Chapter 3

After NiGHTS had finished her breakfast, she and Reala started their daily climb down the Tower. It was a strange piece of work, since it felt like the Tower was designed not only to house a multitude of people, but also to allow them to come and go freely, without having to bother any of their neighbors in their passing.

"We need to go drop by Moth's place first," Reala said as his boots touched ground.

NiGHTS sighed. "Do we have to?" she asked exasperatedly.

"Yeah, and if you don't like it, you can wait outside," Reala threatened.

NiGHTS went pale, and mumbled an apology under her breath. The one thing she feared more than loosing Reala was forfeiting him to Moth.

The duo of thieves kept their heads down and navigated the city by the sidewalks, back alleys, and roads.

After thirty to forty minutes of travel, Reala slipped into a back door hidden in a dark alley, NiGHTS as close behind him as his own shadow.

"Ai, Moth, it's Reala," the elder thief hailed from the back room he had entered. Though no response was heard, Reala seated himself on a small chair that was on one side of a cluttered table, while NiGHTS remained standing behind him. The entire room was cramped with books, and smelled of incense.

After a while, a small bell chimed, and a tall woman entered to room where NiGHTS and Reala waited. She wore subdued blues, which easily complemented her long, black hair and deep brown eyes. She made no sign of surprise when she saw the two thieves, but merely removed the items from the table and sat across from them.

"It's been awhile," Moth noted calmly, looking at both Reala and NiGHTS respectively. "I notice you still glare at me, NiGHTS. What have I done to you to make you hate me so?"

NiGHTS held her silence and kept her steady, hateful gaze on Moth, partially because she wasn't completely sure why she hated the woman, and partially because she couldn't think of a witty return.

"We didn't come here for NiGHTS' problem with you to be resolved, whatever it may be," Reala said before the atmosphere could get any darker.

"Yes, so the cards have told me," Moth said, "I have heard nothing of you being seen, nor have they realized that they are missing their gems. However, be careful: those gems are special. From what the spirits have told me, they are pieces of what are called 'Ideya', and come from a neighboring dimension."

Ooooh, scaaaaaaaaaaaaaaary, NiGHTS thought to herself, rolling her eyes. Moth caught the sarcastic gesture, but said nothing.

"Also," Moth said, "if anyone should come to you asking you to steal any more gems as such, refuse them. They come from an evil creature, hellbent on abusing the Ideya's powers."

"Just what do these Ideya do?" Reala asked.

"Each different Ideya stands for a different part of the soul. The White Ideya stands for purity of the heart and mind, taking into account both the light kind of purity as well as the dark. There is the Blue Ideya of Intelligence, which stands for all kinds of wisdom, both important and trivial. The Green Ideya is for growth, both mentally and physically. The Red Ideya is courage, which most people need to keep the other ones close to themselves, or to recover the others if they are lost or stolen. Lastly, the Yellow Ideya embodies hope, the only thing that didn't escape Pandora and her Box, and still keeps people like yourselves from despairing even to this day."

"What do you mean 'people like us'?" NiGHTS growled, scowling at Moth.

"Can you honestly tell me you'd survive out on the streets without hope's help, or would you have offed yourself long beforehand?" Moth asked, staring levelly at the young thief.

NiGHTS physically recoiled at the comment, but said nothing.

"Moth," Reala said, making the woman's eyes brake from NiGHTS' to look into his own, "Thanks for the info, but I think we've gotta go." He then rose from his seat and turned to leave, holding the door open for NiGHTS.

"Fear the wrath of the Wise Man," Moth said to him after his younger sibling had headed outside, "For he will make your worst nightmares come to be real, and make you regret anything you might have done to sleight him."

Reala gave Moth a strange look, then headed out the door.

NiGHTS waited for him in the alley. "Can we go now?" she asked.

"Yeah," Reala replied, heading down the sidewalk in a similar fashion to the way they had arrived at Moth's place. After fifteen minutes or so, a hand tapped the back of NiGHTS' hand. She turned her head slightly, and in her peripheral vision beheld a small boy garbed in green clothes.

"Hey, Bud," she said, not turning, but talking to the boy out of the side of her mouth, "Do anything interesting lately?"

"Managed to snip a necklace of some old, rich lady who doesn't deserve what she's got," Bud mumbled nonchalantly.

"Nice."

"I think someone might have noticed it, but they didn't say anything."

"You never know; the guards might be looking for a terror such as yourself walking around," NiGHTS said playfully.

"Hardy har har," Bud replied, "So, uh, hey, would you and Ree mind if I tagged along next time?"

"You know our answer."

"Aw, c'mon! You always say no! You both know I can take care of myself," Bud whined.

"Which is exactly why," Reala said, appearing suddenly on the opposite of the child, "you wouldn't want us along. If we did, we might cramp up your style, and mess you up."

"Really?" Bud asked, his demeanor coming back from the brink of despair.

"Yup. Now, why don't you run along, and see if your services are needed elsewhere," Reala replied, giving Bud a little nudge. The green-clad child darted off, disappearing in the crowd.

"You handled that well," NiGHTS observed.

"Because I knew you couldn't," Reala replied as they retreated into the alleyway they called their base of operations. He leaned against one of the shady walls, while NiGHTS took the other side, which was just as shady. They then stood silent, watching the crowd for no reason other than it passed the time.

"Think anyone'll come by today?" NiGHTS asked Reala as the sun reached its zenith while the duo stood in their alleyway and waited for a client to approach them.

"If they do, I'm sure we'll be ready," Reala replied, the same answer he gave every time NiGHTS asked that particular question.

NiGHTS thought about the familiar response, then asked, "Do you think there'll ever be a time when we're not ready?"

Reala thought about the question for a second, then replied confidently, "Nah, we're too good a team to be brought down that easily."

"Famous last words," NiGHTS mumbled darkly under her breath.