Gulp, gulp, baby~

NiGHTS gave him a gentler look. “Sorry. I know you’re trying your best.” He folded his arms and flew over to his side. The First Level petted his fin. “It… can be hard, but once you do, it’s the best feeling in the world. No more punishments… being free to do as you’d like… It’s a wonderful life.”

Gulpo mentally scoffed.  As if the little guppy could stop him. 

A hand rubbed at NiGHTS’ temples with another sigh leaving his mouth. “No, I don’t,” he lied easily. He wasn’t in the mood to scare anyone with that having just happened. 

Things were going well… until Gulpo bit her arm off. NiGHTS flew over, only to have Awakers beat him.

Gulpo wailed miserably.  "I didn't mean toooooo!  It just kinda .... happened.  She had her hand in my mouth.  How do you resist something like that?!?  I've been itching to scare someone real bad and I've been tryin to be good and all dat but it's soooo hard, NiGHTS.  Don't you ever wanna just scare them???  Don't you have any instincts left?"

NiGHTS smiled at the girl being brave and petting the large fish. His skulls seemed happy as well. “Well, you’re not alone anymore, Gulpo. Look! You’ve made a friend!” He giggled, placing his hands on his hips.

"Yeah, alright," Gulpo agreed nonchalantly.  He didn't really care about the Visitor but he was playing a role here.  He had to show NiGHTS he was trying, so he could gain his sympathy.  Wait for the guppy's guard to be down and get information out of him. 

He rubbed at her cheek gently, quietly hushing her. “It’s alright, it’s alright… he won’t eat you. Not as long as I’m here.”

"You're always busy with the other guppy for Visitors.  And I'm not frightening and you know I've always been loud, yo.  Can't help it.  Maybe I shouldn'ta left Nightmare, it's sooooo boooring and I'm alllll alooooone and nobody likes meeeeeee," Gulpo wailed.

NiGHTS gave his sibling an irritated look. “Gulpo, would you mind not scaring the Visitors with… whatever you’re doing? And could you please get out of the fountain? If it breaks, I have to fix that, you know!” 

The little girl peeked away from NiGHTS to see that he had taken her straight to the very beast that scared her!   She clung to the ghoulish looking Nightmaren harder.  "AHHH!  NiGHTS he's scary, don't let him eat me!"

After dealing with some minor acrophobia from the previous child and leaving him in Owl’s hands for the rest of his sleep cycle, NiGHTS blinked at the young girl suddenly embracing him so tightly. He lifted his leg up and slowly got the girl in his arms, keeping her close to his chest. His chest gem flickered slightly, reacting to her troubles.

"Yeah," she nodded, hiding her face into him as she clung to the dream demon.  His touch was comforting to her and she didn't pay any attention to where he was going. 

NiGHTS laughed at what Gulpo was saying. “Indeed. I know my day wouldn’t be complete without a little bit of that from Reala,” his laughter turned into light giggles. “You’re welcome to stay here, as long as you don’t terrorize any Visitors. I can keep you safe from Wizeman… if you really mean you don’t want to work for him anymore.”

"Dat's coo'," Gulpo said, hugging him with his large fin as he did when NiGHTS was little.  "This ponds a bit small for da laaaadies but I suppose I can make it work."

NiGHTS snickered slightly at Gulpo’s wording. “Just like him to take away the best things just because we don’t want to do what he wants.” 

"Oh and I totes will, little guppy, I totes will.  Gotta get my bow-chicka-bow-wow on, ya know what I'm sayin'???" Gulpo chuckled.

NiGHTS rested himself in the water, looking up at his sibling. He shrugged slightly. “Usually I just stay with Reala. We do things together, or when he wants to be alone, I entertain myself with music or dancing.”

NiGHTS sat there in the water, blinking from the huge splash. Bits of blonde poked out from his hat while he spat out some water. Along with an unhappy little fish.

He didn't mind the water at all.  In fact, he liked having water on him.  He was a giant fish after all.

NiGHTS led him to the pond, jumping in and transforming into a mermaren to hang out with his sibling. 

That in itself was a miracle.

"Well... 'aight, I guess I can," Gulpo agreed, getting out of the fountain and letting NiGHTS lead him.

The First Level lifted a hand closer to his head, giving it a gentle knock. Was this a hallucination? 

"You’re… what?!" Blinking as if he, himself, were dreaming, NiGHTS’s arms dropped. Did Gulpo just insult Wizeman? And forget to use his title? While it made him internally smile, it was so unusual.

NiGHTS raised a brow, looking a little skeptical. He didn’t feel any others, aside from an odd Third Level or two lurking around the borders, but that was normal.