THE LEGEND OF SPYRO – THE FINAL RESISTANCE
Disclaimer: I do not own Spyro. By using that famous search engine known as Google, I've found out that Spyro is owned by Sierra, apparently. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong :)
This story assumes you are aware of the plots of the games in the 'The Legend of Spyro' series.
The beginning of chapter one takes place a couple of days after their release from the magical crystal in Malefor Mountain, and is sort of like my own version of 'Dawn of the Dragon'. They had been stuck in the crystal for 3 years since the end of 'The Legend of Spyro - The Eternal Night', prior to their release by a cheetah revealing himself to be the 'ally' who had written them the letter on Scabb's ship, Hunter. I will be writing up new chapters and posting them when I get free time.
Also, as I am writing this before 'Dawn of the Dragon' is released, the story will probably have little in common with the dominant themes of 'Dawn of the Dragon' when it is released. I wish I could have thought up a better title for this fanfic, but I'm feeling too inventive right now.
If you get that indescribable urge to comment/critique the story, then you may do so, I would be grateful for that. Thank you!
Chapter 1 – The wandering apes.
"It's getting light, Sparx. We'd better move on."
Spyro spoke this as he sat in the grass, gazing towards the horizon in the distance, which was becoming brighter and brighter with almost each second. The last of the golden hue that had adorned the Cirrus clouds had left them now, leaving them a pearly white as the dawn sky grew brighter and brighter. The Dark Master may have seized control of the land, thought Spyro, but that didn't make it any the less breath-taking.
Presently, Sparx was sleeping on a large mushroom, which protected him from the cold, dewy grass. They had all slept amongst a small group of isolated trees surrounding a natural spring, in an otherwise desolate red plain. Cynder had gone to get a drink nearby, and Spyro had woken Sparx up just moments ago, but Sparx, unused to these early starts, had drifted off again. Spyro shuffled over to him and nuzzled the dragonfly gently to rouse him, which drew a negative remark from him.
"UGH! Your nose is SO cold and wet! You just couldn't help yourself, you great pudgy thing, could you?"
Spyro suppressed a smirk. "Pudgy, huh? Well I'd prefer that to looking like a big ball glued to the top of a pogo stick. C'mon, at the rate you're going, half the day will have passed. We need to meet Hunter at the hill to the north, when the sun is overhead."
"That's a type of sarcastic thing that I would normally say, not you! You don't make it sound right. And how do you expect me to be awake and working on an empty stomach? We didn't get anything to eat yesterday, fleeing for our lives from those Scorpion things, and I'm hungry!" Sparx retorted.
"You don't see us whinging, Sparx." said a cool female voice behind him.
Sparx jumped off his spotted toadstool (or flew, rather) so fast that Spyro didn't even see where he had gone to for a few seconds. He turned his attention to a black shape walking through the dewy grass towards them.
"Oh, hey Cynder. Did you see any of the Dark Master's apes nearby?" Spyro said.
"No." She shook her head. "I didn't smell them either. All seems clear. Trust me, you get to know that smell after being with them a while…"
Sparx wasn't interested in Cynder or what she had to say. He never was. Presently, he interrupted them: "Geez, I feel as though I could just eat a whole rabble of butterflies."
"And I feel as though I could eat a juicy golden dragonfly." Cynder said.
Spyro laughed, but stopped when Sparx gave him a warning look. Before Sparx could retort something along the lines of "meant to be on my side", Spyro said quickly "Haha. The butterflies will be out later, when day has warmed up more, Sparx. Now come on! You slept enough in the crystal as it is." And then, turning to Cynder, Spyro said in a softer voice: "Have you finished your patrol, Cynder?"
"Yes, there's nothing nearby to see us as we take off, Spyro."
And with these words, Spyro turned to face the sun, and his wings shot out, extending fully. The golden sun was now creeping over the horizon, and, from Cynder's point of view, the sun was shining through the thin membrane that made up Spyro's wings. Cynder thought for a minute that he looked majestically beautiful, with his wings lit up brightly like red luminescent sails. But then Cynder came back to her senses, and prepared herself to take off as well.
The wind was calm, but the air was cool as Cynder, Sparx and Spyro rose as a trio out of the Oasis into the radiant morning sky. Soon, they were high enough so that any ground spies working for the Dark Master could easily be mistaken into thinking they were large birds, or Dreadwings. Thinking of Dreadwings, thought Spyro, they had to be careful of them – just because they were high above the ground didn't make them invulnerable to detection. Spyro still hadn't regained his powers since the crystal, and he was worried. It was just like after he had defeated Cynder at the Convexity. But he had nothing to worry about, the plains stretched out in all directions, and there was nothing in them, other than the odd tree, and the small area of lush greenery they had just departed from.
They had to see Hunter for a report on the progress of the Dark Master's forces. Hunter, who had freed them from Spyro's time crystal days earlier, introduced himself, and revealed that he had infiltrated the Dark Master's ranks, and was seen by the apes as one of them, and as a skillful fighter (due to his archery skills) in their war they were waging on behalf of the Dark Master. However, Hunter was not one of them. He was a double agent, and had previously lurked quietly on the fringe of meetings as Gaul went through one of those impressive, rousing speeches of his, listening as Gaul chronicled their plans for victory. Then he would use what he had learned to secretly undermine their plans in any way he could. Before leaving Spyro, Cynder and Sparx outside Malefor Mountain, Hunter said he could meet them at midday when the sun was overhead in 5 days time, immediately after the night of the full moon, where he could give the first of hopefully many reports of the latest inside information on the Dark Master. This much Spyro had learned in the revealing conversation at Malefor Mountain, and therefore he gave Hunter his tentative trust. But it was difficult for him and the others to tell truth from lies, nevertheless.
Spyro, presently, was thinking of seeing the Chronicler about his powers, but then his thoughts of the Chronicler stoked thoughts of the other dragons, the elders… Cyril, Volteer, Terrador, and, of course, Ignitus. Ignitus, the first ally they had met, when he and Sparx set out on what was initially a quest to find where Spyro came from… and which morphed into one to save his fellow dragons from the Dark Master's brutal greed for power. A whole host of thoughts made their way into Spyro's mind at this point, but then he was forced to bring his attention onto Cynder, who had indicated something of interest below.
At first, Spyro had mistaken them for Wildebeests (making his mouth water – he was just as hungry as Sparx, and gems alone weren't enough to sustain him). But then he made out the shapes of a small group of ragged-looking apes walking west through the auburn plains.
Spyro gazed at them as they flew over the apes. The apes didn't even bother yelling or jumping or throwing dynamite as they walked past. In fact, they didn't even appear to be armed. They looked despondent and pitiful, and on closer inspection, it looked as though there was congealed blood in their matted fur. It was also highly unusual for them to be seen this far away from their territory without appearing to have any organization or a particular purpose. Spyro looked over at Cynder, intending to ask her about her thoughts on what was going on, but was surprised to see her eyes bulging, her mouth partially open, and her face arranged into a look of absolute shock on her face. Spyro was confused, and made a note to himself to find out more from her, shortly.
"Well, that's a first. For once I can look at them without having to show them who's boss." Sparx said, flying up next to Spyro's face.
"You never did fight them yourself, Sparx." Spyro said vaguely. His thoughts were still on the apes.
"Who, the Dark Master's guys? Hey, what about Sniff? What did I do to him, Spyro?"
"Well, that was one, and you did a really good job there, Sparx… but that was just one enemy. What about the other two hundred and fifty thousand?"
"Huh! I can take them any – "
Sparx was then buffeted by a sudden gust of wind, blowing him considerably behind Spyro and Cynder. Spyro smiled to himself, welcoming the peace from Sparx's incessant bragging. While Spyro loved Sparx as his foster brother, it didn't mean he always enjoyed listening to his inflated ego.
While Sparx was flying furiously, trying to catch up again, Spyro glanced over at Cynder, to his right. Cynder didn't really talk much when Sparx was around, and she wasn't talking now. Perhaps a result of Sparx's continuous comments about her being an 'evil she-dragon'. Her remarks to Sparx earlier on were one of a few exceptions. She had changed so much, and yet she had changed not at all, in the time that had passed by since the fight against Gaul. Her horns were sharp and long, as opposed to the short stubs she had previously, and her body had lengthened out. She had become more confident, and appeared to be beginning to get over her period of corruption under the Dark Master's regime, but Spyro suspected it still affected her in subtle ways. He glanced up at the sun. It wasn't far off from being overhead, indicating that midday was near.
"Cynder, what do you think about the apes back there?"
Cynder just shook her head and flew slightly ahead of Spyro, so it wasn't possible for him to see her face again, to discern what she might be thinking.
"As I was saying, I can take them on anyday. But you like to hog them for yourself, so I never get a chance." Sparx said, having caught up to Spyro's face again.
Spyro shook his head. "Anyway Sparx, what do you think of those apes?"
"They're always doing stuff we're unsure about. It gives me the creeps, dude."
"Well, even the Dark Master himself is so mysterious. We don't know what he looks like, what his abilities are… we don't even know his name. I think this mysteriousness and uncertainty is what makes us afraid… our fear is of the unknown." Spyro said in a thoughtful tone.
"So you're spouting wisdom yet again, huh? Hey, look!"
Spyro glanced at Sparx, and he said "No, not at me, look down below! Ahoy there! Geez, I'm glad we didn't have to fly a full day today. My wings still hurt from being frozen for so long."
Spyro and Cynder looked towards the top of a rocky hill in an otherwise featureless landscape. Appearing as a bright spot contrasting against the rippling grass, was Hunter.