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Chapter 25: Revelation
Cynder was in a void of white, if that was possible. Everywhere she looked was nothing but white, a man all clad in black with a cowl that was attached to an equally black cloak faded into view. The cowl's shadow covered the upper part of the man's face leaving only the mouth visible. The man stopped a few paces from Cynder, "Why?" the man asked.
"Why what?" Cynder didn't trust the man but she felt that if she ran she would only end up face to face with him anyways.
"Why did you leave?" Cynder couldn't read the man's face, at least what showed of it.
It dawned on Cynder, she was dreaming, "I don't know what you are talking about." A pang of sadness flowed through her.
"You do know what I'm talking about," the man began, "now answer my question. Why did you leave Spyro?"
Cynder curled up covering her head with her wings, "This is just a dream." she said over and over, in the past when she knew she was dreaming she would wake up. Cynder heard footsteps walk up to her, she opened her wings just a crack and she saw black boots in front of her.
"You are right, this is a dream, but it is also something more." The man sighed, "Cynder, answer me."
"How…how do you know my name?" Cynder asked curling up tighter.
"You could say that I am in a position to know these things." The man then asked after a pause. "would you like to know mine?"
Cynder whimpered, "Yes."
"I am the Keeper of Fate, you may call me Fate or Keeper, it doesn't matter to me." Cynder opened her wings wider and glanced up at Fate, he was bent over her and he wore a smile, "There is no reason to be afraid, I am here to help."
"Help me how?" Cynder asked slowly folding her wings.
Fate stood up and paced in front of Cynder, "I realize that you are confused, I will help you, but first you have to help yourself. Start by standing up." Cynder cautiously stood up, "There we go, there's a start." Fate sounded friendly enough, "Now answer my question, why did you leave Spyro."
Cynder tried to find an answer, tears welled up in her eyes, "Because if I love him he will die."
"Who told you this?" Fate asked, it sounded like he knew the answer already.
"A woman, in white, in my dreams. She showed me the future." Cynder was crying, but trying to hold them back.
"Do not hate her for it, she was only doing as told." Fate explained to Cynder the tie of Fate and Destiny, "Now plans have changed, please understand that I was against the decision."
"Well I hope that they are satisfied." Cynder said, she didn't cry but old tears still stained her face, "I don't even know if I can trust you." Cynder took a step away, Fate appeared in front of her.
Fate wore a frown, "You do not understand, you will not leave unless you cooperate. Cynder, we are not your enemies. Let me set straight what they did wrong."
Cynder eyed Fate suspiciously, "I still don't trust you, but I guess I have no other choice but to accept your help."
Fate walked beside Cynder and faced the same direction as her, "You may not like what you see, but you will enjoy the last part, I can assure you that." The surroundings shifted, "Be not alarmed, we are not actually here." Fate warned.
Cynder recognized that they were on the hills of Convexity. More specifically, they were in the point of time where Spyro fought Cynder's older, darker, self. Spyro unleashed his Convexity attack knocking the evil Cynder to the ground, she turned into the younger Cynder being released from Malefor's control.
"She is just like me." Spyro said startled. Debris was being sucked into the portal.
"Dude, we got to get out of here, NOW!" Sparx shouted.
Spyro gripped the ground resisting the pull of the portal, "I can't leave her behind... I've got to save her!"
"What? Save the beast that's been trying to kill us?" Sparx asked startled.
"That wasn't her fault... she was being used by the Dark Master!" Cynder's body started to be pulled by the portal, Spyro let go and plunged in after her.
Cynder held her breath, Did he really go after me? She thought. She had been unconscious at the time.
Spyro flew out of the portal carrying Cynder, "Now we can go!"
Everything stopped. Cynder looked around startled, it was like time itself had stopped. "I want you to think about why he did that." Fate said. Cynder thought and she couldn't figure out why. "We move on." The surroundings shifted, they were standing in a garden. Cynder recognized it as the Temple's garden and the night she first left.
Spyro approached from one of the entries, "Cynder what are you doing out here? It's dangerous."
"You shouldn't have followed me Spyro." Cynder looked away as her younger self spoke.
"That's good enough for me. Let's go. See ya! Huh." Sparx sounded eager.
Cynder shook her head, "Please, don't make this any harder for me than it already is."
"I'm just trying to understand." Spyro did sound confused.
Cynder didn't want to relive this part of her life, her younger self spoke, "I'm leaving Spyro. I don't belong here. After all I've done, all I've put you through... I can't stay."
"Cynder, nobody blames you for what happened." Spyro said comfortingly.
"Huh, I do. Speak for yourself." Sparx sassed.
"Sparx…" Spyro said annoyed.
"No, Sparx is right. And every day that goes by, I'm reminded of it. Spyro, your place is here, your destiny is here. But mine is somewhere out there for me to find." Cynder sounded a little sad.
"Cynder, I don't want you to go." Spyro replied.
"Goodbye Spyro…" Cynder turned and ran. Spyro shook his head disappointedly.
Time stopped, Spyro wore a sad looked frozen in time. Cynder walked over to him and she sighed, "Why did you bring me hear?" She asked Fate.
"I am taking you through past memories, you are reliving your feelings for him, and don't lie about it. I know you are." Fate had walked up to Cynder.
Fate was right, Cynder felt the same way she did when she left. "I take it that we are not done yet." The surroundings shifted again.
"Tonight... we have a special bonus match!"
Not this place, Cynder thought.
"Cool, a bonus match!" Sparx sounded excited.
"Spyro the Dragon... versus... the former queen of conquer herself... Cynder!" Scratch announced.
Stupid bird, Cynder though a little annoyed by bad memories.
"AHH!!! I told you she was evil. Hehe, look, my eye's twitching again." Sparx said frantically.
Cynder and Spyro paced in a circle pattern, "Just like old times, huh Spyro?" Cynder asked.
"Cynder, I'm not going to fight you." Spyro said forcefully.
"Relax. I'm just trying to put on a show for the crowd while we figure out what to do." Cynder pulled up her wings to muffle the sound.
"Don't trust her. She wants to eat me!" Sparx panicked.
There was a roar and a metal object fell on deck, the ship was under attack.
"What's happening?" Spyro asked coughing.
Sparx was flying around looking for an a way out, "I want out…I want out!" Sparx came face to face with one of the ape's flying bat-like mounts, "I want in…I want in!"
"Get away from me! Help!" Cynder shouted, she was being taken by one of the bat mounts.
"Cynder!" Spyro shouted. Time stopped.
Fate moved around to Spyro holing his right hand up to his chin in thought, "He came after you, even after you left him." Fate said looking at Spyro, "Why do you think he did that?"
"I…I don't know." Cynder lied.
Fate smiled, "I think you do." Fate paused waiting for Cynder to say something, Fate sighed, "Then allow me to answer the question for you." The surroundings shifted.
Cynder did not recognize the place, I looked like a really old library, there was a giant hour glass in the center of the room, "There must be some mistake, I don't remember this place."
"Watch." Fate responded pointing forward.
An old grey dragon wearing a blue cloak walked towards Spyro, "The records in this hall date back to the beginning of time... Nearly."
"The Chronicler!" Spyro sounded excited.
"Yes, Spyro... It is I... And I've been waiting for you." The Chronicler sounded old and wise.
"Oh, well... I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long. We got a little held up back there... with the uh... well, you know... Riddles Of Doom!" Sparx said jokingly, Spyro was glaring at Sparx.
"It was a necessary evil. I had to be sure, Spyro" The Chronicler walked forward, "I haven't had any visitors... in my solitude... for over a thousand years."
Sparx flew in front of the Chronicler, "Shocker! Try getting rid of the psychedelic dragon outside!"
"You've been here for that long?" Spyro asked.
"Oh yes, but I have my books," The Chronicler responded, "and I watch and wait and listen for things to come and then add them to the books of time." The Chronicler paused, "You are also written in the books, though many pages are still left incomplete."
Spyro's eyes widened, "I am? Can I see?"
"Of course you can." The Chronicler looked up at one of the shelves, "This one is yours, look." A purple book bound in gold trim opened up and hovered towards them. Spyro stepped forward. "You've seen this hideous creature before…"
"Why is he in my book?" Spyro asked.
The Chronicler explained, "It was Gaul who led the raid of the temple the night of your birth... when Ignitus rescued your egg…"
Spyro interrupted, "...and when they took Cynder's."
"Yes... that was most unfortunate." The Chronicler said regretfully. Quickly changing the subject. "Oh! And look... here is little Sparx."
Sparx interrupted "He-hey! Nobody needs to see that...ever."
"Wait, can't these books tell the future?" Spyro asked eagerly.
The Chronicler paused, "In parts, though, glimpses of the future really."
Fate made a harrumph sound, Cynder wondered why.
"Then I want to know what will happen to Cynder." Spyro demanded. Cynder turned her attention on what was happening before her.
The Chronicler protested, "Spyro you don't under…"
"Please." Spyro pleaded, "I must know."
The Chronicler folded his legs under himself and sighed, "Very well, but hers is a darker tale." The Purple and gold book closed and floated back to the shelf, a black and gold book hovered off of the shelf and moved in front of them while opening, "Spyro, you must understand, when she was taken by Gaul, she was poisoned and corrupted, made to do the Dark Master's bidding. Her entire life has been spent in shadow. She knows no other way. And when the Dark Master returns... she will concede." Cynder winced, "No one can resist the temptation... not even the strongest among us."
"I don't believe that." Spyro protested. Their was a white flash, "But you said the eclipse would only allow the spirit's to escape for a short while?" the conversation seemed to have leaped.
"Yes, but if there was ever a spirit powerful enough…" The Chronicler explained.
"Then how do we stop it?" Spyro demanded.
The Chronicler stood up, "There is no stopping it, it has been written.""Then why have you called us here?" Spyro demanded, "I don't understand."
"To ride out this storm where you'll be safe, to live to fight another day." The Chronicler said forcefully.
Sparx spoke up, "Well, that sounds pretty good."
Spyro ignored him, "What about the others? What about their safety?"
"I feel the worst for the others." The Chronicler had no regret in his voice.
"And Cynder? Am I suppose to sit here and do nothing? While she joins them?" Spyro asked forcefully.
"Let me field this one, YES!" Sparx shouted.
"No." Spyro said to Sparx, he turned to the Chronicler, "You keep talking about choosing a path, but what about Cynder? She was never given a choice. I have to try, I'm going and you can't stop me." Time stopped, it looked like the Chronicler was going to say something but he was frozen in time.
Cynder stood motionless with awe, Spyro came after me even after what the Chronicler told him? "Spyro." Cynder whispered mournfully.
Fate was leaning on a wall, arms crossed, "You know, he never viewed you as evil." Fate walked up to Cynder, "We're not done yet." Fate looked at the Chronicler and shook his head, the surroundings shifted.
They were standing in a bleak room with a purple column of convexity in the center of the room. Spyro flew up the column
"Spyro stop!" Cynder yelled.
Spyro was filled with the power of Convexity, "Whoa. Calm down man, it's me!" Sparx said backing away.
Spyro tried to break away from the column, "I…I can't"
Cynder leapt into the air and tackled Spyro out of the column. "Spyro?" Sparx asked concerned.
"What have I done?" Spyro asked.
"Your ok, Spyro. Your with friends." Cynder said comfortingly.
Spyro shook his head, "I'm sorry, I…I couldn't stop." Large rocks fell from the ceiling destroying the glass above.
"Uh, oh! That was our only way out!" Sparx yelled.
"Come on. Now's our chance!" Cynder urged.
"Just go…" Spyro said.
"Get up, Spyro! We're not leaving without you." Cynder said forcefully.
Sparx flew up in Spyro's face, "Usually I would say ignore her, but she's making sense this time."
Spyro struggled to his feet. Rocks fell blocking the exit, "Oh no…we're trapped!" Spyro looked around at Sparx and Cynder, a determined look appeared on Spyro's face, "Get close to me now!" Sparx hovered near Spyro and Cynder walked close to him. Spyro stretched out his wings, a golden light radiated from him. The light enveloped Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx and solidified. Time stopped.
A large rock stopped just above Fate's head, he seamed unaware. "Now I am going to mix up the question this time. Why didn't you leave Spyro? You had the perfect time to leave."
Cynder turned away, "I…I couldn't leave him there."
"Any why was that?" Fate pressed for answers.
"I…I couldn't live with my self if he died." Cynder said.
"That is not the right answer." Fate replied. The surroundings shifted.
"Are you ready for this?" Spyro asked.
"I'm scared." Cynder replied.
Spyro walked forward, "Just stay close to me."
Cynder looked at Fate but he was nowhere to be seen, "Keeper?" no one replied, "Fate where are you?" Cynder shook her head and followed herself and Spyro. They entered through into a large anteroom.
A dark purple dragon stood on a platform, it was Malefor, "At long last, my guests have arrived. Please…come in." Cynder shuddered at the sound of his voice. "Such determination to get here." Malefor started to walk forward, "It seems we share other qualities besides that of our color."
"No. I'm nothing like you!" Spyro said forcefully.
Malefor was right next to them, "Do you think so? Hmm…we'll get to that."
"Don't listen to him Spyro. Don't listen to anything he says." Cynder whispered to Spyro.
"You look so weary. Allow me to make you more comfortable." Malefor said calmly. The serpent collar around Spyro and Cynder's necks glowed brightly and vanished. "There, that's better isn't it? It is the least I could do for you Cynder. After all, you've done so much for me."
"You used her!" Spyro protested.
"I used her. She used you. What does it matter really?" Malefor asked.
"What does he mean?" Spyro asked Cynder.
"What…he doesn't know?" Malefor laughed, "Go on, tell him. You mustn't leave him in the dark…"Spyro interrupted, "Tell me what?"
"How she lured you to the Well of Souls…how she tricked you into freeing me." Malefor replied.
"Your lying!" Cynder said.
"Hmm…I find it most peculiar… how you've chosen to remember things. Let me assure you. It was you who freed me. Spyro. And it was you who brought me back. And we have Cynder to thank for that." Malefor laughed.
"Cynder? Is it true?" Spyro asked disbelieving.
"No…I don't know…I don't know anymore…" Cynder said confused.
"Oh I think you do. But perhaps you need a little nudge." Malefor's eyes glowed and Cynder turned pitch black.
"Cynder!" Spyro yelled. Malefor laughed, Cynder opened up her eyes, they white pupil less, "Cynder no!"
Malefor said victoriously "Ignitus should had warned you... You are alone here, young dragon. You have always been alone. Still, here you are... trying so desperately to save this miserable world…" Cynder struck Spyro, "refusing to accept the true role of the purple dragon. I'm sure you've been told that I was the first of our kind... but I assure you, there have been many. It has been the duty of our predecessors to resurrect the Destroyer and the Golems of the deep... to bring about the great cleansing. This is the true nature of our kind. Your destiny is to destroy the world."
Cynder struck Spyro sending him flying back, "No! I don't believe that!" Spyro yelled.
"Of course you don't. But you have fulfilled your destiny nonetheless. In my time, I was stopped... prevented from completing my quest. But you... you have carried the flame... be it through your own will or not. And soon, the world will be destroyed, you along with it." Malefor said.
"No…" Spyro said disbelieving. Cynder smacked Spyro across the face with her scythe-like tail."Fight back!" Cynder demanded, Malefor laughed, Cynder struck Spyro again, "Fight back, Why won't you fight back?"
Spyro replied sadly already given up hope, "Because you've left me nothing to fight for."
Cynder's white eyes widened, the darkness dispersed from her scaled like smoke, "There's always something." Cynder said comfortingly. Time stopped.
"The answer is close at hand." The Keeper of Fate's voice boomed but he was nowhere to be seen, "Do you know what it is." Cynder remained silent, "We move on then." The surroundings shifted, the floor became a purple crystal and the walls of the cave were breaking apart.
"Spyro, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Cynder said remorsefully.
"Don't be. It's over now." Spyro replied
The cracks of the cave walls widened larger, "So this is it...?" Cynder asked.
Spyro closed his eyes in thought then opened them, "I know what I need to do. Just get out of here, Cynder."
"Spyro, no... You don't have to do anything. Let's just go." Cynder protested.
"Where Cynder?" Spyro asked, "There'll be nothing left! The world is breaking apart. But I think I can stop it. I think I'm meant to."
There was a pause, "Then I'm with you…" Spyro hovered in the air and a purple glow radiated from his body, "I love you…" Cynder's words echoed, Cynder realized that she said 'I love you' with her past self. Time stopped.
Fate faded into view in front of Cynder, "Now that is an answer."
"Why did you do this? Why did you make me relive these memories?" Cynder asked.
Fate shook his head, and said amused, "You are so young, so confused. Cynder, you have had a rough life, one that I am heart fully sorry for. But you lived for a reason, despite the consequences, you and Spyro are meant for each other."
"How do I know that I even do love him?" Cynder asked, "For all I know you could have manipulated my emotions."
Fate sighed, "I can assure you that your emotions now are your own." Fate paused, "There were dozens that could have lived the night the temple was raided instead of you, but you lived, you were chosen from all of the others."
"Why then? Why did I live?" Cynder demanded.
"Because of your heart." Fate said bluntly, "Of all of the others at the temple that died, still in their eggs, you had the most heart out of all of them. That is why you lived."
"I don't understand," Cynder said confused, "it was because of my heart."
"Better for me to show you." Fate pointed behind Cynder. Cynder turned, the surroundings shifted. Cynder recognized it as the temple, but this room looked like a waiting room, it was quite large, large enough to hold several full grown dragons. Two doors were on one wall and another on the opposite wall.
"Will you stop with the pacing?" Owen asked. Owen was in his dragon form and was much larger than Cynder remembered, he kind of looked like Ace when he was a dragon except his horns weren't as long and his scale beard was just starting and his shoulders were just sprouting spikes. He was laying on his belly, his tail twitching.
"I can't help it." Spyro said frantically. Spyro also looked different, not only was he bigger, he had spines above his eyes, on his jaw line, and on his shoulders similar to those that ran down his back. "What if something goes wrong? What if…"
"I'm sure she'll be fine." Owen reassured Spyro, "Besides, if you worry yourself to much you'll get an ulcer."
Spyro paused his pacing, "What's and ulcer?"
"It's a hole in your stomach." Owen replied.
"Oh, great, something else for me to worry about." Spyro continued his pacing.
Owen shook his head, "Spyro, just sit down and take a breath. I'm sure Ignitus knows what he is doing."
Spyro sighed, "Your right, I'm probably just overreacting." A feminine roar was heard behind one of the doors. "That's Cynder!" Spyro yelled, he tensed and he lunged towards the right handed door.
Owen leaped at Spyro, Cynder didn't think he would cover the distance to Spyro before he made it to the door. There was a white flash where Owen was and Owen was suddenly at Spyro tackling him, "Just hold on Spyro!" Owen yelled restraining Spyro, "You will just make it worse. Just calm down."
Spyro loosen up his tension and said sadly, "I know, its just…its just that she is all I got."
"I know." Owen replied, there was a pause, "Now I am going to let you go, but you have to promise me that you will sit patiently and stop your worrying."
Spyro stayed quit for a long white, "Alright." Owen released Spyro and lied back down next to the left handed door. Spyro sighed and sat next to the right door.
Not too long after, the right door opened and a red dragon stepped out, "Spyro, she is ready to see you." Ignitus said. Spyro entered through the right door, "I'll leave you two alone." Ignitus stayed in the room with Owen.
Fate motioned Cynder to follow Spyro and she did. The room was not as big at the last room, but it still could hold several dragons. Cynder saw herself and gasped, she saw herself coiled around a black egg with yellow flecks on it. Cynder didn't look all that different than she did now, except that she was bigger and her horns were longer. That didn't strike Cynder as to big of a disappointment.
"Cynder." Spyro said comfortingly.
"Spyro." Cynder replied.
Spyro walked over and laid down next to Cynder, "How are you feeling?"
"Tired." Cynder said wearily.
Spyro frowned slightly, "I was worried."
Cynder nuzzled Spyro's neck, "You do to much of that."
"I love you." Spyro said nuzzling Cynder back.
"And I love you, Spyro, and I always will." Cynder said comfortingly. Time stopped.
"That is what I mean when I said you have the most heart." Fate walked over to Spyro and Cynder, he looked down at their egg and smiled.
Cynder stepped forward, "Will this happen?"
The smile slowly faded from Fate's face, "Everything might or might not happen, this might happen and it might not." Fate turned to Cynder, "Do you want it to happen?"
Cynder paused looking at herself and Spyro, "Yes…yes, I want this."
Fate walked up to Cynder and crouched down bringing him to eye level with Cynder, even this close Cynder could not see any part of his face besides his mouth. "Why?"
"Because…because…" Cynder paused and came to a startled realization, "Because I love him."
Fate smiled, "Now you have no doubt in your mind about that." Fate go up and started to walk away, "My work hear is done." A white vertical line appeared in front of him and widened into a hole the lead into what appeared to be an all white study.
"Wait!" Cynder called, "What now?"
Fate stopped, "Now? Now I have done what I came to do. But that is only half of the job." Fate paused and turned to Cynder, "The rest is up to you, you will know what to do when you wake." Fate stepped through the hole and it quickly vanished.
"What do you mean?" Cynder asked but she go no reply. She turned to the frozen image of Spyro and herself and she smiled fondly. Her vision started to blur and the next thing she new…
…she woke inside a small cave. Light was entering though the mouth of the cave, it was morning. Cynder got up and yawned then smiled to herself. She walked out of the cave and looked towards Regnum of Lux lucis, there was smoke rising from several spot of the city.
"Something is wrong." Cynder said to herself. She leapt into the air and flew of towards of the city. "I'm coming Spyro."
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A little trip down memory lane. So now Cynder knows about Fate and now loves Spyro again. Next Chapter out soon.