CHILDREN: THE FIRST NIGHT
Rayman walked a few steps behind Niehr, numerous questions spinning around in his mind. Some of them were relevant, but most were panicked voices screaming various useless information coupled with irrelevant questions to no one in particular. Faces and memories kept flashing into his mind; Ly, Globox, and, for some particular reason, Mr. Dark. Rayman could feel his feet moving, but in his mind he was still at the scene of his death, watching Ly leave. Rayman kept walking, feeling his eyes begin to water, until a tree limb tripped him. Looking up, he realized that he was in Clearleaf Forest, only—it was night.
"Even as its denizens mark him as the cruelest of villains," Niehr spoke suddenly, making Rayman jump. "The world still mourns for a fallen hero."
"You're telling me that the planet itself is sad that I died?" Rayman asked, not believing it.
"You forget," Niehr said, "of what controls the energies of the world."
"It's the Heart—" Rayman started to say. Then he realized just what his mysterious companion meant. "...Yeah. I suppose he would be a little sad, huh?" Rayman thought back to that day, but a different thought entered his mind before he could reminisce.
"Hey, Niehr," he wondered aloud. "Wouldn't he—wouldn't the Heart know that I'm alive again?"
"I believe that I told you," Niehr explained again. "You somehow breathe, but your heart does not beat. Officially, Rayman, you are still dead. The Heart could only 'see' you if it actually looked." Rayman detected an almost unnoticeable note of hostility in the word "it."
"But what about you?" he asked, pushing it to the back of his mind. "You're alive." Niehr gave a short, quiet laugh.
"I exist..." she turned toward a tree, and then placed her hand upon it. "But, at the same time...I don't." Her hand suddenly went through the tree. She looked at Rayman.
"Is there such a thing as a bright shadow?" she asked him. "Or a living death?"
"No," Rayman answered, confused. "Both of those things are physically impossible."
"And yet," Niehr replied. "You are living and dead. I have color, weight, and senses, yet I am nothing more than a shadow." Rayman only got more confused as Niehr "explained." Niehr suddenly grabbed his hand and put over her heart.
"What do you feel?" she asked. Rayman suddenly realized what she was getting at.
"Nothing," he answered, removing his hand. "I can't feel your heartbeat."
"The reason the Heart can't see us," Niehr explained, turning away. "Because neither of us should exist."
"Niehr," Rayman began. "Just who are you?" Niehr seemed to laugh again, and Rayman saw a drop of blood fall from her face.
"Niehr!" Rayman spun her around and saw that the bandage over her right eye had suddenly developed a large, dark bloodstain. Blood slowly trickled out from under it, flowing down and her face and finally dropping off her chin onto the grass. Her left eye was closed. The bloodstain seemed to fade as her eye opened again. The tiny river of blood dried, seeming to vanish.
"We must continue onward," she told Rayman, walking away. Rayman was about to follow but stopped, looking at the ground. For some reason, all the grass had died where Niehr's blood had fallen. Rayman shivered involuntarily and hurried after Niehr.
Niehr stopped suddenly, and Rayman nearly crashed into her. She was looking up. Rayman followed her gaze and saw the two moons. No stars surrounded them, creating an outline that looked like a certain someone's eyes.
It can't see you, Niehr's words echoed in Rayman's mind. Two silhouettes appeared in the moons. It took Rayman a moment to realize that they were both heading toward him. He jumped out of the way with a cry as what could only be described as a living shadow plummeted to the ground, another one following after it. The shadows became black puddles, which slowly formed themselves into two creatures, standing erect. Both had red eyes and wore only gray and black. They looked...related to Niehr. One of them, presumably the older of the two, turned to Niehr.
"Where is he?" he asked calmly.
"You'll have to be more specific," Niehr's monotonous voice had a nearly indistinguishable edge to it.
"No, I don't think that I do," the man replied. "I believe you just need a little push." His grey hand darkened to black and promptly shot out at Niehr, who expectantly ducked and quickly moved closer in. Seeing this exchange as a battle cry, the younger one charged at a surprised Rayman, who jumped back as a black, oversized fist slammed into the ground.
"What's the matter?" the younger one asked. "We're nothing but shadows." Rayman threw out his fist and watched as it went through his opponent, having no effect whatsoever.
"Going to have to try a little bit harder," the strange creature told him, charging him again. Suddenly, trees quickly grew, sealing off each side from their companion. Rayman heard Niehr say, "It's seen us."
"Brother!" Rayman's adversary cried out. A bullet suddenly (not to mention randomly) flew out of the ground and struck a solid blow to the opponent. The one shot knocked him out. Rayman looked at the moons and stars, arranged in their strange pattern.
"Thanks," he said. He then jumped up into the trees to go help Niehr. However, he was paused by a bizarre scene that played out before him.
Niehr was calmly facing her opponent, who was looking at the trees in disbelief.
"What happened?" he cried out, turning to Niehr. "What did you do?" Rayman suddenly saw Niehr really smile, but it chilled him to the bone. The smile she war was full of hatred, bitterness, and above all, an evil that he'd seen from only one other person in his entire life.
"I couldn't have done it," she told him. "I'm not that strong."
"Where is Father?" the man asked.
"'Father' who?" Niehr replied.
"You will tell me!" the man shouted. "I'll beat it out of you!" He rushed in, but Niehr was faster. Rayman felt oddly cold blood splash upon his face as a black blade protruded from the man's back. Niehr kicked him off, and Rayman swore that he could hear her quiet laugh as her arm grew lighter and transformed back from the blade into a hand. The man struggled to stand.
"Th-this isn't the end," he muttered. His body transformed back into a shadow, which flew away, shortly followed by a smaller one. Rayman could feel his cover slipping away as the trees sank back into the ground. He saw Niehr's eye flick to him, then turn away.
Good, she didn't see me, Rayman thought.
At this point I'm hoping that I left you with 4 questions:
What connection does Rayman have with the Heart of the World?
Who were those two shadow guys?
Who is "Father?"
Who exactly is Niehr?
If I haven't left you with these questions, then I fail at writing. If you actually write reviews, feel free to speculate—throw some answers out there. :)