Cynder.
And now you know my reasons for dying. Ignitus, Sparx, Flash, Nina, Hunter, the Guardians… Almost everyone I grew close to has been snatched away from me.
Almost.
Amongst the pain of it all, there is one person that hasn't left me. She has never left my side, and been with me through everything. And if she hadn't, I wouldn't be here right now.
Cynder.
Yes, it is Cynder that has been here with me all this time, her own pain echoing mine. She is more than just a friend who has stuck by me, and I love her. And I will not leave her. I will continue to fly beside her as she flew beside me.
I have not always thought this, however. Once she was my enemy, and struck upon me a blow that was so hard it nearly killed me. But yet, throughout all the pain and suffering she had caused, I felt sorry for her. I felt sorry for her because she had been corrupted by the Dark Master's poisonous powers. And that is why, when Convexity began to collapse on top of us and I barely had the energy left to save myself, I rescued her.
Though she had been restored to her original form, the guilt she had felt – the sadness that had mirrored mine – caused her to flee from the Temple. I went after her, and of course got caught up in the evil plans of Gaul. This time it was I who nearly died, but Cynder saved me. She could have left me and saved herself, but she didn't. She stayed with me and gave me the hope that in the end saved all of us.
It was in our last adventure that I had discovered the true feelings she had for me – the feelings than we had for each other. After the death of Ignitus, I felt so distraught that I wanted to leap in the flames as well. But Cynder comforted me, and told me that I was not alone. Recently I have thought against that, but I see her now and I trust her words.
She was scared just before we went to fight Malefor, and I told her to stay close to me. Inside, I pledged to protect her, because I knew that I would die for her if I had to – I would die for her now. But then I discovered something that caused me as much grief as Ignitus' death – Cynder was still on Malefor's side.
I couldn't believe it. All these feelings I had felt for her, everything we had been through together…it all seemed to be spiralling out of control. I asked her whether it was true…she said that it was not, but her eyes didn't match her words. She refused to meet my gaze…and that was when I found out that Malefor was right.
He used his poisonous powers to turn Cynder dark once again. She became a complete opposite of the dragoness that I had fallen in love with. Her voice was twisted with evil and reminded me with a chill of Malefor. Her eyes were bright and blank, and so much darkness seemed to take control of her body that I could see it smoking off of her scales.
She hit me, and told me to fight back.
I crouched and shielded myself with my wing.
She hit me and told me to fight back again, and yet again I did not. I felt almost as defeated as I have been recently, and to lose her was like losing everything. When she asked me why, I looked straight into her blank, white gaze and told her. "Because I have nothing left to fight for."
My words seemed to reach her very heart. Her eyes widened, and the darkness vanished. And, though distressed I felt, I small flame of satisfaction burned inside me when I saw the look of outrage on Malefor's face. He could destroy the entire world. He could cause me so much pain with his powers. But he could never take Cynder away from me.
The fight truly began there. Cynder fought with me, and together – though we very nearly missed – we defeated, but not killed, Malefor. He was sealed away by the dragons of the past into the very centre of the world, but even after doing all that, my destiny still had not been fulfilled.
The world was breaking apart. I told Cynder to go, but she wouldn't leave me. My amethyst-coloured eyes widened as they met her eyes of green, and it was then I realised my true feelings for her. My power alone would not have been enough to put the world back together – or partly together, at least. No, Cynder used every drop of power left in her for me, and, just like I would for her, she would die for me.
It was then I realised that Malefor was wrong – I was not alone. I have never been alone, for Cynder is with me. Only if she dies will I have no reason to live, and so I will follow her. It was only when she whispered in my ear, "I love you" did I find that Ignitus was right – our destinies are twined together, and that thought is a hopeful one.
And she is my only reason to keep living.