I straightened my tie while looking at my reflection, touching up on the final pieces of my costume. I was wearing a black suit with a matching pair of shoes, the white shirt under the jacket making the blue tie stand out. I fiddled with the blonde wig on my head, making sure that none of my natural brown hair showed. Seeing everything else was in order I moved to the part I dreaded the most.

‘I guess I might as well get it out of the way. Please god, don’t let me mess up’ I thought as I started to place the blue contacts I had bought just for this occasion in my eyes. “Fuck that feels weird!” I shouted, scaring my curious cat that had been watching the entire time into running off. Moving to pick up and pet my cat I said, “Shit, sorry Jackie, don’t piss on the bed.” Checking the time I nearly dropped the cat seeing how close I was to being late. ”I don’t have time to apologize anymore, so I’ll just bring some wet-food when I get back.”

I rushed to leave, my dress shoes clicking on the hard wood floor as I rushed to the door, grabbing my Helm of Ultimate Technology replica and a suit case, before stopping just before it.

‘Okay, time to get  in character. Okay, I’m cool, I’m in control. Perfect.’ Now calm and collected I opened the door, only to receive a fist to the stomach.

“Gah! I’m so sorry J! I only meant to knock on the door, I didn’t mean to punch you! I promise to make it up to you, just please don’t leave me behind!” A short blonde in a purple shirt and pants said, clasping her hands, one with a glove, together in a pleading gesture.

“It is quite alright, Alice.” I said, brushing away the unnecessary apology. I barely felt the girls light blow. “Your costume is too accurate to just let it go to waste. I see you even have the dueling gauntlet.”

Blushing, the younger, natural blonde replied, "Thanks J, your Choten costume is pretty amazing. You even have the Helm!”

I waved off the complement saying,” Oh, it’s not much, I couldn’t even find a tech-gauntlet to complete it. But, how do the kids today say it, ‘too bad, so sad’?” I finished the quote with the hand wave and smirked at the giggling girl.  “Speaking of kids in costumes, where are the others?”

I was curious as to the location of the other three children I had offered to take to the comic con in town. Well, more like they begged and pestered me into taking them, in costume, over a three week period. I’m the neighbor hood's local college student slash baby sitter slash best friend, and when the four local kids heard about the con, who did they ask?

Me, after their parents said they were to busy to attend. They got their parent’s permission to ask me, and should I say yes, go with me to the con. After all, I’ve adopted the brats as siblings long ago. Annoying, break-your-xbox-and-dash siblings, but I love them anyway.

There was one problem. Their parents said yes, I said no.

I don’t know that many shows or comics or whatever, and I don’t like being in groups of people over two hundred. But the kids won out in the end, and I bust out some cash to pay for my ‘Choten’ costume. I love Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters, and Alice and her brother Dan liked it well enough to dress as two of the three main protagonists, Allie and Ray, respectively. Though they tried their damnest, they ultimately failed to get the other boy to dress as the last main character. Or his sister to dress as the Choten’s once apprentice, Alakshmi.

“They’re in my mom’s van already, come on!” She ran off across the street to a group of four adults waiting to see their children off.

As I got closer I heard May, Alice’s and Dan’s mother, ask her child, "You apologized for hitting him, right Alice?”

Huffing indignantly, the cosplaying blonde replied, ”Yeah mom, can I get in the car now?”

Sighing, the mother said, “Fine, just remember your manners while you’re out with Mr. Grim.” I don’t know why they insist on formalities after four years, but they still call me ‘Mr.’ and make their kids call me that too, when they're around. I have asked them repeatedly to drop the formalities, yet they insist on calling me 'Mr.', I think they do it just to annoy me now. “And remember, all of you have our contact information in your bags, and Mr. Grim has the same information as well as the papers of temporary guardianship in case anything goes wrong. Now get in the car and have a good time.”

“’Kay, bye mom! Hey guys...” And with that Alice scrambled into the car to talk to the others. Chuckling I turned to the parents to see their relieved faces.

“For a minute there, I thought we were going to have to cancel the trip because you got yourself beat up by a little girl.” Don, one of the parents, joked good naturedly.

“One accidental punch hardly counts as being ‘beat up’, though you would know more about it. Wouldn’t you, Stacey.” I calmly replied, using Don’s hated middle name.

For a minute his face reddened and it looked like he was going to say something  nasty, but calmed down and laughingly said,” Yeah well you got me there, Goldie Locks. So, who you supposed to be, Naruto’s rich gay uncle?”

I dismissed his ribbing with a wave and replied, ” Actually I’m a criminal master mind with the ability to summon creatures from another dimension to do my bidding, old bean.” I ended, trying to sound like the Choten.

“Thank you for taking the children, J.” May said kindly, it’s amazing that when the kids-or parents- can’t hear they stop being so formal, but if they think they’ll hear it’s all business,” I know you had plans today, and we really appreciate taking the time to take them instead of . . .” she was interrupted when Dan, dressed as Ray, honked the horn impatiently.

“I suppose that’s my signal,” I said with a chuckle,” I shall see you all later. Oh, and May?”

Blinking she replied puzzled, “Yes?”

“I can always visit my parents later, they aren’t going anywhere any time soon.” And with that I climbed into the van we would be using and drove off.

It was two minutes later and I finally decided to ask the two children not dressed as a Kaijudo character an all important question, “So, what are the two of you dressed as?”

“You don’t know?” Asked Ken, a young red headed boy with green eyes known for his shyness around strangers. It actually surprised me that he wanted to attend this event, but hey, peer pressure right? Today he had on some kind of blue jump suit with yellow ‘lightning’ on the sides and hood, large navy animal ears on his head and a pair of matching wings.

“Come on your joking, right?” Trish said, shocked. Trish was tall for her age, all of the kids were between twelve to thirteen, and had a mop of black hair, mocha eyes and pale skin. She wore a dark blue dress, with a matching pair of wings and ears like Ken, but had an extra addition as well. She had a horn. And as she moved her head I noticed she had put glitter in her hair.

Seeing my raised, yellow-dyed, eyebrow Trish moved to explain, but Dan cut her off with a humph. “Their ponies.” Seeing that I was still confused he elaborated,” You know, from My Little pony: Friendship is Magic? It’s a stupid show for little girls.”

“It’s not stupid!” Ken yelled, outraged. Sensing a argument, I quickly intervened.

“That is enough you four, yes I saw those looks Alice and Trish. Now, why don’t you two explain who the two of you are?”

“Well,” Ken began, still giving Dan the evil eye,” I’m my own OC named Storm Front, a Wonderbolt!” He said the last part with pride.

“And you, Trish?” I asked, after getting a brief explanation from Ken.

“I am Luna, Princess of the night and raiser of the moon!” She bellowed.

“And that required you to yell?” Alice demanded, rubbing her ears.

“Just getting into character.” Trish replied meekly, seeing the glares the others sent her.

----------lb-------

Upon arriving at the Con, I did what every responsible adult would do in this situation.

I set the little terrors free. Well, I let them go after I gave each one a bracelet with a GPS chip in it in case they wind up lost or worse, and made sure they knew to head to the café in an hour. I loved those kids but after an hour and a half in a confined space with them I needed some space.

Sitting down at a table at the meeting place with a cup of tea and a newspaper, I settled in to wait for my excited charges.

'Lost Persons Case Has Nations Finest Stumped, Still no Clues' the papers headline declared.

‘How sad,’ I thought,’ that we have every cop in the country on the look-out, and yet can not find a few lost people in costumes. Hell, they were taken in public, how are there no clues?'

Roughly three weeks ago, a number of costumed individuals had started to go missing, all of which are people around my age. No one has any idea where they are being taken, or even  why. As far as I know, there has yet to be a single ransom note, and all of the people taken have been kidnapped from parties or conventions.

Which might be why this one is not as crowded as it could be.

Any further musings are cut off by my young charges trickle in at the end of the hour.

“Mr. J!” Trish says excitedly as she sits across from me, small arms loaded with bags,” I got you something as a ‘thank you’ for bringing me.” A small amount of sadness flashed in her eyes.

“Trish, you did not have...” I was cut off when Ken began speaking.

“We all got you something, we all agreed to buy you a thank you gift for bringing us here today.” He said softly.

“We know what today is.” Alice said, when I began to say it was no problem. “Mom told us.”

“And we’re really sorry for making you take us now that we know. So we got you some presents to say thank you and we’re sorry.” Dan finished, and they all looked at me with such innocent eyes I just had to smile.

“Then who would like to give me their gift first?”

---------lb------

“Sister,” the regal voice of Princess Luna began, "are you sure this is necessary? We banished the ring for a reason.”

“Luna,” Celestia began, moving to gaze at a large lake in the distance, "with your release, I fear a series of events too great for us to handle as we are now may unfold.”

“What do you mean, Celestia?” Walking closer to her beloved sister, the moon princess questions, "What could be so great a threat that you would pull that accursed ring back into our realm? Surely you do not fear Discord? The elements would make short work of him.”

Looking at her sister solemnly, Celestia replied in a voice that barely hid her fear, "I fear that the veil has begun to weaken.”

With wide, fear filled eyes, Luna responded, "You mean they are awakening?”

Celestia looked out at the lake solemnly before responding in a voice filled with worry for what would soon come.

“Yes.”

Next Chapter: Chapter 2 Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 2 Minutes