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Chapter Text

The orders Reala received from his Master had been simple: locate NiGHTS and bring them back to nightmare, using force if necessary. It was supposed to be an easy mission, however, nothing was ever so easy when it came to capturing NiGHTS. There always seemed to be some sort of trick they pulled in order to get out of the cages and escape their Master's clutches (which usually came in the form of help from a meddling dreamer). But this time, things would be different, he was sure of it. He was going to return his treacherous sibling back to their Master Wizeman, even if it was the last thing he did.

As Reala was flying quietly over the entrance to the dream gate, he spotted his purple clad sibling sitting on the edge of the dream fountain and playing a tune on their invisible flute- they were all alone with no visitors or the elderly owl in sight. The red wearing jester grinned as he descended on his distracted prey, fully prepared to summon a cage with the snap of his fingers. But as he got closer, he noticed something strange about the water in the fountain- it was glowing with a strange golden white light. Reala knew this wasn't normal, but brushed it off so he could focus on his duties.

"There you are, NiGHTS. I see you're all alone today" said Reala as he landed gracefully in front of his sibling.

"Let me guess" said NiGHTS in a rather bored tone "Wizeman wants me to return to nightmare again?"

"Correct! Very clever my dear sibling" he said in a condescending tone "You know, if you would just agree to come back home and end this little charade of yours, I wouldn't have to bother you so often"

"Reala, you know exactly why I will never return, you're the one who should stop this charade"

"I'm just following orders, NiGHTS"

"Exactly! It's like you never do anything for yourself- only ever doing what Wizeman tells you to, instead of using the free will he gave you! I pity you, Reala. I really do"

"Pity me? Why NiGHTS, I'm almost flattered. But your sympathies lie in the wrong place, for I truly am happy to work for Master Wizeman"

"If you just knew what a life of freedom was like, I bet you'd change your mind"

"I think that might be the most ridiculous I've ever heard you say, and that's saying something. There is absolutely nothing in this world that would ever convince me to disobey our Master!"

NiGHTS' face drooped into a frown, knowing that (unfortunately) their sibling was right. Reala's face on the other hand bore a wicked grin as he lifted his hand up, about to snap his fingers and trap the other first level. However, the smug look was completely wiped from the red jesters face when he saw the light in the fountain becoming both brighter and larger. He didn't have time to react before the light suddenly burst from the fountain, consuming the nightmaren twins in it's blinding holy glow.

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Reala groaned as he awoke, quickly noting that every part of his body was pounding with aches, especially his head. He knew instantly that he was no longer at the dream gate, as it was daylight out wherever he was, and the dream gate was always in perpetual nighttime. Even as the nightmaren general got himself into a standing position, he couldn't help but wonder what that strange light was and where in all of the night dimension it could have taken him and NiGHTS.

"Ugh, where are we?" groaned out a tired voice.

Speak of the devil.

"I might as well ask you the same question" Reala retorted as he stumbled, catching himself on a brick wall.

Once the nightmaren siblings got themselves reoriented, they both took to the skies to scope out their surroundings. And what they saw confused Reala greatly- tall buildings that brushed the sky, but they weren't dream like- they were cold and rigid. Down below on the streets were cars zooming past and bustling city dwellers, not nightopian, but human.

"W-what is this place?" Reala stuttered, almost afraid to find out the answer.

"Reala, I think we might be in the waking world" said an astonished NiGHTS.

"No. No we can't be in the waking world! There is no possible way we should be here, we're creatures bound to the night dimension!"

"Well, humans are able to come to our dimension when they're asleep. Maybe we're asleep ourselves?" reasoned NiGHTS. They then proceeded to punch their sibling in the arm as hard as they could.

"OW!" screamed Reala "Care to explain why you did that?!"

"Shoot, I guess we're not sleeping. If we were, you wouldn't have felt that punch"

"NiGHTS, you know that's not how that works for us!" chided Reala as he rubbed his sore arm. As he did so, however, a sinking, gut wrenching feeling hit him. ".......If we're here, he'll think I deserted him".

"Who? Wizeman?" asked NiGHTS.

"Yes of course Master Wizeman! This is a disaster! If Wizeman finds out we're in the waking world he'll be furious with us!"

"Reala, just calm dow-"

"NiGHTS, do you not understand the gravity of our situation?! You may not care what Master Wizeman thinks of you, but I do! I don't want him to think that I've suddenly become a traitor like you. He already gives me Hell because you're gone, imagine what he'll do if he believes we've both gone renegade! He'll probably lock us up to be tortured by Cerberus for a century! We must find a way back to the dream world this instant!"

NiGHTS stared with a worried expression at their sibling- they know full well the consequences that could happen to them both if Wizeman finds out Reala is gone. But then, a thought crossed their mind, and their expression changed into a cheeky smile "Or we could, not"

"What?!"

"What if we were to stay here for a while, like a nice holiday of sorts"

"Are you mad, man?! If Master Wizeman were to catch us-"

"That's the thing! Wizeman isn't here, and he has absolutely no way of crossing into the waking world, so he won't be able to catch us. This could finally be your chance to taste what true freedom is like!"

"NiGHTS I already told you, there is nothing this world-"

"Up bup bup, you said nothing in 'this world' in reference to the dream world. But we aren't in the dream world now, aren't we?" they said with a smug smile.

Reala was stunned into silence at his siblings logic, his face turning into a scowl as he realized that they were (unfortunately) right. "You may be right on that front, NiGHTS. However, I still won't ever betray our Master, no matter how badly you want me to"

"We'll see about that" NiGHTS giggled in amusement as their sibling rolled his icy blue eyes "Come on now, we've got a whole new world to explore!" they cheerfully said as they descended back towards the streets below.

Reala groaned in annoyance, but followed his trouble making twin anyway, figuring that sticking together would be a better option than being lost in the waking world alone. As he soared back down to the ground, he made a promise to himself that he wouldn't let himself get caught up in any of the frivolous nonsense that NiGHTS would surely thrust upon him. But the young nightmaren had no idea what would be in store for him.

Chapter Text

NiGHTS practically skipped down the sidewalk with glee, excited for the possibilities that this new dimension would have in store for them and their sibling. Reala on the other hand was not so optimistic- arms crossed and floating several feet behind their overly excitable twin, glaring at each of the humans he saw walk past as if they'd offended him personally. In return the two nightmarens got strange glances from nearly every passerby- who were confused about the oddly dressed, floating pair.

"Come on slowpoke! You don't want to be left behind, now do you?" called NiGHTS as they stopped at an intersection to let their sibling catch up. Reala only grumbled in annoyance as he made his way closer to his fellow maren. "Now, where should we go next?" they asked more to themselves than their sibling.

"If we are going to stay here like you intend, don't you think we should find a shelter of some sort before anything else?" pointed out Reala.

"Hmm, I suppose you have a point there, Reala" said NiGHTS "Don't fret though, we'll figure something out!" they assured him. The other maren just rolled his eyes, already sick of his sibling's antics. "Wait, is that-?"

NiGHTS pointed across the street to two children walking on the other side of the street- a boy with dirty blond hair and a puffy vest over a football jersey, and a girl with a blonde ponytail and a pink coat. They recognized the two instantly- it was Will and Helen- their dreamer friends. NiGHTS wasted no time, dashing across the street (not caring about the oncoming traffic) to reach the two children.

"Will! Helen! I'm so glad to see you!" exclaimed NiGHTS as they stepped in front of the pair off tweens, a bright smile present on their face.

"NiGHTS!" both children exclaimed in unison, shocked but none the less happy to see their dream friend. They then wrapped the purple wearing nightmaren in a big hug, which NiGHTS reciprocated.

"I can't believe you're here in the waking world!" said an excited Will "How did you get here?"

"Honestly I'm not sure myself" NiGHTS laughed as they rubbed the back of their head.

"Um...NiGHTS, w-what's he doing here?" Helen timidly asked, pointing across the street to Reala, who was scowling at them.

"Oh yeah, he got sent here with me, but don't worry about him. I don't think he can steal your ideya here" NiGHTS then bent down the the kids level "And besides, I have a plan to get him on our side" they whispered

Both childrens eyes widened with curiosity

"What do you mean?" asked Will

"I mean, if we show Reala how much fun a life of freedom is, then he won't want to go back to Wizeman"

"Are you sure this will work? This is Reala you're talking about" asked Helen.

"I'm positive!"

"Well, alright. I trust your word, NiGHTS" she said.

"It will definitely be interesting to know what a nice Reala is like" laughed Will.

"That's the spirit! However, we do have a problem. You see, me and Reala don't exactly have a place to stay. Would you two know where we could go while we stay here?" asked NiGHTS.

"You two could stay with me if you like! my house has plenty of empty bedrooms so you and Reala could each have your own! I'd just have to ask my mum first, but I'm sure it will be fine." suggested Helen.

"Are you sure it would be alright, Helen?"

"Of course, anything to help a friend!"

"Thank you, I really appreciate it" said a grateful NiGHTS. They then dashed back to the other side of the street where their red and black clad sibling awaited.

"Did you have fun chit chatting with your little visitor friends?" sneered Reala.

"Yes, I did. And, I found us a place to stay!"

Reala quickly put two and two together "Oh no, I will not be sharing an abode with your visitor friends!"

"Fine then, hope you enjoy sleeping on the streets" NiGHTS said as they started floating away from Reala.

"Wait" called out the red jester, causing NiGHTS to smirk "Fine, I'll stay with the visitors, and I'll be civil. But don't expect me to be buddy-buddy with them, got it?"

"Got it" said NiGHTS, giving a thumbs up. Both nightmaren then floated back across the street, rejoining Will and Helen. "Alright, Helen. Lead the way"

"Gladly" the young girl said as she and Will started down the street again, the nightmaren twins following behind them.

"I can't believe I have to stay in a human's home" complained Reala.

"Oh relax, would you" said NiGHTS "Besides, there's worse places we could've ended up"

Reala sighed, realizing that his sibling was again correct, and he absolutely hated that feeling. But he decided to swallow his pride and attempt to live with the visitors, even if it was (hopefully) temporary.

Chapter Text

As the sun began to set upon Bellbridge, Helen led her friends (and Reala) from the bustling streets of the city to a more affluent part of the quiet and peaceful suburbs. Eventually the group went up a winding path that led straight to the Cartwright household. It was a beautiful site straight out of a real estate magazine- two stories tall with castle like pillars at the front, a beautiful white paint job, many many windows to let the maximum amount of sunlight inside, the front yard had plenty of garden beds full of flowers, and the cherry on top was a pristine white gazebo across the way.

"Wow, Helen. Your home is beautiful!" NiGHTS complimented, taken away by the house's beauty.

"Why thank you, NiGHTS" smiled Helen.

"What do you think, Reala? It's amazing, right?" said NiGHTS.

"It's fine" was all Reala said.

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"Hey mum, I'm home!" Helen called out as she closed the front door behind her.

"Welcome back, love!" came a warm voice belonging to Helen's mother from further inside the house "You and Will are just in time for supper"

"Actually mum, I've brought over some other friends besides Will, I'd really like for you to meet them"

Suddenly Helen's mother came walking into the front room- she was a blonde woman in her early 40's with pearl earrings and a peach colored jacket similar to her daughter's. The woman's face widened with shock when she saw the strange pair of jesters floating next to her child. However, she still remained courteous. "Oh, why hello. And who might your friends be, dear?"

"My name is NiGHTS" they said with a bow "It's a pleasure to meet you ma'am. Oh, and this is my sibling Reala"

"Hello" said Reala with a simple nod, keeping his arms crossed.

"They aren't from around here" Helen explained for her mother "Actually, they're from a different dimension" she added with a chuckle.

"I see. They wouldn't happen to be aliens, now would they?" said an amused Mrs. Cartwright.

"We're nightmarens, Madame" clarified Reala.

"We come from the night dimension, the world of dreams" added NiGHTS.

"The world of dreams, huh? Well, now that sounds rather interesting"

"It is" added Will.

"There is a problem, however, mum" said Helen "You see, NiGHTS and Reala don't have anywhere to stay while here in our dimension, and I was wondering if it would be alright if they could stay with us?" she asked hopefully.

"Well, it is a little sudden" said Mrs. Cartwright "But alright, they can stay for awhile"

"Thank you, mum!" exclaimed Helen as she hugged her mother.

"You're welcome, love" chuckled her mother "Well, guess I better set the table for five now"

This remark made everyone in the room laugh, save for Reala, who was still rather weary of the situation. None the less, he followed the rest of the group as they were led by Helen's mother to the dining room to eat their meal.

Chapter Text

Reala groaned softly as he placed his fork down on his empty plate, leaning back slightly in his chair. To say that this meal was a culture shock to the young nightmaren would be a major understatement. For one thing, everyone at the table was talking- laughing, telling stories, and generally enjoying each others company. This was absolutely unheard of back in nightmare, where everyone at the table ate in absolute silence, being scolded if you were to dare to say anything. But here, conversation seemed expected, even encouraged. This wasn't the only oddity the red clad jester found, however. There was also the conundrum of the meal itself- there was so much food. A large tray of cheesy lasagna, a large bowl filled with crisp caesar salad, and another slightly smaller bowl filled to the brim with warm garlic bread. Reala was used to there being only one dish provided during a meal (which was always roasted nightopian). However, humans seemed to pride themselves on having a variety of dishes to indulge in, with different tastes and textures that he surprisingly found himself enjoying. Speaking of indulging, that's exactly what the humans did. When Helen's mother had asked Reala if he would like any more food, he initially stared at her like she'd just asked him to overthrow his master. But apparently, it was normal in human culture to take more food after you were done with your first serving. That had surprised Reala the most, since he was so used to only being allowed one serving of meat per meal, and having the threat of severe punishment if he dared try to take more than initially given. By the end of supper, Reala was absolutely stuffed, and unsure if he would ever be able to eat again.

"Alright, whose ready for pudding?" asked Mrs. Cartwright once she was done clearing the dishes off the table.

"Pudding?" Reala asked wearily, unsure if he wanted to know the answer.

"It's a sort of meal that comes after supper, caps the whole thing off in a way" explained Will.

The nightmaren general's eyes widened in shock when he heard the explanation "How could you possibly want to consume any more?" he asked in disbelief.

"Oh Reala, that's the beauty of freedom" laughed NiGHTS. "You're allowed to eat as much as you want without anyone stopping you. Besides, it's not like a little pudding will kill you or anything"

'I think it might' he thought to himself as he placed his head in his hands.

As quickly as she left, Mrs. Cartwright returned- carrying a tray with a large chocolate cake. "Here you are, loves" she said as she cut slices from the sweet treat and handed them to everyone.

"Cake? YAY!" gasped NiGHTS excitedly, practically bouncing in their seat as they were handed their slice, immediately digging in .

"Would you you like some milk to go with your cake, Reala?" asked Mrs. Cartwright.

Reala said nothing, just stared down at the confection like it had personally betrayed him. Just looking at it already made his full stomach churn- chocolate for both the spongy body and the thick frosting, with a little sugar soaked cherry on top. Just the sugary scent alone was enough to make him sick, he couldn't imagine actually eating it, especially now. Reala's right eye twitched as he made a sort of gaging sound, his hand immediately going to his mouth.

"Hey Reala, are you alright?" asked a confused and worried Will, noticing the nightmarens discomfort.

He shook his head slowly

NiGHTS, who had long since finished their own slice, immediately understood where their siblings discomfort came from. "Uh, Mrs. Cartwright, Reala was complaining about being too full before you came back" they explained. "I don't think he'd be able to eat anymore"

"Oh I'm sorry, dear" said Mrs. Cartwright as she quickly grabbed Reala's plate and took it away "You don't have to eat anymore if you don't want to"

The nightmaren general gave a sigh of relief once the confection was out of his sight. "If NiGHTS wants, they can have my slice" he said.

"A-are you sure, Reala?" asked a hopeful NiGHTS.

"Positive" he simply replied.

Mrs. Cartwright then handed Reala's plate to NiGHTS, who began to dig in once again, giggling a little to themselves as they ate it. And for the first time since arriving un the waking world, Reala let a slight smile form on his lips, happy that his twin was happy.

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Once everyone (sans Reala) was finished with their pudding and the dishwasher had been loaded for the night, Reala asked if there was anywhere that he could shower, and was directed towards the bathroom by Helen. Meanwhile Will went to the living room to watch cartoons and Mrs. Cartwright finished tidying up in the kitchen. NiGHTS however, knew that the events of tonight would just keep repeating itself if they didn't intervene, and they wanted their sibling to enjoy his time in the waking world, not be reminded of old punishments. So they joined Helen's mother in the kitchen, intending to explain Reala's reaction to the cake fully.

"Um, excuse me, Mrs. Cartwright. Is it alright if I talk to you about something?" they asked.

"Of course, what is it you want to talk about?"

"Well, it's about earlier tonight, with the pudding. You see, it wasn't just fullness that made Reala react that way towards the cake"

"Oh really, what else could've been the matter?"

"It's a little hard to explain, but the gist is that most nightmarens cannot stand the taste of sweetness. Our father, Wizeman the Wicked, knew this very well. And when we were younger and would misbehave, he would force us to eat a slice of nightopian's cake as punishment. And then when he discovered that I actually enjoyed the taste, he changed the punishment to where Reala had to eat it while I watched"

"That's terrible!" said a concerned Mrs. Cartwright.

"It was" they agreed "I figured I'd let you know so he won't have to keep going through the bad memories again"

"Thank you for letting me know" Mrs. Cartwright said warmly as she placed her hand on NiGHTS' shoulder. "I'll be sure to keep his preferences in mind"

"Thank you, ma'am" they said with a relieved smile. They then went to join Will in the living room to watch cartoons. They knew that the road to freedom for Reala would be a long one, filled with lots of old habits and scars. But NiGHTS was going to be there to help him through it all.

Chapter Text

The sun had barely begun to rise the next day when the young nightmaren general began to stir from slumber. He glanced over at the clock that sat on the night stand- 5:00 am. Perfect. Reala knew that just because he was in an alternate dimension, that didn't give him the excuse to slack off on his routines- ones that had been drilled into him from the moment he was created. He quickly got out of bed to prepare for the new day.

Reala was not at all used to sleeping in a bed (instead he slept on his pedestal throne). However, he did know that humans made sure their beds were presentable once they were done sleeping in them. So he got to work smoothing out the yellow blankets and tucking them into the mattress, just like how it looked the night before. Once he was done making sure it was perfect, he than began to strip himself of the borrowed pajamas (which apparently used to belong to Helen's late father), folding them neatly and leaving them on the bed so he could take his morning shower.

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Reala took his cleanliness very seriously, always making sure his body was thoroughly scrubbed (which was easy for him since he was very flexible) and his long red and black hair was both double shampooed and double conditioned. This was his favorite part of his routine, as he always felt pristine and new once he was finished. He found the Cartwright shower to be suitable, however he was disappointed that he'd have to go without his favorite soaps made from nightopian fat and blood. Despite the extra steps he took when washing up, he was quick and efficient in his efforts, only taking 30 minutes to completely cleanse himself.

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Once he was finished drying himself off completely with one of the Cartwrights fluffy white towels (another thing he was unused to) and brushing his sharp teeth with a borrowed toothbrush, it was time for him to get dressed. Reala was used to grabbing a fresh set of clothes from his closet, however the rest of his clothes were back in his room in nightmare (and even then it was multiple sets of the same outfit) so he begrudgingly settled for wearing the same set twice in a row. He opened the top dresser drawers to retrieve the main parts of his outfit- first was a black sleeveless shirt with a red vest featuring flame decals shaped like his masters hands, an attached purple neck ruffle and feathers, gold trim on the collar and a beautiful purple gem in the center of the chest. Next was his long fingerless gloves with arm plates. Then his gold belt with plates that flanked his thighs. To finish off the outfit was his red boots that were left by the bedroom door, and his golden persona mask with feathers and a small purple gem he left on top of the dresser.

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After he had dressed himself (sans persona mask, as that always came last in his routine), he grabbed the hairbrush from on top of the dresser and began brushing his long hair- parting it perfectly down the middle so that he could shape it into the form of a jesters hat. Or he would have, but unfortunately for him, the product he used to keep his hair in its intended shape was back in nightmare, and he saw no similar product in the Cartwrights bathroom, so he'd have to settle with keeping his hair down for the time being. He also couldn't apply his cosmetics (including black lipstick and eyeshadow) as those were in nightmare as well. He cursed under his breath once he realized this, but rolled with the punches and decided to go without for the day.

The final and most important part of his routine had come- putting on his persona. It wasn't just a mask, it was a symbol of loyalty to his master. He wore it with pride since the day Wizeman gave it to him. It was his most cherished possession. Reala carefully placed the mask on his face with reverence. He looked himself over in the mirror that hung on the wall, for having limited resources he thought he did a pretty good job given the circumstances. He then paused, frowning at his reflection. Normally once he was done getting ready he would report to his master's chambers to receive orders for the day, or do drills with the third-levels. But he was here in the waking world- without his master or his fellow marens (save for NiGHTS). He glanced over at the clock again- 5:45 am. He didn't know when the humans would wake up (and knowing NiGHTS, they would probably sleep until noon if left uninterrupted). This was a conundrum indeed, he didn't want to just laze around until the others awoke. So, he decided to make himself useful.

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Helen, her mother, Will, and NiGHTS woke up 2 hours later to the sound of the vacuum blaring to life. They rushed down the stairs to figure out what was going on and were met with an interesting sight- Reala floating high above the ground and vacuuming the carpet in the living room.

"Reala, what are you doing?" shouted a tired Helen over the roaring of the vacuum.

"Making myself useful" he answered bluntly without looking up from the task at hand "I've already put away the dishes and washed the windows as well"

Mrs. Cartwright stared at the young nightmaren astonished, but also concerned. "Reala dear" she started, taking the vacuums handle from the nightmarens hand and turning it off "I appreciate the effort, but you didn't have to any of this, especially not this early"

"I'm used to doing tasks early" was all he said.

"Wait, when exactly did you wake up?" asked a confused Will.

"5:00 am exactly"

The young boy stared at the jester like he had sprouted 4 extra heads, unable to comprehend how anyone could willingly wake up so early.

"You know, Reala. You could've just slept in or something" NiGHTS pointed out, rubbing sleep from their eyes.

"I will not allow myself become a lazy slug, NiGHTS"

"You know, since we're all up anyway, why don't I make us some breakfast?"" said Mrs. Cartwright, trying to defuse the looming tension.

"Sure thing, mum. I'll help out!" said Helen.

"Alright then. Boys, why don't you go sit in the living room until the food's ready?"

NiGHTS and Will made their way towards the couch, with Reala reluctantly following suit. He sat down on the beautiful ornate couch next to his sibling and their dreamer friend, listening to the tween prattle on to the purple jester about the dream he had the night before. The nightmaren general began rubbing his temple with his clawed fingers, praying that his stay in the waking world would be a short one so that things could go back to normal.

Chapter Text

Reala sat sullenly at the breakfast table, poking at his scrambled eggs with his fork. He had a lot on his mind- not only was he stuck in the waking world with his insufferable sibling and their childish friends, but he was sure that Master Wizeman would have noticed his absence by now and would be furious with him. As his mind raced about how he would surely be tortured for his perceived disobedience, the thought of a new problem popped into his head. It was inconsequential in comparison to his fears of Wizeman, but it would be trouble if left unchecked- his lack of clothing. The shirt he was wearing was already 2 days old, and the thought of wearing it for a third day or longer made his skin crawl. He needed to get it clean, and fast.

"Excuse me, madame" he said to Helen's mother when she finally sat down "Might I inquire about the means of washing clothes here? I do not wish to keep dirtying my shirt more than it already is"

"Well, we have a washing machine and dryer in the basement" said Mrs. Cartwright "However, I don't think they will be too kind to the feathers or the jewel on your shirt. I could take it to the dry cleaners today if you'd like, they'll probably be able to clean it without damaging anything"

"I suppose that would suffice" he said after some deliberation "But then what am I supposed to wear today while it's being cleaned? And if I am stuck here for the foreseeable future, what will I do to avoid this issue going forward?"

"Obviously, you need more clothes" said NiGHTS through a mouthful of Frosties.

"All my clothes are in nightmare, NiGHTS" Reala pointed out.

"No, I mean new clothes. Ones you get to pick yourself" they said with enthusiasm.

"There's this really nice and big department store called 'The Bellbridge Boutique' on the edge of town" Helen explained "They mainly specialize in clothing, so Reala will surely find something he likes"

"Then it's settled, after breakfast we get Reala some new clothes!"

Reala just stared at his twin through squinted eyes, already dreading their planed excursion.

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The mechanical glass doors to the Bellbridge Boutique slid open as the two nightmaren and their human companions stepped forward into the massive department store. It truly was a sight to behold- pristine white porcelain tiled floors, ceiling covered in florescent golden lights, mannequins and stands displaying perfume and makeup strategically placed around for shoppers to notice, and wall to wall posters of the latest trends.

"Wow, this place is incredible!" exclaimed NiGHTS in astonishment.

"This is just the entrance, wait till you see the whole store" said Helen with a giggle.

"Alright, remember everyone. This is an exercise in choice for Reala- we may suggest things he might like, but it's up to him if he truly wants it" NiGHTS reminded their human friends.

"This is a pointless endeavor" Reala said "Master Wizeman knows what I like- my clothes were tailor made by him. I highly doubt a human shop will have anything that suits my interests.

"That, or you only like your clothes because Wizeman gave them to you" NiGHTS pointed out "You've only ever had two outfits in your entire life, both of them chosen for you by someone else. This is your chance to truly find yourself, Reala. As the visitor saying goes- 'the clothes make the man'"

"Yeah Reala, everyone has a unique style" added Will "Maybe you'll find yours today"

"I would hope my style isn't as terrible as yours" Reala said under his breath, just loud enough for the tween boy to hear.

"I heard that!" he complained.

"You were meant to" he said with a wicked grin.

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For the next 2 hours, the group tried their best to find apparel that Reala would like, with minimal success. The nightmaren general turned his nonexistent nose up at everything suggested to him, no matter which department they came from or gender they were intended for. Whether he actually didn't like anything or if he was just being stubborn they didn't know. What they did know was that he was apparently impossible to shop for. They were however successful in getting Reala to actually pick out two articles of clothing- a grey acid washed tank top suggested by Helen, and a pair of ripped dark blue skinny jeans (his first ever pair of pants) suggested by NiGHTS. They didn't know why out of everything he chose those, but they weren't going to complain about it.

As the group was making their way towards the checkout line, they talked amongst themselves and laughed at each others jokes- well, except for Reala, who was behind everyone else with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face like a moody teenager. But then, out of the corner of his eye, Reala spotted something. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at what was originally only in his peripheral vision- a female mannequin wearing a black leather jacket with shiny silver buttons. The young nightmaren stared at the jacket for what felt like an eternity, seemingly transfixed by the craftsmanship of the jacket. He was soon joined by NiGHST, Will, and Helen, who had finally noticed that he wasn't with them.

"That's a splendid jacket" Helen complimented.

"Do you want it, Reala?" asked a hopeful Will.

Reala didn't answer him. Instead, he went up to a young employee who was restocking t-shirts and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, but I would like to inquire about the jacket on display over there" he said, pointing back to the mannequin.

"Oh, are you getting it for someone?" asked the employee.

"No, it would be for me"

"Um, sir....that's a woman's jacket. Are you sure you want-?"

"I'm positive" he affirmed.

"A-alright then, follow me" said the surprised employee as she led the group to a back wall where the jacket was located.

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Reala stood in the fitting room, holding the new leather jacket in his hands. He ran his thumb over the stitching of the shoulder, as if examining it for any flaws. However, he found none. In fact, the material of the jacket seemed similar to that of his gauntlets (which he liked). The nightmaren general then slowly put the jacket on, and it was a perfect fit- complimenting his toned arms and svelte body extremely well. Reala stared at his reflection in the full length mirror, a look of astonishment on his face. He turned to look at every possible angle of his reflection whilst gripping the lapels of the jacket. He actually liked it- more than liked it, he loved it! And it wasn't even picked out for him by his master. He took his time removing the jacket, as if he would never get the chance to wear it again once it was off. But he knew for a fact he would.

When Reala walked out of the fitting room, jacket in hand, he was greeted by his sibling and the pair of dreamers staring at him with baited breath, awaiting his answer on the jacket.

"I'll take it" he said with a genuine smile.

The group gave polite cheers of excitement at the news, NiGHTS going up to hug their sibling. Reala was surprised, but he didn't try to get his twin off of him either.

"Come on then, let's go pay for it!" said an excited NiGHTS, grabbing their twin by the hand to lead him towards the checkout.

"Actually, I was wondering if we could look at the cosmetics first, I need to replace what I left behind in nightmare"

"Of course" smiled NiGHTS as they followed Reala back towards the makeup section, happy that their sibling picked something out on his own without a master's interference. It was a small step towards freedom, but a step a step in the right direction none the less, and NiGHTS couldn't have been more proud of their twin.

Chapter Text

The following day was turning out to be a rather slow one for Reala- both Will and Helen had gone off to school, Mrs. Cartwright was practicing violin in the gazebo, and NiGHTS had decided to fly around the city in order to 'get to know it better'. This meant that the young nightmaren found himself alone in the house, left to his own devices....and he had no idea what to do with himself.

Boredom was something that Reala was completely unused to, as Wizeman always kept him occupied with some task, duty, or chore that needed completing. And since basically all of his time was taken up by these tasks, he had no hobbies he could partake in to pass the time. He had offered to clean more of the house for Mrs. Cartwright before she went outside, but she told him that it wouldn't be necessary since he was a guest. She did tell him that he could help himself to anything in the pantry if he liked.

Reala initially scoffed at the suggestion, as he believed snacking between meals was a sign of weakness (a thought that was, of course, taught to him by Master Wizeman). But he surprisingly found himself being peckish around 14:30, his stomach emitting low but audible grumbles. He found this completely odd, as he had just eaten lunch not too long ago and should not have been hungry in the slightest.

"You're growing weak!" he growled to himself as he gingerly placed a clawed hand to his middle "You've only been here three days and you're already slipping! You will not give into these ridiculous urges!"

That was when his stomach made it's loudest and longest growl. With an agitated sigh and a pinch to the nonexistent bridge of his nose, and made his way towards the kitchen where the pantry was located.

--------

Reala's plan was to just find something small to stave off his strange hunger until supper, which he assumed would be easy enough to accomplish. When he opened the cupboard door, however, he was disappointed to find mostly sweet stuff in the pantry- biscuits, snack cakes, jams, and baking supplies. He was about to close the door in annoyance, when he noticed a bright blue bag poking out from the top shelf. Intrigued, he grabbed the large crinkly packet and inspected it. The front of the bag said 'Walkers' on it, and underneath the name were pictures of thinly sliced potatoes and the description 'cheese & onion flavor'. The nightmaren general raised a nonexistent brow at the strange snack in his hand as he slowly opening the vacuum sealed packet.

The first thing that hit him was the smell- it definitely didn't smell sweet, that was a good sign. He looked into the packet and was tons of thinly sliced pieces of potatoes in various sizes, just like the front of the bag showed. He reached a clawed hand inside the packet and pulled out a decently sized crisp, unimpressed as he turned it over to look at every angle. Then he hesitantly brought the crisp to his painted lips and took a bite.

Reala blinked in surprise as he tried to process the sensations he was experiencing. The crunch of the crisp as he chewed was oddly satisfying, and the expertly seasoned flavor exploded onto his tongue. It was incredible! The young nightmaren stared down at the remaining bit of crisp in his hand before popping the rest in his awaiting mouth, with the second bite being just as good as the first, if not better. He had to have more, and so he did. He grabbed crisp after crisp from the foil packet and ate them with reverence, savoring the odd but delicious flavor combination with each and every bite. It was odd, but Reala found that the snack in his hand was so good that he just couldn't stop, and honestly he didn't think he wanted to.

--------

It was about a half hour later when Reala's hand reached the bottom of the crisp packet. His icy blue eyes snapped wide open, as if he was broken from a trance. He looked down into the bag, but found there was nothing left but tiny crumbs. A look of pure terror spread across his face, surely there was no way he could've eaten all those crisps by himself, right? But the evidence was right in front of him. He suddenly felt sick, both from a mix of shame and fullness from his overindulgence. That was when he suddenly heard the front door open.

"Reala, we're back!" called out a cheerful NiGHTS, who made their way into the house along with Helen and her mother.

The nightmaren barely had time to think of what he was going to do next, when his sibling and their dreamer friend went into the kitchen, and were greeted by an interesting sight- Reala staring at them like a deer in headlights, holding an obviously empty crisp packet with crumbs all over his face and shirt. The two stared at him for a moment- looks of surprise clear on their faces. But then they started laughing.

"Hungry weren't we, Reala?" cackled NiGHTS.

"He must've really enjoyed those crisps" laughed Helen.

Even Helen's mother (who came into the room to see what the commotion was about) couldn't help but giggle a bit. Reala's face grew bright red before he hung his head in shame.

"I must apologize for my.....gluttonous actions. I promise this will never happen again" he said, voice dripping with embarrassment.

"Oh, there's no need to apologize dear" chuckled Mrs. Cartwright.

"W-what? But how could you possibly-"

"I said that you could help yourself, and that's you did. You were clearly just enthusiastic about something new, why would I be mad at you for that?" explained Mrs. Cartwright "And honestly, I had forgotten we even had those crisps"

"B-but I-"

"You know, Reala. It's okay to indulge sometimes" said NiGHTS as they floated over to their sibling "Maybe not an entire bags worth, but you don't have to feel shame for snacking once in awhile"

Reala stared at their sibling for a moment before speaking again "I must admit, they were rather satisfactory"

"I'm glad" NiGHTS said with a soft smile.

"But now I just feel like rubbish" groaned Reala.

"That's probably because you're dehydrated" explained Helen with a small giggle "Crisps can be very salty. Here, let me get you some water"

Reala gave a slight, sheepish smile as he accepted the water from Helen. As he drank, his mind began to wander. If it was Master Wizeman who had caught him with the empty crisp packet, he definitely would've been punished-most likely having food withheld for a week. But here in the waking world, it was just something hilarious and inconsequential. He found that very odd, but surprisingly not unwelcome. Despite this, he knew it would be wise to cease having these splurges, for when he eventually returned to nightmare he didn't want to upset his master by being greedy. But then again, he was interested to know if those crisps came in different flavors.

Chapter Text

The bell above the door to 'Waterstones' bookstore jingled as Helen stepped inside, soon followed by her mother and the nightmaren twins. The young girl was practically shaking with excitement, as today was no ordinary trip to the bookstore. Today was the release of the final installment in a fantasy series that Helen absolutely adored. She insisted that NiGHTS come along with them, excited to share the series with one of her best friends. In turn NiGHTS coaxed Reala into coming along, hoping that perhaps he could find something he would enjoy.

"I'm sure Owl would love this place" said an amazed NiGHTS as they glanced around the meticulously organized book shelves "You know, he says that reading is the activity of free thinkers"

"You actually listen to the prattling of the old bird?" asked Reala.

"Well, only sometimes" they admitted with a coy smile.

"Figures, you were never any good at listening to what anyone tells you" he said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm sorry, did you say something Reala?" they asked, totally oblivious to the insult their sibling threw their way.

"There it is!" gasped Helen as she pointed to a display near the front of the shop surrounded by other excited fans of the series "Come on, NiGHTS! We have to hurry before they run out of copies!" exclaimed Helen as she ran towards the display.

NiGHTS giggled at her young friend's enthusiasm, dashing off to join her. This left Reala alone with Mrs. Cartwright.

"So Reala, do you have anything in particular you'd like to get today?" asked

"No" was all he said as he stared at the multitude of books anxiously.

"Well, what kind of books do you like?"

"........I don't know"

And this was true. While Wizeman had taught him to read when he was younger, it was mostly done out of necessity to prove his superior intelligence to the second and third level nightmarens. He'd never actually been allowed to read for his own amusement. Because of this, he had absolutely no idea what kinds of stories he would even like.

"Hmm, I think I might know something you'd enjoy. Follow me, dear" she said, motioning with her hand as she began walking off.

Reala stared at the human woman with apprehension, but eventually figured that he really had nothing to lose in this situation, and decided to follow her.

---------

It didn't take long before they made it to their destination- the horror section. A place where the macabre and terrifying roam free, filling readers minds with a sense of dread and intrigue.

"So, humans actively torture themselves with their fears in the waking world?" asked a confused Reala as he tilted his head.

"It's not torture" Mrs. Cartwright giggled "It's fun. Some people just enjoy a good scare, and with you being a 'nightmaren' and all, I figured you might be one of those people"

Reala wanted to protest, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that she was probably right. Having been raised in nightmare- surrounded by monstrous beings and possessing the ability to conjure a persons fears, he found that his limited tastes catered to the more sinister and frightening.

"I suppose so..."

"Great! Now, we're all meeting by the checkout up front when we're done, okay?"

"Sure"

"Alrighty, enjoy yourself, Reala!" said Mrs. Cartwright as she walked off towards the adult romance section.

Reala stood (or rather floated) in place, eyes darting between the different shelves. He had absolutely no idea where to start looking. He hated to admit it, but the amount of choice he had was a little overwhelming. And this time he had nobody to try and suggest anything to him, which he was simultaneously relieved and terrified about. Then suddenly, his eyes landed on a table that had a few books displayed on it. Curious, he floated over towards the exhibit, figuring it was a good a place as any to start. When he finally reached the long table, he noticed the cloth that a message written on it- 'This month's horror author spotlight, Junji Ito'. Reala scanned the table, and sure enough every book on it was written by this Junji Ito person, but that's not what intrigued him. No, it was the artwork on the covers- deranged, writhing in mystery and terror, daring anyone who passed by to open them.

One book caught Reala's attention in particular- 'Shiver'. The cover featured a large curving caterpillar like object that looked like it was made out of foreheads, and grotesque faces as balloons with nooses at the end of their strings, some carrying bodies. He instantly grabbed the book, looking down at it and studying every detail, every line, every texture of the piece. But of course, it was inside that truly mattered. Reala opened the book and realized it wasn't like any normal book he knew- not only was it made up of pictures with text and thought bubbles moving the story along, but there were apparently multiple stories in the same volume. He'd never seen anything like it. He flipped to a random page and was shocked at what he saw- a young, horrified looking man with holes all over his face and body like a sponge, revealing his insides. Another page- a young girl's head deflating like a popped balloon, done with painstaking detail. Another page- someone squeezing their face, long trails of gross rain like puss dripping down onto someone else's face. The young nightmaren's icy blue eyes were transfixed on the masterfully made artwork, trying to process what exactly he was looking at. These images looked like something a nightmaren would make in a visitors dream, and yet they were here on these pages, and made by a human. Reala smiled- both genuinely impressed and pleased with the work he was holding.

---------

Helen, NiGHTS, and Mrs. Cartwright were at the end of the line at the checkout- talking and laughing amongst themselves when Reala approached them, carrying a stack of 5 Junji Ito short story collections- 'Shiver', 'Smashed', 'Lovesickness', 'Venus In The Blind Spot', and 'Fragments Of Horror'. The young nightmaren had a determined look on his face as he made his way towards the rest of the group.

"I would like to purchase these" he said triumphantly, holding up the stack of manga like they were treasures.

"I knew you would like the horror section!" exclaimed Mrs. Cartwright with a satisfied grin.

"Indeed. I had no idea that humans could conjure such disturbing material on their own without the manipulation of a nightmaren"

"There's a lot of things about humans you don't know about" giggled NiGHTS "But you're learning. And, hey, I'm proud of you for choosing these books by yourself"

Reala stared at his sibling for a moment before he grinned, though he wasn't exactly sure why he did.

Eventually they made their way to the front of the line and Mrs. Cartwright paid for everyone's books. As they left the shop, Reala clutched onto the paper bag holding his newly acquired books, feeling a strange sense of pride in his chest. He knew this feeling was unwarranted, all he did was select some books. But they were HIS books, that HE chose, without Wizeman deciding what he would like for him. Of course he was still loyal to his Master Wizeman, but it was nice getting to choose what he wanted for once, same with his new jacket. Perhaps, maybe, his twin had some point after all. Maybe.

Chapter Text

NiGHTS could barely contain their excitement as they dashed towards the Cartwright home with cardboard box in hand, already anticipating their siblings reaction to the newly acquired prize. Once they made it to their destination they wasted no time getting inside, kicking the front door in with great force and no regards for manners. The loud banging sound it produced scared the daylights out of Helen, who was in the living room watching TV.

"NiGHTS! Be careful with the door!" exclaimed the shaken young girl.

"Sorry Helen" NiGHTS quickly apologized "But would you happen to know where Reala is?"

"What the bloody Hell is causing that racket?" shouted an enraged Reala from the top of the stairs.

"Ah, just the nightmaren I wanted to see!" said NiGHTS joyously as they floated up the stairs "I got you a little something"

NiGHTS then suddenly offloaded the heavy cardboard box into their siblings arms, causing him to grunt under the sudden weight.

"And what exactly would this be?" grunted Reala, more annoyed than grateful.

"It's music CD's, a whole box of them!" they said with starry eyes.

"Where did you get an entire box of CD's, NiGHTS?" questioned a concerned Helen.

"Well, I was coming back from my daily flight across the city, when I saw a rather elderly woman tossing this box onto her kerb and muttering something about 'getting rid of demons' or something like that. I waited till she was inside her house to investigate the box and its contents, discovering that it was chock full of CD's! Some of their covers immediately made me think 'Reala would definitely like these' so I took the box and brought it back here to gift them to him"

"And what do you expect me to do with these?"

"Listen to them, obviously" NiGHTS said, rolling their ocean blue eyes.

Reala said nothing- just staring at his sibling, irritated by their antics. However, he couldn't help the small spark of curiosity he felt in regards to the box's contents. Was there really something that Reala would like in there? 'Probably not' he figured, but he supposed it wouldn't hurt to look. He placed the box down in the hallway and opened the folded flaps, revealing an obsured amount of CD's. Reala stared at them briefly, expression unreadable before he started shifting through the contents. He didn't get too far before one particular CD caught his attention- the cover art showed a little girl laying in a bed made of bones, a terrified expression on her face. Looming over her was a skeletal being in a black cloak with giant bat wings. The background behind them was a deep blue. But is was the name was what really intrigued him the most: Avenged Sevenfold-Nightmare. The nightmaren general carefully picked the CD up and examined it in his clawed hands. Something about the cover was drawing him in, much like the covers to Ito's manga had. That or it was just the name, which reminded him of his birthplace. Either way, he found that he really wanted to know what sort of songs were contained on the disk.

"Find something you like, Reala?" Helen asked innocently.

"Perhaps" was all he said.

"If you want, you could borrow my portable CD player so you can listen to it"

"That would be.....acceptable"

----------

For the next hour, the red clad nightmaren silently sat cross legged on the bed of his temporary room- headphones over his "ears" and eyes glued to the shiny silver CD player as he listened to each of the 11 tracks on the album spinning inside it. He concentrated on the dark and emotional lyrics, soaked in the heavy melodies and harmonies, and shuddered at the singers gruff but powerful voice. Whether it be the heavier tracks like 'nightmare' and 'god hates us', or the more somber tracks like 'so far away' and 'victims', the red jester couldn't help but feel like the songs were speaking to him somehow- each one uniquely resonating with his twisted soul in different ways. He was absolutely shocked that human music, let alone any music, could make him feel this way. Yes he had listened to music before (it could be found all over nightmare) but never before had it transfixed him like this. And he had no idea how to feel about it.

As the ending notes of the final song faded out and the album stopped spinning in the player, Reala carefully removed the pair of headphones and sat there stunned, staring at nothing in particular. He didn't know what to say, and didn't know if he could say anything. What he did know however was that whatever this was.....was amazing. And he needed to hear more of it. Luckily for him, he'd just been gifted with an entire box worth of this strange music for him to listen to. He grinned wickedly as he got off the bed and knelt down to the box's level, digging through it once again like a nightmarish archeologist, ready to discover what other secrets it contained.