This has to be some kind of sick joke.

Permanent? This is the thanks he gets for the sacrifices he's made? After having the weight of the whole world thrown on his shoulders, he gets the rest of his life stolen away from him?

Permanent?!

No! I refuse to believe that he has to spend the rest of his life this way. He deserves so much better! He deserves to be happy! How can anyone be happy living like this? It isn't fair!

There has to be some way of fixing this!

There has to be...

Spyro, why did this have to happen to you? I just wish so badly that there was something I could do...

-~.~-*-~.~-

As much as I hated to admit it, Sparx was right a surprising amount of the time. I'd always scoffed at him whenever he said that the Guardians were just a bunch of downers, but these meetings with them did often bring a pretty hefty gloom. This was no exception.

It was the morning after Spyro and I had reached the city. It was so late at night by the time we arrived at the gates that most of the citizens were asleep—which was probably a blessing, come to think of it. We had been directed to a large structure in the centre of the city called the Citadel, which turned out to be the offices and residence of the Guardians and the city's other officials. We were given rooms inside, but we only used one of them. Spyro had had another episode of panic soon after we had separated to go to sleep, with no idea where he was or how he had gotten there, and I had been forced to stay with him for the rest of the night to try and help him calm down. Sleep hadn't come easily for either of us.

I wasn't in the best mood that morning as a result.

"So, let me get this straight," Sparx said, hovering in front of Spyro's nose. Along with the three Guardians we were currently gathered in a large private study that was set aside for the Guardians' use. "You can't remember anything that happened since the fight?"

Spyro just looked up at his brother blankly. He had spent the morning in a sort of confused daze, not even questioning what was happening around him anymore. He looked utterly lost, and there was an air of surrender around him. I absolutely hated seeing him like that. He felt broken. Where was the strong, confident dragon that we all knew?

"You don't even remember meeting each other earlier? The inseparable duo, the scourge of evil, finally back together, and it's just gone?"

"I...I don't know," Spyro replied helplessly.

"What can you tell us?" Cyril spoke up. "You at least recall who we are, so part of your memory must be intact. What do you remember?"

Spyro frowned thoughtfully, his eyes drifting off. "Well, I remember going through the burned lands after Ignitus got us to the Belt of Fire, and..."

He shuddered, and I felt a swell of sympathy as an image of Ignitus disappearing into the flames appeared in my mind. I had never felt particularly close to the Guardians, isolating myself from them for most of the time I spent at the swamp Temple—I mean, could I really be blamed for that?—but Ignitus had always been the one to make the most effort to check on my wellbeing, making sure I felt comfortable and safe. He cared for me. There was never a question about that. Aside from Spyro, he was the first one to ever show me anything other than hatred or suspicion. I was going to miss that.

I felt a sting in my eyes, and I quickly wiped them with my forepaw. I couldn't appear weak now. I still needed to be strong for Spyro.

The sound of him forcefully clearing his throat brought my attention back to the present. He sniffed, blinking back tears as he tried to resume his story.

"After...after he sacrificed himself to get us through the fire, I remember we fought through the burned lands to the volcano where Malefor was waiting for us. We fought him, and during the fight we fell into the volcano and ended up in a cavern with a huge purple crystal. Then it was like five...ghosts, or spirits, rose up and dragged Malefor right into the crystal. I don't really understand it..."

"You sure you didn't just breathe too many fumes in there, buddy boy?" Sparx quipped.

"Fascinating," Volteer said, leaning closer. "What next?"

"Well, the world was still breaking apart from the Destroyer. I didn't think there was anything left we could do, but then...I don't know. It was just like instinct. I felt that I could stop it, but I was afraid I wouldn't be strong enough to live through it. I told Cynder to get to safety, but she wouldn't leave. Then I heard..."

He trailed off, and his eyes turned toward me. I faltered, blinking in surprise when I saw the furtive, embarrassed look his eyes carried. Was it true? Had he really heard my confession to him? I wondered why he hadn't said anything about it, though. Then again, there were some bigger issues that took obvious precedence at the time...

Sparx glanced suspiciously between us, and it looked to me like he was getting impatient about the pause. He fluttered down in front of Spyro's face and waved.

"Helloooo?"

Spyro jumped, looking up at Sparx and blushing. He quickly averted his eyes.

"Go on, Spyro," Terrador prompted. "What next?"

"Um," Spyro fumbled, looking like he was having trouble picking up his train of thought. "I..."

"You had an idea on how to stop the world's destruction," Cyril offered.

"Oh, right. Uh...Well, I was just following my instincts, I guess. I felt this collection of power right in my core, and I just...let it out, and everything went white. Then...I was here." He paused, his brow creasing, and when he spoke again he sounded hesitant. "...Why were you asking?"

"Hmm," Terrador rumbled, looking over at the other Guardians. When his question went unanswered Spyro looked to me for help, but I couldn't speak up without interrupting the Guardians. All I could do was give him a thin, weak smile as Terrador spoke again. "Volteer, you appear to have a theory. Can you share it with us?"

"Ah, yes, of course," Volteer stammered. "Well, as you say, Terrador: It is only a theory. A vague hypothesis at best. But if I may make an assumption, would it be reasonable to infer that this release of power you performed to avert the planet's destruction had a significant toll on you?"

The question was directed at Spyro, and I saw him shift uncomfortably.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "It felt like my life was being sucked out of me..."

Volteer nodded with a drawn-out hum. "Well, the evidence so far seems to suggest that both the battle against Malefor—a terrible and powerful foe by any stretch of the imagination—and the strain of arresting the very disintegration of our world constituted a severe trauma. As I'm certain you are all aware, various forms of amnesia are often the mind's recourse to such emotional injury."

"Amnesia?" I repeated, raising up in surprise. "But he just showed us that he still has his past memories. He can't have amnesia."

"The common conception of amnesia, or more specifically, retrograde amnesia, is just as you described. However, it is not the only type. Anterograde amnesia is an ailment that I have heard of in the past which can leave its victims in possession of their past memories without any noticeable degradation, but it inhibits the formation of new memories after the instance of trauma, as we can see exemplified in our young companion. Events cannot be imprinted in long-term memory, and are promptly forgotten."

"Wow," Sparx whistled. "That's...harsh. So, if I'm hearing you right—which is always questionable—no matter what happens from now on, it doesn't matter? He won't remember it?"

"Precisely."

"Huh." Sparx looked down at Spyro, and I didn't particularly like the way he was rubbing his chin with a calculating look on his face. "Hey, bro, hold on for a sec. I think you have something in your eye."

"What?" Spyro said, tilting his head.

Sparx leaned down closer, and I jolted when he suddenly shot a finger forward and jabbed Spyro right in his eye without warning.

I could only stare. Did he really just do that?

"OW!" Spyro yelped, jerking pack and slapping a forepaw over his eye. "What was that for?!"

"Science."

"Was that really necessary?" I growled. Somehow I doubted that this action was really beneficial to Spyro at that moment.

"Hey, it seemed to be to the point," Sparx answered with a quiet snicker. Spyro glared up at him, still rubbing his eye.

"Anyway..." I groaned. I turned back to the Guardians. "That means that this is reversible, right? I mean, people with amnesia can get their memory back, can't they?"

Volteer's expression tensed, and I felt my heart drop.

"This is not an area in which I can boast any particular expertise," he said. "However, from the studies that I have happened to come across I have seen no indication of anterograde amnesia being curable. My fear is that this is something Spyro will carry for the rest of his life."

I was numb. He hadn't just said that. There was no way that he had basically written Spyro off as a lost cause. Did he mean to say that for the rest of his life Spyro would be stuck in a constant state of not knowing what was going on around him?

What kind of a life was that?!

No. No, this was wrong. This wasn't how things were supposed to be! This was supposed to be our chance to be happy, to finally be at peace! Now the Guardians were saying that Spyro would never have that chance? I mean, how could anyone ever possibly be happy when they spent every waking minute feeling lost? I couldn't believe what I was hearing!

"So...that's it?" I asked quietly, my jaw tight. "You're just going to give up on him, just like that?"

"No one is giving up on anyone," Terrador replied, his tone infuriatingly calm. "I promise that we will do everything in our power to give Spyro the support he needs to live with this condition, but if Volteer is correct then really there is little we can do beyond making sure that he is comfortable and provided for."

"That's not good enough!" I snapped, startling even myself with the intensity. "There has to be some way that we can help him get better!"

"Cynder, please—" Cyril began.

"No! There has to be more that we can do for him! After everything he did for us and for the entire world, we are not leaving him like this! He deserves better! He deserves to live a happy life after what he's been through! He deserves peace, not spending the rest of his life confused and scared! He..."

I was completely furious at this point, so much so that I had run out of words to express it. I looked up at Spyro, and my heart turned painfully in my chest when I saw the wide-eyed, frightened look that he was giving me. I couldn't bear it anymore, and before I knew what I was doing I had risen to my paws and stormed out of the room, my whole body shaking. I stopped a few strides farther down the hallway, slumping against the wall and gripping my head with my forepaws.

I had never felt this way before in my life. The only way I could really describe it was loss, like someone I cared the world for had just died—which was absurd. Spyro was alive, after all, but that didn't make the feeling go away. My chest felt like someone was crushing it, and I could barely breathe. Tears stung at my eyes, and I furiously shook my head and tried to wipe them away. What good would they do anyway? When did an emotional breakdown help anyone? Get it together, Cynder! You need to be thinking of a way to fix Spyro's problem, not giving up like the Guardians have!

But how in the world was I supposed to fix something like this...?

I wished right then and there that I could just wake up and find that this entire ordeal had been a horrible nightmare. Why did this have to be real?

Something touched my shoulder and I jumped away by reflex, fangs bared at the new threat. I was surprised to see Terrador standing there looking down at me. He looked different somehow, and it took me a few seconds to really process what it was I was seeing. His expression was tense and creased with sadness. He had an aura about him that I would almost call defeat, but that didn't make sense. Terrador, defeated? Deep inside of me a flare of anger returned at this realization. So, he really had given up then.

"Tell me what's troubling you," he said, his voice almost comforting, but his question only fuelled my anger. Was he really that dense? I opened my mouth to shout some sort of insult at him, but what came out instead surprised me.

"It isn't fair," I gasped, my rage turning into despair no matter how much I fought it. A trickle of tears returned to my eyes, and I swore while wiping them roughly. "Why him? Why is he being punished for saving everyone?"

"Now, don't be upset," Terrador said to me, sounding like he was trying his hardest to sound reassuring. It came across more as awkwardness, honestly, and I wondered if he even knew how to give pep talks outside of the battlefield. "It is unfair, but during my training my mentors always told me, there are no winners in war. We all have scars that we have to carry moving forward. Spyro's scars are more cruel than most, but he is strong. He'll find a way to pull through this. You just need to have faith in him."

"How?" I demanded, feeling more hopeless than I ever had in my life. "How is he supposed to function when he can't even remember what he's doing from one minute to the next?"

"With our help," Terrador answered with a bluntness that surprised me. "He will not be able to do this alone. It will be up to us to support him through this challenge."

I spent a long moment staring up at the Guardian, trying to come to grips with everything that was happening. How could he sound so calm about this? Scars? He made it sound like this was something of no consequence, just like any old battle wound. Oh well, just deal with it. Really? Was that all he was going to say?

I let out a massive sigh, trying to let go of the anger that still filled me. This wasn't helping anything.

"What are we supposed to do?" I asked eventually.

"For now, do not worry about that. The other Guardians and I will determine what our next steps should be. We won't know how to best help Spyro until we are able to consult with someone with better expertise, so our first order of business will be finding such a person. For the time being you should focus on resting. You have been through an enormous trial, but it's over now. You are free to do what you want, so embrace that."

I mentally scoffed, but I said nothing as Terrador turned around and walked back to the study that we had just left. Free? As if. After the things I had done to the dragon race, what chance of freedom did I really have? Did he just expect me to skip merrily out into the city and take up civilian life? I didn't even have the first clue about what a normal life even was! Helping Spyro in war was the only thing that gave me any kind of purpose, but with him reduced to this...where did that leave me?

I looked back up, an image of Spyro holding onto me while he wept on that mountaintop flashing in my head. He had the Guardians to take care of him now, but...maybe my role of helping him wasn't over yet. The Guardians had a world to rebuild after the war, after all. There was no way they could dedicate all of their time to looking after Spyro. But I could. There was nothing else for me in the city, nowhere else that I could go. After everything that I had done, maybe by helping to look after the world's saviour I could find a chance at redemption.

Besides, I loved him. In spite of my inexperience with such feelings, I was sure of it. I couldn't stand the thought of leaving him in this state, alone and scared.

I wiped the lingering moisture out of my eyes, holding myself up straight with a new feeling of determination. I padded back to the study and looked in the door, spotting Terrador and Cyril discussing something in lowered voices while Volteer sat by Spyro, speaking to him with a reassuring smile on his face. There was a twinge in my heart when I looked at Spyro again, though, seeing him staring up at Volteer with a completely uncomprehending expression. He was absolutely clueless about what was going on, and I could tell just from looking at him that the fight had all but left his spirit.

Spyro and Volteer both looked up as I approached, Spyro's eyes flashing with a look of relief when he saw me. Volteer smiled again, nodding his head approvingly.

"I am glad that you returned, Cynder," he said. "I was just telling Spyro to rest assured that my colleagues and I will be seeking out the best, highest quality care available to assist him in adjusting to his new circumstances. No expense will be spared, no solution left unexplored. It is the least we can do after everything that he has given and sacrificed for our benefit, and I am confident that one way or another we will find a way to provide him with a healthy, comfortable life here."

I didn't really know how to answer. I just nodded, deciding it was better to just go with it. Volteer smiled again, then rose to his paws and headed over to join Terrador and Cyril in their conversation. Spyro stared after him blankly, clearly having no idea what his teacher had just been talking about.

"So, Spyro," Sparx piped up, hovering above Spyro's snout. "Just wondering: How's your eye feeling?"

Spyro tilted his head, frowning. "Well...it's kind of sore, actually." He looked down, obviously puzzled, and he reached up with a paw to wipe his eye. "Something must have gotten in it..."

Sparx's arms fell to his sides, staring at his brother in slack-jawed amazement before turning toward me with a look that said, 'Is this for real?' I stifled a sigh, feeling some of my earlier helplessness coming back to me. Somehow it seemed like Spyro heard me anyway, because he quickly turned toward me.

"Cynder? Is something wrong?"

I looked up to meet his eyes, and what I saw was a picture of innocence and selfless concern that, for just a fleeting second, looked like the old him, the hero that had saved me and risked everything for the world's survival. I sighed again, my head falling when I couldn't hold his gaze any longer.

"Hey," he said gently, and I jumped when I felt something brush against me. I looked down quickly to see that he had placed a wing across my back, squeezing slightly in a comforting manner. "Don't worry. Whatever it is, we'll figure it out. I promise."

I stared at him in stunned silence, feeling my eyes widen. Now it was my turn to question if this was reality. He was trying to reassure me? How could he even say that in a time like this? What surprised me most of all, though, was the fact that I could tell he meant it. He truly believed that we could get through this and find a solution, even if he didn't know what the problem was in the first place. I simply couldn't believe it, and I glanced up at Sparx only to see him shrug.

Spyro smiled, and in that smile I saw the spark of confidence that had been missing ever since we woke up on the summit of the volcano. For just a second, I saw Spyro in the fullness of his earlier self: caring, dedicated, assured. The hero that had saved me from corruption was still in there. He was still with me.

I couldn't help it. I smiled back, feeling some of my fears dissolve. Maybe we could do this. Maybe we could find a way.

Together.

Dear Ancestors, this is a lot harder than I was expecting.

It's been a month since we got back to the city. Just one month, but it feels like a year. I swear I'm trying my best to help Spyro out, but I had no idea it was going to be this exhausting! Literally every minute of every freaking day, it's just questions, questions, questions.

I don't even know why I bother answering sometimes, honestly. One time he was actually aware enough to ask me why he couldn't remember getting back to Warfang. By the time I finished explaining how we got back and what the Guardians said was happening to him, he didn't even know what I was talking about. He had actually forgotten his own question in the time it took me to answer it!

Just...I don't know how I'm supposed to do this. I'm supposed to be helping him cope. I want to help him! I have no idea how I'm supposed to do that, though. He feels confused all the time, and there's nothing I can do to fix that. I can comfort him when he gets scared, but that's it! The rest of the time I'm nothing more than his hatchling-sitter, making sure he doesn't get lost somewhere...

The Guardians say there's still hope. They say we can still give Spyro a happy life, but I say they're full of crap. Spyro isn't happy. I don't know how anyone could be, living in his situation.

Still...there are still moments when I see him smile. Even laugh, sometimes. And every time I see it, it makes me work even harder to see it again...

Ancestors, I'm so tired. I'm going to wear myself to death at this rate, I swear.

But as long as I get one more smile out of him...maybe it's worth it.

-~.~-*-~.~-

It was a late summer day. The sun was out. The sky was clear. People were crowding the streets, with dragons, moles, cheetahs, and every other creature I could think of going this way and that; talking, joking, smiling and playing. It was as if the world itself was trying to tell me to lighten up.

I wasn't feeling it. I was drained. The past month had been like a giant, nonstop marathon. Sleep was scarce. Time alone to rest was non-existent. At all times I was stuck to Spyro's side, guiding him around the city, watching him, caring for him, talking with him. I wanted to do it—there was nothing in the world I wanted more than to help Spyro in any way I possibly could—but it was taking so much out of me that I didn't know how long I could keep it up for. I must have answered the same questions hundreds of times, and the worst part was knowing that it wasn't going to stop. There was no end in sight. Anything I said one minute was gone a minute later. Nothing stuck.

And of course, the people around us didn't help in any way either.

I didn't know which was worse: the fatigue of looking after Spyro at all hours of the day, or the suspicious looks and the accusations and the muttering behind my back. It didn't matter that I was one of the two dragons that put an end to Malefor's genocide. I was the Terror of the Skies, and if the people of Warfang were to be believed then if I wasn't leeching off of Spyro's fame and good graces to escape persecution for my crimes, I was using him as a hostage to secure a position of privilege for myself from the Guardians. A lot of people seemed to think that I had caused Spyro's amnesia and me being close to him only caused it to persist, as if I was some secret master of black magic. More than once demands had been sent to the Guardians to throw me out of the city so that Spyro would have a chance of returning to normal.

As confused as Spyro was, there was no denying his pure heart and his loyalty, though. Any time he heard even the slightest whisper against me, he was ready to speak up in my defence. One benefit of his condition was that it was impossible for anyone to convince him that I wasn't worth his care and protection. He remembered me as the dragoness that wouldn't leave his side as the world was breaking apart. End of story.

A dark part of me sometimes considered that it would be so, so easy to take advantage of that. I could do anything, and Spyro would still stand up for me afterward.

I felt sick whenever I had those thoughts. Nothing could ever drive me to betray the best thing I had in my life. I was incapable of doing anything to hurt him.

"Hey, Cynder? Um...Where are we?"

I groaned. Sometimes, I really wanted to hurt him.

"We're in Guardian Park," I told him, for at least the twentieth time that afternoon. "Dedicated to Ignitus. See? There's his memorial right over there."

His eyes followed my pointed talon, locking onto the life-like bronze statue of the late Fire Guardian, and for a few seconds he just sat there with that oh-so-common blank look on his face. After that he looked around at the park we were standing in, his gaze taking in the cobbled pathways, the gardens, the trees, the ponds, and of course all of the people. It was quite crowded today, probably because of the weather. We were currently sitting off to the side of the walkway under a tree to get a breather from said crowd as we made our way through the park. We'd been sitting there for about ten minutes now, just trying to catch a moment of peace.

But of course, Spyro didn't know that.

"Oh," he said finally. "So—"

"Just try and relax, Spyro," I interrupted, trying to pre-empt any more questions. "There's nowhere we need to be right now. No grublins to fight. No people to save. Just us and a whole lot of free time, so how about we just rest here and enjoy a bit of quiet, hmm?"

I emphasized my point by lying down on my stomach and setting my head on my forepaws, closing my eyes with a quiet snort. I could tell Spyro was looking at me with that confused expression that I had seen so many times by now that it was like it was burned into my brain, but he mercifully didn't say anything else. Eventually I heard him lie down beside me, and after that the only sounds around us were the afternoon breeze, birds, and many different voices layered on top of each other. I tried to soak it in. It was so different from the constant fighting, plotting and interrogating that I had known my entire life, and I found that I very much enjoyed these quiet pauses.

"Cynder? Where are we?"

My teeth ground together. "Oh, for the love of the Ancestors..."

I lifted my head to glare at Spyro, but a glowing yellow speck behind him caught my eye. I looked up to see Sparx heading our way, zipping around the heads of the many pedestrians as he approached. I let out a relieved sigh—shocking as it was, I was actually glad to see him.

"Finally!" Sparx gasped, bending over and panting heavily when he reached us. "I've been looking for you guys all over the place! News flash: This city is HUGE!"

I scoffed with amusement, shaking my head discreetly.

"What is it, Sparx? Having trouble getting the citizens to recognize your status as a deity again?"

"Har har," Sparx retorted flatly. "No, actually. The Guardians sent me to find you guys. A couple of people just showed up at the Citadel, and apparently it's a big deal that you two head over there pronto."

This news caught me by surprise. Visitors at the Citadel, and important enough to make the Guardians send for Spyro and I just like that? I wondered what it could be about, and my curiosity overpowered my earlier fatigue and irritation.

"Okay," I nodded. "Come on, Spyro. Let's go."

He just nodded, looking between me and Sparx with a confused expression. Sparx started leading the way back through the park toward the city centre, and I followed with Spyro right behind me. There was a heavy silence following us as we walked, Sparx focused on navigating us through the crowded paths, me wondering what in the world the Guardians would call us for so suddenly, and Spyro too lost to find words. Eventually we left the park and stepped out into one of Warfang's main streets, which was also busy at this time of day but was wide enough that moving was considerably easier.

"Should we fly?" I asked Sparx, since we still had a fair way to go to reach the Citadel.

"You go right ahead if you want," Sparx answered, giving me a weird mix between a laugh and a wheeze. "I'm still catching my breath here, so I'm in no rush."

I was quiet for a second, debating what I wanted to do. Well, it was a nice day out. I supposed it wouldn't hurt to take our time.

I started walking, the two boys following after me. Or at least Sparx did. I didn't realize that Spyro wasn't moving until he called out to us.

"Where are we going?" he said, and when I looked back at him I saw him a few metres back, staring at us with an expression that basically screamed 'baffled'.

I tensed, but Sparx came to my rescue once again.

"The Citadel," he said in a much calmer voice than I would have used at this point. "The Guardians want to talk to you."

Though obviously confused, the mention of the Guardians was enough to get Spyro moving. He rushed to catch up to me and Sparx.

"How come?"

I saw Sparx shoot me a crooked grin out of the corner of my eye, and right away I got a bad feeling about where this was going. Given that I was already in a bad mood, I was sorely tempted to just swat him away with my tail before he could open his mouth again.

I was too late.

"You might not know this, buddy, but you've made quite an impression with all the big wigs in the Citadel," Sparx said with a proud tone. "You saved the world! You're like a symbol of peace and freedom to the whole Dragon Realms, and they want to recognize that. Big guy, they're making you the king of Warfang!"

Spyro's eyes went so wide I thought they were going to pop right out of his head. Meanwhile, mine rolled so far that I was surprised they stayed facing the right way. Spyro didn't seem to notice the exasperated growl that I let out, staring at his brother in disbelief.

"What?" he exclaimed, but then he grew suspicious. "...No they're not."

"Yeah they are!" Sparx insisted eagerly. "I'm serious, bro! I mean, come on. You're already the most powerful dragon alive. They're just going to make it official. Think about it! The whole city in the palm of your hand—err, paw! They're going to set you up in a big, fancy mansion with butlers, and chefs, and your own indoor pool. You'll have gold and gems, and all the girls you could ever want! And the best part is—"

That was it. I couldn't stand to listen to one more word. I turned a glare on Sparx that had sent many an ape fleeing for their lives once upon a time. The goofy smile immediately dropped from his face, and he gulped.

"Sparx, seriously. Do you have to do that?"

"Aw, come on," he protested with a nervous laugh. "I'm just playing with the guy!"

"Well, don't. It's not helping anything."

Sparx's expression turned to one of annoyance. He huffed and faced forward again, crossing his arms and scowling at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Sheesh. What's got your tail all bunched up?"

My eyes flashed with anger, my claws tightening on the street hard enough to chip it. My voice was a growl when I spoke.

"You know very well what. Annoying little insects with no sense of maturity, for one thing!"

"Hey, guys!" Spyro interrupted, sounding anxious. "There's no reason to be fighting."

I looked back at him for a second, taking in the worried expression on his face. I sighed when I turned away again, my jaws clenched.

"Whatever."

I was going to lose it. I was so, so going to lose it...

The walk after that wasn't a particularly pleasant one. A voice in the back of my head told me that I was being unreasonably harsh to both Spyro and Sparx, but I couldn't help it. I was tired, I was cranky, and I was at the end of my rope. No, scratch that—I was past the end of my rope, left trying desperately to hang on to the last frayed threads trailing off of it. It felt like every couple of steps Spyro would call out with another question, and my patience was draining fast. Where are we? What's going on? What's the Citadel? Why are we going there? They just kept coming! Nonstop, relentless, just like they had been for thirty two straight days. I just knew I was going to snap at any moment.

I was right.

"Cynder? Where are we going?"

"Oh, dear Ancestors!" I almost screamed. "Give it a rest! Are you incapable of going for five damned minutes without asking a question? It just never ends! Every waking second it's the same things over and over and over! I am so DONE!"

Spyro reeled back, looking terrified by the way I was suddenly shouting at him. I didn't notice. I was so completely fed up that it was the only thing I could focus on, and nothing else got through. I could feel myself shaking, and all I wanted to do was blast something with a fear screech until nothing was left behind.

"Is it really that hard to just go with things instead of questioning every single Ancestors-damned thing around you? Use your freaking brain for a second! If you can't remember how you got to where you are, maybe there's a reason for that! Maybe it's a hint that any question you ask me is pointless! All of this is! Every minute I waste repeating the same answers over and over again is completely pointless! I can't take it anymore! Why can't you just stop?!"

He actually had the presence of mind to look offended. His eyes narrowed into a glare, and his claws tightened on the ground.

"Well, excuse me for being so clueless," he snapped bitterly. "Sure, I'll just take it in stride that I feel like I just woke up from a dream in the middle of some completely unfamiliar place, going who-knows-where for some reason that I have no idea of. It's not like I'm completely freaked out by not knowing how I even got here or anything! No, I'm just trying to get on your nerves as much as I can!"

Wow. I must have hit a bigger nerve than I thought, because in the time I'd known him I had never heard Spyro take that kind of tone with anyone!

That's what a very small, unconscious part of me was thinking at any rate, but worked up like I was his retort only enraged me further. It took everything I had in me not to attack him; I was literally that angry. After the mind-numbing torture I'd gone through to take care of him, that was the kind of thanks I got?

"And here we go with the self-pity," I moaned, throwing my wings up in the air in complete and total exasperation. "Do you even realize how absolutely exhausting it is to hear you playing the victim for everything that goes wrong? I have literally done nothing but try and comfort you for an entire month, and I am so sick and tired of it! If I have to tell you that everything is okay one more time, I am going to vomit!"

"Hey, ease off!" Sparx protested indignantly. "What's wrong with you? You know he's not doing this on purpose, so where do you get off biting his head off like this?"

"I don't want to hear it, Sparx! It's easy for you to act all high and mighty here when I'm the one that's been doing all the work!"

"Excuse me?"

"That's right! He's your brother, but who's the one that has him glued to their side every minute of every day? You get to disappear whenever you want to and relax in the peace and quiet that we bled for, but do I ever get a break? No! Because if I'm gone for even a few seconds, he goes flying into a complete panic! 'Where's Cynder? Why isn't she here? What happened to her? Someone tell me!'"

I turned on Spyro again, who had already switched back to looking alarmed. I never thought I could feel resentment toward the dragon that had saved me from a life of murder and destruction, but right now it was blazing inside me like an inferno.

"It's completely ridiculous!" I shouted at him. "Do you have any idea how sad that even is? What are you, two weeks old? I'm not your damned mother, Spyro! Seriously, you should be able to function for a few minutes without me constantly holding your paw! Is that really too much to ask?"

I bit back a snarl, turning around and pacing back and forth in the street. I was so angry and frustrated, I felt like I could explode. In the back of my mind I knew that I was causing a scene, and that everyone around us was staring at me. I could imagine the kinds of things they were whispering to each other, but I didn't care. I would love to see one of them try and deal with the burden I had thrown on my shoulders. There was no way one dragoness could deal with these kinds of demands non-stop! It was insane!

A small voice spoke up behind me.

"Cynder?"

"WHAT?!" I shrieked, rounding on Spyro in an instant.

I faltered when I finally registered the terrified look in his eyes. It struck me right to my core. Then he opened his mouth and made it a thousand times worse.

"...Why are we fighting?"

A slap to the face wouldn't even begin to compare to the absolute shock that those four little words caused. All of my anger vanished in the blink of an eye, completely smothered by that painfully innocent question. He was looking at me with wide eyes, and in them I could see so many clashing emotions. Confusion. Hurt. Sadness. Fear. It was all mixed together into a look that tore right through me. The last time I had seen him looking this terrified of me was back before he had freed me. All at once guilt slammed down on top of me with the weight of a mountain.

What had I done?

I backed up, panic flooding through me until I felt like I was drowning in it.

"Sparx," I gasped. I thought I heard my voice rattling, and that was when I realized that I was shaking again. "You take him. I...I can't...I just..."

I looked at Spyro again, and that was the worst mistake of my life. His pleading eyes burned into me, fueling my guilt. It was like they were labelling me as a monster, and I just couldn't bear it. I had to get away. I couldn't face him. I ran.

It only took me five minutes to leave the city behind me, flying as fast as my wings could carry me. I could have stopped when I was past the wall, but I didn't. I just kept flying farther and farther, and by the time I slowed down and looked around me I almost didn't recognize the area. Warfang stood far in the distance behind me, and there wasn't a single dragon anywhere in sight.

Well, that suited me just fine.

I landed roughly, and as soon as my paws hit the ground I reared my head back and screamed. It was so loud that my throat was made raw in seconds, but I didn't stop until I ran out of breath. Then I screamed again, and when that wasn't enough to vent my anger I gathered up all the air I could manage and released it in a vicious blast of wind at the first tree I saw. Branches and bark were ripped off by the hurricane-force gust, the whole thing bending and creaking. When the wind stopped all that was left was a mangled and twisted mess of a trunk, threatening to topple over at any moment.

I stood there panting for a moment, clenching my teeth and talons while I fought the lump growing in my throat. I was trembling with fury, but this time my anger was directed at myself, fuelled by shame. I had never felt this completely rotten in my life.

The guilt that was gnawing at me was almost worse than what I felt whenever I was reminded of my past as the Terror of the Skies. How could I have been so cruel to him? I just blew up at a dragon that didn't even know why I was angry with him in the first place. And why was I mad at him? For something that he had absolutely no control over anyway!

Was that really the kind of behaviour I had been reduced to? Thinking of Spyro as nothing more than a burden? After everything he had given me, now when he was the one that needed help I could only think about how much it inconvenienced me.

I scoffed with bitterness at myself. Way to show you care about him, Cynder...

His confused, hurt expression kept flashing in my mind, and I flopped onto the ground and buried my head under my paws when I couldn't take it any longer. I didn't know how long I stayed like that exactly, but it felt like a good while. I couldn't bring myself to go back. There was absolutely no excuse for the way I had acted, and now I desperately wanted to find some way to make it up to him.

How was I supposed to face him, though? Spyro wouldn't remember a thing, obviously, but Sparx would. Everybody at the Citadel probably knew about it by now. Hell, it was probably the hottest gossip in the city already, just more evidence to the people that I was no good for Spyro and he would be better off if I was gone.

Maybe they were right...

I jerked up immediately at that thought. No! They didn't know a thing! Wouldn't they just love to get rid of me that easily, but as if they could do half as good a job of caring for Spyro as I had! I had spent so much time already calming him and comforting him, making him feel safe. No one else knew him well enough to even come close. I was the one that had been through hell on earth with him. I was the one that had seen him at his weakest and his lowest, and stayed by his side regardless. I was the one he trusted!

And now what was I doing? Moping out in the woods, miles away from him, pitying myself and my own stupid actions when I could be there trying to redeem myself for it.

Come on, Cynder. You're better than this.

Berating myself the whole way for being so stupid, I took off again and flew back toward the city. Before long I was closing in on the Citadel and dove toward the front entrance. Knowing that I was seriously late for whatever meeting the Guardians had originally called me and Spyro for, I began jogging as I entered the halls. This ended up being a mistake: As soon as I turned a corner I ran face first into what felt like a brick wall, someone letting out a startled grunt above me.

"Oh, Cynder!" came Volteer's familiar voice. "There you are. I was just now venturing out in an attempt to locate you. We expected you to arrive almost a half hour ago with Spyro. Where have you been?"

I shook the stars out of my vision and frowned up at him. "Hasn't Sparx told everyone the whole story yet?"

Volteer's face clouded, basically answering my question. Of course, being Volteer, it was never that easy.

"He did offer a very basic explanation, but beyond that he was quite sparse on details. He stated that there had been an 'incident' on your way here, and that afterward you departed. I can only guess what this incident was, that it would cause you to disappear in such a fashion. Certainly no one was expecting you to be absent for this long."

"Yeah, well..." I sighed, feeling a sting of guilt returning. "I just had a...moment, and I needed to get my head back on straight. It doesn't really matter. I'm here now, so where is everyone else?"

Volteer opened his mouth to press me for more information, but it seemed he decided that it wasn't actually worth it in the end. He made a sort of relenting grunt and shook his head.

"Everyone is gathered in the lounge. This way."

I followed Volteer as he led me through the Citadel's hallways until we reached a room that resembled a large study. The place was filled with shelves all loaded down with books and scrolls, and there were enough cushions scattered around the place to allow several dragons to sit comfortably in the room at once. At that moment there were six dragons present: The Guardians, me, Spyro, and a light red dragoness that I had never seen before. There was also Sparx, of course, and a mole that I didn't recognize standing with the dragoness.

My courage wavered when I looked toward Spyro again. He and Sparx were talking to each other, but while Spyro looked calm I could see the tension in his body and the way he kept shuffling his paws. Both of their backs were turned to me, so I didn't think they had noticed me enter yet, but I still caught glimpses of Spyro's face in profile and saw that his expression was subdued. He had retreated inward on himself like I had seen him do several times in the last month, and while he wouldn't remember our fight by this point it was clearly still affecting him anyway.

Sighing to myself, I kicked myself into motion and walked up behind the two brothers.

"Spyro?"

He looked back quickly, and surprise appeared in his eyes when he spotted me there.

"Cynder," he answered simply.

"Listen. I owe you an apology."

He cocked his head to the side. "You do?"

Oh, come on. Why did he have to look so innocent? Would it just upset him to tell him about an argument that he didn't remember anymore? I didn't want to do that to him...

No, I was committed now. I had to go on. I nodded in reply to his question.

"I said some...pretty cruel things to you earlier. I was stressed, and upset, but it wasn't fair of me to take my anger out on you like I did. I'm really sorry."

He just stared at me with a bewildered expression for a few seconds after that, and each moment that passed without an answer left me worrying about what his response might be. My fears were put to rest, though, because just then he put on a small smile.

"Well, I don't really know what you're talking about, so...Don't worry about it. It's already forgotten."

I couldn't help but snort at that, a smile appearing on my face too. Clever, Spyro. Very clever. He may be clueless about what I was apologizing for, but it was comforting to see that he was able to joke about his situation. I could feel my earlier anxiety fading, and with a relieved sigh I leaned forward and nuzzled Spyro under the chin. He looked surprised by the action but didn't pull away, and this made me smile wider.

Sparx suddenly cleared his throat, and I opened my eyes to see him watching me with his arms crossed. I groaned and rolled my eyes. I should have been expecting this, honestly.

"And I'm sorry for snapping at you too, Sparx," I said with a touch of sarcasm. "Can you ever forgive me?"

He scowled and opened his mouth to retort, but then Spyro gave him an expectant look and he just groaned.

"Yeah, okay. We're cool. Just don't go after my bro like that again, got it?"

My bearing turned serious, and I nodded. "I won't."

Sparx nodded back, looking satisfied.

It was at that moment that I heard someone approaching behind me. I looked up and saw Terrador coming to a stop nearby, and I noticed the serious look on his face as he looked down at me, towering overhead. Even though I considered Terrador a close acquaintance and trusted him, I always felt intimidated beside him. It felt strange to me, considering that in the past it was completely the opposite.

"Cynder, would you come here a moment?" he asked me, nodding his head toward the other Guardians and the two strangers. "There is someone you need to meet."

I frowned at him curiously, but I nodded and stood up. Before turning away I noticed Spyro giving me a puzzled look, and I quickly smiled at him and nuzzled him again. I felt him relax, and after that I felt confident that he would be fine with Sparx. I followed Terrador as he crossed the room, and we came to a stop in front of the unknown dragoness and mole.

The mole smiled when he saw me, and just the sight of it had a strangely disarming effect on me. The smile gave an impression of someone who was warm and considerate. If anything it made me a bit suspicious of him, as if he was putting on a mask to try and make others like him. Of course I had nothing to back up this feeling, and so I tried to hold my judgement—it was probably just me being paranoid. He also had an odd build to him, I noticed. Most moles were very short and rather round, but this one was thin and a bit taller than usual. When he spoke, his voice had a high pitch to it that was odd, but not irritating.

"You must be Cynder," he said, extending a hand toward me.

It took me a second to clue in to what he intended—I had seen moles in the city shake each others' hands as a puzzling sort of greeting, but it still seemed so foreign and unusual to me. I gave him my forepaw anyway, shaking his hand awkwardly, and I did my best to smile.

"It is truly an honour to meet you," the mole told me, and while I was still mildly suspicious his tone seemed genuine. "The Guardians have spoken very highly of you in the messages we've exchanged. My name is Trill."

I made sure to smile again, nodding my head politely. "It's nice to meet you. So...you've been communicating with the Guardians?"

Trill nodded, still smiling, and he released my paw at the same time. "Yes indeed. We've had brief written exchanges over the past couple of weeks. It started when a messenger from Warfang arrived in our village, stating that the Guardians were searching for any medical professional specializing in the mind. As it turns out, I have spent my life studying the workings of the mind and memory conditions. When I was informed of young Master Spyro's condition I sent my response immediately and began making arrangements for the journey here, along with my most helpful assistant."

He gestured to the red dragoness, who stood about as tall as the Guardians but nowhere near as thickly built. Her scales had a soft sort of colour palette to them, and this combined with her expression lent the impression that she was a more peaceful type compared to most other fire dragons.

"My name is Scarlett," the dragoness said, and for some reason her tone made me think of a mother. It just had the kind of caring quality of someone who was devoted to looking after others. "It's very nice to meet you."

I looked between the two newcomers curiously, a question forming on my mind. "You're his assistant? Is the village that you came from a mole village?"

Trill nodded. "Yes, it is."

I frowned, tilting my head in confusion as I looked up at Scarlett. This information was unusual. Dragons were generally social creatures that preferred to live together with their own kind, not in isolation.

Scarlett seemed to know what my question was before I could even ask it.

"I was one of Doctor Trill's patients," she explained.

"His patient?" Cyril repeated, and by the look on his face I realized that the Guardians hadn't gotten into detailed backgrounds yet. It made me wonder what they had even been doing while waiting for me to arrive.

"Yes. Part way through the war I had become separated from my travelling companions and injured during an ape attack. When I came to, I couldn't remember how I had gotten to be where I was. I couldn't remember anything."

"You have amnesia as well?" Volteer asked, his eyes wide.

All eyes turned to Spyro in that moment. I could see him talking with Sparx, the dragonfly doing an impressive job of keeping his brother occupied by reminiscing about their early adventures after meeting Ignitus. They were currently laughing about something, what sounded like an incident with some sort of...stone bell? I wasn't sure I had heard correctly, but it sounded like some inside joke from their trek through Munitions Forge. I shook my head.

"I did," Scarlett continued, snapping my attention back to her. "Fortunately, Trill found me and brought me back to his home where he cared for me. Thanks to his kindness I made a full physical recovery, and thanks to his research and treatment I was able to recover most of my memories in time. I stayed with him as an assistant since then, partly out of gratitude and partly out of a desire to help others in my situation."

"Her contributions have been invaluable," Trill stated, smiling fondly. "I wouldn't have anywhere near the understanding of dragon physiology and the workings of their minds that I have now if I didn't have her help."

I nodded along politely as they spoke, but in truth I was caught up on one point that Scarlett had mentioned. I was having a hard time focusing on anything following it, honestly. I raised my head to meet Trill's and Scarlett's eyes.

"What kind of treatment?" I rushed to ask. "Will it work on Spyro?"

They hesitated, Trill's features tightening so slightly it was almost invisible. It wasn't to me, of course. I had far too much experience in picking out these subtle signs from...interrogations. The hope I had felt growing was quickly smothered.

"I'm afraid it isn't that simple," Trill sighed. "Scarlett's condition was much more of a psychological one than Spyro's is. The mind can block out past experiences as a form of defence, and in Scarlett's case her physical injuries were a catalyst, not the cause. With no underlying physical damage it was a relatively straightforward process to restore the suppressed information. In Spyro's case, however, his memory loss is caused by a physical injury to the brain. If red spirit gems haven't repaired the damage by this point, then I'm sorry to say that his condition is irreversible."

I tensed, my teeth clenching as bitterness filled me. With my voice coming out as a growl, I asked, "Then why are you here if you think he's a lost cause?"

"Because we can still help him," Scarlett responded immediately.

"During the course of Scarlett's treatment, I employed some medicines of my own creation designed to boost clarity in the mind. They use a mixture of herbal remedies and spirit gem solutions to amplify the effects on dragons. With these treatments, Scarlett reported that she would experience moments of heightened lucidity where it was far easier for her to grasp memories that had been lost to her before. I believe that with the right adjustments, this medicine may be able to improve Spyro's quality of life considerably."

Okay, now they had my attention. I leaned forward intently.

"How?" I demanded. I almost sounded like I was begging, and really I guess I was.

"Guardians, you told me that right now Spyro is only capable of retaining memories for a couple of minutes at the absolute most, correct?"

"Yes, that is correct," Terrador replied. Trill let out a small grunt, nodding.

"Well, if I can achieve the effects I'm hoping to with my medicines, the treatment should be able to extend that period of time significantly. Granted that this is only a guess at this point, but if I'm right I should be able to give Spyro at least a couple of hours of continuous memory, if not more."

"Hours?" Cyril exclaimed. "You can get that large of an improvement?"

Trill nodded again, smiling.

My eyes went wide, and for a moment I was speechless. My first reaction was that even if Spyro could go for a couple of hours before he forgot something, that was still a poor excuse of an existence. Quickly enough I realized that it was much more significant than that, though. Compared to his current situation, even a single hour of working memory would be a massive improvement. If he could hold on to information for that long, he could actually function in day to day life! He could hold meaningful conversations, or go out and actually do things without losing track of what was going on every few steps. He could live again! This was huge!

"Can you really do that for him?" I asked, no, pleaded. I needed this to be true.

"Only time will tell, but I believe so."

"How long will it take before the medicine is working?"

Trill's smile turned apologetic, and my wings began to sag with disappointment once more.

"I honestly don't know," he told me. "This is delicate work. I don't want to accidentally worsen Spyro's condition instead of helping him, and so I need to be absolutely certain that the medicine will work before I start administering it. There is so much research I need to perform. And even after the medicine is ready, I don't have a guess as to how long it will take before there are any visible effects."

I sagged even further. "Oh."

"We understand, doctor," Terrador spoke up. "The fact that you are so confident you can do anything for him at all is more than we dared to hope for."

I nodded along silently, but inside I couldn't help but feel bitterly disappointed. Scarlett noticed, and she gave me a sympathetic look.

"You need to have faith," she told me, her tone gentle. "There is no doubt in my mind that Doctor Trill will be able to help your friend. It will take time, but you will see. The most important thing that you can do right now is keep a positive outlook."

I snorted. Given the circumstances, that seemed like pretty pointless and frivolous advice.

"I'm serious," Scarlett said firmly, grabbing my attention again. "Staying positive will help to keep Spyro's spirits up as well, which will be extremely important from now on. As someone who has been through memory loss, I know how scary it is. It's extremely easy for that fear to build up until it's overwhelming."

"She's right," Trill nodded. "Memories might not persist through his amnesia, but emotions will. Particularly negative emotions. In these early stages especially where Spyro's memory is so short-lived, it is critical that he stay calm. Otherwise, if he becomes upset but then can't remember why, the added confusion will only upset him further. The longer this loop continues, the harder it will be to break him out of it before he suffers a complete breakdown."

Of course he just had to say that, didn't he? Perfectly on cue, the look of utter distress on Spyro's face during our fight flared up in my mind. I winced, but I tried my best to hide it. Looking over at Spyro again and seeing him joking with Sparx helped.

I couldn't escape my guilt completely, though. My mind wandered back to the repeated instances of Spyro suffering panic attacks when his confusion overwhelmed him. I had just taken them for granted as an unavoidable side-effect of his amnesia, but what Trill was saying now cast all of those incidents in a new light. If I had been able to do more to make Spyro feel secure and at ease, would those attacks not have happened?

Once again, way to go Cynder.

"Okay," I sighed, shaking my head roughly. "What are we supposed to do, then?"

"First and foremost, Spyro will need a dedicated caregiver. Someone to accompany him permanently to serve as a point of stability. Ideally this should be someone he is already familiar with, and it needs to be someone who is willing to stay by his side for the indefinite future."

Three obvious possibilities came to mind: me, Sparx, or one of the Guardians.

With their years of experience and wisdom one of the Guardians would no doubt make an excellent caregiver, but at the same time they were currently trying to guide the dragon race through the process of rebuilding after a devastating war. There was no way they could afford to lose one of them to the task of looking after Spyro at all hours of the day.

Sparx, on the other hand, seemed like a perfect candidate for the job. He had been with Spyro since the day he hatched. There was no one he was more familiar with, and as much as I claimed to understand Spyro on a core level, if I was really honest with myself there was no way I could compete with Sparx in that regard.

And then there was me. Even though I didn't know Spyro as well as Sparx did, I was a close second. On top of that, I was the one that had done the bulk of the work looking after Spyro since getting back to the city already, and even though I had failed to keep him calm and comforted at times, there had been just as many successes along the way as well.

For a moment I balked at the magnitude of the task ahead, though. To be tied to Spyro's side, potentially for the rest of our lives? That was an enormous thing to think about! As much as I loved him and wanted to be with him, the thought was a scary one. It was true, in the month since my confession to him—which there was no doubt left in my mind that he had heard, and that he had deep feelings for me in return—I had thought about the possibility of a life with him. A life of peace. Settling down. Becoming mates. Possibly even...a family.

But every time I had those thoughts, something just felt off about the whole idea. After the life I had lived up to that point, that kind of lifestyle just felt so completely foreign. Every time I tried, I just couldn't convince myself that it was even in the realm of possibility. Me? The Terror of the Skies, living a quiet domestic life? Being a mate? A mother?

Just...What?!

Really, I just wasn't ready to consider that sort of a life. That was why I was hesitant, because if I became Spyro's caregiver then that meant the decision was pretty much made for me: My life would be spent with Spyro. That wasn't to say that I wouldn't like it, obviously, but the idea was a daunting one.

But, when it came right down to it, I just wanted what was best for Spyro. No matter who was better suited for the job, no matter my questions about a future with him, that was what I cared about most of all.

The Guardians were obviously considering the options just as thoroughly as I was. After a couple more minutes they exchanged a quick look with each other, and then all three of them turned to look at me.

Well, I supposed that was the decision made, then.

"Cynder, I think we can all agree that you are the obvious choice for this," Terrador said. "Do you feel capable of this task?"

I almost snorted. It was so, so easy to read the real question behind his words: Was I going to let my stress get the better of me and snap at Spyro again? No. I didn't make the same mistake twice.

"Yeah, I can do it," I nodded. But I was still curious about their full reasoning, so I asked, "But what about Sparx?"

"Sparx would certainly be a good fit for the job, given the scope of his and Spyro's relationship," Volteer confirmed. "However, it is also a fact that dragonflies have a significantly shorter life span than dragons, who can endure for up to two hundred years or more. It is an unpleasant thought, but it is unavoidable that eventually Sparx will expire and will no longer be there to look after his brother. Another dragon is undeniably far better suited for this position."

"It's not as if you can't both take part in Spyro's care in the meantime, either," Cyril added. "Regardless of whether you or Sparx were named Spyro's primary caretaker, doubtlessly you both would continue to play fundamental roles in his life. After Sparx is no longer capable of caring for his brother, however, the task would fall to you in either case. That is why we are asking you now, to be certain that you are up for it when that happens."

This logic did make a lot of sense, even though it was sobering to consider the margin that Spyro would outlive his brother by—and also a bit sad, surprisingly. Actually, who was I kidding? It was sad, straight up. Spyro and Sparx were almost inseparable, and even though I would never admit it, a part of me had grown fond of the insect too.

Still, those were thoughts for another time. I nodded again without hesitation.

"I'll definitely do it. As long as I'm filled in on his treatment, I'll be there to take care of everything."

"You're sure?" Terrador asked.

"Absolutely. I mean, it only makes sense, right? I want to spend my life together with him anyway, so there's no reason for me not to do this for him."

The Guardians all smiled, obviously pleased with my answer. Trill and Scarlett were also smiling, Scarlett especially having a sort of knowing look about her. I couldn't decide whether to feel proud of their confidence in me, or irritated by the extra attention.

"So, anything else I need to know right now?" I asked, ready to change the subject. "Besides keeping him calm and happy, are there any other sticking points?"

"Nothing specific until the medicine is further into development," Trill answered with a shake of his head.

"Just make sure to be patient with him," Scarlett instructed. "I know I don't need to tell you at this point, but this is going to be very hard for both of you. Patience and understanding will be essential if you want to get through this without the pressure driving the two of you apart."

I tried my best to hide my frown. Patience...That wasn't exactly my strongest trait. My episode earlier was plenty proof of that. Maybe it was a bad habit that had carried over from my corruption. In those times, if something got on my nerves there was no consequence for lashing out at it violently...

No, that was no excuse. It was something I wasn't good at, plain and simple, and it was something that I was going to need to be good at. Scarlett was right. Taking care of Spyro was going to be difficult and tiring, and I needed to be able to take it in stride or I was just going to end up hurting him again.

Just the thought of that was unacceptable.

"Alright," I said. "I can do that."

Scarlett smiled at me again. "I'm glad to hear it. Spyro is very lucky to have someone like you that cares so much about him."

This time I did snort. "Lucky dragons wouldn't be stuck with amnesia for the rest of their lives. But you can be sure that he won't be going through it alone."

"That's all we wanted to hear," Trill declared with a clap of his hands. "Now, I think that concludes our main business here. Guardians, I still have some questions about working and living accommodations for Scarlett and I, but that should be the last thing we need before we can get to work. Cynder, we'll be sure to keep you updated on any progress we make. We'll likely be needing to see Spyro frequently for appointments to study his condition further."

"I figured as much. Just let me know when you need to see him and I'll handle it."

"Excellent. Thank you very much for your help."

I smiled and nodded in response, and with that Trill and Scarlett focused their attention on the Guardians. I sat back and spent a moment just thinking about everything that had happened that day. All of the exhaustion I had felt that morning was gone, and instead I felt a tentative sense of excitement. It was a hard blow, learning that there was no chance Spyro would ever get his memory back, but at the same time it was a massive relief to have found a professional ready to do everything they could to help him. Two hours or more of unbroken lucidity...I almost couldn't believe it. That would change his life!

Scarlett's and Trill's words echoed in my head. What Spyro needed now was stability. A constant presence to guide him and support him. The more I thought about it, the more badly I wanted to be that for him. I could be his anchor. I could be the partner he needed in his life now. Right then, I made a promise.

I would be the best partner he could ever have.