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Flame shot out of the crevice like an angry, red bullet. He hovered in the air for a few seconds, scanning the dark chamber below with his talons splayed, ready to strike at the first sight of the green dragon he was after. He wasn't going to let Astor catch him off guard again. He wasn't going to give him another chance to use his deadly gems. But the elder was nowhere in sight, or if he was, the place was too dark for Flame to see him.

"Suit yourself", he thought. I'm opening the door. Let's see how you like having five angry dragons after you instead of just one...

He pulled his wings in against his body and landed silently on the ground near the crevice, and was surprised to hear ice cracking under his talons. Red's Lab was nothing like the last time he had been through. The chamber had been filled with hot water and steam back then, lit up by flickering lamps and sparkling electricity. Now, with the generator destroyed, the chamber was as dark and cold as the grave. A faint, bluish light slipped in from cracks in the ceiling, making the stalagmites cast long, unsettling shadows over the little dragon as he snuck deeper into the chamber.

With every second and every step, Flame expected to hear the loud crack of a dark gem exploding, to be blinded by a white flash and feel his scales burn. But it didn't happen, and eventually, he saw something gleaming in the darkness ahead of him. The gate!

Two heavy slabs of reinforced titanium, so thick that no living dragon could hope to budge them. Little wonder Cynder hadn't been able to tear them down. The red dragon breathed a sigh of relief, then rushed up to the gate. His talons ran over the cool steel in search of a button, a lever, a handle, anything he could use to get it open, but he found nothing. His relief turned to icy dread as he saw a square hole next to the door with some cables sticking out. Ripped off.

He disabled the door, the bastard....

"Oh, does the little whelpling want to let his friends in?" came a menacing voice behind him, one that sent a shiver down the young dragon's spine.

He spun around with a wild snarl, talons raised and ready to attack, but again, the elder remained hidden. "Where are you?" he hissed through clenched teeth, his eyes scanning the dark forest of stalagmites, rocks and shadows around him.

"And I was so looking forward to a little chit-chat away from those brutes," Astor continued, his voice echoing through the cavern. It seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. "Spyro and Cynder are so violent, so... impulsive. But you've always struck me as a much more reasonable fellow..."

"Why don't you come out so we can talk then?" Flame said, trying to keep the anger from his voice. He spotted a nearby boulder that looked like a potential hiding spot and started to slowly creep towards it. He could faintly smell brimstone from the elder's dark gems. Wherever the old dragon was hiding, it must be close.

"I'm just fine where I am. Now young dragon, I don't know what kind of lies Spyro and Cynder have been filling your little head with, but let me assure you..."

"Oh, don't try again!" Flame snarled. "You guys wanted to have them killed, you practically admitted as much!" How stupid did this dragon think he was? He snuck up to the boulder, then leaped around it, ready to tackle the arrogant elder to the ground. However, nothing was hiding behind that boulder but a pile of rocks.

"Oh, don't be preposterous!" the elder's voice came back. "Fine, we did set up that trap, the force field, I'll admit that. But the tidewater was just an unfortunate... side effect. Surely, you don't believe we intended to drown them?"

Astor's every word was laced with deceit. The dragon couldn't strike a genuine tone if his life depended on it. But that brimstone smell was closer now. Flame just had to find him, knock those blasted dark gems from his claws and drag him back out.

He just had to keep him talking for now.

"Then why did you want my help to cover it up?" Flame asked, speaking loudly so Astor could hear him wherever he was. "Just admit it! I saw the look on your face when you entered that cave. I saw your relief. You're both just a pair of slimy, cowardly murderers, aren't you? Couldn't even do the deed yourselves."

"Oh, that's such nonsense! You're clearly as delusional as Spyro and Cynder. And how should we have reacted anyway!? Should we have broken down in tears on the spot because a traitor and his black-hearted girlfriend got themselves lost in a cave and drowned? Oh please..."

His voice was angrier now, louder. Flame stifled his own anger to listen... The way it echoed, it was coming from somewhere above him, that's why he hadn't found him. The brimstone smell of dark gems, it was coming from above as well. Then he remembered the stairs, carved into the rock at the far end of the chamber. If he could get up on that platform...

"You must think I'm an evil dragon," Astor continued, and Flame thought he could hear the sound of talons clicking against metal. "But none of this would have been necessary if Spyro hadn't stabbed us all in the back! To think that he would bring that Cynder, that black servant of darkness, into our peaceful realm after we specifically forbid him to! And worse, that he allowed himself to be seduced by her, to go along with her plot and spread damaging rumors that could disintegrate the council, turning everyone against us. We couldn't have that!"

"Damaging rumors? You mean how you and Tomas tried to have Spyro kill her? Or are you gonna tell me that's a lie too?" Flame had to keep him talking. Just a little bit more. He was slowly creeping up the stairs now...

"Kill is such a strong word... but yes, we wanted Spyro to do what was necessary to stop Cynder and her fiendish puppet master. But instead, he abandoned our realm and allied himself with her. Yet, he would have been ready to forgive all that, to welcome him back with open arms, if only he would have had the good sense to leave Cynder behind, but even that he refused! He chose that vile, corrupted she-dragon over the safety of the realm, the council, even you Flame... Why you of all dragons should get your tail in a twist over the fate of that selfish traitor, I'll never understand!"

Flame had pulled himself up to the ledge now, and from, there, he could see him. The green dragon was standing on a metal catwalk that ran along the cave wall, Tomas's satchel in one claw and a raised dark gem in the other, scanning the darkness below. He was looking for Flame, but right now, his back was turned to him.

"I'll tell you the truth, that Spyro was always useless. Never did what he was supposed to do," he ranted on as he searched for Flame. "We'd pick a new prodigy, but the little bastard kept coming back no matter where we sent him. But perhaps that's why you guys were so close, you did have that in common, you were both completely usele... ARRH!"

The elder screamed when his face connected with the metal grating. The impact had knocked him off his feet, and Flame acted quickly. He grabbed the elder's arm before he could raise the dark gem, wrestling the crystal from his grip while kicking the satchel away with his back paw. "YOU INSOLENT WHELP!" The green dragon cursed, screamed, his claws and wings flailing in all directions. Being a fair bit larger than Flame, it wasn't long until he had managed to throw the red dragon off his back.

"You're a proper pain in the tail, I'll give you that, you little runt!" the green dragon spat angrily, towering over Flame. "Sneaking up on old Astor like that. But I'll teach you..." He reached for Flame with his big, green claws, looking to grab him, but the small dragon was faster.

He rolled out of his way and back to his feet, then charged at the elder, his horns crashing into Astor's belly and sending him flying back with a surprised squawk.

He landed on his butt with a hard thud, shock on his face as he looked up at Flame. The red dragon was sizzling with anger, smoke rising from his nostrils.

"Just call me runt again," he snarled through his teeth. "I beg you."

Astor blinked, his jaw dropped. "You... you've gone insane! Completely insane!" he gasped. "But, fine, you can stay here and drown for all I care. I'm out of here!"

With that, the green dragon sprung to his feet, with surprising speed for a creature his age. Before Flame could stop him, he had picked up the satchel and grabbed a gem from within. At first, Flame feared the elder was going to throw the gem at him, but instead he tossed the satchel right at the red dragon's face. Dark gems spilled out over the catwalk, over Flame, along with various paper notes and other junk from Tomas' bag. The other dragon took the opportunity to flee, darting off in the opposite direction.

"Oh, no you don't!" Flame grabbed a gem of his own, then set off after Astor. The darkness surrounded them both, but he could hear the clicking of talons against the metal grating in front of him.

The catwalk led into another chamber, one that Flame must have missed last time he was through. Cold air brushed against him, indicating its size. But he could still hear Astor, running. He could still smell him. He was close.

But then he got to an intersection, the metal walkway forking into two separate paths. Not missing a beat, the red dragon spread his wings and took flight, spewing an orange flame from his muzzle. It lit up the darkness and below he could see the elder, running for his life. He had taken the way to the left - it seemed to lead to some sort of steel structure. It was an old mine shaft, he realized, complete with an elevator. And now Astor was planning to use it to make his escape - but Flame wasn't going to let that happen.

He pressed his wings against his body like Spyro had shown him, then dove. With a smashed down between Astor and the elevator, cutting off his escape. "Not so fast, you old bastard!"

Astor skidded to a stop. Again, he blinked, as if he couldn't quite believe his eyes. "So.. so you can fly..."

"Oh, trust me, you have no idea what I'm capable of," Flame snarled, fixing his red eyes on the elder and raising the black gem he'd been carrying. "I'm not letting you leave."

The older dragon reeled back, a glint of fear flashing in his eyes. "You... you wouldn't actually use that thing, would you?"

"Not unless I have to," Flame replied calmly, keeping his eyes on the elder as he moved in front of the elevator. Astor wasn't getting away this time. Not again. He realized he was ready to risk his life to make sure of it.

In front of him, the old dragon seemed to need a few seconds to fully grasp the seriousness of the situation. His own gem glimmered in his old claws, just as ready as Flame's. "So what now, boy? You throw your gem and I throw mine and we both die right here and now? You'd end your young life, just to stop an old fart like me from getting away?" Even now, with his life on the line, his voice was full of contempt. "And all that just for this purple vermin!? What in all the realms is he to you?" he spat. "Have you gotten it into your head that you're friends or something!? Because let me remind you that he was perfectly fine without you and the rest of us for a good decade! He only cares about himself!"

The red dragon didn't reply. His claws grasped his gem harder, a deep growl rumbling in his chest, so deep and feracious he barely recognized it himself. He wanted to raise his crystal and throw it at the elder. He wanted to knock him down again, and dig his teeth into his neck this time, and make sure he never got up, never got another chance to hurt or insult Spyro or anyone he cared about.

The elder recoiled back and his eyes went wide as realization dawned on him. "So that's why," he mumbled to himself. "You're actually in love with him... Ha! I can't believe I didn't see it before. That explains why you've suddenly gone completely insane, explains why you flew together at First Flight, explains the debacle at the Homecoming Ceremony too..."

"Just drop the gem and let me take you back. I've had enough of this," Flame snarled, held back by only the thinnest thread of patience. His gem was starting to feel heavy in his claws. He was angry, but he also wanted this to be over so he could return to Spyro. But he wouldn't return without Astor.

"You're the one that got them out too, didn't you? You destroyed the generator, you made this.. this trap. This sneaky little ambush. This was all you..." Astor went on, his anger seemed momentarily washed away by the sheer shock of having been bested by the village runt - a dragon he thought so little of. "That's... that's simply incredible..."

Flame cocked his head in surprise. "What do you mean?" he asked, staring at the elder suspiciously, claws still grasping his gem.

"I mean that you're right Flame, we clearly have no idea what you are capable of. It is obvious that I misjudged you."

"Well, you can apologize all you want once we're out of this damn cave," Flame said. "Come on, drop that gem and let's go, already!" He stepped closer to the elder.

"Wait!" Astor took a step back, then lowered his own gem. "I'll go peacefully, I promise. But Flame, I don't think you're fully appreciating the significance of what I'm trying to tell you."

The elder crouched down somewhat, so that he was eye-level with the angry red dragon. "Let us speak honestly, as two intelligent dragons for once. Know that my thoughts on Spyro haven't changed, in fact, his betrayal is made even more devastating with the knowledge of the impact it must have had on you..."

"Enough!," Flame barked, tail lashing. "Enough with the talking. I don't want you talking about me and Spyro!"

"Very well, I shan't. But you should know that I see now that picking Spyro as our prodigy all of those years ago was a mistake."

"What... what are you saying?" Flame asked.

"I'm saying that Spyro was never the better dragon. I'm saying that had we picked you instead, we would have had a more worthy protector. Clearly, we were wrong to doubt your abilities, even when you were still a hatchling."

Flame's jaw hung open for several seconds. Finally, he shook his head. "You're lying!" he said. "You're just saying that to get away," He peered at the dark gem in Astor's claws. He hadn't dropped it. Not yet. But he seemed to be letting his guard down...

"On my honor as a council member, I swear it is nothing but the truth," Astor reassured him. "If you still want to take me to Spyro, I will submit. But know this, I think you are much more capable of leading the realm than he is, and if you give me the chance, if you just... let me go, I'll make sure the entire realm knows how wrong we were to doubt you. That you should be the new protector. The realm still needs one, and everything I do is for the best of the dragons of this realm."

"You... you would really tell everyone that I'm more than just a runt?" Flame asked, fixing the eyes on the green dragon. "You would really do that? You're not just saying it?"

"Of course!" The elder exclaimed. "And just think of how proud your mother would be. Proud to know that her son is a hero, after all, not just some whelp." he stepped closer to Flame, eyes fixed on the elevator. "Just let me pass through and I'll arrange everything..."

Flame looked at the elder, then at his gem. He didn't need it. He didn't want to use it anyway. Slowly, he laid the dark gem down on the ground, then moved out of the way so that the elder could reach the elevator. "Okay," he said simply. "Okay..."

Astor lit up, a wide smile growing on his long muzzle. "I knew you'd come to your senses, my boy," he said. Then, with his escape finally within reach, he ran past Flame towards the elevator.

That moment, that split-second chance of the elder letting his guard down was all Flame needed. As he passed him, the red dragon knocked the dark gem out of Astor's paws. It clinked away on the catwalk, out of reach.

"WHAT THE!?" the elder yelped.

With his enemy disarmed, Flame let out a plume of fire against him, sending the green dragon rearing back from the elevator. He fell on his butt, his beard on fire which he quickly put out with his paws. "Why did you do that!?" he screamed. "We had a deal!"

Flame hopped on top of the older dragon, pinning him to the grating. "Astor, you're a poor excuse of a dragon and an even worse liar, but at least you're entertaining," he said with a devious grin.

"Ancestors curse you, you tricked me again! Have you absolutely no honor, boy!? Get off me. GET OFF ME RIGHT THIS INSTANCE!!" Astor growled and spat little flames and smoke under him, not the least amused at having his own words used against him like that.

"Honor? That's rich coming from you," Flame scoffed. "And calm down, I'm still not going to hurt you. Although I can't speak for Spyro and Cynder! Now stop moving so we can...Ouch!"

He was interrupted when Astor kicked him in the face and then threw his staff at him. "Hey!" He snared, angrily, reaching for the elder, but the elder took the opportunity to dart out of Flame's way. But not towards the elevator, like Flame had thought, but towards the dark gem he had dropped.

"Don't do it!" Flame shouted, rushing after the elder, fire spewing out of his muzzle. He would torch him if he had to. "Don't freaking touch it!"

Astor didn't listen. He dove for the gem, just narrowly avoiding Flame's claws. He reached it, grabbed it, but Flame was already on top of him. He shot a bright orange flame right at Astor's paw. He screamed, dropping the gem.

Both dragons watch the glimmering black crystal leave the elder's claw, flying over their heads towards the shaft. It slipped past the elevator floor and fell down the dark depths.

"Look at what you did, you clumsy buffoon!" Astor snarled.

"Quiet!" Flame listened carefully as he heard the gem make its way down the shaft. He heard it strike against the steel frame below, again and again, and he winced every time.

Then finally, silence, a long, terrifying silence, and just as Flame thought that maybe it wouldn't explode after all, there was a loud bang.

The blast happened somewhere far below but was still powerful enough to make the walls shake. But what really terrified Flame was the horrible, metallic screech of steel beams bending and breaking below them as the entire platform began to wobble.

"I think we better..." he started, then, a loud snap as the support beams broke and everything collapsed in on itself, taking the two dragons with it. One second, he was standing on the metal grating, the next he was falling through the air.

Flame acted quickly. He spread his wings, dashing sideways against the wall. He managed to grab a hold of a boulder jutting out from the otherwise flat surface, stopping his fall.

Astor wasn't so fast.

He fell down the shaft with a loud, piercing scream. Flame watched him fall, watched the terror on the green dragon's face as he disappeared down the pitch-black depths.

It was like instincts Flame didn't know he had kicked in and took control of his body. Without hesitation, he tucked his wings against his sides and jumped nose-first down the shaft after the elder.

He fell faster than the flailing old dragon, shooting after him like an arrow. There wasn't much light, but was Astor screaming so loud he didn't need it. He knew where he was, knew that he was rapidly getting closer. As soon as the other dragon was within reach, he wrapped his forearms around his waist. Astor looked up, eyes wide with shock. "F... Flame!? What are you doing!?"

"Just hold on!" Flame tightened his grip around the other dragon, then spread his own wings wide. Air billowed against the membrane, painfully hard, but it stopped his fall, and with another couple of wingbeats, he had defied gravity and was pushing upwards toward the surface. Rocks and steel beams were falling from above, plunging down the shaft on his left and right, inches from his wings.

When he finally reached the top of the shaft, Astor was crying and whimpering between his arms. Flame on his part was utterly exhausted, pain shooting through his arms and wings. Astor was a bony dragon, but still way too heavy to carry much longer. With the last few wingbeats his body could manage, he got them safely back to the boulder. Behind them, nothing remained of either the elevator or the bridge.

As soon as they were safely on the rock, the elder started flailing again. "Let me go!" he shrieked. "Get your claws off me!"

"Relax! I just saved your stupid, useless life!" Flame growled, slapping the older dragon across the face.

This stopped the panicking elder who went quiet, rubbing his cheek. He glared accusingly at Flame. "What was that for?"

Flame didn't reply. His patience was long since gone, he just wanted to get out of that stupid cave. He pinned Astor to the ground, looking around for something to tie him up with. "Ouch ouch, careful," he whined below him. "I'm an old dragon!"

"Oh quit your whining, you almost got us killed." Flame wasn't going to take any chances with Astor, he had no doubt the other dragon would have thrown the dark gem right in his face had he gotten the chance. His eyes lit up when he spotted the golden council amulet around the elder's neck.

"Don't you da... Ouch!" Astor whined when Flame ripped the necklace from his throat and started to tie his forelegs together with it. "How dare you?" he gasped. "That was my council amulet, you ru..."

"Were you really going to call me 'runt' again?" Flame asked with a low growl, fixing his eyes on Astor, and pressed a sharp claw on his back. For once, the older dragon stayed quiet.

With Astor finally silent, he looked around for a solution to his other problem, namely how to get back. The elevator was a no-go for obvious reasons. He couldn't spot any other pathways or platforms in the darkness. They weren't going to be able to just walk out of there, that much seemed certain.

With no other apparent solutions, he grabbed Astor, who immediately started whining and flailing again, and took off from the platform. His wings ached painfully with every beat and he almost considered dropping the old dragon more than once.

Eventually, they made it back to Red's lab. Even here, the support beams that had kept the catwalk overlooking the chamber in place had completely collapsed, so Flame had to find them a spot between the stalagmites on the ground to land.

Another nasty surprise was waiting for him when they reached the door. His heart sank when he was reminded of the busted control panel.

"Oh, thought you could get out, huh? Well, we're not getting through there, I busted that door up good! And with the elevator gone, there's no way back is there?" The elder coughed out a laugh. "Guess your precious purple boyfriend is gonna have to make do without his Flame after all!"

Flame just stared at the dragon. He simply couldn't believe him. Flame had saved Astor's life, tied him up and threatened him, and he still wouldn't stop. "Pipe down, or I'll shove you through that hole," He pointed at the tight crevice he had come from.

Astor looked at the hole and gulped. This threat did keep him quiet, at least for a couple of minutes.

But as much as Flame would have loved to force him through that little crack, he knew he'd never fit. Most likely, they'd both get stuck somewhere in that darkness, and he'd have to listen to the elder whining until he died.

Luckily, it didn't take Flame long to think of a better idea. "Stay here," he snarled at the elder, then he took flight. A minute or so later, he had returned with Tomas' satchel. They were still a dozen or so dark gems clinking inside. Maybe it'd be enough...

"I'd duck if I were you," he said to Astor, then picked up the bag and took aim at the door.

It turned out that twelve dark gems were enough. More than enough. The blast blew the heavy steel doors out of the way like two cards. Rocks came loose from the ceiling and shattered against the ground. Flame winced. He hadn't quite expected the explosion to be that powerful.

When the dust settled, he could see his friends peering in from the other side, Spyro in the middle. The purple dragon's eyes widened when he saw Flame, shock turning to relief, then joy.

"You're okay!" He bounded towards Flame and gathered the smaller dragon up in his arms. "You're okay! you're okay! You were gone for so long, little dude!"

"I'm sorry I'm sorry...!" Flame wrapped his forelegs around Spyro's chest, nuzzling himself against his strong neck. Relief washed over his tired body, like warm water when you sink into a hot spring, and he realized just how draining the brief time he had spent away from his mate had been. "I didn't mean to take so long... but things got complicated."

He didn't get the time to explain before Cynder came rushing in. "Holy shi... you got him! YOU ACTUALLY GOT HIM!" She pointed at Astor, lying on the cave floor with a singed beard and his forelegs tied up.

She practically pulled Flame from Spyro's arm so she could hug the red dragon herself, which she did with such incredible, forceful enthusiasm that Flame had to gasp for air. "I knew you could do it, Flame!! I KNEW IT!"

Then she tossed him aside so she could pad up to the trapped elder and gloat. "HA! Not so tough now, are you, you little limp-horned salamander? Without your stupid grenades, you're just an old fart with a walking stick!"

"Get off of me you big brute!" Astor snarled, swatting at the black dragon with his claws. "I won't be intimidated by The Dark Master's old pet!"

That turned out to be a mistake. Astor shrieked when the black dragoness grabbed him by the neck and pulled him close. "Oh, you should be," she rumbled, pressing her nose against the elder's and baring a row of razor-sharp teeth in a terrifying, wolfish grin. The elder gulped.

"Cynder. Don't eat Astor, please," Spyro said, to which the black dragon groaned, rolled her eyes and tossed Astor back on the ground.

"Woooow," Ashes, who had followed Cynder in, stared wide-eyed at the dragoness. "That was pretty cool..."

Beside her, Ember was busy taking in the odd scene, her wide-eyes snapping from the collapsed catwalk to the smoldering pieces of dark gem thrown about, then finally to Flame.

"What exactly happened here? Did you cause that explosion?"

Flame, who had been keeping himself on his feet so far by little else than sheer will and adrenaline, felt himself slide back to his haunches. He was dizzy. And deadly tired. "I'm sorry but... I'd rather explain it all some other time..."

Spyro furrowed his brow in concern. "You're not hurt are you?"

"No no! Just... just really tired. I wanna go home and get some sleep," He gave his mate a small, reassuring smile.

"You got it, hun'." Spyro walked up to Flame, then lowered his body so the smaller dragon could lean on his side. He gave Flame's cheek a little lick, which still spurred some more energy inside the red dragon, and together they left the smoldering remains of Red's Lair behind.

Behind them, Ashes and Cynder were dragging Astor, screaming and spitting, to the same corner where they had left Tomas. The poor blue dragon had his forelegs, backlegs and even wings tied with thick rope, courtesy of Ashes. There was even some rope stuck in his maw.

"Did.. did you gag him too?" Flame asked Ashes, a little warily.

The gray dragon just shrugged. "He wouldn't stop talking..."

"So what do we do with them?" Ember regarded the pathetic pile of squirming dragon elders and rope. "People should know what these assholes tried to get away with."

"I say we leave them here and be done with it. Would serve them right!" Cynder muttered, to the tied up dragons' horror. "They're not getting out of these ropes anytime soon, right Ashes?"

Ashes nodded proudly, and Flame made a mental note to ask her where she had learned to tie knots like that.

"WAIT? You can't be serious!" Astor had stayed quiet this long, unusually long for him, but now panic, real panic, blazed in his dark eyes. "You're not really gonna let her leave us here to drown, are you, Flame?" he asked, turning to the red dragon. "Please, Flame, all the stuff I said in there. I didn't mean it, okay?" Tears, actual tears, were rolling down the old dragon's cheeks as he begged Flame. "What will your mother dear say, if you leave us here to drown?" Beside him, a gagged Tomas murmured in agreement.

Flame looked down at Astor. It was a strange feeling, to see the dragon he had feared all his life, the dragon he at times wanted to live up to and at times wanted to strangle with his own claws, lay there in front of him, and be so weak and pathetic. And he felt nothing, not fear, not hatred, just pity.

"Gag him too," he said finally, then turned to Cynder and Spyro. "You know, I think I like these two staying right here."

Cynder nodded enthusiastically, but Spyro's expression turned to shock, at least until Flame gave him a small wink.

~ ~ ~

"We're not really going to leave them to drown, right?" Ember asked as they walked through the tunnel that would take them outside.

"Nah... we'll have Magnus pick them up sometime before sunrise," Flame said. "Of course, they don't know that," he added with a devious grin.

"You know, I'm starting to really like your boyfriend," Cynder laughed, nudging Spyro.

Spyro turned to Flame with eyes glittering with pride. "Yeah, he's pretty amazing, ain't he..."

The sun was setting over the hills when they stepped out into the world above-ground, painting the sky in purple and crimson red. Birds were still out singing, some heading home to their nests for the evening, and a winter gust swept in from the snow-covered meadows - cold but refreshing.

"Wow, that was amazing!" Ashes burst out as soon as they had gotten outside, her little wings fluttering as he bounced back and forth between the other dragons. "I can't believe it! I got to fight alongside Spyro and Cynder. My friends back at Dreamweavers are never going to believe this!"

"Well, you guys did all the hard work," Spyro chuckled. "But yes, I think we made a pretty good team. We all did great."

"Especially you..." he whispered to Flame, nosing his cheek tenderly when the others weren't looking. "And I can't wait to make it up to you for saving the day twice now," he added, a little lower, his warm breath washing against Flame's neck and suddenly Flame's entire body was warm and tingly despite the cold.

"Personally, I just loved to see those little bastards squirm," Cynder said. "And that explosion Flame, wow!" she turned to the red dragon. "I thought he was actually going to get away, but he was clearly no match for you!"

Flame blushed and bashfully kicked a nearby stone. "Oh... thanks. But it was luck mostly."

"Well, I was clearly wrong to doubt ya," Cynder continued. "You're small but you got the right stuff." She leaned in, thrusting out a paw for Flame to shake which the latter happily did. Behind her, Spyro beamed from ear-to-ear.

Pride bloomed inside Flame. Looks like you didn't screw up after all...

"So... what now?" Ember asked when they reached the crossroad between the temple and the village. "What's the plan?"

It took a few seconds before Flame realized everyone was looking at him again, and he flushed somewhat. "Oh, ehm if you're asking me I'd say we should probably let Magnus know we're alright first of all. And then go to Dragon Village, gather everyone in the Town Hall and let them know about Astor and Tomas before they go looking for them themselves. It's important they get some context before they see their precious elders tied up and gagged..."

There was a murmur of agreement among the other dragons. Spyro was popular in the village, but the elders were revered, and the hero's goodwill would run out pretty quickly if they heard Astor or Tomas had been mistreated. Especially if they thought Cynder was involved.

"And on top of all that, I think I better write Mother," Flame added with a reluctant sigh. "She'll hear about all this sooner or later, and I think it's better if she hears it from me first."

There were actually few things in the world that Flame would like to do less than to sit down and try to summarize the last couple of days in a letter to his mom. He would much rather finally get some alone time with Spyro to process today's events and a good night's sleep. And preferably not in Magnus' rickety old bed either.

"You know, I did promise to show you the elder temple before," Spyro said, as always capable of reading Flame's thoughts. "I don't know about you but I feel like ducking in early today. What do you say, honey?"

"YES!" Flame exclaimed with a jump. "Orr I mean..." he hesitated, reminded of everyone around him. "If it's okay with the rest of you..."

"Oh, we got this," Ashes said with a talon-wave. "You guys deserve some time off. We'll let people know, handle everything."

"And think up a proper punishment for those two in there," Cynder added.

"And I'll handle Mother," Ember assured him. "I'll write her, fill her in on these latest developments. Leave it to me."

Flame gave her a grateful look. "You're the best, sis. Although... maybe you don't have to write about all the latest developments quite yet..."

"Oh, don't worry, I won't mention your new boyfriend. But only because I wanna see you tell her about him in person!" Ember giggled.

Flame rolled his eyes. "Yeaaah... we'll see about that." The two sibs hugged before Ember took off. They then said goodbye to Ashes and Cynder who hurried off toward the village. And just like that, Spyro and Flame were alone again for the first time in days.

The big dragon pulled him in for a long, wordless embrace. Red scales brushed against purple, warm and smooth. "Let's go get some rest," his mate whispered in his ear, and Flame nodded enthusiastically. The promise of a warm bed and some snuggle-time with Spyro made his cheeks warm and butterflies take flight in his stomach. He wanted nothing more.

~ ~ ~

The sky was already dark by the time the couple stood outside the temple, the torches lining the great colonnade long since lit. They had walked all the way, Flame being much too tired to fly, but also too proud to accept Spyro's offer of flying him there. Not that walking all the way had been boring - nothing was ever boring with Spyro. They had talked and laughed all the way.

"I can't believe they tried to sell you on their whole protector of the realm thing..." Spyro chortled as they made their way up to the marble stairs to the portico. "Who would want to be their stupid prodigy? It's the most boring gig ever!"

"Well, he was probably lying anyway," Flame chuckled. "It'll be a cold day in The Burned Lands before Astor would let me sully the temple with my presence..."

He suddenly remembered that he had never really been allowed on the temple grounds, let alone inside the temple. He had never been considered worthy, and even with Spyro's invitation, the great gates suddenly felt a little more intimidating. Even with Astor so thoroughly disgraced, he felt unwelcome here. Like he was breaking some sacred law just by setting claw on the place.

"Hey, you're not falling asleep back there, I hope?" Spyro's gentle voice tore into his thoughts. The purple dragon was looking back at him with keen eyes, holding the door open for him. "Is everything alright, hun?"

Flame thought about it for a second, then shook his head. "Nope. Not a thing in the world." Why should he care what Astor or anyone else thought of him when Spyro wanted him there? He smiled at Spyro, then hopped on into the temple.

"Good," Spyro pulled the door close behind them with his tail. "Because I can't wait to show you my private chambers," he flashed Flame a deviously mischievous grin.

"Spyro...!" Flame hushed, his cheeks heating up a bit. He hastily looked about making sure nobody had heard. Luckily, there didn't seem to be a lot of dragons in the temple tonight.

"Oh, don't be so prude. I dare say I'm not the first homecoming hero to bring a pretty dragon to this place." He leaned and nudged Flame's tail, making the red dragon give a surprised yelp. "Come on, right this way, love."

Spyro led Flame through the antechamber, on to the private wing and the living quarters. Occasionally he would give Flame a playful nudge when he felt he wasn't moving fast enough. It was funny, Flame had been half-asleep when he reached the temple, and while he was still really sleepy, he was also bubbling with energy, giddy and full of excitement and even a little nervous. Progress was slow because Spyro couldn't quite find his way through the private wing, with all its corridors and splendid grand halls, and they were constantly giggling like hatchlings and bumping into each other. Spyro had his wing wrapped around the smaller dragon and Flame, dizzy and a little wobbly, kept stepping on Spyro's feet. But the purple dragon just laughed.

Flame had no idea the private wing of the temple was so massive and so luxurious. It would be more accurate to call it a castle. They passed statues made entirely of gold, chests filled to the brim with gems, flowing fountains and huge portraits of all the elders lined the walls. It was simply breathtaking. The lavish estate was entirely foreign for a dragon like Flame who had grown up in a cave.

Finally, they reached the door to Spyro's chamber. There were some servant dragons outside in the corridor, and a few eyebrows were raised at the sight of the two, young males slipping into Spyro's bedroom. Not that anyone would have thought to stop Spyro the Dragon from inviting whomever he pleased.

Once inside, Flame's jaw promptly dropped to the floor. If the temple and connected mansion had been amazing, it was still nothing compared to this. "Luxurious" didn't even begin to describe it. In the middle was the bed, huge with side pillars, like a thousand silk pillows and an ornate tufted headboard shaped like a giant gem, with gold fretwork. There were some very fancy-looking sofas for guests, not one but two fireplaces, a dragon-sized mirror, a bathroom with a bathtub the size of a pool, a kitchen and a living room with a dazzling chandelier hanging from the roof.

"By the ancestors," Flame gasped. "They give you this room and you still insist on sleeping in that old library? I kinda wanna punch you!"

Spyro shrugged. "I'm not a fan of the decoration. But the bed is comfy. And I wanted to show you something cool, I know that you're into art and stuff."

"Well yes, this is cool," Flame said, approaching the king-sized bed. Someone had spent a lot of time on those ornate trims, on matching the gold trims with the silk, but all Flame could think about was how the elders lived like this while most dragons on the island slept in small huts or caves. There were only around a dozen of elders, and it seemed like an awful waste of space to give each one of them a room like this.

But the bed looked awfully comfy.

And Spyro was already on it.

Stretching out like a cat, wings and legs splaying in all directions, he yawned loudly, then curled up on his side. He lifted a wing, giving his mate a warm smile, inviting him to join.

Flame just stared for a few seconds before his sleep drunk brain registered that this dreamlike moment was actually happening. He just couldn't believe how beautiful Spyro was. His purple scales glimmered in the warm glow from the torches. His long tail and neck made him look so elegant, and the golden scutes that covered his belly and chest seemed to Flame more striking than the actual gold on the headboard behind him.

"You okay there?" the purple dragon asked, cocking his head.

"Yes, it's just..." Flame was suddenly blushing furiously, and it felt like the two dragons were meeting for the first time again. "I don't know if I told you that you're like, really handsome. And how happy I am that we're together and all."

Spyro gave him the happiest, widest, dorkiest grin Flame had ever seen. "Th.. thanks," he said, a hint of red on his cheeks. Then he leaned forward, took Flame's talons in his, gave him a little kiss right on his nose, and pulled him back into the bed, into a warm world of silk sheets and even softer scales.

Flame didn't think. He just wrapped his arms around Spyro and pulled him into a kiss. The purple dragon purred and reacted by enveloping Flame in his wings, deepening the kiss. Their tails entwined like their talons had, both dragons wanting to be as close to the other as possible. Stars danced in front of Flame's eyes as their muzzles pressed warm and wet against each other, and every place their scales touched felt electric and sent shivers through his body. Finally, finally, they were truly together. Finally, they could kiss like he wanted to since that last night in Dark Hollow. He looked forward to a long night of snuggling and comfortable sleep and more snuggling.

After everything he had been through today, the panic, the relief, his fight with Astor, his explosive escape from Red's Lair, this felt like the Ancestors were rewarding him with a moment so perfect he was afraid he might wake up.

But he didn't wake up. Instead, he heard someone knocking on the door.

knock-knock-knock

The two males froze, both dragons turning to the door, hoping that whoever had knocked would be kind enough to just go away.

They didn't. There was another knock-knock-knock "Ehm... are you guys in there?" asked a muffled female voice on the other side.

"I. Literally. Cannot. Believe it." Flame groaned, throwing his wings over his head. "Let's pretend we're not here..."

"Don't worry, love, it's probably just a servant. Spyro's gonna scare them off." He gave Flame's cheek a kiss, then slipped out of the silky sheets, yawned then made his way over to the door. He opened it, and on the other side was Ashes, blushing and shuffling her talons.

"Ashes?" Spyro cooked his head. "This is kinda unexpected."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I, ehm, interrupting something again?" She peered into the room at Flame.

"Oh, you're not interrupting anything at all," he said. quickly sliding off the bed. "What did you want?"

"It's uhm, kinda hard to explain. I think you guys better follow me outside..."

"Well, actually, we were a bit busy," Spyro said, rubbing his neck.

"Well, there's like a bunch of dragons here to see you," Ashes said. "And I don't think they'll leave until they have..."

"Oh..." Spyro said.

"Oh..." Flame said.

His heart sank. If the dragons from the village were here demanding to see them, it couldn't be good.

"You want me to handle this one?" Spyro asked him.

Flame shook his head. "Nah, let's get this over with. But you owe me twice as much struggle-time if we survive this, whatever this is."

"Deal." Spyro gave him a warm smile. They nuzzled before following Ashes out. It looked like it was going to be a long night after all, Flame thought, but that was alright. Because at least he had Spyro.

~ ~ ~

Well, that's another mean cliff-hanger but I promise the two dragons will get some well-deserved rest before this is over. Hope you liked the chapter!

V_2021-02-10 23:11:52