation.

.

.

.

Then the reactions came.

Sparx's reaction, rather. Wings freezing up, the dragonfly plummeted to the ground, where he literally rolled on the barren soil laughing maniacally. "I knew it! I knew it! I TOTALLY CALLED IT! This really was a waste of time!" Gasping for breath, he ogled Joshua's increasingly scarlet face. "You, you, y-y-you had us running around this island chasing leads you didn't know existed, and when we finally found something despite the odds, you, you…"

The dragonfly lost himself in fits of laughter.

Scowling, Joshua went to the broken arch and curled up beside it. He was so close to a clue to his origins, yet he couldn't investigate it properly. He felt hot. He curled his fist and started pounding the soil. "F*ck! F*ck! F*ck! F*CK!" Done in by the simple mistake of not carrying any tools with him. Joshua screamed in frustration. "GODDAMMIT!" The fact it made Sparx howl louder exacerbated the weight in his stomach.

He sensed Serenya trotting over to him. Joshua glanced up. "Don't worry about it," she consoled. "It's alright. You didn't—uhm, you couldn't have expected this."

"I could've prepared better."

She leaned down and, after a second's pause, rubbed her snout on his shoulder like a gigantic cat. Serenya flopped right in front of his feet. "You—Nobody knew Munitions Forge became a tropical island after the war ended."

"Doesn't matter," he insisted. "I know I could've done better. Somehow."

"Joshua…"

Joshua buried his face on his forearms. Serenya stayed right where she was and curled around him. The gesture was touching, enough that Joshua brought his hand to her wine-red scales and found comfort in their texture, in the way they overlapped over one another. Other than that he couldn't bring himself to care. She tried licking his hand slowly to get another reaction, but by this point he was practically catatonic; Joshua's mind was still reeling from the enormity of this f*ck-up.

Was there still a way to salvage this? Returning to Munitions Forge in the future was out of the question. The trip required a six-hour flight and experience with highly turbulent air currents. Spyro's guidance ensured his and Serenya's safety, but what if it was just his friends? Even if he managed to find his way back to the island with some help, would they find this place again? The island was forested now. Dense tree cover covered this particular area they're in. It'd be difficult to find the broken arch from the air.

As his thoughts stayed in motion, after Sparx lost his breath mocking him, the dragonfly remained tactfully silent. He heard the buzz of his wings while he flew closer and perched somewhere along the arch.

Minutes passed. The weather cooled down as the sun continued its descent.

No matter how much time had elapsed Joshua wasn't any closer to finding a solution to his problem. He was still in deep contemplation when a life signature containing a massive presence suddenly appeared within his mind's eye.

Serenya stirred not long after. He heard her sniff the air. "Spyro's here," she said.

Spyro.

...He was his last hope.

"There you are!" Spyro said, landing in the middle of the clearing. "Been looking everywhere for you guys. Weren't we supposed to meet at the beach?"

"This is an interesting place you found," another voice said. Its accent was strange, nasal. Something Joshua hadn't heard before throughout the entire time he spent in Warfang.

Joshua snapped his head up. Spyro towered above them all as usual. He was three-fifths of the way between the size of an adult dragon and that of a late adolescent like Serenya. The human's gaze didn't linger on him for long. He looked for the other speaker. Where was he? It sounded like—

He looked down.

A frail creature with a pointed snout stood in front of him. It was examining him not with its useless eyes but with its sharp sense of smell. Joshua blinked in surprise. It was as high as his knee. "Man, he is small," he muttered to himself.

"So you are the furless ape?" Mole-Yair declared. Good Lord, his French-sounding accent was heavy. "You smell like the ocean, and like dragon."

"I'm traveling with one right now, sir. I think—

"No, not that dragon beside you! Another. I can smell their scent all over you."

He was talking about Kilat's.

"I-I live with one. My sister. She bathes me twice a day."

"Ahhhh, makes sense. I am aware of the ritual at least." He broke into a grin. "Then you are indeed quite friendly with the dragons, no? Amazing feat, for an ape."

"I'm not an—

"What are you doing here, Joshua?" Spyro cut him off. "Where's Sparx?"

Joshua turned and saw the dragonfly snoozing in the shade. He flicked the golden tail. "Wake up! Spyro's here!"

"W-wha-wha-what? He's here?" Sparx wiped his mouth and rounded the clearing twice before finally noticing his adopted brother. He flew up to his scowling face. "Heeey, hello, Fatty! Fancy seeing you here."

"You were supposed to be at the beach. What happened to watching over the two kids?"

Joshua growled. He hated it whenever Spyro referred to him as a child, just because of his long lifespan. Back on Earth, he would've already been twenty! An adult by most countries' standards. "You know—

Serenya's paw clutched his hand. Her pads were cold and claws dug into his skin. A silenced Joshua looked down and locked eyes with her. "No," she spoke softly. "Not worth it."

He sighed. "I know, I know. You're right." Joshua backed down and stayed on the sidelines. She's right; pissing off Spyro wasn't worth it. Goddamn, it'd feel so good if he just yelled at him though...

Whatever they were saying, they'd already moved on. Sparx took Spyro's snout by the tip of his nose and dragged him towards the fallen bell clapper. "Look what Josh-O found!"

The Savior looked down at the object. "Uhhhh, I don't understand."

"Remember when you used Earth the first time, buddy?"

"Sure do." He smirked at the dragonfly. "That was the first time I heard you worrying about me."

"A bell fell on you! I thought you were dead. Of course I was worried!"

"Oh, now you admit it." Spyro laughed. "Took you nine years, too."

"Sure, I guess," Sparx deadpanned.

"So why'd you bring that up?"

Sparx flew circles around the clearing, drawing Spyro's attention to the bell clapper and the broken arch. "Don't you see, Spyro? We're here! This is where it all happened back then!"

The Savior glanced around. "Really? Wasn't this all underground?"

"That's the power of time, bro! The power of time."

Joshua Renalia tuned out the brothers marveling how the whole island had practically changed, even the subterranean ecology. He had better things to do right now. "Hello, Mole-Yair. I'm Joshua."

"I see you've heard of me." His face wasn't visible from up high. Mole-Yair's hat also made it difficult to ascertain his expression. "Mhm! I can't see very well in all this light, but you seem wiry for an ape."

"Uhh, sir?" Serenya preempted, "He's, not actually an ape." Joshua watched her saunter over to them with a flap of her wings and stand beside him. "He's human."

"A hoo-man?" Mole-Yair mimicked in his thick accent. "Never heard of them, yeah?"

"I'm from the unknown world," Joshua butted in.

He quickly rounded his arm across Serenya's shoulders and pulled her in. "Hey," he whispered to her, "You don't need to do that."

Her earflaps sagged a little bit. "Oh. Uhh, all right. I, I-I was just trying to help."

"I know, and thank you. Don't worry. I got this."

"Okay."

Mole-Yair was pulling on his long moustache, walking stick tapping the ground. "You mean to say you're from outside the five continents?" He hummed. "Spyro never mentioned that."

"You guys talked about me?"

"In passing. According to him you are looking for something."

"I am. I think I found it, actually." Joshua stomped the soil. "There should be something here. Deep underground."

"Mhmmmm…."

Shit. He sounded skeptical. "I, can't completely explain why I think it's here. It's just, a feeling that I have, and—

"The Manweersmalls do not go here," Mole-Yair stated.

Joshua's mouth popped open from shock. "EH? I thought you all belong underground! You're like Moles. You can easily dig your way down there."

"Never! No Manweersmall would ever dare dig that way."

"But why—ow!"

Mole-Yair smacked Joshua's leg with his cane. "It's a cursed place! Buried in unfathomable depths, further than our deepest tunnels, lies a space sealed off from the world by magic Cynder could not crack even at the height of her power."

Joshua couldn't determine whether he should be scared shitless of his ominous words or stay true to the goal he set for himself since his arrival in this video game world. "I still have to go there."

"It is not worth your life, hoo-man."

"Yes it is!" He clamored. "It's my best—it's my only chance at finding my way home!"

"I might have assisted you with any other request, but I won't sacrifice my people for something this reckless!"

Joshua clenched his fists. It quivered. Serenya took his hand between her paws again and clasped it between its soft, squishy pads. "G-Ground yourself. Joshua, please." On a normal day—on any other day, he would have appreciated this show of care. He might have even abnegated the anger building up in him. But this concerned the most important thing in his life. The only thing he wanted now.

His journey home.

All Joshua could think of were images of his family yet he could no longer remember their faces. Even Natasha, the love of his life. Five years had already passed on Earth during the two years he spent so far in this fantasyland. The only thing he had left of his loved ones were their names and it terrified him.

"How do you know you'll end up sacrificing anything? That place must've been there for hundreds of years! Whatever's inside probably isn't dangerous anymore."

"I don't care, Mister Joshua! I said no and that is all I will ever say about it!"

"Godf*cking dammit, Mole-Yair! It's—

"Why are you two shouting?" Spyro cried. The Savior marched to the three imperiously, his irked mien open for all to see. Fearfully, Serenya clung to Joshua out of instinct.

"Spyro!" Mole-Yair yelled. "Did you know what this hoo-man is planning? He is out of his mind!"

Joshua rebutted, "No! You're the one who's gone f*cking cuckoo!"

The Purple Dragon groaned audibly in an attempt to contain his irritation. "Can either of you tell me what's going on here?"

"There's a spot I want to investigate," Joshua said, pointing his finger at the barren section of the clearing.

Spyro eyed the area then gave the human a weary look. "And you haven't done that because?"

"It's underground! Really, really deep underground." He glowered at the tiny mole-like creature pissing him off. "While you and Sparx were basking in your little nostalgia trip I asked Mole-Yair for help but he refused me."

"Hmph! Your plan will put any Manweersmall I put to the task in grave danger. It might even impact the entire island! It is only natural that I refuse." Mole-Yair drove his cane into the soil. "Spyro, below us is a place sealed with magic. Who knows what it holds within? The risk is not worth it."

Joshua pleaded to the highest authority in front of him. He fell to his knees and begged, "Spyro, please. Help me out here, just this once." He wrung his hands together and presented his neck to the adult dragon. "I'm begging you, dude. I know we're not friends, but this is the only lead I have right now. All I want to do is go home! Dig it up for me and I swear—I f*cking swear—I'll owe you a massive favor for it."

Spyro's life signature swirled slowly. Although the flow of energy within was turbulent, its surface texture stayed smooth. A sign of intense deliberation. True to Joshua's inference, the Savior asked, "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes!" Joshua exclaimed. "Yes, yes, yes, yes! Absolutely!"

Spyro grumbled. "Azeroth's cloaca, fine. I'll do it. I'm more than qualified to handle whatever's down there anyway. The three of you, stand back." He glared at the insect that appeared beside his muzzle. "You too, Sparx."

"Aww, really? But we're brothers, man! We've been through a lot together. Fought a war, saved the world, hero stuff."

"I did most of the fighting."

"Can't deny that! Fine, I'll stay back and secure the others."

"Sure." Spyro's reply dripped in sarcasm.

Serenya couldn't help chirping to herself. "He's funny," she muttered to Joshua, amused.

Joshua rolled his eyes. How could anybody find that funny? He didn't bother giving the dragoness an answer. He watched Spyro shut his eyes and focus. Joshua did the same and immersed himself in his sixth sense, where he viewed every living thing around him as spheres of energy.

The gargantuan orb representing Spyro pulsed several times. A green light leapt out of it and pushed its way downward. It surged towards the sealed space Joshua detected earlier and then…

.

.

.

Nothing happened.

Spyro's elemental mana vanished the second it came into contact with it. In his mind's eye, Joshua saw a barrier flash once and absorb every bit of magic sent to it.

"This… this doesn't make sense."

Joshua returned his attention to the physical realm where he saw a flustered Spyro pacing about the broken arch. "What's wrong?" He asked. "You can't get through, can you?"

"I can overpower the barrier. It's just, I estimate it'll take half my mana."

"Holy shit."

Spyro's confidence had disappeared. He was spooked. "I, I-I don't know about this. If I keep pushing it, I feel like I'll attract something best left alone."

"Did you feel anything?" Joshua questioned.

"Yes. It felt"—he fell silent. His eyes searched the ground. The words didn't come easy to him.—"It's, it's hard to describe how it feels…"

Joshua threw out the bait. "Is it like something you've known before? Something, wistful? Like, a, a… a fond memory?"

Spyro stared down at him. He couldn't tell what he was thinking. His facial expression and body language were neutral, and his life signature was equally indecipherable. "That, and the feeling whatever's down there is sealed for a reason. I don't think it's cursed like Mole-Yair believes; I don't sense any danger from it per se."

Joshua looked up at Spyro. "Then—

"I won't go through with this," the dragon declared. "I understand it's important to you but this doesn't feel right. Unearthing that place… shouldn't be done while drifting along the winds."

Joshua bowed his head. The disappointment was suffocating. "I get it. I f*cking get it."

"Sorry."

"Don't be," he said, voice frigid. "What now?"

"We fly in fifteen minutes. Get some rest. Have some snacks. Relieve yourselves somewhere. We've got a long flight ahead of us."

Spyro left. Together with Sparx, he laid down and lounged on the other side of the clearing. An indignant Mole-Yair harrumphed rudely at Joshua and followed the Savior for any last minute discussions related to their business.

Leaving Joshua and Serenya with each other.

The human didn't realize he was still standing, fists clenched and legs quavering, until the dragoness coiled around him like a winged snake and made him stumble.

He fell on his ass. "Oof!"

Serenya's flank caught his head. He felt his friend twitch and adjust her position until she could see him sideways. "Hey, uhm, how are you?"

"...I don't know…"

Serenya peeked at the sky above. It was dusk, the green moon faint but visible. "Are we, coming back here in the future? With, our friends?"

Not for the beach and this tropical paradise.

But for the thing ensconced under Munitions Forge.

"I don't know either."

Spyro's hesitation killed Joshua's confidence. Wariness, doubt simmered in his heart. Questions circulated constantly through his head. Should he keep investigating his origins? Should he continue searching for a way back to Earth? How long would he keep fumbling around before he finally came across something fruitful?

"Hey Serenya…"

"Hmm?"

"Can I hug you?"

She made a sympathetic smile. "You don't need to ask, Joshua. I'm here for you."

Joshua firmly embraced his friend and burrowed his face on her scales. He lost himself to their light, flowery scent and focused on the contented purrs rumbling beneath them. Serenya's warmth was a calming balm. An effective palliative to the afternoon doldrums. All these soothed the bitter taste of failure and dulled his disappointment.

Yet they could not keep him away from the questions that would plague him for many weeks.

Would his journey home lead him to a Pandora's Box?

Was he even ready for the consequences?

THE END