Hey everyone! Well...this is it...one last hurrah on Key to the Soul. I really hope you like this last chapter as an early X-mas gift to you. Merry Christmas to all and a Happy new year!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I own the characters Matt and Selema. I also don't own the character Neo.

It took a lot of prodding from both Spyro and Cynder, but eventually they managed to convince Matt to explain what had happened. He knew deep down that they both find out the truth somehow anyway, being the resourceful dragons they were. Truth be told, Matt just couldn't deny his two good friends anyway.

So as the party of four gathered around the campfire for the night, it took Matt and Selema the next few hours to retell their story of how one event changed everything in the future for the Dragon Realms. They explained all about how Gaul had pulled off his sinister plan and not give Spyro his chance to fulfill destiny. (Matt made sure that Selema not mention Ignitus' name when they had seen him out of respect for the new Chronicler's wishes).

Of course, Spyro and Cynder needed some definite proof of all these events, otherwise the couple would've just thought that Matt had come up with a crazy story as this one.

Matt looked over at Selema. "What do you say? Are you up for it?"

The pink dragoness nodded. "I think I have enough left. Let's give it a try." With that, Matt helped her up so that she could move. Using the last of her energy, Selema managed to halt time for a just a few seconds. However, it was more than enough time for Matt to rush them both to right behind Spyro and Cynder.

When time resumed, the two looked around in wonder to where they'd gone, only to find Matt right behind them holding an exhausted Selema.

"You believe us now?" Matt asked.

"Mostly," Spyro responds. "So let me get this straight. The apes from here in the present used Selema's power to bring Gaul back from the dead and then create a portal to the past…"

Cynder continued. "…which led him the Night of Eternal Darkness. He'd killed Spyro then, causing him not to able to complete his destiny…" The black dragoness gasped. "And…I became…his slave again…"

Matt sighed. "Yeah…but…you overcame it, Cynder…again. It took Spyro's memory to bring you back." The teen gravely remembered what the other Cynder had done for them, but decided not to mention it.

"So…," Spyro continued. "You and Selema went to the Chronicler, and he gave you the knowledge that Selema is a dragon with power over time. Then…you both went back in time and stopped Gaul…I mean future Gaul…from killing me. Does that sound right?"

Matt nodded. "For the most part..."

Cynder shook her head. "Great…now I have a headache…this is all too confusing…"

"Don't worry about it, guys. What's important right now is that everything is back to the way it is…and I don't think I'll take it for granted anytime soon."

"You and me both," Selema agreed. The two shared a small chuckle.

Spyro then suggested that everyone get some sleep before they would all return to Warfang the next day. Before they all did however, Cynder slapped herself on the forehead.

"Oh, Spyro!" she exclaimed. "How could we forget?"

"Forget what?" Spyro asked.

"You don't remember? Someone came and fixed Matt's ship!"

Matt's eyes lit up in surprise. "What? Are you serious? When?"

"Just yesterday," Spyro replied. "It was that one guy who wore the cloak and had those dark things covering his eyes. We remembered him from before…"

"Neo…," Matt interrupted. "Wow…he actually came out here?" Spyro nodded. "Wow…that's a first."

"He sounded pretty annoyed about it," Cynder said next. "He told us to tell you that you shouldn't be so reckless."

"That's Neo alright…"

"Yeah," Spyro said. "He couldn't believe us when we told him you were out training with Selema either."

"Yeah…," Matt said while rubbing the back of his head. "I've got some explaining to do about that…"

"Hey," Selema said. "At least you can tell him how good of a success you were...right?" She winked at the teen again.

Matt chuckled. "Yeah…I guess I can."

After a good night's sleep, the group began to make the short trip back to Warfang. Selema was assisted by the rest as she had not fully recovered yet. Spyro and Cynder were still impressed that she learned to fly so quickly.

If you only knew… Matt thought.

Before they went through the gates, Matt asked if he could look at the ship really quickly, which everyone else agreed upon. When they touched down, Matt raced inside and looked all of the instruments and devices over.

After a few minutes, the teen deemed it all in good working condition. "I owe you big time, Neo," he said to himself. He then looked over and found a small note attached to his cot. Matt quickly hurried over and read it.

Matt:

I don't know why you came here in the first place, but I hope it was for the best. I'd rather not have to come out there every time the ship breaks down on you. Seriously..

Spyro and Cynder explained to me about why you were training with this Selema. They said that you felt like you had to, so I guess I'll just have to believe you know what you're doing for now. Besides, I think I'd want to meet her someday…to see how one of my pupils taught a pupil of his own.

I decided to save the best for last. The King wanted me to ask that you come and meet with him as soon as you get this. There is some trouble going on in a few worlds and he was hoping to get you on the job. I would think it's important if he's calling on you. Also, stop by on the way if you want a little more training as well.

Take care,

Neo

Matt looked over the note and felt a little excitement in the fact that there was some action that he needed to attend to…but then he felt his heart sink a little bit. He'd probably only been in the Dragon Realms for about a week, but it'd felt like a month thanks to his little adventure with Selema.

Selema… Matt thought. Oh man...

The teen walked slowly out of the ship. Spyro asked if everything was in tip-top shape, which Matt said it was. He looked at Selema and saw a happy look on her face for him, but he also could tell she was thinking the same thing he was.

"Yeah…," Matt said. "I guess…I guess I have to leave now…Neo says the King wants to see me."

"What?" Spyro asked. "Already? You just got here!"

Cynder sighed. "Aww…that's too bad."

"But…," Matt spoke up. "I think I can afford to stay the night if that's ok with you guys."

Spyro and Cynder nodded excitedly, while Selema simply gave one nod before hanging her head.

With that, the gang headed back to the Temple once more. When they arrived, they were greeted by Hunter and Sparx. Matt spent the rest of the day explaining what had happened during his training with Selema, which everyone was intrigued about…though he decided to leave out the part about her being a Time Dragon and all.

With news of Matt's departure on the horizon, word leaked out to the moles of the kitchen, who decided to throw a grand feast in his and Selema's honor. The teen insisted that it wasn't necessary, but Spyro reminded him that he too was a hero to everyone in the Dragon Realms and that he and Selema deserved it.

And boy did the moles deliver. The food was absolutely fantastic in Matt's book. He made sure to compliment the chefs as he easily ate more than he'd eaten the last two 'days'.

Selema was sitting beside him of course. The dragoness smiled throughout the dinner, but to Matt's surprise she'd been relatively quiet ever since they'd returned to the Temple. It turned out that the Guardians had found her a home to stay in the city while they'd been gone. It was the least they could do for her…

When the dinner was over, Spyro and Cynder bid the duo good night before retreating to bed. Matt and Selema walked to their own rooms in silence for a while (apparently she'd requested to look at the house tomorrow and stay one more night at the Temple). When they both arrived at their destination, the two looked at each other one more time.

"Well…good night Matt…," Selema said solemnly before turning to go inside.

"Selema…wait…," Matt then said. "We have to talk first…"

"About what?"

"I think you know."

Selema hung her head a little before a tear began to roll down her eye. "It's not fair…" She looked up at him with tears in her blue eyes. "Why…why do you have to go?"

Matt sighed and placed a hand on her cheek. "Because…because I have to, Selema. If it were up to me, I'd stay here for as long as I wanted to…but I can't. I made a vow to myself that I would protect the worlds as long as I have the Keyblade. It's my duty."

Selema choked. "I know…it's just…Matt…you're all I really have now!"

"What about Spyro and Cynder? They both care about you too…"

"Not as much as you do! You're my best friend, Matt! I…I don't know if I can just let you go so easily."

"You don't have to let go of me, Selema," Matt replied. "I'll always be with you…" He placed a hand on her chest. "…in here."

"Here…?" she asked, placing a paw over Matt's heart.

Matt nodded back. "Right in there…it's a lot closer than you think…" The two stayed like that for another minute before they both retired for the night.

As Matt drifted off, he couldn't get Selema off of his mind. He'd grown close to several people in his life, some within a matter of minutes. However, he knew deep down that he'd gotten closer to Selema than most of them combined. She'd deemed him her best friend, which in all honesty he felt the same way. She meant as much to him now as Stitch and Pikachu still did.

Matt placed a hand on his chest. "Yeah…in here…"

After spending the night in the Temple, the time finally came for Matt to depart. Spyro, Cynder, Sparx, Hunter, and Seleam were all there to see him go. The teen shook Hunter's hand and gave Sparx a high-five before turning to his dragon companions.

Matt and Spyro quickly exchanged a hand-in-paw shake while looking in each other's eyes. "Thanks for everything, Matt," the purple dragon said. "It was really great seeing you again. Take care out there will you?"

"You bet, Spyro," Matt replied. "And don't forget, we have a rematch due in the future."

Spyro laughed. "I'd like that…you're on."

Matt then went over and gave Cynder a hug, which she returned. "Next time, would you stay a little longer?" she asked.

"I will," he replied.

It was then Matt turned to Selema. The pink dragoness was shaking from head to toe, a look of dread filling her eyes. The teen faced her, lost for words at what he could say. Before he could though, Selema had thrown herself around him, nuzzling the side of his head the entire way. Matt couldn't help but give her a huge hug in return.

It was silent for several moments before Selema spoke. "I'm gonna miss you, Matt. I'm going to miss you so much."

It took everything Matt had not to tear, but his voice still shook as he replied. "And I'm going to miss you too, Selema. You have no idea…"

Matt then broke away from her for a second. "I have something for you," he said. With that, he reached into his shirt sleeve and pulled out what looked like a long black band. The teen asked Selema for her paw and wrapped it around her wrist. When it was tied on firmly, the wristband glowed once before locking into place.

"What…what is it?" Selema asked.

"This is a very special wristband, Selema," Matt replied. "It's one of only a handful of it's kind…mainly for the magic it contains…"

"What kind of magic?"

Matt then held up his wrist to her, revealing another wristband. "These bands are tied with a powerful spell linking them together. It points and glows brighter whenever the other is close. With these, the two people connected will always find each other if they need to."

Selema sniffed hard and stared at her gift. "Really?"

"Really," Matt replied. "I know I said I'll always be in your heart, Selema. But with these, we will always stay connected, no matter how far I go." He placed both his hands on his shoulders.

Selema was silent for a few moments before she and Matt embraced again. "Thank you…," she whispered. "I love it."

"I'll always be there if you need me, Selema," Matt whispered back. "You can count on that."

"Promise me you'll come back…"

"I promise…"

Matt and Selema held each other for a little bit longer before they finally had to separate. The teen waved goodbye one last time to his friends before boarding his ship once more. He then started the engines and was airborne within seconds. Taking one last look at everyone, he gave one big final wave, in which he was greeted by five more.

Matt also made sure to lock gazes with Selema one last time, mouthing those same last two words to her before he finally made into the atmosphere…leaving the Dragon Realms behind once more.

Watching from afar, Ignitus couldn't help but smile at what he'd observed. "You truly are a special being, young warrior. I have no doubt in my mind you will return once more to fulfill your promise to Selema."

Ignitus then called over a pink book with a wave of his paw. He gazed through the pages thoroughly, his brow rising several times as he did.

"In fact," the wise dragon said. "It looks as though you and Selema are far from finished with each other. You will both need other for what lies ahead..."

THE END! *cue 'What I've Done' by Linkin Park* (sorry, but that song just fit perfectly with this ending)

Wow...what a fun ride this has been. This was probably without a doubt my most succesful story on the site by far. I think it's safe to say I've come a long way since I've first started writing to get a work like this. I never imagined it would last this long and get so much attention!

Also, because I'm always trying to improve, I'd like to know what you all liked/disliked about this story in particular. What was your favorite part? Could it have been better?

I'd be a fool if I didn't thank anyone and everyone who's ever read/reviewed this story. I couldn't have done it without you all, especially those of you who have stuck with me from the beginning, especially the following: Riverstyxx, Alec the Dark Angel, StarFoxFan11, wolfbladekeybearer, spyrolink, Solrac, scrin99, and a dozen other authors who took the time to comment on the story. God bless you all!

Well, what are my future plans you ask? Well, for now I think I'm going to take a little break before I begin on writing either a prequel or sequel to this story (the sequel being the more likely of the two). For now, I'd like to focus on my KH saga for a little while because it's usually lost in the shadows because of this story. Currently, it's on A Long Road, which also stars Matt as the protagonist. I would really hope you all would give it a look if you want to keep up with what I'm doing.

So for now...till we meet again. For good measure, thank you all and God Bless you!

Peace out,

Biz