Chapter Nine: Surprise
Much to the Skylanders' surprise, they did nothing over the next three days besides helping the Mabu with some of their problems, including how to fight and how to be in a defensive stance. But otherwise, they did not do very much. To Spyro and Cynder, they believed that was all they needed. Both of them were still tired from everything, even on the third day.
On the third day, Cynder found Sonic Boom and Sunburn together once again. She didn't smile when she saw them. Just seeing them embracing one another caused the feeling of longing to grasp her chest.
"Oh hey, Cynder!" Sonic Boom greeted when she saw her. "It's great to see you. How's everything going today?"
"Good," Cynder replied. "I just wish for some action already. We came here to fight, after all. I mean, I'm not the biggest fan of fighting all the time, but I just want to get everything over with and go back to the Ruins to rest for a couple of weeks."
"Trust me, I know what you mean," Sunburn told her. "It's not always going to be the most fun when you're a Skylander, I guess. It kind of sucks, because it seems so cool, and then, the next thing you know, you have to work a lot. It's just something I want to get away from. Where I come from, we worked a lot, and I couldn't take it too much longer. I loved everyone there, but it just wasn't somewhere I wanted to be for the rest of my life. I'm not sure if you guys are getting me."
"I sort of do," Cynder said. "I mean, I've really traveled too much. I've gone to Shattered Island and to other places, and now to the Ruins and the Mistlands, and as cool as it can be, I want to take a break and just do nothing. It's how I've always felt. I don't want to stay in one place for longer than, I don't know, a week. It's not always that much fun."
But there was another reason she didn't want to keep being somewhere for more than a week. She didn't want anyone to recognize her as the monster she had once been. It hurt her still to think of being the evil beast, as being the Terror of the Skies. It hurt her very much. If someone ever recognized her again, she didn't know what she would do or who she would turn to. She guessed Spyro was the best one to turn to. Him or Hex.
It was not long after that she found herself near Spyro. He was watching a young Mabu girl, as her family had gone missing somehow, and now everyone believed Kaos and Deathmatch had something to do with it. The village hoped her family would come back soon, and that she would be able to reunite with her family. Spyro himself hoped so.
"Hi, Spyro," greeted Cynder. "How's everything going?"
"Good," he replied. He turned to look at her. "Would you mind watching Emily here for me? I need to go talk with Eon."
"Sure, whatever you need," Cynder said.
Spyro smiled and turned to Emily. "I've got to go talk to someone," he said. "I'll be back soon, okay? Cynder here will be watching you for right now. Just talk to her. She's a really good friend of mine, and I'm sure you two will get along."
Emily nodded, and the Mabu girl went back to writing in a small red journal. As Spyro left, he smiled at Cynder.
Once he was gone, Cynder turned to the little girl. She didn't know what to do or what to say.
"You know, he talks about you a lot," Emily told her.
"What?" Cynder asked.
"Spyro. He talks about you a lot. While we were talking, he kept mentioning you. He must think of you as a really good friend," Emily observed. "You are really pretty."
Cynder blushed. "Uh, thanks," she said. "I haven't been told that in a long time."
"I'm surprised," Emily said. "I would've thought many people would think of you as pretty."
"Well, you should understand I haven't been around too many people. I've been traveling a lot, and so all those I met are back in the places I left," Cynder explained, though some of it was untrue. "I haven't had many friends in my life, unfortunately. Spyro's been one that I've always been able to trust. When I was hurt once, he nursed me back to health. He really is a great friend, and if it wasn't for him, I most likely wouldn't be here right now. It's hard to explain, Emily, and I sort of don't wish to. It's just one of those things."
"I understand," Emily said. "I trust you a lot already, even though I just met you. I think of you being a really good friend to a lot of people. I sort of already count you as one. I need more, since all of mine were taken by those meanies. One of their names just sounds evil, and I hate thinking of it or saying it."
"It's okay. I know how that feels. I have heard of these guys before. Of course, when you live in Skylands, how can you not hear about Kaos? He's pretty much the main bully in the schoolyard." Cynder realized she'd made a joke, but she shook it off. She looked down at the journal that Emily was writing in. "What are you writing about?"
"Just how much I want to see my daddy and mommy again," Emily replied. "I miss them so much." Tears formed in Emily's eyes. "They always brought me joy and laughter, and now they're gone. It's hard to think of them having been taken."
"Don't worry," Cynder told her. "We'll find them. I'll make sure of it. Even if others give up, I won't. I'll make sure I find them and bring them back to you. I just wish I knew where my parents are. You see, I never really knew them. I was left alone after my mom had my egg, I guess, and after I hatched, I never knew of them. It's kind of sad. I just wish I knew them." Tears formed in her eyes. "Everyone else is so lucky to have parents or a family. I don't really have anyone. I have friends, but even despite my friends, I wish to know my family, to know if I had siblings. It's just one of those things."
She heard footsteps behind her. She turned to see Spyro. He was smiling softly at her and Emily. Cynder guessed he'd heard.
"I'm back," he said. "It looks like you two have been accquainted."
"Yes," Cynder said, quickly drying her tears. "Emily, you're really nice, and I thank you for saying you understand me. Spyro's going to watch you again. I think I need to go talk to a friend now, okay?"
But before she could do anything, before Emily could speak, there was the sound of something falling out of the sky and hitting the ground hard. Whirling around, Spyro and Cynder found a small human stood among the smoke.
"Hello, everyone!" he called out. Both Spyro and Cynder recognized the voice. It was Kaos. "How is everything? I see you are all doing something, which I am happy about. When everyone works, it means that when I kidnap you, I can make you my slaves!" He laughed maniacally in his high-pitched voice, both of which did not mix too well.
"If you want to take anybody, you'll have to get through us!" Spyro told him.
Kaos looked to Spyro and smiled. "I've heard of you before," he said. "Isn't your name supposed to be Spyro or something?"
"Why should it matter what our names are?" Cynder exclaimed without meaning to.
Kaos looked to her and screamed. "What are you doing here?" he yelled. "I was told you wouldn't be here!"
Spyro and Cynder both realized they would need to shut Kaos up soon before he revealed anything about Cynder's past to those around them.
"Don't worry, Kaos," came a voice from behind them. "She won't hurt you just yet, I don't think. She seems too weak to do so."
Cynder looked behind her and found herself staring into the cold black eyes of a Dark Elf. She realized the Dark Elf was Deathmatch. She felt herself beginning to tremble.
Looking to where Emily had been, she realized she was not there. She wondered where the Mabu child had gone to. But then she noticed her behind Deathmatch, on her knees, shaking with unimaginable fear. Cynder felt for her.
"What are you doing here?" Spyro asked.
"We have come to reclaim what is rightfully ours. You cannot defeat us, young Dragon. We are too powerful for the both of you, and any of the others you might have around here," Deathmatch explained coldly. "An army of Dark Elves await me, so if you do not allow me to leave, this village will suffer major consequences. Do not believe you can win just because you are led by Eon. He is a failure, just as you are, Cynder. You should have—" He was cut off by a cry of pain.
Behind him was Stealth Elf, having driven one of her Dragonfang daggers into his abdomen hard. Blood dripped off the end that protruded on Spyro and Cynder's side. Seeing the blood made Cynder feel a little sick.
But Deathmatch was still alive, and he hit Stealth Elf full in the face with his elbow, knocking her unconscious. Spyro and Cynder watched as he tore the Dragonfang dagger out of his body and threw it to the ground. He looked right at Cynder. "It's time to die," he rasped.
He looked to Kaos, who nodded. Reaching behind him, he took Emily and threw her to Kaos. Emily screamed. Cynder ran to Emily, but Kaos was too quick, and somehow disappeared into thin air with only a little mist or smoke left behind.
"NO!" Cynder yelled. "No, this isn't supposed to be happening!" She felt tears in her eyes, unable to believe what had just happened.
Deathmatch laughed at her. Cynder turned around and stared right at him. She couldn't believe what he'd done. She was ready to kill him. But before she could do anything, Stealth Elf got back to her feet and kicked Deathmatch in the face, knocking him to the ground. He just laughed, even when he was kicked again. The next kick knocked him unconscious.
Cynder still couldn't believe it. It had all happened so fast. It was still unbearable for her to think of the way Kaos had taken Emily.
She felt Spyro touch her shoulder softly. She looked him in his amethyst eyes as he stared into her sapphire-blue eyes.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"No," she replied. She looked down at Deathmatch's body. "This all happened too quick. I can already tell something's not right. Why would Deathmatch give up so quickly? He could've attacked us more."
"I'm not sure," Spyro said. "We need to lock him up somewhere and make sure someone guards him until we question him. Once we question him, we can see what we should do with him. If you ask me, we need to exile him. It'd be better than killing him." He realized Cynder was no longer near him. He saw her standing over a red journal, which Spyro remembered was Emily's. He could see she and Emily had become friends already. The tears were still flowing for Cynder.
"I wanted to keep her safe," Cynder said to Spyro. "She told me how her parents had been abducted by these two idiots, and now she's been abducted. We need to find Kaos and get her back, as well as anymore of the Mabu who have been taken from their homes." She looked to Stealth Elf. "Lock him up quickly. He's not someone we can afford to lose. We must question him and learn where he's held up with Kaos and where he's taken Emily and any of the other Mabu around here. We need to have some watching him. It'd be the best thing to do."
"Where's Eon?" Sunburn asked, coming up to them. "We saw everything happen, and we want to know if you guys are alright."
Spyro turned to him. "Eon didn't know this would be happening," Spyro said. "I don't think any of us knew it would be happening. But that doesn't matter. We will be getting everyone back. For right now, let's imprison Deathmatch and question him to see what he might know."
Stealth Elf dragged Deathmatch's unconscious body behind her. Cynder looked back and anger formed in her body as she thought of the way in which Emily had been taken.
Eon appeared in the village's square. Bly stood next to him.
"What happened?" Bly asked them.
"Deathmatch and Kaos attacked," Spyro explained. "We were able to capture Deathmatch, but Kaos is still out there, and he was able to kidnap a little girl named Emily. We need to lock Deathmatch up and interrogate him."
"Who will interrogate him?" Eon asked.
"Cynder and I," Spyro said. "I think we both know how to do this. We just need to get the information out of him, and then we can leave his fate up to those in the village, okay?"
"I agree," Eon said. He looked to Cynder and saw the tears dripping from her eyes. "Are you alright, my dear?"
"They took Emily just after she explained to me how her parents had been taken," Cynder said. "It's just madness. I'm ready to interrogate Deathmatch. I need to know where Emily and the others have been taken."
Spyro looked to her and nodded. So did Eon.
"Alright, then," Spyro said. "Let's get to work."
