[5 Mar 2020] BEFORE YOU READ THIS CHAPTER, PLEASE READ THIS A/N.

I rewrote the entire chapter after Dyver and Sayonara gave some very long reviews on it. I spent a long time just really annoyed with myself because I've never seen or given that much feedback/criticism on the first chapter of a story (and I'm no stranger to giving essay-length criticism). I very much welcome constructive criticism, but knowing I got that much on Chapter 1 was also a big blow and really frustrating. I'm very new to romance, slice-of-life and lighthearted scenes, especially if Demonised is anything to go with. I'm still very much learning throughout these themes specifically, so I've been working with my beta-readers to get this story looking good, because I really want to do this right.

Also, the 'amateur' and 'transition phrase' comments added to the blow. I've been writing for three years, so being called an amateur was pretty heavy on me. I know my strength in darker themes etc., and the point of this story was to experiment and try something new, so I knew it likely wasn't going to be as good as my other work, but 'amateur' was a bit harsh if I'm gonna be honest. I second-guessed this story way too many times over the past few weeks but I'm glad I had people around me to keep my motivation up while rewriting this story (as I had four chapters already written by that point). I'm feeling much better and I'm really hoping that this time around Grand Elemental Master turns out really good and holds up to the rest of my work.

SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, IF YOU HAVEN'T REREAD CHAPTER 1, PLEASE GO DO SO. SOME SCENES HAVE CHANGED SLIGHTLY AND SKARRZGORN HAS BEEN RENAMED.

Light filtered through Spyro's eyes, rousing him from his slumber. The purple dragon lifted his head, his face hurting from having it resting on the hard, uncomfortable wooden desk all night. He flexed his jaw rhythmically to loosen it up a bit before stretching, forcing out a large yawn. The purple dragon shook his head to regain his bearings, his vision blurred and head spinning due to his uncomfortable sleep.

Spyro made his way groggily to the bathroom, needing a refreshing, hot bath to wake himself up. He grabbed a towel from the closet, hanging it up on the rack on the wall, before filling the bathtub with hot water. Once it was full, the purple dragon got in, sinking into the hot water with a relaxed sigh.

Once he had cleaned himself, Spyro drained the bathtub and stepped out of it, before grabbing the towel and drying himself thoroughly. He then hung the towel back up on the rack to dry before he left the room.

His stomach then began to growl in hunger, craving food. The purple dragon didn't have the appetite for meat this morning, so he instead grabbed some berries that he had bought three days ago, still fresh and ripe. He put some on a plate before he sat down at the table, grabbing a book he had been reading on elemental studies and continuing to read it while he ate.

After Spyro finished his food, he put everything away, before turning his gaze to look out the window. The sun was high in the sky and a multitude of dragons were out and about, much like usual. He realised he'd actually woken up quite late due to the position of the sun. He'd planned to spend all morning looking in the markets for a proposal gift for Cynder, and he'd wasted a good few hours of it lying asleep on his desk. It hadn't been comfortable, and Spyro wondered if it was really worth it.

Feeling rushed, he quickly grabbed his satchel full of coins, before speed-walking out of the house and making his way towards the markets, getting ready to try and find something to get for Cynder. Spyro knew the first thing he'd need was a ring, being the standard thing to get, but he didn't know what else to give her. Cynder deserved more than a ring to go with his proposal, even though a ring would be more than enough.

The purple dragon made his way into a jewelry store, looking at some of the rings on display. There was a large assortment of rings, all made of different materials and bearing different gemstones, and Spyro found he was having a hard time picking which one to choose.

Spyro just stood there, staring at the cabinet of rings before one of the staff members walked up to him, a welcoming smile on his face. He was a fire dragon, just a little shorter than Spyro, his large horns making up for the small height.

"Good morning, Spyro," the dragon greeted, pulling Spyro out of his thoughts. "Need any help?"

"Yes please. Now, I uh… I'm trying to find a ring for my girlfriend, Cynder. I'm wanting to propose soon, so… I kinda need one," Spyro explained. "Do you have any recommendations?"

"Cynder, eh? Well she's one lucky girl, ending up with a guy like you, Spyro. She deserves it," the dragon replied with a chuckle, making Spyro blush. "Anyway, what were you thinking? Something that compliments her colouring, the stuff she normally wears? Something silver?"

"Yes, I reckon so."

"Any gemstones?"

"Uh… yes, I think she'd like that. She likes gemstones. I don't know which one to go for though."

"Actually, I have something that I think she'd like. We only just got it delivered today so we haven't put it on the cabinet yet. Consider it something super special, getting it before it's even on display. I'll be right back."

With that, the fire dragon turned and left, walking behind the counter and into the back storage room. Spyro smiled, wondering what this ring would look like. He was nervous of course, wondering if Cynder would like it, but knowing how the dragon was going out of his way to grab something that wasn't even on display yet told him it was probably going to be really good.

A little time passed before the dragon returned from the storage room holding a small box. He opened it up and pulled out the ring, allowing Spyro to see it. It was a beautiful silver ring with gemstones dotted around the length of it. Spyro noticed that there were two types of gemstones on it, rather than just one like all the rest. Dotted around half of the ring were onyx gems, the other half being amethyst gems. Spyro gasped upon seeing the gems. It was as if it was made specifically for him and Cynder.

He felt a tear spring to his eye as a large beaming smile pulled his lips back. "Thank you. It's beautiful. It's perfect!" Spyro exclaimed, his voice breaking as he imagined presenting it to Cynder.

"I just thought of it and figured it'd be a good one for you," the dragon chuckled. "I'm guessing you're thinking of getting it?"

"Ancestors, yes! Why wouldn't I? This is amazing!" Spyro exclaimed enthusiastically.

"That's great; the ring is twenty gold coins. Would you like to buy it now?" the dragon asked him.

"Of course I will. Uh… there's something else I'd like to ask first. Um… is there anything else you'd recommend me getting? I want to get something else for Cynder. Something special. Most people get their mates rings when they propose and… I don't know, I feel like Cynder deserves something more. I just don't know what to get her."

"What type of things does she like?"

"Well, she's an artist so I know she'd like some more resources, but I buy her resources all the time so I'm just… I'm just worried that it won't mean enough. That it won't be special enough."

"Hmm… Well right now I don't have any ideas. It might be a good idea to think about it and let your brain try and figure out something, but if you can't figure something out, you will still have the ring. I've seen many dragonesses get proposed to and seeing that ring revealed to them is the most precious thing I've ever watched. They see that ring and they feel so loved, so appreciated, and it is the most special thing that they could ever have dreamed of.

"Getting her something else would be great, but ideally the ring is all you need. You don't want to keep her waiting. I don't think you want to keep yourself waiting either. Just give yourself time to think, maybe a week or two, and if you're that stuck that you can't think of anything, just propose to her anyway. Give her the ring. Say you love her. Ask her to marry you."

Spyro smiled, his heart lurching in his chest at the last two words, knowing he'd be the one saying them to Cynder eventually. He nodded, taking in deep breaths to calm himself down.

The dragon continued speaking. "I remember when I proposed to my mate. I took her out for lunch, we went on a little flight, and I took her to the top of a mountain that had the most beautiful view nature had to offer us," he recalled with a nostalgic sigh. "I proposed then and there on top of the mountain, surrounded by the beauty of the world, and most importantly, the beauty of the love of my life.

"Even to this day, she still tells me it was the best day of her life. She had been waiting so long to be asked and she thought she was going to be prepared, but she wasn't. When I brought that ring out, she was immediately in tears, unable to contain her joyful sobs and laughter. And now, we've been together for four years. We're also bringing our first clutch into the world, and it's such a privilege. Neither of us have any regrets.

"I don't believe anyone can be prepared for a proposal, whether you're the one asking or the one being asked, but it is the best moment of any person's life. Even in marriage, the two partners will continue to get closer and closer. If there's anything that sums this all up, do not take this for granted. This will be important in both your lives, and it will be the turning point from being independent to being a married couple."

Spyro nodded, taking in the information. "Thank you so much for the advice," Spyro said gratefully. "I guess I'll buy the ring now then."

The dragon just nodded and led Spyro to the counter. Spyro handed the dragon the twenty gold coins needed to pay for the ring, before the dragon handed it to him. The purple dragon put the ring in his satchel, heart racing at the fact that he'd just bought the ring. He had just bought the thing that would seal his fate as Cynder's mate, and vice versa.

Spyro thanked the fire dragon that had served him, before turning and making his way out of the store. He took another deep breath, a massive smile on his face. He had done it. He had bought the ring. He decided he would give himself two weeks to figure out what else to get Cynder, as the fire dragon recommended, but if he couldn't figure it out by then, he would take the fire dragon's advice and propose to Cynder anyway.

He knew he'd see Cynder frequently and would probably go out on a few more dates before he proposed, so he knew he would have to control himself to not say anything about the ring and not to propose to her early. He wanted to be ready. He wanted to know exactly what he was doing, and if he was going to get her anything else or not. He had to know what else he was going to get her.

The purple dragon started to make his way home, stopping at some other market stalls to get some groceries and food supplies on the way. After he'd bought some meat and berries, as well as some assorted fruits, he continued walking back to his house. It didn't take long before he accidentally bumped into Cynder. His heart lurched, slightly nervous because he had the ring he had just bought sitting inside his satchel. He was glad he had bags of food with him so that it looked like he had a reason to be in the markets.

"H-h-hey, Cynder," Spyro stammered, smiling nervously. "How are you today?"

"I'm doing great. At the moment I'm just grabbing some new paints. I'm running out of orange and blue," Cynder explained with her own smile.

"Good to hear you're doing well."

"Yeah, anyway how's your day been so far?"

"Uh… yeah, pretty good. Just done some shopping for some food and went looking around the markets for a bunch of other things," Spyro murmured, trying to avoid mention of the ring.

He hoped Cynder wouldn't ask about what those 'other things' were, and luckily she didn't inquire further. "That's good. At least your getting your butt off your bed and going out to do shopping and stuff," Cynder teased.

"Come on, I'm not lazy!" Spyro protested, rolling his eyes.

"Not as lazy as you used to be," the black dragoness replied. "You used to slack off quite a bit while we were still in school, especially in the early years."

"I mean, you're not wrong, but… you know what, I'm not even going to keep arguing."

"Yes, you know I love teasing you."

"I was going to say I love you too much to argue with you, but that works too, I guess."

Cynder chuckled, leaning forward and nuzzling him. "I love you too, Spyro," she giggled.

Spyro felt love swell up in his chest at her nuzzle, returning it. The nuzzle lasted for a few more seconds, before Cynder stepped back, the love still lingering in Spyro's chest. He felt the need to want to spend more time with Cynder before he proposed to her, so after a small pause he blurted out, "Do you want to go out for lunch together?"

Cynder blinked at how loud he had said it, but gave him a beautiful smile and replied with a giggle, "Sure thing, Spyro. When do you want to meet up?"

"Midday at my house maybe? We can figure out where we want to go then," Spyro suggested.

"Alright, I'll meet you then. See you later!"

"You too! Hope you find those paints you need!"

"Thank you!"

With that, Cynder turned and left, leaving Spyro alone as he watched her walk off. He smiled, his heart slamming against his chest as he blushed. He was so in love with her, his heart racing a million miles an hour. He couldn't wait to propose.

The purple dragon had to force himself to turn around, unable to take his eyes off his beloved, before he one again continued his way back home. Upon arriving, Spyro quickly grabbed the ring out of his satchel, placing it in the back of his bedroom cupboard, before heading down to the kitchen and putting all the food away. He took a bit of time to relax, knowing that it wasn't quite midday and Cynder still had to grab her paints and take them home.

Spyro spent a bit more time thinking on what to get Cynder for the proposal, but once more he discovered that he couldn't think of anything, so he really just ended up lying in bed for twenty minutes before Cynder knocked on the front door.

Spyro got up, grabbing his satchel, and ran to the front door, opening it for her. The black dragoness was smiling brightly when he opened the door. "You ready to go?" she asked the purple dragon. "I'm thinking... Dalgûr's Diner for lunch. How does that sound?"

"Sounds great, Cynder," Spyro replied. "Let's go."

With that, they left, Spyro closing the door behind him. They made their way to Dalgûr's Diner, a restaurant located nearby. The young couple indulged in conversation on the way there.

"So how did the painting go yesterday, Cynder?" Spyro inquired. "I believe you were painting the water fountain if memory serves me correctly."

"Yeah, and it's actually pretty difficult. I find water hard to do, with all the reflections and everything, especially the way it sprays out of the fountain. It's never a consistent shape because it's liquid, so I have to innovate and make it up," Cynder explained. "There were lots of times where I was worried I would mess up."

"I'm sure it looks beautiful, Cynder," Spyro replied.

"Thank you Spyro, but you think everything I paint looks great. It's probably just because you can't paint," Cynder said with a shrug.

"That's not why at all, Cynder. I love you and I love your artworks. I couldn't care less that I can't paint. The paintings are one-hundred percent you. Art is a part of you put onto a canvas, and that's exactly what you do."

Cynder just chuckled, shaking her head. "Thank you, Spyro. I really appreciate it," she said.

Spyro moved towards Cynder and nuzzled her as they walked, and she returned the favour, wrapping her tail around the purple dragon's. "It's my pleasure, Cynder. I love you," Spyro said.

"I love you too," Cynder replied with a chuckle.

They broke the nuzzle, before continuing to walk side by side. Cynder seemed to speed up, walking in front of Spyro. The purple dragon slowed, before coming to a complete stop as he stared after her, rendered speechless by her frame. It wasn't long before Spyro realised he'd spent the last five or so seconds just staring at her, blushing as he ran forward to catch up with her.

"Too distracted, Spyro?" the black dragoness teased, knocking into him with her hips. "The good stuff's at the front, or don't you like my face?"

Spyro just stuttered, his blush flaring up even more. His cheeks felt like they were on fire. If it wasn't for Cynder bursting into laughter as they walked beside each other, Spyro would've thought he was in big trouble.

"I'm just teasing you, Spyro," Cynder giggled. "No need to be worried."

"Uhh, thanks Cynder," Spyro murmured, still a little embarrassed by what had just happened.

They turned the corner and made their way into the restaurant, grabbing a table for two and sitting down inside one of the booths along the side of the restaurant that was free. Dalgûr's Diner was bustling with energy and conversation as people did community with each other over a good lunch, most of the booths full and a decent amount of larger tables full as well.

Spyro and Cynder discussed what they were going to eat, before ordering their food when the waiter came around. Spyro ordered chicken with creamy mushroom sauce, and Cynder got venison steaks with mushroom, potatoes, and blackberry sauce.

"So Cynder, have you been doing any other painting apart from the water fountain you painted yesterday?" Spyro questioned once the waiter turned and left.

"Not really, to be honest. I haven't been getting a lot of sleep recently so I kinda slept in this morning," Cynder replied with a chuckle as she scratched the back of her head.

"How come, Cynder? Are you doing alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just stressing quite a bit. I mean… we've just graduated from the Academy and… well I'm not entirely sure what to do now. I feel like I'm just sitting here, waiting for the next step to come. I'm not sure what to do about it."

Spyro gulped. He knew Cynder was talking about life in general, but his mind took it as a plea to get him to hurry up and propose. He didn't want to keep her waiting, but he needed that something special for her. He needed to make this the most special proposal ever. Two weeks, the dragon at the jewelry store had said. Just give it two more weeks…

"Uh… well I reckon just… keep doing what you're doing and… you know, keep your eyes and ears open for any opportunities that come your way," Spyro explained nervously, hoping he was saying the right thing. "And hey, at least you're making money with some of the painting commissions you do. There aren't a lot of artists around so I'm not surprised you're getting a few commissioners. You might get more later down the track. Who knows?"

The black dragoness just murmured in agreement, nodding her head. "Thanks for the words, Spyro. They mean a lot," she replied with a smile. "Also, how's your apprenticeship with the guardians going? You don't talk about that a lot; I'm interested as to how it's going."

"It's going pretty good so far. I'm learning a lot from watching Volteer teach, and I'm excited to start teaching, although I'm nervous about it at the same time. I don't think I'm ready to get started quite yet."

"I'm sure you'll do fine."

"Ancestors I just remembered I have a meeting with the guardians this afternoon too!" Spyro groaned with frustration. "It's not for a while though so we're fine to take our time here, but I'm a bit annoyed I forgot. I wonder what that'll be about."

"Whatever it is, I hope it goes well."

"Thanks, Cynder."

At this point, some moles came out with their food, placing it in front of them and wishing them a good time and an enjoyable meal, before they all turned and left. The two dragons thanked them before they dug into their food. They enjoyed it a lot, even allowing each other to have a taste of their meals.

When they finished eating, they stood, stacking up their plates to make it easier for the waiters to clear the table, before heading to the counter and paying for the food. Afterwards, they walked out of the restaurant, wide smiles on their faces.

"So when was your meeting with the guardians?" Cynder questioned as she looked to Spyro.

"It's not for a little while still; we said late afternoon, so… did you want to go on a flight together?" Spyro suggested.

"Sure. I've got time to fill in this afternoon too. It's pretty empty for me. Plus, I like a good flight, especially with you."

Spyro smiled at Cynder's words. The black dragoness smiled back, before leaning forward and kissing Spyro on the cheek, before she quickly unfolded her wings and propelled herself up into the air, using her wind element to aid her, as well as an attempt to throw Spyro off his paws. The purple dragon was shaken due to the outward gust of air Cynder had made, but recovered quickly and took to the skies in pursuit.

He flew quickly in an attempt to catch up, but Cynder was using her wind element to propel her forward, allowing her to fly faster than Spyro was. The purple dragon quickly noticed he was falling behind and gave a frustrated groan. "Cynder, slow down! I'm falling behind here!" the purple dragon exclaimed.

Spyro could hear Cynder laughing as she continued flying speedily for a few more seconds, before she spread out her wings to slow herself down, catching the air to bring her back to Spyro. Once she was side by side with Spyro, she resumed flying, this time at a slower pace so that Spyro could keep up.

"That's cheating, using your wind element. I'm fast but not that fast," Spyro huffed.

"Oh, relax. A little race can't do any harm," Cynder replied with a scoff.

"You were flying faster than me!"

"So? Not everyone can fly or run at the same pace. Plus it just means I'm more agile and quicker in the air."

"You were using your wind element!"

Cynder gave a low chuckle as she rolled her eyes, smirking at him. The black dragoness moved herself closer to Spyro, before bumping into him and causing him to wobble in the air slightly. "Don't worry about it, Spyro," Cynder chuckled. "It was just a little game. Now since we're on this flight, how about we focus on it? Just me and you, up in the sky."

The purple dragon rolled his eyes, but was smiling nonetheless. They flew out of Warfang, flying over the vast, lush green plains that surrounded the city. Spyro and Cynder saw this view a lot, but it was still just as beautiful every time they flew over it. The sun was bright, the sky a bright blue, devoid of clouds, and the occasional sound of birdsong that reached their ears from the distance made them smile. Plus, they had each other.

Spyro took his eyes away from the landscape, turning them towards his girlfriend. Cynder's dark scales shimmered in the sunlight, and her emerald eyes seemed even greener than the grass below them. The black dragoness smiled gleefully, lips pulled back slightly to reveal bright, glistening teeth. Her wings were large and graceful, accented by the smooth, careful flaps they made to keep her in the air. Her long, slender tail swished in the air, buffeted slightly by the wind.

Everything about Cynder was perfect. Everything about Cynder was beautiful. Every scale, every bone, every curve. Ever laugh. Her laugh was easily his favourite thing about her. It sounded like music.

Spyro would not wish for anyone else in the world.

Sure enough, it was Cynder's laugh that brought Spyro out of his stupor. "That's twice today you've taken a liking to my tail section, Spyro," the black dragoness teased with a hearty laugh.

Spyro blushed, immediately tearing his eyes away, staring down at the ground with embarrassment. "I was just admiring you…" he murmured.

"My tail section?"

"No, all of you."

Cynder's only reply was another laugh, causing Spyro's blush to flare up even more. His cheeks were hot and his voice was small when he spoke. "Stop making fun of me, Cynder," the purple dragon murmured.

"Don't worry about it, Spyro. It's fine. I don't mind it, really. You're my boyfriend, and you've been a great one at that. You're supportive and caring, and you've gotten me through a lot of grief, especially in my early years upon trying to join a normal society. You've been amazing, Spyro, so I thank you for that."

Spyro smiled, his heart melting at Cynder's words. "Thanks," he replied.

Cynder giggled, before moving a bit closer to him and whispering in his ear, somewhat seductively, "I will say though, save the looks until we're mates, honey."

Spyro froze, blushing again, causing Cynder to burst out laughing once more. "You're so hilarious when you're embarrassed, Spyro!" Cynder exclaimed. "It's so cute!"

"I'm, uh… flattered? Thank you?" Spyro stammered, unsure how to reply to that.

"Ever wonder why I like teasing you so much?" Cynder chuckled, before she calmed herself down with a sigh. "Thanks for the date today, though. Every single one has been so enjoyable. I love spending time with you, especially when we get to go on flights like this."

"So do I," Spyro replied.

If only she knew how much time he wanted to spend with her. He wanted to spend his life with her.

"Anyway, we've been flying for a bit. Should we be heading back now? After all, you do have that meeting with the guardians," Cynder suggested.

"Yeah, I reckon that'd be a good idea. Don't want to keep them waiting," Spyro replied.

With that, they turned around, making their way back to Warfang. They flew slowly, enjoying every moment with each other, surrounded by the beautiful landscape. Spyro spent a bit more time while they were flying back thinking on what to get for Cynder, but alas, still couldn't settle on anything. He'd come up with a lot of things before thinking they wouldn't be enough and ditching the idea completely. He often thought back on the same thing twice, second guessing himself before once more deciding it wouldn't work.

They eventually arrived at Warfang, and Cynder decided to walk with Spyro to the Warfang Temple to keep him company on the way there. When they arrived, the couple said their goodbyes, exchanging a brief kiss on the lips, before Cynder turned and made her way back home. Spyro sighed lovingly, before making his way into the Warfang Temple and to the meeting he had with the guardians.

Anyway, hopefully this chapter is any good. I've been stressing over Chapter 2 a lot, knowing I messed up on Chapter 1, but I'm still writing this and want to get this out there. I'm really proud of the idea I've come up with, and it's not something I'm used to writing. It's different and out of my comfort zone, so I hope I do well and that people enjoy it.

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Before I respond to reviews individually, thank you to everyone who reviewed and supported the fic, especially IllusionMaster17. Those words of support were needed. And to Dyver and Sayonara, who I mentioned in the A/N before the chapter, the new and improved Chapter 1 should hopefully be enough of a response for you. Hope you're satisfied with it now.

TARDIS1039: Yeah, I really wanted Cynder to pick up a hobby in this story, and thought painting would be something interesting. Glad you liked it!

Dragon of Mystery: It's so good to see that you're reading this story; you've provided some really interesting opinions on some stories around the place so I'm looking forward to see what you bring to GEM. Also yes, it is a bit of a break lol. Honestly, it's a welcome break, trying something new other than the constant grim sequences. They will still exist later on in this story (coz you're right, peace doesn't usually last in stories like this), but hence the T rating, it will be nowhere near the intensity of Demonised haha.

Glad you like the story and the world building; I love delving into characters' backstories. I enjoy creating characters and giving them a story, and it's something I love about making OCs. I also like to think I'm getting better, so hopefully that's the case. Also the pattern of Spyro/Cynder being artistic was completely unintentional lol. Didn't think of it but I'm honestly kinda happy it turned out like that. And hope you enjoy Demonised too! Feel free to drop a review on it when you're caught up!

Derick Lindsey: Yes, very much a 180 after the most recent chapter of Demonised. Pretty intense lol. Writing Spyro like this was a bit different but very much enjoyable, and he will be the hero of the story this time around. Also that comment about Flash is golden. So ironic, and got me laughing quite a bit. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter man.

IllusionMaster17: Thanks for the review, and really happy you enjoyed it, even in the sorry state the chapter was in. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

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Anyway, thanks so much for reading, and a huge thanks to MysticOTDH and Just Shooter for beta-reading this chapter. They've helped a lot, and GEM should be better because of it.

I'll see you all in the next chapter, so take care and leave your thoughts!