A Day in Warfang

Spyro soared through the skies of Warfang alongside Cynder. Cool wind brushed against his scales as he flapped his wings to keep himself aloft. He glanced down at the city below him, lazily spectating the daily lives of its citizens. He spotted several vendors trying to sell goods to passersby, groups of young dragons fooling around, and a cheetah napping underneath the shade of an adjacent building. His gaze lingered on the cheetah for a moment before his maw stretched open to release a yawn.

"Someone didn't get enough sleep," he heard Cynder say.

"It wasn't my fault," he said.

"I wasn't the one who suggested that we have some fun," she countered.

"I only wanted one or two rounds! I thought it would help us sleep. You were the one who wanted to keep going!"

"Since when did you complain about playing extra rounds of poker?"

"Since those extra rounds kept me up longer than they should have!"

"Stop being a crybaby and suck it up," Cynder said, rolling her eyes. "If you drop out of the sky now, we'll be late for our lunch date with Flame and Ember."

"You mean you won't catch me if I fall?"

"Oh, you're too heavy for me to carry you. Weren't you listening to the physician? You need to lay off the goat."

Spyro huffed. "Whatever, let's just stop talking and focus on getting to the restaurant."

"Someone's hungry," she teased. "Didn't we just say that you needing to watch your weight?"

"I thought we agreed to stop talking!"

"I didn't agree to anything," she responded slyly.

The banter between the two mates continued for the rest of their flight. Within minutes, they arrived at their destination. Just outside the entrance to the establishment were two fire dragons—one pink and one red. The pink one waved to the two heroes with a wing as they descended.

"Hey, Ember, Flame," Cynder greeted as her paws touched the ground.

"Hey guys," Spyro said. "Were you two waiting long?"

"Not at all," Ember said, shaking her head. "We only got here two or three minutes ago."

"If by 'two or three' you mean six or seven, sure," Flame said. He turned to his mate. "I told you that we didn't need to rush! We would have been just fine."

Ember pouted. "It never hurts to be early."

"Well sorry for making you two wait," the black dragoness apologized. "We would have been here a little earlier, but our appointment with the physician lasted longer than it should have."

"No, it's fine!" the pink dragoness said. "You two need to make sure everything is okay. If it means waiting a little longer, then we don't mind."

"I don't know. My wings are feeling a little sore from how hard I had to flap them because you wanted us to hurry," Flame commented.

Ember glared at him. "You need the exercise anyways. You tire out way too easily."

"That's not what you said last night…" he grumbled in response.

The pink dragoness gasped and swatted at him with her paw, causing the red drake to cry out in pain. She faced Spyro and Cynder with reddened cheeks. "We should get inside," she murmured.

Spyro exchanged a sidelong glance with Cynder and they both stifled a chuckle. Ember opened the doors of the restaurant strode in, leaving Flame behind. The fire dragon sighed before trailing after her. When the couple disappeared, Spyro and Cynder laughed and walked inside. The four friends were quickly seated at a nearby table and were each given a menu.

The purple drake skimmed through the selection, barely registering the variety of options and looked for one dish in particular. He licked his lips in anticipation as he found the one he was searching for. As he put down the menu, Cynder reached out and placed it back into his paws.

"You're not ordering the goat," she said without looking up from her own menu.

"Why not?" Spyro complained.

Cynder mate looked at him flatly.

"But it's so good!" His mate's expression did not falter and he relented. He began to scan through the menu again. "Fine, I'll order something else…"

When the waiter stopped by a few minutes later, each of the four dragons placed their orders—lamb for Spyro, beef for Flame, and chicken for the two dragonesses. Four bowls of water were given to them and the purple dragon resigned to lapping up the water unhappily. Ember and Cynder shared a quiet conversation while Flame stared at his claws in boredom.

"The party's going to be an hour after sundown, right?" Cynder asked.

"Mhm," Ember answered.

"But I thought—oof!" Flame began before his mate jabbed him in the side.

"So are you two wearing anything special to the party later?" the pink dragon asked Cynder, acting as if she had never done anything.

Cynder shook her head, not in the least confused or bothered by what she had just witnessed. "No, we were planning on just going as is."

"How come? The both of you looked so great in that armor you wore to the celebration a few months ago! You should totally wear that again."

"But that was a formal event. This one is going to be more casual."

"Aww. You guys are no fun," Ember said, pouting. "I had this great set I wanted to show off! I look so cute in it! Right, Flame?"

"Uh huh," the fire dragon said, barely registering her words. The pink dragoness frowned and poked a claw at his soft scales, causing him to yelp. Several other patrons turned to stare at Flame whose face flushed from embarrassment. "What was that for?" he hissed.

"You know what."

The red drake eyed Ember uncomprehendingly. He turned to Spyro and whispered, "You can't leave me alone with her. I'll go insane if I have to deal with her all by myself!"

Spyro flashed him a lazy grin. "Sorry, Flame. You'll be on your own."

"But—ow!" Flame cried out. He began to rub the back of his neck where it suddenly began stinging.

"Going 'insane' will be the least of your worries if you keep that act up," Ember said. A plate of food was set down before each of them. She turned back to Cynder. "We'll have a few hours before the party starts after we finish eating. Did you two have any plans?"

Cynder looked at Spyro who simply shrugged at her. "Not at all. Did you have something in mind?"

"I figured we could go visit the park or the gardens," she replied after tearing off a piece of meat. "I hear Cirrus and his friends hang out around the park nowadays to practice their elements."

"Yeah," Spyro said after swallowing a bite. "I usually see them there when they're not in classes."

"Speaking of classes," Flame said, his words slightly garbled by the food in his mouth. "How has the whole teaching thing been going?"

"It's been great," the purple dragon replied. "All of the young ones are always so eager to learn how to control their elements."

"I think that they're more excited to have the 'legendary purple dragon' to be teaching them," Cynder commented.

"Heh, that's probably closer to the truth," he admitted. "Half the time, they're asking me to tell them stories about our adventures instead of practicing their elements. I'm sure Cynder's combat classes go a lot more smoothly."

"They do," she confirmed. The black dragoness smiled. "Sometimes they can get unruly, but it just takes a firm paw to set them straight."

"Somehow I'm getting the feeling that you're a little more than just 'firm' to them," Spyro said.

Cynder scoffed. "Five or six laps running around the building never hurt anyone."

The three other dragons in her company balked at her. "I would understand flying, but running? Even three laps sounds terrible!" cried Ember.

"I think you might want to cut your students some slack, Cyn," Spyro added. "They're going to die of exhaustion."

"Sounds even worse than Terrador's training regimen. Glad I'm not your student," Flame said.

Cynder simply shrugged. "If that's what it takes to teach them not to mess around in my class, then that's what I'll do. It's an effective way to discipline them. All you have to do is say the word 'laps' and they all fall into line."

Ember chuckled nervously. "Maybe we should change the subject. Even talking about training is tiring me out."

Spyro and Flame swiftly agreed with Ember's proposal, leaving Cynder slightly disappointed. For the remainder of their lunch date, the four friends discussed a variety of topics ranging from literature to the latest news within the city. The newest development in Warfang was the end of the selection process for the next Fire Guardian.

It had been a long and arduous affair, requiring not only the attention of the Guardians, but of Spyro's and Cynder's as well. It had taken the better part of three years and there had been over thirty suitable candidates. Ultimately, an orange and yellow dragoness by the name of Ashelain had proven herself to be the most competent.

"The ceremony is in six months, isn't it?" Ember asked.

"It is," Spyro answered. "The timing isn't the greatest, but we'll be fine."

Ember looked from Spyro to Cynder worriedly. "It won't cut into your plans?"

Cynder shook her head. "Not at all; it's not that inconvenient."

Spyro raised a paw and made eye contact with the waiter, signaling for their check. "Besides," he added, "it's important that we be there to support the induction of the newest Fire Guardian. It's our responsibility. We can set aside our plans for something like this."

Flame and Spyro each dug up some gems from a side pouch and placed them next to the check when it arrived. "Six months is still a ways away. That's plenty of time for you two do what you want," the fire drake said.

"Exactly," Spyro responded. He turned to the two dragonesses. "So to the park, then?"

Spyro sat in the large bath, the water up to his chest, and scrubbed hard at his scales with a wet cloth. He growled in frustration as the dirt and mud clinging to his body wouldn't wash off. He tossed the rag across the room after another failed attempt to properly clean himself. He flopped onto his back and groaned.

"Need some help?" Cynder asked, her voice echoing in the chamber.

Spyro rolled back onto his paws and glared at her. "That'd be nice, considering that this is all your fault," he said annoyed.

She smirked at him. "What do you mean by that?" she replied innocently. She picked up another cloth and stepped into the bath with her mate. She dipped it into the water and poured the contents of a nearby bottle onto it. Spyro detected the scent of lavender emanating from the towel. She brought it up to her mate's chest and began to scrub.

"You encouraged Cirrus and his friends to blast me into that puddle," he accused.

"Oh, come on," Cynder said, her smile not going away. "It was just some harmless fun."

"I might have considered it harmless fun if I wasn't wearing half of the park! The party is in twenty minutes!"

"Relax, we'll get you cleaned up before then. No one will know how a bunch of kids managed to take down the legendary purple dragon. Your pride is safe." Spyro grunted in response. Cynder rolled her eyes. "Lighten up, already! They already apologized."

"You didn't."

Cynder looked away guiltily and paused. After a moment, she sighed. "Fine, I'm sorry. It was my fault. I shouldn't have encouraged them." The purple drake did not stop pouting. "Look," she said, this time more gently. "I really am sorry about this. I—" She blinked once, realizing what he was doing. She eyed him flatly. "I'm not going to fall for that again. I know you're pretending to be angry so you can surprise me with a kiss. You do that every time!"

Cynder's face fell as Spyro took the wet cloth from her paws, stood up, and walked to a different part of the bath before cleaning his scales himself. The black dragoness stared at him for several seconds and waded over to him. She placed a paw on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off. She sighed before turning around dejectedly.

Then without warning, Spyro leapt up from his spot and tackled his mate into the water, causing it to splash everywhere. By the time his mate realized what was going on, his tongue was dancing with hers. Her eyes widened and she pushed him away angrily.

"You jerk! I knew you were faking!" She looked down at her own scales and frowned. "And I'm just as filthy as you are now!"

He handed her the cloth in his paws, smirking. "I think you'll need this."

She snatched it from him and threw it right at his face. It landed against his sensitive facial scales with a loud smack, slid off, and fell into the water. "Ow," he muttered.

"Now we both need to hurry if we're going to make it to the party on time."

Spyro retrieved the rag from the bath and examined his chest. It was noticeably cleaner than before and was passable. He smiled satisfied before flexing his wings and felt some discomfort running along his back scales. He glanced at his mate who held a different rag in her paws and was quickly rubbing it around her legs and chest.

"Hey," he said, getting her attention. She turned to glare at him. He turned around and pointed at his back. "I wash your back, you wash mine?"

"Fine, whatever."

The next several minutes were spent in silence, basking in the warmth of the water and in the feeling of having their scales cleaned by their mate. They stepped out of the bath and dried themselves off. They each checked themselves in a mirror before heading out to the party located at the same place where they shared their first formal dance.

When they arrived, both Spyro and Cynder were surprised to see the ballroom already filled with guests. The purple drake leaned towards his mate and whispered, "Are you sure you got the right time?"

"I'm sure," she answered.

"So then why—oh, Terrador!" Spyro called out as he spotted the Earth Guardian.

The forest green dragon turned when he heard the purple dragon's voice and smiled. "Ah, Spyro, Cynder. Welcome to the party! And before you two ask, you are not late. We purposely arranged for the two of you to come later."

Spyro breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this answer, but Cynder was not quite so satisfied. "But why?"

"We wanted everyone to be here before the guests of honor arrived, of course."

"Fair enough," Spyro said, shrugging.

"I guess I can't be too surprised. I'm actually shocked that Flame didn't spill anything," the black dragoness said.

"You know, he almost did tell us back at the restaurant," Spyro said, recalling the day's earlier events. "Ember stopped him before he could say anything, though."

"It would have been unfortunate if he had said something. In any case, please do come with me," Terrador said.

As three, they made their way to the front of the room. Spyro and Cynder saw many of their friends and greeted them as they passed by. At the head of the room was a raised platform in place of the table that had been there at their first ball. The two young dragons stepped onto the platform and were able to look at all of the guests present. They spotted the other two Guardians and the Guardian-to-be among the crowd.

"Everyone, may I have your attention?" Terrador boomed, commanding everyone's attention. The room fell into a quiet hush. "Today we celebrate the two dragons who have done so much for us over the years. Without them, none of what we have today would be possible. We thank them for their service and may their endeavors be ever fruitful." He raised a bowl of champagne. "To Spyro and Cynder."

The guests raised their own bowls. "To Spyro and Cynder!" everyone else cheered.

When the crowd settled, Terrador turned to the couple. "You two are free to enjoy the rest of the party as you wish," he said. "I would suggest, however, that you exercise moderation. Tomorrow is an important day, after all." The Earth Guardian nodded once at them before leaving to rejoin the party.

"He has a point," Cynder said. She exchanged a glance with her mate. "So what do you want to do first?" she asked.

"Hmm," Spyro said as he tapped his chin. Music began to fill the air and he smiled. "A dance doesn't sound too crazy. How about it?"

"I can't believe you two are really doing this," Sparx said. "I can't believe that you're actually going to leave."

"You could come with us, you know," Spyro said. "It'd be like old times."

The dragonfly shook his head and folded his arms. "Nah, I'm good. I don't think I've got another adventure in me. The old times were nice, especially without her," he pointed to Cynder. Spyro and Cynder frowned at him. "Besides, this is more of your thing. You go spend time with your dragoness."

"Well you have until we reach the swamp to change your mind. We'll be heading there first before we set off," Spyro said.

"Nope!" Sparx said sharply. "My mind is made up! You two can explore the rest of the world by yourselves."

"We'll miss you, Sparx," the purple drake said.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he said dismissively, prompting Cynder to roll her eyes at him. "I'll miss you guys too."

"Aww, Sparx, that's so sweet of you," the black dragoness cooed.

Sparx looked away from the pair and said, "Yeah, whatever. So when are we leaving this dump of a city and where are the old geezers?"

"We're waiting for Flame and Ember to get here," Spyro answered, ignoring his brother's comments. "They said they wanted to see us off."

"The Guardians are busy with their duties this morning. We've already said goodbye to them," Cynder added. "And they aren't all old. Ashelain is pretty young. She's—"

The sound of wingbeats caused Cynder to pause mid-sentence. She and Spyro turned around to see Flame and Ember flying frantically towards them.

"Sorry, we're late!" the pink dragoness cried. She pointed to her mate. "This lazy lizard wouldn't get up."

Flame opened his mouth wide to yawn and grinned. "Sorry 'bout that," he said. "That party last night was really something, you know?" The fire drake walked up to his purple friend and wrapped a leg around him, pulling him into a hug. "The next time you come back, we're gonna have a guy's night out, alright?"

Spyro chuckled. "Alright."

Flame smirked before turning to Cynder and nodding. Ember walked up to the black dragoness and gave Cynder a hug of her own. "I'll miss having someone to talk to." She pulled away and gave a brief hug to Spyro.

"I'll miss our talks too," Cynder said.

"Is that it?" Sparx said loudly. "'Cause we need to get going!"

"Gee, Sparx," Cynder deadpanned. "How considerate of you."

"Yeah, no problem. I'm just looking out for you two. Wouldn't want you to leave later than you planned, right? Now, let's go!" The dragonfly zipped high into the air.

Spyro shook his head at his brother's antics before leaping into the sky with Cynder. They exchanged one more set of goodbyes with Flame and Ember before finally turning their backs to the city that had been their home for the last several years. The purple drake let out a deep breath as nostalgia began to fill him. Then with a flap of his wings, he let those emotions dissolve. In their place were feelings of excitement and anticipation as he flew south with his mate and brother. He was going to see the world he and Cynder saved.

As you probably noticed, this is not Spyro's hatchday. It's actually the ending chapter! Surprise! Truth is, I got really stuck writing that one. I also got stuck a few times writing this one for the same reason. Both chapters actually start in the morning and I struggled with describing all the events that went on throughout the day. I sort of circumvented that problem in this one by adding some more skips, which don't really work with what I had planned for Spyro's hatchday.

The other thing I have to mention about Spyro's hatchday is that I have no clue when I will get to work on that. I actually do want to get started on my next story and I don't think I can concentrate on two fics at the same time, which is why I ended this a chapter earlier. I will get around to writing about Spyro's hatchday eventually (as well as another chapter relating to it), but that might not be for a while.

Until then, this will be the last update for this story and I will mark this as complete. Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed!