Helloooooooooo!!!!! Forgive me for taking so long to put this chapter up. Ack, I'm so lazy ;_; Honto ni gomen!!!
Review, as usual, I'd like to know how I can improve!!!!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, it belongs to Sega, yadayadayadayada
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Act 3
29/09
Aaaaahhhh, it's been such a long time that I don't write here, ne? Hhhhmm, what can I say? Things have changed a LOT since that incident in Postumus office... Reala was found in his room three days after it, with a kid, they were both unconscious. He told us the story... Everybody got very uneasy since then. That is, the people who actually believed what he said.
I find it very difficult not to believe. I have raised him, I know how he feels even when he doesn't say it... And he is SO worried about that "lab" he found! We have been sending lots of people to look for any kind of clue on that place, but we-can't-find-it. We thought of asking those two which way they used to come back, but that new kid teleported him back, so no use. On top of that, nobody knows anything about any kind of lab inside Nightmare! As I mentioned before, most people think that Reala-chan is making all that up, but I know my brother all right, he would never lie, especially about something this serious! And there's the kid he brought too.... He has been surprising all of us. Jackle is more magical than all the Nightmaren mages put together! His head is very messed up, too.
.....
Come to think of it, I think insanity is one of the things you need to be a mage! The more insane, the more powerful! Take a look at Jackle and Postumus, they're the living proof! But Jackle is a sweet little maren; nuts, yes, but very sweet. Postumus, on the other hand... He never got back to his normal personality. It's another thing that has been worrying us, the fact that he isn't coming back... That's not normal, it has never happened. We're having to tie him up, otherwise he tries to destroy the castle.
Aaaanyway, guess who's suffering with all those changes? ME, OF COURSE! Apart from all the duties as prince, I have to be a nanny! Yup, you that's right. Reala is now learning how to fight, and spends all his time with Haggaia. And I have to take care of Jackle.... Can you imagine what it is to try to work with that kid levitating everything in sight? No, it's not nice. NOT AT ALL. Aaahh, I need a holiday! -NiGHTS
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"One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. Your arm is too high, my prince... Yes, yes, that's it... Oh my, you look tired. Wanna take a break?"
Reala gave a very relieved sigh as he sat on the cold ground "Yes, that would be wonderful, Haggaia-san" He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at the green clad maren
"I'm sorry I've been pushing you so much, prince Reala, I keep forgetting you're young and-"
Reala interrupted his tutor with a " silence" signal. He stood up
"I am no ordinary maren, Haggaia, and I won't be treated as such"
"I know, but still-"
The older maren was interrupted again
"I want you to be demanding, Haggaia, I want to be better than you. I want to better than every single maren in this fortress, that's my duty and Wizeman expects no less."
Haggaia's eyes widened, then he bowed
"I understand, my prince, I meant you no offence"
Reala nodded
"I know...I've rested enough. Can we go back to the training?"
"Sure!"
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NiGHTS wasn't at his office today. The crown prince had taken a break, since many maren were away in Ideya raids, and he wasn't needed. Right now, he watched his young brother train
Oh my, he's good! I'll have to find someone to do my paperwork, because soon Haggaia will be defeated by him, and I'll have to teach him myself.
Jackle was walking down the corridor when he saw NiGHTS standing there, deep in thought. He just walked up to him, and stood by the maren's side. The oldest prince turned to the young maren by his side, but suddenly his vision blurred. His vision went dark..... He heard his young brother drop the sword and scream his name... He screamed his young brother's name too...
"REALA!!!"
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The rebel woke up in the middle of mystic forest, panting. Many Nightopians were standing far from him, looking at him with scared eyes. NiGHTS realized he had just screamed the Nightmare prince's name out loud. Confused, he just started to fly, far from that forest, far from the land, only the wind as his companion
Why am I remembering that? Some of those memories aren't even mine! That lab.... Reala finding Jackle... I WASN'T THERE! Yet I remember everything as if I was there! What's happening to me?
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"NIGHTS!!!"
The Nightmare prince woke up in the bed of his private chambers, sweating and panting. His heart was beating so fast that it seemed like it was going to blow. He stood slowly, went to the window and let the wind wake him up, carry the tears he had in his eyes.
What's going on? What are these dreams....? I have put away the memories of my brother's time, gods, I don't want to remember...
His heart hurt, and there was nothing he could do about it. He let the tears fall from his eyes, he was alone, so he didn't really care about them.
This is strange, why do I have his memories too? And his journal entries, I never read his journal; I did not even know he had one! I'm not really magical, I have never read his mind or anything...
He sighed
I never had peace after he left, and now I don't have any peace even when I'm asleep... DAMN HIM! Why did he have to leave?
Reala, in his rage, hit the window frame and it went to pieces under the strength of his fist. He turned away, into his bathroom, to take a shower. He knew that after this, he wouldn't manage to sleep, and even if he did, he was afraid that the dreams would come back... Of course, he didn't admit that.
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NiGHTS was sitting on a stone near a river, deep in thought, remembering the old times.
"Naitsu?" Called a very soft female voice. The rebel maren smiled. He had come to this river expecting that company. He turned, and saw her standing there. That dream creature. She was all blue and resembled a maren a lot, including in terms of attire, but was not one of Wizeman's children... She was there before Wizeman had even risen.
"Hello, Kaena" He smiles weakly
"Are you okay? You look bad..."
"Actually...."
NiGHTS started to describe every single dream to that water maren, her eyes focused on him. She was very beautiful, with her pale blue skin, her blue clothing and floppies, her eyes made of water. Those eyes were weary for her friend.
"I see..." She said when he had finished. "Naitsu, I have to think before giving you any advice"
"I know, Kaena-chan, that's why I came to you"
She smiled "Listen, Naitsu, you'd better go hide, the winds says Nightmaren are coming... Many of them, in search of Ideya. They will find nothing, I can feel no dreamer... Just hide, okay?"
"I see. Thank you."
She gave a final smile before disappearing inside the calm water, and NiGHTS took the air to his hideout. Safe inside those rocks, he had to fight not to sleep... The last thing he needed was Nightmaren hearing him calling for his brother.
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Nightmare was very quiet at this time of the night, for most of its inhabitants were asleep. The crown prince, dressed as usual, walked slowly. The silence was blessed to Reala, especially in the state he was now. He went to his throne room, and just sat there for... Five minutes. The prince couldn't get those dreams out of his head, so he got a book. When he settled himself in his throne, he saw a figure enter his chamber... The maren hadn't knocked, so it was someone who didn't fear him. And currently, there was only one maren like that
"Jackle"
He greeted simply. The other smiled, flew to the prince and sat at the arm of the big throne. He peered at the book Reala was reading
" 'Sun Tzu: The art of war' " He looked at Reala in a very funny way " Oooooh, I see, that's your refuge"
Reala lifted and eyebrow "Refuge? What do you mean?"
The mage's face grew serious. A very rare sight.
"I mean when you need to run away from something, you take refuge in one thing you really know and understand: war."
The prince's ice-cold eyes widened. He replayed quickly, in an almost defensive manner:
" Why do you think I'm running from something?"
"Reala, my room is beneath yours, I heard you scream for NiGHTS"
That was too much for the blue-eyed maren. He leaped from the throne, furious, and started to leave when Jackle stopped him by grabbing his arm
"Re, stop. I have grown with you, I know the pain you carry. I was very young at those times, but I knew how much you two cared for each other. I know how deep your wound is, I know the grief you carry because he abandoned you. But you're goddamn confused! You have to talk to someone, sort this out, stop running and acting like Wizeman's puppet when he tells you to kill him, you know you still love him the same way you did then and all the same, you hate him like nothing else in this worl-"
The prince cut him off, as he usually did with people, but more gently, by pressing one of his claws to the other maren's lips. His voice, however, was as cold as steel.
"Enough, Jackle, enough. I know you're trying to help me, but you don't understand. You don't get anything. There is no grief, you know why? Because there is no love. I'm not confused, I don't need to talk to anybody. Right now, I only pity him, because I will have to kill him. I screamed for him, yes I did, but I was dreaming, it was an old nightmare, that's all. So stop your nonsense."
He turned away
"I'm going to work, so if you don't have anything else to tell me, I suggest you to leave"
Jackle was silent, looking at his friend. His deep greenish gold eyes were concerned and full of a strange sadness.
"Keep telling that to yourself, Re. Hide in that illusion while you can... But when it's gone, you know you can count on me."
Then he turned, silent as the breeze, and left the room.
Reala was left alone, staring at the door.
Damn you Jackle, damn you. Damn you a thousand times for knowing me so well!