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Chapter 13 -- The Storm

Spyro and Cynder sat there on the balcony the next day, enjoying each others' company. On the ground below they heard Terrador and Solar finish their sparring match. Terrador was impressed with Solar's fighting skills and amazing self-control as he lashed out at Terrador yet never hit him hard. Cynder laughed as she heard them laughing below.

"Solar's fitting in pretty well here," she said, and she felt Spyro nod against her head.

"Well, it's good he is...but still, I feel so sorry that we're here and Flare is somewhere out there waiting for him."

Cynder sighed and looked at her purple mate. "Spyro? Have you had any more dreams lately?"

He sighed disappointedly. "None...you'd think that with us being mates and all I'd be having dreams, but ever since that night...I dunno if it's because we're falling asleep later, but I haven't had any dreams lately."

"Well, guess we'll hafta go to bed early tonight," she said, nestling into his shoulder.

He rested his head against hers and they sat there until Cynder yawned and stretched. They both headed inside. Solar and the four elders were talking at the far end of the room, and Spyro and Cynder headed towards their room. Spyro stopped when he felt that Cynder wasn't next to him, and he turned and looked at her, concerned. She was standing still, eyes clenched shut, head down. Before he could ask what was wrong she began vibrating in pain.

"Cynder?! CYNDER!!" Spyro shouted, grabbing hold of her. She began thrashing and crying.

"NO!!! GET AWAY FROM ME!!!" Spyro was about to obey but she quickly screamed "GET OUTTA MY HEAD!!!!"

"It's him!" Solar shouted, racing over. "Spyro, hold her down! She might hurt herself!" With that Spyro flung himself on top of her, his weight pinning her to the ground. Solar held her arms down with his hindpaws, his forepaws on her head. The elders gathered around, and to their amazement saw a bright glow around Solar's paws. He groaned, fighting against something as he struggled to keep his paws on her head. For being so small and thin, she was somehow incredibly strong as she tried to shove them off of her, trying in vain to escape from whatever was assaulting her mind.

Solar opened his eyes, a fierce fire shining in them, and withdrawing his control over his voice he snarled "I order you to leave her alone! Leave her, NOW!!" The sheer commanding tone of his voice almost made Spyro follow his instructions, but he knew it wasn't him that Solar was shouting at. The shadowy power emanating from Cynder died off a bit, but to Spyro's dismay he felt it return in greater power.

"Gahh...I can't..." Solar grunted, forcing more energy into his paws. "I can't hold him back!"

As soon as he'd said that, a powerful blast of dark energy flew from Cynder, knocking them all away, the bracelet flying off Cynder's wrist and hitting Spyro in the head. The room around them swiftly changed into a far larger form of the platform Spyro had originally defeated Cynder on. As he watched in horror, she floated up into the air, writhing as a black cloud of shadow enveloped her. The cloud grew bigger and suddenly was absorbed into Cynder as her small, shadow-silohuetted form began to morph into a larger Cynder. No...it wasn't Cynder...As the dark form floated to the floor and the shadow gave way to visible features, there stood a half-grown version of the evil adult Cynder. Ignitus yelled and stood up, ready to attack, but she merely looked at him with a snide growl. He and the other elders were thrown backwards and suspended helplessly in the air in nets of dark energy. Cynder turned her head back to Spyro with an evil grin.

"So, Spyro, we meet again," she said coolly, but then her face softened, and her young-Cynder voice pleaded "Spyro...please...help me..." She shook her head as the evil regained control, and she flew up into the air.

"Spyro!" Solar called. "Break the field around her! It's what's holding him into her!" Spyro just barely avoided a powerful blast of dark energy. Hesitantly, not wanting to hurt Cynder but being forced to protect himself, he unleashed an equally powerful blast of lightning from his mouth as Solar assisted with an ice blast. Both energy attacks rippled along Cynder and she shuddered. Spyro and Solar came at her from the sides, and she couldn't keep up with them as they struck her every which way. The dark field around her kept rippling with every blow, and finally shattered. She screamed, falling to the ground, stunned. Solar placed his paws on her head, and a bright flash of light came forth that washed over Cynder's body, shrinking her back down to her young form as a tear of relief fell from Spyro's eye. At the same time, though, a monstrous black cloud was forced from her, and it quickly flew through the air at Terrador. Terrador convulsed and Spyro watched as the earth elder morphed into a more hideous form, black markings all along his body as he fell to the ground. Spyro got the unconscious Cynder out of the way as Solar went to attack the possessed elder, holding her in his arms, tears falling from his eyes.

"I'm so sorry I had to do that Cynder," he sobbed. He felt so bad that he'd had to knock her out...he held her head to his face and cried, feeling her weak heartbeat. She was still alive, but could he beat Terrador before anything happened to her? Rage and vengeance took hold of Spyro's mind, and his eyes flared up as he gently put Cynder down and rushed off with a loud yell to help Solar fight the earth guardian.

It took some doing, but they finally shattered the field around Terrador, and Solar again placed his paws on the elder's forehead, sending that healing light along the green dragon's body, the tranformation leaving along with the evil energy. The cloud left Terrador, and before Spyro could blast it, it split and took over both Cyril and Volteer.

"What the heck is going on?" Spyro cried out, angry and frustrated, as the two elders mutated and rushed at him and Solar.

"You take Volteer, I'll handle Cyril!" Solar shouted, and before Spyro could say anything Volteer launched a blast of thunder power that seared across Spyro's hind leg. He grimaced, but it fueled his rage, and in a rapid, vicious series of breath attacks and melee blows, Spyro downed Volteer. At the same time, Cyril fell close to the electric elder's unconscious form, his dark field gone as well as Solar pulled out of his melee-spin. The white dragon wearily flew down and put his paws on both their heads at once. He grunted with the energy strain, but he healed them as well. Cynder groaned nearby, and Spyro rushed to her, picking her up and holding her. She coughed and looked around wearily.

"What happened?" she asked quietly.

"We saved you from yourself," Spyro said, squeezing her in a hug. "I thought for a minute that we hit you too hard and..." He felt her arms around his neck and she held him close.

"I'm not dead, am I?" she asked him with a smile. He shook his head and kissed her. She looked to the side and screamed. Spyro whipped his head around, and to his shock saw a huge, hideous form of Ignitus rise up.

"I'll be right back," Spyro said, looking into her eyes reassuringly before racing off with a blast of earth energy to assist Solar. Cynder watched in horror and disbelief as Spyro and Solar teamed up against the possessed fire dragon. Solar was tiring rapidly--the energy loss from healing Cynder and the three other elders had cost him more than he'd realized, and Ignitus was now far more powerful than the others had been. Ignitus threw him to the floor, and Spyro, brimming with rage, powered himself up. Ignitus turned to him, only to be met with an intense Ice Fury that decimated the shadow field around him. Ignitus fell to the ground, and Solar once again healed the elder. He fell back, exhausted. Spyro landed on the floor as Cynder walked up next to him, and she shrieked as the shadow rose up away from Ignitus, the hideous transformation falling from the elder's body with the shadow. Before any of them could react, Spyro was lifted into the air and the shadow flew into him. Cynder cried out in shock and horror as Spyro, her powerful purplr protector, was rapidly surrounded in shadow.

"NO!" Solar cried out, and lunged at Spyro. To further Cynder's confusion and horror, a tendril of dark energy reached out and wrapped around Solar. Solar shouted and the tendril flowed with light, quickly disappearing. The white dragon fell to the ground, but the shadow wasn't done with him yet; to Cynder's despair he sank lower to the floor, twitching as light and shadow raced across him. "No...you...will not...have me..." Solar grunted, and his left foreleg gave out underneath him and he yelled in pain.

"This can't be happening!!!" Cynder cried, looking rapidly between Solar and the unconscious elders.

"Oh, but it already has," came a hideously familiar voice above her. She looked up and screamed as she jumped aside, just barely missing a blast of dark energy. The impact explosion sent her sprawling, and she slowly lifted herself off the floor. In front of her stood a huge possessed Spyro, and she gaped in disbelief and despair. His golden horns had both split into two long, sinister fang-like extensions from his skull. His once-purple hide was plastered with hideous black markings. Those caring purple paws that had so often caressed her with care now harbored long, curling sharp talons that were itching to shred her. But what shocked her the most, beyond his blackened teeth-ridged wings, was his face: his snout had become long and pointed, and from his lower jaw protruded two thick fangs. His black eyes shone with savage red pupils. There was very little trace of the Spyro that cared about her, the purple dragon that loved her.

"What power," he said, but she knew it wasn't him speaking. "None of them had the power I feel now..."

Cynder shook her head; this was too much. "No...No, no no no no! This can't be! You're not the Spyro I fell in love with!" she shouted, so angry that she felt her face heat up and her eyes water.

Spyro's face suddenly went softer, and she heard his old voice come forth. "Cynder...please...I'm so sorry..." He shook his head and laughed as the evil took over again. "Sorry you won't be alive to watch the 'purple dragon' rule your pathetic world! I have the power I placed in you, and now I have Spyro!"

That did it for Cynder. First the Dark Master had dared to come back (using her), but taking Spyro? HER Spyro? Bristling with rage and blinking back her tears of confusion, she roared and sprang at the possessed dragon before her. She moved so fast he wasn't able to counterattack effectively as she pummelled him with melee blows from every direction. She flew high up into the air and plummeted back down, bashing him across the head with her own. He fell to the ground with a loud roar, and she pulled out of her flight and shot towards him, powering up. As he got up and turned to her, he was enveloped in a towering inferno of blue-hot fire as she screamed "SPYRO!"

The possessed Spyro flew backwards as her wrath caused her Fire Fury to explode violently, eradicating the dark field around him. He skidded along the floor, unconscious, stopping by Solar. Solar was now a cloud of shadow and light as he struggled desperately against the Dark Master's control, but with a determined groan he reached out and placed his jerking paw on Spyro's head. With an almighty roar Solar sent a blast of light through Spyro, so powerful that the shadow within was cast violently out and beams of light shot from Spyro's transforming body and assaulted the dark cloud. Solar cried out in pain as darkness slowly overcame him. Spyro groaned and Cynder raced to him, helping him up.

"We gotta help him!" she shouted, and Spyro looked to see Solar rocking back and forth madly, shouting in pain, clouds of shadow and light exploding all over him as the Dark Master tried desperately to take him over. They raced over to Solar and they placed their paws on him. Ignitus and the other elders groaned as they regained consciousness, and looked up to see Spyro and Cynder glowing brightly, their paws on the white dragon as he violently convulsed in the struggle. There was an intense burst of light that overwhelmed all of them, and when they could see again, they were back in the main room of the temple. They heard a low, malevolent hissing sound of a voice that was slowly fading away, but Spyro thought he heard it say "Though I am defeated, I am victorious!".

Solar got up slowly, his limbs shaking. Spyro and Cynder lay there, panting but smiling at each other in triumph, proud of each other. A glint caught Spyro's eye, and he painfully crawled over to it, picked it up, and crawled back to Cynder. He put the bracelet back on her wrist, and she smiled at him.

"Thank you for saving me, Spyro," she whispered, and looked at Solar.

"I must thank you both for your aid," the white dragon said a bit hoarsely. "I don't think I would've lasted much longer..."

Ignitus and the other elders shakily got to their feet.

"Yes, well done, both of you," he said a bit wearily but proudly. "The Dark Master's power has been weakened thanks to your efforts."

Spyro and Cynder nodded, looked at each other, and passed out at the same time as the energy expense took them over.

* * * *

Spyro woke up on his side and found Cynder curled up in front of him, facing him. He smiled and put his paw out to touch her, glad that she was finally rid of the Dark Master's bond. Her scales were so soft...so perfect...He looked out the window and judged the time by the position of the shadows to be morning. He closed his eyes...a memory of something was trying to get through to him, but what was it? He wracked his tired mind...

He saw a young but grown yellow dragon with orange wings and deep blue eyes, looking lonely and forsaken. His mind immediately told him it was Flare. She sat up in her cave and went outside onto the snowy mountaintop, closed her eyes, and somehow Spyro heard what she was thinking, almost as if she was thinking it right to his head.

"Tell Solar...remember the name..." she said, and repeated it over and over. Remember the name?...

"Spyro?" came a familiar voice, and his sight left his mind and focused on reality. In front of him lay his pitch-black mate, smiling at him. "See anything last night?"

"Actually, yes," he grinned back triumphantly. "I think I know where she is..."

"Do we tell him?" she asked, meaning Solar.

"Not yet...I think one more dream will give me enough evidence to verify my idea."

She leaned forward and kissed him. "Such a smart dragon," she said. "I'm so glad to be your mate, Spyro..."

"And I'm glad to be yours," he said in reply, nuzzling her face the way she did to him. She giggled, and he pulled her close to him, putting his red wing over her. "Nothing will get in our way..."

"Nothing," she said in agreement, and locked his lips to hers. They eventually broke that loving bond and slipped off the bed to start the day. Solar was coming to check on them, and he smiled when he saw them on their feet. He looked very tired and drained.

"Something wrong, Solar?" Cynder asked.

"Huh?"

"You look over-tired."

"Oh..." He laughed to himself. "I've been tending to Sparx. Whatever was draining his energy now no longer has connection with him, but he nearly lost his life in the struggle as I broke the draining bond. So, in short, he's gonna be asleep for a while as he regains his strength...a looong while..."

"Wait til he finds out," Cynder whispered, and Spyro chuckled.

"If Ignitus comes looking for me, tell him I'm taking a nap, okay?" Solar asked, and they nodded. He flew off over the balcony and out towards the forest nearby.

"It's been kinda quiet without Sparx around," Spyro said, and Cynder looked at him.

"But he's your brother..."

"I know..." Spyro stared off into space. "I'm almost wondering if he should go find himself a girl...get some sense into him. I do miss him buzzing around and chatting, but at the same time it's awfully peaceful."

Cynder laughed. They walked to the balcony and looked at the sky for a bit before heading out to grab something to eat. They found a good tree and ate their fill of berries, and headed back to the temple. Ignitus was looking for them.

"When Solar comes back you three need to head off as soon as possible," he said.

"Why? What's going on?"

"The enemy is regrouping to the north. If you can get to the portal quickly enough, you can not only recover the crystal, but create a diversion so they won't be ready for your next attack on their base in the northeast."

Spyro and Cynder waited for Solar to return. They didn't need to wait long--he came back fairly quickly, looking refreshed and ready to go. It was almost midday,however, and they decided to waste no more time and set off immediately. As they flew, Cynder turned to look at Solar, and something came across her mind.

"Solar?...that gold chain you said you had...I haven't seen you with it at all."

"It was vaporized in the dimensional rift," he said sadly, and she felt sorry she'd brought it up. "The troll hit me right as the device activated, and I let go of the chain as I was pulled into the rift." He sighed and shook his head. "Oh well...it was broken anyway..."

Cynder looked back at Spyro and saw him with that thoughtful stare. She guessed at what he was thinking and smiled to herself as she flew closer to him.

"Gold chain?" she asked quietly.

"How do you guess me so easily?" he asked.

"No clue, I just do," she said, playfully bumping into him. "Guess it comes with mateship."

Spyro laughed to himself and closed his eyes, stretching his wings and gliding with a smile on his face as he quickly reflected on the events of the past days, a warm, happy feeling washing over him.

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