Rorschach in Equestria
, by Ex-Nihilos, is a crossover between My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and Watchmen. No, really. After seemingly being vaporized by Dr. Manhattan, Rorschach wakes up in Equestria inexplicably not dead. Upon learning that he's not going back to Earth any time soon, Rorschach tries to adapt to life in a Sugar Bowl and find a purpose in a world with little crime or corruption. Reluctantly befriending the Mane Cast (with mixed results), he's left with only Dr. Manhattan's words: "Find Peace, Rorschach" to go on.
The fic is currently either on hiatus or dead, being un-updated since June 12th, 2014.
Tropes:
- Accent On The Wrong Syllable: Fake Rorschach.
- Action Girl: Applejack.
- Adaptational Badass: Anyone that knows Rorschach already knows he's a badass, but this fanfic adds a few bonus points by having him live in the Everfree Forest, with its infamous local fauna to keep him company.
- Adaptation Distillation: Although nominally based on the graphic novel, flashbacks to Grice's murder and Rorschach's "death" are based on the versions from The Movie.
- Ax-Crazy: Equestria being a Sugar Bowl, Rorschach has to do something to quell his sense of justice, so he takes to fighting the local wildlife. And a voice in his head begins telling him to start killing sentients.
- Black Comedy: Rorschach killing the local monsters and thinking about eating ponies' pets. And sometimes other ponies."Thought so. One less thing to worry about." I say and lean back in the couch, trying my best to ignore the bunny glaring at me. How I wish I could eat that little monster.
- The Cuckoolander Was Right: Pinkie continues to show moments of sheer absolute brilliance. She can even tell how Rorschach is feeling without having to see his face, sometimes.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Well, "Cynicism Cannot Comprehend Good" in this case. Rorschach is convinced that on at least some level that Princess Celestia (and presumably Luna) are Shadow Dictators who force the inhabitants of Equestria to live in harmony and scoffs at her claim that they do so voluntarily.
- Dead All Along: Zig-zagged. Rorschach is obviously alive for the duration of the story, but early on, he steals and reads a book on magic from Twilight's library and discovers that in order to be sent to one universe, he had to be Deader than Dead in his own. He does not take it well.
- Death Seeker: Rorschach, who's not the picture of mental health at the best of times, feels hopelessly lost in a world as peaceful as Equestria, and goes as far as to try attacking Princess Celestia in hopes that she'll kill him.
- Defrosting Ice King: He's still Rorschach, though. Kairos even says that ultimately he can't be redeemed, only made better.
- Eccentric Mentor: Rorschach becomes one of sorts to Applejack. Kairos, the immortal son of Chaos and the last Human in Equestria becomes one to Rorschach, neatly deconstructing Rorschach's dislike of the place:You rebel and lash out against the order of this world simply because there is no other conflict for you to strive against.
- As it turns out, Kairos was Celestia's mentor too. Explains why for all her fearfulness, she doesn't actually hate humans.
- He becomes one to TRIXIE, if you can believe it.
- Enemy Without: Or Enemy Within, it's not immediately clear.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin
- Good Is Not Nice: Twilight is somewhat confused when Rorschach claims he's not a nice person, despite earlier that same day saving Applejack and the Cutie Mark Crusaders from a pack of Timberwolves. He spells this trope out for her when she voices said confusion.
- Good Is Not Soft: Celestia tells Rorschach point-blank that if he acts up in Equestria, she will send him to THE SUN.
- Gory Discretion Shot: We're spared seeing the exact fate of The leading three Diamond Dogs.
- Heel–Face Turn:
- Trixie gains some perspective talking to Rorschach. Her turn is completed when he begins losing his mind and she finally swallows her pride and gets help.
- On a somewhat larger scale, Kairos implies that he is the last of the daemons that served Tzeentch of Warhammer 40,000 and explicitly refers to himself as a daemon prince. Furthermore, in 40k, the greatest of all of Tzeentch's daemons (and the most insane) was Kairos Fateweaver, making the connection that much more likely. This is compounded even further, with the first chapter he appears in being called Fateweaver, which was also Kairos' former alias. Given the nature of Warhammer 40,000, this indicates quite a Heel Turn.
- Humans Are the Real Monsters: Rorschach AND Celestia believe this but for different reasons and to different extents. Celestia fears them but only for the safety of her subjects; she otherwise has no genuine dislike towards them beyond their capacity for violence. Rorschach, of course, is a misanthrope because all his life, he's never seen proof that he shouldn't be.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Chapter 12. Not even the jerk is pleased.
- Little "No": Rorschach's blunt response to Pinkie Pie's invitation to a party in his honor. It's enough to briefly deflate her hair.
- Martial Pacifist: Celestia.
- The Medic: Zecora.
- The Mentally Disturbed: Rorschach. Made very clear while talking to Celestia and in later chapters.
- Mercy Kill: Poor Daisy.
- Mood Dissonance: The scene where Rorschach hides one dead and one unconscious Diamond Dog from Rarity and Applejack while holding a conversation with them is both tensely suspenseful and darkly humorous.
- Never Hurt an Innocent: Why Rorschach doesn't hurt any of the ponies. Cows are a different story.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Rorschach privately thinks this trope between himself and Fluttershy of all ponies when she's confronted by a pair of bullies. Her timidness calls to mind his own horrible childhood and prompts him to intervene, until this trope is subverted by Rainbow Dash beating him to the punch and chewing the bullies out before he can reveal himself.
- Odd Friendship: Rorschach and Applejack, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Zecora, Big Macintosh and Trixie.
- Power Trio: Applejack, Trixie, and Twilight.
- Sanity Slippage: Rorschach in later chapters.
- Screw Destiny: Doctor Manhattan, of all people does this completely by accident.
- Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: Rorschach's view.
- Silly Rabbit, Cynicism Is for Losers!: Everyone else, excluding the antagonists.
- Technical Pacifist: Applejack.
- Tsundere: Trixie is a non-romantic Type A towards Rorschach, addressing him as "monster" and talking down to him in one breath and solemnly listening to his advice and wisdom in another.
- Whatthe Hell Hero: Rorschach has been subjected to this twice so far, the first time from Princess Luna when he kills the three lead Diamond Dogs, and the second time from Apple Bloom after he kills Daisy.
- You Can't Go Home Again: Rorschach's trip to Equestria is one-way.
