Greetings and salutations, friends and readers. I am Thomas Holmes II and this is my second full-length story. Now you might think my stories are solely about Sonic, but they're not. There are other heroes out there, my friends, and they are just as grand as Sonic. This is the story of one of them.
Prologue:
"Fire. Water. Wind. Electricity. Ice. Earth.
"These are the six main elements that the Dragons of our Realms were able to wield and master. You might think dragons are merely creatures of myth; but we do exist. We live in a world where magic and science existed together in harmony; and where we are the guardians of peace.
"Each dragon is unique in his or her own way; each dragon is born with the power to master one of the six elements. With each element, there is always a master who represented the highest calibre of which a single dragon could reach with their chosen element: they are the Dragon Guardians. I was one of them: the Guardian and Master of Fire. My name is Ignitus.
"But there is one type of Dragon that was more unique than any other: the Purple Dragon. This kind of Dragon can wield all six main elements at once, plus other special abilities.
"Previously, only one Purple Dragon was known to exist; but in the Year of the Dragon, it was said that a second would be born. But word of this forthcoming birth had reached the ears of Malefor, the Dark Master, whose evil had loomed over the land for centuries, even after his defeat.
"I should have hidden the eggs long ago, but… the fool I was, I thought we were ready, that they were safe.
"Oh, how I was wrong…"
The Dragon Temple, 13 years ago...
Ignitus, the Dragon Guardian of Fire, approached the doors that led into the Egg Chamber, and unleashed a soft breath of fire that lit the torches on either side of the doors. The doors slid open, and Ignitus entered the chamber.
The Egg Chamber was, appropriately, where all the newly laid eggs were kept until they hatched. The Chamber was well guarded and kept constantly at a warm temperature to ensure the baby dragons didn't die before they even hatched. This was the case even with Ice Dragons, as infants obviously didn't have sufficient metabolism to maintain their bodies in cold temperatures. Of course, no one knew what element a dragon would wield until they were born, but with babies, you could never be too careful.
The other five Guardians were there as well, each of them a master of their chosen element, and each of them displaying straits similar to, or often associated with, that element. And each was a different colour, according to their element: orange and red for fire; yellow and electric blue for electricity; cyan, white and light purple for ice; navy blue for water; white and grey for air; and green and brown for earth.
There was Volteer, the Guardian of Electricity, energetic, quick-witted and intellectual, known to use big words; Cyril, the Guardian of Ice, sardonic and coldly conceited, known to brag constantly about his 'royal' ancestry; Terrador, the Guardian of Earth, mindful, level-headed and the most powerful in terms of brute strength; Cordelia, the Guardian of Water, gentle and altruistic, but also active and persistent; and Aureole, the Guardian of Air, idealistic, perceptive and a lover of balance, but prone to anxiety due to overthinking.
All six Guardians were garbed in similar robes that signified their status. Like all fully grown dragons, they walked on two legs, though they could revert to all fours when necessary. Young dragons were quadrupeds until they reached their late teens. Why this was so, no one really knew, but it did allow for variation.
"Ah, Ignitus," Terrador said. "We've been expecting you."
"Are you here to check on the Purple one again?" Cordelia asked.
"Yes," Ignitus replied, his eyes wandering over to where a Purple egg sat nestled on a red velvet cushion, on a pedestal apart from the others. This would be the Purple Dragon that the prophecies spoke of.
"Patience, Ignitus," Aureole said, her voice smooth and calm, placing a paw on Ignitus' shoulder. "The little one will hatch when he or she is ready."
Ignitus nodded in acknowledgement, but he still went over to gaze down at the egg. He reached up and slowly ran a clawed hand gently across it.
"I won't let any harm come to you, my child," he said quietly.
Suddenly, the Temple began to shake. Ignitus looked around, uncharacteristically terrified. How could it be… them?
"The Dark Armies!" Volteer cried. "They've come! We must protect the little ones."
"Ignitus, get the Purple Dragon to safety!" Terrador said, ever the strategic leader. "We'll get the others out of here!"
Ignitus looked back at the purple egg, then picked up in one claw and proceeded to leave. But before he could, the wall suddenly burst inward, and an army of Apes entered, followed by their leader, Gaul.
"Attack!" he roared.
"Ignitus, GO!" Cordelia cried. Ignitus didn't need telling twice; he burst through the doors on the other side of the room, dashed out into the open air and took to the skies, keeping the egg cradled close to his body. Several blasts of magic soared through the air, trying to hit him, but Ignitus pressed on. The Apes' mounts couldn't fly as fast as he could.
"Where do you think you're going, Ignitus?"
Another dragon was pursuing him; this one draped in a dark cloak and carrying a magical sceptre; a Sorcerer Dragon. He was flying blasts of magic from its tip at Ignitus. But the Fire Guardian easily evaded them, until suddenly, the hooded dragon teleported himself into Ignitus' path, causing them to collide with each other. He made a grab for the egg, but Ignitus kept it out of his opponent's reach.
"Give me the egg now, and I'll let you live, old friend," the dragon hissed. "You might as well, since you've already failed. You always were a failure!"
At this, Ignitus unleashed a wave of fire that blasted the Sorcerer away from him.
"NEVER!" he roared.
The Sorcerer tumbled to earth, briefly dazed by the attack. Taking advantage of the brief reprieve, Ignitus quickly dived down towards the Silver River below. He had to get the egg away from here, and then return to the Temple to help the others. So, he pulled the head off a large mushroom, nestled the purple egg into it, covered it in silver leaves, so that it could blend with the waters, and gently pushed the makeshift boat into the silver waters of the river. He watched the egg slowly float away.
"May the Ancestors look after you," he said, speaking the Dragon equivalent of a prayer. "May they look after us all…"
With that, he took off once more, leaving the egg, and the baby dragon curled up inside it, to float away, where, hopefully, the Dark Armies couldn't find it. But when he returned to the Temple, what he found was not good in the slightest...
_
As morning came, the sun's light glistened on the surface of the river, its heat warming the small egg in its little boat. By now, it was far away from the Dragon Realms, safe from any harm.
This egg, floating down the Silver River, would be the beginning of a legendary hero, whose actions would be pivotal in the shaping of not just his world, but others as well.
The Legend of Spyro: The Purple Dragon
Book 1: Elements
Eventually, the egg came to rest in a distant swamp. Two dragonflies, Flash and Nina, were gathering supplies for their home and when they spotted it and flew down to look.
"What is this, Flash?" Nina asked.
"Beats me," Flash replied. "I've never seen an egg this big before."
"I wonder what could be inside," Nina said.
They didn't have to wonder for long. Just then, the egg began to shake; cracks appeared in it, and soft grunting noises could be heard. Flash and Nina watched in awe, as a small purple dragon with stubby yellow horns, poked his head out and blinked open bright amethyst eyes.