Here's another chapter. This story may run into a cease of posting chapters after chapter 8 since I'm still working on that chapter and I'm really busy. Also look for a songfic that I will be posting in the next couple of weeks, called Comatose. Song is Comatose from Skillet. Well enjoy this chapter and R&R please, my email is dead at the moment.
Chapter 5: His Death
Two weeks passed since the last raid on the prison camp. Everyone was at the base in the mountains where they planned out how to hold the pass that led to the Shadow Vale. Firecurse and Chromius were sent to the Shadow Vale to scout out the situation.
The two landed by the portal and entered it. The land of the Shadow Vale was bleak and dead. Nothing, but rocks and bare mountains for hundreds of miles. They explored the immediate area until Chromius came across a group of zeks. There were ten and they charged at Chromius with wild screams. Firecurse heard the screams and rushed over to assist Chromius.
Chromius fired a stream of quicksilver onto a zek. The quicksilver hardened and encased the zek in silver. He did the same to another before he was forced to fight in close-quarters. He drove his tail into one's throat and swiped his claws at another, slicing open its face.
Firecurse breathed columns of flames onto the zeks and ripped them to pieces when they were close enough.
More zeks came and this group was made up of at least fifty zeks. Both fought to beat them back, but slowly began to lose and Firecurse broke away and ran for the portal.
"Firecurse!" Chromius yelled as he was fighting off all the zeks now alone, "Come back I need help!"
"Sorry Chromius, my life is much more important than yours. I have someone waiting for me when I get back," he said with a smile as he watched a pair of zeks beat him down to the ground.
He turned and went through the portal as the zeks ripped Chromius up into bits.
Firecurse returned to the base a few hours later, tired looking from his mission.
Shadedulath welcomed him and asked where Chromius was. Spyro and Cynder came over to ask Shadedulath something, but Shadedulath stopped them.
"Where is Chromius?" he asked seriously.
"He didn't make it," Firecurse replied, "We were ambushed by a large group of zeks. I got separated in the fight and I tried to make my way to him, but he was struck down. Seeing that he was lost I charged out of the conflict and came back here to tell you."
Cynder turned and wept into Spyro's shoulder and Spyro wrapped a wing around her.
"He's lying Shade," Spyro calmly said.
"I know he is, but not about what," Shadedulath returned, "How many groups came at you?"
"Two," Firecurse replied.
"Right," Shadedulath said, "How many in each group?"
"First group had ten and the second had fifty," Firecurse answered.
"Right again," Shadedulath answered, "Typical patrol tactic that Marthaeter uses. Retell your story now."
Firecurse retold the story and Spyro stopped him when Firecurse said that he had tried to help Chromius.
"You didn't go back to help Chromius," Spyro said, "You left him to die as you escaped."
"Perhaps I did," Firecurse replied, "He was doomed away. He was surrounded so quickly he would have never escaped."
"Coward," Spyro spat, "And you watched him die didn't you?"
"You're calling me I coward?" Firecurse asked in disbelieve, "At least I kill the ones I fight."
"You want me to kill you?" asked Spyro with a harsh tone.
"I doubt you could," Firecurse tempted.
Spyro slowly drew away from Cynder who grabbed his tail with hers. He turned around and Cynder looked at him with a sad face.
"Don't Spyro," Cynder pleaded, "It's not worth it."
He moved back towards her and whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry, but I have to this time. After this I won't take another dragon's life I swear. I love you and just encase I die in this, I wanted you to know that you are and will always be everything to me."
"You will come back I know it," Cynder whispered back, "I love you too, more than anything."
They shared a kiss that could be their last. They broke and Firecurse was red hot with rage. He didn't even wait until Spyro was ready. He charged forward and stabbed one of his horns into his back. The horn dug deep and Spyro roared in pain. Spyro regained himself and shot his tail up into Firecurse's chest.
The ground around them began to turn red as the blood hit the ground.
"Coward," Spyro spat again, "You have no honor and never will."
"As long as I survive it's fine with me," Firecurse replied.
"Fine then the prize for the winner of this fight will be their life. You don't win you die," Spyro stated.
"Fine," Firecurse responded. He looked towards his next target Spyro's heart, but he stopped as he noticed the dented in scales in front of his heart. Firecurse smiled and said, "The scales in front of your heart are dented in. Must mean that you have no heart. How can you love Cynder without a heart?"
"No heart?" Spyro asked, "Well here's the blood from my heart to prove that I have one," Spyro digs one of his claws into his dented scales and red liquid began to trickle down his chest, "This dent is from the Dark Master when he was about to kill Cynder. I got in the way and it cracked my scales inwards."
"Sounds so noble," Firecurse mocked as he leapt forward again.
Spyro dodged the immediate attack, but fails to see Firecurse's tail thrust into his chest, just missing his heart. Spyro roared out and his eyes began to glow purple. Spyro showed his fangs and his scales began to turn black.
Firecurse stepped back, surprised at the sudden change.
Spyro laughed, but his voice was darker and more distorted, "I warned you and now you will die for your arrogance and blindness to real power."
Spyro charged up a blast of Convexity and fired it at Firecurse. Firecurse moved just in time and the blast exploded with a great force. Firecurse looked back at the explosion, but didn't notice Spyro who was in front of him. Firecurse bumped into him and moved back. Spyro punched him and appeared behind Firecurse, delivering another powerful punch. Firecurse tried to fend Spyro off, but nothing worked. After a minute of beating Firecurse down, Spyro grabbed him with a claw and lifted him into the air. Spyro stood on two legs as if he had done it all his life.
"Now Firecurse the Coward," Spyro announced with a smile, "You have failed and will pay fully."
Spyro sent Convexitial energies into Firecurse that overwhelmed his brain and started to eat away at the body from the inside out. Firecurse looked in horror at Spyro as he was dying, as if to plead to Spyro for forgiveness, but Spyro would have no such thing. The Convexity began to eat his scales away and beams of Convexity shot out in many directions. No one was struck though, except for Spyro who seemed to not notice as the purple energy crashed against him.
At last Firecurse was no more. Spyro seemed to return to normal, but passed out. Shadedulath ordered his men to get Spyro to a healer. A few men did so and Cynder followed, astounded that Spyro had done something so brutal and cold blooded.
After the healer had a look at Spyro Cynder asked, "How is he?"
"He is fine, but his mind is clouded and confused," the healer replied, "Let him sort it out and he will wake up soon."
Cynder thanked the man and looked at the one she loved.
"That would explain why he wasn't himself, but how did it happen so quickly?" Cynder thought, "Just come back Spyro."
Spyro wanted to be back as much as possible since he was in another encounter with Malefor.
"It is true Spyro," Malefor said, "You and Cynder will not last."
"No," Spyro yelled, "We will live through these dark times."
"I highly doubt that," Malefor said, "But that is not what I'm talking about."
"What?" asked Spyro who was confused.
"I meant that your relationship will not last," he said, "It will crumble slowly at first, but then will just collapse."
"No, no!" Spyro yelled, "You lie!"
"I don't care Spyro," Malefor said walking away from him, "But don't say I didn't warn you."
Spyro woke up and was breathing heavily. He looked around the room and saw Cynder. He smiled to her, but she returned with a weak smile.
"How are you doing?" she asked softly.
Spyro noticed that Cynder was sad and replied, "Ok, how about yourself?" She breathed deeply and hesitated. Spyro put a finger under her chin and lifted her chin so she could look into her eyes. "What's wrong Cynder?" he asked softly.
"You are," she answered as a tear ran down her cheek.
"What do you mean?" Spyro asked.
"What you did to Firecurse was so…so…barbaric and dark. I don't know why you did that," Cynder explained, "It's not like you at all."
"I had no control Cynder. I would have let him lived if Convexity didn't interfere. You know that I wouldn't kill someone like that when I'm normal or insane. This time it was much more powerful and…darker."
"Spyro I don't know what to think now," Cynder replied, "I still love you, but I'm scared of you and the power that seems to take over so easily. I need some time alone to think this out." She got up and left the room.
Spyro jumped to his feet and yelled, "Cynder! Cynder wait."
Cynder stopped and slowly turned around. Spyro ran up to her and said, "Encase something happens to me I want to let you know that I love more than anything and I would gladly give my life for you."
Tears started to run down Cynder's face and she turned away running off.
Spyro was then left alone. He closed his eyes and looked at the ground.
That night Spyro and Cynder slept away from each other for the first time in several years. Cynder was in room far from Spyro's as she thought about what she could do.
"Oh," Cynder thought, "I don't know what to do."
She continued to think about Spyro and soon became lonely. She wondered how Spyro was doing? She also truly wondered what happened to Spyro. She knew that the story that Spyro gave was probably the most probable, but what if that was something that his darker side planned? She continued for many hours with troubling thoughts and concluded since sleep began to take her.
"I can't give up on Spyro," she thought, "It would destroy him and there is always hope that he can be saved." With that thought she fell asleep.
Spyro was in no fair shape in his room. He missed Cynder and was struggling to stay awake, afraid that the Dark Master would bring more ill news and torture to him. But soon he was overtaken by sleep.
Spyro found himself in darkness and a great black dragon stood next to him.
"I told you that she would leave you Spyro," said the dragon, "She doesn't love you anymore. She is beginning to hate you for what you are becoming."
"No, no," Spyro said shaking his head, "She still loves me."
"Then why is she not sleeping next to you as she usually does?" asked the dragon.
"Because she was upset with what you did to me and Firecurse, Malefor," Spyro spat, adding venom to the Dark Master's name.
"Nevertheless, she still isn't coming back," Malefor mocked with a smile, "How could she love someone that is becoming the very thing she hated because she was enslaved to it. She won't remain with you. You are becoming to much like me and she sees it."
Spyro dug his claws into his head trying to ignore the Dark Master's words that cut through him like daggers.
"You will be the death of everyone," Malefor said as he left, "Do you know why?"
Spyro continued to grab his head trying with all his might now to withstand the Dark Master's words.
"Because my master has been over influencing you with Convexity," Malefor shared, "That is why you have been able to access Convexity so much. It also is the reason why you are losing yourself and changing to darkness."
"No, I won't serve the shadows, I was meant to fight them and defeat them," Spyro yelled.
"No, you were meant to fall to them and serve," Malefor said smiling.
Spyro woke up; his breathing was erratic and unsteady. He hated this. He couldn't do a thing to stop it either. One thought did come to his mind that could stop it though. I thought it was what was necessary. He would kill himself. That would end the Dark Master's torture, Cynder's pain that was caused by him, and the darkness that tried to take over. He first wrote out a letter to Cynder, hoping that she would forgive him for everything that he has done.
Cynder woke up and was shocked. She somehow was in Spyro's nightmare. She fully understood everything that was happening to him now.
"He was telling the truth," Cynder said to herself, "How could I have not believed him? Oh god I hope I'm not too late to fix this."
She got up and ran out of her room towards Spyro's room on the other side of the base.
Spyro had just finished and read it through once,
Dear Cynder,
I'm sorry for all of this and the pain that I have caused you. I have decided to take my life to save everyone else from my potential to destroy everything. Marthaeter is trying to overwhelm me with Convexity and I fear he is close to destroying my mind with it. I can't be allowed to live and must die. I'm sorry and I wish that I could just lived a normal life, but that is impossible and it will be the dream that I will never experience. I love you Cynder and that is why I'm doing this. I realized that I'm dangerous to everyone and especially to you. Seeing you earlier also made me realize that I was the source of your pain. I'm sorry you had to endure so much and I wish that we could have lived in a different way. I love you Cynder more than anything, but I must die and I wish that you would live a good life.
- Spyro
Spyro raised his tail and aimed the tail spike at the wound that Firecurse had inflected earlier that just missed his heart. If he was lucky he could pierce his heart and die quickly.
His golden tail spike was perfectly lined up and Spyro closed his eyes and whispered, "I love you Cynder."
The door to his room suddenly swung open and Spyro was about to thrust his tail when Cynder screamed, "Spyro don't do it!"
"I'm sorry Cynder, but I must," Spyro replied as tears ran down his face. He began the thrust that would end his life, but the tail stopped as it began to cut into the skin.
He opened his eyes to see Cynder who had her tail wrapped around his and held his tail back.
"Cynder let me die," Spyro pleaded, "That's all I deserve."
"No Spyro," Cynder shouted, "I'm not going to let you kill yourself!"
She tackled him and pinned him to the ground. Spyro tried to break free, but it was no use, Cynder held him down firmly.
A fresh wave of tears came from Spyro and he cried, "I can't even kill myself, I'm such a failure."
Cynder smacked him across the face and said, "Spyro you aren't a failure and you shouldn't take your own life."
"Why not?" Spyro asked, "Malefor was right about everything."
"No, he wasn't Spyro," Cynder said in a calmer voice, "I saw the nightmare you had tonight and Spyro everything he said was untrue. I still love you and want to be with you; I just had to straighten a few things out. Luckily I saw the nightmare and it made me realize that none of this is your fault."
She sat up and allowed Spyro to sit up as well.
He hugged her and cried, "Oh Cynder, I'm sorry for all of this. I have caused so much pain and so many problems for you. I don't deserve you. You are too great of a dragon for one so wrecked as myself."
Cynder pulled out of the embrace and smacked him again saying, "Spyro you deserve me because I gave you my love. If anything I should be the one unworthy of your love. I was a servant of Malefor and nearly killed you on several occasions, but you saved me. I should be the one who is unworthy of the love of the great purple dragon who has saved the Realms."
"I did it to keep you safe," Spyro replied.
"Thanks," Cynder replied, "I not sure what Malefor and Marthaeter have done to you, but I swear that I will always be there for you and I will help save you as you saved me, even if it costs my death."
"Thanks," Spyro said, "But that still doesn't fix the problems that I have caused you along with the pain."
Cynder held him close and whispered, "Spyro I don't care. As long as you are still with me and love me, it greatly outweighs any pain or problem you cause. I just want you with me because I love you Spyro, my purple dragon."
Spyro seemed to begin to cheer up at this and he whispered, "And as long as I have you I will always fight this darkness in me. Because I love you my beautiful black dragoness."
They both smiled at each other and looked into each other's eyes. They slowly leaned into each other and kissed. They held it for a minute and enjoyed every second of it. They broke and held each other close, showing their promise that they would remain in love with each other forever.
They finally broke away from each other and lay down to fall asleep. Cynder rested her head against Spyro's neck and wrapped her tail around his. She also placed one of her hands on his chest scales and saw the wounds he had taken earlier.
"Oh my god Spyro," Cynder said, "I'm so sorry I didn't even notice your wounds when you were talking to me. I can't believe it. I'm so selfish."
Spyro grabbed her hand and said, "It's ok. You were upset with what happened and I don't blame you for not noticing since we really didn't get much of a conversation in."
Cynder nodded and nuzzled his neck. "Thanks Spyro for everything," she said.
Spyro replied, "Well thanks for dealing with me so much."
Cynder laughed softly and said, "You're welcome."
She lifted her head to get a good night's kiss. They broke and she replaced her head on the side of his neck. She felt Spyro's heart beat warm and steadily.
She liked the feeling and was about to fall asleep when she whispered, "I love you Spyro."
"I love you too Cynder," Spyro returned.
"And if I find you tried to do anything tonight I will make sure you never think about it again. I have ways and I swear you will hate what I do," Cynder said.
"Goodnight," Spyro said warmly.
The next morning came and Cynder woke up before Spyro was awake and got up as carefully as she could so she didn't wake up Spyro. She was going to get something to eat, but stopped when she found a piece of paper by Spyro. She read it and it was the suicide note. Her eyes were wide with disbelieve that Spyro would actually say some of these things. She wrote a response at the bottom of the page and left it on Spyro's face so he couldn't miss it. She exited the room and went to find breakfast for both of them.
Spyro woke up sometime later and found a piece of paper on his face. He read it and it was the note he left for Cynder, but at the bottom Cynder had written something,
Spyro I want you to save this letter so you know that someone cares greatly about you no matter what happens. I'll always be with you and that will never change. I love you.
- Cynder
Spyro smiled at the last line, but realized that what he had done last night was terrible and frightened Cynder greatly. He felt ashamed that he would even attempt something like that.
Cynder came in with a pair of fish and gave one to Spyro. She sat down next to him and they ate. They finished the fish fairly quickly and then relaxed. Cynder laid her head on Spyro's shoulder and Spyro wrapped a wing around Cynder.
"Cynder I want to thank you again for stopping me last night," Spyro said with shame, "I…I just didn't know what to do."
Cynder picked up her head and replied, "Just don't do that ever again. I love you too much to lose you."
He smiled and she gave him a kiss, "You're my purple dragon and no one else's."
"Thanks," Spyro replied.
Shadedulath had ordered the evacuation of the base due to the increased activity in the Shadow Vale. They were heading to the Celestial Caves in the White Isles. As Shadedulath put it, hopefully the Lord of the Temple of Time could help them in this conflict.
Spyro had his doubts since the last time Spyro asked the Chronicler what was to happen to everyone else and he replied that they were doomed. Why would the Chronicler now decide to help if a more powerful foe threatened the Realms?
Shadedulath planned to leave tomorrow since it would be a two-week journey at least to get to the coast and then they would have to find enough boats to get everyone across the sea to the White Isles.
Spyro and Cynder did nothing that whole day. They simply remained in their room enjoying each other's company, which was much needed after the events of the previous night.
Night came quickly though and the two dragons left the interior of the base and sat on one of the high walls in the center of the base. From there they looked up into the night sky and admired the moon and stars.
"It's beautiful," Cynder said.
"You can say that again," Spyro replied.
"This was a good idea Spyro," Cynder said, "Thank you for bring me out here."
"You're welcome," Spyro said, "I always enjoy looking at the night sky and I enjoy being with you so I just put both together."
Cynder gave him a kiss and said, "You're too sweet."
Spyro laughed lightly and wrapped a wing around her. She rested her head on his shoulder while looking up at the great cosmos above.
"Do you think Shade's plan will work?" asked Cynder.
"No," Spyro replied.
"Why not?" asked Cynder.
"Because back during the Night of Eternal Darkness he wasn't willing to save anyone else besides me," Spyro explained, "Why would he help us now when a great threat is coming?"
"Because there is hope that his power may assist in defeating it?" Cynder suggested.
"I doubt it," Spyro replied, "He told me that he feared the worst for the others and that I was just suppose to let you become a slave to Malefor. I know he was saying that for my safety, but I couldn't risk losing you."
"Thanks for coming after me," Cynder said licking his cheek.
"You're welcome," Spyro replied.
They remained there for the night and rested until morning's light came.
