(*Insert mole king from Johnny Test cartoon* "I'M BAAAACK!" Sorry for the long wait guy, been busy these last couple months one the home-front. If your an author then you know how can be at times. Just want to say I'm sorry for the wait and that I really appreciate the patience people. I'll try to have a new chapter up sooner than last time.)

***Cynder P.O.V.***

'This is... unexpected.' I thought as I gazed upon the dark form in front of me. One second my heart was shattering into a million pieces as I was mourning over Spyro's death, and the next thing I know he's standing up as if nothing happened. Only... it seemed as if his darker half had taken control. But he wasn't acting as he should. He should be rampaging in the streets, destroying everything in sight! Instead he's... rolling around in the grass while laughing like a youngling?

"I can't believe this!" He exclaimed happily as he finally stopped rolling around and stood up allowing me to get a good look at him. He... could basically pass as Spyro's twin, which makes sense considering that he, what ever he is, is using his body. The only difference was the color scheme. Instead of the purple and gold I'd come to love, the dragon before me was ebony black and silver, with purple replacing the red of his wing membranes and red replacing the purple of his eyes. "I'm out..." He said drawing me from my observations of him. "I'm finally out!" The joy of his shout could be heard for miles around. "So this is what grass feels like! And the Sun,it's so warm!" He said as he looked towards the evening sky. "This is so much better then when I delved into his memories." He mumbled to himself quietly as closed his eyes and seemingly basked in it's presence.

"Um... Excuse me!" Ember called from my left. Looking down at her I could see that she was just as confused about all of this as I was. He stopped his basking to look at us, but the instant he laid his red eyes upon us, the spark of pure joy turned to one of regret a sadness.

"I'm sorry..." Of all the things I was expecting to hear from him, that was the least expected. And he sounded so sincere even though I had no clue as to what he was apologizing for. It was then that I realized that he wasn't looking at me directly, but at Ember instead. "Your leg... Ember, the last thing I wanted that night was to hurt you..." It was then that I remembered the story that Spyro told me on the the island. Of how his inner darkness had been trying to get out, and of how he believed that by letting it out for a little bit, it would calm down. Only for things to go horribly wrong when Ember followed him onto the grublin side of the island.

"If that's true, then why did you attack her?" I asked as I stepped in front of Ember defensively. Sure he may have been acting differently than I first expected him to, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to be cautious.

"Emotions... emotions were, and still are fairly new to me." He said as he suddenly found the ground under his paws to be of great interest. "That night... when I heard you scream... I was filled with so much fear... so much rage that I... was blinded by it..." He said sadly almost on the brink of tears.

"W-What do you mean?" Ember asked as she tried to get a little closer to him only for me to have to pull her back.

"Ember... you father and I... while we are different, we are also the same." He said as he knelled down to her eye level. "I've been with your father in one form or another for years before and after you were born. Like him I watched you when you hatched, when you took your fist step, said your first word, and every other milestone you crossed between then and now. One doesn't see all that without coming to care for the one they are observing." His voice held such passion, such love, it was almost as if-

"You are not her father!" I yelled at him as I pulled Ember behind me and got ready to pounce on him encase he tried something. Surprisingly he just let out a sad sigh as he stood up and brought his direct attention to me.

"I never said I was Cynder. I understand that you feel the need to be weary around me. You own dark past justifies your caution, but I promise you that I mean no harm." He said and a part of me actually wanted to believe him, but like he said, I have experience when dealing inner darkness. "If you require proof of my intentions than how about I volunteer to help find the missing adults?" The offer shocked me more than I let on.

"How are you going to do that?" Ember ask from directly at his fore-paws.

'Ancestors how'd she get there without me noticing?!' I asked inside my head. 'Is this what Spyro has to deal with, with her?'

"Well Ember, you see while your to young to understand, older and more experienced dragons have the ability sense the natural energies of the the planet that are aligned with their elements." He told her in what I could only describe as a lecture mode.

"Natural energies?"

"What he means is that there are some areas in the world where our elemental powers get a boost by drawing on the energy of the environment around us." I said as I remembered one of those boring lectures that Cyril used to give me and Spyro when we were younger.

"She's right Ember. A perfect example would be if you used your fire element in a place one would normally associate with fire like a volcano." He explained, and I noted that Ember was paying rapt attention to him. I briefly wondered if she was always this when learning new thing. "If you were to breath fire near a volcano, especially an active one, you'd find that it would be much stronger then if you were to breath fire here."

"Alternatively if you were to breath fire in a place associated with the element ice, fire's opposite, you breath would be much weaker than normal." I said while recalling the end of Cyril's lecture.

"Yes, but that's not all."

"Wait, there's more?" I asked curiously.

"Yes there is Cynder, and you'd know that if you didn't fall asleep during Cyril's lectures." I found myself blushing in embarrassment at the fact that he was scolding like one would a youngling. It only intensified when Ember let out a small laugh at my expense. But then a new question popped into my head. "If you wondering how I know all this, It's because Spyro actually managed to stay awake in class. All I have to do is look into his memories to find the information I need."

'Okay, that was creepy. Was he-'

"No Cynder I was not, and am not, reading your mind. Your questions are practically written on you face." Once again I found myself blushing, but this time it was more of aggravation than embarrassment. "Now where was I... Oh yes! As I was about to say, not only are there places in this world that are naturally aligned with the elements, but certain objects as well. More specifically gemstones."

"Gemstones... like the spirit gems back on the island?" Ember asked with no small amount of curiosity.

"No Ember, those gems are used for healing and replenishing ones strength. The ones I'm talking about are even rarer and harder to come by. The only way to find these gems is by sensing the natural elemental energy that flows through them like those places me and Cynder mentioned earlier." Okay... maybe I should have payed more attention in class, because all this is news to me. "You see Ember, these gemstones can only be found when a dragon of the same element can sense their location. Also just because a gem is aligned to a certain element, doesn't mean that you'll find one in an area aligned with that element."

"Okay... but what does all this talk about gems have to do with finding the missing dragons?" I honestly didn't see how any of this was going to help us. He just looked at me with a confused expression, but that gave way to one of realization soon after.

"Of course, how could I forget? Cynder, while you maybe able to use the elements poison, fear, and shadow, that doesn't make you a poison dragon, or a fear, dragon, or even a shadow dragon."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Cynder, it's only because of your... history with Malefore that you are even able to use those element. Were it not for the dark master's interference in you life, you just be a wind dragon!" Again, where's he going with this? "Therefore you would only be able to sense wind aligned gemstones, whereas I, someone naturally aligned with the element of darkness, can sense the dozens of dark gemstones here in this very city."

"Wait, WHAT?!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Dark gemstones?! Like the ones Malefore used?!" A simple nod was the only answer he gave me. "This is bad, really bad. If there really are dark gemstones here, there's no telling how they could have effected the adults before they vanished, how they could have effected the younglings, how they could have-" My mind immediately shift to how Gregoir had been acting right before he... nearly killed Spyro.

"Um... Excuse me... but what so bad about these dark gemstones?" Ember's question brought me out of my mild panic attack. As I looked down at her I could see genuine curiosity in her eyes, but also a small bit of fear as well. Most likely because of my reaction.

'Ancestor, I'd make a terrible mother...' I inwardly scolded myself for forgetting about Ember's presence. "Dark gemstone... are pure evil Ember. Unlike the spirit gems that give us strength, they take it away." I could tell that she didn't quite understand what I just said, but before I could explain further-

"Dark gemstones, basically suck out one's spirit Ember. they leave one as nothing but a mindless husk who's only purpose is to serve the ones who made them in the first place."

'Way to dial it down for her sake.' I thought sarcastically before I looked down and noted that while Ember seemed a bit frightened, she wasn't panicking like most her age would. 'Why am I so surprised? She was raised by Spyro on an island infested with grublins after all.'

"Made them?"

"Yes Ember. You see, while there are some naturally dark elements, darkness itself is't a natural element. Therefore gemstones aligned with the element of darkness aren't natural either."

"Oh... so then how come you say your aligned with the element of darkness if darkness isn't a real element?" I never really noticed how inquisitive Ember is.

"I said it's not natural. I never said it wasn't real." He defended. "I myself am a perfect example. I was never meant to exist, but yet... here I am all the same." He sadly admitted.

"What do you mean you're not mean to exist?" Ember asked curious about his statement.

"I'll tell you later, but right now you need to go back to the dragon temple."

"What?! WHY?!" Ember whined, finally acting like the child she is.

"Because me and Cynder are going after the dark gemstones in the city."

'We are?'

"But why can't I come to?"

"Because you can't sense where they are like me, and you haven't built up a resistance to them like Cynder." A good reason if ever there was one.

"Okay fine." She huffed as she angrily trotted off in the temple's general direction.

"Oh and don't even think about wondering off! Belinda is going to keep a good eye on you!" Before I could question his meaning said electricity dragoness' head popped out of a nearby bush. She gave us a sheepish smile before silently running after Ember to make sure she got back safely.

"when did she get here?"

"While I was giving my lecture about natural energies." He said as he started off towards the damaged wall. "The nearest dark gemstone is this way." That was all I needed to here to follow... I guess I can't just keep referring to him as... well him.

"Do you have a name or something?"

"No."

"Then what do I call you?" He paused for a brief moment to think before continued on again.

"Dark."

"Dark? Couldn't you come up with some thing more original?" I ask as we came upon the destroyed wall. He just ignored me as he used Spyro's earth element to start removing a small piece of the wall. "Well... I guess it-" I stopped talking as an all to familiar ominous purple light sprang from the small hole Dark had just dug up. looking inside I saw a sight that I'd hoped I'd never see again. "A dark gemstone." I made no effort to hide the venom in my voice as I stared upon offend shard.

"Indeed." Dark said as he reached into the hole and grabbed the shard. He examined it briefly not even effected by it's attempts to drain his energy like it was mine. But like he said, do to my past, I've built up a resistance to it, so it isn't effecting me as bad as it could be. "This shard... is just a small piece of a much large crystal." He said before he smashed it and grounded it to dust before letting it fall to the ground. I spit a bit of acidic venom on the dust for good measure. I can sense where the rest of the shards are, but what I want to know is; who brought them to the city, and more importantly, why?'