Hello and welcome to another instalment of My Days With You! I know that I said that I'll be updating another story before updating this one again… but plans change. I was actually updating the other story but the words weren't exactly flowing as it usually does when I'm writing, so here I am now!

From last we left off, Cynder goes off to find Spyro after he storms off when the Guardians tell him they plan to recruit a new Fire Guardian. Finding Spyro in the Temple gardens, Cynder comforts him and the two share their first kiss. However it isn't until later that the two dragons confess their feelings for each other and finally go out on their first official date.

With Spyro and Cynder now officially a couple, what's going to happen next? Let's find out, shall we? Enjoy!

(Chapter 4: Funeral for a Friend)

Rain spread out across the city of Warfang, hiding the sunlight through a layer of dark, thick clouds. Since the weather was awful, no one felt the need to venture around the city or go about their usual normal routine. It was a day that everyone could stay in and watch the rain from the comfort of their home, except for ones that weren't so fortunate to stay inside.

Spyro, draped in a black cloak, silently watched the rainfall from one of the few balconies that the Temple had, his inner thoughts louder than he was.

Today was a grim day for Spyro; today was the day that he had to say goodbye to Ignitus.

While so much had happened since Ignitus' death, Spyro felt like it was only yesterday that the Fire Guardian gave his life to save him and Cynder. That day, Spyro was torn; he was unable to cope with losing someone that he considered a father figure. It would've driven him mad with grief if Cynder wasn't there to comfort him.

When the two dragons returned to the city after defeating Malefor, telling the rest of the Guardians that Ignitus had passed on was difficult to go through. Spyro, to this day, still remembered the small tear that ran down Terrador's face, the one time that the purple dragon had ever seen him cry.

But, as much as they wanted to, no one could mourn for Ignitus just yet. Warfang was in such a state of disrepair that everyone was needed to get it back to at least a liveable state. Now that a month had passed and Warfang had been repaired to a point where everyone could roam around safely, the time to honour Ignitus had now come.

Luckily for Spyro, he doesn't have to grieve alone.

"There you are, Spyro," Cynder's voice interrupted Spyro's thoughts.

Spyro spun around and saw that the black dragoness was standing behind him, also wearing a dark cloak identical to his. At the sight of Cynder, Spyro's sorrowful thoughts washed away slightly. Whenever Spyro felt lost and alone, he knew that Cynder was always there to bring him into the light.

Cynder sat next to him and gave the purple dragon a concerned look. "You okay?" she wondered.

"Yeah, I'm alright," Spyro replied with a nod. "I'm…"

Even though Spyro was looking over the city like a stern gargoyle, Cynder could tell that something was bothering him inside. No matter how much he tried to hide his emotions, Spyro could still be easily read like a book in a library. It was only a matter of time before Spyro's internal defences would eventually break down.

Spyro then slowly turned to his companion and Cynder saw the crack in his brave facade, a single tear streaming down his cheek.

"I'm not ready, Cynder…"

With the purple dragon on the verge of fully breaking down, Cynder edged closer to Spyro and gave him an assuring nuzzle. The gesture was able to calm Spyro down slightly as he eased into the embrace. For a moment, Spyro seemed to forget the world around him. He felt so safe and comfortable whenever Cynder was close to him.

However, while Cynder managed to soothe his sadness, he knew that the feeling was only temporary. Deep down, he was still nervous about what was to come. It had been so long since Ignitus had given his life for him and Cynder; so much had happened since then; the dragons had returned to Warfang and a new Fire Guardian was scheduled to take Ignitus' place. With all the rebuilding and the transition into a somewhat normal life, no one had much time to mourn for Ignitus.

Spyro wanted to delay and stay away from the memorial service as long as he could. That way if he wasn't there, then he wouldn't have to say goodbye. Because, for Spyro at least, that would be the hardest part.

"I know you're not…" Cynder muttered. "I don't think any of us are to be honest."

"But what if I mess up somehow?" Spyro then wondered, his voice quivering. "When Terrador asked me to do a speech, I was more than happy to. But as the days went on, I kept thinking to myself that I wasn't going to honour Ignitus the way he should be… he wouldn't want a blubbering mess to be the one to say goodbye. And I—"

"Ignitus wouldn't think that, you know he wouldn't," Cynder murmured. "He'd be honoured that you are remembering him, and being an emotional mess isn't a bad thing. Ignitus meant so much to you; everyone would understand…"

The purple dragon looked down at the ground, processing Cynder's words in silence. He then felt Cynder's tail intertwine with his as she reached out and softly kissed his cheek. "Everything will be okay…" she then assured him.

"I'm glad you're here with me," Spyro said, a small smile appearing on the side of his face. "I'm not sure if I could cope on my own."

Of course, Cynder already knew what would happen if Spyro's emotions got out of control. In the Belt of Fire, she saw a side of Spyro she'd only ever seen twice: a dark, blank, emotionless face with the whitest eyes—the devil's eyes—and what was once Spyro had completely been replaced with a creature with only vengeance and revenge on their mind.

Both times, it scared her. Fear was a rare emotion for her to feel, considering that she could use the embodiment of fear as a weapon, but seeing Spyro in a state that made him even more dangerous than Malefor? That shook her to the core. She knew what it was like to embrace the darkness, and knew what the consequences were.

So now, Cynder had to make sure he would never tap into that dark manifestation of himself again. She feared that one day, her words of reassurance may not be enough.

"I'll be okay, right?" Spyro then asked the black dragoness with a tone of uncertainty.

"You'll be fine, Spyro," Cynder assured him. She then noticed the untidiness of how Spyro's cloak was wrapped around his neck, knowing how much of a panicky rush the purple dragon was in this morning. "Here, let me fix that."

"Sorry, this bloody thing has a mind of its own…" Spyro murmured sheepishly as Cynder unravelled his cloak and had begun to tie it back again, this time in a more distinguished fashion.

Spyro glanced at Cynder as she was messing with his cloak, a sense of calmness waving over him as he gazed at her. But he soon noticed a disturbed look plastered on Cynder's face and his mind began to wander. Spyro wasn't sure if she was thinking about Ignitus or something else entirely. He knew that Cynder cared about Ignitus a lot, considering that he was the only one, besides himself, that truly believed that she meant no harm to anyone anymore. She was probably grieving as much as he was, and he didn't even notice.

"Hey, how are you feeling by the way?" Spyro asked in a soft tone. "I've been wrapped up in my own things that I forgot to ask about you…"

"Oh, you know, I'm doing okay…" Cynder replied with a shrug, not making eye contact.

Spyro knew that wasn't the case. "But?"

"It's nothing."

"Hey, you can tell me," Spyro muttered, growing slightly concerned. "What's wrong?"

Cynder sighed. She knew that she couldn't hide anything from the purple dragon, he knew her too well. "I'm just a little worried about being around Ignitus' old friends, especially the ones that… fought against me."

Spyro stared at Cynder sympathetically. When he heard that Ignitus' old friends, the ones that survived the war against the Dark Master, were to attend the Fire Guardian's memorial service, he didn't think that anything could go wrong. But he didn't consider their potential past interactions with Cynder since, as far as he knew, only the Guardians had ever fought against the Terror of the Skies… and lived to tell the tale.

What would happen? Would they try to kill her on the spot? Could he protect her from the array of claws, teeth and elemental breath attacks that would come her way?

Surely not, right? They had to be more reasonable than that… Ignitus wouldn't have called them friends if they were aggressive and reckless towards someone. Maybe there was some hope, if the rest of the Guardians believed that Cynder was no longer her past self then surely the other dragons would? Spyro could only wait and see.

"You've changed since the war, Cynder," Spyro said. "If we told them the truth, then I'm sure that their perception of you will change too."

"But what if they don't?" Cynder murmured, just as she was finished fixing Spyro's cloak. "Not everyone is easily able to trust me as you and the Guardians…"

Cynder's thoughts took her back to the night of the Warfang Ball, where a few dragonesses her age instantly turned against her the moment one of them recognized her. They probably weren't even old enough to know her as the Terror of the Skies, yet still poured out nothing but hatred towards her.

She didn't want to have that repeated today, but Cynder knew it was inevitable for the older dragons to see her as her other self. They knew what she was capable of; they fought against her, they saw the cold, emerald eyes stare into their souls as she slaughtered those who dared to stand in their way.

Cynder only wished that Ignitus was still alive; he understood just as much as Spyro did. Only he could convince his old friends that she wasn't that monster anymore. But now, the road to her redemption was so much harder.

"Then that's their problem, not ours…" Spyro then said, snapping Cynder out her thoughts. "We can tell them the truth, but whether or not they believe us is up to them."

"As usual, Spyro, you seem to have the right words for everything."

"Must've gotten it from Ignitus," Spyro said before his mood slightly saddened once more. "He knew exactly the right words to say…"

Cynder lifted her paw and stroked his cheek gently. "He would be so proud of you," she then told Spyro. "You've come so far, further than anyone could imagine."

"Thank you, Cynder," Spyro muttered, staring at the black dragoness with a smile before leaning in and giving her a tender kiss. Spyro was unsure whether kissing someone before going to a friend's funeral was considered appropriate but a part of him didn't care, Cynder was the only one that prevented him from completely breaking down in the corner of a corridor somewhere.

Besides, he wouldn't be able to have that kind of comfort during the service. Today was about Ignitus, and Ignitus only, and exposing his relationship with Cynder in public would certainly turn the wrong kind of heads.

"Urgh, get a room you two," a voice called out from nearby.

Spyro and Cynder separated and both turned to see Sparx floating from inside of the Temple, shuffling away from each other uncomfortably when they realised that they've been caught… again.

"O-Oh, hey, Sparx," Spyro said. "Cynder and I were just talking… she was helping me to get my head straight."

Sparx raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh, looked like a real serious conversation there," he said. If only he knew what they were really talking about.

"Anyway, Terrador is looking for you guys," Sparx then muttered. "Some of the much older dragons are starting to turn up."

Spyro's heart pounded faster. If Ignitus' friends and any surviving family members were turning up, it meant the time for his speech was quickly approaching. Even after Cynder's reassuring words, Spyro still wasn't sure if he was ready yet.

"Tell Terrador we're on our way," Cynder said to the dragonfly before he flew off. When they were alone once more, she turned to Spyro. "You ready?"

Again, Spyro wasn't sure. He wanted to say that he wasn't and skip the funeral, forever burdening himself that he couldn't get the chance of closure. It wouldn't be what Ignitus wanted for him, he would've wanted him to keep going and aim for a better future. There has to be a time to finally say goodbye, and Spyro couldn't cling on to the past for much longer.

After a moment of silence, Spyro had his answer. "Yeah… I am."

(-)

Spyro and Cynder caught up to Sparx just as he was about to reach the gardens, located at the top floor of the Temple; it was thankfully protected by the rainy weather outside thanks to an old-looking piece of fabric that draped over it from each corner.

In various parts of the garden, the parts where it was nice and dry, groups of dragons were sitting on their haunches and talking amongst themselves. Terrador, Volteer and Cyril were rotating between groups separately to make sure that everyone was okay and settling in nicely.

When seeing the amount of unfamiliar dragons in the area, Cynder became more nervous than she already was. She saw the various scars and other battle-torn ailments and she felt her muscles tense up. The fact that she couldn't recognise anyone was more concerning that it sounded; that meant that her other self felt that these dragons weren't even worth remembering. To the Terror of the Skies, they were nothing more than insects that needed to be swatted.

"Hey, I think some of the moles are bringing in the food now," Sparx said with an inappropriate amount of excitement. "Good timing too, because I'm starving!"

"Sparx, be respectful," Spyro hissed. "This is a funeral, not a party."

"I know that, but can't a guy look forward to a decent meal for once?" Sparx murmured with a shrug. However, when he saw his brother giving him an unimpressed death glare, he raised his hands in innocence. "Alright, point taken… but I'm still going to check out the buffet table!"

Sparx then proceeded to speed off across the gardens and out of sight. Spyro simply rolled his eyes at his brother's lack of empathy. He knew that the dragonfly, despite not really knowing Ignitus as much as he did, was probably grieving in his own way, even if that meant maintaining his classic Sparx-like attitude.

"Can you believe him?" Spyro turned to Cynder, only to see that she was wide-eyed and completely frozen in place. Spyro tapped her on the foreleg to get her attention. "Hey, you okay?"

"Huh?" Cynder blinked and shook her head. "Yeah, yeah… sorry, just bad memories."

"Do you want to head downstairs?" Spyro suggested. "We don't have to—"

"No, Spyro, I can do this," Cynder interjected. "Like you said, right? If they don't believe I've changed then that's their problem."

Spyro was still concerned for his girlfriend. He didn't want the same thing that happened at the Warfang Ball to happen to Cynder again, all this hostility wasn't good for someone as sensitive as her. "Are you sure?" he then asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," Cynder said after taking a long deep breath. "I hope so anyway…"

"Alright… but if you start to feel uneasy then let me know, okay?" Spyro muttered, gently grasping Cynder's paw.

Cynder smiled at the purple dragon. "Deal."

Soon enough, as Spyro and Cynder were about to make conversation with the rest of the guests, Sparx eventually returned. But this time however, he wasn't alone.

"Hey guys, look who I found!" the dragonfly exclaimed.

With him was a humanoid cheetah sporting a hooded cloak, which they lifted off as soon as they saw Spyro and Cynder. The two teenage dragons' eyes widened at the sight of the cheetah, who gave a warm smile as they started to recognise him.

"Hunter?" Spyro said.

The cheetah bowed his head slightly. "Greetings to you, Spyro," Hunter muttered. "Cynder, a pleasure to see you again."

"It's good to see you too," Cynder said. "How long have you been in Warfang?"

"Not long, I only arrived last night," Hunter replied. "Without the use of the Forbidden Tunnel, the journey from my village to the Dragon City is a treacherous one."

"Gee, I wonder how long that took you," Sparx commented. "I can barely make it to the city centre these days."

"Well, I'm glad to see that you didn't run into much trouble," Spyro said, not acknowledging what Sparx had said. "Who knows how much of Malefor's forces still roam the land…"

That was something Spyro had been avoiding thinking about for some time. Ever since he put the world back together again, he wondered if all of Malefor's forces had been wiped out as soon as their master died or if there were remnants scattered across the land. Both Spyro and Cynder had been so busy with the rebuilding of Warfang that anything occurring outside of the city walls wasn't as much of a priority.

"Wait, you're telling me that those weird creature things are still around?" Sparx queried, shuddering at the thought. "I thought that you wiped them out."

"I never said that," Spyro said, shaking his head.

"Well, you implied it," Sparx remarked. "Forgive me if I didn't think that there would be any of them left after the world almost ended…"

"Whether Malefor's army remains or not, it's nothing that any of us can't handle," Hunter muttered. "But hopefully a time like that will never come again."

"Boy, you said it," Sparx murmured.

Hunter then turned to Spyro and Cynder. "How have you two been since the war ended? Sparx has been telling me stories of what the three of you get up to."

"We've been fine, it's a bit of a relief that the fight is over," Spyro replied. "Although, I have to admit that adjusting to a normal life is not as easy as it sounds."

"Especially for me, a lot of the other dragons haven't quite warmed up to me yet," Cynder added.

Hunter gave the black dragoness an empathetic glance. "I am sorry to hear that, Cynder," he said. "From what Ignitus had told me, your life was not a simple one and your actions were beyond your control. I can only hope that one day, everyone can share the same trust I share with you."

"I hope so too…" Cynder said.

"What about you, Hunter?" Spyro then spoke up. "How are things with you? Is your village okay?"

"Prowlus still giving you a hard time?" Cynder added with a cheeky smirk.

Hunter chuckled in amusement. "Not as often as before," he answered. "But besides that, the rest of the village is well, thankfully we didn't sustain much structural damage during the Grublin attack."

"I'm glad to hear that," Spyro said. "Maybe Cynder and I could come and visit sometime?"

Hunter smiled. "After what you and Cynder have done, we would be honoured to have you."

"Oh sweet, a vacation!" Sparx exclaimed. "I bet the people would love to host me as well."

"Not so much, I'm afraid," Hunter muttered, shaking his head as the smile quickly disappeared from his face.

"Well, that's fair enough I suppose…" Sparx murmured before he stopped in his tracks and blinked, his face becoming more confused and offended. "Wait, hold on a second—"

Before Sparx could say anything more, Terrador decided to separate from the group he was with and approached the group. His gaze towards Spyro wasn't exactly friendly, it was more melancholic than what Spyro is used to seeing.

Spyro could only assume one thing; the time to say goodbye was slowly approaching.

"Hunter, good to see you again," he greeted. The cheetah bowed his head as Terrador then turned his attention to the purple dragon. "Spyro, we're about to start the service. Are you ready for your speech?"

Spyro felt a moment of hesitation, not sure whether or not he should answer. He eventually swallowed a lump in his throat and spoke up. "Yeah… I'm ready."

Terrador nodded. "We're all gathering around in the centre; we're going to unveil the statue."

Spyro's eyes gazed over to the centre of the garden, where the statue that Terrador had mentioned was draped in a white sheet. This wasn't a complete surprise to Spyro, since he and Cynder shared their first kiss nearby, but he had yet to actually see the statue for himself. He knew it was of Ignitus, but whether or not he was carved to be sitting or standing or even flying was something that Spyro hadn't quite figured out yet.

Everyone had started to circle around as Terrador wandered over to sit himself in front of the statue. Spyro's heart raced, his claws started to dig into the grass; he couldn't go through with this, he just couldn't.

Spyro then felt a wing wrap around his back, turning his head to see that Cynder was trying to comfort him once again.

"It's okay, Spyro…" she muttered quietly.

Knowing that he was at a point of no return, Spyro nodded and walked beside Cynder as she started to lead him towards the statue. The two dragons moved through the crowd towards the front; Hunter and Sparx followed them closely behind and chose a spot next to him. Spyro could feel a bit of weight lifted off his shoulders; at least if he broke down, he would have his friends there to support him.

Terrador cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention. "Good morning everyone," he said. "Thank you for being here today, despite the gloomy weather. Today we've gathered to celebrate the life of a friend, a hero… and most importantly the one that's kept us together in the darkest of times."

The earth dragon grabbed the white cloth with his claws. "Our fallen Guardian… Ignitus," he then muttered, completely ripping the fabric away.

Once the white sheet had been torn away, the statue of Ignitus had been fully unveiled. The statue depicted Ignitus sitting on his haunches, his paws resting against a piece of rock. It was carved from a glistening piece of white marble, perfectly recreating all of the former Fire Guardian's features: his scales, his frills, his wings, and most importantly, his smile. Once Spyro saw the statue, he knew that it was Ignitus immediately just from the way he was smiling.

Just below Ignitus' front legs, a gold plaque was bolted below it, which had a small amount of text etched into it.

The text read: Ignitus. Guardian, Mentor, Hero, Friend. Rest well, may the ancestors guide you through to the next life.

The sight of the newly unveiled statue brought a small tear to Spyro's eye. This was the first time that he had seen his former mentor, in any shape or form, since the Belt of Fire. It hurt the purple dragon more that the real Ignitus wasn't here to see himself immortalised in the gardens above the Temple. Spyro thought about how Ignitus would react if he was still alive; would he be honoured? Or perhaps would he be humbled but unsure about having a statue of himself? Spyro didn't think he would've hated it, so it was either one or the other.

After the crowd had awed over the statue of Ignitus, Terrador cleared his throat and continued to speak.

"For a long time, Ignitus and I had always been at each other's sides. We were almost like brothers, as was the bond between the rest of the Guardians," he said. "Before the war raged on, Ignitus would always come up here and simply take in the view of this place. He told me once that the gardens always reminded him of his life before he was appointed a Guardian; it was a home away from home."

Terrador then looked over to the statue of Ignitus. "May you soar through the gardens peacefully, my friend…" he muttered.

Spyro laid his head down in sadness, realising why the statue was placed in the gardens as opposed to a courtyard outside somewhere. Ignitus never really mentioned his life before the Guardians, before the war, or any part of his life that didn't involve the events after escaping from the Terror of the Skies. If only Ignitus was still here, then he could've gotten to know more about the dragon that taught him so much.

Terrador then faced the crowd again. "Now, Ignitus had a fair share of protégés he's taken under his wing over the years. Our very own Spyro was the latest in a long line, and was very close to Ignitus in the final years of his life," he said before he found Spyro in the crowd. "Spyro, would you like to say something?"

A few murmurs and whispers seeped through the crowd, as if they were completely blind by Spyro standing directly in front of the Earth Guardian. Spyro nodded his head; he could've said no but he knew that the question was rhetorical.

Spyro walked over to where Terrador was standing and looked over the small crowd in front of him. Funeral service aside, this was the first time that Spyro was addressing more than himself, Cynder, Sparx and the Guardians. He wasn't used to giving big speeches to anyone.

Spyro was nervous; he gulped and struggled to think of anything to say as many pairs of eyes were staring directly at him. His first instinct was to make eye contact with Cynder, who saw his pleading eyes as a call for help.

Cynder only returned with an encouraging smile, silently urging him to take a deep breath by simultaneously heaving her chest forward and using a wave of her paw to indicate when to breathe.

Spyro did exactly what she said and took a deep breath. As soon as he exhaled, he felt more at ease. All his nerves faded away slightly; the crowd didn't seem to bother him as much anymore. He exchanged another smile with Cynder, mentally saying thank you to her.

"Hello everyone…" Spyro then started to say, losing track of his words instantly. He wasn't quite sure what to say next; while he did prepare what he was going to say beforehand, it was all immediately wiped away as soon as everyone started to look at him, judging him with silent ambience.

"To tell you the truth, I didn't know Ignitus as well as I thought. While he was a trusted mentor to me, he very rarely talked about his life before the war…" Spyro continued. "But despite not knowing him as well, he still meant everything to me. He was loved by all; either as a friend, a member of the family, a fellow warrior, a Guardian. But to me, he was always my mentor, someone I could look up to, someone who I could aspire to be…"

Cynder could see the look in Spyro's eyes; he looked like he was about to break down. All Cynder wanted to do was run up to him and just be by his side as he talked. But she knew deep down that Spyro had to do this alone, and she didn't think, with her reputation, that interrupting an eulogy wouldn't exactly be a good look for her.

Spyro, once again, took a breath to regain his composure. "When I first met Ignitus in the swamps, I didn't know who I was or what I was going into at the time. Back then, I thought I was a big purple dragonfly that had no real purpose in life. That all changed when I stumbled across Ignitus; he made me who I was," he said. "He gave me a sense of purpose… and I think I did the same to him. He was so haunted by the failures of the past that he gave up on fighting, but I think he saw my courage and willingness to at least try and fight back and that was able to reignite his fiery spark…"

The purple dragon fell silent as old memories filled his mind. He remembered the first time he met Ignitus, which to him only felt like a month or two ago. He was young back then, so naive to the chaos and dangers that surrounded the swamps. Ignitus was the first dragon that he ever saw, and Spyro remembered how slightly intimidating he felt. A lot of strange creatures had attacked him; he wasn't sure who to trust back then.

But he grew to admire the Fire Guardian. Spyro thought about the many training sessions he endured, how Ignitus encouraged him when he failed and how impressed he was when Spyro eventually succeeded. Ignitus even taught him how to fly; Spyro could feel the happiness and hope when he took to the skies for the first time in his life.

However, Spyro then remembered the first time he saw Ignitus after being suspended in the Time Crystal for so long. Even when he disappeared for three years, Ignitus never lost hope. That was something Spyro always admired about him; despite the ongoing war, Ignitus always knew that he would return to save the world.

A world that Ignitus would never see.

"Then he gave his life to save me and Cynder. I never got the time to say goodbye or thank you for everything he's done since; without him, the world would be in pieces," Spyro muttered. There were a few heads that discreetly glanced in Cynder's direction, which Cynder simply ignored so she could focus on supporting Spyro. "If only he could see the world we live in now, a world in peace for the first time in decades. Sometimes I'd like to think that he's looking down on us alongside our ancestors, smiling at how proud we've made him."

Spyro then glanced up towards the statue of the fallen Fire Guardian and a weak smile formed on the corner of his mouth, a single tear streaming down his cheek.

"We'll miss you, Ignitus… I'll miss you most of all. Thank you… for everything."

Once the purple dragon had stopped speaking, Hunter started to applaud politely. The other dragons also clapped for Spyro's speech as soon as Hunter's hands grew louder. Spyro managed a weak smile before he returned to Cynder's side.

Hunter then knelt down to Spyro's height. "That was a fine speech, Spyro," he murmured.

"I agree," Cynder said. "Ignitus would've loved it."

"You think so?" Spyro wondered, sounding uncertain of himself.

Cynder gave him a brief nuzzle. "I know so."

"I mean… the beginning was a bit awkward," Sparx chimed in, earning a glare from both Cynder and Hunter. "But it was nice, I couldn't have said those things better myself," he then added to ease the tension.

Spyro could only smile slightly at his brother, knowing he meant well. "Thanks, Sparx…"

As the applause died down, Terrador returned to his spot just beside Ignitus' statue. As he called Cyril to say his eulogy, Spyro's focus remained on the statue of Ignitus. Whenever Spyro saw the stone form of his former mentor, he couldn't help but feel guilty for the circumstances that caused his death. He knew that it wasn't his fault, and that there was nothing he could've done to save Ignitus without killing himself in the process.

However, as mentioned in his speech, Spyro never had the chance to say goodbye or even say thank you. He had to live with the burden that Ignitus gave his own life so that he and Cynder could both live.

But, now after he gave his eulogy, Spyro felt something else: a sense of peace and acceptance. He finally gave himself the emotional closure that he needed to fully move on and live his life without the burdens of the past. Spyro would always miss Ignitus, there was no doubt about that, but he no longer felt haunted by the fact he never properly said goodbye to him.

Spyro recalled something that Ignitus' spirit said to him just as he was about to put the world back together again, words that would forever inspire him for the rest of his life.

When a dragon dies, he does not truly leave this world. His spirit lives on, binding itself with nature, offering hope for the future…

Spyro knew that somewhere, in life or death, Ignitus would always be there to guide him.

(-)

Well, young dragon… where might you be?

For many weeks, that was the question that was plastered into Ignitus' mind. In a isolated island far across from anyone, also known as the White Isle, Ignitus' spirit found himself in the presence of the Chronicler, a mysterious white dragon that he only assumed was only just an old legend.

The Chronicler told him that, at the start of a new age, there must be someone to watch and record the events of the world until a new age begins. To Ignitus' surprise, he found out that the Chronicler had chosen him to be his successor. But, before his knowledge and wisdom transferred into Ignitus, the Chronicler told him that he couldn't find any trace of Spyro or Cynder anywhere and left it up to the former Fire Guardian to keep an eye on them.

And for many weeks, that's what Ignitus aimed to do. Inexperienced in his new role as the Chronicler, Ignitus flicked through every book day after day to see if there was any trace of Spyro and Cynder. He knew after a few days that they survived as their deaths weren't recorded in any of the books he read. But where they were now was still a mystery to him.

Until one day, he found them. A new page, showing both Spyro and Cynder flying over the Valley of Avalar. Together, no longer bound by chains, but forever bonded to each other. As soon as Ignitus saw them happy and alive, tears of joy streamed down the new Chronicler's face; he couldn't have been relieved to see the two young dragons once again.

And so, Ignitus kept a close eye on the two dragons as they eventually returned to Warfang and the difficult paths they would soon take as they started a new peaceful life. Ignitus only wished that he could've been around to see a world without war, but fate had led him to a new destiny. A destiny he felt honoured to accept.

But today, a new page was recorded in Spyro's book. Ignitus opened it and saw that night had fallen over Warfang, he wasn't sure what had transpired on that particular day but he knew that was somewhat of a happy ending.

He saw Spyro and Cynder, fast asleep. Spyro had a foreleg draped over the black dragoness in a protective manner as his head was nestled near the back of her head. Ignitus noticed a slight smile on Cynder's face as she slept peacefully in Spyro's arms. Ignitus could only proudly beam widely at the two dragons, who had now formed a bond that chains could never break.

"May the ancestors guide you to a peaceful life, young dragons," Ignitus said to them. "You two have certainly deserved it."

Ignitus then closed the book and stored it away on a nearby bookshelf. In the future, he would come back and check back on them every now and then. But for now, they needed to forge their own future.

While Spyro and Cynder's paths remained unclear, there was one thing that he was certain of.

He knew that all was well.

And… this chapter is done! Finally, it only took me a couple of months considering I was writing something else beforehand. So thanks writer's block, you've been a real pal… not.

I apologise for the lack of updates since September, stuff outside of have been frantic and my mind wasn't in the right space to write. There were times where I didn't have any mental energy and/or creative ingenuity to write anything. I hated that this happened to me, as it reminded me of my earlier years on this site where I would write something and proceed to not update anything for about a few months, and I promise that I'm going to be better. So thank you for your patience, and I promise you that I'm not going anywhere anytime soon.

And hey, glad I managed to finish it before the end of the year so that's a goal achieved. Call it a Christmas gift from me…

In 2024, we'll be continuing this story, as well as various Doctor Who crossovers, and hopefully make a return to the Crazy Little Thing Called Love universe with a new one-shot 'The Greatest Discovery' and the third instalment 'Somebody to Love'. Nothing solid yet so I can't promise what I'm saying is actually going to happen… but stay tuned.

This is TARDIS1039, wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Allons-y!