Legend of the Seven Lights

On The Way, Part 5: Sleepover

I've barely gotten any sleep... because I've been addicted to Paper Mario: Color Splash. Good game.

Chapter 5: Sleepover

Nolan York found himself on a white sandy ground under a black sky. White cacti and bones stuck out of the sand. He knew he was dreaming because he was on both legs. "I'm either in a nightmare from Darkrai or one from Affright." Nolan said to himself. "Either way, I thought I had the night off."

To his left, he spotted a monochrome girl with pigtails staring at him. "Uh, hello, dream girl. Are you here to teach me a life lesson?"

". . ." The girl's left eye melted as multiple arms poked out of her body. She moaned and moved closer like a zombie. Nolan stepped backward and bumped into someone else. He turned and saw it was a brown-haired girl with a pink window shirt. "Can I ask you something?"

When Nolan faced forward again, the monochrome girl was directly in front. Her multi-limb body spun around like a disc, zooming in and out of Nolan's vision.

"Nnn!" Nolan startled awake when his wife kicked him in her sleep. "Sigh... well, that didn't make any sense." His eyes directed to the ceiling—"AH!" The window shirt girl hovered above them.

"Can you tell us where the chips are?"

"MADOTSUKI, WE FOUND SOME!"

"Oh. Never mind." The spirit vanished.

"What the..." Nolan hurriedly climbed out of bed and rolled down in his wheelchair. A blonde girl in a green dress passed him on her way from the kitchen with potato chips.

"Huh?" Mary faced up at him. "You must be Mr. Von Schweetz!"

"Hi, Dad!" Vanellope glitched in from the living room. "Sorry to wake you."

Nolan looked in the living room to find that same spirit girl, along with a another brown-haired girl with red eyes. "Vanellope, who are these people?"

"They're friends I invited for a sleepover! This is Mary, she's a painting; that's Ib, she met Mary in the art gallery," she pointed at the red-eyed one, "and that ghostie girl is Madotsuki! Together, we're the Club of Girls Who Were Stuck in One Place For Too Long! Mom said it was okay..."

"Shouldn't you all be in bed by now? I mean, it's..." He looked at a clock.

"It's only 8:00." Vanel said. "You were already asleep, and Mom was drinking, so she kinda conked out, too. See guys, I told you my parents were lazy."

"So, how did you make Vanellope, Mr. Schweetz?" Mary asked innocently.

"Er, it's Mr. York." Nolan blushed. "And I didn't make her, my son found her in Cyberspace. Where is Dillon, anyway? Someone needs to watch you."

"Out on a solo mission." Vanel said. "You know, he's been real into Nightwing lately. Don't worry, Dad, we're just gonna watch an anime."

"Is it E-rated?"

"Ye-..." Vanel hesitated; the lie was clear on her face. "Yeah..."

"What brush did you use to make Dillon?" Mary asked.

"How old did you say you were?" Nolan asked.

"One hundred and two years old!"

"Sigh, you kids and your candy." Nolan shook his head. "Just behave yourselves while you're here. I'm going back to sleep."