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Cynder gave Spyro a nuzzle. "You're never alone, Spyro, remembeR?"

Spyro smiled. "Thanks Cynder, made me feel better then too," he said, returning her nuzzle. "Well...moving on, we finally confronted Malefor...honestly, you didn't see him when he's at his worst, if he'd known who you were, he'd have been able to mess with you."

"He made us doubt everything we thought we knew just by talking to us." explained Cynder.

"Well..." started Cynder.

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Flashback

Spyro and Cynder, after everything they’d fought through, finally reached the door to Malefor’s lair. The Dragon Temple had been reshaped as Malefor’s castle and torn from the earth and floated high above it. Spyro and Cynder stopped short of the door and turned to one another, taking a brief moment to compose their thoughts. Spyro knew this wouldn’t be easy, Malefor’s power was almost immeasurable, he’d done so much evil, now was their chance to stop it but he wouldn’t go down without a fight.

“Are you ready for this?” asked Spyro, concerned for her well being.

Cynder looked back at him, trying to keep her composure, but he could see fear in her eyes, she saw the same in his, who could blame them? Mentally they were kids about to fight the ultimate evil with the fate of the world on their shoulders. “I’m scared…” stated Cynder, trying her best to keep her head up, but inside was terrified.

“…Just stay close to me.” said Spyro after a brief pause, reassuring Cynder he’d do his best not to let anything happen to her.

The two approached the massive doors, which swung open, as if expecting them. On the other side was the huge frame of Malefor atop his throne, built specifically for a huge dragon, a sight that took the two slightly off guard, being it was their first ever encounter with the tyrant face to face. He was almost twice the size of a normal dragon and even more terrifying in person. “At long last, my guests have arrived!” called Malefor, acting confident and unmoved. “Yes…Such determination to get here…” said the Dark Master, descending from his throne and approaching them, staring straight at Spyro. “It seems we share other qualities besides our color!”

Spyro growled and glared right back. “No! I’m nothing like you!” he replied, refusing to let Malefor get in his head.

Malefor walked around the two, circling them. “Do you think so?” he mused, giving a chuckle. “Well we’ll get to that.”

Cynder walked in front of Spyro, a serious look in her eyes. “Don’t listen to him, Spyro…Don’t listen to anything he says.” she advised, knowing Malefor well and that he would do anything to get in Spyro‘s head.

Malefor approached, mocking an insulted look. “You look so wary, allow me to make you more comfortable.” he said with clearly false concern. The magical shackles around their necks glowed bright blue and, much to their surprise, dispersed into particles of energy. “There, that’s better isn’t it?” he asked. “It’s the least I could do for you, Cynder,” he said, changing the target of his mind games. “After all, you’ve done so much for me!” he called, his approach making Cynder back peddle in surprise and fear.

Spyro snarled. “You used her!” he shouted, refusing to forgive Malefor for that transgression.

Malefor seemed amused at this. “I used her, she used YOU, what does it matter really?” he asked, a sly look appearing on his face.

Spyro looked to Cynder, confused. “What does he mean?”

“What? He doesn’t know?” asked Malefor, then giving a cruel laugh. “Go on! Tell him! Mustn’t leave him in the dark!” he stated, staring right at Cynder.

Spyro looked even more confused, Cynder looked down, wondering just what he was talking about. “Tell me what?” asked Spyro, unsure of what to believe.

“How she lured you to Well of Souls? How she tricked you into freeing me?” asked Malefor, clearly enjoying this.

“You’re lying!” shouted Cynder, not wanting to believe it, but her resolve slowly slipping.

“Hm, I find it peculiar how you’ve chosen to remember things, but be sure it was you who freed me Spyro.” said Malefor to the smaller Purple Dragon, then snapped his head to look at Cynder. “And you who brought me back. And we have Cynder to thank for all that!” exclaimed the massive tyrant, giving a long sinister laugh.

Spyro, now confused and conflicted, looked at Cynder. “Cynder…is it true?” he asked, praying it was another lie.

“No!” shouted Cynder, seemingly with resolve, but that faded quickly, she couldn’t bare to look in Spyro’s eyes and looked away. “…I don’t know!” she said, clearly even more confused and conflicted than Spyro was. “I don’t know anymore…” she admitted, Malefor had controlled her once before…was he doing it now without her knowledge?

Malefor saw exactly the thing he’d been waiting for one of them to do. “Oh, I think you do…but perhaps you need a little nudge.” he said, eyes glowing yellow as he forced his way into Cynder’s mind, awakening the darkness sleeping inside her. Cynder’s form turned pitch black, her eyes glowing white as she floated into the air.

“Cynder!” called Spyro in terror, watching this transpire and being helpless to stop it. “Cynder! No!”, watching in horror as Cynder’s corrupted form fully manifested and landed, walking towards him. Malefor took a step forwards with another sinister laugh.

"It got worse...then better..." said Spyro.

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Flashback:

Malefor watched Spyro back peddle from Cynder as she approached. “Ignitus should’ve warned you!” announced Malefor, getting closer to Spyro. “You’re alone here, young dragon, you’ve always been alone!” he mocked, rubbing in the pain he was inflicting and enjoying every second of it. Malefor rolled his eyes and turned to walk out of his ‘pet’s’ path. “Still, here you are, trying so desperately to save this miserable world!” stated Malefor, disgusted with Spyro’s sentiment. “Refusing to accept the true role of the Purple Dragon!” the tyrant accused as Cynder attacked, throwing Spyro hard against a wall. Malefor smiled. “I’m sure you’ve been told I was the first of our kind, but I assure you, there have been many.” he stated, his smile becoming even more sinister as he took pleasure in twisting the knife he’d plunged into Spyro’s psyche. “It’s been the duty of our predecessors to resurrect the Destroyer and the Golems of the deep to bring about the Great Cleansing. This is the true nature of our kind.” he stated, watching with sadistic pleasure as Cynder hurled Spyro to the ground. “Your destiny is to destroy the world!”

Spyro pushed himself up and glared at Malefor. “I don’t believe that!”

Malefor shook his head in disappointment. “Of course you don’t! But destiny none the less! In my time, I was stopped, prevented from completing my quest, but you, you have carried the flame! Be it through your own will or not!” he stated as Spyro struggled to stand. “And soon, the world will be destroyed, and you along with it!”

Spyro’s resolve began to shake. “N-no…” he muttered, then looked to see Cynder approach and whip her tail into him, throwing him back to the ground.

“Fight back!” yelled Cynder, her voice evilly contorted. She lashed into Spyro with her tail blade, the Purple Dragon, unable to fight the one he loved, could only wrap his wings around himself for protection from her blows as Malefor laughed evilly with the pleasure he had at watching this. “Fight back! Why won’t you fight back!” yelled Cynder, glaring at him.

Spyro, his spirit crushed, looked at her, then lowered his head. Ignitus was dead, and now Cynder was evil again…there was no way for him to defeat Malefor without her, no way to stop the Destroyer…his resolve was broken. “…Because you’ve left me nothing to fight for…”

Cynder’s eyes widened in shock, as if realizing just what she was doing. The darkness was forced back and Cynder’s normal appearance returned as she fought off Malefor‘s darkness. The dragoness quickly came to Spyro’s side, startling the young dragon. “…There’s always something…” she reassured, looking into his eyes. She knew she’d been controlled, and hurt him terribly, but she could only reassure him, blaiming herself now would give Malefor satisfaction and power over her.

Malefor growled in irritation, anger clearly on his face. “So be it! You’ve made your choice and will suffer the same fate!” he roared, making their tether reappear so he could destroy them both at once. “Prepare to die!” he bellowed, rearing up on his hind legs, wings spread wide in a threat display. Malefor flapped his massive wings and took flight, preparing for battle.

"Well the world started ending and we all fell into a volcano and fought Malefor falling towards the core of the planet." explained Cynder.