Nights: Into Dreams
Chapter 2:
A Sweet and Bitter Taste
Nights kneeled on the floor, the chains biting into his neck, wrists and ankles. He stared in stunned disbelief at the large figure that was looming before him. The multi-handed wizard hovered off of the ground, his feet only a few inches away from the cold marble. There was a gleam in his eye, a look of both intense hatred, and intense joy.
"Oh, Nights. If you could only know the happiness that I am feeling right now. To see you, kneeling before me in supplication! Oh my son, it is so delicious." Wizeman turned, hovering back towards the throne. "I have plans for you, Nights. At first it was my intention to merely return you back to the flock, erase your mind and fix the error that I obviously made. That would have, however, left out the intense pleasure I would feel in avenging myself. Your insolence at daring to try and destroy me has changed my thoughts. I intend to squeeze every ounce of pain I can out of you Nights, and then I will destroy you completely. There's no escaping this time, my son. There's no coercing little children to bring their red ideya to you. You are mine until I determine your usefulness has come to an end."
Nights just shook his head, still in shock. "You shouldn't be here. I destroyed you, you shouldn't be here!"
Wizeman smiled, the evil grin spreading across his face. "Still stuck on that, Nights? Have your wits totally escaped you? I am back, my son, and this time I intend to carry out my plans for the taking of the human's world. No longer will I be a slave to their dreams."
"We exist because of them, Wizeman, not the other way around. You cannot control that which created us."
"Poor, pathetic Nights. The created shall become the creator. I will control both worlds and become the most powerful being in the galaxy."
"I'll stop you Wizeman, as I did last time."
"A fluke!", spat the wizard, his fury rising in an instant. "I won't underestimate you again Nights. I believed you were no threat and that was why I foolishly imprisoned you in an ideya temple. This time, however, you shall be imprisoned in my own tower, where nobody can reach you." Wizeman clapped all five hands together at once, creating a loud boom which echoed throughout the large throne room. "This conversation is over. I have plans to make, I have lands to retake. You've cost me a great deal, and now I must reclaim it all."
Two Nightmaren guards came in and took Nights by his arms. They started dragging him out of the tower as he shouted out, "I'll stop you Wizeman! I'll find a way out of here, and I'll stop you!"
Wizeman paid no heed to the boisterous shouting. "Take him to the ninth level and place him in a cell with no windows." The two guards nodded and dragged him away. Nights eyes narrowed, a snarl taking hold of his mouth.
Nights was hauled roughly into his cell and liberally tossed inside. The chains rattled loudly around the hollow chamber. The sound of the door slamming closed behind him and the locks cranking home caused Nights to almost weep. It was a dreadful sound he thought he would never hear again. He huddled there alone for a while, slowly rocking and mumbling to himself about the unfairness of it all. Wizeman was supposed to be dead, but he wasn't. Reala was supposed to be gone, but he wasn't. Now there were more Nightmarens than ever, Nights had counted 15, and he was pretty sure there were more. He was trapped inside Nightmare Tower, on the ninth level, the lowest underground level there was. There was no getting out of this one by himself, he was stuck. He looked up and about. He could clearly make out the layout of his cell by the torch light that shined in through the barred opening on the door. There was very little in the way of anything. No window, no straw mattress, nothing. It was a bare cell intended to be as uncomfortable as possible. Nights first thought was how to get out of this place. He would need help, but nobody out there was strong enough or brave enough to enter this place to come and get him. No, the kind of help he needed didn't exist in this world. It would have to come from the human's world. He would need the help from his friends. This wouldn't be like the ideya temple, however. They would have to be close, very close before he could reach them. Nightmare Tower stood in the exact same dimensional space as Twin Seeds Tower in the human world. In the ideya temple, Nights could have gone and sought out those with the red ideya needed to release him. This time, however, they would have to come to him. They would have to bring the red ideya directly to Nightmare Tower, to the home of the one person who craved it the most. Wizeman needed red ideya to transcend worlds, just like Nights did. Was the danger too great? No, the danger would be necessary in order to gain him his freedom. He had to stop Wizeman, permanently.
How, though, was he going to stop Wizeman? The Lord of Nightmares could not be destroyed, his power was to great. Would Nights have to constantly fight the wizard, destroying him for a time only so that the evil being would come back and Nights would have to fight again? There had to be some way to destroy him permanently. There just had to be some way. What had happened over Mystic Forest? There had been a voice, a voice telling him to keep up hope. Hope for what? For a life constantly spent trying to beat Wizeman? Whoever that voice was, it had a way to stop the wizard permanently. Nights knew that. That voice would be the one he would have to search out. Nights sat down in a dark corner, crossing his legs and closing his eyes and calming himself.
A plan formed in Nights' mind. It was a plan that would require great patience. He would have to wait for Claris or Elliot to come into Twin Seeds Tower, as close as possible to Nights. Then he could cross the chasm between the two dimensions and speak to them. He did not know how long it would take. Perhaps a day, perhaps a month, perhaps years. Nights would be patient, however. He would have to be, it was his only way out.
Elliot laughed with his friends, pointing at the drawing that his friend Daren had drawn on a napkin. "The elephant tried to eat the peanut butter!", he howled again. "That's the funniest thing I've ever seen!" He laughed harder, his friends becoming infected with the mirth and quickly joining in. The joke itself had made no sense, but with the drawing, it was completely clear. "Daren, you're hilarious." Elliot looked down at his watch, wiping away the tears forming in his eyes. "Oh no! I promised to meet Claris in fifteen minutes. I'm going to be late!" His friends jeered him, poking him in his sides and shouting out things like, "Whipped..", and "Ball and Chain", to their friend. Elliot just stood, smirking, "Yeah..yeah. I'll catch you guys later at practice." They all waved good-bye and the boy ran out the door, hopping onto his bike and riding for his life. Elliot had grown since his adventure with Nights, in more ways than one. His life was great now. Daren and Alex had been his only friends that day he went out and showed those older guys who ruled the courts. Now he had a lot of friends, although Daren and Alex were still his best-friends. Basketball was going great for him. He was on the Twin Seeds High School varsity team, and there was even talk that he might get a scholarship to go play at State University. Of course, that was a couple of years away, and he was still enjoying high school far too much. Another thing that had greatly improved was his love life. Claris was the best thing that ever happened to him. Of course, he wasn't going to admit that to anyone. Yes, he told himself, he was in love with the redheaded singer. Of course, he wasn't going to admit that one either. Ever since he saw her in Twin Seeds Tower, he couldn't help himself. He would do anything if she asked him. Lately, however, she had been growing distant from him. Her singing career was starting to take off. She was being asked to be in all sorts of musicals, and Elliot was truly happy for her. The problem was her time, and he wasn't getting enough of it. Her agent and her producers had her totally wrapped up. Claris tried to make time for him, but it always seemed to fall through. Today, however, she had asked him to meet her in a secret spot. A private place that they only knew and he wasn't going to miss out this time.
He rode his bike as quickly as he could, weaving in and out of traffic like a snake through a bush. He saw the quiet park up ahead and smiled. He was going to make it in plenty of time. He was going to be out of breath, but he was going to make it. He rode his bike into the park, past a couple of startled elderly ladies, and around a group of kids chasing a dog. He laughed right along with them, and then he saw Claris' red-hair. There she was! He turned his bike and rode right towards her.
"Claris!", he shouted. She spotted him and smiled, waving him over to the bench by the lake that she was holding. Her eyes lit up brightly when she spotted him. It had been a while since she had seen Elliot. Her singing was keeping her busy. Yes, she loved Elliot, and unlike him, was unafraid to tell anyone about it. She always tried to make time for him in her schedule, but it never seemed to work out. So she had scheduled some quiet time for her and her boyfriend. She had actually sneaked out of her house, out from underneath the constant watch of her agent. He was always there, making sure her time was filled. She constantly asked him to schedule in some time for Elliot. Her agent, however, always seemed to frown and shake his head. "No time, no time.", he would mumble, and then he would change the subject. Claris would sigh and listen to her schedule for the day, wishing she could see her boyfriend. Today, however, when her agent started reading off the schedule and had once again not put in Elliot, she ran off in both anger and desperation.
"Hey Claris, what's the matter?" Elliot laid down his bike and walked over, sitting down next to her. "You don't seem to be yourself today, and I haven't seen you in school in a while."
She sighed, leaning in close to Elliot. "I'm sorry Elliot. I've been wanting to see you lately, and I haven't been able too. My agent has my life booked up and hardly let's me out of the house. He's even hired me a tutor to teach me privately. I don't have any free time anymore."
"Claris, you need to be a little more forceful with that agent of yours. You've always been a little too nice, you need to assert yourself."
"He's only looking out for my interests. At least that's what he tells me." She sighed again, taking Elliot's arms and wrapping them around her. She snuggled in closer to the boy, smiling. "I don't care right now, though. I just want to be with you." And they sat that way for a time, watching the water on the lake and not saying a word.
The throne room in Nightmare Tower was quiet as Reala floated in. He landed in front of the throne and knelt, waiting for his master to come. He only had to wait a few moments before the familiar boom of the wizards voice came. "Reala, my most trusted Nightmaren."
"I have come in answer to your call, my master. What is it that you wish of me?"
"The time has come to retake Dreamworld. I am entrusting you to send out your Nightmaren teams to reclaim that which was once ours. Do not fail me."
Reala nodded his head, eager with anticipation. This was the day that he had waited so long for. To fight and destroy all that which had been built by Nights. It was time to conquer. He lifted off the ground and bowed, "It'll be a pleasure, master."
Wizeman watched his prodigal son fly off. So eager to destroy and hate, so eager to please. Wizeman went to his room, floating out to his balcony to watch Reala fly towards the encampment where his Nightmaren army lay waiting. "Reala, you are far too eager to destroy."; thought Wizeman, "You are far too eager to hate and kill. That was my failing with you and Nights. Too much to you, too little for Nights. This time, however, you were a little too prepared, a little to eager to get started. I know you Reala, what are you planning?"
Reala smiled wickedly, landing in his camp and walking over to his troops. "It is time, all of you know your missions. Go forth and conquer." There were cheers from the crowd as one by one they took off, flying in every direction to begin the task of domination. One, however, remained. A sleek looking Nightmaren, dressed all in black. Her red eyes peered at Reala from under a black mask. Her entire body seemed to be nothing more than a shadow as it walked forward. "And the task for me, General Reala? You never gave me an assignment."
Reala only laughed, "For you, Umbrae, I have a special assignment. It's an important one, for my most trusted lieutenant." In the quiet of the night, Reala laid out a plan to the dark Nightmaren. After a while, the shadowy figure lifted off the ground, her flight taking her towards Soft Museum. Reala's smirk only widened as he watched Umbrae leave, his plans falling into motion nicely. It was only a matter of time before he would have everything he always desired.
"Claris! There you are!" The voice cried off from the distance as a balding man with a ponytail climbed out of a limousine. He was heavy, and he knew it. His clothes tried to hide the ever-growing belly under fashionable threads and coats, and it failed miserably. A pair of ever-present sunglasses hid the eyes. Yes, thought Elliot, he was the stereotypical music agent. He had slime written all over him.
"Gerald, how did you find me?!" Claris stood up, staring in amazement as her agent crossed the lawn.
"What are you doing here, babe? You should be home, practicing. Now get in the car and I'll take you home." He put his arm around Claris and started pushing her towards the car. "Come on, gotta keep that lovely voice up and in shape."
"Gerald, no..wait..no.." Claris said, trying to turn around and go back towards Elliot.
"Hey, let her go." Elliot said, coming up and grabbing Claris' arm. "She doesn't want to go yet."
Gerald turned around and seemed to notice Elliot for the first time. "Who are you, little man?" His hand reached out once more, snagging Claris back from Elliot almost as though she were a possession.
"I'm Elliot, Claris' boyfriend. And we were talking until you interrupted."
"Look, little man. Claris doesn't have time for you. She's going to be a superstar. Do you want to intrude in on that? Hmm? Every minute she's not practicing, she loses a little more of that precious tone. Do you want to be the one to destroy her career?"
"Well, no. I..guess..not." Elliot stuttered, looking at Claris. She pleaded with him with her eyes. She shook her head slightly.
"Good, now scamper off with your bike, and let the superstar get back to being a superstar." Gerald turned, moving Claris into the limo and then stepping one foot inside. "I would advise you, young man, to stay away from her. She's above you now and has not time for this silly thing you think you have. You come near her again, and I'll have you jailed for harassment. Good riddance." He stepped all the way in and closed the door behind him.
Elliot wanted to say something, wanted to shout out that it was wrong, but he didn't want to stand in the way of Claris' dream. In the end, he could only hang his head and take his frustration out on an innocent rock on the ground. He kicked it hard after the limo. "It's not fair.", was all he could finally mutter out. He walked back over to his bike, picking it up off the ground. As he was about to ride away he spotted a note on the bench. He picked it up and opened it, reading what was inside.
Hello my dearest Elliot,
I hope you get this. In four weeks it'll be our one year
Anniversary and I want to do something
Special with you. Meet me at Twin Seeds Tower
At 7:00 P.M., and we'll celebrate
Love, Claris
All right, four weeks. It's a date. He looked up and smiled, placing the note neatly in his back pocket. He had to go and get a present. One year anniversary, that's great. Off in the distance he spotted Twin Seeds Tower. "Hmm," Elliot thought to himself, "It looks like a storm is brewing. Better get home." He turned his bike and pedaled for home.
"Nights, my son. It is time for our first lesson." The door to the cell opened and Nights opened his eyes. Wizeman stood in there, looking down at the small Nightmaren with a cat o' nine tails in each of his five hands. "We'll go easy today. Torture is something that needs to be done gradually, this way I can get more and more pleasure out of hurting you."
Nights' eyes went wide with fear. Wizeman floated in closer to the Nightmaren, his smile becoming broader. "Oh yes, my son..we have so much time together now." The door closed behind Wizeman with a loud clank. The two guards just stood on either side of the door, not paying any attention to the screams inside.
