Well, this is the final chapter, I thought about doing one more, but really that chapter would just be the celebration of the Mizzer Humanimals upon reaching Earth and a final disturbing moment of Ichabod and Marzipan returning home and Ichabod being sullen and inconsolable despite Marzipan offering him anything to help him feel better (Mostly of the edible variety, her years as a cook has trained her the first response to any problem is to put food on it, in the 'when all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail' vein) and really I realized that's really just rubbing the audience's nose in Ichabod's downward spiral and what happens when the Mizzer Humanimals reach Earth can be saved for later stories, but I will say originally my various Mizzer Humanimals who are the protagonists of my Fictionpress stories were originally just going to have a silent cameo in the party scene but I realized since I've developed them this much they really should have more to say as a way of advertising my original fiction
Originally the plan was for the ships to return to Earth with the newly liberated Mizzer Citizens as quickly as possible, but the department of health realized it might be wise to give everyone who had been on Viola Strierra a thorough check for any pathogens or parasites that might be harmful to Earth before letting them step on Earth soil.
The Mizzerans grumbled about the Deja Vu as this was exactly what happened when they were kidnapped by the Wranglers inspected for any pathogens or parasites before being made slaves, but than some annoyance they didn't mind too much their years being held captive and enslaved on another world had taught them to not take life for granted and that all the things they worried about on Mizzer seemed idiotic looking back really they got the willies thinking how they could have been so foolish for so many generations! Chasing their own tails playing 'the game with no name'
Of course some Humanimals rose to the occasion more than others, so on this 2nd day in space, Bumble organized a 2nd VIP Party the first one was for the heroes of the Federation, this one was for the Mizzer Humanimals and their friends who did especially great and heroic deeds in helping their Countrymen in their time of need...Bumble being the Dream Weaver was able to get to know all of them no matter how far they lived from Capital City because of his job he was able to connect them via the 'Psychic Network' most everyone there was quite familiar with everyone else even if this was the first time seeing them in person!
If any of them had, had any children they were sent to the Ship's Nursery Room where a Federation Nurse who specialized in Humanimal Child Care looked after them while these various heroes and heroines chilled in the VIP Lounge and got to drink cocktails and nibble at various hors d'oeuvres for various diets carnivore, herbivore and everything in-between!
When everything had gone to pieces after he had caused Ichabod to set off the smoke alarm, Kevin escaped being captured by quickly sheltering in a secret hidey-hole where several much more important heroes like Bumble and Squeeks got captured while doing their parts of trying to help their fellow slaves get to safety, other Mizzer Heroes who had been secretly traveling to Capital City so they would be able to be where the Rescue Ships would be were also apprehended and captured! While in his past Kevin would have called himself a proud Mizzer Citizen, now he no longer had any love for Mizzer having come to believe they were all the pets of the stupid humans. He now longer really had any love for his fellow Humanimals at all in the last few days despite what he told himself...He had become utterly consumed by his hatred! He would have claimed what he wanted was a universe where Humanimals ruled, but what he really wanted was the death of every last human even if it meant he was the only living thing left in the universe!
But while full of hate, he was also deep down a coward...So thinking no one was the wiser, he proudly strode into a party he had not been invited to since a common Runner while obviously doing what was needed not as exceptional as anything these Mizzer Humanimals had done!
"Hey Guys!" Kevin said with typical teenage swagger "Some of you may not know me, I'm Kevin Felidae and…"
"Humph!" All those Humanimal Heroes of various species turned up their various muzzles or beaks and turned around and gave the Black Cat the cold shoulder, even if none of them knew exactly what happened between him and Ichabod, the Mizzerans being very logical knew something had to happen to cause everything to go haywire at the last minute so before they boarded some Mizzerans asked Kevin's fellow Runners and of course they had been terrified of the Black Cat for the past few days so they told them everything they knew including his plan to bump off Ichabod…The word spread throughout the Mizzer Humanimals so everyone on all three ships knew.
Everyone except Kevin himself apparently
"Guys, come on…" Kevin said already beginning to sweat "...I'm a Runner! I got food and supplies to the needy…"
"And also you apparently hate humans so much that you put revenge over your own people!" Snorted the Pig-Man Barrel Boarski, who was next to Bumble perhaps the most distinguished Humanimal at the party, but Barrel would be the first to admit that most of that was probably be due to his distinguished lineage as he was a descendant of Francis Bacon (And he had also learned one of the few descendants to inherent his famous ancestor's gift for magic…)
"You nearly cost all of us our freedom!" Said Barrel's wife a Beautiful Berkshire Pig-Woman named Agnes "...And for Humanimals like us who had bounties on our heads you nearly cost us our lives!"
"We heard you really hate Humanimals marrying humans…" Sneered Dirk Longfang a Pit Bull-Man whose adoptive father was Alan Sherwood, a prominent Mizzer human who was the Grandson of one of Mizzer's most prominent scientists as the two had been together when the Wrangler Invasion happened. Indeed several of the Mizzer Humanimal Heroes had brought a human with them, some were Mizzer humans, some were Wrangler humans who had been befriended and reformed by the Mizzer Humanimals some were unusual third categories…
Kevin looked to the side and saw Eugene Hornsby, a Teenage Elk-Boy who had become a legendary dancer and he clutched to his side, the dainty curly haired human girl Emma, who had been his dancing partner under the pretense of being his 'mistress' but it was clear she was actually his girlfriend.
And Kevin felt the blood drain from his face, as it was dawning on him how unpopular his opinions were! Despite delivering goods mostly to his fellow Mizzer Humanimals, Kevin had spent most of his time with the Native Viola Strierra Humanimals who agreed with his beliefs that humans were worthless and good-for-nothing...Indeed it seemed he had turned as mean and nasty as some of the worst Shamans!
"C-Come on Guys!" Kevin protested "It's the humans who kidnapped us! Humans who…"
Kevin was cut off by two creatures squirting water in his face! After coughing and sputtering, Kevin turned and saw Orion the famous Octopus scientist and his wife Octavia, the two Octopi were in a tank/wheelbarrow hybrid being pushed by...A human.
"How dare you?!" Orion snarled "You claim to have been helping us Mizzerans but you've turned against everything Mizzer stood for! Love and friendship between all species! That includes humans! When we learned of your treachery, some of the Viola Strierra Humanimals suggested we execute you via the traditional Humanimal method of being torn apart with claws and teeth! But we're Mizzerans! We're civilized! We should not spoil this glorious moment by spilling blood in this beautiful luxury spaceship plus it's clear you're just a stupid teenager, we know the Native Humanimals consider you an adult but again, we Mizzerans believe your brain is not yet mature at this stage...But you are seriously pushing us to consider changing our minds...So we advise you get out, while you still have your pelt!"
And quickly Kevin turned and ran...He ran until he bumped into his oldest friend Emerald.
"Emerald!" Kevin exclaimed "You won't believe what just happened!"
But then taking one look at the Dragon-Girl's face and Kevin knew she had learned what had happened and the sorrowful look at her face was all all he needed to know she was no longer his friend...She now knew the sweet Kitten she met on Mizzer was no longer there…
Meanwhile Bumble himself had not yet arrived, he apparently had something he had to do...The Turtles came in with Shale.
"I don't know if I should be here…" Shale said "...I'm not nearly as much of a hero as half the Humanimals here…"
"Don't be so modest…" Leo said "...You saved our lives, you deserve to be here!"
"Hey Shale!" a Great Dane-Woman Andi Dewclaw "Those Turtles are right! You do belong here! She gave her old friend a Virgin frozen Margarita,"
"Thanks…" Shale said shyly as she took a sip
And then the one who had brought them all together, the one whose fur shone like the sun, but who worked in the light of the moon Maurice 'Bumble' Bounder dressed in his Dream Weaver outfit he was now able to manifest in the waking world...The green tunic and leggings that made him look like a Humanimal Peter Pan
Before he entered the VIP lounge, three Pretty Dog-Girls, a Rough Collie, a Poodle and a Dalmatian all posed flirtatiously hoping to be noticed by the Dream Weaver...But Bumble walked past all of them without even looking at them! Those three prissy Dog-Girls were shocked to see that instead of luscious long locks, bouncy curls, or dazzling dots the hunk of a pup was approaching...A Dog who had almost no fur at all!
"Shale Xolo I presume?" Bumble said and Shale quickly spun around to find herself facing the Dream Weaver himself.
"Bumble Bounder!" Shale exclaimed "I am honored…" She gave a quick bow
"I am honored to meet you…" Bumble said giving a gentlemanly bow and scrape in return "...I was never given the task of weaving a dream for you, but I have heard tales of your adventures...I have wanted to meet you for a long time…"
He picked up her hand, her furless hand and gave it a gentle lick.
"You're so warm!" Bumble said "It's true what they said about your breed!"
Shale giggled like a schoolgirl and Andi winked at the Turtles as it seemed she had been working with them to play Cupid.
"I love fairy tale endings!" Mikey giggled "Don't you?"
However Raph noticed one who also wasn't celebrating, Beulah certainly wouldn't be turned away from the party, but she knew there wouldn't be food for her there because her food would put everyone else off their appetites...She accepted as a Dung Beetle she was too gross for Vertebrate Society.
Raph remembered his previous hostility towards her, and thinking about how she bravely risked everything to try to save them when everything seemed hopeless...Raph felt shame for how he had treated her, despite still feeling fear at her bug features he knew he had to make it up to her…
He gingerly walked up to her.
"Hey…" Raph said gently
"Oh!" Beulah exclaimed
"I...I just wanted to thank you for what you did back there…" Raph said
"I arrived too late to be of much use…" Beulah sighed with her antennae drooping "...It was only because Marzipan was so good at fire magic that all was not lost…"
"Hey…" Raph said "...You did you're best, and you stuck your neck out for us...And…" A thought struck Raph "Have you found any of your family?"
Beulah shook her head "No…" She said quietly "Not a single one...My parents, my five siblings, either they were all far away from Capital City and thus couldn't get there to board the three Spaceships or…" She didn't even want to finish her thought
"Geez that's rough…" Raph said as he rubbed his arm nervously thinking with horror if he was the last surviving member of his family
"Beulah…" He said "...Because of what you did for us, we...I owe you one! If you ever need a favor...Here's our number." He handed her a card
Beulah's antennae perked up in surprise "T-Thank you!" She exclaimed
Raph bowed to her in traditional Asian style before continuing his stroll through the ship, along the way, he encountered Ichabod...All by himself...Staring forlornly out the window...Now Raph didn't know what transpired between him and Kevin, only Don knew that and he still hadn't told anyone else...So Raph assumed it was merely the fact of what should have been his proudest moment turned into the humiliation of nearly being burnt at the stake, that Ichabod was so down about...Raph felt it was his warrior's spirit that had been completely overpowered and having been in a similar situation where his entire family was so close to death only to be saved at the last minute once again Raph could relate...And he remembered after that harrowing experience on Shredder's ship that caused Leo's downward spiral, he felt obligated to try to do something to save Ichabod from potentially going down that path…
"Hey…" Raph said
Ichabod didn't reply or even look at the Turtle…
Raph's face flickered seemed already he needed to be a bit more assertive…
"Hey." Raph said as he placed his hand firmly on Ichabod's shoulder and causing the chair to swivel toward him. "I know you're probably feeling down cuz you nearly failed...That you and Marzipan nearly got killed! But Ichabod...I saw the fire in your eyes when you spat in Bimbo's face! Even if you were scared you would rather burn than betray your girl! You got guts Ichabod! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!"
Ichabod did seem for a moment surprised by this passionate speech from Raph, but his eyelids quickly drooped and he simply made a 'Hmm' noise rather than actually say anything.
"Just remember Ichabod…" Raph said as he turned away "...If you ever need anything we're all here for ya!"
But Ichabod simply returned to staring out the window...None of them understood...Weather Humanimal, Mutant or any kind of Animal Person...They were already so perfect! Faster, stronger better senses than any human...How could any of them possibly know how he felt?
So Kevin I think suffers a worse fate than Jet from Avatar, Jet dies but in doing so redeems himself, Kevin lives but has become a pariah from his own kind, even his friend who has been by his side the whole time will no longer have anything to do with him! And I like that Raph reaching out to Ichabod despite the two of them having very little in common Mikey probably the only Turtle who has less in common but both Raph and Ichabod have temper problems and I think Raph recognizes that in Ichabod