Codey Lightfoot quietly looked over some of the booths that were there at the new comic convention at the Kat's Klub. He tried to ignore that a good many of the booths were actually empty as the guests that had originally been scheduled to come in and man them ended up not coming in due to the other issues that were presently going through the country. That part was a bit depressing, as things like comic book conventions were actually things that were right up his line of interest. He'd always liked superheroes and the context of "good versus evil" that went through comics, cartoons, some video games, and in the case of the Power Rangers, live action television.
They all included some measure of "martial arts" to them and the point of standing up for what was right. Though of course the series he followed also did their best to make sure that there was an over the top bad guy that no one could deny was a "bad guy." And as a young kid, he'd heavily indulged in playing pretend as though he were one of the Power Rangers fighting Rita Repulsa or Lord Zedd's monsters. While he was young, he had some friends that enjoyed the series too, though often not as much as he did, and as they got older they began to lose interest in it. By the time he'd entered eighth grade some even made fun of him for still having the interest, which he never understood why. Sure, some lines were over the top and some things made little sense... but they were still heroes standing up for what was right, but it was some things that Codey never could get others to realize and at that point he'd found it best not to talk about it too much with his friends.
It was at that point when his parents had taken him to a pet store in Reno, where they found young chocolate furred domestic rabbit, though Codey had never known the specific breed. But the rabbit seemed to turn to Codey and wrinkled his little nose back in a way that seemed to make Codey smile. From there, there was no choice. The rabbit was bought and named "Roger." And Roger did a good many things with Codey, and Codey learned responsibility in taking care of him. They would sit and watch Power Rangers reruns or episodes that Codey or his parents had taped for him and were practically inseparable. The only times when they were apart was when Codey had to go to school or had some other activity with the Human friends he had. Then came the Animalia outbreak four years before...
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"There you go Roger, fresh water," Codey said as he placed the water bottle in the spot in the cage where it attached.
Roger looked up at him from his cage and wrinkled his nose to Codey for a moment. He'd finished chewing on the rabbit food that he'd been offered and after a moment hopped over to where Codey had placed the refillable water bottle. The cage was of sufficient size that Roger had to get up on his rear legs a bit, as Roger knew that while he was a domestic rabbit, he wasn't a Flemish Giant Rabbit. He settled in and took a few drinks from the bottle and heard the ball at the end click against the lips of the spout and then releasing water down into his mouth, which Roger then swallowed. It was the same as he'd done any time he'd wanted water while in his cage. Sometimes Codey gave him a dish when he was outside the cage, but that was often in connection with when they watched the television show about multi-colored teenagers fighting weird monsters.
This drink, however, soon triggered something else, something that Roger didn't under stand. He felt warm, and warmer than usual and that set him back into the cage. It felt weird, and then his fore-paws began to ache a little and he looked at them to see all the digits lengthening, and one looking like one of Codey's fingers... the on on the inside of Codey's hand. This puzzled Roger, as this was weird and not normal for him, and when he felt his ears touch the top part of his cage, he got the realization that he was growing bigger. And bigger than normal, as Roger was quick to note that the cage was still getting smaller as he got bigger. In a panic he hopped right at the presently shut gate to the cage. It didn't really hurt Roger, but it was enough to rattle the cage and that got Codey's attention.
"We'll watch Power Rangers in a bit," Codey spoke as he turned to the sound, and thinking of one of the activities that they normally did together, "but I have some homework to finish... Roger!"
Codey panicked as he saw that his brown pet rabbit was now seated behind the door to his cage and was rubbing his head, though more in a Human like way, and was clearly much larger than he was... and much larger than he should be. The pet store owners in Reno said that Roger wasn't a Flemish Giant, but they'd never fully said on what breed Roger was. The Lightfoot family had just termed Roger as a "pet rabbit." Now, Roger seemed to be growing in size with his head pressed against the door and his rear legs reaching the other side of the cage. Codey rushed over and opened the door and moved to lift Roger out, before he grew so big that the cage would either crush him or hurt him when he grew through it.
It was still strange, as Codey couldn't explain it as it didn't look like Roger was just swelling like he was sick or in pain but was just growing. At the same time, it looked like Roger's hips were altering and shifting in a way that let Roger actually stand on two legs rather than four. It wasn't long after Codey got Roger out of his cage that Roger had grown up to the same size as Codey and being built like a cross between a Rabbit and a Human... it was like Roger had become an Animalian, like the ones Codey had heard his parents talking about.
"That was... weird," Roger spoke in a small but puzzled voice as Codey let him go and Roger managed to balance himself after a moment.
"You became an Animalian... like those on the news," Codey said with surprise evident in his voice that Roger could speak English and actually rather well.
"Animalian...?" Roger asked.
"They're people and animals at the same time," Codey answered, "they've been all over the news so far this summer... and even going into the start of school. One of the girls in my grade became a Horse Animalian..."
"So now you have a brother who's an Animalian," Roger then said slowly.
"Brother..." Codey said slowly.
"Obviously we have different parents, yours are Human and mine are Rabbits... but we've been together and been close," Roger answered, "I would think of you as a brother."
Codey happily hugged his former pet and now declared brother. It was something that brought them closer...
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And Codey loved having Roger as a brother. While Roger did end up involved with Animalia Ambassadoria, they still did a lot of things together, including formal martial arts lessons after the Shikamatsu moved to Lyre/Animalia and eventually set up their martial arts school. A school where Codey and Roger took lessons together and gradually got better a martial arts, and in a way that went beyond just copying the actors did in Power Rangers. Codey learned more about balance and discipline that way. The best part was that his brother was with him.
But now after four years, Codey noted that many things were changing and changing rapidly. Roger wasn't that much taller but he was a bit more muscular and athletic than before and he often found ways to be by Jessica Mariana's side. And as she matured into the busty white furred Rabbit Animalian that she had become... Codey could understand why. Like all female Animalians, Jessica had the curves to draw any man to her and potentially make some Humans consider converting just to be with her, but it was pretty clear that she and Roger would be together and would eventually get married. Codey tried to get her involved in some things that would let them operate as a group, and participating in the costume contest the previous year was one of them at the first Animalia Comic Con, but Jessica didn't have his interest in martial arts, nor even Roger's interest in it. But Roger clearly loved her, and Codey was happy for his brother, but it did leave him a bit jealous.
High School hadn't been too bad for Codey, as the Animalians seemed perfectly friendly and didn't make fun of him for his interest in Power Rangers, and some of the old friends that didn't convert had matured enough that they could actually discuss some things with a form of nostalgia that made Codey happy. And the training at the dojo that the Shikamatsu family ran allowed for Codey to show of some moves and importance of the lessons learned, not just for self defense but general health too. It also helped him make some new friends that he didn't associate with while in Elementary or Middle School. In that it was good for him, but Codey knew that things would change come college, assuming the present pandemic didn't kill the 2020-2021 school year as well. Jessica and Roger would be off to UNLV, as many Animalians seemed to go to, though Roger had heard some things that Sophie, Roland, JC, and Pauline had gotten into a college in Texas, either SMU or TCU... Codey couldn't really remember from what Roger had told him... and that Abby and Samson were enrolled in what he was told as an "Ag school" that went in line with preparations to help the Brown family farm or grow it. All of it meant change, and Codey knew it, for he'd gotten accepted into the University of Washington with some idea in majoring in literature and then later writing stories about how Animalians changed the world and changed lives. Like having Roger as a brother changed his. But now... it looked like things like that would go away... Codey and Roger would drift apart and that was something Codey didn't want...
Codey was so lost in these thoughts that he could barely note the comics and things that were on display and the official guests that actually had been able to come. In this he was walking along before he ended up walking into someone that sent both of them tumbling backward, and Codey ended up on the floor looking up to see a clearly female rabbit Animalian stumble backward a couple of steps. She was dressed in tight all black clothing that included a cap and visor over her eyes, though there were openings in the cap for her ears. Codey could see that the ears were a pristine white, though there might have been some small points of black fur that might have been missed, but Codey couldn't tell if that was part of her fur or a result of the present lighting levels.
"I'm sorry!" Codey blurted as he tried to scramble to his feet and barely noticing that this Animalian had been part of the family friendly costume contest that was held at the far end of what was normally the Kat Klub's dance floor. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going..."
The Rabbit Animalian straightened herself out, and Codey thought he saw a smile under the mask that she wore before addressing him in a rather teasing voice, "I would have thought one of my father's most dedicated students would be a bit more... aware of his surroundings."
"Michiko?!" Codey spoke recognizing the Animalian's voice, the Human born daughter of the Shikamatsu family, who came and was converted with her parents around the same time that Animalia got started four years before. And while she was fully dressed, like Jessica, Michiko had grown into the same general voluptuous form that all Animalian females had. "You like comics?"
"I am fine with some good manga," Michiko answered, "though the Five Elements' series might be interesting... and their booth has promised releases in Chinese, Japanese, and English."
"Probably because of how popular Animalia has been with some groups," Codey thought allowed, "look... I'm really sorry about bumping into you... I just had some things on my mind."
Michiko watched as Codey's eyes drifted off across the room and settled on another spot where she could see Jessica and Roger talking with Sarah and Malice about something, though they were talking softly and were far enough away that the background noise was high enough that the female Rabbit Animalian couldn't overhear them.
"And who are you dressed as?" Codey wondered.
"Call it a female version of "Snake Eyes," though much of it is also advertise my father's school," Michiko gave soft chuckle, "mostly as so many of the good students are graduating... or have graduated from High School and would only be able to attend classes during the summer... before moving on with the rest of their lives."
"All that... I see," Codey said weakly as his shoulders slumped down a little.
"That troubles you?" Michiko asked, "father's school is a business... and since he and mother got their youth back in becoming Animalians, they HAVE to work."
"That things move forward..." Codey replied, "not really... but there are some things that can be sad. I mean..."
"You'll miss your brother," Michiko finished.
"Yes... how do you know?" Codey responded.
"Aside from you looking to where he is... my own experience," Michiko said slowly, "For remember, I only got a single dose... Yumi was double dosed in the initial outbreak and liked the water that uplifted her."
Codey slowly nodded, remembering that his parents ended up taking the water battle that he'd given Roger when Roger was uplifted. After that, Roger only got water from the same sorts of water bottles that could be bought in a store and that lasted until the city officials were sure the Animalia Virus was no longer present/active in Lyre's water supply. The Shikamatsu family's pet rabbit Yumi Usagi had been double dosed.
"And with all that... Yumi grew up quite quickly," Michiko continued, "and while she has helped with father's classes, she had her own life... and has ended up working with Horizon and in partnership with some biologists doing studies of animals living in this state... and at times getting the appropriate DNA samples that Horizon may need for conversions. A lot of it is done with live trapping animals to let vets get the DNA samples they need. She's told me that she's recently had some assignments to help them do this with Black-Tailed Jackrabbits in the region. Apparently someone wants to become that particular species and Horizon doesn't have any of its DNA on file."
"That's odd... as they live in this general area too," Codey commented, "when my family went down to Reno to buy Roger... one ran across the road we were on, and made good time in doing so. I would have thought at least one would have gotten some of the Animalia Virus laced water in the initial outbreak."
"Odd... but it happened," Michiko agreed, "but it's still meant that Yumi's had responsibilities that at times take her away from Lyre and Animalia for awhile."
"Don't you miss her?" Codey asked as he looked down for a moment, "afraid that you'll lose the sister you gained when she was uplifted and then when your family converted?"
"There are times when I admit I miss having her around," Michiko answered, "but she does visit as frequently as she can and she'll even call to say on what she's up to. So... we're not out of touch. And I'd imagine that the same will be true with you and Roger. You've both grown up together... learned at my father's school together... and been like brothers. Growing up won't change that. In fact it could give you something more... for imagine the future... Roger and and Jessica might just make you an Uncle to their children. You'll all still be family. THAT won't change."
Codey managed a small smile at that, "thank you."
Michiko smiled underneath the mask of her costume and then came forward to hug Codey while nuzzling her head to his, "It is no problem for my father's most dedicated student... who has grown quite attractive since his freshman year... for a Human, anyway."
Codey was left in a bit of a daze as Michiko pulled away and then made her way out. For the moment his thoughts on what would happen with regard to his brotherly relationship with Roger were replaced with other thoughts as he turned and watched as Michiko swayed her hips as she walked toward the main entrance to the building. At one point she looked over her shoulder and Codey thought he heard a giggle when he then blushed and looked down.