Okay first of all, I'd like to say that I am extremely sorry for how long it's taken me to write these chapters. I promise I'll get better as the story goes on. Second, I'd like to say that writing this story has two purposes. I'm writing it for fun and to see what people think. So please reveiw. It's kind of sad to get six reviews on the first chapter, seven on the second, and none on the third. Thank you. On with the story! I hope it was worth the wait.

Disclaimer-I don't own NiGHTS, Owl, or any of that related stuff. They all belong to Sega. I only own Julie.

"Where am-?"

"Pure Valley."

"And where is-?"

"Nightopia."

"Are you going to let me finish any of my-?!"

"Don't count on it." Julie glared up at the smirking, floating jester. Now that she had gotten over the shock of being transported here, where ever here was, and her awe, NiGHTS annoyed her quite a bit. He didn't seem to want to answer any of her questions. It was almost as if he thought she should know everything already. And yet, it seemed as if he was confused about something. "C'mon." NiGHTS floated up and turned forward. He drifted easily through the air, cart wheeling to show off. Julie rolled her eyes and tried to keep up with the speedily flying jester.

NiGHTS twirled around suddenly and stopped, giving his human companion a chance to catch her breath.

'Geez, he's fast!' Julie couldn't help but think. She was going to need to need to find an alternative to running if she hoped to keep up with him.

"Hoo! Why, hello NiGHTS!" The brunette's head snapped up in time to see a plump, brown owl-like creature in a dress coat suddenly appear on a nearby tree branch. The bird gave her a friendly smile. "And hello to you too, Miss. It is always lovely to see a new Visitor!" Julie gave him a confused and shocked look. Flying jesters?! Talking birds appearing out of nowhere?! Where the heck was she?!

"Where the heck am I?!" Julie voiced her thoughts, though somewhat louder than was really needed. The owl's glasses slid down his beak a little as he recoiled and he pushed them back up with the tip of his wing before continuing.

"Oh ho hoo! I'm sorry! This must be terribly confusing for you. But before I explain, I'd like to get introductions out of the way. My name is Owl. May I know yours, Visitor?"

Owl, though he seemed to like to explain every little detail of everything, seemed polite and nice enough. Julie put her hands behind her back and gave him a polite smile in return. "I'm Julie." The bird fluttered down from his perch, landing on a nearby rock. Julie thought it was a miracle he could fly at all but didn't say anything. Instead, she sat down on the grass in front of the rock to be at eyelevel with him. "Can you tell me what's going on? Where am I?"

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Visitor." Owl said with a bow. "You are currently in the World of Dreams, usually referred to as the Night Dimension." Julie's eyes widened a little but then she smiled.

"Ohhhhh! I get it now! I'm dreaming! Geez, maybe mom's right. I do have a weird imagination." The brunette said, making NiGHTS laugh. She shot him a dirty look before turning back to a flustered looking Owl.

"No, no! You misunderstand me! This world is very much real. It's just one people journey to when they are asleep. Those people are referred to as Visitors or Dreamers. They use Ideya, or sparks of light from their heart that show themselves as small multicolored jewels, to enter though the small space between our dimension and yours. Now, the Night Dimension is split into two worlds: Nightopia, which is bright and beautiful, and the dark realm of Nightmare. We are in a section of Nightopia, called Pure Valley. Do you understand?"

Julie's head spun from all the new information but she didn't want to seem stupid. "Um…Sure!" NiGHTS laughed again, placing his elbows on her head and his head in his palms.

"Are you sure she's a Visitor?" The jester asked, looking bored. Julie glared up at him.

"Get off!" She shouted, swinging her staff at him but missing.

"Oh my! It seems you two haven't gotten off to a very good start. You'll have to excuse NiGHTS' cold attitude but I can understand why he is acting this way. You see, most Dreamers come to the Night Dimension in their usual clothes. In that jester outfit, you seem more like a Nightmaren. Hoo." Owl quickly explained, wincing as Julie took another swing at NiGHTS, who dodged and floated higher.

"I do NOT look like a fish!" The jester clad girl snapped. Owl gave her a look of utter confusion and NiGHTS doubled over in the air in laughter. As the jester Nightmaren banged his fist against the tree trunk, gasping "It hurts! It hu-ur-ur-urts!" between laughs, Owl fluttered up to hover in front of Julie.

"Err, I'm sorry, Miss. I think you are a little bit confused. Nightmarens are creatures who invade Nightopia, stealing Ideya and trying to destroy Nightopia." He said, obviously still confused.

"Yeah! Like those two giant fish from before!" Julie snapped, swinging her wand at NiGHTS, only to have him dodge once more and land face first in the grass. Once the brunette had gotten back to her feet, Owl gave her an understanding nod.

"I am guessing the 'two giant fish' you are referring to are Gulpo and Girania. They are both second level aquatic Nightmaren." The bird said knowingly.

"And they heal fast. They'll probably be back soon." NiGHTS added, now that he was finally over his fit of laughter.

"B-back?" Julie squeaked, fidgeting and playing with the yellow hem of her jester vest. Those things, those Nightmarens, weren't just super creepy, they were dangerous! "I-I-I think I'll just find a way to get back home and-"

"Scaredy cat!" NiGHTS laughed, pulling at her jester hat playfully. "Calm down! There's nothing to be afraid of!"

"Ow!" Julie yelped. When he'd grabbed her hat, he also grabbed a fistful of her hair. It was an accident but it hurt all the same. She smacked his hand away, making NiGHTS give a yelp of his own.

"Hey! That hurt!" He cried, rubbing the back of his gloved hand.

"You started it!"

"I think I'll leave you two to you're fun. NiGHTS, please try to be careful with this visitor. She seems a bit more fragile than most." Owl interrupted, quickly teleporting just as Julie's head whipped around.

"Who are you calling fragile?!" The brunette shouted at the tree branch where he'd been, swinging her staff. She heard NiGHTS voice laugh behind her but turned when it cut off suddenly. "What?" The jester didn't answer, looking at her with his head cocked to the side. "What?!"

"I didn't really notice before…but your clothes look familiar. I know I've seen them somewhere before…" He answered finally, floating slowly around Julie to see if something triggered the memory of where he'd seen the outfit before. "…..Oh!! Now I remember!" NiGHTS shouted, snapping his fingers and making Julie jump in surprise. "I was flying over Aqua Gardens and I found a little scrap of paper. It had a drawing on that looked exactly like that." He gestured down at her clothes, nodding as the memory came back. Julie blinked in surprise.

"My drawing came here?" She asked in shock, her green eyes widening. "I thought my teacher threw it away!"

"You drew that?!" The jester Nightmaren asked, equally as shocked. Dreamers could travel back and forth between the Night Dimension and the Waking World, but he'd never heard of an item traveling through the barrier that separated their worlds. He had thought that maybe some Dreamer had left it on accident.

"Yeah…Well, sort of. It was more of a doodle. I wasn't actually trying to draw it….It only got me in trouble anyway." Julie mumbled, rubbing her arm and looking as if she was trying to comfort herself. It didn't take a genius to piece two and two together. She'd had a bad day. That sad, listless voice that had asked NiGHTS in his thoughts what it was like to fly had been Julie. He beamed and leaned forward, holding a hand out to her.

"How'd you like to try your hand at flying, Julie?" Julie stared at his hand and then up into his bright blue, cat-pupiled orbs.

"How?" was all she could manage to say.

"Dualize." NiGHTS answered with a wink.

"What's that?"

"It's kind of hard to explain…See, our two bodies kind of join into one. It's less weird than it sounds." The last part had been added because of the freaked out look Julie had given him. The brunette now stood rooted to the spot, staring at his hand. She had wondered what it was like to fly. "C'mon. Trust me. I promise nothing bad will happen." NiGHTS reassured her. Julie smiled a little and slowly started to reach out. She put her shivering green gloved hand into his white gloved one and waited….and waited…and waited. After what seemed like an eternity, Julie finally spoke.

"…Nothing's happening." NiGHTS retracted his hand as if he had been shocked. He examined it, slowly turning his invisible wrist this way and that, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

'Maybe it's because of Julie.' He thought but instantly wished he hadn't when he looked up at the preteen girl. She had apparently been thinking it was her fault again too. Her gaze was set down on her green and orange shoes, a look of heartbreak and sadness in her eyes. NiGHTS hated that lost, hopeless look. He'd only seen it a few times but every time it nearly broke the heart Wizeman hadn't meant to give him. He'd have to make it up to her. Maybe something had happened with her Ideya when she traveled to Nightopia? Whatever the reason, NiGHTS leaned forward once more, holding out his hand. "Well, do you want to fly or not?" He asked in an impatient voice. Julie looked up in surprise.

"But…we can't Dualize." She said in a quiet voice that was laced with surprise and confusion.

"And?" the Nightmaren asked, a playful grin curving his mouth. Julie's curiosity once again won out over her fear and she took his hand once more.