Hello and welcome to another instalment of My Days With You! After a month, we are back with Spyro and Cynder's continuous journey of living in peace in the city of the Warfang and beyond. It's great to be back writing for the Spyro universe once again, and I'm eager to show you this chapter!
So, from last we left off, we saw Spyro, Cynder and Sparx travel to the Swamp where they reunite with Spyro and Sparx's parents. After they share stories and everyone starts to go to sleep, Spyro and his mother talk about his feelings for Cynder. Despite his mother telling him that he should tell Cynder when the time was right, Spyro attempts to confess to Cynder when they chat in the moonlight. However, Spyro couldn't muster the courage to say what he wanted to say.
Will we see Spyro confess his feelings? Or maybe Cynder will? Or maybe they both will? Why don't we find out! Enjoy!
(Chapter 3: Tonight)
Cynder wandered through the corridors of the Dragon Temple, only one thought coursing through her mind: Where did Spyro go?
The black dragoness didn't expect this day to turn dramatic when she woke up this morning, but nevertheless, as with most days in her life so far, something was bound to go wrong. However, this time, Cynder—or at least her past—had nothing to do with it.
Cynder, along with Spyro, had been called to a meeting with the Guardians sometime after breakfast; the details were surprisingly scarce when she was sent the summons by one of the moles, only that she needed to meet the Guardians as soon as she could.
Concerned that the meeting might contain bad news, Cynder met up with Spyro and headed over to the Pool of Visions room without a moment's hesitation. But when they got there, they found that the news was not as dire as she thought.
Spyro's reaction, however, was an entirely different story.
"Y-You're recruiting a new Fire Guardian?" Spyro murmured, trying to wrap his head around the recent announcement. While the Guardians didn't seem to notice, Cynder could tell that Spyro wasn't taking the news well… and she couldn't blame him.
Ignitus' death still haunted the purple dragon, the events of his demise affecting his mind like a bad dream. Even though there were times where Spyro was his usual self, there were times where he would think back to his former mentor and father figure, usually in the times when no one was around. Cynder knew Spyro felt this way because she felt the same; she was there after all. She felt the same grief as he did.
So when the news came around that a new Fire Guardian would be chosen to fill in Ignitus' paws, the Guardians didn't expect Spyro to react the way he did.
"That is right, young dragon," Terrador said with a nod. "We have a couple of candidates being considered. We thought we would inform you before an official decision is made. We know that Ignitus meant a lot to the two of you, especially to you Spyro…"
While Terrador seemed very calm and collected, Spyro was the opposite. Cynder could see it in his eyes; all the anger and horror clouded his emotions as his breath became more erratic and his limbs trembled slightly as if he stood outside in a snowstorm for a brief moment.
"B-But you can't just replace Ignitus!" Spyro blurted out. "He hasn't been gone that long, you can't just replace him like that!"
The Guardians were taken back by Spyro's sudden outburst, like mentioning Ignitus had flipped a switch in his head. It was so unlike him to behave this way, especially in front of those he considered his mentors. Cynder was just as surprised, having only seen Spyro rarely raise his voice let alone snap at anyone. She stood there as Spyro narrowed his eyes towards the Guardians, his breath ragged and his face full of betrayal.
"Now, Spyro, we didn't mean any offence…" Cyril tried to defuse the situation, which was met with an angry glance from Spyro in his direction.
"What do you think you're playing at? Now that he's gone, you just leave Ignitus in the dust and replace him like he wasn't even here!" Spyro spat.
Terrador stepped forward slightly in an effort to calm the young dragon down. "Spyro, please calm down… it isn't like that. We're not trying to replace Ignitus, no one ever could. There won't be another Fire Guardian like him, but the position has to be filled out by someone who can respect what Ignitus stood for…"
Spyro shook his head, his eyes starting to water. "No, I don't believe it! No one can be a Fire Guardian like him… no one!"
Cynder lowered her head, unsure what to do. She had only seen Spyro break down once before, back when Ignitus sacrificed his life in the Belt of Fire. She wanted to just walk right up to him and comfort him, wrap her wings around him and make sure that he was okay. But in his current state of emotions, she wasn't sure that Spyro would accept her embrace this time.
"Spyro, I understand that you miss Ignitus dearly… we all do," Terrador muttered. "But the title of Fire Guardian has to be fulfilled by a worthy successor. Rest assured, we will find someone that won't disrespect Ignitus' legacy."
The purple dragon was silent, his eyes were red from the tears that were slowly streaming down his face. He met Terrador's gaze and couldn't muster enough strength to be angry or even yell at him. At this moment, all he felt was sadness.
"There's no one in the world that's worthy…"
There was absolute silence in the room, no one knew what to say or do. The Guardians were stung by Spyro's words, surprised by the purple dragon's uncharacteristic behaviour. To them, Spyro was always willing to listen and accept change even if it meant his life would not be the same afterwards.
Spyro, meanwhile, stared at the Guardians' reactions, his words eventually sinking in. He saw the way they looked at him; startled, sad, shameful. Now, he was feeling what they were feeling. But it wasn't like he could explain why he said all those things; Spyro didn't think they would understand.
"I… I have to go," Spyro then murmured, backing away slowly and heading towards the door in shame.
Cynder wanted to stop him, but it was too late… Spyro was already gone before she could say anything. Terrador was about to follow after him when Volteer lifted his wing in front of him, blocking the earth dragon in his path.
"He just needs some time to cool off, Terrador," Volteer assured his fellow Guardian. The electric dragon then turned to Cynder. "Maybe it's best if Cynder checks if Spyro is alright…"
Cynder nodded. "Yeah, of course, I'll find him." Of course, no matter what the Guardians said, Cynder was going to check on Spyro regardless. There was no way that she was going to leave him alone, not if his emotions were as unbalanced as they were.
So the black dragoness traversed through the corridors of the Dragon Temple for any signs of Spyro. She had checked his room but found no trace of him anywhere and asking Sparx would be useless, considering he had been fast asleep when she last saw him.
As time passed, Cynder started to worry. Where could Spyro be? There was no sign of him; it was like he never existed in the first place.
But there was one place where Cynder didn't check yet, and she was confident that was where Spyro would be.
Strolling through the mess hall and up a flight of stairs, Cynder eventually came across the top level of the Temple. It was an open space full of trees, vegetation and an assortment of flowers that bloomed in a variety of colours like red, yellow, blue and lavender. It was the Temple's garden, where one could relax after a long time training or a place where one could reach a level of inner peace.
And on the grass, she saw Spyro.
The purple dragon had his back to her, sitting on his haunches and staring at a block of marble that was covered up by some sort of fabric. The fabric itself was pinned to the grass below to prevent anyone from seeing what was underneath, or to possibly avoid it from flapping in the breeze.
Under the fabric was the newly crafted statue of Ignitus, waiting to be unveiled when his memorial service was held in the next couple of weeks. Cynder should've known that this would be the first place to look for Spyro, but she was glad to find him when she realised.
Cynder gave a sigh of relief and approached the purple dragon, sitting next to him. "Hey…" she muttered. "There you are, I was worried."
Spyro turned to see the black dragoness, sadness still in his bloodshot eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to storm out before…" he said. He wanted to say more but his emotions started to overwhelm him; he closed his eyes and went back to staring at the covered object.
Cynder went to hold onto his paw, but she stopped herself just as her claw skimmed the edge of his paw. "Hey it's okay," she assured him. "I know you didn't mean what you said."
"I don't know what came over me…" Spyro muttered. "Just the thought of someone else being the Fire Guardian instead of Ignitus… it hurts, you know? It means that Ignitus is gone, really gone… and there's no way he could ever come back."
A tear crept down the purple dragon's face. "I just miss him, Cynder."
Cynder saw the memories of Ignitus' death through the eyes of the purple dragon: the pain, the loss, and the overwhelming guilt that Spyro felt. It was these emotions that paved the way for Spyro's darker persona to emerge, and that was a persona that Cynder didn't want to cross paths with again.
It was this moment that Cynder chose to overcome her hesitation and gently laid her paw on top of Spyro's. Spyro noticed this and turned towards the black dragoness, where a slight comforting smile spread on the corner of Cynder's mouth.
"I miss him too…" Cynder murmured.
Cynder moved closer to Spyro and rested her head on his shoulder, one of the rare places that gave her peace and comfort in recent times. The two then sat in silence, quietly observing the statue that was currently covered up.
Spyro then sighed. "Things are going to change, aren't they?" he then said, breaking the silence.
"Well… maybe they already are, Spyro," Cynder said. "Ever since we came back to Warfang, the world has changed. All the dragons have returned to the city, there hasn't been any sign of dark forces and now there's a new Fire Guardian on the way…"
She lifted her head away from Spyro's shoulder and gazed at the covered statue. "While I would prefer if Ignitus was with us in this new world, it's just not possible. But while he's gone, he will always be in our hearts and his achievements will inspire the Guardians that'll come after him…"
Cynder's words started to sink in, and Spyro soon began to understand. While what he said to the Guardians was something he should've kept to himself, he soon came back to his senses. Cynder was right, as she always was; things were changing before his very eyes and he needed to accept that. He also knew that Ignitus would've thought something similar, that he shouldn't cling to the past and look to the future. Life goes on, and Spyro had to move on.
Then Spyro realised something. If life were to move on, what would happen to the role of the purple dragon? His job was to direct the fate of an era. Now the era of war has passed, what was the point of him? Could he really be the same purple dragon he was through a new era of peace and prosperity?
"Cynder, if the world is changing…" Spyro started to wonder. "What's going to happen to us?"
"What do you mean?" Cynder asked, confused by Spyro's question.
"Well, if the world is at peace, what role do we play in this era?" Spyro clarified. "I was meant to save the world that Malefor corrupted. But that world has passed; does anyone need me anymore?"
Spyro looked at Cynder, waiting for her response, but instead of a look of contemplation, he noticed that the black dragoness looked rather hurt. It was as if she didn't like what Spyro had to say.
But what she said next took him by surprise.
"I need you…"
Before Spyro could respond, he found himself face-to-face with Cynder. The black dragoness, at incredible speed, leant in closer and met his lips in a gentle kiss. At the moment when the two of them locked lips, Spyro's eyes widened and he felt himself go rigid. He had always dreamt of the moment when he and Cynder would kiss, but he didn't think today of all days was the day it was finally going to happen.
But despite the questionable timing, something about the kiss felt so right to him. His heart was beating at such a remarkable rate as a comforting warmth spread over his body. He just knew that there were sparks flying around him and Cynder.
However, when Spyro started to relax into the kiss and was returning the gesture, Cynder then quickly separated and stared at the purple dragon; her eyes widened intensely and darted all over the place, her cheeks a deep red with embarrassment as if the kiss was unexpected to her.
"I, um… that wasn't… I mean…" Cynder stammered, unable to get a sentence together. "I didn't…"
"Cynder, it's okay—"
The black dragoness then started to back away slowly. "I'm sorry, I… I… I have to go."
Spyro wanted to go after her, but he was still reeling from the kiss that his limbs struggled to move forward. "Cynder, wait! I need you too…"
But his words were meaningless as Cynder bolted out of the gardens and out of sight, leaving Spyro alone to absorb everything that had transpired. He should be happy; he and Cynder kissed for the first time and that was a moment that Spyro wasn't going to forget anytime soon.
However, he couldn't exactly shout out in glee that the girl of his dreams had just kissed him. Cynder was nowhere to be found, and Spyro wasn't sure why.
Why did she kiss him? And if she wanted to kiss him, why run away immediately after?
Spyro should be happy, yet he wasn't. He was worried. Worried that the one dragoness he cared about most in the world may not want to see him again.
(-)
"So you guys kissed?"
"...Yup."
"And then she ran away?"
"That's right."
Later that afternoon and after apologising to the Guardians about his outburst earlier, Spyro had returned to his room and wasted the hours away staring at his ceiling while explaining the whole thing to Sparx.
All he could think about was the kiss between him and Cynder, and how he felt an intense fireworks in his stomach. For a time, it made him happy but then he thought about Cynder's reaction and his happiness diminished.
Sparx rubbed the back of his head, unsure what to think of his brother's ordeal. "Wow… that's a lot to take in, man," he said.
"I don't get it, Sparx," Spyro muttered, lifting himself up from his bed to look at the dragonfly. "After she kissed me, she looked so… the way she looked at me, she was too embarrassed to even be around me."
Sparx remained silent for a moment. Seeing his brother the way he was: glum, dejected and somewhat heartbroken, it was all new to the dragonfly. Spyro had never acted this way before, at least in front of him. He didn't know what to say to make Spyro feel more at ease. He was only the comedic relief, he couldn't relate to what Spyro was feeling at this moment.
Still, he had to say something… right?
"You shouldn't overthink this, bro," Sparx said with a shrug. "I know that I don't know Cynder as well as you do, but the last thing she'll ever be around you is embarrassed."
Spyro didn't respond to his brother; he merely sunk back down and gazed at the ceiling once again. That told Sparx everything: what he was saying wasn't working. He had to try a little harder than that.
"Spyro… why don't you just go find Cynder and talk to her?" the dragonfly then suggested. "It seems to me that the two of you need to discuss things…"
The purple dragon considered Sparx's words and knew that he had a point. This problem wasn't going to be resolved unless he and Cynder actually talked about the kiss, and if it actually meant anything. It wasn't going to be solved if he just laid in bed all day; if he was like that all the time, then Malefor would've easily won the war.
Spyro rose up to face his brother again. "Even if I could, what would I do? What would I say?" he wondered.
"Well, duh! Tell her how you feel about her, obviously!" Sparx exclaimed, waving his limbs around in a frustrated manner. "Which, to me, is baffling considering that you two used to be enemies."
"Sparx…"
"Sorry, sorry, it's a lot to process," Sparx muttered. "Give a guy a break, geez!"
Spyro took a deep breath and leapt off his bed. He knew it was time, and there was no going back. "Ok, ok, I'm going to do it. I'm going to tell Cynder how I feel."
"Good luck," was all Sparx had to say. He still had to get used to the idea of Spyro having feelings for the black dragoness that he constantly bickered with, but if Cynder made his brother happy then who was he to judge?
Spyro moved from his bed and headed to the door. When he opened it to leave, the one thing he didn't expect at this moment was someone standing right on the other side of the door.
Cynder.
"Gah! Cynder?!" Spyro stammered, completely taken back by Cynder's sudden appearance.
Cynder, who looked like she was about to knock on the door, looked just as surprised as Spyro was. "Sorry, sorry!" she shouted out, trying to prevent Spyro from panicking. "I didn't mean to scare you!"
"No, no, it's okay," Spyro said, taking a breath to calm himself down. "I was actually hoping to see you again."
Cynder slightly blushed. "You were?" she asked. She then rubbed the back of her neck in an awkward, almost uncharacteristic, manner. "I was, um, hoping to see you again as well."
Noticing the atmosphere was becoming increasingly thick with anxiety, Sparx cleared his throat as he headed out the door. "Well, I might give you two some space. There's so much tension in here, you can cut it with a knife!"
Once the dragonfly had left to do his own thing for a while, Spyro let Cynder into his room and shut the door behind him. The two teenage dragons were silent, unsure who was going to break the tension first. Spyro had hoped that he would rehearse what he wanted to say to Cynder in his head before actually talking to her. Now that she was standing opposite him, Spyro felt he was completely thrown into the deep end.
Luckily for him, Cynder spoke up first. "So, does Sparx–?"
"Yeah he knows."
"Oh ok…"
The awkward tension in the room became thick once again, as silence fell against Spyro and Cynder once again. Spyro mentally face-palmed himself that he couldn't just talk to Cynder as he normally would. One kiss wasn't going to be the end of what they already have.
"Listen, Spyro… about what happened to us, back in the garden…"
"We kissed?"
Cynder nodded. "Yes, we did kiss," she murmured, tucking her wings close to the rest of her body. "I d-don't know what came over me. We were talking about Ignitus and then the future and h-how you felt that no one needed y-you… and I d-don't know what happened, I… um…"
The black dragoness then stopped rambling altogether, defeated by the fact that she couldn't quite finish what she was trying to say. She sighed and looked down at the ground shamefully. "I'm sorry… expressing my feelings is still new to me."
"It's okay," Spyro said with an understanding smile. "Take as much time as you need."
"Okay, okay…" Cynder took a moment to recollect her thoughts before speaking up once again. "There's something I've been wanting to say to you, Spyro, ever since you rebuilt the world…"
Spyro stared at Cynder quizzically. She'd been wanting to say something to him all this time? But why hadn't she said anything before now? Spyro was probably the one dragon that Cynder could say anything to, but he understood why she didn't. As she mentioned before, Cynder was still new to expressing her feelings.
"What I'm trying to say is…" Cynder then paused suddenly and took a long deep breath as she gazed into the purple dragon's amethyst eyes. "I really like you, Spyro."
Spyro's heart skipped a beat as his eyes widened. He must've misunderstood Cynder; did she really say that she, the former Terror of the Skies, really liked him? If Cynder hadn't kissed him earlier, then Spyro would've been taken completely by surprise.
After all this time, Spyro was worried that Cynder wouldn't have feelings for him or if her heart might be taken by someone else or she just wasn't interested whatsoever. But now, Spyro didn't need to be concerned as the dragoness that he cared about the most in the world shared the same love that he felt.
Now that Cynder had confessed, there was no point in hiding anything anymore.
It was time.
With Spyro rendered speechless by her words, Cynder shamefully lowered her head and turned herself away from the purple dragon. She didn't want to look at him, see the rejection in his eyes and hear him say what she'd been dreading.
Did she confess too soon? Perhaps she was too late and Spyro had found someone else? Cynder should've felt a hint of relief when the words that she'd been keeping contained within herself so long finally revealed themselves, however all she could feel was pain.
Because there was no way that someone that was once considered the Terror of the Skies could ever find love.
"Spyro… I…"
But Spyro then finally spoke, interrupting the black dragoness with words that she thought would never leave his mouth.
"Cynder… I really like you too."
At that moment, Cynder froze and spun around to face the purple dragon's gaze once again. Like Spyro was before, Cynder's eyes were wide; she sat there, stuck in place and unable to budge from the sheer shock of Spyro's confession.
She couldn't believe what she heard; she wondered if all this was just a dream, if her inner demons were messing around in her head again. But her doubts were washed away instantly when she looked into Spyro's eyes, and the small, anxious smile that was spreading across his face.
He wasn't lying; it was the truth.
Cynder couldn't help but smile back. The two dragons soon moved closer together, before shuffling away briefly to turn their heads away as they blushed simultaneously. But the awkwardness quickly faded as Spyro dragged one of his paws towards Cynder, gently clutching her paw.
"So, what happens to us now?" Spyro then asked.
"I don't know," Cynder replied, rubbing Spyro's paw as she adjusted with the comforting feeling of his touch. "But whatever happens, we can work it out together."
"Well, why don't we go out tomorrow night?" Spyro suggested. "We can spend time together. No Sparx, no one else around. Just the two of us."
Cynder's smile got wider. "Yeah… I'd like that."
"I'll come to your room sometime after nightfall?"
Cynder nodded. "Sounds good."
Then, to both of their surprise, Cynder leant in closer and gave Spyro a quick kiss. When the black dragoness realised what she did, her blush deepened as it spread across her cheeks. "I, um, don't know why I did that," she murmured with an inelegant laugh. "I'm gonna go now. I'll see you tomorrow night, Spyro."
Spyro chuckled. "See you tomorrow, Cynder."
Cynder then turned around and left Spyro's room, leaving the door wide open for Sparx to fly through a few minutes later. Spyro, meanwhile, proceeded to jump onto his bed and laid in a relaxing position on his back, a smile permanently plastered on his face.
"So, um, did everything go okay?" Sparx wondered, noticing Spyro's mood. "Or should I be worried for my well being?"
A lot of thoughts were swimming through Spyro's head at this point, but there was only one answer that could describe everything that happened to him.
"Everything is just perfect."
(-)
The next day, both Spyro and Cynder were excited for nighttime to fall. But as much as Spyro wanted to spend the day losing focus and thinking only of the black dragoness he cared about so much, he needed to make sure that their first date was a date to remember.
Eventually, the light faded away and day turned into night. While most of Warfang would be in their homes and preparing to rest up for the next day, this was not the case for the purple dragon.
Spyro was making his way through the many dimly lit corridors of the Dragon Temple, a pawful of purple lavenders clutched softly in his maw. He found them in the Temple Gardens when he was there yesterday, deciding to get them later so they could be much fresher as opposed to leaving them in his room all day.
From the short distance between his room and his destination, thoughts began floating about inside Spyro's mind. New thoughts, different thoughts, thoughts that weren't about defeating Malefor or even fighting in general. They were more of the romantic variety…
Tonight was the night. Tonight was his first date with Cynder.
Okay, Spyro… this is it. All you gotta do is not mess this up, Spyro thought as his heart was racing with every step. It's just like hanging out, you hang out with her all of the time… except with more nuzzling and holding each tails, I presume.
Spyro had to admit that he wasn't a hopeless romantic. For years, he didn't know what love was even if it smacked him in the face. Of course, when he was younger, his parents told him the concept of love and relationships back in the Swamp but it didn't exactly help him; he was a completely different species compared to the other dragonflies. But that didn't stop him from falling in love, he just would have to wait a while until he found somebody he could relate to.
Spyro approached Cynder's door slowly, his heart at this point beating so fast that he couldn't hear himself think. He sat on his haunches, lavenders still in his maw, and stood there firmly like a statue, unable to move as his nerves completely took over.
Breathe, Spyro… It's just Cynder, you can do this.
Spyro took a deep breath and knocked four times on Cynder's door before retracting his paw quickly as if he did something wrong. There was no response straight away but Spyro could've sworn he heard some faint shuffling behind the door.
Was she busy? Was Cynder even in her room? Spyro wasn't sure where she could even be at this time of night. Part of him was worried, maybe somehow her nerves got the better of her? Spyro shook his head, not wanting to even think of that possibility. If Cynder was that nervous, she wouldn't have agreed to a date in the first place.
"Hang on a second!" the voice of Cynder suddenly shouted from the opposite side of the door. Hearing Cynder's voice made Spyro feel slightly more at ease knowing that she was actually in her room.
As he could hear Cynder getting closer and closer to the door, Spyro took the liberty to prepare himself so that he looked decent in front of his date. He stood up straighter, puffed his chest out and reset his posture. In his head, he hoped that he looked like a gentle-dragon rather than an idiot.
When Cynder opened the door, Spyro was left completely speechless. Cynder's black scales somehow sparkled in the slight moonlight that was coming through her bedroom window, it made them shiner and more appealing. Even her silver choker and matching braces glinted in the torchlight in front of her.
But Spyro's main focus was her eyes, dark emerald green orbs that stared right into his. It felt soothing, perhaps seducing, looking at them. Spyro always found a way to get lost into them; it was his one weakness.
"Hi, purple boy…" she said softly.
Spyro's eyes widened and his face instantly heated up when the words 'purple boy' escaped from Cynder's mouth. In all of the time that Spyro knew her, she had never called him that before. It was new, it was surprising… and yet, he liked it.
"H-Hey Cynder," Spyro greeted, completely forgetting that the lavenders were in his maw. However he soon realised when Cynder gave him a look and gently placed the flowers on the floor, a blush spreading across his cheeks. "Sorry…"
Cynder couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "Are you those for me?" she then wondered.
"Yeah, well… I saw them in the Temple Garden and I thought…" Spyro muttered nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I thought they were pretty and well… you're pretty too so I figured you would like them."
A small, shy smile formed across Cynder's maw, the black dragoness now blushing more than Spyro. "That's very nice of you, Spyro," she said. "Wait here, I'll go find somewhere to put these."
So Cynder picked up the lavenders in her maw and dashed back into her room. Spyro remained put on the edge of the doorway, but he did poke his head into Cynder's room.
Cynder's room was identical to Spyro's own. It was a bare stone-clad room with only the bare essentials: a bed, a table and a bookshelf. Both Spyro and Cynder never bothered to decorate their respective rooms as they didn't have many possessions, only the various sets of armour they collected when they were chained up together. But they both decided to stash them away in a chest if they need them again, which Spyro hoped would never happen.
However, unlike Spyro's table, hers actually had some items on it. Pieces of parchment were nicely placed on a pile in the corner of the table, a quill and ink bottle was also on the opposite end. Spyro knew that Cynder was practising her writing to prepare herself for when they both start classes with the Guardians once Warfang had been fully rebuilt.
I'm proud of her; she's improving a lot… Spyro said in his head, smiling at the thought. If only the rest of the city could see that.
Soon enough, Cynder re-emerged from her room, slightly breathless. "Okay, I'm ready," she said.
Spyro chuckled at Cynder's slight breathlessness. "Alright, let's go…" he said before they started to stroll down the Temple corridor.
Cynder followed Spyro closely behind as he led her away from her room and towards the entrance to the Temple. The two teenage dragons were quiet on their walk, thinking about the night ahead. Both believe they wouldn't get to this point: the two of them, on a date, their relationship transitioning from friendship to romantic. It was all new to them, especially for Cynder.
All her time as the Terror of the Skies, she couldn't have imagined her life was going to end up the way it was now. But, for once, Cynder wasn't worried about her past or the people that constantly berated her. Tonight, it was her and Spyro… and no one was going to ruin it.
"So what have you got planned?" Cynder wondered as they walked side-by-side.
Spyro gave her a smile. "You'll see," he muttered in a cryptic tone.
By the way that Spyro spoke, it made Cynder even more excited. She could feel a fluttering sensation in her stomach as she eagerly anticipated the night ahead. This evening was going to be special, she was certain of it.
And she couldn't wait to find out why.
(-)
It wasn't long before Spyro and Cynder reached their destination. It was a small hill overlooking the park that wasn't too far from the Temple. A singular tree was planted in the centre of the hill, the branches and leaves hanging out enough to provide shade in the summer. It was pretty secluded so it was good for private occasions; Spyro had seen other couples either sitting there, resting together or having a nice picnic. It was perfect for him and Cynder since there would be no one around to bother them.
"Well… here we are," Spyro murmured as the two young dragons made it to the top of the hill.
"It's beautiful here," Cynder said, gazing at the scenery as she sat next to Spyro.
Spyro chuckled. "That's not all, take a look…" he suggested as he gestured his head towards the tree.
Cynder gave Spyro a confused look and before she could ask why, Spyro moved aside so that Cynder could have a closer look. Cynder edged forward slightly as she caught a glimpse of a tiny bit of light radiating from behind the tree. Her mouth slightly opened with surprise at what was near the trunk of the tree.
A picnic blanket was laid nicely on the grass, complete with a basket which Cynder couldn't tell if it had something in it or not. In the middle edge of the blanket was a small lamp, providing enough light for the blanket to be fully illuminated.
After seeing the picnic setup, Cynder was completely speechless. She rose her paw to her mouth to stop herself from completely breaking down in tears of joy. "Spyro… this is just… wow, this is amazing," Cynder struggled to put her words together. "How did you do all of this?"
Spyro rubbed the back of his head. "I may have had some help from Sparx…"
"Wow, Sparx helped you set this up?" Cynder laughed. "Now that surprises me…"
"Actually I only asked him to keep watch over the hill in case anyone came around," Spyro explained. "I told him to leave when he saw us coming, so he's probably gone now."
Cynder smirked. "Good… I get you all to myself," she muttered.
Spyro then led her towards the picnic basket and sat on his haunches. Cynder soon followed and nudged herself closer to the purple dragon, allowing herself to feel his body heat. The second that Cynder got closer, Spyro felt himself stiffen. Besides from the occasional comforting hug or whenever Cynder leant her head against his shoulder, this was the first time that the two dragons had ever been this close to each other.
"C-Comfy?" Spyro wondered, his face immediately becoming as red as a tomato.
"Very," Cynder answered.
Spyro, not wanting to leave Cynder's embrace, snaked his tail towards the basket, coiling around the handle and slowly moved it closer to him. "Did you want some grapes?" he offered, taking a single grape from the basket and passing it to Cynder. "For a pre-dinner snack?"
"Sure," Cynder said as she ate the grape out of Spyro's paw. "What are we having anyway?"
"I bought a couple of fish from the market," Spyro answered as he grabbed a couple of pieces of fish from the basket and passed one to Cynder. "It was all that I could afford…"
Cynder's eyes lit up at the sight of the fish. "Ooh these look delicious!" she exclaimed, licking her lips. "Sure beats the food that they serve at the Temple. I'm not sure if I could handle another serving of pea soup."
Spyro shrugged. "We've had worse during the war; remember those pirates? They only served us stale bread and muddy water."
"I suppose that's true," Cynder said. "So how are we going to eat this? I mean, I don't mind it being raw—"
Spyro then grinned. "Oh, watch this."
The purple dragon suddenly, to Cynder's surprise, threw the fish into the air above him. As the fish briefly flew, Spyro readied himself and, when the fish started to plummet back towards the ground, shot out a jet of flame which directly covered the fish in a small fiery aura.
Once the flame had dissipated, the fish continued to fall towards where Spyro and Cynder sat. Spyro once again prepared himself and instantly snatched the fish in his jaw before it could impact the grass. The fish, thanks to Spyro's fire breath, was now crisped up and slightly steaming.
Spyro gave a cheeky wink and sat the fish near Cynder's paw. Cynder couldn't help but smile, she knew that Spyro didn't need to impress her but she nonetheless appreciated the gesture.
"Show off," Cynder murmured playfully, rolling her eyes as she took a bite from her now cooked fish.
"What do you mean?" Spyro smirked, as he grabbed another fish and began cooking it in a less impressive way. "That's how I always cook fish…"
Cynder gave him an unconvinced look. "Is that so?"
"Of course…" Spyro blinked, his confidence faltering. "You just haven't seen me do it yet!"
Unfortunately for the purple dragon, Cynder was able to read him like a book. "Hmm, indeed," she muttered. "Then how come you haven't done it before?"
"Um…" Spyro rubbed the back of his head. He wasn't quite sure where he was going with this, nor was Cynder believing the slight lie he told.
Spyro suddenly felt stupid all of a sudden. He wanted to impress Cynder, show her that he was more than the side of him that she saw during the conflict with Malefor's forces. Back then, there was hardly any time to goof around or be somewhat normal. It was about the fight during those days, not the ideal conditions for a young dragon such as himself.
He then sighed. "Okay, you got me," he said. "Maybe I was showing off a bit."
Cynder raised an eyebrow. "A bit?"
"Okay… a lot," Spyro remarked. "But, you know, I just wanted to show a side of myself that you hardly ever get to see. Or anyone gets to see, to be honest…"
Cynder looked up from her fish and gazed curiously at the purple dragon. "What do you mean, Spyro?" she asked, not expecting Spyro to say something like that.
Spyro peered below the small hill they sat atop. "Ever since I left the Swamp, I couldn't really be myself. I had to be this special dragon that had to save the world no matter the cost," he murmured. "No one else could do it; it had to be me! All that responsibility doesn't leave any time to be… well, like anyone else."
The black dragoness could only give Spyro a sympathetic look as he vented. She had no idea that Spyro had been having thoughts like this; in fact, she never questioned it. She always thought that Spyro was fine with the burdens of being a purple dragon, as he, in Cynder's opinion, always fit into the role of an adventurous hero like a glove. However, that didn't seem to be the case.
"Spyro… I had no idea you thought that way," Cynder muttered.
"It's not something I would usually like to admit," Spyro said. "I may have a heavy burden on my shoulders, but it feels lighter when I'm with you."
Cynder smiled slightly, touched by her companion's words. "I feel the same with you, Spyro. Even if everyone is against me, I will always have you by my side."
"Always…"
The two dragons then went silent and simply gazed at the night sky, the moonlight providing the illumination that was needed to see the stars above. It was a glorious view, which made Spyro and Cynder's date night feel a little more special.
"This is very nice, Spyro," Cynder said. "Thank you for bringing me here…"
"I figured you might've enjoyed the peace and quiet," Spyro murmured. "Much better than going to one of those restaurants in the city."
Cynder's smile widened slightly as she leant in closer to Spyro and gently nuzzled the side of his face. The gesture surprised Spyro a bit, but he eventually warmed up to it and accepted the embrace. "You know me too well, dragon boy," Cynder then whispered in his ear.
Spyro snorted in amusement. "Dragon boy? That's new. What happened to 'purple boy'?"
"Well, I'm full of surprises lately," Cynder shrugged. "Why not embrace it?"
"I'm glad to hear that, hero girl," Spyro then said with a confident smirk. However, he saw that Cynder didn't look as impressed. In fact, she looked like she was trying to hold in a fit of laughter.
"That doesn't quite sound right coming from you," she then giggled, shaking her head.
Spyro sighed in defeat. That sounded a lot better in his head. "No… no, it doesn't, does it?" he admitted sheepishly. Maybe he should just leave the nicknames to Cynder.
The two dragons started to laugh simultaneously at Spyro's failed attempt to match Cynder's wit for a brief period, bringing a sense of new energy to their date. Spyro could feel the initial awkwardness creep in at the beginning of the night, but he could now feel that same feeling diminish as the two bantered playfully.
Spyro's worries from earlier soon disappeared as realisation hit him; he didn't need to impress Cynder, he just needed to be himself. That's all she could ever want.
The laughter between the teenaged dragons soon quickly faded away as both Spyro and Cynder stopped to gaze into each other's eyes. There was a time when Spyro wouldn't dare look directly into the black dragoness' emerald green orbs, seeing only a creature that Ignitius once described as 'monstrous, horrific, ferocious' and 'an unstoppable force of nature'.
But he thought that no longer, not for a very long time. Now, whenever he looked into Cynder's eyes, he could only see a dragoness that he cared about so much, even more so after the war. Cynder was the reason he kept fighting until the end.
"Has anyone told you that you have beautiful eyes?" Spyro mumbled.
Underneath her black scales, Cynder blushed and smiled at the purple dragon. "Only you, Spyro…"
"Good…"
Cynder's blush deepened as Spyro pressed his snout against the side of her face and nuzzled it gently, creating a slight tickling sensation. It was enough for Cynder to start laughing again, but the nuzzling wasn't the only thing that was making Cynder happy at this moment.
At this moment, she felt safe. She felt loved by the one that she grew to have a deep fondness for, and she couldn't be happier that he felt the same way.
To Cynder's dismay, Spyro soon stopped nuzzling her and gestured his wing towards the hillside. "Hey, there's something I want to show you," he said.
"What is it?" Cynder wondered, raising an eyebrow.
"Take a look at the stars in the sky," Spyro replied, his head lifting up so he could get a better look at the stars. "Do you see anything different about them?"
Cynder took a moment to stare at the night sky, interested in what Spyro has to show her. All was quiet and the stars shimmered in the moonlight. Cynder squinted her eyes around to try and find anything interesting in the sky, only to find nothing but what laid in front of her.
"Not really…" Cynder muttered, shaking her head.
"Here, if you just look over…" Spyro said as he softly grabbed Cynder's chin with his paw and moved her head so that she was looking where he was looking. "There it is, do you see it now?"
Cynder once again peered into the night sky, closely examining where Spyro wanted her to see. At first, she saw nothing but darkness and small spots of bright light; a typical view of the sky at this time, nothing out of the ordinary.
But she then looked closer at a particular set of stars and an image started to form: a head, a body, a tail, and a set of wings that seemed to span across the city. It took only a minute for the black dragoness to realise what the stars were trying to tell her.
It was a constellation… of a dragon.
"Wait… that's a dragon! I didn't think that was possible… from what Volteer taught us anyway." Cynder muttered surprisingly before turning to Spyro. "What do you think it means?"
"I'm not sure," Spyro answered with a shrug. "But it's something we might figure out later… together."
"Yeah…" Cynder murmured softly. "I like the sound of that."
As Spyro and Cynder watched the stars, Cynder felt Spyro's wing wrap around her back and across to her shoulder. Spyro almost retreated and froze instantly when he saw that Cynder was giving him a look, only to find that she was secretly coiling her tail around his. Spyro's eyes widened at the black dragoness' surprise gesture, but gazed lovingly into her eyes as he eased into it.
It was only a few years ago, in their case, that Spyro and Cynder were bitter enemies, only to find friendship when Cynder was rescued from the Dark Master's clutches… and eventually that friendship blossomed into something so precious that neither of them could ever believe that it was actually happening.
But for Cynder, this was more important than Spyro could ever realise. Back when they defeated Malefor and the purple dragon was about to restore the world, Cynder whispered something so faintly that Spyro unfortunately was unable to hear.
Three little words. I love you.
Back then, she didn't quite understand the full extent of those powerful words. She owed Spyro her life; he was the reason that she was able to even have a life to live. She valued his willingness to help her despite her past, appreciating that he went through hell to just find her again when she ran off.
It wasn't until when they woke from the time crystal that Cynder's feelings towards Spyro became more obvious. There was only one dragon that she could ever potentially love, and that was Spyro. There was no questioning it. She had to tell him before they moved on to the land of the ancestors.
But life had a way of making things interesting. Once the two dragons woke up alive and well, Cynder was back to hiding her feelings once again. But, in a way, Cynder was somewhat relieved, because it meant that she could tell Spyro how he felt face-to-face.
And now, Cynder was finally together with Spyro. Her Spyro, her one and only.
Maybe someday, when she was ready to do so, she could say those three little words to Spyro again.
And… we're finally done!
Yes, as of this chapter, Spyro and Cynder are officially dating!
This was always the plan to get them together at this point as I wanted them to be established as friends rather than just start things off romantically. So I had to break the Spyro fic sin of not really acknowledging Cynder's confession at the end of DOTD.
Next month, I'll be updating another story (most likely finishing off Phoenix) but after that… There'll be another story to tell in this fic. And you'll have to wait until the update to see what it is…
This is TARDIS1039, signing off… Allons-y!
