Hello and welcome to another chapter! It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, not for me anyway. I'm starting to write this literally a day after chapter 4 came out. Spyro has been on my mind lately, mostly due to Crash Team Rumble, so I couldn't resist writing another chapter to My Days With You.
So anyway, to recap, we saw Spyro looking over a rain-covered Warfang as he was getting himself mentally ready to go to Ignitus' funeral. Cynder, being the supportive girlfriend she is, arrives to comfort him when he's on the verge of breaking down. They eventually arrive at the memorial service where Spyro finally gets enough courage to say goodbye to a dragon he deeply cared about.
Little did he know that Ignitus has now become the new Chronicler for the new age, watching and guiding over the purple dragon from afar.
So what will happen next, I wonder? Let's find out… enjoy!
(Chapter 5: Blue Eyes)
The streets of Warfang were relatively calm as the night sky shimmered over the sleeping city. For once, the city could finally rest. There was no need to be extra vigilant during the night or have an increased amount of city guards roaming around the city wall, it felt like the entire world was giving Warfang a vacation, a chance to rebuild and become the great dragon city it was once before.
And while the rest of the city slept, so did Spyro and Cynder.
Spyro was fast asleep in his bed, with only peaceful thoughts seeping into his mind. He and Cynder had spent most of the day roaming the streets, on the behalf of the Guardians, and overseeing what was left in the reconstruction of Warfang. It was long and tedious, and both teenage dragons were mentally exhausted by the time they were finished.
As they spent most of the day going from one construction site to another, the purple dragon began to wonder whether or not he was actually needed this time around. He and Cynder had plans to spend time together the day they were called in, time that they planned earlier in the week. But unfortunately, the two heroes had a job to do.
Spyro knew that the destiny of the purple dragon was to direct the fate of the new age, but he didn't think that it meant becoming an honorary foreman because the Guardians were apparently too busy to handle it themselves. There were days where Spyro wished that the Guardians would just give him a break once in a while. It couldn't hurt, right?
The only relaxation Spyro could ever get these days was only after the sun went down.
Spyro's sleep was soon disturbed by Cynder's tail twitching slightly and making slight contact with his scales. It was enough to wake the purple dragon up, but he couldn't be annoyed about it; it was the dead of night, and Spyro was too tired to think. Besides, he knew Cynder wasn't doing it deliberately.
Spyro stirred from his sleep briefly, lifting his head slightly without opening his eyes to wait and see if Cynder had moved again. But after a few seconds, Cynder had stopped twitching and made no indication that she was going to move again. Spyro sighed and laid his head back down on his pillow, trying to go back to those peaceful thoughts he was having before.
Then Cynder's tail twitched again, this time poking Spyro in the back with her tailblade. Even though it was a gentle poke, it was enough to wake Spyro up from his slumber.
"Cynder, stop!" Spyro hissed in irritation, turning himself around to face the black dragoness. "I'm trying to—"
Spyro stopped dead in his tracks when he saw exactly why Cynder's tail was poking him.
Cynder's head was constantly moving around, as if she was being straddled by an invisible force. Her breaths were very irregular, like she was struggling for air, and Spyro could hear her faintly mumbling something, but it was so quiet that Spyro wasn't sure what she was saying.
Spyro knew what was happening instantly; Cynder was having a nightmare. This wasn't the first time that this had happened, however it was never as violent-looking as it was right now. Most of Cynder's nightmares went unnoticed by Spyro, only finding out that she had one when he noticed how tired and afraid she was the next day.
What Cynder was dreaming about, Spyro didn't know, but he always felt bad that the crimes and atrocious acts the Terror of the Skies caused still haunted the black dragoness to this very day. Those events of the past were all because of a malevolent dark master, and Cynder didn't deserve to be reminded of it.
Spyro edged himself forward towards Cynder and gently rocked her shoulder. "Cynder?" he muttered.
Cynder didn't respond. Her closed eyelids quivered as she uttered out a fearful grunt, her claws digging further into Spyro's bed. Whatever was happening, Cynder was going through hell in her personal nightmare.
"H-Hey, hey, Cynder, it's okay…" Spyro said with more urgency, after seeing that Cynder was not waking up so easily. "Please, honey, you've gotta wake up, you're having a nightmare!"
Spyro went to touch her shoulder, but once his paw made contact with her scales, her eyes then shot open and she lunged at the purple dragon. Her claws met the side of his face and scratched it, causing Spyro to fall off the bed and onto the floor below.
All the noise had woken Sparx from his slumber. He was initially unbothered by what was going on but, when he rubbed his eyes, he immediately started to freak out. "Woah, hey! What's going on here?" he exclaimed, unsure what he woke up to.
"Sparx, get back!" Spyro barked, his voice slightly shaky.
Spyro was shocked, he almost felt betrayed. Why was Cynder attacking him? He was only trying to help. He went to touch his face, feeling the scratch mark Cynder gave him, and his heart started to beat quickly when he looked back at his paw.
Blood. He was bleeding.
Cynder had hurt him.
While Spyro was on the ground, feeling vulnerable for the first time in a long time, Cynder leapt out of the bed and crept towards him. All emotion was wiped from the black dragoness' face, her eyes turning into snake-like slits as she stalked her new prey.
"Um… Spyro?" Sparx said in a concerned tone. "What's wrong with Cynder?"
Spyro wasn't sure how to answer that. He'd never seen Cynder react to one of her nightmares in this particular way; it was like she wasn't in control of herself anymore. Is that what this was? A dormant possession by the Terror of the Skies? Or perhaps from another mysterious dark tyrant long since forgotten?
For once, Spyro didn't know what to do… and it terrified him.
"Cynder, listen to me…" Spyro muttered, backing himself away from Cynder. "You have to snap out of this! It's me, it's Spyro!"
Unfortunately for Spyro, his words had no effect. Cynder was still slowly making her way towards him, the urge to kill getting stronger as her blank eyes stared at him hungrily. Spyro began to wonder if there was a hint of Cynder hidden somewhere deep behind the predator she had now become; could she even hear him? Does she even know that she was attacking him?
Spyro's mind, along with his heart, raced like he was flying through a wind tunnel. He couldn't fight, he couldn't flee. He wasn't sure if he could bring Cynder back. This wasn't something that couldn't be fixed with an Aether fury attack.
"This isn't you, Cynder! You have to wake up!" Spyro exclaimed. "I know you can hear me, and if there's anyone that can fight this… it's you!"
Cynder, once again, didn't listen. Spyro had found himself pressed against the wall, with no place to distance himself as the black dragoness got closer. Once Cynder was at an uncomfortable distance from Spyro, she raised her arm and prepared to strike.
"Spyro, do something!" Sparx called out from behind Cynder. "Knock her out or something!"
"I can't!" Spyro retorted. "I might hurt her!"
Sparx scoffed. "And she won't?"
Spyro didn't get the chance to answer back as he suddenly went quiet. He stared at Cynder and saw that she was frozen in place, her paw trembling but her face still retaining the same blank emotionless stare she had before. Spyro looked at the black dragoness confusingly; why hadn't she attacked him yet?
"Cynder?" Spyro murmured.
Cynder blinked rapidly, the slits in her eyes returning to a normal size and her vicious gaze changed to a mix of confusion, fear and guilt. She lowered her paw and gazed around, wondering why she was suddenly out of bed and almost face-to-face with Spyro.
It's when she caught sight of the scratch mark on Spyro's cheek that she started to realise what happened… and what she had done.
No…
Tears instantly started to stream down her cheeks as she backed away from the purple dragon, her eyes wide open and still staring firmly at the scratch mark she inflicted. Cynder couldn't speak; she couldn't even breathe. She thought this was another nightmare, just another illusion her subconscious dreamt up to traumatise her more. But, the minute she saw Spyro's blood on her claws, she knew that was far-fetched.
Cynder's head throbbed; her thoughts overwhelmed her brain, all screaming and crying out. She had hurt Spyro, her Spyro. The Spyro that she fought alongside, the one that protected her and stuck by her side even when no one else did.
How could she have done this to him? What would he think of her, now that all that well-earned trust would be cast aside?
Only one word echoed through her head, a word that made her scales shiver: Monster.
And for once, Cynder agreed with her internal thoughts. She was a monster… because no matter what she did, she would always hurt those closest to her.
"Cynder?" the black dragoness heard Spyro mutter as he cautiously walked up to her.
He reached his paw towards her own unbloodied paw, only for Cynder to stagger back as if she just touched hot coals. She kept her claws close to her body, shielding herself in the comfort of her own wings. Cynder couldn't trust herself anymore, she just wanted to keep her distance, no matter how much she wanted to be embraced by the purple dragon deep down.
"Hey… it's okay," Spyro said calmly. "It's over now, you're alright… everyone's fine, see?"
Sparx rolled his eyes. "Speak for yourself, I've never been more terrified in my life!"
"Sparx! You are not helping!" Spyro snapped, glaring at the dragonfly and speaking in a tone that Sparx was not used to hearing directed at him from Spyro.
"Well, I did suggest knocking her out but…"
The dragonfly was met with another glare. "Again, not helping!" Spyro exclaimed.
Sparx's eyes widened. "I don't see you coming up with any ideas, purple boy!"
Spyro said nothing as he knew that his brother had a point. Usually, when it comes to bringing Cynder back into the light, he always had some idea on what to do or what to say. But tonight? Cynder reacted differently, more violently, as if she had been boiling it all up until she couldn't take it anymore.
He knew that when he and Cynder started dating, he would need to deal with Cynder's trauma as the Terror of the Skies. But, while he felt like he'd handled it well so far, this time, he'd never felt so useless in helping the one he cared about so much.
He needed help… from someone else.
Spyro moved closer to Cynder, who was still unresponsive at this point, and gently started to escort her out of his room, his wing draped over her back. "Come on, let's go find Volteer…" he told Cynder. "He'll know what to do."
He hoped so anyway.
(-)
Without a moment's hesitation, Spyro quickly made his way towards Volteer's room with Cynder safely tucked under his wing. On the way there, she made no sound and only responded when Spyro moved. It was like she was in a trance, or perhaps her brain had just stopped sending signals altogether. Whatever it was, it made Spyro worried for his girlfriend's wellbeing; he had never seen her so broken and afraid of herself… not even when she reverted back into her true form after the fight on Convexity.
Once they had reached the room of the Electric Guardian, Spyro knocked rapidly on the door as loud as he could. Volteer eventually answered, wearing a nightcap, and gazed at the two dragons with drowsy eyes. It took him a moment to realise it was Spyro at the door and immediately let him in when he saw the distressed look on Cynder's face.
Volteer set Cynder by his fireplace, wrapping a small blanket around her while Spyro lit the fire. Volteer then retreated to his study, once they made Cynder more comfortable, in search of something useful to soothe Cynder's night terrors. Spyro, meanwhile, sat patiently near the black dragoness, keeping her company while Volteer was gone.
No words were exchanged between the two dragons; Spyro didn't want to say anything since he figured that Cynder wouldn't respond back, while Cynder made no attempt to say anything back to him and instead stared firmly at the flickering flames in front of her.
Spyro wanted to help, but how could he if he was the reason why Cynder was acting like this? She had hurt him, and she fully believed she was fully responsible. Words of reassurance weren't going to work this time. Without those comforting words, it pained Spyro that he couldn't do anything to help Cynder out.
Eventually, Volteer re-emerged from his study and Spyro sighed with relief. He had hoped that the Electric Guardian, being the most intelligent out of all the Guardians, would have some idea what's going on. Spyro gave a brief final glance towards Cynder before joining up with Volteer on the other side of his room.
"Here, I found this," Volteer said, handing him a few red gems. "It should heal, mend, settle your injury…"
"Thanks, Volteer," Spyro said, placing the gems on the ground before crushing them with his hind leg. Spyro felt a sense of strength as the magic of the gems passed into his body, sealing the scratch mark on his face into non-existence.
Spyro examined his cheek to see if the gems had fully healed him. "I'm sorry for disturbing you at this hour…" he then said in an apologetic tone.
"Oh don't worry about it, Spyro… A Guardian is never off-duty," Volteer assured him. He turned his head towards the fireplace. "How is young Cynder faring?"
"I don't know," Spyro frowned, staring at Cynder sympathetically. "She's been staring at the fire for some time now… she still hasn't said much."
"After what she's been through, I can't say I blame her," Volteer muttered. "You said she had some sort of nightmare right?"
Spyro nodded. "Yeah, at first… but when I woke her up, she just started to attack me. She's never had a reaction like that," he recounted. "What do you think it is, Volteer?"
Volteer scratched the back of his head. "For once, young dragon, I'm not certain," he said. "Not many dragons have such violent, brutal, vicious reactions to nightmares. They often leave someone frightened or anxious… but attacking someone while dreaming? That's a rare occasion, I'm afraid."
Spyro cursed under his breath. He came looking for answers and was instead met with more questions. "Is there anything we can do?" he then wondered.
"Not at this moment…" Volteer replied, which was met with an irritated groan from Spyro. "But, I'll have a word with the infirmary tomorrow and see if I can book Cynder in for a session."
Spyro gave a quizzical glance towards the Electric Guardian. "A session? You mean therapy?"
"Yes, young dragon," Volteer said. "She'll be able to talk to someone about anything troubling, disturbing, perturbing her. Maybe a few sessions might calm her nightmares down."
"Do you think she'll be up to it?" Spyro queried. "Her past is not exactly her favourite topic of conversation."
"If she's having reactions like the one she had earlier, then it's something I highly recommend," Volteer answered, his tone more serious as he slightly narrowed his eyes towards him.
Spyro nodded in silence, taking note of Volteer's sudden seriousness. There was still a hint of doubt in the back of Spyro's mind about taking Cynder to therapy. On one hand, it'll help her if she had someone, aside from himself, to talk about her past life as the Terror of the Skies. It might even help Cynder to fully put the past behind her, and allow her to ease into a future life better.
On the other hand, however, Spyro was worried that Cynder wouldn't take the idea of therapy lightly. She was never open to talking about her past, even to him. There was the issue of who would take Cynder under their therapeutic wing, especially when the other version of herself almost drove dragonkind to the brink of extinction. Would anyone even take her? Or will they ignore her and leave her to be a lost cause forever?
No matter what happened to Cynder, Spyro planned to be there for her every step of the way.
In the corner of Spyro's eye, he noticed that the black dragoness was peering behind her shoulder in his direction and listening to the conversation between him and Volteer. When Spyro looked back towards her, Cynder turned around and returned to observe the flames opposite her.
"You best go and check on Cynder," Volteer suggested. "You two are welcome to stay here for the night if you'd like."
"Thank you, Volteer… we'll keep that in mind," Spyro said with a slight smile.
As Volteer left to presumably go back to sleep, Spyro wandered over back towards the fireplace. He sat himself next to Cynder, who was still warmly wrapped around the blanket Volteer gave her.
"Hey, how are you doing?" Spyro asked Cynder softly.
"Okay… I guess," Cynder managed to reply, her expression almost mimicking a sense of calmness.
The black dragoness took one look at Spyro before the facade faded away, her eyes strictly focused on Spyro's cheek. Even though the scratch mark had been healed, the memory of inflicting it would remain in Cynder's head forever.
Cynder's eyes started to water, a couple of tears quickly falling down her face. "I'm s-sorry I hurt y-you…" she whimpered.
To Spyro's surprise, the black dragoness, despite keeping her distance earlier, immediately rushed into a comforting embrace. She buried her head under his chin and sobbed quietly into his neck, staining Spyro's scales with her tears. Spyro quickly responded with a reassuring nuzzle, physically telling that he was there for her and he wasn't going to back away any time soon.
"It wasn't your fault, okay?" Spyro told Cynder, doing his best to calm her down. "You had no idea what was happening."
Cynder moved away from the comfort of Spyro's neck and stared at the purple dragon, her emerald eyes now a bloodshot red from all the tears. "W-What's wrong with me, Spyro?" she asked him. "Why do the ancestors hate m-me?"
Spyro clutched her paw gently. "Cynder… nothing's wrong with you."
"And how do you know that?" Cynder snapped, her eyes suddenly full of fury and her teeth bared. "How do you know that for sure? Because you're always so certain, aren't you? That's why you saved me, isn't it? The big legendary purple dragon wants to prove that he's a hero by saving someone so broken and messed up!"
As soon as she finished talking, Cynder immediately regretted her words. She saw the purple dragon's face fall as he absorbed everything that Cynder had said to him. Cynder wanted to keep his paw close to hers, but it was too late; Spyro had already moved himself away as if she had suddenly become untouchable.
Cynder looked down in shame. She had never talked to Spyro like that, she was usually able to keep her composure most of the time. The last time she was a bit snappy around Spyro was when they were tethered together, but that was mainly due to the magical chain and not Spyro himself.
"I'm… I'm sorry, I didn't mean—" Cynder murmured.
"It's okay," Spyro said, sounding a little hurt. To hear her partner like that made Cynder's heart break slightly. She never meant to hurt him, physically or mentally, but it seemed that her path had always led her astray.
Cynder shook her head. "No, it's not okay," she said, her eyes gazing at the fireplace. "With Malefor gone, I thought I could put my past behind me. But no matter what I do or how much I try to convince everyone that I'm some type of hero, I can't win. My life as the Terror of the Skies is always in the back of my head, laughing and tormenting me…"
She then looked back to Spyro, struggling not to break down again. "If what Volteer said was true, and he could find someone that could help me, then I must ask you… who the hell would ever help me?"
"There will be someone out there," Spyro assured. "You gotta let us try…"
"And if no one wants to help?" Cynder wondered. "What then, Spyro? Am I nothing more than a lost cause?"
"Of course not! Don't you dare think that!" Spyro exclaimed, offended that Cynder would even say such a thing. "If no one in Warfang wants to help then we'll look elsewhere… I'm sure someone in Hunter's village could help."
Cynder snorted in half-amusement, her frustrated glare suddenly changing to a slight smile. "I forget how dedicated you can be sometimes…"
"Comes with the scales, I guess," Spyro said with a shrug.
"The scales have got nothing to do with it, Spyro, it's just who you are," Cynder muttered. "And if you think that there's someone out there who can help me, then who am I to disagree?"
Spyro smiled, comforted by Cynder's words. Even despite their recent issues, Spyro was glad to hear that the trust and bond between the two of them was still intact. In fact, he felt proud of his girlfriend at this moment. She was going to get the help she needed, and hopefully be able to live her own life without the burden of the Terror of the Skies holding her down. It's what she deserved after all that pain and suffering.
Cynder, however, didn't share that same feeling. She didn't feel proud of herself, she felt slightly worried. Sure, she was on the way to rid herself of the darkness that had plagued her for so long but Cynder knew it wasn't going to leave straight away. She would have to face her past in order to conquer it, and that scared her a bit.
What would happen after she had escaped her demons? Keeping them inside was the only thing she ever knew. She never had time to discover herself when she returned to normal all those years ago; she had been kidnapped by pirates, then by Gaul, and then left chained to her future boyfriend to fight her former master. Every minute was a fight; no time to rest or ponder.
One question floated in Cynder's mind: Without the Terror of the Skies, who would Cynder become?
(-)
A week had passed. The search to find Cynder a good therapist was a long and tedious one. From what Volteer had told them, they sent many requests to any of the professionals that the infirmary suggested. Most saw Cynder's name and immediately rejected their request, refusing to give any reason why. Cynder, of course, knew exactly what the reason was, and it was what she'd been dreading the most.
But when all hope was lost, one therapist agreed and, according to Volteer who went to see them earlier, seemed genuinely happy to help her out. With that much eagerness, Cynder didn't know whether to be relieved or anxious.
The next morning, Volteer handed Cynder a note that detailed where to meet and what time her appointment was. Since Spyro was busy running an errand for the Guardians, he didn't have much time to say goodbye to her or wish her luck before she had to go for her appointment. Well… besides from a quick kiss on the cheek, which was all that Cynder could ask for.
Cynder walked through the streets of Warfang in search of the address Volteer handed her. Even though she had been living in the city for a while now, Cynder didn't really know where everything was. All her time in the city had mainly been focused on repairing the buildings that the Golem destroyed, so she hadn't quite gotten her bearings yet.
Luckily, Volteer had also jotted down the directions on the piece of parchment. They were scribbled, as if he was in a hurry, but Cynder managed to figure out what his handwriting was trying to say. Now all she had to do was follow the street signs, and hopefully she'd be able to find it.
As Cynder walked, her thoughts kept swimming through a sea of her own troubles. She kept thinking about her past, and how she would have to share almost every single detail with a mere stranger. It was fine to speak about her past with someone like Spyro or one of the Guardians because they lived through it with her; they knew the struggles she had to go through.
But a therapist? They were known for helping many creatures great and small with their issues, but how would they react if Cynder shared her own pain? She was literally the reason why Malefor returned in the first place; why would anyone want to hear that?
Cynder shook her head, shaking away all of her thoughts. She couldn't think like that, as it was not strictly true. Her therapist seemed to know all about her, so they couldn't have been driven away from the mere mention of her name.
So why? Why did this stranger want to help her when no one wouldn't? Was this all a ploy to traumatise her more or a genuine act of kindness? Even as she reached the address, Cynder still wasn't sure but she felt like she was going to find out soon.
The black dragoness found herself near a small building close to the outskirts of the city, almost exactly the same size as a common house. But despite its size and location, the building resembled the other buildings that surrounded Warfang. It was made from white brick and had various carvings of dragons etched into the columns, standing proudly like they were posing for a portrait. It had a sense of magnificence from the exterior alone, something all buildings in Warfang had in common.
Cynder checked the address and gazed at the building, checking to see if she had arrived in the right place. There was no one around and the window shutters were slightly shut, which meant that Cynder couldn't tell if anyone was inside from where she was standing.
Cautiously, Cynder started to head inside. As soon as she crossed the archway ahead, she was met with a wide staircase. She crept up and travelled down a short corridor, turning to see that she was now in another room.
The room was mostly empty, besides from a few wooden chairs that were placed against the wall. Opposite to the chairs was a large desk, with a mole trying to read a newspaper on the other side.
Even without Cynder making any noise, the mole noticed the black dragoness and adjusted her spectacles. "Can I help you?" she asked.
Cynder darted her head and strolled towards the desk. "Um… yes, I had an appointment around this time with…" She quickly checked the piece of paper. "Marilyn, I think her name is."
"Have a seat, she should be finishing up soon."
Cynder thanked the mole and found a seat that was furthest away from the door, sitting in silence and letting her thoughts wander.
She stared at the door, wondering who else her therapist would be talking to in there. What problems did they have? Whatever it was, it couldn't match the same pain that Cynder had to live through. At least they didn't have everyone giving dirty looks whenever she walked by… they could somewhat live a normal life. A life Cynder feared she may never get.
Before Cynder's thoughts started to overwhelm her, she slightly jumped when the door swung open. A young looking fire dragon, a little older than Cynder was, gave his thanks to someone in the other room and headed outside without saying another word, not even acknowledging the black dragoness' existence.
Soon after, an older-looking mole with a grey waistcoat and a small white coat, who Cynder presumed was Marilyn, peered out of the other room and gazed around. When she saw Cynder in the short distance, she smiled and placed her hands together.
"Ah, Cynder…" she warmly greeted her. "Glad you can make it, come in and let's get started."
Cynder nodded and got out of her seat to head inside. She headed into some type of sitting room, consisting mainly of two couches and a smaller wooden table that was placed in between them. The room was also plain and simple, not much decor from a photo frame on the table, a rug on the floor, and a few landscape paintings that Cynder didn't seem to recognise.
The mole sat herself on one of the couches and shuffled some papers around on the table before grabbing a piece of parchment and a quill.
Cynder stood near the door, frozen in place and unsure what to do in such an uncomfortable silence. Marilyn saw this and simply gave a reassuring smile towards the black dragoness.
"Have a seat, dear…" Marilyn said calmly. "There's nothing to be afraid of."
Cynder took a breath before taking a seat on the couch that was opposite Marilyn's. Silence fell again as Cynder's nerves crept in; part of her didn't even want to be here, she didn't like talking about her past. It hurt too much to reminisce about the darkest of times. But she had to be brave, as Spyro would in any situation, if she was going to get better.
"So, Cynder, I just want to go over some basic details before we start," Marilyn eventually spoke, breaking the silence. "First thing, Volteer mentioned that you had some issues and, as I'm aware of your past life, I won't need to ask you about that just yet. So, why have you come to see me now?"
Cynder didn't need to think about that question. "I've hurt people," she answered. "I thought I could put everything behind me once the war ended but lately, I've been reminded of who I was and what I've done… and I just want to get better."
Marilyn jotted something down on her parchment. "I see," she said. "Well, Cynder, if you want to get better, this is the best place for you."
"I hope so."
"Let's get started then," Marilyn said. "Shall we talk about your childhood first? I can't imagine growing up alongside Malefor's army… must've been horrible for you."
"I barely remember it," Cynder frowned, her tone suddenly sour. "By the time I knew what was going on, I was in chains and corrupted into that… monster."
Marilyn gazed at Cynder curiously through her spectacles. "How did it feel?" she wondered. "Being the Terror of the Skies, I mean?"
"It felt… unnatural," Cynder replied. "I wasn't in control of myself but I still can recall everything I did back then. I felt everything she did, all that hate, anger, and malevolence. She enjoyed being the Dark Master's puppet; no matter how the world ended up in the end, she just wanted to see the world burn."
Cynder's eyes started to well up. She paused for a moment and regained her composure before she spoke again. "It's not like I could stop her. I was only just a voice in my own head, one that my other self refused to listen to."
"And what about when you returned to normal?" Marilyn wondered. "Did those thoughts go away?"
"No," Cynder said, shaking her head. "While my other self disappeared when I was freed, she still lingered in the back of my head. Every night after the fight on Convexity, it was nightmare after nightmare as she showed me what she had done. All of her memories, all those bodies… that's why I ran away from the Dragon Temple. I couldn't live with the guilt, despite everyone reassuring me that what had happened wasn't my fault."
"I understand your feelings," Marilyn murmured. "You were afraid of hurting someone again, is that right?"
Cynder only answered with a nod, not wanting to say anything else in case she completely broke down.
"It's okay to be afraid sometimes," Marilyn then continued. "With a past like yours, it's perfectly natural to feel fear. Especially towards those that have supported you after your newfound freedom."
The black dragoness let Marilyn's words sink in for a moment. Her mind instantly went back to the time where she decided to leave the Dragon Temple. Back then, she thought she was leaving to find her own place in the world and forge her own path without the influence of any dark forces.
While that was true at the time, it was only a partial truth. Cynder was scared, but who wouldn't be if they were in her position? She had to live with the consequences of someone else's actions—actions she had no control over, actions that still haunted her to this day.
"How did the Guardians react to your sudden change in appearance?" Marilyn queried."Was it an easy transition for you at the Dragon Temple?"
"Not at first…" Cynder said. "The Guardians had to vote whether or not I should stay. Ignitus was the most supportive, while Terrador trusted his judgement. Cyril was the most vocal against me staying, which I don't entirely blame him for, and only agreed to let me stay to shut Volteer up."
"And Spyro?"
"Spyro was… different," Cynder replied, a hint of a smile creeping in at the mention of the purple dragon. "I set the Dark Master loose, I kidnapped the Guardians and I tried to kill him a few times, yet Spyro was kind towards me. While I kept the distance most of the time, Spyro was the only one that I actually wanted to talk to. He was, and still is, the only one that I could consider a true friend."
Of course, Cynder stopped herself from telling Marilyn that Spyro would eventually become more than just a friend. However, the mole quickly noted something down on her parchment and gave Cynder a slight eyebrow raise.
"Your words suggest more…" she said.
Cynder turned red in the face. Surely she wasn't being that obvious, right? How could Marilyn find out about her relationship with Spyro through words alone?
But there was no smile, no indication that the mole felt some happiness towards her patient finding love through impossible odds. Nothing that Cynder could pinpoint anyway; Marilyn's face was as unreadable as words from the ancestors.
Marilyn took off her glasses and wiped the lenses with a small cloth. "Cynder, this is a safe space. It's okay to tell me if you have feelings for Spyro, I promise I won't say a word."
Cynder remained silent. She was hoping that she wouldn't have to say anything about her relationship with Spyro, even to Marilyn. What she and Spyro had was special, and if word got out that the purple dragon was dating the former Terror of the Skies, the citizens of Warfang would be unsettled, accusing her of bewitching Spyro to be a new Dark Master. All the effort that Spyro did to save the world would be corrupted by a dark purple legacy.
Marilyn seemed trustworthy; a therapist would have to if they want to help people. Cynder didn't like it, but if she wanted help then she would have to open up slightly.
"I do," Cynder muttered with a slight nod. "We've actually been dating for around a month now…"
"I see," Marilyn said in an almost blank tone as she went back to her parchment immediately.
Cynder wasn't sure what to think of that response. It was like she didn't care, or thought the idea of her and Spyro being together wasn't right. "What?" Cynder questioned. "Is something wrong with that?"
"No, Cynder, nothing is wrong," the mole murmured calmly. "But do forgive me if I have some… concerns."
Cynder blinked. She didn't like where this was going. "Concerns?"
Marilyn placed her parchment on the table in front and sighed."Spyro has almost been through the same events you have; both of you have fought during the war at a young age," she started to explain. "The way your relationship has evolved is an unnatural way that if one single thing was changed, it would affect the bond you two share…"
"What are you saying?" Cynder said, trying so hard not to dig her claws into the couch.
"I'm saying that you have to be careful," Marliyn tried to advise. "This relationship between you and Spyro seems to be built by the traumas you two share. Maybe it's best if you should find a partner that isn't a constant reminder of who you used to be…"
Cynder couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Excuse me?" she scoffed, her teeth slightly bared. "How dare you say such a thing to me!"
"Now Cynder, wait a second—" Marilyn tried to say, surprised by Cynder's sudden reaction.
"No, I'm not finished!" Cynder interjected angrily. "I come in here, asking for your help with my past and you instead judge my own feelings? I never thought of Spyro as someone that reminded me of the past. He reminds me of who I am now."
"Cynder, please… calm down," Marliyn said, her voice calm as she waved her paws around to settle Cynder down. "I didn't mean what I said."
The black dragoness glared confusingly at Marilyn. "You didn't?"
Marilyn cleared her throat. "No, it's a technique I sometimes use, a bit of a mental push you could say," she clarified, a hint sincere in her voice. "So I apologise if what I said upset you…"
"It's… fine, I suppose," Cynder said, still a bit irritated by Marilyn's so-called 'technique'. "Can we just move on?"
"We can," Marilyn said. She then took a look outside a nearby window and her face fell. "But… I'm afraid that's all the time we have for now."
"What?" Cynder exclaimed, her eyes widened. "But we barely got started!"
"That is true," Marilyn muttered with a smile. "Which is why you'll come back next week and we'll continue this conversation. No one can be fully healed with one session; I'm not a miracle worker you know?"
Cynder sat there as Marilyn got up and rolled up her parchment. There was still much to talk about, they barely scratched the surface when it came to helping the black dragoness. But the mole had a point, it's going to take longer than one single session to heal the damage caused by the Terror of the Skies.
Which begged the question…
"Can I ask you something before I go?" Cynder wondered as Marilyn was packing away her stuff.
"Sure, anything."
"Volteer said that a lot of other people declined to see me because… well, of me," Cynder said. "So how come you were so eager to help me?"
Marilyn simply chuckled. "Because it's my job, Cynder. You wouldn't believe the amount of people I've seen that are now incapable of living in normal society…" she answered. "Besides, from what Volteer told me, you weren't one of those people."
"What makes you say that?" Cynder then asked. "You don't know me…"
"That is true, I don't know you," Marliyn shrugged. "But I know what you've done for Warfang and the world."
The mole leant forward and grabbed the photo frame that was placed there. Cynder got a look at what was inside the frame when Marilyn handed it to her. It was a picture of herself standing next to another mole, who was exactly the same height but looked more youthful than Marilyn.
Cynder saw that the other mole was wearing a type of red leather armour, the same type that she saw the moles wear during the Golem's attack on Warfang. However, Cynder wasn't sure when or where the photo was exactly taken.
"This is a photo of my son, he was one of the soldiers that fought when that monster attacked the city," Marilyn said. She then let out a little laugh. "Not that he did much fighting, the poor sod got himself trapped in a burning building."
Cynder smirked, remembering that day. It was just before she and Spyro fought the Golem, they were separated from Hunter by a piece of debris. Despite the fact that the two dragons could've easily flown over the rubble, the cheetah told them to go and find Ignitus.
But before they could do that, there were moles trapped in a building on the brink of exploding. Spyro, being the heroic purple dragon he was, immediately rushed to their aid.
"He survived thanks to you," Marilyn continued. "He wouldn't stop going on about how a black dragoness and the purple dragon saved him and a few others. And just with water buckets, I've heard."
That last part made Cynder chuckle slightly. "Our breath abilities had just resurfaced so we weren't strong enough to put out the fire yet," she explained, half-amused. "Water buckets seemed like the best idea at the time."
"Well I'm glad," Marilyn muttered, giving Cynder another heartwarming smile as she handed the photo frame back to her. "From that moment, any mention of the 'Terror of the Skies' was just pure rubbish. You, Cynder, are different from what you used to be, and I want to help you see that."
Cynder felt herself tear up. For once, someone, besides Spyro or the Guardians, saw her as more than the former queen of conquest. Someone had seen through her past and ignored it, being more interested in who she is now than who she was before.
It meant that everything had Cynder done—fighting alongside Spyro, saving Warfang from the Golem, trying to stop the Destroyer and eventually defeating Malefor—had all meant something and her actions had resulted in positive outcomes. She saved a civilian's child from exploding and now that same civilian was now helping her out.
It felt nice. It felt great.
"Thank you," Cynder said, feeling hopeful for her future.
(-)
Cynder returned to the Temple in the early afternoon and spent the rest of the day thinking over her first therapy session. She could actually feel her burdens lifting for the first time since after defeating Malefor. It wasn't enough to fully put the past behind her, but it was a start.
Night soon fell across the sky, and Cynder had invited Spyro to stay in her room tonight. Before they fell asleep, Cynder talked to her significant other about her session. She didn't share much, as the sessions were meant to be between her and Marilyn, but it was enough to make Spyro happy. As she talked, she could see the smile spread across his face; a wide smile that represented how proud he was.
When they eventually went to turn in for the night, Cynder felt like she was going to get a decent amount of sleep for once.
Then she closed her eyes.
In her head, Cynder found herself in a white void. There was nothing around her or anyone in sight, she was completely alone in a blank space.
But that's how it started. Every dream she's had, it started with nothing before everything came crashing down.
Knowing what was about to go down, Cynder made her way across the white void and towards a lone door in the distance. The door was dark and was made from burnt or possibly rotten wood and stood on its own, no sign of a doorframe or a wall anywhere. Yet, when Cynder went to open it, a whole other world was on the other side. A world that Cynder hoped that she would never see again as she cautiously stepped through it.
Cynder was now standing on top of a tower, as dark as the rest of the world was around her. She couldn't see any sunlight or any stars, just a bunch of swirling murky clouds that emitted powerful bolts of red lightning. Pillars of black bricks towered over and surrounded Cynder across multiple points on an hexangular floor.
The black dragoness knew this place all too well. This was Concurrent Skies, the Terror of the Skies' domain.
Cynder gazed into the centre of the platform and saw a small shape lying on the ground, still as glass and unresponsive to her sudden appearance. It took a moment for Cynder to recognise the shape, the shades of purple and gold being an instant giveaway.
"Spyro?" Cynder whispered. Her voice was shaken and heartbroken at the sight of the purple dragon.
She approached him slowly and a tear started to fall down her cheek at the mere sight of him.
"Oh no… Spyro."
Spyro was broken, beaten and bleeding badly. He wasn't the Spyro that Cynder knew now; he was smaller and the same age that he was when they had first met. He had burn marks and scratch marks on every surface of his body, a small pool of blood forming under him.
But the worst thing was, he was still alive; just barely. Cynder could hear his ragged breathing and his chest struggling to take in more oxygen, which broke her heart even more. To see her Spyro in pain tore her to pieces.
"Hey, it's okay…" Cynder mumbled, cradling the small purple dragon in her paws. "I've got you."
Spyro opened his eyes and gazed at the black dragoness before he lost consciousness again, too weak and too tired to say anything.
Cynder leant closer to Spyro and embraced his broken form, tears continuing to stream down her face. Who would do anything to him? Who was responsible for harming the only dragon she'd ever loved?
Then she saw why. A familiar-looking scratch mark was cut deeply on his cheek, dried blood caked onto his purple scales. A wave of guilt soared through Cynder's head when she looked upon that scratch mark; it was from the night she decided to attack Spyro in her sleep.
It was her. She did this to him.
"I'm sorry, Spyro," Cynder murmured tearfully in his ear. "I'm so sorry…"
"Pathetic," a voice spat, their words filled with venom.
Cynder froze, a sudden cold feeling filling her bones. She knew that voice: a raspy, chilling voice that was pure evil and knew no kindness or restraint, only chaos and destruction. She didn't want to look up, wanting only to focus on Spyro, but fear overwhelmed her and she decided to gaze at the source of the voice.
A black dragoness stood in front of her, staring at her with beady jade-green eyes. Most of her form was covered in a shadowy dark mist, but Cynder could tell who it was. All familiar shapes such as her horns, the white symbols on her face and forelegs, and their choice in jewellery made it very easy for Cynder to understand who was talking to her.
It was herself. The Terror of the Skies.
"You…" Cynder grumbled, full of hatred towards her other self.
"Hello again, Cynder," the Dark Master's servant said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Always a pleasure to see what our miserable life has come to."
"Why are you here again?" Cynder murmured. "Just leave me alone…"
"Now, Cynder… you know that'll never happen," the other Cynder replied. "No matter what, we're connected. I am you, and you are me."
Cynder's teeth bared. "I am nothing like you!"
The other Cynder laughed. "You are everything like me! The people of Warfang know it, the Guardians know it… and even poor little Spyro knows it too. You think therapy will change who you are? Utter nonsense, you will never change! You will always be what our master made us to be… a monster."
There was that word again. Monster. That was enough to make her younger self doubt herself, to collapse in a fit of tears and vulnerable for an attack of some kind. The other Cynder smirked; she didn't have to put a single paw on her pure-hearted counterpart. One word was more than enough.
To her surprise however, Cynder didn't cry or begged for mercy or anything else that she did during the other nightmares she had. Instead the black dragoness gave the Terror of the Skies a menacing glare.
"No," she grumbled.
The smirk disappeared from the other Cynder's face. "What did you say to me?" she hissed.
"I've gone my whole life haunted by the consequences of your actions, tormented by those who didn't truly understand what I went through!" Cynder barked. "You've told me that I'm a monster, that I would never find peace or happiness. No more, I'm not like you… and you are nothing but a bad memory."
The other Cynder's face then crinkled into a mere look of disgust when she saw her younger self cradling the broken form of Spyro.
"Is that what he told you?"she scoffed. "He's just some weak dragon who lived a peaceful life; what does he know?"
Cynder stroked the back of Spyro's head. "He may not know much about my past, but he still believes in me," she said. "Whenever I gave up on myself, he would never give up on me. That's why I love him."
The other Cynder's eyes widened, repulsed by what Cynder had said. "Love?" she spat, saying it like it was poison. "In what world would the purple dragon ever fall in love with someone like you?"
Of course, Cynder already knew the answer to that. "In a world without you. A world that starts right now."
The Terror of the Skies' lip curled. "And how are you going to do that?" she murmured. "Cry like a little baby and wait until your precious Spyro comes and comforts you?"
Cynder gently laid Spyro down on the ground and stood in front of him, wings flared and teeth bared. "Not this time. This time, I fight."
The other Cynder laughed but she smirked, slightly impressed by her younger self's newfound bravery. Not that it was going to do her any good against someone as powerful as herself.
"Bring it."
Cynder propelled herself into the air and exhaled a large amount of her wind element from her maw, causing the other Cynder to skid towards the edge of the platform. But the other Cynder was quick and flapped her wings in Cynder's direction, turning her own wind element against her.
The black dragoness had no time to react as her own wind breath was directed towards her; she was sent hurtling towards one of the pillars, impacting it harshly and causing her head to spin slightly. The Terror of the Skies grabbed her tail with her teeth, making Cynder roar in pain as they punctured her scales, and slammed her onto the platform.
Not giving up, Cynder leant forward and spat out a glob of venom onto her other self's face. The other Cynder released her and backed away quickly, coughing furiously as the acidic liquid made contact with her scales.
Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to put her down for good as the other Cynder whipped her tail around and tried to stab Cynder with her tailblade. Cynder was able to dodge this attack and took to the air once again. This time, she darted straight towards the evil dragoness.
Soaking her paws in poison, Cynder slashed at the older dragoness and inflicted her with sickly green scratch marks. However, when Cynder was about to go in for an attack with her tailblade, the other Cynder blasted her out of the air with a burst of burning fire.
Cynder rolled onto the ground and quickly got back on her feet, growling at her older counterpart. She had forgotten that the Terror of the Skies was once able to wield fire like Spyro could. Now she knew what to look out for now.
The other Cynder stood over her current self, spitting out a bit of poisoned saliva before grinning menacingly in Cynder's direction.
"You fight well," the other Cynder said. "But not well enough."
At an excellent speed, the other Cynder grabbed her younger self and pinned her to the ground. Cynder felt her grip tighten, pain spreading into her sides like wildfire, leaving her unable to move.
The Terror of the Skies chuckled, tilting her head to gaze at the state of her fallen foe. "It's so sad that it must end this way…"
Cynder said nothing, only emitting a powerful siren scream directed at her older counterpart. The Terror of the Skies felt the blow but was ultimately unaffected. In fact, it just made her even angrier than before.
"Fool," the older Cynder barked. "I am your fear!"
In anger, the other Cynder tossed the black dragoness across the platform like a ragdoll. Cynder managed to stumble away from the edge of the platform, before collapsing onto the tiled floor. At this point, Cynder wasn't sure what to do next. She was growing weaker by the minute and seemed powerless against the Terror of the Skies, despite her upgraded breath abilities.
Fear, Poison and Wind, all useless against her. What else is there to fight with?
Cynder then suddenly looked at her paws, which now glistened with a shadowy essence. She looked back at her opponent, a plan forming in her head.
She had only one shot. One final option.
"All those powers that the master gave you, you aren't worthy of them," the Terror of the Skies said, striding towards Cynder. "Three powerful elements and yet you wield them like a hatchling. Such a shame, you would've done well as Malefor's servant."
Without a moment's hesitation, Cynder then made her move. She dived into her own shadow and disappeared from view. The Terror of the Skies stopped in her tracks and frantically darted around, surprisingly unaware of her younger self's fourth element.
"What is this?" the other Cynder growled, unleashing her fire breath at any sign of movement. "Show yourself, you coward!"
As if on command, Cynder suddenly rose from the shadows and bursted into the air from behind the other Cynder. The Terror of the Skies only managed to see her opponent covered in a shadowy mist, she was too slow to react when Cynder went in for another attack.
Cynder stayed airborne as she manipulated the shadow underneath her other self. The darkness morphed and evolved into a pair of sharp claws that circled around the larger dragoness. The other Cynder tried to fight off the shadows with her fire breath but it was hopeless; no one can fight their own shadow.
At Cynder's commands, the shadow claws moved in closer and simultaneously slashed slowly at the Terror of the Skies. As the other Cynder roared in pain, the shadow claws dissolved and instead morphed into a plume of smoke which launched the older dragoness into the air and smacked into one of the nearby brick pillars.
The other Cynder laid still for a moment, desperately trying to get her strength back by moving her neck. But her strength faltered, too battered by Cynder's latest attack, and her head collapsed, unable to get up again.
The fight was done. The Terror of the Skies had been defeated.
Cynder landed nearby and approached the fallen dragoness, no sense of pity or mercy in her eyes as she looked upon the creature that had haunted her ever since the battle in Convexity. She wasn't even shocked when the broken form of the Terror of the Skies began to fade away into non-existence.
The older Cynder glanced at her paw, watching it disappear in front of her very eyes. "No… this isn't right," she said, a hint of panic in her voice. "This wasn't supposed to happen… you weren't supposed to win!"
"Time you learnt how complicated life can be…" Cynder said coldly.
"You won't get rid of me that easily…" The other Cynder hissed. "I will be back."
"I know," Cynder said. "But when you do, I'll be there to kick your ass again."
The last part of the Terror of the Skies that Cynder saw was a furious glance towards her, teeth bared and about to exact vengeance. But the other Cynder eventually disappeared into the shadows, leaving behind a faint hint of dark mist and leaving the current Cynder alone.
She had done it. She had fought her past. But while she won the battle, she still has a long journey ahead of her if she wants to win the war.
Cynder smiled and closed her eyes, feeling at peace… for now anyway.
(-)
"Cynder!"
The black dragoness' eyes shot open and she quickly rose from her bed. She rubbed her eyes, unsure where she was for a brief moment. She was no longer in her tower in Concurrent Skies but her regular bedroom in Warfang. She wasn't sure what time it was but, judging from the moon shimmering through the window, Cynder figured it was late into the night.
So much had happened in her head, Cynder felt more tired. She was drained, mentally tired from fighting in her dreams. She wanted to go back to sleep, but she couldn't find the energy to go back to sleep right now.
"Cynder?"
Cynder turned to the side to see a familiar purple dragon sitting next to her, his face plastered with concern.
"Are you okay?" Spyro wondered. "You were shivering… you had me worried for a second, I wasn't sure what to do."
The black dragoness gazed into the purple dragon's amethyst eyes, a sense of relief filling her heart. Spyro was how he should be: purple, handsome and not covered in blood and scratches. The fact that he was here, right next to her, made Cynder the happiest dragoness in the world right now.
Without saying anything, Cynder wrapped her front paws around his neck and pulled him into a loving embrace. Spyro was surprised by this sudden gesture and didn't hug her back straight away. Cynder didn't care however, she only hugged him tighter.
"Oh, oh, hey, it's okay… I'm here," Spyro muttered, eventually wrapping his paws around her and burying his head into her neck. "I'm here…"
Eventually the two teenage dragons separated from their hug and started to lovingly gaze into their eyes. Cynder placed her paw on Spyro's cheek, softly stroking it in search of any accidental injuries. A slight smile spread across her face when she found no marks. Tonight, Spyro was perfectly fine… just as he should be.
"You're okay…" Cynder whispered.
Spyro looked surprised. "Of course I'm okay," he said. "It's you that I'm worried about… did you have another nightmare?"
Cynder nodded, thinking back to the fight she just had moments ago. "Yeah, it was… rough."
"What happened?" Spyro then wondered, noticing that his girlfriend was looking concerned. "Is it the same as the other nightmares you've had?"
"Sort of," Cynder replied. "My other self showed up."
Spyro raised an eyebrow. "Really? You haven't mentioned her before."
"She was only a voice in my head the other times, tormenting me with memories from the past," Cynder muttered. "This time, however, she showed up physically…"
"What did she do?" Spyro asked.
"We fought… and I beat her."
Spyro couldn't help but smirk proudly. "Nice one."
"Well I had help, mostly from you," Cynder said with a smile.
Spyro seemed more intrigued. "Really? Was I in your dream this time?"
"You were there but… kind of on the verge of death," Cynder mumbled reluctantly.
"Oh," Spyro mumbled, his eyes widened. He then glanced confusingly at the black dragoness, still unsure of what happened in Cynder's nightmare. "So, wait, how did I help exactly?"
"It was something that was brought up in my session today," Cynder started to explain. "My therapist played this mind game with me, claiming that you and I are only together due to our shared trauma…"
Spyro's face fell. "Cynder…" he said softly.
Cynder held up a paw, knowing what the purple dragon was going to say. "Let me finish," she insisted. "Once she mentioned that, I didn't like what she said, and so I said how I really felt about you… and, I don't know, something about what I said earlier gave me the strength to stand up to my other self. You remind me about who I am now instead of who I was, and so I needed to let that bad part of me go."
Spyro soon lit up and he smiled proudly at his girlfriend. "I see that the session helped you a bit."
"It has," Cynder nodded. She had her doubts before, viewing her past as a memory no one, not even herself, would even dare talk about. But all it took was one other person besides Spyro, someone who actually cared enough to help her, that Cynder can now try to put the past behind her.
Spyro then nuzzled the black dragoness. "Well, I'm glad," he said. "After what you've been through, you deserve a lifetime of happiness."
Cynder smiled. "Thank you," she said. She wondered how Spyro picked the right words to say all the time. He could simply talk about the scenery around him and it will fill her with love and kindness.
Proving Cynder's thoughts right, Spyro leant over and whispered the three most perfect words that the black dragoness has ever heard. "I love you…"
Cynder went wide-eyed and stared at the purple dragon in disbelief. Did he really say those words to her? The same words that she said to him once before? When she said it in the centre of the earth, it came from a dragoness that only just discovered her true feelings and wanted to share them before her inevitable death.
But with Spyro? He made it sound so natural, so genuine. Only someone like Spyro could make those three words more heartfelt than they already were.
Before Spyro could ask why his girlfriend had suddenly gone silent, Cynder answered with a passionate kiss on the lips.
"I love you too…"
And she always will. With her past slowly starting to be buried, her future couldn't be any more brighter.
Woah, what a chapter! And what a way to kickoff 2024! So many emotions in one chapter, and all directed at poor Cynder. Don't worry though, it seems that her future is looking hopeful… especially if she's got Spyro with him.
This was a fun chapter for me to write, I always enjoy writing for Cynder. Her character always has so much potential when it comes to stories like this, particularly since the Legend games didn't cover a lot of Cynder's past trauma.
Next chapter will be a lot more light-hearted, I promise you. Whether it's next month or the month after that, I assure you that you'll love it. I hope so, anyway.
This is TARDIS1039, signing off… Allons-y!