CHAPTER 3- CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Spyro awoke the next morning, and actually felt rested for once, not recalling any nightmares.

He got up, and got ready for school. He couldn't believe that the weekend was gone already.

Spyro set off for the temple and met Flame and Ember like he usually did at the intersection of the trails leading to each others houses.

"Hey guys…" Spyro said yawning

"Hey bro, feeling better?" Flame asked

"Yes…I actually got some sleep for once last night."

"Really? No nightmares or anything?" Ember asked

"Nope, last night was a good one."

They continued to the temple and sat down on their respective seats.

Famalus sat behind Spyro taking notes. Not of what Ignitus was talking about, but of Spyro. He was examining every inch of him for weaknesses, vulnerability, and strengths to avoid.

At recess, he met their group at their normal spot.

"Wow, could Ignitus make medieval history any more boring?" Flame said sarcastically

"I don't know, but he said he wants to see me during recess, so I'll see you guys later…" Spyro groaned walking away from his friends and back inside.

"Oh uh…I left my necklace back in the classroom, I'll be right back!" Famalus lied as he dashed inside after Spyro.

"Since when does he wear a necklace?" Flame questioned the oddness of his departure.

SPYRO

What could Ignitus want now? Spyro was getting tired of this

He walked into his office and sat down.

"Spyro, these dreams you've been having are beginning to worry us."

'So? What the hell am I supposed to do about that? I don't control my dreams.' He thought

"Ok. What do you want me to do about them?" he asked, knowing full well the answer

"Spyro…the elders and I feel, that you should stay at the temple with Cynder, so that we may keep an eye on your…stability."

"What do you mean my stability?" Spyro snapped, his anger rising but barely showing in his voice.

"We just feel that with the recent outbursts of rage, and these dreams you've been having, it would be better for you if you lived in the temple until we feel…"

"Until you feel what?! That I'm not crazy? That's what you think I am isn't it?" Spyro cut in.

"Spyro, we don't think you're crazy, we just want some time to watch you…"

Spyro thought about it…maybe if he just kept it inside, and proved to them he was fine, he could leave.

"Would my friends be able to visit me?" Spyro asked, his anger slightly fading

"Unfortunately not Spyro…we need to limit outside influences…so no."

His anger returned in full force.

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Famalus was right outside Ignitus' office door, hearing the whole thing.

'This is good. Lucifer will be pleased.' Sulamaf whispered

'How is Spyro yelling at Ignitus going to help us?'

'Trust me, it will all become clear to you soon'

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"Spyro I'm not going to argue with you over this, if you don't let us help you with what you've been dealing with…"

"What I've been dealing with? You know nothing of what I've been dealing with! I didn't ask to be the purple dragon! I didn't ask to be everyone's hero! I didn't ask for any of this!" Spyro's anger was obvious now, something he was always careful to never show in front of the elders, but he couldn't take this anymore.

"All you and the other elders do is send me to do your dirty work. When was the last time you actually fought an enemy? I've just been your tool for all these years, and I won't be anymore! As of right now, you can find a new hero to fight your battles!" Spyro turned and burst through the door, giving famalus just enough time to hide before he was seen.

"Spyro!" Ignitus called as spyro ran out of the temple, spreading his wings, taking to the air.

Flame and Ember saw him takeoff, and followed him.

"Spyro! Where are you going?" Ember shouted as her and Flame tried to keep up.

"Don't follow me! I don't want to hurt you!" he called over his shoulder, letting a familiar rage consume him, a feeling of anger that had become quite familiar to him over the past few weeks.

"Spyro we want to help you!" she yelled back

Spyro turned his head with bloodlust in his eyes, locking eyes with Ember, which made her stop dead in her tracks.

He turned to face her, clearly not himself anymore.

he snarled in a voice much deeper than normal and said

"I need no ones help!"

With that, he launched a massive fireball at the girl he loved, the girl whom he owed his life, and it hit her square in chest, sending her into the dirt.

He didn't even flinch as he watched Ember lay motionless on the ground, bleeding from her chest, barely breathing. Flame was still slightly behind, but saw the whole thing. He rushed to Embers side.

"How…how could he do this?" he asked himself

Famalus was watching all of this from the ground.

'Excellent! Spyro is already filled with anger toward the elders! This will make getting him on our side so much easier!' Sulamaf said excitedly

'This goes against everything I believe in…' Famalus said

'Don't forget why you are here! If you value your freedom, you will complete our mission. It's been 500 years! How much longer do you want us to be stuck in hell?'

'Grrr…you've got a point…'

'I know I do. Now let's get moving! We have to report to Lucifer in half an hour, and he isn't the most patient master in the world.'

Spyro flew for miles, his white hot rage still burning through his veins. He didn't know where he was going, or what he would do when he got there, his only instinct was to run…far away, where no one would ever ask him to save anything, or anyone again.

He wanted to give this up. Other dragons wish they could be in his position, and as far as he was concerned, if there was a way, he would let them take over.

He finally stopped on a snowy mountaintop, seeing a small cave entrance; he staggered in, and collapsed.

Flame waited nervously outside of the operating room, pacing back and forth
across the floor.

After what felt like hours, the attending surgeon approached him with blood on his scrubs.

"What's it looking like doc?" he asked, afraid of the answer

"Well, the good news is that she is stable and she's going to live.

Flame breathed a sigh of relief, but braced himself for the bad news

"The bad news is that she is in a coma, and we don't know when, or if she will wake up."

The doctor gave his condolences and left.

"Spyro…why? She loves you…what have you done?" Flame whispered to himself as he walked into Ember room, to wait for her arrival.

Ignitus was very worried. Indeed, he had let the only person who could save all of them, fly off into the sky, and hurt the one Spyro cared about the most.

He went to the only person who could deal with Spyro now that Ember wasn't able to.

Cynder.

He found her in the bedroom they gave her. She didn't have a family, and most of the other dragons were still afraid of her, which is why Ignitus taught her separately from the rest of the dragons her age.

She was quietly reading one of the books Ignitus had given her for one of her birthdays.

"Cynder, I have a mission for you."

"Really? What is it?" she said, her voice perking up a bit since all she had done in the past few weeks was either stay in the hospital, or learn from Ignitus, but she rarely left the temple. The only time she would leave is with spyro.

"Its Spyro."

"What? Did something happen to him? Is he ok?" she asked concerned about the only friend she had.

"I don't know…he flew off toward the northern mountains. I believe he has taken shelter in the mountain ranges. What I require of you Cynder, is that you find Spyro, and try to convince him to come back. We are highly vulnerable without him."

"Yes sir…but what makes you think he will listen to me?"

"Because Cynder, Spyro and yourself share a special bond. You are both warriors, you are both dragons, but above all, you are both friends."

Cynder felt empowered by Ignitus' words. She set off in the direction that Spyro was last seen, not knowing that she was being followed quietly by Famalus.

'You can't let her get to him before you do! Fly faster damn it!' Sulamaf yelled inside his head.

'Quiet you! I control my body!' he snapped back

Famalus hugged the ground as he flew, quickly passing Cynder without her noticing him.

He flew as if his life depended on it, and finally saw Spyro's tail sticking out of a cave.

"Bingo."

He landed in the cave and saw that he was out cold.

"Ok…Sulamaf, work your magic…" Famalus closed his eyes and concentrated.

A puff of black smoke surrounded him only for a second, but when the smoke cleared; his colors were reversed to Sulamaf's form. His eyes changed from their normal ice blue, to a dark red.

"Ok…this is more like it." Sulamaf said grinning.

'Be careful with that body! That's the only one I've got!'

"Hey no backseat driving! Anyway, I've got a soul to steal.'

Sulamaf walked over to spyro and gently shook him.

"Spyro? You ok buddy?" he said, pretending to be Famalus.

He stirred, and then focused his vision on the person in front of him.

"Wha…Famalus? What are you doing here?"

"The elders sent Cynder to find you, but I knew I had to find you first. I've seen the way the elders treat you. They think you can just drop everything and do what they want whenever they want it."

Spyro knew he was right, but how did he know he felt that way?

"Yeah…how did you know?"

"I could tell by the way you've been acting, and I want to help you."

Spyro lay there in silence.

'Hey, you better hurry this up, because Cynder is only about twenty minutes away!'

Sulamaf knew he had to hurry.

"Look, what if I told you I knew of a way you could fulfill your true potential, and the elders, and all the other dragons in all creation would fear you?"

This idea was very enticing to him…but this sounded a lot like the way the dark master tempted Deo all those years ago.

"What about my friends? Will I be able to keep them safe?"

"Of course. With the power you will receive, anything is possible."

Spyro considered this offer…he would finally be free of responsibility, he would actually be the strongest being in all of Avalar. To him, this was hardly a choice at all.

"So…do we have an accord?" what Spyro thought was famalus said as he extended his black hand.

Cynder saw the cave, and what she thought was Famalus, but the colors were different.

But she sensed that this new guy was evil. He had its stench all over him.

"Spyro stop! Don't do this! He is just like the dark master!"

"No Cynder, he is right. All the elders have done is hold me back, I want power! And he is the only one that has offered it, and for once, I'm going to take it!"

Spyro put his hand in, sealing the deal. A purple flash radiated across the mountains, knocking the snow off of them, and knocking Cynder unconscious, and into the snow.

Lots of questions still to be answered!