Spyro gasped, instinctively bracing himself as he slammed into the rocky ground. He held back a scream as he landed directly on his wing, dislocating it. Struggling, he managed to rise up again, his legs shaking weakly as he pushed himself up off the ground. His actions were greeted with a deep, throaty laugh which echoed around the fiery cavern.

"Is that all you've got? I expected more from the dragon of the prophecy!" Malefor sneered contemptuously at the shivering body of Spyro. "Come on! Face a real purple dragon!"

Spyro shook violently, blood flowing like tiny rivers down his battered scales. His blood trickled down onto the earth, forming small, crimson puddles beneath him. Unable to fully support himself, he staggered, attempting to make a move toward the Dark Master. The larger dragon cackled evilly, his gleaming fangs illuminated in the firelight.

"Is the baby dragon tired already?" He took a step, approaching Spyro slowly, taking relish in the moment. "Let's put him to sleep."

Suddenly, as if spurred on by the Dark Master's words, Spyro roared, both in fury and in pain. Despite his body crying out in protest, he began to run, charging headlong at Malefor, aiming his horns at the dragon's large belly.

Malefor smiled, sidestepping to the left. Spyro had no time or energy to respond to the maneuver, and could only watch in horror as his adversary lifted his arm above his head, and swing it viciously down at his unprotected body with a backhanded punch.

The impact sent Spyro flying. He screamed out in agony as his body slammed into the ground, tumbling and rolling in an amassment of wings and scales. He rammed into the wall with awful force, leaving behind a large dent before sliding to the ground in a broken heap.

Spyro feebly tried to lift his head, only succeeding in raising it for a few short moments before letting it fall back to the dusty ground. He could only watch as Malefor slowly advanced toward him, his eyes smiling wickedly.

His heart thumped like a drum in his chest as his enemy grew closer with each step. Now, he was only a few steps away.

Thump thump thump thump thump…

Malefor was now right beside his prone form, laughing with satisfaction at seeing his enemy defeated. He slowly raised his arm for the killing stroke.

Thumpathumpathumpathump…

He swung his arm, his sharp claws zooming seeking to pierce Spyro's exposed chest.

"Raagh!"

Spyro awoke from his horrific nightmare, his heart beating violently. He gasped, throwing off the sheets that covered him in a panicked frenzy. He felt a chill as he did this, his body drenched in a cold sweat. Clutching his chest, he waited for Malefor's claws to slice through his belly, spilling his blood over the bed in which he lay.

He inhaled and exhaled rapidly, his eyes wide with fright as they darted around the room, searching for the Dark Master, expecting him to emerge from the darkness and snatch him away into the night.

Finally, Spyro began to get a hold of himself, his pulse beginning to decrease in speed, along with his breathing. His ceased gasping, and instead began to breath deeply, inhaling and exhaling as slowly as he could muster. He lay back onto his pillow once more, feeling relieved.

"Spyro?"

Spyro was surprised to hear Cynder's voice beside him. He turned his head to look at Cynder, who was laying awake right next to him. Her pupils were dilated, her face a picture of worry.

"Are you okay? You look awful." She shuffled uncomfortably.

"I… I'm fine." Spyro lied, not wanting Cynder to worry about him. In truth, Spyro was terrified of what he had just dreamed. Everything had been so vivid; the fire, the claws, the pain… it had all seemed so real...

"Are you sure? You seemed pretty scared when you woke up." She paused, and then continued. "You can tell me what's wrong, Spyro. There's no need to hide anything from me."

Spyro sighed, hesitating. He didn't want her to worry, but at the same time, he didn't want to keep secrets from her. After thinking for a little bit, he spoke.

"It was just a nightmare, Cynder. I'm fine." He replied defensively.

Spyro rolled back over onto his back again, trying to avoid the conversation that was threatening to start. He closed his eyes, trying to fall back asleep.

"Wow. That must've been some nightmare if it made you yell out like that. Are you sure you're alright?" Cynder asked sweetly, pushing herself closer to Spyro.

Spyro rolled over onto his side again, turning his back to Cynder. "I don't want to talk about it."

Cynder frowned. Despite her disappointment, she nodded he head understandingly. She allowed a smile to creep onto her face. "Well… okay. Tell me if you want to talk about it, okay?"

Spyro felt relief course over him. Exhausted, he closed his eyes, happy that they wouldn't have to talk about this anymore. He lay there, trying to not to think about the nightmare. Suddenly, he heard Cynder's voice break the silence again, causing his eyes to open.

"I love you."

Despite his tiredness, he smiled for the first time that night. All of a sudden he felt warm inside, comforted by those three simple words. He rolled over onto his other side, now face to face with Cynder.

"I love you, too."

Then, Cynder did something Spyro did not expect. Slowly but surely, she leaned forward and licked his cheek. It lasted only a second, but its effect lasted much longer. Spyro felt totally consoled, forgetting about his nightmare. He smiled even wider, his happiness replacing his feelings of fear.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Spyro."

They both fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

…

The sun peeked over the horizon, awakening the world from its long slumber. The sun's rays reached across the world, casting away the blanket of darkness that covered the earth and staining the sky a deep golden shade. The birds began to chirp, singing their song with contentment as they greeted the new day.

Spyro awoke to the sun shining on his face, the bright light hurting his eyes. Lazily, he raised an arm over his eyes, shielding his eyes from the bright light of the sun that was streaming in through the window. He yawned as he began to slowly sit up in the bed, brushing the sleep from his eyes with his free hand. He stretched groggily, flexing his wings as he tried to regain circulation in them.

He turned away from the window, naturally setting his gaze on the sleeping form of Cynder next to him. As he looked, he began to stare a bit at her, watching her as she slept peacefully, her chest slowly rising and falling with each breath. He couldn't help himself from feeling a warm sensation as he looked at the pretty dragoness beside him. Her red belly, her small horns, her glossy jet black scales…

He sat there, nearly motionless for minute, feeling a rush of emotions wash over him. What was this feeling that warmed him so much?

Spyro could remember it all. He remembered her three words, barely a whisper above the madness as they burned themselves into Spyro's heart like a hot iron.

"I love you."

Ever since then, their love and passion for one another grew, their relationship growing stronger with each passing day. Their love for one another was obvious to the inhabitants of Warfang. They walked together, talked together, and as of recently, even slept in the same bed together. Over the course of only a year, their relationship had turned from the occasional peck on the cheek to something far more serious.

Suddenly, his train of thought was interrupted as he saw Cynder's eyes flutter slightly. He was quickly broken out of his little trance, and he turned his head away from her for a moment, realizing that she was waking up. Slowly, he got up out of bed, stretching his wings as he placed his front and back legs onto the floor.

Sure enough, Cynder's eyes opened, but then quickly closed again as the sunlight from the window streamed onto her face. She groaned and placed a hand in front of her eyes.

"Good morning, Cyn." He greeted her lovingly.

She rolled her head sideways on the pillow at the sound of Spyro's voice. Seeing him standing there, his tired eyes looking back at her with a smile on his face, she couldn't help but smile back.

"Hey, Spyro. Did you sleep well?" She wiped the sleep from her eyes. "Did you have that nightmare again?"

Spyro had completely forgotten about the nightmare. Images of his death flooded his mind again. His blood, his broken body, his helplessness as Malefor made the killing strike on his belly…

"Spyro?"

"What? Oh… no, I slept well. No nightmares." He replied, shaking his head slightly. She nodded her head once in satisfaction.

"That's good. I'm glad to hear that you're doing okay, Spyro." She pushed herself up with her front legs, stretching her wings before getting up out of bed. Spyro watched her stretch, momentarily entranced by her movements before looking away and walking around the bed. She nuzzled him affectionately, and they both walked out of the room, closing the door behind them.

…

Spyro and Cynder left their small, white marble house, constructed by the moles as an act of gratitude soon after Malefor's defeat. They had insisted on making it larger, but Spyro and Cynder had turned down the offer. However, despite being small, it was very cozy, and that was what mattered most to the dragon couple.

They walked together down the wet stone of the path, enjoying the cloudless sky.

Cynder looked up to the sky, relishing the sun shining on her face. She let her eyes drift shut momentarily. "It's been awhile since it stopped being rainy and cloudy. It's nice."

Spyro nodded his head in agreement, walking around a small puddle. "Yeah. I thought it wasn't ever going to stop raining. It's great to see the clouds have finally gone away."

They stayed close together as they traveled the straight, stone road. Buildings rose up around them on the left and right, seeming to wall them off from the rest of the world. The sun filled them both with energy, their wings warming up as the blood circulated to them.

Lately, life for both young dragons had been very relaxed. Neither of them had much to do around the city, but they had not been bored. Instead, they used this long period of time to grow their relationship. Both of them were going steady now, and now their status as a couple was widely known across the entire kingdom.

Spyro flapped his wings a little bit, turning to face Cynder. He looked at her red belly, her beautiful body, her eyes…

Those eyes… those two pools of beautiful sapphire… those same eyes that used to be so filled with fury and rage and confusion, were now filled with happiness and peace. They mesmerized him. So much about one's inner being was revealed by their eyes…

A thought crept into his head, one that had plagued him for a long time.

"Should I ask her?" Spyro thought to himself. "Is now the best time? What if she says no?"

He stared straight ahead, thinking. Finally, he made up his mind. He was going to ask her today.

He flexed his wings, feeling the blood circulate through them before giving them an experimental flap.

"Hey, Cynder…" Spyro cleared his throat before blurting out, "You wanna race?"

Her face lit up in surprise. "Well, Spyro… I don't know…"

She was cut off as Spyro took a few running steps forward and leapt into the air, flapping his wings as he took off into the air. He shouted back to her, "Race you to the wall!"

She shook her head, chuckling. Giving her wings an experimental flap, she took off, trying to close the gap between herself and Spyro.

"Hey! Wait up!" She shouted after him, giggling as she beat her wings as fast as she could, keeping her tail stiff behind her as she tried to rocket past Spyro.

Spyro zoomed over the city, with Cynder close behind. The wall began to draw near, the massive grassy plain coming into view. The dragoness began to catch up with Spyro, her wings flapping furiously as she tried to catch up with him. They could here each other's laughter despite the wind whipping violently over them as they shot through the air.

Spyro dove like a falcon, tucking his wings behind his back, and Cynder followed suit. After what seemed like ages, they finally reached the wall. Spyro had won, but only by a little bit. They landed on the battlements, rolling with the impact despite slowing down before they hit the stone of the wall. The giggled and laughed with glee as they rolled over, pushing themselves up off the ground with their powerful legs. Spyro grinned, breathing hard from the exertion.

"I win." His chest heaved up and down as he sucked in air greedily. Cynder gave him a playful shove.

"You only won because you cheated!" She gasped. Spyro nodded his head slowly.

"Yeah… I guess you're right." He took a step toward her, turning to face the wide expanse of field. His eyes widened. "It's a beautiful view, isn't it?"

Cynder smirked as Spyro changed the subject. Subconsciously, she turned her head, and her jaw dropped a bit. It truly was beautiful.

The lush, green field glistened with morning dew, each tiny drop of water a mirror as it reflected the sunlight. The sun turned the sky into a lovely shade of gold and pink as it began to peak out over the horizon. The Mountain of Malefor was now little more than a gaping hole, its black, charred landscape beginning to turn green as the flow of magma ceased. Tall, forested hills rose up on their right, far off in the distance, shrouded with mist. All in all, it was a sight to behold. Cynder's jaw relaxed open, taking it all in.

"Yeah." She paused. "It's beautiful."

As she stood there, Spyro began to inch closer to her, sliding sideways inch by inch until he was right beside her. His tail moved side to side, eventually crisscrossing with hers. Startled by this sudden contact, Cynder glanced over her shoulder. Seeing Spyro there, she relaxed, and leaned into him gently, letting him partially support her with his body weight. She nuzzled his neck affectionately, closing her eyes with contentment. He nuzzled her back, enjoying her touch. They looked ahead of them, mesmerized by the sunrise.

Now, thought Spyro. Now is the best time. Just do it. Ask her.

Even so, Spyro hesitated. What if it's too early? What if she says no? What if it ruins us?

No, Spyro thought resolutely. You know she won't say no. Ask her.

Finally, after much thought, Spyro made his decision. He cleared his throat quietly, trying as hard as he could to keep his voice from shaking. He stepped away from her only a little bit, shifting his eyes until they looked right into hers.

"Um… Cynder? Can I ask you something?"

He could see her eyes light up as he said this. Her head lifted up as she met his gaze. "Sure, Spyro. What is it?"

Spyro cleared his throat again, nervously. After a short pause, he began to speak again.

"Well, I mean…" He stumbled, trying to find the right words. There was no going back. "We've been together for over a year now. Both you and I have grown closer together."

He watched as she looked down slightly, trying to hide a smile that was creeping onto her lips. He continued. "We've grown up so much over these past few years. We're no longer the young dragons that we used to be."

What he said was true. Both Spyro and Cynder had grown. Despite the fact they were not full grown yet, they had gotten much taller, and their bodies had gone through many other physical changes as well. Spyro had developed a new layer of muscle underneath his darkening purple scales, and Cynder's legs had grown more slender. Not only this, but their horns had grown much longer. Even though they were not yet fully grown, they were treated like adults by the rest of the city.

"Yeah… Go on." Cynder nodded her head, urging him to continue. Spyro could have sworn that a bead of sweat trickled down his brow at that very moment. He resisted the urge to wipe it off of his face lest she see how nervous he was.

"Well… I feel… I think…um…" Spyro struggled to say the right words, looking at the ground, afraid that he would mess things up if he continued to look at Cynder.

How am I going to ask her? Spyro agonized himself. As he stood there, Cynder's soft voice seeped into his psyche, breaking the awkward silence.

"Are you okay, Spyro? What do you want to ask me?" Cynder blinked slowly.

Spyro stared at the stone surface of the wall, shaking his head. "N-Never mind. It's nothing."

Coward.

"What?" Cynder looked perplexed. "Are you sure? You were saying some pretty great stuff a second ago." She leaned forward, kissing him on the cheek. His upset expression brightened almost instantly, making her smile. "I already told you that you don't have to be afraid of sharing things that are on your mind with me. Come on." She took a step forward toward him, nuzzling his neck affectionately. "Tell me. Please."

"I…I can't. I just can't." Spyro stammered. "I don't want to talk about it."

Cynder's disappointed expression went unseen by Spyro due to her position. She ceased rubbing his neck and stepped back, smiling as she tried to hide her confused feelings.

"Okay… let me know if you change your mind, okay? Anytime you want to talk."

"Alright." Spyro nodded his head, his eyes distant. "I will."

The purple dragon felt as if he could have thrown himself from the walltop, right then and there. As she turned away, he grimaced with frustration at himself.

Idiot! You blew it! He chastised himself in the safe haven of his thoughts. You're a damn coward, Spyro!

Cynder looked out over the great expanse of grassy meadow before her as the sun continued to rise up over the horizon. Yet, as she stared off in the distance, her thoughts were on Spyro.

Why was he acting so strangely? Could it have been the nightmare from last night?

Yes, she thought. It had to be the nightmare. He had been acting a little funny ever since it had occurred. She debated whether of not she should ask him about it again, but his touchiness on the subject last night caused her to decide against it. Yet, there had to be something she could do?

She glanced back over her shoulder, and she saw him there, looking sad and almost angry. Her confusion turned to worry. Why was he like this?

She tried not to think about it. Spyro would be fine, she thought. There was nothing to worry about, she told herself. Just relax…

She allowed her body to lean against Spyro, who had shuffled closer to her as she was deep in thought. They stayed silent, trying to enjoy what remained of the wondrous sunrise.

…

Author's Note: Dang, that chapter took foreevr to write. Stupid school and other crap. DX

Anywho, this story will most likely update very slowly. The sad thing is, this chapter was supposed to have a second part that introduced the main villain, but since the chapter took so long to write, I had to update it as a new chapter before this story completely dropped off of the radar. That is, if it hasn't already. XD

Was this chapter cheesy? Stupid? Too short? Too long? Please, review! Let me know what I can improve on! :D