CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
The purple-capped jester was tied up in golden chains, his persona mask had been forced upon his head and he hung limply in his bonds, unable to move. Luckily Helen and Will quickly removed the chains from him. Even more luckily, they came apart easily!
NiGHTS fell to the floor below, groaning. She finally managed to get to her feet. "It's okay…don't worry about me!" She insisted. She rubbed her head, then turned to both of them, a gentle smile appearing on her face. "Thanks you two…"
Then they heard it. The bell was ringing! And a dark cloud of small black dots were creeping towards them through the air, covering the city. NiGHTS got into a fighting position, eyes aglow. "Wizeman is coming…it's time!" She turned to the children. "Get ready!"
The black cloud swept around them and they were whisked through the air…
…
…
…
…a frightening, dark purple abyss that slowly churned beneath them…this was the Dark Sea that Wizeman the Visitor had become lost in so long ago. Red lights the color of blood danced about in the background like a sick Aurora Borealis of some sort. Stone columns rose up, smooth and sleek, to form a formidable temple. In the center-back region of the temple was a large stone that was almost like something from a Celtic ritual, with golden lamps that held light blue flames, and an insignia like a sun was held up from the top of the rock, with a throne just beneath it.
Will and Helen looked around, a little bit frightened and in awe of the place, but NiGHTS just put his hands on his hips, looking bored. Then they realized why. First, she'd been there many times and two…somebody else was here!
"NiGHTS…I am dismayed at your continued insolence." Wizeman said, rising up from the abyss in all his dark glory. "If only you had obeyed my will and accepted a new soul, at least your body could have lived on." He remarked in a casual tone, acting as though NiGHTS was just…
"Shut up, Wizeman!" NiGHTS shouted back, taking off her persona. She tossed it to the ground and it bounced against the solidified Dark Sea a few times before coming to a halt. "We're NOT your puppets! No matter what you think, we CAN do things on our own!" She insisted, holding one hand to her heart, and over the red crystal on her chest. "We won't be held back by anyone, because we HAVE free will!"
"I…do have free will!" Helen realized out loud, holding her hand over her heart. She understood it now…she didn't have to hang out with her friends because they coerced her into it or anything like that…and she didn't have to succeed in violin or do the recital because her mother wanted her to…she could do it because she enjoyed it…and she would always be loved, no matter what.
Turning her head, she saw Will had realized it as well…she smiled at him, and they smiled at NiGHTS, stepping forward and nodding assertively. "You can't have our ideya, you big bully!" Helen said.
"You can't have our world either!" Will said. "Or the Night Dimension! We won't let you control ANYTHING or ANYONE!"
"Yeah, it's not your right!" Helen insisted, clenching her fist.
If he could have, Wizeman the Wicked would have raised an eyebrow. "Fools to the end…" He intoned. "That which I have created, I can just as easily destroy…" He sneered down at NiGHTS. "So be it…your fate is now sealed, my worthless creation…you and your little FRIENDS…"
He's…not alone! None of them are!
Wizeman looked around. "What…who said that?"
"I did!"
Floating above their heads, his form shimmering lightly, was the narrator. He turned to look at the others and gave them a two-fingered salute. "You can take him! Wizeman the D-Force Master is going down, and going down HARD!"
"Begone!" Wizeman snapped, lashing out with one hand. But his hand passed through the narrator, who laughed and laughed before vanishing from sight.
"He's right! We can win…let's go!" NiGHTS said, turning around to Helen and Will. He held out both hands. "Helen?"
A nod.
"Will?"
A nod.
The two reached out and took the jester's hand, then used their other hand to take each other's. Green, white, red and blue light swirled around them, filling them with purity, kindness, intelligence and knowledge, growth and wisdom…and above all, courage.
With a twinkling of dust, the two humans were transformed…now TWO NiGHTS stood before Wizeman, getting into a fighting position.
Wizeman's mouth betrayed the emotion of anger. He clenched his fists…then unfurled them, smirking. "I'll show you the power of a GOD." He bragged to them all in his smug tone. "Now…receive my judgment!"
He held up his hands, blowing them back quite some distance…but they soared back at him, not intent on giving up. However it wasn't going to be that easy…Wizeman raised his hands, chanting. "Sink into the darkness!" He commanded as he called forth wind and gravity, trying to crush them.
The winds tore at them…but then they felt another change come over them. Their bodies elongated, their skin becoming dark grey scales, their hands and feet grew claws and talons, and a long tail sprouted from behind. They transformed into a dragon, who's teal eyes gazed intently at Wizeman as it raced through the air, it's serpentine body easily maneuvering through the crushing winds. An unmistakable smirk appeared on both NiGHTS's faces. Was this the best he had?
"You're just my creation! You can't win." Wizeman insisted. "Now you will be swept away!"
BA-WHOOM! Their lungs became filled with water, they were going to drown in a dark ocean as tornados raced through the air to whip them into shreds…but then the transformation came naturally, they were now Dolphin NiGHTS, and they easily jumped over the tornados, swimming rapidly through the waters that Wizeman had summoned. Growling, he tried again, summoning another round of tornados. This time one of them clipped Helen, sending her reeling back…
But Will quickly reached out with his tail, and she grabbed ahold with her teeth. Ignoring the stinging pain, he flipped her over him, and they resumed their attack, rushing forward at Wizeman, who sent mighty boulders at them which swirled around in the tornados, threatening to pummel them to a pulp…but the two of them dodged, and rushed at Wizeman.
Wizeman erected a shimmering shield around him, a smirk on his face as the symbol for wind and water floated around his head, along with the symbols for electricity, gravity, fire and the other elements. "You cannot win." He told them. "Such foolishness…"
"It tickles!" NiGHTS laughed as they raced forward at Wizeman, sending him flying again. Wizeman growled once more, then raised his hands again.
"Now, suffer for me!" He growled, and a blinding flash of blue light blinded them…in an instant a dozen of the evil sorcerer/gods lined up in front of Will, Helen and NiGHTS.
"He's trying to trick us…don't get fooled!" NiGHTS insisted.
"We won't!" The two said right back. They transformed into Rocket NiGHTS, sailing around the fake Wizemans…aiming for the real one, the one who had the symbol of the elements circling around him. Infuriated, Wizeman laughed massive boulders at them, sending the rocks flying through the air to strike at the dualized threesome…but the rocket was quick and dodged them all…then rammed into Wizeman once more, sending him flying again.
"YOU…CANNOT BE THIS…STRONG!" Wizeman snarled, losing his composure. He called forth another crushing round of gale winds. "Sink into the darkness and despair!"
"So long, sucker!" Dragon NiGHTS laughed, slamming into him and tossing him through the air. Wizeman's body glowed golden as he let out a horrible howl of denial before…
BA-WOOOOOOOOM! Electricity crackled all around him before he exploded and a blinding flash of white light blinded them all.
…
…
…
…they found themselves un-dualized and back in the throne room, which was coming apart at the seams. A large, pulsating, glowing purple orb was all that remained of Wizeman. It sizzled with electricity and was silent for a few moments…but then it spoke in a voice that, although ominous, was that of an old man who was slowly fading away and unable to accept it.
"I…am…the creator of Nightmare…" Wizeman gasped out. Then he growled as he began to suck air into the dark orb he was. "Heed…my words. As long as darkness exists within the hearts of humans, then I…" He let out a gasp. "And the nightmares…shall never…be…destroyed!" In an instant, the swirling orb began to dissipate into blinding light that bathed over them…
And everything was silent.
…
…
…
…Helen awoke, blinking her eyes as birds chirped outside her window. She looked around her pink-walled room at her soft, pink bed, and then stretched her arms. Yawning slightly, she then moved to the side of the bed and looked down at a picture on her bedstand…
Her mother and her, carrying violins. Gently, she picked it up. "Mom…thank you." She thought to herself as she slid out of bed and picked up her violin case.
She had a recital to get to!
…
…
…
…the sun bathed down over Bellbridge Center Square as Mrs. Cartwright, dressed in a beautiful blue dress, looking around. She was standing in the front of City Hall where the recital was being held, and looking around…
Sometimes Helen missed practice to be with her friends, but they always dropped her off EVENTUALLY. Still, this wasn't practice, this was the recital, the big concert, and it began in fifteen minutes! Where was…
Panting, Helen ran up the steps to City Hall, and then looked up at her mother.
"Helen!" Her mother said in happy surprise, eyes widening.
Helen smiled, then undid the bow from her hair, letting her beautiful long blond hair fall down. In fact, she almost looked like…
…
…
…
…the bow went back and forth. The crowd listened eagerly within the concert hall as the beautiful pair played, one in a blue dress, one in a pink one, two forms fluidly stroking the bow as lovingly as Helen's mother stroked Helen's hair. Their instruments became a part of them…
And now a special part of the performance…it required true EMOTION to be seen, to be FELT through the violin. Mrs. Cartwright felt a twinge of nervousness enter her…could Helen do it?
The beautiful classical duet required that special surge of emotion…but it was no problem for Helen to allow that emotion to fill her as she finished up her part of the duet, for she could picture herself spinning through the Bellbridge sky, as the moon shone gently above her and the stars twinkled in the sky…
The crowd went wild…and Helen saw her friends cheering eagerly for her, jumping up and down. Smiling happily at them and bowing at the crowd, Helen then walked over to her mother and looked up with utter love at her before she held her mother's hand softly and felt it squeeze back gently.
…
…
…
… Slowly Helen returned to bed. What a busy day! But a good day. A very good day. As she slipped under the covers, Helen wondered…would he dream about NiGHTS? About Owl? About Will?
If only she could have said goodbye…
Then she heard a voice…
Helen…Helen…
Helen's head shot up slightly. Could it be?
There's more to the story Helen…there's something you've forgotten…but don't worry…I plan to see you through to the end…
And with that, sleep claimed her, as she fell into bed, still holding onto her music sheet book.
Author's Note:
And so ends HELEN'S story! Now comes the final part…by all means, please review!