"If there's anywhere the high priest would be," Havîn explained as she took Spyro in paw, "it'd be in his gardens. He always loved the plants there."

Spyro nodded, but his gaze was still a bit leery as it traveled the worn paths alongside him and Havîn.

The thought of that incident with the Odivia still rang in his mind: the tension, the attacks, the sudden anger the crowds fell into… Yet, none of that bothered him nearly as much as those crowds who cheered on him and Chihiro like they watched a sports game. His stomach tied in knots as their shouts and chants pounded in his ears once more, drums that didn't stop beating; on instinct, he pressed a paw loaded with a healing spell towards his stomach before he could throw up.

Just what was it about romance that freaked him out so much? After all, it didn't freak him out when Gill Grunt talked about his girlfriend, or when the other Skylanders talked about their relationships. why was it that when he was at the center of the conversation, the topic of romance was even more daunting than his dangerous foes? He wasn't sure, but just thinking about it left his stomach churning, so he settled it with another healing spell and flew forward.

Sparkly, lavender petals fluttered past him, and danced on the chill underworld breezes while their bodies flashed in and out of visibility. They finally faded as they landed near where Spyro's tail dragged on the ground. He flicked them away with his tail, barely even noticed their presence as they brushed against him and disappeared, and lifted his head with a gasp.

Now, by all means, the Underworld was hardly habitable to anything that wasn't undead, yet, there before him stood a garden so breathtaking that it glowed in his presence!

Thick, blooming wisteria plants flanked the entrance with their shimmering petals and lush blooms, and occasionally blew in the soft, cold winds as they scattered petals along the cobblestone floors. In the distance, a collection of willow and cherry blossom trees filled with glowing blooms gathered against some kind of clear pond, and flowers of all kinds lined the pathways around, yet were careful not to choke out the teal grass. The faint sound of wind chimes carried on the breeze as it swirled through. It brought the scent of fresh flowers and spring days to Spyro's snout, but between the breezes and the chimes, he could vaguely make out the sound of someone humming a tune as well!

The pond stayed tranquil as ever, nor did the blossoms shudder or flee, and the wind remained soft as it blew through. If not for the trademark glows of a ghastly presence, Spyro would've almost thought he somehow made it back to the realm of the living!

"It's impressive, right?" Havîn asked as she floated up to Spyro and chuckled. "I never would've believed you if you said something like this could still bloom in the Underworld, but the head priest proved me wrong! He's tended to this garden for as long as anyone could remember. It's his pride and joy!"

The sound of humming picked up again, this time coming close enough that Spyro could make out the tune a bit better. It was soft and slow, and he couldn't quite put a name to the song, but something about it sounded just a bit melancholy, enough that his face fell from hearing it. Judging by the raised brows of Havîn behind him, it seemed like maybe that was a good thing?

"That humming, that's his voice!" Havîn cried as she gripped Spyro by the paw and floated off. "Come on! Follow that song!"

The two of them practically glided along the stone pathways as Havîn tailed that humming, for its sound grew louder and louder with every patch of flowers they passed. The sound melded with soft breezes, and the occasional chime of ghastly spell bells to give it an almost somber tone. As the humming grew its loudest, Spyro's eyes peeled away from a patch of paling yellow roses and towards the heart of the garden—and sure enough, there floated the source!

At the edge of a large pond lined with sober-looking flowers stood a humanoid ghost with pale chartreuse ectoplasmic skin. His long, deep green hair the color of forest leaves at night stretched well beyond his face, and down his back. His body was thin, but Spyro could barely tell thanks to the massive bulk of the pink, cherry blossom-print robes and cape he donned, and to his side sat a similarly-colored round hat.

Something shiny and kind of wet dripped down the bridge of the ghost’s long, aquiline nose, and onto the petals of the flowers he tended to. The sound rustled them a bit while he gasped and tended to them. As he did, it gave Spyro a better look at his minty green eyes, which had a tiny bit of a red tint to them. Was he crying?

Spyro wanted to muse on that, but before he could, Havîn let go of his paw and rushed right towards the ghost.

"Head priest Bihar!" she cried, her worry straining her voice. "There you are!"

The humming stop, replaced by a soft noise from Bihar as he turned from the plants he tended to. The soft smile he held immediately faded, replaced by a sour frown.

"I have a feeling I know why you're here," he said before Havîn could even explain, his voice gentle but icy-cold. "The ritual failed, didn't it?"

"Of course it did! Only you and the high priestess could ever pull it off!"

Havîn clasped her hands, and her eyes were wide with worry as she gazed into those of Bihar's.

"Now we've got a big problem on our hands! The Odivia's rampaging all across the streets, and it's spreading hate and anger throughout the lands! The main street's already filled with rioting and fighting, and if we don't put a stop to it soon, only the Ancients know what will happen!"

A petal dropped from one of the plants Bihar tended to, and he winced as he drew back. For a moment, it almost seemed like a pang of tension or fear crossed over him, but then he scowled and turned back to his plants.

"Well, Zivistan should've expected this!" Bihar spat, and raised his voice while his scowl grew tenser. "If she hadn't insisted on gallivanting off and doing as she pleased because she grew tired of her duties, we wouldn't be in this situation right now! To think, she'd act so selfish."

Bihar reached for his plants once more, but Havîn snatched up his hands before he could even brush his fingers against their leaves! The sudden movement brought his eyes to hers, which now welled with tiny tears as her mouth twisted into a pleading frown.

"Please, high priest! Please try to make up with her!" Havîn pleaded. She released his hands and fell to the ground as she lowered her head. "We won't be able to seal the Odivia away without you! We, we tried our best to find someone else who could help, but…"

A cold gaze fell on Spyro, and he shuddered a bit as he turned to find that Bihar's eyes now fixed on him. Bihar regarded him with a sort of curiosity—or maybe judgment? His face was so cold that it was hard for Spyro to really tell, but either way, Bihar scoffed and turned away from both him and Havîn. Instead, he regarded the plants he tended to prior with maybe a bit more force than necessary.

"It's no use and we both know this. She's too stubborn and selfish to listen, even in a situation like this! She made her choice when she decided she'd rather run off than attend to the temple!" Bihar gritted his teeth, and he gripped the flowers' leaves with such force that they crinkled a bit underneath his grip. He released them with a gasp, watched the plants with a bit of fear before he shook his head, and got up as he floated off. "You're a smart girl, Havîn, and I'm sure you'll be able to do something—"

"Don't just abandon your own duties because you're mad at her!"

"I swear, I'm not! There's no means by which the ritual can be completed without a partner, and she refuses to reconcile, so I don't believe I am of any use to you."

"But, high priest—"

The arguing faded into the background as Spyro glided over to one particular patch of flowers and glazed them down.

The renaissance vines were as healthy as an undead plant could be, their stems and branches curling around the posts in tandem with ghost grapes. At their base, death caps cropped up in circles around them, and created a surprisingly stunning sight with their rich, deep purples paired with gentle creams. To their side, rows of hydrosiums and lilies stretched around the rim of the pond, and even more wild flowers than Spyro could name bloomed in an entire rainbow of colors and species!

Though their colors were paler, and their bodies were transparent like all dead plants were, they were still incredibly bright, and full of… Well, as much life as ghost flowers could have. It was enough that they looked like projections of the actual thing with their ghastly glows. They brought with them a rich, floral scent that was fresh and crisp like the rest of the garden.

"I have to admit, this is a pretty nice garden," Spyro remarked as he flew up, "I didn't think something like this could even grow in the Underworld."

A soft chuckle came from behind, and Spyro turned around to find that Bihar pushed past Havîn and floated up to him. The scorning look of pain and anger on his face replaced with a happier one, but, it was a sad kind of happiness, an almost forlorn look that came with bittersweet melancholy.

It didn't exactly relent as he glanced over at the garden, and the garden in turned seemed to droop a bit. The flowers and trees' colors all faded; they grew paler and duller as if they reflected Bihar's own heart in the moment, proud yet so sad.

"It definitely took a lot of work. Cultivating plants is already an incredibly strenuous task back in the living realm, to say nothing of cultivating ghost ones!" Bihar explained, and clasped his hands together as he took a seat next to Spyro. "But, I tried my best, and being a Life Elemental in my living years probably helped as well."

A small sigh came from Bihar, and it paired with a small, sad smile as he held his head.

"If you think this is impressive, you should've seen the garden that rested at my old temple back when I was alive. It was so beautiful, so full of life and color, it was like I captured a tiny piece of the Great Forest within that one garden! The sights, the sounds of the birds and the crickets as they sang, the colors and the fresh smells… When the vernal season came, it was so full of life! The sprouts would peek their way from the ground, the flowers would awaken from the slumbers with even more vibrancy than the last time they bloomed, and the wild animals would all awaken from their slumbers and bring themselves back into the world with such bright eyes, such hope and youth!"

Bihar sighed again and his smile fell. "Even with all my hard work, I could never truly capture the beauty it held. Just describing it is beyond even my capabilities. Oh, I'd do anything to see such beautiful, lively blooms and sprouts like those again!"

"Then why not just go and see them?"

Bihar jerked his head up, and his smile turned to an enraged, shocked scowl, as if Spyro suggested he commit a murder or something! Spyro jumped back a bit on instant, and Bihar sighed and shook his head, his anger dispersing with the shake.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Bihar's tone was soft, and just a tiny bit bitter, too. His foggy tail brushed against a few of the flowers, but he sighed as their petals popped off and floated down to the ground. "My duties as high priest are far more important than my own personal desires and wants, and I understand that, unlike someone I know."

"Someone? You mean the high priestess?"

Bihar scoffed and craned his head aside.

"She'd been slacking on her duties much more often than usual. During cleaning hours I'd find her listlessly staring off, and she constantly fumbled over her own words and steps during the rituals. Even her magic seemed like it'd been disrupted, so I asked her if perhaps something bothered her…

"And audaciously enough, she said she was tired of being the high priestess! She keeps insisting that she doesn't want to spend the rest of her afterlife stuck in the temple, tending to the gods' spaces and performing the sacred rituals, that she wants to run around Skylands and see the sights! The audacity of it all!"

Bihar scoffed, and Spyro let off a soft, tiny wince.

"But, you've got Havîn and Payiz, right? Surely there's plenty of other priests who could help take care of duties."

"Havîn and Payiz are only apprentices, and not to mention the only ones we have. They're years away from being able to fully helm temple duties. Not to mention, according to tradition, only we, the high priest and priestess can—well, could—perform the sacred sealing ritual that would seal off the Odivia. Even if we—she—wished, she couldn't abandon her position, or our entire homeland would be thrown into anarchy!" Bihar added another scoff as he glanced aside. "But, she decided that her own selfish desires were more important than our town’s safety and her duties."

Spyro hummed, and placed a paw to his chin as he folded his wings. The icy look Bihar gave him showed he dealt with a bit of a time bomb here, but he did need to get them to reconcile. Just what should Spyro tell him, exactly? Just insisting that he was wrong would send him in a rage—and if what he said was right, he did have a point about all this. Bihar and Zivistan had responsibilities only they could uphold, and just running off would be irresponsible, yet it seemed as though there were a few pieces missing to this puzzle.

Spyro winced, and drew his wings over his back as he glanced back at Bihar. Bihar's eyes softened a little, and he had opted towards staring out at the pond, the smoke from his tail curling up and floating off in sad little wisps.

That icy look melted, and bloomed into something almost wistful as he gazed out at the pond. A cherry blossom from above floated in Bihar’s lap as he sat, and he lifted it into his palms as he brushed its petals with a soft, gentle touch like spring. That sort of sad fondness reminded Spyro of something Bihar said. What was it again?

Oh, I'd do anything to see such beautiful, lively blooms and sprouts like those again.

"That's it!" Spyro whispered. His eyes lit up as he turned to Bihar.

"What is it, now?"

"You know, even though you talk about all that and resent her for running off… Deep down, you understand how she feels, don't you?"

The cherry blossom slipped from Bihar's hands, and his eyes fluttered as he drew back from Spyro. "What exactly are you talking about? I—"

"You can deny it, but I know that look in your eyes, not to mention everything you said." Spyro stretched out a wing towards the gardens, and the colors brightened a bit, almost as if they took his cues.

"Just look at this garden! You said it yourself, you made this to replicate the gardens from your old home, right?"

A cautious nod came from Bihar, and Spyro gave him a small, knowing grin in turn.

"You wouldn't have put all this work into growing it if you didn't care about it, or want to see them again. Even you admitted that you missed it, too, so I bet she feels the same way."

"Are you comparing me to her? I can assure you, I'm not nearly as selfish—"

"Never said that. What I am saying is" — Spyro drew out a paw — "maybe you should try talking to her again, and this time, be a bit more honest with yourself, too."

Bihar winced, and his teeth gritted together as his eyes' glow faded and brightened. His hands twitched, unsure if they wanted to move or stay, but finally, they reached out and took Spyro's paw.

"Alright, I'll try again."

Spyro nodded. A small gasp came from behind, and he turned around to find Havîn with smile and eyes wide and hands clasped in glee.

"Thanks the Ancients, you finally got through to him!" she cried as she took Spyro's other paw. "Come on, let's get back to the temple! I'm sure the high priestess is on her way!"

Bihar winced a little at the words, but Spyro paid him no mind. He stretched his wings a little, flicked them twice, and the faint tingling sensation of magic raced through his veins with a kind of comforting, familiar embrace. Spyro closed his eyes, and let the magic do the work.

A whooshing noise came next, paired with the faint numb feeling that came from after a teleportation spell. When Spyro opened his eyes, he arrived back at the temple's front! Thankfully, it still stood strong with the shield sparkling as it wrapped the temple in its barrier, though, it seemed oddly empty. Chihiro hasn’t arrived yet?

Spyro left the group first, flew up to the temple door, and pushed it open to find that Nemir was the only one inside. Nemir’s eyes were a bit glassy as he fiddled with some small, shiny orbs that rolled around in his hand.

"Nemir!" Spyro called. When Nemir poked his head up and glanced at him, Spyro waved back. "Did Chi and the others come back yet?"

A couple of footsteps gently padded up from behind Spyro, and Nemir grinned.

"It seems as though they have."

Spyro raised a brow, turned around—and sure enough, Chihiro stood with that trademark grin of hers, a wave, and Payiz by her side. Spyro beamed and a waved back, but a soft cough brought his attention to their group's side.

He glanced over, and a second, older ghost stood beside them, undoubtedly the high priestess Zivistan that Bihar mentioned. She was taller, and with her risen cheekbones and long jawline, she looked a good bit older compared to Payiz. Her long, wavy black hair wavered and fluttered the same way the whitish-blue cloud of mist that made up her feet did. Her cherry red eyes dimmed as she glanced from side to side. She dressed in long, flowing robes like Bihar's, but hers were colored in deep grays and blacks, and printed with white snowflakes rather than the springlike pink cherry blossoms of Bihar's. A kind of cold, sad aura rang around her—or was it a sort of awkwardness that stemmed from coming back here after what was undoubtedly a failed ritual?

A soft gasp came from behind Spyro. Before he could even turn around, Bihar pushed past him with an alertness he hadn't displayed before!

Bihar's own eyes brightened with shock as he laid eyes on the high priestess. She, in turn, awkwardly looked away—but, Bihar quickly floated up to her. His own light dimmed as he sputtered a little, and she stumbled over her own mumbled, soft words in turn.

Spyro backed away, and Payiz and Chihiro quickly followed him as he made his way further into the temple. It was probably best that he didn't eavesdrop on their conversation, after all. It seemed like things were awkward enough as it was. At the same time, nagging, worrisome curiosity egged at Spyro, so he pushed the temple door until it opened to just a tiny sliver of a crack, just barely enough that he could make some sense of what Bihar and Zivistan said to each other.

"Bihar, I…" whispered a ghostly, soft voice probably belonging to the high priestess.

"Zivistan!" Bihar gasped before he drew back a bit. "You, you really came."

Zivistan nodded and clasped her hands. He gaze backed away from Bihar's, but quickly drew back to him.

"That child and Payiz, they convinced me—or rather, gave me the courage to explain." Zivistan said at last. Her voice was so soft and whisper-like that Spyro almost couldn't hear it.

"I know it's selfish of me to do this, but, but ever since I was a girl in the land of the living, all I've ever done is tend to the temples and work for other's sake! I was never able to decide anything for myself. I was set to train as a priestess the moment I could speak, I've spent my whole life caring for the temples, and in death I was sent to tend to them here as well, but never once have I gotten to choose!"
"Neither did I. We were both chosen to tend to the temples the moment we arrived in the Underworld," Bihar scoffed—and though his tone tried to stay neutral, a hint of scorn found its way into his voice.

Zivistan sighed, and ran a hand through her hair as she lifted her head. "Now, it never bothered me because I genuinely love the temples and caring for the community, but, well…"

Zivistan's voice started to waver also, as if she was going to cry, but she collected herself with a gasp of air.

"… A few years ago, word reached the temple that the village where I grew up was completely destroyed in a terrible storm. I, I wanted so badly to at least visit it one last time, and pay homage to the place where I lived and grew, but, my duties at the temple kept me so busy that even now I don't have the time. The trip there is so long, and we have so much to do as the head priests, and you surely would've been upset with me if I left all the work to you."
Bihar's spirit trembled, and the light in his body faded just a bit. "I, I didn't know," he whispered, his volume just barely loud enough that Spyro could hear.

"After all that, I started thinking: just how much of my life have a lost to my duties? I couldn't even visit my own childhood home's ruins because of it, and surely there's so much else I missed on because I was so focused on the temple."

Zivistan shook her head, and even though she was so far away, it seemed like the air around had grown colder.

"I thought you wouldn't understand, not at all! You're practically married to the temple. Just the suggestion that maybe it's time we left and named successors had you fuming! After all, you insisted that I was being too selfish for wanting to leave, that I was a fool for not devoting myself wholeheartedly to it!"

This time, Bihar didn't even have any words to defend himself with. He just turned his head, not able to even look at her anymore. Surely, that argument they had played back in his head, and stabbed at him with every single word he had said in his rage.

"As the head priests, we can't abandon the temple," Bihar whimpered. "It's our responsibility to helm most of the temple's rites, from offerings to ceremonies" —Bihar winced and clasped his hands as he turned his view from Zivistan almost in shame — "And of course, the Odivia's sealing ritual, even though that's been getting weaker lately."

Zivistan glanced over at Bihar. Bihar shied away from his view, but, Zivistan just sighed.

"It's alright, Bihar, you don't need to hide it from me. I'm aware the sealing spells have been getting weaker over the years. Only a strong, unwavering love can produce a truly powerful spell, and it's no exaggeration to say things have been tense between us these past few years. Surely, that must be why the Odivia was able to get as powerful as it is. Those weakened sealing spells must have allowed it to feed off of stray hate, and grow even stronger than before."

Hearing this, Bihar's body trembled. Its light flickered even further as he clutched his robes in hard realization.

"Zivistan, I'm sorry for acting the way I did earlier!" Bihar spat out.

Spyro raised a brow, and creaked open the door just a teensy bit more, enough that he caught a glimpse of Bihar knelt down before Zivistan! Bihar's own glow dimmed in shame, but Zivistan's brightened in shock, and brought out her icy blue complexion as she took him in.

"I, I was so caught up in my own worries, I didn't stop to listen to you or understand how you felt, and I said all those awful things, too. I, I'm not fit to call myself your partner when I ignored your feelings the way I did, and somehow, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Zivistan blinked for just a moment, and a small, sad smile crossed her felt as she knelt down and cupped her hands around Bihar's face.

"Oh, Bihar," she whispered back as she lifted him back to full height. "The truth is, I haven't exactly been honest with my feelings either. I, should've confined in you more instead of making assumptions like I did."

"And I'll be happy to listen."

The conversation devolved into whispers and soft, understanding nods and glances. It was all so quiet and bare that Spyro couldn't really make much out of the conversation. He leaned in to get a better volume, and a soft weight pressed itself against his back just enough that it brought his attention around the temple.

There, Chihiro leaned against him while Havîn and Payiz peered over her shoulders. They were all with wide-eyed, anticipating glances as they tried to sneak their own glimpses out the cracks. Guess they hadn't heard things like Spyro did, so he just smiled and gave them a toes-up…

"And that's why I think we should step down and travel Skylands together before we fade!" Zivistan proclaimed.

… And just hearing that sent Spyro's scales on edge! A gasp came from the open gaps, and Spyro peered outside to see that Bihar broke from his and Zivistan's embrace. His glow quivered as he floated away from her, and Zivistan floated back. Her eyes grew wide, and both their glows grew brighter, as if she hadn't anticipated his reaction.

"Zivistan, I, I understand where you're coming from, and I understand how you feel," Bihar said, and his voice quivered with quelled anger and hesitance, "but, you know I can't do that—WE can't do that! Reprieves are one thing, but to completely abandon the temple just isn't realistic!"

"I know you're concerned, but Havîn and Payiz are already coming so far in their training. It won't be long before they can take over the position themselves!" Zivistan brushed forward, and her own smile turned a little bit weary as she reached out her hands. "Besides, you said it yourself. There's so many things in the living realms that you miss! Don't you want to see them one more time, before we pass onto the afterlife, before they themselves are no more?"

Zivistan reached out to grab Bihar's hands, and he immediately drew them bac. Ooh, not a good sign.

"It's not just them I'm worried about, Zivistan!" Bihar's voice raised a little, but he cleared his throat and quickly hung his head. "What about the Odivia's sealing ritual? Only a high priest and a high priestess with a strong love for each other can perform it! Without us, nobody will be able to stop it from turning the town into a battleground! That's why we need to repair our relationship and properly perform the sealing ritual!"

Hearing this, Zivistan floated back, her eyes narrowing. "So that's why you wanted to make amends? Just to perform that ritual?"

"Zivistan, that's not true, I—"

"I gave you a chance because I thought you'd be willing to understand my side of things, but it seems that all you care about is the temple! Are you unable to look after yourself or anything else?"

Bihar's light flared with rage, and burned like the sun as he pushed forward. "Of course I do! Our duties as high priest and priestess protect everyone in this village! Have you gotten so caught up in feeling sorry for yourself that you've forgotten about that?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Just look at your shameless display! Abandoning all our duties and dumping them on someone else—"

The arguing only grew louder, and Spyro winced as he drew back from the door. He really thought for a moment that things worked out, but the sight Bihar and Zivistan before him, but flaring with light as they argued… Oh, dragon gods. He glanced behind to see Havîn and Payiz crestfallen, and Chihiro who awkwardly shuffled herself away from the sights.

Spyro frowned back as he went to close the door. His paws gripped the side of the door, but something like a low growl rumbled, shaking the area and loosening his grip! Spyro released the door on instinct, and the surprise loss of balance tossed him on his back, right onto the cold floors of the temple!

The door flung wide open before him, giving him a full view to Bihar and Zivistan's argument. Now, the rumbles drowned their words out. The ground below them shuddered as something like a monster's roar rang out and pounded against the barrier! The barrier's glow shone above them, yet they still argued without a care.

Payiz winced and floated out a little. She turned her glance outside as the rumbles grew louder, stronger, more like a monster's sounds than quaking earth. She lifted her head, and a sharp, shrill scream left her as she rushed inside; she clung to Havîn while her ghastly form flickered in fear.

"THE ODIVIA!" Havîn cried as she herself backed away. "It's huge!"

Just that one cry was enough to break Bihar and Zivistan from their fight. Their ghostly forms' light faded as they turned away and glanced up above to the barrier, as did everyone else…

And what greeted them all but the sight of the Odivia? It was now as tall as a building as it roared and rampaged about, and its twisted cries rang in the air as it slashed at buildings and downed them! It cackled with a red shine as its glow grew brighter.

Bihar and Zivistan only watched in terror, but a pair of soft gasps brought their attention back to the temple door. Their eyes locked on Havîn and Payiz in that instant, and they glanced back at each other with a sigh. Zivistan held her head in shame as she clutched her robes, but Bihar only let off a soft, disappointed sigh.

"I, I'm sorry," Bihar whispered. His voice was weak, hesitant, as if he didn't want to admit the words he was just about to say.

"But I don't believe we'll be able to reconcile."

Bihar's words hung in the air, and left it as cold as the broken, hesitant voice he said them with. Their best shot at stopping that thing was him and Zivistan, but after that argument, it was clear things between the two of them were tense enough that they wouldn't be able to resolve it in time to stop that thing—if they'd even reconcile at all.

Payiz trembled, and collapsed to her ectoplasmic knees as she scratched at her head.

"Now what are we going to do?" Payiz cried. "If the high priest and priestess can't perform the ritual, that thing'll tear the whole place to pieces, but nobody else here could possibly ever perform it! Oh, what are we gonna do, what are we gonna do? We'll meet our second deaths before we know it, and, and—"

Bihar and Zivistan both turned away from each other, and shared equally-pained glances as they grappled at the fabric of their clothes.

Spyro couldn't help but wince as he watched them. He turned his gaze to Chihiro next, who glanced at him with a tiny bit of worry as she squeezed her hands the way she always did when she was nervous.

She was probably beating herself up for not being able to finish that ritual, and he knew it—but, he didn't exactly blame her. Truth is, the thought of them doing this ritual left him sick to his stomach, and being put under all that pressure snapped something in him. If anything, he was the one who should be taking responsibility for that, but he figured that wasn't what she needed to hear, so he flew over and placed a paw on Chihiro's hands.

The two glanced at each other with a kind of understanding at first, but a soft hum from behind brought their attention to Havîn. She continued to hum as she examined a scroll she seemingly pulled out of nowhere; her eyes narrowed as she skimmed the text written on its aged parchment.

"Actually, I think we're not entirely out of hope just yet!" Havîn cried.

Payiz blinked, and turned her head around to face Havîn while tears of mist streamed down her face.

"Havîn, I, I know you're trying to lift our spirits right now," Payiz said as she floated over to Havîn, "but, I think you might be underestimating the severity of the situation at hand right now." Payiz gestured back outside. "That thing's as tall as a building, and the only beings who can perform the ritual to seal it are having relationship problems!"

"But do we need them, specifically?"

"Don't you remember what happened earlier? Not any couple can just do it!"

Spyro and Chihiro both winced and glanced away, but a light chuckle from Havîn eased the tension.

"That's not quite what I meant, Payiz," Havîn said as she pushed the scroll towards Payiz. "Take a look at this."

Payiz tilted her head as she glanced over the scroll. "The first account of the very first sealing ritual?"

"Well, I was reading it over and I noticed something. It says that the Odivia is repelled and sealed away by a ritual performed with strong love, but, it never specified what kind of love."

Havîn drew a hand over the text and narrowed her eyes.

"Now, I imagine the reason the first high priest and priestess used their own romantic love as fuel was because the village was so small at time that they were feasibly the only ones who could combat it, but lots of beings live here now. Not to mention, there's lots of forms love can come in: romantic, quasiplatonic, platonic… There's beings who've never felt an ounce of romantic love in their lives, but their love for their friends, their family, and the things they do is the strongest there is!"

"So?"

"So what I'm getting at is, why do we need to use that specific version of the ritual to seal it away? Why does it need to be romantic love between a man and a woman that seals it away?"

Huh, somehow, Spyro hadn't really thought of that before, even though it seemed like a kind of obvious conclusion to draw now that Havîn brought it up. He glanced around the room, where Payiz hung her head in contemplation while Nemir himself bent down and glanced over the paper.

"It does only say that this beast is weak to love," Nemir remarked, and rubbed his chin as he glanced over the paper. "It never specified it has to be romantic love."

"Exactly!" Havîn cried as she rolled the scroll back up and stashed it away.

Havîn beckoned to the others to come, so Spyro and Chihiro drew over and huddled in. A warm and cold presence came as Bihar and Zivistan floated in next, and with them all gathered, Havîn cleared her throat.

"So, here's what I'm proposing."

Havîn’s light faded for a moment, but when she drew her breath, her voice turned clear and serious.

"I believe that if we modify the ritual to harness the power of love in all its forms, we'll be able to put the Odivia to rest! First, we'll lead the Odivia back here and have a couple perform the ritual, and make sure it's weak. It'll likely flee back to town to try and feast on the townsfolks' hatred, but, we've got instructions on how to make purification talismans in the scripts. With a little extra juice, we'll be able to break the townsfolk out of the Odivia's spell, and get their help to break the spell!"

Havîn took a breath and floated.

"I know this sounds very risky, but we don't have many options. It's either this, or let the Odivia rampage."

The cold, piercing winds of silence rang through the air, but finally it was Bihar who took a breath and floated forward.

"This all sounds nice in theory, but you're missing one key element here, Havîn," Bihar said as he crossed his arms. "We'll need to find a new couple to perform the ritual, and with its size, surely the Odivia has most of this town underneath its grip. Where will we find one on such short notice?"

Havîn frowned, her head lowering as she mumbled in contemplation. "I, well—"

"Actually, I have an idea," Payiz proclaimed as she floated forward.

She swept up to Havîn's side and took Havîn's hand in hers, and raised them both high. The sudden grip brought a pink flush to Havîn's face, yet Payiz remained serious as ever.

"I nominate myself and Havîn to lead the ritual's dance!"

Payiz's proclamation rang loud and clear through the temple grounds, but as she turned to Havîn, her head lowered and she flushed.

"Havîn, I, I, ever since we started training together, I, I've always admired you more than anything! How diligent you are, how you're always so quick thinking, and how you've always been there for me no matter what… I love everything about you! I want to stay by your side for the rest of my time on Skylands, and not just as a fellow priestess! I, I wish to be your…"

Payiz's words turned to mumbles as her face flushed pink, but Havîn chuckled and lifted her head.

"You don't need to say any more," Havîn whispered. "The truth is, I've felt the same way. I'd be more than happy to be your partner” — Havîn raised her voice with pride — “and your lover, if you'll take me!"

Payiz gasped, but only hastily nodded. Both she and Havîn drew closer, yet another roar from the Odivia above drew them apart. Their eyes trained on the skies with worry before they shook their heads.

"Actually, we'll finish this later! For now, we need to stop the Odivia!"

Payiz and Havîn floated back to the temple as everyone else trailed behind them, but as they floated up to the doors, the two of them squeezed their hands tight.