A Night at the Ball

"So why do we have to do this again?"

"Because you're the purple dragon; you're supposed to represent unity between the different races."

"Then what about you?"

"Well, someone has to keep an eye on you."

"Are you implying that I can't take care of myself?"

"No, I'm saying that you can't take care of yourself."

"I thought mates were supposed to trust each other, Cyn."

"Oh, they are. You're just special, Spyro."

"Somehow I'm getting the feeling that we're not thinking of the same meaning for 'special.'"

Cynder's laughter bounced off the walls of the corridor they were walking through. Spyro pouted. She noticed his expression and bumped her hips against his, causing him to briefly lose his balance and stumble. He shot her an annoyed stare. "Relax," she said. "I'm only teasing."

He rolled his eyes and began to walk faster, leaving Cynder behind. "Whatever."

"Spyro, wait!" she called after him. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"

He paused at the end of the hall, allowing Cynder to catch up to him. He looked away from her as she grew close. The black dragoness gave him an apologetic look, but he ignored it. As soon as her head hung in shame, Spyro revealed the smirk he had been repressing. "Gotcha."

She whacked the side of his head with the flat of her tail blade, eliciting a sharp cry of pain from the drake. "I was actually worried I hurt your feelings, you jerk!"

Spyro rubbed the spot where she had hit him. "That hurt you know!"

"You deserved it."

"Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

Cynder's anger faulted for a moment. "There might."

The male stepped in front of the dragoness, lining up their muzzles. "And what would that be?" he asked softly.

Her emerald eyes stared into his amethyst ones. "I'm sure you could figure it out."

Spyro tilted his muzzle and Cynder did the same. They both leaned in and pressed their lips together. The two held the position for several moments before pulling away. The purple dragon wore a goofy grin on his face as the dragoness sported an amused smirk. Cynder bumped her shoulder against his.

"Come on, lover boy," she said, getting his attention. "We can't keep Volteer waiting too long."

She led him down the remainder of the hall and soon they arrived in a large, spacious room. A small group of moles lined one wall. Each of them carried some sort of instrument ranging from the violin to the flute and spoke quietly amongst themselves. In the center of the room stood Volteer. Much to Spyro and Cynder's surprise, the Electric Guardian was silent. However, when the two heroes arrived, the older dragon reverted to his usual talkative self.

"Wonderful! Our two young dragons have arrived!" he exclaimed.

"Sorry we're late, Volteer," Cynder apologized. She exchanged a sidelong glance with Spyro. "We got a little distracted on our way here."

Spyro managed to suppress his grin from earlier and added, "I hope we didn't keep all of you waiting too long."

"Nonsense!" Volteer replied animatedly. "The moles here occupied their time by chatting amongst themselves. I managed to keep myself entertained by reviewing some of the information I picked up from texts I have read over the years. For instance, did you know that moles use vastly different blacksmithing methods from dragons in order to create their tools and weapons? Part of this comes from their physiology. Unlike dragons they—"

"Actually, Volteer," Spyro interrupted. "I did know that. I've been able to observe mole blacksmithing techniques somewhat closely recently."

The larger dragon's eyes widened in excitement. "Really? Can you describe to me about some of the things you have seen? There has only been so much I have been able to read about and I never seem to have the time to go down to the crafting districts to observe. I find it all rather fascinating. You see, my—"

"Maybe you two should save this conversation for later," Cynder cut him off. She quickly eyed the band of moles off to the side, noticing their strained expressions. "I don't think we should keep these moles here any longer than we need them to. And what is it that they need to be here for anyways?"

The Electric Guardian bobbed his head. "I believe you have a point there, young Cynder. It would not be polite to take up much more of their time. And to answer your question, they are here to provide music."

The purple dragon quirked a brow. "I thought you were just going to show us how to dance for the upcoming ball. Why would we need music now?"

"You see, dancing is a delicate art that relies much on the rhythm of the music. Without music, our dances would look disjoint and fragmented. As such, I have requested for these talented moles to provide us with music. With their help, I can show you two the proper way to dance at such a formal event," he explained. "Spyro, how about you go first?"

Spyro eyed his female companion warily, who had a small smirk on her face. "Uh…"

"No need to be afraid, young dragon. I assure you that I am fully capable of showing you the elegance of formal dance." Volteer gestured at the younger drake with a paw. "Come."

The purple dragon walked over to the Electric Guardian hesitant and stood less than a foot away from him. He looked up at the face of Volteer who smiled down upon him. Even with his recent growth spurts, Spyro still felt rather small when compared to the Guardians; he was roughly two-thirds of the older dragon's size.

"Now," Volteer continued, "the first thing you must learn is proper form. Formal dancing requires us dragons to stand on our hind paws like so." He took a moment to get into position. "As you can see, I am putting most of my weight onto my hind paws, similar to the way moles normally walk. I am also using my tail for support and balance. Your tail is key, young dragon. Without it, you would not be able to maneuver particularly well. Now you try."

Spyro nodded and pushed off his two front paws and placed the majority of his weight onto his back ones. Keeping Volteer's instructions in mind, he used his tail to help him keep balance. The purple drake folded in his wings and kept them close to his body. He wobbled for a second before steadying himself. "Like this? I feel a little silly."

Volteer shook his head. "Not at all! We dragons have been dancing like this for centuries! Now the next step is orienting yourself with your partner. In this case, I will be your partner." There was a slight blush on Spyro's cheeks. Cynder giggled quietly in the background. The yellow dragon gestured over to her.

"Cynder, you might want to pay attention to this next part. Spyro, place one paw on my shoulder and the other in my paw. I will place my paw on your hip, here. Typically, your position would be more suited for dragonesses. Due to our difference in size, however, it would be too awkward for you to assume the typical role of the drake. Rest assured that you can practice that role with Cynder when we're finished."

"Right…" Spyro said hesitantly, slightly embarrassed. He did as instructed and the two drakes were in the starting position for formal dancing. "What's next?"

"I will walk you through the basic steps of formal dance. Usually, the drake is the one who leads the pair, but it is not uncommon for the dragoness to take charge." A fond smile spread across Volteer's lips as he began to reminisce. "I remember my first dance. It was with a lively, young fire dragoness a few years older than I. She just grabbed me from the side and took me onto the dance floor. She led me through all the different steps. It was a fun though terrifying experience. Why I—"

"So, Volteer," Spyro interrupted. "What are the basic steps?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes! Pay close attention, young dragon, and do your best to commit these steps to memory. You too, Cynder. If I know you two as well as I think I do, I suspect that you will be the one to lead your dances," the Electric Guardian said with a wink. He turned to the group of moles on the side and nodded. A melody began to play. He faced Spyro. "Now, follow my lead."

The next several minutes were almost painful for Spyro. When he wasn't struggling to mirror Volteer's movements, he was stumbling over his own paws and tail. On occasion, he even stepped on the electric dragon's paws. He grimaced whenever he did and muttered an apology, but the Guardian had paid him no heed as if it had never happened. As the music began to wind down, Spyro felt a swell of relief rise up within him. The older drake parted from the younger one when their dance ended and both reverted to standing on all four paws.

Spyro exchanged a worried glance with Cynder who only smirked back at him. He turned to face Volteer. "So, how did I do?" the drake asked.

The Electric Guardian briefly looked at one of his hind paws and wiggled his claw digits. A look of discomfort spread across his face for a moment. "You did…fine for your first time, young dragon. There is much for you to improve upon, however. But with enough time and practice, I believe you will do well at the ball."

The purple dragon nodded once and said, "Right." He retreated towards Cynder's side and sat down on his haunches embarrassingly. Sensing his negativity, his mate nudged him with her muzzle and rubbed her cheek against his comfortingly.

"We still have a few weeks before the ball. That's plenty of time for you to learn the steps," she said. "We can practice as much as you'd like before then."

Spyro gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Cyn."

Cynder returned the gesture and walked up to Volteer. "I guess it's my turn then. I hope I don't do too poorly."

"I do not believe you will, young dragoness. You were, after all, able to observe the steps I am about to show you. You should have an easier time than Spyro." Volteer signaled for the moles to start playing again. "Let's begin."

Unlike Spyro's attempt, Cynder's went much more smoothly. The purple dragon watched in awe as the dragoness followed the Electric Guardian's movements almost perfectly. Seeing what a real dance looked like amazed Spyro. He felt a pang of jealously and envy as he quietly spectated. Why couldn't he move like that?

The music ended shortly after and the sound of Volteer's voice broke Spyro from his thoughts. "Wonderful! Absolutely fantastic, Cynder! In all my years of instructing young dragons and dragonesses in the art of formal dance, never have I witnessed such mastery in such a short amount of time!" he exclaimed.

Cynder grinned at the praise. "Thanks, Volteer. I had a lot of fun."

The electric dragon nodded in agreement. "Now then, we—"

"Master Volteer!" a voice called out from the doorway. Spyro turned around to see a mole with a pair of glasses perched upon his nose. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Master Cyril has requested that you see him!"

There was an uncharacteristic frown on Volteer's muzzle. "Tell him I'm busy!"

"He said it was urgent," the mole replied.

Volteer rolled his eyes and huffed in annoyance. He shared an apologetic look with Spyro and Cynder. "I am afraid our first lesson together must come to a premature end, young dragons. I will have to go and see what our icy friend needs of me. You two are free to continuing practicing with one another. I believe Cynder can direct the two of you in the proper direction. Perhaps we can try this again tomorrow without any interruptions." With a final nod, the Electric Guardian stepped out of the room with the messenger following close behind.

Once Volteer left, Spyro turned to Cynder. "So what now?"

"I guess we just practice dancing together. I'll lead." She rose up onto her hind legs and assumed the position for formal dance. Spyro sighed quietly and followed her directions.

The next hour consisted of Spyro stumbling through each of the basic steps and Cynder offering advice. Unfortunately, the purple drake just couldn't get the hang of it. In the end, it was Cynder who suggested they stop for the night. They discovered that formal dancing was tiring, no matter how good you were at it. After sending the group of moles home, Spyro and Cynder retreated to their own room.

Spyro barreled through the doorway and plopped onto a cushion, exhaustion taking him. He spread each of his limbs across the cushion in an almost comical fashion, eliciting a giggle from his mate. He turned a lazy eye towards Cynder. "What's so funny?"

Cynder smiled and pulled up a cushion beside him. "You," she responded. "You look so silly when you're like that."

"I can't help it. Dancing makes me tired."

"I'm not sure if I'd call what you were doing earlier 'dancing.'"

The purple dragon frowned and curled up, no longer facing her.

"Hey," she said. Cynder wrapped her tail around his. "You know I'm just joking, right?"

"Yeah," Spyro grumbled. "I know you're just teasing, but you're still right. I can't dance. I'm just going to embarrass myself at the ball."

"You still have plenty of time to learn. Just relax. And who cares if you don't know how to dance? Everyone will still remember you as the brave and handsome hero who saved the world. They'll still look up to you whether you can dance or not and I'll still love you just the same."

The black dragoness licked his cheek gently. He said nothing for several moments, causing Cynder to wonder if her words had any effect on him. She opened her mouth to say more, but Spyro finally spoke. "'Brave and handsome,' huh?"

"Out of everything I said, you picked out 'brave and handsome?'" she questioned in an irritated tone.

Spyro shrugged innocently. "You could stand to mention it a little more…" he said.

"Just like how you could stand to mention how smart and beautiful I am some more?" Cynder said.

"But if I said it all the time, it wouldn't be nearly as special then, would it?"

"Maybe not, but I'd still like to hear it."

"Well, for the record, you are smart and beautiful."

Cynder smiled and pressed herself against him. "Good," she said. Spyro simply grunted in response, signaling that he was too tired for any more banter. The dragoness closed her eyes and felt his warm and steady breath against her neck. After a minute, she opened her eyes and craned her neck to face him. "Are you still awake?"

"Just barely," he mumbled. "Could fall asleep at any moment right now. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if you could, ah, 'help me' fall asleep," she said slyly. "But if you're really that tired, I suppose I could manage to drift off on my own."

Spyro nipped at her neck softly and chuckled. "I'm not that tired…"

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Spyro heard Cynder ask behind him.

"Pretty sure," He replied without looking back.

The two dragons were currently in the crafting district of Warfang. All around them were various craftsman ranging from blacksmiths to leatherworkers. Hardly any of them paid the pair any mind as they were primarily focused on their work. This was one of the reasons why Spyro enjoyed coming down to the crafting district. He felt as if he was just a normal dragon here. The sound of metal pounding against metal was comforting for the drake, though he suspected his mate had differing opinions.

"You're pretty sure?" she repeated loudly, talking over the hustle and bustle surrounding them. "We promised the Guardians that we would be there within the hour. We only have a few minutes left before we're late."

"I think we're almost there! Just a few more—aha!" Spyro rounded an upcoming corner and stopped in front of a medium sized building. A sign hung off the side depicting the head of a dragon. There was a row of barely legible runes along the bottom of the sign. "We're here!"

Cynder squinted her eyes, trying to make out faded text. "Gelsey's Workshop," she read. She turned to her mate. "Well what do you know? You actually did get us here on time."

"You really ought to have more faith in me, Cyn," he said.

"I would if you weren't the reason we're late to half the things we go to. Now let's get inside before we really are late."

The couple stepped inside the building and into a small greeting room. The first thing they saw were several empty armor stands propped against a wall. Small scraps of metal were scattered across the ground, though none of it got in the way of the two dragons. They made their way into a larger room to find a female mole standing in front of several sets of fine armor. Spyro, from his time with Aedric, was able to clearly see the superior quality of their craftsmanship.

Cynder, who was by the purple drake's side, echoed his thoughts. "Wow. Those armor pieces look amazing."

"Oh!" the mole shouted. Gelsey quickly spun around and placed a tiny paw across her rapidly beating heart. "I didn't hear you two come in!"

Spyro smile sheepishly. "Sorry, we should have said something."

Gelsey smoothed out the black apron she wore. "Nonsense!" she said. She looked at a nearby clock. "You two came in right on time! I should have been expecting you, but I suppose I got a little too caught up in my work."

The black dragoness shook her head. "You have nothing to apologize for. I can see how you can get lost while you work. Your armor looks fantastic."

The armor smith blushed and rubbed her neck bashfully. "Thank you for the compliment, Miss Cynder. If only the same could be said about my workshop. I'm terrible at keeping things clean!"

"This is messy?" Cynder said, gesturing around her. "You should have seen Spyro's old room before we moved in together. He's the reason why our current room gets messy too."

"I'm not that messy!" Spyro protested.

"And Sparx isn't a motor mouth," she countered. She turned back to Gelsey. "So how are we supposed to do this armor fitting? I've never done one before."

"Neither have I," the purple drake added.

Gelsey directed their attention to the various armor sets in the room. "Normally, you two would have to choose an armor design before anything else, but we took care of that last week. Just to double check, you two wanted something similar to the armor pieces you picked up on your travels?"

Spyro and Cynder nodded, prompting the mole to move to the next step.

"Good. What I need to do now is take different measurements of your legs, chests, tails, and wings. If one of you will be so kind to follow me…" She made her way to one side of the room and through some curtains that the two dragons had not noticed earlier.

The pair eyed each other for a moment before Spyro shrugged. "I can go first, I guess."

Sharing one last moment of hesitation, the purple dragon disappeared into the curtains. This room was much smaller, but had significantly less clutter than the other. Several mirrors were lined up against one wall surround a single, slightly raised platform. Gelsey stood next to it patiently with a strip of ribbon in her paws.

"Come on," she said, beckoning him over. "Don't be shy."

Spyro walked over to Gelsey stepped onto the platform. He glanced at his reflection and then to the armor smith. "So what now?"

She offered him a small smile. "You just get comfortable while I take your measurements. It won't take long." He nodded and stared at the mirrors awkwardly as the mole wrapped the ribbon around his various limbs. "Are you excited for the Warfang Ball?" she asked.

The purple drake blinked once, not expecting any small talk. "Yeah, it should be interesting. I've never been to an event like this before. I've only recently begun to learn how to dance."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll be fine," Gelsey said dismissively. "I bet you're a fantastic dancer!"

Spyro cringed inwardly. "I don't know about that. I've been practicing for the last couple weeks and I'm still bumbling around. I feel like I haven't made any progress at all. I'm just going to embarrass myself at the ball."

The mole tapped her chin and hummed. "Well, what about Cynder?"

Spyro mentally slapped himself and groaned. This whole time he had been so worried about himself, he had neglected to think about how his poor dancing would make the black dragoness look. "I'm just going to embarrass her too. I hadn't even thought of that!"

Gelsey stopped taking his measurements and placed her paws on her hips. "You remind me of my husband, you know."

"I do?" Spyro asked, confused.

She nodded. "Back when we were young, I absolutely loved to dance. I dragged my darling Burdan to all the balls and parties we could go to just so I could dance. I love my husband dearly, but that mole has two left paws, I tell you! Out of all the times we went out dancing, he never got any better. But you know what? He still kept doing it for me. He didn't care about how silly he looked. He just wanted me to have a good time. And I did. So learn a little something from him and just focus on showing your dragoness a good time."

The purple dragon stared at her for a moment, letting her story sink in. He thought about all the time he and Cynder had spent together and about how many of those times he had done something stupid. He cringed again. There were actually quite a few. Still, Cynder had never once let any of it get to her. Being a poor dancer wasn't going to bother her, so why should it bother him?

"It's rude to stare, you know," she said, breaking Spyro away from his thoughts.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "Your story got me thinking, and I think it really helped. Cynder actually said something similar the first night we started dancing and I forgot about it this whole time. You helped me remember. Thank you."

Gelsey smiled warmly at him and patted his side. "Glad to be of service. We're finished here, so why don't you go and get Cynder for me, hm?"

Spyro nodded and exited the room. He felt a little lighter as he did so, not realizing the weight that had been on his shoulders. As his mate came into view, a smile crept onto his muzzle.

"So how'd it go?" she asked.

"It went well. She said for you to go in."

The purple dragon surveyed the room from his seat at the very front along a rectangular table. Decorations consisting of banners and ribbons lined the walls. Circular tables were spread out across the floor, surrounding an empty space. Off to the side was a group of moles playing their instruments. At each of the tables were various citizens of Warfang dressed in formal attire. The dragons in attendance wore plates of precious metals much like himself and Cynder. The moles wore suits and dresses of delicate fabrics. The cheetahs wore leather tunics and were draped in cloaks. Everyone looked well dressed for the occasion and conversed amongst themselves.

"Nervous?"

Spyro glanced to his left where Cynder sat. "Not really," he replied. "I think I've really improved this last week."

"You really have. You haven't stepped on my paws at all since we went to that armor fitting with Gelsey," she joked. "And speaking of armor, your helmet is a little off."

"Is it?" he asked. Spyro shook his head briefly and felt that it was a little loose. "Think you can help me out?"

Cynder smirked at him before bringing two paws up to the armor piece. After adjusting it, she pulled back. "There."

He shook his head again, testing that the helmet was in place. Content with how it felt, he asked her, "Does it look okay?"

She nodded. "You look very handsome. Heroic too."

"You look very beautiful yourself," he said, grinning at her. He gestured to her own set of armor. "The silver goes really well with your necklace."

Some movement to his right caught his attention. It was Terrador rising from his seat to address those at ball. He, as well as the other Guardians, looked very regal in their decorative armor. Each of them wore armor dyed with colors matching their elements. Spyro and Cynder's had been made with silver.

"May I have your attention," Terrador called out. Everyone stopped their conversations and the music ended. He gave them all a short nod, satisfied that they were all listening. "We—the Guardians, those who organized this ball, as well as Spyro and Cynder—thank you all for attending this event. This 32nd Ball of Warfang celebrates the unity we share between all our races. Tonight, we commemorate our ties together as allies. I look forward to an era of peace with you all. Thank you."

The Earth Guardian, as well as everyone else at the table, all bowed their heads in respect. The guests in front of them mirrored their actions. After a moment, everyone raised their heads and Cyril stood up.

"And to officially commence the ball, we ask our two saviors to perform the first dance," he said.

Spyro and Cynder rose from their seats and walked to the empty space in the center of the room with the black dragoness in the lead. Once in the middle, they assumed the stances they had been practicing for weeks. The purple drake quickly glanced at the crowd surrounding them. At one table, he spotted two moles, one of which was waving right at him. It was Gelsey. He smiled at her before turning back to his mate.

"Ready?" Cynder whispered to him.

"Ready," he whispered back.

Cynder nodded briefly to the musicians and music slowly filled the air. She held his paws tightly and took the first step. He followed her closely and the two began to dance. Spyro focused solely on his dragoness and his own two paws beneath him. He ignored the watching eyes of the audience and simply looked at Cynder's. A large grin spread across his lips as he managed to keep up. Soon, other couples joined in around them and the dance floor was full.

After several minutes, the music came to an end, signaling that the first round of dancing was finished. A different set of music began playing afterwards and many couples left the dance floor, allowing others to have their turn. Among those leaving was a now out of breath Spyro and Cynder. They retreated to their spots at the front of the room and dug into the fresh meat set before them. As the purple drake filled his maw with food, Cynder nudged him.

"You were great," she said.

"Thanks. I had someone amazing to lead me."

She blushed at the compliment. "Oh, stop."

"No, really. If it wasn't for you, I would have looked like a fool out there."

Cynder shook her head. "Like you said earlier, you really improved this last week. You have to take some credit for yourself."

"I guess, but Gelsey also deserves some of it as well. She was actually the one who helped me out. She helped me remember that I should be focused on making this enjoyable for you, not on how I looked to everyone else."

She beamed at him. "It looks like I'm going to have to give her my thanks."

A sly smirk made its way onto Spyro's muzzle. "And there's something I would like to give to you…"

"And what would that be?" Cynder asked coyly, bringing her muzzle close to his.

"Just let me lead this time and I'll show you."

This one took me a lot longer than I would have liked, but it's here! You'd think with a summer break, I'd be cranking these out, but it ended up being the opposite. I've been spending most of my days playing games instead of working on this, but I managed to trudge through it.

I have two more chapters I plan on writing before I start the ending for this story. This does not necessarily mean that I will stop writing for this story in the future, but at this point, I'm getting the feeling that I won't be working on it too much when school starts up again. When it does, I don't know what I'll be doing with my writing. Hopefully, I'll be able to continue this or focus on a different story.

The next two chapters I plan on writing will be about Spyro's parents visiting (thank you Guest for the idea) and Spyro (and Sparx's) hatchday. As for your idea, V-SxC, you will just have to wait and see.

Thank you all for reading and supporting the story!