Here is the beginning to a new project of mine. This story will be augmented with many song fics, all exclusively from Bullet for My Valentine. This one would go to the song "Intro", but it is an instrumental and therefore could not be expressed during the story itself. These chapters will depend on the length of the song and therfore, some could be very short. That is all the Introduction that this chapter needs, so enjoy it! R&R!

Light In the Darkness

Spyro sat on a cliff over looking the reconstructed dragon temple. A cool breeze wafted past him and he looked up into the night sky, gazing at the pair of celestial moons rising past the horizon. He heard a noise behind him; a light swish signifying his mate's arrival at the rocky peak. Spyro did not turn to greet her; he was too taken in by the wondrous sight of the full moons of the dragon realms. Cynder slipped up to her mate's side and placed her lips against his cheek, eliciting a soft sigh from the purple dragon. The black dragoness shivered and pushed herself firmly against Spyro's side, forcing him to extend a wing over her form with her muzzle.

Cynder stared into the giant luminescent orbs with her lover, each keeping their voices quiet to bask in the sheer beauty of the moment. Cynder was the first to speak, letting out a drawn in breath before she uttered the simple statement foremost in her mind. "It's beautiful, isn't it Spyro?"

Spyro blinked once, the sound of the dark dragoness's voice bringing his wandering mind back to reality. "It is a stunning sight, love. Not many dragons get the chance to see both moons at their fullest at the same time. It's breathtaking."

Cynder looked up at the rugged features of the purple dragon's face, trying to look past the hard expression into the very soul of her mate. Spyro felt her breath on his neck and turned his head away from the awe-inspiring sight to gently press his lips against hers. They held the kiss for a blissful moment, but then parted, gazing into each other's eyes with the untold passion of pure love. Spyro cracked a smile as he stared into Cynder's glowing emerald spheres, her piercing glare seeming to cut straight through him. The black dragoness watched Spyro's expression soften noticeably while taking in her beauty. She leaned up and rubbed the purple dragon's cheek with hers, growling softly at the rough texture of his battle-hardened scales. Cynder felt her mate set his forepaw atop her own, the touch of Spyro's claws on hers sending warmth rushing through her entire body. A sigh slid from barely parted lips and the black dragoness turned her face back towards the spectacle of nature hanging in the air before them. Cynder leaned against the well muscled purple dragon beside her to croon softly in his ear, "There's something else on your mind, isn't there?"

He shuddered as her breath tickled the side of his head, her ability to read his emotions still unnerving despite being with her for two years. Spyro's body was tense, the dragon seemingly nervous about something unknown. He dipped his muzzle in an almost imperceptible nod, letting the subtle movement tell his mate of the answer she sought. He lifted his eyes to the stars flickering above them and let his thoughts roll off his tongue. "Do you remember when we first met? What you said to me? I've been thinking a lot about the incredible power you had…"

Cynder turned a worried gaze upon her mate, his stare gong past the heavens above on into the endless blackness. "I remember, Spyro. I promised your death unless you gave up…I still can't believe the things that I did…" Spyro pulled her tighter against his form and wrapped their tails together.

"Don't worry; I know that wasn't you making those threats. I was just trying to understand. How did Malefor get all that power? Where did it come from? Was it the power that actually turned him to evil? All these questions flutter about in my head. I don't know what to make of it all." Spyro continued to stare into the night. "Why did he choose only you? Or was there another? But, above all, you know what really has me confused?" He brought his thousand-mile-stare down upon the dark dragoness, the purple orbs knifing through her and sending a chill of fear shooting down her spine as she shook her head. "All that time ago, when I fought you…your power felt different than Malefor's. It wasn't…evil, just dark. I didn't know what to think of it until we fought that twisted freak himself. I felt the power that you had, and it didn't consume me. I don't know how, but I feel that same darkness slowly creeping back into me but this time it IS evil. I can't stop it…"

Cynder groaned inwardly. Spyro was never this down. He must really be upset. A thought wormed its way into her mind; the voice that spoke it being her own. What can I do to help? I have darkness like that in me too… She tried to banish the despair from her thoughts. Tonight was their night; she wouldn't let anything ruin it. She playfully smacked Spyro upside the head with the tip of her wing, smiling at his hurt expression.

When he saw the tempting smile, Spyro's fear and pain vanished. Why was he saying all of this now? He had the most beautiful dragoness of his life right in front of him; she would always be there for him. His evil could be withheld. For her. Spyro grinned back at Cynder, leaving his worries and fears to die within him. The negative emotions were replaced with an overwhelming feeling of passion and love, directed at the dragoness he called mate. He closed his eyes for a second and felt Cynder brush against him, her warmth disappearing from his side. He reopened his eyes to see her standing a few feet away, the dragoness swinging her tail back and forth in a very inviting manner. Spyro pounced on her, swiftly knocking her to the ground and throwing the two into a tumbling ball of purple and black scales. They wrestled around atop the rocky precipice, unafraid of the intimidating drop that would result from a single wrong move.

Out of breath, they ended their little bought with a clear victor. Cynder lay on Spyro's chest, effectively pinning him to the ground. Both were exhausted and wanted nothing more than to lay there, kept at peace by the other's presence. There hearts beat heavily against the other's chest, the steady rhythm lulling them into a sense of security as their energy gave out.

In the light of the celestial moons, the two dragons of prophecy fell into slumber, their hearts intertwined by their love and by their darkness…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Cyril stepped forward to the gates of the temple entrance, letting his wings sag down to the ground. He gazed up at the moons hanging high in the sky, thoughts of the four young dragons living in the temple. First there were the dragons of prophecy, Spyro and Cynder. These two were very close to his heart, being the first younglings he had seen since the apes attack on the dragon race so many years ago. Then there were the other two, Kronos and Dreyah. The couple had recently come to the temple with a disturbing background. Their village had been attacked by a rogue group of apes, acting independently from the Dark Master.

The ice guardian sighed heavily, dropping his eyes from the gorgeous sight in the sky. The Dawn of Twin Moons…this night did not bode well for them. The chronicler had foreseen a great evil arising on this very night, and with both Spyro and Cynder away…Cyril shook his head. No, everything would be fine, he was sure. Those two had pulled through everything that their short life had thrown at them and still found the strength to love. They deserved every moment of this night more than any creature living. The blue dragon heard footsteps behind him and turned to see the earth guardian Terrador walk to the opposite side of the gate.

"Good evening, Terrador. Come to enjoy the view?" Cyril queried.

The earth dragon shook his head and rumbled out a reply. "No…I needed to clear my head. This night, I remember Volteer speaking of it before his death…I miss the dragon, Cyril."

Cyril walked over and laid a blue scaled paw on Terrador's shoulder to comfort him. "Our friend is with the Ancestors now. We need not mourn him." A tear escaped from the usually stoic ice dragon. "Though I will miss his presence terribly as well." His thoughts began to drift and he found them turning to the lightning guardian's final day.

******

Thousands of shadowy beasts swarmed into the village, yowling vicious war cries into the air as they surged forward to lay waste to the buildings and inhabitants of the small town. Four dragons stood between these demons and the innocent. The guardians. Each of the four stood with a unique battle pose specific to their element, waiting for the abominations to come within range. Dark mists spewed forth from the ranks of the invaders, giving testament to the dark tide before the defenders. All four stood their ground as the evil creatures stormed upon them, striking out with their elemental might to level the first wave of monsters. Chaos ensued when the shadow beasts crashed against the four ancient dragons.

Gouts of orange flame erupted from around Ignitus as the red and orange dragon leapt forward and cut through the body of another demon with his claws. Black blood splattered against the brilliant red scales of the fire guardian, dripping down the rough surface while he slashed through more of the gruesome shadows. A boulder crashed into the legions plaguing them and Ignitus glimpsed Terrador unleashing the might of earth against the creatures, demolishing his opponents with pure force.

The green dragon smashed his mace tail into the side of a demon leaping at him, breaking every dark bone in its body. The corpse flew with such velocity that it collided with one of its fellow invaders, knocking it down never to rise again. Spinning to the next creature, he unleashed a brutal earth maelstrom, pummeling the attackers with shockwaves of power swimming through the ground.

Farther along the line, Cyril was dismantling his adversaries with a cold efficiency typical to ice dragons. He swept his ice blade of a tail through a trio of beasts and leapt above their falling corpses, spewing a blanket of ice upon his next victims. Shattering the frozen statues when he landed, he launched a torrent of ice daggers from his maw, piercing the throats of still more demons. As their lifeless frames fell to the blood soaked ground, Cyril continued on his path of destruction.

Last on the defensive stand was Volteer, struggling a bit more as demon upon demon stormed against him. The yellow dragon blasted the ghoulish beings off of himself with an electrical charge sent racing through his limbs. The demons must have sensed his difficulty in the lightning guardian's circumstance, for they began to swarm him, all but forgetting about the other three.

Ignoring their own weariness, the deserted guardians scrambled to get to Volteer before he was overwhelmed. They cut a swath of annihilation through the dark ranks, paving the way straight into vicious claws and fangs.

They finally arrived at the yellow dragon's side, Cyril and Terrador quickly erecting an earth and ice dome around them with Ignitus lighting it with a small flame. All four guardians appeared truly fearsome in the flickering firelight with the black blood staining each of their once bright scales. Each had sustained injuries, most minor but a few major. The three standing looked down upon their friend on the ground, the crimson of his own blood mixing with the sickly dark color of their enemies'. Volteer's breathing grew labored as more of the life giving liquid seeped from his horrific wound.

Volteer smiled up at his friends as the yellow dragon felt the final moments of his life approaching. "It seems that this is the last day for me. I'm sorry I couldn't see our young students grow into full adulthood, but it seems that the Ancestors have other plans for me." The screaming of the frustrated demons became louder as they started to break through the barriers protecting the four. Volteer's expression assumed a serious tone that none of the guardians had ever seen before. He rose to his feet with blood still draining from his numerous injuries, electricity crackling around his frame. "My friends, this is my final farewell. I am not long for this life, but I am willing to give my all to protect those who have not experienced the darkness of evil." The yellow eyes they knew so well flashed brilliantly in the gloom of the barrier dome. "I have loved you all like brothers and have bared witness to the rise of the dragons of prophecy. My life has been long and I have no regrets. All of you, stay strong in these grim days, the dawn is coming." He dipped his head in farewell. "Good bye my friends, tell Spyro and Cynder that I am beyond proud of them and all that they've accomplished, who they've become. This is my end."

With that definitive last statement, Volteer burst out from beneath the dome and soared into the air above the now befuddled shadow beasts. Cyril stayed ready to close the shield if need be, but the other guardians' attention stayed riveted on their electric counterpart. The lightning arced from his body to randomly strike the ground as Volteer gathered every ounce of energy from within his being, bringing the full brunt of his awesome power to bear on the doomed creatures. An earth shattering explosion rocked the ground as the yellow dragon unleashed the very essence of himself in a final devastating rampage of might.

Cyril swiftly sealed the dome, feeling the force of the electric fury batter the protection. After minutes of holding it up, the shield finally fell, revealing a gruesome sight. Every last demon had been slain, cut down by Volteer's wrathful outburst. They searched the skies for the yellow dragon and found him still floating there, his body glowing. As his eyes roamed over the field of desolation below him, the light began to fade and his body began to fade, turning to dust. His entire being had been put into that attack and he paid the ultimate price for it. The remaining dragons on the ground bowed their heads in homage to their departing friend, tears flowing freely down each of their faces as the last of the guardian's body was taken away by the wind.

The lightning guardian was no more.

******

Cyril heaved a reminiscent sigh, the pain of the guardian's death refreshing itself after the sorrowful memory. He turned back to the temple's inner courtyard and began his walk back to his personal quarters, thoughts turned once again inward and expression becoming blank. He crossed paths with Dreyah on his way to well needed rest. She stopped and graced him with a beautiful smile.

Cyril forced a smile back at the small yellow dragoness, pausing to talk to the young student. "Good evening Dreyah, going to meet Kronos outside in the gardens?"

The little dragoness nodded, her smile only growing wider. "Yeah, he asked me to watch the moons rise tonight, but we both kinda fell asleep…so we're going now. It's going to be so much fun!" Dreyah giggled and hopped away, feet barely touching the ground as her wings flitted behind her while she happily made her way to the gardens.

Cyril watched her leave and his smile became genuine once more. The young dragons that lived here were their future, and what a bright future it looked to be. Resuming his walk to his sleeping quarters, he began to feel the all too familiar weariness creep into his bones; the dull ache slowly reminding him of his aging condition. He finally arrived in front of his personal room and stepped inside the ornate curtain that shrouded the entrance. The ice dragon padded over to the bed that lay on the floor of the sparse room, stepping onto the cushioned surface and curling up to sleep. The dragon's breathing slowed as his mind settled for rest. Slumber was swift in coming and Cyril welcomed its dark comforting embrace.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ignitus stood atop the roof of the dragon temple as the sun rose, looking down upon the realm with a watchful eye. He spotted the two young dragons who had stayed at the temple that night. The young lovers were asleep, lying against each other underneath a tree by the gardens' wall. Swinging his gaze back to the cliffs above, the fire guardian still did not see any sign of the purple dragon or the black dragoness. A smile worked its way across his face. Spyro had earned that night and Ignitus would not be the one to bring his favorite students' happiness to an end with more work.

Movement on the horizon caught Ignitus's attention; a dark fog whirling around the swamps surrounding the temple. The fire dragon's heart caught in his throat and he launched into the air to return to the ground level, rushing into the structure the moment his paws touched the ground. He rushed to the wing of the temple in which the guardians' personal quarters were located and roused Terrador and Cyril, spreading his horrifying discovery with the other two.

They had similar reactions, and for good reason. The last time they fought these creatures had been many years ago and they were not as strong as they once were. On top of that, in that last battle they had lost Volteer to the dark tides of the creatures. Why were they back? The guardians had destroyed what was left of them in the realm that day, how were there more? What evil had brought them this time? Nothing was making sense. The three guardians adjourned to the outer courtyard to catch sight of their fearsome adversary. Much to their surprise, large green hairless apes augmented the shadow beasts' ranks. Ignitus recognized these to be orcs, hideous creatures from another realm.

The guardians sounded the call to the warriors living in the temple, trying to organize a defense before the demons overran them. Dreyah and Kronos appeared before the three and were promptly given an assignment from Cyril.

"Go to the cliffs above here. We need Spyro and Cynder for this fight. When they have left for this battle, I want both of you to stay up there. You're still young and we can't afford to lose you. Please, stay safe, for the good of us all."

Dreyah nodded as did the dark blue dragon beside her, both spreading their wings and lifting into the air to summon the dragons of prophecy. The two young dragons soared high above the cliffs, spying the two lovers lying just outside the tree line atop the highest peak. Both the yellow Dreyah and the dark blue Kronos alighted gracefully on the rocky precipice, gazing upon the entangled bodies of Spyro and Cynder. The two dragons were still asleep.

Kronos padded over and gently nudged Cynder. No the smartest thing, waking a sleeping dragoness like that. Cynder pounced on the unsuspecting ice dragon and he was pinned instantly under her larger form. As soon as she woke up a bit more, she stepped off of Kronos's frame. The black dragoness gave the two of them a smile before walking back over to the purple dragon on the ground to wake him.

She bent down and whispered softly into his ear, "Spyro, my love, get up. We have guests."

At the sound of her voice, Spyro's head shot up and his wild eyes, still partially glazed over from sleep, struggled to focus on the dragons before him. Once he managed to shake the sleep from his vision, he offered a weak grin, his memory failing him so close to awakening. "Umm…I'm sorry I can't remember your names…"

Kronos sighed, preparing to tell the purple dragon their names for the eighteenth time at least. "I'm Kronos and she is Dreyah. Now try not to forget them this time, Spyro."

"That's right." Spyro nodded. "What can we do for you?"

Dreyah stepped up beside the blue dragon. "The temple is under attack and they need your help now. The creatures…whatever they are, are almost at the gates and there aren't enough warriors there to protect the others inside."

Kronos dropped his tone, fear growing steadily. "The guardians even sounded frightened. They told us to stay put after we got you as well. I'm scared…"

Cynder nuzzled Kronos softly in comfort, showing her care for the young dragon like she was his sister. "Don't worry about it Kronos, we can take care of them. I agree with them though, you should stay here. We'll come get you when this is all over."

After receiving a curt nod from the ice dragon, the two elder dragons took flight towards the temple, steeling their nerves for the trauma of battle. As they arrived on the scene, they found a battalion of cheetah warriors lining the outer courtyard. At the sight of the two dragons, the felines let out a loud cheer, their saviors returning again to aid in the defense of their home. Soon though, everything fell silent until the first shadow beast broke through the heavily barred gates.

The battle that would change their lives had begun.

Well, here's to my longest chapter to date! finished it and moving on to number 2. lots in store so don't go away now!

Laters!