The Pink Dragoness quickly perked up, avoiding showing her fearful look. Ember looked at Spyro, no longer fearful, but inspired to fight for him.
"The first to spar will be Ember and Cynder." Cynder continued to smile, taking her place. Ember moved to her place, not showing hesitation. "Begin!" Just as Terrador said this, Cynder seemingly vanished. She moved at the speed of lightning, into the shadows. Ember looked around, attentive to her surroundings. She heard something creep up behind her. Ember turned her head, and got hit in the face with wind sending her spiraling to the floor. Cynder leaped after Ember. The Pink Dragoness released a fire stream at Cynder, but to no avail the Black Dragoness blew it all out of the way with her wind. Cynder bolted straight into the gut of Ember, the Pink Dragoness felt the wind rush out of her body. Spyro began to run to stop the fight, but Cynder was too fast, she quickly sent a barrage of punches at the Pink Dragoness before adding wind to her fist, delivering the final blow sending Ember into the wall leaving a hole. Ember lay there lifeless, she could feel broken bones. The Dragoness was too weak to raise her head from the ground. Cynder looked to her side and saw Spyro shaking his head in disappointment before running to Ember. The smile on the face of the Black Dragoness quickly left her face.
"Are you ok Ember?" Ember tried to respond to Flame, but was even struggling to breathe. She began to bleed from her nose, as well as from a few other cuts she received in the fight.
"We should get her to the healer." Flame turned to Spyro and nodded in understanding, not knowing of what to say. Spyro turned to the Green Guardian, but Terrador didn't seem to do anything, is seemed like he was waiting for something. Flame looked at Spyro again and saw his face in amazement looking at Ember. The Red Dragon quickly turned back around to look at the heart in the necklace of Ember was glowing a bright red. Ember slowly began to get up, still feeling immense pain. Flame looked astonished.
"Ember, but how did you-"
"Flame, I would love to talk about it, but right now I feel like I should go to the healers." Ember seemed to struggle with every word. In the back Cynder looked astonished, not knowing exactly what was happening. It finally came to Cynder, the Red heart in Ember's necklace was made up of a Dragon healing crystal. Ember tried to take a step but immediately collapsed as soon as she put pressure on her paw. Spyro quickly ran past Flame, and picked up Ember, putting her on his back.
"Flame, while I'm flying to the healers, stay close so if she begins to slip you can get her."
"Got it." Spyro quickly again glanced at Cynder in disappointment before taking off into the sky setting out for the healers. Cynder looked at Terrador.
"Cynder, I think it may be best if you were to retire for the day." Tears began to build up in her eyes, she nodded to Terrador and quickly took off herself, but not for the healers, but for her room. The Black Dragoness soon reached the tower and entered her chamber through the balcony. Tears began to form in her eyes thinking of Spyro, and his face of disappointment. It seemed as if someone had heard her crying, but Cynder paid no mind to it. Soon through her door flew in a small golden Dragonfly.
"Woah, did something happen Cynder?" The Black Dragoness looked at Sparx, tears still in her eyes.
"It's nothing Sparx." There weren't as many tears anymore, but still sadness, as well as shame.
"Well, judging by your tears and overall sadness I'm going to take a guess and say that it's not nothing."
"Please leave me alone Sparx."
"Not until I find out what's going on."
"Please Spar- "
"Cynder, it's either you tell me, or I go ask Spyro, I just want to help." The Black Dragoness curiously looked at Sparx.
"I've never seen so serious." A smile crossed the Dragonflies face.
"Just trying to take care of my 2'nd favorite Dragon." Cynder's head slightly went up.
"Alright Sparx, since you're so dedicated."
"Yay! Story time!" The Black Dragoness went on to tell everything that had happened in the morning. Consisting of how Ember was around Spyro, how Cynder reacted, what happened within the watchtower, ultimately leading to the spar between The Black Dragoness and the Pink Dragoness. "So, what's the problem? Ember obviously had it coming, I support what you did. I would have helped if I wasn't the size of your claw." Cynder smiled to the Dragonfly.
"I couldn't care less about Ember, it's just that." A tear came from the eye of the Dragoness. "What I care about is Spyro. He looked at me as if I was a monster like he hated me."
"Cynder you really don't need to worry."
"Why not?
"Spyro cares for you too much to hate you."
"But after what I did to Ember. Don't get me wrong, I hated her, but I could even hear her bones break with every hit I gave her." A chill went down the spine of Sparx.
"Cynder, you love Spyro. Don't you?"
"Of course! With everything in me."
"I can promise you that Spyro cares for you just as much if not more about you as you care about him."
"Sparx I know you mean well, but I really don't know what to think after this morning."
"Cynder, I'm going to tell you something, and let's just keep it between us ok." The Black Dragoness nodded her head. "From what I can tell, you are practically all he can think about."
"What?"
"How about this Cynder, I've got an idea to show you how much Spyro really cares about you. Just give me a couple of weeks." The Dragonfly began to fly out of the room.
"Thank you Sparx." The Golden Dragonfly looked back at Cynder.
"Wow, that's something that I will only hear once in my lifetime huh?" The Dragoness chuckled.
"Can you do me a favor Sparx."
"We'll see, if it's dance with a goat than no." Cynder seemingly ignored the Dragonfly.
"Can you keep this conversation between us."
"Wow, I swear today is my lucky day. Now two once in a lifetime things have happened, a thanks, and you trusting me, but yeah Cynder, you have my word that this will stay between us."
"Thank you."
"There it is again, I swear, my lucky day!"
"Spyro, we're moving at a snail's pace right now! She's hurt!" Flame was calling out to the Purple Dragon flying above him.
"If she falls she'll die, and she is in no danger right now. She has a few bruises and broken bones, but her necklace healed the cuts stopping the bleeding." The two Dragons spent the next several minutes flying to the Healers before quickly diving into a building. Spyro looked around inside until he found a mole.
"Excuse me!" The mole turned his head to Spyro. "Our friend is hurt, she needs medical attention." The mole waved to Spyro and Flame.
"Follow me." The Dragons listened to the mole and followed. They were soon lead into a room with many tables as well as four other moles reading books. "Put your friend here." The mole was indicating to one of the tables.
"Flame can you help me?"
"You got it Spyro." Flame aided Spyro in getting Ember onto the table. The mole seemed to analyze the Pink Dragoness laying on the table. Ember began to whisper.
"Thanks a lot, you two." Flame smiled at the gesture. Flame was about to speak but Spyro cut him off.
"You need to relax Ember, you're not in any threat, but you took quite a beating back there."
"You got it Spyro." Even under pain Ember wouldn't leave her seductive voice. The mole seemed to get done looking over the Dragoness.
"She'll be in good enough condition to leave tomorrow morning." The mole looked at Ember. "When you get out take it easy for the next two days, give that healing necklace a chance to help." Spyro seemed to clock his head to the side looking at the mole curiously. "Ah, you don't know what a healing necklace is. They are very ancient, very powerful. They're known to have the power of healing. It is much faster and much more effective than standard healing techniques. Did you know about this young Dragoness?" Ember nodded her head to the mole. Flame blurted out.
"Wow, that's cool." The mole looked at the Red Dragon and smiled. Spyro looked at Ember.
"I'll be back to check on you in an hour." Spyro looked at the Pink Dragoness, completely confused to why Cynder would do such a thing. The worst possible thing hit the mind of the Purple Dragon, maybe Cynder's been corrupted. Spyro quickly shook the thought out of his head before going out the door, taking one last glimpse at Ember, who smiled back at the Dragon. "Flame you gonna come?"
"No, I think I'll stay here, see you in an hour." The Dragon left the room, no longer in sight of the two candidates in the room.
"I've almost got him." Ember was no longer speaking in her soft voice, yet still, she naturally spoke with a smooth, calming, sweet voice.
"What do you mean?" Flame looked curiously at the Pink Dragoness. "Are you talking about the getting him to fall in love with you thing?"
"I know that I can do it, I love him, and I know he loves me, he just doesn't realize it."
"Well I really don't mean to worry you, but from what I can tell, he loves Cynder. Cynder and Spyro have known each other for years."
"If I spend enough time with Spyro I will know just as much, if not more about him than Cynder. He just doesn't see his true feelings about me."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, he always freezes up when I do something. He likes me, but is too uncomfortable to say anything, especially with Cynder around."
"You should probably be more careful though, it seems like that little outburst that Cynder had that got you to where you are now is because of how you were acting with Spyro."
"Right, Cynder's willing to fight for Spyro, but that doesn't mean that I'm not willing to fight back.
"Well, all I can say Ember is good luck with getting Spyro." The Pink Dragoness smiled to the Red Dragon.
"Thanks Flame."
Spyro took off into the sky in search of Cynder. He first checked the training room to not find Cynder, but Terrador.
"Terrador, do you know where I can find Cynder?"
"I believe that she is in her room."
"Thanks." Spyro quickly turned around, getting ready to take off before he heard a voice call out from the back of the room.
"You need to find out why this happened, and stop it. We need you two to train the two candidates, we can't do that if Cynder kills them, or hurts them to the point where they can't fight anymore." Spyro turned his head towards Terrador and nodded before taking off into the sky eyes focused on the tower that held both Spyro's and Cynder's room. Spyro quickly flew into Cynder's room to find her jump back from her pile of pillows where she was resting her head. Cynder relaxed seeing Spyro, laying her head back down on the pile of pillows.
"Hey, Spyro." Cynder was obviously upset.
"Cynder are you ok?" Spyro slowly walked by until he was next to Cynder.
"I- "The Dragoness sighed. "I don't know." Cynder looked up at Spyro. "I'm sorry Spyro" The Purple Dragon sat down next to Cynder. Spyro was saddened to see Cynder upset. Spyro looked at the Dragoness. Tears began to build up in her eyes.
"You don't need to be sorry. Just, can you tell me one thing?"
"What?"
"Why?"
"Please Spyro- "
"Cynder, it's clear something is wrong, I only want to help." Spyro was talking in a soothing voice, which seemed to calm the young Black Dragoness. "Cynder please."
"I just, I felt so angry, and I took it all out on Ember in the sparring match." Tears slowly trickled from the face of Cynder. "I'm so sorry, please Spyro can you forgive me?" The Dragoness looked at Spyro, into the Purple Dragons eyes. "I didn't mean for anything to happen, at least not like this."
"Cynder you can calm down." It was evident that Spyro was saddened to see Cynder like this, but he continued to try and comfort her. "Ember is going to be fine, you don't need to worry about her. You especially don't need to worry about things between us."
"Really?"
"Cynder, I could never be mad at you, and especially stay mad." The Purple Dragon smiled to Cynder. "I can see that you don't want to talk about what got you so angry, so I'll leave it alone, but if you ever feel like you need someone to talk to, I'm always there. Like I told you at the watchtower, I'm there for you."
"Thank you, Spyro." Suddenly to the surprise of the Purple Dragon Cynder leaned in, kissing Spyro on the lips, the Purple Dragon leaned in himself. The two pulled back, cheeks as red as tomatoes. They both released a chuckle. "So how badly did I beat Ember anyway?"
After about nearly thirty minutes the two Dragons decided to check on Ember. The two quickly reached the medical building, Cynder stood only steps away from the room leading to Ember. The Black Dragoness got an aching feeling that she may finish the job with Ember. Spyro waited for Cynder to walk in, she took a deep breath, attempting to keep a level head around Ember and walked in the room. Inside Ember was lying down, and Flame was sitting not too far away. To Cynder's surprise the Pink Dragoness wasn't the lifeless looking body she saw in the training room. All that could be seen were a few bruises, with a broken rib. Ember looked at Cynder, her heartbeat seemed to skip a beat, until Spyro walked in the room closely behind Cynder.
"Oh, hey Cynder. Hey Spyro." For once Ember wasn't speaking in her seductive voice to Spyro. The Purple Dragon was being lead to believe that was simply how the Pink Dragoness would speak.
"You two probably want to talk, we'll be waiting outside the door." Spyro signaled his head towards Flame to leave the room. The Red and Purple Dragons left the room with Cynder and Ember alone to speak their mind. The two Dragonesses remained silent for several moments until Ember spoke up.
"I think you overdid it."
"What?" The Black Dragoness quickly looked at Ember.
"Just because you were jealous you thought you should pick a fight?" That's just sad." In the blink of an eye Cynder was directly in the face of Ember.
"You listen here, and you listen well. I care for Spyro too much to let him near your slutty paws, you try something again and I'll make sure you won't have any paws to use. What I did this morning was completely justified, and if I had to I would have done it again." Ember showed no fear to the Black Dragoness, thinking of Spyro.
"We'll see." Cynder was getting ready to walk out of the room before she turned her head to Ember.
"Just remember this, today you might by lying down in a bed. But the next time you try that you'll be lying underground." Ember's heart seemed to skip a beat, before Cynder walked out of the room.
The Black Dragoness left the building to see Spyro and Flame talking with each other outside.
"She's inside resting." Flame shot up.
"I'll go make sure everything is ok." Flame entered the building quickly.
"Wow, that was quick." Cynder giggled to Spyro's comment. The Purple Dragon began to make his way to the door leading to the medical building, but Cynder blocked him off.
"She probably wants to be left alone for the time being at least."
"Uhm, ok I guess."
"Come-on, let's go get something to eat." The two Dragons made their way to the dining hall and ate their meal in silence. They spent the rest of their day talking with each other. Spyro would check on Ember about every three to four hours. Soon the sun went down, and the Dragons returned to their rooms. Cynder began to put her head down, but she heads the familiar buzzing of a Dragonfly entering her room.
"So, Cynder, how have things been with you, aside for the near murder of a Dragon?"
"About as good as you could expect I guess."
"Did you talk to Spyro?"
"Well, yeah in the morning, not long after you left actually."
"Well, you wanna talk about it?" Cynder's cheeks turned red, thinking of the kiss the two Dragons shared in the morning. Cynder tried to shake this thought out of her head to avoid the embarrassment. "You could tell me about it tomorrow if you want?"
"How about never?" Cynder smiled at the Dragonfly.
"Aw. But what about tomorrow?"
"Ok, fine Sparx."
"Yay!" Sparx made his way over to one of Cynder's pillows and laid down on it.
"Uhm, Sparx why are you sleeping in here?"
"Well I gotta get this information out of you as early as possible tomorrow, so the best way of doing that is to go to sleep in here." Cynder giggled.
"Alright." The Dragoness laid her head down on the pillows. "Goodnight Sparx.