Chapter Two: Reunions

The portal rippled around Spyro, enveloping him in a substance like water, yet it never seemed to touch him, as if a bubble had formed tightly around every curve of his body. The sensation was as if he jumped into a pool of glacier-melt, but maintained his dryness. He could never get used to the feeling, but it was not unpleasant. If anything it was doing wonders on his sore muscles, helping to massage the remaining aches away. It only lasted for a moment before the sunlight of Summer Forest hit his eyes. A final chill shook him as the rest of his body pushed through the portal.

"That never gets old!" Sparx buzzed happily beside him.

Spyro just grinned at him and took a step forward. Summer Forest stood tall around them, with its intricate, carved stone structures almost blending seamlessly with the woods. The lands of Avalar were always so beautiful, and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't missed its serene nature.

There was just something about Avalar that reminded him of home. Maybe it was that fairies had a connection to this place just as they did with the dragon realms. After all, Zoe did call this land her home. Spyro couldn't place a claw on what the similarities were, but just by being here for a moment he could clearly tell one difference in that the craziness usually associated with the dragons was not present. It was calm and quiet, save for the chirping of birds and the musical tone of wind chimes somewhere in the distance. This moment was the very definition of peace and quiet, something that Spyro nearly died the previous day to achieve. He shook his head with a grin. Maybe it wasn't that bad, but those hatchlings really could murder tranquility and not feel bad about it. Spyro frowned, snapping himself away from his thoughts. There was no time to dawdle, he had to find the professor.

Spyro came to a tunnel with a switch attached to the wall on the left side. While he had seen plenty of machinery and other more advanced forms of technology through his travels, he knew the majority of Avalar savored a more simple life, away from the buzz and hum of machines. Just a simple powered door like this one proved he was getting close to his target. He blew a puff of flame at the switch and smiled as it responded with a green glow. Whether he intended it not, the Professor was brilliant to design these switches to trigger from extreme elements, and Spyro was thankful for the convenience that awarded him.

The duo continued their leisurely pace through the tunnel, which opened to another expanse of forest, though this area was protected by a stone wall… something about conservation, he recalled Elora telling him once. The forest here sat at a lower elevation, and the immediate vicinity around the tunnel mouth was clear. It provided a clear view of the entire area, including a relatively small shack on the far side of the woods, stuffed into a corner of the walled area. The shack stood out like a sore claw, with an architectural design that contrasted with everything around it, and a glittering set of panels on its roof that reflected the sun's beams with blinding efficiency.

"Do you think the Professor will be there?" Sparx asked.

The Professor had labs all over Avalar, and even some outside of Avalar. His lab in Summer Forest was actually pretty tiny compared to some of the others that Spyro had seen, but he was pretty sure the pull of Elora's offers to help would be more than enough for the Professor to resist.

Spyro smiled. "I sure do, bud. C'mon, let's go say hello!"

The distance may have seemed far from up on the hill, but a little flight could help trivialize any distance. Spyro landed on the ground outside the lab and approached the opened door. As he drew closer, voices came into earshot.

"—blasters… I can't keep repairing your tools. It is much too costly."

"Oh, c'mon Professor! You know I need my blasters if I'm going to be successful in my mission."

"If I'm not mistaken, Agent 9, you don't currently have a mission."

"But I could! You never know when a mission could pop up, do ya? Huh huh huh? If could be tomorrow, it could be today! You just never know, and that's why I need my darn blaster. You know, just… in case."

"Fine, fine!" the Professor said, "Hand it here."

Sparx looked up at Spyro and, with a laugh, said, "I think the Professor's busy!"

"Oooh, what was that?" Spyro could hear the excitement in Agent 9's voice. "I think we've been compromised. Don't worry, Professor, you just keep fixing my blaster. I'll… improvise!"

"No! Don't take that!"

Not a moment had passed before a monkey came swinging through the doorway with a power drill grasped in his right hand. He aimed the tool around frantically before spotting the threat.

Agent 9 gasped. "Spyro! My man, what brings you out of hibernation, or whatever you dragons do? Huh? Or were you sitting on your giant pile of treasure, hoarding over it for the past year? Or maybe you were laying waste to some village, or guarding over a princess in a tower, or—"

"Agent 9!" Spyro shouted, forcibly, but not unkind, "I'm going to ignore all the stereotypical and slightly insulting things you said and just let you know that I've been, uh, watching over the hatchlings."

Agent 9 blinked at Spyro once before doubling over in a rage of laughter, "Wait, you've been missing for a whole year because you were b-b-babysitting?!"

"Hey!" Spyro said defensively, "You try watching over a hundred hatchlings and tell me how that works out for you!"

"Ignore him, Spyro," The Professor said, walking out the door. "He's just trying to distract himself from the fact he broke his blaster by accidentally running it over with a vehicle."

"Hey!" Agent 9 shouted, turning and pointing a finger at the Professor. "I needed a quick getaway, and I didn't realize I dropped my blaster!"

"I can see that, but really, Agent 9… A farm tractor?" The Professor chuckled.

Agent 9 huffed past the Professor, back inside. "Whatever, just fix my blaster so I can get back to work."

The Professor smiled as the frustrated monkey passed him and then turned to Spyro, "It is good to see you again, Spyro! I'm sure Elora will feel the same way."

Spyro perked up, "Elora? Is she here?"

"I'm afraid not at the moment. I've sent her on an errand to pick up a list of ingredients for an experiment I want to run on a new hair-loss-reversal ointment. Just an idea I had in a dream last night." The Professor beamed.

"Oh, well, uh, good luck with that!"

"Oh, where are my manners?" The Professor said suddenly, "Please, come in and make yourself comfortable while you wait for Elora."

"Actually, Professor…" Spyro started, "I had a problem that I thought maybe you could help me with."

"Oh, I see!" The Professor said, motioning him inside. "Well, I'll be happy to help you however I can! Agent 9's blaster should be a simple fix, seeing as I've fixed it so often that I don't require the schematic anymore. You can tell me all about your problem as I work."

Spyro followed the Professor inside the single-roomed shack-of-a-lab and immediately noticed a difference from his last visit here. The Professor was typically the type to have everything organized in a way that made his work the most efficient, even if others could not decipher it. Spyro could not begin to determine how anything set up in that lab would be used, or even if they could be used. Instead of a laboratory, this workspace looked more akin to a repair shop, with random tools scattered across metal tables. The walls held pinned-up schematics for various objects, all of which Spyro recognized as something that Agent 9 once used. He struggled to hold back a chuckle. The poor Professor had been kept busy while he was away.

Spyro found a nice chair that wasn't occupied by boxes or books and hopped up to watch the work.

"Now then, where did I put that screwdriver?" The Professor asked, searching his workstation. "Hmm, I thought I had put it down here…"

He searched under books and random, rolled up schematics, as well as on the floor surrounding the table. He checked all the pockets of his lab coat and also the toolbox next to his chair. He grew frustrated. "I can't find it anywhere! I swear if it was those darn squirrels again. Just one mention of 'nuts and bolts' when they are close by, and they believe that the nuts are food! Then they also take the bolts. It's almost like it's less about food, and more about grabbing anything that's shiny now..."

"Oooh, you have a squirrel problem, huh?" Agent 9 asked, still holding the power drill in his hand. "Well, I can take care of that little issue once you've fixed my blaster!" He began aiming at random objects in the room, the motor of the drill powering on in pulses every time Agent 9 pulled the trigger.

"Give me that!" The Professor demanded, snatching the drill from the monkey's hands. He placed it down on the table and exhaled his frustrations. "And you will do no such thing. If you hurt any of the innocent, albeit sometimes infuriating, creatures of this forest, Elora will kill us both.

"Oh, is Elora really the type that puts random creatures' welfare above all else?" Agent 9 snickered.

The Professor shook his head. "No, but keep in mind that this area is protected because of overhunting. She will not hesitate to prevent any imbalances from arising. And if you're the source, well…"

"Okay, okay! I get it. Don't make faun lady angry. Will do!" Agent 9 saluted. "Or maybe that was won't do…"

The Professor shook his head and trained his gaze back to his work. He eyed the blaster on the table, and then the power drill beside it and shrugged. "Well, it is a bit overkill for such a small repair job, but I suppose I'm left with no alternatives." He picked up the drill, tested it to ensure it still functioned, and set to work on the blaster.

Spyro continued to sit and watch, waiting for the Professor to turn to him and ask for his issue. A short time later, Sparx buzzed quietly in his ear.

"No," Spyro whispered, "I think he may have forgotten about me…"

The Professor snapped up from his work and looked at Spyro. "Oh, I am so sorry, Spyro! After that earlier exchange with Agent 9, it must have slipped my mind that you were seeking help. Please, go ahead and tell me what I can help you with. I'm all ears!"

"Well," Spyro began, "It has to do with Dragonkind. More specifically with why there are only male dragons around now."

The Professor stopped what he was doing and turned to Spyro, a glint of fascination in his eyes. "That is a question that has popped up in my mind several times in the past when dealing with some of the older members of your kind. Any time I would ask about it, they would suddenly turn less friendly towards me… Surprised I'm still alive after the, um, reception I got from that last encounter…"

"Yeah, it's a bit of a touchy subject, but one that I actually hadn't put much thought into until yesterday," Spyro paused for a moment. "There are female dragons. They exist. I don't know if you have seen any of the dragon hatchlings, but there are little girl dragons alongside the little boy ones. And they aren't really rare." Spyro said.

"Ooooh yeah!" Agent 9 cut in, "I think I remember one that looked a bit like a girl… or was it still a boy? I can't really tell the difference between all you dragons. No offense. But I think it looked a bit more feminine, maybe!"

"Thanks," Spyro grumbled, "Anyways, when I got to thinking about it last year when I was saving the eggs, that's when the realization hit me that there are no adult females, but probably like half the eggs hatched into baby girls. So, if they're not rare, then where did the adults go?"

The Professor rubbed his chin, "Well, that is quite observant of you, Spyro. I would say I'm surprised, but I think we've all learned to not underestimate your abilities. As for your question…" The Professor looked at several stacks of books around the lab. "I believe I've got a book around here somewhere about dragon lore and history, but I'm not sure if it would have the answers you're looking for."

Spyro lightly shook his head. "Well, that's the thing, I know what happened to them. At least, I might have a lead."

Spyro told the Professor about his encounter with the fairies, and about the theories they could come up with for the dragon's plight.

After some time, the Professor finally finished with Agent 9's blaster and gave it back to him, insisting he be more careful in the future. Spyro was pretty sure the good Agent didn't listen to his words as he was hugging his blaster like one would a stuffed animal.

The Professor shook his head in resignation and turned to Spyro. "Well, I honestly cannot say for sure what has happened to your kind. If it is caused from long-lasting illness, then that would likely mean it's more of a genetic defect rather than an actual disease, seeing as how it is passed on from parent to child. The good news on that front is that science can easily determine that with testing. If it is genetic, I am no expert at repairing such an issue, but I could, with time, learn and apply that knowledge. However, even if that were the case, I don't think you would really see the effects until the next generation of dragons were born.

"If the cause is magical in nature, then it is very iffy what I would be able to do to help. Magic has defied all logic many times in the past, and I'm willing to wager this would be no different."

The weight of the world seemed to grow heavier as Spyro couldn't help but stare at the ground.

"That being said, Spyro," The Professor said, patting the young dragon's shoulder, "I'm positive I can at least find something on dragon history. If we can pinpoint exactly when this problem arose, then we will be able to plan our next steps. Whether it be genetics or magical in nature, we will then perhaps have an answer to—oh."

Behind him, Spyro heard the sound of metal hitting the ground. He turned around and saw a bucket rolling around on its side in a semicircle on the ground, its contents spilling green over the floor. Spyro looked up and saw Elora in the doorway, she looked surprised, but a giant smile was forming across her face.

Spyro chuckled nervously, "Oh, h-hey Elor—oof!"

Elora had closed the distance between the two of them and wrapped the little dragon in a hug that betrayed her strength.

The moment seemed to last for an eternity before Agent 9's snicker pulled Elora away. She cleared her throat awkwardly, but she still smiled down at Spyro. "Hey, Spyro… It's been a while."

"That much is obvious!" Agent 9 laughed.

Elora returned an evil stare at the monkey, shutting him up in an instant. She took a breath before smiling back at Spyro. "What took you so long to come visit? It's been a year!"

Spyro was dreading this moment. Before he could work up the courage to respond, the Professor interrupted.

"Not to be rude, but I really must have some quiet if I'm going to figure out what's happening to the dragons."

"Wait, what do you mean?" "Elora began, "Happening? What's going on?"

"For the time being, I must search through this mess of books for anything that will assist me in my research. Spyro, I'll be sure to let you know first thing when I find out anything that may be beneficial to you."

"Thanks, Professor!" Spyro smiled and looked up at Elora, "I'll catch you up on everything."

Elora nodded slowly before looking back at the Professor. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Always the eager one to help," The Professor smiled and shook his head. "No, I should be fine on my own, Elora. Besides it does sound like you and Spyro have some catching up to do. Go on and take a break for the rest of the day. I think you've more than earned it."

"Thanks, Professor!" Elora smiled widely and turned to Spyro. "Okay, let's go!"

Spyro and Elora walked through the Summer Forest in relative quiet. Wind played through the canopy of the trees above them that sent the shade dancing on the packed dirt path before them. Besides windsong, a quiet, rhythmic buzz would grow louder as Sparx moved in closer to him. Spyro glanced over at Sparx, who returned a questioning gaze at him before nodding over at Elora. Spyro shook his head and listened for the buzz of Sparx's wings to grow faint again. Spyro shot a glance over to Elora, who seemed to be enjoying the serenity of the woods.

It was too quiet between them… Was Elora angry with him over the whole one year thing or not? She seemed happy to see him back at the Professor's lab, but she did ask if she could help the Professor instead of hanging out with him. Was that so she could get away from him? Or was it just a typical Elora who always sought to help out?

Spyro sighed quietly to himself. What had gotten over him? Of course Elora was fine with him! If she was displeased about something, she would let it be known. Hunter was evidence enough of that. Still, what if… No! Everything was fine. All he had to do was initiate a conversation and things would be fine. Easier said than done; he had seen people on her wrong side. While she was never mean or rude, he still feared being the subject of her annoyance.

Spyro shook himself out of his thoughts. He looked back at Elora, who was now looking at him like he was something strange.

"Are you okay?" Elora asked.

"Who, me?" Spyro chuckled overly-lightly, "Of course! I'm totally fine."

Elora let a slight smile escape her. "Well, I can't say I believe that. You're all fidgety. What's bothering you?"

Spyro exhaled heavily, not realizing he had been holding his breath. "I don't know… I was just kinda worried that, ya know, you were, umm…"

"Mad at you?" Elora asked.

Spyro looked up at her in surprise. "Y-yeah."

Elora laughed softly. "Oh, Spyro. Why would I be angry with you? If you're worried about you never coming to visit sooner, I understand!"

"You do?"

"Of course I do!" Elora smiled. "You're, well, you! The bravest, most determined, little dragon I know… Well, the only one I really know, but still. You have done things no other dragons have done, at least not for a long time. So, I wouldn't be surprised if some new bad guy just showed up and you had to go off and save the day again."

"Oh, right!" Spyro chuckled nervously, "Yeah, the day always needs saving in the Dragon Lands…"

Sparx buzzed up beside him and laughed. "I think you just needed saving from a bunch of baby dragons."

"Oh! You've been babysitting?" Elora smiled even wider.

"How did you… Oh, I forgot you can understand Sparx…" Spyro sighed.

"Yup, I can. Also, babysitting isn't so bad! I think it's nice that you care so much for them!"

"Yeah, well, if they could return the favor, that'd be great."

As Elora led the way down the winding path, Spyro opened up more about his time with the hatchlings. Thinking back on it, he could even laugh at himself over how he must've looked chasing after and failing to capture them when they escaped from the sight of their caretakers. It was like herding sheep, if the sheep were crafty and had wings.

Elora finally led Spyro through a pack of overgrown bushes, revealing a large lake.

Spyro ran out in the clearing in awe. "Whoa, I never knew this was here!"

Elora smiled fondly at the scene. "Yeah, this is what I call my little slice of heaven. It's just beautiful in every way."

Trees wrapped around the lake, creating a thin, green border on the far side. There were multiple tiny islands standing out in the middle of the water. Spyro noticed the large wall that had been present before was now gone. He must have been out of it earlier because he couldn't recall leaving the confines of the conservation area.

Elora found a shady place beneath a tree to sit and rest. Spyro did the same and sat down beside her.

She sighed in satisfaction of the view and leaned back on her hands. "Well, I'm glad everything has been good for you, Spyro. That's all that matters in the end."

Spyro looked out at the water, too, his smile vanishing. "I'm not here because of the good, though, Elora. Yesterday the fairies came in and took half of the hatchlings away."

Elora sat straight and gave Spyro a disbelieving look. "No way. The fairies couldn't just do that without a reason…"

"They had a reason," Spyro said, "Turns out there's something affecting Dragonkind. I don't know how I didn't notice it sooner, but there's a reason why female dragons don't exist in the Dragon Lands. It's not because they don't exist, it's that they can't survive alongside males. Some disease or something… The fairies moved them all into isolation somewhere far away from here. So, when they came to take the babies—"

"They took only the females…" Elora finished in a whisper.

Spyro nodded.

Elora wrapped him in a hug. "I'm so sorry, Spyro. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I don't really know," Spyro answered, pulling away from the hug. "The Professor said he's going to look into it for me."

Elora gave a small, reassuring smile to him. "You know, if anyone can figure it out, it's the Professor! I think you're in good hands."

Spyro smiled back. Before he could answer, though, the sun's rays reflected down from the trees above at an odd angle. Spyro glanced up and noticed the glint of a long, thin, metallic object in the forelegs of a little rodent. "No way… It really was a squirrel?"

"A squirrel…" Elora looked up and behind her. "Hey, isn't that the Professor's?"

Spyro got up and stretched. "You bet it is. The Professor wasn't happy when he couldn't find his screwdriver, so I think he'd be relieved to have it back!" He paused for a moment, remembering what the Professor had said earlier about unnecessary violence toward the creatures of the area. He looked at Elora awkwardly. "I, um, I won't hurt it."

Elora laughed. "Has he been telling you what I would do if anyone hurt the animals here? I know how nature works. It can be brutal. I said 'unnecessary or mindless' violence. You know, like hunting just for the sport of it. I do appreciate the thought, though, Spyro. Obviously don't hurt it if you don't have to!"

Spyro smiled and nodded, jumping up into the trees after the tool thief. He made a mental note to make peace with sheep, as he was pretty sure his past antics involving them could sometimes fall under the category of sport.

He landed on a branch and looked around for the sun to give away any hint of metal amongst the leaves. In the tree across from him he found his target as it disappeared behind its trunk. He grinned and hopped across. He was thankful that they were still so low to the ground that the limbs were wide enough for him to keep his balance without too much of an issue. He snuck across the branch toward the trunk in the center, hopping from limb to limb as he needed. The squirrel was gone when he got to his destination. Spyro growled softly. The approach he had used yesterday for George was just not going to work this time.

He took to the air, flying through the canopy and dodging limbs and leaves alike. The squirrel had to be somewhere... There! Out on the edge of one of the branches, away from any others was the squirrel. Spyro landed on the branch and walked toward the little creature.

"Okay, little buddy… I just want the screwdriver back, then you can go." Spyro said as he closed the distance. He expected the squirrel to start panicking, but it was oddly calm, looking at him almost daringly. The screwdriver was held in its tiny mouth securely, though it looked as if it would throw the squirrel off its balance.

Spyro took one more step, and then the squirrel quickly looked away and jumped. It spread its front and hind legs out and caught the wind, gliding to a faraway branch.

"Seriously? You can fly?!" Spyro grit his teeth and followed after the squirrel. If it wasn't going to give in easily, then Spyro was just going to have to play rough.

He flew directly into the limb that the squirrel was sat upon and shook it. The squirrel braced and almost lost its balance. It repositioned the screwdriver in its mouth and hopped to another branch.

"Hey, be careful!" Sparx scolded, his color still a brilliant gold, "You could have warned me before trying to kill yourself again!"

Spyro laughed, "You worry too much, ya know? You don't have to try to take the hits, I'll be fine… I do this all the time."

"Yeah, but not in midair…" Sparx buzzed grumpily as he hung back.

Spyro continued his newfound tactic, hoping to eventually tire the squirrel out. It didn't take long before the critter did wear down, finding itself trapped again at the edge of a branch, with the lake as a backdrop.

Spyro cautiously took a few steps forward. "C'mon, little guy… Just hand over the screwdriver and you can go."

The squirrel started getting antsy, darting from side to side for a way out. Finding none, the squirrel looked at Spyro as he approached. Before he could reach the little squirrel, it took the screwdriver out of its mouth and held it above its head. It turned toward the lake and threw it as hard as it could.

"Oh, c'mon!" Spyro groaned and shot after the tool. It landed in the water before Spyro could reach it, and he dove in after it. He grabbed hold of it before it could get too deep and he popped out with a look of triumph on his face.

Elora ran up to him as he climbed out of the water. She smirked at him as he held the screwdriver above his head excitedly. "You're really proud of that one, huh?"

"Heck yeah, I am!" Spyro smiled. "Imagine if I'd lost to a squirrel… Sparx would never let me hear the end of it." He lowered his arm and winced as pain shot through his side.

"Spyro?" Elora asked in a worried voice, taking a step toward him.

Sparx buzzed around him and sighed. "Talking about things you're never gonna hear the end of…"

"I'm fine," Spyro said through his teeth, ignoring Sparx. He took a breath and let the pain subside. "So, uh, I may have hurt myself a bit yesterday when I was chasing after George. I thought I was better, but maybe I pushed myself a little too much when I was trying to shake those branches."

"You think?" Sparx buzzed sarcastically, earning an angry look from Spyro. Sparx just smiled.

Elora shook her head and clicked her tongue in disappointment. "Spyro, you really need to take better care of yourself. You are capable of a lot of things, but you are not invincible…"

"I know, I know…" Spyro sighed.

Elora looked at the sky. The sun had already disappeared behind the horizon and the land was given way to twilight. "Okay, I think it would be best if you came back home with me for tonight. I'll check on your injury and you can get some nice rest."

Spyro's eyes widened, "But… I'm fine. I can just go home—"

"And go and get yourself hurt. Again. Spyro, you really are stubborn sometimes," Elora said in a more motherly tone, "I'm not having any of that, mister. Besides, I've got a guest room that has been waiting for someone to occupy it since I set it up!"

Spyro nodded slowly. "Okay, you win. Where is it?"

Elora smiled widely. "It's not far at all, I'm actually set up right beside this lake."

Elora led Spyro along the bank of the lake until they came up to a small dock. She turned toward the woods where Spyro noticed a little dirt bath winding through the bushes, and beyond those, blending in with the woods around it, was a house made from stripped logs. It was a single floor in height, and the roof was thatched. Behind it was the outline of what looked to be a tall windmill of sorts.

"Um, not the safest place for a dragon to be, is it?" Spyro asked.

Elora giggled, "Not normally, but I trust you to not burn it down. Should I be worried?"

"Oh, nah," Spyro laughed nervously.

Elora grinned at him and opened the front door, "After you!"

Spyro entered and was immediately greeted by darkness. There were several windows around that held what remaining light there was outside, but they did little to brighten the room. He heard a small click behind him and the room came to life in light and color. Flowers lay all around in pots and vases around the room. Thought had been put into their placement as they brought enough of the outdoors nature in without the home turning into the wilderness itself. The floor was made of flat but textured stone that had the look of slate.

Spyro noticed the lights, "With the whole nature theme here, I would have thought you'd go with something more natural for the lights, like torches or something."

"Fire, seriously?" Elora laughed, "I don't want to burn my house down, you dork!"

"Oh, right…"

"The Professor built this place for me a while ago," Elora said, "I objected at first, but when they built that wall around the conservatory they had a lot of extra logs that they were just going to turn into wood chips. I figured since the trees were already cut down, they could at least be used for something more than mulch and firewood…

"The lights are powered by electricity. The Professor thought it would work best for the house. He built that giant windmill out back to generate it. He said that it wouldn't produce much and I would run out of power quickly if I used it too much. I only use it for the lights, and that's really only at night so I can see where I'm going. So, yeah, I haven't had any issues so far!"

"That's good. In any case, I like it!" Spyro said.

"I'm glad you do! Now c'mon, let's take a look at your injury," Elora said, leading Spyro to a table made of logs cut down the length of their middles, with their centers facing up to form the flat top of the table. The same had been done with the benches on either side.

Elora instructed Spyro to sit on the bench as she took out supplies from a cabinet hanging from the wall. He did as he was told.

"So, uh, how often do you need to treat people's injuries?" Spyro asked.

"Oh please, I know Hunter." Elora said simply. That was all that needed to be said.

Elora checked him over and wrapped a bandage around his right foreleg and shoulder.

"Is this really necessary?" Spyro asked, "I can't really move my leg much now…"

"Maybe if you wrap the rest of him up, he won't be able to hurt himself again." Sparx suggested.

Spyro looked at him angrily, "If that happens I will start shooting fire…"

"I don't think that's necessary, Sparx," Elora laughed. "Anyway, that's the point of the bandages. You need to give it time to heal. It doesn't seem too bad, so I think tomorrow after some rest you should be fine to move it around more again, but you can't go doing stunts like you did today right away, okay?"

"Got it. I can do that!" Spyro said before yawning. "Speaking of rest, I could really use some sleep."

Elora shook her head lightly and smiled. "Alright, then. Follow me."

She led him down a hallway to a bedroom on the right. "Here's the guest room! I hope you like it."

Spyro stepped inside and spotted the bed on the far side of the room, nestled underneath a window covered by a closed curtain. Other than the bed, the room had a nightstand on either side of it, a dresser with two top shelves made for books, and a desk with stool stationed beside the door. A green and white checkered carpet sat in the middle of the slate floor, providing a little extra color to the room.

He hopped onto the bed and laid back, giving a sigh of relief when he sank comfortably into the mattress.

Elora leaned against the door frame. "I'm going to go check on the Professor one more time before calling it a day. I'll make sure to give him his screwdriver back, since I know how attached he can sometimes get with his equipment..."

Spyro sat up, "This late? Are you sure?"

"I'll be fine!" Elora said, "I know these woods like the back of my hand. Maybe better, actually. Anyway, you just get your rest. I'll be back before you know it. If you need me at any point tonight when I get back, I should be in my room across the hall. Okay?"

Spyro nodded and watched Elora disappear behind the closing door. He sat back and noticed Sparx had found himself a little bed on the nightstand beside him. "Huh? Where'd you get that thing, Sparx?"

Sparx raised his head. "It was already here! It seemed comfy."

"Hmm…" Spyro pondered before shrugging it off and rolling onto his side. "Well, whatever. G'night, little buddy!"

Sparx yawned. "Good night."

Spyro smiled and closed his eyes for a good night's rest, just as Elora ordered.