Chapter 21

A Dark Discovery

Spyro didn't like the silence. It made him feel as if something was coming. He'd only felt this way once. And that time, it was the same sort of situation.

"Is something wrong?" Sonic Boom asked. Spyro turned around to look at her. She, Sunburn, Hex, Whirlwind, and Camo were all staring at him.

"Yes," he answered. "It's too quiet. I've felt this way before, and it was in this same sort of situation. We need to be real careful. I'm sure it won't end the same way as last time, but we still need to be careful no matter what. Do you understand me?"

She and the others nodded. She, too, felt something was different, more than it was supposed to be.

Spyro suddenly heard movement over near the Core. While he was fearful, he still wanted to know what it might be. "Hello?" he called out. "Who's there? If you're behind the Core, come out, now! We won't hurt you, unless you attack us."

"Is that so, Skylander?" came a voice Spyro hated. And out came Kaos from behind the Core. He was smiling brightly, something Spyro and the other Skylanders knew meant something bad. "What's the matter? Are you not happy to see me? That's too bad, because I was and still am very happy to see all of you. And of course, to see your little friends. How's it all going?"

"What are you doing here, Kaos?" Sunburn asked. "I thought you were defeated."

"Oh, yes, that little Stealth Elf got me," Kaos told them. "But this device Vathek gave me allowed me to teleport from place to place. Unfortunately, I can only use it once more, and so please don't try to attack me just yet. I have some things I want to talk to all of you about."

"And what would that be?" Whirlwind snapped at him. "The last time you were here, you put yourself into a very bad situation! Injuring Spyro made all of us angry, and then you had to kidnap Cynder. We want her back, you dumb piece of crap! If you don't, then I swear, I will kill you! Do you understand me, Kaos?"

"I understand very much, little Hybrid. But I have a question for you. Would you mind answering it for me?"

"Whatever you can ask her, you can ask the rest of us!" Hex said.

"What is your worst fear?" By hearing this question, Spyro noticed something was familiar. "You see, everyone has their own worst fear, and although you can share some pieces of it all, no one has the same worst fear. There's at least something different in there somewhere."

"That may be so, but the one thing that we do know is how to get rid of these kinds of fears," Spyro said. "I know, because thanks to Hex, I got rid of them, and even though I have them deep down inside, I don't have to keep being fearful about it all. And because of me overcoming it, I have my elemental abilities. If you dare to attack me again like you did here a small while ago, then what I have to tell you is that it won't be happening. Sorry to burst your bubble."

And now Kaos was shaking with anger. He didn't understand why the Skylanders weren't allowing him to talk. He wanted his plan to go the right way, but they were putting him off instead!

"THAT IS IT!" the little tyrant roared, stomping his little feet. "I am going to reveal to you my entire plan, but before I do so, I am going to ask you, would you like to know where your little mate has gone, Spyro? Do you want to know where I've taken Cynder?"

"Yes, I would," Spyro answered. "Give her to me."

"I will, but first, I want you to do something. I want you to face me in a small fight on your own."

Spyro decided it was worth it. It was time for him to get even. And the other Skylanders were believing that he deserved it. But they wanted him to be careful. Those who trusted both him and Cynder stood closest to him. Sonic Boom looked to him with her large emerald eyes. "Be careful," she said. "You need to be around when Cynder's saved."

"Don't worry," he assured her.

He hurried over to where Kaos stood. The little tyrant tried to crack his knuckles, although he couldn't actually do it. He was staring at Spyro with an evil smile. Spyro felt no fear as he looked into Kaos's eyes. He trusted in himself, and he thought of Cynder still, as she was the one thing that gave her the most strength, and she always would. He felt hot tears in his eyes as he thought of her missing from his life.

"Ready to die, little one?" Kaos asked. He saw the tears in Spyro's eyes. "What, your little freak of a girlfriend still in your mind or something? Scared to think of what I might have done to her? Scared to think of what I might do to you?"

"No," Spyro said firmly. "It just hurts me to think of what you've become. There are ways we can help you, but you don't understand anything, and you don't listen to anyone unless they talk of hurting others. That's what's sad about you!"

"Well, when it came to Vathek, it was hard to not take his offer. Speaking of the Wyvern, where is he?"

"He died during a fight with Sunburn, but it wasn't anyone's fault," Spyro explained. "Did you know he wasn't always the monstrous Wyvern people used to talk of? He was actually corrupted, and he was corrupted by Malefor. Of course, even when Malefor was destroyed, he wasn't returned to normal, and that's what surprised me. But now, what matters is that before he died, he returned to normal and told us that he was sorry for what he'd done. He even told us to tell Ramses that he loved him. That's a surprise to you, now isn't it?"

Kaos wasn't understanding. He was becoming even more angry. He wanted to kill Spyro, but he wanted his plan to work the right way, for Spyro to see what he had done. And he wanted to be happy when it happened. He didn't want to be angry.

Kaos formed the same ball of energy that he'd used to injure Spyro during their last fight. But when he threw the ball of light at him, Spyro was ready. He dodged, and it flew above the other Skylanders' heads, hitting a stone wall far behind them.

Spyro retaliated with Fire, which singed Kaos's cloak. Kaos screamed out, not in pain, but in surprise. He hadn't been expecting it, his mind still on the last battle. Spyro had known it would happen. That was what he was using to his advantage.

Kaos used the ball of light attack once more, but it didn't work that time either. The little tyrant decided he'd had enough, and stopped his attacks.

"What's the matter, Kaos?" Spyro asked. "Are you wanting to end this before I kill you? Or are you too scared?"

Kaos edged around, hoping to have his back face the other Skylanders instead. Even though that was dangerous, he needed the plan to work the right way.

"Please, just don't kill me!" Kaos begged, falling to his knees. Spyro's back was now turned to the Core. "I just want to be exiled again, please!"

Spyro and the others knew something was wrong. None of this seemed right. Kaos was one of those types of people who would keep fighting until the very end.

But now Kaos was pleading to be exiled, when all the other times he was angry and yelling at them. And now he seemed to be almost crying to be exiled. Why was this? Why was he acting so strange?

Spyro felt his anger peak a little. "Get up!" he yelled. "What in the heck are you doing, Kaos? Stop acting dumb and tell me where Cynder is! NOW!"

Spyro felt the ground shake suddenly. He heard growling, and then there were heavy footsteps. Knowing that it was all behind him, he slowly turned around, and found himself looking into the red eyes of a large Black Dragon.

It was just like his nightmares. But this wasn't the worst part. Spyro noticed the red crystal around the Black Dragon's neck, and although that didn't bring everything together for him, he saw the beast pass by the Core, and the light seemed to reflect off its ruby-red chest scales.

Something seemed so familiar, and yet he couldn't put it together just yet. And then his eyes widened. Having pieced it all together, he felt tears coming to his eyes, his mouth quivering, the fear having sunken itself deep in his heart. It was almost unbearable for him to manage.

"Who is it?" Whirlwind whispered to Sonic Boom, although she too felt her deep fear rise up.

Sonic Boom gulped, unable to take it. She knew the answer, and now she would have to say it.

"It's Cynder," she said. She felt the worst pain possible in her entire body, but mostly in her heart as she stared into the red eyes of who had once been her best friend.