Chapter 10
Reala led NiGHTS down an insanely long hallway. To make up for it, the duo flew quickly, but not all out. NiGHTS realized within two or three minutes that Wizeman's chambers had been at one end of the hall, and along the hallway were six doors. Above each door was a small crystal, and for each crystal was a different color.
The door closest to Wizeman's was adorned by a yellow crystal. Reala pushed open the door and called, "Hey, you've got a new sister. Come check her out, I think you'll be happily surprised." A few seconds later, a figure flew through the door and stared at NiGHTS.
The figure was obviously feminine because of her well-defined figure, compared to NiGHTS' own cylinder of a form that could be a toss up for either gender. She was a humanoid, built similar to Reala and herself with no wrists peaking out from under her cream colored sleeves, nor a neck out of her shirt top. From her golden belt hung a strange, golden colored, loin-cloth like thing in front of a skirt the color of rich, pure honey. Where the girl's skin (or what could be called skin, at least) was the color of faded saffron, and her slipper-like shoes, as well as her gloves (according to NiGHTS) were a deep, golden-bronze. Atop the Nightmaren's head sat a proud, gold tiara with three spines, the middle one with a bright yellow gem set in it.
She stared at NiGHTS' figure for a few seconds before their eyes locked. The Nightmaren's eyes quickly widened in realization. "NiGHTS?" she asked. The thief-Nightmaren shifted uncomfortably under her new sister's gaze.
"Uhh," NiGHTS hesitated, "Do I know you?"
The other Nightmaren started to giggle, her two, short, black-tipped bee-stinger-like horns shaking hypnotically. "NiGHTS," she said between laughs, "Don't you recognize me? I'm Medea."
NiGHTS stared with a small amount of shock at the golden Nightmaren. She looked more intently at the features of the creatures and listened to its voice just a little harder, and realized that she could see little hints of her former client.
"It is you, isn't it?" NiGHTS asked in her stupor.
"Yep! I'm here with Wizeman because of my distrust in my brother, as well as bringing you and Reala to fight my battles for me." The former princess looked with a shy kind of adoration at Reala, and said, "But I've come to realize that I need to fight for my siblings, as well as myself." She hugged NiGHTS hard, startling the young Nightmaren, "Then again, that's what you were telling me all along, wasn't it?"
NiGHTS nodded a little, still stunned by the encounter.
"Well," Reala said, "I'm off to go introduce NiGHTS to the rest."
"Okay. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, NiGHTS," Medea said, retreating into her room.
As the duo headed towards the next door, NiGHTS asked Reala, "Anything I should know about this next sibling?"
Reala chuckled. "Just don't strangle him. You won't get to far with that."
The crystal above the next door was a deep orange, an as he pushed open the doors, he called inside, "Hey, c'mon out here, you've got a new sister." Silence came from within the dim room. Reala sighed. "Dammit, Ed, get your ass out here. Master Wizeman has ordered me to introduce NiGHTS to all of her siblings, and that includes you."
An orange-clad form appeared slowly out in the hallway. He had short horns that curled like a rams, and were tipped with a coppery color. Atop his head was a bronze crown that was simply decorated, the same color of the pin holding his cape on. A deeply embroidered, short sleeved, orange-brown tunic was over a long sleeved shirt with loose, golden-brown sleeves. His deep tan pants were tucked into his light-brown boots.
The orange Nightmaren looked a NiGHTS steadily but under the similar, dismissive stare, NiGHTS knew exactly who she was dealing with.
"You!" NiGHTS growled, but Reala grabbed her arms and held them behind her back before she could make a move.
"Oh, it's NiGHTS. Is this all you called me out here for, Reala?" Edward asked.
"Yeah, it is," Reala replied stiffly.
"You should be scared," NiGHTS growled, glaring at Edward.
"Oh, should I now? I don't think Master Wizeman would appreciate you accosting me, NiGHTS."
"Oh, so you're just going to go running back to daddy then, huh?"
"Yes, because from what you've taught me, NiGHTS, playing fair won't get me far." He gave a fairly sinister chuckle and retired to his quarters, the door closing loudly behind him.
"You handled that pretty well, NiGHTS," Reala said as the duo continued their journey down the hallway.
"Hey, Ree? Why'd we just pass that door?" NiGHTS asked, stopping and pointing behind her brother at the door with the red crystal above it.
"Because that's my room. You already know me, NiGHTS," Reala replied, grinning as he flew on.
"And why'd we pass that one, too?" The door had a purple crystal above it.
"Because that's your room. You'll get to see it later, but for now, there's two others to meet."
"Any one else I'd like to murder?" NiGHTS asked.
"Yes and no," Reala replied as he flew up to the door with a blue crystal above it. He rapped his knuckles on the door three times, and it opened silently. This time, Reala entered, NiGHTS right behind him. The room was dimly lit with a soft, glowing, blue orb at what NiGHTS assumed was the center.
"Reala," asked a familiarly calm voice, "how are you?" A figure appeared in front of the light, but several other lights- brighter ones at that- appeared in its place.
A feminine figure was revealed. Instead of having two horns, she had three. They were striped with deep, midnight blue and black, complementing her long dress which split colors at the waist. She had two chains around her hips like belts that crossed over each other, and hanging off each chain was an army even thinner chains, each with a crystal at the end. The shirt peaking out from underneath the dark blue part of her dress was a contrasting cyan, the sleeves on both sides bound tight right below the shoulders by paper white scarves.
She turned her calm gaze on NiGHTS, who simply stared, her realization of the Nightmaren standing in front of her destroying her ability to speak.
"Hello, NiGHTS," Moth said calmly, "No, I'm not trying to steal your- I mean our- brother. I never was. Then again, maybe I should have just followed your example and told you that outright when we were still alive."
Moth then turned and disappeared, and Reala lead the still-stunned NiGHTS out into the hallway.
"Wow. I shouldn't have been in there for that, should I?" Reala asked, looking in NiGHTS' eyes.
"How'd she know?"
"Moth has the ability to read minds now. It's a gift given to her by Master Wizeman."
"He's really powerful, huh?" NiGHTS asked.
"Yeah, but he's really nice too, NiGHTS."
"I trust your judgement, Ree."
"You won't be disappointed," Reala said as they came to the final door, marked by a green crystal. After one knock, the door flew open and a green flash streaked out, tackling NiGHTS in a hug.
"I thought you'd never make it, NiGHTS!" a happy, childish voice rang out.
"Who are you?" NiGHTS asked as she separated herself from the green-clad entity.
He had a homely-looking, emerald green tunic on, with the sleeveless part above his shoulders ripped a bit. The shirt beneath was a jade color, the same as his spiked boots. His pants were a light, grassy green, and tucked into his boots. His horns were both double spikes, and striped with a bright yellow green and a dark blue-green. Despite his overall spiky appearance, he was quite jovial.
"It's me, Bud!" he said happily, flying circles around her.
"I thought I recognized that over-eager attitude," NiGHTS said, grinning slyly.
"Well, I'm trying to get better at that." The Nightmaren halted his dizzying maneuvers and stopped face-to-face with NiGHTS and asked, "Could you teach me to be more like you, NiGHTS? You've always been really good at keeping up a good face."
"Uh, I'm not sure," NiGHTS said, surprised that he had even asked for any help. If she was correct, she was the youngest among them, making Bud rank even higher than herself. "I guess I could do that. But not now, I'd like to get to know this place a little better first."
"Okay, later then," Bud said, zooming back into his room and closing the door behind him in one swift motion.
"Man," NiGHTS said, "He's fast."
"It's because he's so damn small," Reala said.
"So now what?"
"Want to see what my room looks like?" Reala asked.
"Eh, why not?"
"Why not? Why not?!" Reala asked in mock indignant tone. NiGHTS just laughed. The older Nightmaren grinned, then bowed low at the waist, one arm folded under his chest while the other was straight out behind him, his right leg forward and his left directly beneath. NiGHTS smiled at the similar gesture, took his hand and tugged it hard, then flew off in the direction of the room Reala had said was his own.
As NiGHTS entered the room guarded by the red crystal, her eyes widened. Instead of being dimly lit like Moth or Edward's rooms, but was brightly lit by several torches. The tiles on the floor were red and black, just like Reala, and in the center of the room stood a regal throne.
"Sweet," NiGHTS said as she looked around.
"Yup," Reala said, entering behind his little sister and closing the door and floating over towards the throne. "Y'know, you get to decorate your room however you want to, NiGHTS," he said, flopping down unceremoniously. "Have a seat." The older Nightmaren lazily waved his hand, and a mass of red-and-black mist appeared. NiGHTS sat upon it, and found it solid yet cushioned.
"So, then, why am I here, Reala?" NiGHTS asked.
"Because I invited you in, NiGHTS. Duh," Reala said, smiling again.
"No, I mean, why am I here in Nightmare? You said sinners become Nightmarens. What I do wrong?"
"I, uh…" Reala hesitated.
"Out with it," NiGHTS said in a bored-yet-stern tone, staring at her brother.
"Well, it's because you're really cold-hearted."
"I only did that because of the cards Fate handed us!" NiGHTS exploded.
"And your anger issues," Reala continued.
"I'll give you anger issues," NiGHTS growled, rolling up her sleeves to reveal nothing but air.
"And the fighting," he concluded.
"And what else, the stealing, too?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm.
"No, not the stealing. Since we were doing that only to give ourselves the basic necessities, we're not in trouble."
"So then why are you here, Ree?" NiGHTS asked.
"Huh?"
NiGHTS sighed. "Why are you here? Do I have to spell it out?" She gave him a confused look. Reala's acting weird, she thought.
"Because when I was alive, I wasn't really humble."
"You were totally humble," NiGHTS said loudly, on the verge of yelling. Reala put his hands up in a 'whoa' gesture.
"No, actually. I wasn't. I thought I could do anything, and, apparently, I couldn't." He chuckled a little. "But, being with Master Wizeman has done a lot for me. I mean, I'm less of a desperate mess than when I was trying to fend for two people when I could really only fend for myself."
"Was I really that much of a burden, Ree?" NiGHTS asked quietly, her eyes downcast.
"No, NiGHTS, you weren't. In fact, if it weren't for you, I'd've probably offed myself after mom and dad left."
NiGHTS thought for a moment, then said to Reala, "I'd like some time to myself, Ree. To think."