Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this fic. They all belong to Diane Duane, J.K. Rowling, Tamora Pierce, Piers Anthony, and many other authors I hope to incorporate.
A.N: Thanks to all my reviewers! Due to a request, Voldemort will be in the story again, maybe this chapter, I don't know. And for those who asked, Blake is an incredibly egocentric guy in track with me. If you want to see certain (magic) characters in this story, don't be afraid to tell me. If I know who they are, I'll put them in if I can. I'll try not to get too weird, but my sister's listening to Gwen Stefani in the next room, so it may not be possible. Oh well...
Nita and Kit strolled down the beach, staring around at the, well, interesting people enjoying the sun with them. There was a strange, pale couple who had on leather sashes that seemed to be holding bells fighting a minor battle with a couple zombies.
"You think we should help them?" Nita asked.
"Yeah, let's go."
They ran up the dune, but got there just as the two people finished trouncing the undead. The woman turned around and saw them. "Hello, may I help you?"
"Uh, actually we were coming to help you, but I guess you didn't need it," Kit answered, turning somewhat pink in the face.
"Oh, don't worry. My name is Sabriel, and who might you be?" Nita didn't have time to answer, because at that moment an incredibly bizarre group of people and creatures appeared on the beach. They were able to spot a couple centaurs, a mermaid, an extremely pretty nude woman, a man with goat legs and horns, a dragon, several humans, and what appeared to be a short, gnarled gnome reading some sort of huge book.
"Uhhh..." Nita and Kit said together.
"Who are all of you?" Kit asked, eyes bulging at the sight of the woman by the half-man-half-goat. He winced as Nita kicked him.
"Well," the gnome mumbled, obviously grumpy, "I'm the Magician Humphrey, and that rowdy group is Che and Cynthia centaur, Mela mermaid, Imbri's the nymph, but she used to be a Night Mare," Kit and Nita looked at each other, bewildered, "That's Forrest Faun by her, Stanley the steam dragon, King Dor, Queen Irene, Princess Ivy, and Grey Murphy. We all are from Xanth."
"Well...uh... I'm sorry, but I've never heard of Xanth before." Nita said hesitantly.
"Ah, you must be Mundanes." Humphrey said, matter of factly.
Kit tore his eyes away from Imbri and asked, "We're what?"
"Mundanes, people living outside of Xanth in a dreadfully dreary place called Mundania who don't have magic."
"Well you must be mistaken there, because we live outside of Xanth, but we can use wizardry!" Nita said, somewhat insulted.
"Hmm, curious... I must look in my book," and at that, he was once again immersed in his tome.
"So, what's your talent?" The somewhat intimidating King Dor asked them, causing Nita and Kit to exchange their thirtieth confused look. Noting this he continued, "You know, like I can talk to inanimate objects."
The sand at their feet suddenly piped up, "Who you calling inanimate?"
Nita and Kit jumped, and Nita started once again on a lengthy explanation of wizardry. Rolling his eyes, Kit turned to ogle at Imbri.
"Excuse us, but we asked you who you are," Sabriel interjected into the confusion.
Kit tore his eyes away from the nymph and answered intelligently, "Huh?"
"You know," she said, somewhat put-off, "your names?"
"Oh, sorry. I'm Kit and that's Nita, the motormouth over there." Unfortunately for him, Nita had just finished her explanation and heard. By the time she finished pummeling him, yet another group had arrived.
"Whoa," a dark-haired green-eyed young man in armor said, "They told us we were going to put us on our next assignment!"
"Oh, you got sent on a mandatory vacation too!" Nita interjected, "Nice to meet you!"
They group of knights turned around at the sound, hands going to swords.
"Meep! No need for that!" she said stepping back.
"Sorry, we're just a little jumpy. So, where are we? The name's Nealan by the way."
"Hi." Nita and Kit said together.
"We're from Tortall. You? I don't seem to recognize your apparel from anywhere," another knight said from the group.
"Oh, we're from Manhattan!" Nita answered. The band of knights looked at each other in confusion. "You know, New York?"
"Hmm, sorry, but we've never heard of it. So, how's the battles with the immortals going in your country?" Nealan asked.
"Immortals?" Kit said, confused, "You mean like the Lone Power?" Now it was the knights' turn to be confused.
"No, I mean like killer centaurs, unicorns, things like that."
"Well, you may want to talk to them." Nita said, pointing to the Xanthan group. "They seem to have things like that where they're from."
"Thanks!" They all said and started jostling into position to talk to Imbri.
"Let's go walk some more," Kit said, "It's getting to be a zoo here."
They hadn't gotten far when they encountered a troup of dancing, singing boys and young men dressed in old-fashioned clothes and cabbie hats.
Obsessed Author: Ohmigosh! Newsies!
Nita and Kit both groaned when they heard the bold print voice again. It always preceded something incredibly bizarre.
OA: Wait... This is a magic only beach.
A Newsie in a black cowboy hat and red bandanna stepped forward and retorted, "How do yas think wes can come up wit dees incred'bly choreographed routines off da top of our heads, singin'all da while in poifect chorus?"
OA: Ah... that does explain some things! Carry on. Author spots Kid Blink, a very, very, cute, crazy, sweet Newsie in a beige eye patch. BLINK! OA somehow jumps into story and chases Blink down the beach.
"Uh... what the hell was that all about?" a Newsie called Bumlets called out. Nita and Kit looked at each other and shrugged.
"Well, I guess we should get going," Kit said, uneasy about having all these guys around.
"Ah, come on!" a short, Italian Newsie exclaimed, "Let's talk fo a while! Da name's Racetrack Higgins, by da way."
A.N: And there's the next chappie! (finally) Sorry that some of the characters were a little obscure, but you can just smile and nod, pretending you know what the bleep I'm talking about. The Newsies will still be there next chapter, some more real people and many more fictional. I'll try to update soon. R&R please!