A/N: Alright this chapter is meant to introduce you to the Lancier Family A.K.A a family for dysfunctional freaks. Yes I know Zack's last name is Fair, I just happen to change the names for the whole AU sense. XD have fun.

Chapter One

The Lancier Home

"Mom, I home."

"Sora, did you get lost by the harbor again? It's sundown and you're late coming home."

Meet my mom, Aerith Lancier! She's the coolest mom in existence with no faith in her son's navigational skills. I don't blame her but come on, I've only gotten lost twice since we moved here and that's because all the piers and crap look alike. I couldn't believe how hesitant she was to let me start school by myself too. Over protective psycho.

I dropped my book bag on the floor by the door and slipped out of my shoes. Aerith had a thing against tracking…well, tracking anything into the house. I went to the kitchen where she stood turning a spoon in a steaming pot without her hands. Dinner always came out better when she didn't try to cook it manually. After all, she had no normal cooking skills She was pretty though. Her long cinnamon hair touched her lower back in a long twist and her light peach skin glowed in the light as the sun set over the water. Her button nose, which I have also (I have nearly all her features) was planted in a recipe book. See, she was smart enough not to kill us with original dishes!

"Thanks mom, I had a great first day. My locker got vandalized and they think I'm a Goth. How was your day?"

"Don't get smart with me, kid. Now really, what was the real impression that you made at school?"

"Now do you want an honest answer to that or can I go to my room now?"

She lowered the cookbook so that she could get a good look at me. the flash of gold in her misty green irises made me turn away from her. I really wish I go the eye talent during the early development stage but that's the curse of being born second. I wanted it bad, not just because they were that really pretty green but also because she was a psychic in the worst way. She could read thoughts and memories. Evil woman with her damn gypsy heritage. If I didn't want her to know about my day she wasn't going to freaking know!

"Mom! I told you to cut that out already. I'm sixteen and I reserve the right to keep secrets from you."

She scoffed. "I'm your mother. It isn't right that I don't know what goes on with you! Do I need to hex someone?"

Is lapped my forehead. "Great mom! Can't wait to move outta this town too. You can hex away."

"I told you honey, we could've stayed in Midgard but you agreed that you wanted a fresh start."

"Exactly. Do you think it would go over well if you start giving out the evil eye?"

She shrugged and put her nose back in her cookbook. Good she wasn't going to burn the food as punishment for my smart mouth. "I'm just looking out for you, Sora-dear."

I really hated being called dear, but what could I do? It's my mom. I brushed it off and grabbed a soda out of the fridge before trudging upstairs. I couldn't wait for dad to come home, he was at least somewhat normal.

I went to my brother's room covering my ears at the blasting music of Nightwish. He was a symphonic metal fan. Damn emo brat bastard. I stopped at his door and dared to crack it open, knowing the sheer volume would bust my poor eardrums. Then again, lets just say it was worth having mom fuss over mer. I peeked in, seeing him asleep on his bed with those college books on his bed. Guess he over-worked that tiny brain of his and blacked out again, though how he managed to sleep through that damn music is beyond me. I pointed my finger at the volume knob and slowly twisted until the noise was no longer assaulting my ears. There was such a thing as too loud.

I walked in and plopped down on the bed next to him, not surprised that he didn't even move. His hair, a very softly shaded blonde that shot out in layers all over the place framed his face as he slept. Aside from the fact that I was a brunette, he and I could make for passable twins. He was taller than me by only a few inches, putting him at a subtle five-six and he had never grown an inch taller. This made him a little odd in our old haunts but he really didn't care. He, unlike me, couldn't stand the normal human life, but enough about him. Let's play! I smiled at the mischief I was at as I slowly pulled his college texts from by his head and flung them out the window with only a wisp of displaced air as evidence. I kicked him hard in the leg and he snapped awake, fully alert. I kept my eyes up to the ceiling fan when he glared at me. Gypsy eyes. Lucky bastard. He glared sleepily at me, his hair shifting to a platinum blonde almost silver color. Freak, right?!

"Sora, what in the hell did you kick me for? That was the most sleep I've gotten since I got here!"

I poked innocently at the silvery spikes. "Feeling tense today, Cloud? I'm sensing some animosity."

"Oh really, what gave you that great idea?" he growled irritably. He glanced back at the bed and his hair shifted to blond, to chestnut brown, to a deep dark angry red. He whipped around on me, his irises a tiger's eyes gold.

"Where are my books?

"Huh, books? I don't have any books. What the hell would I want with your books? What are you? Gay?" I grinned.

He ignored me, checking all around until finally his sixth sense lead him to the window. I only stayed long enough to see his hair fade to a bright shade of fox fur red. It was awesome. The lesson learned? It was totally cool watching your big brother's hair change every color of the rainbow.

I ran into my room with Cloud hot on my heels. But as usual, he was quick and I was much faster. I slammed the door right on his face taking sadistic pleasure in the sound of him crying out for his poor nose. I securely locked my door in more ways than one. All my talent lay in magic, which was depressing from time to time but right now it was all in good fun. Once he stopped beating at my door, I splayed myself out on my bed to relax. I looked out the window at the ocean that wasn't too far away, pondering how good an idea it was to move.

"Destiny Islands," I whispered. "I think I could learn to be okay here."

It was so far from the place I called home. Further than Midgar ever felt. Still, it was okay because I chose to do this and I knew better than to be myself around normal people. Make the best of it right?

"Sora?"

I bolted up right at the sound of that airy voice that always made me smile. Dad was back. I got up and opened the door just a crack to make sure it wasn't another one of Cloud's voice tricks. A smile spread across my face at the wayward obsidian hair and the glowing indigo eyes. Eyes Like mine. My dad, Zackary Lancier, towered over me with a soft expression that made me want to hug him like a teddy bear, which I did!

"Dad! How was work for the first time?" I asked curiously.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I mean it was a bit different from being a mercenary in Midgar but it was awesome day. I didn't even kill the boss! I'd say ship building is kinda cool."

"Dad, we talked about using words like cool."

"Right, people over thirty can't use slang like kids these days. They use shit like 'get off my lawn' and 'darn kids and their music!' I remember. How was school?"

Well, there went my mood. "I got my locker vandalized."

"Again? I thought today was your first day?"

"It was my first day." I said blandly.

"Do I need to tear somebody a new one for ya, Sor?"

"Uh, we don't need murder charges, dad."

Zack was what mom called a juggernaut when it came to his kids. He's a berserker, a human who was ten times stronger than normal and twenty-times angrier. If he ever got uncontrollably mad, there would hell to pay and we'd probably have to move to another country all together. Mom gives him potions she brews to keep him calm during his work hours. I'm glad of that because I'd hate for my daddy to feel guilty for anything at all, especially if he accidentally hurt us. He was already torn up that we had to move from Midgar though all of it was my fault anyway. We still don't talk about it.

"I know, I know. But you know I'm protective of you and Cloud, Sor."

"Don't worry so much about me. I'll be fine."

"I believe it, but just don't let anything get bad and not tell me about it. Try to make the best of it."

"Dad, please, I'll be okay. Now you go and relax with mom and stop worrying about me."

He hugged me tight, protectively, like the father he was. I almost didn't want to let go. Dad was a good man. He didn't need me o keep him all nerved up. I waited for him to walk away before I closed my door. Here's a step into my shoes that we should take before I go any further. I'm a witch as I said before and I unfortunately am the soul cause of my family moving around. We were forced to leave my hometown in Nibelheim when I was six years old. We stayed in Kalm until I was about ten years old when I lost control again. I hated Kalm anyways, to many weird happy go lucky people. That was when we moved to Midgar. I had better control of myself by then. It took me six years to lose it again but eventually I did. It was completely my fault this time because I have what is called a hero complex. I just have to help people. Finally dad found this place. Small isolated and no others like us according to mom, though I'm sure there are a few freaks around here somewhere. Anyway, I'm not exactly a good luck charm for the family. I'm irrational and though I tend to over think everything I never come to good decisions. I always cause more harm than good.

A freak among freaks, I've been the odd one out for the most part of my social life or lack there of. I've always been stared at funny for my weird obsession with dark colors and my things are forever being vandalized. I'm liked only by those who have a temporary curiosity in the occult and those who like the weird and unusual. Of course people who are normal are too chicken shit, excuse my language, to get close to normal. I want to be normal and I know that will never happen. So, I want to be close to normal. I want to be able to worry more about a test at school or what friends are doing what, rather than if daddy got angry on accident or if someone saw Cloud's hair change colors. But, there's so much that can be normal in the Lancier home. Only so much I can change about myself. I just hope this place will make the difference and I can finally get some real friends.

It was a little while after dinner when Cloud decided that his sweet tooth kicked in. He always did that when he felt like talking to me alone without our parents fussing over me. He followed me upstairs after dinner to ask me if I wanted to get ice cream with him. I started at him knowing for a fact that wasn't all he wanted.

"I just wanted to treat my favorite-"

"Only."

"-brother to some ice cream so we can give our parents some personal time."

Among the many things I hated about my brother was the fact that I couldn't tell what his motives were in anything he did. For instance, I can't tell whether he's doing this for my benefit, our parents' benefit, or his own. It was most likely his benefit, though I actually detected a hint of brotherly love. Still, that brings me to another hated feature, his ability to deceive people about things and manipulate by simply suggesting something.

"I guess that would be okay. I'm sure you're tired from all that homework but if you're up for it then I am too."

"Awesome! You're the best, Sora."

Cloud took me by the shoulders and led me away from my room, down the stairs and out the house. At least we would get to do some real talking over good ice cream.

"Congratulations, dinner was completely uneventful." Could said while paying for out ice cream. "You've achieved one step in your goal for normalcy. Isn't that special?"

Great, he was teasing me. "Don't joke on me, Cloud! You know how hard I've been trying since Nibelheim.

"You try too hard," he grumbled. "Honestly, Sora, do you really need so much attention to keep you out of danger? Are you so frail that the same thing continuously happens in three different cities?"

My eyes fell to the tile floor of the creamery and the taste of my cinnamon vanilla ice cream turned sour. "I'm not frail and I don't want the attention. Don't say stuff like that to me, Cloud. It's not my fault that I want to change things, or that I see things going on that you, mom, and dad can't."

"That's all fine and dandy, bro, but why can't you just leave it alone when it happens. Keep it to yourself and concentrate on the normal life that you want?"

"Well yeah, but…" I drifted off there and went back to my ice cream not wishing to complete that though. "You wouldn't understand."

His hair subtly shifted to a dreary slate color. That dampened my own mood and I was sorry for it. He understood, just not the way I wanted him too. "I know, I don't understand it the way you do and I hate dealing with other people's problems but I still care about you. You're my baby brother and I'm just as protective of you as dad is. But I wont help you this time if you don't actually try."

"I know and I am trying. I just want to forget and move along."

"Then forget here. We have a chance here. No one knows us and no one is suspicious. This place is perfect for us!"

I nodded. "I'll make the most of it, Cloud." That's what I've been trying to do all along.

He sighed and brushed my cheek in hopes of making me smile. "Tomorrow's a new day kid!"

"Yeah," I murmured with a faint smile. "A new day."

When no one was looking, Cloud snuck a small peck to my ice cream covered lips. Did I mention linnocent incest was a fun thing in the culture of freaks? Don't worry, I'm still a virgin. I think it would be weird if I gave my brother that pleasure!

A/N: and that is chapter one. You like? Let me know in a nice review!