Hey guys, wassup! Viperwatcher here! If you guys don't know what day it is today, then shame on you. It's Valentine's Day! And as my...activity, today, I decided to do a little oneshot, on the relationship between Malefor and Nomex, from my story The Blue Dragon. This oneshot will shine light on the backstory between the two of them. I decided to do this in 1st POV because it was easier to portray Teen Malefor that way. He used to think differently when he was a teen.

So enough about that, time to get down to the story. Now before you do read this, for people who haven't read my series fic, The Blue Dragon, you will get confused since this oneshot happens at the canonical timeline of the story itself. I'm sorry in advance.

And for once, this fic is rated T. First ever T rated story of mine. What a milestone.

So with all that said and done, I present to you my oneshot,

Recalling the Past

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.

Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.

EXTRA: References to real life people and events are purely coincidental...or not.

Recalling the Past

Time Frame: Chapter 23, The Blue Dragon Book II, The Sendoff

"May the ancestors watch over you, may they watch over us all." I said ominously.

That was hours ago, and now, as I sat contemplating on the pace of things at the Temple Grounds, I was surprised when someone came up to me. It was my granddaughter. Demila. She seemed a bit nervous, so I decided to ask her what was wrong.

"What's wrong Demila?" I asked her.

"It's just that…I'm worried about Felix, that's all…" she replied to me.

"Don't be; grandpa doesn't like seeing you look worried," I replied to her, doing my best to cheer her up.

And it actually worked. She smiled at me; a kind of smile that melts your heart. She then approached and lay down beside me, underneath the cool shade brought to us by the tree that was beside us.

"Why are you here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be playing with Serenity? Or even Damien?" I asked her curiously.

"They're both taking a nap," she replied. I nodded.

"I see."

"I'm bored. Grandpa, can you tell me a story?" she asked.

"What kind of story?" I asked her.

She had to be specific. I knew a lot of stories.

Demila thought hard and long and then finally gasped when she managed to come up with something.

"Why don't you tell me something about Grandma?" she asked.

"What about Nomex? What do you want to know about her?" I counter asked.

"Hmm…you've been telling me a lot of stories when I was a kid grandpa, but not this one. How did you meet her?" she asked.

"How I met her?" I asked, a bit taken off guard by the question.

"Yeah, like…how did you two become, you know, a couple!" she chirped.

How we became a couple…?

Memories of my past flashed before my eyes. The town we met at; my friends back then; my training of my element; my master; the party…everything that revolved around that time. And memories of Nomex back when we were younger made me blush sheepishly. Those were the good days.

And I forgot I was in front of Demila when I blushed.

"You're blushing!" she accused me. "Please grandpa! Tell me! Was it romantic?" she asked all of a sudden with a grin on her face, completely taking me by surprise.

"I-it was…why are you asking me this?" I asked, trying to turn things around. For goodness sake, I was an elder and I was turning red as a lobster because of questions asked by my granddaughter!

"…no reason…" she replied, looking down at the ground, as if pondering on something. Then she perked up and kept on pressuring me. "Please! Pretty please! I want to know,"

In the end, I just sighed. How can an old dragon get some peace?

"Okay…I'll tell you…" I said, giving up and ravaging my memory, trying to remember it all.

"YEY!" she exclaimed, sitting closer to me and listening intently.

"Hmm…let me see…we met when I was…" I said pondering on the memory.

0 0 0 FLASHBACK 0 0 0

Time Frame: A few years before the events of ANB. Malefor is about Spyro's age which is fifteen (15).

There was a deep cold wind that blew over the snow covered mountains. White blankets of snow laid everywhere, covering trees and the fauna surrounding it. Fish swam in subzero temperatures of water in a frozen lake. It was the basic definition of a winter wonderland. There was almost no sign of life….

Except for me; I was out and about training.

Malefor: …training at Dante's Freezer. I was like your Uncle Spyro. I had to go there, along with my Master, for training purposes. At the time, I wasn't exactly a master of all my elements unlike now.

I had to sigh at the thought it all. It was freezing cold and I had to be unlucky enough to be training at this kind of temperature. Imagine! Subzero temperatures! No wonder other dragons don't come here! They won't survive!

"Good day for training, right Malefor?" asked a voice behind me. I just let out a silent sigh.

That was the Ice Guardian, Siquil; AKA, my Master. He was the one teaching me, as if it weren't obvious enough, on my elemental power Ice.

"Well, what do you say about this fine morning training session?" he asked me, always bright and cheerful as usual.

"Cold," I replied to him. "It's freezing cold. Do you hear that? That's my teeth chattering!" I said, emphasizing the fact that it was really cold. I was lucky enough to have a high resistance to getting a runny nose.

"You'll get used to it. By now, your body should be adapting. Even more so, your elemental power, ice, should hasten the process," he explained to me.

"Hopefully so," I replied.

The two of us walked down the frozen landscape, cold winds brushing past us, making shiver periodically. It was that cold.

"So what's our agenda?" I asked, trying my best to mind where I was walking. There some parts of the forest floor that used to have puddles. Now they were frozen puddles. And one can easily slip on them if not careful.

"Today will be your final training on working with your element; then tomorrow, will be your Elemental Proficiency Test," answered Siquil.

"Finally…I can get out of this place…" I said, finding some relief.

"What are you talking about?" asked Siquil all of a sudden. "I thought you liked it here."

Now was my turn to be confused.

"I never liked it here!" I retorted.

"Oh really?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me. "Then what was that thing that involved you and a certain someone?" he accused, a smirk firming on my face.

I was caught of guard by his deduction. He could only be talking about one thing and one thing only. Mixed emotions welled up inside me; fear, embarrassment and rage to name a few. I gritted my teeth at the realization of who could have ratted out my secret.

"He told you, didn't he…?" I asked, knowing full well that he must have done it. No one else knew aside from him.

"Voyse? He technically didn't; slip of the tongue," he answered.

I just sighed. My secret was out.

"Ah…young love," he continued. "When will you make your move? You know that she needs to know that you're her secret admirer." I shook my head.

"She can't…or should I say, I shouldn't. Her heart…is already with someone else…I don't want to be the cause of an already perfect relationship."

I had a point. A strong point at that; Nomex was already in a relationship. She had a mate, saying it bluntly. She was already mated, and I was unlucky enough to fall for her. Why did it have to be me…?

Demila: Was it like, 'love at first sight'?

Malefor: Yes, it was. Throughout the time I lived in the village where she lived, she never knew I was her secret admirer."

"At least let her know," said Siquil, trying to get his point across. "That way, she'll know you're there. You never know what might happen. And this mate of hers, Reks, no offense to him, but he doesn't look like mate material."

"I have to agree with you there," I replied, smiling.

Master Siquil did have a point. Reks wasn't exactly mate material. Reks was the type of ice dragon you'd normally see hanging out with his peers, at some pub. I always wondered what made Nomex fall for him. Must have been his charm; Reks, even though how reckless and irresponsible he is, always had that certain charm in him. One might say he was a lady killer. That was unlucky enough to be mated; a lady killer's worst nightmare.

"Well enough chit-chat; I think it's time we accomplished something. Time to perfect your Ice Fury," said Siquil.

"Yes Master." I replied.

0 0 0 0 0

Malefor: After our long training at the Frotemp Mountains, me and my Master went back to town for some lunch and basically recreational activities. Frotemp was just a small village, located at the base of the Frotemp Mountains at Dante's Freezer. Inhabited by Ice Dragons, this was the town where I met your grandmother. We were eating at the usual place, when my Master broke the news…

"So Malefor, would you tell her? If given the chance?" asked Siquil as we ate our lunch. I shook my head.

"Would you give up asking me if I said yes?" I counter-asked.

I was getting annoyed by his constant questions regarding my crush on Nomex. Elder dragons…I never understood them and their curiosity on private matters.

"…Maybe," he replied, as he took a sip of some hot tea. I sighed, trying to contemplate whether to do it and just get it over with. I was going to leave anyway. After my Proficiency Test tomorrow, I'm going back to the Temple…so what do I have to lose?

"Well…okay, I would tell her, if given the chance." A smile crept on his face. It was as if…I was…drawn…to a trap. My surrounding, which was the usual noisiness of the pub we were eating in, seem to drown out as I focused my concentration on him. Realization of being thrown into a trap slowly crept in.

"Well good then," he said, nonchalantly.

"Why is that?" I asked warily.

"You can tell her when we go to the party tonight."

A party; it shattered my reality.

"A party? You're making me go to a party!" I asked, trying to modulate my voice well enough to not stick out at the pub.

"Don't worry. I'll be going as well. And Malefor, I want you to keep your word," he requested.

It was a trap.

"Why do you torture me?" I asked, looking at him menacingly.

"I'm not. Maybe one day you'll thank me." I just sighed.

"So what is this party about anyway?" I asked.

"It's just a party; you know, a simple get together," said Siquil. "I'm a good friend of one of the parents of the dragons who were going there, so I was invited. In turn, I invite you to come too."

"Which…I have to go…" I said shaking my head.

"Yes, you do. Now that you've kept your word, I hope you intend to keep it. I've always been wondering how to test you in terms of keeping promises. I guess the situation just presented itself."

I just sighed again. I cannot believe this is happening to me.

0 0 0 0 0

Malefor: So in turn, I had to go. I had to keep my word.

Demila: Oh…so how was the party?

Malefor: Well…I was standing at the corner, sticking out like a sore thumb. I was a wallflower back then. Shy and don't like attention.

Demila: So did you tell her then…?

Malefor: Well…

"Oh man…" I said, frustrated. I stood outside, away from it all. I was at the patio.I never liked parties, so this wasn't really my thing. But how was I supposed to tell her? I can't tell her inside. It has to be private. And it's not like I can cut in there. She was currently dancing with Reks, having the time of her life. A confession coming from me wouldn't really be the best thing right now. But if I don't tell her…I'd fail the test Master Siquil has given me.

"What am I going to do…?" I asked myself, trying to think of a way to swallow up my feelings.

Trying to think, I decided to pace around. Pacing always helped my mind numerous times before. Why would it fail now?

And that was when I heard it. I heard the sound of crying.

That was when I also realized, that apparently, my pacing has brought me to the garden nearby. Well…it wasn't much of a garden, since most of the things there were frozen. There wasn't exactly fauna; just a few frozen trees.

0 0 0 0 0

Author's Notes:

For easier typing on my side, I decide to stick to the original on this part.

0 0 0 0 0

"Huh?" he asked as he peered through the corner. There, sitting at the bench, was Nomex, her faded-azure scales shimmering in the moonlight. He noticed that her body was trembling; wondering about her well being, he approached her.

"…Nomex, is everything alright?" asked Malefor. Nomex turned her head and quickly wiped away the tears on her face as Malefor approached and sat next to her.

"I'm okay…" she said, snuffling a bit as she bowed her head to look on the ground.

"…Are you sure?" asked Malefor, gazing at her.

He couldn't take his eyes of her. He always dreamed of being this close to her, and now that dream has come true. He scrutinized every aspect of her. To summarize it all: she was damn beautiful; everything about her was perfect for him. When Nomex looked up, Malefor realized what he was doing and quickly averted his gaze.

"…I don't know what to do any more, Mal." she said to him. Nomex was the only person to ever call Malefor, Mal. It made Malefor's insides melt, to hear her say his name. "It was totally unlike him. But that must've been the real him."

"'Real' him?" asked Malefor curiosly.

"Yes, the 'Real' him; do you know that when you get someone drunk, you bring out their true colors?" asked Nomex.

"No…what did he do?" asked Malefor.

"He stared harassing me, calling I was his…his…" Nomex hesitated a little but then whispered the next word into Malefor's ear.

0 0 0 0 0

Author's Notes:

Since I don't want to put curses on my fan fics, (except for a selected few curses like 'damn') I'll censor this one out. I think you can guess what this is anyway, its start with a B and ends with an H. Five letter word that rhymes with 'beach'. Guessed? Good. On with the story…

0 0 0 0 0

"…Oh… how vulgar." replied Malefor. Nomex nodded.

"Yeah…that's what he said to me; to everyone. He even said that they could 'borrow' me after he's 'done' with Me." said Nomex, distaste on her tone.

"…That's horrible." Malefor sympathized.

"I know…what should I do with him, Mal?" Nomex asked, looking for advice.

"Well…if you don't like him…you should break up with him." answered Malefor.

"You know...you're right. He doesn't deserve me. I deserve to be with someone who would take care of me, and in return I'll take care of him." said Nomex. Malefor was then taken by surprise when she pulled him into a hug.

"Thanks Mal, you're the best. I can always count on you to pull me through; with problems you shouldn't be even worrying about." said Nomex. The action made Malefor blush. His purple scales flushing pink immediately. Nomex let go of him and looked at his face.

"Are you feeling well? You look…red?" asked Nomex.

"It-It's nothing. I-I am…fine." replied Malefor, trying his best not to stutter but failing.

Dang it! Why I am stuttering! Get a grip Malefor! She just hugged you. Get over it! I started screaming at myself. I couldn't believe how a simple hug drove me into overdrive.

"It's a good thing too…I haven't given myself to him yet," said Nomex, making me stop my thinking.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"I mean…and can you keep this a secret?" she asked sincerely. I nodded understandingly.

"Well…even though we say we're mates, we're not exactly mates," said Nomex.

"You mean…you're…" I asked, slowly realizing something.

"Yes, we're still consorts. And I remain still untouched," she said, looking at me with those eyes of hers. I just seem to drown in them.

"I see…when will you tell him then?" I asked, trying to carefully walk the line of being nosy.

"Tomorrow morning," she said dead seriously.

"Oh…" was the only reply I could say.

"…and you're leaving tomorrow, aren't you?" she asked, looking at me again.

"Yeah…my training's over; tomorrow will be my Elemental Proficiency Test. Once that's done, whether pass or fail, I'll be heading back home." I said a slight reluctant tone.

"That's…too bad," she said.

"I know…"

Come on, SAY IT! SAY IT ALREADY!

"…I'll miss your company." I said.

Well…close enough…

"…me too Mal," she said, before doing the unthinkable. She shocked me when she did it. She actually rested her head on my shoulder. The action made my heart beat frantically.

0 0 0 0 0

Demila: So you told her then!

Malefor: No Demila. I didn't. I couldn't do it. I got scared.

Demila: WHAT!

Malefor: Yeah…I did.

Demila: So when did you tell her then?

Malefor: Well it was years later. After that night, I was saddened that I wouldn't see her again. The next day, my Proficiency test began and finished, with me passing with flying colors. Master Siquil already knew of what had happened, saving me the time to tell it to him. So we left. Left the Frotemp Village at Dante's Freezer and headed back to the Temple.

Demila: So how did you tell her then if you and she were far apart?

Malefor: I was getting to that.

Demila: Sorry.

Malefor: I was at the Temple Grounds…

I looked around. Warm. It was warm. Just the way I liked it. And as I lay on the grassy floor, underneath a shade of a tree, I couldn't help but ponder on the things that had now happen. It was on this day that that party happened. I wondered how she was doing now. I missed her badly. My heart ached to at least see her again.

And that was when I heard someone coming up to me.

I looked up and was surprised at the sight. I thought I was dreaming. But I wasn't. It really was, in the living flesh…Nomex. How was this even possible? I had to even pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

"Hello Malefor," she greeted, as she sat beside me on the grass.

"N-N-Nomex?" I asked, surprised at her appearance.

"Surprised?"

"Yes! I am! What are you doing here?" She smiled at me.

"I missed you. So I decided to visit," she answered.

"Y-You missed me?" I asked, a blush slowly forming on my face again.

"Yes…I did, and that's not the only reason," she said, lying down the grass.

"What is it?" I asked, lying down beside her.

"I've decided to…confess to you," she said.

"Confess to me what?" I asked.

Then, she spilled the beans on me.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who had a secret. It would seem that, as I was admiring her, she was admiring me as well. Just not able to really delve into it, since she was a committing dragon, and at the time, she was still 'mated' to Reks.

0 0 0 END OF FLASHBACK 0 0 0

"So she was the one that first confessed?" said Demila.

"Yes; she was the one," I replied to my granddaughter.

"Wow…" said Demila.

"Yeah, and after that, our relationship developed. She stayed at the Temple and worked there as one of the Healers," I concluded, finishing up my story.

"Wow, so that's how you met?" asked Demila. I nodded.

"Thanks for the story grandpa," said Demila, hugging him. I chuckled, she giggling as she felt my chest rumble.

"No problem. Now run along now, grandpa needs to rest for a while," I said to her. She smiled at me, before running of.

I just smiled inwardly at myself. Telling the story made me remember my past and wonder about the future. I wonder how Reks was doing now. Was he still even alive? I honestly don't know, nor should I care. Past is past. It's been long gone, and doesn't matter anymore.

"I wonder where Nomex is…" I asked myself, standing up. Thinking about her and our past made me think of memories we spent with each other.

In turn, it reminded me…of some things.

We still had some…unfinished business.

Nightime Action anyone?

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