Chapter Twelve: Death of a Friend

"Spyro!" The frozen mist hanging in the air caused Cynder to cough, "Spyro, where are you?" Voice muffled by the ringing in her ears, the black dragoness had no idea how loud she was really yelling.

"Cynder." His weak call came from beneath her. Cynder looked down at him, his broken body mangled from the falling boulders, and felt her cheeks lift into a smile.

"You're alive."

"Of course I am." He spat out a bit of blood, "Help me up, let's find out where we are." Cynder leaned down and lifted his flank with her own until he was high enough to stand on his own. Light beamed down from a high spot in the ceiling where glass replaced ice. All around them was nothing but tightly packed snow. Completing their one-eighty of the place, Spyro and Cynder stopped and stared in awe at the magnificent sight of the ice king's throne.

"We're in the throne room..." Gasped Cynder, leaving Spyro's side slowly as she moved towards the gigantic chair.

"Yeah, and Cyril's nowhere to be found. That's just 'great', we came all the way here for-"

"Shh!" Hushed Cynder, turning her head around but keeping her body facing forward, "Do you hear that?" Spyro was angry about being interrupted, but kept quiet anyway. A faint moaning could just barely be detected from behind the throne, "Cyril?" She called loudly, trotting in it's direction. Spyro's heart jumped and started pumping faster in excitement, he hadn't seen his old mentor is such a long time! She stopped when she rounded the frozen seat, and a look of pity stretched across her face, "Oh no..."

"Cynder! What is it? Is he okay?" Spyro hobbled over, and cringed at what he saw.

Cyril lay on one of his wings, while the other was twisted over and around one of his hind legs. Blood seeped through his tightly clenched broken teeth, and a huge boulder lay on his neck. Obviously with great effort, the ice dragon managed to choke the words, "Spyro... Forgive me..." Then there was silence.

This wasn't your average ordinary silence; it was that kind of silence that beat at your eardrums with the power of your heart. The kind that makes your pupils bulge in fear. The kind that drives some people mad. Spyro and Cyder stood there in utter defeat for a few minutes before either one decided to break that awful silence, "This is our fault. We did this." It was Spyro.

Cynder pawed over to him and pressed up against his side, "I feel so guilty."

Spyro rubbed his chin on the top of her head affectionately, "No... This wasn't actually your fault. Only I am responsible." He stopped rubbing and turned his eyes down at her, "I was blinded with lust... I don't 'love' Flame, I love you."

She pulled away and stared at him with her head inches away from his own, "Finally!" Then she kissed him.

Flame was wandering down a random hallway when he accidentally ran into one of Volteer's hatch lings. It crashed into his paw and fell onto his butt. It shook it's yellow head, then uprighted itself and peeped up at him cutely. He couldn't help but smile back, "Aren't you just the cutest little thing I've ever seen!" It peeped once more before dashing up one of his front legs and planting itself on his back, "Sure! Explore all you want!" He chuckled, then started walking again.

The red male passed hundreds of assorted doorways and other hallways, marveling at the sheer size of the building. And all of this, built by moles! He just couldn't seem to wrap his head around it! The hatch ling peeped loudly and sprang from Flame's back. He was worried it'd hurt itself from the fall, but amazingly he misjudged its strength. The small yellow dragon bounced off the floor and headed at a hurried scamper towards its single parent, "I think he likes you Flame." Joked Volteer as he stepped slowly towards the red dragon, all of his kids in tow.

Flame chuckled, "Me too." They exchanged friendly smiles, then he asked, "Where are you off to?"

"I could ask the same thing." Replied Volteer, raising an eye-ridge in suspicion.

"Oh, I was just wandering. I've never been anywhere larger then the inside of a volcano, so this is a new experience for me!"

"So you like our home I take it?"

Flame nodded vigorously, "Yes, very much indeed!"

Volteer smiled, and began walking in the direction Flame was previously, "May I ask a personal question?" He asked, lowering his head a little.

Flame, trotting beside him to keep up, turned his eyes on the bright yellow lizard, "Depends on the question."

He chuckled, "Of course. Here, I'll ask it, and you answer only if you feel like answering. Have you and Spyro..." He trailed off, making a certain gesture with his paw.

It took Flame a couple seconds to clue in, "Oh! Well, not 'it' exactly! Something close to it though..."

Volteer cracked a grin, "Do you worry that he'll change his mind a third time?"

The red male shrugged, "I dunno. The thought actually never crossed my mind."

"What would you do if he did?"

This made Flame stop and think. Volteer took about four more steps before turning to face the small red one. They both stood there; Flame looking hard at the ground, and Volteer at him; for a long while. Eventually Flame looked up and said, with a great amount of confidence in his voice, "He wont."

The last tail-ful of dirt fell into the shallow grave, and the two dragons stood side-by-side trying their best not to cry, "Why did he ask for forgiveness?" Sobbed Cynder.

Spyro wiped the wetness from her eyes and answered, "I guess because he ran when he could've fought. He felt guilty."

This only succeeded in making her cry more. Hours went by, and Spyro became quite bored just standing there. He leaned over and nudged Cynder softly with his muzzle. She looked up at him with an obviously painful expression, "What?"

"We should go now." He said, motioning with a slight jerk of his head towards the horizon.

Cynder took one last look at the grave, then sighed and nodded, "Okay, let's go." Together, as it should have been from the very start, Spyro and Cynder took to the night sky.

Stars overhead twinkled faintly, while the ocean below stayed perfectly serene. It was a perfect night, and not a single sound could be heard for miles around. Just the steady wing beats of two fated reptiles, off on another adventure. The dark-colored one turned her head to look at her partner and smiled. He smiled back. And so a game of tag began. It ended when they reached a sandy beach which marked the end of the water, and beginning of the land. Spyro finally caught Cynder, wrapping his wings tightly around her, and they both plummeted into the grainy sand.

Cynder lay beneath him, her panting slowing down steadily. Spyro's breath was slowing down too, but his heart beat with a vengeance. There breaths could be felt on one-another's lips, warm loving air shared by mates. As they closed in on each other's mouths, their eyelids instinctively closed.

Connection.

Spyro's tail squeezed tightly around Cynder's as they made out with the ferocity of eleven suns. Mouth collided against mouth, saliva mixed with saliva, and tongue played with tongue. All the while, Cynder's paws searched Spyro's battle-worn body. Her fingertips traced his deep scars, while her palms massaged curling burnt scales. They slowly made their way to his neck, which inevitably led them to finding the back of his head. She gripped his horns and held him tight against her as she felt the lips of her womanhood slowly expand and come apart.

Spyro smelt her heat before it was even revealed completely. It triggered some kind of inner creature long held dormant by his childish mind. His hips automatically prepared themselves for the vigorous thrusting he'd be doing soon, and his member throbbed beneath it's protective sheath. Cynder unwilling, Spyro separated his mouth from hers to speak, "Cynder, my love, are you absolutely sure that you want to do this?"

It didn't taker her long to respond, "Yes! Now come here!" She reached out to kiss him again, but her resisted, knowing her judgment could be clouded by lust. His was.

"No. Cynder, really think about this. There's no going back. Once we mate, you'll have hatch-lings, and we'll become parents. Do you really think we are old enough to take on that responsibility right now?"

This sure made her stop and think. Of course, while the two dragons were distracted, 'some one' just happened to be walking by, "Spyro?" They looked up with expressions of shock at the newcomer, "No! How could you?"

End Chapter Twelve: Death of a Friend

Author's notes: Hey, bet you were all on the edge of your seats during that tease-lemon! Gotcha didn't I? I didn't? You- You didn't care at all? Oh come on! Fine, be that way. So anyway, be kind, review please! Oh, and thanks to those of you who review my story, it really helps :3