Neo Nightopia Chapter 1

Neo Nightopia

Chapter 1: New Nightmarens?

In darkness

Male voice: No. No, I don’t want this!

Deep male voice: Rest assured, you’ll get used to it.

Male voice: You’re all mad! I cannot do this!

Deeper male voice: You cannot deny that who has brought you to being.

Male voice: I won’t do it! I can’t!

Female voice: Don’t bother in trying to fight it, brother. You know deep down this is what we are meant to do.

Higher male voice: *cackles* Yeah. You’ll find it to be real fun.

Male voice: No! I just can’t do this!

A shadowed figure flies out of the darkness and into what appears to be a night sky

Deep male voice: Clearly, he has a similar mentality of someone else we know. The traitor. Shall I retrieve him, Master?

Master: Leave him be for now. Soon he will come into our reach, so that he can assume what I had created him to do.

Higher male voice: Yeah. We’ll get that little traitor. *chuckles then chokes*

Deep male voice: Like we could the other “little traitor”?!

Master: Silence. We’ll soon be rid of all traces of doubt. In both of those who have defied me.

Later, at what appears to be daytime

NiGHTS and Owl are flying over Nightopia, though NiGHTS is acting like she’s racing

Owl: *pants* Slow down! I’m not as fast as I used to be.

NiGHTS: Keep up then! *notices something* Huh? *stops in mid-air*

Owl: *catches up to NiGHTS* What is it?

NiGHTS: Look down there. *points to someone who looks like NiGHTS sitting on a rock by a stream* Wonder what he’s doing here.

Owl: Well, it’s hard to tell with his back to us.

NiGHTS: Well I’m gonna see what he’s doing. *flies up behind the mystery person*

?: I wonder what I’m supposed to do now. I clearly can’t go back. Not to that awful place. But what am I to do? *notices some Nightopians flying up to him and chuckles* Hello there. *holds out his hand*

The Nightopians fly up to it and shake it happily, singing and flying around him

?: *laughs* You certainly are a friendly lot. Much unlike those other creatures. Maybe I can just live here. Yeah. Anything’s better than going back-

NiGHTS: *pops into his vision from above* Hi there!

?: AAAHH! *starts falling backwards* Whoa-whoa-whoa! *falls on his back*

NiGHTS: *giggles* Sorry.

?: *sits up and shakes his head* It’s okay. I’m just a little jumpy.

NiGHTS: Clearly.

Owl: *flies over to them* Really? Must you scare everyone who’s new to Nightopia?

?: So that’s what this place is called? Nightopia?

NiGHTS: You bet! This is a dream utopia, created by the memory and Ideya of Visitors.

?: Visitors?

Owl: Visitors are people from the Waking World, who visit Nightopia when they are asleep.

?: I see. It really is beautiful.

NiGHTS: Where are you from anyway?

?: I-I don’t know, really. Just that it was horrible and I never wanna go back.

Owl: (With his looks, he may be another Nightmaren like NiGHTS and Reala. Probably best I don’t bring it up though.)

NiGHTS: Well nice to meet you. My name is NiGHTS, and this is Owl.

?: What about these? *gestures to the Nightopians*

Owl: They are Nightopians, happy and carefree creatures of Nightopia.

NiGHTS: So what’s your name?

?: M-my name?

NIGHTS: Mm-hmm.

?: … DuSK. My name is DuSK.

NiGHTS: Well welcome to Nightopia DuSK. Would you like us to show you around?

DuSK: I-I-I’d love that.

NiGHTS: Let’s go then! *takes off*

DuSK and Owl: Wait up! *fly after her*

Later, in another part of Nightopia

NiGHTS: *stops and looks over her shoulder to see DuSK and Owl far behind her* Hurry up you two!

DuSK: *catches up to her* Sorry. I got a little lost.

Owl: *joins them, panting* Can we please rest? *perches on a log* Hoo. It’s hard to keep up at my age, you know.

NiGHTS: Alright. *reclines in mid-air*

DuSK: *crosses his legs* So NiGHTS, have you actually met any Visitors?

NiGHTS: I have. There were two that were here a long time ago, but they don’t come here anymore. Now there’s another two who come here often. Or at least, used to.

DuSK: What do you mean?

NiGHTS: Well, I’ve kinda been flying around Nightopia for a while, so I haven’t ran into them lately.

DuSK: What are they like?

NiGHTS: Well, first there’s Will. When he first came to Nightopia, he was having bad dreams because his father was away on business a lot, and he felt lonely. He loves playing football, he’s really good at it too.

DuSK: How do you know this?

NiGHTS: Most of it he told me, but I knew he was lonely because one of his Nightopias reflected it, because each part of a Visitor’s Nightopia reflects the heart of the Visitor.

DuSK: I see. So what about the other Visitor?

NiGHTS: That would be Helen. She’s really sweet, but she felt guilty for not practicing her violin enough with her mother, and that caused her bad dreams. In fact, this part of Nightopia we’re in now is one of her worlds.

DuSK: Really?

Owl: Indeed. This is called Memory Forest. It was brought up by Helen’s memory of a park she and her parents went to.

NiGHTS: It also reflects Helen’s love for music. Oh and the world we found you in is Pure Valley, one of Will’s Nightopias.

DuSK: Wow. Fascinating.

NiGHTS: C’mon. I wanna show you something. *flies off*

DuSK and Owl follow

NiGHTS: *stops in front of the forest’s amphitheater* Isn’t this pretty?

DuSK: Wow. This is incredible.

Owl: Helen says it’s like one in her town.

NiGHTS: Helen and I even dualized here and performed a concert in the sky.

DuSK: Dualize?

Owl: NiGHTS has the ability to dualize with Visitors. This allows their bodies to assimilate with one another.

DuSK: Incredible.

NiGHTS: *has a sad smile on her face* I’ll admit, I kinda miss playing with Will and Helen.

Owl: You know, NiGHTS, there is one place we haven’t been to as of late.

NiGHTS: There is? *looks like she’s thinking; snaps her fingers* The Dream Gate!

Owl: Precisely.

DuSK: What’s the Dream Gate?

Owl: To put it simply, it is a gateway to the different worlds of Nightopia.

NiGHTS: Visitors have to pass through there to enter Nightopia.

DuSK: So the Visitors will be there?

NiGHTS: It’s worth a shot. Let’s get going! *flies off*

DuSK: Is she always this excited, Owl?

Owl: Very much so, though truth be told, I’ve grown to like that side of NiGHTS’s character.

DuSK: I wish I could be like that.

Owl: I’m sure you’ll find something that makes you true to who you are.

DuSK: Yeah. We better get going before she gets too far ahead. *flies off*

Owl: (He’s so unlike NiGHTS. She never was this timid or afraid. Though, if I’m right and he did come from Nightmare, I shouldn’t be too surprised about DuSK’s behavior. At least, he is much unlike Reala as well.)

DuSK: Are you coming, Owl?

Owl: Hoo. Yes. Coming. *starts flying to DuSK* (Still, I should probably keep my thoughts to myself for the time being, at least until he’s more open about talking of his origins.) *catches up to DuSK and flies off with him*

At the Dream Gate, supposedly night

A boy walks through the gate into the plaza, looking at the multiple doors surrounding the fountain in the middle

Girl: Will?

Will: *turns around to see a girl behind him* Helen!

Helen: It’s so good to see you here.

Will: You too. To be honest, it’s been a while since I was last here.

Helen: It’s the same with me too.

Will: Do you think we’ll see NiGHTS?

Helen: I sure hope so.

Will: Well c’mon, let’s look for her.

Will and Helen walk up to the fountain when they hear what sounds like a flute playing

Helen: You hear that?

Will: I do.

Will and Helen: *look around above them to see NiGHTS flying in figure eights* NiGHTS!

NiGHTS: *looks down to see Will and Helen waving at her and flies down to them* It’s so good to see you two here again.

Will: We really missed you, NiGHTS.

Helen: Absolutely.

NiGHTS: I missed you too.

Owl: *appears behind NiGHTS* See? I knew we might run into them if we came here.

Will: It’s great to see you, Owl.

Helen: How are you?

Owl: Hoo-hoo! I’m doing quite well. Welcome back, young Visitors. Though I’m a bit surprised that you’re both here together.

Will: Yeah. I was just wondering that myself.

Helen: Wonder what that is about.

Owl: Perhaps since you defeated Wizeman together, your Nightopias became linked to one another, allowing you to visit the other’s world.

Will and Helen: Wow.

NiGHTS: Oh! I just remembered. I met someone that I want you to meet.

Helen: Really?

Will: Where is he?

NiGHTS: He’s right- *turns around to see empty space* Huh? Owl, didn’t he come with you?

Owl: I know he was with me when we arrived.

Helen: Who are you talking about?

NiGHTS: I met someone while I was in Pure Valley. But I guess he’s a little too scared to come out by himself.

Will: Well, maybe he’s nearby.

NiGHTS: Hmm… *looks around to see DuSK’s head duck behind a tree from high up* I’ll be right back. *flies up to DuSK’s hiding spot* What’s wrong?

DuSK: Sorry. I-I’m just nervous.

NiGHTS: Don’t worry about it. Will and Helen would love to be your friend.

DuSK: You think so?

NiGHTS: I know so. *holds out her hand* C’mon. You’ll like being friends with them.

DuSK: *looks at NiGHTS and takes her hand hesitantly* Alright.

NiGHTS: *leads DuSK from behind the tree and down to Will and Helen* Helen, Will, I’d like you to meet DuSK.

Will: Hello.

Helen: Nice to meet you.

DuSK hides behind NiGHTS

Helen: It’s okay.

Will: We’re not gonna hurt you.

DuSK: *peeks out from behind NiGHTS* H-h-hello.

NiGHTS: See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?

DuSK comes out from behind NiGHTS

Will: DuSK, are you able to dualize like NiGHTS can?

DuSK: I-I-I-I don’t know…?

NiGHTS: Well why don’t we find out? I’ll dualize with Helen and you can try and dualize with Will.

DuSK: O-o-okay.

NiGHTS hold out her hand and Helen presses hers against it, dualizing with NiGHTS and taking off with her. Will holds his hand out to DuSK, who reluctantly meets it, and is engulfed in a bright light, dualizing with one another.

NiGHTS: *flies back to them* Well that answers that question.

DuSK: Wow. This is… unbelievable.

Owl: Hoo! Indeed it is!

NiGHTS: C’mon, let’s fly around a bit. *takes off*

DuSK flies after NiGHTS, zooming around the floating island

NiGHTS: Oh! I almost forgot! *stops flying over the sea of black below them* See that black water down there? Make sure you don’t go near it, especially not when you’re dualized with Will or Helen.

DuSK: Why is that?

Owl: Hoo. The Dark Ocean is a dangerous place for Visitors.

Will: I remember NiGHTS saying that it destroys the heart of a Visitor.

Helen: And they’re not able to return to Nightopia.

DuSK: Oh dear. Well, I’ll be sure to stay away then.

NiGHTS: Well, you don’t have to worry about it too much. Let’s get back to the Dream Gate.

NiGHTS and DuSK return to the plaza and separate from Will and Helen

Owl: Hoo-hoo! What’s this? New doors to Nightopia have appeared.

DuSK: What does that mean?

Owl: Perhaps after collecting all of their Ideya, new worlds were created.

DuSK: What are Ideya?

NiGHTS: Ideya are energies, formed in the hearts of Visitors. There’s the red Ideya of Courage, the white Ideya of Purity, the blue Ideya of Intelligence, the green Ideya of Growth, and the yellow Ideya of Hope.

DuSK: So each Visitor has a total of five Ideya?

Owl: Correct, and from these Ideya form the paradise that is Nightopia.

DuSK: I thought you said Nightopia reflects the heart of a Visitor.

NiGHTS: It does, the Ideya kinda work hand-in-hand with that.

DuSK: Oh, I-I see.

Owl: Still, the fact that more worlds were created is fascinating.

Will: But there are only three new doors.

Helen: Maybe the last one was created by both our hearts.

Owl: That seems like the only answer, especially since you both retrieved your yellow Ideya together.

Will: So DuSK, where do you come from?

DuSK: Me? W-well I…

Chuckles

Helen: Huh?

Will: That voice!

?: Well, I didn’t think I’d see the young Visitors back here.

NiGHTS: Reala! Come out, you coward!

Reala: *appears over the fountain* My my, NiGHTS, you’re here as well? Talk about a pleasant reunion.

DuSK: (No. Not him.)

NiGHTS: What do you want, Reala?!

Reala: *chuckles* This may be a bit surprising to you, my dear sibling, but I’m not here for you.

NiGHTS: What? What are you-

DuSK grunts

Everyone turns around to see DuSK in the hold of a Nightmaren with a dark fuchsia hat shaped like Reala’s, a dark teal unitard and dark fuchsia tailcoat with white trim, and a gold Persona with a light teal gem and dark red feathers, along with dark fuchsia lip and eye makeup

Nightmaren: (female voice) You really gave us the slip, brother. Too bad you couldn’t be better at hiding.

DuSK: Let go of me, Starla.

Reala: Nicely done, Starla.

NiGHTS: What are you planning, Reala?

Reala: Oh dear, NiGHTS. Have you not seen it yet? Master Wizeman created DuSK and Starla to be your replacements. However, DuSK seemed to have a shred of fear in him, making him afraid of our dear home in Nightmare. This, of course, led him to flee, and eventually find you and the Visitors.

NiGHTS: “Replacements”? *turns to DuSK* He’s not serious, is he?

DuSK: *looks guilty* I’m sorry…

Starla: Shall we take him to Master, Reala?

Reala: First things first, Starla. We need to restrain him so he cannot flee before he can be properly transported back to Master Wizeman. Come. We must get him ready.

Reala and Starla fly off, taking DuSK with them

NiGHTS: I don’t care if he was meant to replace me. I gotta save him.

Will: We’re coming too.

Helen: If they have him locked up like you were, we can get him out.

NiGHTS: … Thank you.