~AN~ Eh heh…this is short chapter. But I couldn't just paste the next one on to the end, now, could I?

AC: 'Course ya could.

Oh.

Bass: Blast it, just say whatever you need to say and put up the darn thing.

Okay, okay! *ahem* I only have two things to do before I shut up, but they are very very important business matters---and the first is a cookie! NightSky, I'm sorry I didn't give you one before; here's an extra chocolate-chippy one! Insomnia?

Insomnia: *gives Sky cookie*

There, cookie business done. Now the other matter: New muses! First, I would like you to meet someone who is really meant to be a character, not a muse; however he's not a maren, and so he'll be gracing us with his presence until he finds a niche somewhere. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome Jules!

Jules: *saunters in; is an average-sized teen with sharp blond hair, white t-shirt, red vest, cargo pants, and the typical teen 'you don't know what I'm thinking so bug off' expression; is leaning on a thin wooden staff with a green gem on the top, has another gem of the same type embedded in his forehead*

Bass: He's kind of Mary-Sueish, isn't he?

Jules: *icy glare*

Bass: *ignores glare and leave to get a cookie*

'Hem. This is Jules, the temporary muse. He's named after the word 'Joules', as in the electric term; he gets it from his abilities. He can channel energy and use it to create controllable lightning by gathering a large amount in a concentrated area and then shifting energy modules to make a path for it to go along when it's released. Those gems are rather like storage cells and can hold large amounts of concentrated energy. Jules likes to use energy in very small, intense amounts, and can fling one with the speed of lightning; energy bullets, so to speak. It's his favorite offensive move.

AC: 'Kay. Long as he doesn't go on a rampage and get us in trouble.

Jules: *gives him a weird look*

AC: Hey, I've worked with Bass, okay?

Jules: …right.

Um…let's not mention that, okay? *ahem* The other new muse is someone very special---people, say hello to Vitamin D!

Vitamin D: *enters; is knee-high, silver grey, with very skinny arms and legs and little blocky black balls for his hands and feet; has large pure-black eyes on an oval head without any sign of a mouth or nose*

Everyone, say hello to Vitamin D!

AC: …he's short.

VD: …

*whaps him* Shaddup, AC! That's no way to welcome a newbie!

VD: …*blink*

AC: *mutter grumble*

Bass: *entering* What, there's another newbie?

*points to Vitamin D* Bass, this is---

Bass: Crud he's short!

*slaps forehead*

Jules: 'Crud he's short'. I like it.

AC: *nod*

*waves hand irritably* Stuff it, guys! Bass, this is VD.

Bass: Hi.

VD: …

Bass: …

He doesn't talk, Bass.

Bass: He doesn't? What, is he mute?

Oh no, he can talk. He just doesn't.

Jules: Why not?

Ask him.

Bass: Vi---I hate you, Avis.

AC and Jules: *snicker*

Ha. But anyway, this is Vitamin D, sometimes known as VD should space or fancy dictate it be so. His appendages tend to fall off.

VD: *arm falls off*

Muses: …

VD: *puts arm back on*

Muses: …

He never speaks, unless he gets a chance to say 'his word'.

AC: And that is?

Go on, Vitamin D. Say it.

VD: *in a soft, high voice* Destroooooooy…

Muses: …

Jules: Boy, I can't wait to see what this guy does for the ratings.

Bass: Avis, what kind of nightmare did you have to endure to want this guy as a friend?

AC: Yeah, Avis, who messed with your head?

It's not like that! I just had this word 'destroy' stuck in my head for some weird reason, and then I had this guy without a voice, and---

AC: And you fell on your head and decided to act loony, as usual.

Did not!

AC: Did too!

DID NOT!!

AC: DID TOO!!

*adopts corny fighting pose* Hyyaaaahhh!!

AC: *adopts another corny fighting pose* Whutaaaahhh!!

Both: *begin air-sparring*

Bass: Great. Just great.

AC: Hi-yeeeeeeeee!!

Bass: That's it, you met the new muses, goodbye.

KEE-YAAA!!

AC: WHA-HIIIIIII!!

VD: *arm falls off*

Disclaimer: "…"---Vitamin D

And death shall have no dominion.

Dead men naked they shall be one

With the man in the wind and the west moon;

When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone,

They shall have stars at elbow and foot;

Though they go mad they shall be sane…

And death shall have no dominion.

And Death Shall Have No Dominion, by Dylan Thomas

Chapter Fourteen:

Though They Go Mad

Jackle jumped back as Reala and NiGHTS came up the hallway, heading for Wizeman's throne room. Both parties stopped in surprise.

"Jackle?" said NiGHTS.

"Where have you been?" snarled Reala.

"His body's not there!" said the boy.

"Oh my," whispered the girl.

"…Hi to you too!" said Jackle.

Reala shoved his captive aside, careful to keep a hand on the boy's wrists. "Jackle, you empty-headed moron, where in the Dream World have you been?"

"Wizeman needed to talk to me," explained Jackle, glancing at the two humans with interest. "Are those the two Courage dreamers?"

"Yes, but what do you mean?" demanded the black and white clad maren. "You were in there all night?"

"No, duh," grinned Jackle, seeming to find the question amusing for some reason. "I was in the cells, what did you think? Obviously he was angry at me. But he got over it."

Reala, for once, was speechless. NiGHTS stared at the demi-maren as well, trying to comprehend the reason for Jackle's apparent careless outlook. Then he saw the demi-maren's slightly unfocused eyes, and he jumped in quickly.

"Uh, is Wizeman still in his throne room?"

Jackle looked at him and nodded. "It's not like he leaves it often," he grinned. His vacant eyes focused for the merest second on NiGHTS', and then they danced to the girl. He blinked, and for a moment NiGHTS thought he saw a strange knowledge come into them. Then it was gone.

"All right, well, we have to take these dreamers to him, so see you later. Nice talking to you, and I'm glad you're back!" That said, he began heading down the hallway once more, his eyes begging Reala to follow without question. His brother did so.

Jackle smiled as the other two nightmaren retreated, waving at the staring humans. "Okay, see you." And he floated off towards his room.

Reala glanced at NiGHTS. "What on earth?…"

NiGHTS looked away, his expression a mixture of disturbance and sorrow. "I think whatever Wizeman did to him may have been too much."

Reala blinked, finally realizing what his brother meant; then the subject was forgotten as they halted in front of Wizeman's door. He straightened, and his thoughts were as close to ecstatic as was possible. A feeling of pride settled within his heart. 'This is it---the first real step towards our rule of the Waking World.'

NiGHTS was also thinking, although his thoughts were of a decidedly different view. 'Well, this is it. We're taking over the Waking World. There's no more time.'

Wizeman's voice beckoned them in as soon as they knocked. "Enter!"

They pushed the doors open, leading their captives in with them; Wizeman's eyes were filled with eagerness as his hands floated down to surround them. "These. These are the Courage dreamers?"

Reala bowed, NiGHTS following his example. "Yes, Lord Wizeman. These are the two you desire."

Wizeman leaned back, as if a weight had been removed from the back of his mind. "Very well done," he finally said. "You are both my greatest creations by far."

Reala's expression filled with contentment at the praise. A small seed of annoyance was murmuring deep within him, however. 'I was the one who took this army and turned it into something worthwhile, I was the one who taught the young ones, and I was the one who took charge and led and planned and worked. NiGHTS did nothing. And yet he and I are both 'your greatest creations'? Has my work done nothing to improve myself in your eyes, Wizeman?'

NiGHTS grimaced and looked away as the girl's light blue eyes stayed focused on his own. 'Why won't she stop staring at me like that? I hope Wizeman won't hurt her when he's taken the Courage Ideya…but soon, thousands of people are going to be hurt. We're walking into a full-scale takeover on innocents, using soldiers that haven't even reached adulthood yet. What are we doing?'

The mental message echoed through the minds of the entire nightmaren population, although this time it was spoken more quietly. 'You need search no longer; both Courage Ideya have been found. Return to the castle to arm yourselves and prepare for our takeover of the Waking World.'

This announcement, while given in a much more cheerful light, caused just as much commotion as the first. Nightmaren all looked at each other and wondered.

"We're taking over the Waking World?"

"Now?"

"But I haven't learned to do a double swipe with my pike yet!"

"Lance, Aster, lance. If you're going to own my lance, you have to refer to it the right way."

"Okay. I haven't learned to do a double lance swipe with my pike yet!"

"…"

"What about me? I can't even shoot a bow yet, and I'm in the archery thing!"

"Part of the Archers, Cheldon, not 'in the archery thing'. And you're learning."

"If you say so, Miss Tessa…"

"Tessa, didja hear? We're taking over the Waking World!"

"Yes, Terrance, there was a little voice in my head that said, oh so quietly, 'We're taking over the Waking World'. Do you know what else it said?"

"What?"

"Your brother Terrance is a master of stating the painfully obvious."

"Hey!"

Morgen was already in the weapons chamber and busy when the first waves of nightmaren looking to arm themselves came in. He grinned and began directing them to different piles, gesturing with his head or elbow when his hands were busy. "Over there, take two bundles, I made sure there were enough for each of you to take two---can never have enough arrows, you know! No, over there, my lady, those swords are for the guards! See the way they widen out near the tip? You're looking for the ones over on the left wall---see? Yes. What's that? Lances are over in the corner, by the bow rack. Yes. Hello, milady, what can I do for you? Wait a moment, are you allowed out of bed yet?"

"I need a lance," replied Luna. "And no, I'm not. But did you think I'd let my kids just wander into the battle field without me being there?"

"No," admitted Morgen, scrubbing hard on a sword that had looked like it needed a bit of polishing before it was ready for use. "Over there. The boy in the blue and gold's looking at them. But what happened to your other one? You wouldn't part with it for any money, last I checked."

"It's got another owner now," called back Luna, heading for the lances she'd been directed to.

"Who?"

"Aster."

Morgen grinned and continued polishing with all his strength. "You're a great teacher, you know that, Luna?"

"Shut up."

NiGHTS swung his legs slowly, staring down at the landscape around him. He was sitting on his bedroom windowsill, legs hanging out over the edge. Below in the courtyard he could hear nightmaren murmuring and talking, weapons clashing as maren got in a last bit of practice. Clawz was down there as well, sharpening his claws, Gillwing was looking for Jackle, whom he had heard was seen, Puffy was eating a last meal before the campaign began, and Gulpo---well, he didn't know where Gulpo was, but there was a good bet he was floating placidly in his lagoon, ignoring the fuss about him. Typical Gulpo.

Reala was everywhere. Assigning weapons, checking divisions, yelling orders, giving out strategies; he was all places at once, overseeing every last detail of the invasion to come. He was doing what he loved best; being a general.

NiGHTS, looking down on all the activity below overshadowed by gray, felt sick.

"What's wrong with me?" he whispered. "No—what's wrong with them? Why can't they see? Why can't they feel how ugly it all is? Why can't they realize these kids aren't ready for this yet? What's wrong with these people?"

A cawing at his shoulder alerted him of a companion. He started, then sighed as the crow perched on the balcony next to him. "Don't scare me like that."

AC somehow managed to look apologetic, despite the fact that his features were less than expressive, he being a crow. NiGHTS understood. "It's okay. Bet you think I'm crazy, don't you, talking here to myself?"

AC shook his head. NiGHTS smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're used to crazy with that…crazy…demi-maren…"

He trailed off, suddenly remembering that calling Jackle crazy was all too appropriate now. AC looked at him questioningly, wondering why he'd suddenly faltered; NiGHTS avoided the crow's intelligent stare. "Speaking of Jackle, why aren't you with him? He's back, you know."

The crow jerked its head back in surprise. "What, you didn't know? Yeah, he's back. He was heading to his room, the last I saw him…why don't you go and see him?"

The only answer he got was a quick goodbye caw as AC took off flapping, heading straight for Jackle's balcony. NiGHTS had to smile as he watched the crow disappear around the castle wall. 'Wish I had a pet that loyal,' he thought fondly.

Then he sighed, looking out across the nightmare landscape again. An indifferent ruler, a fanatic brother, an insane friend, an impending war. And a girl with brilliant forget-me-not eyes.

He had much to think about.