Starlight is sitting on a flat rock in Mystic Forest just singing. It is day time there and the sun shines very bright through the leafs. The sun makes her feel all nice and warm, the breeze light almost non existent, the sounds of nightopians giggling and laughing distantly, melt away all of Starlight's trouble. She doesn't sing any real words just random things. She just let's herself sing and let all her worries fade away.

She hears music playing and opens one eye slightly to see in the distances a nightopian playing with an xylophone. Then she wonders if she can play one. She's seen NiGHTS play his invisible flute many times and the nightopians just make them out of thin air.

She brings her hands to her lips, curls them so and blows. No sound. Well it's not the flute. She thinks and then grips her hands like she is holding something and makes swift and hard movements in the air but no sound. Not the drums or xylophone. She thinks again. She tries many different instruments but no sound comes. She gives a sigh. She has tried pretty much every instrument she knows of. Well there is one more I haven't tried... She thinks but feels like it isn't going to work. She brings her hands up again. One hand grips like she is holding something and the other close to her chest. She moves the other hand across her chest. Ping, ping, ping, ping. Her eyes go wide. She does it again. Ping, ping, ping. She blinks and moves her hand again but moves her fingers in a more flow movement. Ping, ping, pong, ping, ping, ping, pong, pong, pang. The harp. She is playing a miniature harp. She continues to play and sings along too. Her voice matching the notes perfectly. She is so happy.

Then she feels a presence like someone is right next to her. It feels strange, so she turns her head around and instantly stops playing. Right behind her is the cape maren gambler, Jackle, and he is smiling his signature insane grin. "You play quite well." He says still grinning. She quickly takes to the air but isn't fast enough. Jackle quickly grabs her from behind and holds her still. She struggles and tries to call for NiGHTS. "Calm down. I'm not here to hurt you." He says in a calmful voice carrying no harm. She stops struggling. He brings her back down to the ground. "I just want to say something. That's it." Starlight listens and Jackle still holds a grip on her. "If I let you go you have to promise you won't fly or run away. Got it?" Starlight nods. "Okay." He let's go and Starlight turns to face him. She looks puzzled and a little afraid even though he said he will not hurt her. "I just want to say... Thank you."

"For what?" Now she is really confused.

"For helping me and Reala after our fight with NiGHTS in Delight City." The cape maren says.

"Well you don't really need to thank me. I'm sure your master would have fixed you up." She says rubbing her arm, even talking about the nightmare god makes her feel uneasy.

"Well your right about him fixing Reala, but he wouldn't care if I disappeared into thin air." Jackle says in a low voice. Starlight looks confused by this. "I'm a second level nightmaren, Reala is a first level, I can be easily replaced. Heck there already replacing me with a stupid gecko in a top hat!" The cape gambler fumes but the lime green jester just looks at him with sadness and pity. It's true, NiGHTS has told her that Wizeman does not like failure at all and the ones who failed him are never seen or heard from again. "I mean seriously who be scared of a lizard in a cloak and top hat!" Jackle's fists are now balled up in fury and his insane grin replace by a sneer showing his shark-like teeth.

"Hehehe..." Starlight giggles, Jackle is caught off-guard by this.

"Why are you laughing?" Jackle says bewild being this is his first time he hears her laugh around him.

"How you describe Chameleon. It's funny." Starlight giggles again only just confusing the card dealing maren more. "A lizard in a top hat and cloak is pretty funny if you think of a lizard from the waking world in that get-up." Jackle has no clue what she is talking about being he isn't much into the Waking world. "Plus that green lizard hand bag failed more times then you." Jackle let out a cackle, Starlight let her giggling turn into a laugh.

Wait is she cheering me up... Jackle thinks. She must have hit her head hard on something or my craziness is rubbing off on her.

A long awkward moment fills the air after they stop laughing.

"So... Are any of the nightmarens nice to you?" Starlight asks trying to change the atmosphere.

"Nice?" Jackle asks surprised by Starlight's question.

"Um," Starlight says, "Well I mean when they're not busy do they talk with you?" She explains herself.

Jackle cackles, "No, no they only talk to me when they absolutely have to. Other then that, I just talk to my dolls and my other toys." Jackle grins insanely.

"Doesn't it get lonely?" She bites her tongue for saying that. Being Jackle might take that offensively and kill or seriously hurt her.

"No, they never talk back, they always listen to me and they don't run away." He keeps grinning like what he said is completely normal.

Starlight looks at him with sadness and pity. Doesn't it get lonely talking to yourself? She thinks to herself and wonders what it is like to be Jackle. She imagines all the toys and trinkets that NiGHTS has told her about that is in Jackle's room and the color scheme as well. Telling her so if Jackle kidnapped her she knows how to escape. She thinks for a while and no matter how crazy she pictures it. It still feels lonely.

All the while Jackle is just daydreaming with his own crazy thoughts.

Starlight gulps as she thinks of a crazy idea that will no doubt back fire. "Do you want to be friends?"

Jackle snaps out of his daydreaming with wide eyes. "What did you say?" He knows what she said but doesn't believe it.

Starlight doesn't reply and looks at the ground.

"Did you just ask to be friends with me?" Jackle asks, laughing like she is kidding and just playing with him.

"I won't talk back to you and I listen to Owl when his lecturing me and NiGHTS. I know tons of games and I'm willing to play your games. We can play and hang out without NiGHTS knowing." She looks at Jackle seriously, trying to convince him.

Jackle is a bit shocked but ponders about it. "Any game I want to play?"

She simply nods her head.

"Anything I say?"

She nods again.

"You won't run away from me?"

She nods.

"Without NiGHTS knowing?"

She nods.

Jackle ponders this a bit more. Maybe his craziness really is rubbing on her. If Master Wizeman or one of the other nightmarens found out he was playing games with the enemy the least worst thing to happen would be being banish from Nightmare. Then again he'd have an even bigger and more durable toy to play with then his other toys and he could sneak some information out of her about NiGHTS' plans. And if Wizeman did find out he could tell him that. Jackle grins broadly at this idea. "Alright, I'll be your friend."

Starlight is so over filled with joy that she hugs the crazy nightmaren. Jackle's eyes just go wide and stands still like a statue for a second.

"It doesn't mean you can hug me." Jackle says annoyed and places his gloved hands on her shoulders to remove her.

Starlight realizes this and lets go before Jackle can pull her off. "Sorry I guess I just got a little too excited." She blushes with embarrassment.

Jackle just sighs at her action.

"Get away from her!"

Jackle and Starlight jerk their heads to see NiGHTS half a mile away to them. Even being that far away they can tell he is furious and red face with anger. Before they can move NiGHTS has already drill dash Jackle. Starlight panics and grabs NiGHTS' jacket before he can deliver another blow to the gambler.

"NiGHTS come down please." She pleads.

NiGHTS is surprise by this but quickly looks her over and sees no signs of injury. "Fine." He says but turns his attention to the orange gambler, "If you come near her again I am going to make you wish it was Wizeman punishing you." He turns away, holding Starlight's gloved hand tight.

Starlight follows him but turns her head around and mouths the words I'm sorry to Jackle. Jackle just grins and turns to head back home.

NiGHTS sighs, "You sure your okay, he didn't say anything bad to you?" Starlight just shakes her head, "You've been running into a lot of nightmarens, haven't you?" She nods timidly. NiGHTS gives another sigh, "Come on, I'll teach you how to protect yourself." NiGHTS says this and does a parloop. Starlight just nods and follows NiGHTS into the hole.