A/N: Hello again! It appears as if I've hit 20 reviews on the 10th chapter. It's time for a mini-celebration! Reviewers will receive twice as many Turkish Delights as the first time I offered them. Well, what are you waiting for?
Disclaimer: I do not own anything that's in Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy!
Thanks again, Mystics Apprentice, for being a beta-reader for this! She's nearly finished editing all of the other chapters as well, and it's only been about a week!
-MISFITS-MISFITS-MISFITS-
"Wha – how did you know my name?" Sora asked the girl. In response, she threw down her hood to reveal a brunette faery with piercing green eyes lined with rays of sunlight. The three of them also noticed the glowing appendages on her shoulders, glowing of what appeared to be rays of light in the shape of wings. Under the dark coat she had just removed was a bright-orange halter dress lined with shimmering beads, and yellow leggings.
"Do you remember me? I'm Olette; I went to school with you when we were younger," she explained, hanging up her coat. "We were friends with Hayner."
Sora scratched his head in thought. He definitely remembered hanging out with Hayner, but for some reason he couldn't remember any Olettes. However, she did seem vaguely familiar.
"Uh…" he responded intelligently. Olette looked a little crestfallen, so Kairi immediately jumped into the conversation.
"Oh, don't worry; Sora has a horrible memory. I'm Kairi, by the way," she said, offering her a smile.
"Oh, I guess he did!" Olette let out a forced chuckle, and held out her hand to the mermaid. As they shook hands, Olette turned to the remaining teenager in the room, who was staring blankly at the wall. "And you are…?"
"Riku. I'm sorry, I zoned out," he explained apologetically. He shook hands with her as well, and then looked around the colorful cabin. "Thank you for saving us out there."
"Oh, no worries! They didn't mean any harm; we just don't get new members very often. When the others heard about three new guests coming, I guess they just got a little too excited," she giggled.
"I do remember you!" Sora said suddenly. "It was back in fifth grade at the human elementary school, right? We had Mr. Kadaj as our homeroom teacher. He used to always give us detention and make us clean his room without magic." He grimaced at the memory. Olette's eyes widened in delight, and she began clapping her hands with joy.
"You do remember me! I was so nervous that everyone forgot about me. I wrote several letters to my friends and family back home, but no one ever responded."
"Really?" Kairi exclaimed, surprised at this. "Why would they do that?"
"I'm not sure," Olette admitted.
"Well," Riku began hesitantly. "Sora didn't recall you until just now. Maybe that is what happened with everyone else?"
"How could my own mother forget me?" Olette pointed out.
"She has a point," Kairi said. "Anyway, when will it be safe to sneak out? We lost sight of the brooms, which were leading us to where we'll be staying."
"Oh, they can't be too far from here," Olette replied. "The houses are in order of oldest to newest members, and I'm one of the newest ones myself. If we sneak around through the backyard, we should be there in a jiffy."
"That's excellent news. I need to get some sleep after that lengthy ride," Riku admitted.
"Great! Thanks a bunch, Olette!" Sora said cheerfully, pausing before adding sheepishly, "and…sorry about not remembering you at first."
"Oh, don't worry! At least you eventually remembered me," she replied. She put her black coat back on, and then beckoned for the others to follow her to the back door. They continued to follow Olette, quietly creeping through the sliding glass door and into the forest.
After slinking through the backyard of a black house covered in blue and yellow décor, they reached an adobe that appeared to be Kairi's. The paint job not only looked like the ocean, it swayed like the ocean as well. Bubbles floated up from the base of the house and floated around the seashell-framed windows, while realistic paintings of fish swam from one side of the house to the other.
"It's charming!" Kairi whispered, causing Olette to thrust her hand over the mermaid's mouth. She stood still for a moment with her eyes darting nervously from side-to-side, as if expecting someone to jump out at any moment with party streamers and strange songs. Finally, she dragged them to the front of the house and grabbed a key that a broom beside the door was holding. She jiggled it in the lock for a second before the kelp-framed entrance swung open. The trio dashed into the doorway, and then Olette closed and locked the door.
"Whew! That was a bit of a hassle," Sora said as he stretched his wings out.
"Yes, only a bit," Riku said sarcastically. "Besides, where are our houses?"
"I second that," Sora added. In response, Olette pulled open the flowery-pink drapes slightly and gestured across the street.
"I figured it may be a little risky for you to cross the street," she explained to the boys.
"Well, you are welcome to stay here!" Kairi joked. Both Sora and Riku frowned at this suggestion, as the household items were almost entirely light-pink. The sofa was pink, the kitchen counters were pink, the barstools were pink, the decorations on the ocean wall were pink, and even the sandy floor had grains of pink sand mixed in.
"I wonder how Master Yen Sid knew that my favorite color was pink," she said thoughtfully.
"He's a warlock; eventually, you just learn to get used to it," Olette replied.
"Hey, that reminds me of something I wanted to ask you." Sora turned to Olette. "How did you end up coming here? I haven't seen you since after you bloomed into a sun faery."
"Oh, well…" Olette twiddled her thumbs nervously. "You know that sun faeries are supposed to 'bask in the sunlight' and stuff like that, right?" Sora, Riku, and Kairi shrugged.
"I guess so. That is, it sounds about right," Kairi assumed.
"Well, did you get a good look at my house?" she further pressed.
"Eh, not really. We were on the run from a group of crazy, partying neighbors," Sora pointed out.
"I did," Riku interjected. "That back wall of yours was concealed under strange black pictures with silver and white frames."
Kairi and Sora stared at Riku, unsure of what he was attempting to describe. Thankfully, Olette understood him.
"Yes, those are my computers. I spend most of my waking hours on them, and most of that time is spent on World Warriors."
"Oh, we learned about computers in school," Kairi said thoughtfully.
"Well, you were quite the gamer," Sora chuckled. "What I don't get is why you ended up here."
Olette nervously played with a strand of her glittering, brunette locks. "Well, I've played video games to the point where I don't like the sun."
An awkward silence followed her confession. Then, Riku spoke up. "How is that even possible?"
"I don't know! I can't help it; that game is just way too addicting!" Olette said in exasperation. "Every time I look at the sun, I'm reminded that I'm not playing on my computers. I just don't feel the urge to go frolic in its light, or whatever I'm supposed to do."
"Well, no worries! We're all a little weird here," Sora told her confidently. "Heck, everyone's a little weird. I don't see why every person who seems a little weirder than usual should be cooped up in a little hiding spot like this." He gestured to their surroundings.
"You have a point, Sora," Olette said with a smile. "Hey, you guys never told me why you were here. It seems fair, since I told you guys."
At this, she earned an 'are-you-kidding-me' look from Sora, while Kairi's eyes darted nervously from side-to-side. Riku, on the other hand, hadn't been paying attention.
"What did you say?" he said apologetically, yawning. "I apologize; I didn't get much sleep last night."
"You can say that again," Sora said.
"You were the only one who did sleep!" Kairi pointed out between yawns.
"I'm sorry, I should have thought about it. We can talk more after you guys sleep, okay?" Olette suggested.
"Okay. Thank you again, Olette," Riku told her.
"Yes, thanks!" Sora and Kairi said in unison. They waved at their fellow misfit, who drew her black hood over her head and slipped out the back of the house.
"Bye!" she called to them quietly, but by that time, however, the trio was already out cold on the ground.
-MISFITS-MISFITS-MISFITS-
Kairi was rudely awoken by a knock on the door. Grumbling, she rose from the floor and sauntered over to open the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to find none other than the warlock of the kingdom on her porch.
"Oh, Master Yen Sid!" she exclaimed. "I'm really sorry, I-"
"Oh, no worries, my dear. It should be me apologizing for disturbing you three," he said kindly. He looked at the sleeping teenagers on the floor behind Kairi, and then back to the messy haired, bleary-eyed half-mermaid.
"I merely came here to see if you were ready for your tour; it is almost evening, after all," he explained.
"Whoa, it's that late already?" Kairi whipped her head around to look at the rose-colored clock mounted on the wall, before muttering under her breath, "how did we sleep that late?"
She then turned to Yen Sid and said, "I'm awfully sorry about this, but could you wait while I wake Sora and Riku up?"
"Why of course," he responded. "Take all the time you need." At that, Kairi shut the door and walked over to the sleeping teens.
"Guys, you have to wake up; Master Yen Sid is here!" she hissed. Riku's opalescent eyes fluttered open, and then shifted slowly from side-to-side.
"Yen Sid?" he repeated, slowly getting to his feet.
"Yes," she responded. "He's right outside the door."
Her eyes fell onto the unresponsive brunette. "How are we going to get him up?"
"I'll deal with him," Riku sighed, wandering into the small pink kitchen. He dug around under the cabinets for a minute until he found a large white bowl. After filling it to the brim with freezing water, he dumped it on the faery without batting an eyelash.
"Wake up, Sora!" he ordered.
Meanwhile, Yen Sid was patiently waiting for his prized citizens to arouse from their slumber. He could not believe that they were finally here, in his presence! He had been awaiting them for centuries. Finally, fate decided to smile upon him. Now, he could finally have it again –
SPLOOSH.
"BUAAAARRGHH!"
Yen Sid's large eyes surveyed the door curiously. What could possibly be going on in there? Finally, the pale door swung open to reveal a snickering Kairi, a smug-looking Riku holding a bowl, and a sopping wet, angry Sora.
"Did you really have to use the water?" Sora growled at Riku.
"Well, it's the fastest and most efficient way to get you up," he retorted with a smirk.
"Efficient, schmefficient!" Sora scoffed. "Anyway, I was – oh, hey there, Mister Yen Sid!" he turned to the blue-clad figure on their doorstep. "What are you doing here?"
Yen Sid chuckled at their antics. "Hello, children. I was just checking to see if you were ready for the tour of my kingdom," he explained.
"Well, I do think we're ready now," Kairi observed.
"Good, good!" he clasped his hands together. "On the way, maybe you could tell us what you were going to say before greeting me, Sora."
-MISFITS-MISFITS-MISFITS-
Sora, Riku, and Kairi followed Yen Sid up the earthen road, which led to his strange tower. Although they had made note of the quaint little cottages on the way down, they hadn't gotten a chance to truly marvel at them. One on the left was built of black and white blocks that were constantly shifting around, while another consisted of a massive red rose. Still another was constructed from clouds and floating a good several feet off the ground. Even more peculiar were the citizens that inhabited the village. There was the tree nymph in a Hazmat suit from earlier, along with the faery with wings attached to her ankles and wrists. They appeared to be walking to a simple brick restaurant behind the floating cottage, which had a russet gremlin in a tuxedo waiting patiently in front of the black door. Other curious creatures were digging in their gardens, playing card games in the grass, or even simply dozing in one of the twisted, gnarled trees in the forest. As soon as Yen Sid and company approached, they bowed their heads in respect while staring questioningly at the newcomers.
"They aren't going to start singing again, are they?" Riku asked Yen Sid nervously, who chuckled in response.
"Don't worry, Riku. I have told them to use…quieter antics when welcoming our guests," he assured them.
"This town is simply lovely!" Kairi said, awed by her surroundings.
"It's too boring!" Sora complained, a statement which received him a glare from Kairi.
"Well, it is!" he said defensively. "There's nothing exciting here; it's like an old humans' retirement home."
"That's the point, young Sora. These fey come here to avoid persecution for their differences. Why, isn't that why you three came here?" Yen Sid pointed out. He was answered with a 'yes' from Kairi and 'no' from each of the boys.
"Oh, don't tell me that you don't like it here either, Riku!" Kairi cried exasperatedly.
"No, I merely have a different reason for coming," Riku retorted. "Look, Master Yen Sid: I love your town, it's charming. It definitely provides the peace that some people need. However, I didn't come here for that; I came here for answers. Perhaps you could enlighten us on the reasons for our differences?"
Yen Sid gave him a mysterious smile. "Straight to the point, are we? I'm assuming it has to do with the incident during your Calling."
Riku's jaw fell open at the mention of the incident. How could he-?
"Well, you'll receive your answers in good time," Yen Sid continued. "For now, why don't you just sit back and enjoy the peace while it lasts? Come, I must show you the shopping area. I'm sure you'll find it quite charming, Miss Kairi."
"But-" Sora attempted to protest.
"If you want a clue, why don't you talk about the dreams you've been having in your sleep?" he winked at Sora, whose expression turned into one of shock. Speechless, the trio followed him down a path to the left and into the shopping area.
-MISFITS-MISFITS-MISFITS-
"So, how was your tour?" a glowing figure with large wings asked, leaping into Sora, Kairi, and Riku's path as they were on their way home. Her smiling face slowly fell as she noticed their concerned expressions.
"Do you not like it?" she asked worriedly.
"Oh, no! The town is quite charming; in fact, it's everything I imagined!" Kairi said hurriedly. "Here, how about we talk about it in someone's house?"
"Here, come to my house," Olette gestured to the bright orange and yellow metallic building. As she walked up to the front door, she rang the doorbell and a computer mouse attached to a sleek, white keyboard popped out of the door. She hurriedly typed in a password when prompted, and the door slid open with a little jingle. They followed her into the house they had only briefly seen the day before, only this time they were taking in every detail. The ceiling lit up as they entered, reflecting off the sleek black, metal floor with strange symbols and lines running through it. The walls to the left and right of them were citrus-orange and white, and the wall in the very back was covered in thin computers, laptops, tablets, and phones. Surround-sound speakers were placed on either side of said wall to give it an aesthetically pleasing view. A rolling business chair was placed in front of it and rested in front of a thin gray desk with a single keyboard in the center of it.
"Whoa, this is awesome!" Sora gasped.
"Thanks!" she said, blushing slightly at the comment. "Here, sit down on the sofa. I want to know what's got you three concerned."
The three friends sat down on the simple pearl-white sofa, and then began to spill their apprehensions.
"Well, the town was lovely. He showed us around the village, the shopping area, and even the small park," Kairi began.
"He said some pretty weird things too. It's creepy how he knows things about you without asking," Sora included.
"Like that comment about your dreams," Kairi interjected.
"Or the incident at Riku's Shouting, or whatever it was," Sora included.
"Anyway," Riku interjected in an attempt to veer off the subject. "He also told us to 'enjoy the peace while it lasts' with that mysterious look of his."
"Oh, you guys are just not used to being around Yen Sid," Olette said dismissively. "He's a warlock, after all. He has an endless amount of magic and knowledge."
"Well then, why doesn't he simply tell us the reason for our quirks?" Riku pointed out.
"Warlocks work in mysterious ways, Riku. He'll tell you eventually, just on his own time," Olette told him.
Riku clenched his jaw in annoyance. He didn't come here to wait around for answers; he wanted to know as soon as possible!
"Don't worry, Riku," Kairi assured the teen. "Maybe we can figure it out ourselves. Let's start with Sora telling us his dreams, since Yen Sid hinted that they hold a clue."
All eyes turned to the young brunette.
"Well, that's the thing," he sighed, "they don't make any sense. All I do is run around aimlessly on some sort of platform while a voice tells me not to be afraid of a door. Suddenly, these mutant ants attack me, and then I'm rudely awoken by either you or Riku."
"Well, that's not helpful," Kairi said in frustration. Her bubbling indigo eyes turned to Riku. "Hey, maybe your Calling incident could-"
"No," Riku said abruptly.
"Maybe-"
"No."
"Please—"
"Trust me in this; it has nothing to do with finding the answers," Riku said briskly. An awkward silence fell over the four teenagers for a moment, until Olette clapped her hands.
"Well, this has been extremely…interesting, but it's getting late. Perhaps you guys should be getting home?" she suggested with a forced grin. She pulled out two keys from the pocket of her yellow dress and handed them to Riku and Sora respectively.
"Yen Sid asked me to give you these. They're the keys to your houses," she explained.
"Well, thanks Olette!" Sora said brightly, waving at his old friend. After saying their thank-you's, the trio left the high-tech house and went to their cottages next door.
-MISFITS-MISFITS-MISFITS-
To those of you who thought Sora's mystery classmate was Namine or Xion – I'm sorry to disappoint you. I swear that they're coming soon, because I've finished working out the kinks in their arrival! (along with Roxas)