"Servant!" I call.

"Yes, master?" says the corrupted Jade-scaled dragon.

"I have a mission for you. If you succeed you might get my faith back."

"What is it?"

"You must find the elemental orbs my former servant created four years ago."

"Good I can do that."

"Do not come back without all four orbs."

"Yes sir."

"What is thy bidding master."

"Ah, yes Malefor," says the almost hypnotic voice of my master, "It has come to my attention that you were defeated by a purple dragon and your former servant a year ago."

"Master I'm back!" calls my current servant.

"Not now!" I call back.

"Are you talking to your pool again?"

"Just put the orbs on their respective podiums. And it's a vision pool, now shut up!"

"Anyway, that purple whelp corrupted my servant."

"But you were defeated," continues my master.

"That whelp couldn't see that his destiny as a purple dragon is to join me and change the world for the better."

"What if I told you… there is a way to get him back for everything?"

"There is!?" I say a little too enthusiastically, "I mean, there is?"

"Yes it includes using your former servant as bait, the rest is on you. Oh and you might get your servant back, for I will send Osmium bracers and choker to replace your old shackles. 'Til next time."

"Wait master!"

"Yes?"

"Why did you leave my current incredibly incompetent servant under my care?"

"Well a father must spend time with his son, and I just wanted to dump him on somebody. Good bye."

I am left with nothing but a look of surprise, "How do a black dragon and a purple dragon make a Jade one? Is it because my mother was Jade? I don't know genetics are weird."

"Master? You done talking to your pool? If so do you think you could come here?" he calls.

"No need to yell nitwit I'm right here!"

"So how did I do?"

"First off there's only three orbs."

"No there are four," He starts counting them off, "One. Two. Three. Four. See four. The fourth is invisible"

I face palm, "No. One. Two. Three. And secondly you put Electricity with Earth. Earth with Fire. And Ice with Electricity. Those are complete opposites," calming down I ask, "You know what you should do?"

"What?"

"You should go clean the prison cells and close the door behind you, without the key that is."

"Right away!"

Once he leaves I mumble, "Apes are smarter than him."

"Let's see," I mumble while looking into my vacant pool, "Last time I saw my servant she was head over heels for that whelp. Whether or not he knew it is beyond me. So in short she probably lives with him, but how to figure that out. Hmmm, maybe one of his friends. The dragonfly is out for he can just fly out of my cells. The Cheetah is most likely trained to resist interrogation so he is out. That leaves Terrador, Cyril, and Volteer. Volteer seems like the likely choice considering he is a blabber mouth and probably the least trained of the group."

I get startled out of my monologue by the loud gong-like ringtone for my master.

I rush into a sloppy kneel, "What is thy bidding master?"

"Rise. I have created something to assist in whatever plan you've cooked up," A large red and black canine shaped machine appears beside my master, "Meet the Wolf 359 Tactical Armored Reinforcement System Capable of Verbal Communication Prototype W359TARSCVC-P for short, although he prefers Wolf."

"How long have you been working on him for?"

"A year, the main issue was the power source and that took six months."

"How is this different from your other robots?"

"It didn't explode as soon as I started testing."

Despite not having facial features Wolf manages to look terrified, "Well then, I am glad to be your first."

"So how is he powered?"

"Quite simple actually, I just used an orb charged with electricity."

"Really? It took six months to figure that out? What can he do?"

"Allow me to answer," pipes in Wolf, "I resist all elements, minus fire, and am immune to fear, venom and electricity. I can also use electricity, ice, earth and flame."

"Cynder and Volteer will be helpless against you. Okay I'll throw the dog a bone and see what he does."

"My outer shell is canine and dogs enjoy bones. Amusing on two levels."

"Are you light enough to be carried on my back?"

"Yes, my light framework allows me to be carried by even juveniles with ease."

"As it would seem I can now meet my idol, icon, symbol!" says the hyperactive electrical dragon in the cell.

"Oh really?" I ask sarcastically.

"No, but did you fall for it?"

"No, Volteer, no I didn't."

"Oh. Do you mind telling me how you captured me?"

"Sure, what do you remember?"

"Several beams of ice, a few making contact, and then nothing, zilch, zero. I didn't know you could still use ice."

"I can't, not since I was defeated by Spyro and Cynder. However I can use Fear, Venom, Wind, and my favorite… Shadow."

"If it wasn't you then who? Hey, that rhymes."

I give an exasperated sigh, "No wonder everybody hates you."

"Not true."

"Oh? Then who doesn't?"

"U-um, Terrador, Cyril, Cynder, Sparx and Spyro."

"Lets just say it straight, Cyril hates you, Terrador just tolerates you, Spyro is nice because you knew Ignitus, Cynder is nice because Spyro is, and Sparx can't follow your sentences at all."

"Oh dear, I truly don't have friends, acquaintances, associates," He says solemnly.

"Now about the ice. Wolf!" I call.

"Yes master?" asks Wolf entering the room.

"Let us give him a demonstration of your power."

"Right away."

"Hold on let's make this fair," I say moving towards Volteer and removing the magic sapping choker, "By allowing the use of magic. Now Volteer you may go first."

"Right away," he says before letting loose a massive bolt of lightning that gets pulled into the power orb without any damage to Wolf. In response Wolf gathers massive amounts of earth energy and sends it towards Volteer effectively crippling him. Just before Wolf lands the killing blow I call it off and replace the choker.

"Why did you call it off?" asks Wolf quizzically, "I was about to finish him off!"

"Exactly, if he survives we can use him as a bargaining chip."

"Oh."

"So, he can use earth, how does this explain anything?"

"I'll just let him explain."

"I resist all known elements, minus fire, and are immune to fear, venom and electricity. I can also use electricity, ice, earth and flame."

"So you made an artificial version of Spyro that Cynder cannot do much to? And how is Wolf not affected by fear and venom?"

"I do not have emotions so I cannot feel fear," he answers, "And I am not organic so venom will do nothing but mess with my finish."

"Oh, dear," he looks as if he has realized something, "You're after Spyro and Cynder! I can see Spyro, but why Cynder?"

"Well I would like my servant back."

"Now I know I won't tell you that Spyro lives in the Penthouse of The Grand Hotel: Warfang Branch."

"Thank you," I say politely-ish as I head to the vision pool.

"You're wel- wait what?"

"Well that was easy," I say casually to Wolf as I head to report to my master.

"What was easy?" asks a familiar liquid voice.

"Master!" call in surprise as I rush into a sloppy kneel, "It is a pleasure to be in your presence, however I must ask. Why are you here?"

"Rise. I have brought you a new goal. The Guardians are training a new fire guardian and the old Guardian of Darkness has returned."

"Do you know if he has stayed loyal to me?"

"No he has renounced you."

"Then he must be eliminated!"

"Calm yourself I have already sent a detachment to watch for the Guardians and candidates to return to the temple."

"Wasn't the temple destroyed?"

"It seems that when Spyro pulled the world together he restored the temple. And it would seem your former replacement for Cynder has a girlfriend named Matty."

"Good we can capture her and Cynder."

Later…

"I feel like there is something wrong, like something about to happen to me," comments Matty as she is watching the tournament below.

"It's safe the guardians have this place locked down," comments Matty's boyfriend, Yrahcaz.

"Considering you are the guardian of darkness shouldn't you be with them?"

"They assigned me to get you acquainted with Warfang's nightlife."

"Ssh," shushes Cynder, "I'm trying to watch the tournament."

"You watch with your eyes not ears."

"What did I just say!?"

"It's no use," comments Spyro, "They've fallen to the plague of love."

"Says the guy who is oblivious to obvious romantic moves," the quartet busts out laughing.

Taking advantage of their momentary distractedness me and my master leap from the shadows behind them and grab our quarry, temporarily stunning the guys in the process.

"Wow Cynder you've gained weight."

"Malefor! How did you evade the guardians?!" asks Cynder, "And why am I paralyzed?"

"Remember I can use venom. All I had to do was get the venom into your bloodstream."

"How?"

I point to a scratch on her shoulder, "You didn't have that before I grabbed you."

"How did I not die?"

"You should know."

"Know what?"

"There are many kinds of venom. Kinds that paralyze you, effect your nervous system, stop your lungs, stop your heart or even pollute your blood. Don't make me use them."

"I don't exactly have much of a choice now. Do I?"

"Master, how you going?" I ask looking towards where she is flying.

"It seems Matty has struggled herself to sleep," she replies in her liquid voice.

"Why do you have her? To get at Yrahcaz?" asks Cynder as we arrive in convexity.

"Let me answer," answers my master, "Quite simply," she pauses as she closes the portal and puts down Matty, "I am her darkness."

"How is that possible?"

"You see how pure she is? Heck she hasn't even lost her virginity despite having a boyfriend for five years. Most dragons get married after that long."

"I assumed she was born pure."

"No, when she hatched darkness was as much a part of her as it is a part of you or Spyro. About twenty-two years ago with the help of the, at-the-time, Purple Dragon in training her darkness was banished from her where it took on a sentient shape. Her new pure self then became a recruit of the ancients for her purity."

"Wait! You're what's left of my training crush/partner!" I cry out sudden realization dawning on me.

"I am her, I'm the part that had a crush on you and liked the last name Brezeale more than Martinez," she points to Matty, "She didn't exist until that fateful day 22 years ago. Before that it was all me."

"No wonder we clicked so quickly after meeting. But you, she, y'all, whatever was a grey dragon and she didn't have crystals for wing membranes or shooting off the back of her head in a sort of frill."

"I am black, she is white. Black and White make Grey. And the crystals are a sign that she is of the ancients. Before you ask you lost consciousness before me and her left you, almost for dead. She ran out of fright of me and I left because… well I'm evil."

"Well, thank you for the mind blowing information dump. Anyway do you think you could help me chain up Cynder?"

"What about her?" she asks motioning towards Matty.

"Don't worry she's out cold. However this paralytic will wear off in five minutes thanks to that information dump, so we must chain Cynder now or never."

"What you don't think you can catch her if she escapes?"

"I don't think, I know. Now shut up and attach the shackles while I pin her."

Later…

As I am lazing around looking at the stars above, my master comes up behind me, "I have some information concerning your mother," she pauses.

"I'm listening," I say turning to her.

"I know who killed her."

"Who was the bastard that did it? I want to rip out their eyes and shove them down their throat so they can watch as I tear their carcass open!"

"It would seem it was a hired assassin."

"We gathered that much from the note you found. Remember? I found Sarai, Cyrils mother and the one who singed the note we found, raped her then killed her, which is why Cyril wants to kill me."

"Yes. But I found said assasin."

"Who was it?"

She hands me a wrapped object which she then unwraps revealing a talon, "I hired the assassin and told him to bring this as proof."

"You ordered her death!" I say before breaking into tears, "I thought *sob* I *sob* could *sob* trust *sob* you."

"There, there it's going to be just fine."

"No! It won't! I will kill you!" I roar letting the darkness take full control, instead of the partial that was in effect when Spyro and Cynder fought me.

"Go ahead and try."

Taking her invitation I charge at her intent on feeling her blood on my talons, but she quickly sidesteps it. Realizing that melee won't work I switch to spamming black beams of darkness, careful to not hit our guests on the temple roof. As I start tiring she gains the upper hand eventually flying me high into the air and flying back down towards the temple with ever increasing speed, until I hit creating a rather large crater.

"You have defeated me," I present my throat to her, "I will take my punishment, however I have only one request, make it quick."

"I will show you mercy," she says creating a chain with her magic, "I will only chain you."

"Thank you," I say as she loops the end over me and ties the other to a pillar.

Three days later/ Cynder's POV…

As I wake up I find a very cold and shivery Malefor, grabbing my blanket I move to put it over him.

"No," he responds in a hoarse voice, "I must take my punishment."

"This isn't punishment, this is torture" I place my blanket over him my claws coming into contact with scales dryer than brimstone, "Oh, dear. Doesn't she feed and water you?" I ask before getting my full water bucket.

"No, but that's part of my punishment."

I put the bucket in front of him, "She's torturing you! Don't you see? Stand up for yourself!"

He looks up from the water, now half gone, "I-I can't disobey my master!"

"You did with that whole she-killed-your-mother incident."

Anger briefly flashes in his eyes before dimming, "You saw the result. Next time time she may not be as forgiving."

"She will."

"How do you know?"

"Did you think she had mercy out of the goodness of her heart?"

"Y-"

"No! She has no goodness and the heart had no say. When she spared you she was thinking with her cloaca."

A puzzled look works it's way to his face, "Huh?"

"If she's anything like you then she probably enjoys the carnal pleasures. If your dead then who will she get those pleasures from? The only other male here is Wolf and he's not even organic."

"Wel- wait how do you know I enjoy the carnal pleasures?"

"Well let's see woman always find out, I was around you for thirteen years, and I've heard your sleep talk."

"Oh, anyway as I was saying she could probably create a partner and program him in all manners of pleasure. After all she did create Wolf."

"But it wouldn't be the same now, would it?"

"No I suppose not."

Before I can say anything a voice calls, "Why do you have a blanket and water?"

Malefor looks up to see a very angry master, "I just woke up with this on me."

"Who put it on you?"

"I did!" I say getting in her face, "You got a problem?"

"Yes, he was supposed to suffer until the verge of death, then feed and water him. Rinse and repeat."

"What if you miscalculate? What if he dies? Why would you torture the only man that ever loved you?"

"This is not torture, this is punishment."

"If you want to torture him any more you must go through me!" I growl getting into fighting position, legs spread apart, wings half open, and face twisted into a vicious snarl.

"You dare disobey me!" she growls backhanding me with enough force to knock me across the floor. However as she is about to finish me off a beam of ice misses her by a mere fraction of an inch.

Looking towards the source I see a very much pissed off purple dragon backed with a familiar red and black guardian, "Leave her alone!"

"Who are you to attack me?! Whelp!"

"I am Spyro, the purple dragon of legend, hero of the realms, and banisher of Malefor!"

"If the ancestors hadn't interfered then you would be dead and I would of succeeded! And maybe my master wouldn't be mad," calls Malefor.

"Is that why you're chained like a pet."

"No, he is tied up because he tried to kill me. All because I told him that I killed his mother. Now, will we fight or stand here chatting until you pass out?" she comments as she raises a scepter I never noticed and chants in some language lost to history causing beams of dark magic to leave the scepter and strike Spyro and I before creating sentient form of our darkness on either side of Malefor's master. The rest of the battle is nothing but a blur as I feel a strange emptiness where my darkness had been.

No, this can't be happening. Now I will never make a family with either of the dragons I love, a silent, solitary tear falls as Spyro and Yrahcaz are defeated and dragged to some cell deep within the bowels of the temple, This is The End of Spyro.