'NiGHTS!'

There was the sound of familiar wings beating somewhere over his head. NiGHTS groaned.

'Are you awake?' Owl asked.

'Of course not,' NiGHTS grumbled and his hand found its way to his head, rubbing as he blinked a few times, trying to clear the spots from his vision. Everything had gone white, and then black, after smashing Wizeman this time.

Owl made an irritated sound. 'I meant conscious, aware of yourself.'

'I'm aware of a headache,' NiGHTS moaned, sitting up and hugging his knees as he worked to piece the world back together in his mind.

'You overdid it again,' Owl observed, and NiGHTS could picture him shaking his head as he sighed. 'It's not good for you two dualize with two children at once.'

'It's good for them.' NiGHTS shrugged. 'If two of them fit together well, they're stronger in pairs. They're lonely creatures, Owl, they all need a partner.'

'I thought the point was that you were their partner.'

'They spend most of their lives out of my reach.' NiGHTS finally floated up off the ground, stretching his back and arms. 'They need support on the other side of the gate. I get the impression it's a nasty place.'

'… You won't be able to support them here if you keep this up. You're going to ware yourself out.' Owl had a worried look on his face when NiGHTS looked over at him.

'You worry too much, old bird,' NiGHTS replied with a toothy grin. 'I'll be fine. You just keep finding them for me.'

Owl settled himself on the edge of the fountain and gave NiGHTS a long, hard stare, worry still painted all over him. 'I will help you, you know that, but you must take care of yourself, NiGHTS. Nightopia needs you. You're too young to remember how it was, but what you see here is not as it should be.'

'Hmmm,' NiGHTS lighted on the top of the fountain and played idly in the water. 'Tell me how it's supposed to be again.'

Owl smiled, just a little. 'Before things went awry, Nightopia covered half of the Night Dimension,' he said, slipping into his story-telling voice. 'It didn't fade or disappear when a visitor woke, because there was always a dreamer somewhere in their world dreaming something beautiful. The Mother watched over them while they were here and guarded the Nightopians who welcomed the visitors and played with them.'

'Was she pretty?' NiGHTS asked, kicking his foot back and forth through a stream of water. He knew the answer, because Owl had told him this story many times before, but he liked to hear it.

'She was beautiful.' Owl nodded and puffed his feathers a bit, settling into a more comfortable position. 'Her smile was as bright as the sun and she was always smiling. Her arms were warm and soft and strong. Her voice was like the sweetest music.'

'I want to meet her,' NiGHTS sighed, tilting back his head and gazing up at the stars.

'If we can restore balance to the Night Dimension, then I'm sure you will,' Owl sounded so confident.

'How long do you think it will take? I've been doing this for a long time…'

'And you were Wizeman's pawn a long time before that. You must be patient. Remember that when you started, the Nightopians didn't sing and they were afraid of every shadow,' Owl reminded him. 'We have come a long ways already.'

...

Max's forest was a bit creepy for a Nightopia, but he was thrilled by it. He was the adventuring type and he reveled in battling the lesser 'maren and exploring his dark woodland. He was attracting the 'maren, NiGHTS noted as they spun around a tree-trunk and then zoomed up into it's branches, three Gaos chasing behind them. Max was exuding a spirit of adventure that could probably be felt halfway across the Night Dimension, and it was pulling hungry Nightmaren in like flies to honey.

They laughed as they arched over a thick branch and then dove back downward, pulling into a spin and hitting two of the Gaos in one shot before circling around and parelooping the third. This is great! Max crowed. I hope I never wake up!

'Aren't there fun things to do when you wake up too?' NiGHTS asked, slowing their descent and then leveling off to skim above the mossy ground.

Not like this... Max said, getting moody. And it's not like I have any friends.

'Why not make some friends?'

Because I'm not funny or cool. Nobody's gonna want to be my friend.

'You're lots of fun though!' NiGHTS protested. 'You like to have a good time and you're nice! You should just go up and poke somebody in the shoulder and say "Hi! I'm Max! Want to be my friend?"'

Only a desperate retard would think that was cool! Max wailed.

'If I was a kid at your school, and you said that to me, I would totally be your friend!' NiGHTS sniffed, a bit offended. 'Besides, you're not the only kid who wants a friend! If you ask a few different people, you'll definitely find somebody else who is trying to find someone!'

... But that sounds so dorky... Max whined.

'Having fun?'

NiGHTS snapped them around in the air to find his twin flying an arm's-length away, giving him a disdainful look. 'Reala!' he yelped, skidding to a stop. 'When did you--'

'You're rather distracted tonight, aren't you?' Reala scoffed, glaring back at him. 'Unwise, considering the stench that visitor is making.'

Who is this guy, NiGHTS? Max asked, his adventurous spirit wavering. Reala could have that effect on people.

'Bad news,' NiGHTS answered, squaring his shoulders and glaring back at Reala. 'Get lost, Reala!'

'No. I don't think I will.' Reala reached a hand forward and gestured. NiGHTS tried to fly out of the way of whatever was coming, but the gesture hadn't been one he recognized and he couldn't tell where the attack was going to come from.

Manacles suddenly leapt out of nowhere, snapping tight around his wrists and ankles and dragging him down towards the forest floor with a sound of clinking chains. Max screamed in startled terror and then their back hit the ground and the breath was knocked out of them.

Reala laughed with a gloating sneer and twisted in the air to drift his way down to them, slowly, a sadistic grin in his eyes and lips speaking of pain and horror to come. NiGHTS really hated that expression and Reala was so good at it, which he well knew and took full advantage of. NiGHTS could feel his body shaking with Max's fear as Reala neared, and then, when Reala was a few inches away, NiGHTS felt Max being ripped violently away.

'ARGH!' NiGHTS flinched hard. It hurt when someone he was dualized with woke up so suddenly.

'Not so brave after all, was it?' Reala snickered and NiGHTS cracked his eyes back open to glare up at his twin.

'He'll be back,' NiGHTS replied through gritted teeth. 'He'll be back and he'll kick your ass.'

'Oh?' Reala asked and swooped down, hovering with his face a few inches from NiGHTS'. 'Even if you're not there to help it?'

'PTTTTTTHHHHHHT!' NiGHTS blew a razzberry.

Reala jerked backwards in the air and wiped his hand across his face, growling. 'I don't have time to play with you tonight!' he snapped, dipping his feet towards the mossy ground and starting to draw a portal around NiGHTS, but then he paused and looked up suddenly.

NiGHTS could hear it too, the sound that had caught Reala's attention. Pounding hoof-beats. All at once, a very bright light started shining somewhere behind NiGHTS, he twisted and tried to see what it was, but couldn't turn his head that far and looked back at Reala, who was squinting and trying to shade his eyes against the light.

'Hold, Nightmaren,' a high, echoing voice commanded. 'You are unwelcome here.'

Reala snarled, lowering his hand and glaring at whatever the source of the light and voice was. 'Who do you think you are?!' he demanded. 'I take orders from no one but Master Wizeman!'

'I am Auloris, and this is my forest. You will leave at once or I will expel you,' the voice answered.

'I'd like to see you try!' Reala squared himself for a fight and a moment later the hoof-beats resumed, charging down towards them.

The brilliant creature finally came into NiGHTS' line of sight just as it dove towards Reala, it's head lowered to gore him on its viciously pointed horn. Reala skimmed through the air and avoided it, but he looked startled, as NiGHTS was, by its speed. The creature turned and charged again as Reala made a frantic series of gestures in the air.

A portal opened above them just a moment before the glowing animal slammed into Reala. Its momentum carried them both out of NiGHTS' vision and he twisted, frantically, trying to see what had happened. 'Reala?!' he called, a horrible feeling of panic starting to rise within him. 'Reala?!' He'd seen the creature make contact with his twin, and it had most definitely been leading with its horn.

The next moment, Reala came back into site, shooting above NiGHTS and making a B-line for the open portal. He was clutching his stomach and something viscous and black was seeping out around his hands and falling to the ground below him. Blood. 'REALA!' NiGHTS screamed, suddenly more frightened than he had ever felt, as he watched the portal fold up like a flower in reverse after Reala slipped through it.

NiGHTS hadn't noticed the strange light drawing close again until there was a click and he looked over to see his wrist had been freed from one of the manacles. He looked to the other one and saw the strange creature leaning its head down and tapping its glowing horn softly against the restraint. He unfroze suddenly and grabbed at the horn with his free hand. 'What did you do to him?!' he half-screamed, terrified and suddenly angry.

The creature's radiant blue eyes looked back at NiGHTS with a startled expression for a moment before its face became very soft with a look of deep sympathy. 'He will survive. A blow like that will not kill a being of his caliber.'

NiGHTS felt very weak suddenly, relief melting through the icy dread of moments before. He let his hand drop and sat up slowly, watching as the strange animal tapped each of the manacles on his ankles and set him free. '... What are you?' NiGHTS asked quietly, watching the strange way the creature moved on four thin, delicate legs, it's tail swishing lazily back and forth.

'I am Nightopian. My name is Auloris,' it replied in a soft, musical voice and dipped its head in a sort of bow. 'And you must be NiGHTS.'

NiGHTS opened his mouth and then closed it again, not sure what to say, and just stared at Auloris, wide-eyed and confused.

'The children have told me about you,' Auloris said, a smile on her long face. 'They love you.' She glanced into the forest around them. 'You can come out now, children. It's all right, he won't be back.'

NiGHTS looked around to see dozens of Nightopians pouring out from behind trees and bushes, bright smiles upon their faces as they rushed towards him and Auloris. Several piled into his lap, chirping and humming happily and tugging at him. '... Children...?' NiGHTS said softly, looking down at them as two or three more took up residence atop his head. '... You're a Nightopian when it grows up?'

Auloris bowed again. 'Not all of them will become fully developed dreams,' she said, nuzzling a Nightopian -baby Nightopian?- that was clinging to her leg. 'But I was once one of them, as are all sweet dreams.'

'Why have I never seen one of you before?' NiGHTS asked, frowning.

'... There are not many of us now,' Auloris said, her glow dimming as her eyelashes drooped. 'And the ones that do exist hide themselves to avoid Wizeman's eyes, for you see he works most diligently in his quest to drive us to extinction.'

...

The doors of Wizeman's chamber flew open a moment after Reala knocked and he staggered forward, lacking the energy to fly the distance. 'M-Master Wizeman, forg-give me!' he whispered, pressing against his stomach as tar-like blood crawled down his body.

All six of Wizeman's eyes suddenly focused on Reala, swooping in close for a good look, before one of the hands scooped him off the floor and drew him up towards Wizeman's head. 'What happened to you, Reala?' he demanded, the other five eyes hovering close and examining the large puncture-wound that ran through Reala's stomach and out his back.

'A-a creature that I have never seen before interfered with my mission,' Reala said weakly, slumping against Wizeman's thumb. 'It was much stronger than I was prepared for... And it was fast. It said that it was called "Auloris."'

There was a quiet pause, which unnerved Reala, and then Wizeman's fingers tightened as though they were going to crush him. 'Auloris? Are you sure that is what it said?' Five eyes glared down at Reala and the hand around him was closed almost too tight to breath.

'Y-yes, Master!' Reala gasped and then suddenly the hand was no longer around him and he found himself plummeting towards the floor. He hit it hard and then lay still, his body in too much shock from the collision and the prior abuse to pick himself up.

'It can't be...' Wizeman was murmuring to himself. 'She should not have survived!' A hand zoomed back down next to Reala, staring at him hard as he demanded, 'What did it look like?'

'It... white... glowing white light... with one horn in... center of its head... four legs and... thin tail,' Reala gasped out as he stayed sprawled on the floor, trembling slightly from the effort of it all.

'It is her!' Wizeman hissed and the hand above Reala disappeared for a few seconds as Wizeman seemed to brood. 'It is unthinkable that one could have been the stronger! ... Reala!' The hand returned and grabbed him roughly off of the floor, pulling Reala back into the air to face Wizeman's enormous mask and the other five menacing eyes. 'If Auloris has returned then it is all the more imperative that NiGHTS' foolish games be put to an end!'

'Y-yes, Master...' Reala whispered and then coughed pathetically.

Wizeman's hand tightened around Reala again, so hard this time that Reala wondered for a moment if he was being crushed out of existence. Then suddenly it felt as though his whole body was on fire. Reala screamed and clawed at Wizeman's thumb, almost involuntarily, just trying desperately to escape the pain.

After a small eternity, the sensation abated and the hand around Reala slackened, leaving him panting and sobbing and clinging to the huge, metallic thumb. He was set down on the ground, gently this time, and though his knees buckled under him, he saw that he wasn't bleeding anymore.

'Th-thank you, Master Wizeman,' he mumbled softly.

'Take Jackle with you when you go to retrieve NiGHTS.'

'Yes Master,' Reala nodded, climbing to his feet. He tried to hop into the air but his feet just landed back against the floor and he dipped his head, his face burning with shame as he turned and walked towards the door.

'Regain your strength, Reala. And then go and bring NiGHTS back to me.'

'Yes Master,' Reala said, relieved that he would have time to rest before returning to his duties.

…

A/N: shitshitshitshitshit! I uploaded the wrong file, sorry, I need to name my docs better... I stored a whole lot of fanfiction in my computer for a road trip and I gave the files numbers instead of names, so I accidentally uploaded a friend's fic instead of my own at first. Sorry sorry sorry! Thank you to Spiked Dragon for pointing it out to me so quickly!