Well would ya look at that! Chapter 7 is already up! And it turned out much better than I thought it would! That makes two chapters in a day! And yes, I know I said I'd "update it tomorrow", but I decided to say "screw that, I'm gonna update again tonight!" Anyway, it is basically one big romance scene, so read it and enjoy it! I SAID ENJOY IT! XD

Chapter 7: The Dance

The hours passed, the crickets started chirping as all else quieted down, and Cynder found herself still unable to sleep. After all the recent events, she just wasn't tired enough, and her mind was still racing as it tried to comprehend everything Shike had told them. She decided to go out for a little bit, maybe get a quick drink and clear her mind, maybe even stand under the nearby waterfall for a moment. Then again, that would only wake her up more, what with the cold water running down her face. She decided a drink and a small walk would suffice. She began to get up slowly, hoping Spyro wouldn't wake up, but to no avail. Spyro grabbed her leg and asked, "Where are you going so late at night?"

Cynder sighed. "I'm just getting a drink and taking a walk for a minute or two. I couldn't sleep, and doing that usually helps."

"Oh, that makes sense. As a matter of fact, I couldn't sleep either, so I guess I'll join you," he said with a grin.

"You couldn't? You mean you were awake the whole time?"

"Yep, just had my eyes closed in hopes of falling asleep soon, but no such luck."

"Oh. Okay then, I guess we'll BOTH go on a small walk."

They exited their little home and headed over to the river. As Cynder began to take a quick drink, Spyro asked, "So why can't you sleep?"

Cynder stopped and thought for a moment as Spyro began taking his drink, then answered, "I don't know. I guess it's just because there is so much going through my mind right now. I mean, after all that Shike told us, and what with the party going on, the new home, finding out about your little fishing act (Spyro grinned proudly at that comment), and all of my own thoughts and worries, I just find it extremely hard to sleep."

Spyro thought about her words, and then just said, "Well, that must suck."

Cynder just looked at him. "What, you mean that's not why you're awake?"

"Nope. I can't explain why I can't sleep, as I honestly have no clue. Although, now that I think about it, there DOES seem to be something different in the air, but I just can't place it."

Cynder just looked puzzled for a moment, knowing what he meant, yet having no clue as to what caused the change of atmosphere. After all, there DID seem to be something odd about the night, but she couldn't figure out what it was. Then, as she was looking around, it dawned on her. "Wait, where's Shike?"

"Didn't he say he would go sleep behind the waterfall or something?" Spyro asked.

"Yeah, but I saw him lay down in some grass near our place and go to sleep there. He's not there anymore."

Just as they were about to pass it off as a common change in location, they saw a silhouette in a shallower part of the river near the base of the waterfall, and immediately knew it was him. The water seemed strangely calm around his ankles, and some of it even seemed to avoid him. All of a sudden, he spoke.

"You remember what I said about my control over the elements, right?"

Spyro and Cynder had no doubt he knew they were there now, and decided to answer him.

"Well, mostly, yeah," Spyro said.

Shike stayed facing away from them, but they could tell he was grinning.

"Well, I told you it was many things. But the last thing I said was that it was like a dance. Well, that's what I'm about to do. A Dance…"

He paused for a moment, as his very presence seemed to rise greatly in power.

"…of WATER."

As he said the last bit, he threw up his hands in a wide arc, and then slowed down for a moment. The water at the base of the waterfall rose up, seemingly following the motion, and then seemed to float there like pillars of liquid, slowly rising with his hands. He then continued the arc so his hands crossed paths, causing the water to do the same, and then went in reverse and threw his hands straight down. The water followed the motion, crossing paths again and then flowing straight down into the small pool with more force than the waterfall. All this was done in what seemed to be one graceful motion, and the two dragons immediately understood what he had meant when he said it was like a dance, as they couldn't help gaping in awe at the gracefulness he had, combined with the phenomenal power and control he was boasting. Suddenly, Shike was spinning, moving his hands, arms, and legs as if doing a sort of tribal dance. The water seemed to follow every motion, even the motion of his feet on occasion, as it danced and spun around him in great graceful motions. Eventually, he was controlling a small wave of water in the air, the water's graceful path looking like that of the painter's brush. Shike moved his hand above his head at arm's length until it clapped with his other hand. The wave followed the motion until it, too, was floating above his head. He turned both hands so they were facing away from each other, and then moved them in another wide arc down both sides of him, causing the wave to split in two and the two streams to follow his arms down. He continued the motion, moving his hands in a wide arc in front of him up to the point above his head again, then bent over a little and moved them down and out until he looked like a bird preparing to fly. The water followed the motion, the two streams curving upward, flowing up to the point above his head, and then curving to the sides and flying out in both directions. Shike suddenly moved his hands in a small circular motion until his arms crossed in front of his chest. The water curved and flew toward him, nearly hitting the ground in the process, and flew toward his hands. Just as they were almost right in front of him, he twisted his arms a little more until the water was flowing toward the opposite hand from the one controlling it. When the water was about six inches from each hand, he untwisted his arms and moved his hands in a circular motion, then stopped them in front of him, about two feet from each other. The water made a sharp turn and followed the motion of his hands, the stream on the right circling clockwise, the stream on the left circling counterclockwise, forming into a large ball in front of his hands when he stopped. He had just switched which hand controlled which stream. He separated his hands somewhat, splitting the large orb of liquid into two smaller ones. He then jumped, moving his hands outward then circling them toward each other, crossing his arms and pushing his hands out to his sides as he landed. The large blobs of water became two streams again as they followed the motions. However, when the water flowed outward with his hands as it had before, it suddenly froze into a pair of hard masses of ice on either side of him, level with the ground, large spikes protruding from the sides. He created two more streams of water from the small pool he was still standing in, making them arch up and back down onto the closest edges of the ice, then froze them into fancy pillars. Then, he held his hands next to each other above his head, palms facing upward. The moisture in the air began to gather above his palms, forming a ball of mist. He slowly moved his hands outward until his arms formed a sort of Y-shape, causing the mist to lengthen into a curved pole-like shape above the pillars of ice, seeming to connect them, the mist getting thicker and thicker as it did. Then, he moved his hands forward a little, and a box-like shape grew out of the middle of the mist, still following that curved shape, so the bottom was smaller than the top. Shike spread his fingers, and a star-like shape formed on the front of the boxy shape. Eventually, the mist was so thick you couldn't see beyond the first millimeter into it. Shike closed his hands into a fist, causing the now-thicker-than-possible mist to freeze in place, completing his arch. The star-shape became a decorative eight-pointed star on the front of the box, the top, bottom, and two side points bigger than the four points in between them. Shike began to bow, satisfied with his extreme artistry, as the arch he created seemed to complete the scene and end the graceful dance.

Spyro and Cynder just watched all this in awe, amazed at his gracefulness, his skill, and his artistry. Soon, a large grin had grown on both their faces as a result of their fascination.

Shike finished his bow, then left, stating that he should probably go rest now, and that he would leave the two lovebirds alone. As he left, Cynder realized Spyro was staring not at the beautiful scene that had just been created in front of them, but at her.

"What?" she asked.

"I was just thinking of how romantic this was," he answered calmly.

Cynder just looked at him for a moment, then looked back at the arch and said, "I guess this is pretty romantic."

"…Cynder?" Spyro asked.

Cynder turned back to him.

"Yes?"

"May I have this moment?"

Cynder, without hesitation, said "Of course you can, Spyro."

With that, they leaned toward each other into a passionate kiss, not realizing that Shike was hiding behind a nearby bush, watching and smiling at the beautiful scene before him. Soon, he headed into the trees, knowing his job here was done.

So what did you think? I guess I should have said quick reviews rather than constant ones in the last chapter, because I don't know exactly when Chapter 8 will be up. Probably within the next week though. Anyway, review and subscribe if you haven't already please!