darkSpyro

Hello! I am finishing to develop a FanFiction project - title should say enough about it - but I also wanted to make a game related to this fanfiction, using MUGEN. However, I can't draw at all, but I wanted to make some cutscenes manga-style in the game, and also an intro in the style of the Heritage for the Future one.
If anyone wants to help, would be much appreciated!

Everything that begins, shall eventually end. Remember this, Cynder
It was a soft, young male's voice the one whispering to Cynder's ears. It was all that she could hear, and she couldn't feel or see anything else. Only pure void, besides that voice. It wasn't Spyro's voice though, she never heard that voice, but somehow she recognized it as familiar. Calming. Almost otherwordly calming. Too calming.
Short after, something happened inside her. She felt, for no appearent reason, an intense sence of menacing fear. It sounded like a thousand thunders, and felt like a thousand earthquakes.
The misterious voice kept on talking, without changing its feel. But what that man said, togheter with that scary feeling - bonechilling realy, even for a hardened dragoness like her - shook her from inside:

THE 21. WORLD. HE SHALL BE THE END OF EVERYTHING.

A brief pause, the thunder noise and the earthquake feel grew even stronger. Also the voice got louder, and with a small echo - it sounded like it was coming from a giant temple. Then, the voice went on.
---------------------------------------
HEAVEN WILL COME
---------------------------------------
Everything mounted toghether was already unbearable. These 3 words, sent Cynder in complete panic. She didn't know why, but she felt the need to call for someone. Spyro wasn't there, Volteer, Cyril, Terrador weren't there even. In fact, she was so alone she could even smell the nothingness. So a simple scream went out from her mouth, while she closed her eyes, and rose her head, watching the nothingness above her:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Then someone shook her, and she stopped breathing immediately. Then, seconds later, opened her eyes. She was home. On her bed. The one who shook her was Spyro, looking concerned - he never saw Cynder in this condition. It was a dream. A terrible dream, but just a dream.

But besides, sometimes dreams come true, whenever we like it or not...

This thought passed through Cynder's mind. She also remembered that she was still holding her breath. She gasped for air - probably she beat some apnea record. 40 seconds, without moving a single muscle but the heart - and just barely. A couple of heavy breaths, then she fell down, exausthed, she didn't feel that exausthed even after the terrible battle against Malefor. She never felt any compassion or sympathy for him, but in that very moment, she felt like he knew him more than she believed. She didn't know in what sense, but she had that feeling.

What happenened, Cynder?

Asked her Spyro. His voice, after that nightmare, was everything she needed.

She answered, trying to figure out the meaning of the words she remembered:

The 21st world shall be the end of everything... Heaven... will come...

Then, she fainted on her pillow. She probably didn't dream anything until morning came. For the 3 hours before the daylight, she slept so deeply that nothing could ever awaken her.

Not even that voice...

When Spyro and Cynder woke up, they knew it was time to have a sparring match between each other: even though the war was over, they knew that they had to keep themselves sharp. After all, you don't want to be caught imprepared. Now most sparrings they did were very light, some exchange of quite not powerful hits. But once in a while, they fought to the max, giving everything they got in defeating each other. And this was one of those times. Usually, in those occasions, many people would come to see that fights. Doesn't happen that often that a purple dragon and a black one fight each other in training.

As these fights were very intense, usually they didn't talk much to each other before the event if not necessary, they made their exercises alone. To concentrate and to build tension and attention. Sure, they didn't fight each other with hate, but, as they gave everything, these were dangerous fight. Many times, during a sparring, a guardian had killed a fellow guardian, and friend, and so suffered understandable psychological traumas.

So, after Spyro and Cynder barely talked to each other for seven days, it was finally time. One in front of another, ready to cross paws and tails in duel.

After many seconds of staring, Spyro first made some slow sidesteps to the left, and Cynder did too. They made a half circle, then Spyro charged forward, at maximum speed. Cynder avoided with a quick jump to the left, and when she landed, she found Spyro slightly unbalanced, while she recovered from the jump perfectly. All these thoughts were processed by the dragoness in an instant, so she immediately did a tail slash, as Spyro was behind her.

Spyro, who was giving Cynder his back at that moment, knew he couldn't directlly parry the hit or dodge it completely. So he decided to grab Cynder's tail with his tail - a very bold move, even for him - and then threw Cynder in the air, exploiting her own tail slash to give the throw momentum.

As she was still airborne and upside down, Spyro jumper up to her charging a punch, going to strike the jaw, but Cynder recovered just in time to parry Spyro's punch with her's. Their paws collided with much noise, and some folks watching felt pain in their paws for them.

After that, they both landed. They both kept the paw they used to punch from touching the ground. This gave their landing a graceful effect, but the real reason they did it was because that clash hurt. None of them made a sound though, and were staring each other. Their faces were at about 30 centimeters of distance.

After maybe a couple of seconds - that everyone felt like they lasted a couple of minutes - Spyro went for a bite to the face, but Cynder managed to pull out just barely in time. Spyro made a mistake though: instead of inclining down his head while moving forward, he kept it straight, staring at his opponent. Cynder noticed, and then quickly answered with a headbutt.

And it connected to his nose. Very soundly. If someone felt pain in the paws for that parry before, now had surely fainted.

The hit stroke Spyro's head way back, and sent him to the floor. A bit of blood was pouring to the floor.

Terrador, who had the job of stopping the fight if someone was badly hurt, stopped the contest to ensure Spyro was alright. After some seconds of dizzyness, Spyro recovered and answered affermatively. In that moment, he realized he couldn't breath with his nose, so went on breating with his mouth.

A broken nose. Hah! He suffered definetly worse and still came out victorious against enemies that wanted him not just defeated, but flat out dead. So that wouldn't surely stop him.

So he quickly got up and in fighting stance. So Cynder, who was checking up on him, did it too. They both took a couple of steps back, still mantaining the fighting stance, and awaited for Terrador's signal. And it arrived.

Cynder immediately dashed forward, but Spyro didn't try to dodge. In fact, he didn't move at all. Until the very last moment:
he swiftly jumped to the right, but keeping his left front paw down, making Cynder trip.

After that Spyro hit Cynder with the wide side of his tail, aiming for the throat. And it connected. While that wasn't enough for slashing her, it was still a quite painful and dangerous hit: Cynder's eyes went staring the void, her mouth slightly open - a bit of blood came out.

But with everyone's surprise, she landed on her paws, giving her back to Spyro and with her head down - but still on fighting stance.

Terrador though, stopped the match. Cynder and Spyro protested, but he noticed that Cynder was still holding blood in her mouth. He deemed too dangerous to continue the fight, and despite the claims of the fighters, he declared the match draw.

Spyro and Cynder bowed to each other in sign of respect. The tradition demanded that. Then they hugged each other, and checked out their wounds. Spyro was still breating with his mouth, but he wasn't faring that bad. Cynder, however, fainted. Immediately, Spyro and all the guardians came to her aid. This was the last thing she saw, before closing her eyes.


When she reopened them, she found herself on a small bed, Cyril tending to her. She could breathe normally - Cyril was a very good healer - but normally Spyro would have been on her side.

Where is Spyro?

she asked, and Cyril casually answered:

Oh, he was called by the Chronicler

Cynder gasped: normally dragons used that phrase as a way to say "He's dead". Then she realized Cyril meant it in the literal way, and let out a breath: he was having a vision.

Cyril went on:

Curious, though. His visions normally last from 10 minutes, now he's being down for like, two hours. By the way, you have been sleeping for 14 hours.

14 hours. So it was night. Almost morning in fact.

Spyro showed on the door. Normally he would have greeted everyone, instead, he immediately said:

Cyril, call the others. We'll come all here, so Cynder can listen too. Something very important was revealt to me by the Chronicler.
We all need to talk, and fast

There were resolve and solemnity in his voice: he was serious. After all, noone would joke on these things. After all, the last time a dragon was literally called by the Chronicler, it was for him to reveal that the Dark Master was about to strike...

Spyro went on:

A great evil is about to strike, and we have to get ready. And if the Chronicler isn't exagerating, it could be something as catastrophic as Malefor...

Both Cyril and Cynder stared at Spyro, probably hoping for him to burst into laughter. But instead, he stared back. At the beginning with solemnity, then with a kind of despair in his eyes. Only a year and a half passed since the battle with Malefor. This peace was everything that everyone desired so badly that would die for it. Instead of looking like about to burst to laughter, Spyro looked almost like about to burst into tears...

So, everyone was there, in the medical aid room. Everyone sitting in circle, except Cynder, who was still laying on her bed, with a bandage on her neck.

Spyro begun to talk:

I will not go on the traditional formalities this time, as we have no time at all. When the Chronicler summoned me, he told me about a room called The Seal, in the depths of the temple. In there, I will find diaries containing the lives and informations on all the purple dragons and guardian leaders that have come before me. He added that I will have to check Malefor's diary, as in there there are the informations we need, in order to stop this powerful evil.

Spyro paused for some seconds, probably awaiting for questions. None came, so he went on.

He also told me that in that room there is an item that this evil carried over. An item that grants who uses him the possibility to go to his full potential. He didn't tell me more

Spyro stopped again, and then Cynder took the word:

So, the Chronicler himself couldn't tell us about this evil or this object? Or directly what we need to know from Malefor's memory? Isn't he supposed to know about everything regarding this world?

Spyro answered to the black dragoness:

For the second question, I answer you with the rules of The Seal and its Diaries:

Reveal Spoiler

1. Is defined Authorized Dragon the Purple Dragon who has grown at least 15 years old. If there is no Purple Dragon alive, if he or she is too young, or if he's too corrupted by evil. If there are two suiting Purple Dragons, only the oldest one can enter The Seal. If there are no suiting Purple Dragons, then the Leader Guardian can enter the room. As soon as there is a suitable Purple Dragon, the Leader Guardian loses this privilege.
(The Chronicler anticipated me Ignitus never did.)
Anyone else can enter, but it will be considered a rule break.

2. The Authorized Dragon can choose anyone (not only a dragon) who can enter The Seal with him/her. This person shall be referred from now on as the Guest

3. The Guest cannot read directly from the Purple Dragon Diaries, but he can read from a diary page if it was ripped away from a Diary. He also can read from the Leader Guardian Diaries.

4. There shall be no more than one Guest at a time.

5. The Authorized Dragon shall be the first to enter and last to come out from The Seal.

6. A Guest can enter The Seal only once in his entire lifetime. This also applies to the Authorized Dragon if he's the Leader Guardian.

7. No one shall rip a page from the diaries.
I know, my fellows, the 7th and 8th rules sound conflicting, but the last rule will clear everything up.

8. None of the Diaries, or items conserved between the pages of a Diary, and none of the pages, and the mirror, shall be taken away from The Seal.

9. It's forbidden to sleep while in The Seal. If you pass out for less than three hours without willing to do so, you get a warning. More than that, it will be considered a rule break.

10. If you draw or write on a Leader Guardian Diary, and not delete the mistake in less than 10 seconds you get a warning. Failing to delete will be considered a rule break. Drawing or writing on a Purple Dragon Diary will be considered a rule break immediately.

11. Getting two total warnings times according to the rules 9, 10 and 11, will be considered a rule break.

12. You cannot touch the mirror.

13. You shall not insult, harm, ipnotize, heal or kill anyone in any way, even indirectly, while in The Seal. You can harm, insult, and kill youself in the Seal with no penalty however.

14. Only the Authorized Dragon can proclaim the rules, anyone who hears them, shall be considered Guests.

15. If anyone breaks a rule (Or get two warnings) the Pact with the Ancestors will be considered broken. This applies even if a rule is broke for a fraction of a second, and even inadvertedly.
If this happens, at the very moment someone leaves the room or dies in it, everyone who had ever access to the room in the pass shall immediately die, including the Authorized Dragon.
This doesn't apply to anyone younger than 5 years old. In that case, they will live, and can choose a maximum of one individual to keep alive. So if, for example, 2 minors of 5 were granted access to the room, then 4 people can survive. Whoever survives thanks to this effect shall lose immediatly all of their memory regarding The Seal. The Authorized Dragon cannot be saved by this effect if he or she is the Purple Dragon.

For the first question, the Chronicler told me that this evil does not originate from this world, so even he cannot know about it more than Malefor did. Whatever he could have known... because the only thing that the Chronicler knows is that Malefor was a brilliant purple dragon, before this evil came and corrupted him.


After a brief pause, and making sure everyone understood the rules, he asked for volunteers to come with him in the room. Cynder volunteered first, and everyone agreed, so the youngest dragons in the group set forth for the Temple's underground, where The Seal was awaiting...

The two heroes arrived in front of the huge door guarding the sacred room. Spyro ordered Cynder to close her eyes before opening the door. He opened the door, then explained:

Remember, if you open your eyes now, and then look out of the room before entering, it will be considered as you exited it. If you are sure you want to come in, step forward, and keep looking straight on.

Cynder did exactly that, with her eyes showing great resolve. Once they both stepped in, Spyro closed the door.

The room was smaller than the door made them think. There were two libraries, on the left and on the right side, both with a desk under them. Must have been where the Diaries were. They both figured out that the one on the left kept the Diaries of the Purple Dragon, for it was smaller and the desk showed much less wear. So Spyro headed to the left, and Cynder went to the right.
They both noticed that on the side of every Diary there were two dates and a name. They figured out that the dates were the start and finish of that dragon's authorized period.
While the Leader Guardian's diaries were so many that was impossible to count them, the Purple Dragon's Diaries were only 20. He read out loud
[keep in mind, the dates start when this dragon turns 15]:

He went on many names, then he arrived at the number 19, Malefor.
18,045 - 18,047 were the dates on his Diary, meaning that Malefor got corrupted at the age of 17. Spyro also saw his Diary:

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

ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ
20. Spyro.
ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ
19.050 - 19....
ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ
Even though the date wasn't specified at all, seeing that gave him the feeling of seeing his own graveston. He shivered, but went on, and picked Malefor's Diary.

He noticed, reading the Diary, that it starte by the events immediately following the quest. He called Cynder, and started reading:

Today, the Leader Guardian, Reos, went missing, noone can even sence his life force. I was away when he left - I hope he is ok, he is like a father to me.

Only that for that page, quite weird. The Diaries also don't keep the record of the day when they are written. They are not even directly written: sure, they are in first person, but they are transcription of thoughts, that are recorded automatically. What a bizzarre artifact.

Spyro went on reading Malefor's memories:
After some days of research, we found him. Dead, in a horrible state: guts out, but he was deprived of any blood, like someone sucked it.

-----

Woke up, went down in the training room. Found Maliseh, ice guardian, in the same conditions of Reoh. Ice and fire guardians dead within a few weeks. What is happening?

------

All these events are driving me crazy. Not only the death of two guardians. I met a man - a human, a few weeks later.

ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ
dressed in yellow, yellow head hair. Besides that, completely shaved. Had a red star on his left shoulder, and three dots on his left ear. I felt something was weird about him. He wanted to spar with me, "My fellow humans are quite not a match for me", I laughed. Only the weakest dragons can be defeated by the strongest human. Then he taunted me: "Ph, what a disappointment, from the great Malefor, I was expecting more..."

I thought that would have been a piece of cake, and I had important stuff to do, so I accepted.

ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ
He was stronger than anything I faced. We were on the same level in that fight, but I knew he was holding back. I felt he had a power, a power that, in the wrong hands, could let people rule the entire world.

"Hmph. I am mostly pleased. Finally found some challenge since I got in this land. Keep training, we shall meet again soon". He smiled, I think he wanted to be friendly, but he resulted looking... well, the opposite. Then, he walked away.

--------
Mihoji, the Guardian of Electricity, went missing too. No, please, not her too. If Reos was like a father, Mihoji was the mother I never had.
-------
Two weeks. Please, Ancestors, Reos, Maliseh, let her be okay

The writing started to look like the one of an insane person:



Last page. Only three letters. That both felt, somehow, unbelievably and creepingly familiar..

Those three letters, DIO, occupied the whole last page of the diary.

After a long silence: Spyro begun to talk:

So this, is what we have to fight against... DIO. Must be really powerful, being able to corrupt a purple dragon. We have to stay on our toes, Cynder. This is no easy task.

Cynder shortly replied:

I agree. But I have many questions: how did this DIO come in this world? What is a "Stand"? What does he mean by Heaven? Why did he take control of Malefor?

Spyro answered, after some instants in thought:

I have no idea... but I think we'll find out, won't we?

He smiled, in a smile that expressed his curiosity and desire for adventure. Cynder couldn't help but smile too.

Then she said:

Hm, the Chronicler told you about an item that this evil carried over, and we would have found it here... but where is it?

Spyro replied:

Must be this closed religuary. And I think the best way to know what's inside, is to open it, right?

With careful gestures, Spyro opened the reliquiary: inside, there was an arrow. Looked like a normal arrow, but the end was quite big, and its sides looked like an axe's blade. Also, it felt heavy: surely a very strong bow and archer were needed for it to be shot. Or a strong arm, that could have worked too.

Spyro handed over the arrow to Cynder, so that he could put the reliquiary and the Diary in their place.

But the arrow started to move on its own, and entered in Cynder's left paw. Both Spyro and Cynder were shocked, and Cynder held a scream in pain, while Spyro tried to force the arrow out of her, but it just kept moving. It entered completely, and visibly moved under her skin, towarts her left shoulder. When it came out from there, it didn't leave any blood stream: the arrow was clean, untainted. Cynder quite wasn't, and she was breathing heavily, forcing herself to stay awake. Her eyes expressed pain and shock, but she recovered quickly.

I'm... I'm alright...

Then she sat down with her head low. She was slowly recovering her breath. Spyro came to her side and put her under his left wing, trying to comfort her. Then he went on:

I think we should carry this arrow with us, I feel that we will need it.

Cynder agreed, and then asked:

Do we have anything else to check?

And Spyro answered:

If you want to read some Leader Guardian diary or want to hear about some Purple Dragon diary, you quite don't have other chances, remember, you can enter here once in your lifetime.

Cynder closed her eyes and answered:

If time wasn't against us, I would read any single row of these books. Alas, we do not have such a possibility.

Spyro replied:
Indeed, we haven't. What we have should be enough knowledge. Hopefully, at least.

They exited the room, Cynder first and Spyro second. Then, Spyro closed the huge door, and the two young dragons headed upstairs, when two of the Guardians, Terrador and Volteer, were waiting. They all greeted each other, and Volteer, after a short silence, said:

You don't look too good, Cynder. What happened?

The dragoness answered she was alright, and told about the arrow incident. Spyro was carrying it on a belt he put around his body, just ahead of his wings.

He asked where was Cyril, and Terrador answered that he felt something strange was happening, so he went on patrol alone.

Spyro then said:

From now, noone shall go alone on patrol. After the informations we collected from Malefor's Diary, we must stick togheter. Volteer and I will go looking for Cyril. Terrador, look after Cynder

Yes, sir, replied everybody at the same time, then Spyro and Volteer went out of the temple, and started looking for Cyril. Spyro was hoping it wasn't too late...