TLoS: Challenge of Hearts (Chapter 6)
Chapter 6: Revenge in Mind
Both dragons stared into each others eyes, wanting nothing more than to enjoy the moment they held together. Spyro padded to beside Cynder, basking in the spotlight of sun that illuminated the cavern. "There is still much of the day before us Cynder..." Spyro started, placing his head atop Cynder's shoulder. "We should be heading back to the temple."
Cynder growled pleasingly to Spyro, the vibrations from her throat shifting her entire form in the process. "Can't we just stay here all day?"
"Although many will resent this between us Cynder, there are some that I must tell." Spyro regretfully pulled himself up from against Cynder's form, and motioned with his head for Cynder to leave first. "After you." Cynder unfurled her wings and left Spyro on the ground, shooting through the small entryway within moments of leaving the ground. Spyro was quick to fly behind Cynder and slow at her side.
"So who do you want to know about us?" Cynder asked worriedly. There were many dragons that lived within the temple, but only a few she would agree to telling.
"I don't want many to know about us... Yet... But at the moment only the Guardians should know of our choices. But even some of them I would rather not inform."
Cynder let out a subtle sigh at the thought of Cyril learning of their connection together. The ice guardian was infamous for his ability to reason beyond many other's mind capacity. But despite his open mind, Cynder only assumed that he would still hold some doubt as to her position among their ranks. The only Guardian that believed Cynder was completely harmless to them was Volteer. The electric dragon knew much about the dark master's power and understood that Cynder couldn't be changed back to her destructive way unless Malefor was brought back into the realm. The black dragoness looked over the dense landscape below her, wanting nothing more than to turn back with Spyro and spend more time alone in the hollowed out mountain that Spyro had created.
The dragon temple came into view after several minutes of silent flying, but Spyro held his steady pace beside Cynder, regularly glancing at her for only split seconds, but it was that brief moment that he wished laster a lifetime. As they drew closer, Spyro angled towards his window, spending little time out in the wilderness alone with Cynder.
Spyro continued his examination of the area surrounding the two dragons as they continued their flight towards the dragon temple. But something caught the purple dragon's eye. It was a slight sparkle in the corner of his right peripheral. Spyro quickly shot his head to that direction, finding nothing but the continued forests. Spyro let out a sigh, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him, so he focused back on the task at hand, travelling towards the dragon temple, while slowly inching closer to Cynder in the process.
There was another reflection that caught his eye, in the exact same position as before, but this time Spyro could make out a colour. It was pink. Ember.
"Spyro?" Cynder turned her head to look at the purple dragon, wondering why he had continued to look off into the distance.
"Cynder, go back to the temple, I will talk to you later... Ember is over there and I don't want her to know about us..."
"What if I do?"
"Last time you two were near each other you ended up almost without a life, and if I wasn't there, then you would've died afterwards. I'm not going to run that risk again!" Spyro banked off towards what he assumed was Ember's position.
"Spyro wait! I need to talk to Ember too, and you'll be beside me the whole time so you have nothing to worry about."
Spyro growled inwardly at Cynder's comment, but he wasn't going to argue with her. "Ok, fine. But stay behind me. I don't want you to get hurt, and I don't think Sparx will want to come anywhere near you for a while, you gave him quite a scare last time."
Cynder chuckled lightly, realising that it was almost the first time in which she ever had in her entire life. But she knew that there were many more moments like that to come as long as Spyro remained at her side.
"Just stay behind me." Spyro flew towards Ember and landed a hundred feet from her position, quickly followed by Cynder who stuck to Spyro's tail as if she was enticed by it's every motion, which in turn, the black dragoness was.
There was a loud roar that sent shivers down Spyro's spine. Ember was anything but content over her last contact with the purple dragon. The two dragons continued to pace closer towards Ember's location. "Don't say anything to Ember, She is my problem, not yours." Cynder nodded slightly when Spyro glanced back to her.
The purple dragon pressed on through the dense forest, eventually reaching a small hilled clearing, with Ember laying on a stone centred atop the ridge. "Spyro!" Ember cried out upon first sight of the purple dragon, but Ember failed to notice Cynder directly behind him. "What are you doing here?"
"I need to talk to you Ember, as much as I don't want to, there is something you have to know."
Ember got up from her laying position, and gazed at Spyro with almost all of her attention. Still oblivious that Cynder was trailing behind him, hidden completely from view from her heightened position. "W-what is it Spyro?"
"Ember, I know that you want nothing more than to call me your own, but you can never understand me when I say it. So I'll tell you once more. Leave me alone, I don't love you!"
"B-but Spyro, we've been together for years, we fought alongside each other for years against Malefor. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
"It means nothing to me Ember. We may've fought beside each other but that was purely diplomatic. I only consider you as a friend, and nothing more." Spyro turned around and headed back down the hill, revealing Cynder behind him in the process.
"You! You took him away from me!" Ember shot up from her position and jumped down from the stone, growling heavily in the process. "I should've known Spyro had a soft spot for you, otherwise he would've let you die after I beat you this morning!" Spyro continued on his way, pushing Cynder before him, not wanting to create another fight. "Coward Cynder! You don't deserve to be with Spyro. You don't even deserve to be alive now!"
"Just keep going Cynder, ignore her." Spyro whispered quietly to Cynder, pushing her forward with the side of his head against her side.
"Cynder! I should've killed you when I had the chance! But it won't take long for me to catch you alone, Spyro can't protect you forever! One day, I'll have my revenge!"
Cynder stopped mid-stride. She knew that Ember wasn't one to go back on her word, but if she knew that Ember thought she could win, it would do wonders to her confidence. And Cynder wasn't going to let a threat go unanswered.
"Cynder, lets go. I will never leave you," Spyro prodded at her side, trying to keep Cynder going away from Ember.
"This is now my fight Spyro. And Ember needs to learn a thing or two about me." Cynder took a step away from Spyro, and faced the pink dragoness standing at the top of the hill.
"Be careful Cynder, I am here if you need me." Spyro turned to face Ember, but held his gaze intent on his love.
"So, the might black dragon decided to face the music once more..." Ember mocked while slowly stepping her way down the hillside. "This is going to be 'fun'."
"Not nearly as fun as it will be for me." Cynder padded forward, holding her head high to try and make level ground with Ember. As the two dragonesses cape within striking distance, the fight began.
Cynder leapt to her hind legs and quickly grabbed Ember's forelegs with her own. "This is almost too easy." Ember mocked, lowering her head to ram her horns into Cynder.
Cynder ducked her head and avoided Ember's attack, flicking her into the air using the pink dragonesses momentum against her. Cynder quickly flew after Ember, taking the fight to the air once more, starting the continuous flail of claws and teeth that was their fight from the morning.
Spyro kept a ready stance. He wanted to leave Ember alone and keep Cynder safe from the world, but all she wanted was revenge.
Cynder slashed her claws across Ember's back, releasing a roar of pain from the pink dragoness, only to be struck in the chest by another swipe from Cynder. Blood seeped out of Ember's wounds, covering her pink scales with the warm crimson liquid.
Ember felt her strength weaken. The wounds from their morning bout still fresh in her form. Cynder held every advantage, and was holding nothing back against the pink dragoness. Revenge was the only thing inside Cynder's mind, and there was nothing stopping her.
Spyro watched on as a drop of blood landed on the edge of his snout. He snapped out of his trance and inspected it for a moment. After finding out that it wasn't Cynder's he quickly wiped it off. He did worry for Ember's wellbeing, but Cynder was where his heart lay.
Cynder continued to dominate the slowing pink dragoness, leaving cuts and gashes across her entire form. And it wasn't long until Ember lost all strength, plummeting to the ground as Cynder released her lifeless form.
Spyro leapt into the air to catch Ember and place her on the stone where she once sat. "I can't let her die Cynder, as much as you might not like it, we need Ember to help our race."
Cynder lazily fell to the ground and landed with a slight thud, waiting for Spyro to leave Ember on the stone in the centre of the clearing. "Who are you going to tell about her location?"
"I think Flame would want to know the most. I think Ember owes him an apology after what she did to him." Spyro left Ember's limp form on the stone and padded pack to Cynder, who was cleaning the blood off her talons and body. "Let me help you." Spyro padded over to Cynder and licked the top of her head and neck, the two places unreachable to her.
"You didn't have to do that Spyro." Cynder had stopped completely as Spyro licked her. She had cleaned her entire chest and Spyro had continued to clean her.
"What if I wanted to?"
Both dragons laughed softly before leaving the small clearing. Spyro didn't worry about Ember's health as Cynder never made any life threatening injuries. But it was just enough to make her pass out. But Ember needed to be taught a lesson and Spyro knew that ether one of them would have to do it.
"Do you know if Flame would ever forgive Ember for what she did to him?" Cynder asked as they both took off into the air once more.
"He loves her, and I know it. But it might take a while for Ember to figure that out. You did give her quite a shot to the head."
"I only wanted her to feel what I did. Call it revenge if you will. But I was not going to let her think that I needed you to defend me."
"I wouldn't let her harm you in any way Cynder. If she did I don't know what would've happened."
The two dragons continued on their way into the dragon temple, landing in the main foyer, instantly finding Flame collapsed in a corner, curled up in a balled mass of red scales. Spyro quickly waved Cynder off towards the bedrooms, wanting to talk to Flame alone for a moment. Although Cynder hesitated for a moment, she knew Spyro meant well. "I will see you in a little while..." He cooed softly. "I love you Cynder."
"I love you Spyro." Cynder quickly disappeared down a corridor. Spyro didn't turn away until she was hidden from view, but promptly turned to face Flame.
"Flame? What's wrong?" Spyro padded closer to the red dragon, he seemed distressed and Spyro could only guess why.
"It's Ember... All she ever wanted was you!" Flame kept his head buried underneath his wings, muffling every word. "I should've known better than to let myself fall to her actions. It was too good to be true."
"Flame, stop thinking like that. Because Ember actually needs you now."
"Did she tell you that?"
"No, she is injured in the forest. Unconscious in a clearing. She will need help when she wakes up, but for now she is stuck out there alone."
Flame picked his head up from underneath his wing. "What happened to her?"
"Ember and Cynder got into a fight and I refuse to help her. You are the only one who knows where she is now so it will give you some time alone with her."
"What's the use? Ember only likes you. Even then it is just because of your colour."
"Flame, Ember knows that I don't love her back. I never have, but it has only just become clear to her now. But I suppose that you should know now. I love Cynder."
Flame quickly jumped to his feet. Struggling to keep his voice down in the process. "Are you nuts? Do you know how many dragons will resent her as your love?"
"Yes, but I don't care. If they can't accept my choice then I will leave with her no matter what. I have planned for every possible reaction, but I need you to accept my choice no matter what."
Flame stepped back from Spyro, pressing himself against the wall. "I- yo-" Flame continued to think the scenario through. "But... Why Cynder?"
"There is something about her that makes me feel like everyone else. She accepts me for who I am, not the colour of my scales."
"This is your choice Spyro," Flame started, slowly pacing past the purple dragon and heading towards the exit of the dragon temple. "I have nothing against your decision, and I hope that you and Cynder have a wonderful life together." The red dragon turned away to take flight, but turned his head back to glance at Spyro once more. "If only Ember could accept others for who they are."
"We can only hope." Spyro said in reply, promptly nodding Flame off as he floated high above the dense jungle of Avalar in search of the battered pink dragoness. "Good luck Flame. I only wish that Ember sees what is before her." Spyro muttered quietly to himself.
The purple dragon turned towards where his quarters was situated, knowing that Cynder would be awaiting his arrival. But what she may have planned for Spyro, only Cynder knew.