#originally i was gonna have Lazule be a hunter

[axewchao]

Another look at the three new faces from the previous pic! They may only be memories to Dal now, but they're memories that he keeps close to his heart.

Fun fact: Everyone in Dal's tribe had their names come from gems. Would've had each gem connect via what they symbolize, but it was hard to get any concrete meanings when multiple sites would say different things about the same gem. So I decided, "screw it, go random."

Tanzi: (Name comes from tanzanite.) The older of Dal's charges. A shy yet curious sort, Tanzi loved exploring the caverns with her Warden. She especially loved lessons revolving around gems and their uses, and would collect different ones so she could practice making jewelry. Coming from a whole family of jewelers, it was clear that Tanzi would've had a head start on her future once she was of apprentice age.

Whenever she wandered the lower levels of the tribe's home, Tanzi would often sense something... "off" about the area, but no one ever saw her concerns worth investigating. Except her Warden, that is...

Ama: (Name comes from amazonite.) The younger of Dal's charges. Reckless and confident, Ama's dream from the get-go was to become an Ascendant and see the world above, and she spent every day trying to find ways to make that happen. Often to disastrous effects; proving how fast she could run led to her crashing into people/fragile objects, she'd nearly set off a few traps that could've seriously hurt her, and Dal himself had his own share of injuries when trying to keep her out of harm's way. Him being gentle yet firm was what made him the only Warden capable of keeping her in check, as others would loudly scold her, which both scared and made her all the more determined to prove herself, just so they'd stop yelling all the time.

Her motivation took a hard hit after her Warden was sealed inside a crystal; that's only for the bad guys, and her Warden was never bad!! So why'd the grown-ups take him away...?

Lazule: (Name comes from lapis lazuli.) A friend of Dal's since childhood, Lazule was an Ascendant; a tribe member that was granted access to the surface world after proving he was capable of handling the dangers that waited up above. His role was mainly to gather various herbs, fruits, and any other plants when requested. He did this happily, often coming back with more than what was asked of him because he wanted to spoil the puggles. And maybe get a flower or two for Dal, since seeing the latter left him more and more tongue-tied as they both got older...

While Tanzi and Ama are at peace in the afterlife, Lazule's spirit remained dormant in the caves, watching over the crystal Dal was imprisoned in, the Protector Pearl, and the ruins they both once called home. It isn't until Team Sonic arrives and frees Dal that Lazule finally passes on, knowing that both his dearest friend and the tribe's beloved Protector Pearl were left in good hands.

The new world Dalex had ascended to was completely different from what Lazule had always seen... but Dal would be fine. And someday, when Dal's time truly comes, he can tell Lazule all about it.

Until then, Lazule, Tanzi, Ama, and many others are more than content to wait.

#sonic the hedgehog #sonic oc #Tanzi the Echidna #Ama the Echidna #Lazule the Echidna #originally i was gonna have Lazule be a hunter #but then i realized the gold he wears wouldn't be very good for stealth and such- #so i made him a forager instead #gotta make sure the little ones stay healthy! #axewchaoscribbles