The Legend of Spyro: Rebirth by Shadow


Plot: Ten long years have passed since Cynder's death and Spyro's exile from reality. In the year 0010 Frost Fire, Spyro was called to attend a meeting in the mountain city of Mon Tiara. There, Spyro will embark on a journey of defeating his inner shadow as well as an invasion from an overlapping realm between the real world and Convexity called the Immaterial. Succeed, Spyro will save himself and the world. Fail, and the whole world is doomed and Spyro will be the next Dark Master.


Chapter 1

Spyro followed two dragon guards up a mountain of mist. The base of the mountain was visible but the top of the mountain was covered by thick clouds. About few hundred meters above at the side of a mountain, there was a cave which was well-hidden from plain sight.

"You should be honored, Spyro. You are the first outsider in centuries to step into a secluded world not many know about," a blue-colored dragon guard said while looking at Spyro.

"Does it really matter? It's not like I'm getting a prize or anything," Spyro said.

The guards led him into what seemed like an abandon diamond mine shaft. Everywhere Spyro went, he saw abandoned mining tools, mining carts as well as some boxes containing red sticks with strings attached to them. Rusty pick axes were found littered on the ground and shovels lay forgotten in dark corners.

"This was once known as the Mines of Luzon. An expedition led by a human a miner named Luzon, hence the name of the mine, were looking for gold and he and his men became rich after they found precious stones and diamonds in this cave. It wasn't what they were looking for but anything precious will do. His descendents mined and mined the cave until the diamonds were depleted and they had to move on. If we're lucky, we can sometimes find lost diamonds," the other guard, a green dragon, said.

"That explains the mining equipment. Just a quick question though. What happened to the humans? I've heard no mention about them before," Spyro said.

"The humans died out one thousand years ago before the rise of Malefor. Splintered by constant warfare and strife, the fought each other to the death until the last one succumbed to his wounds in this very mine, hiding from the horrors of war. I think his bones are still around here…assuming that the mould and dampness of the mines do not rot the bones," the blue dragon said.

They reached a huge elevator shaft that was able to fit all of them though it was a tight squeeze. The green dragon pulled a lever and the elevator shook a bit before rising upwards.

"Spyro, whenever you feel the need to hide, you're always welcome to Mon Tiara. The mist and occasional heavy fog covers the top of the mountain all the time and we sit in a crater of the mountain so even when someone tries to peer through the clouds, they can never see the city. It's a safe haven," the green dragon said.

"But remember one thing: never ever reveal the location of Mon Tiara to anyone. The Dragon Council and the Temple of Ancestors are located there along with many artifacts and holy items. It would be wise to keep all of them safe," the blue one added.

"But Malefor is dead, isn't he? There shouldn't be any evil left in the world," Spyro remarked.

"Do not be naïve, Spyro. You can never eradicate evil and conflicting ideas as long as there is more than one person inhabiting in a single world. The aspect of eternal peace can never be achieved in the mortal world and its wishful thinking if you think Malefor is dead," the green dragon said.

"This is why you were summoned by the Council. They have something important to discuss with you and it's regarding Malefor," the blue dragon said darkly.

"Don't tell me he has returned," Spyro said with a worried tone.

"No, he's sealed up but his will lingers and even in his sealed state, Malefor can still manipulate the minds of mortals and immortals alike," the green dragon replied.

The elevator stopped with a loud creak and the dragons walked out of the elevator. Walking down another mine shaft, they came upon a wall section with a door outline. The blue dragon touched the door and muttered a few words. Moments later, Spyro heard distinct clicks coming from the seemingly immovable wall and light glowed from the outline. The stone wall, or more accurately a door, opened and a blast of cold air greeted Spyro.

"You'll love it here," the blue dragon said with a small smile.

Spyro followed the two guards. It was hard to see through the fog but when they came upon a clearing, Spyro saw a nice small town located in a crater nearby. A decorated temple stood in the middle of the town with a large structure located behind it.

"Welcome to Mon Tiara, Spyro. It's not as big or flashy as Warfang but may it serve you as your sanctuary and new home," the green dragon said.

The three flew down to the town and were greeted by several dragons. They were all smiling and many of them were well-mannered and composed dragons, even the teenage ones. Small crop fields were found throughout the town and the dragonesses tended to the young growing shoots of flowers and vegetables. The dragons were busy helping in the farms and gathered wood growing at the side of the crater. When Spyro was in front of the temple, he saw a grand statue of a well-built dragon wearing a suit of armor.

"This is Captain Revan Stormfang, a brave leader who opposed the tyranny of Malefor during the old ages. He's regarded as the Temple Keeper of our temple because he built this temple and defended it from Malefor's forces," the blue dragon guard said as they passed the statue.

"Malefor knows of Mon Tiara's existence?" Spyro asked.

"He knows but it surprised us all that he chose to invade Warfang when we used to be his highly prized target in the days of old. I think it was because of your presence in Warfang," the green dragon answered.

They entered the temple from the front and came out from the back and walked across a bridge spanning across a small lake that was so clear that Spyro could see the bottom and fishes that swam about. Lilypads dotted the lake and rows of bougainvilleas and roses grew near the edge of the lake. In the middle of the lake was a large white Sacred Lotus flower and that was a flower that Spyro has never seen before. At the end of the bridge was a Chinese-looking structure with another statue of Revan Stormfang guarding the entrance.

"The council chamber is just up ahead. Make haste, the Dragon Councilors have been waiting for three hours," the green dragon said.

Spyro was hesitant and he slowly entered the temple. He looked around and saw a semicircle table at the end of the hall with seven dragons of different colors seated at the table. The middle dragon, a light blue dragon with air powers, smiled warmly as Spyro approached them.

"My guards tell me that you're not an easy dragon to find, Spyro. How are you?" he asked kindly.

"I'm doing quite well until you guys found me. I heard that you have something important to discuss with me," Spyro said.

"Yes and I'm sure Tassaris and Logan have mentioned about the topic of our discussion. We cannot fully eradicate Malefor's evil influence unless you are around to help us so that is why we called for you," the light blue dragon said.

Spyro nodded his head. "I haven't got your name though."

"Ah, yes, how rude of me not to introduce ourselves to you. My name is Aeron, Dragon of Air. Starting from my left, we have Blitz, Dragon of Lightning. Then we have Aqua, Dragoness of Water; Ferrus, Dragon of Metal; Inferno, Dragon of Fire; Frost, Dragon of Ice and Melkor, Dragon of Earth. We are the representatives of the respective elements of this world and we regulate the rules of conduct of those who learn our elements. We are also in charge of maintaining law and order of this world," Aeron said to Spyro.

"If you guys are in charge of maintaining law and order, why did you not stop Malefor from destroying the world many years ago?" Spyro asked suspiciously.

"Spyro, you must understand that while it is our job, we do not actively interfere with people's daily lives unless we really need to, like now for example. You may not like being the savior and all but it is your task for the prophecies have predicted that you are the source of peace and justice. However, there is where the prophecy ends. It never determined your future or the path you will take in the future. We are here to guide you and lead you through the right tracks," Aqua said.

"And what does that have to do with my current state and Malefor?"

"You will be surprised, Spyro, but all we can tell you now is that Malefor is working behind the scenes and he's eyeing for revenge. He already had his revenge on Cynder and now, I'm afraid he's coming after you," Aqua explained patiently.

"Cynder…" Spyro muttered.

"I'm sure you do realize the situation, Spyro. You should have realized by now that the one who killed Cynder wasn't an assassin working for someone. It was you all along with your dark side controlling you," Blitz remarked.

"Yes, I'm pretty aware of that but don't remind me of Cynder anymore. It took me seven years to forget about her and move on with my life so please…do not mention her name again. I'm ashamed of what I did that night," Spyro said bitterly.

Blitz looked at Spyro sympathetically and sighed sadly. "I know and I did not intend to but it has to be mentioned. Tell me, Spyro, have you ever conversed or interacted with you dark side?" Blitz asked softly.

"I don't know…many times actually and each passing year marks the increase of hostility. I find myself facing my own in my dreams and he has no problem pouncing on me and defeating me in battle. I feel like I'm losing grip of myself. He says that my time is almost up and there is nothing I can do about it. It happened so many times before. I can walk through a forest full of life, black out and find myself surrounded by dead animals and scorching trees. My dark side has a mind of his own," Spyro said in a fearful whisper.

"We understand your plight, Spyro, and that is why we are here to help you. We not only need your help in defeating an old enemy, we are also here to help vanquish your dark side forever. You can never do it alone and neither can we help you without you cooperating with us," Inferno said.

"I…I dunno…I feel quite doubtful right now. My dark side may just take over and make me kill everyone. I may end up murdering people again," Spyro said sadly.

Aeron stood up from his seat and walked towards Spyro. The purple dragon felt a cool breeze when he was close to Aeron.

"They don't call Mon Tiara the City of Tranquility for nothing. Your dark side will not easily influence you while you're here and even if he does, we can handle him. Don't you worry," said Aeron.

"Well…I still don't know…"

"I understand. You're still full of doubt. It's perfectly normal after what you've been through. We'll let you think things through but remember this: the world is at stake now that Malefor has raised an army from the depths of the Underworld and is poised to strike at any given time. Peace may not last long and I fear that we do not have enough time to muster a force strong enough to oppose Malefor. The world got lucky last time but somehow, I have a bad feeling about this one."

"I need some time…I'm really not thinking clearly right now…"

"Of course. Tassaris, Logan, show Spyro his room in the temple. Let him do anything he likes," Aeron called out to the temple guards.

The two dragons came into the hall and led Spyro out. When they were gone, Aeron shook his head and sighed sadly.

"It's harder than I expected. My foresight did show that Spyro was still in conflict with his thoughts and emotions but I never expected it to be that bad," Aeron said.

"He needs some time. I'm sure that if we give him enough time to think and rest, he'll help us," Ferrus said huskily.

"That is one thing we're lacking, Ferrus," Frost said. "The longer we linger here and wait for Spyro to snap out of it, the more Malefor has a chance to bolster his army with mortals who prefer to join his cause. The ancient spirits tell me that it is happening. Even as we speak, the timber wolves have joined Malefor's army along with an entire population of ogres and Jabberwockies."

"So it is true that the Jabberwockies are siding with Malefor," Aqua muttered.

"Well of course they are. Those excuses for a dragon are born naturally aligned to chaotic evil. I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to join Malefor," Frost said.

"Then this will actually bring harm to the balance of this world. That cannot be allowed to happen," Ferrus replied.

"Which is why Spyro is here. He will be our instrument for balancing the world but he must first learn how to balance his dark side and his own self," Aeron said while returning to his seat.

"Like I said, we're wasting time here. We don't know when Malefor will give the order to attack and we have two options that bring us disadvantages. If we were to strike first, we do not know where to strike and if Spyro wanders too close to Malefor's area of influence, his dark side may overpower him and take control of him forever. If we wait, Malefor's forces will strike first and he will strike hard. Sooner or later, he'll have his take over everything on this planet including Mon Tiara. Listen, Aeron, we're at wit's end and unless someone has a better idea, we're doomed," Frost said loudly.

Aeron sighed. Frost was right and while they have the power of foresight, prophecy and wisdom, it did not mean that they were omnipotent. They have little information about Malefor's moves and plans because Malefor has been hiding his will quite well from their spies. Without proper intelligence, their preemptive attacks will only prove futile.

"We have no choice, Frost. I have to pick the lesser of two disadvantageous choices and I choose to wait for Spyro to regain his conscience and grip on reality. It's a risk I'm willing to take," Aeron said.

"Then so be it. We will wait," Frost said.


Spyro slept on a soft mattress and stared at a rat hole in the wall. Once in a while, a rat would come out to look for something before scampering into the hole again. Spyro sighed and got up from his mattress.

"That voice and presence in my head hasn't been bothering me for a while. At least that'll give me time to think," Spyro said to himself.

He looked out the window of the temple and stared at the crystal clear lake. Some frogs were seen resting on the lilypads while carps and young tortoises swam about in the lake. Just then, Spyro noticed an attractive young dragoness sitting by the lakeside, feeding the fishes with bread crumbs. She looked almost like Cynder but this dragoness was aqua-colored. Her tail had a knife-like blade and spikes grew from her back where the spine ridge was supposed to be. She had a gold bracelet on her left paw.

"Who is she?" Spyro wondered out loud.

"That, my chap, is Marina, temple priestess in-training. She's a fine young lass," someone said in a very learned accent.

Spyro looked around and noticed a mouse seated at the window sill next to Spyro. He had tiny glasses on and held a small book in his tiny paws.

"You talk?" Spyro asked disbelievingly.

"Well of course I talk. Why, I'm one of the few rodents in this world that can talk. Not only that, I'm an arcane scholar, expert in cults and an ardent traveler…well, used to anyway," the mouse said with a smile. "The name's Ivan P. Rodent at your service."

"Well…nice to meet you…my name's Spyro," Spyro said.

"Ah, the purple dragon that helped pull the world back together. You're a brave young lad, Spyro, but I'm afraid that it isn't enough. The Dark Master may be sealed but his will lingers on. Even as we speak, he's gathering an army of immortals and mortals alike and something tells me he will strike fast and hard. In human terms, such a tactic in war is called a blitzkrieg. Blitz did not like the name but hey, it sounded cool," Ivan remarked with a small chuckle.

"I'm still wondering about how this is connected to vanquishing my dark side. They are two different matters," Spyro said while watching Marina feed the fishes.

"They are indeed two different matters but are interrelated. Malefor's will is controlling your dark side and as his influence grows, so will your dark side. To destroy Malefor's source of his will is to not only destroy the enemy but your dark side as well. As of now, we still do not know what the source is and where it is. Such a vacuum of intelligence is dangerous if we are to commence a preemptive attack on the enemy and will put you at risk. You are truly our only hope, Spyro. You are the only one that can stop Malefor and that is why we want you here in Mon Tiara where you can be safe from Malefor's influence," Ivan replied.

Spyro looked at the mouse. "You're with the Dragon Council as well?"

"But of course. I'm their advisor and chief strategist. Oh yes, I have a very important role in this. Do not let size and race fool you, Spyro, even the smallest and most insignificant of all creatures can be a big help. It not only applies to me, it can also be applied to you. We are but like tiny grains of sand in an infinite universe but our deeds will not go unnoticed. We can always make a difference as long as you have the willpower," Ivan said while smacking his fist into his open palm.

Spyro was silent for five whole seconds and Ivan's ears drooped.

"I understand you're having doubts in your heart after what happened that fateful night, Spyro, but like what the councilors have said, you cannot evade reality forever. It will continue to exist whether you like it or not. You have to return to reality and face it. Also, please do understand that prophecies are only guides through our lives. You are the prophesized savior that will defeat Malefor. Everything seems to go according to prophecy because people chose to follow it and some tried so hard to prevent certain prophecies that they died in the process and fulfilled the prophecy they wished to prevent from happening. It's an ironic thing," Ivan said while scampering up Spyro's shoulder and up to his head.

"So what are you trying to say?"

"What I'm trying to say, Spyro, is that you need not heed the prophecies. You do what you do best and things will eventually come to you. Do not burden yourself with the expectations of others just because they say the prophecy says so. You can always be the savior as long as you follow your heart or you can always choose a path you desire. Remember, it is your life and you are the decision maker; not others. Prophecies are merely guidelines."

"Seems complicated but…you have a point, Ivan. For years I've tried so hard to maintain the image that everyone expects me to be just because of the prophecy. It's driving me nuts and I'm tired with all the fame and glory. I just want to be me and I want to be the dragon that used to think I'm a dragonfly," Spyro said with some determination in his voice.

"And I think that is one of the problems that fuel your dark side, Spyro. It feeds on your frustration and you gave it power by trying so hard to be what people expect you to be and getting frustrated," Ivan said with a smile and slid down Spyro's back.

"You mean this was a test all along?"

"Something like that but I was also trying to get you to open up and be free of all your anger and frustration. It's one way of defeating your dark side," Ivan explained.

Spyro sighed and smiled at Ivan. "Thanks, Ivan, I actually feel much better," Spyro said.

"That's what I was hoping for, Spyro. I have a meeting with the councilors later so feel free to reflect on your troubles and perhaps make a decision. The world cannot be saved without your help and you cannot save yourself without the world's help. You are never alone, Spyro, and we'll always be there for you. You'll always have allies," Ivan said.

The last sentence reminded Spyro of what Ignitus used to say. A tear drop fell from his eye and he wiped it away. Ivan pretended not to see it as he did not want to embarrass Spyro.

"Soul search yourself and if you have any troubles, come find me. I'll do everything in my power to help you," Ivan said and exited the room.

Spyro nodded and looked for Marina again. She was gone but a blue handkerchief was found near the edge of the lake. Spyro flew down and took it.

"It smells like lavender," Spyro muttered when he caught the sweet scent from the handkerchief.

He walked around a pavilion and got startled as he saw Marina before him. She seemed to be searching for something.

"Um…you're Marina, right?" Spyro said while trying hard not to blush.

"Um…yeah…I am. Listen, have you seen my handkerchief? I seem to have misplaced it," Marina said shyly.

Spyro handed her the handkerchief and she smiled shyly as she received it from Spyro. "Thank you. Mind I know your name?"

"I'm…Pyro, no, Syro…damn it. I'm Spyro," Spyro said in a fluster.

"Spyro…you're that dragon who defeated Malefor, right? I thought you looked familiar," Marina said.

"Yeah…familiar…um…I just don't like the fame," Spyro muttered.

"You deserved to be known for your heroic deeds. By defeating Malefor, you have avenged our unborn brothers and sisters who did not have a chance to live during the night of the raid by Gaul's army on the temple," Marina remarked.

Spyro's eyes widened and he looked at Marina.

"Wait, you were with the same batch of eggs as me?"

"If we are of the same age, then it is no mistake. I'm twenty this year and you look around that age as well."

"I am twenty…but this doesn't make sense. I was told that only Cynder's egg…" Spyro stopped at the mention of Cynder's name.

Marina looked at Spyro sympathetically and placed a paw on his cheek, causing Spyro to blush.

"I understand what you were told. While most of the eggs were destroyed, a handful survived the raid and I'm fortunate that my egg was spared. I was taken up for adoption and I have been living in Mon Tiara ever since. I don't really know you until now but somehow, I feel like as if I have a connection with you," Marina said.

She realized what she just said and quickly turned away due to embarrassment. Spyro also looked away but secretly feeling happy that someone touched his face. He missed the feeling that Cynder usually gave him when she was alive.

"Um…look, I gotta go. My training session starts now," Marina said hastily and ran away.

Spyro look stoned and he just stood there, replaying the conversation in his mind. "Wait…this can't be…" he said when he snapped out of it. "I promised not to fall in love again. This is…just not right!"

He dunked his head into the lake and held it there for five seconds before raising it up and gasped for air. Spyro then took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"No, I refuse to fall in love or be mesmerized by other dragonesses. I'm not worthy," Spyro muttered.

He looked at the sky and sighed.

"Wherever you are, Cynder, I hope you'll continue to be by my side."

-To be continued-

A/N: Well, I'm on a break for one month so I thought I'd write a story since I'm feeling bored. Feel free to review it and I'll make this story worth your time as I do not intend it to be a cliched plot.