7A/N: Hello, everyone. If you read my original three Oz stories, you'll know I finished that specific trilogy/arc. However, I did say I may continue with other sorts of Oz stories. And this is it. A spin-off of sorts focusing on Kyle from Season of Supremacy and Trial of Dorothy Gale. You do not have to read those stories for this to make sense, but it could help. This will be a shorter and more self-contained story, something more in line with actual Oz books rather than the grand scale theatrical sort of thing I did before.
This story does take place in the same canon as Dreaming of Oz.
Most importantly, this story is from the mind of Dequincyx, who helped me with my previous two stories. Sure, I may add stuff along the way, but this is is not a helper situation like before. This is by and large from the mind of Dequincyx.
Without further ado, enjoy.
...
Kansas, 2025.
Was there anything better than a concert?
Kyle Bones couldn't imagine that there was.
The thrill and the rush of it all.. the booming, almost blood-wrenching sounds of the loud music blasting. The feeling that your troubles didn't exist anymore. Everything else was background noise. In that moment, nothing else mattered except jumping up and down. Screaming out lyrics until everyone's throats were in pain. Dancing around and maybe meeting a few people.
It was a feeling he couldn't place many other places, a feeling he didn't expect to find elsewhere for a long time.
But tonight, he would be on the opposite end of that feeling.
A different, feeling, but one that made him feel equally as euphoric.
Music. And performing it. Since the age of 12, he had been in a band that he had formed himself. "Bones."
And tonight, he would perform his very own concert at a carnival in Kansas.
With his friend, 17 year-old Charlotte Westborn, he let his nerves out by going on a few rides and to the pool with her.
The fast-paced coasters and the way they made his long, wavy, brown-reddish hair fly up in the air distracted him enough. But he found more relaxation in the pool with Charlotte, both of them resting on their floaties in the water.
His white skin was getting a decent tan from the sun, at least. It almost rivaled Charlotte's.
"Tanning is really not your strong-suit." The blonde teased.
"Yeah, okay. Maybe it's because I'm not a girl. Girls.. tan more naturally, right?" Kyle chuckled.
"I don't think that's how it works. Besides, your hair is longer than mine now! Are we sure I'm the girl here?" Charlotte laughed.
Kyle scoffed at her teasing, taking strands of her blonde bob. "Mhm, 'cause you had to go and cut it." He huffed and splashed some water at her playfully.
"At least I didn't cheat going down the water slide! I totally beat you, and you cheated. Quite shamelessly so." Charlotte stuck her tongue out.
"You're the cheater!" Kyle laughed.
Charlotte gave a playful look, then looked around to examine the area.
No one was watching, so Charlote pushed Kyle off his floaty and into the water. Kyle surfaced quickly back at her, making the girl laugh.
But then, the boy went back underwater and suddenly re-surfaced under her floaty to turn it over and make her fall back in the water.
The blonde laughed, trying to re-emerge out in the open before Kyle ducked her underwater again.
Once she surfaced back up, she ducked Kyle in retaliation.
Kyle flailed his arms around, as if he was being drowned. Charlotte knew her friend's sense of humor and she just laughed.
Kyle surfaced back up with his eyes squeezed shut. He panted, and he opened his eyes. Only to have his usual brown eyes rolled back into his head, making them milky white.
"Oh my God, Kyle!" Charlotte dropped her playful tone.
Kyle panted, his brown eyes rolling back into their proper position.
"Oh, my God." Charlotte gave several deep sighs of relief when Kyle's eyes returned to normal. "I held you under for way too long, I'm so sorry!" She wrapped her hands around his waist.
Kyle panted. "I was so.. so close t-to passing out.. a-and my whole life... flashed before my eyes. And I felt like the breath of life was leaving my body, and, and, and..." He rambled on like a child. "It was awesome!"
Charlotte gave an un-amused stare. "Twelve years of knowing you and I fell for it again."
Kyle laughed relentlessly and Charlotte squinted, immediately pulling her hands off him as she shook her head. "You always pull the most ghoulish tricks. I thought that was real! And how you always talk about this stuff. You're gonna end up being either one of those morgue doctors that dissects dead bodies.. a funeral director.. or a serial killer." She scoffed.
"That last one has a nice ring to it. Kyle the Serial Killer." Kyle smirked, looking up in the air and seemingly imagining it.
"C'mon, psycho. Let's get somethin' to eat." Charlotte snickered and shook her head. The two got out of the pool to to dry themselves and get dressed.
Kyle paused for a second, and he could've swore he felt something or someone watching them.
"Are you alright? Is this another trick?" She scoffed at him, tilting her head.
"Yeah.. it's just my nerves, I think." Kyle scoffed and shrugged it off.
...
As the two sat on the table, Charlotte ate up her meal. But Kyle hadn't ordered anything.
"Why aren't you eating?" She squinted. "You haven't eaten since we got here."
"Singers can't eat or drink anything before performing." Kyle said in an almost snappy tone, bouncing his foot on the floor nervously.
Charlotte finished chowing down her meal and paused. She looked at him for a while before she spoke. "..You know. I wish you didn't have to leave tomorrow." She frowned slightly. "School just can't be the same without you. Why'd ya have to graduate before me?" She pouted.
Kyle gave her an understanding look. "I know you miss me there, but look on the bright side. You'll be graduating soon and it'll all be behind you. It feels like a weight lifted off of you once you get out."
"That's true." Charlotte gave a smile now, seemingly cheered up from his reminder.
Kyle was going on a road trip the next morning. Both to see the world after being confined to classrooms for eighteen years.. and to find his long lost brother.
A piece of his family and himself he had been missing for too long.
Kyle had grown up his father's favorite child, and they did everything together.
Everything his Dad loved doing, that was. His father wanted Kyle to be just like him, as if grooming him to do whatever he pleased.
And Kyle also grew watching his father abuse, neglect and ignore his brother, Michael. Kyle secretly hated being the favorite child, but kept his thoughts to himself - as he was secretly afraid of his father just as much as Michael was. He had seen his father beat his bother senseless over the years. This made Kyle and Michael have a murky relationship, to put it lightly.
Michael picked on Kyle when they were growing up because Kyle was their Dad's favorite, which made Kyle fear and resent Michael as they got older. In 2017, when Kyle was 9, his Dad left and it was just him, his brother, and their Mom. In 2018, Kyle's brother soon graduated high school at the age of 18 that same year and went off to college in Oregon. Michael walked out on Kyle and their mother. And Kyle hadn't seen or heard from him since. At the age of 11, Kyle changed his middle and last name from Lance Martin to Bog Bones, as he didn't want his father's first and last name anymore. His father had walked out on him then, and his brother following suit not long after certainly didn't help him feel better.
During his thoughts, Kyle could've swore he sensed something lurking.
He looked around again and.. nothing.
"Kyle, what's wrong?" Charlotte asked again with the upmost concern.
"It's.. it's nothing." Kyle assured. "Nerves again.." he muttered.
...
Kyle was a bit surprised at how many people were at this event.
They were gathered under a big white tent. And while he knew there were other performers people had come to see, it was incredible to know he would soon be performing to so many people. Knowing Charlotte, along with her mother, were both there watching did put him at ease.
He had somewhat of a fanbase of sorts in his area, thanks to putting his band's stuff on Youtube.
But he was ready now. Sure, they had done small gigs. But never for a crowd like this.
His male bandmates had entered the stage and every last one of them was quiet in their preparation. Kyle wasn't especially close to them. He felt a band should be as close as family, but he had never quite captured that essence. They were more like rowdy kids he found amusement with, but who were by in large co-workers.
Nevertheless, he was ready now.
He took a deep breath, looking out into the crowd.
They were chattering among themselves, seemingly not paying attention.
The two other males on guitar, one at the drums, were ready behind him. Kyle clutched his mic. "A 1, 2, 3, go!"
The band started blasting the music. A cover, Only the Young by Journey. Kyle hoped it would be enough to get the crowd on their feet, something that'd be more familiar.
"People of Kansas, are you ready to rock?!"
There were a few half-hearted whistles and cheers, but nothing substantial.
Kyle hoped he could turn the tides of the crowd.
"Alright, let's do this!" Kyle shouted.
Another night in any town
You can hear the thunder of their cry
Ahead of their time
They wonder why
In the shadows of a golden age
A generation waits for dawn
Brave carry on
Bold and the strong
Kyle used all the charisma he had, mustering up all his influences over the years to give it his all as he moved all around the stage. He interacted with the crowd, showing off his voice. Which was pristine, full of range. He was especially talented with rock, and he made sure to show off what he had.
Only the young can say
Only the young can say
Only the young can say
Only the young can say
And soon enough, the crowd was up on their feet and the band was met with thunderous applause.
"BONES! BONES! BONES! BONES!"
Kyle grinned in amazement. He had succeeded in getting the crowd on his side.
But he soon realized... the validation he had felt from these strangers was not the same as getting validation from his brother.
He wondered if he would be as successful in that department.
