FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Few things in this chapter I got from here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-habVLwEZFk

Nevermind the lame subtitles there, the guy who uploaded it was bored. I should've put that link in RoD...oh well. The movie is also on lair.spyrothedragon.com, can't link to it cuz the whole site is basically Flash, but if you can view it there without a split-second skipping problem throughout the movie you can see it without subtitles.

Anyway, there they are, the training session in this chapter has its base in this clip.

On to the chapter. Enjoy, but if you're under 18, get lost, this place be too much for you. :P

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-- Chapter 4 --

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Spyro woke up early as he heard Alex yell. There was a sharp crackling sound and he knew instantly that Alex and Volteer were training Alex's new lightning breath outside. He groaned and rolled over, rubbing his eyes...how would he tell Cynder what was going on? She needed to know but...he just couldn't tell her. And he didn't know if that curse was still in effect...if it was, and he spoke to anyone about his work, it would be completely unwound and all hell would break loose.

He stared at the ceiling, and couldn't help smiling as Cynder mumbled in her sleep right by his head, making small sleepy noises. He turned to her, his nose touching hers, and slowly brought her into a hug. She smiled, still dreaming, and nuzzled against him...oh how he loved that, her soft warm scales against his.

"You are so cute, Cynder," he whispered, running his paw along the back of her neck. She yawned and slowly opened her eyes, looking up into his.

"You say sumthin'?" she whispered.

"Just admiring my mate," he said, and she murred as he held her tight against him. "So...how's my black night this morning?"

"Happy to have her purple sunrise," she said, but then realized he meant more. "And excited."

"So am I."

"I can't wait...but Ignitus told us it'd be two months minimum once we knew for sure..."

"And you know for sure?"

She felt her belly and grinned. "Yep, I'm really sure."

After some silent cuddling they slipped out of bed and walked into the dojo. Spyro looked at Cynder. "Wanna try training again?"

"After last time, I'm not too sure..."

"Hey, if it happens again, I'm here, and so are Solar, Flare, and the guardians. That's enough fire--wait, breathpower to stop anything that comes up."

She hesitated but shrugged. "Okay, I guess I'm up for something. Though you've gotta get some training in too."

"Fair enough." The huge statue began lowering into the floor, and Spyro and Cynder both jumped as they heard a surprised shout from Flare.

"What's that?" she shrieked, scared. It dawned on them--she hadn't been here long enough to know what was happening with the dojo.

"We're doing some training..sorry," Spyro called back. "I forgot the vibrations can be felt out there."

Solar and Flare came in to watch as a huge group of wooden dummies appeared and began attacking Cynder. Spyro watched her proudly as she snaked between enemies, tripping them with her tail, lashing with her claws, blasting them with fire, all in such a smooth, fluid manner. She was obviously enjoying herself as she knocked a dummy into the air and lashed it in half with her tail, throwing the two halves down and tripping up more enemies as they came at her. She flew above them, letting them crowd underneath her, and then became a living fireball, fire coursing around her as she dive-bombed the shoving mass of animated wood. The explosion rocked the air in the room and all the dummies disappeared. She looked over at Spyro.

"Your turn," she said, mincing over to him and flicking his nose playfully with her tail as she passed. Solar and Flare sat down where they were at the side of the room and watched--they wanted to see Spyro fight. He stood in the center of the room, and again a huge mass of dummies appeared and charged at him.

"You're joking, right?" he asked as he leapt up. Cynder smirked and more appeared. "That's more like it," he said eagerly, and spun around rapidly, throwing off a powerful arc of electricity. Without missing a beat he went right into a shower of icicle bullets, strafing around the oncoming dummies and spearing them multiple times over with ice spears. Cynder made more appear and he smirked, and spat an earth-bomb into the fray. Most of the dummies were sucked up into the resulting vortex, and he let loose a powerful fire-bomb followed by several bright blasts of electricity. Those that survived were now running around, and he ran up to them and either froze them solid or set them on fire. He froze the last one and picked it up and flung it against the wall, shattering it.

"You still up for more?" Cynder asked.

"Sure, throw somethin' at me." He ducked a mushroom she picked from where she was over by the wall. "I didn't mean literally."

"Okay then, tough guy," she said, and a large dummy with two clubs appeared. Spyro charged at it and knocked it up into the air, spinning it around madly with a midair combination of hits before sending it slamming to the floor and blasting it with a fireball. To everyone's surprise the dummy stood right back up, the flames around it swirling around its club.

"What's going on?" Solar asked, worried.

"It's happening again!!" Cynder cried, and shrieked as Spyro took the full brunt of a club-strike and was sent through the air. They watched in amazement as Spyro landed on the wall on all fours, his scales smoking from the fire on the clubs, and he shoved off and barrelled right into the huge enemy's chest. Spyro flipped backwards off the dummy as it fell backwards, and when he landed, Cynder looked at him oddly.

"Stay back! He's mine," Spyro snarled, and charged recklessly at the lumbering foe. Cynder was deeply troubled--what was wrong with him all of a sudden? Then she noticed it--his purple scales were darker.

"Solar! Take it down!!!" she screamed over the explosion of another fire bomb from Spyro. She rushed in and tackled him clean out of the air, landing on him roughly as they hit the floor. Spyro's half-opened eyes were twitching slightly as if he was incredibly dizzy, and Cynder pulled him to safety as Solar took on the flaming wooden enemy with little effort.

"I'm sorry," Spyro hoarsely whispered, "I couldn't hold it back..."

Solar roared and grabbed the dummy by the neck with one paw, squeezing it tight. The dummy's head popped off and the whole thing disappeared.

"What the heck was that thing?!" he asked, landing. "That was definitely not normal."

Cynder let Spyro up, and to his confusion she looked angry. "Spyro, what have you been hiding from me?"

He looked at the floor miserably. "I still can't tell you...not until I know the curse is lifted."

"What curse?"

He paused. "Well, I guess now it's safe to explain." He looked her sadly in the eyes. "I was sent on a reconnaisance mission a few months ago. Normally anyone would've been sent, but they figured I'd be the best bet to go. And apparently, I was the only one that could go."

"Why?" Flare asked as she and Solar came closer.

Spyro looked at the floor again. "Because of the fact that...I died two years ago. Because of that, I'm able to sense things no one else can...and the one I've been trailing, apparently, is closely linked to the Dark Master. He was able to pass into a parallel 'otherworld'..." Spyro shuddered. "I never want to go there again..."

"What was there?"

"It's where the Dark Master and I struggled against each other when we killed each other. He was trying to use my link to Cynder as a passage to get back to this world...but Cynder broke his power and brought me back. But that world...it was so evil...it was like the Well of Souls but far worse."

"What's this got to do with the curse?" Cynder asked.

"The curse...apparently a powerful creature found out about my reconnaisance and cast a spell on me. If I was to tell anyone anything I heard outside of those who already knew before the mission was completed, all my work--slaying dark beasts that were being brought up to invade this world, among other things--would be reversed. And I did A LOT...if it were all reversed now, it would overwhelm us. What his intentions were, I have no clue...he just cast that spell and vanished."

At that moment they heard Alex yell in surprise outside, and a strange figure shot through the room into Spyro and Cynder's room. It moved so fast they could only tell it looked kind of like Alex, but was covered from head to toe in navy-blue clothes and wore dull silver-colored armor. Solar looked back quickly and saw Alex flip up into the air over the balcony and race into the dojo. They backed away from him a bit--there was a fierce, animal-like gleam in his eyes.

"Whe'd it go?!" he snarled, looking around. Not waiting for an answer he darted into Spyro and Cynder's room. They heard him yell in pain and he fell to the floor, and Solar rushed in, everyone else following. Terrador and the other guardians came in from outside to see what was going on. Alex was hunched up on the floor, clutching his head and whimpering as the high-pitched whine shot through his ears again. "GET THE HELL OUTTA ME!!!" he shouted, and there was a low groan that made the air shake and Alex passed out.

"What's going on here?" Flare asked, a bit scared. Solar lay his paw on Alex and closed his eyes, his paw glowing faintly.

"Something's not right," he said after a while, and a deeper searching look came over his face. "Spyro, I need your help again, I need you to put some light energy into him."

"Sure," Spyro said a bit hesitantly, and came over and put a paw on Alex. Small tendrils of light flowed from Spyro into Alex, and they watched as Solar continued searching. From where she was by Flare, Cynder could see his face grow more and more worried and angered.

"I was afraid of this," he said, finally letting up and standing back. "Whatever's holding onto him has given the Dark Master's willpower a foothold in him."

Cynder rolled her eyes and groaned. "Oh great, here we go again. First me, then Spyro, almost Solar, and now Alex."

"Well, aren't we all just one big happy family of dragons corrupted by darkness!" Spyro said loudly, getting a laugh out of them.

"That was random," Cynder said, brushing up against him as he took his place by her side again. He grinned, but then snapped his head back to her in worry as both she and Flare suddenly groaned in pain at the same time. Solar looked back and forth between Flare and Cynder, seeing the same kind of pain in both of them.

"Everything all right?" Cyril asked.

"Yeah...just an upset stomach," Cynder said. Flare didn't say anything but nodded. They weren't convinced but the guardians left anyway, seeing that they weren't much help. Solar stood there, looking back and forth between Flare and Cynder.

"So...we have two expectant mothers in the temple now?" he asked, half-smiling.

Flare and Cynder looked at each other in surprise and excitement. "You too?" they both asked at once.

Later that night both couples were sitting out on the balcony, watching the sun set, the two dragonesses leaning against their mates. Ignitus quietly came out but Spyro heard him.

"Hey Ignitus..." he said with a yawn. "Something up?"

Ignitus shook his head. "Just coming to see how you were doing. Alex is waking up finally...I hope Cynder and Flare are feeling better?"

Spyro and Cynder looked at each other, and Cynder gave a sly side-glance to Ignitus, leaning up to Spyro and audibly whispering "I think Grandpa Ignitus will be surprised."

Ignitus cleared his throat with a slight cough and they laughed, seeing he was a bit embarrassed and very surprised--it was rare to see him like this, and right now to them it was priceless. He cleared his throat again, this time to speak. "So, I assume you two have decided to become parents now?"

"Would you mind being Great-uncle Ignitus as well?" Flare asked teasingly, and they laughed again at the surprised look on his face.

He was at a loss for words briefly but once again cleared his throat, running his claws absently on the stone with a self-conscious grin. "This is a bit unexpected...but congratulations to you all. How long have you known?"

"Only the past day or so," Cynder said.

"Same here," Flare chimed in happily. "Oh I'm so excited..."

"You have good reason to be," Ignitus said. "All four of you...after what life has put you through, it's good that you're settling down and furthering your lives. I just hope that Alex's presence here does not interfere with anything..."

"What is it with him?" Spyro asked. "Not to put him down, but ever since he came, weird things have been happening."

Ignitus sat back on his haunches, his face going serious. "In the Pool of Visions I have seen the shadow he and his friend were fighting. It seems that this shadow is but one of uncountable pawns of an ultimate evil--a darkness that wishes to conquer or destroy all creation and its various realms and dimensions. The shadow Alex was fighting against apparently has been influencing the Dark Master since his first temptations of power...basically it's the Dark Master's master. And now it seeks to bring him back to power."

Spyro shuddered. "So that's how he came back..."

"Who came back?"

Spyro groaned. "Dammit, I hate this...I can't tell until I know the curse is no longer in effect. But I know that every bit of information can help the earlier it's known..."

Ignitus grunted. "All the same, Alex's landing here was not coincidental--the shadow planted evil in him and as Solar has determined, the Dark Master is using Alex. We'll need to keep an eye on him; I don't think he can combat the Dark Master's influence by himself."

Cynder leaned against Spyro. "Well, with this bad boy guarding us, the shadow thing whatever-it-is can't touch us." She sensed an uncomfortable feeling from him with the mention of "bad boy" but didn't pay it much mind.

"Well, I shall leave you four alone for the night," Ignitus said, and walked back into the temple. The two couples just cuddled silently on the balcony until Cynder's head slipped off Spyro's shoulder and she jerked up with a startled gasp. They laughed and Spyro led Cynder into their room, helping her up onto the bed and wrapping himself around her as he crept under the covers. Cynder almost instantly fell asleep in his secure embrace, and Spyro lay there, slowly running his paws over her head and neck. Outside, Flare draped her neck over Solar's back and he folded his wing over her side as she fell asleep. She smiled faintly as his paw wrapped around hers and his tail curled around her side.

****

A quiet week-and-a-half passed by quickly without any further disturbances. Occasionally Cynder or Flare would feel sick, but it passed swiftly. Spyro and Solar had taken it on themselves to bring food and water back to their mates, but for a few days Cynder was obstinant and followed Spyro, not wanting to submit to "laziness". Flare was fine with Solar going, but grew a bit lonely when the three left for food and water. Eventually Cynder decided to let Spyro serve her like he wanted to and she and Flare made a quick habit of chatting together on the balcony as they waited. At least six times in those eleven days the dragons had wandered off into the forest with their mates "for some fun" or for "a change of pace" and always came back exhausted but happy; it wasn't really hard to guess what they'd been doing.

Alex, meanwhile, secluded himself in the tunnels or atop the temple, using his claws and uncanny abilities to scale the walls. Every day passed leaving him missing his girlfriend, Christine, even more than before. He felt very alone here--he didn't know anything about this world, about the dragons that had so kindly taken him in...he was a human in dragon's scales, and felt that he just plain didn't belong here. On top of that, he didn't want to hurt his hosts--that last outbreak had left him drained, and he didn't want to lash out on them if it drained him beyond his self-control. As he sat on the temple roof over the dojo, he watched as Spyro and Solar flew off into the forest, and his ears picked up Flare laughing at a Spyro story from Cynder.

"Christine...please, tell me where you are," he said, projecting his voice into the dimensional rift. Focusing his hearing he heard her reply, but it sounded like she was a million miles away and being muffled. "Dammit, the darkness is barring our communication," he said angrily to himself. He slumped onto his back on the roof and stared at the sky. How he longed to fly away from here and search for Christine...but he couldn't fly yet, the muscles of his new wings weren't strong enough to support his weight for more than a prolonged normal jump. "I can jump farther than I can fly," he grumbled to himself, flexing his wings slightly. He closed his eyes, losing himself to his thoughts. He missed Christine so much...those stunning blue eyes, that gorgeous dark-brown hair...how easily he could make her laugh...

It seemed like mere seconds later, but the sun was setting as afternoon ended when he heard two pairs of wings flap quickly and land nearby.

"Alex, you okay?" came Spyro's voice.

"Yeah...I guess..."

"Something's wrong, Alex, I don't think you're normally like this," Cynder said, worried.

Alex grunted and sat up, his head hanging. "It's just...I don't belong here...I feel lost...and I really, really miss my girlfriend."

Spyro nodded. "You really liked her, huh?"

"Liked her?!" Alex was defensive. "I...I love her, but I never got a chance to really tell her. And I was gonna ask her to marry me..."

Spyro cocked his head at Alex quizzically. "Marry?"

Alex hesitated. "Well to put in your terms...oh how do I explain it..." He grunted. "You and Cynder...you're mates, right?"

"Happiest ones ever," Cynder sighed, and Spyro rested his head on hers with a grin.

"And Spyro, you asked her to be your mate, right?"

"Yep."

"I was gonna ask Christine if she'd marry me...if she'd be my mate." He didn't seem comfortable putting it that way.

"But you never got the chance?"

"Oh I've had plenty of chances, they were all at the wrong time..." He sighed. "Technically we're both too young because of our age...but three years even without aging should be enough..."

"Huh? Three years?" Cynder asked, confused.

Alex paused but side-glanced at them. "Christine and I, we both have the ability to 'freely' jump between dimensions and their various sub-levels. Our first adventure we were gone for a good two years, then we had to spend another year in another realm before we finally took on the shadow in the dimensional rift. Amazingly we haven't aged a bit from being 18..."

"How long were you fighting it?" Spyro asked.

"Being out there we had no need for food, water, or rest, so we were fighting for two weeks straight before it finally blasted us...and you can guess what happened then." He held out his paw and examined it before despondently letting it fall back onto his knee.

There was a bit of silence before Spyro thought of something. "Ignitus told us that the shadow you were fighting is in charge of the Dark Master here?"

"The Dark Master...all-powerful dragon gone corrupt..." Alex mumbled to himself, his eyes closed in thought.

"Do you know of him?" Spyro asked, cocking his head curiously at Alex.

"Yes, sadly, I know quite a bit about him..." Alex sighed, his eyes downcast. "I heard mention of him many times in my three-year adventure...him and many others scattered across the dimensions. The enemy I fought, yes, was himself in charge of the Dark Master...though I doubt your evil nemesis ever knew he was being remotely influenced." A thought came across his mind and he looked up at them. "I had heard the name 'Cynder' before...any relation?" He looked at Cynder as he finished.

"The one and only."

Alex's eyes widened and he looked at Spyro. "You married the Shadow Serpent?!"

"Shadow Serpent?" Spyro asked, looking at Cynder. "Boy, you sure gained a reputation." Cynder giggled.

"Alex, I was under the Dark Master's control for a while, but Spyro freed me and I've been helping him ever since."

Alex looked at her oddly. "Shouldn't you be...well...bigger?"

"When I freed her, the Dark Master's corruption fell from her," Spyro explained. "And she became this cute little thing sitting next to me." He pulled her towards him and she rubbed her cheek against his with a laugh.

Alex was still skeptical, but he shrugged. "Now I'm lost...I know I'm here for some reason, but I don't have any idea what that reason might be. After what I've heard you talking about to Solar and Flare, I'm starting to wonder if the shadow can even recover any of the Dark Master's power."

At that moment he jumped up, listening, and ran to the edge of the roof.

"What's wrong?" Cynder asked.

"Our guest is back. I have a feeling it's gonna flee...if so, I'll bring you guys back some food and save you the trip," Alex said, and to their surprise he leapt a good fifty feet if not more through the air and landed on the balcony. They rushed over and looked down to see the navy-blue stranger facing Alex. It was a lot like Alex now that it was holding still--they saw a sky-blue tail and wings and long, slim silver horns, but no other distinguishable features. It wore a black visor in front of its eyes as Alex stared it down. "Why are you here?" he demanded.

The creature said nothing, and before they could react it suddenly rushed off, like a liquid blur, just like Alex had thought it would. Alex chased after it as it sailed over the edge of the balcony, seeming to fly through the air himself as he jumped. Solar was watching as he stood in the doorway to the temple. Spyro and Cynder glided down to the balcony and stared off after Alex.

"Humans are very strange," Solar said, puzzled. "Even the apes don't have that kind of jumping power."

"I get the feeling Alex isn't normal among humans," Spyro said.

"Kinda like you're not normal among dragons?" Cynder asked teasingly.

Spyro nudged her playfully and she was about to say something when she yawned. "You seem tired," he said, and she nodded.

"I'm just feeling more and more tired each day..."

"Your body's not used to your new...condition," Solar said. "You should get some rest, I'll go get the food."

"Alex said he'd bring food back."

"Oh. Oh well, more time with Flare." With that he walked back in, followed by Spyro and Cynder. They watched Solar disappear into the Pool of Visions room where Flare was, and Spyro turned to Cynder.

"I'm gonna do some training."

"That reminds me," she said, her eyes narrowing at him, "you never explained what happened to you last time."

"I still can't...in the next few days I'm gonna go and see if I can't find out if the curse is still in effect. I'd rather know for sure than chance it."

It was too early for them to really go to bed, but all the same Cynder crawled into bed and Spyro followed her.

"Thought you were gonna do some training," she yawned.

"Nah, I'll do it later. You're too pretty and cute to stay away from."

She giggled and closed her eyes and leaned her head against his paw as he caressed her face. "I'm kinda hoping for more than one..." she said as her paw moved over her belly.

"Let's just hope you don't have TOO many...I heard Terrador and Solar talking about you and how we're so young and already starting a family."

"Well, Ignitus told me that dragons used to pair off young...I don't think we need to worry too much." She rolled onto her back and smiled as she looked at the ceiling. "We should start thinking of possible names..."

Spyro laughed. "Cynder, we've still got a good month and a half before it's time, and then another few months before they hatch. We've got plenty of time."

"To think of names," she corrected him, and he rolled his eyes.

"Okay, fine..."

She closed her eyes to think, and Spyro rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. It wasn't long before he heard her musical sleepy breathing next to him, and he smiled and pulled the warm white blanket over her.

As night fell, Spyro left his room and went out onto the balcony. Solar and Flare were already fast asleep, curled up tightly with each other. He walked past one of the tall pillars along the walkway, and stopped--someone was nearby.

"You know I'm here, don't you?"

Spyro jumped and looked up to see a slim green tail with a shocking-yellow fin at the end. He laughed. "Yeah, I figured someone was nearby. What're you doing up there?"

"Keeping an eye out for whoever that thing is."

"Any sign?"

"None since I came back. I take it Cynder fell asleep?"

"I wouldn't be out here otherwise."

To Spyro's alarm Alex jumped high into the air and landed right next to him; the total height of the fall would have injured any other creature, but Alex just calmly stood up. "Spyro, I need to talk to you about something."

"What is it?"

"Inside first." Spyro followed him inside and the door closed behind them as they approached the statue.

"So...what's going on?"

Alex leaned against the statue. "I heard Solar talking to Ignitus about you being to sense interdimensional transportations?"

"Yeah. When you came here I almost got knocked out."

"Have you felt anything else since then?"

"No...but now that I think about it...it felt like there was more than you coming through the rift."

Alex grunted. "I can't help but get the feeling that some kind of shadow or something slipped in along with me...and for some reason I get the feeling Christine is here in this world."

"How can you tell?"

Alex fumbled with his words and finally just looked at the floor. "I don't know...but when I call out to her through the dimensions, her reply seems to be coming from the same level as my call. I can't explain it, but I can usually sense where she is...there's a powerful darkness here that's blocking me but I think it may also be this thing in me."

"What is it in you anyway? You haven't explained that."

"I don't want to..." He shivered. "I can't stand the memories..."

Spyro fell silent for a moment. "What about that thing dressed in blue?"

Alex shrugged. "I don't know. I get the feeling I've seen him--or her, I can't tell...IT--I get the feeling I've seen it before somewhere but I can't tell for sure. It's bent on me, that's why it's here...but as to why, I have no clue."

"Was it there when you were attacked?"

"No. I'm pretty sure it's not in league with the mages that have been stalking Christine and me." He sighed. "Christine...I really wish I could see you again..."

"You'll find her again. Don't worry. Solar had the same problem with Flare when he came here, but he followed her here after she was thrown through the rift."

"Can she travel by herself?"

"No, I don't know of any dragon that can."

Alex was surprised. "Then how did she survive?! Did she have a dimensional device on her?"

"No..."

"How did she survive?! That's impossible!"

"A shadow-troll flung her through with magic, that's all I know. Solar hunted it down and got zapped here as it tried to escape him. But when he came here, Solar had no idea where Flare was and it took us a while to figure it out from the dreams and hints she somehow sent us."

Alex sighed despondently. "But she can project dreams to others; Christine can only try to communicate with me from afar, and right now we can't understand each other through the dark barrier."

"We'll find her if she's here. The way things work out around here I bet she'll show up within the next few weeks."

Alex laughed. "You sure?"

"Not really...around here things just seem to work out in the long run."

"That's pretty presumptuous...but I hope you're right; I really miss her."

There was another silence. "Anything else?"

"Not really...I'm gonna get some sleep. Volteer wore me out earlier."

Spyro laughed and rubbed his neck. "Yeah, Volteer has that effect on others...well, goodnight then." He left Alex in the dojo and snuggled up next to Cynder in their bed. She was mumbling in her sleep but smiled and sighed happily as she felt him right next to her. He ran his paw lightly over the pattern on her head and made his way down to the design on her shoulder. He glanced down at her arm and smiled in remembrance as he saw the bracelet on her forearm just above her paw. He looked closer--she was beginning to outgrow it, but still had some time before she'd have to have it fixed to fit her better. He kissed her lightly and put his head down on the pillow to sleep.

He woke up the next morning as Cynder kissed him a bit roughly, and he shook the sleep from his head and chuckled as he smelled her arousal.

"What's with you today?" he asked, putting his paw over her mouth as she came at him again.

"I just want you so badly," she whispered seductively.

"Then you can have me," he whispered back, "but not here."

He stood up and slowly stretched, feeling her impatience and grinning to himself. She followed him out through the window to the river, and landed beside him and ran her tongue over his cheek.

"You're not ready," she said disapprovingly.

"For waking me up like that, you're gonna hafta work for me," he said with an evil grin, and she growled. He lay down, his lower body on his side so his hind legs were off to one side and his lower underbelly was more exposed, and he stayed defiantly still as she continued licking him. It was all he could do to restrain himself, but he wanted his revenge for not being able to sleep in.

Cynder was desperate, and she worked her way up to his mouth. She was passionately kissing him but he just let her have her way. Seeing that this approach wouldn't work, she slowly trailed her tongue down his side until she reached his bulging sheath. She intentionally positioned herself so that as she licked him, he was getting a full view of her glistening slit. He couldn't restrain himself any longer...the sweet smell of her arousal was driving him insane, he had to have her! She moaned loudly as his tongue caressed her moist lips, and her efforts were finally rewarded as his dragonhood finally shoved its way through his sheath and into view. But she couldn't move--the sheer pleasure of his tongue lapping up her nectar was too much for her to think of anything else but how good it felt. She was so excited that with every touch of his tongue she cried out loudly, begging him wordlessly to keep going. She felt something hot fall onto her paw and looked down between gasps to see his dragonhood dripping precum and twitching with every beat of his heart. She was about to climax, but she wanted him inside her before she went over the edge, and convinced herself to pull away from him and whip around so their mouths met. She crawled up on top of him as he rolled onto his back, running her paws over his head and neck as she sucked on his tongue.

"Boy, you're really anxious today," he said when she finally broke away.

"I don't know why but c'mon," she pleaded, and he moved his hips until his member found its mark, and she screamed his name as he hilted himself quickly in her. Spyro was originally wanting to go slow again, but the excitement from her licking him and the hormone rush from licking her was too much for his control, and he barely heard her screams of pleasure through his haze as he thrust hard into her repeatedly, pleasure flowing through him like rapids. Their mouths joined and they began fiercely breathing fire back and forth, and Cynder screamed into his mouth as she went over her edge and coated his tail-base with her fluids.

"Spyro...harder!" she begged, and he rolled her over so he was above her and began pounding her as hard as he could. He was moving her along the ground and she dug her claws into the ground to steady herself. Her eyes were screwed shut and she yelled with each thrust, it felt so good.

Spyro was trying to hold himself back, but Cynder wanted him badly and this felt too good to tone down. Before he knew what happened he was groaning loudly and shuddering in pleasure with each pulse as he filled her with his thick dragon seed. He gasped with each wave as small thrills of pleasure shot through him, and underneath him he felt Cynder moaning with each forceful blast from him. Eventually he stopped and collapsed beside her, and she kissed him.

"What's this for?" he asked, but he couldn't help smiling at her.

"You do anything for me...just thanking you for loving me as much as you do." She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. Spyro hugged her back, gently petting her neck as he held her.

They quietly cuddled until Cynder's stomach growled, and Spyro brought her back some frozen fruit. As she ate she saw Spyro watching her, and she suddenly felt very guilty. Why, she didn't know.

"Cynder? Something wrong?" he asked, seeing she'd stopped eating.

"I'm sorry...here, you should eat," she said, pushing the mushroom cap towards him and looking very upset, blinking back tears.

"Uh...you feeling okay?"

"Perfectly fine..." she said, trying to sound innocent, but as her eyes met his she looked down. "Oh Spyro...I feel like I'm leeching off you all the time..." she said heavily.

"Cynder, you're not leeching off me," he said, quickly walking over and sitting by her. "I just do what I feel you need."

"But you're always doing stuff for me and I just take it all!" she said, tears falling from her eyes. "I don't give anything back..."

He lifted her face to his and pressed his nose against hers. "Yes you do, Cynder. You give me your love. You deserve to be happy, and it makes me happy knowing you're happy."

She sniffed and managed a smile. "But still...I really wish I could do something for you...you're always giving me food and water, encouragement...pleasure...but I wanna do something for you."

His paw went from her chin along the side of her face and she leaned against his caress. "Well, if it bothers you that much, tonight you can give me a little rub-down like I give you every once in a while."

"That's it?"

"That's more than enough for me." He pulled her into a kiss and she smiled against his mouth, closing her eyes and feeling her sorrow drain swiftly from her. They sat there for a while just enjoying that kiss before flying back to the temple. Flare was sitting alone on the balcony, reminiscing as Solar and Cyril worked on ice techniques in the dojo. Cynder landed by Flare and the yellow dragoness started and looked quickly at Cynder as Spyro walked inside to watch the icy contest.

"Oh, hey Cynder."

"Remembering something?"

"Yeah..." Flare sighed. "Just thinking back to Paralos...in a way I miss it, but this place is just...it's so much more than Paralos can ever be. I kinda miss the technological ease of Paralos, but somehow it's kind of easier living here." She sighed again and stared off at the sky before looking at Cynder again. "So, you and Spyro had fun out there?"

"Kinda..." Cynder looked down, running her claws along one of the tiles. "You're older; why am I suddenly feeling these really strong emotions?"

"Why? What does me being older have to do with anything?"

"You know more. This morning...I dunno, I just...when I felt something, it wasn't a normal feeling--it took me over."

Flare nodded slowly. "I'm going through the same thing, Cynder---mood swings. Our bodies are a little...off...with our conditions. It's normal, don't worry."

Cynder felt relieved. "I kinda wanna do something for Spyro though....he does so much for me, yet even after three years I still don't know what he likes to do other than be with me and make me happy."

"Is that a problem?"

"No, of course not! But...he says he doesn't want anything from me but I can't help wanting to do something in return. He's been so nice to me ever since rescuing me and all I've done is accept it without really doing anything in return."

"But you saved his life...literally. And what would he have done if you hadn't accepted to be his mate?"

Cynder paused. "True...but that's all in the past...I kinda wanna take him somewhere or do something with him but I don't know what he likes."

Flare laughed. "Boy you're adamant...well, the only advice I can give is to try to tease it out of him--just innocently bring up a topic and try to get the answer you want from him. You're pretty enough that it should be really easy."

Cynder blushed. "That's a bit odd coming from you."

Flare shrugged with a humorous grin. "Well, it's true. At your age, you're a lot more attractive than a lot of other dragonesses." Flare looked at her more closely. "You're also a lot more...physically matured; both you and Spyro. That's unusual. Last time I saw you you were both still relatively young in appearance."

"Well, ever since Spyro and I confessed our love for each other...I don't know, but we seem to be developing faster than normal. Ignitus and the others were surprised at how fast we've been growing but they've gone along with it."

Flare's eyebrow raised. "Huh...well, I guess it's something to do with Spyro being the purple dragon."

"That's what we've settled on."

Flare gave a friendly smile. "Y'know, it's not my place to say it but Spyro's to die for...well, okay, rephrase--he's ideal. But for me, so is Solar."

Cynder looked back and saw Spyro flash by the doorway as he flew around the training ring. "Yeah...without him, I'm scared to think of where I'd be."

In the dojo, Alex and Spyro were sparring, with Solar, Terrador and Cyril watching. In the past two years, even without the superfluous enemies to fight, Spyro had become a purple combat machine, and it was very obvious now as Alex put him to the test. Alex was quick in movement and blinding in attack, and seemed to be adapting very well to his new draconic body. Neither one was able to hit the other for quite some time. Most of Alex's favorite moves were useless against Spyro because Spyro was able to avoid him so easily---and Alex was used to facing wolves or humanoid enemies, while Spyro was a lithe winged reptilian. Finally, worn out and getting frustrated, Spyro lashed his tail out and brought Alex to a tripping stop, rolling underneath him to catch his fall so he didn't land on the hard floor.

"Good show! Incredible!" Cyril said. "I say, Spyro, Ignitus definitely was wrong to ever doubt you years ago."

"I am still able to hear you," came Ignitus' voice from the next room. Terrador chuckled.

"Yes, Spyro, your combat has definitely improved in the past months. You've become quite a warrior!" He looked at Alex. "Well, I have some new respect for you, Alex. No one but Solar has been able to take on Spyro like that."

"Thanks," Alex said a bit nervously; he didn't like his skills being noticed like this. At that moment the air suddenly pounded. No other word for it--it pounded, almost like every single molecule of the air suddenly expanded and briefly pressed on everything. Spyro roared and fell to the floor, shaking madly. Every time he opened his mouth or hit the floor there was a random blast of elemental power.

"It's another transportation!" Cynder yelled, rushing in and grabbing Spyro, holding him tight and bracing herself against his involuntary jerking. Flare rushed in and stood by Solar, scared about what was going on.

"Too...MANY!!!" Spyro chokingly yelled, and he roared so loudly the whole dojo shook and even the tall dragon statue vibrated. Pain was searing across every square inch of his body. Cynder screamed as she was shot backwards, her body throwing off sparks as Spyro's coursed with electricity. As suddenly as it happened, it was over---Spyro lay on the floor, out cold, barely breathing, his limbs jerking slightly as remnant forks of electricity still jumped across him. Alex suddenly reeled and tripped over his own tail.

"Spyro!" Cynder panted, still jerking slightly from the electricity that had flung her across the floor. She crawled over to her mate and felt his heartbeat. He was still alive, but she didn't feel the usual twitch of his hide under her touch. "Spyro...please, hang in there..."

Alex sat there in a haze, watching with unfocused eyes as Solar came over to Spyro and placed his paws on the purple dragon.

"Don't worry, Cynder...he's fine. He may be out for a while, though...a LONG while."

"No...wonder..." Alex grunted, standing up. "Oh my freakin' head..."

"Need a cure?" Solar asked.

"No...but what Spyro just felt was not a simple transdimensport...it was an entire group all at once..."

"Oh, how true indeed," came a hideous voice above them. They all looked up quickly to see a translucent orb of darkness swirling near the stained-glass ceiling. Alex growled loudly, and the dragons heard a flash and looked over to see Alex holding two broadswords as he glared viciously at the shadow.

"Why the hell are you here?" he snarled. "I finished you off last time, why do you persist in following me?"

"Because it's simply too much fun tormenting you!" the shadow laughed. Alex shot a bright electric arc from his mouth, but the shadow warped to the doorway of the balcony and Flare shrieked and leapt away. Solar stood in front of her protectively. The shadow seemed to solidify into a figure much like Alex's, but less reptilian. "If I could take on color and shading, you dragons would see what a miserable sight is that of the human form...though Alex certainly has done well in keeping his shape in entering this realm."

"Why are you here?" Alex growled, restraining himself from lunging forward at his enemy.

The shadow seemed to turn its head to Spyro, and Cynder held Spyro closer to herself and glared at the shadow as she felt its gaze. "Ah, another dimens-perceptive...you sure do know how to surround yourself with allies, Alex. But your new friends can't help you. My army is mobilizing even as we speak. You took them on fairly well last time, but this time, even with your newfound draconic abilities, you cannot prevail."

Solar was bristling, and suddenly launched a straight, solid beam of ice at the shadow. The dark foe rippled around the beam and they heard the ice-spear embed itself in the rock outside.

"Where's Christine?" Alex demanded.

The shadow chuckled maliciously. "Oh, all in good time. Fear not, Alex," it said in a mockingly friendly voice, "she's fine. She's alive and well."

"How do I know you're not lying to get my hopes up?"

"Why lie if the truth can hurt more?" the shadow laughed. "She's fine...I've seen to it. She's good and lost where she is... And don't even think about attacking me," he said, seeing Flare's jaws smoke, "your mate's pathetic attempt should have been proof enough that I'm resistant to elemental powers."

"You...how dare you tend to my girlfriend..." Alex surprised them all as he suddenly flashed forward and grabbed the shadow by the neck, lifting it off the ground and squeezing tight, his swords disappearing in small flashes of light. "When I tell someone to leave me alone, I damn well mean it," he hissed. What happened next went by so fast they could barely believe it, but Alex lunged backwards almost to the ceiling, cracked his enemy's neck against his knee, and raked his claws along the shadow's throat as he flung him hard towards the edge of the doorway, landing on all fours against the wall from the force of his throw. The shadow's whole back snapped and its body almost split in two against the stone edge, but it grunted and reformed itself in a dark swirl.

"You've gotten better in combat, but you're still stupid," it said, slightly amused. "Besides, I have even more news that I think you may want to hear."

Alex calmed himself and landed on the floor again, and Terrador and Cyril stepped away from him as he advanced on his foe. "Well, out with it then. I know how to end you, so give me this information before I lose control again."

The shadow seemed intimidated, but laughed again. "All right then. I propose a little wager, Alex. If you can escape this realm within the next two months, my forces and I will leave this realm in peace, and forget our plans to revive the Dark Master, our most powerful ally here."

"And if I fail?"

"Simple. We rain down on this temple with full force, then revive the Master and annihilate the rest of this world. But your dimensional powers seem to be...inhibited by whatever's holding onto you so well. It'll be fast, really, you won't have to worry about much... We already have allies here, I think Spyro here may be familiar with them after his little recent adventures?"

Cynder growled. "So you know about him?"

"Oh yes! In fact I myself have dueled Spyro. You should be proud of him, Cynder. Short of Alex here, Spyro's the best challenge I've faced yet. It's such a shame, though..."

"What is?" Solar snarled. "That you can't defeat him?"

"Oh, but I can, and I have...and he lives with it every day."

Cynder suddenly screamed in rage, and multiple beams of light shot from her mouth and tore through the shadow with a powerful explosion. When the air settled the shadow was nowhere to be seen, but they could still hear its cry of defeat echoing in the room. Cynder panted, still staring in anger at where the shadow had been, and suddenly slumped over next to Spyro's unconscious form.

"Cynder? You okay?" Flare asked, seeing a pained look on Cynder's face as she looked at Spyro.

"Two months...how can we protect our children?"

______________________________________

Hmmm...how will they?

Things are getting more dire, what will happen?

man this is going slow...but I'm still going at it, don't worry.