"Hi NiGHTS!"
The purple jester looked up from his seat in the air and puffed a concluding note across his flute. The owner of the new Nightopia hosting him skipped over, her blond hair swaying in a set of pigtails which she always wore.
NiGHTS still couldn't get over how much the visitor looked like her mother. He wondered what happened to her. He missed her dearly. It still puzzled the Nightmaren as to why it had been so long since her last visit, but who knew what sort of dilemmas her heart faced in the waking world.
Helen posed as a great help to NiGHTS after discovering the baffling existence of the young he carried many years back. The human, being a grown and married woman, had been expecting her second child around the same time. NiGHTS, being as clueless as could be towards the illogicality of his predicament had not been given the required knowledge to handle the situation. If it weren't for Helen's support and assistance, Lord only knew what would have become of him. NiGHTS owed her a debut of gratitude, and possibly his life.
This particular visitor hopping towards him now was her first born. She stood a little taller than Helen did at her age, with limbs like twigs. The poor thing always looked so fragile on the outside, but the girl held her head high and oozed with spirit. Her personality had been reflected wholesomely in the new paradise her Idyea created. It was green, and full of life just like the light of which shaped the land. A brilliant azure, stoned palace sat at the center of it all. Other walls constructed from the stone littered the cultivated flowerbeds of the central courtyard. The structures weren't nearly as glorious compared to the floral gardens, he noted, but it was still impressive. When NiGHTS first began to scope out the area there however, he uncovered a nasty surprise. Either way, the Nightmaren still managed to mask his worry with a smile.
"Anna, this Nightopia's great! Well, except for that overhang. Going to need to be careful about that." He pointed a gloved thumb towards where the world abruptly cut off into a bottomless drop. NiGHTS knew what lay below in the crevasse. It deeply concerned him as to why a sliver of the Dark Ocean had made an appearance in her world. Under many circumstances this was an ill omen for any visitor and he hoped her case wouldn't be too dire. "Only one more Ideya to go, right?"
"Well, thanks I guess. And, yeah, I can't wait!" The girl laughed outright and promptly sat on one of the stone ledges beneath him.
NiGHTS smirked. That's just what he wanted to hear.
"So how's your mum doing? I haven't seen her in a while."
The girl kicked out her legs, swinging them quietly. From his position, NiGHTS could only see the crown of the girl's head and the long pause made him blink. After a while of waiting, the jester almost considered descending to check up on her, but Anna beat him to the chase.
"Well," The girl paused, her voice noticeably shaky. "Well, my dad and brother just got into a car accident. Dad passed away in the crash and Kurt's stuck the hospital until tomorrow. Mum's not taking it too well."
Well shit, this blew everything out of the water.
NiGHTS shot up with a gasp, "What? That's terrible." Certainly this was a disturbing turn of events.
"It's alright. We'll get over it. I never saw dad very much, he was always working; and whenever he came home, he'd always avoid me. I think he liked Kurt better then me because he's stronger." The girl's face remained solemn, "I'm happy he's okay at least."
NiGHTS frowned. The girl said something about having a heart condition a while back. CHF she called it? Anna was never really all that healthy. Even from the moment she was born. Helen always mentioned things about watching her progress and a lot of other human medical crap he didn't understand. So was the way of mortals. They lived for such a short time.
NiGHTS wasn't really sure how to respond to Anna's offhanded explanation of the incident, but the fact of how cavalier her tone was got to him. Was she really talking about family? Visitors aren't like this to their own creators.
"Doesn't that seem a little... cold?" The Nightmaren offered.
"Sorry if it sounds that way. If you met dad you'd probably think different." The girl began to swing her feet again and a silence enveloped them.
The jester obtained a sudden interest with the ground, a worried expression fighting to make appearance. He had a feeling she was going to ask it soon. That one question where he wouldn't be able to hide around smiles.
"So, where's the other two? Playing off somewhere else?"
There it was.
As predicted, whatever instinctual reaction he gave off, Anna caught it. The girl stood, alarmed, from her seat.
"What? Did something happened?" Anna's voice raised a pitch and NiGHTS gulped, finding it increasingly more difficult to answer. Hell, he couldn't even make eye contact with the girl anymore. Finally he was able to croak out an answer but emotional instability soon followed.
"It's− only one now." NiGHTS knew exactly what was running down his cheek, and the last thing he wanted was for the visitor to see. As unlucky as the Nightmaren had been lately, it turned out he wasn't in the clear.
"NiGHTS?" Not realizing that he'd closed his eyes, he opened them, but in doing so didn't expect to see a very disturbed looking Anna materialize before his face. He reeled back in surprise and covered his face defiantly.
Damn, wasn't this ever embarrassing. It amazed him how firmly built-up walls could crumble so quickly.
NiGHTS could still sense the girl's stare and took in a shuttering breath. Anna hadn't said a thing all the while he tried to piece himself together. When the jester began to wipe his eyes with the back of his glove, the visitor spoke softly, sounding enlightened.
"I didn't know Nightmaren could cry."
NiGHTS choked out a laugh, spirits steadily re-lifting. "There are a lot of things you don't know about us, kid."
The next twenty minutes or so was of NiGHTS expelling the events of the past couple weeks. Anna became a problem-sponge like she so enjoyed to. He'd once asked her why that was so, but she merely brushed it off, saying it was psychology practice −whatever that meant−. Her attentiveness was often accepted whenever he needed an ear to rant or ramble at. Being a single parent had many downfalls indeed.
"−and she just, disappeared?" NiGHTS blinked, only catching onto the tail end of Anna's question.
"Sorry?"
"So she just disappeared?"
"Yes and Renhet couldn't remember a thing! I found her cloths near the edge of the pond, but he was stuck at the bottom of the pool. I couldn't find her."
"You don't suppose anything picking her up?" Anna trailed off, not sure if she should have said what she had. The girl relaxed after seeing her friend unaffected.
"If she had been, they probably would have−" The girl changed her mind. It was totally the wrong thing to say. Before any more tears could spill she jumped into action.
"You still have Ren, right? I know it sounds horrible for me to say it, but it could have been worse." The Nightmaren grimaced and Anna began a rapid throng of apologies.
Perhaps she should've just stuck with listening to the problems.
When the flustered jumble of words and stressed emotions slowed the Nightmaren sighed, slumping even lower.
"Could we change the topic now?" NiGHTS muttered, and the girl instantly jumped for the chance.
"Sure, sure!"
The girl looked down at the white dress shoes she sported before NiGHTS spoke again, "Right." It sounded surprisingly closer and Anna, out of the corner of her eye, saw a flash of purple before the Nightmaren took a seat beside her.
After that, neither of them said a word. So much for conversation. For the usually social individuals they were, everything about the silence sat heavily.
"Hey, does Kurt have a Nightopia?" The visitor almost sighed in relief when the other perked up. Hopefully getting their minds off of things would haul them both out of their ruts.
"Yes, why?"
"I− just wanted to know what it looked like. He's so quiet. It's hard to figure out what's going on in his head."
NiGHTS tapped the side of his face with blunt fingers, mouth twisting into a thoughtful frown. "He's only got one on him. It's sort of dark, actually and really large. As far as I could tell at the time I couldn't sense any Nightmaren tainting it. It's quite strange."
"Really?" Anna examined her knees, shoes seeming to get a little old. "I'm just worried about him, that's all. He's gone through a lot lately."
"I've noticed. He ignores me you know. Doesn't want to fly and every time I pass through he's always playing on that piano."
"Sounds like him. All he does is practice and write."
"Sounds boring."
"Just like our conversation?" Twin grins broke out on them both.
"Yes, quite." NiGHTS jumped up and offered her his hand with a flourish. She laughed and accepted the offer, allowing him to steer them towards the candy-coloured clouds of her world's sky.
~Let's forget about everything for a while. Reality's depressing.~
Anna smiled to herself. ~Deal.~
The last time he saw her was last night.
"ANNAAAAA!" That was officially the eighth time NiGHTS called since he arrived, but the girl still hadn't answered. Of course, he'd only just arrived, but it was now well into the night by reality's standards. It would've come to no surprise if a few Nightopian's carted her off to play.
Though this would have been a good solution to the 'missing persons' case, none of the Nightopian's of which NiGHTS encountered seemed to have sighted her.
At this point, concern for the girl's wellbeing had NiGHTS scouring the world with the hopes of catching even the slightest bob of her pigtails.
Sure the Nightmaren had been quiet for some time, but one could never assume they'd stay on their side of the Night Realm for long.
Now that he thought about it−
NiGHTS flew to a halt, his searching proving futile.
I could have sworn the grass was brighter the night before. And the sky− No. He had to be imagining it. NiGHTS brushed off the downbeat thoughts. It was already bad enough that the Dark Ocean had made an appearance in her Nightopia, and now he was jumping to conclusions?
Anna wouldn't fall prey so easily. Then again, after that recent accident she mentioned, it could have been powerful enough to weaken her Ideya and with it the world's defensive barrier. Something might have gotten in after all. Or if it was a higher leveled−
A flux struck the air and the visible vibration passed over NiGHTS like a splashed of cold water. He froze. The sensation felt familiar yet he'd rarely ever experienced those warning waves within his long existence.
"Hey, mum!" Ren flew down to him from god knows where− his mission most likely to search NiGHTS out− and nearly frightened the violet jester to death. At first, he didn't seem to notice his mother's trepidation, but after being shushed, he regarded her with the same amount of anxious curiosity. "What's wrong?"
"I think, I just felt a flux." Troubling as it was to hear NiGHTS' voice so hushed, Renhet couldn't comprehend his meaning.
Before he could ask, another flux hit and Renhet lost altitude with a yelp, the blow throwing him off balance. Not knowing what hit him, he yelled out, looking to his mother for answers.
"Mum−" "Ren. Get back to the gate." The violet jester's tone rang fretfully staid. Unfortunately Renhet was too slow on the draw.
"What?"
"I SAID GET BACK TO THE GATE." A split second later he was being dragged by the collar and then by the arm with NiGHTS dashing them to the nearest exit. \
At first, Ren assumed they were being attacked; however when he turned his head to distinguish what chased them, he saw something that proved to be ten times more alarming.
Everything was crumbling away. Vanishing.
A large, drain-like hole had split open the sky at the Nightopia's core. It was as if someone had punctured a hole into a vacuum. Swirling debris of what once was a beautiful world rocketed around them before it was swallowed. The sky came apart like torn canvas and the ground in chunks.
Leaving nothing but black void.
Mesmerized with the disaster playing out, Renhet's line of vision abruptly cut off when NiGHTS launched them through the familiar wooded door before slamming it shut. It burst into splinters seconds later, followed by the other three along the edge of the path one after the other.
NiGHTS released Ren's arm before leaning against the fountain's basin gasping for breath.
"What was that?!" Ren tore his eyes away from the remains of the doorways. NiGHTS held his face in his hands.
The violet jester inhaled deeply before the air abruptly rushed out. "Anna…" Renhet regarded the other, not sure what to make of the recently occurring events.
"Is she-" He wasn't able to finish and NiGHTS silently nodded. It was sharp and punctuated, a clear indication that his mother didn't wish to answer outright. The facts however had to be brought out into the open.
"She's dead."
A split second later and the younger jester was at his side; pulling at the hands which NiGHTS hadn't realize he'd brought to his face again.
"No!" he bellowed, "That's impossible! I know she was sick a lot but- Dead?" \
The lack of answer made him gulp. A frantic pair of wings and a loud hoot caused him to turn. Owl landed clumsily on their left, panting as if he flew from one side of the realm to the other within the hour.
"What's Happened? T-the doors!" The old bird sputtered over himself, finally grasping to stone ledge enough to keep him up right.
"Anna's soul. She's..." The older jester couldn't finish. Owl's head bowed, now understanding the situation.
"Hoo. I see, the poor girl. I wonder what brought around such a catastrophe."
"Does this mean, she isn't gunna wake up?" Ren whispered, abandoning the spot on his mother's knee to hover over them instead.
The elder individuals remained silent. Neither of them desiring to reply. Eventually NiGHTS spoke up.
"Ren, shouldn't you go meet Maurisa? She's probably looking for you." A dispirited frown twisted Ren's face, as he looked from Owl, to his mother, then back again. Nope, they weren't going to answer his inquiries. A frustrated sigh deflated his chest and he ascended higher.
Well this sucks. He grumbled, flying off to leave NiGHTS and Owl behind in a shower of white sparkles. Pushing the issue would have been bound to make their cheerful moods even worse. It may have not looked it, but Ren did know when to quit. Sure him and his ego went overboard at times, but he wasn't that thick.
Renhet entered Morisa's dream-bubble in one fellow swoop, beginning his hunt along the gateway courtyard below for any black-haired blobs.
Maybe he could even get the drop on her? Yeah, that would be fun. She was a whole load of fun to tick off! His spirits lifted slightly. This human was way different then Anna. Sure she was a little squishy around the edges when it came to self-esteem, but Maurisa had become determined to make some sort of stand against his tomfoolery. That was something he admired.
But it wasn't going to work.
When nothing moving caught Ren's attention, he descended below the tree line and sat cross-legged under one of the great oaks. After that, time became sluggish. Or so he thought. It felt like he'd been sitting there for over an hours when it had only been minutes and by that point he was going stir-crazy.
Is she asleep yet? No of course she isn't! She's going to make me wait-
"Ren-kun?"
He shrieked, jumping up onto the nearest tree branch. Renhet shot a wide-eyed glance at the visitor standing under him.
"Woah! Don't teleport on me!" He gasped, thoroughly shaken by his undignified yell and the sudden appearance of Maurisa below his feet. Thankfully for him, she didn't comment on the shrill reaction. Instead the girl looked haggard.
"Gomen. I woke up. Loud alarm noise. Outside− window."
"Oh, okay." Ren sighed, visibly slumping against the branch in his hold. "A lot's happened today already. One of the visitors mum and I are close to just lost her soul. Her Nightopia self-destructed on us and mum and I were almost sucked in."
"Huh?" Maurisa raised a brow at him, noticing the melancholy way he held his head down. Exhaling again, Renhet offered his hand silently and they merged.
When telepathically connected he repeated himself, sounding as if he needed someone to confide in.
~So, what happens when you lose your soul?~ Maurisa asked, thoroughly disturbed. They sat down together in the uppermost branches of the tree, making conversation the only constructive way they could.
~You never wake up again. Owl said something like, the visitor's body would become an empty shell. I dunno what it all means, but−~
~N−Never wake up?~ Maurisa 's heart rate leaped and Renhet hushed her.
~Geez, we won't let it happen to you! Promise. You just have to stay away from the Dark Ocean. That's all.~
~Th− Thanks.~ She smiled, nerves a little less haywire. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Renhet broke the ice.
~Hey, your English is getting better.~ He noted and Maurise laughed.
~Yeah, they really drill me at school.~
Maurise was met with a brief pause before Renhet spoke up again, ~What's school like?~
The visitor blinked in shortly lived confusion before an odd excitement took her over. It was alien to think that Renhet had never been to a school, never heard of cars, TV, music. Even the simplest day-to-day specifics of her lively world were a completely foreign concept to him. The boring, quiet life of living in the Night Realm played a stark contrast against life in Bellbridge. Maurisa slowly found herself educating her new counterpart on the complexities of reality, and in turn he taught her of his world too.
~Right, right. School… It's were kid's learn stuff, like Math, English, Science all sorts of things. I don't like Math very much though, and Music's really fun. We've also got a really small class."
~How many?~ Ren hummed to himself before inquiring thoughtfully.
~Nineteen, twenty-ish? I think?~
A jolt of surprise from the opposite line had the girl raising her brow. ~Woah! How's that small?~
~There's hundreds at my school.~
"Wow, I didn't know there were so many visitors in your world." Renhet leaned backward against the tree feeling dumbfounded before casually crossing his arms. Maurisa went with it, not at all uncomfortable.
~So, how do you learn?~ The girl questioned nonchalantly.
~Owl. He really gets on my nerves about it. Man, that bird's so whiny.~
Maurisa giggled a little too loudly within the uncomfortable silence of the Dreamgate vicinity. ~Yeah, that would suck.~
~Wanna go flying?−~ Maurisa flinched instantaneously at the question and a peeved growl reverberated over the bond. ~Okay, low flying?~ he corrected himself with a sigh. ~Really, Mori! You're so boring.~
She swatted his leg and if anyone else human were looking, it would have appeared that he'd hit himself. Renhet hissed at her before they rose from their seat. ~Fine! Let's go! But I'm warning you.~
With that said, Maurisa felt a strange tie of emotions over the bond, and then silence. She wondered what they meant and tried to poke around in his head for answers, but Ren locked himself up tight. Slightly irritated by this, she decided to let it go.
We'd been in the air for over an hour or so, cruising along possibly a handful of meters from the ground. During this grueling length of time, I brooded.
Anna was dead. She was a friend of mine. Family.
How did it happen? How could it have happened? She was just fine yesterday. I don't get it.
My head begun to hurt again. It had stopped hurting a few nights ago, but this was different this time. I felt like a pulled spring, ready to collapse in on itself as soon as someone let go of one end. It was no wonder I went along with instincts.
Maurise was concerned. It was the closest thing to fear right now and it was the only thing keeping me up. So, maybe. Maybe it was time to find out. Even if it killed me.
~By the way, you still haven't told me if you were scared of heights or not.~
We were flying low over the pond when I spoke. It had been the first time either one of us said anything since taking flight.
Once again, the subtle layer of a jeer began to show through my voice, hopefully enough to re-stoking the fires of aggravation within the girl's soul. It still amazed me how only a sentence from could set her off.
~I'm not scared!~ She hissed, setting herself with a determined vent of breath. She was beginning to feel uneasy. Good.
Though high pitched it was, the laugh that left me was intimidating enough to make her mind freeze.
~Oh really? Let's see about that!~
I shot us strait up into the dark sky above. Fear lurched in Maurisa's stomach and immediately she was whimpering. It speared me forwards with glee.
~What are you doing?!~ It sounded more like a statement then a question. It seemed that her brain hadn't fully clicked into the situation at hand. I didn't answer and instead, sped up.
It only took a quick glance downward for the girl to start shrieking.
Her horror tasted like victory.
~Liar, Liar!~ I snickered and kept on going, belting laughter while she hollered.
~ST− STOP!~
I finally did as commanded.
Not because she'd ordered me to though, but because it felt as if half of my body had been stripped away. It wasn't even a strange feeling. Actually, I felt just like my regular self.
Screaming. It was the sound coming from below reminded me exactly the reason why that was. Both souls had to be willing and in the right state of mind to duelize.
And there was Maurisa, dropping like a rock.
Oh God.
When the realization came that I'd just dropped a visitor more than a hundred yards away from the ground my eyes widened in horror.
Soon I was pelting after the tumbling figure. Hands out stretched. I had to push myself to the limit before she came within reach. I seized Maurisa tightly under the arms and instantaneously our decent began to slow.
A few feet from the ground, we came to a permanent halt and I placed the girl effortlessly on her feet. When I released her however, she pitched forward to her knees and rolled to the side forming a ball of quivering limbs.
I hovered uncertainly away from her. Unsure how to approach the shivering girl. This was something I didn't expect. It freaked me out. I instantly began to regret what I'd done.
"You okay? I didn't mean to drop you, honest−" I clamped my mouth shut when her back convulsed. An impending sob. As soon as the first one came and passed, a torrent of eerie wails and full body shudders had me fixating a bewildered look on her back. Oh no.
"Mori?" I whispered, sliding out of the temporary paralysis. I lowered himself to her side, trying to see past the tense fold of arms shielding the girl's face. When no responses came, I cringed. This was really bad. "I didn't know, okay? I'm sorry, please stop." I wedged my little fingers between the gaps of her arms in order to pry them from her face, but when I caught a glimpse of her eyes I released her.
I had done something horrible.
The distressful amount of remorse I felt made me gulp. I had to do something, anything. Landing in the grass beside the girl I did the first thing I could think of, making me feel like a child all over again. I draped my slight arms around her back and shoulders. The best I could.
The trembling slowed and her sobs became half-controlled sniffles. I felt the human ball uncurl just enough for the girl to pull me up against her chest in a strangling embrace.
That was unexpected. Hugs work?
"D− dad threw me from w− window before we moved. He had gun. Did bad things− Me saw." Maurisa whimpered, burying her face into my hat. I didn't dare move, not that I really could without hurting the poor girl.
"Doctors say I lucky. Broke a lot of bones. Got scars. Dad got away, so Ma and I move here." When I didn't respond to her fragmented English, she continued quietly. "Ren? You have dad?"
Again. Unexpected.
I knew what a Dad was, but until now, he never wondered about it. When I still hadn't spoken, Maurisa looked down at me in her hold. I felt like a living ragdoll on her lap. Finally, I answered her.
"I don't know." I avoided her gaze, "Never asked."
Her eyes widened followed by the quick retraction of her arms. We parted suddenly and awkwardly. The girl began to busily wipe away at her reddened eyes with the palms of her hands.
"Sorry." Maurisa looked down at her knees when she had finished.
"It's fine." I murmured, and wondered why she was the one apologizing in the first place. I was the jerk.
Man was this girl ever weird.
"I− I have to wake up early today. I see you later." She got up clumsily, nearly tripping before jogging back over to the cobblestone where the fountain lay. When only the top of her head was visible to my line of sight; she dissipated into nothing, indicating she had left the realm.
I was left, again, in the grass to contemplate alone. A dangerous feat in itself.
The feeling I felt earlier. Hearing the screams and feeling the unadulterated terror.
Mum doesn't need to know. I sighed. The thrill felt amazing at first, but looking at the girl's face when I finally saw past her arms… The cons outweighed the pros.
It had been a week since that night and today, a miracle happened.
~What's that? Maurisa puppeteered my arm to point down at the Dreamgate's fountain. When I glanced down at where we both collectively pointed, a grin lit my face. Under the tip of my finger was the appearance of a door seated on the edge of the cobblestone ring. I slowed us to a halt and a bubble of excitement from my end made the visitor laugh. Why wouldn't I be excited right now? This was awesome!
~It's a door!~ I announced, sounding just as ecstatic on the outside as the inside.
~You mean− a Nightopia?~ Maurisa's voice rose, along with the anticipation.
A joyful chuckle summoned our attention and we turned. "You two seem eager." Mum flew over with a wide smirk plastering his face. "I sure don't blame you though. Go on, go check it out!"
~Close your eyes until I say!~ I ordered, letting a laugh free. Maurisa sighed and rolled her eyes before clamping them shut. The air pressure against our faces pushed back her hair as I rocketed downward and through the closed door. The wind dulled and as we slowed to a stop.
~Ok, NOW!~
When Maurisa opened her slate coloured eyes, the amount of light beyond them blinded her and she closed them again. A familiar, warm mist ghosted along her cheeks unlike the usual breeze of flight and the visitor breathed in deeply. A large smile graced the girl's lips and she squinted to see past the glare, stuttering in a breath.
The broad expansion of towering tabunoki trees standing in a natural arrangement was the first to clear.
Everything was alive, green, and the sky a lovely, endless blue. The light of a distant sun bounced off the sparkling vapor fogging up the air and shimmered like microscopic crystals. A distant sound, like consistent thunder could be heard overhead, and if both of their assumptions were correct, which she hoped they were anyway, it was the sound of a waterfall.
Maurisa managed to let a voiced reaction slip. ~This is a lot like the park not far from my old house.~
Owl materialized out of nowhere with a subtle pop to our right and he hummed. "I wonder which Ideya created this? It's quite a vast world."
~All the more for us to explore.~ I sung, impatiently sliding away from the old bird's side.
~I don't know.~ The visitor responded, still transfixed by the sight, berating me to stand still. ~Is there a way to tell? What Ideya created the world, I mean.~
"Well, normally−"
~Jesus, can we get on with this!− ~ I was about to add more before also being interrupted.
"Stop it before you start!" NiGHTS fussed, zooming up next to Owl. "Nightopia's don't last very long these days, so you better enjoy it while you can!"
~We will. If you let us.~ I ground out. Silently, the visitor agreed and didn't feel like wasting any more time either. She didn't refuse when I took to the air again, leaving the others behind.
Maurisa's dream world seemed to stretch on for miles, and there always seemed to be something around to catch her attention.
I had been equally amused by this, especially during her first encounter with the Nightopians. At first the girl hadn't show much of a reaction at all, but she did regard them oddly. However when Maurisa did let a thought slip over the connection, I doubled over mirthfully.
~Their faces look like eggs.~
No matter how many ways I looked at them now, I couldn't deny her words.
When a stray Octopaw popped from a series of caves we chased it for a good while. Maurisa almost managed to nab it by the tentacle, but it panicked and sprayed Ink all over my face. She really seemed to get a kick out of that. Me, not so much.
When we finished most of the exploration we made for the hot-spring waterfall's at the center of the world and settled down by the bottom edge of the pool. It was taller than Maurisa thought it would be, but a lot of smaller streams of water formed their own minor avalanches not far from the main cascade. The massive wall of rock it fell from exceeded the height of the surrounding trees and Maurisa found them equally impressive.
Something else came to her mind and it didn't go unnoticed by me. She felt like getting it out in the open. ~It's strange. My old name really ties into this place.~
~Old name?~ We levitated inches from the water as we spoke, casually floating along.
~Yeah, I changed it after we moved here. Ma said that Japanese names don't really fit in where we live now. It's weird, but alright. That, and if dad comes looking for us he'll have a harder time finding where we are.~ I could feel her smiling softly, almost sadly and I cleared my throat.
~So, what is it?~
~You have to keep it a secret.~
~Why?~ The sound of my bafflement made the girl giggle.
~It's like a secret identity, like a spy!~ I had no idea what she meant, and the visitor could tell. Another giggle slipped from her and I huffed.
~If you tell me, I'll tell you our secret.~ It couldn't hurt.
~You guys have a secret too?~ It didn't sound like she believed me.
~Yeah, mum doesn't like telling it to other visitors. I think it's kinda stupid to hide though.~
The girl hummed to herself for a moment before complying.
~Alright, it's Moriko.~
~Moriko?~ I rolled it around on my tongue for a bit before nodding my head. ~Okay, cool.~
~That's it? You said you'd tell me.~
It was my turn to laugh. ~Okay, okay! Mum and I are Nightmaren. But not the bad kind.~
Wait… I have told her about Nightmaren before? Right?
The visitor puzzled about this in her head for a little while before speaking. ~What's a Nightmaren?~
Apparently I hadn't. Oh yeah.
~You know those vine things that attacked us before? That was one, I think. They steal Ideya from visitors, destroy Nightopias, give nightmares−~ Apprehension rose in the girl and I realized just how horrible I made us sound. ~Mum, turned against them long before I came around! He's been fighting the Nightmaren for years. We're good, but− wow, I guess this is why he doesn't like telling you guys this.~ I trailed off and muttered the last bit.
Maurisa breathed out a good natured sigh before pinching my bare forearm. ~No, I get it. Explains why you're a jerk most of the time.~
I swatted my own hand away and barked out a, ~Hey!~
Laughing at my reaction, she kept on messing with me. To anyone watching, I probably looked as if I were waging war against myself. This made it all the more anoying. Eventually she laid off when I threatened to dump her into the pond.
A few minute later we few over an area of water that didn't feel right. I may have been imagining it so I hovered over to the edge of one of the smaller falls and ran our collective hands through it. She thought I was just curious about the waters temperature. I was. The water coming from the falls was broiling hot. I then leaned over and touched the water below. It was cold; and very dark below them.
~What's with you?~ Maurisa pestered and I hesitate with my reply.
~I dunno. Something doesn't feel right about this place.~
The girl blinked and began to scope out the area for anything off. Then again, she had no idea what to look for. It was her first time ever being there. Still, nothing looked troubling.
~Seriously? Nothing looks wrong to me.~
~Maybe I'm imagining it then, but the water's really da−~
Something black burst from the pool behind, seizing us within its jaws. Its teeth were sharp and they dug right through my back. Before I knew it, the thing threw us and everything around me stopped.
Neither of them could registered what was going on, but all either of them felt at that moment was a scorching pain within their chests.
Whatever attacked them snapped its head backward, flinging them both separately against the stone cliff. The shadow fell backwards releasing a pained howl. The needle-like teeth previously spearing them now melted down to half their size.
Stunned, Maurisa struggled to sit up, cradling the back of her head where it struck the ground. Her hands shot up to her face when a dull flash violet illuminated her palms.
She glance up at the beast keening over by the falls, it was still preoccupied with its own suffering. Taking in the sight of its mouth and the sheen of pink along its lips, Maurisa ghosted her hand where the recent pain had torn. Only to find nothing there. The girl's heart leaped into her throat and her eyes darted about, locating Renhet on his side not far from her.
A startled cry escaped her throat and Maurisa dragged herself over to the smaller body to flip him over.
When the creature had pounced, it caught hold of them around the middle. The teeth it previously had ran the Nightmaren right through, leaving multiple gaping holes along his torso leaking florescent liquid like a broken dam.
"Wake up! REN!" In a struggling attempt, she pressed her hands down over the wounds, hoping that what she learned during her months trapped at the hospital would help slow it. It only seemed to cause more damage and Maurisa yanked her fingers away, drenched in fluids. Whether it was from the distress or fright, the back of her throat began to tighten and a fresh round of tears brimmed the girl's eyes.
By that time, the beast was mostly recovered. Turning to meet the stuttering sobs of its new target.
Maurisa could hear it moving closer and her face shot up to watch it. The beast was grinding its melting fangs together, though they looked flatter than they once did. The liquid dribbling down its front had gone purple, mixing in with the blood it recently drew.
A pool had formed at her knees and they picked up the substance when she gradually stood.
A gulp escaped from her throat when she went to clear it and like a fired missile the beast struck.
Overwhelmed by the shadow darting towards her, Maurisa wailed and threw her hands up as a useless form of protection.
About a meter away from her it halted and unleashed an earsplitting shriek. When she reopened her clenched eyes her palms had grown brighter, and a wall of violet spread outward in a zing of pure energy.
Realizing with sudden confidence of her new capability, Maurisa took a stepped closer.
Frustrated, the shadow lunged again and she counter attacked its advance with her hands. Mauisa inhaled sharply and pushed back at it. Like the same poles of a magnet, the creature was repelled backward toward the waterfall. It suddenly turned about face from the girl, making a desperate dive for the wall of the cliff but the visitor reacted too quickly.
"Oh, no you don't!" Maurisa jumped and reached the monster before it could fully merge with the rock, trusting her arm through its center. The darkness around her limb fluctuated and the hole widened, parting around the glowing wrist until she saw something.
Everything happened so quickly, but when she took sight of the bruised looking orb within the beast, her instincts told her to grab it. Maurisa did just that, and with a furious yell which almost rose over the shadow's howl, her hand tightly squeezed. The shadow's shrieking climaxed as soon as the orb burst in the girl's hand, exploding in a blaze red.
The inky appendages of the creature wilted and dispersed, a fog of black soot rising off them. Eventually nothing remained and the newly born Nightopia became peacefully silent.
The girl ran over to her friend and tripped over her feet. She landed in the now dimmer puddle he lay in.
"Ren?" A familiar burst of greens and blacks invaded the corners of Maurisa's vision and began curtain her view. Everything felt so real suddenly, was she really just dreaming? A distant yell of Ren's name graced her ears before unconsciousness dragged her under.
"Oh goodness me, what happened?" Owl and NiGHTS had been scouting around for them, until a cry unlike anything they had heard came from a little further into the bush. When they came rushing over to the waterfall they found both in a horrific state.
NiGHTS dashed over to his son hoisted him up into his lap. If the youngling wasn't wearing any pink before he was certainly coated with it now. The violet jester carefully removed the smaller vest and hasty examined the wound along his chest. Three circular scars ran in a dotted line just below his armpits, but that was all. Just scars. The same design lay present along his back when NiGHTS turned him over.
"Ha− how? What the hell?" A frantic sob of relief left him and the old owl also inspected the new markings. Maurisa began to stir as well and she groaned.
"o−owl?" The bird was instantly over by the visitor's side, offering the girl a foot to help her up.
"My dear, what happened? You two contract trouble like bees to flowers." His voice had dropped in an oddly comforting way and Maurisa felt as if she would break down into tears after hearing it.
The girl struggled to her feet and stumbled over to where NiGHTS hovered. "Ren, is he okay?"
"Maurisa." Her friend's mother gave her a look of disbelief, "He's fine but, what happened?"
"W−we were attacked. By this− thing!"
"A Nightmaren?"
"No− Well, I'm not really sure." The girl paused when the smaller jester moaned. Maurisa's eyes caught a glance of his injury, momentarily distracting her. "It's healed? How did−"
"Maurise, what did it LOOK like?" NiGHTS cut in, trying to get some more of answer out of the visitor. He coloured himself surprised when it worked. The girl was really out of it.
"Uh, it was all dark. Like a shadow, but it was like− I dunno. All tentacley, with long pointy teeth and−"
"Shadow?" The older Nightmaren frowned, cutting into Maurisa's description.
"Yeah! It was afraid of the light coming from my hands."
The jester's eyes shot open. "Your Ideya?" Maurisa nodded with a tired smile.
Owl joined the duo, also noticed something was something off with Maurisa's words. "What happened to this... shadow?"
"When I grabbed something inside it and it exploded."
"I see. That's certainly interesting." Both Owl and NiGHTS exchanged troubled glances. The visitor spoke up.
"Will he be okay?"
A tired smile quirked the jester's lips, "I think so." NiGHTS reassured with a firm nod and a familiar white ghost popped up beside the girl not a second later.
When the awakeners had taken the girl home, NiGHTS immediately turned to Owl.
"Shadows can't harm visitors, they can only scare. That was not a shadow that attacked them."
"If it had been a shadow it wouldn't be able to exist here either. They can't enter Nightopias, the energies from the Ideya's barrier would instantaneously wipe them out."
"Yes, I know. And didn't she mention something about teeth? It must have been something solid to do this−" NiGHTS trailed off and looked down at the unconscious 'Maren in his arms, Owl did this also.
"There's something different about that girl. For some reason I think she's involved with that." The bird nodded, gesturing towards healed injuries.
"There's no way it could have fully healed so quickly, it went right through him." The purple Nightmaren felt a surge of frustration bubble up within him, "He's low on energy, but besides that and the scars it's like he's been untouched!"
"I wonder how long her stay with us will be." Owl sighed.
"Visitors never last very long anymore. It's sad. They're lives in reality aren't what they use to be."
"I guess only time will tell."
