Blue Or Black
A SPIT Ficlet by SkyFire

Rating: G
Category: AU
Pairing(s): None
Warnings:
Summary: A case of mistaken identity?
Notes: Takes place after they've arrived in White Palace, but before everything's opened up completely. Blue's still absent
Inspired by a typo from my fic A Morning Lie-In, though not directly related to that story.

The Court looked up from their breakfast as the dining hall doors boomed open, admitting their diminutive leader.

"Ooooh. It's going to be one of those days," Arrowsmith groaned. He stood up, pushing the remains of his breakfast toward Misty... who had eaten most of it anyway. "I'm going back to bed."

Blackbird stood in the doorway, clad in an array of colors, fabrics, and styles that would have even a follower of the Sun God cringing away in pain.

Moonhound sighed. Every so often, her little love needed a break from the stresses of rulership. Unfortunately for all in the vicinity, he didn't always get it by such typical means as going on vacation. Some of the time, he pulled stunts like this. "So, who are you today?" she asked drily.

"I," he said, even as he bounced -- bounced! -- over to his usual place at the table, "am Blackbird's artistic twin brother, Bluebird."

"Uh-huh," she said drily. Well, it was better than the time was a mycinocroft; it had taken weeks to restock the goldfish fountain after that incident. Or the time he was one of his peep-frogs. Or the time he had worn one of the decorative suits of armor and spent his time following random people around the Palace, scaring not a few people witless when they saw there was no one inside the helm; they had no way of knowing that it was because he was so small he'd had to make new eyeholes in the gorget....

"Well," she said, shaking off the momentary ponderings before standing. "I have an army to whip back into shape. Later."

The remaining members of the Court looked to each other, then to "Bluebird."

"I have to go inventory the Library," Monshikka said, taking his leave.

"I'll help," Wess said, following. He might not have won his secret love yet, but even suffering unrequited love while doing inventory was better than staying near Blackbird when he was in one of his moods.

"I have to go finish opening up the Thieves' temple," Infamous said, vanishing almost before he got the words out.

Sly just snorted softly and left.

Misty was left staring at Bluebird, trying to come up with something he had to be doing somewhere else and coming up dry. Damn it!

"Come on!" Bluebird said, shoving a last morsel of food into his mouth, then bouncing over to grab onto Misty's arm, pulling him from his seat with surprising strength considering the little mage's fragility. "I want to walk in the gardens. You can show me around."

And so Misty found himself accompanying the little ball of eye-blinding color and energy around the gardens.

***---***

It was supper time and all the Court was once again assembled in the dining hall. Misty poked at his food, worn out from babysitting the hyperactive nutcase all day. Even the basket of honey muffins did nothing to rouse him. Honestly! He got into more trouble when Blackbird was like that--!

They all looked up from their meals as the dining hall doors boomed open, jaws dropping as Blackbird walked in, dressed in his normal robes.

Blackbird looked over his friends, gaze alighting on a familiar figure sitting at his place. "Bluebird!" he cried happily.

"Blackbird!" came the answering yell, followed by a quick rush across the room to lay a huge hug on the little mage.

The others could only stare.

"You mean there really is a 'Bluebird'?" Arrowsmith asked, watching the two little people hug. Really, they looked so alike it was only their clothing that let a person distinguish one from the other. "Now I've seen everything."

The others could only stare.