Animation Source Forums

"It wasn't easy," said Cynder. "In fact, the chain was unbreakable by normal means, there was only one way to remove it, defeat Malefor."

"We had some ups and downs in the journey, in fact, we got captured by Hunter's pride, who rather...disliked dragons," said Spyro.

"They hated dragons because of Malefor," said Cynder. "And blaimed us all for it."

OOC: I think Danny can relate to that.

Cynder nodded. "Yeah, it stinks," she said. "And it's also not good that he didn't forgive me for what I'd done as Dark Cynder," she explained.

"Thankfully, big, bad and ugly Malefor decided to send some monsters are way for these two to help beat up," said Sparx. "That helpped change Prowlus' mind, but to save Hunter, we had to go on another little adventure."

"Yeah, one of the tribe's members, Meadow, was lost and they couldn't spare anyone to go after him." said Spyro. "So we told them we'd go save him, and Prowlus said if we came back with Meadow, he'd let Hunter go."

Cynder looked a little saddened. "Well we found Meadow, but Malefor's monsters broke his leg," she explained. "So we needed to get the key to supply cave that had a raft in it we could use to transport him back to the village...but a hermit had it and he was just..."

"A jerk, simple as that," said Sparx.

Cynder sighed. "No, Sparx stole the key while he wasn't looking, but that's not why I don't like that moment...it was right after we fought these weird skeleton things..."

----------------

Flashback

Spyro and Cynder, after finishing off the strange skeletal ghouls who attacked them as they entered the hermit’s lair, approached the strange old cheetah. “Come closer…” he beckoned in an unnerving, gritty voice, showing his age. “So I can see you in the light…” Spyro and Cynder obliged his request and got closer so he could see them better. “Tell me, why have you returned here?”

Spyro and Cynder were confused by this, nether of them could recall meeting the strange cheetah before. “What do you mean? I’ve never been here before.” asked a very confused Spyro, having no idea what he was talking about.

“Not you…” said the hermit, pointing to Spyro. “The female…” he said, turning his strange and unnerving gaze to Cynder.

Cynder didn’t understand ether. “You must be mistaken.” she replied.

“Indeed…” said the hermit, contemplating. “Your appearance has changed, but not your eyes…” he stated, pointing to his own. “Your eyes give everything away…you are the black dragon, Cynder! The terror of the skies!” he said, a subtitle hatred clear in his voice. “The Dark Master’s puppet!” he spat.

Cynder was unnerved and looked ashamed. “I was…but I’m not anymore…I…I’m not proud of the things I’ve done…” she said, shaking her head and looking down in shame.

“Oh, is it that simple to turn your back on Malefor?” asked the hermit, staring at her, his pronuncation of Malefor‘s name showing deeper hatred for the tyrant. “

Spyro had had enough and walked up to Cynder. “You don’t have to listen to him, Cynder.” he said, trying to comfort her. They then heard bizarre sounds coming from their surroundings.

“Did you not recognize the creatures that moved in the shadows?” asked the hermit, seemingly finding some amusement in this. “The Apes too had served the Dark Master, but more for their own greed and thirst for power than any true loyalty to him. This is how Malefor repaid them!” he explained, getting looks of horror and disgust from the two dragons as they watched the now skeletal Apes watch from the shadows, they hated the Apes for their evil, but not even they deserved this. “Doomed to remain in the dark, feeding off the power of others, never being fulfilled.” he explained. He then looked to Cynder. “You can run…” said the hermit, laughing. “But you cannot hide, Cynder” he finished, unhinged and clearly mentally unstable in his speech. Cynder’s head fell in grief, as that was in fact her worst fear.

Spyro had defiantly seen too much. “Cynder, let’s go!” he said, not able to bare seeing her in such grief.

“The Dark Master will find you!” called the hermit as they walked away, breaking out into another bought of insane laughter.

Spyro looked at poor Cynder. “Cynder…are you ok?”

“I’m fine! I‘ll be fine” answered Cynder quickly, though not meanly, just not wanting to show much weakness.

“Well I’m not!” said Sparx, flying up in front of them, something behind his back. “Am I the only one that was freaked out by that guy?!” he asked, he may have gave Cynder grief for her ‘evil phase’, but even he wasn’t that cruel, so he was trying to lighten the mood. “Gees! Ok, at least it wasn’t a complete waste of time.” he said, pulling the key they’d come to get from the hermit out from behind his back. “Tada!” he announced, much to Spyro and Cynder’s shock. “Come on! What you waiting for?” he asked, enjoying their surprise that he’d actually pulled it off.

"Yeah...yeah it was..." said Cynder. "But what was also bad about it is the fate of the Apes..." she said, thinking. "I never thought I'd feel sorry for them but...their fate was worse than anything that happened to me."

"We don't know, they may already be turned back to normal." said Cynder. "We don't know if they're still around."