Roadtrip

by totallynotabrony


Chapter 1

Roadtrip

July 7, 2013
I walked slowly through the damaged SeaTac Airport Hilton Hotel and Conference Center. The smoke was beginning to clear from the air. It seemed like fighting had been confined to the building instead of spreading out into the rest of the city. Around me, there was copious destruction but the structural integrity of the building still seemed to be okay. The battle that had just taken place would probably make the national news, although I couldn't say exactly what would be reported. Maybe they would write it off as a terrorist attack. Some of the more fringe reporters might claim alien invasion. Both stories contained some truth.

I saw a friend of mine stumble into the main atrium from a side hallway. It was Mr. Tristan, a fellow ponyfiction website user and brony who had invited me to the convention. As an event organizer of Everfree Northwest, Seattle's convention for fans of My Little Pony, he probably felt terrible that the 'con had gone so wrong.

"Hey, Sandy," he said as we met. "Good to see you're okay. I was doing some checking around. I don't think anyone was dead or dying. Most people evacuated when the fighting started. We won."

I nodded, hearing the good news. "What happened to The General?"

Tristan shrugged. "I'm sure he's fine. He kind of has his own little army for protection, and they were all angry that the fanfiction panel where he was speaking was interrupted."

That was true. The whole reason I called him The General was because he had a few thousand people - the equivalent of a small brigade - following his online profile. Many of them had turned up for the convention.

I glanced around us. Debris was everywhere and someone would have a large cleanup bill coming their way. Tristan seemed to be thinking the same thing. He nudged a chunk of plaster with his shoe. "Well, this is one goddamnfuck'n mess to take care of. I feel terrible, organizing this whole thing and then it turned into a disaster."

"Hey, you didn't know. Honestly, it's more my fault than yours."

He turned to look at me. "Yeah, I meaning to ask you; what made you think it was a good idea to bring the queen of the changelings to the convention?"

I raised my hands. "I screwed up. But admit it; you would have done the same thing."

He shook his head. "I guess we'll have to figure out a new venue for next year." His face brightened. "But think of the publicity we'll get!"