Hello and welcome to another instalment of My Days With You! While I did say last time that I was going to work on something else before returning to this story, I couldn't get this scenario out of my head and thought 'screw it, Imma just do another chapter'.
So this particular scenario isn't one that isn't seen as much in Spyro stories. There have been a couple but not much otherwise. Perfect opportunity to tackle it, right?
Last chapter we saw Spyro, Cynder and Sparx attend the Warfang Ball, a celebration of all the dragons returning to the city prior to the events of the story. Once they get there, however, it goes awfully wrong for Cynder as she is approached and practically bullied out of the ballroom. Spyro, being Spyro, goes after her and comforts her where they share a quiet dance together before heading back to the ballroom… their journey is only just beginning.
What's next for Spyro and Cynder? Let's find out! Enjoy!
(Chapter 2: Home Again)
"Come on! We should be there soon!" Cynder heard Spyro call out.
The black dragoness gulped nervously as she trailed behind, mud sticking to her paws. She gazed around at the unfamiliar environment; being slightly intimidated at the tall and thick mushrooms that towered over her.
This was one of the days that Cynder wanted to stay behind in Warfang, but not for the reasons that one might think.
A couple of weeks had passed since the Warfang Ball and, with all the extra dragons and other residents roaming around the place, both Spyro and Cynder felt the need to get out of the city for a bit. No Guardians, no one gawking at them like newfound celebrities and, for Cynder especially, no one judging her just for walking down the street.
That's when Spyro had suggested that they head to the Swamp near the old Dragon Temple. It was time for him and Sparx to see their parents for the first time in years.
From what Cynder knew, the Swamp was where Spyro grew up for twelve years. While she was being controlled by the Dark Master during this time, Spyro was hidden away from her forces. Safe and hidden away, this allowed Spyro to live in a world far from war and chaos.
This was why, despite being the purple dragon, Spyro didn't have a clue about being a dragon. When he was reciting a memory in the Swamp one day during their time at the Dragon Temple, Cynder noted how oblivious Spyro was to what he was, or what he was capable of.
When he mentioned that Spyro once thought he was just 'a great big purple dragonfly who couldn't fly', it had made Cynder snort with laughter.
In fact, it was the first time that Cynder laughed. Ever.
Cynder remembered covering her mouth in embarrassment after that, since she never thought such a noise could ever escape her mouth. Not after what happened to her before she was set free.
A million negative thoughts raced through the young black dragoness' head, wondering how Spyro would react. However, when he eventually did, all her worries washed away.
All he did was smile.
Just a smile, that's all that was needed. This was before Cynder's feelings for the purple dragon were at the strength that they were now, but Cynder recalled the feeling she had when Spyro smiled at her laughter. It felt… nice.
All her life she had been tormented for not fulfilling the Dark Master's demands as quickly as Gaul wanted. If one thing went wrong, Cynder would get punished for it. Even if her actions were not her own, Cynder maintained the lessons Gaul had implemented on her.
Show no weakness. Fight or die. More importantly, don't piss off Malefor… no matter what.
But with Spyro, there was no need to follow these lessons. She felt free to do whatever she wanted, with no one to stop her if she strayed far from the desired path. It was a level of comfort that Cynder never felt before—a feeling she now felt whenever she and Spyro were close.
If only she could just tell him how she felt. Face-to-face rather than when the world was about to end. Maybe Spyro would hear her this time.
"Cynder? Everything okay?" Spyro wondered as he approached her.
Cynder quickly snapped back to reality and blinked, as if she was spacing out. "Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," she replied calmly.
Sparx soon zipped into Cynder's eyesight. "She's probably just remembering flying over us and giving us a big scare that one time," he muttered in a mischievous tone.
"Sparx…" Spyro frowned, once again annoyed by his brother.
"What? I'm just saying…"
Cynder shook her head. "It's not that," she denied. "I'm just nervous… about, you know, meeting your parents."
It wasn't a lie, but not the full truth. Ever since they departed from Warfang, the idea of meeting Spyro and Sparx's parents made Cynder more anxious than she'd ever been in her life. She already had trouble with fitting in and being accepted with the rest of dragonkind. What if the dragonflies knew stories of the Terror of the Skies as well? What if they ridiculed her for sending the apes to the Swamp? She didn't know what they would think.
Despite Cynder's inner concerns, Spyro didn't seem worried. "Oh, you have nothing to worry about," he assured her. "They'll like you… right, Sparx?"
"Well…" the dragonfly began to say until Spyro gave him a death glare. "I mean, of course. They're saints." The tone of Sparx's voice told Cynder otherwise, but then again, Sparx wasn't particularly reliable when it came to assuring someone's feelings.
Spyro rolled his eyes towards his dragonfly sibling and turned to address Cynder again, giving her a reassuring smile.
"You'll be fine, trust me…"
After he said that, Cynder looked down to see Spyro's paw on top of hers. When Spyro spotted what he was doing, he immediately retracted his paw and cleared his throat in an awkward manner as a tinge of red spread across his cheeks.
"R-Right, yeah!" Spyro suddenly blurted out. "O-Our old home should be down this way… I think."
Then the purple dragon shuffled away and proceeded to move further down the muddy trail. Sparx gave a confused glance at his brother, noting his behaviour just before. He darted between the two teenagers, unable to piece together the puzzle.
"Am I missing something here?" Sparx wondered. "I don't think I've ever seen Spyro act like that before."
Cynder shrugged. "Don't know what you're talking about," she said. There was something in the back of Cynder's head telling her otherwise, but she decided to ignore it for now.
With Sparx still unsure of Spyro's current behaviour, the two eventually caught up with Spyro. The trio had found themselves in a clearing, one of the rare spots where the sky was actually visible, with a tree-looking mushroom that was covered in sticky green moss in the centre of the circular area.
Many paths diverged from the tree, including where the three of them just came from and two other paths that led elsewhere. One path even connected to the cliffside nearby, which made Cynder raise an eyebrow. Why would anyone go up there? If so, for what reason?
When Spyro caught sight of the mushroom tree, his eyes lit up. "Hey, I know this place!" he exclaimed.
Sparx hovered over to the large mushroom and touched the fungi. "I'm surprised it's still here after that massive monster came through…"
Cynder looked confused at Spyro and Sparx's sudden fascination with a strange mushroom tree. "What is this place?"
"This is where we used to play hide-and-seek when we were younger." Spyro answered. "It was our favourite game…"
Sparx then realised something as he backed away from the tree. "Hey, weren't we playing that before—?"
"Everything changed?" Spyro finished off, his tone losing its enthusiasm. "Yeah… it still feels so recent."
Spyro gazed back up at the mushroom tree grimly. In his point of view, it was only a few months ago when his life turned upside down; finding out that he was actually a dragon of great importance, finding out that there was a war going on beyond his home and finding out that he, at the age of twelve, had to stop it with minimal experience and abilities.
He felt so young back then, so innocent and oblivious. Sometimes Spyro wanted life to go back the way it was, when everything was so simple, But deep down, Spyro knew that could never happen.
Because he was not the same Spyro that left the Swamp so long ago.
Cynder went up to Spyro and sat on her haunches next to him, sensing that something was bothering him; judging from his slight slump and the way he gazed solemnly at the tree. Spyro's eyes briefly darted to Sparx, who was on the other side of the tree and not paying much attention to the two dragons.
"Do you think they'll still be around, Cynder?" Spyro then murmured. "It's been so long for them; what if they're—?" He stopped himself speaking and looked down at the ground; he didn't even want to finish that sentence.
Cynder wrapped a wing around the purple dragon's back to give him some comfort. "I'm sure they're alright, Spyro," she assured him. "The Swamp was nowhere near where the Destroyer was, so maybe—"
"It's not that… well, maybe a bit of that," Spyro said. "It's Sparx that I'm worried about… he doesn't show it but he misses Mum and Dad a lot."
Cynder briefly peered around to where Sparx was floating about. From where she was looking, he was just minding his own business and catching some of the butterflies that were in the area. If he was hiding his feelings, then he was hiding it well.
"If they're… you know," Spyro continued to say, "then I'm not sure how Sparx will react."
"He's got you, that's what's important," Cynder said. "No matter what happens, you two will be there for each other."
Spyro gave a slight smile in Cynder's direction. "Yeah… I guess you're right," he said. "Thanks, Cynder. You always know what to say."
"I have my moments," Cynder smirked, bumping into Spyro's shoulder. "So where do your parents live?"
Spyro gestured to the opposite path near the mushroom tree. "That way, our home should be close by."
"Lead the way then."
"Sparx!" Spyro then called out. "Let's go!"
The dragonfly waved him off. "Alright, keep your scales on, I'm coming!" he exclaimed, just as he was about to reach out for another butterfly. "Just after one more bite…"
At lightning speed, Sparx snatched a singular butterfly from mid-air and he immediately consumed it, making Spyro and Cynder cringe slightly at his loud chewing.
"Okay, now I'm done," Sparx said before trailing behind Spyro and Cynder as they began to travel down the path.
While Spyro rolled his eyes half-amused by his brother's antics, there was a part of him deep down that worried for the dragonfly. Any minute now, they were about to meet their parents for the first time in years. That was even if their parents were still around; dragonflies had a much shorter lifespan compared to dragons.
Sparx was lucky… their mother and father may not be.
But as Cynder said before, the two brothers had each other… no matter what.
(-)
The trio continued to traverse down the path that led to the home of Spyro and Sparx's parents. As they walked further and became ever so closer to the place he once grew up in, Spyro could feel memories flash before his very eyes as he recalled the mushrooms and muddy trails that surrounded him.
This was the same path where he travelled down when he left. At the age of twelve, he left his home to find his place in the world… and boy, did he find it.
Spyro could almost see the younger version of himself slowly stroll down the opposite way, head hung low as he left everything and everyone he knew behind, all that to find out, at the time, why he suddenly was able to take on a dozen apes and had the capability to breathe fire from his mouth.
Now here he was, older and a little bit wiser than when he left. If only young Spyro knew what was ahead of him: rescuing the Guardians, learning that he was a rare and powerful dragon, facing up against Gaul and the Dark Master, and getting a crush on someone that once sought to destroy him. It was a miracle that Spyro hadn't succumbed to all the pressure the whole world had put on him.
"Spyro…" the purple dragon heard Sparx mutter as he flew past him. "I think we're here."
Spyro snapped back into reality as they arrived at another small clearing, a clearing that was all too familiar to him.
A thick large mushroom sprouted in the centre of the clearing, also covered in moss like the one they saw earlier. However, unlike the other mushroom tree, stocky roots had attached themselves to the mushroom from the ground, making some kind of shelter on some parts of the exterior.
But the mushroom wasn't exactly thick on the inside, as there was some kind of illumination shining from makeshift holes at the front. It was as if someone had made themselves a home in this giant mushroom. But whether Spyro and Sparx's parents were the ones living there remained to be seen.
No matter who lived there, Spyro still couldn't believe his eyes. He was home again, back to where it all began.
"Is this where you lived?" Cynder asked the purple dragon.
"Yeah," Spyro replied. "Yeah it was…"
"It looks nice," Cynder said. "Well, as nice as a gigantic mushroom can get."
Spyro shrugged. "It's not much but it's my home," he said. "Well, it was my home. A long time ago."
"Do you think Mum and Dad will recognise us?" Sparx wondered, sounding slightly concerned. "We've changed since we left them."
Spyro nodded. "They will, Sparx," he assured his brother.
"Besides, it'll be a bit difficult to forget you anyway," Cynder chimed in, a cheeky smirk on her face.
Sparx chuckled. "True," he muttered. "I'm easy to remember. Spyro, however, is a different story, he was a lot chubbier when he was younger." That last part he whispered into Cynder's ear; that didn't stop the purple dragon from overhearing.
Cynder didn't believe that, however. She had always thought that Spyro seemed average for his age at the time, which in her mind was surprising considering his diet was probably a variety of smaller insects.
"I was not that chubby!" Spyro protested, frowning at the dragonfly.
"Denial, always the first phase," Sparx deadpanned. "We'll let Mum and Dad decide when we see them."
Spyro rolled his eyes, knowing that his mother and father wouldn't side with Sparx. Before he could say anything else, he heard somebody call out to him, which immediately stopped him in his tracks.
"Sparx? Spyro?" the voice, feminine but familiar, said.
Spyro wanted to say something back but he was too stunned to speak, that voice bringing back so many memories, memories he hadn't thought about in a very long time.
Two floating lights appeared from a hole in the mushroom tree, one a bright blue and the other a darker pink. As they hovered closer to the trio, their distinct shapes became much more clearer. They were both dragonflies, older and slightly taller than Sparx was.
The two dragonflies floated to where Spyro and Sparx were standing, amazed and mystified by their appearance. The pink dragonfly flew closer to Spyro's face, extending a limb out to see if he was real.
"Is that really you?" she wondered, tears starting to form in her eyes.
Spyro leant in closer, allowing the female dragonfly to touch his snout. As soon as he felt her touch, tears streamed down his face. Not sad or fearful tears, but tears of joy.
"Hi Mum…" he muttered.
The minute she heard Spyro's voice, his mother lit up with pure happiness. "Oh my… Spyro!" she exclaimed as she wrapped herself around the purple dragon's snout. Even though he was initially taken back by the embrace, Spyro soon closed his eyes and accepted it.
He was back. He was home.
Spyro's father also approached him and stroked his snout, a relieved smile on his face. "It is good to see you again, my boy," he said.
"It's good to see you both," Spyro muttered. "I missed you guys so much…"
"We've missed you too," his mother said. "The swamp hasn't been the same since you left."
Sparx scoffed. "Ay, what am I? Chopped liver?"
The male dragonfly chuckled. "Of course not… you've been sorely missed too, son."
"Don't worry, Sparx, you get a hug too," Spyro and Sparx's mother smirked, extending her arms out for Sparx.
But unlike Spyro, Sparx wasn't racing to his mother's arms. Instead he folded his arms in a strict manner. "Mum, I'm older now… I don't need a—" Sparx said confidently, avoiding eye contact. However, he gazed over his mother and saw that her arms were still wide open. That's when Sparx's mature facade quickly faded away. "Eh, screw it."
In a matter of seconds, Sparx raced over to his parents and gave them both a tight squeeze. To Cynder, this was one of the rare times where Sparx had shown any signs of emotions that weren't fear or snarkiness: emotions that were mostly directed towards her.
The female dragonfly soon separated from Sparx's embrace and gazed at her two sons, her eyes widening at the sight of them. "Look at my two boys, you're all grown up!" she pointed out. "Spyro, you're so tall now, and Sparx, your voice is…"
"Different?" Sparx said. "Yeah I know, it keeps changing… I'm still getting used to it myself."
"It definitely suits you, Sparx," his father said.
Despite their history, Cynder was happy to see Sparx and Spyro reunite with their loved ones. With everything that had happened over the last few years, it was nice to see happiness after spending so long in the darkest of times.
However, while Cynder felt happy for Spyro and Sparx, she couldn't help but feel out of place. She felt like a ghost observing those that were unaware of her, watching but never having the chance to interact.
It made her think about something she never thought about before: whether or not she had a family out there in the world?
Cynder was stolen as an egg during the war. If she was an egg, then who laid her? Was her family looking for her, actively searching for their daughter during years of war?
If they were out there, perhaps among the many dragons that returned to Warfang, then why haven't they come forward and introduced themselves? Maybe they died in the fight against the Dark Master's forces; maybe they abandoned her and left her at the Temple? Cynder didn't know and was afraid to find out.
Even if her family was found, would they accept her?
Cynder would like to think so, but she knew the truth deep down. What kind of family would accept someone that was once known as the Terror of the Skies?
Before more of Cynder's negative thoughts overwhelmed her, she was pulled back into reality when she noticed that the dragonflies were now staring at her. They were seeing through the illusion; they were interested, but cautious towards her.
"Oh, well, who is this?" the male dragonfly wondered.
Spyro moved aside slightly so that his parents could take a better look of Cynder. The black dragoness kept her mouth shut; she wasn't sure what to say. Everyone back in Warfang knew who she was, even if it was for the wrong reasons. Notorious or not, everyone knew Cynder. She had no need to introduce herself, her reputation did it for her.
Now she was here, in front of someone that had no idea who she was, nor saying that she looked familiar. Still, Cynder couldn't leap for joy just yet. They didn't know her yet, but things might change…
Spyro gave her a concerned look when she stayed silent, worried why she was suddenly speechless. Cynder simply responded with a nervous glance, telling her purple companion everything he needed to know. She wanted him to speak first.
The purple dragon cleared his throat and turned to address his parents. "Well, this is Cynder," he introduced, flashing Cynder a reassuring smile. "She's my best friend."
Cynder's cheeks turned slightly red, just enough that Spyro wasn't able to notice. Even though her heart told her that she wanted more than to be Spyro's 'best friend', she was fine with that title for now. It was better than being called an ally or worse… his former enemy.
But, to Cynder's surprise, the dragonflies didn't think twice about the black dragoness' appearance or sheer awkwardness; they simply smiled.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Cynder," the female dragonfly said. "I'm Nina and this is my husband, Flash."
"The pleasure is all mine," Cynder muttered. "I've heard a lot about you guys from both of your sons."
Both Flash and Nina seemed surprised by this. "Oh really?" Flash pondered. "How long have you known each other?"
"Hmm… quite a while now," Cynder said, looking at Spyro. "About a year or so?"
Spyro nodded in agreement, taking their three year long absence into consideration. "Yeah, that sounds about right."
"Wow, so how did you guys meet?" Nina then asked.
Spyro and Cynder froze instantly, exchanging worried glances. While that seemed like an innocent question, it was the opposite for the two teenage dragons. How were they to explain the events of the war to them? Because simply saying 'we were enemies before Cynder was freed from being under the Dark Master's control' didn't seem acceptable at this stage.
Spyro didn't want his parents to be afraid of what Cynder could or might do to him, he wanted the opposite. He wanted his parents to like her for who she was, not who she used to be. Spyro also wanted to assure Cynder that there were good people in the world besides their allies and mentors, and that there are some people who won't judge her immediately.
"Um…" was all Spyro could say for now, leading to Cynder quickly flashing him a questioning glance. Then something hit him, an idea.
"Sparx and I were on our travels and Cynder needed help, so we helped…" Spyro then answered. The details were scarce, but that was basically the full story. "And now I owe her my life."
Nina cupped her hands over her mouth, shocked by Spyro's answer. "My goodness! What happened?" she wondered.
Cynder's eyes slowly gazed towards the ground as her memories resurfaced in her mind. "Someone awful had kept me prisoner for some time," she replied, also keeping the full details hidden. "I thought I could never escape, until Spyro saved me; that is…"
She then turned to face the purple dragon, a slight smile on her face. "It is something I'm eternally grateful for."
Spyro returned a soft smile as he looked back towards his parents, who each had sported sympathetic looks towards the black dragoness.
"Oh dear, you poor thing," Nina murmured. "That must've been so hard for you…"
You have no idea, was what Cynder wanted to say. But she kept silent for now. She didn't want to bring up the past even more; the basic details were more than enough today.
"It was, yeah…" she then decided to say. "But I don't need to worry about that guy anymore, no one does."
"Well, you're always welcome in our home," Flash then said. "A friend of Spyro is a friend to us."
The smallest hint of a smile arose from the corner of Cynder's mouth. "Thank you…" This was the first time since she and Spyro stopped the Dark Master that anyone, besides from who she already knew during the war, had said anything kind to her or at least addressed her in a somewhat respectful way.
Cynder didn't know what to think. One hand, she liked it but she also found it a bit strange at the same time. All her life, all she felt was neglect and hatred. Maybe a little kindness from strangers was something she had to learn to like in this new world.
"Well, there's no use standing around here," Nina suddenly spoke up. "Come, let's find somewhere to talk. I want to hear everything."
(-)
Night soon began to fall. Everyone was circled around a makeshift campfire that Spyro provided as the light slowly crept out of the skyline. For a couple hours, both Flash and Nina listened to the many stories that Spyro and Sparx shared with them.
They recounted almost everything to them: how they met Ignitus, meeting the rest of the Guardians, Spyro discovering his new breath abilities and the amount of times they almost were killed by either apes, grublins or anything that wanted to face them in battle.
Of course, the two brothers didn't mention that they almost were killed by these creatures. That detail didn't quite make it in their stories. Flash and Nina only assumed that their sons wiped them out without a scratch on them. Spyro wasn't sure if they would believe that, but he didn't want them to worry about him more than they already were.
As Sparx, in his own unique way, was retelling the story of how he and Spyro were captured by pirates, Spyro, Cynder and his parents sat around him and listened to his tale.
"So, while Spyro was doing his usual purple dragon thing, I was surrounded by two ugly-looking birds…" Sparx recalled, circling around the campfire. "They disliked me the moment they met me, so they wanted me overboard as soon as possible. But there was one thing they didn't count on; I knew how to fight back, and boy they were gonna get it!"
While Flash and Nina were intrigued by Sparx's story, Spyro's thoughts drifted elsewhere. His eyes glazed over to the black dragoness that was sitting opposite him, rolling her eyes half-amusingly at Sparx's narration.
Spyro wasn't quite sure why he suddenly thought of Cynder at this particular moment as, in this point of the story, she had been captured and sent away to the Well of Souls. But there she was, sitting near the fire in front of him, safe and out of harm's way.
The flames made Cynder's scales stand out in the darkness. To Spyro, there was one word to describe her and it was a word that he didn't have the courage to say to her out loud.
Pretty.
Spyro felt his heartbeat quicken at the mention of that particular word, which often happened whenever he thought of the black dragoness. He couldn't help it; Cynder was pretty, more prettier than any other dragoness he'd seen before.
If only he could say that to her face-to-face…
"You shouldn't stare, you know?" he then heard someone whisper nearby.
Spyro's eyes widened and darted around to see that his mother was the one that whispered to him, sporting a discreet smirk on her face. Spyro's cheeks immediately went red but, luckily for him, the combination of the campfire and his purple scales managed to mask his blushing quite well.
"I d-don't know what you mean, Mum…" Spyro muttered back.
Nina only flashed him an unconvinced glare and said nothing more as Sparx continued to tell the story about the pirates. But it wasn't long before he started to reach the end of the tale.
"And after we kicked butt, we flew away as the ship was engulfed in flames!" Sparx exclaimed. "But, as we were flying further away, Spyro then collapsed for the third or fourth time that week and landed in the cold depths of the ocean… what happens next may surprise you but that's for another day."
Cynder frowned. "Are you seriously ending the story like that?"
"Hey, can't share everything in one night!" Sparx shrugged. "Besides, all this storytelling is making me tired…"
Flash nodded in agreement. "Hmm, quite right. Maybe Spyro can tell the rest tomorrow?"
"Sure, I don't mind," Spyro said.
Sparx then let out a huge yawn. "Well, goodnight everyone," he said before heading to the mushroom tree to turn in for the night. Flash also said goodnight and soon followed closely behind.
"I might get some sleep as well," Cynder muttered. "It's been a long day… you coming, Spyro?"
"Not yet, I'm not tired at the moment," Spyro replied. "But I will soon."
"Suit yourself…" Cynder said with a slight shrug. "Goodnight, Spyro."
"Night, Cynder."
The black dragoness soon walked away from the campfire and into the darkness, giving Spyro a slight final glance before leaving to find a spot to sleep. With Cynder gone, Spyro and Nina were the only ones by the fire. Spyro sat himself up and headed over to the campfire to extinguish the flames.
"So…" Spyro heard his mother say behind him. "Cynder seems like a nice girl."
As soon as Nina mentioned Cynder, he instantly froze just as he was about to use his ice breath. He knew the minute that his mum gave him that certain look earlier, he knew that the conversation was going to be finished at some point. But right here, right now? When Cynder was nearby and could potentially overhear? Spyro couldn't think of anything worse.
But his mother couldn't be thinking what he was thinking, right? Maybe she only assumed that the two of them were just platonic and nothing more.
Spyro mentally slapped his brain at that thought; no way that was true. Mum saw him, she knew what he felt.
Spyro could only respond with a nod. "Yeah, she's a good friend." he muttered, attempting to avoid the subject.
Nina smirked. "A good friend, huh?"
"Yes…?" Spyro cringed, knowing what was about to happen.
His mother then gave her son the unconvinced look that she gave him not too long ago. "Don't play dumb with me, Spyro," she muttered. "I saw the way you were looking at her."
There it was. Spyro was caught in the act.
The purple dragon stayed silent, unsure what to say and uncertain on what to do. For a while, Spyro was able to keep his feelings for Cynder hidden away so that he could get to know Cynder as the dragoness she was away from the war.
He hadn't told anyone, not even Sparx. He thought no one else would understand. He wasn't even sure if he understood. Spyro never had felt this way about anyone before, not even during his life in the Swamp. He was only a kid, his only purpose being to play and be free until darkness fell.
But then came the apes, then his fire breath and then eventually meeting Cynder, someone he once fought against. Now she was in his head constantly, metaphorical butterflies filling his stomach every time he saw her.
"You like her, don't you?" his mother asked him, giving the young purple dragon a soft look.
Spyro had never felt so conflicted. His answer was so obvious, yet he was hesitant to say it… and Spyro wasn't sure why.
The purple dragon soon faced his mother and gave her an answer; he nodded his head.
"Yeah… I do."
Nina gave her son a comforting smile. "Then maybe you should tell her."
"It's not that simple, Mum…" Spyro muttered, lowering his head in a disappointing manner.
Flying over to where Spyro sat himself, Nina gazed at her son curiously. "What do you mean, Spyro? Do you not think she likes you back?"
"I don't know, maybe?" Spyro shrugged. "We've been pretty close over the past few weeks but it's just… it's just…"
Spyro stopped himself and took a breath to recollect his thoughts before continuing, "I'm afraid."
"Afraid?"
Spyro nodded. "Yeah, afraid," he muttered. "Everytime I think about her, I feel happy and I want to be with her… but then I think of the past and everything we've been through together. Our history together has been complicated and getting together could make things worse between us. I dunno… is it wrong to feel afraid of this?"
Nina stroked Spyro's nose slightly. "Oh sweetheart, it's perfectly natural to be afraid," she assured him. "Relationships are quite a big step, especially at your age."
"It's not just that," Spyro muttered. "We get along well, I just don't want to mess up what we have already… w-what if I'm not right for her?" Spyro then sighed. "I don't know what to do, Mum… I really like her."
Nina floated closer to the front of Spyro's face and put a hand on his cheek. "All I can say is that you should tell Cynder how you feel… you never know, she might feel the same," she advised her son. "But only tell her when you feel confident enough to do so… but not too long, otherwise you might lose her and potentially your friendship."
For a moment, Spyro felt his mother's advice sink in. He needed to tell Cynder how he felt, that part was obvious. But when would he know what the right moment was to say something to her? That was what Spyro needed to figure out on his own. He couldn't ask his mother that as she wouldn't know; it wasn't a question that could be answered straight away. The moment he would know what to say would be from his own heart.
"Do you get what I'm trying to say, Spyro?" Nina wondered, noticing her son's unresponsiveness.
Spyro replied with a small nod. "Yeah, I understand…" he then murmured. "Thanks, Mum. Talking to you helped."
"I'm always here if you need me, son. Just keep what I said in mind, and you'll be fine," his mother assured him. "From what I've heard today, the two of you make each other happy…"
Leaving the conversation with that piece of information, Nina said goodnight to her son and headed back to the mushroom tree to get some sleep. Spyro was now left alone at the campfire, his head full of thoughts as his mother's advice repeated itself over and over again. It repeated so much that Spyro wasn't sure what to do once again.
Tell her?
Tell her not?
Tell her?
Tell her not?
Spyro then put the fire out with a quick blast of his ice breath and stood in the darkness for a moment. There was so much to consider tonight, which made the purple dragon even more conflicted.
He needed some sleep. Maybe a clearer head would provide him with the answer he desires.
(-)
Spyro couldn't get to sleep. Not even a wink.
Initially finding a spot close to where Cynder was sleeping, Spyro tried his best to get some rest. But he had no luck; there was just too much going on in his head. It was a recurring thing that happened to the young dragon from time-to-time, like the night after he discovered he was a dragon, his first night at the Temple, and after he freed Cynder from Malefor's control, to name a few. It was his way of processing things.
Frustrated by his lack of sleep, Spyro got up and returned to the spot where everyone was listening to Sparx's story earlier. Once he arrived, the purple dragon headed to the edge and sat on his haunches before looking up towards the sky.
The stars shimmered above him; countless tiny dots scattered the sky, providing Spyro the peace and quiet he needed to clear his head. Whenever he was troubled, Spyro would often stargaze. It helped to empty his thoughts whenever they overwhelmed him, and it worked every time.
However, this time, looking at the stars wasn't helping.
Spyro's feelings for Cynder were overwhelming him. Ever since he talked about it with his mother, Spyro couldn't get the thought of telling the black dragoness how he really felt out of his head.
Part of him really wanted to tell her, to just say his true feelings and how he admired her for who she was. But, as always, there was the other side of him that caused him to hesitate. The other side of himself wondered if Cynder actually had feelings for him too.
He remembered the Warfang Ball, their dance and the kiss on the cheek that Cynder gave him afterwards. All pointed towards the black dragoness having some feelings for him. While it was true that a kiss on a cheek is often seen as a platonic gesture, reserved for family and close friends, there was something about Cynder's kiss that Spyro felt. It was different… there was a spark, he could sense it.
Then the doubt swarmed in. As Spyro mentioned to his mother before, he and Cynder had a bit of a complicated history; they started off as enemies before becoming strangers, eventually being chained together and forced to fight alongside each other. It was only after the death of Ignitus and Malefor where the two dragons formed a friendship. It was rough but it was something that Spyro would cherish.
Spyro would cross the skies with her; it was if she would do the same that made him doubt his feelings.
Did Cynder, the former Terror of the Skies, have feelings for him? Maybe he read all the signs wrong and there was no possibility of a relationship ever happening? After all they'd been through, could the two of them ever be together?
So many questioning thoughts, and Spyro didn't like any of them.
"Spyro?"
The purple dragon's mind suddenly halted as he darted towards the voice behind him. His eyes widened as he discovered that Cynder was standing behind him.
"Oh, h-hi Cynder…" Spyro muttered sheepishly. "I didn't see you there. Why are you awake?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing," Cynder replied as she moved to sit next to Spyro.
"I couldn't sleep."
"Me either…"
Spyro raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How come?"
Cynder looked down at the ground, her ashamed expression telling Spyro everything. "I had a bad dream… about, you know." she answered. "I thought I would be free of them tonight considering I'm not in Warfang. But, of course, I had to be wrong."
"What happened?" Spyro asked. He hated when Cynder thought about her past as it always brought her great pain and suffering. It was a feeling Spyro hated to see on her face; she didn't deserve the life she once had.
"Just old memories taunting me," Cynder murmured. "They may not have been mine but they still haunt me. Then I woke up and saw that you were awake as well, and I wanted to talk to you. You seem like the only one that would understand…"
Spyro seemed surprised by what Cynder said. "You think so?" he queried. His life was very different to what Cynder lived through in her childhood. How could he understand something if he didn't relate to it?
"Yeah… well, I mean, no one could fully understand what I've been through," Cynder then clarified. "But you? Our paths may be different but similar as well. We both don't know who we are and we're basically outcasted from dragon society. But despite that, you've always been so kind to me when no one else has."
"You're my friend, Cynder… you deserve to have everyone's kindness," Spyro muttered.
While touched by the purple dragon's words, Cynder simply snorted. "That was nice of you to say, Spyro… but I don't. No one will ever be kind to me."
"Don't say that, of course they will. As I said before, people need time to get to know the real you," Spyro assured her, his words full of confidence. Right until he spoke again. "Because you, Cynder, are extraordinary… I mean, as well as smart, strong, funny and, um, strong."
Cynder smirked, blushing slightly. "You said strong twice there."
"Well, that makes me twice as right then," Spyro said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
"I guess so." Cynder chuckled.
The two teenagers suddenly went silent, taking in the night sky. To Spyro's surprise, as he wasn't expecting it, Cynder decided to move a bit closer to him and lean her head against his shoulder. Spyro stiffened, not sure if he should make a move or to remain as still as he could.
Maybe this was the best time to confess to Cynder? Everything seemed to fall in place; they were alone with no one to bother them and she was comfortable enough to rest on his shoulder. If Spyro didn't say anything now, he might not say anything afterwards.
"I can see why you like this place," the black dragoness murmured. "It's nice… and away from everything."
"It's certainly peaceful."
His brain urging him to say more and his claws digging in the ground, Spyro knew that it was now or never. He had to say something. He needed to say something.
"Cynder, there's something I want to say… to you." Spyro muttered, sounding a bit nervous.
Cynder removed herself from Spyro's shoulder and gave him a concerned look. "Sure, is everything okay?"
"Oh, e-everything's fine," Spyro stammered, his heart thumping much harder now. "It's just… well…"
But while Spyro felt so ready and confident to tell Cynder the truth about how he really felt, there was still a tingling instinct in the back of his head that told him otherwise. Was he really sure about this? Of course he was. Was this the best time to confess? Maybe… maybe not.
"I'm… glad that you came with me today," Spyro eventually said, faking a sincere smile to hide his true feelings.
Disappointment hit Spyro hard like an elite soldier in battle. He could feel his brain mentally face-palming at his cowardice, his smile turning into a discreet, upset frown in the darkness. He was so close but alas, he just wasn't brave enough.
Spyro had fought countless enemies, wiped the Ape King from existence and destroyed the Dark Master, yet he couldn't tell a girl that he liked her? There must be something wrong with him if that was enough to stop him.
Cynder seemed unaware of Spyro's internal dilemma and gave him a smile. "I'm glad I did too," she said. "Your parents were really nice, more than anyone has been back in Warfang…"
"Yeah, they're the best. I learnt a lot from them," Spyro muttered, the tone of his voice not matching with his words. "I still am." If only he followed his mother's advice earlier.
Cynder then took a breath, proceeding to stand back on all four legs again. She noticed that Spyro seemed a little distant, unlike himself. But why he was like that, she didn't seem to know.
"Thank you for talking with me, Spyro," she then said, before yawning slightly. Maybe Spyro will be more talkative tomorrow. "I feel a lot better now."
"No worries," Spyro said. "I'm always here if you need me."
"I know," Cynder murmured as she flashed him another kind smile. "Goodnight Spyro."
"Goodnight…"
Cynder then took her leave and headed back to the spot where she was sleeping before. When the black dragoness was out of sight, Spyro silently cursed at himself. To him, that conversation couldn't have gone worse, or better… he wasn't sure anymore, a conflict was still brewing in his head.
He was pathetic. He was a coward. Why couldn't he say what he wanted to say? He was so sure before; he felt ready to take the final step.
But Spyro had to doubt himself; question whether or not Cynder actually had feelings for him. The only way he was going to know for sure is if he actually told her. Why did it have to be so damn hard for him?
There was some hope however. As his mother said, Spyro needed the right moment to finally say something. He had to feel confident, let go of all doubt and just let all his feelings out. It was clear that tonight was not that moment.
Maybe someday… that moment will come.
This time, Spyro will be ready.
And… I think that'll do for this chapter. Will Spyro finally gain enough courage to tell Cynder how he feels? Maybe Cynder might just beat him to it? All will be solved in the next chapter.
Next month, or perhaps sooner, will definitely be an update to Phoenix (a Doctor Who/Rio crossover if you're interested in checking it out). But we'll come back to this the month after that. Unless, like with this update, I suddenly change my mind and just do another chapter of this again. It is tempting, these stories are fun to write!
Until then, this is TARDIS1039… signing off, Allons-y!