NiGHTS approached the fountain in the middle of the forest, unable to stop themself from looking over their shoulder for signs that they were followed.
Running away from Reala, from Wizeman, from everything and everyone they had ever known, it had been something even just weeks ago they'd have never been able to imagine. It hurt of course, running from your family always would. But without the pressure to steal Ideya, to terrorize the children who found their way in the realm of Nightmare, they felt an unfamiliar lightness in their heart. They felt free.
A laugh bubbled up from within NiGHTS as they began looping in the sky, reveling in the feeling of joy for the first time since they'd been given their task. "I never have to go back."
"Well, I hope that means you're not making your home here then." The sound of a voice behind them stopped NiGHTS's victory celebration. They turned around, seeing an unfamiliar brown owl. He was an odd sight, nothing like the denizens of Nightmare that they had spent their entire life with. "Nightmarens aren't welcome on this side of the world of dreams."
NiGHTS flew down towards the owl, getting close to his face as they examined him with interest. "What is the meaning of this!?" the owl asked, flapping his wings in front of him to move backwards so as to put some space between himself and them.
NiGHTS pulled back. "Sorry, I've just never seen anything like you before."
The owl frowned, but seemed relieved that NiGHTS pulled back. "Let's hope you don't, your presence here is a danger to all the Nightopians who call this place home."
NiGHTS didn't think they were a danger; they were pretty sure their decision to betray Wizeman would've made that clear. Then again, the owl probably didn't realize that. "I'm NiGHTS. What about you?"
"What?" the owl seemed taken aback, so NiGHTS tried again.
"Your name, if we're going to become friends, it's only right that I have something to call you, right?" They stuck out their hand, hoping the owl might take it as a peace offering, and a step towards friendship.
Instead, the owl was incensed. "I don't know what game you're trying to play, Nightmaren, but it won't work on me. I won't let you try anything foolish."
"I'm not trying to play anything." NiGHTS insisted. "I'm really not here to hurt anybody. I don't understand why you can't believe that."
"Why I can't believe that?" the owl scoffed. "I've seen hundreds of visitors come here, their Ideya stolen from them by Nightmarens who love nothing more than to terrorize the Nightopians who try to find a safe haven here. Why should I believe you when you say you're different, when you wear the mask that marks you as one of Wizeman's goons."
NiGHTS stopped, unsure what to say of that as they reached towards their face, feeling the heavy weight of the mask. They had forgotten all about their Persona in their desperation to escape, but now that they heard the owl point it out, they understood his wariness. There was no reason for him to believe that they were any different from any other Nightmaren when they still wore the pledge to their former master on their face.
They grabbed the corners of the Persona, gently removing it as they looked at the ornate golden design. Their fingers lightly traced around the large red gem in the center. This mask had defined their identity for so long, and now they were considering getting rid of it after so long. "I had forgotten I was wearing it, I didn't mean to cause you any worries."
"You forgot?" The owl remained skeptical, but NiGHTS was not one to be deterred.
They nodded in response. "I was trying to escape from them."
"Why would a first level Nightmaren be trying to escape from other Nightmarens?"
So their true nature wasn't as easily hidden as they'd assumed, that was good to know. "Because I don't want to chase down Visitors for their Ideya anymore. We can't help what we're created as, but that doesn't mean it has to define our actions." NiGHTS was a Nightmaren, created by Wizeman, but it didn't mean they had to steal Ideya, not if they didn't want to. Not if it wasn't who they wanted to be. "I was tired of hurting people, so I decided to leave."
"Wizeman doesn't take betrayal lightly," the owl noted. "You'll never be able to return to the life you once had."
"I know. I knew the moment I left that things wouldn't be the same." They could still picture Reala's expression as they'd told him that they were planning on leaving, that they couldn't stand stealing Ideya and being under Wizeman's thumb. They could still feel the chains that Wizeman had tried to throw them in when they'd left, the phantoms of shackles they'd only just managed to avoid.
Wizeman would never let them be free if he had anything to say about it, and they weren't about to let him take them back either.
They looked at the owl, remembering their determination to escape. "But I would rather be on the run the rest of my life than spend another day as Wizeman's tool."
The owl finally relaxed, their conviction convincing him of their intentions at long last. "I'm glad to hear it."
"Does that mean I can stay?" NiGHTS asked, perking up.
The owl chuckled. "Against my better judgment, yes. The Dream Gate is perhaps the only place that Wizeman and his Nightmarens have yet to truly ever invade. It might be the only place that you'll ever be safe."
NiGHTS doubted that, but said nothing, choosing to go along with it if it meant the owl was comfortable with their presence. "I'll be on my best behavior."
"I would expect nothing less. One action against the Nightopians who spend their time here, or the visitors for that matter, and I'll be sure that you never set foot here again."
NiGHTS smiled. That would be an easy task, they were tired of hurting others, and had no intention to do so again. "I'll even help you protect them."
"When another visitor comes through, I'll hold you to that." The owl extended a wing. "I believe you asked for my name earlier. It's Owl."
"Owl." NiGHTS grabbed Owl's wing and shook it. "It's nice to meet you, Owl."
Owl ended the handshake first with a hoot. "Now, NiGHTS, was it? If you want to settle in at the Dream Gate, you'd best follow along. There's not a lot to see, but it's important that when a Visitor arrives, you don't get lost. Not if you're going to help them."
"I've got it!" NiGHTS held back a laugh. They would try their best to make a good impression on any Visitors that showed up, but it was still odd. A Nightmaren doing their best to avoid scaring the Visitors they'd meet while trying to impress them, what a novelty.
A Nightmaren defecting from Wizeman. That was a novelty as well.
"Oh, and one more thing. I'd get rid of that mask as well. Anything that marks you as one of Wizeman's soldiers would never go over well among the Nightopians. Not if you want them to stop fearing you."
"Right, of course." NiGHTS looked at the Persona in their hand. It would be easy to just throw it away, to pretend that they had never been a part of Wizeman's army, to give up that final part tying them to their past.
But that was the problem, in a way. It wasn't just a mask tying them to Wizeman, it was a mask tying them to the other Nightmarens, to the ones they had considered friends and family, like Jackle and Reala. Getting rid of it would acknowledge that there would be no going back, though they weren't sure there would be an option to go back regardless. Even if Reala managed to help them escape punishment, there was only one path left for NiGHTS: the one that would allow for Wizeman's defeat at once, to free the Night Dimension and all Visitors from his grasp.
That was something to contend with another day. They returned the mask to their pocket and smiled. "Sorry for the hold up, let's go!"
One day, NiGHTS would be willing to give up their Persona for good, to separate themself once and for all.
But for now, that didn't matter.
Right now, they'd made their first non-Nightmaren friend, and for once, their future looked bright.