A Dragon out of Time, A Crash and Spyro Story

Chapter 20: Cynder's Fate

The barrier fell, and Cynder waited for her Master to arrive. Her father, Ignitus, still lay on the verge of death a few yards away, wheezing with every breath, struggling to remain conscious.

"You... did the right thing Cynder. I... love you."

"All I did was make the Dragonfly disappear. And you're fortunate I'm letting you live."

"I don't... feel very alive." Ignitus coughed violently as he tried to get upright. He got about halfway before he grimaced in pain and held his position. "You... saw it didn't you? The way things were supposed to be. This was never supposed to be your Fate. A chance at happiness, a chance a peace, a chance at love; that was your destiny my daughter."

"I am where I'm supposed to be, a servant to the world's agent of change."

"I... I failed you Cynder. I failed [begins tearing] your mother. She told me you would do such grand things with your life, and I failed both of you. I'm sorry Cynder."

Cynder stared at her father without emotion. He losing his grip on life. His heart rate was dangerously low, he was beginning to fade, and she could sense it. She killed him. "No Ignitus... your father failed you."

Ignitus faltered for a moment as his breathing became shallower. But he was able to respond. "Red... my father also saw a vision for your future. He ensured it became truth, that you became Malefor's. But I can't hate the Dragon that gave me life. Nor can I hate the Dragoness I gave life to."

He was a few moments from death. Cynder approached her father to better hear any of his last words. But as she approached, a large gust of wind came rushing in from behind her. Malefor had arrived.

"Artisans... home sweet home."

Cynder turned around and prostrated herself in the presence of her master. Malefor casually approached and took note of the Dragon behind his slave.

"I never knew you had compassion Cynder. Why is this Dragon still alive?"

Cynder quickly turned around and inhaled in preparation to set her father ablaze, but Malefor stopped her before she could.

"Wait, if memory serves me correctly, this is Ignitus: The Guardian of Fire, and your father."

"Male- for" Ignitus said almost inaudibly.

"In the flesh."

"Sparx, isn't here."

Malefor looked at the dying Guardian coldly, curios as to how Ignitus was aware Malefor was looking for his Dragonfly's son from one thousand years ago.

"Where is he?"

"You... ever wonder what his mother would think of you now?"

"His MOTHER," Malefor said angrily before regaining his composure, "can't feel anything anymore."

"You've forgotten why she loved you, because you would do anything to protect life and defend the innocent. You were the greatest Dragon that ever lived. And she gave her life for yours, still believing that. And now look at what you've become."

"I DIED FOR DRAGONKIND! I gave my life in service of a bunch of liars and all I ever got in return was the death of the very being I loved most and banishment from the Dragon Realms."

"You murdered your mentor Incendious. You believed you could use dark magic to trade the life force of the very person you cared most about for the love you lost. And now you though you could do the same with Sparx. But all that resulted in your quest to bring Aurea back was you becoming a monster."

"A monster, huh? Malefor now stood above Ignitus and lowered his front paw onto the helpless Dragon's throat, choking him. "You think I wanted to kill Incendious, my father figure; that I enjoyed taking his life like some kind of sadist, that I didn't try to find an alternative to bring Aurea back? The true monsters were the Elders who sent an eight year old to fight the most powerful sorcerer on the planet instead of an army. We Dragons are all monsters. Winged creatures who can rain fire and death from the skies, capable of killing hundreds of thousands in our lifetimes. Our ancestors did so, Tyrannous did so, your father did so, I have done so, and so has your daughter. And no, I wouldn't have used Sparx as a means to revive Aurea. I would have just ended him, so I could spare him from being the last Dragonfly alive."