Paradox

Disclaimer: Sega owns the STH series and all its characters. Lucky sods.

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I read in a book once that in the beginning there was light. Well, maybe not the beginning, there was some uber powerful guy too but I didn't really understand it too well. Heh, Blaze always did call be naive and I guess she that was just one of many examples as to why she did so.

She won't be doing that any more though…

I couldn't comprehend such a fact at the time. In a world of darkness, how could there be light? Darkness was surely what had existed in the beginning, it had had done so for as long as I, Blaze or anyone could remember. And if light did indeed exist in the beginning, why didn't it do so anymore?

I came to realise in later years, when I was less clueless (only slightly) that the book was indeed right, although I'd be better off reading one with more scientific basis if I wanted actual evidence for such a thing. It was sad irony really, that while the architecture and livelihood of former civilisation was in ruins there was still a relatively large amount of literature and digital data left. In hindsight, I think it may have been Iblis's way of taunting us, although such a thing was impossible since the creature was lacking intelligence. He, no, it, (that abomination doesn't deserve the justice that gender brings), had cut the foundations of our world and cut our arms short, preventing us from reaching back into the past so we could build a brighter future.

I've allowed that to happen I guess, but "bright" is hardly the adjective I'd use. I wonder how Blaze would have described it…

Although two-hundred years had passed since 'it' happened (no-one ever told me what said event actually was), you could still find religious nutters among the ruins, yelling something about repenting and how the end of the world had come. They were often more irritating than the weak demons that I…well, pwned would be the word I would use but in respect of Blaze, ever the mother figure who instructed me about decorum, I won't utter it.

But what's the point at this point in time? She's hardly in a position to chastise me right now…

Blaze once told me that "knowledge is power", quoting from an old saying, the exact origin of which was unknown to both of us. No doubt it was of the 'old world', though at the time in which she told me this, power existed solely in the hands of Iblis. Still, I, ever the idealistic one, took it to heart. I had knowledge of the past and although the origins of the state of my world were constantly denied to me, I still had a fairly good understanding of many subjects. Therefore, I tried to hunt Iblis down. Unfortunately, I lacked one crucial piece of knowledge-how to stop it from coming back every single time I defeated him (no, sorry, it)! Despite my supposed power, the power of the abomination was always greater.

I later accused Blaze of lying to me. I later realised that I had simply misinterpreted the saying, like many of the words of wisdom that came from her. Still, that won't be happening any more though…

Still, I persevered but nothing changed. I could reminisce on all my attempts, but such a tale would "be told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." Heh, I'm quoting something else now, yet another piece of literature I found in a burnt out library, yet almost all of its books still readable in a twist of fate. Blaze told me that it was a play performed in what was called a theatre, namely a congregation of people watching other people acting as a third set of people! It was a bit confusing originally but Blaze finally managed to explain it to me. Of course, such places didn't exist now.

I wonder if they'll be built in this 'brave new world', hopefully one that won't take after the world the book of the same name portrayed (as grim as things were, utopia seemed…frightening). Would Blaze have gone and seen such a production? I definitely hoped so, as I'd certainly tag along-I'd need someone to explain the play to me.

Of course, I'll have to try and understand them on my own now…

Understanding…I've come to realise that sometimes there is no understanding of certain aspects of the world. I'm certainly not going to spend time pondering why Mephilles chose Blaze and I particularly to kill Sonic and I'm definitely not going to speculate on the pre-destination paradox I set up with the chaos emerald and the princess. Some things are just the way they are without explanation and you better get used to them.

Blaze would probably praise me for that. I've finally taken my head out of the clouds. Perhaps that's where Blaze is? After all, who's to say she actually survived going between dimensions? If that old book is correct (the one which told me about light) then maybe that's where she is…

If so, she'd probably like it, considering that at this very moment light is shining through the clouds above me, clouds that are white rather than the colour of Mephilles's heart, if he indeed possessed one. I wonder what Blaze would say if she were here? I'll never know. I have no idea really, considering that I feel…nothing.

I can't help but smile bitterly, seeing how I've set up another paradox. Blaze would probably praise me for that, but if she were here, such a paradox would never exist.

By bringing light to the world around me I've made my own more dark. By giving hope to others I've stripped myself of it. And by achieving salvation for life, my own is considerably hollow. But surely, such things are for the best, right?

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…Damit, only Blaze would know…