Everyone gasped and stepped back as all eyes fell on Dark Spyro, who only winced as he turned away from their shocked, scared gazes.

"You're lying! Dark would never betray us like this!" Sunburn insisted as he stepped forward while his feathers heated up with rage. "You did something to him, didn't you? Let him go!"

"I don't know if you brainwashed him or if you're pulling him along," Sonic Boom joined in as she narrowed her eyes and snarled, her voice filled with the rage of a mother whose child was taken away from her, "but you'll bring him back to us this instant!"

"Or else, well," Lightning Rod warned as he slammed his fists together, his trademark smile replaced with furious scorn, "we'll be forced to take him back!"

"I assure you, this is none of my work!" Vathek's smirk grew wider and more sinister, as if he fed off the others' confusion and rage. "He joined me entirely of his free will! In fact, I'll prove it to you!"

Vathek let out a chuckle, but his smile turned a bit more gentle as he glazed down at Dark Spyro.

"Now," Vathek hissed as he gently nudged Dark with his wing, "prove your loyalty to me and show those Skylanders what we do to those who challenge us!"

Dark Spyro winced, but as Vathek gave him an odd, almost demanding stare, he clenched his teeth and flew down to the battle, much to the shock of Lightning Rod, Sunburn and Sonic Boom! Their jaws dropped wide open as he spread his wings, clenched his jaw and looked away from their wide-eyed glances.

"Minions!" Dark and Vathek cried out at once, though Dark's voice sounded more strained and forced. "Attack!"

As they cried out in unison, Vathek's whole body glowed with a ghostly cyan aura, and puffs of light cyan smoke erupted across the floors and dissolved into minions! From skeletal knights, to zombie dragonets, to even a few angry-looking ghost gremlins, all of them swarmed the area around and fixed their eyes on Sunburn, Sonic Boom and Lightning Rod with the intention to kill.

"Dark," Sunburn whispered with a hint of pain in his hoarse voice, "don't tell me he's right!"

But, Dark Spyro didn't say a thing in response! He couldn't even look Sunburn in the eye; he just dashed away and left a few of the skeletal knights to fight Sunburn in his place.

"Dark, get back—" Sunburn lunged forward, but reeled back and spat out burning hot flames as the knights surrounded him.

"Dark, please!" Sonic Boom begged as she blew away the dragonets in front of her and made chase after Dark Spyro. "Just tell us what's going on! We don't want to hurt you!"

Dark Spyro gave Sonic Boom a pained look for a moment, but dove into the shadows of the nearby knights and popped out from Lightning Rod's! Dark paused for a moment and shook his head, but yelped as Lightning Rod grabbed him and pinned him against one of the pillars!

"Dark Spyro, I do not wish to hurt you," Lightning Rod snarled as his eyes narrowed, "but, if you keep up this act, you'll leave me no choice!"

"Lightning Rod, stop!" Sonic Boom exclaimed. She jumped back as a gremlin shot a trio of bombs her way that exploded soon afterwards and wiped out most of the foes surrounding.

"Don't distract me, Sonic Boom! He won't listen any other way!"

Lightning Rod looked away in just that moment, and with him distracted, Dark Spyro took the opportunity to escape! Dark wiggled out of Lightning Rod's grip, leaped into another shadow and slunk out of the fields.

"Quit running away, Dark!" Sunburn spat as he burned away the last of the knights and shot Dark a glare. "Come back here and tell us what's going on! You're one of us, right? So what are you doing working with him?"

However, Dark Spyro still said no words. He just flew back to Vathek's side and sat down while Vathek just frowned.

"Oh, hush, you were never allies of his to begin with!" Vathek shouted as he cast an ice-blue glare down at Sunburn, Sonic Boom and Lightning Rod. "Besides, you, don't need allies to crush all those in your way and rule—" Vathek stomped his foot "—that's what the minions are for!"

Another series of smoke blasts brought a second wave of minions down for Sunburn, Lightning Rod and Sonic Boom to fight! But while they warred away, Dark Spyro just sat at Vathek's side with a slightly pained face as the dirty looks Sunburn, Sonic Boom and Lightning Rod shot him bored into his heart.

"Dark, I thought you were better than this!"

"Was all this time spent with us a lie? Were you never truly our comrade to begin with?"

"I can't believe I ever considered you a friend!"

Dark made one last grimace as he looked back at them, but a momentary glance from Vathek forced him to sit firm and upright.

"They're insulting you," Vathek remarked, "so why haven't you gone to stop them?"

"I," Dark Spyro winced as he clenched his teeth, "I have a plan for them, you'll see soon enough."

Vathek hummed, looked down to see his wiped-out forces scattered across the floors and snarled. "And I do as well! It's about time we confronted these Skylanders ourselves!"

Vathek swept down from his throne and slammed down on the ground, while Dark hastily followed after and took a seat next to Vathek.

"You stupid Skylanders may have finished off those useless minions, but you stand no chance against me!" Vathek hissed as he grinned and splayed his wings wide while his chest glowed with a bright silver aura.

"NOW, BASK IN THE RAW POWER OF THE ETERNAL UNDEAD SOURCE AND PERISH!"

Sunburn, Lightning Rod and Sonic Boom all leaned back, and got ready to fight as beads of sweat dripped down their faces.

"Actually, I have a better idea!" Dark Spyro announced as he flew in front of Vathek.

Vathek clasped his jaws. "What exactly are you talking about?"

"This!"

In the blink of an eye, Dark Spyro shot a bright purple fireball straight into Vathek's chest! Vathek screeched like a vulture and stumbled back as the flames ate away at his body, but as the fire faded, his chest completely withered away to reveal the Eternal Undead Source! Its silver glow shone bright like a star, but even among the light and the faint fog it cast on the battleground, one could still make out the skull that floated in its center. Of course, it radiated with pure, undead energy that made the whole area cold and deathly.

"What? What did you do to me?" Vathek exclaimed as he looked down at his chest and back at Dark Spyro. "I thought we were allies!"

"Hate to break it to you, buddy," Dark Spyro exclaimed as he shrugged with a cool, confident smile on his face and a burning, determined look in his crimson eyes, "but I was never on your side to begin with! I was only playing along to figure out where you had the Eternal Undead Source!"

Dark Spyro narrowed his eyes and dashed forward. "And now that I know where it is, I'm not gonna stop until I get it!"

As Dark Spyro drew just inches away from Vathek, Vathek hissed and slashed away at him, but Dark simply dodged each blow!

"What, what are you talking about? We were comrades, remember?" Vathek spat between slashes and scratches. "Did you forget out little conversation? We were cut from the same cloth, you and I!"

"You can say that all you like," Dark Spyro shot back as he spat another, smaller fireball at Vathek after a quick dodge, "but we're not alike at all!"

Vathek screeched and fell to his knees as the flames hit him and withered his body further, but Dark Spyro just sat down and snarled.

"I may have been created for evil, but I'm not going to let that define who I am!" Dark Spyro proclaimed, and his gaze turned a bit softer as he looked away. "A good friend told me that coming from a bad place, or being made for a bad purpose, doesn't mean I have to be a bad person!" Dark's tender gaze narrowed into something harsher and more scorning as he glared down Vathek. "I couldn't possibly be anything like you, when all you do is hurt others for your own gain! All you are is a big jerk!"

But, Vathek didn't retort Dark Spyro's insults and speeches. Instead, he just screeched as his chest near completely crumbled away from the now-extinguished flames and exposed the Eternal Undead Source in full force!

Dark grinned, but shot his head up as the sound of cracking glass resounded behind him! Oh no, that couldn't be! He lowered his head down and gasped as his shattered amulet crumbled to the floor before he whipped his head around, gasped and stumbled back!

Sunburn and Lightning Rod's amulets completely shattered, and both of them collapsed to the floor with pale faces and stunted breath. Sonic Boom, meanwhile, immediately yanked off her own amulet and stuck it to her eggs before she laid them aside, collapsed and screeched in agony!

"Sun, Rod, Sonic!" Dark cried as he took a step forward, grimaced and looked down at himself as a shudder ripped through his body.

Wait a second, his amulet was gone, but he was perfectly fine, give or take a few aches! Why was that? Dark bit his lip in contemplation, and his eyes widened with glee. That's right! He was cloned from a purple dragon, so he was technically multi-elemental, and he could take the brunt a little longer! Dark Spyro grinned, whipped around and launched himself straight at Vathek!

"Get off of me, you spineless traitor!" Vathek hissed as he clawed and nipped at Dark Spyro. "I'll never let the likes of you have the Eternal Undead Source!"

Dark grunted as Vathek bit onto one of his horns, snarled and shocked Vathek off with a blast of dark energy! While Vathek reeled back, Dark lunged forward, wrapped his hind legs around what little remained of Vathek's chest, and plunged his front legs right into the depths of Vathek's open chest cavity. It stung really badly, like a really nasty injury, and just the feeling made Dark's eyes water, but as he grappled around something vaguely solid, he grinned and held it tight.

"Hate to say it, Vathek," Dark Spyro exclaimed as he yanked his front paws out, "but you already have!"

Dark Spyro released his hind legs, rolled back, and shook his head as he sat up with a grin. The Eternal Undead Source was right in his grasp and ready to be contained! It worked! So, Dark clasped his paws around it, sealed it within a silver bubble, and dashed up to Flavius.

"Hey, Flavius!" Dark shouted as he pushed the bubble in Flavius's paws. "Take care of this for us, alright?"

"Right!" Flavius replied as he snatched up the Eternal Undead Source and shot a glare at Vathek.

Dark nodded as Flavius clutched the Eternal Undead Source tight in his paws, and smiled as he caught sight of Sonic Boom, Lightning Rod and Sunburn pulling themselves back to full height! Though they still looked kind of bad, they at least had enough fight in them to trudge back up to Dark Spyro and give him weak, but kind smiles.

"Hey, Dark," Sunburn croaked as he staggered up to Dark Spyro and frowned, "sorry for doubting you back there."

"Don't worry about it! I think I put on a pretty convincing act!" Dark chirped back as he winked and stuck his tongue out at Sunburn, but his gaze turned more serious as he glared back at Vathek. "Let's just worry about dealing with this creep!"

Vathek snarled as everyone else crowded around the throne room's entrance and stared him down, but despite the major loss of nearly his entire chest, he was still strong enough to fly back up to the throne and sit.

"I may have lost the Eternal Undead Source," Vathek snarled as he was enveloped in a cyan glow, "but I still have the throne, and I won't let you take it away from me!"

Vathek screeched as the cyan glow devoured him whole, and when the light faded, he took a step forward and unveiled that he was now clad from head to toe in shiny, strong-looking silver and cyan armor! His whole body radiated with a new ring of power as he swept back down and glared at Sunburn, Dark Spyro, Lightning Rod and Sonic Boom, but they weren't intimidated in the slightest!

"Bring it on, Vathek!" Dark Spyro shouted as he glared down Vathek.

Dark Spyro rushed forward, but the moment his eyes locked on Vathek's, they drifted open and shut while his legs trembled underneath him, as if they'd give out at any moment! Dark grimaced and clenched his teeth as he tried to force himself to stand strong, but even just the thought of it made him sick to his stomach! Seems as though all that Undead Element energy finally started to wear him down.

Behind Dark Spyro, Sunburn, Sonic Boom and Lightning Rod all trudged forward, but despite the fires that burned in their eyes, they winced and shuddered all over. That burst of undead energy must have seriously taken it out of them, and without their amulets, they were even more vulnerable.

Vathek snarled as he got ready to blast them, but his snarl faded into a smile as Dark Spyro, Sunburn, Sonic Boom and Lightning Rod all collapsed to the floor!

"Bold words for those so heavily inflicted by Undead Element energy!" Vathek crooned. Though he tried his best to suppress his laughter, a chuckle escaped from his mouth nonetheless as he pointed towards them. "You can barely even stand on your own feet! How do you expect to defeat me?"

Flavius grimaced and pursed his lips as he looked down at the four of them before he yanked his own amulet off his neck and tossed it towards Dark Spyro. "Catch!" Flavius cried!

Dark grimaced and nodded as he flung out a paw and shot a burst of purple magic right towards the amulet with all the power he could muster! As the purple light wrapped around the amulet and engulfed it until it could be seen no longer, the amulet shrank and split into four copies that landed around Dark Spyro, Sunburn, Sonic Boom, and Lightning Rod's necks! As the amulets landed on their necks, the amulet's power flowed into the four of them and gave them a new burst of life while they all jumped to their feet!

Vathek gasped as his eyes went wide, yet he snarled and stretched his neck out as he shot a round of ghastly green fireballs right at Sunburn, Sonic Boom, Dark Spyro and Lightning Rod! They all stood stagnant as the fireballs screeched towards them, but right before those fireballs could land, Sonic Boom and Lightning Rod diverted away to the sides! As they ran, Sunburn and Dark Spyro flew over the fireballs and charged straight towards Vathek!

"Let's say we burn this creep to a crisp, Sun!" Dark shouted as he looked towards Sunburn.

"Right on it, Dark!" Sunburn shouted back as he glanced at Dark Spyro, but glared back up at Vathek. "I can roast n' toast with the best of them!"

The two of them shot out pillars of red and purple flames that soon merged into one flaming spiral! It engulfed Vathek in a bonfire so massive his silhouette could only be barely made out. Yet, despite the intensity, Vathek made no cries of pain! As the flames vanished, Vathek shook off their embers and glared down at the puddle of molten metal that was once his armor.

"Did you really think a little fire would stop me? Hah!" Vathek shouted as green flames crackled at his lips. "Let's see how you like getting a taste of your own medicine!"

Dark Spyro and Sunburn gasped and jumped away as Vathek shot another green fireball right at them, but that wasn't the end of it! While they ran, Vathek shot fireballs all the way behind them, and these fireballs didn't just vanish when they hit the ground. No, they exploded into gigantic bonfires! Dark Spyro gasped and jumped away as one fireball set off by his feet, while Sunburn had his claws full as he teleported this way and that in some attempt to escape the unrelenting fire!

Sonic Boom and Lightning Rod both jumped away as another fireball exploded, and finally, Lightning Rod twitched his eyebrow and snarled.

"That is it!" Lightning Rod boomed as he clapped his hands. "I've had enough of running!"

Vathek paused for a moment and coughed, but frowned and looked up as thunder roared above him… Right as a giant thunderbolt crashed down on him and shocked him in place! It was so intense that Vathek only stood there and screeched in agony while the thunder coursed through his body!

"One strike, and you're out!" Lightning Rod grinned as he looked aside and winked.

While Vathek stood and screeched, Sonic Boom stepped forward, breathed in, and blew Vathek into the walls of the throne's pedestal with a mighty sonic screech!

"Ugh," Vathek groaned as he sat up and shook his dizzy head, and snarled as Sonic Boom's chicks flew over started nipping and pecking at him. "Hey, get off of me, you little brats!"

"I wouldn't be worried about a few birds if I was you, Vathek!" Flavius called from above.

Vathek ceased flailing his wings and looked up, then gasped as he watched Flavius fly down from above and seat himself on the throne.

"No, my throne!" Vathek cried as he leaped to his feet and got ready to take off. "Give it back, it doesn't belong to you! It belongs to me, only me! I'm the only one who deserves—"

Before Vathek could even get his paws off the ground, a gigantic burst of fire, lightning and sonic waves slammed him right in his side! Vathek screeched as he slid back from the blast, but not for long; as he slid, a flash of cyan light engulfed him, and he emerged from the light a silent, stone statue!

"Serves him right after what he did to Ramses," Flavius scoffed, yet lightened up as he looked over Vathek's still state. "Hey, he could make a pretty good garden decoration!"

"Not that there's much of a garden around here," Sonic Boom remarked as she looked around and frowned.

Sonic Boom was right. Even though Vathek was now still as stone (literally), the entire area around had yet to heal from his influence. The ground was still cold and hard, the plants were still dead, the skies were still murky…

"Oh, right!" Flavius chirped. "I'd better fix that!"

So, Flavius closed his eyes, breathed in and flared his wings while his whole body glowed with a colorful radiance that soon spread to the world around! This glow lasted for a few moments, then slowly, but surely, the entire area around them perked up and healed itself with the power Flavius lent it!

Everybody sat speechless and open-jawed as the island returned to its former beauty, and honestly, who would blame them? The vines above them sprung back to life and bloomed in all sorts of colorful flowers and ripe fruits, the grass below was lively and green, clear blue waterfalls poured down from the throne room, and even the silver mist that surrounded the island parted to reveal clear blue skies! It was so, so beautiful…

But ultimately, they quickly broke out of its trance from the sound of flapping wings.

"You've done well, Sir Flavius," croaked an elderly voice from up above as Ramses floated down and sat next to the throne!

"King Ramses! You're alright!" Flavius exclaimed, but shook his head as he jumped off the throne and bowed. "Your throne awaits you, Your Majesty, and I made sure to keep it nice and warm like you enjoy!"

Ramses, however, just sat there in shock as he examined the empty throne. "You're giving it back?"

"Of course!" Flavius furiously nodded his head, and made a soft, gentle grin. "I can't think of any better king than you, Ramses."

Ramses just chuckled, hobbled onto the throne and curled up with a smile.

"And I can think of no better dragon to succeed me on this throne."

Flavius gaped his jaw and stared into space for a few moments, but presumably, the realization finally hit him as he humbly nodded and turned back to Sunburn, Dark Spyro, Lightning Rod and Sonic Boom.

"Oh, and I'd better give this back to you!" Flavius chirped as he lifted his wings and let the bubbled Eternal Undead Source float back down to Dark Spyro.

Dark grinned as he accepted the Eternal Undead Source, frowned and gently poked its bubble. "We should probably find a more stable container for this," Dark remarked.

"Just leave that to me," Ramses said as he closed his eyes, so content and completely oblivious to the throne's soft glow.

The bubbled Eternal Undead Source glowed as it floated out of Dark Spyro's paws, and in a flash of light, it dropped back down not as a bubble, but as an intricate container carved to resembled a fierce dragon!

"Nice!" Dark exclaimed as the container dropped back into his front paws.

Ramses looked over to Flavius and nodded. "Now, Sir Flavius, please escort our heroes back to their home island, if you will?"

"I will, King Ramses!" Flavius beamed as he sat down. "Hop on, Skylanders!"

Lightning Rod, Sonic Boom, Sunburn and Dark Spyro did just that as they flew onto Flavius's back and soared their way back home.