In the year of the dragon, in a world beyond the realms; I, like all the other guardians, had awaited the birth of a very special dragon. One whom the prophecies foretold would do great things. However, the Dark Master, had heard whispers of these prophecies and sought to prevent it.
I should have hidden the eggs better. I should have hidden them long ago. But I was a fool; I thought we were ready for him. Oh, how wrong I was.
In the darkness of a hidden grotto, a red dragon stumbled through, frantic and desperate in his mission. He didn't have much time, he knew that and that's why he wasted no time traversing through the darkened room to its center. There, upon an extravagant golden pedestal that defied the darkness with its lustrous shine, lay a single egg. The egg that held the dragon which belonged to so many a story of wonder; it was the legendary purple dragon. The red dragon stared at the egg longingly, realizing the sacrifice he would have to make in order to ensure its safety, along with the rest of the world.
A violent rumble broke him of his trance; they would be here soon, too soon. A yellow dragon barged into the grotto, breathless and staring at the red dragon with panic "Save them, Ignitus! The dark armies are coming!" The yellow dragon said. That was all the incentive Ignitus needed to get out of their and bring the egg to safety. With a gallop, Ignitus left the grotto and took to the night sky, unbeknownst to the army that stood below him, raiding the temple in which he and others lived. He searched the swampy landscape for a safe place to land, finding rest at a river bed that flowed into a river that seemed to be pure silver. Ignitus landed and began to pant for breath, hoping for some idea to come to him. His frantic mind was slowly soothed by the calm and flowing waters, like the river was unaware of the battle only a short distance away. It seemed peaceful, innocent.
It was then Ignitus hatched a plan. Perhaps this river would grant a safe home for the egg. He had little choice and little time, so he decided to act upon it. He swiped the head of a mushroom that floated in the river and gingerly placed the egg in it. The mushroom then floated down the river, to safety, Ignitus hoped.
"May the ancestors look after you," Ignitus whispered, pained to see the egg floating away "May they look after us all," and with that, Ignitus was airborne once more, hurried to get back and help the others.
Stepping back into the grotto, Ignitus winced at the carnage before him; there laid his friends, the guardians, beaten and bruised as the armies vanished from the grotto but not before they smashed every last egg in the room. He saw them leave with another egg, one as black as night and tried to stop them but they were too quick, they were long gone. Ignitus stopped and continued to look around the grotto, hoping his mind was tricking him but alas, gaping holes were present in all the eggs, ruining an entire generation of dragons. Ignitus watched as his companions slowly rose from the ground, surveying the destruction as well. A pained expression of defeat etched onto their faces made the task of cleaning the grotto all the more saddening. Ignitus wasn't sure why, but he decided to survey the damage of each individual egg as he did he away with the remains. Each new hole in the eggs he discovered made the hole in his heart bigger. He knew he was responsible for this, he could've stopped it, he could've even lessened the damage even but here he stood, amongst dozens of destroyed eggs.
Amongst all of the dragons in the temple the cleanup was quick. In a matter of a night, the grotto was almost returned to its former glory. Ignitus was surveying the room for something he may have missed, quickly finding two eggs dropped on the floor and hiding behind the corner. Ignitus sighed and walked over to the two eggs. As he did, the morning sun began to raise, its first few rays shined down upon the eggs, making their shells twinkle in the light. Ignitus picked up the first egg; it was small compared to some of the others but it had a bright and powerful red hue. He examined the egg, his dull and depressing expression changing to one of curiosity and hope; the egg seemed untouched. He stared at the egg for a moment before reaching for the next one; it was a bright pink that somehow managed to put a smile onto his face. He quickly inspected the second egg and lo and behold, this egg had also survived. The shock from this revelation nearly made him drop the eggs but he quickly caught them and held them firmly in his grasp. He smiled warmly at the two eggs before quickly realizing he had to tell the others and that's just what he did.
I was relieved to see some rays of hope shined through the dismal dark; as were the others. We didn't know exactly what had happened to protect these two but we thanked the ancestors above for them; the dragon race had hope to continue thanks to these eggs. The Dark Master was thankfully unaware of the two survivors and did not seek to finish the job.
In a short amount of time the two eggs hatched. The first to hatch was the red egg; the other dragons and I could tell from the beginning that the little one would be fiery but tough. He looked to me of all the dragon in the room first with those deep red eyes; there was something inside him that gave me a sense of familiarity, a fire burning deep in him that warmed my heart. I had named him Flame.
The second to hatch was a peculiar one, from her first steps there was a pleasant smile always present on her face that could bring even the most grouchy dragon to smile, even for a moment. There was always something to smile about and happiness has many forms. It could be a powerful fire or even the slightest ember. I had named her Ember. For a while, I was happy but my mind wandered back to the purple egg constantly. Was it alright? Has it found safety? I knew I couldn't dwell on the questions for long though, there was still a war to fight. I merely hope that wherever the egg found refugee, it was safe.
Meanwhile, not too far away in a nearby swamp, the mushroom carrying the egg had rested on shore, near a village of peaceful dragonflies. They marveled at the egg, wondering what mysteries it held.
They didn't have to wonder for long…
The Retold Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning
by S.