Soul and Spirit 
                                   Forward
      I'm writing this mostly for those who want to write Nights fanfic, but
 any one who is curious, I hope, will also enjoy this (bear with me for a 
while). I have enjoyed the Nights fanfic I've read, however I have been 
somewhat disappointed by the portrayal of certain characters in the fanfic,
 such as Nights being portrayed as a wimp, in it. Now I'm not trying to 
offend any one, but Sega of America's web site has a cast section for Nights
 which describes Nights as having a wild, rebellious personality that got 
Wizeman angry with him. I have also heard somewhere that his conscience got
 the best of him also. So, I decided to write a story to show the soul and 
spirit of various characters, portraying them as I see them. Email me if you
 want to know where I found out all that legal stuff at the beginning. Just
 for the record, no Alethea and Nettle are not any kinds of magicians, witch
 etc., anyone can use herbs if they know how (Herbs are in most medicine, or
 are a synthesized).



                                 Reminiscing 
                                 (Chapter 1)
     Nights shot several yards higher and further back in the air and looked
 down. Reala had paused, hovering in the air, and glared at him. If looks 
could kill, Nights knew he would be dead. They had been fighting for at 
least half an hour, and Reala's temper had taken about all it could handle.
 Nights grinned and stuck out his tongue at Reala. That, as Nights had 
hoped, was all it took. Reala let out a shriek of rage and frustration and 
shot strait toward Nights. Nights dashed out of the way and began a small 
well-controlled paraloop. He had learned that he could make paraloops repel
 instead of pull things into them. Reala, temper worn and angry, saw what 
Nights was trying to do too late.  Wide-eyed and surprised, Reala tried to 
stop, but had picked up too much speed. He flew strait into Nights paraloop.
 Reala was slammed with concussion strength force and slung backwards, 
tumbling through the air. He hit the ground with a loud thump and didn't 
move. Nights could see him breathing and knew he wasn't badly injured 
(except for his pride of course); Nights had learned how large or small or 
strong or weak a paraloop needed to be to accomplish what he wanted without
 excessive damage. Reala would simply have a moderate concussion. After all
 Nights wasn't trying to kill him, just stop him from what ever Wizeman 
wanted him to do, (which was more than likely to kill him and all the other
 rebel 'maren). Nights, or any other rebel 'maren, would only kill on their
 own if their life or someone else's was threatened. 
    Nights surveyed the rest of the battle going on around him. Reala was 
out, so were about ten other Minions (such as Hollows, Snips, Kircles etc.)
 Kaye was taking care of the few remaining Snips, Shleep, and Hollows. 
Alethea was fighting two 'maren by herself. Nights frowned wondering where 
Dunamis was, he was supposed to be helping her. Alethea and Dunamis, who 
were the same type 'maren as Reala, Nights, Reve, etc., had recently joined
 the rebel 'maren. Both had decided at the same time to join, and that was
 no surprise since they had been friends for a long time; in fact, they were
 more than just friends were. Alethea was Dunamis's girl friend. Alethea was
 liked by almost everyone in Nightmare who knew her. She was almost always 
sensitive, quiet, and merciful, and had lots of patience with over bearing 
beings. However, she could also stand against some one without cowering. She
 had been one of the few 'maren who could deal with Reala without being 
intimidated. Reala still respected her for it. It was even rumored that she
 had tried to become fiends with him. She did most of the spying in 
Nightmare and like most 'maren carried a sword. Nights and a few other 
'maren, usually the most powerful, fought without swords. 
	On the other hand Dunamis was her opposite in many ways (being 
strong willed and blunt, and definitely NOT one to cower either). Dunamis 
was kind although blunt, and enjoyed fighting. Nights spotted Dunamis 
heading strait for one of the 'maren fighting Alethea. Nights knowing that 
she had enough help turned his attention elsewhere. Autel had Gillwing down
 to the last four segments of his tail; the situation there was under 
control. Nights flew over to Etienne, (also called Eti) who was standing on
 a hill over looking Nightmare. She had been watching for any more attacks 
from Nightmare. She smiled at the four star general and rebel leader 'maren. 
" Nothing yet but I don't expect any one to come into what's left of this 
battle." Nights smiled back.
" They would have to be crazy, but then most of them are." Nights said. 
Eti had been one of the first 'maren to join the rebels. Nights had admired
 and been close friends for a long time, but they had become more than just
 close friends. Nights loved her; she loved him. 
      Nights looked out over Nightmare then turned around and looked at 
Spring Valley and the remaining enemies that were fleeing into Nightmare. 
Gillwing, who was behind the fleeing Minions and 'maren, rushed right 
through the middle of them slinging Minions up in the air and down on the 
ground with both his wings, and running into the ones in front of him who 
were frantically trying to get out of his way. Kaye and Autel were herding 
the few straggling Minions back into Nightmare. Nights had a few spare 
minutes, now that the battle was over, to think about things in relative 
peace. 
   It seemed amazing to how many things had changed in the last month. Only
 a few weeks ago Nights had felt completely discouraged. He had felt that 
Wizeman would eventually win if for no other reason than he was more 
powerful than Nights. Even with the hand full of rebels he had at the time 
Nights felt like he had been under a shadow that was threatening to destroy
 everything in both the dream realm and the realm of humans. Then he met the
 King of the dream realm, and that changed the entire situation. Nights 
would only serve someone he respected, and Nights greatly respected the 
King. The King was more powerful than Wizeman could ever hope or wish to be.
 It was he that created the dream realm, Wizeman only made Nightmare from 
what the King had already created (the difference between making and 
creating is that creating is from nothing, making is from material already 
there. We use these interchangeably although we should not). As for the 
inhabitants of the dream realm they were suppose to serve the King not 
Wizeman. Nights had learned that Wizeman had rebelled against the King, and
 that Nights as well as eventually many others would or had been called by 
the King to fight against Wizeman (the others are rebel 'maren and Minion).
 Now Nights no longer felt that they could not win. He knew no matter how 
many battles they lost they would eventually win the war.
   Only a few Minions were left on the ground (those that had been injured 
or dazed by drill attacks). The other four 'maren, Autel, Alethea, Dunamis,
 and Kaye were gathering the prisoners. Eti glanced over at Nights. " Let's
 go help them, they won't be able to carry all of them to the museum." 
" I think we'll have to make several trips, we caught more than usual." 
Nights looked over at Reala who was still lying some forty yards away on the
 ground at the edge of the steep little gorge that the stream in Spring 
Valley had eroded. " I don't know how much longer Reala will be unconscious.
 We need hurry before he wakes up." Eti nodded.
" He's going to be really angry when he wakes up."
" That is a SERIOUS understatement," said Nights grinning. They flew down 
and helped the other 'maren move the injured Minion and Reala to Soft 
Museum. 


                               Fugitive 
                              (Chapter 2)
 
    The first sensation Reala was aware of was the pounding, throbbing pain
 in his head. Reala groaned and opened his eyes. At first, everything was 
blurry; then slowly it all cleared. Reala found himself looking at a strange
 ceiling in a dark room. He sat up slowly and inspected his surroundings. 
The room had blue glass windows with bars on the inside; the walls were made
 of sandy colored stone, and the floor had a springy quality. Dim artificial
 light came from one small globe in the room, leaving most of the room an 
eerie blue. He was all alone. Reala tried to remember how he had gotten here
 and if he had ever seen this place before. He felt a sharp piercing pain in
 his ankle and examined it. His ankle had just started swelling and Reala 
could tell the bone was broken. He looked around the room for something to 
immobilize his ankle with but the room was completely empty. Reala noticed 
there was something around his head. He put his hand to his head and felt a
 long bandage. With agonizing caution he stood up on one foot and half 
hobbled half glided painfully over to the window and looked at his 
reflection. Reala could tell that, even though the reflection was blue, the
 bandage had a dark spot on it that was blood. He sat down slowly under the
 small window and leaned against the wall. Tired, frustrated, and in pain 
Reala began analyzing as much of the battle as he could remember and chewing
 himself out. 
"How stupid could I have been! Nights's trick had been simple and obvious! 
Only an idiot could have fallen for so simple a trick!" the thoughts raced 
through his head. An old memory surfaced of Alethea telling him that if he 
did not learn to control his temper he would get into trouble repeatedly. 
Reala ground his teeth in frustration. He hated to be told he was wrong or 
be corrected by anyone, especially if they were right. It was obvious that 
he had been captured. Reala glanced around the room looking for away to 
escape. The door was definitely out of the question. Two or more guards 
would more than likely be stationed there, if not Nights was out of his 
mind, and Reala did not expect to find it unlocked. Reala knew he was in no
 condition to fight more than one enemy at a time. He wondered if he were in
 the middle of their base or if the prison was on the outside or separate 
from the base altogether. He looked intently at the windows. The bars might
 be put in weakly. Everything blurred suddenly and Reala blinked in alarm. 
He had noticed that he felt quite lightheaded but had just ignored it until
 now. A feeling of fear swept over him. How badly was he hurt? Would he be 
able to get away or be overwhelmed with lightheaded dizziness?
     Nights watched a few Nightopians wandering around the museum. They had
 finally come out of hiding, which they so proficiently found when prisoners
 were brought in. Alethea walked up to him.
" How badly are they hurt?" Nights asked. Alethea did most of the nursing 
for serious injuries among the rebels, but especially the nursing of the 
prisoners. 
" Well, most of the Minions have small cuts or had small concussions; Reala,
 on the other hand, is more seriously injured than that." Nights looked at 
Alethea in alarm. 
" I couldn't have hurt him that badly, I was controlling my paraloop 
carefully."
" No, I don't think you did. I think he might have landed on his neck or 
head when he fell. You gave him a small concussion, but he just fell hard 
and made it a lot worse." Nights frowned.
" How much worse?"
" It's not just a small concussion any more. I'm not sure how it will affect
 him. He'll be dizzy and things will tend to blur on and off I expect."  
" Is he awake."
" He wasn't when I finish bandaging his head. He might be now though." 
    Reve, who had been sitting on the base of a broken column near by, had 
been listening and trying hard to pretend that she had not. She cared more 
about Reala than the others thought she did. She was not sure what would 
happen to Reala, Nights had said he would ask the King what should be done 
with Reala. Reve walked down the small brick lane by herself thinking about
 the situation.
" As soon as he's awake I want to talk to him" said Nights. Alethea nodded. 
    Reala's vision cleared almost as fast as it had blurred. Reala calmed 
himself down and looked once again for a way out. He examined the bars; then
 he slowly examined the rest of the room again. The bars were anchored to 
the window far to well for him to pull out. He limp glided to the darkest 
corner of the room, which was quite dark, and sat down in extreme pain after
 he landed. His ankle was getting much more swollen and tender. Reala looked
 morbidly for a way out. Normally he simply could have drill dashed through
 the wall, but with a concussion of unknown severity, Reala would be likely
 to kill himself if he tried. He noticed that the mortar around one of the 
stone blocks near the bottom of the wall was crumbling. Reala studied both 
the block and the mortar carefully. Then he looked at his claw-like 
fingernails. He realized that he should be able to pull the little remaining
 mortar away, and he could probably push the stone out of the wall, 
considering the way the room was built, he would be surprised if the room 
collapsed. The hole the stone would leave would be big enough for him to get
 through. Reala was about to start pulling mortar away when he was 
interrupted by the sound of voices just outside the door. Reala leaned back
 against the wall trying to look as if he was relaxed and not doing anything
 but being angry. He gasped as he felt the sharp pain in his ankle. The door
 swung open and Nights stood in the doorway. Reala could see Alethea 
standing behind him and another 'maren beside her.
    Nights entered the room followed by Alethea, who had a small cup in her
 hand. Nights spotted Reala sitting in the darkest corner of the room. shivered internally as she entered the eerie blue lit room, and 
stood beside Nights. She also noticed Reala a little after Nights had 
noticed him. Reala looked at both of them. 
" Reala" Nights began but was interrupted by Alethea.
Alethea had noticed that, though it seemed impossible, Reala looked paler 
than usual. Then she noticed his ankle. 
" What happened to your ankle?" she asked. Reala tried to hide his ankle by
 sliding his other ankle in front of the injured one, but this only made it
 more obvious. Alethea frowned. " Come into the light." It wasn't a request. 
Reala twitched visibly. If Nights had told him to step out in the light 
Reala wouldn't have moved an inch out of defiance. Reala found himself, to 
his surprise, standing very slowly and carefully on one foot. 
    Alethea noticed Reala avoid putting any wait on his injured ankle. Reala
 limp glided into the light of the window, and landed on one leg. He looked
 back and forth at Nights and Alethea dubiously. Alethea could tell his 
ankle was broken. She looked at his face, he was obviously in pain and was 
defiantly paler, and it had a slight gray tent to it. She looked at Nights. 
" I thought he might be in pain but I didn't know he had broken his ankle, 
still I think the herbs should be strong enough."
    Reala glanced at the cup in her hand. There were only a handful of 
'maren that knew about the herbs in the dream realm. In the human realm, 
medicine was manufactured in factories. Here there were no factories, and 
one had to know how to make medicine from the herbs themselves. Alethea 
handed him the cup, which Reala took hesitantly. 
" Drink it" she told him. Reala drank it. Then he suddenly realized he had 
just trusted her; he had no idea what herb was in the cup. He handed the 
cup back to Alethea.
" What was that?" Reala asked her.
" Just a pain killer." she said simply then turned to Nights who had been 
watching with slight impatience. " Let me get something to stabilize his 
ankle with" she asked Nights with a look of sympathy. 
" Go a head, I'll talk to him by myself."
" It may take awhile" she cautioned. " We don't get many 'maren with broken
 limbs."



                                Reflection 
                               (Chapter 3)

    Jackle entered the room nervously. Normally he would not dare come into
 Reala's throne room, if you could call it that since it did not have any 
walls, unless called by Reala. However, Reala had disappeared during the 
battle early this morning and no one in Nightmare knew if he was alive or 
dead. Gillwing had reported to Wizeman himself early this morning, which 
Reala would have done if he had come back from the battle. Wizeman had been
 VERY angry and until Reala came back, if he ever did, Jackle had been given
 his authority. Jackle nervously looked around the red and black checkered 
room. Wizeman had announced another attack and Jackle had just returned from
 the briefing. He was amazed how much power he would have. He had never 
realized what being the " right hand 'maren" of Wizeman meant. 
    Jackle turned around as he heard someone approaching. Clawz entered the
 throne room apprehensively. The giant black and orange 'maren cat looked 
down at Jackle curiously. 
" So Wizeman finally gave you a serious job?" said Clawz grinning. Jackle 
glared at Clawz. He wondered if everyone would question his ability. 
" What do you want Clawz?" He asked wondering if Clawz had come out of 
curiosity or if Clawz was trying to annoy him. 
" I've just come to warn you that Wizeman will probably be watching you 
carefully for a few months." Jackle of course already knew that. He wasn't 
stupid, but he avoided telling that to Clawz. After all, being 
underestimated had its advantages.
" I might not be here in a few months. What makes you so sure Reala is 
dead." 
" I heard Gillwing talking to Wizeman" Claws became serious" It sounds like
 Nights might have killed him."
" You mean you eavesdropped on Gillwing's meeting with Wizeman." Clawz 
shifted uncomfortably.
" Eavesdropped is such a harsh word." mewed Clawz innocently. Jackle 
smirked.
" You know Wizeman would be angry if he ever found out." Clawz grinned. 
" I know that." Jackle straightened up. 
" Since you managed to miss the briefing that all of the loyal high ranking
 'maren attended, you are to assemble one fifth of your troops at Marble 
Flats tomorrow." 
" So soon?"
" Reala's disappearance has moved the plan forward." Clawz shook his head.
" It got Wizeman to lose his temper, that's what moved it forward," said 
Clawz. Jackle frowned.
" Watch you're mouth Clawz, unless you want to be locked in an Ideya 
Palace."
" I'm not as bold as that." Clawz turned and left, and Jackle went back to 
thinking. He was beginning to like his new position.  



                                 Evading  
                               (Chapter 4)

    Nights walked aimlessly along on the little hills of Soft Museum. The 
sun was setting after a very long and strange day. Nights thought about his
 conversation with Reala. As Nights had expected, Reala had avoided any 
discussion of strategy or plans. Nights had been hoping that Reala's 
arrogant nature would give away some hint of Wizeman's strategy. Reala 
however had carefully avoided any bragging. Maybe he had finally learned to
 be more careful about what he said, or he was too humiliated to brag about
 anything. However, that didn't change his remarkable ability to verbally 
tear someone apart. Reala was a master of sarcasm and satire, and even when
 he lost, he managed to find something to verbally tear his opponent up 
with. Alethea had still not come back, and she had sent a message by way of
 Reve that it might take awhile even now to find something from which to 
make a cast. 
    Eti strolled over the grass looking for Nights. She finally saw him 
standing next to a small tree staring absently into the sky. She knew he was
 thinking about Reala and the battle this morning. Nights enjoyed talking to
 the other rebels, and she had learned that when he left like this something
 was bothering him. She wondered if she ought to disturb him. Nights turned
 and smiled at her. 
" I'm just thinking about the battle, you're not disturbing me." 
" Reala didn't hint at any part of the strategy?" Nights sighed at Eti's 
question. Then looked at a very small Nightopian that suddenly decided to 
burst into sing humming near by. 
" No, he managed to keep from saying almost anything but his usual cutting 
remarks."
" I don't suppose he could have left that out." 
" Of course not, that would mean he would have to swallow his pride." Eti 
looked over at the 'maren base. A small Snip strolled timidly across the 
grass over to Eti. Frost the Snip had been one of the Minions to join the 
rebels. He usually ran messages for the others. 
" Autel wants to see you Eti." chirped Frost
" All right, I'll be there in minute." Frost turned and walked away. Eti 
continued her conversation.
" Are you sure he didn't say anything important."
" Yes."
" Well I have to talk to Autel; let me know if you get anything else out of
 him." Nights nodded.
    Reala pulled the last of the mortar away and began pushing against the 
heavy stone. Normally he would have considered such desperation ridiculous,
 but Reala was getting very desperate and frantic. This was partly because 
being trapped was becoming more than he could stand, and partly because he 
loathed giving the rebels (particularly Nights) the chance to see him like 
this. Reala realized the longer he remained the rebels' prisoner the more 
chances he had of saying something that would help them. Reala also realized
 that moving the block might take hours. His vision still blurred quite 
frequently, but he ignored it. He tried very hard not to move his ankle, 
which still had no cast on it, but every few minutes he would move it 
accidentally. Although the herbs had helped to deaden the pain somewhat, 
there was still a considerably large amount of pain there. Reala tried to 
ignore it but found that was more difficult than he had thought. He found 
himself wondering how long he had been here. It had to be evening at least.
 Reala felt the large block began to shift. He smirked then instantly 
winced as he unintentionally moved his ankle. It looked as if his idea was 
going to work. 
    Several hours later Reala was still pushing the block. Its slow 
inconstant movement was discouraging. He was aware that it was night. 
The light from the window had long ceased to be of any help, and Reala was 
now working in almost complete darkness. This, however, was not really a 
problem since he did not need to see what he was doing. The block was almost
 out of the wall. Reala felt exhausted, he knew he needed to sleep but could
 not if he intended to escape. All it would take was one rebel seeing what 
he was doing to ruin his one chance at escape. In the morning, someone would
 check to see what he was doing and then it would be to late. Unexpectedly 
the end of the block facing Reala tilted upward. Reala pushed harder and the
 whole stone fell out of the wall. He crawled into the hole and found he 
still had to push the stone a little further to get it out of his way. Reala
 emerged from the prison and carefully stood up. It was night and there was
 a new moon that would help to cover his escape. Hundreds of stars twinkled
 in the sky and Reala felt dazzled. In Nightmare, the stars were difficult 
to see because of the thick cloud cover that seemed to constantly be in the
 sky. Even the moon was covered most of the time. Here in Nightopia the 
night was considerably brighter, and he found himself having to get use to 
it. Reala glanced around to see if any other rebels were near by but saw 
none. All of them would be asleep except for the lookouts, and Reala could 
not see them. He had been in the smallest of four buildings made of stone, 
and there was lots of cover near by. In front of him were the beginnings of
 a forest. His vision blurred once again, and he began to get nervous. He 
disliked not being able to see clearly, especially in such a bad situation.
 He glided low to the ground and headed for the forest.
    Alethea had been working till late afternoon to find the Nightopian 
version of comfrey for making a cast. However, this particular herb was 
difficult to find. Finally, just at sun set she had found the plant. She had
 started boiling the sticky root, but it took awhile to prepare a cast. It 
would harden once she put it on Reala's ankle. She winced as she thought 
about setting his ankle. Even if he had not moved very much it would have 
to be set.
" Is that it, are you done now." Reve questioned looking anticlimactically 
at the plant in the small pot. 
" Yes, this should be enough." 
" As if Reala deserved it." growled Dunamis. Reve glanced at him 
uncomfortably. The two of them had come in to talk to her while she was 
waiting on the root to finish boiling.
" Be nice Dunamis." Alethea said in her usually quiet way.
" Tell that to him."
" It's ready now, let's hurry before it cools too much." Alethea lifted the
 pot and Dunamis opened the door to the room that served as Alethea's 
storage room for various medical supplies and doctors office. They hurried 
outside to the prison. Dunamis led the way with the keys in hand. Reve 
followed quickly behind. The sun would rise in only a few hours. Had it 
really taken all night? They stopped as they reached the door, and two other
 guards moved out of the way. Dunamis unlocked the door and it swung open, 
but instead of going in he simply stared. Alethea looked past him and stared
 at a large hole in the wall caused by a block that had been pushed out of 
the wall. 
                             --End of Part 1--