Hey everyone, its JourneyofShadows here, is updating this story after so long. So, I've had a bit of a thought regarding this story, especially since I've been re-reading it, and have been deeply pondering the meaning of life and my existence as I read it over (seriously… Me in High School must've had a terrible time writing this without the lessons I've learned now).

Long story short, I've decided to abandon the current story, and rework it into something that can actually be seen in the daylight for once. My criteria for this story hasn't really been met, and I've left fans with more questions than answers, particularly one that isn't on Fanfic anymore. The rewrite to both The Legend of Spyro: The Undying Flame, as well as Cynder's Past are going to follow what my criteria as of today is for writing a story. My current day criteria exist as a Then Vs. Now:

We will start with a Then Vs. Now on The Legend of Spyro: The Undying Flame

Story Rating

Then: Fiction T

Now: Fiction T for Violence and Mild Language

Theme Song?

Then: GUIDE YOU HOME FROM DAWN OF THE DRAGON!

Now: I find a good theme for a story of this caliber to either be "Here I Am" or "I Will Always Return" from the Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron Soundtrack.

Quotes

Then: Who needs quotes when I'm a good writer?

Now: "I believe the human spirit is indomitable. If you endeavor to achieve, it will happen given enough resolve. It may not be immediate, and often your greater dreams is something you will not achieve within your own lifetime. The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death." ~Monty Oum

Chapter Size?

Then: I'll do 30 Chapters and nothing more! Short, concise, and to the point with me!

Now: I want to be able to explore the world around Avalar, instead of just having the plot be concise and to the point. The plot I want is much longer than what I wanted originally, and I want to explore every place with its own problems and issues, so subplots that connect to the overall plot of the story. I plan for a total of 60 or 70 chapters in The Undying Flame. If there are more, then dang, I impress even myself.

The Villain

Then: The son of Malefor wants to resurrect his father, and using the power of darkness, creates the Conversified to try and suck out all the light from the world! (Geez… SO original, me from seven years ago. Conversified… sounds like a combination between the Converse shoes and the Unversed enemies from Birth by Sleep. OH WAIT… This was high school me. I was a sucker for Kingdom Hearts at the time. Also there was something about a Great Cleansing. Was I dealing with a ton of Halo at the time too?)

Now: I want the main antagonist of The Undying Flame to be not a son of Malefor, but rather an apprentice who willingly gave himself over to the darkness in the hopes of attaining a power on par with that of the Dark Master. He won't be overpowered, but I want him to at least be on par with both Spyro and Cynder, proving himself a formidable foe to the two. As for his purpose, he will be seeking out an immortal being in the Dragon Realms known as a Phoenix with the hopes of attaining an immortal life, and becoming the equivalent of the Dark Master (More or less, his motive for being evil is to gain power to subjugate and rule over all. He has a desire to place himself at the top of the figurative "Food Chain" by seeking out immortality. He also desires to change all of The Dragon Realms for him and his followers, or at the best, change society to his liking).

Spyro + Cynder = Romance

Then: Spyro was totally oblivious to Cynder's love confession at the end of Dawn of the Dragon, and would have, during the entirety of the story, learned to fall in love. They're both total pushovers, and I don't care one bit.

Now: I've replayed Dawn of the Dragon several times over since I last updated The Undying Flame. I've had the opportunity to really study the story as well as the interactions between Spyro and Cynder in the story. Not only does the story understand the moral of finding hope amidst the darkness, it also explores a blossoming romance between the two as the story goes on, and at the end… Well, they live happy lives together. Anyways, Spyro is completely aware of Cynder's feelings, and reciprocates those feelings for her. They will already be in a romantic relationship at the start of the story, and as it goes on, the trials they take on will only prove to strengthen their bonds of love and mutual understanding. I don't intend to make them pushovers, and I don't exactly want them to always be able to rely on each other in all sorts of situations, so some major plots in the story will either entirely focus on just Spyro, or just on Cynder.

The Timeline

Then: The story takes place four to five months after the defeat of Malefor.

Now: Having a story take place in such a short amount of time is setting up for a bit of disaster, plus I wanted to explore a world following the end of the war against Malefor, a new world that's continuing to expand after the end of the war. On top of that, I also wanted Spyro and Cynder to grow a bit after the end of DotD (Two heroes who have not only saved all of Avalar, but are also doing their best to help everyone get situated around the continent of Avalar). So, the new start for this story will take place one year after the events of Dawn of the Dragon, where Spyro and Cynder are in the process of helping Avalar rebuild and learn to live in a new world after Malefor's defeat.

Ignitus the Chronicler

Then: Ignitus was available right from the start to help Spyro and Cynder with anything they needed, and offered aid to them all throughout the story.

Now: I want Ignitus to play a lesser part than what I had originally planned out. Not to say that he'll be on the backburner the whole time, but he simply cannot leave the White Isle for anything since he's the new Chronicler. This is a new age for the world, so he must stay and keep his eye on everything at the White Isle. Throughout the story, he will offer his aid from the shadows, often leaving messages for Spyro and Cynder during the course of their new adventure.

The Guardians (Cyril, Volteer, Terrador)

Then: The Guardians will lend all the support throughout the story, and gradually learn about the children they lost during the raid on the temple.

Now: The Guardians will play a lesser role than what I had originally given them. This is a time of rebuilding in the world, so they won't have time to always help Spyro and Cynder during their adventure through the world. Now, that's not to say they won't be on the backburner (Like I said with Ignitus, they won't be too convoluted in the story, but they will still be there to provide aid and support from time to time), but with the world being rebuilt, their focus will entirely be on helping everyone else. Their primary focus will be on the Dragon City of Warfang, as well as settlements in Dante's Freezer, Tall Plains, Munitions Forge, and other places that have been mentioned in the Legend of Spyro trilogy. This is a big world, so there's much to do, and their focus must be on those parts of the world. As for their children and mates… Some, if not all will return to them. The horrors of war are tried and true, so not everyone will survive, and it's up to the survivors to remember them for who they were. I'm not sure who will live, and who will die when the story begins, but not everyone will have all their children, and not everyone will have their mates by their side. This will tie in with the moral of the story when I get to it.

The Battle is On!

Then: Each villain will be as strong as Spyro and Cynder because why not?

Now: Spyro and Cynder's enemies aren't going to be as strong as them, but they will use the environment to their advantage. When it comes down to the bigger fights towards the climax of the story, they will use the environment to their advantage to take down the two dragons. "You fight on our turf, and we'll use the world around us to our advantage! We don't care if it's considered fighting dirty!" (On a side note, the main antagonist is going to have a power equivalent to that of Spyro and Cynder, but he will be the only one to have that said power. The antagonist will have time and experience on his side, as well as the capability to use Dark Aether)

The Truth – Spyro

Then: Spyro was to discover whom his parents were, and that his father was Ignitus.

Now: I did a bit of research on the subject, and Jared Pullen, one of the lead artists on The Legend of Spyro series didn't really give a solid answer on the idea of who Spyro's parents were. Following the story left behind by the main series, I will see Ignitus as a "father-figure" for Spyro, but not as a paternal individual. Spyro's mother will be a shrouded enigma, but a friend of mine saw a dragoness named Liana to be Spyro's mother. Again, I will be discarding that idea for something else entirely different. I'm not sure who Spyro's parents are, so I'm keeping true to the story. In the story, he will have the opportunity to find out who his parents were, but instead of figuring out who they were, and where he came from, I would want Spyro to show that same maturity he's shown so much throughout the series; that being said, I want Spyro to choose not to learn the truth. I want to give Spyro this character development where he chose to not know in placement of focusing on a brighter future for all. This is also spurred on by a statement from Jared Pullen that there were two options for Spyro's dad: Ignitus, or Malefor.

The Truth – Cynder

Then: Terrador would be Cynder's father, and that would be uncovered early on in the story. I want this to happen in Chapter 10! Her mother would be revealed around the same time too!

Now: Cynder's mother is going to have a very large role in this story. I still plan on having Terrador as her father. On top of the role Cynder's mother has on the story, her relationship with her daughter is going to be very toxic, and it will be put in more detail once Cynder discovers her identity, and what she did on the night the raid on the Dragon Temple took place.

The Plot and Story

Then: The goal's simple: Stop the big bad guy from resurrecting the big bad guy, and save the world! No subplots and such!

Now: The new story is going to be much longer than what I had originally planned, and would involve both Avalar and a group of islands far off the coast of Avalar (The Dragon Isles). The plot will involve a very well fleshed out antagonist and his organization of Dragons who aid everyone out in the Isles (These dragons focus their priority on the dragons and other races out on the isles rather than on Avalar as a whole. The races out on the Dragon Isles need their own saviors). The group will enjoy what they do, but the antagonist/leader of the group will be focusing his priorities far higher.

Overall Theme and Moral

Then: Moral? Is it like a mural? Could good triumphing over evil count as a moral?

Now: The moral is based on a personal experience. I lost my father a year ago, and I can relate with Spyro (Legend) on how it feels to lose a father figure. It's almost like you've lost a light in your life. The lesson I had to learn was how to let go and move on, accepting what has happened has… well, happened. There's nothing you can do to get the things you love back after they're gone. This will explore the idea of what life is like after you lose something so important. I want to understand the concept of "Memento Mori" (The old Christian saying, "Remember, you will die") and mortality on this world. You can't always cheat destiny.

Convexity/Aether

Then: Oh hey! Convexity looked so cool in the game! I have to use this every time the enemy tries something without any drawbacks! I can get away with this because I'm the author!

Now: There's more to the Aether than I had originally thought. It's not just a power; it's an element, a culmination of all the purple dragons from before Spyro's time. There are drawbacks to using it in the series, as they've been mentioned, and shown in action. Mana is drained when using this powerful breath, and would best be used sparingly. Spyro and Cynder would start to understand the bare basics of Aether at the beginning of the story, despite using it against Malefor. From what I've read, Aether and Dark Aether are two sides of the same coin, so as an added for Spyro's character, he has to understand both halves of this power, and tap into both Aether and Dark Aether (Long story short, he needs to understand this ability, and have mastery over his dark form). Aether will have a deeper meaning in this story, and any additional stories after The Undying Flame.

Phoenix Fury

Then: Hey! Immortality incarnate! They can heal any and all wounds without any issues! See what I did there?

Now: Now that I see this… This is a little bit too overpowered. If I add this into the story, I'll want this to be a power not used by Dragons, but by the rare and endangered Phoenix race. Since a Phoenix will be in this, it will be possible to see what Phoenix Fury is, but I'm not sure yet.

The Mark of the Hero

Then: Oh yeah! Spyro becoming a Guardian alongside the others! And it would be so cool to see him fight from the get go!

Now: Umm… What is this garbage I'm reading? Mark of the Hero? What purpose does it really serve in the story? Is this a play on the Mark of Mastery from Kingdom Hearts? (I'll admit, I'm a fan of Kingdom Hearts, but I want to push away the Kingdom Hearts ideas from other games. Undocumented Memories would've focused more on Kingdom Hearts rather than Spyro.)

Expectations vs. Reality

Then: This is my story, so the reader better like it or keep walking!

Now: This story will be made possible with the help of others reading and reviewing it. If I'm to continue it, I want it to be enjoyable for both the reader and myself. That's what it really means to be a writer.

Now, to move on with Cynder's Past

Story Rating

Then: Fiction T

Now: Fiction T for Violence and Mild Language, Mild Blood

How it Begins

Then: Why don't I start out with a chapter I haven't even written out yet in The Undying Flame? And on that subject, let me make her birth some big important thing!

Now: I want Cynder's experience to start from the very beginning, from her hatching. I also plan to write this from her perspective rather than tell it from third person. I want to understand what her character would've been like from the beginning, up until she was filled with darkness.

Morbid Experience

Then: Run you die. Cower you die. Flee, and you die. Talk to the person next door, you die.

Now: I want to hold onto that morbid experience I left behind on the original story, and put a new taste on it. This is a new experience, and a new chance to see from Cynder's perspective. I want there to be a sense of fear running rampant, not only in the hatchlings that are training in Malefor's army, but also for the parents of those children. As this takes place before A New Beginning, there's a sense of dread and fear running rampant, where only the strong can overcome fear, while the weak are seen as expendable.

Doom N Gloom

Then: No hope has to remain. Everyone has to be crushed.

Now: I want to instill the same feeling of dread and doom that I wanted to originally put into the original story. There will be fallout, betrayal, and an early loss of innocence. It's all about survival in the Dark Master's army. There's no mercy, no remorse; kill or be killed.

Cynder + Avarian = Romance

Then: Let me make Avarian a Gary Stu and fall in love with Cynder!

Now: Spoiler alert: Avarian is the main antagonist of The Undying Flame. It's best to understand where he's coming from, and this will also tie in with Cynder's growth. The two will have a friendship, but nothing more than that. Avarian and Cynder will both have character development in the story, shaping them into the dragons they become by the start of The Undying Flame. They have to learn how to trust one another, and how they have that trust broken.

Tie in with A New Beginning

Then: Why don't I have Cynder see Spyro at least once before she turns? Something that could help instill some hope from the get-go!

Now: Cynder's Past isn't about hope. It's all about the dread and fear that comes from being a member of Malefor's army. I'm going to continue to instill the ideal that there's no hope to remain, so that it ties in well with the start of A New Beginning, where Spyro meets Ignitus, and gives the dragon hope that things can change.

I want to thank you all for reading The Legend of Spyro: The Undying Flame, as well as Cynder's Past. Your patronage on these two stories made it possible for me to follow this path, and start working on the rewrites for these. With my time in college being hectic, I'll try to find some time out of my busy schedule to work on the story, and hopefully get the first chapter of the rewrite of The Undying Flame out. Once I get to the moment where Cynder and Avarian reunite once again, I will start up on the renewed Cynder's Past.