I looked to the creature with a growl," I ask you nicely; what are you?" Asking my monstrous copy.

"Like I have stated earlier; I am you. I'm your thoughts, visions, focus, and very life essence. I am what drives you forwards. I'm the voice in your head that tells you what to do, and think. Some spirits call such as myself; a conscience, but I am not." He pulled his hood over his face to be shrouded in darkness once more. "I am sorry; the light is hurting my eyes...Anyways, like I was saying, I am not a conscience but more of a forgotten spirit."

"And what would you count yourself as; spirit?" I asked.

He lifted his hand to his chin and thought for a moment,"Honestly, I don't know. I've never thought about it in the slightest." He dropped his hand, and it fell to his side once more. "We shall just consider me: the side of you that you truly are. Yourself."

"What do you mean by that?" The words he spoke threw me into a state of confusion.

I could see the smile through the dark hood,"Oh come now, do you really believe yourself pure in heart and selfless? If you were; you wouldn't have spent such time trying to re-open the portal. You slaved for hours, days, and months at a time just 'hoping' to re-open the portal. Some days, you would go without food, if it meant you were that much closer to opening it." I could feel my anger slowly rise. "If you truly were pure in heart; you would have stayed by choice. The residents of this land require a guardian, and you were trying to leave them. Four months constantly on the road after the portal was sealed, you might as well have left."

"You don't know me!" I yelled at the hooded monster. "Any person would have tried returning back if it meant to see their families again! I loved my life before, my family. I loved them all and they were just ripped out of my life because of Senior!"

"Senior asked you to come here, it was your roll to play and your alone. But asked you, he didn't demand. You came here on your own free will and you know this to be true."

"But I.."

"Darkmoon was always meant to be here, as the protector. But no, John Dixon arrived. If you were born here like Shadow was, would you be so willing to leave? I know what it feels like to lose family, I know through your mind and spirit." I could feel a tear threatening to fall. "Family, It is important to many. Strength through unity."

I stomped my foot on the ground angrily as the tear slide down my face,"Spirit, shut your mouth before I shut it for you."

The hooded man took a step closer,"It appears that I have struck a nerve, so family is a touchy topic then. very well."

Slowly the white of the room started fading darker, slowly until the walls were completely black. "What's going on?"

"Oh you know whats happening."

I could feel a headache coming on, the pain becoming more apparent by each passing second. The pain was becoming unbearable, causing me to fall to my knees holding my hands to the sides of my head. "Why is this happening!"

"Dark, you and I know why this is happening. This pain comes only when you discover more about yourself, the way you used to be. You and I both know your childhood wasn't easy, and what you had to do to make it this far in life. Your adulescens was a horrible thing. The pain you endured, the things you've seen. One less fortunate soul I'm afraid."

"How... How can I" The pain was horrible but I fought through it. "How can I.. Make them stop?"

"Well, that is something you must discover for yourself. but I'll give yo a hint." With that, the hooded replica unsheathed his sword and held the point to the ground. "I will not hold back, so ready yourself."

I needed to endure the pain for now. If I needed to end him to cure this pain, so be it. I slowly pulled myself to my feet and drew my sword. I took a few long and deep breathes to calm myself before speaking,"I don't want to fight you, I just want to end the pain."

"To end the pain, first you must end me. I am you, I am what is left of your past. Are you willing to let go of the past to make a secure and create a life for the future?" He raised the end of his blade and pointed it directly at me. "I am you, but you must end your own life to live."

I could feel tears falling down from my eyes, if I ended him, I wouldn't have any attachments to the past. This is when a sudden realization came to me,'Is it really all that bad?' I thought to myself. Sure, I loved my family and I knew that they loved me. But if I left the past behind, does that really mean I left them behind? I never thought of this, but now I realize that no. No, it doesn't. They are and always will be my family and my loved ones.

I pulled on my hood and took a stance to ready myself,"I understand. I will end the pain, and I will end you."

My copy looked at me with a fiery blood lust and smiled,"Good, now. Let's begin." He took a step forward and began to multiply, first two, then four, and finally ending at eight replicas.

"Wait, what are you doing?" I asked with my sword drawn and readied.

"Shadow did tell you that you must defeat your inner demons to end it, you didn't really think I was the only one, did you?" They all smiled in unison and readied their blades and fixated their attention on me.

"Shall we begin?" asked the horde of replicas.

I nodded.

Well, I thought about it and he was right. This story is a bit rushed but then again, I am going through an entire life with this story.
Things should be interesting in the chapters to come.
I hope you have enjoyed he story so far and hope to see you in the next chapter.

Keep it cool, Condemned.

(pssht.... pssht.. hey you.. wanna here something interesting? John's not paying attention right now so listen carefully. He's a bit of a slip up, so if Ninja or Faytes out there. you know what to do. Oh yeah, and check out Trigger_Finger's Western Tail, pretty interesting stuff. Brain out)