Chapter 14

Spyro woke up in a daze. The purple dragon jumped up in pain from the hot, rocky ground that he was lying on. "Ah! What in the world?" He took the time to look around the area. He had to fly because the ground was covered in red-hot, glowing rocks. Jets of lava were bursting out from random spots like geysers. There seemed to be no signs of life for miles and miles. "This is Cynder's mind?" the dragon asked himself. He saw a volcano far off in the distance with a strange black shape coming out of it. "What is that? I'd better check it out." Spyro made his way to the volcano, avoiding any lava geysers on the way. With concern, he called his love's name. "Cynder! Where are you, Cynder? I want to help you! Cynder!"

"Spyro!" He didn't really expect her to respond. Cynder's voice seemed to be filled with anguish and fear, not a good sign.

"Cynder! Tell me where you are! Please, Cynder!" He stopped for a little bit so he could focus on where the voice came from.

"I'm over here, Spyro! Please help me! Ahhh!"

"Silence, you worm! You shall suffer!" Spyro heard another voice speak. "I will make you pay!"

The voices both came from the volcano. "Cynder, I'm coming, just hang on!" Spyro picked up the pace and flew as fast as he could. Fortunately, Spyro was not in the physical world, this meant he didn't have to worry about getting tired from flying too fast. The closer Spyro got to the volcano, the better he could see the strange black shape. When he was one mile away, he saw that it was Cynder herself! He marvelled at the gigantic black dragon that stood in the volcano. He felt a small chill of fear creep up his spine. "This is Cynder's darkness?" The purple hero reached the giant Cynder who had her back turned towards him. He ascended and landed on her shoulder, she didn't seem to notice. Spyro looked down to see what Torment carried in her claw. He clung to her scales and hid from view underneath her chin. He couldn't tell what she was holding. 'I should probably listen in.'

"Spyro, where are you? !" Cynder's voice cried. Spyro frantically looked for her.

Torment laughed and taunted Cynder. "You stupid fool! Do you really think that weakling can save you in here? Give up already!" The loud booming of Torment's voice combined with her impossibly fowl breath and body odor were nothing like what Spyro's ears or nose had ever experienced; it took every fiber of his being not to cry in pain or vomit in disgust. The stench coming from her armpits were enough to make his eyes water.

"No! I know Spyro's coming! He'll find a way! He always does!" That was it! Spyro saw that it was Cynder inside Torment's claw! "Help Spyro!"

He knew that was his cue. Spyro slid down Torment's sweaty chest, trying his hardest to hold his breath. 'How can something stink this bad? In the dream world, no less?' He timed his jump and reached Torment's right elbow, making sure to hide from view. Now he was within range of the volcano's gases, he felt like he was in a smelly oven. Spyro dug his claws into Torment's thick scales and crawled upside down along her arm. "Thank Ancestors she's to fat to notice me," he said. He eventually reached her paw where Cynder was being held and could hear her cries.

"I don't deserve this! I'm good now!" she pleaded.

"And that's why I'm here!" said Torment. "It is your destiny to kill! And since you refuse, I must take your place! Face it, Cynder! You're a servant of Darkness! You've been marked since the day you hatched!"

"Don't listen to her, Cynder!" Spyro jumped up and landed on the top-side of Torment's fist where Cynder's head was sticking out.

"Spyro! I knew you'd come!" said Cynder.

Torment snarled at the intrusion. "You little! How dare you interrupt me!"

Spyro grinned. "Like this!" Spyro jumped over to Torment's wrist. Before she realised what was going on, he used his tail blade to slice her radial artery.

Torment roared in pain and grabbed her wrist, causing her to release Cynder. Torment watched angrilly as Spyro grabbed Cynder and the two flew to her eye level. "You little shit! No one does that to me and lives!" She brought her tail from behind and tried to smack the two teenagers, but they dodged with timing.

"Spyro, what should we do? The same thing we did with the Destroyer?" Cynder asked.

"That won't be necesarry, Cynder," he said. "You can control this."

Cynder blinked. "Me? What can I do? Look out!" They both ducked to avoid Torment's poison spit. "Just what is going on and how did you get here?"

"I used your Haven to enter your mind. The queen explained it all to me. To paraphrase what she said, that monster is your darkness. Your darkness, Cynder. You've been denying it, so it's trying to take control!"

"Control?"

"Yes." They avoided Torment's double swipe. "You need to conquer your darkness, Cynder! Only then will it leave you alone!"

"But... but I don't want to accept the darkness!" Cynder protested.

Spyro grabbed her and they moved out of the way from Torment's siren scream, followed by Spyro breathing fire into her eye. They continued to speak while Torment held her eye in anger. "Lisen to me, Cynder! Darkness is not evil! It's a part of you! The more you resist, the stronger it gets. Now face your fears damn it!"

Cynder was surprised at Spyro's motivative speech. She nodded to him. "You're right. I have to do this!" She faced Torment and waited for her to regain focus.

Torment tried to punch Cynder with her massive hand, but was stunned to see the small black dragon stop the fist that was a hundred times larger than herself. "What? ! You!" She pulled back, only to find she could not do that either. "Let go!" Cynder could feel a strange energy pass through her. With every second that passed, Torment began to shrink at an alarming rate, while at the same time Cynder's scales began to change color, becoming lighter. After a minute, Torment was only fifty feet tall and Cynder's scales were pure white. After two minutes, Cynder's markings vanished from her body, and she was as pale as Death himself. The three dragons stood on the summit of the volcano, Torment was as small as a hatchling now. Torment yelled at Cynder in a comically high voice. "What did you do to me?"

"I took my darkness back. This time, I intend to keep it." She picked up Torment in her hand. "You played me, T. Tou were just using me. Well, I'm done being used. I give you credit for one thing, though. Your little stunt has helped me learn that Spyro truly does love me."

"That's right. I couldn't have done it without you," Spyro joked.

"You dare to mock me? I shall destroy you!" said Torment.

"Good luck with that," said Cynder. "Until then, get the fuck out of my body." With that, she dropped Torment into the volcano.

Spyro hugged Cynder tightly. "You did it, Cynder!"

Cynder wrapped her arms around Spyro and embraced him. "We did it, Spyro. Thank you so much for freeing me. But uhh... what happened to my scales?"

"I'll let Celia explain that. Let's get the hell out of here."

"Agreed."

Chapter 14