Chapter 1: A New Start

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A deep blue mist fills the sky; nothing is visible except for a slowly rising balloon peeking through the ethereal fog. The balloon and its basket bear a rich cobalt hue that masks them into their surroundings. The interior of the basket is embellished with three ornate chairs and a square table, one chair sits across from the other two. On the table rests a deck of cards with a slender gloved hand resting on top of it.

“Hello, and welcome to the velvet room…” An eager voice calls out. “This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. You have been summoned here because you are about to enter into an agreement, and we are here to help you uphold it. My name is Igor; it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The voice belongs to an old man, with an eerily long nose. He sports a dapper black suit, which gives him and unmistakably professional air.

His hand rapidly sweeps across the table and without as much as a touch the cards beneath spread into a hexagonal pattern.

“Each of these cards represents an Arcana and you will soon come to understand their true power. They are all that was and all that will be; they have told every story before you and will tell every story that comes after it; and while each one may be different, they are merely arrangements of the same cards.” With a swipe of his hand the cards return to the deck.

A young pony with a blonde mane sits on the chair next to the man. “My name is Caroline, and I will also be assisting you along your journey.”

The older man looks up and reveals his large bloodshot eyes, everything around him begins to fade away. “It is time we said goodbye, you will soon arrive at your destination. We will call you here again as your journey begins to unfold…”

With a snap Arata woke up. His head darted back and forth trying to get a grasp on reality. When he had fallen asleep he was in a taxi heading out of Baltimare to the small town of Foalsdale; from the bumping and rattling he felt it was clear that was still the case. Foalsdale was located on the outskirts of the Hayseed Swamps, and the landscape reflected this. When Arata started his journey out of the city the scenery was vibrant and grassy. Now it was filled with mangled trees with only a few isolated patches of grass to show that they were not entirely in the swamp.

“It was only a dream...” Arata muttered to himself as he pulled himself up into a more comfortable position and sat quietly observing the scenery as the taxi drove on.

A few miles down the road the trees parted and a large grassy field came into view, filled with ponies moving about and tents set up in neat rows. The only clue to the purpose of the camp was a sign that stood off to the left of the tents. Etched into it were the letters “E.W.E.F.” Upon closer inspection Arata saw the same letters on the blue bands that the Ponies around camp were wearing on their right forelegs.

The “E.W.E.F.”, or Equestria Wilderness Expeditionary Force, was the first group to begin scouting and mapping the various wilds scattered around Equestria. The project originally focused on exploring the Everfree forest, but in recent years has expanded to include the White Tail Forrest, and most recently, the Hayseed Swamps. In addition to the intricate maps that E.W.E.F. produced; they also had an enormous database of various anthropological records from every place they explored.

E.W.E.F consisted of some of the most courageous and intelligent ponies in Equestria. The group was founded by the former captain of the Canterlot Royal guard, and being chosen to take part in the project was considered an honor.

Arata had recently been accepted into E.W.E.F and he was finally about to begin his new life in Foalsdale as a fearless explorer. When he left Nippony he wasn’t sure if it was the right decision; if he stayed he could have stayed with his family, ponies who loved him unconditionally. But if he left all of the familiarity and comfort behind he could finally find himself and his special talent.

For the most part Arata looked like an average stallion. His coat was a cobblestone gray, his mane was dirty blonde with a red streak, everything about him was normal. That is until anypony examined his flank; Arata had never gotten a cutie mark. Needless to say this was almost unheard of for a pony of his age, and in Nippony the lack of a cutie mark caused a deep feeling of shame. It had begun to seem like he had entirely missed his opportunity to find out what his special talent was, but then he was chosen to come all the way to Foalsdale. He was chosen to leave his old life, and as he saw it, given one last chance to get his cutie mark.
As they rounded a corner of the road at the end of the camp, Foalsdale finally came into view. The town, although small, stood out as a beacon of radiance and color against the monotony of the Hayseed Swamp. While it was no different from any other small town, the brightly colored houses and various plants that lined the road took on an entirely different meaning here. Arata gingerly grabbed his suitcase, paid the driver, and excitedly trotted down Mane Street.

Arata’s acceptance into E.W.E.F. was part of a cultural immersion program. Ponies from Nippony were given a chance to move to different cities around main land Equestria, and vice versa. Arata had hoped that this change would give him a chance to find out what his special talent was. Unlike exchange programs for students, this program focused on helping the participant integrate themselves into the new culture, so they could become permanent residents. As part of the immersion he would be staying in Foalsdale instead of at the E.W.E.F. camp. He had been assigned to the Poultice family, who operated the local pharmacy.
As he approached the house adjacent to the pharmacy his excitement started to falter. What if he had made the wrong choice? What if he had given up his old life for nothing? He couldn’t just leave, it was too late for that. Just as he began to lose control of his thoughts the door to the house swung open. Standing where the door had been a moment ago, was a tall and lanky pony that seemed to be the same age as Arata. His face was obscured by a scruffy brown mane kept together in messy locks, and he had a light brown coat.

Before Arata had a chance to acknowledge the presence in front of him, the stallion had shot out his front leg and grabbed the clearly confused visitor, and dragged him into the building. In the same blur of motion that had brought Arata into the building, the stallion had darted outside once more to grab his bags, and was now standing intently in front of him.

“Hey dude! You must be Rattata! We’ve been waiting for you, everypony here is sooooooo excited to meet you, it isn’t often that we get to meet someone from as far away as Nippony! The name’s Camphor by the way.”

Finally coming to understand what had just happened, Arata looked up at the stallion, still shaken and said, “H-hi,” He paused briefly and hesitantly added “Actually its pronounced Ar-a-ta,” as he muttered the addition, the anxiety that he had felt before his introduction to Camphor returned. How would these ponies treat him? In Nippony not having a cutie mark had turned him into a pariah. He began to sink into his anxieties; a seasoned and reassuring voice pulled him back to his senses.

Standing in the entry way was a stallion, about as tall as Camphor but he seemed well proportioned in comparison. His coat was dark brown, and he had an exceptionally well kept mane. Arata guessed he was in his late 40’s. “You must be Arata, I’m Tonic. I’m glad you made it,” Tonic gestured for Arata to follow him into the next room. “Let me introduce you to the family; you’ve already met my son Camphor,” he said gesturing over his shoulder, “This is my wife Panacea, and my daughter Marigold, ”Before him stood a mare with a light red coat, and a shimmering white mane tied back into a pony tail. Beside her was a young filly twitching with excitement, she had the same white mane as her mother, but allowed it to hang freely and the same light brown coat as her brother.
“Make yourself at home Arata. Camphor will show you to your room and then you can come on down and eat, you must be starving after such a long trip.”

“Mom! Can I take Mr. Arata up to his room too?!” Squeaked the filly, her excitement finally boiling over. Compared to her mother’s smooth and soothing voice, Marigold’s high pitched and eager voice sounded like hooves on a chalkboard.

“Arata would it be okay with you if Marigold came along?” she said, wearing a reassuring smile.

Arata smirked, and felt his whole body relax. No one here had judged him for not having a cutie mark. They had all welcomed him into their lives with open hearts. With a new reassured voice Arata answered; “Of course she can,” and the trio headed upstairs.

“Mr. Arata, can I ask you something?” Marigold chirped as they hopped up the stairs. She was curiously staring at his flank. Arata knew what this meant, but was surprised to see that she had a more excited look on her face now than when he had first seen her.

“Uhh, of course,” he muttered trying to conceal the embarrassment he felt.

“Whydon’tyouhaveacutiemark!?!” her excitement becoming too much to control for a second time that night. Before having a chance to answer, the little filly had darted in front of him and unleashed a torrent of words at him. “I think it’s really cool that you don’t have a cutie mark, I don’t have one either. Almost all the other ponies at school have them but I don’t and you don’t so that means I’m not the only one!” Marigold staggered back behind Arata clearly being out of breath, but she had a pronounced smile stretching across her face.

Arata composed himself, trying to take in everything that was just thrown at him. “I just haven’t found my special talent yet… but that doesn’t mean I don’t have one,” he immediately regretted adding on the last defensive statement. Back in Nippony a statement like that would have been followed by a harsh personal attack. People would often call him lazy and pathetic, but that was nothing compared to the shame it brought to his family. Arata was not allowed to be the sole bearer of this burden; everypony would always find a way to drag his family down with him.

“Of course it doesn’t silly! Maybe we can get ours together! Wouldn’t that be sooo cool! We can try everything there is to do around here until we get them!”

“Okay, I’m sure trying new things will get me a cutie mark,” Arata didn’t believe it would be that simple. ‘Having expectations will just lead to disappointment,’ he told himself as he walked up the stairs.

As if blissfully unaware of the conversation between Arata and his sister, Camphor abruptly informed his guest that they had arrived at his room. Kicking open the door, he walked inside and placed Arata’s bags by a small bed in the upper right corner of the room.

“I’m gonna help mom get dinner ready!” Marigold sung, quickly darting down the stairs and vanishing around a corner.

“It’s a bit small, I hope you don’t mind,” Camphor said, slipping by Arata and out the door. “I’ll let you get washed up, see you at dinner!”

After unpacking a few essential things, Arata washed up and headed down stairs for, what he hoped would be the last part of a very long day. Everything that had happened today was a blur, from the long balloon ride that brought him to Baltimare from Nippony; to the extended greeting he had just survived. One part still lingered in the back of mind, the dream he had on the way into Foalsdale. The talk about entering into an agreement, was his promise to get his cutie mark with Marigold that agreement? Who were the two figures in the dream? One was clearly a pony, but the other looked nothing like any creature he was familiar with. Maybe I’ll dream of them again tonight he thought, rounding the corner to the dining room.

Everypony was seated around the table, clearly waiting for Arata, except Tonic who could be heard shuffling around in the kitchen. The room was decorated with pictures of the family, and a few decorative mortar and pestle sets. A rectangular table sat in the middle of the room, it was set for five ponies, but had room for six. As he took in the room Arata noticed Panacea gesturing to the seat at the head of the table. He promptly took his seat.

As if being queued, Tonic entered the room carrying a white and blue cake, with “Welcome, Arata!” iced onto the top. Arata stared at the cake blankly, not knowing what to do or say. He was not used to this kind of treatment in Nippony.

“Don’t look so shocked it’s just a cake,” Tonic said with a chuckle, placing the cake on the table. “We wanted to start off your year here on the right hoof. If you need anything at all while you’re here, don’t be afraid to ask. We want Foalsdale to be a second home for you.”

Everypony sitting around the table was smiling and looking at Arata. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ he thought to himself, ‘maybe that was the key to being here. I have a fresh start, and the people don’t judge me for my blank-flank.’ For the first time in years Arata was able to relax, and let go of his fears. He smiled back and they all began to eat.

After a relaxing dinner with the Poultices Arata retired to his room, and tried to get ready for whatever tomorrow was going to bring. His first day in Foalsdale had been eventful to say the least, but with work starting the next morning there was no telling what the day would have in store. As he closed his eyes he couldn’t help but wonder if Igor and Caroline would visit him again tonight…

Chapter 2: A Brief Jaunt

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The walk out to the E.W.E.F camp was taking longer than Arata had expected. When the camp was built, a small road was cleared to connect it to Foalsdale. Tonic had explained the previous night that most of the supplies for the E.W.E.F were purchased from the town and carried down the road. He had also mentioned that Foalsdale was originally a logging town. During its heyday it was one of the largest suppliers of lumber to Baltimare and Southern Equestria. Since then, both Baltimare’s rapid expansion and Foalsdale’s fervor to produce large amounts of wood had died down. The town’s mayor, nicknamed Hatchet by the locals, was the granddaughter of the Mare who first started logging in the Hayseed Swamps.

Arata felt refreshed today, he had slept surprisingly well the night before, and to his relief he was not visited by Igor and Caroline. Although still a bit unsettled by his dream, he had determined it would be best to ignore it. Today was the first day of Arata’s new life in Foalsdale, and thanks to the Poultices, much of the anxiety he had experienced the night before had dissipated, replaced by excitement for his new job.

Continuing down the road, Arata noticed the path was starting to widen, giving way to a hive of activity. It was only seven in the morning and he hadn’t expected the camp to be in full swing yet. As he maneuvered through the rush of ponies Arata wondered what his actual job was going to be. Most of the ponies around him looked older, more experienced, and unquestionably stronger. There was a strong chance that he would not get to be the fearless explorer he had dreamt of becoming. He worked his way through the maze of ponies and found himself standing outside of a large olive drab tent. Hanging just under the top of the entrance was a sign labeling this tent as the ‘Operation Head Quarters.’ Arata took a deep breath and entered the tent.

The tent was an amalgam of cluttered piles, from the lantern haphazardly suspended from the ceiling to the large square table sitting under it. Everything the waning light touched was trashed beyond comprehension. On the table, there seemed to be everything from personnel files, to elaborate maps of the swamp all strewn across it. Arata stared blankly into the tent wondering how a group this large stayed organized when its command tent was this much of a mess.

Pacing back and forth towards the back of the tent was an old stallion; it appeared he had taken no notice to Arata’s presence. He continued to stroll up and down the length of the tent muttering something to himself. The only indicator of his age was the grey beard that he stroked from time to time, at its end seamlessly blending into his white coat. Despite his age the stallion appeared to be in peak physical condition. The brown shirt and wide brimmed hat he wore reminded Arata of Daring Do, a character from a book he read when he was younger. Stepping further into the tent, Arata announced his presence to the unsuspecting stallion.

“Excuse me Sir, I’m the new recruit,” the stallion continued to pace back and forth ignoring the interruption.

Having crossed the width of the tent twice he faced the new presence and in an outdated Canterlot accent extended a greeting. “You must be Arrr-rah-taaa….. You arrre Arrrraahhtaah correct?” he paused waiting for affirmation of his deduction. At Arata’s nod he continued, “Exceptional! My name is Penzance, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Now, before I give you the Princess’s Bit, allow me to direct you on a brief jaunt around the camp, and introduce you to your colleagues.”

Penzance led his guest out of the command tent, and down the aisle towards the next prominent tent. The walk gave Arata some time to inspect Penzance’s appearance in greater detail. It hadn’t been clear in the dim light of the command tent, but now both his cutie mark, and the monocle which decorated his right eye were visible. The monocle was fairly mundane except for the royal crest etched into the side; his cutie mark on the other hand was anything but common place. It was a spear with a brilliant gold body which led to an equally ornate silver head, the tip of the spear was dripping with blood. Arata shuddered not knowing what to make of the gruesome symbol on Penzance’s flank. Penzance had once been on the Canterlot royal guard, but would that really lead to a cutie mark that morbid? Or an even more macabre thought, was it the cutie mark that got him onto the guard to begin with?

Before Arata could muster the courage to ask the stallion about the mark, they had arrived at their first stop. The tent was labeled “History & Mythology,” its size was similar to that of the command tent, although it appeared to be a bit wider. The shelves that lined the walls of the tent were filled with meticulously organized books and scrolls. The scores of lanterns that dangled from the ceiling basked the tent in a soft yellow light. Sitting in the center was a muscular stallion; he appeared to be slightly older than Arata. His mane was teal, and well combed. His coat was cerulean. In addition to being the first unicorn that Arata had seen since arriving to Foalsdale, he was also the first to be wearing semiformal attire, in the form of a collared shirt and bowtie. The stallion looked up from the thick book he was reading, neatly placed a bookmark between the pages, and set it down. He stood up and approached Penzance and Arata.

“This Gentlecolt is Blaze. He is the resident expert on local myths, legends, and history. He will be you partner. Blaze, as you no doubt have inferred by now this is Arrrraaahhhtaaa,” Blaze nodded in acknowledgment, and extended his hoof. “You two will have more time to chat at the end of your briefing this afternoon.” With his conclusion Penzance turned and exited the tent. Arata followed in his wake after shaking Blaze’s hoof, and providing a brief introduction.

After two hours of what was supposed to be a “brief jaunt” around the camp, Arata had been acquainted with every inch of the camp. Additionally Penzance showed no hesitation in introducing him to anypony they passed. Most of the members seemed as uninterested in the exchanges as Arata was, and Penzance was fully aware of this. As they approached the final tent in the tour he began to explain why he ignored their blatant displeasure with the extended introduction.

“Araahhhtaa, it may seem a tad odd that I insist on introducing you to everypony who passes by. It is a habit I developed during my time on the royal guard. The ponies you worked with were more than just coworkers, they were your support. Together we formed an unbreakable chain to protect the Princess, and if one of our links was weak we knew we would not be able to carry out our duty. I try to bring the same sense of unity to E.W.E.F. I have come to realize that no pony here treats unity with the same fervor that I do, but I will continue to uphold that practice until the sun refuses to rise!” Penzance’s passion had caught Arata off guard, leaving him without any meaningful response.

“Now, if you’ll proceed after me we have one last stop left to our journey,” Penzance walked into the last tent. This one was by far the largest they had toured, and once inside it became clear why.

The tent was simply labeled “Equipment,” it held everything that could possibly be needed for any kind of expedition. One wall was lined with what appeared to be communication equipment, another with various types of saddlebags, and the third wall was lined with an assortment of weapons; from machetes to spears, like the one displayed on Penzance’s flank. Just as in the other two large tents, there was a table in the center. This one only carried two neat stacks of paper, both appearing to be requisition forms.

“Good morning Penzance! Who’s the new pony?” rung out an energetic, and somewhat alluring voice. Walking toward them was a light blue filly, with a delicate, almost translucent, purple mane. Her cutie mark was a headset, clearly tying her to the communication equipment against the wall. Arata also took note of her horn. Besides Blaze, she was the only unicorn he had seen.

“Vox, this is Arahhtahhh, the new member I told everypony about. You would have been informed as well if you had attended this morning’s briefing,” Scolded Penzance.

She played off the scolding with a cheerful retort “Sorry, I slept in and decided setting up shop early would have been better than sprinting into the meeting late; I even finished setting up the saddlebags!” gesturing to the packs against the back wall, with a smile.

“Very well, we will see you at tomorrow’s meeting, correct?” Vox nodded. “You too Arata, I had forgotten to mention the morning briefing in my letter to you, but you will need to arrive an hour earlier each day.” Arata nodded in turn and followed Penzance out of the tent and back to the command room. When they arrived Blaze was already waiting inside. He had rearranged some parts of the tent to provide enough seating space for the three of them.

“Ah, Blaze, are you ready to begin Arrrahhta’s briefing?” Proclaimed Penzance as he entered the tent.

“Of course,” Blaze stood up and gestured to the chairs in the center of the room. As Arata and Penzance sat down Blaze had produced a magical projection of the Hayseed swamps. There were three circles on the map, each about a mile from the main camp.

“As you can see there are three marks on the map, it is our job to investigate these sites. Sounds easy right?”
Arata nodded. He was not expecting to be investigating predetermined locations, how could that possibly satisfy his want for exploration and adventure? More importantly he wondered if this would actually get him any closer to earning his cutie mark.

“We have found through past experiences that legends are often much more real than they appear. We’re going to start tomorrow morning with this lake here,” Blaze explained as he highlighted a portion of the map, “We need to compare everything we find at the lake with all of the local stories and legends that may be related to it.”

“Now, this is not the most glamorous part of our mission Arrrahta,” Penzance chimed in. “But do not be mistaken, your task is important. There are many mysteries in these swamps, and in a sense it is your job to solve them. Blaze, I believe you have this briefing under control. There are a few issues I must attend to around camp; I trust you will get Arata further acquainted with the mission and the base?” As Blaze voiced his assurance, Penzance got up and walked up to Arata. He then reached into his pocket, pulled out a Bit, and placed it in Arata’s hoof proceeding to walk out the door. Confused, Arata dropped the Bit into his coin pouch and then refocused on Blaze.

With a smirk, Blaze commented on the incident “So he gave you the Princess’s Bit? Looks like I lost a bet.” As he spoke the map he projected faded away and he began to rearrange the room.

“What does everypony mean when they say ‘the Princess’s Bit’?” Arata inquired hoping for an explanation.

Blaze paused from his organizing and looked up at Arata who seemed perplexed by the whole situation. “Oh right, you’re from Nippony. I guess that must be too far off the mane land to hear about the royal guard. The Major-General likes his military tradition. Years ago Celestia would give out a token amount of money to anypony who was recruited for the guard. Penzance saw it as a token of appreciation and so he continues the gesture.” Blaze, having finished his history lesson, went back to organizing the tent.

“I noticed a few of his traditions on the tour he gave me around camp,” replied Arata. “The copious amount of introductions was apparently one of them.”

“Yeah I remember that from my first day. I’ve got to give it to the Major General though, that did make fitting into the project a lot easier,” Blaze smirked.

He pitched small talk at Arata until he was done with his cleaning. Nothing of any value was discussed, although Arata did hear a few entertaining anecdotes about the ‘major general’. During the conversation Arata had noted Blaze’s cutie mark, a book with a Machete resting on top of it. That was the kind of cutie mark an explorer would have. But why was he doing book work and research if his talent, at least from Arata’s perspective, was exploring. He tried to ask Blaze but he didn’t have enough courage.
His thoughts of Blaze’s cutie mark had reminded Arata that no one at the camp had seemed to notice his lack of one, or if they did they didn’t care to mention it. Maybe here it didn’t matter if he got his cutie mark or not. Everypony would treat him the same with or without it. Following a suggestion Blaze had made during their conversation, Arata headed back to Foalsdale to rest for his first day in the field.

Blaze went back to his tent, and flipped through the book he had been reading earlier that day. It contained a compilation of local tales that he had borrowed from the mayor when he first arrived in Foalsdale. There was one story in particular that caught his interest. The story described a mysterious Alicorn made entirely out of fog that would appear before ponies that “had a desire in their hearts,” and grant their wishes. Several lakes were casually mentioned in the story but never in enough detail to figure out their locations.

In itself the legend seemed fairly ordinary; wish granting was a fairly common occurrence in most of the subcultures around Equestria. What stood out here was the Alicorn. Most ponies had only heard of one Alicorn, and that was princess Celestia. Besides the legend of Nightmare Moon there were no tales of Alicorns. The presence of one here could mean any number of things. This made the lakes of the Hayseed Swamps particularly interesting to Blaze, and the primary focus of his research.

‘Why did Penzance have to go and give me a partner,’ Blaze thought setting his book down. He had only found out that he would have a partner that morning at the briefing, and hadn’t had time to completely digest the news.

‘Working alone is so much more efficient, and I doubt this kid knows anything about history. I guess I shouldn't be too hard on him yet, the Major General probably had a good reason for sticking him with me.’ For an instant Blaze thought he heard a voice besides his own, he paused and looked at the entrance to the tent.

“Come in Vox,” he said with a sigh. Vox slowly slipped into the tent with a somewhat guilty look on her face. “You know I hate it when you do that, you can always ask what’s on my mind.”

“Sorry Blaze, your thoughts are just too tempting, and I really didn’t want to disturb you while you were so busy concentrating, soooo I just took a little peek. Besides, I taught you a spell or two, I’m sure you could return the favor,” She countered with an innocent smile. She then walked up to Blaze’s desk and starting to play with a quill that was left out.

“You got a bit too noisy, otherwise I might not have noticed,” Blaze smirked. “I hope you didn’t rifle through the new kids thoughts too much, no telling if he’d appreciate it.” He paused and mockingly stared at Vox, “Well I guess you would be able to tell if you were in his head.”

“There’s the Stallion I know” she proclaimed walking over and embracing Blaze, “You know as well as I do that the Major General disapproves of my magic more than you do. I’m sure he would have a fit if I tried to use it on the new kid.” Releasing Blaze she wandered back to the quill and continued to play with it. “Speaking of Arata what are your thoughts on him, I heard you being the broody ‘lone wolf’” Vox knew Blaze well enough to figure that part out even if she hadn’t been eavesdropping on his thoughts. “But I’m sure you have more of an opinion than ‘I work alone’,” she teased, trying her best to impersonate his deep voice.

“He seems alright, I honestly don’t know much about Nippony from a cultural standpoint so there’s no telling what impact that might have. He seems to be pretty shy, I can’t exactly blame him though, he’s a stranger in a strange land. Plus I’m sure that when he was accepted into E.W.E.F he was expecting to be an explorer, not my research assistant.” Blaze had planned to continue his dissertation on the new member of the operation, but noticed that he was losing Vox’s attention to one of the books on his desk.

“I’m listening, I swear,” assured Vox, closing the book for good measure.

“There was one other thing about him, he didn’t have a cutie mark. Not that that’s especially important, just a bit odd. What do you think about it?” He asked, sitting up from his chair and moving next to Vox.

“He was definitely trying to hide the fact that he didn’t have one, it doesn’t take a mind reader to see that. All it means is that he doesn’t know what his special talent is yet, who knows maybe it’s in ‘Anthropological Research,’ I know I would just die of excitement if that was my gift.”

“Thank Celestia it isn’t, I wouldn’t be able to get any work done around here if I had to deal with you all day,” he affectionately put his foreleg around Vox, “Don’t you have work to be doing?”

Vox looked thoughtful for a moment then snapped back to attention, “Damn it to the moon, I forgot to distribute the comms equipment to the second shift. I better go do that, Penzance is already mad enough at me for missing another briefing.” Blaze kissed her on the cheek and then she darted out toward her tent.

...

Although it had not gone exactly how he had expected it to, Arata was happy with his first day of work. The walk home gave him time to reflect on the disappointment of not being the explorer he had hoped to be. He realized that while it may not be as exciting as he had hoped this job would still give him the chance to do something extraordinary, something that he would never have gotten to do back in Nippony. Penzance seemed a bit eccentric but it was a welcome change to the stoicism that plagued his home land. Things seemed to be going pretty well for Arata, he was almost confident that he had made the right choice. Having most of the day off gave Arata a chance to unpack and get his room in order. As time passed he heard each member of the family arrive at home, first was Marigold and her friend from school, then Panacea, followed by Camphor, and finally Tonic.

Just outside of his room Arata found Marigold and her friend still playing, as he passed by they both looked up at him and with an excited smile sung, “How was your day?” Arata was surprised that they not only spoke in unison but they also harmonized perfectly. Brushing this off he headed downstairs where he found Tonic and Panacea.

“Today, was the first day of the rest of your life,” Panacea sang starting to do a little dance.

“We know that you want to do things right, and be an adventurous pony, maybe even learn the fife!” Tonic’s enthusiasm started to scare Arata, but what really convinced him that something was wrong, was when Tonic had swept Panacea off of her hooves and began to dance with her.

“Okay everypony, I think I get the joke…” Arata said backing up to the door.

The dance between Tonic and Panacea became even more intricate, as the two girls from upstairs came down still singing “how was your day”. Their tone had shifted from a high pitched harmony to a low, fast, and surprisingly catchy. Arata also heard what he thought was a guitar. As the four ponies got closer to him, he panicked and darted out the door.

Outside he was horrified to see that most of the small town had formed two orderly lines outside of the door. They were all preforming an incredibly complex line dance, and singing “Today was the first day of the rest of your life! And we know that you’re gonna make it right! There’s nothing you can’t do here, so have no fear. Because you’re in Foalsdale! Foalsdale!”

Arata broke into a sprint, he had no idea what was unfolding, but he knew that he wanted no part in it. Now he was sure he heard a guitar, and a trumpet, and at least three different kinds of drums. The further down the line he got, the more complex the dancing became. At one point four ponies, two on each side, back flipped from one side of the line to the other. The end was almost in sight, with one final burst of speed Arata was out of the madness. The singing continued but the dance had changed, now there were ponies dancing in every direction. Each one chanting “Welcome, Welcome, to Foalsdale!” Slowly they each made their way back to their homes.

Arata was able to take shelter behind a few crates in an alley, once he saw that everypony was inside, and the sounds of instruments had died down he worked up the courage to go back into the Poultice’s house.

Inside everyone was acting as if nothing had happened. As he passed the two girls playing the just looked up at him and smiled. Marigold made sure to mention the promise to help her get her cutie mark. He made his way into the dining room where Panacea was setting the table; she smiled at him and said “How was your day, Arata? Did you go on any exciting adventures yet?” Her tone was normal; she was clearly speaking, not singing. Arata replied politely and then went upstairs to find Camphor, the only pony he hadn’t seen during the show.

Camphor was sitting in his room grinding something into a paste in a mortar and pestle, Arata inferred that this is how he got his cutie mark. “Camphor, I need to ask you something very, very important.” Camphor looked up, his eyes barely visible through his mane.

“Easy there Arata, you look pretty spooked, what happened?” Camphor tried his best to say in a soothing voice.

“Everypony was just singing and dancing… it was like they had practiced it before… they were asking me how my day was, and welcoming me. But all in song, I’m pretty sure there was a trumpet solo at one point… I didn’t see a trumpet anywhere.” Arata gasped for air at the end of his rant.

“Oh that? What, they don’t do that in Nippony? It just kinda happens every now and then. Most towns here in mane land Equestria can just burst into song and dance.” Camphor responded with the most serious face Arata had seen in ages.

“So it’s normal?” He hesitantly asked.

“Yep, I’ve only seen it happen six or seven times, but I hear in Ponyville it happens a lot more frequently, but I’ve never been out that far.” He assured Arata, “Try to relax a bit; I doubt it will happen again. Let’s go get some food”

After dinner Arata found himself lying in bed, unable to sleep. The song and dance routine had been unexpected, but the worst part of it was that now he couldn’t get that song out of his head….

Chapter 3: Persona!

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“Keep up the pace Arata, we’re almost there,” Blaze hollered over his shoulder. To Arata’s surprise Blaze was still wearing his collared shirt; along with his E.W.E.F arm band, which Arata was also wearing. “You’ll get a break when we get to the lake.” To his credit Arata had been moving at a much better rate than Blaze had expected. Despite being encumbered from the rather heavy saddle pack he was carrying.

The swamp was nothing like Arata had imagined it would be. From the outside the mangled trees and dull colors had lured him into thinking it would all be dull, monotonous, and a bit creepy. To his surprise once they were past the ring of trees that surrounded the swamp there was an explosion of life and color. Vibrant birds flew back and forth across the roughly carved trail, and even when they flew out of sight their ecstatic chirping carried through the swamp. In addition to the birds there was an abundance of insects. Most of them clumsily bumped into the pair as they walked down the trail, but a few decided to hitch a ride.

As they proceeded down the trail it became narrower and denser. Blaze explained that the higher water levels in the soil around the lake led to faster plant growth, as he drew his machete and began clearing the way. The plants that bordered the trail were becoming increasingly vivid, their flowers transitioning from deep reds, to almost translucent violets and every color in between.

Suddenly the trees gave way to the lake. The emerald shore was covered with grass, but nothing more. Looking up, Arata noticed that the canopy of the trees covered the entire clearing, but left a small gap just above the center of the lake. The light coming through the hole made the lake shimmer, and highlighted an almost invisible mist that delicately floated above the surface of the water. At first glance the clearing was just as breath taking as the rest of the swamp, but soon the initial wonder was replaced with a sense of restlessness. Something wasn’t right.

“Hey Blaze,” Arata called dropping his pack and walking toward the lake. “What happened to all of the birds and bugs? I would think there would be more of them by the lake.”

“We don’t really know. I’ve done some reading on the topic, and the closest thing I found were a few spells that halt growth around an area. But there shouldn’t be grass here if that were the case.” Delicately setting down his pack, Blaze pulled out a set of test tubes, and some colored strips of paper. “Here take these, collect water samples in the tubes then dip a piece of paper in each one. Let me know what color the paper turns when you’re done.”

“What does this test measure?” Arata inquired picking up the test tubes and placing them on the bank of the lake.

Blaze began collecting samples of the grass which surrounded the lake, carefully placing them into more test tubes. “It’s just to determine if the water is acidic or basic, it’ll help us deduce what’s stopping the plant growth.”

The water in the lake was immaculate; there was nothing to indicate that there was anything more than water in it. Arata peered over the edge of the bank, taking in the lake’s serenity one more time before reaching over, picking the first test tube, and lowering it into the lake.

“What the…” Arata’s hoof had broken the surface of the water, but there were no ripples, no signs that anything had entered the water; just the eerie serenity that seemed to encompass the whole clearing. Suddenly, a jolt of pain ran across his body. He let out a piercing shriek dropping the test tube into the lake and bracing his temples against his hooves. Still in the haze of pain he opened his eyes, and tried to stand up. As he did he was hit with another burst of pain that broke his balance and sent him toppling into the lake.

The impact upon hitting the surface of the water was enough to knock Arata back to his senses, his immediate reaction was to start swimming. No matter how much he tried his legs wouldn’t connect to the water, He just kept falling. Then, with a gasp, he realized that he wasn’t surrounded by water; he could still breathe. The surface of the lake was now just a white circle against a black fog. Then another wave of pain shot through his body. This time it started along his back and spread out. The pain was brief but intense, and along with shock came the knowledge that he had stopped falling.

Upon hearing the earsplitting screech, Blaze was already darting to his new partner, trying to get a response from him, “Arata! Are you alright?” But his shouts fell upon deaf ears. Arata had already fallen into the lake before Blaze could get to him. Blaze looked down through the crystal clear water but saw nothing; it was as if nopony had fallen in. ‘Only one way to save him,’ he thought, diving head first into the lake.

Arata was back on his feet and finally able to take in his new surroundings. Darkness engulfed everything in his sight; even the small sliver of light from the lake was gone. Slowly the darkness in front of him began to part, letting out a blinding light. Out of the light a ghostly mare swept forward, halting just before it collided with Arata. It slowly extended a hoof towards his forehead; the leg constantly changing shape and form as it moved forward. The touch only lasted a moment, but it left him feeling cold and empty.

“You shall have what you wish, but be warned there is a cost to your desire. Are you willing to accept your fate and the cost?” whispered the entity, its words echoing in Arata’s mind. But that was not all he heard, Igor’s prophecy began to replay in his head. ‘You have been summoned here because you are about to enter into an agreement, and we are here to help you uphold it.’ This was it, this was the agreement that he had to enter into.

“Yes…I… accept my fate,” he breathed heavily as the figure slowly retreated back into the light.

“Very well, your new fate lies through this door.” The words rang out through the silence, as the white light slowly turned into an ornate iron door with two gleaming gold handles. Before Arata could open the door he heard a shout from somewhere behind him.

“Thank Celestia you’re okay. What in the name of harmony is happening here?” A wave of relief rolled across Blaze’s face.

“I’m not quite sure where we are, I fell through the lake and then I was just here in front of this door,” Arata felt a surge of guilt from lying to his partner, but there was no need to tell him about the figure or the deal. This was his fate and he alone would be responsible for it.

“Hey… look at your flank,” Blaze murmured staring blankly. Arata turned and saw that he had a cutie mark. It was of a blue card with a black and white face in the middle, each corner of the card bore a lyre. Neither of them could recognize the symbol.

“What do you think this means?” Arata asked hesitantly.

“I don’t know, I’ve never seen this symbol before,” Blaze walked up to the door and tried to open it, but his hoof just passed through it.

“Let me try,” Arata’s hoof slowly pressed the door open. As it opened, the light it concealed engulfed the darkness, revealing a familiar city scape to him. “No… it can’t be… Nippony.” The town was exactly as Arata remembered it. The buildings all had the same uniform design. The ponies that appeared outside of each one. It was all too familiar.

“Arata, what did you do?” Blaze gasped, taking in the emerging scenery.

“I… I don’t know, let’s keep moving. Maybe we’ll find somepony who can tell us what’s going on.” His words were nowhere near as reassuring has he had hoped they would be. Blaze took a long look around and then agreed.

As the pair proceeded down the street more ponies emerged from buildings and went about their daily business. Several of them called out to Arata, welcoming him home. They all smiled, bowed, and generally treated him with respect. The new found politeness initially made him squirm. With each pony they passed the greetings became more and more personal until they finally wandered up to an old mare standing outside of his old school.

“So, you’re not an abject failure after all. I was surprised to hear that you came back here after being such a disgrace to your family. But the rumors are true, Arata Gokuri has a cutie mark,” Each word from the old mares mouth stung. These were the insults and stigmas that Arata had left behind, and now, even upon getting his cutie mark, they wouldn’t stop.

Blaze stood back, quietly taking in everything that was happening. From behind he noticed a few of the ponies had begun to watch Arata’s confrontation. ‘If there was ever a time to use Vox’s spells its now,’ he thought trying to relax himself. If he wasn’t calm enough it would be easy for anypony to detect his telepathic connection with them. Inhaling deeply he reached out with the magic in all directions trying to sense the motives of everypony around him. The ones moving in behind him had an almost sadistic sense of joy; each one relishing the harsh words of the mare. Arata was in a panic, it was impossible to make out any specific thoughts. His mind was a frenzy of fear, confusion, guilt, and shame. Taking another breath Blaze reached out past Arata to the mare, but there was nothing to read. Instead of having her own defined thoughts her mind seemed to be a reflection of Arata’s.

“But what does it matter, you were a failure before. This changes nothing. Now you’re just a failure with a purpose. It’s such a shame that your mother talked you out of suicide. It was really the best solution to your problems,” Arata clenched his teeth as his eyes began to water. “I’m sorry did I hurt your feelings?” Her voice was slowly changing from old and derelict, to demonic and twisted.

“No… You’re wrong… you were always wrong,” Arata was hardly able to speak through his clenched teeth. His eyes were still wet with tears. Deep down he believed every word she spoke, but he would never admit it.

“That’s right! Fight it! I love it when you try to hold onto your honor!” The mare let out a deafening howl. Several of the ponies standing behind Blaze turned into black globs, which flew onto the mare. After the first three hit, she began to change form. The entity tripled in size, its jaw extending with rows of sharp teeth sticking out from both sides. It had no eyes or ears. The black mass continued to pulsate, its mouth still spitting curses at Arata. Each pulse gave birth to a new set of limbs. First two sets of legs, followed by four sets of arms, each set resembling a different type of weapon.

“Arata! Run!” Blaze screamed pulling Arata out of his daze and away from the monstrosity. Following Blaze, Arata sprinted down the dirt path that had led them to his old school. In an effort to lose whatever was following them, Blaze darted to the left down an alley. Before Arata had a chance to follow he had already doubled back and was running down the dirt road again, although this time he was being perused by three of the shadowy creatures.

The chase did not last long. In a matter of seconds the pair had been completely surrounded, Blaze was doing his best to keep the aggressors at bay with kicks, but he was quickly overwhelmed. Arata turned away from his fallen ally to see the monster approaching him. It had grown in size during the chase. It now had eight legs and twelve arms, still no eyes or ears. The shadows surrounded him, but didn’t attack. They waited for the teacher to close in. Arata lowered his head and tried to contain his thoughts.

Just as he was about to cave into panic, his mind went blank. A blue card matching his cutie mark appeared floating in front of him. Now he was smiling; without any idea why he felt himself speaking.

“Per-so-na” With his words the card shattered and an elusive yet familiar voice echoed through his mind.

“I am thou… and thou art I... From the sea of thine soul I answer your call... I am Taliesin herald to the true king.” A surge of energy blew out from Arata knocking all of the surrounding shadows back. Above him floated a cloaked satyr, only its legs and part of its chest were left out of its black vale. His right hand held a quill dripping with ink, in his left hand was a short katana. Its head was completely concealed by the cloak’s hood only it’s glowing red eyes and two curved horns shown through.

Arata raised his head, he was still wearing an eager grin. He raised his hoof and let out a cry, “Taliesin, Magaru!” With his command the satyr traced a symbol in the air with his quill that erupted with a blast that disintegrated most of the small shadows that surrounded them. Approaching quickly, the large demon opened its maw, and let out a blast of fire. Caught off guard, all Arata could do was stare at the flames which flew toward him. Without any command Taliesin moved to block the flame. He crossed the blade and the quill in anticipation of the attack. The impact sent flames scattering in all directions, igniting the surrounding buildings. Although he hadn’t been hit by the blast Arata felt the pain of the impact on his front legs.

Once the flames had cleared the creature moved closer, this time swiping at Taliesin with two of its massive arms. Instinctively Arata raised his left foreleg as if to block the attack. Like a puppet the satyr raised his arm in turn. This attack was less painful than the first, and now Arata understood how to defeat this creature. He raised his right leg, thrusting it forward with all of his might. Taliesin followed letting out a burst of energy which knocked the demon off balance. Sensing his opening, Arata leapt forward wildly slashing with his left leg. The cuts Taliesin delivered severed four of its arms.

The demon shrieked, and directed another flaming blast at Taliesin. Arata was prepared, he leapt to the side, and let out another series of slashes. Taliesin’s timing was perfect; he dodged the flames and used the opening to sever the beasts remaining arms. Lowering himself onto the beasts chest, the satyr stared into its eyeless face. On Arata’s command he raised his blade one final time, and drove it through the creature’s mouth. Its black body convulsed, and then went limp. Arata’s guardian knelt, and then disappeared.

Blaze had only witnessed the beginning of the fight. The creatures that attacked him had managed to knock him out, despite his best efforts to fight them off. An ear-piercing shriek brought him back to consciousness. Despite his dazed state he was able to see Arata wildly slashing his leg, and a cloaked figure mimicking his movements. Before he slipped back into darkness he noticed that Arata’s cutie mark had changed, but before he was able to identify what it was, his consciousness had left.

Collapsing to his knees, Arata remembered Blaze. He mustered his strength and walked over to his ally.

“Blaze… Blaze, wake up. It’s over,” he sighed, shaking the body before him.

With a grunt Blaze’s eyes opened, “I’m going to need a hoof up,” he tried his best to smirk, but could only grimace.

“Hey, look over there,” Arata gestured to the corpse of the demon. It bubbled as if it were about to rise from the dead, but instead it disappeared into the earth, leaving behind a door. “Can you make it that far?”

“Yeah,” Blaze coughed, “let’s go.” The pair moved to the door, Arata supporting Blaze’s weight. Reaching out Arata pushed the door open and they stepped through.

Blaze felt weightless, floating on the lake’s tranquil surface. ‘I shouldn’t be floating… My wounds… Arata,’ his eyes opened to the familiar view of the Equestrian sky. The pain he had been in just moments ago had disappeared instantly. Turning over he paddled to the shore, where Arata was on his back unconscious. Lacking the cutiemark he had gained in the lake.

...

Arata’s eyes flick open revealing the slightly familiar sight of the velvet room. Sitting before him wearing the same eager grin he had before is Igor. “Do not be alarmed, I have called for you in your dreams. Your body currently lies peacefully on the bank of the lake. It appears that you have finally entered into your agreement… Now your story will truly begin to unfold,” Igor’s slender fingers resting crossed below his nose. “You have a unique power, the wildcard. Most ponies are of one arcana and one alone, but in you lay infinite possibilities.”

“As you grow more powerful you will gain more personas. It is my job to catalogue all of them for you,” proclaimed Caroline with a smile. “This book is called the Compendium, and it is where they will be stored,” she places a thick black book onto the table and begins flipping through its pages. “I see you have already discovered the persona Taliesin, he will no doubt be a great help to your journey.”

“I should let you return to your friend, but before you leave, take this,” A silver key appears on the table in front of Arata. “This is the contractor’s key, it allows those who are in a contract to come to the Velvet room at their convenience…. Farewell Arata, the next time we speak it shall be of your own accord.”

...

"Where am I?" Arata asked flicking his eyes open to find Blaze standing beside him.

"You're back in the swamps, and you're safe," Blaze answered looking down at Arata.

"Was all of that a dream?" Arata asked in disbelief of what had just occurred.

“Did your dream include a trip to Nippony, hundreds of shadowy creatures, and a cutiemark?” Blaze looked away from Arata, and paced over to the lake.

Slowly getting up with one hoof massaging his temple, “So it wasn’t a dream? I did fall into the lake, right?”

Blaze hesitantly touched the surface of the water and cocked his head. Despite how it had acted before, the lake seemed to have transformed back into a normal lake. “Yeah, you did. I heard you scream then you plunged head first into the lake, I jumped in after you, and well, you know the rest apparently. But look at your flank.”

Arata turned his head and found that his cutiemark had vanished. He let out a long sigh of disappointment. “Blaze… there is one more thing,” Arata, who now stood next to his partner, slowly running a hoof though his own mane with a guilty expression on his face. “Before you fell in, there was something that came up to me and said that I will have my wish. Then it turned--”

Before Arata could finish his sentence Blaze had grabbed Arata’s shoulders and was staring intently at him. “Arata, this is very important. I need to know exactly what that thing looked like,” releasing Arata’s shoulders Blaze took a step back but never broke the stare.

“It was a mare I think… I couldn’t really get a good view. It was like she was made of a mist. She didn’t really have a defined shape.” Arata couldn’t meet Blaze’s stare. Instead he looked into the lake, which glistened on his right.

“The stories are true… do you feel well enough to go back to camp? I have a lot to discuss with you when we get back.”

“Yeah I think so- wait... what happened to your wounds?” Arata began to assemble his pack and hoisted it onto his back.

“I have no idea; let’s just be happy that we’re both unharmed,” Once Blaze’s pack was ready the pair embarked on the march back to the camp.

The walk back was uncomfortable to say the least. Blaze bombarded Arata with questions about what had happened before he fell into the lake, but none of the answers provided seemed to satisfy him. He also took the time to explain the story of the wish granting Alicorn to Arata, but he did it with a certain uneasiness. Arata understood that he had probably caused this tension by not telling Blaze the whole story from the beginning. But he also resented the perceived lack of trust; after all he had just saved Blaze’s life… if all of that had really happened.

After Blaze had finished describing the tale to Arata, both ponies withdrew into their own thoughts. Arata was lost in those of his cutie mark. Although it had only been present for a brief amount time, he had a cutie mark. He didn’t have a clue what his special talent was, but that didn’t matter. He had a cutie mark, and he would have finally been able to blend in with everypony else. His mind began to wander to the monsters they encountered in Nippony. They ignored his cutie mark and continued to act the way they always had. But wasn’t that just a dream? That couldn’t have actually been Nippony, that wasn’t his old teacher. And what about Igor, was any of that real?

Upon their return to camp, Blaze led Arata to the library tent then walked out; ordering him to stay put. He then disappeared from the door.

“Hey Blaze, what’s up?” called Vox to the figure who stood in her door. She finished tinkering with a radio, set it down, and then walked over to him.

“I need your help with Arata,” Blaze always spoke with a serious tone, but this was different. There was a sense of uncertainty behind his words that Vox didn’t recognize.

“Alright what do you need me to do?” She asked slightly confused.

“I want you to use your magic, and take notes on what Arata is thinking while I question him. Can you do that?” His voice was smooth and unwavering. There was almost no indication that he was phased at all.

“You know I can… But Penzance would freak out if he found out… Wait a second, why are you interrogating the new guy?” Vox cocked her head and questioningly stared at Blaze.

“Again, I’ll explain later. I just need you to help me with this. It is very important to my mission.” Blaze let out a sigh, and waited for Vox’s response.

“All right, I’ll help you. But you have to tell me everything okay? You know I hate it when you hide things from me.” She grabbed a notepad and quill that were sitting on the table, and followed Blaze out.

When the pair entered the tent they found Arata peacefully sitting at the desk.

“Arata, Vox is going take notes on what you say so we can get a clear picture of what is happening, okay? Hopefully between you and me we have enough information to piece together what happened.” Blaze sat across from Arata and pulled out the book on local legends. “Let’s begin.” Blaze started off by repeating the questions he had already asked on the walk back: how Arata had fallen into the lake, why he had been screaming, and what he had seen.

Vox began to tune into Arata’s thoughts; she wasn’t worried about him catching on to what she was doing. Blaze’s questioning would keep his focus off of her. Even her horn’s glow could be easily passed off as taking notes with the floating quill. Everything Arata was saying matched his thoughts; it didn’t seem like he was trying to hide anything.

“Now what did this fog mare say to you?” Blaze flipped through the pages of the book before him, and stared at a particular passage in the story of the Alicorn. It stated that the creature only granted a wish if the pony she was speaking to ‘Accepted the cost of their desires.’

“She touched my head and said ‘You shall have your wish,’ then she turned into that door, and you showed up.” There was still no need to tell them about the agreement he entered into. That was between him and the Alicorn. And they wouldn’t have believed anything about Igor or the velvet room even if he had told them.

Vox briefly looked up from her note pad. Arata had left out most of his interaction with the Alicorn. His mind was a bit hard to read due to the clutter of thoughts that crowded it after he answered the previous question. But Vox was able to extract two thoughts in particular; “but be warned there is a cost to your desire. Are you willing to accept your fate and the cost” and Arata’s clear acceptance of this. She wrote this down and continued to sift through his thoughts.

“So she didn’t tell you what wish she was granting you?” Blaze asked in disbelief. “Do you have any idea what it could have been?”

“Well I got my cutie mark after that… that was probably what it was for. It would also explain why we were in Nippony. But I guess that doesn't really matter now that its gone,” Arata sighed.

“What do you mean? Can you explain that a bit more?” Blaze followed.

Arata tried to describe how he had been treated in Nippony, and how devastating the lack of a cutie mark and been to him; but he didn’t have enough expression.

“Remember what that old pony said to us in Nippony?” Blaze nodded, “That’s why I left… I had wished that this journey would give me a cutie mark. Then I could go back and show them that they were wrong. I guess I got my wish in the end.”

“Okay, I have one last question. That thing that saved us, what was it?” Blaze pressed.

“I have no idea… I felt something call out to me. Then there was a card floating over my hoof. I broke it, said ‘Per-so-na,’ and it knocked all of the shadows back as that thing appeared. It felt like it was tied to me somehow. It followed any command I gave it.” This had confused Arata as much as it confused Blaze. He had no idea where this power had come from.

“Maybe that was part of the wish too… that’s all the questions I have for you. Sorry for the interrogation, but it was important that we got all of the details of this story written down while it was fresh in our minds. You should head home. Luckily we’ve got the next two days off to rest up,” Blaze escorted Arata out of the tent and sat back down. “Okay Vox, now it’s my turn I’ll tell you everything that happened from my perspective… but before that, did anything come up during his interview?”

Vox walked over to the desk and slid Blaze the notebook she had been writing in. “He only left out those two things. They didn’t seem to be particularly important, and before you ask, no, I couldn’t tell why he left them out.”

“Interesting, I’ll try to find out later... Thanks for the help, Vox.” He smiled.

The pair finished taking down Blaze’s recollection of events. Before he went to sleep Blaze pulled out everything he could find on shadows, wish granting, and personas. Needless to say there wasn’t much to go on, but at least now he had some interesting research to do over the weekend.

Arata went back home and went straight to his room. He haphazardly threw his pack on the ground, which caused its flap to open. He watched as a silver key slid out and stopped just before him. He slowly picked it up. ‘This must be the contractor’s key… so all of that is real.’ Arata rummaged through his suitcase until he found a thin silver necklace, he threaded the key through it and placed it next to his bed.

Blaze and Arata both slept well that night, the stress of the day had taken their toll on both of them. Despite all that had happened there was still a lingering feeling in the back of their minds that this was only the beginning…

Chapter 4: Social Link Go?

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“I am thou… and thou art I,” those words echoed through Arata’s mind all night. He had only begun to realize the full significance of the events that had transpired the prior day: the lake, his wish, Nippony; all of it had felt like a dream, but it couldn’t have been. After all Blaze was there for most of it, and he seemed to remember everything the same way Arata had. He would have loved to discount everything that had happened and just move on with his life, but he knew he couldn’t.

“Why Nippony?” he whispered while softly massaging his temple. Thankfully today was the start of the weekend which gave Arata much needed time to rest. He wasn’t sure what time it was, but it felt as if he had been lying there thinking for hours. “Was that… what I really wanted? A reason to attack and…. Kill all of the ponies that bullied me… no… I couldn’t. I would never kill anypony.. I hope,” His words were not particularly reassuring. “What if that was my wish? To get revenge… No it couldn’t be … My wish had to be for a cutie mark. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

That thing, the persona, Taliesin; Arata didn’t know what it was, but he knew that he was in control of it. It responded to his will, and he somehow knew exactly what it was capable of. When it first appeared above him he felt light, as if all of the pressure he was under had been lifted out of him. Taliesin was what let Arata kill those ponies- no they weren’t ponies, not when he fought them at least. They were different. They seemed wild and hungry, as if nothing was left of them but their primal desires. And then that line rang through his head again “I am thou, and thou art I,” Arata didn’t want to admit it, but all of the evidence seemed to point to one conclusion. That “persona,” was a part of him...

Just as he was about to run through the entire situation again there was a faint knock against his door, followed by Tonic’s muffled voice. “Arata, I hope I’m not disturbing you. But I wanted to see if you were alright. You've been asleep for a while,”

Although unexpected the interruption was welcome. Tonic was giving Arata a reprieve from his own thoughts. He rolled out of bed and opened the door to meet Tonic.

“I’m fine. Thanks for checking on me. I guess the treks I’ve been doing with EWEF were more tiring than I realized,” scratching his mane Arata flashed a reassuring smile.

“Good to hear,” said tonic firmly patting Arata’s shoulder. “I just closed up the pharmacy for lunch. Merigold, Camphor, and Panacea went into Baltimare for the weekend to restock some of the medicines we’re low on. So no one’s around the shop. Anyway why don’t you come and grab a bite with me?”

Arata hadn’t noticed how hungry he actually was. Taking a break from thinking had given his stomach a chance to shout at him. “Sure, food sounds like a good idea.”

“Great! I’ll give you a chance to get cleaned up. I’ll be downstairs when you’re ready. Oh, and take your time we have a few hours until the pharmacy needs to be opened up,” with that tonic retired to the living room and waited for Arata.

After a quick bath Arata head down to meet Tonic. He didn’t want to stay alone any longer than he needed too; risking a lapse back into his thoughts.

“Good, you’re ready,” Tonic called as Arata walked down the stairs. “I take it you haven’t been by the local diner yet?”

“I haven’t really had a chance to check out anything around town actually,” Arata replied.

“Well then, let’s get you acquainted with Foalsdale.” Tonic paused and looked at the key that was now hanging from Arata’s neck. “That’s a nifty necklace, is it from Nippony?”

“Yeah it is, I just unpacked it this morning,” Arata responded as Tonic escorted him out of the house and down the street.

The walk around Foalsdale was surprisingly similar to his “jaunt” around the E.W.E.F. camp, except this time it was everypony who insisted on introducing themselves to him. The greetings ranged from casual “hellos” to elaborate explanations of who they were and what they did in Foalsdale. After one unnecessarily long introduction Arata noticed that Tonic was chuckling to himself.

“I’ve never seen everypony so excited to meet somepony new,” Tonic finally commented, watching the pony walk away. “Looks like you’re going to be the talk of the town for a while. I can’t exactly blame them, Panacea and I were just about as excited when we found out you’d be living with us.”

“I hope that I’m as exciting as they think I am,” He half laughed as he imagined what the same event would have been like in Nippony. Everpony would have been interested in their foreign guest but none of them would have showed it nearly as boldly as the ponies here. It was a refreshing change.

The pair entered the diner and patiently waited for a table. Despite its small appearance from the outside, the room was packed with tables, and had a bar in the center. Ponies filled most of the seats and a handful of waitresses tended to the tables.

“Hey there sugah, I’ll be with you in a sec,” a waitress called out to them.

“I guess we must have hit the lunch crowd,” Tonic was peering into the restaurant looking for open seats. “Are you okay with waiting Arata?”

“Oh, yeah I don’t mind.” Since they had left home, Arata had become increasingly hungry. Now that they were in the diner, and he could smell the food, he couldn’t stand much waiting.

“Sorry ‘bout that hun. Follow me,” The mare leading them seemed to be in her 40’s, and was chewing on a piece of gum. Her pink mane was tied up into a bun, and stood out next to her white coat. She also wore an apron, and glasses. “Here ya go. Would you two like anything to drink?” Arata and Tonic slid into the booth.

“I’m fine with water,” Arata answered.

“I’ll take Tonic water,” added Tonic. The waitress hurried off to get the drinks and left Arata and Tonic with their menus. “So do you get this kind of food in Nippony?”

“Not really. I mean we have places like this in the cities, but I’m from a smaller town,” Arata flipped through the menu and added “I have no idea what I should get.”

“You can’t really go wrong with the breakfast stuff here; it’s on the back of the menu,” Taking Tonic’s advice Arata flipped his menu over and made a decision just as the waitress arrived.

“Here are ya drinks, ya’ll ready to order?” she had a note pad out and looked a bit impatient.

The pair told her their orders, and she went off to the kitchen. Tonic had ordered a daffodil sandwich, and Arata was having eggs and pancakes.

“So what do you think of Foalsdale so far?” Tonic asked taking a sip of his drink.

“It’s…” Arata paused to search for the word, “accepting.”

“Really?” Tonic chuckled “What makes you say that?”

“Well,” Arata looked embarrassed, with just a hint of shame. “I’m a blank flank; and no pony treats me any differently for it.”

“Ponies treated you differently because of that?!” Tonic exclaimed. “What are they a bunch of fillies?”

“No, it’s all about honor,” Arata tried to explain. “To them it’s my fault I don’t have one. It’s because I didn’t try hard enough. Honor is important to me too, I just didn’t earn much from other ponies…”

“Still, it isn’t your fault. You get your cutie mark when the time is right. There isn’t anything you can do about it.” Tonic stated.

“I know. Sometimes I wish they felt the same way,” Arata said hanging his head slightly. Despite his best efforts he couldn’t help but wonder if everyone back home was okay, or if he had killed them in the lake.

With a guilty look on his face tonic tried to comfort Arata. “I’m sorry. That is your culture and I shouldn’t be so hard on it, just because it isn’t the way I view the world.”

“It’s okay.” Arata sighed, “I guess I’m just a bit home sick. Over the past few days I’ve been wondering if everypony back home is okay. Something could happen and because I’m so far away I would never know.”

“Well why not write them a letter?” Tonic suggested. “It might take a while to get a response back, but it’s better than worrying!”

“That’s a good idea.” Arata agreed.

“After we eat, we can head back to the pharmacy and I’ll give you a quill and some paper,” Just as tonic finished the waitress brought out their food. They ate quickly and then headed back to the pharmacy.

Upon their arrival at the pharmacy Arata was treated to a full tour. There wasn’t much out of the ordinary to be seen. The building was relatively small, and unlike their house was only one story. A counter separated the store into two parts; several neatly organized shelves filled the space in the front of the store. Most of these held day to day items everypony needs. Behind the counter locked glass cases were the various medicines that only the Poultice’s carried.

Tonic went on to explain that his job involved mixing and preparing various types of medicines from the ingredients he kept in stock. Tonic fetched the parchment and a quill for Arata and gave him instructions on how to get to the post office. He was also kind enough to give Arata money for the postage. Arata spent most of the day writing his letter. When he got back from the post office he decided to go to sleep early.

While he lay in bed his thoughts turned to Tonic. Although he hand only known him for a brief period of time, it felt like there was a faint bond forming between the them.

“Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Justice Arcana,” a soft voice called out. Before Arata could comprehend what had just happened he lapsed into dreams.

Chapter 5: Choices

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“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.”

Chapter 6: Honesty

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Blaze wasted no time getting back to the camp. The pair had awakened floating in the lake, after they grabbed their bags, headed towards camps. Blaze practically ignored Arata as the pair sprinted down the trail. Of all the questions on Blaze’s mind only one was important. Was Vox still alive? He now understood how Arata felt after he had fallen in the lake the first time.

When the pair arrived at the camp Blaze wasted no time tracking down Vox. It didn’t matter that Arata was still following him, he just needed to know that she was safe. He weaved through the crowds of ponies scattered throughout the camp, and through the line of tents until Vox’s finally came into view.

He burst through the flaps startling Vox, who was currently tinkering with a radio on her desk. She leapt out of her chair, and was quickly caught in Blaze’s embrace.

“Well that was unexpected,” She returned the embrace and continued. “Pleasant, but unexpected.”

“I’m so glad you’re alive,” Blaze whispered.

“Uhhh, can you run that one by me one more time?” She recoiled. “Glad I’m alive? Why wouldn’t I be alive!?”

“It’s a long story,” Blaze sighed. “Once Arata catches up I’ll fill you in.” He kissed her on the forehead and tossed his pack on the ground.

It didn’t take Arata long to catch up, and judging by the look of relief on his face, he must have been worried about Vox as well.

“Arata you know what this means right?” Blaze called as he entered the tent. “You didn’t kill anypony, it was all fake!”

“Yeah, that’s kind of what I was relieved of… No offense Vox,” he added.

“None taken… I think. Now can somepony tell me what in the name of Celestia is going on?” she demanded.

“Right, I suppose I’ll start with everything that happened to me, and then Arata can fill us in on his side of the story.” Blaze started. “We went out to the lake again, this time to see what would happen if I fell in. Once I fell in there was the same mist filled antechamber, but I wasn’t greeted by an Alicorn, there was just a door. I went through it and then I was in Canterlot again, except younger me and Penzance were also there.”

“You mean you were watching yourself from the past?” Vox interjected, her head cocked slightly to the left.

“Exactly,” Blaze replied.

“Huh, nothing like that happened for me, guess that rules out any kind of trend.” Arata chimed in.

“Right, good thinking Arata,” This was the first time Blaze had actually complimented Arata. “I essentially watched myself agree to join the E.W.E.F. and I remembered how afraid I was about whether or not I had made the right choice. Then I was in the Everfree forest; and that’s when you showed up, Vox.” Blaze paused for a second and tried to reach out to Vox telepathically.

Seeing his glowing horn, Vox took the hint, and started to share thoughts with him. ‘I think Arata will notice our horns, Blaze,’ she thought.

‘I know, I think it’s time we told him the truth about everything. He is part of the team now; we shouldn’t leave him in the dark,’ he replied.

‘Alright, if you think it’s for the best, go ahead.’

“Arata, there’s something we need to tell you.” Blaze said shifting the tone of the conversation.

“What is it?” Arata looked noticeably confused.

“Vox is telepathic, she can hear thoughts, and to an extent she can communicate to people this way.” Blaze’s stare showed Arata he was serious, but this was just so unheard of he wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“It’s true. They say every unicorn has their own specialty when it comes to magic, I guess this is mine.” Vox paused for a moment, “I think it will be easier if I just showed you.” Her horn lit up and suddenly Arata felt another presence in his mind. ‘Can you hear me Arata?’ She asked. Her lips didn’t move but he still heard her voice.

“I didn’t even know that was possible,” Arata replied still confused.

“Try not to tell anypony. You, Blaze, and Penzance, are the only ponies who know.” She warned.

“I won’t… but how do I know you aren’t just reading my thoughts?” Arata pressed.

“My horn will glow; it’s like any other magic,” she tried to be as sincere as possible, but it didn’t seem to be working.

“Have you ever read my thoughts before?” Arata looked uncomfortable, as if he didn’t really want an answer.

“Only once, when Blaze and I questioned you about the lake,” Vox’s voice softened with guilt. “Neither of us really wanted to, but we didn’t know how much we could trust you. I really am sorry; I never use this power unless I absolutely have to.”

‘Did they really have to do that…’ Arata thought, failing to answer Vox. ‘How do I even know she’s telling me the truth about her horn. She could be listening to everything I am thinking right now… She could know everything about me, and I know nothing about her…’

“Arata, are you okay?” Vox looked concerned. Arata hadn’t answered her, or given any sign of acknowledgement. “I want you to be able to trust me…”

“As do I, but I think we have more important things to discuss at the moment,” Blaze continued to explain the events that happened in the lake. He told Vox and Arata every detail he could remember. From the words the shadow had spoken to him, to the vision of his mother that had brought him back to consciousness. “And that is when I felt a new power inside me. I heard a voice callout ‘Thou art I, and I am thou,’ and I knew I had a new power. I realized that everything I experienced were just my fears made manifest. I think that’s what this lake does; it shows you what you are hiding from.”

“I think that works for what I saw too, except the Alicorn. I’ve always been afraid that even if I got a cutie mark it wouldn’t help, and nopony would accept me. That’s exactly what happened, nopony accepted me.” Arata continued to explain his fear from home. The conversation extended well into the evening with Arata explaining the butterfly that had led him into the lake, and the strange second persona he could use.

“I guess this leaves us with one last thing to discuss,” Blaze added as the group was getting ready to end the discussion. “Do we tell Penzance?”

The tent was silent for a moment before Vox spoke. “I think we should, this is exactly what the E.W.E.F is trying to protect ponies from.”

“I agree,” Arata said with a yawn.

“Alright then, we can find him in the morning, and explain everything.” Blaze concluded. “Arata you should go get some rest...”Blaze paused briefly. “And I know this is probably no consolation, but I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have been so hard on you, and I shouldn’t have had Vox read your mind. I hope that we can put this all behind us.”

Arata was still hesitant, but they both seemed sincere. “I do too, I’ll see you two in the morning to talk with Penzance then.” Arata walked out of the tent as Vox and Blaze issued their farewells.

As he walked away, his thoughts focused on his partners. ‘They lied to me… but I did lie to them too. If we’re going to get anywhere we all need to trust each other.’ Arata felt a faint bond forming between the E.W.E.F team, and heard a faint voice call out ‘Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fool Arcana.’

…

Vox was standing in the corner of her tent refusing to turn and face Blaze. “Are you really afraid of me Blaze?” Her voice was a whimper and she was on the brink of tears. “I know you don’t like my magic, but is it really that bad?”

“No, it isn’t. Yes, there was a part of me that was afraid but it was nothing like the lake showed.” Blaze was trying to be soothing but it didn’t seem to be working. “I can’t control everything my subconscious does.”

“I know, but just look at it from my perspective. There are so many ponies that would treat me like a pariah if they found out about my magic. The fact that I had you to confide in, and even use my magic with has been so relieving, but if you’ve been afraid this whole time, it’s like no one trusts me.”

“If you really want to know, read my mind: right now,” Vox continued to stare into the wall. “You will be able to see all of my thoughts, and all of my feelings. This is the best way to get rid of doubts you have.”

“But Blaze,” Vox muttered.

“Vox, please. Do it for me.” Blaze pleaded.

“Alright,” She turned to face Blaze, her eyes closed, but wet with tears. Her horn lit up and Blaze felt her familiar presence in his head.

They stood together in silence for what seemed like hours. Blaze focused on keeping his mind clear; he wanted Vox to feel exactly what he felt. Eventually Vox’s horn stopped glowing. She slowly walked up to Blaze, and whispered in his ear.

“I’m so sorry,” she lowered her head against his shoulder and wept softly. Blaze placed his leg around her, and waited until she regained composure. “Thank you,” she whispered again, and kissed him on the cheek. She then left the supply tent, leaving Blaze standing alone, and returned to her sleeping quarters.

Blaze collapsed, too tired both physically and mentally to leave Vox’s tent. He closed his eyes, and went to sleep on the floor. He hoped that Vox would wake him up in time for the morning briefing.

…

“Blaze, wake up,” Vox called out softly.

Blaze slowly opened his eyes, and saw Vox standing a few hoofs away from him. It was clear from the amount of light pouring into the tent that it was morning.

“Time for the briefing?” he muttered.

“Yes, you’ve got just enough time to get cleaned up before we have to go, and remember we agreed to catch Penzance afterward.” She offered him a hoof up, and Blaze quickly darted back to his tent to prepare for the meeting.

Arata bumped into the pair on his way to the meeting. He was still a little uneasy around Vox, but tried his best to hide it.

“How are you feelin’ kid?” Blaze asked somewhat playfully.

“I’m a bit tired, but I’ll be fine.” No pony was looking forward to their discussion with Penzance; the tension was palpable.

The trio walked into the command tent, to discover that almost every other pony had beaten them there.

“We aren’t late,” Vox said. “I made sure of that.”

“Hey Blaze!” Called out a stallion from the crowd. “Did you hear? Compass Rose and her scouting team just got back!”

“Thanks, Bullwhip.” Blaze called back. “Well I guess that answers that.”

“Who’s Compass Rose?” Arata inquired.

“She is one of the pegasi in charge of mapping the swamps. I honestly don’t know a lot about her.” Blaze was trying to wedge his way to the front of the crowd.

“She’s pretty nice. I’ve spoken to her a few times, but I don’t know a ton about her.” Vox added.

“Attention everypony,” Penzance shouted over the murmur in the tent. He entered escorted by three pegasi, one walking beside him, and one on either side. “As many of you are now aware, we have a slight alteration to today’s briefing.” His Canterlot accent seemed especially thick this morning. “Compass Rose will be delivering her report on the mapping of the swamps.”

She looked over to Penzance, nodded, and walked into the center of the tent. Her arrival was met with applause from all sides. “Thanks guys, it’s great to be back. The past two months have been a bit crazy, but our team has managed to chart out sixty percent of the swamps, which puts us three weeks ahead of schedule!” The applause continued. “We have found a hoof full of sites that are worth further investigation, but it will take about two weeks for any pony to trek out that far. Sir.” She nodded at Penzance, and he stepped in to continue the briefing.

“We will be sending out two teams to establish a forward command, closer to these sites. Bullwhip, you are in charge of coordinating this effort. Additionally before they can leave, Blaze will need to review the maps and sites on them.” Penzance looked over at Blaze, and with his affirmation continued. “Other than those changes, it is business as usual around here. Mapping team, you have earned an extended break, enjoy it.”

The meeting disbanded and Blaze, Vox, and Arata, headed back to Blaze’s tent. After about half an hour of waiting, Penzance entered with Compass Rose in tow.

“Blaze, you remember Compass Rose correct?” Penzance inquired.

“It’s been awhile, but yes I do.” He replied. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Likewise,” Compass Rose responded. “Sorry if I seem a bit curt, I haven’t slept in a while. The faster we get this done the better.” She set the maps down on Blaze’s table and then turned to Penzance. “I’m going to go sleep now, if that’s okay with you sir.” Not waiting for Penzance’s response she left the tent.

“Sir, before we discuss the maps, we have something important to report about the lake.” Blaze, Arata, and Vox all walked to the center of the room. Blaze and Arata detailed their experiences in the lake to Penzance who seemed relatively unfazed by everything they described. Vox seemed to shudder a bit when blaze recounted his experience.

“How interesting,” Penzance added at the conclusion. “Do you have any idea if those creatures can leave the lake?”

“We don’t know. They haven’t yet but that doesn’t mean that they can’t.” Blaze answered. “I feel that further exploration into these creatures and ‘Personas’ is probably our best course of action.”

“I agree,” Penzance said grimly, “Just be careful. We do not want this to become any larger than it has to; especially if it as traumatic for everypony as it was for you two. I trust your discretion in this matter, Blaze. Do what you must to figure out what exactly is going on, and Arata, I apologize if you were swept up into something you didn’t want to be a part of.”

“Actually sir, this is the kind of adventure I was hoping to find with the E.W.E.F,” Arata seemed a little too eager for Penaznce’s taste.

“That may be the case, but remember this is no game. Be wary of whatever magic is behind this. Especially if it is tied to a wish you made; there is no telling what may come of it.” Penzance paused for a moment and continued. “Now moving on, Blaze, before you can continue exploring the lake I need you to review the maps and compare the sites to the data you have. Try to keep it quick. Bullwhip needs to have this information in the next four days.” Penzance left after giving the order.

“Well then.” Blaze was the first to break the silence. “It looks like I have my work cut out for me.”

“I think the whole meeting went over relatively well, all things considered,” Vox added.

“Did we really have anything to worry about?” Arata asked.

“Well we didn’t, it was you who made the wish.” Vox teased.

“Oh…” Arata hung his head, and lowered his voice.

“Relax kid, she’s teasing you.” Blaze was hardly paying attention to Arata and Vox. He was lost in the map that lay before him. “Well Arata, it looks like you’re getting the next four days off. There isn’t really anything we can do until I get these maps done. Enjoy.” Arata looked excited to hear he would have a few days to himself. Vox on the other hoof did not.

“Lucky kid, getting work off, and getting to do exciting things with MY very special some pony,” Vox mockingly grumbled as she walked out of the tent.

“I guess I’ll see you in a few days then,” Arata stood waiting for a response for a few seconds before he decided Blaze was paying no attention to him. Arata headed home early, and hoped that this break would give him the relaxation he needed…

Chapter 7: It's Medicine!

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“Are you sure this is safe to drink?” Arata asked, staring into a beaker containing a bubbling green liquid. He had been enjoying his first day off. Tonic, Panacea, and Camphor had all gone to work at the pharmacy, leaving him at home alone. Marigold had gone to school, but returned in the late afternoon. She was ecstatic to find that Arata had the day off, and was convinced the pair would get their cutie marks.

“Of course it is. It’s medicine, it will make you feel better!” Marigold had attempted to make a healing potion so she could get her cutie mark.

“But, I’m not sick.” Arata didn’t want to hurt Marigold’s feelings, but the amalgam of ingredients she produced from the kitchen did not seem edible. In fact, he was fairly sure one of the ingredients was metal polish.

“You don’t need to be sick to feel better! It will take however you’re feeling and make it better!” Marigold’s face pleaded with Arata. He wanted to turn the drink down, but he didn’t have enough courage.

He raised the beaker to his mouth and took a sip. The initial taste wasn’t bad; she had put enough sugar into the mix to stop it from being bitter. After a few seconds the drink had become anything but pleasant. His mouth started to burn just as he swallowed it. The feeling went all the way down his throat and into his stomach. He also had the lingering taste of metal in his mouth as the pain dissipated.

“Is it working?” Marigold asked, shaking with anticipation. Just as he was about to answer, Arata’s vision went fuzzy and he collapsed.

…

“Quick get some charcoal and milk! Camphor, hold his mouth open.” Arata was barely conscious when he heard Tonic’s panicked voice barking orders. “Quickly make him swallow it.” Arata felt a liquid pour down his throat; followed by bits of something hard.

“Look daddy, he’s waking up,” Marigold couldn’t be seen, but she sounded as if she were in tears.

“Arata, can you hear me?” Tonic slowly shook Arata as Camphor let go of his mouth.

“uhhhhgghhmmmgghhhuhhgmmmgghhh,” Arata had hoped to say ‘yes I can hear you, what is going on’ but apparently he wasn’t capable of doing so.

“Keep going with the milk, hopefully we can neutralize some of it. I can’t believe one sip did this to him.” Tonic continued to pour milk into his mouth.

“Daddy I’m sorry, will Arata be okay?” Marigold cried. She tried to get in close to Arata, but was pushed back by Camphor.

“He’ll be fine, I need you to go to your room now okay?” Tonic tried to say this calmly, but he didn’t do a very good job at it.

“Tonic, the Doctor is here!” came a shout from down outside. Arata could recognize the voice as Panacea, but he couldn’t see her.

“Ugghhmmmagghuuhhasshhhhgg. Aaammagssmma?” Arata was trying to say ‘What Is going on, what in the name of harmony did she give me to drink. Why can’t I talk’.

A new pony joined the trio. He was wearing a lab coat and a stethoscope. He had a brown coat and grey hair. “Good, you’re giving him milk. Did you already get him to swallow the charcoal?”

“Yes we did, he seems to be getting a little better.” Tonic replied.

“Do you have the poison?” The doctor added.

“Yes, it’s over there in that beaker.” Tonic pointed to the green liquid that sat a few hooves away.

“Give me a moment to run a few tests on this, and we can figure out what exactly he has ingested.” The doctor dipped a few pieces of paper into the liquid, and then added two drops of a liquid into it. “You know, you should really be more careful with what you let your daughter play with.”

“Thank you, Doctor. I would have never figured that out without your help. Now if you don’t mind, QUIT JUDGING MY PARENTING AND TELL ME WHAT HE SWALLOWED!” Tonic shouted.

“No need to be snippy with me, Tonic. It looks like he swallowed some acid, so we can expect chemical burns. Keep the milk going and he should be fine; although he may not be able to talk for a while.”

“Thank you doctor,” Tonic said in what he hoped was a polite tone. “Camphor, help me carry Arata up to his room.” The pair lifted him up stairs to his room; where they continued to give him milk.

…

After a few hours Arata had become completely conscious; to find the whole family waiting around his bed.

“Thank Celestia you’re okay” said Tonic. “Before you do anything drink this. It’s a mild anesthetic. It will stop the pain you will feel very, very shortly.”

“Wasshhhht hassspppennning toohh meehh?” Arata tried to talk, but he couldn’t feel his tongue.

“Ya, swallowed some pretty gnarly acid. We were able to stop most of the burning, but it will take a little while for you to talk normal.” Camphor answered.

“You’ll be on painkillers for a while. It will make talking harder, but at least you don’t have to deal with the burns,” Tonic added. “Oh, and I hate to do this to you, but you’ll be on a liquid diet for quite a while.”

“Doosssnnt beessh toogh massd aaht Mahrigahld,” Arata felt awful, not because of his burned esophagus, but because of how sad Marigold looked. From the beginning his intention was to help her feel like she fit in, and find her talent. Instead he was poisoned.

“We aren’t. We know she meant well, but everypony should remember that the path to the moon is paved with good intentions.” Panacea said, hoping she interpreted Arata’s words correctly. “We’re going to go get dinner ready, try to rest. You need it.” The family all walked out of the room; leaving only Arata and Marigold behind.

“I’m sorry I poisoned you, Arata,” Marigold was in tears again.

“Issh ohkaahhyy. Isst wasshhnntt yahour fahhwllt,” Arata mumbled.

“Thank you for telling Mom and Dad it wasn’t my fault.” She was still crying, “Mom seemed mad at me, but Dad seems madder at the doctor. He doesn’t like him very much.”

“Dosshnt wahhrryy yaawwuuu diidhhannt dhoo antithang wharang.” Arata was trying to be comforting, but given his inability to speak this proved to be difficult. He did feel that each sentence improved his expression.

“I guess I’ll never get my cutie mark now. If I can’t even do what my family is good at, what am I good for,” No matter how much it pained Arata to watch she just wouldn’t stop crying.

“Nhhoo Ahhyye fphelt thhaa shammee whayysss. Ishht nahwt yau. Yau whil pfind ahh cchtie mhark ahventuahly. Yahr thallent ish jhust sho sphecial yah havhant faund isht yeht.” Arata got out of bed, and gave Marigold a hug. He couldn’t tell if she understood anything he had tried to say, but she seemed to be settling down.

“I’m gonna let you get some rest.” Marigold darted out of the room without another word.

Arata returned to his bed. He knew exactly how Marigold felt right now; except for the poisoning somepony part. He spent most of his life having the same fears that still hadn’t gone away. He wanted to help Marigold so badly, but he just didn’t know how.

‘Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Hanged Man Arcana.’

‘I really need to get these voices checked out…’ Arata thought to himself as he drifted to sleep.

…

Arata spent most of the next two days in bed. Tonic had brought up a few books for him to read. One was an introduction to modern medicine, and while it was a bit dry and hard to understand, it increased his knowledge. The second was a book on public speaking. This increased his expression. Besides the liquid diet he was on, the past few days had been surprisingly pleasant.

Towards the evening of his third day off Camphor decided to pay him a visit.

“Hey there duuude,” Camphor called in a slightly gruff voice as he entered the room. “How ya feelin’?”

“A lot better. I can talk normally for the mosht phart.” Arata replied with a smile.

“Radical,” Camphor walked close to Arata, and placed a beaker in his hoof. “I made this for you, it should help with the healing process.”

“What ish it?” Arata asked with hesitation. Although he was significantly older, and hopefully better trained that Marigold, Arata didn’t completely trust Camphor’s medical abilities.

“It’s just some aloe with ginger for pain relief, and a hoofful of medicinal herbs.”

“No ashid?” Arata further inquired.

“Not a drop, dude.” Camphor assured.

Arata drank the mixture. To his surprise, and relief, it seemed to be soothing the pain in his throat and mouth. Its consistency was a bit strange, it was more of a gel than a liquid, but it wasn’t unpleasant. After he finished, Arata turned to Camphor.

“Thanksh, that ashtually helped the pain a lot.” Arata smiled, and placed the beaker on the table next to his bed.

“Radical, I told Dad that it would work, but he didn’t believe me,” Camphor looked a bit less mellow than he usually did.

“Whaat do you mhean?” Arata felt silly trying to maintain a conversation while he still couldn’t talk.

“He thinks herbal medicine is ‘antiquated’ and ‘useless’” Camphor scoffed. “But whatever man, I shouldn’t let him harsh my vibes like this.”

“Hassh your vhibes?” Arata cocked his head.

“You know, bum you out, get ya down.” Camphor drawled on.

“Ah thsat mashkes shenshe” Arata had no idea why Camphor spoke so differently from everypony else in Foalsdale, but it didn’t seem important. He felt that he was starting to understand Camphor. Another voice rang out in his mind.

‘Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Lovers Arcana.’

“Camphor, did you hear that?” Arata asked, hoping that he wasn’t the only pony who was hearing voices.

“Hear what braah?” Camphor didn’t have any idea what Arata was talking about. The two talked for a while before Camphor left.

The past few days had been strange for Arata, he felt like he was making friends. This was something which he had not been able to do in Nippony. He felt like he needed guidance. This was all so new to him, so foreign. Maybe Igor and Caroline could help him. They had given him guidance this far. Whatever the case he decided to worry about it the next day, and went to sleep.

…

Arata felt refreshed the next morning. He wasted no time in starting his last day off. After spending three days in bed, he decided that taking a stroll around town would be fun and relaxing. This was the kind of activity he didn’t get a chance to do back in Nippony. Normally a carefree stroll was brought to an abrupt halt by somepony telling him he wasn’t good enough.

Mane Street was vibrant and full of excitement this morning. Everypony was dashing about, either working or running errands. Each building was a different color from the next, and covered by either a thatched roof or tiles. Arata wasn’t walking anywhere in particular. He wandered about trying to form a mental map of the town. As he followed the yellow bricks that lined Mane Street, Arata passed several locations of interest. The school, city hall, and the library were all located in the center of town. The pharmacy, market, and hospital were toward the south. The diner, logging camp, and other services were all on the northern side.

As he wandered past the library, Arata noticed a dim light coming out of an alley. He approached it hesitantly at first, but as he neared it he was greeted by the Velvet Room’s door. This was his chance to ask Igor and Caroline for help in, well, having friends. He used the key he wore around his neck to open the door.

“Hello Arata,” Caroline spoke. She was sitting alone in her usual seat holding The Compendium. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Arata noted that Igor was not present, neither were the cards which usually adorned the table. “I had a question about social links,” His voice had completely healed overnight. Whatever Camphor gave him seemed to work. “Also where’s Igor?”

“Master has other things to attend to, but I should be able to assist you with social links. What exactly did you need to ask?” This was the first time Arata had fully taken in Caroline’s appearance. In the past he had been too busy trying to figure out what exactly Igor was to worry about her. Her coat was a very light tan color that bordered on peach. Her eyes were a bright yellow that shone against the dark blue background.

“I wanted to know if you had any advice on how I should keep close to social links?” Arata earnestly asked.

“You mean you want to learn how to be friends with other ponies?” She dully responded.

“I guess… It sounds worse when you phrase it that way.” Arata was embarrassed, not only because he had to ask this question, but because he didn’t have anypony else to ask it to.

“I will need to learn more of your world. Is there a place that would hold information on your realm?” Caroline seemed a bit annoyed, but Arata didn’t want to turn down the help.

“There is a library, it should have books on that.” He hadn’t actually seen what the Foalsdale library contained, but it would be a start.

“Very well… before we depart I have a question for you.” She stood and walked toward Arata. “Does this form please you? Or would you have me take another?”

“Uhhh… what do you mean?” Arata shielded his eyes as a flash of light shot out from Caroline. Where she been moments ago there was now stood a slender stallion with the same coat, and mane.

“Is this more suitable?” The stallion asked in a deep, velvety voice. “You may call me Charles while I am in this form.”

“I think I prefer Caroline…” Arata muttered trying not to make eye contact.

“Very well,” With another flash Charles was replaced by Caroline. “I shall use my female form from this point on.” Caroline exited the Velvet Room, and Arata found himself standing in an alley. “Lead on Arata.”

Arata took his new companion to the public library. He didn’t really understand why this was an important part of helping him make friends, but he didn’t have enough courage to ask. Arata was tense the entire walk to the library. This was the type of town where everypony knew everypony else. He stood out enough as it was, he didn’t need any more attention brought to him.

When they reached the library, Caroline wasted no time. She left Arata standing in the door while she darted from corner to corner flipping through books. The library was small, but well kept. Shelves lined the walls with a few rows in the center of the building. The room itself was much like the pharmacy, except there was a staircase which Arata assumed led to a loft.

“Oh, hello, can I help you find anything?” A soft voice called out from behind a shelf. It was directed at Caroline, which worried Arata given her pony-skills.

“I require texts on history. Also friendship,” Caroline bluntly responded. She was paying more attention to the books then the pony talking to her.

“History texts are over here,” the slightly confused mare answered. “I don’t think we have anything exclusively on friendship though.” She led Caroline across the library to a dusty shelf. “Not many people come here for the history. These books don’t get as much love as they deserve.” The mare’s azure coat glistened under the soft light in the room, and her blonde mane was tied into a neat bun. She reached down to a lower shelf, and pulled out a dusty leather bound book. “I hope this book is helpful. Um, I’ll be over there if you need me.” The librarian moved off to a corner she seemed shy and withdrawn the entire interaction.

Arata made his way over to Caroline who had become completely engrossed in the book she was handed. Abruptly she turned to him, “What are these ‘cutie marks’?”

“Oh I thought you knew,” Arata looked down at her flank, and realized that Caroline lacked a cutie mark. “It’s something ponies get when they discover what their special talent is.”

“I see,” as she spoke a cutie mark appeared on her flank, “I believe The Compendium will serve as a fitting cutie mark. So tell me does your lack of a cutie mark signify you have no special talent?”

Arata froze and his mouth tightened into a false smile, “Uh, um, no. It just means I haven’t found it yet.”

“Very well. I shall continue my research. I will alert you when I am finished.” Caroline turned her gaze back to the book, tuning out all of the surroundings.

Arata wandered around the library for a while before Caroline called him back. There had been no sign of the librarian since she disappeared.

“If you will follow me back to the Velvet Room I will give you a full briefing on what the text refers to as ‘the magic of friendship’. It is an odd subject, but it appears to have great power in this world.” Without another word Caroline exited the library, Arata followed hoping that she actually had something of use to tell him. There were a fair amount of ponies walking around Foalsdale, a few threw glances at Arata and Caroline but no one seemed too interested in them.

Back in the Velvet Room Caroline began to describe her findings to Arata. “To simplify this for you, there appear to be five traits in you that will help you start and maintain your friendships. These are: charm, expression, knowledge, diligence, and understanding. As you improve in each of these attributes you will be able to develop more bonds, and make your current ones stronger.”

Chapter 8: Voice

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“Blaze, can I talk to you?” Vox seemed nervous as she entered his tent. Blaze had been working on the maps Penzance had given him over the past four days. Meaning, he hadn’t had much of a chance to talk to Vox. Since he had described what happened to him in the lake she had seemed distant. Normally she would have come to check up on him even if he was busy with work, but over the week he had only seen her at dinner. She seemed to be avoiding him.

“Of course,” Blaze got up from the book he was reading, and tried to give Vox a hug. She put up a leg stopping him. “What’s wrong?”

“I just have a lot on my mind that I need to talk about,” Vox walked around Blaze, and sat at the chair across from him. Slowly, Blaze followed and sat across from her. “I’m going with you into the lake.” Her gaze was cold and her voice was soft. “I can’t just sit here in camp worrying about your safety. I hate thinking that you may not come back, that there is nothing I can do to protect the stallion I love.”

“Vox, I can’t put you in danger like that.” Blaze softly replied.

“You don’t want me to go because I would be in danger, but I couldn’t go on if the only pony I care about is dead. I’m going with you.” She spoke with a conviction that Blaze had hardly seen.

“Vox... please,” Blaze pleaded.

“No Blaze. I’m going. You of all ponies should understand why I’m saying this. Think about your father. How did you feel when he was off exploring and you were at home?” Vox was becoming increasingly frantic.

“That’s enough Vox!” Blaze’s response cut her off, and he met her stare. His voice trembled as he spoke, “My father is the reason I can’t let you go, I remember the pain I felt when Penzance told me he wasn’t coming back. I still fear that I made the wrong choice coming on this damn expedition, but I can’t let you risk your life like that. I can’t lose somepony else I love. I just can’t.”

Vox was in tears, and whispered, “You asked me to read your thoughts a few days ago. Now it’s time for you to read mine. I want you to know how I feel.”

Blaze’s horn lit up as he reached out with his mind; although his magic was nowhere near as powerful as Vox’s, he could still feel her emotion. Blaze felt all of her fear, isolation, and despair. He was all too familiar with these feelings since the death of his father. Although these weren’t new feelings for Blaze they punctuated Vox’s point.

“Okay,” Blaze sighed. “I won’t stop you.”

“Thank you, as long as we’re together everything will be okay.” Vox, still crying, stood up, and walked to the exit. “Arata should be here soon, I’m going to go get equipment ready. I’ll see you again soon.”

Arata showed up shortly after Vox left. He was carrying his machete and saddle bag with him already. Something about the way he looked today gave Blaze a sense of confidence. The new kid, who had been thrust into the center of all of this, was now ready to go back into the lake, and face whatever it held.

“Hey kid, how was your break?” Blaze hollered turning his gaze away from Arata.

“It was… eventful,” he replied.

“What do you mean eventful?” Blaze pressed.

“I drank some acid and couldn’t talk for a few days… it wasn’t that bad.” Arata had walked over.

“You drank acid…”

“I was trying to help a friend get a cutie mark…”

“That sounds like an interesting cutie mark to have,” Blaze responded.

“This isn’t really related to any of this, but on my walk in from town I could swear there was a little filly following me,” Arata said.

“I’m sure the kid is just interested in the camp. It can’t cause too much trouble.” Blaze didn’t really seem interested in this, and Arata didn’t see the harm in a kid following him to the camp.

“So what’s the plan for today?” Arata asked excitedly.

“We’re testing a theory I have, and if I’m right, Vox should get a persona out of it.” Blaze said with a hint of hesitation.

“You don’t mean she’s going in first do you?” Arata asked.

“That’s exactly it. I only have two data points to go on here, but the lake seemed to be themed to whoever went in first.” Blaze frowned, and tilted his head down. “I’m not keen on sending Vox in as a test subject, but she insisted.”

“You two ready to go?!” Vox exclaimed as she burst through the tent’s entrance.

“Yeah!” Arata shouted.

“You’re sure about this Vox?” Blaze asked one final time.

“Yes, I am.”

“Then I’m ready too. Let’s get going.” Blaze led the trio out of the tent and down the path to the lake.

On the walk over, Vox was asking every question she could think of about personas, shadows, and the places they were transported to. Blaze was too worried to answer any of her questions, although he tried not to show it. When they finally arrived at the lake, Vox wasted no time dropping her bags, and unloading some new equipment.

“Okay guys, I have some stuff here that I think will make exploration a bit easier.” Vox pulled out three heavy looking black jackets and gave one to each pony. “They’re not as good as actual armor, but these jackets should give you guys a bit more protection from attacks. I tried to find something better than machetes for you guys, but we didn’t have anything on hoof.”

“They’ve worked this long,” Blaze chimed in as he put on his jacket and slid the E.W.E.F band over his right foreleg.

“Good, I also have these.” Vox pulled out three of the radios she had been tinkering with over the past few weeks. “These should let us stay in contact with each other; if they even work in the lake.”

Blaze and Arata both took the radios, and double checked their equipment.

“Hey Vox, why didn’t you give us this kind of equipment earlier?” Arata asked.

“Well, before you two were doing ‘Anthropological research’ but now I can classify this as ‘exploration’ and ‘hazardous’. Basically, what I’m saying is the Major General told me I could.” Vox smiled and pulled one final tool from her pack.

Suspended in front of her surrounded by her magical aura, was a ‘L’ shaped device. Blaze and Arata had never seen anything like it before.

“This is a little something I’ve been building since our time in Everfree. It compresses my magic into projectiles, and I can decide how much power each one has.” Vox smiled and slipped it into a holster.

“How did you come up with that idea?” Blaze asked.

“Well I realized that my magic isn’t nearly as powerful as other unicorns. So I decided to make something that will let me hit a little harder. You two ready to start?” Vox finally added.

“I am,” nodded Arata.

“You’re going in first. We’ll follow. Don’t open the door that will appear in front of you until we are there with you.” Blaze cautioned.

“There’s no point in putting this off any longer. Let’s do this!” Vox walked over to the lake peered into the still water and stepped in.

Blaze and Arata ran over to the edge of the lake, the water was still as if no one had entered.

“We’ll it looks like she’s in. Let’s go!” Arata shouted, leaping into the lake, shortly followed by Blaze. The two were both familiar with the falling sensation they immediately felt. When they reached the bottom Arata was almost able to land on his feet, but the impact was too much for him to take. Blaze just landed on his back.

“Arata, there’s the door, it looks like Vox already went in. Let’s get going!” Blaze darted into the already opened door, shortly followed by Arata.

The pair now stood in a completely black room, the door disappearing behind them. Both had their machetes drawn, and were ready for whatever they faced.

“Arata, you’ve had the most experience with personas. Plus, you’ve saved my life twice now. You should take the lead.” Blaze stepped in file with Arata.

“All right, if you’re sure. Let’s keep close, I can’t see a thing.” Arata took a few steps forward and stopped to pull out his radio. “Vox, do you copy?” The line buzzed with static, but there was no response. “No luck, I don’t like the looks of this Blaze. Each of us was transported to a place, but this is just empty. What do you think it means, Blaze?”

“No idea, but I guess were about to find out. Stay on guard no telling what will happen.”

The two walked forward into the darkness. There was nothing around them, not even the strange mist that seemed to fill every other dark corner of this world. Even the shadows that had attacked them seemed to be absent or in hiding. Yet despite all of this the pair still felt like something was watching them.

“Blaze…. Arata…. Help” A dull voice echoed in the back of their minds. Blaze was all too familiar with this feeling.

“It’s Vox! She’s reaching out to us telepathically!” Blaze closed his eyes, and his horn began to glow. He stood in silence trying to concentrate for a few moments. “I can’t get in contact with her. I don’t like this.” Seconds after Blaze spoke a blast of fire consumed him.

Arata stared at the ball of fire that now burned where Blaze once stood. The blast had caught him off guard. All he could do was stand, and watch the inferno swallow Blaze.

“Man at arms!”

Blaze’s persona leapt out from the conflagration, followed shortly by Blaze.

“Looks like fire doesn’t hurt me in here,” Blaze grinned.

“That’s kind of ironic considering your name…” Arata joked. “My persona Virtue was resistant to lightning.”

Blaze just glared at Arata for a moment; before pushing Arata aside and blocking another fire blast that hurled toward them.

“Careful kid,” He cautioned peering into the darkness in front of them, looking for the source of the fire.

“Blaze, Arata, help me” The words echoed in their minds again.

“Blaze look,” Out of the darkness a familiar figure began to appear. Floating as if suspended by string Vox came into view.

“Help me,” She thought, her horn’s glow visible against the darkness behind her.

Before Blaze or Arata had a chance to react the ground below them froze, followed by a burst of ice that covered both of them. Once Arata’s ice broke he was back on his feet, and moving toward Vox hoping to find their assailant. Blaze on the other hoof had been knocked down and was shivering, it seemed that most of him had not yet thawed out.

As Arata got closer to Vox, he noticed that she was in fact being held up by five thin wires; with one going to each of her legs and one on her head. He traced the path up to what appeared to be a hand with each string connected to a finger.

“Blaze, there’s something controlling her!” Arata shouted turning to face Blaze.

Blaze was still frozen and unable to move. Arata decided it would be better to fight whatever was controlling Vox than to go back, and pull Blaze off the ground. He called out his persona and charged in. Taliesin floated above Arata, and it was his hope that his persona would be able to sever the strings that suspended Vox. Before his persona’s blade met the wire, a wave of fire erupted from Vox. Arata, while a little hurt, was able to brush off most of the damage. Blaze was hit, but unaffected and was now charging in to help with the fight.

The pair tried to block the flurry of magical attacks that were coming at them. All while trying to locate their true assailant. Both Man at Arms and Taliesin wildly slashed and stabbed at the cables that were holding Vox, but all of their efforts seemed to be in vein. Arata then directed a blast of wind toward the hand that was pulling the string. The blast was completely negated by some kind of force field.

“Blaze, did you see that?” Arata called.

“Yeah looks like we need to find another way to take this thing down.” He replied dodging another burst of ice.

“Let’s push past it!” Arata sprinted past Vox into the darkness behind her.

Arata was barely past her when he ran into something solid. Before Arata had a chance to call back to Blaze, he was struck with a tremendous bolt of lightning which knocked him out instantly.

Blaze, seeing Arata take the hit, attempted to help him, but as he approached his friend another hand slammed down in front of him, and immediately slid towards him, knocking him back. The hit didn’t hurt nearly as much as he had anticipated. Two red eyes slowly opened behind Vox.

“There is no hope, she has embraced her fear, and now I shall use it to destroy you,” A deep voice bellowed through the darkness.

“Vox, can you hear me?!” Blaze shouted, calling for his persona to protect him from the demonic hand in front of him.

“Blaze, help me..”

“Vox, your fear is feeding this thing, you need to fight it! That’s the only way we can help you!” Blaze guarded against another swipe from the hand. Vox looked panicked; her eyes were wide and staring at Blaze.

“Blaze...” The more panicked Vox became, the harder the shadow struck Blaze.

While still blocking and dodging the shadow, Blaze reached out to Vox with his mind. Concentrating enough to make a telepathic connection was almost impossible while under attack. While he attempted to focus on his connection, his blocks became sloppy, and he was hit by the hand more and more.

“Vox! If you can’t find peace in yourself, then find peace in me!” He shouted, reaching out with his mind one final time.

…

“Arata, it is good to see you again. I apologize that I missed your last visit; Caroline tells me that you were able to learn much about social links.” Igor’s voice was becoming a common thing for Arata to wake up to. “Do not worry, Blaze is holding off the beast for you while we speak.” Igor paused and flipped two cards onto the table. Arata immediately recognized them as Taliesin and Virtue. “It is now time I explain my main role in your journey: fusing personas. With my assistance you will be able to combine personas into something even more powerful, and with this you gain infinite possibilities. Now go and help your friends. Your power may be the only one that can help them…”

…

Arata stood, all of his body fought against him. His mane had been partially singed by the bolt of lightning that had struck him, but now he knew he had the power to stop whatever this shadow was. His red eyes grew wide with anger, and a card appeared in front of him.

“Taliesin!” he screamed leaping towards the creature. In the side of his vision he could see Blaze trying to focus on something while dodging strikes from the creature’s hand. Arata wasted no time, and seized this opening. He ordered his persona to strike the hand holding Vox. Taliesin darted towards it, letting out blasts of wind. In reaction to this the shadow let out a burst of lightning.

“Virtue!” At his command, his second persona seamlessly traded places with Taliesin, and absorbed the attack. Virtue pressed on almost reaching the hand, but one final blast of fire was sent hurdling its way. This was Arata’s chance to test his new power.

He stood up on his hind legs and stretched his fore legs. In front of each hoof appeared a card, one for Taliesin, and one for Virtue. He swung his legs together, combining the two cards into one.

“Hua Po!” Virtue was instantly replaced by a small red pony, suspended by gossamer wings. The blast hit her, but there was no effect. She charged toward the hand, and let out a focused burst of magic, nullifying any resistance to fire the enemy may have. Then a conflagration shot forward at the hand.

Although the blast didn’t destroy the hand it did enough damage to separate Vox from the wires suspending her. Vox dropped to the ground, and both hands recoiled, giving Blaze a pause from the combat.

Vox slowly rose, and turned to face her demon. “You were right, I did let my fears consume me. But luckily, I’m not alone. It just took Blaze to put my fears into perspective.”

A card appeared before Vox. “Now I will destroy you!” The card shattered “Morgana!” before her a unicorn appeared.

Vox’s persona stood on its hind legs, one hoof extended in front of it, the other holding a book up to its face. Her eyes were covered by a bandage. It was completely black except for a faint red glow coming off of its horn.

Vox paused, taking a moment to calm her mind, and charge up an attack. A white glow appeared in front of her persona, and the shadow before her was slowly encased in ice. Once it was completely frozen, Vox drew her pistol, and shot the shadow, shattering it into pieces.

The fragments of the shadow evaporated, and a door appeared in front of Vox. Arata and Blaze rushed to her side.

“You okay?” Arata asked, directing his question at Blaze.

“Yeah, but a little bruised.” Although he tried not to show it, Blaze had taken a beating from the hand.

“You two ready to leave?” Vox added. With their affirmation the trio stepped through the door.

…

Blaze and Arata were the first ones at the surface of the lake. When they emerged, all of their wounds had healed, and they wasted no time returning to the surface. Vox reached the surface by the time Blaze and Arata had reached the shore. Although it had taken longer for her to surface she seemed to be okay.

They wasted no time returning to camp, and documenting what had happened. Vox and Blaze went back to their duties with the E.W.E.F. and Arata went home.

Chapter 9: FES

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Two weeks had passed since the team had entered the lake with Vox. Not much had happened since then. Despite their best efforts, Blaze and Arata were unable to explore the lake any further. Every time one of them attempted to jump in, they just floated on the surface. Even Vox was unable to enter. The team concluded that they probably needed somepony new to go in first, before they would be able enter.

Arata and Blaze continued their research on shadows and other possible leads in books; the lack of exploration had given Arata a fair amount of free time. In his off time, Arata had gotten closer to Tonic, Camphor, and Marigold. He had also started reading books he acquired at the library. His understanding and knowledge seemed to increase as he read through them.

Over the past two days the town had made an abrupt transition from its usual quaint and mundane atmosphere to a lively and festive one. Arata was a bit confused by the change, and decided to ask Camphor about what was going on.

“Hey Camphor, do you have a minute?” Arata called, knocking on his room door.

“Yeah man, come on in,” Camphor coughed. Hesitantly Arata opened the door, and was hit with a wall of smoke. After he got passed the entrance, he found Camphor lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, and rolling one of his many dreads. “What can I help ya with duude?”

“Did you know your room is filled with smoke?”

“Yeah man, its incense. I was totally gonna open the window but I kinda forgot,” Camphor chuckled.

Arata walked over to the window and slid it open “Why is everypony around here getting so excited?”

Camphor put his dread down, and sat up to face Arata. “First the singing, now this huh? Things must be pretty different in Nippony.” He paused and smiled. “It’s the Summer Sun celebration brah! It’s like the biggest event of the year!”

“Oh, but doesn’t Princess Celestia raise the sun every day?” Arata asked hesitantly.

“Wow man, that’s harsh. Why did ya have to go and crash my vibes like that?” Camphor looked a bit down.

“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean any offense…” Arata apologized. Camphor’s shift in mood had caught him off guard.

“Nah little man, I’m just messin with ya. It’s like the solstice; longest day of the year. Plus who doesn’t like a good party?”

“I guess you have a point. So what exactly do we do?”

“Well the actual celebration is being held in Ponyville this year; so we don’t have to worry about entertaining the Princess.” Camphor began playing with his dreads again. “It’s just a big party. It’ll give ya a chance to get to know more ponies dude.”

Arata thanked Camphor, and then headed off to the E.W.E.F camp. Everypony there seemed pretty excited too. Penzance had given everypony the two days prior to the festival off so they could ‘Properly partake in the festivities’.

Arata found Blaze and Vox in the equipment tent. Both of them seemed to be in high spirits since their last trip to the lake. Blaze had been much more relaxed. He claimed this was because Vox now had a persona, and she could now protect herself. Vox on the other hoof was relieved that Blaze had quit protesting her going into the lake.

“Hey there kid, what’s up?” Blaze greeted.

“Blaze, quit calling him kid. You know he’s only two years younger than us.” Vox scolded.

“Oh, so you two are my senpai,” Arata responded.

“Your what?” Vox asked.

“Senpai, it’s a title, out of respect.” Arata added, “I wanted to know what you two were doing for the Summer Sun celebration? This is the first time I’ve been around for it.” Arata seemed embarrassed to admit this, but he was glad he finally had the courage to do so.

“Wait, Really? They don’t do this in Nippony? She raises the sun for everypony; not just Equestria.” Vox said with just a hint of aggression.

“I’m not entirely shocked.” Blaze added. “I’ve heard of something similar in Saddle Arabia, but it’s nowhere near as big as the celebration here.”

“And each town in Equestria is given the honor of hosting the beloved Princess,” Chimed in the ‘Major General’s’ regal voice. “And this year that honor went to Ponyville. But that does not mean that we should put on any less of a show!” Penzance had appeared at the tent’s entrance and grinned eagerly.

“I was wondering why you gave us time off.” Vox said in her usual playful manner.

“The E.W.E.F will be helping with the festivities this year! We will be decorating the town, running the booths at the festival, and Blaze has agreed to help put on a play describing the history of the day!” Penzance was more excited than anypony had seen him in a long time. “Which reminds me Arata, would you rather help Blaze or work at the booths with myself and a few other ponies?”

“Sorry sir, Vox has already volunteered to help me with the history research and presentation. Arata’s going to be working with you,” Blaze seemed almost happy about this; a little too happy in Arata’s opinion.

“Very well then, Arata, follow me and we shall commence with preparations!” Penzance led Arata out of the tent and back toward Foalsdale.

Arata was surprised to find most of the E.W.E.F in front of the town hall. The majority of them were dashing about setting up booths for the various activities that they were going to hold. Although they were greatly outnumbered by the E.W.E.F ponies, there were a few locals setting up what appeared to be food stalls and the occasional game. The festival wasn’t until the next night, and everypony looked like they were well prepared for it.

“Araahhtahh, you will be in charge of the ‘sun toss’ booth. When anypony lands three of the sun shaped rings on a cone they win a prize! I will be watching over the whole event and making sure everypony is having a good time!”

Arata spent the rest of the day helping with the set up. Although this all seemed strange to him, he was excited to play a part in it. Penzance’s excitement seemed to be contagious; everypony who stopped by the fairground was given a warm greeting by the Major General, and each one left with a smile.

…

When Arata got home, he found that the whole family was together with the addition of one of Marigold’s friends. It looked like they were all getting ready for dinner.

“Hey Arata, sup’ with you?” Camphor drawled as Arata entered the room.

“Just helping with the festival set up; who’s Marigold’s friend?”

“That’s Autumn Tail,” Camphor led Arata to the dining table, where they waited for the rest of the family to assemble. “How’s the explorer’s life been treetin’ ya?” Camphor asked.

For a moment Arata considered telling Camphor stories about the lake, but he had made a promise to the Penzance and his team that it would remain a secret. Even if Arata was allowed to be honest about it he probably lacked the expression to describe what happened; the more he thought about it the more crazy everything seemed.

“I’ve just been helping out with research; I’m not actually an explorer.” Arata humbly stated.

“Righteous, little man,” Camphor smiled. It wasn’t the response Arata was expecting, but Camphor wasn’t exactly a normal pony.

After a few minutes everypony else joined the table. Autumn Tail was sitting next to Arata, and seemed fairly excited. Tonic helped Panacea carry in the food, and the six enjoyed the meal. Over the past few weeks Arata had grown to appreciate these family dinners. It gave him something to look forward to at the end of each day, and they were nowhere near as formal as the ones he had back in Nippony.

After Panacea, Tonic, and Camphor had all left the dinner table, Autumn Tail decided to ask Arata some questions about his work.

“Excuse me mister,” the little filly next to Arata tugged on the E.W.E.F band that Arata had forgotten he was wearing. “Are you and adventurer?” she was smiling widely at him. Arata had gotten used to kids from around the town asking him what it was like to work with the E.W.E.F, and he had an answer prepared incase anypony asked.

“Nah, I don’t have the stomach for anything exciting. I just help research things the real explorers find.” Talking to ponies was still a bit unnerving for Arata, and giving this response usually kept conversations brief. He had considered the possibility that this may affect his ‘social links’ but they didn’t seem all that important to him.

“What do you do as a researcher?!” The filly was still grinning excitedly. “Is it like reading all of the old stories?”

“Yeah,” Arata chuckled. “How’d you know?”

“When I grow up I want to be just like Daring Do! She’s the coolest adventurer…” the filly trailed off, and looked guilty for a moment. “Can you keep a secret?”

“Huh, uh yeah, what is it?” Arata asked hesitantly.

“The other day I followed you to work, and the cool lake you were exploring!” She tried to speak in a whisper, but her excitement made that difficult.

Arata froze, so this was the pony that followed him. Not only that, but she saw them going into the lake. “You know it’s dangerous in the swamps?” It wasn’t much to say, but it was the best thing Arata could think of.

“But danger is nothing for a brave explorer like me!” she cheered.

“Have you ever been in real danger?” Arata asked, not sure if he was approaching the situation correctly.

“Um, no...” She hung her head.

“Next time if you want to explore promise to ask me first, okay?” Arata tried to reason with her. “We didn’t even know you were there with us, if something bad happened we might not have been able to help you.”

Autumn Tail could tell Arata was scolding her, “I’m sorry, next time I will ask you first. Maybe I can go swimming with you too?”

“Maybe,” Arata tried his best to lie; he couldn’t tell if it worked.

Marigold ran up to Autumn Tail, and dragged her off to play.

…

The next night, Foalsdale was a hive of activity. Everypony was outside, either at the town hall, or just walking about the town. In addition to the decorations the E.W.E.F had set up, each pony had decorated their home. Streamers hung connecting the roofs of the houses and lanterns hung on wires lighting up the whole town.

The festival had started about two hours ago, and was now in full swing. Arata had been running his booth, and every pony that came by seemed to enjoy themselves, even if they didn’t win. Penzance had been walking about the town making sure each pony was happy, and having a good time.

Penzance was now wearing his old guard captain’s uniform. Compared to his normal khaki colored shirt, the Bronze armor, with Celestia’s seal, and a plumed helmet made him almost unrecognizable. Of everypony in town he still seemed the most excited.

“Hey, Arata!” Vox called as she approached his stand. “Want to do something a little more exciting for the rest of the night?” Blaze followed, suspending two boxes with his magic.

“What do you two need help with?” Arata was eager to be part of the festivities and it showed with his response.

“We need you to be in our play!” Vox smiled “I need to run the sound equipment so I can’t do it, and Bullwhip, who’s normally Blaze’s go to pony for stuff like this, is off at the southern end of the swamp. So we need you to do it!”

“Sure! I can do that,” Arata smiled back.

“Great kid, meet us at the stage in about an hour,” Blaze smirked for a moment, “And prepare your most regal voice.”

…

“Those are your lines Arata, think you got it?” It had only been two hours since Blaze had first gone over the script for the show with Arata, and although they were able to run through the show twice, Arata was starting to wonder if he had the courage to do this.

“I think I can do this, it’s just a history show there can’t be that many ponies watching right?” Arata timidly asked.

“If the Major General has anything to do with it we’ll have a full house.” Blaze deadpanned. “Oh and here’s the costume you’ll have to wear, sorry if it’s a little big”

Blaze slid Arata one of the boxes. Arata opened it to find the parts to a Princess Celestia costume. When he was told that he was going to play the princess he thought it was a joke. There was no way Blaze would have actually gone through with the idea. Sadly, Arata had misjudged his friend and was now putting on the crown, wings, horn, necklace, and cutie mark of the Princess. Blaze on the other hoof was dressing as Nightmare Moon.

“Curtin call’s in 5, I’ll go check with Vox to make sure everything is ready, remember Penaznce will give a short opening speech before we start.” Blaze disappeared off to the side of the stage leaving Arata alone dressed as Celestia.

It wasn’t clear whether or not Penzance actually knew he would be portraying the Princess, but that wasn’t the greatest of Arata’s worries. More pressing was the hundred or so ponies he was about to get in front of. Lately, Arata had experienced a surge of courage. Since his first visit to the lake he felt stronger, and more confident in himself. This was partly due to the persona that protected him, but he didn’t have that out of the lake. Out here he didn’t even have a cutie mark.

Arata heard the crackle of the microphone and Penzance clearing his throat.

“Good night everypony! It is my honor to officially welcome you to the Summer Sun Celebration festivities!” There was a brief pause and the crowd cheered. “Tonight we have two shows prepared for you, before the princess raises the sun: first a short play depicting the history of this celebration, and then a performance by Foalsdale’s own orchestra!” The crowd cheered one more time. Penzance remained onstage to deliver the opening lines of the play and the curtain opened to reveal Arata to the audience.

“Two Princesses, both alike in dignity,” Penzance began. “In fair Canterlot, where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where Princesses’ blood makes a Princesses’ hooves unclean.” He continued for a few lines and then exited leaving Arata alone on stage.

Arata stood there staring into the crowd; all of the lines he had practiced escaped him. Everypony was smiling and happy, it wasn’t an intimidating sight, but even so he lacked the courage to be before this many ponies. In the front row he could see Tonic, Panacea, Camphor, and Marigold all cheering him on. Arata looked over to the side of the stage where Blaze was giving him the signal to start.

Putting his anxiety aside Arata stepped into center stage and began to speak. “Alas… poor …” Arata paused unable to remember his lines. His eyes widened as he stared into the audience and his anxiety returned. He turned to Blaze who was pantomiming his lines but Arata didn’t have enough understanding to recognize the hints. “… Oh, I remember,” Arata stuttered, “Alas poor Princess, I knew her Equestria. A filly of infinite jest and most excellent… excellent…” Arata trailed off again as he met the audiences stare.

‘Oh no,’ Vox thought to herself from the sound booth. Watching Arata struggle on was painful, so she decided to help him out a bit. She pulled out the script and reached out with her mind to Arata. ‘Arata, I’m sorry to use my magic on you again, but I’m going to read you your lines.’

Hearing Vox’s voice was a surprise. He wasn’t completely okay with the telepathic powers yet, but this seemed like an ideal time to use them. He began once more, this time with help from Vox.

“Alas poor Princess, I knew her Equestria. A filly of infinite jest and most excellent fancy. I hath borne her on my back a thousand times, and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is!” Blaze entered the stage with a smile dressed in his costume and Arata continued, “Nightmare Moon, have you come to take power?”

“Yes Celestia the time of the sun has come to an end! Now every pony will know the glory of endless night!” Blaze shouted, in an accent similar to Penzance’s.

“No tyrant, I cannot let that happen,” Arata parroted Vox. “Now I will banish you to the moon!”

“You do not have the power to banish me!” Blaze shouted again.

Arata ran off stage and grabbed some colored streamers which he threw at Blaze, who then used his magic to levitate them toward him. The action scene that followed was bad. Blaze knew it, Arata knew it, the audience knew it, and Penzance knew it. Yet, when they finished and Arata finished his final lines they were greeted with a massive round of applause. The two ponies bowed and walked off stage as the orchestra entered.

Penzance was waiting at the bottom of the steps for them.

“Arata, Blaze, you both put on a good show.” Penzance tried to reassure, but it didn’t seem to be working. “Arata you tried and that is what’s important.”

“Thank you sir, but I wouldn’t have been able to do any of that without Vox. She was feeding me my lines telepathically.” It was at this moment that Arata began to understand the actual nature of Vox’s powers. It wasn’t something to be afraid of, and there was nothing intrinsically good or bad about it. He also realized that Vox had been there to help him when he needed it and he felt a faint bond forming between them.

A faint voice rang out in his mind, ‘Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Empress Arcana.’

Blaze and Arata found a place to watch the orchestra performance and were joined by Vox. After the performance finished the whole town cheered and the moment was here for Celestia to raise the sun. Penzance stood with the trio; his eagerness, and pride in Equestria overflowing.

Then the moment passed, but the sun never rose…

Chapter 10: Longest Night

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“In the name of Celestia...” Penzance stood staring into the black night sky. Thirty minutes had passed since the sun was supposed to rise, and it still hadn’t.

“Sir,” Blaze said to Penzance snapping him out of his trance. “We need to figure out what’s going on. If something has happened to Princess Cele-” Blaze was quickly cut off by the former guard captain.

“The Princess has raised the sun every day for over one thousand years. I cannot think of anything that could prevent her from doing it today. There is no force in Equestria that could stop her.” Penzance sternly replied.

“I’m aware sir, but that is all the more reason to act quickly. Something is clearly wrong, and you are the former guard captain. If you leave now you can be in Canterlot within the next few hours. I’m sure they will need your help.” Blaze swiftly responded.

“I agree with Blaze,” Arata chimed in. “We can either stand here staring into the sky or you can try to help, sir.” As Arata finished speaking they were joined by another pony.

“Penzance, what’s going on?” She asked seeming to be more than a little panicked.

“I’m not sure Mayor, something is stopping the Princess from fulfilling her duty,” Penzance softly responded. He had removed his plumed helmet since his worry had set in; there was no hiding the uneasiness in his eyes and the tremor in his voice.

“What should we do? Ponies are starting to ask questions.” The mayor stated trying to stay cool under pressure. No pony had ever stopped to ask ‘What do you do when the sun does not rise?’ but now it was the only thought on everypony’s mind.

“I will take a team to Canterlot and figure out what in the name of harmony is happening.” Penzance stated.

“We have a balloon that you can take there. If you have a few pegasi to spare, they can make the trip a lot faster.” The mayor informed them “I’ll go get the balloon ready.” She darted off and left Arata, Blaze, and Vox with Penzance.

“I will take one of your three, Compass Rose, and Sunburst to Canterlot immediately,” Penzance followed after the mayor.

“Arata, you should go,” Suggested Blaze. “The E.W.E.F might need our help here.”

“Right,” Arata nodded and galloped off after Penzance.

…

The ride to Canterlot was tense for everypony. Arata and Penzance sat in quite anticipation, while Compass Rose and Sunburst worked as hard as they could to get the balloon there quickly.

This was the first time Arata looked closely at moon since the panic began. Something was different about it tonight. Its surface was barren and white; the usual mark on it had vanished.

“Penzance… the moon,” Arata spat out the words.

“No, it can’t be.” He said aghast. “It’s completely barren…” He paused, “The Mare in the Moon may have returned…”

Arata froze at Penzance’s realization. “No… it couldn’t be…”

“We will find out soon enough I suppose.” Penzance said grimly acknowledging the situation.

Canterlot came into view, the white spires shining compared to the darkness around them. In Nippony everypony knew about Canterlot, its beauty was almost mythic. It did not disappoint Arata. Even in a time of so much uncertainty the view filled Arata with a sense of wonder.

As the balloon landed the group was met by two guardsponies.

“Halt, the city is on high alert. State your business.” The guard on the right said strictly, his eyes unmoving from Compass Rose who had the misfortune of being the first one to land.

Penzance wasted no time leaping from the basket to greet the guards. He had put on his helmet and proudly walked toward the two guards.

“Penzance, Sir!” Both guards snapped to attention as Penzance approached.

“At ease stallions,” he continued to walk toward them and gestured for the other ponies to follow. “I am retired now; there is no need for formality. I have come to see if there is anything I can do to help with the situation.”

“Sir,” the stallion bowed his head. “Shining Armor is in the palace dealing with the situation.”

“Then that is where I shall go, Thank you.” Penzance saluted and continued down the path. Arata and the other ponies followed closely behind.

“Sir, are we allowed to go in there?” Arata asked. “I’m sure you can, but we aren’t even in the guard.”

“I will vouch for you, and they will let you in,” Penzance continued to walk with his head fixed strait forward.

The group was almost at the Palace steps when a pegasus pony swooped down and landed in front of them.

“Penzacne, Sir, I’m here to escort you to see Shining Armor.” The guard standing before them was the same as the previous two they had met, except for two features, one it was a pegasus, and two it was a female.

“Ivory Shield, It has been far too long. How did you know I was here?” Penzance asked.

“When I saw the balloon approaching pulled by two pegasi I knew there was only one pony who could be in it. The guards at the platform confirmed my suspicion.” She smiled, something the guard was not prone to do, and led the group forward.

Arata was stunned by the palace; this was truly the shining jewel of Equestria. Two guards at the main door parted allowing them through. Inside, the castle was ominously quiet. There were no guards, or ponies in the hallways, everything was empty.

Ivory Shield led them through a series of halls to the palace’s throne room. At the door were four guards who, again, parted to let them through.

The throne room had been converted into a makeshift command center with a few tables that seemed out of place set in the center. There were EUP guards scattered throughout the room, some standing at attention and others dashing around carrying reports to a stallion in the center.

“Sir!” saluted Ivory Shield. “I present former Guard Captain Penzance.” Penzance stepped forward and saluted.

“Thank you lieutenant,” The white stallion replied. “I’m glad you’re here Penzance. We have no idea what is going on. The guard unit attached to Celestia seems to have vanished, and the ponies we sent out to Ponyville for a report haven’t returned yet. It’s a mess.”

“You seem to be doing a fine job Shining Armor,” Penzance assured him. “To be honest I do not think I would have handled this situation anywhere near as well as you have.” Penzance turned to Arata, “Arata come here.”

With Penzance’s command Arata stepped forward and assumed the best at attention pose he could.

“This is Arata, one of our newest members all the way from Nippony,” Arata wasn’t sure why Penzance was introducing him to the Guard Captain but he appreciated being included. “Arata, helped me come up with the idea that this could very well be the return of the Nightmare Moon.”

“You can’t be serious…” Shining Armor gasped. “What makes you think that?”

“The moon,” Arata said. “The shape of a unicorn, that’s normally there, is gone. It’s barren now.”

“Nightmare Moon back… and if that’s true then she’s already captured Celestia, which is why the sun never rose, and now she’s loose in Ponyville… Twily…” Shining Armor shook himself back to his senses. “Listen up everypony, as of this moment we are assuming the worst. Nightmare Moon has returned, Celsetia is gone, and we have no way to raise the sun.” All of the ponies in the makeshift command room had circled around their leader. “Right now we need to focus on defending Equestria. I want Prince Blueblood brought here immediately, we need to keep him safe. Carterot will remain on high alert. I need EUP Guard ponies sent to each city to ensure there isn’t a panic. We’ll need to organize a defensive force for each, and we need to keep the local governments and Canterlot safe. If Nightmare Moon wants subjects she’ll have to fight for them!” Everypony bursted out into a cheer and they all darted off to organize the groups that would soon be bolstering Equestria’s defenses.

Shining Armor turned his attention back to Penzance and Ivory Shield. “Ivory, I hate to ask this of you-” Shining Armor was interrupted by his subordinate.

“Sir, I would be honored to go to Ponyville,” She quickly responded snapping to attention.

“How’d you know?” He asked with a smile.

“You wouldn’t have come to me for anything less,” She smiled in return.

“And you’re aware of the risk? None of the other scouts have returned,” He warned.

“Yes Sir!” She saluted.

“Then get going, and good luck,” He saluted in return, and Ivory shield ran off unsure of her fate.

“What will you have me do, Captain?” Penzance bowed.

“For now, stay present. I’ll need all of the help I can get,” He turned to another guard pony. “Get these three a room somewhere; it’s going to be a long night…”

…

The walk to the castle residences was silent. The three had been up for an unknown amount of time and the night’s sky was becoming an increasingly unpleasant sight. They continued to walk escorted by a lone guard; no one spoke a word, be it out of respect, fear, or lethargy. Arata still tried to marvel at the palace’s beauty under the moonlight, but it was becoming increasingly difficult; the dim light a constant reminder of their dire situation, for which there seemed to be no escape.

When they arrived at the room the guard ushered them in and left them to their own devices. Compass Rose and Sunburst walked over to the bed and collapsed. Arata walked over to a window and stared blankly at the moon and starry sky.

“Should we try to sleep?” Sunburst asked, not completely expecting an answer.

“If you think you can, you might as well.” Arata mindlessly responded. Somehow his thoughts had managed to drift back to Nippony. Here in Equestria he had a faint idea of what was really going on. But back home there would be nothing to keep them informed. Celestia had so much power over the world, and yet demanded nothing for her service.

“Do you think we will need to fight?” Sunburst further inquired.

“Would you rather live in eternal night?” Compass Rose questioned, a hint of annoyance in her voice. “I don’t just want to sit here and do nothing. There has to be something we can to do help…. Anything!”

“Do you really think we can do anything against something that beat Celestia!?” Sunburst snapped. “She can make it eternal night. What can we do? Fly? Is that supposed to scare her? All you or I could do is kick her into submission!”

“Both of you stop,” Arata said not quite raising his voice. He hung his head as he addressed them. “Fighting isn’t going to get us anywhere.” Arata wished he could summon his persona here and show them that there was a way to fight and that there was something they could do. He had no power outside of the lake, and that only contributed to the helplessness he felt. “Penzance and Shining Armor will come up with something, and even if they don’t the only way we will be able to stop this is by working together. She can’t stop all of us.”

“You’re right,” Sunburst sighed. “I’m sorry Rose; I shouldn’t have gotten so angry.”

“Don’t worry about it, were all on edge right now.” Compass Rose got out of the bed, and walked to the door. “I’m going back to Penzance. It will be better than waiting here.”

“I’m going to try to sleep,” Sunburst pulled over a sheet and closed her eyes.

“I’ll go too,” Arata said “I won’t be able to sleep anytime soon.”

…

“How long do you think it’s been?” Compass asked hesitantly.

“I honestly have no idea,” Arata shrugged. “It feels like it’s been night for a day, but the moon isn’t even moving through the sky so there is no way to know.”

Arata and Compass Rose slowly walked through the palace grounds until they reached the door to the throne room. Shining Armor, Penzance, and a hoofful of guards were standing in the courtyard.

“What are you two doing out here?” Penzance inquired as they closed in.

“We were too restless to sleep,” Compass Rose answered. “Can we stay?”

“I see no harm in it,” responded Shining Armor. “What do you two make of all of this?”

Arata was surprised to hear the guard captain ask his opinion. “I don’t know sir. How could anypony understand what’s happening, or what we could possibly do?”

“And you?” The captain nodded to Compass Rose.

“I don’t know either, but I want to fight. I can’t stand just wait for something to happen, I want to do something about it,” she said intensely.

“Don’t we all,” Shining Armor agreed. “It’s been almost twelve hours since the sun didn’t rise, and we know nothing more than we did before.”

“You’ve done all you can,” Penzance assured him. The two were both wearing their full armor; Penzance’s an older bronze color scheme with a green trim, and Shining Armor’s purple with gold trim. the sight was awe inspiring. “I never imagined this day would come.” He sighed.

They all stood in silence for what felt like hours. No pony spoke, and no pony moved. Arata could feel Penzance’s sadness, his bruised pride, his pain, and his helplessness. He felt that he was starting to understand the Stallion who had seemed so formal before.

A dull voice rang out in his mind. ‘Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Hierophant Arcana.’

“Sir, look!” One of the guards’ shouts broke the silence. Everypony turned to see what the commotion was about.

At first their eyes stung as they saw the first glimmer of light appear on the horizon. As they began to realize what was happening everypony burst out into cheers and applause. Slowly the sun rose into place, and the endless night had been broken.

“Praise the sun!” Penzance shouted, wrapping a leg around Shining Armors shoulder.

“Praise the sun,” Shining Armor gasped with a smile, almost unable to believe the ordeal was over.

Cheers began to cry out from every part of the city, and soon ponies filled the street in celebration. Penzance, Shining Armor, Arata, and Compass Rose retired to their quarters, each finally able to get some much needed rest.

…

Arata slept for most of the day before he was awakened by a knock at his door. The guard standing before him reported that Ivory Shield had returned with a full report of the situation, and that Penzance had arranged for him and the other two E.W.E.F ponies to be present for the debriefing.

He wasted no time getting to the courtyard outside where everypony had assembled. It appeared that most of the guard from Canterlot as well as a hoofful of civilians had come to hear the report.

“Presenting my report from Ponyville,” Ivory Shield began. “First and foremost Princess Celestia is safe.” There was applause from the audience. “As we had feared Nigthmare Moon had returned, and captured the Princess. A group of six ponies then ventured into the Everfree Forrest, recovered the Elements of Harmony, used them to restore Nightmare Moon back to Princess Luna, and save Celestia!” The crowd cheered again.

Arata couldn’t believe what he was hearing; six ponies had done all of that? Six ordinary ponies. ‘Maybe we could have done something, even without personas…” He thought to himself.

After a while the crowd disbanded and Penzance called the three ponies over to Shining Armor one final time.

“I hope everypony is rested and prepared to leave,” Penzance directed his comment at the pegasi. “There is no rush to return to Foalsdale so you will not need to pull the balloon this time.”

“Leaving so soon?” Shining Armor asked, “Don’t you want to see the Princess when she returns?”

“Knowing she is safe is enough for me,” Penzance smiled. “You did an exceptional job Shining Armor. I do not know anypony who could have handled that situation as well as you did. I’m sure the Princess will agree.” Penzance and Shining Armor exchanged salutes and parted ways….

Chapter 11: Changing Seasons

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The days following Nightmare Moon’s return, and subsequent defeat, were as normal as anypony expected them to be. The news of what had happened in Ponyville spread like wildfire, and everypony was talking about the elements of harmony, and how six normal ponies defeated Nightmare Moon.

“If only we could use our personas outside of the lake,” Vox said taking a sip of a milkshake. The E.W.E.F. team had been given a few days off while Penzance “collected himself”. It was obvious to anypony who talked to him that he was shaken from all that had happened.

Arata, Blaze, and Vox had just met up at the local diner for lunch. Vox had insisted that they use this time off for “team bonding”. Blaze seemed to be the only pony that had any problem with the idea; insisting that his time was better spent with his books, than his team.

“Being known as ‘those ponies who saved Equestria’ wouldn’t be bad at all,” she continued.

“Personas are the reason I came here,” Blaze said pulling out his notebook.

“So it wasn’t to spend time with your very special somepony, and Arata?” Vox stuck out her tongue, but then paid attention.

“We should go check if there have been any changes to the lake since Nightmare Moon escaped.” Blaze read a few lines from his notebook and continued, “Although from everything I’ve read I think the two shouldn’t be related, but it never hurts to check.”

“But how would we even know if there was a change?” Vox asked. “If we’re right none of us can even go back in.”

“Maybe we should find somepony else to go in first?” Arata added.

“Got any ideas on who we could use?” Vox asked.

“We can’t exactly spread this around,” Blaze cautioned.

“Why not Penzance?” Arata suggested.

“Don’t you think he’s a little old?” Vox took another sip of her milkshake.

“He is but we know we can trust him at least,” Blaze seemed to heavily weigh the suggestion. “The more I think about it, the better he sounds. If we’re there to protect him, he won’t need to fight. We can test the theory and keep it secret.”

“Do you think he would go along with it?” Vox asked. “He’s been a bit down since the celebration.”

“There’s no harm in asking,” Arata had finished eating and motioned for everyone to follow him out.

The group finished their meal and headed back to the E.W.E.F. camp. All three of the ponies had gotten into the habit of putting their armbands on every morning, and today was no exception. As they trotted through Foalsdale nopony noticed the little follower that they had picked up.

…

“Sir,” Blaze announced as they entered the command tent. “Do you have a moment?”

“Yes Blaze, what seems to be the matter,” Penzance was polishing his guard helmet, something nopony had seen him do before.

“We want you to help us test a theory about the lake.” Blaze plainly stated. “None of us are able to enter anymore. We have two guesses as to what’s going on: one is that Nightmare Moon was responsible, and now that she is gone the lake will be dormant. The other is that nothing has changed. If you enter the lake first and it acts like a portal we can confirm that nothing has changed, but if you go in and it is just a pool of water things may be over.”

“I will help you,” Penzance’s agreement was a surprise to everypony. They didn’t think he would oppose the suggestion strongly, but they didn’t think he would accept without question. “Nightmare Moon’s return reminded me of just how complacent I have become. I will meet you at the trail in fifteen minutes.”

“Yes, sir,” Blaze, Arata, and Vox, left the tent and headed to the supply tent.

Once they were in the tent Vox distributed the team’s equipment, and they went to meet Penzance at the trail head. Penzance greeted them, he had only brought a machete and his usual explorer’s clothing with him.

“Are you sure you don’t want any heavy clothing from the armory, sir?” Vox added.

“I’m sure Vox,” Penzance stood proud and his voice was confident.

“Then let’s get moving.” Blaze led the trek, and despite his age Penzance was able to keep pace with the rest of the ponies.

…

Once the team arrived at the lake Blaze attempted to give Penzance a complete brief on the situation and what exactly he could expect once he was in the lake. Vox and Arata sat on the edge of the lake staring into their reflections.

“How did you find the courage to go back in?” she whispered to him.

“I guess my courage is kind of a façade… a persona,” Arata chuckled.

“Very clever,” Vox didn’t seem impressed by his wordplay. “But is that it? Your persona is why you have the courage to go back in?”

“Yeah, when I’m in there, and I have Taliesin with me I feel like I can do anything,” Arata briefly looked up to the sky. “Besides, I already faced my fear the first time I went in. What else could it throw at me?”

“I never thought of it that way,” Vox turned her head and paused. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Arata asked standing up.

“Whoever you are show yourself!” Vox shouted to a bunch of trees on the opposite side of the lake. Slowly a little filly emerged from the tree line.

“Autumn Tail! What are you doing here?” He shouted.

The filly walked to the edge of the lake, and hung her head. “I’m sorry, I know I promised that I would ask you, but I saw you leaving the diner and I followed you here. I thought it would be exciting.”

“Come here little one,” Penzance calmly called. “I’ll take you back to Foalsdale, it is dangerous out here. Just be sure to walk around the lake.” The filly had gotten dangerously close to the edge. Out of curiosity she was now looking into the lakes surface.

“Autumn Tail, listen to him,” Arata was making his way around the lake to her.

“Okay…” She frowned and looked away from the lake.

For just an instant, Vox thought she saw a faint mist rising from the lake. When she blinked it had disappeared, and was replaced by the little filly falling into the lake.

Before anypony had a chance to react, Autumn Tail hit the surface and disappeared. Arata and Blaze instinctively darted in after her. The whole scene had played out so quickly, Vox didn’t know how to react.

“Vox, help them!” Penzance called breaking her out of her daze. Vox jumped in hoping she wasn’t too late.

…

For the first time Arata was able to land on his feet after the fall. He scanned the area while we waited for the rest of the team to enter. The open door in front of him was simple and wooden, it took a while for Arata to place it, but this was the door to Foalsdale elementary.

Blaze landed with a thud, not quite able to find his balance during the fall. “So she’s already inside. We need to hurry.”

As if on command, Vox landed as Blaze finished his sentence; although she didn’t handle the landing as well as her companions, she quickly got back on her feet.

“With me!” Arata took the lead and darted into the open door.

The classroom that the trio now stood in was brightly decorated. Paintings and drawings that the students had made hung from the walls. Sitting in five neatly organized rows were about thirty little ponies. At the moment they had their backs facing the E.W.E.F. team, and were staring at the blackboard in the front of the room.

“I don’t see her in here,” Vox said scanning the room, “Look there’s another door. Let’s go.”

As she stepped forward every face in the class turned to view her, their bodies remaining motionless. Instead of ponies each was the all too familiar mask that each shadow wore. Each one began to pulsate and change form.

Arata wasted no time calling for his persona, and drawing his machete. He leapt forward meeting the first two shadows that approached him. With a wave of his hand Taliesin sent out a blast of wind destroying one of the shadows, and finishing the other off with his machete.

Blaze followed suit. Man at Arms charged into the melee, catching three of the shadows on his lance. After his charge a shadow lunged forward catching him off guard. Blaze took a step dodging the first strike. Before the shadow could recoil and attack again, Blaze had shifted his weight forward and lunged in with his machete.

Despite being the least experienced with a persona, Vox had already taken out six of the shadows, and continued to press the attack. Morgana let out blats of ice. There were some shadows that resisted her magic, but her pistol proved to be more than a match for them.

“That felt easier than the last few times,” Arata said. The fight hadn’t lasted long; the three of them had quickly finished off the shadows and were making their way to the door by the blackboard.

“There are three of us with Persona’s now.” Blaze reminded him. “I would be surprised if it wasn’t easier.”

Arata opened the door to the second room. Inside they found Autumn Tail being confronted by another filly.

“I don’t know what’s worse,” mocked the filly in a gruff, and echoing voice. “The blankflank or the filly that hangs out with her.”

“Leave me alone,” Autumn tail cried “It’s not up to you to tell me who my friends should be!”

“You say that, but I know that you’re afraid of what everpony else will think.” The other filly laughed.

Although the words were meant for Autumn Tail, Arata knew the feelings it was invoking all too well. He couldn’t stand by and watch it torment her.

“Leave her alone!” Arata shouted calling forth Taliesin and lunging forward.

“There will be no fighting in the classroom!” Screamed, what sounded like the teacher.

Arata halted his charge just in time. Drops of black ooze dropped from the ceiling. The globs quickly piled up to form bars, and then streams of the ooze shot out horizontally connecting the bars together forming a net. At every junction an eye appeared, glaring at the trio before it.

“Now,” the wall grumbled, “class is in session.”

The eyes were blinking in turn, only a few remained open at a time. The pattern was sporadic, and given the size of the shadow, there were hundreds of possibilities as to which eye was going to open next.

Arata, being the closest lashed out with his persona trying to punch through the fence. While he was occupied with the attack he did not notice one of the eyes starting to glow, and release a blast of fire towards him.

Arata was knocked backwards towards Blaze and Vox. Seeing Arata flying towards them, the pair stepped to the side and both let out attacks with their personas.

Man at Arms was the first in striking the wall with his lance. The hit did no damage, and the persona followed it up with a series of swift attacks. Morgana attempted to freeze the wall, but her magic had no effect either.

“What is this thing?” Arata said picking himself up.

“I have no idea, but nothing we do seems -” Blaze called back suddenly interrupted by Vox.

“Autumn Tail!” following Vox’s panicked shout, the child addressing Autumn Tail began to transform into a shadow. Although it was nowhere near as intimidating as the three Arata had previously fought, he wasn’t sure if the little filly would be able to defend herself.

“We need to get through this now!” Arata shouted, “Let’s focus everything we’ve got on one spot!”

“Focus on the eyes, nothing else has worked so far,” Blaze added readying his persona for an attack. Although the situation was chaotic and nothing the trio did seemed to have any effect Blaze was able to charge up power for an attack. Vox in-kind was focusing her mind to charge a powerful spell.

“Taliesin!”

“Morgana!”

“Man at Arms!”

The trio cried out in unison letting out a frantic attack. Wind, ice, and a blast of primal force all slammed into one of the shadows opened eyes.

The blast flung dust and debris into the air; the trio waited silently as the smoke cleared.

“No…” Vox let out a sigh of desperation. Despite their best efforts the wall still stood. Before they could attack again, an orb began to appear in front of them. As quickly as it had formed it exploded into an almighty blast which knocked all three of the E.W.E.F. team down.

The finishing blow was quick but Arata, Blaze, and Vox all saw it clearly in their injured state. The shadow that had started attacking Autumn Tail raised a long scythe like claw and struck the little filly down where she stood.

…

Arata was the first to surface, he gasped for breath and found that his body was too beaten and bruised to swim to the edge of the lake. Penzance who had been standing on the shore pulled him to the shore as Blaze and Vox surfaced.

Before anypony could ask, Autumn Tail floated to the surface. Her body was stiff and bloated; all of the color had drained from her.

“What have I done…” gasped Penzance slowly hoisting her body out of the water.

Chapter 12: Troubled

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“Penzance,” sighed the mayor her eyes still wet with tears, “I need you to run this whole situation by me once more.”

Penzance hadn't stopped tearing since the filly’s body had surfaced on the lake. Although he immediately sent Arata, in his injured state, to get the mayor, and seemed to be handling the situation calmly, it was clear he was far from alright.

“I accompanied the three of them to the lake to help with their tasks. There had been reports lately of increased timberwolf activity and it seemed there would be more safety in numbers. Once we were at the lake we began taking water samples and the like, and then the timberwolves attacked.” Penzance paused and dabbed the tears from his eyes, “Autumn Tail had followed us and stumbled across the pack. She darted out of the forest, and in her panic fell into the lake. Before we had a chance to respond, the timberwolves were upon us, and by the time we were able to get to the lake,” Penzance paused one final time, “it was too late.”

“And why aren’t you injured like Blaze, Arata, and Vox?” The mayor pressed trying hard to make sense of the situation.

“I have thirty years of experience with the E.U.P. guard, and received the distinction of becoming its captain, my skills in combat should not be in question, and if that did not suffice, I can explain to you how I obtained my cutie mark…” The mayor looked down at the grim mark on Penzance’s flank and decided to let the point rest.

“Then I have one last question, if you’re such a skilled combatant why couldn’t you save her,” The mayor asked.

“I asked myself the same question…” Penzance turned to the blanket that now covered Autumn Tail. The team had moved her to Penzance’s command tent since the encounter at the lake. Vox hadn’t been able to stomach moving the body, so it was up to Blaze and Penzance, while Arata summoned the mayor.

“It isn’t his fault,” Arata chimed in from a corner of the tent. Blaze, Arata, and Vox had been present for the whole conversation, but no pony had dared speak until now. “Autumn Tail told me that she had followed me out to work a few times, and I was the one who didn’t do anything about it.”

“Arata stay out of this. Her death is on my hooves not yours.” Penzance turned to face him “You are too young to have that kind of guilt thrust upon you.”

“Sir,” announced a voice from the entrance of the tent, “The mother is here.”

“Send her in,” answered the mayor, “and again, let me do the talking.”

A slender mare walked in with her head sunk, and tears streaming down from her eyes. “Is…. Is she here…”

“She is…” The mayor said.

“Is this real..?” the mare said breaking out into a fit of tears.

“Would you like to be left alone?” the mayor asked softly.

“No… no I would rather have everypony with me,” she paused and tried to control her tears with no success. “How could anything have happened to her?”

“She followed the E.W.E.F. team out to the lake, without their knowledge, timberwolves attacked her, and she fell into the lake they were exploring.” There was a tense silence, “The timberwolves attacked the exploration team, and before they could fight them off she drowned.”

“No, that can’t be…” the mother gasped, “Equestria isn’t dangerous…”

“I take full responsibility for what has happened here,” Penzance said apologetically.

“No, she can’t be dead. Surely it’s some other filly,” the mother cried, “Where is she? Where is my daughter?!”

“Summer Breeze my dear, maybe you should take some time before you see her,” the mayor interjected.

“Who are you to say that?!” She snapped, “Have you ever had somepony knock on your door to tell you your daughter is dead?! Celestia, this can’t really be happening!”

“She’s right here,” The mayor slowly removed the sheet.

The tent was silent except for Summer Breeze’s cries. Nopony knew what to do. Blaze, Vox, and Arata all felt the guilt from knowing the truth but being unable to do anything about it.

“I can’t do this anymore,” the mother spoke, her words veiled in tears. “This is all just a bad dream. It has to be.”

“Would you like to go home?” The mayor asked placing a hoof on her shoulder.

“No, I need to be with her.” She declared sternly, “Just leave, all of you.”

Without another word everypony, except the mayor, left the tent and went off in separate directions.

…

Arata didn’t want to be alone, or return home. Although he hadn’t had time to fully process his own emotions, the feeling of guilt was already strong, and every thought he had led him back to what had just happened. Deciding that he needed to talk to anypony else about this, Arata wandered to the supply tent, to find Vox.

“Vox, can I come in?” Arata hollered from outside the sealed tent flap.

There was a long silence until Vox responded. “Come in Arata.”

Vox was sitting at the table in the middle of the room. The pieces of her pistol were neatly organized on a cloth in front of her. Half of the pistol was hovering as she used a rag to meticulously clean it.

All three of E.W.E.F. team had exited the lake with wounds. Vox had several small cuts on her face, and her arm band was singed along the edges. If anypony paid too much attention to detail, they might have caught on that there was more to their injuries.

“Whenever I get… distressed… I clean the equipment,” Vox said placing the gun on the table. “I’ve always been worried that something will happen to me because of equipment failure. It’s the thought that something out of my control could affect me; that’s why I check gear so much. The first few times you came in I was working on a radio, it wasn’t broken or anything, I just wanted to be 100% sure it worked.” Vox paused and looked to Arata who was still standing at the door, “I’m sorry, you probably have enough on your mind without my rants.”

“That’s actually why I came,” Arata somberly admitted. “I have no idea how to handle something like this, so I thought I would check in with everypony else. I’d actually like it if you kept talking.”

“Okay,” Vox paused to focus on cleaning an intricate mechanism, “What happened to Autumn Tail, it wasn’t a problem with our gear, it was a problem with us. We just weren’t strong enough to save her! We failed! And worse, now we’re lying about it!” As she spoke Arata could feel the anger building behind her words.

“But if we told everypony the truth would they even believe it?” Arata sighed, “Part of me thinks lying about it is the best option.”

“So what!?” Vox set down the piece she was working on. “That doesn’t make it right. It may be easier for everypony to accept a lie, but do you really think that means we should lie to them!?”

“No, we shouldn’t. I was just trying to rationalize what we did.” Arata admitted.

“I know. I’m sorry I snapped at you. I just hate how it’s being handled.”

“Do you really think you could have handled it better than Penzance?” Arata asked.

“Well, no. I don’t…” Vox sighed, “But I feel like I’m hiding from my failure by lying!” She paused, and then continued cleaning. “Thank you for coming by Arata, but I think you should leave… I’m getting too angry.”

…

Arata left the tent, talking to Vox hadn’t helped him at all. Maybe Penzance would be able to help him. Arata just wanted something to help lift the sadness off of his shoulders.

Arata made his way to the mess hall to find Penzance sitting inside with a quill and parchment.

“Arata, can I help you?” Penzance set the quill down and looked at him.

“I wanted to ask you for advice, on how to handle what happened,” Arata sighed.

“I see,” Penzance nodded. “To be honest, I have experience dealing with death in the E.U.P. guard, but the situations are hardly comparable.” Arata could see tears starting to form in Penzance’s eyes. “In the guard I knew that everypony I sent on a mission understood it could be their last. Even something as mundane as guarding the Princess on a visit out of Canterlot could be dangerous, as you saw a few weeks ago, but Autumn Tail didn’t, and that makes this harder for me come to terms with.”

“What are you doing to get over it?” Arata asked.

“I’m writing to Celestia.” Penzance stated. “I’m hoping that in her knowledge she will be able to help me find some way to justify this. I will do whatever I can to make sure my failure isn’t a stain on the E.W.E.F.’s record.”

“Do you really think that this will be held against all of us?” Arata asked surprised that the entire group would be blamed for his failure.

“Not directly, but I am sure given time blame will fall on the E.W.E.F. as a whole. I plan to take whatever action is necessary to prevent this from happening.”

“That’s… noble of you,” Arata added.

“It is what needs to be done.” Penzance lifted up the quill, and began writing again. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a letter to write.”

…

Arata wandered out of the mess hall. So far nopony had been able to help him feel anything but sadness. Each one of them seemed too wrapped up in their own coping mechanism that they couldn’t take the time to help him.

Arata made his way out of camp, and out to the lake. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, or even if it would help him find peace, but it was better than staying at camp. The swamps seemed quiet and lifeless as he wandered through the trail.

When he finally arrived at the lake, it was as still as it always was. The light shone through the opening in the tree cover and glimmered on the surface. It was deceptively beautiful.

Arata propped himself up against a tree and stared into the lake, searching for something inside that would let him overcome his feelings. He felt as if the weight of her death was on his shoulders, and that his power was useless. Arata had a persona longer than anypony else, and at times it felt like he was stronger than Blaze and Vox in the lake.

He even had the power to fuse personas, something that no other pony could do, and he had forgotten to use that power when it really mattered.

All of that seemed so pointless now. If he couldn’t use his powers to save somepony in danger then what was the point. There seemed to be no point to anything that was going on.

As he sat there thinking, fatigue began to set in. His eyes became heavy, and he slowly drifted off to sleep.

…

“Hello Arata” Igor’s voice called out. “It has been some time since we last spoke, and many events have transpired since then.” Igor paused and looked deep into Arata’s eyes. Arata heard a faint melody playing in the room; it was familiar yet foreign to him. It felt like a poem that reached out to his soul.

“I have called you here to remind you that life is like a river. There are many twists and turns that you cannot see coming, but when you do hit an unforeseen obstacle do not let it deter you. There is still much left to your journey, and it will require your full resolve to conquer the challenges that lie ahead.”

Igor paused once more. “This will not only be a trying time for you. Your friends will require your strength and guidance in the coming days.” Igor began to fade as Arata’s eyes opened to the orange evening sky.

…

Maybe Blaze would be able to help him; after all they had come this far as a team. Slowly making his way through the camp, Arata noticed that a few ponies had begun to give him strange looks. Whether this was from the wounds he had sustained, or if word of the death had spread this quickly, he couldn’t be sure.

Blaze was sitting outside of his tent reading a book, with what appeared to be a pipe in his mouth.

“Hey kid,” Blaze called out as Arata got close to him. Blaze’s usually neat teal mane was stuck in bunches, and he had yet to remove the heavy jacket that the team wore into the lake. “I’m guessing you want to talk?”

Arata nodded as Blaze lazily got up and walked into his tent. Arata followed unable to figure out what kind of mood his partner would be in.

“Try to relax kid, what’s done is done. We can’t go back in time and change it.” Blaze took a slow drag from his pipe before lowering it onto the table.

“You’re really taking this differently than Vox…” Arata muttered, a little shocked at how relaxed Blaze seemed.

“She tends to panic when she’s not in control,” Blaze said, “Don’t get me wrong I do too, but not when there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“But there was. We’re the only ones who could have done anything, we have personas…” Arata sighed.

“You know that’s not true. We have a power yes, but we hardly know anything about it.” Blaze paused and gestured for Arata to join him at the table. Arata sat down as Blaze slid him the book he had been reading. “That’s where I’ve been keeping all of our debriefings when we get back. I thought it would be useful as time passed.”

“Okay, so what, are you saying you found something in there?” Arata asked with a hint of annoyance. He had been through enough as it was; the last thing he needed was a lecture from Blaze.

“A pattern, the pony that went into the lake was always the one who defeated the stronger shadow. I have almost no doubt now that the shadows strength is directly tied to the pony it represents.”

“If that’s true then-”

“There was never anything we could have done to stop it. It had to be Autumn Tail.” Blaze concluded.

“Somehow that doesn’t make me feel any better.” Arata sighed. “Now it just feels like I’m blaming a defenseless child for this.”

“Don’t be so closed minded,” Blaze scolded, “There isn’t always somepony to blame for the negative things that happen in our lives. I learned that the hard way when my father died.”

Arata didn’t respond, instead he watched as Blaze took another drag from his pipe.

“When he died exploring I blamed Penzance for the longest time. All I wanted to do was sit in the Canterlot archives, read, and be as far from adventure, and him, as I could.”

“What made you change your mind?”

“A book,” Blaze added, standing and walking over to his shelf. “It’s the story of a mare’s life, as she remembers it on her deathbed. It starts when she’s a filly getting her cutie mark, and goes through how much she loved her special talent and everything she did with it.”

“How did that help you?” Arata asked.

“The twist at the very end is that she’s only a little older than I am. She doesn’t care that she is about to die, because she had spent all of her life using her special talent. ‘We are born to die’ was the last line in the book. It was at that moment that I realized it wasn’t Penzance’s fault. My dad died doing what he loved and I needed to accept that.”

“Okay, that’s actually kind of helpful. Everypony else I’ve talked too has just gotten sad or angry and dismissed me.” Arata said with a sigh.

“I can’t blame them.” Blaze said taking a final drag from his pipe. “Nopony should have to deal with death.”

“You should go talk to the others,” Arata added.

“No,” Blaze firmly stated. “They don’t need me preaching to them. If they get help it has to be on their terms.”

“Oh, okay,” Arata sighed. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Only if I can do the same,” Blaze smirked.

“Deal, when did you start smoking?”

“Oh this thing,” Blaze said gesturing to the pipe, “I just smoke whenever I’m really stressed. Vox isn’t a fan of it, so I try not to. Now it’s my turn, what did you wish for the first time we were in the lake?”

Arata was caught off guard by the bluntness of Blaze’s question. “I wished for a cutie mark, for my special talent.”

“Are you sure that is exactly what you wished for?” Blaze pressed.

“N... No. I’m not. I don’t know what I wished for, I just agreed.” Arata admitted.

“Interesting, Arata I need you to think about this as hard as you can. We need to know what you wished for, and what it is we’re up against. Do you think you can do that?”

“I’ll try.” Arata sighed, “I should go home.”

“Try to rest kid,” Blaze called out as Arata somberly left the tent.

Chapter 13: We are a Trio

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“Marigold! Come down stairs, I have a surprise for you!” Tonic had tried to get Marigold to leave her room for two days with little success. Except for Summer Breeze, she was the most affected by the loss of Autumn Tail. “Arata, would you mind talking to her? She seems to listen to you.”

“Yeah, I’ll go call her.” Arata had been the only pony that Marigold would talk to over the past few days. It had helped that he witnessed Autumn Tail’s death, for some reason this experience allowed Marigold to confide in him. She had told him many stories of their friendship, and how she had stood up to everypony’s bullying.

“Marigold, can I come in?” Arata asked knocking on the door.

“Yes,” She whimpered. Arata opened the door to find Marigold laying on the floor staring at a flower that Camphor had picked for her.

“You should come down, I think what your dad has will really cheer you up.” Arata said, extending a hoof to the filly.

They walked downstairs in silence until barking caught Marigold’s attention.

“Is that a puppy?” She asked, showing a hint of excitement.

Arata didn’t answer, instead he watched as she grew more excited. As they rounded the corner to the front door, Arata saw her face light up as she saw the little dog at Tonic’s feet. This was the first expression of happiness Arata had seen since Autumn Tail had passed.

“He’s all yours Marigold, just promise you’ll walk him and take care of him,” Tonic announced as she ran up to her new companion.

“I promise!” She said starting to pet it. The dog had short grey fur, pointed ears, and a tail that curled up. “Does he have a name?”

“Not yet,” Tonic smiled seeing the joy in his daughter, “What do you want to call him?”

“Um,” She paused in thought, “I don’t know. Camphor!” She called to her brother who had yet to join the family. Although he showed it less than anypony else, Camphor was fairly effected by the death of the filly. Instead of being his normal relaxed self he had seemed excited, and full of energy. For the past few days he had been going around town helping the ponies with anything he could. Arata recognized this as the same coping mechanism that he had used when he feared that the lake was really Nippony. For the most part Arata had kept to himself; occasionally he would try to cheer Marigold up, realizing that she had lost much more than he had.

“What’s up sis?” Camphor called as he walked down the stairs.

“Look at who dad brought home!” Marigold squeaked.

“Whoa, look at this guy,” Camphor said making his way to the dog. Opposed to his normal drawl, Camphor seemed to talk at a normal speed.

“What should we name him?” Marigold asked.

“I don’t know,” Camphor offered one of the flowers in his hair to the dog, who seemed confused by the gesture. “Got any ideas little man?”

“There was a dog that lived in my town when I was growing up, his name was Koromaru,” Arata said joining the group petting the dog.

“Kor-o-maru?” She looked at the dog “Do you like that name?” The dog barked and licked her cheek. “Daddy! His name is Koromaru.”

“He’s a smart little guy,” Tonic smiled. “Now I just have to find a way to explain all of this to your mother when she gets back.” Panacea had been visiting her sister in Phillydelphia for the past week and had yet to hear about everything that had transpired in Foalsdale. “That reminds me, Camphor, there’s a town meeting tonight. Could you watch Marigold and Koromaru for me? Arata I hear your going to be part of the E.W.E.F’s presentation on what happened.” Camphor nodded, but Arata looked very concerned.

“Nopony told me about that…” Arata trailed off, he was nowhere ready to talk about his failure in front of the town. “I have to go. I’ll see you at the meeting.” With that, Arata sprinted off to the camp.

…

“I’m sorry Penzance. I just don’t think I’m ready to go up in front of everypony about this.” Arata sighed.

“I don’t expect you to be, Arata,” Penzance responded, trying his best to keep a reassuring attitude. “I was hoping that the three of you wouldn’t need to part of this, but the mayor thinks that it is for the best.”

“Do Blaze and Vox know about this?” Arata added.

“They do, they are preparing for it as we speak.” Penzance walked over to the table in the center of his tent, and signaled for Arata to join him. “I received a letter from Shining Armor. Both he and the princess are too busy at the moment to come deal with the situation here. They have; however, dispatched Ivory Shield to help arbitrate the situation, and to let everypony know that Celestia is aware of what has happened. She will arrive soon, which is why the meeting is happening tonight.”

“What exactly will we be expected to talk about?” Arata asked.

“You three will need to field the questions anypony happens to ask.” Penzance frowned. “I know it isn’t fair to you, but hopefully this meeting will put the issue to rest.”

“Okay, I’ll go find the others and make sure we are all on the same page,” Arata turned and left without another word.

…

Arata found Vox sitting alone in her tent. She informed him that Blaze had gone into town to check out books from the library.

“I’m sorry I snapped at you the other day. I talked it over with Blaze this morning. He didn’t really tell me anything I haven’t already heard from him, but it was still helpful.” Vox was adjusting some new piece of Equipment that Arata hadn’t seen before.

“It’s okay, I talked to Blaze too. It helped me put everything into perspective.” Arata said, deciding not to ask questions about the device.

“Yeah, he has a habit of doing that. It’s one of the reasons I was able to open up to him. I’m sure you’ve noticed there aren’t many ponies that I am open with. It’s pretty much just Blaze and Penzance, and I guess you too now.” Vox’s mood hadn’t made many improvements over the past few days.

“Oh, thank you,” Arata responded, slightly surprised to hear that Vox trusted him when he felt he was still distant from her.

“What do you think about everything that’s going on?” Vox asked.

“I don’t know what to think. I’ve seen how some of the ponies in town are taking everything, and the more I think about it the harder it is to lie to them about everything that’s happened here,” Arata admitted.

“Finally! Somepony who agrees with me. I was worried that I would be the only one with a conscience at tonight’s meeting,” Vox seemed a bit relieved by this.

“Did you plan to do something at the meeting?” Arata asked, worried that Vox may act out at the meeting.

“No. Of course not, as much as I may disagree with Penzance, I would ever do anything to hurt him. He’s like a father to me.” Vox assured Arata.

“What do you mean?” Arata asked. He sensed that Blaze and Vox had more of a connection to Penzance than other ponies around the camp, but he couldn’t see Penzance as a father figure.

“I don’t really like to talk about it, but I guess I can trust you.” She paused and went over to a case of her belongings. Using her magic, she levitated a small picture from the box over to Arata.

A bit confused Arata looked at the picture. There were two blue ponies both a similar color to Vox, one was a male Unicorn, the other a female earth pony. The Unicorn was levitating a baby, which Arata assumed was Vox.

“That’s the only thing I know about my parents. I spent most of my life in an orphanage in Canterlot. When I was old enough they suggested I enroll in Princess Celestia’s school for gifted Unicorns. No pony had seen magic like mine before and it scared a lot of them. The adults tried not to show it, but for a long time I didn’t have great control over my powers and the ponies around me noticed…”

“Could they tell you were reading their minds?” Arata asked.

“Not exactly, I would randomly read a ponies mind and at that time I wasn’t good enough at it to know the difference between what I heard there, and what was spoken. Part of why I didn’t really develop ‘pony skills’ is that if I wanted to know something, I could just look for myself.” Vox frowned, remembering the pain her powers had brought her. “There were also times when ponies would hear voices at night, the rumor spread that the orphanage was haunted. That mostly happened when I was asleep though, so there wasn’t much I could do about it.”

“Did you make it into the school?” Arata asked.

“I did, it is what introduced me to Penzance.” Vox said. “Penzance would visit the school from time to time trying to either find ponies for the guard or towards the end, the E.W.E.F. I got to know him pretty well over time, he seemed fond of me. Even though I would sometimes lose control of my power around him, he was patient and didn’t judge me for it. Over time, and with the blessings of the caretakers at the orphanage and a few of my teachers, I became his adopted daughter. I don’t talk about it much because I don’t want to be treated differently around camp, but that’s the truth.”

“I had no idea,” Arata said slightly shocked.

“Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, it just didn’t seem important.” Vox apologized. “I hope you understand why I’m disappointed with him now. It’s hard to see the ponies you love do things that you feel are wrong.”

“Have you talked to Penzance yet?” Arata asked.

“Kind of,” Vox sighed, “He’s honestly been too busy with this situation to listen to what I have to say. I can’t blame him for that, but it makes me feel even more powerless.”

“Well hey, maybe you don’t have a lot of power on your own, but we’re a team, and we have power together,” Arata took a serious tone, “Let’s talk to Blaze. We shouldn’t do something as important as this if we aren’t on the same page.”

Vox smiled for the first time in days, and followed Arata out of the tent.

…

While Arata and Vox had been talking, Blaze had returned to his tent and had begun to read the books he borrowed from the library. He didn’t seem surprised when Vox and Arata entered the tent, and was more than happy to listen to them.

“Blaze,” Arata announced, “I think it’s important that we are all in agreement on what we do at the meeting tonight. We are a team after all.”

“I agree,” Blaze said, “As long as we’re not agreeing to tell everypony the truth. That would be too dangerous.”

“But isn’t lying to them also dangerous?” Vox interjected. “They won’t know that the lake is dangerous this way.”

Blaze paused to consider this for a moment. “You have a point, but I think the timberwolf cover up will keep most ponies out of the swamps for a while. Not many ponies even knew about the lake before we came here.” Blaze shifted his focus to Arata momentarily, “We still aren’t sure what exactly we’re dealing with in the lake either. We shouldn’t scare everypony with those stories until we can give them some assurance that we know what we’re doing.”

“I guess you’re right,” Vox sighed, “But I still feel bad lying.”

“No pony ever said this would be easy,” Arata smiled, trying to reassure her. “Maybe you could do something to help them feel safer?”

“I could probably use a mix of magic and a radio to make some kind of early warning device in case anypony goes near the lake. We could tell them it would stop--” Vox paused and with a slightly pained expression finished her thought, “--Anymore drownings.”

“Good idea,” Blaze smiled, “We could also say it would act as an early warning system for timberwolves, and it can tell us if anypony is actually by the lake so we can go in after them.”

“I have one problem with that idea,” Arata added, “It’s not like we can get to the lake quickly if somepony wanders out there.”

“I can set up a series of sensors,” Vox replied, “That way, we can gauge how far away they are from the lake, and that should give us enough time to either catch them, or save them.”

Arata could feel the bond between the E.W.E.F. team growing stronger. It was starting to feel like they had a direction and purpose, to protect anypony unlucky enough to fall into the lake, and to make amends for their past failure.

…

“But what if it we’re your child!” Tonic shouted towards Penzance and the Mayor who stood center stage in city hall. For the most part the meeting had gone smoothly. Everypony seemed to accept the story about timberwolves, and they just attributed the accident to the dangers of the swamp. Tonic and a hoof full of other ponies decided that this wasn’t enough and that there had to be some ‘justice’ for what happened. “I don’t think it’s too much to ask that we get a little more than an apology for this.”

“Tonic,” Responded the mayor, “I understand what you want, but we have to keep in mind that accidents happen. The E.W.E.F. has already detailed their plan for better security tonight, and everypony thought it was a good idea. Penzance has even agreed to speak with the children about the dangers of exploration to avoid a similar incident. Nopony here is a criminal.”

“If anypony should be blaming the E.W.E.F. it’s me. She was my child,” Summer Breeze’s soft voice called out from a corner of the stage. “But I don’t, because it wasn’t their fault. I should face justice more than they should.” Tonic sat back down. It appeared the words of Autumn Tail’s mother had persuaded him that he may be wrong. Arata, Blaze, and Vox felt uneasy as the pony they had lied to had now come to their defense.

Ivory Shield had been standing with the Arata, Blaze, and Vox for the entire meeting, but waited until this moment to speak.

“As the official envoy of Princess Celestia, It is my job to determine if anypony is at fault for what has happened. After listening to the accounts of every party involved, and the discourse at this meeting, I find that the E.W.E.F. is not at fault. What happened is, sadly, a part of life.” There was a long silence after her announcement, followed by the mayor calling the meeting to a close.

“Arata,” Tonic called after most of the ponies had exited the building. “I just want you to know that I hold none of this against you, Vox, Blaze, or Penzance. I just want to see somepony take responsibility for this. Things like this don’t just happen in Equestria.”

Arata didn’t know how to respond. If Tonic had known the truth then he would have somepony to blame. Part of Arata agreed with Tonic, he needed to step forward and take responsibility for his failure, but that would only make the situation worse.

“I’m going to head back home; do you want to come with me?” Tonic asked.

“I should probably stay here a bit longer.”

“Okay, I’ll make sure there’s some food out for you when you get back,” Tonic replied.

“Thanks,” Arata mindlessly muttered returning to his friends.

“Excuse me,” Summer Breeze called as Arata turned around. “Could I talk to you for a moment?”

Arata turned to speak with the mare, something he had been dreading for some time, “Of course.”

“I just wanted to thank you for all that you’ve done. I didn’t realize it at first but you four risked so much to save her, and even though you didn’t; I really appreciate everything you did,” She began to tear up but smiled in spite of this. “Some other time I’d like to talk to you about what happened at the lake, if that would be okay with you.”

“Sure, and thank you for defending us earlier,” Arata smiled in return.

“I own the flower shop, please come by whenever you have a chance.” She smiled one more time before finally leaving.

A faint voice rang out in his mind, ‘Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Tower Arcana.’

Before he had time to reflect on the evening, Arata was summoned by Ivory Shield to discuss what would be happening from this point on.

“As I said earlier the E.W.E.F. is not at fault for this; however, that doesn’t mean there will be no changes. I have been asked to join the E.W.E.F. and to ensure that there will be no more incidents like this. This will also help put the fears of the local ponies at ease. Are there any objections to this?” Her eyes darted around the circle of ponies. “Good, I look forward to working with you again sir,” She saluted Penzance and exited the building.

Every pony went their separate ways that night. Two days later a funeral was held, and slowly the town reverted to its normal self.

Chapter 14: Burn my Dread(s)

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“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.

Chapter 15: I Had No Idea He Was Actually Competent

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“So what’s our plan now?” Arata asked. The team plus Camphor had met at the local diner to discuss how exactly they were going to get Camphor into the E.W.E.F.

“We get Camphor into the E.W.E.F.” Blaze took a sip of his drink, and turned to Camphor, “We just need to know how to sell this to the Major General.”

“Can’t we just be honest with him?” Arata inquired.

“Have you talked to him lately, Arata?” Vox asked, “He’s still pretty shaken up about everything that happened. The last thing we need is for him to think that more ponies are in danger.”

Although he didn’t like the idea of hiding things from his own team, Arata agreed that Penzance hadn’t been in the best state since Autumn Tail’s death.

“Camphor, what are your talents?” Vox asked.

“Hmmm let’s see,” Camphor paused, “I can make medicine from local plants.”

“That seems like something the E.W.E.F. could use- but why did you pause in the middle?” Vox asked hesitantly.

“Well my dad says that herbal medicine is useless,” Camphor frowned.

“That drink you gave me when my throat was burned seemed to work,” Arata assured him.

“Thanks man,” Camphor smiled, “If you guys are down to trust me I’ll be your herbal doctor.”

“I think it’s a good cover,” Blaze was jotting something down in his notebook, “You wouldn’t happen to have any books on herbal medicine would you?”

“Yeah, I’ve got a hooffull back home. I’ve got a few on local plants too. I can go get ‘em if it would be helpful.”

“Yeah, go get those and meet us at the camp. Then we’ll introduce you to Penzance.” Blaze watched as Camphor left the diner and headed home. “I don’t like this,” he said eyeing Arata. “If anything Camphor described about last night is true, we have a lot to worry about. I don’t like the idea of the lake calling ponies to it.”

“Yeah, that does seem to be what happened,” Arata sighed, “But nothing like this has happened before, why would this just start happening?”

“Maybe it’s because before this point we’ve been going in the lake willingly.” Blaze added.

“You think it can tell?” Arata considered this for a moment.

“I have no idea. We know so little about what is actually going on.” Blaze frowned.

“Actually,” Vox said, “I don’t think this is the first time the lake has done something like this. When Autumn Tail fell in I saw something grab her leg for an instant coming from the lake. I thought I was just seeing things in all of the panic.”

“What?” Arata gasped, “Why wouldn’t you tell us something like that?”

“Relax Arata,” Blaze stared at him for a moment, “That piece of information wouldn’t have changed how we’ve handled anything.”

“Wait so you knew too?” Arata asked.

“No, I didn’t, but it didn’t take me much thinking to come to that conclusion.” Blaze took another sip of his drink.

“But if the Lake does want ponies to fall into it, do you think it wants them to die?” Vox put her hooves against her head.

“There’s no way of knowing short of finding the Alicorn that granted Arata his wish.” Blaze gently put a leg around Vox to comfort her. “Arata, did you think about what else your wish could have been?”

“I have actually,” Arata took a deep breath, “Maybe getting a cutie mark was too specific of a wish, it could have just been to fit in with everypony else.”

Blaze considered this for a moment, “That seems possible.”

“I don’t know how it would relate to any of this though.” Vox added.

“Maybe there’s more information about this in Canterlot…” Blaze said. “I could make a trip out this weekend and see what I find.”

“I could probably make some more adjustments to the sensor grid too,” Vox signaled for the group to get up and head toward camp.

“I guess I can get Camphor accustomed to life around camp then,” Arata got up, and after the group paid they headed back to meet Camphor.

…

The team had just enough time when they got back to camp to inform Penzance that they may have found a new pony to join the E.W.E.F. Penzance was hesitant at first, saying that “he didn’t want to drag more ponies into the mess he created,” but with some prodding from Vox he seemed to become more open to the idea.

“This is Camphor,” Arata announced as he led his companion into the command tent.

“Heeeeyyyy, leeaaadeerrr maan,” He smiled.

“Hello, I have been told you wish to lend your skills to the E.W.E.F. Would you care to elaborate on what exactly it is that you do?” Penzance seemed harsh, as if he was trying to dissuade Camphor from joining.

“I can make medicine from local plants and fungi. It’s a pretty convenient alternative to expensive medicines you may not have out in the field.” Camphor handed Penzance one of the books from his saddlebag. “This one has a pretty good list of roots and leaves in it, and this one-” He reached into his bag once more. “Shows how to make medicines out of them. This is all just the basics you know? I’ve done a lot more experimentation and research of my own, that’s all in these journals.” He placed the final two books on the table and stepped back to the rest of the team.

Blaze’s and Vox’s jaws both dropped. ‘I had no idea he was actually competent,’ they simultaneously thought to each other.

Arata noticed their surprise, and glowing horns, and knew that they felt the same way he did. Although he had seen Camphor mixing medicines he didn’t expect it to be done in a scientific way. After hearing all of that it made Tonic’s distrust of his medicine seem much more out of place.

“These notes are quite impressive,” Penzance flipped through the journal for a few minutes. “Did you test all of this on yourself?”

“Yeaah, except for the oral pain relief tonic, I tested that one on Arata.” Camphor patiently waited for a response.

“Arata, can you vouch for his medical abilities?” Penzance asked.

“His medicine seemed to work on me.” Arata smiled to Camphor.

“Very well, welcome to the E.W.E.F. Camphor. I’d like it if you spent your time here continuing your research, I can have a small tent set up with your equipment. Also Vox, I’d like you to get him equipped as soon as possible.”

“Aww swood!” Camphor exclaimed extending a hoof to Penzance, “You won’t regret it leeaaderrr maaannn.”

Penzance shook his hoof and smiled. “Swood did you say?... Regardless I have important work to attend to if you’ll excuse me.”

The group exited the tent, and they all went to get Camphor his equipment. Arata noticed that Vox’s tent was neater than usual. Most of the equipment was cleaner as well, which was most likely due to Vox’s compulsive cleaning in the days after Autumn Tail’s death. Vox’s pistol was resting on a cleaning rag on her table, next to it were two rows of small cylinders, each one faintly glowing.

“Hey Vox,” Arata asked examining one of them, “What are these things?”

“Oh, you remember how the pistol fires compressed bolts of magic?” She levitated the gun and opened a small compartment by pulling the slide back. “These are like batteries, I charge them up with my magic, and then it’s slowly discharged when I fire. Each one is a different level if that makes sense.” She pointed to the row on the left, “Those disperse the magic into 20-30 shots, whereas these,” She lifted the two right most shells, “Fire all of it at once.”

“Woahhh, that sound super violent,” Camphor frowned over the device. “Why does anypony need one of these?”

“It’s mostly because I don’t like the idea of fighting off timberwolves up close.” Vox seemed to cringe a bit at the mention of timberwolves.

“I can make a mixture of local plants that should ward off timberwolves,” Camphor offered.

“It’s alright, I feel safer with this.” Vox set the gun down, “Now, let's get you geared up.” Vox moved between various boxes, and assembled a pile of equipment which she placed on the table. “Okay, let’s start off with the uniform.” Throwing Camphor an armband and a jacket she began. “The armband is the only real uniform we have. Most of us are in the habit of always wearing it, although its only required at camp and on missions. The coat is extra padding for if we ever have to go into the lake again.” Next she slid him a small booklet, and a radio. “Keep the radio on you at all times, we will call you if anypony goes near the lake. The book is the rules and regulations for the E.W.E.F.”

“Hey… I never got those,” Arata said. “Could I have a copy? I feel like it would make me more understanding.”

“Sure,” Vox pointed to the box where they were kept and continued with Camphor. “Here is a machete for personal defense-“

“Wwoooooaaaahhhhh, I’m not gonna take up a weapon.” Camphor literally put his hoof down at this suggestion.

“Then how do you expect to fight?” Vox asked. When Camphor had agreed to join the team everypony thought he knew that a weapon would be required.

“I feel like my persona is more healing oriented guys. I won’t fight, but I will make sure you guys can fight on.” Camphor smiled.

“That could be helpful,” Arata added, “I’ve been unconscious a fair amount in the lake.”

“Alright, that’s it for equipment then. Let’s hope you never need to use it.” Vox said. “Blaze, would you mind helping him get his tent set up?”

“Nope, I’ll even help him carry his equipment from Foalsdale.” Blaze led Camphor out of the tent.

Vox moved her gun off of the table and then turned to Arata. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” Arata pulled a chair out from the table and sat down.

Vox hesitated for a moment before prefacing her thoughts, “I don’t want you to think of this the wrong way okay?”

“What’s the matter?” Arata asked.

“Well, I’ve been thinking about Autumn Tail a fair amount and I realized something. That was the worst thing that could have happened.” Vox looked to Arata for some affirmation.

“I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying.”

“We couldn’t save her and she died, and that was the worst thing that could have happened. It’s kind of relieving. I’m not saying we should let anypony die ever again, that would be awful, and I still feel horrible that we couldn’t save her; but that’s as bad as it will get. We know the pain that we will face if we fail again, and that helps me.”

“Now that you mention it, it is kind of helpful. I hadn’t really looked at it like that,” Arata paused. “But I never want anypony to have to feel that kind of pain again.”

“Yeah, me either, and that’s why I’ll keep fighting. Even if we have no idea what we’re up against.” Vox smiled, and Arata could feel the bond between them becoming stronger.

…

Having finished with Vox, Camphor, and Blaze, Arata decided to head to the town library to do some research of his own. Although Blaze had thoroughly researched the lake, and to an extent the Alicorn, he hadn’t known anything of Igor or the Velvet Room. Arata had trusted Igor’s advice this whole time without knowing anything about him.

Arata arrived at the library and found that there was nopony inside. He had no idea what he should actually be looking for to start his research.

“Hello, may I help you?” a timid voice caught Arata’s attention. “Oh, I remember you. You were here with that mare a while ago.”

Arata was surprised that the librarian had remembered his brief visit with Caroline. “Yeah, I’m surprised you remembered that, it was such a short visit.”

“Oh, sorry, I hope you’re not offended. You didn’t do anything wrong, I just remember everypony who comes in. The town is pretty small so it isn’t very hard. I also remember what books they were looking for, like you wanted history. I hope they were helpful.” The mare blushed and lowered her head. Arata remembered her blue coat and blond hair, but not her violet eyes.

“They were. Thanks!” Arata smiled. “I don’t mean to be rude, but what was your name again?”

“Lexicon, or Lexi for short.” She paused for a moment looking a bit out of place in conversation. “Can I help you find something Mr..?”

“Just Arata, or I guess Arata Kun if you really want to be formal,” Arata had foregone most of the formality of Nippony, despite how tempting it was to refer to Blaze and Vox as his senpai.

“Is that what they would say in Nippony?” She asked excitedly. “I’ve read a lot about Nippony’s history from some old books, but I know almost nothing about its linguistic customs.”

“Yeah, it’s what you would call somepony your own age if they’re a stallion. You would use chan if they’re a mare, if they’re older its either san or senpai.” Arata paused again, “You’re the first pony who’s really asked me about Nippony.”

“I don’t get many chances to learn about other cultures first hoof, I hope you don’t mind,” She blushed again. “Arata kun.”

The two stood there silently for a moment before Lexi remembered why Arata was here. “Oh I’m sorry, what book are you looking for today?”

“It’s okay,” Arata smiled, “I’m not entirely sure. I need something that would have stories on the supernatural.”

“Hmm, I think I have one book like that. It is written for children though, so I’m not sure if it would help you at all.” She led him to a shelf and pulled out an old book.

“It will have to do for now. I’m not really looking for any specific piece of information,” Arata took the book and slid it into his saddle bag. “Do I need to check it out or anything?”

“Nope! Like I said I remember every pony that comes by.” She smiled.

“Right,” Arata chuckled as he walked to the exit, “Well thanks for the help! I’ll make sure to bring this back soon.”

“Take your time,” She paused again, “and if you ever want to talk about Nippony or anything please come by, Arata Kun!”

Arata could feel a faint bond forming between himself and the librarian. ‘Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the High Priestess Arcana,’ a faint voice called out in his mind.

…

Walking home Arata ran into Camphor, who was heading back from camp carrying the saddle bag full of equipment. He seemed tired, which made sense considering this was probably his fourth trip to and from camp today.

“Hey Camphor,” Arata waved.

“Sup…” Camphor panted for a moment, “Sup, little man.”

“Just heading back form the library. You seem exhausted.” Arata commented, trying his best to say everything in a playful manner.

“Yeah brah, I gotta give it to ya, you made this look super easy.” Camphor laughed and two casually talked until they reached the house.

Marigold was outside playing with Koromaru, and opened the front door for her brother. “Dad’s been looking for you Camphor. He doesn’t seem happy.”

“What’s wrong?” Arata asked a bit concerned.

“He doesn’t know I’m joining the E.W.E.F.” Camphor dully responded as he headed up to his room.

Arata decided it was probably best not to follow Camphor, and headed into the dining room. Tonic was sitting at the table reading a newspaper. He didn’t seem at all like Marigold had depicted him, although Arata couldn’t claim to know Tonic better than his own daughter.

“Oh Arata, you’re home,” Tonic set the paper aside and slid Arata a letter. The front was covered with stamps; Arata immediately recognized the name of his friend from Nippony, Hitorikko.

“Thanks, I’m surprised he actually wrote back to me. It’s been so long since I wrote that letter.” Arata slipped the letter into his saddle bag next to the book from the library.

“You’d better respond fast, not telling how long it will take for it to get back to him.” Tonic smiled. Camphor entered the room and sat down at the table with a book of his own. All three of the ponies waited stoically for the silence to be broken.

“Hello Camphor,” Tonic opened, “I didn’t see you at the Pharmacy today, is everything okay?”

“I joined the E.W.E.F.” Camphor stated. He didn’t make eye contact with anypony.

“Oh, why didn’t you talk to me about it first?” Tonic asked with the slightest hint of anger behind his words.

“Because I knew you wouldn’t be okay with me ‘pushing herbal junk’” Camphor kept his head down.

“I’m not upset at that,” Camphor looked up in surprise. “As long as you’re honest with them about what your medicine is, it’s between you and them, and I do trust you to be honest. My real problem with this is that now the pharmacy is under staffed. Your mother and I could really use the extra help, and Marigold is still too young for a lot of the work that needs to be done.”

Camphor was still shocked that Tonic wasn’t upset about the herbal medicine, so Arata decided to step in. “I’m the one who suggested he join the E.W.E.F. Would it help if both of us worked at the pharmacy on weekends?”

“It would. Thank you Arata,” Tonic responded getting up and walking over to Camphor.

He gave him a hug and said one final thing before going to meet Panacea in the next door. “Son, you’re at the age where you need to follow your talent, no matter what anypony says. I may not agree with your ideas on medicine, but I’m glad I’ve raised a son who’ll do what he thinks is right. I’m proud of you.”

Camphor smiled widely as his dad left, and turned to Arata as he started to tear up. “Feels good little man, feels good.” Camphor went up to his room, and Arata followed suit.

…

After dinner with the family, Arata settled down in his room to read the letter from Nippony. Arata’s first letter had been a brief description of the town and his job, leaving out the personas, he’d also talked about how kind everypony was despite his lack of a cutie mark.

‘Arata Senpai!

It’s so great to hear from you. Equestria sounds so much more fun than dull, old Nippony. Your family is doing well here, if you haven’t already heard from them.

I hate to comment so little on everything you wrote me, but I have a lot of questions to ask.

What was it like in Equestria when the sun didn’t rise? Over here there was panic. No pony had any idea what was going on, and even the government had problems reaching out to Equestria for any actual news. I know it’s only been a week since that happened, but we still don’t know what caused it. (Besides Celestia)

Have you gotten your cutie mark yet?! It takes a while for letters to get back and forth, and I can only imagine that you are now a bad-flank explorer.

And lastly (and most importantly) how are all of the mares. I’ve heard the girls here have nothing on the ones in Equestria.
Hope you stay in touch,
Hitorikko’

As he finished reading the letter a faint voice rang out in Arata’s mind, ‘Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Hermit Arcana.’

Arata spent a few hours writing a detailed description of what he had done when Nightmare Moon returned. He wasn’t sure if his friend would believe it or not, but it was the truth. He still decided not to mention anything about the lake or personas, although he felt like he had to talk about Autumn Tail’s death and the effect it had on the town. As for the girls in Equestria, Arata felt that a description of each one he met would have to suffice. He made sure to include Caroline, just for fun...

Chapter 16: The Very Model of a Modern Major General

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Arata was on his way to talk to Penzance, although he didn’t have anything specific to say to him, Arata was sure that there would be something on the Major General’s mind. Arata hadn’t spoken to him since he introduced Camphor.

Camphor seemed to be adapting to the new job more quickly than Arata had. He was also becoming very popular around camp; ponies appreciated his laid back and lethargic demeanor. On occasion he and Arata would venture into the swamps to gather plants that could be made into medicines. These trips had given them time to bond, and ever since his talk with Tonic, Camphor had seemed much more confident in his abilities.

While his bond with Camphor was growing stronger, Arata realized that he seemed to be in a rut with Penzance. The Major General seldom left his tent, leaving many of his duties as leader of the E.W.E.F. to Ivory Shield, whose E.U.P. guard training lent itself well to the position. Unlike Camphor she seemed to have difficulty fitting in, although everypony respected her positon, her style of life was still that of a guard instead of an explorer.

Most of her mornings began with intensive drills and exercise that most of the ponies around the main camp didn’t care to join in. Before he left for Canterlot, Blaze had convinced Arata to join in on one of these work outs; the two did surprisingly well, managing to impress Ivory Shield. According to Blaze Bullwhip and his team were the ponies who would have really loved this kind of routine, but they were all stationed in the southern swamps.

While Arata was making his way to the command tent he ran into Ivory Shield, Compass Rose, and Vox, who all were heading out of camp.

“Hey Arata,” Vox waved to him as they got closer to him, “You’ve met Compass Rose right?”

Compass Rose smiled at Arata as he walked over, “Yeah, we met in Canterlot... Well I guess it was on the way to Canterlot. Where are you three headed off too?”

“Blaze will still be in Canterlot this week, so I thought it would be fun to get the girls of the E.W.E.F. together! There are so few of us after all.” Arata was surprised that Ivory Shield would go along with something like this; although he couldn’t say he knew her well. “We’re heading into town to find something to do, but we’re most likely going to end up at the diner.”

“I wish Sunburst could be here, too bad she’s headed south.” Compass Rose added.

“Really? I thought she was staying here with the rest of the mapping team.” Arata said.

“Well that was the plan, but she got bored and wanted to do something. We ended up sending her on a supply run to the southern camp. Once she gets there she’ll join up with the smaller mapping team and get the last part of the area charted.” Compass Rose informed him.

“Oh, okay.” Arata had a nagging feeling that he needed to move on and talk to Penaznce, “I have to go talk to Penzance; I’ll see you three around!”

Arata entered the tent to find Penzance at his desk reading a book. As usual the tent was cluttered, but something about it seemed off. Usually the clutter felt somewhat organized with every pile representing a different task Penzance had to work on, now there was no organization to it, as if Penzance stopped trying.

“Hello Sir, may I come in?”

Penzance looked up for a moment, “Of course, what can I help you with Arata?” Penzance’s response seemed forced, but Arata took the invitation.

“I wanted to talk to you about…” Arata paused for a moment trying to find the right word, “you.”

“About me? Why what’s the matter?” Penzance set his book down.

“You haven’t really been yourself since Autumn Tail passed.” Arata tried to be as blunt as possible. After all he had been through here he had found that it was always Blaze’s strait forward talks that helped the most. “I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help.”

“That’s kind of you Arata, Vox offered the same thing, but there isn’t much to say.” Penzance glanced at Arata and let out a sigh, “But I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to indulge you. Where would you like to begin?”

“Why do you blame yourself for what happened? If anypony is responsible for what happened to her it’s me.” Arata asked.

“Because I cannot let that kind of burden fall on you, or anypony on this team,” Penzance calmly replied.

“But that’s just it Sir, the burden should fall on all of us, as a team.” Arata wasn’t sure if what he was saying would help but he trusted himself to just let the words flow. “Sure, this would be enough to break any one pony, but if it’s split up between, Blaze,
Vox, me, and you, it becomes something we can come to terms with.”

Penzance was silent for a long while before he responded. “Blaze is starting to rub off on you.” Penzance stood up and walked to a chest of his belongings. “What you said is the truth, and it is something that I haven’t wanted to accept. It has been my goal since I took command of the guard to ensure nopony had to know the pain that I have been through. Sometimes I feel I take that a bit too far.” Penzance pulled out an old journal and set it on the table. “This is the journal I kept in my younger days in the guard. What you said to me reminded me of a story I would like to share with you, although I will warn you, it isn’t for the faint of heart.”

“I think I’ll be able to handle it with all I’ve seen here.” Arata smiled. “What is it about?”

“How I got my cutie mark…”

…

The sun beat down on the ponies of the E.U.P. Guard’s fifth regiment. With each step they took, they could feel the sand shifting beneath their hooves, the hot air being pulled into their lungs, and the building fatigue in their muscles. The thirty ponies marching through the desert were but a fraction of the fifth, but the mix of new recruits and seasoned officers had been deemed suitable for the mission at hoof.

Recently the newly founded settlement of Dodge had seen civil unrest and small clashes between the native buffalo, and the settling ponies. The guard was dispatched to both protect the settlers and the town. Many of the officers resented the trudge through the nearly endless desert, all for a simple policing action. The younger stallions of the group had a different take on the mission; this was their chance to prove themselves.

After a six day march through the desert the weary guard stallions reached the town. There were only three or four buildings established so far, most of the settlers were still living in tents, or out of their wagons. Upon their arrival a camp was set up and ponies were posted on guard duty around the town. According to the mayor there hadn’t been much sign of the buffalo over the past few weeks, but the commanding officer, Colonel Mustang, had insisted that the guards’ presence should be clear.

The western edge of town was silent. Five ponies sat huddled around a fire. They all wore the beige desert uniform, in place of their armor, and tried their best to share two blankets. The hot day had quickly turned into a cold night.

“I didn’t expect to be cold on this mission,” one of the ponies mumbled.

“Did you read the briefing?” Another one asked.

“No, guess I earned this.” The first responded. “Thanks for the blanket Penzance. You sure you don’t want it?”

Penzance was standing a few hooves away from the others looking over the horizon to the west. “Yes, I’m fine. You can keep it for now.” He turned and returned to the rest of his team.

“Looks like blank-flank over here is nervous on his first command,” one of the ponies teased.

“That’s Sir Blank-flank to you,” Penzance smiled, “and no, I have no problems taking command. I have a problem with the lack of buffalo. The reports said that tensions had been growing, and a few fights had broken out. I doubt that they would have given up this quickly.”

“Eh, I prefer to leave that kind of thinking to Mustang,” the pony next to Penzance said. “We’re just on guard duty.”

“Izzy, it doesn’t hurt to go above and beyond the call of duty,” Penzance mocked his friend’s complaints.

“Yeah yeah, for Princess and country, I’ve heard your speeches before,” Izzy chuckled, “I don’t know who hit you with the patriotism branch but they did a good job.”

“Are we being relieved tonight?” Asked another pony.

“No, were the only shift until dawn, Dum Dum,” Penzance responded.

“Are you really calling me that?” Dum Dum asked frowning slightly.

“Hey, you earned it back in basic. You were the one who earned us the most pushups,” Izzy responded.

“Penzance, I don’t know how you managed to get through all of basic without any nickname…” the third pony around the fire added. Under the dim light of the fire his pink faces stood out against the darkness.

“Get over it Pinky,” the pony next to him laughed.

“Oh, like you’re one to talk Rebel. Dum Dum and I got the worst names in the group,” Pinkie lightly punched Rebel in the shoulder and turned to the last pony. “I guess you got it pretty bad too Junior.”

“I honestly don’t know why anypony calls me that…” he sighed.

“And you never will,” Penzance smiled. “Now, that’s enough sitting around. We’re supposed to be patrolling. We’ll take turns in pairs. Junior, you and I will go first. Grab your spear.”

Penzance and Junior walked out into the desert in silence. Penzance kept his eyes forward constantly scanning the surroundings. Junior on the other hoof was practically falling asleep, still tired from the hike into town.

The land around Dodge was flat except for several mesas that popped up in the distance.

“Junior, look at the first Mesa on the right,” Penzance whispered.

“What I don’t see anything,” He yawned.

“Look closer; there are puffs of smoke rising from it. They’re too spaced out to draw attention to it.” The two watched closely for a few minutes and sure enough two puffs of smoke rose from the mesa.

“Look at the other mesas there’s some smoke coming from them too. Do you think they’re readying an attack?” Junior replied.

“No, I doubt it. Things seemed to have settled down recently.” Penzance considered what to do with this information, “Still this is worth passing on to mustang.

The next morning Penzance’s team took their shift to rest, he was on his way to speak to the colonel about his findings. Mustang had set up command in the small building serving as a town hall. Penzance entered to find that Mustang was alone with some documents that Penzance assumed the locals had given him.

“Sir, Lieutenant Penzance reporting,” Penzance snapped to a salute and waited for the colonel’s response.

“At ease Lieutenant, what brings you here today?” Mustang was a unicorn, with a light brown coat, and blue eyes. His most striking feature was his mane, which shifted from red to orange and back seamlessly.

“I have found, what I believe to be, our missing buffalo,” Penzance approached the colonel and produced a map. “These four mesas are where I believe they are hiding. Last night on patrol we saw smoke signals rising from each of them.”

“I was already aware of their location Penzance,” Mustang said dismissing Penzance.

“Oh, my apologies Sir, it was not listed in any of the briefs,” Penzance began to dismiss himself, but was stopped by Mustang.

“A few if the locals followed the buffalo as they were heading out of dodge. The mayor gave me the report when we got here. However I am not allowed to do anything about this. The orders are clear; this is only a defensive mission, no violence unless it’s unavoidable.”

“So we do nothing then, Sir?” Penzance asked.

“Penzance, close the door.” Penzance did as his superior ordered. “Officially I can do nothing unless they attack first, and there is no guarantee that will happen. I’ve seen how you preform Penzance, I have no doubts that you are eager for commendation. This could be your chance to earn it.”

“Sir?” Penzance asked, slightly uncomfortable with the tone his commander was taking.

“We take control of one of their camps; send a smoke signal to the others ordering an attack. The buffalo don’t stand a chance against the E.U.P. guard regardless of experience. We win, the threat on Dodge is eliminated, commendations all around.” Mustang paused, “However for this to work, I will need a small, but competent, team of ponies to covertly attack one of the mesas. You wouldn’t happen to be interested in such a task, would you?”

“That would be… illegal, Sir…” Penzance took a deep breath, “I cannot imagine the Princess’ reaction to such an action would be favorable.”

“Penzance, in time you will learn that the Princess’ decisions are not always what is best for Equestria.” Mustang stared deeply into Penzance’s eyes, “Sometimes she can be very focused on the ideals of harmony, and I can’t blame her, it has gotten Equestria through many times of strife, but this isn’t one of those times. If we don’t act now the Buffalo will always be a threat to the ponies settling these parts. As much as Celestia likes to believe that everything can live together in harmony, it isn’t true.”

Penzance felt as if everything he believed in had just been fractured. On one hoof Celestia had never led Equestria astray, on the other he had no idea if actions like this were more common than he would like to believe. If he didn’t act with Mustang than the lives of future settlers would be at risk, if he did than he could be a criminal for the rest of his life for betraying the morals of Equestria.

“What do you say Penzance?” Mustang asked.

“I…. I will help you. I can’t take the chance that ponies may be in danger,” Penzance sighed. The idea that one action like this could possibly save hundreds of lives was enough to drive him to act.

“And your team?” added Mustang.

“They will follow me. I know each one of them believes in protecting Princess and Country as much as I do,” Penzance assured him.

“Good, you will make your assault on the southern mesa tonight. Dismissed Penzance,” Mustang turned his back and Penzance left to inform his men of the choice he had just made.

…

Penzance made his way back to his stallions and once they were all awake asked if anyone had any objections.

“I understand that what I am asking will be unethical for some of you, and I will not force any of you to follow me.” Penzance somberly addressed the five members of his team. Pinkie and Dum Dum seemed eager to take action against the buffalo; the other three were less willing.

“Do we really need to kill them?” Izzy asked. “It just doesn’t seem like the way Equestria should act.”

“I believe this is the best option we have, and you are correct it is not the Equestrian way. That is why it will be kept a secret, between the six of us and Mustang.” Penzance stood up and walked away from the group. “I have some business to attend to before the operation. If you choose to join me please meet at the same point as last night, if not I shall see you tomorrow morning.”

…

Penzance was waiting around the camp fire after relieving the previous guard for the night. As he stood alone in the desert he began to question his choice. Even if the ponies on his team refused to join him now, they would inevitably be forced to fight when the buffalo attacked dodge. The situation was rapidly getting out of hoof. Penzance assured himself time and time again that this was the right choice, and soon enough he would see if his men agreed.

Shortly after, all five of his team mates joined him at the fire.

“Before we start this,” Rebel began, “I’m only doing this because I trust your judgment, not Mustang’s, not Celestia’s. Got it?”

“Yes,” Penzance acknowledged, “and thank you. I was beginning to doubt myself.”

“For better or worse we’re with you to the end sir Blank-flank,” Izzy smiled.

“And you Junior?” Penzance asked.

“There isn’t anything to say that hasn’t already been said. I’m with you,” Junior nodded.

The five headed out in silence each one worried about what they were about to do and began to realize that there was no turning back.

When they arrived at the target they found two guards standing at a small ramp leading up the mesa. There was a considerable amount of noise coming from the top, from what Penzance could tell the voices were mostly male.

“This is it,” Penzance whispered readying his spear, “Do I have a volunteer to go with me?”

“I’ll go,” Pinkie whispered readying his in kind.

“Let’s loop around and see if we can catch them off guard,” Penaznce and Pinkie moved away from the rest of the group.

There was enough grass cover to allow the pair to sneak up behind the guards. Penzance dearly hoped he was ready for what had to be done next. Penzance felt fear and doubt starting to cripple him, he knew if he didn’t act now he would be unable to.

Without a warning he lunged forward, dispatching the first buffalo with his spear. The second buffalo turned to witness his partner fall. Penzance drew his spear and noticed Pinkie frozen in place, without a second thought Penzance leapt for the second buffalo, quickly dispatching it.

The rest of the team silently joined Penzance, who cleaned off the tip of his spear and let out a deep breath. His hooves were beginning to tremble and nothing he did could stop it.

“Sir, your flank…” Izzy pointed out as he approached.

Penzance turned to examine his flank. “So this is my talent…”

…

“I will spare you the details of what happened next. We completed the mission, the buffalo attacked, and they were put down.” Penzance frowned and examined his hoof that was beginning to shake.

“That’s… horrible…” Arata gasped.

“Yes, it took the combined strength of my team to overcome the pain we all felt.” Penzance looked at Arata, “That is what you reminded me of.”

“Did Mustang’s plan work?” Arata asked with a hint of anger, “There’s no way Celestia would be okay with this, or reward you for it.”

“You’re right, she didn’t approve. After the events that transpired the team and I agreed that we needed to confess what we did to Celestia. When we approached Mustang about this he refused. Needless to say, we did inform her without Mustang’s blessing.”

“What did she do? I can’t imagine her making you guard captain after doing something like that.” Arata followed.

“She was surprisingly understanding, but nowhere near pleased, she felt that given the situation we were doing what we thought was best to protect Equestria.” Penzance sighed, and put the journal away. “Because of this she decided we would have a more lenient punishment. My team and I were sent north past Vanhoover to explore and map the region. That assignment was what gave me the inspiration for the E.W.E.F. The time in the frozen north also gave me and my team a chance to reflect on what we had done. It gave me the strength that I needed to truly take command, and work my way up to captain of the guard.”

Arata felt that his bond with Penzance had grown significantly stronger.

“What happened to Mustang?” Arata asked.

“He was court martialed for his actions. We do not know what happened to him after that,” Penzance paused. “You should go Arata. I know I must have given you a lot to think about.” Penzance signaled for Arata to leave before returning to his work.

Chapter 17: The Hierophant

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Arata was headed off to the diner to meet up with Blaze, Vox, and Camphor. Blaze had just returned from Canterlot and the team was eager to hear what he found. Arata was the first to arrive and he made sure to get a table just out of earshot of everypony else.

“Can I get ya anythin’ darlin’?” The waitress asked after Arata was seated.

“A little glass of water please,” Arata smiled.

“Sure thing, hun’” The waitress quickly brought Arata some water and left him alone.

The recent changes with the lake had been increasingly hard to get out of Arata’s mind. He had found some solace in knowing that he couldn’t make any progress until Blaze had returned, but now the moment was upon him.

The thought that the lake could, in some way, be acting on its own, was hard to believe. If it were true then it would mean more danger to everypony in Foaldsale. The story of Penzance’s cutie mark came to Arata’s mind. Just what was he willing to do to protect everypony? What could be done? If this lake was the work of some ancient magic, could the team even have a chance at stopping it? And worst of all, was everything that was happening all part of his wish? Although, despite all of this Arata knew that he wasn’t alone. With each passing day he closer to each one of his friends, and he knew that they would be there for him.

Camphor was the next pony to arrive. He had taken the day off to help Tonic and Panacea with the pharmacy.

“Heeyy Arata,” He drawled taking a seat. “How was your day at camp?”

“Not bad. I’ve been helping Vox with the sensor grid. It looks like we got most of the fine tuning done, so if anypony goes near it, we’ll know.” Arata took a sip form his glass as the waitress came up to take Camphor’s order.

“Anything for you Camphor?” The waitress knew most ponies from Foalsdale by name, but she hadn’t seen any of the E.W.E.F. ponies enough to learn theirs.

“Tea please,” Camphor quickly turned his attention back to Arata. “That’s good to hear. I’ve beeeen pretty worried about everything that’s going on.”

“Hopefully any information Blaze has will help us put this to an end,” Arata sighed.

“I hope so man,” Camphor yawned loudly, “This has been pretty gnarly.”

Not long after Camphor’s arrival Blaze and Vox arrived. To Arata’s surprise Blaze was empty hooved. He had expected him to be carrying at least some notes from Canterlot. Blaze and Vox joined Arata and Camphor. Blaze wasted no time with pleasantries, diving strait into his finding in Canterlot.

“There wasn’t anything remotely helpful in Canterlot,” Blaze hung his head, “I found one book, just one, that mentions a similar legend to the one I already have and that was a picture book for kids. Don’t think I discounted it because it was for kids either, I read it cover to cover at least six times, but it was of no use at all.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Vox said patting Blaze on the back, “We are explorers after all. It makes sense that we’re discovering things.”

“I just wish our discovery wasn’t a danger to everypony around us,” Arata grumbled. “So what now?”

“Well the way I see it we have the same two choices we always have. We can either try and send somepony else into the lake and get more answers, or we can wait and hope that this is the end of it.” Blaze sighed.

“I don’t like either of those options. I wish there was some way we could fight this,” Vox added.

“Braah you can’t fight water.” Camphor stated.

“… I know that, I meant the magic thing that’s inside it.” Vox replied.

Arata who had been considering Blazes options broke his silence, “As much as I hate to say it I think waiting is the best option. I don’t want to risk sending anypony else in there. We have no idea what it really is, and if it’s starting to act on its own it could be more dangerous than before.”

“Heeey,” Camphor interjected, “Have any of you three been to a doctor since you started going in there? What if it’s like slowly harming you.”

“All three of us went to get our ‘timberwolf wounds’ examined. According to the doctor we were all fine. The cuts even seemed to heal faster than expected.” Blaze answered. “I looked into that a bit while I was in Canterlot but I couldn’t find anything on it. Considering that whenever we leave the lake we are normally healed of all our wounds I wouldn’t be surprised if that had something to do with it.”

“It’s not like we can test out any theories we have on the lake either,” Vox added, “To do that we would actually need to harm other ponies.”

Camphor relaxed back into his seat, “I gotttchaaa. This whole thing just kinda makes you feel helpless.”

Arata was reminded of his trip to Canterlot and the feeling everypony had as they were stuck in an unending night. “I know what you mean Camphor, it’s the same feeling from when Nightmare Moon returned. Except I doubt the ponies who used the Elements of Harmony were as confused about their mission as we are.”

The group sat silently, each pony trying to deal with their own anxiety and frustration about the situation. Blaze seemed to be lost in thought, no doubt trying to logically work his way through the situation. Vox was sullen, feeling the full weight of their situation and her helplessness. Camphor was the most relaxed, sitting with eyes closed breathing deeply through his nose.

Arata rested his elbow on the table and his chin against his hoof instead of thinking about what to do next he let his mind drift to the past, remembering the fears that he had first had coming to Foalsdale. Not so long ago being a blankflank was his biggest worry, but now that all seemed so trivial. In a way he almost missed the days when all he had to worry about was what other ponies thought of him; now he had the lives of other ponies on his hooves and a death on his conscious.

“Ohhhh, I almost forgot to mention thiiis,” Camphor said breaking the silence, “When I mentioned to my mom that I was meeting up with you guys today she said I should invite you for dinner with us tonight.”

“Really?” Asked Vox, “That sounds like a nice change of pace.”

“Yeeaaah, you two should come.” Camphor smiled.

“What do you think Blaze?” Vox asked.

“I don’t see why not, as long as you’ll be able to track the lake from there.” Blaze asked to be safe.

“My radio will chime if anypony trips one of the sensors. We should be fine.” Vox responded.

“Righteous!” Camphor exclaimed. “I’ve got to go back and help around the pharmacy. Come by around seven.”

“Okay. What are you going to be doing until then Arata?” Vox asked.

“I have a few errands I need to run. I’ll probably be back around seven too.” He answered.

The team finished eating and then went their separate ways.

…

Arata had decided to visit Summer Breeze after eating lunch. He made his way to the flower shop and entered to find her sitting at the counter.

“Hello Arata,” she called as he came into view. “I didn’t expect to see you today.”

“I had some time off of work so I thought I would come by,” he smiled.

“Thank you, I wish more ponies were as thoughtful as you are,” She responded. “Sorry to jump strait to serious topics, but have you ever wondered where Autumn Tail’s father was?”

“Not really, I didn’t think it was my place to question that.” He truthfully answered.

“Well he left a while ago, just after Autumn Tail was born actually, he moved out west to Las Pegasus, leaving Autumn Tail and I here.” She hung her head slightly and her voice softened as she spoke. “I sent him a letter about her death, even though he wasn’t there for any of her life I thought he should know. I just got the response back from him.”

“What did he say?” Arata asked.

“‘That he’s sorry, but we were never his family.’ He’s just as heartless as the day he left.” Summer Breeze began to tear up. “This whole thing was my fault,” she shouted as she started to cry.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Arata tried to comfort her although he didn’t really know what to say, his understanding was not high enough.

“Everypony told me not to marry that stallion, but I didn’t listen. I just kept thinking that he could change and that I should stay loyal to him. Even after we were married he kept being cold to me, I thought maybe having a child would be enough to finally pull us together and make us a family, but then he just left.” She continued to sob as she recounted her past.

Arata was silent, unsure of what he could say to calm her down.

“Ever since he left all I wanted to do was give my daughter a good life, but I’ll never even know if I was able to do tha-,”

“At least you were there for her. You didn’t give up on your family.” Arata interrupted. “Don’t doubt yourself because of him.”

She took a deep breath and slowly wiped some of the tears from her eyes. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I thought I had all of these feelings under control but hearing back from him just let them out again.”

“I understand how you feel,” Arata said. “I can’t imagine any of this being easy on you.”

“Thank you. You’re pretty good at knowing what to say to a pony,” She smiled through her pained face. “I’ll let you go now. Hopefully we can talk without me breaking down like this some time.”

…

That evening the E.W.E.F. team had assembled outside the pharmacy and were in high spirits about the coming dinner.

“I haven’t eaten a home cooked meal in ages,” Vox said excitedly. Camphor had insisted that the team wait outside until he had set the table.

“Camphor told me that Tonic and Panacea were both cooking tonight so I’m sure it’s going to be great!” Arata exclaimed.

Camphor opened the front door before Vox had a chance to respond. “Come on in guyyyyssss.”

Blaze, Vox, and Arata made their way to the dining room where Marigold and Koromaru were waiting. Marigold was sitting with the dog in the corner, as the team approached his ears perked up and he let out a bark.

“Hi Arata and Vox!” Marigold stood up to greet her guests. She paused when she saw Blaze, “I’m sorry, I don’t remember you name mister… But you look fancy!” Blaze, as always, was wearing a buttoned shirt and bow tie.

“It’s Blaze, and thank you,” He smiled in return.

“Welcome everypony,” Panacea entered the room and set a covered plate down on the table, “Blaze, Vox, it’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you from Camphor and Arata. My name is Panacea. Please make your selves at home.”

Blaze and Vox sat down at the table followed by Arata and Camphor. Marigold shortly followed after leading Koromaru to another room.
Tonic and Panacea shuttled five more large plates onto the table and joined the group.

“Well everypony, dig in!” Panacea lifted the lid off of the first plate to reveal a giant salad, which looked like it contained everything from the farmers market.

“Woaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, you guys cooked allllooooottttttt,” Camphor gasped.

“And it all looks so good,” Vox added. “Thank you so much for inviting us.”

“Oh it was no problem at all,” Panacea responded. “I hate to bring it up, but I’m sure the ponies around haven’t been the most hospitable to the E.W.E.F. lately.”

“It’s gotten much better since the incident,” Vox and most ponies around Foalsdale were having a much easier time talking about Autumn Tail’s death; Tonic still seemed bitter about the incident although he was wasn’t showing it as much as he used to. “To be honest I don’t think anypony remembers that Arata, Blaze, and I were even involved. They mostly seem upset at Penzance.”

“That’s a shame, it must be so hard for him to deal with all of that,” Panacea spoke as if from experience. “Do you know if he has anypony he can talk to about all of this?”

“I don’t like to tell everypony this, but I am his adopted daughter,” Vox replied. “I try to help him where I can, but he likes to keep these kinds of issues to himself.”

“It’s good he has family here then.” Panacea paused for a moment, “What do you and Blaze do for the E.W.E.F.”

“I’m the quartermaster. I basically catalogue and distribute the equipment. Actually I’ve been by the pharmacy a few times with Camphor to pick up medicine for the group. I’m surprised I haven’t seen you there.” Vox smiled.

“I’m usually preparing the medicines in the back, that’s really what my talent is.” Panacea turned to Blaze. “And what about you? Arata’s told me that you’re his partner but not much about what you do.”

“Officially I’m an anthropologist and researcher. My job is mostly researching anything that we find during our expeditions and I also collect information from the locals about the area.” Blaze took a drink and continued. “Lately, I’ve had to do more exploration than anthropology. Arata can attest to that.”

“Yeah ever since day one it’s pretty much been all exploration,” Arata chuckled.

“It doesn’t sound like you three have gotten much of a break,” Tonic interjected. “Have you considered taking a vacation? I’m sure it will make things easier for all of you.”

“I’d love to,” Vox sighed, “But there’s just so much to do.”

“You know Summer Wrap Up is just a few weeks away, and that means the start of Cider Season is almost here!” Marigold shouted.

“You guys should go to one of the orchards by Baltimare and get some cider!”

“I’ve never had cider before…” Arata said to himself.

“Really?” Blaze asked, “Well then, I might just have to convince Penzance to let us go.”

“Wow…” Arata gasped, “That’s really high praise coming from Blaze. This cider must be pretty good.”

“You have no idea kid.” Blaze smiled.

“I don’t know. We have a lot of responsibility around camp,” Vox cautioned the rest of the team.

“I’m sure you can afford to miss one day of work for a little fun. Plus what kind of leader would turn down a chance for team bonding?” Tonic joked.

“Aaaaalllllllllriiiiggghht!” Camphor exclaimed, “Team bonddddiinnngg triiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip.”

“You’ll have fun. I promise,” Tonic smiled.

The team continued their meal with the Poultices, discussing the Summer Wrap Up festivities that were sure to happen in Foalsdale and what their cider trip would include. After dinner, Blaze and Vox went back to camp with the promise that they would discuss the possibility of a trip the next day. Vox was adamant that being away for even one day could be putting everypony in danger, but she agreed to keep an open mind.

…

The next morning the team gathered in Vox’s tent do discuss the possibility of leaving camp for a day.

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea. What if somepony falls into the lake while were gone?” Vox insisted.

“We should talk to Penzance about this,” Blaze followed, “I’m sure that Penzance can stop a pony from falling into a lake, especially if they’re just sleepwalking. I think Tonic has a point. We are on edge constantly, a break wouldn’t hurt.”

“You’re just saying that for the cider.” Vox grumbled.

“I don’t know how I feel about this either,” Arata added, “half of me really wants to go, but the other half doesn’t want to risk the safety of anypony else.”

“I’m wittttthhhh Blaaaazzeeee Maaaaaannnnn,” Camphor, who hadn’t seemed to be paying attention, added. “I think we shouullld let Pennnzannncee decide.”

“I guess that’s fine with me,” Arata responded.

“Okay, let’s just not be too impulsive.” Vox concluded heading out of the tent.

…

The team entered Penzance’s tent to find him reading at his desk. Arata recognized the book as his journal from his days in the guard.
“Hello everypony,” Penzance greeted the team, “How may I help you?”

The team stood silently for a moment not sure which of them would start the conversation. With a nudge from Vox, Blaze stepped forward and started to pitch the idea.

“Sir, the four of us would like to take a few days off.” Blaze seemed to rush through the sentence. This was something that he had never done before. “Cider season is coming up and-”

“And you would like to take some time to go to the orchards...” Penzance paused. “…But you don’t want to leave the lake unattended. Am I correct?”

“Yes, Sir.” Blaze answered.

“I think it’s a splendid idea. In fact I have been thinking about sending you on leave for some time now. I’ve come to realize something recently, you are all young. No matter how mature each one of you acts and how much responsibility has been thrust upon you, you still have a lot of time left to grow. It’s easy for me to forget all of that…” Penzance trailed off for a moment staring at his journal. “Please take a break for a few days, you are all young ponies, you have no time to lose. Go and live while you still have the chance.”

“But what about the lake?” Vox asked.

“I think I will be able to handle a sleep walking pony or two.” Penzance assured her. “Go on now, and don’t feel guilty; everypony has to take care of them self now and then.”

The team stood in silence for a moment, each one taking in Penzance’s words. As mature as each member had become since this ordeal had started, they still had a long way to go before they were experienced as Penzance.

“Oh, and if it is okay with you I would like Compass Rose and Ivory Shield to come with you. They certainly haven’t had the same stresses that you have, but I think it will be nice for them to spend some time away from the E.W.E.F.” Penzance added.

“Of course,” Blaze answered, “And sir. Thank you.”

The rest of the team nodded in appreciation with Blaze and they turned to exit the tent.

“Oh, Arata, would you mind staying here for a few minutes I have something I’d like to discuss with you.” Penzance called. The team sans Arata left the tent and Penzance began to speak. “I wanted to thank you for listening to me the other day. What I shared with you was one of my darkest memories from the guard, but it was because of that that I went through my old journal. I was reminded of all the good time that I shared with my team; I felt that you, Vox, Blaze, and even Camphor deserved the chance to make memories and forge bonds with each other.”

Penzance walked over to his storage chest, pulled out a small gold coin and set it in front of Arata. “I want you to have this. It was the bit I was given when I first joined the EUP guard. Please take it and remember the mistakes I have made, I hope that you will be able to learn from them.” As Arata took the coin Penzance smiled gently.

Arata felt a voice calling to him from the distance. ‘Thou art I… And I am thou… Thou hast established a genuine bond… These Genuine bonds… shall light the path that lies before you. We bestow upon thee the ability to create Kohryu, the ultimate form of the Hierophant Arcana…’

“I promise I will sir.” Arata smiled.

“Excellent. Now go, your friends are waiting for you.” Penzance patted Arata on the shoulder before he left the tent and returned to his journal.

Chapter 18: The Fall

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It was the morning of the Summer Wrap-up and Foalsdale was abuzz with ponies getting ready for the fall and those enjoying the last few hours of summer. By the afternoon, everypony in Foalsdale, and most of the E.W.E.F, would be pitching to change the seasons.

While Arata had helped to change the seasons in Nippony, they had always had unicorns to change them with magic. Besides Blaze and Vox, Foalsdale had no unicorns, in fact there were only two pegasi in responsible for maintaining the weather. It had only rained twice since Arata arrived in Foalsdale. He was told this was because organizing rain was much more difficult than cloud bursting, however during the fall and winter months the pegasi had to work almost nonstop to keep up with the weather schedule.

Due to Foalsdale’s start as a logging town there was never a need for large amounts of rain. Since the logging industry died down more and more ponies were growing concerned with their inability to grow crops. The mayor had set up several programs to attract more pegasus ponies but so far they had been ineffective. The E.W.E.F’s presence had proved very valuable for weather control. While the mapping teams were on breaks they would lend a hoof with the weather. Recently ponies had started to produce enough carrots and celery to make a profit.

Unlike with winter wrap-up, summer wrap-up mostly involved rounding up animals and helping them prepare for fall and later hibernation. After all of the preparations for the falls were complete the town always threw a festival, this year they hoped it would go better than the Summer Sun Celebration.

Arata and most of the E.W.E.F. were sent to the edges of the Hayseed swamps to start preparing the animals. Arata was put on a team with Vox to distribute food for the animals so they could store energy for hibernation.

“Vox, I still don’t entirely understand what we’re supposed to be doing.” Arata said as the group made their way to the edge of the swamps
.

Each pony was carrying a saddle bag full or carrots, potatoes, and celery. “We just distribute these to the animals that we find. It’s pretty simple.” Vox answered.

“But aren’t they wild animals? They aren’t anypony’s pet so why wouldn’t they just run away?” Arata added.

“I don’t know. They just don’t. You can ask Blaze about it when he’s done setting up the festival grounds tonight.” Vox answered as they walked further into the swamps. Vox seemed to be getting more and more uncomfortable with every step she took toward the swamps.

“Are you okay Vox? You seem a bit on edge.” Arata asked.

“Oh, right. I forgot you haven’t actually seen me in the swamps for extended periods of time.” Vox explained. “I’m really bad around bugs. I can’t stand them.”

“You mean things like spiders and stuff?” Arata asked.

“No, any kind of bug. Even things like that blue butterfly over there,” Vox pointed off to the right. “They look cute, but they have no concept of personal space. I hate it.”

While Vox finished her thought Arata looked in the direction she was pointing, after a few seconds of scanning Arata spotted the butterfly resting on a branch almost too far away to see. “I can’t believe you saw that from here.” He said. “But missed that spider on your back.”

Vox’s horn lit up. “Nice try, but I can read your mind.” She mocked.

“I thought you said you wouldn’t do that again to me?” Arata said.

“You’re the one making up spiders here. Not me.” She continued to walk seeming a little upset.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize how much it bothered you,” Arata apologized. “Is there a reason you’re so afraid of them?”

“I hate things being on me. It’s just the feeling that I can’t control something as basic as that,” She replied.

“Oh, I guess that makes sense.” Arata replied.

“Most ponies don’t get it so I don’t blame you. Just never tell me there’s a spider on my back again unless there really is, okay?”

“Got it,” Arata spotted a rabbit off to the side of the trail. “Hey look! Let’s try to feed it.”

“Go for it,” Vox said levitating him carrot. “Honestly I’ve never tried to do this without magic, so you’re gonna have to wing it.”

Arata closely walked towards the rabbit and extended the carrot in his hoof. The rabbit stopped and walked closer to Arata. Hesitantly it got close enough to grab the carrot and ran off into the bushes.

“Hey it worked!” Arata smiled. “This shouldn’t be too hard after all.” As Arata finished his sentence a small family of rabbits leapt out from the bushes onto Arata’s saddle bag. “Oh Celestia!”

Vox began to laugh uncontrollably at the scene unfolding in front of her.

“Could you help me?!” Arata shouted trying to buck five rabbits off of his back.

Vox continued to laugh but her horn lit up and the rabbits were slowly lifted off of Arata.

“Well I guess that’s one way to feed them.” Arata sighed.

Vox finished her laughing fit, “You’ve got that right. Also that was funny enough to make up for the spider thing.”

“Hey can I ask you a question?” Arata asked.

“Is it bug related?” Vox teased.

“No.” Arata answered.

“Then go ahead,” Vox smiled.

“Why is Blaze so excited about this cider trip?” Arata went on, “I’ve never seen him like this.”

“Well….” Vox stopped to consider her words. “He has what I would call an ‘addictive personality’. You’ve seen it with things like his pipe. Since cider is seasonal he only has a short window to get his fill so he tends to over indulge.” Vox sighed. “I’m not a fan of him smoking or hitting the cider, but he is fairly responsible with all of it, he stays in control. It’s really one of the things I admire about him, his constant control.”

“That makes sense,” Arata added, “I guess I’ll see how good the cider really is soon enough.

Arata felt that he had become significantly closer to Vox recently, and that he was finally starting to understand the Empress Arcana.

Vox and Arata finished distributing the rest of the food to the animals without incident. Then they returned back to the town just in time for the start of the festival.

…

The town was alive with ponies singing, dancing, playing games, and going to other stalls that ponies from around the town had set up. Arata, Blaze, Camphor, Vox, and Compass Rose had decided to attend the fair as a group.

“So where do you guys want to go?” Asked Arata.

“I was going to go dancing with Vox,” Blaze replied putting his hoof around Vox’s shoulder.

“Iiiiiii saaaw a tarrroott caarrd reeeaading booth ovveeerr theereeee,” Camphor pointed.

“That sounds like fun!” Compass Rose chimed in.

“Yeah, let’s check it out!” Arata joined in.

Arata was the first pony into the booth. There was a sheet hanging around the booth and it resembled a tent. Inside was a waiting area with two chairs and small dividing wall. A pony came around the small wall to great the visitor.

“Oh! Arata kun!” Lexi smiled, “Did you come to get your fortune told?”

Camphor and Compass Rose entered the tent as well.

“Yeah! All three of us want to!” Arata said excitedly. The spirit of the festival was visible in every pony and Arata was no exception.

“Arata kun why don’t you come back first then I can give your friends their readings,” She smiled walking back behind the wall.

“I had no idea you were into things like this,” Arata smiled.

“I’ve read a lot about this kind of thing. I’ve never really had chance to test it out on anypony before. Do you know anything about the cards?” She asked.

“Just a little, I wouldn’t say I’m an expert.” Arata answered. ‘if only she knew about Igor and Caroline’ he thought to himself.

“Let’s start with a simple three card spread. The first card will tell us about your past, it’s a good way to make sure the reading is accurate, the second shows us the present, and the third shows us the future.”

Lexi began to shuffle the cards; she took enough time to ensure that they were well mixed before she began. She quickly placed three cards face down and began the reading. She flipped the card over to reveal a pony carrying a bag followed by a dog, the card was marked with the number zero.

“The fool arcana, let’s see. This usually represents the start of a journey, freedom, inexperience, or creativity. Does that sound accurate to you?” Lexi asked.

Arata was surprised that the first card to come up matched the arcana of his first persona, as well as what had Igor had told him in the velvet room. “Yeah, that is pretty accurate.” He tried to hide most of his surprise, but didn’t have enough expression.

“You looked pretty shocked. Guess it must have been a pretty good card, let’s move on,” Lexi flipped the second card over to reveal a mare wearing elaborate robes and a large hat. The card was marked with the numeral II. “The high priestess, hmmmm this means that your present is full of mystery. It could also mean that there is some kind of interference from higher powers if you believe in that kind of thing. “

Arata hid is surprise much better this time around. This was all too accurate for him to believe. Now the cards were predicting the Alicorn in the lake and the uncertainty that he and the rest of the E.W.E.F. team felt. “That seems a bit farfetched,” he bluffed. “I don’t really see that much mystery in my life.”

“Then let’s flip the final card and see what you future holds.” She flipped over the card to reveal a tower being struck by lightning with the numeral XVI written on the bottom. “Oh dear…” She trailed off.

“What does that mean?” Arata asked hesitantly.

“The tower represents disaster, or a sudden change. It always has a negative connotation.” She quickly swept up the cards, “This was only my first time doing a reading like this. Why don’t we try again?” She smiled.

Lexi shuffled the cards again and again until she was sure that they would get a more accurate result. She placed three more cards face down and began again. “Okay. So first we have…. Fool… followed by priestess and…. Tower… that’s statistically improbable… I’ll give it one more try.” She shuffled the deck again and placed down three more cards. “Fool, priestess, tower… again. I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you.” She smiled. “It’s just a game. It’s not like these actually tell the future.”

Arata was fairly uncomfortable at this point “Yeah, I doubt there is anything significant about the reading. Should I send in another pony?”

“Yeah,” she replied. “Let’s try Camphor.”

Arata walked out of the room and gestured for Camphor to head into the back. He sat down next to Compass Rose who could tell he was a bit fazed.

“Hey, did your reading go okay?” she asked, “I mean I know it’s all made up but hearing that things will go a way you don’t want them to can upset any pony.”

“Yeah, it just got me thinking about the future, and how little I know about it.” Arata answered.

“Well don’t let it get you too down!” Compass Rose smiled, “We’ve still got the rest of the festival to enjoy before the fall!”

“Yeah,” he smiled. “You’re right. I can deal with the future when it gets here, for now I just need to have fun.”

They both paused as they heard a shout from the other room.

“That’s not even possible!” Lexi shouted walking Camphor out of the room.

“What happened?” Arata asked.

“He got lovers for all three.” Lexi responded.

“Why is that bad?” Arata asked.

“Because there was only one in my deck….” She hung her head and walked into the back room. “I don’t think fortune telling is right for me. Thank you for coming by though.”

Compass Rose was a bit sad that her fortune was never told but she followed Arata and Camphor out of the booth.

“So where do you two want to go next?” Compass Rose asked.

“Iiii vooote we fiinnd soomee food, I got wicked munchies,” Camphor looked around for anypony selling food, and sure enough there was a stand selling pies four stalls down. “Awwwsooommmee they have piiieeeee.” Camphor darted off leaving Arata and Compass Rose alone.

“Do you want to join him?” Arata asked.

“It’s a bit early for pie. Want to go find something else to do? I’m sure Camphor will catch up,” Compass Rose’s teal eyes met Arata’s. Usually she was floating a few hooves off the ground so no pony really made eye contact with her.

“Sure, what do you think we should do? This is my first time at a summer wrap-up in Equestria.” Arata liked the idea of dancing, but didn’t have enough courage to ask Compass Rose if she would like to.

“Let’s try the seven legged race! That should be starting in a few minute.” Compass Rose grabbed Arata’s hoof and pulled him off towards the direction of the race.

“Are you sure I’ll be able to keep up with you?” Arata knew he could if they were running, but he had seldom seen Compass Rose with her hooves on the ground.

“You trained with Ivory right? I’m sure you’ll do fine.” She continued to drag him until they were at the starting line.

There were ten pairs of ponies assembled; among them were Tonic and Panacea, Ivory Shield and Penzance, a pair which Arata hadn’t expected to see, and several other ponies from the town. After registry Arata and Compass Rose were given their place and waited patiently for the race to start.

“Okay here’s the plan. When you hear ‘go’ run as fast as you can. Got it?” She asked.

“Yeah, I got it.” Arata smiled at her not knowing if she was serious or not.

The race announcer and judge walked in front of the lineup and began to address them. “All right everypony! This race will take you all around the festival grounds, which ever pair makes it back first is the winner! Now I normally don’t have to say it, but for the two pegasi, no flying allowed. Now who’s ready to run?!” The group cheered loudly along with several ponies lined up to watch. “All right. On your marks!” Arata could feel Compass Rose getting ready to bolt, “Get set!” Arata lowered himself to the ground and tensed his legs, “GO!!”

Arata and Compass Rose darted off on the command leaving most of the group in the dust. Tonic and Panacea were doing surprisingly well, keeping around fourth place, while Ivory Shield and Penzance were surprisingly just behind Arata and Compass Rose.

The race worked its way past the dance floor where Blaze and Vox had stopped dancing to cheer on the runners. Arata and Compass Rose still maintained a strong lead, with Penzance appearing to get tired.

The race continued on with the two functioning surprisingly well tied together. They made their way around the grounds until the finish came into view.

Seemingly out of nowhere Ivory Shield and Penzance caught up with them and made a strong push to beat Arata and Compass Rose. Arata had run too far to lose now. He could feel himself burning up inside and Taliesin’s presence driving him to run faster and faster. Now he was dragging Compass Rose toward the end, and before he knew it they had won the race.

“We have our winners!! And in record time too!” The announcer shouted followed by cheers from the town.

“I didn’t think you were that fast,” Compass Rose said gasping for breath.

“I didn’t either,” Arata smiled.

“Here’s your reward!” The announcer walked over and handed the duo a fresh pie.

“Well done you two,” Ivory Shield clapped as she approached. “I knew you were good but I didn’t expect that.”

“I agree that was quite impressive,” Penzance added.

“Thank you,” Arata chuckled, “I guess I didn’t realize how much stronger I’ve gotten in Equestria.”

“We’ll leave you two to your reward,” Penzance said excusing himself and Ivory Shield.

…

Arata and Compass Rose met up with Camphor and shared their pie with him, before heading to find Blaze and Vox. It was the end of Arata’s first summer in Equestria, and he was ready for whatever the fall would bring. He hoped that it would be the end of the lake, and endangering everypony.

No matter how hard he tried to put aside the thought, the fortune that Lexi had given him still worried Arata. Two of the three parts were more accurate than he cared to admit, and the third predicted upheaval, or disaster.

What kind of disaster could be in his future? There had to be something Arata could do to stop it. Even if Arata didn’t have the strength to stop it alone, his team could. Maybe it was time to pay Igor another visit.

Arata tried to put these thoughts aside as he spent more time with his team and Compass Rose. In the final hours before the fall Arata, Blaze, Compass Rose, Vox, and Camphor, joined in with everypony in town and danced all night….

Chapter 19: Broken Compass

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“Arata!” The radio next to his bed hissed. It was the night of Summer Wrap-up and everypony had gone home exhausted form a night of partying and celebration. “Arata, wake up!”

Arata slowly cracked his eyes and picked up the radio, too tired to realize what was going on. “I’m awake, what’s going on,” he groaned.

“Some pony’s fallen into the lake!” as Arata began to wake up he realized the voice coming over the radio was that of Blaze not Vox.

“Bl- Blaze, what happened to Vox?” He asked leaping out of bed and gathering his supplies.

“She already headed to the lake after waking me up. Grab Camphor and run over as fast as you can,” The static of the radio clicked off and Arata tried his best to quietly reach Camphor.

He quietly crossed the hall and opened Camphor’s door, to his surprise Camphor was already awake pouring a green liquid into a set of small glass globes.

“Somepony’s in the lake. We need to go,” Arata whispered.

Camphor nodded sliding the globes into the saddlebag on the floor next to him. “Rigiiiht-ohhh,” as he exited the room he blew out his lantern.

The pair quietly exited the house and then broke out into a gallop towards the lake.

Not a word was spoken until the lake came into view. Through the first crack in the trees Arata could see Vox and Blaze waiting by the edge, both prepared to enter.

“There they are,” Arata panted to Camphor breaking the silence.

The clearing was bathed in the soft moonlight, and the surface of the lake danced and glittered despite being perfectly still.

“I didn’t make it in time,” Vox sighed. “We need to hurry.”

Not stopping to catch his breath Arata leapt forward into the lake.

Taking a second to react Camphor leapt in next, followed by Vox and Blaze.

Arata landed on his hooves and scanned the area. Sure enough there was an open door, this time the frame was made of a cloud. The fog that usually filled the area seemed more dense than usual. When Arata turned around to face the Velvet Room door, only a faint outline was visible.

Camphor landed with a loud thud and picked himself up.

“Wooaahh, you, like, can’t see a thing in here,” Camphor was looking in the direction of the Velvet Room and this only furthered Arata’s belief that he was the only one who could see it.

Blaze and Vox soon joined Arata and Camphor both landing safely.

“Ready?” Arata asked, taking a deep breath.

“Yeah,” Vox answered.

“Of course,” followed Blaze.

“Riiight onn,” Camphor nodded.

“Then let’s go save who ever’s in there!” Arata ran through the door prepared to face whatever was on the other side.

Once he had stepped through Arata felt the familiar feeling of air pushing against him. He quickly realized that the door had dropped him somewhere in the air, and him along with the rest of the team would be hitting the ground shortly.

“Taliesin!” Arata shouted for his Persona which heeded his call, quickly grabbing him, and the rest of his team from the air and placing them safely in a clearing.

The area they were in resembled the Hayseed swamps, except it seemed much denser. Mangled trees surrounded the team as well as thick, thorn covered vines. The ground was covered in dark green water reaching up to Arata’s knees, with some bugs floating on the surface.

“Thank Celestia Personas can fly,” Vox let out a sigh of relief as her horn lit up. “I can’t tell if there’s any pony near us. There are a lot of minds in the way.”

“What do you mean ‘Lots of minds’” Blaze asked brushing a spider off of his shoulder.

“I mean that there are a lot of other things here. I can’t tell if they’re Shadows or not.” She responded carefully eyeing the water for any bugs that may be near her.

The ground under the team started to tremble. At first it was sot and no pony noticed, but as their conversation continued it grew increasingly violent.

“An earth quake!” Arata shouted. Around them the trees began to shift position moving in every direction. Everpony darted in different directions moving out of the way of the trees until suddenly the moving and trembling stopped.

“Everypony okay?” Shouted Blaze.

“I’m fine,” Arata shouted. From the sound of it Blaze wasn’t far off.

“Me too,” Vox answered, Making her way through the new clusters of trees to find Blaze and Arata.

“Onodrim!” Although Camphor’s call was faint but the rest of the team caught it and ran to find him.

As the three worked their way through the twisted trees they heard the sounds of fighting. Breaking through the tree line they found Camphor engaged in combat with five Shadows. Three were floating orbs with grotesque tongues, and the other two resembled tanks and were unleashing a torrent of flames at Camphor. As the flames cleared Camphor stood with visible bruises and scars but he appeared to be in no pain at all; around him was a faint golden glow was being projected by his Persona which blended in with the surrounding trees.

The tanks let out another blast and Camphor called out to his Persona again, “Sukakaja!” Instead of the golden aura Camphor glowed green and effortless dodged the attacks that were shot at him.

Finally coming into range Blaze, Vox, and Arata let out their Personas and began to attack the Shadows. Morgana flew toward the three orbs that were circling around Camphor, simultaneously freezing all three with a blast of ice.

Taliesin traced a rune with his quill and a blast of wind burst out from one of the tanks knocking it over. Man at Arms galloped into the second tank striking it with his lance, although the target seemed to resist the attack.

The tank let out another attack at Camphor, this time he was struck by the fire, but his Persona quickly followed surrounding him with another golden aura instantly healing his wounds.

While the three orbs were frozen Vox wasted no time drawing her pistol and shattering each one with a well-placed shot.

Taliesin traced another rune into the air as a larger blast of wind erupted and destroyed the tank.

Blaze held his attack, instead Man at Arms held up its lance increasing the strength of every pony around him.

Taliesin let out one more burst of wind flipping the final tank over.

“Arata, lets hit this one as a team!” Blaze shouted.

“Right!” Arata answered.

The trio charged in, and unleashed everything they had on the final Shadow. Camphor who stayed out of the melee, used his Persona to further increase the speed of everypony else. Within seconds the Shadow was defeated and the team regrouped.

“Thanks for the back up guuuyyss,” Camphor smiled dipping his mane into the water around his knees to rinse it off.

“I’m glad we got here in time. It looked like you were having a tough time fighting those Shadows off.” Arata dismissed Taliesin as he spoke.

“Oh no man, I wasn’t fighting them at all. See I don’t really like violence, but Onodrim can heal me faster than they can hurt me.” Camphor replied looking to his perosna.

“Just make sure you don’t get too separated from us next time okay?” Vox added.

“Yeaahhhh mann.” Camphor smiled at Vox and dismissed his Persona.

“Can you get a sense of where they are now Vox?” Arata asked. Looking around the swamp they were standing in.

“No, there are still minds everywhere,” Vox turned and walked towards the trees. “I think the trees are Shadows too. They don’t have as strong of a presence but it’s the only thing that can explain the sheer amount of minds that are around us.”

“I guess we should test out that theory then,” A card appeared in front of Arata, “Cerberus!” A large three headed dog appeared before Arata and shot a bust of flames into the tree line.

The trees resisted the fire and nothing happened.

“Well that idea’s out.” Arata sighed dismissing his Persona. “We need to hurry and find out who’s in here. They could die any second if we don’t act fast enough.”

“Well for now we know their alive. We would have been kicked out of the lake if they weren’t.” Blaze said. “As long as we’re still here we still have a chance to save them.”

“Well then which way should we head?” Arata asked. “There’s no telling how big this place really is.”

Blaze stopped to consider the options they had. “I think we should split up.”

“What? Vox was caught off guard by his suggestion. “You can’t be serious, what if we get attacked by Shadows again?”

“One of us will go with Camphor the other will go with Arata.” Blaze responded. “Arata can use multiple Personas and it seems like the list gets bigger every time we come in here, I’m sure that he has one with healing potential. It may not be as strong as Camphor’s but we can make do with it.”

“No,” Arata interjected, “Our strength comes from us working as a team, if we split up there’s no telling if we’ll be able to face what we find. Especially if we find whoever is in here. And besides I’m not even sure If I have a Persona with healing abilities.”

“Right, every Shadow we’ve fought so far that’s been tied to somepony, except Camphor’s, has taken everything we had to keep it at bay. And if Arata isn’t sure that he can heal its safer not to split up.” Vox added.

“Arata, hoooow do you summon different Personas?” Camphor asked.

“Sometimes when I’m in a situation where I need to do something I can’t, I’ll hear a voice calling to me, and when I answer the call it’s a new Persona.” Arata tried his best to explain the phenomena that he mostly experienced subconsciously. “I don’t really know if I can just summon a healing Persona until I need it in combat.”

Blaze stopped to consider the situation once more. “I guess you’re right. We should stick together. Vox, which direction has the most minds?”

“That way,” She said pointing north.

“Then let’s head that way.” Blaze concluded.

Arata Camphor and Vox agreed and the team trudged north through the swamp. Other than changing patterns in the trees that surrounded them there was almost nothing to distinguish the part of the swamp they were in from the rest of it. With every step the team took the fatigue each member felt grew stronger and stronger. The surge of adrenaline they experienced from the first attack had faded, and now the lack of sleep was catching up to them.

“How long do you think we’ve been in here?” Arata yawned, while he took in the scenery. The sky above them had turned black and stars were sometimes visible through the dense canopy.

“It feels like hours, honestly I’ve never stopped to consider how time passes while we’re in the lake.” Vox sighed.

“I’m not sure either,” Blaze admitted.

“Loookksss like we may need to come upppp with a stoorryy about where we were if aaannyy ponnyy asks.” Camphor said.

“Sadly we’ve gotten pretty good at that,” Arata replied. “We can worry about it when we’re out of here.” The group kept walking not giving up on finding the trapped pony.

After three miles of hiking the earth began to tremble again. Just as before the trees shifted position again. This time the team was ready and managed to keep together through the shifts. Immediately after the shift Shadows crawled out of the trees and began to attack the team.

Arata and Blaze were able to finish off most of the Shadows quickly with Voxs dispatching the four that were able to slip past them. The team could feel Camphor’s magic at work, all of their reaction times were heightened and dodging became effortless. The team regrouped after the fight dismissing their Personas.

“Everypony alright?” Arata asked.

“Yeah those Shadows didn’t even touch us.” Vox said excitedly, followed by a deep yawn. The sun had long since set and it and the fatigue everypony felt was impossible to ignore. “But I’m not sure how much further I can walk tonight.”

“Yeeeaahhh mannn mee tooo. I’mmmm wippppeeeddd,” Camphor sat down in the mire and dropped his pack. The knee high water was unpleasant for every pony and walking was becoming increasingly difficult.

“We can’t just sleep in this water,” Blaze added.

“Well, what a bout in the trees?” Arata asked.

“That could work if we can get up there,” Blaze looked up into the canopy and found a suitable bunch of branches. “There” he pointed “That should work.”

“Talisein!” Arata’s Persona appeared and lifted each of the team into trees.

“We should be woken up by the tremors or shifting trees if there is anything to worry about.” Blaze said finding a safe spot to lie down. “I think whoever is in here may be on the move. It’s the only reason I can think of for the shifting trees.”

“What do you mean?” Arata asked.

“I’m assuming that there is a reason the trees shift when they do. It doesn’t seem to be related to what we are doing so I have to assume that it’s tied to whoever else is in here. It also explains why they aren’t constantly shifting around us. Assuming the pony is moving the shifts must be either leading or following them.” Blaze concluded.

“If that’s right than we need to pay more attention next time the trees move.” Arata added.

“Right, but we might as well rest until that happens,” Blaze closed his eyes and went to sleep. It appeared that Camphor and Vox had already fallen asleep during the brief conversation.

Arata propped himself against the trunk of the tree and closed his eyes.

…

“Hello Arata, it has been some time since we last spoke.” Igor’s familiar greeting was a bit of a surprise for Arata, albeit a welcome one. “I see that you have established a genuine bond with Penzance. This is no small feat and I congratulate you for it. May I see the coin he gave you?”

Arata reached for the coin pouch that he was now wearing and removed Penzance’s bit.

“It may not seem the case, but this coin contains immense power. Using that I can help you to fuse the most powerful Persona of the Hierophant Arcana, Kohryu.”

A tarot spread appeared before Igor and with the swipe oh his hand they combined into one card.

“I hope this power proves helpful with the task that lies ahead.”

…

Arata was abruptly woken as the earth began to shake again. The sun was just starting to rise and the bits of sky that were visible through the canopy had a soft orange glow. Arata noticed something flying by high overhead in his brief glimpse up.

“Blaze you were right,” He shouted over the rumble, “Somepony is flying above us!”

“Arata, your Persona is the best at carrying ponies, go after them quickly!” Blaze shouted as he used his Persona to descend down to the ground, “We’ll fight off the Shadows down here.”

Wasting no time Arata called for Taliesin and jumped into his Persona’s arms, and flew towards the pegasus.

“Hey! Stop flying! I’m here to help you!” Arata shouted as he closed in to the pony.

The pony ignored his calls and continued to fly on. As he got closer he could make out Compass Rose’s familiar form. She appeared to be frantically scribbling onto a piece of paper secured to her neck.

“Compass Rose! It’s Arata stop flying!” She appeared to ignore his call again. Finally being in range to act Taliesin thrust out his free had and halted the dazed pony.

Compass Rose screamed, dropping her quill. She frantically shook her head before turning to Arata. “I can’t finish my map..” She whispered too quietly for Arata to hear.

“Wha-” Arata began.

“I can’t finish my map!” she shouted her eyes widening, under her disheveled mane, her eyes were bloodshot and had formed heavy bags. Arata shifted his gaze to the ground below and watched as the forest below constantly shifted and changed. “It needs to be perfect! But it can’t be!” She screamed slamming her hooves into Taliesin.

Arata ordered his Persona to lower them to the ground, and Taliesin obeyed the order. Once they landed Compass Rose attempted to take to the sky once more, but Arata managed to grab hold and keep her down.

Arata put his hooves on her shoulders and stared into deadened gaze, “Compass Rose, none of this is real. You need to get a grip of yourself!”

“A-arata,” Compass Rose blinked rapidly and began to take in her environment, and the water that she was sitting in, “Where am I?”

“I don’t know. We’ve been here for more than a day now,” Arata replied. Through the dull noise of the bog Arata could hear a call in the distance. “I hear the others, we might not need to walk after all.”

“Thank Celestia you found her,” Vox exclaimed as she slipped through the trees. “Are you okay Rose?”

“I think so,” While she answered Blaze and Camphor joined.

“What happened to you?” Vox asked.

“I was trying to make a map but it-” She stopped mid-sentence and her eyes widened. “It- it- kept changing. It knew what it was trying to make, but it kept changing…”

“Compass Rose!” Blaze shouted as she trialed off. Before he could take any further action the ground began to shake more violently than it had before, and trees slowly melted into the stagnant water.

“What in harmony…” Vox gasped.

“No, no, no, it keeps changing…” Compass Roses muttered to herself.

Arata felt something moving around his hooves and looked down to see the black ooze the trees had become slithering past him. The trees surrounding them were quickly disappearing, and what had started as a dense bog was turning into a bare pool of water.

Just in front of the team the slime was beginning to reform piece by piece it gained mass as more of the forest converged into it. The creature was jet black. Moss and vines clung to its skin giving it a dark green shade to mask its true color. As it grew two legs and hulking arms formed each one resembling a tree trunk wrapped in vines. Slowly a face tore its way from the creatures chest but instead of staying in place it began to warp and twist around the creatures body, never ceasing its movement.

The fully formed creature was easily the size of a full grown dragon and the bog was completely void of trees.

“Blaze! see if you can snap her out of this,” Arata commanded, “Vox and I will try to keep this thing back with magic!”

“Right,” Blaze quickly picked up Compass Rose, who was muttering to herself and shivering, with his unicorn magic and moved away from the creature as fast as he could.

Meanwhile Arata and Vox wasted no time summoning their Personas and letting out a torrent of ice and wind at the creature. All the Shadow had to do was raise its arm to negate the attack.

Before calling for his Persona Camphor tossed Arata one of the vials that he had made. Arata caught it and, without question, drank what was inside. Arata felt his spirit being restored and with that his Persona’s attacks became more powerful.

“Nothing seems to be working,” Vox sighed after their next volley of attacks.

“We can probably let out one or two more attacks before it gets to us!” Arata shouted dismissing Taliesin and switching to Hua Po. Vox took this time to clear her mind for the next attack.

Camphor focused his Persona’s efforts on increasing their speed hoping that it would allow them to find a weakness in their enemy.

The Shadows lumbering steps shook the ground as it moved closer and closer to the team. Morgana conjured a titanic ice block around the Shadows legs, but with no effort it broke free. Hua Po shot out several torrents of fire that still bounced off of the Shadows surface.

“I hope Blaze is having more luck than we are,” Arata readied his machete, he didn’t expect to use it, but it never hurt to be prepared.

“Me too,” Vox drew her pistol in turn.

“Guuuyysss, maybe we should move out of its path….” Camphor added starting to run to the right, Arata and Vox followed still trying in vain to damage the Shadow.

…

“Compass Rose!” Blaze could see the Shadow getting closer with every word he spoke, “There isn’t time for this. I need you to get ahold of yourself. You’re the only one who can beat that thing!”

She stared at the approaching Shadow was briefly transfixed on its shifting face. Seeing this Blaze decided to try something different.

“I’m going to apologize in advance for this,” he said as his horn lit up. Blaze reached out with his mind and attempted to talk to Compass Rose telepathically.

Compass Rose’s thoughts were cluttered even to Blaze’s unskilled telepathy. Besides her own thoughts there was another presence in her mind. Blaze attempted to push further into her thoughts and make contact with her. He finally reached her conscious thoughts and could feel a faint reply from Compass Rose. Blaze started to feel the malevolent force in her mind shifting towards his thoughts. Using what little Vox had taught him he fought off the incursion and reached out one final time to pull Compass Roses thoughts to the forefront of her mind.

Compass Rose screamed snapping to full alertness, “Wh—what happened to me…. Blaze? Where am I?”

“You’re safe now, try to breathe,” Be comforted her, it appeared whatever had been in her mind was expelled.

“What happened to me?” She asked standing on her feet.

“You fell into the lake that we’ve been exploring; there’s more to it, but I can’t explain all of that now.” Blaze responded. “All that matters right now, is that that thing is coming for us and you are the only pony who can beat it.”

“Celestia, what is it?” She asked in horror.

“It is your doubt, fear, and despair.” Blaze turned, summoned his Persona, and walked to join Arata and Vox in the fight.

“Wait! Blaze!” she shouted. “Damn it to the moon! What was that supposed to mean.” She sank back into the water and watched in the distance as the team tried to tackle the Shadow.

‘Its face,’ she thought, ‘it’s always changing…. Just like the trees.’ The memories of the past day slowly returned to Compass Rose. ‘No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t finish my map, it was never perfect. Blaze was right, that was my fear… I never have known how to find a balance in things.’

“Well” She was speaking out loud now, “Looks like it’s time to face my fear.”

A card appeared in front of her and shattered.

“Lady in Waiting!”

…

The team kept throwing everything they had at the Shadow, but nothing was hurting it. Thanks to Camphor they were able to keep fighting no matter how many times they were hit or how tired they became.

“Why did you just leave her there?” Vox shouted between blasts of ice.

“Because,” Blaze grunted as his Persona was hit by one of the arms, “She needs to deal with this on her own.”

“You’re attacks won’t work,” Compass Rose called out, her voice somehow amplified.

Everypony disengaged and looked into the sky. Compass Rose was floating in a glass bubble that was being carried by a giant raven.

“I can find its weakness,” She announced. The raven let out a loud caw, and a visor appeared in front of Compass Rose’s eyes.

A faint glow surrounded the Shadow, and slowly it faded except for one small patch on its chest.

“Focus your attacks there,” Rose advised. “And please try to relax.”

The team felt their energy charging and they began to unleash a torrent of potent attacks. The Shadow immediately recoiled in pain and a hole opened up in its chest.

“I’ve got this!” Arata shouted dismissing Taliesin and sprinting towards the Shadow. A card appeared in front of him and leaping forward he shattered it with a punch.

“Kohryu!”

A golden dragon emerged from the card following Arata’s fist and barreled toward the Shadow. The Persona weaved its way through the hole in the Shadows chest and wrapped itself around the Shadow. As it tightened the air began to smell of ozone and a blast of lightning engulfed the Persona and the Shadow.

As the blinding light of the flash cleared, Arata’s Persona had vanished and the Shadow had collapsed onto its back.

“Now’s your chance!” Compass Rose shouted, “Let me share my power with you.”

Arata took the cue and rushed in at the Shadow.

“Let’s hit it with everything we’ve got!” Vox shouted running in.

“Right!” Blaze shouted following the lead.

“Righteouussssssss,” Although he didn’t join the melee camphor shared his power with the group as well.

Every strike that the trio made cleaved into the Shadow, this was the most powerful they had ever been, and each one could feel it.

After mere moments the Shadow was completely destroyed and it bubbled into black tar and turned into a door.

Compass Rose landed and joined the team.

“See, I told you she’d come through,” Blaze smiled.

“You guys ready to go?” Asked Arata.

“Yeah,” Compass Rose sighed, “I don’t know how much more of this I can handle.” She walked to the door and pushed it open and stepped through.

…

Arata was the last one to surface, Compass Rose, Camphor, and Vox had already pulled themselves onto the shore and Blaze was still swimming over. By the look of the sky it was early morning, although it was still unclear how long the team had been inside the lake.

Once the team had gathered on the shore Blaze began the debriefing.

“Before I answer all of the questions I’m sure you have I need to ask you a few things, okay?” Blaze walked over to his saddlebag that was still sitting on the shore and retrieved a quill and paper.

Compass Rose nodded and sat down, “What would you like to know?”

“What drew you to the lake? Do you remember?” Blaze opened the notepad and prepared to write.

“It’s all a bit hazy. I had just gotten back to camp from the festival, and I was sleeping I think. Then, I’m not sure if it was a dream or not, a pony made of mist came to me and it led me here…. The next thing I remember is Blaze waking me up before we fought that thing.”

“Noted, thank you. Vox, Arata, Camphor, I think I’m starting to see the patterns here. Camphor fell into the lake about a month after Autumn Tail, and Compass Rose fell in a month after that. I think it’s safe at this point to assume we have a month until somepony else falls in.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Arata agreed. “Hey that means we can take that trip after all” Arata half-heartedly smiled.

Now, we can answer any questions you have before we head back.” Blaze assured her.

“What just happened to me and what was that about Autumn Tail?” She asked bluntly.

Arata and Blaze took turns explaining the lake, their past experiences, and what little they knew up to this point. They also explained Persona’s and the true power that Compass Rose had just unlocked.

Compass Rose was shocked by both the Autumn Tail incident and the cover up that followed. Between Arata and Vox most of her concerns were put to rest, and they emphasized the importance of the mission at hoof.

“So Rose,” Vox took the stage after Arata and Blaze finished. “Are you going to help us save any pony that falls in there?”

“I can’t say that I agree with every choice you’ve made this far, but if my power can help save somepony then I’m in.”

Arata felt that his bond with the Fool Arcana had increased as the team gained a new member and more experience.

Chapter 20: Cider, Cider, Cider, Cider.

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“Arata, Camphor, hurry up. The taxi we scheduled will be here soon, and Compass Rose and Ivory Shield will be here any minute!” Blaze ordered as Arata and Camphor carried two suitcases down from their rooms.

Following Blaze’s idea that the lake was only active once a month, Penzance had decided that it would be best for team to leave the following Friday and return late Sunday. He also gave his assurance that he could handle what ever happened while they were gone. What had originally been a short day trip to an apple orchard had now become a cider tasting tour in the town of Cider Grove.

Arata dropped his bag just outside the front door. “You know you’re 45minutes early, right?”

“You can NEVER be too early for cider.” Blaze snapped.

“Relax big guy,” Vox teased, “We’ve got the whole weekend for cider and relaxation.”

“Yeeeaaahhhh guuuyyyssss it should be soooo swooood,” Camphor had the smallest bag of the group, which he gently placed next to Arata’s.

“What does swood even mean?” Arata asked, although it didn’t appear he was going to get an answer.

“Sorry to keep you guys waiting!” Compass Rose called as she flew over with her bag shortly followed by Ivory Shield. Seeing Ivory Shield without her armor was a rare sight, even when she took brief trips into Foalsdale she wore her guard armor, and she seemed noticeably uncomfortable without it. Although, while adorned in her armor she appeared to be a standard issue member of the E.U.P. Guard, without it her features became vibrant. Her amethyst eyes and matching striped mane were framed by her white coat. Unlike most ponies would guess, she had a fairly long mane which she managed to keep in her helmet.

“It’s okay,” Vox chuckled, “We’re 45minutes early for the taxi. Blaze got a little excited.”

Ivory Shield sighed and stood in a slightly relaxed position, “Well, what do you plan to do until then? There is some work I can go take care of back at camp.”

“Naaa laadddyyymaaaan, you shoullddd just chill hereee. We are going on vacation noowww,” Camphor smiled producing a flower to hand to Ivory Shield.

She reluctantly took the flower and discretely gave it to Compass Rose, “Fine, but never call me ‘laadddyyymaaaan,’ again.” Everypony laughed at her rendition of Camphor, which served to break some of the tension. Although they had all spent time with Ivory Shield it was always formal, only Vox and Compass Rose knew what she was like personally. Seeing that she was able to joke around put Arata and Blaze at ease. Camphor, who was always at ease, remained the same.

“Do you guys want to go eat something?” Arata asked, “We have more than enough time and it will take a few hours to get there once we leave.”

“Sure, that sounds like a good idea,” Vox agreed.

Camphor placed his bag in the house’s entry and invited everypony to do the same. “We can moovee our stuff in here.”

After putting their bags away the group went to the local bakery and grabbed a lite meal. They arrived back at Camphor’s house just as the taxi arrived and wasted no time loading their bags. Although the journey to Cider Grove was mundane it gave Arata a chance to take in the scenery outside of the swamps and Foaldsale. With the change to autumn, towns had already begun the running of the leaves, something that Foalsdale had yet to do, and each town they passed was either alive with the yellows and reds of the season or bare showing the slow shift to winter.

The ride also gave Blaze a chance to explain the history of this town. Apparently, it was one of his favorite places in Equestria. He explained that it was originally a small town that consisted of a few shops which supplied six surrounding orchards. Over time the orchards turned into some of the largest cider brewers in Equestria, and the town turned into a thriving tourist hub for cider enthusiasts. Each one of the orchards offered their own unique take on cider and fought for the spot as best brewery.

When the group arrived at the inn, it was only noon and Blaze informed them that he had scheduled cider tastings and tours at each one of the breweries. The tours started in two hours and everypony had a little downtime before they got started.

The inn itself was the nicest hotel Arata had stayed at. It sat on the outskirts of town, and although the design and decorations were quaint, it had a dignified ambiance. The wooden floors and paneling were somewhat weathered, but this only added to the atmosphere. Each room could comfortably fit four ponies, although the group was splitting into groups of 3, colts and fillies. The receptionist had also informed them that they had recently added an artificial hot spring outside for everypony to use.

Arata, Blaze, and Camphor split off to go to their room, which was on the second floor, while Compass Rose, Vox, and Ivory Shield went to theirs on the first. When the colts reached the room, they quickly dropped their bags and looked at the beds. The room had two full size beds along with two comfortable chairs.

“Oh, there are only two beds,” Arata commented although neither Blaze nor Camphor seemed bothered by this. “Is one of us going to sleep on the floor? Or the chairs?”

Camphor turned to him looking a bit more confused than usual, “Naaahh man, we can just share a bed. I meeaan I think it’s only fair that Blaze gets his own for planning this whole thing.”

“Thank you Camphor,” Blaze sat down in one of the chairs and stretched himself out. “Is that okay with you Arata?”

Arata felt embarrassed but didn’t bother to hide it, “Yes, I just haven’t shared a bed with anypony before. That’s all.”

Blaze began to laugh “We slept in a tree together didn’t we? Don’t worry about it.”

“I guess you’re right,” Arata chuckled hopping into one of the bed. “How long do we have until the tour?”

Camphor yawned sitting down next to Arata, “Liiiiiiiike 45 minutes.”

“We should go meet up with the girls soon,” Blaze said getting out of the chair and heading to the door.

Meanwhile Vox, Compass Rose, and Ivory Shield had settled into their room and had begun to unpack. Compass Rose had been sharing some of her anxieties about the trip with the two other ponies. “To be honest I don’t actually care for cider all that much,” she explained, “It’s alright from time to time, but I don’t really know what I’m going to do for a full three days here.”

“I’m pretty sure that after Blaze is done here I’ll have a stable supply of cider for the next few months,” Vox laughed, “If you want to do something not cider related, I’d be more than happy to join you. I’m sure we’ll have a relaxing weekend either way.”

“Thanks, it’s good to know I have friends like you,” Compass Rose turned to Ivory Shield, “What about you Ivory? I don’t really know your thoughts on cider.”

“I haven’t actually had cider for ‘taste’ in ages. Most of the time when I drink it’s with the stallions in the guard and they try to make a contest out of it. Needless to say I won the contest every time.” She smirked.

“Oh, Blaze is going to have a field day with you,” Vox said checking the time, “I feel a bit bad for Arata, he said he’s never had cider before and I have a feeling he’s going to see more of it than he would like to.”

“Well then, he can hang out with us tomorrow,” As Compass Rose finished her sentence there was a knock on the door.

Vox was the first one to it and greeted Blaze, Arata, and Camphor.

“You guys ready for the tours?” Blaze called into the room. Everypony agreed enthusiastically and followed Blaze to the first of six breweries.

The first on the list was Huf gedrückt, the oldest brewery in town, and it was known for sticking to its traditional roots and the best Hüfweizen in Equestria. The brewery was housed in an old stone building which dated to the founding of Canterlot. The building had increased in scale over time but every expansion was meticulously designed to fit into the existing building.

Once they entered the brewery they were greeted by a mare wearing traditional lederhorsen and a hat with a large feather. Her blonde mane was braided and hung past her shoulders.

“Herzlich Willkommen! Sie müssen hier für die Apfelwein Verkostung sein! Blaze richtig?” She said with a broad smile, and accent Arata was not familiar with.

The group stood waiting for a translation but it quickly became clear that they were not getting them.

Blaze stepped forward and began to answer her question, “Ja, das ist richtig. Dies ist Arata , Vox, Kampfer , Kompassrose , Elfenbein Schild . Wir haben eine Tour geplant als gut.” As he spoke he pointed to each pony, they believed he was introducing them.

Everypony, except Vox, watched in confusion as Blaze continued his conversation.

“Wie war die Ernte in diesem Jahr? Ich habe gehört, die Ernte deutlich über Erwartung.” Blaze said, the group believed it to be a question, but there was no way of knowing.

“Vox, what’s going on?” Arata whispered as the mare continued to talk to Blaze.

“Richtig, meine Entschuldigungen.” Blaze looked a bit embarrassed and turned to the mare, “Meine Freunde sprechen nicht Deutsch.”

The mare looked at the group, “I’m sorry I normally give the German introduction and continue in a language everypony understands. I was so surprised that he spoke the language that I continued speaking it. If you all will follow me we can begin the tour.”

She led them through the facility explaining every facet of the process in great detail. Ivory Shield and Blaze were taking in every bit of the information she provided, while Camphor seemed to be more focused on what his reflection looked like in the brass kettles. Compass Rose and Vox paid some attention to the tour, but seemed to busy making plans for the next day.

After the tour concluded they gathered in the taproom for the first of six tastings.

“We’re only going to try one cider here,” Blaze informed the group. “I want you all to get a feel for the individual character of each brewer.”

Shortly after the mare who had given them the tour arrived with six mugs of cider; she set one down in front of each pony. “This is our oldest cider. Notice the strong flavor, and the thick head of foam. We use various flowers to help further draw out the subtle apple notes. We think its best in Equestria. Austrinken!”

Arata watched as everypony slowly sipped from the mug, before doing the same himself. The drink was bubblier than he had expected. Initially he could taste the apples, but then the taste changed from crisp to a mellow sweetness complemented by a hint of floral notes. He quickly took another sip, and another, until his mug was empty.

“Haha!” Blaze exclaimed, “Looks like Arata liked his first taste of cider!”

“It was pretty good,” He admitted, “Can I order another?”

“Not until the next brewery. Don’t worry; you’ll get your fill on this trip.” Blaze assured him, as he finished the last sip from his glass.

“I have to give it to you Blaze, that was one of the best I have had.” Ivory Shield smiled.

“Yeah,” Compass Rose agreed, “I don’t usually like cider, but this was really drinkable. Although, I probably won’t finish the next one I get, a pint is a lot more than I’m used to drinking.”

“Which brewery are we hitting next, Blaze?” Vox asked.

“We’re going to Gooseneck,” Blaze stood up and walked over to the door.

“Yay! I’ve been dying to have their stout since we got here,” Vox eagerly followed Blaze to the door.

Arata stood up and felt the room spin a little. He shook his head but that only made the sensation worse. He felt Camphor’s hoof on his shoulder.

“Woah man, are you feeling it already?” Camphor asked.

“Oh, is that the cider?” Arata asked.

“Yeeaaahhh man, looks like you’re a total light weight.” Camphor laughed following the rest of the group out.

After a bit of stumbling Arata caught up to the rest of the group, the next brewery was a 30 minute walk away and it gave Arata time to regain his normal composure. No pony commented on his tipsy state on the walk over.

The Gooseneck brewery was a series of wood buildings and a small stream running through the center of the complex. Blaze led them into the tasting room after informing them that this brewery did not offer tours to ponies not considered “VIP’S”.

Upon hearing this Ivory Shield went over to one of the bar attendants and had a brief conversation before returning to the group.

“I managed to get us a tour of the facility.” She smiled.

“Really?” Blaze asked, “I’ve never managed to get a tour here.”

“It was a little harder than just speaking German. I had to flash them this.” She pulled out a badge from her coin pouch. “This, if you aren’t aware, is Shining Armor’s cutie mark. It’s the mark that the elite guard members get. I’ve found that flashing this can get me into most ‘VIP’ only locations.”

“That sounds like a pretty liberal use of power,” Blaze commented, shaking off the quip about speaking German.

“I was just having a casual conversation and the fact that I work under Shining Armor just happened to come up.” She laughed.

Arata wasn’t sure what to make of the conversation but the feeling of the cider had now completely worn off.

The tour was almost identical to the last one, except for the fifteen minutes spent discussing other ‘malt’ additions they make to the cider. Most of the jargon seemed to be wasted on any pony other than Blaze. When it came time for the tasting Vox was the most excited. The bar tender poured each of them a glass of black cider, with a thick cream colored head.

This one didn’t really taste like apples; it was a weird mix of chocolate, coffee, some apple flavor and sourness. Although Arata wasn’t a fan of the drink itself he finished the pint. This was much heavier than the previous one had been, and the wobbly feeling had set in much faster.

“Arata are you okay?” Vox asked, “You’re just kind of staring into your empty glass.”

“Oh…” Arata trailed off, “What?”

“Are you drunk? You’ve only had two drinks!” Vox began to laugh causing some of the surrounding ponies to look in their direction.

“Yeeeaaahhhhhh maaannnnn he’ssss a total light weiiigghtttt,” Camphor joined in the mockery.

“Hey. It’s my first time,” Arata paused, “I didn’t know what to expect.”

Every pony either burst out into laughter or blankly stared at Arata.

Between his laughs Blaze tried to get out a sentence, “All right, I think we should move on to the next one.”

The next two stops were a blur for Arata. At each one he was able to finish the full glass of cider just as the effects of the last one were starting to wear off. As the day went on Arata could feel the effects of the cider weakening as he became used to them.

They approached the second to last brewery, a newer building built in homage to pegasai architecture. The mostly wooden building was curved at odd angles to resemble clouds and grand stone pillars held up several sections.

“Now this is what I came here for.” Ivory shield smiled broadly as she took in the building, “One of the few places in Equestria where Pegasai brew cider. P.P.A’s will put anything we’ve had here to shame.”

“I don’t think so,” Vox and Blaze responded in unison. Both had already experienced their favorite brew, and leapt to their defense.

“Stouts and Hüfweizens are all good, but this one will knock your horse shoes off,” Ivory Shield led the group into the building and they all waited for the tour.

They were greeted by a Pegasus who floated just above the group. He was wearing a white shirt with rolled up sleeves and a white cap. “Hello, everypony. How may I help you today?”

“We have a tour scheduled, it should be under Blaze,” Blaze stepped forward to talk to the stallion.

“Ah I see, please follow me.” The light brown Pegasus led the group into the brewery.

The tour featured more history than any of the others. To Arata’s surprise this was the only group of pegasai making cider in all of Equestria. Supposedly the recipe had been passed on since before the founding of Equestria when the pegasai took apples from earth ponies by force. From what Arata could tell, the methods of brewing were mostly the same from brewery to brewery.

“Now this is the real kicker,” The guide smirked, “So on top of those special flowers I mentioned earlier, this is where our cider gets its kick. We age it in charred oak barrels, with the addition of oak chips from time to time. This makes sure that the cider really slithers down when you drink it.”

Arata knew that he didn’t really understand the complex world of cider yet, but most of what was being described didn’t sound pleasant.

When the group made their way to the tasting room, Ivory Shield was unable to contain her excitement, recounting stories about her days in Cloudsdale and the other memories the cider conjured.

“Oh,” Arata said, “I forgot to ask, what does PPA stand for?”

“Pegasus Pale Apple,” A stranger answered. The group turned to find a stallion carrying them their drinks. “Here ya go, drink up!”

Arata took a sip, and to his dismay the tour guide’s description had been accurate. The initial taste had a fairly strong apple flavor, but that was immediately replaced with a bitter and somewhat floral taste. As he swallowed he could feel some of the oak in the back of his throat.

Arata let out a cough as he finished his sip.

“You’ll get used to it pretty fast Arata,” Ivory Shield assured him.

Compass Rose also seemed to be having as much trouble with the drink as Arata. Camphor on the other hoof was relishing every sip of it.

“The floweeerrrss in this arreee the besssttttttt, it’s likkkeee I can tasteee natureee.” He set the empty mug down followed by Blaze and Vox.

Ivory Shield set hers down last with a melancholy look on her face. “Well I guess it’s time to move on.”

“You’ll get to drink more of that tomorrow,” Vox smiled as they left.

As the group approached the last brewery, the sun had set and the events of the day were starting to wear on them.

“Allllll riiiiiggghhhttt,” Camphor yawned, “last stop of the day.”

Blaze let out a sigh, “I’m warning you now, this is by far the worst cider here.”

“I agree,” Vox said.

The industrial building in front of the group was the newest in town. Surprisingly it seemed to be the most popular as well.

Once they entered, a stallion greeted the group, unlike all of the previous distilleries he had forsaken any traditional clothing for a modern Jacket and tie. “You six must be here to tour the cutting edge of cider.” He smiled coolly at the mares in the group, “Welcome to Buckwiser.”

As the group followed him through the industrial brewery it was clear the focus here was more on technology than tradition.

“We brew cold,” the guide said walking up to one of the fermentation tanks. Turning to face the group with the same cool smile he continued, “Much like this beautiful girl’s eyes,” he gestured to Ivory Shield who quickly replaced the coldness in her eyes with the fire of anger. “We have one goal here, and that goal, is drinkability. We brew cold so our cider is as smooth and clear as it can be. But we don’t stop there.” He gestured to the pipes moving off of the tank. “We chill filter our cider not once, but 12 times to make sure it has the maximum drinkability.”

The tour continued for almost an hour and ‘drinkability’ came up every other word. Instead of serving them himself, their guide took them to a bar and walked away.

The group took a table and a waiter brought them a round of cider. “See that mark on the glass?” he asked to the group, “It is magically enchanted to turn blue when the cider is cold enough to maximize drinkability.”

As he walked away they all raised their glasses and took a drink.

Arata was the first to set his glass down, “It kinda tastes like yeast, water, and I guess I can kind of taste a bit of apple.”

“Welcome to the future of cider kid,” Blaze said as he placed an empty mug on the table.

“Why did we even come here?” Arata said following up his statement.

“Because you needed to get the full Cider Grove experience, and sadly this is the most popular cider in Equestria.” Blaze hung his head and slowly shook it.

“What? Why?” Compass Rose interjected, “I don’t even like cider that much and I can tell this isn’t any good.”

“Beats me,” Blaze sighed.

“Oh, quit your griping,” Ivory Shield chuckled slamming her mug onto the table. “This is the finest drink in the E.U.P. guard!”

“I can see why The Major General left,” Blaze quipped back.

“I’m exhausted,” Vox yawned, “Is everypony ready to head back to the inn?”

“Yeeeaaahhh man,” Camphor caught Vox’s yawn and let out one of his own. “I’mmmm feeeellinn ittt.”

The group paid for the drinks and tipped the waiter before heading back for the night.

Once they arrived back at the hotel, Compass Rose and Vox split off to plan their next day while Arata, Blaze, Camphor, and Ivory Shield sat in the inn’s bar/restaurant to go over theirs.

“I can’t believe this place is open so late,” Arata yawned.

“I think they’re open all day and night,” Blaze informed him placing a map of the town on the table. “Here’s the plan for tomorrow. We’re hitting Celestia’s Circle.”

“A good old fashioned pub crawl,” Ivory Shield noted.

“Exactly, we start when the sun rises and finish when it sets, 11 bars, 12 pints.” Blaze smirked.

“That’s double what we had today…” Arata wasn’t sure if he would be able to handle that much cider.

“You bet it is!” Ivory Shield exclaimed.

“That sounds like fuuunnn, maaannnn,” Camphor had been the most neutral towards cider the entire trip, although his eagerness didn’t surprise any pony.

“We’d better get to bed,” Blaze added. “We have to be at the first pub when the sun rises.”

…

The next morning Ivory Shield, Camphor, Arata, and Blaze woke up more than an hour before the sun rose to walk to the first pub on the list. Compass Rose and Vox were still asleep and Ivory Shield informed the group that they would be going on a hike around the orchards.

The first pub was almost empty at this hour, only a few ponies seemed to be left over from the night before. There was an old mare standing behind the bar who greeted the team. She was wearing a shirt and tie and her long grey mane was neatly tied up.

“I take it you four are here for Celestia’s Circle?” She said placing four empty mugs on the bar in front of her.

“Yep,” Blaze answered taking a seat at the bar, “Were gonna do the whole loop.”

“Good luck, we get a lot of ponies here at the bars but barely any pony does the full crawl these days. It’s nice to see younger ponies taking part in tradition.”

Arata sat down next to Blaze with Camphor on his right and Ivory shield on the opposite side of Blaze.

“The sun should be rising any minute now, what can I get each of you?” She asked gesturing to the six familiar ciders on tap.

“I’ll take a Hüfweizen,” Blaze placed his order and the bartender took his glass.

“Me too,” said Arata sliding is mug forward.

“I’lllll take a P.P.AAAA,” Camphor followed.

“You’ve got good taste Camphor. I’ll take a P.P.A. too,” Ivory Shield requested.

As the mare slid each pony their glass they in turn slid her payment for the drink.

“Well everypony, here’s to the first of twelve and to Princess Celestia.” Blaze raised his glass as the sun light flickered into the window behind the bar.

“I’ll drink to that!” Ivory Shield hoisted up her glass, joined by Camphor and Arata.

Each pony quickly finished their pint and returned their glasses. The bartender addressed them once more, “It’s a 10 minute walk to the next pub you’ll want to head out in about 20 minutes to make it back here for your last drink at sunset.”

The mare left the group and went to serve a few other ponies that had come in.

“I know this doesn’t seem like much now, but once we’re three bars in things get crazy.” Blaze assured the group.

“Hey, can I ask you guys something?” Ivory Shield had turned to face the group as a whole.

“Sure,” Arata answered not entirely sure of what she wanted to know.

“You three and Vox, all seem pretty close. I know that Vox and Blaze have known each other for ages, but what about you two?” She gestured to Arata and Camphor.

“Well I’m here as a part of an exchange trip with Nippony. Penzance decided that I would be Blazes partner, and well, here we are.” Arata modestly explained, trying not to mention anything that may refer to the lake.

“Annddd I joineeeed when Arataa told mee that they could use my skilllssss in herbal medicine,” Camphor explained also making sure not to mention anything suspicious.

“I see, how do you three think Penzance has been holding up since Autumn Tail passed?” Her question was blunt, but understandably so. Due to Penzance’s withdrawal from work, Ivory Shield managed most of the E.W.E.F’s daily functions, and it did not appear that Penzance had given her any indication of what was really going on.

“I think that he’s been able to come to terms with it recently,” Arata commented. “Us just being here shows that.”

“That’s good to hear. Seeing him like this has been pretty depressing.” Ivory Shield admitted.

“Right,” Blaze joined in, “You knew him from the guard didn’t you?”

“I served under him at the end of his career. He was already in the process of starting the E.W.E.F. at that point along with choosing his successor. I was introduced to him when I was first put on Celestia’s personal guard detail. I was one of seven fillies in my class at the academy, and of that I was the only one who wanted to serve in Canterlot as security. Most others either opted for clerical work or management. Being one of the only girls in the division wasn’t easy, and Penzance took notice of that. He introduced me to Shining Armor once the switch had been completed, and from there I really started to soar.” Ivory Shield explained.

“I hadn’t reeaaaalllyyy thought about it until now, but you’re the first female guard pony I’ve seen.” Camphor added.

“I get that a lot,” Ivory Shield admitted with a hint of pride, “It wasn’t easy getting to where I am, but I think I’ve proved that I’m just as strong as any stallion out there.”

Blaze looked at a clock on the pub’s wall, “We should get going. We wouldn’t want to be late.”

Everypony got up and quickly made their way to the next pub on the list. They continued their conversation about the guard, although shifting away from Ivory Shield’s personal experiences and focusing more on the structure of the guard itself.

When they arrived at the next pub, they found it was more crowded than the last. Quickly finding seats at the bar they ordered their pints in addition to a large breakfast. The bar tender here was significantly less talkative, but it gave the four time to get more acquainted.

“So, you’ve heard all about me and the guard. Now it’s your turn to share. We can start with Blaze.” Ivory Shield said setting down her glass, this time she had gone with the stout instead of the PPA. “What brought you here to the E.W.E.F?”

“I guess it’s only fair,” Blaze began. “My father was one of the founding members of the E.W.E.F. from back before it was a big organization. He had always been an adventurer, going off with no other motivation than to see all that there was to see. I grew up on all of his stories of the wonders of Equestria and beyond. He had met Penzance around when I was born and quickly became interested in Penzance’s idea of mapping Equestria.” Blaze paused to take a drink and a few bites of his breakfast.

Arata had only head bits and pieces of this story in the months he spent with Blaze. The thought crossed Arata’s mind that maybe if he had been present for Blaze’s entire stay in the lake, he would know all of it.

Blaze took another sip form his mug and continued, “Right after I finished school I applied to be part of the E.U.P. guard. I thought once I did some time and got experience there I would be able to join my dad and hopefully the E.W.E.F.”

“Did you apply for the officer corps?” Ivory shield asked.

“No, the general body. I didn’t think I had any potential for leadership. But as it turned out, I wasn’t suited for guard work. My application was denied, and so I took up a job at the Canterlot archives. The situation really worked out for the best, I found out less than a month later that my dad had passed away on an expedition. I turned away from being an explorer for years, spending all of my time reading whatever the archives had to offer. Then Penzance tracked me down and offered me a spot in the newly formed E.W.E.F. He said he needed an anthropologist and record keeper, and I just couldn’t turn down the offer.” He concluded, surprising everypony with the level of detail he provided.

“Do’ya think theee explorersss lifffee suits youu now?” Camphor added.

“More than I would like to admit. The E.W.E.F. has been great. Celestia, I even met Vox here. I don’t think I could ask for much more than that.” Blaze seldom talked about his relationship with Vox and it was a bit odd for Arata. Blaze checked the time, “We’d better finish up quickly, it’s almost time to go.”

Arata finished off his food, and quickly drank the last few sips of his cider. Although it took longer than the previous day, he was starting to feel the cider’s effects. Once everypony had finished they quickly progressed to the third pub on the list. The town had quickly filled up with tourists from everywhere in Equestria. Each one moving around to one of the many gift shops, restaurants, and pubs scattered around the town. Several of them were wearing cameras around their necks, and made sure to take photos of everything the town had to offer.

As was to be expected, the next pub was full of ponies already and there weren’t any open seats at the bar. A filly carrying a small notepad informed the group that they could seat themselves and flag her down when they were ready to order. Arata weaved his way through the maze of tables and found an open one towards the back. Once everypony was seated they ordered their drinks and continued their previous conversation.

“Alright, Arata now it’s your turn,” Ivory Shield said, “let’s hear about what brought you to the E.W.E.F.”

“Well, I used to live in Nippony; but I think you already know that.” Arata paused as the waitress brought out their drinks. He took a sip and continued to talk, the words seemed to be coming to him much more easily than they usually did. “I never really liked it there though; well that’s not really it. I liked Nippony, but I didn’t like the ponies. All they ever did was talk about me being a blankflank. ‘He’s so old and doesn’t have a talent’ this and ‘what a failure’ that. So when I found out that there was a way for me to come to Equestria and be an explorer I applied in a heartbeat. Once I was accepted I came out to Foalsdale and met Blaze. There isn’t really much else to say.”

“Sounds miserable,” Ivory Shield added bluntly, “To be honest I didn’t really notice you were a blankflank until you pointed it out.”

“What? Really?” Arata squinted a bit and cocked his head.

“See in the guard everypony’s flank is covered by our armor. The philosophy is ‘it doesn’t matter what your talent is, you are in the guard and that is all that counts.’” She concluded.

“I wish the ponies back home could have heard that,” Arata sighed.

“Cheer up kid,” Blaze said patting him on the back, “You’re one of us now; you don’t need to worry about what ponies back home think.”

Arata smiled, Blaze’s words meant more to him than he could have known. “Thank you, senpai.”

After finishing their glasses the group decided to move on and see if the next pub was less crowded. Luckily they found that the bar was completely empty and most ponies had taken seats around the restaurant portion of the establishment. They repeated the ordering ritual and then it was Camphor’s turn to talk.

“Iii donnttt really have an interesting storryyy like you guysss,” He began. “I’ve spent my whole life in Foalsdale, they only time I’ve even left the town was to go to Fillydelphia to visit family. I’ve always practiced medicine, not in the conventional senceeee thouuuggghh. I mostly use herbs and other plants I harvest in the swaaammmppsss to make it. That’s whyyy Penzance took me into the forrceee.”

“How well do you know the swamps?” Ivory Shield asked.

“I’ve gone about 12 miles out beforeeee, so pretty well.” He said.

“I’m surprised Penzance didn’t take you as a guide earlier.” She smiled. “You guys seem to have a pretty good exploration team set up, an anthropologist, a communications expert, a scout, a survivalist, and the all-important recruit. It’s no wonder Penzance always has you out in the swamps.”

“What do mean ‘all-important recruit?’” Arata said with a slight slur, he had just finished his fourth drink and the effects were becoming visible.

“You don’t have a specialization yet, but that’s what makes you so useful. You could become anything the team needs,” Ivory Shield smiled.

…

The rest of the day started to blur together for everypony, even Blaze and Ivory Shield were hit by the cider. The crawl continued with the conversation becoming more and more disjointed and silly. After six more stops Arata could barely control himself, everything everypony said sent him into laughing fits and he felt that he just needed to be honest with everypony. Camphor’s speech became almost impossible to understand once his drawl had combined with heavy slurring. Blaze and Ivory Shield were the least effected by far, Blaze took every opportunity he could to either discuss a book he thought was relevant to the conversation, or make horrible puns; Ivory Shield on the other hoof was barking orders at the group trying to enforce military discipline on three drunken stallions.

The four stumbled through the town as the sun grew close to setting. Arata and Camphor had resorted to using each other for support, to make the short walk to the pub. As they approached the second to last stop, the dull pulse of electronic music caught their ears. Although the sun hadn’t set yet it appeared that a party was already in full swing.

They made their way in and worked their way through the packed dance floor to the bar and ordered their drinks.

“Blashe,” Arata sputtered, “Ho-how long do we have here?”

“40 minutesh, kid,” he replied.

All of the tables and bar stools had been removed to make room for the dance floor, the group moved off to the side to finish their drinks before they debated if they should dance. Before the group could come to an agreement a mare walked out of the crowed and up to Arata.

“I’m glad you finally made it,” her familiar voice greeted him. After blinking a few times Arata realized that he was staring into Caroline’s eyes. “I would like to request a dance.”

“How did you get here?” he asked.

“Duuuuddeeeeeeeeeeeee sheeessssssssshhhhh liiiikkkkeee shuppeeerr haawwtttt goo dance with herrrrr,” Camphor nudged him losing his balance and landing on the floor.

“Your friend is right.” Caroline grabbed Arata’s arm and pulled him into the crowed. “I have always wanted to participate in a dance like this, and once master informed that you would be here, I decided that I needed to join.”

“But… the door ish in Foalshdale…” Arata couldn’t quite wrap his head around the situation.

“I would explain to you how I came here, but perhaps I should save that until you’re sober. I feel any explanation I lend you now would be wasted.” She concluded.

“Okay” Arata awkwardly danced with Caroline for what felt like an hour until he felt a tug from behind. He turned to see Ivory Shield staring at him.

“You’ve had enough fun with that filly cadet! Move out!” she barked. Arata turned and caught a faint glimpse of Caroline making her way out of the crowd.

They exited the pub and everypony’s ears were ringing. Blaze took a few minutes to get his bearings again before returning to the pub where they started. They were surprised to find the same mare who served them in the morning waiting for them at the bar.

“Congratulations everypony. You’re one pint away from completing Celestia’s Circle. I have to say I’m impressed. Same drinks as this morning?” She asked readying their mugs.

“Yesh pleash,” They said in unison taking their seats.

She slid each one a mug just as the last rays of light trickled through the bars rear window. They quickly finished the drinks and slammed the mugs down.

“I-” Ivory Shield hiccupped “Gotta say, you have all impressed me with your cider…ing.”

“That round is on the house,” The mare smiled. “Consider it a gift for making it back.”

Arata felt an odd rush of pride from making it through the crawl. He also felt a little more diligent, and a great deal more courageous. It wasn’t something he had ever thought he would do, but it turned out to be a great time to bond with his friends.

…

Arata woke up at the crack of dawn the next morning, not that he wanted to, but the minute the sun came in the room he felt a stabbing in his temples that refused to subside. Seeing that Blaze and Camphor were both asleep, Arata tried to get more sleep. After a few minutes without any relief he went to take a shower, hoping not to wake his friends.

The steam helped sooth his head a bit, but not enough for him to be able to sleep. He quietly left the room and walked to the inn’s restaurant. He ordered a cup of coffee and some food and sat off in a corner nursing his head. Shortly after he sat down Compass Rose entered the restaurant and noticed Arata sitting in the corner.

“Good morning Arata, looks like you had fun yesterday,” she set her glass down on the table and pulled out the seat next to him.

“Not so loud please,” Arata whispered.

“Oh, sorry,” she dropped her voice to match his and continued. “Vox and Ivory just woke up. Vox is going with Blaze to pick up a few barrels of cider, and Ivory and Camphor are going to tour the orchards. So that leaves you and I. I’d like to talk to you for a while if you don’t mind.”

“Okay, what do you want to talk about?” he asked thinking he knew where this was going.

“The lake. I talked with Vox all day yesterday about it, but you’re the one whose had a persona the longest, so I want to talk to you.” She said.

“Okay, we can go out to the garden by the hot spring after we eat and talk about it. I think the fresh air will be good for my head.” Once they finished they headed to the garden which was filled with trees, and a small artificial stream.

They took a seat on a bench and Compass Rose began, just loud enough to be heard over the dull babble of the stream. “What happened to you when you fell into the lake? For me it was the endless mapping, for Vox is was being a puppet, what was it for you?”

“I was back home in Nippony,” Arata began with a hint of hesitation. “Then my old teacher appeared and told me that I was nothing even though I had a cutie mark.” Arata paused for a second, “In case you didn’t know I get a cutie mark when I’m in the lake. But anyway then she turned into a shadow and attacked Blaze and I along with everypony there. I was able to summon Taliesin and kill all of them, but at that point we didn’t know what the lake was, and I thought that I had just killed everypony I knew.”

“I’m sorry… that sounds much worse than what I had to deal with,” Compass Rose apologized.

“No, you shouldn’t think of it like that.” Arata corrected. “What I went through was designed to be what I was most afraid of, just as yours was made for you. From what I’ve seen, everypony’s fear is just as devastating as the next pony’s… except Camphor, I still don’t really understand what happened with him.”

“Vox told me about that…” Compass Rose stared into her reflection in the water flowing by them. “How did you know what your fear was? I’ve been thinking about it a lot and I just can’t put my hoof on what it was supposed to be. It was awful, and I’ve had nightmares about it already, but I don’t know what any of it means.”

“It took a hoof to the head from Blaze to bring me back to my senses after I fell into the lake,” Arata assured her. “It will become clearer over time; and hey, you’ve got all of us to help you now. It’s not like we’re just waiting helplessly in the castle like before.” Arata smiled reassuringly.

“Thanks, Arata. That helps more than you know.” She smiled faintly in return.

‘Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Temperance Arcana,’ a dull voice echoed in Arata’s mind.

The pair sat in the garden talking about their experiences with the lake, the E.W.E.F., and life in general for hours before the rest of the team had assembled and it was finally time for their weekend to come to an end.

Chapter 21: Nightmare Night

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Only a few days had passed since the group had returned from their vacation. Much to Arata’s relief, Penzance informed them that nothing had happened while the team was away, and it appeared that Blaze’s speculation was correct. This is not to say that Arata was not surprised upon returning home. He found the town being decorated for some kind of festival, which was unfamiliar to him.

Ivory Shield had summoned the group for a brief meeting. Arata was walking back from the library, where he was retrieving a book for Blaze, and was taking in the decorations around the town. Carved pumpkins were showing up outside of everypony’s homes, along with some decorative spider webs. It felt like Equestria was always celebrating something, not that he minded this, it was a welcomed shift from Nippony. These festivals helped remind him how much he had to celebrate.

As Arata entered the camp, he noticed that a few tents had carved pumpkins set outside as well. Given all of the perpetrations that were going on, it seemed odd that no pony had told him about it yet. He walked to Ivory Shield’s tent to find that everypony had already gathered inside. Arata approached Blaze and gave him the book.

“Thanks Arata,” Blaze said levitating the book into his saddle bag.

Ivory Shield, who had been talking to Camphor ended her conversation and turned to face the group as a whole. “I don’t really know how I’m supposed to say this, so I’ll be blunt. A while ago I received a letter from Canterlot requesting I attend the Grand Galloping Gala to serve as part of the guard. Before we left on the trip I sent another letter back asking if I could invite a few,” Ivory Shield trailed off while she tried to find the right word, “friends.” She pulled opened a letter that was resting on a table in the corner of the tent. “Shining Armor agreed saying, ‘It’s about time you made some of those outside the guard,’ and sent five tickets. That is if you all want to attend. There is absolutely no pressure.”

“Are you serious!?” Vox shouted, “It’s every filly in Canterlot’s dream to go to the Gala! I can’t believe that I’m actually getting a chance to go! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Vox excitedly ran up and hugged Ivory Shield, who didn’t know how to respond.

“I’m with Vox!” Compass Rose said joining the hug, “Why would we possibly say no to that?!”

Even Camphor moved in to join the growing group hug, “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwww mmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!” Was all he emoted, but his excitement was clear.

“They serve some of the finest aged cider in all of Equestria at the Gala!” Blaze finally joined the group huddled around Ivory Shield.

“Um…. Guys. What’s the Grand Galloping Gala?” Arata asked over the excitement.

The group separated and they all looked at Arata.

“Right, sorry,” Vox apologized. “It’s the most elegant party in all of Equestria! It’s hosted by Princess Celestia at the castle in Canterlot! And we get to go!”

Although it wasn’t the best explanation, it was enough to convey the point to Arata. “Oh, wow! That actually sounds really exciting!”

“Oooooff course it does maaaaannn!” Camphor said.

“Rose, Ivory, we need to get dresses for this. I don’t have anything nearly fancy enough for the Gala.” Vox said, turning towards her friends.

“Well I’ll be wearing my armor,” Ivory Shield commented, “But I’d be happy to go with you two.”

“We could go to a dress shop in Canterl-” Vox cut herself off, “No, everypony will be wearing something form there. I know we could make a trip to Fillydelphia!”

“That’s a great idea!” Compass Rose nodded eagerly.

“Camphor, Arata, I have a feeling you two don’t have the attire appropriate for this event either.” Blaze added. “I think we should join them.”

“Yeah, I don’t own anything remotely formal,” Arata admitted.

“Mee neiiittheeerrr,” Camphor said, “looookkss liikeee my daaad will finaaaallly see me in a suuuiit.”

“Blaze, you should get something new for yourself too.” Vox chimed in. “No, wait we should match!” Her eyes eagerly widened.

“I’m glad all of you are excited,” Ivory Shield said putting the envelope in a safe place. “I’m sorry for being all business but you’ll have to excuse me. I have some work to take care of.” Ivory Shield left the tent leaving the rest of the group.

The excitement was starting to simmer down, although Vox and Compass Rose were now deciding what style of dress they wanted.

“Iiii shoullddd goooo too guys, I need to collect some mushrooms while they’re still in season.” Camphor said also excusing himself.

“I have a question while you guys are still here,” Arata began “Why is the town getting all decorated?”

“Nightmare Night,” Blaze answered, “It’s mostly for the kids. They get to go around in costume and ask everypony for candy, and then they offer it to Nightmare Moon.”

“Oh, okay. Why are they in costumes?” Arata asked.

“The story is if Nightmare Moon passed by and there were no ponies walking around she wouldn’t stop and terrorize them, so they dressed up, and that led to costumes. I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it earlier, it is tomorrow night after all.” Blaze finished.

“Does everypony wear a costume?” Arata asked.

“I usually don’t, but then again, Vox says I’m a kill joy,” Blaze smirked.

“Well I better go make one tonight!” Arata said sprinting out towards the town.

…

Arata spent the entire trek back to the pharmacy thinking of what he could dress up as, or even where he would get a costume in the first place. There were clothing stores in Foaldsale that would probably sell costumes as a last resort, but he wanted to feel like part of the event by doing something different.

While walking back, Arata spotted the faint glow of the door to the Velvet Room, which gave Arata an idea. He entered the room to find Caroline sitting alone.

“Hello Arata,” Caroline greeted him, “I would like to thank you for dancing with me despite your inebriated state. What may I do for you today?”

“I was wondering,” Arata began, “You made this key right?” He extended his hoof holding the contractor’s key. “Do you think you would be able to make me a costume?”

“Make you… a costume?” Caroline asked dully, “I am not your personal tailor Arata. I am a being of great magical energy and power.”

“But it will help me develop my bonds even further!” Arata insisted, “You see there is a festival in town tomorrow, and I need a costume. If I have one I can maximize my time with my bonds and really be a part of the town!” He concluded hoping that his plea had worked.

“Bonds you say?” She stopped to consider his point, “Fine. I will assist you, at a cost, 600 bits.”

“That’s two weeks’ pay…” Arata gasped.

“I am aware. That is the cost of a costume.” Caroline stated.

“Okay…” Arata sighed pulling out his coin pouch and giving her the money.

“Thank you, now what would you like?” She asked.

“Um, how about my persona, Taliesin?” Arata suggested.

“Very well, I hope this suits your needs,” She finished her sentence and Arata snapped back to reality. Lying on the ground in front of him were a pair of fake horns, a green cape, a blue and white striped belt, and scabbard with a fake sword handle coming out of it.

…

When Arata returned home, he was greeted by Koromaru and Marigold.

“Hi Arata!” Marigold chirped happily, “Is that your costume for tomorrow night?”

“Yeah it is, I just picked it up!” Arata smiled.

“Who are you going with tomorrow night?” She asked eagerly.

“Oh no pony at the moment,” he answered.

“You should come with me and Koromaru!” She excitedly suggested.

“Okay, sure!” Arata agreed and Koromaru let out an excited bark. “What are you two going as?”

“I’m going to go as a scary dragon, and I’m making Koromaru wings so he can be a Pegasus!” Marigold held up a pair of stitched white wings.

Arata chatted for a while before heading up to his room to try on the costume. He found that everything fit perfectly, and as an added bonus when he pulled the hood over his head his face was completely black, except for his now gleaming red eyes.

…

The next night Arata came home early with Camphor so they could accompany Marigold. They wasted no time changing into their outfits and heading out into the town. Camphor had decided to dress up as one of his favorite local plants, some kind of ornate glowing mushroom. Arata was unsure how he managed to make this outfit.

They went from house to house watching Marigold and Koromaru collect candy. Arata got a lot of stares due to his hood, and more than a few children ran from his glowing red eyes. Whenever this happened he would quickly pull it off and call after them, but it seemed to be a wasted effort.

“Arata,” Marigold asked, “What are you dressed as?”

“I’m Taliesin, herald of the true king.” Arata said.

“Oh… what is that from,” Marigold followed.

“He’s from a story from Nippony?” Arata hesitantly explained.

“Oh! Okay!” the answer seemed to be enough for Marigold, who ran off with Koromaru.

“Maaaaaan, I caaan’t believe youu maaade yourrr persoonaa as a costume sooo quickly.” Camphor laughed.

“I had a little help,” Arata tried to downplay Caroline’s role in the outfit.

“Right on maaaaaan,” Camphor smiled.

…

A few houses later they found another group of kids going around the town.

“We shouldn’t go near them,” Marigold said inching behind Camphor.

“Whyyyyy nooot siiiis?” Camphor asked.

“They’ll call me a blank flank…” Marigold said.

“So what?” Camphor continued, “You’reee a ferocious draaagonnnn, with a brave pegasus, a deadly and beautiful mushroom, and the herald of the king. You have nothing to worry about, they’re just words.”

“But…” Marigold started.

“Nooo maaaaan, you just gotta go despite what they saaaay.” Camphor firmly said.

Marigold took a deep breath and headed towards the group of ponies.

“Hey, Marigold!” one of them greeted.

“Marigold! Come get candy with us!” another followed.

Marigold and Koromaru joined the larger group without any harassment while Arata and Camphor followed behind.

“How did you know that would work?” Arata asked.

“Because maaaan, as long as she is confident they won’t pick on her. It’s true sheeeee’s beeeen made fun of, buuttt she’s stronger than that. Somtimeeess I just need to remind her of thhhaaaat.” Camphor finished.

Arata felt like he was really starting to understand both the Hanged Man and the Lovers Arcana.

The night continued and Arata joined in with many of the games. Although it took a while, Equestria was finally feeling like home for Arata, and he kept realizing that he had some of the best friends a pony could ask for.

Chapter 22: The Tower

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Almost a month had passed since Compass Rose had wandered into the lake, and the ponies of the E.W.E.F. were starting to feel on edge. Each member of the group dealt with the situation differently; Camphor now spent his time away from the E.W.E.F. either helping his family run the store, or adding to the considerably large stockpile of potions he made for use in the lake. Vox was constantly checking her sensor array to make sure she would know if anypony moved close to the lake. Blaze would spend hours at a time reviewing his notes on the lake, trying to predict exactly when the next pony would be called to it. Arata carried out his days as he normally had, although at night he often found himself staring at the radio resting next to him. Compass Rose was the most effected by their situation, she hadn’t eaten much over the past few days and, in addition, she spent most of her time talking to Vox or Arata, about the lake and what she could expect the next time she went in.

It was late afternoon and Arata was accompanying Vox on one of her treks to inspect the sensor array. It seemed that Compass Rose’s worry was starting to spread amongst the group. Arata would often feel guilty that all of this resulted from a wish he had made; talking to everypony was the least he could do to help.

Vox withdrew one of her sensor units from the ground; from what Arata could tell it was a radio with the antenna replaced with a large disk. The whole device glowed with a faint blue aura, which intensified as the pair got closer to it.

“Rose seems pretty on edge,” Vox said placing the device back into the ground.

“Yeah, I don’t really know what to say to her other than ‘it will all work out’” Arata sighed. “She wasn’t even there when Autumn Tail died, but she seems to be hit harder by it than any of us.”

“I can’t exactly blame her. In a way we all had the luxury of experiencing her death and then coming to terms with it. She didn’t. Now that it’s about time for somepony to go in again she has to worry about that pony dying, and it being her fault.” Vox paused and shook her head, “it’s awful that we’re as used to this as we are.”

“Somepony has to save the ponies that fall in. If we broke down like we did when Autumn Tail died, every time we had to go in, there’s a good chance Rose and Camphor wouldn’t be here today.” Arata said.

“You’re right, I guess being used to it isn’t that bad in the long run,” Vox gestured in the direction of the next sensor. “We should keep moving, it’s getting late.”

They began to walk again. The next sensor was close to the camp, and the walk to it didn’t follow any of the local trails.

“Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what the lake shows us.” Vox said, ducking under a few branches, “I’m convinced what it showed me was my fear of not being in control, and it’s true, I do fear that, but I keep asking myself it it’s something that needs to change.”

“What do you mean?” Arata asked curiously.

“Maybe fear is what keeps us safe. Why do you think that kids are taught to be afraid of the wilds?” Vox posed the question and Arata was unsure if he was supposed to answer.

“Because ponies can get hurt if they venture too far in, but you know that most ponies who go into the wilds are fine. We spend most of our time in the woods and I haven’t even seen a timberwolf yet.” Arata felt that he finally had both the courage and understanding to articulate his points.

“But has being afraid of timberwolves ever hurt us? If anything it’s made me more alert in the swamps. Taking that one step further, I can’t think of any times being in control has really hurt me. What if giving up my fear and my control makes me weaker?” Vox said, looking back to face Arata.

After a brief pause, “It sounds to me like you’re still letting your fear get the best of you. You’re afraid to get over you fear because it may give you less control.”

“Well… I guess that’s right…” Vox shrugged.

“Does your fear of bugs help you?” Arata asked. “I’ve seen you staring at little spiders all day, and those aren’t even dangerous. I know you want to be in control of what’s on you, but does it really hurt you if one little bug crawls around on you?”

Vox shivered, “It keeps me alert, if I’m always looking out for bugs then I’ll notice anything else coming my way, and I suppose you’re right, it wouldn’t hurt that much.”

“Would you actually notice more though?” Arata pressed. “I think it’s more likely you’d miss something just because of how much attention you pay to scanning for little things in the distance.”

“Maybe..” Vox trailed off. “I can’t argue with what you’ve said, but I just want to make sure I’m making the right choice.”

“Giving up a little control is the first step to overcoming your fear.” Arata continued, “I know it’s not easy to get over fear. Ever since I came here I was afraid of what everypony would think about me, but you and Blaze became the first real friends I had. I know if I can get over my fear with your help, you can get over yours with mine.”

“Thank you,” Vox sighed, “It can be pretty hard to make yourself better, can’t it?”

“Yeah, but that’s what makes it worth it in the end,” Arata smiled.

“The next sensor is just ahead. Once I adjust that one, we can head back to camp,” Vox turned to Arata, “Also, there’s a spider on your armband.”

Arata turned his head and saw the small brown spider clinging to his band, and with a light breath he sent it falling to the ground. Although Vox was hesitant, she seemed to be getting closer to accepting her shortcomings, and Arata felt he almost understood the nature of the Empress Arcana.

Vox pulled out the final sensor and quickly changed its battery before setting it back down. She then went to the camp with Arata.

…

On his walk home, Arata noticed the town’s library lights were on much later than they usually were, and he decided to visit Lexicon.

He nudged the door open and stepped inside. Lexi was sitting in the corner with her face buried in a book. Arata hesitated slightly before announcing his presence.

“Hi Lexi,” He said in a voice just above a whisper.

Lexi leapt to her hooves with a shriek pushing the book aside and turning around. “Oh…. It’s just you.” She let out a long sigh of relief, and tried to compose herself. “What brings you by Arata-kun?”

“I saw the lights on, and thought I’d say ‘hi’. Sorry if I scared you,” Arata apologized, closing the door behind him.

“It’s okay, I get a little on edge around Nightmare Night, and the book I was reading didn’t help either,” She turned back to the book and carefully marked the page she finished on, before setting the book back down.

“Oh, what’s it about?” Arata asked.

“It’s a political thriller set during the founding of Equestria. I was at part where a unicorn noble was planning on assassinating his pegasus competitor. The book follows an earth pony who was swept up into the conspiracy, and he’s working with a small group of ponies to stop the assassination. When you walked in, I was reading a confrontation between the unicorn noble and the earth pony. It was a really tense scene.” She answered.

“I don’t think I’ve ever gotten that absorbed in a book,” Arata added.

“What?! We need to fix that” Lexi walked over to Arata and dragged him to a shelf, “What genres do you enjoy the most? Last time you were here you wanted a book on the supernatural. Do you want more like that?”

“I’m not really sure…” Arata admitted.

“What do you like to experience when you read?” She asked trying her best to keep her questions basic.

“What do you mean?” Arata asked.

“Do you like a story that twists your emotions? One that gets you hooked so you can never put it down?”

“What do you like?” Arata asked.

“I love stories with deep and full characters. I’ve read books with characters that feel like they are alive, and by the end you feel like you watched them take a journey. You really get to know them as if they were your own friends.” She walked over to a shelf and pulled out a dusty old book. “Here, this is by far my favorite, and it’s my personal copy.” She smiled giving Arata the book. “Why don’t you read through it and tell me what you think.”

Arata slipped the book into his bag, and paused for a moment. “Hey, I was wondering…” he began with some hesitation. “Do you spend a lot of time with other ponies?”

“Not really,” she answered after some hesitation, “I help the ponies who come here looking for books, but other than that I normally just read and then I head upstairs to sleep.” She let out a sigh, “Being alone doesn’t bother me, I know a lot of ponies say that I’m too introverted but I don’t think they really understand it.” She hung her head and walked over to a different shelf, and pulled out a thick textbook. “This is by Foucolt. He is one of my favorite philosophers. And this book has my favorite quote. ‘...if you are not like everypony else, then you are abnormal, if you are abnormal, then you are sick. These three categories, not being like everypony else, not being normal and being sick are in fact very different but have been reduced to the same thing.’ That’s what I feel like sometimes. I’m different but everypony takes that to mean I’m sick.” She finished her explanation in a tone softer than she usually spoke with.

“I’m sorry,” Arata began, “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It’s not your fault Arata-kun,” Lexi returned to her normal speaking voice, “You just hit a nerve. To be honest with you, you’re the first pony to actually bring the subject up with me.” She paused again, “But, going around town couldn’t hurt. Maybe you and I could go around sometime?” She asked.

“Sure!” Arata replied, “It will be fun.” He smiled.

“Thank you,” She added. “Make sure to read that book too so we can talk about it!” and with that she was back to her normal self.

Arata felt their bond grow a bit stronger.

After talking for a few minutes, Lexi excused herself and began to close the library for the night. Arata left the library and went home.

…

The next morning Arata decided to head by the flower shop and visit Summer Breeze. It had been around a month since they had last spoken and Arata wondered how she was doing. He entered the shop to find that most of the flowers had changed from the bright blues and reds of spring, to more muted tones.

“Hello Arata,” her familiar voice greeted him, “It’s been quite a while.”

“Sorry it took me so long to come back, I’ve been really busy.” He humbly apologized.

“It’s quite alright; I really appreciate all the help you’ve already given me.” Summer Breeze continued, “The last few months haven’t been easy, but I think I’m finally coming to terms with what happened. There are a lot of problems that I suddenly realized I had when I just took the time to think about myself.”

“I felt the same way after everything happened,” Arata added, hoping the shared experience would help her feel comfortable.

“I really want to make myself a better pony now. I think that’s the best way for me to honor and respect her memory.” Summer Breeze smiled with tears forming in her eyes. “You know, Nightmare Night was always her favorite holiday. It made me really happy to see all of the colts and fillies going around and having fun. I made sure that I gave out the best candy I could by to all of the kids who came by. Some of the children even told me how much they missed her. It made me so sad, but also so happy at the same time.”

“It’s great to hear that,” Arata smiled. “I need to get going or I’ll be late for work, but I’ll make sure I come by again soon!”

“Wait, before you go I’d like you to have this.” She reached under the counter and pulled out a small picture of Autumn Tail. “This is a picture of her from a few days before she passed. I don’t really know why, but I feel that you should have it.”

“Thank you. This means a lot to me,” Arata humbly accepted the picture and left for work. On the way there he stared in to the picture he was given, and he couldn’t shake the thought that he had been lying to her about what happened to Autumn Tail.

…

That weekend Arata was working at the pharmacy with Tonic, while Camphor was out gathering ingredients in the swamp. Compared to the past few times Arata had helped out, there was a surprisingly large crowd. Tonic had Arata working the cash register while he readied prescriptions and other medicines. Although it took some getting used to, Arata was able to handle the job. The brief experience in retail really made him appreciative of his current work with the E.W.E.F.

After the crowd died down, Tonic came out to talk with Arata.

“What did you think of retail?” he jokingly asked.

“It’s certainly a change of pace for me,” Arata said casually.

“I can imagine. Camphor’s been busier than ever now that he’s in the E.W.E.F. and he’s only been there for two months! I can’t imagine how much work you have to do.”

“It can get pretty stressful, to be honest. I think I’m finally getting used to the lifestyle,” although he was really referring to the lake specifically.

As they were talking, a teenage colt walked into the shop and started to look at some of the candy that was on display. Tonic continued talking, seeming to not notice the colt’s presence.

“It’s really nice to see how well you’ve adapted to life in Equestria. You seem to be having quite a good time here.” Tonic smiled.

“Yeah, I’ve made more friends than I thought I would,” Arata finished just as the colt was about to walk out of the shop.

Tonic’s shout caught Arata off guard, “Are you going to pay for that?”

Without any hesitation the colt bolted out the door and ran down the street. Before Arata had a chance to comment, Tonic had leapt over the counter and was galloping after him. Arata followed suit trying to keep up.

Once they were outside, Tonic spotted the fleeing colt and galloped at a speed faster than Arata thought possible. The colt risked a glance backward and his eyes widened as he saw just how close Tonic had gotten. Once Tonic was within a few feet of the colt, he leapt forward catching the pony and pulling him to the ground.

“Rhapsody?!” Tonic shouted finally getting a look at the colt’s face, “You know if you wanted a candy bar that badly I could have just given it to you. Why would you steal?!” Tonic was becoming angrier with every sentence.

“I…” the colt’s eyes widened and he stuttered trying to get a basic sentence out, “I… I’m… sorry”

“Why did you do it?” Tonic demanded.

“I… it was a bet!” the colt shouted as Arata finally caught up. “My friends dared me to do it, and I didn’t want them to make fun of me.”

“You’re lucky that I don’t hand you over to the police! Come on I know you know better than this,” Tonic continued to shout at the colt refusing to let him back on his feet.

“You’re right, I’m sorry! It won’t happen again I promise!” He said still in a panic.

“Your parents are going to hear about this, and I doubt they’ll be happy.” Tonic stood up allowing the colt to do the same. “Now get out of here, before I change my mind about the police.”

The colt ran off and Tonic turned to Arata. “I’m sorry you had to see that Arata.”

“I didn’t expect you to react that strongly,” Arata admitted trying to hide his surprise.

“He was a criminal, and he needed to know that.” Tonic said firmly.

“But he was just a kid, and it was only a piece of candy.” Arata continued.

“Exactly, it was just a worthless piece of candy. If you can’t control yourself from stealing something so small, what’s stopping you from committing a worse crime?” Tonic pressed, and Arata could feel the anger behind his words. “He needs to learn his lesson before he gets too old, and it was better that I scared him straight than the police catching him.”

“But what about his friends who pressured him to do it?” Arata asked.

“They’re not him. He was the one who cracked. He made the mistake, and he needs to understand that. If his friends were watching I’m sure they were equally scared.” Tonic finished.

Arata was silent for a moment before Tonic continued, “Why don’t you go home? I need to go talk to his parents about this.”

Although the experience hadn’t been pleasant, Arata felt his bond with Tonic growing stronger, and he was starting to understand just why he was the Justice Arcana.

Chapter 23: Cracked Shield

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“Arrraaattaaaa, wake up,” Arata was slowly pulled to consciousness by a faint voice. As he became more and more awake he could feel himself being shaken. “Waaakeeee up maaan, we neeed to go to the lake noooow.” Camphor’s whisper was growing louder. Arata’s eyes rapidly blinked open as he rolled out of bed.

“Why didn’t my radio wake me up?” he whispered frantically getting his equipment on.

“Theee batteerrryy is probably dead; we can deal with that laaateeeer. Are you ready?” Camphor asked, heading toward the door.

“Yeah, let’s hurry.” Arata pulled on his bag and the pair quietly exited the house. Once they were far enough out of the town they broke into a full gallop towards the lake.

…

Arata and Camphor got to the lake just after Blaze, Vox, and Compass Rose. Rose was visibly nervous and Vox was doing her best to calm her down.

“You two good to go?” Blaze asked dropping his pack and securing his machete.

Arata and Camphor firmly nodded and Arata led the charge into the lake.

Arata, Blaze, and Vox were all able to land on their hooves. Camphor couldn’t quite get the landing right and Compass Rose gently floated down. In front of them was a large iron door which had already been opened. There were no decorations on the door, only a series of rivets that lead to a large handle.

With a nod from Blaze, Arata ran through the door and the rest of the group quickly followed.

…

The group was standing on a stone bridge surrounded a familiar castle.

“The Canterlot Castle?” Blaze said a bit confused.

“Yeah, I remember this place from the day Nightmare Moon returned.” Compass Rose gasped, “Arata! This is the platform that we landed on.”

“I think you’re right,” Arata nodded, “Vox can you tell if anypony is nearby?”

He quickly learned that would not be necessary, as Ivory shield swept down from above them. To every pony’s surprise she wasn’t wearing her armor.

“Good, you must be my reinforcements.” She began. “Follow me, there isn’t much time and the Princess is in danger.”

“Ivory,” Vox interrupted, “What’s going on? Are you alright?”

“Never address an officer by their first name, recruit.” Ivory Shield flashed Vox a menacing glare, “Now all of you follow me.”

She started to fly towards the castle leaving the group behind.

“I don’t think she recognized us,” Vox stated.

“Then we’d better hurry,” Blaze added, “There is no telling what kind of danger she’s in.”

The group quickly followed Ivory Shield to the entrance to the throne room. Without turning to see if the group was with her, she kicked open the door and was greeted by a deafening screech. She darted in and the team quickly followed.

Arata was disgusted with what he saw inside, bodies of guard ponies littered the room, and drops of blood were visible on almost every surface. Lying in the center was Shining Armor, his body broken and his armor shattered. But these sights only distracted Arata for a moment. Another shriek pulled his attention to the hulking armored shadow that was currently locked in combat with Princess Celestia herself.

Flashes of magic shot out from her horn striking the shadow several times. The shadow itself stood on two legs, and had a head resembling that of a dragon or crocodile. In one arm it held a large spiked club, and the other a shield. Its head, arms, and torso were all protected by plates of forged iron, which seemed to completely shield it from Celestia’s attacks.

Without any signal it leapt forward at Celestia, just as Ivory Shield threw herself at it. The shadow bashed Celestia with its shield knocking her to the ground, the quickly raised the club and with a nauseating crunch, brought it down on her.

The world seemed to flash by everypony. The last thing each one saw was Ivory Shield collapsing to the ground, as she failed in her duty.

…

Blaze and Vox woke up, not quite realizing they had passed out, in one of the castle suites. The room they were in was poorly maintained. Most of the pictures had fallen from the walls and most of the furniture was stained and dusty.

“Blaze,” Vox cracked her eyes. Although she wasn’t in any pain it she felt stiff and groggy. “When did we pass out?”

Blaze pulled himself up slowly, “I don’t know, everything happened pretty fast once we entered the throne room.”

There was a knock on the door, and quietly a bulky armored unicorn entered the room. “Taxiarhos, I’m sorry to interrupt you when you are with you consort, but the Strategos requests your presence in the war room immediately.”

Blaze and Vox glanced at each other, unsure of who was the ‘taxiarhos’, and who was the consort, They both got out of the bed and Vox found a set of armored plates sitting on the floor by her hooves.

“I shall take my leave while you ready yourself,” he bowed and left the room.

“I don’t like this,” Vox began, with her horn lighting up. “I think all of these ponies are shadows. It’s like the lake is getting stronger everytime we go in. First the shadows were trees, and now they’re full on ponies.”

“I don’t like it either. I have a feeling watching Celestia get killed was just the start of Ivory Shields fears.” Blaze said trying not to picture what they had witnessed earlier.

“Yeah, I know it was all fake, but I can’t get that image out of my head,” Vox sighed. “But we have more important things to worry about. Do you think I should go to the meeting?”

Blaze stopped to consider the possibilities for a moment. “I think you should. Hopefully we’ll learn something about what’s going on.”

“And what if I get attacked?” Vox questioned.

“I think you and Morgana are more than a match for a bunch of shadows. But if you’re worried I can use some of the magic you taught me to monitor your thoughts while you’re in the meeting. Then if anything goes wrong, I can come running.”

“Alright,” Vox fastened the armor, and examined the crest on the breastplate. It was unfamiliar to her, two horns crossed over what appeared to be the same crest Ivory Shield had shown them in Cidergrove. “Well, here goes nothing.”

Vox walked over to the door stopping when Blaze called out to her, “You know, this room isn’t half bad. The two of us should take a trip to Canterlot sometime.”

“You always pick the strangest times to ask me on dates,” Vox said slipping out of the door.

Once outside she found the pony who had previously spoken to them waiting at attention. “Shall we proceed to the war room?”

Vox prepared her most authoritative voice, “Yes, lead the way.”

The Canterlot palace was in miserable shape, several of the high towers had collapsed crushing some of the smaller rooms of the castle. Other sections had holes punched in the walls and roofs alike. As they continued the walk, Vox noted the large amount of ponies walking about in armor; all of which were unicorns.

The pony led Vox to the courtyard outside of the throne room. Gigantic boulders littered the space, most of which were deeply buried in the soil. Although it was faint Vox could feel Blaze’s presence in her mind. He wasn’t skilled enough in telepathy to speak to her from this distance, but just having him there was soothing.

She climbed the steps to the throne room door, the guards briefly saluted and then opened it to let her in. In the center of the room was a rectangular wooden table with maps stretched across it.

“Lady Vox,” A female unicorn greeted her, “I hope you enjoyed your rest. I was hesitant to disturb you, but I am afraid I need your assistance.” Judging from the way everypony was acting Vox assumed this to be the commander, although she wished she remembered the word the other pony had used for her.

“Not a problem my lady, how may I help?” Vox responded.

“I’ll skip to the heart of the matter,” She pointed to a spot on the map in front of her. “Do you know what this is?”

Vox immediately recognized the area as the Everfree Forest, although she couldn’t quite place the name of the town. “That’s the edge of the Everfree Forrest.” Vox answered.

“That’s partially correct, what I have more interest in is the town specifically. It goes by the name of Ponyville. Until very recently it has remained neutral in this civil war. I have a few spies stationed there who have reported that the earth pony faction is trying to make a move for it. Ponyville’s neutrality has helped us to this point. It’s a fairly important location tactically and we haven’t had to worry about it, but that’s could all change soon. We will be seizing the town before the earth ponies have a chance. I want you to lead one of the battalions.”

Vox quickly put the situation together in her head. It seemed that Ivory Shield’s fear was civil war in Equestria. Given the circumstances there didn’t seem to be any other option than to accept the offer of command. “Of course, is there anything else you would have me do?” She asked feeling as if this was all part of some elaborate game.

“That is all for now, you may take leave once more,” The unicorn returned to her maps and Vox went to rejoin Blaze.

…

“That is your mission. Do you understand?” A bearded earthpony asked Arata and Camphor. They had both woken up in a pile of hey, and were quickly rounded up by a pony who claimed to be “military police.” They were led to a farm house which had been turned into a makeshift command room. They were greeted by a commander who informed them that they were two of the best spies in the Caballus Rouge, and were to be sent on a deep cover mission to Ponyville.

“I think so,” Arata mumbled. He had a strong feeling the pony he was talking to was in fact a shadow, a point he wasn’t very happy about. “We’ll head out as soon as possible.”

Camphor and Arata both half-heartedly saluted and exited the room.

“Soooo whyyy are weee playing along with the shadowwwss?” Camphor asked.

“I don’t want to upset this many of them without the rest of the team,” Arata explained, “the rest of the team doesn’t have any healing magic, and there’s no way of knowing what kind of situation they’re in.”

“Gooot it. I should have given out the vials I packed before we walked through the door, but I got caught up in all of the excitement,” Camphor apologized.

“Don’t worry about it,” Arata firmly assured him. They watched as a patrol of ponies walked by wearing olive drab shirts and matching hats. “We should head out; we need to find the others as quickly as possible.”

They set out on the hike to Ponyville, passing through the group’s camp. The rows of tents that lined the area were reminiscent of those that the E.W.E.F. employed. The fighting force didn’t seem to be well equipped especially if they were planning to fight against unicorns and pegasai. Although it was hard to deny what they lacked in gear they made up for in sheer numbers. There were hundreds of ponies at this camp alone, and if each one was a shadow the odds weren’t looking good for the team.

“Soo thissss is Ivory Shieeelld’sss fear, a civil war in Equestria. Ya knooooow I can’t believe the lake is capable of doing something like this. Every little detail is just sooo elaborraatee.” Camphor said inspecting some of the local plants, “Like these, they’re a plant I studiiieeed, and eveerrryy littlee detail is, like, perfect.”

“When we first came here we were in Nippony, and it was exactly as I remembered it,” Arata added as they continued down the trail toward Ponyville.

The hike there took hours, although it was never clear how much time had actually passed while they were in the lake. They followed a road, and short of the “ponies” they had seen earlier there were no signs of shadows.

Coming over a shallow hill Arata and Camphor got their first view of Ponyville.

“Iiiit looookss exaccctllly like Foalsdale,” Camphor said. Too Arata’s shock he didn’t seem surprised at this. “It looks like the lake can only uuuusssseee things we know, like those plants we saw.”

“That makes sense from everything I’ve seen so far,” Arata agreed. “Better get started on our ‘spy mission’.” They headed into town with the hope that they would find their friends soon.

…

Compass Rose woke up on a cloud bed. Although she was a pegasus it had been years since she had returned home to Cloudsdale, and while she was with the E.W.E.F. she felt closer to the team sleeping in a tent like everypony else. Shifting her weight uncomfortably she lightly flapped her wings and floated out of bed.

She scanned the room trying to figure out just where she was. Familiar pillars greeted her along with a few chests scattered around the room. It felt just like the rooms at flight school. A set of armor was resting at the foot of her bed. She floated over to it and lifted the helmet noticing that the right was etched with some kind of rank insignia and below it, her cutie mark.

There was a knock on her door. Unsure of where she was, or what could be at the door she scrambled for her machete, but to her dismay it wasn’t anywhere to be found. Thinking quickly she ran through her memory of summoning a Persona, but with her panicked state she couldn’t remember what exactly she had done to call it the first time.

The door opened and Compass Rose prepared for the worst, shifting into an unbalanced fighting stance.

“Rose, what’s taking you so long?” Ivory Shields Familiar voice called.

“Oh, thank Celestia,” Compass Rose let out a sigh of relief shifting back to a normal position. “Where are the others? We need to get out of here now.” Compass Rose looked at the armor Ivory Shield was wearing. It was different from her usual guard armor. The plume on the helmet was shifted 90 degrees. Additionally it held a similar rank insignia to the one on Rose’s helmet, although it was much more elaborate. It was also inscribed with Ivory Shield’s cutie mark; given her fondness for wearing her armor, it was a rare sight. The shield was flat on top and came to a sharp point at the base. It was a shimmering gray. Resting on top of it were two crossing white tusks. That portion of her armor had been painstakingly painted to match the actual mark, a service that Compass Roses armor had not been given.

“You should show more reverence to the former Princess.” Ivory Shield scolded, “The others are in the briefing room waiting for us. Hurry up and put your armor on so we can go meet them,” Ivory Shield gestured to the armor before closing the door.

“Wait, Ivory! Come back here,” Compass Rose shouted, but it seemed she was either being ignored, or Ivory Shield had already left.

Although she wasn’t sure what was going on, she at least knew where Ivory Shield was. She put on the armor and left the room. Ivory Shield was standing in the hallway a short distance away.

“Ivory, we need to talk, what’s going on here. Did the shadows hurt you?” Compass Rose asked. “Sorry, you probably don’t know what any of this is, but I can explain that when we find the others.”

“I don’t know what has gotten into you. First, you sleep in through the morning briefing, and now you’re trying to get out of the next one? I expect better out of my Centurion,” Ivory shield didn’t face Compass Rose as she spoke.

“Ivory, what are you talking-” Compass Rose was harshly interrupted.

“Centurion, you will refer to me as Ma’am or Imperial Legate. Do you understand?” Ivory Shield still faced away from Compass Rose.

“Yes… ‘Ma’am’,” Rose echoed. This whole situation seemed off. Everything from where they were to the way Ivory Shield was acting was unnerving. What made the situation all the more stressful was the nagging feeling that everything she saw could be a shadow. She had heard the stories form Arata, Blaze, Vox, and Camphor, all of which indicated that nothing should be trusted when they were in the lake. She tried one more time to summon her Persona. It seemed it would be best to defend herself rather than keep her cover, but it was no use. She couldn’t focus enough to call Lady in Waiting.

Compass Rose followed Ivory Shield down the hallway, all the while looking for any hint this wasn’t the real thing. They approached a door with two pegasus guards standing outside. With a crisp salute they greeted Ivory Shield, and opened the door.

They entered the room to find three other pegasai waiting for them. One sat in a cloud throne, he head resting on one hoof. Standing in front of her were two pegasai one blue, the other yellow. Both were wearing full sets of armor. One matched Ivory Shield’s, and the other matched Compass Rose’s.

“Welcome to the meeting Ivory,” The pony directly in front of the throne snidely commented.

Ivory Shield ignored the comment and proceeded to walk up to the throne. Compass Rose followed with some hesitation. “Ivory Shield reporting for duty,” she snapped to attention and flashed a salute to the pony in the throne.

“Imperial Legate, you are to lead your army to Ponyville and secure it for me.” The mare lazily stated. “I have chosen you over Ebony Blade because of your experience. Do not fail me, or I shall have her dispatch you.” The mare next to Ivory Shield smiled thinly, her white teeth showing prominently against her dark grey coat.

“Understood my Emperor,” Ivory Shield bowed and turned to face Compass Rose. “Centurion, make preparations to leave immediately.”

“Um, okay… ma’am,” Compass Rose said half-heartedly saluting. Ivory Shield issued a frown of disapproval before leaving the room.

“Centurion,” Ivory began as they walked down the hallway, “I have an important mission for you. Ponyville has been a target of the empire for some time due to its location. In order to ensure that we capture it, I am sending you in before the rest of the force arrives.”

“What could I possible do there?” Compass Rose asked.

“Ponyville is unique in that earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasai live together. You will have no trouble blending in and securing intelligence. You are to leave immediately,” She concluded.

“Ivory, I don’t like this. We shouldn’t split up. And why are you even working with these ‘ponies’?” Compass Rose tried once more to reason with her.

“Because, it’s the only way for me to get the power I need to save Equestria.” She stated firmly. “You are to leave immediately.” Ivory Shield spread her wings and flew off before Compass Rose could try to say anything else.

‘Looks like I’m going to Ponyville,’ Compass Rose thought to herself still trying to figure out exactly where she was and how exactly she would get there.

…

“So that’s the plan. Got it, ‘consort’,” Vox teased Blaze as the pair walked from the unicorn camp towards Ponyville.

“Seems pretty simple, try to find the others at each faction’s camp, or wait for them to show up in Ponyville for the ‘battle’,” Blaze summarized.

“Yep, and if what that shadow told me is true, we should have no problems sneaking into Ponyville.” Vox added.

The pair had been walking for almost an hour and they had finally reached the edge of the town.

“And it looks exactly like Foalsdale. I knew it!” Blaze smugly proclaimed.

“Looks like the theory about the lake only using what we know was right on the money.” Vox smiled. “They even used Penzance’s speech from Everfree a few times, ‘It is a most unique town. Earth ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasai all living together.’”

The walked further into town decided to see just how detailed this simulation was. First they stopped by the town library, and despite the lack of anypony present, it seemed to be identical to Foalsdale’s. Next they went to the bakery, this time there were a few ponies standing in line, and one behind the counter. Finally they made a stop at the diner.

They walked in watched to see if any of the shadows started to act up. To their relief they all acted as usual. The diner was surprisingly crowded, and this kept both of them on edge.

“Hey, over there,” Blaze heard through some of the chatter. In an effort to better blend in Blaze had left his machete at the camp. He reached out with his mind and began to communicate with Vox. His telepathic ability was still weak, but noticing what was going on, Vox used a small amount of her magic to help. ‘I head somepony calling out in our direction. Get your pistol ready.’

‘Right,’ Vox thought back, ‘What about our Personas?’

‘If this simulation has any rules, which I’m not sure it does, using weapons should be okay in a war situation. Personas would be an instant give away and may cause all of the shadows to attack.’ Blaze concluded.

‘That sounds too risk-’ Vox broke the connection.

“Thank Celestia it’s you two,” Arata’s familiar voice announced.

“Arata, Camphor? What are you doing here,” Vox said with a heavy sigh of relief.

“We were sent by the earth ponies to be spies or something,” Arata said.

“How do I know you are actually Arata and Camphor?” Blaze asked without any hint of subtlety. “The lake duplicated everything else pretty well. How do I know you two aren’t part of that?”

“Leave that to me,” Vox’s horn lit up once more. “Camphor is the real deal. Now onto Arata,” She turned to face him horn still alight. “And that is Arata. Shadows thoughts aren’t very complicated; it’s more like raw emotion. These two are actually thinking.”

“Why did you two just walk up to us?” Blaze asked a bit disappointed by his friends’ lack of caution. “What if we were shadows?”

“Well, with Camphor’s healing and all of my Personas we figured we would have been safe even if you were shadows.” Arata smiled reassuringly

“Great kid… Don’t get cocky.” Blaze admonished him slightly; but smiled. Lately Arata had been showing just how much he had changed since he came to Equestria. It gave Blaze a warm feeling of pride. “Well that’s four of six. We need to figure out how to find the last two.” Blaze concluded.

“Looks like we won’t have to wait long,” Vox gestured to the entrance as he horn lit up once more.

Compass Rose floated into the dinner and scanned the room once. Noticing the rest of her friends she wasted no time flying over to them.

“And that’s the real Compass Rose. Good timing everypony,” Vox relaxed.

“I can’t believe you four are here,” Compass Rose began frantically, “Ivory Shield’s gone crazy. She thinks that she’s the second in command of some kind of army. She sent me here to ‘gather intelligence,’ or something. I haven’t been able to summon my Persona because I’ve been on edge the entire time. Some kind of war is about to break out, did we just see Princess Celestia die? Is this all in the lake? What is going on? This is crazy what am I doing here?!” None of the shadows in the room seemed to notice her outburst. All of them continued to act like ponies would. With a pat on the back from Arata, Compass Rose let out a prolonged breath. “Sorry, this is just a lot to take in.”

“Well I hate to say it, but now what we’re in here the only way out is to get Ivory Shield to beat her shadow.” Arata calmly informed her, knowing that he too had shared similar anxiety with the lake.

“Aaaand to answeeer your questions,” Camphor unexpectedly began, “Weeee saw her die, but that wasn’t really Celestia. Yeaahh we are in the lake. It looks like Ivory Shields fear has something to do with civil war in Equestria. And you’re here to saaaaveee one of your friends, because you’re liikkeee one of five ponies who can.” Camphor smiled faintly at Compass Rose, and the gesture seemed to help her relax.

“Well said Comphor,” Blaze continued, before Compass Rose had a chance to respond. “Rose can you explain exactly what was happening with Ivory? Then we can come up with a plan for snapping her out of it.”

Compass Rose composed herself the best she could and began. “She thinks she is the leader of an all pegasus army, and she’s on her way with the to ‘capture Ponyville.’”

“Just like the orders I was given,” Vox added.

“That’s weird,” Arata said gesturing to Camphor, “We were just supposed to be spies.”

“The big problem I have with this situation is we don’t know what the ‘main shadow’ is.” Blaze went through all of the past situations in the lake. Each time the shadow had presented itself to the group, but now it seemed like there was more to it. The situation had become more of a drama, than any of the previous encounters. “Our first goal should be to get Ivory Shield away from the shadows. That way we can at least keep her safe.”

“She should be here within the next few hours.” Compass Rose said, “But I doubt she’ll just come with us.”

“Well we have Personas,” Arata said jokingly, “I don’t think we need to worry about her putting up a fight.”

“I’m with Arata,” Vox added, “It’s really for her own safety.”

“I think there’s a good chance the shadow will show up once we get to her, if Rose’s experience works toward the pattern,” Blaze said. “So we should make sure we’re ready to take on every shadow here before we start this.”

“My machete was missing when I woke up,” Arata said.

“Mine too,” Added Compass Rose.

“I have mine at our base camp, but that’s the only extra one I know of.” Blaze commented.

“Why not use some of the weapons that your army has?” Compass Rose asked.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Arata cautioned her, “If the lake created them. It can just as easily take them away. I don’t think I need my machete; my Persona’s should be able to keep me safe. But I do think we need something for you.” Arata said. It was her first time in the lake and there was no telling what could happen.

“She can have mine,” Blaze added. “Man at Arms is all I need.”

“Riiiiiggghhhtt ooonn,” Camphor said to Blaze, “And I’ll be able to heal everypony.”

“Do you know where the camp will be Rose?” Arata asked. “

“No, but if I think I’m calm enough to summon my Persona now. She should be able to spot it and Ivory Shield.” She answered.

“Right, let’s get started then.” Arata said and received swift nods from each member of the group.

…

Lady in Waiting floated above the rest of the group, with Compass Rose safely inside its glass orb. The team waited patiently as she scanned the surrounding area. Almost twenty minutes had passed before she finally landed.

“It’s in this direction,” she pointed of to the west. “There are probably 50 or so shadows with her. They don’t feel very strong though.”

“What do you mean?” Vox asked.

“Well it’s hard to explain, but I could kind of feel their strength. All of them seemed to be really weak, especially compared to what I felt from you guys.” She explained.

“Right, then we shouldn’t waste time,” Blaze said readying the little equipment he had and handing Compass Rose his machete.

“Let’s move out!” Arata shouted.

They arrived at the Pegasai camp as it was being assembled. Ivory Shield was standing in the center barking orders at the ponies that darted about. The team had decided that Blaze and Arata would cause a distraction by attacking the shadows on the edge of camp, while Camphor and Vox grabbed Ivory Shield. All the while Compass Rose would be supporting them with her Persona from above.

The attack began with Compass Rose calling for her Persona and flying high above the camp. Next the two groups move into position. Compass Rose called out to Blaze and Arata and they began their attack.

Arata was the first into the camp calling for Taliesin. The first two ponies were caught off guard and a quick blast of wind reduced them to black puddles. Blaze wasn’t far behind with Man at Arms ploughing through six of the shadows at once.

Seconds after the attack had begun the shadows had already forsaken their disguises. From across the camp Morgana’s ice attacks easily dispatched most of the floating twins in her path.

Compass Rose used her Persona to mark Ivory Shield for the rest of the group. Some of the shadows had started to attack her, she did her best to hold them off with kicks but she was quickly pinned to the ground. Relying on Camphor’s healing, Vox charged into the fray with Morgana, she let of shots into several of the shadows, and when she was close enough, a wave of frost shot out from her Persona destroying the shadows on top of Ivory Shield. Wasting no time, Compass Rose’s Persona swept down and pulled Ivory Shield into its orb.

“I’ve got her,” Compass Rose signaled to the rest of the team. Compass Rose flew up the clouds and began the process of snapping Ivory Shield out of her delusion.

“What are you doing Centurion?! We were under attack and you would come and take me from a fight?!” Ivory Shield yelled frantically. Although Rose was able to keep her from moving around with some of Lady In Waiting’s spells, getting her to listen to anything she had to say, was a much different story.

“Ivory... you need to listen to me,” Compass Rose began as patiently as she could, “Shadows are about to start attacking us, and you are the only one who’s going to stop them!”

“No, let me go! I need to stop this war!” Ivory Shield shouted kicking and thrashing with increasing ferocity.

“Just look down!” Compass Rose pleaded, “I know you’re not you right now, but do those things look like ponies?”

Ivory Shield stared into the battle unfolding below. Between the four powerful Persona users, these shadows didn’t stand a chance. Blasts of magic accompanied by Blaze’s devastating physical attacks made short work for the remaining shadows. Watching all of the fighting and hearing the primal screams for the shadows reminded Ivory Shield of the moment of her greatest failure, the moment Princess Celestia was killed.

Her eyes widened, and she began to breathe rapidly, “Those…” the speed of the breathing increased, “those are the things that killed Celestia… Is... is everypony here one of those?”

“Except the five of us form the E.W.E.F.” Compass Rose assured her. “We came here to save you, you fell into the lake we explore and it brought you here. None of it is real. It’s all just your fears.”

Ivory Shield raised her head and scanned the environment as a whole and saw each camp was now a hive of shadows. “I see now. Sorry Rose. I don’t know what came over me.”

Compass Rose let out a relieved sigh, “You’re finally back!”

“I don’t think we have time to celebrate,” Ivory Shield interrupted, “Look down there.” Sure enough a wall of shadows was less than a mile away from the group on the ground and was closing in fast. “Rose, let me go. I think I know what I have to do.”

Compass Rose nodded and without a word and the sphere opened.

…

Down below the team was preparing for the torrent of Shadows about to hit them. While Arata had no doubt they would be able to survive the first few waves, if this dragged on, they could very well lose.

“Ivory Shield!” Vox shouted into the air. The team shifted their gaze and saw the pony flying towards the swarm. “What are you doing?!”

With some assistance from Compass Rose Ivory was able to communicate with the rest of the team. “I’m finishing this.”

She paused in the air just in front of the swarm.

“You think you can just break me like that?!” Ivory Shield held out a hoof and glared straight into the mass of shadows. Her eyes flickered with anger, and wings flapped menacingly behind her, lazily holding her in the air.

‘Thou art I…”

A tarot card silently appeared in front of her outstretched hoof.

‘And I am thou…’

“I’ll show you the wrath of the Royal Guard!”

The card shattered as she cast her outstretched hoof to the side.

“Come, Dragoon!”

An armored white Pegasus floated behind her. Each plate ended in a decorative flare tipped with an amethyst gem. From the shroud of its helmet all that could be seen were its two blue eyes. Its wings appeared to be part of the Persona’s armor, each feather coming to a razor sharp edge. Two bucklers were attached to its two front hooves, each one bore Ivory Shields cutie mark.

She slowly raised her hoof into the air. With her signal her Persona leapt into the air and flew directly above the mass of shadows. She dropped her hoof, and her Persona fell from the sky slamming into the ground with its shields. The impact let out a blast of almighty force, creating a white ball that seemed to engulf the entire area. As the light cleared, it was replaced with dust and debris, before finally fading once more to reveal the exit back to the real world.

Ivory Shield landed and the rest of the team had quickly caught up with her.

“You five, have a lot to tell me when we get back to camp,” She scolded them momentarily and then paused, “But you did come all this way to save me, so I can’t be too mad about it.”

“We’ll tell you everything,” Arata promised. “To leave, we just go through that door.”

Ivory Shield nodded, and took the step out, followed by the rest of the group.

…

Back in Ivory Shields tent, Blaze had begun explaining the events of the past few months to her. The only part of the story that Ivory Shield had any difficulty believing is that Penzance would have lied to her about Autumn Tail.

“I’m going to need to report this to Shining Armor.” She stated with a conviction Blaze hadn’t seen before. “My first report was wrong, and I’m going to make it right… if they even believe me.”

“You should do what you think is right,” Arata agreed. “It’s possible we’re in completely over our heads here.”

“As long as it doesn’t make it back to the ponies in Foalsdale I have no problem with it,” Blaze agreed. “I wouldn’t want a panic in the town.”

“I can arrange for that,” Ivory Shield nodded, “I don’t think you guys did a bad job handling this situation. As much as I hate to say it, if everything you said about how Autumn Tail died is true, it means everyone in town is a lot safer than if we had a bunch of timberwolves on the prowl.”

“Well, I guess that only leaves one question. Are you going to help us?” Vox asked.

“Of course, did you see how quickly I destroyed those shadows?” Ivory Shield chuckled.

“Wow, you got back to your normal self faster than any of us.” Arata praised her.

“Well it’s no secret that’s my fear, any pony in the guard could have told ya’ that.” She proclaimed. “But I don’t think without you guys to snap me out of that I would have survived. So really, thank you.”

The team was getting bigger, and with each new member Arata could feel their bonds growing in strength. What started out as just Arata and Blaze had now turned into the E.W.E.F exploration team. Arata was proud, although what they did wasn’t always easy, it was rewarding to see every pony together.

Chapter 24: The Empress

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The morning after the incident, Ivory Shield flew directly to Canterlot to revise her report with Shining Armor. She had departed before anypony else had woken up, and had left a brief note for Penzance explaining what exactly she intended to say. Since then, four days had passed. During the morning briefing, Penzance announced that he needed to speak to the team in his tent. Arata had spent most of previous days with Compass Rose trying to help her understand the lake and putting more of her worries to rest; this time the anxiety was focused on whether or not they would be punished for keeping the lake’s powers a secret. Camphor had spent most of his time in the swamps collecting plants with Blaze, who had recently taken an interest in natural remedies. Vox had kept to herself more than usual, spending most of her time packing equipment and reorganizing her tent. She seemed nervous and would dodge the question when asked about it.

An hour after the morning briefing, the team gathered inside the command tent. Penzance was waiting inside wearing his full guard regalia.

“Ah, excellent, I am glad you are all here,” Although barely visible through his helmet, the group could see a faint smile on his face. “Ivory Shield will be with us momentarily.”

Arata wondered why Penzance was wearing his armor, and what exactly was about to happen to them. Although before he had a chance to sate his curiosity, Ivory Shield entered the tent.

“Attention!” Penzance shouted, snapping into perfect posture.

The team spared brief glances at one another before following his lead. Blaze and Vox were the most comfortable in the position, Arata and Compass rose were passable at best, and Camphor didn’t have any noticeable change in posture.

“Thank you sir,” Ivory Shield began in in her most proper tone. She slowly paced her way in front of the group taking wide and measured steps. “Upon reviewing my revised report, Shining Armor concluded that the best course of action was to have me take a direct part in ensuring the safety of those in Foalsdale. Your intervention to this point has been commendable, and upon review of the information gathered by Blaze, he decided that you are not to blame for Autumn Tail’s death. Although because this power you-” Ivory Shield broke off for a moment, “We possess. He determined we have no choice but to induct you all into the EUP Guard. That is why you have all been called here today.”

She turned to look at Penzance and with his nod continued, “I hereby enact the Writ of Conscription. Your service has been deemed necessary for the safety of Equestria. Penzance, if you will.” She nodded to Penzance who promptly stepped forward and handed each pony a rolled scroll.

Arata was the first to receive the scroll. He didn’t know what to make of the whole situation. On one hoof he was relieved that the situation had worked out so well, on the other he was now being brought into the Guard with no say in the matter.

Next was Blaze. Penzance let out a small sigh when he gave Blaze his scroll. After all, years ago he had rejected Blaze’s application into the guard. It had seemed that now everything had come full circle. Blaze accepted the scroll feeling as melancholic as the old guard captain.

Vox took the Writ from her adoptive father, looking at him with traces of tears forming in her eyes. Regardless of the situation, being inducted into the guard was an honor, and having your father administer the ceremony, made it all the more emotional.

Compass Rose accepted the scroll, with a sigh of relief. Of all the things that could have happened, this was certainly not the worst possible thing. She still felt as if she had been swept up into something that she wasn’t ready for, but it was her duty to use this power to protect everypony. And if this is what it took, she would do it.

Camphor looked at the Writ being offered to him, unsure if he should accept it given his pacifist nature. Penzance met Camphor’s uncertain eyes and with a firm nod, which gave him some encouragement. After a small internal struggle, he extended his hoof and accepted the scroll.

“Welcome to the Guard everypony,” Ivory Shield said with the same formal voice. She then relaxed, removed her helmet, and addressed the group as she normally did. “I was just going to tell you that you had been conscripted, but Penzance insisted we have a more formal ceremony. Given the short notice, this was the best we could put together.”

“Although this may not be what all of you wanted; I can assure each of you that you will not regret this.” Penzance said firmly, trying his best to ease the tensions in the room.

“So, do we need to be trained now?” Arata asked. He had signed up to be an adventurer, not a soldier, and after hearing Penzance’s war story, he’d like to keep it that way.

“No, you’re conscripts, not traditional Guardsponies.” Ivory Shield explained, “You were recruited to help me with this problem specifically, and because you only have powers in the lake, if this ends you should be free to go.”

“That’s aaaaa relieeff,” Camphor sighed. “Iii didn’t really like the idea of being sooooo involved with viiiolencee.”

“Before anypony asks, this also doesn’t mean I’m in charge here. I have, by far, the least experience with this so you will function as you have to this point.” Ivory Shield added, “That’s part of the reason you were all conscripted. All that this really changes is that you now answer to the guard instead of, well, nopony.”

After thanking Ivory Shield and Penzance, the team left the tent and went back to their business. Camphor decided that he needed to go home and ‘mellow out’ for the rest of the day. Blaze went to write a letter to send to his mom in Canterlot. Compass Rose informed the group that the last rain of the season was scheduled for this evening, and after that it would be nothing but snow until Winter Wrap Up.

“Arata, would you mind coming by my tent? I have something that I’d like to give you.” Vox said softer than she usually spoke.

“Sure,” Arata agreed following Vox’s lead.

They entered the tent and Vox walked over to her desk. It was less cluttered than usual, only one radio rested on the table.

Vox walked over to it and silently held it at eye level for a moment. In a somewhat timid voice she began to speak, “I’ve been thinking about what we talked about, about giving up control, and well, you’re right. What just happened would have driven me crazy a few months ago. Being thrust into the guard without any say in the matter, but lately, I’ve been trying to let go, just a little bit.” She set the radio down and turned to face Arata. “I’ve come to realize that I really can’t control everything, and after looking back on everything, sometimes it’s just made things worse.”

“I’m glad you’re able to reflect like that,” Arata tapped into all of his understanding, “I know it can’t be easy.”

“If it weren’t for you, I probably would have never thought to change, so I want you to have this.” Vox levitated the radio over to Arata. “It’s the radio you used to see me working on. I made some modifications to it over the past few days. Its range is a lot longer and it has a direct link with mine. You’ve become one of my closest friends, and I want you to have a way to stay in touch.”

Arata extended his hoof and accepted the gift.

Arata felt a voice calling to him from the distance. ‘Thou art I… And I am thou… Thou hast established a genuine bond… These Genuine bonds… shall light the path that lies before you. We bestow upon thee the ability to create Isis, the ultimate form of the Empress Arcana…’

“Oh, I forgot to ask earlier, but are you free to go out to Fillydelphia this weekend? We’ll need to get out clothes started for the Gala!” Vox said changing her tone slightly, although it still had somber undertones. “We should meet up with the others at the diner after the rain and see if that will work for everypony. I want to try to make the trip soon, because, can you keep a secret?” Vox asked.

“Yeah, what is it?” Arata asked.

“Well, and Blaze can’t hear about this, I’ve been planning him a surprise trip to Canterlot for Hearts Warming Eve, it’s less than a month away, and I want to make sure the Fillydelphia trip doesn’t clash with it.”

“That sounds like fun, I’ll make sure Blaze doesn’t find out.” Arata assured her. “But isn’t that close to when the next pony will fall into the lake?” He asked more than a little concerned.

“It’s eight days before, if the pattern keeps up, we’ll be back in time for sure.”

“Are you sure?” Arata asked just to be safe.

“Of course,” Vox said reassuringly. “I’m sure Blaze would kill me if we weren’t.”

“I should take care of some work before it starts raining,” Arata said excusing himself, “I’ll see the rest of you at the diner around, umm... eight tonight?”

“Yeah, the rain should be clear by then,” Vox agreed.

…

The rain started just as Arata returned home. It looked like the pegasus ponies were making this last downpour one to remember.

“Arata!” Marigold excitedly squeaked, “A letter came in for you!” She ran up to him and gave him a letter from Nippony.

“Wow, that came quickly,” Arata said, “Thank you.”

Arata went up to his room and opened the letter.

‘Senpai,

I can’t believe it, you’ve been over there for less than a year, and you’re already rolling in mares, and got to go to Canterlot during Nightmare Moon’s return. I bet you’ve already got your cutie mark in exploration! I do have to say Senpai all of those girls sounded pretty great, except that one Caroline, she seems a bit crazy.

To be honest Senpai, I wish I was having half the luck you have with dealing with ponies. Once you left, I just went back to being my usual self. I’ll go out every now and then, but other than that I don’t really have many friends (and you can forget about a very special somepony). I’m a shut in. How do you do it Senpai? It sounds like you became a totally different pony once you got to Equestria.

TEACH ME YOUR WAYS SENSEI

Hitorikko’

Arata spent more than an hour writing his response. When it was finished it was over three pages long. He tried to capture everything he had learned from his social links, and all of the lessons that Caroline had taught him, while removing all of the unbelievable parts about the Velvet Room and Personas. He also explained that his cutiemark was nowhere to be found despite everything he had done since he arrived in Equestria.

His friend’s want for help, and his choice to turn to Arata for it, showed Arata that their bond was growing stronger.

…

The rain stopped around seven, giving Arata plenty of time to drop the letter at the post office on his way to the diner. Camphor joined him on the errand and then the two met with the rest of the team.

Vox and Compass Rose were clearly the most excited of the group. From the sound of the conversation when Arata walked up to the table they had already done a lot of thinking of the style of dress they each preferred.

“Okay, okay, now that everypony’s here we can get started with the planning!” Vox said excitedly. “So are there any problems with making the trip this weekend?”

“I checked with Penzance, he said I won’t be needed,” Blaze said.

“Me too! The weather is supposed to be clear and I don’t think they need any help with cloudbursting.” Compass Rose added.

“I can make it too,” Camphor smiled.

“So can I,” Arata nodded.

“And I can too, although I won’t be buying a dress. I'll be wearing my armor.” Ivory Shield said.

“Oh c'mon Ivory,” Compass Rose said, “I’m sure at the end of your shift you can change into it. Besides don’t you want to have something pretty to wear?”

“Are you implying that my armor isn’t pretty?” Ivory Shield said menacingly.

“I’m sure there’s a stallion out there into that kind of thing, but yeah that’s what she’s saying,” Vox chuckled and Ivory Shield joined in the laughter.

“I guess adding a dress to my wardrobe couldn’t hurt.” Ivory Shield admitted, “Maybe I’ll even get a chance to wear it.”

“Right,” Blaze began, “The three of us will need to get suits too”

“And yours needs to match my dress,” Vox reminded, “Which is why Rose and I have looked into some of clothiers in Fillydelphia and picked one out! It’s smaller than most of the others, but you should see what they have made. Aaaaand I already made us an appointment to talk about designs and to take our measurements!”

“You’re lucky we were all free,” Ivory Shield commented.

“It all worked out in the end,” Rose said in defense.

“Well then, it sounds like we have a plan,” Arata said eagerly, “An expensive plan… I need to go check I have enough money for this.”

“Meeee toooo,” Camphor said.

“Well then I think that’s everything!” Vox exclaimed, “I can’t wait, this is going to be so much fun.”

The conversation carried on as they ate a lite dinner. Arata could feel the group really starting to come together, and he couldn’t help but wonder how this whole journey would end.

Chapter 25: Fillydelphia

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The first time Arata saw Fillydelphia, he remembered the awe he felt when he had first seen Canterlot. Although it lacked the royal flair that Canterlot was so famous for, Fillydelphia more than made up for it with its size and population. The buildings seemed to go higher than any of the clouds, and what was more impressive to Arata was the number of ponies who lived here. Although, Blaze had told him that Fillydephia was much smaller and less populated than Manehattan, it was hard to believe. This was by far the largest city Arata had ever been to, and it wasn’t an experience he was likely to forget.

The trip was scheduled to last for two days, the first day, the girls and Blaze, would go over designs for clothing. Then the next day Arata and Camphor would go over their designs.

The clothier was only three blocks from the hotel they were staying. It was a small shop on the lowest floor of a five story building. All that marked it for passers-by was a small sign reading ‘Éclatant Couture.’ The store’s windows were decorated with dresses and jackets still in the making, ranging from black suits with elegant and colorful ties to multi-layer dresses bearing intricate floral designs.

Ivory Shield, Compass Rose, Vox, and Blaze made their way the short distance to the shop. They were greeted by a unicorn stallion wearing a jacket with a wide collar and striped bow tie. He had a measuring tape draped around his shoulders. His cutiemark was of three spools of thread stacked in a pyramid with a needle resting on the top most spool.

With a deep inhalation, he turned and greeted the group, “Good morning! You must be the ponies getting dresses for the Gala! Oh! I’m just so excited my work will get to go in front of so many high-class ponies. And look at the four of you I have so much potential to work with!”

“Oh, thank you,” Compass Rose blushed.

“Now who would like to go first?” He stared at each one before pausing and putting his hoof to his head. “Oh, how silly of me, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Sartor, I have been a tailor here since I was a little colt. I’ve made dresses and suits for all of the noteworthy ponies here in Fillydelphia.” He looked down the line and pointed to Blaze and Vox, “You two are the couple I was told about, correct?”

Blaze and Vox hadn’t been standing next to each other. In fact they had been on opposite sides of the line.

“Yeah, how’d you know?” Vox asked.

“You both have a Canterlot posture,” He said with a smile, “I’m going to ask that you two go last, since you want to match it will take the most time to coordinate. So that leaves you two, which of you would like to go first?”

“Ivory, you should do it!” Compass Rose exclaimed.

Ivory Shield fidgeted a bit, “I’d rather not. It’s not exactly my ‘thing’. Rose, maybe you should go so I can get an idea of the process.”

Sartor looked at Ivory Shield inquisitively, “No, the best way to get an idea is to go through it! You will go first, I already have inspiration! Come, come I will fetch my sketch pad and we may begin.”

Ivory Shield walked to the set of chairs off to the left side of the shop. To the right, was a small changing area and in the back, the sewing equipment and many of the dresses in progress. The rest of the group sat down on the chairs next to Ivory.

“Now, You are with the guard yes?” The tailor asked watching Ivory closely.

“Affirmative,” She nodded curtly.

“It looks like your posture never breaks; I’ll have to design around that.” He turned to his sketch pad, and quickly drew some rough lines. “What you wear needs to be as stalwart as you are. If we try to mask it with softer lines, it will just draw more attention to your posture, if we go for something ‘poofy’ you will just be uncomfortable.” The pen continued to scribble on the page, “So this is why we will make something familiar.” He levitated the drawing in front of Ivory. “It’s just a simple sketch, but what do you think?”

The design he had sketched, was reminiscent of the uniform she had worn as a cadet in the guard. It had a double set of buttons running along the front, leading into a collar flashier than anything the guard would allow, though not out of place. The front legs were covered by two crisp sleeves, and the end of the dress flared out gently into a skirt.

“Wow,” Ivory Shield gasped. “That’s great. How did you design that so fast?”

“Years of experience my dear; now allow me to take your measurements and we may move onto your friends.” He quickly measured Ivory Shield, making notations next to his sketch.

Compass Rose was up next, she traded seats with Ivory Shield and the process of designing a dress began again.

“You seem to have an idea of what you would like, please share with me!” Sartor said to Rose.

“Well, just a rough idea. I’d like something formal, but not too formal. It really needs to strike the balance between the two. Do you think something like that Is possible for an event like this?”

The tailor smiled and said “Darling, it is my job to make it possible. You are a pegasus, you have the freedom of the skies! We need to capture that and blend it with the formality of the Gala, it will be perfect.” He began to feverishly sketch. For a few minutes he sat silently as he tried to design the perfect dress. Then he broke his silence, “How does this look to you?” Again he showed his client the sketch.

The dress had broad stokes that ran from the shoulders to the tail. The collar hung from the shoulders and formed several folds just below the neck line. The dress had a very simple feel over all, but that made it all the more refined. The back of the dress was lightly pleated, and Sartor had shown how the seams would blend perfectly into the design.

“That’s like, the perfect balance,” She said amazed at how quickly her loose idea was turned into an actual design.

“Excellent! Then I will take your measurements and move on to the happy couple,” He quickly measured Rose the same way he had done for Ivory before speaking once more, “Designing a dress and matching suit may take much longer than the two of yours did.”

“You guys don’t have to hang around,” Vox said politely.

“All right, Rose and I can go hit up a bar. Sartor do you know of any close by?” Ivory asked.

“Yes there is. It’s actually on the third floor. Just take the stair case upstairs and you’ll find it.” He didn’t seem to be giving her his full attention. Instead he was sizing up Blaze and Vox.

Ivory and Rose exited the shop and headed up the stairs.

“Now let us begin! It isn’t often I get to design a matching set like this. Tell me, what do you two want as a theme for the clothing?”

“Well,” Vox began, “We were thinking about a base pattern between the suit and the dress, to show how we are similar. But then set up the accents to show how we are different.”

“I. Love. It.” The clothier exclaimed. “I’m thinking we go with something traditional for the base for both, and then we can add on the individual flair to each! Any pony looking at the two of you will instantly feel your love.”

“I can’t argue with that,” Blaze said eagerly. “I actually had a couple of ideas for the individual flair.”

“I did too,” Vox added.

“Share, share!” Sartor said readying his quill.

Vox gestured for Blaze to go first. “I was thinking of going for a double breasted design. Maybe do a silver trim around the lapel and cuffs.”

“Why not make it a tail coat while we can! It will be splendid.” Sartor suggested.

“I like the sound of that.” Blaze agreed.

“And then I was thinking of adding some silver embroidered patterns to match his. Along with working in one of my headsets or...,” Vox levitated a small device from out of a small bag she carried. “This fits around your neck, and picks up on vibrations in your throat when you talk. I think it would make a neat necklace with a dress too.”

“Mixing technology with classic design, these are the avant-garde ideas that I live for!” He began to feverishly sketch. “I shall make your ideas manifest and magnifique!”

The three spent around an hour as he painstakingly designed the matching outfits. The process was much more complicated than designing one dress. Anytime a design choice had to be made it fell on both Blaze and Vox to reach a consensus before the process could continue. Once the sketch was complete, both of the ponies were more than happy with the design. They said their goodbyes and went to retrieve Ivory and Rose from the bar before heading back to the hotel.

…

While the girls and Blaze were getting fit for their clothing, Camphor had convinced Arata to accompany him to one of his favorite shops in the city. Camphor seemed purposely vague about where it was they were going. The only solid piece of information he got was that there would be food, and they would be spending most of the day there. Since Camphor’s aunt lived in the city he had a surprising amount of knowledge about it.

Camphor led Arata on a two hour long walk away from the hotel. They wove their way out of the commercial district of the city and through a series of side streets. The further out they walked, the smaller the buildings became. Now the buildings and homes, although more densely packed, were the same height and design of those in Foalsdale.

They rounded a corner and Camphor pointed out their destination. At the end of the street was a tea shop, advertising all natural teas, and herbal medicines. The walls were splattered with paint in a tye-dye pattern. And an iron piece sign hung from the door. It was instantly clear to Arata why Camphor had wanted to come here.

“Thiiiiis, is my favorittee tea shop, it’s got everything!” Camphor exclaimed. His shout catching Arata off guard. It wasn’t all that often that Camphor ‘harshed his mellow,’ even when he was shouting.

Camphor opened the door for Arata, who was immediately hit with a wave of smells. It was almost identical to the effect of opening the door to Camphor’s room, although there was clearly more to this smell than just incense.

Inside there was a thin fog clouding the dimly lit space. Chairs and tables filled most of the space, and there were a surprisingly large amount of ponies sipping tea together. They all seemed to be much older than Camphor, possibly Penzance’s age. The walls were lined with drawers reaching to the ceiling with ladders set up along each one to help reach the highest shelves. Camphor stepped in and was quickly greeted by the old mare sitting behind the register by the back wall.

He voice was old and tired, but surprisingly loud, “Hello there Camphor, I didn’t expect to see you back so soon.”

“My frieeend and I wereee in the citttyyyy so I decided to bring him here for some tea,” Camphor explained pulling out a seat at a table for Arata.

“How nice of you, I’ll go get your tea set, it’ll just be a moment,” She slowly walked through a door in the back of the shop.

She came out carrying a simple cast iron teapot and a set of cups, which she gave to Camphor. He walked back over to the table and removed a metal plate from the center. The plate covered a small pit of coals, which Camphor carefully lit before filling the pot with water and placing it over the flame.

“I don’t think I told you this story,” Camphor said pausing to take in the scent of the room, “This is wheerree I got my cutiiieemaarrrrk.”

“Really?” Arata asked.

“Yeaaaah, when I was a kid we came to Fillydelphia to visit my aunt. She’s, like, into herbal medicine too. She brought me here to show me the collection of herbs and explain what each one does,” Camphor gestured to the drawers on each wall. “I got super excited and asked if I could try making something out of them. With her help, and Peace Blossom’s, she’s the mare at the counter, I got to grind my own batch of herbal tea. I spent hours smelling and tasting the herbs until I finally had a perfect blend. I ground it up with a mortar and pestle and set it in boiling water. Once it finished, we all gathered around and tasted it. That’s when I felt a tingling on my flank, and saw my cutiemark.”

“That’s really, ‘swood’!” Arata said, fascinated by the story. Although he used to feel jealous when ponies recounted the stories of how they got cutiemarks, but since his adventure started he had found the stories to be very interesting. They really showed a lot about the pony telling them.

“The swoodest man,” Camphor smiled.

The mare at the counter seemed to have over heard the story, “You know, we keep what you made as a special blend here. We call it the cutiemark special, although we’ve never been able to make it as good as you have.”

“I don’t think I’d be able to duplicate it either,” Camphor said humbly, “That was just the perfect blend. I’m going to grind up something else today, for Arata.” He tipped his head towards his friend, “I’ll call it the adventure mix.”

“You’re in for a treat,” The mare said to Arata.

She went back to the counter and Camphor stood up and started gathering materials from the various drawers. He would open a shelf, smell the ingredients, and if it suited him he would bring a small quantity back to the table. He repeated this process for about 30 minutes while Arata watched, wondering what each component was.

After closing the final drawer he retrieved a mortar and pestle and began slowly mixing the tea. He would mix together various herbs, smell them, grind, and then adjust, repeating this process for every one of the leaves he had chosen. After another 30 minutes of mixing, the tea was ready to be steeped. Camphor placed the leaves into a mesh basket and set it inside the pot. He then put the lid back on and waited patiently. After a few minutes, he removed the leaves and set them aside.

“How can you tell it’s done?” Arata asked.

“I can feel it.” Camphor said closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

He set the two cups in front of the kettle and slowly poured the blend into each one. Then he slid a cup to Arata. The smell immediately overpowered the incense burning all around them. It didn’t smell like any tea Arata had drank before. He raised it to his lips and slowly took a sip.

The taste was incredible. Thanks to the steam, the small sip filled his entire mouth. As he swallowed it he could feel all of his muscles relaxing.

“Woah,” Arata felt a smile forming on his face.

“Right?” Camphor asked in agreement, taking a sip of his own.

Arata took another sip, and then another. Before he knew it the glass was gone.

“I can see why you got your cutiemark,” Arata said slumping back into his chair.

“Ti dekil uoy dalg m’I, naaam sknaht,” Camphor’s response didn’t match his mouth’s movement, or really sound like anything Arata had ever heard.

“Arata, are you okay?” Camphor asked.

Arata stared at Camphor’s matted hair. Each lock was starting to move independently.

“Camphor, your hair…” Arata let out a gasp.

“Oh no…” Camphor said coming to realize what was happening.

The words finally seemed to be reaching Arata. “What? Oh no?” he asked.

“I put a spice in the tea, it’s normally safe for ponies. In some very very very rare cases it can cause an allergic reaction when ingested.

“Allergy?” Arata asked staring again at Camphor’s mane.

“Right, the allergy can range anywhere from an itchy throat, to vivid hallucinations. It’s very important that you don’t move okay? No matter what you see.” Camphor’s warning wasn’t heard.

The room started to spin around Arata, the colors of the shop changing to a still translucent blue. Arata was now floating in a pool of water. It was relaxing, there nothing to see or hear, just a floating feeling. Slowly, drop by drop the water evaporated from under him turning into a fine mist.

‘You shall have what you wish, but be warned there is a cost to your desire’ the wish came from every direction at once. Just as fast as it had come, the whisper faded leaving Arata alone in an unfamiliar alley way. Slowly one of the walls pulsated and a black shadow oozed from it.

Seeing the threat Arata leapt towards the opening to the alley and called for Taliesin, but his Persona never came. Instead the shadow crept closer and closer until Arata had no choice but to turn and run. With every step he took he could see the exit of the alley getting further and further away. Then the whispering started again ‘erised ruoy ot tsoc’. He felt the shadows touch and was quickly sucked into the black mass.

The story in the tea shop was quite different. Arata had stood up and started to run around the store shouting about his Persona. Some of the patrons were concerned and helped Camphor keep Arata in the store. Then with two ponies blocking the entrance Camphor tackled Arata and held him in place so he could ride out the rest of the hallucination in safety.

Floating in the emptiness of the shadow, Arata felt both restless and at rest. For every time the thought of struggling a soft voice called to him asking him to be still. Out of the emptiness a blue balloon swept up to him and without realizing it he appeared in the basket. Unlike the past times he had been in the Velvet Room the balloon wasn’t floating as easily, there seemed to be bumps and turbulence.

“Hello Arata, I have come here to issue you a warning. The cards tell me that you are about to enter very difficult time, for both you and your friends. The coming times will truly test your abilities and bonds,” Igor smiled widely from behind his bloodshot eyes.

“I am truly excited to see how well you handle the coming times,” Caroline added, as the room faded away and Camphor’s face came into view.

“You’re gonna be okay little man,” Camphor kept repeating as Arata became more and more aware of the situation.

“Wha-what happened to me?” Arata asked finally being allowed to stand.

“You had an allergic reaction to one of the ingredients in the tea. You’ve been tripping for almost two hours. How many hooves am I holding up?” Camphor asked raising a single hoof.

“Just one, I think I’m fine now.” Arata said the memories of his hallucination quickly fading.

“Here, drink this,” Camphor said giving him a batch of tea Peace Blossom had brewed. “It’s a cleansing drink; it will flush anything else from your system. It’s safe for anypony to drink, don’t worry.”

Arata hesitantly accepted the drink, his bond with Camphor helping him trust the drink.

“We should head back to the hotel before it gets too late,” Arata said sipping the tea.

“Right,” Camphor agreed. “But first you need to rest. We’ve got an hour to spare so just sit back and relax.”

After waiting until Camphor was sure Arata was alright, the two headed back. At the hotel they found the rest of the group relaxing, with the three girls fondly talking about their dress designs while Blaze was flipping through what appeared to be a sketch book next to a freshly opened bottle of aged cider.

“Welcome back you two,” Vox greeted, momentarily breaking away from the conversation. “Arata, you look exhausted.”

Arata yawned and collapsed onto a couch. “I’ve had a long day.”

Camphor recounted the story to everypony while Arata fell asleep forgetting the last bits of what he had seen while during the tea induced hallucination. The reactions in the room ranged from unamused, for Ivory Shield, to an unbroken and uncharacteristically long fit of laughter for Blaze.

Blaze finished his fit of laughter and looked at Arata asleep on the couch, “We should let the kid rest for now. Good thing he fell asleep in our room.”

…

The next morning Arata and Camphor headed off to get their suits designed. They were greeted with the same vigor and excitement that the other had seen. Arata didn’t seem to be having any side effects from his allergic reaction; except that the events of the tea shop had turned into an indistinguishable blur in his memory.

“So to begin, how many suits do you own? And would you like this to be usable elsewhere or solely for the Gala?” Sartor asked both of his guests.

“I owwnn one, and naaahhh this is just for the Gala for mee,” Camphor answered, followed by a slow yawn.

“I don’t own any, actually,” Arata started, “I wouldn’t mind if it was only for the Gala, I don’t go to formal events very often.”

“If this is going to be your only suit, I will make it the most versatile one you will ever own! It will look spectacular at the Gala or anywhere else you may need it.”

“Okay, that sounds great,” Arata said with a smile.

Sartor began to sketch a design for Arata, “Now, I think we should keep the jacket modest and black, something that will be comfortable in less formal environments. Then for the Gala you will wear a very formal vest underneath it, I will embroider it with a thin red strip going down the left side to match the streak in your mane. Then you will get two ties, one bowtie to wear to the Gala, this will also have the stripe, and one standard tie for all of your other needs. Then I will give you two white shirts to complete the set.”

All of the information was a bit much to take in for somepony unfamiliar with formal attire. Although the sketch he was presented with helped to get the idea across. “Yeah, sure that’s awesome.”

“Wonderful! Now onto you,” He turned his gaze to Camphor. “I notice the flowers in your mane, and your relaxed attitude.” He started to sketch quickly. “I want to give you a completely white suit except for a flower that you will wear in your mane, two you will wear in your cuffs, one on your lapel, all accompanied by a white top hat. It is a bit different, but I think you will wear it splendidly.” He turned the pad to Camphor.

“Raaaaadddiiicaallll!” Camphor agreed. “I love how the color is accented by the white.”

“Exactly! I’m glad you understand the design!” Sartor said readying his measuring tape. “Now once I get your measurements, we will be finished and you can be on your way!”

Arata and Camphor met up with the rest of the team after finishing their appointment. On the journey back, the whole group could only talk about their new suits and dresses. After a busy weekend, Arata felt closer to his entire team, and had a renewed sense of confidence that they would be able to overcome any challenge that came before them.

Chapter 26: Hearts Warming Eve

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Blaze woke up later than he usually did. ‘It’s a weekend,’ he thought, ‘it’s okay if I take a bit of a personal day every now and then.’ He looked over to his clock, it was already 10; he was usually up and busy four hours earlier. He lazily rolled out of bed and walked over to where the E.W.E.F. explorers bathed. To his surprise there weren’t any ponies moving around the camp. He didn’t recall anything about this being mentioned at the morning briefing, and he always paid attention at the morning briefing.

He took a quick shower and headed off to the mess tent to grab a late breakfast before he started on his duties for the day. There wasn’t too much that needed to be done today, mostly just the routine research requests he received from the southern team. This time they found a few types of plants that shouldn’t be native to the area. Blaze was supposed to go through all of the records he had gathered and determine if anypony had attempted to settle the region in the past. Then he would go to Camphor to see if he had any knowledge of the plant itself.

Lazily he entered the tent, and looked around to see that all of the tables had been flipped on their sides.

‘Oh no,’ he thought to himself knowing exactly what was happening.

“Surprise!” A chorus of voices cried out in unison. “Happy birthday Blaze!”

Initially Blaze was more surprised by the sheer number of ponies that were able to hide behind the six over turned tables. Most of the ponies around camp had assembled here to surprise him. Before he had fully taken in the scene Vox leapt out from the table and wrapped herself around Blaze.

“Happy birthday,” She said softly kissing his cheek.

“I thought I asked you not to do anything like this,” he said returning the kiss.

“Yeah, but this isn’t the real surprise,” She said releasing him as Arata and Camphor walked up.

“What do you mean, ‘not the real surprise’?” He asked with a hint of a smile.

“You’ll see this evening,” Vox playfully teased.

“Blaze why didn’t you tell us it was your birthday?!” Arata asked excitedly. “We wouldn’t have had any idea if it wasn’t for Vox.”

He looked at Vox, surprise parties weren’t really his ‘thing’ but something about knowing she was behind it made it special. “I knew that she would have everything taken care of.”

“Haaaaaapppyyyy birthdaaayy maaaann,” Camphor gave Blaze a small box wrapped and tied with a ribbon. “I heard that you smoke a pipe sometimes, so I picked and dried some local plants that fancy ponies smoke. They’re usually super hard to come by, but I knew where to look.”

Blaze took the box and politely set it aside, “Thanks Camphor, you really didn’t have to do this.”

Ivory Shield and Compass Rose both walked over to the team carrying a large cake. “This is your gift from me, Ivory Shield, and Compass Rose.” Arata said. “You like strawberry cake right?”

“Of course,” Blaze said looking at the cake. It was decorated humbly, but impressive none the less.

“I hope you like it; we were up all night at Camphor’s making it.” Compass Rose said carefully setting it down on a table that was just flipped back into place.

Penzance walked forward carrying plates and set them down on the table. “I know this was not what you were expecting for breakfast, we’ll get you some real food after the cake is gone.” He lit the candles on the cake and turned to Blaze, “Make a wish Blaze.”

Blaze walked up to the candles. Less than a year ago he would have just blown them out without even stopping to think of a wish. Now things were different. Everything that had happened to the team had been because of one wish.

‘I wish this could all just be wrapped up, once and for all,’ he thought as he blew out the candles. He then lifted the knife, one of the other ponies had produced, and cut the first slice of cake.

…

Blaze had spent the entire day with Arata, Camphor, Compass Rose, Vox, and Ivory Shield. Although they didn’t do much, being in the company of his friends was rewarding enough. Penzance had given him the next day off as well so he could “imbibe” during the night. Although from what Blaze could gather he wouldn’t have the chance to do that. Vox had made some plan for the next few days.

Celebrating a birthday with any level of fanfare was unusual for Blaze. Normally he just let the day be eclipsed for Hearts Warming Eve which occurred two days later. He wasn’t entirely sure what Vox had planned, but he was sure that it was related to the holiday.

That evening, Vox had run off to the supply tent and had asked for Blaze to meet her again by the main road. It was supposed to snow that night and Blaze made sure to dress appropriately. His coat complimented his collared shirt quite well, on top of being exceptionally warm.

After waiting for ten minutes Vox arrived carrying two suitcases and wearing a coat as elegant as the one Blaze had on. “Sorry for the delay, I forgot to pack the gift I picked up for your mom.”

“For my mom?” Blaze said realizing for the second time today what Vox’s plan was. “You planned a trip to Canterlot?” an enormous grin overtook his face as he snatched up Vox in an embrace.

“I thought you’d like that,” Vox said returning the hug.

The snow started to fall gently.

“Thanks for everything today Vox, I love you,” Blaze whispered.

“I love you too,” she replied.

They held each other for a minute that seemed endless, before they were interrupted by the taxi driver.

“I take it you two lovebirds are goin’ train station?” He asked sardonically.

“Yeah, that’s us,” Vox said picking up the suitcases and placing them in the back of the cart.

The ride to the station in Baltimare took about three hours. The driver kept to himself until it was time to ask for payment. As the snow fall increased Blaze and Vox huddled together in the back and enjoyed just being together.

…

They arrived in Canterlot late at night, and made their way through the familiar streets to Blaze’s home. The front door was already unlocked when they arrived and they quietly slipped in. The house was different than either had remembered it. Blaze’s mother would often rearrange and redecorate the house whenever she felt bored. It was a habit Blaze first noticed when his father passed away.

They walked into Blaze’s old room and found a note on the bed.

‘Happy birthday Blaze! I tried to stay up to see you two but I guess I’m older than I used to be. There are cookies and some cider in the kitchen if you two are hungry or thirsty. I’ll be up early to make you some breakfast tomorrow, but please sleep in as much as you like.

“Your mom is so sweet,” Vox said skimming the letter along with Blaze.

“Yeah, she really loves it when the two of us swing by,” Blaze added, “So what do you say, cookies and cider?”

Vox chuckled, “Only you would want cider at three in the morning. I think I’m just going to go to sleep for the night.”

“Yeah, I guess the cider can wait,” Blaze said in feigned disappointment.

…

Blaze and Vox fumbled into the kitchen early the next morning. They had been woken up by the sound of Blaze’s mother moving about and couldn’t fall back to sleep. Plates had been scattered all over the kitchen, containing everything from pancakes, to an array of bite size sandwiches.

It wouldn’t take an observer long to realize that Blaze and his mother were related. The two shared nearly identical coat and mane colors. His mom had always said that Blaze had his father’s eyes and build. Her cutiemark was of a book with a quill resting on top of it.

“Oh good, you two are finally awake!” She said, excitedly setting down the bowl she had been mixing and hugged both of them.

Blaze looked at the full spread of food, “You didn’t have to make all of this, mom; I’m not even sure if Vox and I can eat all of it.”

“Nonsense,” She scolded him, “Firstly I didn’t get to make you anything yesterday, so I’m doing it now. Second, you’ve always had your father’s apatite. And finally I like to cook so don’t feel bad.”

Blaze looked over at Vox, “Well, we’d better dig in then.”

The three enjoyed their meal and caught up with each other. Blaze tried to visit home whenever he was in Canterlot. She appreciated the effort he made, even though she wasn’t always at home when he dropped by. Once Blaze had left to join the E.W.E.F. she had started writing fiction novels, and they were getting quite popular with the critics in Canterlot. She would often spend her days out in the fields surrounding the city working on her writing.

“Oh Vox, how is Penzance doing? It’s been ages since I’ve spoken to him.” She asked.

“He’s been okay,” Vox answered with a half-truth. Although the events at the E.W.E.F. had been extremely troubling for him, recently it seemed like he was getting back into stride. “Work’s been hectic the past few months, and he has had a lot to deal with.”

“He hasn’t changed much over the years then,” Blaze’s mom chuckled.

They continued to talk for a few more hours before Blaze’s mom needed to go work on her most recent book. Blaze and Vox decided not to do anything that day, taking the time to relax instead. The next day was Hearts Warming Eve, and Vox had already planned out every minute of it.

…

The next morning Vox and Blaze went out to get an early breakfast at one of the fancier restaurants in Canterlot, following that they walked through Mane Street to see all of the shops and stalls that had been set up selling seasonal wares. Snow had recently fallen and the streets were lined with a thin white veneer. Well before noon there were already hundreds of ponies moving about the city taking part in the holiday spirit.

Blaze and Vox walked down the bustling street stopping to look at almost all of the shops. A pony could buy anything from scarves to rare seasonal spices. With the trip back to Foalsdale in mind, they made sure to get nothing too cumbersome. Vox picked out a scarf with a snowflake pattern, and Blaze a festive tie.

They then made their way to one of the many theaters in Canterlot to view the Hearts Warming Eve Pageant. Seeing it performed in Canterlot was something Blaze and Vox had always planned to do together and they were finally getting the chance.

The theater was grand, like most things in Canterlot, Blaze and Vox didn’t have the best seats, but they would still be able to enjoy the show. Hearts Warming Eve had always been Blaze’s favorite holiday, partly because of its proximity to his birthday, but also because its roots in the founding of Equestria. Some historians debated the accuracy of the story, but Blaze always felt that it captured the spirit of what made Equestria great.

The play finished as the sun set. Everypony there joined in singing the Hearts Warming Carol, and Blaze and Vox left to go to a small park on the edge of the city. The day had been wonderful for both of them, and there was no better way to end it than a walk in the spot where they had first decided to be together.

“Remember the first time we came here?” Blaze asked taking in the scenery.

“Yeah, back when we were still exploring Everfree, those were the days weren’t they?” Vox remembered hours spent wandering the forest with Blaze, with no goals at all.

“Times have really changed,” Blaze said melancholically. “We have so much more responsibility now. But we’ve made a lot of friends, and I think we know ourselves better…” Blaze trailed off. “At the same time, somepony died and we
couldn’t do anything about it. You know I keep letting that slip from my mind.” He admitted guiltily.

“I think we all do,” Vox said, “It’s been a really rough few months hasn’t it?” Vox asked softly as they paced around the park. There were still some flowers in bloom, each one catching a few specks of snow.

“More than my words can describe,” Blaze said picking one of the flowers and placing it in Vox’s mane. “To think, it all started that one little wish Arata made.”

“And we don’t even know what that was for,” Vox said looking off to the side. She spotted tracks from a rabbit and paused. “Blaze… why do you fight?”

“To protect everypony,” his words were as confident as they ever were.

“Me too,” Vox traced the tracks to a hole in the ground, and watched as a white bunny crawled out. “But sometimes I feel like we’re fighting a losing battle.”

Blaze stopped to watch the rabbit, “I know what you mean. We need to find a way to end this, otherwise we’ll be a rescue team forever…. And if that’s the case, it’s only a matter of time until somepony else dies on our watch.”

“But what if we can’t stop it? What if this is the only way that we can protect everypony?” Vox started to cry as she finished her sentence.

Blaze pulled Vox in close to him, “Then we’ll do whatever we can. Because if we don’t, who will?”

With Vox still in tears they walked over to the edge of the park. There was a railing that protected onlookers from the cliff beginning a few yards away. The sky was completely clear, and from the heights of Canterlot anypony could see for miles.

“Just think,” Blaze said, “There is still so much more for us to do here. We will stop this, I know we will, and then we can see everything this world has to offer, together.”

Vox looked Blaze in the eyes and then quickly averted. She slowly took a deep, deep breath, then let it out. “Blaze…” She said the word trembling. “There’s something I need to tell you…”

Chapter 27: Borderline of Madness

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“Arata, Camphor,” A voice coughed over the radio next to Arata’s bed. “Arat-,” it broke off again into a coughing fit, “Camphor wake up!”

“I’m up,” Arata responded quickly, “Blaze, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“I don’t have time to explain,” He coughed again, “Get to the lake now!”

Arata was ready to go in a heartbeat and found Camphor waiting for him outside of his door.

“Blaaazzee didn’t sound alright,” Camphor said with a concerned look.

“Yeah, I got that too,” Arata agreed, “Lets hurry, I don’t like this.”

They ran as fast as they could once they were out of the house. The ground outside of the swamp was lined with a thin dusting of snow. Luckily the swamp had its own weather patterns, and wasn’t subject to the same seasons as the rest of Equestria. The moon was full that night, sending an eerie light over the swamp.

Arata and Camphor finally broke through the tree line surrounding the lake, and found that the rest of the team had beaten them there; furthermore they were also keeping their distance from the lake.

The air was still, and nothing was making noise that night.

Arata scanned the group once more and noticed that Vox was missing. Thinking about it more he realized she wasn’t the one to call them to the lake either. “What’s going on? Where’s Vox?” But the questions were answered as he looked toward the lake.

…

“Blaze…” She said the word trembling. “There’s something I need to tell you…”

“What is it Vox? Are you okay?” Blaze asked softly, a cold breeze blowing across his face.

“No… I’m not… not at all…” She looked him in the eyes and hung her head. “I” The words were painful to get out. “I’m the reason ponies are wandering into the lake.”

Blaze’s face stiffened, “You’re what?!” he half exclaimed.

“I’m the reason ponies go to the lake at night.” Vox said somberly. “But let me explain please.”

Blaze let out a long breath, “Go on.”

“When I went into the lake, after we beat my shadow and walked through the door I had a vision, of Foalsdale and Canterlot in ruin. Then the same alicorn that granted Arata’s wish appeared and it warned that, ‘one pony needed to go into the lake and face their fears every month, or the shadows would be let out into Equestria.’” Vox finished her explanation and looked to Blaze, who was considering the whole situation.

“Why didn’t you tell us? Don’t you think that we deserved to know something like that?” Blaze demanded.

“I…. I was going to,” Vox sighed, “Everything seemed fine, until Autumn Tail died. We were completely willing to send ponies in until that happened, and I had to think of something. If I had told you that we needed to force ponies in it wouldn’t have gone anywhere.” Her voice was still trembling, “So I used my magic to interfere with their dreams. I gave them the vision of the ghostly mare, and then made sure they entered the lake. I even picked ponies who I was sure would be able to beat their shadows.”

“Why did you decide to tell me this?” Blaze asked still unsure of what to make of the situation.

Vox fidgeted a bit and then admitted the reason, “Because I can’t do it anymore. The other night, while I was asleep Princess Luna visited me in my dreams and told me that dreams are her realm and I would be severely punished if I continued to intrude on them. And that’s why I’m telling you, because I have no idea what to do now.”

“We don’t do anything.” Blaze said. “There isn’t any proof that if we stop throwing ponies in to the lake the shadows will get out. We can’t just risk lives like that!” There was a fire in Blaze’s voice that Vox hadn’t heard before.

“Just, please think about this. If I’m wrong than one or two ponies may die, but if I’m right, it could be all of Equestria.” She pleaded, “Please try to understand.”

“I do understand.” Blaze said shifting back to a softer tone, “I just don’t think you’re right…”

“Then what are you going to do?” Vox asked softly.

Blaze was silent for a long minute, “I’m going to make sure you don’t do anything like this again.” Blaze looked into Vox’s eyes. “As long as this stops here, I won’t mention it to anypony else, and I won’t hold it against you.”

Vox looked more than a bit surprised, “R-really?”

“As long as it stops here.” Blaze sternly reinforced.

Vox looked out over the landscape, “Okay… it stops here…” Vox looked back at Blaze. “I’m so sorry, I just didn’t want this to come between us. I love you.”

Blaze sighed heavily, “I do too. That’s the only reason I’m giving you a second chance, Vox…”

…

Vox stood on her hind legs with one arm wrapped around the neck of a mare who was trying desperately to slip free. Pressed against the captive mare’s temple was Vox’s pistol, levitated by her magic.

“Let her go Vox!” Blaze shouted taking a step forward.

“You know I can’t do that!” Vox’s voice was panicked, and she seemed to be on the borderline of madness. “If she doesn’t go into the lake now, everypony will die! I’m trying to save us.” She finished on the edge of tears.

“Please Vox, this isn’t like you at all,” Compass Rose pleaded.

“Vox let her go now.” Ivory Shield commanded taking several steps forward. She halted suddenly as Vox twitched the gun a bit.

Arata turned to look at Blaze; he had more uncertainty on his face than Arata had ever seen before. He also noticed that there was a growing patch of blood on Blaze’s shoulder.

“Blaze, you’re bleeding,” Arata said while keeping his eyes on Vox.

Blaze ignored Arata’s comment and continued to stare at Vox. “You don’t have to do this. Equestria won’t end if you let her go.”

“How can you be sure?!” She screamed, “I’m not willing to take that risk!”

Arata spoke at a voice just loud enough to be audible to the group, “We should all move in slowly, she may not notice if she’s panicked enough.”

“Alright everypony, just be careful,” Blaze added.

Slowly the group moved forward stepping closer and closer to Vox as she continued to try to justify what she was doing. It didn’t take long for the group to piece together that she had been the one responsible for everything that had happened, and needless to say most of them didn’t know what to make of it.

As he inched forward, Arata noticed a thin mist forming on top of the lake and slowly engulfing Vox’s legs.

“Everypony stop moving,” Vox demanded her panic growing even greater, “I don’t want to have to hurt any of you, just help me save us all!”

“No Vox,” Blaze said calmly taking a step forward, “This has gone too far, put the gun down, and let’s talk about all of this.”

The fog had now started to rise up Vox’s legs. “No-No-no, there isn’t time for this!” She suddenly threw the mare to the ground and put the gun against her own head.

“Vox! What are you doing?!” Blaze shouted frantically.

“I’m saving us…” She whispered between heavy panting breaths.

“PERSONA!”

The gun fired and what looked like shards of glass flew from her head and quickly disappeared.

“I’m so sorry it’s come to this,” She sobbed. Her Persona now hovered behind her, its form silhouetted menacingly behind the mist. “Morga-” Just as the group anticipated the first attack, Vox began to twitch in agony, her Persona matching the movements. The Persona began to pulsate and the mist began to clear.

Arata looked at Vox and a voice whispered to him, ‘Vox’s mania, that has driven her to this course of action has overwhelmed her will, and her Persona has been reborn.’

At the same time a faint voice called out to Vox, ‘I am thou… and thou art I…’ The shape behind her started to take form, two arms appeared grasping long and slender swords. ‘I have been reborn for you.’ The new persona grew two legs and floated on pointed feet. ’You may now know me as Mordred, the king slayer.’ The final pieces of the persona formed, silver plates covered it from head to toe, and its head was covered by a matching helmet.

“Mordred! Maragidyne!” Vox commanded, the resulting blast of fire was sent hurdling in every direction, setting the surrounding trees ablaze, and scorching the earth around Vox.

The team scattered, almost making it to the tree line before they were hit by the blast. Everypony, except for Arata, was knocked to the ground, and now fighting a battle to maintain consciousness. They had all been hurt from the fire, ranging from patches of singed hair to more serious burns. It wasn’t likely they would be able to withstand more attacks like that.

Arata stood unflinching in the wake of the attack. When the wave of fire came toward him, he stood on his hind legs and blocked his face with his arms.

“What?” Vox gasped, “You shouldn’t be standing! Damn it, I don’t want to hurt you, but you just won’t give me a choice!” She screamed hurling her right arm forward.

Her Persona followed the motion, preforming a downward flourish with both of its blades, before charging toward Arata.

Arata’s eyes winded, he was staring at the ground and his arms still blocked his face. He could feel the imminent attack, he could feel all of his dread, and he could feel a new power inside of him.

‘I am thou… and thou art I.’ a dull voice whispered.

Arata relaxed, and extended and arm to catch the incoming attack. As he did so he felt a tingling sensation on his flank.

‘From the sea of thine soul I answer your call.’

Mordred extended both blades and stabbed for Arata’s center. It’s giant form dwarfing the lone pony. But the attack was stopped by Arata’s outstretched hoof. A blue vortex formed around Arata’s legs, casting a dim light over his face.

‘I am Pendragon, champion of the Round Table.’

“Come, Pendragon!” he shouted, pushing against the twin swords.

As if rising from the ground, Arata’s new Persona answered the call, extending its own clawed hand to take the place of Arata’s. Slowly a black wyvern rose from the ground. Its wings, which were one with its arms, extended to their full length, revealing an artery rich membrane. Its tail was covered with spikes, sharp enough to pierce any suit of armor. Its head began with a pointed snout leading into a crest of horns. Its eyes were a soft green surrounded by an amber band.

Acting while Vox was caught off guard, the Persona flapped its wings and knocked Mordred back, following the attack with a sweep from its tail. The attack wasn’t enough though; Mordred blocked it with one of its blades, and with Vox’s will, countered with a quick slice at Pendragon’s face.

Arata leapt back in sync with his Persona, immediately setting and darting forward into another attack. This time he aimed for one of Mordred’s swords. Pendragon latched onto one of Mordred’s arms with its mighty jaw. Vox let out a pained cry, feeling only a fraction of what her Persona did.

Pendragon jerked its neck, sending Mordred flying over its shoulder. Quickly regaining its baring, Vox’s Persona spun around and sent a blast of fire hurdling toward Arata and his Persona. Pendragon wrapped its wings around Arata and shielded him from the blast.

“That’s it,” Vox shouted, casting the pistol to the side landing off to the edge of the clearing. “I’m done playing games!”

Mordred switched its swords into an inverse grip, and charged in at Arata. Its strikes were blisteringly fast, it took all of Arata’s focus to survive the first volley. The second set came in before Arata could ready himself, and Pendragon was cut across the chest twice, sending Arata reeling back. Seeing her chance, Vox ordered Mordred to fire one more blast straight toward Arata. Pendragon blocked the blast with its body, but it was only a matter of seconds before the Persona disappeared and Arata was hit by the fire, sending him flying backward and rendering him unconscious.

“Vox, stop this now.”

Vox switched her focus from Arata, to find that Blaze had managed to stand up. He was slowly walking towards her with one hoof pressed against the wound in his chest. His mane was badly singed, and ash, from the smoldering trees, covered his face. His machete was still strapped to his back. But what was most unnerving for Vox, was her pistol was now pressed firmly against his temple.

“I’m givin’ you one last chance to stop this Vox,” Blaze said, trying his best to get the words out through his short breaths.

“No, it’s too late to stop now,” She stuttered, “And I won’t let you stop me!” Mordred sent a focused beam of fire towards Blaze.

“Man at Arms,” Blaze fired the gun, and felt his body go limp for an instant before he felt his Persona answer his call.

The blast hit, creating a plume of smoke, which merged into the one from the burning trees.

“You’re going to have to hit me harder than that,” Blaze said stepping out of the immolation unscathed.

“Just stay down!” Vox ordered, sending more fire at him.

Blaze didn’t even need the help of his Persona to counter the attacks. The fire couldn’t overcome the flames that burned within him.

Vox sent out another blast, directly striking Blaze. Again he walked from the plume unscathed. This time his machete levitated next to the arm nursing his wound.

More blasts shot out in a wild attempt to stop his advance, each one landing and quickly dissipating. Running out of room to act, Vox ordered Mordred to charge in with everything they had. Man at Arms acted in kind, stepping in front of Blaze and parrying the blows with its arms and lance.

“I’ll kill you!” Vox shouted one final time ordering her Persona to unleash one final feverish volley of fire.

But it was too late. Blaze saw his opening and with all of his strength he and Man at Arms cleared the final distance to Vox.

The flame engulfed not only the pair, but the entire clearing. Had the fire burned for more than an instant it would have killed the entire team, but just as fast as it had flared up, it was snuffed out.

The burning trees shed a harsh light over the clearing, a constant reminder of the battle that had taken place. Bits of ash lingered in the air, like the gentle snow falling outside of the swamps. Everything in the clearing by the lake was dusted by the remnants of the flame. There was no breeze, no sound, everything was still.

Standing in the center of the clearing were four figures. Man at Arms, supporting the weight of Mordred, his lance running through its stomach. The two Personas were acting as both an arch and a mirror of the scene beneath.

Blaze stood on his hind legs, with one arm he pulled Vox in close against his chest, and with the other, he held the blade which pierced her heart. He stood there for an eternity, slowly becoming aware of the events that had just transpired. The reflection of flames off of the lake’s surface filled Blaze’s eyes, only to be blurred by tears. Without a word or motion, Vox’s horn lit up one final time. Blaze collapsed to the ground, his legs unable to hold the burden he felt. Vox rested gently in his arms, peaceful and unmoving.

And slowly the world around him began to move again…

Chapter 28: Revelations, Persona

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“You have finally tapped into your true potential. The power of Persona had been bestowed to you, by the entity dwelling in the lake, but now, you have shattered her hold over your powers, and made it your own.” Igor extended his hand out to Caroline; she quickly flipped the compendium open and placed it in Igor’s outstretched hand.

“Pendragon was called forth by your will and your will alone. It can never be taken away from you. However, because Taliesin was granted to you by the magic of another, it will now leave your heart as you defy that magic’s will.” The Velvet Room began to fade away. The smell of smoke wafted into Arata’s nose. His eyelids twitched softly before opening fully.

The clearing was bathed in the harsh orange light from the burning trees. A thin dusting of ash rained down from the sky. Arata pulled himself into a sitting position and scanned the clearing to see how his friends where holding up. Ivory Shield was the first to catch his eye, she was slowly trying to stand up clearly in pain from the burns. The next were Camphor and Compass Rose, and the pony Vox had kidnapped. They were still unconscious, although they seemed to be breathing. Finally he turned to find Blaze collapsed by the edge of the lake, holding Vox. Arata hadn’t been conscious to see how Vox had been stopped, but if Blaze was holding her, the situation was most likely under control.

Fighting the throbbing in his muscles and head, Arata forced himself to his hooves and took in the fire burning behind him. He let out a shallow breath, and then whispered for Pendragon. The Persona emerged from Arata and flew into the air. Circling the clearing, it let out blasts of wind extinguishing the fires that burned around the lake, before dissolving away.

Ivory Shield, now on her legs, limped up to Compass Rose, Camphor, and the unidentified pony.

“Arata,” She called, her voice barley a whisper, “Come over here.”

Gathering up his strength Arata made his way across the field.

“Rose and Camphor are hurt, but they don’t seem worse off than I am.” Ivory Shield gestured to the unconscious mare, “She isn’t doing well at all. We need to get back to Foalsdale as quickly as possible.” Ivory Shield coughed and then continued, “Do you recognize her?”

Arata looked down at her, “Yes. That’s Lexi, the librarian from Foalsdale…”

“Let’s go check on Blaze and Vo-” Ivory Shield’s Voice was quickly cut off, by the faint sound of laughter.

A burst of wind flooded the clearing, pouring through the tree-line. It kicked up all of the dust and ash that had settled on the ground and on the trees. The currents of air met above the lake, and formed a vortex that fed into it.

Blaze felt the wind and the forming vortex. Raising his head, he caught a glimpse of a face forming in the dust. The laughing grew stronger and stronger, as the vortex slowly began to take shape. First a horn emerged, then the face Blaze had spotted came into full form, finally its body and wings took shape. The Vortex dissipated, but the laughing figure continued to shift, not having a defined form. A sudden spire of light shot out from the lake, engulfing the figure, and then quickly dissipating. The Alicorn, left in the light’s wake, had a fixed outline; however, its skin shifted and pulsed, as if made of a living mist.

The laugh continued.

Arata stared into the face, quickly realizing just what the figure was. Without hesitation he mustered what little breath he could and let out a warning shout to his companions, “Blaze, Vox get back!” The words weren’t as loud as he had hoped, and it wasn’t clear if either of them had heard him.

“I have dreamed of this day for thousands of years,” A deep, yet oddly feminine voice cackled. “Do you know how mad one can go, contemplating and sating the whims of others for that long?” The figures head twitched from side to side observing everypony in the clearing, as if waiting for a response. “Oh, come now, Ara- no, Blaze, I’m sure with your ‘infinite wisdom’ you must understand how I have felt. Or have you not yet figured out who I am? No, you must have, surly.”

Blaze stared into the Alicorn, not dignifying it with a response. Arata stepped forward trying to call out to his persona, but he was abruptly stopped by a hoof from Ivory Shield.

“We’re in no position to fight Arata,” She whispered, “Vox nearly killed all of us, there’s no chance we’d be able to take her.”

“I can’t just sit here doing nothing,” Arata whispered back.

“If it comes to a fight, then we fight, but let’s not push this, look at the state this mare’s in. She won’t last long without help, if not for yourself, do it for her.” Ivory was curt, but she made a convincing point. Arata remained tense, but resisted the urge to fight.

“Your silence hurts you more than me,” She cackled again, “After all it was your final sacrifice that gave me the strength to take on a physical form once more!” A thick swath of mist rose from the lake and approached Blaze. “You’re a monster you know… at least amongst those of Equestria. Blaze, you, much like myself, are now a killer.” She broke out into a seemingly uncontrolled fit of laughter before abruptly snapping back to attention. “How rude of me, I never introduced myself. My name is Morgana, more specifically, Morgana the Cruel. Tell me Mr. Historian, do you know who I am? No? Well I suppose I do owe you an explanation for all the trouble you five went through to get me this body. Longer than anypony should be forced to recount I have been trapped in this lake. I used to rule over southern Equestria, before a Unicorn…” She trailed off for a moment, “Oh, what was his name…” She trailed off again, “Twinkle Spiral? No, no, no… Sun Twist…. Ah, Star Swirl, yes that was the one.” Her voice instantly became enraged with the mention of the name. “He is the one who killed my son Mordred, and cursed me to an eternity of pitiful existence in that lake.” Her voice snapped back to its normal tone. “But you fixed that, and all it took was the energy each of you fed me, along with the two sacrifices. I have to admit it would have taken me much longer to get a body had Vox and Autumn Tail not given their souls to me-”

She paused and looked toward Arata, “And now for you Arata, did you like your wish? Have I given you everything you asked for? You have certainly done so for me.”

Arata opened his mouth about to offer an answer but abruptly cut himself off. He couldn’t help but ask if all of this had been his fault. Was this monster that now floated before him was his creation, and worst of all, had his wish just doomed everypony he knew?

“Hmmm? No answer then? Fine, you all became so stoic so quickly. Is it because your friend is dead? I know that’s why Blaze looks so, so broken.”

Ivory Shield and Arata quickly looked back to Blaze. The situation was all starting to come together now.

“Blaze…” Arata called out to him, “What did you do?”

Blaze never got the chance to answer, Morgana decided to do it in his place. “He did what I could have only wished for, he killed Vox! Oh if only you had all been conscious to see it! I couldn’t ask for a more fitting sacrifice-“ She cut herself off once again. “That reminds me, I can’t allow you to keep her body. It has been blessed with far too much of my own power.” The mist surrounding the lake shot out grabbing Vox’s body and quickly dragging it back in.

“Give her back,” Blaze demanded, slowly levitating the pistol against his head.

“What was that? You want her back?” Morgana laughed, “Maybe you should have thought about that before you ‘stopped’ her. And please, put that thing down. You’ve helped me to gain a body, and to show my gratitude I was going to let you all live.” A thin tendril lashed out and swatted the postil to the ground. “Now, I think I’ve spent enough time talking. I have a kingdom to reclaim. I’m sure each of you will attend my coronation.” With those words she attempted to fly, although something held her back. “It would appear that while I have a body, there is still something tethering me to the lake. If that is the case…”

The fog around the lake vanished, and six sets of hands shot out and grabbed onto the shore. A group of shadows pulled themselves out and sat idly waiting for instruction.

“As I said, I don’t wish to harm you. But I suggest you all leave quickly, before the shadows get too hungry.” She lowered herself down to the surface of the lake. Her body then merged with the water and disappeared, leaving only the shadows behind.

Through all of the activity over the past few minutes Arata hadn’t noticed that Compass Rose and Camphor had stood up; their breathing was pained, but it seemed they would be able to walk.

“We need to go. Now!” Ivory Shield shouted, signaling for Arata to help her carry Lexi.

“Blaze,” Arata shouted, “Come on!” The shadows began to grow more restless taking notice of each pony around them.

“Camphor, Rose, get out of here.” Ivory Shield ordered. Although they looked hesitant, they complied and headed back toward camp.

Blaze just sat by the shore, staring into the lake, unmoving.

“Blaze!” Arata shouted again.

“Arata, we don’t have time for this. We need to get this pony back to camp now.” Ivory Shield said starting to lift Lexi.

Arata spared another glance at Blaze, before turning back to Ivory. Between the two of them, they were able to support Lexi’s weight, even considering their weekend state.

The two set off down the trail, leaving Blaze alone with the shadows.

He raised the gun to his forehead. The last time he had fired it, he felt as if his life was about to end, but now he didn’t feel any of that. He couldn’t be fazed by the reminder of death that floated before him.

Chapter 29: Triage

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It must have been three, or maybe four in the morning. Snow was starting to fall, and the temperature outside was a balmy thirty degrees. ‘Not the best time to take a late night stroll,’ Triage thought to herself. Normally she would have been asleep hours ago, but something had been keeping her up; she couldn’t quite put her hoof on what it was though.

Being the E.W.E.F’s on site doctor was always quite a bit of work, and in her four years with the group, she had treated her fair share of injuries. Recently there had been a fair lull in the action, well, except for Autumn Tail and the ponies who had been involved with the timberwolf attack. Even that had been months ago.

She wore a thin coat as she walked about the camp. The cold had never bothered her, and as an earth pony, she had plenty of experience working with it during Winter Wrap Ups. She looped around the southern row of tents, and after twenty minutes of walking, her tent came into view. With a lazy yawn, she opened the flaps and slumped into the chair by her desk. She still wasn’t tired enough to sleep and it was only a matter of hours until the morning briefing anyway. ‘I hope the coffee is strong to-‘ The sound of two ponies gasping for breath interrupted her thoughts.

“Doc, w-we need your help, please,” Camphor began.

“What’s going on?” Triage asked, surprised to see the two ponies before her. Neither of them seemed to be in good condition either. Even if they weren’t in critical condition, they would need medical attention too. “What happened to you two?”

“Some pony is hurt badly,” Camphor’s words were speeding up as his sentence went along, “Ivory Shield is bringing her, and we need to hurry.”

“Let’s go to the medical tent then, I’ll need a few minutes to set up my equipment.” She threw on a coat and darted into the snow, quickly followed by Compass Rose and Camphor. ‘Looks like I found a reason to be awake,’ she told herself.

After entering the medical tent, Triage lit two lanterns and hurried to get out her equipment. “What kind of injuries should I be expecting? Ones like yours?” she asked.

“We don’t know,” Compass Rose coughed, “I’m sorry.” She seemed to be on the edge of tears.

“That’s okay,” Triage said putting a hoof on Rose’s shoulder. “What happened to you two?”

“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you,” Rose sobbed.

“Quickly Arata, there’s the medical tent!” They hear Ivory Shield shouting from outside. Quickly she and Arata entered the tent and wasted no time setting an unconscious mare on the table in the center of the room.

“Celestia…” Triage cursed under her breath, her face a mix of shock and panic. “This isn’t good…” She quickly began inspecting Lexi, and produced a set of syringes from one of the drawers. “I need one of you to get Penzance, and the other to go wake up my assistant. Stitch’s tent is the one next to mine. Give him hell if he doesn’t wake up quickly.” Ivory Shield and Camphor left the tent, to complete their orders.

“You two, please move aside, I’ll need space to work,” She ordered, slowly drawing a liquid out of a vial into one of the syringes. She hastily inserted the needle into Lexi’s neck, before dipping a cloth into a container of clear liquid. She wiped down all of Lexi’s wounds with the cloth, then threw it away, and produced a thick roll of bandages.

Suddenly, an exhausted earth pony burst through the tent flaps. “Sorry it took me so long to get here, Triage,” he apologized, walking over to a tray full of medical equipment. He seemed to be younger than Arata, by at least two years.

“There’s no time for talking, check her vitals for me while I start to sew up some of these lacerations. She should be close to stable for a while,” Triage ordered. “Then once you’re finished with that, start closing up the wounds on the other side of her. And get something for theses burns while you’re at it!”

The two medics worked for what felt like an hour before Ivory Shield returned with Penzance. From the portion of the conversation Arata had picked up on, it sounded like Penzance had been made aware of at least some of what had happened.

“Triage, is she ready to be transported to the hospital in Foalsdale?” Penzance asked inspecting Lexi’s wounds.

“Almost, we’ve got her stabilized, and we’ve pretty much finished stitching every cut that needs it,” She explained. “I haven’t had any pony send out to the hospital yet.”

“Ivory Shield, are you well enough to do so?” Penzance asked.

“No,” Triage interjected, “She needs to stay here with the rest of them. I need to treat their wounds. Stitch, get to the hospital as fast as you can.”

“Yes doctor,” He nodded, running out of the tent.

After a few more minutes of bandaging, she pulled a blanket over Lexi and turned to the rest of the group. “Now, each of you sit down and I’ll go over your wounds. Penzance, you can ask um’ whatever you want to while I do it.” She began with Compass Rose, the most injured of the four ponies, disinfecting some of the burns and cuts, as well as feeling for any internal damage that may have occurred.

Penzance stared blankly at the four ponies in front of him. His mouth hung slightly ajar as if he was trying to speak. None of the ponies sitting there had the courage to look him in the eye. “Is, she really gone?” He asked, finding the strength to speak, “and is she really responsible for all of this?”

“Yeah,” A gruff answer came from outside.

‘Thank Celestia he’s okay,’ Arata thought to himself. Although he knew that of everypony here, Blaze was going to suffer the most in the coming days.

As Blaze entered the tent it was clear to everypony that he wasn’t himself. His face lacked any sign of expression, except for the small scowl on his lips where his pipe rested. “Vox is dead.” A shiver went through the room as he spoke. “I...” Blaze spared a glace to Arata. For a brief moment their eyes met, and Arata could feel Blaze pleading to him, as if his very essence was screaming out. “I killed her. I tried to save her, I tried to get her to stop, but nothing I said or did made any difference.”

Camphor’s eyes widened and he began to cry uncontrollably. Ever since he had regained consciousness by the lake, everything had gone by so quickly that he hadn’t had time to actually think about what had happened. Having it stated to him brought forward all of the shock and sadness that he had briefly pushed aside. It was almost too much to handle.

Compass Rose was experiencing the same feelings, however Arata and Ivory Shield were too focused on Blaze and Penzance to acknowledge.

“Wait Vox is dead?” Triage interjected; a look of horror came over her face. “I want to kno-”

Penzance turned to Triage and hastily “Triage, I promise you that as soon as I fully understand everything that has transpired I will relay the information to you. Until that time I kindly ask that you ask no further questions.”

“Now wait just a minute Penzance,” Triage glared, “You may be my ‘commanding officer,’ but this isn’t the Guard. We’re just hired help; don’t go thinking we have some undying loyalty to you. A pony just died, and these ones aren’t much better off. As a doctor I need to know what happened.”

“Don’t take this out on Penzance,” Ivory Shield stated firmly, “If we thought we could explain this to you we would have, but you wouldn’t believe us if we tried.”

Penzance spent a long minute examining Blaze’s wounds before speaking again. His words were pained, but confident. “Son, do you mind following me to my tent? I’d like to get the full story from you.”

Blaze subtly nodded, and the two left, leaving the rest of the ponies in an uncomfortable silence.

No one dared to make eye contact with Triage, who had become visibly angry and was muttering to herself in frustration.

Arata started to ask himself how he could have let something like this happen. Vox was a friend and one of the first ponies he had gotten to know since he had come to Foaldale. According to Igor, or the cards, or whatever magic had been interfering with his life since he arrived, they had shared a genuine bond, and now she was gone. Maybe he had missed some kind of sign that this was going to happen, something she had said or done that would have given Arata a hint this was going to happen. Or maybe he hadn’t paid attention to any of the signs. Like the tarot reading Lexi had given him at the festival; either way it was too late now, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was all his fault.

After an hour in silence, the ponies were dismissed. In that time, a group had come from the hospital and Lexi was taken away for further treatment. Blaze and Penzance hadn’t returned to the tent either and Arata decided it would be best if the team went to check on them. Although Ivory Shield agreed, Camphor and Compass Rose both couldn’t take anything more and went their separate ways to be alone.

“Arata, I know you were close to Vox,” Ivory Shield began, “If you need to talk about any of this don’t hesitate to come and talk to me.”

Arata hung his head and let out a shallow breath, “Thank you, you can come to me, too.” Arata knew that getting through this would be a challenge the whole team needed to face together. He was glad that Ivory Shield was here to help them, but he could only imagine what feelings she was hiding behind her composed demeanor.

They approached Penzance’s tent and could clearly hear the tension in the conversation that was being had inside. Arata approached the flap and felt Ivory’s hoof on his shoulder.

“We’d better let them finish talking.” She cautioned.

“I can’t believe I did that, and worse than that I can’t believe you aren’t upset at me!” Blaze said his voice almost a shout.

“Of course I am upset with you,” Penzance said, “But, I also trust you. I have known you like a son for all of these years. I cannot imagine that you would do something like this unless it was absolutely necessary.”

“You’re not even acting like her friend right now, let alone her fa-” Blaze’s thought was quickly interrupted.

“Did you really love her?” Penzance asked.

“Of course I did.” Blaze replied.

“And you were the one who killed her. Blaze I loved her too, more than you can know, so I believe its time you let the point rest.” Penzance didn’t say anything more after this, but Blaze was able to read the look in his face. Without another word Blaze stood up and walked out of the tent not paying any attention to Ivory or Arata.

As he left they both entered and found that Penzance was standing in the center of the room with his back to the door.

“Sir…” Ivory Shield interrupted.

“Ivory,” He replied without turning to face her. “I lost control with Blaze. I was thinking too much of myself in that situation. Please make sure he is alright for me, I don’t think he will want to see me for a while.”

“Yes sir, I’ll be sure to check up on him tomorrow morning.” Ivory replied, a slight tremble was noticeable in her voice. “Will that be all?”

“Yes, I think it will be.” He replied dismissing the two.

‘I wasn’t any help at all,’ Arata thought to himself as he split off from Ivory Shield and walked home. ‘My friends helped me get this far, and now I’m just useless.’

He opened the door to the Poultice’s home and sat at the table in the kitchen. The sun would be up soon and so would the family. It didn’t feel like he would sleep even if he tried.

Chapter 30: E.W.E.F.

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The dirt trail into the E.W.E.F camp had always irked Blaze. Something about it seemed disingenuous. The trail was cleared shortly after they arrived, and supposedly it was the connection between the town and the explorers. ‘What a load of garbage,’ he thought to himself.

Though there had been some events where the two had come together, the town didn’t involve itself with the activities of the E.W.E.F. unless they had to. If one of them wanders into the swamp and dies then it’s our fault, but if one of us dies they couldn’t be phased.

Blaze stumbled slightly. The sun had been up for about an hour now, and the bar keeper had rudely expelled him from the local taproom where he had spent the night.

When he arrived at camp he haphazardly entered his tent and collapsed onto his cot. If he was going to get any sleep at all, now was the time.

He gazed at the shelf of books by the foot of the cot, and closed his eyes for a moment.

“Blaze, wake up. We need to talk,” a faint voice called, snapping him out of his sleep.

“What?” Blaze asked not opening his eyes.

“Penzance is giving a speech. You need to come with me now.” As the haze around his mind faded he realized that voice was Arata’s.

“Buck off kid,” he growled, “I don’t care what he has to say.”

Arata let out a long breath, not entirely sure how to deal with Blaze. “You will when you hear what he has to say. Look, you don’t need to do this for him, what he’s saying is tied to you, so just do it for yourself.”

“Tied to me?” Blaze asked.

“Yes, so come with me.” Arata said firmly. The events of the past day had left Arata with no clue as to what he should do next. He knew that the rest of the team was feeling the same way, and he had to do something about it.

Blaze haphazardly crawled out of bed and glared at Arata for a moment before the light from the opened tent flap stabbed him in the temples. Shielding his eyes he followed after Arata who had already turned and left the tent.

The center of camp was filled with ponies all gathered around Penzance who was standing on a set of crates. A cold wind blew across the group, and everypony was iced over in silence.

Blaze stood at the edge of the crowd with Arata. He scanned the audience and noticed that Ivory Shield was now flying toward Penzance. She whispered something in his ear as he turned to the audience.

“As I am sure some of you have heard by now, Vox has passed away.” Penzance paused for a moment as the crowed gasped and muttered amongst themselves. “Her death was not avoidable, and sadly, it is a reminder of the risk we all take in this career, however it has reminded me of the price I ask each of you to pay.” He took another breath before continuing, “I have decided that the goal we have been striving for is not worth the number of lives we have lost. I can no longer ask any of you to continue this mission. From this point on the E.W.E.F will be officially be disbanded. All of you are to leave and return to you homes and family immediately.”

He scanned the audience and saw that most ponies were in disbelief. “I will not stand any insubordination in regard to this order. I have already begun to make arrangements for your transportation, you will need to be ready to leave by the weekend. Thank you all for your loyalty, and for your service. It has been an honor serving alongside each of you.”

He stepped off the stage and retreated to his tent.

“So that’s it then,” Blaze scoffed, “We lose a kid from the city and there no issue, my dad dies and they can all keep exploring, but this happens and he shuts down the whole organization, pathetic. Thanks for wasting my time, kid, I’ll be in town if you have any other news for me.” Blaze walked off towards the edge of camp, leaving Arata alone in the crowd of ponies that was dispersing.

…

Arata had called Ivory, Rose, and Camphor together later in the afternoon. He had tried to get in touch with Blaze, but he was too busy drinking to be of any use. Penzance dissolving the E.W.E.F. was a shock to everypony, and they only had a few days to decide what to do.

“Everything is falling apart,” Compass Rose sighed. Judging by the look on her face she hadn’t been able to sleep either. “How are we supposed to go on like this?”

Camphor silently nodded, his eyes fixed on the center of the table.

“You don’t have to go on.” Ivory Shield said, her eyes closed. “If everypony else got an out I don’t see why you shouldn’t too. Anypony who wants to leave should do it now. If we have more shadows to fight, along with that… thing, we need to know exactly what we have to work with. I don’t want anyone dropping out down the road.”

The table was silent as each team member considered their options. Arata thought of returning to Nippony. He could simply claim that he had finished his tour with the E.W.E.F. and decided Equestria wasn’t the best place for him to live. He would always have Hittoriko to be friends with. But, that wasn’t really a choice. At the moment he and Blaze were the only ponies with the power to stop the shadows. He couldn’t abandon his responsibility, and more than that, he couldn’t abandon his friends. These were the first ponies he had felt close to his entire life, there was no way he could let that slip by.

“I’m staying,” Arata proclaimed breaking the silence. “Things are bad right now, but we can’t let them get worse.”

“I won’t leave my home,” Camphor agreed somberly.

Compass Rose scanned the table, “Right, then I’m staying too.”

“What about Blaze?” Camphor asked.

“I think he would be gone by now if he was planning on leaving.” Ivory Shield answered, “He’s understandably upset, but I don’t know if he’s going to be snapping out of it anytime soon.”

“I think you’re right,” Arata agreed, “What should we do now?”

“I’m going to go talk to the mayor, you should come too Arata. Penzance is leaving and we’re going to need some help if we want to keep the town safe. I think it’s time we let the mayor know what’s going on. Having you and your Persona will help if she doesn’t believe us.”

“Okay…” Arata trailed off, “If you’re sure that’s what’s best.”

“I’m not. But we need to do something.” This was the first time Ivory hadn’t been confident in one of her plans, it was more than a bit unnerving for the group.

“What about the rest of the E.W.E.F?” Compass Rose asked.

“We’ll deal with that bridge when we get there.” Ivory Shield said. “Arata, I know this is putting a lot on you, but tonight I’d like you to come to the lake with me. We need to make sure your Persona is ready to fight.”

“Right.” Arata nodded.

The table was silent for a long moment.

“I’m sorry,” Compass Rose burst out, “I can’t just ignore what happened to Vox like this. I know we have more important things to worry about, but she’s dead! She even tried to kill us. How could she do something like that? We were friends…” She started to cry as she finished speaking.

“I don’t know…” Arata whispered. “I really don’t.”

“And Blaze,” Rose cried out again, “why did he have to do that… there had to be another way.”

“None of us were conscious when that happened. Blaze is the only one who knows what really happened. I’m sure he wouldn’t have done something like that unless it was necessary.” Ivory Shield said trying to remain calm, although the tremble in her voice was easily noticeable.

“He’s going to need us,” Camphor added.

The group sat in silence, each member somberly piecing together the events that transpired, and those still to come…

Chapter 31: Reach out to the Truth

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Arata hadn’t been able to fall asleep the past two nights, and this wasn’t helping his ability to concentrate. In the past, summoning his Persona had been as easy as thinking of Taliesin’s name, but now he couldn’t even feel that familiar presence. What was worse was the new Persona, Pendragon, wasn’t responding to his call.

He had been at this for almost an hour now. Standing in an isolated part of the woods trying his best to call out his protector. With each passing minute he felt more and more frustrated. It didn’t help that the mayor was watching, and couldn’t help but voice her disbelief and growing lack of patience.

One had to admit that even with the disbandment of the E.W.E.F. and Ivory Shield’s testimony, the events being described seemed ludicrous, especially if you were the mayor of the town that would be facing an attack.

“Ivory Shield, I’m sorry, but I’ve seen enough of this. It’s time I went back to town.” The mayor turned and began to leave the forest.

“Mayor Hatchet please, just wait a bit longer. Everything I’ve told you has been the truth, you’ll see.” Ivory Shield glided between her and the path out of the forest.

“Please step aside. I have much more important matters to deal with than watching him stand there and clench his teeth.” Hatchet responded dully.

“Don’t leave.” Arata commanded drawing the mayor’s attention back in. “You have no idea what we have gone through over the past three days. You have no idea what we’ve gone through to make it this far.” The ground around Arata began to glow with a faint blue aura. “You don’t know what it’s like to have the deaths of two ponies on your conscience!” A tarot card appeared above Arata’s head, “And you don’t know how it feels to be the only pony who can protect this town!” The emotion inside Arata was burning up! The card in front of him shattered, and Pendragon’s head erupted from the ground behind him. It clawed its way out of the ground and in unison with Arata, raised its head and let out a deafening shriek.

Mayor Hatchet collapsed to the ground, too shocked to make even a whimper.

“Everything we have told you is the truth,” Ivory Shield said taking in the new Persona Arata had summoned. “And we have a lot more that we need to discuss in order to keep Foalsdale safe.”

The Mayor finally worked up the courage to speak as Pendragon faded away. “Yeah, I think we do.”

“Arata, why don’t you go get some rest,” Ivory Shield said, “I think you could use it.”

He hesitantly agreed. Somehow Ivory Shield was functioning better than everypony else, or at least she seemed like she was.

…

The previous day Compass Rose had volunteered to fly down to the southern camp and inform them of what had happened. She estimated it would take the group about three days to return. During that time the camp went from a once bustling hub of activity and excitement, to a barren clearing with only a hooffull of tents to speak of.

Besides the exploration team only Triage and Stitch had decided to stay around camp. Following the dissolving of the E.W.E.F., Arata had explained the entire situation to them, although they didn’t seem very happy about it, they insisted that Lexi was their patient and that they wouldn’t leave until she had recovered.

Over the past few days Arata had been preoccupied with so much he had hardly spared Lexi a thought. She was in the intensive care section of the Foalsdale hospital, although she was now in a stable condition. It would be another few days until she was allowed visitors, and Arata intended to be among the first.

…

Two days later the remaining ponies had gotten word that the southern group would be returning that afternoon. Triage had also informed Arata that he would be able to visit Lexi that morning.

Arata walked through the empty site which used to house the E.W.E.F.; only ten or so tents still stood. They hadn’t been moved and this left large swaths of open space around the camp. For some reason the command tent hadn’t been taken down, it stood emptied of content in the middle of the camp.

Also standing untouched were the equipment tent and Vox’s personal tent. Nopony had dared touch them when camp was being broken. The explorers decided that task should have been left to either Blaze or Penzance, neither of whom had been able to go near them. Blaze had hardly left the bar over the past few days, it was Arata’s hope that the return of this team would snap Blaze out of the slump he had been in, although Arata was fairly certain it wouldn’t.

He arrived at the hospital and quietly made his way up to the front desk. He was directed to the third floor.

The hospital was relatively empty, only a few doctors and nurses were making their rounds. Arata made it to the room just as a nurse was leaving.

“Oh are you here to visit Lexi?” The nurse asked.

“Yes,” Arata said stepping up to the door.

“She’s had a rough few days, and hadn’t been sleeping well. She’s awake now, but try not to stay long.” The nurse cautioned.

“Right, I won’t,” Arata let himself in and found that Lexi had a room to herself.

Lexi was staring out a window. It had a clear view of the snow covered town and the forest beyond it. She wore a green hospital robe and had a blanket lightly draped over her legs. Her neck, half of her face, and right hoof were wrapped in bandages, which Arata assumed, covered most of her torso as well. Her blond mane, which had been singed during the fight, had been cut short so the damage wasn’t visible.

“Hi, Lexi,” Arata softly announced trying not to startle her.

“Who is it?” She asked not yet turning from the window.

“It’s Arata,” He felt a twang of guilt while watching her, none of this would have happened if he hadn’t made that wish. “Sorry it took me so long to come, they’ve only been allowing visitors today.”

“A-Arata.” She quickly turned to face him. There was something different about her face. Her eyes usually had a glint to them, but now they were just two panes of violet with no vibrancy. “You’re all right…” She staggered off. “What… what happened...”

He walked over and pulled a chair up to the bed, the least he could do for her was tell her the truth. He explained everything to her, from his wish to Vox’s death. She seemed to understand almost everything right away, although it didn’t leave her any less distressed.

“You mean… All of this has been going on… and we had no idea?” He mouth trembled and her one visible eye twitched slightly.

“Yes, I’m sorry you were swept into it this way… I really am” Arata sighed.

“And the E.W.E.F. has really disbanded?” She asked.

“Yes, except for a few of us with Personas.” He admitted.

“I see… I’m going to go back to sleep.” The conversation had lasted an hour up until this point, and Lexi was far from ready for a conversation of this length.

“Okay,” Arata stood up and walked toward the door.

“Arata-kun,” She quietly called out.

He turned to face her once more.

“Thank you for coming, and for telling me the truth. Please come again.” She tried her best to smile.

“Right!” Arata assured her. “I’ll keep coming by until you’ve recovered.”

…

That afternoon Ivory Shield, Arata, Camphor, Triage, and Stitch, had gathered outside the old command tent. The southern team was supposed to arrive any minute and, because of Compass Rose, had already been informed of the events that transpired.

“Where in Tartarus is Blaze?” A low gruff voice shouted.

Coming into view from the road were and earth pony, a unicorn, and two pegasai.

Arata recognized the pegasai as Compass Rose and Sunburst, but he wasn’t familiar with the other two.

The group came to a stop forming a circle. “He’s at the bar.” Ivory Shield answered. “I don’t believe I’ve met either of you,” she said toward the earth pony and unicorn. “I’m Ivory Shield with the Royal guard.”

“Gear,” said the unicorn extending his hoof, which Ivory shook.

“Bull Whip,” The earth pony was wearing a brown jacket, and a wide brimmed hat. “Two things,” he stated. “One: I’m staying here. Two: I’m going to go find Blaze.” And with that he dropped his satchel and walked into town.

“The two of us will stay as well,” Gear said. His dark gray fur surprisingly well kept for someone who had spent so much time in the swamps.

“Yeah, we had a long time to think about it, and you guys will need our help.” Sunburst agreed. “And it’s the least I could do for Vox…”

“There were five others, but they already left.” Gear said brushing his grey mane out of his face, “I hope we will be enough.”

“I hope so too,” Ivory Shield agreed. “And just as a formality, you two have just been conscripted into the royal guard. Sorry, but it’s a necessary precaution.”

“Right,” They nodded.

“Gear, I’m sorry to get you into action so fast, but with Vox gone no one has gone over the equipment in days. Please come with me to the supply tent. We’ll start the inspection.” Ivory said

“Very well,” he sighed.

“And Arata, go follow Bullwhip.” She ordered.

Arata left toward the bar, unsure of what to expect. Hopefully this would be what Blaze needed to face himself.

Chapter 32: Lock Box

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Arata had sprinted after Bullwhip. Although he had not broken into a cantor yet he was moving only slightly slower than Arata. Bullwhip was walking with a conviction that Arata hadn’t seen in anypony before. He ignored everything that passed him and walked in the most direct path to his destination.

Bullwhip stopped just before entering the bar. He slowly reached a hoof up and pulled down the wide brimmed fedora he wore, just enough to shade his eyes. In a stark contrast to his previous attitude he gently opened the door and walked inside.

With a quick glance around the room he was able to spot Blaze. Blaze was sitting at the bar, his head lazily resting against his left hoof. There was a half empty mug of cider in front of him along with a plate of some half eaten food. Blaze’s sleeves had been haphazardly rolled up and judging by the wrinkling of his shirt, he hadn’t changed in a while.
Bullwhip sat at the empty stool next to Blaze. The bartender noticed the noise and turned to take his order.

“What ‘ill ya have?”

“A mug of something strong, a friend just passed away,” he said removing his hat and placing it on the bar. “Oh, and pour out a glass of something nice too.”

Neither Blaze nor Bullwhip acknowledged the other. Bullwhip’s words just hung in the space between them.

The bartender returned shortly with two glasses. He placed one on the bar in front of Bullwhip. It was a dark amber with a thick foam on top. The second was the color of pale straw, and seemed to bubble endlessly. This was quickly poured out. As the bartender emptied the glass, Bullwhip quickly raised his to his mouth and swallowed the drink as fast he could. He then slammed the inverted glass onto the table.

“You know, when I first hear about what had happened I was going to come down here and make a scene. Maybe shout at ya’ a bit, or throw a punch or two.” Bullwhip declared. “And I was going to, until I got to the front door. Then… then it hit me. That’s not what Vox would’ve wanted me to do. If she knew you were this depressed, she would have wanted me to cheer you up.”

“You’re doing a damn fine job at it,” Blaze grumbled.

“You bet your ass I am.” Bullwhip responded. “How many ponies have come down here to talk to you?”

“They all knew to leave me alone,” Blaze barked.

“Bullshit,” Bullwhip laughed, “They just don’t know how to talk to ya’ in a state like this. Celestia, I don’t even know what I’m doing right now, but at least I’m giving it a shot. Leaving you here to drown in that mug isn’t really my style.”

“Draft, another cider,” Blaze ordered to the bartender.

“Make it two,” Bullwhip called.

“I thought you weren’t gonna let me drown in my mug,” Blaze scoffed placing a few bits on the bar.

“Of course not! How can you drown when I’m here to pull ya’ out of it.” Bullwhip said, “You’re stuck with me if you like it or not, and you can bet your ass I’ll drag out of here from time to time.”

Blaze took a sip from the glass that was just placed in front of him. “You’re as stubborn as always.”

Arata, who had been sitting at a table close by, listening to their conversation, was shocked by Bullwhip’s attitude towards Blaze, but he did have a point. No one had come here to talk to Blaze, they had all just let him be. Maybe not saying anything was worse than saying the wrong thing.

‘I’d better get back to camp and see if I can help Ivory,’ Arata thought, getting out of his chair to leave the bar.
“You, Arata right?” A voice called from a table in the corner.

Arata turned to find that it was the mayor calling for his attention. “Mayor? What are you doing here?”

“I came to get a drink, I haven’t managed to do anything since you showed me what you can do.” She said. It was clear she had already had more than ‘a drink’.

“Oh, yeah, sorry for scaring you like that,” Arata apologized.

“Well we are dealing with some pretty scary stuff apparently, and I would much rather see it like that then coming face to face with whatever it is you guys are fighting.” The mayor continued. “Besides, my reelection bid is coming up soon. This may work out for the best.”

“Uhh, what do you mean?” Arata asked, not quite liking the direction the conversation was headed.

“How would everypony vote me out of office when I’ve been dealing with all of these threats that are closing in on the town?” Arata was cut off before he had a chance to answer, “They wouldn’t! Plus, I’ve got you. My proof that things are as bad as I say they are. Arata, you work with me and I’ll keep this town running smooth for years to come.”

Arata didn’t know how to answer, or if he should answer, but he heard a faint voice calling out to him. “Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Devil Arcana.”

…

While Arata was at the bar, Ivory Shield was busy getting Gear up to speed on what was going on. They had been in the supply tent for only a few minutes and Gear was already discovering copious notes left by Vox. What had been her work bench was littered with designs for the pistol she used. It seemed that in the past month, she had been trying to make several modifications to it, although the notes didn’t specify why.

“Ivory Shield, I have a few questions before I go any further into this.” Gear said.

“Go on,” Ivory said.

“Very well, you say these ‘Personas’ and ‘Shadows’ only existed in the lake until recently correct?” Gear asked as if waiting for confirmation, but continued on without it anyway. “If what you told me about the way Vox summoned her persona is true, then it would make sense that these diagrams are for the modification that allowed her to do so. Do you have the gun? I would like to take a more detailed look at it to figure out exactly how this mechanism works. Perhaps I can also find out why it allows for the summoning of Personas.”

“I doubt that will happen.” Ivory said. “Last I knew of it, Blaze had the gun with him, and he won’t be letting go of it easily. As for figuring out how it works, you’ll have to do the best with what we have around here. I’m sure Vox left some form of notes on this. It would be unlike her not to.”

“Right, I’ll keep searching then. I’ll let you know if I find anything.” Gear said returning to his search.

Ivory walked out of the tent and sat down. She wanted to give Gear some space to work. Asking someone to go through their dead coworkers belongings first thing after returning to camp wasn’t exactly the best way to introduce them to the team. She sat outside for almost an hour waiting for any sign from Gear that he had discovered something.

“Ivory,” Arata called as he walked down the path towards Vox’s tent. It wasn’t so much a path anymore considering that most of the tents had been removed leaving an empty clearing.

“Good you’re back,” Ivory greeted, “How are Blaze and Bullwhip doing?”

“Well, they seem to be doing better than I expected. Bullwhip looks like he knows how to help Blaze.”

“Ivory Shield! Come here quickly!” Gear called from inside the tent. Both Arata and Ivory hurried inside.

Inside a sharp static screech filled the air.

“What is that noise?” Ivory asked scanning the room.

“It sounds like some kind of radio,” Gear answered, “It sounds like the noise is coming under the weapons rack.”

With the help of Ivory and Arata, they were able to move the rack of spears revealing the top of a metal lockbox sunken into the ground. The combination lock and key hole were positioned so it would be accessible without needing to dig the box out of the ground.

“Give me a moment, it won’t take long to have this opened.” Gear’s horn lit up and the dial of the lock began to turn. It only took a minute for his spell to take effect and the box popped open.

Gear lifted the content out of the box. There was a radio which was glowing a faint blue. The same glow that Vox’s magic had.

“I don’t understand why this went off all of a sudden…” Gear said inspecting the radio.

Arata reached into his bag and pulled out the radio which Vox had given him. “This must be what’s causing the screeching, Vox gave it to me.”

“These radios are both different from the others scattered about the place… It looks like they’ve been modified to work on a wave length based on Vox’s magic.” He said comparing the two devices.

“I can’t believe you figured all of that out that quickly,” Ivory said.

“It’s a trick I have done a few times.” Gear said, “It’s very effective at keeping the signal strength strong through interference.”

“She gave this to me so we would be able to contact each other if somepony fell into the lake.” Arata said.
Gear also pulled out a notebook and a small picture frame. “This appears to be her notebook-” Gear said “Would you like me to go through it?”

“No!” Arata said impulsively, “I want to let Blaze have a chance to read it first. I’ll talk to him about it. It’s the least I can do.”

“That’s fair enough,” Ivory Shield agreed. “What was the last thing from the box?”

“Just this picture,” Gear said passing the frame to Ivory and Arata.

In it was a picture taken of Blaze and Vox at this year’s Hearts Warming Eve. They were standing in front of a statue of a heart in one of Canterlot’s parks. A thin dusting of snow covered the entire scene. Even through his serious demeanor, Blaze’s smile was pronounced, and in no way forced. This was a smile that neither Arata nor Ivory Shield had seen before. He pulled Vox tight against him and she looked almost as happy as he did. But to Arata there was something more. It was the way she looked at Blaze while the picture was being taken. It was as if she was trying to plead with him, as if some guilt was overwhelming her. Arata realized what must have happened in Canterlot, this was where Vox had confessed her true intention to Blaze, this is why Blaze believed there was no way to save her. Vox chose to hold onto this memory despite all of this.

“I… I think Blaze should see this too,” Arata said taking the picture from Gear. “I’ll be back with Blaze...”

Chapter 33: Shade

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The sun had only just begun to set. Arata could already feel the fatigue of the day wearing away at his resolve. Since Vox’s death, every day had become like this. He would do all he could until this feeling of lethargy set in, then he would return home and go to sleep. This had only been the case for about a week, but none the less it was beginning to feel like this wouldn’t be changing anytime soon. Ivory Shield had asked that he stay at camp for most of the night, though she neglected to tell him why.

He had made himself a bed in one of the remaining tents and had tried to sleep, but despite his best effort, sleep wouldn’t come. He waited outside of the tent for Ivory Shield, watching the gently falling snow. She showed up only a few minutes late with Triage in tow.

Triage was weighed down by several bags, along with a machete and heavy jacket; it was a particularly cold night.

“Ready to go, Arata?” Ivory Shield asked tossing him the jacket he wore into the lake.

“Yes, but you still haven’t said what we’re doing.” He replied slipping on the jacket.

Ivory took the machete from Triage, “We’re going to go make sure nothing has come out of the lake since the last time we were there. I would have gone myself, but without a Persona I don’t know how much use I can be.”

“And I was roped in to make sure you don’t get hurt too badly,” Triage chimed in.

“All right, just make sure you two stay close in case there is something we need to worry about.” Arata added. Fighting his fatigue he began the trek that would take them out to the lake.

…

The swamp had changed since the last time Arata had ventured into it. He was unsure why, but the swamp felt as if it had less life. There was a still silence that hung after the sound of every step. Most of the trees had begun to wither as well, though all of this was most likely due to the onset of winter.

“We’re getting closer,” Arata said to Triage, who stood between him and Ivory Shield.

“Hey, you two…” Triage said seeming to ignore Arata, “I, I don’t feel too good.”

“What’s wrong?” Ivory Shield asked walking up next to her.

“I... don-” Before her sentence finished, she collapsed to the ground.

“Triage!” Ivory shouted stepping to her aid. “Arata did you see what happened to her?”

Aarata didn’t respond. When Ivory turned, she saw him staring at Triage, as if he saw something that she could not. Ivory paused for a moment to think. Triage was already unconscious. Whatever was happening had already taken a steep toll on her, but there had to be something she could do to stop this.

“Arata, I’m going to take Triage out of here. I need your help to lift her.” Ivory ordered.

“Wait!” Arata shouted, his voice unsure, but not panicked; it carried a tone of curiosity. “You can’t see the fog around her, can you?”

Ivory looked down to Triage once more. “No, I can’t. What do you think it is?”

“It looks the same as the fog we saw around the lake, but it’s almost like a tendril wrapping its way all around her.” Arata explained.

“What would you say we do instead?” Ivory asked.

“We should follow the mist, and stop it at the source.” Arata answered, tracing the path it made between the trees.

“I don’t want to take that risk. Leaving her here like this. You can go ahead, you have a Persona and I don’t. I’ll see what I can do for her here.” Ivory insisted, not appreciating the suggested course of action. “I’m not going to let any pony else die on my watch.”

“All right,” Arata said taking the first step towards the mist. He felt a shiver of hesitation as he lay his hoof on the ground. ‘No,’ he thought, ‘I can’t hesitate now. Foalsdale is counting on me. Everypony who stayed is counting on me, and all of my friends are counting on me.’ He stepped forward again, and again, Ivory Shield’s voice was growing ever fainter with each passing step. Soon the trees surrounding the enchanted lake had engulfed Arata, and he could see nothing behind him.

…

“I hope to Celestia he knows what he’s doing,” Ivory said with the faint hope that Triage would respond. But no response came. She carefully lifted Triage onto her back, as she did Ivory felt a faint tingling, almost a mist, begin to overtake her entire presence.

At that moment, she felt something calling to her; a presence, familiar, yet somehow very distant. It was a presence she had only felt once before, Dragoon. Though she had only summoned her Persona once, it always felt as if it were waiting for her call, just in the back of her mind. Now she could feel it once more, but there was something different than before. In the lake, once she had felt her Persona’s call, she could reach out and pull it forth, now it seemed she couldn’t touch it at all. Instead it seemed to have come to her aid, at a time when she would have been unable to defend herself.

The Persona did not manifest itself in full though, it was merely a barrier between her and the mist that had drained the energy from Triage. All she could do was hope that it proved strong enough in its currents state to allow the two to retreat to safety.

…

Arata had walked this path enough times to know the lake was just beyond the next row of trees. Despite this firm knowledge, the mist that had fully engulfed the once snowy section of the forest and every step Arata took made him unsure.

He paused, if his memory was correct he had gone too far, he should have passed the shore several steps back. He didn’t see any trees around him, although even when he was surrounded by trees, the mist had grown so dense that he could not see any of them. He continued to stand, considering where he was. The thought had occurred that he may have fallen into the lake. Perhaps all of this was an elaborate illusion designed by the new found power of the being trapped within. This was quickly dispelled by a quick examination of the ground he stood on. His hooves were gently standing on the surface of the lake itself. More than that, he felt as if Pendragon was somehow shielding him from the mist he was surrounded by.

“This is most unexpected,” a voice laughed from all directions at once. “I didn’t think those Personas I allowed you to have would be of any use to you outside of the lake, but it seems I was wrong.”

Arata’s head darted back and forth trying to find the voice that mocked him once more. It was Morgana, the one who had granted his wish, and more, the one responsible for all of the death that seemed to follow him.

“You know, I was wrong about my powers only once before. It was back when I fought valiantly against that bearded one to defend my kingdom. I could have sworn that I would have been able to defeat him with my magic, and the magic that my subjects so kindly lent me-” The voice trailed off for just a moment.

“You aren’t being nearly as fun as last time, Arata. Did I upset you? I wouldn’t want to make my favorite subject, well second favorite subject, angry. Besides Vox, you are the only friend I have.” The voice waivered as she fought back laughter. “I’ve done so much for you already, and I know oh so much about you, the least you could do is act a little appreciative.”

“Pendragon.” A gleaming tarot card appeared before Arata and the black dragon rose out of the fog behind him.

“Put that away before you hurt yourself,” Morgana scoffed. “You don’t have nearly enough power to challenge your queen.”

Pendragon let out a blast of wind, trying to clear the mist from the lake.

“Fine, before I was trapped in this lake I knew hundreds upon hundreds of ponies who would have happily trampled one another for just a second of my time. But here you are with my undivided attention, and even my favor, and you don’t even seem appreciative. I don’t usually tolerate rude subjects, but as I said earlier, I like you. I will take my leave now, but I will leave you with a gift. A friend for you to talk to, please raise all of you concerns to her.”

A defined shape appeared out of the din of mist. It stood on the water just as Arata did, taking even, measured paces towards him.

“Hello Arata,” He couldn’t believe what he saw. Standing before him was an apparition that looked and sounded exactly as Vox had weeks ago.

“Vox?!” Arata exclaimed with a mix of fear, panic, and excitement.

“No.” The apparition stated in a dull voice, that, while clearly belonging to Vox, had the life drained from it. “I am similar to your Vox, I was spawned from her feelings and consciousness, but I am not her.”

“Then what are you? I… if you are going to attack me Morgana, I won’t hesitate to destroy this thing.” But Morgana never answered his question, instead the apparition took another step forward.

“Consider me as a ‘Shade of Vox’. I am her and something entirely new at once. I have seen death, and now I come before you, so I may help ease you into this eternal slumber one day as well.”

Arata didn’t know how to respond to any of this. It felt as though he were speaking to Vox, but this thing, this shade, was not her. He wanted to scream, he wanted to run, but instead he chose to exercise his courage.

“Fine, you can teach me about death, but I won’t go down easily, you can tell Morgana that.” Arata felt an echoing inside his mind “Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Death Arcana.”

‘An arcana,’ Arata thought, ‘Maybe Vox is in there after all.’

“An excellent choice, please come here at midnight on another day, so we may converse freely.” And with those words the shade disappeared.

…

Ivory watched as Arata stepped out of the forest, he had a fire in his eyes that she hadn’t seen before.

“What happened Arata?” She asked.

Arata decided not to mention the shade of Vox, not now at least. “This is all the Alicorn’s doing, she is using he magic to blanket the forest. How is Triage doing?”

“She’s fine now that she was pulled back. What was doing this?”

“It was Morgana’s magic, it looks like our Personas are the only reason we didn’t get effected by it. We need to make sure no pony else enters the swamp anymore.” Arata concluded.

“Right, I’ve got a few ideas, we’ll talk at camp,” And the two carried the doctor out of the swamp…

Chapter 34: Snuff Soul

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Arata and Ivory Shield carried Triage into the medical tent and set her down on the table. Her breathing had stabilized since they had exited the forest, although she was showing no sign of returning to consciousness anytime soon.

“This is just great,” Ivory Shield sighed, “Arata, go see if you can find Stitch, he may be able to help us here.”

“Right,” Arata nodded, running out of the tent. Darting out of a medical tent to treat a wounded pony late at night was starting to become an uncomfortable trend. The snow that had fallen was thin enough as to not impede his steps as he walked through the now empty field to the last of the tents.

Stitch’s tent was one of the older versions that were often taken into the field. It was supported by two poles sunk into the ground and a rope running between them. Arata lifted open the flap and found Stitch asleep under a sloppy pile of blankets. There wasn’t much to his living space, it was the most Spartan design Arata had seen since moving to Foalsdale. Even he had brought more from Nippony than Stitch had.

Arata nudged his shoulder, and Stitch jolted upright. “What’s going on?!” he shouted.

“Triage is hurt, we need you to help her.” Arata said giving him a hoof up.

“Oh no, what happened? How bad is it? Should I get bandages? Wait, I’ll need to prepare myself if she’s bleeding. Is she bleeding? Please tell me she isn’t bleeding.” Stitch continued for another few sentences before Arata cut him off.

“She isn’t bleeding. It looked like her-” Arata cut off for a moment to find the right word. “It looks like her spirit was attacked. I’m sorry but I can’t think of any other way to describe what happened.”

“Spirit? I don’t know how to heal that…” Stitch trailed off as he began to walk to the medical tent.

“Give it your best shot. I have another idea, I’ll be back soon.” Arata informed him darting off away form camp.

Arata sprinted as fast as he could into the town. This was the first time he had done this. Normally he found himself sprinting with Camphor out to the lake, and there lay the answer; Camphor. If there was anypony who would know how to cure a drained spirit, it was him.

He entered his home, and tried his best not to make too much noise as he headed up the stairs. He knocked gently on Camphor’s door, and was surprised to hear Camphor’s voice in response.

“Commmeee innnn,”

Arata slowly opened the door and stepped in. The room was filled with incense and smoke as usual, but the smell was different, the sent was much more distinct and sharp than it was normally. Camphor was sitting cross-legged on a set of pillows in the middle of the room. His eyes were closed and his breathing was deep and even.

“Heeeyyy thereee,” Camphor smiled thinly. His teeth only made visible through the glint of candle light that hit him through the smoke.

“Hi, Camphor, I’m sorry to do this, but I need your help. Triage is hurt, and Stitch can’t help.” Arata explained.

Camphor took a deep breath and slowly stood up. “It’s been a whiillleee since I’ve maadeee any medicineee. I’lll need a few minutes to, like, make sure everything is fresh.”

Camphor shuffled around in the dimly lit room, occasionally stopping to grind something in his mortar and pestle. Arata stood silently watching until Camphor lifted his saddle pack and walked out the door.

They galloped out to the camp, not knowing the state Triage was in. This midnight gallop was so familiar to Arata. There had been so many nights where Vox’s static filled calls had summoned them to the lake. He had shared a bond with Camphor that, since Vox died, he had neglected. There was just so much he had to do, from working with the mayor, to mastering his Persona. All of this prevented him from deepening his bonds with those around him.

They arrived at the tent and found Stitch was frantically taking any kind of medical reading he could.

“Oh thank Celestia you two are here.” He sighed, as they entered the tent. “I have no idea what is wrong with her, but it looks like she is stable.”

“Camphor,” Ivory Shield greeted him. “Maybe you’ll be able to figure this one out.”

Camphor silently nodded, and set his bag down next to the medical bench. He pulled out a set of vails and set each one down next to Triage. He uncapped each one in sequence and held them under her nose for a few seconds each. With each passing vial her face began to twitch progressively more. By the time he had uncapped the fourth, her face had scrunched up tightly, as if a skunk had just sprayed her.

“It’s not a physical problem.” Camphor concluded. “She isn’t in any danger from what I can tell, there are a few things I want to try on her.” He reached into his bag and pulled out a set of incense sticks. He lit each one and set them around her.

Arata recognized this as the same sent that Camphor had in his room. “Camphor, what is this incense? It’s different from what you normally use.”

“Yeeaaahh, I normalllyy use something more melloowww. But, lately, if I like meditate or anything, I get lost in my own negativity maaannnn. I needed something to pull me out, something I could, like, know was out of place. I don’t know if it will work on heeerrrr, buuuttt it’s worth a shot.”

They watched as Triage began to twitch once more, this time she made some audible groans as well. Camphor once again reached into his pack, this time pulling out a vial containing a shimmering white power.

“What is that?” Stitch asked, not familiar with Camphor’s special brand of medicine.

“It’s, like, how do I explain it? So you know how the Swamp and, like the Everfree Forrest, are alivveeeee?” Camphor asked in response.

“I’ve heard stuff like that,” Stitch said hesitantly, “All I really know is they have their own weather patterns.”

“Yeah maaaaannnn, it’s like a self-regulating system. It’s got, like, a life and a spirit, ya know?” Camphor said pouring some of the powder onto his hoof.

“Uhh, sure… What is that exactly? I’m still not sure I get it.” Stitch added with more than a hint of concern.

“It’s like the essence of that life. I made it from the extract of sooooo maannnyyy planntsss. All of them were so alive and full of spirit.” Camphor responded.

“That… That’s not medicine…” Stitch snapped trying to take the vail from Camphor.

But he was too slow, and before he could reach Camphor, he had already allowed Triage to inhale the power from his hoof.

She twitched briefly before bolting back to life.

“Celestia!” She shouted still panting. “What, what in Tartarus happened to me?!” Her eyes were wide and her head darted back and forth around the tent.

“You had your spirit drained by the psychotic fog alicorn that gave us Personas.” Ivory Shield answered. “I’m sorry, but there isn’t a more simple explanation. Camphor was able to revive you.”

Triage turned to Camphor, “Well, thank you. I don’t think I’m going to go back into that swamp any time soon.”

“That’s a good idea,” Ivory agreed. “We’ll make sure the mayor passes the message onto the town as well.”

“Stitch,” Triage called, “Get me back to my tent, I need to sleep.”

“Ye-yes mam!” He darted to her side and help her climb off the bed. The two disappeared out the tent flap into the snow outside.

Ivory Shield turned to Arata. “I’m sorry. I haven’t given you a chance to recover at all over the past days.” Her apology caught Arata off guard, and he did not know how to respond. “Take a few days to yourself. I think I could use that too.” She added. “I’m going to go pass out now.” In all of his time knowing her, this was the closest he had seen Ivory come to showing weakness. He felt that the past few days had truly strengthened their bond.

…

“How have you been Camphor?” Arata asked as they walked down the trail back to the house. The sun was just beginning to rise, and the light glimmered on the snow.

Camphor inhaled deeply through is nose, and slowly opened his mouth and let the breath out.
“Not good maaaan, not good. I’ve like, never felt this way before ya know?”

“Yeah, whenever I get a second to think my mind just goes back to Vox.” Arata answered.

“I’ve talked to my dad and mom about it, they get it, but they can’t know everything. I just told them she died exploring.” Camphor sighed, “Maaaan, there was a time where I, like, thought lying wouldn’t throw off my mellow this much, but now every time I do it I feel sick maaannn.”

“Do you think we should tell everypony what is actually happening?” Arata asked?

Camphor stopped and kicked the snow infront of him. “Nah, that would just make everypony else lose their mellow.”

They continued to discuss their situation until they returned home. Both of them able to voice concerns and feelings that they had been hiding for far too long. Neither said it, but both felt much more relaxed than when the day had started. The weight of their situation still pressed down, but the edge had been dulled, there was no longer a cutting feeling of despair.

They both slept in that morning, it was the deepest sleep either had gotten in days.

…

Arata woke up sometime the next afternoon. It was later than he intended to, but he finally felt refreshed. Today he had but one issue to deal with, giving Blaze Vox’s journal. Arata hoped that this would be the impulse that Blaze needed to pull him out of his daze, but hope had only gone so far these past few days.

Arata left with a new resolve, he walked firmly to the bar, driven to face the thing he knew he would find. A drunken Blaze, whose contempt for life spilled over into his relations with everything, save for cider.

He opened the double doors and, as he thought he would, he found Blaze seated with a mug in hoof. Arata paced up to the bar and sat at the adjacent stool.

Blaze kept his gaze fixed straight ahead. “Kid.”

“I know you don’t want to talk,” Arata began, “But I came here to deliver this to you.” He placed the book on the table, “We found this in a hidden lock box in Vox’s tent. We haven’t opened it yet, we thought it would be best if you saw it first.”

Blaze used his magic to pull the journal in front of him, “A secret journal huh?” He didn’t open it, or touch it, he just sat silently looking at the cover. “Is there anything else?”

“Just this,” Arata said producing the picture that was in the box.

Blaze took the picture and set it on top of the journal. Arata could see the tears welling up in his eyes,

“Blaze, if you need to talk about-”

“I don’t need to talk.” He snapped. “but… thanks, kid.”

Arata, knew this was the time to leave. He had to help Blaze out of this, and this was the first step. A voice echoed in his mind, “Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Emperor Arcana…”

Chapter 35: A Home

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“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.

Chapter 36: Evoked

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“Arata, there’s something I’d like to speak to you about.” Gear had mentioned that he wanted to speak to Arata earlier in the day. They had been moving what little equipment they had from the old camp to their new headquarters for most of the morning.

“Right, sorry, I’m not use to being in charge of things…” Arata was admitting this mostly to himself.

“That’s quite alright. Now, the other day Blaze swung by my office half-drunk and left me a hoof full of pages out of the notebook.” Gear seemed to be searching for the words, “Well I started to look over what he gave me, and well, I believe I’ve figured out how that pistol worked.”

Arata stared at him for a long minute, “Blaze did that?”

“Yes, he didn’t say anything more than ‘here, I’m still doin’ my part,’ before he staggered out.” Gear shook his head, “but that’s not the point, I think you should read what the pages say.”

‘What could Vox have written?’ Arata thought. There was still so much he didn’t understand about what had happened to her or why she did any of the things she had done.

Gear led Arata to his desk where he gestured to the loose notebook pages. “I’ll leave you to these, please come find me when you’re finished.”

Hesitantly at first, Arata began to read through the pages. At first, the writings seemed normal enough. It was Vox’s daily journal, apparently she had been recording most of their activities here. The entry they had been given detailed a day in which Vox adjusted her signal beacons; beacons that Arata now knew were entirely for show. There had never been any need for them, other than keeping the group off of her trail.

She described the day in an extraordinary amount of detail for something that seemed so mundane. But what surprised Arata more than that was the level of commitment she had to keeping the façade up. Even when she was alone she went to each beacon in order and preformed the same “repairs” she did the day Arata had followed her.

Arata continued to read until he reached the second page...

…

“I walked through the forest, I didn’t notice anything off at first. Everything was still, or at least as still as it always had been. I kept walking down the same trail and that’s really when I started to get the sense that something was off. I smelt something awful. It seemed like it was probably just some rotting plants so I ignored it, probably a mistake. I was almost at the next beacon when I found myself on my back with a set of claws pushing me to the ground and a timber wolf poised to tear my throat out. I didn’t think they would ever come this close to the camp.

My pistol was firing before I ever realized what was happening. The one on top of me was stopped while it had to reform. There was another one that I didn’t notice though. I felt its teeth clamp around my neck slowly, like something was stopping it from biting down. I opened my eyes and as I did I heard Morgana’s call. She appeared above me and on instinct I destroyed the wolves that had attacked me.

It was horrifying, before that moment I’d never actually feared for my life, I’d never felt something’s jaws tighten around my neck. That horror got me thinking. My experience there called forth my Persona, because my life was in danger; immediate, clear, danger. If I could duplicate that feeling, maybe I could control my Persona outside of the lake.

So I modified my pistol. And it worked. By adjusting the magic charge, and adding a spell based on telepathy, I was able to incite a state of fear, and that mixed with the pain of the impact was enough to summon my Morgana. Someday I’ll show this to the others.”

…

‘So she had known how to summon a Persona for that long,’ Arata thought, ‘and not even Blaze had any idea.’

“In order to fully understand how this device works I will need to see the gun itself Arata.” Gear began. “The details described here, along with the diagrams aren’t enough for me to duplicate what she did. Ivory Shield told me how pressing it was that we get everypony else a Persona and-”

“I’ll talk to Blaze,” This wasn’t about Persona’s anymore. With all that Blaze had gone through, after learning this, even if he denied it, he would need a friend. “I’ll get him to bring the thing to you.”

Arata left the new headquarters, trudging through the snow toward the tavern. There were a lot of foals out today, playing in the snow with no idea of what was unfolding all around them. Any one of them could end up like Autumn Tail. And the E.W.E.F. were the only ones here left to protect them. They had to protect them, they’d live to see the next change of seasons. Something that more and more ponies were unable to do.

The bar was empty, except for Blaze, floating in the bottom of a glass. Walking up to the bar, Arata pulled out a seat. Blaze looked up, eyes bloodshot, and face lined with a black dusting of stubble.

“Kid”, was the only acknowledgment Arata got, and it was all he really needed.

“I’m not going to leave until you talk to me.” Arata said, searching deep inside of himself to confront his friend.

Blaze sat silently staring down into his glass. “Draft, another.” Blaze called.

“Ya’ haven’t paid for those today, you still got money left?” The bar keeper yelled back.

Placing a bag of bits on the table Blaze responded, “Plenty.”

Draft shifted his attention to Arata, “Anything for you?”

“What he’s having, please.”

As the glasses were set in front of them Blaze began to speak. “So what do you want?” Taking a long sip from the glass he shuddered, and set it back down.

Arata didn’t know where he should start, there was so much that he could say, but it felt like he was walking on thin ice. “I want to help you.” The first thing he said and already it felt like he wasn’t going to make any difference.

“And how do you intend to do that?” Blaze didn’t even spare Arata a glance.

“I… I don’t know exactly. But you’re one of my friends, and I can’t just sit back and watch as you drown in that glass…” He wasn’t just one of his friends; Camphor, Blaze, Vox, Compass Rose, Ivory, they’d been his best friends, he’d never had friends like this before. “We are all feeling the burden of what happened. Nopony should have to bear all of that alone.”

“Kid, you don’t know the burden I’m feeling. So I want you to take my advice. Go back, and do what you have to without me. I’ve done enough to help that fog demon.”

So it wasn’t just the guilt of Vox. It was so much more. Blaze blamed himself for everything. Finding the lake, going back and in doing so fueling Morgana. Exposing Vox to that magic which would eventually lead to her death. It was a chilling realization. Arata had blamed himself for a lot of what had happened as well, but he never thought that Blaze would do the same. How could he help Blaze when he couldn’t even figure out how to deal with these feelings himself?

“I think I do know the burden you’re feeling.” Arata began, “I’ve felt it since Autumn Tail died. The feeling like all of this is your fault. We’ve been in this together since then. We’ve been exploring together from the beginning. I’m just as guilty as you are.”

“Kid…” Blaze’s voice flared with anger and then died down. “You didn’t kill her. You didn’t know this was going to happen for months. You didn’t have her voice in your head as she died.” The crescendo ended in a roar. “So don’t tell me you feel the same burden as me.”

“Blaze…” Arata didn’t know what he was talking about, why so much of what happened hidden from him and the rest of the group. How much of this could have been prevented if everypony hadn’t kept secrets.

“Get out kid, you’ve said enough.” Blaze finished the rest of his drink, and called for another.

Arata wanted to stay, he wanted to say more, but he lacked the courage to do so. He felt that he understood Blaze’s pain a bit more, though for everything new he understood, he learned how much further Blaze’s sorrow went. Just as he thought had found the courage to say something to his friend, a pair of voices from the back of the bar began to flare up. Arata turned to see an arguing couple, and as he did he knew he missed his chance to make a final comment to Blaze.

“I can’t just be quiet when Twinkle asks me why we aren’t going to be living together anymore.” The stallion said, with a raised and frustrated tone. His well-kept brown mane shaking over his white coat.

The mare had her hair tied up so her piercing green eyes could be seen. “You are going to do just that. I can’t have our daughter realizing how much of a sham our marriage has been this whole time. I don’t want her to get the wrong idea of what life is like!”

Taken aback the stallion responded with the same hostility given to him, “Marriage was a sham? What are you talking about? Yeah things have gotten bad, but you’re lying to yourself if you think this was how it has always been. And life is like this! We’re adults, it’s our job to explain to her why something like this is going on, poor girl must be horrified by all of this!”

“There you go with your high and mighty mindset! I don’t need a lecture from you on how to deal with my kid.” The mare scoffed.

“She is our kid, Ruby.” The stallion protested. “We are both responsible for her.”

“There is no ‘we’ anymore, Sapphire.” She turned to Arata. “You, you’ve been listening to us for a while. Tell this how much of a pretentious ass he’s acting like.

“Damn it to the moon.” Sapphire sighed. “Fine, I’ll stop.” He turned to Arata, “I’m sorry you were dragged into this.” He turned his back on the mare and left the bar.

The mare didn’t spare Arata another thought before walking to the bar.

Tension seemed to be building in everpony lately. Arata could feel a new weight setting in on top of him.

Chapter 37: Deathbound

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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.”

Chapter 38: Bullwark

View Online

Ivory shield had returned from Canterlot and assembled the remnant of the E.W.E.F. at their new headquarters. It had been almost one month since Vox’s death now, and few members of the group had stayed in Foalsdale. Atata stood at the head of the large round table whet had finally finished cleaning. Though it had been Ivory who called for the meeting, it was still Arata who was forced to take the lead.

“All right, everypony.” He said voice tired from many expeditions into the forest with Camphor and Rose. Even with the medicine Camphor had been making the Fighting had been Arata’s burden alone. Gear insisted that any day now the copies of Vox’s pistol, which he now called an evoker, would be ready for testing. Though that grew harder and harder to believe. “Let’s get started.”

Camphor and Ivory stood to Arata’s side, with Compass Rose and Sunburst next to them, and Triage, Bullwhip and Gear as their opposites.

“No Blaze?” Triage said, unsurprised. “Still drunk? He’s not gonna have much of a liver in another month if he keeps this up.”

There were a few awkward chuckles.

“Now’s not the time for this.” Ivory snapped. “Arata, this is your meeting, run it.”

“R-right, sorry.” He sighed. “Canterlot couldn’t send us much.” He began, “Ivory was able to get us a few sets of old guard armor, a few actual swords, is that it?” he asked, unable to remember himself.

“That’s it.” Ivory agreed. “None of you have any experience in armor, so we’ll start conditioning immediately. It’s gonna be rough training. But this should hopefully give Arata some relief. Assuming we can actually fight the damned things.”

“Liiiiikkkkeeee,” Camphor began, “I donnnt want to be a downeerrr, but they are like at the edge of the forrreessst. We can’t hide this from everypony much looonnnggerrr.”

“He’s right.” Arata added. “I’m doing my best to hold them off, but they’ve been coming out at almost double the rate lately.”

“Gear!” Bullwhip barked, “Where is that, whatever you call it, Vox used.”

“An evoker,” He barked back, “It’s almost ready. I just need to do a few more tests on the ammunition to make sure it isnt… lethal..”

“So it is ready?” Ivory asked.

“It is close.” He insisted one more time.

“We don’t have time for this,” Sunburst burst out. Though she was often quiet at the meetings, she had grown tired of working to keep ponies out of the forest. “I cant stop them forever. We don’t even know if anyone else can get a persona! We need that thing done now Gear.”

“It’s almos-“ Gear began.

“I don’t care about almost!” Sunburst snapped.

“Stop it!” Arata shouted, the room pulsed with a strange energy as his anger welled. “We can’t be fighting against each other. We have more important things to worry about. Ivory, start getting them all fitted into the armor. I’m going out again.”

“Arata you can’t!” Compass Rose shouted, “that would make 3 times to day. Camphor’s medicine can keep you going, but if you get hurt, we’re done.”

“I can’t let them get into town.” He said, equipping his new sword, and setting out once again.

The moon had begun to rise for the night, and as Arata paced away from their headquarters toward the forest entrance he felt something different in the full moon. Then it came. The all too familiar cackle of Morgana. The Alicorn rose from the forest becoming visible to all of the ponies in the town.

Arata called for the others, who promptly joined him.

She flew closer and closer to the edge of the forest until, as if held by and unknown chain, was pulled to a stop. She diverted her gaze toward the E.W.E.F. “It would seem that I am not quite strong enough to escape my bindings. Though since I cannot deal with you personally now, I have a gift.” Fog spewed from the forrest and stopped in the divide between the E.W.E.F base and the town. It pulsed and shifted as more shadows emerged from the forest. “This should be a fond memory for all of you. Enjoy.” As she withdrew Arata began to recognize the shape before them. It was his shadow, from the very first time he had entered the lake. But something about it was different. It had an evil aura that it did not have before. Anything within it that he recognized was now gone, replaced by hatred. Hatred for its creator.

“Everypony!” Arata shouted, “go to the city! Protect them from the shadows! I’ll hold this thing off!”

Wasting no time Arata called for Pendragon and held the shadow in place long enough for the others to slip through. The monster now spawned hundreds of arms, each one lashing out at Pendragon. Arata caught the attacks on the Dragon’s wings, and quickly countered with blasts of wind.

The creature was more powerful than the last time. Each hit sent Arata’s already tired body into a spiral of pain and disorientation.

Meanwhile while in town, the shadows had emerged into the streets and the little hope of keeping the town at ease had faded away.

Tonic forced Marigold into their home, blocking the door and readying himself for a fight. Ivor sword in hoof flew down striking at all of the shadows. Rose and Sunburst ferried poines caught outside to the roofs of buildings.

The commotion had been enough to get Blaze’s attention. As he stumbled out of the bar, he was met with the sight of shadows emerging and inching ever close toward him. In a half panic, he began to run towards them, flailing with all of his might.

He was quickly met by Rose who lifted him to safety. “We need Blaze back.” She said.

Arata lashed out with wind and claws, trying to attack this visage of his former self. But he did not have the energy to keep up the fight.

Arata hadn’t noticed that Bullwhip and Gear had not run into town. Instead the now stood at the entrance of the building, Gear pleading with Bullwhip not to continue.

“You said you didn’t know if this would kill me, right?” Bullwhip barked again.

“Yes it could kill you please don’t do this.”

“Too late. Arata can’t take this alone much longer.”

He stepped forward to the shadow letting out a deep breath. “No time like the present.”

Unlike the gun Vox had used, this device was mounted to the Hoof, and required a firm press against the head to fire.

He smalled his hoof against his temple, and as he did, a burst of agony shot through his body.

What he screamed next echoed through the panic filled air.

“Bullwark!”

His persona came to him. Though not in the form the others had. His persona took the form of Armor, covering every inch of his body.

As Arata held of another attack, he wasted no time leaping forward, and driving his persona deep into the shadow. Where as Arata could attack from a distance, Bullwhip could not. Instead he gained unheard of speed and strength, able to leap more than he could have ever imagined.

With the monster now distracted. Arata took the chance to let out a final burst of energy. It started to tear into the shadow, rending a gash into its chest. Bullwhip saw his chance and shot himself forward, penetrating through the hole and exiting out of the shadow’s back. Landing firmly on the ground.

With a shriek the shadow faded into ash. And those that had started to attack the village seemed to lose energy with its passing, and either died, or retreated.

Arata propped himself up against his sword briefly, before falling into unconsciousness.

….

Igor’s laughter greeted him. “It seems another has gained the power of persona.” He smirked, “Perhaps you will finally be able to fight on your own terms now……”

Persona: Innocent Wish

by Trismegistus

Chapter 1: A New Start

Chapter 2: A Brief Jaunt

Chapter 3: Persona!

Chapter 4: Social Link Go?

Chapter 5: Choices

Chapter 6: Honesty

Chapter 7: It's Medicine!

Chapter 8: Voice

Chapter 9: FES

Chapter 10: Longest Night

Chapter 11: Changing Seasons

Chapter 12: Troubled

Chapter 13: We are a Trio

Chapter 14: Burn my Dread(s)

Chapter 15: I Had No Idea He Was Actually Competent

Chapter 16: The Very Model of a Modern Major General

Chapter 17: The Hierophant

Chapter 18: The Fall

Chapter 19: Broken Compass

Chapter 20: Cider, Cider, Cider, Cider.

Chapter 21: Nightmare Night

Chapter 22: The Tower

Chapter 23: Cracked Shield

Chapter 24: The Empress

Chapter 25: Fillydelphia

Chapter 26: Hearts Warming Eve

Chapter 27: Borderline of Madness

Chapter 28: Revelations, Persona

Chapter 29: Triage

Chapter 30: E.W.E.F.

Chapter 31: Reach out to the Truth

Chapter 32: Lock Box

Chapter 33: Shade

Chapter 34: Snuff Soul

Chapter 35: A Home

Chapter 36: Evoked

Chapter 37: Deathbound

Chapter 38: Bullwark