XXIV
After a very annoying session of being chewed out by the Guardians for his sudden disappearance this morning,and his return late that day with Cynder, covered in wounds and smelling like death, Spyro then finally managed to finally tell them the entire story.
Ignitus asked. "So you mean to tell me that you snuck out...?"
"Yes."
"And attempted to secure the gem alone?"
"Yes."
"And returned to us with another dragon, without any warning, or our permission."
"It is as I recalled."
The Guardians sent looks to each other, clearly questioning the young dragon's actions. Apparently, he has a promise to keep to Cynder here, but that won't matter if the Skavengers decided to attack. The very last thing they need is a battle, especially here in the city, or, more accurately, the ghost-town.
Ignitus suppressed his anxiousness and anger down to a manageable level. "Spyro, you had better hope that the Skavengers aren't rushing to this city right now for a fight. You know the damage they will cause..."
Spyro shifted from paw to paw nervously. "Yeah well, the Skavengers, you see..."
Cynder had already grown tired of them. She was hungry, tired, beaten up, and thirsty. "The Skavengers have all officially bit the dust. That's not the worst of it though. Better hope that lunatic Ape King Gaul doesn't target this place instead."
"Excuse me, but, what do you mean?" Inquired Ignitus with curiosity, the other Guardians also becoming intrigued.
"Well, Gaul's here, and the very first thing he did was end all the Skavengers. The poor bastards were dropping out of the sky like flies, after being hit by some powerful energy burst similar to Convexity. Somehow, the dude's got power, serious power."
Ignitus huffed out a slow, fatigued sigh. "You mean to tell me, that not only are the Skavengers are gone, sending our little quest for the Wishing Gem into the trash, but now Gaul is dancing around the city, ready to attack us whenever he wants?"
"Correct."
"That went well..." Cynder sat outside, speaking to herself in a sarcastic tone. "Damn dragon got himself in hot water, only for everyone else to be dumped into the pot."
She wanted her hard life to be over. That's what she'd wanted. To have her own home, her own freedom, and to be guaranteed safety from danger from others. Somehow, the Purple Dragon, of all people, managed to get her sent to an empty city that is likely to be annihilated by a power-hungry ape. Great. Now what? Maybe she could fly up to one of those expensive-looking hotels, snatch herself a nice little room, and play "Happy Life" until Gaul guts her alive.
She couldn't even leave. That is, if she wanted to just return right to the same world she'd been promised salvation from... or deal with Gaul, who, was a psychopath.
She was nowhere before, but now, she was about to be dead, six feet under. Spyro wasn't going to keep his promise, and she should've KNOWN! How are they going to face off against Gaul, and come out on top? The Guardians looked like they haven't even fought against anyone for YEARS! They'll be lucky if they survive at all, and what is she?
Expendable. She'd only just unlocked her powers. Even if she wanted to fight for her freedom and safety, she'd be useless!
So, she asked herself the question again. 'Now, what?'
She heard the flapping of wings above her. Her eyes wandered to the starry sky, searching for the source. The silhouette of a small dragon caught her eye. She let out a barely suppressed growl.
"What do you want?"
Spyro landed on the ground before her, and their eyes met. Maybe he was apologizing for his lies, for getting her trapped in their quicksand, all over some empty promise. Then, she'd at least be able to look at him without wanting to knock him into a wall...
"Other than for you to come inside and get some rest, nothing." Spyro plopped right in front of her. He asked her with a slightly concerned voice. "What's wrong?"
'Of course.' "I want my end of the deal, our promise. What's wrong is that I haven't exactly gotten that."
"You'll get it, don't worry about it. We just have to sort out this whole Gaul mess. Soldiers are on their way now, and they'll deal with him. I don't know what's happened to him, but he won't be a problem for much longer. After that, you'll get what you need."
"It's funny you say that. Only, when we we're back in that shithole, you didn't tell me two things. 1) That the city you resided in was practically empty. 2) We'd have a jackass ape and his poop-flinging minions with him, ready to pounce on this city and tear it apart, like they were starving, and we were the fresh groceries. I could believe that you'd keep your promise if such a threat.
Now it was Spyro's turn to get angry. "What in the name of Ancestors is wrong with you? We. Are. At. War. Get it? The world, and the lives of hundreds will always come before the needs of some down on her luck dragoness."
Fury found it's way to the onyx dragoness's throat. "Down on my luck?! That's what you believe my entire life is? If that's the case, and that's how the world sees me, then you can all ROT for all I care! After being treated like a remorseless criminal for my entire life, can I be a little selfish?! Who will it hurt if I could just some good time to not worry about my safety, at the hands of my own people! It's not my fault I am who I am! I just want to have a taste of what real living is!"
"Oh come on! Was your life really that bad?"
"YES!" She stood up, and got right into his face, her hot, sharp breaths hitting his nose and her emeralds staring into his poisonous purple pools.
"You don't get it, Purple Dragon. I was born with different, terrifying powers, ones that are rare and aren't often bestowed upon many dragons. Word spread quickly after my first few years of life with my powers, and things went downhill from then. People fear and hate what they don't know, don't understand. It wasn't long before my parents abandoned me after they thought I'd become a monster, who used my powers for my own ends. After that, I was on my own."
Still agitated, Spyro's eyes narrowed as she continued, his body slowly softening with hers as she continued.
"It became hard to be me. I started to hate myself, and I started to hate the world. People wouldn't let me work for them, and refused to feed me or support me in any way. They were terrified of me, and didn't hide it. They'd gang up on me when I was alone and tired, beat me over and over. Ultimately, I had to start living more in the shadows, drifting from town to town and becoming a ghost, in a sense. I survived by hunting... or stealing food. Life was hard, scary, and worst of all, lonely."
Spyro stepped back from her, eyes emotionless. "I've never had to steal my food."
Cynder looked at him, the moisture in her eyes reflecting the light of the moon.
"I've never had to hide from people because of what I was."
"Nor have I ever been completely abandoned."
Spyro then walked right up to her, the look in his eyes as serious as murder.
"But, I know loneliness."
The dragoness's eyes widened with interest and surprise. Spyro nodded to her, confirming that she'd heard correctly. The Purple Dragon had something in common with her.
"I am the Purple Dragon. And, guess what? That's not entirely easy, you know. Everyone thinks that my life is completely luxurious. I'm one of the most powerful dragons in the Realms, and my kind is often surrounded by treasures, women, and other things that others would covet. I could have those things. But, they come at a price. I'm the only Purple Dragon alive, and it's centuries before the next in line is born. It's a lot of pressure. I have to know all the elements, and I have to keep training, likely for my entire life, just so I can protect the world, protect everyone from harm."
He let loose a sigh like it was a crazy inmate who'd just bust out of prison. His body grew tense, and his eyes were narrowed in frustration.
"It's suffocating; the pressure is so overwhelming. There is no one, NO ONE, like me, anywhere! You, Cynder, at least have a chance of meeting someone with your powers in your life, but me? The massive, unbearable weight of the world is forever on my shoulders, and no one will be able to lend me a true helping hand."
"B-but, the others..."
"The Guardians? They're not immortal; at one point in my life, assuming I don't crack under the pressure, or under the foot of my future enemies, they'll all going to die. Then, I'll truly be alone. I had one shot at actually changing that, too! But, GAUL RIPPED IT AWAY!"
Cynder said. "What do you mean?"
"We had a plan, a somewhat desperate and hopeful one, but a plan nonetheless. There are wishing gems, scattered all around, and if we managed to find them and unite them, we could make a wish. I truly wanted to wish for one thing: another Purple Dragon."
"Spyro, thats-"
He didn't hear her. "Then, the weight won't be mine to carry alone. Then I'll have someone, in this twisted, dark world, who would be just like me! In short, NO MORE BEING ALONE!"
Yet another sigh escaped him as he calmed down, the switch to reality being flicked on again. "But, those pieces we needed are now miles underwater, far from our reach. It's over, my dream, of finally feeling like I have someone to fall back on in this world."
He sat down again, his shoulders slouched like he was sleepy. His eyes were filled with incredible melancholy, but he managed to give her one last serious look.
"Cynder. If you truly fear that Gaul will come rampaging through this city tomorrow, then, you are free to leave us. We will assure that wherever you go, we will see that your wishes are fulfilled. You are not alone in this world. I understand how you feel, and I want to help you. If things go south tomorrow, know that we tried, and we are your friends."
With that, and a head hung low, he walked back into the temple, not looking back to the black dragoness. Cynder had lost her words. She didn't know whether she wanted to cry, smile and be happy, or be confused. In the following moments, she sat alone, contemplating her options. Stay, and possibly die here, or go, and definitely die, out there, alone, yet again.
It wasn't much longer after that when her feet began to push against the ground as she walked, from the marble ground of the city, to the soft, green grass of the forest.