Chapter 21

As night fell on the city Leon walked through the temple hall towards his bedchamber. He had been singing for the past three hours and his voice had become raspy. He actually recognized some of the draconic songs from his own time and recited each verse perfectly, making Magma and Icarus more and more relieved that he was now in their choir. He stopped in front of his room and leaned up against the wall next to the entrance. He didn't want to go back into his room for reasons that he himself didn't know. "Something wrong?" Sin manifested himself leaning on the opposite wall.

"No, I'm fine." Leon stated.

"You might be able to fool the dragons, but it's physically impossible to lie to me."

"…Okay, fine…yes, there is something wrong."

"…And?"

"That's just it…I don't know what's wrong."

"Hmm…Do you think it's because you've finally broken down and realized that you have fatherly feelings for that black dragoness."

"Don't be ridiculous…Cynder is not my daughter and she never will be." Leon said.

A smirk appeared on Sin's face, "I'm sorry…what was that last part?"

"I said…Cynder is not-

"Right there…" Sin interrupted, "you called her by her name…not her species, you did the same thing when you were talking to that ice dragon about the lightning dragoness earlier today…why?"

Leon realized what Sin was getting at, "I just…" he could not come up with an answer.

"So we're leaving first thing in the morning, right?" Flare asked as he and the vanguards headed back up the bedchambers.

"For the tenth time, yes!" Twitch said.

"Seriously man, you're gonna worry yourself to death before we even get there." Sparx said.

"I can't help being nervous about my friends." Flare said.

"Hey…there my friends too," Charlotte said, "but I know that if we're gonna help them…we have to be rested enough to fight."

"Yeah, I guess your right." Flare said.

A pair of voices caught their attention, "Face it…everyday, you become weaker and weaker for that black dragoness."

The dragons reached the top of the stairs to see Leon arguing with Sin, "You must be imagining things." Leon said.

"Oh am I?" Sin said before pointing a punishing finger at Leon, "You're constantly revealing your past to them, even though you know it's none of their damn business, you've spared several of them, saved a few from certain death, ate with them, slept with them, danced with them, and now you're singing with a dragon choir…am I the only part of us that's sane?"

"I wouldn't exactly call you sane." Leon said.

"Well," Sin got off the wall and got right into Leon's face, "what would you call me then?"

"I'd call you an annoying fly that continues to poison my ears with it's words…now back off…I don't roll that way, and your breath smells like rancid meat."

Sin backed away a few steps, "And what do you think about the dragon city we're going too?"

"What do you mean?"

"You of all people know that chances are the city is completely destroyed and every dragon that was in it was either killed, or tortured and then killed…the lucky ones probably had the opportunity to kill themselves before the orcs got to them."

"Don't say that!" Flare yelled with tears flowing from his eyes.

Sin and Leon's heads turned simultaneously towards the dragons, "And the father and daughter reunite once again." Sin said.

"Do shut up." Leon said.

"Their alive…they have to be." Flare said.

Leon sighed deeply and turned his body to face the fire breather, "Dragon," He said in a fatherly tone that surprised the dragons, "I can't deny that Sin's words hold some truth."

"I won't believe it till I see it!"

"Yeah…that's the same attitude that I had when I went to search for my fiancé…and trust me…it's better to come to terms with it now, than later."

"…I…I can't."

"It's hard…and it won't get any easier…but you have to be strong, because even though they might be gone…you still have your sister and your mate to care for."

Charlotte and Crystal stood on either side of Flare and draped their wings over him, "I know." He said.

"They're lucky to have you." Leon said, slightly saddened as the speech caused him to remember his own failure.

"Aw, how sweet of you," Sin said wrapping one ice-cold arm over Leon's shoulders, "but what would the dragons say if they knew it was you who gave Malefore the locations to the hidden dragon cities?"

"Uh oh." Leon said in his mind. He had actually completely forgotten that it was him who scouted out the cities.

"I should have known that you had something to do with it." Fang said.

"Father…is this true?" Cynder asked.

"It was before he betrayed me." Leon stated.

"And that makes it okay?" Zephyr asked.

"No."

"No?" Sin asked skeptically.

"I mean, yes."

"Yes?" Twitch asked, just as skeptically.

"I mean…" Leon was absolutely confused.

"It's not his fault, and I don't blame him." Flare stated.

"Neither do I." Charlotte added.

"How can you two-" Fang began.

"Fang, just stop it…please." Charlotte said.

Fang looked between them and Leon, "For you." He said to Charlotte.

"Thanks." She said, nuzzling him affectionately.

"I think I'm going to vomit." Sin said with disgust, "This is almost as bad as you telling that black dragoness-"

"Don't you dare." Leon said, knowing what Sin was about to say.

"What did you tell me?" Cynder asked.

"He told you that-" Sin began, but Leon turned to the wall and smashed his head against it. "Ow…damn it!" Sin cursed as he and Leon both grasped their heads.

"I'll do it again." Leon threatened.

"Okay fine." Sin said before disappearing.

"What was he talking about?" Cynder asked.

"Who?" Elektra emerged from the stairs, "Leon…you're bleeding." Leon felt a tender spot on his head and felt warm blood trickle down his cheek, "Come on, let's get you fixed up. I also want to hear about what you and Icarus did."

"Yeah, okay." Leon said. As annoying as the lightning dragoness was, he was glad that she had saved him from the series of questions that the black dragoness probably had.

"You all should be getting to bed." She said to the vanguards.

"We're heading that way." Spyro said, "Let's go guys." as the vanguards headed towards their rooms, Cynder gave Leon a skeptical look before she and Spyro entered their bedchamber.

Spyro settled onto the cushion and Cynder took her place beside him, "Do you think he was right about the city?" Spyro asked.

"I don't know…but, I certainly hope not." Cynder said.

"I guess we'll find out." Spyro said, "It's only a day's flight from here."

"Hey, Spyro."

"Yeah?"

"What will we do when this is over?" Cynder asked.

"We'll start our new life together…just you and me." Spyro said.

"And what about Sparx?"

Spyro looked over at his sleeping brother, "Well…it sounded good, didn't it?"

Cynder giggled quietly, and nuzzled the purple dragon, "I love you."

"I love you too." Spyro said before the two dragons fell asleep.

Spyro found himself back at the Chronicler's library, "Hello again, young dragon. How have you been?" Ignitus said. He had a book in front of him that he seemed to be examining with great interest.

Spyro bowed to the blue dragon, "Pretty crazy actually."

"I noticed…the dark master has returned, his forces have become more powerful, and the one who released him has temporarily allied himself with you to stop him."

"That about sums it up." Spyro said.

"I must admit that Cynder has really made some progress in her quest to change him."

"Yeah…So, why am I here? Is something wrong?"

"I found something about Leon that I think you should see." Ignitus said, "Look at this."

Spyro approached the book and watched as its pages flipped backwards before he felt his subconscious enter the book.

Spyro floated over the courtyard near the temple at Warfang. The city wasn't too different now than it was back then. Dragons bustled about the streets as they completed their daily tasks. Spyro's attention was drawn to the temple doors as a black dragon burst frantically through them. Spyro recognized him as Cassius, but his black scales were covered in bleeding cuts, "Help, murder!" he yelled. The guards within earshot turned their attention to the temple and ran inside. Spyro floated behind them and his eyes widened at the scene before him. Three humans lay dead in the meeting hall along with the bleeding corpse of Stratus. Blood-covered swords lay in each of the dead humans' hands. "Captain…Is he?" Cassius asked.

A fire dragon put his talon against the lightning dragons neck, and after a few moments, shook his head, "He's gone."

"Damn it!" Another guard cursed.

"He has no heirs," The captain said to Cassius, "which makes the throne yours…your majesty." The captain and the guards bowed to the black dragon, "What is your command?"

Cassius looked down at the elder lightning dragons body before saying, "This is an act of war…prepare the troops."

Spyro was drawn back into the library and he looked up at Ignitus, "This will destroy him." He said sadly.

"Perhaps." Ignitus said.

"I can't tell him…but he deserves to know." Spyro struggled with the decision, "What should I do?"

"I'm afraid that that's one decision that I cannot help you with."

"I'll…I'll figure something out."

"That's the spirit." Ignitus said reassuringly, "Well, I'm afraid our time is up." The room began to fade around Spyro, "I'm sure you'll make the right choice."

"Thank you, Ignitus." Spyro said before the room faded to black.

Cynder's world spun around her as she was thrown across the ground just outside of her old castle. "That's enough." Leon stated to Gwar, who had been sparing with the black dragoness.

"See? She has no combat skills at all…she's a complete failure." Gwar said.

"Back off, she's only seven years old." Leon stated. Gwar just grunted, "Go back to the castle and get something to eat." Leon said.

"Gladly." Gwar said before returning to the castle.

Leon went over and sat by the sniffling dragoness, "He's right…I am a failure." Cynder stated.

"No…your not." Leon said, "Trust me…I know a failure when I see one."

"Like who?"

"Well…like me." Leon stated.

"…No your not…you'd never be a failure at anything." Cynder said.

Leon gave a half smile, "Do you remember the most vital parts on the body you want to aim for?"

"The neck, the heart, and the eyes."

"You forgot one." Leon stated.

Cynder thought for a moment, but couldn't find any other vital areas, "Which one?"

Leon reached under belly and quickly tickled the young dragoness. Cynder giggled and jumped away from him, "The soft underbelly."

"Do you have any spots like that?"

"Well…a while back I broke this rib," He pointed to the second rib down on his right side, "and it's been overly sensitive ever since."

"So…if I do this-" She reached over with her tail and gently poked the rib with the tip of her tailblade. Leon gave a sudden chuckle and squirmed away.

"Yes, it tickles." Leon said.

"I'll be sure to remember that." Cynder said.

"…yeah…I'm sure you will." Leon said in an unsure tone.

"is something wrong?" Cynder asked.

"…huh…no nothing." Leon said, "Come on, let's get something to eat."