So, there's this nifty challenge going around right now. I've seen it being done for Kingdom Hearts, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Sonic X, and other fandoms I'm sure I haven't seen. Basically, you think of a character, pairing, or fandom (in this case, the overall Spyro universe), turn your music player on shuffle, and write whatever comes to mind based on that song. The catch is that you only have the length of the song to write. Once the song ends, you stop writing. Since none of these were long enough to count as chapters of their own, I've decided to post them in sets. Finally, perhaps this is a given, but none of you are to laugh at what I have on my iPod. With all that in mind, enjoy! And if you don't, please let me know why.

Song: Bran Bal, The Souless Village

Artist: Nobuo Uematsu

Universe: Insomniac, Spyro the Dragon

Spyro decided he didn't like the Artisans' World. Not now that the people in it who had worked so hard to bring it to life, sculpting and writing and gardening and living, were no longer doing so. He saw one on the pedestal before him, frozen in a dignified but entirely unnatural pose. Another one was a short ways away from him. Spyro couldn't even recognize them.

Was he the only dragon left? He hoped not.

Song: Per Te

Arist: Josh Groban

Universe: The Legend of Spyro, Dawn of the Dragon

Cynder, Sparx and Hunter had fallen asleep in the throes of conversation. Only Spyro was awake, and as such he only had his own thoughts to keep him company.

They weren't much company, because at that moment he felt small, insignificant, and so very, very alone. He thought of the warm swamp, his father's strong voice welcoming him home and his mother's soft embrace. He thought about the Dragons' temple, with its familiar carved stone and aura of peace. He thought of the Guardians-of Volteer's babbling, of Cyril's snapping at him to shut up, and of Terrador's attempts to stop the two of them from bickering.

He thought of Ignitus, and of how much he missed him.

Song: Oh, It Is Love

Artist: HelloGoodbye

Universe: Insomniac, Ripto's Rage

Elora was different from anyone Spyro had met before. This wasn't because she was the only faun he'd met thus far, or the only female who actually spoke to him in a physically audible voice.

It was the way she spoke to him. The way she looked at him-gentle, but firm, and perhaps a little bossy. He found that he didn't mind-bossiness looked so much better on her than it did on Nestor.

She actually called him a dork. The only other person who could do that and get away unscathed was Sparx.

The kiss she gave him was not the first kiss he'd ever gotten, either. But it still left its mark on the top of his head, an admirable feat since the only makeup he could see on her was on her eyes. And those eyes…such nice eyes they were.

Song: I Want You Back

Artist: N'Sync

Universe: The Legend of Spyro, The Eternal Night

He watched her as she ran off, into the darkness of the forest, which swallowed her already-dark little frame up.

The feeling Spyro got, one that seemed to dig at the pit of his stomach…wasn't quite like anything he'd ever felt. He wanted her to come back, if only so he would know that she was safe.

Amidst the rest of the attack on the temple, and of leaving his second home for yet another time-it seemed as though it were becoming a routine part of his life, at this point-he tried not to think about her. She had made her decision.

Still, it was difficult not to think of her when he awoke in the arena yet again…and found himself face to face with her. That achy feeling in his stomach came back as they circled each other. He didn't want to circle her…he wanted her to…Well. Spyro didn't know.

Song: Lakota Forever

Artist: Brule

Universe: Insomniac, post Year of the Dragon

"So…let me get this straight. You saved all the dragons here, at least once, from being encased in crystal?"

Spyro glanced at Hunter and nodded. "That's right." He didn't bother being modest-it was true, after all.

Hunter put a claw to his mouth in thought. "And…and you saved all the hatchlings just now, right?"

Spyro smirked. "Well, yeah. You were there, remember?" Sparx chuckled in his little buzzing chuckle.

Hunter smiled. "So…you've saved your race, like, twice? That's pretty awesome, you know."

Spyro's smile grew faint around the corners of his muzzle, but still stayed. "Yeah…I guess so." But then again, that was the dragon race for you, he thought. They'd live on, with or without him.

Song: Hollow Bastion

Artist: Squaresoft

Universe: The Legend of Spyro, A New Beginning

"Man, does this chick live to creep people out with sharp, spiky objects of doom?"

Spyro shrugged his small wings, following Sparx's glance around the crystalline palace. "I guess so…Come on, let's get moving."

Their company of each other did not help, nor did the masses upon masses of apes. There didn't seem to be any trace of happiness. It wasn't just creepy-it lacked hope. Cold crystals jutted out of the ground, contrasing violently against the black sky.

"Look…There it is," Spyro finally said, indicating the black stone steps.

Sparx groaned.