Author's note/disclaimer:  I don't own Wild ARMs 3.  It belongs to Media Vision/Sony.  I also don't own Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, which I have majorly ripped off.  ^_^

This one is short.  And strange.  That's all I'm gonna say about it.  ^_^ I live in my own, deranged little world.  ^_________^

"The Black Sheep"

Written by Skylark Starflower

Started June 1, 2003

Finished June 2, 2003

                "Kaitlyn!  Time for bed!"

                Kaitlyn came to her mother's call.  "Do I have to?" she asked.

                Catherine was about to reply when Clive stood and held out his hand to shush her.  "Come on, Kaitlyn.  I'll read you a bedtime story," he said.

                "Yay!"  Kaitlyn ran to her room.  Catherine laid a hand on Clive's shoulder.

                "I don't know how you do it," she said as she hugged him.  He smiled, a hint of mischief dancing in his bright blue eyes.

                "I guess I just have a knack.  But Kaitlyn is waiting, so I should be going."  With that, Clive headed off to Kaitlyn's bedroom.  The young girl was already in her pajamas and in bed, eagerly awaiting her story.

                "Will you read me one of your stories, daddy?" she asked.  Clive pulled out his notebook and flipped through it. 

                "I've got one about a Memory Figure at the Ark Of Destiny.  Will that be all right?"

                "Yeah!  I like your stories, daddy.  They're silly."

                Clive smiled and began to read…

*        *        *

                He was blue.  All of the other Memory Figures were red.  But he was blue.  He was different.

                Bombur had always been different.  For one thing, he could not speak.  All of the other Memory Figures could talk.  He was lighter, and easily pushed around.  And those were only a couple of the many differences.

                He desperately wanted to fit in.  He once heard about a gathering for Memory Figures, the Memory Figure Games.  At these games, Figures would challenge each other to see who was better at standing still.  Wanting to go so badly, he had himself painted red.  The ruse had worked, for a while.  The other Figures had accepted him to the gathering.  That is, until it started to rain, washing the paint off and showing his blue colour for the entire world to see.  Then the other Figures had laughed.

                Bombur had left then, feeling sorry for himself.  While he was heading home, he met up with an Elw.  This Elw was different from his kind.  He was a technology nut, and because of this, the other Elws had ridiculed him.  He and Bombur had decided to leave on an incredible journey of self-discovery together.

                They had not been traveling for long when they met up with Roykman, the traveling merchant.  He invited them to join him in his travels, and the three went around Filgaia, meeting new and exciting people and having grand adventures.

                Or perhaps not.  Bombur merely went home.

                Then, suddenly, it was the day the men from the Ark Of Destiny came around to choose the Memory Figures to place in the towns of Filgaia to help out Drifters in need.  Bombur went to the meeting, certain he would not be chosen.  Indeed, the other Memory Figures were chosen before him, and soon, he was the only Figure left not chosen.  It looked like he would be left behind, but then…

                "Oh, he's so cute!"  Linda ran over and hugged the little blue Memory Figure.  "Can we keep him?"

                Lamium crossed his arms and looked perplexed.  "But we've already chosen Orley to act as the Ark's Figure.  What could this little oddity possibly be useful for?"

                "I don't know, but he's too cute to leave!"  Linda didn't let up her death grip on Bombur.

                Lamium smiled.  "Okay, we can keep it.  But you have to look after it."

                "Yay!" cheered Linda.

                And Bombur was happy.  He had finally been accepted for what he was.

*        *        *

                Clive put the notebook down and smiled.  He pulled the covers up around Kaitlyn's sleeping form.  She was the only person he would ever share his stories with.  She was the only other person he could think of who would appreciate his weird sense of humour. 

                Clive left the room.  Catherine shook her head when she saw him reenter the living room.  "I still don't understand how you can do that."

                He put an arm around her shoulder as they headed to their own bedroom and just smiled.

The End.

And just for the fun of it: 

Cast list (or, who was ripping off who's role ^_^)

Bombur                   Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Elw                          …that stupid elf who wanted to be a dentist.  What the frig was his name again?

Roykman               Yukon Cornelius

Lamium                  Santa Claus (sorta)

Linda                      Herself.  …Yeah…