My first ever published story...if you could call it that. This is the first of three separate stories that takes place between scenes in Dawn of the Dragon, expanding on the game's story and focusing around Spyro and Cynder's developing friendship. Enjoy!
Dawn of the Dragon Stories: Part 1 – An Unholy Reminder
"Come closer, so I can see you in the light. Tell me. Why have you returned here?"
"What do you mean? I've never been here before."
"Not you. The female."
"You must be mistaken."
"Indeed. Your appearance has changed, but not your eyes. Your eyes give everything away. You are the black dragon, Cynder, the terror of the skies, the dark master's puppet."
"I was, but I'm not anymore. I…I'm not proud of the things I've done."
"Oh is it that simple, to turn your back on Malefor?"
"You don't have to listen to him Cynder."
"Did you not recognise the creatures that moved in the shadows? The apes too had served the dark master, but more for their own greed and thirst for power than any true loyalty to him. This is how Malefor repaid them, doomed to remain in the dark, feeding off the power of others never being fulfilled. You can run, but you cannot hide Cynder."
"Cynder, let's go."
"The dark master will find you."
"Cynder, are you okay?"
"I'm fine…I'll be fine."
Unholy
Cynder didn't say another word as she, Spyro and Sparx made their way back into the valley. Spyro also remained silent and could tell the dragoness was upset, though Sparx continued to carry on about the hermit which the two dragons ignored, lost in their own confused thoughts. The purple dragon felt uneasy and wanted to reassure Cynder but didn't know what to say. The horrors of Cynder's past still haunted her ever since Spyro freed her from the dark master. She admired him for doing so but felt truly responsible for the devastation she caused to many, and being reminded of it from a complete stranger hurt her more than anything. Despite Spyro being by her side, she had never felt more isolated, an outsider to everyone. "The terror of the skies" is what Cynder knew she would always be remembered as.
A few minutes later the awkward silence was broken by the sound of the waterfall at the end of the cave. The sun began to shine down upon them as they passed the waterfall. Spyro looked up at the cloudless sky and felt a sudden resistance around his neck as the magical chain stopped him in his tracks. He turned to see Cynder standing not too far behind him with her head hung down. Her legs wobbled and tears began to stream from her eyes, down the side of her face and onto the grass below.
"Cynder, what's wrong?" Spyro asked.
"N-Nothing…" the black dragoness sobbed quietly barely audible to Spyro as she tried to hold back the tears. But at last Cynder couldn't contain her composure any longer and broke down in tears in front of the purple dragon, collapsing to the ground with her head buried in her arms as she cried hysterically.
"Jeez, what's with her?" Sparx asked barely giving the dragoness a stare.
"Sparx, take the key and go unlock the supply cave. We'll meet you over there soon" Spyro said sensing the dragonfly's lack of sympathy, unimpressed by his remark.
"What! You want me to leave you alone with her? Uh-uh, I don't think so."
"Sparx, please."
"Alright, fine. But be careful. You heard what that psychotic hermit said."
Spyro rolled his eyes as the dragonfly buzzed off out of sight carrying the key. Beside him, Cynder continued to weep uncontrollably. This was the first time he'd ever seen the dragoness cry and in such a dire state. The sight of it tore at him.
"Cynder…" was all he could let out, unsure how to approach the situation.
"Leave me alone Spyro."
"I can't exactly do that Cynder" Spyro said pointing to the chain around his neck. "Listen to me. I don't believe a thing that hermit said back there. He doesn't know you like I do. "
"But what do you know about me Spyro? I remember it all, what I've done! All the innocent lives I've ruined and taken! Everyone sees me as the terror of the skies! That's all I'll be known for!" she cried out.
"No Cynder. You know none of that was your fault. You were exposed to the darkness the moment you were born and you didn't have a chance to escape it. No one blames you for that."
"I think Chief Prowlus and many others say otherwise."
"He just doesn't understand. You heard what Hunter said to him. Malefor is the one responsible for all of this. He's the one we need to stop and it angers me what he did to you Cynder!" Spyro's temper suddenly rose. Just thinking about The Dark Master made his blood boil. Him raising his voice like that struck some fear in Cynder, but she knew he was right. The purple dragon sighed, feeling guilty from his aggravated tone. "But I don't want you giving up like this. You're better than that."
Cynder didn't respond, crying less now but still feeling a heavy burden on her shoulders. Spyro and the guardians had always told her it wasn't her fault but she could never bring herself to accept that. Darkness was all she ever knew.
Spyro sat himself down in front of the black dragoness, the thick grass feeling soft against his belly scales. For a moment he looked at Cynder, thinking about where they were, but only now beginning to fully understand what she was feeling. It was easy to tell her it wasn't her fault, only seeing it from his side of things, but thinking about how it must be for Cynder, it hurt him more than ever.
For a while he said nothing, hoping Cynder would calm down enough but the tears kept flowing steadily. Her eyes were red from the constant crying, which suddenly reminded him of the first time he encountered her.
"There was something unusual about you Cynder, when I fought you at the top of your lair, then Ignitus…he told me about what happened to you on that same night I was born" Spyro said not to sure where the conversation was heading, but needed to try something.
"What do you mean?"
"You were part of the same batch of eggs that I was, but we were the only two that survived. I may have escaped unharmed but you were taken to serve for The Dark Master. You were just like me Cynder."
"But how could you tell?"
"I don't know. There was just something in your eyes I guess."
Cynder couldn't help but chuckle slightly, not entirely convinced but could tell the purple dragon was being sincere, as he always seemed to be.
"You weren't given a chance to live a normal life Cynder. I wasn't sure how but I just wanted to…"
"But that still doesn't change everything I've done Spyro!" Cynder suddenly snapped, causing Spyro to jump back a little.
"I know that" Spyro said trying to keep his voice calm. "I know I'll never truly understand what you went through and I'm sorry you had to, but what else could I have done? What kind of dragon would I be if I just left you to die back there?"
Spyro's head was slowly leaning in closer to Cynder's as he spoke. Though still staring at the ground she could feel his close proximity which made the dragoness slightly uncomfortable, but something was stopping her from backing away.
"The fate of the world, as well as us dragons depends on all of us. If you give up now Cynder, everything we've fought for will have all been for nothing. So if you can't do it for yourself, then at least do it for me and the rest of us who are willing."
Cynder looked at the purple dragon in the eyes, her snout almost touching his. She turned her head away to hide her glowing cheeks, her dark scales hiding some of the colour and to her relief he didn't notice. His words began to sink in but felt more like a slap in the face. What she had done she could not change, but Spyro was right. Giving up would mean she was giving up on everyone around her when she was more capable to fight back than most. It would prove she was no better than even the Dark Master himself. Even still, literally being chained to Spyro meant they had to fight this together. The purple dragon was always going to push on regardless, but needed Cynder by his side. The look in his eyes revealed that more than anything before she looked away. Aside from the ongoing war around them, she had been facing her own internal conflict. But at that moment, the dragoness felt like a battle had been won, giving her the will to go on, thanks to the one dragon that made it possible.
Eventually she sighed, looking back at the purple dragon and slowly nodded her head. "Okay Spyro. I'll try" she whispered.
Spyro nodded back, a slight smile tugging at the side of his mouth. He stood up and looked up at the near cloudless sky, taking in a deep breath.
"Why don't we take a walk for a bit?" Spyro eventually asked looking back down at the black dragoness who still gazed at the blades of grass around her front paws.
Cynder nodded, still sniffling with a few remaining tears in her eyes and slowly stood up, her legs wobbling as the sudden outburst left her exhausted. She was reluctant to move but didn't feel like arguing with the purple dragon any further.
The two young dragons paced slowly next to each other beside the river, stopping by the riverbank to take a drink. To Spyro, the water was as fresh as the Silver River was back home, which now seemed so far away. Cynder on the other hand was gulping down the water like she hadn't had any in days. By the time Spyro was ready to continue walking she was still going, then took in a deep breath and exhaled heavily, followed by a slight hiccup which made Spyro giggle slightly. The dragoness only smiled, once again looking away as she blushed, following the purple dragon as they headed up a hill.
At this point they had defeated and chased away the grublins that terrorised the cheetah village and the rest of the valley earlier that day. Spyro hadn't felt anywhere this peaceful since being home back in the swamp, but even then it was nothing compared to this. Peace was a foreign sensation to Cynder altogether. She was still upset over her encounter with the hermit, but Spyro's reassuring words and the calm surrounding of the valley slowly left her mind at ease, maybe for the first time in her life. She found herself staring at the purple dragon walking beside her who was oblivious to the dragoness' gaze. Despite everything she once believed about herself, Spyro had always proven otherwise. Freeing her from Malefor, chasing after her when Gaul captured her and now being by his side, against their own will perhaps, but they did make a good team.
The two dragons finally sat down in a soft meadow beside a tree, overlooking parts of the valley. The only sounds they could hear were the rushing river and buzzing insects that occasionally flew by. Spyro was lost in thought, glaring out into the open valley. Cynder did the same but would turn to face Spyro, back to the valley, and then to Spyro again. As she repeated this the purple dragon's expression remained frozen. Something troubling was on his mind.
"Spyro?" Cynder asked in a soft voice.
The purple dragon shook his head and snapped out of his trance, turning his attention towards Cynder who glared at him curiously.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine. Just thinking" he said staring back down at the ground.
The dragoness tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "About?"
Spyro sighed, flexing his claws. What was on his mind was something he really didn't want to tell Cynder after everything they'd just talked about, but at the same time he wanted to be honest with her.
"The Chronicler" the purple dragon mumbled under his breath.
"What about him?"
"I remember something he told me."
"And that is?"
Spyro took a deep breath "He…" the purple dragon swallowed as he tried to speak. "He told me you would concede to the darkness again."
"What do you mean?"
"I didn't believe him for a second. He even wanted me to stay with him and wait things out while you and Malefor wreaked havoc once again. I was furious with him and couldn't bear the thought of that."
Cynder remained silent, unsure how to respond to this new information.
"I understood his intentions, but I couldn't go through with it."
"I'm sure you did Spyro. Even after everything that happened back there."
Spyro froze, reminded of what had happened at the Well of Souls, the new and strange power he possessed that turned him into the one thing he intended to stop, and what trapped them in crystal for three years of their lives, allowing the Dark Master to rise again.
"Live to fight another day" Spyro whispered.
"What?"
Spyro shook his head, realising he just thought out loud. "Oh, it's nothing."
Cynder would've objected but figured she had heard all she needed to hear. It was worrying what could've become of her fate, or whether it was still yet to happen according to the hermit at least. But it was another reminder of where she was after all that had happened, thanks to the purple dragon that sat next to her.
"I wanted to do what I thought was right Cynder. I just couldn't let..."
Spyro's speech was interrupted when he felt Cynder's paw pressed against his muzzle, preventing him from speaking any further. The purple dragon's eyes widened as he stared back into hers, almost feeling paralysed, completely caught off guard by what she had just done. Cynder's close proximity made him feel slightly uneasy but at the same time he was unwilling to back away, perhaps from the slight tingle he felt on his lips from Cynder's warm touch.
"Spyro…I understand. It's okay" she said softly, slowly taking her paw away.
"What was that?" Spyro thought to himself, looking back at her with a blank expression and blinked his eyes a few times as his jaw hung open slightly. His mind began to spin and his heart began to race. Cynder could tell he was stunned and it made her crack a smile at the side of her mouth. But there was still one thing on her mind she felt guilty about, one thing she never said to him. Her smile quickly turned into a frown as she hung her head, briefly digging her claws into the ground. As quickly as it had happened, Spyro regained his senses. The sad look on Cynder's face bringing him back to reality.
"But I never thanked you for doing what you did, despite everything. So thank you Spyro" she said keeping her head hung, too embarrassed to even look at him.
Spyro's heart continued to beat hard in his chest. His mind was clouded with thoughts of what he could say and he felt somewhat saddened that the dragoness had been so troubled by all this the whole time. The tingle on his lips still remained, an unusual feeling, but one he didn't seem to object to as his mind drifted.
Cynder continued to look away and the purple dragon could tell the silence he was giving her was agonising. The anxiety was starting to build up inside him too, the longer he thought about it.
"I have to tell her something, anything to make this better, but I can't. Why not?" he thought to himself over and over. All he could hear was the sound of his heart pounding away. Unable to bare the silence any longer, without thinking he stepped forward a bit before reaching his right paw out and placing it on Cynder's. The dragoness immediately looked up into the purple dragon's eyes, their muzzles only an inch away from touching one another's. Her instant reaction was similar to Spyro's when she touched his lips. It felt like her world was spinning, but somehow in a good way.
"Why can't I look away?" she thought to herself, her cheeks beginning to blush lightly and continued to do so the longer she stared. To her benefit, her darker coloured scales hid most of the colour. "What is he doing?"
Spyro retained his stern expression, but in the back of his mind was thinking the same thing, given how uncomfortable the dragoness looked and how sudden the move was. The anxiety started to dissipate as he stared hard at her, calming his mind again and realising that he had to convince Cynder more than ever of what was more important.
"There's nothing you have to thank me for, Cynder"
"But-"
"I did what I had to do, and so did you Cynder. Let's just leave that in the past" he said while trying to not sound too confronting about it.
"All that matters now" he continued. "Is that we work together to get through this, and stop the Dark Master from whatever plan he might have before it's too late. Can you do that with me or not Cynder?"
The dragoness was stunned and for a long time she was silent. It felt like she had been slapped across the face once again. "Why would he ask that again? I already told him I would try. Did he not believe me?" she thought as her eyes remained locked on his. They were fierce, but also like they were pleading. She then glared down at Spyro's paw that was still placed on hers and took in a deep breath, letting out a long sigh. There was no doubt in her mind that he cared. She wouldn't be here today if he didn't.
"Yes Spyro" she said at first with some slight uncertainty, still keeping her head hung, the purple dragon tilting his head in curiosity. He wasn't that convinced, but held his breath hoping for a better answer. To his luck, the dragoness looking back up into his eyes with a more determined look on her face.
"I can" she said loud and clear.
Spyro smiled, giving a nod and slowly took his paw away, not uttering another word as he relaxed on the soft grass next to Cynder. He rested his head on his front legs and closed his eyes, emptying his mind of all worry and thought. Cynder, likewise, laid beside the purple dragon, feeling like she needed to say more but didn't know what. But she knew he was content, which in turn made her feel the same at that moment. She smiled to herself and sighed softly, taking in the fresh air.
"It really is beautiful here" Cynder said sometime later.
"It is. It's amazing how this has all been spared from destruction."
"We got here just in time I guess."
"You might be right about that."
The two dragons sat in silence for what could've been minutes or hours. In the moment they had forgotten about the impending disaster around them, bewildered by the calmness. The comfort of each other's words helping to create a bond between the two young dragons, a bond that they were unaware of and was growing stronger by the moment.
"Can I ask you something Cynder?" Spyro asked eventually breaking the silence.
"Anything, Spyro."
"Do you think that…when this is all over…we could visit here again?"
"Of course, Spyro" Cynder nodded with a smile.
The purple dragon smiled back, staring back out into the open and letting out a sigh. A sudden chill of wind swept over their bodies interrupting the peaceful moment. Spyro's body shivered slightly, reminding him of the task at hand. He wasn't sure how long they'd been sitting there, not that he minded, but someone needed their help and now wasn't the time to sit around.
"Come on" Spyro said standing up on all fours, stretching out his vertebrae. "We better go retrieve the raft for Meadow. We don't want to keep him waiting."
"You mean we don't want to keep Sparx waiting" Cynder chuckled as she stood up too. Spyro couldn't help but do the same as they took to the air, flying low across the valley and following the river downstream.