Hi everybody! Here is chapter 4 of 'Here We Go Again : The Curse'. I hope you enjoy the story!

The nightmaren trio flew towards the legendary nightopia. They had left the dream gate several hours before, it was already dark out. They had the rest of the night and then the next day and night. It would take several hours to arrive at the magical dream world... so they hurried. Reala was in the lead followed closely by NiGHTS.

Jackle was darting all over the place; under trees, over the clouds... before finally pulling up in front of Reala and stopping the general of Nightmare in a rush.

"Do you guys feel strange?" Jackle said with his eyes shifting quickly from side to side.

"You bet." NiGHTS sighed as she gently patted her stomach.

"What do you mean Jackle?" Reala asked not hearing NiGHTS.

"I get feeling that there are dozens of little beady red eyes staring at us!" Jackle said warily.

NiGHTS looked up and just as Jackle finished speaking, several red eyes opened behind the orange nightmaren.

"Jackle!" NiGHTS shouted a warning to the insane being.

Jackle turned around only to be swarmed by the multiple third level nightmaren. Reala acted quickly. Several nightmaren fell down in defeat as Reala fought them away. NiGHTS didn't fly around doing nothing. As soon as she saw Jackle's gloved hand, she shot in and attempted to pull her friend free.

NiGHTS could see that Reala was still fighting off the lower level nightmaren.

"Why are they attacking us?" NiGHTS shouted over to Reala just as he felled half a dozen more opponents.

"I don't know!" Reala shouted back furiously.

NiGHTS almost had Jackle free, until several small nightmaren slammed against her body. NiGHTS quickly recovered and levelled off her flight. No good to release Jackle from his swarm, she was going to have to fight.

BAM!

One went down with a right hook.

NiGHTS smirked as her opponents fled.

"You alright?" Reala said as he flew over to her.

"I'm fine, did you get Jackle out?" NiGHTS asked.

"I thought you were getting him out!" Reala said shocked.

"I thought you would!" NiGHTS whimpered.

Both Nightmaren looked around for their missing friend. NiGHTS's big eyes welled up with tears as she was unable to locate her friend.

"He's... gone." Reala said quietly as his eyes went to NiGHTS apologetically.

NiGHTS burst into tears. If she hadn't let go!

"It's ok NiGHTS." Reala comforted as he pulled NiGHTS into an encouraging hug. "Jackle's the most indestructible nightmaren I know... he's going to be fine."

NiGHTS looked up at Reala with her sad eyes.

"Ok." NiGHTS whimpered.

"We need to go." Reala sad sadly. "We can find Jackle and help him, but first we have to find that rose!"

The two flew off towards the nightopia.

Jackle was thrown down and he hit the ground with a thud.

"Ouch." Was all he said as he laid down on the ground for moment.

"Jackle?"

"Huh?" Jackle asked as he raised his head. There in front of him were several of the second levels. They appeared to be sitting in one of the dungeon cells. "What are you guys all doing down here?"

Puffy hopped forwards towards Jackle and rolled her eyes.

"Malice locked us in here." Puffy explained. "Where are Reala and NiGHTS?"

"If they aren't with me then they probably managed to get away." Jackle said as he got up and brushed himself off. "Do you guys know why we were ambushed?"

"Malice is using Wiseman's power to brainwash the nightmaren." Archer said as he flew to the entrance. "Every time Malice wants a specific nightmaren to do a job, he sends the already brainwashed third levels to drag us somewhere. We don't actually know what happens."

After saying this, Archer looked sadly towards the cell door.

"They took Bubbals." Puffy whispered to Jackle, who raised his eyebrows. He had been aware that the two had been seeing each other for quite awhile.

CLANG!

All the imprisoned Nightmaren looked up several third levels entered and swarmed all the nightmaren in the cell. Jackle felt himself getting pushed and pulled out from the cell. When he could finally see again, he was in the throne room.

And there lounging on the throne, was Malice.

Malice smiled evilly.

"The third levels tell me they captured you in Nightopia." Malice said. "Care to tell me where NiGHTS is going?"

Jackle scowled and shuffled his cards angrily.

"I'll take that as a no." Malice said, his smile turning into a nasty scowl. "You can either tell me now, or after you come under my control!"

Jackle recoiled.

"Right."Jackle thought. "Malice can possess me! What can I do...wait."

Jackle stared at Malice defiantly.

"I'm not telling you anything!" Jackle shouted bravely.

Malice smiled as his eyes turned red from the sheer power that he was controlling.

"You are going to feel quite tired." Malice said as Jackle began to get a bad headache. "But it will go away when you lose all sense of self... then you will serve me."

Jackle felt the world close in around him

NiGHTS and Reala had continued sadly. They had flown for several hours before they noticed the sun rising.

"Should we keep going or stop for the day?" NiGHTS asked.

Reala closed his eyes in thought for a moment.

"We go on for a while... then land." Reala said.

NiGHTS nodded as she continued flying. Suddenly Bubbals appeared in front of NiGHTS, claws poised to strike!

NiGHTS froze as she saw her friend about to attack her. Reala was too far away, even as he flew at his fastest to arrive in time. Bubbals swung her arm out to land a death blow... but a thunking sound was heard as Bubbals eyes went cross eyed as she fell towards the earth. Floating behind Bubbals was a smiling Jackle.

"Jackle!" NiGHTS cried happily as she hugged her friend. Jackle smiled and hugged her back.

"Hey NiGHTS, anything new? How's the family?" Jackle asked playfully as NiGHTS flew to Reala.

"Good to see you Jackle." Reala said smiling. "What happened to you?"

"Funny thing actually." Jackle said as he began his explanation. "I was taken to Nightmare Castle by the third levels. Malice tried to brainwash me... like he's done to Bubbals and the rest of the nightmaren."

They all looked down to where Bubbals had fallen.

"However," Jackle continued. "I just so happen to have a blue ideya base. The blue ideya is the opposite of the red ideya, so I was able to stay myself when Malice used the red ideya to try to possess me. I pretended to be possessed and I escaped and came here!"

Reala and NiGHTS both smiled as Jackle told his tale. The trio was back together!

Ok, the trio is back together... or is it?

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