//------------------------------//
// Chapter 20: Diminishing Returns 
// Story: Personas of Harmony 
// by EricStarstorm 
//------------------------------//

	Spike carefully investigated the cart of books that sat in the center of the room. The library had been bustling with activity for the past week or so, and as such, there were a lot of returns coming in that day. Twilight had asked him to start re-shelving them while she went to ask Looking Glass about progress on his and Siren's end of the case, and he wasn't planning on letting her down. Still, he was only vaguely familiar with how the books were supposed to be shelved. He decided to start with the three Daring Do books that were there--after all, the only thing he had to figure out there was where the other Daring Do books were. He picked them all up and stacked them in his arms. He had to climb up the library's rolling ladder to put them where they belonged, but he was used to that, so it didn't bother him.

Owlowiscious flew into the room and landed on the cart. When Spike was done putting the books back, he saw him there. "Hey, Owlowiscious," he said. "Could you hand me another fiction book while you're over there? I'm pretty sure this is where Twilight keeps them."

"Hoo." Owlowiscious grabbed a book off of the cart with his talons. On its front cover were four ponies clad in plate armor standing before what looked like a solar eclipse. He flew over and dropped it into Spike's waiting hands.

"Thanks, big guy." Spike looked at the spine of the book to figure out where exactly to put it.

"Hoo?"

"I think I can handle it. Thanks for the offer."

"Hoo."

"What do you mean? I'm pretty sure this is..." Spike took another look at the spine of the book in his hands. He then looked at the Daring Do books to find that the book he was holding belonged on the other side of the fiction section. "...Oh...well, that's fine. I'll just go over and--"

A knock on the door interrupted Spike mid-sentence, surprising him and making him drop the book. Owlowiscious flew over and caught it before it hit the ground, but Spike wasn't so lucky--he fell off of the ladder and hit the floor. Nevertheless, Spike recovered quickly. "Who is it?"

"It's Rarity," the voice behind the door replied. She sounded troubled. "May I come in, please?"

"Just a second!" Spike turned to Owlowiscious. "Hey, do you mind getting some of this work done for me?"

Owlowiscious raised an eyebrow at Spike. "Hoo."

"Oh, don't worry, I'll pay you back for it. Do this for me, and I'll get Fluttershy to massage your wings for you!"

Owlowiscious rolled his eyes, but he started working on the books. Spike went to go answer the door, and when he opened it, he saw that Rarity was holding a box. Spike stepped aside, allowing Rarity to enter.

"I apologize for the short notice," Rarity said. "Is Twilight home?"

"Nah, she's doing some detective stuff. What brings you here?"

"I wanted to talk to you, actually...about what my Shadow said before."

Spike was a bit confused. "Well, sure...I'll make some tea."





Fifteen minutes later, Spike and Rarity sat down at the table, each with a cup of tea. Rarity had set her box on the table as well, and Spike couldn't help but eye it curiously. It had been wrapped in a beautiful red ribbon with gold lacing, meaning that it was obviously a present. He wondered who it was for.

"Spike...I've been thinking about how to make up for what I've done to you ever since I obtained my Persona," Rarity said.

Spike looked Rarity in the eyes. "You don't have to do anything. As far as I'm concerned, you didn't do anything wrong."

"But I did do something wrong, whether you believe so or not. I...I did many things wrong. Things I would take back if I had the chance...without any hesitation." Rarity lifted the box and put it down beside Spike. "This is the best way to make things right that I could think of."

Spike took the box and gently removed the ribbon. He opened it and looked inside. Sitting there was a strikingly familiar necklace. In the center of the necklace was a red, heart-shaped gem. "Y-your Fire Ruby?"

"YOUR Fire Ruby." Rarity sighed. "To be completely honest...back when you gave that to me, I knew that you would do so if I coerced you a little bit. It ate me up inside afterwards, especially after my Shadow appeared."

"But this gem made you so happy! I couldn't ask you to give it up."

"It does pain me to part with it, but it is the right thing to do. Thank you again for allowing me to keep it, but I can no longer hold onto it in good conscience." Rarity stood up. "I hope it's just as valuable to you as it was to me."

"Wait, are you leaving already?"

"I must...before I change my mind. We'll talk again soon, darling."

Rarity turned around and started walking towards the door. Spike looked at the Fire Ruby thoughtfully for a moment, then had an idea. He took the ruby out of the box and hid it behind his back. "Rarity, wait!"

Rarity turned around. "Yes?"

"I have something for you. Close your eyes."

"Spike, you don't have to--"

"Upupupupup! Close 'em!"

Rarity hesitated, looking at Spike with concern. After about five seconds, she sighed and acknowledged his request. Spike walked over and stood on his toes, putting the necklace on her. He then backed up. "Aaaand open!"

Rarity opened her eyes. She felt something slightly cold on her neck, so she looked in a mirror. She looked surprised, then turned to Spike. "But...I just gave this back to you."

"Yep!"

Silence.

"I'm...not sure what to make of this."

"Well, you wanted to give this back because you feel like you forced me to give it to you, right?"

"Yes, but--"

"So now I'm giving it to you of my own accord! Now you can look at it and say you got this as a gift, instead of taking advantage of me for it."

Rarity's surprised look intensified. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. "I...I can't..."

"Don't even say that you can't accept it. We both know you can."

Rarity was silent for a few more seconds. She suddenly picked Spike up with her magic and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you so much, Spike. I won't forget this any time soon."

Spike wasn't sure how he kept his composure after that, but he and Rarity shared a tight embrace. "Aw, c'mon. What are friends for?"

"This is more than that, Spike." Rarity pulled back so that she could look Spike in the eye. "This is one of the happiest moments I've experienced in a long time...you have my eternal gratitude."

"All right, I get it, you're thankful! You're starting to embarrass me."

Suddenly, there were two sounds above them that sounded like a glass breaking. Each of them looked up to find that their Personas had summoned themselves.

"Wait a--is this what I think it is?!" Spike yelled, excitement dripping from his tone.

"What? What's happening?" Rarity asked.

Both Jack of Clubs and Xanthias were consumed by white light. Rarity and Spike had to close their eyes until the light dispersed. They looked up in awe as they saw that their Personas had changed. Jack of Clubs's duster had become a sleeved king's robe, and his tiara was now a jeweled crown. His rapier was more ornate, and it appeared to have two blades that met at the top. Xanthias was taller and more muscular, with knowing eyes and sharp fangs. His arms ended in spheres that yielded massive claws, and in one hand, he held a large globe surrounded by tiny stars. Both Personas turned into their respective Arcana cards and then faded into the air, bathing their hosts in familiar blue energy.

"What...was that?" Rarity asked.

"Well, I'm a little fuzzy on the specifics, but..." Spike smiled. "Apparently, when someone with a Persona gets over what their Shadow said about them, their Persona evolves to reflect the change in their outlook."

"I see...well, I certainly do feel more powerful." Rarity put a hoof to her chin. "Apparently, my new Persona is Ace of Spades. What about yours?"

"Atlas. But it's a funny feeling...we have these new powers now, and normally getting them would distract us from the moment we just had."

"And yet, after the initial shock of the transformation...it only pronounces its significance." Rarity looked back at Spike and stared into his eyes. "I promise you, I will never take advantage of you again. I can say that with confidence now."

"You're not gonna change your mind no matter how many times I tell you it doesn't bug me, are you?"

"Not a chance."

Spike laughed for a few seconds. "Well, with that out of the way, what do you say we go and pick up some food? I dunno about you, but I am starving."

"Only if I get to pay for it!"

As Spike and Rarity were leaving, Spike heard Owlowiscious hoot at him indignantly. He turned towards the owl. "What?"

Owlowiscious gestured to the books on the cart, an annoyed glare on his face.

"Oh, come on. Let me have this, okay?"

Owlowiscious's frustration persisted for a moment, but he eventually rolled his eyes and nodded. "Hoo."

"Thanks! You're the best." Spike turned around again, and he and Rarity walked out of the library.





Town Hall was a mess. Papers were scattered everywhere, with some torn to shreds. A machine that looked something like a gramophone had been knocked over. Twilight could barely take a step without her hoof falling on a piece of what looked like garbage. Looking Glass was also there, sitting at his desk and looking intensely troubled.

"What in the name of Celestia happened here?" Twilight asked.

"It was...Siren," Looking Glass replied. "I...don't know what happened. I mentioned something about the case, and she..."

"She did ALL of this?" As Twilight spoke, she swept her hoof across the room to emphasize just how big the mess was.

"I've never seen her so upset...I'm not sure what to do."

Twilight sighed. "All right, I think I can help you with this. Do you know where she went?"

Looking Glass shook his head. "She just stormed out. I believe I saw her flying towards the forest through the window, but I can't be certain."

"The forest? As in the Everfree Forest?"

"I'm afraid so. I would have gone after her, but...my presence would only make things worse at this point."

Twilight remembered what Siren had said the last time they talked. She was tired of the case, and she had no problem making it known to her. "I'll see if I can't bring her back here. It's not safe to leave her in the forest by herself."

"Thank you, your Highness. And...tell her that I'm sorry for whatever it is that I did wrong."

"I will."

Twilight turned and left Town Hall after that. Time was of the essence, so she took off immediately and flew towards the mass of dark trees and enormous brambles that was the Everfree.

The flight took only a few minutes, mostly because Twilight had a particular destination in mind. She had it on good authority that there was at least one safe place in the Everfree Forest, and that place was the shack of a certain rhyming zebra.

After struggling with the forest's canopy for a minute, she landed right in front of Zecora's hut and knocked frantically on the door. There was a sound that Twilight recognized as someone collapsing, and after a few seconds, the door opened. Zecora looked a bit frustrated. "What gives you the inclination to interrupt my meditation?" she asked.

"Sorry," Twilight replied. "But I need your help. Have you seen a small orange pegasus around here anywhere?"

"I have indeed; I'd say you're in luck. She managed to escape some brambles in which she was stuck."

"Where did she go after that?"

"She's right here in my home, partaking in one of my alchemy tomes."

"She's here?! Zecora, please, I need to see her!"

"There is no need to be frantic--I can put up with a good friend's antics. You're welcome to enter, but watch what you say...dear Siren's anger cannot be kept at bay."

Zecora turned and entered her hut again, and Twilight followed. Sure enough, Siren was sitting there, reading a book. She had been crying. As she heard them enter, she looked up and smiled weakly at Twilight. "Hey, Princess! Did you know that there's an herb with sap that works as an amazing adhesive? It's called Gumleaf!"

Twilight didn't let herself get distracted. She looked into Siren's eyes and saw that tears threatened to overflow again at any moment.

"...You're here about my uncle, huh?" Siren asked, her smile fading. "I...I guess I kinda overreacted. It's just a little too embarrassing to go back until the heat's died down a little bit, I guess."

"I think I get it now," Twilight said. "You're not mad about the case. You're mad because Looking Glass is so obsessed with it that he doesn't make time for you."

Siren's eyes widened. "How...did you know?"

"Because if you could get mad about a case so easily, you wouldn't be a detective. There was something else to it, and really, what else could it be?"

"I believe Twilight should hear what you told me," Zecora chimed in. "She's on the right track; the big picture, she must see."

"...Yeah...I suppose." Siren sighed. "Twilight, do you have time to listen to me for a little bit?"

"I always have time for a friend," Twilight replied. She sat down at the seat opposite Siren's. "Tell me everything."

"All right...I guess I should start by saying why I live with my uncle. You see...I was only four when my parents died in an accident. I hadn't even gotten my cutie mark yet, and already I was an orphan. I know that some ponies have it worse, but that wasn't much consolation."

"And then your uncle took you in?"

"No, it wasn't that simple. He lived in Manehattan and I lived in Canterlot, so he didn't hear about it for a few days. During those few days, I was on my own. The fact that my parents were dead somehow slipped under the radar, so no orphanages contacted me or anything like that...and let's just say that I learned how to boil noodles EXTREMELY quickly."

"Noted...so what happened after Looking Glass heard about it?"

"He bought me a train ticket to Manehattan, of course. He didn't care much for Canterlot, and I guess he didn't want me growing up around their elite class. And...after that, everything sorta escalated."

"How so?"

"He didn't have a wife or any kids of his own, so he tried to be both a father and a mother at the same time. I feel like I would've been fine with just a father, but I was too young to think much of it. He helped me get my cutie mark, he got me an internship, and he always did whatever it took to make me happy. When he's not working, he's a lot less serious. And..." Siren's cheeks turned red. "Well...I guess I got a little spoiled at some point down the road. I started working on cases with him just so I could spend more time around him. I felt like I needed him to be around at all times."

Twilight understood quite a bit. "I can't say I know that feeling firsthoof, but I'm not completely alien to it."

"So when he starts obsessing over the cases and ignores me...well, I guess it really bugs me. Even though he's in the same room, he's not there at all...do you get what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, and...well, I do see where you're coming from, but it's just a fact that he's not always going to be there for you. You're going to have to stand on your own four hooves eventually."

"I know..." Siren sighed. "I just...feel like I need some time."

"Time is not the only cure," Zecora said. "Only you can make you mature."

"...I suppose."

"I know how you feel, but it's probably best that you go back and see him," Twilight added. "He's worried about you."

Siren stayed silent for a few seconds as she thought about her situation. Twilight and Zecora both waited for her response. She sighed deeply. "Fine...I'll go."

Twilight smiled. "I'm glad to hear it."

Siren closed the book she had been reading and stood up. "Thanks for putting up with me, Zecora. I appreciate it."

"If you find yourself needing to roam, you're always welcome in my home," Zecora replied. "There is a path to town with great egress. When we next meet, I hope you've made progress."

Twilight and Zecora exchanged their own goodbyes, and then she and Siren left the hut. Siren looked extremely nervous, and Twilight couldn't help but notice.

"Do you think he's going to be mad at me?" Siren asked.

"Of course not," Twilight replied. "He didn't seem mad at you when I talked with him. He's just worried that you're still mad at him."

"How could I still be mad at him? It's not like I had any right to be mad at him in the first place." Siren rolled her eyes as she spoke in annoyance, which seemed largely directed at herself. "I can't believe I overreacted like that. I should've just kept in mind that we'd get to spend more time together once it was over."

Twilight smiled gently. "You know, it seems like you're already on the right track to improvement."

Siren didn't say anything else, so Twilight didn't elect to speak either. The trip through the forest was somewhat lengthy on foot, so it would be a few minutes yet before they would see unobstructed sunlight once more.





By the time Twilight and Siren returned to Town Hall, much of the mess had been taken care of. Looking Glass was busily cleaning up the rest of it when they came in, but when he saw who it was, he abandoned that pursuit in favor of talking with them.

"Hey, Uncle," Siren said nervously. She tried to smile, but it wasn't happening.

"Siren...I'm so glad you're safe!" Looking Glass exclaimed. He walked up to Siren and hugged her, catching her by surprise. "I'm sorry...I think I know why you're upset. And it has nothing to do with the case."

Siren wasn't sure how to process this. "W-well...I just wanted to say that you didn't do anything wrong. You're already trying to balance work with taking care of me, and it wasn't right of me to put this kind of pressure on you..."

"Siren, don't be daft." Looking Glass took a step back. "You're the closest thing I have to a daughter, and it is my responsibility to make sure you have a happy and safe life...and yet, all this time I was blind to your troubles. Just because we're working on a case doesn't mean I should ignore you completely."

"But that's exactly what it means!" Siren exclaimed. She then actually took the time to register what she had just said. "I mean...our job isn't full-time. We work and get paid on commission. So it's to be expected that work comes first when we actually have it. I was wrong to ever think otherwise."

"This has put you through great pain...and you're asking me to persist in the same vein? I cannot do that."

"I'll manage...besides, we'll get to spend time together again when it's over. I understand now that the case comes first. From this point on, I won't get upset over it at all."

"...Well, I suppose that is difficult to contest. What brought on the change of heart?"

"Twilight drilled some sense into me. What did you think was gonna happen?"

Looking Glass turned towards Twilight. "Princess...I don't know what to say."

"Hey, I didn't do this," Twilight said. "I just brought her back here. She figured that out all on her own."

"Oh, don't be so modest!" Siren scolded. "I was hiding from my own uncle until you came. How is what you did not helping me?"

Twilight tried to offer a rebuttal, but she couldn't think of anything. Instead, she just stayed silent.

"Well, rest assured, I will be more sensitive to your troubles from this point on," Looking Glass said. "If anything troubles you, Siren...please, don't hesitate to come to me with it. Whether the case is over or not."

Twilight suddenly heard a familiar sound--the same sound that she heard every time she or one of her friends summoned a Persona. She saw Justice and Devil Arcana cards in her mind's eye, which glowed with bright light. A deep voice resounded in her thoughts. "You have created bonds that cannot be broken...these everlasting bonds shall be your eyes to see the truth. We bestow upon you the ability to harness the power of the Justice and Devil Arcana."

The cards disappeared as soon as they had appeared, leaving Twilight dumbfounded. She recovered from the shock after a few seconds and smiled. "Well, I'm happy for you two. Looks like everything worked out for the best in the end."

"Well, let's get back to work!" Siren said jovially. "We've got a killer to catch!"

"Right you are!" Looking Glass replied. "Twilight, I imagine you're rather busy. Don't let us keep you."

Twilight nodded. "Yeah...I guess I should head home."

At this point, nothing else needed to be said. Twilight left Town Hall in an optimistic mood, not reflecting much on what the voice had said--it didn't take a genius to piece together its meaning. She began the trip home, looking forward to whatever came next.