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Austin: Glad you enjoyed the chapter, although you should be careful displaying your craving for Spynder content. I might just decide it's funnier to dangle it in front of you indefinitely.
A standalone dark route chapter is unlikely. However, if a major antagonist were to appear...
Other humans besides the parents showing up is a definite non-zero chance. Take that as you will.
If Xavier ever got his hands on magic, the first DnD spell he would cast is Eldritch Blast. Or Testicular Torsion.
Yeah, it's the start of a new year, and I plan to keep going strong. The grind never stops!
Sir MountCastle: Damn, bringing out the facts and logic with this one? I respect it. Anyways!
Yes. That's why paper-thin disguises are funny.
The abuse of Truck-kun is the joke. The exaggerated use of the trope also pokes fun at Isekai stories' overreliance on the Truck™ as the medium of transportation.
Xavier and his family are Catholics.
Excellent. Happy to see you enjoyed the Christmas special. The next special I write might be even crazier.
Chapter 6 - Mission Codename: Housebreak
...
"Today is a monumental day." Cynder paced back and forth in front of the gang, which she had called down into the basement. A smirk spread across her face. Finally, after nearly three weeks of trial and error, she'd finally made a breakthrough, a breakthrough that would change the status quo for the better.
"Monumental how?" Cécile asked. She, Xavier, and Spyro were sitting on the couch. "Must be something crazy for you to be so giddy about it."
"Heh." The black dragoness paused in her gait and turned her back from everyone. "Be prepared, humans, because today, Spyro and I will escape the confines of this house!" She whipped around with a flourish.
Xavier crossed his arms. "I hope your plan is as good as your confidence." He sneered. "What are you going to do, stack yourself on top of Spyro and wear a trench coat, a hood, and some makeup to pass off as our grandparent or something?"
Snorting, Cynder flicked her wing, sending a bullet of wind that struck Xavier in the forehead. "Silence, pitiful human. I wasn't finished yet."
"Tch." Xavier rubbed his forehead. "We'll see how high and mighty you still act when I get the spray bottle..."
While Cécile snickered, Cynder tried her hardest not to shiver. She cleared her throat. "Anyway! If you must know, we will be disguising ourselves as humans, using a spell to turn us into ones."
"HUH‽" Cécile's jaw nearly dropped to the floor, and she jumped up, slapping her hands against the couch. "You can do that? Why didn't you ever say anything — the solution for my dragon transformation was right there the whole time!"
Cynder shrugged. "I struggled to remember the components for the spell. And even then, I don't know how this spell would affect you. You have too little mana; who knows what kind of side effects that could bring? Buuut, if you're willing to risk warping your body into an unrecognizable abomination, do you want to give it a whirl?"
That cut Cécile's incoming retort short. She sank into the couch, pouting.
Cynder rolled her eyes in amusement. Maybe Xavier wasn't kidding about the gremlin allegations.
"So... How does this spell work, exactly?" Xavier asked.
"We'll be using these." Cynder showed off a pair of rings she took from the satchel hanging from her neck. One was adorned with an amethyst, the other, with an emerald. "I'll imprint the spell into the crystals so we can cast it at will. Thanks again for the rings, Xavier."
He snorted and put his hands on his hips. "Maybe you'll finally be able to get a job and stop leeching off me."
Cynder purred. "But think of how grateful I am whenever you do me these favours."
"I don't care how much gratitude you give me; it won't patch up the hole you're digging in my wallet."
Cynder rolled up the carpet. The nexus circle underneath lay untouched. She unloaded her satchel, gathering a plethora of ingredients alongside a mortar and pestle. Upon her items was a notebook, which she opened and flipped to a specific page. She double-checked that she had everything she needed. Herbs, citrus extract, a sample of human — right, she still needed that.
"Xavier, Cécile, I'll need a piece of you."
The former gave a concerned frown while the latter looked confused. "Huh?"
"To complete the spell, I need a sample from a male and female specimen of what I want to shapeshift into, so give it here." She showed her palm expectantly. "Anything will do."
"This feels suspicious," Xavier said. Despite that, he plucked a strand of hair from his head, stood up, and handed it to Cynder. "If you're about to sell my soul, I will smack you."
She gave a dull look. "Pfft."
Cécile did the same as Xavier, depositing a strand of her hair in Cynder's palm. "Here you go."
"Excellent."
As Cécile went to sit back down, Cynder handled their hairs with care, dropping them into the mortar. She mixed them with a concoction of herbs, citrus extract, and a few other ingredients. Using the pestle, she ground everything into a fine paste, then set the rings on top. Sitting down on her rump, she clapped her paws together and grinned. "Alright! Now, for the...how do you say it? Ah yes, the pièce de résistance."
The black dragoness let one paw fall to the floor. With the other, she curled her digits except for her index, whose tip began to glow. Cynder traced ethereal symbols that hung in the air. Background noise faded away as a dialect as ancient as time itself ran off her lips, recitable only thanks to her link to the Arcane.
She tapped the symbols. They dispelled into a mist that swirled around the mortar before being swallowed up by the gems. The Arcane sigil of the nexus circle glowed bright, and everything inside the mortar floated into the air. The pasty concoction glowed as if white-hot, then split into two and formed the same symbols Cynder had traced to activate the spell. They shrunk in size and pressed against the gems, seemingly moulding into them. Before long, the glow died out, and the rings fell to the ground with a pair of clinks.
"Did it… did it work?" Cécile asked, starry-eyed.
"Of course it did, or else my name isn't Cynder." Grabbing the rings, she walked over to the couch and showed them to Cécile. "Take a look. See how the spell's sigil is imprinted onto the gems?"
Cécile grabbed a ring and scrutinized it. Xavier also took a good look from over her shoulder. "Wow, you're right. It's right there! That's amazing! I didn't know you could cast spells on top of your elemental magic."
Cynder stiffened. She tried to laugh it off, praying her nervousness didn't show. "Oh, you know, I like to consider myself a jack-of-all-trades." She swiped the ring from Cécile's hand. "Anyway!" She handed the emerald ring to Spyro. "Here, this one's for you."
He tilted his head to the side. "Why don't I get the amethyst one?"
"Oh. Um, you know. That's because, er...yeah, you know? Yeah..." Cynder shuffled her paws as she blushed and averted her gaze. Oh no. She was hoping he would just take it without question, but of course the purple dork had to say something! What was Cynder supposed to say? She couldn't give the real reason — not when Xavier and Cécile were right there.
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Spyro said dryly.
Cynder whipped her head back and snapped at him. "What, are you saying green isn't good enough for you? I spend weeks trial-and-erroring a way for us to escape, and this is the thanks I get?" She turned her head with a huff. Sorry for this, Spyro. I just can't say it right now.
His shoulders sagged, and Spyro looked exasperated. "I wasn't trying to sound ungrateful..."
"Of course you weren't. So you will accept this" — Cynder grabbed Spyro's paw and put the emerald ring in his palm before curling his digits around it — "and you won't ask questions. Got that?"
Spyro gave her an odd look. "Sure thing, I guess…"
"Good." Cynder let him go and grimaced internally. That was awful. If only Xavier and Cécile weren't here. Why did I even invite them! …That's a stupid question.
"So, are you going to test it now or tomorrow?" Xavier asked.
She huffed. "Yeah, yeah, getting to it…" Cynder slid the ring through her ring finger, and Spyro mirrored her. "To activate the spell, you just focus on the ring and fuel it with mana. The rest is history."
The purple dragon nodded. "Alright."
Cynder lifted her paw to gaze at the amethyst ring. It brought some comfort to her. It was as if a piece of Spyro would always remain with her, and she could draw strength from that. She prepared to activate the spell...
"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Xavier suddenly cried.
The dragons looked at him, confused. "What was that outburst for?" Cynder asked.
Inhaling, he slapped his hands together. As he exhaled, he pointed them at her. "Cynder, does the transformation give you clothes?"
She rubbed her chin pensively and frowned. "No…it only affects your morphology. Why do you ask?"
Xavier put a hand to his chest, breathing heavily. "Oh, I am so glad I caught that before disaster struck. You two dragons don't move a muscle. I'll be right back."
He disappeared up the stairs.
"What's up with him?" Spyro asked Cécile.
She looked embarrassed if the blush on her cheeks was any indication. "I may have an idea..."
Cynder cocked her head. "Why are you embarrassed? What's so important about clothes, anyway? I never understood why you mammals were so obsessed with them."
Cécile only blushed harder. "Well, I…" She buried her head in a pillow. "Ask Xavier or something; he'll explain it better than me!" she blurted out, voice muffled.
Cynder and Spyro shared a puzzled glance.
Xavier returned minutes later with a pair of blankets. "Alright, you wrap these blankets around you."
Cynder stared at the blankets as if they were covered in filth. "Why?"
"Because nudity will not be allowed inside this house."
Cynder frowned. "We've been naked this entire time, and you haven't made a fuss about it."
"Put the blankets on!" Xavier snapped.
Xavier sighed, satisfied. "Okay, you can continue."
After some commotion, Xavier had managed to cover up the dragons from the neck down, sparing only their front paws.
Spyro wriggled within the confines of his prison, unease clear on his face. "I think you wrapped it too tight. It hurts to move. And breathe."
Cynder couldn't help but agree. Her wings had it especially bad. It was like a boa was constricting her chest; her wings were about ready to snap.
"That sounds like it's your problem to deal with," Xavier said.
"Hmph." Cynder masked her discomfort behind a smirk. "Whatever. This is only a small price to pay for freedom. Ready to go, Spyro?"
He nodded. "Let's try it out."
Cynder lifted her paw. The amethyst on her ring glistened under the light. She could feel traces of dormant magic residing within. All she had to do was grab hold of it and fuel it.
The amethyst sparked to life. Cynder felt her body heat up as a bright light encompassed her form. Scales turned into smooth flesh. Bones popped and cracked as her anatomy morphed from quadrupedal to bipedal, yet it was painless. Her tail, wings, and horns retreated into her body as hair sprouted on top of her head. Her snout shrank and flattened out. The claws on her paws retreated and flattened into harmless nails. She sprouted an extra digit on her paws as the paw pads smoothened out, leaving only skin. Perhaps it was more appropriate to call them "hands" now that she was going bipedal.
The oddest change, however, was when she felt an odd sensation in her chest. And then it…"expanded."
It all happened in a flash. In two or three seconds, the tally in the room went from two dragons and two humans to four humans.
Cynder collapsed. The new proportions of her body made it unstable to remain on all fours. She shuffled around to try and find a good sitting pose but ultimately decided it was better to stand up. Even that was odd because she had to fight her dragon instincts to fall back on all fours. The blanket was still wrapped around her, though it ended past her knees. Cynder had grown taller. It was weird seeing things from this new perspective, but she could get used to it.
Cécile was floored with amazement. "Awesome! One second, you were dragons, then your rings glowed, that light came in, and now you look just like humans! I can't even tell the difference!"
Xavier scoffed. "If we were in an anime, maybe. Spyro's eyes and Cynder's hair stick out like sore thumbs, although it would be easy to find an excuse."
That made Cynder curious, She gave Spyro a cursory look, who was struggling to remain standing. He had short, golden blond hair that flowed down his head like a waterfall and purple eyes. Apart from that, nothing stood out about him, apart from his toned muscles, maybe.
"Don't you look adorable," she said with a purr. "Can't even remain standing?"
"Shove it." Spyro seemed to find his footing. He smirked. "See? I'm just fi — uwah!" He fell on his rump.
"Come on, guys, don't keep us waiting! What's it like being human?" Cécile asked.
"Before I answer that, could I get a mirror?"
Surprisingly, Cécile produced one and handed it to her with a wry smile. "You're lucky I'm always prepared."
Cynder grabbed it, bemused. "Thank you." She gazed into the mirror. An unfamiliar face stared back at her. Her eyes had the same emerald gleam, but it was bizarre not to feel the familiar weight of her horns behind her head. Moving her jaw was an experience she couldn't describe. It was her mouth, but it didn't feel like hers. She analysed her face from multiple angles, then fiddled with her hair. It was magenta, the only other remnant of her dragon form, and flowed down past her shoulders.
"I must say it feels very weird after being a dragon for sixteen years." Cynder patted her chest with her free hand. "However, I don't understand these…protrusions. I feel like it's just weighing me down?"
Xavier got whiplash from that. "Stop it!"
"I feel the same way," Spyro said, "but what I don't understand is how you can deal with your package, Xavier. Why is it out in the open like that?"
Cécile got whiplash from that. "Stop it!"
Cynder sighed with a condescending shake of her head. "Get your heads out of the gutter, you two."
"YOU INVOKED IT!" Xavier and Cécile roared with exaggerated, furious expressions, much to her amusement.
Spyro tried to stand up again. "So, what now? Can we finally go outside?"
"Not quite. You've only conquered the first part of your stealth mission," Xavier said.
The news shocked Spyro into falling to the ground. "There are other parts?"
"Only one: clothing. We need to buy you some clothes."
Cécile hummed. "But how are we going to get them to the market? I don't think we have well-suited clothes for them to wear." She smirked. "Unless you're saying it's blanket streaking season?"
Xavier scorned. "Stop that. I have a flawless, perfect plan in mind already." He smiled deviously.
"Xavier, I am considering delivering grievous harm to you for this," Spyro fumed through gritted teeth.
He stared back at him worriedly. "What did I possibly do to garner such a reaction?"
"Don't give me that! Not when you're making me wear this humiliating disguise!"
After making the dragons turn back into themselves, Xavier had disappeared again to retrieve a few items. Those happened to be fake dog and cat ears, which he put on each dragon's head. Spyro had received dog ears while Cynder received cat ears. Then, Xavier explained his plan.
Spyro loathed it. He and Cynder were to pretend to be their pet dog and cat. It was as ridiculous as it sounded. They weren't pets! They were dragons! Ferocious beasts! Apex predators! Lovers of pets and pampering!
He tilted his head to the side with a frown. Where did that one come from?
Cynder gave Xavier a dull look. "You were ridiculing my plan, but how is yours any better? What good is such a paper-thin disguise? We'll be found out the moment someone looks our way."
"Ah, but you would be wrong there, my little Cynder." Xavier gave a snobbish gesture. "You're vastly overestimating the intelligence of the average human. Besides, everybody knows cats and dogs are domesticated, quadrupedal creatures with furry ears and a tail. And tell me, what are you right now?"
"A scaly, quadrupedal creature with wings, a tail, and fake, furry ears trying to pass off as your pet?"
A nod was Xavier's reply. "Exactly. You already look part animal, so it's easier to fool people that you are one."
Cynder looked done with his bull. "Is your hearing selective, or am I overestimating your intellect?"
The former must have been true, for he went toward the stairs without acknowledging her question. "Follow along, kids. We'll go to the market by car."
"Car?" Spyro cocked his head. "What is that?"
"You'll see once you get outside."
Spyro made his way up after Xavier. The latter unlocked the door to the house and made his way out. The purple dragon approached the door frame, his maw hanging open in disbelief and wonder. After what felt like weeks — months, even, he could finally escape the suffocating confines of the house? Sniffing, he wiped the tears of joy that formed in his eyes. No offence to the house, but the promise of fresh air and adventure was something Spyro could not pass up.
Cécile suddenly bolted past him. "Shotgun!"
S-shotgun‽ Spyro threw himself to the floor with a squawk, covering his head with his paws. He waited for the gunshot, but it never came. Confused, he raised his head and looked around. "Where's the gunshot? I heard Cécile screaming about a shotgun."
"It wasn't about a literal shotgun, silly!"
Spyro picked himself up. He saw Cécile and Xavier next to a strange machine. It was reminiscent of a cart lacking the horses to pull it. Is this a cart? How's it supposed to move? I hope I won't have to be the one pulling it...
Cécile snapped him out of his thoughts as she said, "Me crying 'Shotgun!' was about claiming the copilot seat."
A sudden beep made Spyro start. The lights on the cart-looking machinery blinked. Cécile opened the door and stuffed herself inside. Xavier opened the door behind that one. "Alright, you two, get in."
Cynder walked past him. Spyro hadn't even noticed her. When had she gotten there?
"Fancy machine you have here," she said. "How does it work? I see no furnace to put the coal in. It's like a locomotive, right? Or is it more like a cart? How do you move it?"
"It's like neither. This fancy machine is our aforementioned car. When it comes to transportation, it's humans' bread and butter — you will see these things everywhere. It moves using complicated machinery I'm not proficient enough to know about."
Cynder pranced around the car, taking in all the details. She stopped at the front to shoot the car a suspicious glare. "So, for all intents and purposes, it's magic?"
Xavier sighed. "If it helps you sleep at night. Now get in."
The dragons complied, each jumping into the car. Spyro kneaded his seat. It wasn't uncomfortable. Better than sitting on bare wood. Xavier wrapped something he called a "seatbelt" around his waist and did the same for Cynder. He closed the door and made his way into the seat next to Cécile's. If hers was the copilot seat, Xavier's must be the pilot seat.
He fiddled around with various buttons Spyro had no idea what they were for and adjusted the mirror above to his right. Xavier then put a key inside a hole and spun it. A lively rev echoed about, surprising him and Cynder. "What was that?" he asked in wonder.
"The car engine starting up." Xavier pushed down a lever right to him. "Now, let's get going."
To Spyro's surprise, the car began moving forward on its own! He frantically looked around. "What the — how is this happening‽"
Cécile looked back at him, smirking. "Cynder would call it magic, but I have a better word: science!"
Spyro's eyes glittered like stars. "Cynder, we have to take one back home if possible. Imagine Volteer's reaction!"
Grinning, she snickered. "I don't think words would do it justice."
The car rolled out onto the road. Spyro's face was glued to the window as, starry-eyed, he took in all the details of the scenery that wheezed by him. Countless buildings stretched farther than the eye could see. People of all shapes and sizes walked on the street in colourful attires. They passed by a park, whose attractions captivated Spyro. There were people playing soccer and kids running around in a playground. He didn't think he would find sports from back home here. Maybe those were constants in their disparate worlds?
Alongside them, plenty of other vehicles rolled with them. Xavier wasn't kidding when he said they would be everywhere.
Soon, they pulled up into a "parking lot." Xavier parked the car and shut it off. He and Cécile got out and helped them take off their seatbelts. Spyro's paws touched down on the pavement below soon after. He tested the foothold. It wasn't too dissimilar to Warfang's stone roads — just smoother overall.
"Come on, we're going this way," Xavier said.
Spyro looked past where he walked toward. It was a huge building. "That's a big place for a single tailor to own. Is it a tailor association or something?" Spyro frowned. Huh, now that I think about it, I have no idea how mammals get their clothes, even those back in Warfang. Wait... He scrunched up scattered memories. Didn't Ignitus say something about them once, or anything about tailors at all?
As much as he wracked his brain, Spyro couldn't find any pertinent memories. He grunted in annoyance.
"What? Oh, no. The store receives clothes they order from factories. Private tailors do exist, but most people don't bother."
"Hm." Spyro felt vexed. From the sounds of it, people came in, got what they wanted, and left. He had heard tales of how bustling a marketplace could be during the day. Interacting with the merchants was a lively, homely experience. Didn't the humans' system rob them of that? He felt cheated in their stead.
The doors slid open as the gang approached them.
"Whoa!" Spyro was wide-eyed. "How'd that happen?"
Cécile was all too happy to explain. "The door has sensors. When it sees someone coming, it opens. And before you say it, it's not magic." She stuck her tongue out.
Cynder pouted. "You keep insisting on that, yet everything you show us feels like magic."
Xavier chuckled. "I guess science would have that effect on anyone unfamiliar with it. Now shush. It's time to blend in."
The dragons nodded, and the gang rolled in.
The first thing that hit Spyro was the smell of fabric. It made sense — this was a clothing store, after all. The slick, marble floor was cool against his paws. Looking around, the layout was beyond what he could imagine. So, this is what human design looked like…
The walls were smooth, white and decorated with stripes of blue. Big, printed words on the walls denoted the different sections of the store. Articles of clothing hung from racks that were everywhere. On the walls, depending on where he looked, he saw footwear or other accessories displayed on tablets. A moderate amount of people walked around the store, minding their business.
"We're going to split up," Xavier said. "Cécile, take Cynder and do your thing. And control yourself when you're picking clothes. This is my wallet we're talking about."
"Yeah, yeah, self-control totally isn't my middle name." Rolling her eyes, she grabbed a shopping cart. "I know all the good spots that make for stylish clothes, Cyn. You'll look terrific!"
The black dragoness' eyes lit with a curious gaze. She checked her surroundings before replying. "Lead the way, then."
Spyro watched them walk away.
Xavier grabbed a shopping cart. "Alright, let's go get you some clothes."
He nodded. "Lead the way."
As they wandered around the store, Xavier showed him clothes that should be his size. Spyro would give it a cursory look and sniff, then shake his head or nod, and Xavier would react accordingly. He gathered a suitable stack of clothing, footwear, and underwear for the purple dragon. Spyro preferred the plainly designed t-shirts over the ones with wilder designs. He needed to know, though. What if the clothes didn't fit?
"Not a problem. As long as we keep the receipt, we can get a refund," Xavier answered when he posed the question.
"Ah, okay." Spyro paused as a realization came to him. "Thanks again, by the way."
"Hm? What for?"
"For your hospitality. You didn't need to do any of this for us, but you took us in, gave us shelter and great food, and now you're helping us blend in with other humans. I really appreciate it."
Xavier chuckled, embarrassed by the gratitude. "Don't mention it. Once you get a job, you'll be able to pay me back and earn your stay." Spyro stared at him, offended, and Xavier laughed. "I'm joking, relax. I'd be a hypocritical Christian if I gave and expected something in return."
Spyro cocked his head. "You haven't talked much about that. What is a Christian?"
"I'll give you more details on the way home. It's one of many religions we have. Spirituality and stuff."
Huh. In the same way we have our Ancestors, humans have their own sense of spirituality. "That's interesting."
"Excuse me, sir, did that dog just talk?"
Spyro's blood ran cold. He and Xavier turned to see a middle-aged woman with a worried yet curious look staring at them.
The purple dragon fidgeted in place. Uh-oh. Uh-oh! "N-no, I didn't talk — uh, I mean...w-woof. Woof. Bark. I am a dog."
Thankfully, that seemed to quell the woman's fright. "Oh, pardon me. I must have hallucinated it. What breed is your dog?" she asked Xavier. "I've never seen such a cutie in my life!"
He shrugged. "Oh, you know, just a silly, little guy."
"May I pet him?" Without waiting for confirmation, her hand approached Spyro's head. He growled, and she backed off. How dare this woman approach her filthy hand toward him? Only Xavier and Cécile had exclusive rights to pet him! Anyone else was off-limits!
Xavier chuckled nervously. "He's jumpy around strangers, sorry." He petted Spyro's head, which calmed him down.
She nodded. "Sorry for bothering you, then." The woman walked away.
Spyro watched her go with a quirked brow. "Is your and Cécile's intelligence an exception to the norm around here?"
"Only when committing to stupid bits like this one."
AN:
The status quo is shifting, all according to keikaku...
I won't try and defend my decision outside of saying the story will be more interesting if the areas Spyro and Cynder can explore aren't exclusive to the house and its backyard. I carefully considered the trade-off before making my decision.
In any case, it's good to be back after the holidays. If you agree, give me your feedback, and follow and favourite the story. If you don't agree, favourite and follow the story, and give me your feedback. The order is important. (lying)
As always, thank you to the amazing Linkuser2 for being my beta-reader! Check out his story, Daybreak, after this. He's cooking a fine story.
That's all from me. See you guys in a fortnight!
Author-san, signing out.
After they got home, the humans helped the dragons put away their clothes in the guest room's drawers. They went about their business, leaving Spyro and Cynder alone.
The former closed the door before giving Cynder a curious look. "So, what was that all about?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," she replied with a hint of nervousness as her body stiffened, perhaps to appear nonchalant.
Spyro wouldn't fall for her act. "You know exactly what I'm talking about." He tapped his emerald ring with a claw.
Cynder groaned as a blush painted her cheeks. She shifted her weight from paw to paw. "It's too embarrassing to explain."
"I promise I'll try not to laugh." Snickers escaped Spyro's maw in anticipation of Cynder's confession.
She plopped down on the ground with a scoff. "Wow, some reassurance. But fine. I did all that because..." Spyro couldn't hear the rest, for Cynder covered her face in her paws and dropped her voice to a murmur.
He cocked his head. "What?"
"I said, I did all that because I was..." Once again, Cynder didn't speak clearly enough for Spyro to hear.
"You know I can't hear you unless you speak up, right?"
Cynder's paws slid off her face and slammed against the ground. "Urgh! I was embarrassed because Xavier and Cécile were there!" She whirled around. "There, happy now? I didn't want them to hear the real reason why I gave you that ring."
Spyro walked to and sat down beside her. "And that was...?"
She blushed harder and refused to make eye contact with him. "Having the amethyst ring makes me feel safer."
"Oh?"
Cynder idly fiddled with her ring. "It's like I have a piece of you to take with me wherever I go. It makes me feel stronger, more confident."
Spyro hummed. So, she didn't want to appear vulnerable in front of Xavier and Cécile? "Couldn't you have said you would explain later instead of going through that whole fiasco?"
She snapped her jaws at him. "I wasn't expecting you to start questioning me! Excuse me for not having the time to think of a better course of action!"
He grinned, chuckling. "Yeah, okay, suuure. But why do you need a ring when I'm right here?" Flourishing, Spyro brought a paw to his chest and smiled wryly. "You won't get better emotional support from a sterile piece of jewelry."
Cynder huffed. "I'm thinking ahead. We won't be spending all our days together. I mean, unless we..."
Spyro could have sworn he heard Cynder say something along the lines of "got marbles." He frowned. "Did you say something?"
Cynder stood up in a flash. "Nothing-at-all-I-have-to-get-going-now-bye!"
The black dragoness left the room in a hurry, leaving the purple dragon in perpetual confusion.
An Intense UNO Match
...
"Hmmm…" Cécile put down a blue 2 for her turn.
The spotlight shifted to Xavier, who chuckled. Perfect. Everything is going according to my calculations. "You all might as well give up. My path to victory is all but assured." He dropped a Wild card. "Uno. Changing the colour to yellow."
The spotlight's colour shifted from a blue hue to a yellow one and shone down on Cynder.
"Tch. You look quite confident," she said. "You know the game isn't finished yet, right?"
He flaunted the back of his last remaining card. "If you're so sure you can stop me, then try it." I've been keeping track of all the cards. There is nothing more you can do at this juncture to stop me from winning. He mentally sneered. This is a foregone conclusion. The only thing awaiting you is the bitter sting of defeat!
"Hmph." She drew one card, scowling. "Nothing I can play. Your turn, Spyro."
The spotlight shifted to him, who also drew one card. "I can't play anything."
That's when Xavier noticed it. The draw pile was empty. That meant they would have to shuffle a new one from the cards they had played already. This was an unknown variable appearing in his simulation.
"Alright, my turn," Cécile said as the spotlight shone down on her. She shuffled a new draw pile and drew one card.
Xavier masked his nervousness as best he could. No need to worry. The odds of Cécile getting a card that impedes my victory are low. Struggle all you want, Cécile; by the end, I'll be savouring your despair.
Cécile smirked. "Looks like karma is catching up to you, Xavier."
Bam! She slammed a yellow Skip card down.
Xavier flinched aback. Ethereal chains wrapped around his wrists. "WHAT! I-impossible! How did you do that? Are you cheating?"
She stuck her tongue out. "Quit being a sourpuss and accept it. It's just the luck of the draw."
"Tch." He was appropriately miffed by this sudden twist of events. No matter. The odds are still in my favour. Even if they stall by changing the colour, I'm still in the lead by a substantial amount. Do your worst.
Cynder drew a card. She gave a wry smile. "Sorry, Spyro." She dropped a yellow Draw Two card.
He quirked a brow. "Who are you apologizing to?" He dropped a green Draw Two card.
A green spotlight shone down on Cécile, though it was glowing brighter from the chain reaction the dragons had started.
Xavier mockingly winced. "Oooooh, that's gotta hurt, Cécile. Are you gonna be alright?"
"Hmph. That's funny because I was about to ask you the same thing." She flashed a blue Draw Two card.
He recoiled in shock. "What‽ How can this be? I haven't seen that card all game! You were holding on to it this entire time?"
"That's right. I knew that if Spyro or Cynder ever started a chain reaction, there was a chance we could have it land on you. If I played it too early, I would miss my chance for a bigger payoff."
Xavier's expression twisted with scorn, and his body trembled as he clenched his fists. "Why you... This is... This can't be..."
"Face it, Xavier. Your path to victory was nothing more than a mirage!" She slammed her card down. A blinding, blue spotlight shone upon Xavier.
"NOOOO—" His screams were drowned out by the laser beam that smote him from the heavens.
…
Needless to say, Xavier lost that game.
It's Just Magic Things — Part 2
...
"So, is your plan to keep on slamming random ingredients together and hoping for the best?" Xavier asked.
This was the fifth day of Cynder's experiments. So far, all her attempts had been duds. Thankfully, none of them had blown up the house; Xavier counted his blessings.
"You wouldn't be saying that if you knew how meticulous this process is," she replied with a scoff. "Besides, I'm trying something a little different, today."
"Ooooh, what is it?" Cécile asked.
"You'll see."
Cynder concocted a mixture like how she usually would. Xavier noticed she was using cocoa beans as the main ingredient, this time around. I wonder, if she can extract the magic from ingredients found in nature, what is the difference between them all? How do the subtle nuances affect the final result?
Cynder threw in one of her scales after grounding all the ingredients. The concoction glowed, and a puff of magic smoke escaped it.
He raised an eyebrow. "That's different."
"Yes. It means it's ready." The black dragoness gave a wicked grin. "Just like how I calculated it." She grabbed a cup of hot water she had prepared, poured the concoction inside, and mixed it with a spoon.
"What sort of potion do you think it'll make?" Cécile asked Xavier. "I bet it's an invisibility potion, so she can sneak around wherever she likes."
"That's thinking too small. It's obviously an immortality potion, so she can stay young forever and have infinite time to mess up her experiments."
She crossed her arms. "And that's not thinking too big?"
Surprising the both of them, Cynder lapped up some of the concoction she had brewed. She sighed in contentment. "Excellent. My hot cocoa formula is perfect."
The humans were unimpressed. "Seriously?"
"What?" she said defensively. "I needed a break after having all my attempts blow up in my face or worse."
Spyro's Just That Sick
...
Sprawled on the couch, Spyro coughed without relenting. "Urgh… I feel terrible."
Cécile put the back of her hand against his forehead. It was hot. "What's up with him? He was fine yesterday."
"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Xavier said as he fiddled with his phone. "Are you sure you didn't do anything stupid while I wasn't looking?"
"Oh, come on. Have more faith in us."
"So, can you treat him?" Cynder asked, who was lounging on the other couch.
Cécile hummed. "Maybe? I mean, I think I have something that could perk him up."
She left and came back carrying a comically sized syringe.
Spyro was up on all fours in an instant, stiff like a board. "Y-you know what? I'm feeling great all of a sudden. There's no need for any of that."
She gave him a suspicious look. "Are you trying to skimp out of your treatment? I'm a veterinarian in training, you know."
"Yeah, and do you have any practical experience?" Xavier asked.
Cécile tried to find a retort. She came up with none and sighed. "No…"
"Shows what you know. I looked up something online; we just have to administer this pill." He produced a comically sized pill.
Spyro's shoulders sagged. "I'm going to have trouble swallowing that." He suffered a coughing fit.
"Oh, no. This goes up the other end."
The colour drained from the purple dragon's face as he gave a horrified, terrified, frightened, aghast, disturbed, hysteric, perturbed, alarmed look. He dashed away, crying tears of fright. "You'll never get me alive!"
KRASH! He jumped out of the window. Shards of glass rained down on the floor.
"You know," Cécile said, "maybe we should take him to a qualified doctor."
Xavier sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right."