//------------------------------// // Chapter 37: Deathbound // Story: Persona: Innocent Wish // by Trismegistus //------------------------------//         Arata adjusted his machete for the third time since leaving the new headquarters. Pacing slowly through the snow, it was all he could do to ease some of the worry that was beginning to set in. He set the hilt of the crudely sharpened sword just close enough to his mouth that he could grab it easily, but not so close that he couldn’t move his head. It was a distance that he had only started to pay attention to now, but the more he fidgeted with its placement, the more sure he was that it was important. Arata had faced shadows alone before, and he had gone into the unknown before as well. This time felt different. He wasn’t going to go explore the lake; he wasn’t doing this for himself or Blaze. He was going for the sake of all of the ponies in Foalsdale who needed his protection. If for some reason he didn’t succeed here, that would be it, for all of them.         That morning he had only briefly spoken to Compass Rose and Camphor before he left. The question of what could be done about the looming threat had only one answer at the moment, and that was for Arata to fight. The others wouldn’t have their spirit drained as Triage did, but it would still be dangerous for them to fight a shadow without the use of their Personas. Camphor and Rose had agreed reluctantly to let Arata go. Camphor handed him some of the snuff soul that he had been mixing. Compass Rose had stared at him awkwardly for a moment before stepping forward and embracing him. Immediately, she flew backward and shouted, “Don’t die okay?” before flying away.         Arata took another step through the snow and plant growth that seemed to persist without reason.  He paused momentarily to check the position of his equipment, the fourth time in what seemed like minutes, but this was all that he could do to still his nerves. There were many things that could be waiting for him down this trail that he had walked so many times before. Vox, shadows, Morgana: they all lay waiting for him. More so, they were all his doing. All of this stemmed from that one contract he had made. In a way this felt like righting a wrong that he had committed. Being alone was more dangerous, but at least the danger was on him and nopony else.         Now, the meaning of all of the feelings swirling around in his mind became immediately clear to him. He didn’t want to die. Yes, this would have been obvious though, to anypony, but now… now it was so real, so close. If he did something wrong, then that would be it. He could end up like the shade of Vox, or he could simply fade off into nothingness. Either way, this was not something that he was taught. This feeling was something that stemmed from himself, and as he could imagine, it stemmed from the souls of everypony. Maybe that is why the way to deal with this feeling, or even the feeling itself, couldn’t be taught. It was only something he could know now in the moment. It was only something that Vox must have felt in the moment. Arata couldn’t help but empathize with some of the mania that had overtaken her. Maybe what she did was best for keeping this feeling from engulfing the lives of everypony he had grown to care about.         He paused, for only a moment, to regain his composure. This place had a tendency for bringing up thoughts from the deepest parts of his mind. It wasn’t clear how, but when he entered the forest it was as if his soul had merged with the air around him, and everything was free to flow about.         All it took was that pause to notice the black hand slowly twitching in the tree line. Then, the sickly blue of a shadow’s mask crept into view, followed by another, and another, and another. When they finally stopped appearing, there were more than fifteen shadows in his way.         Arata prepared himself for a moment, as one of the shadows let fly a blast of lightning.         “Pendragon!” The Persona instantly answered his call protecting Arata from the oncoming attack with its wings. Then, leaping forward, it crushed four of the shadows under its talons. Another set of attacks came. Again, it blocked, and continued unscathed. Pendragon swept its wings back and forth sending out a crushing blast of wind that reduced the remaining shadows to wisp like black powder.         Arata noted that the shadows seemed to have come further from the lake than they had previously, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that. Another mass moved out of hiding and pulsed and twisted until a lumbering red demon stood before him.         Fending off the previous shadows had left Arata feeling drained, fighting outside of the lake was far more demanding on him both physically and mentally.  The demon raised its spear and thrust forward. Pendragon blocked once more, but the pain from the attack transferred to Arata. Ordering Pendragon to lash out with its claws, Arata tried to move behind the shadow. The claws met the demon’s flesh, but instead of recoiling it simply smirked. Arata paused his advance, and watched as the demon turned to him and raised its spear above its head, causing clusters of hooves to spring from the ground. The bludgeoning and grabbing was too much for Arata to take. He fell to the ground as the demon used the same attack again and again.           Suddenly, Arata felt a splash of something on his side and with it came a strong, sweet yet somehow repulsive odor. The jolt sent him to his hooves, and he felt more awake now than he had all day.         “There ya’ go maaaaaaaaaaan.” A warm, crackly voice called out.         Not wasting his chance, Arata called forth Pendragon once more and sent out a cyclone that knocked the shadow against a tree. Pendragon readied itself once more and from its mouth shout out a beam so bright that the fog surrounding them was briefly transparent.         “Alright! You did it!” Shouted another familiar voice from somewhere above. Compass Rose dropped down from a few feet above and caught Arata in an embrace.         Arata stood confused for a second, then looked at Rose and Camphor, who had now joined the embrace. “What are you two doing here? It’s dangerous, you can’t use your Personas.”         “We know, but we couldn’t stand moving furniture and cleaning while you were out here risking your life to protect everypony.”         “Like there isn’t muuuuch we can dooooo right? But like, we’ll do all we can dooo?” Camphor nodded and handed Arata a strange vial. “This should, like, help if you get in a situation like that. It’s a more potent version of what we gave Triage to smellllll.”         “Guys….” Arata said.         “Here’s what we’re gonna do.” Rose began. “From up there I can see a bit more than you can down here. So I’ll stay up there and tell you what I see.” She reached into a bag, “this is one of Vox’s radios. I’ll tell you and Camphor what I see from it.”         “Annnnnnnnd I’ll be here to, like, help you when you get hurt.”         “We’ve got your back Arata!” they said in unison.         The air was silent for a moment.         “We nailed it!” Rose shouted doing a small spin.         “Nailed it?” Arata asked.         “Saaaaying that togetherrrrr. I thought it would be coooool. Like in the movies.” Camphor said.         “We practiced on the walk to the forest….” Rose admitted.         Arata smiled, a real smile, one he couldn’t hold back. “Alright, let’s get going, together. I’m counting on you guys.”         “Right-o!”         “Youuuu got it maaaan!”         The trio made it to the clearing with little difficulty. With Rose feeding them the position of shadows and Camphor helping Arata keep his spirits up, they made short work of anything that came before them.         To Arata’s relief, the shade of Vox wasn’t present today, because it was probably for the best that Camphor and Rose didn’t see it.         Bits of ash still hugged the grass around the lake, and though it was winter, there was no trace of snow in the clearing. Remnants of the battle with Vox ensured nopony would forget what had happened here.         “Arata, I…. I can’t stay here.” Rose said. “It’s just too much.”         Camphor nodded, wiping his eyes.         “Right,” Arata agreed, “Let’s go.” …         They returned to their new headquarters, to find the remnant of the E.W.E.F. busy cleaning and moving their possessions into the building.         “Back already?” Triage called hauling a box of what seemed to be medical supplies through the snow. “How does it look out there?”                 “I think we’ll be able to hold out until Ivory gets back.” Arata replied walking past her into the building.         “You seem to be in a hurry.” Triage shouted after him.         “I told Lexicon I’d visit her today. I almost forgot with everything that happened.” And with that, he had set his bag by his bed, now fitted with fresh sheets, and headed back out.         Camphor stopped him briefly, “Heeey, you should sleep at our place toniiight. Don’t move out until we’ve toooold my daaaaad.”         “Right, let’s talk to him tomorrow.” Arata nodded slipping down the stairs and out the door.         He found himself running down the partially shoveled street, hoping to get to the hospital before visiting hours came to an end. Rushing through the door he scattered bits of snow about the place until he came to the reception.         “Sorry, I came a bit late,” Arata said panting, “I’m here to see Lexi, could you let me in?”         “I’m sorry sir, visiting hours are over for the day. Please come again tomorrow.”         “Please.” Arata stated. “Just this once.”         “Sir I ca-“         “I can’t let her think that everypony’s forgotten about her, please.”         “Well, fine. But if the doctor says you have to leave, you’d better leave.”         “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” He said darting past.         Once at the room, he took a deep breath then entered without knocking.         Lexi was too absorbed in a book to notice him enter and jumped when he began to speak to her.         “A-Arata-kun, I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.”         “No, It’s my fault. I should have come during visiting hours. I was just… busy today.”         Lexi didn’t try to hide her concern. “Was it about that?”         “Yeah,” Arata agreed peeking outside the door to make sure nopony was in earshot.         She bit her lip and turned to her book. “You know about how I get into characters in the stories I read, right? Well, lately I’ve been reading adventure books, where stuff like this happens all the time. The ponies in those stories always seem so calm. It’s as if they are enjoying the constant danger. Before, when I read a book like this I’d be excited, I’d be rooting for the hero, I’d feel their excitement when they were in a fight, or avoided a trap, but now, something’s different…”         “What is it?”         “I know that that kind of stuff isn’t exciting… it’s horrifying. Almost dying,  just to make it out at the last second. Every time the hero gets into trouble, they could just end up like me. Burnt half to death, and just missing an ordinary life. I don’t know what it is Arata…”         “’What it is?’”         “That makes a hero different. I don’t know how they can look at something like that and smirk. I don’t know how they can see the treasure at the end of the cave and think it’s worth their life. I don’t know how you can keep going back there after everything that happened…”         “Do you think I’m a hero?”         Lexi nodded gently.         “I’m not, I couldn’t be. This was all my fault. Blaze and I started all of this, and I need to make sure it ends. Somepony has already died because of me, and if I had been any weaker, you might not be here either.”         “When I read this book, I think of you out there fighting for us… for me. I wish I could be that strong. Even if you aren’t a hero, you have something I don’t… Arata, a while ago you said you would help me go around town and talk to everypony, I think I have something more important. I want you to help me become strong like you. If I can do that, talking to ponies won’t be scary at all.”         Arata could feel the determination behind her words. He nodded firmly. “I don’t know how much help I can be. But we can get stronger together.”