A beautiful and strange occurrence happened while the boys were travelling to Nightopia. It looked like Wiseman was holding some sort of festival in honor of himself. Different colored banners and streamers were being thrown around in the street, it looked like someone just had a huge public birthday party. One might have even mistaken it for Mardigras if there had been parading horses and floats. Though they were handing out the fake necklaces to one another. A few special nightmaren dressed in shimmery multi-colors were flying across the sky. On their foreheads were a golden star with the same streamers tailing behind. They ended the show as they landed back onto their respective pedestals. Wiseman waved to his followers below as Iris was perched on the ledge with her own creatures.
"My children.. the army is finally complete! We storm the whole of the Night's Dimension tomorrow! The time is now. You, the nightmaren, are the supreme race!" Wiseman turned around but then stopped.
"Give credit where credit is due." Iris said as one of her creatures played with her tails.
"And...Irisatine over there helped." He said as he saw Nights and two visitors bravely walk down the street.
The nightmaren automatically stopped celebrating and gave the group glares. Jackle and Reala burst out of the building and stood in front of Nights, ready to attack. Nights and company raised their fists into a fighting position and swung at the first nightmaren who jumped at them. That nightmaren got caught up in the rainbow banners and tried to untangle themselves. Wiseman yelled down some orders at his weaker nightmaren and they also were cast aside into the decorations and at piles of glitter. Jackle assisted Reala with taking care of Nights as Sonic and Tails fought Wiseman.
The nightmaren growled and hissed at one another as they bruised and battered themselves. Reala and Jackle hit Nights back and forth like they were playing ping pong. Then they started kicking him back and forth, using their hind legs that had become almost kangaroo-like. They found this amusing and snickered at a confused Nights. Nights landed on top of a gold star decoration and weakly stood up.
"Looks like Nights is having some difficulty keeping up with the big boys." Reala said as he took of his mask, wanting to protect it from anything to come.
"He always was weak and useless. Wiseman should create a more obedient version of him." Jackle said as Reala and him continued to taunt Nights.
Nights curled his hand up into a fist and with a hard pop! Jackle lay on the ground in pain. Reala watched as Nights flew straight at him and threw the star decoration over his head. Reala wobbled around in the star costume until he fell over and couldn't get back up. Nights punched right through the cardboard costume and attacked Reala over and over again. When he was done he got back up and saw Sonic and Tails confronting Wiseman.
Wiseman put up an ever changing scenic background as he threw some strange orbs at the two visitors. Sonic and Tails did what they do best, homing attacks, flight attacks, and dummy bombs planting. Little bursts of flames could be seen from the ring explosions as Wiseman's creatures were cut down in masses. The two friends finally had come face to face with Wiseman.
"No one else to hide behind. Just save yourself the stress and give up." Sonic said as Tails stood by his friend's side.
"Hahahaha!" Wiseman laughed as his army of newly made nightmaren came marching out. "You can't win this fight!"
The nightmaren who had Iris' silver aura around them mindlessly obeyed Wiseman as they pointed their rifles at them. Amongst them were the Christmas nightmaren who had shown them hospitality in the snowy realm. A tear came to Night's eye as he watched his poor fellow nightmaren drone on with no wills of their own.
"Yes that's right Nights. They are what you were supposed to be. But you just had to disagree with me and form your own mind. No matter... I'm done trying to convert you." Wiseman said as he flicked his hand.
The nightmaren attacked continuously and in their sections. The archers fired first as the arrows even blotted out the stars from the sky. Then the soldiers and knights rushed up to Sonic and friends. Swinging swords and other kinds of dream weaponry, they actually scraped the fur off of Tail's sides. The three heroes then chased after a very drained Wiseman and surprisingly, they caught up to him. Nights pinned down Wiseman and held him down until he started to panic. Wiseman tried to get away but had no strength left to do so.
"Iris! Help me! Get them away now!" Wiseman said as the boys shackled him up with the red ideya.
Sonic, Tails, and Nights looked to where Iris was perched, relaxing on the roof. She continued to watch Wiseman struggle in his binds.
"I said get me out of here! Take them down now!" Wiseman demanded still, getting nothing but a chuckle from her instead.
"You were just that easy to break huh?" Iris asked as she fluttered down to the ground and in front of Wiseman. "And why should I help you when you're not worth saving? What have you to offer that I don't have?"
Wiseman grabbed onto her dress with his bound hands and tugged her down to his level. "You will regret the day that you crossed me."
"Will I?" Iris asked as her muzzle went up into a smile.
Reala and Jackle came over to Wiseman and tried to drag their master away with whatever energy they had left in them. Iris raised her arm and pointed her hand towards them.
"Don't you two want to know why your back and hand hurt?" Iris asked as she tilted her head.
Reala and Jackle stopped and turned around to look at her. Were those cracks around her eyes?
"Yes I know about that. After all, I was the one who placed my mark upon you."
"Mark? What kind of mark?" Reala asked as he and Jackle growled.
"Oh its nothing too serious. Just a few little scratches on your back and hand to keep you out of my way. It's not my personal mark but I figured it would be enough."
Jackle slowly reached for the daggers in his pocket as Reala slowly crouched down. Suddenly an agonizing pain shot through them again. Reala started to exhale what looked like smoke as he pulled up his shirt to look at his back. Three very irritated, red scratches were visible and had started to crack. Jackle's hand also had the same three scratches.
"That mace wasn't a gift from Wiseman. And Reala? That time in the creation chamber when you passed out from the creature attack...?"
Reala remembered! He was supposed to tell Wiseman about the thing but itattacked him. Iris did help him stand back up.
"I'm glad you still somewhat remember. Now... do you want to see what I've really been working on?"
