Note: Don't own NiGHTS. Also, this chapter takes place back in Nightmare. Yeah, Wizeman's not too happy about his two best officers suddenly going AWOL. Puts a bit of a damper on your week, there, don't it?

Chapter Five: Know Thy Enemy, Know Thyself

"What do you mean they've disappeared?!" Wizeman's thundering voice shook the cavernous throne room.

"Sir! We went to fetch them, but they were no longer in Commander Jackle's room, sir! All we found was blood and what looked like water on the floor."

"FIND THEM!!" Wizeman roared, enraged.

"Yes sir!" The lower officer disappeared in a puff of orange smoke, obviously afraid of Wizeman. Wizeman cursed and raged, his six hands clenched into fists and smashing things wildly. Another officer came scuttling in, dodging debris as he went.

"Sir!" he squeaked, "We've lost the western front! The enemy is coming in from the west and they've taken the outer fortress!"

"DAMN!" Wizeman shouted.

"Sir, what do you propose we do?"

"I propose you stop standing around and get back to your damned flank!" Wizeman ordered.

"Yes, sir!" The officer disappeared like the first, in a puff of smoke, only this officer's smoke was tinted green.

Each officer had their own designated smoke color so Wizeman could tell them apart without having to remember names. He's a God, for um, his sake. He has better things to do than sit around remembering names. In all his infinite wisdom, power, and authority, there was the soul of someone too lazy to remember the names of his own officers.

But I digress.

Wizeman got up from his throne and went to search Jackle's room himself. All he found was exactly as his officer reported. Blood, and water. Also, there was something more than only Wizeman could find.

"Show me." He commanded the room.

Wizeman had the ability (as Gods often do) to see vaguely what had happened in the past in this room before his officers disappeared. However, in his infinite power, he could not hear the conversation that had gone on. Although Wizeman did, in a sense, have the power to hear the memories, he chose not to use that power very often. Even Wizeman respected his officer's privacy.

He saw blurry, ghostlike figures of Reala and Jackle, figures like those "pictures" of the "Loch Ness Monster" the humans raved about so much, or so-called "photographic evidence" of "UFO's". The scene played out before him like an old silent film, jerky, faded, and inaudible.

He saw Reala lay his head at Jackle's side.

He saw Jackle weep for Reala.

He saw Reala getting closer and closer to Jackle until Wizeman was not sure who's body was whose.

He saw Reala storming about the room, raving and ranting about something or another.

He saw Reala sink to his knees in sorrow and weep.

He saw Jackle flop himself over Reala.

Then he saw a flash of light, like the light of all the Ideya combined. Then the two were gone.

Wizeman still did not understand. He decided to go against his own code and hear the event.

"Show me again." He commanded.

"Do not worry yourself with me. I zhall be fine. I... You must underztand, Reala, zat you truly are all I 'ave left. I fought my bonds because I was not zure if you would be alive come next morning. I wanted to zave you from zat final blow that would snuff out the last flickering embers zat is your 'eart."

"You wouldn't dare outlive me, you bastard."

"You are right. I would 'ang myself in ze corridor before I let 'arm befall you. Because you are my brother."

"As you are mine."

"Reala..."

"Jackle. Please. Shall we make a pact? If we are to die, we are to die together, or not at all."

"I... I zhall live a thouzand years or more before I decide to die without you, my brother."

"Thank you... my brother."

Wizeman continued to watch the scene in front of him with a sort of sick amusement. Hmm. Perhaps "amusement" is not the word. Perhaps... interest? Whatever the word, Wizeman was transfixed by the events that took place.

"You an' I, brother, I know zis to be true. We... somezing put us in Nightmare to find a new purpose. I can feel it. We were not meant to be mere zoldiers in a fool's war."

"Jackle, people are dying, men are dying, women, children, Nightopians, Nightmarens, everything is perishing around us and you call this a fool's war?!"

"Only a fool would fight anoz-er living creature! Aren't we all in life? Aren't all lives worth zaving?"

"You don't think I understand that?! You don't think for a second that I know that this whole war is a mistake?! That all this death and bloodshed could be ended if Master Wizeman got his head out of his arse and saw the other side for once?! But think for once, Jackle, think! All around us people are dying, no, I take that back, people are being goddamn massacred right in front of our very eyes and nothing we do can end it! Nothing short of publicly committing suicide would get these thickheaded idiots to see the light!"

Wizeman was taken aback by this statement. Get his head out of his ass? How dare he! He watched with more than interest now. He was a bit angry.

He saw Reala reach up and kiss Jackle fervently, frightenedly, desperately. Suddenly, the two vanished. Wizeman was frozen in place. A kiss? A kiss? Was a kiss not a symbol of love far beyond that of two brothers? Was a kiss not that of a love between those who, y'know, weren't related? Wizeman was about to send a call, when he suddenly froze.

Wizeman had a secret too. A secret well hidden. In all his infinite power and wisdom, he could not call upon his minions at will. He could not bring wayward minions back, otherwise he would have forced NiGHTS home long ago. He could not bring his minions back from the dead, otherwise Selph would never have died. He could not control his minions after they were created. He could only create and hope his creations obeyed him. However, if they, like NiGHTS, decided to leave, oh yes, he could send other minions who did obey him out to get them, but once they were gone, they were free. On their own. He had no idea where Jackle and Reala were, and even if he did, he was mentally struggling with himself to even allow them back at all after the blasphemous events that had taken place in this room.

Wizeman felt disgusted. He could not stand to be in this room any longer. He turned and left, slamming the door shut behind him so hard he broke the door frame and the door fell to the floor and splintered into many pieces.

He sat back upon his throne and angrily awaited the first unlucky bastard to give him bad news.