Inner Demons: Fragments of Truth

by Azure Sandora

Floor VII

Floor VII: What Could Be Worth Losing This?!

Spike...

He was the next Avatar...

But if Luna was right, then...

"Lose... Spike...?" Trixie asked.

"I know the truth, Trixie..." Rarity said, still unable to take her eyes off of Spike's Avatar, "The other Avatars, they were my friends, right?"

Trixie sighed looking down.

"I didn't want things to go like this," Trixie admitted, "I tried to tell you multiple times, but-"

"How long are you two going to stand there and talk?" Spike's Avatar asked with an arrogant sneer, "You know Azure, the All Mother isn't pleased with you either."

"Oh, and what did I do?" Trixie asked.

"You show sympathy to that doll standing next to you, and continue to interfere with the All Mother's plans. If you hadn't insisted on helping to extend the thief's pathetic life Vale would have been awakened by now."

Hearing Spike talk about her like that tore Rarity's heart in two. Sure, she knew that it wasn't really Spike, but it looked just like him, and it had his voice. Rarity felt like she was about to go insane.

"If Rarity's going to have this fate, then she deserves the chance to understand things herself, and that won't happen if she's just deleted!" Trixie stated, charging up her magic, "She has to see it for herself!"

Trixie was about to charge, but Rarity jumped in the way.

"W-wait!" Rarity called out, "If this Avatar is deleted then I'll-"

A white unicorn spirit tackled Rarity into a wall. Rarity looked at Spike's Avatar and saw herself, rather she saw the spirit she turned into standing over Spike's Avatar.

"Surprised?" the Avatar said, "The All Mother managed to replicate even the power you gave the real Spike. This means that I'm fighting at full power. Can you survive?"

Spike's Avatar charged at Rarity, but Trixie jumped in front of him and blocked with her horn.

"If we don't delete this Avatar then he'll kill us! You don't have a choice anymore!"

Hearing that made Rarity want to cry. Truth was, she was never given a choice. Since this whole thing began, she was forced to act, and forced to lose. Now her life and Trixie's life depended on deleting that Avatar.

But it was Spike's Avatar, and if she deleted it, she would also...

Spike's Avatar lunged forward with his spear, making Trixie jump away. He then pointed his spear at Rarity, and a sound like glass shattering was heard. Instantly the white unicorn spirit charged at Rarity at high speed. She managed to jump out of the way just in time before the spirit tackled her, making it slam into the wall.

"This isn't fair!" Rarity sobbed, "Why are you making me do this?! Why do I have to be the one to wake up Vale?! Why do I have to lose everything?! WHAT'S THE POINT TO ALL OF THIS?!!!"

Spike's Avatar was walking toward Rarity, but Trixie fired a bolt of lightning at the Avatar, who blocked the attack with his spear. Trixie then charged at the Avatar again, her entire body surrounded by electricity.

"Rarity, I swear, I'll help you make sense of all of this! I'll tell you everything, but you have to live in order to get to that point! Rarity, please fight!"

She didn't want to fight. Not anymore. Not now that she knew what would happen. How could she fight Spike's Avatar with the knowledge that if she won that fight she'd lose him? What else would she lose with this? Would she even remember that she loved him? That there was someone that she actually loved?

"Give up!" Spike's Avatar said pushing Trixie to the ground next to Rarity.

"Trixie!" Rarity called out, looking up at Spike's Avatar as he walked over to her swinging his spear over his head.

"Now be a good doll and give back that life," he said, "Vale needs it a little more than you."

Rarity couldn't stop trembling. She looked up at the Avatar with the realization that there was no way around it. In order to live, she had to fight this Avatar, and delete it.

She had to lose Spike...

Rarity stood up activating the ice powers her armor granted her, tears streaming from her eyes, "You better answer all of my questions after this!" Rarity said, "I need to know why I'm being forced to do this!"

With that Rarity lunged at Spike's Avatar, using her horn violently to slash and stab the spear wielding dragon. He did an upward slash with his spear, knocking Rarity back, and then followed up by summoning his unicorn spirit, who followed up his attack by tackling Rarity knocking her further away.

Trixie forced herself up and charged up her horn, "LIGHTNING SPEAR!!!" she shouted, firing a large spear shaped lightning bolt at Spike's Avatar. He blocked the attack, but was pushed back a bit from it.

Rarity got up and followed up by firing icicles at the Avatar, who spun his spear in front of him.

Spike's Avatar yawned, "Boring, got any other tricks?" he snapped his fingers, and his unicorn spirit partner appeared next to him and rapidly shot large icicles at Rarity, actually pinning her to the wall with ice.

"Rarity!" Trixie called out, galloping over to her. The unicorn spirit however appeared in front of Trixie and knocked her away. Spike's Avatar slowly walked over to Rarity, who was pinned to the wall in ice and shedding tears of anguish.

"Too bad, I guess in the end you were just a lifeless doll after all," he held he spear at the side of his head, ready to impale Rarity, "Her information will be incomplete, but at least Vale will wake up."

This was horrible. Either way she was going to die, either now or a few hours from now. With what she learned from Princess Luna, at the end here she would have to give her life to Vale.

No, not her life. If she was to believe everyone here, then her life belonged to Vale from the start, right?

That doesn't mean you should just give up.

At that moment, everything stopped, and Rarity found herself in another place similar to where she saw Princess Luna, only this place was pure white. In front of her she saw the last pony she thought she'd see.

She saw Vale.

"How...?" Rarity asked.

"You and I have a connection," Vale said with a warm smile, "One that is strengthening thanks to you gaining my memories."

Rarity finally got a good look at Vale, and was both shocked and a little horrified. They almost looked like twins. Vale had a fuller figure, and her mane and tail were different in both color and style, and being an Alicorn she was about as large as Twilight and Cadence, if not a little taller.

But the face. The eyes, the smile, even her voice, it was all looking back at her, like a twisted reflection.

"Vale, who am I to you?" Rarity asked, "Why am I even here?"

"You and I are two halves of a whole," Vale explained, "You were created by Mother so my soul would have a place of rest while my body was repaired."

"Created... by...?" this was becoming too much for Rarity to handle, and she was starting to wish she could wake up from this horrible nightmare.

"All of that will be explained by Azure," Vale said, Rarity assuming she meant Trixie, "but for that to happen you must live."

"But Spike!" Rarity cried looking away, "I can't lose him! He's one of the last things I have left! If I destory this Avatar then I'll forget about him!"

Vale trotted over to Rarity as she cried and nuzzled her affectionately, "Worry not, my Cipher. Even if you lose the memory of the pony, or in this case dragon, you will never forget the love that was shared."

Even though Rarity was caught on the term "Cipher", she looked up at Vale with a somewhat hopeful expression, "Do you think I'll disappear?"

"That is entirely up to you, Cipher," Vale said, "No matter what Mother says, in the end it's still your choice. I feel that this life is just as much yours as it is mine. The question is, are you willing to fight for it?"

Rarity thought for a second, and then nodded, "If I had the power, then yes, I'd fight for it."

"That's my filly," Vale said helping Rarity up, "Call upon my power, and you will be able to overcome this obstacle."

"Your power? How can I-"

"We are connected, you and I," Vale smiled warmly, "I am on your side, Cipher. Go to the top floor, and make your decision. Show my mother that you do have a right to choose."

Rarity felt her spirit return to her, and she returned to the moment in the present. Right before the spear reached her heart, Rarity screamed and broke the ice, a force pushing Spike's Avatar back.

"What the hell?!" he said. Rarity felt stronger than ever. Strong enough to also know what she had to do. Even if she lost the memory of Spike the dragon, she'd never forget the memory of his love.

She glared at him, feeling power radiating through her, empowering her. Trixie got up and was shocked looking at Rarity, only able to make one remark.

"Those eyes..." Trixie said softly, "They're just like..."

Rarity shot toward Spike's Avatar at high speed, but the Avatar flew over her and pointed his spear at her, summoning his spirit partner. The spirit tried to push Rarity back, but she suddenly became immovable, using her horn to block the spirit's.

"This life... is mine!" Rarity shouted, "I'll be the one to decide what happens to it! Not you, and certainly not the All Mother!" Rarity shot a large ice beam at the spirit, making it dissapate. Spike's Avatar actually felt that as well and fell on to the floor.

Rarity slowly trotted over to Spike's Avatar, who was backing away from Rarity in fear.

"How is that possible?!" he asked, swinging his spear at Rarity sending a icicle at her, but she moved her head out of the way still walking to him, "You're just the carrier! You're not supposed to be able to use that power!"

"I told you," Rarity said, "This is my life!"

With that Rarity did the one thing she didn't think she could do. She charged up her horn and pointed it at the Avatar.

"If you keep going you'll lose more!" the Avatar said, "You'll just be a shadow of yourself!"

"Even if I forget who they are, I'll remember that I had ponies I cared about. You're just a shadow of one of those," Rarity closed her eyes and shed one single tear, "Good bye... Spikey... Wikey..."

She fired her ice beam, piercing the Avatar's core, deleting it.

It slowly faded away, leaving memory fragment in it's place. Rarity didn't waste time trying to emote. She knew that she had to take the memory into herself in order to proceed, so instead of waiting, she took in the memory, allowing herself to become Vale again.

---

She felt heavy, and tired. Something cold was on her fore hooves and hind hooves, and she found herself unable to move. When she tried to move, something metallic was heard, and something kept her still.

"Are you awake, my dear?" a sultry voice said. Vale opened her eyes and saw Morgana lying on a black couch in front of her, giving her a smile filled with lust.

"Mor...gana...?" Vale asked rising as best as she could, "What are you... doing?"

"I'm sorry if you're uncomfortable," Morgana said stepping off from the couch and sauntering around Vale, "There was no guarantee that you wouldn't attack me if I didn't restrain you."

"I can do that even if I'm restrained," Vale tried to demonstrate by charging her horn prepared to attack, but oddly found the light on her horn dying down immediately, "What?"

"Oh, I probably should have shared with you that part," Morgana said, "You're lying over a seal of my creation. Using it I can seal angel magic. As long as you're chained to that surface, you're completely at my mercy."

"And what is the reason for me to be at your mercy?" Vale asked, pulling at her shackles in a futile attempt to free herself.

Morgana walked over to Vale and knelt down in front of her, her face only mere inches from Vale's, "I thought that was obvious," Morgana said softly, "I haven't been hiding my attractions to you."

Attraction?! What?! Since when was she-

Vale thought back to all of these last months. From the beginning Morgana was always looking at her with what seemed like desire. She was constantly pressing herself against Vale. Then there was that dance the day of her descent.

"Oh dear..." Vale said, as the realization hit her.

"You finally get it," Morgana said, suddenly her smile was gone and she glared at Vale, "Took you long enough."

"Morgana, no..." Vale pleaded, "Please tell me that I'm wrong. You aren't in love with-"

"Why shouldn't I be?!" Morgana shouted, "Are you truly that unattainable?! Am I still not worthy of your love?!"

Vale actually winced a bit hearing Morgana scream. How long was she holding this in?

"Since when have you been-"

"Since the day you and I met," Morgana admitted, "You were so radiant that I could barely lay eyes on you, for I was feeble and mortal, while you were magnificent and eternal."

That explained why when they were kids Morgana avoided her gaze.

"I couldn't handle it," Morgana added, "Being in your presence, and so unworthy of your love, yet I found my very reason to live lost when you returned to Elysium."

As Morgana poured her heart out to Vale, she looked at the sword leaning next to the couch. Once again Vale felt something evil coming from that sword.

"Where did you get that?" Vale asked, using her horn to point to the sword.

"Ah, you refer to the Sword of the Condemned," Morgana said, "Well, I had to bring you back to Equestria one way or another. Thankfully the king of Tartarus, Katastroph, was so generous to give me a fraction of his power, and all I had to do was tell him that I'd help him bring back his daughter," Morgana laughed, "Demons are so gullible."

"The demons sent to attack the village..." Vale said slowly, "They weren't sent from Midnight's father, they were sent by you!" Vale couldn't believe what she was hearing. Morgana had betrayed the trust of so many ponies, including her friends...

"Why?" Vale asked her once friend, "Why did you bring those demons to attack Canter Village, and then guide us to the gates of Tartarus? Did you just use Azure, Bayonet, and Midnight?"

"Once you finally returned to us, I had no further use for Katastroph," Morgana said, picking up the demon sword with her magic, "So I had to close that door once and for all. It was just a matter of presenting myself as somepony who knew how to close the door. In the end, the gates to Tartarus would be closed, I'd still have Katastroph's powers, and you and I could finally be the couple we were meant to be ages ago. Honestly, I would have come to you, but you were generous to come to me."

"So you claimed the powers of a demon in hopes that you and I would be equals and I would love you," Vale reasoned.

"It seems however, that you still see yourself superior to me," Morgana said softly, her back turned to Vale.

"I see myself superior to no pony. In terms of you though, you have thrown away your humanity in hopes of becoming something no mortal pony can ever hope to become."

"You're wrong," Morgana said, a dark aura coming over her, "Godliness isn't out of reach of mortals. In fact, we are the ones the gods fear the most. You won't allow me to love you if I am equal," Morgana turned to Vale with a dangerous expression on her face, "What if I became your superior? Then you'd know how I felt being under your hoof, always desiring to look up at you, but unable to glimpse your light!"

She held up the Sword of the Condemned and began slowly trotting over to Vale, who's heart was racing faster and faster.

"What are you going to..." Vale asked slowly.

"Simple," Morgana stated, "With this sword I can take powers from other entities and absorb them into myself," she gave a crazed laugh, "I wonder what would happen if a pony held within them to powers of a demon and an angel! Let's find out, shall we?!"

As Morgana loomed over to Vale, she realized there was nothing she could do. For the first time ever, Vale feared for her life. She pulled at her chains, trying her absolute hardest to get free, but Morgana stood right above her, holding the sword over Vale's back, ready to plunge it deep into the Guardian's body. Right before the worst could happen, Vale did the only thing she thought to do that moment. Something so unlike the powerful Guardian of Equestria.

She screamed in fear.

The worst never came though, for at that very moment the door to where they were came crashing open, and a bolt of lightning shot into the room, knocking Morgana away. Vale looked at the door and saw a sight that brought tears of joy to her eyes.

Azure Sky charging her horn with electric magic, Bayonet with her sword in her mouth, and Midnight with her wings spread out in anger.

Her friends came to save her.

"Girls..." Vale said, as her fear slowly turned into sheer joy at seeing her friends.

"We heard everything," Azure Sky said, "I can't believe you would betray us like this Morgana!"

"How did you find us?!" Morgana asked as she got up.

"A villager saw you coming to the abandoned manor," Bayonet said, "Said you were carrying something in a bag over your shoulder. Apparently that was Vale."

"I thanked you at the ceremony," Midnight said, her voice shaking, "I treated you like a friend, but you were using me from the beginning! You were using ALL of us! It was all to get Vale!" her eyes turned red, and Vale felt that same demonic energy from before coming from her, "I hate you!"

Azure Sky and Bayonet turned to Midnight slightly with worried expressions, "Midnight, are you alright?" Bayonet asked.

Morgana stood up and held the Sword of the Condemned ready, "So the great Destroyer of Equestria finally shows her true colors. With this sword I'm more than a match for you."

"You were better off as my father's lackey!" Midnight said in a voice so unlike hers It possessed power and authority, "At least then you could have lived in eternal damnation with him!"

"Think you can kill me?" Morgana asked.

"I don't think I can kill you, I am going to kill you!"

With that Midnight fired a black beam out of her horn at Morgana, who blocked the attack and sent a wave from the sword at Midnight, Bayonet, and Azure Sky. Azure Sky and Bayonet both rolled to the sides out of the way as Midnight took the attack and fell out of the room.

"I'll be back for you," Morgana said, "Once I kill her and take her powers!"

Morgana ran out of the room, and Azure Sky and Morgana ran over to Vale.

"What is she talking about?" Vale asked as Azure Sky pointed her horn at the chains trying to undo them, "Why did she call Midnight the Destroyer of Equestria?"

"Vale, right now isn't the time," Azure Sky said.

"She's right. Are you okay?" Bayonet asked.

"I'll be fine once somepony explains to me what the hell is going on! I knew that Midnight was from Tartarus, but what did Morgana mean when she called Midnight the Destroyer of Equestria.

The chains were undone, and Bayonet looked down in sadness, "We don't know all the details. All we know is that Midnight was sent here to-"

"Bayonet, shut it!" Azure Sky shouted instantly, shocking the two mares.

"Azure! Vale is Midnight's friend too! She needs to know-"

"We spoke about this Bayonet! If she hears the truth then Midnight's life is over!"

"Do you really think that lowly of Vale?! She wouldn't kill Midnight!"

"Wait, kill Midnight?!" Vale asked in shock, "Why on Terra would I ever-"

"Just don't pry into things that don't concern you, okay? It's Midnight's' business!"

"From the sound of it, it's also my business! You two know something, and it's high time I was let in on the big secret! Why was Midnight sent here?!"

Bayonet really wanted to tell Vale, and she turned away shedding tears, "Vale..."

"Bayonet, don't you dare!" Azure Sky commanded. This time Bayonet glared at Azure Sky.

"I can't keep this a secret forever, Azure! Especially not from Vale! She deserves to know the truth, then we can figure out what to do together! Besides, she going to find out eventually anyway!"

"Would you both please stop talking like I'm not in the room?!" Vale shouted, getting fed up with both of her friends, "Either one of you is going to tell me right now, or I'm going to force the answers out of Midnight herself! Your choice!"

Before anyone could say anything else, they heard a loud scream outside. It sounded like Morgana. The three mares ran out of the abandoned manor and saw Midnight trotting over Morgana, who was lying down on the ground breathing heavily.

"You've lost, witch!" Midnight stated angrily.

"You think so?" Morgana asked s she slowly staggered up.

"You wer a fool to think that a feeble pony like you could ever become a god! No one would ever bow to you!"

"If that's what you truly think, then I'll prove to you how eternal I truly am!" with that she threw the sword down and fired a light purple beam at it. At the same time Midnight fired another large beam at Morgana knocking her back. Vale stood there in horror looking at Midnight as Azure Sky and Bayonet ran over to the sword. They tried to pick it up, but electricity kept them back as the sword faded away.

AVATAR FUNCTION ACTIVATED

"Huh?" Bayonet asked, "Did the sword just..."

RETURNING TO DORMANT STATE

With that the sword completely vanished. Midnight used her magic to pull up Morgana by the collar of her cloak.

"What did you do?!" she asked.

"I just ordered the sword to return to the mana stream," Morgana stated, "It will only return when I have been reborn, and only I will know where it is," she laughed evilly, "You see, Midnight, the body may be mortal, but the soul is eternal. As long as I have that, I'll return again, and again, and again, all to take what belongs to me!"

"Like my father said, our power is NOT to be coveted," Midnight threw Morgana to the ground and began charging up her magic, "And it's a good thing I'll be here for a while. So I can kill you whenever you show your ugly face again!"

"Midnight STOP!" Vale shouted running over to Midnight.

"She hurt you, Vale," Midnight said, sounding almost possessed, "She used all of us, and her mindset is dangerous to all ponies in Equestria. I have to kill her, Vale. It's the only way to end this nightmare."

"No!" Vale urged, "Render her unable to act again, but do NOT kill her, please!"

Midnight looked at Vale, at first in shock, but then her expression softend a bit and she looked at Morgana again.

"Be happy my friend took pity on you. You will not die today, however, from this day forward I condemn you to live the rest of your days without magic. This punishment will pass itself onto all of your lifetimes from here on out, and you will never find peace in death!"

Something scary and horrifying happened after that. Black claws came out of the ground aroudn Morgana, and reached into her, seeming to pull out some sort of energy. Morgana screamed the entire time this was happening, and everyonehad to turn away from the sight. Midnight however, remained perfetly still, looking at Morgana with almost evil satisfaction.

When the ordeal was over, Morgana fell to the ground limb, thankfully still breathing.

"Lock her up in the castle dungeons," Midnight commanded, looking at Azure Sky and Bayonet. It took a second, but they snapped out of their daze and ran over to pick Morgana up. As they carried her away, she laughed under her throat, and looked at Midnight when they passed her.

"Looks like I won't be the only one without peace," she said spitefully. As they passed, both Midnight and Vale saw a young colt from the village looking at Midnight in horror. Her eyes immediately turned back to purple and she reached out to the colt, but he backed away.

"Monster!" he shouted, running back to the village. Midnight looked down genuinely hurt by that statement.

"I'm not a monster," Midnight pouted, "Just because I'm a demon, that doesn't make me a monster, right Vale?"

This time though, Vale couldn't bring herself to answer Midnight. She was started to suspect that the darkness the All Mother was sensing wasn't coming from the gate anymore than it was coming from Morgana.

If Midnight was the Destroyer of Equestria...

And she herself was the Guardian of Equestria...

Then they were from the beginning meant to be...

---

Rarity came to, and thought about the Avatar she faced, and who she just lost. She couldn't help herself, and immediately fell back to the floor and wept harder than she wept since coming here. She couldn't remember his name, his face, or anything about him. Even as she wept, she could feel the memory fading more and more.

All that was left, was the love. Whoever he was, he loved her, and she loved him in return.

Trixie slowly walked over to Rarity, but this time stopped short of putting a hoof on her back. Apparently she blamed herself for what happened, and in Rarity's mind, she was partially to blame, but only a little.

When Rarity calmed down a bit, she got up and began walking to the door to the next room.

"Spike!" Trixie called out, stopping Rarity, "His name was Spike."

Rarity looked down, taking that in, and then walked to the door and climbed the stairs to the next floor. Now she had the love they shared, and a name.

Spike...

His name was... Spike...

Comments

[Paleb05]

Well, Vale and Midnight look to be on a collision course to be fighting one another. Any bets on who wins?

[Timstro59]

2828868 shouldn't it be obvious?

[Jirodyne]

2829003 2828868 Midnight wins.

[BlackIrisBalloon]

Wild Mass Guessing time:

OH MY FU**ING CELESTIA! RARITY IS THE ROXAS TO VALE'S SORA! SHE'S A FREAKIN' NOBODY!!!!!!! (May be wrong terminology, but the comparison stands)

[Epic Brony 4 Life]

2829746
Survey Says...CORRECT!!!

[Ponyninja88]

Well that was interesting, now we know what's going on with the sword and we also see how the villagers found out about Midnight being a demon, as for Rarity she has been forced to lose the memories of the one she loves, and it makes me wonder who's next will it be twilight or maybe sweetie belle either way poor Rarity .

[Shotgunshells]

[Damian274]

if 17 year old guy is crying to this story means it is a good story
sniff....sob...whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa......

[SilverShimmer]

"In terms of you though, you have thrown away your humanity in hopes of becoming something no mortal pony can ever hope to become."

you have thrown away your humanity

your humanity

humanity

[The Portal Passer]

She didn't want to fight. Not anymore.

No More...

(if no one gets it, which you probably wont, i'm trying to make a War Doctor reference)