Given Inside and Zerodius created most of this and Chapter 5, however it was re-edited and re-written by G.I and Reddragonx

"I can't believe you!" Cynder screamed at Spyro. It was morning again and he had just walked into the temple only to meet her. "I am trying my hardest, Spyro...and...and you leave me?" He hung his head low, struggling to fight back tears. Cynder was trying to help him, and he stabbed her in the back by leaving.

"I'm..."

"Sorry?" Cynder asked, a growl omitting from her muzzle as she questioned him. "Oh no Spyro, 'sorry' isn't what I'd be saying right now." She let out a soft whimper and turned her head. "You should be thinking more of us. I...don't think we were meant for each other anymore."

"What?" Spyro shot out, panic in his eyes. She couldn't be breaking up with him...no.

"Spyro, I meant everything I've told you since Malefor, but I haven't even seen you since." Her head drooped; she couldn't even face him. "I feel...you're avoiding me." Tears came to Spyro's eyes. He had to tell her something, at least part of the reason why he's been so distant.

"Cynder," Spyro choked out. "You have to believe me. What I'm doing is for the best I swear it! Just one more week, it's all I ask for. On Christmas, you'll see." She slowly turned to face him. "Cynder, I just want it to be perfect, that's all." He inched his snout closer, placing it against hers for the first time. "I do love you." Relief flew out from both lovers' hearts as his words finally came upon Cynder's ears. All this time, he never said it, but now Cynder held belief.

"You...you do?" she asked, tears falling down her cheek. "If you do, why do you keep avoiding me?"

"I'm not avoiding you, Cynder," Spyro replied, trying to keep his nerves intact. "I just have to leave each time you try to. It hurts every time I have to go, but when Christmas finally comes, and, if I finish it in time, you'll know the reason why."

"So...all the time you spend...is all for me?" Spyro nodded his head.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he explained, "but yes. Every time I leave, it's for you. Now please...PLEASE don't think I'm avoiding you." He turned away, choking back another set of tears. "What I've been doing is far more than any time I can spend, I promise." A smile crept to Cynder's muzzle as she walked closer to him, placing her paw on his.

"Spyro," she sighed out. "I'll let this one slide. But next time you leave me like that, for Christmas, I'd have to get a break-up as a gift." Spyro gulped. "Don't leave me, okay? I'm your mate, right? And as your mate I have to take care of you." She paused to nuzzle his snout with hers. "You got that, Spyro?"

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm so sorry, Cynder. I just have been working my tail off for it." Cynder actually smiled and removed her paw from his.

"Okay," she replied happily. "I got a gift for you planned too, but that is a surprise, including on when I'll give it." She suddenly stepped closer, brushing the side of her body against his and trailing her tail across his chest as she walked past him, teasing the dragon with the tip of her sharp edge rather lustfully. "I'll just remember that you've been 'busy' for the time being." He was dumbstruck by her sudden flirtatious actions. His gift better play the right string in her heart, or else he was destined to lose her.

I can't let her go, Spyro thought to himself. He then turned over towards his classroom, where Cyril was inside preparing his lecture. "Cyril?"

"Hmm?" The ice dragon tilted his head up from his position and brought it down slightly to the teenaged savior. "What is it, Spyro?"

"Cyril, I need to do something, and I was wondering...if you can tell me if I'm making the right choice here." The Ice Guardian stood up on his four paws and padded towards the young pupil.

"What is it?" he repeated, sitting on his haunches in front of him.

"Well, it regards Cynder," he replied. "And the gift I told you about." Cyril's tail twitched as he inclined his head.

"I remember," spoke the teacher. "What is the matter, now?"

"Well, I've been out at night working on it, but I have to go each time Cynder wants to see me. She's thinking I'm avoiding her."

"What is this gift?" Spyro lowered his head; Cyril would be the first to know besides Hunter.

"A...home, master." The ice dragon brought his head back down to glare at him while he continued to explain. "She just told me how much she's willing to go for us, and...she also told me I was blowing it. I just want to know, how can I do two things at once? I want to finish this and make her happy on Christmas, but I want her to also be happy before that day." He shook his head in frustration. "I feel I'm hurting her, when I really just want to make things better." Cyril suddenly let out a brief chuckle.

"Young one, you remind me of me when I found my mate a long time ago. I was just like you, eager, willing, and nervous as a sheep among hatchlings. Now before I go on, tell me, where have you purchased the home?"

"I haven't," Spyro replied. "I'm building it; Hunter's helping me. I took a job helping Prowlus so I could afford the things I needed."

"Have you started building?"

"Yesterday. After you told me I could retake the exam. I came down with some sneezes and Cynder tried to take care of me. I told Hunter I'd meet him where we were building, so I couldn't..."

"You abandoned her?" Cyril asked, eyes glowing with concern. "Oh Spyro, that was truly unwise. She offered her aid as your mate. Leaving her before doing that would make any female question their judgment."

"I know."

"How far along are you on this 'home' you seem to be building?" Spyro sighed and looked up.

"Well, we got the frame up by last night. We need to put in the walls, the doors and, the part that Hunter is dreading the most...the roof."

"When do you want it done?"

"Next week." Cyril sighed and twitched his wings.

"Spyro, take two days...just two and spend them with her. Where she goes, you follow. Don't leave her again until the third day and make sure you tell her beforehand. I've traveled with Hunter and I know his punctuality with deadlines. You have four days till Christmas Eve, and if you work on that night as well...it should be perfect for her by Christmas morn."

"Ancestors I hope so." He turned to the door. "Thanks Cyril. I'll do what I can."

For two full days, Spyro remained at Cynder's side. Where she went, he followed, and his tail always remained tangled in hers wherever they journeyed. He even got to sleep with her for the first time. It was just a small nap outside the courtyard, but her warmth was so perfect. They always nuzzled, and their talks grew more intimate until the fated day...Christmas Eve.

Spyro sat on his bed literally shaking with worry. He was too lost with her to remember her gift, skipping one whole day of building. Spyro did, however make it out once to where everything had gotten finished but the most important element: the roof.

"What am I going to do?" he leapt off of his bed in worry. "Tonight is the last night...it's not done!" His head shook, tail and wings shaking with it. Cynder had taken his mind off of the gift he was making for her; he was completely engulfed in her alone! "I have to go...I have to..."

KNOCK KNOCK

Spyro cringed as he heard the familiar knock on his door. Most dragons knocked with their forepaws, but not Cynder. She always used the blunt of her tail. Spyro gulped, remembering when she told him her gift was a surprise as well.

"Ancestors," Spyro prayed. "Not tonight. Please not tonight." He crept towards the door and opened it, only to smash his eyes against Cynder's sapphire ones. Her scales were glistening brightly and there was a fresh scent about her, as if she had just bathed in the finest perfumed river. Her claws and horns pearly white along with her teeth, that shown from her nervous smile. It was there that Spyro noticed the two red bows, one tied on her middle horn, and another one wrapped around the back of her neck just above her choker. She had no gift...she WAS the gift! Spyro gulped, his eyes fixated on her.

"M...merry Christmas, Spyro." She was beautiful, so elegant and angelic as she stood in his doorway. Cynder's smile faded subtly as she stood in awkward silence. Spyro couldn't leave her like this; she had to come in. He stepped aside and allowed her to enter, and once she was inside, she spoke. "Spyro, these few days have been wonderful. My Christmas gift to you is something I wanted to give for a very...long...time." She lowered her head and shook it. "I had my doubts earlier, but you, Spyro, are definitely the mate I was to be with." Spyro's body shook tremendously. This wasn't his intention. He loved Cynder with so much fury; it'd make a winter storm seem like an April shower. But her gift was not ready, and Spyro couldn't accept hers without giving his in the same moment. It felt selfish, wrong, and immoral to him.

"You...you look amazing Cynder," Spyro whispered nervously. She smiled wider and stepped forward, placing her muzzle next to his ear.

"You haven't seen anything yet," she replied huskily. "My gift is more like a present to both of us." Her grin faded as she lifted her right paw up to untie the bow around her neck. "Spyro, I couldn't think of anything, or anyone to have do this."

"Cynder..." Spyro swallowed hard, trailing off as he called to her. "I know what you're here for, but I...I can't." Her eyes widened as she stood there, her paw just finished touching her bow. Her knees began to quiver; he couldn't be rejecting her. Not again. "Cynder, my gift isn't ready. I...I can't accept yours until mine is done. Just trust me." A tear came from her eye as she brought her paw back down to the ground in front of him. She went to great lengths to do this, cleaning each scale to give it a more shimmering glisten, scrubbing her spikes and scythe tail until they shined just like her scales...and it was all for nothing. She felt hurt, abused, and over all ignored. Were the two days he spent with her really worth something, or did he do it out of shear pity for her. Then it came back to those dreaded words: "Trust me." Immediately, her innocence teared away, revealing a hurtful scowl.

"Trust you?" she growled, inching forward to the male. "Trust you! For the past four weeks you've been telling me this, but now I can't! I can't trust you, Spyro! You're always asleep in class, I had to fight to get you to see me, and all you've told me is that you've been working on my so called 'gift!'" She hissed and stepped closer, forcing Spyro back a step in defense. "I doubt it's even a gift, Spyro! What could possibly drive you away from me like this? It's Christmas Eve! Flame and Ember are together, why can't we be?" Tears began to flow freely. "I thought this was the perfect gift for you. I planned it out, I even expected the best from it, but you're breaking it...and my heart." He tried to step over to her, only to get her scythe tail lifted at his throat. "Don't you dare come closer!"

"Cynder," Spyro said, tears in his eyes as well. "You don't understand!"

"I understand perfectly!" The dragoness lowered her tail and brought it against her paws. She sniffled but kept her eyes drilled on his. "You don't love me. As a matter of fact, it wouldn't surprise me if you found another dragoness out there...one more deserving than me." Each word she said stabbed him directly in his heart. "Spyro, I just don't know what to do anymore."

"Cynder," Spyro begged, his face showing obvious sadness. "Please, I can't. It's not ready." He sighed and turned to his window. This was his last night to finish his project, and if he hurried, he could explain everything tomorrow. He could make things right. He inched over to the window, his back turned on her. "Cynder, It's not time yet, not until you see what I've done." One paw was placed on the windowsill as he turned back. "Merry Christmas Cynder. I'll always love you." Before she could argue, Spyro leapt out of the window.

"NO!" Cynder rushed towards it in an attempt to stop him, her bows falling off of her body, along with the key to her shackles she had planned to present him that was supposedly tucked away inside her right bracer. Both fell to the floor, the keys with a soft clank as she positioned herself at the window, sobbing greatly.

"I don't care about a stupid gift!" she shouted outside. "I don't want a gem, flower or a dumb collar! I want you!" Tears flowed freely, splashing down from the window and on the ground far below. Spyro was already gone. "Come back, Spyro! Please...COME BACK!" Her sobs intensified as she suddenly turned to face his bed, crying painfully as she dove into it. On Christmas day, she had to break up with her only true love...her only friend. Perhaps she was meant to be alone, meant to remain a virgin, destined to be chained by the shackles around her neck, paws, and tail. Oh, she prayed that Spyro would have taken that honor, but he rejected her, on the most beloved night, she was alone. Her tears continued all throughout the night until sleep finally found her inside his room. Her heart broken in too many pieces for her to even have enough strength to carry her to the dragoness's own room. "I...hate you Spyro."

- - - - - - - - - -

Spyro flew to Hunter with tears in his eyes. He sensed Cynder's pain, how rejected she felt. It was her gift, and he turned her down...for the moment.

"What's wrong?" Hunter asked. "You're...crying?"

"Can you blame me?" Spyro suddenly shot out, anger in his eyes. "I was stupid...all this was stupid!" He glared at their almost finished project and growled at it. "This gift...this home has torn me apart from her. I wanted it to bring us together, but now? Now she hates me." Spyro turned to Hunter and groaned in heartache. "Tear it down, Hunter. She wants nothing to do with me now." Instead of acting upon his words, Hunter crossed his arms, holding a smile on his face.

"No," he replied defiantly. "You've worked too hard on this. Let's finish it and you can get her to come tomorrow."

"She's going to break up with me once I see her again," Spyro pointed out. "I don't want to go through with this anymore. It's just one mistake that will remain with me. I let her slip away by being selfish."

"Spyro," Hunter asked, uncrossing his arms to place on on his shoulder below his wing joint. "Why do you love her?"

"She's everything to me. She saved me, and she always understood." He stopped when he saw Hunter's smile widen.

"Understood," Hunter repeated. "Don't quit, my friend. Hold that same hope you had when you started and let us finish! If she understood you before, she'll understand this. Now, I'm not saying it will be an easy journey to convince her, but if you love her enough, you can do it. It's Christmas, the day of giving. Give her your heart, all of your being, and she must understand it." A smile came to the dragon's lips. His friend was right, if Cynder understood everything else about him, she'd see this just as greatly. The dragon turned over to face Hunter and grinned.

"Alright," he said, his more optimistic tune ringing from his muzzle. "Let's finish this up. Oh and Hunter...Merry Christmas."

"Same to you, Ol' friend," Hunter replied, grabbing a hammer that was beside him. "Now, let's get this blasted roof up. I'm sure you and her will need your privacy, right?"

"You don't know the half of it."

PEACE!