Disclaimer: Hannie and Reese belong to EternalFluffy, Jen Sinclair belongs to Angel and Tuikempy belongs to ArtisanKloa.
NiGHTS into College
Chapter 6
Hannie and Reese were at a dormitory lounge watching Fashion Runway on the television. They both knew that there was a movie playing at the campus' theatre, they just weren't interested in the movie.
"You know," Hannie began some conversation, "my favorite outfit always loses in these challenges."
"I'm not a fan of these reality shows," Reese responded, "I'm just glad that there isn't one for cooking."
"There is always Top Chef," Hannie shrugged. Then she stared down at the commercial which was presenting a reality show about poorly behaved brides. "Do people watch these shows only to see people fail?"
"Fail?" Reese asked, "I can tell the failure in shows like Fashion Runway or American Idol, but I can't really tell the failure in Bridezillas."
"They fail in their personality," was Hannie's observation, she looked at another commercial for a car insurance company, "sometimes, I can relate to these women…I don't know why, but I feel like I'm a failure, just like these people on TV."
Reese looked up at the ceiling. He didn't watch these kinds of shows often, so he never related to anyone within a reality show. He couldn't help to ask himself why Hannie would feel like anyone on television that isn't fictional. Reese had found Hannie to be a bright girl, with a sunny personality. She was too good to be in a reality show. Although, at the same time he kind of felt the same way, it was kind of odd.
"I felt this way ever since I was about thirteen," Hannie looked up at the ceiling then at Reese, "I don't know why, I just felt like the was a major failure."
Reese didn't really like the conversation, so he took out the remote, and then flipped through some other channels, "well, I bet you will be successful, just don't go onto any reality shows."
Hannie giggled, "I think I'm talented enough in my acting to make it into the media without those silly programs."
**
Legally Blonde was not really that compelling of a movie, at least in Claris' opinion. Claris hadn't seen the entire movie; she just found the entire concept boring. She would turn on the DVD Player every time she even tired to watch Legally Blonde. The problem was that she couldn't turn off the movie because she was in a theatre. Instead, she fell asleep.
It had been two years since Claris had been in the Night Dimension. One night, she couldn't find her way back to Nightopia. When she asked Elliot about Nightopia, he said that he couldn't find his way back either. They were both sixteen years old at the time, and agreed that they were probably too old for Nightopia.
When Claris had fallen asleep during that fateful movie, she had seen something that she hadn't seen in a while: a Nightmaren. Yet maybe not exactly seen, but heard.
Claris floated in darkness, she flew a few feet across the darkness, when she heard a voice that sounded like a recording of her own voice, "Know thy self." Claris knew it was her own voice, but she also knew that she wasn't talking. She already knew that this dream was very strange.
"W-who are you?" Claris called out to the void of darkness. Yet there was no answer, so Claris called out again, "seriously, this isn't funny!"
"I am Nightmaren you have never met, but yet, you know so well," the voice began to giggle, and then repeated "know thy self."
Claris hated riddles, but she thought about the words that the Nightmaren expressed. She hesitated in her next few words, "so, I must know myself, to know you?"
The voice giggled again, "maybe, just maybe."
**
That was when Claris woke up; she felt a poke on her arm. Once she opened her eyes, she saw Pomona's face, "hey there sleepyhead."
Claris rubbed her eye as she looked at the credits of the movie. "Wow, can't believe I missed it," she told herself.
"It was a good movie too," said NiGHTS, "maybe you should sleep more often, so you won't sleep through movies."
A glance to NiGHTS was given by Claris, of course NiGHTS wanted her to sleep, she was Nightmaren; they lived in other's sleep. For someone being in the Waking World for the first time, NiGHTS was sure obsessed with sleep.
The three got up to leave the theatre, yet Claris had spotted something that made her gasp; it was Jen wrapping her arm around Reala. "Why is Jen dating a freshman?" she asked herself, but brushed it off, it was no big deal after all, even if Reala was a Nightmaren.
NiGHTS looked up to see which freshman Jen was with, her reaction was more thunderous than Claris'. NiGHTS stomped over to the two, "Reala, what do you think you're doing?!"
Reala looked over at NiGHTS, "What? I can't have partners too?"
The comment of Reala's kind of dazzled NiGHTS, she knew that Reala was referring to her Dreamers, but NiGHTS had never taken them out on dates. "W-w-w-h-a-a-t, do you mean by, 'partners too?'"
"Like you're the one to ask," Reala said quite smugly. Reala often had jealousy over NiGHTS' dreamers, even if it was a once in a while feeling, it was still there.
An offended gasp came from NiGHTS' mouth; she wanted to slap Reala on the face. Of course Claris and Pomona knew NiGHTS' past, but Jen sure didn't know who neither NiGHTS nor Reala was when it came to their pasts.
To change to subject, Jen suggested, "Hey, Reala, how about I take you to this cute Sushi place? It's my treat!"
"Sushi?" Reala asked Jen in a confused manner.
"Oh! Sushi!" Pomona became excited, "Sushi is cute, and colorful, and yummy too!"
"Pretty much, its raw fish with rice," was Claris' explanation.
Reala's eyes began to perk up, "living fish?" Reala loved to feast on the living. Even in his Nightmaren form, which he didn't need to eat, he still ate living Nightopians. Maybe this, "sushi" would be a good supplement, since there were no Nightopians in the Waking World.
Jen giggled, as she clinged to Reala, "No, silly, it's dead like all other meats!"
Maybe sushi wasn't the best supplement of Nightopians. Even with the excitement over Sushi, Reala was still hungry, he hated the feeling, but it must be tamed.
Claris giggled, and then she realized her earlier rudeness to Reala, she thought it was the best time to apologize "oh, Reala?"
Immediately, Reala's eye met to Claris' pink haired head, maybe this was a sign that Claris still wanted to be friends. She was the most powerful Dreamer on campus after all. It would be great to have her under the clutches of Wizeman. He spoke up with a, "Yeah?"
"Well, I'm sorry about earlier, how I shoved your brother, and all, I still want to be friends with you guys…like how I'm friends with NiGHTS," was Claris' apology, what she had spoken were true, she was willing to admit that she was wrong for the sake of her friendship with Reala. Claris thought that is she wasn't friends with Reala, then NiGHTS probably would not want to be friends with her.
Reala released a big smile, he wanted that apology, "Why thank you, I think we both deserve the second chance." He gave Claris a slight bow, but before he got up, he advised Claris, "but someone who you should really apologize to is Jackle."
A nod came to Claris' head; she was definitely uncomfortable with apologizing to Jackle. Yet if she wanted to be friends with either NiGHTS or Reala, then the deed must have been done. "I will apologize to Jackle, where is he exactly?"
"Clemens Hall, Room 145, two doors from my room actually," was Reala's answer, "he said that he was practicing his tarot reading."
Ever since she met Jackle, she had the fear of Tarot Cards, but she had to apologize, "thanks," she called out, and then ran off.
Just then, NiGHTS realized if Claris apologized to Jackle, then Claris would be one step closer to becoming a Nightmaren. "I have to go to the bathroom, real emergency," NiGHTS told Pomona then ran off.
**
Claris remembered when she met Jackle, it was around the same night she found out that NiGHTS was a Nightmaren when Owl slipped up. Troubled feelings were brewing inside of Claris, yet she never expressed the feelings to neither NiGHTS nor Owl. Yet her flying skills were atrocious, even almost met a Night Over when trying to defeat Gulpo, NiGHTS had to take control and defeat the fish like Nightmaren because Claris was so troubled in her mind.
"Hey, Claris?" NiGHTS asked once they got back to Mystic Forest, and NiGHTS was finally free, "is anything the matter?"
A shake came to Claris' head; she objected, "No, nothing is wrong."
Yet NiGHTS gave Claris a knowing look, "look, Claris, you don't need to hide anything from me, you can tell me anything. Are you still nervous about your audition?"
Claris was a little dazed from NiGHTS knowing about Claris' audition, so dazed that she suddenly snapped "like a Nightmaren like you would know about that!"
"So you found out?" asked NiGHTS, this was the first time anyone had found that that NiGHTS was a Nightmaren, she had a worried look on her face, "look… Claris...."
Claris looked down, once she looked back up she yelled, "you should have told me that in the first place!"
Frankly, NiGHTS had never told any of her Dreamers that she was a Nightmaren before. NiGHTS had suddenly had an awful feeling that she never had before. "I'm sorry," NiGHTS told Claris, but when NiGHTS looked up, Claris was gone.
**
Four years ago at the Dream Gate…Claris remembered those awful memories of Jackle…
Claris had gone to the Dream Gate, where she could cool off her anger. Claris sat at the fountain, crossed her arms and took a deep breath. That was when she heard a voice.
"Poor, poor child, deceived by her only friend…"
Claris looked up, she saw a dark portal where a mantle emerged, and with that mantle was an orange jester like hat, gloves and shoes. Out of surprise the butt of Claris fell off the edge of the fountain and into the water. Not only was Claris device and angry, but she was also wet.
The orange glove appeared in front of Claris in a helpful manner. Without much thought, she took the hand, and it pulled her up. Claris looked at herself, soaked from the fall, "um, thank you," she told the owner of that hand.
"No issue at all," said that same voice that Claris had heard before. Before Claris had felt a release from the orange hand, she felt her own hand being kissed, then Claris heard again, "no issue at all," the orange hand released her hand.
Claris got herself out of the fountain, and then looked at the creature that had helped her up; it was nothing, except for an orange jester like hat, gloves and shoes. She immediately spat out, "Who are you?"
"A Nightmaren and that is all," a giant smile came to the creature, "the names' Jackle, with an l-e."
From kissing her hand, Claris had thought that Jackle must have been some kind of gentleman…or gentlewoman. Yet Jackle's manner of speaking seemed informal, yet formal at the same time. Claris smiled back, she was glad that someone was willing to admit that they were a Nightmaren. "Well, my name is Claris Sinclaire."
"It's my pleasure," Jackle gave Claris a bow, showing his formal side again; Jackle's character seemed a little incompetent.
Claris shook her head rapidly to dry off her hair; she was glad that this was a dream, because she had recently dyed her hair, "at least you're honest, unlike NiGHTS."
Another grin came to Jackle, "yes, much more honest than that pesky NiGHTS."
"You can't be more correct," Claris laughed at herself.
"Hey, you know," Jackle rubbed his nonexistent chin, "if you're so mad at NiGHTS, how about you go be my Dreamer?"
Claris stopped laughing, and her face transfixed to a confused look, "really?"
"Yeah," Jackle nodded his head, "I'm a more honest maren, and we get along so well."
"You know, you're right!" Claris exclaimed as she stood up, "we get along great; I think I should be your Dreamer!"
"Great!" said Jackle, "I will summon you to my…space…tomorrow night."
Both the Nightmaren and the Dreamer shook hands on their deal.
**
Sami's Sushi had good service, good sushi, and the food was "colorful and yummy," as the childish girl that NiGHTS was friends with stated. At first Reala thought it would be sweet, like candy, but it actually had a surprising savory taste.
"Hey, Reala?" Jen asked the Nightmaren who she thought was human, "do you…like me at all?"
Reala looked up from the colorful bits of raw fish, and straight into Jen's eyes. Jen's color features were very similar to Claris', yet she wasn't the same girl. "I actually barely know you."
Jen nodded her head, "well, that's fair, it is a first date after all. I barely know you either…but you just seem more…different from other people I've dated."
Reala looked into Jen's brown eyes again, "well, this is my first ever date…"
A nod came to Jen's head, "well, there's a first for everyone," then she giggled, "Although I find it hard to believe that no one had ever asked you out on a date before."
Of course no one had ever asked Reala out on a date before; he comes from a genderless society where no one was attracted to one another. Even with Visitors around, no one was attracted to a Nightmaren, not even the friendly NiGHTS. When Reala suddenly had a gender, was he also suddenly attractive? Also, Jen assumed that Reala was in High School before he went to Wize College. "Why would you say that?" was the only response Reala could think of.
"Well, you kind of remind…of an anti-hero in a movie," Jen explained, "I took a Film Studies class for my Art Credit, and I've seen many characters that are not bound by anything, neither good nor evil. Girls tend to fantasize about those kinds of men, and your personality, matches up to the anti-hero too!"
Reala looked down, and remembered his attempt to be a rebel which was a plan that crashed and burned, "I've tried that lifestyle; I don't think…it's really me…"
Jen frowned, she didn't like to be wrong, but she also wanted to stay as polite as she could towards her date, "well, you seem to act that way, but maybe I'm wrong. The person who you know best is yourself."
Reala took another piece of sushi then put it in his mouth, "well," he said with his mouth full, "it's a first date after all."
Jen blushed, even if Reala didn't think of himself as an anti-hero, she sure did think of him in that manner, "you're right… it is only the first date."
**
Claris looked at the door to Jackle's single dorm, and then took a deep breath. Claris just stood there, without knocking until she put her first up onto the door, and slowly threw a knock, but Claris was too slow because the red headed boy had opened the door before she did.
"Yyyeeeessss?" Jackle asked in a long and sly manner.
The sudden open of the door kind of stunned Claris, she fell silent for a few seconds. Once she had spoken she said, "Um, well, you're probably wondering why I'm standing in front of your door."
"Well," Jackle began to speak, "the continuity of you standing in front of this very door does make me wonder why you are standing there in the first place."
Claris looked down, she was as nervous as she was four years ago on that stage in front of those directors and producers, auditioning for Twin Dreams, if this apology didn't go right, then NiGHTS would probably not want to be her friend, "well…Jackle…I would like to apologize…for pushing you earlier."
Jackle wasn't satisfied at all, he crossed his arms and said, "And…"
A confused look came to Claris' face, "and what? What else did I do?"
Jackle glared at the pinked haired girl, "you know very well, what you did four years ago?"
"What did I do four years ago?" Claris' eyebrow rose slightly.
"Betray me?" Jackle cried out, "can't you remember a thing about my defeat? You've tricked me, deceived me! I couldn't believe how disloyal a dreamer could be!"
**
Claris never took herself coming back to NiGHTS as a betrayal to Jackle. Yet she remembered it, very well.
Jackle sat at the middle of his room, when Claris had appeared within the room.
Claris jolted over to the Nightmaren and waved, "hi, what should we do tonight?!"
The infamous creepy grin came to Jackle's face, "well, how about you teach me how to merge?"
Claris couldn't believe that a Nightmaren like Jackle wouldn't know how to merge. It seemed to simple, "all we have to do is to touch each others' hands." She took out her hand, and pressed her palm over to Jackle's…nothing happened.
"Is something wrong with you?" Claris asked the invisible one, "It was very simple when I merged with NiGHTS."
Then the ranting of Jackle began, "Oh, so NiGHTS has the fancy power to merge with the second most powerful things in this world, but ~I~ can't?! What makes NiGHTS so special? Why does it always has to be the rebel with all of the fancy powers? I can't believe it, the second most powerful thing in any part of the Night Dimension is in my hands, and I can't do anything about it! I've tried to make friends with her, drew her away from that blasphemous NiGHTS, and she can't do anything to help me! There must be a secret behind NiGHTS' ability."
Angry emotions rose from Claris, she had little clue about being the second most powerful creature in the Night Dimension, she didn't care about that, she cared that Jackle wanted to use her powers, not to help accomplish her dreams of being a famous singer. She took initiative, and told Jackle, "Take me to the Dream Gate; I'm going back to NiGHTS!"
A glance of Jackle's stone blue eyes shot out to Claris, his lipless mouth began to form the words: "I'm not taking you anywhere!"
"Fine," Claris flung her arms upwards then cried out, "then I'm going to find the Dream Gate myself!" She stormed away from Jackle.
Jackle sped over to Claris and grabbed her arm, "Neither are you going anywhere!"
Claris winced from the pain of Jackle grabbing her wrist tightly, "Let me go!" She called out, "I'm useless to you anyway!"
"Okay," Jackle said as his hand lost grasp of Claris' arm, "You can go," soon enough Jackle reached for Claris' chest then grabbed the red Ideya straight from her, "unless if you want your Ideya of Courage!"
A gasp came to Claris, but when Jackle began to press his long orange fingers against Claris' Red Ideya, she began to wince in pain even more, "Jackle, stop it!"
"Not unless you stay," Jackle struck out the words, "we will find a way for us to merge, even if we kill to get it!"
"Fine," Claris scream to Jackle, still in pain from Jackle's attempt to break her courage, "just give me my Ideya back!"
"Are you sure?" Jackle asked the girl, then threw Claris' Ideya back to her, "fine, but you better not try to break our promise again."
"I won't," said Claris, with tears in her eyes, what had she gotten herself into?
Yet soon enough, NiGHTS appeared, it was a pleasure to see that purple jester hat again "Claris!"
"NiGHTS!" Claris called out she ran over to NiGHTS, but then she saw some Tarot cards flying towards her. She flew to the wall, and the cards were fastened to her uniform, she was stuck on the wall.
Jackle flew over to Claris, and grabbed her chin, "what did I just tell you?"
Claris stuttered in fear, "n-n-not to break our promise?"
"Exactly!" Jackle smiled, yet then Jackle felt his cape fly off his nonexistent neck.
The cape was in NiGHTS' hand, "Leave the poor girl alone Jackle!" Then NiGHTS threw the cape across the room.
While Jackle was trying to retrieve the cape, NiGHTS merged with Claris.
Once Jackle retrieved his cape, he looked to see that Claris and NiGHTS were within one another. "How dare you!" Jackle cried, and then threw his cards in anger.
It was a difficult fight, yet Claris was in the spirit to defeat Jackle. She was motivated that time around, and would never betray NiGHTS ever again.
**
"I've…never seen it that way," Claris looked down, "that I was betraying you." Then Claris looked up with full intent, "well, let's start over, we can be friends again, I know it!" Claris took out her hand, "want to be college buddies?"
Jackle looked at her hand. Jackle hadn't shaken a single hand since Claris had betrayed him. Yet once Jackle was about to grab Claris' hand, interruption had began.
"Stop!" NiGHTS cried out as she ran over to Jackle's single dorm, "you're making a big mistake!"
"What mistake?" Claris asked, "You're the one who told me to apologize!"
NiGHTS stopped to take deep breaths, "I know." Then the realized that she couldn't explain to Claris about her mistake without explaining it to Jackle too. Giving away the Nightmarens' mission and calling Claris' apology a mistake would result in an angry Wizeman. "But…you didn't apologize without me around!"
So for the first time in four years, Jackle shook another's hand.
**
Within the three Nightmarens' dreams, NiGHTS just had to ask, "So, Reala, how's your girlfriend?"
Reala sighed, he didn't like NiGHTS' immature question at all, "Women…I'm glad that my slightly human form isn't one…"
"Well, I'm a woman, and I'm perfectly fine," NiGHTS stuck out her tongue.
"Wait until menstruation starts," Reala mumbled.
"Being a guy is so much better," Jackle cried out.
The three Nightmaren looked up to see that Wizeman had heard that entire conversation, which would include that Wizeman heard that Reala had a date.
"Forgive me Master Wizeman," Reala bowed down to his master, "I didn't know that it would be a date in the first place."
For once, Wizeman was tolerant about something, "It doesn't matter; it isn't like you can reproduce anyway."
The three Nightmaren just stared at Wizeman. They knew what their Master was implying, but it was kind of out of Wizman's space to say something like telling them that they couldn't reproduce or even be okay with Reala having a girlfriend.
"It isn't like I want more of you anyway," Wizeman said, then changed the subject, "have you made acquaintance with the Perfect Dreamer?"
"Oh yeah," said NiGHTS, and then began to excitedly say "we're Facebook friends, MySpace friends, Gaia Friends and AIM Buddies."
The two other Nightmaren along with their supreme ruler glanced at the purple jester, "what?" They knew nothing about online social networking.
"We're friends, and I worked on Claris being friends with Reala and Jackle, which was a success," NiGHTS blushed from the embarrassment of talking about the internet. It would be the end of the Waking World if Wizeman used the internet, so NiGHTS shouldn't mention computers so often.
"Good…" said Wizeman, "and anyone else that you've found as potentials to become Nightmaren?"
"Yes…" was Jackle's answer, which gave the other two Nightmaren a weird glance, "I haven't introduced her to any of you two yet, but she has all of her Ideya except for Courage. I would call her, 'my own personal project.'"
"And her name?" Wizeman questioned Jackle.
"I don't know," Jakle shrugged, "she told me, but I forgot. I saw her when she was commenting about Reala putting his feet on a chair…"
"Her?" Reala asked, "seriously? You know that if we turn her into a Nightmaren, then we will have to work with her forever."
"Oh, she'll change, I know that," Jackle grimed evilly and creepily, "I know that."
NiGHTS still hated what her brothers were doing to these poor young adults. Yet it was her job, and it would be over in four years. NiGHTS only hoped for the best for Claris.