FSE

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lol another break from work...man I hate being sick. But hey, at least I can get another chapter up!

If you're under 18, you don't belong here, so I suggest you leave.

Chapter 22 -- New Power, New Dilemna

Spyro woke up the next morning and immediately saw Cynder's peaceful sleeping face in front of him. He sighed happily, glad he'd found her and that things had been sorted out. But a scowl soon crossed his face--they now had all three light crystals, what was going to happen next? Surely this wasn't even close to the end of it all...

Solar walked into the room silently but Spyro felt his presence and turned his head as he stretched.

"Hey, Solar...listen, thanks for all your help these last few days..."

"Happy to be of help," Solar replied with a grin. "But now I don't know what's gonna happen...I think we'll just need to wait it out until Terrador returns."

Spyro nodded and slowly sat up, looking down at Cynder and running his paw down her side and then up along her red underbelly. She laughed sleepily and rolled over, still snoozing.

"When she wakes up, can you tell her I'm practicing my breath attacks? I'm feeling a bit rusty..."

"Go ahead," Solar said. "Your usual spot?"

"Yep." Spyro gently hopped off the bed, making sure he didn't disturb his beautiful black dragoness as she dozed. He walked out of the room and stretched in the morning sun before spreading his wings and taking off. After their adventure in the laboratory, he somehow felt a lot stronger...why, though? Why was he gaining so much strength from their encounters? He now definitely saw a difference in both himself and Cynder compared to a month and a half ago...somehow this whole adventure was enhancing their growth. "Could it be because I'm a purple dragon?" he thought to himself... "It kinda makes sense...I mean, after all, I can wield light and all the elements..."

He halted in midair--all this time he had forgotten he could use Time as well! He punched himself in the face and reeled in the air...how easy it could've been had he harnessed Dragon Time in those tough spots! Completely forgetting his elemental training he flew off to his and Cynder's usual training spot deep in the woods, and started practicing his control over time. A few shadows attacked him, and he made a very pleasant discovery--as he fought them, he discovered that, by freezing time and then quickly re-engaging it right as he hit an enemy, the foe was instantly vaporized as the time-energy overactivated its molecular structures. He even ventured a bit and found a troll, and it worked perfectly. He felt incredibly drained after that, though, and decided to save this new talent for extreme emergencies.

Spyro felt that Cynder was waking up, and he quickly gathered a pile of berries and fruits and hid behind a mushroom, waiting for her. After a while she landed, and he grinned to himself as she saw the berries and began to eat, waiting for him. He picked up a stone and flung it over her, creeping to her side quickly when she snapped her head up and looked towards the source of the sound as the rock landed in the forest out of sight. She shrugged and turned around, and nearly jumped out of her scales when she saw Spyro sitting next to her. He laughed at the look on her face, and she punched him in the shoulder before pulling him into a tight hug.

"A good morning to you too, you goof," she said, and he choked a greeting as she clutched his neck. She let him go and when he caught his breath he smiled at her and kissed her, tasting a bit of berry on her mouth. "So, how's training?" she asked, and picked up another berry and popped it in her mouth.

"I found a new power with Time, but I'd rather save my energy for an emergency...I'm already beat after using it five times."

Her eyes widened. "How strong is it?"

"I vaporized a troll in one blow," he said proudly but wearily, and she nuzzled against him.

"That's my purple dragon," she said, and he smiled and kissed her on the cheek as she sat back up.

"When you're done, I wanna test a new move," he said. "No, not what you're thinking of...you drained me two nights ago."

"Awww..." she said, giving him wide, pitiful eyes. He laughed; he couldn't resist that new look, but at the same time he just wasn't in the mood.

"Sorry, Cynder...maybe later after I've had some rest."

"Fine," she sighed in a mock-pitiful whine, but she knew he wouldn't fall for it. She scarfed down her breakfast and followed him into the forest. They spent most of the day practicing teamwork moves until they couldn't go on any further and lay down to rest. Spyro couldn't help but feel her sexual desire as she dozed lightly on his golden-scaled chest in the late-afternoon light, and try though he might he just couldn't interest himself today...she had been restraining herself, though, not wanting to impose on him, and he knew it and decided he'd have to reward her patience somehow.

Cynder dreamed that she and Spyro were once again by the riverside, and he was rubbing her tail-base as she lay there on her back, basking in the sun. She felt thrills of pleasure course through her and she moaned happily as his free paw came up and caressed her face. A wave of intense ectasy shook her and she opened her eyes to see Spyro with his fingers inside her sex, and she shuddered with a loud moan as she came and coated his paw with her love-juices. She lay there, hazy-headed as her sleep slowly wore off, and he cleaned her before smiling at her.

"Wow...what a way to wake up," she said slowly, a content smile on her face as the afterglow slowly faded.

"Well, you were so patient with me today, I thought I'd reward you."

"Wasn't quite what I was hoping for...but it passes perfectly."

She got up, trembling a bit after that little episode, and they ambled off to the river. Spyro cleaned himself off and they both took a long, cold drink before heading back to the Temple.

As he held Cynder close to him, Spyro dreamt that they were in a dark room, fighting against a liquid shadow that kept plastering the walls in darkness and blocking out the lighting that somehow came from the stone walls. As the thing flew at him, Spyro leapt up and froze time around himself and Cynder, and they began bashing the enemy as many times as they could before Spyro finally called a time-in. The shadow evaporated almost instantly. Spyro felt something brush against his face, and he opened his eyes to see Cynder smiling at him, her wing stretched out towards his face. He smiled back and drew her closer, and she nuzzled against his face with her soft scaly cheek.

"Another fighting dream?" she asked.

"You never fail to amaze me."

"Kinda hard not to guess when you're kicking and breathing at something in your sleep," she laughed. He turned a bit red and she pressed her nose against his. "Awww...you're so sensitive, Spyro. Gotta toughen up a bit."

"I can be tough, you're just too sweet to be tough around."

She giggled and he caught her in a kiss before they slid off the giant bed and headed outside. The morning was cool, cloudy, and foggy, but the air didn't have a dark feeling to it anymore now that they possessed all three of the once-tainted crystals. Solar came out alongside them on the balcony and stretched his wings with a content groan.

"Ooooh, yeah...gotta love these cold mornings."

"You're in a good mood today," Cynder said.

"You bet. Hey Spyro, wanna spar later on?"

Spyro hesitated, but with a smile the challenge was on and Solar, with a warm grin, flew off to find himself some food.

"Wow...what happened to him?" Cynder asked.

"Guess it's something about Flare," Spyro replied, watching the white speck of Solar dive into the forest in the distance.

Spyro and Cynder foraged in the woods for a bit before finding some food and feeding each other, and when they got back they met Volteer.

"Ah, the young couple of the Dragon Temple," the electric dragon smiled. "It's good to see you two up and running again." He went on to (very wordily) inform them that Terrador should be returning any time soon and that they should be ready for the meeting that was to be held when he came back. Not wanting to miss it, they decided to hang around the temple until the earth elder returned.

Solar eventually came back, and after some chatting Cynder sat back and watched as Spyro and Solar slowly circled each other, both daring the other to strike first. After some time Cynder rolled her eyes with a groan.

"Would one of you gentledragons please just start? You're never gonna get anywhere!"

With that Solar lunged at Spyro. It was a fast-paced battle that stretched on for a long time. Cynder was quite impressed as Spyro hurriedly dodged Solar's attacks, and snapped right back when he did end up getting hit. They didn't dare use breath attacks on each other, but on one particular impact Solar lurched backwards, spitting ice as he gasped. Solar was fast and strong, but Spyro was smaller and made a harder target to hit. Apparently, they were a little too evenly matched, and soon they both lay down and called a truce.

"Good fight, Spyro."

"You too, Solar. Even if you've been enhanced."

Solar laughed. "Even with my enhancements I couldn't get you. But then again I didn't want to hurt you."

"Uh-huh...riiiiiight..." Cynder said, and the two males laughed. After a while they all got back up and went inside. Solar went off by himself, saying he needed some silence. Spyro and Cynder went to their room and nestled with each other on the bed, just enjoying being with each other.

"Whaddaya think Solar's up to?" Cynder asked at length.

"His own business...but I have a feeling it's about Flare."

"Did you tell him about your dreams?"

Spyro shook his head. "Somehow...I don't know how but I know he knows she's out there and has been getting the same things I have."

"Maybe she was trying to get through you because he was so uptight all the time..."

"Probably. But he's softened up now...if she really has been somehow trying to call him, I think she's finally got a hold of him."

Cynder nuzzled her head against Spyro's chest and he held her tight. She murred at the pressure of his hug and closed her eyes.

It was late at night when Terrador returned. Spyro and Cynder were fast asleep, Cynder as usual draped over Spyro, and the elders decided to let the matter rest until morning. Terrador hadn't learned anything of immediate importance but stressed that the sooner everyone knew, the better. Solar sat on the balcony, letting his mind wander as the drone of the elders' discussion behind him drummed incoherently on his ears. He felt Flare right next to him and smiled, knowing somehow that she was feeling him right next to her. He didn't understand how this was possible, but he didn't want to.

"Solar...take your time. I'll wait for you."

"I know you will...but I wish this were all over. I miss you so much..."

"I miss you more than if I were dead and were missing life. I can't see you or sense you all the time, but just know I'm proud of my handsome ice dragon."

He felt an ethereal kiss on his cheek and a tear came to his eye as he felt the bond fade. He opened his eyes and saw the full moon high in the sky. For once, he didn't feel a sharp pain in his chest; instead, he felt warmth.

"Flare...I promise, I will find you. Please, just wait for me a little longer."

Spyro woke up early, sensing something urgent. He slipped out of bed, and no sooner had his paws touched the floor than he heard Solar roar in fury. A second later there was a loud explosion that sent a small tremor through the temple. Cynder screamed and shot up out of bed, and Spyro grabbed her and tried to calm her.

"What's going on?!" she asked, her adrenaline racing.

"I don't know," Spyro replied, a little scared. Solar swept into the room.

"Guys, on your feet! We're under attack!"

Without a second thought they both followed him outside and flew up over the temple. A mass of shadows had ambushed the temple overnight, and Spyro saw, in the distance, a large machine swarming with shadows. He nodded to Cynder and they both flew over to it. The machine fired a large explosive at the temple, but Spyro and Cynder rolled to the side and blasted it with fireballs, and it exploded in midair. Combining their breath attacks the two dragons quickly took out the manning force of the machine, and, by combining their firebreath, they melted through some of its critical supports and anchorings. The huge metal contraption fell apart as they flew away and they heard the heavy thud as the pieces hit the ground. With that out of the way they then focused their attention on assisting Solar and the elders. With the main artillery gone, quite a few enemies fled, but the ones that stayed behind were gradually cut down (or burned or frozen or whatever) until Solar captured the captain and the rest of the army fled in terror before Spyro and Cynder. Solar and Ignitus interrogated the burly troll until it tried to blast them with a magic bolt. Spyro ended it where it stood with a small zap of lightning.

"So...the Dark Master used this as a distraction...but from what?" Ignitus said to himself, but they all heard him. Cynder shivered and Spyro protectively wrapped his left arm and wing around her as she sat next to him.

"I think now would be a good time for our meeting," Terrador said. "It might help the issue at hand." A bit worn out from the encounter, they all headed inside and listened to Terrador's report.

"So everyone's agreed to assist us?" Cyril asked.

"Yes. But one thing worries me...everyone is talking about a black dragon that resembles Spyro. At first, they all thought he may have turned evil, but just the other day this new being showed its true colors--figuratively speaking--and almost razed Tall Plains."

"Is that what he meant?" Spyro asked himself, but Ignitus heard him.

"Meant what?"

Spyro hesitated. "I thought it was just me, but that day we defeated the Dark Master when he was possessing us, I thought I heard a voice saying...oh what was it...'Though I am defeated, I am victorious'."

"Spyro...you should've said something." Ignitus' tone was not pleased.

"Well, I blacked out later and when I woke up I forgot all about it!"

"No use getting upset over the past," Solar chimed in. "What's done is done. Now that we know, I think we can assume this shadow dragon is the Dark Master in disguise. I hope he doesn't completely disguise himself before we encounter him."

"Why not?" Cynder asked, confused.

"If we meet him, and he looks exactly like Spyro instead of a dark copy, who're you gonna attack if he starts beating Spyro?"

Cynder's pupils shrank as she realized his point, and Spyro put his tail over hers. She leaned against him.

"What do we do now?" Volteer asked. "Wait for him to appear?"

"He could be anywhere right now," Ignitus groaned, his eyes closed in thought.

"The best plan, right now with the uncertainty, would be to wait until news comes," Cyril said, and after a while Ignitus grunted in agreement. The decision was that they would wait.

Spyro and Cynder were again ambushed in the woods, this time by the returning enemy host. They were vastly outnumbered, but knew that section of the forest well enough to hide.

"I hope Solar finds us before these things do," Cynder hissed under a bed of moss.

"I know, but be quiet!" Spyro hissed back, watching shadowy feet pass by right in front of his eyes. There were too many... "Cynder, I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" she asked as he slowly crept backwards.

"No time to explain," he said, and to her utter surprise he blurred and vanished, a strange aura hovering in the air briefly where he'd been. She restrained a surprised yell as more creatures stepped in front of her hiding place.

Spyro grunted with the strain as he flew quickly to the temple, the time energy around him sapping his strength. He appeared right in front of Solar, who immediately shouted with fright and surprise as the purple dragon suddenly blurred and flopped on the floor in front of him.

"Solar...ambush...help..." Spyro panted, his energy almost gone. Solar quickly laid his paw on Spyro and gave him more energy with a flash of light, then raced to get the elders. Spyro flew back as fast as he could, using small time-jumps to cover the distance faster.

Cynder shrank back as far as she could as a huge troll lumbered past, and she desperately hoped it wouldn't smell her. She suddenly felt something cover her mouth and before she could react Spyro blurred and appeared right next to her. She pulled away from his paw and stared at him.

"Spyro, you're scaring me," she said, a little afraid of him.

"Like I said, no time," he said, emphasizing the word 'time'. She looked at him and suddenly understood. "Cynder, on my mark, we rush out and use their surprise to our advantage. Help is on the way."

Cynder waited anxiously as Spyro listened intently. He suddenly grabbed her paw, and they both raced out, charging straight through the enemies around them and sending a few flying with the sudden cranial impact. Their foes were very startled but it didn't take them much time to pursue the young dragons.

"FLY!" Spyro shouted, and she quickly jumped into the air after him, flapping her wings desperately as a few projectiles flew past her from behind. She cried out in pain as her shoulder clipped a branch, snapping the wood with the impact. Her shoulder seared but she gritted her teeth and followed Spyro. The purple dragon blew a powerful fireball high into the air as a signal, and as they flew through the forest, they heard a loud roar behind them. Cynder quickly followed Spyro as he shot up through the trees into the air above the forest. Solar, Ignitus, Volteer, and Cyril were in the air, blasting whatever enemies clambered up and tried to fire at them. Spyro and Cynder joined in, and though it was a fierce battle, it was short-lived. Solar pursued anything that tired to escape as his friends turned to go back to the temple to rest. They were stopped short, though, when a large shadow, similar to the one that they'd encountered on their way to the mountains, suddenly shot up in front of them.

"What is this thing?!" Volteer shouted as he veered around it.

"Everyone get back!" Spyro shouted, and by the tone in his voice they knew he had a dangerous plan in mind. They all flew away a bit and watched as the two fought against each other. Spyro weakened it gradually, and Cynder watched as he froze time around the beast and swung his tail at it. As soon as his tail made contact, there was a flash of time energy and the thing simply vaporized into the air. Cynder's joy was short-lived, though; she screamed and plummeted after Spyro as he fell unconscious. She caught him, but she wasn't strong enough to pull him back up, and they both hit the ground. Luckily, though, she'd been able to slow down enough that it didn't hurt all that much. Ignoring the burning cut on her shoulder and the bruising scrape along her back she crawled over to Spyro and propped his head in her arms.

"Spyro...please, wake up," she begged, afraid he'd spent more energy than his body could afford. A tear fell from her eye and she held his head to hers, and she just barely heard a groan. "Spyro! Please!"

"Cynder..." he whispered ever so softly, and she felt him go limp in her arms. She shook as she tried to contain herself.

"Spyro...I love you...please don't leave me..." she whispered, holding him tight, hoping he had only fainted from the energy loss. To her surprise she felt his muscles flex, and his face clenched as he groaned.

"I...am...never...doing that...again..." he hoarsely croaked as he lay in her arms.

"Don't you scare me like that again!" Cynder said through tears of relief.

"I was protecting you, wasn't I?" he asked weakly, and she touched her nose to his. She heard Ignitus and the others up above searching for them. Cynder looked around and saw that they weren't in a familiar area; her impact and speed must've been far greater than she'd thought to carry them this far. Spyro forced himself to sit up, reeling as he sat in front of Cynder. "You're hurt..."

"It's nothing," she said, but she inhaled sharply when he gently touched her shoulder.

"Solar's not here," Spyro said to himself, and to her confusion he placed his paw lightly over the gash on her shoulder. He closed his eyes, and she saw small, delicate tendrils of light flow from his paw to her wound, and there was a pleasant tingling as her cut healed. Spyro focused even more and the light flowed from him down her back and healed the nasty scrape from her crash. When he was sure she was healed he stopped and fell to the ground, exhausted and drained. Cynder paused for a few seconds before lying down next to him.

"How did you do that?" she whispered.

"Love," he replied, and she heard his breath escape him as he passed out.

It was late the next morning when Spyro finally awoke, and the first thing he saw, as usual, was Cynder's beautiful face. Her bright green eyes were full of worry.

"You've been asleep for a day," she said, running her paw over his cheek the way he usually did with her.

"Protecting you can be draining," he said, "but it's always worth it."

"Why, though?"

"I love you, plain and simple," he said, taking her paw and squeezing it gently. "If I couldn't protect you I don't know what I'd do with myself."

"Next time, don't knock yourself out."

"I'll try, but I'll do what I need to see to your safety," he replied with a smile, and pulled her closer. She planted her mouth on his and they lost themselves to each other for quite a while, absorbed in their love and contentment. Spyro finally broke away when his head began swimming and he sank back onto his pillow.

"You okay?"

"Yeah...just a little dizzy."

"Just sleep it off," she said, lying down. "I'll wait for you."

"Don't you need food or something?"

"I'd much rather be here with you."

"Without water or food you're not gonna stay long," he joked, and she rolled her eyes with a frustrated sigh.

"Okay, fine, I'll go get myself something to eat. You want anything?"

"No...I'm not very hungry."

"I'll bring you something anyway," she said, leaning over him and lightly running her paw over his gold chest. He smiled and pulled her into a brief kiss, and she giggled and slid off the bed. Spyro watched her walk of the room, and he rolled over on the bed and closed his eyes, moaning with the sick feeling he suddenly felt in his gut.

When Cynder returned, Solar followed her with a large bowl of water. She was carrying a small tray on her back and was using her wings to hold it steady. Spyro was fast asleep, and Solar put his paw over the purple dragon's head. Cynder gently slid the tray off her back and jumped up onto the bed beside her purple lover.

"He spent too much energy at once yesterday," Solar sighed, shaking his head. "He may be out for a while."

"Should I stay with him?" Cynder asked, worried about her mate.

"If you want. If his love for you cured your sickness, you may be able to return the favor."

"I hope he gets well soon...he looks so pained," she said, her eyes scanning over Spyro's sleeping face.

"Well, I'll leave you with him. If anything weird happens, I'm on the balcony." Cynder nodded, and he left the room. Cynder snuggled next to Spyro and pulled the large blanket over both of them, wrapping his dozing body in her arms.

"You were there for me, now I'm here for you," she whispered, and she thought she saw a faint smile appear on his face. She closed her eyes, focusing her love for him along with her new light power, and felt herself glowing.

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kinda running out of things to say in this space... chapter 23 will be up soon.