Disclaimer- I don't own NiGHTS, Nightmaren, or anything or anyone canon. They all belong to Sega, however, Lightans, and all Ocs featured in this story are mine.
Author's Note: Thanks to Songbird and Magic Pickle for their reviews, and I hope to gain a few more with this chapter. I DO have plans for a sequel, though it will be a bit different than this one. I hope you enjoy this second to last chapter of Clandestine, and watch for the next up story, ENIGMA. Though that's a working title.
Lightans are like… the good dream equivalent of Nightmarens. It occurred to me that perhaps while there are Nightmarens, there have to be something to balance that out, right? Hence the birth of Lightans. Though, I have a feeling that to Nightmarens, Lightens are just myths and legends due to an imbalance in the Dream World's natural balance. I also believe that Lightens try to protect the Ideya, whilst staying hidden. However, that's counterproductive on their part.
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Long ago, long forgotten, they hide in plain sight. Within the worlds of Nightopia and Nightmare, there are legends and lore about them. The unknown creatures known simply as Lightans, they existed in total secret. Under strict rules to NEVER interact or interfere with Nightmaren activity. And none disobeyed; not even the youngest of the Lightans… apart from one.
The hands of Wizeman were something that was to be engraved in her memory for eons. Years after this event, Xantippe could be asked what she remembered of this experienced, and the old Lightan would reply the same as she would any day after this.
"His hands were like angered lightning and his cruelty knew no bounds."
But at this moment, in this moment… Xantippe was more concerned about biting, clawing, and kicking with all her might as a hand snuck up from behind and grabbed hold of her.
"Let me go! LET ME GO!" She yelled, around sharp but futile bites to his metal hands. NiGHTS didn't stand – float – idly. He dove down in a Drill Dash, aimed at the hand that encased her slim body in it. It relinquished the grip on her as Wizeman roared in pain.
Xantippe shot into the air with a snap of her wings. She soared free, and growled. She let her rage flow, her emotion powering her attack as she copied NiGHTS corkscrew attack… with a bit of a twist. Her own ice encased her wings and horns, giving her more momentum and weight as she plowed into the main area of another hand that the ice shattered off her.
NiGHTS winced at the sound of his creator's rage-filled cry of agony. His wince allowed him to get captured by Wizeman's third left hand, one of the four in-commission hands. With that hand distracted, Xantippe did her best to fight off the other three. Wizeman began to internally gloat, thinking that they were to be defeated so soon.
Xantippe fell victim to yet another hand, which shot a beam at her. This beam, which would have knocked her out before only served to send her off-balance for a moment, then come back with angry eyes. She sent a volley of ice shards at his second right hand, striking dead center in the eye, which began to bleed as the third left hand let go of NiGHTS.
NiGHTS shook himself to steady himself as he flew free of Wizeman. The behemoth god began to rethink his options, and decided that another death and 50 year rebirth was a bit too risky. But… his pride wouldn't let him give up.
"You think me to be getting feeble and weak? HA! I'll die again before you think that… but on this night, I grow tired of this play." He boomed, before beating a hasty retre-… regroup to the shadows of Nightmare. NiGHTS found himself to be full of energy, having defeated his father was always a perk.
Xantippe, on the other hand, was exhausted, and would love nothing more than to return home. She pulled on NiGHTS' waistcoat, to grab his attention. He turned to her, taking in her exhausted face. "I guess you aren't used to here… to be honest, this place isn't really my cup of tea either." He said, supporting her with some effort as he escorted the tired Lightan out of the Nightmare Core.
But she was not going to enjoy going back.
Zinzi came out of the Nightopia, this HAD to go straight to her superior. But a warp in dream-space alerted her to something. She whipped her head around as Peren followed her. Coming out of the warp was a purple nightmare supporting something white and blue.
Their target.
"Zinzi. Apprehend the target. I'll tell Leader about this." Peren murmured quietly to Zinzi as he slipped off to get the other members of the team. "I'll alert Terra… if you find yourself unable to take down the defect on your own, signal Flain and Yunza." Peren added as he left.
Zinzi scowled. She didn't want to take that chance, already signaling the red and blue. It wasn't long before Flain and Yunza were with her, on either side. The tiny group had already gotten Owl and Celibate's attention as the birds soared in a sharp arc to NiGHTS and the limp Xantippe.
"Hoohooo! NiGHTS! NiGHTS, horrible news! Lightans have come to the Dream Gate! They're searching for the girl! Ooooh, hooo, what do we do?!" Owl hooted and squawked and fluttered as NiGHTS stared with an annoyed look on his face.
Xantippe looked at him with an equally annoyed look. "Does he EVER shut up?" she asked NiGHTS, as Celibate gently landed on her, pecking at her horn. "Xantippe, this is TERRIBLE. Lightan FORCES are here for you. They claim you to be a defect. Celerity is AFTER YOUR HEAD." She clicked her beak at the Lightan.
Xantippe immediately stood straight. "What?" she was in shock. Sure she'd messed up in the past… but never bad enough to make Celerity send the FORCES after her. Zinzi took this opportunity to step in, batting Owl aside like he was a floating rag doll. She smirked, her road-runner esque features making the expression sharper.
"Well, lookie what we have here. The little defect herself! We've been looking for you, hun. You're in biiig trouble, you know. You're coming back with us. You have to stand trial for your crimes." Zinzi said, not expecting NiGHTS to shove her back. "Says who? What's she done wrong apart from being curous?" he demanded, hands on his hips. Zinzi scowled.
"Where we come from, NIGHTMAREN, curiosity acted upon immaturely is a high crime. Not that you would know nor care." The cold voice of Terra came as she walked over, her stature high and proud. Xantippe went pale, her wings drawing closer to her body as her tail wrapped around her legs.
NiGHTS looked at her with confusion. "Xantippe, what's wrong?" he asked, as Terra pushed past Zinzi to take the lead point, Peren in step behind her. Xantippe shook like a leaf, truly terrified, it seemed. She knelt, a show of submission. "I'll come quietly…" she murmured. NiGHTS stared in shock.
"Xantippe what are you doing? You stood up against WIZEMAN! And your trembling because some pansy girl in white is in front of you?" he was incredulous, but Celibate placed her wings over his mouth, quieting him. "She's TERRA, Leader of the Lightan forces! Even IF Xantippe wanted to fight back, the fight would be over in less than two minutes. Xantippes outgunned and outmanned, as humans put it." The eagle whispered.
Xantippe was hauled onto her feet, and turned around harshly, pushed into the air by the Forces, who soared high up, through the cloud bank. Terra turned an addressed NiGHTS. "You can come along, Nightmaren. But don't expect a happy ending for your little defect friend." She stated.
NiGHTS frowned. "She's not a defect." He stated, but soared to follow all the same as Celibate did the same. Her worried face, and the stoic air told him that this was no time for jokes or light hearts. Not even Octopaw could distract him from this. And that was saying something.
Author's End Note: Well, this is it. The beginning of the end. Expect some FAST updates. I'm now in a WRITER MOOD! Also… I'm surprised that NiGHTS' gender hasn't been brought up in the reviews. Nice. This surprises me, in a good way.
