Floor X: I'll Fight for the Right to Live!

When Rarity arrived at the tenth and final floor, she found herself in a room unlike any of the other rooms. The room seemed larger, and the walls looked more like an endless white sky. In the middle of the room was a large almost egg shaped pod.

Rarity walked over to the pod to get a closer look, and she saw somepony floating inside it. She galloped right in front of it and saw exactly who was inside of it.

Vale...

That confirmed everything for her that still needed confirming. She looked so peaceful sleeping inside of the pod, but it felt like she was almost dead. Something inside of Rarity wanted to go to Vale, like it was supposed to be over there instead of with her. It was the life that they shared. Right now, Vale's life force was constantly running through her, and her heart was powering her. She was being guided by everything that made Vale who she was. It was almost like Vale was right next to her at all times guiding her.

But that was it, wasn't it? Vale and Rarity shared life force, but they weren't the same pony. This meant what Faust said was true. As long as one was alive, the other one couldn't be. In order for Rarity to keep living, Vale would have to sleep forever.

In order for Vale to wake up, Rarity would have to...

"So, have you come to your senses, Cipher?" Rarity heard behind her. She turned around and saw Faust standing in front of the door, those six lights all floating around her.

"Why do you hate me so much?!" Rarity asked, "I just wanted to live my life in peace! I didn't mean to steal Vale's life! What in Celestia's name did I do to you?!"

Faust laughed, but it was a cold chilling laugh, "Honestly, it has nothing to do with you directly. You just look so digustingly like my daughter I can't help but hate you."

"You're God though!" Rarity said in disbelief, "For you to hate-"

"And why shouldn't I be able to hate something?" Faust said, still calmly but with a sligtly more intense edge, "I may be the creator of this world, but that doesn't mean I don't have feelings. Besides, I wasn't the one who made you in Vale's image. That's only so the life force will power you as it would Vale," Faust's expression became dark, "If I had my way, you'd wear the face of a mule! The fact that you have to look like my daughter, sound like my daughter, and even act like my daughter is enough to make me sick!"

"Act like her? What do you mean?! I'm nothing like Vale!"

"Oh, aren't you?" Faust asked mockingly before circling around Rarity, "You had to have noticed it through the memory fragments, how she always spoke like a mother or a big sister to her peers. "Honey" and "darling" and things like that. Most of the memories you saw were of her in battle or simply out of her element, but you two are quite similar. She prided herself on her appearance, and she loved her friends more than she loved herself. If given the opportunity to fall in love she'd be a passionate lover, but she always put the needs of others before her own needs."

"But she was the original Element of Honesty! I'm Generosity! There's no way she-"

"Different circumstances lead to different aspects of one's personality to be accentuated," Faust explained, "Vale was just as generous, but her duties as an angel taught her to be honesty no matter what. You were raised to be caring and open hearted, so Vale's generous nature came through you more."

"You mean my generous nature!" Rarity retaliated, "I don't care if I was born from Vale or if my entire personality is a mirror of Vale's, she is Vale and I'm me! I'm more than just a copy of Vale! I'm Rarity!"

"We'll see about that, won't we?" Faust said, "Here you are, without your memories or anything to distinguish you from Vale. I'll see first hand whether or not you possess a life or a will of your own."

Trixie and Luna ran into the room and stopped when they saw Rarity and Faust staring each other down, Rarity intense with anger, but Faust with a calmness that was almost insane.

"All Mother!" Trixie called out.

"You will not interfere with this fight, Azure Sky," Faust said, "The Cipher has to overcome this fight on her own. That goes for you as well, Luna."

Luna exhaled slowly to control her anger and turned to Rarity, "Are you sure you can do this?"

"I'll either win this fight or die trying!" but Rarity had a horrible feeling it would end up being the latter.

"Come then, Cipher!" Faust said, "Show me what the Element of Generosity is capable of!"

A force field appeared around them, apparently keeping Trixie and Luna out of the fight. Faust's eyes then began glowing golden, similar to when Vale's eyes would glow green. She was serious. Rarity called on Vale's power again, making her blue eyes glow green.

Rarity fired icicles at the All Mother, but she vanished in a bright light. Faust then appeared behind Rarity and took in one of the lights, glowing red.

"SHOW ME YOUR WILL TO SURVIVE!!!" Faust shouted before charging at Rarity engulfed in fire. When she reached Rarity she swung her hooves at Rarity trying to punch and kick Rarity with fiery hooves, but she dodged all the assaults. When Rarity saw her land and return to her usual white, she fired her icicles at Faust, causing her to hold up a hoof in defense and vanish.

"Well, I see how this fight is going to go now," Rarity said to herself.

Faust appeared right in front of Rarity, making her scream and run away. This time Faust took in the blue light, and her body took on a blue glow. She then screamed in anger and charged through the room at high speed, using the force field to bounce around the battle field in an attempt to impale Rarity with her horn.

Rarity ran out of the way of most of the assaults, but the last one hit her knocking her into the force field.

"RARITY!!!" Trixie and Luna cried out. Faust took on her original white glow and vanished again. Rarity staggered to her feet just as Faust appeared again, this time a good distance from her and took in the yellow light.

"Well Cipher?" Faust asked as her body took on a yellow glow. A tornado appeared around Faust and she fired it at Rarity. She managed to jump aside, but she then created another one and sent it, that one hitting her and sending her into the air. As Rarity fell, she fired an ice beam at Faust, making her hold up her hoof again. Faust lost the yellow glow and disappeared again.

Rarity fell to the ground and forced herself up, just as the All Mother appeared behind her, "Oh come on!" Rarity whined, "Give me a chance to recover at least!"

Faust didn't grace her with an answer, instead just taking in the red light again. She then charged at Rarity ingulfed in fire tackling her. Rarity fell back from the assault, and as Faust vanished, Rarity found herself having a harder time getting up.

"Can't we do something?!" Luna asked frantically.

"There's no way to get through the foce field," Trixie stated gravely, "Rarity has to win this fight on her own."

Faust appeared at Rarity's side, taking in the white light and glowing brighter than before.

"DISAPPEAR!!!" Faust shouted, holding her horn up and creating five icicles above her. She sent them flying at Rarity at high speed, but she rolled to the side and took a chance, charging at the All Mother herself. When she tackled the All Mother, she felt like she hit a force field again, but the All Mother held up her hoof in defense so she must have done some damage.

Faust disappeared, and Rarity decided it was time to move to another section of the arena. When Faust appeared again, she took in the pink light and took on a similar glow.

"Prepare yourself, Cipher!" Faust shouted, briefly vanishing. She then reappeared in front of Rarity, but then fazed to the side creating seven after images of herself. The Fausts all pointed their horns forward, and shot lasers at Rarity. Since she couldn't move to the side, all she could do was duck, which she did right on time.

When the lasers stoped, all the Fausts vanished and the original Faust appeared a bit in front of Rarity with her original white glow. Rarity took that as her chance to fire icicles at Faust. As she held up her hoof, Rarity heard Faust make a sound like a grunt in pain.

"Not bad, Cipher," Faust said softly as she vanished. She reappeared right in front of Vale's pod and took in the purple light, this time taking on a dark glow as black and red energy ran through her. Rarity backed away from her as she didn't know what to expect.

Faust screamed loudly and pointed her horn to the ceiling firing a black laser up. When it hit the ceiling, it broke and smaller lasers rained down on top of Rarity. She used as much of her magic as possible to create an ice dome around herself as a defense. When the attack ended, Rarity saw her chance to attack and called on as much of the energy within as possible, firing a large ice beam at Faust. She held up her hoof in defense, creating a shield herself, showing that she was in fact not tired in the slightest.

This fight was hopeless. How could Rarity win a fight against God? Faust wasn't even using her full power, and she still seemed to be winning! Faust swiped her hoof aside knocking Rarity back and onto the floor.

"This has been fun," Faust said, "but it's time to end this."

"Rarity! Get up!" Trixie cried.

"Damn it! At this rate she'll..." Luna said, unable to even finish her thought.

Faust walked over to Rarity with her horn glowing, smiling in triumph, "It's a shame your will to survive wasn't stronger. You might have had a chance to live."

Rarity couldn't hold in her tears. It wasn't fair! She was going to fade away, and before she could even learn the name of the one who loved her.

"Help me..." she sobbed, "Whoever you are, please help me...!"

Faust prepared to end it, and pointed her horn at Rarity. The attack was about to come, when...

"Don't give up!"

The blue light vanished from Faust and took the form of thhe blue mare with the rainbow colored mane and golden armor. She then tackled Faust back before turning to Rarity.

"Who are...?" Rarity began as the pony held her hoof out to help her stand.

"Don't worry about that," the mare said, "I'm your friend, and that's all that matters."

As Rarity looked at the rainbow maned pony, she felt something awaken within her. Something deep within knew who this pony was, and before she knew it, a name came to her.

Rainbow Dash...

This pony was her friend, and an important friend. She was pivitol in bringing them all together.

"I... remember..." Rarity said, "But how is that..."

"Rarity!" Trixie called out catching her attention, "Even if you don't remember the pony, you still remember the friendship! Use that!"

Rarity nodded as she and Rainbow Dash turned to Faust, who was rising to her feet.

"I don't know what happened, Cipher," Faust said, "But it doesn't change anything."

"Wrong," Rarity said, "It changes everything!" she closed her eyes and felt the friendships she knew were there, and the image of the cream colored pegasus appeared in her mind's eye. Faust was about to take in the yellow light, but it flew away from her and took the form of the cream colored pony, who flew in a large circle around Faust making an even larger tornado, knocking Faust into the force field.

The cream colored pegasus trotted over to Rarity with a meek smile, "Are you okay, Rarity?" she asked in a sweet and soft voice. This pony was Rarity's best friend, and she was very sweet and faithful, if not a tad shy. These days though, she had come out of her shell a lot more since marrying Big Macintosh.

Her name... was Flutershy... and Big Macintosh was related to...

The red light flew away from Faust, and took the form of an orange pony in a cowboy's hat and red and golden armor. She and Faust charged at each other, but the earth pony was unmovable.

"Ya'll gonna step in an' help?!" the earth pony said in an accent Rarity recognized, "Ah can't take her on mahself!"

Rarity looked at Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy and nodded to them. Both of them nodded, and they flew over to the pony Rarity now remembered the name of.

Applejack...

Rainbow Dash broke into tiny bolts of electricity and flew around Faust as Fluttershy used the wind to push her further away from Applejack. Now with an opening, Applejack jumped in the air and turned into a fireball tackling Faust, knocking her back.

"Not... possible..." Faust said, "How can this be? I have your memories! How are you able to bring them back?!"

"I don't understand this either," Luna admitted, "How are they even here?"

"This place makes thoughts and memories into reality," Trixie explained, "As Rarity recalls the friendships she has with them, they can manifest here."

The pink light came from Faust, and the pink earth pony in the pink armor/dress appeared. She immediately created an army of herself that ran over to Faust pushing her to the ground. The clones all exploded, doing massive damage to the All Mother, at least as much damage as that could do to a God.

"Ta da!" the pink pony said happily, "Pinkie Pie has arrived! Now it's a party!"

That's right! She loved throwing parties for ponies! She lived for that!

Pinkie Pie...

"You guys..." Rarity said, tears in her eyes, "You're here! You're all here!"

"We never left you," another voice said, softer yet stronger. She sounded like Midnight, only with confidence and maturity. The purple light left Faust and turned into Midnight, yet another name came to Rarity. This pony was the whole reason the six of them became friends. She was smart, and an expert on magic. She was also nothing like Midnight. She was strong willed, logical, and had a strong sense of right and wrong.

Twilight Sparkle...

"T-Twilight..." Rarity sobbed.

"Our friendship stayed with you the whole way," Twilight said, "Even if you didn't rember us."

Faust stood up, and glared at Rarity and her friends, "What is this feeling?" she said through gritted teeth, "How are you doing this? You're just a mere Cipher!"

"No, she's not!" Rainbow Dash said.

"She's our friend, and you can't take her away from us!" Pinkie Pie said.

"Even if ya get rid of the memory, ya can't get rid of what's in the heart!" Applejack said.

"And even if we can't be with Rarity in body, our friendship will always keep us together!" Fluttershy said.

"Friendship saved me when I couldn't be saved," Twilight said, "and it will be that same friendship that keeps us together even if Rarity forgets us!"

"They talk as if they're really here..." Faust said, stepping back, "They're not here, yet I feel them... How..."

"They are here," Rarity said stepping forward, "My best friends are right here with me," she put her hoof over her heart and closed her eyes, "They never left me, even when you tried to take them from me. Just like he never left me either."

Before Faust could question it, the last white light left her, and turned into the purple dragon wearing armor similar to her own. Faust looked in shock as the dragon swung his spear over his head and thrust forward. At the same time, Rarity felt something temporarily leave her and charge at Faust, knocking her further back. When the dragon turned to Rarity and smiled, it all returned to her. His name, his face, his love, it was all returning to her.

Spike...

"I came for you, Rarity," Spike said sweetly. That was how Spike was supposed to sound.

"Spikey... Wikey..." Rarity said rushing to Spike and kissing him. She didn't even care about the fight at the moment. She was in Spike's arms right now, and that was all that mattered to her.

After they finished, all seven of them turned to face Faust, who was staggering to her feet. They all stood in a circle around Twilight, each of them charging up their own Elements. The five ponies and dragon shot their Elements at Twilight, who then flew up a bit glowing white.

"What are you doing?!" Faust asked.

"You said it was time to end it!" Rarity said, "Well we're ending it!"

Twilight opened her eyes, which were glowing white. A large rainbow shot out from them and engulfed the All Mother, who screamed as the attack swirled around her. She had to have been in that rainbow for at least a few minutes before it vanished, leaving Faust seemingly worn out.

Twilight slowly landed, and one by one she and the rest of Rarity's friends faded away. Spike was the last one to leave, and Rarity embraced him one last time before he was gone.

"I love you... Spikey Wikey..." she whispered to Spike.

"And I love you, Rarity," Spike said as he faded away. The force field vanished next, and Trixie and Luna wasted no time running over to Rarity.

"Are you alright?" Luna asked.

"Better than alright," Rarity said, "I remember. It's good to see you, Princess Luna."

Luna smiled warmly. Rarity turned to Trixie, who looked away in shame. Rarity walked over to Trixe and hugged her, shocking the light blue unicorn.

"Rarity, I..." Trixie said slowly.

"Thank you for supporting me, Trixie," Rarity said softly. Trixie closed her eyes and smiled, returning the hug.

"Of course Rarity," Trixie said softly, "Anytime."

They heard Faust groan, and they all turned to her. She was slowly getting up. The three of them braced themselves for anything.

But the All Mother laughed. It wasn't an evil or heartless laugh though. It was actually a sort of sad yet relaxed laugh.

"What's so funny?" Rarity asked harshly.

"So that's it..." Faust said softly, "That's what Vale saw in the mortals of Terra... all those years ago."

She stood up and looked at them, and Rarity saw something that she never thought she'd see on the All Mother's face. She saw tears.

"Faust..." Rarity said slowly walking over to the now tearful God.

"I never understood why Vale insisted on spending so much time on Terra," Faust admitted, "At first, I wanted to forbid her from engaging with the mortals, but when I saw how happy she was I couldn't. She spoke of such wonderful things concerning the mortals, so much that when we needed a Guardian of Equestria, the choice was obvious."

"That's why you made her the Guardian," Rarity said, "To make her happy."

"I never told her, but in truth the Guardian of Equestria is to remain in Equestria as a watcher, unlike the angel that carries the code, who must return to Elysium at the end of their three millennium tenure on the surface. This way she could remain in the world she loved so much. I never understood why, until now," Faust looked at Rarity with so much sadness it took everything in her power not to burst into tears herself, "Love... friendship.... those are the things that make the impossible possible. I had been looking for something special that the mortals had within them, when what I needed to find was something that was shared among them.

"I felt it, Cipher. I felt it through you. I am the highest entity there could ever be, yet I was powerless against the power of your love. Tell me, is that what gave you a life of your own?" Faust asked.

"I think," Rarity began, "What makes us all special is the feeling of love that's shared with one another."

"Astounding..." Faust said, "To think I had to be taught... such an obvious lesson from something, no, someone I had spent so long loathing," she slammed her hoof on the floor, and the door behind them opened, "I have opened all the doors in this tower. If you wish, you may leave this tower and return to Equestria."

"Wait, that's it?" Trixie asked running up to them, "What about Vale? If Rarity leaves here, then Vale will never-"

"Perhaps my daughter's soul is meant to live on through the one standing before us," Faust said, though Rarity could tell she was devastated, "Maybe... this is for the best..." Faust looked at Luna, "When you see Celestia, tell her that I love her."

"I will, Mother," Luna said, though it was clear that she still had a hard time with Faust.

"That love extends to-"

"Don't," Luna said, "Even if you have finally seen the light, I still don't want to forgive you yet."

"I understand," Faust said softly, turning to Rarity, "You have earned the right to live. From this point forward, your decisions are solely yours. Well done, Rarity. Well done."

Faust vanished, and for a while Rarity just stood there in shock. She did it. She was free. She could go home now. Her life was now officially hers to do as she pleased.

"Rarity," Luna said softly next to Rarity, "Are you ready to return to Equestria?"

Rarity nodded smiling and turned to Trixie, "Is this... goodbye?"

"I guess so," Trixie said, "I'm still dead after all. I can walk you guys to the exit, but after that I have to give up this Avatar body and return to the life stream."

"Too bad," Rarity said, "Well, let's enjoy these last few minutes together."

The three of them started making their way to the door, but as Trixie and Luna laughed at a joke Trixie told, Rarity found herself looking back at Vale's pod. Her heart was racing, thinking about the nice pony that would now never get the chance to see the Equestria she loved so much. It was too much for Rarity, thinking of how much Vale loved Terra, and how now she'd never again see the world she loved.

It made Rarity feel like a true thief.

"Wait!" Rarity said stopping, "Wait, wait, wait, wait..." she started sobbing. Trixie and Luna turned to Rarity confused.

"What's wrong?" Trixie asked.

"I can't do this..." she sobbed, "I can't just leave."

"What do you mean?" Luna asked seriously, "The door is right there, Rarity."

"I know, but..." Rarity turned to Vale's pod, "Should I be the one to walk through it? I'm starting to think that maybe that's not the case."

"Rarity, no!" Trixie said running in front of Rarity, "You don't have to give up your life! Faust is an honest entity! When she said you could leave, she meant it! Please Rarity, just go back to your life!"

Rarity shook her head as Luna walked over to her.

"What about your friends? What about your family? What about Spike?!" Luna asked harshly, "What am I supposed to tell your friends?!"

"I don't know!" Rarity cried.

"You're talking about leaving them all behind!" Luna said, "Do you have any idea how selfish you sound right now?!"

"WHAT'S MORE SELFISH!!!!" Rarity shouted, "ME LEAVING MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY BEHIND, OR ME WALKING THROUGH THAT DOOR AND DENYING A GOOD PONY A CHANCE TO LIVE KNOWING FULL WELL I COULD HAVE SAVED HER?!!!!!" Luna stepped back in shock. For what felt like an eternity, everyone was silent.

"I know what this means for me!" Rarity sobbed, "I'll disappear! But why do I have to live while she doesn't?" Rarity walked over to Vale and put her hoof on the glass separating them, "She loves Equestria just as much as I do, if not even more. So much that she was willing to devote an eternity protecting Equestria. She deserves to live again."

Luna looked away, "If that is... what you wish... I shall not stop you..."

Trixie looked at Luna in shock, "Luna?"

"Rarity is right, it would be truly selfish to leave Vale here knowing that there was a chance to save her," Luna looked at Rarity, "You truly deserve the Element of Generosity, Rarity. This is something even I would have a hard time doing, knowing my fate in the end," Rarity didn't turn to Luna, but she could hear her voice shaking a bit, "I'll think of... something to tell them... even if it ends up being... nothing... at all... Good bye... Element of Generosity..."

Rarity heard Luna run out of the room, apparently unable to watch what would happen next. Trixie walked over to Rarity and put a hoof on her back.

"Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?" Trixie asked.

"I am," Rarity said, suddenly feeling free. A great weight was lifted off her shoulders. Yes, she was still sad, but the knowledge that she would fade away into oblivion was oddly, calming. She was still terrified of disappearing, but this was still the best option. She smiled looking up at Vale, who continued to sleep peacefully.

"Thank you, Vale," Rarity said through her tears, "You believed in me, and helped me fight for my life. Now I'm going to give that life to you. I hope you can get along with my friends. They're wonderful, you know. Fluttershy is the sweetest thing you'll ever see, and I dare you to not smile in Pinkie Pie's pressence. Rainbow Dash is a little arrogant... okay, she's really arrogant, but with her as a friend you have somepony who will never abandon you.

"Let's see, oh, there's Applejack. She's strong willed, but lately she's been dealing with a lot. Honestly, it's taking it's toll on her, the poor thing. Her little sister is moving away to Canterlot, but you'll get to meet her eventually. You want to meet Apple Bloom, after all, she's the reincarnation of your best friend. You wanted to see her in the next life, well now you can.

"Don't worry when you see Twilight. Yes, she has her memories as Midnight again, but she's a good pony. I hope you two can reconcile, because I know Twilight is truly sorry for what happened that day, and she doesn't want it to happen again.

"When you see Sweetie Belle, my little sister, tell her that I'm sorry I will never hear her beautiful voice again. She's so sensitive, so try to break it to her gently. I know that you can be harsh at times, but please be kind to her. She's lovely, the true epitome of her name.

"Finally... when you see Spike... tell him... how much I love him... and that I'm sorry I'll... miss our next... dinner date..." Rarity broke down, unable to stand anymore. This was it, her last few seconds, "Do it Trixie..."

"Alright..." Trixie said, "Good bye... Rarity..."

Rarity looked up at Vale one last time before her entire world went dark. As she felt herself fall into the darkness, she allowed herself one last thought.

Good bye everyone...
My story...
Is...
Over...