Hey everyone! Well, I hope you guys like what's in store this go around. More of a filler, I think it helps set up the rest of the story well. You might be a little surprised at what you find too. ;)
Disclaimer: I do not own the Spyro games or characters. They belong to their respective owners. Alta and Saffron belong to Riverstyxx, while Nightshade and Dax belong to Alec the Dark Angel. I own the characters Matt and Selema.
Within that same home as before, the dragon spy had once again activated the dark crystal in his possession. The same yellow eyes shone down upon him from the radiating object, sending a shiver down his spine.
"Speak," spoke his Master.
"As you wished, my Lord, I found the source of the strange energy I spoke of before," said the servant whose face was once again shrouded in a brown cloak. "It is coming from a human being."
"A human?" the voice responded, his interest peaking.
"Yes, Master. This human…he wields a powerful weapon that grants him abilities a normal creature of his species wouldn't ordinarily have. He was able to defeat an earth dragon with it a short time ago."
The eyes flashed for a moment. "The Keyblade, you say? Hmm…that weapon is somewhat familiar to me, though even I have never seen it with my own two eyes. If it's as powerful as legend speaks of, then he may prove to be difficult."
"There's more, Master," the servant continued. "It seems this warrior has not only allied himself with the purple dragon, but also seems to be quite close to the girl. Rarely have I seen them separated since he arrived." The cold voice grumbled in disgust. "What shall you have me do with him, Master?"
"Leave him be for now," the 'Master' replied. "I doubt even he has any idea of what is to come. Your mission remains the same. Execute it without failure…and you will be rewarded."
The dragon smiled underneath the cloak. "As you wish, My Lord."
After the fight with Devron, Matt went back with Selema to her home in order to recover. Along the way, the two were battered with questions and praise from several fans and onlookers alike. Who could blame them after watching a human being defeat a supposedly more powerful opponent?
Both Matt and Selema were in very high spirits at that point. It was as if the argument had never occurred between the two at all.
Later on that day, Saffron dropped by the house to deliver the news about the tournament. To her delight, the victor was none other than Flame, who managed to defeat a tough ice dragon in the final round to secure the title. The yellow dragoness ranted on for what seemed like hours about how dazzling the fire dragon had been, especially the part where she congratulated him in person when it was all over.
"Oh…I hope he asks me to the dance soon," Saffron exclaimed with stars in her eyes. "We'd make such a cute couple."
Selema giggled. "Oh, I'm sure you will, Saff." Matt smirked a little bit at the comment as well.
The trio then spent the rest of the evening at Saffron's home once more, with her parents more than willing to host Matt and Selema again after all the former had been through that day. Jaden and Mia had nothing but praise for the young warrior, the adults still in awe at what Matt had been able to do. Matt made sure to be as humble as he could as he accepted their compliments, though he made sure to do it between the delicious bites of Mia's cooking.
It was then no surprise to either Matt or Selema when they both collapsed on their respective resting places when they'd returned to her home, both bidding each other good night before giving into the exhaustion of the day.
When morning came, Matt awoke first from his slumber. He rubbed his eyes and stretched himself out before peering into Selema's room, watching as the pink dragoness was still fast asleep. Matt couldn't help at that moment just to smile. He didn't know why, but seeing her so peaceful made him feel exactly the same way. Not wishing to wake her just yet, the young human stepped outside in order to get a whiff of the clean morning air.
As he leaned against the door, Matt suddenly heard a voice from his side. "Get a good night's sleep, Matt?"
Matt gasped and summoned his Keyblade on instinct before whirling to his right. He then stopped himself as he realized who it was. "Oh…it's you again. You know, sneaking up on people isn't very polite."
The grey scaled dragon raised an eyebrow at the hostile move before brushing it off with a glance. "I just wanted to come and congratulate you on your victory yesterday," Alta exclaimed. "It seems you are as strong as advertised."
"Thanks…I guess…," Matt replied. "No offense, but didn't you already know I'd win?"
Alta shot Matt a dirty look, but remained firm. "If you knew anything about oracle dragons, you'd know that I can't look into the future anytime I wish. However, I had a strong feeling you'd prevail."
"That's great to know. Small talk aside, what's the real reason you're came here, Alta?"
Alta paused a moment before speaking. "Very well, then. Though you managed to win this one battle, it'd be foolish to let your guard down now."
Matt sighed. "Somehow I had a feeling that you would say something like that. Devron's a jerk, but I figured he wasn't the real threat after Selema, was he?" Alta's silence confirmed his answer. "Let me ask something else. Why are you telling me all this in the first place? Why me?"
Alta looked Matt in the eye once more, the dull orbs sending a strange sensation down the human's spine. "Because only you can stop the danger in the coming days, Keyblade warrior. What is to come is part of your destiny."
"My destiny?" Matt exclaimed with a dull tone. "If you haven't noticed, I already fulfilled my destiny when I saved the worlds."
"And Selema?"
Matt hesitated for a moment before nodding. "And when I saved Selema. What the heck else am I supposed to do?"
Alta gave a small smile. "That is something you'll need to see on your own. Remember Matt, don't even bother dropping your guard, not for one second." Alta then disappeared into the streets before Matt could ask him anything more, now invisible to the eye once more.
Matt sighed. "Since when do I ever let my guard down?" He then looked at the home next to him and smiled. " Still…not a bad piece of advice."
The morning seemed to rush by after Matt's encounter with a certain oracle dragon. Instead of going and celebrating more, both he and Selema instead to try and help Spyro prepare the Temple for the upcoming dance that would be held the next evening. The purple dragon was more than appreciative for the help, as well as the several moles who couldn't reach certain places that Matt could. In fact, the moles were more concerned about getting all the food ready in time, knowing that plenty would be needed to feed the hungry guests that would arrive.
As Matt and Selema were doing their own line of work, Spyro was instead working with Cynder going over the final preparations. The black dragoness hadn't lost her giddiness over the upcoming night.
"Oh, Spyro," she said as she nuzzled the purple dragon on the snout. "I can't wait for tomorrow night…how will I ever sleep?"
Spyro smiled and nuzzled his lover back. "Oh, I'm sure you'll find a way." It was no secret to most that he and Cynder were in a relationship, and this would be the first time that it would be official in the public eye. Spyro had never seen Cynder so happy in his entire life. He'd be damned if anything were to ruin the evening, which is one of the many reasons why all the ominous warnings made him all the more anxious.
However, it seemed that wasn't the only thing on Cynder's mind. She looked over towards Matt and Selema's direction. "Hey, Spyro. Aren't Matt and Selema going to the dance together?"
Spyro shook his head. "Not as far as I know. Why do you ask, Cynder?"
Cynder narrowed a brow. "Oh, I just…thought that they would be. I mean, after that fight with Devron I'm surprised they both are still dateless."
"I know what you mean," Spyro replied. "But just because they're close doesn't mean they're automatically dates. Besides, Matt even told me he doesn't know if he'll go or not."
Cynder's eyes widened a little. "Wow…really? I figured Matt would want to be here after all the time he's putting in to set it up. Besides, I know Selema would go with him if he asks her."
"Did she tell you that herself?" Spyro asked.
"Well…um…not exactly. But…just look at them, Spyro." Both the black dragoness and Spyro turned once more towards the pair, who were sharing a laugh over a draping landing on several moles who were trying desperately to remove it. "You can't say they don't look good together."
Spyro nodded once. "No, I don't think I can."
At around mid-afternoon, the entire crew couldn't help but admire their own handiwork. The Main Hall was now covered in different shades of purple and gold, whether it hung from the drapings or littered the floor. All the refreshment and regular tables had been set up as well. The only thing needed now was the party guests.
Matt and Selema were walking out of the main foyer towards the entrance, a line of sweat and slight exhaustion visible in their steps.
"Whew," Matt exclaimed as he wiped his forehead. "I'm glad that's taken care of. Is it just me or did we get more moles down from the ceiling than we did putting banners on there?"
Selema giggled. "No, I think it's just you."
"Well, either way, let's just be glad it's done and over with. So what do you feel like doing now?"
Selema paused a moment to think. "Well, I have a feeling a certain little hatchling wants to see her favorite hero again."
Matt grinned. "Well, what kind of hero would I be if I didn't want to visit one of my 'biggest' fans? Sounds like a plan to me."
The two were just walking out when Spyro came paddling up behind them. "Hey, guys! Wait a second." Matt and Selema turned to face the purple dragon again. "Thanks again for all your help today. Everything looks great!"
"No problem, man," Matt replied.
"Yeah, it was nothing, Spyro," Selema added.
Spyro nodded. "I was wondering though, could I talk with you for a minute, Matt?"
"Uh…," Matt hesitated at first, but then decided now would be a good time to let Spyro know of Alta's latest visit. "Sure. I can chat for a little bit." He turned to Selema. "I'll catch up to you later, ok?"
"Ok, that's fine," Selema replied. "Just don't keep us waiting, ok?"
Matt chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't."
The pink dragoness then watched as Matt and Spyro walked away back into the hall. She then sighed and began her trek towards Dax and Nightshade's home, deciding to walk for a little bit instead of just flying straight there.
Though she didn't like admitting it, Selema felt a little sad when Matt had to leave her just moments ago. She knew it was probably something important if Spyro wanted to speak to him alone.
As Selema continued to walk through the buzzing streets, her thoughts strayed towards the very dance she'd just helped to prepare. She had never before attended something like it, which made her somewhat nervous at the idea of going. Even worse, who would she be going with? Besides Devron, who practically forced himself on her, no other male had walked up to ask her yet. It wasn't as if she didn't have any male friends at the Academy, she just hadn't known them long enough for any of them to get acquainted enough with her. The one thing she didn't want now was just for someone to ask her for her looks.
It was then Selema's thoughts trailed to her human companion. It was true that she cared for Matt very much, deeper than she'd probably cared for anyone in her entire life besides her parents. The fact that he'd saved her life on more than one occasion only made her feel warmer inside.
If it wasn't for Matt…she thought. I don't know where I'd be today.
Selema then felt her heart jump at the thought, but she quickly cast it aside. Matt's my friend…I'm sure he feels the same way about me. It's not liked ever feel…that way about me.
Suddenly, Selema's thoughts were broken by a familiar voice. "Selema! Hold up!" The pink dragoness turned to find a certain fire dragon come up to her. "What's going on?" Flame asked.
Selema smiled. "Oh, nothing too much. I was just going to see a friend for a little bit."
"Oh, that's sounds good."
"Congratulations on winning the tournament. Saffron and I thought you were really great."
Flame laughed. "Thanks a lot, though I'll admit the constant parade of praise can get a little old sometimes. I thought your friend Matt was pretty impressive too. I've never seen someone fight like that before. I wouldn't mind battling him someday."
Selema blushed slightly. "I'm sure Matt would like to battle you too, though I think he'd rather do it on better terms."
"Yeah…probably…" Flame then shuffled his feet a little. It was if he was hiding something.
"What's wrong, Flame? Are you alright?" Selema asked.
"Well, the thing is Selema, I was wondering…" Selema cocked her head a little at Flame's words. "What would you think of…going to the dance with me?"
Selema's eyes widened. To say the pink dragoness was surprised was a complete understatement. "Really? I thought you'd already be going with another girl by now."
Flame laughed. "Oh, several girls have asked me, but I told them all I had someone else in mind."
"Me?" Selema asked. The pink dragoness couldn't help but blush harder. "Wow, Flame. I…I don't know what to say."
"It'd be nice if you say yes," Flame replied.
Selema hesitated. There was a part of her that wanted to say yes, but for some reason she couldn't. "I…uh…I don't know."
"Please, Selema," Flame exclaimed again, looking straight into Selema's eyes. "I really want to go with you."
Suddenly, Selema felt as though all the doubt washed away faster than she could have ever let it as she stared into his eyes, her own fluttering slightly as if to brush something from her eyes. The words were out of her mouth faster than she could think them. "Sure…I'll go with you Flame."
Flame grinned widely and nuzzled Selema gently. "That's so great! I'll come by your house and pick you up around sundown tomorrow night, ok?"
"O…ok," she then replied. Flame then kissed her lightly on the head before heading off once more. Selema remained firmly planted on the ground for what seemed like hours, trying to figure out just what happened. When she finally shook her head to get a grip, Selema then fully realized what she'd just done.
"Oh my…," she whispered. A part of her felt relieved at the idea of going with a nice dragon like Flame. However, another part of her felt very, very wrong for some reason. "What have I done?"
Selema then continued her trek onwards towards her destination, still going over the pros and cons of her most recent decision. The sounds and sights of the streets seemed to be absent as Selema zoned out the world around her, trying to figure out her next plan of action.
Suddenly, a loud shout from behind her finally broke Selema again from her daze. She turned around and found Saffron storming up to her. What disturbed the pink dragoness was that Saffron didn't have the usual smile on her face. Instead, the electric dragoness wore a gaze that made Selema realize that something was very, very wrong.
"Saffron? Is something wr…ah!" Selema yelped out as she was suddenly struck across the face by Saffron's talons, leaving several scratches across her face. The pink dragoness rubbed her sore cheek and looked up to her friend in shock.
"How could you?" Saffron asked, her voice shaking in fury. "I can't believe I ever called you my friend,!"
Selema shook her head. "What are you talking about?" But the look of hurt in Saffron's violet eyes made the pink dragoness figure out the answer quickly. It seemed the word had passed quickly about who Flame had asked to the dance. "Saffron, I'm sorry…I…"
"Don't even bother, Selema" Saffron replied coldly. She then turned and sprinted away before Selema could stop her.
The pink dragoness then hung her head and began to tear. She hadn't meant for this to happen. "I'm sorry…," she whispered one more time before turning the other direction. She then beat her wings and flew into the sky once more, seeking to be alone in order to figure out a way out of the mess she'd just caused.
Meanwhile, Matt and Spyro were continuing their conversation back the Temple. It had started routine before the topic ended up at Alta's second message.
"What do you want to do about it?" Matt asked, his arms crossed across his chest.
"I don't know," Spyro replied, shaking his head. "We'll just have to be ready for anything that can possibly happen." Matt nodded back.
"So…," Spyro then stated. "Are you going with someone tomorrow night?"
Matt paused a moment before answering. "Well, uh…not really."
Spyro raised a brow. "You haven't asked anyone yet?"
"No," Matt replied quickly. "I guess I just…well…never got around to it with all this worrying about danger and all."
Spyro nodded. "I guess I can understand that. You're still going though, aren't you?"
Matt shrugged his shoulders. "I...guess I will."
"Here's an idea. Even if you don't have a date, why don't you come as sort of a chaperone? That way you can still continue to keep an eye out for anything and you still get to come."
Matt nodded and rubbed his chin. He couldn't help but agree that the idea did make sense. "Well…alright. Now I guess my only problem now is to find something to wear."
Spyro chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure you'll come up with something by tomorrow night." The purple dragon sighed. "As far as I know, Cynder's going to spend all day getting ready." Spyro then blushed at the idea.
Matt laughed and lightly punched his friend on the shoulder. "Relax, Spyro. I'm sure you and Cynder will have a great time. I don't know if I've said it enough, but I believe you two were made for each other."
Spyro grinned widely. "Thanks, Matt. I'm sure you'll find someone like that someday too."
Matt turned and looked outside. "I sure hope so."
Later on when their conversation ended, Matt kept his word and journeyed to Nightshade's home to meet up with Selema. The only problem was, the pink dragoness wasn't there.
"I'm sorry, Matt," the black dragon exclaimed. "But Selema hasn't been here all day."
"Are you sure?" Matt asked. "She said she was coming straight here to see Dax."
Nightshade nodded. "I wish there was more I could tell you. I'm sure Selema's probably back at her home right now, probably waiting for you."
Matt sighed and thanked Nightshade for his help, adding that the black dragon say hi to Dax for him as the little hatching was taking a nap.
The Keyblader thought to go over to Selema's home right away, but instead decided to take a quick detour back to his Gummi Ship in order to look through his limited wardrobe for something decent to wear.
As he trolled through the forest towards the trip outside Warfang, Matt's thoughts went back to his earlier conversation with Spyro. Matt wasn't hesitant to admit he wasn't much of a 'dance' person, never really attending them on a regular basis back in his own world. One of the big reasons was that he'd been so shy back in those times when it came to asking girls to the dance. Even now, the thought of asking someone made himself feel a little anxious.
As for who he wanted to ask…well…there was really only one person at the moment on his list. The idea of taking Selema to her first one did have a nice ring to it in Matt's point of view. He didn't notice it then, but a small blush formed on his face as he continued to wonder how the night would go, playing out the scenario in his head. To his surprise, the more he thought about it, the more and more Matt liked it.
Maybe…maybe it wouldn't be so bad if we went together… Matt thought.
Suddenly, the Keyblader's thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of soft sobbing nearby. Matt thought it was nothing at first, but his ears soon were trained to it, growing louder the more he approached it. Not one to back away at a distressed call, Matt peered through the brush to find something he wasn't expecting.
The electric dragoness Saffron was laying on her stomach against a large oak, her head buried in her paws as her sobs continued. Matt slowly approached through the brush, wondering what she was doing all the way out here by herself. "Saffron?" He asked softly, catching her attention. The lines around the dragoness's eyes were all red and puffy. "Are you OK?"
Saffron sniffed hard before shaking her head no. "How could she do this to me?" she whimpered softly, her lips trembling with her words.
"What?" Matt asked. "What are you talking about?"
Saffron looked into Matt's eyes, widening a little in realization. "S…Selema…she…she told Flame yes when he asked her to the dance."
Matt blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to process the information just given to him. He then shook his head back to the current conversation. "Really?"
Saffron nodded and hung her head. "Why would she do this to me? She knew I really liked Flame…but she said yes to him anyway."
Matt simply shook his head, not really knowing what to think. This doesn't sound like Selema at all… He thought. "I…I don't know, Saffron. I'm really sorry."
The electric dragoness sighed. "Why…it's not your fault. I just…don't understand."
"Me neither…," Matt replied. "Selema didn't tell me anything about it."
"That's a surprise," Saffron exclaimed, trying to wipe away some her tears with a paw. "I told her off about it too, but it didn't make me feel any better."
"Oh," Matt said. That would probably explain why he hadn't found Selema at Nightshade's in the first place. "Again…I…I'm really sorry, Saffron. I'm sure Selema didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
"Then why would she say yes to Flame if she knew how I'd feel about it?"
Matt scratched his head in search of a solution, but was coming up on empty. "I...I just don't know. I wish I could tell you why, but I can't." Saffron moaned and layed back on her paws, not satisfied with his answer as he expected. "Uh…if you want…I can leave you alone or something." Saffron shook her head immediately. Matt then took a seat next to the electric dragoness in order to try and comfort her.
The two remained slient for several minutes as the sounds of the forest surrounded them. It was only then that Matt realized the fantasy of going with Selema would now not come to pass. To his surprise, the news that Selema was going with Flame made him envious of the fire dragon.
Why did I wait so long…? Matt asked himself. If I hadn't, none of this would've happened.
Saffron then interrupted his thoughts. "It's funny…"
"Hmm?" Matt asked.
Saffron turned and met his eyes again. "It's just…I thought Selema was going to go with you, Matt."
Matt blushed a little at the comment, but kept his cool. "Really? Why would you think that?"
Saffron seemed a little offended at his answer, tilting her head a little to the side in response. "Well, the fact that Selema always talks about you for one thing. When I first heard her story, I felt so bad because of what she went through. But when I heard you saved her, I felt a lot better knowing she had someone like you watching over her." Saffron's lips curled into a small smile. "Ever since you returned to Warfang, I've never seen Selema so happy. And when you fought for her against Devron, I could see how much she cared about you just from looking in her eyes. I don't think you know how much Selema admires you sometimes, Matt."
Matt looked at the electric dragoness, a huge smile on his face. "Yeah…I guess you have a point there." He then looked back towards the sky. "Selema means a lot to me too."
"So then…why didn't you ask her to the dance?"
Matt hesitated. "I…I don't know. I guess…I was just too late to ask."
Saffron sighed and looked up, chuckling slightly. "Boys…it makes me wonder why I bother with them sometimes."
"I could ask the same question about girls sometimes…," Matt replied, getting a laugh out of both of them.
Saffron then smiled at the Keyblader. "You know something…you really are a nice guy, Matt."
Matt blushed. "Thanks…I get that a lot."
Saffron then stood up. "I hope I wasn't too mean to Selema before...she probably hates me right now."
Matt quickly shook his head no. "Not a chance," he replied. "She's not one to hold a grudge."
"Still…could you do me a favor and tell her sorry for me? I don't want what I said to ruin her night…even if it is with Flame."
Matt then stood up with her and nodded firmly. "I'll be glad to, Saffron."
"And Matt…," Saffron added. "Thank you…"
"Anytime…"
Matt then decided to escort Saffron home before he decided to face a certain pink dragoness. However, when he looked down, it seemed the glowing on the jewel on his wristband was glowing brighter than it should've been.
She must be close… Matt thought. He then summoned his Dragon's Fury blade and took flight, the wristband guiding her towards Selema's location.
It didn't take Matt long to find the pink dragoness perched atop one of the Temple ledges, her head hanging in sorrow. As he landed, Matt slowly approached her and sat down next to her.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.
Selema turned towards him, her blue eyes shining with oncoming tears. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone, Matt."
"I know…I know…"
Selema then leaned in and rested her head against Matt's shoulder, letting him curl his left arm around her neck. "I don't even know why I did it…I just…did."
Matt sighed, swallowing his pride before speaking once more. "Well…for whatever reason…you did. I guess now all that's left is to get you ready for tomorrow night."
Selema looked at him with wide eyes. "You're not mad at me?"
Matt shook his head. "Of course not. Why would I be? Flame seems like a pretty nice guy."
"But…what about Saffron? She probably hates me right because of this…" The pink dragoness slowly rubbed her face where her friend had scratched her earlier.
"About that…," Matt replied, placing a hand on Selema's shoulder to reassure her. "I already talked to Saffron earlier. She wanted me to tell you…that she's sorry."
Selema's smile widened. "Really?"
Matt nodded. "Really."
Selema sniffed hard. "I promise you one thing…once it's over tomorrow night…I'm going to do whatever it takes to make it up to Saffron if it's the last thing I do."
"I know you will," Matt replied. He then turned and watched the sunset in the distance. "I don't know about you…but this is a pretty sweet view."
Selema nodded and turned towards the west as well, letting herself sigh somewhat in relief. "Yeah…it sure is."
The two companions continued to watch for what seemed like hours, their minds drifting back and forth towards the coming events of the next evening.
Little did they know how much was in store for the both of them, as what would come would test just how strong the bond between them really was…
:0 There you have it! I'm interested in your reactions after this chapter in particular for obvious reasons.
Anyways...what's in store for our young heroes? Are they ready for it? Are you? Probably not after what I've got planned. ;)
Thanks again for reading (and hopefully reviewing, that's nice too)!
Peace out,
Biz