Disclaimer: I own nothing. Really. NOTHING.

Previously:

Spyro turned and gave her a hurt look. "What I need right now is my best friend back. Do you understand that, Elora? Sparx is DEAD!" Spyro screamed, tears streaming down his face. "He was the single closest person to me, and he's gone! I…I just want to go back home..." he sobbed.

Elora ran to him and cupped his face in her hands. "Then let me go with you, Spyro! I want to help you!" Spyro jerked out of her touch.

"No! I'm SICK of your mothering! I just want to be alone! Goodbye!" he snarled, and charged headfirst into the Dragon World portal.

Part III

Elora blinked the tears from her eyes. "Look at me, I'm a mess," she whispered, sniffling and wiping her face on the back of her hand.

Elora stepped forward to touch the Glimmer portal. Her palm rested gently on the stone arch. "Goodbye, Spyro. Until next time." Elora kissed the cold surface and walked away.

'I'm such an idiot!' she thought to herself. 'Why do you keep coming here? What do you expect? That he'll just come running back to you through that portal?'

Suddenly, a burst of light appeared from behind her. Elora whirled around. As the blinding light faded, she could make out a figure in the distance. Spyro. Her heart stopped. 'Girl, you should talk to yourself more often…' she thought wildly.

Spyro's eyes caught hers in the moonlight. "Elora? Elora, is that really you?"

The faun opened her mouth to speak, but found that she seemed to have forgotten how. She just stood there gaping.

"Elora?" he asked again, eyes as round as teacups as he slowly moved toward her.

Elora swallowed hard. 'Speak! This is your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!' her heart cried. "I'm here," she said weakly.

Spyro stopped three feet from her. He was nervous, she could tell. Not that she was doing any better. Her knees were shaking so hard that she was almost to the point of being unable to stand.

"I… I didn't expect to find you here," he said quietly. He couldn't bring himself to look at her.

"I could say the same." She said in an almost whisper. Spyro had grown. A lot. Still on four legs, he was as tall as she was now. He was also less scrawny. One of his horns was chipped, and there was a scar on his upper lip. He had seen a battle recently. Spyro cleared his throat awkwardly.

"I know it's late… but… could we…talk? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to… I'll completely understand if you don't. I don't even deserve… to be near you. I just hope that… you'll give me the chance to apologize…" he said, meeting her tearful gaze.

"Spyro… I understand… I'm not angry. Hurt, but not angry. Sparx had just… passed… and I was being stupid and girly… I was pushing you to open up to me…I'm the one who should be apologizing to you!" Elora cried, burying her face in her shawl.

Spyro stared at her, alarmed. Then, for the first time that night, he truly looked at her. This was not the Elora he left behind two years ago. This was the shell of her former self. She was thin and far too pale. Dark rings circled her eyes. Her hair, once soft and curly and the color of bright copper, was now limp and faded. Her wildfire personality and passion for life that he loved so much had been snuffed out. What had he done to her?

Spyro raised himself up on two feet and moved closer to her. Elora gasped and looked up into his eyes. She was shaking from head to toe. Spyro scooped her up into his arms so they were eye level. Elora nervously wrapped her arms around his neck. He brought his lips up to her ear.

"There was no excuse for what I did," he whispered. "NOTHING in this world gave me the right to say those things. I know Sparx would have been ashamed of me. You have no reason to apologize. The only thing you were guilty of was loving me. I don't deserve you. I never have." Elora let out a whimper and buried her face in his neck.

Spyro felt his heart breaking. He gently sat her back down on the ground. Elora turned away from him, burying her face in her hands. "I'll go, if you want me to. I'll never bother you again. I'll understand…" he mumbled.

"No!" Elora cried. She whirled around and clutched at his chest. Her jaw was set, and her narrowed eyes had that familiar passionate gleam in them. "Don't you dare put one toe through that portal unless you intend on never coming back! I meant what I said three years ago. I. LOVE. YOU. Unconditionally! You hurt me, yes! But I WANT to give you second chance! No, I NEED to!" Elora cried, letting out a strangled sob.

Spyro blinked away his tears and reached out to touch her, when suddenly she smacked his hand away.

"And another thing! Quit with the 'I don't deserve you thing', please! We're both so dumb, we DESERVE each other!" she giggled, wiping her eyes. Spyro laughed and pulled her up. He swung her around until they were both dizzy before kissing her mouth softly.

A high-pitched squeal from the neighboring forest went unnoticed by the couple.

"Krista! Keep it down! They'll hear!"

"Oh, shut up Lila! They're on cloud nine right now! If Moneybags and Hunter were to go waltzing past them in drag right now, they wouldn't notice a thing!"

"Aaah! Mental image!"

The two female voices joined in unison. "Shut it, Hunter!"

END

I just love sappy, I mean HAPPY endings… Lol. Now review, while I go get tissues…