"Let me get this straight-" The young woman pinched the bridge of her nose, her face scrunched in disbelief. "You're throwing a party? Now, of all times?"

Sharp, golden eyes streaked across the computer screen as a zealous purple dragon zipped about his room on the other end, presumably getting ready for the aforementioned party.

"You mean my graduation party?" Spyro paused mid-flight, shooting her one of his signature overconfident smirks. "Come on, Alex, don't tell me you forgot."

"You haven't graduated yet, genius," Alex replied flatly. "You still have the Skylander Games to get through, ergo, your final exam. Which, in case you've forgotten, is tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, yeah I've got that in the bag," Spyro finally settled infront of his phone which sat propped up against a stack of dusty textbooks. "By the way, do you have a fog machine I can borrow?"

"I'm serious, Spyro," Alex shot him a stern look. "This is a big deal! If you don't pass, Master Eon isn't going to let you join the Skylanders and you'll have to wait a full year before you can try again! And I know you didn't go through 4 years of rigorous training just to get held back."

"Relax, Alex," Spyro scoffed. "I'm the guy that has the highest entrance exam score ever, remember? I can handle whatever hologram Master Eon throws at me."

"Being a Skylander isn't all skill, you know," Alex sighed, leaning back into her burgundy leather office chair. "Even I had to take some extra time to prepare for the Games when I was still a cadet. You have to earn your place in the Book of Skylanders through -"

"Through hard work and dedication and blah blah blah," The purple dragon rolled his eyes. "Yeesh, since when did you start sounding like Eon?"

"He's right, you know," The young portal master cocked an eyebrow. "It might do you some good to listen to him every once in awhile."

"And you did?"

"Believe it or not, I actually did listen to his advice sometimes."

"Sure," He chuckled. "Now, are you coming tonight or what?"

Alex shook her head. "I can't, sorry. I'm meeting with the Mystic Seekers this evening to get permission for an excavation. Cali will kill me if I don't go.

"Lame," Spyro stuck out his tongue. "Bet you miss kicking butt as a Skylander, huh?"

"Ugh, don't tempt me," Alex rolled her eyes. "As much as I love sitting through endless business meetings, I'd really rather be punching a chompy or two."

"But don't worry," She waved dismissively. "I'll throw you an even bigger graduation party after the Games."

Just then, the tune of a doorbell chimed from the front of the team house. Spyro picked up his phone and began to make his way down, only half-listening now to the portal master's worried lecture.

"Just promise me that you'll take this seriously?" She was pleading with him. "Please? For once? Get some last minute training done and a full night of rest, you hear?"

"Loud and clear, captain," Spyro smiled as he gave her a mock salute. "Gotta go, that's probably the DJ!"

"DJ - ?!" Before Alex could say more, the screen went black and the words 'call ended' stared back at her in white font. Exasperated, she sighed and tapped a button on her keyboard to close the window.

"Have a nice chat with Spyro?" A lean mabu with a tray of tea approached her, raising an eyebrow as he placed a porcelain tea cup infront of her.

"Always a pleasure," She replied with a tinge of sarcasm. "Can you believe him, Albert? Throwing a party the night before he's supposed to prove himself a worthy member of the Skylanders?! He's been like this ever since we were kids! Always living in the moment, never stopping to think about the consequences of any of his actions."

She waved a hand in exasperation, swiveling her chair to face the towering windows of her office. She watched as Mabu and Sky Barons alike scurried on the cobblestone streets below. A light flurry of snow began to descend, no doubt a message from the looming gray clouds overhead that the long anticipated snow storm of the season was fast approaching. They were common in Windham at this time of year, though this one was predicted to be particularly strong. No ships would be pulling in or out of the harbor for the next couple of days, which means any travel outside of the region would have to be done by portal. Not a problem for a literal master of portals, but still a hassle, especially considering the number of places she'll have to visit during the coming week that aren't accessible by those means. Yet another headache to worry about.

Albert listened silently as he gently tipped the nose of the teapot over her cup. He was used to this now, her unabated rants on the young dragon and his continued recklessness. Despite her abrasive tone, they always came from a place of concern rather than annoyance - a testament to their long standing relationship.

His gray eyes scanned over the mess of books and papers that sat atop her wooden desk, finally landing on a vertical picture frame. A ray of sunlight shone over the photograph, illuminating the cheerful smiles of three individuals. One was the lady herself, but much younger, her raven hair pulled up into twin buns atop her head rather than her usual ponytail. Cradled in her arms was a baby purple dragon, his tiny claws gripping the cloth of her dress and his wide, ruby eyes joyfully facing the camera. Behind them was a much taller man clad in blue robes, both hands resting on the shoulders of the teenaged Alex. His expression was soft, inviting. Albert had never met the man but he could see himself having a drink or two with him.

Alex shook her head, another sigh escaping her lips as she thought about the young Spyro. "One day, that sort of behavior is going to land him in some serious trouble."

"Speaking from experience, perhaps?" Albert smirked, moving to pour himself a cup. He hadn't known her during her training days at the Skylander Academy, but has seen enough to gather that she wasn't always the careful, calculated sorceress she is today.

"Unfortunately," Alex chuckled, wrapping her hands around the welcoming warmth of the tea cup. "I'm just worried about him, that's all."

"He'll be alright, I'm sure," The mabu assured, passing a hand over the chocolate brown fur atop his head. "He may be reckless, but he's got your father and the Skylanders watching over him."

"I suppose," She felt her shoulders relax, the calming effects of the chamomile settling into her tense muscles. "He's lucky that he's even made it this far."

"Well, let's hope that luck doesn't run out anytime soon."

"Indeed."


Author's Note

Hey! Thanks for reading! This story is a prelude to larger story I'm working on. It was originally intended to be a one-shot meant to develop my OC a bit, but I think it'll actually end up being a two-parter. Stay tuned for chapter 2!