//------------------------------// // Chapter 35: A Home // Story: Persona: Innocent Wish // by Trismegistus //------------------------------//         “You have taken heed of the fate the cards have laid before you.” Igor’s voice stated, although it seemed to lack the enthusiasm it usually carried.         Caroline smiled eagerly, “Yes, you very much have. I must admit, I was unsure of what would become your fate at this point, but the cards have revealed a most interesting turn of events. I am quite excited to see how you will steer the fate you have unlocked.” She placed the compendium onto the table, leaving it closed.  It made a thumping sound, this was the first time Arata had noticed anything like this, and normally everything happening in the Velvet room was dull and distant.         The thumping continued, first softly, but it slowly grew louder as he paid it more attention.         “It appears our time with you has come to an end, I look forward to what is approaching…” Igor’s voice trailed off and Arata was greeted to that of Tonic.         Arata rustled beneath his sheets as his eyes cracked allowing in the soft morning light. Tonics words grew ever clearer as consciousness found him.         “Arata, there’s a pony form the E.W.E.F. here to see you. She says it’s important.”         “Oh, okay, I’ll be out down in a minute,” Sliding out of bed he walked over to the door and opened it to find Tonic had left and gone into Camphor’s room, for what, Arata wasn’t sure.         Standing outside of the front door, adorned in full ceremonial armor, was Ivory Shield. She had a look of urgency about her and did not waste time with pleasantries.         She began sternly, “I’m going to Canterlot. There are some things that I need to take care of now that the situation here is slightly more stable.”         Arata looked at her blankly for a moment, “Stable?” He asked.         “Relatively speaking.” She admitted. “I should only be gone for three or four days.”         “Most of the team isn’t even ready to fight if something comes up. Are you sure that you should leave now?” He pressed.         “I’m hoping that I will be able to get us some supplies for just that case. The sooner I go, the better. Additionally you’re the only one who can actually fight. I don’t think I’m exactly fit to lead the defense of Foalsdale…That’s going to have to fall to you.” She spoke sternly, but her tone was different than usual, now it reminded Arata of Penzance. When he had make his choice to abandon his responsibility and dissolve the E.W.E.F. It was a voice resolute in its resignation, and it was becoming something Arata was becoming more and more familiar with. “Before I forget, the mayor wanted to speak to you about that. You should see her before the day is over.”         “Wait, why are you just leaving all of this to me all of a sudden?” Arata asked not knowing whether he was ready to accept this burden. He had acted as a leader in the lake a few times, but that was never something this big; this important. If he made a wrong move, a lot of ponies could die.         “It’s been on my mind for a while. Today was just the best time to tell you.” She said turning away and taking flight.         He stood in the doorway for a while, unsure if he was angry with Ivory, or if this was just the straw closer to breaking the pony’s back.         “Whaaaat did Ivorryyy wannnt, mmmaaaannn?” Camphor asked walking up behind him.         “I… I’m in charge of the E.W.E.F… well the remnant of it…” Arata didn’t break his focus on the fading speck that was Ivory Shield.         “Riiigghttt onnn maaaannn,” Arata had known Camphor long enough to know he was smiling just from the tone of his voice. It was more than that, he could picture every detail of the goofy face he would be making right now. Eye lids hanging, a dopey simile, and a few braids obscuring his vision. “You knooow you aren’t alone riiiigghht?”         “It feels like it sometimes.” Arata sighed. “Look at how many of us left, there are only like 7 of us here…”         “Don’t think aboouuuttt all the oneesss who leeeffft mannn, focus on the ones who stuck aroouuunnnd.”         “I don’t even know why they bothered to stay. Just look at Blaze…”         “Becaaauussee hee needs your heelllllp maaan. He’s just too prouuud to say it. And youuu already know whhhyyy the rest of us stuck arouunnndd, we aren’t gonnnaa let you handle this alone.”         “Camphor’s right,” Another voice called out as Compass Rose landed in front of the pair. “We aren’t in this alone.”         “Rose?” Arata asked.         “Sorry, Ivory had talked to me before she headed here. I didn’t like the idea of just throwing leadership at you.” She said catching her breath. “but, she seemed pretty set on the idea.”         “How could you hear us from all the way up there?” Arata looked puzzled.         “Well… I’ve been here for a while…” Rose blushed. “I followed Ivory here, and I’ve been waiting on the roof ever since… it was pretty cold.” She gestured up to the snow covered roof. “I’m with Camphor, things may be pretty awful right now, but I said I’ll stick with it until the end.”         Arata let out a long breath, “Right. Then I guess I’m off to meet the mayor.”         “We’ll come too! Well I will, Camphor?” Rose asked.         He nodded stepping back to the coat rack and throwing on his jacket.         Arata followed suit. “Let’s go”         The three walked through the freshly fallen snow toward the mayor’s office. They passed the library along the way, its doors still locked. Nopony was sure how much longer Lexi would be in the hospital, but her condition was stable.         The mayor’s office was one of the oldest buildings in town. Decorated with the lumber the town was once famous for. Arata entered first to find the receptionist sitting at a cluttered desk in the center. The room, much like the exterior, resembled an old log cabin.         “You must be from the E.W.E.F.” the mare greeted. “I’ll go get her for you. Don’t take off your coats, I think she wanted to take you somewhere.”         The mare disappeared for a few minutes before returning with the mayor in tow. Hatchet’s black hair was lazily swept to the side of her face, and though she was young, her glare had an authority to it, the like of which Arata had only seen while in Canterlot. “Let’s get to this.” She walked out the door and expecting the trio to follow her.         She led them north of the office, to a seemingly derelict two-story building. Based on the size from the outside, Arata assumed this building only had three rooms per floor, at most. Pulling a key from her pocket she entered and lit some a few of the candles on the wall. The light shown onto a round wooden table placed in the center of the room. There were dusty chairs scattered around the place made of a matching wood, and scraps of paper cluttered the floor.         “This,” Hatchet began, “At one point was the police station for the town. It’s since been relocated to the center, and so this building fell out of use. Consider it your new headquarters. Ivory Shield said you were the one in charge?” She looked toward Arata.         “Yes, I am.” He stepped forward, with some hesitation.         “You are all that stands between my town and whatever it is you released. I expect you to fix the problem. I’ll be coming here regularly to check on your status.” Hatchet said. “I’m not going to let this town fall apart on my watch. I’m not going to be remembered like that. Got it?”         “We all feel the same way. We’ll do everything we can to stop this.” Arata assured her.         “I hope you do.” She sighed. “And don’t tell anypony about this who doesn’t need to know. This town can’t afford to have more ponies leaving.” Without another word she left, and the building grew silent.         “I guess we should check out the other rooms.” Rose suggested, walking over to the first of two doors. The room was much more spacious than the outside led Arata to believe. Inside was a storage room, presumably for police equipment. It had a small desk and workspace. The second door reveled a stair case.         “You two can go check the upstairs, I’ll go check out the storage room.” Arata said, But the door he walked into wasn’t that of the storage room, it was the door to the Velvet Room. He withdrew his key and pushed it open. …         “It’s rare we speak to each other this frequently isn’t it?” Caroline chuckled opening the compendium. “Do you like your new chambers? I certainly do; though they are a bit messy at the moment. It would really serve you well to clean them. But I really wouldn’t want to waste more of your time now. I will leave you to your business.” And as quickly as the Room had appeared, it was gone. …         Arata quickly scanned the room unsure of exactly how long he had been away. Camphor and Compass Rose were still upstairs. He hurried to join them.           He turned the corner of the staircase and entered a room littered with empty bed frames and a sign for a bathroom posted on one of the doors. The walls were lined with old police posters, from the looks of them, they hadn’t been touched in ages. Arata heard Camphor’s voice coming from the next room. The two were in another room filled with beds again with another sign for a bathroom.         “Maaaan thiiiss place, it like, hass it alllllll,” Camphor smiled. “We should liiikkee, moveee inn.”         Rose dusted off one of the beds with her wing. “It would be a nice change now that the E.W.E.F. camp is basically abandoned….”         “It seems like keeping everyone together would be a good idea too.” Arata agreed. “Rose, do you think you could organize the move?”         “Yeah totally,” She smiled, “I’ll get right on it.”         “What should wee dooo, maannnn?” Camphor asked.         Arata took a look around the room once more, “We’re going to make this a place Penzance would have been proud to call a barracks.”         Arata took in the smiles that Compass Rose and Camphor gave him. The feeling of genuine happiness wasn’t something he had felt in a while, but this was definitely it. There was a new resolute feeling that took him over, a belief in himself, and a belief that with the help of his friends, he could overcome all of the challenges that faced him.