LoS: Breaching the Darkness: Ch 27

Darkened Spirit


Rea slowly woke from her sleep. Her mind was hazy at first, but slowly the events of the night before started coming to her, the battle against Malefor and the pain she had felt when…

Rea opened her eyes quickly in surprise. She felt no pain any longer, only a strange cold around the area she had been hit…or she assumed it was where she had been hit.

As she looked around in the dark though Rea quickly spotted her parents lying on the floor next to her bed and the rest of what had happened came back to her. Rising to her feet Rea looked down across her chest and saw no wound, only a strange collection scales, shimmering in the gentle ligt falling through the thick curtains before the balcony, where the wound should have been. It was a moment before she realized it was crystals.
“Thank you, father,” said Rea gently with a low voice as she watched, piercing together what had happened.

“No need for thanks, my daughter,” said Spyro in a low as he opened an eye, watching her with a smile. "I am your father after all; I would do anything in my power to save you.”

Rea was a bit surprised and half expected her mother to wake up as well, but Cynder remained sleeping, only stirring a bit as Spyro carefully rose to his feet. He then gestured towards the balcony and Rea followed him there.

“You okay, Rea?” asked Spyro gently as they got out onto the balcony.

“Quite fine,” said Rea more excitedly, “it feels a bit cold around the crystals, but no pain or anything.”

Spyro nodded and before Rea could react he embraced her with his wings, “thank the ancestors that you are okay,” said Spyro happily as he held her close, “I was so worried about you.”

Rea was surprised, but soon smiled as she too held her father close.

Spyro slowly let go and Rea stepped back, though smiling at first it soon vanished and Spyro watched her with worry.

“So…that was Malefor?” asked Rea then slowly.

“Yes,” said Spyro gently.

“And you have fought him before?” continued Rea visibly a bit frightened now
“Yes,” said Spyro again, “and I probably will again.”

“I can’t imagine…how does one…” started Rea slowly, but then looked at Spyro her expression firm, “but you will beat him, right?”

Spyro smiled, trying to seem confident despite not really feeling it, “off course I will, I have done so before have I not. I will not let you or any of our friends and family be hurt again.”

Rea smiled a bit and then looked towards the door, “is everyone all right? Can I go check on them?”

“Off course you may, but stay within Warfang and try not to move around alone…there is no telling when Malefor might strike again,” said Spyro with a gentle smile.
“I will, father” said Rea gently and quickly, but silently headed towards the door, nt wanting to wake her mother.  

Spyro watched as Rea walked away, moving silently and slowly opening the door as to not disturb Cynder. Though happy at her survival, Spyro also felt sting of sorrow and regret as Rea’s near death experience had been so frighteningly close to being a repeat of what happened to Carx.

At that very second Spyro swore he heard Malefor’s laughter at the edge of his hearing and spun around, looking out from the balcony, but saw nothing.

Snarling a bit, Spyro soon fell silent his head bowed in frustration. He had to find some way to stop Malefor, but during their last encounter Malefor had been in complete control of the situation, easily escaping when things went against him…

Though he had not been back, Spyro knew it would only be a matter of time and if Spyro found no way to entrap him, stop him from escaping, how would he ever fight him? Malefor could just chip away at his mind until he…until he…

Spyro looked down at his own claws in terror, imagining how Malefor should Spyro succumb to him would attack his friends and family with this very body.

“I won’t let it happen!” snarled Spyro in a low voice, “I will find a way, he won’t have my body! He won’t…!”

Cynder woke a little later. Lifting her head she looked around and saw Spyro standing with his back to her near the exit to the balcony. Looking towards the bed, she saw that Rea was gone as well and her eyes went back to Spyro.

She could hear him speaking, seemingly talking to himself. He spoke in a low voice and Cynder was unable to make out what he was saying, but it was obvious from his expression that he was struggling with something.

Rising to her feet, Cynder walked towards him. ”Are you okay, Spyro?” asked Cynder gently as she approached him, “and where is Rea?”

Spyro turned around, watching her surprised. “Sorry if I woke you, Cynder. As for Rea, she already woke up. I made sure she was okay and sent her off,” he said simply without his usual smile.  

“Good to hear, but that did not answer my question,” said Cynder, this time a bit more firmly as she approached him, “are you okay?”

“I wish I could say yes,” answered Spyro his eyes focused on the sky, “but, no, no I am not!”

Cynder could clearly see that Spyro was quite upset and she spoke gently as she neared him. “I know how you feel in this Spyro, I too…”

“No, you don’t understand!” snapped Spyro as he turned around suddenly taking Cynder by surprise in how harsh his words were and making her recoil slightly.

Spyro seemed to notice this, a look of guilt crossing his face as he spoke more gently, “I am sorry, but I doubt you understand what I am going through. You see our children, our friends injured and it pains you as it reminds you off the loss of our son. You see Malefor’s escape and it angers you that we could not stop him…but for me it is more than that, much more than that.”

Cynder immediately stepped forward, looking Spyro dead in the eyes as she spoke. “Then talk to me, make me understand what you are going through, what is tearing you up inside!” she said firmly.

This time Spyro was the one taken aback, but he quickly recovered, breaking eye contact with Cynder and walking past her into the room. “It was because of me Malefor learned where our children were, all of the plans to keep them safe and I gave away their location during my fight with him!”

“What do you mean?” asked Cynder surprised at this statement.

“He was in my head, body…whatever one might call it! He read my memories, saw where they were hidden and used it against us! It should not have happened,” said Spyro guiltily as he walked through the room, “and to add insult to injury he left a memory of his own in my mind, I even see it right now, a single moment from Malefor’s own twisted mind, a to me terrible example of what he can do, how much I would be changed…how I would not die, but fade away, my body a tool for him to use should I fail!”

“Spyro…” started Cynder starting to see why Spyro was reacting the way he did, but was unable to get a word in as Spyro continued his rant.

A flame sprung from the floor, Spyro focusing on the flame as he spoke. “I have feared my own power for so long, feared what it could do if ever turned against those I love…yet now Malefor does that and threatens to do it with my own body!” continued Spyro as he snarled, “but the worst part is it should never have happened! I could have ended it, I should have ended it!” Spyro slowly started crying, the flame extinguishing… “I should have ended it…”

Cynder moved closer once again, remembering what Spyro referred to. “Spyro, we talked about that, none of us could have known what would happen when you made that choice,” she said gently.

“I know, I know…but maybe it is not too late either,” said Spyro as he looked at her, “you won’t like this, but I have been thinking.”

Spyro was silent for a moment as Cynder watched him, “what, thinking about what?” asked Cynder slightly impatiently, but also not liking the look Spyro gave her.

“What would happen if I died now?” asked Spyro slowly, “you faced Malefor, I did, he is not at his full power, together you and the Guardians might be able to win if I…”

Cynder spun around, a swishing sound filling the air and turning into a sharp high smack as the flat side of Cynder’s tail blade collided with Spyro’s head.

Spyro was completely taking a back, the surprise knocking the breath out of him as his vision blurred for a moment. As he looked back at Cynder though he saw her watching him with a furious expression, a thin haze of black smoke in the air around her.  

“Do not even dare to complete that line!” she yelled straight into his face, “I know what you are thinking and I won’t even let you consider it!”

Spyro watched Cynder frightened and surprised by her reaction, but as he looked closer he could suddenly also see that she was crying. “Cynder…” he started, but Cynder’s tail blade whipped up next to her body again, though not hitting him this time.

“Just shut up for now, let me speak!” said Cynder firmly.

“Even if it would stop Malefor here and now I would not let you go to your own death!” hissed Cynder, though her expression immediately turned sorrowful again. “You saved me…you gave me a life and accepted me even as others looked upon me in fear. For a long time you were everything I had and though I have said this before its bears repeating…I will be by your side until our death.”

A look of pain crossed her expression. “For that reason the years I spent when Demetrius had sealed you away stand as the harshest years of my life, at least after I was saved from darkness by you. I was plagued with doubt and guilt, because it had been my hesitation that had gotten you captured then.”

Cynder looked at Spyro, capturing his eyes with her own burning gaze as she watched him. “This is why I will not let you die, not even if it could potentially give us better odds. I don’t believe it would either, but that is beside the main point…” Cynder’s gaze fell away as she looked at the ground, “I don’t think I would live long if you truly were to die…I don’t think I would want to…”

“You can’t be serious!” blurted Spyro out as his eyes widened in shock, “I mean I could not imagine living without you…but isn’t that to go too far?”

“And yet you are ready to die for something you don’t even know if will truly work?” asked Cynder firmly as she raised her head.

“I would do it to protect you, to protect our family, to protect the world, give you a better chance to survive…because I am not confident I can stand against Malefor,” said Spyro slowly.

“I know and I…I share much of your pain, you know that. Though it is not all of it, I will also readily admit that. You connection to Malefor is closer, you fear him in ways that I do not, because you know that you could have been him,” said Cynder her voice firm, but her expression was one of pain, sorrow and anger in sharp contrast to her voice. “What you need to remember, what I told you at our sons grave, is that we were together in our choice off not killing Malefor. You were not alone and should not carry the blame of what happened as a result of that on your own either.”

Cynder’s voice rose as she continued, her expression becoming one of determination. “And though the sorrow, the doubt can be crippling, I know that, I experienced it, I also know you and I believe in you!”

“Don’t give into his ways; don’t let the sorrow overcome you! Rise against his manipulations; be strong, rise to face Malefor with your strength and overcome him instead of giving into despair! If your own strength is not enough, then use mine, you can do it! Be the Purple Dragon who saved me against all odds!” said Cynder firmly, half shouting at this as her eyes once again locked with Spyro’s. Her voice then dropped to a mere gentle whisper as she finished, “the same Purple Dragon I love and who I am not ready to give up my life with…”

Spyro fell silent, slowly turning his back towards Cynder. His voice was gentle as he finally spoke, but also with a note of helplessness, “I wish I had your confidence, but as it stands even if I repelled Malefor a dozen times, he would also escape and then attack again after he recovers, slowly witling down my mind. And I would be alone, always alone in my battles, as I see no way you could aid me in my own mind.”

“Maybe Spyro,” said Cynder slowly and was thoughtful for a moment before continuing. “And yet maybe I can help you. When you woke from your battle with Malefor you seemed exhausted, barely able to move, was that a result of the battle?”

“Yes, I felt both mentally and physically exhausted after the fight,” said Spyro slowly as he watched Cynder questionably, “but what are you thinking?”

Cynder smiled confidently, “If that is the case I think I have thought of a way I can aid you while you are fighting him.”

“How?” asked Spyro surprised unable to think of even one way that would be possible.

“Malefor himself has given us the tools needed. Remember the snake necklaces that bound us together all those years ago when we first fought Malefor?” asked Cynder with a confident smile.

“Yeah, but I don’t see how…” started Spyro, but it suddenly dawned on him and he smiled as well. The smile did not last long though, turning more serious.

“But those necklaces were returned to us by what was likely the Observer, for all we know they are part of a trap,” said Spyro a bit more uncertain.

“True, but is it not worth a shot to at least have a look at them?” asked Cynder.
“I think it would,” said a voice from the suddenly and bot Spyro and Cynder turned towards it to see Ravina looking in from the slightly opened door.

“Sorry about listening in, but it was kind of hard to avoid with all the noise coming from in here,” said Ravina as she stepped fully into the room.

“No problem, I think it would be nice to have another dragon to talk some sense into Spyro here,” said Cynder.

“I think you have managed that quite expertly on your own,” grinned Ravina, “but as for the Observer I have some information about him which might change the way we perceive him.”

“Then let us hear,” said Spyro a bit surprised.

“Just a moment, I sent for Ghronur as he wanted to talk to you and I think a Guardian would want to hear what I have to say as well,” said Ravina, “both for now let us suffice to say that things may not be looking quite as bleak as you may think my son.”

“I hope so,” said Spyro simply.