Yup. Here I am. Almost a year later... sorry... I awful, I know. :P But between me moving and my beta losing my chapter for a while (an me not sending it again) I really just forgot about this whole story. But i am DETERMINED to finish this story! It's been planned out for a whole year and I will finish! Promise... Beta Naomi, will hold me to it!
All characters that are mine are mine.
All Spyro characters belong to their people.
Ardera (Who isn't in the chap.) belongs to Beta. :P
-Recap-
The purple dragon did not speak, hoping the white dragon would not be spotted by the menacing one at his level. But, it was too much to hope for.
"Ah, so glad you could make it young white one." He smiled mischievously.
...
Zane cut off Shlade's vision of Trinity, opening his jaws to send another lightning bolt at his enemy. Shlade's own explosive bolt of purple lightning clashed with the younger's with a resounding snarl of thunder. However, instead of exploding like the shadow fire, the energy redirected and shattered off in into multiple directions.
"Have you forgotten me already, Father?" Zane snarled, fangs bore in contempt, freezing the younger dragons in confusion.
The enemy narrowed his golden eyes, just staring at Zane. Then, as if some knowledge that had long hidden reawakened in Shlade's mind, he smirked. The smirk did not seem to stagger the younger dragon's anger in the least, but whatever the thought Shlade had had seemed to be his greatest weapon. He threw back his head in a dark malicious cackle, catching the all who heard it to lurch in shock, "Poor, poor orange dragon." He spoke after his bout of laughter, "Daddy has not been present for many ages in this body."
"What do you mean?" a cautious voice spoke out. It was Cynder, confusion written all over the faces of the valiant naive heroes.
"The little dragon's daddy left his poor baby son many years ago and never returned." The black dragon sneered, "But why did Elex not return?" Shlade laughed twice, deep and wicked, "Because of the torchers he suffered in the dungeons of the Well of Souls. Waiting, holding the key to my master plan." His gaze glinted with his malice as it scrutinized each of the four poor confused dragons doomed to die, and flashed as it stopped upon the white dragoness that was crouched behind Zane.
"Who are you?" Zane growled, blocking Shlade's view of his sister once again.
Shlade smiled darkly but did not answer, the silence conveying more than words would ever be able to say. Instead, he folded his wings and dove. He was heading at full speed towards the mountain that they had neared as they had fought.
"Malefor!" Cynder gasped in a sudden realization.
"Stop him!" Spyro called, diving after the black dragon.
Trinity and Cynder pulled away quickly from the boys, with their slenderer, aerodynamic forms, gaining on the evil dragon.
Despite their desperate rush, Shlade entered the mountain before them.
"Throw me!" Cynder suddenly called, her green eyes meeting the white dragoness's.
Without a second thought, Trinity complied. White paws linked with black ones, the time dragon took this moment to rein in the pull of time as best she could. Pulling Cynder closer, she did a backwards flip to create a sling-shot effect. At the end of the flip, her power sparked along their claws and flowed into Cynder. The black dragoness aged quickly, her body expanding and strengthening as time reversed within her, returning her to the form she once had when under the corruption of Malefor. Then, and only then, did Trinity release her hold on the black dragoness and therefore her influence over time at the same instant.
Cynder, a lot more threatening now than mere moments before, hurtled towards the mountain like a bullet from its barrel and vanished into the dark void of the dormant volcano. Trinity dived again, the slingshot had set her back, allowing the males to pull alongside.
They entered the Well of Souls at the same time. In the darkness they could see the forms of not only two dragons, but a third as well.
The cavern floor was a rolling crystallized amethyst that encased the third dragon deep within its depths. The other two shadowy dragon forms were locked in combat, viciously clawing each other.
The bulkier figure of the two suddenly ensnared the slenderer one by the throat in the dim light. Shlade flung Cynder, her body skidding painfully across the violet stone.
"Cynder!" the small purple dragon rushed to his beloved mate, but the enemy dragon was faster.
With the spiked ridge of his head, Shlade hit Spyro with an unrelenting force that stole his breath, blinded his eyes, and sent him catapulting at an unstoppable speed. The small dragon collided with Trinity, launching her backwards in an uncontrolled collision course with a very unforgiving cavern wall. Unfortunately, Zane was also pulled into the devastating blow, as the large white dragon's tail caught him when she hurled past him.
The group of three slid into the wall, where the shimmering crystal met the dull stone. When Trinity hit the ground, she realized three things of utmost importance. First, the force of the blow caused her to de-age back into her true age and size. Second, small dark scarlet drops contrasted sharply against her white scales where they were splattered. And most importantly, third, an ethereal amethyst glow lit the entire cavern, a glow that emitted from the floor and was brightest under her very feet – obvious some sort of odd reaction to her touch. Perhaps the cavern floor was allergic to white time dragons? The hope was fleeting and she knew with a deep foreboding that this situation just got much worse.
In the light, Trinity did a quick head count. Zane shook the dizziness from himself as he pulled himself onto his feet, mostly just a little shaken from his unexpected crash course. Spyro, on the other hand, still lay upon the ground, thoroughly checking his wounds, though they did not appear to be severe. Cynder was her normal age again, staring in horrified silence into the amethyst substance that created the floor.
Underneath the young dragoness was the third dragon, its size enormous now that it could be seen clearly. Deep purple scales covered his body and three large horns jutted from the top and sides of his head. His face looked as if it could summon demons straight from hell, its frozen features twisted in hatred.
Whipping her head around, the white female spotted Shlade. Eerie purple light cloaked him like a miasma and glowed from his eyes like headlights through fog. He turned slowly and looked at Trinity.
"Thank you, white fool!" He suddenly snarled, voice resounding unmercifully, as a wicked grin split his snout.
"Shlade!" Zane boomed as he launched himself from Trinity's side straight at the black dragon.
The malicious dragon's smile just grew wider. The black almost melted from the scales like unwanted mud in the rain, the floor beneath his feet absorbing it greedily. Shlade's scales quickly faded to their original orange coloring, just a shade lighter than Zane's. However, the young male did not stop or falter. He tackled the now other orange dragon to the ground. Diving for the kill, he aimed his teeth for the other dragon's throat.
A voice rang out from that throat, a voice that had not been used in ages, "Wait, Zane! Please!" the voice was not evil. It had no dark rasp or hidden intent in it.
The moment his name had been called, Zane had stopped, his heart squeezing painfully. It was not the same voice that had mocked him just minutes before. This voice was filled with tears and pain.
The younger male stepped off the older one with stiff movements, his shock plain on his face. The lighter orange dragon had tears in his eyes, threatening to spill over.
"I'm sorry…" He whispered, "I'm sorry… I couldn't stop myself… I killed her…" a sob fell from him in a voice that made Trinity's throat tighten in empathy and her own deep grief, "I watched her die by my own claws… and…. And there was nothing I could do about it…"
"Dad…" Zane whispered, his voice an emotional rasp that threatened tears as well.
Trinity understood then. The black that had melted from Shlade must have been Malefor's dark energy that had coated Elex like a parasitic coat of armor that moved according to its own will. When it left, it abandoned Elex, Zane's father, thus returning control to its proper command.
"Spyro!" Cynder's terrified voice shattered the bitter-sweet reunion from across the room.
The dark aura of Malefor snaked its way slowly but steadily through the crystal floor, reaching with black tendrils for its encased body, "What's happening?"
"Trinity was the key!" Elex's voice was tight as he flipped off his back, When she hit the wall and de-aged, the core sapped some of the excess energy. It must have been just enough to reverse the age of the crystal back to when Malefor was first locked into it."
"What does that mean?" Zane asked, his eyes not leaving his father. He had yet to recover from the awe of regaining a parent. However, his voice was still edged with nervous fear; fear of the erratic, unpredictable events that have been unfolding and have yet to unfold around what was left of his family.
"It means, thanks to my carelessness, the Dark Lord is returning…" the time dragoness whispered.
...
And thus, I start typing Chapter 11 :)