//------------------------------// // Chapter 14: Burn my Dread(s) // Story: Persona: Innocent Wish // by Trismegistus //------------------------------//         “Hello, may I help you,” Summer Breeze called as Arata entered the flower shop. The shop had assortments of locally picked, and imported, flowers, as well as a small memorial set up for Autumn Tail. “Oh Arata, I’m glad to see you,” she said once he walked into view.         “Sorry it took me so long to come by,” Arata apologized.         “Don’t apologize,” She smiled, “I’m just glad I get a chance to talk to you about her. So many ponies are reluctant to bring up the topic with me, probably out of pity, and I don’t blame them. But I don’t really have any pony to talk to because of it.”         “Oh, well you can talk to me about it,” Arata said. He had strongly hoped that this would help relieve some of the guilt he felt.           “Thank you,” She paused for a moment, “Do you think I could have done anything about the timberwolves if I had been there?”         The question caught Arata off guard, but he remembered what Blaze had told him and tried his best to relay the message. “No, if anything you would have just gotten hurt.” Arata wasn’t used to lying like this, so he tried to keep the story convincing. “If it wasn’t for Penzance, the three of us probably wouldn’t have made it.”         “Really? I had heard that, but I didn’t really believe it.” Summer Breeze seemed to believe Arata.         “He was the Captain of the Royal Guard for years. To be honest I didn’t really believe it until I saw him at the lake,” Arata felt that his charm was helping to carry his lies. Two ponies walked into the shop as Arata finished speaking.         “I’m sorry, I should go help them. I’d like talking to you more if you have the time.” Summer Breeze walked Arata out the door, and then took care of the customers.         It was getting late in the day so Arata decided to return home, and see what Marigold and Camphor were doing. The family seemed to be recovering well from the shock of the death. Panacea had been hit fairly hard by the whole ordeal; when she had first arrived home from her trip only Koromaru had been present. This was combined with the grim atmosphere the town had adopted, and when Tonic finally explained the situation she seemed heart broken.         “Hey Arata!” Marigold shouted as Arata came into view. Marigold, Camphor, and Koromaru were standing outside. Koromaru was excitedly grabbing a stick that Marigold and Camphor took turns throwing.         “Woof!” Koromaru ran up to Arata and jumped up against his foreleg.         “Hey there Koro-chan,” Arata petted the dog’s head and it ran back to Marigold.         “Koro-chan?” Marigold asked cocking her head to the right.         “It’s just a nickname,” Arata explained.         “Heeeyyy little man,” Camphor’s usual drawl and lethargy had returned to him. “Waaannaaa’ take this little guy on a walk with us?”         “Sure!” Arata replied. Koromaru barked in excitement, and the trio set off.         The evening air was cool, a pleasant contrast from the hot and humid summer days that seemed to have become normal around Foalsdale. Koromaru was surprisingly well behaved for a puppy, which from what Arata had seen, had very little training.         Marigold would often run ahead with the dog leaving Camphor and Arata to talk.         “How you been holdin’ up little man?” Camphor offered Arata a flower from his hair and brushed one of his dreads to the side.         Arata took the flower and did his best to weave it into his mane, although he had no idea how Champor was so easily able to do this. “I’ve been okay. Blaze from the E.W.E.F. has been helping me through everything.”         “Right-ohhhh,” Camphor smiled, “I let everything get me way too down. I saw how hard it hit everypony else, and it just made my aura super red, ya’ know?”         “Yeah, I think so.” Arata had no idea what he was talking about. “How’d you manage to come to terms with everything?”         “It just wasn’t something that I needed to raaage at yaaa know? Like, if I let the sadness crash me down, I wasn’t really being me. I just had to stick to who I am. When I remembered that everything was mellow, my aura was white onccee more.”         “So you just stuck to who you are? And that helped you past the sadness?” It was an interesting take on the whole situation.         “Yeaaaah,” Camphor looked toward Marigold playing with Koromaru and smiled, “How can ya’ be there for everypony else if you can’t be there for yourself?”         “Did you try telling your dad that? He seemed pretty mad about everything.” Arata remembered Tonic’s anger at the town meeting.         “I trieeed man, but it isn’t like him to listen to me,” Camphor sighed, “We just see things differently I guess. It’s the same with my herbal medicine; he doesn’t think it’s good for anything. Sometimes I wish he’d see things my way, but I’m just gonna’ keep on being until he does.”         “I wish I could be as relaxed as you,” Arata admitted, although he doubted it was physically possible.           “You should do yoga with me, braaah,” Camphor smiled.         “Okay,” just as Arata responded, he heard his name shouted from behind him. Turning around he saw Blaze and Vox casually walking towards him. “Hey guys, I didn’t expect to see you two out here.”         “We do leave the camp,” Blaze smirked.         “This is Camphor, I live with his family.” Arata informed them. “Camphor, this is Blaze and Vox.”         “Heeeyyy braahhs,” he offered both of them a flower from his hair. Blaze stared while Vox levitated them into their manes.         “Hello!” Marigold shouted as she ran over, “You two are explorers like Arata right?!” Koromaru ran up next to her and barked excitedly.         “Yes we are!” Vox smiled in return. “How’d you know?”         “You have the band just like Arata!” Marigold smiled.         “You have a very good eye, and who’s this little guy,” Vox kneelt down and patted Koromaru, “Arata never mentioned you had a dog.”         “We’ve only had him for a little while,” Marigold looked troubled for a moment, “We got him when…. Autumn Tail died.”         “Yeah, sorry I forgot to tell you guys,” Arata interjected trying to break the tension. “Are you two doing anything in town?”         “Just goin’ for a walk,” Blaze responded.         “You two want to join us?” Camphor asked.         “Sure!” Vox responded, “I’ve wanted to get to know more ponies around town.”         They all walked around the town until the sun started to set. Blaze and Camphor seemed to get along surprisingly well, as did Vox and Marigold. Arata spent most of the walk with Koromaru while everypony else talked, it was a relaxing evening. …         “Arata!” Vox’s voice called out over a small radio next to his bed, “Somepony has tripped the first set of sensors, meet at the lake.” After the town meeting, Vox had rapidly designed, built, and set up the sensor array. Each member of the team was also given a radio so they could stay in contact.         Arata’s hoof shot out and grabbed the radio, “Are you sure?”         “Positive,”         “Right, I’ll be there soon,”           Arata leapt out of bed and grabbed the pack and machete he kept in the corner of his room. He tried to leave as quietly as possible. He was in such a rush on his way out that he didn’t realize the front door had been unlocked.         Arata sprinted as fast as he could out to the lake, the only thing on his mind was his last failure.         ‘I can’t let anypony else get hurt. I have the power to help them, and damn it to the moon I’m going to.’         Arata made it to the lake and found Blaze and Vox waiting for him.         “Whoever came here has already fallen in,” Vox announced, “But it hasn’t been long.”         “Right,” Arata responded, “You two ready to go?” Arata hadn’t taken anytime to wonder about who may have fallen in at this hour. All that mattered now was that they saved them.         “Lead on,” Blaze responded with determination behind his words.         Arata leapt into the lake, ready for whatever waited below, shortly followed by Vox, then Blaze.         All three of the ponies were able to land on their feet, and wasted no time running through the already open door, which resembled a tangled mass of vines.           The team found themselves sprinting through a field of flowers. The sky above was blue, and clouds lazily drifted past.         “It’s too quiet, I don’t like it.” Blaze commented coming to a halt.         “No!” Arata shouted, “We can’t let what happened to Autumn Tail happen to whoever is in here! Keep going!”         “Arata hold on. We don’t know what we’re charging into. Let’s be smart about this,” Vox said stopping next to Blaze. Arata stopped running and turned around, flowers waving around his knees. “Look around. There aren’t any shadows here, so there’s no point in stopping!” “How do we even know if we’re going in the right direction?” Vox gestured to the field that seemed to extend in every direction, “At least let me use my magic to see if I can find something.” Vox’s horn lit, up and she began to focus. The trio stood in silence for a moment, the calm breeze in the field blowing through their manes. “I’ve got something,” Vox pointed to the left, “That way.” “Sorry, you’re right. I was reckless,” Arata apologized. “It’s alright kid; we all feel the same way,” Blaze assured him, “Let’s get moving.”   The team sprinted off in the direction Vox pointed. There wasn’t any sign of life in the field, which made the entire chase more unnerving. ‘There wasn’t even a trail for us to follow,’ Arata thought to himself, ‘whoever’s in here had to walk from the door to where ever they are, but they didn’t leave a path doing it…’ A dull voice in the distance caught the group’s attention. “That’s it!” Arata shouted, “Let’s go we’re almost there!” As they ran the voice grew louder, and was slowly accompanied by a second voice. Coming to the crest of a small hill the source of the noise finally came into view. Arata tried his best to bury his fear and press on, but the doubts from his last venture into the lake became stronger with every step he took. “No…” clearing the hill Arata saw the pony that was unfortunate enough to have fallen in.         “Camphor!” Arata shouted sprinting over to his friend.         “Heeeeeeyyyy little man,” Camphor turned and smiled.         “Whhaatttssss upppp littlleee maannn,” another Camphor turned and smiled.         Arata skidded to a halt, followed by Blaze and Vox.         “Wait there’s two of them?” Vox drew her pistol and shifted it between the two. “How do we know who’s the shadow... or if they’re both shadows?”         “We don’t until one of them either transforms or gets a persona…” Blaze responded drawing his machete.         “Which one of you is the real Camphor?!” Arata demanded.         “I am little man,” Camphor responded picking a flower from the field and putting it into his hair.         “Yeah brahh I’m his shadow.” Camphor smiled and walked over to Arata, “Here little man, you aura’s, like, super red, have a flower.”         “HUA PO!” Arata shouted as the shadow walked towards him. The persona appeared in front of him and let out a devastating blast of fire, engulfing the fake Camphor and leaving a trail of scorched earth in its wake.          As the flames cleared Arata saw the shadow running in circles, its mane ablaze.         “It burned my dreads!!!!” the shadow finally managed to put the fire out. “Mellow out brah, I’m not gonna’ hurt you three.”         “Yeah little man, we were just talking about my dad and stuff,” the real Camphor smiled. “He is me and I’m him, it’s groovy.”         “No Camphor,” Blaze interjected, “It’s going to attack you. Be careful.”         “Nah man, I’m not gonna hurt him. I just need him to realize that he can’t just accept all of his problems.” The shadow assured Blaze.         “Buutt shadow me, I do accept you. Like you’re me and I’m you.” The real Camphor didn’t seem to understand the danger he was in at all.         “No, I’m not. I was supposed to be everything you’re afraid of. You can’t just accept me. You are afraid of a situation where you can’t just, ‘be mellow, brah’!” The shadow seemed to be growing angry.         “But that’s true me, and I accept it. I accept you, cuz, face it man. You’re me, and I’m you.” Camphor smiled.         “No! You’re not me!” With the shout the shadow started to transform.         “Man at Arms!”         “Morgana!”         “Taliesin!”         The three personas leapt out and attacked the shadow which had now transformed into a giant black and red flower. Each petal dripped black slime to the ground killing all of the flowers around it.         “Whoa me, you need to relax.” Camphor stepped toward the plant.         “Camphor get back!” Arata called out.         “Look man, just because something doesn’t go how you want it to, doesn’t mean you need to bust a grommet you know? Yeah maybe I didn’t react the way you wanted me too about my fears, but it’s all good brah.”  A card appeared above Camphor but he didn’t seem to notice. “You showed me what I really was afraid of, and just because I didn’t react to it doesn’t mean it I didn’t take it to heart.” The card lowered in front of Camphor.         “Onodrim,”Camphor said as it shattered. A tree with a face, arms, and legs appeared before him. It let out a bust of golden light which dissolved the shadow and hit all three of the personas around it.         “Woah,” Vox gasped. “Did you two feel that?”         “Yeah, I haven’t seen an attack like that before” Arata replied.         Camphor turned to face the group as a door appeared from his shadow. “I just needed to soothe his anger. That’s what my per-so-na, did.”         “Arata, Vox, I think we died a long time ago. This is all some horrible joke.” Blaze deadpanned.         “Naaah brah, you’re alive and kicking.” Camphor paused and looked around. “By the way, how do we get out of here?”         “… The door…” Vox covered her face with her hoof, and followed Arata out of the lake.         “Righteous,” Camphor excitedly followed by Blaze.   …         “Camphor,” Blaze stared deep into his eyes, “Why were you out here by the lake? Didn’t you hear about the timberwolves?”         “I had a dream man,” Camphors eyes widened, “it was intense. This pony made of mist showed up in my room and it like guided me here while I was, like, 20% conscious.”         “So… you just followed it?” Blaze demanded.         “Yeah man, I wanted to.” Camphor replied. “But something’s been buggin’ me, there aren’t really timberwolves are there? This is how Autumn Tail died, isn’t it?”         “Yeah, it is,” Arata answered, “She wasn’t able to defeat her own shadow and it killed her. All we have the power to do is delay it while they find the strength to beat it.”         Camphor just stared at the lake for a while. “I won’t tell anypony. It’s not like they would believe me if I did.”         “That’s good,” Blaze responded, “I only see one way things can go from here.”         “What’s that brah?” Camphor faced Blaze’s stare.         “You’re going to join our team and the E.W.E.F.” Blaze offered Camphor his hoof to shake, and he accepted.         “Alright, I think I’m starting to get ya’ a lot more little man,” Camphor smiled at Arata.         Arata felt that the bond of his team had grown even stronger. “We should all head home,” Arata said, “It’ll be morning soon, we don’t want anypony to get suspicious.” …         “How long have you been doing this Arata?” Camphor had been walking back mostly in silence.         “It all started about a week after I got to Foalsdale, I’ve only been in there five times though. In order for us to be able to enter somepony new has to fall in.” Arata kept his head forward and was listening for signs that somepony may be near.         “That’s harsh man,” Camphor apologized, “and you couldn’t tell anypony huh?”         “Blaze and Vox have known from the beginning which has been nice. But ever since Autumn Tail died it’s been hard keeping everything a secret.”         “Hey man, you’ve got me now,” Camphor smiled, “I’ve got your back.”         Arata smiled and the two casually talked until they reached the house. Luckily no pony was up yet, and the two snuck back to their rooms and went to sleep.