A/N: This is a side project completely unrelated to Bridge Across Worlds (if you haven't read it, go read it please). The characters and events in this story have no relation or affect to anything in Bridge Across Worlds. I'm hoping for a little feedback on this so please drop me a message of some kind. Other that that, Enjoy.

Love Lost Chapter 1

Cynder walked slowly beside Spyro as they headed back to their rooms. It had been a week since they had teamed up together to take out Malefore and things were finally beginning to settle down for them. The guardians had since given them rooms in the newly constructed temple at the top of the Dragon City of Warfang where they now tried to form some kind of a normal life style. It really didn't matter to Cynder thought. She got to spend time with Spyro and that was the only thing that she cared about.

She had finally confessed her hidden feelings for him at the center of the earth, showing her feelings for the once thing she cared about the most. Unfortunately for her, when they had woken up in a field a day latter, Spyro hadn't given any kind of acknowledgment that he had heard her.

It had pained Cynder that he hadn't heard her, but it only strengthened her resolve. Her feelings for him burned brighter than ever, and now that Malefore had been defeated, she was even beginning to entertain the thought of spending the rest of her life with him.

Cynder shook her head as the thoughts ran through her mind again, looking over at the purple dragon that walked next to her. None of it would matter if he didn't harbor the same feelings for her as she did for him. She could only wonder how he actually felt. After they had returned to the city, they had been hailed as heroes, the guardians quickly spreading word of their achievements to whoever would listen and providing them with comfortable rooms in the new temple.

That was where they had spent the majority of the last week. Cynder spent the days simply walking throughout the temple grounds, content to simply talk and be near the dragon that she cared about so much. Spyro seemed to enjoy himself as well. He had become more light hearted after Malefore's defeat. Now that the dark master had been defeated, a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He laughed easily and almost constantly as he spent the days with Cynder, often missing important meeting with the guardians simply to talk with Cynder. But Cynder still wasn't sure of how he felt around her. Every time they came close to the subject, the conversation would fade away until they began to talk about something else. He hadn't said anything to her, and she hadn't said anything to him, but Cynder constantly hoped that she could bring herself to tell him again, and that when she did he would feel the same way.

Cynder smiled to herself, even if she was unsure about Spyro, things finally seemed to be falling into place. Turning a corned in the temple, both dragons stopped as the arrived at Cynder's room.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow then…" Cynder smiled sheepishly and looked down at the floor, she could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks.

"Yeah…" Spyro's voice seemed to carry a trace of sorrow as he looked at her.

Cynder turned here head back up and looked into Spyro's eyes, not caring that her cheeks were still flushed. His eyes seemed to bore into hers, catching her in his gaze and not letting go. She could lose herself in his eyes. Out of the corned of her eyes she could see redness in Spyro's cheeks as well.

Cynder blinked and tore herself from his gaze, her cheeks now blazing. Her heart pounded in her chest as she could feel Spyro's soft breath against her neck. It was becoming too much to bear. She needed to tell him, and she needed to tell him now. Taking a chance, Cynder looked back into his eyes and began to speak hesitantly. "Do you want to come in for a minute? I don't mind…"

Cynder watched as Spyro's face sparkled with hope before his face quickly fell and he turned away. "I… I'm sorry Cynder… I can't… not tonight."

Cynder's heart fell as Spyro refused her offer. Maybe he didn't feel the same way she did. "Oh…" Cynder's tail dropped as she turned around and pushed her head into her room.

Spyro quickly broke in behind her. "The guardians have to talk to me about something soon, and I just can't miss another meeting. Maybe some other night…"

Cynder stopped half way into her room, maybe there was still hope. Turning around, she brought her head back up to face Spyro, though she couldn't hide the disappointment in here voice. "Alright, I know how they can be. Maybe tomorrow night then."

Spyro hesitated before answering. "Yeah… yeah that would be nice." Cynder thought she could hear his voice fall with his words, but was distracted by Spyro's next move.

"Goodnight Cynder." Spyro leaned his had forward and softly nuzzled Cynder's head and neck before pulling his head away. Before he turned around, Cynder could see his face burning red.

Cynder stuttered to answer. "Goodnight Spyro." She watched as he walked down the hallway towards the guardians' chamber before turning and walking into her room, a smile on her face. Perhaps there still was hope.

Laying down on her bad, Cynder felt exhaustion quickly take over, throwing her mind into darkness and a wild set of dreams.

At first, all she saw was darkness, but slowly it began to clear. As the image sharpened, Cynder saw Spyro standing before her, dressed in a full suit of armor that they had collected along their travels together. A shining silver chest plate covered the entire front of his body, reflecting firelight off its surface like rolling waves. Plates of the same color ran down his back and tail, coming to a point over his tail blade where they formed a protective casing more lethal than the blade itself. His helm was made of the material as well, starting over his snout and curving back over his eyes and head to where two holes were cut in the end of the helmet to accompany the large yellow horns sticking out of his head.

But Cynder wasn't interested in the armor; instead she stared into his eyes, lost in their color, as her mind seemed to dance around in a daze. She tired to move, to do something, to say something, but her body wouldn't respond, resigning herself to only watch as the purple dragon gazed down at her.

He looked down at her… longingly even… as he stood over her bed. She swore she could have seen a tear tracing its way down his cheek, but her thoughts were lost as he began to speak.

"Cynder, you don't know how much you have always meant to me. Even when I fist found out that you were a dragon from the same set of eggs that I was I always thought of you as a friend, as someone I could confide in. Just having someone that was like me, that would understand me… you did more just by being there than you could have possible imagined." Spyro looked away from her, coughing slightly before turning back.

"But when you ran away from the temple, it hurt me more than you could have possibly imagined too… I didn't know what to think. I didn't care what you had been like. I just cared what you were then and there, a young dragoness that meant so much to me… knowing how that felt then, I can't imagine what this is going to be like for you."

This time Cynder was sure she saw a tear fall from his eye. And what was he talking about… what this was going to do to her?

"And then in those days, after we were woken from the gemstone. I don't think you noticed. How much I was attracted to you, and not just because of that stupid necklace thing." Spyro laughed in spite of the tears Cynder now saw slowly tracing paths down his cheeks. "I would have stayed with you whether that thing was around us or not. Moving though Avalar like that, I got to know you better than I could have ever imagined. And even though the world was falling apart and we were forcibly chained together… I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Spyro stayed silent for a minute, tears occasionally tracing paths down his cheeks and armor.

"I guess why I'm saying this is… Terador and the guardians are sending me out again. For what, I'm not sure, but I know its big." Spyro shook his head and shifted his weight nervously. "I know you will probably never forgive me for going off without you, but I couldn't live with myself if anything were to happen to you…" Spyro hesitated again, though a smile began creeping to his lips. "Cynder, I heard what you said. I heard what you said to me at the center of the earth… and I just wanted you to know…" Spyro leaned over Cynder, tipping his head down so it was directly over her head. She could hear his voice crack as he finished. "I just wanted you to know… that I love you too Cynder… I love you more than you could possibly imagine, and I want nothing more than to be with you." Spyro leaned down and pressed his head against Cynder's neck, she could feel the hot tears stream down her neck. "And that's why I can't bear to let you come with me… that's why I had to watch in agony as you invited me in tonight and I had to refuse. That's why I sit here hurt and confused because I don't know when I'll be back Cynder…" Spyro's voice broke again as he picked his head up off of her neck. Slowly he reached inside his armor and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Carefully he placed the piece of paper in her hand before closing her hand around it.

"The guardians all seemed worried about this, they said I could be gone for months, and that this could be as hard as fighting Malefore himself. I just can't bear the thought of putting you though something like that again. You will have time here… to settle down… to be normal… The guardians will make sure no one harasses you about what has been."

Cynder screamed inside her head as her mind pieced together what was going on. She didn't want to be normal, she didn't want to settle down, all she wanted was to be with him.

"Maybe when I come back… you will still be here, but I can understand if you were to move on…" Spyro shook his head again, tears still falling to the ground. "I couldn't live with myself if I left without telling you this, even if you can't hear me now… I love you Cynder, and nothing will ever change that."

Spyro leaned down, placing a kiss of Cynder's fore head. "I'm sorry Cynder…" Spyro turned and headed towards the door.

"No. Don't go!" She wanted to scream, to get up and tackle him before he could make it out the door. She loved him and she wanted nothing more to tell him, but her body wouldn't move.

Her head swam and her vision began to blur as the purple dragon walked out of her room, looking back over his shoulder one last time before he shut the door slowly with a flick of his tail. It was the last thing she saw before darkness once again took over her vision.

Cynder woke from her slumber as the first rays of dawn broke through her window and splashed across her face. Shifting her body, Cynder shook herself to full awareness before rolling onto there stomach.

Cynder started as she remembered the dream, or perhaps nightmare, of the night before. It had seemed so real, but nothing about it seemed to make sense either. But it was only a dream and nothing more, it wasn't anything to be worried about. Shaking herself once more Cynder smiled as she stood to her feet, she had another appointment to spend the entire day with Spyro and nothing would keep her from keeping it. Her smile widened as another thought ran through her mind, perhaps she could finally tell him.

Cynder stepped off her bed only to freeze as she heard a crunch beneath her feet. Looking down, Cynder moved her foot to see a folded piece of white paper crushed against the ground. Her heart stopped and her mind kicked into overdrive as her dream from the previous night aced through her mind. It was only a dream and nothing more… Cynder tried to reassure herself as she reached down and picked up the piece of paper.

Hands shaking, Cynder slowly unfolded the paper, slowly reading the words hurriedly scrawled across its inside.

Cynder.

I'm sorry. There's so much I want to tell you, but so little time to do it.

I know you may never forgive me, but the guardians are sending me out again, and I couldn't bear the thought of putting you in harms way again.

But there's one thing I have to tell you before I go.

Cynder, I heard what you said to me at the center of the world. I heard and my heart cried out with joy. Oh Cynder... After we both came to in that field, I couldn't think of anything to say… I was too scared, perhaps what I had heard was only in my own mind.

And then when you didn't say anything after that, I was unsure if I had heard it at all.

But now, after tonight. Cynder I know what I heard was real, and I know how much you meant it when you said it.

Cynder… I love you too. And nothing will ever change that. I've never been more sure of anything in my life.

I could never live with myself if I left without telling you this. I just wanted you to know.

I don't know when I'll be back, or if I'll even be back at all. The guardians seem worried about this. But know that I will always love you. Always. You will forever be in my thoughts.

I only regret that I waited until now to tell you. But whatever happens, remember one thing for me.

You are what I am fighting for.

I'm sorry

Love, Spyro.

Tears fell from Cynder's eyes and splashed against the letter, mixing with stains that she could only assume were from Spyro's tears as well. She knew for sure. But her heart ached as well. Spyro had left without her to keep her safe. And now he was gone. She just found out that he only love loved her in return only to be separated from him buy his apparent duty.

Carefully tucking the letter against her chest, Cynder moved with a determined pace out of her room. She wanted more answers, and she knew where to find them.

"Where is he!" Cynder bust into the room, attracting the attention of the guardians.

They all looked at her with a combination of pity and concern. They knew what Spyro had done and had been expecting her. "Cynder..." Terrador started.

"I want to know where he went! Why did you send him! Why did he go alone…" Cynder broke down into sobs as she finished, clutching the letter tightly against her chest.

Terrador looked at her full of compassion. "Come Cynder, we have much to talk about. I know how much this must pain you, but Spyro did these things for a reason. Come here and it will all make sense in time."

Cynder slowly picked herself up off the ground and moved over to where Terrador was waiting with open wings. Throwing herself into him, Cynder sobbed into the elder guardian who wrapped his wing around her. "Come now Cynder… he will come back, just you wait."

A/N it has come to my attention that some people think that this is a one-shot story. This is not the case; I do plan to expand the story in further chapters so keep watch for new chapters if you liked it. Also please sign in for you reviews if you can, I like to be able to talk with people if there are concerns and I can't do that unless you sign in.