Spyro: The Dragon Trio of Avalar

by Blackdrag-rose

Interlude: Time Off

Cynder yawned for a moment as she woke up and stretched for a moment, though as she did that she found herself in an area of Stone Hill, the realm that Spyro, Spike, and Ember called home, as the siblings rested on one of the upper parts of the realm so they could be separated from the hatchlings that were in this realm, despite the fact that it was clear they didn't have a house of some kind, something that surprised her and the Guardians when they explored the realms that were part of the Artisans lands. The use of portals to get from one part of the island to another, realm to realm based on what Nestor and the others told her when they explained the portal system to her and the others from Doxantha, had been interesting when they learned about it, since it was so different from what they were used to seeing, but all the information that they gained after she made her decision to stay with Spyro and his siblings allowed them to understand the Dragon Realms and the dragons that called the islands home. Interestingly enough the dragons of these lands also took that afternoon to rest and celebrate their victory over the dark forces that had threatened their world, as Cynder and the others had found that Alvar and the others had prepared a second celebration feast for them, even though they quickly learned that such a thing was a little common due to the three previous adventures that the siblings had gone on, to best Gnasty Gnorc, Ripto, and Morrigan, and now Gaul's dark alliance would be added to the list. While they celebrated their victory over the dark forces that sought the end of their world Spike finished his work on the latest journal he had been working on, one that he and the other scribes would turn into a book and distribute the copies to the libraries of their world, but Cynder had focused on the party and not much else, leaving the dragon to his work before he eventually joined the celebration as well.

Eventually she finished stretching and glanced out at the area that Spyro, Spike, and Ember called home, mostly due to the fact that she still couldn't believe that Spyro lived in such a peaceful land and that neither he or his siblings had stayed true to the nature of the Artisans dragons, despite the fact that Spike was the only one that might have done that, given his desire to write and add to the libraries of the world, and it wasn't long before the others stirred and got up from where they had been resting.

"Good morning Cynder," Spyro said, though he stretched for a few moments, something that Spike and Ember did as well as they got up from where they had been resting, before he walked over to the area that Cynder was sitting in, staring out at the rest of Stone Hill and taking in the beauty of the land that he and his siblings called home, before he glanced out at the realm in question for a few moments as he sat down near Cynder, where a thought came to him, "So, how was your first day in the Dragon Realms?"

"It was... interesting." Cynder admitted, because she had learned a lot of information from Spike while they had their tour of the islands that made up the Dragon Realms, and that included what the Leaders had to say about their lands and what each dragon clan did, before she even considered the celebration that she and the others had been roped into once she made her decision to stay here and not head back to Warfang with her father and the Guardians, "I'm still coming to terms with the fact that this is the place that you called home, as it is much more peaceful than what I imagined, but I can get used to calling this place home... I'm just surprised that you guys don't have a house or something to sleep in, instead of resting on the ground all the time."

"Well, Nestor and the others are in the middle of making a residence for us, since its time we had one," Spike said, as he and Ember joined their brother and Cynder by the edge of the area, where they could stare out at the ocean that was in front of them, even though he was focused on what he was saying and what Nestor had told him the last time one of them had asked the question about the progress on the residence they could call home for a good portion of their adult lives, before they separated and lived in their own houses, "it should be done at some point in the near future, like the next week or two if we're lucky, so soon we won't be sleeping on the ground and we'll be able to sleep inside a house and inside some beds, just like you're likely used to since Warfang is so different from the Dragon Realms."

"You're right about that," Cynder remarked, showing Spike that he was right in what he was thinking and that she was considering the lands that she would be calling home for the foreseeable future, even though she would be visiting the other lands at some point since just learning about them wasn't enough, despite the fact that the only one that she hoped for a short visit to was the Beast Makers island, before she considered what they would be doing today, which was a total mystery to her, "So, um, what are we going to do with our day?"

"We'll have to find Nestor and see what sort of plans he's come up with," Ember stated, mostly because that was how things worked in the past, she and her brothers would be told what they were doing by Nestor or one of the other Leaders that watched over the Dragon Realms, which usually lead to them discovering what sort of training they would be doing or techniques they would be learning that day, before she shrugged for a moment as she considered all of that, "there's no telling what he or the other Leaders might tell us, so we'll just have to find Nestor and see what he has planned, since I'm sure your father isn't ready to start training all of us just yet."

Cynder thought about that for a moment, as she knew that her father needed time to ready himself for whatever he had planned for the four of them, something she was eager for since it had been some time since she had trained with her father and learned a new trick or technique from him, meaning Ember was right to say that he wasn't ready and that they could do whatever they wanted for a day or two, because all of them knew that it wouldn't be long before they would start the training her father was working on. As such there wasn't much for the four of them to do besides head for the part of Stone Hill that the exit portal rested in, the magical device that would allow dragons and others to head from a realm and return to a homeworld, basically the reverse of the portals she had seen so far, though Spike admitted that Nora was in the process of updating the square shaped devices that were positioned at the 'end' of the various realms, and by that he meant switching them out for the standing structures, just like the ones that dotted the Artisans homeworld. It appeared that they were in the process of making their lands more like Avalar and Avilion, in terms of how the portals were set up in those two regions of the world, and Cynder found that it would take her some time to get used to the fact that the dragons of the Dragon Realms used portals in their homeworlds, to get from one part of it to another, and would fly between the islands that the other clans called home, even though she had Spyro, Spike, and Ember to assist her in understanding their part of the world. She was also sure that Nestor and the other Leaders had given her father and the Guardians a rundown on what the portals were, how all of the various types worked, and anything else they could think of to make sure their new friends understood what they were seeing, especially since they had to take in the fact that Warfang didn't have any portals before Spike set up the one that now connected the two regions of the world, something that was going to take some time to get used to having access to.

Once she was done thinking about that Spyro took off and headed for the exit portal, where Spike and Ember wasted no time in doing the same thing, to which Cynder spread her wings and took off as well, following the siblings over to the area that contained the exit portal and then watched as Spike and Ember disappeared after they entered it, leaving Spyro to assist her if she needed help, which was why they entered it about the same time, leaving Cynder to find that they were in front of the portal to Stone Hill not even a few seconds later, and that all of them were fine, which was understandable since she was sure the dragons would have fixed any problems at this point in time.

"Come on, let's go get breakfast," Spyro said, where he started to move towards the tunnel that would take them to the tower which would allow them to access Town Square's portal, since that was where Alvar and the other chefs usually spent their time, be it time for the various meals of the day or trying their hands on some of the more challenging dishes, something that Alvar would be spending time on since he had seen what the dragons of Warfang made for the celebration banquet Malefor had set up for them, before he glanced towards the others, "once that's done we can decide what to do with the rest of our day, and I have a few ideas on what we can do."

Cynder had learned, from listening to Spike, Ember, and the other dragons, that Spyro's ideas were generally good and well thought out, especially when it involved leading his siblings during their adventures in the other lands, showing all of them that he had the skill to one day become one of the greatest Leaders that the Dragon Realms had ever seen, and they were happy that he had left behind his pranks, the various tricks he pulled on all the adult dragons when he and his siblings were younger. That bit of information surprised Cynder, as she never considered Spyro one to play pranks on those that were around him or those that he respected, or at least that was what her memories of their previous life told her, so she had to keep a straight look on her face when she learned about the pranks that he had played on the others, before discovering that he eventually grew out of the habit and started adapting to whatever his future held for him, which seemed to be a hero to the various lands of their world, even if Spyro preferred by a flyer, based on the fact that he was the one that came up with the Hover technique, one that he and his siblings no longer needed for the most part. Of course that was when she shook her head and followed after the siblings, as she had been thinking about what she had learned the previous day a little too much and was falling behind, even though Spyro stopped to make sure she could catch up with them and not get lost, so it wasn't long before the four of them were walking through the tunnel that would bring them to the tower that was connected to the area their destination was located in. This time around, instead of using the whirlwind that was in the direct center of the tower, which would normally allow them to be moved up to their destination, the group took off and flew up to the walkway that was in front of the portal they were looking for, which took all of five to ten seconds when Spike considered it, before they quickly moved through the portal and headed to the realm that they would be eating breakfast in, which would be when Spyro told them what his ideas were.

It didn't take the group long to discover that they weren't the only ones who had gotten up early and came to Town Square for some breakfast, as they could see Hunter and his family sitting in one part of the center of the realm, Elora was off to the side with Bianca, their friends from Avilion were gathered together as they discussed something important, Sol happened to be sitting nearby, and it appeared that the Guardians were talking with the Leaders, no doubt going over how their lands were going to operate now that Spike had opened the way between them, all while Malefor stood off to the side and smiled as he saw everyone getting along. Breakfast, as the group discovered, was the same as what Spyro and his siblings were used to, eggs, bacon, pastries, fruit, omelets, and whatever else Alvar wanted to make for them, showing all of their new friends his skills once more as he impressed the Guardians with his skills, which was saying something given the good food he had tasted back in Warfang, hence his desire to show their guests just how skilled he was, along with the Leaders and their other friends. So far, based on what the siblings and Cynder were seeing, it appeared that the four lands that had been saved from the various evils that they faced, with the latest being the worst villain of them all, would be able to get along just well and that was good news for everyone that called those lands home, and Spyro was sure that one of the first things Malefor did, before their training started, would be to revisit Avilion and see the old lands that the dragons once called home, and maybe stare at Morrigan's statue for a time.

"Well look who it is, the sleepyheads have finally risen from their slumber," Hunter remarked, though at the same time it was easy to see that he was jesting with them, as it was actually about the time that the siblings usually woke up and that was why they were up now, due to their habits, instead of sleeping in like they could have, given everything they had been through since the newest adventure had started, before he smiled at them as they joined their friends, "Anyway, I have something I want to tell you guys: Elora and I are going to head back to Avalar for a few days, let my parents and my sister see the lands that they had been trying to protect from Moneybags and the other enemies that you guys dealt with... and Prowlus is coming along as well, to see how the rest of the Cheetahs in the world live, even though he had to make him promise not to smash Moneybags' statue, as he's been angry over all the crimes the bear has caused."

"Trust me, while I'd like to do the same thing, that would kill him," Ember stated, as she figured that if the statue was cracked wide open, like Prowlus wanted to do after hearing about everything Moneybags had done to Avalar and Avilion, it would probably kill whoever was trapped inside it, not like what would happen if, say, Hunter or Elora were to touch the statue and free the individual that happened to be sealed away inside it, before she munched on some of the food that was in front of her, "its better that he stays locked away inside that statue, so make sure no one from Avalar touches it while you're there... not that you need the reminder, Hunter, given what Spike has said in the past on the matter, so this is more for your family and their chief."

"I'll make sure that no one touches the statue, and I promise that I'll refrain from damaging it," Prowlus replied, where he showed that he understood what the group was saying and, at the same time, that he was willing to put aside his offer to break the statue of the one who had sent Hunter's parents to another part of the world, with no telling if the area on the other side of the portal was even hospitable for the pair that were threatening his operations in Avalar, even though he and his clan had welcomed the pair, and eventually their daughter, with open arms, "As much as I would like to punish the one that separated Akello and Sarah from their son, I will honor the judgement of those that watch over Avalar and stay away from the statue."

"Anyway, we'll be leaving once we've eaten breakfast and said our farewells to our friends," Elora said, as while she would have loved to stick around for a while and see how Cynder got used to living in the Dragon Realms, which would be interesting since she was so used to living in Warfang and dealing with the various dangers that both plagued Doxantha and the various islands, she was interested in showing Hunter's parents and little sister the lands that Spyro, Spike, and Ember had saved from Ripto and all of his minions, and then she would be back once everything settled down, to see how Cynder was fitting in with the siblings and the rest of the dragons of the Dragon Realms, "Got to make sure no one tried any funny business while we were helping save the world, and fix whatever problems we might find during our tour of the realms that make up our own home."

"And, while I would love to stick around and see what sort of magic lessons Spike might have for me and the rest of the Magic Crafters, we have to get back to Avilion as well," Bianca added, because she, Sheila, Sgt. Byrd, Bentley, and Agent 9 had to get back to their homes and see how everyone was doing after the massive battle for Warfang, especially with the discovery that the original dragons that watched over their lands were still around and that they had helped the residents of Warfang save the world from Gaul of the army he had built, before she faced the pair again, "but don't worry, we'll be back once we're sure everything has settled down... and the we'll see how Cynder is getting used to living in these lands, since its quite a change from what she's used to experiencing."

"Tell me about it," Cynder said, as she could already tell that there were a few times that she was going to have to get used to doing already, all from her first day in the Dragon Realms, and she was sure that there were other things that she would learn at some point in the future, either from the Leaders and the adult dragons or from Spyro and his siblings, but right now she was more interested in the food that was in front of her and what they were going to do today, given what Spyro had said earlier, before she turned towards the groups that would be leaving them in the near future, "still, I'll be waiting to see you guys again, and if something is happening in your lands, like a villain is attacking them or you need help with someone, just remember that we're ready to help you out."

Spyro, Spike, and Ember nodded their heads to that, as they agreed with what Cynder was saying about helping any of their friends that needed help, and it would be nice to visit some of the other lands after their recent adventure, though that was when they focused on their breakfast and enjoyed the food that Alvar had prepared for them and their guests, where Nester, the other Leaders, Malefor, and the Guardians joined them, showing that they had stopped whatever they happened to be talking about and were ready to eat what was being served at the moment. Ignitus and the Guardians told them that they would be returning to Warfang once the meal was over, and the Chronicler was heading back to the White Isle as well, though both of them would be returning at one point in the future since they knew Spike wanted to look at the archives of both Warfang and the White Isle, so they figured that they would bring him a few books the next time they came back to the Dragon Realms. Such a thing excited Spike, due to the fact that there was no telling what information the books might contain and whatever he might learn from what the Guardians and the Chronicler were willing to lend him for a time, though he knew that he would return the books in a pristine condition once he was done reading them, given what he had done in the past, to the tomes and scrolls that were in the Dark Hollow library, something that seemed to make the Doxantha dragons smile when they head it, since that appeared to be one of the conditions for them lending him some of their books. There wasn't much else they could deliver to the group, though Malefor did say he would have some gear readied for them by the time their training sessions started, showing that he intended on having all four of them experience how to move while wearing armor, even if he might be preparing gear that was like what Ignitus and the other Guardians were wearing at the moment, though such a thing excited Cynder since she had been waiting for such an event to happen and she now knew that it was coming at some point in the future.

Once breakfast was over Hunter and Elora bid the group farewell as they headed towards the exit portal for the realm they were in, so they could head back to the portal that would take their group back to Avalar, and it wasn't long before Bianca's group did the same thing so they could make sure everything was fine in Avilion, just like she had told them a few minutes ago, so in the end it was Spyro, Cynder, Spike, Ember, and Sol that were resting in Town Square, though Sol had to leave a well, just to make sure the rest of the Phoenixes were fine and had returned to their home after helping their friends defeat the dark alliance Gaul had created.

"So, what are the four of you going to do for the next couple of days?" Nestor asked, because he knew that, after each adventure that the siblings went on, the dragons in question liked to relax for a few days and get their energy back, just like what happened after they beat Morrigan or when Spike did his Archmage Ceremony and claimed his staff, and while he had an idea as to what the answer would be, given everything he and the other Leaders had seen so far, he wanted to see if his thoughts were right or wrong on the matter, despite the fact that he was positive he knew what the answer to his question was going to be

"First, we're heading to Dragon Shores and the beach!" Spyro replied, due to the fact that visiting the island was one of their traditions at this point, to celebrate their victory over the villain they had bested, even if the first time they visited the island was totally different from what he was thinking about, though he could see that Spike and Ember, at the very least, were interested in visiting the beach again, and Cynder seemed eager to visit the island that she had learned about after she and the others had arrived in the Dragon Realms, before he considered the other part of the question, "After we do that, well, I'm not entirely sure what we'll do after we spend some time at the beach, but I'm sure one of us will come up with an idea while we're having fun... and once we're fully relaxed and rested we'll be ready to tackle whatever training Malefor has planned for us."

"Well, be sure to enjoy yourselves while you're there," Nestor said, as he knew that they would enjoy themselves while they were there, just like they had done in the past the last couple of times they had visited the island in question, and he knew that the rest of the Leaders would think the same thing when they were told what the group would be doing, before he considered something that he needed to tell Spyro, Spike, and Ember, "Oh, and just so you know, the Gnorcs are in the middle of remodeling their amusement park, so they can add a number of new games and whatnot to the park, so you'll want to avoid that area for the foreseeable future."

"They must have heard what we did in Avilion, or maybe even Doxantha," Ember remarked, not that she was even a little surprised by what they were hearing, because the Gnorcs that worked on the park liked to make sure the dragons and their friends were entertained, so she was a little eager to see if they came up with something new, to test a couple of their skills and have a little fun, before she shrugged for a moment, "anyway, its good to know that they're busy, though it will take some time before we get to see what they're working on."

Nestor said nothing to that and let the group finish their meal, where he headed over to the area that the rest of the adult dragons, the Leaders and Guardians, were standing in, though the moment the four of them were done they got up from where they were sitting and headed for the exit portal so they could head back to the area that contained the portal that would take them to Dragon Shores, an island that Cynder was focused on since it would be different from everything else she was used to seeing. It didn't take them long to reach the portals rested in, where Spyro lead the way through the portal that happened to be the one they were interested in and it wasn't long before they stepped out onto the other side of it, where Cynder focused on the area that was around them and took in the fact that there was such a beautiful area so close to the Dragon Realms, before noticing the portals that were around them, far more than what she was expecting to see when they arrived in this area. Spike explained that there was a portal for each of the Dragon Realms, with some being for the other lands they had saved from the various villains that had threatened them, and he also included the fact that there might be another one that could be added for Warfang, if Malefor and the Guardians wished such a thing to happen in the future, though once the explanation was done Spyro headed for the area that the beach was in, something that totally surprised Cynder when they emerged from the path and arrived at the beach. It was clear that, while she was used to the watery areas of her home island, finding such a location was beyond anything she was expecting, so she paused for a moment as Spyro pulled off his scarf, Spike took off his hat and his satchel, and Ember did the same thing with all four of her metallic bracers, to which Cynder took a moment to do the same thing with her jewelry.

Not even a few seconds later Spyro tackled Cynder and knocked both of them into the water, where he laughed for a few moments as he splashed her a few times, something that was followed by Cynder emerging from the water and shook herself for a few seconds, since she was surprised by everything that was happening since she wasn't expecting it, but that was when she spread her wings and splashed Spyro in return, causing her to chuckle in response to what was going on, as she found this to be fun already. Spike stayed on the shore for a time, using his magic to manipulate some of the sand and digging tools that Nestor and the other Leaders had left behind the last time they were here, where he started building a structure of some kind, which he originally started as a castle and found that it quickly expanded into a city that could have been a replica of Warfang, or at least that was the case before he started to make it on a mountain, causing him to turn his head to the side for a moment as he did that. He wasn't sure why he did something like that, but as he worked on his sand sculpture Ember rushed over to where Spyro and Cynder were waiting and joined them, where they started to really enjoy their time in the water as they splashed each other and pushed the water around, though it was clear that Cynder was already enjoying herself, even though she had a few ideas as to what to do when she got to the sand, even though she and the others were in the middle of swimming through the water and splashed each other every now and then.

Of course Spike made sure to bring a few books as well, which he levitated while he was manipulating the sand and all of the tools that were around him, showing that he was still studying while he was supposed to be relaxing and enjoying himself, even though Spyro and Ember knew his definition of enjoying himself was different from theirs, but they paid him no mind as they focused on swimming around the water and splashing each other every now and then, even though it did gave Cynder a chance to spot the amusement park that Spyro and the others had talked about. Truth be told she was a little surprised by the fact that such a place existed and was even more surprised when she paused for a moment and found the green skinned creatures that were called Gnorcs, who were in the middle of checking the progress they were making on the renovations that Nestor had told them about, though it looked like they were busy and didn't look down at the area that the dragons were in, given that there was a good distance between them and the area the park was in, one that she was a little interested in investigating at some point in the future. Spyro, Spike, and Ember knew what she was thinking about, as they had considered the same thing when they first heard that the Gnorcs were renovating the area, but for the most part all of them enjoyed their various activities and their time off, as this was well deserved after saving the world from Gaul and his dark alliance, and while their friends also deserved some time off they knew that they would be visiting Dragon Shores at some point in the near future.

Since it appeared that everyone else was going to be busy and wouldn't be coming for a time, since the siblings knew it was only a matter of time until Nestor and some of the others arrived, the group simply enjoyed themselves and forgot about whatever worries might have been plaguing them since the start of their last adventure, though while they did that Spike noticed some magic in the area near them and found that Nora had sent them some of Alvar's food, contained in a container for later, so when lunch came around they could eat or have a snack whenever they wanted. He had to admit that the only thing that was missing, besides the other dragons that usually took a break at the same time they did, were the various sports Nester and the others played, even if he had no skill in playing any of them, though since it appeared his siblings and Cynder were having fun he decided not to bother them with the idea, since no one here had any idea what the rules were or how to play the games. While that happened some more splashing occurred, which he was used to, though it was also around that time that Spyro and Cynder kissed for a few seconds, even if Ember took the time to hum the 'kissing in a tree' tune when she saw it, to which the pair tackled her and laughed as they enjoyed themselves, knowing that they would be busy once Malefor was ready to start their training and that was why they were making the most of the moment, hence why they pushed their worries away and focused on enjoying their free time, before even thinking about seeing what the future held for them and their friends.

Comments

[PrismStrike]

A nice and relaxing chapter with lots of good exposition in it. i do believe spikes subconscious is starting to get restless as well with him crafting a sand castle canterlot (that was way to obvious). Also liked Spyro and Cynder showing some more intimate affection towards one another with that kiss near the end of the chapter. All in all another great chapter that i very much enjoyed reading. Looking forward to the next, keep up the great work

[SpikeSmolder fan]

Sweet chilled-out chapter for our young dragon heroes, they sure could use it after those hectic fights these past couple of chapters!

[Kamen rider yokai]

Yep the memories of Equestria is stirring so the next adventure is I'm guessing enter the dragonfly as that's when the hatchlings get their dragonfly companions and the return of ripto. You know for a Spyro game it's a really short adventure and I found a hero's tale was actually a lot better as a story so things should be getting interesting soon.

[Comickook]

Excellent job on this latest chapter. Love the work that went into the exchanges, characterizations and future chapter set-up in all the right places. I especially enjoyed Cynder's observations about the Trio's home on her first day visiting it, as well as the trio's friends checking up on their own homes (and, in Hunter's case, also showing his family and Prowlus around Avalar). Plus, showing Cynder Dragon Shores was excellent as well, particularly with Spyro and Cynder getting so affectionate.

Definitely looking forward to the next few interlude chapters as well as seeing what the next adventure will be.

[zachary12]

nice work

[DJScales]

Nice touch with Malefor and the events of the Legend of Spyro.