The Legend of Spyro: Aetherborn

by SticksNTricks

In the wake of peace, new challenges await for the purple dragon and his mate. Parenthood, leading a newly forged kingdom and struggling to maintain harmony across the realms are now a part of their daily routine. While Spyro and Cynder may have their work cut out for them, they aren't the only ones who have to deal with their own issues. Mal, Ashes, Ignitus, Brisk, Volt and Terra

2. Spyro's Kingdom Part 2

Ashes was not a sociable dragon. He always kept close to his siblings and never ventured out making friends. Mostly because of how many dragons seem to avoid him. They whispered behind his back about how he was a cursed hatchling. Some even went and called him the prince of darkness because of his lineage. The world still feared the terror of the skies even when she was no more. Even when the purple dragon had absolved her.

It didn't matter if Ashes was the child of Spyro. A cursed child was a cursed child in their eyes. "He's going to be the next villain,'' they said. "He'll bring death and destruction to all of dragonkind!" Nobody would be there for him, and nobody would accept him.

"Absolute mistake you are," their words like venom that spilled into his ear.

"How long will it be before you turn on us, cursed one?"

"Monster."

It was like that every time at the academy. There was no room for him to hide in, no home to feel safe at. When he went to that academy, he was always separated from his siblings. He would always try and hide in the crowd, or make himself appear as small as possible. Eventually, someone was going to find out about him sooner or later, and they would chase him throughout the hall when the teachers weren't around.

"The little devil is getting away! Get him!"

They never stopped. They kept on chasing him throughout the academy. He was backed into a corner, unable to hide, crying out into the void as they rammed him and bit at him. The twisted expressions on the other students' faces burned deep into his psyche. They would become his nightmare. He was alone, he thought. No one would come for him.

That was until they came. A pair of dragons who could barely even stand each other's presence had gathered before the small crowd.

"The hell you think you're doing to our brother, jerk?" a familiarly aggressive voice called out.

"Mal, you take the six on the right, I'll take the six on the left. Let us show these losers what happens when they mess with one of ours," came another voice, one that was normally restrained, now brimming with anger.

The crowd turned around to face the pair.

"Oh crap! It's Mal and Ignitus!"

"Who the hell cares? They're chumps! A faker of a purple dragon and a goody two shoes!"

Ashes picked his head up as the dragons converged around the purple and red duo. Not a single hint of fear was on either of their faces. Just unbridled fury.

"You two best get lost before I wreck your face," the largest young dragon of the crowd spoke. "Bunch of arrogant faker dragons, the lot of you."

"I think you're the one who's going to get their face wrecked," Mal said. "Because if you mess with one of us, you better get ready to mess with all of us!"

With one swift charge, Mal slammed the top of his head against the larger dragon's face. He instantly charged up his breath weapon into an earth flail as he used it to bash against the other dragon next to them in the face, instantly knocking him out.

"Oh crap! They got Brutis and Titus!" someone called out.

"Don't just stand there, get them!"

The crowd dove to attack. Ignitus knocked the first two that were charging at his side back with his head, ramming the blunt end of his horns hard against their faces. Next he shot the other with a breath of fire. Mal spun the ball around after hitting the big guy and his lackey. The durability of the earth flail crumbled after smashing through three other dragons before he charged at the fourth.

Those who didn't get hit began to flank the two while they were busy beating their friends. Those who weren't unconscious attempted to crowd the brothers. Blood and teeth and scales flew across the academy halls, some even making little splatters across the cobblestone floors and brass walls.

It was hard to tell whose blood was whose, but it looked like it belonged to all of them. Mal and Ignitus fought like hell; they were bloodied, beaten and scarred from being shot at by different elemental attacks, being bitten, rammed, clawed at, the works. By the time a teacher had arrived though, Mal and Ignitus stood atop a small slope of unconscious bodies, breathing heavily as they looked upon their brother Ashes. Their faces were full of black eyes and bruises, but they had these biggest goofiest smiles.

To everyone else, they were the most notorious, violent troublemakers ever. To Ashes, they were his heroes, and he was glad a family he can rely on. Even though they got punished by the academy, their parents certainly weren't going to scold them for standing up for their brother.

"Don't worry Ash… they won't bother you anymore," they would tell him.

Ashes was homeschooled and trained by Cynder after that. All the same, they still kept their eyes out for him whenever they went out together. And it wasn't just them; he also had Volt, Brisk and Terra, who all vowed they wouldn't let anything bad happen to their brother so long as they were around. He loved them so much. If only they didn't fight among each other constantly.

Now he was worried about another fight between the two again. Brothers shouldn't be fighting like this. They were a family, and a family should look out for their own. "I hope we get there on time," the timid black drake spoke as they flew through the majestic city of Warfang.

"Knowing the Hot Head and Mr. Right, they're probably already fighting," Terra commented. "Then we're going to get in trouble because we didn't stop them sooner. We're always cleaning up after their mess."

Volt darted his head around, trying his darndest to find his brothers. He kept his senses sharpened and keen in order to catch the brothers in their act. "Nope. Nope. Nuh uh. Nope. Not here. I don't see them over there. Not here either."

"Volt, I said they're at the plaza," Brisk commented. "They wouldn't be around here."

"Oh? Oh! Oh yes you're right. Sorry, just all the pebbles that were flying around caught my attention and I figured I'd try and track them to where they were coming from."

Terra rolled her eyes at that. "Volt, everything catches your attention these days. I seriously doubt you'll be able to track them down like that. I swear, sometimes you've the attention span of a-"

"Break right." Volt interrupted Terra as he swiftly bumped her aside as a piece of stone came careening their way.

"Whoa! What in the-" Terra shook her head as she was caught off-guard from the sudden push.

Volt then pointed one claw out in the direction of what appeared to be a statue of a dragon that was broken in half. It was missing everything from the head, the wings, and the tail. The plaza itself was a mess with the stone roads shattered. Debris was everywhere. Moles and dragons scattered about, yelling angrily at a pair of young dragons that shot out their elemental breath attacks at each other.

Mal, who lobbed wave after wave of cobbled stone at Ignitus, who spat balls of fire in return. The chaos in the plaza was about the worst thing these two could have done. A public spectacle where homes and stores were damaged? This was what everyone came to expect of Spyro's kids?

"Oh… my… ancestors…" Brisk breathed out. "Those… those… idiots! "

"Okay… so I know it looks bad but…" Terra paused as she tried to find something, anything that can bring light to this situation. She found that there wasn't. "Okay, it's bad. We need to get the people off the streets or they'll get hurt. Or better yet, we need to just stop them!"

The four dragons hovered in place as they watched the chaos ensue. The real issue here was the citizens who were going to get caught in the crossfire. Ashes took one good look around and let his thoughts come together to form a plan.

"I know what to do," he started. "Volt, deal with the debris. Brisk, you deal with the fireballs. We can't have them hitting the citizens."

Volt gave Ashes a thumbs up and smiled. "You got it! I'll be quicker than a stone skipping cheetah on adrenaline!" And with that, he was off in a flash. Ashes questioned to himself how that did not make any sense at all but then again, it was Volt.

Ashes sighed and turned tow his sister. "Alright. Terra? You and I are going to stop them. I'll get Ig, you get Mal."

"You got it Ash!" Terra exclaimed before she shot off into the Sky.

Brisk stayed behind for a short second to look at Ash. "You've really thought that out thoroughly huh? Learned some of those planning tricks from ma?"

Ashes smiled and shrugged playfully. "Who else but?"

The two dragons divided up separately, with Ashes going to stop Ignitus and Brisk dealing with any of the fireballs that were shot out. Mal was too angry to remember he still had his other elemental attacks. Which was good for the rest since it meant a lot less elemental counters had to be made.

Volt dashed across the plaza, breaking down debris and guiding the citizens to safety. Using his electricity coursing through his body, the yellow dragon was able to move at a much faster speed than normal dragons. A fun little quick trick he had picked up when 'experimenting' with his own power.

As for Brisk, she had to account for every direction Ignitus' fireball was going to hit rather than aiming straight at the fireball itself. She was always good with quick thinking despite the situation they all found themselves in. Blasting apart fireball after fireball like it was some carnival game. She had to admit, it was fun for a while.

None of the dragons accounted for the massive hole in the wall that the statue head made. The small tower that was just barely holding it up started to crumble and collapse. Beneath it, stood a small mole family who were distracted by the fighting that they didn't see the structure fall, ready to become a stain on the pavement.

Volt was too far from them to push them out of the way. Brisk was close, but she couldn't move as fast as he could to push them out of the way. "Ah! Brisk! Save them!" he called out for his sister.

Brisk turned and rushed toward the family as fast as her wings and legs could take her. But she wasn't going to make it on time. A large shadow descended over the moles as they looked up and realized what was coming down. They cried out in fear.

Ashes rushed to grab hold of Ignitus as Terra rushed to grab Mal. "Ig! Mal! WIll you two stop fighting just this once !?" he exclaimed.

Then, there was a flash. There was this sense of dizziness in each of the siblings. One second there was fighting, and the next, they were all sitting before a very angry looking Spyro. Ignitus and Mal were front and center from the rest of the siblings. The family of moles were at an entirely different spot than where they last were, which now had the remains of the small broken tower spewn across the pavement.

A very long, painful minute of silence passed between them. The moles that had gathered around the plaza looked at one another, curious as to how everything ended so quickly. Regardless, they made small cheers for the purple dragon for saving the mole family who were so fortunately to be ignorant of how close to potential death they were.

Cynder joined her mate, equally as mad. No one said a word in that minute. With how long and intense the silence was, the moles stopped their cheering and awkwardly scuffled away, figuring they might as well fix the damage to avoid the soon-to-be intense family moment.

"Do you two realize what you could have done?" Spyro said, struggling to retain his calm demeanor.

Ignitus blinked for a moment and looked around the plaza. It only started to dawn on him just how much damage the brothers had caused. Mal just stared angrily up at his father.

Their father continued. "Destroying the plaza, ruining homes and market stalls, and what's worse, you needlessly endangered the lives of that family! And for what? because of your petty fights!? If I wasn't able to stop the flow of time at that moment, those moles over there would have died!"

Spyro's eyes became even more intense. Even Mal felt the weight of his words hit hard with how much he had emphasized on the family. Both he and Ignitus turned their heads aside to look at the mother, father and their pups whom the parents were checking over. The two dragons then dipped their heads down in shame.

It was then Cynder's turn to speak as she stepped forward. "Every day you two are at each other's throat. We told you to stop this and you didn't listen. Now look at what happened. Your fight took things too far. Mal, whatever grievances you have for your father, you should know better than to use your powers out in public like that! And Ignitus, the same goes for you!"

"B-but ma! Mal was the one-" Ignitus was immediately cut off by his mother who hissed.

"No! I don't want to hear it! I don't care who started it, you engaged in this fight all the same! Don't think I can't tell the difference between whose scorch marks riddle those walls and roads! You do not fight out in public, you do not endanger the lives of the citizens! Ever!"

Ignitus closed his mouth and refused to say anything further for fear of making the case worse for himself. But he knew that he had done wrong too. There wasn't anything he could say in his defense.

Spyro continued to stare at them. He wondered what had happened that led them all to this point. How did they come to this? What had Spyro done wrong to make Mal hate him, to cause trouble, and for him and Ignitus to always fight with each other? He wanted to blame himself for this.

His judgment, his responsibility as a father, he was failing them. Has his duties as the king caused this? Was it because he had so little time with his kids than he did several years ago? Where was that moment when Mal looked up to him as the awe inspiring hero father? What happened to the time when Ignitus and Mal were laughing and playing together out in the fields of Avalar?

Spyro breathed in, and let all the tension drop from his body with a massive, long exhale. When he was sure he had cleared his mind, he addressed the two; "Mal, Ignitus, you're going to spend the next week helping the Moles repair the plaza. That will be your punishment. Every day from eight in the morning to six in the evening. You will go straight to your rooms after the end of each day. No exceptions. You are not allowed anywhere else but here and home until everything is fixed. The cobblestone roads, pavement, walls, market stalls, the statue, all of it."

Mal and Ignitus did not protest. No screaming, no yelling, just resignation. Sparx eventually arrived, heaving heavily from how fast he was beating his little wings.

"I'm here! I'm here…! Sorry Spyro I just-" Sparx stopped himself as he took a good look at the plaza for himself. "Oh… Iiiiii… should have been here sooner."

"No Sparx. I'm afraid your usual presence wouldn't have worked as well this time," his brother said plainly.

Sparx would normally put a stop to any fight just by his mere presence alone. They would usually listen to him whenever a fight was about to start. The dragonfly was around the kids often enough that he developed a great enough relationship to stop whatever misdemeanors the kids would find themselves in. Or in this case, Mal and Ig.

"They're going to have to work for a week to help fix this place up. And I need you to keep an eye on them," Spyro continued.

So it was the usual babysitting gig for Sparx? Only this time, it was outside the palace. Yeah he could do that. "Say no more, say no more! I mean, come on. I think I can handle these too no problem," Sparx nodded his head and crossed his arms. "Shouldn't be too hard in any case since its two dragons instead of six."

"Thanks Sparx. I appreciate that." He said with a nod. "Preferably soon if that's alright. I'll still be around for just a minute. I need to make sure they hear what I have to say first and get started."

"Oh, well that's good! Get to spend more time with my only and favorite brother! Even if it is for only a few short minutes outside of dinner. But we definitely have to hang out more. I mean sheesh! All I been doing is babysitting and sleeping!" Sparx bumped alongside Spyro's neck with a smirk.

"Yeah… it's been too long since we last saw each other that wasn't at the dining hall. I swear it's like we're being pulled apart during the most conveniently inconvenient moments."

"Con...veniently inconvenient? That doesn't make sense."

Spyro snickered and shrugged at that. "I mean... you can't tell me the timing is always so bad. Right?" Then he turned to Cynder, shaking his head. "So much for my plans though." He muttered under his breath.

"Spyro, name one time when any of our plans ever worked."

Spyro smiled as he reached up and tapped at her head. "Your dam plan worked."

Cynder gave his finger a playful nip and giggled. "We just gotta persevere is. Look, I'll take the kids home and leave you and Sparx with Mal and Ig. I'll see you when you guys get home." Cynder gave her mate a quick peck on his cheek and smiled. She turned to the rest of the kids and stretched her wings. "Come on you four. It's time to go home."

One by one, the four siblings passed by Mal and Ignitus, silently bidding their farewells before they took flight. Now it was just the four of them.

Sparx looked over to the brothers, then up to Spyro and let out a cough. "Want me to start off with the usual pep talk to remind them of the good ol days of them being bros? Or perhaps good example of you and me being the dynamic duo rather than the dynamic rivals."

Spyro shook his head. "Not this time unfortunately. I have to set an example for them. If the circumstances were different then yeah."

The purple king let out another sigh as he knelt down beside the two. "Listen, Mal… I don't know what's going on with you but if you don't tell me then I can't help you. I want to make things right between us again. Which is why I'm doing my best not to yell at you even after you both nearly endangered a family of moles." he then turned to Ignitus. "Brothers shouldn't fight. You are supposed to come to each other's defense. We are a family and we have to stick together, and I have to prioritize my time with you more again."

The two dragons lifted their heads up to look at Spyro. It was a moment where Spyro had let himself vulnerable for the first time, showing the kids just how tired he had been suppressing.

"I am sorry that I am the cause for your anger and frustration. You shouldn't have to be burdened by the weight of expectations. Not from the council, not from the dragons at the academy nor the teachers, and especially not from me. Which is why I'm going to try and make things right."

Mal's expression soured and turned to walk off. He didn't say anything as he started to repair the broken cobblestone streets first with his earth breath.

As for Ignitus, torn now by what had occurred, simply bowed toward his father. "I am sorry dad… I really am… I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt."

Spyro reached over with one forearm to scritch along the back of his head with a talon. "Let us be grateful no one got hurt at all. I'm going to leave in a little bit. Once I am gone, I want to make sure you and Mal get to work fixing this entire plaza. And no more fighting. We're going to have a talk after this week's over. Okay?"

Ignitus nodded his head slowly. "Okay."

"Good. Now then… Sparx, I'll see you tonight. I'm going to have to talk to Red about his attitude today. And a bunch of other things that need done for today." and with that, Spyro stretched his wings and began to march and take off.

"Take care Spyro! Don't you worry! Uncle Sparx here's got the eyes of a hawk! I'll make sure they're well behaved." He then turned back to Ignitus and Mal and gave them a smile.

The way Sparx looked at them, it was clear that he meant what he said about keeping an eye on them. He was never the one to slack off when it came to his nieces and nephews.

"Oh, wait! Before I forget," Spyro turned aside to look at Sparx as a thought crossed his head. "I think we should probably pay a visit to mom and dad this weekend. And we'll bring the rest of the family with us. Would be good for both the kids and us to have a bit of a getaway."

Sparx's face brightened up by the prospect of that. They had not seen their parents since the day they left the swamp. Has it been seventeen years already? Eighteen years? He lost count of time.

"Bro! No fooling?! Yeah!" Sparx threw his fist in the air. "Oh I can't wait to get back home, walking in on ma with a bowl of pecan worm pie, butterfly souffle… wait. Do we even remember where the direction of the swamp is anymore?"

Spyro smiled and winked. "Did some scouting yesterday when I decided to take a mid-morning flight to clear my head and I can tell you right now that I know where to go. I wanted to wait till tonight to tell you but I figured now's a better time."

—

Captain Flame of the Firekeepers Battalion. He was the youngest to even achieve such a title. For someone who was always considered a clutz for getting himself caught and trapped in some nasty situations, the leap came to a shocker from everyone. Especially since it was Spyro who granted him the position of captain.

Flame was modest about how he came to the position. It was to impress a girl he really liked. A red dragoness who looked up to heroic figures like Spyro. Just about any young dragon who had lived most of their childhood through fear, death and war would naturally gravitate toward heroic figures.

He was just a simple guardsman wanting to do his part for Warfang, and for his sweet Ember. That was until he thwarted a would-be assassination attempt on the purple dragon. He acted without so much of a thought when he saw the ill intent the would-be-killer planned. But his quick thinking and jumping into action stopped the killer before he could do the deed.

Now, Spyro knew that the assassin was tailing him. He was no dummy. The purple dragon had been used to such plots from the apes. He wanted to lure him away, waited for the right opportunity to strike back, deliberately taking the longer path home, outside the more populated districts of Warfang. Considering it was Flame who had acted, the intuitive thinking of his made him worthy of owning that title. For the past few years he had been putting that intuitive thinking to use.

Ember was ecstatic. Her dear Flame? Captain of the guard? Saving king Spyro's life? It was too good to be true.. However, the dangers that came with such a position, he dared not divulge to her. The last thing he wanted her to do was worry herself over what was going to happen to him when he was called to join the fray.

Such as now, when he was called to defend a Cheetah village from marauding dragons. He was pushed to the limit in what he was able to actually do in high stressful situations. For someone who had not had much experience in leading a unit, he fared pretty well. Still, the renegades fought like the devil. That was expected, given they were the Soulfire Clan. They were ferocious fire drake warriors who weren't exactly subtle when they rejected the new Council of Warfang and the royal family.

Fortunately for both sides, there hadn't been any casualties. Yet there were enough injuries for both sides that it was more of a pyrrhic victory for the renegades. Even as the Firekeepers fought tooth and claw against the sheer ferocity of the Soulfire dragons who fought with less restraint. There were only three of twenty-four Firekeepers left and five of the twelve Soulfire dragons, who decided to abandon their loot, their injured and retreat.

Except for the one dragon who led the raid, the warlord of the Soulfire Clan himself; Rupture. A massive looking fire dragon with a massive scar that ran along his chest, and whose scales dulled over the years. Grime, blood, bruises and other marks that told a story of many, many conflicts. Compared to him, Flame was nothing more than a boy playing wargames.

Tales of Rupture began cropping up throughout the dragon realms. Once serving under the guardian of fire's army, the 'Inferno Battalion,' against Malefor and his dark army, only to be scattered when Cynder came into the fray. The resistance was wiped out, and he, like many others, went into hiding.

Until recently that is, and his return was not a benevolent one. He cursed the Council and the king for keeping Cynder alive, for allowing her to sit beside them in a position of power. Hatred burned in his heart for the black dragoness who had killed a great many of his friends and comrades in arms. Unlike other renegade clans who sought to consolidate their own power, the Soulfire Clan's only purpose was to oppose the Kingdom of Warfang. Rupture's opposition was that of fire and fury.

Flame saw his destruction first hand when they first arrived at the cheetah village. Snatching up livestock from the animal husbandries, torching down homes of screaming panicking cheetahs. The Firekeepers had to balance both saving the civilians and fighting the renegades. It was a typical divide and conquer strategy, courtesy of Rupture's tactical skills. If only they had an ice dragon by their side to deal with the fire faster.

When Flame took the fight to him personally, it was more of a curb stomp. His enemy was faster, stronger, and more ferocious than him. His claws dug deep whenever he struck, and with every opening Flame took to attack, he was outdone by Rupture's counter. He was purposefully leaving himself open to bait Flame.

The young captain was heaving heavily. He didn't want the other Firekeepers to get involved in the fight. As much as he would have appreciated the assistance, the remaining soldiers left standing would be cut down without so much of a second thought. Besides, wasn't it a hero's job to put his life before that of others?

Flame charged at Rupture. He remained steadfast in his struggle against the other fire dragon, going in for a feint attack to break his guard. Rupture was too quick, however. As Flame watched him hop overhead, his idea to jump back and ram his horns upward was met by Rupture slamming his tail down hard against his chin and knocking him back.

"So this is what Warfang has to offer? Mewling whelps like you as captains?" Rupture's voice was deep and gruff, full of spite. "It's a wonder how we even survived as a species at all let alone a kingdom."

Flame picked himself up and turned to face Rupture once more. The strike did a bit more damage to him than he realized. His vision was fading, his legs were wobbly, and his head was hurting. But just to spite him, he stumbled his way toward the smug bastard.

"I'm still standing… aren't I?" the young red dragon retorted.

Flame shot out a jet of fire at Rupture, who just sidestepped out of the way and rammed at Flame's side. A shockwave of pain ran up the red drake's spine, causing him to drop again and cry out. He attempted to counter as he laid upon the beaten grass with his tail, only for Rupture to catch it with his maw and bite down on the base. He spun the young dragon overhead with a terrifying might and slammed him down hard against the ground.

The Warlord released his tail and scoffed. "I was really hoping to see the purple dragon himself. Bringer of a new age… just so I can properly thank him for what an age we live in now, one that is led by killers, old fools, and dragons like you."

Flame winced as he slowly picked himself up yet again. "You know… I am starting to think you really love hearing yourself talk. Don't you think so too?"

Flame wobbled as he stared down at the warlord defiantly. "I don't care much about your history, old man, and normally I wouldn't be asking. From what I heard though, you were pretty dang good at what you did. A shame too; you must have been a sad, sad creature to go from a freedom fighter to villain. What changed?"

Rupture snarled at him and kicked the younger dragon back down. "For accepting that killer as your queen. Now, for your insolence, I will not spare you." Slowly he raised a foreleg up, readying his claw to strike Flame. "I want you all to know this; for the many who had suffered under the claws of evil's oppression and the incompetence of weak leaders who failed to stop it, we will build a pyre, and throw your bodies in it."

Before he could strike, there came a sharp whistle in the air, and then an arrow that struck Rupture's thigh. It was more like a painful pinch than anything but it was enough to cause him to flinch slightly. Then came several more shots, coming from the edge of the forest that the village hugged.

Out came the hunter, with a small band of rangers who were raining arrows down on the dragon. "Brothers, to me! Bring that beast down!" he called out as he notched another arrow and shot at his target.

A nuisance for sure, and he wasn't going to let them go with that insulting potshot they took at his thigh. Thinking for a moment that he had the upper hand, he had his back on Flame. Just that one moment was all he needed. Despite how weak he was, Flame was able to muster up enough energy for one last attack.

Dragons were naturally resistant to their natural element. So he couldn't just shoot a ball of fire and expect too much damage. Flame threw himself at Rupture who was about ready to torch the cheetah pack. He dug his horns hard and deep against his side, causing the creature to cry out and let loose the now stray ball of fire across the sky. Flame had done more damage to him in a short span of time than Rupture had been doing to Flame throughout their entire fight.

"I will break you, Flame!" Rupture exclaimed, struggling to shake Flame's embedded horns off of him. But the more he shook, the more he was actually causing more damage to his own body.

The volley of arrows didn't help so much either, but with Flame in the way, Hunter ordered for his men to ceasefire. Some more precision shots were in order. "Aim for the large dragon's joints! They're the weakest segment of his natural armor!" he called out.

And sure enough, the call attacks proved true. As the cheetah warriors dashed around the field, encircling Rupture, each shot their arrow and made sure they hit their mark right and true. They had done a good amount of damage to him, as he was trying to shake Flame off. The arrows struck at his elbows, groin area, knees, very nearly causing him to buckle from the pain. When it looked like this fight was coming to an end and not in Rupture's favor, he risked further damage to his side by kicking Flame off and spreading his wings to take flight. As blood poured from the now larger gash on his side from where Flame struck him, he took off, being assisted by two other renegades who came to help their Warlord.

"I will not forget this Flame! I swear you will not live to see the next cycle!" he called out as he disappeared from sight.

None of the Firekeepers were in any condition to pursue. They had wounded to tend to: civilians, soldiers, even the enemy combatants taken captive. The Soulfire Clan had already sent the message they wanted to send, even if it was costly.

Hunter rushed over to help the fire dragon. From the looks of his wounds, he needed serious medical attention. "I didn't expect the Soulfire Warlord himself to show his face."

Flame groaned in pain as he struggled to lift himself up from the ground. "Me neither. But… I took em like a champ, didn't I?"

Hunter rubbed along his body and tried to get him to sit still. The bite mark on Flame's tail was as deep as some of the scrapes and claw marks that riddled his body. "I may not be a doctor, but I can certainly say those wounds are bad enough that an elephant wouldn't survive them," he commented.

Flame just gave a cheeky tired smile. "I mean I was handling myself well for twenty minutes before he kicked my ass."

Hunter took out a healing poultice from his pack as he began to work on treating the dragon's wounds. He turned toward the others and started to direct them toward the town. "Powerclaw, Sharp Nail, divide the squad in two and search for any survivors. Help the dragons in any way you can and put out those fires!"

The pack split and dashed through the wartorn town to help the survivors. A stubborn Flame tried to pick himself back up again before being pushed down by Hunter.

"You're as bad as Spyro. You need to rest those wounds Flame. If you don't, you'll die." he sternly told him.

"Gah… my squad and the tribe needs me. I can't just sit here doing nothing. Besides… T-the other guy's in worse shape than I."

"And you, my fine fiery friend, are bleeding out faster than a stuck pig. Just hold still and let me do my job."

The cheetah spread the contents of the smashed dried herbs along the red dragon's wounds. Blowing hot air and shaking his head as Flame continued to twist and turn. "You are lucky the Silvertips tribe sent a messenger to us requesting for aid. If we hadn't arrived when we did, you would have already passed from this plane."

Flame smiled weakly as he stopped fighting against Hunter's help. "Heh… now how bout that? We were asked to help too. Guess the other tribes are warming up to us now."

"They've been warming up ever since word of the purple dragon's heroism and victory over the Dark Master reached their ears. But it is going to take more time for the other tribes to trust the dragons again."

Flame remembered for a time back when he was a teenager that the dragons were still viewed with distrust and fear across the realms. As others had waged their conflict against the Dark Master, dragons such as himself, hid behind the great walls of Warfang. But knowing that they were at least trying to make a difference was enough to bring others together, it made the struggle of maintaining peace and harmony so much worth it. If only the decisions from the council weren't so slow.

"Alright… It isn't perfect but it should stop the bleeding for those gashes. Temporarily in any case. You will need proper medical attention." the cheetah said. "Just be careful not to make any sudden movements."

"I don't think you have to worry about that," Flame replied as he waved his left foreleg up. "I'm not going anywhere on my own."

Hunter smiled and rumbled. "Then we'll have to cart you and the rest of the injured back to Warfang. You did good, Flame. The battle might not have turned out the way it did, but be grateful lives weren't lost."

A sigh of relief escaped from the dragon's mouth. Better to have Ember mad at him for getting himself hurt than have her be a widow and a single mother.

"Thanks Hunter… I appreciate that. Will the village recover?"

The cheetah looked up as the flames began to subside thanks to the help of both dragons and cheetah combating the spread. Just the mere sight of it was enough to bring the cheetah a smile on his face. "They will have to rebuild, but they won't have to rebuild alone."

—

Cynder was happy with her life as it was now. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but neither was the life she had led before. Anything was preferable to the darkness and nightmares that had plagued the world, a darkness that she helped spread. Fourteen years passed since their victory, and she had to learn how to let go of the past. It wouldn't shape her who she was now. Those times of self-doubt, death and struggle were long behind her. She was a mother now.

When Cynder said she loved him, the two dragons were afraid that the heat of the moment had clouded their emotions and feelings. They thought for sure that it would be the end. Let their last thoughts be of what they were fighting for. By some miracle, they survived. What was left with those feelings?

It took some time, but Cynder knew what she felt for Spyro was real. What he felt for her too was real. After two years together in the new age, far removed from the world, the reality of their feelings came in the form of six beautiful dragons. Even though the responsibility of parenthood was beyond their knowledge and capabilities, they tackled the challenge together.

Oh how she remembered the first night in the enchanted forest, when they took their kids on their first flight. The fireflies lit up like the night sky, dancing amid a sea of green, and flowers that bloomed with luscious bright colors, paving the way, and the pale moonlight shining down to guide the dragons. The beauty of the natural world was so haunting, that this was the world she and Spyro had saved. This was the world they wanted their kids to live in.

The weight of parenthood seemed so much lighter back then than it was now. Even with the fears and inexperience, Mal, Ashes, Ignitus, Brisk, Terra and Volt; they were a sign that perhaps the ancestors had forgiven her for her crimes, and she was allowed to be truly happy. The shadows of her past, the taint of Malefor, and the nightmares of her actions, were slowly fading away.

True, she still felt those itches, the brain worms reminding her every once in a while of what she used to be, what she had done. She barely even paid any attention. One look at her family was all she needed to know those itches held no power over her.

Ruling a kingdom, now that was something else. As the moles and dragons expand and reclaim the former burned lands, and rebuild sections of warfang, Spyro and Cynder were chosen to lead the new era as king and queen. When they stood from the edge of the prow, in the courtyard of the palace citadel, she saw just how massive the world truly was. The many thousands of lives, moles and dragons that paved the streets below, the beautiful sculpting of the city's stonework and brass structures stood as a testament of friendship and majesty that lasted for thousands of years. Cynder never realized just how small she truly was, even as an adult.

How was it that she and Spyro struggled to retain that appreciation again? Is it because of the struggle amid her family? The weight of this game of politics pushing them for these administrative duties? Spyro was right. All this talk about taking action did little in actually doing what they wanted. This council nonsense led to the two being pulled away from what mattered to them the most.

Once, Terrador suggested they would sit out from the council for the time being to take care of what they needed with the family. Maybe they should have taken some time off. It wasn't like any of the council members like Red could mess things up too much in their absence. Besides, if they can veto any decision the king makes, then the king can veto theirs too.

"How does anything get done with such a system?" she had asked the earth guardian.

And Terrador's response? "Simple. Be louder than your opponent."

At least that morning proved that calm and cool heads prevailed more than pride and stubbornness. Then again… Spyro was particularly stubborn himself whenever he put his mind on something. It would take a lot to pull him back. But he did pass a resolution in a single day than it took these dragons years to do. A shame that it wasn't as easy with her two sons.

When they arrived back at the palace citadel with the kids, she was surprised to find the guardians had gathered at the prow of the citadel beside the fountain. Volt perked up at the sight of them.

"Hey, is that master Volteer and the others?" Volt spoke up. "Oh! Mom! Mom! Can we go see them? Please, please, please, please, please?"

Given what happened earlier, bothering them probably wasn't a good idea. Even being several yards away, she could hear the swelling anger in Terrador's voice.

Cynder shook her head as she looked at the kids. "I think it might be best for you all to get inside."

"But mom! We haven't seen the guardians in forever!" Volt protested. "Can we? Please, please, please, please?"

"By the ancestors," she smiled softly and shook her head. "Tell you what; let me talk with them for a little bit and I'll convince them to see you all. Does that sound alright?"

The ice, electric and earth dragons cheered. They were all already talking about what they had learned and what they would show off to the guardians. It was a good way for the kids to get away from the tension of having to stop their brothers from wrecking the plaza.

"Sweet! I can show Terrador how I do an earth bomb!" Terra exclaimed as she spun around. "Oh man oh man oh man! It is going to be awesome!"

"I'm gonna show Volteer how I can use my electricity to go super fast!" Volt demonstrated as such as he started to charge up his element and spun around his mother.

"Well I am going to show Cyril what me and Ashes can do and make some black ice! Wouldn't that be cool?" Brisk bumped against her brother.

"Uhhh… sure! I mean… I mean… if it doesn't end up exploding again like it did last time…" Ashes added.

"Oh don't worry. It won't be as bad as last time. I got a better handle on temperature control now!"

Cynder began her descent as the kids flew back to the twisting spire of the palace itself, all the while discussing their plans. As she closed in on the guardians, she caught a slimmer of the many, many threats Terrador was going to do to Red.

"I'll wring that scrawny little drake's neck! I swear!" The deep baritone dragon's voice was hard and dripping with fury. "Who does he think he is?! He was not there that night! Talking as if we hadn't felt any guilt for what happened! We did everything we could to protect those eggs, even Ignitus! And he had the gall to drag his name through the dirt like that!"

"Terrador!" Cyril called out, "Control yourself my friend! Don't let Red's words get to you like this! He wants you to lose control so you will look bad in front of the council!"

"Don't give me that! You spoke out against him in the chamber too, Cyril! You and Volteer both! Because you know what he said was nothing but slander! He's already made us look bad in that stupid debate!"

"I can hardly call that a debate. And for the record, debating that fool and smashing his face in are two completely different things," Volteer chimed in. "I must admit… we dropped our composure and let our emotions take over. Spyro and Cynder were the only dragons out of any of us who knew how to keep their composure."

Terrador scoffed at that. "They don't know Red like we do. They wouldn't have understood the animosity he held for Ignitus."

Cynder cleared her throat as he approached the three unsuspecting guardians. "Then perhaps now would be the time for you to actually tell us? Or rather, tell me."

The guardians looked at one another and back over to the queen. Terrador turned aside and try to regain his composure.

"We apologize for that Cynder… we didn't mean for you to see that," Cyril spoke. "It is not everyday you get to see wise dragons such as us lose composure during an argument."

"That was no argument, that was him gaslighting us," Terrador hissed. "But yes… that… was unbecoming of us."

""Unbecoming'' is one word to describe it, but it looked more like you were about to tear him apart, Terrador. You never lost your cool like that, ever." Cynder shook her head in confusion. "Was it because of what he said?"

"Part of it, yes," Volteer added. "But not entirely. Red is… was… a dutiful student of Ignitus, one who had the making of a great dragon in him, one who was supposed to be the next guardian of fire."

Cynder shook her head. She had to make sure she didn't hear that wrong. Red was to be a guardian of fire? Just by how he and Mangus argued, he was the least likely candidate she would imagine to be a guardian of fire. He wasn't wise, he wasn't patient or calm or anything.

"From what I saw, he's full of hot air," she said. "What sort of dragon was he to even be considered to be a guardian of fire?"

Cyril sighed and closed his eyes. "To tell that, we will have to tell you of the war against the dark army. A century before Ignitus led the Inferno Battalion, before the raid on the swamp temple, Red was a young fire dragon who, like many other dragons during the time of war, started from unhappy beginnings. Ignitus took him under his wing, to train him to become the next guardian of fire."

Volteer nodded his head as he recalled back on the day they first met the young dragon. "He was powerful… more so than any other fire dragon I knew outside of Ignitus. His elemental breath was strong enough to melt the plate armor off of the apes."

Cynder couldn't help but let out a sharp whistle. Hard to imagine that now given he looked more like a posh ass than an actual warrior. "He sounded like a prodigy."

"Perhaps he was. But what fueled his strength was hatred. Hatred for the apes, hatred for the Dark Master who took away his family and friends. For a time, everyone thought him ill fitted for the role. Given what we were up against, however, Ignitus continued to train him, and he did everything he could to calm his rage."

Then what was it that made Red lose his title as the next guardian of fire? Before she could ask that, Terrador spoke; "Cyril, Volteer, we haven't come here just to talk about Red."

"Then what have we been doing for the past hour?" Volteer retorted.

"That's besides the point! I say, sometimes you are daft for someone who's so smart!"

Cyril frowned at that and pointed his claw at Terrador. "What was our original purpose for this visit before we started going off about Red?"

The earth dragon stirred for a moment, rumbling under his breath. "Uhhh… let me think… we were here to report to Spyro about the recent raid."

Cyril nodded his head. "That's right. The Soulfire Clan. Our dear admirer Rupture even showed himself this time. They struck hard, fast, torched the town and tried to pluck the livestock while the cheetahs tried to fight the flames. They're getting desperate given what the messenger said."

"Well… Spyro isn't here at the moment. We had another… incident," Cynder didn't really want to elaborate any further.

"Well, Rupture was injured badly during the fight, but so was Flame. By all accounts, the Soulfire clan won that conflict even if they didn't get exactly what they came for. Fortunately, there were no casualties," Volteer continued.

"Well that's good news. Who knew maintaining the peace could be hard work?" Cynder chuckled softly and shook her head.

All Spyro and Cynder had done was bring peace to the realms. Bringing hope, inspiring others, it was how they were able to bring the realms back together again. Well, almost. Not everyone wanted to accept the peace. EIther because of too many hurtful memories, or because desperation had put them down a path they feel they could never return from. Maintaining peace was another thing entirely.

They never fought any other dragons other than each other and Malefor. And the idea that there were dragons who sided with Malefor during his return had baffled them. There were not too many who had sided with the Dark Master during his dragon purge. Yet, Cynder wondered if any of them had a choice in that matter, just like her. With the passing of the new law, maybe they might see those dragons change around for the better.

"Normally it isn't. At least from what our predecessors told of the time of the elders," Cyril added. "In any case, when Spyro gets back, we will have to discuss how to deal with the prisoners."

"I'm assuming the new laws we just passed don't apply to the renegade dragons, do they?" Cynder asked. Though she already knew the answer given how many technicalities were thrown about at the council chamber.

Terrador nodded. "You would be right. We're still operating under peace time laws in a way. But normally, treason against Warfang would be punishable by death. That decision is left up to Spyro to decide. And if I didn't know any better, I'd say his kind hearted nature wouldn't allow him to willfully take the life of another."

He sighed and shook his head. "I just hate that he will be forced to make a decision like that. But he has to understand that not everyone is deserving of such mercy."

"Well, whatever happened to Malefor… whether he's dead or alive… didn't receive such mercy from us. No doubt he's probably suffering a far worse fate, though" Cynder said. "And I hope he suffers for a long, long time."

Cynder took a deep breath in and sigh before smiling. "In any case, we should worry about the here and now. We aren't living in the shadows anymore, and we've a kingdom to run. But I know the kids have been meaning to see you all for quite some time. Best take some time off."

"Well I'll say, it certainly wouldn't hurt." Cyril said with a nod and smile. "I think it would be good for all of us to just take a moment to relax. Ancestors know we'll be needing it."

As the dragons took their leave for the palace, something caught the corner of Cynder's eye. Or rather, above her. A curious glint, and a large dragon-like figure that stood at the edge on the very near top of the palace spire. She tried to focus her gaze to discern the figure, only for it to turn and disappear inside.

—

The palace of Warfang was the second largest structure second only to the city temple which was slowly being rebuilt. Still, it was a marvelous structure and a testament of the dragons that came before. With the architectural mastery the moles had to offer, both it and the temple were their greatest and most proudest achievements. The main living hall of the palace was one of the largest segments of the palace, second only to the training room and the throne room. It was 40 feet high, and 80 feet in diameter.

Center of the room was a large pool, with artificial waterfalls created through the four aqueducts from the next floor above which redirected the flow of water outside and into the main chamber. Seating cushions were spread across the edges of the room, along with roosting platforms positioned beside each end of an archway that led into different rooms, one leading to the prow that they just entered from.

Banners of the elements hung above the archways. Earth, fire, electricity, and ice. But there was also water, wind, and other symbols of elements that none of the kids there recognized. Then again, they knew not of any other elements beyond the ones they inherited. Wind and water dragons existed, but how come there weren't guardians around to teach their father of those respective elements?

Spyro always mentioned how he felt his own training was incomplete, and how his understanding of himself as a purple dragon left him with more questions that have been left unanswered. Whenever they caught him in the main chamber alone, he always sat in silence staring at the banners above. Sometimes the kids themselves fell prey to the awe inspiring majesty of the banners, questioning their own powers and purpose.

"Do you think this is what dad always feels?" Ashes asked his brother and sisters.

"Feel… what exactly?" Terra asked, tail curiously swishing side to side. "I don't really think much about it."

But that was a lie. Terra was as curious about what it means to be a dragon herself. Living with a family that only had second hand knowledge of the world they knew of who had questions themselves was a struggle to get adjusted to this new way of life. Warfang was so different from the wide open fields and the verdant lush valley of Avalar. There were so many faces, so many colors of dragons, sprawling towers and massive structures that housed dozens of families.

"Not even the history books tell us too much about being a dragon. Most of it seems to come naturally to the people here," Brisk said. "I don't even know what to say to other dragons, what to say to them about what I don't know. I mean… I always asked the guardians and the teachers about what being a dragon meant but…." Brisk sighed and turned her head aside.

For her, it was a lot harder to put into words. She wasn't as terse as Terra was when it came to speaking her mind. Not that any of them struggled to make friends. Well, with the exception of Brisk of course. But there was that nagging feeling as to what purpose they have as dragons, what it means to be a dragon.

As for Mal, the less he knew, the better. He was sick of it. Not that any of them can blame him for it. There were similar sentiments but never to that extreme.

"Maybe we shouldn't really think too hard about these kinds of things. We were pretty alright without having to go through all that nonsense," Ashes commented. "Like Volt. I don't think he's thought about it much. Isn't that right?"

Volt was just staring at the banners, swishing his tail side to side, head darting at each banner. After a few seconds though, he turned to Ash to address him. "Hmm? Thought about what?"

"We were talking about-"

"Don't you think those banners look super cool?" Volt looked back up. "I think they look cool. Especially the electric banner. Dad said there were only four banners back at the swamp temple."

Ashes smiled and looked over at Terra and shrugs. "See what I mean?"

The other three drakes started to laugh and gather around to give Volt a hug.

"Hey Volt, how about we play a game?" Terra asked.

"Are we gonna play catch the dragonfly again?" her brother asked. "But…uncle Sparx isn't here."

"Doesn't have to be catch the dragonfly. Could always be… tag!" Terra bumped against Volt as she turned to take flight. "You're it!"

Volt was quick to pick himself up. "T-that's not fair!" he exclaimed as he took off right after her.

"You're the fastest dragon with your electricity Volt!" she called out to him and laughed. "Talk about fair when you got that!"

Though just by proving her point, Volt zipped across the air after taking flight and tagged the earth dragon. "Yeah well… you're it!" In a blink of an eye, he was off again.

"Hey! You no good-" Terra growled.

Though knowing she couldn't catch Volt unless she was clever enough to flank him, she instead opted to charge at Ashes and Brisk. "Then I'll get one of you instead! Come here!"

Brisk and Ashes looked at each other wide eyed before dashing out of the way of Terra's attempt to tackle.

"Catch us if you can then Terra!" Brisk called out.

For thirty minutes the siblings spent their time playing tag. The worries and concerns of expectations and draconian standards were far back in the heads of the young dragonlings that they happily spent their time just being themselves together.

They raced throughout the entire palace, even going into rooms and places they have never seen before. Including what looked to be a smaller pool of water. From the looks of it, there were runic engravings etched along the rim of the pool. Around the small chamber, there were statues, each depicting a dragon elder from ages old and new. On the other end, there was a doorway leading to a balcony outside.

Brisk ceased her chase as she took the time to stop and examine the pool. As she traced her claw along the rim, the realization that this was a pool of visions came to her head. How it was described to her by the guardians.

"Yo Brisk! Whatcha doing? Volt's getting away!" Ashes exclaimed as he landed beside the ice dragon. "Oh hey, another pool! Why did they build one up here though?" he asked.

"Because this isn't a regular pool. Remember Professor Zander's class for magic crafting? He said that these pools are magically crafted by the ancients. This is a pool of visions!"

"Sweet! Maybe we can spy on Professor Ragnar's class and steal some of the answers for the next exam!" Terra exclaimed as she hopped atop of Brisk.

"Terra! Get off! And the pool doesn't work like that! Only certain dragons can see it. It can allow one to see premonitions, thoughts, memories and even dreams of others! Even events that are happening in faraway places.:

"Sooooo what you are saying iiiissss…. We can totally use this pool to spy on Ragnar's class." Terra nodded and huffed as though she understood everything.

"She got you there, Brisk," Ashes said. "Hey, perhaps we can use this pool and see which one of us can divine it."

"Divine what?" Volt arrived after realizing that his siblings had given up on the chase.

"Uhh… magic pool. Can see stuff far away. Even thoughts and dreams. We're gonna ace Ragnar's next exam."

The dragons all leaned over to stare into the pool of visions. The clear mystical water swirled in a mesmerizing pattern. While the beauty of it seemed unparalleled to just about every other magical thing that they have encountered throughout their youth, there was nothing out of the ordinary about it. No pictures, no voices, visions or anything like that.

They spent a good solid minute or two staring into the pool that they didn't even realize that their mother had arrived from the other end of the chamber.

"Kids? What- how did you get up here?" Cynder asked.

"We flew," they all said in unison without missing a beat.

"We're checking out this pool of visions and seeing if we can't… uhh… spot trouble." Terra lied.

Cynder looked around the chamber as though she was looking for someone. Normally, she would have been looking for her kids when they were doing something they shouldn't supposed to be doing.

"Did any of you see a dragon come through here?" she asked.

Ashes lifted up his head curiously. "No. Why?"

"Because I saw a dragon go into this segment of the palace while I was outside. Are you sure you didn't see anyone?"

Her kids looked up at their mother, then at each other. Slowly they shook their heads.

"Nope. Didn't see anyone. Not even on our way up here and we flew through the entire palace." Volt said.

The black dragoness sighed and shook her head. Perhaps it was her mind playing tricks on her, she thought. Perhaps it was paranoia on her part.

"Well, the guardians are waiting for you. They're all so eager to see what you've been cooking up with your powers."

Almost immediately the kids ran out as they cheered the guardians names, leaving Cynder alone in the chamber. But now it was Cynder's turn to be curious. A pool of visions in their own palace? They should have explored their own home more. Though now was as good a time as any to check it out, she thought.

She hadn't seen a pool like that since back at the swamp temple. At first, she expected nothing to come to her. She wasn't sure if she had the capacity to divine the pool into the hearts and minds of others. After all, it seemed as though the guardians were the only ones capable of using it.

But as she stared into the pool, the water and ripples slowly began to move, and centered in the swirls, images began to form. An impossibly old and archaic looking chamber took shape in the water. Dark purple flames adorn the walls on each section of the chamber. In the center, a lone draconian figure stood before a pedestal. As she tried to focus in on the image, it began to fade from the pool. The last thing she saw though was a surging of dark fire springing forth from the center.

Cynder doubled back and shook her head. "What... what did I just witness?"