Darkness and a numb sensation enveloped my every fiber and planted its roots deep in my consciousness or rather my unconscious mind. My thoughts are still active so I must not be dead, only exhausted from the amount of energy I expended that forced the world to piece itself back together. I'm dead tired after that so I think I'll rest for a while, where I am, I do not know but neither do I care. If the world traps me within its core then so be it, I would give anything for a bit of sleep now.

That's not entirely true. I wouldn't give up the lives of my friends for anything in this world or beyond it. My friends. They are all safe, evacuated from Warfang, except a black dragoness that was forced to come here with me!

'I have to wake up and get her to safety!'

I thought as I opened up my eyes and threw up my head a little too quick as I am now light headed and dark spots obscure my vision. I closed my eyes and waited until the blood my brain craved so much returned. When I opened them my senses came normally as if nothing ever happened. Fatigued I looked around to see grass, trees, bushes and most Importantly the aforementioned black dragoness named Cynder. She was laying on her belly keeping watch for nothing in particular, she wasn't looking in my direction nor did she hear my gasps for breath or the silent pained moan I let out when my vision was infested with dark splotches.

Cynder was completely lost in the pleasant chilled wind the earth exhaled onto this valley we lay in, listening to the birds chirping and leaves rustling. It was at this point that I noticed we were no longer trapped, bloody or battered in the furnace of the world but instead resting on one of its gentle plains. Grass lined valleys, bordered by tall mountains but not all was perfect. Large masses of the world were held in suspension by an unknown force, breaking the gorgeous landscape in the same way a shattered pane of glass mounted to a painting would. Hunks of the scorching mantle, still hanging below.

I got up but the atrophy I have suffered from the stagnation of unconsciousness battled me with each motion. Joints cracked and popped in the most painful manner possible while ligaments and tendons stretched for the first time in what seemed like decades.

Maybe it was... time passes differently in one's mind.

Shaking, my weak legs managed to stand me upright although very unstable. I tried to take a step toward her but I was too unbalanced and collapsed as my left forward leg folded at the ankle, gravity throwing me to the ground.

The thud from my shamefully frail body drew her attention. My eyes locked with hers through a wince. Through bleary eyes I could see tears welling in hers and with a quiver of her lip, a mere shudder of emotion, they seeped from the corners of her eyes. Once the tears gently brushed her cheek as if to reassure her it was real, she sprinted to me. Greeted with a painfully tight embrace, the momentum at which she did so forced us into a roll. Once we came to a stop she took a few deep breaths to compose herself.

"I'm so glad you're awake," Cynder paused before adding "now I don't have to lug you around, dead weight."

"Wow, if you are going to be rude I could have died instead you know. Could you get off of me, you're crushing me a bit." I wheezed.

Cynder realized the position we were in, when we stopped rolling she was laying on my chest which was not near strong enough to support her without compressing my lungs. With a faint blush forming she quickly scrambled off and hid her face behind her wing. She also curled her tail around herself to shrink as much as possible.

'Although clumsy, embarrassed Cynder is cute it is very out of character for her' Spyro thought to himself

"Are you alright Cynder? You don't seem like your cold-hearted warrior self." he asked with concern

"Yeah I'm fine. Just haven't felt the same after that battle with Malefor. I feel down but I can't put my claw on why." Cynder lied as naturally as she breathed. She knew why she was depressed. It was because he did not acknowledge her confession before he reversed the calamity that unfolded around them. Cynder did not blame him though, how could she? Everything shaking and falling apart, did he even hear the whisper that took all the courage she could muster. It pissed her off.

'Uhhhggg. All these emotions are confusing me. Am I mad at him, happy he's awake and alive, sad he doesn't know what she feels for him or disturbed by the pitiful body barely alive in front of me?' she contemplated silently with a growing headache.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out in no time, you always do" Spyro reassured. " Now we should probably move somewhere that isn't so open, only a few more hours of daylight and we don't know where we are." he said.

"Are you fit to fly?" She asked.

"Are you kidding me? I couldn't even stand up on my own a few minutes ago! You will have to help me walk around until I recover."

Spyro beckoned her to help him up. It took a moment but Cynder was able to hoist him up with his wing around her. Feeling the tight grip he had around her only served to worsen the battle she had going in her head but Spyro needed her so she bore the pain for his sake. Again his joints popped sickeningly as he stood on shaky legs and managed to take a few steps with Cynder's support.

"Ok it looks like we can move. Where to then?" Cynder asked with a sigh of relief, seeing Spyro on his feet gave her hope.

"Pick a direction and start walking."

The two heroes did so together, nostalgia tugging at Cynder's thoughts as she remembered having to move in unison when they were Chained together. The setting sun hovering just above a floating island, cast the lands in a gentle warm glow. It was a strange feeling being free from their bonds but just like the islands were disconnected from the world they once knew they too were disjointed.