One Day

by DragonMaster000

Can you imagine a life where you only have a single day? Where no matter what you do, see, or feel, you know that when you close your eyes at night it will all be gone? This is the story of Spyro, the purple dragon who saved the world, and as a consequence he is doomed to this very life.

4. 4 - Joys and Trials

(A/N): I'm late! D:

I wanted to get this posted earlier today (well, yesterday, since it's now after midnight), but I was away from home all day and literally couldn't get this edited and ready to post any sooner than this. Oh well, I did my best.

This chapter is huge. There's no way around it. Sticking with the theme of one "phase" of Spyro's life per chapter means I couldn't really break this up, so I guess you readers will just have to read it in sections. Sorry. ^^;

Also, a bit of a warning: Some parts of this chapter might be a little...intense.

At any rate, as always I hope you enjoy.

---

Well, I may not be able to remember anything from the past forty-some years (according to Cynder), but I think I can still confidently say that this was the scariest day of my life since fighting Malefor. All of those people, all staring at me...

I hope public speaking isn't something I'm going to have to do often. I'm not cut out for it like this. I'm flattered that people think I can do it, but the stress...I really don't think it's good for me. I do have to admit, though: It did feel kind of good at the same time. Helping to welcome in the new Guardians is something I didn't really expect, but it was an honour that I'm grateful for.

So many things have changed...

-~.~-*-~.~-

"Alright, then, Spyro. It seems like everything with your medication is still in order. I'm not seeing any serious reactions to the stronger doses, I'm happy to say. Your alertness and concentration both appear normal, too, and your senses don't seem to be affected in any way."

I looked down at the elderly mole doctor, who had introduced himself as Trill on my arrival with Cynder. I couldn't help but smirk at his remark.

"All of my senses except my taste, maybe. Does it have to be that bitter?"

"It does hit him pretty hard," Cynder chuckled from her seat beside the door. "But I think you're tough enough to handle it, Spyro."

I gave her a hurt glare, to which she just laughed. I could only sigh at that. It was easy for her to tease me about this. She didn't have to taste the stuff!

"Although," she continued, her expression becoming more serious as she looked at Trill again, "he has complained about some headaches since he started this last batch of medication."

I looked at her questioningly. I felt fine at the moment, but that didn't sound particularly pleasant if it was true. Was this a new thing? How bad were they?

"Oh?" Trill said. "Well, that's unexpected, but not entirely surprising I suppose. This treatment is certainly putting a considerable strain on his damaged memory capacity, enhancing it with magic like we are. Maybe we're reaching the limits of how far we can push it. Tell me, Spyro: What is the earliest thing you remember—after your battle with the Dark Master, of course."

"Well..." I answered slowly, concentrating. At length I gave a small shrug. "Just waking up this morning."

"Nothing at all before that? Not even faint traces of anything from the night before?"

I shook my head apologetically. "No, I don't think so. Just...when I woke up, I sort of knew without asking that my memory wasn't working right, and it didn't really feel like that much of a surprise when Cynder told me we were mates, but I think that was mostly just context. Everything else came from my journal."

"I see. So, still no overlap from the previous day, then. That means there's no real improvement from the last concentration." He frowned, scratching his chin. He seemed disappointed, and I actually felt a bit guilty for making him feel like that. "Well, in that case it seems like there isn't any real benefit to staying with the stronger formula. Would you prefer going back to the previous strength?"

I paused, considering the offer for a second. Cynder gave her answer in the meantime.

"If it means less side effects for him then I would say yes," she nodded. "If the stronger medicine isn't giving him any longer memory then I don't really see the point."

Trill hummed thoughtfully. "And Spyro? What do you think, my boy?"

I was briefly distracted from the question while I held back a chuckle. There was something amusing about him using the term 'my boy' when I literally towered over him—I still wasn't completely used to that, either. My mind returned to the present matter fairly quickly, though.

"You don't think the stronger medicine will have an effect if we give it more time?" I asked. It seemed like they were giving up on this pretty quickly, and I was curious as to why.

"You've already been on it for well over two months," Trill told me, which caused me to blink in surprise. I guess it wasn't so quick. "Honestly, it was a bit of a stretch anyway. The last increase in the red gem concentration a year ago only boosted your memory by a few minutes at most. If there isn't any indication of progress from the new formula at this stage then I would say there isn't going to be any, or at least it would be an inconsequential amount. It wouldn't be worth the headaches—figuratively and literally speaking."

"Oh. Well, in that case I agree with Cynder."

"So do I," Trill nodded. "Well then, I believe that concludes our business here. I'll have Scarlett begin mixing up a new batch of the previous formula. It should be ready for you tomorrow."

"Thank you very much, doctor," Cynder said, rising to her paws at the same time and giving him a bright smile. "I know I say it all the time, but we both really appreciate all of your help."

"Yeah, thank you," I agreed quickly. As unfamiliar as I was with this mole, it was obvious that he was playing a pretty crucial role in my present life. It seemed only right to show some gratitude for that.

"It's my pleasure," Trill answered, smiling broadly and giving a humble bow. "Now, off with you two! Spyro, good luck with the ceremony today."

I felt my smile tighten, but I tried not to let it show as Trill turned and exited the office into an adjoining room, a hunch in his posture and a slight limp as he walked with the assistance of a cane.

"Thanks..."

Cynder stepped up beside me, laying her wing across my shoulders and nuzzling me against my jaw. I placed my own wing on her back almost by instinct.

"Come on," she said. "How about we go grab some lunch in the market before we need to get ready?"

I hesitated, tempted by her offer but still feeling uncertain.

"I'm not sure I'm hungry right now," I told her at length. The mention of the upcoming ceremony had left a feeling like a swarm of butterflies in my stomach, and I didn't know how well food was going to agree with it.

Her expression became a touch more sympathetic. "Nervous about later?"

"If in this case 'nervous' means 'terrified', yeah, a little."

"Spyro, I already told you," Cynder said with a tone that was half gentle, half exasperated. "You're going to be absolutely fine. It's not that big of a deal."

"Not a big deal?" I exclaimed. "It's a speech in front of all of Warfang! A speech in recognition of the four new Guardians, and I don't know anything about them! A speech given by me, a dragon who is physically incapable of memorizing a speech in the first place! What genius even thought this would be a good idea?"

I didn't notice the way Cynder's face hardened until it was too late. When I looked back at her I jolted when I saw her glaring at me, looking decidedly less than impressed. My stomach instantly felt even more like it had just tied itself in a knot.

"It was your idea, wasn't it...?"

"Mm-hmm."

I sucked in a sharp breath. I wished then that I could just turn invisible, because with the way Cynder was looking at me I was pretty sure I was about to die. When her glare didn't lessen, I groaned.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

She sighed and shook her head, pulling away from my side and taking a few steps forward to separate us. I had no rational explanation for it, but that separation was almost painful and I moved to follow her. I immediately froze when she turned around to face me, though.

"Cynder, I—"

"I understand that you're afraid, Spyro," she cut me off, at the same time letting out a long breath to recompose herself. "Really, I do. I understand how huge of a task it seems like we're throwing at you, but you've been preparing for this for weeks. You've practiced your speech dozens of times, and every time it sounded great. Everyone is going to love it. The candidates are friends of ours, and they're all really touched that you're doing this for them, so don't worry so much. It's going to be fine."

I opened my mouth to argue, because despite her reassurance I was certain that this was going to be a disaster. For a moment I couldn't think of any words to say, though, and I sighed with frustration.

"Are you sure?" I asked finally. "Because the only thing that I keep thinking is that I'm going to make a fool of myself. Looking at that speech this morning...The things that are written in it, talking about the candidates like they're old friends of mine...I'm sure they are, but how am I supposed to say those things convincingly when I feel like I don't know the candidates at all? I just don't want to mess this up."

Cynder's expression softened gradually while she considered my position. She let out a quiet grunt and looked away in thought, but a moment later I saw her eyes light up as an idea apparently struck her.

"Well, what if they came to lunch with us?"

I blinked. "What?"

"They're going to be at the Citadel all day preparing, and I bet they would appreciate a break. We can stop by there before going to lunch and ask if they would like to come with us. Then you can take the chance to get to know them a little bit, and it won't feel like you're talking about complete strangers during your speech later."

I stared at her for a few seconds, caught off guard by the suggestion. I already felt like I was too nervous to eat, and now she wanted to throw four more dragons into the mix? Well...actually, it didn't sound like a bad idea when I really thought about it.

"I...Yeah, okay. If we can do that then it might help."

A small smile graced the edges of Cynder's muzzle, and more of the tension faded from her eyes and posture. I gave an internal sigh when I saw this. Seeing her unhappy was not pleasant for me at all.

"Okay. We have a plan, then. Let's get out of here."

She started walking past me toward the door. I hesitated for a split second, but then I caught her forepaw with mine as she passed, causing her to look at me questioningly.

"I really am sorry about what I said," I told her. "I never meant to insult you."

To my huge relief, a genuine smile grew on her lips and any lingering coldness in her eyes disappeared. She squeezed my forepaw with hers comfortingly.

"I know. It's okay, Spyro. I forgive you."

I let out a sigh. That was a weight I was glad to have off my shoulders! She giggled at my response, causing me to smile. I then noticed her leaning in closer to me, and without really thinking about it I closed my eyes and leaned in too, catching her in a kiss that erased all remaining guilt from my mind. When we both pulled away Cynder positioned herself by my side and allowed me to pull my wing over her again, entwining our tails together at the same time.

"Now, I really am getting hungry," she said with a smirk. "Let's go grab the others and find somewhere to eat before my stomach starts growling loud enough for the whole city to hear it."

I cocked an eyebrow at her. "That happens?"

"No comment."

I chuckled, and she swatted me with her forepaw hard enough to make my shoulder sting. Lesson learned: Never laugh at a dragoness. Of course I would probably be forgetting that lesson after today, but still. Details. She still gave me a grin, so I was reassured that I hadn't made her angry again at least.

We left the clinic together and turned toward a huge structure on the city skyline that I assumed was the Citadel. I figured we would fly, but when we entered the street Cynder held tight against my side and made spreading my wings effectively impossible. I looked at her curiously, and she just gave me a smile that basically said, 'You're not going anywhere'.

I was okay with that.

I considered trying to start a conversation as we walked, but just the silent company was more than comfortable enough that it didn't need disturbing. I spent the time enjoying the city sights, watching the people that milled about, many of whom gave us excited waves as we passed.

Things were much busier at the Citadel than they had been in the streets, which surprised me slightly. A courtyard in front of the building was practically swarming with workers, all surrounding a large stage that I could only guess had been constructed for the ceremony today. Seeing it caused my throat to turn dry, all of my earlier fears returning in force. There was the podium where I would have to stand, and...Oh, Ancestors, I was going to absolutely freak out!

Cynder must have felt me tense up, because I was abruptly jolted out of those thoughts when she kissed my cheek and hugged my side tighter, shaking my shoulders with her wing.

"Stop thinking about it," she told me firmly. "We're here for a nice lunch with our friends. You ruin that, and I'm knocking you out."

I gulped. For all I knew, she might not be kidding. She seemed pleased with my reaction, and she angled for the Citadel's front door with an increased pace. I glanced back at the stage again, but with Cynder pulling me forward my choices were either to follow or get spun around and dragged by my tail. I chose the former.

Inside the Citadel was quieter than the courtyard, but not by very much. It was still buzzing with activity, and when we entered we heard a very self-important voice above the general bustle.

"Honestly, who decided that it was acceptable to essentially barricade an entire corridor like this? These banners should have been set up on the stage hours ago! Merciful Ancestors, when I find out who was in charge of this..."

"Hello, Cyril," Cynder called brightly.

Cyril's head reared up at the call, and he looked around in apparent confusion before he spotted us approaching from behind him. He let out a huff, and all at once I noticed that he looked very, very tired. His scales were duller than I remembered, and his wings and frills all drooped. There were noticeable creases in the scales around his eyes and mouth, but his eyes themselves were still strong and intense.

"Spyro. Cynder. This is a surprise. We weren't expecting you for a couple more hours. Is there something I can assist you with?"

"We're just looking for the candidates," Cynder replied. "Are they busy right now?"

Cyril frowned, thinking.

"If I recall correctly, they should be in with Volteer right now sorting out all the political and legal documents of the succession. You can check in with him on how they're progressing, but I make no guarantees of their availability. They're likely in the library."

"Okay. Thank you."

He huffed again. "Take care navigating this chaos. Someone's liable to trip you in this mess, and then you'll be trapped listening to them grovel and beg for your forgiveness, given your status. Disorganized riffraff..."

Cynder snorted with laughter, and I couldn't keep the grin off my face either. I did still feel a sense of concern when I took in Cyril's haggard appearance again, though. Was he this run down just from organizing this ceremony? Or was it more of a permanent thing?

"You look like you need a rest, Cyril," I said. "How long have you been at this?"

"Too long," he scowled. "Retirement can't come soon enough. I'm too old for this madness. It's time for it to be someone else's problem. Now, move along you two. There's more than enough bodies crowding this hallway already. Take care now."

He returned to directing the workers with the same tone of frustration as before, and Cynder and I took our cue to leave. The farther into the building we went, the less hectic the hallways became until we found ourselves in an atmosphere of relative calm. I was glad Cynder knew where she was going, because I was already lost thanks to the scale of this place. We turned through a large set of oaken doors into the library, and toward the back of the large chamber we spotted five dragons gathered around a wooden table, one of them recognizable as Volteer. One of the others, a green dragoness, perked her head up as we approached.

"What are you guys doing here?" she called out to us.

"Hmm?" Volteer said, looking toward us curiously. When he saw us his eyes lit up. "Ah! Spyro. Cynder. What a most unexpected but pleasant surprise. To what do we owe this diversion?"

"Actually, we were coming to ask if the candidates had a moment to spare for some lunch," Cynder replied.

"Food!" the red dragon exclaimed immediately, startling me with the intensity in his voice. "Thank the Ancestors!"

Volteer gave a drawn out hum, his face scrunching up with internal debate. He looked down at the table, upon which I noticed several stacks of parchments. Holy Ancestors, that looked like a lot of paperwork! I did not envy these candidates at all.

"Perhaps a recess would be in order," Volteer said finally, which was immediately met with an enthusiastic "YES!" from the red dragon. This guy was going to be a Guardian? "We still have a few more duties to transfer and documents to finish up, but that would be best addressed with refreshed minds and sated appetites."

"Are you coming, Master Volteer?" the yellow electric candidate asked.

"No, no, I shan't bog down your social entourage with my presence," he replied with a quick shake of his head. "Go and enjoy yourselves, though I advise you all to return promptly. These documents must be completed before the ceremony begins."

"We will be," the green dragoness nodded before turning to Cynder and I with a large smile. "Let's go!"

Cynder gave a nod of acknowledgement and took the lead once again, turning around and padding toward the exit of the library. I fell into step beside her, and the four apprentices all rose and hurried to catch up. Once we had exited the library the ice dragon in the group spoke up.

"So what kind of lunch were you planning, exactly?"

"We hadn't decided yet," Cynder answered. "We were thinking of just picking something up from the market."

The ice dragon looked skeptical. "Not a restaurant?"

"What's the matter, Glacius?" the fire dragon said with a grin. "Are you too sophisticated to be seen haggling for cuts among the commoners?"

The ice dragon scowled while the other two apprentices chuckled. "That is not what I was implying and you know it, Novus. But if all we're doing is browsing the market stalls, there's no guarantee that we'll find anything before we run out of time. A restaurant is more certain."

"The city is filled to capacity with visitors planning to attend the ceremony," the electricity dragon interjected. "Any restaurants in the area will no doubt be struggling to keep up with the inflated clientele. We're liable to spend much less time finding a market vendor than we would spend waiting for a table, even with our elevated social status."

Glacius frowned, looking thoughtful. "You make a good point."

"I like the idea of lunch outdoors anyway," the green dragoness spoke up brightly. "I was getting so sick of being cooped up in that library when it's so nice outside today. A simple, casual meal in a park somewhere—"

"Of course," Novus snickered, and beside him Glacius also gave a small smirk.

"—sounds perfect to me. So I guess the question now is, what kind of meal do we want?"

"Well, options at this time of year are plentiful," the electricity dragon declared rapidly. "We've had an excellent growing season so far, so there will undoubtedly be a wide selection of fruits, or grain products such as pastries or other baked goods. Not to mention the usual range of wild game or fish, which I suppose we would need to decide whether we want fresh or prepared, and—"

"Whoa, whoa, guys, slow down!" Cynder cut in, a hidden tone of amusement in her voice. "Introductions first, menu second. Sound okay?"

She gave me a discreet wink, and I flashed her a grateful smile. She must have noticed the flustered look that was no doubt plastered on my face. Aside from picking up a couple of names, I didn't feel like I was making any progress in familiarizing myself with this group.

Novus slapped a paw to his forehead. "Right. Smooth." He faced me, putting a large smile on his face. "I'm Novus. Fun, impulsive, sometimes reckless, and your best friend."

"Presumptuous, much?" Glacius snorted.

Novus waved him off with an unconcerned grin. "We've known each other since our academy classes, not long after you and Cynder got back to the city."

"I'm Flora," the green dragoness said next, flashing a bright smile. "I was in the same classes. We met around the same time."

"My name's Glacius," the ice dragon said afterward. "I transferred to Warfang to finish my education after Cyril selected me as his apprentice twenty five years ago. We met shortly after that."

"And I'm Faraday," the electricity dragon said finally, waving a paw enthusiastically. "I'm also a transfer, after Volteer chose me as his apprentice twenty two years ago. We actually met once before that, though, thirty years ago when you and Cynder visited Crystal Skies on a diplomacy mission."

I frowned, cocking my head to the side. "Crystal Skies?"

Faraday nodded. "My home after the war."

"It's the name of a colony that was established where Concurrent Skies once stood," Cynder explained to me. "Mostly electricity dragons, with a number of mages among them that purified the area of the dark influence I left behind."

"Oh," I said, surprised by this news and feeling slightly awkward about it, though I was reassured by the fact that Cynder showed no sign of discomfort around the subject. "Well, good to meet you all. Again, I guess. Thanks."

Flora and Faraday both smiled, and Novus chuckled. "Thanks for what?"

"For...well, just this. Talking to you is already helping some of my nerves for later."

"Well then let's see if we can't take care of all of them," Flora declared brightly. "Now, I'm hungry! Let's eat!"

Her timing was perfect. We had just reached the front step of the Citadel, and without needing any more prompting we spread our wings and took to the air. I followed Cynder as she led the way to the market, my stomach growling in anticipation. My anxiety about the ceremony was still present, but maybe I could eat after all.

It felt like it was only minutes before Faraday had managed to direct us to a trader selling hearty portions of pre-cut game for bulk prices, and Flora managed to find a nearby stall offering fresh spices. With the meat wrapped, we flew to the nearby gardens and found an unoccupied dragon-sized gazebo that offered welcome shade in the midday sun. Flora created a slab of smooth stone, Cynder neatly sliced the meat and laid it out, and Novus heated the stone to the perfect cooking temperature while Flora added the spices she had bought. My mouth was watering like crazy as the meat sizzled away. It smelled absolutely fantastic!

Before long we were happily eating our meals, the Guardian candidates swapping stories with me eagerly listening to every word, creating a picture in my mind of who these dragons were.

"You...you guys remember what happened when we got back to the Citadel and Cyril saw us?" Novus stammered, practically gasping with laughter as he recounted a particularly...eventful night from their time as apprentices. "The look that he gave us?"

Faraday shivered violently. "Please, I can't ever forget it! It was like he froze me solid with just his eyes! If such a thing were physically possible, Cyril would be a master of it."

"Seriously?" I asked incredulously, my eyes wide. "The night before a treaty summit with a former rival of the dragon race, and you get caught completely wasted?"

"Oh yeah," Novus said with a rapid nod. "But that isn't even the best part! So Cyril's there, staring us all down, but Glacius isn't even fazed. He walks up to Cyril, drunk off his tail, and he says with a completely straight face..."

He was fighting hard not to burst out laughing at this point—it was pretty easy to tell from all the snorting and giggling. He gestured with a paw at Glacius, and the ice dragon rolled his eyes but gave a smirk at the corner of his mouth. He puffed up his chest, acting as dignified and self-important as he could.

"Master Cyril, if I may," he stated. "The Harvest Festival is an event of great significance to the working populace, and a celebration that spans across races. It is a valuable opportunity to develop a rapport with the common people, and as you've often told us, being in touch with the citizens of the Realms is invaluable in enabling a Guardian to perform their duties effectively. Partaking in these festivities will be of nothing but benefit in the long run."

"Of course, he was slurring almost every other word during that speech," Flora giggled.

"I was not," Glacius huffed with indignation that I thought was only half faked.

"It was perfect!" Novus laughed. "And Cyril just stares him down for the longest time, but then he gives in!"

"He said that if we could still secure the alliance with the wyverns the next morning, then there would be no punishment for behaving like 'unrefined, delinquent peasants' in his words," Faraday said.

I snorted, and Cynder was shaking her head with amusement beside me. "I still wish I could have seen his reaction. I'm sure his face must have been great."

"But, hold on. You mean he was willing to put the treaty at risk like that?" I asked despite my own amusement.

"Oh, I'm sure he already had some contingency plan in place to salvage the situation if it looked like we were going to screw up," Faraday remarked with a wave of his paw. "If there's one thing Master Cyril is besides pompous, it's prepared."

I still felt skeptical, but none of the others seemed concerned.

"So, anyway, back on track here," Novus continued. "After Glacius saved our tails, we all head straight to our rooms, pass out, and the next morning we down about a lake's worth of water each and this miracle drink that Flora whipped up," Novus continued.

"I'm good with herbs," Flora declared smugly.

"That she is. Within the hour our hangovers are gone, and we turn up at the gathering with the wyverns as if nothing had happened. But get this: The wyvern prince was actually at the same tavern as us that night."

"No way!" I exclaimed.

"Yep! And he remembered us from when we helped stop this boar that was trying to make off with all of his gold while he was getting drunk himself, and so right off the bat we were in his good graces. The treaty talks went down without a hitch! Just like that, alliance with the wyvern kingdom restored."

"All in a day's work," Glacius said with a proud grin.

"Wow," I said, shaking my head in amazement. "I don't know whether to feel impressed or concerned about the kind of Guardians that are about to take up office."

"Hey!" Flora laughed. "You would have been right there with us if you weren't away mediating a border dispute with Cynder."

"There as the only sober one, of course," Faraday noted. "What with your medication and all. But you would have been participating all the same."

I looked at him with a mix of amusement and skepticism. "You sound so sure of that. But how can you be? I don't even know what I would do!"

"We've been friends for decades," Novus stated, bumping my shoulder with his wing. "Some of us for half a century. I think we have a pretty good idea by now."

I glanced around at the company gathered around me, and all of them were nodding their heads in agreement, including Cynder. Despite myself, I could feel a genuine smile growing on my muzzle.

"Well...okay. Maybe you do have me there."

"No 'maybe' about it, my friend," Novus said, giving my shoulder one final slap.

I just grinned back at him. After that I took another look around our small gathering, absorbing the atmosphere of comradery that they were giving off. Maybe I didn't know them very well, but this friendship was starting to feel more real, rather than just being something that someone else told me.

"Okay. I think I have just one more question before I'm settled on this," I spoke up.

The others all turned their attention on me, various levels of curiosity visible on their faces.

"What's that?" Glacius asked.

"Why do you want to be Guardians?"

It looked like my question caught them off guard, and this was actually a bit of a surprise to me. Surely this wasn't the first time I had asked them that, was it? I couldn't have been. Still, it was apparent that they weren't expecting me to ask it now.

"Well," Glacius spoke up, clearing his throat lightly. "For me, it's part ambition to see just what I'm capable of achieving, and part of it is honour. My family has always striven to leave a positive mark on the dragon race, and I believe the best way I can do that is to be a fair representative of my element on the Guardians' council."

I nodded quietly, turning my eyes on Novus next. Some of the levity had faded from his expression, I noticed, replaced by a distant look.

"I don't talk about it much, but I saw my fair share of unpleasantness during the war," he said. "Actions driven by fear and desperation. I was pretty young at the time, but I still swore that I wouldn't let that sort of thing continue if I could help it. I want to make sure everyone gets a fair shake, and gets treated justly."

I wasn't expecting that one. That was a very serious answer for someone who seemed the complete opposite of it. The other three candidates all had expressions of respect on their faces when they looked at him, though. His motivation clearly wasn't news to them, and the impression I got was that they were willing to support him in that goal. Well, that was nothing if not encouraging.

"I just like helping people," Flora said next, giving a small shrug with her wings and a smile. "And what better place to do that than from the very top? It sounds kind of cliché, but it's what I've wanted since I was a hatchling."

"I'm interested in the advancement of our species," Faraday explained after that. "War has stifled our development as a society, both in culture and technology. I feel like with the right focus, we could make all kinds of breakthroughs that facilitate the lives of the Dragon Realms' citizens."

"The mad scientist with a good heart," Flora joked, and Novus, Glacius and Cynder all grinned.

"I would object to that moniker if not for the fact that it might not be completely inaccurate," Faraday said in response.

I had to chuckle at that. "Well...okay. I think I'm sold."

"Really?" Flora exclaimed.

I nodded. "From what I've heard so far, and knowing that we all have history, I feel like I can trust you guys. It sounds like you all have your hearts in the right place for why you want to become Guardians, so I'm ready to support you and I would be happy to speak at the ceremony. And besides, Cynder seems behind it and her judgement is something I trust completely."

I saw Cynder shoot me an appreciative glance out of the corner of her eye at that, her tail curling slightly tighter around mine.

"Great!" Novus said excitedly.

Glacius and Faraday also smiled widely, but none as large as Flora. She beamed and stood up, surprising me by pulling her wings around my shoulders in a hug.

"Oh," I stammered in an awkward sort of laugh. "Okay."

"Thank you, Spyro," Flora said when she let go. "This means so much to all of us."

"It's an honour," Glacius nodded in agreement. "To have the dragon that saved the entire world speak on our behalf on the day we're appointed as Guardians? It's incredible."

I felt my face heat up slightly, and I turned my eyes away while shuffling my paws bashfully.

"Well, I can't take all the credit for that..."

"Hey. Don't sell yourself short on my account," Cynder countered, giving me a large smile.

All I could manage was a smile back at her. A couple of the others chuckled at our banter, but at that moment Faraday glanced up at the sky outside the gazebo and jolted.

"Dear Ancestors! We're going to be late getting back to Volteer!"

"Oh, crap!" Novus exclaimed. "Kind of hard to be appointed as Guardians if the legal succession isn't finished in time for the ceremony. Thanks for the lunch guys, but we need to fly!"

"See you at the ceremony!" Flora called.

I yelped and ducked as they all jumped into the air at once in a tangle of wings, miraculously avoiding getting battered in the process. When I lowered my wings I looked up to see the four of them retreating quickly toward the Citadel, as well as Cynder laughing at me. I turned my head to face her.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing," she answered innocently. "Just admiring the picture of steady composure that is my mate."

I gave her a hurt look, which of course only caused her to laugh more, so I responded like any mature adult dragon would by sticking my tongue out at her. She snorted and shook her head before standing up.

"Well, how about another walk? We should be able to make it back home from here and still have enough time to finish preparing for the ceremony when we get there. Sound good to you?"

I only had to think about it for a second before I nodded. "Yeah, that sounds fine."

She smiled brightly. "Great. Then come here."

I obeyed, rising and stepping up by her side, and together we set off along the park's walkways and back out into Warfang's streets. Things were getting gradually busier as the hour of the new Guardians' inauguration approached, but we still managed to make it back to the apartment we shared without much trouble. Once inside we settled in our bedroom, where we helped each other ensure that our scales and horns were nicely polished and our claws neatly filed, trying to make ourselves as presentable as possible. To finish, Cynder pulled a very expensive-looking dark red—or was it more burgundy?—silk robe out of one of the dressers, with a golden clasp and embroidery on the edges. Before I had time to ask questions she had tossed it over my shoulders, using her tail to straighten out its length while she fastened the clasp around my neck. When she was finished she stepped back and gave an approving hum, eyeing me up and down.

"Ancestors, you look good in that," she said, and I couldn't help puffing my chest out slightly from the swell of pride. Good looking, huh? "All you need is a crown and you would look like a king."

I gave a quiet laugh. "Careful. I'm probably not fit to rule like this, but if you go putting ideas in my head who knows what'll happen?"

"Aw, come on," she said teasingly. "Why not? You on the throne, me behind the scenes pulling all the strings..."

"Oh, I see. So you want to rule, and I'm just your proxy."

"What? Noooo."

I laughed again, grabbing a pillow off of the bed beside me and tossing it at her. She dodged it easily, laughing as well, and for a moment after that we just observed each other in silence. She looked radiant, with her scales gleaming and accentuated by her silver necklace and horn ring. I could probably stare at her all day.

"Oh!" she said suddenly, snapping us both out of our daze. "Don't want to forget..."

She walked over to the desk sitting against one of the walls, pulling open a drawer and retrieving a rolled bundle of parchment. Roll in paw, she padded back over to me and held it out for me to take.

"Your speech," she said. "All written out and ready to go."

I hesitated, looking down at the parchment as some of my earlier nerves rose up in my chest again. I took it slowly in my paw, unrolling it and glancing over some of the words written out on the page. This whole speech thing had started to feel like something far away and unimportant during our lunch with the apprentices, but now it was feeling very real again. I swallowed and took a slightly shaky breath.

"Right. Good. Definitely don't want to forget that..."

I was broken out of my thoughts when Cynder placed her forepaw on mine, gently rolling the speech back up and giving me a reassuring smile. She moved forward to nuzzle me under my jaw, and the soothing contact drew a heavy sigh from me as my tense shoulders relaxed.

"You're going to do great," she told me, just as she had earlier. "Trust me."

I gazed back into her eyes and studied her for a few seconds, but then a smile worked its way across my muzzle.

"I do."

"Good. Then let's go. The ceremony will be starting before much longer. Can't begin without the purple dragon."

I chuckled. "Well, the purple dragon couldn't do it without you."

It was cheesy, but I didn't care. Cynder's smile made it more than worth it, and she nuzzled me again.

"Then it's a good thing you don't have to. I'll be in the front row of the audience, right where you can see me. Now come on."

She turned toward the doorway that led out to the balcony, and I followed right behind her. Side by side we took off into the sky, heading for the Citadel and the crowd gathering in front of it. My nerves flared again, but I tried to push them aside while focusing on Cynder instead. She was going to be right there with me. I had nothing to worry about. It was going to be fine.

A smile crept across my lips as I held on to that comforting notion. I'd been in scary situations before, but we had drawn strength from each other through each of them. This was no different.

The stage came into view ahead, and on it I could see Cyril, Volteer and Terrador, as well as the four apprentices all wearing their formal dress and making for an impressive sight. They soon caught sight of us, a few of them beckoning with their wings, and as soon as they had the crowd of observers turned to look. Almost immediately a cheer went up, applause spreading throughout the audience. My throat went dry.

Something nudged my side, and I turned to see Cynder looking back at me with a reassuring smile. She nodded to me, and after swallowing my nerves I nodded back, her presence calming me. After that, we turned together and started descending toward the stage.

Here we go...

---

I can't believe this is really happening to me!

There's no way that I can describe what I'm feeling right now. Even now, I can barely sit still long enough to write this down! This feels like a dream! Is this even really happening, or have I completely snapped and now I'm just delusional?

How am I going to do this? I'm not ready for this, am I? Me, who can't function for more than a single day at a time? It just seems like a bad idea when I put it that way, but...

Damn it, forget about all that! I'm so excited!

-~.~-*-~.~-

I woke up feeling strangely groggy, which was strange because it felt like I was just coming out of a very deep sleep. Why would I still feel this exhausted after just waking up? It was a physical kind of exhaustion, like I had been running around non-stop the day before, and at the same time I felt completely stiff as though I hadn't moved a single inch all night long.

Well, I supposed that did make sense. Fighting Malefor was an ordeal and a half, after all, not to mention using my power to reverse the world's destruction afterward. I just...Wait a minute. There was no bed in the core of the world...and I definitely wasn't a full grown adult the last time I looked! Or...actually, was I? Why couldn't I remember?

I lifted my head and looked around myself, frowning in confusion. Where was I? I didn't recognize this place at all. I had no idea what to make of all this...Well, I supposed my best course of action was to just take stock of my situation, so that was what I did.

Large, soft bed with fine quality sheets and plenty of room for two. The sheets on the other side of the bed were rumpled and there was an indent from another body, so someone else was there recently. The room itself was round and a bit dark because of the mostly-drawn curtains, but I could still see that it was comfortably furnished and decorated. There were a couple of cushions near the window with a bookshelf against the wall between them, clearly a sort of lounge area for two. The rest of the furnishings likewise suggested that this was a couple's room.

So who was the other half of that couple?

My eyes were drawn to the end table on the other side of the bed, and I spotted a black crystal rose sitting on top of it. I leaned closer and picked it up carefully to examine it. It was beautiful, and it actually made me think of Cynder.

I wonder...

I looked to my own end table, and I saw two things on it. The first was a glass cup with some sort of strange reddish liquid in it that gave off a strong scent. The second was a leather-bound journal. I picked the journal up almost by instinct and opened it to the first page. It looked like my own writing, so I started reading.

Amnesia? Well, that did make a lot of sense, actually. Honestly I didn't feel surprised, since it very effectively described why I felt so disoriented. What else...? Living in Warfang...Cynder is my...mate? Really?

Nice!

I paused for a second to let that sink in, a large smile dominating my face. Eventually I did keep reading, though. The line that got the most attention was the mention of new Guardians. If there were new Guardians, what had happened to Terrador, Cyril and Volteer? Were they still in the city?

I decided I would need to ask someone about it later. In the meantime my focus turned back to the glass cup. I noticed a piece of parchment in front of it, and I recognized my own writing on it once again.

'Drink this when I wake up.'

I spent a moment longer studying the glass, not entirely convinced I wanted to obey my own instruction given the smell. Still, my journal did mention medicine. That must be what this was. Sighing to myself, I picked it up. Might as well.

I gagged as soon as I gulped it all down. That stuff was foul! Someone would think that whoever made this stuff would at least try to flavour it a little, but apparently that wasn't a priority. Ancestors!

Well, at least it cleared away the lingering fuzziness in my head. It definitely worked to wake me up. I had to give it that.

Scowling and trying to work the remaining taste off my tongue, I climbed off of the bed and headed for the door, deciding I should try to find Cynder and explore the home a little bit on the way. It looked like a pretty nice place. The upper floor alone was quite spacious and comfortable. Multiple spare bedrooms. Large tub that seemed to be heated by some sort of crystal technology if I had to guess. Library. Study. Multiple balconies. I could definitely get used to something like this! Well, I could if my memory was working properly, anyway.

Were we rich? It sure looked like it so far. What kind of jobs did we have to afford this kind of house? Or was it all a reward for our contributions to the war? More questions for later, I supposed.

There was no sign of Cynder anywhere upstairs, but I thought I heard something from the main level. The stairway had an open side as it curved along the wall of the large foyer, so I simply dropped from the second level to the first with my wings catching my fall. The sound was coming from down the main hall behind me. I followed it and entered what appeared to be a large combined kitchen and dining room.

Cynder was sitting at a low wooden table, facing the doorway I had just entered from. When she saw me a bright smile crossed her face, one that immediately made me feel warm inside. I was stunned for a few seconds, her graceful appearance leaving me speechless.

Wow...

"Hey, handsome," she greeted me warmly. "Finally awake, huh?"

A grin answered her words, my daze broken.

"Looks that way," I chuckled. "How long have you been up?"

"An hour, maybe," she answered with a shrug. "I would have stayed with you, but I was getting stiff and needed to move around."

I nodded wordlessly. I had become distracted by the plate that was currently sitting in front of her, which she continued eating from after she was finished speaking. It was huge! There were at least three different kinds of meat on it, along with more sides than I could name. She was currently eating what looked like a mushroom dipped in...honey? That was certainly...odd.

I realized I was staring, but I couldn't think of any other way to react. I was shocked by the scale of this meal. From what I could see of Cynder, though, she didn't seem noticeably overweight or thick—and I immediately felt petty and wrong for thinking that way, but I couldn't help it—so where was that food going?

"So..." I forced out a moment later, trying to come up with a conversation to distract myself. "What kind of plans do you have for today? Do we have anywhere we need to be, or work, or...something?"

"Not really," Cynder answered. "I'm on leave from work for another couple of weeks, and we didn't make any plans for being anywhere. I do need to head over to the market soon, though. Food storage is running low." She paused for a minute, continuing her meal, but then her eyes brightened with a look of inspiration. "Actually, since you're up, why don't we do that now? I'm done here."

It was true. In just the last couple of minutes she had cleared her plate completely, somehow eating all of her food between sentences. It didn't seem physically possible, and on top of that she had done it without any kind of unsightly display either. No mess, just efficiency. I did not get it at all.

And then she stood up, and it all hit me like a ton of bricks to the face.

I was staring again, this time with my mouth hanging open slightly. My eyes were locked on her belly, which had swollen up considerably from what I imagined was its normal size. It looked cumbersome and heavy, judging by her posture at least, and there was one conclusion that my mind immediately jumped to. I couldn't believe what I was seeing!

I finally looked up to meet her gaze, and when I did I saw her looking back at me with an enormous smile, partly from humour and largely from happiness.

"Cynder," I said quietly. "What...?"

I looked down at her stomach again, as if to confirm that it wasn't just an illusion. I could barely even put a coherent thought together.

"Are you...?"

Her smile spread even wider, and her eyes were now shining with what I could only describe as pure joy. She nodded once.

"Your eyes aren't playing tricks on you," she giggled. "It's true. I'm gravid."

I staggered, a million different thoughts and feelings rushing through my head at once. Gravid...I couldn't believe this! It was so surreal, like I was standing inside a dream! I was staring at her stomach again, imagining the egg inside.

"...Ours?" I barely managed to ask.

She laughed at that. "Of course it is! Here. Come see."

She sat back on her haunches and lifted her foreleg in an inviting gesture. I slowly walked forward, feeling completely dazed. Cynder was carrying an egg. I could barely even wrap my head around it. There was an egg inside of her, forming right now. When had this even happened? An egg! And it was mine!

When I reached her side I sat down slowly, barely registering the wing she set on my back. She took my forepaw with hers and laid it on her stomach, holding it there and grasping it tightly. I was frozen for a long moment. It was such a strange feeling, her belly rigid and the scales stretched apart, seeming like they were barely still covering the skin underneath.

How uncomfortable was that for her, actually? Wait, no, forget that! Our egg was literally right beneath my paw at that moment.

Our egg.

Our child...

A laugh broke past my jaws before I even realized it. A bubbly feeling of euphoria was growing stronger and stronger in my chest, and my laughter was building along with it. An egg! A child! I was going to have a child! My own family!

Before I knew what I was doing I had grabbed Cynder in a tight hug with my forepaws and wings, holding her close while I laughed in total happiness and excitement. I felt like I was soaring higher than the sun!

"I can't believe this!" I finally exclaimed out loud. "Cynder, this is amazing!"

I pulled back to look into her eyes, and her smile was just as bright as ever. She was laughing quietly, shaking her head.

"I never get tired of this reaction," she murmured fondly, leaning forward to run the side of her muzzle along mine. "Seeing your face light up like this every morning is something I just can't get enough of."

I laughed again. "Well, if you like that then just wait until the egg is hatched! I bet my reaction then will put this one to shame!"

Cynder laughed as well. "I'm looking forward to it."

I grinned back at her before my eyes turned down to her swollen stomach once more. Just the thought of what was inside practically stole my breath away. This was the last thing I expected when I woke up this morning, and it was something I'd had no idea that I wanted, but now...Now I wanted it so badly! I wanted a family to call my own, and it was happening!

"How long?" I asked.

"I'm expected to lay within the next couple of weeks," she replied. "After that it will be another couple of months before the egg is ready to hatch."

"Months?" I repeated, my heart falling slightly. "Ancestors. I feel like I can't even wait the rest of the day..."

"I know. I feel the same way."

I let out a sigh, and Cynder responded by nuzzling against me again. The smile quickly returned to my face.

"Are you scared?" she asked me quietly.

I paused, considering the question and trying to sort out the surge of emotions inside of me. It was a difficult thing to manage. I was almost dizzy for the number of feelings and thoughts rushing around inside my head!

"A little. Well, actually a lot. I...Oh, Ancestors. I'm going to have a child! That's so incredible! But...How am I going to do this? How do I look after a hatchling when I..."

I trailed off, my chest tightening and leaving me short of breath. I was staring down at Cynder's swollen belly again, questions raging inside my head like a storm. I didn't know how to be a father, and with this amnesia, there was no way anybody could teach me. What was I supposed to do?

"Hey," Cynder spoke up, giving my shoulder a quick shake with her forepaw and instantly drawing my eyes up to hers. She was staring at me with a steady, resolved expression. "Listen to me. We're going to be just fine."

I opened my mouth but couldn't think of anything to say for a moment. I glanced down once again before letting out a tense sigh.

"Are you sure? Because...when I woke up, I thought I was still a kid at first. How do I provide for one of my own when I feel so...clueless?"

"Simple," Cynder told me with a large smile covering her face. "We do it together, just like everything else."

Silence fell between us for a few moments as I sat there holding her gaze, considering her answer. It wasn't much longer before the smile grew back on my muzzle, however, the excitement that this news brought me returning in force. I simply closed my eyes and pulled Cynder tight against me with my forelegs and wings, never wanting to let her go.

"I don't think this fear is really going to go away," I said. "But...Right now, the only thing I want is to see our child's face."

Cynder pulled her head back to look at me, beaming with barely contained excitement. "Me too. I just know that they're going to be perfect."

My smile practically doubled at those words, a feeling of enormous pride and happiness swelling up in my chest. I had to fight not to tear up, although that would probably just add more entertainment for Cynder.

"I love you so much," I said.

Another smile was my answer, before she leaned forward and caught me in a long, tender kiss. My heart felt weightless. It was official: I had died and this was heaven!

"I love you too," she told me when we parted.

I sighed in total contentment and pulled her against my chest again, resting my head on top of hers and just savouring her presence—her noticeably larger presence, at that. It felt like absolutely nothing could ruin this moment.

I could have stayed that way for hours, but eventually Cynder pulled away again, giving me a fond lick on the tip of my snout before disengaging from our embrace. I watched with a feeling of confusion as she stood back up, grunting quietly from the added weight.

"Well, as much as I'd love to stay here all day, we do need to get to the market at some point. Might as well be now before it gets busy."

She started walking away from me toward a large carrying bag that was hanging on the wall. A jolt went through me when I realized what she was doing. She wasn't really going to exert herself in this condition, was she? I jumped to my paws, my protective instincts kicking in full force.

"Whoa, whoa! Hold on!" I exclaimed, intercepting her and grabbing the bag before she could. "You don't need to do that. I can take care of it for you."

She looked at me dubiously. "It's okay, Spyro. It's just a short flight and some walking around. I'm not going to pass out from strain or anything."

"I know, but why work yourself when you don't need to? Let me do this for you. Come on."

"Spyro, really, I'm fine—"

"Please?"

She hesitated, staring me down, and I gave her the best disarming smile I could manage. In truth it wasn't just concern for her wellbeing that was motivating me here. My worries from before were still very much present. I was going to have a family soon, and I wanted to be able to provide for it. Even without the information that my journal had told me, it was clear that I had problems. I didn't want to be just another dependent that Cynder would have to look after on top of a hatchling. Anything like this that I could do to help her...I wanted to. I needed to.

It seemed like she realized this a minute later, because her expression slowly softened and was replaced by a small, grateful smile. I immediately felt myself relaxing, some of my giddy energy from before returning.

"Fine," she sighed with amusement. "As long as you don't start thinking of me as some helpless little thing that needs you to rescue me from everything."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

That seemed to satisfy her, and her pride. "Well...alright then." Her expression became questioning again, though. "How will you know where to go?"

"I'm sure I can ask someone. It'll be fine."

Cynder didn't look convinced, and I couldn't really blame her. Warfang was a big city, after all, and it would be extremely easy for someone who didn't know where they were going to get lost. That is, unless they could fly and see the city's layout from above, which I could. As long as I took careful note of where this house was so I knew where to return to, I had no doubt that I would be able to find my way.

"Cynder, I'll be fine," I assured her. "Look, if worst comes to worst and I lose my way, I can find the Guardians and ask if they can point me back here. We do know the new ones, right?"

She seemed surprised by my solution, but then she relaxed slightly and nodded. "Yeah, we've been friends with all of them for years."

"Well, there. See? Nothing to worry about. Now, is there a list or something of what we need to get?"

She gave a sigh that was halfway between exasperated and amused, and all I could do was grin back at her. She chuckled and shook her head, walking over to a nearby drawer and pulling out a small roll of parchment and some ink.

"Hold on. I'll put one together for you."

A minute later I had the finished list tucked securely into the bag that was hanging over my shoulder, along with a pouch of coins, and I turned to face Cynder again. She was sitting down watching me, and I could see a hint of lingering skepticism in her eyes, but mostly her expression was one of humour and fondness. I stepped up to her, wrapping her in my wings and pausing to feel her stomach again with both my forepaws. I couldn't keep the massive smile off of my face.

"I really can't wait."

She smiled back at me and nuzzled me under my chin. "Me neither."

I returned the nuzzle, and after that we parted with me turning toward the front of the house, practically bouncing down the hall with renewed excitement. Cynder gave a quiet giggle behind me as she watched me leave, but then she suddenly called out.

"Oh, wait! You haven't even eaten anything yet!"

"Don't worry about it!" I called back. "I'll just grab something while I'm out. I'll be back soon!"

"Well, okay then. I love you!"

"Love you too!"

With that I opened the front door and dashed outside. Unfortunately, timing wasn't on my side as I ran right into the dragoness that that had just landed on our front step. We bounced off of each other with a loud grunt, the dragoness almost getting bowled over from the speed I was moving at.

"Oh, Ancestors, I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, mortified by my own clumsiness. I could have hurt her! "Are you okay? I should have been watching where I was going—"

"Relax, Spyro," the earth dragoness giggled, brushing off her chest with a forepaw. "I'm fine. No harm done."

"Oh, good," I sighed. It was then that I paused, her casual use of my name sinking in. "I...take it we know each other?"

"Sure do," she answered with a grin and a nod. "I'm Flora, the Earth Guardian."

My head jerked up in surprise. "Really? Oh, okay. So, according to Cynder we're long time friends, then. Right?"

"Yep!" Flora stated happily. "And speaking of Cynder..."

A look of intensity suddenly filled her expression, and she grabbed my shoulders with her forepaws. I yelped in surprise when I instantly found myself eye to eye with her.

"Where is she?"

"W-what?"

"I'm gone for months for a diplomatic mission, and when I get back late last night the others tell me that the two of you are expecting?! I thought they were messing with me at first! I had to see this for myself! Is it true?"

I remained stunned for another second, but after that I couldn't keep the goofy smile off my face. Flora's eyes widened.

"It's true."

She gasped, but almost instantly her look of shock was replaced by one of pure excitement.

"Really?" she exclaimed. She grabbed me in a fierce hug, causing me to yelp again. "Congratulations! You must be thrilled!"

"You have no idea," I laughed. "Thrilled. Ecstatic. Terrified. It's overwhelming! But, also amazing."

Flora laughed too, squeezing me tighter, crushing the air out of me—Ancestors, earth dragons are strong! "I'm so happy for you!" She then released me, holding me out at arm's length again and allowing me to suck in a breath of air. "But now I really need to see Cynder. Is she inside?"

I chuckled, nodding. "Go on i—"

"Thanks!"

She dashed past me before I could even finish my sentence, and I was almost knocked over in the process. I almost thought she was the one about to have a hatchling with how excited she was! Before the door could even swing closed behind her I heard her calling out inside.

"Hellooooo!"

"Flora!" I heard Cynder exclaim. "You're back! When did you return?"

"Last night. Now, what's this I hear about..."

The next thing I heard was a high pitched squeal that rang out through the whole house, and I snorted with amusement.

"Oh my Ancestors! LOOK AT YOU! That is a one hundred percent genuine egg bump! I can't believe what I'm seeing right now!"

A flurry of laughter could be heard as the door finally clicked shut, and I could easily picture the two dragonesses hugging in my head. After that their voices were muffled but I could still hear them chattering excitedly. I laughed to myself one more time before turning to the sky and taking flight. My own excitement couldn't be contained any longer, and I let out a triumphant cheer as I performed a string of loops above the city. I had never imagined I could feel this way!

I was going to be a dad!

---

Well...this day didn't go quite like I would have hoped. I thought my fighting days were over.

I can definitely say that something I never expected was needing to fight fellow citizens of Warfang, though. I guess I was a bit naive, thinking that just because the war was over, everything was peaceful. Thinking about what almost happened...It makes me sick. Honestly, part of me is happy that I'm going to forget this. I just wish that Cynder could too.

I'm just so glad that we're both okay.

-~.~-*-~.~-

Leaving the concert hall felt like trying to wade through a rushing river, except instead of water it was a crowd of countless creatures like moles, cheetahs, atlawa, manweersmalls, and pretty much anything else that reacted poorly to getting stepped on by a dragon. This was insanity! I was going to crush someone like this!

Just behind me, Cynder let out a frustrated growl as our progress was brought to a halt by the packed bodies blocking our way. It seemed that at that moment she reached the end of her patience.

"Hey!" she roared suddenly, causing me to jump. "If you all don't mind, purple dragon coming through!"

Well, that was nothing if not effective. After the rest of the crowd managed to get over the fright caused by her roar a path promptly opened up in front of us, leading down the front steps of the theatre and into the open square beyond. Offering a weak smile that was half from gratitude, half from embarrassment, I quickly padded through it and let out a large sigh of relief once I emerged into open space. Cynder stepped up beside me, looking quite pleased with herself.

"You know, you're too polite for your own good," she teased me. "If you literally just said 'Can I pass?', it would have had almost the same effect."

"Yeah, well..." I spluttered indignantly, but I couldn't come up with a proper comeback. "...I didn't feel like it."

She laughed, giving a triumphant sort of smirk, and I sighed and rolled my eyes in exasperation. I had to work to hide my grin.

"So, what do you want to do now?" I asked to change the subject.

"We should start heading home," Cynder answered, becoming serious for a moment. "It's almost time for your evening medicine, and we don't want to leave it too late."

"Oh, right," I nodded. "Should we fly?"

"Well, I think we still have time to walk. Just as long as we don't take too scenic of a route."

"Alright. Lead the way."

She offered me a smile and started walking down the street, away from the dispersing crowd and into the flickering glow cast by the street lamps. I caught up to her and placed my wing over her back, earning an approving hum from her. We walked in silence for a couple of minutes, enjoying the quiet evening atmosphere, but eventually Cynder spoke up.

"That was fun."

I looked at her sidelong and smiled. "It was. I enjoyed it a lot."

She beamed. "I'm glad. I hoped you would. I thought it would be a nice change of pace to have a more 'proper' evening out, and word around the Citadel was that this orchestra was very worth it."

"Good call. I didn't even know a mixed dragon and mole orchestra was a thing."

"Well, why not? They already cooperate in daily life in the city, so doing the same in the arts shouldn't be a surprise."

I frowned thoughtfully, considering this argument as we made a turn down into a smaller side street. This one was considerably less busy than the main avenue, and quieter.

"Fair point," I nodded finally. "Either way, they did a good job. I thought that wind dragoness was especially good. I've never heard singing like that."

"She was good, wasn't she? I suppose being a wind dragoness, it makes sense she could do things with her voice that no one else could."

I paused, looked down at Cynder beside me, and a fond smile grew on my lips.

"I bet you could."

That certainly got her attention. She met my gaze with a surprised one of her own. "What?"

"Well, even back during the war your control over wind was impressive," I told her. "You must be easily beyond what that dragoness could do by now. Plus...I think you would have a beautiful singing voice."

"Aww," she said, nuzzling me. "You really think so? Honestly, I never felt like the arts would suit me. I'm much more...action oriented."

"Well, maybe you should try sometime. I really do think you would sound great."

She considered me for a moment in silence, but after that a warm smile spread on her lips and her eyes brightened. She leaned over to nuzzle me again, causing me to sigh happily.

"Maybe I will."

"I would like that. And I bet Ruby would too."

Cynder looked up at me thoughtfully again, though shortly after that she turned her attention forward once more and pressed herself closer to my side. My mind briefly went back to our home, and the small infant dragoness that we had left in the care of some neighbours—apparently close ones—before we left for the evening. A large smile stretched across my face, a feeling of indescribable warmth and affection spreading from my heart.

My little Ruby...She was almost the spitting image of her mother, except of course for the red scales whose colour was as rich as a gemstone, and the bright purple eyes and head crest that she had inherited from me. Seeing her when I had come downstairs that morning had been...well, one hell of a surprise, to put it lightly, but a surprise of the most amazing kind. Having a tiny little dragoness tackle my leg when I entered the room and call me "Daddy" definitely caught me off guard.

We turned another corner, and I looked around in slight confusion when I saw that we had just entered a dim, narrow side street that looked like it was rarely used. It wasn't exactly a scenic area, and I looked at Cynder quizzically.

"This seems like an odd route to take."

"Just a small shortcut," she replied unconcernedly. "Going this way leads us through a nice park anyway, which I thought would add some atmosphere."

I grunted, looking away in thought. Eventually I shrugged.

"Well, I suppose that does sound nice. This place just feels kind of..."

I glanced around uncomfortably, and Cynder giggled.

"What? Dirty? Dark? You're not scared of the dark, are you?"

I frowned at her, slightly affronted by her teasing tone of voice.

"No. But I obviously don't know this area, and it doesn't really look like the most inviting—"

Out of nowhere stars flashed in my vision, and my ears started ringing intensely. I lost all sensation of my surroundings, and for a moment my mind was completely scrambled. I couldn't think. There was nothing but the ringing noise, and the blurred images in front of me, and...Oh, Ancestors, my head really hurt! It felt like someone had dropped a boulder on it! Especially at the back...Wow, that was painful! And why wasn't that ringing stopping yet? It was really getting annoying!

I tried to reach up to rub the back of my skull, wincing from the pain, but that was when I realized that I couldn't. My leg wouldn't move. My vision was still fuzzy, so I couldn't make out what the problem was. I shook my head to clear it—Ow! Big mistake! Pain flooded through it from the rough movement, and I groaned through clenched fangs.

The ringing finally started to subside, and that was when I realized that I could hear someone shouting.

"...get...alone! What...going on? Hey! Get...of me! I...to the Ancestors, if you don't let go of us right now I will cut every single one of you to pieces! Spyro! Spyro! Answer me!"

Cynder? She sounded distressed, and panic immediately flooded through me. I raised my head with some difficulty and blinked my eyes several times to try and make my vision fall into focus. My head was still pounding, and I thought I felt something wet dripping down the back of it and along my neck. Seriously, what happened?! And where was Cynder—

I froze completely solid and my eyes went wide when the picture in front of me finally became clear. Cynder was standing in a defensive stance, wings flared and lip curled back in a vicious snarl of challenge at the three large male dragons that had her surrounded in the narrow walkway. Almost instantly fury sparked inside of me, and I snarled and tried to lunge forward, but once again I couldn't move and I faltered. Something had my legs pinned, holding me in place. I struggled instinctively, but went rigid a second later when something sharp was pressed roughly against my throat. I sucked in a startled breath, my heart skipping a beat.

"Spyro!" Cynder exclaimed again, and now the note of fear was plainly audible in her voice. Her snarl wavered briefly and her eyes widened, fixed on the blade against my neck. Quickly enough the look of rage returned, though. "You bastards! Let him go!"

I kept perfectly still, knowing that any movement at all could cause the viciously sharp blade to cut into my neck. I looked down out of the corner of my eye and saw that the blade was actually formed out of stone and was attached to the end of a green tail. Following the tail, I was able to see most of the figure of a bulky earth dragon. He was holding my left foreleg, his other paw pinning my wing against my side and preventing me from backing up away from his blade. A fire dragon held my other side. From what little I could see of their faces from this angle, I could make out a pair of vile grins. I went cold, fear squeezing my chest painfully.

A dark chuckle answered Cynder's demand. My eyes turned to another fire dragon that stood directly in front of Cynder. Something about the look in his eyes made my stomach turn.

"Or what?" he snorted. "You'll attack? You move, and he dies."

I saw her lock up at that. She tried to maintain her fierce snarl, but I saw the fear in her eyes when she glanced toward me again. I grit my fangs and let out a low growl, equal parts hatred and terror storming inside me. My growl was cut off when the blade pushed harder against my neck. I felt it cutting into the top layer of scales and my body tensed even more—if that was even possible at this point.

That was when an idea struck me, and I would have slapped myself if I wasn't restrained. What was I doing? I was the purple dragon, the most powerful being alive! There should have been no way these two dragons could restrain me with my power! All I had to do was freeze time, and then—

Wait...it wasn't working. Why wasn't it working? I couldn't stop time! Panic was really starting to take hold now, and I faintly gasped for breath. My powers weren't working! Why?! This couldn't happen! Not now! Not when Cynder was in trouble!

"I have to say, this is quite the surprise catch, isn't it boys?" the fire dragon—clearly the gang's leader—snickered. "Such an honour to have a pair of celebrities such as yourselves wander through our neighbourhood."

Cynder growled, her lip curling back, and her voice was practically dripping with venom when she spoke.

"What do you want?"

"Well..." the fire dragon hummed, stalking slowly closer to her. "For starters, that necklace looks like it would fetch a fine price. Why don't we hold on to that? And the horn ring, too."

He glanced at one of the other two dragons that had Cynder boxed in, an ice dragon. The dragon smirked and stepped forward, reaching up to remove the jewelry from their captive. Cynder snarled dangerously, but she made no move to stop him. Her eyes locked on to mine, and the conflict in them was unfathomable. I could tell how badly she wanted to fight back, to just rip these dragons apart, but I could also tell that there was noway she was willing risk my well being to do so. I swore inwardly. I hated this! I hated this with every ounce of my soul! Being used like this to control her...it was despicable! And the worst part was not being able to do anything about it!

"And the bag," the leader said next, pointing at the woven fabric pouch hanging off of her shoulder.

Giving another growl, Cynder slowly shifted her wing and carefully hooked the strap with the notch of her wing blade. She lifted it up over her head and held it out for the remaining dragon, an electricity user, to grab.

"Okay, you have your payday," Cynder spat. "Now let us go."

The fire dragon raised a claw to his chin, pretending to think.

"Hmm...No. I don't think so."

I heard a couple of the other dragons chuckle quietly, exchanging knowing glances.

"I'm warning you," Cynder tried again, her expression darkening. "If anything happens to us, the Guardians will hear about it. Every dragon in the Warfang Guard will be after you."

"Oh, we're well aware of that."

I faltered. How could he so nonchalant about the consequences he and his gang were facing? I didn't like to think of myself as being above others, but Cynder and I were pretty high profile figures! If word got out about this...

Realization hit me right then, cold and sharp as a blade. If word got out...They only risked getting caught if someone reported what had happened. This alleyway was deserted. I couldn't see the main streets in either direction, which meant that no one else could see what was happening. There were no witnesses, leaving me and Cynder as the only loose ends.

Damn...

From the look on Cynder's face, she realized the same thing I did. Her whole body tensed, and her eyes quickly passed over the two dragons holding me. A rush of panic ran through me when I realized what she was planning. No, that wasn't going to work! She was an amazing fighter, but there was no way she could reach me and take out both of the guards before—

The gang leader's tail slammed into my gut before I could even finish my thought, and throbbing pain exploded through my body. I gasped loudly and doubled over, feeling for a moment like I was going to be sick. I coughed involuntarily, which only aggravated my stomach. Ancestors, how hard did he hit me? That hurt way too much!

"What was that for?!" Cynder cried out.

"You were thinking of fighting," the fire dragon stated accusingly. "That is the consequence. Make no mistake: You are powerless here. You resist in any way and he suffers. If you call for help, he suffers. If I even suspect that you're going to cause trouble, he suffers. If you're that desperate to fight us then go ahead, but you sacrifice him in the process. The only way to spare him is to cooperate. Have you got the picture?"

Cynder stayed rigid, glaring fiercely at the fire dragon. My stomach felt like it was on fire, but even so I was forced to straighten up when the stone blade pressed against my throat again. I saw the fire dragon's lip curl into a snarl.

"I asked you a question!"

Cynder's features twisted into a snarl of her own, but she remained motionless. Her eyes were filled with murderous hatred, so much that even I was scared of her even though none of it was directed at me.

"I understand," she growled quietly.

The leader smiled in a way that almost literally made me sick. "Good. Grab her."

The other two dragons that were flanking Cynder lunged forward, and panic flooded through me. Cynder reacted instantly, her battle instincts kicking in by their own accord. She slashed at the dragon that approached from her left, but before I could see what happened next the lead dragon's tail slammed into the side of my head. My ears rang painfully again, a sharp cry escaping me, and for a split second I thought the impact had broken my lower jaw. Damn, that hurt! The taste of blood filled my mouth and I quickly spat it out. My cry of pain must have reached Cynder, because I faintly heard her yell my name again.

"I thought you said you understood," the fire dragon said. He raised his claws threateningly. "Do I need to repeat myself?"

"No!" Cynder shouted, her eyes going wide with fear and panic. "Don't hurt him again! You win, okay? I...I won't fight anymore."

The fire dragon paused, staring her down skeptically, but after a moment that awful smile returned to his face.

"Okay. Then let's try this one more time, shall we? Boys, grab her."

The two other dragons moved forward again, one of them with a new set of bleeding claw marks on his cheek, and this time Cynder remained perfectly still. Soon enough they had firm grips on her from both sides, and that was when I saw the look of helplessness and defeat in her eyes.

They were going to suffer for this...

Suddenly, as if from some unspoken signal from their leader, the two dragons drove all their weight down on Cynder and she let out a startled cry as her legs collapsed. I tried to call out to her as concern exploded through me, but the pressure of the blade on my throat made me choke on my own words. Before either of us could recover the dragons had Cynder completely pinned, her wings trapped by one of their hind paws each and both of them holding a shoulder with one of their forepaws. One of them had his other forepaw on top of her head, pushing it down against the stone ground, while the other one had his second forepaw on her back and his other hind paw was securing her tail. I could easily see how hard she had to battle her instincts to keep from fighting them off, her whole body shaking. Her eyes were locked on mine, wide and full of fear. Fear for me. Fear of what would happen to me if she fought.

"Not so mighty now, are you?" the fire dragon laughed. "Look at you. The Terror of the Skies, once feared by the entire dragon race, lying face down in the dirt. And you..."

He sneered at me, a look of utter contempt in his eyes. I glared back at him, hatred burning inside me like I could never remember feeling before. There was no doubt in my mind that if my powers were working I would have turned dark by this point. I almost wanted to.

"Where is that limitless power now, purple dragon? Look. Someone needs your help. Isn't this your calling? Why don't you do something?"

I bit back a snarl. I knew what it would get me, but dear Ancestors, it was still a struggle!

"Treated like a god by the entire world, and elevated above the rest of us for something you did decades ago. Everyone still calls you a hero, but look at you now. Beaten by a couple of common dragons. Elementless. Half brain dead. And now you can't even save your mate."

This time I did snarl, baring my fangs, and I didn't care when the earth dragon pushed the blade against my neck hard enough to cut the skin and draw a thin trail of blood. The fire dragon only smiled that sick smile before turning toward Cynder, circling her slowly.

"Well, since you aren't going to stop us, I think it's time all of us have some real fun."

The other dragons in the group all grew sadistic smiles of their own, and that was when the meaning of the dragon's words hit me full force. I froze—as in, it felt like the blood in my veins had actually turned to solid ice. Cynder went completely still at the exact same time, a look of immeasurable shock and panic showing in her eyes. Her gaze locked on to me again, and my heart felt like someone had just stabbed it with a thousand knives and twisted it into a knot at the same time.

No. No, no, no no no no no! NO! This couldn't happen! They had to be stopped! I looked around frantically, but there was still no one in sight. The only one who could fight was Cynder, but she wasn't. She was just lying there, frozen, trapped, staring into my eyes with that horrible look of terror, and despair, and helplessness that tore my soul apart. Come on, Cynder! Do something! She had to do something! Don't worry about what happened to me! Don't let him do this! Use your shadow to escape, or...or...fear! A fear fury! That could work! Hit all of us! Hit me! I didn't care! As long as it stunned everyone long enough to...

Why wasn't she doing it? Ancestors, no! He was almost behind her, and she still wasn't fighting! Damn it! She wasn't going to attack. She wouldn't risk my life, even to save herself. My powerlessness was dooming us both! With me as leverage, they had total control over her.

Well, then my only choice was to take that leverage away from them...

My face hardened into a cold, resolute glare, and a new kind of panic flashed in Cynder's eyes but I didn't let it sway me. I glanced to my left, and I saw that the earth dragon wasn't watching me. He had his eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before us, a sickening look of anticipation on his face. It was enough to make me want to vomit, but it was also my chance. Moving slowly to avoid tipping him off, I angled my head slightly upward and to the right. Just a little more...

Before he even knew something was wrong, I jerked my head sharply backward. A wet squelching sound was heard as my horn stabbed into something soft, and then a screeching roar of pain filled the alleyway. The earth dragon's blade was pulled abruptly away from my neck, slicing across my scales and opening up another bleeding line in my skin, but it wasn't deep enough to threaten me. Taking this chance, I twisted out of the other dragon's grip and slashed at him with my claws while he was still dazed, catching him on the chest and leaving three gashes in his scales. He also gave a startled roar of pain, lurching back.

The other three dragons all looked up in my direction in shock.

"What—" the leader started to exclaim.

He didn't get to finish. Cynder let out an ear-splitting shriek and unleashed a massive blast of wind that sent the three dragons tumbling away from her. She was on her paws in an instant, face twisted into a snarl of depthless rage that I couldn't even begin to describe. She rounded on the leader immediately, roaring in fury.

Normally I would feel sorry for anyone that had to face her like that. But not him. Not now.

I didn't see what happened next. I had my own problems at that moment, as my fire dragon captor lunged at me angrily while the earth dragon hung back, still moaning in pain with a forepaw pressed over his eye, dark red fluid leaking out from under his toes. It looked like I definitely hit my target, but there was no time to celebrate here. I ducked a brutal swipe of the red dragon's claws, but then he sucked in a large breath of air and...Oh, damn. I had no room to dodge! I brought my wing up at the last second to shield myself, only to roar in agony as the searing heat ate at the membrane, leaving it blackened and blistered. The pain was so bad I couldn't focus on anything else. I didn't see the follow up strike, which caught my shoulder and drew more blood. I staggered, fighting to get my bearings.

The fire dragon lunged again, and I quickly spun around and lashed out with my tail to try and ward him off. It worked, but that was when I heard movement on my other side and looked just in time to see the earth dragon advancing on me, face twisted into a horrible snarl of fury that was only made more terribly by the blood running down from his now missing eye. He charged, his horns lowered, and I didn't sidestep quite quickly enough. One of his horns barely caught my side, the point opening a gash in my shoulder, and I snarled from the new source of pain. I slashed at him and scored a hit, knocking him back, but his tail flicked up unexpectedly and sliced across my flank. That one hurt! There was no time to dwell on it, though, because he was already charging up an earth missile and I had to flatten myself against the ground to avoid it.

This was going badly. I was outnumbered, wounded, grounded, and I had no elements to counter theirs. I wasn't going to be able to hold out like this. I needed to even the odds somehow! But what could I—

I couldn't even finish my thought, because right at that moment the fire dragon slashed at me from behind and forced me to dodge away. Unfortunately this only brought me closer to the earth dragon, who took the opportunity to strike. He reared up, raising his forelegs to deliver a devastating overhand attack. He looked like he wanted to crush me! Actually, judging by the way his paws were glowing green, that was exactly what he intended to do.

I reacted without even thinking. When his paws came down my uninjured wing came up, deflecting his attack to the side. His paws slammed down on the ground beside me, the impact shaking the whole alleyway and staggering both me and the fire dragon behind me. The earth dragon didn't hesitate to follow up with another attack, though, lunging forward to tackle me to the ground.

In one fluid motion that I didn't know I could do, I ducked low, used my wing once again to push his forepaws up and harmlessly over me, then planted my horns into his gut and reared up with all my strength. The earth dragon went sailing over me and slammed head first into the wall behind me, crumpling under his own momentum and collapsing into a heap on the ground.

For a second I could only stare at him in wide eyed shock. How did I do that?!

I was snapped rudely back to reality by the loud WHOOSH of surging flames, and I looked up only to feel my stomach plunge in dread when I saw the fire dragon primed to leap, fire swirling around his body. Oh, crap. That was a Comet Dash! Looking around, I realized there was nowhere I could go to avoid it. I was trapped!

A jet of wind tore across the alley without warning, hurling the fire dragon sideways before he even knew what was happening. He impacted the wall near the unconscious earth dragon, and I heard a sickening series of cracks as his wing was crushed under the full weight of his body. His eyes bugged out before a hoarse roar of agony tore from his jaws. By the time he hit the ground he had already passed out from the pain.

My head snapped around toward Cynder, relief and gratitude surging inside of me like a tidal wave, but that feeling instantly turned to fear. Cynder had probably just saved my life, but it had cost her. She'd left herself exposed to help me, and the ice dragon took full advantage of it. A spear of ice embedded itself into her side, drawing a shrill roar of pain that echoed in my soul.

"NO!"

I lunged with complete abandon and absolutely no thought of my own wellbeing. The ice dragon let out a winded grunt as I slammed into him, knocking him away from my mate. He faltered and an expression of panic flashed across his face when he looked up at me, but I didn't care. My paw came down in a brutal strike, impacting his cheek and whipping his head to the side. My other paw came around in a follow up strike, a string of blood flying from his mouth when it landed, and while he was dazed I brought my head down and bit hard into his shoulder near the base of his neck. Now it was his turn to roar in pain. He kicked with his hind legs, opening up bleeding cuts on my stomach, but I didn't even flinch. My pain didn't matter. I just wanted to hurt him for what he did! I bit down harder, the ice dragon giving a choked gasp as his eyes bulged, and after that I spun around in a circle and threw him hard against the nearest wall. He didn't rise after that, groaning weakly in pain and trying to stem the bleeding from his neck and shoulder with his forepaw. He wasn't going anywhere for a while.

I turned around, eyes searching for a new victim to satisfy my rage, but the electricity dragon was already down with several deep cuts and poison burns across his body—not dead, but definitely out of this fight—and Cynder was squaring off against the gang leader. The look of sadistic pleasure had been completely erased from his expression, replaced by panic and terror. He swiped frantically with his claws, but Cynder reared up and easily dodged the attack. A massive jet of flame rushed to meet her as she fell back to her paws, though, and her eyes widened in shock. My heart jumped into my throat when it reached her, and I was just about to scream her name when I saw the telltale smoky blackness of her shadow power slithering along the ground.

The fire dragon didn't see the threat until it was too late. Cynder appeared behind him with her claws poised, and the dragon roared in surprise and pain as they dug deep into his shoulders. With surprising strength Cynder threw him aside, where he hit the wall back first with a loud grunt. He tried to push off the wall and run, pure panic filling his movements, but Cynder's tail stabbed forward and he roared again as the blade dug into his side, the pain and pressure keeping him pinned in place.

She stepped closer, utter hatred and fury contorting her face into something out of a nightmare. Then she cracked her jaws open, and I was almost deafened when she unleashed a Siren Scream right into the fire dragon's face. His own scream was drowned out by the volume of the attack, and all he could do was cower away from her in absolute, primal terror.

Overkill? Maybe. What he deserved? Not even close.

Cynder's jaws snapped shut, cutting her screech off sharply and leaving the fire dragon whimpering and shaking like a leaf. Before he could do anything else Cynder yanked her tail blade out of his side and spun, her tail whipping around and slamming into the side of his head. There was an audible crack on impact and the fire dragon was thrown to the ground, rendered unconscious instantly. After that, silence fell over the alleyway.

Was it really over? My mind was still foggy with rage, but it slowly faded as realization dawned on me. It was. We'd fought them all off. We'd survived.

My eyes quickly turned to Cynder, concern and worry replacing my anger in a rush. She was staring down at the fire dragon, panting heavily, her whole body trembling. Her lips were still drawn back in a snarl, but I could also see moisture shining in her eyes. Slowly the look of fury slackened, until all that was left was a dull, empty expression.

I stepped forward carefully and delicately laid a forepaw on her shoulder. She jumped, spinning around to face me, but when her eyes met mine she went completely still. I saw so many mixed feelings in those eyes: fear, adrenaline, dazed confusion, panic, and primal instincts of survival, but slowly that all changed. First came relief. After that, sorrow. Her eyes watered up, and silently she leaned forward and buried her face in my chest, holding onto me with her forepaws like her life depended on it. It felt like my heart was shattering in my chest, and without hesitation I took my undamaged wing and wrapped it around her, holding her tightly and securely. I needed to make her feel safe. Absolutely nothing else mattered then.

I didn't know how much time passed. It could have been minutes, or hours. It didn't matter. Only she mattered, and I wasn't letting go until I was sure that she was okay. Slowly I felt her shaking start to calm, her unsteady breathing slowing down. Still I didn't move. Even once she had fallen completely silent I stayed in that protective position, covering her entirely with my wing and resting my chin against her head, like a living cocoon of security.

Finally, I felt her starting to move. I lifted my head, allowing her to do the same, and she lifted her gaze to meet mine. She looked entirely drained and more than a little withdrawn. It hurt to see her like that. She was like a scared child. The defiant, confident light in her eyes was suppressed, and that tore me up inside. Ancestors, why her?

However, what overpowered that broken look was an expression of concern. She looked me over, taking in my cuts and bloodied scales, and she gasped when she saw the severely burned state of my wing. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She seemed unable to put her worry into words.

"Come on," I said quietly instead, nodding my head toward the exit of the walkway that we had been heading toward before. "Let's get out of here."

She hesitated, her concern undiminished, but at length she nodded—it was all too clear that she wanted to leave that place behind as soon as possible. I rose to my paws and placed my good wing over her back, holding her close to my side. She paused only long enough to collect her jewelry and bag, and after that we left at a quick pace.

"It's late," Cynder muttered worriedly after a minute of silence. "We're late for your medicine. We need to get home..."

I looked down at her incredulously. Medicine? That was what she was worried about right now?

"No," I said. "We need to go to the infirmary first."

"The infirmary?" she exclaimed. "Spyro, we have gems at home. Your medicine can't wait. If you don't have it soon, then—"

"I don't care. I'm not doing anything else until I know you're okay."

It was true. I wasn't the only one who was hurt. Cynder was covered in her fair share of cuts and bruises, and her injured side was bleeding badly. There were also burns on her chest and shoulders that weren't too severe but still looked painful. Not to mention what kind of emotional trauma she might be hiding. She needed a doctor, and she needed someone that could talk to her and make sure she was alright. I wasn't taking no for an answer.

So of course, that was exactly what Cynder said.

"Spyro, you don't understand!" she protested. "You can't be late for your medicine! If you miss one dose your amnesia can regress. That medicine is the only thing keeping your memory in the state it's in right now, and without it we could be back to square one! We need to go get it!"

"Cynder, that doesn't matter right now. You matter."

"Spyro, please!"

"Why?" I exclaimed, becoming exasperated. "Why is this more important than your own physical safety?"

"Because I can't watch you go through that again!" she shouted.

I faltered, drawing to a stop and staring at her with wide eyes. I wasn't expecting that intensity, and I wasn't expecting the desperate look in her eyes at that moment, tears glistening at their corners. It looked like just the thought of my condition regressing was more painful to her than anything. It left me feeling torn.

"Please, Spyro," she begged me. "I'm okay. My injuries can wait, but I can't stand to see the progress you've made over all of these years disappear. I can't stand to put our daughter through that. Please..."

I froze at the mention of our daughter, and my mind instantly returned to the tiny red dragoness that was waiting for us back home. Doubt crashed through my mind, and I was almost swayed by it, but I couldn't afford to be. I sighed heavily.

"But do you really want our daughter to see us like this?" I asked her quietly.

She hesitated, her eyes darting over our combined wounds again. They lingered especially on her side and my wing, not to mention the stains from blood that wasn't even ours. The blood on her tail blade, and my jaws. After a long pause she let out her own sigh of defeat.

"No..."

I looked down at her sympathetically, and when I couldn't stand to see her looking so dejected any longer I leaned down and nuzzled her tenderly, drawing her chin up. When I pulled away again I offered her a reassuring smile.

"Would the healers be able to get more of my medicine at the infirmary?" I asked.

She paused, surprise showing in her eyes before she looked away thoughtfully.

"Probably," she nodded slowly. "They must have some stocked up..."

I smiled wider. "Well then there we go. Both problems solved at the same time. We'll just have to make sure that someone goes to tell Ruby that we'll be late getting back and not to worry about us. Everything's going to be fine."

She held my gaze for a long moment, looking quite uneasy and skeptical, but very slowly a feeble smile began to work its way across her lips. She let out another weary sigh, leaning forward into me again. I held her just like before, like I was never going to let her go.

"Okay," she relented. "We'll do this your way."

I let out my own sigh, relieved by her decision. We stayed in that position for a moment longer, drawing strength from each other's presence. This had been such a close call. If we hadn't both made it out...No, I didn't even want to think about that. We were okay. Leave it at that.

I heard Cynder take a large, steadying breath after another moment, and I relaxed my hold on her.

"Come on," she said, motioning toward the street with her chin. "The infirmary's this way."

I nodded wordlessly, and with that we resumed our path toward the exit of the alleyway with my wing across her back. We could hear muffled voices up ahead now, likely citizens who had heard the commotion and were coming to investigate. I suppressed a groan. Their presence was a good thing in that it would allow us to send word of what happened to the proper authorities, but as my adrenaline wore off I was left feeling too drained to deal with any more hassles.

No, forget that. We had made it out of there, and we still had each other. To me, there wasn't anything else that mattered.

---

Mom and Dad never told me that this is what being a parent feels like.

With the way Sparx and I were always getting into trouble, I almost thought that it would be constant hassle and worrying. But...I just can't even describe it. Ruby is such an incredible little dragoness. She's so young, but she already seems so mature and thoughtful. I'm so, so proud of her.

Ancestors, I love her so much...

-~.~-*-~.~-

I heard the chime of a bell from somewhere in the city, deep and reverberating. The sound carried easily over the rooftops, and I paused and looked up when I heard it. It tolled again a couple of seconds later, and then a third time after that. Three in the afternoon. Half an hour until classes were let out for the day.

I hurried to finish storing the last of the food I had just returned from the market with, a new energy filling me. It had taken a good chunk of time and a decent amount of help from several people I passed, but I had managed to find everything on the list that Cynder had left for me. Honestly, I was glad that she had. Picking up groceries from the market might seem like a chore, but when the alternative was to spend the day alone inside this house with nothing but books or exercise to occupy my time, it was a welcome diversion. With Ruby at school, Cynder at work, and Sparx...well...I...I just needed something to keep me busy. Going to the market wasn't so bad, anyway. It had given me an opportunity to stop and talk to many of the people I came across while I was out, and most of them had interesting stories to share.

With my work finished, I walked over to the table nearby and picked up the map that was lying on top of it. It was a rough hand-drawn map of a section of Warfang, with the location of our house marked on it as well as the school that Ruby apparently attended. Several major landmarks were also shown, enough to enable me to find my way on my own. Probably.

There was a small carrying bag sitting on the table beside where the map was, which I put on. With the map secured inside along with a small pouch of coins—just in case, Cynder had advised me in the morning—I stepped outside and took to the air. Angling toward the city centre, I set off.

I spotted what must have been the school after a few minutes of flying and tracing my route between landmarks. I consulted the map one more time to be sure I was in the right place, and it looked that way. I also spotted a few other dragons converging on the building, both in the air and on the ground. That was encouraging. Putting the map away again, I locked my wings and glided down into an open square in front of the building. Looking around, I located a small bordered lawn with a couple of trees where a small cluster of dragons appeared to have gathered to wait for classes to be let out. I hesitated for a few seconds, feeling slightly awkward, but then I shrugged and made my way over as well. If I was going to wait, I might as well do it comfortably. I found a clear spot in the sun and lay down facing the school, allowing the sunlight to warm my scales.

"Oh. Hello, Spyro," a female voice suddenly called to me. I looked over curiously and saw an ice dragoness in the shade of one of the nearby trees. "You're quite early today. Eager to see Ruby, are you?"

I cocked my head at her in confusion. The dragoness chuckled and rose to her paws, walking over to me and sitting down nearby.

"My son has classes with your daughter," she explained. "We often run into each other while picking them up, but usually you aren't here for a few more minutes at least. There's still a quarter hour before classes are done."

"Oh," I said, pausing to process this new information. "Well...just eager like you said, I guess."

The dragoness smirked at me. "Missing her, were you?"

My head rocked back, my cheeks flushing a bit from embarrassment. "I...Well, yeah. I mean, I only have so long to spend with her before I forget, so..."

Her smile turned somewhat more sympathetic. "Well, it won't be too much longer."

We chatted for a few more minutes, which mostly consisted of me asking about the classes that our children were taking. Eventually we heard a bell ring from inside the school, and not long after that the doors burst open and countless young dragons spilled out, smaller hatchling scampering over to their parents while the older students departed on their own, often in groups. I scanned the crowd intently, trying to pick out a particular glint of red. It wasn't too much longer before I spotted it.

A large smile appeared on my face as a small, bright red dragoness squeezed between the legs of some of the larger children, tripping and ending up flat on her stomach. She shook herself off quickly, then turned around to help pull another hatchling through the tangle. This one was an icy white shade, and the dragoness beside me straightened up at the sight of him. My attention was yanked back to the red dragoness when I saw her turn toward me, though, and her face immediately lit up.

"Daddy!" she yelled, and before I knew it she was sprinting toward me. I laughed as she ran headlong into my foreleg, grabbing onto it in a tight hug.

"Hey, kiddo," I said to her, leaning my head down to nuzzle her against her back as a way of returning her hug. "Did you have a good day in your classes?"

"We learned about crystals!" she said excitedly. "They're so cool!"

I chuckled. "That sounds like fun. You'll have to tell me all about it on the way home. You ready to go?"

She nodded quickly. "Okay. Bye, Blizzard!"

She waved at the other hatchling, who waved back enthusiastically. The dragoness I had been speaking to gave me a nod of farewell as she began guiding him away, which I also returned.

"Alright, let's go," I told Ruby, nodding my head away from the school.

I stepped out into an open patch of street and spread my wings to take off. Ruby immediately scampered toward me.

"Daddy!" she admonished me, giving me a pout. "I can't fly yet."

I faltered, my wings falling slowly.

"Oh," I said lamely. It seemed to obvious when I looked at her stunted wings, which hadn't grown nearly enough to support her. How could that slip my mind? "Okay. Well...do you want to walk, or would you like a ride?"

Her face quickly brightened. "I want to ride!"

My smile returned, and I lay down on my stomach with my foreleg extended to make a ramp. "Climb on up."

She clambered up my leg without hesitation, but while I expected her to settle on my back I was soon surprised. Before I knew it I felt her tiny claws scaling my neck, soon reaching my head. I grinned despite myself.

"What are you doing, you little rascal?" I chuckled. "You're going to ride up there?"

"Yep!" she answered eagerly. "I can see better here."

"Well...okay, but be careful. We don't want you falling o—Oof!"

I grunted when she flopped down on top of my head, pinning my crest flat beneath her stomach. Her forepaws hugged either side of my temples, and her hind legs gripped my neck while her tail dangled freely. Her wings braced against my horns, helping to lock her in place. I shifted my head slightly, both to judge how solid her position was and to adjust to the extra pressure on my neck.

Was this really happening? I was an adolescent in my last memory. Now here I was, carrying my daughter on my head. This just felt so...odd.

"I'm ready, Daddy!" Ruby declared, and I could feel her practically vibrating with excitement. "Let's go!"

I smiled, chuckling again. This felt incredible.

"Okay. Hang on tight."

My wings pumped downward, and Ruby let out a squeal of delight as we soared into the air. Once high enough I began searching for our route back home. I didn't immediately recognize it from here, and a feeling of worry grew in the pit of my stomach. Uh oh. One thing I really didn't want to do was get lost with my daughter. I was supposed to be taking care of her! I was just reaching for my map when I was interrupted by a small paw tapping my brow.

"That way," Ruby spoke up, surprising me.

I turned my eyes upward to see her looking down at me with a grin on her face, pointing with one of her little forepaws. After fumbling for a moment longer I gave a wry smile in return. It seemed more like she was the one taking care of me.

"Thanks."

The flight home from there was a short one, Ruby spending the time asking me questions about spirit gems and my experiences with them. She seemed particularly interested in the red variety, and when I asked why she answered that she liked them because the piece the teacher had shown them matched her scales. My mind went back to that morning, when Cynder had called Ruby her "little gem". Maybe this was part of the reason, beyond just her name.

Thanks to Ruby's direction, we arrived at the house in no time. This must not have been her first time guiding me. Once we were inside I hung my bag back up on the wall, and after that we settled down in the main living room, Ruby eager to show me what she had learned in class and me eager to get some time in with my daughter after she was away all day. Some time later the two of us found ourselves stretched out on the floor, Ruby sitting in the middle of a mess of parchment sheets that she was using to draw on with a set of coloured marking tools that must have been crafted by the moles, using different pigments and wax. I didn't remember ever seeing anything like them before, but they were clearly nothing new to Ruby.

She'd been working for at least a couple of hours by this point, her various drawings scattered around the floor. I was currently examining one of these drawings, which showed a rough representation of several spirit gem clusters, all of different shapes and sizes. Ruby was busily working on yet another picture that seemed to be of dragons using their elements from what I could see, her tongue poking out of the side of her mouth in an endearing fashion. Just at that moment she raised her head and looked around curiously.

"What's up, kiddo?"

"I can't find the yellow marker," she answered. She got to her paws and started searching around intently. "I need it for fire. Do you see it?"

I glanced toward my tail, where I spotted the marker in question lying on the floor. A small smirk crossed my muzzle and I discreetly curled the end of my tail around it. It didn't look like she'd seen this, so I started casually waving my tail back and forth where Ruby was likely to spot it.

"No, sorry. I don't know where it is."

"Aww," she complained. "But I need it! Where did it go?"

She performed a full circle before plopping down into a sitting position with a very puzzled look on her face. I had to work hard to keep from chuckling; it was just too cute! It was then that she seemed to notice the movement of my tail, and her eyes widened.

"There it is!"

"Huh?" I said, faking obliviousness while looking around. "Where?"

"Behind you!"

I turned my head to look behind my back, my tail swinging the opposite direction right past Ruby. I felt a small breeze as she swiped at the marker and missed.

"No, not there," I said.

"Daddy, your tail! You have it!"

"What? That's silly. Why would I have it?"

I faced her again, doing my best to put on a convincingly confused expression. My tail swung just out of Ruby's reach again, gaining a small exclamation from her.

"Daddy, stop!" she giggled, pouncing clumsily at my tail just as I pulled it away.

"Stop what?"

She pounced again, and once again I casually moved my tail just out of her reach. I laughed inside at her reaction, but I was also watching her face the whole time for any sign of anger or frustration. How awful would it feel to go too far and upset her over a joke? No, I couldn't stand that thought. To my relief there was a smile on her face as she also enjoyed our little game, and as she lined up for another lunge I saw a gleam of determination in her eyes that reminded me very much of her mother.

She jumped forward with a yell, and this time I moved my tail more slowly. Her small claws caught the edges of the hardened tip, and I let out an exclamation of mock surprise.

"Ah! My tail! Something's got my tail!"

I lifted my tail up into the air, but Ruby held on tightly with her claws, giggling loudly as she was dragged along and ended up dangling in front of me. With a grunt she pulled herself up far enough that the marker was in her reach, and with a quick snap of her jaws she caught hold of it. I could see the look of triumph on her face as she pulled it free.

"Ah goh ir!" she exclaimed, her words muffled by the marker.

"You thief!" I gasped, but my face quickly morphed into a devious grin. "Well, now I've got you!"

I pulled my tail around and lowered Ruby back first into a gap I had made between my forelegs and chest, earning a squeal from her. She flailed her legs as she tried to right herself, but my forelegs had her trapped in place. While she was vulnerable I leaned my head down toward her and used my snout to tickle her chest and stomach. Her eyes bugged out before she spat out the marker and gave a renewed squeal of laughter. Her paws began flailing even more frantically, striking my face, but fortunately her claws weren't sharp enough to cut my scales.

"Daddy, no!" she gasped out between laughs. "Sto-hop it!"

I didn't listen, and her laughter grew to a higher pitch as I continued tickling her. I kept it up for a short while longer until Ruby was practically wheezing, and only then did I stop. She let out a large gasp of relief and sagged back against my foreleg, trying to catch her breath.

"You're mean," she said, pouting, but I could see the humour in her eyes.

I stuck my tongue out in response, and she swatted at it with her forepaw since my head was still low enough for her to reach. I chuckled and retracted it. Ruby just smirked at me and continued batting my snout with her paws, as if in some kind of playful punishment. I moved my head down in a threat to tickle her again, and she yelped before bracing against the end of my snout with all four paws. I laughed, my voice sounding very nasal because of the pressure.

"You can't hold me back forever," I said. "I'm going to get you!"

"No you're not!" she giggled.

We continued in that manner for a few more seconds, each pushing against the other's resistance—lightly in my case, obviously—but with no progress being made in either direction. Just at that moment the sound of the front door opening reached us. Both me and Ruby turned our heads quickly toward the doorway, and I expected that a similar feeling of anticipation filled us both.

"What's all the noise I'm hearing in here?" Cynder's voice called out teasingly.

"Mommy!" Ruby exclaimed, her face lighting up.

I moved my forelegs so that she could finally roll over to her paws, and as soon as she was upright she dashed through the doorway into the front hall. I rose and followed, and when the foyer came into view I saw Cynder standing there with Ruby gripping her foreleg in a tight hug, quite similar to the greeting she had given me.

I was struck momentarily by the sight, my heart feeling like it was swelling in my chest. Seeing the two of them together like that...it was beautiful beyond words.

My family.

Cynder soon looked up and saw me standing there, a large smile crossing her muzzle. She beckoned discreetly with her wing, and I didn't hesitate to obey. I walked over to them and joined their embrace, smiling happily as Cynder nuzzled me.

"All done work for today?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Yep. All finished. About time, too. The Guardians had me running around all day. I could use a bit of a rest."

I grunted sympathetically and nuzzled her again. From the sounds of things her position at the Citadel was a lot of work. When I'd asked that morning, she had said her official title was 'Facilitator to the Guardians', which apparently translated to her being the go-to dragoness for anything and everything they needed help with. From clerical duties to serving as a diplomatic aide, to security, to ambassador, and all the way up to battlefield commander if the need for it were ever to arise. She was a secretary, advisor, political figure and soldier all wrapped up into one. As she described it, it was her opportunity to do the most good possible both within the city and beyond it.

It sounded exhausting.

And yet here she was after a long day of work, greeting her family with a cheerful smile and no outward sign of weariness or impatience. I didn't know how she did it.

Cynder looked through the door that Ruby and I had just come through, spotting the mess on the floor, and she grinned wryly at the two of us.

"Looks like you two were having fun," she commented.

"Yeah!" Ruby exclaimed, letting go of Cynder's leg and stepping back with a bounce. "We were drawing, but then Daddy stole one of my markers, and when I took it back he tickled me!"

Cynder's face turned to one of feigned shock, and when she looked at me I grinned sheepishly.

"He did? It sounds like your daddy was being a bully."

Ruby giggled. "Yeah, and he was going to do it again when you came in."

"He was?!" Cynder gasped again. She fixed me with a devious smirk. "Well, seems to me like you need to teach him a lesson. What do we do to bad guys, sweetie?"

I blinked, suddenly confused. "What?"

"RAAAAHH!" Ruby shouted, and I yelped as she charged me, eyes narrowed and with a large grin on her face—again, an expression that reminded me very much of Cynder. Before I could react she had leapt into the air and tackled my right shoulder, leading with a headbutt.

I barely felt the impact, and Ruby bounced off of me with a comical "Oof!", but I caught on quickly after that. I did my best to hide my laughter.

"Aagh!" I exclaimed, pretending to stumble away from the hit. "You got me!"

I let my left legs go limp and fell to the floor, rolling onto my side in a rather exaggerated show. The response was just what I was hoping for. Ruby cheered delightedly, and Cynder chuckled.

"Quick! Don't let him up!"

Ruby picked herself up off the floor and charged me with another playful roar, headbutting me once again. This time she hit my chest, and just like last time she bounced off without me really feeling anything, but I still grunted like I had been winded and rolled onto my back.

"Oh no! I can't fight her! She's so strong!"

The next thing I knew I felt an added weight on my chest, and when I tilted my head down to look I saw Ruby climbing to stand proudly on top of me. She smirked down at me, sitting back on her haunches and looking quite pleased with herself.

"Got ya!" she exclaimed.

"No, please, have mercy!"

Ruby giggled and swiped at my nose with a forepaw when I lifted my head up toward her. When her paw hit my nostril I sneezed involuntarily, and this only amused Ruby that much more. Soon enough she was swatting repeatedly at my snout, trying to make it happen again and laughing the whole time.

"Hey!" I protested, chuckling. "No fair! You already beat me. This is just cruelty!"

Predictably, she didn't stop. I could have easily rolled over and knocked her off of her perch, but I didn't. Hearing her laugh was just so incredible. I didn't want to disrupt it, ever. Of course, this couldn't go on indefinitely either.

"Okay, sweetheart. That's enough of that," Cynder finally stepped in, smiling. "I think he's learned his lesson."

Ruby paused, looking up at her mother with slight disappointment, but after that she gave me one last mischievous grin and swatted my muzzle a final time with extra force. It still didn't hurt, but I let out an exaggerated grunt anyway and let my head fall back. I went limp, as if her blow had knocked me out. Ruby laughed, and I could practically sense Cynder shaking her head in exasperation at me.

"Alright, Ruby. Let your father up."

Ruby obeyed wordlessly, and I felt her weight disappear from my chest as she hopped down to the floor.

"And you."

I grunted sharply when something struck me in the stomach, lurching upward and clutching at my midsection by reflex. When I opened my eyes I saw Cynder standing beside me with her tail raised, a smug grin on her face.

"Stop being so dramatic."

I shot a playful glare up at her, which she returned in kind. Ruby giggled at us, drawing out attention toward her.

"Now, Ruby, why don't you go clean up your drawings while we get ready for supper?" Cynder suggested. "Spyro, do you think you can help me with making it?"

I nodded, rolling back to my paws. "Of course."

She smiled gratefully at me. "Thanks. Once it's ready, why don't we all eat out in the back yard since it's still nice out? Ruby, I'm going to want to hear all about what you learned today."

Ruby gave her own eager nod. "Okay!"

"Great! Now, go and clean up. We'll call you when the food is ready."

Ruby gave one last nod before turning around and dashing through the doorway into the living room. I watched her for a brief moment, impressed by how quick and obedient she was with Cynder's instructions. She seemed like a very well behaved dragoness, and I felt a swell of pride in my chest. I was broken out of those thoughts when Cynder tugged on me with her wing, though.

"You coming?" she asked, smirking.

"Right, yeah. I'm right behind you."

She chuckled and began walking back through the house toward the kitchen. Her wing tugged at me again as she moved, pulling me along with her.

"Since you're tired I can do most of the work," I offered. "Just show me what you want me to do."

Cynder gave me another warm smile at that, leaning in to quickly nuzzle my cheek. "Thank you. I appreciate that."

"And maybe while we're at it you can tell me about how your day went too."

"I'd be happy to. Let's get at it, then."

We stepped into the kitchen, Cynder moving toward one of the nearby counters, and I went to follow her but paused for a moment. I could see Ruby through another doorway into the living room, busily picking up her markers while Cynder began setting out cooking supplies. It was such a calm, homely scene, one that felt mildly familiar from my childhood in the swamp, but different and more precious at the same time. A large smile spread across my face.

As new as it all felt to me, family life suited me just fine.

---

Damn it. Why does this have to be so hard?

I'm trying to stay positive. I mean, I need to be for Ruby's sake if nothing else, but everything I'm doing feels so...temporary. It's hard to feel happy about something that's so fleeting, and that I'll never get to look back on...

But that isn't really fair, is it? I DO have things to be happy about. Ruby is so absolutely precious, and Cynder is incredible. I can't help but smile when I'm with them. Honest to the Ancestors, I have no idea how Cynder does it. The way she helps carry me through the dark moments I experience...there's no words to do her credit.

If nothing else, I'm lucky for that. Cynder, I hope you know how much I love you, because there's no way I can ever express it enough...

-~.~-*-~.~-

The night air was cool and peaceful. It blew in from the open doorway that led out to the balcony from our bedroom. I could just see the lower tip of one of the moons through the archway, casting a soft blueish glow into our room. All in all it was a very tranquil setting, and it was one that I hoped would work on my thoughts and troubles as I lay in our bed, Cynder's sleeping form tucked under my foreleg and wing.

I should have been feeling happy. All things considered, this may as well have been a perfect day. Cynder, Ruby and I had spent most of the morning exploring the market square, browsing the stalls of the travelling vendors. We hadn't bought much, but Ruby especially had loved checking out all of the foreign treasures, and it had been a joy for Cynder and I to watch her eyes light up every time she spotted something new.

In the afternoon we had stopped by one of Warfang's many parks to relax and play. Cynder had given Ruby a flying lesson—probably one of her first, from what I could tell—and our daughter had managed to stay in the air unassisted for at least five minutes, much to all of our delight. After that she had roped me into a game of hide and seek, which she obviously won easily since none of the bushes or trees in the area were anywhere close to large enough to hide an adult dragon like myself, and in the end it had simply devolved into a game of tag. Eventually Ruby had tired herself out so much that she'd just plopped herself in between me and Cynder for a nap with the warm sun shining down on her.

After she'd gone to sleep this evening, Cynder and I had retired to our bedroom and laid down beside each other on the bed for some quiet relaxation. She'd read a book. I worked on my journal, writing everything down in complete detail so that it wouldn't be lost forever. After that we had settled down exactly as we were now, watching the sun set and the moons rise until Cynder had finally fallen asleep.

It was an amazing day, one that had filled me with joy. I should have still felt that joy now. I wanted to! But I couldn't. Instead, I was mourning.

Because I could feel it all slipping away.

Images and events from early this morning before we all left the house were already blurring, turning into fragments that were vanishing into oblivion and leaving obvious gaps. When I tried to think about one thing to keep it present, another would fade into nothingness. As I lay there in bed trying desperately to hold on to my perfect day my amnesia was stealing it away from me second by second, minute by minute. I knew that the moment I closed my eyes and let sleep take over, that would be it. It would be gone, forever. Just another day in my life that I would never remember. A day I would never get back.

I couldn't stand it! I couldn't bear to watch my life disappear! I was happy here with Cynder, and I loved my daughter to death, but what did any of that even mean in the long run? If Ruby left home one day, by the next morning it would be no different than if I'd never had a daughter at all! It didn't stick. It wouldn't last! Nothing lasted!

And I hated it!

I looked down at Cynder, lying peacefully against me with a faint smile on her lips, and as much as it shamed me I felt a swell of jealousy. She had everything I wanted. A family. Friends. A career. Things that mattered. Things that made her matter in the world beyond this house. And most of all, she had all of her years of experiences with all those things that she could carry with her. The only one of those things that I could also call my own was family, but without the memories of it in my life it was like a crucial part of it was missing. I would never have the full experience. I would never have the sense of permanence to attach to it, because I wouldn't have any memory of it if it was ever taken away.

I would never have that feeling of completion. Of being complete.

A hollow feeling opened up in my heart, like a sense of grief, and I couldn't take it any longer. I retracted my wing from Cynder's form and stood up, careful not to wake her with my movements. Once I was sure she was still asleep I walked silently out to the balcony, leaning my forelegs against the railing and letting out a heavy sigh. Down below the pools of water in the park behind our house caught the glow of the moons, shining like pockets of liquid light; the water gardens, Cynder had called them. They were a beautiful sight.

It was just another precious thing that wasn't going to stay.

I almost wanted to cry. I mean, this was the sort of situation that would warrant that, wasn't it? My life was literally disappearing. It was almost like dying, in a way.

Was that all I was? A ghost of a fifteen year old dragon who died saving the world, and now I was just pretending I still had a life to live? When that life was over it would amount to the same thing. Those first fifteen years would be the only thing I had left.

"It isn't fair," I mumbled, feeling a sting in my eyes, and I sniffed quietly.

I wasn't sure how long I stayed there, staring out over the sleeping city with that hollow feeling consuming me. It was long enough that I couldn't remember anything before me, Cynder and Ruby were walking through the market at any rate. It was at that point that I heard movement behind me.

"Spyro?"

I turned at the sound of Cynder's groggy voice, looking over my shoulder. She was walking out onto the balcony, rubbing her eyes with one forepaw, and when she lowered it there was a thoroughly confused look on her face. I sighed, laying my head back on my forepaws.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"What are you doing out here?"

I didn't answer. I didn't have the words, or the will. That was when I heard Cynder step up beside me. She slipped a forepaw under my chin, cupping my cheek with it and lifting my head so that I was facing her. That was when she must have noticed the film of moisture in my eyes, and concern immediately appeared in hers.

"Spyro, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

I sniffed again, pulling my head free and turning away to wipe at my eyes. Part of me felt angry—how could she not know what was wrong? The rest of me didn't want her to see me in this state. What good would it do for me to drag her down too? She didn't need that. She didn't deserve it.

"Spyro, please," she said insistently, and the tone of her voice caused my heart to twist painfully. "Talk to me. Why are you upset?"

I heaved a sigh, realizing that she wasn't going to give up. I turned back toward her, but I couldn't meet her eyes.

"Because the day's over. And I'm going to lose it."

Cynder blinked, but slowly after that a look of realization appeared on her face. It didn't seem like she could come up with anything to say. I probably wouldn't have been able to in her place either.

"I don't want to lose today, Cynder," I said. My voice was slightly unsteady from the lump I could feel in my throat. "I loved it so much. I don't want it to disappear. I...I don't want to forget every moment I'm ever going to have with my family."

"Spyro..."

She shifted closer and reached her paw up to pull my face down to hers, pressing our foreheads together. Her wing circled around my back, and a shudder went through me. Feeling her so close...it only weakened what resolve I had left. I felt tears on my cheeks. I couldn't hold them back.

"I feel helpless," I whimpered. "I hate this! I hate knowing that there's nothing I can do to stop my memories from disappearing! I hate knowing that I've already missed so much, and every day there's just going to be more and more that I can't hold on to. The things I do. My family. For the Ancestors' sakes, I don't even know my own daughter!"

Cynder recoiled, pulling her head back to look at me with wide eyes. "Spyro, don't say things like that."

"It's true! I know nothing about her! I don't remember how old she is, or what food she likes or what kind of games she likes to play. Can she use her element yet? What is it? Does she have more than one? Who are her friends? I don't even know her name until someone tells me in the morning!"

"Spyro, stop!"

I pulled my head away roughly, standing up and pacing farther away from her, growling from anger at my situation and embarrassment from my lack of self control. Tears were still falling from my eyes, and the lump in my throat was becoming painful. Speaking was starting to be a struggle.

"How many important moments in her life have I lost? Her first flight? The day she hatched? How many times have I forgotten my own daughter's hatchday? For that matter, how many times have I forgotten yours? I don't even know what day it's supposed to be on! I don't...I don't know you!"

I saw her flinch at that, but any reaction beyond that was lost as I closed my eyes against the flow of tears.

"Nothing about my own family has past significance to me. Every single moment I have with you and Ruby is taken away from me. All of it! I'm left with NOTHING!"

I slammed my forepaw down on the balcony furiously, and that was when the last of my composure shattered. I tried to choke back a sob but failed miserably, and I quickly turned away from Cynder and covered my face with a wing. Damn this amnesia! Ancestors, why wasn't there some way I could just get rid of it? Why did this have to happen to me at all?

Besides my muffled sobbing there was silence on the balcony. Cynder hadn't moved yet, and obviously I couldn't see her face to tell what she was thinking or feeling. Without her voice to help comfort me I felt painfully alone.

"I want to remember her," I whispered, my voice cracking. "And I want to remember you. Not the you from the war. The one I saw today, smiling and laughing, playing with your child. So full of life..."

There was silence again for a moment after that, but then I heard Cynder shifting and felt her wing over my shoulders again as she sat beside me. I still didn't look at her, too ashamed of myself.

"Today was so happy, and so perfect. But tomorrow it won't be there anymore, and...at the end of my life I'm not going to have a single thing I can look back on! It makes a day like this just feel...meaningless."

"Spyro, please," Cynder implored me, moving in front of me to try and force me to look at her. "This isn't helping anything! There will be more days like this one."

"More for me to forget."

"Spyro!"

I looked up into her eyes at last, and that was when I finally registered the wetness shining in them, just like mine. I faltered, but then my heart plunged like someone had just dropped it off a cliff. I was hurting her; the one thing I hadn't wanted to do was happening right in front of me. This couldn't get any worse, could it?

"I'm sorry," I told her, my voice tight. "I just...I want to be more than this! I want to be someone that actually matters in this family, but right now I feel like I can't contribute anything. I'm just along for the ride while all of the responsibility falls on you. I hate that! I hate feeling like a burden! Like I'm just...just useless! I—"

Out of nowhere pain exploded from my left cheek and the night air was split by a loud SMACK! I staggered to the side, my thoughts scrambled briefly. What happened?

That was when I noticed Cynder's expression, and I froze. She was seething, her eyes blazing behind her tears. I pieced it together then that she had slapped me, and my paw went up to my cheek which was stinging fiercely. Thankfully I didn't feel any blood from her claws, but there were definitely marks and they hurt!

"Don't. Ever. Say that again," she snarled at me, and I shrank back as very real fear took hold inside of me.

"W...what?"

She reached forward and gripped the unharmed side of my face, holding me tightly and preventing me from looking away from her.

"You are not useless!" she snapped. "Memories or no memories, you have been nothing but loving and dedicated to this family, every single day. You are the best mate I could ever dream of having, and you are a fantastic father. Do not for a second doubt that! Do you understand me?"

The only thing I could do was nod. I couldn't remember ever feeling this afraid of Cynder before—and that included the time in which she was corrupted!

Seeing that her message had gotten through, she started to relax. A touch of guilt entered her expression, showing that she hadn't meant to scare me like she had, and her grip on my face turned into a gentle one. She allowed her tears to fall freely at that point, and before I knew what was happening she had pulled me closer and grabbed on to me with her forelegs and wings, pressing her head into the crook of my neck. I felt her shudder, and without even thinking about it I returned the embrace. My gut churned with guilt. This was quite the mess I had made.

"I know that I can't begin to understand what you're feeling," she told me in a tight, quiet voice. "But I do know how much you struggle with it, and I wish there was more I could do to help. I would do anything to fix this for you, or find some way to make you whole again, but the doctors have tried, and tried, and they haven't found anything. Medicine can't fix you. Magic can't fix you. The only thing we can do is cope with this together."

A rattling sigh escaped me. She was probably right, but it was just so difficult. It almost didn't feel worth it right now. I knew she wouldn't want me to give up, but how was I supposed to do this?

"I'm trying," I gasped, tightening my hold on her and fighting not to give in to my emotions again.

"I know," Cynder sniffed, raising her head to look at me, her wet eyes shining in the moonlight. "I know you are, and you've done such an amazing job of that, Spyro." The first hints of a smile appeared on her muzzle. "You've shown so much courage. I'm so proud of you, and I'm so proud to be your mate. I really mean that. And I'm proud of the father you are to Ruby, too."

I faltered at that, a confused frown growing. "But how can I be a good father when I don't remember her at all?"

"She doesn't care," Cynder told me firmly. "She sees how much you love her anyway, and the care that you show toward her every day. She adores you, Spyro. You're her hero, and not because you saved the world. Seriously, she brags about you to her friends all the time."

That caught me by surprise. She wasn't just saying that as a joke, was she? No, I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was telling the truth.

"Really? Why?"

Her smile grew larger and more tender. "For the same reasons that I do. Because you get up every morning, put a smile on your face and make the most of every moment you have. Because you never take a single thing for granted, and because of how you teach our daughter to always be compassionate and respectful to the people around her, and to never back down when things get hard, just by acting that way yourself. Seeing you do all of that, even with your own memory working against you...it makes me love you more every day."

I was silent for a moment after that, studying her and trying to process this news. Eventually, though, I felt a thin ghost of a smile forming at the corner of my muzzle.

"Now you're just saying things to make me feel better."

"It's the truth," she replied, and her voice left no room for doubt. "Let me tell you something. We've been together for over sixty years. Other couples I've seen that have been together for that long have started to become complacent with each other, but not you. You've kept this relationship stronger than it's ever been because your enthusiasm for it never changes. Waking up in the morning is my favourite part of every day, because when you open your eyes and give me that smile, like you're seeing me for the first time...I can't describe how it makes me feel. Every date. Every family outing. Every kiss...it's like they're all happening for the first time all over again. As much of a struggle as your amnesia is, I'm at least grateful for that."

I could feel my smile growing wider, becoming easier to hold, and my breathing started to settle.

"Does...that include...?" I asked, my cheeks burning slightly.

Cynder slapped me again, but this time on the shoulder, and I could see the smile behind her look of anger.

"Get your mind out of the gutter. I'm being serious!"

I gave a quite chuckle, and Cynder's expression relaxed again into a warmer, more relieved smile. My own expression clouded slightly, though, my doubts returning. Cynder must have noticed. She leaned forward and gently kissed the cheek that she had slapped before, regaining my attention.

"Don't doubt your importance to this family, Spyro, because I don't know what we would do without you in it. The biggest comfort I have is the knowledge that you're always there when I need you. No matter what it is, whether I'm sad, or angry, or stressed from a bad day at work, you always support me without fail."

I gave her a skeptical look, still not fully convinced. I still didn't see how I could be capable of that much when I needed my paw held for everything. She frowned, huffing in frustration.

"Need an example? Fine. Oh! Before we had Ruby, there was the time I caught Draconic Flu. In case you don't know, it's a disease that attacks our elements as well as our bodies. I was vomiting poison and coughing up shadow for a week, almost nonstop. I was an absolute disgusting mess, but you didn't leave my side once, even though by doing so you were basically guaranteed to get sick yourself. I hit you point blank in the face with a fear blast, for the Ancestors' sakes, and you still didn't leave! You just sat there, shaking from complete terror, and you took my paw, held a cloth against my head and told me I was going to have to try harder than that to make you leave, even though I'm pretty sure my fear made you think I had become corrupted again. That's how devoted to me and Ruby you are!"

I had to give her credit: That was one serious example! I was stunned, and for a long moment I couldn't answer her. I had really done that? I mean, I couldn't imagine doing anything differently in that situation. If Cynder was hurt, or sick, or upset, there was nothing I wouldn't do to help her. That was something I knew for certain. The same with Ruby.

Huh. Maybe she did have a point.

"I don't care about your amnesia, Spyro," she continued, her tone changing again as she gave me a large smile that punched right through my sadness. "That devotion is something I love so much about you, and I wouldn't trade being with you for anything, problems and all. And I promise you, I will do everything in my power to show you that same devotion in return."

I felt a renewed sting of tears in my eyes as she said those words, but these ones weren't from grief. I reached forward and pulled Cynder into a tight hug, pressing my brow against hers and nuzzling her with a feeling of sheer gratitude. She pulled her head back just enough to lick the tear tracks off my cheeks, keeping the contact between us the whole time. After that she pressed into my hold fully, so close that I could feel her heartbeat through my own chest.

"Thank you," I gasped, my voice shaking. "Thank you for coming out here. It still hurts a lot, losing these memories, but I'm so happy that you're here with me."

"I'm not ever leaving your side, Spyro," she replied firmly. "Any time that you feel sad, I will be here for you, just like you're here for me. I promise you that. You might lose today, but I'm going to do everything I can to make sure each new day is just as good as this one. So instead of mourning today, try to look forward to tomorrow. Can you do that for me?"

Another smile stretched across my muzzle, and I turned my head to place a soft kiss on her brow. I was so lucky to have this dragoness. Without her...I didn't even want to think about it.

"I think I can," I said with a small nod.

"Good."

I let out a sigh of contentment, the last of my tears falling away, and for the next several minutes I stayed in that position, holding on to Cynder tightly. A short while later she pulled back enough to look into my eyes, and I was briefly lost in the deep emerald green of hers, shining stunningly in the moonlight. She leaned forward, and I closed my eyes as we locked in a kiss. All of my grief was erased at this point, leaving only comfort and happiness.

"Are you coming back to bed?" Cynder asked once she broke away.

I paused, considering the question. I looked out over the water gardens below us, taking in the reflected moonlight again, and after another second I was decided.

"I think I'll stay here a little bit longer, if that's alright."

She nodded. "Sure."

I smiled at her, but I didn't move. She watched me patiently, an amused sort of grin turning up the corner of her mouth when I didn't release her. I was reluctant to let her go. The feeling of holding her in my wings with our hearts beating against each other filled me with a kind of joy that I didn't ever want to stop, a kind of joy that I needed with my grief still so fresh on my mind.

"Would you stay with me?" I asked slowly, feeling mildly embarrassed.

I saw a gleam in her eyes at the request, and I got the impression she was happy I had asked.

"Of course I will."

She shifted slightly so that she was facing out from the balcony without having to disengage from our embrace. Then she rested her head against the side of my neck, practically melting into me with a happy sigh.

"I'll stay with you always."