It's been a while! This chapter might work best if the events from the previous one are still fresh in your mind, so feel free to jump back a chapter before diving into this one.

This chapter contains swearing and vague descriptions of extreme physical violence. This is Darkmire's chapter to shine, and she does not pull her punches.

This is also the time for Darkmire to get her theme song: 'Pit of Vipers', by Simon Curtis. A dark, twisted and catchy song which twists into your mind and puts you into the kind of mindset that she has.

With all that being said, enjoy the chapter! If you can.

The weight of the mountain was heavy above the cell, but the air inside was still and quiet and dead, the ancient rock was so old and sturdy that it never rumbled or creaked, or if it did then it did so at such a slow pace over thousands of years so that only the most sensitive of earth dragons could hope to feel it.

Cynder didn't like it, but much worse was the presence that they shared the cell with; that emaciated black scaled dragoness who stood watching them with a sick smile.

Spyro was by her side, and standing at the door to the cell were Malefor and Imperia, all of whom looked just as wary as she did.

Darkmire faced them all, walking with jerky motions to the centre of the room. Spyro and Cynder backed away with defiant growls, but it was clear that the dark dragon didn't care.

Those red tendrils of fear magic were reaching out again, as fast as Cynder knocked them back, brushing against all four of them and delivering information about their memories and their emotions back to Darkmire. Cynder could see those smoky tentacles twisting and stroking against their skulls, while the other three only felt cold shivers running down their spines.

"Malefor, Imperia. I see the heroes have arrived to save the day."

Darkmire spoke the words with deep mockery.

"You know me as the Darkmire dragon, but allow me to introduce myself properly… I am the beginning and the end. I am your life, your death, your future. All things will end in me, and I look forwards to-"

"Ooh! You're a wind dragon too!"

Imperia interrupted with a bright smile.

"So what's stopping you from making a break for it? Cant you just slide into the shadows and slip out the door? Why don't you just run for the exit?"

Darkmire laughed, a rasping strangled sound which muffled Imperia's voice, making the end of her sentence seem to ring hollow, like false bravado. Imperia huffed as she was interrupted in turn.

"Oh! Isn't she assertive! You overstep your bounds silver dragon. No need to reply, I have no doubt you can think of something witty, but I'll get to you later. Why would I ever want to escape when the world is being finally brought to me?"

Her blazing yellow eyes fixed onto Malefor.

"You came here yourself. I'm almost surprised, considering your history. I expected you to send a puppet."

"We're here to help Spyro. I have no quarrel with you."

Malefor responded in his deep even voice.

"You're powerful, even in this limited form you have. I do not know your history, nor your intentions, but I can tell they are painful and hostile, respectively. Please allow us some time to work in peace. If you do so then perhaps I can offer you a truce in future, if not assistance."

Darkmire moved forwards, with Spyro and Cynder backing away to let her pass. Walking with staggering steps right up to the bars she pressed against them, her long claws extending well through the gaps, reaching out as if to try and grab him while staring at Malefor with a venomous grin.

"I shall not return back into the mind of my vessel while the silver one is present. She alone out of all of you would gladly slit my throat when my guard was down. Spyro would not do it out of a sense of honour, Cynder would not do it because she thinks she can save me. And you… I know exactly why you would not do it."

She leered at him, and then suddenly jerked forwards and screamed in his face.

Malefor flinched back violently as her head smacked against the bars, creating a resounding 'clang' sound that meshed unpleasantly with her fading scream. She laughed, screeching in sick enjoyment at the look of carefully controlled caution on Malefor's face.

"There! I saw it! Did you see it? Did you? Imperia? Did you? Did you?"

She backed off, drawing her long nails over the bars with a horrible grating sound like claws on a chalkboard.

"He's afraid! He's terrified! His best kept secret! So cautiously hidden behind a veil of prudence. Malefor is a coward!"

She turned away, whipping her head towards Spyro and snapping at him with her toothy jaws.

Spyro stepped back in a defensive stance, growling in threat. He knew Darkmire was putting on a show of dominance, a pretence for now, and he knew better than to show any weakness.

"See!? Look at the courage! Confidence! Spyro here has more courage in one claw than Imperia and Malefor have put together! The backstabber and the coward, what a pair they are. And together they fool themselves into thinking they could be heroes! Ha! Perhaps Malefor would like to enlighten his companions on how much of a coward he really is, hmm?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I will admit that I am deeply cautious with my life, but I would consider that to be common sense." Malefor said stiffly, uncomfortably aware of Cynder's gaze, which had turned slightly suspiciously on him.

"Okay I know she's lying through her crooked teeth to get us to fight each other or something, but what is she talking about Malefor? What did you do?"

"I cannot think of an action or inaction she might be referring to."

Malefor looked at Darkmire with a glare.

"But I think you are correct about her motives. She is trying to manipulate us, and it will not work."

"Well if he won't tell you then I will! Tell me Spyro, Cynder, Imperia. You remember the soul crystal right? The one Malefor used to resurrect himself, and then Imperia later used to resurrect herself?"

Darkmire cackled softly.

"I have one as well out there in the world somewhere. But that's beside the point. The point is that before that juicy juicy fight in Warfang, that night, while Cynder was busy cheating on Spyro with his dark side-"

Cynder hissed in absolute fury at that.

"Malefor went and overwrote the crystal with his own soul again. Your supposed 'backup plan' for what would happen just in case you accidentally killed Spyro while trying to capture him was stolen back by Malefor, using it to protect his own cowardly life!"

"You shut your lying mouth!" Cynder snapped angrily. She glared at Darkmire, then at Malefor. "And you! She had better not be right about you! I was so close to trusting you."

"She's lying." Malefor said, barely able to keep the anger out of his voice. "I did no such thing. I've brought it to Darkmire's fortress, it's currently upstairs, and I am entirely willing for any of you to go and check it. I guarantee you that it still contains Spyro's signature."

Cynder's glare softened slightly. "I'll be checking… but I believe you."

She whirled back to Darkmire.

"So there! Your lies are accomplishing nothing! If she scares you so much then Imperia can stay in another room, now go back to your real self because you're not wanted here."

"Oh no… no no no no no… not until I'm done with all of you. You'd better let me finish if you want me to tell you how to save Spyro. The cowardly old snake was always the least interesting of the three of you. I can see he has brooding and self loathing to get to, and I would waste my time doing his work for him."

"How about you do me next then?"

Imperia said with a grin.

"Hit me where it hurts. I love a good insult."

"The other purple pretender comes next."

"Aww…" Imperia whined.

"Don't you dare say a word against him." Cynder snarled. "I'll beat you senseless."

"How protective."

Darkmire's voice suddenly lowered, so much so that they all had to lean in slightly to hear her.

"It's hard to be you, isn't it, Spyro? From the outside you always look so calm and perfect and in control. But it's hard to be like that, isn't it? You never really felt like you were doing all the things people praised you for. Taken away from your home, thrust into a strange new world. More and more responsibility heaped upon your shoulders…"

Spyro watched her warily.

"So what?"

"I know why you never accepted Ember's advances. And it wasn't because you weren't interested in her. It's because she didn't really know the real you, and that scared you… She loved something which you were not."

"What's your point?" Spyro growled.

"There is only one girl who has known the real you. Poor, much maligned poison dragoness. So sensitive, so delicate."

"I'm not delicate." Cynder snorted.

"Oh… ohhh dear… oh dear oh dear oh dear…"

Darkmire laughed.

"Do you want to tell her, or shall I?"

Spyro's eyes widened.

"That… No! That's just a stupid little wrong thought I had. How do you even know it!?"

He turned to look at Cynder, seeing the black dragoness was staring at him.

"It's nothing. I promise. It's stupid."

"Well if it's really nothing then you had better tell her. So many secrets being kept from Cynder…"

Darkmire said wickedly.

"Shut the fuck up!"

Spyro swore at her, with more venom and anger in his voice than Cynder could ever recall hearing.

"It's Miasma, okay?"

He looked at Cynder, a mixture of anger, confusion and remorse in his eyes.

"You seemed to really get along well with her. Remember meeting her in Warfang? The shy poison dragoness, Nadder's big sister. Look, it's a stupid thought. Please, keep in mind that it's just a stupid little fear I sometimes have."

Cynder looked at him expectantly. She knew it would be something small, something she would laugh about the moment he said it. Of course it would be nothing. But her heart beat faster with nerves, and she could see that whatever it was it was something which was eating Spyro up inside.

"It's okay, Spyro. Just tell me. It can't be the worst 'secret' that's been kept from me."

"Okay… it's just that sometimes it feels like everyone else only sees me as some hero, so many memories of things I've done, rescuing others or being introduced to them as 'saviour of the realms' or whatever. It feels like there is a gap between what they see, and what I really am… Even between me and you. The way we met, all that we've been through. It felt like it wasn't… really me. I was high on adrenaline half the time, and thinking about saving the world the other half of the time, you know? And the only girl who I've ever talked to, who's ever really spent time with me as a normal friend is Miasma…"

He sighed.

"I'm sorry…"

Cynder raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

She sighed in relief.

"Spyro you silly lump, that's nothing. I understand totally. I feel the same thing sometimes and it's okay. Yes she's right, we've been through a lot together. Shared trauma and stuff. But that doesn't mean we don't know each other! I know you, Spyro. The geology nerd, the romantic, the perfectionist. I know and love the sweet dragon underneath this whole hero thing, and never let anybody tell you otherwise."

Spyro stared at her, wide eyed, nodding slightly. After a moment he started to look reassured. "You're right…"

"He doesn't deserve someone like you."

Darkmire said softly.

"That's how he feels. The only girl who's really spent time with him as a friend is Miasma, and she doesn't love him, she loves Seizo. He thinks your love is fake, Cynder. That's what he's afraid of. That not only do you not love him for real reasons, but that there are no real reasons to love him. Someday you'll figure that out and leave him, and he'll deserve it."

"No longer."

Spyro shook his head, new confidence in his voice.

"Maybe I do fear those things sometimes. But the only reason Cynder and I haven't spent that much time together is because we keep on being forced to deal with unwanted interruptions. Interruptions like you. Once we're done defeating you we'll go out every single night and do every romantic thing we want! And if my fears are right, and I really am not good enough for Cynder then I'll just work doubly hard until I am good enough for her."

He looked at Cynder with bright optimistic happiness in his eyes, and saw pure love in hers as she gazed back.

"I want to just pounce on you and kiss you so badly right now." Cynder said to him.

"I love you."

"And I love you too. I'll demonstrate exactly how much as soon as we get away from the walking talking mood killer here." She said with a playful wink.

Spyro blushed deeply and smiled to her.

Darkmire gritted her teeth, slightly annoyed.

"Your time as a hero can't last forever Spyro. One way or another you will die… You and everyone you love. I am your death, and no matter how hard you try you will never escape it."

She shook her head, turning away from Spyro and Cynder before either of them could reply.

"Imperia. Black hearted beneath that clean grey exterior."

"Ooh, finally it's my turn!" Imperia giggled. "Hit me with your best shot, milady."

"Don't antagonise her." Malefor said cautiously. "She-"

"Ask and you shall receive. You think you're a challenge to me, do you? Think that you can smile your pretty little smile no matter what I say, do you?"

"Heehee, well no. But no matter what you say your compliment shall warm my heart."

Imperia said happily, swishing her tail.

"What little there is left of it…"

Darkmire said coldly.

"Look at you, living it up, saving the day. Thinking that everything is coming together. The four of you teamed up to defeat Hope, and even I cannot stop you, limited as I am now. But tell me, while you're living it up, I have a question for you. You always seemed to know what Flare was thinking, and I know what you know, so tell me… who was Flare's favourite student?"

"I knew it! You are mindreading us!" Imperia said. "That's super cool! How do you do it?"

"Some sort of fear magic." Cynder told her. "I can see it floating around your heads. If I could stop her I would… I'm sorry."

"Your fear controls you Cynder, not the other way around. It's hardly your fault, you've never learned how to accept it, let alone control it. But I cannot help noticing Imperia has failed to answer my little question. Now…"

She growled, a growl so deep the entire earth seemed to rumble softly below their feet. Cynder could feel dust being dislodged from the ceiling. It sounded like a distant boom of thunder somewhere far above them shaking the earth.

"Who was Flare's favourite student?"

She held up a paw before Imperia could open her mouth.

"Ah! Don't answer. I'll do the talking for you. Being a teacher isn't like being a parent is it? You can choose favourites without the guilt. And there was one little fire dragon, so bright and young and full of promise. One who loved you with all of his little heart. Flare was so excited to watch him growing older, knowing the years were just counting down until the day when she could take over his advanced fire element training."

The air seemed to grow denser, muffling everything. Nobody could speak. They could only listen to the words being spoken.

"She imagined that boy as if he was your son, it must have made his real parents jealous. But how could she not? He was so full of that feisty Imperia attitude she loved so much. So much courage in the face of danger… So when she found him hidden in her satchel she would have laughed and welcomed him to stay with her in Shattershelf."

"Okay I've heard enough."

Imperia said, her voice suddenly tight.

"His friends covered for him. I didn't know he had gone. I would have saved him if I could! I lost him… His family lost him… Flare lost him. You've proved your point, I have some weak spots too."

"Oh my point has been proven!?"

Darkmire's voice rose in anger.

"Even now it's all about you, you YOU! His name was Spark! Perhaps you've heard enough, but you're still laughing and joking and flirting like usual. A defence mechanism to cope with the pain in some ways, but I don't think you suffered enough. And it's not just those you've mentioned. Cynder was there, she saw everything. She only caught a glimpse of-"

"That's enough!"

Cynder snarled, but her voice was muffled and distorted, and she didn't even know if anyone had heard it. And Darkmire continued talking, her voice now low, dripping with pure malice.

"-but it was still in her memory, waiting for me to pick it out. Perhaps you would like to see it? Perhaps you'd like to see what a cute little Spark looks like when he's been popped? Crushed under the gigantic tail of the fire king, bones on display, pulped organs, blood exposed to the open air-"

"Shut up shut up SHUT UP!"

Cynder screeched.

"Leave her alone!"

Darkmire laughed, lowering her head in surrender and backing off before Cynder could throw a punch, but she didn't stop speaking. She still had more to say.

"She doesn't deserve your protection, and she knows she doesn't. Let's jump back to that wonderful little soul crystal. So useful it was. Malefor and Imperia had never used it, and yet they hoped it would save Malefor's life from the dark master. Oh but what to do? What if it failed? Oh! I know! We have to test it on someone! Someone expendable. Someone like that little black dragoness enslaved by the Dark Master!"

Cynder froze, her anger boiling over, too furious to even move.

"You want to know what she said? Do you? Do you? Do you!? The day before Spyro was due to fight you in Convexity? The memory is bright as firelight in her mind, perhaps I'll play you a little copy!"

Darkmire's voice took on a tone, a rasping imitation of Malefor.

"Imperia are you sure about this? Neither of us will be able to do anything if things go wrong. The Dark Master could escape."

She switched to a high mocking parody of Imperia.

"It's okaaaaaaaay Malefor. We have backup plans, we just have to hope the crystal works."

"Well you have studied it closely, more so than I. It should be fine."

"Well… yes it shooooould be fine…"

"What are the odds of her survival?"

"If everything goes right one hundred percent."

"And the real odds of her survival, Imperia?"

Darkmire sighed sadly. "Sixty percent? It should work fine. I'm not any happier about it than you are."

"No more innocents should die."

"I know, I know. Although it'd probably be kind of a relief to her if she did to be honest. Heehee… Poor little thing…"

"We have no other choice…"

"Yes. And better her than you."

Cynder stared back and forth between Malefor, Imperia, and Darkmire. Had the conversation been twisted? Had Darkmire added extra spite into it? Had Imperia added extra spite into it in her own memory out of guilt? She didn't know, but she could feel the grain of truth buried somewhere in the centre of it.

Sixty percent?

Her life had come down to barely more than a coinflip for them, and they'd been speaking about it so dismissively.

She'd probably be better off dead, would she? Poor thing, was she?

None of the others could meet her gaze, not even Spyro. Only Darkmire, her fellow black dragon, those blazing yellows eyes didn't flinch from anything.

"How alone you really are, Cynder… Here with the two 'heroes' who so casually gambled with your life, and the living tool they had put in place to execute you. Do you feel it? The chills sliding down your spine? The feeling that at any moment claws could slit your delicate little throat? Buried deep in this mountain, trapped, the walls pressing in on you."

She laughed.

"Are you proud of yourself Imperia? Proud of how you lie to those you claim to love? All those promises whispered to Spark, of how great he was going to be one day."

Imperia shook her head mutely, and Cynder could see her blue eyes full of tears. Her fury burned like a blazing hot flame inside her, refocusing entirely on Darkmire.

"Leave her alone right now."

She spoke in a voice of such venom that it would have killed plants, made flowers whither and die, made birds drop from the sky. Her wind magic hissed in threat around her.

Darkmire did not stop, it was impossible to know if she was even aware of the danger, or if she cared.

"Leading your little ones to the slaughter again and again, and then pretending you had nothing to do with it. You could have saved Spark, you could have saved Cynder! Perhaps you'd like to see their deaths, forced upon your eyes over and over until you lose your mind from th-"

In that moment everything happened at once.

Cynder's wind howled, breaking the silence as it collected around her paw, a paw which was already raising and thrust straight towards the grinning smirking face of the black dragon.

And that grin… it was changing, the body was going limp, the eyes shifting back to green, the sick smile going slack as Darkmire in the middle of her sentence retreated back into the depths of Pleasure's mind.

Green eyes met green eyes, and Pleasure had just enough time to recognise Cynder before the impact.

Cynder, in turn, had just enough time to pull her blow ever so slightly, but not enough.

Her clenched fist smashed into Pleasure's jaw, and the bone splintered. The massive hammer of wind blasting the malnourished body of the dragoness back, slamming her straight into the far wall with a horrible smack.

Horns cracked, legs twisted.

Imperia was crying, and Pleasure slid to the ground, horribly wounded. Cynder felt her emotions splitting her in two as for a moment she didn't know who to go to.

Spyro moved first, whirling towards the door and grunting with effort as he forced the stone to bend aside, popping the door open with hardly a groan of protest.

"Malefor! Heal her!" Spyro shouted.

Cynder was dashing to Pleasure even as he spoke, frantically checking the damage. Pleasure was coughing up blood, her spine twisted and broken, bleeding heavily from the places where her own horns and claws had stabbed through her. Cynder focused on those, doing what little she could to lay out the black dragoness in a safe position.

"Pleasure, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it! I didn't mean to do that to you!" Cynder said frantically, speaking as fast as she could. Those green eyes, so like to hers, were filled with terror and shock and fear, her lower jaw had been cracked almost beyond recognition, there were a few teeth on the floor. Her bones were far more fragile than those of a normal dragon and Cynder had hit hard. Pleasure couldn't speak, couldn't move.

Cynder felt herself being pushed aside as Malefor arrived beside her, purple light flickering around his paws. She could only stare as the wounds started to heal, starting from her head and then slowly down her body.

Cynder could only look on in horror, wishing she could also perform the same magic that Malefor was using to heal her; but she had no idea how to do it.

"It's okay, she tricked you into doing it." Spyro said softly, his voice still tight with worry.

"I should have known. That sick bitch, I should have known she would swap out at the last moment-"

Suddenly she grabbed Malefor by the horns and yanked him back, just in time to pull him out of the way of Darkmire's snapping jaws.

She was rising again, a nightmare face, jaw hanging half open, half closed, horns and teeth stabbed into places they were not meant to go.

The horrible dragon stood, now on broken limbs, laughing and snarling at them all, dripping blood, her jaw twisted and crumpled but still somehow moving.

"So many ways to hurt you all. What did you think of the look on her face, hmm?"

Darkmire spat blood which Spyro had to duck to avoid, they all backed off rapidly.

"It's been a day for black dragons to learn painfully that their heroes are just as spiteful and small and ignorant as anyone else hasn't it? First you with Imperia, and now poor little Pleasure will live with the memory of her hero shattering her skull with a punch. I was considering making her forget about you entirely like I've made her forget everything else, but I think I'll let her keep memories of you just for the sake of keeping that."

She laughed.

"You should have known I wasn't going far. After all Imperia has a history of being willing to coldheartedly condemn innocent little children to death, especially little black dragonesses trapped by dark forces beyond their control. And you all think the real monster here is me."

"Why did you do it then?"

Cynder snarled.

"Because it was fun!"

Darkmire cackled with laughter.

"I rest my case. The real monster here is you. If we send Imperia away will you go?"

"Oh yes, yes, yes, yes. But I still have to tear you apart Cynder. Ah, ah ah, don't say anything. If you don't let me talk then I'll never tell you what I know about saving Spyro. If you still even want to do that, that is. It turns out Hope may be the only one down here who would have your back. Alone among enemies without him…"

Cynder growled in disagreement, making Darkmire giggle.

"No? Think it over. Which side do you really want to choose? This is your choice… Hero."

"I'm a novice hero. No matter what lies you spout and fears Spyro has, he's the proper hero here, not me. And what's all this hero stuff anyway?"

Darkmire stretched her back, her spine still broken, a horrible sight. A sudden look crossed her face, a bizarre mixture of regret, indecision, and a faint malicious smirk.

"A thought occurs. I'm not sure if I can break you after all. Or… I'm not sure that I want to. I'll teach you how to save Spyro on one condition… You come to me alone, and you come into my cell. You and me, alone in the darkness, with no way out. What do you say?"

Cynder gritted her teeth. There was nothing she hated more than that idea right now, but there was also nothing she wanted more than to save Spyro.

"Can I think about it?"

"Of course. I'm sure you all have plenty to talk about."

Darkmire gave them one final laugh, which turned into a strangled scream as the oppressive dark presence of the black dragoness was drawn back into her body, the yellow eyes softening to green eyes filled with tears of pain, and Pleasure collapsed in a pitiful heap, her eyes soon rolling back in her head as she fainted.

Spyro dashed forwards, and Malefor only a moment behind him, the elder dragon quickly raised his paw, purple energy flickering and beginning to heal the wounds.

"Well that makes three times." Spyro told them grimly. "And she's coming out for longer and doing more each time."

"We have a problem then." Imperia commented. Heeding Darkmire's warning she was staying well outside the cell, hanging back at a respectful distance.

"But we also might have a solution to our original Hope problem." Cynder said softly. "I'm going to have to go for it, once I'm ready."

Her eyes widened suddenly.

"Spyro! The poison!"

She whirled around and grabbed Spyro, gently but firmly laying him down on his side and standing over him.

"You could have just asked." Spyro chuckled as he lay down, but it was slightly forced as the acid burn marks which had been left on his face by Darkmire's tongue were starting to throb and burn uncomfortably now that the action had died down and he could focus on them again. "Does this mean you've figured out an antidote?"

Cynder nodded. "Yes. Well, kind of. Some of the poisons she infected you with were things I really have never seen before, but a lot of them are more like really really old fashioned and weaker versions of modern poisons. It's well documented that plants can become more poisonous over tens of thousands of years, and our new friend has been out of action for thousands upon thousands of years. She's made the poisons deadlier on her own, refined them, but they're still old."

"You mean we might have an advantage over her?" Malefor asked with a sudden keen interest.

Cynder hesitated before nodding. "Well… yes. There may be poisons I know about which she doesn't, including some which might even be able to kill her before she could synthesise her own antidote. But she may also just be able to rip that knowledge out of my mind, and I can almost guarantee that if she sampled so much as a drop of any modern poison she would be able to use it far more effectively than I can."

"At this point we'll take what we can get." Malefor said. "It is quite ingenuous of you to have worked out why her poisons are so different. Ancient plant life… interesting…"

Cynder shrugged and nodded at the compliment, bending down and starting to lick Spyro's wounds. "She's clearly sought out very potent plants and poisons from back in her day, the variety of poisons she knows is incredible. I wish I had access to stronger versions of them. She's also thrown in some kind of bio-acidic compound mixed in with the other poison. A naturally occurring gas which burns flesh and almost anything else it touches."

Spyro winced. "That sounds horrible."

"It's what's caused the burn to your scales and eye. It's very rare. You'd practically have to dive into a volcano to sample more than a tiny wisp of something like this, but once a poison dragon has gotten to touch it they can recreate it for themselves. Provided they survive their first contact with it, that is. These wounds are going to take time to heal, I don't think rushing it with magic is a good idea."

Cynder gave Spyro one final lick right along his face.

"But at least for now I can pronounce you to be in good health. I'm going to need to keep checking you though, just in case I've missed something."

With a heavy sigh Cynder flopped down next to Spyro, who gladly tucked a wing over her and held her close, leaning in softly and resting his head against hers.

"I missed you Cynder."

"Was that a joke about nearly hitting me with a blast of convexity?" She asked with a hint of playfulness.

"Oh, no. Sorry about that by the way... Just stating a fact." Spyro said with an apologetic smile.

"Well then I've missed you too." Cynder said, hugging him.

"I should go check the soul gem or something…" Imperia said. "Or explain what's going on to the prison guards. I'll just leave you guys to it."

"Imperia?" Cynder called before the silver dragoness could fully leave. Imperia paused, head looking back at Cynder, unsure.

"Yes?"

"That stuff that she said about you… Don't worry about it. Don't let it get to you, okay?"

Imperia's lips twitched in a faint smile. "I'll do my best not to. I should have realised that she could get under my skin like that. I was overconfident."

"Like always." Cynder teased.

Imperia laughed lightly. "It's all part of my charm. Thanks Cyn. I'll try not to let it get to me."

She walked off, but her head was held higher than it had been before.

"And don't either of you two listen to her rubbish either." Cynder said sternly to Spyro and Malefor.

Spyro grinned. "I wouldn't dare. Not when you're around."

"She's trying to distract us. While she has raised a few valid and concerning points we shall not allow her to achieve her true intent." Malefor said in agreement.

"Not as valid as you're all thinking." Cynder insisted. "I refuse to believe the things she said. I know you all better than that, even you Malefor."

Spyro choked on his breath and had a sudden coughing fit. "What!?"

"Imperia died, we revived her, then I got to see Malefor be even more uncomfortable in a room full of dragons than I was. Then we had some sparring matches. I've been really getting into this whole forgiveness thing lately after Ember."

"Really?" Spyro stared at her in amazement.

"We have a lot to catch up on." Cynder told him, smiling.

"It sure sounds like it. Do you want to go check on the soul gem first though, or something?"

Cynder hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I trust them."

She turned towards Malefor and Imperia.

"Lock it up somewhere safe and out of the way, okay?"

Imperia nodded. "Will do. You two look like you could use some time alone. I'll go check on the soul gem."

With that she departed, Malefor only a moment behind.

"I hope they're going to be okay…" Spyro said, looking out of the cell as they departed.

"After that horror show? I think we all need some time to recover from that. Let them deal with it in their own ways."

"You're right." Spyro nodded.

"Besides, we have some catching up to do." She smiled slightly, hugging closer to him and laying her head down, her exhaustion from the long flight out to Darkmire's Tomb really catching up with her now.

Spyro laid his head down beside her, sighing in soft relief. Both of them just enjoying the moment, relieved that, even though things were not yet over, they were finally back together again.

Whew, Spyro, Cynder, Imperia and Malefor are going through an awful lot. Darkmire doesn't even want to fight them, she simply wanted to see how much she could hurt them using her words alone. Spyro and Cynder have more than earned a moment back together again, and I'm glad I was able to end the chapter on the start of that moment. It's going to be even more of a moment for the two of them next chapter.

No matter how dark things get there is always hope for tomorrow.

Please feel free to comment or review! Thanks so much for reading!

-4Dragons