“

Youth

Cynder, in an attempt for protection, was brought as an egg to the Dragon Temple of the Golden Mushroom Swamp, where Cyril and the other Guardians kept vigil, but was later egg-napped by the Dark Armies the night of the Raid, and brought to the Ape King Gaul. She hatched in Gaul's filthy paws, in the Mountain Fortress built by Malefor.

Corrupted

It was during her third year when she was Corrupted. When youngling Cynder was “corrupted by the Dark Master’s poisonous powers”, she became possessed by Malefor. He was physically weak, but many of Cynder’s actions and words were actually done and said by the Dark Master, such as the various incursions against the Dragons, and perhaps even the quote, “If only life were that easy, little one.” When she said, “My master returns,” she truly meant that however, for she didn’t know that it was Malefor that was controlling her, and thought that bringing back Malefor would be welcoming a hero back to the realm, a hero that could possibly help her gain freedom as well.

General Cynder

Cynder was trained in combat and in Malefor's twisted lore; by the time she was twelve, she had become Gaul's second in command, and the General of the Dark Master's Army, specifically deployed just when the Dragons had begun to turn the tide:

~Ignitus to Spyro, The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning

But Cynder had her own motives for wanting to free Malefor:

~Cynder to Spyro, The Legend of Spyro: Darkest Hour, Dragon's Dawn

Cynder had detained the Guardians to use their power for the opening of the Convexus Portal, which was necessary for freeing Malefor.

After Spyro and Sparx travelled to Munitions Forge and rescued Terrador, Cynder burst out from the lava of Boyzitbig, holding the crystal with Terrador's sapped energy; Terrador tried to stop her, but he was weakened, so he fell to the ground when Cynder attacked him, pleading for Spyro to fly away. Just when Cynder had almost caught up to Spyro and Sparx, Ignitus appeared, catching her off course. A bitter in-flight fight ensued, and they both fell down, Cynder screaming. Spyro tried to defend Ignitus, but Terrador stopped him from doing so, and the three returned to the Temple.

Ignitus was taken by Cynder to Concurrent Citadel, which had become her Lair. Here he was—like the other three Guardians—held captive while his energy was being drained into a crystal, which Cynder intended to use to transfer energy to the Convexus Portal. Spyro and Sparx had been sent to Concurrent Skies by Terrador, who—after overhearing the Conductor say where Cynder's final preparations would take place—was certain that Ignitus was being held there. When Ignitus saw Spyro and Sparx approach him, he urged Spyro to quickly destroy the crystal, but once he saw that Cynder had gotten in the way of it, Ignitus changed his message, instead telling Spyro to save himself by running away.

First Fight with Spyro

Spyro fought Cynder, but she was left unscathed. After Cynder picked up the crystal, Ignitus was released from his shackles, and fell; getting up from the floor, he limped over to Sparx and Spyro.

After this close encounter with Cynder, Spyro had said to Ignitus, “There was something familiar in her eyes,”: the “something familiar” was sorrow. Sorrow that was so great, for a moment it had shone through the possession of the Dark Master. She didn’t know it then, but that grief was for all that she had done in moments of his control. All that she had witnessed him doing through her.

Ignitus then told Spyro and Sparx the truth about what had happened the Night of the Raid, explaining his failure to save the lives of the eggs, and his failure to save Cynder from being egg-napped and used as a pawn of the Dark Master.

Seeing the explosion of light emitted from a portal to Convexity being set up by Cynder, Ignitus was afraid that they were too late to stop her from opening the Convexus Portal. Spyro insisted that it wasn't too late, and convinced Ignitus that he could at least try to stop Cynder. After Spyro and Sparx left through the portal, Ignitus said a prayer, and then returned to the Swamp.

The Convexity Showdown

While back in Convexity, Cynder placed the final energy crystal into the Convexus Portal, saying "My master returns." Turning around to see Spyro and Sparx, she challenged Spyro to another duel: "No mercy, this time."

The battle ensued, one that would change them both forever. It was long and hard, Spyro using all he had learned from his masters, but eventually he broke her. The black dragon always had a hard life, and watching as life after life was taken by her own claws, yet being able to do nothing, made her into a force willing to do anything for freedom. But still Spyro broke her.

His sheer desire for a better life, free from the pain of this world, caused an outbreak of an element never wielded by him before. It was Æther. The symbol of hope itself, present in the very atmosphere and the spirits of all, and the true element of the Purple Dragon.

In his outbreak of Fury, Spyro broke the Dark Master’s possession of the Dragon once used as tool of destruction. The one whom Cynder had been hunting, seen as a nuisance to her own plan, had been ironically destined as the one to set her free. His energy had made her clean, purged of Malefor’s spell, and after falling to the ground in an awful thud she then lie motionless.

Cynder's Defeat

After Spyro had defeated Cynder, inadvertently cleansing her of her Darkness, he saw her sigh in pain, and her body return to its natural form, a dragonling, and her bracers fall off. This was noticed immediately by Spyro, who gasped, “She is just like me.”

However, the curious markings on her head, lower back, and below her shoulders had stayed. These markings were a side effect of the curse she was put under, but do to the nature of the curse, were originally associated with a benevolent blessing, and so stayed permanently embossed in her scales.

Cynder also remained a black Dragon after the purge, which was unexpected, as there was a rumor the ferocious Dragon was black as a result of her corruption by the Dark Master and his armies.

All this happened in seconds, but then Spyro watched as her young form, still black as night, was drawn in by the Convexus Portal, which had seemingly gained a vacuum after being opened. Spyro was unaware of where the portal led to, but knew it couldn’t be good.

Saved Twice

Rather than let Cynder's unconscious body enter the Convexity-Stygian Orcus portal, Spyro risked being consumed himself in order to save her. Letting go his hold of the ground, Spyro let himself be drawn into the portal. After an unbearable minute of terror, Sparx saw Spyro fly out of the portal, carrying Cynder’s unconscious form.

This is the story of how a captive wanting freedom unknowingly released the one who had chained her, and gained her freedom twice from the one whom she sought to destroy.

Back at the Temple

After Spyro and Sparx brought Cynder back to the Swamp with them, Ignitus told the other Guardians of his plans to take her in to the Temple. Terrador agreed with Ignitus, but Cyril argued against it; Volteer listed the pros and the cons, rambling on till Cyril relented. Ignitus told Cynder that he was sorry for what happened the Night of the Raid, and that he had always dreamt of the day when he would meet again with her, as an ally, then praised Spyro for Cynder's return to the temple, making both Spyro and Cynder blush.

Finding Herself

Weeks after she was welcomed back to the temple, Cynder's feeling of guilt grew, and she could no longer fight the temptation to run away.

~Cynder, The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night

Cynder went through the Golden Mushroom Swamp for days. She navigated the Swamp and the parts Ancient Grove, but the scariest thing she encountered was the call of the Darkness: beckoning her to dare return to a life of evil, to join the Apes at Malefor's Fortress.

Ignitus had stayed back at the Swamp Temple, waiting for Cynder to return, but she never did. After several days had passed, he left to search for her, deciding the temple itself would provide enough refuge, should she chose to return.

Lost Was Found

After finding Cynder near the border of Beastmakers' and Artisans', both were knocked unconscious, and taken by the Skavengers to Fellmuth ship. Ignitus and Cynder were housed in the same cell together, but made to fight in the arena separately.

A day came when Cynder was made to fight against Spyro, who had also been abducted by the Skavengers.