Love of My Life

by TARDIS1039

5 years after defeating Malefor, Spyro and Cynder have been living a quiet life full of love and peace. However when that turns upside down, they must reunite with loved ones and gain new allies to stop a threat not known to any realm in existence. (Full-length sequel to Crazy Little Thing Called Love) AU

8. Who Wants To Live Forever

Hello and welcome back to another chapter of Love of My Life, and the first chapter of 2022 even though technically this was written in December 2021. Glad I'm able to return to this for the start of the year, this story always gets the creative juices flowing!

Anyway, last time this story was updated, the Artisan Valley were attacked by a tribe of brutal cheetah warriors and left the valley in smoke and ashes. In the ensuing chaos, Jet-Vac and Pop Fizz were killed in cold blood while Sparx took a stray arrow for Spyro and also dies. The perpetrator of the attack was revealed to be Prowlus, a cheetah warrior that the Guardians seemed to recognise, who manages to escape after a fight with Spyro. Oh yeah, Hunter was 'captured' by the dragons… hmm, interesting.

As the rest of the Artisan Valley reel from the attack that basically destroyed their home, how are our two dragons dealing with the aftermath? Let's find out, enjoy!

(Chapter 7: Who Wants To Live Forever)

One week later…

(CYNDER's POV)

Have you ever had that moment in life where you think everything was perfect until one moment made your whole world just sour? Well, these past seven days have been the perfect example of that.

First off, the Artisan Valley had been completely burnt down to its bare essentials. Many workers from Warfang, as well as those from a variety of other realms, had been brought in to help rebuild the buildings and houses that had been destroyed by the cheetah warriors.

That meant that the villagers that had their houses decimated had to find new accommodation until their home was safe and liveable. Warfang's council was able to give out portable log cabins that were already assembled and placed nearby. It was the comfort of home without actually being their home.

What did that mean for me and Spyro? Well unfortunately, our flat had a gigantic hole in the roof and the living room had a thick coating of black ash. We were able to salvage most of our stuff thankfully, but it still was painful to see our flat in the state it was in… there were so many memories there.

That meant Spyro and I had to find somewhere else to live for now. The Guardians had offered us shelter in the Temple, which Spyro didn't seem too keen on because of the whole 'Ignitus-being-his-father' situation, but I eventually persuaded him to accept. It wouldn't be much but it would have to do… for now.

I, meanwhile, had lost my job. The restaurant had also been destroyed in the attack and Azhi, sadly, had been killed when he was working that evening. Apparently he was already dead by the time they could pull him out of the debris. So the company had decided to lay off everyone. I mean, how could you work in a pile of rubble?

So Spyro and I were jobless and homeless in a matter of a week… I guess I know how that spider-guy feels everyday.

Spyro, however, was feeling the worst out of everyone in the Valley. His reputation had faltered slightly as villagers blamed him for their houses—and their lives in the process—getting completely wrecked. It was as if every good deed and kind act he ever did had been forgotten and thrown out the window. How could anyone blame him for this? He was trying to help; did everyone just expect him to fix everything like some kind of god?

It didn't help that Spyro was still in the process of grief…

After Sparx was killed a week ago, Spyro had been a complete mess. By now, he was in the fourth stage of grief: depression. Lately he hadn't been the same; I don't think he smiled once, or at least a brief cheeky smirk, since the attack. I hated seeing him upset; it wasn't something I had to deal with much. Spyro was usually the one that comforted me when the bad things get to me. But this? This was different…

Out of all the things that my boyfriend had experienced, losing his oldest friend was the thing that eventually broke him.

Yesterday, while everyone was holding a memorial service for those who lost their lives during the attack, Spyro and I travelled to a place named the Silver River to hold a private funeral for Sparx. The Silver River was a small realm where the dragonflies were born and, according to Ignitus, it was where Sparx came from before he was assigned to take care of Spyro.

Surrounding the realm's namesake of a long silvery stream of water was acres of remote swampy wetlands. Large mushrooms towered most of the bug-like inhabitants that lived there, presumably being used to provide shelter and hiding places for them. Due to the forestry, it was a mostly dim place on the eyes. The only glimpse of sunlight I could see was through the tiny gaps in the thick trees.

When we arrived, we met Sparx's many relatives. From what Spyro told me, Sparx's parents had died a few years before he did, which made me feel less nervous. I would've hated to be in the position to tell Sparx's parents that he was… you know.

Sparx's funeral was a short and simple one. When night fell, the dragonflies transferred Sparx's body from the small box that Spyro put him in and onto a sturdy leaf. They then proceeded to move to a small cliff where the Silver River trickled down to another body of water below. After the dragonflies shared a few thoughts and prayers—at least that's what I think they did—they proceeded to push Sparx's leaf onto the surface of the water.

The leaf carrying Sparx slowly travelled towards the edge of the waterfall, a choir of dragonflies singing him to his final resting place. Unexpectedly, just as it was about to reach the edge, the leaf and Sparx somehow started to dissipate into sparkling orbs that floated up into the night sky. My eyes widened as I saw that the stars had rearranged themselves to make way for what was left of the dragonfly… did that just happen? Did Sparx's essence really become one with the night sky? I just couldn't believe it.

Spyro, who had been remarkably brave all day, immediately broke down the moment when Sparx turned into stardust. Seeing that tears were streaming down the purple dragon's face, I instantly wrapped my wings around him and pulled him in for a tight embrace. As I rested against Spyro's chin, my boyfriend wasn't able to see the tears that were coming out of my eyes.

I know Sparx and I weren't exactly best of buds, but deep down I know we both cared for each other in a mutual respect kind of way. If only I was able to understand what he was saying, then maybe things could've been different between the two of us.

The next morning, we headed back to the Artisan Valley. The walk back to the portal home was a quiet one. Spyro was still reeling from losing his oldest friend so I kept my mouth shut; I didn't want to say something that could potentially upset him more. Who knew what topic could be sensitive?

Before the awkward tension between us could thicken even more, my boyfriend was the one to break the ice, speaking up just as we arrived at the Portal Room in the Dragon Temple.

"Hey, Cyn?" he murmured, almost at a whisper, as he stopped in the middle of the room.

I also stopped and turned to Spyro. "Yeah?" I muttered, sitting on my haunches.

"Thank you for, you know, coming with me," he began to say quietly, his head looking at the ground. "I know you and Sparx didn't exactly get along…"

"Honey, you don't need to thank me," I said, using a paw to lift his head up to my eyeline. "What kind of partner would I be if I just left you there to mourn on your own?"

My boyfriend's sad amethyst eyes looked into mine. "I know, I just…" Spyro then frowned discreetly as he couldn't get the rest of the words out of his mouth. He then sighed. "Sorry…"

"It's okay, I understand," I mumbled as I leant in closer to nuzzle his cheek. I felt so bad for Spyro; these past few days have been a bit too rough for him. There was only so much pain that someone like him could withstand.

For me, I couldn't truly relate to how Spyro was feeling right now. I never had someone like Sparx back in Malefor's fortress; the only companions I had in life were the clumps of dust in my room and the characters in the horror movies I used to watch there. True, some were assholes or bland or were brutally murdered by a guy in a mask or with a slash of carefully crafted finger-knives. But they helped me through the bad times, you know? Those characters were there for me more than my own father was.

Now, I intend to be better than my father. I was going to be there for my family for as long as they need.

"Hey, do you mind if we just did nothing for the rest of the day?" Spyro then asked. "I don't particularly feel like doing anything."

I nodded. "Yeah, that actually sounds like a good idea."

However, just as I was about to open the door into the corridor, I could hear loud footsteps and two voices bickering in the distance. I immediately hesitated and retracted my paw away from the door handle. As the voices got closer, the more recognizable they were. It was the voices of Volteer and Cyril.

I pressed my head against the door as Volteer and Cyril stopped in front of the door. But what were they arguing about? Their usual rivalry or something else entirely? I knew that the cheetah warrior they were keeping locked up was giving them some difficulty… Maybe that was the case?

"Cyril, I cannot allow you to do this!" I heard Volteer exclaim frustratingly.

"We don't have much of a choice!" Cyril retorted. "Our efforts to interrogate the cheetah have been proven useless; the young dragon is our best hope right now!"

Young dragon? Oh, no... they don't mean…?

"Need I remind you that Spyro has lost his friend recently?" Volteer muttered. "He's still mourning, grieving, lamenting for ancestors' sake! There's no way he'd be up to talking to anyone!"

You've got to be kidding me! They seriously want Spyro for something right this second? How did they know that Spyro and I returned? Were their senses somehow super-heightened whenever he was around them?

"The feline turned himself for a reason, Volteer!" Cyril barked back. "What better reason than to gain an audience with the purple dragon? Or take him by surprise, perhaps?"

I heard Volteer scoff at Cyril's theory. "That's completely ridiculous, absurd, ludicrous…" he said. "Why would Prowlus attempt to take Spyro for himself personally if he was going to get someone else to do it? It just doesn't make sense!"

"I know! That's why we need Spyro!"

Volteer sighed in irritation, sounding already tired of fighting with the Ice Guardian. "Cyril… please, just leave the young dragon alone for once. We can handle the cheetah ourselves," he murmured.

There was a silence between the two Guardians. I couldn't tell what was going on behind the door but I figured that Cyril was thinking about Volteer's plea. Hearing at least one of the Guardians say that they didn't need Spyro for something was a nice change of pace. Usually all the Guardians wanted to hand out the 'help-us-Spyro' card whenever the slightest inconvenience hit them.

Eventually I heard Cyril slightly curse under his breath. "Fine," he eventually said, before he and Volteer's footsteps moved away from the door. The coast wa clear, for now anyway.

"What was that about?" Spyro, who was standing close behind me the entire time, wondered.

"Sounds like that cheetah prisoner is giving them trouble," I replied, shrugging my shoulders. "Maybe staying in the Temple for the rest of the day isn't the best idea right now."

"I dunno… talking to the prisoner doesn't seem like a bad idea," Spyro muttered.

Hearing Spyro say that made me frown at him. "Spyro, no."

"Why not? We don't know who we're dealing with here; he could give us valuable information about where Prowlus was heading," Spyro tried to explain, but his attempt to persuade me of this being a decent idea wasn't successful. Seeing that I was unconvinced, Spyro's shoulders slumped and he looked down at the ground.

"He might know something about my mother…" he then added, making my frown falter slightly.

"Spyro, I…"

My boyfriend's eyes widened. "I know it's a long shot but I've got to at least try right?" he murmured. "For all we know, she could be still alive or kept prisoner; maybe she hired the cheetahs to find you…"

"Honey, that seems a bit far-fetched don't you think?" I questioned. "Why would someone like your mother hire those psychos to collect you? And destroy the Valley in the process?"

Spyro's eye twitched for a brief second, like what I was saying somehow irritated him. "I don't know, okay?! It's just…" he exclaimed, raising his voice and flaring his wings. His mood soured as soon as he saw me looking at him shockingly. Spyro took a deep breath to calm himself down and began to open the door. "Forget it, let's just get out of here."

As Spyro left the Portal Room and almost slammed the door behind him, I stood alone in the room and snorted frustratingly to myself. Spyro was still a bit of an emotional wreck right now; I needed to be more careful on what I say to him. Anything, even the smallest thing, could set him off at this point.

After a brief second of scolding myself, I hastily opened the door and ran down the corridor after Spyro. Luckily he hadn't gone too far in the brief interlude; he was just approaching the front door to the Temple when I had caught up to him.

I just hoped nothing else could go wrong today…

(-)

Just like how we left the swamps this morning, the two of us walked through the streets without a single exchange to each other. I had no idea where Spyro was going; he didn't say where he was going when I caught up to him. I was basically following him closely at this point.

We strolled through one of the destroyed neighbourhoods, close to where we used to live, and I briefly gazed at all the villagers that were rebuilding their houses. When they looked to see us walking past, we were met with a deathly glare. It was weird to think that only last week, they used to smile and wave whenever Spyro walked past.

I glanced at my boyfriend, who started to look nervous and cringed as we walked past. I wanted to say something reassuring at that moment, but I hesitated when I remembered Spyro's slight outburst in the Portal Room.

These uncomfortable silences were so unlike us; Spyro and I would always have something to say to each other, despite our history of being socially awkward. Seeing Spyro, who was the chatterbox between the two of us, being quiet and depressed had gotten me worried. Worried about how the aftermath of Sparx's death will affect his mental well-being… and who he is as the dragon I love.

Did this have anything to do with Spyro's Aether element? Was that dark, raw power negatively influencing his thoughts without him knowing? He was pretty brutal towards Prowlus, to the extent of scorching a part of his face off with a beam of pure energy.

What if that was just the beginning? What if Spyro's seizure and his aggression towards Prowlus was foreshadowing a greater danger? One day it'll be all smiles and rainbows, and then the next thing you know, I wake up to find that Spyro has turned evil and starts talking nonsense about rising in darkness together or something.

I shook my head to get the dark, demonised thought out of my head. No, I told myself, I won't let that happen!

"Cynder?" Spyro suddenly spoke in my direction.

My eyes widened as I came back into reality, my thoughts shattering around me. "Huh? Yeah?" I muttered.

"You okay?" my boyfriend wondered. "Does your foreleg hurt?"

I shook my head, my eyes darting to my left foreleg. During the attack, Prowlus shot an arrow straight through it to stop me from helping Spyro. Thankfully, the healers were able to use gems to seal the wound straight away.

"No, it's been fine. It healed, remember?" I replied. "I was just thinking about something else."

"Oh…" Spyro murmured. "Was it about me storming off? Because…"

"Spyro, you don't need to apologise," I assured him, resting my wing around his back. "I know how much finding your mother means to you."

"It's not a crazy idea to think that she might be alive, right?"

"Of course not! But I don't think that cheetah is going to help. Those manics were probably the thing that your mum was warning you about! What was it you told me? Beware the raining fire?"

Spyro nodded. "Yeah, that's it," he said. "But why would she warn me about Prowlus? And why did Prowlus flee to the realm that I've been dreaming of? There has to be a connection there! But where?"

"Hey… we'll work it out, okay?" I reassured Spyro as I nudged closer to him. "You and me together."

For the first time in what seemed like forever, a smile emerged on Spyro's face. "Thanks, Cyn."

I also smiled slightly. "Anytime, babe…"

As I went to nuzzle him, Spyro suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. He was looking at something that was on the opposite walkway to us, his smile slowly vanishing at the sight of it. I raised an eyebrow; what could make his mood change so quickly?

"Spyro?" I murmured, a tone of concern in my voice.

My boyfriend didn't say anything; he only lifted his paw and pointed towards the opposite walkway. Still confused, I turned to see what Spyro was looking at and my heart immediately sunk.

A makeshift newsstand was built on the walkway with a mole standing inside it; hundreds of different newspapers and magazines were folded and placed on the shelves around him. But the newsstand itself was not what sank my heart; it was the big banner advertising today's paper.

The headline read: 'Spyro The Dragon: Threat or Menace?'

What in the actual fuck?

Why would someone do this? In what world had my Spyro ever been a threat or a menace to anyone?

"Oh honey…" I mumbled, rubbing my boyfriend's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. Spyro was trying so hard not to be infuriated and upset, his eyes flared and twitching at the sight of the dreaded headline. "They just don't understand…"

"W-What's not to understand?!" Spyro started to whimper. "They're blaming me for everything!"

"They don't know the whole story!" I tried to explain. "All they saw was the Valley getting destroyed and you were in the middle of it. They're just blaming you because they don't know what happened."

Before Spyro could say anything back, he was suddenly hit in the side of the head by a small red tomato. As the juices of the fruit were dripping down his face, he turned to see that an adult mole was the one who threw it.

"What the hell was that for?!" I cried out.

"You two have got a lot of nerve to be walking around in the destruction you caused," the mole muttered angrily.

"Bu-what? I didn't—" Spyro murmured, attempting to explain himself until a cheetah threw an egg directly in his face.

"Some hero you turned out to be!" the cheetah barked. "Because of you, my family has to live in a crappy log cabin… and I have four kids!"

Before anything else could be thrown at him, I immediately jumped in front of Spyro, extending my wings to protect him as a crowd gathered around us.

"Stop it!" I exclaimed. "It wasn't his fault! He was trying to save you guys!"

A dragon in the crowd scoffed at my pleas. "Don't try to defend that freak! You're just as responsible as he is!"

My eyes widened. "What are you talking about?" I questioned.

"Ever since you first came here five years ago, you've been close to that purple dragon," the dragon muttered. "How do we know that you're not secretly trying to negatively influence him into becoming the next Malefor? First the Valley, next the realms? Is that your master plan?"

I stared at the delusional dragon, utterly bewildered by his ridiculous theory. This is what everyone thought of me behind my back? I saw some of these villagers in the street or in the marketplace everyday, and they were so friendly and kind towards passersby.

They knew me and Spyro, not personally, but enough to know that we'd never do anything to ruin the lives of all these creatures. The Artisan Valley was our home too; we were living rough just as they were!

"That's insane!" I shouted. "This is our home too! The cheetah warriors were responsible, not us!"

"Sure, the cheetah warriors that you and Spyro hired to take yourselves out of the limelight," the delusional dragon rambled as he got closer to me and Spyro, now starting to sound like a crazed nutjob. "Can't get any more truthful than that!'

"Cynder's right!" Spyro pitched in, leaning closer to me. "There's more to this attack than what was printed! You have to believe us!"

"Yeah right! Stop lying and confess!" a villager from amongst the crowd chimed in.

"Yeah, you menace!"

"Freak!"

"My mummy says that she wishes that you were dead," a young wind hatchling called out innocently.

As the crowd of villagers continued to shout verbal abuse at us, I stood my ground and prepared to use my wind element in case anyone tried to lunge at us. I peered behind me briefly to see if Spyro was okay, and I immediately grew worried. His paws were grasping the side of his head and his eyes were shut firmly as he tried to block out the shouts and dismays of the crowd.

"Spyro? Stay with me, okay?" I murmured. Was he trying to keep his Aether element in check? Oh man, if that darker side of himself emerged… it wouldn't be pretty for him or everyone else here.

Despite my comforting words, Spyro was still struggling to cope with the crowd around him. I stared at him worryingly; was this the first time that the villagers had turned against him? Even back when Malefor was around? Spyro mentioned in the past that some of the residents of the Valley had felt uneasy around him, but not to this extent; they had always kept it to themselves… until now.

Spyro's eyes then suddenly snapped open… revealing the empty, white void that I was all too familiar with by now.

The Dark Aether quickly consumed my boyfriend like a flick of a switch, his purple scales turning a few shades darker in a matter of seconds. A bright purple light illuminated around Spyro as he lifted himself in the air and gazed menacingly towards the crowd. The protestors stood stiff at the sight of the purple dragon, their voices instantly silencing.

Spyro's gaze darted towards the villagers, sheer anger and distress in his scowl. Knowing what he was about to do, I put myself between the crowd and my boyfriend. Spyro couldn't control himself; I needed to stop him before he did something he'd regret!

"No! Spyro, don't!" I cried out.

"Get out of the way, Cynder!" Spyro barked, his voice now sounding echoey. "You can't stop me!"

At lightning speed, Spyro dashed towards me and clutched at my throat. Looking at me with his merciless white orbs, he then lifted me up enough so that we were now staring at each other's eye level. There were no words exchanged; he knew that I knew what was going to happen to me.

My heart flared slightly as fear filled my widened eyes; terrifying thoughts filled my mind and I couldn't stop them. Oh ancestors, my boyfriend is going to kill me. This isn't him; he has to stop. He has to grieve!

"You're right… I can't stop you," I choked, speaking calmly so I don't antagonise Spyro more. "Only you can do that… Please Spyro, don't do this. Come back to me, sweetheart."

My pleading words seemed to work as Spyro's threatening glare slowly transitioned into a regretful frown. Spyro gazed over at his paw that was currently grabbing onto my throat and immediately let me go once he realised what he was doing. He closed his eyes as small streaks of tears flowed down his cheeks, his dark scales reverting back to their original shade just as he began to hover down towards the ground.

Once Spyro and I had landed firmly on the ground, I rushed to his side without any hesitation. But when I went to comfort him, my boyfriend was suddenly distant and shuffled uncomfortably away from me. Everyone was deadly silent, having no idea what to say or even react to what just happened.

"T-That wasn't s-supposed to…" Spyro whimpered, his voice trembling heavily. "I'm s-sorry, I'm so s-sorry."

Fighting back his tears, Spyro turned away and began to run away without any second thoughts.

"Spyro, wait!" I tried to call out.

But it was too late; Spyro had spread his wings and soared off into the sky like a rocket. Just like that, he was gone.

After a moment of silence, one of the villagers decided it was a good idea to finally speak up.

"Yeah, see right there!" the villager said. "He really is a menace, he was about to kill us all!"

I growled under my breath, turning around to face the villagers with my teeth bared. They were seriously acting like they're the victims right now?! This wasn't Spyro's fault! He wouldn't have turned dark if these bastards didn't believe the trash written in the newspapers.

"You're all pathetic… every single one of you!" I snarled. "None of you have any idea what Spyro is going through at the moment! Just recently, he lost one of his oldest friends and this is how you're treating him? Over a crime he didn't actually do? Spyro tried to save the Valley; you guys should be lucky that you are still walking about because some creatures aren't as fortunate!"

Before anyone could protest or try to prove me wrong, I stormed off and took off into the sky in pursuit of my boyfriend. He needed me… now more than ever.

(-)

I spent the next half an hour looking for Spyro, searching for any signs of purple in the sky or in the ground below. I knew he wouldn't go to the centre of town, because he would get swarmed by even more angry mobs and that wouldn't exactly be the best place to be alone.

Think, think, think… Where would Spyro go? The Temple, perhaps? No, he'd most likely want to be alone. But where could you go to be alone in a small place like the Artisan Valley?

Then it hit me. Would he go to the park? That's where I go if I wanted to be alone; that might be where Spyro was heading. But was it still a park? Or did it become a wasteland of smoky trees and sick-looking grass?

Without my mind making any more suggestions, I began to fly down to where the park was located. From where I was, it seemed that the park was the least affected from the attack out of everything in the Valley. There were a few trees that had collapsed but at least the grass was still green; it looked like the cheetahs were focused on more of the town than this place.

I landed softly on the grass below and started darting my head around in search of Spyro. When he wasn't in the area that I was looking in, I moved further into the park. I wasn't sure what part of the park I was heading to but I kept moving forward… maybe Spyro would just turn up somewhere? Oh, I hope he turns up.

Eventually, after a couple minutes searching, I found myself at the lake where Spyro and I sat in front of just before Spyro had his seizure. Even with what the Valley had been through lately, the lakeside was rather quiet and the water's surface remained undisturbed.

There, just behind a tree nearby, I saw Spyro. From where I was looking, it seemed that he had cleaned the tomato and egg mixture from his face. But what was he doing? Was he hiding from me? Why?

Quietly, I strolled towards the tree. Once I got to the tree, sadness filled my heart as I saw Spyro staring towards the lake's still surface. He was so focused on the lake that he didn't notice me walking up next to him.

"Spyro?" I spoke up softly.

My boyfriend didn't respond straight away; instead, he glanced at me from the corner of his eye and his face immediately twisted out with guilt. Oddly, a sense of deja vu swept in my head… like this whole looking-into-a-lake-after-raging-out thing had happened before, a long time ago.

"How did you find me?" Spyro murmured, almost at a whisper.

"I figured this would be the best place to be alone right now," I replied. "I didn't think you wanted to be anywhere near anyone else."

I then reached out for Spyro's paw in an effort to comfort him, but he retracted it with lightning speed at the slightest touch, his look of guilt becoming more obvious.

"Hey… it's okay," I assured him. "Talk to me, what's wrong?"

Spyro's eyes when he turned to face me were conflicted, almost as if an ongoing battle was going on in his head. "Am I a good dragon?" he suddenly asked, catching me off-guard.

I blinked a couple of times, surprised by the suddenty of the question. What in the ancestors made him even think that?!

"Of course you're a good dragon…" I responded in a confused tone. "Why would you ask me that?"

Spyro frowned. "W-What happened back there… with the v-villagers, I almost killed them! I almost killed you!"

"That wasn't your fault, Spyro!" I exclaimed. "Those villagers shouldn't have said what they said."

My boyfriend's head shook frantically. "No, no! It was my fault!" he snapped, almost on the verge of tears. "I was the one that let them get to me; I was the one that almost wiped them out with Dark Aether! They were right; I'm a menace. How can I protect everyone if I can't control myself?!"

At this point, Spyro's mouth quivered. But he stopped himself from crying or immediately racing into my wings as he attempted to continue speaking. "I… I don't know w-what's happening to me, Cyn," he whimpered. "I'm s-scared…"

I'm scared—the two words that I hardly heard come out of Spyro's mouth. These past few weeks had been rough for the purple dragon; I'd never seen him so emotional before. Well, not to this extent anyway. The panic and confusion in his eyes, his body trembling like he was shivering in a snowstorm, those feelings felt new to me.

Why ancestors? Why did you have to do this to him? Why now?

Only one thing came to mind; I spread out my wings. "Come here… you need a hug," I muttered.

Spyro only nodded as he came rushing into my wings, which I wrapped tightly around his back. My boyfriend buried his head deep into my neck, his own wings slumped over my shoulders. I could tell that Spyro was crying silently from the sudden wet feeling that was coming from where his head was buried.

"Listen to me, Spyro," I started to whisper into his ear. "You are not a bad dragon; you're the kindest and most good-hearted dragon I've ever met. I mean, look at me. I was trying to kill you when we first met but thanks to your warm, gentle heart, I was able to fall in love with you in a time I didn't think was possible."

I then pulled Spyro's head away from my neck so that he and I were facing each other and cupped his cheeks in my paws. "You only want what's best for everyone and it's so messed up that no one can see that at the moment. Like I said before, we'll work out what's happening to you… together."

Spyro sniffed as a small smile spread across his face. "Really?"

"Of course…" I nodded. "I love you so much, I hate seeing you upset."

"I love you too," Spyro mumbled. "It's nice having you to talk to, Cyn… you're the only one that seems to understand."

"Well, I'm always here if you need me," I assured him. "In fact, I think I might have an idea how to help you."

Spyro's eyebrow raised slightly. "Okay…" he murmured in a suspicious tone. "What that might be?"

"I think we should talk to that cheetah and see if we can find your mother."

(SPYRO's POV)

Before I could say anything in response, I was soon trailing behind Cynder as we took flight and made our way to the sky on our way to the Temple. There were so many things that I wanted to ask my girlfriend at that very moment, but the words failed to escape.

My first question was: Why the sudden change of heart?

Just a while ago, she wasn't completely on board with me going to talk to the imprisoned cheetah, but now she was leading me back to the Temple to talk with him? I just didn't understand… What made her change her mind so suddenly?

I mean… I did want to talk to the cheetah. He might have information that could lead me to where that bastard Prowlus was lurking about, then I could take him out, once and for all.

But after today? After I almost killed a bunch of villagers with a power I've yet to control? I wasn't sure that I should go anywhere near that cheetah today. It wasn't like Cynder was going to be by my side when I interrogate him, she'd most likely be kept away while I do all the work.

"Cynder!" I called out, flapping my wings quickly to catch up with her. "Wait up!"

My girlfriend didn't answer me; she kept herself focused on the flight ahead of her. Why wasn't she answering? She better have some explanation when we land.

Eventually, after a few minutes of silent flying, we arrived at the Temple. As we landed on the cobblestones below, there was a part of me that cringed out when my paws touched the ground. I was expecting an angry mob to surround me and pelt me with various food items again, but there was nothing. No one was even near the Temple. What a relief.

Before Cynder could get to the main door, I immediately dashed in front of her and stopped her in her tracks. "Wait, Cynder! Hold on!" I huffed.

"What's wrong?" Cynder asked me just as she reached the step.

"This! This is what's wrong!" I responded. "What are we doing here?"

Cynder gave me a confused look. "We're going to talk to the cheetah…" she said. "Didn't you hear me before?"

I shook my head. "No, I heard you," I clarified. "I just thought you didn't want me talking to him."

"I did, yeah."

"So what's changed your mind?"

Cynder was slow to respond but eventually she stepped off the stairway and walked towards me. "Okay, so it's about your condition," she admitted. "While you were having your seizure, Volteer was telling us about how you kept your Aether element contained for so long that once you expelled it your brain just couldn't take it…"

"Uh-huh? And this means what, exactly?" I wondered, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm getting to it," Cynder continued to recount. "Volteer also mentioned that since no one taught you how to control the element, you'll have trouble balancing between light and dark Aether…"

"Well, the Guardians tried to teach me. They only went through the basic knowledge of it, then told me never to use it again," I chimed in. "But I'm still not sure what my Aether element has got anything to do with talking to a prisoner."

"Well, I had a thought. What if it can't be taught? Maybe it might be something spiritual…" Cynder resumed. "You know, like a journey to find yourself sort of thing."

"So what you're saying is if we find my mother then I'll be able to control the Aether inside of me?" I questioned, wondering about Cynder's logic. "I don't know, Cyn, it sounds a bit like something that only occurs in the movies."

"It's worth a shot, right?" Cynder shrugged, soon reaching out a paw to caress the side of my face. "I just want to help you get better; this might be the way to do so."

I looked into her emerald eyes and gave her a slight smile. As much as Cynder's idea sounded like something from a fantasy or sci-fi movie, or perhaps even a chapter book, maybe there was some sense to it. I didn't know much about the Aether element myself besides the basic stuff, so maybe completing myself would allow me to balance everything out?

But I thought I was already complete? I knew who I was. I was Spyro… I was the purple dragon; Ignitus and Glacia were my parents, Sparx was my brother-in-arms and Cynder was the one I held dearest in my heart. You can't get anymore definitive than that.

Was finding my mother the key to unlocking the full potential of my Aether abilities? Maybe? Maybe not? I just don't know…

"Alright, let's go talk to the cheetah," I finally muttered. "But on one condition…"

Cynder looked at me curiously. "What would that be?"

"You're going to help me interrogate him," I replied. "I need you there in case I start to… you know,"

My girlfriend nodded, understanding what I meant. "Of course, but let's try to avoid that, shall we?"

"Definitely," I murmured, taking a deep breath as I looked upon the Temple's large wooden doors. "Come on, let's not keep our new friend waiting…"

With a reassuring wing around my shoulder from Cynder, the two of us soon entered the Temple and down the familiar stone corridors that I used to traverse in my younger years. Out of all the times I'd returned to the Temple, this wouldn't exactly be my favourite. Not by a long shot…

Whoever this cheetah was, whatever his game is… I just hoped he had the answers I seek, otherwise Sparx's death and countless others would all be for nothing.

(-)

For several minutes, Cynder and I wandered around the Temple in search of where the Guardians would be holding the prisoner. It wasn't like an interrogation room was one of my favourite places to roam around during my childhood; I wasn't even sure if there was a room like that here. I mean, it was a place of education for ancestor's sake, not a prison! Where would you even put a prisoner? In the grotto? In the Pool of Visions perhaps?

Luckily, a friendly temple cleaner, who was one of the rare creatures that didn't think I was a menace to society, was able to point us in the right direction. According to her, the Guardians were holding the feline in a disused guest room nearby to the Pool of Visions. That way, they could keep a guard or two nearby in case the cheetah tried anything dastardly.

However, the cleaner also mentioned that all the Guardians were currently in the Pool room since the corridor didn't have enough space for them to talk around. We thanked her and hastily made our way to the Pool of Visions.

Ancestors… how long had it been since I'd been into that room? Five years ago, was it? I remember that Ignitus and I used it to try to track down Cynder's location back when she had to give herself up to Malefor to save me. But after that? I hadn't really needed to use that room. Not that I could anyway; Ignitus was the only dragon that could see through the Pool.

It made me wonder if Mum could see through it as well. Could I do the same? Did that ability even work that way?

I mentally shook my head. Focus, Spyro… those are not the important questions right now. First you actually need to find your mother first before you can figure that out.

We knew we were getting close to the Pool of Visions when we heard the voices of the Guardians discussing to themselves through the doors in front of us. After exchanging a brief glance with Cynder, I then rapped my paws on the door. As soon as I knocked, all the Guardians went silent instantly, albeit some quiet curious murmurs and whispers amongst themselves.

After a minute or two, Terrador was the one that answered the door. His eyes immediately widened when he caught sight of me and Cynder.

"Spyro? Cynder?" he muttered. "Your presence is unexpected…"

"Hey Terrador," I greeted. "Do you mind if we come in? We have some things to discuss with everyone."

"Right, of course," the Earth Guardian answered. "Come in, young dragons."

Terrador stepped aside to let us through and we entered into the Pool of Visions room. It was exactly how it was last time I was here. The Pool itself sat in the middle of the room, the tiniest amount of light shimmering from the stillness of the water. Eggs were placed on mossy plinths near the walls, left by those who couldn't find any room in the actual Grotto.

The paintings on the walls were slightly different than before; the paintings of the Guardians when they were younger were still there but the one of me as an egg had been washed away. In its place was a painting of me at the age of thirteen; my legs were wide apart and my wings were flared. I cringed slightly at the facial expression that the artist chose to represent me… why was my eyebrow raised? And why did I look smug? Did I always look like that?

The rest of the Guardians were circled around the Pool and they too were staring at Cynder and me enigmatically, us showing up certainly wasn't in their plan today.

"Spyro?" Ignitus spoke up. "What are you and Cynder doing here? I thought you were in the Silver River…"

"We came back this morning," I replied. "We heard that the cheetah was giving you some trouble, and figured you could use some help."

Cyril raised an eyebrow. "Well, your timing is perfect dear Spyro," he said. "Earlier this morning we were just talking about asking for your assistance."

"Too perfect, they only arrived this morning," Terrador pondered as he rejoined the others. "How could they have known?"

"They overheard Cyril and me talking near the Portal Room…" Volteer said, frowning towards the Ice Guardian. "This idiot, fool, imbecile decided it was a good idea to try to travel to the Silver River and collect Spyro personally!"

Cyril simply scowled at Volteer. "Why, you snitching fu—!"

"Cyril, don't!" Ignitus barked, snorting out a puff of smoke before taking a breath to regain composure. "Is what Volteer said true?"

The Ice Guardian simply grunted and turned his head away. "I had my reasons; the four of us have all failed to reach the feline, so maybe young Spyro can?"

Ignitus didn't seem pleased with that response. "You can't make that decision for him!" he exclaimed. "Whoever our guest is working for, it's bigger than all we realise. I don't want to throw Spyro in until I know he can handle it."

"It's fine, Ignitus, I want to do this…" I muttered.

"See?" Cyril murmured. "He's fine with it."

I rolled my eyes at his comment. Well, I was fine with it now but you would've faced my other self if you asked me during Sparx's funeral. That was something I won't forget…

Terrador sighed. "Are you sure, Spyro?" he asked. "We don't want you to feel pressured… particularly not in your current state."

"I wouldn't worry about that, Terrador," Cynder interjected, stepping forward slightly. "He's got me. If anything starts to happen, I'll be there to calm him down."

She then moved her paw towards mine and squeezed it gently, a gesture that made me give her a grateful smile.

Ignitus, meanwhile, took a moment to consider whether or not he'd allow me to interrogate the cheetah. Eventually, he uttered a sigh before he made his decision.

"Alright, alright… I'll let you two talk to him," he mumbled, turning his attention to Cynder. "But as soon as there's any indication of something going wrong, you take Spyro out of the room immediately. Promise?"

Cynder nodded. "I promise…"

"Good," Ignitus said as he started to walk towards the door. "I'll take you to our special guest; may the Ancestors guide you…"

(-)

Ignitus led us out of the Pool of Visions and down the corridor, silence affecting us all. As we got closer to where the cheetah was being held, many scenarios and plans played through my mind. Everything had to be perfect; I couldn't mess this up. If it did, then Prowlus would get the last laugh and I would be no closer to seeing if my mother was actually alive.

My thoughts were soon interrupted by Cynder bumping my shoulder. "Hey, you okay?" she wondered.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, easing her worries. "I was just thinking about what to say and stuff. You know, who's good cop and who's bad cop…"

Cynder slightly smirked. "I think you already know who's who."

I snorted out a little chuckle. "Right, of course. I'm bad cop, right?"

"You wish, purple boy," my girlfriend replied with a roll of her eyes.

A small smile spread across my face at Cynder's comment. Despite everything that had happened in the past week, I could always count on Cynder to bring a smile on my face. She just had this calming effect on me, which explained why she was the only one that could bring me out of my darker self.

That's what happens when you've been around each other for so long. You always know how to bring someone back into the light.

"I bet you have a lot of questions," Cynder then muttered as my smile faded away.

I nodded. "I do… I just hope that this guy can answer them."

Ignitus then stopped in the middle of the corridor, turning himself to face a pelicular door that was on its lonesome. One dragon guard, who was as still as a suit of armour in an antique manor, was standing by the door, giving no acknowledgement to Ignitus or any of us.

"Spyro and Cynder are here to talk to the prisoner…" Ignitus muttered to the guard.

The guard slightly moved his head to face my father, the helmet he was wearing making a slight clinking noise as his head moved around. "Very well," the guard grunted. "They may proceed."

As the guard moved to open the door for me and Cynder, Ignitus stepped back slightly and sat on his haunches.

"Good luck, you two…" Ignitus said.

Cynder and I both nodded towards the Fire Guardian before following the guard into the prisoner's room. Like the cleaner said earlier, the makeshift cell was actually one of the guest rooms that had been emptied and cleared out. The space in the room was a bit smaller than my old room and consisted mainly of blank walls and dusty wooden floorboards.

There were only two pieces of furniture in the room: a bed and a desk, which were the only things that get left behind whenever one of these rooms get emptied. The bed was placed on the far corner of the area while the desk was on the right side, almost sharing the amount of dust as the floor.

In between the pieces of furniture sat the feline prisoner, head lowered in thought. Since the last time I saw him, the cheetah's fur had become mankier and messier in certain pieces, such as his face and arms. Instead of the samurai armour, he instead wore a light brown tunic along with a green leather bracer that was strapped to his left wrist.

"Oi, pussycat!" the guard exclaimed. "You have visitors…"

The cheetah raised his head to see who was coming to see him. His eyes immediately widened when he caught sight of me and Cynder, most likely towards just me than to the both of us. Judging from his body language, he was not looking forward to this conversation.

None of us said a word while the guard was still in the room. It was only when the armoured dragon left the room that the feline eventually spoke, strangely in a more cautious tone.

"The purple dragon?!" the cheetah said slowly, raising his paws in defense. "Look, man, I don't want any trouble!"

My eyebrow raised curiously. This was an unexpected response; I swear he looked more confident when I saw him last time. I guess spending a week imprisoned would certainly change a creature… but so quickly? Was this all an act? Or was this who he really was beneath the armour?

"Heh, I didn't even have to do anything and he's already intimidated…" Cynder leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Maybe you should've been bad cop."

I didn't reply to my girlfriend's remark and simply sat on my haunches. "I promise that I'm not going to hurt you," I calmly assured the cheetah. "What's your name?"

"My name?" the cheetah mumbled. "It's Hunter… just Hunter."

"Well, Hunter, I'm Spyro and this is Cynder," I greeted, using my tail to point at who's who. "We just want to ask you some questions, that's all."

Hunter shuffled uncomfortably in his space. "Uh, okay, sure…" he murmured. "But I've already told your Guardian friends everything I know."

Cynder and I exchanged confused glances. Didn't the Guardians mention they were struggling to get through to this cheetah? What more weren't they telling me? Was all this just a ruse to see if I'd go all 'Dark Spyro' on him? I sure hoped not.

"We've been behind on your questioning," I explained. "Do you think you could tell us why you gave yourself up; Prowlus and the rest of your clan had won… what was the reason for it?"

"Because I had to; you wouldn't understand," Hunter responded.

Cynder merely rolled her eyes. "Really? Is that so? That's not a good enough answer considering what your clan did to our home."

"I know, I know. But this wasn't meant to happen; your village was never meant to be in harm's way… we only wanted the purple dragon." Hunter revealed.

I gazed at the feline oddly. Something didn't feel right about what Hunter said. True that Prowlus' clan was trying to get to me but if the original plan was to not attack the Valley in any way then why did they end up burning it? That made no sense whatsoever…

"What do you mean?" I then questioned.

Hunter sighed and readjusted himself on the floor. "The original plan was to wait till you were alone then strike before you could react. My uncle told me that the Guardians weren't to be alert of our presence until we were ready… it sounded personal but he never told me why," he started to explain. "An opportunity actually arose when you were walking alone in the rain that same night but my uncle stopped me, he had something else in mind for you…"

"Your uncle? I'm guessing that's Prowlus?" Cynder pondered.

"Yes," Hunter replied with a nod. "But he wasn't acting like himself. Usually, he's very honourable about his actions, always made sure everyone followed our code. Never use fear against the enemy, always face them in battle with honour he'd always say. Like most warriors did back in the day."

"Why did your clan end up using fire arrows in the end?" I asked.

Hunter merely shook his head. "I don't know," he muttered. "I wish I did. All I know is that it was a last-minute change from Prowlus. When I saw what he was doing… that was the moment I realised that this was not the path I wanted to go on. I didn't even fire an arrow that evening, I deliberately overshot it so it wouldn't hurt anyone."

The cheetah paused for a second to regain composure before continuing on. "As the rest of my clan charged into the village, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The warriors that I once knew as honourable fighters had turned into bloodthirsty killers under my uncle's command. I confronted him about it, asked him why he was going against everything he ever fought for. All my uncle could say was 'everyone will all pay for disgracing me'. Then he fled to find you, Spyro, without even explaining further."

As Hunter was recounting the events of last week, I felt a strange feeling of empathy for the guy. What he was saying, what he was feeling, it sounded genuine to me. Bits of his story reminded me of what Cynder went through before she met me. She was originally on Malefor's side, being his adopted daughter and all, but she eventually switched when she and I crossed paths. Well, at least from my point of view. She never really talked about her childhood much…

If this cheetah was that close to Prowlus then he must have the answers I need. It was now or never.

"Hunter, did your uncle mention anything else before he left?" I asked. "Did he say where he was going or where to meet him after the attack?"

The feline thought for a second before shaking his head, much to my annoyance. "No, I'm sorry."

Cynder frowned. "It's important that we find your uncle, Hunter. If he's still out there then there's a possibility that he'll attack again. You have to think!"

"I know that! Just give me a second, let me think!" Hunter exclaimed, his eyes widened before rubbing his head in irritation.

Hunter kept on thinking for a couple of minutes as Cynder and I stared at him awkwardly in silence. Before the tension could thicken, Hunter suddenly lit up.

"Oh wait, maybe I do know!" he said, strangely enthusiastic.

"Well?" I questioned. "Where is he?"

"He mentioned something about a place called Concurrent Skies," Hunter responded. "He said that's where the client was from. He always went on his own though, never even took me there."

Concurrent Skies? So that wasthe place I'd been dreaming of. That name seemed familiar to me; Ignitus told me it was where my mother headed off to before she went missing. So that meaned she could be alive somewhere in that place?

But she couldn't be the client, could she? No, no, that didn't add up. Or maybe it did, Prowlus did say that the creature who hired him wanted me alive…

"The client? Who was the client?" I started to question, my heart beginning to beat faster. "It wasn't an ice dragoness named Glacia, was it?"

Again, Hunter took a few seconds to think about it. But, disappointingly, he shook his head again. "No, my uncle used male pronouns when mentioning the client. I'm not even sure that he is even a dragon," he answered. "Why? Is this Glacia important?"

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter," I mumbled. "What's important is that we now know where Prowlus is heading… and that's where I need to go."

"We should tell Ignitus what we know," Cynder then suggested before turning to Hunter. "Thanks for the information, Hunter."

As we went to leave the room, Hunter then suddenly shot up from where he was sitting. "Wait!" he called out. "Take me with you!"

Cynder and I stopped and darted around to the cheetah's pleas. "You're not in the position to make that sort of a deal," I said, rather harshly.

"Look, I know you don't trust me," Hunter tried to say. "But from what I heard, Concurrent Skies is a place of desolation. A place where war doesn't truly end. Prowlus knows you'll be eventually coming after you. Trust me, you don't know what my uncle is capable of. You need me…"

"He's got me," Cynder said.

"That's not enough," Hunter muttered, his eyes flared. "My uncle will have already, without any doubt, set traps for you."

The feline then sighed. "I'm sorry about the loss of your friend and I understand that you want vengeance against my uncle. But there's no way you're getting close to him without my help…"

While Cynder scoffed at Hunter's words, not believing a single word of them, I was quietly thinking over whether to bring the cheetah along or not. Part of me wanted me to leave him here; he was working for someone cold-blooded as well as being related to him.

On the other hand, part of me thought he had a point, Prowlus would want me to follow him into the depths of Concurrent Skies only to find there's something on the other end that'll prevent me from getting to him. If Hunter really knew what his uncle was capable of, maybe he could help dodge around all the snares and booby traps in our path.

As I struggled to make a decision, Hunter gave me a smile and held out a paw towards me.

"So what do you say, Spyro?" he wondered. "Can we help each other?"

I stared at Hunter's paw for a brief moment before my eyes gazed over towards Cynder. Her eyes narrowed as she slowly shook her head, as if she was telling me 'no, don't do it. This was a mistake'.

As much as Cynder was always right about most things, this time was different. My mother could potentially be alive somewhere in that desolate realm… and I couldn't let Prowlus slip through my paws, not again. This time, when we meet again, justice will be served.

With my decision being made, I extended my paw towards Hunter's and shook it.

"Deal."

Oooh, a deal has been struck. I bet Cynder's not going to like that… how will she react now that Hunter will be joining in on their quest to Concurrent Skies? Well, we'll have to find out next time now won't we?

So since I was unable to update anything last month, I would like to thank everyone for reviewing, favouriting and following this story over the course of the year. I appreciate the support for the adventures of these two young dragons.

Secondly, we'll be starting off the new year with a story (hopefully). It'll be an anthology series based on the Marvel series What If…? But with different franchises per chapter. So expect a Spyro chapter in the future. If, somehow the words don't flow to me with What If…?, expect another chapter of this story. As I said at the start, it always gets the creative juices flowing!

This is TARDIS1039, wishing you a Happy New Year. Allons-y!