It's the final match, I'm up against Spyro and I don't know what I'm going to do. The match is set to start in 10 minutes so we both have plenty of time to prepare and recharge on gems. I'm set, but… I really don't know what I'm going to do. He's got me out matched in every way. The only real chance I have of winning would be to use more elements….I'm not going to do that. I made a promise to myself not to.

I can't use hit and runs. He's got too many ways to defend. I can't beat him in close quarters combat. I don't know if I can outlast him with pure elemental power. I've never tested it out before.

"Sam! Time to go!"

It's go time I guess.

When I walk out into the arena, it's different from all the other times. It feels heavier, there seems to be way more people watching than before. I'm feeling anxious, I'm not afraid, I know I won't get hurt, but I feel like there is a weight on my shoulders this time. Like I have something I needed to prove or maybe to uphold. I don't know how to describe it. I've come so far and I've beaten some strong opponents. Maybe it's a need to see it to the end and prove that they did well too….. I need to stop over thinking this. I know what needs to be done. Time to do it.

The Overseer for the final match will be Treevus himself. Since the final match is an all out brawl K.O. finish, it was decided to have him watch in case something went wrong. He steps up onto the stand, ready to start the match, "ladies and Drakes, it's time for the final match of the day! Are! You! Ready!!"

The crowd erupted into cheers. Everyone one was excited to see this go down. No matter how much they may dislike us, none of them can resist the thought of the kind of show we can put on.

"Then let the match begin!"

Spyro immediately shoots some fire at me. I counter with a windshield.

He's not going to give me even a second to start up any kind of strategy. Luckily I don't have to stand still for that. I shove a good amount of my nature magic into the ground and immediately take off into the air.

Spyro uses his lightning to zap to one of the arena walls and push off of it to get into the air fast enough to cut me off. Only one problem with that, ever since I got my wings I have taken every opportunity I could to fly. I've got enough skill to give Cynder a run for her money. Spyro doesn't have a chance of knocking me out of the air.

Spyro does land the hit on me and expects me to go down, he zapped to the ground in preparation for a follow up, but I right myself and send a wind slash at him. He throws up a dome of earth and blocks it.

His mistake, I then use some of the magic I left in the ground to grow vines into it and collapse it in on him, hopefully binding him in vines at the same time.

Almost immediately he burst out of the rubble in a literal blaze of glory and shot straight at me in a comet dash. I back wing and get out of the way, but even though it missed, he's in the air with me now.

He's gonna try and close the gap and make it close quarters combat. I can't let that happen, if it comes to that, he'll win for sure. I'll just have to throw as much at him as I can.

He starts by throwing a few ice shots at me to try and slow me down. I gather them into a wind sphere and drop them to the ground.

It's time to move, I can't let him catch me. I take off and he gives chase. We go back and forth, him throwing various elements at me, and me firing a few different wind spells back at him. I gathered up most of the elements he threw at me. I should have enough by now, I have an idea that might work.

I draw him to the center of the arena and I stop in a hover

"So you finally decided to fight me head on?"

"You could say that."

I move all of the wind spheres into position and set them off. There were four massive explosions in the arena, each corresponding with one of the four elements that Spyro wields and soon after, tornadoes formed. Each one was combined with one of the elements from the explosions. I had him surrounded on four sides and I had used the last of the nature magic I had left in the ground to leave a nice jumble of plant below in case he tried to try another earth dome.

"You can concede ya know Spyro."

He gives me a cocky grin "You're right, I could, but I've got you beat."

I sharpen my focus a bit. What the hell does he have planned?

"I expected you to do something powerful Sam, but you gave me an idea. You're using all of the elements at once. So why can't I?"

I take on a look of pure shock, Oh no…

Spyro unleashed a multi element supper fury on me. He completely annihilated my tornadoes and took me out all at the same time. I lost….

A few minutes later, after the winner announcement and such, I woke up in one of the waiting lobbies laying on a bench

"Sam? You ok?"

"Uuuggghh, everything hurts."

"I'm sorry, I was trying to hold some of that back, but I was having too much fun."

I laugh a bit, "I'm glad, that's why I wanted you to participate."

"Well I'm glad I did. I didn't think I would get to use my elements like that again. Not outside a life or death situation anyway. Truthfully, it was relaxing to be able to let lose like that"

"Speaking of relaxing… I may have stayed down here too long. Can you help me up?"

"Sure, here, give me a paw."

I take his paw and hoist myself up. I hiss a bit from the soreness, "yup, I'm gonna feel that now! Screw in the morning."

Spyro full on laughed at that one.

I roll my eyes, "glad you find it funny. Maybe I should kick your ass later when I do my full elemental training"

His laughter turns into more of an awkward chuckle at that point.

Next thing I know, I get a punch on my left shoulder from Cynder, "you were supposed to win that! C'mon man, I had placed a bet on you and everything.

Spyro slid up next to Cynder at about that time, "speaking about that bet hun, when do I get it"

She grumbles, "I believe you just did. Sada frada mffmmhhmmm"

I look back and forth between them trying to figure out what the heck they were talking about. "Uuumm.."

"I bet her that if I beat you in the finals that we had to start being more open about our relationship and talk like that in public. Ya know, like babe, honey, ect."

"Ah, I see." I roll my eyes.

He just shakes his head at me and then rubs the side of his face up against the side of Cynder's. "You'll get it one day."

Cynder pushes Spyro off her face, "ok you've had your fill horn dog. Anyway, Lumus is waiting for us at that pork stand."

"Well let's not keep her waiting."

I take a couple of extra gems from the dispenser and we all head out.

It didn't take long for us to reach the pork stand, but when we get there we found Lumus talking to a lightning drake.

"I told you already that I'm not interested Static, now leave me alone."

"Aww c'mon babe, gimme a chance. I'm way better than that hybrid freak, you should date me instead."

"Sam and I aren't dating." She holds up a paw to silence him, "that doesn't mean I'm gonna date you either. Now leave me alone."

"Lumus, you gotta be lusting for someone, It's about that season. C'mon, just pick me already. I'll show you a real good time."

Ok I've had enough, I step in between her and this "Static" guy, "she's said no at least twice now. Get it through your thick head and leave her alone already. Or do you want us to get Volteer involved." I know what kind of punishments Volteer deals out and they're surprisingly more vicious than the other instructors. Guess if you can piss off the happy guy you deserve hell.

"Hmph, whatever. She's ugly anyway, I just thought she had some experience."

He turned around and started to walk away, but not two steps after he had turned did some very thorny vines burst violently from the ground and forcefully pinned him down. It's hurting him too if his whines were any sign. "Now then, that wasn't very nice was it" I walked to the front of him, "now you're going to apologize to my friend. Or you'll be sitting here for a while with those thorns in you."

Lumus walked over to my side, "Sam this isn't necessary, let him go."

"Normally I would agree Lumus, but he crossed a line and spit on it going over."

I tightened the grip on the vines a bit, I'm making sure not to do anything that can leave anything permanent, but I did coat the thorns in a mild toxic. So those things are stinging like a bitch.

"W...what the hell are you doing to me. I….I can't zap out!"

I'm cheating a little bit too, the toxin also nullifies his magic for the moment so he can't zap out from under the vines. "I'll let you go if you apologize to Lumus, but you should know that either way I'm reporting this to Volteer. So do you want two punishments or one?"

"Kiss my ass!" I tighten the vines some more, "aaahh! Ok ok… ok, I'll do it. I'm sorry Lumus!" I release the vines and he quite literally bolts.

"I hate people like him, entitled asshole." I turn back around to look at my disappointed friends.

Cynder sighs, "I know you're angry, but acting like that isn't right."

"I'm sorry guys, I didn't mean to upset you." I stomp a foot, "but I refuse to let someone belittle any of you, I won't lose someone else like that." My eyes start to water so I turn my head away and try wipe away my tears before they start.

Spyro put a paw on my shoulder, "wanna talk about it?"

"Maybe, later… let's just go back to my place, I can cook my sorrows away."

I begin walking away with my head hung low. I know what I did was a little excessive, but the thought of losing another friend like that. It terrifies me to no end. It's that thought that makes me sad.

We're in my house at about dark time. "I'll get started on dinner."

I leave them alone in the living room.

Lumus takes a seat opposite of Spyro and Cynder, "so what do you guys think, about what he did, I mean."

Spyro closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. He opened his eyes and let his expression soften, "personally, I don't like it, I don't like any kind of violence, but he was doing it to protect not to attack, In some sense at least. I hope he's ok though, he's got a wound that none of us can heal. At least not very easily."

Cynder nods her head, "ya, your right about that. He wanted to help us so badly that he's neglecting his own problems. He's running so very far from them, I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to leave to another realm to get away from them."

Lumus shook her head, "I don't think he would leave his friends behind unless he had to, but I do agree that he's neglecting his own issues in favor of helping us."

They all nodded their heads.

Not very long after, I walked back in with a tray that was held up by rope handles from my maw with four steaming bowls of soup on it. I bring it by each of them and they each take one and thank me. I take my own and go sit by the windowsill and look out into the city.

The others kept trying to start up a conversation with me and I did my best to stay involved with the conversation, but I just kept thinking about how I could lose them if I don't protect them and I might have done more harm than good today.

I eventually excuse myself and go into my garden, it's definitely becoming a retreat for me. It's got a little gazebo now too, it's off to the side of the soul tree. When the garden made it, I spoofed it up a bit with some cushions and curtains. It's like a second bedroom to me, I've slept here before and it's heavenly. The smells, the sounds and the comfortable temperature the garden stays at.

I go to the gazebo now, I just want to try and get comfortable and think. However, not even two minutes later, Spyro flops on my back. Then Lumus lays down next to me. Cynder flops across both of us and now we have a warm pile of scales.

I was gonna ask what they were doing, but I heard Spyro snoring already and Lumus already had her eyes closed. Cynder was giggling, but I ignored it. I'll go along with their plan and just go to sleep too.

It was honestly the best night of rest that I have ever had.