Legal stuff and Author's note:
I do not own any of the NiGHTS into Dreams characters, Sega does.
It would be nice if I did, but I don't and that's life.
Deal with it.
As always, reviews are welcomed.
You're free to be brutally honest, but please be kind about it.
Nasty remarks that don't help me improve my writing only waste your time
and mine.
Besides, if you want to see me cry, just make me watch The Lion King again.
You don't need to try so hard.
Nice people who review get nice reviews in return for their stories.
Meanies who just hurt my feelings to be jerks get lots of people thinking
nasty things about them.
But we don't care about idiots who have nothing better to do that look for
people to insult.
We have a story to read!
Here it is.
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Coincidences
Part Four - The Hunt
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***Track this Verol down.***
The Nightmaren looked at one another, all eager to be turned loose.
NiGHTS scanned his siblings, seeing for a moment not a cluster of vicious Nightmaren, but a kennel of hunting dogs, eager and demanding to be turned loose from their kennel, to rip some poor fox or rabbit apart.
He found himself almost pitying the Verol hiding in the forest. Almost.
***Go!***
As one, the Nightmaren charged into Mystic Forest.
Except NiGHTS, who was currently playing by holding a shimmering butterfly by its wings.
***NiGHTS!!!***
NiGHTS dropped the unfortunate creature and vanished into the trees as if his costume were on fire.
Through the trees, over the bushes, under the ancient arches of the ruins . . . NiGHTS loved to fly very fast through this unusual obstacle course.
"Over the ruins and through the woods, to find the Minion we go!" NiGHTS couldn't resist serenading himself as he flew.
Crewel Pole! No, no Wizeman had said to find a Verol. Or was it a Snip? Maybe a Kircle?
NiGHTS reached back to rub his bottom thoughtfully. He was so going to kill the next Kircle he saw!
A flash of red and grey, with a hint of blue and yellow swept past.
Jackle!
NiGHTS grinned and abandoned the search temporarily to have a little fun.
"Jackle! Hey, Jack!"
Jackle winced. He absolutely hated it when NiGHTS called him "Jack." It was so . . . mundane. . .
"What?" He snapped. It still hurt that NiGHTS had beaten him at the race after being so encouraging about coming in second place.
Jackle had taken third, but Wizeman had no interest in third place winners, and very little in second.
NiGHTS was the Master's current favorite, and Jackle resented that.
Oblivious to his friend's mood, NiGHTS laughed happily. "Looking for that Crewl Pole?"
Jackle rolled his eyes. "It's not a Crewl Pole, you dummy, it's. . ."
He stopped, a silly grin spreading across his invisible face as he saw a way to finally beat NiGHTS.
NiGHTS blinked innocently.
"It's not?" He thought hard, trying to figure out what he was chasing after.
Jackle grinned hugely, patting NiGHTS on the back. "It's a Cuttle we're after!"
He blinked bright, blue eyes - the kind that implied complete innocence and sincerity.
NiGHTS nodded thoughtfully, believing the caped Nightmaren.
"Ohhh. . . is THAT it? Okay, I've got it! Thanks, Jackle!" He stayed by Jackle's side, beaming happily.
Jackle blinked, his grin fading as the purple Nightmaren failed to leave. Was NiGHTS onto him?!
"Er, NiGHTS. . .?"
"Hm?" NiGHTS beamed at Jackle.
Jackle pointed ahead. "Aren't you going to go look?"
NiGHTS shook his head. "I don't really care about winning, I don't want to have to fight some war or whatever Wizeman wants. You can find the . . . um . . . the . . . whatever it was."
Jackle stared. So he hadn't needed to trick NiGHTS after all!
"Oh. . . I see . . . well, you just have fun goofing, then. I'm going to win!" Jackle grinned again and put on speed.
NiGHTS slowed, waving. "Okay, bye now!"
NiGHTS drifted onto his back, idly scanning the area just in case Wizeman was watching. "I'm bored . . . this is boring! I hate boring. . ."
He flipped right-side up, frowning.
"Clawz is bound to win this one . . . cats are born hunters. Or maybe Reala, he's great at tracking and strategizing. But Jackle's . . . well, Jackle. He tends to get things done without really seeming to try. And Puffy. . . "
NiGHTS listened to the distant bouncing, accompanied by the snapping of many trees as the pink, bunny eared opera singer forced her way through the forest.
NiGHTS shook his head. No, Puffy was no competition. Nor was GillWing, who couldn't even get into the forest. The dragon was circling overhead instead, hoping to spot something from the air and dive for it.
Gulpo was exempt from this contest, since the fish couldn't move around on the land.
"I don't want to fight. . ." NiGHTS complained to himself as he took flight again.
"I don't want to take over other territories, or exterminate entire species . . . I just. . ."
He slowed, worried with his current train of thought.
". . .I just want to have fun. . ." He murmured the realization, then shook his head violently.
"But increasing master Wizeman's power, and proving my own power by destroying lesser races should be fun . . . I should enjoy it."
NiGHTS shook his head harder.
"Gah, what in Wizeman's name is wrong with me?! I'm just a random Nightmaren, and that's more than enough! I'm on the winning team, one of the champions! I'm. . ."
He blinked, distracted. ". . .I see something good!"
A tuft of yellow poked out from the green foliage, tempting the Nightmaren closer.
NiGHTS had seen plenty of images of a delicious Waking World treat called cotton candy, although from what he understood, cotton was supposed to be an uninteresting material used for clothing.
Nevertheless, cotton candy was said to be delicious. Some dreamer must have been dreaming this one up.
Beaming, NiGHTS went for it. "All mine!" He sang, grabbing.
He blinked when the "candy" bleated a protest and whirled to exhale a blast of gas in his face.
Choking, NiGHTS let go and staggered back, half blinded and unable to get a breath in through the remains of the Shleep's attack.
He was only half aware of landing on something as he went down from dizziness.
.
.
". . . Ts. . . NiGHTS. . . NiGHTS!"
NiGHTS groaned at the urgent tone and forced his eyes open.
Reala's pale blue eyes peered back.
The red, black, and white Nightmaren blinked once as his companion regained consciousness, then took on his customary scowl as if something were irritating him. "I suppose you think that you're clever. . ."
NiGHTS blinked, confused. "Clever? What do you mean, Ree?"
In answer, Reala roughly shoved NiGHTS roughly aside, and jerked a swirly eyed Verol out from where NiGHTS had been laying.
NiGHTS blinked blankly, then again as he put two and two together. "I accidentally found a Verol!"
Unfortunately, math wasn't NiGHTS strong point, and when he put two and two together, he got three. "Um. . . why'd I want one, again?"
Reala looked like he was seriously considering using his claws on NiGHTS, but thought better of it. "Idiot, the contest! Once again, you've won through your idiocy!"
"I have?" NiGHTS got up and took the Verol from Reala. To Reala's intense surprise, NiGHTS sighed in disappointment.
"Aw gee. . . and here I was hoping to miss it."
Reala blinked and was just about to offer to take it off NiGHTS' hands when Wizeman's voice reached them.
***My Nightmaren, you may return. The Verol has been found! You have pleased me, NiGHTS.***
NiGHTS shifted uncomfortably and the unexpected praise.
Reala looked like a scolded child, especially when their master added, **Reala, I expect you to win your own prizes. You will not steal from the others.**
"Aww. . ." Both NiGHTS and Reala chorused.
.
.
"That's two wins . . . I love winning, but I don't want to do more than what I do right now. I like chasing dreamers down and performing errands! Being a General just wouldn't be fun. . ."
NiGHTS complained to himself as he prepared himself for bed.
Wizeman had taken the Verol upon NiGHTS' return home, and returned it to its habitat as he explained the next challenge. It was to be a test of strength.
**You will do your best, with no outside aid. The one who defeats the rest of the Nightmaren shall be the winner.**
NiGHTS smiled weakly; even Wizeman had seemed doubtful.
NiGHTS was built for speed and agility. He was a dancer and an acrobat, not a wrestler.
He was also the smallest out of all of the Nightmaren.
Puffy could squish him flat, Jackle was at least twice his size, and possessed sharp claws and the ability to call razor sharp claws out of thin air.
GillWing could snap NiGHTS up in a heartbeat without even having to chew, and Gulpo could do the same, with the added bonus of being able to electrocute his opponents.
Clawz genuinely loved destroying things, especially through explosions. As his name suggested, he was armed with twenty dagger sharp claws as well as lethal blade-like wings and sharp teeth.
And then there was Reala . . . NiGHTS gulped despite himself.
Reala was the same size as NiGHTS, but considerably stronger. While NiGHTS was a speedy dancer, Reala was built to be a fighter, and a winner.
Reala could splinter trees down the center, and was almost strong enough to pull GillWing out of the air. He could fly with great speed and had fairly good endurance, but his greatest strength was in hand to hand combat.
Reala was going to smear NiGHTS over the castle walls.
Well, given a few weeks, NiGHTS would eventually manage to pull himself back together. . . and a loss like that would definitely count him out of the running. If only there were a less painful way. . .
With an unhappy sigh, NiGHTS eased himself into bed and fell asleep.
.
To Be Continued. . .
I do not own any of the NiGHTS into Dreams characters, Sega does.
It would be nice if I did, but I don't and that's life.
Deal with it.
As always, reviews are welcomed.
You're free to be brutally honest, but please be kind about it.
Nasty remarks that don't help me improve my writing only waste your time
and mine.
Besides, if you want to see me cry, just make me watch The Lion King again.
You don't need to try so hard.
Nice people who review get nice reviews in return for their stories.
Meanies who just hurt my feelings to be jerks get lots of people thinking
nasty things about them.
But we don't care about idiots who have nothing better to do that look for
people to insult.
We have a story to read!
Here it is.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coincidences
Part Four - The Hunt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
***Track this Verol down.***
The Nightmaren looked at one another, all eager to be turned loose.
NiGHTS scanned his siblings, seeing for a moment not a cluster of vicious Nightmaren, but a kennel of hunting dogs, eager and demanding to be turned loose from their kennel, to rip some poor fox or rabbit apart.
He found himself almost pitying the Verol hiding in the forest. Almost.
***Go!***
As one, the Nightmaren charged into Mystic Forest.
Except NiGHTS, who was currently playing by holding a shimmering butterfly by its wings.
***NiGHTS!!!***
NiGHTS dropped the unfortunate creature and vanished into the trees as if his costume were on fire.
Through the trees, over the bushes, under the ancient arches of the ruins . . . NiGHTS loved to fly very fast through this unusual obstacle course.
"Over the ruins and through the woods, to find the Minion we go!" NiGHTS couldn't resist serenading himself as he flew.
Crewel Pole! No, no Wizeman had said to find a Verol. Or was it a Snip? Maybe a Kircle?
NiGHTS reached back to rub his bottom thoughtfully. He was so going to kill the next Kircle he saw!
A flash of red and grey, with a hint of blue and yellow swept past.
Jackle!
NiGHTS grinned and abandoned the search temporarily to have a little fun.
"Jackle! Hey, Jack!"
Jackle winced. He absolutely hated it when NiGHTS called him "Jack." It was so . . . mundane. . .
"What?" He snapped. It still hurt that NiGHTS had beaten him at the race after being so encouraging about coming in second place.
Jackle had taken third, but Wizeman had no interest in third place winners, and very little in second.
NiGHTS was the Master's current favorite, and Jackle resented that.
Oblivious to his friend's mood, NiGHTS laughed happily. "Looking for that Crewl Pole?"
Jackle rolled his eyes. "It's not a Crewl Pole, you dummy, it's. . ."
He stopped, a silly grin spreading across his invisible face as he saw a way to finally beat NiGHTS.
NiGHTS blinked innocently.
"It's not?" He thought hard, trying to figure out what he was chasing after.
Jackle grinned hugely, patting NiGHTS on the back. "It's a Cuttle we're after!"
He blinked bright, blue eyes - the kind that implied complete innocence and sincerity.
NiGHTS nodded thoughtfully, believing the caped Nightmaren.
"Ohhh. . . is THAT it? Okay, I've got it! Thanks, Jackle!" He stayed by Jackle's side, beaming happily.
Jackle blinked, his grin fading as the purple Nightmaren failed to leave. Was NiGHTS onto him?!
"Er, NiGHTS. . .?"
"Hm?" NiGHTS beamed at Jackle.
Jackle pointed ahead. "Aren't you going to go look?"
NiGHTS shook his head. "I don't really care about winning, I don't want to have to fight some war or whatever Wizeman wants. You can find the . . . um . . . the . . . whatever it was."
Jackle stared. So he hadn't needed to trick NiGHTS after all!
"Oh. . . I see . . . well, you just have fun goofing, then. I'm going to win!" Jackle grinned again and put on speed.
NiGHTS slowed, waving. "Okay, bye now!"
NiGHTS drifted onto his back, idly scanning the area just in case Wizeman was watching. "I'm bored . . . this is boring! I hate boring. . ."
He flipped right-side up, frowning.
"Clawz is bound to win this one . . . cats are born hunters. Or maybe Reala, he's great at tracking and strategizing. But Jackle's . . . well, Jackle. He tends to get things done without really seeming to try. And Puffy. . . "
NiGHTS listened to the distant bouncing, accompanied by the snapping of many trees as the pink, bunny eared opera singer forced her way through the forest.
NiGHTS shook his head. No, Puffy was no competition. Nor was GillWing, who couldn't even get into the forest. The dragon was circling overhead instead, hoping to spot something from the air and dive for it.
Gulpo was exempt from this contest, since the fish couldn't move around on the land.
"I don't want to fight. . ." NiGHTS complained to himself as he took flight again.
"I don't want to take over other territories, or exterminate entire species . . . I just. . ."
He slowed, worried with his current train of thought.
". . .I just want to have fun. . ." He murmured the realization, then shook his head violently.
"But increasing master Wizeman's power, and proving my own power by destroying lesser races should be fun . . . I should enjoy it."
NiGHTS shook his head harder.
"Gah, what in Wizeman's name is wrong with me?! I'm just a random Nightmaren, and that's more than enough! I'm on the winning team, one of the champions! I'm. . ."
He blinked, distracted. ". . .I see something good!"
A tuft of yellow poked out from the green foliage, tempting the Nightmaren closer.
NiGHTS had seen plenty of images of a delicious Waking World treat called cotton candy, although from what he understood, cotton was supposed to be an uninteresting material used for clothing.
Nevertheless, cotton candy was said to be delicious. Some dreamer must have been dreaming this one up.
Beaming, NiGHTS went for it. "All mine!" He sang, grabbing.
He blinked when the "candy" bleated a protest and whirled to exhale a blast of gas in his face.
Choking, NiGHTS let go and staggered back, half blinded and unable to get a breath in through the remains of the Shleep's attack.
He was only half aware of landing on something as he went down from dizziness.
.
.
". . . Ts. . . NiGHTS. . . NiGHTS!"
NiGHTS groaned at the urgent tone and forced his eyes open.
Reala's pale blue eyes peered back.
The red, black, and white Nightmaren blinked once as his companion regained consciousness, then took on his customary scowl as if something were irritating him. "I suppose you think that you're clever. . ."
NiGHTS blinked, confused. "Clever? What do you mean, Ree?"
In answer, Reala roughly shoved NiGHTS roughly aside, and jerked a swirly eyed Verol out from where NiGHTS had been laying.
NiGHTS blinked blankly, then again as he put two and two together. "I accidentally found a Verol!"
Unfortunately, math wasn't NiGHTS strong point, and when he put two and two together, he got three. "Um. . . why'd I want one, again?"
Reala looked like he was seriously considering using his claws on NiGHTS, but thought better of it. "Idiot, the contest! Once again, you've won through your idiocy!"
"I have?" NiGHTS got up and took the Verol from Reala. To Reala's intense surprise, NiGHTS sighed in disappointment.
"Aw gee. . . and here I was hoping to miss it."
Reala blinked and was just about to offer to take it off NiGHTS' hands when Wizeman's voice reached them.
***My Nightmaren, you may return. The Verol has been found! You have pleased me, NiGHTS.***
NiGHTS shifted uncomfortably and the unexpected praise.
Reala looked like a scolded child, especially when their master added, **Reala, I expect you to win your own prizes. You will not steal from the others.**
"Aww. . ." Both NiGHTS and Reala chorused.
.
.
"That's two wins . . . I love winning, but I don't want to do more than what I do right now. I like chasing dreamers down and performing errands! Being a General just wouldn't be fun. . ."
NiGHTS complained to himself as he prepared himself for bed.
Wizeman had taken the Verol upon NiGHTS' return home, and returned it to its habitat as he explained the next challenge. It was to be a test of strength.
**You will do your best, with no outside aid. The one who defeats the rest of the Nightmaren shall be the winner.**
NiGHTS smiled weakly; even Wizeman had seemed doubtful.
NiGHTS was built for speed and agility. He was a dancer and an acrobat, not a wrestler.
He was also the smallest out of all of the Nightmaren.
Puffy could squish him flat, Jackle was at least twice his size, and possessed sharp claws and the ability to call razor sharp claws out of thin air.
GillWing could snap NiGHTS up in a heartbeat without even having to chew, and Gulpo could do the same, with the added bonus of being able to electrocute his opponents.
Clawz genuinely loved destroying things, especially through explosions. As his name suggested, he was armed with twenty dagger sharp claws as well as lethal blade-like wings and sharp teeth.
And then there was Reala . . . NiGHTS gulped despite himself.
Reala was the same size as NiGHTS, but considerably stronger. While NiGHTS was a speedy dancer, Reala was built to be a fighter, and a winner.
Reala could splinter trees down the center, and was almost strong enough to pull GillWing out of the air. He could fly with great speed and had fairly good endurance, but his greatest strength was in hand to hand combat.
Reala was going to smear NiGHTS over the castle walls.
Well, given a few weeks, NiGHTS would eventually manage to pull himself back together. . . and a loss like that would definitely count him out of the running. If only there were a less painful way. . .
With an unhappy sigh, NiGHTS eased himself into bed and fell asleep.
.
To Be Continued. . .
