Transparent Living

by PinoyPony

Chapter 44: Demon's Defeat

In a flurry of commotion, Luna’s horn stopped glowing. Dazzle felt her hooves touch the bark of the tree. On the painting, she saw Luna turn her back on the Demon. She bucked, sending Demon flying backward and tumbling onto a patch of coarse dirt. Demon laid there, twitching for a second.

“She won’t be down for long.” Luna bowed her head solemnly as her horn glowed. The gem from the collar of the Timberwolf sailed out of its slot and made its way to Luna’s neck.

“I’m sorry, Diamond, but you know just as I do that I need to take over as the Element of Perseverance.” Luna said.

“I understand, Princess.” Diamond said, pushing the tree with her might. The words were easy, yet the feeling was harder. She felt a hollowness in her soul, like a huge part was taken out of her. Silver Spoon, her friend for as long as she could remember, was no longer with her.

Crying, Vertigo and Napoleon hugged and held each other. Diamond had a feeling that she should speak to them.

“Vertigo. Napoleon. Don’t blame yourselves.” Diamond said with a croak in her throat. She drew on her remaining strength to say the next sentence firmly. “Silver Spoon took the blow for you, please honor what she did by finishing what she set out to accomplish.”

Carefully, Napoleon got up. Reaching out, he pulled Vertigo up on her hooves. Napoleon’s horn glowed. Glancing at the Timberwolf, a sphere of light formed around comatose Silver Spoon. The shield was miniscule compared to the protective shield that Luna cast. However, she knew that Napoleon’s contribution was all that he could muster right now.

“Thank you, Napoleon,” Diamond said, knowing the gesture was from his heart.

He nodded then turned back towards the painting. “One minute forty seconds left.” He said monotonously.

“Affirmative.” Luna said.

“Miss me?” A distorted voice said from behind.

Demon Dazzle fired a blast from her horn. A ball of incendiary sailed through the air and nicked Luna as she dodged.

Underdog came in, lowering his head. A shield arced over his temple. Demon was too busy with Luna she didn’t notice Underdog until a second before he rammed her in the barrel.

Underdog flew back in the recoil.

“Underdog! Are you okay?!” Diamond asked.

“Yep!” Underdog said, getting up and charging towards Demon again. “Somepony knows their spells! I didn’t feel so much of a hoofball to the noggin!”

Diamond looked down towards the surface. The form of Napoleon with his horn lit brighter was evidence enough. He was giving it his best. She pushed the branch a little harder, flapped her wings a little more furiously.

“Thirty Seconds!” Napoleon shouted.

Almost there! She was almost home free!

Her smile was stolen as Demon Dazzle lunged towards the tree.

Luckily, Luna placed a shot that hit Demon in the nape of her neck.

It barely nicked her, but before she could sneer, Napoleon swiveled and kicked her in the snout.

She flinched, and veered off just enough that she missed the trunk of the tree.

Luna, seeing the window of opportunity knocked Demon back with a blast from the horn. Demon landed on the ground, a meager three meters from the trunk.

“Well, If I can’t have the tree, I deserve consolation!” Demon said as her horn glowed. Luna braced, looking all around her for the direction of the hit. Without warning, the blast flew out of nowhere and side-swiped Napoleon.

“No!” Napoleon shouted.

The shield around the Timberwolf disappeared.

Demon lowered her horn at Silver Spoon.

---

Diamond had no Idea how it happened, but she flashed. When she regained her balance, the shot from Demon’s horn came hurtling towards her.

Diamond fell back as the spell surged through her. It felt as if her soul was being ripped apart.

Demon sneered. “Oh, better prize than I thought.”

Diamond coughed. She hacked out something lodged in her throat. Spitting it on the grass, she felt woozy. Dizzy and nauseated, she saw the color of red spit on the green grass wiggle and wave.

“Familiar? This is what it would feel like hitting the pavement from eleven stories!” Demon said. “It’s only a matter of time before―”

Diamond’s horn sparked and fizzled to life.

“Diamond Dazzle Tiara! NO!” Luna shouted.

Diamond focused on the fabric of the dream, aligning the particles around her just right.

“Heh, you dare oppose me?” Demon Dazzle sneered. “I’m you. I know your every move, the lies you tell yourself… Go on, blast me!”

Diamond winced at the sharp pain in her skull. She focused even more, feeling the familiar magic she had done previous. She had no idea how to pull it off, but she had to try. Do or die.

Diamond craned her neck upwards towards the sky, feeling the earth underneath her surge up like a cresting wave, ready to collapse.

Demon’s sneer slowly melted into a look of sheer terror as the grassy mountains yawned, threatening to swallow her.

Diamond, with all her might, slammed her head down towards the grass.

A wall of dirt surged upward, It separated her from herself. Suddenly, the dirt latched onto the roots of the tree and pulled it towards the ground.

Shock waves of earth, acting like water rolled out, sending Demon flying.

“NO!” Demon bellowed.

The tree reached the ground. Roots sprawled upward instantly, latching onto Demon, catching her midair.

Diamond took a shot at her Demon, with all the energy and pain coursing through her veins. She never felt more alive. More present. More lucid.

The shot paralyzed Demon.

A beacon of light thundered through the top of the tree like lightning and pierced the sky. Light blue inked across the sky, diffusing through the darkened skies until every bit of darkness was vanquished.

“Now, Diamond!” Luna commanded.

Diamond touched the ground… then bowed. A glittery glow of light in the insignia of her cutie mark, flashed briefly on the trunk, then faded.

---

“Well done Diamond Dazzle Tiara.” Luna bowed.

All around her, she saw her friends run and land next to her. Together, they all joined in a group hug. Vertigo first, Napoleon next, followed by Bling, Underdog, and to her surprise, Silver Spoon. Out of her suit of armor, no less.

“What? How?!” Diamond asked.

Silver Spoon smiled. “I don’t know. All I remember is that you beat my demon and yours. I owe my victory to you.”

The group let go long enough that Silver Spoon made her way to the center.

As Diamond held her best friends in embrace, she saw ponies approaching from the distance, the townsfolk slowly coming out of their places of shelter and refuge.

“Father!” Diamond broke from the group hug and ran towards the Alicorn Prince and hug-tackled him.

“That’s my Diamond,” he said, hugging her back and tousling her hair, careful not to knock of the tiara.

She guided him towards back towards her group of friends.

As she did, Luna approached her. “I’m sorry Diamond Tiara, but I wasn’t being completely honest with you.”

Diamond raised an eyebrow. “With what?”

Luna stepped aside. “She insisted on watching.”

Behind Luna, Coco stood with a smile on her face. She held out a hoof.

“Is it really you?” Diamond asked.

“She’s the merge I didn’t tell you about.” Luna said, almost chuckling.

Diamond ran and hugged her mother.

“How long have you been watching?”

“As soon as Vertigo and Silver came in.” Coco said. “That doesn’t matter though! I’m so proud of you!”

Everypony came in for a bigger embrace, friends and family.

“So… No more darkness? No more sad?” Coco asked.

“No more sad,” Diamond cried. For once in her life, her life came in full circle. She had friends. She had a loving family. Her life was complete. She deserved it. It was hers, to share and to cherish.

Suddenly, Diamond pulled away, a sharp pain running through her head. Everypony looked in horror as she reared back and fell to the ground.

“No! Not now! Not ever!” Underdog screamed, running up to her.

The pain stopped, but she felt her vision going black.

“What? What’s going on?” Diamond asked weakly, ringing in her ears.

“Luna! You said this was a dream!” Underdog turned his head towards the Princess.

Diamond couldn’t see anything anymore. She could only hear the muffled cries and sobs from the crowd.

“This is a dream.” Luna said. “I don’t know why her mind would conjure this… unless…”

“Unless what?” Underdog shouted.

“It doesn’t make any sense though! She’s an earth pony!” Luna shouted.

Suddenly, Diamond was aware of what was occurring.

---

Blindly, she felt the whole world shift as the sounds grew faint and distorted, then grow back into another voice.

She heard a rapid succession of knocking, followed by Coco calling out; “Dazzle!”

She tried to answer, but what came out were inaudible, wispy breaths.

She could hear running water. The echo of it resounded. She could tell where she was at. In the bathroom in the apartment. Whether she was still dreaming or not, she couldn’t tell.

She then heard the sound of thudding with a faint crackling of wood.

“Dazzle! Open up! You’re scaring me!”

Dazzle tried to get up, but strangely, she felt numb… with the exception of the pounding headache. It was as if all her limbs were asleep. However, on the contrary, she could feel the cold tile underneath her.

“Dazzle! Please! Come out!” She heard Coco slide her hooves on the hardwood. Then, something that shook Dazzle to her core.

Coco started to cry.

Suddenly, she heard rustling, the clatter of hooves racing down the hall, followed by Coco crying out, “Help! Help!”

Dazzle took a few more breaths. She felt weak. She couldn’t see anything. Not even the lights from the bulbs that were warming up her fur.

Every moment felt like eternity.

Just a few more deep breaths. Everything will be alright. She told herself.

Just a few more breaths…

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[The_Chill_Author]

Happy Frieza Day!