"What?" Nights heard him. She understood the implications, but did he?

"I'm asking you, Nights, will you produce eggs with me?" His question made Nights think about her situation. She had chosen not to have another child because she couldn't bear for another to die. However, Wizeman was gone, Reala was no longer an enemy and the only threat was from weaker Nightmarens: Her possible children had an actual chance of survival now.

"Yes...Yes!" Nights cried. "Yes. Yes. Yes. A thousand times: Yes!" Nights' enthusiasm shocked Reala.

"Uh...Yes. Right. Good. I'm...glad we could reach this agreement." Reala felt nervous at Nights' giddy giggling. "Er, you'll have to take the lead with this, Nights. I am afraid I know nothing about...procreation."

"Procreation! Ha!" Nights laughed. "Listen to you. We're going to have children! This is so exciting."

"I suppose it is. Now about..."

"Hey!" a voice called out from down below. Nights and Reala looked down at Ethan. "Is that jerk bothering you, Nights?"

"Everything's okay, Ethan," she called back to him. "In fact," she turned to Reala who raised at eyebrow at the look she gave him, "everything is better than okay." She winked at him. "Right?" He backed away a small degree.

"If everything's fine and dandy, then will you two stop screwing around!" Nights automatically covered her mouth to suppress a laugh.

However, the innuendo, no matter how ill-conceived, didn't faze Reala. "Ahem. Shall we go, Nights?"

"Yes." She smiled. "I'd like that." Reala started to fly away and Nights followed. "I'll be back," she yelled over her shoulder to Ethan and the invisible creature.

"I don't trust him," the invisible creature said, not even know what Reala had proposed.

"Yeah." Ethan watched the two leave. "Me neither..."

Reala climbed high into the sky with Nights trailing behind. Her gleeful laughter continued the whole way. After they enter a heart-shaped pink cloud, Reala had enough.

"Nights, are you going to do that the entire time?" he asked through the haze.

"I can't help it," she said before flipping backwards in the air which caused the mist to spread out. "I just keep thinking how wonderful this all is." She snickered some more. "Hey, Reala. Actually, it'll be terrible won't it? Our children will be little nightmares."

"Anymore bad jokes?"

"Not yet." The smiling Nights said as she played with a patch of clouds. She molded it till it looked like a small bundle. She gave the bundle a hug and let the vapors dispersed around her.

"What do we need to do to make eggs, Nights?"

"Oh, I can't describe it," she said as she gathered a puff ball in her hands and then blew it away in one breath. "I'll show you though." Honestly, she didn't want to tell him how they first made an egg. About how his unconscious and defeated body recoiled off of hers. No, Nights would rather not fight and risk the chance of her egg cracking again. She knew there had to be another way. After all, the Nightopians could reproduce without combat. They had to be in the right mood though. So, she couldn't describe it. She's just have to let instinct take over and show him.

"Then shall we begin, Nights?"

"Huh? Already? Why the rush?"

"Why the delay? I thought you wanted eggs too."

"I do..." Nights started to fidget. "I mean, we just decided this. I thought we would spend more time together before...well..."

"Is there a reason?"

Nights bite her bottom lip. There were reasons, but none that Reala would accept. "Let's head back down," she said quietly; accepting the small defeat. "I'd rather not be so high up." She started her descent out of the cloud. "This way."

"Where are you taking us, Nights?" he asked while following close behind.

Nights surveyed the land. "Someplace secluded." They would need privacy. "There." She pointed towards a field of giant tulips. She decreased her speed and flew into one of the flowers. After Reala came in, she pulled the top of the petals shut. Light barely pierced through those dark petals. Still, a few rays filled the enclosure with a faint illumination.

"It's quite roomy in here," Nights said as she circled around the stamen.

"I'm ready when you are, Nights."

She stopped and sighed. "...Right." She floated forward and faced him. Nights took another deep breath. She could do this. "Let's begin then." She reached to touch his face, but her fingers bumped on his persona. "Why don't you take that off?" she requested in a soft voice. Reala frowned and looked around before he begrudgingly took the gold mask off with his right hand. His eyes looked much brighter without their adornment. "I've forgotten how beautiful your eyes could be," she said as she gently cupped his face. Her own eyes slowly closing as she leaned forward. Her lips pursed out for her first kiss. He abruptly jerked back. Nights looked at him, and her empty hands, in a bit of shock. "Don't be shy. It's just a kiss."

Reala snarled. "I know what it is. I just...wasn't expecting it." He shook his head. "Let's continue." She did. She grabbed hold of his shoulders and pulled him close. Their lips about to touch...

Reala pushed her back. "Is this really necessary?"

Nights tightly balled her fist trying to cool her anger. "Reala...If you can't even kiss me, what makes you think you can do more intimate things with me?"

He rubbed his face with his right hand in frustration. "I don't know."

"Reala, this is why we needed to spend time together." Nights placed her fists on her hips. "In fact, weren't you the one who said I should take the lead with this? Well, so far you've been the one rushing me. Yet, you're the one who's not ready for this."

"I'm not blind, Nights. I can see my own irony." He groaned and Nights felt a little relief. At least Reala was annoyed too. "What do you suggest, Nights?"

"How about..." Nights tilted her head and thought about it, "we start slow and just hold hands first?" She reached for his. The left one. He pulled back before she even touched it. Nights had enough. "Forget it!" She threw her hands up in the air. "Just forget it, Reala!" She swiftly turned away and crossed her arms. "If you're so repulsed by my touch, then I refuse!" It wasn't fair, she thought. Everyone else in Nightopia could have romance, but not her. Then again she wasn't from Nightopia. She sighed and looked at her arms. Despite her bright cheerful colors, she was a Nightmaren.

"Nights." She didn't respond. He moved to face her and she turned her head in a huff and closed her eyes. "Don't be that way." His right hand gently trailed her chin and moved her head to face him. She kept her eyes closed. "Please understand. Even with the truce, we've been rivals for so long. It's difficult, to say the least, to not think of that." She opened her eyes slightly. "Believe me, Nights, I want this."

"Reala...I..."

"Wait." He took his hand off her chin and wrapped it around hers. Nights squeezed his hand tightly in desperation. "We can make this work."

Nights nodded. "Perhaps we can."

To be continued.