A/N: Hello, peoples! A new chapter had dawned.
Just so y'all know: Even is Vexen's somebody, Myde is Demyx's somebody, and Arlene is Larxene's somebody. I'm sorry for not mentioning it earlier!
Anon Review…
Nin4: Yes, you have found my story again! I did do kind of a funky spelling, sorry about that. XD Yen Sid is getting a little creepy. His age is making him go cuckoo. And no, Olette isn't evil. Speaking of Olette, she ran away from the story. I should probably go hunt her down…later. :P All will be revealed at a later date…
Thanks again to my beta reader, Mystics Apprentice! You should check out her stories sometime. ;)
DISCLAIMER: Believe it or not, I don't own Kingdom Hearts. *"You don't say?" Face*
-MISFITS-MISFITS-MISFITS-
Lurking in the shadows of his office, Yen Sid watched Sora, Riku, and Kairi bid their farewells to Even and leave the Gummi Ship through his crystal ball.
"What exactly is that scientist planning?" Yen Sid muttered to himself while gazing upon the image of the blonde human. He figured that the scientist must have a dastardly plan to steal the children from him, and to use them for his scientific purposes. Yen Sid could not allow this to happen!
Yen Sid rose from his chair and walked over to withdraw an ancient spell book from one of his many bookshelves. It was fairly simple in appearance, with its black leather cover and yellowed pages. Carefully, he turned to a page somewhere in the center and began scanning down the page for the enchantment he desired. Finally, he found the simple couplet he'd been searching for written in the ancient language.
"Ah, here it is!" he exclaimed to himself. Placing the book on his desk, he began to wave his arms in elaborate patterns and chant the incantation in a deep, commanding tone. A cloud of violet dust began to form in the center of his small office, growing with every word that spilled out of his mouth. Silvery dust particles flew in from the windows and joined the small dust devil, yet not a grain of which fell upon the floor. After several short moments, Yen Sid's voice drifted off with the wind and carried the silvery purple storm with it. In place of the storm stood three squat, dark creatures with a hungry gleam in their eyes.
"Sneak into Even's Gummi Ship before he leaves," he told the creatures. "When you discover his plans, destroy them and leave no traces behind." The creatures appeared to nod their heads, and then slunk out of the office.
"It's time to start playing dirty, my scientific friends," Yen Sid said, chuckling darkly as he watched the creatures leave his room. "After all, only one of us can be successful in our goals."
-MISFITS-MISFITS-MISFITS-
Falling.
Falling.
Falling.
Run…
Friends…disappear…
Don't…afraid…
You'll...one….
…door…
Colors. Colors everywhere.
A sword. A shield. A staff.
Choose your wea…
Don't…afraid…
Is that…choice?
An image in the colors. Was that him?
Choose…fight…
Falling once again.
Falling.
Falling.
Colors appear again. Is that the ground?
Shadows are appearing. They're crawling closer.
And closer.
And closer.
They're attacking. Get away!
Where did this sword come from?
Striking them down, one by one.
The shadows stop coming.
Don't be afraid.
You'll be the one to open the door.
Thump. Thump. A shadow looms over.
It's huge!
Smash.
Falling.
Falling.
Falling.
Sploosh.
"Sora, wake up!"
Sora fell to the ground, finding himself to be once again drenched in water. Kairi snorted at the sight, and then placed the bucket down on the ground. "Do I have to keep waking you up this way?"
"Hey, it's not my fault that I sleep heavily!" Sora protested. He wrung out the T-shirt that he wore for bed, which added to the puddle of water at the foot of his bed.
"Is it those weird dreams again?" Kairi asked.
"Yeah," Sora responded. "It's probably nothing though. Anyway, why did you wake me up this time?"
"Master Even leaves today. I was hoping that we could go ask him when he would give us the results of his testing," Kairi explained.
"Okay, that's cool with me," Sora said nonchalantly.
"Great! I'll go see if Riku's ready while you get dressed." With that, she skipped out of Sora's island bungalow.
The boy sighed, running a hand through his spiky hair. "Hopefully creepy Even will provide some answers," he thought. He yawned, exhausted from the previous night's endeavors and then began to change into his everyday clothes.
-MISFITS-MISFITS-MISFITS-
Kairi and Riku were waiting patiently outside when Sora appeared from the doorway.
"Are we ready?" Riku asked.
"Yeah, let's go!" Sora replied.
The trio followed the dirt road until Yen Sid's tower came into view. To the right stood the familiar Gummi Ship, and Even beside it with his hands full of scientific devices. He was using a metal wrench to detach the stand in which the Gummi Ship had rested upon for the duration of his stay, and he didn't appear to notice his visitors. Finally, Riku cleared his throat. This caught Even's attention, as he then set his wrench down and turned towards the teens.
"Oh, why hello there," Even said in a surprised tone. "What are you three doing up?"
"We just came to say goodbye, and—"
"—Ask when you would have the results to answer our inquiries," Riku finished.
Even scratched his head thoughtfully. "I would assume in about two days," he responded. Then, he pulled out three devices from the side pocket of his lab coat. "It's a good thing that you came before I left. I meant to give you these, but it must have slipped my mind." He handed one device to each of the three teens.
"Cool, a phone!" Sora exclaimed. "I've always wanted one of these. Sazh and Shuyin had them, but they didn't work that well back at the faery reservation."
"Ooh, a phone?" Kairi muttered excitedly. "I remember learning about these, but they're way cooler in real life!"
While the other two teens were busily hitting random buttons on their cellular devices, Riku merely stared blankly at it. "What's a phone?" he asked.
"Oh, it's just a little device that you can contact me on. My number is already programmed into it, and I constructed a little cell phone tower in the forest that should enable it to work properly."
"I still don't understand it," Riku admitted as he pocketed it.
"Don't worry, I'll show you how to use it!" Sora told him.
"Anyway," Even continued, "this device works both ways. If you ever wish to contact me for any reason, please feel free to."
With that, he turned around and headed towards the entrance of his ship. "Farewell, children."
The three waved in unison at the scientist, who was now inside the cockpit and busily typing away at the terminal. The yellow engines roared to life, sending a wave of flames out the opposite direction. With that, it blasted straight past the teens and slowly began to rise off the ground, until it reached the sky and disappeared.
"Wow, that was something else," Kairi said. The other two nodded along with her, and then looked back to their phones.
"Why do I have the feeling that we'll be the ones calling him?" Riku asked, mainly to himself.
"You're just worrying too much," Sora reassured his friend. "C'mon, let's go back and teach you how to use your new phone."
As they wandered back into the forest, none of them noticed the bearded figure peering at them from the highest window in the tower.
-MISFITS-MISFITS-MISFITS-
"Ah, welcome back, Master Even," a deep voice greeted cordially as Even exited his Gummi Ship. "I assume that you have a plan?"
"I have more than just a plan, Master Ansem," Even replied eagerly. "I have data and materials. All I need is to conduct the experiment with the materials stored in my ship."
"Very good indeed, Even," Ansem said approvingly. "I knew I could count on you. Would you care to explain the details of your experiment in my office?"
"I would love to, but it is crucial that I take these to my lab right away," Even explained.
"Allow me to lend you a hand," Ansem offered.
Even frowned upon this; the great Ansem the Wise was going to transport lab equipment and materials?
At cue, a gangly teenager with a dirty-blonde mullet burst into the room. He wore a dark rock-n-roll T-shirt with leather pants, and large musical note-like wings emerged through slits on the back of his wrinkled lab coat.
"Good morning, sir!" he said, saluting the blonde scientist. "Anything I can do for you? I can cook, clean—"
"Um, who might this be?" Even cut off the rambling faery with a question directed towards Ansem.
"This is Myde, your new lab assistant. He can transport your goods to your lab while we meet in your office," Ansem explained.
"Okay, I'm on it!" Myde called. He rushed to the Gummi Ship, stumbling over his own feet a couple times before reaching the stairs.
"Be careful, and take your time! That's very delicate equipment!" Even shouted at Myde.
"You got it, sir!" he called before opening the entrance to the ship. Even raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but Ansem merely chuckled.
"He's an eccentric faery, but he is a diligent worker," Ansem informed him. "Besides, now I can examine the behavior and living habits of an average faery. I didn't wish to pass up such an opportunity."
"Anyway, shall we head to your lab?" Even prompted.
"Of course, let us go now." Ansem beckoned for Even to follow him into the elevator. As they left, the Gummi Ship's door swung open to reveal Myde, carrying a stack of boxes towering above his head.
"Well, it looks like I'm going to have to make a couple of trips!" he panted to himself. He glided through the sliding glass doors at the front of the hangar, which thankfully led straight to Even's lab. He placed the boxes in the center of the lab, and continued to repeat this process until the ship was completely empty.
Throughout this process, he never noticed Yen Sid's creatures watching him from the shadows of the room.
"Whew, finally!" Myde gasped, dropping the last pile of boxes onto the ground. "I guess I should start unpacking now."
The first few boxes contained miscellaneous items that were usual for a science lab: test tubes, microscopes, lasers, safety goggles, notes, folders and hundreds of pictures of three fey. Myde busied himself with filing the papers in the cabinet residing at the back of the room and placing the larger materials neatly on the counters. When he began to empty the other boxes, however, Myde found some very peculiar substances. Three vials labeled S, K, and R respectively had a liquid that looked suspiciously like faery blood. There were petri dishes with hair follicles, skin cells, faery dust, and even mermaid scales. There was even a huge box with a giant fish tank filled with salt water, a fact that he discovered when he accidentally opened it from the wrong side.
"Scientists sure are crazy people," Myde commented. "I hope he doesn't poke me with a needle; that would be really scary!"
As the rocker faery was rambling to himself, a shattering sound filled the room.
CRASH.
Myde froze in his place. Slowly, he turned to see three dark creatures looming ominously over Master Even's materials lying in a messy pile on the ground. The golden blood was seeping out of the shattered remains of the test tubes, while the various petri dish items had lost their lids and were now mingling together in a giant pile.
"Uh-oh," Myde squeaked. The creatures whipped their heads toward the lab assistant, and in unison they began to crawl towards him. He slowly began to back up, but the creatures only sped up until they had driven the poor faery into the wall. The musical notes in his jade eyes bounced around rapidly in fear as the creatures surrounded him and prepared to pounce. In an act of panic, Myde grabbed a random bottle filled with a foul-smelling liquid and doused the creatures with it. It turned out to be some sort of acid, because the creatures began to fizzle as the fluid ate away at their skin until only a black shell remained.
Myde exhaled heavily. There was one situation down, only one more to go. He stared around hopelessly at the mess the creatures made. If they found out, he would surely be fired!
Suddenly, a crazy idea popped up in his mind.
-MISFITS-MISFITS-MISFITS-
"…Why yes, it is a very clever idea. I'm surprised that I didn't think of it myself. You have outdone yourself this time, Even," Ansem said warmly to his companion.
"Why thank you, Master Ansem," Even replied, bowing his head in respect. "It is an honor to receive such praise from you."
"You gave the children the cellular devices just in case, I presume?" Ansem asked.
"Of course, Master Ansem. They're expecting a call on their results after all," Even said in an amused voice. Ansem frowned, but said nothing as they entered Even's lab.
They were surprised to find the lab not only completely unpacked, but organized and scrubbed spotless as well. In the corner of the room was Myde, who appeared to be finishing up mopping the ground.
"Hello, sir!" he greeted energetically. "I figured that I'd tidy up a little in here as well. Do you like it?"
Even was unsure of what to say, so Ansem answered for him. "Of course, young Master Myde; you are quite the hard worker."
Even nodded in agreement. "Yes, thank you very much. Now, would you mind transporting three small memory pods up here? They are stored in the basement, which is easily accessible with the elevator."
"Yes, sir!" Myde replied. He darted out the doors and into the elevator, releasing a long-preserved breath along the way. Before they'd arrived, he had hastily swept the faery blood randomly into three new vials and separated the other samples into fresh petri dishes, so that they would appear to be untouched. However, even he knew that he had mixed the substances around, and that probably wasn't a good thing. Hopefully, nothing too bad would happen.
After a few minutes, the elevator doors slid open to reveal the basement floor. With a heavy sigh, Myde stepped out and grabbed the first of three memory pods.
By the time that he had brought the third one up, Even was already busily studying the items in the petri dishes and mixing them in a large container filled with a steaming blue liquid. As Myde dragged the memory pod beside the other two, he asked Even, "So, whatcha doin' with all this stuff?"
"None of your business," Even responded curtly. He poured a container of the faery blood into a graduated cylinder carefully before standing up and turning to his assistant.
"Thank you for your assistance today, Myde. Master Ansem should have your daily wages in your work locker," he said.
Myde's eyes lit up in delight upon this.
"Thanks a ton, sir!" he exclaimed. "I'll be here bright and early to help you with your, uh…" he hesitated, glancing at the memory pods. "Your pod…people…"
The name that Myde gave Even's project was not without reason. Inside the first of the pods, a human silhouette was barely visible behind its milky-blue, plastic walls.
-MISFITS-MISFITS-MISFITS-
Yet another dull and uneventful day passed in Yen Sid's Kingdom of Misfits. Sora's restlessness was beginning to rub onto Riku, who was staring blankly at the starry sky above him from his bed. Yen Sid was being as aloof as ever, if not even more since Master Even's departure. It was frustrating, especially for Riku. He sighed irritably before rolling over to his side. Would Yen Sid ever reveal what he knew about the three of them?
After much irritable pondering about what the warlock could be hiding from them, Riku finally drifted into a deep sleep. However, he was not expecting what awaited him in the Realm of Dreams.
Falling.
Falling.
Falling.
Run…
Friends…disappear…
Don't…afraid…
Colors. Colors everywhere.
A sword. A shield. A staff.
choose your we…
Don't…afraid…
Is that…choice?
-MISFITS-MISFITS-MISFITS-
If you don't review, Yen Sid might sneak into your house in the middle of the night and watch you in your sleep. Just a fair warning; after all, it's your choice. :P