The Dreamers

56: The Game

Ariel and Serena ran down the subway track as they heard wails from the nightmare possessing Giddion. They ran and kept running.

"Do you think Pyro will be okay?" Ariel asked as they ran.

"The sword he's using is powerful. I'd say they're about evenly matched," Serena kept running, "However, we have our own situation to deal with."

Suddenly, they found themselves back in the main station where Gianna was.

The two looked around, afraid, as they saw Gianna's bodyguards surrounding them. They heard Gianna cackle.

"So the two of them actually got away from all those nightmares AND my son?"

Ariel and Serena were held by their arms and pulled in front of Gianna's throne. She smirked as she looked down at Ariel and Serena, who held a firey rage.

"Woman to woman, I respect you too. However, I must put that aside for my quest to bring endless nightmares to not only Dreamix but the rest of the world as well."

Serena looked at her, blood dripping from her mouth. The binder protecting her wounds was damaged, and every inch of her was scratched or frail.

She chuckled deeply as she looked at Serena.

"You look terrible. You must wish your little boyfriend would come and save you from this one," she taunted as she got up from her throne and walked closer to Serena.

"Shut up," Serena mumbled.

Gianna chuckled again, "You know, I've always loved Pyro. Despite the fact that he's a street rat. He's so powerful and only slightly egotistical to where it's not annoying."

She sighed, "Alas, as much as I love Pyro and his handsome little face, I must put him aside. I should be the only 1st grade left. This city should be run by one and that one is me."

Suddenly, she summoned her dark dreamer energy, and it circled the room with black smoke. Serena couldn't see a thing. This wasn't good. With as many nightmares as Gianna was controlling, anything was fair game.

Then, the smoke died down. Ariel was still by her side. They looked out. They were now far away from Gianna, and there was a giant floor of black and white tiles.

She looked up at the second floor, where Melhoir and Vladimir were watching her from above.

Gianna sat on her throne as she looked at the two of them.

"If you two can get to me, I'll give you a chance to defeat me."

Gianna chuckled mischievously; her voice echoing the subway station.

"However, if you lose," she giggled,"Well, I'll let you figure that out."

Serena looked out at the tiles. The tiles alternated black and white. The question was: What is the pattern? It could be one tile is safe and the other is not. Or, it's something far more complicated.

Serena then took off her binder, revealing her wounds. Ariel gasped as Gianna chuckled.

"Goodness Serena! I didn't think my son would deal you THAT much of a beating!"

Gianna laughed in her chair as Ariel looked at her, "Serena, No! You need that!"

"Im fine.." Serena held the binder in her hands. She threw it onto a white tile. It immediately was cursed with nightmares. Ariel backed up.

"Serena, what do we do?"

Serena took one of the bandages wrapped around her and threw it on a black tile. Again, it immediately was cursed.

"So there is no right or wrong color," Serena looked out at the board, "And knowing Gianna, she's probably playing dirty."

Serena looked at Melchoir and Vladimir watching. She yelled out:

"Do you two know how to do this?"

Melchoir sighed, "I'm afraid not, my doll. Even I can't figure out a pattern."

"There's purely no rhyme or reason to which tile is safe or not," Vladimir claimed.

Serena looked at Ariel and back at the board. Then, it hit her. Her ability to control her nightmare energy through solid objects. It just might work!

She kneeled down and touched a white tile. Thankfully, it was safe. She used her nightmare energy to sense the energy from each tile. It worked, and she mapped out a route to Gianna.

"Ariel, take a step on the first tile."

Ariel did as Serena instructed, and she was safe.

"Now the black tile directly infront of it."

Safe

"Now the black tile diagonally to the right. Next, white one in front of you."

Safe and safe.

This kept going as Gianna panicked. Ariel was getting closer and closer to reaching her. She stood up.

"Oh, come on, Serena! It's not fair if you have a clear path," she formed black dream energy in her hands, "Let's give the 3rd grade a little challenge."

She sent nightmares flying at Ariel. She started attacking back with her dream energy, but it's not meant for combat like 1st or maybe 2nd grade.

"Serena! Help! I can't run!" Ariel fought back to the best of her abilities. She couldn't run from where she was, in fear of stepping on a wrong tile."

That does it! If Gianna was going to play that way, then so was Serena.

Serena thought long and hard as she sent dream energy at the nightmares to help Ariel. Then, she figured it out. She knew exactly what to do. She looked at Melchoir as the two twins formed smirks on their faces; their minds syncing with hers.

Suddenly, Serena disappeared. Gianna sat up from her throne, looking around in a panic.

Suddenly, Melchoir appeared in her place. Serena walked down the stairs from where she appeared in Melchoirs place. Gianna looked as Melchoir who held the manipulation stone in his tattooed hand.

"Y-You cheater!" Gianna yelled angrily. Serena walked down the stairs, approaching Gianna.

"See, that's where you're wrong, Gianna. You never said I had to go across the board; I just had to get to you."

Gianna looked angrily, not being able to fight that logic. She shrieked like a five-year old who doesn't get dessert. The shriek echoed the subway as everyone covered their ears. She looked at Serena in rage as she took a deep breath.

"Melchoir, Vladimir! Lock Ariel up, NOW!"

The board disappeared, and the two grabbed Ariels arms as Vladimir whispered in her ear, "Relax, my little robin. We'll make sure you get out of here."

The two of them walked with Ariel, away from Serena and Gianna.

Gianna looked at Serena, "Impressive. However, that proves my point even further: You and Pyro are too dangerous to keep alive."

Serena felt her arms being grabbed again, "However, let's wait for Pyro to come, shall we?"

She summoned nightmares and bodyguards who swarmed the subway track entrance.

Gianna whispered in Serena's ear, "When he walks through that track, he'll be dead."

Serena went pale to the sound of Gianna's cackle.

"Why, why are you doing this?! Tell me the truth!" Serena yelled.

Her face lost its evil aura, and she spoke bluntly, "It has always been my plan to make the world in my nightmare image. I'm just mad it took so long to come into effect."