Work Text:
1 - From the Ashes
Pillars of smoke obscured the sky above Applenook Town, blotting out the sun and painting the world below in a canvas of black and gray.
The town was unrecognizable. Only half an hour earlier, it had been a sleepy village just a stone's throw from Green Hill. Now, it was little more than rubble: cottages gutted, barns collapsed into embers, apple orchards wreathed in flame or twisted into skeletal husks. The cobbled streets were smeared with cinder and bloodstains, the flowers trampled or burned away. Fire coiled and crackled hungrily through the wreckage. Imperial robots and war machines still prowled the burning ruins, their sensors sweeping side to side, hunting for any survivors left to crush.
Crouched behind the scorched remains of a plow, a young fennec fox shivered in terror. She couldn't have been older than fourteen, her light brown fur streaked with soot; wide orange eyes darted through the smoke, scanning desperately for an escape, but everywhere she looked, there was only fire... Fire, destruction, and the shadows of robots stalking through the haze. She swallowed hard, her legs threatening to give out at any moment.
Don't panic… don't panic! You can do this, Velvet…
The acrid smoke clawed at her throat, burning her lungs and making her head swim. Every breath was a struggle. She didn't know how much longer she could hold on. When a coughing fit seized her, she clamped a gloved hand over her mouth, stifling the sound as best she could.
But someone had heard her.
A shadow appeared beside her, reached for her through the smoke... and grabbed her arm.
Velvet yelped, twisting instinctively, but the grip on her elbow wasn't the metal clamp she'd braced for. The touch was warm, gentle.
A low voice whispered in her ear: "Easy, kid. I'm here to help."
A black cat knelt beside her, cloaked in bright blue robes; a battle staff was strapped across her back.
Velvet's heart skipped a beat. She recognized that uniform. "Sentries," she said breathlessly. "You're a Sentry, aren't you? A guardian of the Sentinel Sapphire..."
"I am," the cat replied, helping her to her feet. "Name's Opal. Stay close, all right? I'll keep you safe."
"But I need to find Father..." Velvet's eyes stung. Smoke billowed everywhere around them, and the air was searing hot. "Did you see him, by any chance? He's a fennec like me. A bit taller, red hair..."
"Another fennec... Wait." Opal's eyes narrowed as she studied Velvet. "The owner of the old training grounds by the river? Is that your father?"
"Yeah... yeah, that's him! Did you see him? Is he okay?"
Opal's lips pressed into a tight line. "Haven't seen him in a while, kid - I'm sorry. Everything's gone to hell, I haven't been able to check in with anyone." She squeezed Velvet's hand. "But if even half the stories I've heard are true, your father's not the kind to go down easy. Guys like him eat this robot trash for breakfast. Now come on. Let's get you out of here, okay?"
Opal's confidence calmed Velvet, just a little. But even that little, fragile comfort burst at the seams the moment they rounded the wreck of a smoldering barn. As the cat and the fennec ran together, Velvet's foot snagged on something buried in the ash; before she could catch herself, she stumbled, her hands slamming into the scorched earth. She looked back with a wince - and froze.
Half-buried beneath the blackened debris lay the lifeless body of a canine. His fur was burnt and singed, his face ravaged by the flames, his glasses broken. It took Velvet a long, stunned moment to recognize him.
The librarian of Applenook Town. The gentle old dog who always greeted her with a smile and a mug of raspberry tea whenever she stopped by to borrow a book.
Velvet's vision blurred, her body suddenly numb. She couldn't move, couldn't look away. The world around her seemed to blur. "No... no..."
"Don't look!" Opal snapped, yanking her forward. "Just run! Run, I said!"
Velvet's throat tightened. She didn't argue, but a heavy sense of dread crushed her gut: how many others had already been lost? Was her father safe?
And the other Sentries… where were they?
Why weren't they here, standing beside Opal, protecting Applenook Town as they always had?
Why weren't they using the power of the Sentinel Sapphire to save them all?
The questions spiraled in Velvet's head as they neared the village's edge. Then, just as Velvet and Opal were about to leap over the last fence, a metallic voice rang out behind them: "Fugitives! Destroy them!"
A whir of jet engines sliced through the sky, and two bird-like mechs swooped down from above. Their wings snapped open with a hiss; their long, curved beaks and blood-red claws gleamed like knives.
"Egg Harpies," Opal muttered.
Before Velvet could even process the threat, Opal was already moving. With a burst of speed, she launched herself at the nearest mech: the runes etched onto her staff flared blue as she swung hard - and with a sickening CRACK! the first harpy was sent tumbling from the sky. It slammed into the ground with a crash, sparks flying from its joints; its glowing eyes flickered one last time before going dark.
"B-behind you!" Velvet cried out.
Opal didn't need the warning. The second mech's talons slashed through the air where she'd stood a heartbeat before - but she was already gone, somersaulting through the smoke with feline grace. She landed light, pivoted, and struck again: sparks flew, the harpy's skull severed cleanly from its body. The rest crumpled in a heap of metal and fizzing wires.
Then, silence - broken only by the soft thump of Opal's boots touching down.
The battle was over in less than five seconds.
"That... that was amazing," Velvet whispered, torn between terror and awe. "But... where do all these robots come from, Opal? Why, why are they attacking us?"
"It's Eggman," said Opal curtly.
"Eggman...?"
"Haven't you heard? He's the madman who defeated Sonic the Hedgehog, and now he's hell-bent on turning the whole world into his Empire. I'd recognize his robot trash anywhere, we've had a few run-ins before."
Velvet's mind reeled, trying to piece everything together. "But… why come after us? We're just a small village."
"My guess?" Opal's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the burning ruins. "He wants the Sentinel Sapphire, and he wants our land under his banner. He's already taken the Mystic Jungle and Angel Island, but Applenook isn't going down without a fight, trust me on that. I'll make sure he regrets attacking our village." She turned back to Velvet, and her expression softened. "Now, kid, listen carefully: we're almost out of the village, which means this is where we split up. ... No, don't give me those eyes! I'm staying here to fight; you are leaving."
"But..."
"Look, something's wrong," Opal interrupted. "As in, very wrong. The Sentries at the sanctuary should have activated the town barrier and jumped into the fight the moment the robots attacked. But they haven't."
"What - what do you mean?" Velvet stuttered. "Why... why haven't they? What's going on?"
"I don't know, but I intend to find out," Opal said impatiently. "The barrier's down, however, which means the other Sentries might be in trouble. I need to get to the Sanctuary and make sure they're safe."
"But Applenook Town...!"
"Applenook is gone." Opal looked Velvet in the eye. "It's gone, and neither of us can do anything about it. I'll try to save as many survivors as I can, but you have to get out of here, understand? Sunset City's not far. If you keep moving, you'll make it there before nightfall."
"No!" Velvet clasped Opal's hand, looking at her pleadingly. The thought of being left behind - of being left alone - terrified her more than anything. "Please, let me come with you. I can help! I'm not a burden, I..."
"It's too dangerous, and time isn't on our side," the Sentry shook her head. "You're not ready, and I can't risk putting you in harm's way. You'll be safer if you..."
A deafening roar split the air, rattling the ground beneath them. Velvet and Opal snapped their heads toward the source of the commotion. Opal cursed under her breath.
The largest machine Velvet had ever seen was advancing on Applenook Town. It looked like a monstrous metal dragon - each leg towering higher than the tallest barn, its core bristling with spikes, a massive cannon mounted at the center. On either side of the colossus, rows of robotic knights marched in perfect formation, spears raised, their sabatons pounding like war drums.
"…if you come with me!" Opal finished urgently. "Change of plans! Come on!"
#
The sanctuary wasn't far, but Velvet had never been inside. Only the Sentries, the blue-robed guardians of the Sentinel Sapphire, were allowed past its gates. From the outside, it looked like an elegant temple carved from smooth azure stone, its many arches draped in chains of hanging crystals. Vines curled up along the stained-glass windows that lined its walls, the panes shining indigo, violet and silver.
It was a beautiful place... but also quiet. Eerily so.
Opal came to a sudden stop.
"Where is everyone?" she hissed under her breath. "The other Sentries should've been here."
"Opal..." Velvet wordlessly pointed, too horrified to speak.
Half a dozen bodies lay scattered in the shadow of the sanctuary, their sky-blue robes torn and stained with blood.
The guardians of the Sentinel Sapphire had tried to put up a fight... and lost. They'd all been cut down, one by one.
Opal gasped. "No...!"
Paralyzed with horror, it took them a moment too long to realize they weren't alone.
"Survivors from the village, I see." A dark, distorted voice; it cut through the air like a blade. "I should have known that bucket of bolts couldn't even finish the job. If you want something done properly…"
A gray figure appeared in a burst of red light, hovering in the air.
"You must do it yourself."
It was a jackal, suspended in an eerie crimson aura that crackled ominously around him. His face was mostly hidden behind a metal mask, with a single red visor cutting across it like a scar. Behind the visor, one golden eye stared out, unblinking.
For a moment, that eye locked onto Velvet's. She flinched and looked away, pulling back instinctively.
The jackal seemed to find her reaction amusing. "And what do we have here? A trembling little girl. Planning to use her as a shield, Sentry? She might last longer than those worthless weaklings you had the absolute audacity to call guardians."
"You bastard…" Opal's expression was twisted with pain and fury. She took a step forward, staff in hand. "Mark my words, you'll pay for what you've done to the Sentries!"
"Not my doing, I'm afraid… But I'll gladly handle the final details." His aura crackled, the crimson energy flaring around him like fire. "Fret not, Sentry. You will be reunited with your friends soon enough."
A vicious red beam shot from his palm, streaking through the air, ready to incinerate them on the spot...
… only to be deflected by a shield of ethereal blue energy, erupting from the end of Opal's staff.
"Go, kid," the Sentry snapped.
"Opal…" Velvet stuttered.
"I said go!"
Velvet turned, forcing her shaky legs to move.
She barely made it a few steps - then, a searing heat grazed her cheek, and she stumbled back with a squeal. Another red beam had purposely missing her by a hair.
"Scream again," the jackal sneered. "I quite like that sound."
"Hey, scumbag!" Opal dismissed the magical shield with a flick of her wrist and leaped forward. "Leave her alone! Your fight is with me!"
Opal was fast, but the jackal was faster. With an unnatural burst of speed, he blurred out of her path, vanishing from her line of attack and reappearing behind and above her in the blink of an eye. Opal barely had time to register it before a crushing kick slammed into her back: she hit the ground with a brutal thud.
"You are feeble," the jackal sneered again, hovering down like a predator circling his prey. "Just like the rest of your pathetic little order. For all your so-called magic, you still manage to disappoint me. There is no challenge, no sport, in hunting your kind."
Opal coughed, her fingers gripping the dirt as she pushed herself up. "We'll see about that, sicko."
She lunged at him again, and again he dodged. Opal didn't back down. Her staff spun and struck in a blur, but no matter how quickly she moved, he slipped past every swing like he could read her mind, ever slightly out of reach. He dodged and parried, dodged and parried, without bothering to counterattack.
"Come on, is that all you've got?" he laughed. "I thought Sentries were supposed to be tough. The vaunted guardians of this futile little town..."
Frozen in place, Velvet could only watch helplessly. She knew she had to run, but the idea of leaving Opal alone with that monster was unbearable. And just as she wondered what on earth she could do to help Opal, she heard it: a melodious sound, like silver bells in the wind... Velvet's long ears twitched, and she instinctively turned to the sanctuary. The chaos of the battle faded, blurred: it was no longer important...
Even in the glare of the inferno, the blue stone of the temple shimmered serenely. Velvet stared, mesmerized. Then that strange song floated to her again, slipping right past her ears and deep inside her brain. An irresistible pull, as if something was quietly guiding her toward the sanctuary: an instinct she couldn't explain, let alone resist. Slowly, she took a small, hesitant step toward whatever awaited in the heart of the sanctuary...
Then she looked down at the bodies of the Sentries.
Cut down.
Covered in blood.
Dead.
Something within Velvet broke. The wave of panic hit her like a truck; and all of a sudden, the simple act of breathing was a struggle, as though she simply couldn't inhale enough air, her lungs aching in her chest. She stumbled back, her vision blurring as tears welled up, burned her cheeks...
The Sentries were dead.
Everyone she knew and loved was probably dead, too.
Her home, Applenook Town, just didn't exist anymore.
Velvet's knees buckled beneath her. The world, her world, was burning down around her - and she couldn't do anything to stop it.
The song tried to reach her again, but Velvet couldn't focus on it anymore. It was drowned out by the cacophony of destruction, the rumble of the war machines, the crackling flames that consumed her hometown, Opal's cries...
Opal!
Velvet blinked, suddenly snapped back to reality.
A thud. Opal had been struck down again, and this time she wasn't moving.
"Opal…" Velvet breathed.
The Sentry lay flat on her stomach, her white robes caked with blood and dirt. She didn't answer.
"Opal!" Velvet scrambled to her side, knelt on the scorched earth; trembling fingers delicately reached for the Sentry's face. Opal wasn't breathing, she realized in terror. "Opal... Opal, no, please, wake up, please..."
"Your Sentry is not waking up. And don't think I have forgotten about you, runt."
Velvet shrieked as a hand seized her hair and yanked her head back, exposing her throat. Now quivering uncontrollably, she was forced to look up: the jackal stared down at her, his visible eye filled with contempt. He tightened his grip just enough to make her squirm.
"Aren't you going to even try to fight back? Show some backbone?" He almost sounded disappointed. "No? As I thought, then. Just another worthless coward."
His other hand moved to her throat, claws poised dangerously close to her jugular. Velvet squeezed her eyes shut.
"Don't you dare look away," the jackal snarled. "Focus on me."
Terrified, Velvet forced herself to obey. It wasn't easy. His predatory yellow gaze drilled into her, promising nothing but pain. Completely frozen by fear, she bit her lip so hard the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.
She was about to die, she was sure of it... yet the jackal made no move to end her yet.
"How does it feel, runt?" he asked flatly. "To look death in the eye and realize that, no matter how meaningless your existence, you would still do anything - anything at all - to see another sunrise."
Velvet muttered something unintelligible.
"Speak up," the jackal snapped impatiently. "Or are you too weak even for that?"
Velvet's voice trembled, panic choking her words. "I… I said… that it's… it's not true. I don't want to hurt anyone, not even you. I just..." She exhaled, stifling a sob. "I just want you to leave us alone. That's all we've ever wanted, peace..."
"Ah, of course. Peace. How quaint." His laugh sliced through the air, devoid of any humor. "I can't decide if you're a fool or a liar. Maybe both. But let me be perfectly clear: in this world, the strong prey on the weak. That precious notion of peace you cling to is nothing but a fantasy, spun by those too weak to fight back. And if you can't defend yourself, then death is all that's left."
In a flash, his claws pressed against her throat with such force that Velvet thought they'd tear through her skin. She winced, tensing in his grasp - but the pain she expected never came.
After a moment of silence, the jackal exhaled a bored sigh. "However. Fortunately for you and unfortunately for me, I take no pleasure in killing helpless weaklings."
He released her just as suddenly as he had grabbed her.
One blink later, he was no longer there.
Velvet gasped, her shaky fingers massaging her throat. It took her a few seconds to process that she was still alive. When she looked up again, she saw the jackal hovering above her, his attention fixed on the sanctuary.
"I am Infinite. Remember my name, and remember me. If you ever decide to seek revenge, I'll be waiting." He gave a dismissive wave, without sparing her another glance. "For now... run. Run, before the war machines of your new Emperor arrive. And don't fool yourself - they will make no distinction between a cowering little runt and an enemy to be destroyed."
Another roar vibrated through the ground. He was right. The dragon machine was closing in, slowly but surely.
Velvet pushed herself to her feet.
And suddenly she was running, panic propelling her forward like a primal instinct, barely aware of the tears burning her cheeks. She couldn't think, couldn't reason or focus; her feet pounded frantically against the scorched earth, taking her away from all the horrors she couldn't bear to face. The whirring of the machines, the gunfire, none of that registered in her mind. All that filled her ears was Infinite's chilling laughter.
Velvet knew that sound would haunt her nightmares for years to come.