Chapter 7: The Realm of Reality's New Ruler

"Oh what a wonderful reunion isn't it? Eh Claris and Elliot?"

Claris...Elliot? Wait...those are the two kids NiGHTS was talking about in the Dream World! Now i remember, I think they go to school with me a few grades under. Now...I don't know why they have such odd hair colors, but I'm not picky at the moment. I'm just glad to have a few allies

"Leave her alone Reala!" Elliot said clenching his fist tight.

"Oh why should I?" Reala sneered. "Because a little boy says so? Really Elliot, trying to sound menacing is not one of your strong suits."

"He's right!" Claris added. "We beat you before, we can do it again!"

People around started to continuously stare at us, like we were clowns or something. I don't usually like all this negative attention from random strangers, but if I needed to to stand up to Reala, so be it.

"Foolish children, do you not understand without NiGHTS here to do anything, you two are powerless!" Reala turned his head to me. "And without the Sixth Ideya, you are also powerless."

"Sixth ideya?" Elliot pondered.

"Why of course little blue thing!" A familiar voice said.

We all, including Reala turned to meet the owner of the voice. And we were met with the sight of Jackle, descending down to greet us with his signature cackle.

"HAHAHA! What a lovely little reunion! You two have grown a lot since we last met!" Jackle grinned. "Oh especially you Claris, I never got to let you play with my guillotine. I guess we have to get back to that sometime!"

"Jackle..." Reala murmured, obviously getting annoyed of Jackle's intrusion.

"Oh! And let's not forget about the woman of the world, Minnesota! Gotta love that little lady!"

"Okay that's where I draw the line!" I shout.

I roll up my sleeve and pull back my fist to throw a punch at the caped nightmaren. I then threw the punch as hard as I could, only for Jackle to catch it with one hand. He laughed and shook it up and down.

"Nice to meet you too!"

"JACKLE!" Reala yelled. "You are getting in my way!"

"I don't think you'll mind your daily dose of Jackle, after all, what would this world be without this caped catastrophe, eh?"

"The same way it's been for the past thousands of years...exactly the same!"

Quickly growing tired of this, I take my hand out of Jackle's grasp. I look around for a weapon of sorts to defend myself against the nightmaren. I find a bucket filled with water on the edge of the sidewalk, so I run over to pick it up. I bring it over to where the nightmaren where floating in place.

"Get away from us or I'll use this!" I shout at them.

Reala just cocked his head to the side and let out a chuckle. "You have a big bark for a powerless visitor. What exactly are you going to do to me? Get me wet? Honestly you are barley better than Elliot when it comes to threats."

"That's exactly what I'll do!"

I flung the bucket at Reala, making him drenched in icy cold water. He however seemed unaffected, just annoyed. He crossed his arms and growled.

"Ice cold water...for doing this to me I'll slice away at your face!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Reala." I grin.

"And tell me, just what's going to stop me?"

I point to the crowd of people, who then begin to gasp in disbelief. They were were shocked as they walked closer to Reala. Some picked up steel poles or hammers.

"What? How can they... They can see me!" Reala exclaimed.

Knowing what Min had just done, Claris spoke to Reala. "That's right Reala! They see floating water, shaped remarkably like a jester! So you can't hurt us without them trying to do something to you!"

Jackle thought this was humorous. "Ha, Reala, did you just get outwitted by a visitor?"

"Shut it Jackle... I can't do anything to the runt dreamer without the people doing something to me. Normally I couldn't care less, but Master Wiseman ordered me not to attack visitors except 5. Not to mention we want to be as stealthy as possible, and things like that tend to draw lots of attention. Looks like I'll just have to dry off somewhere and be back. Guard them until my return!"

The crowd began to panic a little when the 'floating water' flew away. This made our little 'scene' seem like we weren't just dumb kids talking to thin air. The crowd didn't know what to think as there were mixed of many emotions.

Elliot ran over to me and reached for something in his pocket. He brought out a water bottle and took the cap off of it before pouring the contents into the bucket. ...I see where he's going with this.

Grabbing the bucket I say to Jackle. "Go away you creep!"

I throw the bucket at Jackle, who gets socked by it in his face before being drenched with water. Some of the ground began to run of while others became more aggressive, approaching Jackle with any weapon they could fine.

I expect Jackle to do the same as Reala and flee the scene, but instead he gets an entirely new look in his eye and glares directly at me. That playful attitude and collected demeanor was gone.

"Min..." Jackle spoke lacking his normal sounding voice. "I came to the human world and greet you with a smile, and what do I get? I get an act of aggression."

Jackle flung his cape open, bladed cards one by one floating out of it and rotate around Jackle.

"So, I won't play poker with you." He said growling. "Instead, you get a penalty game!"

Jackle's bladed tarot cards then took a formation in front of him, before shooting off in different directions! The cards causing mayhem wherever they strike. I saw some chasing people, breaking things, and even fling into someone's leg! Jackle means business... It's no longer fun and games.

"We have to get out of here!" Claris said. "Even NiGHTS had a difficult time beating him like this!"

"Just how much do you know about NiGHTS?" I demand.

Then, one of the bladed cards swiftly thrust itself toward me. I quickly pick up the now empty water bucket and hold it in front of my face. I heard a big metallic noise. I move the steel bucket away from my face and see the tarot card wedged halfway through the side of the bucket closest to me.

That one was close... Jackle's going totally insane, he's not going to hold anything back. I'm beginning to side with Claris on this one, we need to get out of here. I now see the crowd is running in all sorts of different directions, chaos ensuing.

"Alright Claris, Elliot, let's go."

I throw the useless bucket to the side and turn aaa from Jackle. We start to sprint away from the crazed caped half transparent orange jester, but that seemed to make him more upset.

"Where are you going vermin?!" Jackle shrieked. "We've barley begun your penalty game!"

Jackle rose up from the ground, throwing cards at us like a machine gun. We can nothing but run from the mad 'maren. Cards stabbing everything around us as we try to flee in vain from Jackle. Finally, one card nailed Elliot in his lower thigh, and he dropped to the ground.

"Elliot!" Claris yells as she comes over to the groaning bluenet.

"There's an opening!" Jackle says as he throws 5 cards at once toward me.

The speed of the cards were disastrous and chaotic, leaving barley any time to react.

"Min! Not you too!" Elliot yells for me.

*Shank!*

...

...What?

I open my eyes that were previously shut tight. There were no wounds on me, nor did I feel any pain. What's going on? My eyes meet a purple figure in front of me, it seemed to have protected me.

"...NiGHTS?" I ask.

The figure looked to me, and I should have known, it WAS NIGHTS! She gave me a smile before groaning and cradling her stomach.

"NiGHTS, are you okay?" I ask.

"NiGHTS are you okay?" Jackle mocks. "No one asks if Jackle's okay, or if he'll be alright. I'm just seen as a crazy 'ol 'Maren who is obsessed with my toys."

Jackle seemed to calm down, but went into a ranting frenzy. "I obey my orders, bare through that mime wannabe Reala, and what do I get? The title of second class and not even and entirely visible body!"

All of Jackle's cards still in the air dropped down to the ground and the caped 'maren grabbed his 'face' and was silent.

"Talk about multiple personalities..." Elliot said, pulling the card out of his thigh.

I somewhat-lightly punch Elliot. "Shut it blueberry."

NiGHTS's wounds slowly heal and the cards eject out of her body, falling on the ground. Elliot and Claris walk over to the friendly purple Jester.

"NiGHTS!" Claris beamed. "It's been too long."

"Yeah." Elliot added. "We don't see you that much anymore."

"Haha...sorry guys. You know, I was busy with all of this going on."

I flip my hood over my head, trying not to be noticed by the jester. I was ashamed of what I did back in the dream world. I basically dumped her in the middle of everything and treated her like garbage. Heck...I even thought she was a traitor.

"Min?"

I turn my head back to meet NiGHTS. She opened her arms up, inviting me to accept a hug. I just turned away.

"I don't...do hugs."

Elliot flips the hood off my head and turns me around to meet NiGHTS's face.

"What do you think your doing?" I demand from Elliot.

"What do you think?"

The little... Ugh. He shoves me right toward NiGHTS before I have time to react. She closes her arms around me, I just sigh and accept the hug.

"You guys are the worst..." I state, halfway jokingly.

"You better believe it!" Claris chuckled.

"Oh, 'tee hee hee...' What a wonderful sight!" Jackle pipes up. "Forget 'ol Jackle, he ain't here!"

NiGHTS turns around to meet him, and her smile turns to a frown surprisingly quick. NiGHTS breaks our hug and floats slowly toward the cloaked mantle.

"Jackle, leave us alone and go away please. Your just becoming annoying."

"Is that all I am? A nuisance? An obstacle? A little roadblock in your highway?"

"No...I hope you will see what Wiseman's doing is wrong. Your fighting for the wrong cause Jackle, and your not even being recognized for it."

"That's hard not to believe." Jackle admits. "What else would I do?"

"You could be free Jackle, and be rid of all your sorrow and fear. You could be whatever you want."

Jackle gets up, dusting off his mantle, and looks straight into NiGHT's eyes. "So If I help you defeat wise guy, I'd be free to do what I choose?

NiGHTS nods. Immediately after, Jackle grins like a maniac, changing his entire personality again. His eyes grew sharp and he had a far more aggressive feel to him. He drew out 5 cards in each of his two floating hands.

"Hehehe! Let's go kill the Wiseman!"

"Easy there Jackle..." NiGHTS tried to calm. "We have to come up with a plan first."

"Oh right..." Jackle said, personality changing once more. "We need to come up with a way to defeat Wiseman, now with his new power of the sixth ideya, it will be even Harder."

"He took the sixth ideya?!" NiGHTS exclaims.

Claris and Elliot exchange puzzled glances as I just motion for them to go with it.

"Quite so Nighty NiGHTS. Min was so kind as to walk into a trap that was laid by Reala and carried out by Clawz. That's what gave the power to Wiseman to travel to this world in the first place. ...And obviously you somehow followed with us."

"Hm..."

"JACKLE!"

Jackle flinches as he turns around. On top of a building ahead was Reala. He is crossing his arms and has a terrible look upon his face.

"Disobeying my orders and making a scene is one thing, but conversing and planning with the enemy is another! Your crime will not be forgiven this time! This will go straight to Master Wiseman himself!"

Reala propels himself into the air with frightening speeds, heading toward the towering figure if Wiseman that lies upon the top of Twin Seeds tower.

"No!" Jackle yelled at him, following in pursuit of him.

"What's going to happen to Jackle?" Claris asked with a worried expression.

"What do you think happens to traitors?" I say to her. "They are executed."

This snapped something in NiGHTS's mind and she jetted after Reala. All we could do was stand there and watch what was to happen.

*NiGHTS's point of view.*

I try to keep up with Jackle, who is in hot pursuit of Reala. Hopefully I can catch my twin before its too late...

Jackle begins to throw his bladed cards at Reala, trying to throw him off track. However, being a more advanced nightmaren, Reala easily deflects them.

We are getting dangerously close to the top of the tower as Jackle keeps trying in vain to stop my brother from reaching the top. But it's too late, Reala reaches Wiseman, Jackle coming close behind him.

"Master Wiseman! Jackle has been plotting your down fall with the enemy! What are your wishes mas-"

Reala is grazed by one of Jackle's cards, making a scratch on his cheek. Wiseman seeing this is immediately enraged.

"JACKLE!" Wiseman boomed. "YOU DARE HAVE THE AUDACITY TO BETRAY THE RULER OF THE NIGHT DIMENSION AND SOON TO BE RULER OF REALITY ISTELF?!"

I stay out of Wiseman's sight, floating right under the top of the tower. Wiseman's humongous form radiated with a purple aurora as the 6 hands floated toward Jackle.

"YOU SHALL BE RID FROM THIS EXISTENCE YOU PATHETIC WORM!"

Jackle covers himself in his mantle and cringes in fear. One of the metallic hand's eyes pulsates, widening all the way. A long, powerful, pitch black beam of energy comes from the hand, enveloping Jackle.

I was completely shocked, my hands trembling at the sight. Since when did Wiseman have THAT much power? Don't get me wrong, he has alway been powerful..but not to this extent. This is... Too powerful.

When the beam eventually dissipated, Jackle was flung into the air, and seemed to be just floating right in place. He was in terrible shape. His mantle was completely dissipated and there were cracks on every limb and piece of his body. Small fragments of his form fell like shards of glass to the ground. He looked toward Wiseman with an evil look in his eyes.

"I will still...stand..and be rid of my chains forever Wiseman!"

Jackle brings out a few of his Tarot cards and throws a flurry of them at Wiseman's form. However, they merely disintegrated upon coming close to his body.

One of Wiseman's hands come up once more, eye pulsating again. A huge blast of Purple electricity consumes Jackle, and completely obliterating the Orange jester.

After a few seconds, the electricity fades away, leaving nothing but dissipating specs of energy. Reala just floated there maniacally laughing at the sight.

"Hahaha! I've been waiting for that for the longest time! Suits that mad 'Maren right! He was nothing more than a nuisance!"

"That's not true!"

I fly out of my hiding spot and rush toward Reala, and kick him in his chest, sending him spiraling in the other direction.

"Jackle got destroyed, fighting for what he thought was right. And he didn't want to be ruled by you! You and the tyrant Wiseman!"

"I WONT TAKE THIS NONSENSE FROM A TRAITOR AND A THIEF! YOU SHALL FOLLOW HIS FATE!"

One of his gigantic hands turns to look at me, it's pupil intensified. I knew what was going to happen from the fight with Jackle, so I was quick to dodge it's gaze before it shot it's beam of frightening energy. I need to get out of here, I am no match for Wiseman alone. Not to mention Reala In the mix...

I made a dive toward the ground, out of Wiseman's area of sight. I heard a sound of annoyance come from the giant being. For some reason...he didn't give chase to me. I don't understand why, but it's unsettling...

*Min's POV*

I see NiGHTS descend from the Twin Seeds tower, with a worried expression on her face. Something terrible must have happen to Jackle, I saw those big beams of black from the top of the tower. NiGHTS got down to our level and sighed.

"Jackle's gone..."

Elliot and Claris both share looks of disappointment at the death of their brand new comrade. I however show no sympathy for him. He fought for them, and now this is his fate.

I cross my arms. "That maybe, but the more pressing matter is Wiseman's gotten waaaaay more powerful then last time."

"How do you know?" NiGHTS asks.

Well...when I was at Wiseman's throne, I sorta stabbed him with the sixth ideya."

"Can't we take a second to deal with the loss of Jackle?" Elliot says, clenching his fist.

"Look blueberry." I say with lack of caring. "We aren't gonna Go anywhere moping over every sorry nightmaren we run into."

"Min..." NiGHTS says. "What just happened is equivalent to a brother of mine dying."

"How so? Jackle is a waste of space 'Maren."

"It's because he is related to me!" NiGHTS yelled. "Can you show some respect? Jackle and Reala and I were all nightmaren created by Wiseman!"