It is night-time, but no one is sleeping.

It was New Year's Eve, and everyone was celebrating it. There was not one place in the city where you couldn't be blinded by decretive lights or deafen by the sound of fireworks. But of all the places for festivities, the people were hanging around a colossal cauldron that was surprising unlit.

Coming down the canal was a elegant boat. The passenger of said boat was the current ruler of the land. She a fairly young human, with a thin body and short red hair. She wore clothes fit for a princess and wore the tiara decorated with dove feathers. But perhaps the most noticeable feature she had was the lack of an expression on her face. Even when the crowd cheered her name, the girl didn't even smile when she waved.

The ruler got out of her boat and walked towards the cauldron. Awaiting her were priests wearing ceremonial robes. One such priest slowly handed the girl a torch. She stared as the flames flickered wildly. It was mesmerizing, enough that the girl's entire vision was nothing but flames. And in these flames there was something there… something alive…

"Miss Elise?" a female says in concern. The girl, Elise, snapped back to reality. Now wasn't the time to daydream.

Facing the cauldron, Elise spoke. "We give thanks to the blessed flames. May we always continue to have peace. Sun of Soleanna, guide and watch over us with your eternal light!"

With a tilt of the torch, the cauldron was lit into a massive flame. With a mark of new year upon them, the people cheered louder than ever. It was a time where it felt nothing could go wrong.

Of course, we all know better than that.

What were once explosions in the sky soon became explosions on land. What were once shouts of happiness soon became screams of fear. In the confusion a flying warship flew overhead, and out from the warship came robots armed to kill.

Elise and the clergy were surrounded. They didn't think of bringing security along, even though it have hardly changed the situation they were in now. Their attention from the robots waned when they saw the mastermind behind this whole mess.

"A pleasure to meet you at last, Princess of Soleanna" the owner of the robots said with a bow. "I am Doctor Eggman. I've come here to obtain the secret of the Flames of Disaster from you. If you do not cooperate, I will you use force. Now, if you come with me…"

"My my… that's a pretty snazzy performance there!" someone says in a sarcastic tone. Everyone looks up and spots a blue hedgehog looking back at them. Elise eyes widen in surprise, but turn back to apathy when she realizes this creature is someone else.

Eggman groaned "Not that irritating hedgehog again! Attack!"

The robots open fire toward the hedgehog. Their target gets away with ease. Soon the hunters become the hunted, and one by one the robots get broken to pieces by the blue blur. Not wanting to be a casualty as well, Eggman fled back to his warship and took off.

"Thank you for saving our lives!" one of the priests shouts. "Kind sir, may we ask what your name is?"

With a wag of a finger, the hedgehog replies, "I'm Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog!" And with that he ran off.

Although the day was saved, there were hardly any people left to continue the party. So Elise and the other left by boat, wondering what else this new year would bring.

Meanwhile, another hedgehog was watching the entire thing. Clutching his fist, he mutters "I finally found him… the Iblis Trigger!"

UGHHHHHHHHHH THIS IS GOING END BADLY