Reality Is an Illusion, Albeit a Persistent One.

After my little encounter with the locals, my flow of thought ebbed from reality and into an unfamiliar plane. Fading out of the darkness, little stars began winking into existence. Then came some galaxies and finally a star right before me. I didn’t have time to admire the view for a god was there to speak to me.

“Ah, Eric, good to see you so soon.” I turned towards the voice and was greeted by Arceus in his Pokemon form. “Are you enjoying this realm?”

“Not really.” Arceus tilted his head in confusion. “For starters, I found out the hard way that this bead is pretty solid, I landed on it.” I turn my back towards him and point at the offending objects with my claw. “Oh and here’s the kicker, I found a village of zebras that knocked me out and fear me!”

“Oh, now that does sound like a lot for one day.” Arceus turned his head to the stars and continued. “So besides your little adventure so far, is there anything else you want to ask me?” Before I can shoot off my machine gun of questions, the star erupts a solar flare, sparking Arceus to speak once more. “Beautiful isn’t it, I hope the goddess responsible for this is taking care of one of my creations.”

After a few minutes of silence, I managed to work up some courage and start my Q&A session. “Yeah, how do I do the whole illusion thing?” In hindsight, asking a powerful god while still a little steamed was a bad idea to begin with.

“I suggest you be calm, I do get offended by snide remarks.” Pausing for a bit, he continues. “It’s something like second nature, the best way to understand it, put yourself in a life or death situation then use it.” Arceus turns away from the star and faces me again.

“That’s useful.” There’s another brief silence before I continued, “I don’t suppose I can breathe fire or something?”

“Actually you can,” I stopped for a moment and allowed him to explain. “I granted you a Zoroark's body, all perks included. So you can breathe fire and have a range of other abilities.”

“So I can breathe fire,” I paused for a second and chose my next words carefully. “Wait, so am I limited to four moves or not?”

Arceus paused for a moment, suddenly I noticed a new star’s light wink into existence above his head. “That’s actually a good idea,” Arceus’ eyes flashed red for a second then returned to normal. “There now you have the full range of abilities a Zoroark could have. You just need to learn what they are and figure out how to use them.”

“Great, now I need to do the heavy lifting I suppose.” Pausing for a bit I start to let the flow of my mind do it’s work, only to be interrupted by Arceus once more.

“Well since you have calmed down a bit since you got here, I could tell you how other Pokemon learn.” Silently urging him to continue, I listened intently to his words. “Most think of the ability in their head and put it into action, though since you are new at this, I suggest you find a trigger then memorize the way it feels to use it for future purposes.” After his explanation, he closes his eyes and smiles a bit (it still perplexes me to this day how he does that). “Anything else you want to ask?”

“Actually this one’s a bit more about my appearance.” He opens his eyes and gives me a questioning look. “Why the dark gray color pallet?”

He laughs for a bit while I patiently awaited his answer. Peering down below us, and see a green world beneath our feet. “I colored you this way because these are your favorite colors, I even gave you your blue eyes.” Arceus realizes that I’m no longer looking at him and sees me gazing to the world below. “Oh, you noticed the planet. A unique one really, so many wonders and events.”

“What world is it?” Arceus looked onto the planet with me, taking in the sights as well.

“This one, this one is called Equis.” After saying this, I turned to Arceus as my vision started to fade. “So long Eric, the next time we meet won’t be as nicely.”

Waking up, this time, was more painful and less exciting. The first thing I noticed was that I had the worst splitting headache known to man, the second being that I was trapped in a tan barred wooden cage. The third was my current housing situation. ‘Yo dawg I heard you like wood, so we put you in a wooden cage in a wooden hut in the middle of a wooden village.’ The hut was made as best as a third world country could’ve made it, a bunch of sticks held together by mud and string. Having had enough laying on my back for the day, I got up and hit the bump on my head on the roof of the cage.

“Ow, fucking whore of a lego brick!” I have a colorful vocabulary for occasions like this.

“Oh good, you’re awake!” Looking around I saw a light pink unicorn mare with a sky blue mane and tail, a khaki buttoned shirt, green eyes and a pair of light rimmed black glasses on the edge of her nose. Turning my gaze to her back, I could faintly make out some color on the back of her body.

‘Wait a minute, did she just talk?’ Going over the mental record, she had indeed just talked and with a slight British accent. ‘Talking horse and zebras, brightly colored coats and manes, cartoonish appearance.’ There was only one thing that could explain this.

“Oh dear God and/or Gods, I’m in Equestria.” I remember a few pieces about the ‘bronies’. See before I came here, I was something of an advert internet user. Spending a massive amount of time online got me in close contact with other members of fandoms and showed me their culture. Basically, I know what the communities about, I know the show, and no I’m not a ‘bronie/pegasister’ or whatever the hell they’re calling themselves!

“Well not quite.” Looking up, I give a questioning look. After a moment of silence, I decide to speak.

“So if this is not in Equestria, then where pray tell are we?”

“First off wow, such a wonderful vocabulary. I’ve never seen a Diamond Dog such as yourself with such a strong understanding of language. I mean there are intelligent creatures out there but they only grasp short orders like sit, not that that is a bad thing-” She continued like this for a good minute before I got annoyed let loose a sharp whistle.

“Oi, where the blue balls are we?!”

“Nini kinaendelea huko? Je, unahitaji msaada wowote?” A zebra poked it’s head into the little wooden hut I was currently held in.

‘Shit not this again!’

“Hakuna hakuna matata, mimi tu akaenda mbali iliyotembea tena,” The pink mare jabbered at the zebra. After holding the mare’s stare for a moment, the zebra left, leaving me and the mare alone in the wooden hut. “Sorry about that, I forget to get my point across before I start to ramble. Right, we are currently in Zebria, right next to Saddle Arabia.”

“Zebria?” The mare nods, “not Equestria?” More nods.

“Wait, you have no idea where you are?”

“Well...” Deciding not to tell her about what happened before the recent events, I come up with a convenient lie. “All I remember is running through the tall grass.”

“Hmm, wonder if that bump is interfering with your memory.” Convenient lie if I’ve ever heard one.

“That’s probably it. So,” I jerked her from her thoughts and bring her attention back to me. “Is there a way to get me out of here and on the next boat to Equestria?”

“Oh, well at the moment... no.”

“Why not, aren’t you a pony?”

“Well I am, but the team I was with was abducted by Diamond Dogs. I managed to escape and find my way here. Canterlot should know of our disappearance by now, but there’s no way for them to find us, so...”

“You’re stuck here?”

‘Diamond Dogs, like in the episode with Rarity? So there’s more of them and they also keep slaves... Wonderful, I’ve managed to stumble upon a cartoon slave ring.’

“Won’t be for long!” This brought me out of my contemplating. “See, I’ll offer the dogs a trade, you for the rest of my team and a ship to get to Equestria.”

“...Seriously?” This caused her to give me a confused look, I turn around and lean my back on the cage. “Ok, a couple of things wrong with that plan.” Walking around the cage, I list off what’s wrong with her plan. “One, do you really think dogs would trade someone like me for a team of ponies? Two, how would you contact them, and what’s preventing them from taking us both when we're alone? And three, you’re trading your friends for my life into slavery.” The last one caused her to step back in shock. Pausing for a moment, I drill into her. “Wait, you didn’t think about that last part did you? You were just hoping I’d be some stupid creature you could just bargain off into slavery for your companions!”

“Well- I- uh…”

“Lady you are a horrible being, willing to sell a living thing to a group of slavers just so you can have a happy life and try and help your friends from the same fate!” Sudden realization crossed her eyes. Folding her ears back, she bowed her head low and started to sniffle. Feeling bad about what I caused, I tried to apologize to her. “Oh, hey don’t cry. Look I’m sorry for what I said.”

“You’re right, I am a horrible pony.”

Opting to show her a little kindness, I walk to the front of the cage and start speaking. “Listen, I can see where you were coming from.” Lifting her gaze from the ground, she looks at me with tears flowing from her eyes. “The needs of the few didn’t compare to the needs of the many.”

“How did you...?”

Turning away from the pony, I look at a wall and speak. “Unlike you ponies, I have dealt with these situations before.” Satisfied with my work, I look back at her, only to see the tears gone and instead a look of realization on her face. “Did I say something wrong?”

“You’re not from this world!”

Shocked a bit, I reign in my composure and ask the important question “How do you know that?”

“There are others who’ve come to our world because of the work of another, I don’t know which you’re from, but the way you act is just like them!” After saying this, we heard some commotion outside the hut. “What in Celestia’s name is going on out there?” As the mare goes to look, I see a pickaxe with a wooden handle on her flank. Poking her head out the door, she goes stiff then runs back to the cage. “Dogs, here!”

“What?”

“There’s a pack of Diamond Dogs here, they must have followed my scent, oh no oh no oh no!” Looking into the mare's eyes, my father’s wise words rose from the depths of my mind. ‘People are stones, all they’re good for is paving your path to success. Some stones need to set fast while others need to be set before others, but there are some that do not fit into your path; cast them out and let them sink into the earth to be forgotten!’ Still looking into her green eyes, I see a small bit of fear.

I remembered the argument I had with my father about his view of people. ‘People are not stones! People live, they breathe, they strive towards goals. They should be helped, not shoved aside or put down when they move into your path!’

Looking back at the mare, I make my choice. ‘She’s not a stone to be cast aside, she needs help...’

“Let me out.”

“What?! No! The last time you were out you caused massive panic and-”

“And manage to save someone in need of help, and now, that’s you.” She looks at me skeptically with her green eyes. “I promise, if you let me out of here, I won’t let those dogs take you away to wherever they take slaves.”

We continued to stare at each other for another minute, the sounds of commotion growing louder with each passing second. “Ok, I trust you.” The mare went to the front of the cage and used her magic to untie a knot on it. After taking off the knot the front part of the cage collapsed and gave me an exit. Walking out of the prison, I stretched my back and it gave a satisfying pop. Stretching my legs I rose above the unicorn and got a better glimpse of her, realizing I’m also a bit taller than the average pony.

“Alright, now stay here and don’t come out.” She was about to say something before I stopped her. “No, not for some cry for help, not because you have to pee. Stay here and be silent! Understood?” She nodded in response. “Good.”

‘I guess years as being the child of a wealthy man has helped me in staying hidden, not to mention a former blackwater mercenary as a personal trainer doesn’t hurt.’ Making my way to the door, I’m stopped one last time.

“Why are you helping me?”

I rolled my eyes “I believe that those who are strong to offer help should give it to those in need.” She’s silent for a moment, then asks the question that started this crazy journey.

“Uhh, can I get your name mister...?”

‘I could use a new name, what with the new body and all. Hmm, dark coloring, long hair, fur, my blue eyes, and I’m a Pokemon...’

“Call me... Rorschach.” Making my way to the exit once more, I heard the mare one last time.

“Mine’s Dusty Tomb, and thank you Rorschach.” Thinking about my father's words, I began to steel my nerves and step outside. ‘I remember what my thoughts were that day, what I did to my father... There are much more like him, even in paradise.’ mentally prepared for whatever conflict I may face, I stepped outside. ‘I won’t let the powerful hurt those they could protect. I will help those in need, and I will destroy that way of thinking!’