Chapter six: Dark clouds and stone hands

Helen hid behind a broken pillar in the dream world she had dubbed Aqua Garden, because of all the floating water and flying fish. She had met Adia's three younger sisters, Lilly, Katie, and Elise, and they were on there third round of hide and seek. Helen was currently undefeated.

Nights appeared next to her, with a sound of ripping space, and was about to say hello when Helen put a finger to her lips, Nights immediately hid behind a bush not far away.

"29, 30, ready or not here I come." Elise's voice sang out.

Helen pressed herself closer to the pillar as she herd the youngest of the siblings getting closer.

Nights dashed out of his hiding place and grabbed Elise, who screamed and then began to laugh ecstatically, "Big brother, big brother!"

Helen looked at them from her hiding place to see Nights lying on his back tossing Elise up into the air as she laughed hysterically.

"Dog pile!" Katie and Lilly came out from where they were hiding and jumped on top of Nights, who screamed.

"It seems that none of you know how to play hide and seek," Adia came out of her hiding place and stood over the defeated Nights, "You can defeat the big bad Nightmarens but you cant beat a, nine year old, and eight year old, or a five year old."

"Wasn't my fault they ambushed me," Said Nights, who was still lying on the ground even though the three young girls had gotten off of him, "You want to help me up?" Nights put his arms in the air and Adia grabbed onto his wrists and pulled him to his feet.

"Olly olly oxen free." Nights said looking at Helens hiding place, Helen came out from behind the vine wrapped pillar and sighed.

"I guess the games over then?" Helen said disappointedly.

"I didn't say that," Nights said, "I just didn't want you hiding in the same spot when I came seeking, it wouldn't be fair."

"Adia!" a scream pierced everyone's ears, even Nights who didn't seem to have any ears; it also seemed to hurt him the worst.

"Guess the game is over." Nights whimpered as his ears throbbed.

A women in a short, deep blue, dress came running up the hill and hugged Adia protectively in her arms, "Get away from my daughters you freak of nature!"

Nights winced and looked away from the woman that had just insulted him.

"Hey," Helen said standing up for Nights since he wasn't going to stand up for himself, "you don't have to be so rude I-" Nights put a hand on Helens shoulder, she looked up. His huge blue-purple eyes begged her to stop talking, Helen kept her mouth shut.

"I would advise you to stay away from that hideous creature young lady he's nothing but trouble." The woman said to Helen.

Nights sighed sadly and blinked back a few tears. The woman took one last menacing look at Nights before walking away with her children, leaving Nights and Helen alone.

"Why dose that woman not like you?" Helen asked.

"I'll tell you later," Nights held out his hand, "Come on, I have to clear my head and I can't leave you by yourself."

Helen took Nights' hand and felt a rush of warmth as she duelized with Nights.

Nights and Helen floated through the air quietly, Helen had tried to talk to Nights but his mind was elsewhere.

Helen spotted some dark clouds off in the distance, "Nights, What is that?"

Nights stopped and looked at the dark clouds rolling closer to them as they watched, "They're just like the clouds over Nightmare."

"You've noticed them to," Owl flew up next to them, "The Nightmarens draw nearer every second."

As the clouds came closer something huge and menacing emerge from the cloud, Helen felt a wave of panic as the thing opened and turned out to be a massive stone hand. Terror that wasn't her own swept through Nights' body as a massive and horrifying eye opened in the middle of the stone hand's palm.

"No," Nights uttered in complete terror, "It can't be!"

A tornado gusted apparently formed by the horrible eye, and Helen felt herself being torn away from Nights' body, she screamed in pain and fright as she fell to the ground.

'No, no, Nights felt his energy leave him as Helen was torn away from his body,

'Why here why now, I…" his mind clouded as he began to fall, 'so this is it, I'm going to die by falling out of the sky, that's ironic." He laughed weakly and fell to the ground far below him.

Helen opened her eyes slowly and looked around her, 'I'm still alive!' she thought happily. She got up slowly and looked around. Nights was lying on the ground a few feet away from her. At first she though he was waiting there for her to wake up, but the way he was laying didn't look very comfortable, she walked over to him, "Nights?" he didn't answer, "Nights, are you o.k.?" She got down on her knees and shook him lightly; he moaned and slowly opened his eyes.

Nights' vision was blurred but he could make Helen out, "So you died too?" he slurred weakly.

"No Nights, I'm not dead and neither are you." Helen sounded muffled.

"Do you have your hand over your mouth?" Nights squinted but his vision didn't focus, "when I thought of heaven I didn't think it would be so blurry."

"Helen thank goodness you're o.k." Owl flew over happy to see Helen alive.

"You're dead to Owl, crap," Nights closed his eyes and then opened them as wide as he could, "Is everything blurry for you too?" he asked Helen.

"What's wrong with him?" Owl asked Helen.

"I don't know," Helen said, "He thinks he's dead."

Nights tried to lift his hands so he could rub his eyes but he was only able to wiggle his fingers, "how come you two can move and I can't, and could you take your hands off your mouths, it's starting to bug me."

"Maybe something happened to Nights when he and I got pulled apart," Helen said, "Maybe if we duelize again he'll get better."

"It's worth a try." Owl agreed.

"Hey Nights," Helen said, "Do you think you can duelize with me?"

"I guess, but you're going to have to grab my hand from where it is 'cuz I can't move it."

Helen grabbed Nights' hand and Nights screwed his eyes shut, trying as hard as he could to duelize. He soon felt a tingle allover his body signifying that he had successfully duelized with Helen. He felt a surge of power as his strength returned to him. Nights opened his eyes, everything was clear again. He sat up and rubbed his aching head.

"What exactly happened back there?" Helen asked.

"I don't know," Nights said still a little shaken, "But, as it turns out, being separated from a visitor by someone besides me makes me amazingly weak."

"And delusional." Owl added.

"Oh, shut up," Nights swatted at the old bird then held his head as pain surged through it from the sudden action, "I have a splitting headache."

"I've noticed." Helen said heatedly.

Nights' separated from her and laid back down, "Don't talk to me for the next hour o.k."

Helen looked at Owl wondering what she should do.

"Come on," Owl whispered, "I'll take you to Adia's house."