Season I: The First of the Last

Prologue: Star-Crossed

The Western Dragon Lands - Stone Hill

The sky was darkened at the twelfth hour, when birds should have been flocking over the hills and the wind should have been tussling the sparkling waters of the lowlands. Now it was still and hushed. It was because that in the heavens, two eyes of light, one greater and one lesser, had finally come together.

All the denizens of Stone Hill were quiet and watchful. A particular pair was on a hill away from the others, sitting comfortably on a peak of silken grass. They were a strange couple by any sense—a dragon and a faun.

"It's a pretty epic sight, isn't it?"

"Oh! You scared me, Spyro."

The dragon chuckled in jest, stretching ventrally before tucking his hind legs to his sides. He scratched at a spot between his horns before he glanced over, brows shooting up. "Wait, really?" he asked.

"Yes. I forgot you were here…"

"Ooh, my bad! I guess that sorta answers my question, heh."

The totality of the eclipse caused a hush not just there in Stone Hill, but across the entirety of the dragon lands. Of the countless dragons observing the skies, many of them were hardly old enough to walk. But it seemed like a supernatural force snatched away words and held them all still.

Spyro squinted. According to Azizi, dragons were one of the few species able to look at a total solar eclipse and not demolish their vision for life. He was sure he had caught something flitting across the sky in front of the darkened sun, a streak of darkness that vanished in a blink.

Maybe it was a bird, he thought. Didn't the Professor say they could get confused during eclipses? Hope it gets where it needs to be without crashing…

Elora fidgeted on the blanket. Spyro watched her carefully. Although he couldn't see her eyes behind her glasses, she was tense and her ears were drooping.

"Elora…it's me," he said quietly, when she jolted a little. "What's the matter?"

"I've just never seen something like this," she exhaled stressfully. "You know. Where I come from, we weren't allowed to look at things so wonderful."

That was a surprise. She'd never talked about where she'd come from before now. Before Spyro could inquire more she shook her head, refusing to look his way.

"But—have you seen a solar eclipse like this before, Spyro?"

"Oh…well, yeah," he answered amicably. "Me and Sparx did about three years ago, but we didn't really have the time to stop and look. There was a whole invasion going on, so…"

"Wow."

"It was a total eclipse, too. But it lasted longer and it didn't nearly get as dark as it is now. I wish I…could fly you closer to see it better." Spyro found himself saying, clawing at the grass awkwardly. "Wow, could you imagine what it'd look like if we were all the way up in the sky? Or in space!"

Elora shuddered a little and hugged herself. "I couldn't imagine," she said with a nervous smile. "This is already really intense."

They watched the sun's corona dance and flare around the moon's silhouette for what seemed like hours. It was almost a shock when the sun and moon finally began to move out of sync. As the world began to lighten, the earth stopped holding its breath.

"…wow," Elora repeated breathlessly.

A playful scream floated up from the lower hills below, where the baby dragons were suddenly spirited and excitable, chasing one another and tumbling through the grass.

"Whoa, look at 'em go!" Spyro exclaimed. "It's almost like the eclipse charged 'em up or something!"

Elora didn't answer. She was facing eastward, more to the quieter outskirts of the old war fortifications.

"Spyro…" she began strangely, prompting him to turn, "who is that?"

On a nearby hill stood a figure, one so small he almost glanced over it. But it was undoubtedly another dragon right around his own size. Its eyes were a vivid, jealous green and its scales were deep ebony. This new dragon didn't move an inch even after being spotted.

Elora took a hesitant step forward. "Should we…"

"Wait, wait, wait," Spyro spoke quickly and quietly, zeroed in on the new arrival. "I've never seen them before…I think it's a girl, actually."

"But that is a real dragon, right?"

"Yeah…maybe?"

The new dragon remained immaculately still, unblinking as she continued to watch them. The moment after the sun had been fully revealed she moved almost imperceptivity, lowering her wings a tick.

Then Spyro and Elora jumped a little when the black dragon suddenly turned, spiriting down the hill and out of sight.

Spyro spread his wings, "Whoa—wait, whoa, wait!"

He glided down, landing to where she had been standing. The shy dragon watched him from a dip between hills, holding her head at a slight tilt.

"Uh…hi there." Spyro called down. "Who are you?"

He studied her more now that they were closer. She was stout and her limbs were a little slender compared to his. Spyro was shocked at her broad wings, which were very defined and strong-looking for her size.

The dragon didn't answer and sat back on her haunches. Spyro eyed the steep hill and decided to slide down at an angle, showing her his side instead of coming at her head-on. He stumbled a little at the bottom and flared his wings out on instinct. She bolted back and raised her own wings in alarm.

"Sorry, tripped a bit," Spyro said carefully. "Are you, uh…"

Well, this was awkward. They were separated by only a couple of yards and just stared, waiting to see who would move next. She leaned her head forward with smoke fizzling from her nostrils, sniffing at him curiously. Spyro did the same thing if only out of instinct.

She lowered her wings but didn't tuck them, bowing her head slightly. She took a ginger step forward, like she was walking on freezing ice rather than grass.

"I'm…not from around here…" she whispered. "…but that's stupid of me to even say. You already know that, unless…you aren't…like how I am, are you?"

"How you are?"

She lowered her head. "Yes…stupid."

"Oh, no. No way. Not that—! I mean," Spyro groaned, clawing himself in the face. "I mean…you don't have to call yourself that."

"Yes I do."

She spoke slowly and steadily, almost like she was unfamiliar her own language.

"Well, I'll disagree," Spyro said, raising his eye ridges. "And yeah…there aren't any other dragons my age around here, so this is a surprise."

"Why is it like that here?"

"Oh, uh…I don't know. I haven't really gotten a straight answer on that. Honestly, it's bothered me less and less, so…"

"You don't want to know?"

"What, why I'm the only dragon my age here?"

She nodded twice. Spyro sat down, speechless as he scratched at his muzzle.

"Yeah, I do," he admitted. "Eventually. I mean…uh, I don't have parents. That might have something to do with it."

"I don't have them either," she said, then took two more steps forward. "But you…have family here, in friends?"

"Sure! I have like, eighty dads and a ton of adopted siblings!" Spyro exclaimed. "And that's just talking about dragons. You should see all my best friends!"

Her eyes softened. She held a lot of tension in her body and shivered on occasion.

"But…are you lost, or something?" Spyro asked in concern. "Trust me, you'll have a lot of help here no matter what. What's, ah, your name?"

His blood ran cold when her eyes narrowed sharply and slitted. Spyro cautiously turned, following her line of sight; Elora was now peeking at them from over the hilltop.

"I'm…um," the other dragon mumbled. "Ah…my name is…Cynder."

"You said Cynder?"

She nodded. She kept darting her green eyes nervously.

"Oh, no way," Spyro laughed. "Get this, we're about to have a Dragonfly Festival, right? I think one of the baby dragonflies is named the same thing. Hey, maybe you and her should become friends."

He said it as a joke, but she didn't crack a smile and lowered her muzzle to the grass. "I doubt it. I don't have any…sisters, either," she mumbled.

Spyro reared his head back, confused. He glanced over his shoulder at Elora and almost let a laugh slip out at her priceless expression.

"Th…This is…" Cynder started, still speaking to the ground, "These are…the western dragon realms, aren't they?"

"Yeah. Oh, and I'm Spyro. Up there is—"

"I know who you are," Cynder cut in, suddenly and brazenly raising her eyes to his. "It—It's because you're my brother!"

"…Elora," Spyro finished obliviously, in tandem with the faun gasping. Then what Cynder said hit him and he almost fell out. "…wait, you said what, now?"