9. A Day in the Valley

Early morning, when the sun had risen to turn the sky a milky sort of blue, found a young pink dragoness wandering the corridors outside her room. She had been unable to sleep since the sun had risen, perhaps because she had been used to the darker mornings back in her old home, where the morning sun had been unable to pass though the solid rock walls that had surrounded the hidden paradise. But now the sun seemed awfully bright in the mornings and had roused her from a somewhat restless slumber. This was the first night she had spent in her new room, alone and without a single dragon to curl up against. She wasn't used to that.

So, leaving her empty room, Ember had decided to search for Flame, wherever he was. The corridors seemed awfully bare and the lack of dragons spooked her. Occasionally, odd little furry creatures would pass her, running on their short, little stubby legs and nodding politely at her as they passed. She'd never seen such a creature before, but she smiled politely all the same.

In the silence of the corridor only the tapping of her own paws was there to keep her company. She couldn't understand why such a large place was so empty of life.

Walking out onto the cobblestone streets, Ember let her gaze wander around her surroundings. The Atrium dominated much of this side of the city, rising far above the rest of the buildings. Through curving archways Ember could see small gardens laid out at random, granting colour to the otherwise pale beige of the rest of the city. Raising her gaze to the sky in an attempt to see the top of some of the buildings, Ember realised just how huge this place was. She had no idea where to start to look for Flame. Where was his room again? Had Terrador told her?

Sighing, Ember shook her head and turned towards the Atrium, figuring that would be the best place to start. As she wandered past the buildings and under archways, Ember couldn't help but notice the impressive designs of the structures, the way it flowed together as though it had been formed by nature itself. Vaguely, she wondered just who had built this magnificent city, because surely dragons could not have managed such a feat.

As the steps of the Atrium came into view, Ember saw the lean figure of a creature sitting on them. His back was rested against one of the impressive columns that appeared to hold up the roof of the Atrium and his attention was focused on something in his hands.

Ember moved closer, shyly and nervously, and saw that he held an arrow in his hands and a rock with which he was using to sharpen the arrowhead. The pink dragoness cocked her head, trying to figure out what sort of creature he was, but his face was covered beneath the hood he wore. His arms were covered with golden fur adorned with black spots, which seemed to shine in the morning sun. Hesitantly, Ember wandered closer.

"Excuse me?" she asked softly, catching his attention.

The creature raised his head, revealing startling aqua eyes beneath the darkness of his hood. Ember almost took a step back out of fear, but his smile, although ragged, was kind and convinced her to stay. Reaching up, the creature pushed his hood back and revealed his head, upon which sat two large, golden-furred ears. Ember suddenly realised that this must be one of those cheetahs that Thasos had once talked about. What an interesting creature he was.

"What can I do for you, young dragoness?" the cheetah asked kindly, depositing his arrow back in its quiver that he had laid beside him.

"Um," Ember paused, wondering if she should question him or introduce herself first. She chose the latter.

"My name is Ember," she said to the cheetah. "I'm looking for a friend of mine…"

"Ah yes," the cheetah said, with sudden understanding. "Yes, you were that young dragoness from the day before, in the Atrium. My name is Hunter. I imagine the friend you are looking for is that fiery young dragon you were with yesterday."

"Yes, yes that's him!" Ember nodded excitedly. "His name is Flame. I don't suppose you know where he is?"

Hunter paused, tapping his chin with a paw as he thought, "Well, it's likely he's still in his room. But I'm afraid I'm not sure where his room would be. Close to yours perhaps?"

Ember stared at him in surprise; she hadn't thought of that. Perhaps Flame's room was close to hers and she needn't search the city for him. It would make sense, she decided, that Terrador would place their rooms close to each other. The Earth Guardian must have known that she wouldn't want to be separated from her friend in this strange and unfamiliar place.

"Yes, I didn't think of that," Ember admitted to the cheetah. "Perhaps I should search the rooms around mine…"

She was about to thank him when he suddenly stood up and shouldered his quiver and bow, smiling kindly at her.

"Would you like me to help you search?" Hunter suggested. "We should find him quicker that way."

Ember eyes widened and she smiled gratefully up at him, "Thank you. That would be helpful. This place is awfully quiet, too, and very lonely."

Side by side the oddly-matched pair wandered back towards the building in which Ember's room was situated.

"I know what you mean," Hunter replied, "and it is a shame that such a marvellous city should be so deserted. This is the price dragonkind had to pay for the malevolence of one of their own. We can only hope that more of your species still exist out there, somewhere."

"I hadn't realised just how little dragons there were," Ember murmured. "Back in my old home there were very few of us, but that seemed normal. But out here, in this huge world, everything seems so empty. But it seems so peaceful too. Sometimes it's hard to believe the stories that Thasos told us, of the Great War that ravaged the outside world, when everything now seems peaceful. I can't even begin to imagine what it must have been like for those dragons who lived here during that war."

Hunter glanced at her, "It's not something you would want to imagine, Ember. The war was a terrible thing. Be grateful that you never had to experience it. And be grateful that it is now over."

"Yes…" Ember murmured and turned to him with a vibrant smile, "thanks to Spyro, right?"

The cheetah looked somewhat surprised, but smiled nonetheless, "Yes, thanks to Spyro."

The two stopped when Ember recognised the balcony of her room. It was on the second story of a long building, the lower level being occupied by a long hallway that was granted sun through the tiny arched windows in the wall. Ember craned her head up and noticed that there were many balconies beside hers at the same level, which must mean that there were many more rooms within this building than just her own. Swiftly counting the balconies, Hunter decided that there were at least ten rooms in this building.

"Which is yours, Ember?" the cheetah asked his dragon companion.

"That one," Ember pointed to the balcony second from the far right.

There were eight more balconies stretching towards the one on the far left of the building. Hunter glanced at the two rooms on either side of Ember's, but from where they were standing they seemed empty.

"Have you checked the rooms on either side of yours?" he asked, but Ember shook her head. "Then, we'll check those first."

The cheetah and the dragoness entered the lower level of the building and mounted the staircase up to the second story, where the rooms were situated. Ember knocked hesitantly on the door of the room to the left of hers, but there was no answer. Silently, Hunter pushed the door open and gazed around the room. It was empty save for a dusty old bookshelf against the wall. He shook his head and closed the door again.

They tried instead the door to the right of Ember's room, but again the room was empty. The pink dragoness wandered through the unoccupied room and out onto its balcony, Hunter following behind.

"He's not in either of these rooms," The cheetah stated, folding his arms and gazing around at the view of the city from the balcony.

Ember turned her head to the right, gazing along at the rest of the balconies lined up alongside this one. A flash of red sparkled in the sun and she squinted at the third balcony along. Sure enough, with scales glinting like gems of fire in the morning light, Flame lay sprawled across the balcony. Ember was surprised she hadn't noticed him sooner.

"Look, there he is!" she said excitedly, catching Hunter's attention.

He shielded his eyes with a hand and peered at the balcony that Ember was pointing to, "So he is. Will you be alright from here?"

"Yes," Ember nodded, rewarding him with a grateful smile, "thanks for your help!"

"Any time, young dragoness," Hunter replied as the pink dragoness spread her wings and glided towards Flame's balcony.

He watched her for a moment before turning away from the balcony and striding back through the deserted room, down to the ground floor and out of the building. With a spring in his step, Hunter headed for the main hall, which seemed a little busier than usual this morning.

Flame was lounging on the balcony, mostly unaware of his surroundings, when Ember alighted next to him. He didn't seem to notice her at first, his eyes closed as though in sleep. Ember crouched beside him, moving her muzzle close to the side of his head.

"Hey," she prompted softly, teasingly, "still sleeping?"

Flame cracked one gold eye open lazily and glanced at her, shifting slightly in the sun, "Ember, what's up?"

The pink dragoness nudged him with her hips playfully and circled him, but he didn't rise to the bait and merely watched her from his lounging position.

"Do you want to go for a walk with me?" she asked, swishing her tail eagerly. "I'd go myself, but it'd be lonely."

"A walk?" Flame raised his head barely an inch to look sceptically at her. "Why?"

"To explore the city, of course!" Ember replied, crouching low in front of him with her hind-quarters in the air, her snout almost touching his as she swished her tail playfully. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

But Flame wasn't convinced. He yawned loudly and widely, dropping his head back onto his paws as he gazed lazily at her through one eye.

"No thanks. I think I'll sleep a bit more."

A pout formed on Ember's muzzle and she glared at him, "Why not?"

"I don't feel like it," he replied shortly, somewhat irritably, before closing his one open eye again.

"You are so stubborn," Ember sighed, exasperated. "Why won't you walk with me?"

Flame's eyebrow twitched in irritation and he cracked one eye open again, "Because I don't want to! Find someone else to walk with! I'm tired!"

Ember felt her scales stand on end as she bristled with anger. Tossing her head upwards with an air of defiance, the pink dragoness stormed towards the doorway, her tail swinging angrily and almost clipping Flame upside the head. He remained where he was, lounging with his back to his room and facing the edge of the balcony, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the sun. Ember shot his back one last dirty look, feeling very hurt indeed.

"Well, fine then!" she yelled when he didn't turn around. "I wouldn't want to walk with you anyway!"

Flame flinched at the hurt in her voice and cringed in regret, wishing he hadn't snapped at her. The door slammed as she left the room and he raised his head to glance regretfully after her. Maybe he should have agreed to walk with her. It was only a walk after all, he thought.

Ember stormed out of Flame's room, letting the door slam behind her. She stood for a moment, seething in anger, until she felt her spirits sink as the hurt set in. She glanced regretfully at the slammed door, wondering whether she should go back in and ask him in a nicer way. But an idea suddenly settled itself unbidden in her mind and she allowed herself a small smirk.

"Maybe I'll ask Spyro to walk with me," Ember said aloud, loud enough for her voice to carry through Flame's door. "I'm sure he wouldn't turn me down."

Almost instantly the door to Flame's room sprang open and the red dragon tumbled out at her feet, almost bowling her over as he skidded to an ungraceful stop. Flame straightened himself, regaining his balance with some embarrassment, his golden eyes flaring with anger.

"You stay away from that…that purple dragon!" He insisted, perhaps more forcefully than he should have. "I'll walk with you!"

Ember stared at him, feigning shock although she was smirking inside. Blushing, the pink dragoness smiled coyly and shuffled her feet shyly on the ground.

"That's awfully kind of you, Flame," she purred, as though it had been his idea all along, "but you needn't worry. I'm sure Spyro will take good care of me."

"No!" Flame insisted, barely restraining his anger, "I said I'd walk with you! You don't have to ask him! You're walking with me, okay?"

"Well…" Ember pondered, considering his proposal, "If you insist…"

"I do," Flame growled and stalked off down the corridor. "Come on."

Smirking to herself, Ember trotted after him, her tail swinging merrily behind her. Predictable dragons were so easy to deal with.


"Busy today, isn't it?" Hunter remarked to Cyril, sitting down beside the Ice Guardian at one of the long tables in the main hall.

The guardian nodded slowly, eyeing the large group of dragons that were queuing up outside the kitchens, waiting for their breakfast. Thasos' clan had taken to the city with ease and for once the main hall wasn't as empty as usual. Even so, the huge hall still seemed to have a large amount of empty space. It was pleasing that Spyro had managed to bring back over thirty new dragons, but there was no doubt that it simply wasn't enough. Warfang was meant to house thousands of dragons, but barely a hundred lived within its walls.

"They seem to have made themselves at home," Cyril replied, "that is a good sign. Now if only there were more. The third search party has yet to return. We can only hope they return with more dragons."

"Time will tell," was Hunter's reply, pulling out his arrows one by one to inspect their heads and sharpen them if need be.

Cyril shot him a glance, "What of the younger dragons? Have you seen them?"

"Flame and Ember, you mean? I saw them not moments ago. The young pink dragoness was looking for her friend and I left just as she found him. I believe those two will settle in easily."

"And what about Spyro and Cynder? Have you seen them?" Cyril questioned, noticing their absence in the hall.

But Hunter shook his head, "Afraid not. I'm sure those two are fine, though."

"I suppose you are right," Cyril agreed, "Those two would enjoy some time to themselves, I suppose."

In silence the two sat together and observed the comings and goings of the dragons in the hall. Thasos offered them a friendly wave as he passed, but didn't stop to chat. Seriphos stopped briefly by to ask of Terrador's whereabouts and left as soon as he had an answer. Hunter watched with amusement the antics of two middle-aged dragons, one yellow and one red, bickering over a deer's leg as a green dragoness rolled her eyes in exasperation. For once, everything seemed peaceful.


Ember had led Flame all over the city, much to his annoyance, his patience slowly wearing thin. They had passed more of those small furry creatures and found out from a passing dragon that they were called moles. Ember found them most curious. Flame was just about ready to drop when Ember spotted the main gardens. With a squeal of delight, the pink dragoness trotted merrily towards them. Flame followed on behind, slower, nearing the end of his tether. When he caught up to Ember, he found her gazing in awe at the tree in the very centre of the gardens.

Tiny white blossoms swayed gently on the branches, a few falling from the tree to float gently, like tiny fairies, to the ground. Ember stared up at it, awe and admiration gracing her face, and smiled as a tiny blossom landed softly on the end of her snout. Flame sat for a moment, at the edge of the gardens, watching her, glad for the respite. The wind blew one of the blossoms to his feet and it settled ever so lightly on one of his paws. Curious, Flame raised the blossom to eye-level, staring as it balanced on the tip of his paw until the wind blew it, swirling, away. His eyes watched the blossom until it was borne out of view on the breeze. His glance turned then, back to Ember.

"Is this the world?" Flame muttered to himself, watching the pink dragoness beneath the tree. "Is this what the outside world is like? Was Thasos lying to us when he spoke of the war?"

His golden eyes followed the path of another blossom as it drifted on the wind past his head. The cool wind was gentle, soft, and calmed his ever-present irritation.

"Such peace," he murmured, so quiet that only the wind heard him. "How can this place be the aftermath of war? How can such peace be the result of destruction?"

Flame stared at the white-blossomed tree as it swayed in the wind, its branches so flimsy it appeared that even the smallest of breezes would snap them in two. His mind filled with thoughts, questions that could not be answered, and his surroundings suddenly seemed irrelevant. Ember's voice called to him, a whisper on the edge of his consciousness, and he shook himself from his daze.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" the pink dragoness asked, smiling, still sitting beneath the tree.

Flame stared at her for a while, watching the way the falling blossoms seemed to caress her shining, pink scales like snow. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, so subtle it almost couldn't be seen.

"Yeah."

The two young dragons left the gardens shortly afterwards and headed, at last, for the main hall. Terrador had told them that it was the place where the dragons of Warfang met to eat and converse together. As they approached the huge building, they couldn't help but notice the size. It had to be at least as large as the Atrium, if not larger, and there were many large, arched windows that let light into the hall. The huge oak doors were opened, inviting, and there were many moles and the occasional dragon passing backwards and forwards through them. With little hesitation, Flame and Ember gratefully entered the hall.


Spyro was flustered. He'd searched what he was sure was the entire city of Warfang and not found any sign of Cynder at all. Sparx had followed on behind, complaining every so often and getting irritable when the purple dragon ignored him. But though they searched from the south wall to the north wall and back again, there was no sign of Cynder. Sighing, Spyro slowed to a stop outside the main hall and waited for Sparx to catch up.

"Maybe we missed her," Spyro suggested to the dragonfly, "let's check the main hall again."

"Whatever you say, buddy," Sparx sighed and hovered after his surrogate brother.

There were more dragons than Spyro was used to in the main hall and he was tempted to jump up onto one of the tables to get a better look around the hall. But instead he pushed his way through several small groups of dragons, waving to Hunter and Cyril as he passed, searching for that familiar black dragoness. But he didn't see her anywhere. Naxos called out from one side of the room, but Spyro merely smiled and waved at him.

The purple dragon halted in the middle of the hall and stared around at the dragons, hoping to see a flash of black scales or the glimmer of emerald eyes. His eyes fell instead on two familiar young dragons sitting together at a table not too far from him. Flame looked half asleep, his chin resting on the tabletop as he stared blankly into the distance. Dodging around another group of larger dragons, Spyro made his way towards Ember and Flame. The red dragon looked up as he approached and barely suppressed a glare, but Ember waved him over.

"Hey," Spyro greeted, sitting down opposite them as Sparx hovered beside him, "you haven't seen Cynder around, have you?"

"Why? Should we have?" Flame growled rudely and said nothing else.

Ember shot him an annoyed glance and answered Spyro herself, "No, sorry, we haven't seen her. Did you want to join us? The moles said they'd bring us something to eat. Funny little creatures, aren't they?"

Spyro replied with a strained smile, "No thanks, I'll keep looking for Cynder. Thanks anyway."

Conscious of Flame's glare on his back, Spyro turned and headed for the door. The red dragon gave Ember an annoyed glare once the purple dragon was gone.

"Don't ask him to join us," he muttered, "he might actually accept. And then we'd have to put up with him."

But Ember only returned his glare, "I don't know what your problem is with Spyro. He's a perfectly nice dragon."

Flame huffed angrily and Ember snuck him a sly glance, smirking.

"And he's pretty handsome, too," she added slyly.

Flame's angry yells drew many glances, but Ember merely sat and smirked at his reaction, looking very smug indeed.

Spyro looked back towards the main hall as he heard Flame's angry yells, but decided not to inspect. He still had to find Cynder. Just where could she be, anyway? With Sparx at his side, Spyro headed this time for the gardens on the slim hope that she would be there. But when he got there, he found only the white blossom tree standing alone in its isolated glory and no sign of the black dragoness.

Turning away from the gardens, Spyro decided on a different tactic. If he had any chance of finding her, it would be from the air.

Spreading his golden wings, Spyro took a short run before tensing the muscles of his legs and springing into the air. The wind caught his wings and carried him higher, up to the top of the buildings and higher still. Once he was above the level of the Atrium roof, one of the tallest buildings in the city with the exception of the lookout towers, Spyro began his search. He was above the very centre of the city and could see for miles in every direction, but his gaze was drawn instead to the ground.

"Keep a look out, Sparx," Spyro called to his dragonfly companion, "she could be anywhere."

"Gotcha."

Together, the odd pair searched the city of Warfang from the sky, looking for that elusive black dragoness amidst the tall buildings and spreading gardens. From up here, Spyro could see that there was much more damage done to the city than he had realised. The moles still had a long way to go before the city was back to its previous glory.

"You know," Spyro remarked to Sparx, "I haven't seen any of Hunter's tribe for a while."

"Maybe they all went back to their village?" Sparx suggested, shrugging.

That's right, Spyro remembered now. He'd almost forgotten about the cheetah village in the Valley of Avalar. Prowlus must have taken his tribe back there and Hunter had stayed behind in the city. An idea sprung into Spyro's mind as his thoughts turned to the Valley itself. He hadn't returned there since the war and he remembered it to be a very beautiful spot.

"Spyro, look!" Sparx's yell brought the purple dragon out of his thoughts. "There she is!"

Excited, Spyro gazed down at the city to where Sparx was pointing. Sure enough, he could see the shimmering, black-scaled figure of the dragoness he had been looking for. She was walking slowly, turning this way and that as though looking for something. Smiling, Spyro swooped down towards her, calling out to her.

Cynder looked up when she heard someone calling her name and had to jump backwards to avoid being knocked over as Spyro misjudged his landing. He staggered, gathering his balance again, and grinned at her.

"Spyro, there you are!" she cried. "Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you!"

The purple dragon blinked in confusion, "You have? But…I've been looking for you!"

"Guess you missed each other," Sparx snickered.

Cynder rolled her eyes, "I searched almost the whole city and even asked Flame and Ember, but they said you'd already left the main hall. You just can't stay in one spot, can you?"

"It's not my fault," Spyro protested, "I was trying to find you!"

"You could have just come to my room in the first place! I went to your room first and you were already gone!"

"Well I…" Spyro stuttered, blushed, and admitted, "I don't…actually know where your room is."

Cynder stared at him, surprised, until a smile etched its way onto her muzzle. A giggle escaped her mouth and suddenly she was laughing as Spyro stared at her in amazement. He grinned, chuckling, and Sparx looked from one to the other in confusion.

"You blockhead," Cynder giggled, nudging her snout against his.

The purple dragon grinned and nuzzled the side of her head, "Yeah, I guess I am."

"Why were you looking for me, anyway?" she asked, curious.

"Well…" Spyro hesitated, averting his eyes shyly, "I wanted to…to ask you…if you wanted to…spend the day with me? I just thought, you know, maybe you'd like to go somewhere with me and just…relax. I mean, because we've been doing so much, you might like a respite. What…what do you think?"

Cynder smiled at his bashfulness and edged closer, "I think it's a wonderful idea. But, where would we go?"

Spyro grinned, "The Valley of Avalar."

"Oh! We haven't been there for ages," Cynder agreed, swishing her tail in excitement. "It shouldn't be much more than a few hours' flight, too. We should leave soon, then."

"Soon," Spyro agreed, "but first we need to tell the guardians. Come on, they should be in the hall."

The purple dragon turned towards the main hall, following Sparx, when Cynder suddenly remembered why she had been looking for him.

"Spyro!" she called, catching his attention, and trotted up to him. "I wanted to show you…"

The black dragoness waved one of her paws in his face, showing off the silver band that was clipped around her anklet. Spyro stared at them and felt a blush spread across his cheek scales. Those were the anklets he'd given her, the ones he'd found in the old storeroom back in Flame's old home. The moles had polished them up, removing any trace of dust or grime, and they sparkled almost as bright as spirit gems. The moonstones were smooth, perfect, and shone like Cynder's own scales. They truly did suit her.

"Y-you're wearing them…" Spyro stuttered, tripping over his own tongue, "They…they look good on you."

Cynder smiled coyly, "Thank you, Spyro. I really like them."

"I'm…glad," he managed to say. His scales suddenly felt very hot.

"Oi, are you coming or not?" Sparx grumbled, annoyed, perhaps by the growing atmosphere between the two dragons.

"Coming!" they called together and raced after the dragonfly, brushing the moment aside.

The hall wasn't quite as busy as it had been before when Spyro and Cynder approached. The three guardians, along with Thasos, Hunter, Flame, Ember and a few other dragons were the only ones present. Spyro made a beeline straight for the guardians, who were accompanied by Hunter, waving at Thasos, Flame and Ember as he passed. Terrador saw him approach and silenced the other two guardians, allowing Spyro to speak.

"Good morning, Terrador," Spyro greeted, "could I have a word? There's something I wish to ask."

Terrador raised a curious eyebrow, "Ask away, young dragon, ask away."

"Well," Spyro looked back over his shoulder at Cynder briefly, "I was wondering if you'd let Cynder and I spend the day at the Valley of Avalar. We just want to head somewhere where we can relax for a while."

Terrador pondered it for a moment, exchanging dubious glances with the other two guardians. The Earth Guardian shook his head slowly.

"The Valley is a few hours flight from here," Terrador replied, "You likely wouldn't be back by nightfall and I still want you for training tomorrow…"

Spyro's spirits fell and he opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by Hunter. The cheetah folded his arms and flashed Spyro a reassuring grin before addressing the Earth Guardian.

"If you'd allow me to speak, Terrador, they're welcome to spend the night at my village. I was about to head back to the Valley myself. I'm sure they'll return here tomorrow in time for your training. In fact, I'll make sure of it, cheetah's honour," Hunter insisted.

Terrador paused, eyeing the cheetah sternly as he pondered what his decision would be. Spyro and Cynder exchanged hopeful glances, waiting for Terrador's decision. Flame and Ember were listening with interest from across the room. At last the Earth Guardian passed his judgement.

"Very well," Terrador sighed, "you may spend the day at the Valley, as long as you don't cause too much trouble for Hunter's village."

"Thank you, Terrador!" Spyro grinned, and turned to grin at the cheetah, "And you, too, Hunter."

The cheetah nodded in acknowledgement, but Terrador was still looking dubious, as though he really didn't want them to leave the city. They were interrupted, however, before he could change his mind, by Flame and Ember. The young dragons had hurried over upon hearing Terrador agree with Spyro's request.

"I don't suppose you'd let us go, too?" Ember asked, hopefully, her eyes glinting eagerly.

But Thasos put an end to their hopes, "I don't think that's a good idea, Ember. You've only just arrived here at Warfang. I think it best that you get used to the city before you go on any field trips. Don't you agree, Terrador?"

Terrador cast a glance at Ember's disappointed face and shook his head apologetically, "Thasos is right, young dragons. Perhaps next time you will get your chance."

Ember sighed a small stream of smoke, her shoulders drooping in disappointment. Annoyance graced Flame's face, perhaps at the knowledge that Terrador was granting Spyro permission but not him. The purple dragon shrugged apologetically at the two of them.

"Sorry," he offered, "but, maybe next time? I'll take you to see the Valley some other time. Promise."

Ember smiled gratefully at him, much to Flame's annoyance, "Thanks, Spyro, that'd be nice."

"I think it's time we left, don't you think, Spyro?" Cynder cut in, eager to get going now that the guardians had approved.

"Right!" Spyro turned to Hunter. "Hunter, are you ready to leave?"

"Of course," the cheetah said, patting the quiver slung over his shoulder. "But I'm afraid I'll be a bit slower than you. You should go on ahead. I'll take the Forbidden Passage and should reach there by afternoon. Don't worry, I'm sure Prowlus will be happy to let you into the village. If not, I'm sure Meadow will vouch for you."

Remembering the cheetah that he and Cynder had once saved, Spyro nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it'll be good to catch up with Meadow again. We'll see you later, then, Hunter."

Spyro glanced at Cynder, silently asking if she was ready, and she nodded her assent. Sparx offered him a thumbs-up, confirming that he was coming too, and Spyro turned to bid the guardians a farewell.

"We'll be back tomorrow," Spyro promised.

"Remember, I want you back by midday for training," Terrador replied sternly, waiting until Spyro nodded in consent.

"See you, Flame, Ember," he offered, but only Ember returned the farewell.

Waving, Spyro and Cynder headed for the door, Sparx hovering behind, promising to be back by midday tomorrow. Ember and Flame watched them with considerable envy. Hunter shouldered his bow, brushing crumbs off his clothes, and straightened his cloak.

"I'd best be off, too," he announced, turning to Terrador. "Thank you for your hospitality. I'll be sure to visit as often as I can."

"Safe passage, Hunter," Terrador replied, "We hope to see you again soon."

Offering a farewell wave to the rest of them, Hunter left the main hall after Spyro and Cynder and headed back to his home in the Valley of Avalar.


It was shortly past midday when the Valley of Avalar came into view. The sound of falling water reached their ears as they soared over the thick canopy of trees and beheld the charming valley. Spyro dipped low, his paws brushing the leaves of the trees as he dove towards the river. He scraped the surface of the water with his wingtip, creating ripples that were quickly swallowed up by the flowing motion of the river. Cynder followed close, gazing with admiration at the familiar sights of the valley.

Spyro circled slowly in the air and came to rest on an outcrop of rock, gazing around at the lush forests and rugged mountain faces that surrounded them. He breathed in deep, filling his lungs with the fresh scent of nature, a scent he hadn't realised he'd missed so much. Cynder touched down beside him and the two of them took in the appreciable sights and sounds of the valley. For a moment neither spoke, content with the silence of nature, until Sparx broke the silence.

"Hey, the cheetah village is up that way," Sparx pointed out, pointing up river to where the cheetah colony was hidden behind thickets of trees.

"We should go see them," Spyro agreed. "Meadow will be glad to see us, I'm sure."

The purple dragon began the walk upstream with Sparx at his side. Cynder followed quickly, enjoying the feeling of soft grass beneath her paws, instead of the hard cobblestones of the city streets.

"Let's hope we can say the same about Prowlus," she added, slinking to Spyro's side.

After a slow moment of walking, enjoying the scenery, the two dragons saw the cheetah village come into view. Spyro remembered that it had once been damaged in an attack by Grublins, but now it appeared to be back to its full glory. It was a very simple village, consisting only of small huts and shelters surrounded by a short wooden wall. Spyro was reminded of Thasos' village, although, admittedly theirs had been rather more ramshackle than the cheetah village.

A few tall cats could be seen wandering through the village, others sitting together in the centre in a conversational circle. Spyro craned his head to look over the wall, but caught no sign of Chief Prowlus. Shrugging, he and Cynder made their way up the short slope to the village.

"Spyro, Cynder!" called a voice suddenly.

Spyro paused, looking around for the speaker. He was sure that voice was familiar but couldn't place whom exactly it belonged to. His eyes fell at last on an orange-furred cheetah at the far end of the village, waving at him and Cynder. The cheetah stood up and made his way slowly towards them. As he got closer, Spyro suddenly recognised him.

"Meadow!" he cried, laughing, and ran towards his old friend. "It's good to see you!"

"It's good to see you, too," Meadow agreed, leaning on his bow, "both of you. How have you been and what brings you back here?"

"We're just taking a break from the city," Cynder explained, "and decided we'd like to visit the Valley again. It's wonderful to see this place again, it's just as beautiful as I remember it."

Spyro nodded in agreement, casting his gaze around the small cheetah village, "I see you've rebuilt your homes. Prowlus must be pleased."

"Yes," Meadow nodded, "It was the first thing Chief Prowlus had us do after the end of the war. Our homes are as good as new, although we should thank you for helping protect them back during that Grublin attack. And also, thank you for saving me from those beasts. I am eternally grateful to both of you."

Pleased by the praise, Spyro and Cynder grinned at each other.

"Hey, what about me?" Sparx asked irritably. "Who was the one who stole that key, huh? Those two dragons couldn't have saved you without my help!"

Meadow chuckled, reaching out to allow Sparx to settle on his paw, "Of course, little dragonfly, I should thank you too."

The reunion was interrupted, however, by the arrival of the chief. Prowlus approached from behind, three of his clan following behind with a large deer slung over their shoulders. He looked over the two dragons with a disapproving eye and instead addressed Meadow.

"Meadow, what are they doing here?" Prowlus asked, gruffly.

Meadow folded his arms, a challenging look in his eye, "They came to visit us and they are our guests. So we should treat them as guests, don't you agree? There is much to be thankful to them for."

Prowlus hesitated, his eyes still full of distrust, but at last he shook that feeling aside and gazed down at the apprehensive faces of the two dragons. Their eyes stared stonily back at him, waiting with hesitation for him to kick them out of his village. But his face softened somewhat and he shook his head.

"Very well," he murmured, much to their surprise, "I suppose I, like the whole world, has the two of you to thank for our lives. You may stay, as guests."

Cynder looked stunned, but Spyro smiled gratefully at the cheetah chief, "Thank you, chief Prowlus. We'll try not to be too much trouble."

Prowlus stared him down for a moment before giving a short, stiff nod and turned back to his tribe. Sparx swiped his hand across his forehead in relief, leaning on Meadow's shoulder lazily. The cats had laid the large deer they'd caught on the ground and were currently stringing its legs together to hang it over the fire. Prowlus beckoned to the young dragons.

"Come," he called, "as you are our guests, I am obliged to ask you to share our meal. You must be hungry after the flight from Warfang."

"Thank you, Prowlus," Cynder and Spyro said together, cheered by the Chief's change in demeanour.

Together, the two dragons joined the cheetah tribe in their meal, leaving Sparx to feast on the small butterflies that flickered backwards and forwards in the Valley. It was good to be back amongst nature, where their only roof was the canopy of the trees and the vast, never-ending blanket of sky.


As Hunter predicted, it was afternoon before he returned to the Valley of Avalar. Upon approaching the cheetah village, he was greeted by many cheerful cats who had waited for his return. Spyro and Cynder, though, were nowhere to be seen. Hunter approached Chief Prowlus, after bidding his fellow cheetahs a cheerful hello, and waved merrily at Meadow. The Chief nodded approvingly at Hunter, whom he had always considered to be his best warrior, if it wasn't for his occasional rash decisions.

"Hunter, I see you have finally decided to return," Prowlus noted, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Yes, I decided it would be best to return to my home village," Hunter shrugged, "but tell me, did Spyro and Cynder drop by earlier today?"

"They did," Prowlus confirmed. "Was it you who sent them?"

"Yes," Hunter grinned, "and no. It was their idea, I just suggested a place to stay. I hope you were accommodating."

Prowlus merely grunted and moved on to join another group of cats as Meadow approached. The darker-furred cheetah clapped Hunter on the back, good-naturedly.

"He was," Meadow supplied Hunter with his answer, "after a bit of coaxing, that is."

"That's good," Hunter watched his chief for a moment. "I was hoping he wouldn't cause too much of a commotion at seeing those two in the village again. Where are they, do you know?"

"Spyro and Cynder?" Meadow waved vaguely at the Valley beyond the walls of their village. "They went out together to find some time to themselves. Ah, to be young and in love… The little dragonfly stayed behind, though. There he is."

Hunter turned in the direction Meadow was pointing and saw that Sparx was indeed hovering in the centre of the village with a group of cats surrounding him. It was likely he was telling a highly-fabricated version of Spyro's travels, in which he, Sparx, always saved the day. Hunter could barely suppress a grin.

"Perhaps we should go join them," he suggested to Meadow, "I'd like to hear what Sparx has to say."

"If you say so, Hunter," Meadow chuckled, "if you say so."

And that was just what the two cheetahs did.


As evening fell, the setting sun turned the waters of the waterfall molten gold. Spyro landed at the very top of the highest waterfall he could find and let his gaze wander over the whole valley that was laid out before him. From the lush green grasses, tinted orange by the setting sun, to the rugged mountain faces that appeared to be forged from gold, everything was beautiful. But, Spyro's eyes turned instead to the dragoness standing beside him. Nature's beauty couldn't even hope to measure up to her.

Like gems, her black scales glimmered, reflecting the orange light of the sunset and dazzling his eyes. The red scales of her chest were as vibrant, if not more so, than the charming pink flowers that dotted areas of the valley. And her eyes, Spyro couldn't even begin to describe her eyes. Like jewels, they were, perfect emeralds. She couldn't be any more perfect, not in his eyes.

Cynder felt Spyro's eyes on her and looked at him, but he quickly looked away as though he hadn't been staring at all. Sighing, Cynder found herself wishing she could say those three words again, those three words that seemed unable to ever leave her tongue for a second time. But although it was a perfect moment, where everything was silent and only the setting sun was watching, she found herself unable to say it.

A mischievous smile spread across her muzzle and she stealthily snuck closer to him. Before he could make a move, she hissed quietly in his ear, "you're it!" and licked his cheek with a quick flick of her tongue.

Spyro flinched, startled by the sudden movement, but instantly chased after her as she dove from the top of the waterfall. He snapped his wings shut and rocketed down towards her, determined to catch her, but was startled when she suddenly pulled up and zoomed away from him. Spreading his wings, he strained to pull up and zipped after her as fast as he could fly.

"That was cheating, Cynder!" the purple dragon yelled, grinning. "I wasn't ready!"

Her voice was carried to him on the wind as she yelled back, "There's no rules in tag! You're just too slow!"

"Oh yeah?" Spyro muttered to himself, smirking.

Straining his wings, Spyro slowly gathered speed, catching up to the elusive black dragoness. She swirled and twisted in front of him, teasing him as she easily outflew him with the help of her wind element. As the last of the sun's rays faded to darkness, the moons became their only source of light. But neither of them stopped. Cynder banked to the right, swerving around a jutting face of rock, and was lost in the shadows of the trees. Spyro shot after her, straining his eyes to see in the darkness and almost collided headfirst with a tree trunk.

Swerving quickly, Spyro was forced to turn an awkward pirouette to avoid the tree and skidded to a halt on the ground, sending both dirt and grass flying. He picked himself up with a groan and heard a giggle come from above him. Craning his head upwards, Spyro saw Cynder outlined against the moons, perched on the top of a large, jutting rock. She giggled again, her eyes flashing in the moonlight and for a moment he was struck dumb by her beauty. But suddenly she winged away and he instantly leapt into the air after her.

Turning circles and swerves in the night sky, the two dragons chased one another through the valley, swooping around cliff faces and through walls of falling water. Spyro laughed as the fresh air filled his lungs and the water droplets from the waterfall cooled his purple scales. He had never felt so free and so exhilarated. He watched the figure of Cynder, her curves highlighted by the moons, as she soared gracefully through the night sky. She turned her eyes back to him and flew, enticingly, away from him.

Spyro followed eagerly, silently winging his way higher into the sky until he was far above her level. He saw her pause, looking around in confusion, wondering where he had gone. Taking his chance, Spyro dove down on top of her and wrapped his paws around her chest. She squealed as he propelled them both down towards the river.

A great splash rose above the water as both Spyro and Cynder crashed into the river from above. Cynder shut her eyes tight as she was submersed in water and panic almost surfaced in her chest. But her paws found the bottom of the river and she pushed against it with all her might. She and Spyro were sent rocketing upwards and out of the river to land sprawled on the bank, soaking wet and coughing up the water they had swallowed. The black dragoness glared at her companion.

"What did you do that for?" she asked, shaking water off her scales.

Spyro grinned sheepishly and coughed again, spitting water out. "Oops."

Cynder rolled her eyes and stood up, shaking her tail dry. Spyro stood up slowly, water cascading down his scales, illuminated by the silver light of the moons. Cynder froze as she gazed at him, thoughts entering her head that made her blush, but unable to tear her eyes away from his moonlit form. He tossed his head, sending water droplets flying like tiny crystals, and turned to grin roguishly at her. The black dragoness felt her heart begin to beat faster and she was glad that the darkness and her black scales hid her blush.

Spyro noticed the way she was staring at him and suddenly felt both self-conscious and pleased. Her wide emerald eyes seemed to sparkle in the moonlight and he edged closer to her, hesitantly.

"Did I…hurt you?" he asked gently, concerned.

But she shook her head, flustered, "N-No! I just got wet, that's all."

Spyro grinned, "But you have to admit it was fun!"

Cynder glared at him, but there was a smile on her muzzle, "It was not, you buffoon! You could have drowned me!"

Spyro laughed as she pushed him over and rolled over onto the darkened grass, pulling her down with him. She squealed as he pulled her over onto the wet grass, giggling as she attempted to gain the advantage. After a short scuffle Cynder managed to pin the purple dragon down, resting on his chest as she gazed down at his brilliant, lilac eyes. Spyro gazed up at her, breathing heavily and grinning. Her smile softened. The grass was wet and stuck to his back, but Spyro found he didn't mind it at all. His eyes fixed on Cynder's and he realised at last something he had been debating on. He was sure now, after having spent so long with her and realising that he didn't want to be in anyone else's company but hers. He was sure now that he loved her.

"Cynder…" Spyro murmured, softly, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.

"What is it?" she asked, enjoying the feeling of his heart beating against her chest.

"I…" Spyro gulped and felt the words stick in his throat.

Cynder stared down at him, waiting for him to speak. But he seemed to have lost his voice. Her heart beating faster, Cynder wondered if this was the moment she had been waiting for.

"I…" he tried again, but again the words evaded him, "I…"

Spyro felt his spirits fall as he realise he wasn't going to be able to say it. Why? Just why was it that he was unable to say those tiny words? He wanted to, oh how much he wanted to. Cynder's emerald eyes stared into his, waiting for him to finish, filled with a sort of desperate longing. But Spyro just couldn't find a way to say it to her.

"I…really like spending time with you," he finished lamely.

Cynder's spirits sank and she averted her eyes, suppressing a disappointed sigh.

"I like spending time with you, too, Spyro," she whispered, but didn't meet his eyes.

'More than you know,' Cynder added in her mind.

Spyro saw the disappointment in her eyes and felt his heart ache in shame. But the words just wouldn't come out, no matter how much he tried, how much he wanted to say it. Sighing, Spyro craned his head upwards to nuzzle Cynder's neck and she purred, satisfied at the contact. After a moment, the black dragoness shifted off him and allowed him to get up. Spyro averted his eyes, out of shame and disappointment more than anything.

"We…we should head back," he suggested, "It's dark."

"Yeah," Cynder agreed, the disappointment still evident in her voice.

Together, the two dragons headed back towards the cheetah village for the night. Their thoughts were filled with each other, but somehow neither seemed able to admit it. Spyro heaved a sigh as he wandered beside the black dragoness he cared for so much. There had to be a way, he thought, to say those words to her. But for the moment he could only repeat them over and over in his mind, wishing that somehow she would hear it.

'I love you, Cynder.'

A/N: Gah, too long! A bit of a filler chapter, but I hope you enjoyed nonetheless. I can't believe I've written so much already, and I feel like I've barely even started. I quite enjoy writing this, so expect quick updates. Thanks for reading. And thanks for any and all reviews! ^.^