What was the definition of normal? Whatever it was, it couldn’t be the way Tetsuya Kaibara’s life ran. A young boy, around sixteen, he was a bit pale, with messy, chestnut-streaked crimson-sable blonde hair and round, almond shaped emerald eyes set into a gentle, carefree face. Usually he donned a hooded short-sleeved, white and cobalt jacket over a grey tee shirt and dark stonewash three quarter lengths, white-and-crimson over-sized boots on his feet. The youth watched sloping hills and large mountains roll by, valleys nestled cosily between them.  He looked at the people he considered family, despite some of them not being human.
    Satoshi was relatively mature at seventeen, with silvery platinum-white hair spilling past his shoulders, and vibrant aquamarine eyes scanning from a sharply handsome face. He often wore a sleeveless black muscle shirt and light stone-wash carpenter jeans. The teenager was reading directions to Calvin, who was driving. Tetsuya considered the Native American a loyal and valuable companion. Tall with short violet hair and piercing ice-blue eyes, the twenty year old was considerably imposing. The youth leaned back, his gaze landing on his twin little brother.
    Sasuke looked exactly like his sibling only his hair tufted to the side and was stained sapphire instead of crimson, with fawn-brown eyes. The fifteen year old was quietly reading a mystery novel, a semi-sleeveless jade shirt and beige  cargo pants his only attire. Sasuke looked at his brother, smiling happily. Tetsuya returned the gesture before scanning the others.
    Tetsuya could hear Will arguing with Nikki as Raquel attempted to quell the quarrel. He turned around, unable to suppress a broad grin. Will towered over nearly everyone the teen knew and was a moderately muscled orange-toned humanoid reptile with infra-red hair and sharp jade eyes. Oddly he was dressed as a human, a dark tee and pants and looked relatively fine. Raquel was seated next to him, an attractive gold-and-white furred humanoid fox in an ivory-lined primrose Japanese priestess tunic, violet-eyed with chin-length pale cobalt hair. Nikki was a purple-striped white cat in a cobalt shirt and russet cargo shorts, a side-pocketed black-and-emerald cap on his head.
    The teenager glanced next at Sunchaser and Moonseeker, both of whom were telepathically conversing near a pair of feet. Both were twins, and resembled elegant cats. Sunchaser was a pale ivory-lavender colour with almond-shaped amethyst eyes, his tipped ears twitching as his forked tail swayed lazily. Moonseeker was a dark obsidian with silver-gold rings painted on, soft crimson eyes glancing about. Nearby were Jade and Gion, with the latter trying to make a pickle-peanut and peach smoothie, while the former tried to stop him. Jade was a sleekly designed cashew-shaped droid with glittery vermillion-and-goldenrod paint and a single beam-like crimson eye. Gion was an ashen ebony with lamp-like yellow eyes, clawed hands wildly trying to dump the ingredients for his smoothie into the blender.  
    A little ahead of him, Tetsuya could see Joey with his hazel hair and golden eyes, recording everything that went on with his camera. Near him was Tyler, with spiky dark auburn hair and metallic vermillion eyes, dressed in a black jacket, shirt and grey pants. Next to Tyler was a young man with gravity-defying cherry-blonde hair and onyx eyes wearing a lime-green long-sleeved with a white lower half over black combat trousers. Soon, however, shouting broke out up front with Joey, Tyler and Calvin trying to get each other to leave. Tetsuya sighed, getting up to try and help Satoshi break up the fray.


-

    Sunchaser blinked, watching Tetsuya walk towards the front of the sleek, slender vehicle. ‘Hey, Sun, what’s wrong?’ The cat-like creature looked at his twin, cocking his head. ‘Nothing. Just Tyler, Joey and Calvin arguing up front…again..’ Moonseeker gave his brother an amused look, munching on a tangy, plum-coloured block. ‘Ah, makes sense..’  The darkly furred twin chewed before continuing ‘Though I wish they’d stop and get along.’ The paler of the two chuckled, using his telekinesis to hover a light pinkish gold block into his mouth before making a face. Moonseeker looked at him ‘Sunchaser? What’s wrong bro?’ Sunchaser looked at his brother.
    ‘Bro?’ Jade hovered over, Gion close behind. “Hey,” He greeted but stopped to look bewilderedly at Sunchaser’s bizarre expression. “What’s wrong with him?” Moonseeker shrugged the best way he knew. ‘Dunno….he ate a block and stopped talking.’ Gion grinned devilishly “So the cat lost his tongue eh?” The obsidian feline gave him an irritated look as Jade shoved Gion to the floor.        “What’d I do?” The other two looked at each other before sighing in unison. ‘You okay? Bro?’ Moonseeker nudged his brother before his twin ran off in the direction of the nearest toilet, and/or sink.
   When Sunchaser returned, looking much better, he was moderately surprised to see the others looking at him concernedly. ‘You alright now?’ His brother inquired, stepping closer. ‘Yes. I think that block just didn’t agree with me.’ ‘Good.’ And with that Moonseeker pounced and knocked his twin brother to the ground. ‘Catch me if you can!!’ The darkly furred feline laughed, running off. Sunchaser got up, eyes glinting deviously. ‘Get back here you! Moonseeker!’ Breaking into joyous laughter, the other twin ran off after his brother.  
   Jade and Gion watched, both mildly confused. They looked at each other before shaking their heads, or in Jade’s case, head.  “C’mon…let’s head to the kitchen and gorge on sushi.” Gion suggested, clambering into said room. Jade followed, opening the refrigerator and emptying it of the variously decorated bento-boxes. He was startled to hear the sound of a blender.
   Jade turned around, seeing Gion trying to pour the previous ingredients into the blender. “Not again!” Gion looked him, obviously bewildered. “What?! If I’m gonna have sushi, can’t I have a smoothie too?”  Jade fumed slightly, “You’re not putting peanuts and pickles in that blender!!” “Why not? It’s good…..hey, maybe I’ll drop some tuna with peaches!” Jade stared in disbelief before zipping in the opposite direction, out of the kitchen. Gion stared after him, head cocked in confusion “Now what’d I do wrong?”

-

   A few hours passed, the group continuing to trek through Qatari 1’s mountainous and hilly region in an attempt to reach the metro station. Tetsuya found himself fingering his own E-Terminal, looking at it closely. It was relatively small, small enough to fit snugly in his hands, roundly oval in a bright translucent ruby, millions of holographic screens hidden in its metallic, palm-sized casing. It beeped quietly, layers of circuitry lighting up as he rolled it in his hands. He sighed, fastening the device onto its cylindrical case, where it promptly blended into the nylon. The teenager drew out a small, metallic keychain from his jacket pocket, also examining the object.
   It was shaped in the likeness of a sword with jaggedly curved sides, on one of which was deep, swirling emerald, the gun-like hilt going to the side. A smaller keychain hung from the first; an elongated, slender vermillion heart intricately engraved with mind-writhing glyphs, painted with a transparent gloss.  The object pulsated gently for a moment, its carvings lighting up. Then the larger one’s jewel gained a translucent quality, allowing the youth to briefly glimpse the liquid, iridescent gel swimming inside. Tetsuya gazed at the keychain a little longer before slipping it back into the pocket, patting it once it was in.
   A sudden, violent ram roughly tossed the vehicle to one side, its contents thrown about vehemently. Those with weapons and fighting capabilities jumped up, clutching what they could as to right themselves all the while attempting to arm themselves. “Uggh—whoa!” The ship rolled downwards, crashing into the peaks of small mountains before undulating off a plateau. The sound of flesh on metal echoed eerily as Tetsuya was brutally thrown out the vehicle’s open hatch. A flash of clear, sharp light blinded him momentarily as the keychain slid out of his pocket, enlarging itself as his gloved hand gripped the hilt.
   The teenager forced his eyes open, managing to don a pair of black lined goggles, and looked around. He could see something, large with cylindrical body and numberless limbs and cloudy wings, a massive jaw holding the lifeless form of a heavily muscled bird. He could see Satoshi being thrown past, and tried to reach him, but was hit with flaming, scarlet sphere.
   Emerald orbs widening, he called for Sasuke, only to watch his twin haphazardly tossed into a splattered whirlpool. The creature winged towards him as he slashed its companion, an eagle with black hollows for eyes. It took a moment for him to register the fact that it was the same bird the bizarre life-form had been carrying in its jaws. The gelatinous, pitch-black liquid was thickly coating the blade and had distinct rancid, decaying scent as if the creature was un-dead.
   Tetsuya felt a sudden, agonizing sensation wash over him, crimson-spattered ivory fangs sinking into his flesh, preparing to rip apart sinew and shatter bone. He swung the sword, hitting the soft vulnerable underbelly of the creature, and slashing it open, the dark, thick slime gushing out.
   Instinctively, the monster released his limb, leaving him to float adrift towards pooling spiral of a portal.  He let loose the strangled cry he’d bit back as crimson life-fluid sprayed outwards. He struggled to get away from the portal, but it felt as though he swam in gelatine. The feeling dropped suddenly as gravity returned and the youth was thrown precariously into the chaotic neon-lit nexus below.