OK...there were a few gaps in the last chapter, so I filled them in here. As for that feel good chapter that I usually have at the end.. well I guess I have another installment to produce.
Don't worry, I can handle it.
I hope you've enjoyed this story as much as I have imagining it up for you.
Chapter 25 Proposals
After healing the Fire Guardian, nobody questioned Scythe's character, though they did stare, like most would do towards Cynder. However, unlike his terrified younger sister, Scythe boldly took charge of the moment he was exposed to the world.
He pointed a sharp talon at two injured whelplings, putting the attention on them, and simply said...
"I will show you what this world can learn from listening to my sister."
Now, intently staring at Scythe's translucent paws, the Guardians of Avalar, as well as the entire population of Warfang, remain in awe as this large, but gentle, dragon works a new type of magic before their eyes.
"Well, that was remarkably simple." Onyx, the Shadow Guardian, and oldest of the Order of Eight, says with a bit of shame in his voice, as the brother of Cynder draws his paw from the arm of a young whelpling. He holds out the shard of steel that has hindered this youngster's ability to walk properly, since being struck by an arrow last year.
"You know, the healers have tried helping this poor child for months, and you took all of fifteen seconds to end his pain." Storm adds with the same anguish in her voice, truly feeling horrible that this child has limped around Warfang in agony for some time.
"How did you do this?" Kelvin asks, his voice still sending chills down his little brother's spine, as his words emerge articulately.
Scythe gives a big smile to the young whelpling, who shows great relief the moment this tiny foreign object is removed. However, since he is only half way done with this procedure, the black dragon holds the child where he is for a moment longer and continues his demonstration.
"I'm not done yet...Joseph, I think you said your name is..." He gently lowers the child back to a seated position on the rim of the North Square fountain. "...please stay still for a moment longer."
Even as nervous as he is, this seven year old stays put, waiting to see if this large dragon can produce the total comfort he had said he could.
"Yes sir..." He replies with a smile, then shows his gratitude by asking Scythe to call him by a name only his friends use. "...and please, just call me Joey."
Scythe uses the paw he helped relieve a great deal of pain with to rub the youngster's head gently. He then turns his attention back to the Guardians, as well as all of Warfang itself, whom he asked to witness this new power.
"All dragons have an inherent ability to heal one another, by passing a portion of their own stamina or magic power through contact." he says, getting a nod from everyone who knows this simple ability, as well as the little drake he is healing. At this moment, Scythe's entire arm slowly fades away, and like it did moments earlier when he removed the splinter of metal, the Shadowy paw penetrates the youngster's scared scales.
"Now, having the ability a Shadow dragon possesses, I'm able to focus this power inside someone's body, healing the damage with pinpoint accuracy."
Kelvin raises a paw to his throat, rubbing the spot where the Terror of the Sky's blade had left a deep scar. And now, nothing remains.
"Well...it's an odd feeling...I can tell you."
"And it's cold!" Joey remarks, his breath suddenly condensing into a frosty mist.
Scythe takes the young dragon's damaged forearm in his other paw and stretches it out slowly. This produces a yelp of pain, as the boy stretches out muscles that have not moved in months, making everyone who can hear him uncomfortable. But after only a second, a smile returns to the young dragon's face, as this year-long cramped muscle finally relaxes.
Scythe then removes his paw from the youngster's wound, and with a wink of his eye. "You're all set, my young friend." he remarks, but he didn't need to say a word.
"YOU DID IT!" Joseph cries out with great joy, as the pain he has felt for a good portion of his memorable life fades away completely. The whelpling places this paw down, putting actual weight on it for the first time in a year, and he suddenly begins to cry.
He looks up at Scythe, his lower lip quivering as his emotions overrun him.
"How can I thank you for this?"
Scythe lowers his head down, getting tearful eye to tearful eye with him.
"I learned this skill from from my sister, Cynder. So if you want someone to thank...you need to talk to her."
The young dragon nods his head up and down convincingly and his smile only increases in size.
"I will!" he declares, leaping down from the fountain rim, and getting a rousing ovation from the crowded square as he hits the ground without a whimper.
The place only gets louder as Joey immediately does two things he hasn't been able to do in a year. The first is his full speed run across the Square. The second, and most important to Joseph, is when he gets to his mother, whom he finally get to hug with both arms.
As the crowd enjoys the emotion of a young whelp, getting a new lease on his life, Scythe turns his attention to the other child he pointed out. Who, because of her injury, has only heard the joy around her.
He does not wait for the crowd to quiet down, or for the blinded dragoness to be placed on the rim of the fountain by her mother. He simply cups the small blue dragon's jaw and cheek with a big black paw.
"Remain calm." he says softly, as she shudders for a second, but only cause his touch is cold and unexpected.
"I am calm..." the young dragoness begins to say when her perspective suddenly changes. The whelpling can feel his talons entering the side of her skull, and a cold sensation which encompasses the eyes that were rendered useless by a large explosion.
"By the ancestors..." she whispers with an unexpected sight, seeing shadows and light fill the darkness that has been the life she remembers.
"MOMMY!" the youngster yelps with both fear and joy in her voice, as the entire world suddenly comes into focus.
It scares her for a moment, seeing how big everything is, however, all that fear fades as her mother turns around to witness the powerful magic that is taking place. The young dragoness then loses control of her emotions, as she looks directly into her mom's hazel eyes for the first time...and she smiles.
"I can see you."
The startled mother quickly grasps her daughter in her arms, lifting her up in the air, and cries with joy as her eyes stay locked on hers.
"I don't understand...why would you do this for my child?" she remarks with confusion, looking upon Scythe with a grateful gaze, but also pain, as she heard him say where he learned this special ability.
"I have been nothing but rude and indignant to Cynder since she returned. Why would you help us?"
The large black dragon struggles to keep his emotions in check, knowing how this family has blamed Cynder for the crimes committed by her alter ego, which included the blinding of their daughter.
"My sister has told me she's been trying to make things right, specifically with your daughter, but no one will let her." Scythe says, placing a paw upon the young whelpling's head, and brushing away a tear that runs down her cheek.
"I only hope the gratitude that I am receiving now, can be given to Cynder."
The young mother looks down at her daughter, who once again locks eyes with her.
"We will make sure she knows...we promise. Right baby?"
With just a quick nod of her head, the answer is given.
The young mother then places her daughter's paws down on the cobblestone surface of the North Square, and for the first time ever, follows her little girl as she starts walking towards the center of town.
"Come on mommy!" the young whelp's voice barks with eagerness, as only one thought has crossed her mind upon seeing the world. Her paws move her faster then she's ever gone before, no longer fearing an unexpected impact from an unseen impediment in her path. But mostly, it is so she can see something she has wanted to witness ever since she first walked through the aromatic Garden of Warfang with her mother.
"We can give Cynder some flowers when she gets back!"
The crowded square, once overrun with joy in witnessing a young boy hug his mother for the first time in a year, now stand in udder disbelief, as a formally blind child leads her mother away.
Meanwhile, as Scythe continues a demonstration of his sister's power, another new comer to the city asks to prove his own worth. And though he dwarfs them in size, the large stone drake makes sure he addresses the master builders of the city with great respect.
However, he is unable to convince the four Manwersmalls of the necessity.
"What do you mean the gate is too small?" the master mason argues, as Kooresh begins critiquing the North Wall and the only passage from the city into the mountains.
"I cannot fit through the gate when casually walking, like every other citizen of Warfang." the colossus folds his wings tightly to his sides and crouches down to extenuate how difficult it would be for him to enter or exit his new home.
"So if I am to be a resident of this city, as your Guardians have offered, I would appreciate the ability to come and go without crawling on my stomach."
The head engineer of the tiny group looks at the wall, then at Kooresh, and then again at the wall.
"Just go over it!"
Kooresh rolls his eyes, then looks towards the large quarry of granite that feeds the rebuilding of Warfang, where he was asked to help work.
"Even I cannot get over this wall while carrying tons of rock on my back..."
"Do you realize how solid this damn thing is!?" the master mason grumbles, pointing at individual stones, he and his group painstakingly affixed with precision.
"Spyro and Terrador, themselves, took a week to yank one thousand four hundred and fifty three perfect cubes of stone from that quarry, which were placed with the impeccable skills of several master Earth dragons and twenty craftsmoles. So...It is impossible for anyone to remove this structure."
Kooresh looks at the wall, then at the tiny mole like creature, and then back to the wall. He reaches out a single paw, and with very little effort, removes a block of stone...like a Jenga piece.
"This wall is not as solid as you think..." he says with a great deal of sarcasm, juggling the nearly one ton brick in his palm, before placing it neatly at their feet.
"...because it is not one piece."
The group begins babbling among themselves, discussing the impossible action they just witnessed, however, they are stunned silent as Kooresh hits them with another critique of their work.
"And because someone could attack from mountainside, this particular gate should be much taller."
"Are you kidding!? It's seventy five feet straight up to the rampart tower, nothing that cannot fly will reach!" another annoyed Manweresmall barks, but he quiets his bickering upon watching Kooresh raise up on his hind legs, towering even higher over the tiny creatures then he did before.
All four hear the cannon ripped from its position on the top of the gate and they become even more silent. The group stare in stunned disbelief as the large dragon places the rampart weapon down on the ground at their feet by the slab of granite he took down first.
"You were saying!?"
After a few 'Ahhs' and 'umms' the master mason looks up at the large dragon with a gaze of curiosity.
"What do you propose, Sir?"
Kooresh taps the ground with his right paw and all four feel the shaking earth under them. As every nearly blind Manweresmalls does, the small creatures sense the density of the rock with their sonar-like touch.
"Do you feel that solid chunk of rock directly under our feet?" He asks, and without thinking, all four simply nod their heads.
Then of course they think about it.
"ARE YOU NUTS!? YOU CAN'T LIFT TITAN'S ROCK!" the master mason barks out, feeling the massive slab of stone that Manweresmalls have burrowed around for centuries.
"It would take years just to excavate that thing...and to make matters worse, that slab of rock is not granite, it's marble. It is too dense and heavy to move, let alone lift as one piece."
Kooresh grins, then smacks the ground again, much harder. This brings a new feeling of surprise as all four feel the entire stone move about an inch.
"That's impossible!" one Manweresmall remarks with stunned disbelief, however, the master mason shows a great big smile on his face.
"No...That's incredible."
As blind as he is, the tiny creature can see the value of having this giant dragon as a friend, or even better...a mentor. His entire attitude changes in an instant, and quickly, the mason bows to a new teacher of geology.
"Is there anything I can do to help...Master."
The colossal Earth dragon is stunned, but simply gives a little grin.
"Make sure no one is under this section of the city as I raise that slab of rock, or they could be hurt by a cave in."
Kooresh then lowers his head down to the Manweresmall mason, making sure the creature with limited vision can see the stern look in his eyes.
"And my name is Kooresh...I am no one's master."
The old mole-like creature grins and holds up a single little paw.
"You are a master of your craft, Good Sir, and to call you anything different would be an insult to you...as well as myself and my friends here." the small creature remarks, gesturing at the group with over two hundred years of stone working experience.
With no response from the large dragon, the old mole-like creature smiles, then begins digging a hole into the ground. However, after getting only a few feet down, the Manweresmall pops his head back out.
"Now please, don't do anything till I come back...cause I don't want to miss my first lesson...Master."
Kooresh returns the smile and simply nods his head, allowing the old Manweresmall to continue on his way to warn his fellow Earth burrowing citizens of the possible danger above. He then turns to the other three masonry working Manweresmalls, who still stare at him with complete awe, and asks them to give the same warning above ground. They quickly split up, running to three different sections in the North Square, where the entire population of Warfang is still watching Scythe work his magic.
"Take cover! That oversized Earth dragon said he's gonna tare down the North Wall and replace it with Titan's Rock!"
The crowd finally stops staring at the black and red dragon, as Scythe and the Guardians immediately turn their attention from healing youngsters to the northern wall.
"He's gonna do what!?"
Within five minutes, the entire group that had been standing in the North Square, moved to the wall. And just as fast, their attentions, and their amazement, were taken by a new display of power, a physical one.
The Colossus watches intently himself, as the entire population of Warfang begins surrounding the northern wall, jockeying for the best vantage point to view another demonstration of the impossible.
Kooresh begins by removing several large stones from the top, using just his strength, however, with a specific Manweresmall still missing, the large dragon waits for his cue, which finally comes from below.
"The coast is clear, Kooresh..." a grumbling voice hollers from a newly burrowed hole in the ground, then quickly the old mole climbs up on a outcroping of rock, allowing him to see everything with his sensitive feet. "...now show me how powerful you are."
With precision in his massive paw, the large dragon picks the tiny Manweresmall from his perch.
"Hey! I can't see anything like this!"
"Easy." the colossus says, placing his paw up against the wall, so the old mole can feel the surface with his hands. "...I want you to see the same thing I see."
The old Manweresmall, having no vision at all, not feeling the ground under his feet, takes his time to traverse Kooresh's giant outstretched paw, then places his tiny hand against the wall. The large dragon swings his tail, smacking the structure with a somewhat sturdy impact, opening the eyes of a now annoyed master mason.
"This wall is not as strong as I though." he begrudgingly says, feeling every crack that was exposed by the vibrations Kooresh sent through the stones.
"I'm embarrassed by this."
Kooresh quickly snaps his paw back, flipping the old Manweresmall up into the air, then snatches him out of the sky. He draws him up to his face, again showing the stern look he has in his eyes.
"How can you be my apprentice if you are embarrassed by a structure like this?"
The large dragon replaces his paw to the wall, nearly smothering the tiny creature against the solid granite structure he had been proclaiming his pride for just minutes earlier.
"This undertaking is something to be proud of! " Kooresh barks adamantly, then smashes the wall with his tail again. It sends a stronger wave of vibrations throughout the entire structure, allowing the old Manwersmall to feel every block he and his crew laid out.
"This wall is testament to your race...to build something so impressive, unlimited by your size or sight." Kooresh returns the mole-like creature to a cupped palm, holding him before his eyes, and shows him a smile. "It is going to take a great deal of our strength and wisdom to take this down, and I cannot have someone who will second guess himself on my side."
The old Manweresmall shows a genuine grin, hearing pure sincerity in this massive dragon's voice.
"You really need my help?"
Kooresh smiles wider, then returns the small creature to his small perch. He draws back his tail and calls upon the most sarcastic tone he can muster for a two letter word.
"No."
The large dragon, having felt every crack, crevasse and flaw in the entire structure from his first few strikes, now smacks the wall with a fierce tail whip. Several hundred blocks jostle from the impact, exposing the intricate pattern of stone work.
Kooresh quickly opens his mouth and hits the wall again, but this time with a ball of Earth magic. The impact sends several of the stones from their places, weakening the wall even further.
"What are you doing?" The old mason asks, as Kooresh lunges out to catch several of the granite rocks, stopping them before they hit each other on the ground.
"I don't want them to break..." the large dragon remarks, using his tail to halt several more blocks from impacting themselves. "...these stones will be perfect to dress up the face of our new wall."
The old Manweresmall's eyes open wide as he too sees a vision this dragon has begun laying out already.
"Yes! I see it now. We could make a grand entryway with a raised terrace that will allow citizens a spectacular view of the mountains..." he says and Kooresh finishes his thought.
"We can also build a separate entry way to allow easier access into the city for trade merchants and their carts."
The two smile at each other then both look at the wall, which now shows the signs of it's impending collapse. However, being the nice dragon that he is, Kooresh helps it along by once again using his magic, thought, this time he uses a different power.
The sky above Warfang turns a shade of green with the amount of Earth magic he puts out, as Kooresh envelops the entire wall within a net of his awesome power.
Having this magic anchored inside his body, the wall moves along with the colossus as he steps backward, pulling the entire structure down on itself as one big piece. But when it hits the ground, the wall actually breaks into one thousand four hundred and fifty three identical pieces.
"Wow!" the old Manweresmall remarks, as he can feel every single cube of granite laying safely on the ground. He looks up at the large dragon and shakes his head.
"So... you still don't think I should call you Master?"
Kooresh smiles again, and once more draws upon his sarcastic voice before beginning 'the Big Lift'.
"You aint' seen nothing yet."
Nearly an hour had past since Spyro and Cynder touched down in the North Square, and still the place remains crowded, as the inhabitants of Warfang continue showing appreciation to the ones that saved their world.
Albeit, five weeks late.
They primarily surround the black dragoness, as most have already paid their respect to Spyro, and they offer their apologies for being short sighted. However, Cynder doesn't allow them to remain upset at themselves, showing a smile and offering her quick acceptance to each and everyone that says.
"I'm sorry for how I treated you."
"Please, it's not necessary for you to apologize to me." the black dragoness replies, speaking with a young Cheetah warrior who has tried ambushing her several times for killing his father. "I am truly sorry for your loss, and I only wish I could have done something to prevent what happened."
The young warrior looks down at the ground, then back up to the tearful green eyes that show compassion and pain, which he finally understands to be true.
"I know that now, Ma'am." he says, opening an arm out and raising up to hug the dark scaled dragon he once hated with every fiber of his being. He then whispers another apology in her ear for being stubborn and quickly receives her acceptance with a tighter embrace.
"Thank you for not holding any animosity towards me, Ms Cynder..." he begins saying, but suddenly notices a strong shudder in the black dragoness' grasp. He turns and looks in the direction she is staring, quickly noticing the one she has her fear-filled gaze locked upon.
It is the one that scarred her chest. The one that has shown only hatred and rage to the black dragoness. The one that blames Cynder for the death of his love. And the one who has vowed to take her life before his comes to an end.
The anger in his eyes shows he has not had a change of heart, like most, and even surrounded by a large group of new found friends, Cynder suddenly feels uncomfortable.
She turns her head to find Spyro, who shockingly has taken to the air, heading for the center of the city.
"He finally left you alone, My precious little Terror." the gray dragon remarks with a very snide voice, making Cynder shudder harder. She quickly looks for a direction to run, but with several youngsters crowded around her, the black and red chested dragoness realizes she cannot get away without trampling someone.
Cynder can feel the sweat bead up on her forehead, as this gray colored Earth breather squares up directly before her. However, before she can begin begging him for her life, as she has several times to no avail.
"If you want her...then you'll have to go through me, Clayton." the young Cheetah warrior warns, releasing his half embrace on Cynder and showing the knife he has already drawn from his side.
Positioning himself directly between the terrified black dragoness and the large stone breathing monster, the young warrior readies to defend his new friend.
"I will make short work of you, if you don't move, Boy!" the much larger dragon replies, lowering his head down to get eye to eye with the young Cheetah.
A slight smile fills the face of this tiny warrior, who simply reminds the large dragon of who and what he is.
"I am a Cheetah Warrior...and I will fiercely defend any member of my pack with my life!"
"A member of your pack!"
A loud evil-sounding laughter echoes against the cobblestone floor of the North Square, as Clayton cannot control his outburst. He steps forward, knowing the blade this child holds will not penetrate his stone-hard scales.
"If you wish to get hurt by defending this creature, then so be it!" he barks, lunging forward to strike, when suddenly a solid grasp is felt on his tail, forcing Clayton to stop and look behind.
Dozens of Cheetah Warriors now surround him, all with their knives drawn, and all with a look that would cut through stone.
"Chief Hollis!?" the gray drake's voice is filled with shock and fear, seeing the leader from the Northern Village.
"That young warrior told you Cynder is a part of our pack, did he not?"
The question goes unanswered, as Clayton continues counting more and more of the cat-like warriors, who find their way through the crowd to this altercation. Just his gaze is enough to show the Alpha that the large dragon is uninterested in a battle of this magnitude.
"Then I would suggest you move along, Clayton." the adult Cheetah Warrior remarks calmly, but with a deep intensity in his eyes.
Clayton takes a moment, thinking about how badly he would lose a fight against the entire Northern Pack, and simply walks away. He stares hard at Cynder, making her feel more uncomfortable, however, this look is ended by another threat from behind.
"I will warn you just this one time, Clayton. Cynder is off limits." the elder cheetah warns, his voice and eyes still showing how serious he is. "She is now a member of the Northern Pack, and we will defend her with our lives."
The black dragon has a chill shoot down her spine, suddenly feeling uncomfortable in her own body, hearing this many citizens defending her so vehemently. However, she notices another pair of angered eyes, staring at her from across the Square. And though she knows he supports her now, Cynder can see that Brazin is not happy with how she backed down from this confrontation again.
"NO!" The black dragoness' barks, returning a stare towards Clayton that is colder then the one she is receiving from both he and Brazin combined.
"I will not need you to defend me, Chief Hollis..." Cynder continues, stepping from the group of young dragons and cheetahs that have surrounded her for the last hour. She strolls directly up to Clayton, her eyes quickly flashing white to show she is drawing power. "...because I will be defending myself from now on."
Brazin, whom stands with Kooresh and Terrador, admiring the wall that was replaced, just smiles at the black dragoness and continues to observe her finest moment as a citizen of Warfang.
"I am not the one that took her from you...and I am not going to let you keep blaming me for something I had no control of!" Cynder continues, getting face to face with the much larger dragon. She literally forces a bit of a retreat with her fierce gaze, as the gray scaled drake takes a step back.
"I have lost enough time in my life to fear and oppression, and I am not about to let you, or anyone else, keep me from living the rest of my life."
Clayton shows his anger as he is pushed back another step and raises his paw to strike, however, Cynder disappears before his eyes, leaving no target for him to hit. She reappears behind the larger dragon, grasping the paw that Clayton raised and pulling back on it. This completely unbalances the full-sized stone dragon, allowing the smaller Cynder to yank him off his feet. She pulls him down on his back, driving the large dragon's long horns into the pavement, which pins Clyaton in an awkward position.
"You worthless coward!" the gray drake calls out with anger as Cynder simply turns away.
"Don't you leave me like this!" he continues with the pain of his predicament, as his weight begins compressing his wings. Clayton flail his paws wildly to right himself, but is unable to move to either side without hurting himself further, and quickly he begs for assistance.
"Please! Help me! " he yells as his excessive weight begins putting more pressure on his fragile wings.
Brazin smiles wide, seeing the same tactic Spyro's younger brother used on him, and his smile widens further as Cynder returns to Clayton's side.
"I never wanted to hurt you." she says, taking the Earth dragon's weight in her paws, allowing Clayton to maneuver his wings out from under his back, then rest them against his flanks. However, she holds him in a position where the large dragon remains unable to right himself, allowing her to speak to the one who hates her most for the first time without fear.
"But, I was never able to make a choice..." she continues, several tears falling from her eyes as Cynder recalls the moment she killed Clayton's mate. "...and because of that, you will hate me for the rest of your life."
The black dragoness gingerly pulls the gray dragon's horns from the ground, and with a gentle heave, Cynder lumbers Clayton back up on to his paws.
"I want you to know that I don't blame you, nor will I ever blame you, for hating me...I mean, How can I?"
Clayton remains silent, suddenly taking a moment to listen, hearing the innocent voice he's never heard before. Or it could be becasue he noticed Spyro, who now lands directly behind his girlfriend.
Cynder turns to her purple hero and shows him a look of confidence he's never seen before, especially in public. And with a simple grin, she holds Spyro from involvement. The black and red dragoness then returns her attention to Clayton, showing him a stern pair of eyes to finish her statement
"But I cannot, and will not, let you hurt me anymore."
Clayton looks down, feeling that familiar pain of his loss, however, this time, it is slightly different. He can see the evil dragon that killed his love is no more, and a peice of him rejoices. But it does not take all the pain, and he shows this as he returns his tear-filled eyes to Cynder.
He says nothing to her, allowing only his eyes to express all of his emotion and pain, which hurts more than any phisical attack he has made against her. But after just a few seconds, the gray dragon turns away, hoping never to have this confrontation again.
Brazin and Terrador are quickly to his side, helping to console a friend, who has taken his first real steps toward recovery.
At the same time, Spyro is beside Cynder, his paw quickly wrapping around her in support.
"You did it." he whispers softly in her ear, adding a soft kiss to Cynder's cheek, as well as a tighter embrace.
"What did I do?" she asks with pain in her voice, feeling worse than ever as Clayton continues showing strong emotion.
"You proved to him that the last part of that evil dragon, you still though lived inside of you, is gone forever." Spyro replies, turning Cynder around to face him. "You showed him how angry you were, but still had compassion for his feelings."
The dark dragoness goes to lower her head, but Spyro's paw cups her jaw before she can. He raises her chin high and looks deep into her eyes.
"I've never been more proud, or more in love with you, then I am right now." With his free paw, Spyro reaches back to a small satchel he has on his side, and removes the soil-covered pouch he just retrieved from his home.
"So...I cannot think of a better time to ask you this question."
Cynder begins shuddering hard as her hero reveals a ring of blue crystal that looks like the one his mother wares on her paw, and realizes he is going to propose.
Spyro then kneels down before her, his paws shaking as he becomes more and more nervous, hoping he won't pass out. The purple dragon begins going over the words he practiced in his head, but as he looks up and locks eyes with hers his mind goes blank.
"I've spent so many nights wondering what I would say to you, when it came time to profess my love." Spyro stops for a second, noticing the crowded North Square, has now completely surrounded them.
"And now, standing here before you...and all of Warfang...I find myself struggling to speak. Thinking of what I can say to make you understand how much you mean to me."
Cynder, who already struggles to remain up on her nervous feet, almost falls over as Spyro lifts her left front paw from the ground, and slides the ring down her middle talon and onto her finger.
"But I will spend the next hundred years, or more, showing you... Proving to you... Loving you... If you will have me?"
She says nothing, answering the question simply with a strong embrace and an even more powerful kiss.
The black dragoness can feel time slow down, as she holds this moment in her mind forever. And though Cynder's eyes never leave Spyro's, she can see everyone around her, and the joy they all share in this moment.
In fact, everyone in the square begins cheering as Spyro returns to his feet and lifts Cynder off of hers, including a gray scaled dragon, who gives the young couple a smile.
The purple hero takes off to begin his newest and most difficult journey.
Marriage.