"Hey Ignitus, we're back." Spyro announced opening the door to the reading room. "Where's Ignitus?" He asked seeing the room was empty except for the cushions.

"Wow and here I thought he was never gonna move again." Cynder mumbled. "Oh well, I guess that means that we can't hear the story today."

"Don't think you're getting out of it that easily." A dragon chuckled from behind them. They turned around to see Ignitus standing there, a warm smile on his face.

"Hey Ignitus, where were you?" Spyro asked as he and Cynder stepped aside to let Ignitus through.

"Just because I don't have to eat or sleep doesn't mean I don't like to from time to time." He chuckled walking past them, Malefor's book following him closely. "Now get comfortable, this chapter is pretty interesting." He added lying down on his cushion.

"Oh Joy." Cynder sighed lying on her cushion, Spyro lying next to her.

"You know Cynder you could at least pretend to show a little enthusiasm." Spyro sighed.

"Alright, let's begin." Ignitus said opening the book.

Chapter Twelve

Malefor awoke to a thin ray of light coming through the leaves and hitting him in the face. "Morning already?" He mumbled trying to lift his head. He found he couldn't since something warm and soft was on his neck and across his entire back. That's when he remembered he was lost in the forest with Moon. "Moon wake up." He said shaking himself, trying to wake her. She stayed asleep. "Come on Moon." He sighed shaking harder.

"I don't want to." She mumbled squeezing him with the arm she had wrapped around him. "You're so comfortable to sleep with."

Malefor blushed. "But if we stay here there's a likely chance that your dad will find us." Malefor said. Moon instantly jumped to her paws, smacking Malefor in the jaw with her beak like snout in her rush.

"Did you have to ruin the moment like that?" Moon grumbled looking around cautiously.

"Sorry but you were being uncooperative." Malefor said getting to his paws and stretching.

"Ooh."

Malefor looked over to see Moon eyeing him. "what?" He asked self-consciously.

"Handsome, strong, talented, and even flexible." She mumbled still starring at him, but now he noticed a glint in her eyes. "If only you were a little older." She mused.

"What are you talking about?" Malefor asked feeling vary embarrassed.

"Oh nothing." Moon said innocently. "Come on help me get the blanket so we can get out of here." Malefor easily got the blanket across her back again. "Okay, now which way?"

"Umm…" This was the part Malefor had been dreading; if he couldn't find the route home they could be stuck in the forest forever. "This way" He said taking her in the direction he was hoping was right.

After a few minutes of walking, Malefor saw an opening in the trees. "That's gotta be the way out." He said cheerily. They came out of the trees and he recognized that they were standing in was the same place he entered the forest from yesterday, mostly because his friends were there again.

"Aw man, it's what's his face again." Fey groaned seeing Malefor.

"Wait; was he in the woods all night?" Mari laughed. But when he saw Moon he stopped and starred at her awestruck.

"Yeah I kind of fell asleep." Said, an embarrassed, Malefor. "But because of that I met Moon here." He added pointing his tail at Moon.

"Hi." Moon said politely.

"Moon what a pretty name." Mari said stepping up to her. "I'm Mari"

"And I'm Fey." Fey said rudely, shoving Mari aside.

"I'm Indigo." Indigo said playfully shoving Fey aside.

"Stop it you two." Mari growled shoving them both aside. "Sorry about those two, they're only hatchlings." Mari said kindly to Moon.

"You're younger than me." Indigo grumbled. "So if anyone's a hatchling it's you."

"I'm no hatchling." Mari growled.

"What's the problem with being a hatchling?" Moon asked.

"Nothing's wrong with it." Mari said. "It's just that as a full grown dragon you can do whatever you want."

"If by that you mean being stuck under your fathers rule, having to mate with someone you don't even like, and having to have as many hatchlings as he feels necessary to carry on his lineage, then yeah growing up is great." Moon growled darkly. "Personally, I'd prefer it if I were younger than you and never grew up."

"Psycho chick." Fey whispered.

"It makes sense since she's Malefor's friend." Indigo whispered back.

"Moon!" Came a roar from above them. Malefor looked up to see a pitch black something plummeting toward them.

"Oh no." Moon gasped.

"What?" Malefor asked unable to take his eyes off the plummeting blackness.

"That's my dad." She sighed dropping her head in defeat. "At least I was able to make a really nice friend." She said giving Malefor one last kiss. Both Fey and Indigo starred wide eyed at the scene while Mari glared at Malefor.

The black image landed with a crash. Malefor starred at it and saw that it was a long muscular pitch black dragon; the only other color on him was a thin yellow ring on his chest. He had three sets of two pitch black horns on each side of his face; the lowest set was on his jaw with the horns sticking out strait; the second set, on his cheek bone, were slowly curving upward; and the third set, on the side of his skull had the lower horn sticking strait out and the top horn slowly curving away from his head. He had large spikes on his head that traveled down to the base of his skull where they split into two different directions that traveled down opposite sides of his back till they reached the base of his tail where they came together again and started to spiral around his tail; When the trail reached the tip they burst out in multiple directions creating a pattern similar to a rose and looking vary sharp and dangerous. But that didn't scare Malefor nearly as much as his eyes that were entirely black, except for a yellow ring around his large pupil. He was glaring at Malefor.

"Hi dad." Moon sighed. The dragon still glared at Malefor.

"Hello sir." Malefor squeaked.

"It's Eclipse to you." The black dragon growled darkly. "Why did you kidnap my daughter?" He asked revealing many sharp teeth in his beak like mouth.

"He didn't kidnap me, I ran away." Moon growled stepping between Malefor and Eclipse.

"Then why did he attack my servants?" Eclipse asked.

"Because they drew their swords." Moon explained.

"They were ordered to take care of any resistance by whatever means necessary." Eclipse growled. "Now two of my best apes have severe burns."

"Burns?" Mari asked. "How did they get burned?"

"The purple one." Eclipse growled keeping his glare on Malefor.

"He has a name." Moon growled. "It's M-"

"I don't care!" Eclipse roared. "Now come, we're going home and you will be punished for running away."

"What do you mean 'punished'?" Malefor asked not liking the way he said the word.

"That's not your concern." He growled. Then he scooped up Moon with one of his forepaws. Before she could protest he jumped up into the air and flew off faster than Malefor had ever thought possible. The four remaining dragons just stood there starring at the spot Eclipse had just been standing in.

"Malefor!"

"Oh no." Malefor groaned recognizing Perma's voice.

"You little cyst." She growled pushing past Fey and Indigo. "You've been here playing while your mother made us stay up all night looking for you?"

"What are you talking about you old banshee?" Malefor growled. "I haven't been playing, I got lost in the forest last night."

"I don't care what your excuse is; you only have to tell that to your foul mother." Perma growled. "Now let's go find her so I can get some sleep before my class." She added turning around.

"Now's the perfect time for a butt roast." Malefor growled. He took in a deep breath and blew.

"Ow!" Perma exclaimed feeling three sharp and cold things stab into her upper thigh. "Fey, how dare you shoot icicles at your teacher." She growled turning around to see a small mist coming out of Malefor's mouth. "You did it?" She asked shocked.

"Did I?" Malefor asked just as shocked. "Awesome, I can breathe both fire and ice!"

"Don't be stupid you little cyst; nobody can use two powers." Perma growled. "Even if they could I doubt that the purple reject could."

"I'll show you who's a reject." Malefor growled taking in a deep breath. He thought hard about fire and then blew, but again ice spikes shot from his mouth at Perma. She easily blocked them, glaring at him. "Why is everybody always glaring at me?"

"Because, nobody likes lying little cysts." Perma growled. "And you three," She began looking at Mari, Fey, and Indigo in turn. "Shouldn't you be preparing for your classes?"

"Yes ma'am." The three said together, running off.

"Follow." Perma growled to Malefor as she started to walk away.

"You know most dragons prefer full sentences when spoken to, right?" Malefor asked. "Or is it just that you're just too stupid to speak properly?" Perma used her ice spike like tail and whipped Malefor across the face. "Ow, you can't do that." Malefor growled. Perma whipped him again.

"Yes I can." Perma said simply. "You are my student after all."

"No I'm a fire dragon, which makes Xander my teacher." Malefor said.

"You just blew ice, which makes you my student." Perma said. "And until you can miraculously blow fire you'll stay my student."

"But-" She whipped him again

"My students don't talk back to me." She said an evil smile on her face. "You'll learn that soon enough."

"You can't make me a mindless drone like all your other students, if that's what you think you're doing." Malefor growled receiving another whip to the face.

"I don't want you mindless." Perma said. "If you didn't talk back how would I ever be able to hit you?"

"You'll be happy to know that I'll never stop arguing with you." Malefor said cockily just to get whipped again.

Ignitus stopped reading as a loud explosion could be heard outside. "What was that?" Ignitus wondered out loud.

Spyro and Cynder looked at each other anxiously and then ran to the only window in the room. A large red flare went up into the air from the location of the temple. It exploded into large flashing letters that said, "Spyro, you moron, bring Cynder back now!"

"Ah it's time already?" Cynder exclaimed. "I wasn't expecting Ember to be ready so soon."

"Come on, let's go, you know Flame won't be able to do this on his own." Spyro said as Cynder ran out the door. "Bye Ignitus." He added running after Cynder.

"Always in such a hurry." Ignitus chuckled.