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MALEFOR'S PRIZED WINNINGS

by Alice Clawford

Commission for SirDrone

Something bad is going to happen, Cynder thought as she and Spyro flew towards their final battle. Towards that monster. It was hard to feel optimistic, the Destroyer had taken so much from them, trampled their land and still they couldn't stop it. Their attempts to defeat it had been thwarted by the one dragon responsible for it all: Malefor, the Dark Master. The name alone left Cynder shuddering in fear. She remembered only a little about him from her past, when she was but a chick. Brief glimpses and memories of when she'd lost control of herself, when she had been kidnapped. She hadn't even hatched yet when Malefor ordered her capture and destroyed the rest of the dragon eggs. Then, using his dark powers of Aether, he corrupted Cynder, turning her into his mind servant and sent her out to destroy her own kind against her will.

A memory she never forgot. A crime she felt was her own doing, despite her having no control of herself. Spyro had time and time again forgiven her, had told her that she shouldn't blame herself for the things that others made her do, yet she couldn't shake those thoughts. She had caused all that trouble, all that pain, destroying the land of many, all for the twisted Master's desires of a new world. A world built on destruction.

"Cynder?" She turned her head to look towards her partner, the purple dragon was flying close by. He looked to her in concern, with such love and adoration for her, it made her feel inadequate. But she would never tell him that, he didn't like it when he did. Spyro was good, amazing even. But, she still couldn't shake the feeling that they were flying towards a trap.

"I'm okay, I just... something doesn't feel right." She told him honestly, as they continued to fly towards the Dragon Temple.

"I know. It feels like a trap, but we don't have any other choice." Spyro echoed her concerns, surprising the dark dragon.

"No. The world is already so..."

"Dark? And destroyed? Yeah." Spyro sighed, looking down at the dark torn land beneath them. Even the monkeys that had once been serving Malefor were no longer around, having been destroyed by the evil dragon long before the dragons had been hibernating. "I'm somewhat glad that Ignitus isn't here to see this, to see his home taken apart like this. Nearly everything is gone. But we can't give up. We have to try. We can save what we have. We can rebuild the world for everyone here."

Cynder smiled at Spyro's reassurance, but it did very little to curb the feeling of dread she felt. In the distance, she could hear the roar of the Destroyer levelling the land, stomping down the mountains and hills and villages all around. There was nothing they could do, but to defeat Malefor. Then, and only then, could they destroy the golem.

Fires burned for miles, smoke and smog filled the skies, making it harder for the pair to see where they were headed to. Still, they persisted and flew as fast as they could towards their goal.

There, they could see in the distance: Malefor's Lair. From what Hunter had said, it used to be the Dragon Temple, or parts of it. Cynder no longer recognised it as such. She hadn't lived there as long as Spyro had, so she didn't recognise parts of the temple that had been ripped out like he could. She turned her head to see his reaction, but he kept a level head on himself. He refused to react, his eyes were slightly narrowed, a look of determination passed over him, but nothing else. The land had been ripped out of the earth. Debris floated in the air, suspended by magic, and dark energies zapped in lighting bolts across the landscape. It was wild and terrifying, had Spyro or Cynder any fur, it would've stood on end. Fires burned out of control as it suspended above a volcano, and right as they were set to land, a statue of a dragon that Spyro never knew, but respected all the same. As they landed, they saw no sign of the monster himself, not immediately.

The pair of dragons looked all around them, looking for the Dark Master that was the cause of their near extinction. It didn't take them long to find him.

At the back of the floating island, the large dragon waited for them by what could've been his throne. He was a large dragon, bigger than Spyro and seemingly more powerfully built. Sharp spines ran down his back and two huge black wings tucked close to him. Malefor also sported three horns on his head, one on each side like Spyro and one from the middle back of his head, along with two spikes jutting out of his shoulders. His entire form looked sharp, angry and distorted by Aether. His smile had been mangled into something menacing, the kindness that he had once sported from the many portraits that once hung inside the Dragon Temple had gone. He had become a monster, and now he looked the part as well. The dragon somehow, despite everything else, had kept his purple colouration. It made sense, for it was his symbol of power, that purple dragons are more powerful than the regular dragon. Despite now having grown up, Spyro looked nothing like Malefor did. He had kept the same spikes from childhood, his tail still forked with a simple spiked end, whilst Malefor sported a couple of blades. Spyro and Malefor had grown so differently, yet both shared incredible power. Something Cynder couldn't hope to touch.

Malefor stood there with a smile on his face as the pair approached, there wasn't a single sign of nervousness or fear in his eyes or stance. He had wanted them to come here.

This is a trap.

Even as they both knew this, what else could they do?

"And here he is, the hero has arrived." Malefor spoke, taunting the pair of dragons and he laughs. "Just as the prophecy foretold. As all heroic tales go. Do you hope to defeat me and restore peace to your land, dragon? Isn't that how all the fairy tales go?"

"Malefor, you can end this now and we will spare your life. Turn the Destroyer off and I won't tear you apart." Spyro snarled back at the purple dragon, a sudden change in his demeanour a little shocking for Cynder. She couldn't blame him for his sudden fierce bite back. This was the dragon that killed his father figure, Ignitus. He had taken Spyro's home, killed his step-father, and now he dared to mock them? Cynder could feel anger clouding her judgement too, but she kept those thoughts at bay.

Malefor tutted. "Now, I don't believe the hero normally speaks in such a violent way. Do you still doubt that you and I aren't alike?"

"You and I are nothing like each other!" He snaps back sharply.

"Are we not? Do you not feel that power coursing through your body? How much more free you feel, how powerful you could be? I suppose you still have much to learn, young dragon. Especially considering that you seem to falter and never learn from your past mistakes." The purple dragon purred, yet he didn't move him his position.

Spyro shook his head, slouching down, ready to strike if Malefor tried anything. "I don't feel the same things you do, I know exactly what I love most, and what I care about most in the world. Power isn't one of them."

Despite it being a predictable answer, one that Cynder had repeated to herself many times over, Malefor seemingly hadn't expected such a bite back.

"Oh? But don't you see, the very thing you do covet is a power, but a power most unlike mine. And one that, admittedly, I have been foregoing as 'weak' and 'pathetic'." Malefor sighed, as if this very idea was a tragedy. "Rather presumptuous of me. Maybe you and I are different, yet the same in that regard. I chose Aether, you chose love."

Both Spyro and Cynder were a little taken aback by that. Indeed, they hadn't been hiding their relationship, but they had never had the chance to really work on it. With their lands in trouble, their long hibernation and fighting off Malefor's evil servants, there was never a time to settle and discover things about their relationship. So, it had been one of little action and mostly words and support.

"Yet, I find Aether still that much more comforting. It cannot betray me and I remain loyal to it. Whilst love? Your love for one another? How much can it truly endure? Are you sure you even love one another as you say you do? Do you truly know one another? Both of you are as guilty as the other for misdeeds and crimes, how can you possibly still love one another?"

Cynder flinched at his words and doubt crept into her mind. He... wasn't wrong. Flashes of her time as a corrupted dragon flew through her mind, and try as she might, she could not dismiss them so easily. Spyro, however, the true hero that he was, immediately challenged Malefor.

"You liar, we've done nothing wrong. We support and love each other. We are stronger than you, we are nothing like you!" Spyro threw out his protests, voicing out what Cynder found she couldn't.

But Malefor was not outdone by that answer. Instead, he smiled, a wide and cruel smile that only the Aether itself could create. "Ah, a predictable answer that I'm sure you yourself feel is true. But is it? How can you be so sure, when your partner stands there utterly silent by herself?"

Blood drained from Cynder, a cold and harsh feeling hit her and her confidence vanished instantly. He hadn't even attacked her, it was just words, but they cut her all the same as if he had slashed her. She didn't want to see Spyro's face, but she couldn't look away and seem and feel guilty.

Yet, Spyro showed none of the emotions she expected. He showed no disappointment, no shock, no anger, nothing of the sort. Instead, he showed only compassion and concern for her well being.

"Cynder, he's talking nonsense. We're together in this, I won't leave you behind. I won't abandon you. I'll always be by your side, no matter what happens." He smiles and just like that, Cynder felt her strength return, if ever so slightly.

"Oh, that's probably very true. He's such a hero, after all, he can't help himself. But do you deserve it, Cynder? After all, you're the one who freed me from my prison. Both of you did."

"No, that wasn't our fault." Spyro argued, but Malefor was ready for that comeback.

"But who's fault could it possibly be? Ah yes, partially mine, I admit. But let's see, had you never come to the Well of Souls where you weren't needed, this wouldn't have happened. You were warned, after all, and yet you both did it anyway. And Cynder here? Well, how many times has she gone rogue and attacked you and your family, Spyro? Wasn't she the one who imprisoned all your guardians?"

"Yes, but I... didn't mean..." Cynder could barely breathe, couldn't retort any of Malefor's claims. His words were his weapon, and he was winning this fight before she had drawn an attack at all.

"Oh, you didn't mean to? Well, none of us truly means to do much of anything bad, but that doesn't make your actions any less terrible, now does it? Does it truly keep your morale clean?"

"Don't listen to him, Cynder. I forgive you for what you'd done. It wasn't your fault, you did everything you could and we're together in this. I love you." Spyro comes to her side, supporting her and being her shield. He deflected the purple monster's words best he could, as Cynder stood there weaponless and defenceless.

"How noble! What a hero!" Malefor laughed, a dark cackle that shook the land they were on. "Truly, able to cast aside any bad those they like and see past to find the good that lay inside them. But only those they like, the privileged few. One that I may not get a glimpse of, despite my best reasoning's for creating a new world. You high and mighty dragons are all the same. Stuck in your ways, believing one way is right and the other wrong. Yet, I see beyond these old ordeals, a new way to evolve and change, a new way to live. But you're all too afraid of the unknown, afraid of change."

"I suppose there is one tradition I do believe in. We all have a role to play, fate steers us in a direction of our goal. And I fully believe my goal is to bring about a new world, and destroy this old one. And your goal is to stop me? To keep the world balance and be stuck with our plain world forever? Well..." At this, Malefor opened his wings wide, challenging the younger purple dragon. "It would amuse me to see you try, Purple Dragon."

Spyro snarled, crouched down low like a tiger ready to spring on his prey. Cynder watched, hesitating, doubting herself, believing she would get in the way, but Spyro had no such reservations. He leapt out at Malefor, no fear in his eyes nor any hesitation as he swung a claw at the beast. Of course, having taunted the dragon, Malefor had been expecting an attack, and he easily managed to jump out of the way, spitting out a breath of ice as he did so. Spyro flapped his wings, quick to roll and get out of the way of the blast, before he turned back towards the beast.

"I'm not going to lose, Malefor. You have no allies left and nobody to support you. You're going to have a hard time beating two dragons."

"Oh, am I?" Malefor grinned with a smile that promised truly horrible things to come. Leaping backwards into the air, Malefor flew over Cynder, who up until this point had watched helplessly from the sidelines, paralysed and unable to move. By the time she had realised Malefor was behind her, it was already too late. He'd grabbed for her, placing a claw at her shoulder and poked his Aether magic into her mind and rendered her helpless and completely out of control of her body. Memories flew back, the time she spent trapped in his powers, a giant and evil dragon who ruled the skies and brought death to everyone beneath her wings.

"No!" She managed to cry, just before she felt her control over her mouth was soon taken over as well. She didn't feel him controlling her, but rather he cut her off entirely, turning her into a frozen statue.

"Cynder!" Spyro cried, Cynder yearned to reply to him, but her current state simply made that impossible. "Leave her alone, you bastard!"

"So crass! But did you not see? She was unable to help you, refusing to give any assistance to you. Are you sure that she's fighting for you? Or does she still have that hint of evil inside of her?"

Spyro snarled, tail flicking left and right in agitation, clearly wanting to attack, yet having no way of doing so without hurting Cynder herself.

"Surely you've had second thoughts from time to time. And here she is again, a liability to you, your weak point. Yet you still brought her with you. How naive of you. And you Cynder, you didn't stop him? How neglectful, this could cost your world dearly for such a dreadful mistake."

"Leave her be. Your fight is with me, Malefor, I'm the one you want."

Malefor smiled and backed away from Cynder slightly, dropping his claw from her scales and she slowly felt strength returning to her form.

"Yes, you are correct. Your destiny is to destroy me, and mine is to destroy the world. Only one of us will get what we desire and complete our mission. So, let me give you something to motivate you." Malefor jumped up into the sky, flying just above the pair of dragons and hovering just above. "You and I Spyro, fighting to determine the future of this world, old or new. And the winner shall have their queen standing by their side, ruling the world as a pair. Cynder's life now hangs in the balance as well, little dragon. Do you think you are so courageous to fight me now? And fairly. We will have no cheating here."

What!? Cynder was distraught and she looked to Spyro for support. But he couldn't say no. If he did, the world would be destroyed regardless. There was no going back, no way to refuse this, yet it put Spyro at such a disadvantage.

"Oh, very well, I'll allow Cynder to fight for you as well, it will only make that victory taste ever more sweeter when I grasp it within my claws."

"A victory that you won't be able to see or feel, Malefor. Because we won't lose and we will defeat you."

"High and mighty hero talk for someone who hasn't left the ground yet." Malefor spat as he flew higher. "Time is ticking, heroes. The Destroyer will not wait forever for you to make your decision."

With those last words out of his mouth, Spyro leapt up into the sky, flying right towards Malefor, crashing into his body and stunning him for a second. Cynder watched, then quickly flapped her wings hard, lifting her form up and off the ground to join her partner. She wasn't sure what she could do, but she would fight to the best of her ability that she could. For her very own life and Spyro's were in danger.

With no effort at all, Malefor grabbed Spyro, throwing him off and right into Cynder. Then, before they could recover, a breath of Aether blasted out of his mouth, narrowly missing the pair as they pushed off one another, breaking away and avoiding the attack. They had no time to rest, as Malefor came for them again with absolutely no mercy. He flew at them, chasing them into the skies, firing off dark magic and different breath attacks. Malefor was fast, too fast for the two dragons and he refused to be lead away by any taunts. Any time Spyro and Cynder would try to break away and attack Malefor from behind, it was as if he could hear their planning. The purple beast knew exactly when they were going to try to strike at the same time and catch him off guard. When Cynder grew close to him to attack from behind, he would let loose a pulsing dark attack and blow her aside out of the air.

Spyro fought as hard as he could, diving down from the sky and swiping at Malefor, trying to disorientate the older dragon. Malefor beat him in raw strength and magic skills alone, so he needed to be clever, more clever than the dark dragon. That was a challenge in itself.

"What is it, dragon? Are you getting tired?" Malefor grinned, flying a little closer, as Spyro quickly darts away out of his reach.

"I'm just getting started, are you? You can give up if you want, it'll make it easier for us both."

"Oh, I'm afraid that's out of the equation. I am a dragon who never loses." Malefor then struck at Spyro quickly, thrusting down in the air and pushing the dragon down onto the platform beneath. Desperate to get out of his grasp, Spyro spurt out a burst of fire, but was quickly put to a stop as Malefor subdued him, pushing him down onto the ground. He was far too heavy for Spyro to throw off, and he struggled and wriggled best he could on the floor.

Taking this chance as Malefor was preoccupied, Cynder flew in, quickly and silently. She rammed herself against Malefor, throwing him off of Spyro and letting the dragon free. The purple dragon didn't wait as his partner attacked Malefor, he quickly rolled over to join her. With their combined efforts, the pair of them pushed Malefor over the edge, the large dragon unable to get back onto his feet nor fly away before he fell off.

Since the volcano was still a long distance away, Malefor turned to gain control of his descent. Anticipating this move, Spyro and Cynder dove down from above, darting quickly and striking at his wings, forcing him to spin out of control. The powerful evil dragon roared in anger and frustration, as he fought to gain control over himself as the lava down below came closer and closer. He turned to blast dark powers at the pair, but they quickly got out of the way of it, then zoomed back around once the blast radius had calmed and slammed back into him once again before he could recover.

As the volcano zoomed closer, Spyro and Cynder flew off, letting Malefor to finally gain his bearings, right as he fell into the lava. The dragon roared and screamed as magma bit at his armour and wings. _No, he would not let them defeat him!_Bringing forth his power, he enclosed himself into a protective sphere, protecting him from the damage from the lava and giving him the ability to right himself and fly away. He chose a spot of hardened stone nearby at the lip of the volcano, before he looked up to see the two dragons staring down at him. He swore they were laughing. Yet, he grinned back, for he would be the one laughing. He would win this battle and claim his prize. Crouching down, Malefor sprung up, a tiger finally on the hunt. Like a rocket taking off, he sped upwards into the air, so fast he collided with Spyro and Cynder who were watching above, knocking the pair of them off. Spyro fell off the platform, having been thrown into the air, whilst Cynder had been thrown back onto the floor. Malefor paid no attention to her, she was too weak without Spyro's help to back her up, her mind having already been corrupted by him once before.

Instead, Malefor focused on getting Spyro out of the way, catching the purple dragon out of the air and flying down towards land. He threw Spyro down against the ground, pushing the dragon hard down as he struggled and swore at him. Malefor cackled as the hero struggled beneath him, having thought he had gotten so close to winning, so close to beating him, only to get too cocky in the end. It always came for them in the end.

"You thought I was going to be that easy, did you, hero? My, how unfortunate of you to let confidence get in the way of your victory." Malefor grinned with glee, pushing his front claw down hard against Spyro's thrashing form. "That's a rookie mistake, now your poor world is going to pay for that mistake. Ah, but don't worry, Cynder will take good care of it with me." Malefor laughed again, further egging on the purple dragon.

Said purple dragon snarled in hatred, throwing his wings open and going for Malefor's throat. The evil dragon expected this reaction, having taunted the hero himself, he knew anger would drive the hero to make a horrible miscalculation. And that it did, as Spyro lashed out, slashing at Malefor's face, the evil dragon took the opening opportunity when it struck him. As Spyro tried to lunge again for the dragon, he whipped quickly and thrust his tail out, slamming it against the dragon. It hit him square on, bashing against the hero and sending him flying back.

"And now it's time for me to collect my winnings." Malefor spoke to himself, opening his wings wide as he prepared a horrible spell. A spell to petrify the young dragon. One he had cast on him before years ago, when the hero himself had managed to free him from his confines the first time. With a quick muttering of the spell's casting, Malefor lifted his front claws, letting out a beam of light from them as his spell shot off towards Spyro. Said dragon, dazed and trying to right himself after the hard hit from the enemy, shook his head and turned ready to face Malefor again. He readied his stance, ready to jump and fly into the air, when the beam struck him.

Spyro was stuck, unable to move as the magic hit him on the head. His mind immediately realised what happened and tried to cry out, but it was already too late. It cut off, like an off switch had been flicked for the dragon and his spirit knew no more. Quickly, his body was encased inside a crystal, one that formed around him and trapped him inside right as he was standing like a trap that had been sprung. Just like that, in a mere 10 seconds, it grew from nothing and trapped the hero inside, a giant crystal floating in the air, suspended by magic to keep it protected. There, he would stay inside, hibernating until he would be freed from his curse.

Malefor laughed triumphantly. He had done it. The hero had been caught, trapped in the same crystal that had protected him long ago from the devastation Malefor had set on the world initially, now had him trapped whilst Malefor was now free. He walked closer to his display, examining the hero's final stance. His eyes were steel, cold and resolved, ready to end Malefor's life if he needed to. He was under no illusion that the smaller dragon could and would do it if he felt like he had to. Though Malefor was his enemy, he couldn't help but to have respected the other purple dragon, even if a little bit. He had fought until the very end to try to save his current world and to put a stop to the beginning of a new one. Though he had lost, he had given it a great effort on his part. It was a shame, but it was how things were done and how destiny dictated it would go. Now, Malefor would be allowed to claim his prize.

Back on the platform where she had been thrown back, Cynder was finally recovering and getting back to her feet.

"Spyro?" She called, as she heard a blast. Then, silence. Dread shook down her spine, as she imagined him blasted, dead on the floor. She hoped, oh she hoped that wasn't the case. She rushed to the edge, then looked down, but the smoke and clouds covered her vision. She opened her wings, ready to jump down and see, when she spotted purple in the distance through the clouds. At first, she smiled, thinking he had been triumphant, he had done it.

As the shape grew closer, she realised with dripping horror, no.

He had not won.

Spyro had lost.

With a cry of anguish, Cynder turned to flee.

The Dark Master laughed, flying high into the air, he gave chase. He let her think she had a chance, letting her dash away and try to fly, but oh, he couldn't let her do that. He was quick to dive down and pin her to the ground, pushing his weight against her as she thrashed and cried and clawed.

"You killed him! You evil bastard, you murdered him!" She cried, over and over, as if the words would cut through the purple beast above her.

"No. He is not dead, but he will not be awake for a very long time." Malefor answered honestly, though it made no difference to him. He had killed plenty before without any regard for their lives, Spyro was no different. But to have him on display, to show the hero that had almost done it, saved the old world and now was dragged into the new world, the only other purple dragon. It would be something glorious to him. To keep the legacy alive, so everyone knew that purple dragons were to be feared and to rule over. Perhaps, in time, he could train the purple dragon those very lessons he learnt quickly as he was growing into his wings.

"You... what did you do?" Cynder looked terrified, though she could barely see as Malefor loomed over her back, pinning her down to stop her escape.

"He has entered his crystal form again. He may wake up... or, he might not." Malefor gave a smirk at the last sentence, for he had no idea which would be true, but it would be all too late for the young dragon to do anything.

"You evil..."

"A word I have grown plenty used to, I can assure you. However, all was right and fair, Spyro has been defeated and now before me lies my prize that we had bet. He had been so confident that he would save you, my dear, that he could take you back to this broken world of his. Alas, it was not to be. Now, here you are, awake and ready to join me as I bring about a new world. It is a shame this one must be destroyed first, but we will have a lovely green universe to welcome once the process is done."

As Malefor spoke, The Destroyer in the background continued to move, walking closer and closer towards the volcano to finish it's mission; to destroy the world. Both dragons looked up, watching it walk slowly but surely, with only a few hundred thousand yards left to go.

"Ah, and it shall soon be done. For now, there is nothing left to do but to simply wait and enjoy the show. So, shall we get comfy before we watch the beginning of the end, my dear Cynder?" The purple dragon purred as he began to lean down, hovering over the black dragon.

Cynder snarled, lunging forward to bite at the dragon's neck. She succeeded, startling the older one with a yelp and she squirmed just out of his grasp. She tried to make a dash, but she didn't get very far as the evil one righted himself quickly. Using his wings to push himself, he easily overtook her and landed in front of her. He crouched, a predator stalking his prey, as he teased the younger dragon.

"Now now, surely you aren't one to break your word, Cynder. You may not have quite the heroic streaks as Spyro, nor were you destined for greatness, but you'd be a bigger disappointment for knowingly going against our agreement."

"I didn't agree to anything!" The black dragon snapped, realising she would not be able to escape and instead tried to defend against Malefor's verbal attacks. "You tricked him. You got him angry, put him into a position where he'd be the bad guy if he ever refused. There was no winning, only in killing you."

"Now, I gave him the chance to walk away and leave me be. Albeit, that would make him a coward, but it was a choice that he was given nonetheless. He chose not to take it, a choice he freely made. Though, I do admit I didn't give you much of a choice, but one could say that this is what you get when you meddle in affairs that are not your own, dearest Cynder." Malefor's grin grew wide, and quick as a flash, he leapt forward, lunging for Cynder's throat. Sharp teeth clung to her scales, pulling her neck down and pushing her down to the ground in submission. However, Cynder was not going to go down without a fight. Snarling in defiance, Cynder clawed at Malefor's body, thrashing her tail upwards and trying to strike at him with her sharp tipped tail. Even as a grown adult, Malefor was still larger than she was, and she hadn't grown up quite into the same form she had been forced into when she was a chick.

Cynder's attacks were doing barely any damage, and the large dragon was barely flinching as she fought to get him off of her. He clung to her neck, forcing her down to the ground and pressing her head right to the floor. Malefor manoeuvred himself over her, pressing his heavier and bulkier body to hers, giving her very little room to move. She could feel him everywhere, and she hated it. Dark, oppressive powers shuddered against her struggling being, her heart pounded in fear as to what Malefor had planned for her. Already the memories of what he had done to her before flashed before her eyes; him forcing his dark powers into her body and transforming her into a monster, forcing her to do his bidding and destroy the very world she had never even seen right as she hatched from her egg. No, she would try to fight to her last breath to make sure that that doesn't happen again. At least, she hoped that she could.

Malefor's mouth released her neck, but his head remained close enough that if Cynder were to suddenly act or change her mind, he would react to it.

"Oh, my dear Cynder, you smell so afraid of me." Maelfor purred above her, keeping her pinned against the ground. The black dragon let out a shudder, feeling the purr reverberate through his chest against her spine. In retaliation, she opened her wings and did her best to slap them against the dragon's dead, even if it were a feeble attempt. That got a laugh out of the evil dragon.

"You still have plenty of fight in you. That's good, I like it better when you struggle. It's no fun when I have to do all the work, you see." Malefor's voice drolled, leaving Cynder at first a little perplexed.

Until she felt his tail curl around hers.

Now she understood.

Instantly, she flapped her wings frantically and threw her head back. Unfortunately for her, Malefor had been predicting this very reaction, and had prepared himself for it. Lunging forward again, his jaws wrapped around her neck once again and this time, he not so gently thrust her head down, banging it against the floor. His tail quickly curled up with hers, wrapping it around several times before lifting it in his grasp. This way, she was utterly powerless to hide herself from him, try as she might.

Malefor's jaws left her head, but his front paw came down on her instead, leaving her stuck. He lowered his front near hers, making sure she would hear his heavy breaths, his excitement drooling out of him at this opportunity that he hasn't had for thousands of years.

"Now, my little darkness queen, you know the rules just as well as I do. I have conquered your mate, and now I stand tall as the winner, ready to collect my prize."

"You bastard, there is no such thing!" Cynder snarled back, wriggling and trying to force her bottom half down to the ground, but she was quickly yanked back up by Malefor's more powerful tail that had a strong grip on her.

Malefor barked out a laugh. "You're right, not yet there isn't. But, perhaps, maybe that will be the new norm for this new world we will build. Do you see it, in the distance?" Malefor looked away, prompting Cynder to do the same and look in the direction he was. There, the Destroyer continued his journey, something the black dragon had almost forgotten about as she fought for her own dignity and safety. It was almost at the end of it's journey... she was far, far too late to stop it. The world as she knew it would end, and there was nothing she could do. She couldn't even protect herself in the end, as she was soon to find out, no matter how hard she fought.

"He has almost finished his cycle. Now, he will enter the volcano and he will bring about the destruction of this world, and bring forward a new one. And what a glorious start it will be." As Malefor spoke, he lifted Cynder's behind more, giving himself ease of access. He took a deep breath, moaning as he drank in the smell of her fear and hatred. It was absolutely glorious. "You and I, rulers of this new world, King and Queen of Warfang- no, the world. Us, the most powerful dragons in existence, will bring a whole new order to the world." The very idea of it fuelled him, aroused him and pleased him. Already, he felt his length begin to peak out of its sheath, slowly but surely rising in excitement as it soon knew what a treat it would be in for.

Cynder shouted back, defiant still. "No! Never, I'll never do what you say. I won't marry you, nor will I mate with you. I refuse, even if you were the last dragon on the planet!" She fought hard, trying to hide her fear, but it was already too late. Malefor was already drinking it in as it simply seethed out of her body, she was shaking like a leaf beneath him and she tried to shrink down as small as possible. It just made Malefor want her all the more, though she was deathly afraid and stood no chance at winning here, she still would not lie by and just take any punishment she would receive.

"Oh please, keep saying that. It only makes me more hungry for you. A woman who knows how to fight and never gives up, it's an absolute treasure. One that I know Spyro himself coveted so much, and I see why now." Malefor huffed, thrusting forward slightly and brushing the tip of his member against Cynder. The black dragon yelped and tried pulling out of his grip, trying to escape from beneath him. Her wriggles only excited him more, as he felt every movement she made. "Ah, fighting only makes this all the more lovely for me." Cynder hated to hear it, but she could not just sit and let it happen. Even if, maybe it would be better for her, she didn't want to go down as a disappointment to Spyro. What would he think of her if she just sit and let it happen? Nothing good, she imagined.

Still, she fought, trying to thrust her head out of the grip beneath Malefor's foot, but he was too heavy. She couldn't flap her wings to hit Malefor, as he'd positioned himself too far above her and pressed the rest of her limbs against the floor. She was trapped. She could do nothing but endure it. Endure, and try to keep of sane mind as the dark magic within Malefor began to mess with her head.

"Now, Cynder, why don't you scream for me?" Malefor purred into her ear, right as he thrust his hips forward, pressing his cock and hitting her behind. Clearly, thousands of years banished had made Malefor rusty, but it was a mistake he did only once. The jab had hurt Cynder slightly, but nothing compared to the feeling of the tip of his member finally entering her. Without any preparation at all, Cynder felt a burn at her behind as Malefor's large member forced itself inside of her. She snarled and cried as length by length, the evil dragon pushed himself inside and violated her. She felt every bit of it, every ridge and every section of it. She clenched her flesh, hoping to try to stop him, but it did nothing but worsen the pain she felt. Stabs of agony forced her to try to relax, just to get this over with faster, but her mind remained defiant and made it difficult as her body fought with her thoughts over the best course of action.

"Ohhhhh, you are glorious, aren't you? Pretty little thing." Malefor groaned and Cynder wanted to burn him to the ground. She hated it, hated his words that felt like toxic drivel used to patronise her. She wanted to rip his throat out and the imagery of it helped her think through the agony. The black dragon felt like she was being set on fire from behind, and as his penis snagged on a bit of her flesh, Cynder cried as he simply pushed in the last bit of his member inside of her.

Then, he waited, having fully thrust himself inside.

"It does seem like a terrible shame to be inflicting such pain on you, but this is a necessary evil to progress with the plan." Malefor spoke, though she wasn't sure if he was speaking to her or himself. She knew nothing about this plan that he was talking about. Instead of elaborating further, or giving any indication of what he was talking about, he decided to give himself time to adjust, she was sure it was more for himself than for her sake. Cynder could feel his legs shaking slightly, but it would be a foolish move now to try to attack him or make any sudden movements now. It hurt enough just to feel it pushing in, she wouldn't want to try to endure ripping him out of her violently like that.

After a couple of moments, Malefor shifted himself slightly on his back legs, pressing his front ones against Cynder's back and giving himself better leverage. Then, he began to move, and oh did Cynder hate it. Small sharp bangs of pain caused her to flinch, yelp and cry. She couldn't help her futile struggles, trying to get out from beneath Malefor, to try to escape the pain and humiliation, even as it made it worse. It wasn't like the time she was with Spyro, not at all. Only a couple of times had Cynder managed to lay with Spyro, considering how busy they were, and it had been nothing like this. Both their times had been gentle, slow and steady with whispered words and curling up together. Not like this.

Malefor thrust back and forth, groaning loudly, announcing to his kingdom exactly what he was up to now. His wings were open in a large display of dominance and his claws dug into Cynder's shoulder as he kept her pinned to the floor, continuing to use and abuse her body.

"I'll get you... I'll kill you." Cynder whispered, but against her own will, a grunt escaped her, one not filled with pain.

"I'm sure you would -ah!- love to. But live in reality, my dear. This!" He groans, giving a particularly harder thrust, even causing Cynder to flinch and tears spring to her eyes that she tried desperately to hide. "This is your new reality now. By my side, as queen."

Cynder snarled as she tried to drown out everything Malefor was saying, every word, every groan, every moan and pleasurable sound he let out. She wanted this to be over with, whatever Malefor wanted, and she would wait for her next opening to attack. Yet... she found herself struggling to do so. As the pangs of pain slowly dissolved, Cynder found herself more reluctant to escape. As the thrusting appendage finally found some rhythm and slid against her areas instead of prodding, her body began to react in a more welcoming way. She hated it so much. She felt like a traitor, as her body began to shift and move with Malefor's thrusts instead of pull herself away, where she tensed and squeezed for pleasure instead of pain.

Her tail clutched at Malefor's, holding tighter instead of trying to slip away as she felt a wave of desire and want bubbling up inside of her. With it, she could feel the dark energies harmonising inside, bursting to let go. She knew exactly what was happening, but was entirely helpless to stop or prevent it from happening. She was falling, slowly but surely, and she found it harder to control herself, to stop herself moaning or thrusting back in pleasure.

"Ah! There she is, my queen, finally falling in line for me." Malefor grinned, moving his legs so he was no longer pushing Cynder back down. And as this opening grew, Cynder was unable to take it, too entranced and taken over by the pleasure he was giving her. It was a thought that never came to her, as he thrust harder and faster into her. Now, she was almost completely his, moaning at his touch, pressing back into him, after before having scratched and begged against the ground for her release, now she still demanded a release... but for another type of release.

"P-please..." What had once been asked and whispered to in mercy, now begged in pleasure.

"Look at you now... so quickly after Spyro's demise, you fall to another."

Cynder snarled, the name still a sore spot and she clenched her muscle, hard. Malefor winced in pain, but was quick to remedy the situation, bringing his fangs down against Cynder's neck and biting. Her response was one he hadn't expected; a guttural groan and her flesh spasmed in reaction.

Oh, now this was a turn of events that Malefor was pleased with.

Yet, somehow Cynder was still in mind enough to give a response, despite her body's plight. "Never. My body... may say yes. I say... fuck you." She snarls, sure that she would've swiped at Malefor if she was given the chance.

"I'll never submit. I hate this, I hate you."

Oh, she was a feisty creature. "I don't need your obedience willingly, my dear queen. Your dark self with certainly make sure of that."

"Never!" Cynder screamed, thrusting her head out and tried to turn to attack, but Malefor was far too quick and expected a reaction. His claws were quick to slam her down again, then thrust his hips forward, aiming to hurt. Cynder cried in pain, pulling away as the pleasurable fog disappeared for a moment and tears dripped from her face. Her fangs ground hard, trying to hold back the pain as much as she could.

"Another act like that will result in more pain, do you understand me?" Malefor growled in her ear, leaning down as he stopped moving, giving Cynder time to weigh her options. "I'm so close... you wouldn't want to ruin anything for yourself, would you?"

Just like that, Cynder felt a lot of her fight give up, feeling that there was no escape, and there was no point in trying right now. She would fighting against the pleasure inside of her, as she felt it brewing once more as Malefor began his slow thrusts once again. She hated hearing it, the squelching sounds of his member entering her, her fluids building up as lubricant to protect her, and yet a sign of her pleasure at the same time.

For minutes, Malefor thrust into the pliant dragon beneath him, his wings open and snarling and growing as his pace grew faster and more erratic. Cynder did her best to remain still, to not react, but it was a battle that she knew she was losing. She knew every occasion, she found herself thrusting back, a whine left her fangs, her wings were drooping down to the floor in submission as instinct told her to. That this male was mating her, he had won fair and square and slowly, she was coming to terms with it. The black dragon found it even harder to fight as the dark Aether swirled within her spirit, curling around her soul, grasping it tight and ready to take over. Already, she could feel it starting, as her tail grew spikier and her fangs longer. Her mind was still her own, and she fought it as much as she could to remain in control, but a thrust there, a stroke here meant her mind could not focus and was losing it.

"Look at you. You look so beautiful. Ngh." Malefor grunted, giving a big thrust and his member pulsed. So close to releasing, and yet he held back, wanting to make this last. He had a plan, but he wanted to enjoy this moment as much as he could. He felt Cynder squirm, her walls tremble against him, she must be so close as well. "Almost... soon, it'll be done. King and queen, and our little prince or princess." He muttered out, giving another hard thrust, some of Cynder's fluid dripped on the floor in response to the hard thrust.

And Cynder flinched in alarm, but it was already too late to act on this at all. It was the final thing she heard. Mating with her... for a child? To impregnate her!? And yet, as she became horrified at that idea, the final thrust pushed into her and she gasped as her opening sucked Malefor inside. Her walls quivered and shook and she felt a wave of relief flow over her, leaving her legs shuddering and quaking. Her breath was taken away, and suddenly she lost it. Her mind clouded over, as darkness took over, enclosing against her soul and her body began its transformation into the monster she once was. Aether flowed through her body, turning her body darker, any purple became shadows of grey, her spines grew longer and fangs sharper. Good slowly sapped away, and in it's place grew the same evil that shaped Malefor to become what he was today.

"Oh, beautiful! Beautiful! Yes!" Malefor chanted, groaning in pleasure as his member thrust deep within the pliant being beneath him. That same beast that would obey his every command without fault. Her womb opened up to him, as he pushed himself as deep as he could, his knot swelling as it pushed inside and stuck within. Oozes of his seed dribbled from him, swimming within Cynder, towards her womb where they would soon fertilise into eggs. Waves of pleasure shook the couple as they stuck together, now unable to disconnect until their mating had been completed and their seed taken. His legs shook, but he maintained his ground, hovering over his queen that had now flourished under the power of Aether.

Bigger and bigger, his knot swelled within Cynder, who growled in appreciation and pleasure as she felt the oozings of his semen swirl inside of her. She felt warm inside, feeling it slosh inside, sucking every last drop she could. Malefor's knot finally reached it's peak, Cynder herself wincing slightly as it stretched her opening and plugged the seed inside. There, the pair sat, waiting and catching their breath until Malefor's knot would deflate. Whilst she couldn't feel it, the evil Cynder couldn't help but swell in pride at carrying the Dark Master's children, or child.

"It is done, my queen. Finally... we will have a world we can call our own again." Malefor smiled, looking out to see that the Golem had made it in the time they had spent mating.

"Yes, my king. I look forward to bringing about a new generation with you."

The pair of them brought their heads together, touching one another in what may have seemed romantic, before the Golem struck the volcano beneath them, and the world exploded.

**

There, he stood. The once proud and heroic purple dragon. Crouched down and frozen into the stance Malefor had caught him at, he looked ferocious and dangerous. His crystal had been moved, placed on a pedestal in a tower, yet on full display over Warfang, the Dragon City. A hidden message of what it meant to defy Malefor should another dare to. To others, it stood as an omen of a time long past, a time where war was everywhere, death and destruction followed you, and this was the dragon to be put to blame for the entire thing. And he could awaken again.

Flare watched the crystal from her balcony, where she always sat when she was lost in thought. Her dad had once told her, one day that the hero would wake up, though he never knew when, and the world would become a very different place when he did. Flare had no idea what that meant, dad had always been very quiet about his past life, and mum had been no better. Both had told them that the world that used to be was torn by war, death and destruction. Not like their world, a world where dragons were now respected and feared.

Spyro had been the dragon's name. A strange name, Flare thought, but it seemed to suit him. For the safety of the city, Malefor had proposed to keep the crystal within view, so every dragon knew what became of the last 'hero' who tried to bring about the destruction of the new world. Nobody else argued, nobody fought, like everyone had gone with what the king and queen had said. Nobody remembered that time, as if anyone who had taken part had passed on. Yet, how could that be? Flare looked at the statue, wishing that her parents would tell her, that one day she might know of the story of this mysterious dragon. She shook her head, the Aether inside of her told her not to worry. That was a story from a long gone by era, one that they would hopefully not return to.

Flare watched the busy streets below with a critical eye, watching as the merchants sold their wares to buyers, as dragons flocked down the busy street going about their day. It was a completely different world to the one that Flare had grown up to. One of royalty, wonders and worshippers. She wasn't entirely sure if this was the lifestyle for herself, but it was what her mother and father had given her, brought her up to. And she hoped that she was doing a good job, keeping their dream alive, and making sure that Warfang ran without any difficulties of their past. A past that, Flare understood, was war filled that almost drove dragons to extinction.

The crimson dragon's eyes raked over the purple dragon once again. He looked like an adult dragon, terrifying and frozen in a pounce stance. He seemed to be in the middle of attacking someone, but who that was was lost in time. Was he the dragon who almost ended the world?

Flare was no stranger to the colour of her dad's scales, nor the colour of this Spyro's scales either. It was a history that had been taught over the centuries and generations of dragon families. Purple dragons were not bound by a certain element like most dragons were. Whilst she was born bound to the flame, Spyro and Malefor were not and were free to pick and choose, change breaths and master many spells and curses. Something Flare could only dream of. There were once stories that there were dragon masters, those who had learnt the elements to their ultimate ability and could fight like war machines. Malefor had told her the stories, that once they had been glorious and fought to protect dragon-kind and were viewed as heroes, but something had gone wrong along the way. They had been killed, or they had gone into hiding, never to return again - nobody knew. Flare wished she could find out, or at least get a clue.

Would Spyro wake during her reign? How would the world react when he would awaken? Would he ever reawaken, or was that a fairytale, or a scary story, to get her thinking and always prepared?

"Flare?" A voice called behind her. She turned her head, to see Obsidian there. Pure black with yellow eyes, Flare had fallen for him when she first grew old enough. His scales were flawless, his wings almost transparent and hints of his scales sparkled like stars when they reflected light. He was a dragon of few words, but the words that he did speak held strong meaning. Many called him a kill-joy, as he took almost everything seriously and would often be the butt of a joke. Yet, here he was now, standing alongside the ruler of Warfang, the ruler of the Dragon City.

Flare smiled, but turned her head back to watch the life moving below. It was fascinating to her, how everything was in constant movement, breaks were infrequent, some had time for chit chats and others wanted none of it. She could hear bakers and jewellers calling out the latest deals they had on offer, merchandise that had come from a land a long way from here Flare had never visited. She wondered for a moment if they were real, or just trying to make their products sound better than they actually were.

Obsidian came to her side, a wing hanging over her to hug her, if she wanted it. "What's on your mind?"

Flare flicked her eyes to Obsidian, an indication that she was listening, but her head lifted to look out to the land. "Honestly, a lot of things. To that dragon again."

Obsidian looked out the window, spotting the crystallised purple dragon far into the distance. He'd always wondered about it too, but nobody ever knew or remembered. Many of the locals simply thought of him as the last surviving dragon of the Old War, but surviving was a big grasp.

"What has you so worried?"

Flare looked up to Obsidian, worry in her eyes. "What would he do if he wakes up? Mum and Dad said he hated them, wanted to kill them both. What'll he do if..."

Obsidian sighed, hugging his wing close to Flare. "Honestly, there's no way of telling. He might not ever wake up, you know? You can only mentally prepare yourself for the worst, at least then you won't be caught too off guard." The obsidian coloured dragon smiled. "Though, he's the last surviving dragon of the Old War, who knows what he's going to do? Has he ever seen this many dragons before? Would he think of it as a good thing we're doing, or a bad thing? We won't ever know. But, let's just hope that he stays sleeping for the time being so we don't have to worry about that."

Flare grinned, turning to Obsidian with a giggle. "God yes, that would be so much easier. Life as the queen and ruler of Warfang is already exhausting enough, these servants and workers are so needy."

The black dragon grinned alongside her, his tail flicking. "Well, your Majesty, I do remember being an underling of your parents not so long ago, and I must admit that I was rather the begging kind."

"And that's what I love about you, Obsi. You never were scared to say anything and always spoke your mind. Though, Dad didn't appreciate that a lot." She laughed, though it was true.

"Hm, I guess I didn't quite live up to His Majesty's expectations quite so much as soon as I entered his ranks. But I will never regret it. After all, it's how I met you."

"And that's how I'd like for it to stay. So, if that dragon wakes up, we should be well prepared to deal with it if it tries to unseat me or my family, don't you think?"

Obsidian grinned, turning to back away towards their bed. "Of course, of course, we can't let a purple dragon ruin what we have, now can we? So, don't worry about it. We'll deal with the problem as and when it becomes a threat. Now, are you getting into bed?" He lifted a brow, a clear suggestion of what 'going to bed' actually meant.

Flare looked back towards the crystal one last time, having seen that even after many years, it still stood there in the square on display in one piece. With a grin, Flare turned to join her partner and let her worries slip away for the future.