A/N: Actually wrote more. Not sure I'm happy with it, but it should pick up eventually.

I do not own TWEWY or NiD.


There was relative silence. Along the heart of the valley ran a shallow stream by which he walked, closely followed by the oddly subdued jester. He had a premonition that something must be near, but he knew not of what.

NiGHTS, having been cut off before, chose to try again. "Joshua, are you withholding something from me?"

Joshua, not wanting to discuss more than he needed about himself, and backsliding ever so slightly into his pre-Neku ways, chose now to enact his revenge. "What of it? You're not who you let people think, am I right?" He spoke casually, as if making light the usually earth-shaking revelation, at least for the usual visitor. He even seemed to shrug off the gravity of the question in a literal fashion.

NiGHTS was taken aback. "How can you say that?" he got a bit defensive. "You're just a visitor- what would you know?"

"Anyone can draw a parallel between you and your friend in red. Obviously there was something between you."

NiGHTS thought for sure Joshua was on to his other secret. Rather than make Joshua more suspicious, he answered truthfully. "He was my friend once,.. then I betrayed his trust. Now he hates me."

His decision to throw NiGHTS into an uncomfortable situation had turned on him. "I know the feeling," and then a silent understanding hung between the two.

All was quiet, until a squawking screech ripped through the air. Joshua whipped around in time to see a large, flamboyant bird descend upon NiGHTS and attempt to drag him off. "Let go you stupid bird!"

'No!' What could he do? Even if he had retained more of his powers, the bird had NiGHTS in its grasp, making it hard not to hit him in the crossfire. He glanced at the stream, quickly taking his resources into account, and formulated an idea.

The bird was completely oblivious to the visitor's presence, that was until a damp, weighty rock struck it square in the temple. The shock caused it to loosen its grip for a fraction of a second, but that was all NiGHTS needed to break away.

The monstrous bird was now incensed, quickly forgetting about NiGHTS, and instead lunging at Joshua, talons poised.


So, everything always looks longer in my notebook, and I really need to learn to type faster..