Author's Note:
This is the final chapter for the events of The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning. The events of Eternal Night and books 2-5 of the Wings of Fire series will be mixed together. I just saw The Rise of Skywalker and it serves its purpose as the conclusion of the Skywalker Saga pretty well, though Return of the Jedi did it better before Disney made The Force Awakens. But with the last season of The Clone Wars coming out soon (from the point this chapter was posted) and the announcement of the second season of The Mandalorian, Star Wars is doing pretty well after the fiasco and controversy surrounding The Last Jedi.
Readers might have noticed Link having visions of Obi-Wan and Yoda. These will be explained in a later chapter that goes through the events of Eternal Night.
Chapter 44: A Calm Before a Storm
Ignitus paced the balcony anxiously. The dragonets having left for the Dragon Temple. He was regretting his decision. He should not have let Link follow her. It was foolish, he could see that now.
A mass of swirling light burst into existence nearby, making Ignitus stare at it with massive amounts of worry. From inside, a shape emerged, fighting to escape it. As soon as it was clear of the portal, the portal closed and whatever it was collapsed on the stone floor, dropping something as it did so. Ignitus saw, with dread, the familiar purple scales and golden wing membranes of Link.
"No..." Ignitus stated, running up to Link, fearing the worst. The little dragon was lying completely still, not waking up.
"Don't worry," a quiet voice stated weakly from nearby. "He's okay."
Ignitus turned to see who had spoken, and when he did, he felt a mix of surprise, wonder, concern, and relief.
It was Cynder. She was covered in blood that gushed from the wounds that Malefor inflicted upon her as her elemental power was being drained away. She was barely conscious. Midna was hovering around her, administering some form of disinfectant to Cynder's injuries. The imp looked up and saw Ignitus.
"I don't know if she'll make it," Midna commented. "Her injuries are so severe. The magic used to inflict these injuries might prevent spirit gems from being able to heal them."
Ignitus nodded. "Do what you can for her," he replied.
"The next part is going to be agonizing for her," the imp stated. "It would be best to have her be unconscious for it. It would metagate the pain." Midna waved her arms in front of Cynder, a spell causing the dragoness' eyes to close fully. Midna then levitated the black dragoness in the air as the bandages that the wolves were holding leapt into the air and wrapped themselves around Cynder's injuries.
Cynder was lowered back onto the stone floor. Midna looked up from her work at Ignitus. "She'll survive," she stated. "But moving her by physical exertion would be detrimental to her health. I'll take her to Spyro's room at the temple. It would provide her with ample space to recover."
"Then how are we going to get her to the Dragon Temple?" Ignitus asked.
"Teleportation," Midna replied.
The wolves vanished into thin air as Midna levitated both Cynder and Link into the air. Once at an adequate height, they began to dissolve into twilight particles that headed straight for the Dragon Temple. Ignitus gasped in surprise as he also began to dissolve into twilight particles as well.
"Why are you teleporting me as well?" Ignitus asked.
"It would be quicker," the Twili replied as Ignitus fully dispersed into shadow particles before she did so herself.
"Spyro..."
He could hear the distant voice, calling his name, echoing as if far away in a void. He tried to move or respond, but he couldn't. His ears rang.
"Spyro," the voice said again. It sounded clearer, louder, and closer. He recognized the voice.
As his vision returned, he spotted an alicorn standing over him, worried. She had midnight blue fur with a pale blue mane with a matching tail.
"Mother?" he asked. "Is that you? I thought you were still weakened from being entombed in a statue for over nine millenia."
Luna smiled. "The limits to my power pertain to those that I don't know on a personal level," she stated. "Though I somehow had insight into Cynder's mind to influence her dreams for some reason. It must deal with the familiarity of her soul being that of my mother, the Goddess Hylia."
"That makes sense," Link stated.
"On another note, was your mission a success?" she asked. "Did you save Ignitus?"
Link smiled. "More than that," he replied. "Cynder is free from Malefor's manipulation."
Luna's smile broadened. "That is great news," she stated. "I should inform Queen Ruby of this. She would most likely reward you."
"I don't need one," Link replied as he looked around, realizing that he was in a void of nothingness. "Where are we?"
"We are in the void of the realm of dreams," Luna stated. "I am able to influence the dreams of others by the powers of this realm. The god of sleep, Hypnos, is the master of this realm, but others like Darkrai, myself, and Cresselia only serve as assistants due to the vastness of the universe."
Luna's horn flared to life and they were standing in the SkyWing Palace. Queen Ruby was standing next to a dream illusion of Cynder, gossiping about something. At Luna's command, the fake Cynder faded into nothingness. The SkyWing turned toward them.
"What did you do to my sister!" Ruby exclaimed, clearly angry.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your pleasant night's sleep, Your Majesty," Luna started, "but this concerns your sister of the utmost importance. The version of your sister that the imagination has created will return once my son and I leave. We have succeeded in freeing her of the Dark Master's influence in the real world."
At those words, Queen Ruby's eyes widened like a child being given a gift as her lips curled into a smile.
"Then a reward is in order for each of you and the Dragonets of Destiny," she stated. "I might be able to support the fight against Malefor."
"What about Burn?" Link asked. "Wouldn't she be suspicious of less SkyWings fighting in the War for SandWing Succession?"
Ruby smirked. "I can excuse it as them ensuring that there would be people for her to rule over," she answered. "Without people to lead and protect, or a land for those people to call home, what would a kingdom or a queen be?"
Luna smiled. "Such a poetic phrase to use, Queen Ruby," she stated. "When the war ends, you might want to talk to Queen Coral about a story concerning that concept. Though I am unable to influence her dreams, she imagines scenarios for storybook characters to embark on in her dreams. She is the author of the story known as The Missing Princess."
The SkyWing smiled. "Let's think of rewards on an individual basis," she stated. "As a group, the dragonets would be free to pass through SkyWing territory without fear of capture for the arena or any other purpose. Though, if they wish to entertain dragons in the arena, they are free to do so. After Spyro's example, several SkyWing dragonets have been inspired to enter the arena for purely sport."
Link smiled. "That is great news," Link stated. "The dragonets would be happy to hear that."
"For each dragonet individually, the NightWing should get free access to the royal archives, the same would go for the RainWing," she continued. "The SeaWing would love the opportunity to start up a tournament for dragons of all tribes to compete in."
"That would be a good idea, Your Highness," Link stated. "But that idea might not work until after the war is resolved."
Ruby smiled. "That does make sense, Spyro," she stated. "Anyway, I haven't had the slightest idea for a reward for the MudWing, but for the SandWing, I was thinking of helping her locate Thorn."
Luna's ears twitched. "But what of my son?" she asked. "He did most of the work. He deserves some sort of reward."
"Seeing a smile on her highness' face is enough of a reward for me, mother," Link stated. "She doesn't need to do anything for my recognition."
The SkyWing queen's smirk broadened into a full blown smile. "Did you think that I forgot about the one being that started this crusade in the first place? Did you, Lady Luna?" she asked.
Luna blushed. "No, but..."
"I was merely saving the best for last," Ruby stated. "I admit that your son is a paragon among males and many females would strive to be the mother of his children. Sadly, I already have a husband and have a son of my own. But I don't want him to slip through my family's talons."
She turned to face Link. "Spyro will be rewarded with my sister's hand in marriage."
Link's jaw dropped. "Are you sure about this, Your Majesty?" he asked. "You barely know that your sister exists."
Ruby smirked. "In the time between when you left the SkyWing Palace and you contacting me now, Luna has been conversing with me," she replied. "She informed me of your compassion and care for the dragonets, your bravery facing a fleet of Ape warships and rescuing the Guardians, and your will to do what must be done. As I stated before, I didn't want a male like you to slip away like sand between someone's claws."
"I doubt Cynder would want to have a guy thrust in her face and someone saying that she would marry him just because he saved her life," he stated.
"Aphrodite and Eros work in mysterious ways, my son," Luna stated as her horn flared with magic. "Let me show you."
A small hole in the wall opened into a window for Link to see Cynder having a dream about her walking through a field of roses next to him, her tail entwined with his.
"That has been what most of her dreams have been," Luna stated. "Though some of them did originate from a more intimate mindset."
"Spyro," a voice stated.
Link whirled around. "Who's there?" he asked.
"Midna's calling for you from the physical realm, my son," Luna stated as the dream realm faded from around him. "Dawn has come."
"Spyro! Wake up!" Midna stated. Link opened his eyes, squinting in the light. His vision came into focus and he saw Midna's red eye above him, staring with concern. She sighed in relief when he came around. He looked to the right to see Cynder nearby, wrapped in bandages and breathing slowly as she woke up.
She raised her head and saw Link. She tried to move but pain flared whenever she tried to.
"Why did you save me?" she asked. "You should have let me die! I am nothing but a monster!"
"No you are not, Cynder," Link replied. "You have been used as a weapon your whole life. You were his slave. Now you are free. Free to do what your heart desires."
Cynder looked down. "I'm sorry for trying to kill you," she whispered.
Link smiled. "It's nothing," he replied. "I've had fought people that were under dark spells before, Cynder. And I doubt you will be the last."
Just then, Cynder's stomach growled. She blushed.
"I have a feeling that you are starving," he replied.
Cynder's wide, green eyes looked away from him in guilt. "Why didn't you leave me to die?" she asked.
"As I told you before, Cynder," Link replied. "You are Hylia reborn. You were my end goal this whole time."
Cynder blushed. "Thank you, Spyro," she replied. "How can I ever repay you..."
Link chuckled. "You don't need to, Cynder," he replied. "Your smile is all I need."
"Thank goodness you're alright," she stated, looking around. "I'm guessing we're at the Dragon Temple."
Midna nodded. "I brought us back here nearly eight hours ago. You've been asleep for that long."
Link sighed. "Reminds me of when I met you, though with a lot less pain this time around." His eyes widened in realization.
"Now we have all of the fragments," Link sighed in relief. "We can finally open the doorway to the Twilight Realm and bring and end to Zant's tyranny."
Link looked around and realized that they were in his room. Ignitus must have been the one he had seen walking toward them before he blacked out. At least it wasn't a shadow beast that dragged them into some dungeon. It was daybreak now, and everything seemed calm. He looked back at Cynder, and only now did it hit him what had happened to her.
She was no bigger than him when he was the size of an elemental dragon, and was much thinner. She looked slightly malnourished as well, her ribs were showing. She must have reverted to the size and age he was. However, despite her changes, the odd symbols on her forehead and arms still remained, and her scales were still black.
It was then he noticed someone was absent.
"Where's Sparx?" Link asked. To his surprise and confusion, Midna rolled her eyes with a sigh.
"If there's one thing I've learned about him, it's that he likes to hold a grudge," she told him. "Or is it he knows something that I don't. He just refuses to be in the same room as Cynder."
Link looked at the ground. "It's most likely both, Midna," he replied. "He knows about a choice that Cynder will have to make in a few years. And the decision made would result in the King of Evil to be sealed away in the Twilight Realm. An act of sacrifice that enabled the Hero of Time to defeat the King of Evil." He looked at Cynder.
"He'll get used to you, don't worry. He'll have to now," he consoled her. "You'll eventually earn his trust."
"What do you mean?" Cynder asked.
"You are staying here, aren't you?" he asked. "Before I went through the portal after you, Ignitus said that you deserve no less than living here, and so much more, after what you endured."
"I can't stay here," she stated. "Not after what I put you through!"
"None of us blame you for what happened," Link replied. Cynder didn't look convinced.
"Honestly, that makes it worse," Cynder replied. "Even if he wasn't infecting my mind, it was still me doing those things. Even if not fully, I'm still partially to blame."
"No, Cynder," Link replied. "None of this is your fault, you have to understand that. Your life is yours to control now. You can't live in the past forever. Judging from the injuries that he inflicted upon you, you are in no condition to go anywhere."
Cynder didn't answer, but looked away guiltily. Link just looked at her. That odd feeling when Zelda sacrificed herself for Midna was there. He felt shy around her, he couldn't explain it. She did look rather attractive...
The door opened and Ignitus walked in, a relieved smile on his face when he saw them both awake and well.
"How are you both feeling?" he asked.
"Weak," Cynder stated. "And in a lot of pain. Other than that, fine."
"Sore," Link replied. "At least I didn't nearly die of blood loss like my trip through Gerudo Desert after fighting through the swarms of undead at Arbiter's Grounds."
"Yes, I'm afraid it will take some time for you to recover, Spyro," Ignitus stated. "Midna told me what happened. A perfect Fury at your experience level is a very impressive indeed, but I'm afraid it comes at a cost. It will take some time for your powers to return."
Link nodded solemnly. "I've fared worse without them," Link admitted. "At least I closed the portal to convexity, prevented the Dark Master's return, and most importantly, brought Cynder home."
Cynder gave a small smile. "You should have left me behind, Spyro," she mumbled. "After everything I did, I should be dead..."
"If he did leave you behind, Cynder, he wouldn't exist," Ignitus pointed out. "An event that will happen in the future would have a different outcome, leading to Spyro not to ever be born."
Cynder looked away, guilty about what she just said. "Are you implying that-"
Link shook his head. "We aren't related," he replied. "It's that someone who you will one day save the life of would continue on and sire the bloodline that I hail from."
"But Malefor is far from done with us," Link continued. "He'll be back."
"I'm afraid you're right, Spyro," Ignitus replied. "You have delayed him, that is for sure, and given us a bit of a grace period. But I'm afraid it won't be the last we'll hear from him."
Link and Cynder shared a dark look.
"But, as I said, for now we are fine," Ignitus stated. "Get some rest, both of you. You've been through a rough ordeal. Once you've recovered, Spyro, the other Guardians and I think it would be best for you to look after Cynder's recovery in your chambers. We tried to administer red spirit gems to her, but the magic used to cause the injuries left residual energy around them, preventing them from being healed through those means."
Link nodded in understanding. "I understand, Ignitus," he stated.
He turned to leave, but Cynder called out for him to stop. He faced her once more.
"What is it, Cynder?" he asked.
"Though you don't blame me for the terrible things that he had me do, others will," she stated. "Don't give me special treatment for being Hylia reborn or of royal blood. To prevent an uproar, give me some sort of punishment."
Ignitus nodded in understanding. "I see your point, Cynder," he replied. "Even though I have given my son a talk about it, he still blames you for the death of his brother and mother. The other Guardians told me of this."
Cynder looked down in guilt. "I'm sorry for your loss," she replied before looking straight into Ignitus' eyes. "What punishment do the other Guardians wish to inflict?"
Ignitus smiled. "We'll discuss it once you are healed of your wounds, Cynder," he replied. "You are in no condition to endure the responsibility it pertains to."
"And what would that be?" Cynder asked, slightly nervous.
"With the royal elementals all dead, the Guardians get to decide who the next king or queen," he replied. "Once you recover, you will prove that you are not who you were by becoming queen."
Cynder's eyes widened in shock. "I can't be trusted with that power," she stated. "Please reconsider. Make me Spyro's slave or something similar."
"You aren't who you were, Cynder," Ignitus stated. "There are many reasons why we chose you for this. We'll discuss it more at a later date."
Ignitus turned to leave for a second time as Link stood.
"Wait, Ignitus," he called, walking up to the Guardian of fire. "I need to tell you something."
Ignitus smiled. "What is it, Spyro?" he asked, turning to face him.
"You know of Cynder being a SkyWing princess, correct?" he asked.
"Glory mentioned that fact a month ago," Ignitus stated.
"My mother informed Cynder's sister, Ruby, of freeing Cynder from Malefor's influence using the dream realm," Link stated.
Cynder's eyes widened in shock. "My sister?" she asked. "What happened to my mother?"
"You can ask Glory for the full story, but let's just say that Glory's friends were being forced to fight to the death in the SkyWing arena," Link replied. "Tsunami was forced to end her father's life."
Cynder's eyes widened in horror before relaxing. "She didn't know I was her daughter when she forced me to fight in that arena," she stated.
"Anyway, with your mother's whereabouts unknown, Ruby is now queen of the SkyWings and has been for the past fortnight," Link stated.
"Did she give you a reward of any kind?" Cynder asked.
Link swallowed nervously. "She gave me your hand in marriage," he answered.
Cynder shook her head in denial. "I don't deserve you, Spyro," she stated. "I tried to kill you, for one thing! You deserve better!"
"That was the other you, Cynder," Link replied. "Besides, in my point of view, I am not worthy of being married to Hylia's reincarnation, being a common rancher."
Midna gave Link a concerned look as Ignitus faced Cynder and smiled broadly. "It might be a good idea, Cynder," he stated. "Once everyone knows that you are queen, males would fight over your hand in order to become king."
Cynder's gaze fell to the floor. "That does make sense," she admitted, sighing.
Ignitus left the room, leaving Link and Cynder on their own.
Ignitus returned to the other Guardians, who were waiting downstairs. None of them were speaking, and looked up anxious for news as Ignitus walked in.
"He's fine," Ignitus stated, answering their questioning stares. "They both are."
"And the Dark Master?" Terrador asked.
"Delayed, not defeated," Ignitus replied. "We must be on our guard."
"What should we do now?" Cyril asked.
"Help Spyro's friends fulfill a prophecy that they were raised from birth to fulfill," Ignitus replied. "One that concerns them choosing the next SandWing queen. We shall finish Spyro's training and make sure Cynder feels welcomed. Once she recovers from her injuries, she will have her own room. When I get news of his plans, then we shall prepare our next move."
"Are you sure it's the right choice to make Cynder queen?" Cyril asked. "When the Dark Master is defeated, other Elementals won't take a liking to her leading our kind if there are others out there."
Ignitus nodded. "She needs to learn to forgive herself of her past," Ignitus stated. "Only then will she be able to move on. Besides, being Hylia reborn might be the one thing that has any holding to her sitting on the throne. She also has experience being a leader."
"That doesn't mean that they would tolerate it, Ignitus," Cyril continued. "There might be a revolt."
Ignitus nodded in agreement. "I understand the risks, but Cynder is the only Elemental dragoness that we know of to be alive. All of the others could have been exterminated by the apes, including our wives."
Volteer and Terrador nodded solemnly to his statement as Cyril opened his mouth once more. "But we could have chosen Spyro to be king," he argued. "He is the son of Lady Luna, a daughter of Hylia's divine form and has the might of the purple dragon."
"As I told you when you proposed for Spyro to be king four hours ago," Volteer argued. "Ignitus has told me that Spyro doesn't belong in this point in time. He's only here to fulfill a purpose before returning to when he belongs."
Ignitus smirked. "That argument is fruitless, Volteer," he stated. "Cynder's sister, Queen Ruby of the SkyWings, rewarded Spyro with Cynder's hand in marriage, making Spyro king anyway."
The other three Guardians shared surprised looks. It took a few minutes before Terrador opened his mouth.
"That is surprising," he stated. "How do you know that information, Ignitus?"
"Spyro told me," the fire Guardian replied. "How he knows is most likely thanks to Lady Luna's power over the realm of dreams."
Terrador, Volteer, and Cyril nodded in understanding. "How did Cynder react?" Cyril asked.
"Her first reaction was stating that she wasn't good enough for him," Ignitus replied. "But she came around after I told her that males would fight to the death in order to become king at her side."
Volteer smiled. "That's a relief," he stated. "If we are able to defeat Demise, our kind can't risk any loss of population." He turned to Ignitus. "Anything else you need to tell us?"
Ignitus smiled as he held the Hero of Time's journal in his talons. "From entries in the Hero of Time's journal, something that Spyro brought with him from the future, his ancestor encountered a dragonet that claimed to be the child of Spyro and Cynder," Ignitus stated. "Judging from the recorded age of the dragonet in the journal and from when in the future that happens..."
Cyril's jaw dropped. "You don't mean that you knew that they would-"
"It is just as likely that the dragonet will only view the two of them as parental figures and only called them such," Ignitus stated. "We can't be so sure about the future. It also features an event that is most tragic."
"What could that be, Ignitus?" Terrador asked.
"Before I walked into Spyro's room to check on them, I heard Spyro talking about this specific recollection from his ancestor's journal," Ignitus stated.
The fire Guardian held the little book in his talons and flipped through several pages until he came to a two specific pages. These pages were enchanted to show what happened that day instead of having someone read it.
The room was replaced by a ghostly ruin of a castle. They watched as the Hero of Time and a woman, most likely the Hylian princess. Accompanying them was an older Cynder, roughly five years older than she was now. She was also wearing a regal looking necklace that was attached to a cape of some sort. It was purple emblazoned with the crest of the Goddess Hylia, a loftwing.
"Watch your step," Cynder warned. "It'll take more than the collapse of a castle to kill Ganondorf. He possesses the Triforce of Power."
Just then, the rubble shifted and a man erupted from it.
"I'm not finished with you!" Ganondorf exclaimed in a demonic voice.
"You're as predictable as ever, Demise," Cynder retorted. "You are merely using Ganondorf as your puppet the whole time."
The possessed King of Evil raised an eyebrow. "That isn't all that I have up my sleeves this time, Hylia," Demise retorted as Ganondorf transformed into a giant biped boar that wielded a terrifying trident.
"I am known as Ganon now!" the Demon King proclaimed, hefting his mighty weapon and disarming the Hero.
He was about to deal the killing bow when Cynder leapt at the monster, fighting for control of the trident. It was clear who was stronger as the weapon was wrenched out of Cynder's hands and it turned into a brawl between the dragoness and the Demon King. She was obviously tiring as the fight dragged on. Her wing blades were locked with the trident when she turned to the Hero of Time.
"Promise me one thing, Link," she stated.
"What would that be?" the warrior asked.
"Please find a way for me to tell Spyro that I love him one last time," she stated as she was knocked off her feet and stabbed in the heart by the Demon King's weapon.
"No!" the Hero exclaimed as Cynder crumpled to the ground, blood seeping from her wound. He grabbed a hold of his reclaimed sword and engaged the demon in combat, defeating him. He and the princess ran for Cynder's body.
Cynder smiled weakly. "Did we win?" she asked.
"Save your breath, Queen Cynder," the princess stated. "We'll get you fixed up."
Cynder shook her head. "My time has come," she stated as the Hero started applying healing ointment to the wound. She looked intently at the Hero. "I did what I had to."
Her eyes stared blankly at him as her heart stopped. Six people materialized beside him and bowed their heads in mourning. They were all wearing robes of the purest white.
"What should I tell Sunburn?" He asked no one in particular. One of the robed people lowered their hood to reveal a Zora and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Our descendant is a smart lad," she stated. "He'll understand. He is her and Spyro's heir."
The Hero nodded in understanding, his eyes wet with tears.
The memory faded as Ignitus closed the book. Cyril, Volteer, and Terrador exchanged looks of sadness as Luna walked in. She had a smile on her face. Ignitus looked at her and smiled.
"Spyro informed me that you told Cynder's sister of recent developments," he stated.
Luna smiled. "Over the past month, I've been giving Ruby regular updates on our progress toward the goal of liberating Cynder from the Dark Master's manipulation," she explained. "She also inquired on Spyro's personality, so I complied with memories of him telling stories about his past or of him looking after the dragonets as if he was their father. Or at the very least, he has experience dealing with children."
Volteer chuckled slightly. "Have you considered that Ruby was asking for that information in order to see if he would be sought out by females to be the father of their children?" he asked.
Luna shook her head. "She informed me of this when we informed her that we have freed Cynder of the Demon King's influence," Luna admitted. "Queen Ruby declared that Spyro is to be rewarded with Cynder's hand in marriage."
The Guardians shared astonished looks before they left the room, Luna at their side. Back up in Link's room, Link had carried Cynder onto the balcony for some air. He had some remnants of red potion within the bottle that Impa had given him. Though it wasn't enough for complete recovery, it was enough for some of the injuries to scab over.
"Thank you for that potion, Spyro," she stated. "Where did you get it?"
"I got it from a woman named Impa," Link stated. "I had a broken wing at the time. That is why there were only a few drops left within the bottle. I should rinse it out some time." He looked at the sky and sighed. Cynder noticed this and gave him a worried look. Her heart screaming at her to say something to cheer him up.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "You seem upset."
Link smiled. "My life has been full of hardship recently," he replied. "The gods might be wanting to give us a small respite. Though, Midna most likely wants to go back to the future to deal with Zant now."
"You're leaving?" Cynder asked.
Link shook his head. "Not yet," he answered. "Malefor has to be defeated first. If he isn't defeated, there is no future to return to."
Link looked out at the fields.
"What is the future like?" Cynder asked.
"If not for Zant's forces invading, life would have been peaceful," Link replied. "There are statues of you in remembrance of your sacrifices for the innocent in every village, except Ordon. The Castle Town of my era was built around your grave so that you would never be forgotten, a massive statue, bigger than the ones in the other settlements, designating the location of your grave."
Cynder's eyes bulged. "People in Hyrule will do that for me?!" she exclaimed. "Even after the horrors I commited?"
"You are the reincarnation of the being that forged the Master Sword, Cynder," Link replied. "They worship her, and by extension, you."
Link smiled. "I should show you around if you are going to live here."
Cynder nodded. "But that would have to wait for me to be healed enough to walk without assistance," she stated. "I might fall down the stairs if I try."
Link chuckled. "That might be for the best," he replied.
Cynder looked out at the distance. "The Guardians are being too lenient," she stated, "Too forgiving..."
"It is only a matter of perspective," Link stated. "I witnessed others be controlled by ancient artifacts connected to the Twilight Realm. A Goron named Darbus fell to the thrall of a piece of the Fused Shadow and a woman named Yeta to a shard of the Mirror of Twilight. They weren't themselves and I liberated them from the dark power. It wasn't their fault that they were turned into rampaging monsters. It was the nature of the magic of the artifacts in question that caused them."
"I just don't trust myself with the power they are placing upon me," she replied. "It is more of a gift of mercy than the delivery of justice." She turned to face him. "They should have done something more harsh like limiting my food sources while I recover from my injuries or something similar."
Link nodded in understanding. "I can get your point there, Cynder," he stated. "But the Guardians are most likely giving you a learning experience."
"And what do I need to learn?" she asked.
"To be able to forgive yourself of your past actions and move on," Link replied. "You being Malefor's puppet was a result of circumstances that you couldn't control."
Cynder smiled as her stomach growled again. Link chuckled.
"I should get you some food," he stated. "I am hungry myself, to think about it."
Link took her back inside while the sun rose slowly behind them. Each of the temple's residents knew it wasn't over yet, and yet all of them carried on as if nothing was happening.
But far away, in a mountain fortress shining in the light of a beacon, darkness was brewing, and a new plan was sure to be put into place.