Chapter Seven: Knowing
(Fifteen days prior to Spyro's death)
"I have to ask Cynder, how long has Spyro been possessed by this demon anyway?" Ember asked as her and Cynder both brought berries in for making jam later.
"Ever since the Celestial moons eclipsed six years ago when he was trapped inside the Convexital beam which caused the rip in reality to let that thing into our world in the first place." Cynder responded to Ember's question as she took a drink of orange juice from oranges she squeezed into a glass cup while she worked.
"Well don't worry about a thing," Ember said with a smile. "He has Hunter and you have us, nothing can go wrong."
"Plus Cynder, he has you," Flame said as he finished of his beverage of cherry juice. "He would crawl his way through a pit full of spears and Hero Orcs just to be with you." Cynder managed to squeeze a small smile onto her face as her mood began to change for the better.
"Knowing that I shall say this for him; I would do anything for him, even if it meant my death." Cynder said as she swallowed the last gulp of the sweet orange juice.
"Those are some pretty strong words Cynder," Ember said, feeling the same way towards Flame. "He'll be fine; he's stronger than what he looks."
"Again, thank you for letting me stay here while he's away." Cynder said as she licked the front of her muzzle clean.
"What are friends for eh?" Flame said with a smile, he always seemed to say the right things at the right time to lighten everyone's hearts.
"Cynder, do you mind going to Everglades with me," Ember asked as she took everyone's cups. "I need to go see if any of the stores need any extra spices or elixirs; we have a few to spare."
"No, not at all, let's go." Cynder said as the two left the cave.
"You two be careful out there, stay safe!" Flame called out with a smile as the two female dragons made their way down the path to Friendship Falls from the cave. Cynder was a bit confused of why Ember was sort of rushing her out from the cave as the two continued to stroll through the beautiful forest.
"Flame and I were talking about having a baby at the end of this month and I'm a bit nervous" Ember said, Cynder thought Ember was going to break down into a panic attack. "I don't think we are ready for a child yet, I don't think Flame really wants to have one… I think he thinks he's not good enough to be a father."
"He needs to listen to his heart, just like you" Cynder said with a smile, knowing that her and Spyro might have a child as well. "The one thing you will need is your heart. Flame is most likely worried that he might mess up as a father."
"I guess you're right," Ember said as she stood next to Cynder. "I'm just making myself nervous than what I should be."
"Having a family is worth it later on, trust me." Cynder said while patting her friend's back.
"I don't really have to go to Everglades," Ember said with a smile. "I just needed to tell you that in privacy without arousing Flame's curiosity. Would you mind going to the waterfall with me thought? I can use your help tending to some berry bushes I've been growing there for."
"Yeah alright, I'll help." Cynder said, seeing there was nothing else to do in the day. The two began to walk down the now neatly open trail which led to the small, gorgeous waterfall of Friendship Falls that was a landmark to Cynder as she had met Flame and Ember with Spyro not to long ago.
"Did you and Flame carve out this trail since the last time Spyro and I came over?" Cynder asked as she watched the small, gentle insects scurry about their way during the day.
"Yes we did," Ember said as she observed the trees with curiosity and precision. "We thought that if we made the trail roomier, visitors would stop by more frequently."
"How did that work out for the two of you?" Cynder asked as she smacked a small pebble from her path.
"Well you guys still visit so I'd say pretty well." Ember said with a chuckle as the two reached the waterfall. The four dragons, Spyro, Cynder, Flame, and Ember, wanted to give the waterfall a name for remembrance sake. Thus, the name 'Friendship Falls' was given to it.
"The water here is always so clear and cool," Cynder said as she looked at her reflection in the water. "It's more inviting than Twilight Falls for some reason."
"I've never been there before," Ember said as she plucked away weeds growing around the greenish-blue berry bush next to the forest edge. "What is it like?"
"Well, there is one thing special about it," Cynder said as a flash of memories curved and stabbed through her brain. "At the very top of the giant waterfall is a spot which two dragons can stand next to one another. At night, when the shooting stars are zipping through the night, the Celestial moons can be seen together as a pair. You wouldn't believe the beauty one spot could bring unless you witnessed it yourself. I think that is where I actually began to understand the feelings I had for Spyro three years ago, when I found out that I loved him." Cynder smiled as she finished pulling the weeds under the berry bush with Ember.
"Like a butterfly's wings," Ember began a short quote she though up quickly. "The memories are fragile yet they can take you to so many places.
"That was a pretty good saying," Cynder said, wiping a single tear from her eye without Ember knowing of it. "You ever thought about writing poetry or something?"
"At one time yes," Ember said as she plucked away a few berries from the bush." But then I found a poetry book full of romance stories which became my favorite book I could and will never put down. The title is 'Flame' and I will always be hooked." The two dragons chuckled as they made their way back to the cave, thinking about their futures.