Sonic the Hedgehog: Flames of Disaster

Prologue: The Festival of the Sun

The magnificent moon's glitter glistened off the surface of the vast, rippling ocean like a gleaming coin. Fireworks illuminated the night sky, dispersing minuscule embers that exhausted before reaching the ground throughout the atmosphere in a brilliant show of elegance. The delighted cheers of many people resounded everywhere as a lengthy boat drifted its way under one the city's bridges, carried along the waters by many rowers. There, standing at the very front of the boat, was a female.

She was garbed in a dress of white and gold, with an equally white crown that rested behind her head and curved forward. As the boat traveled the waters, she waved to the citizens applauding her. Other women danced in harmony behind her as the boat came to a halt at a platform in the center of the ocean and the city. A man and a woman, each in brown cloaks, accompanied her as she stepped off the boat and began an ascent up the steps, where two more tall men awaited, arrayed in the same cloaks, and with a shorter, older man in white and red, wearing a tall hat.

She stopped, and the man following her handed her a torch he'd been carrying. It was cone shaped, and an immature flame burned on it. The princess accepted the torch, holding it before her face and gazing into it. The tiny flame reflected in her bright cerulean eyes, dancing in its place on the torch.

In a daze, she watched as the flame arose, suddenly sprouting into a roaring, hazardous blaze. It shot from its holder and burst it way through every inch if the city, wrapping it in an envelope of fire. Even the immense ocean was dried up and a lake of lava took its place. The princess started to levitate upward, forced to gaze at the horrible scene that was unfolding. Ash rose into the sky past her. She helplessly watched as a blazing inferno came up out of the center of the city, a flaming, spinning tempest, like a tornado on fire.

Even this was not the end of it. In the midst of the enormous storm of flame was a sight to behold. A gargantuan beast made of molten lava surfaced from the lake. Turning its attention to her, it opened its mouth and let out an ear-splitting roar--

"Miss Elise?" and attendant asked, who was the woman in a cloak.

"It's...it's alright.." said Elise, and bowed to the older man, with the torch still in hand. Speaking softly with closed eyes, she said, "We give thanks for the blessed flames. May we continue to have peace. Sun of Soleanna, guide and watch over us with your eternal light." With that, she stepped up and lit a grand altar, which when lit ablaze created a marvelous design shaped similar to a bird's wings. The fire traveled all the way to a giant torch above the altar, making a gigantic flame in that, lighting up the city of Soleanna and moving the citizens to commence cheering gladly and sending fireworks into the sky once again. Elise began to wave and smile at the crowds again. All was well in The City of Water.

A man in red sat in his metal creation above it all, watching the festival and waiting for his due time to strike.