After the confrontation between Cynder and Eclipse, they entered the city. Eclipse followed Cynder to a nearby clinic for her leg, while Spyro took the rest of his group to see the guardians for housing assignment.
There was a heavy silence between the two dragons as they walked. It made Eclipse uncomfortable, having someone to talk to but not saying anything at all. He didn't know what to say, after all this time apart and the only thing there was ice. How could she forget my name but I couldn't forget her's? The question circled his head whenever he looked at her. Everything was the same about her, besides the size obviously.
"I'm sorry for attacking you. I should've been more patient." Her apology broke the silence, he looked at the cut again. It was pure reaction, I didn't know who it was. Feeling sorry for the traitor? Weakling.
"Sorry for slicing your leg." He noticed her small limp, causing his heart to fall closer to his stomach. Strike now, end her treachery. Get out.
"It was a warranted response." She gave a small laugh but it didn't work. Soon after the silence returned, freezing back over as if winter blew in. The city was larger on the inside than how it looked on the outside. It's residents gave Eclipse mixed looks as he passed them. Some looked curious as if trying to understand him, other's gaze him stares of disdain. They knew who he was and he could feel their hatred. That utter passion to see him dead, he joined them in this feeling.
The clinic was a small building, only one floor. It's waiting room doubled as its main function room. The floor, walls and even the roof were some sort of white tiles, if it wasn't for the furniture the room would be bland. Cushions of different colors lined the closest wall while low tables hung on the opposite one. Cabinets sat above the tables, holding either caches of red or green crystals. There were other doors that lead to other parts of the clinic, but they were staff only.
Cynder was already sitting on one of the tables, checking the wound herself before looking back at Eclipse. She looked like she was analyzing him, as if something was wrong with him. "You look good." She finally told him, turning away.
"So do you, got rid of the choker I see." She looked down at the necklace as if she didn't know it was even there. The emeralds highlighted her eyes perfectly, while the silver brought out the black in her scales. He wouldn't lie to himself, part of him wanted her back but that was his past self. Now, he didn't know what to call her. "It looks good on you."
"Spyro gave this to me not even an hour ago." A small smile appeared on her face, probably remembering the moment.
A mole wearing a white coat came from one of the staff doors and examined Cynder's leg. "You got lucky miss, any deeper and he would've cut an artery." The mole gave him a cold stare. Eclipse realized that her blood was still on his tailblade, he gave him a sheepish smile and starting looking for something to wipe it off. "Nothing a red crystal couldn't fix though." He snapped off a small red crystal from the cache above and let it absorb into her scales. The gem instantly started to close the wound. "Try to be careful next time, I've patched up you two too many times." He chuckled then walked back into the depths of the clinic.
"So…" He trailed off as they exited the building.
"Let's get your room then-" Terrador landed with a heavy thud in front of them, shortly followed by Volteer, Spyro and Aurora. The elder dragons practically radiated anger and from what Eclipse could tell, it was because of him. Cynder tried to stand in a protective stance in front of him but he stopped her.
"You need to come with us." Terrador's voice rubbled like an earthquake.
"What for?" Eclipse gave them a puzzled expression.
"We wish to ask you some questions, it won't take long." Volteer stepped forward, patting the far heavier dragon on the shoulder.
"Ask away." He stayed defiant, meeting the earth guardian's hard eyes.
"In private young one." With a silent nod Eclipse followed them into the sky and then into the guardian's council hall. He noted the blank pedestal that belonged to the fire guardian, remembering what happened him. They lead him to a smaller room that looked like a collective office. A cushion laid in the center of the room, between the four guardian desks. They're going to interrogate you. Nothing can be as bad as fighting with you. Harsh.
"We are going to ask you some simple questions. This won't affect you becoming a official resident of the city. Just please answer with full honesty." Volteer gave him an awkward smile then cleared his throat.
"What's to point of these questions?" He realized that his hostility was leaking into his voice.
"All we want to know is how you've been…" He shrugged at the green dragon in the next desk. "...reformed"
"I reserve the right to not answer a question."
"Of course." He cleared his throat again. "Is it true that part of you can be considered 'tainted'?"
No. "Yes." His response earned him a raised eyebrow from Terrador.
"Is it true that you were in charge of some of Malefor's forces during your time as his general?" The questionnaire lasted for what seemed like hours. He continued to get mix responses from both the earth and electric guardians. He did decide to not answer a few and Terrador did express his concerns about some of his answers. You answer these too truthfully. Last time I checked I don't need your permission. Your giving them all of our secrets. I'm giving them your secrets, I don't have any. Liar.
"Do you have any knowledge on how someone or something broke you from his corruption?" Terrador eyed him closely as if he was expecting something of a emotional response from him.
"My best guess is that once Malefor was defeated, his spell broke. I was freed around the same time the world broke." He met the guardian's gaze for the 5th time today. He wondered why he looked at him like this so often. He knows... Nothing.
"Lastly, during your time as Malefor's general, did you have any control over your actions and/or your body." Terrador now looked smug. Eclipse twitched as if his neck snapped but instantly went back to place. His memories flashed before his eyes, replacing the real world with the past one.
"Umm." He felt his grip slipping, his vision was going red. I need to get out of here. "No answer." He got up quickly as he heard the darkness laugh from inside him somewhere.
"This is an impor-"
"Stop." It came out angrier then he wished but he didn't have time to apologize. Terrador used his magic to close the door in front of him.
"Answer the question." His voice growled like the ground was ready to split.
"Let me out." He didn't dare turn around to face them.
"No."
"Fine." Then he vanished into thin air, leaving only a puff of black smoke behind.
Cynder sat outside the guardian's hall, waiting for Eclipse to return. Aurora sat next to her, playing with a flower between her talons. Spyro was pacing back and forth in front of both of them, waiting impatiently as he always did. She smiled as the purple dragon had a frustrated expression written across his face.
"Calm down Spyro, nothing's going to happen to any of them. Besides you just met him." She smiled, attempting to calm him down.
"He almost killed you."
"Hardly." She tried to give him a sarcastic look but he was too busy focusing on the ground.
"Eclipse was just defending himself and he probably thought the rest of us we're in danger as well." Aurora offered but Spyro firmed rejected it.
"He's the reason you guys made it all the way here right?" She gave up on Spyro as he continued his route.
"Honestly, yes. Even Ardere and Frost would admit to it. He's been our protector, and he took it extremely seriously." Her smile told Cynder that she wanted to say more but she refrained from doing so.
"I can see that." She noted how it looked like Aurora was completely unharmed and from what she was so the other two, they were almost the same way. She admitted to only herself that it was impressive.
"He talked about you in his sleep." Spyro stopped pacing and looked at Aurora.
"Really?" She felt her heart skip a beat.
"From what I gathered, he sounded like he was protecting you from someone." The memory of a tall, black dragon standing over her. In front of them was a troop of apes with their weapons drawn. They looked like they were about to fight but the memory ended before anything happened.
Volteer burst out of the double doors with a frantic look, immediately searching everywhere in eyesight. He looked at Aurora for less then a second before she leapt into the sky. Cynder directly followed suit, not knowing what was happening.
Aurora was further away then she expected, making her bend the winds to push her forward. She followed her all over the city, struggling to keep up with her. Cynder was starting to catch the her when she dropped down towards an alleyway beneath them. She landed with a thud and everything came together.
Eclipse was at the very back of the alley, shaking uncontrollably. His eyes had turned a crimson red, his voice cracked with a darker sound, and dark energy was starting to crackle off of him like lightning to a lightning rod. Aurora was with him, crouching down in an attempt to get him to look at her. She was whispering to him, so soft that Cynder couldn't hear her until she was right behind her. His head snapped to look at her, his eyes narrowing as their settled on her.
"Traitor." he growled, slowing rising from his lying position. She saw his muscles flex as he rose, the black scales shifted as they prepared for action.
"Eclipse, stop." Aurora stepped between them, shielding Cynder with her wings. He faltered for a second, his eyes flashing back to the silver color.
It was only a moment before the turned back. "Move." His tone was fighting itself, trying to decide from him and someone else.
"Not until you calm down."
"I AM CALM." He edged closer, barely an inch from her face. His growl became deeper, more primal as he did so.
"Eclipse, please." Cynder didn't even see him move around Aurora, but he was now on top of her.
His tailblade whipped around and struck the ground where her head once was. She struggled to unbalance him, but the black dragon proved too heavy. His talons dug down into her forearm, resulting in a cry of agony. His tailblade came down again, much closer to her face then before. Fear started to take over, her efforts to escape doubled.
Aurora was there again, putting her paws on his chest. His entire demeanour shifted. He let Aurora guide him off of Cynder, but his gaze didn't leave her. The small punctures started oozing out blood and the pain in her legs seemed to triple when he let go. She flipped on her stomach and quickly studied her forearms. Three small holes on each forearm but they hurt as if they were double the size.
"Look at me." Aurora's voice was soft and soothing as she spoke to him. "Eclipse, look at me." She used her paws to guide his gaze onto her. His eyes softened when he finally did, slowly fading back to his normal silver. The dark energy dissipated with a few weak sparks and all his muscles relaxed.
"This city is like poison to me." He leaned into her, asking for support.
"We'll get through this, I promise. You just need time." She wrapped her wings around him, creating their own little bubble. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah." He sounded defeated. "Cynder are you okay?"
"I've been dealt worse." She reassured him.
"I should bring you to the clinic." He took a step towards her.
"No!" Both her and Aurora yelled in unison.
"I'll be fine on my own, just go with Aurora." She gaze him a pleading look, he only nodded in response. They brought him out of the alley to be greeted by familiar faces. Spyro, Volteer and Cyril were waiting for them. She eyed Volteer with angry curiosity, which he returned by looking away. "You and Terrador have some nerve."
"Cynder its-" Eclipse emerged from the alley being guided by Aurora.
"It's NOT okay." She cut him off before he could defend them, she didn't care. "You asked him questions that you KNEW would cause a reaction." Volteer took a step back from her.
"We didn't expect-"
"If it was anything like what you put me through then Terrador was trying for this." She gestured to Eclipse behind her. "Am I wrong?"
"Not enti-"
"It's a yes or no question Volteer." Cynder took back the space in a step, practically standing on top of him. She whipped around when she heard Eclipse growl, finding that Cyril had approached him.
"I'll take him there sir, just point me to where it is." Aurora locked eyes with Cynder for a moment but then help Eclipse into the sky.
"Yes, I sup-"
"I don't care that you asked me, I had three years to stabilize myself, but Eclipse had only five months. Even then, he's spent that time fighting off remnants of Malefor's forces, if you ask me that doesn't count." She managed to push the larger dragon back.
"Cynder, I think-" Spyro put a paw on her shoulder. She whirled around to face him and with a loud smack, she hit him. Volteer and Cyril took this as a chance to quickly rise into the sky and fly away. She watched them take off before looking back at Spyro.
"You're going to defend them when they caused him to breakdown?" She yelled
"Don't blame Volteer for what Terrador did." He yelled back.
"HE DIDN'T STOP HIM." With that she too flew off towards where Eclipse should be, she could feel him watch her as she did. Terrador and his paranoia is going to get him killed. There's no telling what Eclipse could've done, especially in such a small amount of space. She was too mad at Spyro to apologize for hitting him. He deserved it, taking their side as if they're the victims here. I'll talk to him later but right now I need to find Eclipse. I need to make sure he's okay.