Chapter 40: A Strategic Retreat
Link rocketed down the tunnel of magma and reconnected with the ravine he had been riding a minecart through earlier. He looked back quickly and saw Cynder diving down in pursuit.
"You can't run forever, Hero!" Cynder shouted, one eye green while the other yellow. "Your heart will be mine!"
Link realized what she said. "So you have a crush on me," he taunted.
He noticed the cavern was quickly coming to an end. Looking upward, he saw a light at the top, and rose upward towards it, Cynder getting ever closer. The climb was slowing him down. That combined with Cynder's gigantic wings allowed her to catch up with him. She reached to attack him, but just before she could, they exited through a cave on a cliffside and Link dived. Being small, he dove very quickly and was able to pull away from her again.
Soon he was flying over the tops of trees, swerving and rolling out of the way of branches and treetops. Cynder had no trouble, as the blades on the thumbs of her wings cut the branches clean off.
Link thought for a moment and remembered the barrier Ignitus placed around the temple. 'No one without an innocent soul may enter the temple', Ignitus had said. It was his only chance. It was risky, as Cynder would know they were based in the temple, but at least he could stay alive. The clones would fire upon Cynder on sight.
He flew faster than he would have believed possible, over lakes, hills, rivers, and forests. Every second without sight of the temple draining his hope, until eventually, at last, he saw it on the horizon.
He felt a searing pain in his tail and his eyes watered; Cynder had slashed at him. He stopped and began to drop. She noticed and swooped down after him. Suddenly, she stopped as a bright light flew in front of her eyes, blinding and disorienting her for a second. Link was caught before he hit the ground, and looked to see his saviors were Terrador and Sparx.
"That was a close one," Sparx stated. Link gave a weak smile, which turned into a grimace of pain. He turned into his normal human form for the pain to go away. Soon they were over the cliff and into the boundary of the temple. Link sighed in relief as he looked over his body to see that the armor was back to normal.
Call upon my power when you need it, the voice stated.
Link could sense the power of the mask lying dormant within him as Cynder stopped right at the edge, watching them. Terrador carried Link inside as Sparx turned and stopped.
"What ya gonna do now, huh?" Sparx taunted. Cynder glared furiously at him. Ignitus emerged from the door to see what was happening.
"Not so tough now, are ya?" Sparx stated. Ignitus gave a look of horror when he noticed Sparx.
"Sparx, get away from the barrier!" he shouted. Sparx turned.
"Why?" he asked. His question was answered, however, when he turned to see Cynder cross the barrier effortlessly. He looked as though he would pass out and flew to join Terrador and Link. Ignitus re-entered the temple as the clones raised their weapons in Cynder's direction and the other Guardians attempted to close the doors, but Cynder tanked the blasts from the clones, threw the doors off their hinges, and came through anyway. She did stop when a wall of fire erupted in front of her, blocking her path. She looked up to see Ignitus.
"Finally, we meet in person," she said with a sinister smile. "I expected more, honestly."
"You stay away from him," Ignitus stated.
"Why?" Cynder asked. "Because the big, scary fire Guardian told me to? Dream on, old man."
"This fight doesn't concern you," he replied. "The Demon King's hatred is something you should occupy your time with."
"If you think you can reason with me, think again," Cynder stated. "All I have to do is wait this out, and eventually your power will fail. Age takes its toll, doesn't it?"
The wall of flames was beginning to flicker. Ignitus strained to keep it active.
"You will not win this fight," Cynder stated. "Nor will he."
"Nor will you," Ignitus replied. "When the truth is revealed, we will come to peace."
"Will we, indeed?" Cynder asked. "You are foolish. You will perish at the Dark Master's hand, as will Spyro, and when that happens, this war will end, and your kind will become extinct."
"Our kind," Ignitus corrected her, "And Spyro isn't the last. There is another."
"Another what?" Cynder asked. "A child? You've certainly kept that quiet. Perhaps I'll get you to introduce me one day."
"It's not me who's kept it quiet," Ignitus replied. Link knew what he meant.
"You have a choice, Ignitus," Cynder stated. "You can give yourself up, and Spyro will live, at least for now, or he dies and I take you by force. Either way, I get what I want, so it doesn't bother me too much which you choose."
Just then, storm clouds erupted at the ceiling as Luna appeared beside Ignitus, lightning crashing.
"You don't realize your soul's past, do you?" Luna roared. "I was trapped in stone for nine millenia for my mother! She gave up her divine form to defeat Demise and due to his curse, she continues to be reborn to fight the darkness!"
"If it isn't one of the divine sisters of day and night," Cynder taunted. "And I doubt you can maintain that storm very long, alicorn. Surrender and let me leave with the fire Guardian."
"You are right, Cynder," Luna replied. "Demise tore part of my soul away before turning me to stone."
Luna and Ignitus shared worried glances and sighed in defeat. The wall of flames dropped completely and the storm dissipated.
"I surrender," Ignitus said.
"Ignitus no!" Terrador called.
"It's the only way!" Ignitus argued. "I know for sure that the gods are with us!"
"Smart choice," Cynder stated. She blew what seemed to be black smoke into his face, which knocked him unconscious. Then, she hoisted him up and carried him away.
"Ignitus! No!" Clay exclaimed as he appeared in the main chamber. He charged after Cynder, ignoring the protests from Link and the other Guardians.
"Clay, come back!" Link called. Clay ignored him and kept going. Forgetting about the pain in his tail, Link assumed his dragon form and followed him.
"Spyro, no!" Terrador called after him. Link ignored him. He caught up with the dragonet, and blocked his path using his mass shifting.
"Get out of the way!" Clay snapped.
"Clay, listen," Link replied. "Listen to me! We are not ready. I am not ready..."
"I don't care!" Clay replied. "That's all anyone says to you! All anyone is capable of saying! How do any of you know that we're ready, when none of them let you do anything!"
Terrador walked up next to them and Link smiled. "I think Terrador has a few words," he stated.
"I do have a few words, Spyro," the earth Guardian stated. He looked at the young MudWing. "He's not ready yet. But if Spyro comes with me, he will be."
Link smiled the moment Clay's anger faded. His head drooped and he dropped back to the ground. Link and Terrador following him.
"I'm sorry..." Clay said quietly.
"It's alright, Clay," Terrador replied. "Everyone has trouble with emotions, Clay, even the best of us. But before your team can face a threat like Cynder, you'll need to learn to control it."
Clay nodded.
Terrador looked back at Link. "And, of course, you'll need to learn about Earth," he stated.