Follow the Wind- Shock to the system
Right now, the thought of Alex getting all caught up in this mess was racing through my mind like speeding racecars on a NASCAR track. I could hear him in the back of my mind yelling ‘See, I told you that being a Brony is Contagious!’ like he was trying to prove a point.
“So lets recap,” Chloe spoke, breaking the silence that drifted around the room. “You have Rufus’s Tribal markings after seeing a dream of him, My eyes changed color, Shay’s hair is now like Soarin’s and Alex has a pair of horns.”
“Yeah, but something doesn’t make sense,” I told them. “My brother isn’t part of the fanbase, but this is happening to him. Just how did he get himself caught up in all of this mess?”
“Maybe someone made a character for him?” Shay suggested. I could tell that he was trying his best to contribute to the conversation. The thought of what he said made me think of a new possibility, though. Excusing myself for a moment, I walked into my room and pulled out one of my Sketchbooks that I had on my desk. Flipping through the pages in my sketchbook and all the loose and scattered drawings I did on blank sheets of paper, I came across an old sketch of a character I drew. It had the same horns as Alex had on his head.
“Holy crap…” I cursed to myself as I looked at the drawing. Taking it with me, I hurried downstairs back to the table in the dining room. “I figured out what the horns mean.”
“What is it? A centaur? Minotaur? Bull?” Shay asked me. Sometimes, he reminded me of Pinkie Pie when he was curious or excited.
“No… not by a long shot.” I told them, shaking my head as I set the paper down on the table. The sketch I held looked like a pony, but it wasn’t by a long shot. Ponies didn't have claws instead of hooves.
“He’s becoming a dragon-pony named Shockwave. I drew this character for him earlier in the year for his birthday and I know it’s this guy because the horns on his head are exactly the same ones on Alex’s head.”
“Oh my…” Chloe gasped as she and Shay looked at the image. I couldn’t tell if she said that in awe of the drawing or in shock of what was happening. What I knew, though, was that Alex now had horns and was turning into a character I drew for him. But where the hell was he? All I remember that he left around 8:30 this morning…
Wait… What time was it anyway?
I looked at my watch that was on my wrist, only to see that it was an hour past noon. Holy crap!! How did that much time pass by so quickly!? Still though; the time right now was the least of my concerns. Right now, I need to find out where he is. Of course, that in itself is not easy.
“Did your brother happen to send you a message to go along with the picture?” Chloe asked me. I checked my messages to see if Alex did send me anything.
“Raven, where the hell are you!?”
I began to type my reply back, telling him that I was back at the house with both Chloe and Shay. I want to give him an explanation in another text, but I was cut off by the urgent reply he sent back to me. The message was about how he needed to get picked up immediately from the Otay Ranch mall and that the horns on his head were attracting all the wrong kinds of attention.
“Chloe, can you drive us to the Otay Ranch Mall? I have a bad feeling about what's happening to Alex right around now…”
The drive over in the Wilson family’s Chrysler Town & Country was not like a normal drive to the mall with my father when he needed to go by Best Buy. Instead of hearing music on the radio, we heard a news broadcast on the Local AM news channel.
‘Good afternoon everyone. Today is Tuesday, October 8th and we have a strange and interesting top story for you this hour. According to several reports over the last twenty four hours, there have been numerous cases of “Transformations” happening across the US and the world. People starting to grow animal parts ever since yesterday. It has been causing uproars, puzzling politicians and scientists and even has the international committee in an uproar with several countries demanding for an explanation-.’
Chloe tried to change the radio station, only to hear the same exact story broadcasted differently. After a few minutes, she decided to shut off the radio because of all the craziness that the people calling in were saying. Some people even tried to call in to portray their own religious views and that what was going on was us turning into spawns of Satan. That thought just made me worry about Alex a bit more due to the horns on his head.
“Okay, so where do you exactly think Alex is?” Chloe asked me as we stopped at a four way intersection with a red light.
“The photo looks like it was taken inside the Barnes and Noble that’s there, so I guess I’ll start there.”
Chloe was about to comment, until my phone went off again because somewolf was calling my phone.
‘You’re doing the speech thing again.’
Take a hike, Brain. I’m busy.
Answering the phone call, the words I heard were from the one person I did not anticipate to receive a call from.
My mom.
“Hey Raven. Are you there?” I heard her voice as I mentally cursed her timing.
I replied with a casual tone to not sound like I’m trying to hide anything from her. “Yeah, I’m going to go pick up Alex. His friends already left.”
“Ah, I see… Wait, how are you going to pick him up? You don’t have the car.”
‘Think of something quick or else you’re eternally screwed!!’
SHUT UP, BRAIN!!!
“Chloe stopped by earlier, so she’s helping me pick him up.” Came my reply.
“Oh, that’s nice of her,” She said back to me. “Hey Raven?”
“Yes mom?”
“Did you happen to hear about the news story on the whole “Transformation” thing that’s going on?”
Strike one. “Y-yeah, I did. What about it?”
“Well, I was just a little bit worried. Is something wrong? ……… Raven? Talk to me… Is something wrong?”
Strike Two. “Uhh…”
“Because I received a photo of your brother and he had horns on the back of his head.”
Strike Three. I struck out in the conversation game. “Can we talk about this later? What time will you be home by?”
“Five o’clock.”
“Alright, when you get home, I’ll bring you up to speed on what’s going on. Because one thing’s for sure; those horns aren’t fake.”
I ended the call and locked my phone, putting it back in my pocket for good measure. We were getting close to the mall and from the looks of it; many people were there for it being a Tuesday. Chloe drove the car around the side of the mall that was closest to The Cheesecake Factory restaurant that was there and pulled up to drop me off. I unbuckled my seatbelt and stepped out of the car.
“I’m going on ahead. Head back around to where PF changs is so that way we have a pick up location that doesn’t attract attention.”
“Can’t it be just easier to drive near the food court and wait for you there?”
“Too much foot traffic goes in and out of there,” I told her. “And I rather not have my brother become the talk of the town if he gets blasted on Social Media.” Walking around the corner, I see the door to the entrance of the bookstore and went inside. I looked around for possible signs of where my brother could be.
Magazines… No.
Popular reads… Definitely not.
Comics and graphic novels? … Worth a shot to check out.
Striding to the left from the main entrance, I entered the fourth row on my right and saw a collection of comic books on my left and manga novels on my left. I was tempted to see if they had any new updates on Attack on Titan or Fairy Tail, but ignored that for the sake of the task at hand. It wasn’t until I realized that when I was looking past that direction that I found him.
He was sitting in a small comfy chair with his jacket hood partially up and his legs crossed. Reading a strategy guide on Destiny and looked like he was a quarter of the way through the book when I saw him. When Alex noticed me, he got up and walked over to the shelf I was by and put the book away. “Dude, what the hell happened to your face? Did Charger scratch you?”
Like a cat would leave behind Navy scars. “No and how did you get a pair of horns?”
“Basically, I was here catching up on the Injustice: Gods among us comics in the library, fell asleep, had a weird dream involving the character you drew for me and him saying how two will become one like it’s a riddle for me to figure out, then woke up and found these horns on my head. Thank god my beanie cap’s not torn yet.”
Dear god, that’s almost like my dream with Rufus. “Well, I think I have the answer for that riddle of yours. Because the same damn thing is happening to me.” I took some time to give him a simplified version of what was going on and how we were turning into our characters. Deja vu hit me again when he told me that this proved that being a brony was contagious. I told him that we needed to get home so we can explain to mom everything that was going on and also about the same thing happening to Chloe and Shay.
Now Alex was convinced. “Okay, I believe you. But right now, one thing prevents us from getting out of here cleanly.” He nodded his head in the direction of the CD’s by the exit. Taking a look, my eyes saw the last person I wanted to see in this kind of situation.
Ramone Barrow. Former student at the school when Alex and I attended. He had been in Juvenile hall once and had gotten suspended multiple times due to Reckless behavior. The piercings on his ears, sagging pants, a very disturbing shirt and his attitude were exact traits of that. But now, I noticed a wound on his cheek.
Looking back at Alex, my tone changed. “What did you do to get on his bad side?!”
“He was getting in my face, I pushed him and when I lifted my head back up, my horn clipped him and now he’s after me because I’m one of those freaks with the changing body parts he heard about yesterday or some crap. It was an accident, but now he’s after me like its bloody murder. Now, I’m trying to keep a low profile since he saw me walk in here.”
Oh horse apples, getting out of here is going to take a miracle… Unless…
“I have an Idea, but it’s going to sound crazy.”
“And that is……… Oh no… Are you suicidal or something?”
He was starting to see what I was referring to when I took off my jacket and tied it around my waist, showing the markings on my arms since I still had my t-shirt on from earlier. “He’s looking for one of us right? Well, I am one.”
“You’re using yourself as F***king bait! Where am I suppose to go!?”
“Chloe is around back by PF Changs. Go there and wait for fifteen minutes. If I’m not back by then, go back home. I’ll get home one way or another.”
I didn’t even hear Alex’s protest as I walked through the door. The marks on my arms and them pulsing when I opened the door made Ramon turn and notice me. Soon, I could hear the chains along his baggy pants as I walked a considerable distance away. Right into an open alley between a department store and a party city. Trying to play it cool and mind my own business like nothing is wrong or-.
“Hey you!” I heard him call out. Turning around, I looked at him. He definite looked like someone who had spent time in jail and his appearance reflected that for someone who looked like he was 18. “You happened to see a black haired punk with a Billabong jacket and possible horns on his head?”
“Horns? What do I look like? A biologist?” I shot back at him.
“No. You look more like a fellow member of the Circus freakshow if you ask me.” Ramon said back. I had my right hand in my pocket, holding the tool that Rufus gave me. “Your marks give it away.”
“Hey, just because I look like one doesn’t mean that I am one or that I would know where your little horny friend is.” I told him, trying imply a little humor. Clearly, it didn’t work when he reached into his pockets and I heard a FLICK!! sound go off. Oh Dear Luna, he’s got a knife!
‘Matter of fact, why didn’t you think Dear God?’
THAT’S NOT MY BIGGEST CONCERN, BRAIN!!
“Look, funny guy. I don’t know what kind of Sh*t you’re trying to pull, but I’m not tolerant when it comes to liars,” He told me, getting closer to where he held the blade to where it was too close for comfort. “Now, why don’t you quit playing comedian and answer the damn question.”
“I did! I don’t know who the hell you are talking about-?”
“Oh I believe I do. You’re his brother.”
‘Cover’s blown!! 007, Get to Extraction!!!’
Brain, that isn’t helping me right now.
I waited for a moment where he took his eyes off of me and lowered his weapon. Doing so, I grabbed his wrist and twisted it using some of the martial arts self defense I learned from when dad taught me. He tried fighting back, using his open hand to grab a backup knife that he kept in his other pocket. Damn it all to Tartarus! My arm was halfway through the motions and I brought a fist to a Knife Fight.
Then I tried focusing like I did earlier with my meditation back home. Almost like a last ditch effort to save my skin. However, something… new happened. My marks pulsed wildly and when my palm hit his chest, it flew him backwards to where he hit his head against a wall and was knocked out cold. I heard the sound of bones cracking when he made contact with the wall. Possibly a few broken ribs or worse.
But now, I had a new problem. Somehow, that… moment just now unlocked some kind of… power? What the hell was that? It felt like magic, but I wasn’t exactly sure. Still, that’s not the highest of priorities that were on my mind right now. I needed to catch up with Chloe and the others before this guy wakes up and turns the mall into a shooting gallery.
“Okay, just what the hell happened when Ramone cornered you?”
“Don’t look at me, Alex! I’m just as confused as you are,” I told him a few minutes after pulling out of the parking lot and getting back on the road again. We had twenty minutes until the four of us were back home and now, the entire focus of the conversation was on what happened in the alleyway when I used myself as a distraction. “The only guess that I have is that it involves my character and his powers. He channels his magic through the marks on his body.”
“So you think you have Rufus’ powers?”
“It’s the only theory I have. I do have his Tribal Marks.”
“Yeah, I was going to ask you about that. You said that you had a dream with your wolf character earlier. Did he say anything that we should keep in mind?”
I took a moment to explain about some of the things Rufus told me. Like how he thought that these changes to our bodies would happen at Sunrise and Sunset along with the fact that everyone that has the same issue as us is going to Chicago to figure out what was going on. In addition, Chloe told Alex how her eyes had changed in color and how Shay’s hair changed as well. So in our group of four, we have a wolf (myself) and a dragon-pony. I wonder what Chloe and Shay would possibly turn into. She had told me before that she used a variety of characters when she does some roleplays with her brother or just drawing in general, but I didn’t remember there being any specific one that I saw based off of her.
“Hey Chloe.”
“Yes Raven?”
“I was thinking a little about who or what exactly we might be turning into. I know that I’m turning into Rufus and Alex is turning into Shockwave, but I was wondering if you had any idea of what you or Shay might be possibly turning into?” I finished my sentence by taking a drink from a bottle of water I purchased at a vending machine before setting it back in the cupholder by the door. It was a valid question, but also one that couldn’t exactly be answered off the bat. After going under the bridge that was a part of the Interstate 125, my friend answered my question.
“To be honest, I’m not sure. But I might have an idea of what exactly Shay might be turning into.”
That, on its own, caught my attention as well as everyone else in the car. I looked at the young twelve year old and I could tell in his eyes that he knew it too. He looked at me and was just as shocked and surprised as I was when her sister said that. Then, I was hearing him speaking to himself like he was trying to get the thought inside his head. Out of this though, I heard something that sounded like a name.
Tailwind.
I tried to juggle the name around inside my head to see if it would likely bring up any characters that I could possibly remember. It wasn’t really helping me out, but it’s the least I could do right now. I couldn’t exactly have Chloe pull over so Shay could explain what he meant. The name sounded like a Pegasus’s name. Like somepony that had control over high pressure winds and storms. Either that or they were just plain fast.
It was too early to tell though because it was only close to Two o’clock. Sunset wouldn’t be coming for another three hours or so, which meant that we wouldn’t be expecting any changes for quite some time. So, the best guess right now was to just probably ask him. We were at a red light and we still had another ten minutes before getting home.
“Shay, would you happen to know what Chloe meant just now?” I asked him calmly so that way I wouldn’t startle him. He was probably still a little nervous given what had transpired over the last few minutes so I would understand if he didn’t want to say anything. To my surprise though, he actually did answer my question.
“When Chloe got me into the fandom about a couple of months ago, she made me a character that I named Tailwind.” He stopped talking afterwards. Probably because he was still a bit nervous on talking about the subject.
‘Well, that didn’t work. You have a plan B?’
Brain, is that suppose to be a rhetorical question?
‘… Good point. Do you think Chloe would possibly know more about this? She did say that she had an idea of what the little guy might be turning into.’
That’s an idea, brain. She doesn’t know for sure. However, I was wondering more about what Chloe might possibly be turning into. Despite the fact that she has created enough characters to make her own universe, I only remember one that has magenta eyes. Got any possibilities?
‘Hmm……… Only two come to mind. But I’m more certain about one of them than another.’
Before I could even ask, I heard the screeching of brakes as Chloe had to slam on hers. Some jackass tried to gun a red light and almost clipped us at the front of the car when we were making a left turn. We were all okay, but we honestly did not know why the hell someone would try something that reckless or stupid.
That was when I heard my brother speak shortly after we got moving again moments after having to screech to a halt. “Hey, is it just me or does Chloe now have ears coming out of the top of her head?”
I now looked at Chloe and lo and behold, my brother was right. She has a pair of light grey ears sticking out of the top of her head. Something made me think about Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution during this moment. The theory in which different species evolves at different rates. For us, Chloe now had two changes. Eyes and Ears.
But the one thing I noticed though was that those ears weren’t pony ears. They were too pointy and didn’t resemble Batpony ears either. When I saw Chloe look in the rear view mirror, her eyes widened. She was just as surprised as all of us. But for me, I was a little confused. The awkward silence continued on for another few minutes until we finally got off the main roads were back in our neighborhood.
“Guys…” She tells us as we finally pull back up into our driveway. “I’m a Fox-pony.”
End Chapter 2
