Chapter 2: A Day Out with Bianca

On the shores of Evening Lake of the Forgotten Worlds, Hunter awaited the arrival of his girlfriend, Bianca. With Spyro busy going out with Elora, he thought it would be a good day to spend some time with Bianca.

As he waited, Hunter looked down at his reflection in the lake, teasing and styling his hair, trying to look "cool" for their date.

"Hey there!" he said to his reflection. "Ready for a day out at Avalar?"

He then shook his head and redid his hair. "What's up, Bianca?" he said, again to his reflection. "You looking good tonight! Maybe we oughta take a ride on the Tunnel of Love?"

As Hunter continued his playful banter with himself, he didn't notice the rabbit magician walking behind him.

"Hey, how about I show you a magic trick or two?" Hunter said in a cocky tone.

"I'd love to see that," teased Bianca.

Hunter jumped, almost losing his balance and falling into the lake. "B-Bianca! H-Hey!" he stammered. "I was wondering when you were gonna get here."

Bianca laughed as Hunter quickly fixed his hair.

"So…uh, r-ready to go?" Hunter asked, composing himself. "I thought we would spend some time at Sunny Beach, maybe ride a few rides at Dragon Shores…"

"Sounds like a plan!" smiled Bianca.

"Alright, then let's go!" Hunter said, excitedly.

"Oh, wait!" Bianca said, suddenly. "Before we leave…"

Bianca looked up at the bright sunlight beaming down on them. "It's such a nice day, maybe I'll take this old thing off," she said.

Hunter watched as Bianca unhooked her cape from around her neck, letting it float gently down to the ground.

"Yeah, good thinking!" agreed Hunter. "The cape is cool and all, but it's a nice day! Why not…enjoy…it…?"

Hunter's voice trailed off as he realized Bianca wasn't stopping at her cape. She tugged at her dress, pulling it down to her waist! Hunter's eyes nearly popped out of his head upon seeing Bianca's bare chest.

"Whoa, hey! Bianca, what are you…!?" he stammered.

Oblivious to Hunter's reaction, Bianca then pulled down her skirt all the way down to her ankles! Bianca kicked her clothes off to the corner, leaving her wearing nothing but her boots.

Bianca took a deep breath as she felt the wind blowing through her fur all over her bare body. "Much better," she sighed.

"Bianca! Put your clothes back on!" scolded Hunter.

Hunter reached down and hoisted Bianca's cape up, covering her body. "Hey! What are you doing?!" she snapped.

"What am I doing? What are you doing?!" Hunter asked. "You just took your clothes off in public! You can't do that!"

"Why not?" teased Bianca.

"Because," Hunter said, blushing, "you can't just walk around without any clothes on! It ain't right."

Bianca then looked down at Hunter. "So then, why aren't you wearing any clothes?" she asked, annoyed.

Hunter's cheeks burned brighter as he realized his own state of undress. "Well, uh, that's different! I mean, I... I just...," he stuttered, searching for an excuse.

Bianca crossed her arms, her expression a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "Oh, come on, Hunter. If it's okay for you to walk around without wearing clothes, why can't I?"

Hunter's mind raced, trying to come up with a response that wouldn't sound completely absurd. "It's not about that! It's... it's about decency and, uh, uh..."

Bianca raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to finish his sentence. "Uh…you're a rabbit. A-And…I'm a cheetah! It's a…cheetah…thing?"

Bianca continued to glare at him, clearly not buying his excuses.

"Uh…okay fine, I don't have a reason," he conceded. "But it's still not proper! I mean, what's everyone else gonna think seeing you like that?"

"Most everyone else don't wear clothes either," Bianca shrugged, "I think I'll be fine."

Just then, the two heard the sound of Bentley the Yeti humming to himself as he strolled along the shore of Evening Lake carrying a fishing rod.

"Hey, Bentley!" Bianca called out.

Bentley turned and waved to Hunter and Bianca, oblivious as to what was going on.

"Ah yes! And a good day to you as well!" he said, cheerfully.

He then continued on his merry way.

"See, Hunter?" asked Bianca. "Bentley gets it."

As Hunter tried to wrap his head around the situation, Bianca twirled around, reveling in the sensation of the breeze against her fur. "So, are we going out on a date or what?" she asked, playfully.

Hunter gulped. "Y-Yeah, sure," he said, nervously.

"I think you said something about a Sunny Beach?" asked Bianca.

As Bianca tried to get Hunter to snap out of his funk, Bentley could only chuckle. "I'm sure those two are gonna have the most unique of dates today," he murmured to himself.

Despite his worries, Hunter and Bianca continued on with their date to Avalar, neither of them wearing a shed of clothing.

Their first stop was Sunny Beach. True to its name, it was a beautiful sunny day. The sun shone brightly, its rays shimmering on the ocean waves. The palm trees that lined the white sandy beach swayed with the wind, their leaves rustling.

Bianca wasted no time laying out a towel on the hot sand. She let out a sigh of relief as she stretched out and felt the ocean breeze tingling every strand of her fur. "Ah! This feels great," she murmured. Having never been to the beach before, Bianca was loving every moment of it.

Although Hunter wasn't feeling relaxed at all.

While the beach was sparsely populated with baby turtles playing in the sand, he was still worried about someone coming across Bianca undressed.

Suddenly, a trio of elder turtles walked by. They spotted Hunter and Bianca on the beach. "Oh! Hello there!" one of them said, kindly. "I don't believe I've seen you two before." His name was Moppet.

"Hi! This is our first time here!" Bianca replied, happily.

"I can see that you are rather comfortable without clothes on," another sage (named Gromit) said.

"I know, I'm really sorry," Hunter said, frantically. "I told her it was a bad idea. I'll make sure she gets dressed right away!"

"Oh, not at all!" replied the third sage (named Hermit). "In fact, we welcome it!"

"You do?!" asked Bianca and Hunter.

"Sure," said Advisor Moppet. "As a matter of fact, we three were on our way to our meditation circle to partake in unclothed meditation."

"Would you like to join us?" offered Advisor Gromit. "Perhaps you may find enlightenment in your state of undress?"

"We do," added Hermit.

"...seriously?" Hunter asked, grimacing at the idea of seeing the elder turtles without their robes on.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun!" agreed Bianca. "Come on, Hunter!"

"I'm…I'm not really a meditating person," murmured Hunter.

Suddenly, Bianca began dragging Hunter by the hand and the two followed behind the trio of elder turtles to the meditation circle.

The elder turtles led Hunter and Bianca to their meditation circle. It was a serene spot shaded by tall palms, where a circle of smooth rocks formed a peaceful meditation space.

Advisor Gromit spoke gently to the group. "Welcome, young travelers. We are here to embrace the harmony of nature and ourselves. Now let us remove our clothes and our worries."

The elder turtles tugged at their togas, letting it fall to the sand gracefully. Hunter groaned as his eyes caught a glimpse of the turtles' sagging skin and wrinkly bodies. Suddenly, Bianca not wearing clothes didn't seem so bad to him.

Everyone then sat down cross-legged on a rock, which were all conveniently placed in a circle.

"We believe that by shedding our clothing," explained Moppet, "we are able to further our connection to nature and obtain a sense of tranquility not possible while wearing clothes."

"Really?" Bianca asked, genuinely intrigued. "No wonder it feels so freeing."

"Indeed," agreed Hermit. "Nothing like feeling the wind on your skin to bring you closer to nature."

"Now, let's begin," said Moppet.

They all closed their eyes and began chanting softly.

"Let your thoughts flow like the gentle waves," Gromit continued. "Feel the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the breeze."

Bianca sat down, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Hunter, on the other hand, fidgeted uncomfortably on the rock. Despite the Turtle Sages' insistence on being one with the Earth, he couldn't shake the unfortunate visual that he had just witnessed moments ago.

No one seemed to pay any attention as the turtles continued chanting in unison. Soon, they began slowly levitating off the ground.

Hunter turned away from the geriatric sages and faced Bianca. She had her eyes closed as she tried to follow their example. She tried deep breathing and soft chanting, but she didn't really know what she was saying, and so she stayed firmly on the ground.

Master Moppet's voice echoed across the meditation circle. "Let your worries drift away like clouds in the sky. Embrace the stillness within."

As the turtles continued their chanting and levitation, Hunter struggled to maintain composure. With each passing moment, his unease grew, especially after accidentally catching sight of the floating turtles. He shifted uncomfortably on the rock, trying to focus on anything other than the surreal scene unfolding around him.

Bianca, in contrast, appeared serene, her fur gently rustling in the breeze. She seemed to be genuinely enjoying the moment of peace and relaxation. "How can anyone be okay with this?!" Hunter thought.

He kept his eyes closed waiting for the moment to be over.

After their impromptu meditation session at Sunny Beach, Hunter and Bianca next visited the famous Dragon Shores amusement park. The sound of laughing and cheerful music echoed in the air as they got closer to the park entrance.

From behind the park's high walls, a giant dragon head with a roller coaster track coming out its mouth greeted them.

A newly-refreshed Bianca reached up to the sky, stretching her arms out. "I don't know about you," she said, "but that meditation really made me all loose and limber."

"Y-yeah, that was a real treat," Hunter muttered, trying hard not to think back to that moment.

As they waited in line to get into the park, Bianca looked up and watched as a coaster train filled with screaming guests launched out the dragon's mouth. It then circled back and dropped down behind the park walls out of sight.

"Wow!" gasped Bianca. "I can see why Spyro loves this place so much."

"Oh yeah, it's a real hoot," Hunter said.

He began to relax as he watched another roller coaster train roaring above the crowd. He hoped the rides and games would help take his mind off even with all the craziness that had just happened.

Soon, they arrived at the gate, where Gniles the Gatekeeper welcomed everybody coming in.

"Welcome to Dragon Shores! We got games! We got rides! We got all kinds of prizes!"

His demeanor changed as Hunter and Bianca tried to walk in with everyone else.

"Whoa! Hold on there!" he said, using his cane to stop them in their path. "Sorry, folks! I'm afraid I can't let you in."

"Huh? Why?!" Hunter asked, confused.

"Ah, well, the thing is," Gatekeeper Gniles said, politely, "we got a dress code here. By which I mean, you gots to be dressed to be allowed in. Sorry, but dem's the rules, I'm afraid.

Bianca looked at him with a fierce glare. Hunter shared her frustrations. "What do you mean you won't let us in?!" he snapped.

"Oh, you're fine, sir," added Gniles. "It's your bunny friend that I can't let in."

"What?!" exclaimed Bianca. "How come he gets a pass, but I don't?"

"Look, I-I'm sorry," Gniles said, nervously, "but my hands are kinda tied here. I'll tell you what, I can throw in a free T-shirt for you to wear. But otherwise, it's a no-go for you!"

"But that's not fair!" argued Bianca.

"If he can come in without wearing clothes, then so should I! Right, Hunter?"

Hunter gulped as Bianca looked at him with intense eyes. This was his biggest fear coming true. Despite how he felt about Bianca being undressed earlier, he did sympathize with her about how unfair the rule was.

He stammered as he tried to think of something to say that would help the situation.

"You think you could make that two shirts?" he asked Gniles.

Bianca just threw hands-up, exasperated by Hunter caving in to pressure.

Now adorned in matching "Dragon Shores" T-shirts, Hunter and Bianca were let into the park. Hunter was determined to get their date back on track, but Bianca wasn't having any of it.

"Alright! What should we do first?" Hunter asked, excitedly. "Play some carny games? Ride the roller coaster?"

Hunter caressed Bianca's arm and spoke to her in a sly voice. "Or maybe we can take some laps on the Tunnel of Love?"

Bianca then snapped her arm away from Hunter. She crossed her arms and looked away from him in disgust. Hunter knew Bianca was in no mood for love, the feeling of inner peace having now vanished. "Oh jeez…" he murmured.

Hunter scratched his head nervously. "Bianca, come on," said Hunter. "Let's just focus on getting our date back on track."

Bianca said nothing back.

"Uh…h-hey, look! A shooting gallery!" he said, in feigned excitement. "Let's go check it out!"

Throughout the day, Hunter led Bianca all around Dragon Shores, hoping to cheer her up and forget what happened at the gate. But Bianca remained cross-armed and miserable.

He managed to score a bull's eyes at the shooting gallery on his first try. But Bianca didn't care. She just sulked as Hunter handed her the giant Gnasty Gnorc plush doll he won.

Hunter then tried buying themselves a large ice cream to share. But Bianca refused to eat it, allowing it to melt in the hot sun long before Hunter could finish it himself.

Even on the Dragon coaster, while Hunter was holding on for dear life, Bianca remained quiet and unhappy. She didn't utter a peep once during the ride, not even when the coaster went through its famous large loop.

"Oh man, what a ride!" Hunter said, afterwards. "I'm not gonna lie, I thought for sure I was gonna fall outta my seat when we were going through the loop!"

He then turned to Bianca. "Did you like that ride?" he asked, hoping she would snap out of her funk.

Bianca merely looked away from him again. She flared through her nostrils.

Hunter sighed. He had hoped the roller coaster would have cheered her up.

By the time the two walked through the ride's exit, the sun was beginning to set over Dragon Shores. More people had arrived in time for the park's firework show.

"Hey," Hunter said, rubbing his neck nervously, "do you wanna get a spot for the fireworks show?"

For a moment, Bianca was silent, like she'd been the whole day.

A sigh of defeat finally broke the awkward silence. "I'd rather just go home now," she muttered softly.

Hunter saw that there was nothing he could do to cheer Bianca up. Try as he might, Bianca was going to let what happened earlier slide.

"Okay, that dress code rule is stupid," he conceded, "if I could have come in here without having to wear any clothes, then I don't see why you couldn't."

"So then how come you didn't say that to the guy at the gate?" asked Bianca, slowly showing signs of life.

"I just wanted us to have a fun date," replied Hunter, "I know the rule is dumb and that those turtle sage guys didn't care, but not everyone sees it that way. It's just not how things work."

Hunter sighed. Secretly, he had been thinking about that moment too, and was somewhat relieved to get it off his chest.

"Look, can we just forget the whole thing and end things on a high note?" he pleaded. "Let's just stay and watch the fireworks."

At last, Bianca let her arms fall freely. She went from being angry to feeling down and somewhat exhausted. "Okay, sure," she shrugged.

"Great!" Hunter said, cheerfully. "Let's go get a spot!"

Amongst the crowds, Hunter and Bianca managed to find a spot on the beach to watch the Dragon Shores fireworks show.

"Oh man, this spot is perfect!" Hunter said, happily. "We'll be able to see everything!"

"Yeah, cool," murmured Bianca.

Bianca looked around and saw that many of the other park guests were walking around without any clothes on.

Or at the least the male guests weren't.

The female guests were all fully-clothed, with none of them paying any mind to it. Nor did they care about the odd double-standard.

Slowly, Bianca's anger began to build again. She was infuriated that none of the Gnorcs hassled any of the male guests, despite breaking the "dress code."

Just then, the lights went out and everyone cheered as bombastic music began playing over the speakers. "Here we go! It's starting!" cheered Hunter.

Suddenly, a bright flash of color went off, not in the sky but instead right next to where Hunter was standing.

Startled by the sudden explosion of color, Hunter turned around…and saw that Bianca was nowhere to be seen. "Bianca?" he asked, confused.

He then looked down and saw a single Dragon Shores T-shirt lying discarded in the ground. He reached down and picked it up, slowly realizing what happened. "Did she just…bail on me?" he asked, heartbroken.

Surrounded by a crowd of elated guests gawking at the colorful fireworks high in the sky, Hunter just stood there, feeling dejected.

TO BE CONTINUED