"It is midnight, so he should be asleep right now," Luna muttered as she went over the information that her sister had told her. Honestly, a human, with a human for here? And seemingly from another universe entirely if Twilight's theory held any weight. "Things are just going to get more complicated, aren't they, and here I thought Arceus was going to be the only pain in the flank."
"What is this about Father was your only pain in the behind?" Darkrai asked as the Nightmare Pokemon came flying into the room. Right they were going to have another lesson, weren't they? Well, it seems she would have to cancel today's lesson. "Did something happen to compete with the rather abruptness of our arrival?" He asked.
Luna considered if she should tell the Legendary or not… Well, I can't see any harm in no telling him as long as he doesn't go screaming the information to Arceus. Luna thought as she began to explain to the Pokemon what Twilight had stumbled across. "It is a development that will probably generate a lot of headaches involving your father."
"Oh, should I go?" He asked.
"No, it is him being told, at least right that would cause problems as he might act a little rash upon hearing this," Luna stated.
"And that is?" Darkrai asked as he now felt mild concern about what the Princess of the Night was about to tell him.
"During a mission to Manehatten Princess Twilight was investigating rampaging Pokemon that suddenly stopped fighting seemingly for no reason. Turns out, it was a Zoroark running interference. But while trying to find the Pokemon, they ran into a human walking about the city," She explained.
"Well, that is not unusual, Father brought-." Darkrai tried to speak but was caught off by Luna.
"I mean that literally Darkrai, they ran into a human, a human-shaped human, not a human in a Pokemon's body." At that, the living Nightmare froze.
"Ho, how? Father transformed everyone? There shouldn't be any 'humans' on the surface of Equus?" Darkrai's voice was filled with shock. Yes, the Princess was right in the assessment of the fact that they shouldn't involve Father right now. He would indeed go a bit ballistic if he found out.
"Going by your face, I can guess you agree with my statement of not telling Arceus about this. And for your questions, going by the brief conversation that occurred between Princess Twilight and the human. It seems that he is not from your Earth but a different entirely through other means. But to be sure, let's go and ask him," Luna stated, which just made Darkrai blink at her. "Come now, it's the middle of the night. He should be asleep, and since the Pokemon show up in the dreamscape, why wouldn't he?"
"Oh, yes, I just blanked out for a second, my apologies Luna," Darkrai apologized.
"It is fine, it is some rather shocking information absorb this late at night. Now, my student, would you like to join me in the Real of Sleep?" Luna asked.
"I would like to my teacher, this rather interest me and I would like to know how a human, human ended up here."
Luna nodded and set up doing the technique to cast their minds into the abyss of sleep.
A few minutes later, they were floating among all the dreams of the denizens of Equus. Of course, the dreams of those closest to them physically were closest here in the realm of sleep.
"Now, let us head to Manehatten, the human should still be there, at least in that area. My student can you guide us, let us see how you have progressed," Luna stated, wanting to see how far Darkrai had come in the basic locating of dreams.
"Of course, my teacher," Darkrai replied as he began to focus his power. Locating the dream of a human in Manehatten should be easy enough. Every species dream had their own flavor, so he just had to find the purely human one. As all the transformed humans had a split signature with one half being that of a Pokemon.
Ah, I seem to have found him. Darkrai thought as he located a very human dream signature. "This way, Princess, I have located the human."
"Good, that only took you thirty seconds you have certainly improved a lot over a very short period of time," The Princess of the Night complimented Darkrai. The Legendary Pokemon blushed slightly in response, though now he would have more good news to tell Cresselia on his progress during their next date.
The two dream manipulators flew through the realm of dreams until they arrived at the bubble that was the representation of the human's dream.
"Now let us have a talk with-," Luna's words were cut off as the bubble suddenly went dark as several chains manifested around it with the intention of keeping them out. "What in the name of Starswirl's massive beard!" Luna proclaimed in shock as this was the first time that she had seen anything like this.
That was when she heard it, the laughter. The demonic laughter that seemed to come from everywhere around her and inside her head. It was as if it mocking her, and yet also tempting her. "Seize hiding creature, come forth and face the Princess of the Night!" Luna declared challenging whatever was laughing at them.
"As you wish," A distorted voice spoke, and in front of them, a creature manifested. These days Luna would have said it was a Pokemon how many forms they came in, but something told her this one of Darkrai's kind.
The tophat wearing biped hovered in front of them, flapping a pair of wings that looked like they belonged on a raven.
"What are you?" Darkrai asked as he eyed whatever was standing before the two of them and had seemingly sealed off the human's dream.
"Hahaha, that does not matter. Right now, however, I am what is preventing you from violating the mental space of my Partner," The creature spoke.
"Partner? Are you with the human?" Luna asked.
"Maybe, maybe not perhaps I am the human too," The winged man chuckled at them, finding amusement in their confusion.
"If you're not going to tell us, then fine, but let us pass we wish to speak with the human. And I do not wish to get forceful," Luna calmly stated, but there was a firmness to her tone that left no room for negotiation.
"No."
What?
"I said no, you do not get too violate the sanctity of the Trickster's dream. So I will ask you to leave or stay and try to force your way in. I prefer the second option as that allows me to get violent," The threatened as he wiggles his claws.
"We just wish to speak with the human there is no need for violence," Darkrai tried to reason with again whatever stood before him. For he had never encountered anything like what was currently hindering their progress.
"Then do so in the waking world, I will not allow you inside," He responded with the same firmness that Luna had used.
Luna was about retort with some force included, but instead, she took a deep breath and just sighed. Calm down Luna, this is not how a Princess is supposed to act. And besides whatever this creature is. Its mere presence confirms the fact that the human is from an entirely different world. So they were going to leave, and she was just going to hand this information to her sister. She was a much better diplomate than her. She should just be left with combat and the slaughtering of the enemies. And right now, the human and the creature was not the enemy.
At least not yet.
"Come, Darkrai. It seems we won't be able to talk to our new guest tonight, let us hope that our sister can talk with the human during the day," Luna said as she turned around and began to fly away.
"Wait, we're going to leave?" Darkrai asked in surprise at Luna's statement.
"Yes, the question we would have asked got confirmed, didn't?" Luna responded as she vanished from the realm of dreams.
It took Darkrai a little bit of time to get what the Princess meant. Right we just wanted to know if the human truly came from a different Earth than ours. And this creature confirms that. For nothing like it exists in either of our worlds. Darkrai thought as he looked at tophat wearing creature who was giving a sharp glare. Its face spoke of hellish suffering towards the one that messed with it. And something told Darkrai; it was a being closer to what he was, than he was comfortable with.
And so the Nightmare Pokemon left the realm of dreams as well following his teacher.
And so Arsene was left alone floating outside of Akira's blissful dream that invoked no nightmares. "Did not expect them to listen to reason," The Persona spoke to itself as it flexed its fingers. "And what is happening to me?" He asked.
For he shouldn't really have been capable of doing something like this. Was this due to the power of the World Arcana or something else? Arsene didn't know, he just knew he was capable of taking more independent action without his other self-approval. He was a Persona, a Shadow that had been tamed and clad in an Archetype. His being a Phantom Thief in the form of Arsene, the same went for the others. But now they were all becoming something a little bit more, a little bit more like the person they took after.
Not that it mattered. They were all loyal to the Trickster, newfound independence, and a sense of self was not going to change that.
"Sleep well, my Partner, and do not worry, I shall always be the mask closest to your heart. I will follow you anywhere to heights of heavens and the deepest pits of hell as long as you follow your own justice and morals."
At that, Arsene returned to Akira's Sea of Souls.
Xxx
"You gotta admit, most of these ponies are really helpful," Maria spoke, the human turned Zoroark walked beside Akira.
"Gotta agree with you on that," Akira responded, especially compared to Japan. While they preached a collective over the individual mentality. They did not do a lot to make it a happy collective, for happy individuals meant a happy collective. Though that wasn't thoughts that were needed at the moment, he wasn't in Japan right now. And politics could wait until he returned and started to study it.
"So, do you think we're going to run into those guys again?" Maria asked.
"Knowing my luck, we probably will," Akira responded as he mentally went over the information that Arsene had told him. Apparently, a pokemon and a pony had tried to invade his dreams, but he had stopped them. Though they apparently just wanted to talk to him, but Arsene had refused, and he was grateful for Arsene doing that. For he didn't want anything in his head, besides his Personas. If they wanted to talk to him, they could meet with him in person.
"You're that unlucky?" Maria asked.
"Then it comes to stuff like this? Yeah, yeah, I am," He responded as they continued to walk down the street, and after some time, they finally arrived at the train station. "Huh, the first time I'm going to riding a steam train, though, let's hope that the train for Ponyville hasn't taken off."
"If it did, we could explorer the city some more. I would like to see what differences there are compared to our own experiences?" Maria suggested.
"That sounds like a fun plan B," Akira said back as his eyes searched for the ticket booth. He did find it, but what next to it, was something a lot more interesting.
The door to the Velvet Room.
I wonder what Igor wants to talk to me about? But first tickets just to be sure. Akira thought as he went over to the booth.
"What can I help you with?" The pony at the desk asked.
"Two tickets to Ponyville, please?" Akira asked as he took out his bag of Bits as the currency was called here.
"Sure, that will be twenty Bits please," The pony responded as he took out two paper tickets, and Akira responded with pulling out two coins that had a ten on them. "The train will leave in thirty minutes from platform one."
"Thank you," Akira thanked the pony, and he had to wonder how much ponies were able to just ignore strange shit as the Earth Pony had not even batted an eye at Akira buying tickets. "Maria, the train will be leaving from platform 1 in thirty minutes," He yelled at the human turned Zoroark.
"I heard him, dude!" She yelled back. "Also, the fuck is that blue door to the side?" She asked as she walked over to him and spoke instead of just yelling it.
Wait? What? "Wait, you can see the door?"
"Yeah, you know what it is?" She asked.
"Yeah, it leads to the Velvet Room. It kinda relates to my power, though if you can see it, that means you can enter it. So I guess Igor wants to talk to the both us about something," Akira stated.
"Wait, who is Igor?" Maria asked as her confusion continued to increase.
"Just come with me," Akira said as he took out the key and inserted it into Velvet Door, and both of them entered the Velvet Room.
"Ahh, Welcome, Trickster, and I see you've brought the other guest with you," The longed nose form of Igor sat by his desk with Lavenza standing next to it.
"Yeah, you already know who she is, don't you? Anyway Maria this is-," Akira's words died in his throat as he turned to look at Maria and saw that she was no longer a Zoroark, but a human woman.
Her black hair was long and straight, reaching all the way down to her ass; her eyes were just as dark as charcoal. The clothes that she was wearing was stylish but straightforward, as expected from someone working with clothes.
"Okay, this place is weird, Akira. What is going on, and why are you staring at me like that?" Maria asked as she was about and wave her and in front of his eyes, but stopped as she saw what her arm and hand looked like.
It wasn't a furry Zoroark limb anymore, but a normal human one.
Her human arm.
"I am. I am human?" Maria asked in shock as she looked herself over and saw that she was back to normal. "How?"
"That is due to the Velvet Room, my dear." Maria turned her attention from her body towards the longed nose man who was sitting at a wooden desk, and the small woman standing next. And why were they in prison. Maria was going to ask if they were humans, but stopped something profound with her told her they were not.
"And what is this Velvet Room?" Maria asked.
"It is a place between mind and matter, dream and reality," He spoke. "It is a place to nurture the human mind where we provide our services to people like young Akira here," The man Maria presumed to be the Igor that Akira had mentioned earlier pointed to said teenage boy. "As for why you appear human instead of the form forced upon you by that God," He spoke with a tone of disgust as he referred to Arceus. "That is because the Velvet Room reveals the true nature of the human heart, and that is your true self," He finished as he pointed at Maria.
"Ah, I see," So being herself again was just a temporary thing. And Akira must have realized what she was thinking as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
"Don't worry, Maria, like I told you I am going to undo what happened to you through any means." Yeah, that was he had promised her, wasn't it? That was the deal she had made with him, wasn't it?
"So Igor, why did you call us both here?" Akira asked.
"Just to say that, if you can not do so here, there exist many worlds where a reversal can happen. So if you're lucky you might land in such one if you're not successful here," Igor spoke cryptically, and Maria was getting more and more lost in what they were talking about.
"Is that all?" Akira asked.
"No course, not my Trickster, we have a gift for you," The girl spoke. Wait, did she just call Akira her Trickster? Well, she did not need to learn that Akira was into loli looking women, but to each their own, Maria guessed.
"Really, what is it, Lavenza?" Ah! So that was her name.
"Looking good Joker," A childish male voice spoke, and out from one of the cells came a Pokemon?
No, that isn't a Pokemon? Maria thought as she looked at Meowth like creature walking towards them, and oh boy was that an enormous head he had, and was that sword on his back?
"Mona!" Akira shouted as he ran towards the Pokemon looking thing, and picked him up in his arms, giving him a bear crushing hug.
"To tight, too tight!" The now named Mona screamed in pain.
"Sorry," Akira apologized as he dropped the cat. "I am thrilled to see you, but what are you doing here, shouldn't you be with the others?" Akira asked as he was sure that he should be with them.
"Well, after Yaldabaoth blasted you to wherever you now are, I had to fix the fusion, and it kinda cost me my form there, so I had to place where could exist. And I ended up here," Mona explained. "So Master and Lavenza had been fixing my spiritual make up so that I can come with you until we find a way to get you back home. For we both know that you're useless without me."
"Yeah, yeah, I know I should go to sleep," Akira joked.
"Damn right, you should, sleep is important for Phantom Thief. So who is this fine, Lady? Did you go and seduce another woman?" Mona asked, and Maria started to blush at what the creature was saying. Akira had not seduced her, she might be developing a crush, but she had not been attracted by his roguish charms. And that chiseled bod of his.
Oh god, what was she thinking?
"No, Mona, I have not, and I don't do that. Anyway, this is Maria she was the best person I ran into in this weird ass-world we're currently in," Akira complained.
"If you say so Joker, then allow me to introduce myself, Lady Maria. I am Morgana, or Mona, as is my Phantom Thief codename." Morgana introduced himself to the fair Lady before him.
"Uhm, hello to you too, Morgana… Wait, wait, wait! Akira, what is going on here? I am so confused and lost here? Could I get an explanation here?" Maria asked as she let out her build up confusion and frustration out.
"Uhm, yeah, I guess you deserve an explanation as to what is exactly going on here, but we think we should do it on the platform. As we don't want to miss the train," Akira stated.
"Train?" Mona asked.
"Yeah, you need to be caught up as well, Mona," Akira responded. "Also, Igor, Lavenza, does she?"
"Maybe, maybe not. That is all up to her, hehe," Igor chuckled.
"What are you two talking about?" Maria asked as she knew they were talking about her.
"Nothing to be concerned about, for now, my dear," Igor responded. "But Trickster Mementos might be gone, but distorted desires exist within the heart of that reside in many worlds."
"Okay, I talk to the two of you later," Akira said as the three of them left the Velvet Room. Though a broad grin was on Akira's face as he now had one of his friends on his side. And it also seemed like he wasn't done being a Phantom Thief.
Xxx
"You know if I didn't know better, I would call bullshit," Maria commented as Akira and Morgana explained to her what they had gone through. Though now, she was back to looking like a Zoroark.
The change having greatly confused the Pokemon like being that was Morgana, who was apparently forged by Igor from the hope of humanity to guide Akira so that he might kill the god called Yaldabaoth who was seeking to enslave his worlds humanity. Which she totally believed, as proven by the various Teams trying to do something similar by using Legendary Pokemon. "I mean really stealing the distorted desires of people and making them good."
"So, you believe the God part, but are skeptical about the desire stealing part?" Morgana asked.
"Well, it just sounds weird, but those Persona powers of yours sound really interesting. Also, then is the train leaving?" She asked.
"In about ten," Akira answered after turning his head to look at the clock. "Damn feels like we've talking for-." Akira was interrupted as the sound of loud yelling.
The trio turned their heads towards the commotion to see…
"Oh god, it is them," Akira groaned as he palmed his face.
"You know them, Joker?" Morgana asked.
"No, we just ran into them yesterday and go a little bit into a scuffle since humans shouldn't really be here," He answered.
"Should we interrupt them?" Maria asked as she saw the group plus new ones arguing with another Zoroark, Mawile, and very battered-looking Lucario, standing in stark contrast to the other two. And beside them were an Earth Pony and a Unicorn.
"Nah that isn't our problem, we should just ignore them and hope they don't notice us," Akira said though he would quickly eat his words a what looked to be a hot air balloon floated to the front of the station with a metal box strapped to the bottom that seemed to be shaking.
Focus. He thought as the world became see-through, and he saw that there was definitely a living creature inside of the box. And it was most definitely a Pokemon.
And then a second later it burst out screaming about something, but Akira could not make out what she, for it sounded like a woman was saying due to all the fire it was throwing around.
"That's a Volcarona! The pony in the balloon must have messed with its child as that is one the few things that can make them erratic like this," Maria quickly informed him, and Akira appreciated the knowledge.
"Well, guess I gotta help out, or I will feel like shit afterward if this did involve an innocent child," For the endangerment of children no matter what race. Were one of the few things that pissed the Phantom Thief of something fierce.
Xxx
"Ma'am, please calm down!" Twilight shouted at the rampaging Volcarona as she shielded herself and the other ponies except for Rainbow from the fire that she was throwing around.
"I can't I need to find him! I need to find him!" She shouted, and Twilight guessed that Cheap Skate had taken something from this Pokemon, and she wanted it back. And she could easily guess what that was going by her vocabulary.
Which was information she quickly shared with the other over the Psychic link that Belle had established between them all.
"Guess Maria was on point with it being a child," Twilight heard a voice speak that seemed to drown out all the noise and seemingly demanding attention and to be listened to.
Twilight turned her head, and right beside her shield, was the human from yesterday dressed in those strange clothes and that white mask.
"What are you doing? That doesn't matter. This is dangerous; you should leave," She told the human, but he just ignored her and reached into his left pockets and drew out some sort of black object.
"Yep, I can see it beside him, now to bring him down," He said as he pointed the rectangular object at Cheap Skates ballon and then…
Twilight went up to clutch her ears at the four loud bangs that emanated from the object, she didn't know what it had done, but she could see smoke emanating from the end. And suddenly, a comparison clicked in her mind as the smell of gunpowder reached her nose.
It was like a cannon, a cannon in miniature form.
Though Twilight's attention was quickly pulled away from the human as she heard Cheap Skate screaming as his Balloon carriage came crashing down the ground throwing him and another metal box out it. While the balloon itself came slowly falling down.
Did he shoot the ropes with that mini cannon of his? Twilight thought as she saw the human was now walking towards Cheap Skate and the box.
She kinda wanted to quickly apprehend him, but she was curious as too what the human was going to do, and she immediately got her answer, and she wished she had intervened as then Cheap Skate stood up and tried to curse him.
She just heard the band again and then saw Cheap Skate rolling around on the ground screaming in pain as he tried to clutch the left front leg that now had a giant bloody hole through it. Twilight wanted to vomit as she blood spew out and broken bone inside of the leg.
So violent. Twilight thought as she went over to Cheap Skate and tried to apply first aid. "What did you do-," Twilight tried to ask the human but was stopped as he gave her cold dead glare as he held the box.
"Hey, Volcarona, is this what you're looking after!" He shouted as he opened the metal box, which proved her assumption right as it held a small Pokemon, which he took out and held in his arms as the Volcarona came rushing down.
"Mommy!" It yelled in response to his mother.
"My, baby!" The Volcarona shouted as she began to profusely thank the human. "Thank you, thank you so much."
"You're welcome and don't worry that guy won't put your child in danger again," He motioned his head to the now knocked out Cheap Skate she was giving medical attention.
The Pokemon just nodded as she flew away with her child, and the human just began to walk away.
"Hey, you just can't walk away?" Twilight shouted at the human who now everyone was looking at now that the fight was over.
"Why not? I've got a train to catch. And don't worry, a bullet wound to the leg won't kill him. But he probably won't able to walk properly again." He spoke in an uncaring tone.
"It was still excessive, and nobody deserves to be, to be mutilated like that?"
"Scum like him who put children in danger for their own selfish schemes most definitely do," He responded as he just began to walk away like he had just frozen everyone around him to stop them from acting against him.
But even if she wanted to go after him as he now was getting onto the train that was leaving for Ponyville, she couldn't pursue as she now had other matters to deal with like getting Cheap Skate to a hospital and then having him arrested.
"What just?" Rainbow Dash asked as she came up beside Twilight. "Hey Twi, shouldn't we, oh that is a lot of blood!" She screamed as now took notice of Cheap Skate's injuries.
"Not right now, we need to deal with this mess first, let's just send the Princess a letter, she should be able to then they arrive in Ponyville," Twilight stated for things were going to become a lot more complicated real quick.
Xxx
A/N: If you like this or any other of my stories, you can donate to my SubscribeStar. Adult /StreamingViking or my Pa Tre on at pa tre on. com (slash)StreamingViking776 and read commissioned stories and chapters before they are released publicly and where you can participate in polls, that determine which story is written next or determine things in them for only 3$ a month or for 10 and up see character at work for the stories. Pa tre on money goes towards more artwork