I think the content of this chapter can speak for itself, so there is absolutely no need for me to say anything about it. Do enjoy, everyone, and thank you for your time and patience. :)

Clash of Ideals

The savage airborne battle between two titanic colliding forces continued to rage in the sky, its influence spawning out in every direction imaginable and even reaching the farthest corners of the Sol Dimension. With sheer willpower and determination, both Sonic and Blaze refused to back down from their struggle against the powerful mystic, trying their best to withstand and hopefully overcome the latest assault performed by the deity of twilight.

"Give it up, mortals" Arzazel said over the loud noise made by the collision between his magic and his opponents' retaliation as he put more power into his own attack, greatly increasing the size of his energy beam and shifting the balance ever so slightly, "Your defeat is inevitable as decreed by fate; you can't possibly win against me at my best."

"We'll see about that, stinker bell," Sonic retorted as he tried to push harder, regaining the balance once more and causing the deity to grunt in exasperation. After all of Sonic and Blaze's continuous and consecutive defiance, the leader of the gods had finally lost his patience.

"Tell me, warriors, why are you so adamant about protecting this world and the others?" Arzazel asked all of the sudden with a voice that clearly expressed all of his distaste and hate for the things he was aiming to destroy. The suddenness of the strange question coupled with the tone which Arzazel had used to voice his bewilderment caused the hedgehog and the feline to raise their eyebrows slightly in confusion.

"Because the worlds are homes to various living and innocent beings," Blaze replied after overcoming her initial surprise, "We protect this world for the same reason everyone would say if their own homes were threatened – because we love it."

"Hmph! Then do answer this question for me, dear princess, has anyone ever appreciated what you do for them?" Arzazel asked with anger burning in his eyes, an occurrence that both Sonic and Blaze found unbecoming of the normally composed immortal.

"What do you mean?" the feline asked, confused by another sudden question.

"Every time a problem arises, be it urgent or minor, you risk your own existence in order to shield, to protect and to provide for the people of this world. You selflessly shelter them from harm, from death, and how do they repay you, hmm? They fear you, they're afraid of you for your gifts; they try to stay as far away from you as they possibly can every time they lay eyes on you. The very flames that you use to carry out your sacred duties are also the thing that causes you to be teased by your 'precious' subjects in the past, which in turn led to you becoming withdrawn and even bitterly referring to your own power as a 'curse' at one point. Isn't that just unfair?"

Blaze, at this point, remained silent, causing Sonic to worry about whatever thought was going through her head at the moment. However, the hedgehog wasn't able to voice his concern, for Arzazel continued with his speech, this time directed at him.

"And you, Sonic the hedgehog" Arzazel said with a tiny grin present on his face, "How do you feel when your people take advantage of you?"

"What are you talking about, creep?" asked the hedgehog in bewilderment, not quite understanding where the fallen angel was going with this whole out-of-line conversation.

"Why that is most obvious. You and your loyal friends always do your best to protect the people of your own world, but have they ever done anything to return the countless favors and good deeds? No, they cheered; they celebrated; they laughed, and then they forgot about the whole incident afterwards. The next time anything shows up, you are expected to help them. You save them every time because you think it's your responsibility. With that naive mindset of yours, you unintentionally allow those feeble, insignificant people to take advantage of you, allow them to use your service for free. If I remember correctly, what did the governments and their agencies do when the two worlds were faced with the risk of collapsing when the Sol Emeralds were stolen by Eggman Nega? NOTHING! With their technological advancements, they should have been able to notice the dimensional rift, and yet they did nothing, relying solely on you and your friends to carry the tasks."

"Furthermore, I still have lots to say about each of your friends, Shadow, Tails,…but I suppose you already know about what they have been forced to endure already, correct?"

After that, a long moment of unnerving silence took place save for the constant rumble caused by the two colliding energy forces. Neither side uttered a single word for a while.

"That is the nature of this world…the rotten nature of the inhabitants of the worlds…" Arzazel spoke with a lower tone after a few seconds later, breaking the silence once more, "People use each other, take advantage of one another for their own personal gains and theirs alone. Promises are frequently made, but how many are remembered or actually kept? How many times do you think the lords and monarchs of this dimension keep their word to better the living standards of their people, to bring equality to the people? I am most certain can count it with one hand."

Still, Sonic and Blaze said nothing, silently listening to the god as he continued to voice his reasons for his actions.

"Throughout the ages, I have seen it all. Even inside my mystic prison with my sealed and greatly limited powers, I could still catch occasionally glimpses of various worlds in the multiverse, your own included, Sonic."

"People kiss up to the ones that provide them with benefits in order to reap as much as they can, at the same time, they torture and look down their noses at the ones whom they consider to be inferior and insignificant. They fear the different and the unusual, labeling them as freaks and ridiculing them for who they are; they ruthlessly discriminated and are still doing so against their own kinds for trivial details just to make themselves feel better; they constantly search for conflicts and wage war with each other the first chance they get simply for selfish reasons and personal benefits, despite what they and their associates agree upon."

"They casually pick up arms and kill each other in cold blood, claiming that they are doing it in the name of justice and that what they're doing is righteous and for a greater good. How many savage yet utterly meaningless wars have been waged under the guise of justice? How many innocents have been slain in the line of fire, their souls condemned to torture and suffering at the hands of the enemies? That I have lost count."

" The ones that you so selflessly protect are the very ones that can easily trample upon and bathe in the sweats and blood of the less fortunate, mercilessly preying on their trust and ruthlessly squeezing dry the little strength those miserable people have left just to make some meager fortune. They commit heinous and despicable crimes of varying degrees despite knowing full well that their victims and all those related will be left heart-broken as a consequence…People…They betray and backstab their so-called 'friends' and even 'families' the first chance they get, all out of blind greed and stupid selfishness."

"Lamia, Daez, Livyath, Bartos, Zephyas, Belphur,…all of them were once victims of this filthy, rotten world that you call home, princess. They were either betrayed or unjustly tortured by the wretched vermin around them, by the very garbage they thought was their allies."

"In the last moments of their unjust deaths, they cried out to me for help, and I granted their dying wishes, stripping them of their humanity and bestowing them godhood. I molded them into my allies in my grand design of creating a world, a utopia where everyone is treated as equals; a perfect world where there will be no conflict, no war; everything shall be collectively ruled by the seven of us for the rest of eternity. That is our shared vision, our shared dream, all for the betterment of humanity."

"And yet, our dream was totally ruined by the untimely meddling of Sol and her pesky guardian. And now, our dream is once again being interrupted by you, who carry on Sol's legacy. So answer me, oh brave heroes, WHY DO YOU EVEN PROTECT THE WORLDS?"

Silence…Still, unnerving silence took reign once more after the deity's outburst of emotions. Neither Blaze nor Sonic uttered a word after Arzazel's long speech and harsh accusations directed at the inhabitants of every universe. They took a moment to take everything in, trying to process the knowledge that the fallen angel had provided them with, and remained still.

…

It was quite a while before Blaze could find her own voice again. Once she had, the cat then directed her gaze at the menacing deity dead in the eyes, quietly studying the intense emotions visible within those mismatched orbs. She then opened her mouth and spoke, her voice soft yet resolute as ever.

"You are right!" she said, shocking Sonic out of his trance and forcing him to look at his partner in absolute surprise.

"B-Blaze?" he muttered, his voice trembling slightly with shock and to a certain extent, fear.

"You are correct, Arzazel," Blaze said louder without meeting Sonic's confused gaze. "There are many things that are unjust and wrong in this world. There are people who can easily sever ties and betray others without giving it a second thought. There are always those that search for conflict for no apparent reason or purely for personal gains…"

Blaze then grew silent again. Sonic was now horrified by what his friend was saying, while Arzazel now wore a proud and triumphant look on his face.

"BUT," Blaze said all of the sudden, making the smile on the fallen angel's face falter and later disappear completely when the cat continued, "There will always be people who believe in the goodness of others. I refuse to believe that the world is dominated only by the most selfish and hideous of monsters."

After taking another deep breath, Blaze looked at the mighty god directed in the eyes, seeing those mismatched orbs burning more intensely with rage and disgust.

"You once said to me: 'Within every living creature, no matter how pure and noble, exists darkness', well, you are correct, but I have something to tell you as well, Arzazel. Even in the deepest, darkest veil of darkness, there exists light; the tiny speck of light that stands for hope, trust, bond, and goodness…the very light that can beam and grow into a beautiful radiance if properly nurtured and preserved."

"Unlike you, who have already forsaken your mind and resigned yourself to spreading hate and vengeance upon the unjust, I see the world in a different light. I believe that people, no matter how ugly they may seem at first, are capable of change."

"Yes, my flames caused me to be distanced and secluded, my flames caused me to be feared and withdrawn, yet they also led me to meeting new friends, new allies that I know will never abandon me. And now, some of my subjects have even changed their views on me and my power, they've changed their opinions of me as well. While not all have, those few people are all that I need, because they prove my point correct – that they are capable of changing for the better with the right motivation."

"I believe with all my heart and soul that there are trust and bond in this world that cannot be broken by mediocre temptations. There are always people who would willingly throw their own lives away for the sake of others; there are always people who perform good deeds for others around them out of pure kindness, without even asking for anything in return. That's the part where you should focus your energy on – the light within darkness, not the darkness eclipsing the light."

Blaze stopped momentarily to draw in a long breath before continuing.

"Times change, and people change. As time goes by, people will eventually realize their mistakes and make amends for their misdeeds, while the minority of others that don't learn shall eventually face the wrath of karma and reap whatever evil they have sowed. That is justice. If the laws can't touch them, fate undoubtedly will."

At that moment, Sonic's frown disappeared entirely, replaced by a smile that clearly showed how proud he was of his friend. Instantly, the hedgehog turned his head toward Arzazel, who was trembling with anger.

"Blaze is right," said Sonic, "Regarding what you say about my, and I quote, 'naive mindset' that allowed others to take advantage of me, I'll tell you something as well. I don't save my world from destruction out of obligation or responsibility or any of that jazz. I, along with my friends, help everyone because we want to. That is our choice, our own decision. We don't care if they appreciate us or not, all I know is that I can wake up another day and continue exploring the world and hanging out with the people I love."

This time, it was Arzazel who was rendered utterly speechless by yet another act of defiance from his opponents. In the back of his mind where he had been trying to suppress for millennia, the words of a fellow goddess suddenly surfaced and echoed in his head.

"Arzazel my dear, don't waste all of your precious time looking only at the unsightly and unjust. The world is too broad and too beautiful to be soiled by a handful of mean and petty individuals. If you focus harder, you will see that most people are not as bad as you make them to be. Give them time; they may just surprise you...as they did me."

Snapping back to reality, Arzazel squeezed his eyes shut to block off that ringing noise in his head and subsequently let out a deafening roar, making both Sonic and Blaze flinch momentarily.

"Shut up…Shut up…Shut up…SHUT UP!" yelled the now furious deity. His anger also helped fuel his might and consequently increased the power of his magical attack even more. Due to the sudden boost in the god's strength, the balance was tipped even further, with the deadly force getting closer and closer to Sonic and Blaze.

"Why? Why do you refuse to acknowledge that simple truth?" Arzazel continued, his voice almost inaudible, "If you still insist on defying me, then I have no further use for the likes of you. You can die as the worthless vermin you are."

With that, Arzazel's body glowed and his attack grew even bigger, slowly and gradually overpowering Sonic and Blaze's combined might.

"No way I'm ever going to lose against a single-minded moron who can't even listen to reason" Sonic said to his partner as he and Blaze tried desperately to make a comeback.

"That's right!" Blaze stressed, "For the sake of the worlds and all that live in them, we WILL defeat you, Arzazel."

With a loud battle cry, Sonic and Blaze put more power into their combined blast, an act that managed to tip the balance yet again, this time away from them.

To Arzazel's absolute horror, the scale began to tip in the heroes' favor. Sonic and Blaze continued to exert their efforts while slowly but steadily making their way toward the fallen angel on the other side of the collision.

"No, this cannot be…" Arzazel muttered in disbelief as he was being slowly pushed back by the determined warriors. "Me? A god? Pushed back by a pair of puny mortals? Impossible!"

"Give us enough time and we mortals just may surprise you, oh powerful god," Blaze said, further shaking Arzazel's concentration even more.

…

The long and exhausting battle continued to rage across the heavens, resulting in the creations of unusual and untimely phenomena in every part the worlds, both Blaze's and Sonic's.

The next few minutes would be extremely unnerving for both parties on opposing ends of the war. Arzazel, having now been forced to go on the defensive, was utterly horrified by the mortals' iron will to carry on fighting. Even in the presence of a mighty god, they persisted and relentlessly pushed on, refusing to stand down, not even a single step.

Sonic and Blaze, on the other hand, were pouring more and more power into their combined attack. Slowly but steadily, the duo's collective energies began to overpower Arzazel's.

…

Crack…

'What?' the crimson-winged angel wondered when the foreign sound reached his ear, prompting him to slowly turn his head around to look at the source. To his horror, the object from which the sound had originated was one of his floating magical spheres, the things that were currently keeping his spell in check.

'Impossible! How can this be?'

At that time, more familiar cracking noises came from the other spheres almost simultaneously, confirming the deity's fear. The cracks were small at first, but they grew larger and larger, until the pressure became too much and all six of the magical orbs exploded a few seconds later, effectively cancelling out Arzazel's attack altogether.

The next moment, the mystic of twilight was directly and painfully hit by Sonic and Blaze's combined energy burst, causing him excruciating and unbearable agony.

Arzazel, now screaming loudly from the damage inflicted on him, was subsequently tackled by a charge attack by both super-powered beings squarely on the stomach.

"This ends now, Arzazel" shouted both Blaze and Sonic as they made a detour and dashed toward the direction of the gods' chamber, where the others were waiting.

…

Shortly afterwards, Sonic and Blaze crashed through the sturdy ceiling of the mystic chamber, sending the limp body of a badly injured Arzazel hitting the ground with a mighty force, which seemed to knock the light out of him. The battered form of the fallen god now lied unresponsive on the ground, unmoving and still with his eyes tightly closed.

Immediately after the rough landing, Sonic and Blaze, still in their super forms, rendezvoused with their other friends, who were cheering loudly with joy and relief.

Tails, in particular, tackled Sonic and hugged him tightly, tears of happiness running unchecked from his sapphire eyes like a huge downpour. Sonic, still standing thanks to his current invincibility, happily returned the warm and much-needed gesture while being mindful not to snap his best friend in half like a toothpick with his godly strength.

"Sonic, I'm so glad you're okay," the fox said as he squeezed even harder.

"Hey, buddy, chillax. I'm fine, a little beaten up, but otherwise fine. I just need a buffet of chilidogs and I'll be okay," Sonic said jokingly as he gently stroked the fox's head while shooting a sly look at Blaze, making her shake her head slightly in amusement.

"Don't worry, Mr. Gluttony," Blaze said with mock annoyance, "I still remember our deal."

"Just a reminder" replied the hedgehog with a playful shrug.

"So, should we seal him up?" Shadow said as he pointed at the seemingly unconscious form of the fallen angel Arzazel.

"Leave him to me," Sonic said, but Blaze put a hand in front of him, immediately stopping the hedgehog from advancing any further.

"No, Arzazel is my responsibility," she said, "I will seal him. With the revived power of the Sol Emeralds, I can do that on my own now."

With that, the burning feline approached the fallen adversary and generated the pure white Sol Emerald. Holding it out, Blaze began to chant the incantation of the guardian and focused her energy onto the sacred gem.

"The Light shines bright as Darkness dies
To protect all that's just and right
Let those who turn to Evil's wight
Be cleansed by Sol's brilliant might."

The white Emerald began to glow and a second later, shooting out a small ray of light that shot itself directly at Arzazel's body. After that moment, the fallen deity's being started to levitate and slowly turn into countless particles of light.

"Finally, the long journey is at its end," Blaze said, unable to contain her immense joy and happiness, "With the sealing of the last god of destruction, the residents of every world can now rest at ease."

The others cheered in agreement with the feline and began to celebrate as well. In their moment of utter joy, however, they failed to notice a tiny twitch of the seemingly unconscious god's finger, a tiny and subtle gesture that would eventually give way to a huge trouble afterward.

…