Equestria's Greatest Cartoonist

Chapter 2

If there was one thing that Kai didn’t like, it was rushing things. Rushing was something he forced himself to dislike very early on in his life, especially when he first entered college and had to slowly accommodate to the independent and fast-paced environment. Having moments to slow down and take things at bite-sizes became the life support to not only his career, but overall mental state.

Thus said, there was absolutely no way he could rush an explanation on such a big topic like anime. There was quite literally too much for him to go over. And given that he—rather unwisely—decided to start off the explanation on a big-name series, the little conversation between him and Spike had dragged out into hours. By the time he had come to the conclusion of his deep dive, the moon was already high up in the night sky, casting the brilliant pale rays into the room.

Kai exhaled softly, bringing the cup of chamomile tea to his mouth while having a rather pensive expression (in the middle of their conversation, Spike momentarily went out of his way to bring refreshments for the two). He wasn’t ignorant. He knew that this was far from the smartest decision he’s made—and by that, he obviously was referring to the fact that he just skipped work—but he just couldn’t help it. If there were a few things that he was greatly passionate about, one of them was most definitely illustration.

Some would ask if that was really worth the risk of potentially losing his job, and it’s a valid question he didn’t have a proper answer to. His best excuse would be that he could just call in sick… or probably just be straightforward about why he didn’t show up. Nonetheless, the Cakes normally were pretty lenient in these sorts of situations. He only hopes that today’s shift didn't have anything extremely important.

“... wait, so that’s it?” Spike, having been briefly silent after Kai finished his hours-long speech, asked with a displeased tone. “ Ash just lost? Just like that?”

Kai placed his cup down and nodded sagely. Indeed, the specific anime that Kai had chosen to speak about was none other than Pokemon, and he had several reasons for the decision. First, given that it was one of the first anime series that he’s ever seen—and one that he frequently kept up to date with—it was easier for him to lay out the storyline—at least for the Indigo League specifically. Secondly, despite his previous excitement on enlightening Spike about the wonderfulness of anime, he had to be aware of who he was talking to, and thus had to be careful on which series he chose to talk about. Having lived here for a while, Kai was not blind to the… soft environment of Equestria. Topics like Naruto, Bleach, Death Note, or any other mainstream anime series was bound to be too heavy of a topic, even if he was sure Spike could probably handle some of it.

So, yes, Kai really did spend hours talking about Pokemon. Who wouldn’t?

Smiling with content, Kai rested his face on his knuckles. Even if he had to filter himself, Pokemon was not a bad series to start off with. And with how much Spike was leaning forward in his seat, it was pretty clear that he got the little drake hooked. “Take it as you will, Spike, but as you’ve already noticed, Ash usually had trouble handling his Charizard. That’s just what it’s like being a Pokemon trainer, anyways… and that’s also what makes the series so good.”

“But… but that’s just so underwhelming,” Spike frowned with clear disappointment, “ he didn’t even get to fight against Gary… and that guy is sure one hay of a jerk!”

“… oh yeah, Gary. He doesn’t even make it as far as Ash does. They were never going to face each other.”

“Oh… well, it still kinda sucks…”

With that said, their conversation died. Seeing that he had spent more than long enough in the Friendship Castle, Kai stood up and stretched his limbs. “Alright, I’ll be heading out now Spike. I’ve got some things to do early tomorrow morning… and some apologies to start thinking up.”

“Oh, yeah, sure! Sorry for holding up for that long,” Spike said frantically.

“Don’t worry about it,” Kai chuckled, sticking out a fist, “well, cya later.”

“Yeah, you too!” Spike grinned, reciprocating the fist bump. The drake then watched Kai’s departing form for a moment before standing and picking up the cups and leftover snacks. As the moments of their conversation flashed through his mind, Spike couldn’t hold back his grin. Kai had just casually unfolded a whole new world that he could’ve never imagined before. Sure, he was able to notice a few similarities with some comics here in Equestria, but the rest was a complete novelty. And to say it was interesting was a heavy understatement.

A world where humans lived together with different mythical pokemon that have various awesome powers. Although he couldn’t accurately imagine the human part, he definitely could imagine the pokemon part.

The plethora of ideas and questions that flooded his mind entertained Spike as he cleaned. He paused, however, when one particular thought flashed before him. With a start, he quickly put everything down and ran out of the room, managing to see Kai’s form walking down the empty hallway. “Wait, Kai! I just had a great idea!”

“Hm?” Kai turned his head back, seeing the small drake running up to him. He stopped, giving Spike a curled brow. “What’s up?”

“This Pokemon thing is, like, really awesome!” Spike exclaimed in a rather Rainbow Dash manner. It brought a small smirk on Kai, but the man let the drake continue. “And I think everypony should know about it! You should definitely write it out!”

Kai blinked at the suggestion. Write it out? Hm… he didn’t really see himself as a good author of sorts. “Sorry, Spike, but I’m not a good writer. I doubt I could accurately and justly depict Pokemon like that.”

“… then what about a comic?” Spike insisted. “This all started because of comics, right? And you also said something about Pokemon being a mahga, which is a version of comics right?”

“It’s manga, but yes, I said that.”

“Yeah, then why not do that? Comics should definitely be easier than writing a book!”

‘…you don’t say…’ Kai sighed mentally, rubbing a hand on his chin. Spike really did bring up an interesting idea, but it wouldn’t be the first time Kai’s thought about something like that. Given his… history of being an artist, it wasn’t like he couldn’t make a manga. In fact, there was a time where he did actually try to articulate some of his time into drawing… but that was around the same time he was still new to this world and trying to get used to handling more than four part times at once. That sort of workload didn’t give him the proper time to really invest into any real project, and that hasn’t changed much even now. There’s a reason he considered himself a former cartoonist.

“... I’ll give it some thought,” Kai finally responded, pocketing his hands, “ but… food for thought, Spike. Comics are not as easy to make as you think… arguably harder than writing a book. It’s a long process…. and it’s not guaranteed to succeed.”

Despite this, Spike seemed pretty confident, crossing his arms. “I’m willing to bet you’d make something amazing! I’m definitely sure you can do it!”

With a rather exasperated sigh, Kai turned around and continued his walk towards the exit, saluting over his shoulder. “Goodnight, Spike.”

“I—uh, yeah… goodnight…”

His home was pretty modest in appearance, but it was definitely better than having nowhere to sleep. It was a two-story house not far off from town center, and unsurprisingly it had the same schematics as the majority of the surrounding buildings. Kai can count in both his hands the amount of times he got lost in the first few days of living here, and he wasn’t really proud of it.

Entering through the front door, he was greeted by a dark interior. It seemed that his roommate, Comet Trail, had already called for the night. Everyone did, really; Kai had only noticed two ponies on the street during his walk, both of which were wearing questionable ninja attire that he soundly ignored. It was a testament to how much time he had wasted… if he were to think of his conversation with Spike negatively.

With the layout of the house memorized, Kai walked through the dark and reached the kitchen, where—after he lit a candle—he found a plate of cold pasta wrapped with parchment paper. Kai gave a small grin, grabbing a fork before taking a seat. It may have been only a month so far, but Comet Trail has been a really nice host. After a few unforeseeable events, Kai had been under the assumption that he would once again be sleeping out for a while (or, perhaps fortunately, sleeping in one of his friends’ houses if he somehow failed to mask his terrible situation). Fortunately and coincidentally, Comet Trail was around when Kai received the notice of the inn he was staying at being shut down, and so the stallion was kind enough to let the man crash at his place until he got his shit straight.

‘...I really lucked out there,’ Kai gratefully thought to himself after a quick and silent prayer, instantly digging into the pesto pasta. As he ate, his mind flashed through the events that unfolded throughout the day. Though, really, he was just thinking over the conversation with Spike, and especially the proposal the drake gave at the end. The idea replayed over and over, and he frowned.

He had thought that he had already long given up on his artistic path, and that he would no longer feel that creative, ingenuitive spark anymore. Life had already gone out of its way to take that away from him. But… it felt like this evening had done something to him. Almost like kindling to cinders, the more he talked about pokemon, the more he felt… active. And not just because of Pokemon, but because of the fact that he was talking about anime in general that made him feel more proactive than what he normally would be.

Kai stared at the flicker candle thoughtfully. He didn’t like to think of himself as being poetic, but he couldn’t ignore this feeling. However, amidst the surging emotions, he wasn’t sure if it was a good feeling…

Some time ago…

“... what the hell is this, Everett?”

Kai kept his gaze as neutral as he could, though he dared not to look into his boss’s eyes. “... it’s my final draft, sir.”

The man, well over the age of thirty and with a poor case of balding, stared at Kai for a while before giving an empty chuckle. His voice was filled with thick mockery.“Final draft, huh?”

Kai silently watched as Mr. Brooks thoughtlessly tossed the folder onto his desk, some of the papers sliding out haphazardly. The old man then leaned back, both hands on his chair’s worn armrest. There was a disappointed look on his face. “... I think it’s time you go, Everette.”

The words were like icy water on his back. Kai’s nose inhaled sharply as he struggled to not make a scene. “Sir, just tell me what I have—”

“This is the fifth time, Kai,” Mr. Brooks cut off sternly, “this is the fifth project you’ve produced with poor results. Half of the new recruits are making bigger hits than what you’ve done within the past year. I’m sorry, but you're running out of fuel. It’s time you leave the company.”

Kai was completely wordless. What could he even say? His head felt light as the reality settled on him. He was losing his job…

…no, he already lost it from the moment he entered the office.

“I’m giving you two days. Use it to pack your belongings and say your goodbyes,” Mr. Brooks continued, bringing his attention towards the computer on his desk. After a brief moment of silence, his expression turned softer. It felt disgustingly fake. “... don’t get it wrong. You’re a good artist, just not cut for the standards anymore. I’m going to email you a letter of recommendation for your next employer, if you so wish to continue being an artist. I wish the best for you, Everette.”

With that said, Mr. Brooks brought his full attention back to the computer, almost as if Kai no longer physically existed. Seeing that there was nothing more to say, Kai silently stood and made his way out of the office. While walking towards his workstation, he visibly worked his jaw and stuffed his hands into his pants pockets. There were many things running through his mind, but the last thing he needed to do was make his situation worse.

Making the corner, he was greeted by his fellow senior co-worker, Ethan, who was at the water dispenser. The blonde man gave a smile at Kai, which was not reciprocated. “Yo, Kai, what’s…”

Ethan’s voice died as Kai walked past him, almost as if he wasn’t there in the first place. They didn’t even make eye contact. Ethan’s smile fell as he gave an annoyed look at the departing man. “... the hell’s up with him?”

Kai was oblivious to this as he continued his sad parade. He reached his desk, and not long after he reached the exit of the lobby, making his way towards his old silver sedan. Haphazardly tossing his briefcase onto the back seats (which was the only thing he bothered taking), Kai slumped himself in the driver seat and forcefully slammed the door. He didn’t start the engine, much less insert the key. He just sat there, staring up towards the stained ceiling of his vehicle. He couldn’t even find the energy for an outburst.

“... fuck all of this.”

The memories unwillingly flashed in his mind, causing Kai to sigh heavily as he forced himself to resume eating. It was unpleasant to remember these ugly moments of his life, but they were undoubtedly some of the biggest catalysts towards his retirement as an artist. Ignoring them wouldn’t change that. He had failed and no other opportunity arised thereafter.

His dream was already crushed, and trying to start it up again was a failure. What difference would it make doing it again? None.

…

…

‘... or… no... there is a difference.’

The thought made Kai pause. It was true, there actually was a difference. Hell, everything was different… literally and metaphorically. What he struggled with back home was not the same as what he struggled with here, and vice versa. And that… also included the opportunities as an artist.

“...” Silently, Kai let the idea simmer as he finished and cleaned his dinner. Walking up the stairs with the candle in hand, he made a detour towards the restroom for a quick shower and bedtime grooming. By the time he reached his room, it was already past midnight. He still had a few hours worth of sleep… but he didn’t sleep. He couldn’t.

‘... Could I really go back?’ Kai asked himself. Genuinely, despite his suppressive negativities, he thought about it. Ponies weren’t the same as humans, despite the uncanny societal similarities. The pressure wouldn’t be there. The scrutiny wouldn’t be there. The competition… probably still there, but to a lesser extent.

What he failed to achieve back home… he… he could probably achieve it here.

Kai turned to his side in his small bed, staring at the small desk near the window. On top of the wooden desk was a worn out notebook that had joined him along his trip. One that he hasn’t used in a while…

… and maybe he should change that.

Author's Note

Thank you so much for the explosive support! I genuinely was not expecting it, haha. Chapter 3's already drafted out, but I don't want to disappoint you guys so I'll do a bit more editing. Also, trying to fix the quotation problem. It's a habit I've had for years, so... bear with me.