FSE

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Chapter 14

"...Let your dreams flood in Like waves of sweet fire you're safe within"

Cynder stirred with a groan.

"Sleep sweetie Let your floods come rushing in And carry you over to a new morning"

Her mind was slowly breaking free from Morpheus' arms, yet not fast enough to record what was happening.

What was that hollow noise?

"Hush my love now don't you cry Everything will be all right"

Her whole body shivered when a cold gust of wind lashed across her scales.

The balcony door were opened.

Cynder gently shook the scaly pillow below.

"Spyro, you forgot to latch the balcony door"

He was unresponsive. Lost deep in sleep.

She shivered through another gust.

"Close your eyes and drift in dream Rest in peaceful sleep"

She gasped at the sound of the pitifully melodic hollow voice.

It came from the balcony.

With a terrified moan she propped herself on her straightened forelegs, pressing firmly against Spyro's golden chest , as she impulsively looked in the direction of the glassy door.

As far as she could tell there was nothing there, but it was hard to say for certain. The darkness coating the room along with the outside world was just too thick for her eyes to pierce it.

Darkness.

Her throat dried out completely, her heart started to pound at her chest painfully when realization struck her.

Her room was completely dark.

"The light" she hissed through clenched teeth, she felt like a wounded sparrow being circled by hungry cats that only wait for her to make a chirp loud enough for them to hear so they could locate her and tear her apart

"The light is gone" she shook her partner hectically, her eyes never leaving the balcony

"Spyro the light is out"

He remained unresponsive.

"Spyro. Light" she whined pleadingly , giving him another shake but at the same time turning around

In this moment of utter terror she remembered that in every bedside cabinet is a small globe with magically lit flame inside. A way to lighten the room for those without the natural ability to breathe fire. It could be used as a lantern or as a mean to awaken other sources of light by touch.

Despite the complete darkness her paw immediately fondled with the right drawer, locating the small orb soon after. With one swift move she withdrew it from the wooden clutches of the drawer and pointed it at the balcony door. The yellowish light cut through darkness like sun rays, two side moves of her paw were enough to scan the balcony completely.

It was empty.

With a sharp breath she swung her paw in a wide arc, just to flick the orb to her other paw when the first couldn't reach any farther. She scanned the room in five seconds, just to find out it was exactly like the balcony.

Empty.

Cynder let out a long breath of relief, her paws slumped down onto Spyro's golden chest together with her head. The orb rolled down from his neck and stopped onto her nose.

"Sleep sugar"

Her head went up in alarm with a horrified squeal, when she realized from where the sound came from.

It rumbled from within Spyro's throat.

Her eyes landed on the jaw of his tilted to the back head. The moment that happened his paws tightly clenched themselves around her body making her scream in horror and pinning her to his body.

His head swiftly arched itself up.

Cynder screamed again when she locked her sight with his creepy, emotionless brown eyes. His snout was covered in many bloody cuts., some of them gushing blood profusely.

Screaming in complete terror she began to thrash around, trying to break free from the clutches, yet her attempts were futile. The paws held her in place like heavy chains.

While the eyes kept staring at her.

Not able to look at them any longer, Cynder, driven by panic, pressed her front paws to his chin and started to push, squealing and screaming through the whole ordeal. There was a snapping sound and the dragon's head tilted backwards, unnaturally far away, revealing a long deep cut across the whole neck.

Another powerful, terrified scream escaped her throat when she saw the crack growing in size as the head fell backwards. Thick, dark, disgusting and putrid blood shot from the growing opening and splashed onto her snout. Cynder gurgled when some horrible dark streams flew into her widely opened, screaming mouth and forcefully continued down her throat.

She almost choked on the amount of blood, its taste and stench made her writhe in abhorrence.

Worms poured from the wound and onto her paws.

Cynder gagged, swallowing the dark liquid to make room for another blood freezing scream, which was only intensified by the feeling of hundreds of worms slithering up her scales.

Snap.

The head dropped onto the bed.

Spyro was dead.

She shut her eyes...

...and screamed at the top of her lungs.

A whip of cold air lashed across her snout.

Cynder opened her eyes, the scream that was bursting from her throat ended abruptly with the sound of her clamping mouth. She wasn't in her room any longer, she was on her balcony, standing on hind legs. Her forepaws rested on top of the railing while her head dangled in the air. Her eyes locked onto the bushes below, swaying to the rhythm of the wind, while remaining in the spotlight of the moon.

How the hell did she got here?

It was just a dream?

Cynder ran her tongue along the inside of her teeth and winced. Images flashed before her eyes, worms, dark blood. Taste and stench, bugs burying into her scales, blood...

It made her sick.

She retched and then threw up, emptying her stomach completely. It was painful, her whole throat was burning but she was glad it happened. When the unpleasant ordeal was finally over she allowed her head to dangle freely, panting in relief.

"We are feeling much better now"

Cynder stiffened at the sound of the low, hollow voice just next to her. With a gulp she began to slowly turn her head, not wanting to look, yet without the ability to stop herself. She noticed two slightly cracked purple paws.

She yelped and threw herself at the far end of the balcony.

"Stay away from me!"

She yelled in horror, but before she laid her eyes on the creature she noticed rays of light reaching on the balcony, reaching from her room. With a shocked gasp Cynder looked through the glassy barricade, seeing her completely lightened room, her bed and her partner soundly sleeping on it, his paws wrapped around his chest tightly, as if he was still holding her.

He was there.

He was alive.

"Spy-agh-gh-ha" her call for his name ended with her coughing fiercely. Her lungs started to burn, it was not the ordinary choke on excitement, but something completely else, if the smoke wafting from her mouth was any clue.

Not again!

"We believe waking us up is not the best course of action right now"

Cynder ignored the creature and shouted again, at least tried to, this time there was no smoke, not even a sound. Whatever shout rumbled inside her throat forcefully remained there.

She turned towards the creature, her eyes a mix of aggression and fear. To her surprise it made no attempt to reach for her throat or do any other creepy thing. The dragon just stood there, watching her with emotionless eyes.

To her surprise the creature was adequately tolerable to look at, wounds still covered its body, its wing membranes were still tarnished, but now it didn't look like a long dead corpse dragged out from the ground, but rather like a scarred veteran of to many wars. She also noticed one curious thing, trails of smoke were wafting from underneath its paws.

Something has changed, she didn't know what and honestly wasn't interested to find out.

"This is only a dream" she muttered her thoughts

"It's a dream Cynder"

"You hear me fucker?" she grew angry

"A dream!"

"A fucking DREAM!"

Cynder blinked, surprised to hear her voice again, normal, without any sign of abuse. As if nothing ever happened.

"We are not dreaming" the drake replied, standing still like a statue, brown eyes fixed on her

It gave her the chills.

She spun around swiftly, with the intention to wake Spyro again.

"We would hate to make us uncomfortable again"

Cynder opened her mouth yet didn't let out any sound, remembering what conclusion she reached before they entered her room. The thing wanted something and it won't let anything to get in its way.

She turned around, facing the creature. Fright was ravaging her, but there was also that special thrill, the warrior's blood boiled in her. She finally sees her enemy, makes eye contact, it was enough to fill her up with courage. Unknown was gone, that is important, fear of the unknown constrains, while awareness untangles every binding knot. Doesn't matter if the enemy is a mercenary or...

...a supernatural monster.

"Now listen monster" Cynder growled, trying to the best of her ability to mask the fear in her voice "because I'm not going to repeat myself. Leave. Me. Alone!"

"We cannot be separated"

She lowered on her paws, her fighting spirit dictating her actions, her heart hoping that Spyro will wake up at the first sign of fighting.

"Wanna bet?"

"It is not necessary"

She sprang forward with a growl, there was something infuriating about its emotionless tone and the way it stared at her with its dead eyes. Like a master listening to his slaves, showing them empathy but at the same time drawing a line of superiority and arrogance.

There will be no other Master telling her what to do.

Not now when she has everything she ever dreamt about.

She slashed at the creature with almost rabid ferocity. Her eyes widened when a gasp of sudden shock left her throat. Her claws swung right through the creature, rippling its form in their wake, like it was nothing more than a mist.

Cynder slashed at the creature again and again and again, putting more strength into each strike, grunting as she swung her deadly, natural weapons. Aggression and desperation rang in every tone of the sounds the dragoness made, she had her nightmare right in front of her and she just couldn't touch it!

Her claws flew in every direction possible, running along every part of its body. Yet no matter how many times she rippled the features of the creature's head its cold eyes always swirled back into place, always watched her with unintentional supremacy.

"We should stop acting this way, more discomfort is not needed"

Its VOICE!

Seemingly emotionless but strangely radiating arrogance.

"You don't exist!" Cynder pushed back from the creature with a depressed shout

"I am alive"

She swung her tail ferociously, her blade tip tearing through the dragon's form, making his form swivel like vapor.

"Then why don't you die!?"

"This" the dragon looked himself over without any hint of interest "is a projection of our mind, the limited capability of our brain to understand something beyond its scope"

"I hardly believe that I would imagine a walking corpse! If I would have any say in this you would be a bunny! What have you done to me!?"

"Nothing. Our mind is only partially responsible for creating this projection, other thing warps it also, but it is beyond our comprehension"

Cynder backed away, carefully watching the creature. She wanted it gone, knowing what it did to her and the poor mole, but also was intrigued by its lack of any hostility. Her life experiences taught her to allow everyone some benefit of doubt. However strange they may seem, everyone deserves a chance, Spyro showed her that.

She was also a creepy monster, everyone hated her, Spyro was the only one that offered her a chance and she turned out pretty good if she can say so herself. Perhaps the same thing happens to this creature, she doesn't understand its nature, that doesn't mean it's evil...

Right?

She licked her lips apprehensively.

"Who are these we you keep talking about?".

The dragon stared at her callously, it was hard to say if her question was too intrusive and the creature was making up a sweet lie or it didn't know how to answer.

The dragon raised his paw, black tendrils of shadow followed in its wake as he pointed a claw at his chest, just to aim it at her moments later.

"We are one"

Cynder balked in disgust "We are not the same!"

"We are not, but we are one"

"What that supposed to mean?"

"We are one"

She growled with irritation.

"Make some sense!" she snapped at the creature, surprised how bold she suddenly became around it "You think you are me?"

"No"

"You're a part of me?"

"No"

Cynder wanted to snap at the creature, but then a bolt realization struck her as she remembered one tiny detail.

"You referred to Spyro in plural, is he one of us?"

"No"

"Then why us?"

The dragon' s eyes shifted towards Spyro "We are not the same, but we are one"

Cynder sighed "Okay...then what are we?"

The creature looked at her again "We are one"

She growled, supernatural monster or not it was getting on her nerves "Forget it, let's start with something simple" she licked her lips

"How did I get here?"

"We carried ourselves here sensing great discomfort, we-"

"Stop right there" she blinked, once more surprised by her boldness. The creature wasn't so terrifying anymore

Somehow she didn't seem any bit calmer about the fact.

"If we want this to work you'll stop using plural"

The dragon stared at her with the same emotionless gaze.

Yet this time she shivered, she felt like she was poking a troll with a stick.

"What is YOUR name?"

The creature remained silent, when she thought it won't answer her its mouth opened suddenly.

"I..." the dragon's voice boomed like a distant thunder,

Cynder couldn't shake off the image of a hymen breaking, she sensed that by forcing the creature to see itself as an individual she made it to do something for the very first time in its existence.

"...have many names" the creature finished forcefully and aimed its blank gaze at the dragoness.

She instantly thought of a sly grin forming on its mouth.

"Sugar"

Cynder reared her head back "What did you call me?"

Nothing could be read from the drilling into her brown eyes of the creature.

"Sugar"

"No way! You absolutely won't call me like that! My name is Cynder"

"It is unavoidable. It is you who made me as I am"

She cackled from the ridiculousness of this situation "A monster calls me by using a pet name. Guess the stupidity meter is full now"

The dragon cocked its head, for the first time showing a hint of emotion.

"Is...love not important to you?"

Cynder eyes narrowed on the creature intensely, defensive instinct waking up with her "What THAT has to do with anything?"

Its head tilted to the opposite side.

"Do you not love me?"

Her jaw dropped to the floor, she was desperately trying to convince herself that she misheard the dragon. She licked her dry lips.

"W-what?"

The creature disappeared in a puff of dark smoke just to suddenly appear right in front of her nose. Cynder jumped back with a terrified yelp.

"Do you not recognize me Sugar?"

"Okayyyy I think that's enough for one night. Goodbye now" she slowly retreated towards her room

The dragon spread his green, tarnished wings open, tendrils of black smoke were left in their trail.

"I am what you made me to be. Look at me, do you not love me Sugar?"

She had no idea what the dragon wants from her. Cynder looked the creature over, just for her own peace of mind, or instinctively protecting herself from any more horrors the dragon can surely bring to life. She knew that the creature resembling Spyro was no coincidence, it speaking about love was just as strange, especially because she wasn't sure if it understands its meaning.

At first nothing came to her mind, but then as she kept looking at the creature, seeing Spyro's purple scales and thinking about the dragon speaking about love...everything slowly started to make sense.

"Wait" Cynder cocked her head "You look like Spyro because he is important to me?"

The dragon stared at her blankly. She took that for a yes.

"But why Sugar? He never called me like that"

The creature tilted its head "You are our son"

Despite the confusion she laughed, it was a chuckle full of fear and shock, she just couldn't help herself. The way the dragon looked at her, the way it talked, the way it confused her for a boy. Seemingly stupid and probably depraved to some point and yet she just couldn't hold back. She laughed, hard to say why, maybe the happiness from earlier didn't left her yet.

"I see that somebody missed his anatomy lessons"

Another torrent of abashed feminine laughter echoed on the night's air.

The dragon's head returned to its natural place. He stared at the dragoness for a while and the burst out laughing.

Cynder froze, her tail curled practically in between her legs, whatever sign of happiness vanished completely, turned into a stiff expression of cold terror. The sound the creature emitted...it was horrible, low and rumbling, like a blow into some fiendish horn. She instantly thought of a demon, roasting its victim over the fire bleeding through the cracks of its hellish pit while enjoying the sound of screams the poor fellow emitted when it poked him with its pitchfork.

Her mouth shut itself with an audible clamp.

The dragon stopped laughing instantly, eyeing her once more with the same emotionless gaze.

"Don't do that ever again" she mumbled warily

It remained silent.

The dragoness shivered, fear once again overwhelming her, it was strange. The fright was pulsing in her, like the heartbeat of a dying person on a life monitor. The creature's silence after its display of...that, pushed the pulse to the highest of levels making her almost faint.

It was so strange and ominous.

She felt like a lamb on the run and from tonight...

...It's hunting season.

Her paws twitched restlessly, they really wanted to get away from the dragon, she would gladly comply if not for the misgiving feeling that it would be the worst thing to do right now.

Cynder scratched her choker nervously "Explain..." she rasped and instantly cleared her throat, not wanting the creature to feel any satisfaction from her condition, if it was capable of doing that in the first place

"...why do you call me your son?"

"I have sired you Sugar, you are our love"

Her eyes threw the dragon another confused look, she wanted to tell the dragon once more that it isn't making any sense, but then something struck her. It was so obvious that she cursed her stupidity. The creature is not entirely Spyro, it also carries the features of the dragon from her dreams. Maybe being formed from two different dragons somehow confuses its understanding of the world...or her.

"That song you sang" Cynder continued, her voice filled with hurt and curiosity, she felt like she was putting her head through some dark crack in the wall, above which, on the other side, a sharp clever awaited her "is it a lullaby you used to sing to me?"

"With your mother we did, she had such a wonderful voice. I wanted to sing it to you for the last time Sugar, but I lost all my strength protecting your mother. They have ruined her Sugar..."

The dragon's emotionless voice trailed off for a moment as Cynder clutched her chest, she felt like a scab on her heart just broke and blood was flowing from the wound once more.

She cleared her throat, dropping the cheerful mood and silencing the group as a result "Now it's the time for some bad news, mind you that they are bad for you not for me, that's a very important detail since no bad news follow me around. As you may know, your fathers, friends, mates or whatever won't be coming to visit you. They all are..."

She scratched her choker "How to put it mildly?" she muttered to herself and shook her head "I've slaughtered them all, I've painted the ground with their blood and decorated the walls with their guts and all they could do was to beg me to spare their mates and children while I disemboweled them" she snorted "Bunch of whiners"

"You will pay for this!" one of the female dragons yelled, while streams of tears flown down from her eyes, with all emotions released in a single shout, she sobbed and hid behind a rock.

She rolled her eyes "Yeah, yeah, you know how many times I hear that line? Come on people, be creative!"

"Thou shan't find peace and fall under the weight of thy deeds, those who disdain pure life shall become its prey" a rasped feline voice reached her.

"Shit..." Cynder mumbled devastated

"...and then you killed yourself. You comforted yourself first, you made yourself to believe you and then you sank your claws into your flesh Sugar. Drawing blood, ripping, tearing-"

"Stop!" she cried out painfully

The dragon once more adopted his statue like pose.

"You disgusting creature!" she snapped at the dragon furiously, her voice wavered with emotion "You're not alive! You're my conscience, I don't know why I see you, or why do you talk to me now when you had all the time to appear way earlier, but I know one thing. You're the price I have to pay for my crimes, twisting the only feeling that keeps me going, to haunt and torment me"

She looked behind her shoulder, aiming her eyes at Spyro sleeping on her bed, on his paws that held her in a loving embrace. Her claws scratched the balcony floor with fiery determination.

"You might have succeeded once, but I am stronger now than I was ever before" Cynder turned around with a growl, fixing her shimmering eyes at the dragon "Do you hear me you creep? You missed your chance! I will have my redemption, because I DESERVE IT! You're just like all the rest of the people, trying to stomp me with guilt like I'm a bug, but you won't do it and you know why motherfucker?"

"Because I'm stronger than all of you combined! You may make hell out of my life but in the end I will be the one last one standing. This is my life! I'm the only one who has any command over it!" she inhaled deeply "Begone you monster!" she roared

However the dragon remained where it was, yet as much as it tried to keep the pretense that her outburst left no impact on it she could feel its...fear.

"You are wrong Sugar, I-"

"I don't care!" she cut the creature off ferociously "Let me go!"

"You were never trapped here"

Cynder narrowed her eyes skeptically on the creature as she moved her head back in surprise "Really? I should have known that indigestion was behind the shadow coughing earlier"

"I had to stop you Sugar, you would never talk with me otherwise"

She looked behind her shoulder, once more taking Spyro into her line of sight. Her eyes glimmered hopefully.

"Then I can leave?"

"Yes"

Cynder swiftly spun around, determined to fall back into her partner's embrace.

"I do not want to hurt anyone again. I did not want to kill the old mole in the Plaza. Why did he not remain in the light?"

Her whole body tensed at the sound of the creature's voice, it was still emotionless, yet she could hear the pitiful notes of regret in its voice. Her claws already touched the wooden floor of her room, the feeling of boards underneath her claws was never so inviting before.

"Is this a threat?" Cynder asked, her eyes remaining locked on Spyro, how she wanted to be close to him right now

"No Sugar, it cannot be avoided. My nature is complex, tied like a knot. I need your help to unravel it"

She is being played, the creature in its depression clings to her guilt, it was so obvious, but it isn't forcing anything on her. It asks for help, seems to beg for it in its own way, it's up to her if she listens to its plea. This is the command of the life you asked for, save the monster and people that taunt you all the time or simply walk away.

Altruism or selflessness.

The choice is simple.

Your happiness or the well-being of people that torment you.

The choice is simple.

The blissful drift in Spyro's loving embrace or more bodies added you our count.

The choice is simple.

"Dammit" Cynder's head dropped down with a depressed sigh

She turned around slowly and lifted her head, meeting the blank gaze of the creature. Its posture didn't change but she could feel something else emanating from it in pitiful, weak waves.

Relief.

"How do I know if I can trust you?"

"I do not want to hurt you Sugar. I love you"

The creature's callous confession sent shivers of disgust through her body.

"Don't say that" Cynder mumbled in abhorrence

"I care about you Sugar. I took you here to spare Spyro the taste of your spew. I waited until you finished your loving intercourse"

"Wait!" she yelled bashfully, a fierce blush crept onto her cheeks "You watched us as we...we...umm...kissed?"

"Yes"

Cynder coyly rubbed her leg, feeling extremely naked right now.

The dragon cocked its head "Were you not...happy?"

"No! I mean...yes...but...you can't stalk me like that!"

"I do not understand"

"Forget it!" Cynder snapped, relieved to get away from the uncomfortable topic "We'll get back to setting boundaries later. By asking if I can trust you I didn't mean myself, how can I be sure that you won't hurt any more innocent people?"

"I will not"

"Oh yeah, a word of a creepy monster is enough for me. I believe you!" she snorted sarcastically "I need more than that!"

The dragon stared at her and fell silent. Once more she was torn between thinking that it is making up a sweet lie or looking for a good answer.

"I love you Sugar"

She groaned in annoyance "I told you this is not about me! I w-" she reared her head back in sudden realization "Wait a moment. You love me right?"

"Yes"

"So you won't do anything that will make me...ummm...unhappy?"

"Yes"

"You know, you might be telling the truth but I'm still not convinced. You dragged me out from my room, into a dark balcony. You know how I feel about Spyro, you know I'll tell him everything. Then why bother to have some one on one with me if your intentions are friendly?"

"it would make you uncomfortable"

"How? Weren't you listening? I will tell him everything anyway"

"This projection is for your eyes only"

She rubbed her forehead "We're walking in circles here. First you're saying that it would make me uncomfortable and then that this is for my eyes only"

Cynder narrowed her eyes on the creature "Why are you lying?"

"I am not"

"Then tell me, without any more cryptic answers. Why appearing in front of Spyro would make me uncomfortable?"

"This projection is for your eyes only"

"You stupid f..." her irritating groan ended abruptly, realizing suddenly that the dragon's sentence has ambiguous meaning

"You're invisible right? Nobody can see you except me?"

"Yes"

Cynder shook her head in disbelief "Was it so hard to tell me that?"

"I do not understand"

"I have to remember that you're a creep" she took a deep breath "Alright. Focus. You said I was wrong? Wrong about what?"

"I am not your conscience"

"Then why do you look like two dragons in one body?"

"It is you who made me as I am"

"Okay, let's try differently. Love, this is what created this projection?"

"Yes"

"Why?"

"For you to love me Sugar"

"And why should I love you?"

"Because we are one"

She sighed "Guess there's no getting around that, huh?"

The dragon remained silent for a longer while.

"I do not understand"

Cynder rolled her eyes "Yeah, I figured as much. Just one more question about your appearance. If you want me to love you, then why appear as a wounded creature? Why scarred?"

"It is you who made me as I am"

"Okay, I made you from love. Is that all?"

"Yes"

She cocked her head, not really knowing why she asks those questions when there are so many more important things to know. Maybe it was just curiosity, or unconscious search for weakness of a potential enemy.

"What is love to you?"

The dragon stared at her blankly, longer than ever. It was hard to say what it was thinking, or feeling for that matter, but if she had to guess she would say that the creature was confused.

"Happiness...pain"

Something clicked inside her head, everything started to make sense. The dragon appeared like that because it focused on love, most likely the most powerful feeling that ravaged her. There was no denying the fact that she was in pain, especially when Spyro didn't show any romantic feelings towards her and she was afraid that she's going to hurt him by confessing what she felt about him. The dragon was an embodiment of that feeling.

Cynder looked the dragon over once more time. Two dragon bodies put into one and bloody scars representing struggle...happiness and pain.

This was so sick.

She licked her lips "Love doesn't cause that sort of pain. It doesn't make you bleed, literally speaking, you do realize that right?

The creature remained silent.

She didn't know why, but somehow the silence of the creature in this particular moment was the most scariest thing that happened today.

The dragoness shook her head in abhorrence "This is wrong, from now on we don't use the word love get it? You're here because you like me, do you understand?"

"Yes"

"Let's make this somewhat less creepy"

The creature once more adopted the posture of a silent statue.

She cleared her throat, breaking the uncomfortable silence "Let's start from the beginning. Let's rewind to the point where you freaked me out since we already figured out that you're not embodiment of my conscience. You're alive as you said and as I recall have many names. How old are you?

"I do not age"

"But you had to start from somewhere, someone had to name you after all. How long you are on this world?"

"Since the beginning"

Cynder's eyes widened "Since the beginning of the world?"

"No"

"No? Then beginning of what?"

"Beginning of time"

She gasped "What?"

"Beginning of time"

She swallowed, an idea has crossed her mind and she didn't like it one bit "You're...you're older than the world?"

"No"

"Not literally I mean. Did you exist before this world?"

"Yes"

Older than the world, THEIR world at least. Recent events showed them that there were many more worlds than this one. The Veils prove that, Flare and Iris prove that, Volteer confirmed it with his scientific theory. Not to mention that they've experienced how a world ends first hand, perhaps nobody ever managed to save their world from collapsing, perhaps they were the first ones in...in time? What if...what if they just prolonged their fate? And the nemesis stands before her right now?

Dear Ancestors.

This doesn't bode well.

She has to know, the dragon...or whatever it was didn't lie to her, at least she thinks so. It has no reason to start now.

A cold shiver of terror gripped her heart, her lips suddenly became dry as sandpaper "Are...are you...the Destroyer's spirit?"

"No"

Cynder closed her eyes, the question she was about to ask filled her with so much dread that her legs almost gave under her weight "Are..."she gulped "...are you...M-Malefor?"

"No"

A loud breath of relief escaped her throat. The most horrible scenario is out of the way and yet the feeling of misgiving still lingered on her soul. This thing is ancient, that's enough to be afraid of it.

"Then what are you? And don't tell me that we are one"

The dragon didn't answer.

Cynder scratched her choker thoughtfully after an unending moment of silence "Guess I've fried your circuits with this one" she took a deep breath "Are you evil?"

The creature once more went silent, this time it didn't ignore her question, she felt that it was thinking.

Why?

Is it such a hard question to answer?

"I do not understand"

"What is there not to understand? Do you like hurting people?"

"No"

She sat down, finally a bit relaxed "Alright that's a good start, as for a walking reminder of my evil deeds you're not so bad"

Cynder went silent for a while, resting, she didn't know that conversations could be so tiring. Unconsciously she hoped that the dragon will start talking on its own, explain its origins, she had no patience to ask it any more random questions about its past, not really wanting to find herself fin another undemanding loop.

The creature was silent the whole time, whatever hope of it sharing its life stories faded with each passing second. She kept looking the dragon over, it didn't seem to mind her intrusive sight.

It wasn't Malefor's spirit, nor the Destroyer's, as her eyes landed on the shadowy tendrils burning from below the creature's paws she remembered Amela's words. How little they know about Dark, perhaps the dragon is the answer to that mystery.

"Are you my element?" Cynder finally asked

"No"

Her fears have been checked, her idea about the creature being her element was also checked, it denied all of them. She looked down, at the light reaching out from her room, there is only one left possibility to consider, with all the rest out of the way this one seemed like the most plausible one.

Her heart started to bleed.

Please no.

"Are you..." Cynder swallowed and looked at the creature, her saliva tasted bitterly "...Corruption?"

The silence that accompanied every time the creature asked a direct question was a very brief one, yet this time it seemed like it had no end.

"No"

She let out a long, deep breath of relief, her heart started to jump inside her chest with joy. Cynder looked behind her shoulder, seeing Spyro smacking his lips as he drilled his head into the sheets to get more comfortable.

She smiled.

And that was one of the largest smiles that ever stretched the delicate scales on her snout.

Funny.

She wondered if he was dreaming.

Dreaming.

With a sudden realization she turned her head around.

"Are you the one responsible for my nightmares?"

"No"

Cynder frowned "You aren't? Then why I keep seeing my past while I sleep?"

"Those are not dreams"

"Then what are they?"

"Our memories"

"OUR?!" Cynder jumped on all fours scared "You said you aren't Corruption!"

"I am not"

"Then why you call the things I saw our memories?"

"Because we are one"

She growled "Stop with this useless answer!" she snapped at the creature wrathfully "I demand details! What does it mean that we are one?!"

She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, or perhaps the uncontrollable hateful terror that overwhelmed her was behind this but she could swear that the creature cringed.

"We are one, Spyro and I are one, the mole I killed and I are one, Flare and I are one. We all are one. This is how it was and always will be"

Cynder immediately relaxed, not fully, but she was glad that the initial danger was over. She had absolutely no idea what the creature means by constantly repeating that they are one, however she decided to leave it as that for the time being. She still didn't like the idea of the creature calling her nightmares THEIR memories, but at least she knows now that this has nothing to do with corruption.

There was absolutely no chance that the mole or Flare had any contact with Malefor's evil influence. So the memories about her being corrupted have nothing to do with the Dark Master's evil touch.

This explanation seemed believable, yet her feminine intuition told her that something fishy is going on here.

"Tell me this. Why do you keep showing...our memories to me?"

"We are connected, it is unavoidable and necessary"

Cynder frowned "Ok now we're getting somewhere. Forget about the connection part since I already know what you will answer. Why is it necessary?"

"I sense a hole in you, part of you existence had been blacked out. You need to be whole, and by being whole you need to remember your abusement. You need to be made impenetrable for manipulation"

"What sort of manipulation?"

"The influential touch capable of pushing your awareness into the background, making myself flourish without a leash. You are familiar with the touch, Malefor was the last one that used it on you in his lair. The touch is dangerous for us Sugar"

She jerked her head back with an angry and frightened frown "I think you are lying to me creep and now you are beginning to entangle yourself in your own web" she pointed an accusing claw at the creature "First you're telling me that you are not Corruption and now you mention Malefor, who didn't do anything else but corrupt me in an instant with a single thought"

"I-"

"And that's not all!" Cynder cut the dragon off "you made me to live a memory of a guy named Koren and since I was looking through his eyes I guess you were one with him too. There was some old chick there who called you an abomination, not to mention that you killed your own mother and then you turned you attention to the old dragoness, who you promised suffering! We can't forget about the war going on outside also, a war which you were quite pleased to see! How all of this fits with your not evil and I don't like killing people catchphrases?"

"My natu-"

"I'm not FINISHED!" she snarled at the dragon

The shadows from underneath the dragon's paws hissed and twirled like pushed against the corner cats.

"What about the flashes I kept seeing of you? You tried to chew my throat off in almost every single one of them! What about the monsters? The first one I saw chased me through the forest almost making my heart stop! The other one tried to kill Spyro, while another one almost drowned me in a river!"

She moved towards the creature, she didn't pay much attention to the fact that it backed away with each step she made forward.

She once more pointed her claw threateningly at the creature.

"What about the visions? Bloody, scary and generally creepy? I felt like my blood turned into acid, my head was a dynamite and my heart was being poked by daggers. How will you explain THIS? This is your idea of liking me? Lie to me like I'm an idiot and torment me like I'm your toy? If this is your idea of cooperation then we have a serious problem"

The dragon pressed its back to the railing of the balcony, it had nowhere to run and for the very first time Cynder could see just how terrified the creature was.

She didn't feel any pity for it.

"ANSWER ME!" she roared

The creature cringed, shadows started to dance around its whole body as if trying to conceal it.

"Why all of this is happening? Why you tried to kill me? WHY?"

The dragon looked up at her, the creature seemed devastated, like a prisoner after a very long session of merciless torture. It was bleeding once more, but this time no blood was flowing through the cuts and cracks, but streams of black smoke.

"I have watched, I have stalked, I was hidden, observing you from the distance. Unable to form myself, only strong enough to appear during the night. No gentle approach was possible, only night, only nightmares, only dark creatures and only shrouded by darkness, no other way"

"For I am Shadow"

"It hurt, it boiled, it hissed. Suffering, no other way, complex nature of my existence. Only the strong, only the destined ones, powerful enough to survive. Suffering, necessary, unavoidable, had to protect, had to survive, only way to become immune. Bear the suffering, no other way"

"For I am Poison"

"Quick pounding of heart, agonizing, breath stealing, weakening. Many horrors, chasing, hunting, paralyzing and terrifying. Not only monsters dark as the night, life in general, tragic, dreadful. Dark creatures with red eyes, usual monstrosities, creeping in the souls of many. Necessary to run, to save yourself, only then strong enough to build courage, no other way"

"For I am Fear"

The apparition coughed, shadow pushed from its mouth as it cringed its chest in a sign of suffering.

Cynder swallowed, monster or not it was difficult to see it in pain like that, however she also knew that she has to be merciless, otherwise she won't receive any straight answers, if they can be called like that in the first place.

"You really sound like my element now. Is corruption my element? Are you Dark?"

The dragon shook its head fiercely "No, no, no, no, no. Shadow. Fear. Poison. No Corruption, No Dark. Shadow. Fear. Poison"

"You're not my element but you mentioned three out of four powers that I wield! It doesn't add up! What are you?"

Another fierce cough ravaged the creature, a long cut appeared on its chest, shadow was bleeding through the toes of its paw that tried to push the scales back together.

"Hurt. Please. I have watched, I have stalked, I was hidden, observing you from the distance. Unable to form myself-"

"Not this again!" Cynder cut the dragon off "Focus. Wind. What about Wind? Why didn't you mention Wind?"

"Not us. Not part of us" the dragon began to shook its head swiftly from one side to the other "Hurts. It hurts. Hurts so much" it whined

"If you were here since the beginning of time, why did you start to haunt me right after Malefor's death?"

"Impossible to show myself sooner. Too broken"

"That's not an answer!" she snapped

"Huuuurtt" the dragon cried out, Cynder impulsively shivered, it sounded like a howl of a wounded, wild, beast. Not entirely from this world.

"Obstacles, broken, not able to find you Sugar. Drawn to you, as one, we are one, we are one, we are one, we are one, we are one, we are-"

"Stop!" she blurt out, cutting off the pitiful whining of the dragon. Her voice wavering with emotion, it hurt her too see the creature in so much pain. This was torture.

She was torturing the dragon, somehow, perhaps by standing her ground so fiercely. Didn't matter right now, she has to take advantage of it, as horrible as the idea seems.

She was disgusted with herself.

"Why did you show up now? Why not earlier? What changed?"

"My nature, destructive, deadly, poisonous, complex. Unsurvivable for most, a struggle. Couldn't be changed, couldn't become calmer if not accepted. Toxic, for both of us. Consent allowed to settle, allowed to flourish, allowed to tug at the knot. Thank you"

"What consent? What acceptance are you talking about? I don't remember agreeing to anything"

"Yes Sugar, you accepted. The pond. Forest, temple, Boven, Flare"

Cynder frowned "What pond?"

"The sweet scent of rosemary from the uncorked flask..."

Her eyes widened in horror.

Her nose gladly accepted the now gentle scent. The smell that reached her was very pleasant, the enjoyable flowery aroma caressed her nostrils softly. Surprisingly that was everything she could smell, besides the rosemary she couldn't discern any other herb. It mattered not, she just wanted to relax, be it two flowers or one she didn't care, she just wished they worked.

She kept watching the flowing water, the streams that flew down were completely silent, it looked like that not even nature in all its glory wanted to disturb her rest. The whole world seemed to forget about her, leaving her to her refreshing solitude. The moment she closed her eyes, she felt like she was the only creature in the whole Realms, at least she had a moment solely for herself.

"You are enjoying yourself I see"

Her emerald eyes snapped open after hearing the unexpected yet familiar voice. She turned her head just to see a purple dragon standing next to her head. Even in this shrouded by darkness forest she could see her friend clearly, thanks to the silvery light.

"Spyro" she blurt out surprised "What are you doing here? I've told you that I will be right back"

"I know, it's just that I've felt guilty when I've mentioned my happy childhood while you had it rough from the very start" he took a breath "It's good to finally get this out of my chest"

The thing she feared was just happening, she can't allow him to feel guilt, it isn't his fault "No harm done, I'm fine" she offered a slight comfort

Spyro smiled, there was something unnerving in the way how he did it, yet she decided to ignore it "Besides, I really wanted to see you"

A chuckle escaped her throat, she decided to turn his words into a joke, he couldn't mean it after all "Yeah, it's not like we see each other every day. Just imagine how boring it would be"

He didn't even giggle "I love your company" he answered bluntly

The tone of his voice and the emphasis he put on love quelled her giggle instantly "You...you are serious? Umm...thanks I suppose" she replied dumbfounded

With the same somewhat creepy smile he raised the flask with the herbs and examined it "What are those?"

She bit her lip, she didn't want him to know the truth, telling him about the nightmares wasn't a really good idea "You...remember when I've went to the hospital? I've wanted something to help me relax and fall into a blissful sleep. After all we've been through I deserve a bit of innocent rest right?" she sighed "But here I am with my eyes opened and talking to you, I think you can guess how good those herbs actually are"

Spyro put the flask down and looked into the pond "How's the water?"

"Great to be honest, I've put all my faith into the medicine but the water is doing just fine"

He threw her a cold glance "Will you let me in?" he asked with a strange excitement ringing in his voice

Her head jerked back, what kind of question was that? It's not like the pond is her property "Sure...hop in"

"You..." Cynder swallowed, not even the tiny drop of saliva managed to ease the painful scratching of her suddenly dry throat "...you...you...TRICKED ME!" she roared with furious desperation. Even the metallic railing of the balcony seemed to shriek in fear.

The dragon howled agonizingly as he dropped on the balcony, puff of dark smoke shot from underneath his belly.

The creature's suffering didn't move her in the slightest "You impersonated Spyro! Made me believe that you are someone else! You...you..." her snout twisted in abhorrence "KISSED ME!"

"Sugar pleaseeee" the dragon cried out, scratching at the balcony tiles. Tendrils of smoke were wafting from the open wounds on its body like some sort of a fading soul escaping the dying shell that it once inhabited.

"You PLAYED ME! Took advantage of my longing. SHOWED ME WHAT I WANTED TO SEE!"

The dragon roared, releasing a hollow, rumbling blare that children sometimes imagine to hear in the darkest of forests.

"Happyyyy. Wanted to make you happyyyyy"

She cackled mockingly "Happy? You think fooling me would make me happy? Have you forgotten that you fed me your tongue later and wanted to drown me in that black water?!"

"Nature. Complex. Complex. No other way"

"What the hell do you want from me you fucking CREEP!"

"KNOT" it howled like it had never did before, its mouth began to dissolve into nothingness, teeth started to vanish with puffs of dark smoke. The scream the creature let out really resembled a scream of a dying person who is being devoured by a pack of wolves

A bolt of pity immediately hit her heart. Somehow she was killing the creature, and it was dying in great agony.

"UNRAVEL THE KNOT" its constant agonizing howling sent shivers of guilt throughout her whole body "HAD TO TRICK, DEATH AWAITED IF NOT. DEATH AWAITS NOW"

Cynder impulsively backed away while scratching her chest, she was having a crisis of conscience and her soul was reminding her of that in the most painful of ways.

"I OFFER POWER. POWER FOR LIFE. DO NOT CAST OUT"

"I don't want power" she muttered, whatever aggressive strength vibrated in her voice before now was slowly fading away

Cynder winced at the sound of the creature's snapping claws. Shadow started to bleed from the holes on its toes.

"POWER IS UNAVOIDABLE. NO OTHER WAY. NECESSARY TO CONQUER THE FORCES OF PAST ERAS. MANY FOES. THE WORLD BLEEDS. THEY REACH THROUGH THE WOUNDS. SEEN THEM ALL. ALL DANGEROUS"

The dragon dropped on the balcony, whatever blood freezing howling it was blaring ended the moment it fell flat on the stony tiles.

"Help Sugar. I plead" it mumbled weakly, with its last breaths

"How can I be sure that you're not planning something evil?" she yelled at the dragon, having troubles looking at the dying creature "How can I be sure that you won't trick me again? How can I be sure you won't get in between me and Spyro? How can I be sure that you're not planning to hurt me in the future?"

"Never. I will never hurt you. I like you Sugar"

Cynder averted her gaze, silently cursing her meek heart. She had no certainty that the creature isn't trying to trick her now, telling her everything she wants to hear, they are one as it said. It knew that love for Spyro is what kept her going and it made sure to approach her with that influence, in its own twisted way.

That alone was suspicious and sick. She had all the right to turn around and walk away, ignoring its pleas. However her eyes moved, to take a glimpse of the dragon once more.

She winced at the sight.

The creature was dying, it was ruined to be precise and she was the one responsible for it. The sight of it bleeding shadows instead of blood should be enough to make her reconsider her approach, and she might have done that if not for the fact that it was BLEEDING.

It was alive.

Monster or not, evil or not, it was dying an agonizing death, suffering that she orchestrated. Seeing the creature like that, it made her sick, she was the one accusing it, calling it evil, putting all the blame on it, all because she might have misunderstood its intentions. While she allowed it to writhe in torment and that's a solid fact.

How she can be such a hypocrite, from the two of them she is the one being evil, no good hearted creature would stand idle in the face of such pain. Was it really the creature's fault that it acts as it acts? Perhaps it seeps from the source of her own moral corruption which she pretends that isn't part of her, pretends that it was forced upon her while in truth that darkness is there, has its fangs dug into the veins of her morality and is pumping poison into her soul?

Like it always have been. I am a black dragon, elements reflect the nature of the wielder.

The creature is suffering in front of your eyes and you haven't lifted a claw to stop it.

You enjoy death and destruction don't you?

Doesn't it remind you of someone?

Oh Dark Mistress?

"Help. Help me Sugar" the dragon mumbled weakly

Shit.

"All right!" Cynder shouted defensively "You...you can stay or whatever. Just don't die ok?"

The creature looked at her, aiming its blank brown gaze at her. Its agony has ended, but this wasn't the only thing that has changed. She had no idea what it was, the feeling was as empty as the dragon's stare. Emotionless once again.

"Thank you"

"However if we want...this to work, whatever this is, I want you to stay out of my life. Don't watch me, don't stalk me, don't follow me. I want my privacy understood? Appear only when I need you"

"Yes"

The dragon vanished in a puff of dark smoke.

Cynder jerked her head back, impulsively looking from side to side, hardly believing that the dragon disappeared, but this wasn't an illusion.

The dragon was gone.

She punched her chest, a thud rumbled throughout her bones.

"Fucking guilt" she hissed accusingly

A cold wind blew across the balcony, it was quite a blow for her freshly awakened nerves.

The dragoness shuddered.

"Don't make me regret this"

She retreated to her room, grabbing the handle of the glassy door and froze. She unconsciously started to stare into the emptiness of the balcony.

Another cold gust made her shiver.

She shut the door and latched them in place. Ancestors know how long she stayed outside on this cold night.

With a sad sigh she turned around, the moment she rested her eyes on the sleeping figure of Spyro she smiled, all the worries of today's night suddenly weren't that much important. They were pushed to the background, where they belonged.

Cynder gently hopped on the bed, dropped delicately on the sheets and started to crawl towards her earlier resting spot. With a smile she pressed her nose to Spyro's locked in a hug paws, moved her snout underneath them and with a swift motion hurled them up while she crawled onto his chest.

"Cynder...?" Spyro stirred with a groan the moment his paws made a delicate smacking sound on her back

"Shhh. I'm here" she kissed his shoulder and drilled her cheek into it later on

He moved his sleepy head, barely lifting his dreamy eyelids to look at her as he shivered underneath her "You're cold...is everything all right?"

"As long as you are here, yes" she kissed him on the cheek affectionately "Sleep now"

He rested his chin on top of her head and drifted away instantly, breathing deeply. The clutches of sleep didn't let him go fully in the first place and now they just pulled him back in their embrace.

She shut her eyes soon after, envying the peaceful oblivion.

As she slowly drifted away to the sound of his beating heart the encounter with the strange dragon started to lose its importance.

Hopefully it will stay that way.