M

"Where… where am I…?" Lumiere groaned as he opened his eyes.

"You are safe," said a voice.

"Who are you?" Lumiere asked.

The voice was silent for a moment before saying, "Many call me the Chronicler, but my friends call me Ignitus."

"Ignitus?" Lumiere asked; he had heard stories, theories as to the old Guardian's whereabouts, if he was alive, etcetera, but to actually speak to Pyra's predecessor and brother….

Ignitus chuckled as the landscape began to reveal itself. Lumiere's vision began to clear up, and revealed a cave lined with bookshelves filled with books upon books of the like. He didn't know what the books were for, but he figured that if the Chronicler was at all as wise as Spyro said he was, then he would have to have all these books. Lumiere looked to see that his forepaw wasn't at all bent and that his scales weren't covered in the many cuts and bruises that he had acquired over the past two days. He stood up and walked around for a few seconds until he was interrupted by a voice from behind him.

"Going somewhere, young child?"

Lumiere spun around and came face-to-face with a white dragon, like himself, though some of his scales were tinged blue, and he had a dark blue cape with a satchel on his side, a book already in his hands. As soon as Lumiere turned around, the Chronicler closed his book and let it float back to a shelf.

"Why do you think you're here?" the Chronicler asked.

"I… uh… I'm not sure," Lumiere admitted.

Ignitus chuckled and said, "Good; you have some humility. But you should still guess."

"Um… to warn me about something…?"

"Good guess… and completely spot-on," Ignitus replied.

"Really?" Lumiere asked with furrowed eyebrows, before sighing and saying, "I knew this wasn't good…."

"Indeed, child; I know not the extent of your predicament, so I cannot warn you to be prepared for any one threat. I have seen not seen the future… but many futures, with multiple dangers and risks you must face."

"Wait… do you know anything about my past?" Lumiere asked, looking up to the ex-Guardian expectantly.

Ignitus sighed and said, "Lumiere."

A book flew into his hands as he stood up on his hind legs; it was made of what looked like white leather with a red spine, as well as golden lettering on the side in the same ancient language in the room, though unlike under the picture of the wyvern, he couldn't understand that portion. Ignitus opened the book, but furrowed his brow as he flipped back through the book.

"Funny…" he muttered.

"What?" Lumiere asked.

"All of the pages prior to your waking outside of the Dragon Temple in Warfang are… completely blank; nothing but parchment." Ignitus, with a sigh, closed the book. "I know not why your book is blank; clearly it is not just merely amnesia. This has a bigger meaning; you didn't just show up in Warfang without reason. It's… as if the Ancestors wanted you there for some reason. I'm sorry, Lumiere, but I can't tell you anything about your past without the pages to your book."

Lumiere sighed in defeat; this had been one of his best chances at finding out more about himself, but Fate was deciding to play some kind of cruel joke on him and hold it just beyond his reach.

"Young one, you must wake soon; I am only here to warn you about the coming dangers you might face… and to give you this."

Ignitus held out his hand as the book flew away, and what Lumiere saw astonished him; sitting in Ignitus's paw was a pattern made out of white crystals… and it was a pattern he recognized, for he wore it on his neck.

"It is to help you embrace the light, as your Ancestors once did."

"Do you know who my Ancestors are?" Lumiere asked.

Ignitus sighed and said, "I do not. But it is not my place to answer that question; you must find the answer for yourself."

Lumiere nodded and said, "Well, it was nice meeting you…."

"Likewise, young one," Ignitus replied warmly, and just for a minute, Lumiere could've sworn his scales turned red and gold for a split second, but it disappeared just as quick. "Go now, Lumiere, and follow the path you were meant to follow."

Lumiere nodded and said, "I won't let you down… Uncle."

Ignitus chuckled deeply and said, "I should hope not, young one; failure doesn't run in our family, my child."

Lumiere chuckled as well, and he felt the cave fading away as he was brought back to the land of consciousness.

M

"Lumiere! Lumiere, wake up!" called a voice.

"Mrgh… wha… what…?" Lumiere groaned, opening his eyes.

"Oh, he lives!" teased the voice.

Lumiere only groaned again and closed his eyes, trying to cuddle closer to Jinx… only to find she wasn't there.

"C'mon, lazy bones; I won't have my mate sleeping the day away like a bum," he heard Jinx say.

Lumiere opened his eyes again to meet Jinx's scarlet eyes, and saw that she was already wide awake and standing, ready to go.

"M-mate?" Lumiere stuttered in his tired haze, accidentally shifting his right paw. He hissed at the pain that shot up his arm and winced suddenly.

"You good to walk today?" Jinx asked him with worry evident in her eyes and tone. "Or do you want me to carry you again?"

"No, I think I'm good to walk; I could use a little help getting up, though…."

Jinx nodded and helped him up to his feet. Lumiere thanked her with a kiss to the cheek, to which the fear dragon only smiled lightly at. Lumiere smiled right back before looking to see that everyone had returned to the room sometime last night, and were all getting ready to set off again.

"Finally," Spyro huffed, looking at the two.

"What?" Lumiere asked.

Spyro smiled slyly and said, "It's about time you woke up."

Lumiere arched an eyebrow at the random statement, but he realized everyone was looking at him and Jinx with the same sly smile that Spyro wore, and he blushed lightly at the hidden meaning; essentially, Spyro was saying it was about time he got together with Jinx. Lumiere sighed and shook his head, but soon lifted it and hid his blush.

"Glad to see you didn't just leave me behind," he said, limping and now trying to remember which way to go.

"Well, of course we wouldn't leave you behind," Ember said. "We stick together, no matter what."

Lumiere smiled lightly at her encouraging words, but was also trying to reach the same state he had been in yesterday wandering the halls, trying to reenter his vision. It took a couple seconds, but he finally did so and received the directions.

"Alright, Operation Get-the-hell-out-of-this-maze is a go," Lumiere muttered quietly, drawing chuckles from everyone there.

Lumiere's eyes started to glow slightly like yesterday, but he realized something; all paths were now completely dark. He let out a little wisp of fire to the nearest torch, but only that one lit with white fire.

'Screw it,' Lumiere mumbled inwardly. "Hey, can someone carry that torch?" he asked.

"Sure," Cyclone replied, walking past Lumiere and grabbing the torch in one forepaw.

Toxia smiled at this as he walked back to her side, now having to walk awkwardly because of the torch in his left forepaw. And with that, they set off once again into the Dark Catacombs, following Lumiere and Cyclone, the Guide and Light.

M

"Does your book have anything to do with the Dark Catacombs?!" Pyra franticly asked a mole storekeeper back in Warfang.

"U-uh… y-y-yes it does! E-e-everything of the like!" the mole stuttered, squeaking out of fear.

"Please! I need it! My son and daughter a stuck down there! Please! Give me your damn book! I'll do anything!"

While Pyra raged at the storekeeper, the three other Guardians stood back and watched with eyes of not only fear, but pity; to see the proud Guardian of Fire, the current Head Guardian, reduced to a begging female broke their hearts, and when she said "I'll do anything," Volteer almost let out a sob, instead turning his head away from the sorrowful scene.

Cyril turned to him and asked, "Volteer, do you not have anything to say to her?"

Since the company of young dragons got dropped into the Catacombs, Volteer had been very silent, and when he did speak, he never spoke in big, complicated words like the walking thesaurus he was, instead keeping his sentences simple and to the point with a downcast and melancholy tone. Such was this case.

"There is nothing anyone can say or do to calm her," Volteer replied simply, forcefully keeping his tears in.

Terrador sighed and said, "Volteer, you must say something to her; you are the only one here she'd listen to."

"No… nothing is as important to her as her children," Volteer stated, choking on his words.

"Can you not offer her food, a drink, comfort, anything?" Cyril asked, feeling sorry for his fellow Guardians.

Cyril and Terrador both knew that Volteer had a thing for Pyra ever since they were all but children two hundred years ago, and even comforted him when she took on a mate. When he left, however, Volteer took his opening and wriggled into the female's life, slowly but surely becoming more than a friend. Volteer needed only to ask the question, and they would be together for life. But seeing her like this brought him back to his previous depressive state, where he would barely say anything unless he needed to, and where he would do nothing but sit there in his own thoughts; had no one been there, Cyril and Terrador dared to think that the Lightning Guardian would break down into tears at seeing the state of his desired mate.

"We can't do anything but wait out the storm," Volteer said in response to Cyril's question. He sniffled once and said, "Excuse me…."

Cyril and Terrador watched as Volteer trudged back down the street in the direction of his house, before turning back to Pyra only to see her holding the book she wanted close to her chest. But she took one look at the others and narrowed her eyes.

"Where's Volteer?" she asked with a dangerous edge in her voice. "I swear by my Ancestors' and brother's name, if the sniveling little snipe snuck off…."

"Pyra," Terrador tried gently, surprisingly gaining the female's attention. "Pyra, calm yourself; this isn't you, and you know it. We know you're hurting -"

"YOU DON'T HAVE A DAMN CLUE WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH!!" Pyra roared at him.

Terrador looked at her with fearful eyes, but backed off and nodded, closing his eyes in apology and sadness.

"Now where. Is. Volteer?" Pyra asked in a shaky voice.

"Here," Volteer responded.

All three Guardians turned to see their fourth counterpart standing there with streaks running down his face, all leading back to his depressed, bloodshot eyes.

"Where did you go?" Pyra growled at him.

Volteer sniffled, but bit back the tears and a sob by saying, "I was just checking any other stores… in case you didn't get your book… I'm sorry if I worried you…." Volteer looked away from her piercing orange eyes and closed his own so the others wouldn't see the tears welling up in them.

"And what makes you think I wouldn't have gotten it? Are you unconfident in me?" Pyra asked, her voice like a sword's edge.

Volteer didn't respond, though only to avoid the sobs from escaping along with his voice. However, he did let a couple tears slip out from under his eyelids.

Pyra huffed in annoyance and asked, "Volteer, why are you crying?"

Volteer opened his eyes only to look into hers, but he looked away a moment later.

"Volteer," Pyra demanded.

Still, Volteer gave no reply to keep the sobs in.

"Volteer!" Pyra demanded, only louder. She gave a sigh a moment later and said, "Fine, if you don't want to answer to me, maybe you're not worth our time. Go back home and rest to your heart's content."

"No!" Volteer finally sobbed.

Pyra wheeled around and roared, "Excuse me?!"

"Pyra, your son and daughter aren't the only ones down there!" Volteer explained, now letting the tears run free. "My niece is among them as well! I couldn't bear it if anything happened to her! Especially if I wasn't there to help…."

At that point, Volteer gave up on looking strong and collapsed at the Fire Guardian's feet, basically bowing to her and pledging his everlasting allegiance to her, allowing sobs to rack his frame and the tears to hit the streets as bystanders gathered around.

Cyril and Terrador looked around at the growing crowd and cursed under their breaths.

"Folks, carry on your daily activities; nothing to see here!" Cyril shouted in as natural of a voice as he could manage.

There was a gentle murmur throughout the crowd, but they eventually dispersed, leaving only the four Guardians in the street. Volteer couldn't bring himself to look at Pyra while he showed weakness; he didn't want her to laugh or call him weak as many others had in his younger years, his over-eccentric behavior being a testament to the torment of other kids at school. He had eventually learned to ignore all of them and even proved them all wrong by becoming a Guardian, but if the one he regards the highest calls him such… there would be no return; he'd fall into such a depressive state, that he would most likely, morbid and sorrowful as it sounds, kill himself to stop the emotional pain.

"Volteer," Pyra said in an unreadable tone.

Volteer looked up at the Fire Guardian, thinking, 'This is it; I didn't even choose an heir….'

"Volteer, I'm… I'm sorry…."

Volteer's eyes widened as he saw Pyra release a few more tears on the ground under her with her head low. This time, it was her gaze that was on the ground shamefully. Volteer was shocked that this was the kind of reaction Pyra would give; he had expected to be berated and made fun of by one of his oldest friends, not to be apologized to.

"I… I was being selfish… I forgot your niece was down there too…."

Pyra had lost count of how many times she had broken down into tears in the past three days, but this time was different; instead of being tears of longing for her children and family, these tears were tears of guilt; she had never meant to lose control of her emotions, the one and only thing she swore to never do as a Guardian, especially since she hurt Volteer and probably alienated the other two Guardians.

"No…" Volteer spoke up, making Pyra look at him with tears in her eyes, "no, you had every right to be selfish; I couldn't imagine the torment you're going through."

Pyra smiled through her tears, as did Volteer; seeing her smile put a smile on his face, and likewise, seeing her cry brought him to tears.

"Thank you, Volteer… I don't know what I would do without you…."

Volteer's smile widened at these words, and he felt himself blush from afar, but he didn't register that, only the relief and somewhat-joy of having Pyra as a friend.

Volteer padded over to Pyra and gently wiped her tears from her face. Pyra leaned into his touch and unconsciously purred at the male's soft forepaw, before Volteer delicately took her muzzle in his hand to look into her stunning sunset-orange gaze. He closed his own eyes, and they touched their foreheads to each other in comfort. By now, both Terrador and Cyril had given the two Guardians their space and gotten ready for a sudden take-off.

Volteer pulled away and once again looked Pyra in the eyes and said, "Now let's go find your children."

M

Thanks for reading, and have a good day/night!