Two days after Spyro's dream, all of the sentient creatures in the world were gathered before Spyro and the Elders in the Great Plain.
Spyro had never been to, or even heard of, the Great Plain before. It was a grassy field that stretched farther than the eye could see - it would take a dragon flying continuously at full speed months to completely go around the outside edge. Thus, it was perfect for a gathering of the entire world. Red and Spyro had set up a projection spell so that everyone in the entire plain, no matter how far away, could see Spyro and the Elders as though they had front-row seats, so to speak, and so that every person could hear the speeches as though they were standing right in front of the Elders. A spell that powerful had taken hours to complete, and had left the two dragons needing several extra hours of sleep, but that had still left Spyro nearly a whole day to wonder what in the world was going on.
I'm supposed to become the father of the dragon race? he had wondered. How is that possible? There are plenty of dragons in the world. And what did Red mean when he said that I was supposed to restore dragons to their former glory? He had pondered this thought more than any other while he had waited for the world to assemble. Only one breakthrough of thought had come to him: That girl, Cynder…is she supposed to become the mother of the dragon race? The thought was disturbing to think about; he was still, after all, a young dragon. Really, he was still essentially a child, despite his many adventures and battles with evil. Besides, he'd never seen a dragon that even remotely resembled Cynder, whoever she was. Then again, he'd never seen a dragon that even remotely resembled Red, either. Still…why hadn't he heard the name before? Was she important even though he hadn't? And, more importantly, why did he feel like he had heard the name before, when he knew perfectly well that he had not? There was a red dragonfly named Cinder, he knew, but the spelling was different, and that had nothing to do with a black dragon. He had discussed the matter with Sparx, but even working together, they couldn't make sense of it. Spyro had also tried asking Red, but the strange dragon had only replied that it was a long story, and should only need to be told once, while the whole world was listening.
And now, the day had come. Creatures such as Gnorcs, Riptocs, Rhynocs, and the like had, of course, been excluded, though some of them had managed to sneak in anyway as spies for the rest of their kind. Spyro, Sparx, and the Elders were in a kind of pocket in the crowd, at the very northernmost point of the plain. Immediately surrounding them were Spyro's many non-dragon friends: Hunter the Cheetah, Bianca the Sorceress (in training), the moles Professor and Blink, Sheila the Kangaroo, Sgt. Byrd the Penguin, Bentley the Yeti, Agent 9 the Monkey, Zoe the Fairy, Elora the Faun (whom Spyro hadn't seen in years), and Moneybags the Cheapskate Bear. Immediately surrounding them were all the rest of the dragons in the world, and the rest of the plain was full of a variety of species from all the different realms and regions of the world. There were literally millions of people in the entire assembly.
"Quiet down, everyone," Thomas announced to the somewhat agitated crowd. He paused while the message got through to everyone, and when he was satisfied that everyone was listening, he continued.
"All of you are wondering why you're here, I know," he began.
"No kidding," Spyro mumbled to Sparx. Spyro was rewarded for his comment with a glare from the Elders, and then Thomas continued his speech.
"The truth is, there is a very long story behind why you are all here today," Thomas said. "I intend to tell it now, as it affects all of you, and all of the world, at this time more than any other. Again, the tale is a long one, but it is very important that you all bear with me."
"Great, story time," Spyro mumbled again, more out of habit than actual boredom. In truth, he was very interested to hear the story, but he was so used to not caring that he couldn't hold his tongue.
Again, the Elders scolded him with their eyes. Then, Thomas cleared his throat and began to speak.
"Long ago - five million years ago, to be more precise - dragons were not as we all know them today," he began. "No; they walked on four legs, had other visible differences from today's dragons, and far more notably, they were much more powerful than the dragons of today. Even young Spyro here, though he is the most powerful dragon to exist in over four and a half million years, amounts to about as much as the weakest of the dragons of old." At this, the crowd whispered amongst themselves, surprised and captivated by the idea. "The dragons of old were stronger in both might and magic," Thomas went on, raising his voice to talk over the murmur of voices. "Each and every dragon was born with the ability to completely master an element. Fire, Ice, Electricity, Wind, Earth…all elements, not just Fire, were under the complete mastery of the dragons, as were many spells so powerful, all of us Elders working together would not be strong enough to work them. The ancient dragons were also big and strong; a single blow from one of their wings was enough to send an enemy flying backward. Furthermore, they could take hits themselves; they did not even know of the existence of dragonflies until the very end of the Great Era.
"Those days are long gone now, and very little remains of the great dragon empires of old. The story I am about to tell explains why things changed…and how they will return."
Return? thought Spyro. Is that what Red meant when he said I would return the dragons to their former glory? How am I supposed to do that?
"You see," Thomas went on, "back in those days, dragons came in all sorts of colors, and it was generally their color that marked them as masters of one element or another. Millennia before the Great Era ended, a dragon was born of a color that had never before been seen, and who had more raw power than anyone could ever have possibly imagined. He had the power to master not one, but all of the elements, including those that no dragon had ever controlled before, such as Time itself.
"This dragon was purple. His name…was Malefor."
Spyro shuddered instinctively at the name, as did many others in the crowd, though no one had ever actually heard that name spoken before. As for the dragon being purple, well, that wasn't that remarkable in modern days; in fact, a dragon of the Artisans Clan by the name of Alban was even the exact the same shade of purple as Spyro, as was another dragon of the Beast Makers Clan, named Sadiki…
"Malefor's power was so great, and he was so eager to learn to master his abilities, that the Elder Dragons of the time - then known as Guardians, each of them the supreme master of a different element - willingly handed down all the secrets they knew of elemental mastery to him," Thomas continued. "The day eventually came when Malefor had learned everything the Guardians had to teach him, yet he craved more. He read ancient texts, mastered with ease spells that took most dragons lifetimes to accomplish, and the more powerful he grew, the more power he craved. He wanted to become as powerful as he could possibly be, yet his power was infinite. When he could learn no more from books, he began to experiment with his power, and discovered secrets that had never been meant to be learned. He mastered new elements, elements that were rarely mastered, if ever, and never had any representation among the Guardians who lived in the Temple; terrible elements, such as Poison, Fear, and Shadow. Finally, he discovered the existence of the great Golems that existed deep beneath the earth's crust; enormous, powerful, evil creatures with more might than even the strongest of the ancient dragons…and among them, he discovered the greatest, most terrible creature of all: the Destroyer.
"Yes, the Destroyer, whom legend told could end the very world itself, were it ever unleashed into the light of day. A monster buried so deep beneath the earth, and so very strong, that not even the greatest of dragons had the power to awaken it.
"None, that is, except Malefor.
"In his might, Malefor wanted to accomplish something that no other dragon had ever been, or would ever be, capable of, and in his power-driven madness, he became convinced that awakening the Golems and the Destroyer had been the reason he had been born, his very raison d'être.
"Malefor went before the Guardians and told them of his discovery, and said that he wanted to include them in the construction of the spell that would awaken the Golems and the Destroyer, claiming that he respected all that the Guardians had done for him and didn't wish to leave them out of this glorious accomplishment. The Guardians, of course, were horrified to hear what Malefor had become, and so they banished him from the Dragon Kingdoms. Infuriated, Malefor began building an army so that he could return to the volcano from which the Golems and the Destroyer would arise so that he could perform the summoning. No dragons wanted to help him, of course, so he built an army of Apes, a species which no longer exists. The Apes served Malefor out of a desire for power more than out of loyalty to him, which is why he eventually destroyed them, but in the beginning, they were given all the power they wanted. Malefor taught them how to harness the power of the gems, so that they could-"
"The power of the gems?" Spyro suddenly asked. He'd had plenty of dealings with gems, and to him they had always seemed perfectly useless, albeit pretty and monetarily valuable.
"Yes, the power of the gems," answered Red. "Back in the days of old, gems were not just pretty trinkets; they were our strength, our very life force."
"Today, we collect gems as a tradition in honor of the old days, when we drew our energy from them," added Titan.
"Huh," remarked Spyro. He had always collected gems on his adventures, usually to return them to the dragons' hoards, from which they had been stolen. Despite this, he had never thought to wonder why the gems were so important, but this new explanation somehow made sense to him, although he suddenly wondered why a deal had been made with the thieves that allowed them to take the crystals from which gems were made, if they could get the crystals back to their territory without being caught. The whole point of the treaty was to keep the thieves from stealing anything of magical value to the dragons, like their eggs - there was even a clause that said the dragons could raid the Thieves' Den if such a thing were taken - and it was true that they were asked not to steal refined gems, but that clause wasn't enforced very strongly, as thieves were expected to take some what they weren't allowed to have. But if the crystals, and the gems which were made from them, were magical, too…
Thomas continued.
"The Apes were taught to harness the power of the gems so that they could use them to power their terrible machines and instruments of war," he said. "And, as Malefor stood atop a mountain, gazing out toward the Dragon Kingdoms, all of which he intended to destroy, the sheer weight of his evil cracked the very foundation of the mountain upon which he stood, creating what was known as the Mountain of Malefor - or, to those on Malefor's side, the Well of Souls - where lost, evil spirits who had passed on could reside. The mountain became Malefor's base, as well as the home of the Ape King, Gaul, who was the greatest and most terrible of the Apes. The mountain itself, besides being home to dark souls, was also a sort of connector between this dimension and another one - not the Shadow Realm, but a far stranger place. The mountain, so they say, stood draped in shadow, with green slime pouring down its sides, the peak open to the hollow of the mountain, and a vortex of dark energy flowing right through the very center of the opening and stretching up beyond the sky. It was a grim and terrible place.
"After a while of preparation, the Apes, led by Malefor, went to war against the dragons. The war was to rage on for over a thousand years, for the Apes had the advantage in numbers, while the dragons had the advantage in strength; the two armies were evenly matched. During the war, Malefor came to be known as the Dark Master, a fitting name for the evil beast he had become. The Dark Master himself was always the first to fly into battle, and countless dragons were killed by his power. Finally, after hundreds and hundreds of years of war had passed, the greatest of the dragon mages worked together to create a spell to stop Malefor's unbridled rage, for he was far too powerful to be defeated. Somehow, though it is not known how, the dragons managed to seal the Dark Master in a different dimension, the very same one that was connected to the Mountain of Malefor. Some say that the dragons actually went to the mountain to perform the spell, and that the connection facilitated the feat. Those dragons who performed the sealing gave all of their life force to make it work, and died.
"However, peace did not follow, for the Dark Master was still able to communicate with his armies through the mountain, and they with him. The Apes, though weakened by the loss of their master, still continued to battle the dragons in skirmishes, though outright war was put on hold. Malefor knew that it was not his destiny to be trapped in the alternate dimension forever, and he spent all his time in his imprisonment crafting the means by which he could be released. However, less than a year after Malefor was banished to his prison in another dimension, there came a prophecy from the Ancestors of the dragons of old, through an old dragon on his deathbed, that after ten more generations passed, a second purple dragon would be born, one destined to defeat Malefor once and for all. The Apes quickly learned of this prophecy and reported to their master through the mountain, but Malefor was not afraid; he was far too arrogant, too full of hubris, to fear defeat. Still, he eagerly anticipated the day that that dragon was to be born, for it marked the time of his release; after all, he could not be defeated if he were not present in the world. In the meantime, he told his armies to hold back a little, and slowly gather strength for an all-out assault on the Dragon Temple, which was located on a distant island, where the eggs were held each Year of the Dragon, so that they could destroy the purple dragon's egg."
"Why would he plan to destroy the egg if he wasn't afraid of the prophecy?" asked Bianca.
"Yeah, it sounds to me like he was scared," agreed Hunter.
"No one exactly knows for sure," answered Sensei. "Some are of the opinion that he was secretly afraid, but others believe that he had gotten far enough in his planning to realize that he needed a dragon in order to be freed from his imprisonment, and intended to kill two birds with one stone; that is, he already intended to go after the eggs, and felt that he might as well destroy the purple dragon's egg while he was at it."
"It still sounds like he was scared," Sparx remarked. "If he wasn't, why did he wait to steal an egg until the purple dragon's egg was laid?"
"Malefor's exact thought processes, you must remember, were twisted, just as he himself had become," Thomas said. "In any event, the whole world waited for the day that the prophecy had foretold, and after 1200 years, during which many dragons were still killed, a second purple dragon egg was laid.
"At the time of the egg's coming into being, there were four Guardians of the Temple: Terrador of Earth, Cyril of Ice, Volteer of Electricity, and the wise leader, Ignitus, Master of Fire. Ignitus believed them to be prepared for any assault on the Temple by the Dark Master's armies…but he was wrong. The Apes launched an all-out attack on the Temple one night; Gaul himself was on the front lines. When the other Guardians saw them coming, Volteer ran to Ignitus, who was staying with the eggs, and told him that the armies were approaching. His panic conveyed the severity of the situation to Ignitus, and Ignitus decided to quickly get the purple dragon's egg out of harm's way before anything else."
"How did he know which egg was the purple dragon's egg?" asked Spyro.
"Well, back then, all dragon eggs were the color of the dragon they contained, instead of all being identical spotted things," said Magnus.
"So, the purple dragon's egg was…"
"Purple," Thomas finished for Spyro affirmatively. "Ignitus grabbed the purple egg and flew down to the bank of a river that flowed to lands far from the Temple, places dragons had never explored. Placing the egg inside a large mushroom cap, Ignitus prayed to the Ancestors for the purple dragon's safety, and sent it floating downstream.
"He immediately returned to the Temple to face the armies and attempt to protect the rest of the eggs, but by the time he got there, the other Guardians had been overwhelmed, and all of the eggs were lost."
"The Apes destroyed the eggs?" asked Zoe.
"Yes," Thomas confirmed. "Malefor, being so twisted, wanted to exterminate the entire dragon race, as though he had never been one. However, not all of the remaining eggs were destroyed; one of them had been taken whole, so that Malefor would have the power he needed to free himself from the dimension in which he was trapped; for you see, only a dragon born in the Year of the Dragon could open a portal to Convexity, a strange place that serves as an airlock between this dimension and all others.
"This egg was taken directly to the Well of Souls, and the moment it began to hatch, it was placed in the vortex of energy through which the Dark Master communicated with the world, immediately exposing the dragon inside to Malefor's terrible influence. The poor dragon never even had a chance to make a choice before she was poisoned and corrupted by the Dark Master's power. So filled was she with the Dark Master's force that, though she had just hatched, she resembled a dragon in her prime: enormous, powerful, and ultimately, mindless; she had become the Dark Master's puppet."
"She was a black dragon, wasn't she?" Spyro said, making it more of a statement than a question.
"Yes," Thomas answered, "she was the very dragon you saw in your dream: the Dark Master's terrible pet, the black dragon, Cynder.
"She filled the skies with terror, lending a fresh wave of strength to the Dark Master's forces, leading armies of Apes to many victories against the dragons. The Guardians themselves were forced to go into battle, which played right into Malefor's hands; Cynder weakened them and took them to remote places so that she could use their energy for the Dark Master's benefit. Ignitus alone managed to escape, though he was reduced to hiding in a cave, his hope gone, his spirit broken.
"The purple dragon egg, meanwhile, floated on its mushroom cap boat down the river, and came to rest in a distant swamp where a community of dragonflies lived."
"Dragonflies?" inquired Sparx.
"Yes, dragonflies, though, like dragons, they were far more then than they are today," replied Thomas. "Now, this was about two and a half decades before the ancient magical pact was made between dragons and dragonflies, and the dragonflies in the swamp had never seen or even heard of a dragon before.
"When the dragonflies discovered the egg, they were unsure at first what to make of it. Before they had finished wondering, it hatched right before their very eyes. The dragon inside, like the egg, was in itself a mystery to them, but they decided to adopt him and raise him as one of their own. Specifically, he was raised by a couple who had another son that had been born on the very same day as the purple dragon. The two grew up together as brothers; a young purple dragon, and a young, glowing, yellow dragonfly whom his parents had named Sparx. They named the dragon…
"Spyro."
"You're kidding, right?" asked Spyro incredulously.
"Not at all," Cho Lei answered for Thomas. "This story is that of your namesakes, and why you were named after them."
"I was named after a powerful dragon of old?" asked Spyro.
"And I was named after a dragonfly of old?" Sparx also asked.
"Yes, yes, yes, but please, let me finish the story!" said Thomas, annoyed.
"Sorry," mumbled Spyro and Sparx.
"Spyro, like all of us, accepted the world into which he was born, believing himself to be a dragonfly, albeit a large, purple one," Thomas continued, "until, one day, Spyro and Sparx were playing tag, and strayed further from home than they had ever gone or been permitted to go. Almost immediately, a small band of Apes pounced on them, taking Sparx and locking him in a lantern case."
"Sparx was turned into a lantern?" asked Sparx, somewhat confused by having to refer to someone else by the same name as his own.
"Indeed, but not for long," replied Thomas. "Spyro, being bigger, fought the Apes to save his friend, and was able to hold his own, though he had never fought anything other than frogweeds before."
"Frogweeds?" Spyro queried.
"Yes, they were strange creatures that lived in the old days; some say they were frog-like plants, and others say they were plant-like frogs, but the fact was that they ate dragonflies as part of their diet," Thomas explained. "Anyway, the leader of the band of Apes quickly grew annoyed by Spyro's interference, and was about to crush Sparx under his foot, when, as much to his own surprise as everyone else's, Spyro, full of adrenaline and anger, released a stream of fire from his mouth. The leader of the pack fled to report to Cynder, and the rest of the Apes tried to kill Spyro, but, wielding his new ability to breathe fire, he overpowered them all.
"Immediately afterward, Spyro and Sparx told their dragonfly parents the story, who in turn were saddened by the news, for they knew at that moment that the time had come to tell Spyro the truth. That was how he learned that he wasn't a dragonfly at all, but a strange creature from a distant land, where war was constantly being waged. Spyro, overwhelmed by all of this, decided to leave the only home he had ever known in search of his true origins. Sparx, after a talk with his parents, decided to join Spyro on his quest. The two were never to return.
"By chance, the path they walked led them straight to Ignitus's hideout in a small cave. Neither Spyro nor Sparx had ever met a creature so big, but both of them recognized Ignitus as the same sort of creature as Spyro. Ignitus, who felt some modicum of joy upon seeing the purple dragon alive and well, told them most of the story of Spyro's origins, leaving out the part about the origins of Cynder, and how the cause, in his mind, was lost.
"Spyro, however, was determined to see his home, and he managed to convince Ignitus to take him to the Temple, which had been overrun by the Apes. Ignitus, bereft of hope, reluctantly led Spyro and Sparx there, and Spyro battled many creatures along the way. His strength gave Ignitus hope once more, and together, they took back the Temple.
"Ignitus, realizing that Spyro had come to learn the use of the element of Fire on his own, taught him all that he could in a short period of time about mastery of the element, as well as battle tactics for close combat. Spyro excelled in these short lessons, and Ignitus was filled with pride and joy at the coming of such a powerful young dragon. After the brief lesson, Ignitus went to gaze into the Pool of Visions, which was a small, magical pool located in the Temple, to see what he could see, being one of few dragons who could tap into the knowledge the pool could provide. In it, he saw that Volteer was being held captive on an island known as Dante's Freezer. Spyro, of course, wanted to rescue Volteer, and Ignitus taught Spyro one more power so that he could go, a power Spyro had never guessed he had had: the power to fly.
"Spyro flew to Dante's Freezer, where he faced many foes, both Apes and ghouls that were native to the island. In fighting his way through the island, he was by chance struck by a bolt of lightning, which awoke in him the power to use Electricity Breath."
"Which is pretty convenient, seeing as how he was going to rescue the Master of Electricity," Spyro remarked.
"Yes, the Ancestors gave great fortune to Spyro in that manner, not just on Dante's Freezer, but in all his journeys to rescue the Guardians," agreed Thomas. "Anyhow, Spyro fought his way to the center of the island, where he defeated the Ice King - which was a strange creature made of armor and magic, and which possessed the ability to control the element of Ice - and rescued Volteer. The two of them and Sparx flew back to the Temple together, Volteer bearing news of Cynder's current movements. When the three met up with Ignitus in the Temple, Volteer reported that he had seen Cynder flying away from Dante's Freezer carrying a glowing yellow orb, which he guessed had been charged with his own energy. This news was disturbing, but none of them could make anything of it, and they continued. Volteer gave Spyro a quick lesson in the mastery of the element of Electricity, much the same as Ignitus had done with the element of Fire, and then Spyro was sent away to Tall Plains to rescue Cyril.
"On that island, he faced many more hoards of Apes, as well as a couple of hostile native species, and he also met one of the natives of the island; Kane, the leader of the Atlawa, which was the native tribe. In fact, Spyro rescued Kane from being carried away by a Dreadwing, one of the terrible, bat-like, flying steeds of the Apes. Kane showed no gratitude, but instead went to drive the Apes off the island himself. Spyro later ran into Kane again, who was knocked unconscious and thrown into a river, where he slowly drifted toward a waterfall. Spyro, being a good-hearted person, wanted to rescue Kane, and in his desire, he suddenly released a stream of ice from his mouth that froze the river on either end of Kane, who then managed to pull himself up and continue on his way, still not bothering to thank Spyro for his rescue. Nonetheless, Spyro journeyed on, fighting all opposition, until he came to the natives' shrine to the Earth God. There, a large rock spirit arose to destroy Spyro, but Spyro defeated it and was able to rescue Cyril, while also gaining the worship of the natives, which he politely rejected.
"When they made it back to the Temple, Cyril confirmed Volteer's suspicion about Cynder's harvesting of the Guardians' powers, though for what, he wasn't certain. As before, Cyril gave Spyro a brief lesson on the mastery of the element of Ice, and then Spyro went off to rescue the last of the Guardians, Terrador.
"The island he then came to was dominated by a large volcano known by the natives as Boyzitbig-"
"Boy-is-it-big?" Spyro inquired.
"Yes, that is the origin of the name," Thomas admitted. "As for the natives themselves, they likewise referred to themselves as the Manweersmalls, originating from the statement, 'Man, we're small.'"
"The Manweersmalls?" exclaimed the Professor. "Those are my ancestors!"
"Yes," said Thomas, "the Manweersmalls were the ancestors of today's moles. In fact, Professor, not only are the Manweersmalls your ancestors, but one of your specific ancestors, Mole-Yair, was a lifelong friend of Spyro."
"Cool!" said Blink, who was the Professor's nephew.
"At the time, the Manweersmalls were being enslaved by the Apes, forced to remain above ground, though Boyzitbig was about to erupt," Thomas continued. "Terrador was being held at the heart of the volcano, and Spyro fought his way there, while also helping the natives get underground. As I said, Spyro specifically met and befriended one of the older Manweersmalls named Mole-Yair, who was able to point Spyro in Terrador's direction. On the way, Spyro and Sparx found an old bell, which Sparx dared Spyro to ring. The bell was so old that it fell on top of Spyro when he rang it, and Spyro, in desperation, discovered the ability of Earth Shot Breath."
"Okay, Fire, Ice, and Electricity, I can understand, but Earth?" Spyro said incredulously.
"As I said, dragons back then were capable of far more than we are today," replied Thomas. Then he continued.
"When Spyro finally reached the heart of the volcano, he confronted the Conductor, an Ape who drove a small train car he had named Steam. Spyro battled the Conductor and won, but not quite in time to rescue Terrador and escape before Cynder arrived to pick up the third crystal. Cynder arrived in all her power just as Terrador, Spyro, and Sparx were about to leave, and she chased Spyro through the air while Terrador went back to the Temple for help. The chase went through the entire mountain, but when they finally reached open air, Cynder was so closely on Spyro's tail that she was less than inches away from being able to bite his tail. Just when Spyro thought he was finished, Ignitus came out of nowhere and tackled Cynder, and both of them plummeted to the ground. Spyro wanted to go after them, but Terrador convinced Spyro that it was better to return to the Temple first, and when they arrived at the Temple, Terrador was able to reveal the mystery of Cynder's crystals. The story went thus:
"Over the course of the previous years, during which Spyro had been living in the swamp, Cynder, with the Dark Master instructing her, had constructed a crystal that could be charged with the powers of the major elements by attaching small crystal orbs that were charged likewise. These small attachments could be charged with the elements by being plugged in, as it were, to the Guardians, one for each. Once the crystal was fully loaded with the elements, Cynder intended to deliver it to the Dark Master through Convexity, and it would give him the power to break free from his imprisonment."
"But Ignitus was the last Guardian she needed," Spyro said. "She wouldn't have gotten him if he hadn't come to Spyro's rescue," - Man, that's weird, he thought - "so why did Terrador let her take Ignitus away?"
"Because Terrador, like the other Guardians, had been too weakened by Cynder's harvesting to be of any use against her," Thomas answered. "He really didn't have a choice.
"Now, Terrador, of course, gave Spyro a brief lesson on the use of the element of Earth, and then Spyro insisted on going after Ignitus. Terrador, reluctant but understanding, gave Spyro directions to Cynder's lair, a terrible place filled with Apes and dark magic. Spyro was not in the least bit deterred, for in the short time that he had known Ignitus, he had come to see Ignitus as a father figure - Ignitus was, in fact, the closest thing to a dragon father Spyro ever had. Spyro boldly fought his way to the top of Cynder's tower, where he found Ignitus, and where Cynder was waiting for him. They fought, though Cynder was really only stalling for time to let the crystal finish charging up on Ignitus's power. Still, Spyro was able to hold his own against her, and dealt her a great blow. Once the crystal was charged, Cynder grabbed it and fled into Convexity to finish her mission. As Spyro watched her go, he remarked to Ignitus, who had been freed from his magical chains, that there had been something familiar in her bluish-emerald eyes. This was when Ignitus finally told Spyro that Spyro and Cynder came from the same place. Confused but determined, Spyro went after her.
"Their battle continued in Convexity, though Spyro had been too late to stop Cynder from delivering the crystal. Their battle raged on for some time, until, after Cynder had been sufficiently weakened, Spyro dug deep down inside himself and managed to call upon, and release in a great blast, the element of Dragon itself. The blast beat Cynder over and over from all sides, until she fell to the ground, utterly defeated. However, instead of killing her, the element of Dragon purged her of Malefor's dark energy. Lying unconscious and beaten, right before Spyro's very eyes, she shrank down to her proper size, and Spyro could see that she was, indeed, like him.
"At that moment, Convexity began to collapse, as the Dark Master absorbed the energy of the crystal. Everything began to be sucked into the portal between Convexity and the Dark Master's prison. Sparx urged Spyro to leave, but Spyro, understanding that Cynder's actions had not been her fault, refused to leave without her. He picked her up, and with the last of his strength, he flew out of Convexity as it closed behind him. The three of them landed heavily on the ground, and the Guardians brought them back to the Temple.
"For several days, they all lived peacefully in the Temple, while all six dragons rested and gathered their strength. Spyro and the Guardians were all happy to have Cynder with them, but Sparx remained suspicious and wary of her. He fled the room every time she walked in, and refused to sleep with both eyes closed. This was very little compared to the hospitality the other dragons showed her, but it was more than enough to make the feelings of guilt in her heart worse and worse. She feared, deep down, that her actions had been all her fault, and wished that Spyro hadn't rescued her. Her guilt and doubt were enough for the Dark Master to work a small tendril of influence back into her mind, so that he was able to urge her all the more, telling her that she didn't deserve to be a dragon, living in the Temple, after all that she'd done. Finally, she could bear it no longer, and in the dead of night, she 'decided' to leave the Temple. Sparx saw her sneaking away and was so relieved that he had to tell someone, so he went and told Spyro. Spyro, concerned, went after her, despite Sparx's protests. He caught her just outside the Temple and pleaded with her to stay, but she was beyond reasoning with, and she fled. At that moment, Spyro suddenly fell over and passed out.
"In his sudden sleep, he had a dream in which he spoke to a voice calling itself the Chronicler, who had come to Spyro in his sleep to warn him about the great danger to come. In his dream, Spyro learned to bend Time itself to his will - well, at least, to slow it down while he continued at a regular pace, if only for a short while at a time. Also, the Chronicler helped Spyro regain his control over the element of Fire, for Spyro had been unable to wield any of the elements since his battle with Cynder. Finally, the Chronicler told Spyro to seek him out, giving him a strange vision of a tree.
"Spyro then awoke to find the Temple under attack, and himself locked out. He battled his way back into the Temple, where he finished fending off the assault. Immediately afterward, the Guardians held a meeting, where Ignitus tried to see in the Pool of Visions where Cynder had gone, but could not; the Dark Master's power was blocking him. Suddenly, he saw a vision of Spyro at the base of the same tree, whereupon Spyro told the Guardians of the strange dreams he'd been having, especially his most recent one. All of these things happening at once made the Guardians fearful, for the Chronicler, Keeper of Time, tended to make himself known only in times of great destruction and doom. Most of all, they feared the coming of the Night of Eternal Darkness, when the two celestial moons that existed at the time would come into an eclipse. Spyro didn't know what that meant at the time he heard about it, but he understood that it was bad. After their meeting, the Guardians went their separate ways to prepare for the coming danger, and Spyro went to a remote, dark forest in search of the tree in his and Ignitus's visions.
"In his search, Spyro came upon a large group of Skavangers who, as it later turned out, were searching for strong creatures to force to fight in their arena for their entertainment. Shortly after he first saw them, Spyro passed out a second time, and had another dream in which the Chronicler helped Spyro regain his control over the element of Ice, then gave Spyro a vision of the Mountain of Malefor, as well as of the Ape King.
"Spyro later awoke, and continued through the forest until he found the tree he was looking for. Upon reaching it, to his alarm, he awoke an enormous forest spirit called Arborick. He battled the great monster and killed it, much to the displeasure of the Skavangers that had been roaming the forest. As it turned out, Arborick had been the prize fighter for the arena that the Skavangers had come to the forest to capture in the first place, and they came upon Spyro just after its defeat. So, instead, they abducted Spyro as compensation, knocking him unconscious.
"Spyro awoke in a cell on board one of the Skavangers' ships, and discovered, to his surprise, that Mole-Yair was also aboard the ship. Mole-Yair told Spyro where they were, and that he himself and his kind were kept on the ship as slaves. Their conversation was cut short by the arrival of the captain of the Skavangers, whereupon Spyro was immediately thrown into the Skavangers' arena with a pair of enormous creatures called Blundertails. He defeated them, of course, but right after his victory, he passed out yet again.
"In his third dream he regained his control over the element of Earth, and then the Chronicler told Spyro about the Mountain of Malefor's true nature. Finally, he revealed that he himself could be found in a place called the White Isle.
"Spyro awoke again when the captain came to make him fight in the arena once more. Spyro defeated the machine against which he had been pitted, but afterward, in his cell, Mole-Yair delivered a message to Spyro from another prisoner. The message said that word of Spyro's imprisonment had travelled quickly and to be careful, but assured Spyro that he had allies. The note was signed, 'Hunter of Avalar.'"
"Hey, that's who I was named after!" exclaimed Hunter, jumping up. "He's my great-great-great-great-great-one-hundred-thousand -times-great grandfather!"
Everyone was startled by Hunter's sudden input; they had all been so captivated by the story that most of them had forgotten about their own existence. Hunter's interruption was not appreciated, but Thomas took it in stride and said, "Yes, Hunter, your most esteemed ancestor was yet another one of Spyro's lifelong friends."
"Why were you named after a cheetah from millions of years ago?" Bianca couldn't help asking.
"He was the first King of the Cheetahs in Avalar," Hunter answered. "I was named after him because I'm the King's son, and my dad thought it would be cool to name me after him."
Bianca didn't ask any more questions, and neither did anyone else, so Thomas went on.
"To continue, Spyro was forced into battle a third time, and was victorious. The Skavangers appreciated the show that Spyro could put on for them, and Spyro was immediately thrown into a 'bonus' match with none other than Cynder herself, who had also been captured. The two of them didn't have time to figure out what to do, however, before the fleet of Skavangers was suddenly attacked by the Dark Master's forces. There was an explosion and a great cloud of dust, and in the confusion, Cynder was captured and flown away by one of the Apes that were riding Dreadwings.
"Spyro was forced to flee in a different direction. He went through the ships one at a time, rescuing Mole-Yair and his kind along the way, while searching for a map to the White Isle. He found such a map, but never got a chance to look at it before he was attacked by the captain of the Skavangers, whose name was Skabb. The map was lost in the fight, and Spyro, after defeating Skabb, was forced to fly away with no sense whatsoever of where he was or where he was going. Before he had time to decide how to proceed, however, he passed out for a fourth and final time, and fell into the ocean far below - far below, for the Skavangers' ships flew high in the air. Fortunately, Spyro was rescued by a large turtle-like creature, and was ferried to the White Isle by this means.
"In this final dream, the Chronicler helped Spyro regain his control over the element of Electricity, but said nothing more. Spyro, however, did have a vision of Cynder being brought before Gaul in the Well of Souls.
"Spyro awoke on the island, and worked his way, uncertain, to a large citadel at the center of the isle. There, he was confronted by, and overcame, riddles and tests of his mastery over the elements, until finally he had just one more obstacle to face: his deepest fear. The magic of the island searched his heart for what he feared most, and it came to him in the form of an enormous creature that changed its color depending on what element it could be affected by at any given time. More than an enemy, though, it took on the form of Cynder, before she had been purged of the Dark Master's influence; for that was Spyro's greatest fear: that Cynder would be turned to evil again, if she wasn't already.
"At any rate, he overcame his final test, and was rewarded with being able to finally meet the Chronicler face-to-face. The Chronicler was a large, ancient dragon, white in color, that many say resembled a large goat more than a dragon. Here, Spyro was finally told of the coming disaster. The Night of Eternal Darkness, the Chronicler explained, was called such because, at the time of the eclipse, the dark souls within the Mountain of Malefor would be roused and allowed to roam its halls, though only for a short while. It had been foretold that on this night, the Dark Master would be able to break free and return to the world. The Chronicler wanted Spyro to stay in the shelter his home provided for the duration of the event, and Sparx was all for it, but Spyro, knowing that Cynder would be corrupted yet again by the Dark Master if he did nothing, insisted on going after her. Reluctantly, the Chronicler complied, and showed Spyro the way to the mountain.
"The mountain was full of hoards upon hoards of Apes and ghouls, but Spyro, determined, fought his way through all of them, making his way all the way to the very top of the mountain, and from there, he jumped down into the throne room of the Ape King, which was on the inside of the mountain's peak. There, Spyro battled Gaul for his own life and for those of his friends. The battle the two waged was so fierce, it was said to have shaken the mountain itself; it is known for a fact that the floor they fought on collapsed, and they fell to a lower level, both knocked unconscious. Spyro, unfortunately, had fallen into the center of the vortex of dark energy that rose through the mountain to far beyond the sky, and at that exact moment, the celestial moons made a full eclipse. Spyro, being helpless at the center of this terrible alignment, was infused with the Dark Master's power. It is said that he turned black, with glowing, pupil-less white eyes, and gave off black smoke all over his body. At any rate, he certainly wielded the element of Darkness for that short time, unleashing all of it against Gaul and pulverizing the Ape King to dust.
"When he flew back up to the level above, where Cynder and Sparx waited, his final release of dark energy against Gaul had expelled enough of it for him to try and fight off the Dark Master's influence, so he was able to tell his friends to run. Cynder, seeing his struggle, tackled him out of the terrible vortex of dark energy. Spyro was able to regain his senses, but was deeply shaken by how easily he had been taken over by the Dark Master's madness and power. The mountain then began to collapse around the three of them, and they briefly had a way out, but Spyro, filled with doubt, hesitated. Cynder and Sparx refused to leave without him, but they ran out of time and were trapped. Despair began to weigh down on them, but suddenly, Spyro had an inspiration. He told the others to get close to him, he put his wings around them, and, calling upon his control over Time, he froze them all in a large crystal, where they remained, frozen, though aging, for over three years.
"During the time the three of them spent in the crystal, the Dark Master returned in all his terrible power, and war was waged once again, more viciously than ever before. The Dark Master, displeased by the Apes' true motivations for joining him, which they revealed when they complained about the loss of their king, laid a terrible curse on all of the Apes, reducing them to skeletons lurking in the shadows, and built a new army, one of creatures of his own making. Malefor took over the Temple and suspended it high above the land, over the volcano from which the Golems and the Destroyer could be summoned. Having control over the spot from which he could summon the Golems and the Destroyer, he unleashed one Golem upon the world after another. Many, many dragons perished all over the world, most of all in the dragon city, Warfang, which was nearest the Dark Master's new lair.
"Malefor also took the Time Crystal in which Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx were frozen. He spent his spare time designing a contraption he was to use on the two dragons, and when the time came at last, his minions destroyed the crystal. The three small heroes needed time to regain consciousness, time during which the Dark Master's minions took two magical snakelike things that Malefor had constructed and wrapped one around each of the two dragons' necks. The items locked into position and became the first Dragon Amulets, apart from the Chronicler's Time Crystal, which he always wore, and still wears, around his neck. The two strange things were magically bound to one another, so that Spyro and Cynder were physically incapable of being more than a few feet apart without being tugged by the magical leash. The magical chain was also able to be tied to certain constructions made by the Dark Master, and the two young dragons were tied onto a platform in this manner.
"When at last they awoke, they found themselves at the center of a stadium filled with the Dark Master's new minions. Before they had time to gather their bearings, one of the Golems from deep within the earth arose to destroy them. Spyro and Cynder quickly realized that they had to work together, and so they did, battling tooth, claw, and tail. Together, they managed to unhook themselves from the weight that bound them to the platform, and they fled.
"They hadn't gotten far before they met Hunter, who had been tracking them. They followed him into a seemingly peaceful room, where Spyro and Cynder gathered their strength by smashing crystals into gems. Through one of these crystals, the Chronicler spoke to them, telling them what they were capable of. He reminded Spyro of his ability to wield Fire, Electricity, Ice, and Earth, and revealed that, though she was not a purple dragon, and therefore was only supposed to be capable of mastering one element, Cynder had been changed by the dark energy that had touched her, and was able to wield four elements: Poison, Fear, Wind, and Shadow. The band of four then continued on. The same Golem that had attacked before found them, but they all escaped to less open rooms of the Catacombs. Spyro and Cynder practiced to get the hang of working together with their leash binding them during the lull. Just as they were about to leave, though, the Golem they had fought previously attacked one more time, and lost its left hand, which was held together by dark crystals that drained the dragons' magic, and which, it later turned out, was the source of the energy of all of the Dark Master's forces. The pair destroyed the Golem's hand and continued.
"They flew through a cave with a river running through it, passed through the Enchanted Forest, and were just getting caught up by Hunter on current times when they were attacked by Hunter's own people, the chief of whom did not trust either of the dragons, Cynder for her history, and Spyro because of the reputation Malefor had made for dragons, especially purple ones. They were all tied to posts inside the cheetah village in the Valley of Avalar, but the village was quickly attacked by some of the Dark Master's creatures, and Spyro and Cynder were released to prove their good intent by fighting the monsters off, which they did. When the chief took a head count after the monsters had been repelled, he found that one of his people was missing: a cheetah named Meadow, who had gone upriver to gather herbs and hadn't returned. Spyro and Cynder volunteered to find him, and the chief told them that if they came back without him, they would be punished."
"Hang on," Elora interrupted. "'Chief'? How could there be a King if there was a chief?"
"Because my great-great-great-great-great-one-hundred-thousand -times-great grandfather was looked up to and obeyed by all the cheetahs after he showed great wisdom, courage, and leadership in some great war or other," Hunter recited.
Everyone stared at him, all with either real or metaphorical eyebrows raised.
"What?" Hunter asked, looking around.
"'Some great war or other'?" Elora repeated with a laugh.
"What?" Hunter asked again, not understanding.
"This war, silly!" Bianca explained with a smile, hitting him playfully. "The one we're talking about right now!"
"Ohh…" Hunter said as it dawned on him.
"If I may continue," Thomas said, irritated.
"Yeah. Sorry," said Hunter. "Go on."
Thomas sighed with frustration, then went on.
"Spyro and Cynder found Meadow easily enough, being held captive by a small group of monsters, whom Spyro and Cynder quickly disposed of," Thomas continued. "However, Meadow was injured in the skirmish, and could not walk back home, so Spyro and Cynder were forced to fly back and forth all over the valley to get a raft and bring it back to the entrance of the cave in which Meadow waited. In their mission, they came upon some of what was left of the Apes, and met a hermit who told Cynder that Malefor would find her and punish her for her betrayal. Despite this strange warning, the two dragons and Sparx managed to get Meadow back to his people, and the chief released them and Hunter, guiding them to the path to Warfang, where the Guardians were posted.
"When they got there, they discovered that the City of Warfang was under siege at that very moment, and Spyro and Cynder worked together to turn back the armies that were intent on taking the city. With the help of the two young dragons, the tide of battle was turned, and Malefor, in a rage, sent one of the great Golems to attack and destroy Warfang - the very same Golem that had lost its hand to Spyro and Cynder not long before. The great creature, it is said, smashed one of the walls of the city with its remaining hand, and then reconstructed its other hand from the rubble. The Guardians tried to fight the beast, and one by one the Golem defeated them. Spyro and Cynder, recognizing that they were the city's last hope, fought side by side, and managed to eventually kill the Golem despite the odds.
"Finally, they were reunited with Ignitus and the other Guardians, who were proud and happy for them and their accomplishment. Their happiness was short-lived, however, for moments later, Malefor finally summoned the Destroyer, which was truly an enormous creature, far greater and more terrible than anyone could have ever imagined. They say its back was in fact a large chunk of land; ruins of buildings were even said to have stood on its back! Without hesitation, it began to take long strides and form the Circle of Annihilation, the completion of which would mean the end of the world. Because it was so massive, it was able to walk at a frightening speed despite the relative slowness of its actual movements. The dragons despaired upon seeing it, but they valiantly went to the underground tunnels, which was the fastest way to reach the edge of the Belt of Fire, which was the Destroyer's aim, and went through them, hoping to cut the Destroyer off, though they knew not how.
"It was Cynder who found a way. She noted that the canyon the Destroyer had to cross in order to complete the circle was very deep, and that there was a large dam not far away. To her, it was simple: release the water from the dam, and the Destroyer, being made mostly of molten lava, would be stopped in its tracks.
"Together, Spyro and Cynder managed to release the water from the dam and flood the canyon. Sure enough, the Destroyer was rendered unable to continue. While it was immobilized, Spyro and Cynder flew all around it, destroying all the dark crystals they could find. They even went inside the Destroyer through its mouth and destroyed its very heart! When they escaped the inside of the beast, the two young dragons, Sparx, and the Guardians celebrated their victory.
"But it wasn't over. Somehow, no one knows how, the Destroyer still managed to gather the strength to pull itself forward, detaching its own legs, and strain to place its hand on the beginning of the circle it had started so that it could complete its terrible work.
"The Destroyer was very weak, and couldn't summon much strength to go on, but the dragons were deeply afraid. They realized that the only way to stop it was to confront Malefor himself. Two groups split up: Spyro, Cynder, and Ignitus headed to the volcano over which Malefor's lair floated, and the other Guardians, along with a very reluctant Sparx, went to gather all the inhabitants of Warfang and get them underground."
"Why didn't Sparx go with Spyro?" asked Sparx, still slightly disturbed by talking about another dragonfly that shared his name.
"Because Sparx was the only one besides Spyro and Cynder who knew the underground tunnels very well," answered Thomas. "It was Spyro himself who told Sparx to go, though he didn't want to any more than Sparx did.
"While Sparx and the others went back, Ignitus, Spyro, and Cynder flew to the Belt of Fire, which surrounded the volcano. Using his mastery over the element of Fire, Ignitus was able to shield the young dragons from the heat, but it took him every last bit of his life force to get them all the way through. Thus, Ignitus died, leaving Spyro and Cynder to face Malefor alone.
"Spyro, deeply shaken by the loss, had half a mind to turn back, though there was nothing that could be done. It is even said that some remnant of Malefor's power still lay dormant within Spyro after his exposure to it three years previously, and that his despair and anger over the loss of his mentor re-awakened it. Cynder managed to talk him down, though she too was sad. Drawing strength from one another, the two young dragons found an updraft and flew to the islands that floated above the volcano, where Malefor's dwelling lay."
All of the audience in the Great Plain now shifted, each of them eager to learn how the story ended.
"Together, Spyro and Cynder entered Malefor's home and came face to face with the evil dragon himself," Thomas continued. "Malefor, feeling mildly threatened by how far the two had managed to come, began to speak aloud as fact what the two feared most in the world. He appealed to Cynder's fear that she would never be able to choose goodness, and he spoke to Spyro's two fears: that purple dragons were meant to be the destruction of the world, and that Cynder was Malefor's puppet, then and forever. He feigned gratitude toward Cynder for his return, telling them how she had lured Spyro to his mountain that night - which in truth she had not done intentionally, nor even of her own free will - and how it was Spyro who had brought him back into the world, which was true - Spyro's presence, and his exposure to the Dark Master's power, had allowed Malefor to gain a foothold in the world and break through, though again, this had not been the intention of either of the two young dragons. Malefor then told Spyro that it was the destiny of the purple dragons to awaken the Destroyer and end the world, and that there had in fact been many other purple dragons before the two of them - which was a complete lie. He was so well-spoken, however, that Spyro began to doubt himself, and Cynder began to doubt her own memories, which contradicted Malefor's words. Through her doubt, Malefor was able to take control of Cynder once again. She didn't grow to beastly size, but she was imbued with dark energy, and became mindless. Malefor forced her to attack Spyro, who refused to fight back. Even in her blinded state, Cynder was confused, and asked Spyro why he refused to fight back. It is said that Spyro replied,
"'Because…you've left me nothing to fight for.'
"At these words, Cynder's true feelings for Spyro stirred within her heart, and she was able to push the Dark Master's influence out of herself.
"Malefor, in a rage, immediately changed tactics and attacked them. Together, Spyro and Cynder fought the Dark Master and dealt him a crippling blow.
"At that moment, the Destroyer was able to gather its strength and complete the Circle of Annihilation, and the globe exploded.
"Down they fell, Malefor, Cynder, and Spyro, down to the exposed core of the earth. Even as they fell, their battle waged on, and Spyro and Cynder managed to overpower Malefor again and again. Finally, when they reached the very core of the earth, Malefor, weakened, and feeling threatened, cried,
"'You cannot destroy me! I am eternal!'
"After saying this, he unleashed a blast of the element of Dragon, and Spyro and Cynder combined their use of the element of Dragon - which all dragons, after a certain age, had the ability to do, given the right circumstances - and matched their combined power with his. Through sheer will, the two overpowered him. No sooner had Malefor suffered this final defeat, than the spirits of the Ancestors rose up around him, eyeing him with anger. He cried out in terror as the Ancestors grabbed him and pulled him into the realm of the dead over which they ruled. Thus, the Dark Master died.
"Despite his death, however, the world continued to end. In the in-between place that the world had become, Ignitus came to Spyro and told him that when a dragon dies, he does not leave the world, but becomes a part of it. Hearing this, Spyro knew what he had to do, and he told Cynder to leave so that she might live, but she refused."
"Were they in love?" asked Bianca.
To most of the audience, this question seemed random, but Thomas smiled.
"Indeed they were, young sorceress," Thomas answered her, "and Cynder stood by Spyro's side as he called upon all the power and life force in his body and unleashed it, calling all the pieces of the world back together again."
"Did they die?" asked Elora.
Before Thomas had a chance to answer, Spyro suddenly spoke up.
"Wait," he said, "the Ancestors just came and took Malefor away? Why didn't they just do that in the first place? It would have saved the entire world a lot of trouble."
"To answer your question, Spyro, well, some say that it was because the in-between-ness of the world, as it was destroyed, allowed the Ancestors access to the world of the living, and others say it was because Spyro and Cynder had sufficiently weakened Malefor, and that he was too powerful at full strength for the Ancestors to take him. A few even say, though it is not confirmed, that the core of the earth, where the three dragons had landed, was in fact the Ancestors' dwelling. Most people, however, agree that it was probably some combination of factors," Thomas answered. "As for your question, Elora, the answer is in the final chapter of the story I'm now telling." Thomas took a breath - he'd been talking for a very long time - and finished the story.
"Spyro's reversal of the Destroyer's work had taken all of his life force, but as the world was still more of an in-between place, the Ancestors allowed him and Cynder to live on for a time, delivering them upon the same piece of the world shared by Sparx and the other Guardians," Thomas said. "The two young dragons spent several weeks alone together, during which they told each other stories, and then they went back to Warfang.
"When they arrived there, they were greeted with great joy by all the inhabitants, most of all Sparx. However, not much later, the spirits of the Ancestors came before them, and with Volteer, Cyril, Terrador, Sparx, and Cynder as witnesses, they told Spyro that the time had come for him to pass on.
"Cynder wouldn't hear of it. She pleaded with the Ancestors to spare him, arguing that it wasn't fair, that even if he had to die in order to restore the balance of nature, there wouldn't be a balance of nature to restore if it hadn't been for him. She begged them with all her heart and soul and every fiber of her being, and they say that the Ancestors, hearing the grief and desperation in her pleas, were moved to crying mortal tears in sympathy for the unfortunate young dragon who was about to lose the only good thing she'd ever known, though they were dead and disembodied."
"So…they let him live?" asked Spyro.
"Sadly, they could not," Thomas answered. "In truth, they had added Malefor's own near-infinite life force to Spyro's incredible work of magic, but it still wasn't enough to make it so that they could spare him. So…they compromised."
"Compromised?" Spyro repeated. "How could they compromise in a situation like that?"
"I'm very glad you asked, young dragon," Thomas replied. "Here is what they finally settled upon:
"Spyro had to go with the Ancestors, after which there would be a long, long age of peace. Then, a few years before that peace was to be broken, Spyro would be reincarnated. Cynder, in the meantime, was to be frozen in time inside a crystal, much as she had not long prior to the agreement, except that she would not age this time, and only Spyro would be able to release her. She was to be looked after by the Chronicler himself in the meantime, and in the crystal, the Ancestors stored all of Spyro's memories and most of his magic, so that he would remember his origins and go back to being his old self when the time came. Then, the two dragons would be reunited at last.
"Unfortunately, after the deal had been done, it was discovered that Cynder had been the last female dragon in the world; all the others had been killed in the war, as had most of the males."
"So how is it that there are so many dragons today?" Spyro asked.
It was Sensei who answered. "The Chronicler, Master of Time, Keeper of the History of the Dragon Race, and Guardian of the Balance of Nature, was able to find a way," he said. "Purely through magic, dragons, both male and female, could be created by using the life force of the gems and the life forces of all the remaining dragons. However, those dragons would be mere shadows of the mighty creatures dragons once were; most wouldn't be able to master any element, their magic would be far weaker, and there would be several distinct physical changes as well."
"So that's why the dragons are so different today!" Spyro realized out loud.
"Yes," said Red, "and it was shortly after that that the ancient pact between dragons and dragonflies, presided over by Sparx himself, was made; it was done to compensate for the weakness of the new breed of dragons. Unexpectedly, however, the pact was so powerful, so magically binding, that the dragonflies, like the dragons, were also reduced to mere shadows of what they had once been."
"Really?" asked Sparx. "What did the dragonflies used to look like?"
"They flew upright instead of lengthwise, had full heads, could speak as clearly as any dragon, could be several colors at once, and, most notably, they had arms and hands. With fingers," Red added, anticipating Sparx's next question.
"Hey, that reminds me: why is it that dragonflies' builds have gotten more elaborate lately?" Spyro asked. "I mean, just a few years ago, dragonflies were sticks with eyes, wings, and a mouth."
"The strength and complexity of the dragonflies' bodies are directly affected by the conditions of the bodies of the world's dragons, due to the strength of the ancient pact," answered Astor.
"Yes," Thomas confirmed, "and today, there are stronger dragons in the world, such as yourself, young dragon. Thus, the dragonflies have gotten stronger as well." Then, he took a breath and grandly finished his speech.
"Ever since Spyro passed away, dragons have been awaiting his return, for he and Cynder will bring back the days of the dragons of old. We have waited long, and we have waited patiently, and now…" He turned to look directly at Spyro. "Now…our patience is about to be rewarded."