"Kitty!" NiGHTS couldn't get over that surprise. Reala was surprised to discover that he was just as excited. "He doesn't have elec . . . electr . . . lightni . . . sparky stuff, does he?" He scowled at his inability to say 'electricity' properly. Whoever had invented the word was on the little Nightmaren's bad side.
Clawz let out a muffled mew from beneath his paws. Wizeman absently prodded the cat. "Go to them." Clawz looked up at his creator, then shuffled forward like a depressed ape. He stopped in front of Reala and sat down, resigning himself to his fate. "Mew."
Reala stared. "That's a big cat. . ." NiGHTS was less concerned. "Kitty!" He flew over, hugging the feline and reminding Reala of his own inability to stay airborne.
Clawz blinked as he was hugged, then grinned and pulled two large firecrackers out of nowhere. NiGHTS squeaked in surprise and fell off as the objects exploded in his face, then pointed accusingly. "Clawz made a boomboom!"
Clawz turned his grin on Reala, only to find
the little Nightmaren grinning back. Reala smirked. "I
like this cat." Clawz backed away, looking back toward
NiGHTS as he brushed himself off. "Haha, explodey kitty!"
Clawz backed away further, this wasn't right! Why was nobody
afraid of him? He turned on Jackle, he had had a great reaction
to Clawz earlier.
Jackle had a sly grin spread across the
void that served as his face. "Heeeere kitty kitty. . ."
He reached into his cloak and withdrew two large and sharp edged . .
. Mother Goose Alphabet cards.
Wizeman extended a hand to study the cards with. Reala took on
a slightly disgusted expression. "M-mother. . ."
"Goose!" NiGHTS finished for him, waving happily
before sobering. "That stuff's for babies."
Jackle would have blushed if he'd had the ability. Even Clawz
had calmed down and was shaking his head in disapproval.
Jackle growled. "Well, it's all I had to work
with!"
Later, NiGHTS lounged on
his belly with a large set of crayons. Reala peered down from
his crib. "What're you doing?" NiGHTS
shrugged. "I invented art."
Reala sighed,
sitting up. "No you didn't, you invented smearing wax
across paper and calling it art. That's just stupid."
he blinked as NiGHTS paused, looking perplexed. Reala blinked
back. "What is it?"
NiGHTS looked at his
picture, then at Reala again. "Wha's smearing mean?"
Reala scratched his head. "What's perplexed mean?"
Getting no answer, he answered NiGHTS. "Making a mess,
like you're doing."
NiGHTS smiled. "Oh!
Smearing means art!"
Reala growled. "No!"
He reconsidered. "Well . . . yes. But it
shouldn't!"
NiGHTS giggled and
resumed scribbling a mass of blue and pink. It was something
he'd seen Wizeman chasing and trying to swat when one had wandered
into the castle.
Reala settled down under the covers again,
hugging a scrap of fabric close. "You're much smarter than
NiGHTS, binky. . ."
To Be Continued. . .
