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Chapter 20: Uncovering the Truth Dragon Realms, Uncharted System March 10, 2209 0232 Hours Dragon Temple of Warfang

"So... I wasn't supposed to stop the Great Cleansing?" Spyro asked in a solemn yet sad voice.

"Sadly... that is the truth. The purple dragons... are a mysterious breed. You've all been... different from regular dragons... and have been the topic of interest... for many years..." Rithul said as he paced with his hand on his chin in front of the statue of Malefor in the Dragon Temple.

"So... what is it that Spyro was supposed to do?" Colonel Dyke asked as he sat nearby on a crate of ammunition.

"Well... I think its best I start from the beginning. You see, the Final Solution was a weapon that was to cleanse the Universe of all impurities through firing a pure beam of light that would not harm the just yet wipe out the corrupt." He paused for a second before continuing.

"During the Original Great War... the forces of darkness captured one of the two Final Solutions. They permanently destroyed the light capacitors and repurposed them to be dark capacitors. So now the weapon is a weapon of darkness... used to destroy the Universe so that whatever comes out of the ashes will be dominated by the forces of darkness."

"Where do the purple dragons come into all of this though?" Karson asked.

"I'm getting to that." Rithul said with an agitated voice.

"The purple dragons were a species that mysteriously appeared after the firing of the Final Solution the first time. It was at this point that Humanity was starting to flourish, dragons were becoming powerful and other races were recovering. The dark armies were destroyed thankfully and the forces of darkness were denied their prize of controlling the new world because the forces of light fired the other Final Solution as they fired the dark one. The effects wiped both sides out." He paused again before taking in a sigh.

"We decided to defend the Final Solution... to keep the forces of darkness away from it. With the help of the purple dragons, we managed to do it. Diablo and Sirus helped repel the forces of darkness. Sadly, Sirus vanished and returned later to be evil. He helped the forces of darkness blow through our defenses and soon had surrounded the weapon."

"In an act of desperation, we sent our forces to the second Final Solution to do as they had done before. The forces trapped within the other Final Solution did their best to repel the invaders to buy us time. It was at that time that the council met. Knowing we didn't have long, we came up with the best plan to keep history from repeating itself again. Realizing the forces of darkness would come again and much stronger, me and Diablo enacted what you refer to as 'The Great Cleansing'. At first it wasn't the task of the purple dragons to do it... but something made the purple dragons become in tuned with the Final Solution. I'm not sure what... but... that was how it was. The purple dragons were to bring the Great Cleansing to ensure the armies of darkness never found the Final Solutions again."

"But why this world? Why can't you evacuate it and leave it baron so nobody has to suffer?" Spyro asked.

"After we fired the weapons and the survivors returned to the Dragon Realms Spyro... the only ones who knew of the plan besides the purple dragon which learned through the temples left behind were somehow being kept off the Dragon Realms. We could not return. It wasn't until now that we were granted access here... and we are trying our best... but I can sense the forces of darkness converging..." Rithul explained.

"There has to be another way... Singe said there was another way!" Spyro said.

"Singe?" Rithul asked.

"Yeah... I've been... talking to her..." He said.

"Singe... Diablo's spoke of her... mysterious dragon she is... well... Diablo said she was looking into an alternate plan other then the Great Cleansing... if anyone should know... she should..." He said.

"Well I'm going to find out!" Spyro said as he went to the gardens. "Not so fast there! We have to figure out some more things!" Dyke said as he dismounted his ammo crate.

"For one, what does the Dark Master have to do with this?" He asked. "Malefor... is mysterious. The others came up with their own ideas as to why he's trying so badly to fire the Final Solution... at this point, we are unsure other then he wants to control the world after its been wiped out." Rithul explained.

They looked at him for a bit, before Spyro chose to talk once more.

"I want to get to the bottom of things... and I need to find Singe..." Spyro said as he turned once more to leave the dojo.

"Colonel! The Typhus has several incoming hostiles on the long range radar!" A Marine said as he ran up. The other Marines grabbed their rifles and readied for whatever news could come. The Colonel joined them, though he didn't have a rifle to grab.

"How many?" Dyke asked.

"Several sir, we think Lakadors are inbound..." The soldier said.

"Marines, form a defense!" The Colonel yelled and the soldiers in the dojo sprinted towards the balcony to hitch a ride downwards.

"Sir, where do you need us?" Wagner asked.

"Wagner, round up Alpha and help protect the Temple! We'll help defend the levels leading up!" Dyke ordered.

"We'll help!" Spyro said as he turned back and walked back into the dojo with Cynder right behind. Rithul smirked and walked off into the deeper parts of the temple.

Spyro and Cynder dashed out, the others behind. Krypto, Aaron, Zephyr, Roxy and Tom followed after the Marines and dashed onto the balcony. Zephyr and Roxy vanished in a bright light and reappeared as dragons before them. Tom jumped in the air and Roxy and Zephyr grabbed his legs and carried him aloft. The others took flight and flew off to the ramparts to aid a defense.

They landed at the ramparts and saw Marines and Alliance Soldiers making a defense. Four large weapons had been installed by the Marines and Wagner referred to them as 'artillery' guns. They looked like the golden catapult but were grey and had a smaller round that it fired. Its gun was similar to the Tank's.

Several aircraft were inbound and a small foot army was heading towards the city. Tanks were part of the foot army and beams of dark energy smashed into the wall from long range. The artillery answered with a volley of fire, shrouding them in smoke as dirt was kicked up from the firing. Marines quickly opened the back of the weapons and placed another shell in to fire. The golden catapult also fired and prepared another shot. Marine mortar teams fired off rounds as well.

The foot soldiers got bombarded and held position while the drop ships speed towards the city. Raptors and Ravens streaked at them to engage, but Lakador fighters engaged and forced the outnumbered human fighters to break off. Anti-aircraft guns fired as the drop ships speed over the Ramparts and Spyro looked at Cynder who knew what he was thinking.

The drop ships began to land, but some were shot out of the air by anti aircraft weapons and dragons who had taken to the sky and had overpowered the ships. The Typhus fired weapons at incoming drop ships but their weapons were being pre-occupied with the fighters.

Spyro and Cynder flew off to the drop ships, and were followed by the others. They found an ensuing battle was already erupting as Marines took cover behind columns and walls, firing at the Lakadors that came out of the drop ships. Bullets pinged off of the metal drop ship and it sailed up and out of the area. A fragmentation grenade detonated near a few Lakadors and they ducked behind a fallen piece of building for cover.

Spyro and Cynder landed on the ground and Spyro zapped the Lakadors with electricity, stunning them. Marines nailed the stunned targets and cleared them out quickly.

"Incendiary out!" A Marine called out as he tossed a different type of grenade. It landed near a few Lakadors and released a cloud of vapor that enshrouded them. The grenade let out a small spark which ignited the whole mix and all the Lakadors in the cloud were ignited and screamed as fires enveloped them.

Spyro ran down to the fallen Lakadors to find a few retreating towards another courtyard. A few cheetahs were already fighting them, engaged in sword battles when the squad of Marines moved forward.

"Wow, we're already too late..." Aaron commented as they landed after the Lakadors had all been cleared out.

They dashed out to help Spyro, Cynder and the other Marines as they dashed to the next courtyard. Spyro launched himself at a Lakador and tossed him away as he prepared to stab a Cheetah. Cynder used her shadow to launch them all into the air and the Marines fired single shots to finish them off as they sat in mid air.

Krypto grabbed one and threw it into a wall before launching a volley of fire at the creature and burning it alive. Aaron did something similar, but he blasted the Lakador with darkness and sent it into two more who fell over. Roxy transformed into a Human once more and drew her sword. She slashed it at three Lakadors who pointed their rifles at her and they were sent flying away as a wave of energy came from it. Their armor cracked and they flew into the ground and skid for a bit before coming to a rest. Tom dashed in and pounced on one as it tried to get back onto its feet. Zephyr kicked one into a tree as he prepared a grenade and before it tried to attack them again, a Marine fired a short burst of gunfire into the Lakador and silenced it.

A Nighthawk flew overhead and fired long bursts at the ground and silenced several Lakadors as they tried to flee for cover. Grenades detonated and blasted the reptilian creatures from their spots.

Lakador drop ships sailed overhead, Raptors following close behind.

"Come on!" Spyro said as they ran forward and out of that courtyard, only to find a small trio of Marines pinned down on a balcony with 7 Lakadors firing energy and pulse rounds at them.

Spyro covered his body in fire and swooshed forward into the group, knocking several down and the rest were bewildered. They were made easy targets for the Marines who opened fire and took them down in a few bursts. The others assembled in the new courtyard and looked around, disappointed at the fact that they missed the fight once more.

They saw a few Lakador drop ships pick up soldiers and take them off back into the sky.

"Well that was easy..." Krypto said.

"Yeah... didn't even get to fight!" Aaron said in a disappointed voice. They heard distant thuds and looked up to see a few pillars of smoke rising from the balcony of the Dragon Temple.

"They need our help!" Cynder said. The others nodded and took to the skies once more, bound for the Dragon Temple.

They arrived and hit the ground to see a few dead Lakadors on the balcony with a few Marines sprawled against the railings as well. They rushed inside to find a few Lakadors standing around the dojo, a few Marine bodies against the walls.

Krypto and Roxy were the first to react, bursting at them and Roxy drawing her sword and unleashing a wave of energy and smashing them against the statue. A group of Lakadors prepared to fire at her but were smashed into the wall by Krypto as he dashed forward. Aaron, not wanting to miss any action, fired an acute beam of darkness which smashed into a Lakador head on and caused its armor to shatter and propel it into the wall.

Zephyr flapped his wings and created a large gust of wing which tossed them across the dojo. Tom bit into one Lakador and chunked the creature away. Spyro and Cynder dashed across the dojo and to the hallways leading to the other parts of the temple. The door slid open and revealed an empty passageway, bullet and energy holes riddling the walls.

They moved down the halls more and came to a circular room with Lakadors firing onto a few Marines at the other end. The Marines were holding them off as moles and small dragonlings made their escape. The trio of Marines trying to hold off the Lakadors weren't going to last for long.

"We have to help!" Cynder said.

"Right!" Spyro said and attacked the lead Lakador, smashing him into the ground while Cynder breathed a large haze of green fog over the other Lakadors, causing them to gag and grab at their throats. They tumbled to the ground and dropped their weapons.

The others arrived just in time to tackle a group of Lakadors moving in from behind to ambush Spyro and Cynder. The two oblivious dragons turned around and smiled at the group as they knocked out the last Lakador.

"Thanks..." Spyro said.

"Anytime." Roxy said with a smile on her face.

"Look out!" Aaron called out and blasted another Lakador in the chest as he prepared to fire at Spyro. A second one rounded the corner and pointed his rifle at Spyro once more. The creature had Spyro dead to rights.

The Lakador hesitated however.

This hesitation gave Zephyr enough time to pounce on the Lakador and knocked the creature over onto the ground. He followed it up by hitting the Lakador in the head and knocking him out. They placed him aside with the others and went to the Marine squad that had come out of their cover and were already moving towards them.

"Thanks... they almost had us back there..." One of the Marines said.

"No prob!" Aaron said with glee.

Some of the moles and dragonlings came from hiding and were rewarded with a safe atmosphere rather then one filled with several creatures trying to kill them.

"Where is everyone else?" Spyro asked.

"The Guardians are out protecting the temple's base..." One of the Moles said.

"This place has gone to hell since those drop ships deployed those Lakadors in the Gardens..." One of the Marines commented as he walked near, reloading his rifle at the same time.

"Where are Wagner, Karson and the others?" Cynder asked.

"They were here but went down to help defend the Temple's base. Haven't heard from 'em since." The Marine said.

They heard more shouts and ran down the hall and past a few statues and they arrived at the Gardens. A few Marines laid sprawled out in front of them and a few Lakadors stood ahead of them, firing at Moles, Dragons, Cheetahs and younglings as they sought shelter.

"We have to stop them!" Roxy yelled out. The Marines with them opened fire immediately and dropped a few of the Lakadors. Spyro, Cynder and Krypto dashed forward and plowed into the others, Krypto almost literally crushing them and tossing them aside while Spyro and Cynder pounced. Cynder bit down and grabbed a Lakador by the neck and tossed the creature aside. Spyro whipped his tail around, sweeping one of them off his feet and Spyro used his forelegs to smack the creature into the ground with great force.

A few Marines that were in the bushes opened fire and aided them, as well as Cheetahs and Moles rushing to engage the Lakadors. Soon, however, a new group of Lakadors rushed from the side and opened fire. Aaron and Roxy ducked behind a fallen pillar while two Marines caught the energy bolts and fell to the ground. A cheetah also caught a bolt of energy and collapsed onto the ground.

Spyro was about to attack when several pulse rounds passed over his head and he was forced to duck behind a fallen pillar as well.

"What the heck do we do?!" Aaron asked as more bolts hit around. Before they could react, all the Lakadors were swept off their feet and engulfed in a bright ball of fire. Spyro dared a peak and saw the Lakadors tumble of in the flames, screaming as the heat consumed them. The few that weren't torched stood in defiance, only to get smashed into the wall as a grey dragon flew out and attacked them. It was the same grey dragon from before.

The grey dragon smashed the Lakadors into the wall before spotting them as he huffed before turning to dash down an adjacent hallway.

"Wait! Stop!" Spyro called out and dashed forward, Cynder right behind him. The dragon kept going and before they knew it they had lost sight of the dragon. They turned a corner to find the dragon gone. Bewildered, they returned to the gardens and licked their wounds as they returned to the dojo as the fighting calmed down finally.

They saw Karson, Allison, Wagner and the others enter the dojo and come towards them.

"So... how're things?" Roxy asked.

"The Marines and Alliance have repelled the Lakadors... we still don't know why they attacked... seems stupid... " Wagner said.

"Maybe they're desperate..." Karson said with a slight pant in his voice. Spyro could tell they were tired. It must have been a chaotic battle down below.

"Nothing anybody does anymore makes sense..." A Marine commented.

"This whole world doesn't make sense..." Another said.

"Can it Henderson..." Wagner said, fatigue in his voice.

"Yes sir..." The soldier said in reply.

"I'll be right back... I... need to talk to someone..." Spyro said as he went out of the dojo. The others looked at him oddly and Cynder walked in his direction.

"Excuse me..." Wagner said as he left in a similar direction, clutching a wound. The others looked bewildered and almost jumped when the Guardians returned.

Spyro ran through the gardens and followed the river to the secret area. He landed in the grasses and looked around. There was nothing. Only the faint winds and night sky were dominating the area. Up until now Spyro had been running off of adrenaline. He had been pumped up from the fights but now it had come to an end and Spyro suddenly found himself feeling really tired. He gave off a yawn before looking around once more.

There were no statues.

There were no voices.

There was only silence.

Spyro sighed and sat down in the grass, letting the cool winds slap against him. The lights from the Typhus over the city illuminated the skies and created a beautiful hue that combined with the rising colors from fires and other lights within the city itself.

Citizens cleaned up the debris from the attack and lit lamps along the streets the light the way. Marines helped the clean up and Tanks were repurposed as bulldozers as they hauled away pieces of collapsed buildings.

The Typhus and a few other key locations had become the central aid station for wounded. The situation was becoming less and less suitable for defending... they had to do something... to stop all this...

Spyro felt a knot form in his stomach as he remembered what Rithul had said... he had done a horrible thing... by stopping the Great Cleansing... maybe the Dark Master was right... maybe he was meant to destroy the world... maybe this was his destiny...

"A path is only as good as its follower believes..." Spyro felt a paw touch his shoulder lightly and he looked up to not see the pink statue that he was used to, but instead the Pink dragoness that it represented. A large pink dragoness stood next to him, her paw resting on his shoulders. It was Singe.

"Huh?" Spyro asked.

"Spyro... do you really believe what Malefor says? Do you think you're born to destroy the world?"

"I... I don't..."

"Well then you're not. Fate sometimes deals us a path... and we are inclined to follow..." She looked at him and smiled before continuing.

"But that doesn't mean we have to follow." She rubbed his shoulders.

"Spyro... our paths are only what we wish them to be... we choose what we want to do... and only we can walk them... don't let anyone else tell you otherwise... "

"But... then what am to do...? This is all my fault... this is all happening because of me... I should never have been born... the world would be better of that way..." Spyro said as he buried his face in the grass. Singe brought his face from the grass and brought it to face her own.

"Spyro, doing that would only run away from the worlds problems... sooner of later we must face these issues... and correct them... not run away like we have for so many millennia... countless lives have been lost... and several purple dragons have found themselves in situations like this..."

"There... were...?" Spyro asked. Singe smiled.

"You don't think all purple dragons before you were evil, do you?" Spyro shook his head.

"All purple dragons are born pure... untainted... and with the urge to aid others... like yourself. However... powers that operate nearby corrupt many into false truths... and Dark Masters are born... Malefor... was one such dragon... but there were others who stayed pure, and tried to correct the world as best they could. In the end, they failed. But they never left their path... they never once gave up hope... are you going to give up hope Spyro?"

"No... but... what can I do...?"

"Do what nobody else has done. Fix this situation, not try to prevent it. Solve this, once and for all, don't try to stop it from happening."

Spyro was confused.

"You must confront this situation at the source... and fight this evil... once and for all..."

"But what do I do? Where do I go?"

"To the north of the Burned Lands... there is a mountain pass. It is called Mandobara. It leads north to the plains of Mandobara and the forests of Mandia. Answers will be apparent once you get there... and the key to solve this whole situation... to fix it once and for all... will be there for you... "

"But... what do you mean...?"

There was no response.

Spyro looked behind him.

Singe was gone.

End of Chapter 20