Prologue; The convention, part 1.
Author's Note
Just saying this again to be safe, this fic was written by Pomp-Neigh as payment for my help editing his own fic. If anyone deserves credit, it's him.
Prologue; The convention, part 1.
The unmistakable sound of a news anchor’s intro sounds off, accompanied by the logo of Fox News. The insignia then fades away into nothingness as the camera feed focuses on two well-dressed individuals seated comfortably at a large brown Italian maple desk.
“Good morning, America!” The blonde reporter greets, having taken a moment to look herself over before the camera focuses on her and her male co-worker. “I’m Katie Anderville, here with my good friend, Kurt Rennards, and you’re watching Fox and Friends - eight am.”
Katie’s pink dress was firmly pressed against her well-defined form as she held a stack of papers, tapping them on the desk to align them.
“Thanks, Katie; good to be here,” Kurt began, his blue and ironed tuxedo representing his and his cohort’s professionalism. And as the man turned his gaze to look at the camera, his brown hair danced as he moved.
“Getting right into the flow of things, we have yet another series of unexplained disappearances.” Kurt shakes his head, worry plastered on his features, “To think that this all began two years ago, and the phenomenon has had countries worldwide scrambling for answers.”
“Yes, Kurt, the very first incident was reported back in July 2019, and although the disappearances have died down since then, we are still getting reports of missing individuals—even entire groups, disappearing with little to no explanation.”
Kurt sighs somberly. “You know, Katie… My aunt was among those who’ve gone missing. I’ve been praying to God almighty for her safe return, and for those of you out there who are in mourning, you have our sincere condolences.”
“Oh my goodness,” Katie rests a hand over her heart in shock. “I’m so sorry to hear that, Kurt. Where was she last seen?”
“Incidentally, her disappearance matches up with an ongoing theory that has sprung up amongst the scientific community, many authoritative branches, and even all forms of media. Among the victims, the highest concentration of them was at some sort of large-scale gathering, like that convention my aunt went to.”
“Ah, yes,” Katie lowers her blue eyes to the sheets of paper in her grasp and shuffles through them. Having found her mark, she sets down a single sheet from the pile, resting the pile itself nearby.
“According to our most updated information, there have been perceived similarities between the disappearances and some fan works, which has led some people to dub the victims ‘The Displaced.’”
The duo shares a chuckle as Kurt shifts his gaze to the camera. “Who came up with such a goofy thing?” He inquired, arms spread out.
Katie giggles. “In any case,” She managed after recovering, “we here at Fox News urge our viewers to remain vigilant while heading out to such gatherings. And while attempts to ban such events have declined following a rise in protests, authorities still recommend safety practices, even advising Americans against it.”
As Katie finishes her report, Kurt plucks a water bottle from the desk and takes a quick swig. Setting the bottle down, he locks eyes with his cohort.
“My goodness, Katie. This- the world’s gone crazy! Well, crazy-er, anyway.” Kurt shifts his gaze to the camera lens. “Now, let us take a small break from these questioning times and focus on a more natural subject: the weather.”
……….
The sounds of many people chattering fill a bus’s interior as the Fox News broadcast shifts from Katie and Kurt to a weather reporter. A series of captions parroted what was being said on the screen, one of the few that were attached to every corner of the vehicle.
“I can’t help but feel conflicted about all of this, Tyler.” A man in his late twenties fidgets in place nervously, sitting at the very rear of the bus with an assortment of windows depicting the active streets of Los Angeles, California.
The brown-haired, dusty tan-skinned individual wore a black hoodie, the hood currently unfurled, with the words ‘BX Anime & Comics Expo’ boldly printed on the chest region. This paired well with the simplistic blue jeans and black Nikes that covered his lower body.
He turned his blue gaze to Tyler, the dark-haired individual sitting to his right and positioned closer to the window. “Don’t get me wrong - today’s your thirteenth birthday, and I just love seeing you happy. But…what if one or both of us just goes ‘poof’ without a trace? I can’t let that happen to you, Ty.” Worry practically leaked out of him, concern etched onto his face.
Ty tears his black eyes away from the window, causing his hair to dance in motion as his attire perfectly matches the older male’s. Excitement was still present on the 13-year-old’s face before shifting to worry.
“Everything will be fine, Drake.” Despite focusing on the sights beyond the window before, Ty still overheard Drake's paranoid words. “I think we’ll be ok as long as we’re careful. It’s kind of like riding a bike, you know? Lots of fun, but dangerous, too.”
Drake chuckles, lifting his right arm and shaking the teen’s hair before patting their head. “I guess you’re right, buddy.” A thought occurs to him as he clicks his tongue, “Also, you don’t have to call me ‘Drake’ every time, you know. ‘Bro’ or ‘Dude’ will do just fine. We got the same dad, after all. I mean, we didn’t call him ‘Daniel’ when we talked to him, right?”
Ty’s features faltered, shifting down to the floor, which was surprisingly well-kept for an average form of public transportation. However, he did take notice of the blobs of gum sticking to the underbelly of the seating in front of him.
“I’m sorry…”
Seeing Ty’s troubled state, Drake immediately jumped into action, wrapping his right arm around the teenager and pulling them in, earning a surprised gasp from them in the process.
“Hey now, enough of that,” Drake gently chides, Ty looking up to him. “Dad would’ve wanted us to enjoy ourselves, not get lost in sorrows. So whaddya say we have a good time and make our old man smile down on us from above?”
Ty’s expression changed instantly as if a switch had been flicked. “Ok!” He cried out, lunging forth and diving into Drake’s chest region, happily wrapping his arms around them.
“Thank you for doing this for me, Drake.”
“Heh. Guess we’ll work on the name thing later,” Drake laughs as he ruffles Ty’s hair. “It’s no problem. You’re worth it.”
A moment of blissful silence takes hold, save for the nearby voices of their fellow passengers and the constant humming of the bus itself.
“Hey, Drak- uh, I mean, bro?”
Drake chuckled. “Yeah, kiddo?”
“Do you think they’ll have some My Little Pony stuff there?”
“Maybe. ‘Friendship is Magic’ is still a big hit even after the show’s completion. The expo mostly covers anime and comic books, but MLP has its own comics, too.” Realization dawns on Drake. “Oh, that’s right. Who was it that you were missing from your collection again?”
“Discord!” Ty raised a fist into the day during his proclamation. “He’s so cool! He started out as a bad guy but became a good guy later on. But even as a good guy, he still has some, uh, moments. The best episodes are the ones that focus on him and Fluttershy.”
“That explains why his figurines are pretty difficult to obtain, at least from what you told me. He sounds like a favorable character.”
“More like the best character,” Ty corrects, followed by the duo sharing a good chuckle.
“You’re right, you know?” Ty began after recovering from his laughter. “I should ease up on the name thing. But I won’t call you ‘bro’, either. I guess…what I’m trying to say is,” Ty’s grasp suddenly tightens as his face dives in again, causing Drake’s eyes to widen with a low gasp.
“You’re dad, now.”
The effects of those words are instant, and as Ty remains buried in Drake’s chest, the appointed father shifts his eyes to the ceiling with a smile on his face.
Hear that, pops? Guess I got promoted. I’ll keep an eye on Ty for you, and I’ll keep him safe. That’s a promise.
The bus began to slow down before coming to a halt at the bus stop. The sounds of footsteps and increased chatter follow as the bus’s doors open.
Passengers began to gush out of the transport until the brothers emerged from the vehicle after waiting patiently for their turn in line. The California heat beat down on them, but a cool breeze offered relief with its frequent passing, fluttering the duo's hairs.
Both brothers take a deep breath, eyes closed, before opening and taking a good look at the convention center.
The building was dominantly adorned with tinted blue windows, with the structure itself shaped like a diamond with two rectangular extensions stretching out on either side. A large screen was plastered on the diamond’s face, displaying several shows, mangas, and comic books, drawing interest from the masses that formed stupidly long lines to wait for their turn to enter the building.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Drake asked, turning to his adoptive brother, who mimicked the action - eyes meeting one another as other expo attendees traversed around them. “Are we doing this or what?”
“Duh!” Ty jumped in place, looking skyward toward the building’s massive, rectangular screen. “I didn’t wait months for noth-” His eyes suddenly widened with a gasp, “Hey Bro, look!” He stretches an arm out and gestures, “Yes! My Little Pony’s IDW comics will be on display, too!”
Drake’s eyes followed his brother’s arm, and there, displayed in all their glory on the screen, were several volumes of the IDW comic books.
There was an issue starring King Sombra and his backstory, Princess Celestia and Luna’s childhood under the guidance of Starswirl the Bearded, the Element Bearers’ journey through the mirror universe, and even a crossover with the Transformers franchise.
Then, as if fate were listening to Ty’s earlier desires, the screen shifts again to depict a Discord figurine striking a pose as if he were in an opera.
“Well, well, well… If it isn’t Megan William’s descendants.”
A mysterious hooded figure observed the brothers from within the expo. The figure's voice was seemingly male, yet there were instances of feminine tones mixed in as if both sexes spoke in unison, with the male being the most dominant.
But the most interesting detail was that people walked through the figure as if it were a ghost. Or he, she, they…simply weren’t there. The figure watched as Ty excitedly jumped in place giddily due to the revelation of the expo possessing Discord figurines.
Of course, it wasn’t a coincidence.
“Looks like the pieces are falling into place, and my meddling is starting to pay off. Oh, how I look forward to meeting you personally, boys.”