Hey everyone! Wow...another long wait, but something tells me that you all will forgive me after this. I mean, who wouldn't after a BATTLE! That's right, read it and weep (or cheer, that's probably better) :).

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Spyro series or games. They belong to their respective owners. Saffron and Alta belong to Riverstyxx while Dax and Nightshade belong to Alec the Dark Angel. Matt and Selema, are my OCs!

Knowing that eventually Spyro would learn about what had happened in the streets, Matt decided it would be best to go and break the news himself.

Word had traveled through the city faster than ever about the upcoming duel between a dragon and a human warrior! Not just that, this human was the human, the one who was known as a hero throughout the world that had fought next to Spyro and Cynder themselves.

Unfortunately, the purple dragon had already found about it too.

"What were you thinking?" Spyro exclaimed, his amethyst eyes filled with frustration. Both he, Cynder, and Matt were sitting in the dining hall of the Temple discussing the situation.

"Look, Spyro, I'm sorry," Matt replied, putting up his hands in defense. "I didn't mean for it to get out of hand."

"Well, it's too late for that now, isn't it? I thought I asked you not to draw attention to yourself."

Matt grunted. "I know you did…I was there remember?"

"Then why did you go and get yourself in that situation in the first place?"

Matt slammed his hands against the table in anger. "Because that piece of crap wouldn't stop harassing Selema, ok? I wasn't just going to sit there and let him treat her like that!" Matt looked down towards the wooden table, hands shaking before looking back up. "I'm sorry, Spyro, but I did what I had to do and now I'm going to take care of it!"

The room was silent for a moment before Cynder spoke up. "Spyro…he's got a point. I've heard that Devron comes from a pretty nasty family." She then nuzzled her lover. "Besides, you'd do the same thing if Devron was harassing me, wouldn't you?"

Spyro growled in his throat at the thought. The purple dragon then sighed and shook his head. "Alright then. Let's just focus on figuring a way out of this mess."

"No need," Matt said. "I never said I wouldn't fight him, Spyro."

"But, Matt…" However, his human companion put up a hand.

"Look, I know that I shouldn't have gone and picked a fight, but I have to do this so that Devron will leave Selema alone for good. Please, Spyro. I just want her to be safe."

Spyro, seeing the serious look in Matt's eyes, decided to give in. "Ok, Matt. If you're really willing to fight Devron that badly, then I won't stand in your way."

Matt then smiled faintly, this one worry off his conscience for the moment. "Thank you."

"You do realize what this means though right?" Cynder then asked. "The whole city will probably be there to watch you and Devron fight. I mean, besides the two of us and the Guardians, no one really knows what you're capable of, Matt."

"That's true," Spyro said. "And from I've seen, you shouldn't really have to do too much to beat Devron."

"I don't know," Matt replied. "He's still a dragon after all. Besides, who knows what kind of stunt he may pull to try and beat me?"

"True," Cynder added. "Devron has been known to try that sort of thing to get what he wants. Promise us you'll watch your back in there, Matt."

Matt nodded firmly. "I will."

"By the way, what does Selema think about all this anyway?" Spyro asked. "And why isn't she with you now anyway?" Matt flinched, his face falling to the floor. "What happened, Matt?"

"She…she just got really mad at me," Matt replied sadly. "And then she flew off before I could calm her down."

Spyro and Cynder's eyes widened a little in surprise. "Really?" Spyro asked. "Why would she do that?"

The Keyblader then shook his head. "Something about me always being there to save her. I…I mean what else was I supposed to do?"

Spyro started to speak, but Cynder quickly silenced him. "We don't blame you for doing what you did, Matt. It's just…well…"

"Well, what?"

"It's not a big secret that Selema looks up to you, Matt. That's not hard to see with all you've been through together. Still, sometimes I think she wants to be able to handle things on her own without you having to help her. She just wants to prove to herself that she doesn't need you all the time."

Matt sighed, taking in the black dragoness's words wholeheartedly. "I guess you do have a point. Selema has just come so far from being in that hell hole of a camp. Maybe I did overeact a little…"

Spyro chuckled. "You wouldn't care for her so much if you didn't."

Matt laughed a little at the joke before he got a serious face again. "But…what am I supposed to do now?"

"If I were you," Cynder exclaimed. "I'd just give Selema a little time and a little space for now. I know you want to work things out with her, but this might be something you may want to let take it's toll."

Matt looked up, a look of worry in his eye. "Are you sure?"

Cynder winked. "Positive."

Matt nodded. Somehow, he knew that may be the best course of action to take. "Ok…"

Spyro then leapt back onto all fours once more. "Meanwhile, I think it'd be best if you get ready for your match tomorrow. Why don't I give you a little refresher course on how to deal with earth dragons in the training room?"

Matt's eyes then lit up at the challenge. "Right behind you…"

Meanwhile, a certain pink dragoness was laying down on the chair in her living room, her tail draped over the side and hanging lazily. The seeds she'd purchased were still sitting on the kitchen table along with her bag, untouched since she'd set them there hours ago.

Selema groaned in anguish, ashamed at herself for running away from her closest friend like she had. Selema knew deep down that Matt had only tried to help her, but that still didn't mean he had to barge in on something so personal. He didn't have to go as far as accept a challenge to a fight for her.

Selema's thoughts were broken when she heard a knock on the door. The pink dragoness dragged herself out of the chair and opened the door, finding a certain yellow dragoness standing at her doorstep.

"Hey, Selema," Saffron said. "Are…are you alright? You looked really upset back there."

Selema smiled weakly at her friend. "I'll be ok. Do you want to come in?"

"Sure," Saffron said. The two dragonesses both sat down at the table to talk. "The festival sure was fun, huh?"

"Yeah," Selema replied weakly. "It was OK."

Saffron tilted her head. "Selema…I don't mean to intrude but…why did you yell at Matt like that? I mean, he was just trying to stand up for you."

Selema teeth grit slightly at the thought, but she managed to keep it in. "Well…you know how Matt saved me and everything right?" Saffron nodded. "The thing is though…I always get this feeling that I have to get better and better so Matt doesn't have to save me all the time. Do you know what I'm saying?"

"Kind of," Saffron replied.

Selema sighed. "Today I just felt…weak. I couldn't shake that feeling no matter how hard I tried." Selema then closed her eyes. "It makes me think back to when the apes had taken me. I remember feeling so weak that I thought I was nothing. It felt so…awful."

Saffron's eyes teared as she watched her friend recount painful memories of a past she'd rather forget.

"I…I never want to feel that weak ever again," Selema exclaimed.

Saffron then stood up before walking over and placed a wing over her trembling friend. "Selema…you're one of the nicest and most caring dragonesses I've ever met. You're also one of the strongest."

Selema looked up at her friend. "Really?"

Saffron nodded. "Absolutely. I couldn't imagine going through all the things you did and living to tell the tale. I know for sure I wouldn't be nearly as calm or sane as you are know." Saffron then chuckled. "And I'm sure Matt feels the exact same way."

Selema then smiled weakly. "Yeah…I guess so." She then groaned. "I hope I didn't say anything too harsh to him earlier. He looked really hurt."

Saffron giggled again and lifted her friend's head with her tail. "If you really want to make it up to him, go the duel tomorrow and cheer him on. I'm sure it would mean the world to him."

Selema then nodded. "Yeah...I know it would." She then raised her right paw and glanced at the black band on her wrist, the white jewel giving a constant glow.

The next day arrived much soon than Matt thought it would. His training session with Spyro had been rough, but it had been just what he needed to get ready for the showdown with Devron. Now that the rust had been shaken off, he knew he'd be ready to go.

The Keyblader tried his best to get as much sleep as he could, though his combination of excitement and nervousness didn't really aid the process. Sure he was thinking about the duel, but Matt was also thinking about the reason he'd been challenged in the first place.

The way Devron had looked at Selema as he forced himself on her had made his blood boil at the time, and to a certain degree it still did. For her sake, Matt would be damned if he lost this fight. He kept telling himself it would all be alright, having beaten much tougher and scarier opponents in the past. Still, something kept telling him that it wouldn't be easy whatsoever.

As he layed on his cot in his ship, Matt kept looking at the band on his wrist. He wondered if Selema was still mad at him for what he'd done. After thinking about it some, he didn't blame her in the least. Plain and simply, he'd acted without thinking things through. He knew Selema could take care of herself…but it still hadn't stopped him from barging in and playing hero.

Matt sighed and rubbed the band with his fingers. "I hope I can fix this…," he whispered into the darkness around him.

The stage was set in the newly constructed arena centered on the western half of Warfang. It had been built to seat a high number of occupants for events such as the battle tournament that was taking place today. On this cloudless day, dragons and various other inhabitants of the city had all packed the bowl shaped structure that some felt would burst if any more had tried to find a way in, and who could blame them if they tried. Some of the best fighters in the city had gathered to battle it out for the top crown. However, there was one event that had the crowd buzzing in excitement even more than the tournament.

Spyro and Cynder had managed to persuade Terrador and the other Guardians to allow the duel between Matt and Devron to take place during the tournament, scheduled to take place at high noon. The two young dragons had no idea how big the entire event was to the population, who was anxious to see what this so called 'Keyblader' could really do.

The two watched from one of the more elegant suites as the various battles took place down below. Cynder turned to her lover. "Do you think he's ready?" she asked.

Spyro nodded firmly. "I'm sure Matt will be fine. He looked better than ever yesterday, and I think he'd even give me a good challenge today if we fought."

Cynder nodded in agreement. "I can't believe everyone's finally going see how great he really is. This couldn't have worked out better."

"I guess…," Spyro exclaimed.

"You're not still mad at him about not keeping a low profile , are you?"

Spyro shook his head. "No, of course not. Matt did what he had to do. I just hope Matt doesn't lose his cool out there."

"He'll be fine," Cynder replied. "We trust him, and we should show it by letting him do this."

Meanwhile, in one of the other sections of the arena, Selema was accompanied by Saffron and her parents, Jaden and Mia. The yellow dragoness had invited to come along the previous day. So far, there had been several excellent matches, though no one was surprise by who Saffron rooted for the most.

"Go, Flame!" Saffron cheered loudly as her fellow classmate had just defeated his opponent, moving on the next round. "He's really looking good out there today, isn't he?"

"Yeah…," Selema nodded. The red dragon was one of the more powerful dragons in their class, so it was no surprise to anyone he was doing this well.

Saffron noticed the pink dragoness's quiet demeanor. "Aren't you excited? Matt's going to up soon!"

Selema looked back and smiled weakly. "I hope he'll be alright."

Saffron nuzzled her friend. "He will be, he's fighting for you remember?"

Selema blushed at the thought. "That's true." Suddenly, the pink dragoness felt a small tug at her tail. She looked down and grinned at the sight of a certain hatchling. "Oh, hey there Dax!"

"Hi, Selema!" the little white dragoness chirped. "Is it true? Is it true? Is Matt really going to be here? Is he?"

Selema nodded. "He sure is, Dax. You're one lucky little girl." She looked up and saw her adopted father, Nighshade, had joined them as well.

Dax squealed in delight. "I can't wait to see him! I know he's gonna win! I just know it!"

"I am rather interested myself in watching Matt perform," Nightshade added. "Tell me, Selema, is he really as powerful as they say he is?"

Selema sighed and turned towards the arena floor, where they were preparing the stadium for the duel. "Yes, Nightshade, more than anyone knows."

As the sun rose towards the center of the sky, Terrador walked towards the center of the arena. He and the other Guardians had been acting as referees for all of the matches so far, and no one objected when he'd asked to watch over this match. The entire crowd fell silent as he began to address, his loud voice booming out towards even those in the back rows.

"May I have your attention, please? First of all, we'd like to thank you all for coming out here today to observe the art of battle. However, at this time, we will now begin the event that most of you have been waiting for." Several voices began buzzing throughout the massive wave. "Around this time yesterday, a challenge was requested and accepted between two warriors. One of these you know to be as Devron, one of our students here at the Academy and one of my best pupils." One of the arena doors opened, revealing the earth dragon as he walked out into the sunlight. He was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos, none of which seemed to deter the green dragon from puffing out his chest in pride.

"The other combatant," Terrador continued, causing the crowd to momentarily silence. "is a very special guest of ours. You all have heard of how this young man aided us in our time of need, one who has proven himself to me and the other Guardians time and time again. Now, he has been kind enough to grace ourselves with his presence. Here he is now…the Keyblade warrior…Matt!"

The young human walked out from the other side of the arena to a roar of applause. His eyes wandered all around as complete strangers were cheering him on. He gave a small wave of appreciation as his eyes searched for a certain pink dragoness in the crowd. As he reached the center, Matt was just able to find Selema amongst her friends. He gave her a small nod before turning towards the Earth Guardian and Devron, giving the latter a serious look.

"And here I thought you wouldn't show up," Devron exclaimed.

"Let's just get this over with," Matt replied.

Terrador cleared his throat once more. "Alright, then. This will be a simple, one-on-one duel between the two of you. Niether of you are allowed to land a fatal blow on your opponent. Other than that, you are free to battle using whatever means necessary. A winner will be decided when one combatant has chosen to forfeit, cannot go on due to injury, or by laying your claw over your opponents throat. If I feel that either of you is going too far, I will halt the match immediately, and you will both lose. Do you both understand?"

Matt nodded. "Yes, sir." Devron smirked as well, giving a short nod as well.

"Very well, then. I wish good luck to the both of you. We will begin in one minute."

Matt and Devron stared each other down as Terrador got into his position.

"Just so we're clear," Devron finally spoke up. "When you lose, Selema will be going with me to the dance, and you can't do a thing about it."

Matt's eyes narrowed. "Then I guess it's a good thing I won't lose. Just make sure you keep your word and leave her alone when this is all over with, got it?"

Devron rolled his eyes and turned away and apced towards his side of the field. Matt did the same as well. The earth dragon took his defensive stance as Matt extended his right arm, calling his Keyblade to his hand. Several onlookers gasped in amazement, but Devron barely flinched at the sight.

Selema stared down at her friend, her heart beginning to beat quicker and quicker in anxiousness. Please, Matt...please be careful…

"On my mark, you may start!" Terrador bellowed. He then raised his right forearm up, eyes darting between both warriors. "BEGIN!"

Devron wasted no time in getting off his first attack, opening his maw wide and unleashing a powerful blast of earth energy towards his opponent. Matt stood firm, anticipating the hit before he was able to knock the blast away with one slash of his blade.

"Whoa," Saffron said from afar. "I didn't know he could do that."

"Wow…," Dax cooed, her eyes fixed on her hero.

Devron growled in frustration before he fired multiple earth blasts from his mouth, only for Matt to knock them all away in succession. The earth dragon then raised both his forelegs high before slamming them down into the ground.

Matt cursed as he dived to the side as several pillars of rock emerged from the ground below him. He dodged two more before he decided it was his turn to fight back. While in midair, he aimed his blade straight for his opponent. "Firaga!" he cried, sending a blast of fire magic at Devron. The earth dragon cursed before he curled himself into a ball, his body becoming harder than stone. The fire spell then bounced off of the green dragon with no damage done.

The crowd gasped in astonishment as Matt landed on his feet. This human could wield the elements?

Matt quickly cast another spell before Devron could recover. "Blizzaga!" he cried, a cloud of white particles emerging from his blade and hitting it's mark, covering Devron in a patch of frozen ice.

Devron roared before he managed to break free, sending ice shards spraying in all directions. He then lifted himself off the ground with his wings before coming back down hard on all fours. This time, a rather large earth tremor rocked the arena, making most of the crowd holler in shock.

"Whoa…," Matt exclaimed as he stumbled on his own two feet, trying to keep his balance before he onto his hands and knees. He groaned before looking up to see the earth dragon baring down on him, a claw raised and ready to strike. Matt yelped before he managed to roll out of the way and get back on his feet. However, Devron anticipated his movement, whirling his tail and landing a rough blow into the young human's gut.

"Ack!" Matt cringed as he struggled to breath, dropping his blade in the process. The crowd gasped in suspense, a certain pink dragoness cringing as though she was the hit.

Devron then grinned before then lowered his head and charged again. Matt looked up and grit his teeth. Concentrating with all his might, he managed to leap over the charging earth dragon while summoning his blade in the process.

"Take this!" Matt yelled as he slashed down into Devron, doing a good amount of damage while causing the green dragon to stagger to his side. Devron then roared in pain before charging again, but Matt managed to whirl out of the way in time. Matt then tried to sprint as fast as he could, getting as much distance between himself and Devron. Spyro had warned him that earth dragons were most vicious in close combat, and that it would be foolish to fight Devron up close and personal.

"What's the matter?" Devron yelled as he tore through a large boulder Matt had taken cover behind. "You're not trying to back out now are you?"

Meanwhile, Selema was trembling uncontrollably at this point. It was almost too much to watch.

"Are you OK, Selema?" Saffron asked. "You don't look so good."

The pink dragoness groaned. "I would say I'm fine, but then I'd be lying."

"C'mon, Matt!" Dax cried, jumping up and down from all the excitement. "You can do it!"

Selema gasped at her little companion's words. As anxious and worrisome as she was, watching Dax cheer Matt seemed to make her feel a little better. She then turned and watched her friend continue to battle. Matt…please be alright…

Matt continued to leap and jump away from the larger earth dragon every time Devron attacked him. He was more than fast enough to outrun the larger creature, but it was still beginning to take it's toll. He needed to finish the fight off…and soon.

"Why won't you hold still?" Devron asked as he fired more earth bombs at his target, Matt jumping out of the way once more. The earth dragon then stopped on a dime, his grin widening even further than though possible. "If you won't hold still, then I'll make you!"

"Huh?" Matt asked. What is he talking about?

Devron then closed his eyes and raised one paw out. He then began to glow a shade of green. Matt stood at the ready, clueless to what the earth dragon was doing.

From the suite, Spyro's eyes grew wider. "Oh no…"

"Spyro? What is it?" Cynder asked, noticing the purple dragon's worried look.

Spyro narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth. "Matt is in trouble…" Cynder gasped.

The whole crowd was on the edge of their seats as Devron then opened his eyes, the orbs glowing green as well. "Check this out!" he roared.

Suddenly, Matt gasped as he felt something twist around his ankles. He looked down to see two long, green appendages come out of the ground and ensnare his feet. Matt cursed and prepared to slash them off, but not before two more vines shoot from the ground and wrap around his wrists as well, causing him to drop his Keyblade.

Saffron gasped in the stands, turning to her mother. "Mom…what's happening?"

Mia sighed. "I had no idea that Devron had this power."

"What power?" Selema asked.

"Devron is using his element to control nature," Mia replied. "Only a few earth dragons can use it…and those who can are even deadlier foes."

Matt grunted as he tried desperately to break loose, but the vines were too strong for him to do so. They wrapped tighter and tighter around his wrists, chest, hip, and ankles.

Damn…I can't move!

"You like that?" Devron jeered. "Then you'll love this!"

Suddenly, Matt felt as though several needles had pierced his body. He yelled out in pain as the vines suddenly grew thorn-like spikes on their ends, causing him to bleed from several cuts on his body.

"Ready to quit?" Devron asked.

Matt grunted, one eye closed from the pain. "In your dreams…"

Devron just laughed in his face. "I suppose I'll show some mercy and finish you right now!" He then opened his maw wide and gathered more energy before firing another powerful earth shot. Matt struggled to break loose, but all he could do was brace himself as the blast hit him dead on. Matt screamed in agony as he was torn away from the thorns and thrown back several yards, landing on his back.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Selema yelled.

The crowd fell silent as they watched Matt tremble on the ground. No way he could get back up after that shot could he?

Matt cursed in his mind, his body completely numb. He felt like as if he'd been hit by a train. The purple shirt he'd been wearing had a gaping hole in the front right now.

Selema was in tears by now. Please get up, Matt. Please get up!

Devron then roared out in pride, thinking that his victory was secure. However, when he looked again, he saw something he didn't expect.

"What?" The green dragon looked over and gasped in astonishment as his opponent started to lift himself off the ground, his body shaking heavily. "Impossible! You should be out cold!"

Matt then lifted himself to one knee. "Lemme ask you something…Devron…" His words came between several pants, his body quivering from head to toe. "Why do you want Selema so badly?"

Devron scoffed. "Isn't it obvious? She is the kind of dragoness that I want by my side. Not to mention that she's smoking hot?"

"And?" Matt asked.

"And what? What more could I possibly ask for?"

Matt's fist balled into a closed fist. "That's it? That's why you've been harassing Selema this whole time?"

Devron stomped his foot. "It's not harassing! It's called flirting!"

"Sorry, pal, but you're way of flirting just doesn't fly with me!" Matt cried, finding the strength to get to his feet. The crowd oohd and awed as the human took his stand. Matt then lifted his head up and looked Devron straight in the eye. "Let me tell you something, Devron. Selema doesn't deserve someone like you, not after all she's been through. If the only thing you like about her is her looks, then you must believe beauty is only skin deep."

Selema gasped in surprise as she heard Matt speak. Oh Matt…

"Selema is much more than just a great dragoness," Matt continued. "She's also a great person, one of the best I've ever met. You'll never know her or understand her no matter how hard you try." Matt closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "That's why…I refuse to you let you win!" He then lifted his blade before a green light burst from it's tip, encasing him in energy. The crowd and Devron gasped as several of his wounds closed on their own, instantly healed.

"Alright!" Devron roared, his tail slamming against the ground. "I've had enough of you!" He then slammed both paws against the ground again, his body pulsing with more green energy.

Matt watched as the vines sprang from the ground around him once more, but this time he was more than ready for it. With a loud battle cry, he slashed his blade several times, slicing the vines as they tried to snatch him. Within seconds, the plants had been reduced to nothing but shrubs.

Matt then whirled around and cast a new spell. "Wataga!" he cried, causing a torrent of water to burst from his blade. The wave thudded into the green dragon, causing him to grunt as he managed to hold his ground. Once the wave had ceased, Devron shook himself off before preparing to charge again. "You really think a little water would stop me?"

Matt then smiled. "Who said that was my plan?"

"Huh?" Devron asked before he looked down and grunted. The dirt around him had moistened considerably, forming into mud within seconds. The green dragon felt his paws sink in to the soft earth below, making his movements even slower than before. "What the…?" He then looked up to see the human coming at him once more.

"This is over!" Matt yelled as he jumped high into the air and thrusted his blade downwards.

Devron roared in anger. "I refuse to be defeated by a weakling like you! Goodbye!" He then opened his maw and fired the most powerful blast of earth energy he could muster.

Matt yelped in surprise as he was encased in the blast, screaming as he was hurdled more than fifty feet backwards before landing hard on the ground, forming a large crater in the earth.

Selema leapt from her seat, her heart caught in her throat. "MAAATTTTT!"

When the dust cleared, the young Keyblader remained motionless in the crater, his clothes having been torn to shreds. The arena was silent for several moments before Devron started to laugh manically.

"See that?" he exclaimed. "I knew that a human couldn't outlast me." He turned to Terrador. "Go ahead, Master. Proclaim my victory!"

The Earth Guardian remained firm. "Not until you either admit defeat or put your claw over his throat."

Get up, Matt! Please get up! Selema screamed in her mind. She couldn't care less about going to the dance with Devron at this point. She was just hoping that Matt was ok.

Devron scoffed. "I think I'll choose the latter." The earth dragon slowly trotted over the fallen human. However, when he arrived at the crater he received the surprise of his life when Matt suddenly vanished in a cloud of smoke.

"WHATTT? WHAT IS THIS NONSENSE?"

"DEVRON!" a sudden voice screamed from the side.

The entire crowd whirled around to find the Keyblader standing tall and firm. Not only that, but a powerful light was shining from the tip of his blade over his head.

"Impossible!" Devron screamed. More dragons and other spectators were also stunned at the young human's actions.

"Nope!" Matt exclaimed. "Just me!" He then pointed his blade and released the stored energy he'd built up. "Kingdom Blast!" The energy beam hurled towards the earth dragon, who by now was far too stunned to get out of the way. Devron took the attack head on, roaring in agony as it was he who was being hurled across the arena before he collided with one of the stone walls, leaving a large crater there.

Without hesitating, Matt quickly sprinted as fast as he could to the other side of the arena before staring down at his opponent. The earth dragon was still breathing and had several gashes, but he'd been knocked out cold.

"It's over," Matt simply said as he put the end of his blade to Devron's throat.

Terrador smiled and nodded. "The winner is…Matt!"

The crowd was silent for a few moments, stunned at the outcome. However, they soon were all clapping and cheering loudly as they possibly could. Never before had they witnessed something like this in their lifetimes.

"He did it!" Saffron exclaimed in delight.

"I knew he'd win! I knew it! I knew it!" Dax squealed while jumping around in several circles to Nightshade's amusement.

Spyro and Cynder could only shake their heads. "He never ceases to amaze me," Spyro said.

"You and me both," Cynder added as she let go of the breath she'd been holding for most of the match.

Meanwhile, Matt was still trying to catch his breath as the crowd chanted his name. He gave a small wave before fixing his eyes on the one person he wanted to see more than anything at that moment.

Selema had been silent ever since Matt had been declared the winner. She never took her eyes off of him, not even as he quickly entered the crowd and worked his way to her.

It took Matt several minutes to make it to his dragoness friend. Most of the crowd kept getting in his way, asking for an autograph or blessing. He tried his best to remain patient, but eventually managed to get to Spyro's box where everyone was waiting.

Matt slowly walked over to Selema before the two simply stared at each other for several moments. Finally, Matt got down on his knees.

"Selema…I'm…I'm so sorry…I…" However, Matt couldn't the words out as Selema quickly wrapped him in a big hug. He happily returned it, wrapping his arms around her neck.

"Matt…it's ok…," the pink dragoness exclaimed.

"No, it's not. I…I shouldn't have barged in like that in the first place. Devron was none of my business to begin with…I just…"

Selema then put a paw to his mouth. "Like I said, it's ok, Matt. I'm not mad at you anymore."

"You're not?"

Selema shook her head. "No…I just needed to learn about myself a little more. I know why you do it." She paused. "I didn't mean to hurt you either."

Matt smiled and stroked her head. "You could never hurt me, Selema. You know that."

Selema giggled. "Yes...yes I do."

The two then parted ways. "I don't know about you," Matt said. "But I'm kinda tired."

Selema smiled. "C'mon."

The two friends then made their way out of the arena together, their friendship now stronger than ever before.

Unfortunately, as he watched the two companions leave the arena, a certain oracle dragon still maintaned a serious look. "I hope you liked that Matt...because that's just the warm up to what you're really up against..."

And...there it is! Whew, was that fun or what? I think both me and Matt will need aspirin after that one. ;)

So now that the Devron shindig is over, what lies ahead next? Are Matt and Selema ready for what's coming? Well, you're just going to have to find out.

Peace out,

Biz