First of all, a hundred sorries and apologizes for slipping away like that with this story. I had great plans for this and I still have, if you are all interested ^^

Is that I have a lot of other things to do, and also some business form my University, as if it is not enough, I have lots of ideas for new projects, so much that I barely even know where to start or which one to work more in the moment. I really hope you all can forgive me for this, and also be patient with me in the future.

Anyhow, I'm uploading a new chapter, to bring it back to life and out of the forced hiatus.

Hope you all can be patient with me and that this chapter might be good for all of you ^^

Please, enjoy

Family is not an important thing. It's everything.

Michael J. Fox

Spyro woke up early in the next day, feeling relaxed and revitalized. He went down to meet Yuri in the kitchen, fixing breakfast, and Cynder in the couch, reading, and Sparx, their new resident, was still in the makeshift bed Yuri prepared to him in the previous night, snoring softly. By what it seemed, Sparx was a heavy sleeper.

"It would be less annoying if he didn't snored like that." Said Cynder when Spyro asked her about it, and he looked at Sparx, who was still sleeping heavily in his bed. "Should we wake him up?" asked Spyro, and Cynder said, "Yeah, this snoring is really annoying me."

And with that said, Spyro gently nuzzled Sparx with his snout "Sparx, wake up, is morning already." Sparx groaned slightly, but he did not wake up, and resumed snoring, his mouth wide open.

Spyro tried again "Sparx, the sun is up, it is morning." He said, nuzzling him a bit harder. For a moment, Sparx moved his body, and stretched his arms. It seemed that he was going to wake up and raise form the bed, but, instead, he just moved to his side, and laid there, still sleeping and snoring with his mouth open, and now, a strand of saliva was drooling out of his mouth.

Cynder seemed to have finally lost her patience, as she approached the table, put her paw under the bed, and flipped it at full speed. Poor Sparx almost was threw out of the table, as he landed into it with his face, and the bowl-bed landed just over him, covering him. He immediately looked at all sides as he said "What!? Who!? When!? It wasn't me!"

Sparx raised his bed over his head, and he looked at Cynder and Spyro who, looked at him, and he said "Don't you know that you should not wake up someone who is sleeping?"

"You were snoring." Cynder said

"The sun has risen already, it is morning." Said Spyro

Sparx yawned, and he looked at the window, seeing the lights of the morning to wake. "The sun is already high?"

"Actually, it just rose less than an hour ago." Said Spyro.

Sparx looked at him and he said "You have woke me up after the sun has just rose?" he asked, as if it was a strange thing to do "Man, now what will I do now till my mid-day nap?"

Cynder rolled her eyes at the small sleepy dragonfly, as it flapped it's wings and tried to get off the table. Sparx stretched his body and he was flying around, as if to exercise his wings. "I just wish you had waked me up for a good reason."

As soon as Sparx said, Yuri called "Breakfast is ready!"

"This is a pretty good reason!" Sparx said as he dashed to the kitchen, leaving Cynder and Spyro behind. Cynder shook her head, as she said to herself "Only sleeping and eating, what a great resident he will be to this house." Before she got up, and she and Spyro went after him in the kitchen.

Yuri had fixed them some hot bread and milk for breakfast, along with eggs and bacon. He separated some grapes for Sparx, who quickly dove into the bowl and started feasting on them, in a manner a little more polite than he did in the previous night. When questioned, Sparx said is because last night he was "really starving". Cynder was just thankful that Sparx at least was not making a mess out of himself this time, as she, Yuri and Spyro ate their foot calmly.

Sparx finished before the rest of them, and he belched as he finished, and quite loudly. Cynder could only snort in disapproval at his manners, and Yuri seemed just to don't mind, as he ate calmly his food.

When they were all done, Yuri picked all the bowls, and he placed them all in the sink to clean, and he turned to the young dragons "Cynder, will you please clean the plates? Spyro, ready for a little more training?"

Spyro accepted it enthusiastically, Sparx looked at the purple dragon and at the wolf, wondering just what they were talking about by "training". Yuri and Spyro went to the basement to train, leaving Cynder to clean up the plates, and Sparx in there also, to try to get Cynder to explain to him what was this "training" that Yuri and Sparx were doing, what annoyed the hell out of her.

Inside the basement, Yuri and Spyro were, basically, replaying the training of the previous day, with Spyro reading the pressure points, and then trying to hit them into the dummy. Spyro had showed to have a great memory, as he could remember perfectly what they had spoken in the theory in the previous day, though he was still having difficulties to hit the right points in the dummy.

After the third attempt, the greatest amounts of pressure points that Spyro had succeeded into hitting in the dummy were just one. Yuri kept giving him encouragement as he was still trying, and the purple dragon listened to his words carefully.

A while later, they heard some short of commotion coming from upstairs.

"I'll get you, you little vermin!"

"Ah! Stay away from me you evil she-dragon!"

Yuri and Spyro shared a look, and they both hurried to see what was going on upstairs. As soon as they were up, they saw Sparx flying around at full speed as Cynder ran after him, trying to hit him with his paws.

"Come here and face it like a man!" Cynder said in anger as she went after him. Sparx then hid behind Yuri's head as he said "Help! The psycho dragoness wants to kill me!" he said in fear, and Cynder seemed to be quite angry at the dragonfly.

"Wow, wow." Yuri said, getting in Cynder's way, and trying to get her to calm down "Cynder, what is going on?" he asked her.

"This little flying vermin already got on my nerves!" Cynder said, pointing at Sparx, the golden dragonfly said, hiding among Yuri's ears, and he looked at her, and he said "I just was asking a bit of things."

"He don't stop blabbering even for half of a minute!" she said angry, and looked at him.

"Cynder. Cynder!" Yuri said "Calm down." He said gently, and Cynder, after looking on his eyes, seemed to be able to calm down enough, and take a deep breath. Sparx looked at her as she breathed deeply, calming down, and he patted Yuri's head "Hey, this wolf in here is the 'dragon whisperer'" he said with humor, and Yuri gently picked Sparx from his head, and he said "Now, Sparx, what exactly did you said to get Cynder angry?"

"Me?" said Sparx "I was only asking a few things around, like how long she had lived here, if the dinner was going to take too long, and I also asked why her mother married the evil purple dragon."

By the expression in Yuri's face, it was clear that he had understood why Cynder had got angry. He looked at her, who was looking at the ground, and he knelt in front of her, and placed a hand in her shoulder. She looked at him, and they just looked at each other. Spyro and Sparx both looked at them, and they shared a look.

"Huh, excuse me?" Sparx said, making the dragoness and wolf look at him "Did I missed something? Or you two learned to do some kind of 'mind talk' when you don't want others to hear your conversation?"

Yuri and Cynder shared another look, Yuri looked at her as if he was asking her permission, and, after a while, the black dragoness gave a single nod. Yuri then sighed, and he turned at the purple dragon and golden dragonfly. "I think is time for you two to know a bit more about Cynder's mother." He said, looking at them.

Spyro and Sparx shared another look.

"Oh, good." Sparx said "I love stories! Do we will have popcorn?" he asked, Yuri gave him a glare that was not angry, but that was cold like the winter, and it was enough to make the dragonfly stop "I'll keep quiet." He said, and sat obediently. Spyro saw by the look in Yuri's face that what he had to say was really serious.

Yuri sat on a nearby chair, and he started talking after a few moments. "Her name was Cassandra." He said, his hands resting over his lap "She was a shadow dragoness who was born into a very poor family. Actually, they barely even had the money to eat."

Sparx and Spyro listened silently, and Cynder stood in the background, looking at the ground as she rested. Yuri continued "Even though she was from a poor family, and they had to struggle a lot to live, she had a happy family, they were together and they always could count on each other."

Sparx kept hearing quiet, while Spyro looked at Cynder. And Yuri continued his story "Cassandra had a great heart, and she was a dragoness with a beauty that rivaled with this heart. And this beauty granted her the attention of many pretenders, asking for hand in marriage."

"Including one certain evil purple guy?" Sparx said joking. Cynder hissed at him as she got up, staring daggers at him. Sparx cried out and he flew to hide behind Spyro's horn. Yuri also had stopped talking, and he said "Sparx, if you don't keep quiet I'll have to forget the story and move on with the day." He said, by his tone, he was talking very serious about all of that.

"You will keep quiet?" Yuri asked. Sparx perked his head outside to look at him and at Cynder, who was glaring daggers at him. Sparx raised one hand, and he passed the other over his lips, as if he was zipping them shut. Yuri looked at him for a moment, and he sighed "Okay, now let me continue."

He sat back, as Spyro and Sparx went back at paying attention to him "She did received a lot of pretenders, and they all promised her lots of things. However, she was too dedicated to her family to think into a marriage, she refused all of the dragons who came to ask for her hand, and she, instead, focused into working hard to sustain her family."

The dragon and dragonfly both listened silent and very intently, not wanting to miss nothing.

"One day, however, she was met by one dragon from one of the richest families into the city of Warfang. He decided in the moment he laid his eyes upon her that he wanted her to be his wife. He courted her a lot of times, and gave her lots of presents to try to gain her affections. He gave her jewels, fine presents, and food."

"She, however, being the dragoness who she was, refused each one of his attempts to get close to her, and focused only on her family." He said "But, he was not the kind of dragon who would simply accept a 'no' as answer. His courting became more and more insistent, and his gifts were starting to become fancier and fancier."

"Mom said once a guy like that started hitting on her before she knew my father." Sparx whispered in Spyro's ear, so only the purple dragon could hear. Spyro nodded, and Yuri continued with the story.

"But she only kept rejecting him, and so, he, who for a long time, was used to have all that he wanted, started getting angry for being rejected like he was any other dragon, and even more by a dragoness who wasn't even from a noble family."

"He started threatening her, and she answered by telling him to stay away from her. But of course that he didn't did it. So, one day, after a very heated discussion, she ended up scratching him in the face."

There was a silence in the room, as Yuri let out a heavy sigh, before he continued. "Of course, for him, a dragon who was form such a noble family, who was used to have everything his way all the time, and have all he wanted, and never be touched by someone because of his status and the status of his family, being hurt by her was taken as a profound insult."

"He was totally revolted for that 'lowly dragoness'…" Yuri said, he clenched his fists slightly in anger as he repeated the words of the spoiled dragon "Having dared to damage his face. The feelings of desire he had for her turned into feelings of deep fury and of revenge."

"So, after that, he started threatening her and her family." Yuri continued, his expression deadly serious "He sent some of his goons to damage her house, and he sent the guards to her, telling them that they had stolen from him. He used all his influence to torment then and to get his revenge on Cassandra for what she dared to do with him."

"Man, what a jerk!" said Sparx, and he sounded rather angry. Spyro too felt indignate by this. Just who this guy thought he was? Treating others like that just because he didn't got what he wanted! This was so wrong! Spyro was feeling very sorry for Cynder, and he looked at her, to see her looking at the ground, her expression one of sadness.

Of course, this had been before Cynder was born, and it was somewhat an explaining of how Cynder's mom got involved with Malefor. Spyro didn't knew her, but he was sure she was a wonderful person, and it made him even angrier that people would treat her the way they did because of this involvement.

Still, a spark of curiosity was kindling on his mind, as he wanted to know the story now.

"Overtime, his attempts became more dangerous, he started to send people to threaten her family, and there was damage to their house almost everyday." Yuri continued on, telling what he knew "However, they stayed strong and together. They searched for support on each other like they always did and, even if they could have all they loved taken away, they would still have each other."

"I guess I don't have to say that this angered that rich dragon, that his attempts to hurt her were actually not working." Yuri continued, his expression getting darker "And then, one day, he decided to finally take one step further."

There was a pause, and both Sparx and Spyro shared a look "What?" Sparx asked to the wolf "What happened? What he did?"

The answer came from Cynder "He set their house on fire… while they were still inside of it."

Sparx and Spyro both gasped as they heard it. And Yuri sighed "Luckily, they woke up with the smoke and the heat, and they were able to search for a way out, even with the panic. Cassandra was able to escape with her younger brother and her father, but…" Yuri made another pause, and looked down, and then, he said "Her mother and her younger sister didn't made it."

There was a heavy silence into the room as both dragon and dragonfly absorbed this information. They looked at Cynder, wondering what her mother must have felt in that moment, wondering just what a pin it must have been for her to have lost members of her family like that, in such a horrible way. They both felt very sorry for her now.

Soon, Yuri was continuing "It was a hard blown to them. But, they didn't had time to grieve." His expression was hard and cold "They knew that, as soon as the dragon would hear that they had survived, he was going to go after them again. So, they only had one option: to escape. To leave Warfang. And that was what they did, even if it was in the middle of a war."

Spyro and Sparx both paid full attention to what Yuri was saying, and they could not help but to feel amazed at the dragoness called Cassandra, and the bravery of her family to leave Warfang in the middle of the war ranging. It was clear the fear they had of this dragon so they would leave and risk putting themselves in great danger, in place of staying and risking having him go after them again.

Yuri continued "They were able to live in the near woods for a while, but they knew that they needed to go far if they wanted to keep the greatest distance possible from that dragon, so he would never find them again. So, they resumed their trip to a far and safe place, a place where they would be able to live away from that pain and that fear, a place that they would be able to be together and live happily."

"They found it into a distant part of the woods, away from the city of Warfang. They were able to survive in there for almost a year, and to live in there for a while. They didn't owned nothing to no one, they were together, and they were truly happy and unworried."

Sparx and Spyro were actually able to smile, but this smile disappeared as soon as Yuri said "However, this didn't lasted forever." Yes, of course, after all, the story was not about a happy family, it was about something else.

"One day, they were found by a patrol of apes, and they were all captured, and taken as prisoners. They went through a very difficult time in there, with all the fear coming back at them. They expected to be taken as slaves, or maybe to be executed. However, what they did not expected at all, was that they would be taken to Malefor himself."

Both Spyro and Sparx eyes widened when they heard that. Wow! Being taken to the Dark Master himself? Now that would be a very hard time.

"Malefor had recently taken over that area, and he was sending his goons to patrol the area and capture anyone who was in there and to bring them to him. He wanted himself to make anyone how was on his lands to submit to his will." Yuri continued, there was a light hint of anger on his voice.

Spyro and Sparx looked intently at him, and Spyro, gave occasional glances at Cynder. So, that was how her mother and Malefor had met?

His question was quickly answered when Yuri continued "As regular, Cassandra and her family were brought in front of the new lord of these lands. And they were all put in front of him. It would be expected him to use fear to make them submit to him. But, I guess no one, not even Malefor himself, would expect what happened."

There was a silence, and Sparx said "What? What? What happened? Don't leave us hanging on the story now!"

Yuri looked at him, and bat Spyro and he said "You already know of Cassandra's beauty, right?" They both nodded, and Yuri continued "Many dragons had fallen in love with her instantly as soon as they get their eyes on her. And in that day, the same had happened to Malefor."

Both Spyro and Sparx made surprised faces at it. The Dark Master, falling in love?

Yuri seemed to almost read their minds as he said "Yeah, in the end, the Dark Master also seemed to have a heart. It was dark, cruel and cold, but he was still having emotion enough so he would fall in love."

"Mom told about it." Said Cynder "She told that he looked straight at her in that moment. That he walked to her and stood for a long moment looking in her eyes. She was deadly scared, but soon after, he ordered her to be released from her chains."

"After that, he started being extremely courteous with her." Yuri continued, looking at the dragon and dragonfly again "He ordered her to be fed and to have her own accommodations. He even started giving her gifts of fancy jewelry and works of art. Most of it taken from the people he had conquered already under his iron claw."

Sparx and Spyro shared another look, and Yuri continued as they looked at him, wanting to know more "Sure, many dragonesses would feel flattered for this. But Cassandra was not like these. For her it was the whole event of the rich dragon, happening all over again. She rejected Malefor, and she tried to run away. However, Malefor was also not the kind who accepted no as answer. However, Malefor seemed to really have feelings for her, for he never in any moment dared to threaten or hurt her. In absolutely any way, nor he allowed any of his subordinates to do so."

"So, she got way?" asked Sparx. Spyro looked at him. The dragonfly seemed to have forgotten that it was the story of Cynder's family. If her mother had gotten away from Malefor, who was her father, she would never even had been born.

Yuri sighed "She tried, however, Malefor had other tactics to make her stay." Spyro and Sparx shared a look, and Yuri continued "While he was too found on her to ever hurt her, he had absolutely no problem in hurting her brother and father."

Spyro immediately knew what he meant, even before the wolf continued telling "He kept both of them as prisoners, and he said that, if she left, he would order both of them to be executed. However, if she stayed with him, as his wife, he not only would spare them, as he would make sure that no kind of harm would ever befall them."

"For Cassandra nothing in the world was more important than her family. Not even her freedom. Not even her happiness. Not even her dreams. So, under the threaten of Malefor, and in order to be sure that what was left of her family would still be safe, she abided his demand, and she accepted to marry him."

There was a long silence, as both Sparx and Spyro absorbed this new information. Both cast glances at Cynder, who was still looking at the ground. They could not avoid feel a wave of certain revulsion for Malefor. Threatening to kill someone's family to make the person do what he wanted? What kind of people does that?

After a few moments, Sparx asked "So, it was it? She married him and he made her look happy for it?"

Yuri looked at the dragonfly and he sighed "Malefor wanted this to be as 'official' as possible, so he made sure that there was witnesses and that they had a wedding just according to the regulation. He made sure that her family was there, as well as his goons, which were the closest thing to family that he had, though I doubt he considered them this way."

"The event was actually rather small, most of his goons were only there because he ordered them, if not, they were there because of the food. Her family was there, and her father was totally against the whole thing. He wasn't willing to let his daughter sell away her freedom and happiness to a monster like that, even if it was for them. However, there was nothing he could do, for Cassandra was willing to do that for them, and nothing was ever going to make she change her mind on that matter."

"Wow… it must have been the saddest wedding in history." Said Sparx in a low voice to Spyro, and Yuri said "For Cassandra and her family it was." Sparx was surprised that the wolf had heard that. They had truly not lied about wolves and their highly enhanced hearing. "Malefor, on the other hand, apparently was very happy for getting exactly what he wanted. And his minions, well, they were happy for seeing their master happy, for this meant that he was going to be in a good mood, and probably he was going to compensate them."

Yuri sighed "And this was only the beginning. Of course, Malefor kept her almost as a prisoner, and he didn't let any male approach her or touch her. However, he never was cruel to her. He never hurt her or even raised her paw to her a single time during all the time of their forced marriage, actually, according to what Cassandra had told me, Malefor actually was very polite with her, almost caring. However, if she ever questioned him, or if she did anything that displeased him, including not comply with his orders, he would not think twice before threatening to hurt her family."

"Wow... the guy was a rare mix of a total jerk with a lord." Sparx said, and Yuri said "Yeah, it is a way of facing it."

Spyro could not help but to look back at Cynder every few moments, and Yuri continued "Their 'marriage' lasted for several years, in which Malefor would always try to please her by giving her gifts in jewels and all kinds of comforts. However, she always asked him to free her family, but he never did it, for he knew that, if he did, he would lose the only way he had of controlling her."

"Malefor kept her by her side proudly, as if she was a trophy. He wanted everyone to know that he had the most beautiful dragoness of the realms as his wife, sometimes I wonder if he wanted her around more for show than for actually loving her." Yuri added the last part with a scowl, and Cynder did the same.

"Of course, this lasted for all the time in which Malefor kept his campaign of domination. He kept always ordering new attacks on the lands of his enemies, and he never for once stopped on his wish to have all the others under his will. Not even having Cassandra by his side was able to change him, and Cassandra actually tried to set some good on his heart, but all these attempts proved to be completely useless. Malefor's heart was so hardened and so tainted by envy and greed that no one would be able to actually get him to change."

Sparx and Spyro shared yet another look as a deep silence fell upon the room, and, after a few moments, Sparx asked "And then?"

Yuri sighed deeply, and he continued "The war ragged, and after some years of conflicts, there was the last brawl. I think you two must have heard from it, right?"

Both nodded, yeah, Spyro had heard a lot about it. He heard about all the pain, the blood, the violence, the deaths. He had even seen the part of the city that was destroyed once. He shuttered at the thought of what would be like to be in there in the moment that said violence happened.

As for Sparx, the dragonfly had never been even near the dragon city in his whole life, and the swamp he had grew up was far, and they luckily never were truly bothered by the war, though the threat of it being always present. He did, however, heard stories about the thing that had happened in the dragon city, and he was still having nightmares about it every time he thought about it for too long.

"Well, after that day Malefor's forces were repelled, and consequently, the forces of the dragon army reached the place in which he kept Cassandra and her family. During this, and before the final fight of Malefor with the Guardians and the king, Cassandra managed to escape. She went to the place she knew her family was… only to discover that they had both been killed in the cross brawls of the dragons and apes."

Both dragon and dragonfly felt their stomachs drop when they heard it. They were the only family she had left. She had accepted to marry Malefor and to willingly be his wife only by the promise that they would not be harmed. And in the moment it seemed that they could finally have their freedom, she discovered they had died. Man, it must have totally destroyed her.

And Yuri's next words confirmed it "It was hard to her. She felt like all the strength had been drained of her body, and form her very soul. She barely had strength even to carry on. She barely even noticed nor cared for the fight going on all around her. She almost thought about giving up. However, the thought that her family would want her to keep living and to be happy after all she had been through gave her the strength to move on and to keep going."

Spyro and Sparx could only remain silence to this. For being through what Cassandra had been, and having the strength to move on, you had to be truly strong in both spirit and mind, and you needed true force of will. She was indeed an amazing dragoness.

"After she had heard that Malefor had been killed in the final battle, she thought that she finally was free. She thought that she could finally go back to Warfang and to be able to build a new life for herself. However, she son found out that the things were not going to be any easy for her."

"As soon as she get on Warfang, she was received quite roughly by all the residents of the city" Yuri seemed to be quite angry when he said that, as his expression hardened. "During her time in the forced marriage, the news about Malefor having a wife had spread over the lands. And of course, the few people who knew her could point out that she was said wife."

"And it was even worse when a certain noble dragon, who once was rejected by her, also heard of this. It took no time at all for him to start spreading around that she had accepted to be his wife because she wanted to share the control over the lands when he took over, as his queen."

There was a long pause as both Spyro and Sparx eyes widened, before they finally shouted out at the same time.

"WHAT!?"

Cynder jumped back by the volume in which they talked, but Yuri didn't even budged. The dragon and dragonfly just could not believe that someone could do something like that! That they could think so bad of a dragoness who was so sweet and caring as Cassandra was!

The next minutes were for Spyro and Sparx trunked words as they both seemed to talk all of that at the same time.

"Did they believed him!?"

"That guy did that!?"

"How could they think it!?"

"Where they all on drugs!?"

"She would never do it!"

"Who that jerk thought he was!?"

"How could he!?"

Yuri only looked at them as he let them talk all they wanted before they finally calmed down enough to be able to continue talking, and then, he finally said "Yes, this dragon started spreading the word. And sure, as he was a member of a noble family, and was a 'model citizen' of Warfang, of course that people would believe his world, and the rumors he let out about her, as a final act of vengeance, spread around like fire."

"And, of course, this was what it took for her life to be completely disgraced in the eyes of everyone else." Yuri said, letting out a heavy sigh, and Spyro and Sparx looked at him, expecting him to continue, what he did "She started being treated as if she was an enemy by several dragons. They started avoiding her, and it was almost impossible for her to find a job, and she received death threats, and letters of pure hate from unknown senders. Even old friends of her, friends of her family, people how had known her their whole lives, were turning their backs at her and looking at her as if she was dirty. Life in the dragon city became almost impossible… However, she was still managing to live."

"She was able to find job doing small things, and she had to work very hard to gain her living. And after a while, she started feeling the weight of that on her." He said, "She was feeling dizzy and she was feeling sick in the strangest of times. However, this only made her work harder. For she realized that she was pregnant."

In that moment, both Sparx and Spyro cast a glance to Cynder, who was looking top the ground, looking gloomy. And then, Yuri continued, "Knowing that she was going to have a child, even if it was a child of Malefor, for her as a source of great joy. However, others did not shared this joy."

"After the discovery of her pregnancy, the news spread around, and so did the rumors. Some said that this child was going to be some kind of monster; others said that it was going to be another purple dragon. Some said it was going to follow its father's footsteps and become a dangerous monster that would threaten all of them."

Spyro and Sparx shared a look, and they glanced over at Cynder, who was looking at the ground looking gloomy. Man, she wasn't even born and people were already thinking bad of her? Man, how people could be such jerks!?

Yuri continued, catching their attention again. "However, she little minded to all they said. It was still her child, and she was going to have it, and she was willing to protect it against anyone who tried to harm her child." He took a deep breath, as he continued, "She saw herself receiving even more threats, and also some requests, asking, pleading and even demanding her to put an end on this and destroy the cursed egg as soon as she laid it. However, she never did. And as soon as she laid the egg, a perfect black egg, she started protecting it. She never left it unguarded for a single moment, and she took it with her wherever she went."

"She never left the egg alone not for a single moment, for she knew that there were many people who wanted to do bad to her egg, and who saw it as a danger that needed to be eliminated. So, she kept a dutiful watch over it, until the day it hatched into a young and wealthy dragoness."

Spyro and Sparx gave another look at Cynder, who was just about the same, and Yuri sighed deeply as he continued. "She was very happy for finally having her child with her, and she was going to protect her from anyone. She already knew that some were going to threaten her newly born young one, and there were some who actually wanted to do the bad to it. But she would never allow it, she gave all she had to protect this young one, and she raised her daughter the best way she could, and she made sure to help her grown into a strong and good dragoness."

"And this dragoness, grew, into a gentle one, who cared for others and who wanted the good of the others, due to her mother's guidance, even if the people around her wanted her evil, she was still a nice dragoness."

Yuri let out a long sigh, and he continued "She lived on her own for a long time, struggling to raise her daughter, and then, I got to know her." He looked at Sparx and Spyro "I had just arrived into Warfang after traveling for quite a while, and I soon got to know her. Sure, people told me a lot about her and about the things they said she did."

"Luckily, I never cared too much about the opinions of others when it came to judge someone's character. So, instead of simply listening to them, I went to know her, to see if she was really what they said she was. Well, ended up that she wasn't. We ended up becoming friends, and once I saw that she was struggling on her own to create that cute little dragoness, I offered her my help with whatever she needed."

"Wow, now that was pretty coll." Said Sparx, smiling at the wolf, and Spyro just couldn't help but agree. This was just another proof that Yuri was a indeed a good person, and that he cared for the others. And seeing the past, Spyro thought that anyone who had indeed know Cassandra's past, or who had at least asked her for her own version of the facts, might have wanted to help. Still, no one did that. The only thing they did was judge her and nail her to a cross, as if she had absolutely no saying in the matter. And she was such a good person. Spyro felt more and more revolted with people by each day that passed.

Yuri smiled at the dragonfly "Yeah, she told me her version of the story, about her family, about how Malefor used them to force her to marry him, and how she had lost them into the clash." He said, and he looked down "I knew that it was not her fault, and that she really had no choice as she did it to protect her family. And neither had her daughter, a young black dragoness she had named Cynder, in honor to her mother, had blame for her father being who he was."

Spyro gave Cynder glances every now and then. He knew now that this story was a deep one for her, and he understand why she was so sensible about it. She and her mother have suffered a lot. And they didn't deserved this kind of suffering.

"Of course, I never judged them." Yuri said "And they also did not judged me for my preferences."

"Preferences?" Sparx said, "What kind of preferences? Like, you like to eat bread with the butter in the underside?"

Yuri looked at the dragonfly, and he was able to chuckle a little "I mean my romantic preference."

"Like what, you like to date blonde girls?" asked Sparx, still not getting it, and Yuri couldn't help but chuckle. "Actually, it is more like, guys over girls." He finished with a smirk.

Sparx looked at him confused for a few moments, before the engine finally moved on his brain. His eyes widened, as he let out a "Oh!" as he finally realized what the wolf meant.

Yuri looked at him "Is that a problem to you?"

Sparx to a moment to answer "No! No, of course not! I'm like that too! I mean, not like you! I mean, not that being like you is something bad but… Well, what I mean is that I don't judge! Of course, why would I judge? There is nothing wrong in it! No reason to judge at all!" Sparx said, with a nervous smile and laugh. It was clear that he had suddenly became all awkward in there, and everyone could notice. They knew that Sparx was surprised, but they also knew that he wasn't thinking bad of the person who offered him food and a place to stay but he was still feeling awkward.

Sparx looked at the wolf, and he said "You don't look like it." He said, seeming not to realize that he was saying something that could be considered offensive, but Yuri ignored, and he said "Most of us aren't. So, basically this is Cassandra's story. At least the story I know about."

"It was nice." Said Sparx, still feeling nervous "So, where is she now? I didn't saw her around and… I'm being honest, she wouldn't fit in this house."

There was another awkward silence over the room, as Cynder looked down, and so did Yuri. Sparx looked at them confused, "What?" he asked, and Yuri continued, sounding a little sad.

"Six years ago, she suddenly fell ill." Yuri said, and he caught Sparx attention immediately. "I tried to help her with the crystals I had, and even with my knowledge of medicine and healing. But nothing I tried seemed to work. She needed the help of a professional healer from Warfang, and I went to search help."

"But no one helped!" Cynder said suddenly, talking for the first time since the start of the story "They refused to help her because of her past! They said that she didn't deserved their help! They let her die!" she said, tears streaming down her face, and this make both Spyro and Sparx look at her.

Yuri sighed, as he continued, "There was nothing to be done. He condition worsened, and I did all I could on my own, but it was not enough." He let out a heavy sigh, and he said "She died a few months later."

Sparx looked completely mortified, and he looked to the ground, and Cynder then said, "And as if refusing to help her when she needed was not enough, they said that she should not be buried in any graveyard!" she sounded really angry when she said that "They didn't wanted 'someone like her' to be buried near their 'rightful citizens'!"

"We made an improvised burial for her." Yuri said "We buried her under a tree into the main park of the city, the same place to which she was right before she died." Yuri let out a heavy sigh, and there was a huger silence in the room.

Spyro looked at the down, as well as Yuri, who massaged his own forehead. Cynder had her head down, and a few tears leaked form her eyes. As for Sparx, he was just taking in all the information he had just received, and for the first time, he seemed top he completely lost of words.

Yuri let out another sigh, as he got up, and he said, "Well, I think I should go searching for crystals now." It was clearly an attempt to change the subject "I'll get my basket, and I'll go out, you can stay around the house."And he went to grab a basket, leaving the three other individuals alone in silence.

For a long moment, no one knew what to do or what to say. And then, Sparx was the one who broke the silence. "Cynder?"

The two dragons raised their heads to see Sparx, who was flying near Cynder, and standing in front of her, looking uneasy. He stood in silence floating on front of her for a few moments, before he could finally say, "I'm sorry."

Cynder looked at him, and the small dragonfly continued, "I'm sorry for the things I said… and for your mother… and for you… and for what you passed since… well, I'm sorry, okay?" he said, and it looked like he really meant it. Cynder looked at him for a few moments, and she only gave him a nod.

Sparx looked at her for a few moments, before he realized that this was the best answer he was going to get for his apologizes. He was about to say something, maybe a complaint, when he saw that she was still sad, so, he decided to drop the matter.

Spyro was the next to talk "Your mother seem to have been a wonderful person." He said, making Cynder and Sparx both look at him "I wish I had knew her."

Cynder looked at him, and she sighed, and just looked down, the answer, however, came from Yuri.

"You would love to have." The eyes turned to him, to see him holding a basket under his arm "She was a wonderful person. She didn't judged others because of their species, or preferences or whatever it was. She was totally willing to put the needs of others in front of herself, and specially if it came to family."

The wolf sighed "For her, the family was the most important thing in life. More important than money, than riches, than status, than possessions, than her own needs or even her own safety. She lived for her family, and she was never going to abandon it no matter what happened."

He looked at the three creatures in front of him "That is why I admired her. And also, because she was willing to take me as part of her family, even if were did not shared blood or even species." He smiled "I'm proud of having been close to her, and that she would consider me as part of her family."

There was a silence, and Yuri said "Well, I guess I should be going now." And he walked "I'll fix up lunch when I come back, try not to put fire in the house while I'm out." His tone was one of good humor. AndSpyro could not help but feel admired for Yuri as he seemed to be able to smile and be bright like that even in the gloomiest moods.

Spyro was starting to get more and more admiration for the wolf as time passed.

Suddenly, as Yuri was walking to the door, suddenly someone knocked, or rather, slammed the door.

The two dragons, wolf and dragonfly all looked at it, and Yuri turned around, saying "Are you waiting for a visit?" The other three shook their heads "no" and the door was slammed again, this time, came a voice from the outside "Yuri Moondancer! Open the door!"

For a moment, Spyro wondered who they were talking to, when he realized it was the same wolf who was in the room. Spyro never knew Yuri's last name. Actually, he didn't even imagined that the wolf had one. He felt somewhat guilty for not having interest to know such a thing for the wolf. But, on second thoughts, he was busy distracted with other things in the past days.

The door was slammed again "It is the Dragon Guard! Open this door now!" said the voice, and Yuri looked at it, he dropped the basket, and he approached the door. The three creatures proceeded after him, and Yuri opened the door.

In the outside, were three dragons, all of them adults and bulky. All of them were wearing armors with the symbol of Warfang's royal family. It was a sigh that they belonged to the Dragon Guard. It was a special group formed by strong and skilled dragons that made up the military force of Warfang, not only the army, but also their security and even the security of the royal family itself.

They all looked down at Yuri as he came outside, and he looked up at them, and the rest of the creatures stood behind the wolf. Yuri looked at him, and he asked politely "May I help you?"

The one who seemed to be the leader, a bulky indigo colored dragon, looked down at him and spoke nonchalantly "Yuri Moondancer! By the authority given to me, and in the name of the royal family of Warfang, You are under arrest!"