//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5: Choices  
// Story: Persona: Innocent Wish 
// by Trismegistus 
//------------------------------//

        “Blaze, I’m not sure if this is a good idea...” Arata said, standing on the shore of the lake that he had previously fallen into; an experience he was not enthusiastic to relive. “What makes you sure that we can even go back there again?”

        Blaze lazily shifted his gaze away from the camera he was adjusting, and met Arata’s anxious stare. “I’m not, to be honest, but that’s why we’re here. We need to figure out what exactly happened, and what exactly this thing is. Plus if we were actually attacked like we both remember I want to make sure those weren’t really ponies.” His words cut through the air and opened the uneasiness Arata had been filled with for the past two days. 

        “They weren’t… they couldn’t have been,” Arata started pacing, his eyes grew wider and his words ever more frantic. “No, no, no. If they were ponies.. then I… I… I killed everypony...”

        “Arata, calm down; I’ve never read anything about ponies turning into… whatever those things were,” With every word that failed to reach Arata in his panic, Blaze stepped closer. “You’re not a killer Arata. I promise… You should have talked to me about this yesterday.” 

        “Easy for you to say. What if we’re wrong! What if I am a killer! What would Celestia do to--” Before he could finish his thought, Blaze’s hoof met the side of his head, knocking him to the ground. 

        “You’re right, It is easy for me to say. Now you have a choice; you can either sit here and wallow in fear, or you can figure out what really happened,” For a moment Blaze stared into Arata’s very essence, before turning around and picking up the camera. “I’ll go in first,” and without any visible hesitation Blaze stepped into the lake and disappeared. 


...


        ‘Well at least it worked,’ still hazy from the fall, Blaze picked himself up and began to examine the supplies he had brought in. Unlike the last time he was here, Blaze was ready for whatever lay ahead; at least he hoped. In addition to the camera which sadly didn’t survive the fall, he carried a machete just in case. 

        Standing a few feet in front of Blaze was a door similar to the one Arata had opened. Everything else was black. A stark contrast to the door that had stood before Arata, this one was ornately decorated. Made of a stained white wood with several gold inlays, it was reminiscent of the grandeur of Canterlot.  ‘Wait… this is the door to the Canterlot archives.’ Hesitantly, Blaze attempted to nudge the door open. To his relief, the door swung open without Arata’s presence. Beyond the frame there stood somewhat cluttered rows of books.   

        “Don’t you want to be part of something bigger than yourself? Don’t you want to make Equestria safer for everypony? ” The voice was dull; hidden behind the wall of shelves. 

        ‘Wait… It can’t be...’ Blaze slowly maneuvered himself around the room, cautiously making his way to the source of the noise. He found a ledge overlooking the entrance to the archives, peering over it, he saw Penzance and… himself. 

        “I’m sorry Sir. I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I’m not some brave adventurer. I’m a librarian, and I plan to stay one.” Young Blaze replied, with more than his usual amount of hostility. 

        “You can be our record keeper and researcher. You don’t have to be in any danger. Please take some more time to consider this. This opportunity will never come up again,” Penzance dipped his head as he turned to leave the library. 

        Before he could question what was happening, the library quickly dissolved into a fine mist. Leaving him standing in darkness.  As he stood in the shadows another door appeared before him. Just as before he approached it and slowly opened it. Inside was the same library he had been standing in just seconds before. The books were all arranged in the same manner and his voice could be heard softly echoing through the hall. 

        “I will come, but only as a historian. I don’t want any excitement from this… and you promise that this will be making Equestria a safer place, right?” Blaze prodded. Not quite sure that he was making the right choice. 

        “Blaze, when I saw your application into the Royal Guard I knew there was great potential in you,” 

        “But you didn’t take me then, why bother now.” Blaze interrupted. 

        “Because this isn’t the Royal Guard; and more importantly you are older and more experienced,” Penzance spoke, meeting his uncertain gaze with reassurance. 

        “I’ve spent all of my time since then here in the archives. How much more experience could I possibly have,”

        “Never underestimate the power of knowledge, Blaze. I don’t want another soldier. I want you,” Penzance reassured one final time. 

        “I’m the only pony for the job huh?” Blaze paused taking in every nook and cranny of the familiar workplace. “I guess I have been working here a bit too long. I’ll come.” 

        “Excellent. Meet me at the station tomorrow morning at 700 hours.” With a curt nod and a smile, Penzance retreated through the door; leaving Blaze alone with his books for one final time. Watching these events unfold again brought forth a fear that had been lingering inside him; was leaving Canterlot really the right choice?

        Blaze watched himself contemplating the same questions he had gone through so many years ago. ‘Dad…’ his ethereal counterpart whispered, as everything slowly turned to fog. 

        Blaze had been transported from the Canterlot Archives to the E.W.E.F’s first camp in the Everfree Forest. Instantly familiar with the neat rows of tents, he navigated his way towards his old research station. Unlike the Hayseed Swamps, the Everfree Forest always kept its dark and foreboding feeling. Blaze had never particularly minded it, the eerie feeling he had heightened his sense of adventure; although under the current circumstances it was starting to faze him. 

        He made his way through the camp, which was remarkably empty compared to Nippony. Slowly pacing through the tents, Blaze became uneasy. At first this had simply caused him to increase his pace, but now he had drawn his machete, just in case there was anything lurking around the corners. Each step he took became more and more cautious until he reached his old tent. Inside were his neatly organized books, just as he remembered them. He walked in, placed his machete on table, and sat down. Everything here was so familiar, so close to how it was, but something was off.  

        Blaze flipped through the books that were on his old desk. Each one was exactly as he remembered it. “That’s it,” he muttered getting up and darting over to the other side of the tent. Under a pile of scrolls and discarded quills was a book titled All about Apples, one of the few books he hadn’t read. Blaze quickly flipped it open and found that every page was blank. With a sigh of relief he threw the book back onto the floor. 

        “I’m impressed Blaze, I knew you would figure it out, but I didn’t think it would be that quick,” a taunting voice hung in the air, as the tent quickly turned into fog, and disappeared. 

        Blaze was left standing in the clearing back where he had started. Minus Arata, everything seemed completely normal. There was no sign of where Arata had disappeared to, but if his earlier actions were any indication, Blaze’s best guess was that he had ran back to camp. 

        “You really shouldn’t be surprised by any of this Blaze,” the same voice called out. Blaze’s head slowly panned the surroundings, trying to determine who was speaking to him. “Did you really think that Arata would have helped you with this? You could have brought me, but you didn’t. Is it because you didn’t want me watching you put your life on the line for something that doesn’t matter?” As the tirade continued, Blaze was able to piece the situation together. 

        “I didn’t think your magic could do this. How long have you been keeping this trick from me Vox?” Blaze called out into the surrounding trees. The voice was coming from so many directions at once that he had no hope of tracking it. 

        “Awww, you didn’t like my little trick? How about this one,” without any kind of hint, Vox was now standing directly in front of Blaze. It took all of his resolve to hold his position. “Now come on, I know everything you’re thinking. You never want me to worry about you, because then you would feel guilty. You’re so selfish. Wanting to explore and have your adventures, but not deal with the consequences.”

        “Alright I’ve had enough of you being in my head,” Blazes horn lit up as he tried to push Vox out of his mind. 

        “Oh please. I taught you those spells, do you really think I would teach you anything that could overpower me? Now you know that this is true, why won’t you accept it?” 

         “No, it’s not… I only want what’s best for us,” Blaze whispered refusing to meet Vox’s glare. 

        “I don’t know what’s better to watch, you lying to yourself, or you trying to lie to me. I know everything in your mind don’t you get it? I am everything you know!” 

        “No… no… You’re not. You can’t be...” Blaze shuddered as his will began to break. 

        “Yes! Fight it, fight the truth. Keep lying to yourself!” With a twisted laugh, Vox leapt backward and her form began to pulsate. A stream of darkness exploded out of her, covering the area around her with black ooze. Slowly it reformed, first at the legs, then a torso, followed by arms, twisted claws, and finally its head. The monster in front of him still bore a resemblance to Vox, and when it spoke it was still her voice he heard. “You look so frightened. Is this what you were trying to protect me from?”

        Blaze tried his best to ignore the creature. His horn lit up once more as his machete sprung from his back and floated defensively in front of him. The monster lunged back into the trees, her voice echoing from every direction. “I know every move you will make before you make it. There is no way you can fight me.”

        Without a warning the shadow lashed out from behind Blaze. With only seconds to react he tried to jump out of its path, but he was too slow. Its claws caught the left side of his body knocking him to the ground. The machete fell with him as his concentration was broken. The creature disappeared once more, only to reappear seconds later from another part of the clearing. This time its foot met Blazes ribs, sending a jolt of pain through his entire body. As consciousness started to fade he saw the creature raise it claw for a finishing blow, and heard one final sound. 

        “Taliesin!”    


…


A dull throbbing on the side of his head reminded Arata of Blaze’s fond farewell. With Blaze gone, the clearing’s eerie silence was all Arata noticed. The still air filled his lungs; each breath relaxing his mind and body. Time ceased as he lapsed into his thoughts; first came panic, then anger, and finally fear. There were so many possibilities and no way to know what was actually happening. Blaze could be fine in the lake, maybe nothing was happening and he was totally safe. But that seemed unlikely. He most likely was in danger; and the last time Blaze wouldn’t have gotten out alive without Arata’s help. 

        From the edge of the clearing a small twitch of movement caught Arata’s attention.  Contrasted to the stillness of the foliage behind it, the blue butterfly that drew ever closer, seemed to be filled with motion. Every flap of its wings and subtle change in the direction it flew seemed like dramatic and exaggerated actions. Arata was transfixed by the creature; cocking his head slightly to the left he tried to discern why it had broken the silence. 

        After what seemed like hours of watching the butterfly slowly maneuver itself to him, Arata felt the soft touch of its legs on his nose. The translucent blue wings shimmered against the soft green of the grass. Slowly its wings began to flap again as it lifted off of Arata’s nose and flew towards the lake. 

        With his head tracking the butterfly, Arata watched as it slowly lowered itself onto the surface of the water and disappeared into the depths. Silently Arata picked himself up off the ground, retrieving his machete, and with just a hint of fear and hesitation, he followed.

The sudden impact knocked the breath out of Arata, but it did not break his new resolve. His partner was down here, alone, and he was going to help him. Blaze had done the same thing. The same dense fog blanketed the area. To Arata’s relief there was no sign of the Alicorn, but there was an open door standing just a few hooves away. As he hesitantly approached it, a faint glimmer caught his eye. As he turned to investigate it, a blue door came into view. Lightly resting on its handle was the same butterfly that had led Arata into the lake. 

        As he approached the new door, the butterfly softly lifted off of the handle and disappeared into the mist. Carefully Arata used the key which hung around his neck to unlock the door; then gently opened it. 

        “Greetings, I am glad you were able to join us again,” Igor’s familiar voice calls out. “We are both very pleased to see that you have started to form bonds and friendships with those around you. As I said during your last visit, your ability is that of the wild card, and it is these Social Links that will help you unlock your full potential.  As your links grow stronger so will your personas… Now you must go. Blaze is in danger and may require your assistance.” 

        Arata’s eyes flicked open as he became aware of his surroundings once more. He was still standing in front of the door to the Velvet Room, and the Contractor’s Key was still in the key hole. Deciding to heed Igor’s warning Arata darted through the ornate door that he had first seen. He wasn’t sure what he would face on the other side, but if Blaze was in trouble, he had to pull himself together.

        Beyond the door were the familiar groves of the Hayseed Swamps. Arata quickly recognized that he was on the trail to the lake. Arata paused, and muttered to himself “Think, think, think. There isn’t time to be confused… Wait!” Arata nervously looked at his flank, and to his relief he now had the same tarot card cutie mark. “I’m still in the lake…This isn’t really the Hayseed Swamps, just like that wasn’t Nippony.” Without any more thought he bolted down the trail toward the lake. 

        As he drew closer he heard muffled voices through the foliage. He ran as fast as he could but it didn’t seem like his speed was making any difference. With every step closer the amount of land he needed to cross seemed to doubled. He came to an abrupt halt, just in time to avoid a bolt of lightning that shot out toward him. Several of the shadows emerged from the trees lining the path. Unlike the ones he had fought before, these sprung up off the ground and turned into black orbs. 

        Arata slowly backed up, firmly grasping the hilt of his machete between his teeth. As he drew it, the shadows transformed. There were now four creatures in front of him, the three orbs, and one more which he hadn’t seen before. The fourth floated several hooves behind the first three. It appeared to be two ponies side by side that had been connected to each other by three slender rods. One ran through their ankles, another through their fore hooves, and a final one through the neck. Instead of faces they each wore a light blue mask.   The first three had kept their spherical shape but had grown elongated mouths and long tongues. 

        The instant the transformation was complete, the mouths lunged at Arata. Arata quickly cut down the first two that reached him. When his machete landed it sliced them in two, then each half shattered and disappeared. While he was distracted with fighting, Arata didn’t notice the bolt of lightning headed in his direction. Arata was struck in the chest and knocked off his hooves. The machete flew out of his mouth and landed in the shrubs on the side of the trail. 

        The third closed in while Arata was down. In an instant Arata was back on his hooves, and a blue card was floating in front of him.  “Persona” he whispered as the card shattered. The card on his flank had changed from the white mask, to a set of scales supported by a sword. Arata felt light, as if a façade he carried had been lifted off of his shoulders. Behind him was a Pegasus made of gleaming marble with an exposed heart. With Arata’s command the new persona flew through the final mouth, destroying it. 

        Another bolt of lightning hurled toward Arata. The bolt struck him again, but this time he felt no pain from it. Letting his persona guide him, he felt a surge of light and issued a new command. 

        “Virtue!” 

        A golden light appeared below the connected ponies, and holy seals surrounded the shadows dissolving them. 

        Back on his hooves, Arata darted toward the lake once more. This time he was actually making progress. As he closed in he heard Vox. He couldn’t tell what she was saying, but it was unmistakably her. He entered the clearing just in time to see a hulking black shadow deliver a vicious kick to Blaze’s ribs. As it raised its claw for the finishing blow Arata leapt forward and called out for his persona. 

        “Taliesin!” 

        He appeared just in front of Arata and dashed forward toward the shadow. His appearance had caught the unsuspecting monster off guard, and the impact knocked her to the ground. 

        She quickly regained her composure and disappeared into the forest. Arata readied himself for the impending attack. Everything was still as he searched for any sign of the creature. Just as his guard began to falter, a bolt of lightning struck out from behind him, knocking Arata to the ground. The shadow leapt out of the trees hoping to attack Arata while he was down. 

        Rolling out of the way at the last second, Arata called for Taliesin once more. He heeded his master’s call and let out a blast of wind which sent bits of the shadow in every direction. Although it had been damaged, the shadow pressed the attack once more. Her claws wildly slashed in every direction, and tore into Taliesin. As Arata leapt out of the way he frantically tried to summon his second persona. Just as Virtue appeared by its master, another bolt of lightning struck Arata, having no effect. 

        “Looks like you can’t hurt me with that anymore. Play time is over!” Arata screamed preparing to finish the battle once and for all…


…


        “Hey mom… Do you have a minute,” Blaze timidly asked as he slipped through his front door. 

        “Oh Blaze you’re home. What do you need?” Called out a dark blue mare with a curly blonde mane. 

        “I spoke to Penzance again today…” Blaze took a second to muster up courage, “I agreed to go with him.” Blaze shuddered waiting for his mom’s response. 

        “Do you think it’s the right choice?” She replied after a long pause. 

        “I… I’m not sure. Part of me wants to; but then I think of Dad,” He spoke softly. 

        “I thought you were going to say that,” His mother gently agreed. “But he would have wanted you to go with Penzance.” 

        “Would he have if he knew exploration would have been the death of him?” He responded. 

        “I don’t know the answer to that sugarcube,” she admitted and walked toward him. “Your father always wanted excitement in his life. If he wasn’t off adventuring he just wasn’t happy; and as much as you try to hide it from me, I see the same thing in you.” 

        “But I couldn’t… If something were to happen to me, you’d be alone.” Blaze embraced his mother as his eyes began to tear. 

        “Blaze, I have always known this day would come.” Her gaze met his eyes; although she was in tears he felt her reassurance. “As long as you are doing what makes you happy, I will be.”

        “But was it the right choice?” he questioned. 

        “I think you already know the answer to that son; and where ever your new adventures lead you, remember your father and I love you, and we always will. Now get out there and blaze some trails.”


…


        Blaze’s eyes flickered open, to the sight of Arata battling Vox. He slowly stood and shouted to his partner. 

        “Arata! Thanks for the help, but I’ll take over from here,” Blaze, holding his machete, slowly walked toward the shadow as his partner leapt to the side, slightly surprised to see Blaze on his feet again. 

        “I understand what you are now. You, all of this, it’s all the fears that I tucked away. I won’t run from my fears anymore.” His words seemed to weaken the shadow, it grew weaker with every step forward he took.

        ‘Thou art I… and I am thou’

         A card appeared in front of Blaze. 

        “Man at Arms!” the card shattered, and standing behind him was a giant armored stallion carrying a brilliant silver lance.     
    
        “Alright! Let’s finish her off!” He charged, leading his persona to its target. The lance pierced the shadows heart. It staggered back and tried to let out one final attack. Blaze leapt on to the shadow and with a swift slash severed the shadows head. 

        The creature’s body bubbled and then dissolved into a door. 

        “Blaze, thank Celestia you’re okay.” Arata sprinted toward Blaze with a smile. “When did you get a persona?” 

        “I don’t know, it just showed up… kinda like you,” he flashed a smile Arata and walked to the door. 

        “Oh yeah that,” Arata coyly answered while rubbing the back of his head with his hoof. “Sorry, it took me awhile to pull myself together.”

        “Don’t worry about it. That’s all in the past now,” Blaze opened the door and began to step through. “Let’s get out of here.”