"NiGHTS, I'm not feeling so good. . ." Claris complained, sitting down on a snowy mound.
NiGHTS drifted closer, concerned by the girl's sudden droopiness. "What is it, Clar?"
Claris hugged herself. "It's getting hard for me to concentrate." Indeed, certain aspects of the background had begun to blur. NiGHTS watched sadly as a wreath began to shrivel above them and slowly descended, fading as it did.
The gentle dream creature hesitated to voice the thought, but NiGHTS suspected that Claris was still laying in the snow back in Twin Seeds. NiGHTS knew that this was incredibly dangerous for Claris.
"We've got to wake you up soon. And find Elliot too." NiGHTS landed to hug Claris, even though as a creature of dreams, NiGHTS lacked any real warmth and could only offer comfort.
Claris leaned into her friend, then blinked as NiGHTS suddenly picked her up and rose. "NiGHTS?"
NiGHTS frowned. "I think we should keep moving. Back to the Ideya Palace at least." NiGHTS hurried back, clutching Claris close.
Claris smiled a little and began to sing. "Dashing through the snow in a one NiGHTS open sleigh. . ."
NiGHTS laughed. "I've been a sled, is that like a sleigh?"

Elliot sighed. He was feeling cold and lethargic. It was strange since a dream really shouldn't have been this uncomfortable. "Claris, where are you. . .?" The boy studied the area around him. Snow, wreaths, bells. . . it looked nothing like any of the dreams he'd visited.
Elliot blinked as a faint tune carried over the air to him. "Jingle bells, Reala smells! A Hollow laid an egg! Jackle's face floats in place and NiGHTS keeps getting away, hey!"
Elliot blinked and jumped to his feet. "NiGHTS?! Claris!" The singing abruptly stopped.
Claris squirmed in NiGHTS' grasp. "That's Elliot!" NiGHTS let her down, smiling as the mood and music of the dream changed. Claris ran to Elliot, imagining that she could hear Ode to Joy playing around her. "Elliot!"
Elliot hurried to greet her, laughing. "Claris!!"
NiGHTS watched. "NiGHTS!" NiGHTS flung both arms open expectantly, then frowned as nothing happened. The kids were too involved in their reunion.
"And DOn't FAget MI!!!" A booming, operatic voice sang out. NiGHTS looked up in alarm. "Puffy!"
Puffy smiled. "Did you MIss MI?" NiGHTS winced. "Did I miss being partially deaf you mean?"
Puffy huffed. "Well, prepare to meet your DOom!" She started to bounce into the air, then blinked at two happy voices.
Claris smiled at Elliot. "I was so afraid that something happened to you!" Elliot grinned back. "I'm okay, though!"
Puffy blinked at the oblivious dreamers, then at NiGHTS, who shrugged back.
Elliot laughed. "I looked all over for you, Claris. Is this your dream?" Claris nodded. "Yes, this is Spring Valley!" Elliot looked out at the snow. "Spring, huh?" Claris blushed. "It doesn't usually look like this. . ."
"Ahem. . ." Puffy frowned impatiently. NiGHTS tapped a foot. "We're waiting. . ." NiGHTS blinked. "I did NOT just say that. . ."
Claris smiled as Elliot laid a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Clar. Our dreams reflect our thoughts. I can't stop thinking of that snow we fell in. It makes sense. We'll come out okay now." Claris smiled delightedly. "Oh, Elliot!"
NiGHTS turned to Puffy. "Um . . . this may take a while. . ." Puffy nodded and settled down to wait.
Puffy blinked. "Now just wait a minute!" The operatic bunny bounced in place. "I can still teach you my favorite note!" Puffy bounced high, laughing evilly as a large shadow grew over NiGHTS. "B FLAT!!!"
NiGHTS groaned. "That's only witty the first fifty or so times, Puf. . . " NiGHTS looked up and the 'Maren's eyes grew large as the shadow widened. "This is gonna hurt. . ."
Claris and Elliot looked up at a squeaky toy noise, blinking as they saw nothing around them.
NiGHTS squeaked, currently plastered to Puffy's underside as they bounced back into the air before the dreamers could look. "I was right . . . that hurt. . .!"
Claris and Elliot turned back toward each other just as Puffy landed and peeled NiGHTS off. NiGHTS popped back to normal, then cried out as Puffy slammed it again.
Claris smiled at Elliot as NiGHTS flew by behind them. "Did you hear something?"
Elliot shook his head as NiGHTS was hurled back the other way. "No. Why, did you?"
NiGHTS landed in a heap and groaned. "Now I remember why I don't like to fight without a Dreamer to help. . ."
Puffy landed. "Oh, just accept your destruction gracefully!" NiGHTS blinked. "How about I don't and say I did?" The purple Nightmaren abruptly twisted toward the dreamers. "CLARIS AND ELLIOT, HOW ABOUT A LITTLE HELP HERE?!!!"

Claris looked over in alarm. "NiGHTS!" Elliot followed her gaze. "Puffy!"
Claris blinked at him. "Puffy? What kind of a name is that?!" Puffy began to look incredibly peeved, so Elliot moved in front of Claris. "Nevermind that, NiGHTS needs help!" He blinked as Claris started to head for their friend, and grabbed her arm. "Hey, just where do you think you're going?!"
Claris blinked. "To Merge with NiGHTS, of course." Elliot shook his head. "I've actually faced Puffy before, though. . ."
Claris frowned. "Well this is MY dream and I know the area better!" NiGHTS sweatdropped as the two began to argue.
Elliot frowned back. "I'm more athletic!" Claris jerked her arm free. "I'm the singer, though! That ugly ball thinks it's a singer? This is a matter of pride!" Elliot blinked. "How is it pride?! Look, Claris, just let me go! I'm the guy!"
Claris looked surprised, then shrieked at him. "You're being so masochistic!!!"
Elliot blinked, stunned as he struggled over the unfamiliar word. "Maso-wha?" He sagged as Claris took the chance to run for NiGHTS. "Aww, no fair!"
Claris grinned as she reached for NiGHTS. She shrieked as she tripped and went down. Elliot jumped over her and grabbed for NiGHTS. "You had your turn, I'll take this one!" Claris looked up and spat melted snow out before growling. "Hey!" She watched helplessly as NiGHTS and Elliot Merged and struck a pose in the air. "So THAT'S what it looks like when we Merge. . ."
Puffy blinked as NiGHTS turned to grin wickedly. The opera singer bounced back a little. "Oh my. . ."
NiGHTS beamed. "Revenge time!" He swept forward, grabbing Puffy and hurling the Nightmaren into various obstacles.
Claris watched with large eyes. "Ooh, oh! So violent. . . that must hurt! I didn't know Nightmaren could bend that way. . .!"

Puffy smashed into a floating rock, shattering it before smashing into the ground. The singer groaned and looked up just in time to shriek as the rest of the stone rained down, creating a makeshift cairn. NiGHTS landed, striking a triumphant pose as he grinned at Claris. NiGHTS and Elliot separated and shared a high five before heading back to Claris. Claris walked over to meet them. "It was my turn to Merge." Elliot's smile faded and he sighed. "Was not, you must have been hogging NiGHTS this whole time! It's my turn!"
NiGHTS blinked as the two kids started to argue again, then sweatdropped. "Don't I get any say in who I Merge with?" "NO!" Claris and Elliot shouted, then resumed arguing. "Nuh uh! "Yeah huh!" "Nuh uh!" "Yeah huh!"
NiGHTS sighed and floated over to a snowmound to wait this one out.
Claris glared at Elliot. "I've been worried sick about you, and when you finally show upm all that you do is steal NiGHTS!" Elliot glared back. "Hey, I've been worrying about you too! And you've had NiGHTS all this time while I've been stuck on my own!" Claris shook her head. "Why are you so determined to be violent? I wanted to have a few words with that operatic wannabe!" Elliot opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by NiGHTS lifting him by the back of his shirt. Claris squeaked as she was lifted as well.
NiGHTS frowned at one dreamer, then the other. "Okay, now look. I am not, repeat NOT here for your entertainment! I'm happy to help you, but I don't have to. Okay? Now neither one of you has exclusive rights to me so just stop. Okay?
"But. . . ." Claris started to protest, then gasped as NiGHTS snarled. "I SAID SHARE!" The kids exchanged a glance, wondering what had brought that on.

"Hiiiiiiiiiiii, Puff!" Jackle's cheerful voice singsonged as Puffy took form, wispy at first before solidifying and sagging weakly. The singer glared. "Be quiet, Jackle!" Puffy groaned. "That . . . that TIerrible NiGHTS! I had only just reformed. . . and. . . and NiGHTS. . .!"
Keane walked over, smirking. "Oh boy, this is gonna be great! I'm seeing a fur trimmed minidress for you! Although I use the term "Mini" very loosely, . ."
Puffy turned to glare. "How dare a patheTIc little dreamer like you speak to MI thus?!" Keane slapped both hands to his ears. "Yeow, lower the decibals, Carmen!" "Puffy!" Jackle waggled a gloved finger happily, correcting.
"Shut up, Jackle!" Puffy and Keane snapped in unison. Jackle hopped back in surprise. "Whoa, duet!"
Keane groaned. "Look, Fluffy. . ." "Puffy." Jackle corrected again. Keane continued as if Jackle hadn't spoken. "I'm here because your Wizeman wants me to help you, okay? So just get used to me!"
Puffy blinked. "Why?" Keane glared. "I just said why!" Puffy sighed. "No . . . why is a dreamer like yourself helping the Master?"
Keane blinked and considered. "Gee, nobody's asked me that before. . . ." He shrugged. "Because I like his style, I guess. And I love showing you dopey monsters who's boss!"
Puffy and Jackle drew back in alarm. Jackle looked back at the glittery green and pink Christmas tree cape it now wore. "This kid's scarier that us. . . " Jackle yelped, taking a smack from Puffy. "Thanks, I needed that. . ."
Keane grinned, deciding that these two were his favorite Nightmaren. Well, when they weren't trying to kill him, anyway. He smoothed his reddish brown hair back and advanced on Puffy. "Now about that fur trimmed dress. . ."
Puffy bounced back, looking around wildly for an escape. As Keane closed in, Puffy let out a melodramatic, operatic shriek that shook the walls of Nightmare.

"Jingle bells, Reala smells! A Hollow laid an egg! Jackle's face floats in place and NiGHTS keeps getting away, HEY!" A purple sled rushed across the snowy landscape, carrying two children. NiGHTS was trying hard to join in on the singing, but a singing sled tends to end up with a mouthful of snow. The result was a choked and garbled coughing that caused Claris and Elliot to giggle and pat the transformed Nightmaren's side reassuringly.
The kids had not been able to share NiGHTS, and so NiGHTS had shifted into sled form to distract them. It seemed to be working. Claris giggled at NiGHTS' coughing, then started up again. "Dashing through the snow, in a transformed Nightmaren sled!" Elliot added on. "O'er the hills we go, if we capsize we'll all be dead!" "Elliot!" Claris glared. Elliot shrugged shleepishly.
NiGHTS sighed privately. "If only I could get away with it . . . but naw, killing's not nice."
Elliot tried another song. "Oh Nightmaren, Oh Nightmaren. You are so very purple!" Claris giggled and added on, singing the Christmas Tree song with its lyrics. "Oh Nightmaren, Oh Nightmaren! You are so very purple! Like a comet through the sky. . ." Elliot sang on. "Don't crash into us, or we'll all die. . ." "Elliot!" Elliot sighed as Claris glared at him again.
NiGHTS chuckled. "The music of Nightopia is pretty easy to hear now. Let's just listen to it." The trio laughed and continued on their way as a Nightopian rendition of "Joy to the World" seemed to play around them.

Meanwhile, Keane was just stepping back to admire his work. Puffy was now sporting a pink coat lined with white fur. The operatic bunny blinked at the lining, eyes widening with horror. "RABBIT FUR?!!!!"
As Puffy bounced wildly away, shrieking about how fur was dead, Jackle turned to Keane. "Baaaaad move, kiddo."
Keane watched Puffy go, unaware of the claws reaching for him from behind. The boy turned casually back to Jackle, who hastily hid both hands and tried to look innocent. "I dunno, do you think the fur was a little much?"
Jackle grinned. "Oh, no not at all. Only next time, I think you should add the whole rabbit. I bet Puffy would LOVE that!"
Keane blinked at Jackle, then looked away as Jackle grinned and reached for him again. "I don't know. You Nightmares just don't have any Christmas Spirit. . ."
Jackle froze in mid grab, straightening. "Hey, I've got PLENTY of spirit! You saw my tree! Well, before Reala reduced it to splinters and stuffed it into the fireplace. . ."
Keane looked up at Jackle's floating grin. "Okay, you're weird. I've got to lay off the eggnog right before bed. . ."

To Be Continued. . .