Travelling with a varied group often throws up some quirky complications. And so it is with this group composed of three variably aged enterrans, one a fire-human hybrid, a water-human hybrid and finally a feline hybrid, three younger felines, a talking dragonic robot and a teenage human girl who also happens to be the last of her kind.
Due to the dangerous beliefs that most enterrans held regarding humans Yakumo was forced to be a fugitive, and like all fugitives could not venture out into the streets unless the need was dire. Though she knew her mission was paramount the hiding didn't half frustrate her. All she wanted was as normal a teenage life she could have.
Right now the gang were in Diamond city, and the annual Gemstone Festival was in full swing. In a small backstreet apartment Mushra, Sago and Kutal were all arguing as to what to do next, given that during the festivities the gates into and out of the city would be closed.
"I say we wait it out. There's no point taking risks if we don't have." Sago said confidently.
"But every lord and nearly every general is here." Kutal objected. "With the gates shut they may start searching."
"Good…That makes it a whole lot easier." Mushra muttered half to himself, though at seeing the shocked looks on the other two's faces he ventured "No more hiding we can sort this once and for all."
"You do realise apart from putting Yakumo in danger we'd also be severely outnumbered." Sago spoke rather sharply this time.
"Well then we'd get her out first. Then we'd beat them up." The fire enterran grinned fiercely.
Whilst the other two hung their heads in despair at their shorter comrade's fiery antics, Yakumo stared out the window. Her field of vision was much more satisfactory than the one other (a dark rubbish-laden alley) as it looked out upon a petite flower strewn courtyard that held a brisk fountain at its heart. Two statues stood in the midst of the playing waters, one of a man, the other a woman, both obviously human. This sight alone had helped renew her hope; if these statues of humans had survived the war or had been carved only recently it meant that not all enterrans despised her race. Deep down she knew, had known given the three present, not counting the three asleep next door, that not all of earth's new master race could have despised humans. Few were brave enough to go against their generals whilst others gleefully spread the stories of humanity being nothing more than a many-headed monster that could enslave and destroy them.
The feeling that many vital pieces of information eluded her filled her with more questions. A lot wasn't known about how the war had started, only how it had finished. A lot less was known regarding the enterran generals, their origins or even the creation of the entire race. It was taken as fact that a mystery plague or virus had begun eradicating humankind and that enterrans were created in order to stop it, and that her father had played some part.
"I want to stay." The words were out before she had even realised.
The three enterrans just stared dumbstruck at her as though they had never seen her before. It was quite a comical sight. All their mouths were just hanging open, and then Mushra started shaking his head as though trying to dislodge an annoying pest.
"NO WAY! We're going to get you out of here and then we're going to card the generals. THAT'S THE PLAN DAMMIT!" Mushra part said, part roared at the top of his lungs. "OUCH! What you'd do that for?" The latter came after a well-timed whack from Sago.
"Will you keep your voice down?" He whispered as Mushra looked set to retaliate. "Do you want every enemy within a mile radius to know we're here?"
"Let's settle down shall we? After all there are children trying to sleep next door and we don't want to wake them." Kutal now waded in to the conversation to try and stop the two from killing each other.
Yakumo watched the argument with growing ill-ease. None of them were used to being cooped up for long periods of time, so it was natural that tempers were frayed but still she felt responsible. If she hadn't been human and thus seen as a threat, they could do what all enterrans do, would be doing what all enterrans do if she hadn't come into their lives. If only she wasn't human…
All great ideas are mad and the one that now formed itself inside young Yakumo Tatsuro's brain was no exception.
"I've just figured it out." When the three were again looking in her direction, she continued. "A way for us to enjoy the festivities, and leave through the main gate."
"Really." Kutal inquired hopefully, whilst trying to hold a squirming Mushra back from clobbering an already bruised Sago.
"What if I become an enterran?"
Her words were met with a deathly silence. Even Mushra, who for the last few minutes was trying his hardest to knock Sago into next week, was left speechless.
"So what do you think?" She ventured, trying to pry some response from them.
"Ah Yakumo you're a human." Mushra said, in an obvious tone that truly said he was worried about her mentality.
"Well I know that obviously, but there aren't really that many differences between a human and an enterran, or at least there aren't many physical differences between a human and a human shaped enterran."
Mushra's face was scarlet. Immediately he stopped trying to break free of Kutal's grip, instead putting all his efforts into blending into the background. Kutal and Sago just looked at each other apparently unable to understand what her idea was.
"All I need is a convincing costume and we're sorted." Yakumo said in a gleeful tone that was obviously meant to persuade.
"Costume?" Mushra had found his voice again.
"Yes Mushra. Just something that would make me look a little less human."
"Like what?"
"Maybe Hakuba could help us?" And with she had swiftly exited the room. It took a few seconds for the enterrans to realise they were meant to follow.
Hakuba was well hidden. The robot had a built-in cloaking device that had served them well getting into the city, however due to the high energy usage of the batteries, the same trick could not work a second time as they were running dangerously low. Out in the open it was easy to charge up with solar power whilst at desperate need there were a limited number of small meteorites that could be utilized. Unfortunately here charging up on solar energy would attract too much attention so Hakuba had hacked into one of the city's servers and was busily sapping energy. Of course no decent amount of energy could be acquired without someone's notice.
He was now lying low in a garage right beneath their small apartment. Concealed behind old furniture and several empty paint cans they found the robot busy swiping energy from the city grid.
"My energy levels are only at fifty percent Yakumo. Given a few more days I may be able to boost them to seventy-five percent." The dragonic robot said in a meek monotone.
"That's alright Hakuba. Actually I need a favour. Do you know of a way I can seem like an enterran?"
"I'm afraid my holographic projector requires more energy."
"I was thinking of a costume…"
"If you stayed upwind of trackers it might work."
"What do you mean?" Yakumo spluttered.
"Of course the harder you try to pass yourself off as an enterran, the likelier it is you'll get caught." Hakuba continued as though he hadn't heard her. "Less is more."
"Huh." Mushra was swinging his head from side to side trying but failing miserably to understand anything that had been said.
"Less is more?"
"Just a few subtle changes should do."
"A few subtle changes?"
An hour later, and all couldn't have been more different in the apartment. It was more peaceful for one given that they all had something to do. Sago was sent out to find, or rob, some material. Kutal and the kittens were helping Yakumo come up with ideas and designs. Mushra was on guard duty. He sat next to the window overlooking the rubbish strewn alley, all the while muttering under his breath.
Yakumo couldn't understand why Mushra was in such a dark mood. She had asked him to help but he had hurriedly declined. When she saw how red he had become she had become even more puzzled. Thinking that the reason was a high temperature, she offered to check it for him at which point he jumped up and legged it out of the room, whilst muttering something about their needing someone on watch.
Sago returned with quite a haul. Hair dye, several different types of cloth and some very well embroidered pieces fell out of his bag when he turned it upside down. The kittens immediately set their sights on a ball of wool and were happily playing piggy-in-the-middle while Yakumo trawled through the mound looking for all the scraps she required for her costume. Mushra then blew in and started digging around in the pile of clothes.
"What the hell is this?" He asked Sago in disgust, holding up one of the embroidered pieces.
"That's your costume." Sago couldn't hide his growing grin.
"WHAT!" Mushra's eyes were bulging.
"Well you didn't think that Yakumo was the only one who had to dress up did you?" The blue-haired enterran meekly inquired, before continuing. "How many wanted posters featuring the three enterrans that are helping the fugitive human do you think are posted all over Enterra?"
"It looks like it won't fit me anyway." Mushra said confidently, as he was about to throw it away.
"Well of course it wouldn't fit you. There would be little point in it fitting you at your present height given how well known your mug-shot is."
"Huh!"
"You'll be in your hyper form. We'll all be in our hyper forms."
It was early evening and the lamplighters were out. The din of the festivities that had sought to break out during the day was now rising on all sides of them like a tsunami. Tonight the streets were turned into a lavish ballroom and Mushra was better groomed than he had ever been before. He was wearing a sky-blue tailed jacket with gold embroidering along the sleeves, collar and buttons, a crisp white shirt, the same blue coloured knee breeches and black shoes with a gold buckle. His hair was tied back in a neat ponytail.
"I feel a right idiot in this get up." He said through gritted teeth.
"Oh stop complaining and try to look at it as a new experience." Kutal exclaimed.
Kutal was wearing a green suit with an emerald green dickey bow. A strikingly embroidered cloak hung loosely upon his broad shoulders, his feet, he left bare. It was obvious to all present that he was more than a little happy with their currant plan.
"Is he still complaining?" Sago had just breezed back into the room, the perfect aura of calm.
Sago was wearing a black velvet jacket under which he wore a silken white shirt. A pair of the same tone black trousers and shoes finished off the ensemble. His sapphire hair, about shoulder length, he left loose.
"Why couldn't I have got the black suit?" Mushra spluttered mutinously at seeing Sago's get-up.
"Because it fits me better," Sago replied, then continued "and the colour is more to my taste."
"I don't care about the damn colour! What I don't understand is why you couldn't have gotten me a pair of pants?"
"Beggars can't be choosers. Besides, it really suits your colouring, brings out the blue in your eyes."
"Keep talking and I'll give you some blue to help your colouring!"
Sago was about to reply when the door to the largest bedroom opened. In marched Sen and Ren wearing suits in blue and green, quickly followed by a twirling Estee wearing a dress composed of varying shades of purple, and after Estee followed Yakumo. She wore a shapely strapless lavender gown; the bodice was studded with millions of small blue stones in the shape of roses whilst the skirt flowed luxuriously to the floor. Her loose hair, (thanks to the dye), was a light shade of blue. The oddest addition by far though had to be the ears. Large cat-like ears now adorned her head, neatly hiding her own and making her look more like a half-cat half human enterran. She had even sewed a tail on to her under garments, just in case.
"Yakumo…" Mushra just stared as if he had never seen a woman before.
"Is everyone ready?" Kutal inquired, once again adjusting his dickey bow.
"What about Hakuba?" Yakumo was anxious as to how he would get out of the city.
"He'll be fine. I can't say he's happy with the plan, his part anyway," Sago was clipping a pair of silver cufflinks into place. "but he's safely stowed away in the back of a waste re-locater."
"A what?" She couldn't grasp what he meant.
"A bin truck."
"You put Hukuba in the back of a bin truck!" She sounded horrified.
"Time to go." And with that Sago was first out the door.
Endless streams of rose and cream chiffon adorned every candle-lit lamppost, criss-crossing above their heads in wonderful arcs, from which glittering diamond chandeliers were hanging rather precariously. Fireworks occasionally coloured the sky and surrounding buildings passionate red, shy blue and magnificent gold. The floating tones of a multitude of harps wove its magic in and around the clamour of the bustling crowd all making their way to the main square.
The six enterrans, both young and a little older, were left speechless. The human meanwhile was utterly enthralled; she had never (at least she couldn't remember if she had) attended anything like it in her entire life.
I might never get the chance again…
The thought did little for her prospects but tonight there was no way melancholy was going to get a look-in. Tonight was about being an equal rather than a perceived symbol of doom.
Suddenly her vision was impaired of both the gigantic crystal stage and the guys as a huge throng seemed to instantly appear as if from nowhere. When they had finally shoved off she could again thankfully make out the stage but she couldn't see any of her friends anywhere.
He was separated from Yakumo. Hell he was separated from everyone! The freak wave of eager numbskulls had come from nowhere, shoving all ahead either to the left or right. Now he had no idea of where to start looking. Or maybe he did…
First she took several deep breaths to steady her nerves; the place was after all brimming with enterrans not to mention a few generals (she could have sworn she had seen the fabled bird queen and the rarely seen Sea Emperor) who would have liked to turn her if they could into a piñata. Second she made the choice to stay where she was; she was sure sooner or later she would be found.
She had no way of keeping time. Although she couldn't say for certain she felt at least twenty minutes had passed. Flutes and mandolins were now blending their sweetness with the harp's melodious splendour. Couples were dancing in every direction. Well nearly every direction.