Just to be clear to everyone, I will not abandon this story. I will try to update sooner. Now, for this chapter, I suggest you play the saddest music you know. Trust me on this. If you don't want to, you don't have to, but you're missing out. Also, huge thanks to Legion222 for editing this chapter. Seriously, this chapter would be a lot worse if he didn't proofread it!
The Electric Dragon: Into the Abyss
Chapter 10: Repercussions
The night had passed and it was morning at the Kingdom of Dragunov. Though many hardly noticed as a thick fog rolled in out of nowhere, and blocked out the sun. However, the weather wasn't on anyone's mind.
The incident at last night's 'Year of the Dragon' party had spread through the whole kingdom and it was all anyone could talk about. The complete story changed from dragon to dragon, but everyone got the basic gist of it: Magma had killed Lemon's father and had escaped custody.
King Dragunov was not happy at all; ordering his guards to scour the local area for Magma after the initial shock had been swept away. The guards did as they were told, but found no evidence of his whereabouts, and believed he had left the city.
Flame wasn't too surprised by Magma's evilness, having listened to Lemon's side of the story already. However, he was still dumbfounded that his own brother would commit such atrocities. Flame had lived with him his whole life, and yet he was blind to the fact that he was a malicious monster. He tried to keep his disappearance a secret to his little brother, Kindling, but his innocent questions and persistence wore on him heavily.
His girlfriend, Ember, was effected just as heavily as Flame was, but she took it a lot harder. She had been friends with Lemon for a long time, and it was heart breaking to learn that she was forced to come in the first place. It was even harder to believe that the sole reason she had come willingly, to protect her father, was in vain. It was a tragedy all on its own.
These were Spyro's thoughts as he watched the landscape upon the cobblestone wall that surrounded the Kingdom of Dragunov. He had gathered as much information as he could to build a convincing story to tell the citizens of the city. It proved unnecessary, in the end, as the citizens quickly learned of the ordeal. Thinking about it further, Spyro probably did it just to keep his own feelings distant, to not be distracted. However, as he watched lightning blink in and out in the mist, he knew he should have done something different.
Cynder was with Spyro as well, her eyes focused on the mist where Cole was currently residing. Though she wished she could help in some way, she didn't know what to exactly do. When looking around, she noticed that she wasn't the only one looking beyond the large city wall.
Lemon, the Guardians, Sparx, Uranium, Flame, Ember, the guards, and many others watched from the sidelines as Cole released his rage within the dense fog, the boom of thunder and the flash of lightning the only indicator that he was still very upset with what had happened at the party.
Cole shot out multiple electric rockets at a harmless boulder, shattering it into smaller rocks and pebbles. How could he just let Magma get away, especially after what he had done to Lemon? He deserved more than death; to suffer for his sins. Cole's anger flared up again and he threw a few electric grenades into another boulder, blowing it up as well.
Magma had done terrible acts to a seemingly innocent dragoness, one that did not merit being treated in such a cruel manner. She was a poor pawn in Magma's plan, one that Cole couldn't even begin to fathom, nor did he really care to. He should have done something, anything, just to kill him, to get revenge for Lemon. But he didn't. He had let him go.
Cole was too furious to think clearly as to why he had not gone after Magma. But he blamed himself for everything: for not doing something sooner, for not killing Magma, for letting him get away.
Multiple scenarios ran through his head, wondering what the outcomes might have been. It did little to quench his anger, though, and he ground his teeth as his body began pulsing with electricity. He released an electric pulse, emitting a shock wave of energy. It tore apart the surrounding boulders to pieces, leaving nothing left.
How was he to make amends with Lemon? Did she hate him now? Cole had left for the night a little after Magma's escape, and he hadn't run into her this morning. Was it a coincidence that he didn't see her, or was she purposely avoiding him? If the latter was true, Cole felt like he deserved it. It was all his fault...
Fury was boiling inside him yet again, and Cole had the sudden urge to discharge his powers. As his body became laced with energy, he threw his arms out to the side, and a surge of lightning fell from the sky, striking the ground in front of him. Cole held it as he yelled out in anguish, using up all his reserves, both in terms of electricity and mental capacity.
When the lightning had faded, leaving only a dark spot where it had struck, Cole fell to his knees, his arms hanging idly by his side. As he gazed up at the fog that surrounded him, his mind somewhat blank now, he heard the wing beats of an approaching dragon.
The dragon landed behind him, but Cole continued to face the ground, already knowing who it was. "Cole..." the calm, sad voice of Lemon called out.
Cole didn't answer, staying exactly where he was. Lemon didn't know what to say from there, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly. The time seemed to tick away slowly as the two sat in silence, waiting for the other to speak.
"It's all my fault," Cole whispered at last, causing Lemon to perk her head slightly at his tone; it was one of remorse. "He did all those things to you... and I just let him get away."
Lemon closed her eyes, fighting back the tears that were beginning to sting. She could vividly remember the night before like it had occurred a mere hour ago, how the revelation of the fate of her father brought her nothing but sorrow. Lemon was glad to finally know how he was, but also wished she had never been told.
"I gave him a burial," Cole stated, "A pathetic one, but it was the best I could do."
Since that morning, Lemon had had many questions about her father. She was too fearful to ask Cole, afraid that the answer would put her more into depression than before.
"Please don't ask me what happened to your dad," Cole requested pitifully, staring ahead of him. "Don't put me in that situation."
Lemon's voice died in her throat as she was about to protest; though she was desperate to find out the full details pertaining to her father, she also didn't want to know.
"I don't blame you, Cole," Lemon announced shakily, the tears finally sliding down her cheeks. "You couldn't have done anything to-"
"Yes I could have!" Cole shouted, clenching his fists as Lemon flinched from the outburst. "I could have... I could have..."
Cole sighed; he had to face it. He wouldn't have been able to do a damn thing. He was weak and worthless, and he knew it; or at least that was what he was telling himself. Tears were brimming on his eyes, and he hastily rubbed them away with his arm, forcing himself not to break down.
Lemon carefully walked to his right side, watching his features slowly reveal themselves to her. On instinct, Cole looked the other way, not wanting Lemon to see him in his current state.
"Why are you doing this to yourself?" Lemon inquired quietly, her lip quivering as more tears were falling from her face. "You've done nothing wrong."
"I... I just..." Cole stuttered, trying to come up with a reason for his guilty conscious. As he mulled it over, he could only come up with one explanation for his actions; one that he thought he had already gotten over.
"You remind me so much of Trish," Cole admitted, leaning his hands on the ground in despair. "You're kind, compassionate, and think of others before yourself. And then there's me, the guy who failed both of you."
Lemon now knew his bane, why he was in so much pain. That acknowledgement, however, did nothing to stop the stream of tears.
"I don't deserve to be friends with you," Cole sniffed, looking at the ground. "I couldn't save Trish, and now, I couldn't even avenge your dad. I have these powers, given to me from my future self, and yet I still can't save the ones I love."
Lemon's sadness was starting to get the better of her, not from her own sad story, but from remembering Cole's. He, too, had lost a loved one, and many of his friends along the way. Now he had her own grief to carry with him, and the very thought of that made her sob harder.
With heavy limbs, Lemon made her way over to stand in front of Cole, her thoughts clouded. Cole still looked away from her, his guilt too much for him to look her in the eye.
"I'm sorry," Cole whimpered, not able to control his sorrow any longer. "I"m so... so sorry..."
"Please... stop..." Lemon practically begged, "I can't stand... to see you like this."
"I'm sorry!" Cole shouted to the ground with a tinge of remorse, but Lemon did not back away or flinch. He was apologizing to someone besides Lemon. When Cole finally looked up to Lemon, with beads of tears on his eyes, he thought for a second that he saw Trish, in a wisp-like form, standing right beside Lemon. But with a blink of an eye, she disappeared.
He couldn't take it any longer, and openly wept in front of Lemon. He brought his hands over his eyes, rubbing them worthlessly as he sat with parallel legs. "C-Cole," Lemon stammered with cries, sitting herself in front of him, "S-Stop doing t-this to yours-self."
"Why are doing this?" Cole questioned, gaining some control of his emotions, "Why? Just tell me that."
Lemon opened her mouth to answer, but a lump formed in her throat, and only a gasp of sorrow escaped her muzzle. She had the answer, and it was really quite simple. But she was afraid of the repercussions if she told Cole. She could never tell him in his face.
But she could show him.
"Cole," she expressed firmly, but quietly, sniffling a little. Cole gave a heavy sigh, and looked up at her again, waiting for what she wanted to say. He swallowed, half-hoping she would yell at him or something as equally harsh. However, he didn't even get a chance to think as she threw her paws on his chest, and kissed him.
To say he was stunned would be an understatement; he was downright shocked by the kiss. She pressed against his lips firmly, with eyes shut tight. Cole had his eyes wide, trying and failing to comprehend the reasoning behind Lemon's action.
She was kissing so passionately that Cole was tempted to kiss back with vigor. But his thoughts were flooded with confusion and worry. He's kissing a dragon. A dragon. A mythological beast in his own world. This can't be normal. Even in his wrecked state, Cole could feel a lingering feeling of love towards Lemon, one that he had thought would never reemerge after the death of Trish.
When they eventually broke away, Cole could make out a blush on Lemon's face, as she faced away from him. Cole stood up, his breathing speeding up, and backed away. Lemon noticed this with slight embarrassment; she had waited for this moment for a long time, and he wasn't acting as she had hoped.
Cole didn't know what to do, or what to say. He has never been in a situation like this, and his expression said it all. Before Lemon could utter a word, Cole took off in the other direction, towards the Kingdom of Dragunov, causing her to call his name desperately. Cole didn't deter from his frantic pace, mind racing, but he wished he didn't fall to this stupid stunt.
It was far too late to just turn around and walk back. His mind had set this path for him, and this gave him the time he needed to think about what had happened. Not while he was sprinting, of course, but when he felt alone, that's when he can mull it over.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Everyone on top of the wall were frozen in their spots, waiting with bated breath on what would happen next. Cole had halted his raging mood, as no more flashes of lightning erupted from his direction. They still couldn't see because of the fog, but they could assume that he was still there. Lemon had left a few minutes ago, but there was no sign of her either.
Spyro and Cynder were beginning to grow worried for their human friend, as they weren't exactly sure what he would do in his infuriated condition. Maybe Lemon had cooled him off a little, but then again maybe not. There were so many uncertainties, and they knew very little on how Cole reacted to situations like this.
"Wait, I see something," Sparx announced to everyone. This forced everyone to squint their eyes, looking for what Sparx had pointed out. He was correct, as a silhouette of a standing figure could be seen running straight for the wall in the mist.
Soon, Cole could be seen, albeit slightly fuzzy, as he sprinted all out for the wall. Some were confused as to why he was running, others were frightened that he was about to attack them. Then, quite quickly, Cole used an Ice Launch and sent himself sailing through the air. He did a front flip at the peak of his jump, over the wall, and earned a lot of awe-stricken faces for his troubles.
Cole then used his electric tether and latched it onto a nearby building, and he zoomed straight for it. He grabbed the ledge of the building, flipped onto the roof, and continued his trip from building to building. Spyro could see that his destination was the palace tower. Why Cole was heading there was unknown to him, but perhaps it was something personal, as the King wasn't even in the palace at this time.
"Where is he going?" Cynder questioned with a doleful expression. Spyro would've answered her question, if he wasn't so deep in thought. Lemon had still not emerged from the fog, but Spyro knew for a fact that Cole would do nothing harmful to Lemon. They were so close to each other.
"Sometimes," Terrador spoke, causing many of the onlookers to face him, "the actions of a hero should not be questioned. But the product of such actions is what really matters."
"And," Cyril spoke up, and everyone's attention focused on him, "If such products of the hero's decisions are not seen, then the hero will be judged on those actions."
Everyone turned to Volteer expectantly, and he did not falter, "Most of the time, the positive aftermath is overlooked, taken for granted. And the hero is rewarded for his sacrifice with rejection."
The three guardians dipped their heads low, probably in sympathy, while Spyro and Cynder glanced back where Cole had disappeared.
"The tragedy of a true hero," Spyro muttered, though Cynder was the only one to hear him. When she did, she nuzzled up next to him, giving him whatever comfort she could. Spyro accepted it, and closed his eyes. He could feel rain starting to fall through the mist, but he didn't care; he actually was expecting it.
'It's almost as if,' he thought to himself, 'the world itself is crying.'
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Cole entered through the palace entrance, hastily closing it once he was inside. Behind the closed door, he could hear the drops of water that indicated rain. It was lucky that he decided to run for the tower to think over what had happened. But it was a hallow victory; Cole knew he had broken Lemon's heart when he had ran.
Cole stepped away from the double doors, walking along the red rug with no real purpose. He diverted from the rug and over to one of the stone pillars, then leaned his back against it. Cole's legs finally gave out, and he slid along the pillar to the floor, his hands against his face.
'Why did I do that?' Cole thought with his guilt growing, 'She kissed me and I just ran. She already has enough pain, and I just made it worse.'
"Damn it!" he bellowed, slamming a fist into the floor. It wasn't enough to leave a mark, but Cole's hand was throbbing from the impact. He argued with himself that she was a different species, but there was no excuse for simply running away.
At that moment, something caught Cole's eye, but it then vanished from his vision. He was sure it was behind the pillar opposite him, but to what it could be, he didn't know.
"Hello?" he said cautiously, not sure if it was a trick of the eye or another dragon. "I don't bite, if that's what you're wondering."
Nothing came out or implied that someone had heard him, so Cole guessed it was his imagination. As Cole made to stand up, a dragon did come out from behind the pillar. It showed itself carefully, and seemed to be slightly scared.
It was a young dragon, with orange scales with a yellow underbelly and horns. What really stuck out, however, was that this dragon had no wings. It was completely different from the average dragon around here, kind of like how Cole was compared to the average human. To Cole, he looked like a large lizard.
"Hey, little guy," Cole said quietly, a smile forming on his lips. The little dragon jumped back suddenly when he was acknowledged. Cole couldn't help but think how adorable the dragon was being.
"It's alright, I won't hurt you," he consoled smoothly. Though Cole had little to no experience with children, he knew how to deal with animals, though he wouldn't say that out loud. Still, the young dragon shuffled towards him slowly.
"Are you... are you the thing dad was talking to?" he questioned, his voice filled with curiosity.
"I don't know," Cole answered honestly, "Who's your dad, kid?"
"He's King of this city," the young dragon answered casually, his eyes studying every inch of Cole. This put Cole's mind to work; so this was another son of the King's? He remembered Flame mentioning someone named Kindling, could this be who he had mentioned?
"Yes, I... talked with your dad," Cole explained, "Who are you anyway?"
"I don't know if I should answer," the young dragon replied looking away bashfully. "Dad said I wasn't supposed to come near you. That you were... dangerous."
Cole sighed; The King no doubt had failed to update one of his youngest children about his position now in the city. Although, maybe the king was too afraid to explain this all to him.
"You don't have to come near me, kid," Cole commented, waving a hand idly to the side, "I just came here to... think."
"Oh, well, I'm Kindling. And what are you thinking about?" the young dragon inquired, his curiosity building.
"I... well, it's a bit complicated," Cole admitted, sitting up straight. "I'm not really from around these parts, and a friend of mine, sort of, kissed me."
"Why is that bad?" Kindling asked, tilting his head to the side.
"She's a dragoness," Cole emphasized, "And I'm just... a human."
"So?" the Kindling responded, "What does it matter? Unless you're afraid of cooties."
Cole reluctantly gave a chuckle; he had forgotten what kids thought of the opposite gender. The innocence of youth could never be squandered. "No, I'm not afraid of cooties," Cole smiled, leaning his head against the pillar, staring up at the darkened ceiling. "It's just that she's a different species, and I don't know what to feel towards her."
"Why should that matter?" Kindling asked, "I don't know about kissing and stuff, but maybe she doesn't care what you are."
"But that's the thing. Where I come from, we only love the same species. We don't have dragons where I'm from."
"But that shouldn't matter, should it?" Kindling questioned, "I mean, if she loves you, and if you love her back, then shouldn't that be all that matters?"
Cole blinked a few times, analyzing what Kindling had said. He was really philosophical for such a young age, but Cole guessed that they matured faster here. He was right, though. It shouldn't matter what either of them are, or what they look like. They loved each other, and that's all that should matter. Love is blind, and that fit the description perfectly.
Cole's smile widened, "You're right, kid. You're smarter than I was when I was your age."
Kindling laughed, and Cole rose from his position. He knew what he had to do now, and he was about to head for the doors when he remembered that it was raining outside. He gave a sigh, wishing it to end soon, but it was deemed unnecessary as a drenched Lemon burst through the door. She scanned the area, her expression one of worry and remorse.
"Cole," she shouted with sorrow, trotting over to him while ignoring Kindling. Cole looked down at her with sadness and bewilderment. "I'm sorry for doing that, I just... I just thought that... I won't do it again, I swear."
Now Cole felt very guilty, because now it was genuine. Her voice was rough, and her eyes were slightly bloodshot. It was apparent that she was crying quite a bit when he left. "I know you probably feel uncomfortable being near me now, but I had to apologize. I'm... I'm just so sorry."
Lemon tilted her head down, her head being too heavy to look up at him. Cole was angry at himself, how could he do this to her? He knelt down to her level, and lifted her head up to look into her eyes. Tears were brimming in her eyes, though it was hard to tell with all the water from the rain.
"I'm the one who should apologize," Cole admitted with a straight face. Before she could speak a word of complaint, Cole leaned in and kissed her. Her eyes widened at first, but then they slowly sank down until they were closed, and she pushed deeper into the kiss. Cole placed his right hand against her cheek, stroking it gently. She deserved to have love, true love. And Cole was happy to give it to her, and she gave some back as well.
When they finally pulled apart, they found themselves smiling at each other, breathing a little harder than before. Lemon was glad that Cole had reflected her love, and Cole was no different. For once, the small hole inside of Cole was filled; he definitely needed this, someone to love. After staring at each other for a while, they wrapped their arms around each other, and pulled each other into a beautiful embrace.
"Cole, Lemon!" Spyro shouted, barging in though the open doors. "Are you al-..."
Spyro gazed at the affection in wonder. He thought that Cole had run away from Lemon because of some kiss; that was what Lemon had told him and Cynder. But now, it seems they had fixed whatever relationship was broken between them. Cynder stepped next to him, a bit more delicately than Spyro, and also saw the hug that the two were sharing. She was glad that Lemon was getting some happiness in her life.
"Oh, hello Spyro and Cynder," Kindling greeted out of nowhere, walking over to them. The two didn't show their surprise, but gave a small chuckle at his cheeriness.
"Hey, Kindling," Cynder said happily, bringing her head down, "Did you help our friends?"
"Maybe?" he said, unsure himself if he had done anything at all, "I only talked with, umm, the thing."
"His name is Cole MacGrath, kid," Spyro explained with no sarcasm or anger in his voice, "And you helped him more than you know."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Milson ran through the familiar stone hallway, the dim torches flickering wildly as he did so. The news of Magma's evil nature had at last reached his ears, and he knew that his Master would want to be informed about the recent events. When he arrived at the wooden door, he did not hesitate to swing it open and rush into the room.
"Master," Milson cried out nervously, "T-There has been a, well, development."
His Master did not reply, but gave a low grunt to indicate that he was listening. "You see," Milson started, "It was discovered that Magma killed that yellow dragoness' father, and he was kicked out of the Kingdom."
The Master chuckled darkly, his laughter growing until it was borderline hysterical. "M-Master?" Milson asked in confusion.
"This is perfect," the Master finally spoke, "Now he can willingly join us, to complete my plans."
Milson was still puzzled as to the Master's meaning, and apparently he could tell as he gave an irritated sigh. "Perhaps I should explain it to you. You see, Milson, I contacted Magma in his dreams, telling him of riches and rewards he would earn if he served me. I asked him to gather me supplies to free me from my inconvenient imprisonment. The first was the claws of an old dragon, which lead him to that pathetic Lemon Orchard. Afterwards, he learned about the ill farmer there. This allowed him to get the essence of a sick dragon.
"Then, he needed to find the fumes of a burnt forest. So he burned down the Orchard. Quite nicely if you ask me. All he needs now is the blood of a sacrifice. Which I already have in my possession."
"W-Who is the sacrifice, M-Master?" Milson asked, playing with his paws anxiously.
"In due time, he will be revealed, but for now, I want you to meet Magma at the Dragon Temple."
"The one in Warfang?" Milson asked stupidly.
"No, you twit! The one in the swamps!" the Master answered angrily, causing Milson to jump back and cower. "Now go! And do not worry about Cole MacGrath and the others. They shall be dealt with soon enough."
"Y-Yes, Master!" Milson responded quickly, snapping to attention, "Right away!"
Milson turned around and sprinted down the hallway he had come through earlier. The Master chuckled darkly again, "Yes, I can feel it. I will soon be free. I, Malefor, shall come back to my physical being; and nothing will stand in my way."
A bit shorter than what I'm used to, but I wanted to get this out for all of you. Besides, they can't all be long.