Quiet, for once…

Reala reclined lazily in his armchair, casually leafing through one of the books NiGHTS had left lying around. Some nonsense about a girl falling down a rabbit hole. Reala couldn't help but snort to himself as he perused the pages, noting the trite details with a sense of scorn. What an idea, that humans found entertainment in these simple words–it was no wonder, then, that Nightopia was replete with such saccharine, self-indulgent imagery.

Moreover, that NiGHTS himself found such stories fascinating! Of course he had long maintained that he had pilfered these books from various dreamscapes as a means of studying the humans further. Trying to get a better sense of their preferences, and therefore their weaknesses. Given the ever-increasing size of NiGHTS' artifact collection, however, Reala suspected that things went a step or two beyond merely studying human behavior for the cause of Nightmare…

Reala paused in his skimming and glanced around the chambers. Come to think of it, where was NiGHTS? Perhaps out on a mission, although their Master had allotted them a brief respite this dream cycle, in order to refresh themselves. He assumed NiGHTS would have been aware of this and would have seized an opportunity for recreation–

In that instant, an incredible explosion resounded from the adjacent realm, rattling the walls and forcing Reala to leap from his chair in alarm. What was that?! His eyes darted about as he listened for any resultant clamor…and sure enough, there came a stream of muffled coughs and shouted obscenities, followed by an all too familiar burst of delighted laughter. Reala sighed and rolled his eyes as the sound of laughter grew louder as its source approached the doors of the chambers.

"NiGHTS," he groaned to himself.

Precisely! A moment later, a tumble of violet and white came bursting through the doors, gasping for air between peals of giggles. NiGHTS was clearly up to trouble again, and judging from the splatters of glittering potions staining his attire, it would appear that Jackle, their occultist conjurer of a mentor, was the latest victim of his mischief. Of course.

NiGHTS, around his hysterics, managed to deadbolt their chamber doors before staggering towards Reala, practically doubling over with laughter. His face was alit with such merriment that for a moment Reala almost found himself tempted to chuckle along. By an incredible force of will, however, he maintained his composure as he addressed his partner,

"Another one of your pranks, I'll assume."

NiGHTS forced out a reply around a fresh burst of laughter.

"His face!" he crowed. "Y-You should have seen his face!" A grin of triumph stretched across his own face, transforming an otherwise angelic countenance into a sight of sinister levity. "It was horrible! And wonderful. It was both, it was horrible-wonderful! I'm so clever, I amaze myself sometimes! You should have–"

"Yes, yes, I should have seen his face," Reala sighed, before glancing behind NiGHTS at the chamber doors as he caught the sound of angry blustering approaching. "And in a minute we're both going to be seeing his face, I'm sure."

As though on cue, there was a terrible banging on the doors. Jackle's voice, raspy with rage and struggling around coughs, resounded from just outside.

"Young Master, open these doors at once!"

NiGHTS' mouth retracted in a gleeful 'O' of excited fear, and he pushed past Reala, making a quick beeline for the drapes besides one of the enormous windows. His slender form was easily hidden from sight as he obscured himself behind the dark fabric. "I'm not here, I'm not here!" he whisper-chanted at Reala, still maintaining his playfulness in the face of an anticipated upbraiding from his angry mentor.

"What do you mean, you're not here?" Reala shot back in the same hushed tones. "Where else would you be but here?"

The banging on the doors became more insistent, and Jackle's voice harsher.

"Young Master, OPEN THESE DOORS RIGHT NOW!"

"Shhhhhhh!" NiGHTS looked pleadingly at his partner from around the drapes. "For once, would you just play along? Give him some excuse, come on! It's all fun and games until I lose a limb–or my head, you know."

Reala paused. Perhaps NiGHTS had underestimated Jackle's response in this case. Normally their crazy mentor was up for whatever ridiculous schemes NiGHTS could concoct, and often praised him for his creativity. But this must have been something truly offensive to have enraged him this much. Or he was simply in one of his moods again. In either case, it would probably be unwise for NiGHTS to face him right then.

From behind them, the doors rattled against Jackle's suddenly stronger attempts to break them open. Reala turned to stare incredulously, quirking an eyebrow in exasperation. "Is that a battering ram?" he muttered to himself, before facing his partner again and sighing, "Very well, I'll–"

"Great!" NiGHTS quipped brightly, chuckling to himself and disappearing behind the curtain. Reala screwed his eyes shut, annoyed to have been manipulated by his own partner, then turned around to face the doors again as the banging curiously stopped, and Jackle lapsed into silence, presumably to catch his breath.

The silence did not last long. Jackle's voice returned, this time with a smirk behind it. "Young Master, have you forgotten your lessons?" he called out. "It's such rudimentary stuff, you see! One of the first things I ever taught you, dear little NiGHTS…"

The conjurer's leering face suddenly appeared coming through the thick wood of the chamber doors–

"…you cannot keep a phantom where he will not be kept!"

–and in an instant his entire form emerged, his mantle outstretched around him and clawed hands crooking in a menacing manner. He, too, was splattered with potions, his attire vaguely darkened. "Of all the dream cycles, of all the potions, of all my glorious conjurings, you had to interfere with this one! Do you have any ide–huh?"

The large demon blinked and quickly glanced around, realizing NiGHTS was nowhere to be seen. In his anger he had even failed to notice Reala standing there instead, looking vaguely irritated by this intrusion. Jackle coughed awkwardly, addressing the other of his two proteges with a more measured tone.

"Young Master Reala, would you happen to know the whereabouts of your partner?"

Reala's mind's eye pictured the grinning fool just behind him, obscured by the drapes. He smirked up at his mentor with an air of princely condescension as he replied, "I take it he's up to his mischief again?"

Jackle huffed. "Mischief? This goes beyond mischief, Young Master–this is sabotage! Master Wizeman has entrusted me–ME!–with a conjuring of incredible importance–one that could advance the cause of Nightmare by great leaps and bounds! Those potions have been fermenting for nigh onto a dozen dream cycles in preparation for this magnificent feat of mine–MINE–one that would catapult me–JACKLE, the great conjurer–into Master's highest graces–and–and–"

"Let me guess," Reala interrupted, "NiGHTS–"

"–switched! Switched them, my most powerful toxins! And I would have applauded such trickery…had it not created such a destructive explosion, splattering and blackening my lair and setting me back on such an impressive attempt to curry the Master's favor!" Jackle's eyes glittered eerily as he stewed in his anger, and Reala was careful to hide his own amusement. Jackle was never very good at hiding his ambition, and this must have been quite the blow to his pride.

"Sounds like NiGHTS put on quite a show," he remarked casually.

Jackle glared, not appreciating the younger's indifference. "Laughing up a storm! He should save that malevolence for the Visitors, rather than use it against his own the way he does! Master Wizeman certainly won't be happy to learn of this…that rapscallion has put me in it now! Where is he? I thought he might have come back here…" He moved about, regarding the surroundings with a suspicious squint.

Reala rolled his eyes. "So you are implying that NiGHTS sabotaged your conjuring, and then fled back to his own realm, where you'd be sure to find him? He may be a foolish sort, but he's certainly not that stupid. Besides," he continued as Jackle scowled at him, "it would be more in his character to lead you on a merry chase afterwards, wouldn't it?"

Jackle gave one more sullen look about the chambers, then met Reala's gaze with an annoyed leer. "So where do you suppose he's gone, then?"

Reala again pictured his partner curled up behind the drapes just inches away, but nobly chose to keep such information to himself. "Perhaps he's fled to the Cyrcussa," he mused. "That would be quite the backdrop for such a long and epic chase, I'd imagine. Hopefully you're agile enough to keep up with him, although I'm sure he's miles ahead of you at this point…"

He had once again proven himself an excellent liar, as a malicious grin spread across Jackle's face and the conjurer turned heel and practically catapulted through the wall. "He's a spirited one, isn't he! But not fast enough for Jackle! I'll catch him yet! I'll make him scrub down my lair like a scullery maid until it's spotless! I'll–" His boasts and threats continued as he departed away from the chambers, voice dwindling with distance until it was heard no more.

Reala smirked, enjoying a moment of triumph, but then sighed with exasperation as the sound of muffled giggling met his ears. He turned and pushed the curtains back, revealing NiGHTS there, both hands clasped over his mouth, his face almost as purple as his attire with restrained laughter. "Enjoying yourself back here, are you?"

NiGHTS released his mouth, letting peals of laughter ring forth as he threw his arms around his partner, hanging off his shoulders childishly. "Ohhhh, he was mad, wasn't he!" he sang out. "The Mad Mantle! A joker who can't take a joke! And now you've got him flying around the Cyrcussa like an idiot, too! You're quite the accomplice, Reala!"

A flush suddenly colored Reala's pale complexion as he disentangled himself from NiGHTS' embrace, sending the purple demon crashing down into the armchair he himself had been sitting in earlier. NiGHTS continued to laugh, fangs glinting against the half-light, head tilted back happily, a leg slung over an armrest, looking like the very picture of malevolent amusement. Quite pleased with himself. Reala leaned against the chair and regarded him with a mixed sense of embarrassment and admiration–he was a childish mess some days, but his glee was endearing regardless.

NiGHTS glanced up, catching Reala's gaze, and smiled at him. He reached out and snatched his hand, tugging his partner forward to drop a quick kiss on his cheek. Reala stared at him, his face reddening further, and NiGHTS' smile widened.

"That was for helping me out today," he murmured, reaching up to pat his face sweetly. Reala paused, awkward in the moment, but allowing himself to enjoy the other's affection regardless…

…not noticing NiGHTS' smile twisting into a smirk as the gentle caress became a sharp pinch.

"OW! WHAT–"

"And that was for calling me stupid!"

…

Night Over.