NiGHTS lay in his lair
for the remainder of the night. When the sun came up, NiGHTS
noted it dully in the back of his mind, but his war against the sun
was at an end, courtesy of Wizeman.
At least the itching
was beginning to subside, though. NiGHTS never wanted to
experience that sensation again.
GillWing was loosely
curled around NiGHTS, his head hovering protectively back and forth
over the smaller Nightmaren.
NiGHTS looked up at the
enormous yellow green jaw passing back and forth overhead, finding it
strangely soothing. GillWing's body was like a twisted crib,
with his swaying head a sinister mobile. NiGHTS was lulled by
it and found his eyes sliding closed once more.
GillWing
unfurled a purple webbed wing, covering NiGHTS. The dragon
grunted in satisfaction and rested his head, confident that NiGHTS
was happy again. GillWing liked it when NiGHTS was happy.
It was some time later when GillWing's
growl roused NiGHTS to full alertness. It was hard not to tense
up with his "bed" rumbling like that. NiGHTS pushed
himself up, then recognized the horned figure peering down at him,
and calmly smacked GillWing in the neck, provoking a sheepish yelp.
"It's Reala, idiot."
Reala stepped closer,
folding his arms. "Am I interrupting something?"
NiGHTS growled in response. "You're as annoying as
GillWing! What do you want?" Reala placed a clawed
hand over his chest, feigning hurt. "Your words wound me,
NiGHTS!" Reala grinned, well aware that NiGHTS didn't mean
a word of it. "Can't I check in on my poor ill sibling?"
NiGHTS looked away, grumpy. "Since when do you check
in? Why are you really here, to rub it in again?"
Reala blinked. "I've already done that, I prefer not to
repeat myself. None of the others can keep up with me like you
can, NiGHTS. I eagerly await your full recovery."
NiGHTS
blinked, was Reala being . . . nice? There was a first time for
everything, he supposed.
NiGHTS sighed.
"Keep up with you? Ree, I leave you in the dust! Are
you so impatient to be left behind?" Reala grinned.
"That sounds more like the NiGHTS I know! And if you're so
cocky, just get better and prove it!"
NiGHTS pushed himself up, wincing. He wobbled from the
discomfort and would have fallen if not for Reala grabbing ahold of
him. Reala smirked. "Aren't you getting a little
ahead of yourself? Never get yourself involved in anything that
you can't handle! I'll just have to teach you a lesson!"
NiGHTS' eyes widened as he saw the fist approaching. "No!
NO! Not that! No, Ree!"
Reala happily ground
his fist into NiGHTS' head. "NoogieNoogieNoogie!"
NiGHTS jerked upright in alarm. He
narrowed his eyes as the faint hollars reached him. "No,
Renee! Not the noogie! Quit it, why are you always so
mean!"
The Nightmaren groaned and rolled over.
"Idiot dreamers and their corny excuses for nightmares. If
not for US they'd never have anything worth remembering. . ."
GillWing rumbled in agreement. GillWing would agree with
just about anything as long as NiGHTS or Reala said it. NiGHTS
closed his eyes again. "That was weird though, can
Nightmaren hallucinate?" GillWing nodded his head.
NiGHTS scowled at the dragon's mindless agreement, sensing the motion
as it rippled through GillWing's body.
The purple
Nightmaren sighed sadly. "Stupid Dreamers . . . I really
don't like them. . ." He flipped onto his back, glad for
something to distract him from what remained of his sunburn.
"Can't fly, can't control the elements here, can't even figure
out where they are. . ." He smirked. "They're
just one level above those stupid Nightopians. . ."
NiGHTS quieted, recalling the sapling trees and mindless Nightopians
happily gardening there. Pointless. They'd just grow and
die, and the sun would pass overhead, unchallenged.
"It's
just not fair. . ." NiGHTS huffed disappointedly.
"NiGHTS!"
NiGHTS yelped as
Reala let himself in. NiGHTS glared. "Oh sure, I'm
decent, thanks for knocking!"
Reala smirked calmly.
"You have never been decent, NiGHTS, and you never will be."
NiGHTS sighed. "You're one to talk, Ree. . ."
Reala chuckled, siting down next to NiGHTS. "Perhaps, but
that only explains how I am able to tolerate you." He
smiled. NiGHTS was a little flustered by the expression, so out
of place on Reala's icy face. He looked away to avoid
reacting. "So why are you here?" He tried to
sound as bored as possible, no hard feat considering how bored he
actually was.
NiGHTS was an active Nightmaren, and being
forced to recline like this was infuriatingly dull.
Reala refused to take offense, shrugging. "I felt like
it." NiGHTS frowned at that, Reala never seemed to need
any reason beyond that. Still, NiGHTS was secretly glad.
Reala would listen to his frustrations and maybe even help.
Indeed, the red and black horned Nightmaren seemed to be waiting for
something.
NiGHTS sighed. "Wizeman says I have
to stay inside, no exploring. . ."
Reala blinked,
apparently expecting more. NiGHTS frowned. "That's
dull, Ree! I know that it ended badly, but I was having so much
fun out there. . ."
Reala made a rude noise out of the
corner of his mouth. "You knew that Wizeman wouldn't like
you shirking your duties to go chasing nonsense. You got what
you deserved, NiGHTS. I'm glad that you're finally being
restricted, it will keep you out of trouble."
NiGHTS
winced, feeling a dull ache in his hide at the movement. "I'll
suffocate like this!"
Reala made a face. "You're
as bad as the Dreamers, NiGHTS. A little responsibility won't
kill you." NiGHTS hissed. "Don't compare me to
those brats! I'm nothing like them."
Reala chuckled,
always amused to get a reaction out of his companion. "But
you are. Didn't you ever notice? The ones that are aware
are always exploring the realm, just like you did. You're more
alike than you realize, NiGHTS. In the night, you're finding
delight in behaving just like they do in their dreams. Just
don't forget who you are, NiGHTS. The night that you leave us
to be with THEM is the night that I lose all faith in you."
NiGHTS gaped, astonished by Reala's
accusation. "R-Reala! Quit insulting me, I would
rather fly INTO the sun than have anything to do with those poor,
brainless brats!" He snarled at the thought. "I'm
Wizeman's the same as you!"
Reala blinked at that.
"Even thought Wizeman won't let you explore?" He was
testing, and NiGHTS knew it. NiGHTS dropped his gaze. "I
. . . I don't have to like Wizeman's orders . . . I just have to
obey. . ." he closed his eyes. "No matter what.
. ."
NiGHTS jerked at a cool touch on his shoulder.
Reala smiled, giving him a reassuring squeeze that managed to convey
his sentiment without irritating NiGHTS' sunburn.
Reala
nodded. "I'm glad to hear you say it, NiGHTS. I
worry that you'll forget." He rose and flew for the door.
"I'll leave you to recuperate then. Remember you owe me
some competition, so you'd better recover quickly."
NiGHTS stared at the door long after Reala had passed through
and closed it once more.
The purple Nightmaren patted
GillWing's sleek hide gently. "I'll never forget.
How could I?"
To Be Continued. . .
