Chapter Fifteen: The Battle of the Ice Caverns

Aemus wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. Every single time he attempted to kill Cynder, the other Skylanders who trusted her protected her. The only time he'd ever come close to killing her, she'd recovered. He didn't know what he was supposed to do any longer.

How did I get into this mess? he thought. I've run around for so freaking long that I can't even move again. I've been trying to find the stupid freak. If I don't find her soon, then I'll be killed. Or at least, I will be when he finds me. But I'm sure he won't. I've not left a trail for a long time. That, and he's so freaking stupid. Even if he found a small piece of the trail (which is only if I even left a piece of one, which I'm sure I haven't), he'll lose it very quickly. I have a plan to get into motion, and he might be trying to do almost the same exact thing, but even if he does so, he'll have some help. But I'll be able to kill him then, because I'll have a good amount of power. Even if our master rejoins us, I'll have some of his power. Fortunately, I know how to do that…and it'll all be coming together very, very soon.

Aemus continued thinking, hoping to know more of his life before he became one of Malefor's most-trusted soldiers and one of his most lethal assassins. It had been a terrible life before he reached his thirteenth nameday.

His father Raegn had been abusive, and his mother Wraea had done nothing to help him. He had a brother, Etaf, and sister, Fata. They didn't do anything either, and that pushed him over the edge. While at first, he'd been able to deal with it, anger and rage began taking him over. It became unbearable. He felt the feeling to kill.

And just as he felt that, Malefor entered his life, and he found a chance to change it all, to become someone better than before. He was going to get his chance, he'd thought those eighteen years ago.

Malefor listened to his pleas, and he gave him extra power, which allowed Aemus to return to his home without fear. He confronted his father and began a fight with the monster, as he called him. The fight ended when Aemus used his power to break every single bone in his father's body.

But little did he know that his energy had been too much, and as soon as his father uttered his last words ("See you in Hell"), Aemus accidentally released that energy, and his entire home had been destroyed. When he emerged from the wreckage, injured and bleeding, he found the bodies of his mother, brother, and sister. He had not meant to kill them, and he'd yelled out in pain. He'd only meant to kill his father. But Malefor found him, and had taken Aemus under his wing.

Soon enough, along with the one called the Ape King, Aemus became Malefor's apprentice. For another two years, he trained for his roles as an assassin. Malefor had once told him after they'd raided a village and killed the last person who had opposed them, "You are my most-trusted general. Soon enough you will become one of the greatest individuals in Skylands, I promise you. But for now, we must continue on our way. We must allow you to reserve your power. For all we know, one of these days, you might succeed me as ruler of Skylands. But that shall not happen for a very long time."

And then Cynder had come along.

Aemus was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts by one of his soldiers, a Goblin, coming towards him. The Goblin had an anxious look upon his face.

"What is it?" Aemus asked.

"I wanted to know if you think the Skylanders are coming here, master?" the Goblin asked. "It seems to be a plausible hypothesis, does it not, master? I mean, the Skylanders know you've been attempting to kill one of their one…I mean, that is very obvious. But do you think they might come to find you here?"

"In my opinion, it would be very surprising if they were able to find out such a thing," said Aemus. "But stranger things have happened. Such as Cynder falling in love with that Purple Dragon. She and Spyro are now mates, from what I have seen and heard. It is the most disgusting thing I have ever thought of or have ever seen. And I've seen a lot of gross and disgusting things in my lifetime, let me tell you." Aemus stopped what he was doing to think a little more. He finally came to a decision. "Fine. If you want to go and see if they're coming, then hurry. Get your butt out and there and keep watch for me. I don't give a crap how long it takes. Go and watch for me. NOW!"

The Goblin obeyed him, and Aemus smiled when he saw this. He knew for sure he still had some sort of hold over his soldiers. He could command them, and they'd listen to him. If they didn't listen to him, then they would die.

Thank Malefor, the ice here in the Caverns is rejuvinating me, Aemus thought. That should make me stronger for the next time I see Cynder. I must kill her as soon as I possibly can. If I do not do so, then I'm not sure what I can do. Malefor would murder me if he knew how long I was taking to kill the little screw-up. The freak is going to be dead soon enough, my master. I will not let you down anytime soon. I've done things you would not approve of, but that will all be behind us soon enough. We'll rule the world together soon enough, you and I.

If he had spoken the words out loud, Aemus knew his soldiers quite possibly would have thought him crazy, but in truth, he didn't give a crap. They could think all they wanted about him, but soon enough they would all be dead. He would be killing every single one of them once he killed Cynder, as he would quite possibly no longer have any need of them. But he would wait for a little while and see. He would have to, he knew.

This is so stressful. I've wanted for years to find a way to kill her. Ever since I learned she returned to normal from Kaos, I knew I had to kill her. It was the only thing I could do. There was no other thing that made sense at the time, and now killing her will make everything else seem right. I won't have to worry about anything once I kill her. I'll be free of my chains. But unfortunately, there's that stupid Dragon that loves her. She has those friends who love her, and that's something that stupefies me. I would have never thought such a terrible little creature could get any friends. It seems I was wrong in thinking that, but who could blame me for thinking such a thing? I've just wanted my life to become normal, and my life will not become normal until I've killed her. Malefor was the one who made my life normal, and she killed him. She also killed Deathmatch nearly four years ago. He was a trusted associate of Malefor, I know. When he died, Malefor was probably angry. But by that time, I was no longer under Malefor's wing. I was his trusted general, and I was performing the tasks he'd asked me to do. I had to take over the role of general because Cynder had left his side. By that time, however, Malefor had gone into hiding after being defeated by Spyro…after Cynder became a normal creature…which she was never supposed to become. She was perfect the way she was, but Spyro screwed everything up, and now I have to kill her. I have to cleanse Skylands of the disease she left behind by becoming a normal, disgusting creature. Malefor would want me to. He wants me to finish the mission he set out to finish so long ago…at least, that is how long it feels. I'm not even sure how long it has been. I just remember hearing of it from that one ally…of course, I don't even know if I can even call that monster an ally anymore. He seems to me to be more of an enemy now. An enemy that has to be stamped out. This is where I find my foothold in the world. I know that is what is going to happen. I will become the all-mighty Aemus…once Cynder is dead. That is what I will become.

Aemus finished his thoughts and laughed a little. He couldn't help it; it seemed like that perfect time to let out a laugh. He wasn't sure exactly why, but he didn't care. He knew it was possibly about time he told his army about their next mission, how they would be fighting the Skylanders once more. It would be happening soon, he knew, and this time they would not fail. He knew that for sure. He would succeed in his mission.

He got up from his throne, feeling a small amount of pain in his side from the wounds there caused by Spyro and Cynder. Sick freaks. They'd injured him, and that automatically meant death. He was sure many others would agree with him when it came to that fact. But he wasn't sure exactly where those supporters of his ideas might be. But they had to be somewhere in Skylands.

As Aemus walked toward the opening in the natural ice-arch, he heard the sounds of his soldiers scrambling all over the place, either making weapons or practicing their weapons on one another. Even if they killed one another, that meant their weapons would be good enough for what was to come. All Aemus cared about now was killing his opponents, and obviously, that meant killing Cynder. There would be no one standing in his way any longer.

As soon as he appeared in the opening of the ice-arch, many of the soldiers became silent. There was one who did not do so, with his back turned to Aemus, and as soon as he realized what was happening, he turned around and smiled, hoping there would not be any punishment coming his way. Aemus loved that. He loved that his soldiers feared him. That was exactly what they were supposed to do. Aemus cleared his throat and began speaking out in his clear voice, though growls still emanated from his throat every small amount of time.

"Hello, soldiers," he said. "I know you've all become tired as a result of the extensive battles we've gone through, and I am sorry about that. But let me tell you, it is for the best. We have to keep fighting. For all we know, the Skylanders are not far from us. I sent a sentry to go and watch for us. Hopefully he will be back with the news that we still have time to prepare. But for now, let us not tremble in fear. I shall not do so, because I have the faith we will win. I know we will win this battle, and no one can tell us otherwise. There is no one who can tell me otherwise, and anyone that dares will be executed. But first, let me tell you my story. As you know, the Dark Master, also known to you as Malefor, took me under his wing. I stayed a faithful soldier for so freaking long, and just as I was about to become his general, he told me he was going to keep me as a soldier and appoint a new general. By this time, the other general, known as Gaul, left to raid a few nearby villages. Malefor told me we would raid a few villages ourselves, but litte did I know there was more to it. We raided a Dragon Temple, and when we did so, we smashed all but two eggs. As it turns out, those two eggs hatched, and while one of them became Malefor's general, the other became a hero of Skylands. That hero, at least fifteen years later or so, came and found Malefor and the general. He beat them both, and returned the general to her normal form. She is a Dragoness who is seeking reformation, wanting to right her wrongs. They've both even become mates. Those are the two Dragons we must end. Spyro and Cynder are nuisances. I will be the one to kill Cynder. I have that enmity with her that only her death can end. I want the rest of you, my soldiers, to kill Spyro and the other Skylanders whenever we get the chance. There is much we must go through first, however. You all must train just a little more. I do not want all of you to die, and I am sure none of you want yourselves to die, either. So keep following me, as much as you can. We have a big job ahead of us, and while it might seem impossible, when we kill the freaks who ruined my life, we will have our payment. This payment will be in blood. We will be victorious in this, I am sure, so long as all of you listen to me. So do so. If there is one of you who doubts what I can do, I shall kill you. So…is there someone around here like that?" All the soldiers looked amongst one another, asking each other who they thought it might be. Aemus pointed his snout into the air and took in a sniff. "I can smell your doubt. I know you are around here somewhere, and now it is time I kill you."

Aemus flew down to the ground floor of the cavern. He knew the soldier was somewhere around here, and all he had to do was sniff around. They couldn't be far from where he was looking. And finally, he found the traitorous piece of crap. It was an Ice Ogre, who was staring at him with a dirty expression. The Ice Ogre was, along with the rest of its kind, one of the ugliest creatures Aemus had ever seen. He wondered how God could have possibly created such a disgusting creature.

"Wow, you're ugly," Aemus said. Murmurs and laughter could be heard amongst the crowd. Otherwise, they were all hushed up, wondering how everything would be going down. "I believe you don't have a name. And that lets me get to the the interesting part. Why do you doubt me, Ice Ogre? What is so wrong about my plan, you piece of crap? What have I done that makes you unwanting of what I have in store for all those who help me achieve my goal, hm?"

"Your plan will fail," the Ice Ogre growled.

"And why is that?" Aemus asked. "I'm better than anyone around here. I hope you realize that you're going to die here. You can't stop your death from happening."

"I understand that," the Ice Ogre said. "Your plan will fail because those two Dragons you've spoken of have proven again and again that love will always prevail. Even I want to leave this Hell you've been putting us all through. It makes me wonder just how much Hell you've put them through. They must hate you, and that's something that will end you. Their love is most likely too strong for you to break apart. Soon enough, you'll be crushed underneath all the weight. You are insignificant. And you can't change that. Not this time."

Aemus laughed. "Oh, you are so…naïve!" As soon as he spoke the word "naïve," the Ice Ogre gasped, and every soldier present was forced to blink a few times to get a good picture of what had happened. They found Aemus's claws protruding from the Ice Ogre's body. Blood pooled on the ground at their feet, and it was obvious the wound Aemus had inflicted was fatal.

The Ogre sneered one last time and said, "Loser," in a nonchalant sort of voice, and then died. Aemus tore his claws out, causing a fountain of blood. Many of the soldiers were sickened by this, and some even threw up. Aemus was disgusted, but he was disgusted with the fact he'd been stood up.

But as he looked down at his claws and saw the blood, he became hungry and licked his lips. He was about to lick the blood from his claws when he heard footsteps, and he turned around to find the Goblin he'd sent to watch for the Skylanders had returned. He was out of breath, and had a very worried look upon his face, and Aemus wondered just what in the heck that was supposed to mean. Suddenly his gray eyes widened, and although he knew what had happened, he asked anyway. "What is it?"

"Sir…" the Goblin said, "…it's the…the…" His voice trailed off as he attempted to catch his breath.

"Speak up, you sorry ingrate!" Aemus roared. "What in the name of Malefor has happened? What's going on?"

"It's the Skylanders," the Goblin said. "Master, they've come, and the two Dragons you hate…both of them are here. What should we do about this?"

Aemus smiled at the thought of Cynder having come to the Ice Caverns, and although it was sudden, he knew most of his happiness was real. He was snapped back by the annoying voice of the Goblin.

"So they're here? Good. I want Cynder dead, and it seems I will be getting my wish," Aemus said. He turned to his soldiers and announced, "Quickly! Get your weapons ready! Defend the Ice Caverns! It is time we kill the Skylanders! Leave the Purple and Black Dragons for me, however! I will join you shortly! NOW GO!"

As the soldiers hurried to find the Skylanders and kill them, with the exception of Spyro and Cynder, Aemus opened his wings and hurried to one of the corners. He found a crystal glowing with purple light. He smiled, knowing the crystal was what he needed to win in the fight against the Skylanders. If he used this crystal, he would most assuredly beat all of them, and then get his chance to kill Cynder. In his opinion, at the moment, killing her was all that mattered.

He hurried back toward where his soldiers had gone. He decided it was best to stay hidden until many of them had been killed. When that happened, he would show himself and end everything.

He passed the dead body of the Ice Ogre, and he turned around to see the body. He smiled at it, and said, "Let's see if what you said comes true. If it does, then I might as well be killed by Cynder." Aemus threw back his head and cackled. It would all be ending soon enough. That was something he knew for sure.

Goodbye, Cynder.

Meanwhile, Spyro and Cynder, along with the rest of the Skylanders were almost in the Ice Caverns. By now, Cynder was beginning to shiver even more, and that allowed Spyro to know just how cold the Ice Caverns truly were.

"Are you okay, Cyn?" asked Spyro. "If you're shivering too badly, I'll have Sunburn or Sonic Boom take you and make a fire. Of course, that's your decision."

"No, I'm not leaving," Cynder said. "I will remain here with you, and nobody can make me do otherwise. I hope you realize that. I'm not leaving you, because I love you way too much, Spyro. I love all my friends here, and I won't leave any of you. I need you to understand me when I say that."

Spyro sighed. I don't want you to get hurt, Cyn. Can't you realize that? he thought. I need you to be safe. If I lose you, I will never forgive myself. I need to keep you safe. I guess I have to remain by your side this entire time. I just hope you do what I say this time, and don't go against my orders.

But he knew somehow, deep in his heart, that she would disobey him, or at least attempt to.

CRAACK!

The sudden sound caused Cynder to jump. "What the heck was that?" she exclaimed.

"It was just the ice," Hex said. "I've been here before, don't worry. That wasn't anything bad. I would sense such a thing, so there's no need for you to become worried, Cyn."

"Okay," Cynder said, sighing with relief. "Thanks."

They continued along their path. Cynder observed her surroundings and found giant walls of ice on either side of them. It was very surprising to see how high up they went. To think that just a little farther out the way they came, it was warm. Drifts and snowbanks were scattered in some places. The Ice Caverns had an opening in the place where most caves and caverns would be closed in. Cynder saw the night sky, and despite its beauty, she returned to the mission at hand.

Spyro was awed just as much as Cynder, but he knew as well it wasn't the right time for that. He looked over to his mate. Cynder's shivering worsened, and Spyro got closer to her, hoping to warm her. Sunburn got closer as well. Her shivering worried them both, as well all the rest who trusted the Black Dragoness.

"W-why d-does it have t-to b-be s-so freaking c-cold out here?" Cynder asked.

"Not sure," came Slam Bam's reply. "Why do you have to be here in the first place?"

"B-because I h-have t-to," Cynder growled. "If y-you aren't g-good with th-that, then shut up."

Flashwing looked back at Slam Bam and saw the anger cross over his face. He wasn't pleased with the way Cynder had spoken to him, obviously, and it wasn't surprising to her. But she was glad Cynder was standing up for herself. That meant she was becoming stronger, something that Flashwing had been wanting to happen ever since she'd become Cynder's friend.

"Can any of you Dragons smell anything?" asked Bouncer. "'Cause I'm not even sure why we're down here anymore." He laughed a little. "It's been a long time, and so far it seems as if we've found nothing. So let's try and find something, shall we?"

Sonic Boom, while not being a Dragon, still possessed an exceptional sense of smell. She lifted her head up and took in all the scents around her. She smelled those around her, and was a little disgusted with the fact Slam Bam smelled like the sulfur that comes about when the ocean is low tide, but she smelled something else, something a little more distant: there was the mix of the musty smell of blood, and then there was the smell of ice. While ice normally didn't have a smell, the ice did, and there was a reason for that: a Dragon had touched it. The Dragon's Touch was whenever a Dragon touched a person or thing. That included things such as ice, stone, and even other Dragons.

Sonic Boom thought around for the reason behind that, and her emerald eyes widened when she realized why such a smell was in the air: Aemus. And even smelling again let her know whose blood had been spilt on his claws: Cynder's.

"Oh crap," she whispered. The other Skylanders stopped walking and looked at her. When it came to those who didn't trust Cynder, the looks were either with puzzlement or annoyance, and with those that did, it was the look of surprise.

"S-Sonic Boom?" Cynder asked. "W-what is it?"

"I smell Aemus," Sonic Boom said. "He's not far from us. And that is both a good and a bad thing. We need to be ready to fight. I can smell others not far from him, and I'm sure that means his soldiers."

"How the heck can you smell Aemus?" Ninjini sneered at her.

Sonic Boom shot her a venomous glance, and then began to explain herself: "Well, when I took a sniff, I smelled blood. As you know, blood has a musty smell, and I was also able to find out whose blood was spilt on his claws. While there was another bit of blood, I placed together the smell of your blood, Cyn, on his claws. Other than that, I was able to realize there was the smell of ice in the air."

"I thought ice normally doesn't have a smell," said Camo.

"Well, that means you don't know about the Dragon's Touch," Sonic Boom told him.

"Oh my God," Spyro whispered. "Sonic Boom, you're right. As a result of the Dragon's Touch, if any person or thing is touched by a Dragon, you will smell their scent. At least, that's what Dragons, Hybrids, and evidently Griffins are able to do."

"It's c-cool and all, b-but that m-means th-that Aemus is ar-round h-here," Cynder said. "S-so w-we n-need to k-keep m-moving."

"Good point," Flashwing said. "Wait a minute, if you're smelling that ahead of us, then does that mean we're just playing into Aemus's hands?"

"You've got a point," Sunburn said. "What can we do?"

Spyro looked around for another way, hopefully one that would not lead to Aemus. He saw a path, and took a sniff to make sure. He could still smell Aemus, but it was not down that path, fortunately.

"We're only going down here so that we don't run into Aemus head-on," he explained to everyone. "Once that's done, we can find Aemus. Hopefully this won't take too much longer. I want to get out of here by the time the sun begins to rise."

He, Cynder, and Sunburn walked through the cavern with the others behind them.

"You doing all right, Cyn?" asked Spyro, looking to his mate with concern.

"Yes, I am," she replied. "I'm not shivering as m-much anymore." She smiled at him. "Thanks to you and Sunburn, I feel really warm."

"You deserve it," Sunburn said. "You've kept us safe, and now we have to return it to you. I'm happy to help one of my greatest friends." He smiled at her, and she returned the smile.

Meanwhile, Whirlwind and Camo were whispering to one another. They were hoping no one could hear them.

"So I was thinking about our ceremony," Whirlwind said. "I know you still haven't revealed to anyone that you proposed to me yet, but I know you're going to soon enough." She laughed a little. "Of course, Spyro and Cynder already know."

"Yeah, but they both deserve to know that kind of info," Camo told her. "They're our greatest friends. If it wasn't for Cynder, we probably wouldn't be here right now."

"Good point. But I never said anything besides the fact they already know."

"I know. I just wanted to tell you all that."

Whirlwind and Camo smiled at one another, trying not to laugh. It was not a good thing to do, especially not in their current situation.

Flashwing was walking behind them. She knew they were speaking of something, but she couldn't hear anything they were saying. She didn't mind, however. All that mattered was that this crap was almost over. She looked over to Drobot, and wondered if she should go over and talk to him. She knew Bash was still behind her. She knew he had a crush on her still, and while she hated that fact, she still didn't want to hurt him at all.

That was when she found Bash on her left side. She sighed and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to talk to you," he replied. "How's everything going with you?"

Flashwing sighed again and said, "I'm doing fine. But…Bash, please stop. I know you're only trying to get me to admit that I love, but the only problem you're going to have is the fact that…I'm not that big of a fan of you, Bash. I don't want to be mean, but it's true. You've been a good Captain for the Earth Element, but the fact is, I don't like you. In all honesty, I don't even know you all that much! My opinion on you keeps returning to your love attempts on me and the fact that you once asked if mayonnaise was an instrument! The truth is…I'm in love with another Skylander, all right?"

Bash stopped speaking. Flashwing looked around her and realized that every single Skylander in the tunnel had stopped walking and were all staring at her.

"Er…sorry about that," she said. "Yes, it's true. But we can't keep on that subject forever."

"You're right," Spyro said. "We need to keep moving." He took a sniff. "Aemus is still farther away. Maybe not as much as I want him to be, but he's not as close as he could be. Now let's keep moving." He looked to Cynder. He touched her right cheek and noticed how cold it was. "Are you doing okay, Cyn?"

"I c-could be better," she replied, still shivering, her teeth still chattering a small amount. "But I'm d-doing all right."

Spyro smiled as much as he could, and then continued down the tunnel. He noticed the snow was getting thicker. He wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean. Did it mean Aemus was close by? He couldn't be, because his smell had not yet reached their area. Then he realized they were about to get into colder territory now, and that scared Spyro. He wasn't sure he wanted to do such a thing. Cynder was going to freeze if he brought her to the colder area.

But he decided there was no other way. They would have to find a way to attack Aemus when he was off-guard, and while he knew it would be hard, he knew there was a way in which it could work somehow.

Aemus wasn't sure what he was supposed to think at the moment. Every single time he looked behind a rock or something of that sort, he could still not find Cynder or any of the other Skylanders. It was a strange prospect.

"What is happening around here?" he growled to himself. "I have to find them soon! I should be able to find them right now and kill Cynder! So why am I having so much trouble doing it? What in the name of Malefor is wrong with me?"

His soldiers stood behind him, none of them knowing what they were supposed to think. A lot of things were racing through their minds about their leader, but not one of them wished to speak any of their opinions, knowing Aemus would automatically kill them if they did so.

"Master," said one soldier. "If I may be so kind…wouldn't it be simple enough to sniff Cynder out? Dragon's are known to have that sense of smell."

Aemus's eyes widened. "My Malefor," he said. "You're right. Congratulations, one of you knows something. And now to put what you reminded me of to the test." Aemus lifted his nose into the air and sniffed. He was bombarded by many smells, including the smells of his own army. He gagged and then refocused himself, concentrating on what was at hand. He sniffed again, and finally found her. Well, she and the other Skylanders.

He knew her scent very well now.

It was sweet and pure, but there was a tinge of darkness hidden within her skin, and it was pungent when concentrated upon. But the pungent darkness let Aemus know he was almost there.

Spyro, Cynder, and the others hurried down the tunnel. They were hoping to reach the end of it soon. None of them were sure what was supposed to happen soon. Hopefully it all ended for the better. The past few battles they'd fought had ended in ways none of them could imagine: many injuries, spilt blood, and despite the wins, some of them felt as if they were losses.

"Will this tunnel ever end?" Spyro exclaimed.

"Yes," Cynder said. "My God. Spyro, I remember being here once before. I remember this tunnel."

"What do you mean?" Spyro asked.

"I think, though quite unfortunately, I'm remembering the days from when I was corrupted. "I remember there was a weapons outpost just at the end of this tunnel. If we keep moving, then we'll be able to make it to the stash of weapons Aemus and his army use. Maybe that's another way Aemus is so much stronger when he comes out to fight us. There's something there."

"Once more, Cyn, you're a genius," Spyro said. "When we get back, I really need to be with you more. Of course, you deserve more of a reward."

"Spyro, that is a very good reward already," she said. "Being with you is all I care about. I don't give a crap about presents at all. I just want to be with those I love and care about. Helping them—you guys, I mean—is all I need. That, and maybe a lot of peaceful, uninterrupted sleep. That could definitely help a whole heck of a lot."

"I agree," Flashwing said. "You deserve it."

"You really do, Cyn," Whirlwind put in happily. "By the way, how much longer is this tunnel? I don't mean to make you think more of your past but—"

"It's no problem when it comes to this," Cynder told her. "We're getting closer. I can feel it."

And she was correct.

Another five minutes later, and they had already made it to the end of the tunnel.

And there, in front of them, lay Aemus and his army's weapon stash.

Aemus found himself soon near the entrance of the Ice Caverns. He wasn't sure how much longer it would take for him to pick up on her trail again. It seemed to have gotten lost, and that annoyed him.

"What the freak is going on here?" he exclaimed. "Why can I not find her?!"

He knew she hadn't gone outside again, obviously. So where in the name of Malefor had she gone?

"Of all the screwed-up things in Skylands, this is the worst of them all!" he yelled. "Why the frick did I get stuck with all this?!" He growled, and then heard one of his soldiers slowly approaching him.

"Sir…" they began, but Aemus rushed at them and decapitated them. A fresh spurt of blood accompanied it, and the soldier's head went flying, landed in the middle of the army, and rolled into a snow bank.

Aemus looked around again, and suddenly found what he was looking for. It was the tunnel. And most likely, Cynder was down there somewhere.

He took one sniff, and confirmed it. She was down there, and he would soon be getting his wish.

"My God," Camo said. "How the heck did we not know about there being so many weapons down here? I'm sure that after all our patrols, we should have been able to detect something like this happening, wouldn't you think?"

"It's not that, Camo," Cynder told him, her teeth no longer chattering as a result of Spyro and Sunburn keeping her warm. "These weapons have been down here for a long time. I know that for sure. If I can remember them from my past, then that means they've been down her for almost ten years at the most. Maybe not that long, but that's my guess."

"Are you sure your guess isn't wrong?" came Ninjini's voice. Just hearing her voice infuriated Cynder a small amount. It took all the power in her body to not turn on the Giant and knock her into next week.

"I know I'm sure, Ninjini," Cynder retorted. "My memories might be a little scattered, but they haven't been tampered with. That's something I know for sure."

"So what do we do with this whole freaking thing?" Slam Bam asked.

"Destroy it," Drobot said, speaking for the first time in a while. "It's the only sensible option. We don't want any of Aemus's soldiers getting their hands on these again. That would lead to something bad, if you ask me. So it's better if we destroy all this once and for all. What do you say, Cynder?"

"I agree," Cynder said. "Trigger Happy, Gill Grunt, you both love destroying things. Why don't youvguys go ahead and have the first shot at it?"

"You're serious?" asked Trigger Happy.

Cynder nodded.

"Wow," Gill Grunt said. "Normally, you wouldn't allow us to do something like this. We'd probably get in trouble if we blew something up like this. At least, when it comes to this huge proportion."

"It doesn't matter, Trigg, Gill," Spyro said. "Just do what Cyn said. I'm the leader of the Skylanders, I'm allowing it. Just hurry up. As soon as we blow everything up, Aemus and his soldiers will know something's wrong, and we'll be facing them again. But this time, we'll be ready."

"Whatever you say," Trigger Happy said. He took out his golden guns and pointed them right at a group of rockets. He shot one golden, which only bounced off, and then he began laughing like a madman and shooting a barrage of golden coins at them. And then…BOOM!

The explosion rocked the cavern. Pieces of ice fell from the roof, but none where Spyro and Cynder and the others were.

Gill Grunt shot at another group of rockets, and they exploded as well, causing the whole cavern to shake.

Soon enough all the Skylanders present were destroying the weapons. As she did so, Cynder looked over Spyro and smiled grimly, knowing this would only bring Aemus to them, which was both a good and a bad thing.

Aemus walked through the tunnel, wondering where it would lead him, as he'd never gone down it before. He didn't know how he'd never seen the tunnel before, but guessed he'd been too tired to ever notice it when he returned from his previous battles.

"We're almost there, I feel it," Aemus said to his soldiers. "We're going to kill the Skylanders soon enough. They won't end me!"

There was a sudden shaking of the Ice Caverns, and then Aemus heard a humongous BOOM! echo through the tunnel, and pieces of it cracked. Aemus wondered wha the heck was happening, and suddenly realized it: the Skylanders were destroying the weapons stash.

"CRAP IT!" Aemus roared. "COME ON! WE NEED TO MAKE IT BACK OVER THERE!"

He ran with all his might, hoping to catch the Skylanders unawares. He still had possession of the crystal, and that would help him, he was sure.

The end was almost near for Cynder, and such a prospect brought much glee into Aemus. A cold type of glee.

All the weapons were finally destroyed. Cynder and the other Skylanders had finally finished. They were wondering where Aemus was now. He must've heard the explosions, after all. So where had he gone? Where was he?

"Something doesn't feel right," Spyro said. "I feel as if we're being baited."

"Don't worry, Spyro," Cynder told him. "We just need to keep up our faith."

He hugged her, and she returned the hug, and then kissed him, which he returned.

Suddenly she smelled something, and it scared her very much when she realized who the smell belonged to. She was about to tell Spyro when she heard, "How sweet."

She slowly looked around Spyro and found Aemus standing there in the entrance to their area. He wasn't smiling, however. Anger shone in his icy gray eyes.

"You've screwed with me for the last time," he growled. "This is where all this crap finally ends."

"Don't you—" Spyro began, but he was cut off by Aemus.

"Yeah, yeah," said Aemus. "I've heard enough of your crap before, little dragon. Do you really think I need to hear anymore of it? I've been under the mercy of freaks such of yourselves before. My father, you see, was an abusive screw-up. He would have killed me if it hadn't been for some small bit of power from Malefor. He took me in, and he taught me to be who I now am. When you came along, it was all fine for a while, and then you came along, Spyro. You messed us up, you piece of crap. You gave her the chance to have a normal life. When you join Malefor, you are bound to him for life. But you took her away from the magnificence of Malefor. YOU ARE THE REASON FOR MY LIFE BECOMING NOTHING MORE THAN CRAP! Cynder, I know you have that darkness still inside you, and I want to see the Black Dragoness I served under. GIVE HER TO ME!"

"No," Cynder told him. "I won't b-be your s-s-slave."

Spyro realized Cynder's teeth were beginning to chatter again. He moved closer to her, as did Sunburn. Neither were going to allow her to freeze or get hurt.

"Aw, trying to protect your little girlfriend, are you?" Aemus taunted Spyro. He turned to his army and roared at them, "ATTACK THE FREAKS! LEAVE THE BLACK DRAGONESS FOR ME!"

The soldiers all cheered at his order and did as their leader said. The present Skylanders looked at one another, unsure of the reason why they had to keep going through this. It was annoying, and in their opinions, pointless.

"We have t-to d-do it," Cynder said. She looked to Spyro. "You need to let me fight alongside you guys, all right?"

"I can't allow that," Spyro said.

"I'm sorry," she said, and flew off at the enemies.

Aemus saw this, and believed his chance to kill her could come right at that moment. But then he thought of it, and he believed the best time to kill her was when all his soldiers were dead, which he was sure would happen. He wanted to kill her in front of her mate, so that he would feel pain. Aemus believed the pain Spyro would feel at Cynder's death would be the same as that of when he was abused. That, and he wanted to savor the moment when he ripped her heart from her chest.

Cynder released a wild current of Electricity, killing several soldiers instantly as the current passed through their hearts. She wondered why it couldn't be as simple to kill Aemus in such a manner.

Spyro and Sunburn fought side-by-side, knowing it was almost over, that Aemus would soon be defeated.

Spyro burnt a soldier to ashes, and then clawed another in the chest. He looked over to Sunburn, who had killed many other soldiers with his Phoenix Flame.

"It's almost over," Spyro told him. "We just need to take out these soldiers and get to Cynder. Then we can warm her up and take Aemus down. I wish she hadn't just gone off like that."

"Well, she's not far from you, at least," Sunburn reminded him. "But I know how you mean. If it were Sonic Boom, then I would hate it as well."

Sonic Boom heard his words. She was taking down the enemies whose ears she'd just assaulted with her sonic scream.

"Hopefully it never comes to that," she told him as she clawed one's throat. "We have to keep up our hope. I know you realize that what I'm saying, so you'd better keep listening to me. I—" She was suddenly cut off when an Ogre with a blade sliced her left wing. "AAH!" she screamed. She fell to the icy ground, and the Ogre was ready to finish her off when two different attacks hit the ugly creature: a blast of violet Electricity, and three shards of multicolored crystal.

Spyro looked over to Cynder and nodded at her, who nodded back. She was shivering much more now, and that scared him. But he didn't have time to settle on that matter, as he was forced to check on Sonic Boom.

"Are you all right?" he asked. He saw Flashwing hurrying over.

"Oh God, it hurts," she said. "That blade was searing hot! What in the name of God was that?"

Sunburn examined the blade that had hurt his mate, and saw a little of her blood. He felt angered, but was satisfied with the death of the Ogre. He slowly touched it, and even he felt a little pain, although it was not burning, as he could withstand almost any temperature depending on the flame. Instead, to him, it felt almost freezing.

"Oh no," Spyro said.

"What is it?" Flashwing asked, attacking one of the soldiers that came near them. She and the others noticed it was dangerous for them to be talking in such a way while the fight was still happening around them. "Why did it burn?"

"And why does it feel so cold to me?" Sunburn inquired inquisitively.

"It's one of Malefor's tricks," he explained. "The Kakí Týchi. The Ill Luck. It hurts whoever touches the blade with whatever hurts them the most physically, or something like that. I'm not sure why it was so burning hot for you, however, Sonic Boom. This isn't good. It means Aemus has hold of a few bits of Malefor's weaponry. But we have to keep going strong, do you hear me?"

They nodded. Spyro wasn't sure what to do with the blade, and so he left it there, though he was sure to not touch it again, looking down continuously as he fought.

Camo and Whirlwind had their backs turned to one another, fighting their enemies in such a way. It helped them to be on top of everything, as neither wanted the other to be hurt. They saw what had happened to Sonic Boom, and were concerned, but they were ready for what was coming at them.

"Well, this is eventful," Camo said.

"Really?" condescended Whirlwind. "A joke, right now? That's just wrong."

"Maybe you're right," Camo agreed. "But it'll be worth it by the end. Just think of all the good that'll be coming through once this is done with."

Hex wasn't having as much trouble as some of the others. She was going strong, with her Phantom Orbs instantly obliterating many of the soldiers. She was concerned for Sonic Boom, but knew to get rid of the obstacles in front of her before moving on to what was the most important thing. While it did't sound right, it was true in a case such as this.

Trigger Happy, Gill Grunt, and Drobot fought near each other. It was easy work for Trigg and Drobot, as the former's golden coins tore right through the soldiers, and the latter's lasers and claws destroyed all that was of each soldier he came into contact with. But Gill Grunt's water cannon was not at all effective. It was only his harpoons that did the trick, but they weren't as powerful as he wanted. Nor were they as fast as Trigger Happy and Drobot's attacks were.

"Good God, we're in trouble," said Trigger Happy. "How much longer can this go on?"

"Not sure, but we have to keep fighting until it's over," Gill Grunt replied.

"We have to kill Aemus, and soon," said Drobot. "If I could get closer to him without so many soldiers in my way, I would injure him and allow Cynder the chance to give him the fatal blow. But there's no chance of it happening right now."

"Why can't life be simple?" Trigger Happy.

"Because it's life," Drobot told him. "Now shut up and fight!"

Trigger Happy looked over to him with a strange expression, but knew he was right, and continued fighting as well as he could.

He looked over to Slam Bam and the others. They were seemingly having trouble with all that was going on. Slam Bam had been cut at least three times already, Bouncer was nearly being overrun, Bash had enemies all over him, and Ninjini seemed to have no idea what she was doing. It was almost as if they'd never fought these enemies before. Trigger Happy knew the enemies were different, but he didn't think they would be this hard for them. It was strange.

"Surprising, isn't it?" Aemus called out. "These soldiers have been imbued with power that causes them to be stronger than most normal enemies, and so they are much harder to fight. I know, it's hard for all of you, and you probably won't get over it, but why should I give a crap, after all?" Aemus's laugh rang throughout the cavern.

Cynder saw what was happening. She quickly killed the enemies all around her, and hurried over to the Skylanders who despised her. Though the cold was slowing her down some, she was still as quick and agile as ever.

She released a fury of Electricity when she reached the spot, and when she'd finished, all the Skylanders that despised her looked at her in surprise, obviously wondering why she had done such a thing. She just turned back and said, "D-d-don't m-m-mention it," then ran into the fighting once more.

She was freezing badly now. The fury had taken away most of her energy and whatever small amount of warmth she'd had left. Now it was all gone, and she knew she wouldn't be able to take it soon enough. But she would make do with what she had.

Looking back over to Sonic Boom, she saw her best friend was still fighting strongly despite her injured right wing.

Aemus, meanwhile, yawned, believing the battle was going very slowly. He was tired of it, and decided it was his time to shine now. He no longer cared what was about to happen.

"Cynder, you might want to see this!" Aemus called to her, holding up the glowing crystal.

Cynder took a quick look over to it, and then looked back at her enemy. And then she turned her head back over quickly and realized what the crystal had inside.

"Oh n-no," she said to herself. "D-don't you d-dare use that c-c-crystal!"

"Why not?" Aemus replied. "I thought you didn't mind Malefor's power?"

Aemus laughed like a madman, and then released a small portion of the energy. Every single enemy was incinerated in the blast, ending most of his soldiers. Every Skylander was knocked unconscious, even Hex, (who had been chained, even, by the energy) with the exception of Cynder, who had been knocked into a large piece of ice. Blood trickled down the side of her face. She looked over to Spyro, who was unharmed, other than the fact he was no longer awake.

"Oh my, Cynder," Aemus taunted. "It seems I've won this battle, haven't I?"

"Y-you won't g-get away with any of this!" Cynde roared at him. "Y-you will b-be—"

"Oh please, don't give me anymore of your pathetic crap," Aemus told her. "I just want to see the Black Dragoness who I once served under. I will still kill you when you change, however."

"Th-then I won't d-do it," Cynder told him. She'd had enough, and knew it was time to end him.

"I think you will. You see, I've been wanting to end you for so long, and I'll be getting my chance right here and right now." He laughed. "If only Malefor could see this moment come to fruition. Once you're dead, I'll be killing Spyro myself. I'll rip his flesh apart. I'll rip his flesh, Sunburn's, Flashwing's…and Sonic Boom, Camo, and Whirlwind…oh my…"

Cynder lunged at him, but he was too quick, knocking her to the ground with his tail. She tasted blood, not understanding why all this was happening to her.

Sonic Boom woke up in time to see Cynder lunge and be knocked down. She knew her wing was still in pain, but she jumped to her feet and ran to Aemus. "Stop, now!" she growled. "I will kill you if I have to!"

"Will you, now?" Aemus asked. "Oh boy, I would love to see how that works out. Try it on me, will you?" He laughed again.

Sonic Boom released her sonic scream at him, and while Aemus was in pain, he simply knocked her aside. He released Cynder, moving to Sonic Boom.

"You've foiled my attempts for the last time!" he told her. "Get ready to die!"

He raised his claws, but just as Sonic Boom shielded herself from the blow, Cynder rushed in and was hit in the side by Aemus's claws. Cynder hit her head on the icy ground, causing her vision to flicker.

Aemus looked to Sonic Boom and smiled. "You know what?" he asked. "I've changed my mind." He slapped her as hard as he could before she could even blink, knocking her out.

Aemus took her in his claws. He looked to Cynder. "See you soon," he said, and flew off, cackling, with Sonic Boom still in his claws.

Cynder couldn't believe what she had just seen. But before she could do anything else, her vision flickered again, and again. She felt more pain in her head than before, and she slowly slipped into unconsciousness.