Chapter 13- Time to End it All

Cynder was still following Zyla. She had been following the monster for many hours, and now the sun was beginning to set. Soon night would fall over the lands and it would be a little harder to find Zyla.

All Cynder wanted to do now was kill Zyla, who was one of the main causes of Spyro's death. The other one who was responsible was Terrador, who she was not going to kill. He knew how much pain she was in already. He didn't deserve any more.

Zyla was still limping and blood dripped freshly from some of her wounds. Cynder, who was hiding behind a rock, could smell the fresh blood well. Sooner or later Zyla would have to lay down and rest, or her wounds would take over and and the pain would slowly, but surely, kill her.

Cynder would just have to wait for that, though. Zyla knew that sooner or later Cynder would begin to follow her. She was ready to battle and kill the black dragoness. No one could stop her now.

After all, the one dragon that would stop her from killing Cynder was now dead. Because of that, Cynder was weaker than she had ever been.

Zyla smiled malignantly. Soon it would all end. That she knew.

Cynder, meanwhile, did her very best to keep up. She, too, had wounds that troubled her very much. Though the wounds no longer bled, they hurt terribly and slowed her down by a heck of a lot.

The one that definitely hurt the most was her shoulder wound. The hook had most definitely left its mark. Just thinking about the wound and looking at it made more rage build up in her body.

There was no remorse left in her for Zyla. The creature had been one of the reasons why Spyro was now dead. She had also killed many others; she had even said that she had been under Cynder's command once. If that was true, then Zyla definitely had killed many others. And because of this, Cynder was going to kill Zyla. It was time to end it all.

Soon enough, night fell and the entire sky was pitch black. All the stars were gone. It was as if the sky knew what was going to happen. That there would be a final battle between two dragons that could be fatal for either of them.

Cynder hurried over behind a large tree that hid her completely from Zyla's view. She peeked around the gigantic trunk of the tree and saw that Zyla had decided to stop and rest in the middle of a circle created by a couple of rocks and a small tree. Zyla was panting hard, her wounds now catching up to her. She needed to rest.

As she lay down, Cynder debated whether or not she should attack. If she did, then she might be able to catch the monster by surprise and maybe kill her.

Cynder thought of what choices she had, and realized that the best time for her to attack and kill the monster was now. If she didn't kill Zyla right now, then the monster would regain some of her strength and Cynder would no longer be able to fight Zyla until she herself finally rested up.

But the amount of rest Cynder needed would take way too long for Cynder to wait. She knew that she had to end it all now. It was now or never.

So Cynder, still unseen by Zyla, walked out of her hiding place. Zyla's back was now turned to her. Cynder crouched, looking at Zyla to see where the pink dragoness's main weaknesses were.

The middle of Zyla's back would be the best place to attack, as she had already left her mark there. The bone was a little exposed and that made Zyla a target.

Then Cynder lunged at Zyla, claws outstretched. But what she did not know was that Zyla had been expecting her to attack right about now. She had heard grass rustle as Cynder stepped out of her hiding spot. She knew the black dragoness was there. And she was going to kill her now.

As Cynder lunged, Zyla whirled around and hit Cynder with the middle of her tail. Luckily it was not the blade. The middle of her tail knocked Cynder back onto the ground. Cynder tasted blood in her mouth.

"Hello, Cynder," rasped Zyla. "It seems that you're still alive, which is amazing. But the good news is, Spyro is now dead."

"Shut up!" growled Cynder. "I AM going to kill you, and this time you will not be able to do anything about it."

"Are you so sure about that?" Zyla drawled. "I believe all you are saying is crap. Spyro is now dead, and killing me won't be able to get him back. Did you think that when you decided to kill me?"

"No, all you are saying is crap, and truthfully I don't give a crap what you are saying. YOU WILL DIE, ZYLA! I WILL BE THE ONE TO KILL YOU! THIS IS WHERE YOU WILL MEET YOUR END!"

Zyla did nothing but laugh.

Cynder shot a blast of shadow at Zyla, but Zyla was able to dodge it. Zyla returned the favor by spitting dark fire at Cynder. Cynder jumped out of the way just in time. She realized that if she had not done so, she might have been killed by the flames.

She couldn't die just yet, she just couldn't. She had to avenge Spyro. If she didn't, then nothing in her life would mean anything. All of this would have been for nothing. And all Zyla would do was laugh.

Cynder released blast after blast of shadow, fear, poison, and wind, but none of them hit the malignant creature she was battling. That just made her angry. She had to win this battle. She had to!

"You're not doing very well in this battle, Cynder. Maybe it's time that you just give up and let me kill you," Zyla evilly suggested. "Then you will be able to see that stupid purple dragon you once loved once more!" Zyla threw back her head and laughed. The laugh, as it always had, was cold and had no sense of emotion in it.

"Why is it that you are this evil?" Cynder asked.

"I am not what you think of as evil," Zyla told her enemy. "I do what I believe and know to be right. When Malefor took power and was exiled, it was one of the best things that ever happened to this world! When he corrupted you and made you the general of his army, the days following were some of the best this realm ever had. Those that were not worthy enough hid those that were smart followed you and the great Malefor. But what made all things worse was the day that Spyro went looking for someone that could tell him who and what he was and also what his destiny was. Ignitus told him all that information, and when he told Spyro of you, the stupid purple dragon went on a journey to defeat you and save the other three Guardian dragons. He succeeded in doing so, freeing you from Malefor's corruption at the same time. Then Gaul decided to try and use the Night of Eternal Darkness to resurrect Malefor. As I was not around at the time, I was unable to help him. What happened after he decided to do such a thing was that you decided to run away. Spyro, of course, followed you, battling many creatures along the way. You were captured by both those Skavengers and then Gaul. Soon Spyro arrived at the Mountain of Malefor and climbed his way to the very center of the Well of Souls. He battled Gaul, letting Malefor corrupt during the final phase of the battle, and he finally brutally murdered Gaul. As the Mountain of Malefor collapsed, he encased you and him inside a crystal to save yourselves. Three years passed after that, and during that time Malefor returned to us all. The thing is, I kept in hiding, for I feared what he would do to me. I did hear that Malefor later sent a group of Grublins to free you from that crystal. They succeeded, and then Malefor wanted you both to be fed to the Golem. You both escaped, and then made your way through the Valley of Avalar and arrived at the dragon city of Warfang, where the Guardians were expecting you. You first had to defeat much of Malefor's army, and then you battled the Golem for one last time, the battle ending with the death of the creature. Soon afterward, Malefor sent all of you in Warfang a message that told you all he had resurrected the Destroyer, which would form the Belt of Fire and destroy the world. You used a dam to slow the Destroyer down, and then you decided to try and cross the Belt of Fire. You succeeded, but at the cost of Ignitus's life. You then made your way through the Burned Lands and through the Floating Islands, and you finally came face to face with Malefor himself. During a long talk, he corrupted you, and then Spyro's words brought you back from the corruption. A long and tiring fight began against Malefor. During that battle, the Destroyer completed its course, causing the world to finally end. The final part of your war against Malefor ended when you entered the core of the Earth. The Ancestors appeared and suddenly sealed him away, and finally Spyro repaired the world with all his power. It seemed that after that, you and Spyro believed you could just live happily ever after. Isn't all of what I just said true, Cynder?"

Cynder sighed. "It is," she answered. "But how is it that you know most of that? You were no where around when all of that was happening!"

Zyla laughed. "I don't have to tell you everything. But I will say that I have my sources. And my sources are always right, little dragoness."

Cynder growled. "Enough talk!" she exclaimed. "This is where the battle finally begins!"

Cynder once again lunged at Zyla. She was about to claw Zyla's back, but Zyla hit her once more in the chest with her tail. Cynder recovered in midair and shot a blast of shadow at Zyla. The blast hit Zyla's tail. Though Zyla visibly winced, the blast did pain her as much as Cynder had hoped.

Zyla released a torrent of dark flames at Cynder. Cynder felt the blazing heat they released, but the torrent did not touch her. She retaliated with another blast of shadow. Fire and shadow touched, giving the flames the color of indigo. At first, it seemed Cynder had the upper hand, but then her weariness finally gave in and Zyla grew stronger and stronger. Cynder was blasted onto the ground as Zyla grew much stronger.

She could see stars and the taste of blood was still in her mouth. She coughed, blood covering a rock in front of her. She slowly got up. The wound the meat hook had caused was worsening. If she didn't do something soon, Zyla would gain the upper hand and then kill her. She just couldn't let that happen. She wanted to avenge Spyro, and that was exactly what she was going to do. She could hear Zyla laugh again. Zyla's footsteps came closer and that was when Cynder lashed out with the blade on her tail.

It sliced Zyla's front left leg. Blood spurted from the wound. Zyla shrieked in pain. Suddenly Zyla swung her own tail at Cynder. The blade would have hit Cynder in the throat if she had not dodged at the same time. But the blade did graze her back.

Cynder shrieked as the blade left its mark. Hot blood streamed down her back, and Cynder just wanted the battle to be over. Zyla saw the pain she had just caused the small black dragoness and took that as her chance to deliver the fatal blow.

She lunged forward and grasped Cynder by the neck. She then thrust her head forward, her jaws open, and bit Cynder on the neck. This was the most pain Cynder had ever experienced. Blood dripped off her neck. Zyla shook her and then dropped her on the ground.

Cynder closed her eyes, feeling the pain throughout her body. She knew blood was pouring out of her body. Soon she would die, and all Zyla was going to do was stand there and watch.

Zyla leaned down and whispered sadistically into Cynder's ear, "You've lost, Cynder. It's all over. You will die a painful, slow death. And it will all be for nothing. You have not avenged Spyro's death, and you and I know that was the only reason you wanted to fight me: to avenge his death. And now you have lost. You are nothing but a piece of crap that has no place in this world. You have lost all your reasons to live now. Have a nice, happy death." Zyla smiled, and then opened her wings and flew off, laughing maniacally.

Cynder stared up at the sky, tears in her emerald eyes. It was all over now. She had failed.

I'm so sorry, Spyro, she thought. I never avenged you, and for this I am sorry.

Cynder's vision then flickered. She knew that she was about to die, and there was nothing she could do about it.

She finally closed her eyes, wishing for it all to be over. Her final thought was, I'm so sorry, Spyro. Then all went black, and Cynder thought no more.