The Legend Of Spyro: Love And War Book 2

by Spyro and Cynder lover

Continuation Of Book One! With Malefor returned to normal, Spyro and Cynder in love, and everyone now back to their normal lives, another threat; Flint, the new Dark Master, will put everyone and friendships to the test, mixing lies and threats against one another. Death is around every corner, lives at risk, and sometimes, not even being dead means you're forgotten.

49. Chapter 49: Truth In Light And Dark

Chapter 49: Truth In Light And Dark

"Ignitus, let us help him!"

Outside the realm of differences to which Spyro was taking an adventure in, time still continued from the outside. Tensions were high amid the Dark Master and the purple dragon's absence: order no longer being upheld by anyone. Those who had a say were clearly more powerful than the other: voices becoming present from those who believed in their abilities. Ignitus was one of these such users, still at the ready to kill the two Dark Dragons for what they had done. However, the two made their continued efforts to live, to which it angered them to even have to say anything at all. Their lives were looked at as expendables, and Xvar understood why, "We get it. You're a leashed dog who must do what the Ancestors say or you'll be sprayed with water, or scolded for your disorderly ideas. For someone who supposedly knows all, your brain seems nonexistent when it comes to the past."

"Victors tell their side of the story, and at the end of the day, there's no truth in good and evil," Ignitus had his own choice words, "However, that's not the case for our war. From the minute your kind was founded, it was clear your species wouldn't align with our way of life: a peaceful uprising. Instead, your kind brought corruption, chaos, confusion, and fear upon our land! We lived peacefully: societies were made, families were formed, and yet your kind couldn't live with the idea of shared land."

"Shared land?!" Teeth from Kettu were shown, "Your Ancestors practically pushed us off the face of the planet! Where they erected their buildings; destroying the once green covering this world, they were so far up their own ass to beat us in advancements that stomping us was their only option! You can't build in the sky, but since so much history was already formed on land and even underground, we had nowhere to go: no boundaries to define our space in society!"

"You had your own realm to which you should've stayed in. How would you have felt if our kind suddenly started building on your soil?"

"That realm was an evolutionary disaster! Our planet, our world and it's living, was nothing more than an endurance test. Many eggs that were brought into that world were crushed under it's pressure!" Xvar's words made many lean in favor over the Dark Dragons, "That planet is the definition of fight or perish. Flying too early would crush your wings. The grass floor below would shred your scales. Though for the time the planet was whole, we needed not worry about many of these disasters. But because the purple dragon knew of our struggles, he destroyed the world, forcing us to fly everywhere we went!"

Ignitus simply scoffed, "And yet you still decided to side with the Dark Master even though you hated what happened to your kind. You're hypocrites, and the need for revenge just burns too deep for you all to ever change," Points were made on each side, neither giving in to what the other had to say, "The purple dragon rightfully made an attempt to exterminate your existence, and out of revenge, the Dark Master did the same to our kind."

"Exactly!" Kettu had his and his brother's point proven, "The purple dragon made an attempt against our lives for no reason!"

"NO REASON?!" The bulking, now towering red Guardian slammed his fist to the ground in defence, "YOU ALL FORCED THIS, ENDURANCE TEST, ON OTHERS THE SAME! You tested the amount of time it would take to drown us, our resistance to being dropped in lava, our scale strength by sharpening pieces of wood and jabbing it into every scale! You all thought that, just because you grew up in hell, that meant your games wouldn't faze us at all, and that we'd enjoy it!" Where neither Ignitus, Kettu, or Xvar were changing their views, the others had, and now they were in favor over the Fire Guardian, "Should I bring up the egg drop test? Or how about the sick games your kind played where you forced a mother and father to kill the other JUST TO SEE WHO LOVED THEIR HATCHLING MORE!"

"DON'T LET THE ACTIONS OF FEW DEFINE OUR KIND!" Xvar showed his displeasure in what was being said, clearly agreeing now such an event was unnatural and horrifying, "Your kind was the exact same to ours! Many from both sides knew of the tensions between one another and did stupid shit just to piss the other side off! And while your Ancestors were sitting their happy asses behind their homes and being worthless, our kind was making attempts to snuff out these delinquents!"

"You two truly are still just simple children. The Ancestors had their paws full dealing with the hundreds of wounded that ended up in their care because of your kind! Broken bones, hearts, minds, and even souls for these sick games! They were hard at work, trying to figure out a way to deal with these high rate of casualties, the many to which no one from your side would take the blame for! You say we sat on our asses when your kind was too much of a pussy to even attempt peace!"

"YOU'RE LAUGHABLE!" Plot holes were very much shown in Ignitus's story, and Kettu made sure to point them out, "Victors truly do only tell their side of the story. The amount of lives wasted from the attempts we made to peacefully resolve the issue going on was nearly the same as your wounded. But of course, who remembers the dead? Who remembers those with no names? Oh, well, they had names. But because it's your history; your side of the story, our names go unnoticed, and the only time they do appear is to pinpoint where we started everything! Because the Ancestors did nothing wrong: is that it?!"

Each side struggled in what they had to say, though they stood strong throughout it all. The information that this fight had garnered was very much intriguing to the two yellow Guardians, and clearly, much more was still to be said. For this next statement however, it proved to work heavily in the Dark Dragons favor. Xvar and his brother had this saved up for a while now, and after having been with Spyro for a decent amount of time now, they let know of what the light supposedly believes in, "Alright... then how about you tell us this considering your care over your brothers," He struggled to hold back the first display of tears from a Dark Dragon, "You think the Ancestors care about you, huh? You think all because you obey like a bitch, everyone here will be safe?" The voice cracks and obvious signs of distress were there, and this only furthered the effectiveness of what he had to say, "WELL THAN WHAT HAPPENED WITH ALL THOSE OTHER TIMELINES?! YOU THINK THE ANCESTORS GAVE A SHIT?!"

Already this proved to be a losing battle for Ignitus, having thought about the event for so long even after it was over. Xvar knew if he had spoken any longer, tears surely would've shown, and he wanted at all best to avoid this sign of weakness to them all. Kettu knew of this, and took over with a more controlled yet pissed sounding voice, "You pray to your gods and what good did that do for your other selves? You think the Ancestors care, when in reality, this whole world is nothing more than an unsolvable problem made from bumps and blood. Terrador, Volteer, Cyril: each are suffering in a future where they have no one. They never met their females, and depending on the timeline, only one comes out on top. So tell me, Ignitus, since you favor and protect the Ancestors decisions, which future do you like best? The one where Malefor lives? Maybe Cynder? Or I'm assuming your son? It's obvious only one of them makes it out alive while the new Chronicler takes over and watches the world burn to the ground: that being your brothers who've already been through hell."

Even for someone such as Ignitus, he couldn't respond to this: simply dawning teeth with a shifted head in anger to not look directly at them. These thoughts were never ending: the red Guardian taking into account thousands of memories into which they failed, many to whom he talked to. The idea that every day they smiled, but somewhere else, suicide was the best answer pained him near and dear, directly down to his soul. All noticed this. Past his teeth and need to be right, water was being held back from his eyes: the pain tightening his chest to a point his paw needed to push against. This wasn't what the two wanted, and though it was Xvar's turn to speak, the flustered feeling he had at this point wasn't needed. Instead, Kettu kept his voice going: changing from upset to understanding, "It wasn't even the Ancestors that saved you. It was the Chronicler. Twice over the Chronicler saved you: once from the Volcano, and another that prevented that future. Where were your supposed gods that you pray to? You really think they cared? If they did, why let their entire world burn to the ground? Maybe because it's expendable. Maybe because there's other more important timelines they wish to focus on. To them, we're nothing. And they see you the same way."

"It was the Ancestors who allowed my life to be saved, and to be passed on to the Chronicler position," Still seeing good in a poor situation, Ignitus stood his ground, "It was the Ancestors who allowed me to spread the answer to the other worlds that would prevent further timelines from failing the way they did. They didn't abandon us, they-"

"Abandoned your others selves!" Xvar couldn't believe that this dragon would continue to defend these monsters, "You and Malefor truly are like father and son: you're both half a brain and kicking some teeth out of you just sounds like fun! Of course the Ancestors would allow you to spread the word: their sick game was over as you found the answer! Why would they continue and not allow your message to be sent to others?! Because then they would have been put in a position that would've truly shaped their malicious and hidden agendas!"

"Look, Ignitus, the point is, we don't care to be your enemy, the same goes for your son," Kettu kept things from turning back to a bark fest, "From what you've said, you fear us for the right reasons, as we have our reasons for you. After the short amount of time we've known Spyro, he's... ...developed, so many fears, so many nightmaric futures... ...in which he were to lose us, too. We... never thought he actually cared, but... ...every step of the way... ...he proves us wrong."

"Welcome to the club," Cynder giggled, knowing that feeling well, "Kettu, Xvar, I don't think you all know just how much you two mean to him. He speaks about you two highly and almost all the time. To which I don't appreciate as I wish to be his center of attention, but... ...you two give him hope, and he does the same for you it seems. He'd be over the moon to hear your trust in him as that's one step closer to bringing the two sides together."

"No," Still continuing his rage, there was no stopping how Ignitus felt, "I won't..."

"Ignitus!" Finally feeling he was out of line, no voice would truly hit close unless it was someone close; someone around his heart and to whom he loved, that being Claire, "Spyro's my son too, is he not?! I should have a say in our son's future, and from what I've seen, there's no reason to continue this unnecessary loss of breath!" Her say was very important: mainly since going against her would feel disingenuous to their well formed love, "Remember what happened when you wanted to help Spyro before? I know the image of those close to you passing is an unwanted thought, but you need to know that sometimes, doing nothing can make a world of difference, in all the right ways."

"Doing nothing means I'm nothing for my son," Dropping a tear, these emotions couldn't be held back, "I did nothing when he took on the world, I did nothing when he fought the Dark Master; all while I sat on the sidelines through all his battles like some weak, fragile little child," Another tear was forced from his eye as he clenched them shut, reopening them after a few seconds, "I can't save my brothers in another time, I'm basically deadweight to my son, and at the most, I'm just some liability to those around me."

"Maybe because those aren't your battles. Maybe because, even with how long it's been, you haven't found what life means to you."

"So I should just sit by and be useless to everyone around me?"

"Ignitus, had it not been for you and your teachings, do you really think anything would've come of Spyro? You taught him the importance of strength, helped him learn to fly, and to forgive those who never meant wrong doings," Their time together showed: Claire knowing almost everything about him and the past from their late-night and early morning talks, "Your voice kept Cynder around, your voice kept morale for the Guardians when Spyro and Cynder disappeared, your voice... ...is what helped Spyro believe in Malefor having a heart. You don't need to be in someone's life to have an impact on them," Resting a paw to his shoulder, her body walked around his to stand at his front, trying to draw attention away from the Dark Dragons, "Because of you, Spyro has grown into a bright, skilled, and amazing man: taking after you as his father. I know how scary at times it is to feel useless. Hell, look at what happened when you wanted me to stay but the Guardians were against it."

"Oh yeah. Speaking of which," Grabbing Cyril by the horn and yanking his head downwards, Flair growled in her dominance over him, "You got a problem with strong women? Afraid your ass would get kicked and it would destroy your little power trip that you were above all?"

"I'm sorry, Claire! It was wrong and unjust! Just the same as my hate towards Cynder!" Cyril was quick to admit his faults, knowing not doing so would end in a loss of his horn.

"Good," She released his horn, allowing his head to snap back up, "Ignitus, the more you talk, the more people hate you. You came at me when I was already under enough stress. You're holding onto a one hundred thousand year old grudge, which is clearly being manipulated by the Ancestors. Stop using what the Chronicler knows and use what you know. I thought we've been over this a hundred times now?"

"She's not wrong," Ersa agreed to her vicious female friend, "Volteer's also talked a lot about your change. Instead of you easing your way into an understanding of someone else, you're simple going off of their past, and acting like people can't change. My mate also told me that you allowed Spyro to stay with Cynder, though it was still unclear if she was trustworthy. Kettu and Xvar clearly didn't hurt Spyro directly, and from what he's said, its clear this unnecessary confrontation between you two isn't out of a loving need to protect."

"If anything, it sounds like the Ancestors 'want' an altercation," Volteer agreed with his mate: the two completely working off of another plane of existence to understand one another, "They gave you power to rival the Dark Dragons, to kill Kettu and Xvar who are like brothers to Spyro, and yet, they didn't do the same when we all could've died? That power would've been really helpful in preventing all those future failures," Ignitus had nothing to say about this, clearly agreeing with some capacity that his frustration was now arched towards the Ancestors, "No one's hurt, and what's needed to be said has finally been flushed out. For now, unless someone has something else to say, we should just come back to ourselves."

"Hell no," Where it could've been a cut and dry comeback, Flair wasn't going to let those who needed to be punished let slip away, "Carith, you should really take a step back on your life choices," Carith and many others knew someone was going to say something sooner or later, "'All this time, I should've been focusing on power'? 'You've been too far up your own ass on what doesn't matter'? How else would you like to bash your lover? You gonna say it's her fault next for everything that's ever happened since it's because of 'her' that you changed?"

Malefor displayed teeth to her, rather than coming down from his clear and already established anger, "Oh, shut up," Flair wasn't the only one who didn't like that response, "Someone's clearly upset that they're of no importance to anyone. It's always someone else's fault, but never their own. Makes me wonder if the abuse you went through was warranted, considering you never know when to shut up."

"Excuse me?!" Slapping her paw down and edging herself towards him, Flair was free to sharpen her fins with all their might.

"Malefor..." Carith's murmur was one of pain, liking nothing about this side of him.

This new problem wasn't concluded in an orderly fashion, same for previous one. Two growls filled the air, both very powerful though different in tone. One was of frustration, and the other, a simple pained growl. Everyone's eyes snapped over to see Spyro and the Dark Master pushing off of one another; their darkness erupting out from their bodies before being sucked back in. Each landed to the ground in a heavy weighted sigh, following low hung heads and sweats. Cynder was there to comfort her purple lover with a wing to his back, and thanks to this aid in recovery, Spyro was able to stand before his opponent, "Don't! Don't do this! Even if you're truly evil which at this point is clearly a lie, comfort from you can be shown to others and not just her!"

The pupils of the Dark Master shortened upon his bringing up of the female. Where Spyro was calmed thanks to love, the Dark Dragon was turned and fueled in his anger. Making a quick race forward, no amount of wiggle room was given. His paw clenched Spyro's next at full force. Raising the dragon high, both stood to their feet; legs stretched to as far as they could reach. For the Dark Master, his soul focus was his readjustment, holding more onto the bottom of his neck and rounding his claws to his skull to crush. Spyro frantically tried to push, grip, or shove this pressure away without doing any harm, but from how things were looking, and the strength of the hold becoming more intense, the Dark Dragon was clearly ready to kill the purple dragon. Cynder flung into action with this realisation. Grabbing the Dark Master's arm and looking him in what little light she could see in his eyes, her voice needed to make due, "What ever happened, you can talk to us! If Spyro did something stupid than tell me that so I may turn and punish him accordingly!" Spyro's cries and groans of pain, following along with a sound of crushing bones, the desperate female continued, "Dark Master, please! Talk to us!"

She wanted at all possible not to injure him, though if this were to go on any longer, the idea of attack was planned. Where his face started turning purple enough to out due his scales, Ignitus made his rush into the situation known. But with one step came a full disappearance and reappearance of the two Dark Dragons behind the Dark Master. They held him back now, each on one side of the aggressor, trying to get through to one of their own.

"Stop giving our kind a bad name!" Kettu tried with his voice, holding the Dark Master's chest back.

"Don't throw all the progress we've made out the window!" Xvar too attempted peace, pulling the arm of the flustered dragon.

"GET OFF ME!" Losing all sense of self, the Dark Master retaliated.

Dealing with everyone around him in an orderly fashion, his first target was Spyro. The purple dragon was easy to deal with. Already letting little air enter the younger dragon's lungs, a very hard, bashful connection between his and the Dark Master's skull connected. A crack-like sound followed the impact, turning the struggles from Spyro useless: leaving his body floating now and no longer giving a fight. Cynder watched in horror to see the impact, to hear, and feel it all throughout. His body went limp, erupting nightmares and fears to what seemed close to his death.

"SPYRO!"

The only reason she didn't attack was the release the Dark Master gave over Spyro's neck now. Dropping dead weight to deal with the other two, the Dark Master's attention was no longer to the purple dragon. With Spyro's lifeless body dropping backwards, Cynder's wings stretched out far and wide: pushing herself off the Dark Dragon to quickly position herself for the catch. His land was heavy, but thanks to his quick thinking female, she was able to successfully hold his head, neck, and stomach to align in his fall, so no damage could be done afterwards. Fast actions were made against the two Dark Dragons to which they could do little against. His right elbow bashed into Xvar's nose, staggering him back in a pained growl. With his right arm free, he swung it around and dug his claws deep within Kettu's chest. Kettu had no time to react: simply coughing up blood before being tossed around in a rag doll form. His body was swung around and tossed straight against Xvar's chest. The connection from the two looked and sounded painful: Xvar's sides being twisted due to the connection and Kettu's bones cracking from the force of impact. Both were knocked to the ground; Xvar on his side and Kettu over top him. Ignitus, Malefor, the other three Guardians, and even Flair and Claire all felt the need to step in. Ignitus advancing to the right of the Dark Master, Malefor to the left, and others holding back but at the ready. The Dark Dragon didn't see this; rather, he pushed on ahead, still wanting Spyro to pay for what he had done. This battle was all too much for Cynder to once again experience. Spyro being laid out, the Guardians moving in to attack, and her feeling frail wasn't at all a good feeling. She knew she needed to step up, and for the small amount of time she spent with Spyro in his mind, the thought of giving up or backing down became nonexistent, even with the idea of death. Needing no help at all in her transformation, the darkness was for Cynder to control. As she laid her lover's body to the floor, her approach up was met with extension. Tail, neck, body, arms, legs: just about every part of her grew as she rose to the occasion. The Terror transformation was complete, and standing at the forefront of battle; blocking the Dark Master with the openness of her wings, she wouldn't allow this to continue. With this stance and another foe standing in his way, the Dark Master paused, giving her this one warning, "MOVE!"

"NO!" Malefor and Ignitus still made their attempts to move in, but Cynder called them out, "EVERYONE STOOOP!" Her wings more so curved around the Dark Master's body, protecting his sides in case the two were to attack, and from the near inches away that they were, surely without Cynder, they would've, "You know I've been on your side since the beginning! I lived through hell, killed my own parents, and were left scarred with nothing more than nightmares and the screams of those I killed! But even through it all, I still found someone to love: someone like Spyro who truly cares!"

"Move-" This time, the Dark Master's voice was met with malice: his growl was intense, and from the claws he brought up to Cynder's chest, he was in no mood for her talk.

"He's for me to deal with!" Backing down none, she wanted to fully take this opportunity to prove her worth, "I can punish him, I can deal with him if you give me the reason to do so!" Feeling the cold hearted nature coming off the tips of those claws raced her heart through the roof, knowing little to what his next move would be, "Please... ...don't do this. I'm sorry I turned my back on you, and I'm sorry I didn't understand you sooner... ...but please... ...don't make the same mistake I did. If you really had the dream to be a hero, to be a father... to me... ...than I'm begging you to hear my plea..."

Her words seemed ineffective, though his claws not shredding through her scales was a start, "The only plea I wish to hear is for those I kill to beg for the pain to stop: right before I crush their skulls and give them exactly what they want."

The small bout was broken up once another voice had its say. Spyro, having regain himself after nearly losing all life, took in a massive inhale, following up with a cough. Breath after breath, the loss of oxygen was a feeling all would agree wasn't something to be enjoyed. Having first-hand experienced, this whole event Spyro didn't want to become a trouble. Instead, he tried as best as always to make light of his near death, laughing even, "You know..." Sounding close to an old man, this newer more pained voice stayed for a bit till he could get back the oxygen he had lost, "Drowning is obviously... ...scary, but... add... ...add choked to death... ...as another," Rounding his paw to his neck, another cough was given: recovering slowly but knowing how to speed that up, "Cynder... ...I... ...I need... ...air..."

She knew exactly what to do, and rather be afraid of the Dark Master, she turned her back entirely, trusting him to not attack while she helped her pained lover. The Dark Master's paw dropped, though since Cynder's wings did too, Ignitus and Malefor rounded back into attacking positions. Aiding his recovery, Cynder helped keep his head afloat; resting a paw under his chin and keeping his head to her level. The lack of oxygen made him giddy, and with her massively standing figure, a blush appeared to Spyro's face, "Damn your sexy..." She didn't expect this at all, but now her lips watered for the kiss, "You know... ...I heard... ...if you allow me the dominate tongue... ...that gives plenty of oxygen too."

His way of thinking made her giggle, "Too bad. You're not getting your way when you're weak, so if you don't mind, I'd like to take advantage of your weakness."

"I have no complaints..." He was all for it: inviting her to dominate him in many ways.

After what all had happened, the long awaited kiss for the two wasn't going to be as simple as giving some helpful air. Cynder was still riled up for what all the darkness, and Spyro, had done. Where the purple dragon sat in wait for his air to be replenished, the shadowy female had different plans. In her mind, the idea of her pray awaiting the inevitable was all too much to pass up. Getting into character proved simple, and like the snake she wanted to be, the strike was made. Connecting lip to lip, she more so curved hers around his, pushing through and making way for her tongue to enter and wrestle his own. Surprising many was the lack thereof to the movements from the Dark Master. He simply sat: lying in wait for the two to finish their game. Still so much needed discussing, and unfortunately, for what Spyro had experienced, he knew that better than anyone else. The purple dragon's lungs felt filled, and long gone were the minutes of his lightheaded feelings. Cynder's help was tremendous, effective, and quick. Though the quick nature was a saddening fact. Spyro's backing from the kiss wasn't at all what she wanted, and where he smiled, she frowned, "That's it?! You tease me, love me, and allow this... perpetual seduction just to only give me a taste?!"

"Hehe. Don't worry, Cynder, it's not exactly what I would've wanted either," His honesty was reassuring, but that didn't fix how badly she wanted this love.

"Do you even realize the amount of bottled up love I have for your right now? I will not hesitate to bite through those scales and paralyze you like the prey that you are."

"Don't you think that would make Amara extremely jealous to see you, snacking, on me, right in front of her?"

Cynder's eyes grew wide, likening everything about the way he was, "Alright, fine! I'll let you have this one."

Satisfied with the way their relationship was at the movement, this allowed Spyro to focus on the bigger picture. Cynder moved off to the right of her lover, allowing the two giants to make their claims. Spyro wasn't too keen on what had happened before and wanted at best to make sure that didn't happen again, "That wasn't a great feeling of having my life sucked out of me, and that goes double for seeing you hurt Kettu and Xvar," Speaking the name of the two, his eyes shifted, seeing his two Dark Dragon brothers now standing after their altercation, "Are you two okay?"

"Hell no!" Xvar growled, holding his nostrils in both places.

"I'm all for some ass kicking, but the Dark Master hits like a truck," Kettu was also in a disagreement, holding his chest from the attack, "What the hell did I ever do to deserve claws in my chest?"

"Shut up, both of you," Still in a flurry of rage, the Dark Master wanted silence, "You two whine just as much as Malefor does. How pathetic to think two of my own kind to be such pansies."

"Do you two need to heal from within my body?" Spyro asked.

"That's..." Ignitus bit his tongue to which Kettu and Xvar raised a brow for, same for Claire, "A great... ...idea..." He tried his best.

The two injured Dark Dragons seemed fine even after the altercation, and this was in due part to what had happened before everything went down. Kettu wanted to be the one to explain, "Well... ...you see... ...we kinda expected to die for what we did. So... just in case, we took a lot more of our darkness with us to use in case of injury."

Spyro sighed to hear this, "Kettu... Xvar... I know you two are afraid of just what I might do, and I agree that some form of punishment is needed, though your deaths aren't what I want," The two were afraid of what that meant, but coming from the hero himself, worry wasn't needed, "I expect a firm, friendly, and emotional hug."

"... ...WHAT?!" The two Dark Dragons cried, and for others like Malefor and Cynder, they didn't expect him to say that at all.

"The one thing I know you two fear, hate, despise above all else... would be love. What better way to punish you two than to force such a disgusting emotion that you all throw up over?" The two brothers blinked a couple of times before looking to one another and then back to Spyro himself, wondering now if their injuries were head related, "I expect one awkward ass hug later. But for now," Spyro's figure rose, his chest puffed, and in many ways, he mimicked how the Dark Master stood before him, "You gonna headbutt me again? Or are we actually going to discuss the elephant in the room?"

"Odd. I don't see your mother in here," Volteer laughed, slapping his knee over the joke, though no one said anything, and even Ersa shook her head, "Ahem... ...it... it would've been funnier if Malefor said it."

Unfortunately, Malefor was still in no joking mood. He continued to sulk and struggle over what had happened. Carith knew getting his mind off things would hopefully do the trick, so while the two powers discussed whatever it is that had happened, she wanted to try her best and comfort him over his dark time. Something extreme had clearly happened between the two who were off and away, and since many remembered that fear was the driving force in Spyro's own personal nightmare, all were lip sealed: eagerly awaiting the truth behind the Dark Master's mindset. However, getting a confession out was going to be difficult, so rather spilling it out all at once, the purple dragon wanted to see where his opponent would like to start, "I have... so many questions that I'm sure you'd hate to answer. So rather me asking the wrong kind, where would you like to start?"

"There doesn't need to be a discussion," The Dark Master held fast, keeping the mystery at its peak, "What you saw was nothing more than a manifested fake. I knew what you were trying to do and made up a fake scenario to rid you of discovery. What you saw is what you get, but if you'd like to anger me, go ahead and push the issue. Now seems like a better time than any other to kill someone."

"So what you're saying is, I'm not going to get much out of you? But that doesn't mean that Kettu and Xvar wouldn't have answers."

"And if they give them, I will surely end them, as does an answer to a question."

"If this was all some fake fear you made up, why be so defensive about it?"

"Let me stab you with the pointed tips of my claws for the rest of your life and let's see how upset you get. That's what your words and the constant need to push does. Every question you have my answer will only invoke more need for knowledge, and as I've made very, very clear, I have little patience for repeating myself."

"Didn't seem to be the case with that female," Already starting off strong with a heavy weighted point, where widened eyes and surprised looks were giving to those around in the family; including Kettu and Xvar, the Dark Master stood ready to once again choke the life out of the purple dragon, "'I told you once and will continue to remind you for the few remaining days we're together'. Never knew you'd allow someone else's persistence to get to you. Makes me wonder why you didn't kill her after the constant back-and-forth you two had."

The Dark Master wasn't joking around, nearly spitting to see a smirk that Spyro had with this information. The cocky nature brought upon by everything he saw from his enemy was all the more reason to ruin the lives of those around him, "You're not clever," The blacking ooze of the darkness once again made its rise, "End this conversation and this excessive questioning before I do so to you. I live within Malefor's body: I see, hear, and know all that you'll say. You bring up what's happened to anyone, and I'll have all the more reason to kill you."

"Is this a proposition?" Either way, this was good news for Spyro, "If I don't tell anyone about what I've seen, you won't kill me? Does that mean the same for my family?"

"That's not how this works!" Snapping his teeth very closely to Spyro's face, the purple dragon wasn't fazed by his threat, "I know what you'll try to do: how you'll try and manipulate me with what you have to make me better. But you don't understand a thing about me. I've already given my warning and my retaliation will most certainly be self defense for my brain cells."

Spyro didn't believe in who the Dark Master was after what all he had seen, heard, and felt. This wasn't his enemy anymore, and even if it costed him his life, he wanted nothing more than to help this damage and scarred dragon, "You're only like this 'cause you lost your world, didn't you? You lost the one thing that gave your life meaning," Steam hissed through the Dark Dragon's nose, having restraint over what he was doing for some unknown reason, "You admitted your wrong doings, helped her find comfort in what was clearly a dark time for her," The calm, soothing nature of Spyro's voice fueled the Dark Master's fire, hating the idea of being coddled by a mere youngling, "I never knew you could make someone laugh, and that can be said for a smile. You... really seemed to make her life worth it."

A spear of the same magma-like liquid that covered the Dark Master's body shot out from the ground. The tip of this spear connected to Spyro's neck directly, though it didn't pierce him. Rather, it was pushed closely to his neck, visible to all the near centimeters needed to break through the already pushed back scales and flesh. Many jumped, and others took a step forward. Yet, nothing was acted upon. Tensions stood firm, and as of right now, it was clear Spyro was walking a thin rope over a mountain's gap. This frustrated look wasn't what Spyro wanted for his new found ally, and at all chances, he wanted to avoid the resurgence of the manipulative and maniacal enemy he faced for so long, "You wanted me to protect her... ...you said once you were gone, they'd attack. But if there was already a female at your paws, then... ...who was she? Who... ...was, Luna?"

"LUNA?!" The two Dark Dragons cried out loud, being very fond of this name.

"DON'T SAY A WORD!"

The spear once to Spyro's neck shot back down through the ground. After the Dark Master's sudden outburst, his entire figure turned to face his new threats. Swinging a paw in the air, instead of a singular spike, many erupted out from the ground around them. These spikes shot out and poked at nearly every side of their bodies. With the Dark Dragons standing firm in a bush of spikes, sharpened and ready to pierce, Spyro ran up to the Dark Master's left and attempted to calm him, "That was my fault, not theirs!" Resting a paw over his shoulder, he had hoped to get some heat off the two and back onto him, "I brought that up, not them! If you want someone to be upset with, than look at me!" The Dark Master chose not to, clearly knowing where the real threat lied, "I know right now so much is going on to which you'd rather rid of. But after what I've seen, I can't, and won't give up on you."

The Dark Master was clearly locked in some form of a struggle. No one else had seen what the Dark Dragon had went through, but with the look in his eyes, the need to clench his teeth, and the hopes his mind would think of something different all showed for everyone to see. Whatever had happened, and who ever this female was, it was clear he harbored the same pain as he did with the idea of his parents. Volteer and Ersa were hungry for knowledge, wanting this to continue to its highest point. Though others were afraid and wanted at best for things to return to normal. Knowing no one else could answer these questions aside from the three Dark Dragons, there was a spark of light shining in Spyro's eyes that this was what he's been waiting for: a true answer to how he'd help their kind and the Dark Master, "I know how you feel... or, at the very least, I have an idea. If I lost Cynder, Ignitus, Claire, anyone in my family and close to my heart, talking about their deaths would aggravate, destroy, or bring me to tears."

"Don't try to sympathise with me!" The Dark Master was near clear as day caught in a situation he would've never liked to have been brought up, and now that so much of his life had been brought out, continuing to live normally was no longer something he could do, "You know too much now. I can't have you and a pitty party at my rear for the rest of my life, and since this proceed notion of a villain no longer residing within, I think it's about time I change that idea."

Another spear of darkness shot out from the ground, though it's target wasn't one to which Spyro appreciated. The spear stuck up and out from the ground, touching and just ever so barely hitting the scales of Cynder's throat. Spyro's paw moved, Cynder's body jumped, and with this active threat hanging the balance of lives now, a once diminishing moment turned to war. Matters only worsened: the Dark Master taking Spyro's fears, hated thoughts, and allowing reality to take form over them, "Go ahead and chose, Spyro. Your, Dark Dragon brothers? Or your manipulative and clearly narcissistic female."

"They had nothing to do with anything that happened!" Unable to deal with this kind of pressure now, the once idea of the Dark Master being something more seemed so far off, nothing having changed at all from what it would seem, "I brought you into that nightmare, I forced you to relive those terrible memories, and I pushed for you to be something better when I knew it aggravated you. If anyone should have to die, I'd be myself. If it makes you feel any better, I'll take on the pain of all three; you can kick my dying body for all I care, but don't punish them for my wrongdoings."

"But you've always said this would happen, did you not? You're afraid that your actions would get your family killed, and you were right. Clocks ticking, Spyro. Either you choose, or I will."

"So you're using what we got from Spyro to harm him?" Kettu tried not to spit, displeased with the Dark Master having no sense of redeeming qualities.

"You're no threat. You're not even a goddamn villain. You're just a little boohoo baby back bitch, who, for a man, sure likes to show off just how much of a pussy he really has," Xvar grinded his teeth, upset the same and wanting to defend who they were and who they stood by.

"Childish insults from childish children," The Dark Master snickered, "Time's almost up, Spyro. Better hurry and pick who's blood will be spilled in your name. Which, now if you think about it, sending someone to their deaths would be on your paws. Your choice decides their fate, and since we had such a well organized agreement, I guess that means your life ends here. Or, are you childish too, and will decline a promise?"

"Like the promise you declined to Luna?"

Spyro held nothing back, immediately hitting forward with his best case. While it was unknown what the Dark Dragon would try after having heard, any heat off of whom he loved was better than nothing. A response was most definitely given, and though all those who weren't informed simply sat confused, the Dark Master spoke differently. Attention was redirected, and the once shards of spears that surrounded Kettu and Xvar, same for the single on Cynder, all changed directions. Zipping through the floor below, the motion of the immediate attack was felt under Spyro's paws. Cynder, while near, wasn't in the line of fire. Instead, as though Spyro sat in a bed of spikes, these manifested spears surrounded the purple dragon's ever being. He was in many ways trapped from all sides, being prodded every which way. An immediate change was present within the Dark Master, changing from one-sided to defensive. Many once again readied for a fight, watching for now the approach the Dark Dragon made. His teeth shined white, his growl filled to the brim with the need of blood, and with eyes connected to his opponent, the Dark Master gave his final warning, "Say that name again, and every one of your little deadly nightmares will become a reality."

"WAIT!" Now having gathered what the name was, the only other two who knew of this female were the two Dark Dragons, and Kettu displayed his shock first, "Di... Did you just say... Luna?!"

"As in, 'THEE', Luna?!" Xvar widened his eyes and mouth in surprise.

"QUIET! BOTH OF YOU!" Slamming his fist to the ground, the surrounding floorboard below trembled, cracked, and shifted the items and those in the room around, "FINAL WARNING TO ALL WHO USE THAT NAME!"

Spyro was desperate to know more now to figure out the correlation between this name and the Dark Master himself. Had it not been for the small, gentle corrections Carith was giving Malefor, his lips surely would've moved in an attempt to make matters worse. And all though he bit his tongue, wanting to have said something to further the anger and to give a reason for the kill, a tense, frustrated emotion still burned for him to do something. However, even for someone as powerful and fearless as the Dark Dragons, this new found information seemed to frighten them. No longer had the idea of an upper hand been shown. Rather now, Kettu and Xvar backed out of fear: shivering, and even going so far as to duck their heads. This confused many, and with a worried look of his own, Spyro cared little for his situation and worried about others, "Hey... ...Kettu, Xvar, what's... what's wrong?"

They had no words to describe their feelings. Something about this name now seemed to scare them, but what that was became another question that needed answering. The Dark Master himself felt power now over their fears, easing more low and gently to know two headaches were to be erased. The feared looks and diminished souls of the two were one to which Spyro didn't like the looks of, feeling now as though this little game wasn't something he wanted to play along with, and if needed, he'd rush to their aid in a heartbeat. Though, some words were finally spoken by Xvar, and even with them being a mess, new news was still laid out for everyone to know, "It... ...It can't be... ...Of all dragons... ...you... ...you were apart of the Lockdown Three..."

"Lockdown Three?" Nearly all spoke in unison.

Where confusion was taken on by many, some joy was found for the Dark Master. Seeing now that his reputation had still maintained a clean image, a smirk was dawned to the malicious dragon's lips, "Oh, so you two aren't so foolish?" Having been so long since anyone, including himself, had remembered something so long ago, this brought up many memories for him, "Heh-heh. Oh, how far I've fallen," One of the spears underneath the purple dragon's underbelly pierced him quick and fast, causing a cough of pain from the sudden attack, "Look at me, toying with prey like some weakling afraid of injury."

Once again, another spear pierced Spyro, this time being his right lung. Another cough was ejected, this time being met with blood that dropped to the floor. Gasping to see the sudden change and absence of remorse once shown, Cynder cried out her plea, "Don't go back to who you were!" Little effect was given to her cries, though the time she spoke, at the very least, no more pain was caused to her purple lover, "You got your revenge! You've already choked him close to death, fought off the two you believe to be ignorant and inferior to your race, and now you're poking holes inside him!"

"Speaking of."

Now adding on to the already two that pierced him, another went through his chest. It seemed Cynder had only made things worse, the spear now completely cleaning through and making its way out Spyro's back in a blood soaked display. Spyro had plenty of teeth to show, but he did nothing against it. For now, the pain was all on him, and hope was still there for the Dark Master to make his honest move. Since speaking to him proved worthless, Cynder's attention was fast to change subjects, asking the two Dark Dragons for a sense of hindering the situation, "What's the Lockdown Three?! What does that mean?!"

They were hesitant at first, but it was clear that the Dark Master wanted this information out there in hopes it would spark fear for many. Xvar and his brother swallowed hard, afraid for their lives and no longer treating the Dark Master as some ordinary and unoriginal Dark Dragon. Since nothing was said against them, and Cynder having asked, Kettu took lead, "The Lockdown Three, also known as the Dreaded Trio, came from three Dark Dragons whom basically ruled the home world of our kind. After our world was severed, and the war over, chaos still continued with many acting out on painful and near unimaginable emotions. However, later on down the years, three dragons held the world in their paws. They were feared, dominate, and in some ways, respected. Each of the three were bloodthirsty killers, able to rip a dragon in half before they could even blink."

"They were not to be trifled with," Xvar took over, "They, in many ways, represented both a sanctuary, and a death sentence depending on their mood of day. These three that held the world back from complete destruction had names that would forever live on even in nightmares for many. Mortem: receiving his name after death itself. Zacchaeus: a dragon who wore a different dragon's outer shell of scales and skin around his neck every other day. And Corvus: A man who, at a young age, killed hundreds of our own kind simply because he was bored."

The Dark Master didn't seem to take too kindly to that last part, growling out in a row of teeth to make his displeasure known. After hearing this, even after the damage Spyro had taken on, he seemed to ignore it, thanks in due part to his surprise, "Wait a minute! That voice... ...she said that name," Gasping out in disbelief, he had hoped that some truth was finally able to have real confirmation, "That's your real name, isn't it?! Corvus?!" No response was given once he said it out loud, and though denial was visible in the face of the Dark Dragon, a laugh was still to be had from the purple dragon, "HAHA! Dude, that's the coolest, most badass name I've ever heard! All this time we've had to say 'Dark Master this' or, 'The Dark Master that'. Now we finally call you by your real name!" Spyro was thrilled to bits over this news, and that included some others, "Hey! How you doing, Corvus?!"

Kettu and Xvar were beyond confused. After the information given, they believed fear would've made it ways onto the purple dragon's face, but instead joy and happiness was all that was found. Though, now that his name was out in the open, the conversation between Corvus and the female voice made sense now, "Wait a minute..." The joy stayed, but Spyro's focus shifted to an issue: more so a recollection, "Then that would mean... ...you were the one talking to her. You were talking to Lu-" Cutting his voice right then and there, a spike was centimeters away from piercing his heart, but since he stopped, so did the enraged Dark Dragon, "I DIDN'T SAY IT! I DIDN'T SAY HER NAME!"

"Even for someone like us who knows of these stories, it's always been a wonder as to why you did what you did," Kettu had questions of his own, "It's nearly impossible to understand the mind behind a mad man, considering most times they laugh it off or play dumb to the idea. But you... ...you had so much potential, so much to go for," His question was directed to the Dark Master himself, "Why did you give it all away? You killed your family and used that... female, as a shield. I don't... ...I don't understand why anyone would take and abuse the one thing many see as a dream in our realm."

"Shut up," Corvus took a turn, making it very hard to pinpoint who he was or what he was planning to do, "Shut up on things you don't know, don't ask such arbitrary questions, and keep your little frightened heads in your turtle shells before I rip them clean off. You all have the minds of ants, simply obeying or believing what another says without putting in the work of your own."

"That's the thing... ...we don't believe it," Xvar corrected, "Giving a reason of 'why the hell not' doesn't make any sense. Your mother, father, brother, and sister were all killed by you. The female you were with, you never cared and used her as a body shield. This is all from what we gathered of you, and for what it's worth, we believe it all to be false. Or, at the very least, not something we could see anyone doing. Especially not someone who's shown compassion."

"There's a difference between compassion and manipulation! You use one to gain the trust of others, and then the other to follow suit! There's no such thing as love, forever, peace: it's all a manifestation to keep our minds and souls from wanting to end it all, knowing there's nothing around the corner for us to continue!"

It was very odd for the Dark Master to speak on something that sounded so personal, almost as though he once had these ideas and were faced with a crushing blow to them. The more it seemed that Corvus struggled, the worse it got for those whom wanted answers. He wasn't giving away anything, and this soft, gentle approach Spyro had given was clearly not the way to go. With a memory swift and heavily used, he wanted to make sure he didn't make the same mistakes again, "Look, Corvus. I tried being a hardass before and that only made things worse for those around me. However, for someone like you, it's clear that maybe a good knock to your sense of self is needed," The Dark Master smelt a threat from miles away, understanding quickly to what he was saying, "It's clear you still don't understand who you are, what you want to be, or how to heal from what's happened. You looked me in the eyes and begged for a reason to move on, to live after what you had done. You told me I forced you to kill, that I was once your friend. But if that were the case, I want you to know that what you saw would've never happened if such friendship did existence."

"Why are you even bothering to coddle?!"

Corvus slapped his paw to the ground, and rather one or two spears going through the purple dragon's body, many pierced their way through his arms, legs, stomach, and chest areas. Spyro held strong, growling and biting his lip through the pain, "Because that's what friends are for! They look after each other and can sense when hardships are weighing down those close to them!" The spears all around Spyro's body cracked like glass, surprising even the Dark Master himself, "ON YOUR LAST LEG AND IN A WASTE OF TEARS, YOU TOLD ME TO PROTECT HER!" Shattering outwards, the pieces of the once deadly and sharpened spears were no more, allowing a clean, spotless, and visible body of the enraged purple dragon, "Luna came to you for love, for protection! And a reason to live!"

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO SAY THAT NAME!"

"GO TO HELL!" Spyro snapped back.

With the liquefied nature of Corvus' darkness, and the darkened purple scales of Spyro, they were ready to throw down. This was a fight many backed away for, including Cynder herself. She knew and in many ways believed that this fight wasn't one she needed to be in, and instead, took Flair's advice, You've saved my life from such a way of thinking, and I believe you can do the same to him, too. Trusting her purple dragon to do the right thing, she backed away from his side and stood more closely to Flair and Ersa. The fight kicked off immediately with both swinging their heads back and fully committing to their attack. The slams of their foreheads connected, breaking more of the surroundings than their own bodies. The ground and walls around the room cracked, same for the glass of the windows. Teeth were shining through, and each held their ground, same for their fighting stances. Spyro wanted to make his point proven, and wouldn't allow nothing to come of this, "Your heart is in the right place! As you told Luna, you killed to protect! You admitted you were out of line, found light in the dark, and turned her day around all by you being yourself!"

"THAT WAS AN ACCIDENT!" Corvus attempted his explanation, "She wouldn't leave me alone! What was I supposed to do?!"

"Why didn't you kill her like you did everyone else?! She was expendable, was she not?!"

"Don't talk about her that way!"

Pushing his head forward to kick himself back, Corvus stood to his legs, attempting to tower over his opponent. However, Spyro attempted to do the same thing, and in doing so, the two clashed together, their paws grasping one another's, each attempting now to fold and break the others' paw. Even during such a serious situation, Cynder couldn't help but drool to see her lover at his best. His heightened adult body, his muscles that flexed from every area, and the aggressive teeth display made jumps of pleasure spike within. Flair shook her head, taking notice simply by knowing those around her. She knew what Cynder was looking at as Flair was the same, though for different reasons, "Such a man could break you in seconds. Do you honestly believe Spyro is someone you should trust 'not' to take advantage of you?"

"I wouldn't mind being shown my place beneath him~" The shadowy female was far too gone in lust, becoming loopy for her ideas.

"You wanted to know if you should fear me!" The two seemed matched in strength, though Spyro knew of the powers the darkness could give the more upset they were, and he wanted to use this as a way to see if the Dark Master truly cared, "If you want the gods' honest truth, I want you to respect me! And to understand that not every asshat on the street makes me the same goddamn thing! To hell with the purple dragons and their legacy! To hell with power, and to hell with the past! I will never allow myself to become the very thing I've swore to rid of!"

"You're nothing special! In fact, you're no different than Artemis!" The Dark Master held back his spit.

"Artemis?!" Ignitus seemed to be the only one shocked to hear a name such as this be spoken.

"THEN CHANGE ME FOR THE BETTER!" Spyro was successful in landing an effective blow.

Bashing his forehead against his opponents skull, the enemy before him staggered back and fully exposed. Swinging up and around, Spyro's fist slammed to the Dark Dragon's cheek. The hit was hard, fast, and efficient, collapsing Corvus's body straight down and onto his side. Impact to the floor below destroyed most of the floor, and though it wasn't seen as the above cover was carpet, the sounds of concrete snapping and his bones breaking echoed for many. After the success, Spyro landed back to all four, keeping his pace on his own words, "You seem to know everything wrong with the world: whether that be from experience, stories, loved ones, and those all around you! You hate, deny, and feel disgust over everything and everyone! But in reality, all that hate is on yourself, isn't it?" Walking close and standing directly to the front of his weakened foe, the low, powerful, and aggressive growl sent chills down those around, "Because even after all you knew, you hate yourself to know Luna died because of you."

Something had clearly broken within Corvus after hearing Spyro say such a terrible thing. The purple dragon's words were hard, and hit deep to the core, leaving no stone unturned in how he handled this situation. He did as he said he would and didn't allow any form of a gentle reminder that a peaceful ordeal was all Spyro wanted. Now the real fight had begun. Where Spyro would've prepared for the incoming attack, he was caught off guard, stunned to see what he believed to be water forming within Corvus's eye. This split second of a lack of consideration proved nearly fatal for him. The ground underneath Corvus exploded in a black liquid, kicking his body upwards and allowing his once side laid figure to round up and punch with his right arm. The hit was not only successful, but powerful. Hitting underneath Spyro's jaw, the bones underneath were unable to take the impact. Instead, he was sent up, growling out in pain over the fractured attacked. This exposed his under belly to which Corvus took advantage of. Digging deep and going straight for his opponent's heart, the Dark Master positioned his back legs to really drive home his dive bomb. Arching back with the purple dragon's body, he proceeded to put all the force he had into making a hard felt delivery. Throwing Spyro's body down onto the floor, his back connected, but continued and was crushed within the concrete, breaking through the carpeting of the floorboard. Blood splashed out from the opening within, the Dark Master now having fully committed with his claws jammed into Spyro's heart. Everyone noticed the attack and to where it had landed, and though many wanted to act, they awaited their moment. Even in unimaginable pain, Spyro was still able to make out the look of Corvus from within. His words clearly burned deep, effecting him in more ways than one. As if the look in his eyes weren't already a dead give away to a sense of life, Corvus gave a pained voice over what was said, "You think I wanted her to die? You think I don't constantly think about our final moments, and to know most of our time spent was sour because of me?" His claws clenched, and in doing so ripped more through Spyro's heart, forcing more blood through his wounds and mouth, "You want me to change so badly? Fine. But the only way that's happening is if Malefor dies by my claws."

Shifting his head to spit blood onto the floor, Spyro kept strong and spoke through his pain, "What did Malefor do to you? Why do you hate him so much? Is it simply because that dumbass reason that we're purple dragons?"

"YOU PURPLE DRAGONS ARE THE EMBODIMENT OF SELF OWNED LAW AND ORDER!" Corvus had plenty to speak on, "The first destroyed our world and our kind! Artemis turned traitor for no reason other than to extirpate my life and the lives of millions! Because of Malefor's loner attitude, his findings stole me from my realm! I was feared, avoided, and those who attacked were ended in seconds! When I was lifted to the skies above, Dark Dragons quickly took advantage of me no longer being a shield for her!" He struggled, closing his paw in a tensed feeling, nearly crushing Spyro's heart from within, "They stabbed her through the back... ...and if that wasn't enough, another swung to her neck with their blade... ...but at that point... ...I woke up in darkness and to someone else's body..."

This was all he needed to hear: Spyro had clear evidence that their was a man inside this hollow shell of a body. All it took now was some convincing, and though he knew it wouldn't be easy, understanding one another's perspectives was still a start, "So... ...that's what this is all about? Another love story and a lost lover? You hate being related to a purple dragon, but you and Malefor really aren't so different," Corvus had no response, not yet at least, "Malefor lost who he loved, and so did you. Your parents are gone, the same for him. Knowing we're no different than you upsets you, doesn't it?"

"I didn't love her," The Dark Master made this clear, growling mostly through his words, "She knew the risks, who I was, and what being by my side meant in the long run. What I do, I do for a reason. Not to benefit others, and surely not to save those around me. I've been made, and morphed into a killing machine specifically designed to end your, or any other life that deals with the purple dragons. They took our world, and so I wanted to do the same."

"Is that really what you wanted? To be a hero?"

"I'm no hero, and I never wanted to be."

"Even villains are heroes in other's eyes," Where he would normally fight or degrade this altercation, another approach was taken by Spyro, "You destroyed our world and are seen as a hero to the Dark Dragons. You kill those around you, and are veered as a mighty god to some: passing judgment on those whom they might've not had the guts or power to kill. So whether you think so or not, good and evil are practically the same. Even in ying-and-yang, there's darkness in light, and light in darkness."

This type of lecture was one to which Corvus scoffed towards, taking little consideration on his words and hating the idea that he was looked up to. Though the somewhat calming nature of Spyro's voice seemed to soothe him, his grip over the purple dragon's heart loosening, later backing out entirely. His fist was slow for some unknown reason, but less pain and blood being thrown about was a sight all could be thankful for. It did take long for Spyro to make a quick recovery; his chest healing on it's own; same for his heart, and the blood seeming to vanish behind the darkness of his scales. The two didn't seem to be done however, each still powered up and near ready for another fight. Spyro, now back, rolled over, and onto all fours, face straight: his chest directly across from Corvus's own, "Luna sounded like a real nice lady," The Dark Master was quick to growl, already showing teeth for him saying this, though Spyro kept his voice calm and collected, hoping to get through to him, "You declined your love for her, and that's fine. But to hear that you gave her hope... to feel a real connection she had to you from words alone... ...my only question is... ...did you give up on her?"

"What kind of questions is that?!" Corvus snapped at him.

"You told her that you'd be her hero even knowing what type of repercussions it would come with. Life means nothing without a goal, someone to talk to, someone who understands and relates to you. As I see you now, you have nothing, and like Ignitus and Malefor, you are still holding on to what was, instead of what could be," Spyro knew his word choice needed to be at its best to keep the Dark Master from being sent back into a frenzy, "I want to know the truth, that's it. Then you can, fly off and attempt to destroy the world again for all I care... as long as you're free, and feel like what you're doing holds a form of joy, and a future you can be happy with."

"Would you just get to the point."

Sighing as there really was no other way to put this, Spyro outright asked him, "What would you do if someone you knew was still alive today? Your parents, Luna: anyone whom you knew or were related to... ...would your actions have changed? Would you finally take a step back and realize not everything is so grey and lifeless?"

The darkness surrounding the Dark Master didn't shy away from its display, keeping a liquid black and only worsening from an question such as this, "Everyone I knew died for one simple reason: I was never meant to choose my own life. Your Ancestors knew clear as day that conflict needed to happen in this world, so they got one of your purple dragons to destroy me, break me down and give me hope later on that someone could mean something. But of course... ...I was forced to watch her death all the way through, just so it could end up fueling my rage over every living being."

"Does that mean, if Luna was here right now, you'd be no different?"

"Stop saying her name!"

"Why? Because the thought of her alone makes you want to fight? But the fear of losing someone or feeling love is just too much for you to handle?"

"I didn't love her!"

"Then why would you care about her death? Why are you keeping my lips shut on her name as though to not taint it with purple dragon bile?"

"How about I end your little female over there and then proceed to say her name over and over and over again! Let's see how you like it then."

"You really are pathetic," Spyro snickered.

"Excuse you?!"

Going back to the hardening, bashful, and bear-like attitude, Spyro wanted to ignite that flame within the Dark Master once again, seeing progress was there, but he knew if they were to stop now, this would all have been for nothing, "Look. If your life sucks so bad, and you know you'll fail every step of the way, why bother killing anyone else but yourself?" Corvus nearly snapped to hear this, and even some around the room gasped for such a distasteful word choice from the purple dragon, "You couldn't destroy the world, were played by the Ancestors, and couldn't even save the female you were with. It's clear Luna's death was on you, and you should've accepted the fact that you're nothing to no one. Your life-like hell was well deserved, and it was clear that hero talk was as weightless and worthless as you were to her."

Corvus held nothing back after hearing these direct and diminishing words, feeling now that he shouldn't worry about how he played or acted. What was said was burned deep, and nothing, not even the sun's light, could distract him from his goal to kill. His vision blurred; blacking out and focusing solely on the purple dragon in front of him, ready now to shred through his opponent. Regret was felt within him, that Spyro could see. However, it was made very unclear why this was. Either having been from the loss of Luna, or the lost chance to crush his heart, the purple dragon knew of a fight to ensue. The Dark Master's fist balled, and in a turn as though he were to walk away, his snap back around that was filled with nothing but rage and strength broke the sound barrier from his speed. Though his rage proved to be his downfall. Spyro noticed an opening right away and took advantage of it quickly. Ducking below his opponent's swing, his own paw rasied up and to the under lying chest of the Dark Master. Lining himself up with a claw and touching the rigid bone-like structure of his chest, Spyro's paw clamped shut to a fist. Lined up an inch away from his target, the force of his blow connected hard and fast against Corvus. It was sudden blowback, followed by a powerful puff and pop of air outwards: the attack acting as though air was sent through every part of his body before exiting outwards through his other side. The Dark Dragon was immediately taken aback by this attack, sent up and into the air with no control over who or what he was to do. Spyro, however, had it all planned out. Moving off to his opponent's side, he stood up tall and fast, grabbing a hold over Corvus's top right horn before forcefully tossing and throwing him into the floor below. The attack was meant, and made sure that on his fall, the horn he had grabbed and others would lodge themselves within the floor, trapping him in doing so. This proved successful, and now the back of the Dark Master's head dug to the floor below, Spyro now having the freedom to do as he pleased. Even as Corvus tried to free himself, the purple dragon was swift, punching him across his face. Standing over and towering his opponent, the purple dragon watched blood be spit to the floor by the Dark Master before words were said by either side. Being on the winning team and clear in terms of the more powerful voice, the dominant and unnatural coldness in Spyro's heart continued, "You really are nothing but a husk. No man, no soul, no matter of understatement. I never would've guessed that the darkness was held: born from and controlled by another kind. But now knowing that you existence, and to see that my attacks do harm you... ...there's nothing I'd love more than to tear you open from head to tail for what you've done."

"Heh-heh... ...you think you're clever?" Corvus had his fun, knowing any outcome from here on out would benefit him, "This fight of ours could go on for days. A little punch to the face means nothing-"

Adding on to the already damaged feeling, Spyro made sure his attacks were meant to kill: leaving no weight without force. Pulling his head back fully before coming down like a ton of bricks, his forehead connected to the Dark Master's in a powerful boom. The hit was unlike anything someone normal would be able to survive. Though the attack had hit the upper part of the Dark Dragon, his lower half raised while his upper half crumbled. Once again the ground around weakened: the sounds of concrete shattering, and dust rising from the floor below. Many didn't appreciate such a deadly look Spyro had taken on, his head backing only making things worse. Blood dripped from his forehead now, leaving the Dark Master in shambles but the purple dragon emotionless for what he had done. Ersa, especially Flair, shivered in the light of this red color and lifeless friend seeming to turn enemy. Cynder couldn't help but fear as well, and though she had no way of knowing what his true intentions were, it was obvious that lies were once told, Even Spyro can't get over what happened back then. I... ...I trust you, my love. I know what you're doing benefits the both of you, but... ...please... ...don't lose yourself in the process. After having landed such a successful attack, Spyro knew for the time being that he had the upper hand, "Guess I should get more vicious with my attacks than. Since a punch didn't seem to phase you, nor a headbutt, then..." The use of his tail blade now drew more blood to the scene: his next wound being caused by a swift stab through the Dark Master's own upper tail, "I guess I should get a little more creative."

Even with such an attack, and the force to which Spyro was applying them, the Dark Dragon still laughed through the agony in his bloody teeth, "Do. Your. Worst."

The purple dragon simply sighed to him saying. Instead of going back on what he had already done, Spyro decided to take his advice. Using his right wing to hold him afloat, this freed his right arm. Moving it up from the ground and down his opponent's body, his talons lined the Dark Dragon's stomach. Many gasped and others stepped forward, afraid he'd go through with it, though they all stopped in belief he wouldn't. However, the blood thirst continued, and from a thrusting movement to his arm, the entirety of the purple dragon's claws and paw cut through and sliced deep within the scales, flesh, and skin. Corvus roared over the pain being applied: the warmth and shredding movements within him from Spyro's claws not being a welcoming one. Now having seen enough of this cold hearted dragon, Ersa, Flair, and even Kettu and Xvar, voiced their displeasure, "Spyro! Stop!"

While many were against this continued and blooded assault, for the one experiencing the pain in all it's glory; the Dark Master, he found it all to be amusing, "Heh-heh... ...just like Artemis... but, I'll give you some credit: least you had the decency to stab me in the front..."

Laughing once again to this, the chuckling nature of the Dark Dragon was met with blood in his lungs, causing his head to turn and cough that to which filled them. After hearing this, the powered anger shifted; Spyro now feeling inclined to do worse than what he's already done. Understanding what all he had seen proved far easier to connect than what was originally such a deep mystery, though the what, why, when, or even how was still a mystery. He knew of the 'who', but the events that transpired were still all a mystery, "Is this you admitting your feelings that I was seen to you as a friend?"

"Heh-heh... ...you were close, but... ...if only I wasn't lungs deep in blood, I might've considered it."

Whether or not this was a lie or the truth, the purple dragon still took it to face value. He wasn't upset for what he had done, but believed that he truly was meant to be something he'd rather not. It was a fear: a fear that held so close to his heart and soul that surely they had seen it while digging through his nightmares. Instead of barreling through to another painstaking assault, Spyro held firm, still, to make sure no more harm was caused to his opponent, "If you three supposedly saw through all my fears, then why do you still think I'm lying to you?!" Anger wasn't so much present, not as much as fear itself, making known from his aggressive turned saddening tone, "Every step of the way, I worried, woke up in the middle of nights, and pondered what I was or what I was meant to be. I went from believing I was a special dragonfly, but was then lashed with a whip and told I was some heroic prophecy that was in all reality made to destroy the world I was meant to save."

"That's all purple dragons are: weapons. And the sooner you agree with that, the less pain you'll feel the need to endure afterwards. You should've thanked me for my attempts to end your life. I tried to save you from yourself, but just like others before, you got attached to things that would only make you want to destroy."

"If you knew all this, why did you befriend a purple dragon?! Why did you trust Artemis?!"

"It's because of Artemis that I learned not to trust you! I didn't believe that someone such as the first purple dragon could change just like that, and when me and him first met, I declined all stories that pointed to the evil within the purple dragons," Corvus gave more on his backstory, revealing little by little, tidbits of information, "Turns out I was nothing more than a pawn to him. Knew him for over a decade, and yet, he never once shed a tear over the pain and torment he put me through."

"So then... ...you're no different than Malefor," Ersa bravely stepped forward, voicing her opinion on the matter, though Volteer was heavily against it, "You thought you could trust someone, but were turned against and lied to. Artemis is the Chronicler. You lost your parents, same for Malefor. Even when you had someone to love, both of you lost those heart-to-heart connections that could've defined you two and changed your ways altogether."

The Dark Master once again growled for them speaking lies, "I. Didn't. Love her. Speak out of line again and I'll burst your skull the same way I did Volteer's mother."

The yellow Guardian obviously didn't take kindly to that, taking a massive leap forward and wanting to have his kick in. After all, with the Dark Master being so vulnerable, it would've been easy to get that sweet taste of revenge, one that he's wanted for years now. However, Ersa stopped him: wing raised up high to his chest and knowing full well how he felt. Though he wanted to push past and let loose his blinding rage, Volteer couldn't allow stress to be applied to his mate, knowing full well what that meant for her health. Instead, he stood there and growled, clenching his teeth and eyes in agony over his painful loss. Spyro didn't believe for one second that what Corvus denied was true, and he called him out on it, "You're as stupid as you are manipulative," The Dark Dragon was quick to turn around and growl over this, "You have no idea how much joy it brought me to hear you speak in such a life-living tone. You had something to fight for, a reason to continue fighting, and even past the scars you had already taken on, you trusted her enough to stay with you."

"I was a different person," He growled, ready to say more but was interrupted.

"ONE TO WHICH WAS BEYOND RESPECTABLE AND COMMENDABLE"

Ripping his paw out of the gut-opening he had made, there was no pain in doing so: Spyro's darkness aiding the closure and helping of Corvus's wounds, and the power acting as a sense of shadow to avoid his claws from cutting more of his insides upon exit. The same was said for his tail. Yanking it out from the hole he had made, pain wasn't felt, only a swift recovery of the wound that was once there thanks to the continued support of Spyro's healing abilities. Slapping his paw down and beside Corvus's head, in many ways, this was a beg and a plea for him to give his life one more chance, "What if we made another deal! What if I was able to help you?! Help the Dark Dragons as I've said many times before! Only now, I truly have someone like you: a big brother who can guide me through the corrupt and unjust nature of this world!" The Dark Dragon simply laid there in a blank faced expression, seeing no reason to waste breath, "Help me find a way to access your world, and from there, we can both get what we want! I save and give hope to all those who have been wronged and restore the planet to its former glory! And you... you can be reunited with the very thing that gave you a reason to fight in the first place! I'm sure Luna wouldn't mind that vicious nature that you melt her heart with."

"You're more ignorant than you are loquacious!" Corvus spat, though the confused look on Spyro's face furthered infuriated him, "TALKATIVE!"

"Obviously," Ersa said under her breath.

"Stop trying to have the world revolve around you! And what your needs are! You're so halfwitted that my own vomit wants to vomit! Stay far away from the Dark Dragon home world, mind your own business on problems that you have no right being involved in, and get it through that dense skull of yours: Luna's dead!"

"Do you feel any better when you say that?" Spyro had plenty to berate him for as well, "Luna's dead, I hated her, I never loved her, she was a bitch."

"HEY!" Corvus flung his head forward, attempting to snap and latch on to the purple dragon's neck, "Watch who you're talking about! I said I didn't love her, and that her death was a closed and shut case, and by me accepting the reality that people die, that makes me the ignorant one?!"

"YOU'RE PATHETIC! DOWNRIGHT RECLUSIVE!" The purple dragon snapped back, "Oh, boo-goddamn-hoo. Luna was stabbed in the back but because she's not a male, she can't handle it. I knew you to be malicious and manipulative, but sexiest too? I can't believe anyone feared you. Artemis was right in what he did. You've got more puss in your veins than a scaredy cat little bitch."

"GO TO HELL!"

Slashing his claws across Spyro's face, the attack was rather quick, one that not even the purple dragon could react to. He was knocked off his opponent, spinning out and down to the floor before making a speedy recovery. The use of his talons helped him dig to the floor to stop his turn, ready and waiting on all fours for this fight. Corvus fumed for what all was said, and it was clear that another fight was to ensue, "WE DON'T HAVE RED OR GREEN GEMS TO SUDDENLY KICK OURSELVES IN GEAR!"

His muscles flexed, breaking the floor around him to allow easy access to his rise to his fours. Upon Corvus's stood fast figure, his final front right paw slapped to the ground, digging his talons deep to supply him with a need to shred, "Our wounds are permanent, our lives lived in torment, and our entire existence being shafted to an unknown and bleak part of reality!" The power difference between the two no longer seemed varied: each having the ability to win either in a landslide, or methodically, "That balde pierced through her back and out through her chest, more likely than not hitting her heart! My rise to the sky left me unable to stop that blade from crossing her neck..." For once, the Dark Master struggled, holding back what was clearly pain felt over something, or rather someone, other than himself, "She's gone..."

"And does saying that make you feel any better?" Calming too, Spyro didn't want to fight, but rather comfort and understand, "Does beating yourself up, reminding yourself of a failure you had no control over, and giving up... ...does that benefit you in anyway aside from tearing you down to a point that the Ancestors and the purple dragon always wanted."

"I'm accepting reality," Already, the need to kill left: his body eased though tensed in a slight fashion over his exposed body, "Never give hope to anything. Expectation is like love: you believe in it, hope for it, and see something you want and know you'll cherish it... ...but then when you experience it, and live with what you have... ...there'll always be gaps in what you want: faults that you have to live with," Spyro very much so enjoyed hearing Corvus speak in such a way, and though it was at the idea of life seeming so bleak, it was a lesson and something he could learn to understand with his once long time foe, "I'd give anything to see her again... but the truth of the matter is, she's gone. For what all your kind did to her, because of the position we were put in with no way of help from the other side... I will not rest until everyone feels the same pain we were put through."

For once, Spyro agreed with what he had to say, sighing even as he believed himself crazy. But after hearing who and what the Dark Dragons were in comparison to the Ancestors, the dark seemed to give more hope than the light, and that was something the purple dragon was fighting to understand, "If it weren't for the fact that I love those on the light, I may very well have joined you in your revenge," Easing up completely, Spyro felt there was no reason to fear him at this point: accepting his way of thinking on a personal level, "Corvus... ...I understand your need for revenge. I understand where your hate, pain, and rage comes from. I understand... so much more about you than I ever would've thought possible. But just like when Volteer thought Ersa had died, I don't want to see you give up," Taking a couple steps towards him, he moved in between his words, trying to keep his advancements hidden, "You made Luna so happy. And from the sounds of it, she did the same to you. Saying you don't love her doesn't protect you, it only harms you."

"And how's that?" The Dark Master growled, noticing the purple dragon increasingly getting closer.

"All that's doing is numbing you, and forcing you to believe in something that isn't true," Standing now directly in front of him, eye contact was made from both sides, each seeming to now be listening to one another, "Hearing her giggle, the way she stood up to you and smacked you upside the head," Spyro chuckled himself, remembering every detail about what he had heard, "You had something... and after losing everything to Artemis, it sounded like she gave you a reason to move on: to smile even after what happened."

"I. Don't. Smile."

The purple dragon laughed once again, "That makes me think back to what she said about you being a child, and then you got all grumpy because of the emotional scars she was adding on to your ego," Every time he thought back, the more he was able to laugh now, enjoying the memories he had experienced from Corvus, "Hehehe... ...I love how she didn't fear you either. She enjoyed everything about you from your company, to your looks, and even down to your personality. Luna... ...really sounded like the perfect woman for you... and I'm glad that, from what I heard... you treated her right... and I can guarantee, she loved you for that."

The once blacking liquid that Corvus's darkness had taken on finally showed control. He hadn't answered, said, or gave any expression or emotion for what Spyro had said. Instead, the Dark Dragon's body simply eased, giving up almost after their little discussion. Another fight had been avoided, one that all had sighed greatly for, not knowing if they could've handled another one. The surrounding area no longer felt heavy, and the need to tense or ready for what was next no longer seemed needed. The Dark Master simply sat there now, though not looking malicious for once in his life was a surprising and heartwarming sight. Smiling in hopes for what could come next, Spyro reached his paw in the next step of comfort, easing down and out of his darkened form as well, "Don't give up-"

"Don't," Finally, Corvus spoke, though his words lacked weight, enthusiasm, or a need to do anything for that matter, "Don't touch me." Turning his back on the purple dragon entirely, this new turn of events and side that no one would've ever expected to see was rather depressing in many ways, "We made our deal. Now leave me alone."

Sadly dropping his paw to the floor, such a simple request was easy for Spyro to respect, "If you ever need to talk... don't hesitate to say hello. I'm not the only one waiting for your triumphant return."

After so long now, the bout between the light and the dark finally seemed to have subsided, though not in the way someone like Spyro would've wanted. It was a fitting end to their feud, however, being so close and knowing Corvus was at his most emotional, there was no time unlike any other than now to really gain that level of humanity. But for now, a little bit went a long way, and the progress showed. The fight between Spyro and his shadows concluded, though this didn't seem to be the case for Malefor. Upon the Dark Master's approach to the older purple dragon, tensions were still high. Malefor sat with a display of teeth wherein Corvus stood to bulk out his muscular war-torn figure. Another fight could easily break out from this alone, and where Spyro stepped forward, it was Carith who comforted Malefor, "It's alright..." She rubbed his back, helping in more ways than the simple use of words, "Remember what we talked about."

Malefor was clearly hesitant at first, grinding his teeth and holding back saliva that eagerly awaited its mix of blood of flesh. But surprisingly, what ever Carith had said or done worked, and the purple dragon scoffed before saying thanks, "Thank you, alright?" The others were confused by what he meant, and while Malefor was still very much not happy with what he was saying as no eye contact was made, an effort was at least given, "You didn't hurt Carith when you first took over, and that went the same for the second time around. When my eyes blacked out, and I was being held against my will, I feared that... ...that was it... ...that I'd wake up and it'd all be gone... ...but... you never laid a claw on her, so... ...thank you."

Corvus shocked many by saying nothing back: not even a small snide remark to push him over the edge of sanity. Instead, his paw simply raised, awaiting their reconnection. Malefor saw this, and though his words said one thing, his body movement said another. Seeing his paw made Malefor's twitch, strain, and stretch at the lowest point of the floor, desperate to put the Dark Master through the same pain he was forced through. Carith stepped up once again, tail wrapped to his own now and using a more soothing voice, "Kettu and Xvar had their revenge. Corvus has his reasons to fear and fight. Don't give him another reason to see you as someone different: someone who isn't the man I fell in love with."

Her words were widely effective, laying off a weighted pressure Malefor felt within his need to kill. He eased, knowing what was next wouldn't be easy, but doing nothing wasn't an option. Instead of keeping things simple, another strategy was taken. Malefor's paw flung up to grab Corvus's paw. Though, instead of a normal grip, he yanked the Dark Master forward. The Dark Dragon growled out of uncertainty, but was immediately blanketed by warmth. Instead of battling it out with fist, Malefor took a page out of Spyro's book and fought hate with compassion. The purple dragon hugged and held his enemy close, dripping tears over his shoulder. No one really saw the reaction of Corvus, and though he could've said or acted out of displeasure, his simple stance meant something to all. The Dark Dragon made his reconnection, the Darkness and the entirety of his body wiggly through the openings within flesh and scales. Slowly, all of Corvus's existence rekindled the flame of his home within Malefor once again. The Dark Dragon was gone, and for how long no one really knew. All that was know for sure and to which all could sigh for, was that the situation was finally over. Sighs were given, many sitting down to wipe sweat from their foreheads. However, were one enemy left, another rose to power. Many were only able to breathe silently and peacefully for mere seconds. Flair, having appreciated little to what had happened, feared none on her approach to Malefor. The purple dragon himself had no way of knowing what was next, but by the time he noticed her, her blade had already deeply penetrated his chest. He coughed for the sudden attack, and many gasped. Carith was quick to step forward, though Flair spoke in turn to keep everyone where they were, "Show that aggressive male behavior again, turn on us like a sudden flip of a coin," Gripping his neck now and squeezing the air out of him, her tail twisted and burned through the insides of his flesh and scales, "I'll force your heart up your throat with your only chance of survival being to throw it back up, less you'd wish to choke on it!"

"Flair, easy!" Carith didn't believe her anger needed to burn as badly as it did, but she had her reasons.

"NO!" The red female snapped at her blue friend, "I'm disappointed in you, Carith. You let him off with a slap of the wrist and expect everything to be okay?!"

"What he said was wrong, and I don't disagree with you on that. But you need to understand both sides of the story. Kettu and Xvar surely didn't help the situation, Spyro basically threw himself headfirst into what ever was happening without asking the real questions behind Corvus's true intentions, to have to emerge out from darkness only to have everyone in the room not listen to your cries... ...I understand him."

"You're a suck up to him. I made the same mistake with Argus and thought he could be better, but look at how well that turned out."

"So you only define people based on their mistakes? And if this were true, why give Cyril a pass after he literally killed your boyfriend right in front of you?"

"Because I was too blindsided to the truth that Argus was a monster!" Flair yanked her blade from Malefor's chest, blood splashing out from his opened wound as she shoved him to the floor to fully focus on Carith, "You seriously think I don't fear him for what he did? I practically begged for him to stay away as all I could see now was a stone cold killer."

"Hehe... ...I get it... ...cause he's cold," Malefor made the best of a bad situation, holding a paw over his chest and dripping blood from his mouth.

His little laugh though made Flair turn back around to him, wanting now to stomp the life out of him while she still could. Carith intervened once again, blocking her view with an open wing and trying to get through to her, "Flair, I don't understand what's gotten you so riled up. You know and have always seen Malefor as a monster: you see everyone as monsters! An emotional response, not even a physical one, doesn't require such harsh discipline."

"THEN HOW...!"

"Flair," Taking a deep breath with her, one thing Carith knew never to do was to raise her own voice, and this in many ways allowed Flair not to feel cornered or put in a real fight, "Malefor will apologise to you, and I've already made it very clear that he's in the doghouse. The only reason I'm not doing more is because he bit his tongue when he looked at me. He knew how far was too far, and getting hate when someone is already so stressed out will more likely than not cause a verbal altercation."

"In my honest opinion, I believe Flair didn't do enough," Volteer thought otherwise.

"You would say that," Malefor grunted, "Flair..."

"SHUT UP!" Flair's blade whipped and slapped the floor right in front of him, practically shoving Carith's wing out of the way, "I already lost a family once, and I'll be damned if you take that away from me again!" His eyes, as many others, widened to hear her now out in the open truth of how she felt about everyone around her now, "Your so egotistical, it makes me sick. You're a hypocrite for saying I'm upset because I feel of no importance to anyone, and yet you showed teeth to Spyro because he wasn't your friend. You called out Spyro for always being right but never admitted to being wrong, and yet, you bash me by saying it's always someone else's fault but never their own," The red female was beyond heated, so much so that the power that resided within her let off an aura of flame and heat, "Then you say my abuse was warranted?"

Malefor made his way back up to a sat position, still holding the hole in his chest and frowning for what all he had said. He was scared, upset, and understood now that the Dark Master caused no where near as much pain as he did to those around him. For what he had said to everyone else, and for how he acted, he didn't expect anyone to forgive him, and knew it would take some time before someone like Flair would accept him once again. Still, he tried all he could, and admitted his wrongdoing, "I'm... ...sorry... Flair... ...I'm sorry to everyone for how I acted. In the process of me trying to make others see, the only thing I showed was that... I'm no different than what the Dark Master was. I ignored everyone else's sense of fear, used my power to gain an advantage, and... disregarded everyone else's feelings aside from my own."

His words did little, though him admitting what he had done was still a step up. Flair balled a fist, ready to knock every scale off his face individually, to which he readied himself for. However, she scoffed instead, giving up on her anger as she knew there would've been no stopping her rage once it boiled over. She turned and headed straight for her standing and at the ready blue male. Cyril held a cube of ice to his paw, arm up and palm exposed. Looking to his paw first, then his eyes, she sighed once again, thanking him before reaching for the cube of ice, "Thank you, Cyril."

Knowing he had a lot more to prove now, Malefor put other people's needs before his own, fighting through the wounded opening he had in his chest, "Is there anyway I can help anyone else around? I... know, seeing me after what I said doesn't help much, but..."

"We can talk about all of this in the Chambers, but for now," Spyro needed to clean up his own loose ends, turning his attention to the two Dark Dragons that still remained, "You know... ...Kettu... Xvar... ...with all that I learn for every passing day, I'm thankful for the time we've spent together. Hehe, and don't get my words twisted, I'm not saying this cause your deaths are immanent," The two Dark Dragons sighed, believing that exactly, "I'm saying that, because... ...you all have done quite a lot for me, and I'd love to discuss more on who or what Corvus is. Though, out of respect, I'll take his words to heart and not go behind his back to ask more on what's happened. So instead, one day, I hope I'll get to know you two. Your pasts, your hopes, dreams, stuff like that."

"Trying to have fuel as well to break us down?" Kettu raised a brow, just not in a defensive sort of way.

"Hehe, no. Just like you two, I want to keep you all on the right track. If I were to ever stray, I know you'll have my back, same for my family. But, I want you two to feel the same kind of enjoyment, the same kind of warmth, the comes from being in a family," Walking up and over to the two, Spyro's wings gradually opened, wanting now to really help them understand who he was, "Speaking of warmth, I remember something about a hug? If you two would rather deal with Ignitus or Malefor, that's your choice."

"Great. A man baby or a baby man," Xvar hissed through his teeth, "The choices there are certainly made to poison."

"And who's the baby man?" Malefor questioned the two, though he questioned himself, "But... which one would be better to be? The man baby, or the baby man?"

"I love how you don't defend yourself," Volteer shook his head, "So you're admitting that either way, you should be considered a child?"

"After what I said and pulled, I think defending myself is the last thing I should be doing," That gave the purple dragon an idea, "Actually, I am both, because Ignitus is neither! He is a caring father and loving husband to his mate."

"That's not right either," Claire grumbled, and rightfully so in her mind, "Loving Engagement is how far we've gone."

"Awww, come now, Claire," Ignitus made his move, "We have to make the hatchling first before I become a father. So, you could say Malefor's talking about our future. I become a caring father to our hatchling, and a loving husband to you as my mate," She grumbled, denying little to her enjoyment over his words, blushing even to which left no way for her to hide her hopes, "You're so cute when you're hopeful yet angry."

Once again, she grumbled, having nothing to say as she relished the thoughts of the two's future. Still stood to the front of the two Dark Dragons, Spyro waited, and in a way, warned them of their fate, "Come on, you two. I don't bite. And if you think I do, you might be getting me confused with Cynder who does in fact bite. Though, from what I've seen, she barks more than anything."

"You testing me?" Cynder stood tall, wanting now to make an attempt at his life to which grabbed Spyro's attention, him slightly facing over his shoulder, "You do realize I've wanted to strike your neck for the past week, right? And I know with the powers we possess, the idea of biting down and sinking my teeth through your neck, only for you to squirm, wiggle, and beg for mercy as my poison paralysis you: my prey..." The idea now really got her thinking, and because of this, she wondered if a demonstration would be in order, "Why don't we show them what you mean, Spyro? How about we show them just how much I can bite."

"Hehe..." Sweating bullets now to see what looked like poison already dripping from the side of Cynder's mouth, Spyro was swift to look back at his two companions, "Save me."

The two Dark Dragons couldn't help but sigh with smiles, overcome by the warming nature Spyro brought to them, one to which they never knew if they'd see again. Kettu, being the man that he was, took a step forward first, "You've... ...really made an impression on us, Spyro. I'm sorry for what we did, what we caused, and the pain we put you, and... even Malefor, through," He still had more to say, and focused to the Red Guardian, "Ignitus... you may hold hate against us, but it wasn't our actions that forced those... tests. We want nothing more than to return home, and to see loved ones again."

"So then, why won't you two let Spyro reject you both so you can return home?" Ignitus rasied a brow, still pushing for their existence to leave his son's body.

"Because we'd more likely than not be killed," Xvar stepped forward as well, all in on a simple and heartwarming request for a hug, "Just being with Spyro would surely cause many to want our scales burned to extinguish the musk and corruption a purple dragon holds. But if they were to find out that we also helped save one... ...let's just say those, endurance tests... ...we'd go through each individual one to a near death point with the only way out being us killing ourselves."

"And you defend your kind because...?"

"A lot has changed since then. We could be killed, or we could not be. Either way, being with or helping a purple dragon is heresy of the highest order," Kettu explained a little more in-depth, "The only way we'd be pardoned for our actions is by the Lockdown Three. Though, as you can see, Corvus isn't one to agree, and neither would the other two: Mortem would execute us on the spot, and Zacchaeus would make sure we'd burn in hell for our actions."

"It's not like your kind is any better anyway," Still having a very shaky relationship with the light and dark, Xvar had some words to spit, "The Ancestors literally gave you power to kill us all because we gave Spyro a nightmare. Just goes to show how short minded and tempered they are, almost as though one simple little mistake would spark war and conflict for them when others were still learning to walk. Guess they don't like the idea of imperfections, which is why they only favor the purple dragons."

Ignitus's brow twitched to this, having clear evidence and fuel to destroy these claims. But, being the peacemaker that he was, Spyro stretched his wings out far and wide to grab their attention once again, "Uncomfortable hug! Now! Let's go!"

The two Dark Dragons gave Ignitus the stink eye, as did he to them. Though thankfully, the two simply scoffed before realigning their eyesight with Spyro's. They sat there for a bit, not really doing much aside from what looked to be them inspecting the purple dragon. Clearly they were still hesitant, though from what Spyro could see, the two's eyes showed somewhat of tears. Their pupils wiggled, and their lips seemed cold and afraid. He didn't understand why they seemed this way, but since their move wasn't made, he took it upon himself to throw his love out there. Rolling his eyes with a smile, he jumped forward, perfectly aligning himself between the shoulders of the two, and allowing each wing of his to hold the backs of the two. Kettu and Xvar were more caught off guard than they ever thought possible, awaiting a backstab any minute now as this hug seemed all too real. But, pain was never felt: simply care and compassion over the two. They were unable to respond to this, and where it might've been in their best interest to do so, something told them not to. Instead, they moved in on the comforting feeling. Able to fully grasp the seriousness and truth behind Spyro's words helped them melt in a soothing way. Their bodies slowly faded: their darkness becoming one with the purple dragon's once again. Where their bodies might've been gone; ashes now with their souls acquired and pieced together with his own, Spyro felt the same sense of reality to the situation. Who they were and what they stood for was far different than any old wise tale: the past making an impression on the three and allowing them room to learn and grow. The Dark Dragons put their trust into Spyro, as did he to them. Listening to their heartbeats and having that sense of weight to his insides, having them rejoin him once again was exactly the kind of comfort he needed for what all happened. Though he knew they couldn't have done it alone, Spyro still gave his thanks, tucking his wings back to his side and standing to all fours, "Welcome home, you two."

With all crisis now avoided, it came time for many to take another hearty sigh. But even after the ice and apology, this situation as a whole still fumed Flair's rage, "More than half of you can go to hell: especially the males around here," She wasn't afraid to speak her mind and voice opinions on others, "Ignitus is literally a puppy trying to be a big man when it comes to the Ancestors, Malefor has so much bottled up hate and secrets to which I'm assuming he's saving to send the world post-apocalyptic for a second time-"

"I wouldn't be so hateful if..."

"LET ME FINISH!" Flair's paw slammed the ground hard enough to send fire to the ceiling, scorching and burning the already destroyed carpeted area.

"Hehe. Good to know ahead of time time that you'll always want to finish first," Cyril tried to make light of a bad situation, as did Malefor that one time, but all he did was put a target on his back.

He should've known from the start that she was in no joking mood. From the look she gave him down to the need to kill being very visible within her eyes, sweat formed quickly as his paws raised in a chuckle. She didn't allow such interruption to go unpunished however, and instead raised a paw up and over the back of his neck. Cyril stood dead, cold, and as still as a statue. The red paw that curved around the back of his neck made its way down to his upper shoulders. Pressure was applied, ever so elegantly. Though nothing was felt at first, it took only seconds before his nerves cried out in pain. The pressure point she had gripped a hold of with a finger on one side and thumb on the other also held fire within them, garnering uncomfortable heat and unbearable pain. This wasn't even the worst of it and Cyril clearly felt how things could easily go from bad, to hellish, "Sorry-sorry-sorry-sorry-sorry-sorry-sorry!" The pain was enough to cause a slight kneel and tilt of his head, "Rule Four: obey your commands! I promise I'll obey!"

The pressure was swiftly relieved from Cyril's neck. Now no longer in pain, he sighed in a smile, a blush even, quite liking the fact that he could feel their relationship was building.

"You're lucky for remembering my rules," Flair didn't much show teeth, her the same blushing: glad to hear he was paying attention to her, "As I was saying," She got back on track, "Spyro instigated the Dark Master, Xvar spat at Ignitus, the Dark Master himself acting a fool. I find it funny how the only ones that DIDN'T make things worse, were the females. Cynder stayed clam and listened to me, Ersa took over and helped around, Claire put Ignitus in his place, and the same goes for Carith to Malefor. You males are all the same just selective on when you want your dominance to show."

"Flair, relax," Spyro tried to get her to breathe, though attempting this with such word choice didn't help.

"Did you just tell me what to do?" Her teeth flashed at him.

The purple dragon chuckled on his way back to the middle of the room, "Just trying to help. Though, I do admit, that was stupid of me to say," Sitting down besides his shadowy female, Cynder somewhat blushed to see him do so without her saying, and while it shouldn't have been a surprise to her now, his warm scales brought upon a smile, "I understand everyone and their reasons. Ignitus has always been a leader, and taking a backseat now makes him feel off. Malefor you know is very childish in nature. However, for what he's lost and what he still has, I say he should let go of his journey for revenge. Considering last time, the world was destroyed because of it."

"I'm trying, alright!" After letting off some steam and a sigh, Malefor didn't know what to say, "Yes, Carith's alive. And yes, the same goes for all of you. But..." Sighing once again to the pressure, after learning more about who the Dark Master was, he did feel more of a sense to change, "I... didn't believe that the Dark Master was anything more than a villain who wanted nothing less than to watch the world burn. But if he had parents, a friend, and even what seems to be a loved one, why tuck that away? Why not tell us the truth so we could've better understood him?"

"It all dwells down to trust," Spyro defended the Dark Master, "Cynder never wanted to tell me the truth about my parents out of fear I'd hate or leave her. Under certain circumstances, if trust isn't built, or memories aren't made, someone could react very differently to a situation," Being used as an example was scary for Cynder herself, knowing the reality that at one point and in another timeline, such a separation or tear in their relationship could've happened, "No one deserves to be thrown under the bus, and if such a situation happens again, we will use this memory to aid our journey. Malefor should understand that there is trust and love that can be had towards the Dark Dragons, same for Ignitus. And while words were said that many would've much rather have left alone, revenge was... unfortunately dealt out."

"That's one of the many reasons I've found joy living here," For once, Flair smiled, though it wasn't one of happiness, "Revenge is something I'd love to sink my teeth into, and I know every passing day gives me another reason to kill someone or another. This does little in helping you, as I know everything you hate, I enjoy."

"And you wonder why I tried to rid of you as soon as possible," Ignitus, being the father figure he wanted to be, stood in his son's defense.

"Go be a little bitch somewhere else," She snapped back, "It's obvious that your interference with anything nowadays just makes things worse. So how about you fly on back to your little island and die out there alone. Literally any other dragon aside from you would do fine for Claire," The two seemed ready to brawl, and while a fight to one many wondered who'd honestly win, Flair didn't feel the need to waste her time, "I get it. You're trying to protect your son, but becoming a prick to everyone else around you doesn't make you look any better. My only hope is that Claire will see what you really are and leave you."

Ignitus didn't wish to say anything from here on out, hanging his head low and off to the side, allowing everything that she was saying to hit home and echo within his mind. Claire felt as though everything that was said had already been effective, though at this point, Flair was taking things too far. After such an event, it was clear a ripple in the family was made: another added on problem to a stressful upcoming event. Spyro sighed to see this, and while some were still at ease, he needed to get their attention, "I know you all have your reasons to be upset, but... ...talk to each other... please. Flaws are a given in anyone, and even for me, I know... I... want, Cynder, to tell me everything I did wrong this morning. Amara and the Rebels will be here any minute, and before they do arrive, I want to see everyone in the Chambers. Can we all agree to that?"

Dead silence filled the room, not so because all disagreed, but the thought of saying one thing and someone snapping back at it was a fear. No one wanted another altercation, so instead, everyone stayed silent. Flair scoffed firstly, stomping her way out of the damage room. She made sure to stay far away from anyone, and even upon Cyril's following, he stayed a few steps behind. Ersa was the next to leave, knowing she'd be best at helping simmer the fires that be. Volteer the same followed along behind her, making room as to not bump into anyone. Malefor wanted to give some space and new air: anything aside from this room. As his paw fell back down to the ground, he noticed there wasn't any pain to be felt. His vision angled down, and once noticing the disappearance and healing of his wound, he questioned himself, Did I do that? I thought you perverted my darkness from healing my wounds, Corvus. The question brought upon pain, clearly being from the Dark Master gripping his insides to shut him up. I didn't see anything! His eyes were caught at the sight of something blue to his left. Carith stood, smiling, and hoping to rid this situation of what it was, "Come on. Let's just... head to the Chambers and hope we can all put this behind us. Just remember what you promised me."

"I would never forget," Malefor smiled back to her, "Thank you... Carith. I remember how you wanted to leave me when I had returned that night... but... you stayed by me, and gave me that chance to prove I was someone different... ...well, different in a way that wouldn't make me out to be the Dark Master. It's... difficult, because... ...Carith, I..." He couldn't muster the words nor the strength to say it, even with how badly and desperately he both needed and wanted to, "I love you... ...I truly do love you."

"Couldn't bring yourself to say it, could you?" Carith saw right through his words: love very present, but it was clear this wasn't what he wanted to say.

"After what I said and did... ...I feel like I've taken a step back. That's not who you'd call a mate, and it's especially not someone who deserves to be known as a father."

The blue female felt a sense of joy out of him admitting this, "Yet, you admitting that makes you far more mature than who you were five minutes ago."

Malefor knew what he needed to do first before anything else, "After talking with you, I... ...I know, and feel like, if I make things right with Flair, the hardest apology will be under the bridge. My brothers know me, so apologising to them I know they'll understand."

With his mind made up and seeing his words keeping a smile on Carith's face, the purple dragon made his step forward to right his wrongdoings. The two lovers slowly made their way to the door but stopped by Ignitus's side: Malefor wondering if he needed to say something. However, a surprising display of green blocked the two. Terrador stood to Ignitus's right, taking over the situation himself. He nodded the two out, but just to mask sure his intentions came across accordingly, he spoke in a low groan almost, "Focus on Flair. I'll deal with Ignitus."

Malefor in a way smiled to this, glad to see support from others that wasn't just his female love. He did as he was told, and upon walking over to the door to head towards the Chambers, Carith followed closely by his side, using her scales of cold and voices of ease to help prepare him for their inevitable meet up with Flair. All that were left was the remaining six. The green Guardian sighed to see someone he knew fall, but this didn't necessarily mean a bad thing, "Oh boy," Facing his muscular brother, Terrador slapped a paw down to Ignitus's shoulder, one that would've surely injured or bruised a normal dragon, "You know, these types of battles I'm sure in the long run will be far more bearable than the war we've already endured."

"Yeah..." Ignitus sighed, "But just like war, it's like everything you do always has some unknown consequence."

"If I may," Wiggling her way down and under Terrador's underbelly, Trish smiled to feel her lover's soft, gentle, and defined underneath compared to his much more brawn and near indestructible scales, "I think I could help with the confusion... ...If you'd allow."

Terrador had to stop her there, wondering why she did what she did, herself now becoming lodged between the fire and earth Guardian "Before you speak your mind, I wish to do the same. Why go under me when you could've gone around to get to my side?"

"And where's the fun in that?" She smirked to him, and her explanation made him smile, "I've inspected my property plenty of times from the back. I'd rather get to thee, how you say, 'Meat', and potatoes, of my dish," Terrador couldn't help but blush from this statement, and the only reason he didn't look away or deny such a enjoyable feeling was because of the others in the room to whom he knew wouldn't tease him, "But, going back to you, Ignitus, I think I can help," She sat down, "I would say that your heart is very much in the right place, just not your mindset. What you're doing is admirable, and putting yourself in harms way and doing what's right is truly a good sign of a father. However, allowing only your view to shine without any opinion and understatement between your son... ...that's where things get bumpy."

"How am I supposed to do right if that means the enemy wins?" Ignitus questioned her, listening closely to everything she had to say.

"Most enemies are simply those you don't know. Stop relying on the knowledge of others and use what you know. If the past has been so horrible because of the Dark Dragons rage, and still to this day nothing has been done, then maybe trying it a different way would make sense. From how the Ancestors view things, extinction appears to be the only logical option. But, if you've only ever tried to befriend them once, yet tried to annihilate them multiple, there's room for us to grow, not them."

"So you think the Ancestors are liars too?"

"I think the Ancestors are simply vengeful spirits who moved on in their lives but were never able to get their revenge on those that wrong them. So, with the power they have, they use us like pawns to further their needs and take control over the futures of others. What they can't do, we can."

"It's always been a fact that the Darkness separates or dents their plans," Spyro stepped forward in support, believing in what Trish had to say, "Me, Kettu, and Xvar have mainly kept our conversations private and within the cloudy mind of shadow. The Ancestors being light seem to only be able to control just that. But when Darkness takes hold, they're simply not strong enough to do anything about it."

Ignitus sighed to see where this was going, but for him to question those that gave him a second chance and his faith in the light was something he still blurred the line on, "So... I either agree the Darkness is good, or the light."

"Remember what was said when it came to who's good and evil," Trish continued, "You don't have to be pure one of something an anti another. There is no thunder without rain, there is no joy without hate. You have the choice to understand both sides and how they work. But the real challenge is figuring out what good can come of this from either side. Listen to Spyro when he says that the Dark Dragons have hearts. You not only show good faith, trust, and understanding within him, but so too to your enemies. They see dark in light which is a good, positive thing as that is what brings them comfort, whereas Spyro sees light in the dark, his home field too."

Her words were having a massive effect on the once confused and rather frightened red Guardian. Ignitus thought about it, a lot, and to a point he could easily remember the order of words and to when they took place and in what order. He didn't need the powers of the Chronicler to take hold of an important message that he so desperately needed to understand, "Thank you... Trish... ...That was-"

"BUT DON'T GET ME WRONG!" She suddenly blurted out to all's surprise, "I'm not telling you how to live your life and didn't mean for it to come off controlling-I just didn't know what else to say or how to help in a timely manner-but I didn't want to wait and not help you as you'd struggle more-and I couldn't let-UM!"

Letting peace rest within her mind as the nervous sweat and shivers became all to much, Terrador titled her head over to his and let loose his lips upon hers. She had done good in her efforts to help Ignitus, and to show how thankful he was, the green Guardian couldn't help himself. The bumps in her heartbeats that once scared her slowly subsided, her once jumpy and shaky body melting to the efforts and love within their kiss. While short, it was sweat, and with tears wanting to drop down her eyes as they backed, Terrador explained himself, "Spyro might need to heal Malefor if he slips up like the idiot he is and ticks her off."

Dropping a single tear from her eye, Trish smiled, understanding his point of view. Spyro quite enjoyed her speaking, and wanted to help her as well, "That was very well said, Trish," She turned and blushed to his support, "We don't talk much compared to the time I've spent with the others, and I guess that's because I've most trusted you than any of the others," Her heart raced once again, "Claire with the Darkness, Ersa always wanting me dead, and, hehe... it's pretty obvious with Flair. You've made a real impression on Terrador, and I've wanted to thank you for a while now. I'm glad you two found each other when you did."

More tears dropped from her eyes; a smile taking form, and from the itchy feeling her tears gave off to which she couldn't keep track of to follow, Trish shook her head to let them go. Turning herself back around to her big green lover, she dove her head to his neck, nuzzling him upwards and crying underneath his jaw. Terrador smiled more so, holding her close and wrapping his wings around the weeping female to blanket her. The four smiled too to see their love, and since everything was going so well here, Spyro wanted to ensure everyone knew that, "Hey, Dad," Ignitus faced him, still glad to hear he considered him that, "Kettu and Xvar are willing to give you a chance. All you have to do is the same to them."

The red Guardian sighed, but, with a smile this time around, "Alright... ...fine... ...I'll give them a chance. I know I need to slack off when it comes to being the Chronicler and, after being reminded again of my stupidity, I'll rely on what I know, not others."

Spyro smiled to his father, "I'm just glad mom knew to put you in your place when she did."

"Who? Who's mom? Ignitus's Mom?" Claire was still in shock over her being called this, trying to hide her flustered emotions of embarrassment behind her scattered words.

The purple dragon rolled his eyes, snickering to the blue females reaction, "Come on. Let's go see if Malefor's dead or not. I'm sure we wouldn't have heard a scream as she would've covered his mouth before slitting his throat but, we can still play a game!" Walking past the left sides of the four, his lover stayed close to his side while the remainders followed behind, "If Malefor takes any form of damage we all get a kiss from our females. Say I if you agree."

"I!" The three males of course agreed.

"Flair would kill all three of y'all for such male responses," Claire giggled.