FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 13

The city didn't change much after Spyro's and Cynder's meeting with the Guardians. Debris was still covering the streets, the wall still had cracks in them, some of the buildings still laid in ruins. Even the noise in Warfang didn't change much. Hammers were still ringing on the stony walls, cranes were still grinding in effort as they carried massive stone blocks from one place to the other.

Shouts of annoyance, orders, grunts of pain and exhaustion bounced from wall to wall, just like this noise wanted to inform Warfang that it's doing everything in its power to help the city reach its good or even better shape. The residents were running, walking or flying through the many alleyways as they looked for the best suitable place to start their work.

Only one thing changed, in between the typical sound that accompanies every building site a cheerful, excited and even curious whispers could be heard. All of them were about Spyro's and Cynder's great return. Gossip traveled through the city at the speed of light, which told about Spyro's gold heart, Cynder's evil personality, the adventures they had, or the mending of the world. Even more bawdy whispers could be heard by the more nosy inhabitants which involved the already mentioned young dragons.

Amidst the sound of repairs and running denizens a pair of two familiar male cheetahs could be seen descending some flight of stairs.

" Now I understand why you haven't contacted us for so long" Meadow said as his eyes followed a young yellow dragon running past by him.

" The last days were a nightmare, we were working all day and night to repair the damaged walls" Hunter replied as he stepped aside making room for a group of cheetahs who were carrying a cart up the stairs.

Meadow curiously looked at his partner " Do I hear your instinct talking?"

Hunter looked at the greenish ground just beyond the wall which could be seen from their position " Partly yes" he blinked and averted his gaze " I have to stay vigilant no matter what the situation is"

" The Dark Master is no more, can The Dark Army still be a threat?" Meadow narrowed his eyes on the feline next to him

" They are always a threat" Hunter replied confidently " You saw that with Malefor's disappearance the siege ended abruptly." he looked at the wall " The Dark Army will be back someday, that's why we can't allow ourselves even a moment of inattention"

Meadow chuckled " You sound just like Prawlus"

" That's an insult" Hunter smiled weakly " If I like it or don't he did manage to teach me a few things when I've spent most of my time in the village. Speaking of which, how is it faring?"

" It's quiet, it hadn't been like that for a long time, some of us are still adjusting to this serenity. Only the Chief remained the same" Meadow smiled weakly

Hunter nodded " That's good to hear"

" You should come back to our village" Meadow focused on his partner, a sly frown formed itself on his face " Some new cheetahs joined our little homestead"

Hunter scratched the falcon feather strapped on his brown coat " I don't... " his voice trailed off when he noticed a fairly empty alleyway " I need to talk to you" he opened his paw with his claws pointing at the previously mentioned alleyway. Meadow followed his lead silently.

"I've been thinking..." Hunter continued when they stopped between some buildings " The war, the siege, the Destroyer, and many other things revealed that I've been walking down a wrong road"

Meadow rearranged the feather falcon on his robe " Your fascination with the dragons is so overpowering?" he gave him a knowing smile

Hunter's ears flinched while he furrowed a brow in surprise " It's so obvious?"

Meadow laughed heartily " It's harder to spot Prawlus's angry expression"

" Then why did you tell me once that you didn't understand what is causing me to act as I do?"

Meadow looked at Hunter with a serious expression " Because back then I didn't and honestly I only understand it only partially today"

Hunter knew instantly when he took a glimpse of his eyes that he is waiting for answers. He sighed in awe " Dragons are magnificent creatures, they can harness every strand of magic just like our lungs accumulate air. We felines are simple, some bones, fur and claws without any potential for spells. Dragons however look like they've been weaved from magic itself"

Meadow stared at the feline in front of him in silence and with eyes completely lost in deep thought.

Without any interruptions Hunter continued in the same tone " I thought that I've seen everything, the absorption of Spirits Gems is still a mystery for me but I've learnt that forcefully pursuing things that seem to elude you on purpose leads nowhere" he looked behind his shoulder it seemed like his sight pierced through the wall of a nearby building just like he wanted to take a glimpse of something beyond it " Even if I believed that they both were special I was still astonished how they achieved their goal"

Meadow followed his gaze " They are full of surprises, aren't they?"

Hunter nodded and turned to face him " They are, and I feel that there is more of that to come"

" Perhaps" Meadow huffed and met his gaze with knowing eyes

Hunter looked at his friend with determination in his eyes " And I would like to experience it first hand when the time comes" he reached for his coat and tore off the falcon feather, he then extended his paw and presented the tuft of bird to the feline " I finally found the road I want to walk"

Meadow looked at Hunter's opened paw just to take a glimpse of his face before returning to his paw. With a smile he took a few steps and reached for the feather, he placed his paw on the tuft of bird but instead of taking it he reached for Hunter's fingers and clenched his fist. Meadow looked into his eyes while holding his clenched paw " No matter how far you will go from the intersection you are standing on right now, remember that in time of need your legs will always find a shortcut to the place from where you started and that place will always be in the same spot" his smile grew bigger before he released his paw

Hunter stared at Meadow with a confused look while his extended arm fell backwards just next to his side and his ears flattened on his skull " I don't understand, you accepted my decision so calmly, you are acting just like you..." he narrowed his eyes on the feline while his ears sprang to life once again " You knew the reason why I wanted to talk to you, didn't you?"

Meadow chuckled " I had my suspicions, the moment a dragon traveled through our village all those years ago you couldn't stop talking about him. Your recent assignments for the Guardians only confirmed my suspicions."

"You are not angry at all?"

Meadow shook his head confidently " Of course not, I'm proud of you actually, it's about time you pursued your fascination"

Hunter smiled gratefully " I'm glad I've talked with you, if I went to Prawlus directly... well let's just say that an another fight is the last thing I need"

" Probably you are right..." Meadow shrugged "...but that's the way he is. I'm sure however that The Chief will miss you in his own way, I'm sure I will, the rivalry between you two was interesting" a corner of his mouth twitched into a sly smile

" He was never my rival"

"Literally maybe not, but you two grew together, you always competed between each other, one of you always wanted to be a step ahead than the second one. Eventually it led to a peculiar ending, Prawlus remained loyal to tradition while you took a more bizarre path for a cheetah. It was a very interesting dispute between two entirely different world-views."

" Don't understand me wrong, but I'm glad that it ended"

"I understand" Meadow smiled and placed his paw on Hunter's shoulder " Tell me, what a cheetah who found his calling will do now?"

Hunter looked around thoughtfully " First and foremost we need to finish rebuilding or even improving Warfang and that's going to take a while. After that..." he shrugged " I don't know really, maybe they are going to need a scout or a guard. We'll see."

" As long as you are happy I guess it doesn't matter" Meadow squeezed Hunter's shoulder " Make us proud and remember that you are always welcome in the village."

Hunter bowed his head " Thank you Meadow" as his head returned to its natural position he looked at the sky " This is where we have to say goodbye, my shift is starting soon and there is a lot of work to do"

With that both felines exchanged farewells and headed their own separate ways, As Hunter was slowly walking towards some flight of stairs he couldn't stop smiling. His wish is going to be fulfilled, he will stay here in the Dragon City. Even if it means hard work from the very beginning, he was content with it.

"... and that's when I showed them how it's done" Sparx flew right next to Spyro grinning proudly

" And they believed you just like that?" Spyro furrowed a brow as he threw an _incredulous_glance at the dragonfly

" Dude I'm a hero, when you were gone playing with that big evil dude, I've been working hard to keep my reputation"

" Your reputation?

Sparx hovered in front of his nose and spread his arms and moved them in a circular motions just like he tried to encircle the whole city " All of them were knocking at my doors for an autograph, and the Great Glowing One has always time for his fans"

"Oh boy!" Cynder exclaimed with faked excitement " I didn't know that imaginary fans were so persistent"

Sparx frowned " Your good jokes are imaginary" he flew closer to Cynder and looked her straight into the eyes " Not my fault that I'm intelligent and good looking and find new friends easy. What about you? You have any or you already ate them?"

" Still one of them left" she stared at the dragonfly and licked her mouth

He quickly dashed towards Spyro and gulped " Bro, did you hear that? She wants to eat me!"

"Relax Sparx she's just joking" he gave Cynder a meaningful look " I think" he muttered

"Of course I'm kidding, I would never touch you, I still have some self-respect. Just thinking about you gives me the creeps, not to mention eating you..." Cynder shivered

"Yeah right!" Sparx exclaimed irritably " You would want to get your paws on The Great Glowing One, I can see it"

After a while the group descended the stairs with the same tone of conversation accompanying them until they arrived at the familiar fountain. However before heading lower Spyro impulsively looked to his side and noticed the huge temple " Sparx was there really a funeral when we haven't returned?" Spyro asked quietly while staring at the temple.

Sparx twitched for a brief moment but then regained his composure " Yeah there was,, why do you ask?"

Spyro stared at the temple for a while in silence " There is something I need to do" with that he began moving towards the temple. Cynder and Sparx exchanged surprised looks between themselves before shrugging and following the young dragon.

Despite the overall debris scattered all around Warfang this particular landmark was mostly clean, only small remnants of rocks remained but they were tended to by some dragons already. The marble path was littered with dragon statues, every single one had a proud pose, a clear sign that this place should be respected. Between the statues stood gold poles, their top resembled a flat dish, a magically lit fire was burning on them, during the night the lanterns gave a strong glow illuminating the path and giving the marble statues an intimidating look. Some tress were rooted in the ground close to the road. Every now and then there was a gem placed in one of the sockets in the marble path in a crosswise manner, a triangular amethyst, emerald or sapphire was shimmering slightly from below one's paw.

Four side roads protruded from the main path, two were located just at the beginning, while the other two were near the end. Crystal clear water was flowing in the canal just below some small bridges which were created on the side roads. They all lead to small ponds with a pair of wooden benches placed on both its ends. Small gardens surrounded the temple's courtyards with different colored flowers growing in them, some cheetahs tenderly helped them to thrive. The colorful fish in the ponds, different flowers in the gardens, the statues and many other things created a striking feeling of tranquility.

A couple of steps down the marble road led the group to a round sturdy looking door which protected the temple from the havoc outside. The door just like almost everything else in the city were quite big. The border of the door was reinforced with gold rivets. Just like the road the surface of the door also contained some of the gems. Their flash was more visible thanks to the shadow cast by the huge statue looming over every visitor.

" I'd like to go inside alone" Spyro said quietly while staring into his own reflection in one of the gems

"You sure?" Cynder asked with uncertainty in her soft tone of voice " Maybe you'd like some company?"

"Sure bro go right in, we will wait here" Sparx said confidently.

The tone of his voice created a frown of surprise on Cynder's snout as she turned her head to look at the dragonfly "What? Did you just say that he can go inside ALONE?"

Sparx nodded " Yep"

She craned her neck forward " Alone, as ALONE?"

" Yep"

Cynder stared at him with her head slightly cocked to a side before she shook off a part of disbelief " Let me spell it out for you A-L-O-N-E"

" Boy" Sparx sighed " Your wit is amazing, no wonder Spyro keeps you around" he rolled his eyes

She ignored his sarcastic remark " You must understand my surprise"

He frowned " No, I don't"

" Oh come on, you must admit that you always want to be everywhere so everyone could see you tagging along with Spyro"

" I don't do that" Sparx folded his arms on his chest " and even if that was the truth so what? I'm always a helpful hand"

" More like a third wheel" Cynder smirked

He snorted " Whatever, but at least I know when to back down"

" Exactly!" she exclaimed " You never know when to back down"

" Crawl into some bush and die, will you?"

Cynder frowned " If you think that-"

" Thanks" Spyro icily cut them both off and pushed the door open using its silver handles

Just like in any other building in Warfang the temple's interior was huge. The first thing everyone noticed after entering was the colorful column of light illuminating the center of the temple. Following the stream of light upwards led to its source, there was a colorful stained glass inserted into the roof above, it depicted a flying dragon in a cloudless day. Many other stained glasses dotted the temple's wall, however they were much more smaller.

The floor was covered in the same marble road just like the courtyard, however this one had no gems inserted into it. On both sides of the interior there were long cavities carved into the floor which were filled with lazily flowing crystal clear water. The cavities started just on both sides of the entrance and run through the whole temple until they disappeared into the far end wall of the building.

Similar braziers to the ones in the City Hall illuminated the interior, however for a building so big there was only a handful of them hanging on the walls and some columns. Instead of a blinding flame just like in the City Hall the fire here was weaker giving this place an atmospheric glow, the glow of peace, serenity and respect.

On both sides of the temple a pair of doors could be seen, Spyro didn't know for sure but if he had to guess he would say that they led to the two towers. A blue curtain with crosswise tied gold strings covered one of the entrances that could be seen on the far end of the building. Stairs were located behind it which led up to the living quarters of the temple caretakers. In the corner of the building was another entrance, this one however was wider than the previous one, a carved headstone in the stone wall above it was a sign that this is the final destination for every resident whose spirit decided to leave this world, willingly or not. This was the way to the Catacombs.

All those thing however were unimportant for Spyro, the dragon statues standing near the wall on both sides of the temple was what really interested him. All of them were made out from pure marble, the white color was almost blinding, they weren't made by amateurs either, one glimpse was enough to notice it. Every grimace, every small detail was carefully shaped so the visitor could feel that he is actually standing before a live dragon.

The dragon statues depicted drakes whose deeds were far more greater than that of a common dragon. Below every statue there was a slab of stone inserted into the floor with the name of the deceased written on it and many burning candles standing on the slab's top. By lighting up a candle visitors paid respect to the dead. Spyro knew just like any other dragon that this was a very special place for his kind, however he never felt the urge to be in here, it was sad of course that the dragons which the statues represented were dead but their names were unfamiliar to him, so he didn't understand how lighting up a candle for a dragon you never knew would help him. For him one should pay his respects because he feels he needs to, not because somebody else tells you to do so.

However after the recent events Spyro felt the urge to come here, he needs closure and this is the best place to find it, at least he hoped so. With uncertain steps he made his way towards the only statue he recognized from afar. It took a while but eventually Spyro sat before the artificial dragon, with his head was hanging low. The shame and guilt he felt didn't allow him to rise his head, even if he tried to ignore these feelings Spyro couldn't force himself to look into the statues lifeless eyes. The writing carved with gold letters on the slab's surface which said Ignitus, The Fire Guardian were enough for him to say that he found the right dragon.

" Hi Ignitus" Spyro said with a wavering voice, his gaze was still fixed on the ground. " I've just came here to say hello and... " he sighed sadly "...I don't know what to say" his voice trailed off

After a while of silent staring at the ground Spyro continued with the same hurt tone " You always said that when dragons die they join The Ancestors and become part of this world. That's a good thing right?" only the gentle sound of the flowing water in the nearby canal was his answer " So if we really become a part of this world after our death then that means we are not really dead, right? So it means that you are still alive, watching me right now and probably laughing happily" Spyro smiled weakly but momentarily his smile faded " Who am I kidding?" he muttered to himself

Another moment of silence surrounded him, Spyro's own slow breath was the only sound that echoed throughout the temple " You've taught me everything I know" he sighed sadly " and from all the lessons this one is the hardest... and...and " he sobbed " I don't think I can do it" a single tear fell from his snout, and Spyro's amethyst eyes followed it until it splattered on the ground below.

Water splashed on the young's purple dragon snout obscuring all the view for a brief moment, he didn't mind however, with a happy laugh he spun around splashing the water using his tail in front of him. A low chuckle could be heard after his move, then soon after another splash of water hit the young drake's snout.

When a red paw prepared to strike again Spyro quickly jumped on his belly, only his gold horns remained above the shallow water, the moment he felt another splatter of water pass above his head he jumped quickly on his paws dragging his purple wings behind him, the simple move allowed him to splash a larger amount of water towards his opponent. A gasp of surprise confirmed that his unexpected strike was successful.

Spyro shook his head making drops of water flying everywhere before he bent on his paws, narrowed his amethyst eyes on the red dragon ahead and grinned proudly. The red drake shook his head to get rid of the water from his snout while chuckling and smiling approvingly under his nose. The red dragon's eyes flared up for a brief moment when he noticed the challenging glare in his young pupil's orbs.

Even if this was just a game the old drake allowed his temper to take control for a second which created a smirk on his red snout. He stomped his paw creating some ripples on the surface of the water which seemed to distract the young dragon. The moment he noticed that the old drake used his second front paw and a single wing to splash water towards his young pupil.

Spyro glittered with pride, he knew exactly that Ignitus is stomping his paw just to distract him, the surprise back then was nothing more than an act and it looked like he managed to fool his mentor once again. Before the water could reach him Spyro was already out of the way by sidestepping quickly. While he moved to the side he dragged his tail alongside the bottom and swung it when he was a safe distance from the incoming water, this move created quite a big splatter that was directed at the red dragon.

Spyro didn't see it but Ignitus nodded his head slightly just like in approval. The water splashed on his snout and a victorious cry could be heard moments later. The red dragon shook his head while smiling with gladness_. " You are challenging life, toying with fate. It's a very curious and fascinating path Spyro"_

The purple dragon snickered haughtily " I don't care about fate, I do what I want!"

Ignitus adopted a more serious look " You might ignore it, you might elude it, but eventually fate will catch up with you and it will announce itself in the most painful manner"

The old dragon closed his eyes much to Spyro's surprise, however that was the least of his worries. The ground below his paws was getting warmer together with the water. It wasn't long before Spyro's eyes widened in shock as he noticed that the water began to boil. Soon the heat slightly stung his paws but it was to make him jump, he kept jumping until the water felt a bit cooler.

With a completely shocked he looked at his mentor but instead of seeing the red dragon he noticed a quite large portion of water heading his way. It was too late, Spyro only managed to gasp before the water reached him and pinned the young dragon to the ground.

Ignitus moved closer to his pupil who was laying on the ground, dripping wet and coughing " This is destiny Spyro" Ignitus said with full of awe voice " It's unavoidable, attempts to trick it may have the most unwanted consequences"

Spyro shook his head " I don't understand" he coughed "if destiny works that way then it means that we have no freedom of choice?"

Ignitus smiled kindly " We are not slaves, it's only up to us how we reach our destination. Fate is not cruel, however it can be brutal."

"Then why it punishes us for ignoring it?"

"It's not a punishment but a test, you must be able to withstand the difficulties it presents before you"

Spyro averted his gaze and began to stare at the water below him. After a while he frowned " No, I don't agree with this" he looked at the Fire Guardian with fiery eyes " we are nobody's playthings. If destiny wants to control us then I will find a way to stop it!" he exclaimed confidently

Ignitus nodded his head admiringly " A noble cause but an impossible one to achieve, everything that begins has to end, you can't stop time forever. Look" Ignitus pointed at the stream of water flowing from one side of the river to the other " Imagine that this is our line of life which can be longer or shorter for every one of us but it always ends in the same way. Just like a river"

Spyro got up and began following his mentor's claw with his eyes.

When his pupil stood next to him Ignitus continued "This is a perfect destiny, it starts from one point and ends on the other without anything interrupting it. However life doesn't work that way" the dragon stomped his paw, creating ripples on the surface of the water " Life is bumpy, our fears, happiness, sadness, basically all our emotions make life more interesting for better or worse"

Spyro cocked his head " Then to make our life easier we just need to stop worrying about things?"

Ignitus chuckled " To make it possible you will need to tear off your heart. I'm old but I never met a person who was breathing without his heart" he coughed and adopted a more serious look soon after " However this leads to our next step" he dragged closer a couple of stones using his tail and placed one of them in the water which split the stream in two directions " Without our heart we wouldn't be able overcome obstacles on our path"

Ignitus picked up a nearby leaf and threw it into the water which started to flow with the stream " Everyone reaches a point in his life where he will have to rely on his feelings" the leaf stopped on the rock " Spyro one day you will have to make a decision which might affect the world and everyone else around you. Your heart will be your guide, listen to it carefully because there is no turning back"

Spyro gulped " That sounds important I...I don't want to make such choices" he said with a glimmer of fear in his voice

Ignitus placed a couple more stones into the water and pushed the leaf to a side so it started to flow again before he looked at the young dragon with eyes of a caring father " Unfortunately you will have to. Spyro the prophecy spoke of you and as our savior you will need to make more of these choices than everyone else" he began to maneuver the leaf through the stones " Some of these choices will be good" he moved the leaf down a path with a small number of stones on it " or bad" he pushed the leaf down a path where the number of stones was higher " You have to carry on, no matter what happens. Everyone make mistakes, nobody is perfect."

Spyro swallowed hard and nodded reluctantly

Ignitus looked at him with concerned eyes " Don't be afraid Spyro, you are not alone" he dropped some smaller leafs into the water " As I said, destiny has a plan for every one of us and sometimes..." he pushed some of the leafs near the first one "...sometimes our paths intertwine. If fate wishes it you will meet on your journey companions who will follow you no matter what, helping you to overcome the more difficult obstacles"

Ignitus' expression became more serious " Now I want you to focus" he said with a firm tone " this is the lesson I want you to remember for the rest of your life" he picked a stone " As you remember some destinies are shorter than the others, your companions have fates of their own and sometimes you are the reason for their demise" he dropped the stone

Spyro followed the falling stone just like in slow motion and the moment it splashed into the water squashing one leaf below it he jerked back " No!" he exclaimed angrily " I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me!"

" You have to understand that-"

" No!" Spyro cut off the Fire Guardian " I'm sorry Ignitus but if that's the price then I don't want to have anything to do with the prophecy"

The Fire Guardian watched his pupil with fatherly eyes and waited for him to calm down "You have to understand that sometimes it's not your decision to make" he said softly

" I won't allow anyone to sacrifice his life for me!"

" Sometimes it's necessary"

" It can't be necessary, I would help them!"

" Sometimes you cannot"

" But...but..." Spyro stared at the leafs below him in complete silence for a brief moment until a resigned sigh escaped him " How am I supposed to live with such a guilt?"

" You have to stop blaming yourself" Ignitus replied firmly

" I can't just simply forget"

" We are warriors, death is our stalker, there is no escape from it" the red dragon threw Spyro an apprehensive look " You can't swim upstream, allow the tide to carry you, otherwise the guilt will eat you alive" he craned his neck forward " Do you understand?"

Spyro nodded

"I want to hear you say it, don't repeat my mistakes. Do you understand?" Ignitus asked resolutely

" I understand" the young drake blurt out breezily

_" Good" the Fire Guardian smiled " Obstacles aren't the only things that you will meet on your path. Fate can be also generous, it will present you an opportunity to help you fill that void which you will feel after a loss. It's up to you to notice it and grab it. Remember that." _

Spyro nodded once again

Ignitus smile grew wider " But let's forget about the future for a while and concentrate on the present. I believe I owe you something" with that he splashed some water on the young drake's snout.

Spyro stared at the ground while another tear fell from his snout and splattered almost in the same place. He sighed sadly " I'm sorry Ignitus but I can't do it, I'm just so sorry" he took a shallow breath " If not for me you would still be alive, there had to be an another way. Why did you push me ahead when you knew that we wouldn't make it. Why did you leave me alone, why?..." his voice trailed off

Tears started to flow down from his eyes, but these weren't entirely tears of sadness, he felt depressed but also anger boiled inside of him, anger so fierce that it practically blocked all other emotions. Spyro was mad on Malefor, on himself and especially on the Fire Guardian, he just couldn't bottle up the resentment any longer.

Spyro looked at the statue with fiery eyes " Why have you left me?!" he exclaimed loudly releasing all the anger in one single shout " Why did you make such a stupid move?! I need you, you hear me?! I need you! How am I supposed to live with this guilt?! Answer me!" he looked around " If you are there, answer me!" no voice could be heard

" That's right don't say anything just leave me alone" Spyro looked again at the statue " You know what? Screw your lessons and screw you too, if you want to stay silent, fine! I'm going to remain here blaming myself for everything! We will see how you like that! Ha!"

He kept staring at the statue but after a while Spyro lowered his head and sobbed " I didn't mean to... I'm sorry, it's just that... Ignitus I need help" he sighed " I can't do it" he looked at the statue" Where is that opportunity you spoke off? How am I going to find it? What can possibly replace you?"

" There you are" a familiar female voice came from behind him

Spyro looked behind his shoulder and winced " Cynder? What are you... Why aren't you outside?"

She kept walking towards him and shrugged " I've got bored"

" I've said that I want to be alone" he replied indignantly

" Yeah?" Cynder sat next to him " Sue me" she gave him a challenging look

Spyro rolled his eyes and shook his head " Why you never listen to me?"

" Guess Grumpy"

" Cynder I know we are friends but you worry too much about me"

" Worry?" she snorted " Don't flatter yourself. The Great Glowing One is getting on my nerves, some minutes longer out there and your parents would call you their only child"

Spyro chuckled, even smiled despite the sadness " That's Sparx what can you do? I'm surprised that he didn't come with you"

Cynder shrugged " Dunno, he probably didn't find a window to squeeze through. Good riddance"

He kept watching her and the longer he did that he started to realize that he treated her too roughly when she came here " I'm sorry Cynder you are my friend I shouldn't treat you like that"

She smiled lovingly " No harm done"

" And thanks" Spyro said with a grateful tone

Cynder giggled " Don't mention it" she looked around " What is this place? I've never been here before"

" Me neither, but Ignitus mentioned something about this temple once. This is a place where people can pay respects to fallen dragons, but not any dragon mind you. Only the most special of our kind, the ones who did something exceptional for the world or our race are honored here."

Cynder nodded and looked at the statue " Sorry Ignitus for interrupting, but it's not my fault that you haven't taken care of our most annoying member. They would build a monument for you after that."

Spyro smiled weakly " He won't answer"

She looked at him " But that doesn't mean he can't hear" Cynder's eyes widened for a brief moment when her eyes noticed something behind him " You don't recognize any other dragon here?"

Spyro shook his head " Nope"

" You sure?" she nodded her head towards the way she was looking

Spyro furrowed a brow but followed her lead. He gasped when he noticed the same thing she did " What?" he asked with disbelief in his voice and got up quickly

What got their whole attention was an another statue, but this one was different than the others, it looked like the rest of course, stone and all that but it depicted a still living dragon instead of a dead one. The inscription on its pedestal spoke volumes _Spyro The Savior._Just like any other statue this one was also made by a talented sculptor, every grimace and every muscle could be clearly seen just like Spyro would be posing before the artist right now. The statue had a proud expression on its stony snout, a look of victory.

The artificial Spyro had one of his front paws placed on a round block that was carved and shaped so it resembled the head of a golem, it looked like the head of The Destroyer. Its stony wings were widely spread and just under its membranes one could see different carvings which pictured the most recognizable landmarks of the Realms. For example Warfang was represented by a single building which looked like the City Hall and a wall protecting it with a tiny form of the cannon placed on top of it.

There were many candles burning below the statue, no other statue had so many. All of them looked like they were just lit, it seems that all of the city residents paid their respects to their hero and to show just how indebted they are they don't allow any candle to die down.

Spyro stared at his stony twin with wide eyes, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. It didn't surprise him that his statue was here, he saved the world and was considered dead after all. However a feeling of dread filled him just by looking at the statue and the candles below it, people here consider him to be a hero, their savior, this and Meadow's words back in the village made him realize once more just how high expectations are placed on him. It was enough to make him gulp in fear.

Cynder threw a glance at the statue, then quickly looked at Spyro, just to return to the statue moments later before finishing at Spyro while cocking her head and furrowing a brow " Just how many children do your parents have? Because we just found your twin brother" she looked back at the statue " He's a little rough around the edges and quite stiff but I still like him better than that little glowing annoying brother of yours"

Spyro didn't answer he was staring at the statue in complete silence

Cynder looked back at his friend " Why the long face? It's a family reunion you should be happy"

" Thanks for trying" he replied coldly

She sighed, she knew him well enough that a single glance was enough for her to figure out what he was thinking " Spyro you should be proud" her voice was soft this time

" Proud?" he blurt out contemptuously "Of what? Of the constant praising? Or the high expectations?"

" What about saving thousands of lives?"

Spyro sighed, it wasn't pride but despite everything that single thought made him feel at least a bit more happy " I'm glad that our actions saved lives but... but Cynder I've never asked for this. Why they can't just simply... forget about everything?"

Cynder smiled lovingly " You want to say that they should forget about the one who saved this world? Protected their children?" she chuckled " Try again"

" Ok, maybe I did something special but that doesn't mean I want to be their hero or a leader, I just want to be myself without the reputation or crowds standing at the temple doors waiting in line to light a candle in my name"

" Spyro I don't understand you, I know that being someone's role model might be a little overwhelming but you have people who will remember you after your death. People who will tell stories to their children about the purple dragon who mended the world. Some..." she looked around sadly "...some of us won't even get that"

Spyro understood the tone of her voice perfectly, he looked at her with concerned eyes " Let them talk, we both know the truth"

Cynder sighed sadly " The truth lies in between they say. I can live with the taunts and angry looks directed at me I deserve it anyway but... but it would be nice to know that people will light a candle for me out of their own free will"

" Cynder you deserve to be here more than I do, there would be no Spyro if not for you"

She smiled weakly " We both know that's a lie" her smile disappeared " It may be stupid since I will be long gone by then but a thought of someone noticing my name inscribed somewhere which would trigger even a tiny bit of sadness in that person is a comforting thought"

" So let's show them just how important you are" With a smile Spyro started to scratch the stone next to the statue with his claw. While he was doing it Cynder watched him in complete silence. It took him a while but eventually the scratches formed a sentence which said: Cynder The reason of my existence. After that Spyro placed a couple of the fresher candles above the inscription.

Tears shone in Cynder's eyes as she looked at Spyro " Thank you" she whispered before she turned her head to look at the candles. Watching the dancing flames in complete silence was how they've spent their time.

Sparx dashed towards the slowly opening temple door "Finally!" he exclaimed in relief " You took a nap in there or what?"

" Sorry about that " Spyro replied " Why haven't you joined us?"

" Dude you said that you wanted to be alone so I stayed besides I needed to take a break from your Second Tail"

Cynder closed her eyes " This is a fine day, Third Wheel is not here" she opened one of her eyes and looked at Sparx before closing it again " This is a fine day, Third Wheel is not here" she repeated the same move sever times

Sparx clapped his hand " Great everyone is happy so how about we get out of here?" he quickly turned around and began to fly away.

Just as they were traveling through the courtyard a dragoness wearing clean white robes was just passing them " Ancestors guide you" she bowed her head

" Ancestors guide you " both dragons replied and repeated the gesture

The caretaker looked at Sparx " Will you be joining us today?"

The dragonfly jerked back in surprise " Me? Why?"

" Haven't you visited us recently?"

" I have no idea what are you talking about, sorry." He looked at the pair of young dragons " Remember what the Big Guy said? Let's go" he flew away

Both dragons shrugged and exchanged another nods with the female dragoness and followed the dragonfly. It was time to get rid of the last thing that reminded them of The Dark Master.