IMA LIAR.
A BIG FAT FREAKIN LIAR
I DON'T DAMN CARE.
Huuuurrr.
Short chapter, bad writing, rushed, 3.30 am. I don't care. Read the damn story.
It gets confusing towards the end. Blame UV. Yeah, I just gave that away, do not care. It makes it easier to understand, anyway.
"What are you doing?"
The 'maren, not realising that he had company, jumped at the sound of another voice, glancing over his shoulder with a startled look, but his tense pose softened as he recognised his new companion.
"Oh, NiGHTS. I didn't know you were there."
She shrugged. "I didn't mean to scare you, Macky, I just see you walk off all the time at morning. Was just curious…"
"As to why?" He cracked a small smile. "I need time to think occasionally."
She chuckled, assuming a spot beside the 'maren in the tall, yellow-green stalks of grass. "And here I thought you were a Nightmaren! Thinking is overrated."
He simply smiled again, turning his attention to the valley overlooked by the hill they sat on. NiGHTS spent a moment soaking up the luscious sunlight, watching tiny birds chirping, staring at small flowers… But silence never lasts with her.
"What were you thinking about?"
As if dreading that question, Makoas content smile faded. "The past."
"What part of the past?"
"The love part." He sighed. "You're very lucky you know. To have what you do."
She nodded slowly, watching him closely as he turned to face her. "You miss her, huh? Your lover?"
"Kind of." He shrugged, this time shifting his gaze to the clouds lazily rolling above them. "I miss the romance, really. The loving, the kissing… The touch of her skin."
He let out a longing sigh, turning to lock their gazes again. "But I've had my fun."
A thought crossed NiGHTS mind and she fidgeted, choosing that it was better to ask than think… "Kissing, huh?" She paused a moment, pondering the outcome of her next question, but choosing to ignore it. "Would you like to kiss me?"
"What?" She'd never seen the 'maren so startled, she was shocked by his wide-eyed reaction, and even more when he tried to make excuses in Realas favour.
"But… NiGHTS! You have a mate- You have a lover! It would be wrong to do something like that behind his back! I can't accept that offer… It seems wrong."
He sighed. She shrugged, smiling sheepishly.
"Well, not really, I mean… He's my lover. But you're not, is it such a bad thing when it doesn't mean anything?"
The other nightmaren bowed his head, not wanting to accept the offer, yet his lonely side wouldn't let him turn it down…
"Alright."
He smiled; NiGHTS returning the gesture, and the two crept closer to hold each other in a very awkward embrace.
"Jackle. That's going to break."
"No it's not! It's not a stick this time!"
Reala sneered, watching the caped 'maren as he used a scavenged metal rod to move the same boulder that he had been battling for weeks. This said rod was slowly, very slowly, starting to bend in the middle, the top coat of paint falling away in tiny shards.
"…It's going to break." He repeated bluntly. When Jackle made no reply, he decided that his mate was more entertaining than a maniac bunch of clothes and a stick.
Even if Jackle was likely to end up hurting himself.
It didn't take Reala long to find his 'maren, but when he did. He wished he hadn't.
It was as though his fear-driven hate for Makoa had ended the way he had predicted. That he was trying to take his mate away from him. And now, before him, he was holding her, he was kissing her. But worse! When the damned kiss broke, she returned his warm smile, their embrace lingering for moments longer than Reala had wanted- and the moment NiGHTS wandered away, the moment he'd come into her view, he forced her to explain.
To his dismay, she wasn't as upset as he would've liked. Some pleading or crying would have settled him slightly, but she merely blinked a few times before realisation hit her and her expression weakened.
He could keep the volume of his voice controlled- for the moment- but not the anger it carried, she seemed to feel the venom dripping from his words.
"What were you doing…" Was the starting question.
"Just-"
"Just kissing him?"
"Well." She bit her lip, bowing her head sheepishly. "Yes…"
"NiGHTS I love you, doesn't that mean anything?"
She didn't reply, she didn't even look up to meet his gaze.
"I devoted myself to you, NiGHTS. And you do something like this behind my back…?"
"I… I'm sorry Reala… I didn't think-"
"No." He snapped. "You didn't."
As angry as he was with her, as much as he wanted to start yelling until his voice simply faded away, or how badly he wanted to simply teach her the rules through Nightmaren lessons, he did still love her. And decided it was better to fume somewhere else. So he flew away, sparking red dust falling in his chosen path.
NiGHTS whimpered, perhaps it was naïve, but she didn't think she'd done anything wrong, it was justified in her mind. But it upset him. Even if she didn't fully understand, he was more important, right?
"Mistress!"
She sighed, not really wanting to be pestered about anything right now, so when the random 'maren came charging up to her side, she brushed him off.
"Not now…"
"But mistress! One of our scouting parties is missing!"
That got her attention. "Missing? How?"
"They left a while ago- They were supposed to be back by dawn at latest, we went searching for them and found nothing! They're gone!"
"Show me where you searched."
He nodded quickly, slightly panicked, and lead her to the gigantic map kept in the main room of the base.
It was night, the 'maren were gathered around a large fire, staring nervously at the map, sections were marked, showing where the 'maren had checked for their comrades, others were just returning from similar fruitless searches.
"There's one place left." NiGHTS sighed, tapping her claw on an ominous patch of the parchment. "The bone fields."
The group had been dreading that, and they murmured fearfully to each other. Makoa and Jackle remained silent and emotionless, staring at the map. Though across from the two- and very far away from NiGHTS- Reala was attempting to glare holes in the green-eyed 'maren, who remained seemingly oblivious to him.
"Should we search there…?" One 'maren asked nervously, NiGHTS shook her head.
"It'd be dangerous, from what we know of the area at least. As much as I'd hate to abandon the other 'maren… I don't want to lose anymore."
Makoa sighed, crossing his arms. "I vaguely know the area, I can lead a group through there- The slightest sight of danger, we'll come back."
NiGHTS was about to give her opinion on that idea, when another voice cut in over the top of her.
"Or better, I can lead that group." Reala snapped, this was a way of proving how incredibly superior he was, compared to Makoa, it was also a way of proving to NiGHTS that he was strong- and she should appreciate that, and that she should appreciate him. Besides, he was a war general; one little run-around mission wasn't that hard.
NiGHTS new better than to test her mate when he's in a mood like this. It wasn't exactly as though she had any right to tell him off, anyway. But against her ominous feeling towards this place, she spoke to Reala for the first time since her little... Charity act.
"Fine, Reala, if you're willing to risk your life. Go ahead. Just promise me you'll do as Makoa had said- The slightest hint of danger, I want you, and all the 'maren with you to come straight back here."
He grunted, picking people for his scouting group (regardless of whether they wanted to come) and promptly flew off.
As the group began to evaporate to their own rooms, NiGHTS watched the dancing fire in front of her, letting out a slow, shaky sigh. As much as he hated the 'I-told-you-so' speech, Makoa couldn't help but reawaken the event that had started this mess.
The blue jester perched beside the girl, leaning against the log they shared as a chair.
"He's possessive."
She gave a short mocking laugh, nodding her head slowly.
"We should've seen this coming."
"I know. I know… It was wrong to do something like that behind his back, right?"
He frowned, sensing the hint of agitation in her voice. Her anger was justified- Especially towards him.
"And it was wrong to let him go to the fields…" He sighed, choosing not to finish that sentence as NiGHTS threw him an icy glare.
"He's angry, Makoa, at you, at me, at everything, when he's like that, he has to have his way, if not, he'd argue, fight someone, kill someone else, then go anyway!"
He nodded; she was as hard-headed as her mate. But there was nothing he could say that could help the situation- Talking to NiGHTS had little effect, talking to Reala would only succeed in getting his throat ripped out by the 'maren, so with a quick mumble good night, he decided to leave the jester alone.
NiGHTS growled. She still didn't understand…
Perhaps sending Reala out was a bad idea…
In the several days following, she confirmed that theory- The first group hadn't returned, nor had the second, and more importantly neither had Reala.
NiGHTS was getting nervous, she found herself constantly staring into the sky as though waiting for the other 'maren to fly into view. But, of course, they never did.
In the middle of the night, during one of the routine meetings, NiGHTS announced her plans.
And the others were quick to stop her.
"NiGHTS! You can't go after them! It's obviously dangerous- We can't lose a third to that place… And certainly not you!"
She shot a glare at Makoa, disliking his judgement the most. "I go if I want to!"
Jackle was next to step in, grabbing her sleeve in his gloved hand. "This is foolish NiGHTS. Don't risk your life over no-"
"Nothing?" She couldn't help but be angry over that, less because it was her mates life they were discussing, but more because she was simply angry. "It's not nothing, Reala is not nothing!"
"Please, NiGHTS, just listen-"
There wasn't a chance for any further word as she broke the grip and took to the air, tears streaming down her face from frustration.
Didn't they understand?
Hell, did she even understand?
They're wrong to treat you like that.
She nearly plummeted from the sky upon recognising that voice.
"Are they?" She spoke back, sighing as she looked back to the lit area of the forest, a bright fire in the middle of decorated buildings and shadowy forms. "Aren't I just acting crazy?"
She paused for a moment.
"I'm talking to some random voice. I'm crazy."
NiGHTS… Reala could be hurt… Or worse. And they would prefer to see you suffer with that knowledge, than let you help your lover. They're supposed to be your friends…
"I guess…"
Remember, NiGHTS, remember when they were? When they truly were your friends? Remember when Reala loved you with all his being?
NiGHTS gave a detatched, distant smile as the memories seemed to be triggering the 'happy' section of her brain- much more than they should- and she felt as though she had no weight to her being, that the world around her didn't exist…
Yes, NiGHTS… Just remember, the memories will keep you safe…
The jester sighed, still smiling, as everything faded away and she felt herself disappear into a soft, fluffy world, oblivious to the crazed laughter ringing around her…
With NiGHTS gone… She could stretch her black talons again, her master wanted her- and she was to obey him.
But first, a quick stop.
Damian was overjoyed upon hearing about the capture of the 'maren. Even Astral seemed to share some of his satisfaction with this victory.
Why?
Reala. Her mate, of course. How… Cliché. He laughed to himself, scraping his crystal claws together to sharpen them, he had some plans in store for Reala.
Trish was horrified, she knew Reala, and she also knew that the other 'maren were likely NiGHTS friends. She couldn't let them come to harm. But it was too late, Damian had them in his 'possession', they'd remember their stay at the Protectors base, if they survived.
The sadistic human overlord was pacing around, gleefully planning how he would greet these 'maren when he reached the 'bone fields' base, Astral was no doubt sharing a similar thought pattern, whilst Trish was contemplating something completely different…
She sighed, wandering down one of the long hallways to her Isaacs room, cuddling him quickly before kissing his head and placed him in his cot.
"You're getting so big now…"
She couldn't help but smile at his little coos.
"But I don't think I'll get to see you any bigger… I'm sorry, Isaac, mummy has something to do."
He whimpered, as though knowing that meant something bad, and pawed at the sides of the cot.
She smiled warmly, tucking supplies into a bag… Food… Water… And with a quick sigh, and inspection of the item, a pistol…
She lingered at the door for a moment, watching Isaac as he stared at his departing mother, and as a tear casually slid down her face she shut the door, heading for car destined 'bone fields' Protectors base.
Blood smearing the snow, bones jutting from the ground, and the quiet, ominous cry of something disturbed from its peaceful rest- This is what she had been expecting. This is what she had wanted. Black claws clicking, purple lips pulled back in a devilish smirk, yes… This was perfect.
Her master had said they'd been here, Astral had told her that this was where the 'maren would be taken to. She had plans regarding her mate.
Her mate? She smirked. Hardly. It was NiGHTS mate, but so long as NiGHTS resided within the body they shared… He was her mate. But there was a way to get rid of him, and more importantly- get rid of her. Their bond held her here… Reala needed to die, if NiGHTS was ever to leave…
She hissed, her white hair falling over her face in such a cliché way that she started laughing again, all that she needed was to get rid of NiGHTs and her body, her power, and her future would belong to the darkness that had been residing inside her for so long…
Yes. She chuckled. She was going to enjoy this.