CHAPTER 12

sorry this took a thousand years but I didnt want to leave u guys hanging, so apologies if its short.

Terrador burst out of his window and raced toward the evil mountain as fast as he could fly. Before long, he reached the peak of the mountain where he saw the two dragons he had hoped to find since the day they disappeared.

"I don't believe it!" He exclaimed as he grabbed the unconscious Spyro in his left paw and Cynder in his right. As he reached for Spyro, he felt the painful burn of traces of dark energy as it still lingered after having been expelled. Terrador gritted his fangs and grabbed the young dragon, fighting through the burning as he hugged the two of them to his massive chest. He took off towards Warfang with an almost grin on his battle hardened face, happy that the last piece of their previous fights puzzle had fallen into place.

At the breakfast table that morning, he sat with a glowing sense of happiness, which caught the other guardians by surprise.

"You seem to be in good spirits this morning." Cyril commented, taking a bite out of his lamb.

"You'll never guess what I found on Mount Malefor last night." He said, his grin still in place.

The other guardians expressions were of shock, as no one dared venture to that cursed location.

"What were you doing up there?" Volteer asked

"I felt a spike in dark energy, so I went to investigate-"

"Alone?! You could have been killed, or worse! Why didn't you wake us?" Cyril asked almost insulted that he went by himself.

"Relax Cyril, I also felt a certain energy I hadn't seen since the fall of Malefor."

"You mean..."

"Exactly. Follow me." He said getting up just as Flame was sitting down to eat, wondering where his mentors were headed off to in such a hurry.

The guardians followed Terrador to his chamber and gasped at who was asleep on his bed. None other than Spyro and Cynder.

"What in the ancestors name were they doing on Mount Malefor?" Volteer whispered as they walked closer to the unconscious dragons.

"You dont have to whisper, they are completely exhausted. I dont expect them to wake for a few days." The earth guardian said, very pleased with their safety.

Cyril soon realized what the return of Spyro meant, recalling the guardians earlier conversation about the position of fire guardian.

"So Spyro will be made fire guardian now that he has returned?" He asked, knowing the answer.

"Don't jump to conclusions Cyril, we must wait to evaluate him when he wakes up. He was the source of the dark energy that drew me to the mountain to begin with. I hope he expelled it, but only time will tell." He said pulling a blanket over the young dragons.

Cyril took his leave as he pondered how Flame would take the possibility of having the position he was promised taken away from him. Perhaps he should have informed him of their actions, should Spyro return. But alas, it was too late now.

"Flame, I have some good news for you." He said coming up behind him as he ate breakfast.

"What is it?"

"Its Spyro. We've found him." He said happily as Flames expression lit up as well.

"Really!? Is he here?" He asked shooting to his feet.

"Yes, he's in Terradors chamber resting at the moment. We dont think he will be awake for some time."

"So when will I get to meet him?"

"As soon as he wakes up."

Three days passed, and Spyro finally recovered the strength to open his eyes. He observed shelves upon shelves of scrolls and books, with various torches lit and a solitary window, with the orange sun casting its last rays of light as it set behind mount Malefor.

'That's...mount Malefor...then how did I get here?' He thought looking to Cynder by his side, herself still asleep, her scratches almost healed, as well as his leg wound.

'At least someone friendly found us for a change.' He thought, remembering the first two encounters since his battle with Malefor. He was soon back asleep as he was still drained from his internal battle with the dark elements of the universe.

Flame was walking with Cyril to Terradors chambers to check on Spyro and Cynder, all the while discussing what their return meant for the dragon race.

"I always pictured Spyro as...I don't know...bigger than he is. I thought he would at least be larger than I am." Flame said walking with his closest mentor.

"He is younger than you are Flame, and it was not Spyro's physical strength that gave him the power to beat Malefor. The purple dragons are the only ones who can harness all the elements. That, and he had Cynder to aid him in his fight." The Ice guardian contended.

"Cynder...You said she can use multiple elements too, but she isn't purple. Why is that?"

"A long time ago, she was tainted by darkness. Being that was for so long gave her affinity for it, and it soon became as much apart of her as the scales on our hides."

"So wait...Darkness can give normal dragons more than one element?"

"If exposed to enough of it, yes. But the damage done to the soul is not worth the power gained. Take Malefor as a prime example." He said, Flame nodding.

"Cynder being here means that, for a little while at least, the dragon race has a future. She is the only female of breeding age we've been able to find, and you and Spyro are the only males of appropriate age as well."

Flame paused. They were the only three left.

"What are you implying?" He asked.

"Well, should Cynder agree, we may need her to become gravid...twice. Once by Spyro, and-"

"Wait a second! She's nice and all, but I dont even know her!"

"Calm yourself Flame, that is only a last resort to limit inbreeding. Surely there are more dragons on this planet. Malefor's evil couldn't possibly be far reaching enough to have wiped us all out."

Flame felt bad for snapping, quickly making his guilt apparent in his voice.

"That's not to say she isn't pretty... Hopefully it wont come to that."

"I dont believe it will. After all, we have not yet begun to search for the dragons in hiding as you were."

'I wish I would have known about Malefor. He wouldn't have made it past a day with those apes of his...If only I had known about what was going on!'

"I wish I had known about our race's struggle against Malefor...I could have helped, and maybe dad would still be-"

"Now Flame, there will be no more of that. Your father did what had to be done. It was a noble choice he made to save us all." Cyril said sternly.

"Yes sir." He said, burying his brooding feelings as he always did in the presence of his mentors as they arrived at the chamber.

Spyro had just fluttered awake as he turned to his hard right to find a red dragon staring at him from the doorway, Cyril right behind him

"Cyril? Is this Warfang?" He asked wearily.

He smiled as Flame and himself went beside the bed bound purple dragon.

"Thats right Spyro. Terrador found you on the mountain a few days ago with Cynder." He said, happy to see him awake and of sound mind.

"Who is this?" Spyro asked as Flame merely smiled at him.

"My name is Flame. I'm your half brother."