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.

53. Chapter 53: Retribution

Chapter 53: Retribution

"Whoa whoa whoa, easy there, Serena, easy."

The voice was all too familiar, one that she recognised and considered sanctuary. Her eyes were to the floor, but the tail color and blade was enough for her to know of her savior. The golden leaf-blade wasn't something she feared, but rather grew tears of hope for seeing. The blade connected to scales, purple ones that seemed so vibrant and colorful: lively thanks to the sun and its efforts. Her eyes slowly made way up the scales and the side of the dragon. New colors were on display thanks to his wings of red and gold, same to his underbelly and neck. Serena held his shoulders, desperately pushing back but not away, needing his comfort now more than ever. Comfort she most surely obtained, but this feeling was nothing she could've ever thought possible from a stranger. Looking to his purple eyes of hope and heroics, the purple dragon smiled, and chuckled to see her shock-and-awe look. Her heart and soul mentally exploded with passion and love: her near-death experience giving life an even crazier amount of detail and meaning to her.

"I know things probably weren't very tamed around here, but I'm gonna have to ask you to not yell my name," He made sure his intentions and words were pure: his smile and laughter being used so no hard feeling were felt, "After that 'I love you' that you gave to me, Cynder's been on high alert, and if she hears you yelling my name with this type of look in your eyes, she'll kill me for sure. Hehehe."

His laughter was enough to send her over the edge, and even though she heard his angel-like voice clear and crisp as a newly formed summer day, she couldn't contain her emotions. Her arms moved, as did her wings. They both wrapped around his figure: her wings to his back and her arms to the back of his neck. Her head dug to his shoulders, and with tears and cries unable to be held back, she went against the purple dragon's words, "Spyro!"

The purple dragon smiled down on the weeping female, understanding wholeheartedly her pain and experience. He didn't push away, but instead gently patted her back, rubbing up and down her fins with care and ease: wishing not to cause anymore discomfort. However, these emotions and smile that he brought down onto her weren't unnoticed. Where Serena couldn't tell of his expressions or emotions, Cynder sure did, "SPYRO!" He jumped, head jerking back behind to see her standing in front of Ava's body: her Terror Form in full display, "Someone will die today if you keep making contact with her!"

"It's not what it looks like!" Both his paws raised in the air now, afraid of just what she might do to him, "Ahem... Uh... Serena... We should, uh... I should go help the others."

She sniffled a few more times before allowing him to back away. Serena knew what all was left to do, and couldn't take a breather knowing what had happened. It was time for her to get back on her own fours, and stand up for what was right. With her power and strength rejuvenated thanks to Spyro, her arms and wings backed from the purple dragon. Her eyes were quick to open, still on high alert for the area around her. Knowing of what was out there still and what they might have to go up against, she stood ready. Her vision brought her to her left paw first, and in no surprise to her, the once gashed and cut open wound was all but gone and healed. The blood from her paw was gone too, and upon inspection to her stomach and back, those wounds too had been healed. She looked brand-new, and felt the same too. Her near death experience turned on its head: new life being felt within her. The poisonous female couldn't help but sigh in her tears, unable to understand what kind of man Spyro was, If that son of a bitch tells me to simply smile after all that he's done, I might actually agree to slapping him across the face with Ava... ...AVA!

She took a quick step but surveyed the area before making the same mistake twice. The guard that had once stood atop here now laid to the floor behind her. He seemed knocked out: all manners and lifelike movements were a thing of the past for him it seemed. To her left, Axel laid to the ground on his side in front of Amara and Celina. The white female lover aided him, speaking to the infuriated and flamed shadow dragon on the floor below her. The guards all around didn't take a liking to this. Their weapons were drawn, their grips they gave to the handles of their weapons were intense, and though Serena was still the main target, it was obvious that Spyro seemed to set them off. His cocky walk, his near seemingly ignorance to the power that just a single guard could possess: they knew he was either very brave or very stupid. One guard however still held his ground: trident to Ava's side and standing tall and strong even with the female in front of him. Upon Spyro's approach, Cynder apologized to him, "I'm sorry. I know you told me how to heal her wounds as we were flying down here but I just... I don't know how to dissolve stuff like you. Or how to help her without hurting her."

"Hehe, babe, it's fine," Spyro was very carefree about it all.

"Babe?" She was quite caught off guard to hear him call her that.

"Here, I'll help real quick."

Kneeling down to point of impact made by the trident, he rested his paw over her shoulder. The darkness within him stretched to the female's white scales and made its way through and around her body. Serena rushed over in worry for what the guard might do, but he seemed stunned. Sweat dripped down from his forehead, and his arms and muscles seemed strained, like he wanted to move or fight but his body fought against him. A small clank could be heard at the bottom of the trident, and from Spyro's backing, he dusted off his paws like it was another day at the job, "There we go. You may now do as you please."

Cynder was a little confused. The blade still looked as though it was very much inside the white female's scales, "So... I can attack him?"

"Yep. And while you're doing that, I'm gonna get this... thing, off her face."

Cynder didn't need to be told twice. Lining herself up with the chest of the dragon, she did a little test first. Her blade curved in a very swift motion: a sound very similar to a whip broke the air around her. Her powers of wind proved very useful. Thanks to the added boost and speed, her blade made a precise cut, piercing the dragon's armor clear as day. She was unable to make it out the other side as her tail wasn't long enough, but knowing the strength of the armor now, she was able to make her own judgement. The dragon truly seemed stuck in time; taking the hit with nothing more than a grunt and a growl. Not wanting blood to spill down onto those below, she rounded herself to the side of the dragon. Grabbing a hold of his top right horn, she pulled him up from the ground. Thanks to her Terror Form, she was tall enough to do so. Jerking his head back, his body followed. First his head, then his back before finally his tail bone. One by one, his body hit the ground with the same force as every other part of him. Spyro had in fact told the truth. The way he melted the blade formed a slash mark. To everyone else, it looked as though the tips had been flattened out with a nail filer and placed on Ava's side: similar to a cheap party trick with a hat and an arrow seemingly going through one's skull. Her scales were cleaned and healed, perfectly smooth and alive as they once were. Now with everyone out of the way, Cynder tensed her tail: gripping a ripping through his scales, making sure to grab hold and cut his ribs or any internal organs. She got close to the guard's face, and while he looked to her with killer intent: his teeth hissing and his eyes vibrating, Cynder made sure she was much, much worse, "You pathetic shit stain," A loud pop was heard within the dragon, followed by a very loud hissing sound, "You think you're high and mighty yet need armor and weapons to take on a girl? What? Mommy not love you enough?" The hissing got louder: saliva pouring out from the dragon's mouth now, "I'll choose whether you live or not, but you better hope I get back to you before this poison reaches your heart," Yanking her blade from the wound within him, the dragon gasped heavy and wide: liquids of green and red erupting from his opened wound, "Control your breathing. If blood pumps too quickly, you'll die before I have more of a chance to play," She stood in a powering stance: asserting her dominance over her enemy, "Either way, my poison will eat your born marrow till your paralysed from the neck down. Apologize to me and Ava with your final breaths and I'll consider letting you live."

As she turned away, the dragon somewhwat laughed, calling her bluff with what little strength he had, "Hehe... You... you wouldn't kill me... ...you're just like every other bitch on the streets."

"You act like words have stopped me from killing others before," She stood but didn't fully face him, only turning her head to her side so he heard her well, "I've tasted blood and your death to me makes no difference. You think because Spyro's a male that he rules over me? If this is what others think I am, then I'll happily have you melt to death before everyone's eyes," Unfortunately for him, she was serious, and it made her decision to kill him that much more enticing, "Any second now your ribs will melt down onto your lungs and burn hotter than magma. If you scream a single word, I'll break your nose and suffocate you with the same muzzle you dare put on, Ava."

"That wasn't me!" His mind flipped: his soul turning sides and trying to make nice where it saved him, "That was Axel's doing! He wanted to shut her up and he did! I simply pinned her, nothing more!" He started to sweat, and it was obvious to him now that fear was used as well as the poison: he was losing control of himself, "He broke her nose! But I couldn't say anything due to insubordination!"

"Ah. This classic story again," With the muzzle now detached from Ava's face, Spyro did in fact notice the deformation and blood dripping from the sides of the female's nose, "Let me guess, you tell me what you're really doing and get demoted or fired?"

---

The Guards, even with the energy they had gained back, noticed the failure they'd be met with, remembering their beat down from Spyro alone. The intimidation from Cynder didn't help, and knowing the Dark Master would kill them helped each make the decision to stand down and listen to him. Amara showed teeth to this, "INSUBORDINATION!" Her paw slapped to the ground, "I will have you all fired! Jailed! Executed if need be! You fight for me, and I expect the highest level of dedication and drive when protecting and serving your queen!"

"I'm sorry... executed?" Spyro's pissed off voice now directed to her, "You will not harm them. As far as I can see, you're the only villain here who needs to be taught a lesson," Amara didn't want to go against her mate, though this didn't stop tears and shivers that were nearly uncontrollable, "Hey, you six," The Guards stood up straight, "If she does anything to bring you down from where you're at, you come straight here and let me know. Understood?"

---

He placed both his paws to the tops of her nostrils: darkness making its way up, over, and even into her nasal and scales, "Same old song and dance. I knew a guy like that once, too. I believe his name was, Silas? That shadow dragon I met before seemed just as scared as you to be anything more than monstrous."

Serena watched on in horror to see her daughter still unable to move. She trusted Spyro was doing the right thing, but even still, she questioned him, "Why... ...why is she not waking up...? What did he do to her?! What are you doing to her?!"

"Easy, Serena. She's alive," Spyro knew the mother needed to be soothed before she experienced anymore stress or strain on her mental state, "She's rather lucky to have been born a wind dragon. When the muzzle was placed on her, Axel broke her nose, and since her mouth wasn't able to move, all that blood traveled through her nasal passage. Which means the entire time she was knocked out, blood was filling her lungs."

"WHAT?!"

Serena heard enough to act out of blinding rage. With Axel still to the ground and recovering from what ever type of hit Spyro made, she stomped towards him: her eyes boiling in rage, "I'LL KILL YOU! I'M GONNA KILL YOUR FOR WHAT YOU DID TO HER, YOU MOTHER FU-"

"Serena, wait!"

She stopped her rampage but only because someone as powerful as Spyro told her to, "WHY?! IF THIS PRICK GOES ON LIVING, THINKING DOING SUCH A THING TO THOSE WEAKER THAN HIM IS AN EVERYDAY OCCURRENCE, THEN...!"

"Because you're not what Axel and those from Prosperity think you are," With a paw placed to his knee, Spyro picked himself up, and with all the control in the world over this situation, all eyes and ears were on him, "I feared for your true goal, too. I was afraid you'd stab me in the back, and that Amara and others told the truth about who you were," Walking up to her side, he sat with her and rested a paw to her shoulder, "But after what's happened, I want you to know that I back you one hundred percent," His paw slid from her shoulder as he looked around to what all Axel had done: the injured dragons, the fearful faces of those young and old, many too weak to do anything against the stature and indestructible nature of those from Prosperity, "You didn't come hear with an army, armour, a plan of attack, or plan to raid the lives of those whom more likely than not have families, friends, and loved ones watching on in horror for what's happened," The dragons slowly started to stand, their wounds cleaned away, and their scars of the fight seizing to exist, "Amara..." His turn to her wasn't one that she would've ever wanted to experience again: it was filled to the brim in disappointment, rage, and frustration; the same being heard in his voice, "You come here to my home once again bringing a show of death and bloodshed. How incredibly disrespectful of you, even after I agreed to help end 'your' war. To help find and save 'your' mother. I asked for peace, and you spat in my face."

"I didn't do anything! I swear!" Amara desperately tried to defend herself: hearing Spyro say such things, she felt like a daughter being scolded by her parents.

"And once again you come here with that scarf," He made his approach over to her.

The dragons from before that stood from their injuries were all ready and geared up to once again stand for what was right, and the protection of those around them. The guards were ready too, pointing their tridents and tail blades and their opponents. The Prosperity members while small in numbers compared to the entirety of Warfang knew what they could or couldn't take, making circles around those who rose back from the ground to stand. However, being cocky in their abilities, many veered off to assist in Amara's defense. More of Prosperity's guards flew from buildings and hidden away locations for this exact moment. While many were guards, hundreds from Prosperity gathered around the roof tops and buildings, as well as those who hid within the crowd to watch this altercation. Many spoke in unison, wondering what all the fuss was about when it came to Spyro.

"Is that him? That purple dragon that's been making them rounds around, Prosperity?" One citizen of Prosperity spoke: a white wind female looking on in awe within the crowd.

"You don't think he'll come up here and kill us too, do you?! Holy carp... what if we do start a war with Warfang?! We'd be fighting on three fronts!" A very frightened shadow dragon spoke, a male that rested on the roof of a building with his friends.

"He did bring up that Silas guy. Damn. I heard Spyro ruffled him up so badly that he took a week long vacation just to recover," His friend of black scales spoke as well.

"Guys, I... I really don't want to he here for this," A friend of green stood, the poison in his mouth seeming to numb his words in fear, "If he kills Amara, hell, even all the guards down there, we're done for! What the hell would we do?! He'd kill us all!"

"If we need to run, we will. But... in a way, I don't believe those stories of who Spyro is..." The final and forth member looked on and down to the crowd that circled all that was happening, his paws hanging off the building and dangling so he could move them, "It's true that stories tell of the viscous, destructive like nature of the purple dragons, but surely he's different... ...right?"

"THAT'S THE TERROR OF THE SKIES! Only evil can befriend evil! I heard that Spyro also allows the Dark Master to live with him, so that way, one day, they can all nuke the world in their own ways as they're SO POWERFUL THAT THEY NEED A WAY TO HAVE THEIR OWN FUN!"

"So no matter how you look at it, Spyro will kill someone here and now to get what he wants..." Someone overheard the conversation, a female that sat with her lover on top of the building next to them, but since she murmured, her lover didn't hear, "So, who do you think is gonna die today...? Or is this purple dragon really... different...? Different enough to take control but not abuse that control?" She asked the male of green next to her, the male looking at her poisonous scales and the altercation below as well, "They won't listen to him, not after he hit Axel to the floor. They're now in a setup to kill the purple dragon, so I wonder what he'll do when tons of the militaries best men are here to defend the queen."

"I'm definitely scared to know. But if he does do something, we run. Understand?" She nodded to his words, "No one in Prosperity trusts him, and that's obvious from the amount of people from our nation that have shown. They're just as curious as we are to see what he's really all about..." The male paused for a second, "And I'm very intrigued to see how this all plays out."

---

It seemed as though this was all planned out. The twenty soldiers nearly doubled from twenty to thirty. Four landed in front of him to block his path to Amara. The other six blocked his left and right: three of the soldiers taking each side. They were heavily armoured, geared, and clearly well trained. Their stances were those of veterans, their bodies built from those of thousands of hours of frontline experience, and their confidence was on full display, though at the same time, they weren't cocky in their abilities. They knew what they could or couldn't handle, and looking at Spyro, it was a no-brainer that their victory was all but assured. Serena gasped to see him being surrounded: her voice cracking under the pressure to know that, even with how powerful he was, he wouldn't win, "SPYRO!"

The purple dragon's eyes looked to each and every one of his opponents, learning them based off their appearances, trying to find flaws in what they were or how they fought. He was serious about what was about to happen. However, to the surprise of everyone that watched him, he turned his back on the four. The ten that landed before him dropped their guards for a second, a face of confusion and wonder appeared. They didn't understand it, but all felt as though this was him turning to walk away in a surrender. But once his words were known, so was his intention, "Cynder, is that dragon gonna die over there?"

She scoffed having looked to the dragon at her mercy and came clean, "Do you want him to?"

"Hehe, I just need to know so I can focus on these ten."

"No, unfortunately. He's not going to die. But you will if you come out of this with even so much of a scratch!"

"Awwww. Does someone want to mark my scales? You just don't like it when other people do it, do you," His voice was playful, and a little seducing.

"I BETTER NOT SEE A SCRATCH ON YOU!" Her blush was as intense as her yell, "But if I want to join in on the fight, you better respect my words!"

"NO!" Serena couldn't let her only hope of making it out of this alive fade, "I can't let you do this, Spyro! What about, Ava?! What about my husband?! If you do this, how will we make it out alive?!"

"Don't worry. I've used my darkness to heal them while they slept. They'll only wake once their mind is put at ease and their bodies are completely healed," He made sure to explain it to her before he took off in what might be one of the biggest fights of his life, "Your husband is fine, just the same as Ava. They'll wake at some point, or once I get done with this fight. Just remember, there's one thing I'm going to need from you for what all I'm doing..."

Because his back was turned, one of the soldiers took advantage and swung down on his back with their blade. Serena looked on in horror to see the attack that was sure to connect. Her voice wasn't quick enough, and it hit him at the same time as her cry, "SPYRO! BEHIND YOU!"

She stepped forward out of instinct, but didn't make it much further before hearing the clash. The blade seemingly hit the air, but with enough force to whip air throughout the area. The ground below Spyro cracked, but he didn't seem fazed at all. The dragon who attacked seemingly struggled to push his blade past an invisible barrier: the purple dragon's back still facing them without a care in the world. Spyro chuckled to her words, and confusion of mixed emotions, "Hehe, no no, Serena. I need you to smile."

His words hit her like a rush of air. Seeing him show her what a smile looked like brought a rush of hope and excitement within her soul. She trusted him, and believed in every word he was saying. Like an otherworldly and holy being, he used his love on those who needed it, and smited those who were vicious or malicious enough to abuse it. With the soldiers all confused on what was happening, they all had their turns, swinging each of the blades in organized ways to not hit or block the other from their full swings. Jumping up in the air with a powerful gust of wind, Spyro avoided the attacks of all the soldiers: each of the blades hitting the ground below and digging deep to the pavement below all while not even knowing how those behind him would attack. Now spun around and landing to the back of the blades, he smiled at them all while the soldiers showed expressions of shock and surprise, "Damn, what the pavement ever do to you all? You walk all over it and treat it this way? You all must be fun at parties."

Each of the soldiers twisted the blades of their tridents in a forceful way. The twist sounded a clicking sound, and to the back tips of the blades that Spyro stood on, sharp blades erupted out of them. Spyro reacted fast enough, jumping up and over the top of one of the soldiers in the back group of four. Grabbing a hold of his helmet mid air, with the latched on and secured nature of the helmet, he was able to pick the dragon up from the ground. Spinning forward, the soldier's body did the same. Tossing his body to the ground after having landed, Spyro's attack forced the guard's face to plant nose-first into ground, almost like he did a failed back flip. The crash cracked the ground underneath the soldier, sounds of his growl muffled from lack of maw movement due to his situation. Spinning around to face the other soldiers, Spyro smiled, "One down."

The soldier that had his face planted within the ground broke through his confined predicament with a tensing strength from his muscles. Raising his paw from the ground below, he slapped it backwards, pulling himself up and out of the hole that he was placed in. Hitting his fist to the floor and making his rounds towards Spyro in an aggravated reveal, the purple dragon dropped sweat, "Hehe... negative zero down? Or, rather, I guess It'd just be no down?" The ten now lined back up in front of him: it now being clear that his words weren't going to break the coordination of the ten, "Sorry about this. But just in case anyone says anything, this is all in the name of self-defense. You ever heard of him? He's the guy that kicked the shit out of you ten!"

His smirk, piled on with his stance, brought hope for those of Warfang that this problem would be a thing of the past, but the exact opposite for those whom didn't know him. I could always just end this right away, but with so many eyes on me, I need to make sure it stays that way to keep others out of harms way. I would've rather had just dealt with them all, but if acting out in this way will bring hope to people for longer, then I need to be that person. I need to show those who dare harm my sanctuary what happens, and these soldiers will make a good example, Spyro knew what he wanted and how to get it. All that was left was the execution of his plan. Taking a deep breath in to compile his thoughts and emotions, this was seen as a sign of weakness to the ten. They all rushed head first, jumping from above, to the sides, or all the way around to prep an attack. However, getting off his exhale proved a success, and now, focused and collected, his body blinked before disappearing. The dragons were all suddenly smashed in the chest. Their armor crashed in on itself: the once tough, sturdy, and unbreakable nature of the pieces all cracked like sticks from a tree. Their bodies kicked back in a sudden stop from the speed to which they were going, and one by one, they all hit the ground. After they fell with groans and strains, Spyro hovered back down to the ground, in ease and precision. Everyone took a second to blink, not understand what had just happened as no one was able to see it happen. His vision lined up with his lover who sat and waited by Ava's side, seemingly protecting her like Ava belonged to her: the sense of a mother to a daughter; a wing rested over her, and her tail behind to protect the young one. Smirking, and once again leaving his back exposed, he laughed, "Hey, Cynder! Your mother senses are showing again!"

"Wh...?!" Her being in her Terror Form let rage slip, "The hell is that supposed to mean?!"

"If you want to protect a hatchling that badly, I could clear my schedule and make time to well, make one, just for you," He winked at her in a fun loving, joyous way, knowing what her reaction would be.

"WH...?!" She wanted so desperately to move and rip him scale from scale, "I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT IT MEANS TO MAKE ONE YOU PURPLE PAIN IN MY ASS! IF IT WASN'T FOR AVA, I'D BE OVER THERE DOING WHAT I DO BEST: PUTTING YOUR COCKY SELF IN ITS PLACE!"

"Guess you'll never get the chance," He snickered.

"I know where you sleep, Spyro!"

"Oh shit..."

Ducking seconds before a trident swung over his head, Spyro didn't even need to see nor hear the attack coming before it was even made. The soldier that attacked him gasped to reaction time, and even when things should've been looking grim for the purple dragon, he still cracked a joke, "H-h-h-hey now... e-e-easy there, Cynder..." She crossed her arms to him, and acting like himself as usual, he jumped up in fear: his head completely shattering the metal that made the trident what it was, "I was only teasing, I swear!" Every which way, Spyro found new ways to shock, or otherwise completely stun the crowd before him: the soldier now simply standing there, twitching, with the base of the Trident in his hands and a lack of blades, "I'll make it up to you, I swear! I swear I'll do anything!"

"Oh really...?" She now had all the power, and he knew that the only way to win, was to lose, "Who will you make the hatchling with, Spyro?"

"Me?!" A bunch of girls from the crowd blurted out: Spyro's actions pleasing the otherwise excited females from his actions

"Oh, haha, would you look at the time," He avoided that kind of question, spinning around to not display his embarrassed and red looking face, "Oh no! The dragon stabbed me in the neck, what ever shall I do?!" Since the blade was now broken, he lined his neck up with the shattered parts in an allusion to display what could've happened: the soldier unable to move but look on as he was in many ways mocked, "Damn... if only I wasn't stabbed in the neck, I'd be able to answer," His voice trailed off as he looked to Cynder, but once looking back to the soldier, he smirked and hid his voice with a paw to the side of his mouth, "Thanks for going along with this. You never really know just how scary a woman is until they call your bluff."

Cynder scuffed, a little upset that he didn't answer, but she couldn't blame him at the same time, I hate how much I love you... but I also hate how much more I want to love you. If you don't hurry your purple butt up, I might have to be the one to defeat you, and if that happens, I will take everything, and anything, that you owe me. Her thoughts of romance and dominance were quickly over turned once having felt some type of stir underneath her wings: her suspicion growing once having heard a groan, almost as if someone was waking themselves up. Serena was very familiar with this sound and was quick to respond to it, "Ava!"

The white wind female was still in a daze. Her hearing was shot, and most if not all sounds were muffled. Slowly, her body regained itself and its surroundings. Although Spyro was able to help in everyway he could, the emotional trauma sustained; what all having happened hitting her memory and emotions one by one, her wounds were but a thing of the past. But for her thoughts and actions, they were still very much on high alert: a frightened hatchling taking on her body's motions rather than her adult self. Tears started to form in her eyes. She couldn't bring herself to think of what all had happened while she was knocked out, but even still, something within told her to stand. One step at a time; nearly falling over from her wiggling and weak figure, something supported and aided her rise. It wasn't one of to which she was familiar with: the feeling and scales that touched her own were but of a stranger. She wasn't all there, and knowing she might've been taken captive by one of the guards, her heart pounded to a head-throbbing point. Ava didn't know what to do, but if it meant making it out or dying, either way was better than being held captive by Prosperity and its men. Taking her strength and might: all that she could muster, her claws sharpened, her muscles tensed, and with a quick shot open of her eyes, her body swung itself around to take a shot her captor. Before her hit could land however, the attack was caught. Her wrist was grabbed, and though not much force was put into it, it was clear she was outmatched once again. This infuriated her, and though her vision now brought upon a blur, the ability to hear came back to her. Though what she heard wasn't anything she could've ever expected, "You're lucky I don't break your arm for making such an attempt at my scales," The voice was still new, but one that had implanted itself into her mind the first time she had heard it, "I suggest you rethink your next move before 'my' next move ends your ability to think coherently for the rest of your life."

Serena stopped in horror to hear Cynder making such threats, especially to her young one. It didn't make any sense to her why Cynder would act so hostile, and even if there was a reason behind why she was doing this, the mother disapproved all of it. Where her voice was ready to roar; her emotions desperately needing a calm, quiet place to sit down and think, the face of fear and terror on Ava's face suddenly grew bright. Her tears switched from pained to saved: her frown and shivers became an after thought. A smile grew more and more, and with every passing second that her mind became clearer, so did her vision to see who was speaking. Even in her Terror Form, Cynder tried to make herself seem like a threat: something everyone should fear. But for Ava, this was exactly what she needed. It took a lot within the white female to truly grasp what it was she was feeling or what it is she was wanting to do. One thing led to another, and without a care in the world, her wings grew outwards, her paws were free, and completely giving way to her stance and defense, she fell into Cynder's arms: crying out in desperation, "CYNDER!"

The female collapsed within Cynder's hold. Ava left herself completely vulnerable. Though her heart pounded and her intrusive thoughts lit ablaze, the hold over Cynder was exactly what she needed. Ava had never seen the black female's true strength, but knowing her and the family she was with; even with her in this terrifying form, Cynder's chest and scales felt like sanctuary to her. Cynder was completely caught off guard to this. She intentionally made herself seem evil, and yet, someone such as Ava fully trusted her. Even with the stories and truths to what the Terror of The Skies had done, she couldn't grasp why this someone whom she barely knew would trust her so much, No... ...no, I... ...she should fear me... she... ...I... ...why... is this happening...? Seeing someone so close to her, and shorter thanks to the increase in size by becoming her Terror Form, fear started to doubt her: panic ensuing as her mind started to think poorly. Flashes of blood to Ava's body; her own claws, the ground becoming grass, bodies of those she had killed, and the hatchling hugging her in tears for her to stop. Her heart pounded and her plan backfired. The same thing happened when she thought about snow, but now with so many people around and everyone either away or doing their own thing, Cynder felt alone in tackling this issue. Though, even mid-battle, Spyro clearly saw through it all; him making the necessary steps towards her. But it wasn't him that broke her from her trance, it was Serena. The poisonous female grabbed a hold of her arm, helping Cynder snap out of these false realities and back to the truth of the matter. Cynder gasped, feeling off with herself and the emotions within her. And though her heart pounded and her body jumped, the connection the two shared through one another's eyes meant everything to her. Serena smiled to the mixed emotions her friend was feeling, and for what all she and Spyro had done for them, helping soothe the distraught female was the least she could do, "Hehe, I know. Being a parent isn't easy," She tried to change the situation; sitting down next to Cynder and making it seem as though this very situation could happen when the black female herself had a hatchling, "With so much going on, it's hard to calm yourself and those around you. But this right here is great practice for you. Though, thankfully, I've seen your lover, and your family. You won't be alone on your struggles," Her paw dropped from Cynder's arm: her voice attempting to stay calm even with the knowledge of who the Terror really was, still unsure if she could be trusted, "Take a deep breath. Relax yourself. I know it's hard for parents to stay strong for our hatchlings even in our darkest moments. Hehe, trust me, these past few days have really kicked my ass," Serena's genuine laugher added to Cynder's sense of self and reality, "But... once this is all done, what do you say we all sit down and lay out our emotions? I've always hated myself for crying in front of Ava, but now... I know I have someone I can talk to, someone who will listen... just as I will to you."

Serena's words were enough to numb back the panicked feelings brought upon by her past experiences and manipulation of the darkness. Her thoughts slowly calmed, as too did her heart and mind. The female wielder of poison knew she still needed aid in her dark place, and was sure to support her through it all, "Hehe. Now I see why Ava likes you so much. She wouldn't stop talking about how excited she was to meet you all again, or how much she wanted to thank you for what you did for her."

"I... ...I..." She didn't believe Serena on that one, "All I did was threaten her! And hold her down so she wouldn't say or do anything! How the hell does that make me look like a friend to her?!"

Ava's head rubbed against Cynder's chest. Where the female of white backed her head to look up upon the dragoness before her, Cynder looked down on her. When their eyes met one another's, Ava felt comfortable enough to speak the truth, "And? We threatened you first, didn't we?" Wiping away tears in a giggle, the free spirited and kind-hearted nature showed within Ava, now that the two were safe from the many soldiers of Prosperity, "You cuffed your paw over my mouth, so what? At least I have memory of that. Hehehe..." She tried to make the best of a bad situation, "When Axel put that muzzle over me, everything went black... ...I felt... ...I felt so afraid, so upset... and something within me was in an indescribable pain. I dreamt I was under water... my... mom... was drowning... and I kept swimming deeper and deeper to try and save her. My lungs felt full to bursting, and as I reached out my paw to try and save her... I... woke up here again... in a daze, of course."

"That's because that piece of worthless shit broke your nose," Thankfully, rather have her thoughts be intrusive, she found a common enemy to spit on with Ava, "That drowning feeling you had was because blood was entering your lungs. Since you couldn't breath through your mouth, all that blood and air was being pulled from your nostrils."

"WHAT?!" Ava was quite shocked to hear, "Wait, but! If... if that's true then... h... how am... how am I still alive?"

"A glitch in the system."

Someone other than the two female voices spoke to her, one that was behind her. Spinning her head around to see who it was, her eyes brightened once again: the sun factoring in a major favor by shining its light directly in the purple dragon. His colors were bright, hopeful, and a tear-jerker for someone such as herself who just experienced the worst day of her life, "SPYRO!"

Her smile lit the same as her colors. The once dull and grey feeling she had completely dissipated to know who she was around now. Quickly thinking on her feet, she was desperate, even after what all she had done, "Spyro! My dad, he...! Please, I know you've already done more than enough, and we may never know how to pay you back - BUT PLEASE! Please, you have to help him!"

Her lungs still hadn't fully healed, and from the large gasp she took, and the words she blurted out, it strained her lungs

"Whoa whoa whoa, easy, Ava, easy," Spyro, disregarding the battle entirely, walked past the soldier in front of him and away from the females, making his path towards the father, "I'm making sure he recovers fully before awakening him with my darkness. The same as you, I made sure you slept until your lungs fully recovered, though where wounds are one thing, bruises are another, so make sure to lay off the voice for a bit," Standing in front of the father's seemingly lifeless body, a guard pointed its trident directly to Spyro if he were to try anything, and as if to mock him, the purple dragon completely turned his back on this threat to focus on Ava, "I'll break him free so you two can have a family reunion. His wounds are almost healed, so I'd say give it another minute or so. Usually my abilities are fast acting, but I wanted to make sure that his ins and outs are back to full health, and to allow nutrition on his bones by allowing him to absorb the darkness to allow a faster transition of the sun's light," She blinked a couple of times, not understanding what all he meant or how he figured this out, "Photosynthesis. The darkness can feed on light. So, rather taking breaks when I'm training, I can use the darkness as a way of recharging and rehydration. That's kinda why red gems and green gems aren't needed to me anymore."

"Your stamina must be 'really' good, Spyro. Cynder, care to comment?" Serena picked on the female who was clearly thinking the same thing: her blush breaking through her scales.

"Talk about my lover's... athletic abilities, one more time, and me and you are gonna fight," Cynder tried her hardest not to nip at the teasing female, "Though it's annoying how hot that makes my body feel to think about..."

"What's that?"

"I WILL KILL YOU!"

It was very weird to Cynder to hear Serena and Ava laugh to her saying. On a normal day, surely screams and cries of those injured or dead would ring within her mind. It was definitely something that would take time to get adjusted to. It was clear however that everyone in or involved in what was going on needed some sort of adjustment as well. The Rebels, Property's citizens and its military, and even that of Amara, Celina, and Axel. Something seemed off, or rather, different than how a normal altercation would go. Panic was felt within for many, but it wasn't in an outburst. Screams, cries, the flapping of escaping wings from a particular area: none of it existed. Instead, their threat; Spyro, was treated and seen as a slow worker. Surely at any point he could erupt into his truest, darkest version of himself. But instead, the air was felt normal to all, even if the heavy weighted feeling of anxiety ripped at their hearts. One such example was that of the guard holding down Syrus. He trembled, but made no mistake on his duties. He was prepared to do what needed to be down, even at the cost of his own life. Spyro noticed his tremors, and gave him a choice, "I'm reuniting an abused and broken husband back to his family. Now what's wrong with that, I could only imagine how twisted or manipulated the story might be of yours. So either stand down, or..." He let his darkness shown even for just a little, "I put you down."

He was unrelenting: the guard swallowing hard, and his trembling shaking every piece of his armor. But that didn't stop him from standing his ground.

"Stand down, soldier," Surprisingly, Amara stepped in, knowing her authority would be enough, "Let Spyro take the prisoner."

"I'm sorry, ma'am. But I can not allow an asset such as this one fall back into enemie paws, especially after how long it took, and what it took to acquire him," He didn't drop his guard for a second, and made sure his words were clear and understandable, "The use of a hostage is pivotal in allowing each side access and proper standings on both sides. Our negotiations will not allow this prisoner to taste freedom."

"So... what I'm hearing is, you're declining this man's right to live and breathe? You're declining his freedom?" Spyro's claws twitched: the urge and need to rip through those who opposed him couldn't stay dormant for long, "Ava would've choked to death on her own blood, so it's clear your intentions on females are the same as males."

"Stand down and walk away!" Amara turned fully to the guard now, knowing just what Spyro was capable of, especially if pushed to act, "That's an order!"

The guard's sweat made this worse on him. His mind told him to back down, his heart, his soul: every rational thought knew what was the right call. He knew of his job and what needed to be done, but he knew what Spyro could do, and how pointless it would be to stand against Spyro. His weakness showed, and like a hatchling to an abusive father, he knew he lost his footing against the purple dragon. He thought about what was right and what wasn't, and losing his life when someone else gave an order to follow wasn't the kind of man he wanted to be. It took him taking one step back for a rally call to finally take place, "CORRUPTION!"

A voice yelled out with rage and frustration. To the middle of the altercation stood a defeated, bloodthirsty shell of a man. Axel, wobbling back and forth, stood to his fours; knife in hand, drool oozing out his mouth, "Under enforceable law of section twenty-three, paragraph four; Amara, I hear by disapprove of your standings and any further course of actions in military command due to suspicion that you have either taken, or have been corrupted by the opposition!"

"WHAT?!" Amara was beyond pissed to hear him use the rule book against her, and in such a way, "YOU...!"

"YOU SHALL BE PLACED INTO QUESTION!" Axel stood to his legs: his wings swinging open to fully display himself, "From this moment, I; Axel, Commanding Major, strip you of your unjust and terroristic threats!" Landing back down to his fours, he made sure to take command and threaten or kill anyone who stood in his way, "Conspiring with our enemies is punishable by five years prison; ten if said person is within power and is using said power to wrongfully harm or put those such citizens or military in harms way!"

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"

"Your father will be notified as it's my job to take command and act when you yourself are clearly under the influence or unable to think in a clear and concise way!" Amara was in tears over his actions: the man she once loved had, in her eyes, become a villain, and he acted the part, "You'll be dealt with later, but for now..." Placing a claw to the device that rested against the side of his head, a small button was pushed before he spoke, "I don't care what it takes, bring, Spyro, down! This is a code blue! Losing our asset will mean the lives of millions at home! If he reunites that family, we will all surely pay for it!" Spyro now had a red target on his back: Axel making sure everyone knew he was the monster in this story, "I say again, code blue! Who ever brings him down I shall double the pay, even triple if need be!"

Done with his speech, Axel's paw dropped from his communication device. The soldiers that swarmed the area turned their attention to the purple dragon. Spyro himself stood there with a near darkening look in his eyes. It was hard to make out how he was feeling, aside from the displeased look on his lips. He was pissed, knowing sooner or later that someone would've stabbed him in the back. But for it to come from the only one he really trusted hit close to home. The soldiers rallied with one another, equipping themselves and readying for a blood bath. A war was imminent. Spyro was caught in the middle, and he thought about it all, Had this not been me... ...had this happened with the other Guardians, or even the current ones... ...would they have gone to war? Would they use this as an opportunity to shed our blood? Why must we be on the brink of war over something so petty? Each soldier, now in position, readied themselves. One after another looked to the other on who would make the first move. Axel himself had plans too, flipping his knife in his paws before taking a sharp look to Serena, Cynder, and Ava. I remember how desperately I wanted to kill the Dark Master for what he put Cynder through. He's the reason why my partners died... why Cynder's parents died. And at the end of it all, had I not listened to those around me, I would've killed an innocent man... I... would've driven Carith to suicide. Axel's approach to the three female prompted Ava to duck behind Cynder in fear of what might happen. It was clear what his intentions were, and nothing, not even the love of his life, could stop him. Since Spyro stayed within his head; his guard completely down and his body exposed, the soldiers had a plan now and were prepared to act on it. All it takes is one man to make one mistake for all this to happen. But if one man can cause a problem... then so can a problem be solved by one. But how do I know what's right from wrong in this scenario? How do I make the right call? I have to be careful here. One wrong move and...

"BOOM!"

Breaking from his thoughts entirely, the sound of a loud crash, followed by a voice commentating over what had happened caught his, and everyone else's attention. The dust kicked up from where this crash had happened was exactly where Axel was at the time, although it was unclear if whether or not Axel was even involved in what had happened. The dust had to settle, and everyone squinted their eyes to make out what it was or who it was that caused the explosion. Slowly, a figure emerged from the ground below, and as the dust slowly started to settle, a figure: big, bold, and muscular, stood in the small hole created in the ground. Many gasped, but for those that were citizens of Prosperity, screams and cries of horror could be made out. His evil grin was undeniable, his stand and power undesirable. But they all knew who it was, and Spyro questioned him, "Malefor...?"

The soldiers all turned their attention to the dragon hidden in smoke. His darkness made his teeth shine white, and allowed his menacing stature to strike panic and fear within the hearts of all those around. The Terror and the Dark Master were on full display for all to see, and what happened next was anyone's guess. Though, some couldn't take it, and thought it best to flee. Their cries, screams, and fearful thinking was heard throughout the many that stayed to watch Spyro. But now with true horror and death at their doorsteps, many didn't know if they could handle it.

"Is that the Dark Master?!"

"No... no no no no!"

"We're all gonna die!"

"He'll kill us!"

"We need to run!"

"I don't want to die!"

Malefor's sadistic grin quickly faded, and not because of panicked crowd, but because the dust he kicked up got in his eyes and lungs. He suddenly started coughing, whining even as he used his wings to get rid of the ash the attacked his face, "Ah!" He coughed some more, waving his arm around while another rubbed his eye, "To hell with this..." He coughed, "To hell with this dust!" Now that the dust had settle and his figure was on full display for everyone to see, his first impressions to Property's citizens was, different, "Ahem...! Anyways! I... ugh!" His cough started up again after his deep inhale, and worst of all for him, his eyes got iterated from all the dirt he kicked into his eyes, "AHHHH! My eyes! My, ugh! My lungs!" He sneezed as well, his body seemingly being taken out by the simplest attack ever: dust, "Holy shit... ...AH...! I'm gonna... ...I'M GONNA FRICKEN' DIE!"

He fell down on all fours beside the hole he had made in the floor. Because of this, everyone now had a view of what had happened. Axel was seemingly knocked unconscious by Malefor's attack, and the way his body faced flap at his face made it look at though Malefor's attack was directly to his back. With him now unable to lead his soldiers, their following orders were unknown to all. They knew of their first objective, and to secure the asset. But after that, they were sitting ducks. Malefor, however, had other plans. Coughing for a few more seconds, he patted the ground around him before touching Axel's face. He still couldn't quite see, and accidentally poked the unconscious dragon in the eye, "Oh, shit! Sorry dude."

Now with his vision clear, and his paw landing over the device Axel had used to communicate with his soldiers, he took it for his own use. Standing up slowly but surely, he placed the device to the side of his own head, adjusting it to fit well enough on his own head. With the earpiece placed properly, and the mic lined up with the proportions of his mouth, his eyes and stature finally widened, "Ooooo-kay! And, I'm back!" Messing with the device a little, he found the button he needed to push, and once understanding it fully, he went back to being evil, "Hehehe... Listen here you maggots! Your leader has been dealt with! So, for the sake of your lives and everyone else around you, I suggest you do as I say exactly when I say it!"

To make matters worse on those of Prosperity, the Guardians and their females had landed alongside Cynder and the other two females. The presence alone was enough to stir the uneasy pot that was this altercation. Property's military knew of their might and power, but with a lack of command; a rising amount of powerful and unknowing threats, the soldiers themselves knew they needed to act on their own accord. Serena and Ava's eyes lit up bright, as too their smiles to see this family once again. The Guardians towered over the fearful ones, and with their females at their sides, nausea set in for the mother. She nearly fell, but was caught by the earth Guardian: Terrador, "Whoa, easy there, Serena."

The mother was completely and mentally exhausted from this whole ordeal, and having the Guardians here and now was the turning point she needed to keep herself from breaking down fully. Ava's watchful eye noticed they stood the same way they normally would've in the Chambers: Cyril to the far left and Ignitus to the far right. Their positioning was mirrored since their landing was behind the others and not in front. Cynder had taken notice to this, and since she was in her more aggravated form, she scoffed at them, "Some Guardians you are to be hiding behind females."

"Girl, last thing we need is to get in your way when you kick yourself forward in the need of blood," Flair knew where this would've gone, "I'd rather not be in your way, especially when you have a plan. Speaking of, what's his dumb ass doing?" Her claw gestured to Malefor, "He does realize that some aren't too happy that he's even still alive. Those Property folks are turning into noodles since both you and him are having this reunion of sorts."

"What are you talking about?"

"There's citizens of Prosperity scattered around watching this all unfold. They're beyond frightened that this place will be their grave, and Spyro any minute now will give the order to have everyone here killed," The female of red and blue sat next to her companion: Cyril, "Prosperity knows they could kill Malefor on their own, but not without mass casualties. Him on his own isn't a threat, but mix it in with you, and a dragon that's more than triple, hell, even quadruple the times of the Dark Master's fullest potential, and you have a recipe for a mass extinction."

"How do you know all this? How long have you all been watching?"

"About ten minutes. Long enough to hear Axel bitch about his statues. While everyone else lied in wait for what to do next, I scouted around and collected information on those around us. I made sure when I spoke to Flint that I at least had the pros and cons of an assassin and its line of work down, which is why I already had so many kills under my belt in the first place. Wanted to freshen up and make sure my memory was still as sharp as always."

"Assassin work was so much fun!" Claire clapped happily, "That was until those three were whiney little bitches about it."

"They were just upset that Ignitus was getting a girl before the rest of them," Flair had an idea, "Which, to be honest, makes me disappointed in you, Claire. I could be living in a world where this red bitch isn't always at my throat waiting for my 'true colors to show'," Her blade swung up and cuffed Cyril's neck: the ice Guardian reacting in a jump, "I'll kill him if he dumps or cheats on me, that simple. Why else haven't I killed him yet?"

"Hehe, because, it's the man's job in the relationship to do all the penetrating?" Cyril took his chance, but from the way she looked at him, he cleaned himself up, "That's what I've heard others say! It has nothing to do with you and me! I-I-I-I just said it out loud is all, and have no intentions or ideas that are sexually related to you or anything else in anyway!" Her face was blank on his response, but he still tried his best to get back on her good side, "I... I woof you..."

"WHAT?!" No on had ever heard him say this before, and Volteer was surely one to shake his head, "And the dog has been latched around his master's collar. De-pressing."

"Wait, but like, that wasn't an, 'I love you', was it?" Trish was very curious.

"I mean, last time Volteer said that to me, he brought me a collar and some stuff to tie him down with, so..." Ersa had some jokes of her own.

"WHAT?!"

"Erroneous, fallacious, and inaccurate. 'YOU' wrote that story down on page two hundred sixty three, paragraph ten of book eight," Ersa blushed rather hard to hear him nail down the exact specifics of her line of work down to the paragraph and page number, "I noticed as time went on, your thoughts and needs were wrote down more and more. It makes sense to me why now you worked as hard as you did when we reunited, and how pointless it would've been that night if I said no to our mating session," She froze, completely, and afraid he had done something wrong, he waved a paw in front of her face, "Um... Ersa...? My love, are you... are you okay?"

Her heart made her body bounce, and from the drool that dropped to the side of her mouth without even moving, it was obvious what she was thinking about. The girls laughed to this, aside from Carith as she was so focused on Malefor and his next move. After what Flair had said, the worried blue lover knew a target was on the older purple dragon's back, and rightfully feared for his life. Cynder too couldn't join in on the fun. She noticed Spyro's struggles: the way he stood in silence, afraid to even make his next move. And because of this, all eyes and ears were on what many believed to be the Dark Master himself. He used his newly found device to take control of the situation, or rather, take command over those that were causing this outrage, "I shall lay out my plan in full detail. If you are to disagree with my orders, I shall have you dealt with," Malefor wasn't making himself look any better than what many already knew he was, and no one who knew the truth about him or trusted him enough could speak out: many questions would surely follow on the legitimacy of who Malefor was, and if he was simply acting heroically within public eyes, "Now, with that out of the way, show a raise of paws on who here dares to defy me?"

The many and wide variety of soldiers showed an absolute disgust, and distasteful view on who Malefor was. If the stories weren't bad enough, meeting him in person made many want to puke, whether that be from sheer fear, or the purest form of hatred. Property's military didn't play into his games; one of the elite member within the rankings stepped forward. He stood in defence of what was right and what was wrong, and he knew for a surefire fact that Malefor was nothing more than a corrupt anomaly, "Standing with you would be like standing on the graves of all those we had to bury because of what you did," The dragon used this as a rally too, knowing full well the fighting spirit was low due to their lack of numbers and who they were up against, "You let yourself live after everything you've done? How disrespectful of you to walk on the soil that many are now buried under with a smile on your face! You crack jokes when having cracked skulls! You put yourself out there when people like you should've been lost to history, NOT THE MILLIONS OF INNOCENT LIVES THAT YOU TOOK!" Malefor made a mistake in believe he had been forgiven so easily, and with a stunt like this, he didn't help his case, "We're going to do what we should've done years ago! We'll end the war between Property and the Rebels, and purge you from existence at the same time!"

Malefor dropped sweat to see that his actions did nothing but tarnish his reputation, even if ever so slight more. He didn't mean for things to take such a serious detour, and had, in many ways, forgotten that the newer times were different from that of the old. Every word he uttered could be twisted and burned: his once hero type appearance and look in the eyes of others was still very sour. His previous apology did much in persuading many to his side, but many more overpowered those that appreciated him, and those that wanted him died. The Guardians and everyone else who knew him frowned to see Malefor ducking his head in embarrassment. He could hear the whispers of disgust and distrust all throughout the crowd. Carith was definitely one to frown on this, but believed he could make things right if he said the right thing, Come on, my love... you can do it. I know changing my mind about you and persuading me back to your side wasn't as much of a battle as it could've been, but... look at Spyro... look at Cynder, and your friends: your brothers. You can do it. I know you can. The purple dragon knew he had to say something fast, but all that came to mind were jokes that, at this point, surely would've caused an outcry. The purple dragon tried desperately to think on his own, but the Dark Master pitched in to make things worse, "Look at how they treat you. They're so disgusting; backstabbing in their own right, and would rather see you fall than succeed. You think they care for what you've done for them? No... and how could they? Sure a spider catches bugs in its webs, but do you think people see good in evil? No... they see a creature, a monster, ready to bite, kill, and poison its victims. You're nothing but a spider in their eyes. A creepy, crawly insect they're all waiting to step on. Now imagine if you silenced them. One by one, they kept their mouths shut. What's the point in respect when you can feared. Look where being a hero's gotten you, and look where being a villain got me. The world at my finger tips, and you? An aged, broken, and disposable excuse for a living being." Malefor unfortunately listened to his words and took them heavily to heart. From the hate to his left, and bashful words to his right, no place was safe for him to get away from it all. He was stuck on what to say or do, giving in to the hate and tears: unable to think for himself of what to think on before saying it. While many were still in defense over him, it outnumbered their voices. But one voice spoke above all the others without a need to be raised above the rest, "I will accept the transfer of command."

Everyone stopped silent: wind included. The voice that had spoken was one of power over the situation as a whole; the army included, and those of Warfang and Prosperity looked on in horror to Amara's words. She stood their proudly, seemingly unfazed by her own words, even if sweat reflected from his scales due to the sun, "Malefor, for the next ten minutes, I would like to see how you can work an army," The soldiers all backed their heads in gaps, now truly believing the majestic female of white was corrupted, "What ever command you give them, they shall follow without question. What you choose to do with them, they will willingly abide to. That's the code within our military."

"I object to your order!" One of the soldiers spoke out of rage.

"Don't you dare raise your voice to me!" Amara spat, "You question yourself now, but not when Axel was killing a mother's child right in front of her very eyes?! You speak up now because you're a brute who simply wants to be on the easy side of life! If I give you an order, you better damn well follow it."

"Your power was stripped of you when Axel...!"

"Axel is no longer my escort! He will no longer serve me from here on out!" While still very much stunned, Axel heard this, but his only response was tears, "And since we're throwing the rule book out, I shall call into action section twenty-one B, paragraph one of our laws, rules, and military regulations. Military command on a mission such as this one is given to the escort of said king or queen, or to a general with twenty-five years experience. If said king or queen does not have an escort/military leader present, said person shall take full responsibility of the safety, actions, and responsibilities said soldiers are to follow. Section twenty-three B also states that, under a false flag/striking of an upper power under false pretenses that said higher power isn't corrupt or under the influence, said person shall be jailed for up to five years with no parole. Depending on the severity of this false action; one that puts the lives of millions at risk and said squad, their sentence shall be extended, and said person shall be fired and stamped in red for any future job applications," With that out of the way, Amara looked down on Axel's lying corpse, making sure he paid for his wrongdoings, "And in Axel's case, I'll make sure he never sees another good day in his life. He shall be blacklisted, and dishonorable discharged from his job as my escort. I'll make sure everyone knows of the failure and manipulative nature he brought upon those that he not only commanded... ...but who he loved too..."

Amara nearly broke down to see what the two of them had become. To make a decision such as this sounded so easy in the moment. She was pissed, upset, broke: a far cry from what she wanted to be. Her display of excellence and power; that perfect smile for a perfect face and body was all but ruined with her tears, or at least that what she believed. She kept strong however, thanks in part to her spiteful nature. It was unknown to her whether or not she'd regret her decisions, but right now, everything felt right to her, even if it pained her. Malefor raised his head some to hear her support, but waved his paws as he only meant things as a joke, "No no no, I-I-I-I don't actually want your army, I just..."

"Malefor, I'm giving you ten minutes to do what ever you so please," She was shaken on every decision she made, but feeling there was nothing left to lose, it made her want to give up, "And before you all question my decision, the code for today is: three zero eight. Code word..."

"Arroyo Lane?!" Malefor suddenly blurted out, but seeing the disappointed looks from others made him back down, "Never mind..."

"Ahem... Code word: Alberta."

The soldiers all had their collective sighs: each audibly and visible displeased with Amara's decision. One such soldier, the one whom rallied the troops before with his speech, made it clear on what she was doing, "You do realize if he tells us to commit genocide, or even to kill you, that's an order, and we will obey it," He was serious in what he had said, showing no breaks or stops in his voice, "Are you sure this is what you truly want? By you agreeing to this, you're disregarding everyone who's fallen to this monster by giving him exactly what he wanted a year ago."

Amara was very aware of that day. This thought, and her look into the eyes of Malefor's own, helped clear her mind to think about what she was about to do. Her memories coming back to her on that faithful day.

---

Rainfall had unfortunately minimized the visions of all those that walked the path of what was surely certain death. Amara, followed aside by Axel and two dozen soldiers, rallied under the forest and its luscious greens both high and low. The moon had taken position high upon, though down below was a different story for Property's soldiers. Many hid within trees, bushes, leaves: any cover that would've given tactical advantage. The number of soldiers doubled, nearly tripled as they sat in wait for their guest. Not too far out of reach, near a mile or two away, sat tall and proud the land of Prosperity and its castle. They were nearest to home; one of if not the only reason for those around to be so calm. But due to the rain, complete silence was too much to ask. An approach from any angle would've been unknown to all. As Amara and her companion sat side by side with each other, the male spoke out of fear, but kept himself calm under pressure, "You really think he'll show?"

Amara was hesitant to answer, a little caught off guard from the break in the silence, "He's tried this once before. And unfortunately, he knows of his strengths and weaknesses. I don't think a mass bombardment of his army to our own would be very wise," It was thanks to Intel from a previous group, and Watchdogs that kept her mind at ease, "We're closest to home anyways, and from scouting reports from our Watchdogs and perimeter security surveying five miles wide upon our land, I see no reason to worry."

"Amara, listen, I..." Something bugged the black dragon, more than usual, "I know you don't want your father to know about this, but... are you sure doing this on your own is the right call? I mean, what if..."

"It's the right call," She was firm on her decisions, "My father is a brute. He'd try to track the Dark Master down to the ends of the earth, risking the lives of every solider we have just to scratch him. Also, you heard what our scout said when he was brought back in basically a body bag. If I didn't own up and be here, he'd cause an all out war against our city with those troops of his," Her heart pounded, but due to the sheer volume and pour of the rain above, all these damning emotions that would've been seen and acted upon were overshadowed, "I don't like this anymore than you do. Sitting out here... out in the open... knowing that I could die in the next hour... ...I... ...I..."

"You'll be safe... I promise..." Axel held her paw, and unfortunately for him, he felt her shivers now: the black dragon wondering if the water that hit his paw was tears or the rain, "I'll protect you. And what ever happens, if you need to run, do so. Don't look back."

"I won't leave you to die. You..." The white female struggled on her decision now, wanting to take it back, "I... can't... lose you," She clenched her eyes either due to the rain, or something else, but either way, Axel's eyes never left her sight, "You mean more to me than you realize..." Her face turned to look him in the eyes: the two spacing out in the moment, "If we... ...make it out of this... ...promise me... ...promise me that... ...you... that... we'll..."

She couldn't find the words, nor the strength to tell him how she felt. The two moved in on one another: their lips closing in on desperation for one another's tastes. However, their loves was cut short by an object that flew past their faces. It whistled by in an eerie way: silence and safety breaking itself away from this attack. The object jammed itself within the tree at the far backend of where the two were at. From this, an action was taken. The soldiers around her jumped in front and guarded her with their armor and weapons. Amara and Axel jumped, snapping back to reality. Looking to where the shot had come from, eyes of purple emitted a horrifying glow. The darkness within these eyes, the smile that followed through: only one man was capable of rattling the armour of every solider that laid eyes on him. His figure slowly emerged from his hiding place, and though his introduction was absolute upon the scheduling of this meeting, seeing him in person was far different of a story. The Dark Master was tall, masculine, and destructive: cunning in near every move he made, every thought that he had. Even with every soldiers weapons drawn and ready, the smirk on his face never left him. He was inches away from the group yet stood no way in defense. Everything that lived and breathed swallowed hard: the darkness that invoked the area made it hard to breathe. As if his appearance wasn't enough to cause a panic attack, his voice chilled many to the bone: paralyzing all those who opposed him, "Prosperity and their weapons. Such fragile little things. They bend, they mold, and they break. They cry, they beg, and they bleed," The Dark Master laughed to himself, "Oh? You thought I was talking about your weapons for a second, didn't you? No. I'll describe your weapons later, but for now, why not allow me to elaborate on the pathetic nature of your kind," Amara was stunned on what to say, like a cat had snagged her tongue, "How many more will die because of you, I wonder. I can't say I'm the one to blame for their deaths when you can end that here and now."

Amara took her stance as queen, biting her lip and pushing past the guards to have a clear sense of direction and view as to where this conversation would go. She wanted to read his body, feel the tone in his voice, and plan ahead if he were to try anything. The rain made her fears invisible, but her voice spoke and broke all the same, "M-m-m-malefor... ...I hope that our... agreement, will be beneficial for both parties?"

"Oh, indeed," He sat in a cocky way, though this was premeditated for sure, "I've come to a simple conclusion: join me, and rid Warfang of its population, and I shall end my war entirely," The white wind female couldn't answer to this, nor could she agree to it: further context clearly being needed, "I have no plans to continue my squabbles with you and your filthy race. I shall simply sit back and watch the fireworks, that's all."

"In other words, you want us to commit mass genocide for millions to suffer through afterwards," She wasn't dumb, and knew the game he was playing, "Let me guess, this works only in your favor and can go two ways. One: you let everyone live with the thought and memories that mothers, husbands, and hatchlings were killed simply because we were scared. Or, two: you kill us all when our army is weak, and since we don't know how many men we'd need for such a task, it'd leave Prosperity defenseless."

"You really don't trust me to honor my word?"

"What the hell have you been up to!" The Dark Master raised a brow to her question, "We've seen what you've been doing in those ruins! You're planning something big, and whether we agree or not, you're going to go through with some other plan, aren't you?!"

"Heh-heh..." Malefor was proud of his plan, and though he wanted to spill the beans to what all he had planned, he laid it out in vague detail, "You could've gone to bed without these thoughts within your mind, but intrusive imaginations are truly where fun can begin. You see, there's something known as the Destroy laying dormant from a previous war with one of those... purple pests. I had a thought in my mind while trying to resurrect the thing," He played it smart: not too little information, but also not too much, "Why not give you the chance to save your planet. You'll be a hero! All you have to do is kill everyone in Warfang, and everyone survives," His smile faded into a disgusted look, "After all, that's how your morals work, is it not? Save millions but kill a few thousand. Who cares if those within the millions are murders, rapists, thugs, and thieves. Whereas the thousand you killed could've been scholars, engineers, and thought provoking idealist on the future," The Dark Master spat at the way humanity worked, "I've seen your city streets. I've seen how the world works, and I know enough about both dimensions to understand that you all belong in purgatory, whereas we deserve to thrive."

"You really think you're the good guy in this scenario? We have jails for a reason: laws, courts, judges, leaders, and separate powers! While we're out here trying to make life positive and filled with locations of fun and enjoyment for our future generations, you're splashing blood soaked lies! Stealing families and loved ones away from each other! Acting on your own to supposedly make things right LIKE YOU'RE SOME SORT OF GOD!" Malefor appreciated her tone little, enraged by her sudden outburst, "I've seen you bleed. You're no god. You're a child who was clearly hurt when he was little and never had the father figure to slap you across the face and tell you no!"

Amara was desperate for peace in times such as this. The cries she's heard, the vicious nature of his actions, and the hell he's brought upon their land: she'd do anything for it to stop. However, causing more of a stir in judgement, and crossing the line between right and wrong wasn't one to which she would make so easily. Instead of giving her a second chance, the Dark Master laid out his plan with no hope of anyone surviving, "Since you wish to be uncivilized and raise your ear piercing voice to me in such a manner, I'll allow you your... civil unrest," He stood now, seemingly done with whatever would've been said afterwards, "I'll resurrect the Destroyer one way or another. I thought it'd be in your best interest to join me on this path to your kinds cleansing, but it's obvious you'd rather think for yourself, as your kind always does."

"Wait!" Axel stepped forward, "So either we join you and die after with the weight and memories for all those we killed, or decline your offer and die with dignity?! Why the hell would we ever accept such an offer?!"

"Why do dreams give you more than real life? Someone who's lost their life can appear in your dreams; they can comfort you, talk to you, and in the case of all those who have died before I was even conceived, why not allow them closure?" He spoke in such a manipulative way, using the darkness in such a situation to shine light on his decisions, "From the moment we're born, we are forced to experience hate, while the things that we love are stripped away from us. Your world is a parasite that has long since been corrupted by the people that inhabit it. Your species must fall in line, and if a mass extinction will do it, then so be it."

"But you'll die too!"

"No. I shall make my way home before the collapse of your world. From there, I shall be hailed as a hero. I'll rid the world of itself, stop the cycle of the purple dragons, and rule all on my own as king," Malefor turned his back to the group, his smile unable to be kept still, "I already know how to rekindle the flame of this world. It's only a matter of time before it goes boom, so I suggest you prepare for the fracture. Once the wall of flame takes form, and the Destroyer rains down below, it'll all be over. And if you dare attempt to stop me, I'll simply find a way to turn Warfang against you," He chuckled his way as he exited the field of view from the others, "See you all in hell."

---

Amara's memory of that day was still clear and new. The emotions she felt during her time near him, the panic and disorder within her mind caused panic for not only herself, but everyone around her, After he left, a sudden clash happened with his dark forces. They attacked in mass, wounding many and causing a panic for our soldiers and Prosperity itself. He played us, and every which way, we couldn't find a way to stop him. We had sleepless nights: night terrors and sweats waiting for the day the sky would light ablaze in fire. Her memories unfortunately brought on real-world panic. She didn't realize it, but after the soldier had asked such a pivotal question, the last thing she needed to be doing was freezing up and second guessing herself. However, it couldn't be helped. Seeing Malefor here and now after their encounters was all too much for her, Now that I'm not focusing on Spyro, and I'm really looking deep into Malefor's eyes, I have to question myself. Is he the same as the Dark Master? Is he truly the monster I met so long ago? She thought back once again, although this time, it wasn't too far into the past: a small couple of days ago.

---

Many smiled, seeing the support he was giving to her in all the best ways. But one was to show teeth, upset at that fact, and it was Celina herself. Clapping his paws together, Malefor remembered something perfect for the occasion, "Oh! Shit! Amara!" She faced him, "You know, I know someone who would totally bang you and still give you exactly what you wanted from, Spyro!" Amara was interested, Axel was hesitant, and Ignitus was pissed, "My boy, Ignitus over here!" Swinging his arm around the back of his neck, he gave Ignitus's resume, "He's got the knowledge of all dragon history being the Chronicler, which means he knows all the ins and outs of how to please a women, and best of all, if you're looking for size... heh-heh... my boy's a twelve!"

"STOP TELLING PEOPLE THAT!" Ignitus slapped him to the back of the head, nearly sending him to the ground.

"Da-ha-ha-hamn, bro! I felt my brain touch my eyes! You outta be a pimp with that slap, goddamn..."

"Um... how does he... know that?" Amara was afraid to ask, blushing just like any other.

---

Better question I should've asked myself is, why did he tell me that...? She had plenty of memories to look back upon when they first visited this family. Some were pleasant, others not so much. But where her nightmares and intrusive thoughts were considered, something other than her stuck-up nature shined through. Wait a minute... ...this is it...?! This! Right here and now, this is the end of it all! Her heart jumped once realizing the sheer scope of what her decisions could do, and help mold a better future. If they're serious about this; if Malefor's serious, Spyro's kind hearted, and our sides meet on equal terms...! It's over! Each arm and leg twitched: desperation to run, jump, and smile shinning bright in her soul. Our war with the Rebels! Our war against the Dark Master! Our war and distaste for Warfang and its leaders, IT'S...! Tears fell from her eyes. It was impossible for her to sit still any longer, and where the soldiers would've jumped in front to stop her from making such a decisive action, she was much faster, at least in that moment. They weren't prepared for her to make such a move, especially directly towards the world ending threat that was Malefor. The purple dragon's scales were stunned in fear to why someone like her would be running directly at him. Instead of moving, he raised his paws up and admitted defeat, "I'm a virgin! Please don't kill me!"

A sudden feeling of warmth covered nearly his entire body. His eyes were sealed closed in anticipation for what was to happen, and feeling love rather than pain was another reason to fear. He didn't expect this feeling, especially not from someone he didn't know all too well. The weight of wings to his back, the weight of a chest to his own; arms over his shoulder, and cool tears running down the same place, Amara gave herself up to him. She needed someone to hug, someone to love, someone that would understood her. Carith didn't see it this way however, and instead felt anger towards her. The sight of her man being rubbed up on by another female; in a rather scale rubbing sort of way too, it grinded her teeth. Malefor's cheeks felt more and more red too, on display for all to see his embarrassment from the feeling of her scales. He opened his eyes in hopes of thinking about anything else, but his first view point was that of her rear. The scales of Amara was smooth; silky to the touch, elegant in looks and nature, and very different in all the right ways compared to a normal female's. She was on another level, which is why it took Malefor all he had to not think about her at the very least, "Hot-hot-hot-hot-hot! I'm hot! Not her! Who's her?! I don't know! I'M LOYAL, MAN!"

Carith was on the verge of stomping her way over to the two, ending this little hug, and maybe even her relationship. Though thankfully, Ignitus stepped in having seen her fluttered effects, "Relax, Carith. I trust him."

"I do too, but...! Why's that bitch gotta rub up on him like that?!" Carith's teeth grinded, trying to hold back other words.

"Look at it from her perspective. She has no one in this situation. From how it sounds, she has no friends. No lover, no family, no... really anything for that matter. Malefor unfortunately is still seen as an enemy to many, but in Amara's case, she's finding safety in that," Ignitus looked down on the weeping shadow dragon: Axel in denial over what all's happened, "She needs a family... someone she can go to for safety, and to get away from all these duties and responsibilities. Malefor... brings out the laziness in people."

"You mean like that time you all were supposed to do bone breaking training because the other Guardians told you to, but instead, he some how convinced you all to play darts?"

Ignitus chuckled from memory, "Hehe, yeah. They were so pissed at Malefor for that, but he shrugged it off and said, 'Technically, we all threw a dart the wrong way and broke our bones. You all weren't there for that, but it happened. We were training our brains for precision, so we could better hit our targets on the battle. So, we trained, and broke our bones.'"

"That sounds like some ass backwards shit he'd say too," Flair rolled her eyes at the man Malefor was.

The hug between the two concluded, and though Amara could move, Malefor could not. The white wind female wiped a tear from her eye, thanking him in a very innocent and vulnerable manner, "Thank you... ...thank you, for coming back to us. I had forgotten these memories... forgotten what it's like to fear, and genuinely enjoy the progress of life. But..." She gave a weak laugh: one that wasn't of joy, but anguish, "After you lose everything you've ever cared about, you start to look back on things and realize... ...what will this memory and experience do to me in the future?" Malefor was completely stunned, still unable to move from what she had done, and this both confused and scared her, "Um... Malefor...? Are you... okay?"

Sweat dripped from every pore. His body trembled and his mind went wild. What he wanted to say and do was far too inappropriate for where they were, especially within public eye. He needed to say and do things that many would most likely shun him even more so for. The only thought on his mind now wasn't to calm himself, but to relive himself of these emotions and thoughts. He turned suddenly. His movements had an effect nearly every solider, each believing this turn was a quick slash to Amara's neck with his tail blade. She wasn't worried however, and sat there in confusion. It wasn't his tail blade that so much moved, it was his mouth, "Carith...!" His female raised a brow to him, "We need to go somewhere! Anywhere at all!"

"Oh for the love of..." Flair face palmed, knowing what he was getting at.

"Why? So you can rile me up just to back out?" She knew full well where this was going.

"What?! No, no no no, I'll...! I'll uh...!" He had to think fast, "I'll let Spyro deal with Corvus to give us just five minutes! That's all I need!"

"You men are pathetic," Once again, Flair wasn't surprised by Malefor's actions, "Cyril."

"Yes ma'am!" He saluted her.

"You better be a ladies first kinda guy, if you know what I mean."

"Uh..." He didn't know if this was a test or not, so he tried not to think sexually, "Of course I am," She thought for sure she had him, "I will open the door for you, and let you be the first to sleep! Though in situations where we are unsure, I shall take lead and provide you with safety!"

"BASTARD!" She snapped at him.

"What?!"

"Ha! 'Ladies first kinda guy'. That's actually funny," Trish knew this was her time to shine, "I'm more of a, what ever Terrador what's kinda gal. First in, last out. Right, my love?"

"If it's what Terrador wants, he wishes to duck his head and try to ignore it all," Terrador grumbled in embarrassment, hiding his head with a paw.

"Help me!" The jokes and innuendos were completely cut from Spyro's mind all together. A feminine voice spoke to him, or rather to any and all that could hear him. His light hearted nature grew stiff: the smile on his face vanishing. Who ever was screaming this was in pain. The sound unfortunately came from within his own mind, so trying to pinpoint who it was that said this wasn't going to be easy. Kettu and Xvar hadn't commented on the voice, which only fueled his now racing heart, Kettu...? Xvar...? Did you... ...did you two hear a voice? They seemed confused by his asking, "No. Why?" Kettu responded. "We were actually just about to ask why your heart suddenly spiked. What exactly did you hear?" The atmosphere felt dense to him, something seemingly turning against him. He was being watched by someone or something. What it was was frightening enough on its own. Just its gaze alone was uncomfortable, but once again, the source of this entity was just as much of a mystery as the voice was. Where Spyro fought invisible demons, the rest of his family continued their fun. Malefor's approach was successful to Carith, and he pointed out something that was rather unnerving to some, "Look, Corvus must be asleep or something! Maybe if I just, transfer him out of my body and onto a bed, then me and you can some have alone time."

"Wait... Corvus isn't responding to you?" Ignitus didn't like the sound of that at all.

"Yeah. Which I mean, I'm not getting stabbed in the heart or threatened hell fire upon, so maybe he agrees too," Malefor held Carith's paw and raised it up to their chests, "Come on, my love, what do you say? Me, you, and a little bit of time to ourselves. No Dark Master, no troubles, and no worries. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

She was desperate to accept his every wish and agree to what all he was saying. But from out of nowhere, Flair went behind his back and put him into a choke hold. It wasn't a threatening one, or a vicious one: it was obvious she was joking around, but Carith couldn't help but question her, "What the...?! Flair!" She had an idea as to what she was doing, and that's why it upset her, "What's wrong with me and Malefor wanting to have some fun?!"

"Spyro has enough shit to worry about, and you want him to deal with the Dark Master's shit too?!" Flair stood on her back two legs, holding him up enough to get a good choke hold, but not enough to actually cause any harm or blockage of his airway, "I'm not about to have to deal with your bullshit! Spyro will have to worry about Prosperity, the Rebels, A.D.O., The Father, and the Dark Master all by himself?!"

"Ugh! You... pussy blocker-UGH!"

She went a little tighter, "Women aren't tools! The last thing I want is for shit to hit the fan! There's already enough going around, and last thing we need is for the Dark Master to start tearing up the place again!"

"Wendy...! Think... about... ...Wendy...!"

"Wendy...?! Who the shit is Wendy?

"HAHAHA!" Malefor laughed, but he knew this joke would kill him, "Wendy's nuts gonna get-UGH!"

"Flair, stop!"

The jokes suddenly seized. Having Ignitus step in, and with such a serious tone sent chills down many of those surrounding him. Though for Flair, she already knew what he was gonna say, and was rather pissed that he'd still think this way, "Are you really that much of a prick?" She tossed Malefor's body to the side; the purple dragon hitting the floor with a thud while she came back down on all fours without so much as a sound, "I wasn't actually going to kill him. But if you're gonna keep being this way, I'll..."

"Flair, wait..." Claire stepped in, something seemingly off about everything that was going on.

Now that someone of a more smooth and feminine voice spoke up, the red female took her time to adjust to what was happening. The jokes became an after thought, and unfortunately for her, the looks on the Guardian's faces weren't very pleasing. They were silent: each looking ahead and directly to one person. The females themselves held close to those they were with, and each were given a wing for protection. Cyril himself stepped forward to aid her, but she raised a paw to block his support. She wanted to know what was happening: turning ahead to face where they all were looking. Spyro seemed unnerved. His vision looked from right to left, up and down, back and forward. His darkness was at the ready, but for some reason, he wasn't showing his hand. He kept what he had close to him, using what was already out in the open to his advantage. The citizens of Warfang, and spectators from Prosperity were all quiet. Hatchlings and young ones held on to those they knew and loved, questioning what all was happening in sorrow.

"Mommy... ...what's going on...?" The hatchling of blue held her mother's arm.

"I... ...I don't know little one..." She was frightened herself, but knew she needed to stay strong, "It's okay though, my child. Mommy and Daddy will protect you."

At the same time all this was happening, Syrus had finally awoke from his slumber. His body, still weak and on the verge of collapse, found a way to awake from his comatose state. He groaned in pain, and his actions invoked quick response from one of the guards. He looked down on his moving figure, and though he went to step on his head to keep him on the ground, Spyro snapped, "DON'T TOUCH HIM!"

The guard immediately froze. Where they normally would've questioned him, or gone against him due to these orders not being from either Amara or Axel, he simply sat there stunned. Spyro's voice was frantic, unfocused, and frightened. "Please! Someone! Anyone! Help me!" No one else seemed to be hearing this voice, which was unfortunate for Spyro. It seemed as though he was going crazy, but hearing the sounds of someone so close to death; someone seemingly within reach but unviewable, he needed to find out where this female was and fast, "WHERE ARE YOU?!" Cynder herself couldn't understand what was happening, but she didn't like it one bit: no one was understanding what he was going through, "I CAN HEAR YOU!"

Even for someone as vile and vicious as Celina, the way Spyro was acting kicked her heart into gear. Something told her to run, and she had the reason to do so, "Spyro, cut it out. I knew you were crazy, but screaming the way you are isn't gonna convince anyone you're a hero. We all already know you're a fake and a fraud."

He couldn't hear her. He couldn't seem to hear anyone but this voice. To make matters worse on the situation, Corvus finally spoke on the matter, or rather to Malefor alone, "Do not talk, just listen!" The purple dragon was surprised that he finally decided to talk, and even went as far as to mock him, Well well well, look who... He didn't get much else off before the Dark Master took charge again, "We're all gonna die if you don't shut your mouth!" Malefor was a little caught off guard by this. He wasn't too worried in this situation as he trusted in his and Spyro's abilities to get the job done, so he didn't understand the fuss, Ah. Another attempt to manipulate me. Corvus, you gotta try better... "ENOUGH!" Corvus stopped Malefor short once again, putting enough pressure on his opponents heart to make him kneel. The pain and pressure was enough to cause an explosion of blood from his mouth. As if matters weren't worse enough, those who watched on and saw Malefor collapse from a mass cough in blood; the family of plenty all crying out his name in worry and fear, anxiety was through the roof for all. Amara moved closer in desperation for safety, Celina readied her escape, and Cynder herself stayed close to Malefor if the Dark Master tried anything. "I'm not playing games, I'm not in the joking mood, and for once in my life I'm genuinely being serious about this!" Carith's paw reached out in support over her pained lover. A stroke of good news was finally upon them as Malefor spoke out loud, "I'm fine... ...I'm fine..." So the others knew what was happening, he spoke out loud, "What do you want from me?"

"Obviously I need access to your body. No fights, no back and forth." It seemed easy enough, but Malefor still had questions, "And with what all is going on, how do I know you're not trying to get control of the situation? Or work with what ever force is scaring Spyro so badly?"

"Because whoever's out there isn't friend. I have an idea of who it is, and if they see me out in the open, I'll be dead in seconds for sure," Malefor was starting to regret asking, especially since Corvus gave more context than he would've thought possible out of him. "He's like me in the sense that he'll kill you and Spyro based on your purple scales. We need to get out of the open and back into the Chambers. From there, I can work with Spyro to make a parameter of such with our darkness to assess the situation. Stay near someone that acts as a civilian." A sigh escaped his lips, "You're the one taking over. You don't have to tell me what you're gonna do. Just... ...don't be the Dark Master in this situation, alright?"

Corvus didn't respond to this. Accepting what all was happening, the others understood it too. The way his eyes closed, the way the conversation had preceded: the family backed to give him space. Darkness not of his own started to hover over his body. His figure and stature slowly started to change. Amara backed away out of memory. She knew this look of darkness from the last time the Dark Master had taken control. But luckily, she had her moment with Malefor mere minutes ago, and trusted this decision, I can't make heads or tails of whether or not the Dark Master is evil. I question whether or not Malefor himself is even who he really says he is. But... for how different they are... the fact that no one has died yet makes me believe that... I can trust him... I can trust them. His eyes opened to the dismay of the white female. She knew these colored eyes well. The way they move, shifted, and collected the information of himself and his surroundings. The Dark Master was always prepared for anything. Her only saving grace was his gaze wasn't to her own, but to Cynder's.

"Cynder, Amara, you two follow. Now."

His voice was just as direct and controlling as ever before. It was hard for her to disagree in this situation, but to lighten her fears, Cynder stood between the two in support, "What the hell is going on, Corvus?"

"I'll explain once we get to him. For now, follow."

She simply did as instructed. Their journey over was rather quick: the three having walked at a near jogging pace to get to the aggravated and what seemed to be petrified purple dragon. He was ducking low, readying himself for an attack. His darkness flicked and twisted, almost as though it was sniffing out for something. He was on guard; a heightened state of awareness, one that put a lot of strain on his muscles and lungs. The approaching three annoyed him, more so Corvus than anyone else, "Why are you three here?! Don't you hear her?! Don't you... feel... what I'm feeling...?!"

Corvus looked to the chained Syrus and commanded the guard to have him moved, "Take him over to the others. All of you need to move."

The guard was familiar with this voice, and knew for sure now who it was, "Like hell I will! We knew the Dark Master was in there somewhere, and of course now you'd show your true colors!"

"Enough!" Amara knew at this point that she needed to take lead, "All of you, protect the Guardians and their females. Make a circle around them and allow Syrus his reunion," The turn of her head and locked eyes to Axel's shivering body made her scoff, "Make sure to pick up the trash along the way, too."

"But, ma'am..." The look on her face made him question no further: a simple sigh following along, "Understood."

The many ran past her and into position: a guard helping carry the weak and battered body of the Rebel leader. Now, to full display for everyone was the most important piece of history. The purple dragons, the Dark Master, the Terror of The Skies, and Property's queen. Celina stayed in close proximity, not appreciating the atmosphere or Spyro's frantic actions, but it was best to eavesdrop for her own safety. With everyone out or the way, Corvus was finally free to sit still and explain the situation, "Spyro..."

"What are you hiding?!" He acted out of rage, "Where is she?! Who else did you turn?!"

"Spyro!" Cynder snapped at him, the purple dragon doing the same but with his vision, "I'm not so sure what's going on either. I don't hear a voice, and it seems Corvus doesn't either. For all we know you could've been poisoned and that's why you're so afraid right now," The Dark Master knew the truth, but kept his mouth closed to allow her to diffuse the time bomb that was Spyro's darkness, "Just take a breather and let him speak. Once we're back home, we'll sit down and cuddle. I'll even find what ever poison is in you and neutralize it with my own."

This seemed to work well enough to get him to ease, though all five of his senses were still very much on high alert. Now that she had given him the window of opportunity, Corvus attempted to reason with him, "Spyro... what you're hearing right now very well could be another Dark Dragon."

"WHAT?!" Cynder gasped, as did the family upon hearing this.

"Wh... what...?" Spyro's eyes went a little wide, but since his senses were so heightened, so were his intrusive thoughts, "No... NO! You're lying! You're manipulating...!"

"I SWEAR ON HER LIFE!"

Spyro stopped cold to hear the Dark Master say such a thing, especially about someone the purple dragon had just found out about. Ever since learning about her, he's questioned the reality of who she is and his relationship with her. But from the rage and sorrow in his voice, he spoke from experience. That, or he was about to be played for thinking any of this even mattered. There was a possibility he still held onto lies, or in another case, manipulated his own thoughts and memories to trick Spyro into seeing a false truth. Whether that was true or not wasn't something he thought about, at least in that moment. He trusted Corvus on this, and listened to his every word, "What you're hearing now is the sad truth. Someone is acting out in the same way as the previous purple dragons, or rather, the first purple dragon," This got Spyro's mind off things, believing now that by listening to Corvus, he could make things right in the future, "Remember back to the morning of today. I told you what the first purple dragon did: how he enslaved that dragoness. I didn't tell you the full story, or rather, left out some minor details."

"Shocker," Cynder rolled her eyes, uninspired by his manipulation.

"Shut your mouth," He attempted to nip at her, already upset enough to have to be aiding the purple dragon, "There was... something, of a comprise. While it's true the darkness was holding him back from achieving true strength, as the darkness feeds on light, so too can the light feast on darkness. To make sure she couldn't aim her darkness at his heart, or have enough power to escape on her own, he fed on her darkness. It kept her weak, frail, and defenseless. While the male was spry, healthy, and full to the brim with energy. His strength well exceeded his own expectations. If we are to believe he loved her, than this transaction was a trade deal between the two. But since we know she was enslaved, she was forced to live her life as his battery."

"And he kept that a secret?!" Tears started to fall from Spyro's eyes: the rot of his emotions were still unknown as the source to his pain was unclear, "She was afraid... in tears... completely at someone else's mercy, and no one... family, friends, maybe even a lover of her own... could she return to them..." Every ounce of his being was in ruins: his heart hit, his head ached, and his soul felt filthy, "Wait, but... you said he could've done this all without knowing it! You said he was blinded by his emotions! What if... what if by me keeping Kettu and Xvar, that means I've already failed! What if they don't want to be with me - what if I've been absorbing their power and I haven't even realised it?! Does my own dark forms put them at risk?!"

"SPYRO!" He hadn't even noticed their increase in voice tones. Kettu and Xvar had been trying to reach out to him for some time now since he started his rant, but only now were they able to get through to him. "Ask Corvus to continue his story," Xvar had spoken up, following along side him was Kettu. "You'll quickly realize just how different you are from the first purple dragon, and why we've trusted you enough to not plot your death, or the deaths of your loved ones." Still shaken up from it all, closure was need, and desperately so for the purple dragon. Taking the words to heart, Spyro took a deep breath and pleaded with the Dark Master, "Sorry... ...p-p-please... continue."

Corvus grumbled somewhat, "One reason of thousands why I'd never have kids. Your whines are like claws on metal."

"That, and your attitude reeks. The smell of the dead circles you well," Celina finally spoke up againt him.

"I hope you take offense, but I don't care to swat at every fly that's ever flown past my ear drum," The Dark Master scoffed, ignoring the female's comment.

"Thought you enjoyed the whines and pleas of all those you killed and tortured," Cynder took a jab at him too.

"Weakness and pathetic pleas are two different tones. One evokes a smile, another, an unwanted headache," He was tired of the back and forth already and proceeded with the backstory, "Anyways. Your fears and worries are weightless here. If Kettu and Xvar were in any danger, they would've told you by now. We as Dark Dragons have fight-or-flight actions too. And unfortunately, mine has activated," The Dark Master speaking out of fear wasn't a welcomed one: he knew more than what he was letting on, "The voice you're hearing very well could be another of our kind, or a way to fool you into making a rash decision. But either way, trust me when I say this: we need to get out of the public eye, right now."

"Why?! If someone really is out there, if a dragoness from your world is here, maybe she was stolen from your realm, just the same as you, Kettu, and Xvar!" Spyro had other plans, "Instead of sitting by and letting whoever's doing this hurt her, or absorb anymore of her power, we should be out there doing something! Instead of me using her, I can help her back to your realm! I can be the exact opposite of the first purple dragon!"

"You are putting my life and those other two traitors at risk the longer we're out in the open!"

"At risk how?!" The purple dragon wanted answers, "Why do I feel so afraid?! Why can't I calm myself down?! And why can't you all hear this voice?!"

Corvus spat to all the questions, knowing full well a child would ask so many, "You never could shut your mouth, could you?" It was obvious from how Spyro looked at him that there wasn't any other way out of this except the truth, "The voice you're hearing is based off a frequency, the same way Property uses specific devices to communicate with one another from longer ranges. The reason you're hearing this voice and not us is based on your power output. You and Cynder talk to one another through touch. However, it's very easy and very much possible to communicate no matter your distance if you knew this frequency of one another's darkness."

"What...?" This helped in allowing Spyro and Cynder to share a moment, a blush even, to know they could do so much more with one another.

"The voice is latching on to your darkness based on your power. It disgusts me to say, but your darkness is far more powerful than my own as of right now. She senses strength, and a possibility to escape. So rather stir the entirety of those dark signatures around her, she focuses you. The last thing a Dark Dragon wants to do is speak to an otherwise unfriendly and unhelpful guest."

"No wonder why she didn't speak to you," Cynder seemingly grew nippy: her darkness influencing her anger.

"Continuing forward," Corvus snapped his teeth at her from the start of his sentence, but focused back to Spyro afterwards, "Your senses are heightened right now. Your light side wishes to save, protect, and make peace, all of which are pathetic values, but we'll skip over that for now. However, your dark side feels rage, war, and anger. The only way for this Dark Dragoness to be held down is if the user themselves possess dark powers. He's clearly grown quite accustomed to them. Similar to how your kind can sense the strength in one another based on an aura, the same can be said for the Darkness."

"So he's acting like a little bitch because his light and dark sides are both being attacked by something..." Celina was all at the ready to bash and degrade Spyro's entire character, but her realisation was pure fear, "More... powerful than him..."

Celina's realization gave shocked and fear-filled looks to all. The Guardians releasing their weakness to this situation, Cynder's knowing of Spyro's distress, and the purple dragon himself realizing he may very well see someone close to him die today. His mind lit a fuse, a countdown to a detonation of fear, stress, and anxiety. His heart was already on the verge of bursting, and his actions were confiding and twisting with the darkness. He agreed and disagreed: he thought of reactions but stood still. This day had already tested his mental capacity, but at this point now, he was on the verge of collapse. Cynder watched in horror to see her lover's state. His blank, lifeless eyes. The sudden bouncing from his heart and emotions. He needed any and all comfort, and unfortunately, the most she could do was close the gap between the two and hold his paw. The sudden feeling and warmth of her soft embarrass made his scales fizz. It helped, but also severely hurt him, knowing this could be the last time he would ever feel her touch again. It was the last thing Corvus wanted to do, but he knew it was life or death when it came to this information, "Spyro, listen to me. He has reasons to kill us Dark Dragons on sight due to our threatening and powerful nature. But if I'm right in assuming who this person is, than only our lives are at stake here," Spyro's darkness seemingly grew darker, "He'll target you and Malefor first due to your scales, but that also means me, Kettu, and Xvar are at risk of being wiped out... permanently."

"And how's that?" He growled.

"There was something he once said to me... when me and him first crossed paths. He said he'd find a way to erase me from existence, then repeat history when it came to the purple dragons... one... specific event... in history..." Corvus himself had fear in his voice: his body unable to contain the shakes and shivers Spyro too had, "He'll break the mind of the user. He'll turn your darkness against you and force a decision of life or death. That decision you'll have to make within your mind. Will you choose to kill what makes you human and turn into a monster because of it? Or will you let the guilt, the darkness: all your past mistakes come back to kill you?"

"So... ...who ever this person is will target us first...?"

Cynder jumped at a feeling rushing through her paw. A transfer of his energy was sudden, but what his true intentions were was something she couldn't ask. However, hearing something from within her, twice over now; she didn't want to accept what he was about to do, "Spyro... Spyro, don't...!"

"Then he'll go after Cynder... he'll target her too..." The way his voice rumbled, and the expressions he gave off: Corvus knew he failed to calm the purple dragon.

"Spyro... Don't do this..." Corvus backed away, "I gave you a chance to reason with me... I gave you my word and looked out for you!"

"YOU LOOKED OUT FOR YOURSELF!" His paw hit the ground: an action powerful enough to inflict a rumble across the entirety of Warfang, "Cynder went through hell because of you! The mental scars you've branded into her brain I can never heal! And even now, because many still see her as a monster and not an abuse victim to your control, she's put in danger once again?!"

"You're such a hypocrite," Corvus spat, directly to Spyro's face, "Glass half full? You always look on the brighter side of things, yet you can't see the luck in her even being alive," Spyro's teeth grinded: the two seconds away from committing to a fight, "Since you're going to constantly ring my ear drums with these perpetual and unending cries, how about I just kill her since you think EVERYONE'S LIFE SHOULD BE ENTITLED TO THE EASY LIFE!"

Swinging his paw down and up, Spyro griped the Dark Master by his throat and held him high into the air, enough so that he himself stood to his feet. Corvus coughed from the sudden and aggressive tension, and even though something like this was obvious and foreseen, it riled him up, "That's the thing about you purple... DRAGONS! Nothing's ever good enough! You want more power, more strength, more of a purpose in this world!" His claws dug deep into Spyro's arm, but with adrenaline high, he barely felt it, "You're... you're... YOU'RE NO DIFFERENT THAN ARTEMIS!"

"HE'S RIGHT HERE!" Spyro looked all around, holding Malefor's body up high, "He's the reason for all your problems! Kill him, and we can talk!"

"WHAT?!"

Everyone who knew Spyro were in shock and awe. He would never do something like this. But for others who still viewed him poorly knew his true intentions. Celina and Flair both saw it. He was using this as a way to display himself as the good guy; throwing those he deemed as pawns under the bus, making them face death for their mistakes rather than redemption. Others saw it this was too, and for those who looked at Spyro as their last shining light of hope, they spoke out on it.

"THAT'S NOT WHO YOU ARE!" Serena cried out.

"LET HIM GO!" Flair yelled.

"Hehe... I lied... ...there is one thing different compared to you and Artemis...!" A tear dropped from Corvus's eye: one of either self-loathing or hatred, "He gave it a couple of years before he stabbed me in the back..." The Dark Master tried to laugh, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, "I... never... should've...trusted..."

"ORION! DON'T!" A voice, one of it's own having issues, yelled from the crowd.

A bolt of almost invisible lightning, shot past the crowd in front of the user. Spyro's eyes widened, knowing the voice from their previous meeting, "Kayla?"

The bolt traveled past the horns of the Guards protecting the Guardians, past the Guardians themselves, and through the front lines of the remaining soldiers. It scratched the edges of the armor to one's helmet, disintegrating the metal and fully exposing the scales. Gasping through slowed time, Spyro used everything he had in terms of speed and reaction time. His emotions helped him act similar to the second coming of the Destroyer. Slowing time to a near crawl, the bolt seemingly slowed. But from the power and force that the user had shot it, the distance it traveled represented that of a bolt of lightning. Spyro still had to react in millisecond timing. Still gripping Corvus by the throat, he angled him downwards, pushing his own body forward in a tackle. Just as the back of Malefor's head moved, the bolt of lighting appeared and lit up in color directly in front of Spyro's face. The shock and sparks that followed edged through the ripples in space and time. All he could muster was a gasp before it hit him directly in the forehead. The impact pushed him back ever so slightly. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and in an instant, his body became a shell. With time resuming, Corvus fell down to his back in a growl: Spyro landing lifeless on top of him. Not having realized what had happened, the Dark Master acted out of anger, "What the...?! GET THE HELL OFF ME!"

His right claw raised to take a stab at Spyro's back. Cynder nearly screamed for him to stop, realising the nature of her lover's form. But somehow and surprisingly enough, Corvus stopped himself. Spyro still hadn't moved: his body motionless. His head rested to the front of Malefor's neck. This was his last warning, but still, no one knew what had happened, "SPYRO! I SAID GET OFF ME!" His claws itched to stab through his back and be as rough and demanding as possible, but he froze for some reason, "Spyro!" No response still: his claws twitching and his voice weakening, "Spyro...!" Resting his paw on his back now, the Dark Master shook him, trying to find any kind of remnants of a soul, "Spyro..."

From what had happened, everything afterwards grew dark, muted: void of any sound or emotion. Millions watched on with raised necks, thousands looking over the other to see what had transpired. The purple dragon was seemingly down and out, but what had happened for the dragon to fall was all but a mystery. The first thought in everyone's mind was Corvus himself, and an idea popped into Cynder's head as to what had happened, "AGAIN WITH THIS NIGHTMARE SHIT-?!"

"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" He snapped back at her, gently rolling Spyro over and onto his back.

Ignitus, knowing if what ever wound he had taken on was fatal, would require mere seconds for him to get his son back on his feet thanks to his abilities. He rushed, at full speed nonetheless, to his son's rested position. He took no chances of precautions to hide his identity, phasing through the dragons that guarded them around in a circle. Plenty of the Guards were confused but didn't make out much of it, and since most of the public eye was on Spyro and Corvus anyway, no one seemed to have noticed. With Cynder stepping forward, Celina stepping back, and Ignitus rapidly approaching, Corvus stood to the side of the lifeless dragon and faced the Flame Guardian head-on. The Dark Master displayed his row of teeth, but so too did the Guardian before him. Unlike the dragon of dark colors, the brightly lit one of red boomed his voice, "EXPLAIN! What did you do - WHAT HAPPENED!"

"If I knew that I would've already done something to advert my ears from your high pitch whines!" Corvus growled, his stomach twisting to feel Malefor wanting control again.

Ignitus knelt down by his son's side: him on the left of the purple dragon and Cynder on the right. His father slowly scooped his wings below, raising his son to a higher elevation. Tapping a claw to the purple dragon's chest, an hourglass appeared; sighs releasing from the two whom were most connected to him emotionally. For the sake of safety, Ignitus acted upon the hourglass. His paw twisted the circles around it, lining up certain symbols and letters: a much more advanced version compared to the simplistic one used by Spyro. While Ignitus aided his son, Corvus took a look to the purple dragon's head. Corvus rounded the bulky and broad shoulders of the Guardian, and what he caught a glimpse of completely stunned him. A small black hole in the middle of Spyro's forehead emitted small traces of darkness. It looked like rug burn: his forehead seemingly hissing and steaming out this hot fire. The hold he had over Malefor was completely eradicated, and rather giving the purple dragon a chance to gain control back over, he separated himself entirely from the two entities. The Dark Master took no chances, exposing his body, heart, mind, and soul to everyone around him. Malefor was shoved forward by the sudden force of the Dark Dragon's ejection. Where an infection would latch forward and slowly make its way all around one's body, the darkness of Corvus acted in reverse. The shove forward caused a bump against Ignitus side, and still not knowing who it was at the time, his paw acted, "Get away from me!"

His claws swung around to slash at the dragon's throat, but luckily, his fall was unpredictable enough to where even someone like the Dark Master couldn't have acted so foolishly on even if he tried. The purple dragon landed down and onto his side, in a daze, but wide awake. Ignitus noticed the laid out dragon. Malefor's purple colors had returned, his lumpy and clumsy nature showed, and with a groan and a tone, they all knew who was in control, "You know... ...usually... ugh..." He placed a paw to his head, "Usually to get venom out of you, it requires a loud ass sound or certain pitch... not... what ever the hell it is that you're afraid of..." That sentence made him stop dead cold as well: his eyes snapping over to Corvus as he realized what was said, "Wait?! YOU'RE AFRAID?!"

"We're... ...We're all dead... We're... we..." The Dark Master spoke in slurs until finally giving in to his rage, "NO!"

Rushing forward head-on, The Dark Master acted as a complete threat to the world and safety of others. His malicious looks, voice, and design were on display, and his actions insighted panic within all. Malefor however wasn't too afraid to stand up to the grizzled war veteran, quickly rising to the occasion and extending both his wings outwards. Corvus hoped a slam to his opponents chest would've been enough to knock him down, but the purple dragon prepared for this already. He tensed up, even went as far as to use his earth powers to clamp down his paws and feet. Unable to push past him, he tried to reach past him, threaten him, or even kill him if that's what it took, "MOVE!" The Dark Master slammed his head against Malefor's chest, "IF YOU DON'T MOVE RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!"

"Aren't the villains supposed to explain their plans as it's happening?! Go on! Explain what's happened!" Malefor unfortunately didn't help the situation, only stirring the rage more-so within the dragon.

"HE'LL KILL US ALL!" Once again, he blurted out nonsense to all, "If we don't kill him right now, it's us or him! I don't know how someone... how anyone! Could've found a way to recreate history in such a hellish way, but we're all about to go there and find out!"

"How about we just send you there and-!"

"MALEFOR!" Cynder slapped her paw down to the ground, taking control of this situation since it seemed truly life and death, "Corvus, take your time and breathe. The constant yapping only causes this loud ass ringing in my ears to the point I want to break something. You're making bold accusations to kill my lover, so you better have a real good reason as to why I shouldn't just gut you for making ANOTHER attempt at his life!"

Corvus couldn't seem to find the words to express the gravity of the situation. He wasn't afraid: he was petrified. A certain paralysis came over him. Unable and knowing that he wouldn't be able to explain it all in time, he took aim with his voice at the red in color dragon holding the purple one, "Ignitus!" It was odd to be having a conversation with the Dark Master, especially one that signaled him out, but nonetheless, he turned his head, "Adonis! Look through your memories!"

"Adonis?" Many if not all questioned who that was.

"The Chronicler knows! HE! Knows!"

"Didn't we just have a conversation about NOT looking through the memories of The Chronicler?" Malefor scratched his head, "Also, if this is something so important, why doesn't Volteer remember this name?"

"Because purple dragons and their history are forbidden to be known by others!" The Dark Master's throat felt sore: a collapsing feeling holding his breaths back, "It's why no one knows about the purple dragon before YOU! Why no one made books, monuments, or plaques: all that stuff is buried, burned, or destroyed! Those who know about it all are dead, and why purple dragon births are so sporadic! It's to hide the history of you monsters so society will welcome you back in, CONSTANTLY! Without any accountability for your actions!"

"Wait... Adonis is a purple dragon?!"

"BUT NO ONE KNOWS THAT BECAUSE EVERYONE WHO'S EVER KNEW HIM DIED!" Corvus stopped to inhale: conversations with those unable to help seized, "Ignitus! Now!"

Ignitus couldn't help but to be curious on the situation. Talks of a purple dragon led him astray from what was previously discussed, and with this information coming from the Dark Master of all people, the threat and warning he was given was clearly real. It was a situation he couldn't take lightly, but even still, many wished for him to go against Corvus's words, Cynder included, "Yeah right," She scoffed, "You're just trying to save your own ass," The Darkness within the dragon spiked: Cynder's words clearly aggravating him, "Ignitus, don't bother. He's just trying to get to you. You were able to heal him and his darkness I still feel from one heart to the other. He's stable and his heart is beating."

"And then... ...boom..." Corvus backed away, his wings itching to open.

Spyro hadn't woken since the time ability was used. The Dark Master's words were enough to cause worry, but for something so powerful to not work, Ignitus apologised in advance, "I'm sorry... but... ...I have to know what he's talking about... especially if this has to do with my son. Especially if this could mean the start of another darker timeline. I have to be able to prevent something from happening that could cause another million to go on knowing their journey ends here."

Blocking out all other forms of communication and talks, Ignitus looked to the past thanks to the Chronicler's memories. However, what he had found, discovered, and in many ways lived, was far too much for even him to handle. The memories overflowed. The thoughts, actions, and events caused too much pain within him. But like a bad dream, he couldn't look away. His eyes were already closed: a form of sleep paralysis holding him back. He saw the color red over buildings, trees, millions of bodies: a landscape turned deserted of green. All that remained was a desert of bones, ash, and pillars of what once was. The carnage stretched for miles upon miles, days into nights, months into years until it all finally ended in a sacrifice. With these memories flooded, breaking the dam of his mind, his eyes snapped back to reality. Though with these thoughts being so intense, blood shot from his mouth and to the floor, barely missing Spyro's own body. His muscles squeezed, blood dripped from his eyes and mouth: his ear drums rigging a sad tone. He was in shock. Not only had he discovered what happened from days past, but what too was about to happen to the one he loved: the one he called his son. Cynder, Malefor, Corvus: none loved the look in his eyes. The fear once within only the eyes of Corvus took hold upon Ignitus: a once singular worry and thought of this all being a trick was a fading memory. The father of love and compassion looked to Spyro in horror, the same kind the Guardians once showed Cynder when she was first saved. This look made her act in defense. Her tail clamped shut, and with a sturdy paw to the ground, her head swung forward violently. As her forehead crashed into the Guardian, his head reeled back: his wings extending into the air. Cynder quickly grabbed hold of her lover in her own wings, swiping him away from the threat. Her paw lightly touched the ground, but it still gave her enough pressure to push off of to get a good distance away. Many had gasped to see this. Cynder never had a problem with Ignitus, especially not to this degree. But still, she cradled the purple dragon and ducked to hide some of him with her chin and neck. Ignitus regained himself, though the headbutt he received wasn't one he would've ever expected to be from a female. The pain was immense: the black female clearly putting all she had into the attack. For what had happened, he wasn't upset, but now desperately tried to reason with her, "Cynder... wait... p-p-please... ...I-"

"GO TO HELL!" Her darkness multiplied her thoughts: what enraged her burn like lava, and what saddened her depressed her, "How dare you... ...how dare you look at YOUR SON WITH THE SAME EYES THAT YOU FOUR LOOKED AT ME WITH FOR ALL THAT TIME!" She wasn't about to backstab him the same way others had, "You were going to hurt him... YOU WERE GOING TO ATTACK HIM!"

"NO!" Ignitus stood a little too fast: so much so that he nearly fell, but Malefor caught him, "Thank you..." He wasn't at his best, but he still had time to thank his friend, "Cynder... please, listen to me. What happened to Adonis... it's happening to Spyro too! For the time being, the only thing I can think to do is put him in a time coma similar to Carith!"

"WHAT?!" Everyone cried, but Cynder was the one to follow up, "GO TO HELL!"

"Cynder! It's the only way!"

"I'm not going to let you have all the power over Spyro here! If you put him in a coma, then only you can bring him out! That nightmare you showed me: the world in which Spyro failed to stop the Destroyer, I was nullified! You think I want to be different?! That I want to be put on meds or numbed until I'm able to handle myself again?!" Cynder understood Spyro's fears: forgetting points in time due to shadows, and waking up years later in a daze without any memory or recollection of events and relationships sounded all too painful, a nightmare turned to reality, "If you want me to hand him over than you'll either have to kill me! Or, give me the time power so I can awake him and have control over MY lover! Because at the very least I know I won't let him rot for years to come!"

"I would never do such a thing!" Ignitus tried his best, and unfortunately, he understood her fears, but didn't know how to numb them so he could act.

"We're running out of time!" Corvus could feel the darkness within Spyro getting stronger and stronger, "I told you we as Dark Dragon were in danger! Either way, Spyro will wake up and know that Kettu and Xvar are dead! He'll kill himself knowing what he did, KNOWING THAT THEIR DEATHS WERE ON HIM!"

"So even you knew that Spyro truly cared to help! That he truly wanted to make up for everything the other purple dragons did, yet now you try to sympathize with him AFTER they're gone?!" Cynder darkness inflamed from that viewpoint, making it now more difficult for Ignitus's words to reach her, "I won't give him up! Especially since every time you've tried to help Spyro, all those timelines and realities, it was YOU, who ended up killing everyone in the end!"

Her rage and frustration now focused to the Red Guardian. His tears, fears, and cries were all real. He truly cared, loved, and wanted what was best for Spyro every day and every second in the year. But even he knew there were sacrifices, ones to which would be beneficial, but would also hurt, "Cynder... you know Ersa... you know Volteer... and you know me. We will find a way to save him as quickly as we can: to cure him of what's happening. If we don't find something within the week, then we'll try something differently - but if you don't give us his body, we will all die." She didn't budge, still holding Spyro close to her chest, "You know how much I love my son... what I would give up for him to live even for just one more day. But if it takes even a week of time for him to live for years to come, I will make that decision for him even if he isn't here to agree with it."

Cynder believed his words there, and though she would've done more, it was still Spyro's life that was in her paws. She needed to know the decision she was making was right: that at the end of the day, she'd be able to do something later to see him again, "Just... ...just... ...just tell me what's happening! Why do I have to give him up?! What the hell happened to this... Adonis, person... to make you so afraid?"

"Ignitussss," Corvus hinted that they were in a rush.

He sighed, heavily too. He knew he needed to explain in a timely manner, but also knew at any point from now and then, Spyro could turn. Still, he took a breather and attempted to make peace, "The Dark Dragons over the years have made... devices. Weapons of mass destruction to take on the purple dragons and their future generations. One of these such weapons was of course the Destroyer. However, there have been many others. One of these weapons has unfortunately been attached to Spyro, and unlike poison, it's targeting his darkness. It will target his mind, and the man that will rise from the aftermath of the implant won't be who you know and love. If we don't make a choice now to save him... he'll have to make a choice on his own... either outcome unfavorable to us all."

"Oh... Kay... wh... w-w-what are the outcomes?" Cynder was slowly understanding their fears, especially since the Destroyer alone was a threat to be handled by multiple people, and even then, they still failed, "And... even still... we... The Destroyer... ...we were never able to beat it... ...How... how the hell do you expect us to beat this... this... new weapon?! This... implant?!"

"That's... the issue... ...we don't... ...Spyro does..."

"STOP BEING VAGUE!"

"EITHER HE'LL COMMIT SUICIDE OR HE'LL KILL YOU!" Corvus finally blurted out the truth.

It wasn't how Ignitus wanted to put it, nor did he want it to sound so destructive. Unfortunately, where he had thought of a good way of putting it, maybe even hiding the truth a little, Corvus's blurt out caused panic; not only to the ones that loved Spyro, but to the people around him as well. All of Warfang had a reason to fear, but the panic didn't stop their. Corvus finally found his voice, enough so to use it, and insight panic within even the littlest of hearts, "In his mind, he'll be met with a choice! Either he'll kill the one whom his heart, soul, and mind deem the most important to him! Or, he'll kill himself to prevent the idea or thought that he's actually killed you! If he kills you in his mind, he'll believe you're dead! Everything within him will reject you and your bond that you two have made towards one another! That rage, the anger, that loss will cause him to become the most powerful dragon in the world! But everything that moves will anger him! Every second of silence will anger him! He will cause a rebirth of your kind all over again! He will not stop until half if not more of the population on this earth is gone! Either he'll kill himself then, the remaining darkness will, or someone else that passes by! However more likely than not, the darkness will make sure that he kills you every which way, because at the end of the day, they can control him to kill, murder, and commit mass genocide!"

An outcry was bound to happen sooner or later. The idea of their lives being so easily squashed: that their screams, cries, and pleas would all fall on death ears. Spyro was already feared due to his strength alone, but for him to turn evil and feel the need to wipe the earth clean was enough for almost anyone to believe in a cataclysmic event. Their lives could end in seconds, and for those mothers, fathers, and hatchlings: those who had their own hearts set on people they viewed as friends, family, or loved ones; they took to the sky in panic. Many running as fast as they could to collect belongings, wake relatives, or hide in wait. This type of panic scared even the Guardians, knowing of what happened last time such an event occurred: the blood soaked buildings and piled on bodies, Spyro acted like a heavenly being to all. His wings of warmth, his speed of dealing with horrific situations. Volteer too understood this, and he spoke aloud, "Our greatest heroes can be our greatest enemies..." He stepped forward a few, "Just as easy as a light can turn on, so too can it easily be consumed in darkness..." He dripped a tear, his mind going wild on what he could do to help, "Spyro..."

"Cynder!" Even through the crowd of scattering dragons, Ignitus raised his voice enough to give her a decision, "You have to make this choice!"

She found a flaw within his line of reasoning, "YOU'RE SENTENCING HIM TO DEATH!" Ignitus hadn't seen it, but the fear and words within Volteer meant something now: they were dead either way, and the two; Ersa and Volteer, knew it, "EVEN IN THE COMA, YOU STILL THINK! YOUR BRAIN STILL PROCESSES INFORMATION!" This realisation hit Ignitus like a train, "IF YOU PUT HIM INTO THAT COMATOSE STATE, HE'LL STILL END UP LOSING, OR DYING!"

"Cynder! DON'T!"

"But at least now...!" She looked down on her purple dragon, trusting in her decision, "If we're here... if we're with you... ...we can help you... we can give you a chance..." Her tears fell onto the purple dragon's body, "No one thought I could be saved... but you proved them wrong... ...you proved the whole world wrong. I know we can do this... ...together..." She laughed sadly, "Together Forever... ...right...?"

The sound of screaming dragons ceased entirely. Spyro's body completely consuming itself in a form to create a dark figure: his purple, orange, red, and gold were suddenly darkened. Time felt froze: Cynder's voice echoed in worry, "Spyro...?" His eyes shot open, revealing blackened out eyes that oozed a dark liquid down the bottom of his eyelids. A sound followed: an eerie explosion erupted outwards. The cries turned to a dead, hollow void of the end. Her choice was made.