It was early in the morning when I opened my eyes. The sun was shining through the open balcony door and onto my face. I moved slowly since I wasn't the only one in the bed. Cynder was laying right next to me and I didn't want to disturb her. I used my wing to keep the light from burning itself into my retinas. It was quiet except for Cynder's quiet and steady breathing. I had a sour taste in my mouth which probably had something to do with the deer I ate the night before.

The next movement I made was with my tail. It was wrapped around hers, forming an amethyst and ebony spiral. This show of affection had become a habit of ours. Though I loved the gesture, it made it difficult to get up without waking her. But today must have been my lucky day because I managed to free my tail and slide out of bed without disrupting her peace.

Our room had never been much. It had some mementos from our years during the war. We left our armor up on the wall as a reminder of who we are: heroes. Also, because it no longer fit our adult-sized bodies.

I quietly made my way downstairs to prepare breakfast. I had a busy day today; Cynder and I were going out tonight since it was the six-year anniversary of our victory against Malefor. She and I have been together for just as long. But tonight was the night that I would finally ask the important question. So I needed to go out and grab something to give to her. I was so excited and nervous that my tail wouldn't stop shaking.

I quickly cooked up some lamb chops. I scarfed down my half and left the other for Cynder when she woke up. I grabbed a satchel before walking outside to start the day. I didn't so much as take a breath of fresh air when a nasal voice called my name.

"Spyro!" A spark of gold that I recognized as Sparx flew in front of my face. He greeted me, "Good morning dude! What's on the agenda today?" The small dragonfly had grown and matured quite a bit since the war. I'm surprised that he didn't have a family yet. I didn't blame him though; Cynder and I haven't even talked about having a family, despite our relationship.

I lied, "Just looking to relax and take a walk before tonight's festivities." They always held a party with a ball and buffet whenever the anniversary came around every year. Cynder and I plan on going to the celebration and then I'm going to take her to spot where I plan on asking her the big question.

He eyed me suspiciously, "Cool joke Spyro. Now tell me what you're actually doing today. I know that you aren't just leaving your girlfriend with nothing at the end of the night. So what are you getting her?"

I hate when Sparx could see right through me. "Ugh, fine. I'm getting her a set of special bracelets, designed like the ones that she wears. But that's it; are you satisfied?!"

Once again, the little dragonfly knows me too well. "Really, that's it? You're going to hand her some fancy jewelry and call it a day? You need to show her some better dedication."

I scowled at my brother, "It's not some random piece of jewelry. It's for a very special occasion!"

"What kind of special occasion requires you to lie to me?" I felt my brother pause, "Wait… are you guys...are you…going to...marry her?"

I whispered, "Quiet! She could be awake and I don't want to tell her until later tonight. Keep it to yourself...please." He appeared stunned but nodded anyway. I explained, "I just… I just want me and her to be happy together. She's having a bit of a hard time at night. There are times during that period where she wakes up from of her nightmares and starts breaking down into tears. There are even times where…where...," my voice trailed off. I...I couldn't bring myself to finish the thought. "Her past haunts her every day and I feel like there's nothing I can do! All I can do is hope it all works out in the end. If this is the wrong thing to do, then I don't know. I'm just following my heart and my heart wants me to spend the rest of my life with her. I want to be there when she has no one else; I want to be there to keep her safe; I want to be there...so she feels like she has a purpose."

I looked Sparx dead in his eyes, "So that's why you can't tell her. I want her happiness to be genuine when I ask her." I straightened back up. "Well, I need to go and see about those bracelets. I ordered a week ago so it should be done. Are coming with me?"

It took Sparx a second to respond after my tangent but he squeaked, "You know what, this sounds very personal to you and I don't really want to get involved in your business. I'll see you later." He flew off before I spread my wings and rocketed into the sky.

The morning was chilled but remained comforting. I found the feeling of the wind brushing against my scales ticklish but still satisfying. Cynder always enjoyed the sky more than I do though anyways. We had discussed how before she became the Dark Master's general that she was meant to be a wind dragon. So, it was understandable that she was most comfortable in the sky.

It wasn't hard to find the forge's blacks and greys from the city's whites and golds. The streets were crawling with dragons, moles, and cheetahs. They were all preparing for the bacchanal night ahead of them. It didn't take long before I spotted the goldsmith working in his forge. The smoke filled the air and I cringed from the pungent odor invading my nostrils. I landed with a thump as I confronted the smithy. "Good morning, Flame, is my order ready?"

The red dragon was covered in soot and the scales around his paws had hardened to be black and ashy. He spoke with a rough and gritty tone, "Of course, Spyro. It's been ready for a couple of days." He pulled out a set of four bracelets. They were silver, encrusted with a large, light-blue gem called an aquamarine. I designed them to represent Cynder in every way.

As he passed it to me, he asked, "So, who's the lucky dragoness?"

The question was a bit odd, but I didn't mind answering. "Cynder, of course! Who else would it be?"

"Really? I thought you and Ember were in a relationship? And isn't Cynder the former general of Dark Master?"

I had a feeling he was going to say that. "Ember? She and I are not in any kind of relationship other than being friends. And yes, Cynder is technically the former dark general. But that was a long time ago and she killed against her will. We can't blame her for something like that. I know that I certainly don't."

Flame continued pounding away at a plate he was working on. He rebutted, "I understand that it wasn't her fault and that it was out of her control. But, I've known you for years. I'm just trying to make sure that you're making the right choice. I wouldn't want you to create a bond that you'll regret later. So I'll ask the same question that I asked when you ordered… are you sure you want to do this?"

I was determined, "I've never been surer of something in my life."

The dragon smith just nodded and passed me the bracelets. "Usually a product like that would have a hefty price. But considering the circumstances and our friendship, I'm willing to let it slide." He grabbed by my wrist, "You just have to promise me one thing… that you don't make the same mistake I made when I was your age. When you propose, you two are bonded forever and that's it. So don't you dare leave her or I will hunt you down myself, got that?!" His stern eyes told me he was serious.

But I wasn't going to back down, "I promise!"

He smiled, "Good, now you should head home. She's probably wondering where you are right now."

Thinking about it, he was probably right. "Yeah, I should be on my way. Thank you so much, Flame."

He waved me off, "Don't thank me. I was just doing my job. Now shoo! I got work to do!"

I enthusiastically put the bracelets in my satchel, spread my wings, and flew through the smoke into the open air. I sputtered, "Okay…that was not…a good idea!" between coughs as ash entered my lungs. I quickly sped back to my home to hopefully get there before Cynder woke up. She and I lived just outside of Warfang so it didn't take me long to get back.

Once I landed in front of our house, I creaked open the door. It was still dark inside and none of the dust had moved. Her breakfast was still on the table so she must still be asleep. I first put the satchel away before treading back up the stairs. I kept my ears open for any movement in case she was awake. Once I spotted her still covered in blankets, I walked over to her side of the bed. Somehow, the circumstance usually ends up being that I have to wake her up.

I placed my paw on her shoulder and shook it her a little. "Cynder, it's time to wake up! Today is a very important day!"

She groaned and protested, "Do I have to? You know how I feel about going into public."

"I do, but we have to keep up our appearances. Besides, are you really going to leave me alone for our outing tonight?"

She chuckled, "I guess not." The black dragoness lethargically got out of the bed and stretched out her front paws. I could hear the pops in her spine as it extended. When she started to walk by me, I followed behind her.

"I cooked you some breakfast if you're hungry at all."

She smiled, "Thank you, Spyro. I appreciate that." Once we reached the bottom of the steps, she moseyed on over to the table where the luke-warm lamb chop was laying. "Wow! You cooked sheep because you knew that it was my favorite, right?"

I felt a drop of sweat roll down my tail. "Yes, of course!" I honestly had just thrown something together and threw it on a plate. I didn't pay attention to what I had cooked at the time till it was finished and I was eating it. Luckily, she took my word for it and started ravenously ripping into the leg. I sat down opposite to her to start a conversation. "So, how did you sleep?"

She swallowed a piece of meat before responding, "I-I slept well." Her mood seemed to darken and the rate at which she was eating slowed. As she averted her gaze from mine, I knew that something was wrong.

"You had another nightmare, didn't you?" I could tell my question caught her off guard since her first reaction was that her cheeks flushed a bit pink. It usually meant that she was embarrassed in some way so I knew I hit the nail on the head. For years, she has had these nightmares almost every night. I've gotten into the habit of asking her how she slept to try and help her discuss them. I placed my paw on hers, "Do you wanna talk about it?"

She hesitantly replied, "Sure," before she took a moment to collect herself. She started, "I was in an unfamiliar village. I was watching...no, stalking a dragoness as she took her son into a small house. I couldn't control myself and...I charged at her from behind. We started scratching and biting at each other. But…the fight ended when...I…" Her voice trailed off and her tail rattled against the floor. "There was blood…so much blood. I remember looking at her child and raising my tail blade. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, but I...I..." She started to tremble slightly and wetness glossed over her eyes. Taking it as a cue, I moved over next to her and wrapped my wing around her to hopefully comfort her. She turned and buried her face in my chest. It was silent except for the sound of her sniffling. I knew this was hard for her, but the best I could do was be there for her.

We remained there, locked in our embrace for what felt like an eternity. I knew that I had things to do today before the big celebration, but I couldn't just leave her. Once I felt her go almost completely quiet, I licked her cheek to get her attention. She looked up at me with red and puffy eyes. She felt warm against my scales. I whispered softly, "Do you feel any better?"

She averted her eyes, "A little." She lightly nuzzled me under my chin with her cheek. I shivered from the moisture on her scales touching my neck.

I smiled, "I can tell." I kissed the top of her head, causing her to coo softly before I got up. "Of how much I would love to spend the day cuddling with you, the guardians need me to help with preparations for the ball." She gave me a slightly dejected look. I sighed, "If you want, you can come with me. An extra pair of paws would certainly help things move along a little faster."

She groaned, "Well, I guess have nothing better to do so, sure, I'll tag along." She rose from her seat and collected her bracelets from the nearby drawer. The bracelets were finally showing their age with a bit of rust. What was strange is that the bracelet seemed to adjust to Cynder's size. From the years that I've known her, she wears them to constantly remind herself that she isn't the Terror of the Skies. She wears them as a symbol of defiance against what Malefor stood for. Once she had them on and stood by my side, I knew that she was ready to go.

I opened the door and let her walk out first before closing it behind me. She stretched out her wings and took off before me. A gust of wind rippled through the air as I jerked my head towards the spot Cynder was standing in before. I chuckled, "A little eager aren't we?" I took flight and followed behind her. She had managed to gain a lot of distance in a matter of seconds. I wasn't surprised, she had always been faster and better at flying than me. I saw her glance at me and she smirked, clearly noticing how far ahead of me she was. She suddenly gave one strong flap of her wings and she rocketed ahead of me by another couple of yards.

By the time we arrived at the dragon temple built high above the city, she had already landed and was waiting for me. By the time my feet touched the concrete, I was out of breath, while Cynder hadn't even broken a sweat. I spoke out, "How come…you are…so much faster than me...all the time?" while I was panting.

She gave a cocky smile, "Spyro, you know that I'm a wind dragon. I can control how fast I'm moving by directing the wind currents around me. For a purple dragon, I thought you could too." Now she was just trying to get under my scales.

"As I have said before, I don't want to learn wind. I've always felt comfortable by resorting to my fire."

She chuckled, "Whatever you say. Come on, we don't want to keep them waiting." I groaned as I pulled myself to my feet. We had landed just outside of the doors to the temple. The doors were always incredibly difficult to open due to their immense size. The entrance itself was elegantly crafted with a polished wooden finish. And for the final touch, they engraved with it the head of the late Ignitus in his honor. Cynder gave another strong flap of her wings and the double doors blew open.

The guardians, who I assume were discussing very important topics, all turned their attention toward us. There were about seven dragons gathered in total. Three of them were Cyril, Volteer, and Terrador, whom I recognized immediately.

The other four were the new guardians. The first one was Sickle; our new ice guardian and surrogate leader of the group. He was the bravest, strongest, and most responsible of the group. He had glossy light-blue scales with a dark-blue gradient going down his limbs. His four horns were a polished silver and he had some webbing on the side of his jaw. He was the most respected of the guardians for balancing his life of duty and service with a personal life living with his mate. His main duty was to direct the construction for new facilities in Warfang.

The next one was Char; the new fire guardian and the general of the group. Though he is usually calm, he is the most passionate of the group to match his fiery combat ability. He has bright red scales and was also peppered with yellow and orange scales up and down his body. He has two black horns with spikes protruding out of his shoulders. When it came to the courtroom, he was an unforgiving judge who will do everything in his power to uphold the law. His responsibilities are as a judge and Warfang's military commander.

The third guardian was Static; the upcoming lightning guardian and the archivist-in-training. He has the most energy of the group which is a reflection of Volteer. Though his vocabulary repertoire isn't nearly as deep as the elder guardian, he is an extremely strong capacity for learning. He had yellow scales of the brighter variety. His belly scales contrasted with a royal blue as well as his horns. He is mostly responsible for keeping the guardians on schedule and for planning big events

The final guardian was Tremor. Since he is the new earth guardian, he is considered the city defense expert. He is the quietest, but always the most vigilant for danger when he is on the ground. He had dirt-colored scales with a streak of dark green going down his back. His horns very much matched that of Terrador's. Regarding his role, he was the cities' headmaster for education.

They were all gathered in the center of the hall, which was the locale for the ball tonight. Volteer greeted us, "Cynder, Spyro, I'm pleased to see you both before tonight's big celebration! Do either of you have any plans this evening?"

Cynder and I looked at each other before turning back to him. "We plan on going out tonight after the ball. We won't be spending the entire night here, unfortunately. We apologize if that is getting in the way of any of your plans."

Static interjected, "Actually, none of us were planning for you and Cynder to stay. We realize that you have your own lives outside what the world sees you as. We know you two aren't fans of being in public. We only ask you to show up for a portion of the ball to reassure the public that they are safe. After that, we are fine with you two leaving and enjoying your night together."

Sickle jumped in, "Yes, we are all grateful for your services to the city. Consider this a part of our thanks for your heroic deeds. Without you two, we wouldn't be standing here today." The ice guardian stepped forward, "On behalf of the other guardians, I thank you both for your services, not only to this city but for all of dragon-kind alike!"

Char interrupted, "And tonight, we shall celebrate! But first, we need your help preparing for the ball." He pointed his talon towards what looked like an empty stage. "We need one of you to go to our orchestral facilities to make sure they will be present and performing. Then, we just need the other to help set up chairs and tables for the guests."

"I'll go and speak to the orchestra director," I jumped in. Thankfully, the fire guardian had reminded me of another matter that I had to discuss with the director. I looked at Cynder with the feeling of excitement sprawled across my face. She gave me a look of skepticism before shrugging me off.

"I guess I'll help with setting up for the ball."

"Then it is decided!" Volteer nodded to the other dragons guardians. "You are both dismissed. Tonight will be a fantastical, amazing, stupendous, splendid celebration! We will all see you then!"

The group split to work on their own chores and responsibilities. Before Cynder and I split, I snuck a kiss on her cheek. She blushed before I took and left her to go to the Music Emporium, where the orchestras practiced, rehearsed, and played. It was relatively close to the temple and the architecture wasn't too complicated. There were separate rooms for the specific instrument sectionals and a stage for the full ensemble to perform on when they held a concert. Today, they were supposed to be doing final run-throughs of all the compositions they have lined up for the holiday. I just hoped I wasn't cutting into their rehearsal.

When the building swiftly came into view, I noticed something odd. A bunch of the players was actually leaving. "They must have finished their rehearsals already," is what I thought to myself.

My claws touched the bottom of the stairs and I started to ascend them. Then a thought came to mind, "I'm doing all of this preparation, but what if she says no? I'm scared that she worries about others opinions too much. She feels so guilty for just being next to me. Somehow, she thinks that her presence sullies my reputation. But I could care less about how people looked at me. As long as Cynder was by my side, I couldn't be happier." I was so focused on my own thoughts that I failed to notice the dragoness standing at the top of the stairs before accidentally bumping into her. I jolted from the sudden contact and lost my footing. I nearly fell back down the stairs before she grabbed my paw and pulled me back up.

Once my front paw felt the ground again and my balance stabilized, I looked up to apologize to the dragoness, "I'm sorry. I-I didn't see…" I froze when I saw her pink scales. She had light-blue eyes and wore a heart pendant. I immediately recognized her, "E-Ember? What are doing here?"

She gave me a disappointed look. "Spyro, don't tell me that you didn't know I was part of the orchestra." She held up the violin case next to her as proof of her profession.

I instantly felt embarrassed that I didn't know about this part of her life. She had been a friend for years. We had met while the executives from the other towns and our guardians were meeting to discuss borders and land possession. She was from East Town and was moving into Warfang. We started conversing and we got to know each other. I'm almost certain she has feelings for me but I just didn't feel the same.

She sighed, "Anyways, why are you here?"

"W-well…the guardians needed me to make sure that the orchestras were going to perform tonight, which I should go and ask your director about." I hastily walked up and past her.

Before I could reach the building, she called out, "Spyro, wait!" I stopped at the door and turned to look at her. She put her case and sprinted over to me. She asked, "Are you okay? You seem…kind of stressed."

"Y-yeah I'm fine. I just have a lot of preparations to make for tonight. Now, if you excuse me, I have to-"

"You're proposing to Cynder tonight, aren't you?" I froze from the sudden accusation. I mean, it was correct but was it really that obvious? Why are my thoughts always so easy to read to everyone else?

I stammered, "H-How did you know?"

"Well, the main reason is that you don't usually stress out on an occasion like this unless it's something extremely important. And I've known you for years. You can easily be distracted whenever something is on your mind. You and Cynder have been dating for six years now so it only makes sense that you're stressed about taking the next step." How was she able to figure this all out in a couple of minutes? She was more perceptive than I thought.

I sighed, "Okay, you got me, I'm proposing to Cynder tonight. Is that all?"

She hesitated, "She's really lucky you know. It makes me envy her a bit. But I knew that I never stood a chance of having you, so I'm glad that you're happy enough with her to ask her such an important question." Ember had a couple of tears rolling down her cheek, but she was smiling. "I hope she says yes for you. I'll see you at the ball tonight." She turned and headed down the stairs with her wings drooped behind her.

I felt guilty about telling her. I should have just said nothing and walked away. But there's nothing I could do at that point. I just had to hope I didn't permanently damage our friendship. I recomposed myself before I pushed open the hall doors.

It was a long corridor with a tiled floor and brick walls. They had the walls painted white with blue stripes through the center. There were a bunch of doorways where the individual sectional were held. Walking in, there were double doors leading into their musical hall. Since there were multiple instrumentalists outside, I assumed that they had an ensemble rehearsal in the auditorium.

I opened the auditorium doors and headed inside. There were rows of seats for spectators to watch and listen to their concerts. There were also balconies for VIP's to watch from above. They had a center stage where orchestra always set up to play. There also chairs for the players and various percussive instruments behind all of that. I noticed the director standing where he would be if he were conducting the ensemble.

When I opened the door, he turned to look at me. He yelled over to me. "Spyro! So glad to see you! What brings you here today?!" His voice echoed throughout the empty hall.

I quickly strolled up next to him so I didn't have to yell back. "The guardians just wanted me to confirm the orchestra's attendance at the ball, Maestro."

"Of course. Our ensemble will be there tonight. We wouldn't miss playing at a celebration like this for the world. The ancestors have blessed us with abilities to make and play music and we are always humbled to showcase it to the city." He picked up what looked a score. "Speaking of, I assume you also came here to check on the progress on the composition commission you sent to me?"

He took the words right of my mouth. Weeks ago, I had requested him to compose a piece for the celebration. I wanted to dedicate it to Cynder and hopefully dance with her when the orchestra played it. "You read my mind. How is the piece coming along?"

"Swimmingly! I finished the piece a week ago and the ensemble is already well acquainted with it. We should be able to perform it tonight."

I bowed, "Thank you so much! Your payment will due in a couple of days."

He waved his paw dismissively, "I do not need payment. I owe it to you as a citizen of Warfang since I wouldn't be here today without you. Consider this my appreciation for your heroic deeds. I hope to perform this piece in your honor for years to come."

"Actually, I don't want to dedicate this piece to myself." He gave me a bit of a surprised glance, "I wish for it to be played to my love, Cynder. I know you two haven't spoken, but you hopefully heard of her?"

He rubbed the tip of his jawline as a sign of contemplation. "Ah, yes! The dragoness that helped you defeat Malefor. I've heard about how you two are nearly inseparable. Though I've never spoken to her, I trust you so I will dedicate this piece to her."

I jumped up with glee, "Thank you for your support! Now if you excuse me, I must report back to guardians and finish preparing for tonight. See you later tonight at the ball!"

He nodded, "Very well. Good day to you!" Walking away from him, I knew tonight was the perfect time to take the next step. Once my armor is ready, the preparations for everything will be finished. Now, I just have to hope that Cynder feels the way I do.