Holy Crap, Finally! It does take SO freaking long to write these chapters. But I'm glad I finally got this finished. Before we get started, I just want to thank all of you. DR: New Legend Born received a lot of support for it being my first story. Then, DR: The Wind To My Fire received arguably even more support as my first short story.

Not to mention that, it was reviewed by, whom I consider the most recognizable names in the fandom: SKdaGamer, MysticOTDH, and IllusionMaster17. It's almost unbelievable. Seriously I'm not even a good writer! I feel like there are other stories out who deserve more attention than mine. But I'm still appreciative of what I have received. Thank you all for sticking with me. Now enjoy Darkness Rising II: Lies and Corruption!

P.S. Please read Darkness: New Legends Born and Darkness Rising: The Wind To My Fire before reading this.

Prologue

14 Years Ago...

A calm breeze flowed through the air as I was flying over the landscape. The lush, rolling fields and the various wildlife didn't concern me at the moment though. The guardians had given me an assignment earlier that day; I was to hunt down a war criminal hiding in Northtown. From the breakdown report I was given, he was a former blood magic user. Blood magic in the land of Avalar was strictly forbidden. During the war, these users were recruited by Malefor to fight for him before he was trapped in the convexity. When that tyrant was locked away, they all scattered to the winds, attempting to avoid their comeuppance. If what the scouts said were true, this criminal was one of those dragons. He presented a threat to anyone close to him and he had to be apprehended. As a hero, this was one of my duties. I needed to ensure the safety of the citizens of Avalar by bringing in criminals like him. But I was not alone on this endeavor.

I glanced over to my left and saw a magnificent sight. There she was, the most beautiful dragoness I had ever seen in my life. Cynder had decided to accompany me on this mission despite our...other responsibilities. It's been about six months since we got married and we recently conceived a child. It hadn't hatched yet, but the doctors measured its temperature and said that it was in the higher range, which meant it was going to be a boy. Cynder had been taking care of the egg for most days and couldn't go out on missions like this. But she insisted on going this time, despite my protests, and asked some of the elders to watch him while we were gone.

I snapped my head forward when I realized that I was staring at her. I thought she had also noticed when she flew closer to me out of the corner of my eye.

"Hey, Spyro? How close are we to Northtown?"

My shoulders relaxed and I scanned the area. We had already passed the mountains where the Well of Souls used to reside so we weren't too far away. "Not far. It will probably only take a couple more minutes."

"And who are we hunting?"

I quickly realized that I hadn't told her the details of the assignment regarding our target. When I told her that I received an assignment, she jumped in without giving me a chance to explain everything. "The convict is a dragon named Syrus; he is a former blood mage from the war. He has red scales, silver horns, and emerald eyes. We are bringing him in for illegal use of dark magic."

Since we have done plenty of missions like this before, she knew the right questions to ask. "Is there anything in particular that I need to be aware of, family or personality-wise?"

I took a second to recall some of the minor details of my scout's report before giving my answer, "He has no family if the testimony of the town's citizen is anything to go by. Very few have ever heard him speak, but one dragon said that he's malicious to authority. The fact that we are doing this on behalf of the guardians is going to complicate things and that's not mentioning our reputations." This dragon was dangerous, especially since no one knew if he was still able to use blood magic. It was exactly why I didn't want my wife to come, "Cynder…"

I caught her attention as she glanced towards me, "Honey...is there something wrong?"

The concern in her voice was apparent. I really didn't want her to come with me but she decided against it almost to spite my opinion. We had an egg to take care of and I was really hoping nothing tragic happened. But...there was always the case where one or both of us didn't come home. I wanted to see our son grow up…but I always had a feeling that I wasn't going to get my wish. So instead of that, I tried my hardest to protect Cynder, so he at least had her. The fact that she insists on accompanying me on these deadly missions fills me with so much stress that I often have a hard time just thinking straight.

Back to her question, "...I'm just...a bit nervous is all," is what I answered.

She seemed a bit confused, "Why are you nervous? This should be like a normal routine for you."

I didn't realize I was fiddling with my claws to try and handle my nerves, "I know I probably shouldn't be nervous...but you know the nature of these missions. You never know what could happen; you never know the threat you face until...you meet it's cold, dead eyes."

She nodded in understanding, "I see. You're not nervous for yourself, are you? You're nervous for me." She inched closer to me, "Spyro...I already told you that I am not defenseless and I can take care of myself. I am not this damsel in distress; I am a fighter and I'm not going to go down that easily. Besides, it's been a while since you and I have partnered together on a mission like this."

Of course, her response didn't surprise me. I rebutted, "I'm not saying that you are or that you will; but what if it doesn't matter? We have no basis on how dangerous Syrus is; he could be more powerful than both of us for all we know!" I couldn't help but get frustrated. She just didn't seem to understand why I was so worried.

Regardless, she had a response of her own, "I think you're worried too much. Spyro...we defeated Malefor! It doesn't get any worse than that. If this dragon used to serve him, then he can't be any more powerful than what we've faced, right?" I sighed irritably. Her logic wasn't wrong, but that wasn't the reason why I was nervous.

I let a bit of my frustration get the better of me, "That's not the problem! We aren't just fighting for ourselves anymore! We have a son that needs our love and attention, not absent parents! If either of us has to throw our lives away just to protect those around us or even each other, it should be me, not you!" I jumped ahead and in front of her to cut her off. I needed to emphasize how serious I was. Cynder showed a puzzled expression. I continued, "Malefor... that monster took your childhood away from you. That's why I want you to live your life to the fullest because...you and Dawn are all I ever needed. But he isn't even born yet and that's why I didn't want you to come...if we both die, then who will be there for Dawn?" I stopped, expecting a response from her. All she replied with was silence.

My body felt heated but quickly cooled off. I ordered, "Come on, let's get this over with so we can return to our son." I sighed before turning my back to her and resumed flying. She continued following behind me. To be honest, I instantly felt guilty for that rant. "I want to apologize but I doubt she would listen to me right now. I'll apologize after this mission is over with." Almost on cue, Northtown came into my field of vision. I quickly surveyed the small town before spotting our target: a rather small house that was a little more isolated than the rest.

When we landed, Cynder told me to stand off to the side where he couldn't see me. Her reasoning was depending on the assumption that he was less familiar with her than with me. I simply walked around the corner but remained within earshot so I could overhear their conversation.

I waited as she knocked on his door. No response. Then she knocked again, but louder. That's when I heard the door creak open. I heard a low, rumbling voice, "What do you want?" I wasn't even able to see the culprit and his voice resonated with a deep sense of unease in my chest. Despite that, I kept listening.

Cynder spoke hesitantly, "I'm sorry to interrupt your business but, are you Syrus?" Somehow, she didn't sound intimidated at all.

I heard a quiet growl before a response, "Yes, now what do you want?" He sounded disinterested in the whole conversation. Judging by his house's locale, he appeared to enjoy his privacy. Though we were reluctant to disturb it, the matter at which we needed to address with him had no room for hesitation.

Cynder's confidence did not falter, "The guardians humbly request your presence. There has been some...information recently discovered regarding your past that could prove detrimental to your reputation. They need your testimony with these allegations in order to give proper sentencing."

He remained quiet, obviously contemplating his decision. He snorted, "And what if I refuse?"

She chuckled, "I'm sorry but it is a mandatory request. You do not have a choice in the matter." I could see that she was trying to keep the situation from escalating. The last thing we wanted was for this situation to break down into a fight. Most situations do not but the ones that do; we would need to end quickly before it caused civilian casualties.

To my surprise, I heard a stern, "No," and then a sudden slam! When I peeked back around the corner, Cynder was still on his doorstep. She seemed just as stunned by his sudden rudeness. She shook it off and knocked on the door again. I felt his muffled voice through the wood, "Go away!" She looked at me and gestured for me to help her. I nodded and walked up with some distance between me and the door while Cynder cleared the way. I raised my paw, focused on the ground in front of me, and slammed down! A wave surfaced through the earth and sent a pillar into the door, completely knocking it off its hinges. The earth shrunk back into the ground as we both hastily charged inside before he could make his escape.

The first thing I noticed was the stench permeating throughout the house. The scent was a wretched smell where rotting flesh held a high presence. It was obviously coming from what appeared to be a dead pig in front of us. It had been laid on a table caked in blood. It did nothing to soothe my nerves. "He must have been preparing for dinner when we came. It looks like he physically hunted this pig. But why bring it all the way back home when he could have just eaten it when he killed it?" I shook the thoughts from my head to focus on what was in front of me.

I could see our culprit clearly now. Our scouts were right; his scales were a dark red with a black underbelly. He had two, white horns to complement his palette. They were like Cynder's top horns, except flipped the other direction. He snarled as he glared us down with his emerald-colored eyes. Yet, my mate simply repeated her previous warnings, "Your attendance is not optional; it is demanded of you. Come with us Syrus, while you are still able to do so freely." She spoke monotonously with a tone so dark, you'd think the Terror of the Skies had returned herself.

Syrus spoke, clearly unphased, "Never! I have fought too hard for all of this to fall apart now!"

"Then...we will have to take you by force!" I snorted back. I crouched low into my fighting stance; my head was low with my tail ready to strike any who come too close. Cynder also assumed a battle position with her head held high, ready to lay waste with her elemental prowess. Our criminal merely stood tall, clearly having no intention of backing down.

He scoffed at us, "Fine. I didn't want to do this but you left me no choice!" I immediately took notice that his eyes turned into a dark red. The blood from the dismembered pig started to leak out of its body and surround him. Then, a shard of blood formed in front of him and he threw it at us! Cynder and I dodged in opposite directions before I spat a fireball at him. The blood circulated around Syrus before solidifying to form a wall. When my fire impacted, it barely left a scratch. When it liquified again, Cynder must have used her fear element because he suddenly froze. She tried to approach him but she was suddenly and literally whipped across the room. Despite being unable to move, he could still control the ruby liquid.

I cried out, "Cynder, are you okay?!" Before I could get a response, I felt a sudden pain in my stomach. While I was distracted, he had charged into me and struck me in my abdomen. I was knocked back and I crashed into a shelf. The wood splintered against my back and I fell forward. I caught myself before faceplanting. Cynder was also recovering when I looked at her, "Go any idea on how we can beat him?"

She nodded, "Yeah, but we need him outside to do it."

"Got it!" I got up and rather than throwing fire again, the energy in my maw peaked and I let loose a torrent of lightning. He tried to block again, but I was smarter than that. Since blood was mostly made of water, that made it an exceptional conductor. So I wasn't surprised when the lightning dispersed throughout his blood wall. He must have been standing in blood because I heard him scream in pain. I saw my opportunity and took off running. I let my head hang low before tensing up my neck as I rammed through his wall and into him. I heard an audible snap from his ribs before he was sent crashing through the borders of his own home. I didn't know how dimly lit the house was until that wall gave way and sunlight seeped in. It made it a lot easier to take in the details of the interior, but I didn't waste my time with distractions as Cynder and I jumped through the newly acquired "window".

Now that we were outside, I turned to Cynder, "Okay, what's the plan?"

She held up a paw, "Wait..." As we waited, Syrus was getting to his feet.

The blood inside the house was pouring out and gathering around the red dragon. I felt a growl slowly build up in his throat that was so low, it felt like my diafram itself was shaking. He barked at us, "You both are jokes! You both preach about saving the innocent and doing the right thing. But now you harass war veterans because we may not have done something morally acceptable! Unlike some, I'm actually trying to FORGET and RECONCILE my past to forge a better future for myself. But here you are, ready to convict and condemn me for a mistake I made in the past!"

He pointed at Cynder, "She has more blood on her head than I do. And yet, she goes free with no punishment, while I am reprimanded for a lesser crime. So tell me, do you-"

"Enough!" I aggressively cut him off, "You will accompany us, or you will be convicted regardless of your testimony!" I knew mentioning Cynder's past was one of my pet peeves. But I wanted to give him a chance before fighting him again.

He roared defiantly, "I refuse to accompany you! I have too much to lose!" With that, the blood launched itself at us from both sides. I opened my mouth and used my ice breath to freeze the blood as it came closer. Cynder defended her side by creating wind with her wings to redirect the blood back at him. It did no good since it stopped as it approached him and came back at us. I quickly grew irritated and stomped the ground. A wall of earth popped up around me and Cynder, protecting us momentarily from oncoming blood attacks.

I called out to Cynder, "Can you please tell me what the plan is?!"

She looked annoyed, but still answered, "Throw a fireball at him and be prepared to cover us with your convexity shield." Though I was confused about her strange instructions, my throat heated up and I fired a red-hot fireball at Syrus. I felt the wind change and the fireball, rather than hitting him, circled around all of us. As it did, it increased in speed. The air was starting to get extremely overheated as the fire became more like a constant stream rather than a singular object. And then I realized what she was doing; she was entrapping the blood and causing it to evaporate. She gave the signal, "Now!" I focused deep within myself and pulled from the Aether. I formed a small convexity bubble, big enough for just me and Cynder. Syrus rolled outside of the ring of fire while all the blood disappeared into the air. Then, she isolated the air surrounding the fire until it burnt itself out. When I let go of my hold on the shield, all that was left was charred grass.

Syrus was still recovering from his dodge roll when I struck the ground again. The ground beneath him erupted and encased most of his body, except for his head, in earth. He struggled to free himself from my trap, but he eventually gave up. I was breathing hard from the encounter, but I was relieved that it was finally over.

My life mate stood next to me, "Okay, we've secured him, now what?"

I contemplated what the next step was. "He's too dangerous to transport. Go alert the city guards and report back to the guardians. I'll stay behind and keep watch." She nodded before rocketing off with strong winds on her trails. I stared at her convict while he had his head hung low. "Why...why did you not come peacefully?"

"You probably know the answer to that question," he responded with rage-filled eyes, "You and your...accomplice are smarter than that. You likely scouted me out and did research on me before coming here. I'm impressed...but you haven't earned my respect." He growled again, "I still think you're a hypocrite who doesn't deserve the badge of honor you've been handed! You're no hero; you're just an oversaturated, overcompensated celebrity! Also, it's no secret that you're trying to start a family. I pity your son; he probably has to deal with an irresponsible father like you!" The veins were popping out of his neck, "When I free myself, I'm going to kill you...to free everyone from your sickening influence!"

I was losing my patience with this dragon, but for the most part, it was just sticks and stones. Then...I heard something quite...strange. It was like some kind of whispering in my ear. At first, I ignored it, but it kept getting louder until it was comprehensible. It kept repeating, "Kill him. He is a danger to you and your family and he cannot be allowed to live, kill him now!" over and over again.

Syrus seemed to notice my distress, but his voice became so muffled that I couldn't make out what he was saying. The voices were getting louder and louder that I started to get light-headed. Before I had a chance to grasp the situation, I collapsed and my consciousness faded to black.

Present Time

I bolted awake with a thin layer of sweat coating my scales. My breathing was so out of control, I was almost hyperventilating. After a few minutes of regaining control of my breathing, my heart rate slowed back down to its usual tempo. My eyes darted around my surroundings to re-familiarize myself with it. It was somewhat dark if not for the sunlight shining through the entrance. Then it came back to me, "This is the cave that Cynder and I fought in. That means I just had a nightmare...again." Then I had another realization, something was missing, "Cynder… w-where is she?!"

I got up, slightly panicked, from the cold, hard ground. I felt a sharp pain in my side. When I inspected it, I found that my side was bandaged up. I brushed away the distraction and tried to recall where she was last. "S-She was there the night before, so where could she have gone?" I called out her name, thinking that she moved further into the cave. There was no response. I called again. Still nothing.

I was going to call a third time when I was cut off by an elderly voice, "She is not here." I jumped from the sudden noise and glanced around my shoulder. I saw a silhouette partially blocking the mouth of the cave. He began walking towards me and his teal scales began to beam with a glossy shine.

I recognized him, "Ignitus...where is she? And where's Sparx?"

He seemed to hesitate before answering, "Spyro...Sparx was never here. And neither was Cynder, at least when I arrived, but..." he poked the gauze wrapped around my stomach with his talon, "...I was not the one who bandaged your burn."

It was a bit confusing at first when he said that. I asked, "If you didn't bandage my wound, then who did? And...how come I remember both Cynder and Sparx being here?"

He rubbed his chin while pondering my question. He opened his mouth to speak, "Perhaps...it was all a dream. Whatever encounter you had with them...was likely all in your head. Because if what you say is true...it wouldn't make sense for them to let you sleep for two weeks without waking you."

I froze, "W-wait, I've been asleep for TWO WEEKS?! H-How did that happen?!"

He explained, "Considering that you meditated rather slept for the past year, your body needed to compensate for lost time. I have no idea who was caring for you on your first week, but I had arrived on your second and they were gone.

Though I still felt tense, I was relieved that Ignitus still cared enough to watch over me like that. I stood there in silence before I began to gather what things I had, both mentally and physically. "Ignitus, how's my son?"

He sighed, "I'm afraid that, despite his back surgery being successful, his condition has not improved. His lower body has remained limp with absolutely no sign of movement. Though it is still too early to tell if recovery is possible, his future as a guardian appears quite bleak."

I draped my cloak onto my back. "Then I will go and see his progress for myself." Right when I was about to walk away, I felt the elder put his paw on my shoulder.

"I would not advise it."

I turned towards him, obviously impatient, "Why not?"

"...You have more important matters to attend to such as sustenance and hydration. You have not consumed anything in the past two weeks since you've been asleep. And since you have revealed your identity, it would be in your best interest to reestablish your connection with the guardians and regain their trust. Dawn will do fine on his own; he has Amethyst for both physical and emotional support. He is in good hands." I hung my head low. I knew Ignitus was right but...I just wanted to see my son again. I just wanted us to be a family again. The cold state did not help the fact I was trembling slightly.

I felt his paw's grip on my shoulder tighten, "Now that is no look worthy of a hero such as yourself. Keep your chin up and follow your heart. As long as you do, it will never lead you astray. You and Cynder are my strongest students; I'm confident that you will find her loyalty once again. And soon, you will be able to reunite with your son." With that, he bade me farewell and disappeared into thin air. His words of encouragement helped somewhat but I still felt the chill in the air. I needed something. I needed warmth. No...I needed my mate's warmth. If that was the case, I was going to be cold for a long time.