Welcome back to No Fury. Last time, we went to court, Flame testified against Ember, and Ember apparently lent credence to Sparx's insanity plea. But will it last, now that files have at last come in from the Realms? I will say this. You will never suspect the truth of the matter as I have planned it. But today, it all comes together. So let's not waste any time!

(Our story resumes in SVU HQ, where Finn, Carisi, and Rollins are moving literal piles of printed files around the office, trying to find anything that could be useful to get Ember convicted.)

Carisi: I have never seen this much paperwork in my entire life.

Rollins: I'll give the Realms this, they know how to record every little detail.

Finn: Guess it's their philosophy that you never know what will be useful.

(At this point, Benson and company arrive, and even Benson is surprised by all the files in the office)

Benson: That's the Realms paperwork I'm guessing?

Finn: All 2,545 pages of it. And there's still more on the way.

Spyro: Yeah, that was my idea. (As the entire SVU starts looking at Spyro) What? You never know what could be useful in an investigation!

Finn: (To Carisi and Rollins) Told you.

Benson: So what do we have here exactly?

Rollins: Aside from Ember's entire life before starting at Hudson?

Finn: Sadly, nothing much useful at the moment.

(At this point, a printer on a nearby desk finishes printing out another document)

Rollins: I think that's the last document they've got.

Barba: We've got her entire history here, and there's nothing we can use?

Benson: (Sitting down at one of the desks to sort through the paperwork) Not quite yet. But if there's anything we can use against Ember, it's in here somewhere.

Finn: (Examining a particular piece of paper) Hold on, a lot of these sheets have something in common. You guys should check this out.

(Everyone gathers around Finn's desk, eyeing the sheets of paper he has uncovered)

Carisi: I don't see it.

Finn: Take a look at the heading of each document.

Carisi: And what are we supposed to see?

Finn: What all of these documents have in common. Check it.

Barba: (Examining the documents) They all seem to mention something called the "Malefic Reign"

Rollins: Malefic Reign?

Spyro: Malefor's reign of terror over the Dragon Realms. Ended in 2008, but the actual starting date is debated. Some claim 2005, when Malefor re-emerged. And others claim it was 5 years earlier, while Cynder was still Terror of the Skies.

Carisi: What does that even mean?

Cynder: In the early days of Malefor's attempt to fulfill what he thought was his destiny, he had every egg in the Dragon Temple smashed, save mine, and Spyro's via Ignitus' intervention. Being born in the Year of the Dragon, he needed me to release him. And to make sure I did, he had me corrupted into his personal servant and assassin. "Terror of the Skies" is the name I was given by the public in that time.

Rollins: Wait. Carisi, didn't Ember say something about that when we interviewed her?

(Once again, we now flashback to the past, but this time, to the interview with Ember)

Ember: Cynder... was controlled by a very evil dragon, Malefor, and while under his control, killed a lot of people.

(Now we once again return to the present)

Carisi: She did!

Finn: (Holding up a specific sheet of paper, which we don't see right now) And it looks like we've got the trump card right here.

Benson: (Looking at the list) If this is true, I think we've finally got something to use against Sparx and Ember.

Elora: I carry a copy of these documents with me, officially signed and sealed. I can confirm every detail against my copies, to make sure it holds up in court.

Barba: In the meantime, we'll need to get Sparx and Ember in here. Tell them we're willing to make a deal.

Rikers Island Interview Room

Friday, October 19

(Now we transition to a rather grey room, with bars making up two of the walls, and a single window positioned behind a chair and table, at which Ember, Sparx, Barba, Elora, and Benson are seated)

Sparx: About time you came to your senses, Mr. Barba. Here to drop the charges, are we?

Barba: I specifically said we were willing to make a deal with you and your client, not to drop the charges.

Sparx: I am quite frankly shocked. And here I thought you had come to your senses. (Looking towards Elora) Especially you, Elora. I thought we were all friends, yet here we are. You trying to permanently traumatize a mentally ill young woman with these outrageous charges, and me trying to be humane.

Barba: We aren't saying your client isn't mentally ill, just not in the way you think she is.

Benson: Ember is likely sociopathic, not erotomanic.

Barba: We are willing to give her 20 years in prison and psychological counseling, in exchange for her full confession

Sparx: Please. I don't know if you know me or not, but I am generally an all or nothing person. So either the charges are dropped, or don't bother saying anything.

Elora: Perhaps that's because you've never had the right leverage to make a deal.

(With that, Elora pulls out a sheet of paper, strategically turned upside down so we cannot see it)

Sparx: And that's supposed to be...?

Benson: Our trump card.

Barba: Because if you read the heading... (Flips it over) You'll see where we have you.

Sparx: (Reading the document) "Orphans of the Malefic Reign"? You don't think I know about this list? Every lawyer and prosecutor in the Realms carries a copy! In fact the Department of Child Services has the original copies of these lists on their walls! How exactly is this a trump card for you?

Elora: I bet in all that time, despite being involved in the struggle firsthand, you've never actually read the list.

Sparx: What are you getting at?

Barba: Read the first name on the provided page.

(As Sparx reads the list, he is genuinely surprised by the name in question)

Benson: See anyone familiar? You really should. Right there, top of the page, Ember Fireheart.

Sparx: You'll forgive me for not seeing the relevance here.

Elora: I'll tell you the relevance. This gives Ember another possible motive for doing this. And personally, it sounds much better than your erotomania defense.

Benson: Let me tell you, I've seen my share of strange cases which have erotomania defenses, and none of them to date have involved the sufferer having friends or family of their delusion-based lover attacked. If anything, more of them just create shrines of them or at worst, attack random people to send a message to them.

Sparx: I take it you're referring to John Hinckley Jr on that last one. But again, where's the relevance?

Benson: What I'm saying is this is too specific, too planned out, too... targeted at Cynder directly.

(At this point, Ember noticeably loses any sign of keeping up the delusion act, and Benson notices this.)

Benson: Looks like we struck gold. Cynder was the real target, wasn't she? You weren't trying to send some kind of message to Spyro, you were trying to tell her something, weren't you?

Sparx: Alright, that is enough. This interview is...

(And before Sparx can even say anything, Ember starts to laugh, chillingly and diabolically, starting slowly, then building up until she's looking directly at Benson)

Ember: (With her true colors revealed) Took you long enough to figure it out.

Sparx: Ember, as your attorney, I advise you to keep quiet.

Ember: Oh shut up, you annoying little gnat. Your nonsense defense wasn't going to work anyways.

Benson: So that's why you targeted Cynder, isn't it? She killed your parents.

Ember: And got away with it.

Sparx: You're not helping yourself by talking, you know that, right?!

Ember: (To Benson, but still angrily) She didn't just kill my parents, she murdered my entire family, and countless others. And what did the courts do? They gave her a slap on the wrist because that purple oaf claimed she was reformed.

Sparx: (Reacting to the insult towards Spyro) Watch it, kid! That's my brother your talking about!

(And at this point, the iron bar door opens allowing Spyro and Cynder into the scene)

Benson: I take it you've heard everything.

Spyro: Every word. (To Ember) Ember, is this true?

Ember: (Looking at him in anger) Do you have any idea how many children you let down by defending her? How many people you scorned because you believed that monster could be reformed? You were supposed to be the hero, yet instead you fell in love with the villain. (Scoffs) Some hero you turned out to be.

Cynder: (In the most shock of all) Is... is this really how you feel? I thought we were friends!

Ember: (Angrier than before) Us? Friends?! After all the misery you put me and countless others through?! Not on your life!

Cynder: (Under her breath) 5,000

Ember: What?

Cynder: 5,000. That's how many people died by my hand during the Malefic Reign. 5,000 souls extinguished by my claws. (With tears welling up in her eyes) And I regret each and every drop of blood spilled. I know many of you will never forgive me. And believe me, neither will I.

Ember: Oh don't give me your sob story. You killed all those people, and you enjoyed every second of it. You may have fooled the courts, you may have fooled Spyro, but you will NEVER fool me!

Spyro: (Stepping in, angrily) We have been nothing but friendly to you, Ember. Has that all meant nothing to you?!

Ember: Oh it meant something to me alright. Your friendship gave me a way to get at her. (To Cynder) Ever since that day all those years ago, I've wanted to see you suffer. To see you know every single bit of the pain you put all of us through.

Benson: So all of this was just to make Cynder suffer the way you did.

Ember: (Eyes fixed on Cynder, unblinkingly) Oh please, this was just the beginning. And even if you stop me, this will not end. There are thousands of us. And we do not forget, we do not forgive. We will take everything from you, like you took everything from us. And only then, once you are at your absolute lowest, will we grant you your well-deserved death. At least, that's how it was supposed to go.

Benson: (Worried) What are you talking about?

Ember: I was originally intending to watch you squirm a little bit longer. But, I've grown tired of this little game. So, I've decided TO KILL YOU HERE AND NOW!

(With that, Ember, with only fury and vengeance on her mind, attempts to rush at Cynder. But having grown tired of her nonsense, Cynder, in self defense, punches Ember square in the jaw, knocking her to the ground and knocking out a few teeth)

Cynder: Little bit of knowledge for you, Ember. Your plan would never work.

Spyro: (Joining in) Because for every one of you, there's 1000 of us. People who will not let this sort of revenge-based justice stand.

Ember: (Glaring angrily at Spyro as she drifts out of consciousness.) Looks like the beast has gotten to you after all. There's no saving you.

(And as Ember falls unconscious, we look back towards Sparx, who all this time has been completely flabbergasted by everything he's seen, and as he turns back to Lieutenant Benson, as if trying to grasp what the heck just happened, when Barba suddenly decides to speak up)

Barba: I'm thinking we need to change the deal.

Elora: Agreed.

Sparx: (Completely defeated) Forget it. You guys win. (Looking at his now former client) I can't defend this.

(As Sparx flies out of the room, and a pair of Rikers guards respond to the commotion and take Ember back to her cell, our story ends for today)

Well, I don't think anyone saw that coming. So, at last, there's the answer. That is the real motive for Ember to commit this crime. No mental breakdown, no erotomanic delusions, just plain old fashioned hatred. Which is sad, but even I know this case may be ripped straight from the headlines. Somewhere in the world, at some time or another, something like this has happened, I am sure of that. And that is one thing I love about SVU, the cases solved are just plausible enough to be real, and some were taken straight from the headlines. That's why it outlived all other Law and Order series. While this note has some finality to it, the story isn't over yet. There's still a few things left to wrap up. And that will be done in the epilogue. So to see how the story truly wraps up, tune in next time! Same time... same channel!