Chapter 1 - Discovery
The bitter wind swirled around Cynder, making the black dragoness shiver and curl up against the unfeeling stone floor. Making sure that she was well incased under her magenta wings, Cynder tried to clear her jumbled thoughts, memories bouncing around randomly within her skull. A plunge into a fiery volcano. A giant stone monster, tearing its way into a crumbling stone building. A brightly lit valley, adorned with every type of wildflower imaginable. A purple dragon, cowering before her blows as she towered over him...
Cynder twitched, that last memory stirring a pit of negative emotions within her. It was bad enough remembering the terrible things she had once done, the many lives she had ended without so much as a hint of mercy. Now she was dreaming up new scenarios, in which a dark and twisted version of herself tormented those that she cared for, the ones that had seen her as something innocent, something other than the infamous Terror of the Skies. No, the best thing to do now was go back to sleep, and hope for brighter dreams. And before she knew it, she would be waking back up inside the dragon temple, ready to start a new day of training with Spyro by her side.
Except...hadn't they been about to assault the Mountian of Malefor, before the eternal night set in? Didn't she very clearly remember battling Gaul, the ape warlord, in a desperate attempt to prevent Malefor's resurrection? And, hadn't they failed?
Cynder's emerald eyes shot open, the pitch black cavern closing in all around her. She knew now, this was no dream. It had really happened, all of it. The war, the end of the world, the final battle against Malefor, it was all real. Desperately, Cynder shifted through those final few memories. He had been there right? Was he still alive? He had to be, he just had to. Unless pulling the world back together was just too much for him to take.
"S-Spyro?" Cynder's voice croaked out, the simple sound echoing off into the deepest corners of the cave. There was no reply. Sitting up, the dragoness squinted in the nonexistent light, trying to gauge her surroundings. Nothing, nothing but continued darkness. Cynder let out a low growl of frustration. She was a shadow dragon, this shouldn't pose an obstacle to her. Seeing through and blending into the shadows should be second nature to her. At least, it would be if she had actually grown up as a normal shadow dragon.
Dimly, the world slowly came into focus. Faint outlines mostly, but enough so that Cynder could orient herself. She was indeed in some sort of cavern, several bleak tunnels winding off away from her position. Jagged silhouettes of rocks surrounded her, sticking up at odd angles to the mostly level floor. But one of the rocks didn't look quite like the others. It was too smooth, and with an usual pair of stalagmites pointing up from one end. But most of all, even as Cynder continued to watch it, the rock moved.
Cynder's heart leaped up into her throat, and she quickly scrambled over to her feet. Stumbling across the debris-strewn ground, she all but fell on top of the dark shape. "Spyro! Spyro, can you hear me? Are you alright?"
The other dragon's scales were cold to the touch, and for a split second Cynder feared the worst. Then the form stirred again, and Cynder saw Spyro's head lift a centimeter off the cold stone. "Cynder? Is that you?"
Cynder let out a breath of relief. "Yes, it's me, I'm here. Are you alright?"
Spyro started to rise to his feet, only to stop halfway, stricken by a sudden bout of coughing. As the sound reverberated throughout the chamber, Cynder took the opportunity to check herself for any injuries. Although she had an untold number of scrapes and bruises, it didn't feel like anything was broken. Her elemental reserves were already on empty, so there was no way she was up for any more fighting. But apart from that, she seemed to be relatively unharmed. Not bad after facing off against one of the most ruthless purple dragons ever to set foot in the dragon realms.
The coughing finally subsiding, and Cynder saw Spyro's head suddenly whip around wildly, as if he was searching for something. "Cynder? Where are you? I- I can't see, I think I might have gone blind! Cynder!"
"Spyro, relax." Cynder spoke gently, laying a single paw on the purple dragon's shoulders. "We're in a cave. I can just barely see things myself, I'm sure your eyesight is fine."
Spyro seemed to calm down, his head slowly rotating to where Cynder's voice was coming from. Deciding to take her word for it, he nodded. "Okay, in that case I think I'm alright. Now, how do we get out of here?"
Cynder reluctantly let her paw drop back to the ground. That was the part that she wasn't so sure about. But, there was one way she might be able to help.
Cynder was about as far away as you could get to being just a shadow dragon. Kidnapped as an egg, subjected against her will, she had managed to break free of the corruption, thanks mostly to the dragon sitting next to her, and go on to defeat the very master she once served. In perhaps the only benefit to her enslavement, she had come away with the command of four different elements: wind, poison, shadow, and fear. Abilities that might just show them the way out.
Already bordering on exhaustion, Cynder tapped into her wind element, trying to sense the air around her. If there was a way out of this cave, there was bound to be some sort of air flow, some breeze that they could trace back to the surface. She had to find it.
There. It was light, but it was definitely a wind current, blowing down from one of the passages leading into their chamber. "Over there, there's a breeze blowing into the tunnel." She said, pointing, realizing a split second later that Spyro couldn't see.
That's not to say that he didn't try. Cynder saw his head swivel around again before settling on a random point somewhere along the wall. "...over where?" He asked sheepishly, shuffling nervously around the cave floor.
Cynder couldn't help herself. She laughed, the sound ringing in the otherwise silent cave. "Sorry Spyro, I forgot you can't see a thing. Here," she offered, swinging her tail around to tap him lightly on the chest. "Grab my tail, I'll lead us out of here. Just watch out for the blade."
Spyro fumbled around for a few second before Cynder finally felt him wrap his paw around her appendage, just behind the curved sickle blade. Locating the wind current again, Cynder struck out into the caverns, the constant tug on her tail a remainder of her helpless charge. Hopefully, they weren't too deep down, or else they might not find their way out.
The path wasn't easy. Random boulders often blocked their way, and more often than not the loose stone slid under their feet as they pushed forward. Twice, Spyro lost his grip on her tail, leading to several minuets of confused stumbling about to meet back up. There seemed no end to the caves, as soon as they rounded a corner, another corridor stretched out before them. But Cynder didn't allow herself to give up hope. The wind was getting stronger, and she no longer needed her element to guild the way. They had to be almost there, she was sure of it.
At last, they saw it. A single beam of golden light, flooding down into the cave further along the corridor. Excited at the prospect of finally getting above ground, the dragons picked up the pace, all but racing neck and neck toward the light. Clawing her way up the final rock pile, Cynder squinted up towards the exit, brilliant sunlight shining down upon her black scales. They had done it, they had really done it. They had defeated Malefor, they had saved the world, and they had even managed to come out of it in one piece. All they had to do now was find the others, and it would be happily ever after. And Cynder wasn't worried in the slightest. After all, how hard could it be to make their way back to Warfang from wherever they had ended up?
With one last heave, Cynder stumbled out into the daylight. Shading her eyes with one of her wings from the intense light, Cynder gazed out at the landscape. They were at the top of a steep mountain, which offered them an almost unobstructed view. Off towards the east, there was only more rocky mountains, with little signs of life or habitation. Shifting her gaze westward, Cynder noticed a lush valley laid out before them. Lush trees stretched skyward, the rich green forest extending as far as she could see. She could even make out the sparkling blue of a river, winding its way through the wide valley. Everything looked so picturesque, with no indication of the havoc that Malefor had strewn there. The war really was over.
Spyro took his place next to her, also gazing out at the reborn world. They stood there in silence, simply enjoying the peace and quiet. After about a minute, Spyro turned to look at Cynder, nervously clearing his throat as he did. "So, um, Cynder..."
"Yes Spyro?" She replied, fixing him with an expectant stare. She felt nervous, strangely simultaneously excited and anxious over what he was about to say next. She would be lying to herself if she said that she didn't harbor some form of feelings toward her first and most reliable friend. She might have confessed something during that final battle, but her memory was a bit hazy in that respect. But the only question that concerned her was if he felt the same.
Spyro seemed to struggle with his words for a further minute before finally replying. "I just wanted to say.. Thanks. Thanks for always having my back the past couple of days. There's no way I could have done any of this without you."
Disappointment welled up within Cynder, but she managed to conceal the emotion behind a toothy grin. Giving Spyro a playful nudge, Cynder shook her head. "Are you kidding? You're the one that pulled the world back together. You're the hero here Spyro." Cynder quickly looked away, surveying the valley again for any recognizable landmarks. But the landscape with utterly unfamiliar.
Spyro chuckled. "Regardless, my point still stands. You were just as important, just as vital as I was. You're just as much of a hero as I am Cynder."
Cynder nodded, not trusting herself to respond. No matter what Spyro said, she had done terrible things in the past. The most she could hope for was atonement, not heroic status. After realizing that she wasn't going to respond, Spyro sighed and turned his gaze back outward. "So, I hope you know where we are, because none of this is familiar to me in the slightest."
"I was going to ask you the exact same thing." Cynder muttered. Their best shot at a speedy return at this point in time was to locate the nearest settlement and ask for directions. The surrounding terrain was far too barren and desolate to support any form of serious habitation, so the only alternative had to be toward the west, towards the distant valley.
Spyro evidentially had arrived at the same conclusion. Standing up, he stretched his wings, the golden membranes dulled by the fine layer of dust that clung to both of them. "We might as well start over there. Are you okay to fly?"
"Yeah, and it would be nice to get all of this dust off." Cynder said, standing and stretching as well. "Oh, and Spyro, one last thing..."
"What?"
"Last one to the river is a rotten egg!" Cynder shouted, launching off into the sky with a mighty leap. With a few powerful flaps, she was soaring through the air, leaving the cave entrance far behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Spyro take off in hot pursuit, intent on catching up to the sly dragoness. Grinning, Cynder put on an extra burst of speed, furthering the distance between them. This was going to be fun.
Swooping in low to the ground, Cynder hugged the rocky ridges, the lush forests drawing nearer with every passing second. It felt so good to be up in the air again, freed from any earthly concerns or troubles. There was no past looming over her, no Dark Master to fear or cower from. Just the endless bounds of open sky, dotted with just a few pearly white clouds. Pure bliss.
She was over the forest now, the whispering leaves below her shaking and shifting in the refreshing breeze. She risked another look behind her, trying to gauge how great of a lead she still had over Spyro. The purple dragon was surprisingly lagging behind, having just crossed the threshold of the forest himself. Either he was more exhausted than he was letting on, or he was allowing her an easy win. Didn't matter which was the case, it still meant that he lost.
Folding her wings tight against her body, Cynder plunged earthward, the ever shifting river directly below her. She entered the water with a splash, instantly sinking down into the clear abyss, the dust washing off of her scales in a white cloud. She floated down there for several seconds, doing nothing but watching the air bubbles rise to the surface as the sunlight glittered and shimmered through the water's surface.
Finally, her lungs just starting to burn from the lack of air, she lurched into motion again, paddling back up to the surface. Sucking in a deep breath of air, Cynder craned her head skyward, searching for the purple blot she knew was still up there somewhere. Surprisingly, Spyro was no where to be found, the sky completely vacant apart from a few brightly colored songbirds flirting among the trees. Cynder frowned, confused. She had a large lead on Spyro, that was for sure, but he should have showed up by now. Where was he?
After trending water for another minute, Cynder finally turned and made for the closest shore. The gentle current pulled at her incessantly, but she resisted, making a beeline for land. Stepping onto the muddy beach, she shook herself off, sending water droplets flying every which way. The warm sun beating against her back, Cynder checked around her surroundings once again, wary of an ambush. There was no telling what Spyro might be up to, and if he was already lying in wait for her nearby. She would just have to find him first.
Setting out a brisk pace, Cynder wandered into the wood, paying attention to anything out of the ordinary. Melodious bird songs filled the air, and insects buzzed by her ears, nature continuing on as normal. Nothing seemed to be out of place, so if Spyro had landed somewhere, it probably wasn't near her immediate location. A sudden flash of neon green caught her eye, and Cynder turned to locate the source. It was a small patch of green gems, the crystal structures protruding from the otherwise unblemished ground. Walking briskly over to the gem patch, Cynder laid her claws upon the gems, sighing with relief as energy returned to her body. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to remove the feelings of exhaustion that had plagued her. And opened up the possibility of using elemental powers once again.
"Alright Spyro," Cynder murmured, checking to make sure the purple dragon hadn't been sneaking up on her while she recharged. "Where are you?"
Cynder's head snapped up, listening to the faint sounds echoing back to her through the forest. Something was traveling, and at a pretty fast rate. That had to be him. Smirking, Cynder crouched low, moving through the suddenly silent woods. Spyro wouldn't know what hit him.
She was closing in on the source of the disturbance. The sound on snapping twigs echoed back to her, along with what sounded like heavy breathing. Cynder paused, listening more closely. It didn't sound like Spyro, and if it did, it didn't sound like he was doing alright. Concern outweighing her playful ambush, Cynder pushed forward, squeezing in between the trees with sudden urgency. "Spyro? Are you-"
Cynder stopped, staring at the sight before her in surprise. This wasn't Spyro at all, this was...something else entirely. Brown, matted fur clung to the beasts body, covered with stray twigs and dust. Its hulking, muscled shoulders stood as high as her head, the flesh beneath containing a great deal of power. The creatures rear was less developed, lacking the beefy frontal legs in exchange for a leaner, more sinewy build culminating in a stout tail. Cynder knew that this beast was a predator, and judging by its size, it wouldn't mind snacking on a dragon for lunch.
The creature was preoccupied, swatting at a twisted bunch of brambles with its gigantic paws, letting out low yelps as it repeatedly pricked itself on the thorns. Then, it stopped, lifting its head to sniff at the air. Slowly, the creature turned to face her, its twin black eyes boring into her with a feral ferocity. A long muzzle extended from the creatures scarred face, the overall appearance reminiscent of canines in construction. Thick globules of drool dropped to the forest floor, running over an uninterrupted row of razor sharp teeth. Turing away from the brambles, the beast faced her, legs coiling in preparation of a pursuit.
Cynder quickly ran through a mental list of options, ruling out each one as she came to it. She could fly, but there was no telling how long it would take for her to get safely out of the creature's clawed reach. She also didn't like the idea of going up close and personal with such a powerful beast either, so that just left elemental possibilities. But at the same time, Cynder didn't really want to kill the creature. It was an animal, only looking for a meal, nothing more. There had to be an easy way out of this.
The idea came to her, even as the beast began to stalk forward. Widening herself out into a level stance, Cynder made eye contact with the creature, staring into its unintelligent, hungering gaze. Drawing on her newly replenished elemental reserve, Cynder's own eyes slowly began to change color, shifting from emerald to a hellish red. The beast faltered, suddenly unsure over whether to attack this strange, black scaled creature. Cynder increased her gaze, the fear state boring into the creature. It shouldn't take too much longer.
Finally the creature snorted, shaking its head as if to rid itself of a pesky fly. Turning away from Cynder, the creature lopped off into the woods, quickly vanished among the tree trunks, bound for parts unknown. Cynder's eyes slowly returned to their normal shade as the fear element subsided. It was one of her least favorite abilities, as it reminded her too much of her enslaved days, but it had saved her from a long and possibly deadly confrontation. Fear did have its uses after all.
With several sharp snaps, the pile of brambles that the beast had been investigating began to move and shake, whatever was within starting to claw its way out. Cynder watched, curious about the prey the creature had been hunting. Judging from the amount of shaking, it was too large for a rabbit or other small creature, and Cynder doubted that a deer could wedge itself down in the thorn bush. It wasn't until the pair of gold horns rose out of the bush did Cynder realize that the beast's prey hadn't been a woodland prey after all. It had been a dragon.
A young dragon, to be more accurate. He tentative stepped out of the prickly thorns, watching the space in between the trees that the beast had disappeared to. His scales were pure white, and shone brightly in the morning sun as he stood nervously outside of his temporary refuge. Rich gold scales covered his chest and wings, matching the shade of his two horns that gracefully rose from his head. He had a medium build, not overly large but not lacking as far as muscles went either. His tail, still contained within the brambles, ended in what looked like a dull spade. He was facing away from her, staring out into the woods, still checking to make sure that the threat was really gone. As she watched the dragon, Cynder noticed a thin line of blood running down the dragon's left side, stemming from a shallow cut to the dragon's wing membranes. A wound that was presumably inflicted by the beast that Cynder had just scared off.
Finding her voice, Cynder spoke. "Hello, are you-" The other dragon jumped, spinning around as he was suddenly made aware of her presence. His hazel eyes grew wide at the sight of her, and he began to back away, looking quite terrified of her.
"He must recognize me." Cynder thought, her hopes sinking like a stone. "He's afraid."
Deciding to approach the dragon, Cynder raised her voice once more. "Please, I don't mean you any harm, I just-"
A searing pain jumped across Cynder's chest, forcing her to stumbled back in agony. The pain continued to linger, burning into the affected scales, almost like she was on fire. Looking back up, Cynder saw the tail of the dragon disappear into the woods, fleeing as fast as he could from her. Pushing the pain from her mind, Cynder chased after him, intending to set the record straight. This could be the key to getting her and Spyro back to Warfang, and she was not about to let it slip away.
The dragon wasn't hard to follow, as he made absolutely no effort to conceal his route. She began to close the distance, and brief flashes of white could be seen between the trees. Tearing through one last bush, Cynder emerged into a clearing, the tall grass swaying around her as she charged forward. The other dragon as already there, and had turned around to check if he was still being pursued. Upon seeing her, he stopped, lowering his head as he faced Cynder down. "Stay back!" He yelled, this time not moving from his position, as he prepared to fire another elemental volley.
This time, Cynder saw it coming. Diving to the side, she narrowly avoided the beam of bright, white light that arced out of the dragon's maw, the beam traveling onwards to seamlessly cut through the bush directly behind her. That...that wasn't lightning that the other dragon had just shot. Cynder skidded to a halt, suddenly wary of this dragon. What in the world was he capable of?
Before she could ponder on this new development, the other dragon began to charge up again, and Cynder was put on the defensive. Running around the edge of the clearing, Cynder narrowly dodged two more elemental bursts, each of them radiating a burning heat as it passed by. Cutting inward, Cynder rushed at the dragon, even as he lined up another shot. He wasn't going to listen to a word that she said as long as they were fighting, meaning that the only solution was going to be to incapacitate him. Then, maybe they could have a nice, civil conversation.
Cynder wasn't quite fast enough to avoid the next burst, the burning pain shooting through her shoulder as the beam scorched her scales. Gritting her teeth against the pain, Cynder responded by drawing upon her own elemental powers. It was time to fight back for real. Channeling her shadow element, a cloud of absolute darkness descended upon the clearing, obscuring all from sight. Now, the other dragon couldn't see her, and Cynder might have a chance to gain the upper hand.
Even as she stalked forward, careful not to make any noises that might alert him to her presence, another brilliant white beam sliced through the cloud, cutting through the place that she been a second before. Cynder frowned, the blinding light almost enough to make her lose her concentration. That shouldn't have happened, nothing should have been able to cut through her cloak of shadows, especially not the light from an elemental attack. Something weird was going on here.
Deciding that she was close enough, Cynder leap forward, aiming for the place that she knew the other dragon to be. Even as she sailed through the air, Cynder heard the dragon shift among the tall grasses. There was a echoing bang, and Cynder's world turned white. Squeezing her eyes shut against the unexpected pain, Cynder crashed and tumbled across the ground, the shadows lifting as she lost her grip on her elemental powers. The afterimages still burning in her retinas, Cynder staggered to her feet, shaking her head to clear her mind. That was going to be the last time she underestimated this dragon, that was for sure.
Her vision clearing somewhat, Cynder looked up, searching for her adversary. He was still there, standing a few dozen paces away, already preparing to fire another beam her way. Spreading her wings, Cynder took to the sky, the white beam traveling harmlessly beneath her. Thankfully, the other dragon's wound prevented him from following, and all he could do was watched her circle the clearing above him.
Pulling up sharply, Cynder effortlessly dodged another beam, her maneuverability in the skies making it much easier to avoid the other dragon's shots. As she continued to circle, Cynder tried to come up with a way to end this fight without resorting to injuring the dragon. Shadows hadn't worked, so maybe one of her other elements could. Fear was out of the question, as was poison if she wanted to convince the other dragon she didn't mean him any harm. But, if she could find a way to stun him with her wind element, that might just prove to be a viable solution. It was her only hope.
But before Cynder could begin her new strategy, a strange shimmer in front of her caught her attention. Before she could roll aside or otherwise change course, a solid barrier materialized in front of her, the glowing blue forcefields blocking her path. Even as she slowed herself, Cynder collided with the barriers her wings instantly crumpling as she fell earthward. Flaring her wings again at the last second, she managed to slow her downward fall out of bone-breaking speeds, and into a more manageable impact. That's not to say that it didn't hurt though.
Groaning, Cynder slowly raised herself from the ground, her whole body aching from the abuse. The other dragon faced her, hesitating on delivering the next blow. Cynder took the opportunity to try and gauge the other dragon's emotions. He was no killer, that much she could tell just from the nervous way his tail swayed back and forth behind him. He seemed to be acting purely out of fear, fear of her, fear of whatever he though she was going to do to him. And she knew more than anyone else, fear could make you do terrible, terrible things.
Before the other dragon could make up his mind as to whether or not to try and finish her off, a purple blur sped down from the heavens. Colliding into the white dragon's side, the two bodies bounced and rolled across the field, sending a cloud of flowers and grass flying up in their wake. Finally, they came to a rest, with Spyro securely pinning the other dragon to the ground. Cynder let out a breath of relief. Spyro had finally found her.
"Let go of me! Or she's going to kill us both!" The white dragon shouted, struggling against Spyro's pinning hold. Spyro and Cynder's eyes met briefly from across the field, the simple look conveying all that Spyro needed to now about the encounter.
Maintaining his secure hold on the other dragon, Spyro responded, his voice stern and surprisingly authoritative. "Listen to me, she's not going to hurt us. She may have once been the Terror of the Skies, but that was a long time ago. We just want to talk."
The other dragon paused, shooting a very confused glance up at his captor. "Terror of the what? You don't understand, that's not a dragon, that's a demon!"
"Demon?" Spyro repeated, looking up to stare at Cynder. All she could do was give an equally confused state right back. Demons? What was this dragon taking about?
Sensing Spyro's momentary lapse in concentration, the white dragon bucked hard, the tip of his horn digging into Spyro's chest. The purple dragon gasped and fell back, allowing the other dragon to scramble to his feet. Shooting one last terrified glance at Cynder, he took off running, aiming for a quick retreat back into the woods. He didn't get far.
Recovering quickly, Spyro opened his mouth, a narrow cone of green energy spiraling out toward the retreating dragon. The concussive earth blast connected, sending the other dragon flailing through the air. He slammed into the truck on a nearby tree, before tumbling down to the ground. He lay there, unmoving, knocked unconscious from the blow. The fight was over.
After making sure that the white dragon was not about to rise, Spyro made his to where Cynder stood. "Are you okay Cynder?"
Cynder took in a deep breath, gently prodding the places where the other dragon had struck her. They stung, but she could tell that it wasn't a very serious injury. "I think so. Where were you?"
"At the river." He replied. "I thought you would be there waiting for me." Nodding to himself, he turned to look at the comatose white dragon. "So, he just attacked you?"
"I think he'll say it as self defense." Cynder bowed her head. "I'm sorry Spyro, because of me, the first dragon we met is trying to kill us."
"You have nothing to be sorry for Cynder, especially since he doesn't seem to know of your past." Spyro frowned, cocking his head to the strange dragon. "Which I find very hard to believe unless he's spent the past decade underground."
"So, what now?" Cynder asked, turning her gaze toward her savior. If he hadn't shown up when he did, who knows how this might have otherwise turned out.
Spyro sighed, absentmindedly rubbing the small scratch caused by the other dragon's horn. "I guess we wait for him to wake up. There's not much else we can do I think."
Cynder nodded numbly, still trying to comprehend what had just happened. Spyro started forward, making his way over to stand next to the unconscious dragon. After a quick check to make sure that his wounds weren't life threatening, Spyro gently flipped the dragon over onto his belly. There was a slight tremor in the ground, and a simple earthen bond rose up and incased the dragon's two forepaws, ensuring that he couldn't run away or make any moves to attack without receiving a swift retribution. Cynder slowly made her way over to him, sitting down in the shade. She had a very bad feeling about this whole situation. It seemed as though they had stumbled upon some new conflict or war, even more blood shed on top of what they had already gone through. And worst of all, Cynder knew by now that Warfang wasn't just over the next mountain. They were lost, and Cynder could only wonder how they would find their way home.
A/N: I'm back! And with a brand new story to boot. Oh I'm going to have fun writing this one, I can already tell.
Now, as far as updates go, I'm still pretty busy with school, life, and all the other things I have going on. I'm going to shoot for a two week schedule, but no promises. The next chapter is also a short one, so I may end up getting it out sooner rather than later. But I guess we'll just have to see.
Any feedback is always appreciated, good or bad, and I hope everyone enjoys the story. It's good to be back.