Dark Guardians

Return

     Every bit of this land was alive. If one cared to look hard enough, its entire being seemed to move and sway to an unknown, feral dance of life. It seemed so foreign to many, but to him, it had been inviting; perhaps even comforting. After so much had happened, perhaps she, too, should feel welcome in a place like this. There was little threat here, compared to what they had faced in the past. The balance of nature kept at play here, now that the world had begun to recover.

     The Silver River flowed quietly through the marsh, fish visible just beneath the surface but well out of the reach of their claws. It was a peaceful scene, one that should have been far more comforting. Instead, the young dragoness only felt more nervous.

     Cynder's tail flicked idly to the side, knocking a pebble about in an attempt to focus on something besides her growing anxieties. Cyan eyes closed briefly as she considered her options, simultaneously feeling her four collective elements swirl within her. Only one was natural, while the other three had been forced upon her through torturous means. Each held their own advantages in battle, yet weighed heavily on her body and mind. It wasn't something many were forced to suffer, and that fact grew more firm with each passing day.

     Her dearest friend had been taught to use and control his elements, and had since become comfortable with them. Spyro had told her what it was like when he had discovered his fire breath, stating that 'it was hard to control, and I never felt any true reign over it until Ignitus mentored me.' Since then, he had discovered his other-- natural-- three elements, and had subsequently trained underneath masters of them in order to keep them under control.

     But Cynder had no one to teach her. There was no Wind Guardian among them, let alone dragons capable of teaching her the ways of shadow, fear, and poison. It had made her uneasy, frightful that they one day might take control of her and create unnecessary casualties. It was something she had not even thought of until the final battle with Malefor.

     It had been as if his claws were within her, choking her from inside out and forcing those elements to roil and squirm, attempting to burst from her in a fury she could not imagine. Only with Spyro's help was she able to overcome this, the strange, soothing power of his Aether keeping her weighted in reality. Without him, the young dragoness had no idea what might have happened.

     The fight seemed like so many years ago now. Everything had happened so fast, and then suddenly, there was peace. They had been weak for some time after, but were more than able to thrive regardless. Soon, both dragons had allowed themselves to play among one another, through the grass and trees and rivers, celebrating their victory and taking time to heal their mind and spirit after all that had transpired.

     Now they waited outside the newly built temple, debating on their next course of action. It had been two years since either of them had seen their mentors and family, and though they knew they would be welcomed back, both were still afraid. Even Spyro stood, watching the walls as if they might simply open up and swallow him whole. Perhaps it was foolish to worry, but two years was a long time; not to them, but to the world around. Things had most certainly changed.

     Cyan eyes met amethyst, sharing a look of worry and excitement. Terrador, Volteer, Cyril... they were surely still waiting for them to come back. There was no chance that they would have lost hope for their return. It was heartwarming, to say the least. How could they keep them waiting, knowing that?

     Spyro and Cynder exchanged a firm nod, stepping forward and finally heading into the temple. Its doors were open, something they had never seen in the past. Though strange, the notion gave them a warm feeling; no one had to be shut out of the temples any longer, as there was no threat of apes attempting to raid. No terror of the skies to swoop down upon them... nothing to fear.