"The only way to alleviate guilt is to face it. Only in the forgiveness of the one you fear can you forgive yourself."

Love and war, trials and treasures, Crash and Spyro have gone through quite the endeavor. A pairing so perplexing, a story so heartbreaking, will these two ever find a life worth sharing? I ask this not as a question, but instead as an observation. Cynder's heart for her soulmate still beats so fiercely; while Crash's mind has been crippled so deeply. Sadly the choice is obvious, it's been made clear, there's only one dragon for Spyro to choose here.

This is the dilemma that Spyro now faces, as he tears up alone on a floating oasis. He made a promise once as Crash unconsciously lay, that he'd never forget him and his cheerful way. Seven years removed and seven years aged, Spyro has found his feelings haven't decayed. But now a second face has entered the fray, the women of his dreams who he's loved for many a days. She is his future, she is his fate. Crash was his past, his biggest mistake.

The Grief and the Sorrow.

Alone in the Realm of the Dreamweavers, Spyro sat near the edge of a floating island staring into the abyss below, lost in his troubling thoughts. I ran away from her; the love of my life. Because I'm scared to admit that I love her. He knew why he was scared; it was just hard for him to admit. I love her now; she is my future, the dragon I want to spend the rest of my life with. But… Crash, the other half of his mind responded.

He fought to be with me and won. He fought to be with me and lost. These feelings I have for Cynder I had for Crash. These feelings for Cynder only happened because of what happened to Crash… which was my fault. I'm so sorry Crash, Spyro thought to himself. I wish I could make things right, keep the promise I made bright. But I failed you, and you don't deserve me. I ran away from you as well, because I was terrified of what I did to you, leaving you disabled and short of memory. I ruined your life and here I am, just ignoring it and sweeping it under the rug. I loved you so much yet never had the courage to visit you. Looking at how broken you'd become was just too hard for me.

These thoughts made Spyro feel so unworthy of his new life with Cynder. How could I deserve someone as special as her, when seven years ago the bandicoot I loved ended up crippled because of how much he was willing to endure to be with me. It was Spyro's greatest shame, and the memories of a stuttering and sullen Crash haunted Spyro for years until time slowly allowed the pain and regret to fade. But now the guilt was back full force. Crash couldn't even smile; he just looked empty without purpose, the warmth glow of his eyes replaced with uncertainty. And every time Crash apologized for not remembering something, for tripping, or for how badly he spoke (he couldn't even remember that he couldn't speak sometimes) it made Spyro hate himself, for his depressed and confused state was his own fault. That's what Spyro believed, knew was true. What happened to Crash was his fault, both literally and metaphorically. I brought him to that desert, he fought the worst I could be, and agreed to do so because he loved me and wouldn't quit if it meant never seeing me again.

I'm no hero. No valiant dragon of legend. I have saved the world, but I ruined the life of someone I loved. This sentiment made him think of Cynder once more. Of how much he loved her and what he had saved her from; from what Malefor had forced her to do. She was the one for him; Spyro even wanted to have children with her. I did right by her, and she loves me because of it. But does that right my wrongs, or only cover them up? I'm so sorry Crash. Spyro started to cry in remorse once more.

Cynder didn't want to hesitate. She didn't want to see Spyro again unless she had met his former love. She had to, felt compelled to do so, because a part of her wanted to understand him. She knew that the Crash she would meet would not be the same one Spyro fell in love with. The happy, cheerful, mild mannered bandicoot who won Spyro's heart without actually trying was broken. For when the time came when he had to fight for his right to stay with him, he gave it his all and lost so much in the process. But it didn't matter to Cynder. It didn't matter that he was competition for Spyro's heart or that he was mentally impaired. Spyro apparently had never returned to Crash's home dimension after he brought him back. Whether he was scared to or felt it wouldn't help Crash in doing so, Cynder was going to find out the truth. Maybe Crash was the right person for Spyro, for he had won his heart in the past for good reason.

And as much as that thought worried her, seeing Spyro happy had become more important to her in the past day than being his soulmate. If one meant the other, Cynder's dream would become reality. But she had also discovered that she would do anything for Spyro, anything he needed to be happy and to see him smile, be joyful, not worry about the world and its problems. She discovered this as they flew over Artisans yesterday. Because for as great of a hero as Spyro is, that wasn't what Spyro wanted to be his entire life. Though he was willing and able to risk his life to save the world from a world destroying evil, in his heart he just wanted to be happy, like everyone around him. Live normally. Spend time with his friends and do all sorts of zany and wacky things with them: like skating, hockey, parasailing, racing, etcetera. His life before the responsibility of the world rested on his wings. He didn't yearn to be a legend; he just wanted to be happy.

And evidently Crash was the one person who made him the happiest in his life. So Cynder had to meet him, and find out if Crash could still be that person. If he could, Cynder would have to find it in her soul to step aside. She had a feeling Spyro wouldn't allow her to do so, he would say he loved her now and she didn't need to do this for him. But Spyro would say that because he can't stand the guilt of hurting others. Cynder saw on the roof of Summer Forest's Castle how much Crash's current situation still tore at Spyro. He felt completely responsible even though it was the ploy of some sort of spirit (if that's accurate). That it wasn't actually Spyro himself who almost killed Crash with the power of dark Convexity. And now he must feel guilty for running from me. Cynder knew him well enough to guess this. He must feel so guilty for loving me and loving Crash, a problem he can't solve without taking on even more guilt and pain. He doesn't know what to do, he can't let either of us go. Over time he has formed a bond with both of us, and is ridden with guilt for doing so. So if I have to, if it's the right thing to do, I'll make the choice for him. I love him enough to do that.

After a long and exhaustive debate with the Professor and Agent 9, Cynder had to use the threat of violence to get the Professor to activate the portal to Crash's home dimension. She didn't like having to resort to anger, but getting to Wumpa Island was more important than hearing a lecture on why she shouldn't go. She walked thought the archway, hopeful she would find the truth. On the other side, she stepped into sand and stared at a large ocean with crashing waves and a tropical breeze blowing towards her. The place was serine, and it was similar to how Elora described it. A backpack containing some sort of return pad inside of it she dropped onto the sand below for it irritated her wings. Walking forward, she came across a small stone home with a large circular wooden door at its front. She was really doing this? Cynder inhaled to inspire confidence, then knocked on the door. She didn't know what to expect, for she didn't exactly know what Crash looked like, other than he was an orange, bipedal… "bandicoot" (whatever that was), who couldn't speak. Eventually Cynder noticed a curtain move in her peripheral vision. Someone inside must have moved it to see who was knocking on their front door even though this house was on an island. Apparently there were no dragons in this dimension (they were considered as imaginary creatures if she recalled correctly), so the sight of one must have been intimidating and terrifying.

"Come on, I'm not here to hurt anyone. Coco… right? I'm a... friend of Spyro's, if you recall who that is."

The front door opened, and the blond bandicoot appeared with a look of shock on her face. "A friend of Spyro's, huh? I honestly lost hope that I'd ever hear from anyone in his dimension ever again."

So it was true, Spyro had never come back here after he first brought Crash here. I know he was ashamed of what happened, but he never really came back? "I'm… sorry to hear that Spyro never came back. I guess he feels… too guilty for what happened."

"Guilty!" Coco said annoyed. She then took a moment to calm herself before she responded again. "No. It ultimately was my fault. I caused the accident which sent my brother to Spyro's dimension. I thought I killed him at first, until later investigation I discovered that the accident was actually a cascading wave of alternate space time. I caused a rip in the fabric of reality, and opened a hole to a neighboring dimension. I would call it the scientific breakthrough of my career if it didn't strand my brother in a foreign place."

She sounded just like the Professor, Cynder thought to herself, but at the same time, more approachable. After all, her love for her brother was obvious when she first snapped at Cynder. "You're brother, he's the reason I'm here. I want to talk with him, if you'll let me."

"You know what happened to him, right? Spyro told you I presume."

She sounded a tad spiteful again, which made Cynder curious as to her opinion of Spyro. She'd have to ask soon. "Yes. Spyro and I have grown quite close in the past few years, once he saved me from a path of evil and we together saved our realm. I'll always love him for that. But then yesterday as we kissed, he recoiled in pain and fled. I later found out that had to do with your brother. I promise I'm not jealous or… spiteful. I just… recently heard what happened to Crash… and felt such a sting of empathy. What happened to him is terrible."

Coco looked like she was ready to cry. She held it together, although a sting of pain and remorse could be heard in her voice. "So Spyro's found new love? You know it never made sense to me. I couldn't' believe what he was saying as he cried in my living room… as he admitted to me that he 'loved' my brother. His story sounded so surreal, though I believed he was being completely sincere as he told it. That he fell in love with my brother because of the way he smiled and how happy it made him feel inside, and that Crash fought against a terrible evil and just barely won as Spyro was forced to watch as a spectator. I mean for goodness sakes he's a mythical dragon from another dimension, but apparently he still loves my brother. Or at least he did. I don't know. He sure didn't care enough to ever come back. So what, did he forget about my brother, or does he feel responsible for what happened to him and feels to ashamed to visit? Or both? You tell me."

She sounded spiteful once more. Maybe she was right to feel this way; all I could do was explain what I think Spyro is going through. She might understand, she might not. I'd only ever find out if I told her. "It's true, Coco. Spyro wasn't lying or being overdramatic when he said he loved your brother. I was confused by it too when I first heard of it. I didn't understand how it was possible, with them both being males and of two different worlds and species. But Crash… didn't just fight a terrible monster and win. He fought for his right to be with Spyro. Apparently he found out during that battle that he too loved my Spyro as much as he loved him. Because the 'spirit' which had orchestrated the whole ordeal evidently told both Spyro and Crash that he would stop the duel whenever Crash gave up, and that he would send him back here to this dimension if he did. Yet Crash refused, and fought till he won. But he also lost afterwards —"

"— I know it must sound weird, you being a student of science. But my home world is quite different than yours, its rules governed by magic as well as physics. Crash… he fought a dark manifestation of Spyro himself, a clone of sorts that embodied the worst Spyro could be. A power which lay dormant in him which he would have to learn to control so eventually he could use it to save the world with me beside him. This is why Spyro feels so responsible. Not only was he helpless to watch Crash almost die, but that it was the darkness within him that almost killed Crash, that drove Crash into a coma. Spyro remained by Crash's bedside for four days straight as he was stuck in his comatosed state. And reluctantly agreed crying with Crash's caregiver that it was time to pull Crash's 'plug' —"

"— After the life support systems were turned off, Crash miraculously woke, but was crippled as you now know. And do know that Spyro still loves your brother. It's why he suddenly ran from me a day ago. Even after seven years, there's a piece of his heart that still yearns to be with your brother. This is why I've come to see him. I love Spyro, but I'm more concerned with seeing him happy then having his heart. If I could have both, it would make my life whole. But somewhere inside of him he still feels for your brother yet is too plagued with guilt to mend the whole within him. So I'm here to do what I can."

Coco stared at the ground underneath Cynder for a moment, before she looked back at her and responded. "Spyro left out most of those details. I guess he thought I wouldn't understand or believe him." She breathed in deeply before she continued. "I don't blame him for what happened to Crash. Cause I believe my brother would do something that noble. And I believe you when you say he loved Spyro as much as he loves my brother. For even though he can't remember him specifically, my brother often references someone who he misses, a creature who flies and breaths fire. He longs for him, even though he doesn't know who he's longing for. It's left him with an unquenchable sense of longing. It's tough for me to see him that way. I can't remember the last time I saw him smile."

She was crying now. Not loudly, but Cynder could see the tears falling from her eyes. Her brother was hurt, impaired. And there wasn't anything she could do for him. "I believe," Cynder said in a calming manor, "that what you see in your brother is what Spyro sees as well. It's why you both love him. And as much as that thought pains me, if it was meant to be I won't stand in the way of it."

Looking at her once again, Coco spoke with sorrow in her voice. "You… you said Spyro loves you and you love him back. Why, why would you let him go?"

"Because I love seeing him happy, no longer weighed down by his conscious. He feels it's his responsibility to protect all life in his Realm. And takes it personally if he fails. This is why he's so torn up over your brother. It's why he wouldn't fight back against me as I succumbed to the darkness of the Convexity. He loved me too much to do so. He was able to do right by me, free me from enslavement of the body and the mind… but he was never able to do so with your brother. He feels so utterly responsible Coco. The feeling may have waned in him over time, but when he kissed me, he was reminded of what he felt for your brother so long ago, and now he's torn in two between him and me. And I don't want to compete for his heart. So I'm here, on his behalf, just to talk with Crash. I feel your brother deserves something more from me than just a rival. I just want to know him as a friend."

"That's…" Coco shuddered, regaining her composure, "very noble of you. Crash's in his room. He likes to draw a lot, it helps with his memory. Come in." Coco lead Cynder thought her home, the place neat and cozy, a lit fireplace and a green couch on display, a surfboard of sorts on the wall, as well as several pictures of Crash and Coco smiling. What once was. Coco and Cynder then arrived at Crash's front door, and she knocked on it even though it was partially open. "Big brother," Coco said softly as she opened his door all the way, "you have a visitor. She'd like to talk with you, if that's okay."

Crash was sitting at a desk. He turned around and looked at his sister and the black dragoness standing at his doorway. "Vis- it- tor?"

"Yes. She's come a long way to see you, though you haven't met. Is it okay if she speaks with you?"

"Is- she- a- dra- gon?"

"Yes." Coco gestured for Cynder to enter, and she did so, taking up position next to Crash's bed.

"How is he speaking?" Cynder asked Coco. "I was sure he couldn't."

"It's a device I made for him so he could converse with me. If you notice the collar strapped to his neck, that's what's producing vocalizations for him. The second device strapped to my brother's wrist is what's allowing him to tell the mic what sounds to produce. That's why he's tapping at it. I know it doesn't sound that lifelike, but it's something."

"I'm- sor- rey" Crash replied with his communicator. "I- don't- speak- well."

"It's okay," Cynder replied. "I think your voice is cool."

Crash didn't respond immediately. He looked sad, his eyes constantly darting to the floor for extended periods of time. Coco had warned me that he didn't smile. But looking at him now, he just looked miserable. The robotic voice didn't help.

"I'm going to leave you two alone, alright. Cynder's a friend, Crash. I think you'll like her."

"O- kay. Love - you."

Coco sniffled before she responded. His response sounded procedural and not genuine since it was a monotone voice. It didn't help Coco hearing him say 'I love you" like that, Cynder thought to herself.

"I love you too Crash." Coco responded without much vigor. She looked miserable, but she closed the door, giving Crash and Cynder their privacy. What was Cynder even supposed to say? She had wanted to come here ever since she found out what Crash meant to Spyro. But being here, seeing Crash for the first time, knowing what had happened to him, seeing why Spyro was miserable for what he felt he had done to Crash. She froze. It was like he was made of glass, and Cynder had to dance around him. He wasn't even looking at me, he just looked sad, his eyes not portraying his careless exuberance and happiness that Spyro apparently fell in love with. No! She came her for a reason.

"Crash…" Cynder said as she formulated her words, "I came here to ask you a few questions. As a close friend of a friend of yours."

Crash finally looked at her, his curiosity intrigued. He still looked sad… but engaged finally as well. He then started tapping at the screen on his wrist. His communicator soon followed with a response. "Fr- iend? Is- he- Dragon- like- you?"

"Yes, do you remember him?"

"I- I- I- dream- about- him."

"Of Spyro?"

"Spyro… I- dream… about- flying. I- dream- of- a- castle. Of- floating- islands. I- dream- of- hug… hugging- my- friend."

The topic seemed to interest him. He was concentrating, like if he was trying to remember something. He obviously was talking of Spyro, though he didn't know it. The castle was most likely the one in Summer Forest. The islands was most likely the floating ones found in the Realm of the Dreamweavers, where he once glided with Spyro. He had memories of these events, but they were incomplete. He thought of them as dreams, maybe as fiction instead of reality. "Do you remember… who you're flying with? Who you are hugging Crash?"

"I- dream- of- it."

"But the dragon… do you know who he is?"

Crash was squinting in concentration. He then looked at Cynder before closing his eyes and lowering his head along with his ears drooping. "Eyem sawrry." He said that without the communicator on his neck. And… he was crying. Cynder got up from where she was sitting and tried to console him, placing her front paw on his shoulder. He then looked up and stared at her arm. He had stopped tearing, now with a look of fascination on his face. He then reached slowly for Cynder's arm, hesitant to touch it and looked at her for approval. Cynder didn't move, and he placed his hands on her forearm, feeling its texture before his eyes suddenly opened wide. Remembering something, he quickly tapped at the device on his wrist.

"I- know… I- remember- this- feeling… hugging… him. You- said- you- know- him?"

"Yes. And he misses you, Crash."

"Spyro?"

"Yes." Did he remember Spyro, or did he just remember his name since I've mentioned it a few times? It was hard to tell.

"I- want- to- show- you- some- thing." Crash then swiveled in his chair and began to sift through the papers on it before he gathered several and showed them to her one at a time. "Is- this- your- friend... Spyro?

The first pic was of him and Spyro sitting next to one another above Summer Falls Castle. The next was of them gliding together with Crash wearing a wingsuit. The third pic was of a battered and bruised Crash wrapping his arms around Spyro, and the last was of Crash being kissed on the cheek by Spyro while he was smiling happily, Spyro tearing up as he did so.

"I- dream- of- this. The- dreams- make- me- happy. I- wish- they- were- real. This- makes- me- sad. Eyem- sarrwey." Crash again had apologized to her with his own voice. He looked miserable once more, the subject depressing him to no end. Cynder felt horrible. All of these drawings and others she saw on Crash's desk had happened. They weren't dreams, they were memories. Crash remembered all of what happened but didn't think they were real. He thought they were a fantasy and that made him so sad. Tearing up a little as well, Cynder responded as she smiled at Crash.

"What if I told you these drawings of yours weren't dreams? What if I said the dragon of your dreams was real and you could hug him once again?"

"He… I… fought- for- him. I… lost- him."

"No Crash. You won for him. And he misses you, too. That's why you're sad Crash, and you don't have to apologize for it. What happened to you, the injury and the battle, it wasn't your fault or his. He believes it is so and that has kept away from you out because of his grief. But you need him, and I won't let him hide from you anymore."

Crash stared at Cynder, meekly, processing what Cynder had said for each time she had spoken it had taken him a while to respond. Finally he responded. "I… miss- him."

Smiling, Cynder replied to a sadden Crash. "You won't have to for much longer."