CHAPTER 37- CALM BEFORE THE STORM

Spyro and Psy were the first to arrive back at the temple, with an exhausted Austin in tow. He hadn't had to walk that far in a few years...oh, how he missed his wings.

"You...guys...please...tell me...this is it..." He said dragging himself the last few paces.

"Yep, we're here. Lets get inside and tell Hunter before he thinks we're the bad guys." Spyro said walking though the front door of the temple. He pushed open the door, but was stopped immediately.

"Spyro dont take another step!" Hunter yelled to him from the other side of the room.

He pointed down to Spyro's feet and he looked. His ankle was about an inch away from a thread running across the floor, attached to a crossbow, aimed straight at his forehead.

"Step over the line, then walk along the outside wall until you get to me!" He said referencing the many traps he had laid for any intruders.

They did so and reached the secret entrance to their hiding spot. Soon after, Silro and Flame arrived, followed shortly by Snow and Cynder.

Lea stepped through the door and saw a small green dragon looking back at her from inside. She recognized him immediately.

"PSY!" she shouted happily as she dashed toward him and knocked him off his feet in a sweeping hug.

As soon as he saw her face, Psy knew she had to be the one from his dreams. He had finally found the one person who could fill the hole he felt in his life since the chronicler revealed his true nature and destiny.

"Mom?" He asked softly as she put him down.

"Yes...Its me Psy...I'm sorry I haven't been there like I wanted to be..." She said tearing up at finally being able to see the one little dragon who had never left her mind since the Chronicler took him away.

"Why did you give me up?" He asked, determined to have the one question that has been keeping him going since he arrived at this god forsaken place.

Lea paused for a while as the others wisely decided to quietly step out of the room and give them a moment alone.

She looked back into Psy's eyes and answered him.

"It wasn't my choice Psy...It was to keep you from Malefor. They told me it was the only way to keep you safe...If something had happened to you while I had you...I would have never forgiven myself...so I had to let you go.

Once everyone had returned, and had been made aware of the traps Hunter set for intruders, they set out to rebuild the temple. Well, at least enough so they could safely occupy their rooms again. The reconstruction went by much faster than before due to Psy's now developed abilities. In fact, it could be said that he almost built the temple himself. Afterwards, they had found enough materials to repair the roof and return a few of the rooms to livable conditions.

Spyro sat quietly in his room, staring into the patch of the ceiling that they had made to cover the place where it had fallen in. He had taken a reprieve from the others to the solace of his room. He lay on his bed, which was still intact even after three years of exposure to the elements. Spyro rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes. He should be relatively happy. His friends were still alive, and moreover, he had gathered them in their old home. But without Ember, he was just as empty as if they had all been taken from him. He hated this feeling. Even though she had come to him in the forest and told him that eventually, they would be reunited, he still dreaded the possible lifetime he would have to wait. And then another question popped into his mind, regarding the last thing Ember had addressed him with...the continuation of the dragon race, and the purple dragons bloodline. Through none other than Cynder. He did think she was beautiful, one of the most beautiful he had ever seen, but how could he do...that...with her? The very idea made him cringe in remorse. That would be betraying Ember, the love of his life! Even though she said it wouldnt be, how could it not be the ultimate dishonor to her memory? He gave his heart to her, and her alone. When she died, it was like his heart died with her. Even if he could look past the act, how could he have room in his heart for another? How could he raise a hatchling he knew was not with the female he loved? All the questions racing through his mind were suddenly cut short as he opened his eyes at the sound of his door creaking open.

He looked back to see Cynder standing in the doorway. He was instantly reminded how he loved the way she carried herself now that she had grown. A lot more than just a former evil dragon, though it had only been a few days, he felt that they were growing closer. She smiled gently at him and he returned it.

"Hey Cynder." He greeted warmly as she took a few steps toward him.

"Spyro...I've been meaning to talk to you..." She said looking at his paws, rather than him.

"Ok, what about?"

She hesitated before answering

"Well...Its about what you said." Spyro felt an immediate wave of guilt wash over him.

"Please Cynder...I didnt mean any of it, I was just angry because-"

"I know why you said it...and you were right." She said now about a foot away from him.

He cut her off by standing up from his cushion.

"No I wasn't Cynder!" He said loudly, startling her somewhat.

He recoiled from his outburst and closed his eyes sighing.

"I'm sorry...but everything I said wasn't true. What happened to Ember and the guardians was fate. It would have happened weather we were here or not." He said firmly.

"Now...there's room on this cushion for two, easy." He said laying back down and raising a wing,

She walked over and lay down next to him.

"...I'm still sorry about Ember." She said softly to him.

"I know...I miss her every day...Sometimes I wonder how I am supposed to free an entire realm by myself?" he asked

Cynder smiled at him and pushed him playfully.

"You're not alone! What am I, chopped liver?" she asked, eliciting a chuckle from Spyro.

"Ok, maybe that was a bit much...It still doesnt change the fact that we still have so much work to do..." He said restoring the thoughtful mood of before.

"Maybe you should stop focusing on what you have to do, and start looking at what we have to do." She said again.

He nodded.

"Ok I get it." He said

After a while of silent reflection, Cynder spoke up.

"I miss Ember too Spyro..." She said sadly.

Spyro shook his head in agreement as he lay it down on his forepaws. He felt small horns rub next to his as she lay her head down too.

"You know what I miss the most?" He asked her.

"What?" She said opening her eyes and casting them over at her sleeping companion.

"I miss how in the middle of our kiss, I could feel her smiling..." He said sighing

Cynder stayed quiet as she let him reminisce.

"Spyro, you know what I missed the most about you?" She asked

He turned to her and asked

"What?"

"How you were the only one to believe that I wasn't an evil monster anymore. How despite my best efforts to avoid you, you still ended up trying to get me to talk to you. You really brought me out of my shell, and for that, I think I owe you." She said seductively.

"Cynder dont be silly. You dont owe me anything." He said

"Oh no...I think you're going to like what I have to show you..." She said standing up and dragging her tail gently across his back.

Spyro felt a shiver run down his spine as he looked back at her.

"W-What is it?" He asked cautiously raising an eyebrow.

"You'll just have to follow me to find out wont you?" she said smiling and narrowing her eyes the way a flirty female would.

Spyro swallowed hard and stood up.

'Well...I guess this is it...' He thought following her, his heart in his throat.

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Outside Spyro's chamber in the training room the others had gathered to exchange hugs and hello's to their long lost friends.

After all the introductions to Hunter, they began to notice that Silro hadn't moved since they had gotten there.

"Silro are you ok?" Psy asked walking up to him as he sat with his back against the wall. He opened his eyes and they made a grinding noise as he did.

"Yeah...Im ok. I'll be back in a few minutes..." He said walking outside, his limbs clanking and grinding against each other as flakes of his metallic skin began to chip off as he left.

"Someone should follow him to make sure he's alright." Lea said.

"I gotcha." Austin said raising his pistol and walking slowly after him so as to not let Silro know he was being followed.

Silro walked a good distance away from the temple before testing out his powers.

"Ok...lets see if I can still do this..." He said looking up at the stormy clouds above.

"Well...Its already storming, maybe I can make it the opposite for once." He said to himself closing his eyes and concentrating.

Austin watched from the bushes as the clouds above went from stormy and grey, to slowly breaking apart, allowing a ray of sunlight to shine into the dead forest. Something it hadn't done in three years.

"Wow Silro, I would have thought a scary dragon like you would have more powers than to just make the sun come out." Austin said walking up behind him.

"All weather within about a mile is mine to command. If I had caused a storm, how would I have know how strong it was? Its already storming." He said referring to the constant overcast and sometimes rainy weather.

"Ok, good point. Why are you doing this now? And whats with your skin? Should we oil you or something?" He asked looking at his heavily rusted body.

"No no, I'm testing my powers because as soon as I shed my old skin, I lose them until the next moon." He said returning the clouds to normal.

"Oh, when does that happen?" He asked.

"When I get back to the temple. I'm a sitting duck if I shed out here." He said walking back toward the temple, squeaking the whole way.

On their arrival back Silro waited outside, grunting and flexing to try and get out of his old skin. Soon, a crack formed down his spine and began to reveal a shiny chrome skin. His old skin began to flake away and fall off as he burst forth from his old rusty shell.

"Ah! So much better!" He said looking himself over.

"You sure are...shinier now." Nero said looking at him as the others joined them.

"Yeah, as long as I stay away from water I can keep on shining!" He said laughing

Austin approached Ash and Nero while Silro told Flame and the ladies about his tribe and culture.

"Ash I remember you eying my gun, so I figure I'll show you guys how to shoot it." He said as Nero and Ash perked up from their bored state.

"Finally! Something to do!" Nero said following them around back with Hunter.

Ash took to the weapon quickly, as did Nero. After some practice with the pistol, Hunter snapped off two tree branches and quickly fashioned two bows and handed them a few arrows each.

"Lets see if dragons are as competent as Cheetahs in the fine art of archery." he said as they struggled to aim the bows, as it was particularly hard without thumbs.

Despite their shortcomings, they managed to hit the target on the outside edges.

"Not bad at all young dragons!" Hunter said happily as he notched his bow and hit both bulls eye's at the same time.

"Quite the showman eh Hunter?" Austin said as he shot both his arrows into splinters.

"Not so bad yourself with...whatever that is, but it cant match the skill and steady hand required for a bow and arrow." Hunter said shooting two more arrows into the bulls eyes.

"Hm...Is that a challenge?" Austin asked firing into the targets again.

"Yes. You with my bow and me with your...thing." Hunter said as Ash and Nero sat down to watch.

"Fine. Just line up the sights and pull the trigger." Austin said handing Julia over.

Hunter handed him his bow and arrows and he notched one.

"You first." Hunter said.

Austin tried to aim, but there was no sight on hunters bow, so he just had to guess. He let it fly and it ended up glancing off of the side of the target, getting a laugh from Ash and Nero behind him.

"Ok hot shot, lets see you wield Julia." He said taking off his quiver and bow.

Hunter aimed carefully as he lined up the target. He had seen the flash and loud bang this thing had made when Austin used it, so he prepared himself accordingly.

He squeezed the trigger and felt his wrist snap backward, almost dropping it. The bullet hit the tree the target was nailed to a few inches above the target.

This also got a laugh from Nero and Ash.

"How about we stick to our own guns?" Austin asked after they, Nero and Ash realized that neither of them could use the others weapon.

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Cynder walked to the door and Spyro followed, but she stopped him.

"Oh no, Its a surprise. Now close your eyes..." She said smiling

He did so and he felt her bladed tail tip on the end of his muzzle.

"Now grab my tail, and follow me." She said in that same voice that made his heart tremble.

He did as her was told and cautiously followed, hoping none of his friends would see this.

After a minute or so, he cracked his eyes open and caught a glimpse of the temple hallways, but was quickly met wit ha glare and scold from Cynder.

"No peeking!"

He quickly shut them again as he heard a door open and she held the door as she led him into a room that was quite stuffy as Spyro almost sneezed upon entering.

She withdrew her tail and ran to another part of the room and Spyro heard rustling and movement in the corner. She then told him to open his eyes.

His eyes widened in shock as he approached the corner where Cynder was. He couldn't believe it...there was no way this could be real...

hahaha clifftastic! see you next chap! the shooting contest and Silro's powers were SnF's idea, and Ash belongs to MadGuns22, Nero belongs to Caz, Silro to SnF, Draganta to...well draganta and Lea to Nightmare King. spyro and stuff is seirra's. all others are mine.