The Chaos Project

by ChaosProjectAuthor

Thousands of years ago, a being called White Sage created a weapon capable of destroying planets. Now, Sonic, Shadow, and friends are trapped in a Cyber Space world—a world once inhabited by another Sage. Could it be a simple coincidence? The answer is out there. But it won't mean a thing if they can't make out alive, first. (Celebrating the release of Sonic Frontiers!)

80. S3 E4: Scuffle of Dreams

Cream's House — The outskirts of Carnival City

The quaint beachside abode appears different than it once did under the twilight overcast, with all of its flowering hedges dried and shriveled from a lack of attention. Cream shakes her doubts aside. She starts to walk up the cobblestone path to the front door. She stops there for a moment, then knocks firmly on the door. Not getting a response, she tries the doorknob. The door opens wide.

Cream's eyes go wide. An explosion has triggered inside. The shockwave throws her off of her feet. The house is engulfed in flames. Shielding her face, she looks inside. Something is walking out through the flames. Hedgehog on one side and robot on the other, the silhouette clearly belongs to Cyber Sonic. But as it steps into view, that form changes. It's Tails that steps out from the fire, wearing a vicious smirk and glowing red eyes.

"Useless… useless… useless…"

Cream climbs back to her feet and turns to run. The flames have spread to the field all around her, funneling her escape straight forward. Her friends stand along the path. Omega. Gemerl. Shadow. Amy. Sonic. But each time she reaches out for their help, they turn away, walking into the flames. Left behind where they disappear are demonic faces, scowling and laughing at her. As she runs, they come back out to chase behind her, their forms nothing but shadowy, snarling masses. Crying in fear, Cream puts everything into running faster, nearly tripping over herself in the process. The world goes black, but the shadows keep on chasing.

Something lies ahead. A point of light, distant at first, but growing ever brighter. The shadows hiss and snarl at the light, their progress suddenly blocked. Cream's wide eyes take in the light with a sudden wave of calm. She throws her arms wide open, letting the light overtake her completely.

—–—

? ? ?

As the light fades, Cream slowly stirs into consciousness on a cobblestone road, the dark of night looming overhead. The distant sound of a distinct melody can be heard, played by a simple flute. Three notes high, three notes low, then back and forth between the two. Cream finally manages to push her head up off of the ground. "Where…?" She looks around in confusion. The road seems to stretch on endlessly into the darkness behind her. Ahead, it leads through a wrought iron gate, open to some manner of courtyard. Left with little other choice, Cream climbs to her feet and starts walking towards the gate.

In the courtyard, the road stretches in a circle around a tall fountain of water. Old statues decorate the border, heads and hands crumbled away long ago. Beyond them is a forest of wide, dense trees, obscuring the view of anything that lies beyond.

But the source of the music perches atop the fountain, floating just above the level of the water, dressed in the purple, yellow, and white garb of a jester. A diamond-shaped red gem is framed at the center of the jester's suit. The jester poses with fingers raised to mime the playing of a flute. But as the jester's fingers move through the empty air, a real tune plays. Three notes high, three notes low, then back and forth between the two. But the tune is cut off as the jester opens two clear blue eyes on Cream, taking notice of her walking through the gate.

Cream watches as the jester takes off into the air, making a circle around the fountain that leaves a sparkling trail behind, before settling down on the ground in front of her. Cream gasps at the sudden approach.

The jester gives a courteous bow, speaking with the voice of a young adolescent. "It's rare to see a Visitor like you around these parts. My name is NiGHTS. What's yours?"

---

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Chaos Project

Season 3, Episode 4

Scuffle of Dreams

Written by ChaosProjectAuthor

---

Dream Gate — The 1st Night

"Well? You do have a voice, don't ya? Or were you just planning on standing around there all night?"

"I-I," Cream stutters. "I-I'm sorry, who are you? And what is this place? And how did I get here, and—"

"Whoa, whoa, let's try one question at a time then, shall we? Where's that old Owl when you need him?" NiGHTS scans around with a hand up to block out the nonexistent sunlight.

"Owl?"

NiGHTS waves the question aside. "A friend of mine, not here right now. He's usually the one who does the explaining. But, ah, you'll have a better time with me, anyways. Long story short, I'm NiGHTS, you're dreaming, this is the World of Dreams also known as the Night Dimension, and you made it here by escaping the Nightmarens who were chasing you. Now, I believe I'm still waiting on your name."

Cream suddenly exclaims, "Wait a minute, I recognize you! You make the Chao in Space movies! Or…your…company does? They put your face up on buildings, and in casinos…"

"So, I'm famous, am I? I suppose that'll happen when the kids start growing up. Well, I don't know much about companies, but I do know a thing or two about being in good company." NiGHTS wraps an arm around Cream's shoulders. "So, third time's the charm. What's that name?"

Cream takes a step back so she can bow in apology. "I'm sorry, Miss NiGHTS. I'm Cream. And this is my Chao, Ch—…" Cream stops herself, realizing for the first time that Cheese isn't there.

"Missing a friend, Cream? That's alright. I'll be your friend." NiGHTS gives a smile and a nod. "By the way, I noticed you called me 'Miss'. Were you thinking I was a girl?"

"Oh, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to assume—"

"No, no, that's quite alright. You were only trying to be polite. Your mother raised you well. Just 'NiGHTS' will do, though. I make friends with boys and girls and everyone alike."

Cream takes another look around the area. "So…I'm dreaming…about a movie mascot?"

"Now don't make it sound like such a bore! You live in a world, I live in a world, and for tonight, you're in my world. I've got an idea." They fly up closer to Cream. "Tell me, Cream. Have you ever thought about flying?"

"I…do it all the time, actually."

"Now that's what I like to hear. How would you—"

"No, I mean…" Cream flaps her ears, lifting a few feet off of the ground. "I fly. All the time."

"We-e-ell, color me impressed, Cream. Maybe you have flown, but I'll bet you've never flown like me before." NiGHTS offers their palm forward. "Dualize with me, and I'll show you what flying is really like."

"Du… what?"

"Du-a-lize." NiGHTS waggles their finger back and forth to emphasize each syllable. "It lets us…uhh…well, it's probably just better if I show you." They put their palm back out. "Don't you trust me, Cream?"

"Uhmm…" Cream seems hesitant, but slowly, she starts to reach out with her hand. "Okay…"

The two touch palms, and a sudden wave of light flashes to encompass them both. When the light fades, it appears to be only NiGHTS who floats above the ground. "See there, then? The two of us are more powerful when we Dualize together. First I'll show you how it's done, then I'll let you take the reins." NiGHTS takes off into the murky sky, leaving a trail of sparkles behind them. A wide smile grows on their face as they close their eyes, letting the wind blow past them. A hazy image of Cream appears as if flying right alongside them, mirroring every move and every expression. At the peak of their flight, they twist backwards into a loop that quickly meets back with their own trail. When the trail makes a complete circle, it bursts in a flash of sparkling light.

The image of Cream marvels at the sight like a fireworks display. "Wow…"

"That was called a Paraloop. It creates a concentration of Dream Energy that… Well, like I said, I'm not very good at explaining things."

"I think Mr. Sonic has done something like that before…"

"My, you're a tough one to impress, aren't you? Well, now it's your turn." Cream's image fades away as NiGHTS turns up to face the sky, spreading their arms out wide and closing their eyes again. They begin to fall. After a moment, they peek one eye open. "Uhh… Cream? Any time now."

Cream lets it go for a moment longer before sharply pulling their body up soon before they hit the ground, carrying their falling speed forward into a rapid loop around the central water fountain. The complete Paraloop causes a splash and spray of water in all directions. Cream's voice giggles with glee.

"Yeah, that's it! Now try kicking it up a notch!"

Cream flies them into a corkscrew, speeding up drastically in an arc over the treeline. From above, it becomes clear that the forest is not a forest, but a thin barrier of trees separating the Dream Gate from the sheer edges of land's end. The entire structure is nothing but a small floating island, suspended above a sea of black clouds.

They dive down past the cliffs, reaching down with a hand in preparation to let it skim through the surface of the ocean.

"Hold it!" They freeze with their hand just inches away from the sea of darkness. "That would be the Dark Ocean. It is the entrance to a realm of chaos and void. If you end up in there, you may never return. You mustn't touch it."

The image of Cream appears to turn them and point to something on the surface of the ocean, almost perfectly centered beneath the floating island. "What if we used that door over there?"

"A door? There? Impossible."

"Let's get a closer look."

"Hey, wait a minute." Ignoring NiGHTS' wishes, Cream flies them in closer. Just as Cream suggested, it appears to be an ornate wooden door laying flat on top of the ocean, marked on its top with a circular symbol in stained glass, glowing as if sunlight were shining straight in from the other side. "It looks…like a door to Nightopia. But that can't be. Not down here." They lift a hand up to look at, finding it glowing with a bright white light. "But that light…"

"What is it?"

NiGHTS takes a cross-legged seat on top of the door, holding the hand up to get a closer glowing ball of light has an even brighter pointed star floating inside of it. "This is what's called an Ideya. It is the energy of a dreamer's heart. When you have a nightmare… Every time you have a nightmare…that's what happens when creatures called the Nightmarens attempt to steal your Ideya. Usually, they get away with it, and then you wake up. It takes a strong heart to hold onto your Ideya against the Nightmarens' attacks. Those who do end up here, at the Dream Gate. What you have here is the White Ideya of Purity." They lift up their opposite hand, finding an equally brilliant orb of yellow light held within. "And the Yellow Ideya of Hope. For a dreamer to hold onto two Ideyas at once…I don't think I've ever seen it before. Not in all my time here."

"How long has that been?"

For a moment, NiGHTS' eyes seem to grow distant. "A very long time. Very long." They shake their head. "A strong enough Ideya is capable of opening a doorway from the Dream Gate to Nightopia, a paradise given form by your dreams. But this…" NiGHTS indicates the door beneath them "…can't possibly lead to Nightopia."

"It has to lead somewhere. Somewhere my dreams are pushing me to go. There's only one way to find out where that is."

"I…don't think that's a very good idea…"

"Don't you trust me, NiGHTS?"

NiGHTS lets out a brief chuckle. "Well…when you put it that way…" They float up off of the platform, reaching down to grab the door handle. "We'll be going on this adventure together, then. In we go!" The door flies open, letting out a flood of pure light from the other side. NiGHTS stops flying, and they fall straight in.

—–—

Fourth Dimension Space — ? ? ?

No longer Dualized, NiGHTS and Cream fly alongside one another through a sea of stars and nebulae, as orbs of light filled with hazy images rush by them. Cream looks around in wonder. "They look like…giant Ideyas…"

NiGHTS seems to make the same observation. "They're dreams. Not just pieces of the heart, but…each one, a heart's complete desire. Not just yours, but…everyone's. We're no longer in the Night Dimension. We must be in some place where dreams intersect with…something else." NiGHTS looks over to the side, seeing Cream staring off into the distance. "Is everything alright, Cream?"

Cream watches as one dream orb after another passes by. "Yeah… It's nothing."

"Come now, Cream. We're friends, aren't we? You can tell me what's bothering you, if you want to."

"Well… It's just…all these dreams… People who…know exactly what they want to do, and where they want to be… I don't have that. I don't know what my dream is. Maybe that's why I lost some of my Ideyas…"

"No, Cream, that isn't how it works. The Nightmarens come for everyone some time in their lives, it's in their nature. They take what's yours, and there's little you can do about it. But I know that you have a dream, because that's the only way to hold onto an Ideya like you have. Isn't there anything you wish you could do? A place you'd visit in your dreams, if they weren't corrupted by nightmare?"

Cream goes silent.

NiGHTS presses, "Normally…this would be the part where I ask the Visitor to take a look around at the world their dreams created, and figure out what it means to them. But this isn't Nightopia. So really…I'm as lost as you are. There has to be some reason that your heart led us to this world."

"I do have a dream. I want to help my friends. I want to protect them and be there for them, so that their dreams can come true."

"A dream to protect other dreams? I think you and I might have more in common than I first thought." NiGHTS takes another look around at the dreams that fly past them. "And maybe this world isn't so different from a Nightopia after all…" They shake their head. "That's an excellent dream to have, Cream. I don't know why you sound so unsure about it."

"Because…it'll never come true."

"Now don't say that! You never know—"

"But it won't! I know it won't, because it can't! There's nothing for me to do… I've tried everything I can, but I've been nothing but dead weight for two years now. I'm not good at anything…"

NiGHTS suddenly takes Cream's hand, and flies them both down to a chunk of ruin marble that floats within the space. "Cream. You're still young. That's the wonderful thing about a child's heart. You still have the time to dream, and to make those dreams come true. So what if you're not good at something right now? You can learn. You can be better."

Cream takes her hand back and turns away. "You don't understand. It's not good that I'm young, because everyone else is already ahead of me. Maybe I can learn to fight, but I'll never be better at it than Knuckles. Maybe I can learn medicine, but I'll never be better at it than Charmy. I'll never be better with machines than Tails. I'll never be better with people than Amy. I'll never be faster than Sonic, or more skilled than Espio, or more loyal than Mr. Big."

"What it sounds like you're missing is the Green Ideya of Growth. You feel like you're stuck in place, and you don't think you have the power to change. How do you know you won't be better if you don't try?"

"Because they all have something that I don't. They have a dream to be the best at what they do. Compared to that, my dream is just…nonsense."

"Nonsense," NiGHTS seems to agree. Cream glances back in surprise. "You're speaking nonsense. Your dream is beautiful just the way it is. Even if you don't see a path towards it coming true today. Even if you still can't see it tomorrow. It's still your dream. It's not that dreams don't come true. It's that you give up on them. That's the only way a dream can die. So don't let it. Don't give in to the emptiness in your heart. And someday, your dream will come true."

"What about your dream?"

NiGHTS is taken aback. "M-my dream?"

"You say you've been doing this for so long. Waiting at the Dream Gate for Visitors to come through from their nightmares? In all that time, did your dream ever come true?"

NiGHTS kneels down to meet Cream at eye level. "Cream…this is it. Right here, at this moment, this is my dream coming true. My dream of helping the children across the worlds who have become trapped by their nightmares, so that they can be free to pursue their own dreams. And every moment of it is a joy for me. Getting here…took some hardship, and some time, but I made it, because I never gave up."

Cream closes her eyes with a long sigh. "Never giving up…no matter how impossible things may seem…"

"You have the Ideya of Hope. You should know all about that."

"Maybe I'm just…losing sight of what it is that I'm hoping for."

"Recognizing that is a big step. Now then." NIGHTS straightens up. "Shall we get going? We still have a lot of world to explore, and I'll bet there's something interesting at the center." They offer down a hand.

Cream finally puts on a smile. "Alright." She takes the hand, and in a flash of light, the two Dualize together. As one, they take off into the open space. The image of Cream continues, "NiGHTS…are you…you know…real?"

"What do you mean, real?"

"Well…you know…if I'm dreaming, I'll eventually wake up and forget most of this, won't I? It's all just in my imagination, isn't it?"

"Maybe it is in your imagination. But who's to say that makes it fake? Like I said, I live in a world, you live in a world. I certainly think that my world is real. But then, a figment of your imagination would say that, wouldn't they? The best I can say is…I'm as real as you believe I am."

"As real as I believe…"

They watch as dreams fly by them, some clearer than others. They pass by a hazy image of a tropical beach. A mighty, soaring bird. A train rushing through the desert. A jungle filled with ancient ruins. NiGHTS comments absently, "All these dreams, floating unprotected… If the Nightmarens were to find out about this place…"

A cruel voice announces, "Oh, it's much too late for that, dear NiGHTS."

"Look out!" NiGHTS dives out of the way as a massive ball of fiery energy is hurled past them.

The source of the voice and the attack floats down to a standstill across from them. Though dressed in red and black garb not dissimilar to NiGHTS', he bears pale white skin and long, sharp claws, and is armored with shin and arm plates bearing a symbol of the sun, giving him a samurai-like appearance. He glares at them through a gold masquerade mask that frames his murky blue eyes. "I wasn't expecting to find you here, but Master Wizeman will be quite pleased that I was able to complete two tasks at once." For a moment, he glances to the side as if to check over his shoulder.

The faded image of Cream appears alongside NiGHTS. "NiGHTS, who is that?"

"That's Reala, the first-level commander of the Nightmarens. Second only to Wizeman, the Lord of Nightmare himself. He's very dangerous, so you should let me take the lead."

Reala lets out a malicious chuckle. "Business as usual for you, I see? Perhaps this time I'll take your Visitor with me when I cage you. That will give me enough time to finish my task."

"And what task is that, Reala?"

"Wouldn't you like to know? Ha ha ha ha."

NiGHTS clenches a fist with a growl. "I'm giving you one warning, Reala. Leave this world, and never return."

"Or what? You'll destroy me, like you destroyed Master Wizeman along with yourself? Yet here you are, and here am I, carrying out his newest orders. Your threats are as empty as your promises."

"You're one to talk about empty promises. You've always been a liar and a cheat."

"A liar? Moi? The way I remember it, NiGHTS, it was you who betrayed your oath to us. All else was fair retribution."

Not letting him get in another word, NiGHTS charges at him.

"Ooh, feisty today, are we? Let's get this over with then, shall we?" Reala raises a hand, and a circular symbol forms above it, opening into a vortex filled with blazing light. He summons another massive fireball from it, and hurls it straight at NiGHTS.

NiGHTS corkscrews straight at the fireball, catching it with a hand and flipping all the way around it in a complete Paraloop. When the loop completes, NiGHTS pushes it right back where it came from.

Reala holds out a hand, and the fireball dissipates the moment it strikes. "I do hope you can do better than that."

NiGHTS charges in, diverting into a circle around Reala. Reala takes off at the same speed, circling NiGHTS in turn. They both complete their Paraloops at once, showering them both with sparks but otherwise seeming to nullify one another. They circle in tighter and tighter, completing loops faster and faster until the two are nearly close enough to touch hands, as if in an intricate dance. Finally, the concentration of Paraloops grows so great that the energy explodes between them, launching them both back.

NiGHTS comes to a stop with a growl. "You're holding a lot of power, Reala. Just how many dreams have you stolen from this place already?"

"Stolen? Ha ha ha. I'm afraid you're quite mistaken. I've only just arrived here."

"But your power is clearly that of a dreamer's! Unless…"

Reala puts on a devious smirk. "Finally figured it out, have you? Your little party trick turns out to be quite useful."

"So then, you've kidnapped a Visitor for yourself?"

"Kidnapped? Hardly. My new friend and I have a mutually beneficial relationship."

"Here I thought that borrowing power from Visitors was a sign of being a cowardly puppet. Isn't that what you said, Reala? Unhand the Visitor now, and Cream and I might keep going easy on you."

"Careful what you say, NiGHTS. People might start thinking you're—" He cuts himself off, turning his head to the side. "What do you mean, you know— No, I don't care who she is. They're in our way! Need I remind you that—"

The image of Cream looks to NiGHTS questioningly. NiGHTS shakes their head and shrugs.

"You would abandon me!? Now, of all times!?"

NiGHTS taunts, "Having some relationship troubles there, Reala?"

"Stay out of this, traitor! The fox boy and I will destroy you, together!"

Cream gasps. "NiGHTS, let me out!"

"But Cream, that would leave you vulnerable!"

"Trust me. Please."

"If you say so…"

Reala charges straight at them. But in a flash of light, NiGHTS splits in two, leaving Cream flapping her ears to fly alongside them.

Reala freezes in place. "They've left themselves at our mercy, this is our chance!" He stops a moment longer to listen. "Fine. Do what you must."

In another flash, Reala, too, is split, leaving another familiar face flying alongside him.

"Tails…?"

—–—

Earlier that night

"Destroy Sonic." Robot Tails directs his arm cannon straight at Sonic.

"Come on, buddy… You don't want to do this…"

Despite his mechanical restraints, Tails seems to be in full control of his senses. "Are we buddies? Are we really?"

"Of course, Tails. You know I'd never—"

"Never what? Betray me? Vilify me? Lock me away?"

"Tails… That was for your own good."

The words seem to put a fear in Tails. He tenses up, jabbing his weapon forward threateningly.

A smirk appears on Sonic's face. The organic half of his face. The rest has been covered in the robotic armor of Cyber Sonic. He spits with malice, "For your own good."

Beside Sonic, Knuckles steps forward, half-covered with machinery just as Sonic is. "For your own good…"

On Sonic's opposite side, Cyber Cream does the same. "For your own good…"

One by one, familiar half-roboticized faces step forward in a circle around Tails. "For your own good… For your own good… For your own good…" Even Tails' father is among them.

The voice in Tails' head repeats, "Destroy Sonic. Destroy them all."

Tails shakes his head. "No. They're my friends."

"They were your enemies, and they'll be your enemies again. Unless you destroy them before they get the chance to destroy you."

He clenches his eyes shut. "I can't. I won't." The figures around him transform into shadowy creatures, preparing to lunge in from all sides.

"It's too late now. They've seen exactly who you are. They'll never trust you again. Destroy them."

"Never… Never!" Tails points his arm cannon straight at the ground, and fires, flashing a brilliant light that encomapsses everything.

—–—

Tails slowly shakes himself awake, lifting his head off of the cluttered workbench in his quarters. With a prolonged yawn, he comments, "Must've fallen asleep while I was working." Stretching out his arms, he turns around to get a look at the door that still seals him inside for his confinement. But someone is standing there. Tails' chair clatters to the floor as he takes a frightened step back. "What the—!? Who are you? How did you get in here?"

Reala turns his head to look at the commotion with a hint of confusion. "How did I get here? How did you get here? You've never made it in before."

Tails fumbles through machines on his workbench until he manages to pull up a big machine with an opening on the end that could be a cannon. "I'm warning you, stay back!"

"You're planning to hurt me with a hologram projector?"

His bluff recognized, Tails tosses the machine aside and raises his fists instead. "How do you know what that is? I just built it!"

"You've been having nightmares for a long time, haven't you, Tails? I've become quite well acquainted with you and the things you think about. I know exactly who you are."

Tails gasps. His guard lowers ever so slightly. "Say that again…"

Reala smirks. "I know exactly who you are. I know that you've been struggling with lost trust and betrayal. These are things that happen in the real world. The only way to overcome such fears is to destroy them."

"You're the voice from my dream… Tell me what's going on here."

"You're still dreaming, Tails. This may look like your quarters, but it is, in fact, nothing but a gateway. A haven that you created for yourself to escape from the nightmare. Interesting, how you choose to hide in the very place you've been imprisoned."

"That would mean…"

"Tell me, Tails. Have you ever woken up from a dream with the unshakable feeling that it might have been something…more? I'll answer for you. Yes. You just had one such dream. Your dreams, and everyone else's, take place in—"

"Maginary World, yeah, I know."

"Magi— What? How do you know about that?"

"Yeah, I already saved it from destruction once. Is that what's going on here? Did Void get loose again? Did Lumina send you? You look a bit like them, but I've never seen you before. Then again, it's a dream world, why wouldn't things be shuffled up this time?"

Reala holds a hand up to his head. "Stop it, you're confusing me."

"That still doesn't explain what you said before. You said this is a gateway, a gateway to what?"

"A gateway between the dream realms. The world you speak of…Maginary World…that isn't where you are. Not yet, at least. Dreams—hopes for the future, that is—exist in a world where dreams of the night intersect with your waking world. That is what you call Maginary World. And I need your…help…to get there."

"Is that why you've been watching my nightmares for a year now?"

"Oh, not just your nightmares. All of your dreams."

Tails glances away nervously. "A-all of them?"

"Yes, you naughty boy, all of them. That sad fact aside, I found you because you have a powerful dream energy. Powerful enough, I suspect, to open that door." He gestures back at the sealed metal door to the room.

Tails looks over at the door. "You…want to go through that door. The door to Maginary World. But you can't do it on your own. What for?"

"Because Maginary World has left me with no other choice." As if on cue, the room suddenly begins to rumble. "Watch out, boy!" Reala flies straight into Tails, knocking him down and out of the way of the collapsing ceiling.

They both look up at the hole that was created to see the hollow eyes of shadowy creatures staring back down at them. Tails gasps. Without hesitation, the creatures swarm into the room.

"Stay there!" Reala commands Tails before flying up to meet the swarm of monsters. He delivers an athletic kick to the closest one, then drags his claws across another, instantly causing them both to dissipate. He grabs another by the shoulder and soars around it in one swift motion, completing a Paraloop that bursts through it and several others around it. With deadly efficiency, Reala rapidly takes out each and every one of them. He descends back to the ground having broken only a slight sweat. "Couldn't have them taking your Ideya now. Blasted third-levels don't have a brain cell between them."

Tails still seems to be processing. "What just happened?"

"Unrelated incidents. This world, the Night Dimension, is under attack from Maginary World. Ordinarily, the barriers between dream realms would have been quite strong enough to keep the other creatures of nightmare out of this room. But those barriers are breaking down. If this is allowed to continue, dream and nightmare alike will vanish entirely. My world will be gone. That's why I require your power, Tails. I've been ordered to do whatever it takes to stop these incursions." He offers down a hand. "Stop them with me."

Hesitantly, Tails reaches up to take the hand.

Instead, Reala grabs him by the wrist and yanks him to his feet, holding his palm up close to look at. "Yes, just as I thought. You carry the Red Ideya of Courage." Tails' palm begins to glow red, just as he says. They both look down at his opposite hand, which takes on a glow of its own. Reala grabs it and holds it up next to the first. "And the Blue Ideya of Intelligence. Two aspects that you hold equally close to your heart. Interesting…"

Tails appears quite uncomfortable at being gripped by both wrists, but he does his best to remain calm.

"I'm quite certain of it now. You are capable of opening that door. All that remains is to do it." He unhands Tails with a slight push, moving him closer to the door. "Go on, then. Open it."

Tails takes a step closer to the door, looking down at his glowing palms in contemplation. "Something…doesn't feel right about this."

"So you need motivation, then? Ah, I suppose that was to be expected. Very well. If you do this for me, I will use my power to ensure that you never have another nightmare again."

Tails looks up in surprise. "You can do that?"

Reala drags a claw across his own chest. "Cross my heart."

Tails looks back to the door. "Okay…" He slowly brings his hands up, pushing them forwards until they press against the metal door. After a moment, the door slides open, flooding light into the room from the other side. "Now we just…step through?"

"Wait." Reala steps up beside Tails, looking from him to the doorway for a moment. "It…will be dangerous out there. We best combine our power." He offers a hand once again, this time glowing with a faint light of its own.

"Combine…our power?"

"We'll both be stronger for it. Trust me." He pushes the hand forward. "Just touch my hand, and I'll show you what real power feels like."

Tails clenches his eyes shut as if to prepare for the worst, before reaching out to grab Reala's hand.

In a flash, the two become one. Floating off of the ground, Reala looks down at his hands with a new perspective. "How does that feel?"

A faded image of Tails appears alongside him, mirroring his movements. "It feels…good."

"See now? I was right, wasn't I? Now, let us teach that Maginary World a lesson they won't soon forget." With Tails as a part of him, Reala soars straight through the doorway.

—–—

The present moment

Tails seems to eye Cream cautiously. "You should tell your friend to stand down, Cream. I don't want to fight either of you, you're not our enemies."

Reala interjects, "I beg to differ."

Tails corrects, "You're not my enemies."

Cream narrows her eyes at Tails. "Why, Tails? Why are you siding with the bad guy?"

Tails shakes his head. "Reala isn't the bad guy. He's trying to protect his home, just like we are. We're trying to save the Night Dimension!"

NiGHTS laughs. "Isn't that rich? Reala, the one who's been trying to destroy Nightopia for thousands of years, is suddenly interested in protecting it?"

Reala scowls at NiGHTS. "If you were still with us, NiGHTS… If you weren't a traitor to your world and your kind…you would know that I'm telling the truth."

Cream looks over at NiGHTS in confusion. "NiGHTS, why does he keep saying that? What does he mean?"

"It's a complicated story, and I promise I'll tell you once you're out of danger."

Reala chuckles. "Still withholding that little tidbit from your past, are you? Well then, rabbit girl, since your friend insists on making this so easy for me…"

NiGHTS growls, "Don't you dare, Reala."

Cream demands, "Let him speak, NiGHTS."

Reala laughs. "There is no NiGHTS! Just a poor, lost little Nightmaren who doesn't know how to follow orders. Did you really think they wanted to be your friend? NiGHTS was created to steal power from Visitors, just like any other Nightmaren. Master Wizeman finds NiGHTS' methods disagreeable, but they do it all the same."

Tails glances at Reala in surprise. "Any other Nightmaren? I thought you…"

Cream gasps. "NiGHTS…is that true…?"

"As I said, it's…complicated…"

Reala raises a clawed hand. "Well then, allow me to un-complicate matters for you." All this time, the two duos have been steadily drawing closer together. Now within striking distance, Reala makes a lunging grab.

NiGHTS snatches Reala by the wrist. "You aren't laying a finger on her as long as I'm here."

Reala flies in an attempt to escape, making a quick loop around NiGHTS that blasts Tails and Cream away.

Cream regains her stability first. "Tails!" She flies around to catch him by the hand, gently setting him down on a floating chunk of land below. "Are you okay?"

Tails grips both hands over his head. "Yeah, I…" He looks back up at NiGHTS and Reala, both streaking through the sky in a continued fight. "This is the weirdest dream I've ever had…"

Cream settles down onto the ground across from him. "It's all pretty familiar for me… People betraying each other. Fighting when they shouldn't have to."

"Are you…still mad about Shadow and me?"

"I'm not mad, I just… I always thought I could trust you, Tails. But lately, you've been doing things that…that scare me. First you defy the vote and kill Cyber Sonic, then you break out of confinement and fight all of us for Shadow, now you're siding with the Nightmarens? I can't trust you, I can't trust NiGHTS, I can't trust anyone!" She turns away to hide the tears in her eyes. Then she starts to walk away.

"Wait! Wh-where are you going?"

"I'm going to find a way home…"

"But what about your friend? Don't you care if they—"

"NiGHTS isn't my friend. And neither are you." At the edge of the platform, Cream prepares to take off. But something stops her.

In the air, NiGHTS makes one clean loop around Reala, blasting him backwards. Reala grips at his arm in pain. "Very well, NiGHTS. You win this round. Go ahead and stay in this world, for all I care. It will destroy you for me, soon enough." He makes a kicking flip through the air, forming a loop of dark crimson energy that grows into a black portal. With his arms outstretched, he recedes slowly back into the vortex. "Until next time, Visitors."

From the ground, Tails reaches out for him. "Reala, wait! I thought we were…" The portal fades away, and Reala is gone. "I thought we were in this together…"

NiGHTS soars down to Tails. "Don't get yourself too hung up on that old killjoy. All the friends you need are right here." They offer down a hand. "I'm NiGHTS. You're Tails, right?"

"I think you should be more worried about her right now."

"Huh?" NiGHTS glances back to see Cream sitting silently at the edge of the platform. They fly up behind her. "What's the matter, Cream?"

Cream stares down at the abyss of space below. "You know what."

"Oh. That." NiGHTS takes a moment to gather themselves. "Is it alright if I sit with you?"

Cream gives no answer.

NiGHTS takes a seat on the ledge, leaving a fair distance between them. "Confession time, then. Reala was right. I am a Nightmaren. A first-level, like him."

"So you've just been taking my power this whole time?"

"No. I never lied to you, Cream. My dream is to help you get your Ideyas back, not to take them from you."

"So why do I feel so weak?"

"Look for yourself."

Cream looks down at her hands. Though they both still glow their respective colors, the lights seem to periodically dim.

"Your hope has been taken from you, and darkness is filling your heart. Though you may blame me for it, this was Reala's plan from the beginning. He's the one taking your power from you."

Tails step up behind them. "You're wrong." They both look back in surprise. "I know that Reala isn't…a saint, but…he's not a bad person. I have a friend just like him, his name's Shadow. Sure, he looks a little scary, and maybe he's done some bad things, but he's one of the most honest people I know. I don't think Reala's any different."

NiGHTS shakes their head. "You haven't known him as long as I have. Nice person or not, he's loyal to a fault. Loyal to a master who would have his head for so much as a bad joke."

Cream questions, "Is that why he calls you a traitor? Because you won't take orders from his master?"

"His master. My master. Our father, if you want to call it that. But no. If my crimes were as simple as disobeying orders, Wizeman would have replaced my soul with a more obedient one a long time ago. I don't just defy them, I fight against everything that they are."

Tails concludes, "So you're a rebel, are you? That still doesn't tell us why."

"I suppose you aren't taking the answer that they're evil? That they're constantly taking what doesn't belong to them, and destroying worlds in the process? The fact that they're literal creatures of nightmare doesn't faze you?"

"Some of us have to learn how to live with our nightmares. And, last we were told, you're one of those nightmares too. So no, I won't take that answer."

NiGHTS closes their eyes. "There's…no avoiding it, then. This…isn't a story that I like to tell. To anyone. I'm supposed to help children with their problems, not shove mine off onto them. But I suppose you have the right to know why I feel that way." They take a long breath as they begin. "Every Nightmaren…is crafted to haunt a particular form of nightmare. Some people have nightmares about reality. Terrible things that have happened to them, or things they know are soon to come. Those are Reala's domain. I was created as Reala's opposite. My assigned nightmares were to be those in the realm of fantasy. Terrors that could never exist in the dreamer's world. And…I excelled at that job. I quickly became Wizeman's prized creation, much to Reala's dismay. But…one night…I met a dreamer who… Well…" NiGHTS grimaces and shakes their head. "Their nightmare was as horrifying to me as it was to them. I couldn't go through with it any longer. So I grabbed them by the hand and led them to the safety of the Dream Gate. From that night onward, I was a fugitive. The dreamer offered to help me return for what I did for them. So, every night, we met through the same nightmare, and we ran a little farther together. Until Reala caught up with us. He caught us by surprise. The dreamer told me to run. And…that's exactly what I did. After they fell."

Cream gasps.

"In the fight, the dreamer was thrown into the Dark Ocean. And they never woke up. That was…thousands of years ago. I don't think I remember their face anymore. Or the sound of their voice. Just the scream they made as they fell. And the look of terror in their eyes. It's my fault that their life was torn away from them. I made everything worse. They were only in the Night Dimension at all because they were still having nightmares. If I'd helped them with their problems, instead of asking for their help with mine…" NiGHTS shakes their head once more. "I swore in that moment that I would spend the rest of my days doing exactly that."

Everyone goes silent.

NiGHTS raises their fingers, beginning to play an invisible flute. Though the tune is slow and somber, the notes are the same. Three notes high, three notes low.

"What are you doing?"

NiGHTS looks up in surprise. "Huh? This is just how I relax."

Tails puts on a scowl. "Do you think, maybe, there might be a better time for that?"

"I'd say this is the best time for it. We're all feeling a bit tense, aren't we? Where's the fun in that? This is a dream. For right now, we're away from the nightmares. We should be enjoying ourselves!" They take off into the air, drifting around as if floating on their back over a lazy river, resuming the playing of their flute.

Tails picks up his voice. "I think I finally get it. I know exactly what you are, NiGHTS!"

NiGHTS pauses to peek an eye open. "Oh? And what's that?"

"You're my nightmare!"

This causes NiGHTS to freeze up.

"You're the nightmare that I've had since I was six years old. The nightmare of running away. Of not being good enough for anyone."

This gets Cream to look up as well.

"Thousands of years ago, you say you ran. And you act like you've changed your ways, but even now, you're still running. Any time your problems come close, you turn the other way and pretend they aren't there, like a child! You think you're helping anyone like that? Well some of us don't want that kind of help. At least Reala was honest with himself."

NiGHTS crosses their arms. "Well…if that's the way you feel…I suppose I'll stop bothering you. Cream, what do you say we—"

When NiGHTS tries to make eye contact, Cream turns her head away. "I think…I think it's best if you just go."

"Oh…I see. I'm your nightmare too? Losing friends, losing faith? This isn't how it usually goes…"

Tails takes a threatening step closer. "I think you've caused her enough pain already. You heard her. Go."

NiGHTS shuts their eyes and turns away. "If you need me…just call my name. I'll hear you, no matter how far away." Never looking back, they soar away, leaving a sparkling trail behind.

Tails takes NiGHTS' place, sitting beside Cream while leaving some room between them. "So…we've been having the same nightmares, huh? I…I didn't realize how much you were hurting."

Cream keeps staring down at the sea of stars below. "Everyone sees me as weak as it is. If I said too much…that only would've made it worse."

"I never thought you were weak."

"I know that isn't true. You're always trying to protect me, Tails. Even when you were against me, you were trying to protect me from the fight."

"Well… Cream…" Tails scratches at the back of his head awkwardly. "I want to protect…all the people I care about. My nightmare is that…I won't be good enough to do that. And everyone else will see it. And they'll wish I wasn't there."

"Mine is…that I'll never be good enough. For anything. And that everyone who ever has to step in and help me is a step closer to realizing that they're better off without me."

"In other words, we're terrified of each other." They both take a moment to laugh. "You know…back when Sonic and I went on our first adventure together…he told me how much he wanted to protect me. And I told him no. I told him we'd protect each other, because…that's what siblings do."

A brief smile crosses Cream's face. "I'd love to make a promise like that. But that would be silly. What am I good enough to protect?"

"Hope. I tried to tell you this once before, Cream. You inspire hope in all of us, every day. This war has taken away more of your life than anyone else, but you still manage to face every day with a smile. You laugh, and you show us that we can all still laugh too. In fact…these last few months I've been locked up…I've really missed seeing you." Tails closes his eyes and sighs. "That's exactly what NiGHTS was trying to tell me, isn't it? And I went off on them for it."

"Should we call them back?"

"Maybe… But…I want to show you something first." Tails suddenly stands, offering his hand down to help Cream up. "Will you come with me? It's not far. Trust me."

Cream hesitates for a moment. But then she takes his hand. "I trust you."

—–—

Somewhere in the void of the fourth dimension space, where the stars shine even more brightly, NiGHTS floats amid the emptiness, playing the flute with a passion not seen before.

"Your music is sad."

NiGHTS stops playing, slowly dropping their hands. "It's always been sad. It's an elegy. For someone I lost a long time ago."

The voice behind them, even younger and more child-like than NiGHTS' own, asks, "Does it have any words?"

NiGHTS goes quiet as they close their eyes.

"I want to try it." Not waiting for permission, the source of the voice begins to play the tune in a perfect recreation. Three notes high…three notes low…then back and forth between the two.

After taking a moment to listen, NiGHTS takes the invitation to recite the words. "In the night's…dream delight…I want to see you standing there. In the night's…dream delight…I found someone who really cares. In the night's…dream delight…I want to see you smile again. In the—…" NiGHTS gets too choked up to continue.

The voice stops playing. "It's a pretty song. It reminds me of someone I know, too."

"Do you know what the worst part is about what I do? Every time I do my job right…every time a Visitor moves past their nightmares…I still lose a friend. I can never see them again. Every time is as bad as the first. Tails was right. The void in my heart has been growing all this time, and I've been running away from it."

"That's why I'm here."

NiGHTS turns around in surprise, finally getting a good look.

The one floating across from NiGHTS is perhaps even stranger looking. He shares the same bulbous eyes, though pitch black all the way through, reflecting the stars around them. His skin is pale, and he wears a dark purple outfit covered in green wrappings that frame an empty yellow diamond shape on his chest. Dark, gem-cut bangles lie around his wrists and ankles. "I'm the void inside your heart."

—–—

Hand in hand, Tails and Cream soar through space together. Cream marvels at the sight far below them, where thousands of dreams coalesce into a swirling light.

"It's beautiful," Tails explains, "But it's also very fragile. A world made of nothing but dreams. If people lose hope, the world starts falling apart."

"How do you know all this?"

"I was here once before. It was a long time ago, before any of us met you. We were called to this world by a being called Illumina. Illumina is the power that resides over this world. But things started coming apart when Illumina lost sight of her own dreams. She split herself in two. She wanted to rid herself of the dark feelings that come from unfulfilled dreams. Those feelings became Void. Void saw himself as only half a being. He was lonely. Any attempt he made to become whole ended in him being rejected. Eventually, he became so distraught that he tried to destroy this world. In the end, the only way to heal the damage that was done was to convince Void's other half, Lumina, to rejoin with him. That's how we restored light to the Precioustone."

"Precioustone?"

"Look for yourself." They approach a chunk of land surrounded by swirling rings of energy, with a strange castle perched on top. The doors are already wide open for them to step inside.

The inside of the tower is built of an immensely tall stack of ring-shaped stone walls, each ring rotating in the direction opposite to the one below. In the center, raised above a stone pedestal, is a massive floating gemstone. It is clear on the outside, but a bright yellow energy burns within it.

Cream's eyes go wide at the sight of it.

"That's the Precioustone. A crystalized power born from everyone's dreams. As long as its light glows, dreams will always have the power to come true. That means your dreams, too."

Cream begins to climb the stone steps to get closer to it.

"The lesson we all had to learn here is that…whenever you feel like your dreams will never become a reality…you just have to remember that without those feelings, you wouldn't have dreams at all. The miracle of a fulfilled dream would be meaningless if it wasn't proving those feelings wrong."

At the top of the steps, Cream gasps once again. "Tails!"

"What's wrong?" Tails races up the steps to meet her. A figure lies on the ground beneath the Precioustone. She has a small and fairy-like appearance, wearing a pink and white suit with a smooth red gem held at the center. "Lumina!?"

Lumina stirs from unconsciousness at the sound of her name, sluggishly opening her eyes on them. "Tails…?"

Tails kneels down to help her. "Lumina, what happened?"

"I…I don't remember…"

"If you're here, then…where's Void?"

—–—

NiGHTS and Void stare at one another in a long silence. Void is the one to break it. "You don't want me either, do you?"

"What do you mean? What are you? Are you a Nightmaren?"

"I don't know that word. I'm everyone. When you have a person, and you take away the things they experienced since they were born—take away the memories, and the relationships, and the dreams—all that's left is me. A void where things should be. The true self."

"The true self…"

"No one wants me. I exist in everyone, but everyone wishes I didn't. No one wants to be my friend."

"Well…" NiGHTS glances away for a moment in contemplation. "…I'll be your friend."

"Really? You will?"

"Sure I will. No one deserves to be without a friend." NiGHTS offers forward a hand.

"We're both lonely… We both feel empty without someone else. Why is it like this? Why were we born?"

"Maybe it was to find each other." NiGHTS reaches the rest of the way forward, taking Void's hand. Dark energy blasts outwards from the point of contact, enveloping them both.

—–—

Flying weakly, Lumina places her hand against the surface of the Precioustone. "It still glows. That means…"

Cream questions, "What, what does it mean?"

"It means that Void isn't alone."

Tails questions, "Why aren't you and him together? Don't you remember what happened last time?"

Lumina looks down in shame. "I know… That's exactly why this is happening. Back then I told you that…without the Precioustone, this world would become vulnerable to attack. Illumina would've known, but I didn't see that an attacker had already made it in. As soon as you returned to your world, they tried to take the Precioustone. We sent them away, but…"

"But what?"

"But Void and I disagreed on what to do next. I couldn't stand to know that someone out there wanted to destroy Maginaryworld. Void felt differently. He thought they weren't any different from us. After a long time, I thought I'd finally managed to convince him…until now. I think…I think I remember…feeling the presence of a heart so consumed by emptiness that Void was instantly drawn to it. And that's the last thing I remember."

Cream and Tails look to one another in thought. "You don't think…?"

Their question is quickly answered as the top half of the tower is torn away, sending rock and rubble tumbling down. A massive creature looks over from the outside. Somewhere between a hideous monster and a futuristic robot, cyan markings streak across its bulky black body, segmented into two parts with the torso floating above the legs.

Tails gasps, "Void?"

Cream takes a closer look. Floating in place of the creature's stomach is a small yellow orb encapsulated by a familiar red diamond. Two long protrusions curve out from the back of the creature's merged head and body, resembling a jester's cap. "NiGHTS?"

Lumina quickly takes action. "I'll talk to him. Please, protect the Precioustone!" She flies straight up to confront the creature.

"What a disgusting thing." Tails and Cream turn around in surprise at the sound of the voice. From a dark portal that appeared in the ground, Reala slowly rises up. "A Dualization formed from nothing but pain. Unheard of."

Tails immediately takes a fighting stance. "You. We won't let you take the Precioustone."

Reala takes a glance over at the massive gemstone before looking back at Tails. "Frankly, it looks to me as though you have more important matters to attend to. Besides, you heard the fairy girl, didn't you? She said it herself. She wants to destroy us. She wants to destroy the Night Dimension. You won't let us defend ourselves?"

High above them, Lumina flies all the way up to the creature's twisted face. "Void, please, stop this!"

The creature pauses as it looks at her with its three eyes. It speaks with a booming, distorted voice. "Lu…mi…na…?"

"Yes, it's me! We have to stick together, don't you remember? Otherwise, the world of dreams will fall apart!"

"Dreams… Nightmares… Nothing but pain…"

On the ground, Tails questions, "Was any of it real? Did you ever think of me as a friend, for even a second?"

"I never said a false word to you, Tails."

"You never said that the Nightmarens invaded Maginaryworld first. Or that you were in charge of them. You deliberately withheld information."

"So did NiGHTS. But you seem to be taking their side without issue."

Cream suddenly cries, "Please, Mr. Reala! Help us save NiGHTS!"

"What!? Why would I do a preposterous thing like that?"

Tails argues, "You need motivation? I can give you three good reasons. One, if you help Lumina and Void now, they probably won't want to destroy your world anymore. Two, you definitely can't deliver NiGHTS to your master if there is no NiGHTS."

"And three?"

The distorted voice above them booms, "I will destroy…all dreams! All nightmares! All pain!"

Tails points his thumb up at the creature. "Pretty sure that's your problem, too."

The creature makes a swipe of its massive arm with a roar, crushing another ring of the wall and knocking Lumina aside. Rubble comes tumbling down. A hand grabs Cream by the wrist and yanks her away to safety. When the dust settles, she's left dangling just off of the ground, Reala holding her there by the arm. Despite the uncomfortable position, she still looks him firmly in the eyes. "You didn't have to save me. That was your choice. Now make the next one."

"Bah." Reala drops her somewhat aggressively. "I'll need both of you to fight that thing." He holds out one hand to Cream, and the opposite to Tails. "Try not to waste my time."

Tails and Cream's faces both light up. Without hesitation, they each take one of Reala's hands, along with each other's. A brilliant rainbow pulsation of light forms in the center of the triangle they create.

With another enraged roar, the creature fires down a beam of dark blue energy, sweeping it across the floor at the three of them. But as the light between them subsides, the beam passes between two copies of Reala. An image of Tails floats at the left side of one, and an image Cream floats at the right side of the other. They call in unison, "This is a pathetic display, even for you, NiGHTS! Allow us to remind you how a Nightmaren should uphold themselves." They both fly up at the creature together.

The creature roars in challenge. It swings one of its massive arms at them. Tails-Reala banks right, while Cream-Reala breaks off to the left. It turns its attention to Cream-Reala first. It readies a powerful punch. Tails-Reala summons a fire orb and hurls it at the arm, knocking it away before it can hit the mark. Cream-Reala is freed to make a Paraloop around the gem at the creature's torso. The creature stumbles back through the air in pain. Both Realas smirk. Until one of them is smashed aside by a retaliatory swing of the creature's arm. Cream and Reala both look aside with concern. "Tails!"

The creature keeps up its attack, striking Cream-Reala with an energy beam that instantly yanks them into its hand. "You… You know pain…" It increases the strength of its crushing grip. "I will end your pain!"

Tails-Reala flies back in, Paralooping the arm and forcing its grip to release. But the creature quickly puts both of its hands together and pounds both Realas with a two-fisted smash.

The Realas skid down to the floor. Cream-Reala growls, "They're too powerful."

Tails-Reala agrees, "We need more power." They turn to look up at the central pedestal of the tower, where the Precioustone still floats. Looking back at Cream-Reala, they command, "Keep them busy!" Tails-Reala flies up to the stone.

"No…" Lying weakly on the floor, Lumina reaches up as if to stop them. "The Precioustone could shatter…"

Tails-Reala shake their heads. "It is not emptiness that seeks this power." Reala looks down at Tails' hand, and the red light that glows within it. "It's courage." They place the hand against the gem, instantly drawing massive power from it.

Cream-Reala dodges around a continuous onslaught from the creature's energy beam, but they seem to have no chance of getting in close. Until Tails-Reala rushes past them, a golden trail streaking behind, colliding with the creature's torso and knocking it back with a powerful push from just one hand. They turn and offer the opposite hand to Cream-Reala. With a touch of the hands, the golden power is shared between the two of them. Then they both jet after the creature. The creature tries to swat them away, but they break off in opposite directions, encircling it in rapid alternating tornados of Paraloops, damaging its body from every side. Finally, they both converge straight at the gem at its core, each pushing a hand against it with all of their respective might. The gem cracks, and finally shatters, sending out a blinding flash of sparkling light.

As the light fades, NiGHTS and Void each fall from its center.

Tails catches Void by the wrist. "Gotcha!"

Cream catches NiGHTS in her arms. "You're safe now." Both are flown gently to the ground.

Tails sets Void down by the dimmed Precioustone. Lumina stands up to see him. "Void… I know that you're probably still mad at me, but…you should never have to think that you don't have any friends. I'm your friend. Now and forever."

Cream sets NiGHTS down carefully onto their feet. "NiGHTS…I'm so sorry that I sent you away. You were my friend. You are my friend. So I know I can trust you, no matter what happens. Are you okay?"

NiGHTS gets a grip on their head as they reclaim their balance. "It was like I was…trapped in a nightmare. Drowning in my own emptiness. But I could've sworn I saw…" NiGHTS looks to the side, seeing where Lumina and Void are talking. "Lumina…?" Overcome by a sudden urgency, NiGHTS runs on unsteady feet up the steps. "Lumina!"

Lumina looks over in surprise. "It can't be…"

NiGHTS grabs Lumina and pulls her into a tight hug. "Lumina Flowlight, it's really you!" They finally let her go, putting her back at an arm's length. "You look different, y-you look like a Nightmaren, but…your eyes are the same…"

Lumina looks up at NiGHTS' eyes in wonder. "Who…who are you…?"

NiGHTS closes their eyes and begins to sing. "In the night's…dream delight…"

Lumina concludes the last line. "…you are the one I've waited for…" She suddenly shakes her head. "Is it really you? My old friend?"

"How is this possible, how are you here? You fell into the Dark Ocean, I saw it!"

"I did… I didn't remember it before, but…I did. You told me…that it was a world of void…and it was. I just…didn't expect Void to be a person. I couldn't get out, but…I didn't have to. Void and I Dualized together and became Illumina, and Illumina created this world for us to stay in. We found a greater purpose. We spent so long together that…we forgot what it was like to be apart. I became like him, and he became like me."

"Lumina, I…I want to tell you how sorry I am. Sorry that I ever let you—" NiGHTS suddenly winces, dropping to their knees and clenching at their arm in pain.

Lumina gasps with worry. "Are you okay?"

NiGHTS holds up a hand to keep her away. "I'm fine. Just give me some space."

"Allow me." An arm appears around NiGHTS' throat, dragging them back to their feet.

Tails gasps, "Reala!"

Reala holds his claws threateningly in front of NiGHTS' face. "Well, this has been a cute exchange, but I really must be going now. I have NiGHTS and the power of the Precioustone. Master Wizeman will be quite pleased." Just as he says, the golden energy still burns within his hand. Meanwhile, the true Precioustone grows ever dimmer.

Cream pleads, "Why are you doing this, Reala? I thought we had an understanding…"

NiGHTS struggles a bit, but appears much too weak to escape.

Reala laughs. "Don't any of you make any sudden moves. Wizeman would prefer to have them alive, but a dead NiGHTS is better than no NiGHTS."

Void takes a slow step closer to him. "Don't you have any dreams of your own?"

Reala glares at him out of the corner of his eyes. "And just who do you think you're supposed to be?"

Void stares back with his usual blank expression. "I'm you. I'm NiGHTS. I'm everyone. We're all the same on the inside, aren't we? We all have dreams. We all know emptiness. Know thyself. Know me. What are you running from?"

Lumina tugs at Void's arm. "Void, we have to save our friend. We have to get the power of the Precioustone back. We have to fight."

Void shakes his head. "We don't have any reason to fight. What are you running from, Reala?"

Reala's eyes lower to the ground. "This is what Master Wizeman has demanded. I have…no wish to face his wrath. As NiGHTS does."

NiGHTS voices weakly, "You're…finally starting to see it, aren't you? You've had a little taste…of Tails' courage…and Cream's hope. Not stolen, but freely given."

"Quiet, you." Reala starts to drag NiGHTS backwards. "Master Wizeman has ordered me to bring you back with me, and I will do so."

Suddenly, everything begins to go dark. The last of the light from the Precioustone begins to fade. Lumina cries, "Oh no! The last of this world's protection is gone!"

A high-pitched whine sounds as if from nowhere. It grows louder and harsher, forcing Tails and Cream to cover their ears. Suddenly, they are grabbed off of the ground, pulled into the air, each by one giant, disembodied floating hand.

A low, guttural voice echoes, "Reala… You failed to strip the Visitors of their Ideyas. A foolish oversight."

Reala gasps, "Master Wizeman!" He instantly drops to his knees, throwing NiGHTS aside. NiGHTS appears too weak to take any advantage.

Cream and Tails are pulled up to the featureless chrome face of a truly nightmarish figure. Metal spikes grow from his head like tree branches. His massive body is draped in regal robes. Four additional steel hands float around him, each one with a crimson red eyeball embedded in its palm. He laughs as Cream and Tails cry out in pain. Two sparkling lights are ripped out from each of them, and they both go limp. "If you so wish to protect this world, then enjoy your eternity lost within it." Each one is tossed to the side, falling limp past the floating island and down towards the infinite void below.

NiGHTS reaches out for them. "Cream! Tails!"

Reala snaps his fingers, and a magical cage suddenly closes around NiGHTS, raising them up by a chain. "They won't be saving you this time, NiGHTS."

Void and Lumina take one look at each other, and instantly agree. A beam of light flies down from the sky, striking the Precioustone and illuminating it. They take each other's hands, and morph together into that light. The light grows, taking on the form of a tall and elegant angel, as tall as Wizeman himself. Her sleeves and dress drape low, and her wings spread wide. A harp appears between her hands. Illumina looks to Wizeman in challenge.

Wizeman only now seems to take notice of her. "You must be the so-called protector. This world will be conquered, as is the way of nightmare. You have but a fraction of your power. You cannot stop me."

Illumina shakes her head. "This world is for everyone."

Wizeman's hands fly at Illumina from all directions. Illumina strums her harp, each note producing a shockwave that blasts one of the hands away. Wizeman instead gathers his hands together and generates a massive flaming meteor between them, hurling it straight at her. She catches the meteor with one hand, instantly dissolving it into a sparkling dust.

Reala watches the battle unfold from far below, his size completely insignificant compared to theirs.

"Don't you see it, Reala?"

Reala glares up at the caged NiGHTS. "I didn't ask for your commentary."

"Nightmares make the dreams stronger. The more we fear, the more we dream of being free from that fear. But the same is true the other way. The one nightmare we all share is the fear of never reaching our dreams. One can't exist without the other. No matter who wins this fight, we'll all be destroyed."

"And what do you expect me to do about that? Wizeman the Wicked does as he pleases."

"Dualize with me."

Reala recoils in disgust. "Excuse me?"

NiGHTS puts a hand up against the barrier that keeps them trapped inside the cage. "I mean it. Together, we can put an end to this fight, and restore the barriers that keep these worlds safe from one another."

Reala flies up to look them in the eyes. But he says nothing.

"You know I'm right. You've known it all along. You've known that Wizeman's destructive behavior could someday be your own undoing."

"If I take any action against him… If I incur his ire… It will be the end of me either way."

"It wasn't the end of me. Thousands of years, we've played this game. Thousands of years that you've been Wizeman's puppet, while I've been free. You could never catch me. Together, he could never catch us."

Above them, one of Wizeman's hands gets around Illumina's throat. Another grabs each of her arms, and each of her legs. They all begin to pull in opposite directions. Illumina cries out in pain as Wizeman laughs. Finally, one is ripped back into two. Void and Lumina are each left restrained in an opposite hand.

Wizeman's empty face looks down as Void is lifted up closer to it. His free hands circle to watch him from all angles. "What an unexpected surprise… Selph."

Void struggles helplessly to escape. "Let go of me… I don't like you…"

"Still running from your nightmares after all this time, Selph? You always were weak of heart."

Reala growls from below, "What do you mean!? Who is Selph!?"

Just one of Wizeman's hands looks down at Reala. The rest of his attention remains focused on Void. "The original first-level. The original Nightmaren. Discarded before his original purpose could be fulfilled."

"Another first-level? Before us!?"

"Selph was a failure. His remains were scattered to the Dark Ocean. Though it would appear that a piece of him survived there."

Void struggles even harder. "I don't…know you…"

"It would appear that his memories weren't among that piece. You were incomplete, Selph. Too easily corruptible. But my methods have improved in the eons that have passed since then. Perhaps I may yet find some use for this body that you've clung to. Your soul, on the other hand, cannot be salvaged. It has clearly become too corrupted by this…" He turns Lumina around in his other hand. "…thing."

NiGHTS whispers to Reala, "If that's how he treats his first creation…how do you suppose he really feels about you? Just a replacement for his first failed experiment."

Lumina cries out in pain as Wizeman crushes down harder.

Void cries for her, "Lumina!"

"Don't worry about me! You can still fight him, Void!"

"I don't want to fight! Not without you! He's right…I am incomplete. That's why I've always needed you…"

"Void…"

NiGHTS keeps on talking. "All you've ever wanted is his approval. But that's impossible. The only way to stand out is to show individuality. Free will. Show too much of that, and he'll send you the way of Selph. Or if you intend to do only as he asks? You'll never prove your worth. Never be anything more than his pawn. Is that really the life you want to live? Desperate to earn something you can never have?"

Reala clenches a trembling fist, growling almost silently, "Your words…are meaningless…"

NiGHTS once again presses their hand against the barrier. "Then let me show you with my actions! There is a better life! Dualize with me, and we can save everyone, including your father!"

"Our father."

NiGHTS closes their eyes with a sigh, echoing, "Our father… If he destroys them, he'll destroy himself. Are you going to sit back and let him? Or are you going to do what you think is right, no matter what he says? Courage and hope, that's all you need to take the next step."

Reala looks down at the glowing palm of his own hand. "…I do this for you, Master Wizeman. …And for us, NiGHTS." He slowly reaches through the barrier, until his fingers touch those of NiGHTS.

His gold persona mask clatters to stone ground far below.

—–—

In Cream's hazy vision, the sight of the Temple of Light grows ever more distant as she falls. She struggles just to lift her hand as she reaches up for it. A weak flap of her ears proves useless. Below her is the swirling collective of dreams, its brightness growing even more blinding as she falls closer. The light grows to fill everything she can see.

"Tails… NiGHTS… Everyone…I think I finally understand…what I've been missing all this time. When everything around me started to change, I…I started to fear that change. I was so busy trying to keep the pieces of my world the same that…I forgot how to grow myself." A distant spot of color appears in the swirling sea of white. "But I can make a change. I can grow to be better than I ever was." The green light flashes and pulsates as it grows. "Mama… Gemerl… Everyone who's ever believed in me…if you give me the strength now, I know I can be anything. I can protect everyone!"

Cream soars out through a burst of green energy, flying not like herself, but like NiGHTS, with arms spread wide and a trail of sparkling light following behind her. She makes a twirling dive back down, dipping into the sea of light and catching up with a distant dark spot, carrying it back up with her. The power of her Green Ideya spreads to Tails as they fly back up, freeing him to spread his own arms and soar alongside her. They fly up through the night together, a look of delight shared on their smiling faces.

—–—

"Wizeman! Unhand them, now!" The Nightmaren, radiating with the power of the Precioustone, is neither NiGHTS nor Reala. Their face is painted only partially white in a diamond pattern. Their jester's cap comes to four long draping points, each hanging in a different direction, alternating between the two red and two purple. Their armor plates carry a symbol that is half sun and half moon. "We say this for your own good."

Wizeman dedicates only a single hand to the task of looking at them. "An unusual way to keep NiGHTS restrained, to be sure…but your success is all that matters."

"You misunderstand. If you don't stop, then we will stop you."

"You seek to defy the power of a god? I've come to expect this of NiGHTS, but you, Reala? I expected better of you. I've tolerated your failures all this time, and this is how you repay my mercy?"

"All three of your 'greatest creations' have failed you. It leads one to wonder whose failure that truly is."

"Very well." Wizeman hurls both Void and Lumina to the ground, as all of his attention turns to the Nightmaren. "If my mercy is too good for you, then receive my judgement instead." Suddenly, his massive form begins to multiply, encircling the Nightmaren on all sides.

Clawed metal hands come flying in from all directions, forcing the Nightmaren to weave and dive at a rapid pace, Paralooping one to kick it back where it came from. The Wizeman duplicates vanish, but the projectile bounces harmlessly off of a barrier of light. An array of four colored lights still float above Wizeman's head, seeming to power the barrier. With a dark laugh, he begins to float backwards, retreating along the outside of the Shrine's circular remains.

"We'll be taking those back!" From behind, Tails and Cream both come flying in at Wizeman. They both strike against the barrier, but with a renewed push and a flash of green light, they force their way past it, each of them reclaiming their two stolen Ideyas from above him. They take each other's hand once more, and all five Ideyas circle around them, bathing them in a rainbow of light.

The Nightmaren greets with as much surprise as joy, "Cream! Tails!"

Cream cheers, "NiGHTS!"

Tails questions, "And Reala?"

The Nightmaren wastes no time in explaining. "You two made it at just the right time. Without the power of those Ideyas, we should be able to push him back. Just try to keep him still, we'll take care of the rest!" They take off after Wizeman.

"Right!" Tails and Cream loop around to follow.

On the ground, Void kneels over Lumina's fallen form. "Lumina…please, get up."

"Void…" Lumina coughs meekly. "I should have listened to you…from the beginning. I made the same mistake all over again… I wanted to destroy something that was a part of me… A part of us… Instead of making peace…"

"It's not your fault, Lumina. Neither of us remembered."

"Void…you must protect…everyone's dreams…" As she whispers her last breath, her form begins to fade away, leaving behind only a smooth red gem that clatters to the floor.

"Lumina…" Tears gather in Void's hollow eyes. "LUMINAAAA!" A dark energy explodes out from within him.

As Wizeman waves his hands, the world around them seems to transform. A drowning deluge of water pours down in a storm. Cyclones of water fly at Tails and Cream as they weave around to avoid. Wizeman keeps up the onslaught, transforming the setting again to a blizzard-stricken peak. Giant chunks of ice and frozen rock blow every which way, blocking their every turn. Tails Paraloops one of them, launching it back at Wizeman. Wizeman knocks the projectile aside, crushing it with a single hand while sending the other hands out at them. He doesn't seem to notice that behind him, the Nightmaren weaves an intricate dance through the air, forming the fractal border of a much larger loop.

Wizeman's hands actively pursue Tails and Cream, forcing them into even more desperate maneuvers of avoidance. But each time one is Paralooped, it drops motionless to the ground. Wizeman changes the world yet again, back to the familiar starscape, as flaming meteors rain down from the sky.

"Tails, Cream, NOW!"

The two take each other's hand one last time, twirling together to drill straight through the largest meteor, continuing on to strike straight at Wizeman. A massive black vortex has opened behind him. They each push against him with all the power of their Ideyas behind them. But Wizeman pushes back, quickly gaining ground.

The Nightmaren flies around from behind, landing between Tails and Cream to add their own strength.

Wizeman laughs. "You aren't strong enough. You will never be strong enough."

"No one is. But together, we are whole." Void's transformation, lacking in any of NiGHTS' features, seems to have complete control of its senses. It leaps off of the ground, readying a mighty punch. "The true self is everyone! That's something you'll never understand!" Void's fist smashes into Wizeman's metal face, adding the force necessary to force him all the way back into the closing portal.

—–—

Void, reverted to his normal form, bends down to pick up Lumina's gem. "The Precioustone has gone dark. Without it…"

"Oh, quit your whining." Reala flies up to the dim Precioustone, pressing his hand against it. "I return your power to you." The glow from his hand returns to its source.

Void floats up alongside him. "Thank you." Pressing his own hand against the stone, Lumina's gem in his opposite hand begins to glow, allowing him to phase inside along with it.

As Reala returns to the ground, NiGHTS pats him on the shoulder. "Feels good to help, doesn't it?"

Reala shoves them away. "Back off. I need space to think." He walks over to a distant corner of the Shrine.

With a flash of light, a hazy image of Illumina takes shape around the Prescioustone. "Thank you all. And you most of all, NiGHTS. For being a friend to everyone."

NiGHTS takes a theatrical bow. "It was my pleasure. Seeing Lumina again was a gift I never could've hoped for."

"Yet I see in your heart as you gaze upon me that something is still missing."

NiGHTS shakes their head. "It's not about me. It's about the people I help."

"Since the day you and Lumina met, NiGHTS…you've been without a home. That is the least I can offer you as thanks. Maginaryworld will always be a safe haven for you."

"A home…?"

"This is the world of everyone's dreams. Past, present, and future. If anyone has ever dreamed, you can find them here."

"Everyone… You mean…all my old friends…Elliot, Claris, Will, Helen…?"

"You can see them all smile again."

NiGHTS' face lights up in an uncontrollable smile. "Thank you. So much. In return, I swear to protect these dreams as I've always protected people's dreams."

Cream takes NiGHTS' hand, sharing in their delight.

NiGHTS suddenly looks over to the side. "And what about…?"

Tails steps up silently beside Reala.

Reala stares down at the ground, where his dropped persona mask still sits. "What do you want?"

"Just to tell you something."

"And that is?"

"I'm proud of you."

Reala glares back with shock and distrust.

"I mean it. From the moment you first saved me from those other Nightmarens, I knew that, whether it was for personal gain or not, you had a very real protective instinct in you. I wanted to trust you when you said you were protecting your home, because I saw that you could be a hero if you really tried. I knew you could change, just like some of my friends have changed. I know that my respect may not mean as much to you as your father's, but it's real, and I wanted you to know that."

"You're saying you knew I was deceiving you? And you helped me anyways?" Reala shakes his head. "Foolish."

"Was it? It got us here."

"I would be careful about what you say to me if I were you. Don't forget, I know all of your secrets."

Tails glances nervously around. "Uhh…"

Reala starts to snicker, before breaking into a full on laugh.

Tails starts to laugh along with him.

"Seriously though, don't cross me."

Tails closes his eyes and raises his hands in mock surrender. "I won't. And I'm glad to count you among my friends. You know, if you really have seen all of my dreams, then you should know that I went through a lot of similar things with my own father. I always thought that—"

Reala's eyes go wide. "Look out!" He shoves Tails out of the way of a massive metal hand that grabs him instead a moment later.

Wizeman's voice echoes, "You have defied me for the first and final time, Reala. But I will not allow the body of my finest work to go to waste. I will take great pleasure in replacing your soul."

NiGHTS cries, "Reala!" They take off after him, but even flying at top speed, they are a moment too slow to stop him from being dragged back into a small portal.

Tails gasps in horror. "Reala…"

NiGHTS somberly settles onto the floor where the portal was, picking up his dropped mask from the ground. "Reala… No…"

Cream puts a supportive hand on NiGHTS' back. "Don't worry, NiGHTS. Reala is strong enough to make it through. I know he is."

NiGHTS nods. "You're right. If Void could survive, Reala certainly can as well. And I'll do whatever it takes to find him again."

Illumina adds, "I pledge whatever support I can offer in that endeavor. This world will be his home as much as it is yours."

Tails climbs back to his feet, holding a fist in resolution. "How can we help?"

NiGHTS shakes their head. "I'm afraid you can't." They look up at the starry sky, seeming to interpret something that the rest can't. "The sun has risen. It's time for the two of you to wake up and return to your own world."

A sparkling white light begins to rain down from the sky. Cream looks around with growing concern. "W-wait! We'll still be able to see you again, won't we?"

NiGHTS' gaze goes down. "Before, I…never would've been able to answer that question honestly. But now, my home is the world of dreams. Someday…when you're dreaming of the future…and you find your thoughts drifting to me…that's when we'll meet again. Cream. And you too, Tails."

Tails puts on a smile. "I'm glad I met you, NiGHTS. You've reminded me just how important a friendship can be. How important it is not to let that go to waste."

Cream starts to sniffle.

Tails takes her hand. "And please, save Reala for us."

"You have my word." NiGHTS takes a long bow as the raining light grows blindingly bright. "See you again…"

Behind them, Illumina echoes, "See you again…"

As the light blocks out everything around her, Cream finally manages to cry out, "Goodbye!"

—–—

The Eggshelter — Rebel Camp Alpha

Cream bolts awake in her bed, finding a tear still in her eye to wipe away.

"Chao!" Cheese grumbles angrily, facedown on the floor after being suddenly pushed off of her sleeping lap.

"Sorry Cheese, I'll explain later!" She leaps out of bed, rushing out of the room still in her pajamas.

She soars along the ground of the walkway with her arms spread wide at an impressive speed, remembering, for just a moment, the feeling of flying among the stars.

"Whoa!"

Cream narrowly avoids crashing into Sonic, skidding herself to a halt as she passes him. "Oh! Sorry, Mr. Sonic!"

Sonic scratches his head in confusion. "That's…fine. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, fine! Oh, by the way, is it alright if I bring Tails his morning meal today?"

"Uhh…yeah, sure. Thanks, I guess."

Cream has already taken off again.

Tails is still groggily rubbing at his eyes, sitting up in bed as the door chime to his quarters rings. "Uhh…come in?" The door opens to reveal Cream, carrying an armful of food supplies. "C-Cream! Uhh…hi. What are you…doing here?"

"I decided to make you breakfast." Not waiting for his permission, she strolls over to his standard mini kitchen and gets to work.

"Thank you, but, uhh…aren't you…you know…still mad at me? About the whole Shadow thing?"

Cream glances over at him in a moment of hesitation, perhaps concern. "I just…realized how important our friendship is. How important it is not to let that go to waste."

Tails' eyes narrow as he contemplates those words. "You know…I was having this dream. It was about…well…you were there, and…I realized the same thing. And also…I realized…the importance of trust. And how it has to go both ways. Your friends are the people who trust you back. I've been looking at everyone else as people to save for so long that…I stopped looking at myself. And I forgot what it meant to really trust. I'm sorry, Cream. I need to say it to everyone else, too."

As Cream works, she begins to hum. It's a simple tune. Three notes high. Three notes low. Then back and forth between the two.

His eyes going ever wider as he listens, Tails picks up in a whistle after her. Three notes high. Three notes low. A resolution to the tune.

They both stop what they're doing to stare at one another. Then they both break out into laughter.

Their laughter echoes up through the many metal chambers of the Eggshelter, up to the very top, where NiGHTS perches on one foot beneath the light of the sun, playing the Night Flute to the very same tune, ending on a smirk and knowing wink.

To be continued…