Review Replies:
Sir MountCastle: You laughed and paid the price.
I actually read One Piece recently. I'm all caught up and semi-convinced the One Piece will be the friends we made along the way.
Yo, Asian? Based. A pleasure to meet you. I'd say where I'm from, but I'd be doxxing myself in front of hundreds of people. Don't worry, I can confirm I am not an alien from outside the Solar System.
Yes! We stan our draco-pets in this household!
Electricity dragons undergo defibrillation training during their teenage years. That's canon (to me). Spyro hasn't received the training yet, so he wouldn't risk it. He might try some purple dragon shenanigans, though. Spyro might make for a suitable backup generator; Xavier would need to find the right equipment.
Spyro doesn't know how to sing, but he enjoys it nonetheless. What a good boy. As for Cynder, well...regardless of her skill level, she would be too embarrassed to sing in front of people.
Giving spaghetti to dragons is like giving a violin to a horse. With that anatomy, it ain't happening. Unless you CHEAT, but I am a man of logic and consistency (until it's time for a bit).
You think Fragment needs to bother exterminating you? What will you do, rat him out to the police? Who's going to believe that story? The SCP foundation can try to contain Fragment all they want, but that's not where the danger lies. As long as you're close enough, it's joever for you, so even trying to contain him is dangerous. He would be a Keter-class SCP. Note that I'm coming to this conclusion after skimming one page from the SCP wiki site. I have never looked up anything SCP-related until today (I hate horror).
Anything could happen, you never know.
That's hurtful. Do you have any idea how much time I spent concocting my Zero Obvious Plan? Months. I have spent months meticulously obfuscating anything Fragment-related, and you're rating it TR-tier? I get no appreciation for my efforts; I hate it here. /s
There are many games that ruin friendships. You must expand your horizons, young padawan. Mario Kart, UNO, Ultimate Werewolf, Diplomacy. You must dig deeper.
Smh my head, you are blind to the truth of the world! The furry nation has been orchestrating everything in the background! They are behind every minor inconvenience in your daily life! WAKE UP! Put your tinfoil hat on! We must fight back!
Ignitus would probably say 3 things, but the most likely question is, "How did you get in here?"
Come on, villains being introduced isn't that unfortunate. Yes, I will put the characters through torturous hell, but think of all the development! It's free real estate.
Austin: The example you highlighted perfectly explains why romance is a natural cringey genre. I'm glad we're on the same page.
You are trying your hardest to make Fragment the pettiest mofo on this planet, and while I am all for it, I feel like the dynamic would work better vice versa. Cole would absolutely be the pettiest, most toxic individual to Fragment. He's got to get his licks in when he can. Besides, Fragment can't spoil a movie he's never seen. While he could try to pester Cole during the day, Cole has more options to clap back at his disposal. But once it's nighttime... Let's just say revenge is a dish best served cold.
Cole is a man of science, and that will be his undoing regarding the unscientific threat Fragment represents.
Ignitus will be fiiine. A little brainrot never hurt nobody.
Thank you. I plan on staying safe and healthy alright. I dodged all the cooties last Friday. It was awesome.
Chapter 9: Your Child Is Safe with Us
…
Spyro sighed, sinking further into the couch he was sprawled upon.
He had no idea what he was supposed to do. The question Cynder had asked him yesterday blindsided him. Romance? What was that? What even was that? Why was she adamant about trying it with him? What did she see in Spyro?
Do I even feel the same she feels towards me?
He sighed. He had no idea. In his mind, the focus had always been to help Cynder through her hardships, to give her the feeling of normality she deserved. Was there some ulterior motive that had motivated Spyro to do so?
"Are you okay, Spyro?"
The purple dragon sluggishly turned his head to the side. It was Xavier, holding a plate containing an omelet sandwich.
"You haven't eaten breakfast or anything. What's on your mind?"
Spyro looked away, giving another sigh. "I'm conflicted."
"Conflicted, huh? Mind if I lend an ear?"
Spyro considered the suggestion. He didn't lose anything by giving it a try, right? He sat up straight. "If you insist."
Xavier flopped down next to him and handed him the plate. "Made this for you."
He shook his head. "Not hungry." Spyro's stomach disagreed, but he was too troubled to bring himself to eat.
Xavier shrugged and set the plate on the short table in front of them. "So, what's up?"
Spyro shot a look toward the kitchen. Cynder was busy conversing with Cécile, who was washing the plates. His gaze went back to Xavier, and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "It's about Cynder. She…uh, sort of, confessed her love to me."
Xavier's eyes lit up as if to say, "Oh really?"
"I didn't know what to reply — I was shocked. In a moment of panic, I stormed off." He sighed. "I've been thinking about it ever since, but I have no idea what I'm supposed to do."
"Hm, I see…" Xavier straightened up. "Have you ever asked yourself if you feel the same way toward Cynder?"
The purple dragon groaned as he rubbed his temples. "That's the thing. I don't know. I've never thought about this 'romance' thing. I wouldn't know the first thing about discerning platonic motivation from a romantic one."
Xavier hummed. "In that case, maybe we could talk together about her and see if we can work out how—"
A ringing rang out from the human's pocket. "Oop. Sorry." He reached for his phone and analyzed it with a furrowed brow. "Why is my aunt calling me—" His face lit up with realization, and he slapped his forehead with his free hand. "Crap, I completely forgot I had to take care of Remy today!"
Huh? Take care of Remy? Who is he?
Xavier stood up and answered the phone call. He was conversing in Libellule — or French, as the humans called it — so he couldn't follow the conversation.
When Xavier finished his phone call, he stored his phone back in his pocket and scratched his neck nervously. "Alright, new problem. Remy's coming over today."
"Really?" said Cécile as she burst into the living room with Cynder in tow. "Argh! Today is a terrible day to have my kickboxing practice!"
"Who's this Remy?" Spyro asked.
Xavier was about to answer, but Cécile cut her off. "He's our cousin. Four years old and just an adorable little cutie!"
"Tch. More like an adorable little pest," Xavier muttered.
"Wait!" Cynder cried, eyes wide in alarm. "By 'Remy coming over', are you saying we'll have hatchsit him?"
She frowned. "You mean 'babysit'? Yeah. Why?"
Oh.
Ohhhh.
Spyro felt his cheeks burning up with a blush. "So, what you're saying…"
"Is that we'll have to take care of a hatchling…" Cynder continued, cheeks equally as red.
"Like parents…" Spyro finished.
Xavier chuckled. "You guys are cute. It really isn't as embarrassing as you make it sound. You'll love it; you'll hate it; and best of all, you'll learn to deal with it."
Spyro wasn't listening. First, Cynder confesses her love to me, and now, I have to take care of a hatchling with her? It's like the Ancestors are after me.
Cécile had to leave sometime before Remy arrived. When the doorbell rang, the dragons hid in the basement while Xavier answered the door. A few minutes later, his voice called them back up. What met their sight was a cute, little boyo that Xavier carried in his arms. Spyro couldn't help but let out a small "awww."
When Remy saw them, he gasped, mouth hanging wide open with eyes glimmering like stars. "Dragons!"
Xavier set him down. "Ouais, c'est bien ça. Meet Spyro and Cynder. Tu pourras jouer autant que tu voudras avec eux aujourd'hui."
"Jouer avec dragons!" Remy cheered as he scampered and barreled into Spyro's chest, hugging him tightly.
The purple dragon's heart melted. "Isn't he a cutie."
"He doesn't speak Common?" Cynder asked Xavier.
"Don't worry. He's a smart bugger. Hey, Remy, what colour is the dragon you're hugging?"
The toddler gave Spyro a thorough examination. "Hmmmmm… Purple!" He grinned. "This dragon purple!"
He put his hand on his hip. "See?"
She sighed in relief. "Yeah. I don't know how I would've handled a hatchling I couldn't communicate with."
"You could always learn the language, coward," Xavier sneered. "Anyways, it's great that you guys are here to help me out. Look after Remy for a while, alright? I have to take care of today's cooking."
"Wait, you're just abandoning us?" Cynder cried. "We've never done this before!"
"Don't worry. Just play with him and keep him out of danger. In any case, I'll be right here, so you can give me a holler if need be."
Cynder hesitated but ultimately sighed. "Alright, fine."
"Great." With that, Xavier retreated to the kitchen.
Shuffling her paws, Cynder threw a shy look Spyro's way. "I guess, it's just us and the hatchling, huh?"
Spyro's gaze went down to Remy. He reached for his neck to try and pull him down. "Lemme pet you!"
The purple dragon obliged, bringing his neck down in range for him. "Y-yeah. I guess so."
Remy caressed Spyro's head with his tiny hands, his eyes gleaming with an ever-present sense of wonder.
"Ready to learn how to be a parent?" she asked.
His cheeks flushed. If I ever get into a relationship with Cynder, I can expect today to be my new normal one day. "That depends." He lifted his head out of Remy's range and gave her a look. "Are you?"
Cynder turned her head away, cheeks burning with another blush.
Yeah, today is going to be interesting for sure.
"Lemme ride you!" Remy suddenly cried. He jumped up and down, clamouring for Spyro's attention.
Spyro couldn't help but giggle at the child's excitement. So young and innocent. Everybody deserves a chance to experience that. You're lucky, Remy… He noticed how his lips were tugging downward and shook his head. Now was not the time for that. He smiled. "So, you want a ride on my back?"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
"But do you have what it takes? I'm a big, scary dragon; you'll have to defeat and tame me first!" He took a few steps back and settled into a fighting stance. He gave a mock roar to top it all off.
Remy flinched, but he remained resolute. "I can do it! I will tame you!"
"I feel like it's hardly fair for Remy to fight you on his lonesome," Cynder said. "A valiant knight requires a valiant steed after all. Wouldn't you agree, little one?" She gave Remy a sweet smile.
Remy gasped. "Like a dragon knight! Yes! Fight dragon with dragon!"
Xavier pitched in. "If you want to play-fight, we have toy weapons in a box in the backyard."
"Huh. Nifty," Cynder said. "Why don't we go pick out a proper weapon for you, little one?" she asked Remy.
"Yeah! Then we fight!"
The backyard was a wide, open space delimited by tall fences. The house was in a remote enough spot that there was no immediate risk of the dragons being spotted. There was a container with all sorts of toys, including fake weapons. Remy picked out a foam sword and a mock bow & arrow. Cynder helped him equip the quiver and bow. When she was finished, Remy looked positively ready for action.
He raised his sword and gave a battle cry. "Ready to fight! Let's go already!"
Cynder giggled. A bundle of pure energy, this one. "Hop on." She crouched, allowing Remy to clamber up on her back. Spyro helped push him up so he didn't struggle.
"I think we're ready to get this started." Spyro scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "Now, where was I…? Right. Big, scary dragon." He smirked. "I see you've found yourself weapons and a steed, but if you think that will be enough, then you are sorely mistaken."
Remy growled. "We'll make you eat those words!"
"Someone's fired up," Cynder said. "You'll pay for incurring my knight's wrath, you, uh… Okay, timeout. What's your roleplaying name?"
Spyro blinked. "Huh. No clue. Hm… How about 'Storm'?"
"Too simple."
"Bahamut?"
"Ehh…"
"Malefaux?"
"Too soon. I'll come up with one." Cynder cocked her head, wracking it for a possible answer.
"I know! Griffith the Terrible!" Remy suddenly proclaimed.
Spyro's shoulders sagged. "G-griffith the Terrible? Really?"
Cynder snickered. "I don't know. It's got a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
"I dare say we can workshop something better."
"No! I want to fight Griffith the Terrible!" Remy said.
"Something tells me little Remy here won't be changing his mind." Cynder stuck her tongue out. "A pleasure to meet you, 'Griffith.' "
Spyro gave an exasperated groan.
"Anyways, I'll be 'Eclipse.' Does that satisfy you, little one?" She craned her neck back to address him.
"Yeah! And I want to be Gaius!"
Your innocence is a beautiful thing. "If all is in order, we can pick up where we left off." She crouched into a battle stance. "You'll pay for incurring my knight's wrath, Griffith. Today, we strike you down and put an end to your age of tyranny!"
"That's right!" Remy said.
Spyro chuckled as he mirrored Cynder's stance. "Bold words for a pair of fools who would dare to confront me in my domain. Come, so you may meet your demise."
The dragons began to circle each other. They engaged in combat, throwing out mock strikes while being careful not to injure Remy or have him fall off.
The battle subtly tilted in Griffith's favour. The extra power he held from being in the heart of his domain let him push Eclipse and Gaius into a corner.
Griffith landed a deadly strike on Eclipse. On the verge of dying from blood loss, she apologized to her knight for her lack of strength. Gaius called out to her in desperation, but Eclipse's consciousness was already fading. Griffith's sneers echoed through the air, and he taunted Gaius for his foolishness.
Gaius did not let despair take hold. He said that he believed in Eclipse and would never give up, no matter what! He embraced Eclipse, praying for her wellbeing.
Eclipse found her strength returning to her. The cut across her gash was healing! Moreover, a new wealth of strength surged within her and Gaius. She got up, a golden aura of energy sparking around her and her knight.
Griffith was taken aback. "I-impossible!" he cried.
Gaius mounted Eclipse, who gave a mighty roar. She rushed forward and slammed into Griffith, toppling him. Gaius jumped off her back and brought down his sword, screaming.
His blade pierced through Griffith the Terrible's heart. He gave one final outraged wail before perishing. His reign of terror had ended once and for all.
Eclipse snorted in triumph. "It's like Gaius said. By believing in the bond we share, we can topple any foe."
Remy raised his sword in triumph. "Yay! I won!"
"I thought the plan was to defeat and tame him?" Cynder asked.
"Eh, it works either way," Spyro replied, who was pinned under Remy. "Besides, you already offered to let Remy ride you."
"True." Cynder walked up to Remy and gave him an affectionate lick on the cheek. "Did you have fun, little one?"
"Yeah! Lotsa fun!" Giggling, he got off Spyro and hugged Cynder.
She had to admit. That was some of the most fun Cynder had ever had. Something about Remy's childish purity made it an entirely different experience to play with him.
Childish purity that she never had the chance to have.
Cynder's front claws dug into the dirt. Treated like scum for as long as she can remember, the apes never gave her respite. Every day was a struggle to keep herself going. And Gaul — that bastard — was the worst of them all. With him around, her life was a living hell. From the constant beatings to instill a fighting sense within her to all the malnourishment he made her suffer for his sadistic pleasure, Cynder could write a tome about all the things she hated about him.
Her stomach twisted into a knot as she recalled that memory. In vivid detail, she recalled the ice-cold chains the apes had used to drag her into the ritual chamber. She remembered how the apes' filthy mitts held her down as the ape shaman traced markings on her scales. The paint was cool and sent shivers down her spine.
She remembered how hard she tried to fight back as they dragged her into the pool, every fibre of her being screaming at her to escape.
But there was no escape. And as she sank into the pool, a burning sensation overtook her. It was as if someone had ripped all the scales from her body before dunking her in magma.
She recalled her muffled screams as her body stretched past its natural proportions, and the foreign presence that overtook her mind—
"Cynder!"
She gasped. What? Where?
Cynder was back in the house's backyard, finally taking note of Spyro's paws on her shoulders and her trembling self, constricted throat, and teary eyes.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
She opened her mouth to speak, but the emotions were too strong for words to come out. She bit her lip, struggling to hold it together. She wanted to say she was fine, but that would be a lie. Cynder was not fine. Because her existence was cursed — cursed with a terrible childhood, cursed with the blood of countless people, cursed with the guilt that would follow her for her whole life. Why did it have to be her? She didn't ask to be turned into a monster, to commit all those atrocities!
Cynder broke down into sobs.
Spyro pulled her into a hug.
Remy joined in.
Although she couldn't voice it, Cynder was thankful for their support. She couldn't have made it this far without Spyro; that's why she treasured their relationship.
Once Cynder felt better, they went back inside the house. Incidentally, it was lunchtime. Xavier prepared a plate of food from leftover rice and put it on the table. "This is for Remy. He usually eats on his own, but good luck if he decides he has a vendetta against rice today."
"What? It can't be that bad," Spyro said.
Xavier only chuckled as he made himself a plate of food and took a seat at the table.
The purple dragon raised an eyebrow. He sat Remy down on a chair and took a seat next to him. Cynder sat on the chair perpendicular to Remy.
"Alright, Remy. Eat your food."
The toddler whined and pushed the plate away. "I don't want rice! Gimme hot dogs!"
Spyro frowned. He grabbed the plate and brought it closer. "Come on, Remy. If you don't eat your food, all this perfectly good rice will go to waste." He tried giving Remy a spoonful of rice.
He turned his head away in disgust. "Don't care! Rice is yucky!"
Spyro dropped the spoon into the plate. So, this is what I'm dealing with. Sighing, he cocked his head. How would Mom and Dad deal with this? "We don't have hotdogs right now, but if you finish your rice, I'll go get you some. How does that sound?"
"No! I want hot dogs now!" Remy threw a fit.
Spyro sagged, exasperated. Oh, brother.
"Do you get it now?" Xavier asked.
"Yeah...yeah, I do."
"If I may, I think I have an idea," Cynder said.
Spyro slid the plate over to her. "Be my guest. What are you planning?"
She smirked and made a shushing motion. "Just watch.
"Oh, little Remy," she said in a sweet tone, "you're saying you don't like rice, hm? Then how about this?" The black dragoness lifted her paw, palm facing up. Mana swirled around her fingertips. "I will enchant this meal with a magic spell that will let you grow big and strong, and best of all, will give you the ability to fly."
Remy gasped in amazement, staring at Cynder with starstruck eyes. "No way...!"
"Yes way." Cynder feigned a sprinkling motion over the plate of food, letting some glitter fall onto it. She grabbed a spoonful of rice. "Now then, open wide."
"Yes! Flying will be awesome!" Remy took it in greedily.
"Wow, you handled that expertly," Spyro said.
She grinned. "I figured hatchlings would be easily impressionable."
Cynder continued to feed Remy. She seemed to be enjoying herself. The more he observed her, the more motherlike she appeared, Spyro noted. He got a fuzzy feeling in his chest, but he didn't know why, nor he could put it into words.
He grinned. "It looks like your motherly instincts are unscathed, despite everything. That's great."
That seemed to shock Cynder, who, cheeks flushing, averted her gaze. "Th-thank you."
Spyro realized what he said and turned away, feeling himself heat up from embarrassment. I guess I'm just happy seeing her happy. Is this what that 'love' thing is about?
Shortly after lunch, Xavier notified them he had to leave to do a short commission.
"I should be back before half an hour, but I'm not worried. You guys seem to be handling Remy just fine."
Cynder snorted. "Of course. We have everything under control. What could possibly go wrong?"
"You can count on us," Spyro added.
"Excellent." The human left the house.
"This hatchsitting business really isn't that tough," Spyro said as he sat down on the couch. He shot a look at Remy, who was busy playing with his toy car below him. "Do you think Xavier was exaggerating to scare us?"
"It's probably an issue with his lack of ability." Cynder joined him on the couch and shot him a grin. "With us on the job, we can make anything look like a cakewalk."
Spyro laughed. "For sure."
An awkward silence followed.
Cynder tapped her index claws together nervously. "So, about yesterday… Did you have time to think of an answer?"
Ah. Spyro gulped. He had an idea, maybe, but nothing concrete yet. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm still working on it. You know what they say, taking the time to cook will lead to a better dish."
"Of course, of course. Just, you know… Don't cook it for too long."
"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind, don't worry." Spyro's gaze wandered back to the spot Remy used to be.
He did a double-take. "Wait, wasn't Remy here just a second ago?"
"What?" Cynder quickly scanned the living room. "Remy's gone!" She started to all fours, eyes wide and fully alert.
Spyro's heartbeat accelerated from stress. "He couldn't have gone far! I'll look upstairs; you look in the kitchen and downstairs!"
The dragons split up. Spyro rushed upstairs, checking every room and calling out Remy's name. However, he was nowhere to be found.
Cynder's horrified scream told him she'd had better luck finding him. The purple dragon practically tumbled down the stairs toward the basement. When he reached the scene, he found Cynder and Remy. The latter was busy downing liquid from a small, plastic vial as the former looked on, horrified.
"What are you doing, Remy! Don't drink that!" she cried.
"What's wrong? What's happening?" he asked.
"Remy's drinking all the potions I had left on my work stand!"
"What‽" Spyro ejaculated, maw hanging open in shock. "You didn't put them out of reach?"
"Don't look at me like that; I just forgot to!"
Remy burped. He threw his hands up in a cheer. "I found magic potions! That means more superpowers!"
Oh boy. "So, what potions did he drink? What's going to happen?"
Cynder looked like she was about ready to burst from worry. "I don't know. I haven't seen all of them. Anything could happen; I don't know how the magic will interact with his unawakened metabolism. Hopefully, it's nothing harmful or permanent."
An aura of energy flared to life around Remy.
Spyro's eyes widened in alarm. "Cynder, what was in those potions‽"
"Don't ask me! I already said there could be unforeseen side effects—"
Remy tackled her. She went flying and crashed against the wall.
He turned to Spyro. "Let's play tag! One dragon down, one dragon left!"
Spyro gulped. Something told him this was going to be a loooong play session.
Remy rammed into him.
.
.
.
Xavier arrived back home with a bag in hand. "Stupid traffic, urgh." He sighed. "Oh well. I was only gone for forty or so minutes — what the heck happened here‽"
Upon walking into the living room, Xavier found Remy peacefully conked out on the couch. Spyro and Cynder, however, were laid out on the floor near him, discombobulated as they had just come out of a one-sided anime fight. Or that they had fallen down a flight of stairs.
Cole entered the lab alone. It was vacant, but the crystal containing Fragment stuck out with its glow. Was it just him, or did it seem to pulse with more vigour than when he had first seen it?
"Greetings. Come to bring your master a gift?" Fragment's tone was as mocking as they come.
"Shut your mouth, parasite," Cole spat, growling. "It's time you meet your infernal maker."
"Oh? Are you sure of yourself?"
"Quite." Cole pressed a button on the glass container. The lock mechanism released, allowing him to lift the lid. Cole didn't know how much longer he could last, in all honesty. Ever since his initial talk with Fragment, the nightmares became a recurring thing. Each time, the parasite would find a more gruesome way to end Lisa's life. Or he would torture Cole outright. The man shivered as he remembered a particular where Fragment tore him limb from limb.
If he didn't do something now, Cole worried he would reach his breaking point; the lack of good sleep was already getting to him in his daily life. But if he submitted to this parasite, he could only imagine what sort of atrocities that would entail.
He tensed the hammer in his grip and raised it high. One good blow ought to do it. "Any last words?"
"Meh. Really, I would simply urge you to reconsider. Have you thought about the consequences?"
"About killing you and freeing myself from your torment? Yes."
Fragment's throaty laughter echoed in Cole's head. "Well then. Who am I to stop you? Go right ahead."
"Cocky bastard," Cole snarled. He wanted nothing more than to swing the hammer down right then and there, but something in the back of his mind gave him pause. Namely, why was Fragment so unbothered? If he was about to end his life, shouldn't he be panicking?
"Why are you hesitating? You came all this way; it would be anticlimactic not to follow through, yes?"
He's taunting me. Something's not right. Is he bluffing? If he is, then it's the bluff of the century. I should end him right now and be done with it! Cole lowered his hammer, doubt crossing his expression. But I may be playing into his hands by doing so. What if the crystal is his prison? The last thing I'd want is to release this parasite into the world.
"Oh? Did you realize the futility of your struggles? You're finally ready to submit to your master?"
"Shut it. It's nothing like that." He smirked. "How would you enjoy a change of scenery?"
"Hm?"
"How about being locked up in a nice, secluded bunker, far from me or anyone else you could control?"
"I think it would get lonely," Fragment said, pouty. "Your coworkers are an amusing distraction."
Yeah, keep acting casual. You won't be weaselling yourself out of this one. "Good. You deserve worse."
After closing and locking Fragment's glass container, Cole made his way out of the lab without further comment.
AN:
RIP Remy. You were best boy. If you know, you know.
Have you seen those mind games Cole has to deal with? Phew, Fragment is one tough nut to crack! But Cole's got that dawg in him; you already know he's coming out on top.
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.
Spyro knocked on the door to Xavier's room.
"Come in."
The purple dragon let himself in. "You're still up? It's almost midnight." Not that I'm unthankful.
Xavier was reading manga on his chair. He shot him an offended look. "I just happened to reach a really good part of the story and got sucked in. What's wrong with that?"
"The effect of on your sleep quality, for starters. How often does it happen?"
He slapped the book shut. "You didn't come here to talk about my unhealthy habits, I'm sure. What's up?"
Guilty as charged. Spyro let his gaze wander nervously. "I was just wondering… Could I sleep here tonight?"
Xavier shrugged. "Sure. Any particular reason why?"
"I've spent one night sleeping alone, and I'd rather it be the last." Not having someone close to him just felt wrong. Or maybe the couch was simply not a comfortable place to sleep in. There might be some overlap there.
Xavier slapped his forehead. "Right! I completely forgot your thing with Cynder! Sorry for not being able to help you out," he said, wincing.
Spyro waved his paw dismissively. "It's fine. Hatchsitting Remy today gave me the answer I was looking for, I think. I'd like to sleep on it, just to be sure."
Xavier sighed in relief. "Nice." He got up and shut the lights off, plunging the room into total darkness had he not turned on the flashlight on his phone.
Spyro made himself comfortable on the floor as Xavier got in bed. "Good night."
The human gave him an odd look. "You know you don't have to sleep on the floor, right?"
"Well… I don't want to be rude; I've already barged into your room, after all."
"Quit overthinking things and get up here," Xavier said with a smirk. He made space for him on the bed.
Spyro's tail wagged as he got up, grinning. He hopped on the bed and found a comfortable spot to sleep in. "Good night, Xavier."
He turned his flashlight off. "Yeah, yeah, you too."
It's Just Magic Things – Don't Let Her Cook
...
"I want to try my hand at this too," Cécile said. "Why is it always you cooking these spells and potions?"
Cynder gave her a look. "Because I'm magically inclined, and you're not?"
"Pfft. Who needs magical inclination when you have instinct? Just watch." She bumped Cynder out of the way.
"Oi!" she snapped, miffed.
"Cécile, I don't want you anywhere near Cynder's stand," Xavier said. "Your cooking may as well be a health hazard."
She stuck her tongue out. "We'll see about that. All you need is a little sugar, spice, and everything nice." She poured in her selected ingredients. However, as she set the final one back on the shelf, she knocked over a vial of black liquid. It wobbled and fell, but Cécile caught it. "Phew! Close call."
Cynder looked frazzled. "You'd better be careful with that! That's my chemical X!"
Confusion and shock plastered Cécile's expression. "Wait, you have that? What does it do?"
"Nothing important; just put it back on the shelf."
Cécile's gaze travelled between the vial in her hand and its place on the shelf. She gave a sinister smirk. She'd gotten an idea, a deliciously devious idea.
Cécile unscrewed the bottle and poured the liquid into the concoction.
Cynder recoiled in shock. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING‽"
Before Cécile could reply, the concoction exploded and showered Cécile and Cynder in smoke.
Xavier recoiled, yelping in worry. "Cécile! Cynder!"
Thankfully, the girls' coughing signalled that they were still alive.
"I swear, you will never cook again," the black dragoness said between coughs.
Cécile's reply came marred in coughs. "Honestly, I should have foreseen that it was going to blow up."
Xavier breathed a sigh of relief. "It's honestly a miracle that none of these experiments have ended in grave injuries. I mean, this is the equivalent of running nuclear experiments on the playgro—"
Xavier's words died in his throat as disbelief washed over him. As the smoke cleared and the girls came into view, he couldn't help but take his glasses off and polish them before putting them back on, just to make sure he wasn't seeing things.
Cynder and Cécile gave him odd looks. "What?"
Xavier slapped his hands in front of his face and inhaled. "How do I say this? You have cat ears."
"WHAT‽"
Laser-pointing Goodness
...
Cynder liked to lounge on the carpet in the basement sometimes. The texture felt soothing against her scales, perfect for a nap, reading, or relaxing.
But then, a red dot appeared on the floor in front of her.
She regarded it, confused as to its sudden appearance. She elected to ignore it, but the red dot decided to wiggle, as if taunting her.
Cynder glared at it as she stood up and crouched, ready to pounce. She leapt and landed on top of the dot. She smirked, satisfied with her victory.
That is, until the red dot appeared again at the foot of the stairs.
Befuddled, Cynder checked under her front paws. The dot was not there. She snorted. Her prey was nimbler than she had presumed. No matter.
Hissing, the black dragoness pounced on the red dot once more. It escaped up the stairs. She pursued it as it went through the living room and into a room. There, it settled into the middle of the room and she jumped it.
"Gotcha." Cynder purred, giddy from her successful hunt.
She heard the sound of a door closing and locking. Cynder turned around to see a smirking Xavier.
"Wow, it worked like a charm. Who knew Cécile could have some good ideas? Just had to setup a few mirrors, and yeah, le tour est joué."
Cynder got an awful feeling in her stomach. "What are you talking about? Why are you here?" She looked around, and that's when she noticed it.
They were in the bathroom.
She gasped. That could only mean one thing...
Cynder crouched into a battle stance, snarling. "Let me out of here, scoundrel!"
He glared right back. "Not until you take your bath!"
Are They Animals, or Are They Trolling?
...
Spyro and Cynder entered Xavier's room. It was the morning, so he was still asleep.
Cynder approached his bed and nudged him with her snout. "Wake up, human. We're hungry."
Xavier stirred in his sleep. "Huh? Why are you bothering me?" He checked the clock. "It's still early. Let me sleep." He yawned and closed his eyes.
"We're hungry. It's your duty to feed us."
"You know where all the food is. Go feed yourself."
"Yeah, but it tastes better when you make it for us," Spyro said.
Xavier opened his eyes to give them a sleepy, unimpressed look, then turned away. "I guess you'll have to settle for mid, then."
The dragons shared a look.
"Plan B?"
"Plan B."
Cynder pounced on Xavier and made him face the ceiling as she lay on his chest. Spyro assaulted Xavier's face with copious licks.
Xavier trashed under the assault, although he could not escape, and keeping Spyro at bay with his hands was futile. "Ugh, ew, gross! Stop that! Cut it out! Alright, fine! You win! Ugh!"
The dragons released him. Xavier sauntered out of bed, wiping his face with his shirt. "I swear, living with you two is the worst."
"Love you too." Cynder purred.
...
Spyro scratched the door to the house as he let out a whine. "Human, I want to go outside."
Xavier looked up from his book, grunting in annoyance. "I have a name, you know. And you say that, but as soon as I let you out, you'll be clamouring to come back inside before five minutes are up."
"No!" Spyro frowned. "That's ridiculous! I would never do such a thing."
"Oh yeah? Then enjoy that hypothetical scenario in your head. I'm not budging."
The room fell quiet for a moment.
Spyro released a series of pitiful whines as he resumed scratching the door.
Xavier sighed. Yeah, sure. Let's ignore the whole 'secrecy' problem for this bit. He stood up and opened the door for Spyro. Elated, the purple dragon strolled out. Xavier closed the door and sat down.
Not three minutes later, Spyro was scratching the door from outside. "Human, I want to come back inside."
Xavier rubbed his temples. "The definition of insanity..."