Okay, so quite possibly, this will be the last chapter I will publish before next Saturday rolls around. It'll either be this or the chapter after it, which, just so you know, will be titled, The Calm. If you wish to know, the reason behind the last chapter taking so long to be uploaded was because I was trying to get the right words into Cynder's words and her letter, as well as her emotions and everyone else's, to convey to you how their emotions should feel. It seems I did well on that. So, without further ado, here is chapter seventeen. Enjoy!

Chapter Seventeen: Mind Games

Sonic Boom heard many sounds all around her. She wasn't sure where she was, nor did she know what exactly was going on around her. She remembered the fight in the Ice Caverns, but she was unable to think of why Aemus had taken her. While she hadn't wanted Cynder to be taken either, she still had no idea why the White Dragon had kidnapped her! It made no sense.

"Hello, Griffiness," greeted Aemus's cold voice. "What's your name again? Sonic Boom, isn't it? Ah, yes, I remember. You're very brave, saving Cynder despite all the Hell she's put you Skylanders through. Why did you save her? Why couldn't you allow her to die? She's got some ulterior motive below those black-and-violet scales of hers! Below it all, she's a monster. You may call me a monster, but she's even worse than I am! Compared to her, I'm an angel!" He cackled. "I don't know what the heck you've been force-fed, but if you ask me, you need to get a better mindset. One that doesn't involve you being poisoned by lies and fables."

"What in the name of God are you talking about?" Sonic Boom growled, opening her eyes. Her tongue felt thick and heavy, and she wasn't sure why that was. "Cynder is the nicest Dragoness I've ever known, and when it comes to all Dragons, she's better than you, obviously, and even better than Spyro, in my opinion. You've hurt her in a way that sickens me. She didn't deserve the pain you put her through! She's still going through it, I'm sure. Why have you put her through so much, though? In all honesty, she's done nothing to you. You've gone insane over the fact the Dark Master was destroyed by her. Why can't you accept Malefor was a demonic creature? He was the worst Dragon that ever existed! He corrupted Cynder against her will! She didn't deserve that! Her entire life has been spent in fear as a result of all that she's gone through, and I say that it won't be going on any longer!"

"What say do you have in all this, Sonic Boom? I don't believe you have anything to say. Your life might have been paradise up there in the Land of the Griffins, but let me tell you, down here, it's a blazing inferno that will suck you in. This is Hell, and I am the only freaking angel down here! Don't attempt to tell me what's fair and unfair! I am a god compared to all others!"

"There's only one God, you piece of crap," Sonic Boom retorted. "And you're no angel. You're a demon. That's right, I called you a freaking demon! Deal with it, because that's what you truly are! Tell me that you're anything other than that, and I'll tell you just how wrong you truly are! Got that, buttcrack?"

"Such little threats," Aemus said. He sighed, and then began laughing. "I understand you want to protect Cynder's honor, as well as Spyro's and your mate's, but I have to say, you're delusional. Your ideas on who your friends and mate truly are…well, they're just wrong! You need to understand that! If it hadn't been for Spyro, and his so-called rescue of Cynder from the Dark Master, then most likely, none of this would be happening. I wish you would realize that, but it seems that you never will. How sad. I want there to be at least one more person or Dragon or creature that would realize the truth behind this all. I wish I wasn't the only smart creature around. I hate being the only smart guy, because it gets lonely after awhile. I have no one but the idiot soldiers to keep me company, and that makes everything so lonely. I'm sure you wouldn't understand. You've been kept in the company of all those 'friends' of yours. You can't get it through your thick skull that they are truly evil!"

"No, you're wrong," Sonic Boom retorted. "They are not evil. You are. You have no right telling me who to trust and love. Because I know the truth. You can't tell me otherwise. So don't even try."

Aemus hissed, and slapped her across the face. Sonic Boom felt blood dripping from her beak's right nostril. She grimaced, but smiled at the White Dragon, whose gray eyes were filled with the deepest anger she'd ever seen. But she didn't care. All that mattered was that she got him so angry that he would somehow slip up and allow her to escape. She would have a lot to do, though. It would be a while before that could happen.

"What is your backstory, little one?" Aemus asked. "What caused you to want to join the Skylanders so badly? There are many theories in my mind, but I'm not sure what they could possibly be." He got close to her and hissed at her. She could smell his breath, and the scent was that of blood. It made her want to gag. "What, the stench of my breath too much for you? Oh my, I am so sorry. You see, I don't try to have that happen. It just does, without me even attempting to. But let's get beside that. I know your backstory already. You've been cursed, I know. You once hid on a mountaintop to escape the thundering rain, and you were found by an evil wizard. You fought him off when he attempted to kill you for his own gain, but before he died he cursed you so you could never have children. Does Sunburn happen to know this, Sonic Boom? Or have you never had the guts to tell him?"

Sonic Boom couldn't believe it. Aemus was right. As of the moment, she was infertile as a result of that evil spell. But how had Aemus found out about the curse? Or the story at all? It made no freaking sense! He knew so much about everyone, yet it was unknown why that was.

"How do you know so much about me? I never told anyone that information, except for Eon! He told me he would never tell anyone else about that! Sunburn doesn't even know it! So how in the name of God do you know?"

"I was told by someone. I won't say who, however. They're very good friends of mine, to be honest, and it's thanks to them that I'm here right now. I'll be revealing this information to everyone as soon as I can. How does that sound, Boom?"

"Don't you dare call me that!" Sonic Boom roared.

"Aw, does that hurt you? How sad. I was hoping we could become great friends," Aemus taunted. "But it seems I was wrong. Crap it, that just sucks. But I still have the power to force you. Would you, by chance, like that at all?"

"No. I don't want to become your friend! You've hurt my other friends, and as a result, you mean nothing to me! You're going to die soon enough, Aemus. Don't deny it. You know what's coming for you. You know everything bad is going to happen to you. You'll receive your comeuppance! I swear it!"

"Why swear? You're so beautiful, but you would rather swear instead. How sickening. But the good thing is, I might just put you out of your misery. I don't want you to keep living like this, in such a way that is very unjust. You deserved more, and yet you became a friend of the Black Dragoness that will seal your doom."

"Cynder is the best friend I've ever known!" Sonic Boom roared at him. "You shouldn't dare to speak about Cynder in such an evil way! Do it again, and I'll rip your heart from your chest! Or, I'll rip open your chest and allow Cynder to rip your heart from your chest! How does that sound, monster?"

"Sounds…delightful," he hissed in a sadistic way. "I should go ahead and prepare what I have in store for you, and what I have in store for Cynder, as well."

"What do you have in store for Cynder? I don't give a crap what you have in store for me, so long as I know what you have in store for Cynder!"

"But you'll never know."

And with that, Aemus walked off, ready to prepare his master plan.

Sonic Boom couldn't believe what was happening. Everything was now completely wrong. She was prisoner to the evil demon who had been ruining her best friend's life, and most likely Cynder, her mate, and everyone else had no idea where she might be. When it was all put together, it was completely maddening, and she could barely make it. Why was that?

But she wouldn't allow it to bother her any longer. She would be getting out of this hellhole soon. If only she knew where exactly she was, though.

Cynder was shivering in the most terrible way possible. She couldn't believe how cold it was at the moment. Though she knew it could get cold in these parts, she was sure this kind of freezing weather was not normal. She knew that Aemus had something to do with it.

She felt terrible for what she had done to Spyro. Although she'd left the note for him, she knew he would most likely come after her. If only he understood how dangerous it was for him to do such a thing. Of course, it was dangerous for her to do what she was doing now. But she had to do it. For Sonic Boom.

But the only thing that made her travel worse were the blizzards all around her. If Aemus was truly behind it, then it seemed he'd gone the extra mile to stop her from arriving at her destination: the fortress she'd occupied while corrupted before being summoned by Malefor to…although she hated to think of it…kill Spyro. But now it was occupied by Aemus and whatever remained of his army.

To keep herself occupied, Cynder retreated into her thoughts, attempting to stop herself from thinking she would freeze and die in this weather.

The fortress isn't far from here, I know, she thought. I mean, I should remember, because I've been there before. After all, it was my own fortress. If I forgot where that fortress was, I should just forget everything else. I hate remembering my past, but I know that now it shouldn't bother me as much, because this is almost over. My life will return to normal, hopefully. Of course, I'll probably never be normal, but that doesn't mean I can't try. Life is a crazy thing. You can easily live it, but there are things here in Skylands that make it all so much harder than it should be. Aemus has made it harder for me to live a normal life. But then again, with all I've gone through in my short eighteen years of life, I can't live that normal of a life, as I've already thought. In life, you can just as easily die as you try to live, and that's a sad but true aspect of what life is. Who knows what life will be throwing at me next. Hopefully not very much after all this.

But her mind switched to the fact that there was a possibility she might not return. She remembered what she'd written on the note, how she'd mentioned she would possibly not survive the coming encounter with Aemus. She truthfully didn't want that to be a certainty, but the thought wouldn't leave her mind, no matter how hard she tried to get it out.

I don't want to leave this life, but I have no choice when it comes to this battle. Aemus is stronger than I am when it comes to physical strength. I'm only smarter than he is, and in my opinion, that doesn't always mean too much. Some might attempt to prove me otherwise, but they think differently than I do, I know, so they've got to be wrong somehow. I just wish I could look into the future and see what might be coming. I want to know if I survive or not! I don't want to die, but it's a certain possibility! Oh God, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to think anymore. Why can't life just be simple? Why does it have to be so freaking hard on me? Why do I have to go through all this terrible crap? Where did it all go so wrong? So I left Malefor's side and returned to who I'm truly supposed to be! Is that so wrong? Aemus took it as a true offense for a reason I'm not even sure about, and I hate it because I have to deal with it! Why in the name of God couldn't he just leave me alone? All I wanted to do was live my life with Spyro in whatever peace I could still find while in the role of a Skylander. Skylands can truly be cruel when it comes to all this. But it'll all be over soon.

She looked ahead, and she found the mountain where her fortress was hidden by a high peak. Her shivering was increasing, and she knew she'd have to stop soon and start a fire. But even if she did so, she could not stay there at the fire for very long, because she would need to move on to save Sonic Boom. She hoped Spyro wouldn't catch up with her while she rested.

When he finally found her, she wondered if she would still be alive. It was a distinct possibility, of course, but she didn't know for sure, and no one else truly did. She would just have to keep moving forward and see what the coming hours would bring. She just hoped they wouldn't bring anything bad. Then Cynder shook her head.

Of course there would be some bad stuff coming her way! She was about to face Aemus, for God's sake! Something bad would be happening soon, but hopefully, by the end of it, Sonic Boom would be rescued and alive. Even if she, Cynder, died, she knew it would be for a great cause, and that was what she wanted to be remembered for among her friends.

I feel so guilty for leaving them all behind, not telling a single one of them… Her mind trailed off when she realized she had told one of the Skylanders: Flashwing. She wondered why she'd forgotten, but it was all coming back to her. She still remembered the conversation they'd had about her plan down on the beach back at the Ruins:

"Are you freaking crazy?" Flashwing had exclaimed after hearing the whole plan.

"I probably am, somewhere deep inside, with all the Darkness in me," Cynder had replied. "But that's beside the point. You have to understand that what I'm doing is for the good of everyone here, and for the good of Sonic Boom and Sunburn! I have to save Sonic Boom so that she can live the rest of her life in peace with her mate! Yes, I know that if I do this, it might lead to me never returning to my mate, and I can't believe I am saying this, but I don't care. I just need to end this and save my best friend. There has to be some sort of reasoning within you telling you that my plan is the only way any of this can work. You must believe me, and you must trust me!"

Flashwing had taken some time to think. Obviously it was hard for her to comprehend what her friend was going to do, and Cynder hadn't been surprised. But she'd been hoping for Flashwing to agree with her plan and allow her to enact it, as well as keeping it all a secret. After five arduous minutes of waiting for a response, Flashwing had finally decided, much to Cynder's relief.

"Fine," Flashwing had told her. "I'll allow you to do this. But if you're going to do it, realize that if I'm asked, I might tell the others of it all. I crack under pressure, so that's something that might possibly happen. I'll do my best, but—"

Cynder cut her off. "Thank you, Flashwing," she'd told the Gem Dragoness. "You've been an amazing friend for these past few weeks, and I wish I could spend more time with you and everyone else. And you shouldn't worry about cracking under pressure if they ask you about everything, because I'm going to write a note to Spyro just in case. That's what I've decided, because I want him to know where his mate has gone. It's the best thing I can do. I have to allow him to have some sense of closure, you know what I mean? So when I arrive back at the treehouse, I'll write that note and leave it in the nightstand. Then, when I leave, I'll leave it out on the nightstand for him to see and read when he wakes up. It'll allow him to know why he didn't wake up with me by his side. I feel so terrible for this, but it's the only way everything can work out."

Afterward, she and Flashwing hugged and said their good-byes, knowing it could be the last time they saw each other. Flashwing nearly broke down into tears because of this, but she held it together and whispered into Cynder's ear, "You truly are my sister. I know what you're doing is right, and I want you to know that no matter what happens, I'll always love you for the sister you are."

And so Cynder had returned to her treehouse, while Flashwing remained on the beach to try and recover from all she'd just gone through. When Cynder arrived, she'd found Spyro was not there, and began writing the note. She'd begun crying as she wrote it, and she'd just finished placing it into her nightstand when she heard the sound of flapping wings that announced Spyro's return. She'd pretended to be asleep when he came in, and then fell asleep next to him. A single tear had rolled down her cheek then. Soon enough, she woke and took the note out from the drawers of the nightstand, placing it on top, and then kissed Spyro one last time. She'd almost wanted him to kiss her back, but she knew it was best that he didn't do so.

And then she'd left, trying to remember her friends and all those she loved. It was hard, obviously, and she'd done it with much guilt within her.

And now here she was.

Looking around, it was nothing more than a frozen tundra all around her. She didn't remember the landscape near her fortress being this way very much, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that she kept moving. She would have to climb the mountain to get to her fortress. But she knew a shortcut not many others would know. Spyro would know it, she was sure. But that didn't matter now. She wasn't sure when he would be coming, though she knew that he would be coming soon enough, once he woke and saw the note.

I'm so sorry, Spyro. But I had to leave and finish this quest. There was no other way than this, and though you might be angry at me, know that it was for the best. I just hope that when this is over, you will always remember me for the good I've done, and not all the terrible things I've caused.

If he could read her thoughts now, Cynder knew, Spyro would be telling her otherwise about him being angry at her, and that she'd done nothing wrong in his eyes. But she believed he was wrong. She believed she'd done some terrible things in her time as a corrupted slave of Malefor. Those days were nowhere near far behind her, so long as her thoughts returned to it and Aemus still lived. Everything she'd done was still clear in her mind.

She'd killed, stolen, and destroyed. While she still killed, it was only the soldiers sent at her by the various enemies the Skylanders had faced over the years. And she'd killed Malefor, which Aemus was angry about, she knew. That was another one of his reasons for attacking her.

But it would all be over soon.

Meanwhile, Aemus made his way toward where Sonic Boom was being held prisoner. When he opened the door, he found she was struggling to break her chains. She obviously had noticed him come in, something he would take to his advantage. It was fun, in his opinion, to see all that she had done to get free of the chains. Her struggling had drawn blood, most likely due to the chafing the chains had caused. Seeing some of the blood on her neck made Aemus happy. He loved seeing those who were close to Cynder be hurt.

"Aw, did you hurt yourself?" Aemus asked coldly. When he spoke, Sonic Boom gasped and stared at the White Dragon with deep horror. "I know, it's a terrible sight when you see me, and that's quite all right. I've dealt with worse insults. So you shouldn't have to worry much about all you've done to me. Not for now at least. Cynder will pay for what she's done, however. As for you…actually, for being the freak's friend, I might just do something to you. How does that sound, Sonic Boom? Do you want to see what I'm going to do to you?"

"I'd rather know what you're going to do to Cynder!" Sonic Boom retorted. "You're an idiot, Aemus, and we all know it. The Skylanders all know just how stupid you really are. You followed Malefor because you want to, which is one of the worst things anyone could ever do. Don't you know that Malefor would've most likely killed you when it was all over? If it hadn't been for Spyro, and of course Cynder, then you would probably be dead now. Where were you, anyway, when Malefor did return to kidnap Cynder?"

Aemus growled. He grasped Sonic Boom by the neck and hissed at her. "You think you can stop me from accomplishing my goal? You'll never end this battle! I will be victorious when all this is finally over. You and Cynder will lie dead on the floor when it's all done with. Even if your mates come to save you both, you're not going to live to see their faces again!"

Aemus raised his claws, and Sonic Boom shielded herself. Then Aemus began laughing and said, "Oh, little Griffiness, you truly are stupid. You understand nothing." He grasped the end of her chains and yanked. They came free from whatever had been holding them, and she was free. She wanted to open her wings and fly away, but she was unable. She opened one wing, and suddenly felt a searing pain. She remembered it was the wing that had been sliced by the cursed blade in the Ice Caverns. She closed her eyes and sighed. She would not be able to fly out of here without help due to the injured wing. That made everything that much harder.

"How does it feel, to be defenseless and powerless against me?" Aemus curled his lips and growled. "I asked you a question," he continued when she did not say anything back. "I asked you a question. Don't you know what the right thing to do is? That's right. You know it. ANSWER ME!"

He placed his face right in front of Sonic Boom's, who spat at him. "For Cynder," she growled back. Aemus was growling even more, but Sonic Boom was too courageous to care about it. She didn't care if Aemus hurt her. It didn't matter.

"You realize what I'm going to do now?" he asked sadistically. He slammed her face on the ground. "I'm going to torture you. You deserve it, after what you've just done. GUARDS!"

A few guards ran into the cell.

"Yes, master?" asked a Troll.

"Drag this sorry piece of filth to the torture chamber," Aemus commanded. "Do it now, or I'll gut you, you worthless piece of crap!" He slapped the Troll across the face, and then walked away. Sonic Boom wasn't sure what she was supposed to do now. She decided she would just have to wait and see.

She had made it to the base of the mountain. Cynder sighed, happy she'd gotten so far already. Now she just needed to climb. It would be long and even more arduous than it had already been, but she knew it would be worth it.

She began on her way up the path. She knew it would take many hours for her, and she knew it was best for her to stop soon and rest. The travel here had taken a long amount of time, and she was tired and freezing. In fact, she wasn't even sure if freezing was the right word to describe how she felt!

"Come on, Cyn, you've got to keep moving!" she told herself. "You're strong enough for this, now move your butt, or you'll freeze to death out here!"

If one looked at her face now, it would seem all blue, due to the cold weather hitting it and her extreme lack of body heat. She hoped that one of these days, she would reclaim some of her body heat. She just didn't know how that would be able to happen. Would killing Aemus possibly allow for it? She wasn't completely sure, but she believed there would most certainly be many good things to come out of it.

For another three hours, she walked up the mountain path. She could barely think when she found the open cave. She thanked God for it all when she saw it. She decided it was best for her to rest and start a fire, though she wouldn't be able to do it long, she told herself. She would have to keep moving once the warmth returned to her body. It was the best thing she could do.

Her thoughts switched to Spyro, and she sighed, wishing he was here with her. But she knew what he would say. She believed he would be angry at her for her choice if he was here. She couldn't imagine the anger he must feel. But she decided to get her mind off that.

When she entered the cave, she found there was a pile of wood already there in the cave. She wondered why that was, but she was nonetheless grateful for it. She took it and set down in the middle of the floor. She took a deep breath and released her dark-violet Electricity upon it. The wood lit up instantly, and Cynder lay down, hoping to warm herself well before setting off into the blizzard yet again.

It's almost over, Cyn, she thought. I'll be there soon, Sonic Boom. I'll be there soon, you don't have to worry. I know the secret entrance into the fortress, and it'll work again, I'm sure. But I don't know how many guards there might be. I'll have to be careful. Fortunately, I can become a shadow thanks to the dark color of my scales. They probably won't know it's me. Then again, I'll make sure they don't even see me. That's what I need to have happen.

The thoughts of infiltrating her old fortress were buzzing around in her mind, and she felt the satisfaction they brought. It was amazing, and it wasn't until she heard the voices that they dissipated.

As soon as she heard them, she quickly looked around for a place to hide. She found a large rock, just large enough for her to crouch behind and not be seen. She attempted to discern the voices, wondering if they belonged to Spyro and the Skylanders that would be accompanying him on his mission to rescue she and Sonic Boom. But as she listened closely to them, she realized they did not belong to any of the Skylanders. And she knew what every Skylander sounded like. After all, she'd been one of those who'd decided who would enter into the Skylanders in the nearly four years since she'd been inducted and since becoming the leader, Spyro's, second-in-command.

"So here I was, telling Aemus that we were low on munitions and rations," said the voice in an exotic accent. "And the piece of crap told me that we were just fine, that we were gonna survive! That freeloader, never understanding that we're low on all our supplies! Soon enough, there'll be no food, water (or any other drink for that matter), or munitions for us! We'll have to surrender to the Skylanders, and let me tell you, that's somethin' I ain't gonna do!"

"It does seem terrible right now," came a deeper voice with the same accent. To Cynder, it sounded like they came from the Southern Border, below the Ruins, east of Shattered Island. But she wasn't sure what their home was. "But I'm sure we'll pull through, Hobbler. We always do."

"You simpleton!" came a hissing voice with no accent whatsoever. "We've almost lost our entire army! Aemus won't stop 'til the Skylanders are dead, which means, 'til we're dead! He doesn't realize we're not gonna make it! We're gonna die soon enough, all of us! In fact, I would love it if one of the Skylanders came an' put me outta my misery! That would be nice."

These guys sound like they really hate Aemus, thought Cynder to herself. Maybe they'll help me on getting up to the fortress and finding a way inside without alerting Aemus or any of his guards or sentries. I have to know, but I know I have to be quick about it. If I'm not careful, they might run off and alert Aemus on their own. I don't even know if the three I've heard are the only ones around here! For all I know, there are more of them. By now, they've seen the fire, I'm sure, with its flame's light bouncing off the walls of this cave. They're going to come and investigate, and I'm not sure what they might do after they see me. God, this is stressful! But I have no choice. I must act, and I must act right now!

"Hey, what's this?" came the first creature's voice. Hobbler, Cynder remembered, Hobbler is his name. "Look at the flame there! Its light is bouncin' off them there walls! Someone's in there, and I wonder who it could be."

"It could be Stifler, he likes hiding from us," said the second creature's voice. "If you ask me, we should go in there and stifle him, eh? What do you guys reckon?"

"Let's go take a looksy," said Hobbler. Cynder heard their footsteps coming near the cave's entrance. "Well, well, no one's here. They musta heard us. It definitely ain't Stifler in 'ere. He woulda shown himself by now. He'd probably be inviting us into 'ere, askin' if we wants a nice hot cup of tea."

"Actually I wouldn't mind that," said the second voice.

"Quiet, Muffle!" came the third voice. Cynder now knew the second creature's name was Muffle. Such strange names, she thought. Gee, I wonder what the third one's name is. Smother, maybe?

"What's the matter with you, Smother?" asked Muffle.

Of course, Cynder thought with exasperation.

"I smell something," Smother told him. "Someone's in here, and I'm sure they're behind that rock! Muffle, get your butt over there and check for us!"

But Cynder knew it was time. She jumped out of her hiding place and found herself looking at three Wraiths. They were all night-black, with yellow eyes and glowing yellow mouths. None of them had legs.

"Holy crap!" screamed Muffle. "It's that Black Dragoness Aemus was talking about!"

"I will kill you if you run!" Cynder threatened. "I control the Element of Electricity, which is quite harmful to Wraiths. In fact, it will kill you instantly! So if you run, then I will hunt you down and kill all of you myself!"

The Wraiths didn't know what to do. They had no choice, it seemed, other than to stay where they were. All three were cowards, and Cynder knew it.

"What in the name of God are you doing here, little one?" asked Smother.

"I'm here to put an end to Aemus! He kidnapped one of my friends, and now I must kill him," Cynder explained. "He's nothing more than a demon from my past, and there's no point in allowing him to live any longer."

"Well, there's something we all agree on," said Hobbler. "We hate the White Dragon, as well. You probably heard our whole conversation. We can help you a little, but not much more than that. Maybe help you get inside without being seen or having any of the guards be alerted to your presence?"

"That's what I want," Cynder said. "That's what I need to happen. You need to help me infiltrate that place, please! I have no choice but to get in there and kill Aemus! But I'm not sure where I can go!"

"There's that one secret entrance," said Muffle. "But it's heavily guarded by sentries that will kill you as soon as they look at ya. But I'm sure we could help you get inside. Most of them trust us anyway."

"They despise us," Smother growled. "But that doesn't mean we won't help. We just need to come up with the right sort of plan! The only problem is, we're not very good at this kind of thing, because we have not done it before."

"That doesn't matter," Cynder said. "Just remember the way in, tell me, and then you're free to go. But if you go to Aemus and tell him I'm here, then I will track you down, and I will kill you. I hope you realize that."

The Wraiths nodded, and with that, the four of them began calculating their plan to get Cynder inside.

Sonic Boom lay there in the torture chamber. She hadn't been tortured, yet. She hoped there was some way out of this, but she wasn't sure it would be happening.

"Hello Griffiness," came Aemus's voice. "Comfy, cozy? I'm sure you are. After all, this is more of a funhouse to someone like you, is it not?" He laughed, and shivers went up Sonic Boom's spine. She wasn't sure why. "This torture chamber has killed many," Aemus explained. "I am pretty sure you won't die, but if you do, then at least you'll have your friend and mate in your mind, right?" He laughed again. "You see, this is where the mind games begin. "We'll be looking into your mind to see what will make it break. Oh man, this is going to be so much fun, don't you agree?"

"No, I don't agree!" retorted Sonic Boom. "Let me out of these chains so I can kill you!" She struggled, but was unable to do anything. After a minute, she lay down, panting from the energy the undoable task had taken from her.

"First, we have a blade," Aemus said. "It is cursed, and I am sure you know what it is cursed by."

Oh God, Sonic Boom thought. It's the Ill Luck. He's got the Ill Luck on that blade!

"Yes, this blade, known as Iafanistís, or 'The Ravager,' is cursed by the Kakí Týchi, or the Ill Luck. You've felt the pain the Ill Luck can cause, I'm sure. This is the same blade that sliced through your wing. See, after your friends left, while you were still unconscious, I had one of my soldiers return and pick the blade up. It's back in my possession now. I'm going to be able to use it on you and all my other prisoners. So, what should we do now? Oh, I remember!"

Sonic Boom screamed out in pain as she felt The Ravager, cursed by the Ill Luck, be stabbed through her right wing. She was sure some of the vital membranes had been severed, which meant she was unable to fly. She heard Aemus laughing his usual cold cackle, and she couldn't understand why he was so cruel! She wondered what he had in store for Cynder if this was the pain she was being forced to go through. She just hoped that the pain would end soon, because she could take it no longer. The blade kept going deeper, and every time it sliced through her wing, Sonic Boom screamed. It was hard for her to think of a worse way to be tortured.

Oh God, please make it stop, please! she thought.

Finally the blade slid out of her wing, and that part of the torture was over. She hoped nothing as bad as that happened to her. She couldn't take it any longer.

Aemus was still laughing. Looking down upong the Griffiness, he saw the blood dripping from her wing, staining the black feathers. He heard her whimpering, and it made him smile with glee. He couldn't believe how easily he was able to hurt her! She was supposed to one of the Captains of one of the Elemental groups for the Skylanders, and yet she was this weak? Aemus thought, No wonder there aren't many Griffins around anymore. They're so freaking weak!

"That was only the first part of your torture," Aemus said. "I'm going to do something worse in a few minutes, however. Go ahead and whimper all you want, because it won't save you from what I have in store." A small chuckle escaped his lips. "This world is so strange now. Back when Malefor was around, everything was great and magnificent! But when Cynder defeated and destroyed him, it all went to Hell. Now we're stuck in a primitive age, with no means of escape. Not unless the Dark Master returns, of course."

"But he won't return," Sonic Boom growled through clenched teeth. "I know that for a fact. Cynder destroyed him, and there's no way someone can come back from such a thing as that."

"How would you know?" Aemus asked.

"I just do!"

"You just do." Aemus looked down upon her and smiled. "Well, Sonic Boom, it's time for your next part of torture. How does that sound, eh? Good, right?"

He took hold of her wing and stuck his claws right into it, and as Sonic Boom screamed and he laughed, he twisted sharply and felt it break. Sonic Boom screamed louder than ever, and Aemus laughed harder than ever.

"Okay, so maybe I went a little too far," he said. Then he thought about it and said, "Nah. That was just perfect! I just hurt you so badly that I nearly snorted while laughing! Did you hear how high my laugh went when that happened? Oh God, that was such an amazing experience, wouldn't you agree?"

But Sonic Boom didn't answer back. Her pain was too much for her to handle. She whimpered more and more, and wished for it all to end. She didn't know how many times she'd thought of that, but she thought about it more and more with each passing second. She just wished Cynder wasn't forced to go through such pain. She hoped her best friend would go through no pain at all, and that Aemus would be killed without trouble.

"Well, this whole thing is getting old to me," Aemus said. "I know what I'm going to do, however, and this one'll be my favorite. I'll allow you to see how I think Cynder should look. It's an old memory of mine that I really love, and hopefully you'll love it just as much as I! Too bad it couldn't last, however."

Aemus sighed, and then continued. "But first, let me tell you something: did I ever tell you of how I came to be what I am? No? Well, then, there was once a home out in the Dásos Págo, the Ice Forest. I was abused by my father Raegn, and my mother, brother, and sister did nothing to stop it! I met Malefor soon before my thirteenth nameday, however, and he gave me the abilities I have now, though some of them dissipated after his…destruction." He spoke the word "destruction" as if it were poisonous. "So I killed my father with them. But unfortunately, I killed the rest of my family as well. Though they had been oblivious to my being abused, I had believed they were still the few people I could love. But they died there, and when I emerged from the rubble that terrible morning, injured and bleeding, Malefor took me in. You see, life doesn't wait for you to wake up to it. It punishes you without mercy, without impunity. I feel sometimes as if there's point for me to keep living, with my family dead, and Malefor gone. But I know there's a reason for me to keep living, and that's to kill Cynder for what she's done to me. She made me into something that I am not, and I cannot continue on in life unless I destroy her, like she destroyed my savior!" Aemus's voice was developing more and more anger now, something that scared Sonic Boom. "This world is cruel. It seems that we're nothing more than dust in the wind. After one bad day, it all goes to Hell. But here's the thing. I try to put on a happy face and keep living through it all. And so now, because that's stayed with me, and because the thought of Cynder dying has stayed with me, I'm always smiling. So now, how about we show you what happened on one of the greatest days of my life, eh? Let's show you all the good that came out of Cynder becoming what Malefor made her into."

Aemus placed his claws on either side of Sonic Boom's head, and concentrated. Sonic Boom felt many chills running through her spine and body. And then she saw something she'd never seen before in her life:

In front of her was a group of assorted creatures, from Trolls and Wraiths to what seemed to be Apes. She saw a large, monstrous Dragon, and realized the Dragon was Malefor. He looked the same as he had when Cynder had destroyed him. Next to him on his left was a large Ape, with two red eyes…no, one. One of the red eyes still had color, but it was faded, which meant he was blind in his right eye. And on his right was none other than Aemus. Sonic Boom recognized him instantly, seeing that despite being younger, his white scales and gray eyes hadn't changed at all. He looked to be a little scarred.

And then she heard the rattling of chains. She looked around for the source, and wondered if the monsters in front of her had a prisoner. And sure enough, they did. But when she saw their prisoner in her chains, she couldn't believe her eyes. It was Cynder. She was so small, so young, so innocent. She was cute, Sonic Boom thought, and could tell that even then it could be seen she would become a beautiful Dragoness. But she realized what the memory included, and she felt deep emotional pain for Cynder.

"Where am I?" the little Cynder squeaked. "What is this place? Who are you all?"

"Do it, now!" commanded Malefor, and the little Cynder screamed when she heard his voice. But then, through the chains, Sonic Boom saw dark energy coursing through them. It was the same color as the energy used to knock all the other Skylanders out in the Ice Caverns. It was Malefor's energy, Sonic Boom realized.

Cynder screamed higher and higher, and then in seconds, it was all over, a cloud of black smoke covered Sonic Boom's vision, but soon it faded, and Sonic Boom found a large, demonic-looking Black Dragoness in front of her. It was Cynder's corrupted form.

"So, does she work?" asked Aemus.

Sonic Boom could see Aemus was still evil back then, talking about her best friend as if she were a piece of machinery!

"One of you, check!" the large Ape called to the soldiers.

One did as the Ape said, but when they approached, they were suddenly beheaded by the corrupted Cynder and the blade at the end of her long tail. Blood spurted from the headless soldier's body, and it fell to the ground. The head came rolling to Malefor's feet, who stepped forward, stepping on the head at the same time, crushing it.

"You are my new general," Malefor said to Cynder, who looked at him with large, red eyes. She was growling and snorting what seemed to be Shadow Flame. "You are the one I have been waiting for. You will lead my soldiers into battle and destroy all those who oppose us, including Eon and the new team he calls Skylanders. Destroy them all, before they come anywhere near us! Do you understand me, my slave?"

Sonic Boom couldn't believe how Malefor was speaking. She realized he'd spoken of Eon, and now knew the Skylanders had been around even before Spyro had saved Cynder. She wondered who those Skylanders were, and if any of them were still around. It made her wonder.

But something else going through her mind was the fact Malefor had called Cynder his slave, something that sickened Sonic Boom to the point that she wanted to throw up. She hoped no one else dared to call Cynder that ever again. If they did, Sonic Boom vowed she would hurt them.

She continued watching, wondering how exactly the memory would end. Malefor stood still in front of the corrupted Cynder, who was still growling and snorting the Shadow Flame from her nostrils.

"Will you be my general and lead my soldiers into battle, Cynder?" Malefor continued.

And finally, "Yes," said the corrupted Cynder. "Yes, master." Sonic Boom's eyes widened when she heard this. She couldn't believe how cruel Malefor had been to Cynder. Well, she did somewhat, but now she had more of an understanding on all that had occurred. She felt now she wanted to hug the Black Dragoness and tell her how much she truly loved her. She wanted her sister to understand she didn't want to leave her side.

The memory ended, and Sonic Boom found herself once more in the torture chamber. She felt the deep and terrible pain in her wing as a result of the cursed blade once more, but she realized Aemus was no longer in the room. She could smell him, however, though he was farther away. He was nowhere near the torture chamber, much to her relief. But she wondered why that was.

Now that she had a better understanding of her best friend, Sonic Boom wished Cynder could come soon. But there was still Aemus, who would stop at nothing to kill her, which was the main problem Cynder faced.

I miss her so much, Sonic Boom thought. She was so brave in the Ice Caverns, taking that hit for me. But she didn't deserve it. She hasn't deserved all that she's gone through. She's such an amazing friend, and this is how she's been treated for so long. It's terrible, and while I know I've done good as her best friend, despite some bumps in the road, I feel as if I've hurt her as well, and I want to make it all up to her. When I'm rescued, which I have put my full trust and faith in, I will let her know how much I love her. She deserves her sister to be by her side. She's my sister, and I'll do all in my power to keep her as my friend, for as long as I'm a Skylander, and quite possibly for as long as I live. If only I knew where she and the other Skylanders were. They're probably all at the Ruins, though, planning my rescue. I just hope they hurry up. I want to be rescued soon.

Sonic Boom sighed. And then another scent entered her nostrils. It was so familiar.

It was a sweet fragrance, though it was permeated by the pungent scent of the Darkness. It was alone, but it was near. Sonic Boom at first wondered who or what the scent belonged to, and then her emerald eyes widened, and she realized her hope had finally come true:

Cynder was coming to save her.

But there were still doubts in her mind. She hoped Cynder could get into the fortress quite soon, without being detected. Aemus was still around, as well.

Hopefully all went well. If Cynder ran into Aemus, and if she was on her own, then, in Sonic Boom's personal opinion, all would be lost, and all Hell would break loose.