Chapter 55: One Last Goodbye
"Stop arguing with me and just work with me!" Corvus yelled to someone.
"Well excuuuuse me, princess!" Malefor yelled back at him.
"Call me that one more time and your bones will scatter that of space and time!"
"Girls! You're both pretty! Now shut the actual hell up and focus!" Flair raised her voice to the two.
"He started it," Malefor murmured.
"Malefor!" Everyone yelled to him.
"Uuuuhhhh! I can't die now! I'm a virgin! Please, Spyro! Help a homie out! Don't kill me until I lose my virginity!"
"Well, I mean...! If everyone's heading to the far reaches of Warfang, we could go into a house real quick," Carith tried to stay focus, but at the same time wanted to flirt during such a situation, "What do you need? Five minutes?"
"WHAT THE FU...!"
"MALEFOR!" Spyro yelled, gripping his head as the constant back and forth once again brought upon such an un-livable pain, "Dude, please, my fricken' head hurts and you screaming is doing no one any favors," He rolled to his back and rubbed his scalp; massaging it the best way he knew how, "Carith, just... take him up to your room and I'll make sure no one around causes any trouble. Corvus... just... hang out around down here or go outside for once in your life," The purple dragon chuckled, "Yeah yeah, I already know. You'll kill me for being such a prick, but... let everyone else have their fun... the Guardians deserve it, as too their lovers. Me, you, and Cynder can all just... chat for once... that's it. Agreed?"
He finally opened his eyes to look over to his left to where the voices were coming from. The only thing there were trees for miles.
"Corvus?"
To his right was the same thing. He had noticed all around that his body rested to the middle of a crater, a rather large one at that. Trees around him were scattered, knocked down, or shredded far and wide. It didn't take him long to remember where he was and what all had happened. The joy within his chest twisted, and the positive emotions faded. He was alone, still, and without anyone around to love or talk to. How long had it been he didn't know, but from the shift in the sun, it had been hours since he had fallen asleep. He didn't understand why, but frustration quickly took over and his teeth grinded at first, "WHY WON'T YOU LET ME DIE?!" Spyro slammed his fist to the floor, rolled himself over, and standing to his feet, his wings kicked open as he yelled to the sky above, "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?! I'M A FAILURE! THE CAUSE OF THE WORLDS PROBLEM! I'M DUMB PIECE OF SHIT WHO FAILED AT EVERYTHING YOU THREW AT ME!" He turned his anger to the ground and punched with every word he spoke, "WHY!" His hit deepened the crater by a tenth of a mile, "WON'T!" Another tenth, "YOU! LET! ME! DIE!"
His final hit not only caused another half a mile deep within the crater, but the length of it stretched out too. The devastation was that of something the Destroyer would be able to do, but for him himself to cause such destruction when he should've been weakened was nothing short of scary. His look to his fist, one that he rose and had blood shed over due to his strength, dripped his red fluids, just the same as his head. The blood was short lived however as his darkness rose from his body and proceeded to heal that of which was broken. He gasped to this realization and looked to his chest for answers as well. Where he had given up, the darkness hadn't. His body was kept alive simply because the darkness within him wouldn't allow his death to take place. It healed him in his sleep, and kept the blood pumping even when the heart choice not to. His tears ran heavy because of this. He knew now that to die would mean to turn his back on everything he stood for. His life; his light, meant something to all he's ever meant, and Serena was an inspiration to him. He scoffed, but smiled at the same time, "Goddamn son of a bitch..." His voice broke even as he spoke, "Even in death... you still find a way to make me smile, Serena. Though I don't understand why you'd care to help me after I killed, Ava. But I guess... it's because... you forgive me... the same way I forgave Malefor... and Corvus," He laughed to himself now, realizing how much he had screwed up, "Sweet Ancestors! I really am just one dumb son of a bitch, aren't I? I gave up after everything I've done when I should've been saving you all. And here I was talking about being selfish and how I shouldn't be, yet I was to kill myself to join you all," He laughed, a dead and cold one, "Pathetic ass purple dragon, wouldn't you say?"
A few tears fell from his eyes. To know from here on and for the rest of his life, to speak to who he loves, to speak on his memories, his eyes would look not to the soul of his partners, his friends, his family; but instead to the sky where they all now reside. All he could do was reach. Reach high with his paw, to extend his arm as far as it could reach. But hope was fleeting, and as his arm fell to the ground, he laid there on his back; broken, confused, and afraid. What was next for him he couldn't bare to comprehend. However, at the very least, he had a goal; one that drived him, one that fueled him, one that gave him purpose. An objective to right those he wrong and turn them right, Spyro knew what he needed to do, "I will bring you all back one day... and though you all will never remember my sacrifice... you all will never know of who I even was as a person... ...at the very least... that means I broke the cycle... ...right...?" His voice broke at the end; his sniffles of defeat heard to anyone around, "It was my fault in the first place, and if dying to make things right is what it'll take, than... well... hehe... I've had plenty of practice already."
He laughed to himself to calm himself. Spyro knew he needed to get a grip on the reality he was given, and rather give up now when all was lost, he's had plenty of experience of going through difficult times such as these. There was doubt in his mind to give up, and rather help, it would've made more sense to join those in the afterlife. But such a thought was destructive, and did more harm than good, If I give up now, those who could've been born will never have a future. Claire and Ignitus, Terrador and Trish. Malefor, Volteer, Cyril; their females and their children could rule in perfect harmony. They could find the path that's right for the next generation, and with Amara and Serena's mistakes, they too could make things right. Whether that be those born now like Ava, or those born later, I can't give up. He rose as he spoke; dirt and dust falling from his sides and to the ground below. He dusted himself off, opening his wings and shaking profusely from head to tail: side to side. He gripped hold of what he had left, and took action on what he knew was next for him rather than fear for it, "I know you all are desperately awaiting your return. I'm... ...afraid... ...so... so very, afraid..." He looked to the clouds, "But please... wait for just a little longer. I'm scared of how painful death can be, but... at least at the end of it all... I can die knowing I've finally done something right. I can die knowing... for once in purple dragon history... I saved rather than killed. Even though... ...I won't be remembered... ...and all those who may never see the light of day again... will become just like me... ...a forgotten memory."
He looked down from the sky and to his open right paw that he faced towards himself. Though he had downed himself, and though he knew of how his life would end, he clenched his paw shut and went headfirst into his destiny, I'll make things right. I'll bring back everyone and everything I destroyed. And maybe... just maybe... before my death or even after... I'll be able to talk to you all one last time. Whether that be a short, or long amount of time, what matters is that it happened. Don't be sad that it's over, but rather be glad that you experience it. He laughed to himself in tears, "I'm not sad that it's over... I'm sad because I wish... I just... wish... that what we had and what was could've lasted just... a little bit... longer... ...just... ...one day more..." His paw dropped to the ground, but his head raised; looking to the direction he needed to go, "I know what I must do... and I won't stop until I bring you all back. I promise, I swear on my life, the one I must now preserve to save you all; this is not your end. You will have your new beginning, and for me? I... will have my purpose to which I will willingly fulfil."
A small white shine was barely visible to the right of his eye. He noticed it from the sound, and from the familiar look and somewhat feel of it's surroundings. His eyes directed over to it, listening to the sounds of shimmering; wind chimes making their way through too, with the sound of the ocean waves and drizzled thunder and rain. It had returned, and though Spyro didn't understand why, he laughed to pick himself up, "You're not gonna tell me to, 'Hey, listen', are you?"
The white ball didn't respond to him. He wasn't surprised, understanding little as to what was going on or what this thing even really was, but he tried his best to make up for the situation he found himself in, "Hehe, yeah... it was a bad joke..." He made his way to his fours; dust, rubble, and dirt sliding down from his back that covered him, "But, I'm assuming Cynder sent you to keep an eye on me while I travel? And if that's the case, or... if she can hear me..." He was afraid of either or, "I'm... sorry... Cynder. I had a moment of weakness, but I'm back to it. It's... weird... for me to say this, especially since it's just a ball of white light and soothing sounds but... when you lose so much in such a short amount of time... you found value in nearly everything around you, big or small. So... thank you for this."
Once again, the ball didn't respond. It's presences however proved to be vital in Spyro's desperate need and attempt to ready himself for what was to come; to what he would be faced with in his new world. Shaking himself off to clear himself of the rest of the filth, his body shivered from head to body before ending at his tail. Now that he was back to his fours and ready to go, he took a deep breath, "Maybe... there's survivors. Maybe... there's someone else there that can help me. Maybe... ...maybe I'll walk into a trap and die immediately in a painful and horrific death," It was a terrible thing to laugh at, but he needed to keep himself going in some form or fashion, "I guess the bright side to all of this is, they'll probably be so pissed and upset that my death won't be immediate, so I'll have time to explain or offer my life to save millions of others. Right?"
He looked to the ball for an answer. Though he smiled, with no one around him to laugh, he felt awkward in a sense as everything around him felt alienated, "Ahem... yeah, it was uh... it was a bad joke on my part, I'll admit that," Opening his wings and taking lead, he didn't much know of what this ball would do or even if it would follow, but he had hope, "So, uh... little... ball, thing. I hope you can keep up with the speed of my flight. If not, just... wait here and I'll be back for you, I promise. Wouldn't want you getting hurt but I also don't want you to think I'm abandoning you. I rather enjoy your company. Something about you feels rather... warm. Like... me and you are one and the same. I... ...guess I don't really know how to explain it, but..." With no response or much movement at all, Spyro simply continued along, "Anyway... I'll see you again when I see you. Which will... hopefully be soon."
Kicking his feet off the ground and taking high to the sky, he had his new purpose and took action. His wings hit the air with dedication; the need to find the truth, and to correct what never should've happened in the first place. Though his tears followed and dropped throughout his journey to Prosperity, he kept his head straight and his mind focused, or rather, the best he could. He still had much to fight against. The wind, his lack of energy; his own memories and intrusive thoughts. So much of a burden to deal with in such a sort amount of time. The memories he collected came back in small waves, memories of peoples voices and what happened before and after Warfang's destruction.
"You think I'm happy with the idea?!" Corvus growled in a very frustrated and annoyed tone, "I'm looking after my life! I still have things to do in this world, and if it comes down to my life and your own, obviously I'd rather risk it than to not in hopes you end up dead from it."
"I know what Spyro said when it comes to trusting the Dark Dragons, but how could you ever think I'd agree to this?! I can... try, my best, to see past my fears of Kettu and Xvar. But you?" Malefor seemed afraid, distraught, and unsure as to what Corvus was suggesting.
"It's the only way to match his strength. If he's able to use not only time, but a strength that matches god-like proportion, we have to make our own sacrifices as well. But either way, you've always said you wanted to make up for what's happened in the past. Well, now's your time. Either you'll face your fears and rise, or die letting them consume you and I take over for the rest of your life."
"And you simply want me to agree?!"
"I want you to grow up for once in your life and not have someone else tell you what to do or drive in your seat."
"If that's the case, to hell with you! I'll take your power by force."
He clenched his eyes shut to rid himself of his tears and blurred vision, telling himself with what all grit and determination he had left that everything would be okay, Find a way to bring everyone back. That is your goal. Just as his eyes were to open, he connected with something; something very hard and sturdy enough to stop him mid flight. He bounced back, growling and groaning as he held his head, taking a minute to grit his teeth from the pain, "AH! What... the... hell..." Opening his eyes slowly; blinking a few times after due to the sun, the black dot of blur became more and more visible as his eyes adjusted, and once they had, panic set in quick, "CYNDER?!"
The dragoness flapped her wings in front of him, arms crossed and with a pissed off look in her eyes. The purple dragon quickly threw his paws into the air, apologising profusely, "Sh-sh-shit! Cynder! I'm-m-m-m so SORRY! I... I-I-I lost track of time is all! I... I got side tracked!" The white ball appeared at the corner of his eye, and rather than question its quick appearance, he pointed at it, "This thing! Yeah! It, uh... it promised me gold! Turns out, it was just those like, little candy things that look like gold coins, but they're actually chocolate..."
"Spyro," She tapped a claw to her arm.
The purple dragon swallowed hard, "Ye... ye-ye-yes... ...ma'am?"
"Do you know how long it's been and how much time I gave you?"
"Uh... ...it's been... about five minutes...?"
"Five minutes. Really? Are you really going with five minutes?"
"The... thing! The thing said time moved slower where we were going! Come on, little guy! 'Hey, listen'. Do the thing. Get her to listen," It never spoke, but continued the noises of soft, spiritual sounds both known and unknown for the sake of what felt and sounded like comfort, "Those sounds are the sounds of the, uh... spirits... we captured, so control the land upon our journey to..."
"Enough," She stopped him in his tracks, "I gave you all the time in the world. I was generous, understanding, and looked past what all had happened and allowed you safe, free, and unsupervised passage. And what did you do?"
He frowned upon knowing what he would have to tell her, "I... ...almost got myself killed."
"You gave up?" She raised a brow, already knowing what had happened.
He didn't speak after that. He knew she already had the knowledge of the Chronicler, so keeping secrets or telling her anything at all was pointless. She knew it all, but for him, it felt like he knew nothing, especially when it came to this new world that they were in. He dropped his head to her, allowing what ever punishment that may very well follow. However, before punishment could be issued, he heard her cry, or rather, his mind did.
"Spyro!"
He raised his head suddenly, ignoring the fact that Cynder's blade shifted back behind herself. He was confused, and looked at her the same way, "Are you... ...okay?"
"I'm fine," She was quick to answer.
Spyro took notice of his surroundings. Though he had travelled very fast over his journey in the skies, including his previous air time before he had left Warfang, he felt stuck where he was. Sure, when he looked behind himself, Warfang was a little ways off in the distance, but everything else around him felt so similar. The trees stretched for miles, the Volcano and mountains seemed to shift and change the way they looked, almost as though they were facing him everywhere he went. He couldn't tell if his mind was playing tricks on him, or if he was over thinking things due to the damaged nature of his brain. It had been so long, and to take everything in all it once, it felt overwhelming.
"How... ...how much further is Prosperity from..."
"Return back to Warfang," Cynder was quick and sudden about her request.
"What?" He didn't understand where this was coming from, "But you just said-"
"What I said was hours ago!" She nearly nipped at him, "There are people currently roaming around the area of Prosperity and the last thing we need is to draw attention to ourselves. There are forces out there that you've upset; very strong, and very powerful individuals. Your actions have caused a stir in the way they work and operate, and if they see you're alive under the conditions of light and not your darkened self, they'll know you're back, weak, and easy to pick," He both understood and didn't at the same time; understanding that she was trying to protect him, but not understanding who, what, when, or where these others came from, "Go up to our room and wait for me there. I'll be back once I've finished up some business, but when I'm done, we will figure out a plan on what is next."
Spyro hovered there with his head hung low, filled to the brim with these overpowering and overwhelming emotions. He didn't know what to say, nor what to do, but he had to remember what little promise he had left in life, and what drived him forward, "Cynder..." She raised a brow to him, "Thank you..."
"For what?" The black dragoness didn't seem to mind nor understand what it was he was trying to say, but he understood why.
"For... still giving me a chance to live... ...For... ...allowing me a second chance to make things right," He had much to say but kept it brief, "I've always feared the relationships I've made would've faded the moment I made a mistake, even if just a small one. I feared what you'd do if I killed someone, what you'd do... if... ...I killed someone you loved, too. I... ...I never thought I'd have to come to terms with those emotions, or even be having this conversation with you. I guess its because I'm numb right now and don't know what to feel, so its... best I'm saying this now rather than to have my tears break my words, and the point I want to make..." Still, a few tears were shed, and due to his emotional breakdowns from before, he found time to speak the truth before the grief, hate, and regret returned, "I knew I loved you for a reason... ...and I hope... after everything that's happened now that you understand just why I never loved anyone else. It wasn't because you were my first love, my first choice, or my first interest... it... ...was because... ...heh..." He laughed, seemingly upsetting her, "Sorry... ...I always say there's this one thing when you do so much right that its rather wrong of me to make it seem like all of you isn't worth it when... ...it is... ...it's... ...all of you... ...that I love. Your imperfection make you perfect. Hehe, which just means that, in my eyes, that's all you are. My... ...perfect... ...little shadow... ...My... ...my... ...biggest... ...regret..."
She didn't understand that last part. From the way it sounded, he was ungrateful for what she had done for him and attacked him for it, "I'm your biggest regret?! So what all I've done for you, you're distasteful?!" She seemed ready to fight him: her body loosening, as too the rest of herself, "I fight for you, protect you, give you the benefit of the doubt and continue to still say that I love you even after all that's happened, AND I'M YOUR BIGGEST REGRET?!"
He knew leaving it there would've only caused more problems than it would've solved. So, rather than be cryptic about it all, he explained a little, "I took away your freedom when all you wanted was to be left alone, " He turned slightly, not wanting to tell her this directly, "You ran away because we, me... and the Guardians... pushed our hospitality on to you. It was the right thing to do... but I did it... ... cause I liked you. I rejected the idea that I was a weapon, and wanted a way out of my destiny. Maybe... in some way... falling in love with you... ...telling myself that war wasn't an option cause I was nothing more than a man in love was..." He sighed, "I don't know..."
"You loved me because you thought 'THAT' would keep you from becoming like Malefor?! The Dark Master?!" She spat to hear this.
Spyro couldn't defend himself in this situation. At this point, he was dragging himself down on situations that lined up only because he made that so. He allowed himself to pull himself down, and since no one, not even Cynder seemed to want to pick him up, it was easy for him to doubt and even hate his own existence, "I don't... ...want to think about what life would be like without you... especially after those... scenarios that Amara brought up. I love you... so... so deeply, and the day you saved me from that volcano and pounced on me with a killer intent-"
"I thought you were someone else!"
"Hehe, I know, I know. I just... like the thought of you that way."
"You like me in tears?! In defeat?! To think you had died and wanting to end my own life was such a joy to you?!"
He snickered, almost setting Cynder off, but luckily for him, he explained himself before she was able to act, "Remember when we were resting on top of the Building just before going down to help Serena and Ava. You were in tears. The thought of what I could do with my claws, how I could stab you in the eyes and you wouldn't even be able to respond cause you trusted me so much... ...I... ...I didn't care who you were... ...I didn't care what you were. All I knew when I looked into those emerald green eyes was... ...she's hurt... and reeling from the pain that's been caused to her for ten years now."
"And you thought getting close to something so dangerous was a good idea because...?"
"Because while I never knew what it was like to fight to survive, I knew what it was like when you had family and friends around you who loved and adored you. Sparks... my mom, my dad, and even what little time I had spent with the Guardians at the time, I knew even the darkest of soul could be purified by the light. Which is why I never gave up on you. Which is why I continue to fight for you. Because... while everyone has their dark days... there's always light at the end of the tunnel. I'm just... ...sorry it took so long for your light to return. I... ...couldn't imagine how lonely that tunnel was to travel alone."
"The future is still very, very grim, Spyro."
"I know... ...I know... ..." He frowned, "But..." He turned to her, giving a weakly smile, "At the very least... even as dark as this tunnel is that we're in, we can feel some sense of safety holding one another's paw through it all... ...to know that... at least someone's there... that... we're there... ...for each other... ...right?"
"I love you."
A tear fell from his eye to hear her voice in such a tone. Though, once again, it wasn't her that had spoken. The ball that was once by his side had disappeared. Why or where it had gone was a mystery, but he didn't much care as long as Cynder was by his side. Unfortunately for him, he was to be alone on his journey back, and she broke the news, "Look," She took a deep sigh, "Just... go back to Warfang and wait for me there. Don't go touching a bunch of stuff or putting your nose in anyone else's business, or else you'll open a whole new can of worms that I'll have to deal with."
"Oh..." What little joy he had left dropped from him; Cynder so uptight and serious, making it hard for his love to reach her, "Why don't I... stay with you in the White Isles than? We could... cuddle up, or... read a book maybe? At least... to pass the-"
"No," She was firm on her decision, "Warfang. Now. I'll be back when I can."
"Oh... ...o... okay..." He wanted to say one last thing, but she flew off before he could muster the final word, "I love..."
Her speed was tremendous, and seemingly matched his own. She headed off to his left, directly towards the ocean seemingly back to the Chronicler's island. A mass sigh released from his lips, knowing his journeys' end was most likely closer than he thought. He couldn't understand why she was acting the way she was, or how he'd be able to get the truth out of her, but it gave him plenty to think about on his way back.
Spyro's flight back was one filled with sorrow and pain. Plenty of memories and thoughts to think on, all crowding its way through his head and deep within his heart, How do I get her to love me again? Does she... still love me? Maybe there's just a lot going on that I don't know about that's stressing her out. But... how can I help her if she's not telling me what I can do? Flying over the walls of Warfang, he made it back home, and rather stop and hover, or land to a nearby building, his instincts told him to head home: flying directly towards the Guardians Building. Cynder... ...I know you can hear my thoughts. Please... please... I will do anything for you... anything at all, to make things right... ...to get you to smile just one last time. I never would've imagined how painful it would be to say that what we have is coming to an end... ...but... ...at least we won't die alone... ...right? We'll have each other. Whether that be in arms or holding paws, we'll... ...always... ...love one another... ...right...? He landed to the platform just outside the building and in front of the double doors. Due to his lack of drive, he nearly collapsed upon landing, but found his footing. His advance was slow, and though he hadn't realised it yet, the home once covered in a way of Sanctuary was a done and dusted memory. Holes filled each side of the building, making the insides visible from front to back, high to low. The doors too seemed blown off. Scorch marks resided on the doorway itself; the doors that once covered the entrance were splintered throughout the inside area. His eyes were cold; dead on his approach inside, and though he reached to push the doors open, there was nothing there but a memory to what once was. He nearly fell, expecting to put weight on something that wasn't there. His stop was merely seconds long before he continued his long journey up. Memories flooded his mind to what once was; the voices that filled the area, it created new memories he would've loved to have experienced with those he held dear to him.
"That's just kinda how I'm feeling at the moment. But don't worry," Spyro laughed as him and Cynder made their way up to the second floor of the Guardian's Building, "I guess after having so much happen and for so long now, peace just feels... off, you know? I know I shouldn't stress or think too negatively but..." He stopped as his approach led his eyes to Corvus who was making his way up to the third floor: the home built up top by the Guardians, "Oh! Hey, Corvus!" The purple dragon happily smiled to the Dark Dragon: he too returning the smile, "Where you off to?"
"Since I've traveled long distances through my time as the Dark Master, I know of many places that I'd like to take my lover," The Dark Master responded in a gleeful tone, though still sounding evil in his own ways.
"Ever since Volteer and Ersa had their hatchling, Luna's been very interested. Guessing she wants to prepare herself for what's next. I've seen her tears plenty of times when she's held their hatchling close."
"When you lose the amount of time I have with someone so special to you, it's hard for me to think of doing something like that. I could never ask to mate with her so soon, or to even suggest the idea of having a young one. You... brought the Dark Dragons closer than I ever thought possible. So at the very least, I know there will be no quarrel between you and I."
"I want to father my own hatchling too, Corvus. I'm just... ...I'm glad we don't live in a timeline where our hatchlings will be used as weapons," Spyro approached the Dark Master, his heart filled to the brim with hope and joy, "I've always feared that you'd come after my and Cynder's young one, and I know you fear the same when it comes to your little one. But the past is behind us, you've done more for me than I would've ever thought possible, and I'm glad that.." A tear was shed for their time, "I'm glad I live in a time where I can call you a friend. A brother. An ally."
Corvus rolled his eyes in a smirk, unable to allow himself to be that mushy, "You're lucky Luna has me on a leash or else I'd still make every attempt I could get to gut you. Though... I understand... and Luna's made it very clear that no one else is to be harmed. Where your stomach stays as is, I need to understand that sooner or later, your future will reside within Cynder's belly. And for me to target the stomachs of those that I attack, I must find a way to better subdue those that I fight."
"We can train later. For now, I want to check on Ignitus to see how him and Claire are doing. I know those two are expecting any day now."
"Heh. Speaking of expecting, feels good to see Flair so dominant over that overly consumed king like nature that Cyril once had. She was a real bitch before, no offence, but now that she's pregnant? Hehehehe, what a time it is to be around those two. Cyril's lucky to have changed the way he did or else he'd be dead by now."
"And what of Trish and Terrador?"
"Clingy. Trish has been trying to calm Terrador best she can, but the big green and mean machine can't stop worrying. There's not a single inch of space he's giving her. He's always covering her with his wing, blocking her belly with his tail, or holding a paw to her stomach to make sure there's movement to the egg."
"Hehe, yeah. Should've expected that to happen. But at least it's good to hear everyone's at their best," Spyro didn't realise how much good talking to Corvus did for him; his mind clearing of all things negative and intrusive, "And what of Malefor? How's he and Carith doing?"
"I uh... ...hum... ...Um..."
"That bad, huh?" Spyro laughed.
"Ignitus being the Chronicler that he is made a special place for the two so they could... mate... as they please. Though Carith's already pregnant, they of course have other ways. Best not to think about it."
"Hehehe. Gross."
"And how about you and Cynder?" Corvus wondered, "Expecting any time soon?"
"Expecting?" Spyro's heart skipped a beat, realising now that his focus was so much on everyone else that he had forgotten about himself, "Me and Cynder... expecting to have a hatchling... ...it's weird to me why I've never thought about that. Should I give it thought? Should I... be true to myself? I've always said constantly that me trying to do something for myself is wrong but... ...would having a hatchling change the future for the better? Would that break the prophecy? Would I...?"
"Spyro..." Corvus rested a paw to the purple dragon's shoulder, "Stop worrying about what makes you different, and understand that, you shouldn't feel the need to mate just because you feel like that will change your destiny, your future, and generations to come. Do it... because you feel it's the right thing to do. Look at Cynder as something more, not as a tool to be better than past purple dragons," Spyro's eyes widened, listening closely to the Dark Master, "Love her because you feel it's right to do so. Protect her because you know it's the right thing to do. It's your choice to allow her to love you, it's your choice to allow consent over bonding one soul to the next. Listen to your heart, not your head. Mate with her not because you think it's the right thing to do, but because it 'feels' like the right thing to do. Let your heart guide you."
Spyro was at a lost for words. He had never thought of it that way; taking on a new perspective on how to rightfully tackle his love for Cynder. Though Corvus had backed away, Spyro wanted to show his thanks. Words weren't enough, so instead, he jumped forward; arms sprawled out, same for his wings.
The purple dragon fell to the ground below just outside the Guardian's Chambers. His fall kicked up dirt and dust to the Chamber's remains. His wings and arms were fully extended, making his fall to the ground a lot more painful, especially since he didn't expect there to be nothing it front of him. What little sun that could come into the Chambers was crept through. The rooms to which Terrador, Volteer, Cyril, and their lovers had resided in were all blow out. The building and its front half was completely exposed to the world around. To the back of the Chambers, Spyro approached the broken door. Just the same as the front doors: scorch marks were present, and fragments of the once blocked doorway scattered the ins and outs. Upon his approach, he inspected the inside. Two of the beds were missing. One was flipped over and the other was broken in half. The massive windows to the back all had some form of damage and shattered in their own ways. The ceiling let in light due to holes in the walls, and all around the room was filled with dirt, dust, and cobwebs. Though there was no one around; the Chambers now a ruin and filled with history and culture, Spyro tried his best to conversate with anyone, "Terrador..."
He walked out back to the main hall, looking at the room to which Terrador and Trish normally resided. With no one there, he moved on to the next name, "Volteer..."
His head turned a little to its left. The remains of that room was filled with glass, shredded papers, and broken wood from the table and bookshelf. Still with no one to speak to, he tried the next Guardian, "Cyril..."
To the far right, he looked down the hall in attempts to see his friend. But once again, no one was there for him. He was alone in this, but his mind was desperate enough to speak the names of those he loved and cared for, slowly driving himself insane. His eyes dropped, his head dropped, and as he made his way to the side of the Chambers he normal sat by, his voice broke with every voice, "Ersa... ...Flair... ...Trish... ...Claire... ...Malefor... ...Carith..." He collapsed to his side, tears running down his eyes as he faced to where the Guardians normally would've lined up at and looked to him with smiles, "Cyril... ...Volteer... ...Terrador... ...Ignitus... ...Ignitus..." His body slowly started to fade once again; his heart giving way to end its own life, pressuring the rest of the body to do the same, "Kettu... ...Xvar... ...Cynder... Cy... ..Cyn... ...Cyn... ...der... ..."
The pain finally did him in once again. His memories made life too difficult to live by; to continue to live on, knowing what his failures had brought to him. The heavy weight of death approached him, and where his eyes grew cold and his lids slowly closed, his mind, heart, and soul worked in unison to make it so that he wouldn't wake up from his next encounter with death. Life without pain was all he wanted at this point. There was nothing he could do on his own, and with the way Cynder was acting, he didn't know who to call out for. The words he spoke were faint, to a point that only he himself would've ever been able to hear, "Cynder... ...help... ...me..."
Without anyone around to hear his words, death approached him as his heart came to a stop. But just before the rest of him could give as well, a voice spoke to him.
Spyro!
The voice was faint, but it kept him alive long enough to hear it speak again.
"Spyro!"
The voice increased in volume.
"Spyro!"
His heart was once again revived to hear Cynder's voice.
"Our house! Go to... ...room!"
He could barely make out what she was saying. Screams mixed with yells and explosions kept him from hearing the full picture.
"It was Volteer's idea! You can... ...trust me! Spyro, please! Fight this! Wake up before I kick that purple ass of yours, you... hear me! WAKE UP!"
The sudden yell within his head jolted him awake, though he was sluggish to realize where he was and what had almost just happened again. He wasn't slow from his mind taking time to rest and heal, but because once again, his thoughts and reality because all too much to bare. His death was inevitable, and reached for his soul once more. Cynder's voice saved him this time around; the darkness only aiding in attempts to keep him alive while the rest of him slowly gave out. The weight of his eyes were heavy. Black bags of exhaustion laid waste to his stamina and his spirit. To wake was to feel death, and to die was to feel nothing. But he had a goal, one that took much thought on what truly it was that he wanted to do. He didn't want to be selfish, but he also didn't want to be alone. Thankfully for him, his eyes focused to a standing figure in front of him. White claws, black arms, and a blade of curves he knew well. Spyro's head was slow to raise. With his vision returning and his life restoring, he gave the female a weak smile, with a voice as dead as reality itself for him, "Hey... ...Cynder..." She looked down on him with distaste for some reason, but he had nothing else to do nor show that would make her smile, "I... ...love you... ...you know that... ...ri... ...right?"
"Oh yeah?" She growled, "I'm still alive yet you choose to off yourself, TWICE NOW!" He looked to her in a frown, moving none to the snap of her teeth; unable to see nor feel her as a threat, "I'm out here trying my best to keep you safe! To keep us alive! And to find a way to bring everyone else back, and just when you come back and I think everything will be okay; that I can focus on my work, I have to babysit you because of this... SUICIDAL MENTALITY!" He could only look to her as she spoke in a voice of displeasure, rage, and negativity towards him, "You don't think I was suicidal when everything was happening?! When I lost our hatchling! When everyone that I knew and loved; the friends I had made, TO FEEL JUST AS ALONE AS WHEN I WAS THE TERROR OF THE SKIES, I NEVER GAVE UP!" Her blade hit the ground behind her with enough force to break the concrete below her, "And yet here you are, wallowing in self-pity! A man turned to tears: a child at his lowest point."
What last she had said gave him something to speak on, still cold and dead within, as too his voice, "If you know I'm at my lowest point, why do you continue to berate me?" What he had simply asked set her off; her teeth growing tight and her blade itching the ground behind her, "I wanted to help... I... ...wanted to take on everything by myself for the betterment of everyone. I thought I could do it... I thought I was powerful enough to achieve that safety you all deserved. Ersa... Trish... Claire... Flair... Carith... ...you..." He looked to Cynder with a single tear, "I knew when you all were to hold within you, a hatchling; a life that would weigh you down for the time, and drain you all of your energy... I knew I couldn't rely on you all. I knew... what would become of the others, and how protective they'd be over their pregnant partner. That's why... ...one of the reasons why... ...I... couldn't tell myself... that fighting along side someone would work. Not a parent like Ignitus, not a brother like Malefor, and... not a lover... like you."
"And look where your thought process led us," The defensive or offensive female stood tall for the time being, backing herself away from confrontation, "Just like the other purple dragons, you were led to believe the powers you had would've protected you, that your strength would be the end all or above all. You never had trust in anyone but yourself. You lived by the rule of only trusting one's self."
"I trusted Kettu and Xvar..."
"BULLSHIT!" Her voice was sudden, loud, and aggressive, "You never trusted them! You gave in to them and acted friendly enough to trip them; force their guards to be lowered so you could take advantage of them!"
"If I never cared, then I never would've given them to you, knowing that had I been hit by that projectile, it would've killed them. I gain nothing from them by saving their lives."
"They'll role over like puppy dogs for you unlike others who know who you truly are and won't bend to your sick, twisted games."
The purple dragon sighed, feeling like he was getting nowhere with her. But at the very least, he had something to talk about with her, "I miss them, Cynder..." She raised a brow as to who he was referring to, "Kettu... Xvar... ...and Corvus..."
"YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THEM!" What looked to be fire of green burned out the sides of her mouth; his words setting her off immensely, but why, that was something he couldn't figure out, "I've seen your emotions, read your thoughts, looked through your past! What you did, what you've done, and what you've said to them had always had a form of doubt, fear, or displacement in what it was that you said you were feeling, or seeing! You lied to them!" Her words made him lightly chuckle, and now feeling as though she was being mocked, her blade arched behind herself, "What the hell is so funny to you?"
"Everything you're saying... ...they already knew."
His words and smile stunned her. She hadn't thought about it herself and rather jumped the gun on her emotions and the point she was trying to make. Spyro however was more calm in the way he explained and described things, especially since it was with his eyes and his deepest emotions that drove him into those actions and word choice, "I remember when Malefor was attacking the Dark Dragons for what they were and who they really are: what 'their' true purpose was. Hehe. They nearly knocked me on my ass when they threw themselves forward in attempts to take control and attack him for what he said. You... didn't see it... nor could you have read about it as I know being the Chronicler or an Ancestor and trying to look and understand the darkness is impossible, and why we can change our fate, but..." He held his heart; close to his chest, he felt only his singular heartbeat, "They were afraid. After what had happened, they didn't want to show their true emotions nor their intentions. So rather than expose themselves, they... hid... from me
"They... hid?" Cynder seemed very interested in what he had to say.
"They normally keep their hearts behind my own, to safe guard themselves and to have easy access to my own if they so please to kill me. After what had happened, I noticed their hearts were missing. I couldn't feel the beats of their hearts, nor could I sense them. They were afraid I'd come after them, and in my sleep, I slowly tried to locate their presence with my own darkness. Hehe. As creepy as this is to say, they each hid their hearts behind my lungs. Kettu's was behind my right, and Xvar's was behind my left," He laughed rather than cry; this memory signifying importance to him, "When my darkness located them, their darkness was quick to grab hold over my lungs, but they never squeezed. They were... afraid... Afraid of what I'd do, afraid of my intentions, afraid... that their lives would end. That who they were and what they had would seize to exist when they still had so much love and life to live and give."
"How did you... ...approach them?" The female sat now; questions to be had on this, one of many to surely follow.
"After I had found out where their hearts were, and the response they gave, I kept my darkness close and apologized within my thoughts. I didn't want to disturb them or to scare them. I just... wanted to know they were still there... that their hearts still beat. They didn't say anything, but after some time, they eased off my lungs. I apologized to them once again, trying my best to leave the situation be and returned my darkness back to its rested state. But within a few minutes, I was able to feel their hearts rested behind mine once again. And with that, I... cuddled you warmly, shed a tear, and went to bed with a smile."
The purple dragon laughed on the memory. Though it still hurt deeply to talk about those he lost, it was better to remember what he had than to forget it due to the pain it caused. Remembering where he came from, what he did, and how he achieved his goals was important: a lesson that wasn't achievable to him simply because he wanted it, but because he was deserving of it, and through his trials and tribulations, he earned the trust he got from them. Spyro finished it off by explaining more of his actions later on, "I wanted Kettu and Xvar to know that I wasn't upset. I wanted them to feel free, to understand that everyone gets angry, defensive, or riled up, especially if those emotions are powered by someone else's ill will or words towards what they believe in, or what they know is or isn't true. They're... human, after all. They live and breathe just the same as us, and for someone like me... feeling their hearts, experiencing their responses... to know that deep down, they want to live a safe and happy life just like the rest of us... ...I couldn't kill them... I could never... ...harm them."
"So that's why you let me be free? Why you allowed them to roam the world without your supervision over them?" She pieced it together herself on where he stood based on his decisions.
"I... ...know what it's like... ...to not have full control over yourself. Your senses are numb, your movement is limited, your eyes adjust to the darkness only... ...It's sad... scary... and lonely. I... ...I want Kettu and Xvar to trust me enough to stand by my side, to sit with us in the Chambers, and to live and laugh with full freedom and flexibility in their environment," He sighed pretty heavily; knowing why that never happened, "But, then again, I can't blame them for never trusting me enough to do so."
"Because by them leaving your body, their hearts are completely exposed," She knew as well, "They'd have no way of defending themselves. If a battle or scuffle were to ensue, you'd basically be stabbing them in they back. They wouldn't know it, nor would they ever be able to respond to it," Cynder didn't understand his goals; they were as unachievable as they were impossible, "That never would've happened, Spyro. For what all the purple dragons did to their kind, no such trust could ever be formed. That's a huge pill to swallow, one that would never go down but rather get stuck in your throat."
"Maybe it wasn't..."
Her attention was already peaked, but with every passing word, she seemed to grow more interested, "How so?"
"Corvus... seemed a lot more active... At points even showing himself fully to us. Whether that be because he knew Malefor's goofy ass wouldn't even think in the moment to attack his heart or... ...maybe he enjoyed the freedom just as much as anyone else would. You never realize how much you're missing out on until you truly experience it. Laying down in the grass, the wind blowing a breeze of cool, refreshing air. The sounds of birds, rustling trees, and the gentle waves of the water fall," Spyro took a deep breath in to relieve the experience, "Man... ...I never really gave Avalar the attention and love it deserved. Hehe. I remember collecting our armor there too. I'll always feel sad to know it burned up in the Volcano, but those sets were pretty heavy."
"Avalar?" The female sounded confused on his mention of such a place, and her confusion caused his confusion.
"Don't you remember? We were captured and met Hunter. Though I'm not surprised if you don't. There was that one prick who gave you hell for no reason other than to be a dick," Spyro whispered his words in a joking manner; holding a paw next to his mouth as if someone was near by or would read his lips, "Hopefully he burned up or fell in the cracks in the earth," He raised both his paws after having said that, "But! Hey. I'm not one to wish death on someone. Just a nice little thought to have. Hehehe."
Cynder didn't seem to say anything afterwards. His words seemed to stun her, that or his actions. Which one he couldn't tell, but at least having her here kept his mind busy, and his heart pumping, "Hey... ...you okay...?" She looked to him, and for what she's said already and how she's acted, he surrendered immediately, "I give up! You win! I don't want to die."
"Why...?"
He blinked a couple of times to her asking, "Uhhhh... because I'm not... ready... to die...?" He realized his mistake rather quickly and corrected himself, "Because you're still alive and even on my last breath I shall protect you in the afterlife!"
That didn't seem to answer her real question, "Why didn't you kill him?" He raised a brow, and before he could speak, Cynder had much more to say, "You let so many different Dark Dragons into your life only to lower your guard and respect them. Kettu, Xvar, Corvus... ...Corvus... one of 'THEE' Lockdown Three. Even when everything was going on before you were hit, you heard a voice, knew it was a Dark Dragoness, and took aim to help her - even though you knew the relationship and standing Dark Dragons have to purple dragons. Why risk your life, why put yourself out there when you know what we're capable of? What secrets they have to hide from you to use against you... ...why... ...?"
Spyro dropped a few droplets of sweat, but chuckled towards one of her words, "Uh... hehe... ... 'we're'?"
"What?"
"Ahem," Spyro cleared his throat, "You said, 'why put yourself out there when you know what 'we're' capable of."
"I... ...did...?"
His words had stunned her, or rather, her own words did such a thing. She didn't realize her emotions had gotten the best of her, and for what her slip up was; for her to not deny what she said, but rather think long and hard about her response: she had none. She felt outed in a way, even if what he thought wasn't the truth. His smirk and raised brow sparked something within. Nothing positive; purely destructive. Anger that was swiftly acted upon. Her body lunged forward; her legs propelling herself, and her arm at neck length. With such a sudden jolt in her speed, Spyro couldn't react. Her arm connected to his neck, slamming and pinning his back to the wall; tears filling her eyes, and her voice becoming erratic, "OUT OF EVERYTHING I SAID, 'THAT' IS WHAT YOU CHOSE TO SEE?!" Her force against his neck grew more forceful; the purple dragon trying his best to hold her back from the squeezing pain, "ANSWER ME! WHY DO YOU TRUST THEM?!" It was hard for him to answer; the less air he had gave him less of a chance to speak, and without that chance to explain, she took more from his airway, "WHY?!"
Trying his best to claw and extend his neck past her death hold, he was able to speak well enough for her to hear the truth, "I might... have my reasons... to not... trust them. But... ...I have all the more reason... 'TO' trust them," His words did little at first in loosening her hold, but words were words, and her ever-so-slight-backing allowed him to speak more clearly, "Just like my love for you, I have my reasons to pinpoint... in that moment, why I chose you, why I love you; why I'd do anything for you... and the same can be said about them. They're my friends, not because I choose that to be, or because I feel like that would strengthen our bonds simply by lying to myself... But because..." He strained a little bit more before continuing his tears upon his fallen friends, "But because the day they saved your life, I knew I would forever be in their dept."
She was a little stunned to hear this, and of course didn't believe it, "So you allowed them access to your heart?! Your memories, your emotions; every part of you that walks, moves, and lives?! You closed your eyes that day without worry simply because they saved me?!" Cynder spat, knowing how purple dragons worked at this point, "And this is why some of you are so easy to break down. You trust so easily simply because someone does something right 'ONCE', and you think that's what makes them redeemable?! That's the whole point! To manipulate, lie, and to choose the winning side in that moment! They never cared about you! They were Dark Dragons doing their jobs and taking it slow enough to kill you, and everyone you love!"
"Even if that was true, I win either way."
"HOW?!" Her blade swung quickly: dodging past her back, slicing the purple dragon's left cheek, and cracking the wall next to him as the tip of her blade dug into the wall behind him.
"Because..." He stretched his neck a little to ease the pain of her grip, "I lived long enough to create a family, to save lives, and to heal those once broken. But died soon enough to prevent myself from ever becoming this... villain, that's supposedly written into my future, my legacy, my destiny," He stunned her once again; the smirk of confidence crept across his face, "I never killed a soul, and died an innocent man to the Dark Dragons. Maybe at that point, if a purple dragon were to be born in the future, our destiny will change; our purpose, and while I might be a casualty of war based on the past, if I can die happy knowing I made a difference, than I've won in my own way: successfully breaking the constant cycle of war, death, and loss."
"YOU'RE NOT THE FIRST TO HAVE TRIED!" Tears ran down her eyes; her voice becoming frantic, her words scattered, and her body shivered in weakness, "You'll fail just like the others! And even as you said, what the past did to so many, they'll never heal from that! Their futures were stolen! Their minds were broken! THEIR WORLD SHATTERED, RIPPED OF ITS ENERGY, AND CLOSING IN ON UNINHABITABLE!"
This caught Spyro's attention, "Uninhabitable?"
She looked to him with the need to kill within her eyes, yet still she answered through gritted teeth, "The last of your kind destroyed our world! Without the life force from the core of our world to keep life sustainable, trees can't grow, water can't flow, and with the decrease and scarcity of resources that cannot be regenerated, cared for, or processed without the planet's core, we ourselves have to be put in charge of killing our own kind."
"Wait... WHAT?!" He had many, many questions; all he wanted answers to and all he had hoped she'd answer, but without a clear direction: the loss of words making it impossible for Spyro to ask and pinpoint one issue, she spoke on what she believed he was asking about.
"The trees that still stand, and the water left over provides just enough oxygen for our planet to provide a certain amount of oxygen to those still alive. However, if we go over that threshold, many will lose oxygen to their brain and lungs, causing deaths of varying degrees. To accommodate for this, we have to choose who dies: old... or young."
"WHAT?!"
"Not like it matters much since both sides are constantly at war over what should be done of purple dragons. Either those who wish to control you, or those who simply wish to kill you. Either way, with a dwindling population, low morale, or contact with your world other than slight chances to see within the eyes of Dark Creatures; specifically those who share dark energy or are just, if not more powerful than those that created them, we are left in the dark... literally. Our sky is grey, it never rains, and the wind never blows. It's as depressing and as dull as it gets, and it's all because of you, and your kind."
Spyro had to take five for a minute to process all this information. He could barely make heads or tails of the world he was in now, let alone stand to his own two feet. But to hear of a conflict going on in another world; one that was the cause of the purple dragons, and the death of an entire race of dragons, his mind went else where. He knew what he needed to do, but just needed time to do it. He smiled; hope igniting within him brightly. His colors turned pure, and his eyes looked deep into a more bright future. This smile was taken differently by Cynder however. She saw it as a sign of disrespect to what she had said, and rather rise the same way he did, she broke her tail from the wall in secrecy. The blade lowered to her stomach, and as her head lowered in a depressed, devastated state; her teeth snapped shut. Her blade swung forward in a flash: the need to gut the purple dragon for his transgressions overwhelmed her.
"That's it!"
Her blade stopped just at the point of his stomach. The tip of her weapon poked his belly, and though she was desperate to see that flesh split in two, curiosity got the better of her. She somewhat wondered what the purple dragon had to say, and much he had to say too, "I know how I can benefit both the purple dragons and my own family at the same time!" She looked up at him, curious, but also disgusted, "Maybe I did fail as a purple dragon since... I was the cause of their deaths and so many others. I'll be looked at as a monster to those who still remember me, but... at the very least... maybe everyone will forget me."
"What are you going on about?" She wanted answers, and backed some to allow his air to flow.
"Before I give my life to bring everyone else back, I can save the Dark Dragons' home world before doing so!"
"What?!"
"Cynder, think about it!" She backed away from him and allowed him now the full floor to speak, "I've already reverted the damage Corvus did to this planet once before, and it makes sense now why he did it! He wanted revenge, and wanted us to suffer the same way the Dark Dragons are suffering on their home world! If I can bring their planet back the same way I did ours, maybe I can help them heal - hell, maybe I can do even more than that since I have so much more power within me now!" He hadn't noticed it, but Cynder's heart raced, and her eyes wobbled all over the place: looking from his eyes to his arms, to his wings, to his chest, to his tail; she was inspecting all of him, decisions and word choices included, "I can revive their trees, create their water, rebuild all from the ground up, and maybe even make homes with my earth, burn fires for warmth with flames, gives them a reason to cuddle with those they love with my ice, and set off a display with my lightning for them to look on in awe over rather than to think about how horrific their situation once was!"
He was passionate. From the heart to the soul, he had everything planned out already on what he wanted to do and how he wanted to do it. She didn't sense an ounce of sarcasm in his voice, and that was all the more reason to hate, question, and wonder. Spyro's excitement was brought down however, remembering and embedding his ideals into his soul; understanding why fully he needed to do this, "Kettu and Xvar were brothers to me... and though they never told me how bad it was on their world, maybe... maybe they were afraid. They thought I'd see this opportunity to wipe their world clean and rid of their kind. But... if I can save their world, their species, and my friends and family, all while being forgotten about... then... ...I win... ...right...?"
His heart twisted on that thought, knowing one way or another, there wasn't a happy ending in this at all. For things to truly be set right, he would have to lose even more than he already had, and at the same time, give up more than what he truly could, "Those I killed... will never have the chance to see where their futures, their decisions; friendships, and families... where all that would lead and how important those relationships were. I'll still be filled with regret, pain, and sorrow within: died... or alive. I'll surely burn for all my afterlife for those I've wronged..." Spyro's paw raised as he gripped his chest; the pounding of his heart ached at his core, "But even if there are varying opinions on what's right and what's wrong... for someone to give their life to save another... to save hundreds, thousands, millions at that...! That's... morally correct... ...right...?" He looked to Cynder for answers, the two sharing tears as they looked to one another's distraught faces, "Even if that means giving up what time we have left, and our futures too. ...What is truly right in this world... ...when everything you do feels so wrong...? Would giving my life now be morally correct? Or... would asking for one more day with you be too much?" He laughed in undesirable pain, but kept a smile, "I guess it's selfish of me to think like this. I shouldn't be the one here having these thoughts or tears... it should've been those who deserved them and fought for them... ...not someone who was always meant be nothing but a burden to everyone and everything he's ever known... who... was the death of those people too."
Cynder was overwhelmed by emotion; seeing so much and such powerful ones from the purple dragon himself. His tears, his smile, his words, his tone and mood set everything up to be somewhat of a dream. The views he had were noble, yet still, all he wanted to be was human. He never asked to be born the way he was, but still took the opportunity; using his drive, desire, and power to prove those who attacked and berated him how wrong they were. Even in his failures, he never stopped to think of himself or to blame others: his body's willingness to die something unable to be controlled as his soul ached for the love of those departed and in such a short amount of time. He had a lot to deal with, and all in a manner of a few hours. This didn't stop him from taking his aim towards the future, and looking on to what was bright. The female saw all this and more, surprised, flabbergasted that such a man existed. Her tail fell low; her defenses dropped and her emotions heightened. She didn't know what to say or do but to cry tears with him and speak to him lowly, "Spyro..."
He looked to her; past his tears and his pain, he smiled a greeting smile. One that was filled to the brim with anguish, but that didn't matter to him. Though he was far from happy, to have her here with him, and to still know that there was hope for their future, he would lie to himself for the rest of his life if it meant protecting those he loved, and bringing back those he wronged. She second guess herself and her decisions. Though Spyro thought he had done everything right, something else was going on. There time of soul searching through the views of one another's eyes were cut short. The black female suddenly cried out in pain; holding her head the same way Spyro once did before he fell from the sky. Spyro gasped to see this, "Cynder!"
Rushing to help her, she swung her blade at him; standing to her feet and growling, "STAY AWAY!"
She sounded more aggravated than distraught. Her pain caused immense screams that scared Spyro; unknowing of how he'd be able to help as not even he himself had figured out quite what was going on. Her voice and motions were flexible, and her words clear, even if she did growl most of them, "Give me more time...! You... impatient BASTARDS!" She turned her back to him, but her voice was still easy to make out, "I know what I'm doing! I was trained for this... by you and your shit-head team! Now leave me alone!"
Her paw swiped forward; a gust of wind ejecting from her claws and slashing the wall in front of her. Her power was far beyond what she was originally capable of. The slash marks were large, wide, and deep: very deep. A cut of that caliber would slice any dragon's body parts clean off. Spyro was not only surprised, but scared the same. His anxiety went through the roof, already having realized once before what was going on, but looked past it due to his other and much stronger emotions. Her growl was filled with steam and death. She was ready to kill him, and he sensed it, "Cynder..." She didn't face him, and that gave him the chance to make his statement, "You're not my Cynder... ...are you."
Her head somewhat shifted to look at him, but she only gave him one eye to look at, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Well... I have two theories. The way you spoke so heavily on the Dark Dragons' home world, and how you said 'I', 'we', and 'our', that leads me to believe you're a Dark Dragon yourself possessing my lover's body," That was the first theory, and upon him speaking about the second one, she turned to face him fully; dropping back down to all fours, "Or... you're a Cynder from one of the other failed timelines. I don't know how this all works or maybe I hit my head too hard, but... if time travel was possible, maybe you traveled to a time where you recovered everything you lost. Everyone in your timeline is dead, so... you joined over to this one. And if that's the case, where's my real Cynder?" He questioned himself to that, but as horrific as it sounded, his second theory might've proven to be the right one, and he gasped upon his realisation, "The final room."
"What final room?" Her stance was on the offensive: she was ready to kill and he noticed it.
"'It was Volteer's idea'... but what could that mean? Why would you tell me that?"
"It was something I said in attempts to wake you, nothing more."
"So you wouldn't mind if I went upstairs now, would you?"
"I'd advise against it," The shine of her blade showed to the side of her body: Spyro knowing now it was all downhill from here.
"And why's that?"
"Don't question me, Spyro. We're going to the White Isles. Now."
He looked to her before looking down the hallway. He knew in himself what needed to be done, but how he'd go about it was a different story. There wasn't much preparation whatsoever. Spyro's step towards the open arch of the Guardian's Chambers set her off. Her kick from the ground towards him was swift, as too was her claws; slicing a slash of wind in his direction. He ducked: the wall exploding out dust and rubble just behind him, leaving slash marks just as if not bigger than the ones on display from the other wall. Low to the ground and Cynder overhead, he set his fist ablaze and swung upwards to attack. Cynder guarded herself, arms to her face, and wings the same. She waited for the attack, but ended up falling to the ground. She had already braced for some kind of attack, but one never came. As her body hit the floor, she slid for a few seconds before making a quick recovery. Her wings, arms, and legs spun in a rapid, circled motion, kicking wind everywhere in hopes of blinding or stunning her opponent. Once to all fours, she stood defensively, looking all around to where Spyro might've gone. At the glimpse of her eye, she noticed his leaf tail blade following behind him as he made his way up to their home. She blushed somewhat to him not having attacked her, but immediately bit her teeth down and growled, "Bastard!"
Spyro rushed down the hallway as fast as he could, knowing full well what was behind him and taking no chances to look back. Hearing the sounds of earth shattering before him, he couldn't help himself but to look back, and unfortunately, he wish he didn't. Cynder's speed was unlike any other. She used her momentum to jump from the ceiling, to the walls, and to the floor, creating a cyclone with her wind and steps to increase her speed, using the flames around her from the wall-lamps to increase her speed. Spyro, rightfully so, screamed, "AH!"
He himself used his own abilities. Lightning electrified his fours below. A crack of thunder echoed throughout the building, and within seconds, Spyro found himself in a deep, dark place. Due to his speed and overall overwhelming situations, he didn't realise how fast he was going, nor what was in front of him. Rather being able to stop on time, his head went face first into the wall of his home. He struggled and strained, using his fours to push his head from the confines of the wall. Finally able to squeeze himself out, he fell to the floor below himself and directly to his rear. He was shaken up, seemingly seeing birds over his head. Shaking himself off, he stood to his fours and nearly fell to his side, but caught his footing and turned towards the door. Rushing over to grab the handle, his arm was grabbed. He looked to his right to react, but was immediately head-butted to the floor. His body hit the ground with a powerful crash, half his back ending up in the floor. He yelled out in pain but was unable to do much of anything with his arms, legs, wings, and neck lodged into the ground below. His eyes slowly opened to grasp what all had happened, but his neck was quickly and forcefully grabbed by his offender. He grabbed hold of the female's arm, trying to loosen her death grip, but she wasn't going to let go so easily. He didn't know what to do in this situation. He couldn't hurt her, nor could he ever harm her. He had to think of something fast, "Why... are you... doing... this...?"
"Maybe there's some truth to what you've said and maybe there isn't! But either way, what's right for me here and now is to kill you before you make any other sudden moves!" She was serious about what she had said, her grip getting tighter and tighter; the once love of his life whom gave him air to breathe now was seemingly taking that all back, "One way or another, I will succeed! I can't allow myself to fail, NOT AFTER WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME! I myself can die knowing I accomplished my goals, and though killing you is the last thing I want to do, it's better than the alternative."
"Let... ...me... ...help... ...you..."
"NO!" She threw off tears from her eyes, "There's no changing our fates, OUR DESTINY IN LIFE! I must not fail again or else it's my head! And if you were to learn the truth, you too would want me died! You'd give me away, you'd sell out for extra power, or sacrifice me simply because it's the greater good of your kind! HOW DO YOU THINK THAT AFFECTS OTHERS, HUH?! How the hell are we supoosed to live in peace when WE'RE THE ONES MAKING THESE DIFFICULT DECISIONS FOR YOU! TO KILL OURSELVES, TO NOT HAVE A REASON TO LIVE, TO BE PUSHED, BEATEN, AND ABUSED JUST SO PEOPLE LIKE YOU CAN'T EXIST!"
Her problems were far different than that of what Cynder would've normally said. He knew at this point, the only viable option was his first theory, not even considering a third. He couldn't attack her, especially not if Cynder wasn't in control, so instead, he did the next best thing. He smirked past his lost breath, "You're... ...gonna be... ...okay. ...I'll... ...save... you..."
She was somewhat stunned to hear him say that. Even with this slight hesitation, it gave him enough of an opening to make his move. Using his earth, a flat space pushed him up and forward. His chest connected with her own, and where he went forward, Cynder fell backwards. She was caught off guard by this sudden jolt of speed, and with how quickly he tackled her, she braced once again for his attack. His head held over her shoulder until her back was close enough to the ground. Now switching the positions, Cynder was forced to her back while Spyro stayed atop of her. He pinned her arms by grabbing her writs, and with the use of his earth once again, he held her wings, legs, and tail down, exposing the entirety of her underbelly. She tried to respond back by struggling out of his grip, but it was useless. She could feel he wasn't trying to be hard with her, but once she moved, a more firm grip was given.
"Let...! Me...! Go...!"
She whimpered, her neck stretching from one side before stretching to another. Finally giving in to catch her breath, both looked at one another, panting from the loss of breath. Her mind went elsewhere for a second. Seeing such a muscular male above her, sweating and breathing down onto her; her legs bound outwards to expose her lower regions, and her body at his mercy. The way he held her down, and the look in his eyes, at least for her, seemed so seducing. It warmed her to her core, and the redness on her face was at full display. She didn't know if she should scream, yell, or growl, but not much more of thought was put into it as Spyro finally was able to speak, "No one... ...should ever have to go through... or be put in a position... of a Sophie's Choice..." His warm breaths continued, "If you really are a Dark Dragon possessing my lover... ...please... ...Let it be known now that I will make it my priority to save your planet above all else. I've failed to keep every other promise to all those I've wronged... but at least if I die and fail within your home world, you'll have me died to rights, and will win no matter what. Either I heal your planet... or you kill me."
"I choose to kill you than!" She snapped up at him, her teeth unable to make it to his throat.
"I know how you feel... to want to kill those who wronged you... to want to harm those that hurt who you loved. I was there once too with Corvus, and still very much was even as the days went by. But... I... started to respect him, and love the father daughter relationship him and Cynder seemed to be building. You too can make those changes. Why end the lives of those so swiftly when, even in the eyes of a corrupt man, he too can see the light?"
"When something happens once, twice, three times, FOUR TIMES! HOW COULD YOUR WORDS HOLD ANY KIND OF WEIGHT WHATSOEVER?! Especially to someone like me who was birthed for the soul purpose to kill you and any other of your kind that breathes."
She gave herself away at this point; though still, Spyro was unsure of who she was or what she wanted. She looked like Cynder, felt like Cynder, and sounded exactly like her. Everything from head to tail was his lover, he knew that for sure. But if it was a Dark Dragon that had taken over, he didn't understand why he couldn't sense, see, or feel any differences with her at all. Because the situation was all so new, and he couldn't make heads or tails of what the truth was or who he was really talking to, he didn't know how to aid her, "I'm sorry. I will do whatever I must to make things right with you. I don't know how I can help you, but just know that... I will be there for you. I promise."
"LIAR!" She became more aggressive, his grips on her writs becoming too tight.
He knew he'd lose this fight. She was ready to do what ever it took to break free, but he wasn't willing to keep her held down and accidentally harm her. Instead, he took the necessary steps. Holding her right arm down, a chain grew from the floor and up and over her left arm. She gasped and looked over to it. Struggling the best she could to break free, her best efforts weren't enough. Her heart pounded, her body jumped to the beat of her heart, and from a quick look up to Spyro, now that he had a free paw, he had a free use of his abilities. Earth enveloped his fist. Raising up high and holding her arm down with his other paw, he apologized, "Hopefully you'll wake once I find a way to help you, but I can't do anything for you right now."
She had no way to block her face. The look of his fist; the earth that surrounded it and the muscles that packed behind it, she knew if the attack were to hit her, the impact surely would've knocked her out, worst case scenario, it would've concussed her. The thought of this pain and lack of movement made her beg, "NO...! WAIT! SPYRO - STOP - PLEASE!" Her frantic struggles all but exhausted her, and her tears made things worse by blurring her vision, "DON'T HURT ME! DON'T... DON'T - SPYRO - PLEASE! I BEG YOU!" He didn't listen and swung his fist towards her, "SPYRO!"
She cried as loud as she could, her head angling itself downwards and to her chest in hopes that would've lessened the blow, or even avoided it all together. Her tears fell, her eyes clamped shut, and her teeth gripped together, painfully awaiting the attack to hit. However, it never did. She waited a few more seconds, her body completely tensed and awaiting her inevitable knockout. But since she was still alive and awake, she hesitated to open one eye. But upon doing so, she gasped gently. Spyro was gone, and her body was completely intact. She tried to move her right arm, but just the same as her left, it was locked down. Gasping to this, Cynder looked over and noticed the earth that covered over her other arm. Now completely immobilized, what was next was anyone's guess, but seeing purple arms and legs approach the door next to the Training Room, her eyes widened, as too her mouth, He didn't... ...hurt me...? This thought brought upon more tears and emotions. Though she had enough to worry about, seeing him reach for the door made her heart sick, "NO! DON'T OPEN THAT DOOR!"
He stopped just inches away. Spyro had come so far up until this point, and with what little he had to work with, this door may very well be the difference between life and death. But hearing his lover cry out to him, afraid as to whether or not she was really his or not; it mattered too much to him to ignore her pleas. Fake or not, her cries were real, and her voice invoked a response within his heart to hear her out. The female took notice of this, and tried her best to get him to back away from the door, "I-I-I-If you go in there... ...I... I'll... I..." Her words broke until she finally found her voice, "I'll die..."
His paw twitched to hear her say that. To open a door and her life end seemed too silly, even for someone like him who's seen almost everything. A door that could kill simply by opening it; or rather, could it have been something on the other side that she feared. Whatever it was, Spyro had to take it on alone, even if for this last time, "You all did a lot while I was away... I'm... assuming, at least. It's time you stopped running, and rather... rested. I'll deal with whatever may have you by your throat, and I will in return give back what you've lost."
"YOU CAN'T GIVE ME MY LIFE BACK!" Her hopes of him hearing her out were fleeting.
"Don't need to if you never died in the first place," He grabbed the door knob, "No more running. No more hiding. Wait for me here. I'll be back."
She watched as he twisted the door knob. Her voice was useless at this point, but still, she tried her best, "No..." The door swung open, "No!" With view now of what was inside, the purple dragon took his first few steps, "NO!" His body slowly disappeared the more he walked forward: into what seemingly was a black abyss, "NO - NO - NO - NO - NO! SPYRO! SPYYRROO!"
The door behind him shut tightly. Encapsulated in darkness, there was still somehow light. He seemed illuminated by something, allowing him to see all around, but not too far off into the distance. It was pitch black, yet still he could see where he was going. Below him he stepped to puddles of water. The small rings rippled from his steps, and splashed gently from his elegant toes and fingers. He looked all around, but there wasn't anything to see. His only true sense was that of his hearing, listening to the soft plops of water underneath his fours. Maybe something waited for him in the door, and to insure he was alone, he spoke, "Hello?" ""Hello?" "Hello?" "Hello?"
His voice echoed throughout the space that he was in. There was nothing, but he knew where there was an echo, there was a wall that his voice was bouncing off of. Where the hell am I? He continued to walk, hoping at some point he'd reach some kind of ending. Whether his destination had an end in sight was unknown, but being all alone in the dark recesses of darkness terrified him, especially since he knew how smart of a man Volteer was, Watch this be some kind of trap set up by the others. I'll forever be stuck in purgatory in this dark realm, endlessly walking with no way out. Turning around to see if he could find the door in case he needed to leave, it had disappeared; a small droplet of sweat ran down his face, Great. He sighed, realizing now that his words might've had some weight, I guess karma is a real bitch. But... maybe... it's well deserved. I ended their lives, and put them some place in the afterlife... a place... they didn't... and should've never have gone to until old age. And now... here I am... a place of constant darkness... for me to think... for me... to remember... what I've done. Turning his head back around, he sighed once again, From a full family to... ...this... ...just me... myself... and I. A small bit of light shined ahead of him, forcing his lids to shrink and cover over his eyes in attempts to weaken this blinding light. Using a paw to cover over his face, he called out to what ever was in front of him, "Is somebody there?" "Are you there?" "Please help me..." "I don't wanna die alone."
The sounds of rustling grass enveloped his ear holes, and to his fours, he looked down and noticed the soft touch of grass. He wiggled his digits through them, feeling their sudden warmth and continuing the trend of questions rather than answers. He was shocked at first, confused as to what was now happening around him, but that didn't mean he lowered his guard. The grass in front of him rustled. Something was stepping on it, and what ever it was, it started its approach to him. His eyes seemingly had adjusted, and taking the offense, he was quick to swing his balde forward. Moving his paw to have clear few of who he was to attack, his body halted immediately. Stood in front of him now was his Cynder, her teen self, looking at him in a smile. His eyes shot wide, confused as to how she was here. Noticing all around now, he was placed somewhere in Avalar it would appear. Trees, flowers, rivers, lakes, and ponds spread all across and around them. Noticing and looking past her, a patch of grass imprinted where her body laid, signifying too just how long she laid there for. Spyro was in shock and awe, understanding little as to what was happening. Yet still, tears rolled down his eyes to see what he believed to be his real Cynder, "Cy... Cynder... ...Is... ...Is that... Is that really..."
He couldn't find his words; however, she nodded and found her own, "You've grown so much," She giggled somewhat, tears of her own falling from her lids.
"I've... I've... what?"
"Hehe... I remember... I remember when we were our childish age, taking on all manners and forms of both that holy and unholy. I'm glad to see you're still kicking."
"Wait... wait, wait wait wait wait wait, what are you... Cynder, what are you talking about," He laughed, painfully, sharply, knowing all too well where this was going, "Why did I... you... I... I've... Hehe... Cynder, we... we grew older... together... did we not?" He was hysterical, "Surely Ersa gave you something to make you look younger than you are-"
"Spyro," Her soothing voice tried to reach him.
"Or maybe you asked Ignitus cause you wanted to be young forever so we could be together forever, like how I promised you-"
"Spyro," She once again kept calm in hopes of reaching him.
"Immortality! You found immortality, right?!" His heart raced higher and higher, his tears dropping lower and lower, "You worked with Corvus! You all made it out together, we all made it out together - LIFE DIDN'T END JUST LIKE THAT!"
He finally cried his final words, giving her room to speak on her own now. Where he broke down over her appearance, and what was surely to come, she stayed calm and collected. For what reason he couldn't understand, but now, he was finally given answers. Though for what she said, he had wished that some mysterious would've never been solved, "I don't have much time. I asked Volteer and Ignitus to allow me a few minutes more to spend with you before I passed on."
He nearly broke to hear this, "P-p-p-p-pass... o-o-o-on...?"
She nodded, smiling to him even, "Don't blame yourself for what happened Spyro. You gave me more than I could've ever dreamed of experiencing. Friends... family... a lover... hehe... ah hell... who am I kidding... you... were so much more to me than just a lover," Her paw raised to his cheek, "Friends, caretakers, lovers... mates," She rested her paw to the side of his cheek, stunning him to her words, warmth, and feelings, "You gave me more than enough to live by, and to help me safely say that... I had a fulfilling life."
Her smile wasn't of malicious intent or corrupted attitude. What she said was genuine, and what she had to say was filled to the brim with love for him. He wanted to speak, but he couldn't. His tongue was locked in place, and his heart ached too much for his body to move. He was paralyzed, with nothing to do but to watch on and listen, unable to speak to her, hold her, or confide with her. Her body slowly turned to bright light and dust, each of her scales disappearing one by one. Her time was nearing its end, and she knew she needed to make these last few seconds count, "I called you up here just before I died in my other life to tell you," Her paw dropped from his head, her nose replacing the embrace by resting to his nose as well, "Don't give up... ...please. Live that fulfilling life as I did. There's still more than half a planet out there for you to save, and a whole world of Dark Dragons too."
Say something - SAY SOMETHING - SAY SOMETHING! ANYTHING AT ALL! PLEASE - SPYRO - WAKE UP! He couldn't. He was frozen from head to tail, stuck in a state of regret, one that would follow him for the rest of his life if he didn't get a word out. Cynder's body was to a point now where mere seconds remained, and she used all the time she had to spend it with him, "From the day I first laid eyes on you, I never would've imagined such a life. I thought you'd used me, just the same as the Dark Master before. But all you did was give, and helped me experience things I never even dreamed of."
"Cynder..." His voice wasn't much, but he tried his best to speak to her.
"Joy, excitement, energy, the will to live... ...and the most powerful experience... The most life changing emotion of all..."
Her head backed away, giving Spyro a full view of herself. She smiled, happily, peacefully, and with her time to its end, she laughed her tears away as she gave her final words, "Love... ...I found love... in you..."
Spyro's heart slammed to his chest. All functions within seized. He couldn't think, he couldn't move, he couldn't breathe. Cynder spoke a few more words, but he couldn't hear. The sounds of ringing got louder and louder, his pupils shook in an earthquake-like display, and where everything crashed around him, it all came to a sudden halt. The voices halted , the ringing subsided, and his eyes focused on her lips. Though he couldn't hear, his heart, mind, and soul read what left she had to say. "I love you." With those final words, her body disappeared like ash in the wind. The grass around him caved in, the trees fell over, and the water collected back down on the floor below. The sounds of laughter echoed in his head. They laughed, sung, and danced all about within his mind. Their laughter turned to tears, their tears to blood, their cries to screams, their screams, turned to silence. All that was left now was the thought of bones, but even then, those too washed away in the wind. What was left behind was a memory, and what stood in the wake of the disaster: Spyro. It all mattered little to him now. It was over. The truth was revealed, and who ever or what ever he was talking to led him astray. He broke. Mentally, physically: he gave way for something else to take the wheel. Not even noticing to his back, the adult Cynder from before opened the door behind him. At some point, it had reappeared, and allowed her free passage. She clapped her teeth together to see him standing there in the dark, You're dead, you son of a bitch! She rushed in, swiftly, yet quietly. Her speed matched that of wind; quick, swift, and nearly invisible. Just as her body lept ahead and over his figure, she switched her stance to angle her blade directly to his back in hopes it'd hit his heart through the other side, You're mine. Just before the attack could connect, the devil emerged from within him. She gasped, seeing a figure of red eyes and ghostly features turn from within the back of his body.
An explosion erupted from within the room, so massively destructive that its shock wave leveled any and every building not supported to its absolute maximum. The Guardians' Blinding was completely demolished, the mountain it was on following too. It crumbled, cracking completely from top to bottom, leveling anything within and around it. The rooms, Spyro's home, the Sleeping Chambers; it was all met with the same fate. Rubble crumbled around these places, destroying their interiors and designs, memories of what once was. The beds in the Sleeping Chambers too were slammed down upon by the roof above. Every bed was smashed with Ignitus's standing for a bit longer than the rest, but it too met the same fate. Through the dust and rubble, a puff of smoke, following suit a long trail of smoke, caught something it. The smoke continuing for a bit, holding onto something as it was flung away from the building. Once a good distance away, the smoke fell from the figure, revealing Cynder's weak and lifeless body. The attack knocked her out, and sent her far from where the first attack had hit her. It didn't take long before her back slammed to the rubble of a building inside Warfang, each hit doing more damage to her already weakened figure. Her back hit one thing, her wing another, and finally, as her face connect to the floor, she slid a few seconds more: finally coming to a halt. Her body was beaten, battered; dirty and dusty from the attack and there on after. It took her a good minute to compose herself, but with a twitch of the paw; signifying she still clung to life, she groaned in pain, "Uuggghhhh..."
Her whole body ached from the attack, and for how powerful it was, she felt slightly in a daze. Cynder's legs wiggled, her wings dropped to the floor, and with a paw to her forehead; feeling the concussed nature of her brain now, there was little time to recover. The sounds of a sparkling star muted out all other tones for her to hear. Wind, the rustling of trees, the sounds of a collapsing building; it all halted, seemingly being absorbed. Looking towards the sound, she spotted it floating down towards her. It was a very small ball, filled with colors, light, and that soft, glistening sound. It approached the ground slowly, and though already weak in the legs, her heart nearly stopped. Knowing what it was before it could hit the ground, she turned tail and ran in the opposite direction as fast as she could.
"NO!" Tears ran past her eyes, her wings kicked open, and with what grip she could make, her legs kicked off the destroyed remains of a building to give herself momentum to fly.
She flew as fast as she could, using all her power; will and not, to push herself to a breaking point. Even if her wings ached, or her body gave way, she pushed herself to safety. The sparkling ball whistled towards the ground, and with the final few seconds came a lower volume. The sounds of sparkling grew quieter and quieter; every other sound in the world following along. Like a clock striking its number, the ball connected with the ground, and for a moment there was silence. Cynder, even with her back turned, saw the color white engulf her vision. Following along was an explosion that of which could wipe out entire civilisations. The detonation was large, hard, and powerful. White was consumed in red, blue, then purple and black. The shockwave eradicated nearly everything in its sight, leaving not even sand or dust left in its path. Any remaining building that stood was disintegrated, toppled, or left to rot without a roof, walls, or doors. Cynder was an unfortunate causality; the shockwave pinning her directly to a home before it had toppled over. Rubble and debris hit it from all sides, and as the building fell backwards, so too did she. The debris continued to pile on as the shockwave pushed more and more of Warfang's remains outwards. The walls crumbled from the sheer force of the debris that flew at such high speeds; like a javelin hitting a piece of wood, the walls couldn't sustain the constant pelting or debris. Everything within a mile or more was turned inside out. It was hard to make out what the land had truly become now. The mountain that once held the Guardians and a family was leveled. There was nothing but fire. Cynder unfortunately caught sight of this. Pushing what rubble she could off of her, she climbed her way out to regain herself. It took time, and a lot of effort, but once atop the rubble she had been covered under, her body nearly screamed at her. Her breathing was off, her body was slashed, cut, and blooded from the hits of debris that flew her way, and from what she could tell, her left wing was now immobilized. It was hard for her to scream from the pain when she was so afraid. The adrenaline did wonders for her, but this feeling, these emotions; what she had seen, none of this felt right.
"Please... ...no..."
Making a stance; more of a knelt down one atop of where she was, her eyes looked on, widened, and in horror for what she saw. Spyro; if she could even call him that anymore, walked towards her one step at a time. Slowly he approached; eyes as red as the devil's, body seemingly morphed by the darkness; covering him in smoke and fog, what ever was left within him that was human burned away the minute he saw Cynder's final confession. Flames of red ignited all of Warfang, turning the once glistening city of life and love to the purest definition of hell on earth. He wasn't bothered by the flames, the rubble, the destruction; he welcomed it, or rather, seemingly couldn't care less about anything. Every second she looked into his eyes, the more her heart begged for a swift end. To be tortured by something such as Spyro now, it would be a life of unending pain. She knew what he'd do, and thought long and hard about every, single, possibility. He'd bash her skull in, heal her, rip her nerves in two and stitch them back together; he wouldn't let her live a single second of her life without causing her the same amount of pain she caused him. She couldn't understand why it mattered, why she cared so much, or why tears even fell from her eyes, H-h-he's supoosed to kill me... t-t-that's how this works! We need him... to kill his kind... to put them through what we were put through! His approach was still far out, giving her plenty of time to think, I trained for this... I was... bred... for this! I was beaten, attacked, abused, had my thoughts and emotions turned inside out! I knew this was to happen, I know this is what I want! BUT IF THAT'S THE CASE THAN WHY AM I SO SCARED?! Her heart pounded a beat that stopped her from breathing for just a second. That slight second of what felt like death gave her the answer she was looking for. I... don't... ...want to die...? Her time was up. Spyro was done wasting time himself, and rather walk his way to her, he simply appeared before her. His body zipped from one side to the other, and just like that, his paw gripped Cynder's neck. No one could've reacted to such speed. Even with her taking half the amount of time to blink, his figure already towered over her. His grip was tight, forceful, and powerful. He stood to his legs to hold her high; the female gasping for air, clawing even at his arms in a plea for him to let go. He was going to kill her, but something within her told her to fight, to speak, to scream at the top of her lungs to survive, "SPYRO...!" Her tears ran down her eyes, and her legs kicked, clawed, or pushed anything she could, even if it was just air, "I don't...! I don't... ...please - don't - no - NO - NO - NO - Spyro, stop... please! PLEASE, I AM BEGGING YOU!"
"You lied to me." "You tricked me." "You hate me."
One voice spoke after the next, yet still mixing all at once. The first voice that spoke was the monster in control, the second was his pain, and the third was he himself and what he truly felt. Each voice was just as spine chilling as the last, and even she realized it immediately just what she had done. His pain, guilt, anger, and sadness; he had no reason to stop himself from doing anything, only waiting to do what needed to be done before he felt like it. Her words fell on death ears. Her oxygen supply was now limited to her ability of wind, and even than, that too was running thin. She needed a way out, but even for her, that was a useless thought. He was dead-set on her end, and seemingly the only reason she was still intact with any muscle at all was due to the third voice within him: Spyro himself.
"I should break you." "Skin you." "Leave you."
"And I will." "Mentally." "Emotionally."
She knew what he was about to do, which is why she begged even furthermore to save her skin, and her people, "No... DON'T!" Spyro's paw raised over the females face, and though she tried to stretch her neck to move her head away from him, the grip on her neck tightened to hold her in place, "Ugh!"
His threats to her were real, just as real as the pain she felt, the fear that consumed her, the life within her that neared what felt like its end. Her life flashed before her eyes; the tightness around her neck taking what little air should had left away, numbing her completely, and blocking flow of blood to her brain. She gripped his arm one last time in a desperate attempt for him to reconsider, "Spy... ro..."
Without much left to hold onto her, her eyes looked to the sky for answers. They slowly became too much to bare; the weight of her lids falling over her eyes, darkness consuming her vision. She had plenty of time to think now, with what was left and what remained of her time she had left alive. These thoughts were of panic, desperation, and the will to survive. But why? She wondered. We... win... don't we? I've faced a purple dragon before, but never feared death. I was ready and willing to do what I was born to do, but now... after all this time... after being left with my thoughts, my memories, my growth in life that pushed me to do the right thing... ...Why do I want to take it all back? Her heart was the issue it would seem. She couldn't understand it through thought, but emotion rather.
She loved him, and before she could show that affection, Spyro took his chance to lock lips with her. Her eyes widened while his closed. Her blade swung around in defense, nearly stabbing right through his stomach. But the way he pushed against her; the warmth taking hold, her body resting in what felt like his arms. She gave way for him, made herself vulnerable, and rather have a paw to his own, she rested it to his chest in support. Their kiss felt like no other, and though the poking at his stomach caused discomfort, he fixed that problem in a romantic way. Wrapping his tail around her own, she stiffened in defense, but later gave in to the rubbing of his tail against her own.
Why... am i thinking about that moment...? Is that... ...where it all started?
"Hehe, well, I knew that after the fact. At that point, me, Kettu, and Xvar had become family," Spyro smiled the entire time, "That's why I let them roam free, why I don't hide my thoughts, my emotions, my memories. I've let them access it all. I wanted them to feel safe, comfortable, and understand that... I'm not like the others. Corvus always spoke about how I was a weapon... a tool of destruction... I was nothing... and never meant to be anything but a dangerous... thing... to be used... abused... and taken advantage of," He had noticed halfway through his words that Cynder showed tears, "Hey... ...you... ...you okay?"
He... cared about them. He... loved them like brothers... bonded with them, protected them, listened... to them.
What last she had said gave him something to speak on, still cold and death within, as too his voice, "If you know I'm at my lowest point, why do you continue to berate me?" What he had simply asked set her off; her teeth growing tight and her blade itching the ground behind her, "I wanted to help... I... ...wanted to take on everything by myself for the betterment of everyone. I thought I could do it... I thought I was powerful enough to achieve that safety you all deserved. Ersa... Trish... Claire... Flair... Carith... ...you..." He looked to Cynder with a single tear, "I knew when you all were to hold within you, a hatchling; a life that would weigh you down for the time, and drain you all of your energy... I knew I couldn't rely on you all. I knew... what would become of the others, and how protective they'd be over their pregnant partner. That's why... ...one of the reasons why... ...I... couldn't tell myself... that fighting along side someone would work. Not a parent like Ignitus, not a brother like Malefor, and... not a lover... like you."
He shouldn't care. Purple dragons take what they want cause they know what they are. Why is he so afraid? Why doesn't he make others bow down before his might?
Trying his best to claw and extend his neck past her death hold, he was able to speak well enough for her to hear the truth, "I might... have my reasons... to not... trust them. But... ...I have all the more reason... 'TO' trust them," His words did little at first in loosening her hold, but words were words, and her ever so slight backing allowed him to speak more clearly, "Just like my love for you, I have my reasons to pinpoint... in that moment, why I chose you, why I love you; why I'd do anything for you... and the same can be said about them. They're my friends, not because I choose that to be, or because I feel like that would strengthen our bonds simply by lying to myself... But because..." He strained a little bit more before continuing his tears upon his fallen friends, "But because the day they saved your life, I knew I would forever be in their dept."
She was a little stunned to hear this, and of course didn't believe it, "So you allowed them access to your heart?! Your memories, your emotions; every part of you that walks, moves, and lives?! You closed your eyes that day without worry simply because they saved me?!" Cynder spat, knowing how purple dragons worked at this point, "And this is why some of you are so easy to break down. You trust so easily simply because someone does something right 'ONCE', and you think that's what makes them redeemable?! That's the whole point! To manipulate, lie, and to choose the winning side in that moment! They never cared about you! They were Dark Dragons doing their job and taking it slow enough to kill you, and everyone you love!"
"Even if that was true, I win either way."
"HOW?!" Her blade swung quickly: dodging past her back, slicing the purple dragon's left cheek, and cracking the wall next to him as the tip of her blade dug into the wall behind him.
"Because..." He stretched his neck a little to ease the pain of her grip, "I lived long enough to create a family, to save lives, and to heal those once broken. But died soon enough to prevent myself from ever becoming this... villain, that's supposedly written into my future, my legacy, my destiny," He stunned her once again; the smirk of confidence crept across his face, "I never killed a soul, and died an innocent man to the Dark Dragons. Maybe at that point, if a purple dragon were to be born in the future, our destiny will change; our purpose, and while I might be a casualty of war based on the past, if I can die happy knowing I made a difference, than I've won in my own way: successfully breaking the constant cycle of war, death, and loss."
This can't be what I was told throughout my life. Spyro sounds nothing alike to any of the stories. Her breathing slowed, as too her heart. His gripped chocked the life out of her, but her thoughts seemingly gave her more room to breathe. She hadn't realised it yet, but her thoughts of him he read with the use of his darkness. He could hear what she was saying and thinking about, and though it pained him to back down, the purest of his form couldn't go through with the kill. Her thoughts were too caring, loving, and dedicated to her fears and previous learnings. Rather than being told what to do, or forced into doing something else, she had to make her own decision in life to save herself. Spy... ...ro... She tried her best to dig her darkness into his scales, but was immediately cut short by his much more powerful abilities. She was running out of time, and with a last ditch effort, her cries were given to him, "Your... ...family... ...trust... ...in... ...me... ...please..."
He wanted so desperately to break her neck right than and there. His claws ached, his muscles tensed, and his teeth gripped tightly. But his heart and soul were still intact, making way for tears to form within his eyes. He had no clue what she was attempting to do to him, but for her to beg the way she did, and to have the thoughts of love and family fill her mind, he gave her one last chance. Shaking off his tears with a tight shut of his eyes, he opened to reveal the red within his pupils and gave her this last request.
"Fine." "Do it." "Please don't betray me."
Her darkness, acting like tentacles, dug their way into his arm and reached up to his brain. It traveled from the entry point to the top of his head; Spyro's darkness allowing passage but on high alert for what it is she was attempting to do. Once having reached his brain, the darkness wiggled gently behind his left eye. Though it was soft on its approach, he couldn't help but shut both his eyes and grumble lowly to the feeling. It was off putting to feel a worm-like sensation in his eye, pushing and bulging the skin for a few more seconds. With the sensation now gone, he grumbled and shuck his head.
His eyes opened now, and immediately, he was hit with the truth of his world. His paws held Cynder's neck the same as before, but that was seen through his right eye. To his left; the one that her darkness had made its through, another reality entirely was shown to him. He didn't much focus on the surroundings but rather whom he held. It too was another Cynder, but not one of her adult form. Rather, this time, it was her teen self: the one whom he was growing up with, who he remembered the most vividly, and the one he knew was the realist of the two. She looked to him in cold, dead eyes, and dried tears; her voice breaking down in what seemed like one final plea, "Spy... ...ro..."
He was quick to let her go; his paws ceasing the grip on both Cynder's that he saw within his vision. They both fell to the floor in their own ways, coughing up blood, gasping for air, or reaching for the skies in hopes they'd make it out alive. He didn't much focus on the world he was in with the adult version of his lover, but rather the teen version that was all new territory to him. He looked around and noticed Warfang. Though with some buildings toppled and others scarred, most if not all were still nearly or even fully intact. The Guardians Building still rested atop the mountain, dragons were seen flying all over the place; though with screams of terror and bloody murder. One such voice yelled out to him, a feminine one that he knew well, "SPYRO!"
Turning himself around, his gaze was locked to the two females he saw behind him. His tears now felt endless. From what he was witnessing, the half of his body that now rested on this side of reality eased itself. The darkness that corrupted him became more tamed; a color of midnight purple taking over the left side of his body. His eye too was drained of a solid red. The iris of his eye turned this midnight color too; his pupil once again visible, and his emotions easily viewable. A small smile crept across his face, and with enough pain in his voice to break even the most heartless of souls, he spoke their names, "Ava... ...Carith..."
The two females looked to him with widened eyes; tears of their own to show, and just the same as him, they had their own cries to give, "SPYRO!"