Hello and welcome to another chapter of Love of My Life! Yes, it's that time again where I update this story! So excited to get back to writing Spyro and Cynder again.
Last time we left off, Spyro was taken to the infirmary by Cynder and Stealth Elf after experiencing a seizure caused by his Aether abilities. Many things were said and many things were revealed, to Cynder's surprise.
So what's going to happen next, I wonder? Let's find out shall we? Enjoy!
(Chapter 5: Hammer To Fall, Part 1)
One dark night…
(3RD PERSON)
A few nights had passed since Spyro had his seizure; the enthusiastic and brightly lit streets that were once filled with energised creatures both big and small had now become quiet and dull. What made things even duller were the excessive amounts of rain over the past few days.
The rain continued during the night, providing some with a relaxing slumber as water droplets landed on the cobblestones and roof shingles nearby. It was almost peaceful in a sense, not a single stormcloud in sight.
However something was brewing nearby… something bad.
Far from the city centre in the shallowness of the forest nearby, a group of cloaked creatures watched through the trees, long hoods covering most of their faces. But through the darkness, bright green eyes shone through, catching the moonlight. Thin, slitted pupils cut through the eyes, giving them a very feline appearance.
One of these peculiar cloaked individuals stood by a tree, looking over the valley as everyone slept. Unlike the other creatures, this one didn't wear a hood. He was an orange cheetah, however he had a few odd features about him, such as black stripes resembling that of a tiger, as well as pointed serval-like ears. Most of his fur was covered by a dark brown tunic and a red cloak that draped over the cheetah's shoulders.
The cheetah continued to observe the silent valley as another cheetah approached, taking off their hood to address them.
"Chief Prowlus," the cheetah muttered. "Our scouting party has returned…"
Prowlus merely turned his head to the side. "Is he here?" he questioned.
The other cheetah nodded. "Yes… the purple dragon has been located."
Prowlus chuckled and smirked into the distance. "Excellent, that'll make our client happy, that's for sure." He then turned to face his companion. "Fetch me my nephew, would you Meadow?"
"Yes chief," Meadow acknowledged with another nod. "Right away…"
Meadow soon wandered off, leaving Prowlus on his own once again. The chief returned to gazing at the Artisan Valley from afar, his eyes narrowing from the mere sight of it.
I will hunt you down, purple dragon… no matter the cost, Prowlus vowed in his mind, shredding part of the tree that he was leaning on with his claw.
They will all pay for disgracing me…
"You wanted to see me, Uncle?" a voice called out, snapping Prowlus out of his thoughts.
Prowlus blinked and turned to see a young cheetah facing him. The cheetah shared Prowlus' body type and serval-like ears, appearing almost identical to him, however he instead had yellow fur and black spots on his arms, head and legs. The cheetah also wore a light brown tunic with a matching cape, as well as a bow and quiver full of arrows slung around his chest.
"Ah, Hunter…" Prowlus greeted. "Come, let me show you something."
Hunter gave a confused look as he wandered over to Prowlus' side, unsure what his uncle wanted to show him.
"You see what lays ahead of us, nephew?" Prowlus questioned, gesturing to the landscape ahead.
The young cheetah shrugged. "The village where the purple dragon lives?" he answered.
"More than that…" Prowlus muttered, placing a paw on Hunter's shoulders. "It's payday. We get this dragon and we can live like kings for the rest of our lives… with this decent score, we can finally get to a realm where no one can find us and start again."
"I'm not so sure, uncle… You remembered what happened at Zephyr?" Hunter said in a doubting tone. "We were cast out, forever being fugitives! How do you know that this job won't have the same outcome?"
"Because, my boy, our client is not fighting a dying war. He knows that we'll get it done…" Prowlus replied.
"Who even is this purple dragon anyway?" Hunter pondered. "Why does our client want him?"
Prowlus frowned at his nephew. "We do not ask questions, Hunter… that is not our way, you know that," he said sternly.
"But-"
"That's not our way," Prowlus repeated, a slight growl edging his tone.
Unable to talk about the situation even more, Hunter sighed and dropped the subject. His uncle was one of the most formidable warriors he knew, but he could also be very strict in terms of his work.
"So, do you have a plan to proclaim the purple dragon?" Hunter then wondered, looking over to the Artisan Valley.
Prowlus didn't answer straight away; he stroked his chin for a moment, then glanced at his nephew. "We wait… wait till he's drawn out, then we strike," he plotted. "We don't want to alert the Guardians of our presence until we are ready."
He then smirked at his nephew. "And I want you to lead the attack."
Hunter looked confused. "Me?"
"Of course, you're family and the finest archer of our clan. No one else I would rather choose…" Prowlus muttered.
Hunter smiled slightly at his uncle's words, hiding his doubts. True that he was the best archer but he hadn't actually killed anyone, besides from wild animals. He never really needed to; it was enough to distract someone so that another member of the clan could finish the job. Even if he did get the chance, there was something in his mind that told him to stop… like all that he was taught about morals and the way of the mercenaries were thrown out the window.
"Thank you, uncle…" the young cheetah murmured in gratitude.
"Come, let us go over the plan…" Prowlus smiled as he clapped his nephew's shoulder and pulled him close to gaze upon the Valley once more.
(SPYRO's POV)
I opened my eyes and all I could see was whiteness.
Blinking rapidly as snow frequently entered my eyes, I moved through the treacherous blizzard that overwhelmed me… where was I and why was I here?
Shapes of trees and cliffs soon emerged through the thick walls of white air; it all looked unfamiliar to me.
I tried to shout out for help, tried to shout out Cynder's name to see if she was nearby. I was about to move onto the Guardians' names, before I noticed one problem. I couldn't even hear my own voice. In fact, I couldn't feel myself walking anymore… as if I was one with the snowstorm.
Eventually, the wall of snow thinned out enough for me to get my bearings, and my eyes widened when I realised where I was.
Once again, a large array of crystals surrounded me, and in the distance was the dark tower that made my scales crawl. This was the realm that I dreamt about. I was back again… but why?
Like last time, I could see the cloaked dragoness in the distance, on the exact same cliff as in my first dream. But instead of looking towards the tower, she was looking directly at me. Even as her hood swayed in the wind, I still couldn't make out what she looked like. All I could see was a glimpse of her snout, which was a light blue in a similar tone to Cyril's, and had a small curved horn at the tip of it.
Who was she? Why has she appeared in my dreams twice now? Was she connected to me? Or was she one of the Ancestors? I want to know, I need to know!
"H-Hello?" I muttered, my voice finally showing itself.
Through the darkness of her hood, I saw the cloaked dragoness giving me a warm smile. "Hello, Spyro…" She greeted me. "It's good to see you face-to-face at last…"
Okay, that's strange… How did she know my name? Maybe she was a celestial dragon…
"Wha-what is this place?!" I then exclaimed, almost having a panic attack. "Who are you?"
The cloaked dragoness stayed silent for a moment before lowering her hood, revealing a pair of curved horns that were practically identical to mine.
But more importantly, I could see her eyes. They were purple… just like mine.
"My name is Glacia… and I mean you no harm." she assured me.
I squinted my eyes to get a better look at the ice dragoness. She looked so familiar to me for some reason, like I saw her before… a long time ago.
Then it hit me. I have seen her before.
Years ago, when I was upset about Cynder being captured by Malefor, Ignitus had a picture of an ice dragoness in a locket. He told me that she was his mate, having passed away long before I was born.
But she couldn't be alive, could she? Surely I'm just talking to her spirit, right?
"You… I know you, don't I?" I whispered, almost out of breath at this point. "You're Ignitus' mate, aren't you? But that's impossible… you're-you're…"
Unlike me, Glacia remained still and calm, sitting down on her haunches. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions, young dragon… but I don't have a lot of time," she murmured. "There's something you should know..."
"Know? Know what?!" I cried out. Whatever it was, it didn't sound good.
"Beware the raining fire…" she replied. "I'm so sorry… but that's all I can tell you, he might find out."
He? Oh, that definitely doesn't sound good.
At that moment, the ground started to shake around us. Snow started to rattle off the leaves of trees as lightning lit up the dark sky, thunder grumbling in the distance.
"Shit, I'm losing you…" Glacia murmured as the thick blanket of snow started to obscure my vision. "Listen, Spyro… there's not much time left; you must heed my warning!"
"But…?"
"Don't worry about me! You'll see me again, I promise you!" she reassured me. I'll see her again? No, I can't live through another nightmare! Not again!
The snowstorm got thicker and louder, to the point where Glacia was almost completely invisible. "Wait, wait! Why are you telling me this?" I shouted out, desperate for answers more than ever. "Why are you trying to keep me safe? I don't even know you!"
When I blinked to get more snow out of my eye, Glacia suddenly appeared closer to me. She was almost the size of Ignitus, maybe smaller by a head. I stood there open-mouthed with utter surprise as the ice dragoness moved her paw towards my face and touched it gently.
"A mother must protect their own…"
(-)
I awoke with a loud gasp as I quickly arose from the bed, my scales dripping with sweat.
Taking a second or two to catch my breath, I immediately gave a sigh of relief. I'm so glad that I was back in my room rather than the dark and windy realm in my dreams, the sounds of rain on our roof making me feel more at ease.
Automatically I turned to see if Cynder was still in bed, and thankfully she still was, sleeping soundfully and peacefully. It looked like I hadn't woken her up from my frantic rousing, which was a good thing too; I wouldn't want to worry her.
Especially when some cloaked dragoness warned me of 'raining fire'... or, the biggest shock of them all, the fact that she said that she was my goddamn mother!
But that's… she can't be… how was she…
Urgh, my brain hurts. I could feel my heart beating frantically, my breath erratic. I needed some air…
So that I didn't wake Cynder up, I quietly got out of bed and tip-toed around the room, having mini panic attacks whenever the floor creaked at the slightest touch, until I got to the door. Once I had left the bedroom, I started to walk at a steadier pace through the living room and down the other hallway towards the bathroom. I didn't have to worry about waking up Sparx; he was known to be a heavy sleeper… especially now, since he's much older.
Once I got to the bathroom, I immediately turned the light on and made my way to the sink. I then twisted the cold handle on the faucet until water started to fully stream down into the drain below. Before anyone could hear me, I cupped my paws into the water and splashed my makeshift bowl of water into my face. Feeling the cold water dripping down my face certainly helped me to relax… not a lot but it still helped.
Drying my face with the towel nearby, I couldn't help but stare at my reflection in the mirror. For eighteen years, I couldn't care less what made my face… whether I looked more like my mother or my father.
It didn't really matter to me since I had no idea what my parents looked like; I was Spyro… and that's all that I had to know. This was the face of the purple dragon, the face of a hero, the face that Cynder liked to stare at everyday.
But now? I was seeing things differently now.
From the brief time that I saw Glacia, I saw that she had my exact horns, albeit coloured differently due to her being an ice dragoness. I could've sworn that she had the same tailblade as well… well when I say 'tailblade', I mean a 'swirl of ice cream'. Bet she got made fun of for that as well.
I had a look at the tip of my snout and noticed that a small horn was beginning to grow out… that must've been from her as well. Interesting…
But most importantly… She had purple eyes, just like me. But that was so strange; ice dragons never have purple eyes; no one has purple eyes except for purple dragons! So how come her eyes were like that?
Oh ancestors, this was a lot to take in… it was almost unbelievable. I should be ecstatic that I found out who my mother was, or so she claims anyway… So why wasn't I happy?
"Spyro?"
Snapping out of my thoughts, I jumped at the sound of the voice unexpectedly coming out of nowhere. My eyes were completely widened, my heart returning to its fast pace as I darted around to see my girlfriend standing in the doorway, looking at me with concern painted on her face.
"Cynder!?" I exclaimed in a harsh whisper. "Don't sneak up on me like that! You scared the shit out of me!"
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you…" Cynder muttered apologetically.
I took a deep breath to calm myself down. "What are you doing up?" I then wondered.
"Could ask you the same question…" she replied softly. "I heard you waking up and walking out, so I came to check if you're alright."
I rubbed my eyes tiredly. "Oh… I just had a bad dream, it was nothing." I murmured.
Cynder raised an eyebrow. "A bad dream? What about?" she queried.
"It's nothing, don't worry about it…" I muttered, putting the towel back on the rack.
"It doesn't look like nothing, you look like you've seen a ghost." Cynder pointed out, noticing my shocked expression and my defensive posture. "What aren't you telling me?"
"I'm fine, really… please go back to sleep…" I pleaded.
Cynder glared and slowly started to approach me, forcing me to the other side of the bathroom. "Spyro… what are you hiding?" she pondered.
I hated that I had to keep everything from her, especially since everyone else had been hiding stuff from us. I should be telling Cynder everything; that was the whole point of a relationship right? To be able to be honest with one another?
Cynder and I don't fight often, and even if we did, it was usually resolved soon after. But I was worried that whatever happens would not be resolved by the end of today.
"Okay, okay…" I whispered. "I think… I had a vision... and it hasn't exactly been the first one."
Cynder looked at me confusingly. "The first one? What do you mean?"
I didn't answer her. I didn't want to answer her but I wasn't sure why. Urgh, this would be so much easier if I wasn't as frightened and mystified as I am now.
"Have you been having recurring dreams?" Cynder eventually asked. When I nodded in response, she frowned and smacked my shoulder hard. "Oh for ancestors' sake, Spyro! Why didn't you tell me!?"
I rubbed my arm, which stung from the strength of Cynder's blow. Okay, I definitely deserved that. "I… I… I didn't want you to worry, okay?" I exclaimed. "I can't even make sense of it myself…"
Cynder scoffed. "Of course I would be worried! You look so terrified right now, how could I not worry about you?!"
"I'm sorry…" I murmured. I'm an idiot, a goddamn idiot. "I'm so, so sorry…"
"I just don't understand why you didn't talk to me about any of this…" Cynder mumbled, rubbing her eyes in frustration. "I could've helped you…"
"You've been through so much, what with living with Malefor for most of your life, that I wanted you to have a somewhat normal life," I explained as best as I could, looking down at the ground sadly.
At first, Cynder didn't say anything. I was worried that she might've taken it the wrong way and stormed off. But instead, she gently lifted my head upwards so that I was looking straight into her emerald-green eyes.
"Babe, you've already done that by saving me all those years ago," she assured me, her voice as soothing as honey. "Besides, with you, nothing's ever normal. Trouble usually finds you in a matter of seconds..."
"I know that…" I mumbled, almost on the brink of tears as I struggled to look Cynder in the eye. "I just didn't want you to share what I'm going through at the moment…"
"But I can handle it, you know I can…" Cynder said, placing her paw on my cheek. "You can trust me… we're a team, remember? I'm always here for you and you are always there for me…"
I nodded in understanding, leaning in towards the black dragoness and wrapping my paws around her in a warm embrace. Cynder gladly accepted my hug, rubbing my back in comfort as I rested against her shoulder. I guess there wasn't much of a fight after all…
After we separated from our hug, Cynder looked at me again. "So, what happened in your dreams?"
I hesitated. As much as I didn't want to think about the mysterious, creepy realm that looked straight out of a science-fiction television show, I couldn't hold it in anymore… I had to tell her.
Before answering, I took a deep breath. "I find myself in a realm that's unknown to me, a realm of snow and lightning… Every time, I see an ice dragoness that's covered in a cloak," I recounted. "The first two times she appeared, she didn't say much and when she did… it was always something about the time approaching."
"Sounds like she's trying to warn you," Cynder speculated. "She could be one of the Ancestors…"
"I thought so too, until now," I murmured. "This time, she took off her hood and told me that her name was Glacia and that she meant no harm to me…"
Cynder put her paw on her chin, as if she was in deep thought. "Glacia? Where have I heard that name before?"
"She was Ignitus' mate; she died during the war…" I reminded her, sadness in my voice.
"That's right, I think you mentioned her before," Cynder muttered before giving me a confused look. "How come she's talking to you and not Ignitus?"
"All she said before I woke was… 'A mother must protect their own'," I replied as I gazed at the ground, still confused by Glacia's last words to me.
At this moment, Cynder's eyes widened with absolute surprise. That would've been my reaction as well if the circumstances weren't as dire. "Hold up, Glacia's your mother?!" Cynder sputtered, blinking a few times before rubbing her eyes again. "But does that mean…?"
I shrugged slightly. "Potentially, yes," I murmured. "But I'm not sure, I need to talk to Ignitus… but even then, he might not tell me the full truth."
"You could always speak to Nurse Braya… she might know," Cynder suggested.
"Why would–?" I was about to ask until the connection clicked in my head. "Oh… that makes sense. Wait, was that the thing you were going to tell me when I woke up from my seizure?"
Cynder nodded. "Yes, but Braya suggested I tell you when you've fully recovered."
"Right… I should speak to her then," I said, standing up to leave the bathroom.
Before I could leave, Cynder lifted her wing and blocked me so that I couldn't get past her. "What, now? It's three in the morning. Not to mention that it's pouring with rain out there," she said in a soft whisper.
"I need to know, Cyn… this can't wait," I mumbled. This was something that couldn't wait until morning. I just found out that the cloaked dragoness that's been in my dreams is my mother… and that Ignitus could be… my father... But even if he was, why didn't he tell me sooner? Or in fact, why not when I was born? He raised me, for ancestor's sake!
"What if she's not there? You'll be going out for nothing!"
My wings flared slightly. "Then I'll come back and wait till morning! But I know she works nights sometimes; this could be my chance! Please Cynder…"
Cynder silently looked at me, contemplating whether or not I should leave now. Eventually she slowly retracted her wing. "Alright…"
I smiled softly, giving Cynder a kiss on the cheek as I left the bathroom. "I'll be back as soon as I can…"
"Do you want me to come with you?"
I shook my head. "No… this is something I have to do alone," I muttered reluctantly. As much I wanted Cynder to come with me, this was my problem to solve…
After saying goodbye to Cynder, I made my way to the front door where I grabbed and put on my yellow raincoat from the coat rack. I then swung the door open and instantly shivered at the sight of the weather in front of me. While I was usually fine with a rainy day or night, I was not a fan of the combination of rain and wind. Not sure why, maybe because the wind makes it unbearable for someone to walk in?
But tonight, I had to deal with it. A little wind and rain wasn't going to keep me away from knowing the truth… once and for all.
(-)
The walk from the flat to the infirmary was intolerable, the wind howling like Death Hounds in the Ancient Grove as raindrops splattered over my snout. The streets were empty, no creature in sight, as if it became a ghost town overnight. Not even the local pubs were full; it must've been a quiet day for them. The streetlamps were dimly lit, only giving me small intervals of light.
My pace quickened as I passed a block of apartments. I didn't want to be seen in case anyone that was up at the time began to get suspicious… but I wasn't exactly being discreet thanks to my yellow raincoat. Normally it would be my purple scales that would give me away, but fortunately for me, the darkness was able to obscure them.
I just hoped that Nurse Braya was working late… otherwise this whole errand would be a waste of time. I didn't want to wait until morning, as much as it would be better for everyone; I wanted to know the truth right now. That may sound childish or perhaps impatient but when you had recurring dreams about your long-lost mother, it would be reasonable to get the facts as soon as possible.
Eventually, after walking for several minutes in the stormy weather, I reached the infirmary. Since the infirmary was open twenty-four hours, I wasn't surprised to see that there was light coming from the building. It was who was working now that mattered to me the most.
I entered the building and shook off the rain off my body, my rain jacket making a racket which made a few heads turn towards me. There were only a few creatures in the main waiting area, spread out between a few rows of seats each. There were couples, parents with their young, sick children, and strangely even a human with sticky-uppy hair reading a newspaper. Humans weren't exactly a rare species in the Dragon Realms; I knew a couple of kids from my many adventures. It was just odd to see one here in the Valley.
Okay, Spyro… stop staring at everyone, I thought. Gotta focus, finding Braya was the main priority.
I strolled to the reception desk, pulling down my hood and sitting on my haunches as I waited for the receptionist to look up from her computer. Surely she must've noticed me coming in. I was pretty sure everyone else did.
After a minute or two, I cleared my throat loudly, which made the receptionist look up in my direction. Her eyes widened at the sight of me.
"Oh, Mr Spyro," she exclaimed. "Is there something I can help you with?"
I rubbed the back of my head. "Uh… yeah, I was just wondering if Nurse Braya was working tonight," I queried. "There's something I need to talk to her about."
"Yeah, sure. I'll go see if she's free."
The receptionist then leapt off her seat and scampered out of sight through a door towards, presumably, the office area. In the few minutes that she was gone, I stood awkwardly in front of the now empty reception desk as Piano Man softly played in the loudspeakers.
Before things could get even more awkward, the receptionist returned and jumped back into her seat, an optimistic look painted on her face. "You're just in luck, she's just in her office packing up for the night," she told me.
"So can I see her?" I queried.
"Absolutely, I'll take you in now," the receptionist said, getting off her seat once again and heading back to the door. Instinctively, I followed her from the other side of the desk, before snaking around the open gap in the desk and meeting the receptionist at the door. Then the receptionist opened the door and let me go past her.
The office corridor was pretty small, obviously meant for moles and maybe the occasional dragon. There were four doors, two on each side. One doorway on the right was completely open and, from what I could see, had a large table and a kitchen in there, which told me that room was supposed to be the break room.
I stepped aside to let the receptionist pass so she could lead me to Nurse Braya's office. I followed her down the slim corridor, being careful that my tail didn't accidentally knock over a plant pot or something else that was valuable.
My heart started thumping with anticipation and concern. I was going to find out more about my parents… actually, first off, I was going to confirm that my parents are actually… my parents.
We stopped at the far door on the left side of the corridor. It was mostly made of glass except for the metal frame that kept it together, however it was fogged up for privacy reasons. I couldn't see much of the office inside, only Nurse Braya's blurred form going back and forth.
"She's just in there…" the receptionist whispered, gesturing towards the door.
"Thanks…" I muttered.
The receptionist then slid past me once more and headed back towards the main desk, leaving me all alone at the end of the office corridor. Before I went to reach out for the door, I took a deep breath. This is it, Spyro… you're finally going to get the truth.
After calming my nerves, I gently rapped at the door with a claw. For a brief second, there was no response. I started to panic slightly; was she not expecting me? Or was that actually her in the office?
Before I could develop a whole hypothetical situation, I heard a voice call out to me from behind the door. "Come in!"
I took another deep breath and stepped through the door into Nurse Braya's office. The office was neat and tidy, consisting of a desk in the centre, which had a small pot filled with pens, and a variety of photo frames on its surface. Around the desk were white bookshelves, two on each opposite side, and a smaller one just behind Braya's desk. On the bookshelves were years and years of files on patients that Braya had worked with in the past, each year wrapped in a big binder. Jeez, how long had Braya worked here? Looked like long before the war!
"Uh… hello," I greeted, walking through the door.
"Ah, Spyro, my dear… I've been expecting you," Nurse Braya muttered as she sorted out some papers before putting them in her bag. "However I wasn't expecting you now of all times..."
I looked down at the ground. "Yeah, sorry about that… it's just..."
"Don't worry about it, dearie..." Nurse Braya interjected politely. "You probably caught me at the best time."
After Braya had finished sorting out her papers, she returned back to her desk and sat on the chair nearby. "Have a seat, Spyro," she said, gesturing to the chair in front of her.
I took a glance at the chair in front and immediately raised an eyebrow. The chair was much, much smaller than me, it would probably break if I had tried to sit on it. Maybe when I was younger… but not now.
Realising how small the chair was compared to me, Nurse Braya's eyes widened. "Oh… my apologies Spyro… I've forgotten how much you've grown over the years," she murmured.
I couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "Yeah… I tend to forget as well," I retorted as I pushed the chair to the side and sat on my haunches. My heart started to beat quicker in anticipation for my next question. "So um, Cynder said that you know something about… my parents."
Nurse Braya took a deep breath. "Yes… I do."
My heart seemed to sink when I heard Braya answer. It wasn't just Ignitus who was hiding secrets from me… but why? Why did no one tell me about my parents? It's not a subject that can't be avoided; surely they must've figured that I would go asking around when I got older.
I started to feel betrayed… all this time, everyone knew and nobody told me!
"Who were they?" Even though I kind of knew who they were already, I wanted to know if I was right or not.
"Your mother was an ice dragoness named Glacia. She and your father lived in the great dragon city of Warfang way before the war even existed," Nurse Braya began. "It's funny… you and her share many personality traits…"
"Really?" I wondered, raising an eyebrow. "What was she like?" I remember asking Ignitus a similar question a few years back but it was interesting to hear about my mother from someone else's perspective.
Nurse Braya tapped her paws together. "She was always kind to everyone but had a mischievous sense to her sometimes… but she wasn't like that at first. Before she and your dad met, she had trouble socialising with other dragons. Whenever her parents took her to the infirmary, she was quiet and hardly spoke a word to me," she replied before taking off her glasses to wipe some moisture off the lens. "I could never figure out what was going on in that young dragoness' head."
Tears started to form in the corner of my eyes. To hear that she had led a similar life to mine during her childhood was… heartbreaking. No one deserved to be alone, even if that someone had trouble fitting in.
Braya put her glasses back on her snout before she continued. "But when she was gravid with your egg… all that sadness and anxiety went away. She had an incredible smile on her face every time I saw her for her appointments. She loved you even before you were laid," she recalled with a smile. "From the moment I helped her give birth to you, I knew that the purple dragon was going to be in capable paws of such a kind and loving mother."
If that didn't bring me to tears, what Nurse Braya said next definitely did. "She would've been so proud of you…" she muttered.
At that moment, tears started to flow down my cheeks. I wasn't sure what they were… they might've been happy tears or they might have been sad ones; all my emotions were just going haywire.
My mother sounded like the sweetest dragoness ever… but I'll never get to see that in my lifetime. Not even in my strange visions, not anywhere… just in stories, and that was the sad truth.
Seeing how emotional I was getting, Braya handed me a few tissues from the tissue box nearby. "I'm sorry Spyro… I know this is a lot to take in."
"No, no… it's alright," I whimpered as I wiped my moist eyes with the tissues. "It's nice to hear about her; I would've liked to actually meet her someday…"
"I would've liked you two to meet as well…" Nurse Braya murmured sadly.
"So how come I've never heard about her? Why is everyone keeping me in the dark about this?"
Braya sighed. "That's… something you need to ask your father."
"My… father?" I queried before looking down at the ground. "It's Ignitus, isn't it?"
Nurse Braya seemed surprised that I knew about Ignitus, even though it was the most obvious connection. "Yes… but how did..."
"He told me about my mother a few years ago… without mentioning anything about my parentage." I explained.
At this moment, everything seemed to fall apart. My relationship with Ignitus, every fond memory I ever had with him… that had all been replaced with betrayal and distrust. What else had he been hiding? Did I secretly have a brother or sister somewhere else in the realms!?
"I just don't understand! How could he hide this from me?! The fact that I'm his son?!" I exclaimed frustratingly. "After all this time… I can't believe him!"
Unlike myself, Nurse Braya maintained her cool as I started to vent. "I'm sure he had his reasons, Ignitus was not the type to…"
My eyes widened. "Reasons?! What reasons would he have?!"
"I can't answer that, I'm afraid…" Braya shrugged. "Talk to Ignitus… he should explain everything, hopefully."
I nodded before heading towards the door to leave. There was nothing more to say; I didn't want to continue venting my frustrations out on Nurse Braya… she didn't deserve them.
"Spyro, wait." Nurse Braya called out as I opened the door.
When I turned around to look at her, Braya took a deep breath, before speaking up again. "Again, I'm sorry... you should've known about your parents sooner."
I stayed silent for a moment, looking down at the ground in thought. I knew this wasn't Braya's fault; she was a victim to this big lie like myself. True, she could've told me about my parents sooner but she shouldn't have to… I should've already known.
"It's not you who should be sorry…" I deadpanned as I turned to leave.
(-)
Mixed feelings flowed through me as I edged closer to the Temple. Happiness, confusion, anger. I had potentially found out who my parents were and just thinking about it made my heart swell. But on the other hand, I felt like I was stabbed in the back. Everyone that I ever took as parental or mentor figures thought it was a hilarious idea to keep any information about my parents hidden from me.
But why? Why did everyone hide it from me for eighteen fucking years?! They left me on a wild goose chase as Cynder and I searched for our parents when they had the truth this entire time!
I couldn't trust anyone anymore… who knew what other secrets they could be hiding?
Using the spare key that was given to me when Cynder and I moved out, I crept into the Temple, pausing to shake the rain water off most of my coat, before hanging it on the nearby coat stand. Then I made my way down the corridor to the Guardians' quarters.
As I traversed through the corridors, I made sure to stay quiet as possible. I could hear muffled noises through multiple doors at the end of the corridor. There wasn't much security to worry about since the valley only had to deal with minor threats. Even since Gnasty Gnorc laid siege to the valley five years ago, the Temple still hadn't bothered to increase their night patrols.
Slowly but surely, I finally made it to Ignitus' room. Looking to see if anyone was around, I then rapped loudly on the door. At first, he didn't answer… no surprise there, since he was asleep. I then knocked harder and louder a second time, adding a sense of urgency to it. Come on, answer the damn door already!
Eventually, the door opened and Ignitus, who looked half asleep, popped his head out and looked down at me.
"Spyro?" Ignitus wondered groggily. "What are you doing here at this hour?"
There he was… my father, my actual blood-relative father. Normally I would be happy to see Ignitus, his wisdom always welcome in my heart. But not tonight. Tonight, all I could see was a dragon that deceived me for a very long time.
All this time, my mentor and trusted caregiver, who I considered to be my parental figure, was my biological father. How could I have been so thick not to realise this sooner? I mean, the older I got, the more I began to look like him… that should've been a dead giveaway!
"How could you?" I growled angrily.
Ignitus seemed confused by my unusual mood and lack of a greeting. "I don't quite understand what you are talking about, young dragon…" he muttered, rubbing his eyes.
"Don't call me that!" I snapped. "You know damn well what I'm talking about!"
"You need to calm down, Spyro–" Ignitus tried to say quietly.
My eyes widened. "Calm down?!" I exclaimed. "Don't you dare tell me to calm down!"
At this point, Ignitus grew frustrated. I don't think he'd ever seen me act like this; I'd always been more calm towards him compared to the rest of the Guardians. "Enough! I don't know what's going on here but this behaviour is becoming highly unorthodox, especially towards a Guardian!" Ignitus scolded, stamping his front paw in anger.
I frowned, not fazed by Ignitus' outburst. "Guardian?! Shouldn't it be father?"
At this moment, all of the colour in Ignitus' face drained quickly as his expression suddenly changed from angry to one of bewilderment. It was very similar to how he reacted when I said I considered him as a dad on the day of the Autumn Fair.
He certainly wasn't expecting this. In fact, I didn't think he ever thought this day would come… which pissed me off even more.
Ignitus blinked. "Y-You know? But h-how?"
"You want to know how? Not from you, that's for sure!" I scoffed, smoke starting to rise from my nostrils. "I had to find out from Nurse Braya… after eighteen years of nothing! Nothing!"
"Young dragon, I–"
"You kept thisfrom me this whole damn time?! Why?! How could you of all dragons do this to me?!"
"It was to keep you safe…" Ignitus pathetically explained as he tried to maintain his calm demeanour. "Spyro, I've wanted to tell you for so long… but you weren't ready to know the truth."
"The truth?! What, you being my father was supposed to be a type of reward?! This is not something you keep secret, Ignitus… especially from me!" I barked.
"I made a promise…"
All I could do was scoff. "I can't believe I'm hearing this! Don't you realise how much pain I went through without knowing who my parents are?! And what did you do, father?Stood by and watched me suffer!" I sneered. "What else have you been hiding from me? Is Terrador Cynder's dad? Wait hold on, do you know who Cynder's parents are?"
"No! Spyro, I'm–"
I had enough and shook my head disapprovingly. "You know what? I can't do this anymore… I'm going home," I growled as I stormed back through the dark corridor, ignoring my father's pleas to come back and let him explain.
(-)
The walk back to the flat wasn't a pleasant one, the rain constantly falling on me dampened my spirits as I contemplated and processed everything that had happened over the course of the night. My nightmare, what Braya told me, my confrontation with Ignitus.
He was my dad... Ignitus was my father…
I felt deceived, I felt misled, believing all my life that my parents had either disappeared or killed during the war. I was alone without any friends or any real family for thirteen years, bullied constantly by the Skylanders, and was frowned upon by everyone in the valley due to my scale colour. I even tried to search for my parents when Cynder was searching for hers, but I had found nothing, no evidence of their existence whatsoever. Yet somehow it was Ignitus all along. How could he hide all this from me?
It was true that Ignitus had been 'fatherly' during my early years, such as raising me and talking to me when I was upset. But that didn't excuse him from hiding the truth; who knew what other secrets he hides in that head of his?!
I couldn't figure out whether I should hate him or not… I just needed time to adjust.
Soon enough, I made it back to the flat. Despite my inner frustration, I still quietly snuck inside so I wouldn't spook anyone from their slumber.
I was so angry and confused. I didn't know what to do, how to cope with all this. Part of me wanted to cut all ties with Ignitus but… I needed an explanation on why he kept my parentage from me all these years. I deserved at least that.
Hanging up my raincoat on the coat stand, I wandered into the living room and stared firmly at Cynder, who was sitting anxiously on the couch, with tears in my eyes.
Seeing my glistening tears through the darkness, Cynder slowly approached me with a worried expression on her face. "Honey? What happened…?"
I wasn't sure where to start. Everything happened so fast, in a span of an hour or two. I couldn't believe it myself. Part of me wanted my old, secretive life back…
"I… I…. he…" I tried to say, trying to keep myself together.
But I couldn't hold it in any longer. I quickly rushed over to my girlfriend and hugged her tightly, tears streaming down my snout as I sobbed into her neck. Everything was different… Everything felt wrong. The only thing that felt right was Cynder; my love and faith in her was the only truthful thing in my godforsaken lie of a life.
"Hey… hey, everything's going to be okay…" Cynder whispered in my ear, stroking my back softly in comfort. "I'm here…"
After I managed to calm myself down with Cynder's embrace, she gently separated from me and stared into my now bloodshot eyes. She then brushed off a single tear with her paw, soon resting it on my cheek afterwards.
"Spyro… tell me what happened."
Alright, I'm gonna end it there. Originally this chapter was going to be just one part but SKdaGamer (a good friend of mine who is the beta reader for this story) suggested to me that I should split it into two parts so there's more focus on the Spyro/Ignitus twist. So stay tuned for part 2!
I apologise if I was a little slow with my release schedule… You can blame life and procrastination for that.
Anyway, you won't be seeing an update to this story till around a couple months time as next month I'll be hopefully releasing a Doctor Who oneshot that was supposed to be out last month. But I promise you that the wait will be worth it.
This is TARDIS1039, signing off… Allons-y!