O Master of the ring, what is thy wish?
—Shahra as she magically appeared from her ring to Sonic.
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Shahra (シャーラ Shāra), also known as the Genie of the Ring, is the deuteragonist in Sonic and the Secret Rings. She is a special, eager young genie from the world of the Arabian Nights, and a character from the Arabian Nights tale "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp". During the World Ring incident, she enlisted the help of Sonic to stop the ambitions of the evil Erazor Djinn when the villain was threatening the welfare of the world of the Arabian Nights and Sonic's universe as a whole.
Vessel[]
Shahra lives trapped with her contract sealed inside a golden soiled oil ring. Once Sonic placed the Ring it on his finger, he met Shahra, who requested his help. Shahra's Ring has a unique ability to grant as many wishes as the wielder desires–however, the wishes are not very powerful compared to that of a lamp-genie's. The Ring displays an inscription on its surface that calls for good luck upon its wearer.
Powers and Abilities[]
As the genie of the Ring, Shahra was been trained with all the other genies by Hadji, Master of all Genies. Because of this, she's highly skillful, possesses magical abilities that allow her to grant the wishes of her master. However, she is restricted to only granting simple wishes, such as making a mountain of handkerchiefs appear, calling forth magical carpets, or taking someone into the world of the Arabian Nights. She is also unable to undo the working of Erazor Djinn's magic, as it is on a completely different level. Shahra is also capable of flight and transforming her body into smoke or a ball of pink light. In her light form, Sharha can fly fast enough to keep up with Sonic.
Personality[]
Shahra is a kind-hearted and friendly person. Shahra acts courteous, loyal, and obedient to whoever her current master is. Shahra is also very formal, constantly calling Sonic “master”, despite him constantly telling her not to. However, Shahra was once in love with Erazor Djinn, and desperate to make him love her back. To this end, her love for Erazor led her to perform immoral acts, assisting him in his plan to escape the World of the Arabian nights and helping to manipulate Sonic into gathering the World Rings for him. However, Sonic showing her kindness caused her to feel very guilty about betraying him, and she came to see that Erazor was a terrible person and sacrificed her own life to save Sonic from being killed by Erazor, showing herself to be very selfless and ultimately a good person.
History[]
Early Life[]
Shahra was an ordinary girl with her older sister, who used to get along and fall in love with Erazor Djinn from the World of the Arabian Nights; when She was five her mother was kidnapped and disappeared under enslavement by an evil wizard, and her father was harmed by him to get her back before the Wizard took Shahra's mother away. a few days after she turned 7 and a half, her dream was that she wanted more than her fearful mortal life; she want to have an immortal life. When she was ten, some forty thieves tried to hurt her, but she was saved by Erazor Djinn in his mortal state, they both easily fell in love. They would gaze up at the stars every night, but when Shahra turned twenty, Erazor told her that he heard the news about what happened to her parents, seventeen years ago, and he had to stop the wizard who harmed Shahra's father, and kidnapped her mother. So Shahra wished Erazor luck.
While Erazor was heading to the lair of the wicked wizard, to confront him, Shahra went for a long walk across the desert, when suddenly, the master of the forty theives sttempted to attack her. A fight between Shahra and the forty theives master wasn't long before he blew her sowrd away. He was just about to kill Shahra when a magical zap from a genie struck her. It was her mother who was turned into a genie by the wizard, and then was summoned by Shahra's little cousin. The zap from Shahra's mother that struck her daughter also transformed her into a beutiful and powerful genie, and after the transformation, Shahra turned the Forty theives master into a cat.
Shahra was surprised on what she did and to see her mother once again, and also realized her mother fulfilled her dreams to have an immortal life than her reqular mortal life. But a small gold soiled oil ring appeared and Shahra's legs formed into a cloudy and smokey tail connected to it. Shahra was worried that she can't be a slave, but her mother told her not to worry; when her master summons her, he or she will treat Shahra with care. As she was pulled into her ring, Shahra's mother told her to keep Shahra's parents close to Shahra's heart so they'll never be far, for how much Shahra's mother loves her daughter so much. To this, Shahra replied "I love you, too" and the last of her body disappeared into the ring. During that time, Erazor was able to defeat the wizard by stabbing him with a sword, but was turned into a genie by the last of the wizard's magic, and was sealed into a corrupted soiled oil lamp, filling him with evil.
Shahra was trapped inside her ring for ten thousand years, until she was released by her first master, "Aladdin" like in the story of "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp".
At some point, after the story, Shahra sensed Erazor Djinn taking over the entire Arabian Nights world, vanishing it, because of his betrayal. She then had the idea of using her own magic to carry her ring she's bound inside, out of the the world's book to find a legendary blue Hedgehog, Sonic, the only hope to save her world.
Role in the game[]
At the beginning of the game, she appears out of her Ring to Sonic seeking his aid. She explains that the stories of the Arabian Nights are disappearing as a result of the work of the Erazor Djinn and asks for his help, saying "Only you, the blue hedgehog, can do it." Once he accepts, he becomes her "master" and helps to guide him through the world of the Arabian Nights.
In the game, she grants Sonic special abilities and bonuses to aid Sonic in his quest. She appears to have a strong relationship with Erazor. She has a habit of calling Sonic "Master" (she's likely used to calling whoever possesses the Ring her master like a genie normally would), even though he prefers her to just call him by his name. While she does have high magic power, she seems to be unable to undo the works of any of the Erazor Djinn's magic, such as the cursed flaming arrow that he embeds in Sonic's chest. It is hinted that she and the Erazor Djinn were once in love or were friends, but when Shahra tells Sonic in the Last Chapter, "I just want to be back with him!", the former seems most likely.
In the end of the story, she is revealed as having a partnership of sorts with Erazor. However, she does not believe this is the "right path" when Sonic wishes for her to, "Do what you truly think is right!" When Erazor attempts to sacrifice Sonic, she saves him, sacrificing her own life. Rather than passing on though, Shahra's spirit melded with Sonic and aided him in his final confrontation with Erazor. She is later brought back to life with Sonic's first wish on the Erazor Djinn's lamp. After Sonic's last wish (that Erazor spend eternity in his lamp) is granted, Shahra cries, overcome with grief at both her betrayal of Sonic and the loss of a possibly close friend. Sonic, in an act of compassion, wishes for a mountain of handkerchiefs so that she can cry as long as she needs to, which was a reference to the beginning of the story. After calming herself from crying, Shahra thanked Sonic for bringing her back to life and saving her world, and Sonic threw Erazor's lamp in a fiery pit, before Shahra said goodbye to him, as he ran all the way back to his own world. She later, retires back into her ring
Relationships[]
Aladdin[]
Aladdin was Shahra's first master who treated her as a close and good friend with care.
Sonic[]
And hey, don't looks so glum, Shahra. I'll have you smiling by the end of this. And that's not me ordering you as your master. That's a promise from me to you.
—Sonic to Shahra.
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In the beginning of the game, Shahra asks Sonic the Hedgehog for help, so that he can save her world from the evil Erazor Djinn, Sonic agrees but he can only go in the book on one condition; he has to wear a Ring so that she can grant his wishes. Throughout the game she constantly calls Sonic "Master", but Sonic, with modesty, tells her to call him by his name. Erazor Djinn attempts to cast a curse on Shahra for disobeying him, she is however protected by Sonic, hence resulting in Sonic bearing the curse - a flame on his chest which will cause him to die when it wears out in time. Having her friend to bear the curse, Shahra apologizes for getting Sonic involved, Sonic however promises her that he will keep her smiling in the end of the situation not as her master but as a friend, they both crossed their pinkies together as a symbol of "promise". Shahra however shakily doubts the promise, in fear of the Erazor Djinn.
Shahra also appears to be hiding from Sonic on several occasions and is unable to answer Sonic when he questions about the Erazor Djinn or the seven World Rings.
In the end, she could not keep the promise and forces herself to obey the Erazor, Sonic in great shock questions her and commands her to choose what she thinks is truly right, however it causes Shahra to faint. Erazor made his attempt to kill Sonic in the process until Shahra grabbed Sonic causing her to die instead. In the end, after defeating Erazor, Sonic forces Erazor Djinn to grant a wish to bring Shahra back to life. When Sonic goes back to his world, Shahra speaks to herself and thanks Sonic for helping her world.
Erazor Djinn[]
It seems that Shahra and Erazor Djinn have known each other for a long time, because of falling in love in their mortal ages, until their separation. Sonic was suspicious of their relationship but persisted to keep a strong trust in Shahra by not forcing her to confess the truth. Thinking she had no other choice, she forces herself to break her promise with Sonic and therefore re-unite with the Erazor Djinn after his second offer despite being aware it was a wrong decision. Even though the Erazor Djinn is controlling of Shahra's emotions and would even curse her if she would not obey him, her 'love' for Erazor Djinn sustains and even cries when he was cursed back into the lamp despite his misdeeds. Therefore, it can be assumed that the two were lovers in the past.
Quotes[]
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Audio[]
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Trivia[]
- Shahra's name suggests she is based on the 1001 Nights character Scheherazade.
- Shahra's way of appearing as a ball of light in the stages is very similar to Tikal did in Sonic Adventure.
- In Sonic Rivals 2, one of the cards showing Shahra is referred as "Shanhra", a possible typo.
- Shahra's appearance seems to have passed on to Merlina the Wizard from Sonic and the Black Knight. While they are both Sonic's friends, Sonic had to battle Merlina as the final boss when Sonic never fought Shahra at all (Sonic trying to talk Shahra out of giving Erazor Djinn the World Rings wasn't an actual "fight", more like a psychological struggle).
- Shahra was brought back to life by Sonic's first wish on Erazor. According to the original Arabian Nights, the Genie of the Lamp cannot do that. It is possible that Sonic wished that first because the Arabian Nights weren't restored yet, so he took the opportunity to make the wish for Shahra.
- Shahra is currently the only Storybook Series character who has appeared in Sonic's world (Merlina was able to bring Sonic into her story with a spell).
- In the original story of Aladdin, the evil sorcerer who tricked Aladdin gives him a ring with a genie in it. This may be where the idea for Shahra came from.