Cynder found the rest area of the Elemental Plane to be a vast improvement over Azulia's fortress just by looks alone. Streams of clouds and water floated through the air, with some steam near the back of it. It wasn't boiling, as she saw a few organics go in and out, but they were noticeably darker in scale and skin color. A private spa chamber could be seen next to it, with multiple doors to prevent anyone from spying.

Their quarters were also linked, with three spate bedrooms and a living room in the center. Fresh fruit and meat, the former of which consisted of ones she had never seen before, waited for them on a floating table. She grabbed a strange, pink fruit that pulsed white veins every few seconds. It was sweet tasting, and unlike anything she had tried before. Almost better than the grapes she had before.

Almost.

"Feel free to stay as long as you like." Scyion told them as Yeras flopped onto a nearby cushion. "Time works differently here, though. Keep that in mind. I think you may have been here for a few hours, but I believe a day has passed."

"You're joking right?" Viberian stared out the balcony at the wide, open ocean of clouds that swirled and churned around them. It didn't once turn dark, despite it feeling like the middle of the night.

"Not at all." Scyion grinned. "I'll leave you alone for now. I have other things I must attend to, but should you require me, simply ring that bell." He indicated to a silver bell that hovered near the ceiling.

"Wait." Yeras pulled herself up. "I…I want to come with you."

A look of pure elation crossed Scyion's face. "Sure! I'll show you around and we can catch up." He spoke quickly before clamping his mouth shut. "Erm…if you want."

"Well, it's why I offered." Yeras smiled softly.

Scyion practically twirled his tail straight off at what she said and they departed together. Cynder could hear them already start to talk and grinned before turning to Viberian. He looked a bit distant, but wasn't depressed. More…contemplative. She stood next to him and stared out the balcony for a moment.

"You and I need to talk." Viberian finally stated with a sigh.

"About?" Cynder was a bit apprehensive. She didn't expect him to ask about Ignitus so soon.

"I see the way you look at me, Cynder." He stated bluntly, yet without any harshness. "Don't think I didn't notice. Ever since Avalar I've spotted you giving me looks out of the corner of your eye or when I wasn't looking."

Cynder stared, flabbergasted as a blush came to her muzzle. Damn it, damn it, damn it! She thought she was more subtle about it! Shrinking smaller, she turned away and held her claws on the balcony.

"Is…um…is this bad?" She flickered her gaze between him and the clouds. She saw an elemental go by and focused in on it to try and escape the overwhelming emotions.

"Normally no, but you have to understand…I'm not…ready." Viberian shifted on his claws. "I'm finally moving on. I need time."

"I wasn't going to make a move without your permission…" Cynder replied a bit defensively. "In case you forgot, my mate also died. I kinda died too." She rubbed the burn on her stomach. "I have no memory of it, but I can feel…emptiness. A crushing sense of guilt."

"…Yeah, it'll do that to you."

"At least you remember. I can't move on if I have no idea what to move on from."

Viberian remained quiet for a moment. "True." He sighed. "Alright, question for you; why do you like me?"

"Simple; you're dependable, good looking, and have pretty much been the longest friend I've known if you consider the factors." Cynder practically blurted out. "I don't know. Seeing you happy makes me happy. I can't explain it, and I know it's early, but I just…"

"Are you sure it isn't your subconscious trying to fill in the void?" Viberian asked. It was an odd, yet valid, question.

"I don't know." She repeated. "But I know what I feel and if it makes you uncomfortable I'll try and make it die out a bit." She laughed nervously. "I kind of feel a kinship to you as well. My mate…Spyro…he's now a genocidal maniac. Or at least, what's left of him is. Kinda makes it hard to see any future, you know? At least yours didn't do that."

"She could have if pressed hard enough." He shook his head, a dull smile on his muzzle. "I suppose you're right, though; there is a connection between us when you put it that way."

"I'm not always spewing air, you know."

"I never said you were?"

Both chuckled. "So…um…what are we going to do about this?" Cynder asked.

"I don't know." Viberian stated with a sigh. "It's too early to form a relationship."

"No one said a relationship had to be formed, you know."

Viberian blinked before slowly turning his head back to Cynder. "Erm…what?"

"Friends. Just get it over with so it doesn't cause anything from it. Get it out of the way." Cynder gave a seductive wink.

"Are you sure this won't cause more complications?" Viberian stepped back inside and fidgeted with his claws. "I mean, this is kind of a big deal. It feels wrong to just kinda go for it like this. Maybe I'm just traditional."

"You have the power to stop, you know."

"Not what I meant."

Cynder placed a gentle claw on his shoulder. "If you don't want to, just say no. I won't force this on you."

Viberian locked eyes with her. "It's not that I don't want to, it's just…ugh…I can't put it into words!"

"Then don't." Cynder said soothingly. "One night. No commitments, no nothing. Just so we don't feel so alone anymore."

The vermillion dragon gave a contemplating look and began to pace. She wasn't sure what he would say, but she prepared herself for rejection. Her mind was spiraling out of control; it was like another force was influencing her mood. She couldn't explain it, but he was just…irresistible to her. Like something had reached its boiling point.

"I can't." Viberian shook his head. "I'm sorry."

Cynder would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed but took it in stride. "Don't apologize." She hugged him tightly. "To be honest, I don't know if I really want this either. It's like something is driving me." It was a small lie, but the second part was true.

Viberian turned away. "Cynder, there is something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Cynder let go of him.

"That driving urge…that's not normal." He looked into her eyes. "It's a side-effect of the ritual we used to bring you back."

"W-what?" Cynder eyed him suspiciously. "What are you talking about?"

"According to Volteer, you suffered another side-effect that we didn't catch at first." He sighed and shook his head. "It was Terrador and I who found your body and brought you back. The close contact we had with your corpse affected the ritual, and when it went wrong, the closeness expanded and developed into almost an obsession."

Cynder stared. She could do nothing else. Everything seemed to fall into place when he said that. The attraction she felt, the lack of memory. It came crashing down upon her. A constant buzzing ripped through her mind, like a nest of angry bees.

"Your attitude toward Cyril was because he froze your body to prevent decomposition. It may be why you feel cold all the time, if you have that symptom."

"So wait, you're saying that…all of this…" Cynder backed away from Viberian with horror.

"It may very well be fictional. As I stated before, your memories are forgotten. Some are fractured, and you are scrambling to pick up the pieces. You very well could have latched onto me because I am around your age and display similar characteristics to Spyro."

"No, no…don't you dare say that." She shook a talon at him, laughing in disbelief. "Don't you dare tell me that everything I feel is fictional. I know I am not as I used to be before I died, but this…are you telling me that once I regain my memories, all of this will go away?"

"I don't have the answer for that, Cynder." Viberian answered gloomily.

"I don't want to change." Tears welled up in her eyes. "I don't want to forget this." She gave him a pleading look. "Please tell me that if I go back, I'll remember this. My old memories won't rewrite this."

The other dragon didn't give her an answer at first. "As I said, I don't know."

Cynder wrapped her talons around her horns in frustration, tugging on them violently. "Then I don't want to remember! I don't want to remember Spyro, The Guardians, or whoever else I met in my previous life. This is all I know now, and if this dies…so do I. Someone else, someone I don't even know anymore, will just wander off in my body and…I'll be dead."

"I think you're overreacting. We don't know if this is going to happen if your memories get restored. It's very possible you will just regain both."

Cynder looked at him with teary eyes. "Viberian…I don't want to lose this. I don't care if it's fictional. It's real to me."

Viberian gave her a strong, tight hug with both his claws and wings. Cynder felt comfort in his embrace, but she wanted to pull away at the same time. Her mind was a violent storm, unable to process what was happening. It was impossible for her to know what she wanted. If she woke up one morning, she didn't want to forget who Viberian was. Yeras she would still remember, but going through the whole ordeal again of re-identifying herself…

…she wouldn't be able to do it.

Instead, she had Viberian carry her to the bedding, where she lay immobile. He didn't leave her alone, still comforting her. They didn't grow intimate, but at the same time, Cynder didn't feel like she wanted to anyway. What if this really was her mind trying to replace the hole Spyro left? The dark, empty feelings she got whenever his name was mentioned all made sense now. The fury against Malefor as well.

"I know I asked you this before," Cynder could barely speak more than a whisper, "but I ask again; who was I?"

Viberian shifted a bit next to her. "As I said before, I didn't know you or Spyro personally. Hell, I barely spoke more than a few words to Yeras usually."

"Then, tell me what you saw."

He nodded slowly. "You two were paragons, as we said to you before. Symbols of hope, the like. You were the Tempest Guardian, and actually taught at the temple Gravia went to before Malefor returned. You had a bit of a temper and were unusually strict, but you cared a lot about the students and staff."

"I met you once, but it was very brief. I was a security guard for the Temple when I wasn't studying to be a doctor. One promotion away from being the captain, even. We both had to quell a growing fight between students, and it took us a bit to do so."

"I didn't even thank you?" Cynder gave a horrified look.

"No, you did, but nothing really came from it as you might have guessed."

"I see."

"Regardless, you had four elements, much like Spyro. Your theory about you being an experiment holds more water than you realize when I reflect back on it. You have three of them back, but the last one, Shadow, has not emerged."

"Isn't Convexity the same thing?"

"I have no idea. Maybe? It's not like we had much to go from." Viberian laughed. "Regardless, that will likely appear next. Next to poison, that was your Go-to element."

"I do use poison a lot." Cynder frowned in reflection. "You said I had no offspring, correct?"

"As far as I know. Any of the Guardians would be better off explaining that one."

Cynder nodded absently. "What about you during that time period? I only know you as you are now, without much of your past."

"Really not much to say." Viberian shrugged. "The twelve years that Malefor had to ruin the world originally was an adventure in itself, and we have nowhere near the time to tell it. As you can likely guess, I met Eimuria through that. We grew close, had Gravia, and then moved to Warfang."

"I saw so many wounded there after you and Spyro defeated Malefor. I had some skill in the medical arts, with my mother being one and being forced to fend for my own. Volteer became my instructor there, and as I said, I worked as a security guard for the temple in the meantime. He started calling me Flame when everything went to hell cuz of my elemental abilities and it just kinda stuck."

"It really is a boring nickname."

"It is, but I'd be lying if I didn't have some attachment to it. Eimuria was called 'Ember' cuz according to him, we really completed each other. She hated it. No one told her that's what her name really translated out to be."

Cynder burst out laughing at the last part. The negative emotions that flooded her body began to slowly recede, and the two chatted so more. Well, Viberian mostly talked, and she listened. Even if the 'romantic' feelings were fiction, she felt closer to him than ever before. Not in a mating sense, but just…close. She couldn't explain it.

She was half tempted to grab a journal and start writing down her memories in this mindset. There was no way in hell she wanted to miss this again.

Yeras walked alongside her twin, unsure of what to say. Although she couldn't see his eyes, just by his facial expression he felt the same. In a way, it brought a strange comfort to know she wasn't alone in this.

"So, uh, I hear you have psychic abilities." Scyion started off awkwardly. "My Lord told me that when your mind was assaulted."

"This is true. Not really much to speak of, but I get visions. They are as reliable as thin ice, but it's there." Yeras chuckled.

"Is that so?" Scyion sounded surprised. "The way he said it implied you were a natural at it."

"Maybe I would have been, but we know how that went."

Now she made it awkward again. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why was it so damn hard to speak to her own twin like this? She turned away, pretending to glance out what she presumed to be a window. All of the anger she had had faded, but now she was lost for a subject. Why was she lost for a subject?

"So what exactly do you do here?" Yeras started off again. "Like, what does a steward do?"

Scyion jerked his head down another hall. "Follow me." When they turned and ventured down another path, Scyion continued. "It's pretty much what you'd think it is. I answer to his beck and call, and I run errands for him. I am also his champion, in that one must defeat me to get to him. It's actually quite nice here. Maybe one day you'll get to see it."

"Um…I can. I just can't see color."

Scyion looked baffled. "Really? I thought you were…"

"I am blind, but that doesn't mean everything I see is darkness." Yeras gave a playful grin. "Common misconception, really. Surfaces, shapes, and brail I can see. Any writing on flat surfaces, or where someone is looking, I cannot."

Her mirth vanished quickly, as her echolocation went sporadic. Suddenly, she had nothing to bounce off of. She must be outside, if the sudden warmth and gusts were anything to go off of. Once again the blank emptiness that surrounded her made her quiver in her scales.
Eventually, the two of them fell into deep conversation about their lives post-Malefor. Scyion didn't have as much to say, stating that he had been here ever since.

"I was pretty much grabbed by an air elemental and brought back cuz they thought I was a threat," Scyion laughed. "They had no idea what to do with me, so they studied me, and then I was 'purged' of corruption and landed with the job of steward for a while."

"What does purged mean?" Yeras inquired as they looked at a training ground with level one elementals being taught by a massive, armored one. It just looked like a floating torso to her, but Scyion said that the lower body was like a vortex.

"That's a question I thought you would ask a lot sooner." Scyion chuckled softly. "Basically means that all Convexity has been removed from my body at the cost of basically turning me into an elemental. I chose to hold onto this body, but should it get destroyed, I would transcend."

"Does that mean you're more or less immortal?"

"Elementals can only be destroyed in their respective planes, so kinda sorta…but I'm by no means all powerful."

"Coulda fooled me earlier."

Scyion laughed hard. "No, I am only that strong in the presence of my lord. On the mortal plane, I am less so."

Yeras nodded. "So, what other elements can you use?"

Scyion motioned for her to stand back before he reared onto his hind legs. In his mouth, a ball of air formed. In his left claw, fire. Right held ice. He looked strained by this effort, however, and could not hold out for long before he fell backward and accidently shot the air ball into the ceiling. One of the snake elementals poked its head around a corner to investigate before moving back.

Gasping for breath, he was assisted to his claws by Yeras.

"Thank you," He said, "I usually just stick with air, but I have been learning how to use all three."

"I thought purples could use four?" Yeras tilted her head in confusion.

"Well, natural ones can." Scyion confirmed. "I have a hard time getting three down, let alone four."

"Makes sense I suppose."

"Speaking of," Scyion looked conflicted, like he didn't want to say what he was about to, "I uh…I don't know how you feel about this but…um…I think I found a way to 'complete' you."

"Complete…me?" Yeras felt cold inside.

"The blueprints for his experiments are locked inside of my head," Scyion held a talon to it, "He made sure to engrave it into my brain. If you want, I could finish the process and make you a full-blown purple."

Yeras's jaw hung like a broken latch, unable to process the words Scyion was saying. Did…did he lose his mind? She knew why he hesitated, but at the same time, couldn't help but back off in horror. Memories of the torture rang through her mind, the pain returning as she collapsed against a wall. She held her head with her claws, whimpering to drown out Malefor's distorted voice.

"N-no!" Yeras cried out. "No, no, no! Never again!"

Scyion grabbed her claws, which had begun to dig into her scales. "I'm not going to do it, alright?" He said gently. "I just didn't know how you liked being like that."

Yeras heard and understood her twin's words, but couldn't exactly process them. Her mind was locked in a rigid battle against the past, and she felt like nothing could tear it again. Scyion pulled her into a soft embrace, and while it did help, she still quivered and shook uncontrollably.

"Please don't make me go through that again." She pleaded. "I don't care about being perfect or fitting in as long as I don't have to suffer again."

"Then consider the offer forgotten." Scyion replied. "It was a terrible idea to bring it up so early."

"Yeah, it was, but I know why you did." Yeras shook her head. "Been meaning to ask but…have you found our parents?"

Scyion pondered her question for a moment. "No, I haven't. To be honest, I haven't had time to search; I mean, I just recently found out you were alive."

"Do you think we can search for them after The Sorcerer, or Spyro, is defeated?" Yeras asked.

Scyion suddenly gripped her shoulders. "Wait, Spyro is behind this?"

Yeras shot him a questioning glance before realizing that they referred to the corruption not by name. Evidently she had missed that. So, without holding anything bad, she explained to her twin in detail about what happened over the past three years. He could barely believe what she was saying, if his tone and looks were any indication, but he digested it nonetheless.

"This changes things." Scyion stated. "If Spyro truly is dead, possessed by this Sorcerer thing…that kind of backfires everything. We're going to need a lot more soldiers."

Yeras could only nod, following her twin as he began to mutter battle plans under his breath. She listened silently, unsure of how to help. All she knew was that, for now, they were finally together.

To her, that was all that important for the moment.

"I'm going to remain here for a bit longer." Scyion announced to the trio as they got ready to depart.

It had been a few hours since Cynder and Viberian had their talk, with the two of them getting in some sleep in the meantime. Although it wasn't as much as she had hoped, she did feel rejuvenated for the time being. Viberian no doubt felt the same, as he seemed much calmer and relaxed than before.

"Why?" Yeras inquired.

"I need to gather some troops among other things." Scyion answered. "I will be rejoining you before the final battle."

"Thank you," Cynder nodded. "Is there any way we can contact you should things move faster, or…?"

"Yes," Scyion produced a humming gemstone. "Simply speak into it and I will be able to hear you." Then, he jumped. "Oh yes, I almost forgot, you came all this way for this and here I was, about to let you leave without it."

After Cynder took the gem, she was given a jar of sorts with what looked like a hurricane inside. The Air Lord's essence, Scyion explained. Cynder then placed it next to the gemstone.

"Use it wisely, as a gift such as that does not come easily." Scyion added with a smirk. "Well, I suppose you three should be off now. A day has passed in your world I believe. Perhaps two. I always get mixed up."

"We'll keep you posted, then." Viberian stated.

Yeras approached Scyion and gave him a small hug. Cynder felt immensely proud of the ice dragon, and hoped that perhaps after all of this the two of them would try and rebuild. For now, she would take this. She wasn't sure why she felt so happy about this, but she certainly wasn't going to question it.

The way back was through the same way they entered, and this time Cynder was prepared for the 'ride'. When they got back, it was still just as it was before, except the sun was out. Snow covered the ground, and for a while they flew back to where they came from. Here, they were at an impasse; they could go to the Chronicler's, or they could see if the others made it back to Dante's Freezer.

Before they could decide, a massive surge of energy burst from the mainland not too far from them.

"The hell is that?" Viberian raised an eyeridge. "Has the battle already started so soon?"

"I do feel Convexity from that direction." Yeras clutched her necklace. "It's…overwhelming, even from this distance."

"I'm going to go investigate." Cynder told them. "It's not that far. Viberian, stay here with Yeras; I don't want her to be alone."

"Will you be alright?" Viberian called after her as she prepared to fly away, handing him the gem, blade, and other items of importance.

"Don't know, but I'll hopefully be back soon."

Cynder zoomed off toward the source of the explosion, feeling the air grow heavier as she drew near. Eventually, she was forced to land, the raw amounts of energy sapping her strength. That, and she couldn't see a damn thing over a thick cloud of purple smog. It didn't harm her physically, but she did feel like she may be ill should she stay for long.
The trees and land were warped by whatever happened here, being infused with raw Convexity. All of the animals nearby stood, frozen in icy darkness. All of the trees she brushed against shattered into glass. Rocks were thrown into the air, suspended by forces unknown.

Her wonder was cut short by another convexity blast, followed swiftly by Faulnox crashing into the trees nearby her. His armor was ruined, and she could see bits of bone inside the armor. It was like a mummified corpse was inside, from the way the skin looked at least. He didn't appear to notice her, instead glaring at a figure up in the sky.

At first glance, it looked like The Sorcerer. Yet, the cloaked figure was four-legged, eyes glowing bright white as convexity charged in his maw. From the way it looked, he was going to level the entire area with that kind of blast. Cynder immediately dashed off to the side, not wishing to fly in case he attacked her.

A large, wide beam of Convexity slammed into where Faulnox was, but the armored dragon fired his own back at the Dragon. The two attacks were locked, neither one giving the other any ground. Yet, it looked like Faulnox was going to lose. Judging from the snarls of frustration, he knew it as well.

Faulnox broke the attack, diving back as the other beam carved a crater into the ground. Trees and rocks were flown in all directions, Cynder being sent tumbling back from the force. Her head struck a tree, causing it to shatter into a thousand pieces. When she looked back, she saw Faulnox disappearing through a portal, and the mystery Dragon flying off in another direction.

Which led to the question of who in the world could drive back Faulnox like that?

Cynder followed the dragon to a cave, noticing a set of uneven clawsteps. In her mind, there was no possible way that the killer was able to get away unscathed, no matter how powerful he or she was. As if to prove her point, a trail of blood became apparent, leading deep inside the cave.

It was hard to see where she was going, and was forced to grab a branch from a vine nearby and light it. Inside was unaffected by the explosion, as evidenced by the numerous animals hiding together in tight corners. They bared their fangs and claws as she drew close, but she left them alone. She had no time to deal with them, nor was she hungry.

Eventually, Cynder was able to follow the blood to the back of the cave. It was massive! It felt like an entire town could hide away in her and go unnoticed for years. Instead, it was empty, filled instead with stalagmites and geodes.

Then, she was aware that someone, or something, massive was flying toward her. Leaping out of the way, she charged a blast of air before the attacker paused mid-attack. It was a Dragon, male if the muscular appearance was any indicator. His golden talons were lowered, attached to a series of purple scales.

"Cynder?" The voice was so familiar, and when the figure showed himself, she nearly dropped the torch.

Purple scales coated his body, meshing with a golden pair of horns to match his underbelly and spiraled tail-blade. Flame-orange wings were folded on his back, with similar-colored fins on his shoulders and flank. Amethyst eyes locked onto her, filled with concern and elation.

"Impossible." Cynder muttered. "You're dead. I saw your body possessed."

"I know," Spyro answered, "and I promise I'll answer everything."

Spyro took a step forward, prompting Cynder to take one back. He noticed this and stopped his advance, a sullen look on his gaunt face. Now that she was able to see him better, he looked ravaged. Cuts and bruises littered his form, and a strange, sapphire device was attached to his chest. Around it, cracked scales could be seen.

"You're dead." Cynder snarled and repeated. "How do I know this isn't a trick?"

"Because I have had plenty of chances to attack you and took none of them."

Cynder narrowed her eyes. He did have a point there, but still didn't trust him as far as she could throw him. He looked remorseful and like he wanted to reach out and nuzzle her. Cynder didn't know if she wanted him to do that. Mate he may be, but she had no idea who he was.

"Do you want me to prove it?" Spyro asked.

"I don't know how you will." Cynder responded lowly. "I have no memories of you."

Spyro's mouth hung agape at her words. "No memories? But how?"

As she began to reply, some deep fury raged within her. Something that was behind a locked door, a door she didn't even realize existed. White hot flashes seared her mind, showing images of Malefor looming over her with a bloodied tail. Her stomach, cut open by his attack. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Spyro just standing there.

Why was he standing there? Why was he letting her die?

Before she knew it, she had lunged at Spyro and slammed him against a wall. Her gauntleted claw squeezed his neck, pinning him.

"You let me die." Cynder hissed breathlessly. "Why did you just stand there, Spyro? Why didn't you try and save me?"

She was breathing heavier and quicker with every passing second, unable to see straight between the flashbacks and lack of breath. Somehow, she managed to loosen her grip to let Spyro talk, but still hovered over him like a specter. She wanted so badly to rake her talons across his face, to drive her tail into his stomach, but refrained.

"I-I know I did." Spyro answered, slumped against the wall. "I was paralyzed. I couldn't explain it. It was like he had used a Fear attack on me."

Cynder motioned him to continue. "I was stabbed shortly after you. I was stuck reliving your death over and over in various different ways. From us fighting Malefor the first time, to me letting you fall into the Convexity void. It was like being stuck in a lucid dream of guilt."

There was something about his voice that made her believe him just a bit. Maybe it was her other life roaring in rebirth. She lowered her tail blade, but never kept her eyes off of him. She was not going to forgive him so easily.

Still, if he truly did escape, she couldn't just leave him here either. Instead, she decided to ask the next obvious question.

"How did you escape?"

Spyro sighed and gave her a gloomy look, grabbing a ragged cloak off the floor nearby. The same one the Sorcerer had, she realized. Why he held onto it, she had no idea. Kind of made him look like a lonely wanderer when he put it on, though. There was something attractive about it, she had to admit. Then, she slapped herself mentally for thinking that.

"In my dreams, I could feel The Sorcerer in my body." Spyro jerked his head toward the cave exit. Cynder followed behind, eyes trained on him. "His control over me was iron, and but it was slipping. He couldn't remain in my body for long. Believe it or not, his essence was so strong that even a purple's body couldn't contain him, despite the modifications he did to it."

"I've been meaning to ask about how you're on four legs now."

"I'm getting to that." Spyro chuckled silently. "I was partially conscious when we met at Dante's Freezer, so I began to actively fight against him. It's why he didn't really attack much back there. It's also why I have this sapphire doohickey on my chest; it was meant to subdue me, and I think it's attached to my body cuz I cannot take it off for the life of me."

"Anyway, I found my opening when he was taking a potion to prevent my body from rupturing or whatever was going on. So, during his moment of weakness, I pushed him out of my body, which also reverted it back to its natural shape." Spyro tossed a small fruit that grew on a vine nearby toward a litter of small herbivores. "Of course, Faulnox gave chase."

"Turns out if you overload him with Convexity, he causes this." Spyro winced at the damage done by the explosion. "Regardless, I ran in here and hid until you walked in."

Cynder took what he said and, deep down, had much to doubt about his story. Although, this did explain a few things. Maybe she should ask the others about him. Hell, Ignitus would be able to tell at this point. Yes, that would work; if anyone would be able to tell, it was him.

"I'm going to say this bluntly," Cynder jabbed a talon into his chest. "I don't trust you. I don't even know you, technically. Any sudden movements, you're on the ground again, got it? For now, I'm not letting you out of my sight. Until I visit the Chronicler, you are to be treated as a possible hostile."

Spyro appeared stung by her words. If anything, his expression was that of heartbreak. Deep down it pained her to see him like this, but until she knew for certain, he was just a time bomb waiting to go off. When he spread is wings to fly, Cynder was able to see various rips and tears. It was a miracle he even got to lift himself off the ground.

The flight back was uneventful other than Spyro occasionally glancing back at her. Cynder kept a steely guise, paying him very little attention. In the brighter environments, she was able to see scars and other wounds that littered his body. His body looked like it had crawled straight out of hell, as his scales were dulled and appeared ready to molt.
Cynder was able to spot Viberian gathering some rations on a small island nearby and followed him back to the cave. With a glance to Spyro, she sighed.

This was going to be a long conversation.

They landed before the cave and Viberian stepped out to greet them. Then, he stared at Spyro, who raised an eyeridge at the appearance of the dragon. Viberian shot a questioning glare to Cynder, who plowed inside to look for Yeras. She found her huddled next to a fire, and when Spyro showed up, she nearly tripped and fell into it.

"How and why." Viberian didn't ask.

Spyro did his part in explaining the story again, after quickly resorting to just calling Viberian 'Flame' as his name was too complicated for the haggard purple. Cynder's companions continued to glance at her, looking for clarification. There was none to give.

Instead, they could do nothing really but accept Spyro's story and have their own doubts. It was unanimous that they kept Spyro nearby, but they also agreed in private to never let him leave their sights. Silence fell over them quickly, but Spyro broke it by saying quite possibly the worse thing to Viberian. Not that he could be faulted, Cynder mused.

"Hey, uh, do you know Ignitus by any chance?" Spyro gave Viberian a long look. "You look like him a bit."

Viberian curled his claws so hard that they threatened to snap off. Spyro noticed and backed off, but the fire guardian managed to calm himself.

"That bastard was my uncle." Viberian hissed. "I don't wish to taint your view of him, Spyro, but he was not the dragon you thought he was."

"Can I ask why?" Spyro asked. "I mean, if you want to. I don't want to make you upset or anything since this is our first time meeting. Not that I'd want to anyway."

"I'd honestly rather you didn't."

"Well, if you are going to visit the Chronicler as Cynder implied, you are aware that Ignitus is him, correct?"

The tone shifted immediately. Both Yeras and Cynder looked at each other, knowing the storm that was to come. The shadows around Viberian seemed to intensify, and flames momentarily flickered from his body as he turned his gaze to Cynder. The look of sheer hatred he gave was overwhelming, and she thought she was going to be sick.

"You knew, didn't you?" Viberian spat. "All of this time, you knew. This is why you were keeping a secret, weren't you?"

"I'm sorry," Cynder whimpered softly, "I didn't-"

"Save your damn excuses!" Viberian surged to his claws. "You knew about my feelings toward Ignitus. Everyone did! I can see it in your eyes! Yet to still drag me along through the dark…I thought better of you, Cynder."

Spyro was on his claws immediately. "Look Flame, I don't know who you are, but you are not going to talk to her like that."

"Oh shut up, she's not your mate anymore." Viberian's eyes flashed a bright, almost white, color. Cynder narrowed her eyes, trying to place where she had seen that before. It was stupid how she couldn't.

"What do you mean she isn't?"

"She doesn't even know who you are, let alone be in love with you."

He brushed past Spyro, storming out of the cave. The purple gave questioning glances to Cynder and the direction Viberian went off to. Cynder was tempted to give chase, but Yeras placed a claw on her shoulder.

"I'll go after him." Yeras said kindly. "I think Spyro wants to speak to you alone, anyway."

"Is it really him?" Cynder muttered to her.

"Oh yes. I can sense it is him. He always gave off an aura of trustworthiness, and it's still here. Although, there is darkness around him, but given the circumstances…"

Cynder relaxed a bit, watching the corrupted Dragon go. Spyro and her were left alone in the cave, the sounds of a crackling fire being the only noise.

This was going to be a long conversation, she thought again.

It didn't take Yeras long to find Viberian, for he had left a smoldering path for her to follow. More often than not, she found herself dousing little flames that he had left. If she were honest, going after him in a mood like this was terrifying, considering how he could brutalize her in more ways than one. With him enraged, she might not walk away unscathed.

Still, she pursued him, only to find him standing out on a rocky cliff. She approached quietly, keeping her distance. He shifted his head, acknowledging her existence, and she could tell that he was positively livid.

"Did you know?" He demanded.

"I only just found out not too long ago." Yeras answered. "I was begged not to tell you yet."

"Oh, and when were they going to tell me?" Viberian snorted and turned away again.

"I don't know. I think Cynder was just too terrified you were going to run off on her." Yeras didn't move from her place. "She's attached to you, you know."

"I know she is, trust me." Viberian sighed. "I really do want to just leave, but I can't. Not after everything so far."

"Then what will you do?"

"Stay. For now."

Yeras nodded. That went a lot quicker than she thought it would.

"Do you know what he did to me, Yeras?"

"No, but I don't need eyes to see the scars he left on you."

Viberian motioned her to approach, and he sat down with a sigh. Instead of rage, she saw hurt and betrayal. She sat down next to him, keeping her claws to herself. She was terrible at counseling in her opinion, but she knew better than to make a joke about that now.

Instead, she let him talk. After a moment, he began.

I was eight years old when I saw Ignitus as he really was. Eight. Before you or Cynder were born, I was going to the temple for the Year of the Dragon hatching back when that was a thing. My parents were with me; he was my mother's brother. So, here I was, going for a surprise. I didn't know what it was, as the letter was vague. You can probably guess what it was.

Viberian stepped off the train, bounding ahead of his parents and staring wide-eyed at the temple before him. Night had begun to fall, with the stars shining brightly. The moon was full, and there was a strange glowing plant that acted like torches to the temple. Before he could get ahead of himself, he was called back.

His parents got off the train afterward, carrying luggage. They always traveled light, but they planned to stay here for a few days, so brought bedrolls and the like. They were always so slow with them, though. Then again, bedrolls tended to consume him whenever he tried to carry them, so he was stuck carrying a small medical satchel for his father. He was frail and thin, like he had been battling an illness.

"So this is the temple, huh?" His father asked his mother. "I remember it being bigger."

"You were also dosed up on medication, dear." His mother gave him a tender lick. Viberian turned away in disgust.

"Really glad I don't have to deal with that again."

Viberian strode on ahead, ignoring his parents. He hated it when they got close to each other like that. It was icky. Icky, icky, icky. How could his father like it when she did that? It was gross!

When they approached the temple, Viberian took note of the Draconic guards at the entrance. Underneath their steely gaze, they regarded him with concern. At first, the little dragon was confused, but a lump soon welled up in his throat when his uncle strode from the entrance. The great, fiery dragon had a glare of ferocity in his eye, and he ushered them in without a word.

"I apologize for the graveness of my demeanor," He whispered to them. "Apes have been spotted this morning, and we are preparing for any attack they might do."

"Should we go?" Viberian's father asked.

"You will be safer here." Ignitus answered and jerked his head for them to follow. "It is entirely possible that they will not attack, but in the meantime, there are two reasons why I called you over here."

"Stop being a drama queen." His mother rolled her eyes, "I swear if you weren't doing this you'd be an actor. You got the voice for it."

"Hush Immolia." Ignitus scowled at her. "Follow me."

"Can we put these things down first?" Immolia indicated to the bedrolls.

"Oh, yes, of course."

Viberian followed his parents and Ignitus to the guest dorms in the back, where they placed their belongings. It was rather small, and Viberian did not look forward to the lack of space he would have. On the train, he had to remain with his parents, as opposed to Warfang where he had his own room. It was irritating, to say the least, when his father snored. Not that he could help it with his breathing problems.

Viberian stole a glance at the older male, only to grow worried that he may trip and break his neck. His mother looked like she lifted heavy objects in comparison, and his eyes were fairly glossy. Mother didn't like to talk about his illness, and he constantly saw pain and misery when she thought no one was looking. If only Viberian knew how to help him.

After that, he trotted after his parents, where they met up with a beefy earth dragon. Terrador, according to Ignitus. He was mostly quiet, but did greet them kindly and returned to watching the eggs in the center of the room. How Viberian didn't notice them, he never knew. He'd just blame the cool symbols on the wall.

"Uh, Ignitus, is that what I think it is?" His father stared into the egg pile. Viberian couldn't pull himself up, and so resorted to climbing his mother's neck to get a better look.

"Indeed it is." Ignitus grinned widely. At first, the little dragon had no idea what they were talking about, but then he focused in on the purple egg in the dead center. Viberian blinked. Purple eggs weren't supposed to exist.

"Unbelievable." Immolia turned her head back to Viberian. "Do you know what is, dear?"

"An…egg that's been painted?" Viberian answered with a question.

"No dear, that's a purple dragon. Remember the legends I told you about?"

"I thought they were just stories."

"No, it's quite real." Ignitus stepped in. "I never thought I'd see the day where I would see one. I still have no idea who the parents are."

"Then how did it get here?" Viberian frowned.

"It was left here with a note saying 'Don't let him fall too'. I didn't understand it, but the writing looked old."Ignitus shrugged. "I didn't bring you all the way down here for just this, however."

Instead, Ignitus reached next to a black egg and produced a crimson one, holding it tenderly in his claws. At first, Viberian stared. Then, when his mother gasped, he understood.

"Where is she?" Immolia demanded. "How long have you been keeping this a secret?"

"Three years. Pretty much as soon as you left to go home, she kinda…walked in and it went from there." Ignitus turned away shyly. "She's on guard duty now. I'll introduce you to her once she gets off."

"Oh, you better."

A loud, earthshattering rumble roused Viberian from his sleep. His parents were already awake, glancing out the window. Small, orange sparks erupted from the forest below, and the temple quaked and trembled.

"Viberian, you need to get out." Immolia hissed to him. "The apes are attacking."

"What about you two?" Viberian protested.

"We'll make it out, I promise." His father nudged him along. "You are small. You can go undetected. We'll find you, alright?"

Viberian knew better than to protest at this point. Instead, he gave his parents a fleeting look as they all dashed from the room. Viberian went right, they went left. He wasn't sure why they would go that way, but maybe they were going to help. He wanted to as well, but deep down he knew better than to try. If anything, he'd get in the way.

The moment he moved toward the exit, it collapsed in a fiery heap. Two guards who were firing back at the apes with elemental blasts were caught in it. Viberian let out a squeak and dashed down a hall to his left, panting heavily. Whooping and howling penetrated his frills, and the sounds of many small, armored bodies blotted out everything.

Like an angry tide, they stormed into the temple, focused intently on getting to the egg room if he had to guess. If the purple was as legendary he thought, then that must be it. Yet, Viberian did nothing. He couldn't. What was he, a little drake, going to do against an army?

Almost on cue, a torrent of flame turned the apes into ash. Loud clawsteps could be heard, and Ignitus stood over the carnage like a deity of flame. Fire licked his muzzle, shimmering off his body, and his eyes were ignited with a raging fury.

"Ignitus!" Viberian cried out for the older dragon.

Ignitus locked his glowing, orange eyes on the smaller dragon. "What are you still doing here?" He roared. "Get out of here now!"

"The way got blocked!"

Ignitus glared at the rubble. "Go to the end of the hall and make a sharp left. Dive out the window there. Should lead you to a swamp."

"What do I-"

"STOP TALKING AND RUN!" Ignitus roared as more apes began to pour in.

Viberian didn't need more prompting than this, and dashed across the hall, weaving his way between the legs of adult dragons and apes. The apes paid him little mind, but they did notice him. In their eyes, he must be no threat. He couldn't even use an element yet, after all.

Eventually, he made it out the window, just as the temple began to collapse. Screams penetrated his frills as half of it exploded, falling into a cliff. The hoots and calls of apes echoed loudly, and an ape on top of a massive, bat-like creature shouted orders. Viberian could understand them vaguely, and it sounded like they were going to search for survivors.

Running through the bushes toward a river, he decided to wait. His claws got stuck in the mud, and it was nearly impossible to move without a squick. Panting, he heard movement from the other side. Dashing back in between the bushes, he was able to see Ignitus dragging himself. Viberian almost rushed out to greet him, only to stop and glare.

His parents were not there. No, instead, Ignitus had a purple egg in his claws. What Ignitus said was impossible to decipher, but he let the egg go before flying off. At first, Viberian couldn't believe it. Did…did he really just leave his parents in there to die? Viberian glared at the temple; even at his young age, he knew that no one had walked away from that.

Viberian snarled at the egg. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and smash it to bits. That egg…that egg was what caused Ignitus to leave his parents.

Before he could, the realization of what was happening struck him, and struck him hard. Tears flowed down his muzzle as he realized that he was cold and alone. His parents were dead. Ignitus had abandoned him. How was he going to eat, let alone find a place to rest? He couldn't fly, he couldn't produce an element.

Sniffing softly to himself, he dragged himself away from the river, watching the egg slowly drift off.

"I can never forgive him for leaving me there." Viberian told Yeras, who had sat next to him on the cliff. "I ran the scenario through my heads multiple times. I justified it by saying he didn't see me and the like. Yet, as I thought more about it, there is no other explanation other than he simply left us there to die. Hell, even his egg was destroyed that night."

Yeras watched him dig his claws into the ground. "Everyone praises him as this great hero, yet he can't even protect his own family. He'd much rather be a part of legends than ensure our survival."

Afterward, there was silence. Yeras didn't know what to say or how to react. All she knew was that the pain Viberian felt was inconsolable. She could say anything and it wouldn't make it any better. The most she could do was make him comfortable, which was practically impossible. First the mate loss, and now this. How he even functioned was beyond her.

"Sorry for ranting, by the way." Viberian smiled to her softly. "I only ever ranted to my mate, and I stopped doing that shortly after Gravia was born." He sighed. "It's the only reason why I considered going back. I don't want her to grow up like I did, if I did find my mate that way."

"No, that's…responsible?" Yeras struggled for a word. "No, not that. Well, yes that, but uh..."

"I get what you mean." Viberian replied gently. "What do you think I should do, Yeras?"

"I don't think I'm qualified to answer that." She laughed nervously.

"If you weren't, I wouldn't be asking."

Yeras flicked out her forked tongue in thought. "I'd like it if you stayed. We could really use you and you can be pleasant to be around, especially now that you're coming clean." Then, she panicked. "Not that you weren't before. You know what I mean. Right?"

Viberian placed a soft claw on her shoulder. "Yeah, I do. I was kind of an emotional wreck. Still am, but I think…I'm starting to move on."

"I think you are too." Yeras smiled briefly. "Still, as I said, I'd appreciate your company. I know Cynder would too."

"Spyro is likely going to kill me after this." Viberian stiffened slightly.

"I doubt it." Yeras replied. "On that topic, I told Cynder this a bit but I could feel something…off about him. I think it may be the Sorcerer's influence, but you two should keep a close eye on him. I would but I have no eyes."

"I'm still amazed how you can just self-depreciate yourself like that." Viberian laughed a bit before standing up. "Still, if there is one thing my uncle is good at, it's figuring out Spyro. He was there for him, so he might be able to help."

Yeras couldn't help but notice the bitter way he said that, but simply nodded. For a moment, the two of them looked over the sea, Yeras sensing the vibrations the waves gave off. It was oddly comforting. Then, they decided to go back and see how Cynder and Spyro were doing.

"I really don't know what you want out of me, Spyro." Cynder said hotly. "I can't remember you, and no amount of blabbing is going to help."

Cynder knew that she was hurting him, but at the same time, the grief of her death had consumed her. Spyro had spent the last few moments yacking off about their adventures and the like, and everything she felt about him when the Guardians explained him came surging back. He was so sincere, yet she hated him. He was gentle, yet she wanted to rip out his neck.

Despite all of that, deep down she wanted nothing more than to hold him close and never let him out of her sights. She knew that was it was her previous self, and maybe it was an act of self-preservation, but she just…couldn't surrender to the emotions. Not while she still had Viberian on her mind.

"You still haven't explained that to me." Spyro replied sourly.

Cynder sighed. She may as well tell him. "After I died, Viberian and Terrador brought my body back from what I understand and then used a ritual to revive me. It worked, but it also formed a new personality, disconnected from the old. I cannot remember anything from my previous life other than small flashes."

"So, nothing of the old remains?" Spyro sounded disheartened.

"Other than what I said, no. I have very little memories of you or anything previous." She began to calm a bit, dragging a talon in a circle on the cave floor. "One thing is for certain; if it does, I die. At least, this side of me. Might not be so bad for you, but considering this is all I know, you can understand my dilemma."

"Are you certain that you'll disappear?" Spyro raised an eyeridge.

"Happened with the old, didn't it?"

"Fair point I guess." Spyro gave her a longing look. "Does that mean we're…not mates then?"

"To be honest? I don't know anymore." Cynder looked him dead in the eye. "Deep down, I trust you. Yet on the surface, I don't know you. I don't know your interests, or anything other than what this personality saw."

"I…see." The purple dragon said with noticeable pain. "I guess I'll just have to get to know you all over again."

Cynder smiled a bit despite herself. "Indeed. Might find you like this personality better, anyway." She had no idea why she said that.

Spyro laughed. "Well, we'll have to find out, won't we?"

"Yes we will." Cynder looked to the cave entrance, where Viberian and Yeras began to return. "We'll discuss this another time."

"I hope so."

Viberian regarded Cynder with a hurt look, but sat down next to Yeras, who looked like she wanted to give a wink to the ebony dragon. No words were needed, as Viberian's presence was all that was needed.

"So, what are we going to do?" Viberian looked to Cynder. "Do we want to try and leave now and gain some distance, or go in the morning?"

Cynder stared outside a bit. It was still fairly early in the night, and she felt like she could go for another hour or two. The idea was not opposed, and after a moment, they doused the fire and took off the skies again. Cynder took point, the others trailing behind them. Once they landed, she was going to have to contact Ignitus.

He had quite a bit to explain.

Spyro's back. Yay.