Tremor rolled to the side as the wolf slashed it him with it long claws. The canine had howled and attacked from out of nowhere.

"Son of a bi-" He ducked and the wolf slashed again. It's claws cut through the trunk of the apple tree as if it were air. The tree began to fall and Tremor spun, knocking his clubbed tail into it. The wolf grabbed the trunk with both hands just before it could crush him. Tremor's eyes grew wide as the beast lifted the tree high over his head. "Uh..." His voice trailed off as he was shrouded in the shadow of the branches.

The wolf swung the tree and Tremor beat his wings hard. He flew back just in time as the trees smashed into the ground. The wolf lifted the tree again and hurled it at the young dragon. Tremor fired an earth bullet and the trunk shattered with a ear-splitting crack. The wolf lunged through the shards of broken wood that seemed to hover in the air and lashed out at Tremor again. The dragon feinted to the side. He felt the wind as the claws passed by his chest.

The earth guardian jumped back and stared hard at his attacker. This wolf was different than the ones he had encountered before; including the mutant from Dante's Freezer. The wolf turned and smiled at him. It raised a claw and tapped himself on the chest.

"Huh?" Tremor cocked his head and raised a brow curiously. It was then he felt the burning in his chest. He looked down to see claw marks on his thick chest scales. They hadn't been broken but the skin beneath felt as if it were burning. Tremor looked back at the wolf. "I guess I should start taking you seriously." He muttered. The wolf snarled and charged.

"Wow!" Stella fell onto her haunches in the soft sand. "That's...just...Wow!"

"You see now?" Candice sighed as she sat down beside her and stared out at the frozen ocean. "Why I've been acting the way I have. Towards you guys? And Tremor?"

"It does make sense." Stella nodded dumbly. They sat for a moment in silence while Stella let the news Candice had given her soak in. At last she turned. "You kissed Tremor." She could hardly believe the news. It almost seemed like she was dreaming just hearing that the two had shared such an intimate moment.

"He kissed me first!" Candice exclaimed, tears ready to burst from her eyes again.

"And you kissed him back!" Stella pointed out just as energetically. "You can't deny that and mean it!"

"I know..." Candice whimpered and hung her head. "I've been so restless ever since."

"But why did you reject him? If you kissed him back, then that means you must have had some feelings for him. At least at the time."

"I don't know!" Candice shouted. She shook her head, trying to calm herself down. "I admit the kiss was enjoyable. Very enjoyable. I loved it... But...I...It...just...just..."

"Felt awkward because it was Tremor?"

"Yeah." Candice looked at her, surprised she understood her as well as she did.

"I can understand the awkwardness." Stella nodded thoughtfully. "I mean the way you two constantly banter back and forth would make the fact that he has feelings for you a bit awkward and strange. But I don't think that your history does either of you any justice in avoiding each other. You especially."

"What? Why?"

"Because you two will never be happy if you keep this up. You'll go about your lives mad at each other all the time and whatever friendship you had will be destroyed."

Tremor shrouded himself in stone and charged the wolf. The canine jumped to the side, avoiding the rolling ball of earth. The ball banked hard and came around for another pass. The wolf breathed a cloud of ice and froze over the ball.

"What the hell?" Tremor gasped in surprise. He pushed against the inside of the ball but he was frozen in place. He could hear the wolf approaching and he pushed harder against the frozen stone, but to no avail. The wolf drew its blade and brought it smashing through Tremor's ball. Tremor had nowhere to run. He pressed himself to one side as much as he could but the serrated edge caught his right shoulder, raking off a large chunk of skin.

Tremor didn't have time to mind the pain. The wolf swung his weapon again and Tremor ducked as the blade whistled over his head. As the wolf swung in again he stepped in closeout of the weapon's range. The wolf looked down in time to get hit in hit in the chest with an earth bullet. He gave a mild grunt as he went flying into the air. Tremor sprang up after him and charged up another attack. The wolf quickly responded and swung its weapon. Tremor gasped and covering himself in earth again. The blade connected with his barrier and he was sent crashing into the ground. The barrier broke on impact and Tremor felt the wind rush out of him.

The wolf landed on his feet and rushed in again. Tremor wheezed and coughed a small blast at the wolf's feet. A pillar of earth burst up from the ground, smashing the wolf in the jaw. The canine howled in pain as its head rocked back sharply. Tremor got to his feet, having gained enough time to catch his breath. He winced at his wounded shoulder. It was already beginning to bleed badly. Dirt was sticking to it and his blood had begun to stain the ground.

The wolf got up and shook his head. His lips was bleeding but showed no other sign of injury.

"Damn it!" Tremor groaned in irritation. "What kind of monster are you?"

The wolf sneered. He bent down on all fours, his mane bristled. Tremor ducked to the ground and raised a wall of earth as the wolf's hair turned to ice and fired. The shower of needle-like shards of ice punctured the barrier. Tremor peaked out and another volley was fired. The earth dragon ducked as the needles shot over head, chipping his protective cover away.

The wolf unleashed another blast of ice and froze the ground. Tremor gasped as he found his feet frozen in place. He turned back to his wall and looked up in horror at the towering wolf mutant. The beast smiled and raised his weapon. Tremor's eyes grew wide and he fired an earth missile at his feet, breaking the ice and his barrier. The earth dragon rolled in close to the wolf again, hoping to take out its legs. He swung his clubbed tail and the wolf leaped over him. He dragged is weapon through the earth as he flipped over the young dragon. Tremor felt a burning in his side and found the wolf had left him with a nasty gash up his side.

"I think I'm going to need some help." He groaned to himself. He fired a shower of earth bullets at the wolf who easily dodged them. That was all Tremor needed. He turned and flew towards the beach as fast as he could go. The wolf looked up and growled angrily before taking off after him at high speed.

"What do you mean our friendship will be destroyed?" Candice squeaked, a sudden tone of fear in her voice.

"Tremor cares for you Candice. He openly admitted it! And more than once! He's saved your life, and you saw his reaction when he thought you had died. If that doesn't get you to realize that he likes you, then I don't know what will. You're just being as stubborn as he is when it comes to admitting that you have feelings for him too."

"I...I do not!" Candice protested, her cheeks beginning to turn red.

"You're such a bad liar!" Stella snapped and Candice jerked back in surprise. "You spent time with Tremor on the wall of the eastern dragon city! More than once mind you, and alone! You volunteered to bring him his meals! You looked after him when he was recovering after the Dark Master attacked Warfang! I've seen you make eyes at him in the dining hall when he's not looking and him as well!"

"Well...I...uh..." The burning in Candice's cheeks spread throughout the rest of her face. She had no idea that Stella knew so much about her so-called 'outings' with Tremor; and she couldn't help but wonder how much everyone else knew.

Stella brought her nose right up to Candice's and stared her in the eye. "If you say that you aren't concerned or worried about Tremor's health and well-being in the slightest, then you are lying to everyone on this planet, especially yourself."

"Well I would hate to see his talent go to waste. We need an new earth guardian eventually. It's like I said before: A guardian's duty should supersede their own personal comfort."

"Oh cut the crap Candice!" Stella snarled and lightning bolts crackled around her body. "You're just making excuses now as to why you 'shouldn't' like Tremor. I know that you were just saying that and that you don't truly believe a single word of it!" Candice was silent. She couldn't talk her way out of this corner. "I know it seems impossible, but you do have feelings for Tremor. He can hardly believe that he has feelings for you too."

"He told you?"

"No. I guessed." Stella shook her head. "I got the hint from Tremor the other night after Liun ran away and he came to make sure I was okay. He didn't say anything specific. But I can sense he has emotions that run deep as far as you are concerned." Candice fell silent again. She stared at her talons buried in the sand and fidgeted them beneath the surface.

"Do you really believe that Tremor still cares for me?" Candice looked at Stella with tears poking at the edges of her eyes. "After they way I've been acting? After the way I've treated him?"

"If you're looking for proof that love conquers all, then look around you Candice. Look at Spyro and Cynder; former archenemies and head over heals for each other. Flame and Ember; rivals for the position of fire guardian and Ember was stuck on Spyro for a while too from what I hear."

"But that doesn't mean..."

"I heard Flame say this about when Ember finally noticed him as more than just a friend. He said : I guess miracles really do happen." Candice's eyes widened in surprise. Stella shook her head sadly. "Miracles don't happen every day Candice. And sometimes it's up to us, to make them happen rather than wait on some divine power to take action."

"I don't know." Candice sighed. "I mean...What if he doesn't want to take me after all? What if it was a spur of the moment type of thing? What if..."

"You're worrying too much." Stella interrupted. "Besides, you won't get the answers unless you go right to the source. Am I right?"

"I guess so." Candice nodded. "But how do I know that my feelings are real? And not just my imagination. What if I'm just kidding myself?"

"You're not!" Stella insisted. "And even if you are, you won't be at ease until you find out. Am I right?"

"I suppose so." Candice turned back to the frozen horizon. "I do care about Tremor." She said it for herself. "I...care...for Tremor." She still felt strange saying it. "I like Tremor... I really like...Tremor." She looked back at Stella. "I like him don't I?"

"Just like?" Stella raised a brow.

"How can it be love? I mean, we fight all the time, get on each others nerves and have said some of the most hurtful things to one another."

"No relationship is perfect. But the fact that you two pay that much attention to each other should tell you. What do little boys do to girls when their young and they like them? The hit them, am I right?" Candice smiled and held back a laugh. "Seriously. They do. But Tremor's obviously beyond that stage. So what's the next best thing to hitting a girl?"

"Driving me nuts apparently." Candice giggled.

"Exactly. And you don't exactly discourage it all that well either." Candice began to blush again and turned away from her best friend. Stella could see that she had gotten through to her from the way her eyes shimmered as they stared across the ice. The lightning dragoness smiled in content.

Another silence passed before Stella spoke again. "So..." She started, getting the ice dragoness to turn again. "You have got to tell me...What was it like kissing Tremor?"

"Oh..." Candice's cheeks turned bright red.

Tremor beat his wings as fast and hard as he could. He could hear the angry panting of the mutant wolf on the ground behind him. "Dear ancestors, this guy is fast!" He wheezed. "I have to get to the beach! Get the others to..." His thoughts drifted off.

"What am I doing?" He pondered to himself. "By bringing this guy back I'm endangering the others. Flame is strong enough as well as Stella and Candice." Up ahead, the trees began to sink down and he could see the vast ocean beyond. "But Ember hasn't fully recovered yet. She'd be vulnerable in fight like this. And if anything were to happen to her..." An image flashed of Candice lying dead on the ground. Tremor choked and shook his head violently. "No! I couldn't do that to Flame! I have to take care of this problem myself."

Just as he reached the beach, Tremor banked hard and took off back the way he came. The wolf saw him coming and leaped high to intercept. Tremor somersaulted and covered himself in green energy. He smashed into the wolf and knocked him to the ground. The wolf slammed into a tree, knocking it to the ground.

"Come on you flea-bitten sissy!" Tremor shouted. "Catch me if you can!" He took off again as the wolf got it its feet. The canine snarled angrily and took pursuit. Tremor flew out beyond the field and headed for the hills in the deeper forest.

Down below, the wolf was catching up. As Tremor began to climb and gain altitude the wolf made its move. With a mighty leap he was airborne. His shadow swept over Tremor. The earth dragon looked back over his shoulder as the wolf came down on top of him. He grabbed the young dragon and rode him all the way into the ground. The impact smashed several trees and left a large crater in the ground.

The wolf yanked Tremor's body out from under him and hurled him into a tree. The trunk splintered and Tremor was sent rolling across the hard ground. The wolf raised his weapon and brought it down hard on the ground. Tremor looked up as the wave of icy spikes burst up from the ground in front of him. He jumped and latched onto the side of a tree as the spikes burst through the ground he had been laying a split second earlier. Tremor fired an earth bullet and the wolf dodged. Tremor fired again and again, but the wolf was too fast for him.

"Damn it! Hold still!" Tremor spat. "Can't you see I'm trying to hit you?" He spotted the wolf and lunged for him. The wolf struck with his blade and Tremor fired another earth bullet. The weapon was knocked from the wolf's hand and stuck into the trunk of a tree. Tremor back-winged as the wolf landed on the ground. The beast glared at him with his yellow eyes blazing mad.

Tremor was breathing heavily. His entire body already ached. After a couple deep breaths he swallowed hard, regaining his composure and calming his mind. He would need to stay focused if he was going to survive this fight.

The wolf roared and lunged. Tremor dove out of the way and swung his tail. The wolf grabbed him and slammed him into another tree. Tremor beat his wings rapidly, sending the jagged chunks of wood into the wolf's face. The beast shielded himself and struck the young dragon across the face. Tremor tumbled to the ground and rolled onto his feet. Blood trickled from his cheek. Tremor fired as earth bullet that hit the ground beneath the wolf's feet as he dropped to the ground. The earth burst up and into the wolf's gut, sending him high above the tree tops.

Tremor slammed his paws into the ground, catapulting mounds of earth up at the wolf. He beat his wings again, propelling them faster. The wolf opened its mouth wide and breathed another cloud of ice. Tremor rolled away as the cloud descended upon the ground, freezing it. The wolf shattered the projectiles and showered the earth dragon with the shards. Tremor ducked out of the way just in time. The wolf fell back to the ground and landed on his feet. As Tremor got up he saw the wolf walk over to his weapon and yank it from the tree trunk.

Tremor was the first to move this time. He slammed an paw into the ground sending a wave of earth spikes shooting up from the ground. The wolf countered with his ice spikes and the forces clashed. The shock wave of energy sent both combatants tumbling backwards. Tremor recoiled onto his feet and fired an earth bullet into the cloud of dust and ice. At the same moment a shower of ice spikes burst from the mist. Tremor ducked but two managed to nick him still; one in the shoulder, the other in his side. He ignored the pain and slammed both feet down, sending a wave through the earth surrounding him. Trees rocked violently as the earth rose and fell like the ocean's surface. At last Tremor let out a roar and the entire area shook. The trees were wrenched from their roots as they spread out from around the earth dragon. The collecting masses of trunks smashed into the wolf, pinning him between more and more trunks. Tremor beat his wings once and the ground flattened, leaving nothing but a clear open area in the forest hills.

Tremor gasped heavily for several minutes. The pain was beginning to get to him. His chest heaved, causing the slash marks to burn even more. The two gashes on his left side had blood flowing in a steady stream and his wounded shoulder had been exposed nearly to the bone. With a cringe and groan, Tremor collapsed to the dirt on his bad shoulder. He struggled to get back on his feet but he couldn't feel anything except the burning that was spreading across his right side.

Just then there was a large crash and Tremor raised his eyes to the perimeter of tree trunks. An angry howl burst up from the woods surrounding him.

"Damn it!" Tremor grumbled. "I swear, cockroaches are easier to kill." With a muffled growl he hoisted him self up off the ground.

Several tree trunks fell to the ground. Then suddenly two of the fallen trees rocketed towards the young dragon. Tremor dodged each one easily. A third trunk was sent flying at him and he fired an earth bullet. The trunk shattered and the wolf lunged through the cloud of splinters. Tremor narrowly escaped the wolf's blade as the jagged tip jammed into the ground. The earth guardian sprang high into the air and the wolf followed through his surprise attack. He switched his grip on the handle and froze the ground surrounding the blade. With a mighty pull, he yanked the blade free from the ground, sending a shower of ice spikes into the air.

Tremor had no time to dodge the onslaught. He shielded his face as the spikes peppered his underbelly. He grunted in pain and tasted blood swelling up in his mouth. The wolf sprang up and threw a hard punch. The blow sent Tremor's world spinning out of control as he flew higher into the air before falling towards the hard ground. The wolf landed and instantly made another lunge for the dragon. Just before Tremor hit the ground he was grabbed by the tail and jerked back into the air. The wolf hurled him down with all his might and Tremor hit the ground with a loud cry. The earth split from the impact and a cloud of dust covered the area.

"Wow." Stella sighed dreamily. "That sounds amazing." She was blushing as she listened to Candice's story of her kiss with Tremor in greater detail.

"It was." Candice nodded, still embarrassed. "I still don't know what came over me."

"I'm surprised myself." Stella felt her warm cheeks. "I never thought of you as the type to delve into a kiss like that."

"That makes two of us." Candice nodded. "Did you and Liun ever..." Candice's voice trailed off.

"What?" Stella asked curiously.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to bring Liun into this." Candice turned away. "I'll just drop it."

"Oh no you don't!" Stella moved close to Candice and smiled devilishly. "I want to hear what you wanted to ask. This whole Tremor thing is juicy and I want every detail. So if you have something you need to ask me, then do so."

"Did you and Liun...ever kiss?"

"Of course."

"With tongue?"

"Yes."

Candice's cheeks flushed as her mind was flooded with visuals of the lightning dragoness and the black dragon embracing one another, closely, intimately. "What about...You know..."

"Know what?" Stella tilted her head curiously.

"Did you two...ever...you know...do it?"

"Mate?"

"Yes..."

Stella sighed. "I hate to admit it now...but yes. We did."

"What?" Candice wasn't expecting her best friend to give that answer.

"It was a couple of times. Once at the Eastern City and once more at Warfang."

"Wow..." Candice stared at Stella with eyes wide and jaw dropped. Stella blushed and turned her head away. She sighed deeply. The memory of Liun and his sudden change in personality left her confused and alone. But she would have to be strong. For her best friend, Spyro and the other guardians. She wouldn't let Liun's behavior interfere with he duties as a guardian.

It was then that the lightning dragoness caught a whiff of the air. Her eyes widened. "Uh oh." She muttered.

"What is it?" Candice looked out at the ocean then back to her friend.

"There's a storm coming! A big one!"

"Seriously? How can you tell?"

"The polarity in the air. It's changed." She looked Candice in the eye. "We need to get back tot he cave! And fast."

"R-right!" Candice nodded dumbly. Both dragons turned and flew back towards the cave. Out across the ocean, the clouds were quickly growing dark. As Candice watched the clouds approaching she felt an uneasy feeling deep in her heart.