Reala, NiGHTS, and Jackle flew quickly to Master Wiseman's chamber.
"Master Wiseman!" Reala shouted as the three nightmaren bursted into the room.
But instead of Master Wiseman, they came face to face with the dark figure sitting lazily on the throne. Malice. Malice looked different; he seemed to look more powerful, and foreboding. He had also stolen control of Wiseman's hands. They now floated lazily around Malice.
"Malice?" NiGHTS gasped.
"Where's Wiseman!" Jackle shouted angrily.
"He's here." Malice said casually. He motioned to the large red ideya above him. There, in the ideya's reflection, was Wiseman.
"Master Wiseman?" Reala asked incredulously.
"He can't answer you." Malice explained cruelly. "He's trapped."
Malice's gaze then fell on NiGHTS. NiGHTS shivered as he leered over her. Reala flew protectively in front of her when he saw Malice's eyes rest on NiGHTS.
"Leave her alone." Reala snarled.
"Now why would I set this up, just to leave poor forgetful NiGHTS alone?" Malice said cruelly.
"What do you mean, 'set this whole thing up'?" Jackle questioned.
"Why, I'm the one who opened that door to you laboratory." Malice explained evilly.
"Laboratory?" NiGHTS asked quietly. "What lab?"
Malice's eyes rose.
"Well NiGHTS, I told you that Reala wasn't really your friend." Malice said, smug. "He and this clown have been lying to you."
"No! NiGHTS shouted angrily. "Reala would never lie to me!"
Malice laughed cruelly.
"Oh really?" Malice said. "Well, let's ask Reala. How about it Reala, if you really care for NiGHTS... will you tell her the truth?"
NiGHTS turned and looked at Reala, expecting him to quickly deny lying to her. Reala's eyes narrowed as he seemed to think. Reala then took a pained glance at NiGHTS.
"Why isn't he saying anything? Could Malice be telling the truth?" NiGHTS thought.
NiGHTS flew over to Reala, stopping just in front of him.
"Reala?" NiGHTS said in a quiet, gentle voice. "Reala, what is it. Tell me. Please."
Reala's face looked sad. He raised his eyes and looked in NiGHTS's big blue ones.
"He's telling the truth." Reala said quietly. "We did lie to you."
NiGHTS's eyes went wide and she flew backwards away from Reala.
"He lied to me!" NiGHTS thought sadly. "Was he just tricking me the entire time? Am I nothing to him?"
Malice laughed cruelly at NiGHTS's pained face.
"You see my dear." Malice happily said. "You can't trust him. He's been fooling you the entire time."
"No!" Reala roared angrily. Reala then turned to NiGHTS. He flew over to her and grabbed her hand.
"NiGHTS, please listen." Reala pleaded. "I'm sorry; I didn't want to hurt you, not ever. I just wanted you back."
"Back?" NiGHTS asked. "Where did I go?"
"You're a traitor." Malice said, flying up behind NiGHTS's feminine form. Reala growled angrily at the black jester. "Just like me, you wanted to be free of Wiseman. Now you can."
With that, Malice offered NiGHTS his clawed hand. NiGHTS stared at it, horrified.
"Join me." Malice offered enthusiastically. "Help me rule Nightmare; I want you by my side."
NiGHTS stared at Malice's hand. She hurt inside from Reala's lies, she wanted to make him hurt!
"But I can't."NiGHTS thought sadly. "I could never hurt Reala. It would just be like hurting myself."
Then, NiGHTS was pulled out of her trance by a grunt. Reala and Jackle had attacked Malice! Jackle was immediately thrown aside by a blast.
"What the heck was that?" Jackle shouted rubbing his head.
"That was one of Wiseman's attacks!" Reala called back. He had just been thrown away by another blast.
Malice cackled insanely. "I have Wiseman under my lock and key. I also have control of his powers. You cannot beat your new king!"
"You're no king!" Reala shouted angrily.
Malice chuckled insanely.
"You are right." Malice said maliciously. "I'm more of a god!"
With that, he sent another blast at Reala and Jackle. They were both thrown clear across the throne room. NiGHTS gasped as she saw Jackle hit the far wall with a sickening crunch. Reala managed to fly up into the air, but he was hurt too much and fell back down to the ground, barely conscious.
"Reala!" NiGHTS shouted.
NiGHTS darted to the fallen nightmaren with all the speed that she could muster.
"I don't care!" NiGHTS thought as tears flowed from her face. "I don't care if Reala lied to me, I love him. And I want to be with him, forever!"
NiGHTS was suddenly blocked from reaching Reala. Malice was flying in front of her smugly. He once more offered NiGHTS his hand. NiGHTS's face scrunched up in anger as she slapped his hand away. She tried to move past him to Reala, but he painfully grabbed her arms.
"Let me go!" NiGHTS shouted as she struggled in Malice's grip. She had to get to Reala!
"I've beaten him."Malice said like it should solve all his problems. "I've known you were to be my mate since I found you also possess a red ideya base. That makes us strong; we can channel the greatest power known! Join me!"
NiGHTS tried fighting Malice off, when she realized what he had said. She could also channel the red ideya. What if...
Malice suddenly reared in pain. Reala had managed to sneak up behind him. One of Reala's clawed hands was inside of Malice's back, the other, was on Malice's wrist as he tried to pry NiGHTS free.
Finally, with a grunt, Reala managed to pull Malice's clawed hands off of NiGHTS.
"Go!" Reala shouted as he flung himself backwards, with Malice coming along for the ride. "Get out of here NiGHTS!"
"I'm not going anywhere!" NiGHTS called back desperately as she tried to dive in to help Reala.
"No! He's too strong, run!" Reala shouted back.
Malice sent a blast of raw power at Reala, knocking him off. Reala went sailing into the throne.
Malice snarled at the injured nightmaren and turned his attention back on NiGHTS, only to find she wasn't there. NiGHTS was on her way to the throne. She arrived as quickly as she could and gently cradled Reala's head on her lap.
"NiGHTS." Reala said quietly. "I'm sorry that I lied to you."
"It's ok Ree." NiGHTS said reaching out and grabbing his hand in hers. "It hurt, but it doesn't hurt anymore. I couldn't do without you. I love you Reala."
Reala smiled content.
"I love you, my NiGHTS." Reala said trying to get up.
NiGHTS smiled happily and she went to help Reala up, but a blast knocked the two of them apart. NIGHTS looked up to see Malice aiming another blast at Reala, but Jackle came out of nowhere and tackled into Malice; buying Reala a little more time. Reala got up off the ground and drill dashed into Malice. NiGHTS was of near the throne, very close to the red ideya.
NiGHTS stared at the ideya, and Wiseman trapped inside. NiGHTS sighed, she knew what she had to do... but she wasn't sure if she'd live through it. She never wanted to be apart from Reala, but if she died... she'd be away from him. But it might save him and all of Nightmare if it worked.
"It's worth it." NIGHTS thought sadly as she flew up to the red ideya.
NiGHTS placed her hand on the red ideya, and began absorbing its power. The power was unrestrained, like an ocean of heat, cold and pain coming towards her all at once. It was an odd feeling, being roasted alive and frozen at the same time. NiGHTS felt the ideya inside her; it was trying to overpower her. NiGHTS managed to force her eyes open to see where to aim. Wiseman was free, and his hands had returned to him, along with his power. Reala was staring at her, she couldn't hear what he was saying, but he looked like he was calling her name. Jackle was lying down; Malice must have thrown him off.
Malice.
Malice was looking absolutely furious. He charged at her, claws extended. When he was right in front of her, nights let all her bottled power flow out unbridled. Malice seemed to dissolve into thin air. NiGHTS felt herself fall, darkness seemed to close in around her... and she felt arms gently catch her and hold her with tender care.