Persona: Innocent Wish

by Trismegistus

Chapter 11: Changing Seasons

The days following Nightmare Moon’s return, and subsequent defeat, were as normal as anypony expected them to be. The news of what had happened in Ponyville spread like wildfire, and everypony was talking about the elements of harmony, and how six normal ponies defeated Nightmare Moon.

“If only we could use our personas outside of the lake,” Vox said taking a sip of a milkshake. The E.W.E.F. team had been given a few days off while Penzance “collected himself”. It was obvious to anypony who talked to him that he was shaken from all that had happened.

Arata, Blaze, and Vox had just met up at the local diner for lunch. Vox had insisted that they use this time off for “team bonding”. Blaze seemed to be the only pony that had any problem with the idea; insisting that his time was better spent with his books, than his team.

“Being known as ‘those ponies who saved Equestria’ wouldn’t be bad at all,” she continued.

“Personas are the reason I came here,” Blaze said pulling out his notebook.

“So it wasn’t to spend time with your very special somepony, and Arata?” Vox stuck out her tongue, but then paid attention.

“We should go check if there have been any changes to the lake since Nightmare Moon escaped.” Blaze read a few lines from his notebook and continued, “Although from everything I’ve read I think the two shouldn’t be related, but it never hurts to check.”

“But how would we even know if there was a change?” Vox asked. “If we’re right none of us can even go back in.”

“Maybe we should find somepony else to go in first?” Arata added.

“Got any ideas on who we could use?” Vox asked.

“We can’t exactly spread this around,” Blaze cautioned.

“Why not Penzance?” Arata suggested.

“Don’t you think he’s a little old?” Vox took another sip of her milkshake.

“He is but we know we can trust him at least,” Blaze seemed to heavily weigh the suggestion. “The more I think about it, the better he sounds. If we’re there to protect him, he won’t need to fight. We can test the theory and keep it secret.”

“Do you think he would go along with it?” Vox asked. “He’s been a bit down since the celebration.”

“There’s no harm in asking,” Arata had finished eating and motioned for everyone to follow him out.

The group finished their meal and headed back to the E.W.E.F. camp. All three of the ponies had gotten into the habit of putting their armbands on every morning, and today was no exception. As they trotted through Foalsdale nopony noticed the little follower that they had picked up.

…

“Sir,” Blaze announced as they entered the command tent. “Do you have a moment?”

“Yes Blaze, what seems to be the matter,” Penzance was polishing his guard helmet, something nopony had seen him do before.

“We want you to help us test a theory about the lake.” Blaze plainly stated. “None of us are able to enter anymore. We have two guesses as to what’s going on: one is that Nightmare Moon was responsible, and now that she is gone the lake will be dormant. The other is that nothing has changed. If you enter the lake first and it acts like a portal we can confirm that nothing has changed, but if you go in and it is just a pool of water things may be over.”

“I will help you,” Penzance’s agreement was a surprise to everypony. They didn’t think he would oppose the suggestion strongly, but they didn’t think he would accept without question. “Nightmare Moon’s return reminded me of just how complacent I have become. I will meet you at the trail in fifteen minutes.”

“Yes, sir,” Blaze, Arata, and Vox, left the tent and headed to the supply tent.

Once they were in the tent Vox distributed the team’s equipment, and they went to meet Penzance at the trail head. Penzance greeted them, he had only brought a machete and his usual explorer’s clothing with him.

“Are you sure you don’t want any heavy clothing from the armory, sir?” Vox added.

“I’m sure Vox,” Penzance stood proud and his voice was confident.

“Then let’s get moving.” Blaze led the trek, and despite his age Penzance was able to keep pace with the rest of the ponies.

…

Once the team arrived at the lake Blaze attempted to give Penzance a complete brief on the situation and what exactly he could expect once he was in the lake. Vox and Arata sat on the edge of the lake staring into their reflections.

“How did you find the courage to go back in?” she whispered to him.

“I guess my courage is kind of a façade… a persona,” Arata chuckled.

“Very clever,” Vox didn’t seem impressed by his wordplay. “But is that it? Your persona is why you have the courage to go back in?”

“Yeah, when I’m in there, and I have Taliesin with me I feel like I can do anything,” Arata briefly looked up to the sky. “Besides, I already faced my fear the first time I went in. What else could it throw at me?”

“I never thought of it that way,” Vox turned her head and paused. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Arata asked standing up.

“Whoever you are show yourself!” Vox shouted to a bunch of trees on the opposite side of the lake. Slowly a little filly emerged from the tree line.

“Autumn Tail! What are you doing here?” He shouted.

The filly walked to the edge of the lake, and hung her head. “I’m sorry, I know I promised that I would ask you, but I saw you leaving the diner and I followed you here. I thought it would be exciting.”

“Come here little one,” Penzance calmly called. “I’ll take you back to Foalsdale, it is dangerous out here. Just be sure to walk around the lake.” The filly had gotten dangerously close to the edge. Out of curiosity she was now looking into the lakes surface.

“Autumn Tail, listen to him,” Arata was making his way around the lake to her.

“Okay…” She frowned and looked away from the lake.

For just an instant, Vox thought she saw a faint mist rising from the lake. When she blinked it had disappeared, and was replaced by the little filly falling into the lake.

Before anypony had a chance to react, Autumn Tail hit the surface and disappeared. Arata and Blaze instinctively darted in after her. The whole scene had played out so quickly, Vox didn’t know how to react.

“Vox, help them!” Penzance called breaking her out of her daze. Vox jumped in hoping she wasn’t too late.

…

For the first time Arata was able to land on his feet after the fall. He scanned the area while we waited for the rest of the team to enter. The open door in front of him was simple and wooden, it took a while for Arata to place it, but this was the door to Foalsdale elementary.

Blaze landed with a thud, not quite able to find his balance during the fall. “So she’s already inside. We need to hurry.”

As if on command, Vox landed as Blaze finished his sentence; although she didn’t handle the landing as well as her companions, she quickly got back on her feet.

“With me!” Arata took the lead and darted into the open door.

The classroom that the trio now stood in was brightly decorated. Paintings and drawings that the students had made hung from the walls. Sitting in five neatly organized rows were about thirty little ponies. At the moment they had their backs facing the E.W.E.F. team, and were staring at the blackboard in the front of the room.

“I don’t see her in here,” Vox said scanning the room, “Look there’s another door. Let’s go.”

As she stepped forward every face in the class turned to view her, their bodies remaining motionless. Instead of ponies each was the all too familiar mask that each shadow wore. Each one began to pulsate and change form.

Arata wasted no time calling for his persona, and drawing his machete. He leapt forward meeting the first two shadows that approached him. With a wave of his hand Taliesin sent out a blast of wind destroying one of the shadows, and finishing the other off with his machete.

Blaze followed suit. Man at Arms charged into the melee, catching three of the shadows on his lance. After his charge a shadow lunged forward catching him off guard. Blaze took a step dodging the first strike. Before the shadow could recoil and attack again, Blaze had shifted his weight forward and lunged in with his machete.

Despite being the least experienced with a persona, Vox had already taken out six of the shadows, and continued to press the attack. Morgana let out blats of ice. There were some shadows that resisted her magic, but her pistol proved to be more than a match for them.

“That felt easier than the last few times,” Arata said. The fight hadn’t lasted long; the three of them had quickly finished off the shadows and were making their way to the door by the blackboard.

“There are three of us with Persona’s now.” Blaze reminded him. “I would be surprised if it wasn’t easier.”

Arata opened the door to the second room. Inside they found Autumn Tail being confronted by another filly.

“I don’t know what’s worse,” mocked the filly in a gruff, and echoing voice. “The blankflank or the filly that hangs out with her.”

“Leave me alone,” Autumn tail cried “It’s not up to you to tell me who my friends should be!”

“You say that, but I know that you’re afraid of what everpony else will think.” The other filly laughed.

Although the words were meant for Autumn Tail, Arata knew the feelings it was invoking all too well. He couldn’t stand by and watch it torment her.

“Leave her alone!” Arata shouted calling forth Taliesin and lunging forward.

“There will be no fighting in the classroom!” Screamed, what sounded like the teacher.

Arata halted his charge just in time. Drops of black ooze dropped from the ceiling. The globs quickly piled up to form bars, and then streams of the ooze shot out horizontally connecting the bars together forming a net. At every junction an eye appeared, glaring at the trio before it.

“Now,” the wall grumbled, “class is in session.”

The eyes were blinking in turn, only a few remained open at a time. The pattern was sporadic, and given the size of the shadow, there were hundreds of possibilities as to which eye was going to open next.

Arata, being the closest lashed out with his persona trying to punch through the fence. While he was occupied with the attack he did not notice one of the eyes starting to glow, and release a blast of fire towards him.

Arata was knocked backwards towards Blaze and Vox. Seeing Arata flying towards them, the pair stepped to the side and both let out attacks with their personas.

Man at Arms was the first in striking the wall with his lance. The hit did no damage, and the persona followed it up with a series of swift attacks. Morgana attempted to freeze the wall, but her magic had no effect either.

“What is this thing?” Arata said picking himself up.

“I have no idea, but nothing we do seems -” Blaze called back suddenly interrupted by Vox.

“Autumn Tail!” following Vox’s panicked shout, the child addressing Autumn Tail began to transform into a shadow. Although it was nowhere near as intimidating as the three Arata had previously fought, he wasn’t sure if the little filly would be able to defend herself.

“We need to get through this now!” Arata shouted, “Let’s focus everything we’ve got on one spot!”

“Focus on the eyes, nothing else has worked so far,” Blaze added readying his persona for an attack. Although the situation was chaotic and nothing the trio did seemed to have any effect Blaze was able to charge up power for an attack. Vox in-kind was focusing her mind to charge a powerful spell.

“Taliesin!”

“Morgana!”

“Man at Arms!”

The trio cried out in unison letting out a frantic attack. Wind, ice, and a blast of primal force all slammed into one of the shadows opened eyes.

The blast flung dust and debris into the air; the trio waited silently as the smoke cleared.

“No…” Vox let out a sigh of desperation. Despite their best efforts the wall still stood. Before they could attack again, an orb began to appear in front of them. As quickly as it had formed it exploded into an almighty blast which knocked all three of the E.W.E.F. team down.

The finishing blow was quick but Arata, Blaze, and Vox all saw it clearly in their injured state. The shadow that had started attacking Autumn Tail raised a long scythe like claw and struck the little filly down where she stood.

…

Arata was the first to surface, he gasped for breath and found that his body was too beaten and bruised to swim to the edge of the lake. Penzance who had been standing on the shore pulled him to the shore as Blaze and Vox surfaced.

Before anypony could ask, Autumn Tail floated to the surface. Her body was stiff and bloated; all of the color had drained from her.

“What have I done…” gasped Penzance slowly hoisting her body out of the water.