And here it is, the sequel to Cirque du Mort. Yes, my sig lied to you all (shame on it!) For those of you who were previous readers of Cirque du Mort, strap in and enjoy the ride. For those of you who may be tuning in for the first time, I would strongly advise to read the original (yes, it is somewhat long, but it will further your understanding of this story). And so, without further ado, Davy Jones Productions, Ltd is proud to present:
Iod pushed the silver door open, unsure of what would be waiting for him on the side. Through the slowly widening gap between the door frame and the door itself, a brilliant light poured through. Iod paused for a moment to lower a pair of grey tinted goggles over his eyes. He then turned around to look at his companions. Qell-Hadr was robed in royal purple, holding his summoner's staff in front of his eyes. Tryllya, clad in a kimono, held a red silk clad arm in front of her face and squinted away from the light. Nester placed his Voidrunner skull helmet over his head to help blot out the blinding light, Laocoon simply closed his eyes, and Ajax stared straight ahead into the light. Content with what he saw, Iod turned back around and finished opening the door. He stepped into the brilliant white void, took one step through it...
And emerged in an enormous cavern of a chamber. The walls were a pure snowy white, the floor slightly blue in color, and the enormous crenelated molding was slightly yellow. The doorway they had just exited faced a large staircase, and next to them was the fabled Cornerstone of Light.The color and scale of the room gave it a distinctly royal air. Of course, it did make sense, considering where they had arrived.
"So this is Disney Castle," Qell-Hadr whispered in awe as he studied the gargantuan scale of this one room. As more of the group emerged out of the doorway, he continued. "Back on Yornzo, the Grand Palace had no chambers of any kind that could match this size. I guess this is what happens when your entire world is designated as one giant palace."
Iod studied the colossal space, then focused on the figure coming down the stairs towards them. He wore a black jumpsuit, a pair of red glasses, and a gold laurel crown on top of his head. He was extremely short in stature, and his most prominent features were the two large, disk-shaped ears that came out of his head. The mouse-man strode down the stairs in grand style and walked straight up to the group of new arrivals. He stopped, and Iod knelt before him; the others bowed before the mouse-man.
"Thank you for receiving us on receiving us on such short notice, King Superbus," Iod humbly said, still kneeling. The King tapped him on the shoulder, and Iod rose.
"Please, it's Brutus, and I welcome all those who are working to resist the Helionic movement. Now, please follow me to the war room." The king stopped speaking, readjusted his red glasses, and then motioned for them to come with him. Without waiting for a response, he headed back up the stairs. Iod looked to the others, then they all quickly followed the king. The flight of steps, like the area of the castle they had seen so far, was massive, and only after about five minutes of walking did they reach the opening into the throne room. At the top of the stairs, King Superbus stopped to speak with Iod.
"Do you have any news of Helios's current whereabouts?"
Iod shook his head. "We lost track of him heading out of the Void with his new lackey, Anaximander."
"And his servant, Treble, was not among them?"
"Nope." Iod paused for a moment, then continued. "Do you know who this Anaximander is?"
Brutus shook his head. "No. He is an enigma: an unknown dark keybearer under Helios's tutelage. With him, Helios can open anything he wants to. In one week-."
"That monochrome world was weird," Laocoon interrupted. Iod turned and glared at the half-Voidrunner man, but the King just smiled.
"Yes, Timeless River's lack of color is a stark contrast to our reality, but your route through there was necessary. If you had come via Gummi ship, Helios's Heartless armada would have shot you down in an instance. So, the only way to go would be to go through the Villain's Vale on Radiant Garden through Timeless River."
After twisting and turning down a maze of hallways, Brutus Superbus finally led them to a small inconspicuous door on the far side of the castle. He twisted the doorknob, effortlessly pushed the door open, and then motioned for the others to quickly file inside.
The room was spacious circular space with a large circular metal table in the middle and sienna colored walls. Around twenty chairs were around the large table in the middle, each with a good deal of space around it. A large map of the Kingdom of Worlds was spread out over most of the table. After everyone entered the room, King Superbus closed the door and motioned for the rest to take seats around the table. Once everyone was seated and comfortable, King Superbus began his briefing in full.
"Now, let us begin. Two weeks ago, Helios escaped from the Prison of the Void." At this, the former Guardians cringed with guilt and the escapees from the Prison paled some. Noting this, Brutus added. "I do not blame anyone for this, nor do I care what you have done in past lives. Right now we need to focus on Helios and what can be done to contain his evil and crush it. Now, let's continue.
"Helios then proceeded to Willow Castle, where he set up the Cirque du Mort, a diversionary fighting tournament that was a cover for his real plan. During the second battle of the tournament, he disappeared, as did Treble. Then, one day later, they were in the Impenetrable World with the unknown Keybearer, Anaximander. Requiem, Sidrix, Dirst, Harmony, and Trisn confronted the trio, but they were defeated, and Harmony captured. Helios then quickly set off to the Void with the Genesis Key and retrieved the Nexus Stone, but he stuck around at Lotus Tower just to toy with the keybearers. All of this, we have retrieved from our Rutilus Guard's spy division.
"In the past few days, Helios has managed to conjure up an army of Heartless and storm through the universe with the aid of the Nexus Stone. As of now, there have been reports flooding in from across the universe: The Necromancer is amassing in Middle Earth, The Republic is crumbling in the Microcosm, the Demon is progressing through Halla, and the N. Sanity Island is being ransacked by Ants. Again, the Rutilus Guard has provided connections to Helios. In the next few days, I predict that he will mount an assault on this very castle."
"So, are we safe here?" Nestor asked, removing his helmet to reveal his spiky jet black hair.
"Yes. The Cornerstone of Light, which you saw when you arrived, fends off all darkness from this world."
"The witch Maleficent managed to find the loophole in the system back in the days of King Mickey." Tryllya added.
"Indeed, and that was a dark day for Disney Castle, no pun intended. However, there is now a brigade of guards that monitors the entrances to Timeless River and guards the world from any Heartless or other evils."
"But you've never faced Helios before, or the Nexus Stone, or the combination of the two."
Brutus sighed. "Yes, you are indeed correct. Despite this fact, we try to remain optimistic that our defenses will hold."
Ajax was hovering near the king when he asked the question on everyone's mind. "What do we do now?"
As if in ironic response, the ceiling of the War Room suddenly exploded in flames. Huge chunks of the stone ceiling fell. King Superbus quickly dodged out of the way and ducked under the table to wait out the explosion. Iod ran to the side of the room, as did everyone else, save Ajax, who merely stood in place. Several stones fell on top of him, but he only dissipated through the stones like a phantom. After the dust cleared from the fall, the King quickly jumped from under the table's relative safety to face the danger.
Noonday light poured into the war room, brightening the walls and providing a illumination to survey the wreckage. The enormous hole in the roof left enormous boulders scattered all over the room. Brutus looked about, and he noted the others grouping together and looking up at the opening. Brutus jogged over to them with vigilance and then turned his eyes back up to the opening in the roof. From this angle, he could see the source of the explosion, and he did not like what he saw.
Helios stood with his Solar Rapier drawn, his long white hair fluttering in the breeze. The albino was wearing a grey suit with white pinstripes running along it. He had a red ascot with an emerald in it, and a red rose was in his lapel. In the hand his rapier wasn't in he was spinning a grey umbrella. Helios was wearing his characteristic triumphant grin. Standing next to him was his new helper, Anaximander. His black hair was flowing like Helios's, and he had his keyblade drawn, which was the Genesis key from the Impenetrable World. His lavender eyes were flickering with pleasure.
"Helios, you tore my royal robe," Qell-Hadr shouted up mockingly to the albino.
"Ah, so it would seem, dear friend," the albino replied. "I'll be sure to get you a new one once I have the Royal Treasury under my control." Helios then turned his attention to King Brutus Superbus. "Say, while I'm here for the cash, do you think I could just kill two birds with one stone and take the crown for my own?"
Brutus smiled. "I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request."
Helios's smile broadened. "Someone's been catching up on their history. I seem to recall one Captain Barbossa saying that; he was defeated by a Keybearer. Just like you will be." Helios turned to Anaximander. "The honor is yours. Take care of the king; leave the others alone. I owe them for my freedom.
"As you wish sir." With that, the dark keybearer jumped down from the high platform and landed on the center of the large table with a light tap. He quickly got out of a braced position and proceeded towards the King, who had drawn his keyblade, the one that had been in his line since the reign of his grandfather, King Mickey. He readied himself for the clash as Anaximander walked across the table with a cold resolve in his eyes. As Anaximander came within five feet of the king, he suddenly vanished into a dark portal. Surprised by the sudden tactic, Brutus had no reaction time as Anaximander appeared out of a portal in the wall and placed his keyblade around Brutus's throat. The King gasped, and Anaximander pulled him into the portal. The two reappeared next to Helios.
"So, let's try this again," Helios sneered. "Can I take your crown and your authority over the worlds?"
"The answer is the same," Brutus retorted.
"Well, you see, that's a bit of a problem, because I am going to have your power over the worlds whether you like it or not. So, one last chance."
King Superbus spat at the albino. Helios quickly ducked to avoid the salivary projectile while simultaneously putting his rapier into the king's stomach. Brutus immediately burst into flames, and within the course of three seconds the king was nothing but a few ashes on the stone roof of the war room. Without a second glance, Helios returned his attention back to the six who were standing shocked on the war room floor.
"Now, if you will please follow me to the Library. We have some research to do.
-------
Please note: Although mentioned, Middle Earth, the Microcosm, Halla, and N. Sanity island will not appear in this story. I am sorry if these lines gave you some false hope of... something.
-`~ CIRQUE DU VIE ~`-
-*Prologue*-
The Seat of Power-*Prologue*-
Iod pushed the silver door open, unsure of what would be waiting for him on the side. Through the slowly widening gap between the door frame and the door itself, a brilliant light poured through. Iod paused for a moment to lower a pair of grey tinted goggles over his eyes. He then turned around to look at his companions. Qell-Hadr was robed in royal purple, holding his summoner's staff in front of his eyes. Tryllya, clad in a kimono, held a red silk clad arm in front of her face and squinted away from the light. Nester placed his Voidrunner skull helmet over his head to help blot out the blinding light, Laocoon simply closed his eyes, and Ajax stared straight ahead into the light. Content with what he saw, Iod turned back around and finished opening the door. He stepped into the brilliant white void, took one step through it...
And emerged in an enormous cavern of a chamber. The walls were a pure snowy white, the floor slightly blue in color, and the enormous crenelated molding was slightly yellow. The doorway they had just exited faced a large staircase, and next to them was the fabled Cornerstone of Light.The color and scale of the room gave it a distinctly royal air. Of course, it did make sense, considering where they had arrived.
"So this is Disney Castle," Qell-Hadr whispered in awe as he studied the gargantuan scale of this one room. As more of the group emerged out of the doorway, he continued. "Back on Yornzo, the Grand Palace had no chambers of any kind that could match this size. I guess this is what happens when your entire world is designated as one giant palace."
Iod studied the colossal space, then focused on the figure coming down the stairs towards them. He wore a black jumpsuit, a pair of red glasses, and a gold laurel crown on top of his head. He was extremely short in stature, and his most prominent features were the two large, disk-shaped ears that came out of his head. The mouse-man strode down the stairs in grand style and walked straight up to the group of new arrivals. He stopped, and Iod knelt before him; the others bowed before the mouse-man.
"Thank you for receiving us on receiving us on such short notice, King Superbus," Iod humbly said, still kneeling. The King tapped him on the shoulder, and Iod rose.
"Please, it's Brutus, and I welcome all those who are working to resist the Helionic movement. Now, please follow me to the war room." The king stopped speaking, readjusted his red glasses, and then motioned for them to come with him. Without waiting for a response, he headed back up the stairs. Iod looked to the others, then they all quickly followed the king. The flight of steps, like the area of the castle they had seen so far, was massive, and only after about five minutes of walking did they reach the opening into the throne room. At the top of the stairs, King Superbus stopped to speak with Iod.
"Do you have any news of Helios's current whereabouts?"
Iod shook his head. "We lost track of him heading out of the Void with his new lackey, Anaximander."
"And his servant, Treble, was not among them?"
"Nope." Iod paused for a moment, then continued. "Do you know who this Anaximander is?"
Brutus shook his head. "No. He is an enigma: an unknown dark keybearer under Helios's tutelage. With him, Helios can open anything he wants to. In one week-."
"That monochrome world was weird," Laocoon interrupted. Iod turned and glared at the half-Voidrunner man, but the King just smiled.
"Yes, Timeless River's lack of color is a stark contrast to our reality, but your route through there was necessary. If you had come via Gummi ship, Helios's Heartless armada would have shot you down in an instance. So, the only way to go would be to go through the Villain's Vale on Radiant Garden through Timeless River."
After twisting and turning down a maze of hallways, Brutus Superbus finally led them to a small inconspicuous door on the far side of the castle. He twisted the doorknob, effortlessly pushed the door open, and then motioned for the others to quickly file inside.
The room was spacious circular space with a large circular metal table in the middle and sienna colored walls. Around twenty chairs were around the large table in the middle, each with a good deal of space around it. A large map of the Kingdom of Worlds was spread out over most of the table. After everyone entered the room, King Superbus closed the door and motioned for the rest to take seats around the table. Once everyone was seated and comfortable, King Superbus began his briefing in full.
"Now, let us begin. Two weeks ago, Helios escaped from the Prison of the Void." At this, the former Guardians cringed with guilt and the escapees from the Prison paled some. Noting this, Brutus added. "I do not blame anyone for this, nor do I care what you have done in past lives. Right now we need to focus on Helios and what can be done to contain his evil and crush it. Now, let's continue.
"Helios then proceeded to Willow Castle, where he set up the Cirque du Mort, a diversionary fighting tournament that was a cover for his real plan. During the second battle of the tournament, he disappeared, as did Treble. Then, one day later, they were in the Impenetrable World with the unknown Keybearer, Anaximander. Requiem, Sidrix, Dirst, Harmony, and Trisn confronted the trio, but they were defeated, and Harmony captured. Helios then quickly set off to the Void with the Genesis Key and retrieved the Nexus Stone, but he stuck around at Lotus Tower just to toy with the keybearers. All of this, we have retrieved from our Rutilus Guard's spy division.
"In the past few days, Helios has managed to conjure up an army of Heartless and storm through the universe with the aid of the Nexus Stone. As of now, there have been reports flooding in from across the universe: The Necromancer is amassing in Middle Earth, The Republic is crumbling in the Microcosm, the Demon is progressing through Halla, and the N. Sanity Island is being ransacked by Ants. Again, the Rutilus Guard has provided connections to Helios. In the next few days, I predict that he will mount an assault on this very castle."
"So, are we safe here?" Nestor asked, removing his helmet to reveal his spiky jet black hair.
"Yes. The Cornerstone of Light, which you saw when you arrived, fends off all darkness from this world."
"The witch Maleficent managed to find the loophole in the system back in the days of King Mickey." Tryllya added.
"Indeed, and that was a dark day for Disney Castle, no pun intended. However, there is now a brigade of guards that monitors the entrances to Timeless River and guards the world from any Heartless or other evils."
"But you've never faced Helios before, or the Nexus Stone, or the combination of the two."
Brutus sighed. "Yes, you are indeed correct. Despite this fact, we try to remain optimistic that our defenses will hold."
Ajax was hovering near the king when he asked the question on everyone's mind. "What do we do now?"
As if in ironic response, the ceiling of the War Room suddenly exploded in flames. Huge chunks of the stone ceiling fell. King Superbus quickly dodged out of the way and ducked under the table to wait out the explosion. Iod ran to the side of the room, as did everyone else, save Ajax, who merely stood in place. Several stones fell on top of him, but he only dissipated through the stones like a phantom. After the dust cleared from the fall, the King quickly jumped from under the table's relative safety to face the danger.
Noonday light poured into the war room, brightening the walls and providing a illumination to survey the wreckage. The enormous hole in the roof left enormous boulders scattered all over the room. Brutus looked about, and he noted the others grouping together and looking up at the opening. Brutus jogged over to them with vigilance and then turned his eyes back up to the opening in the roof. From this angle, he could see the source of the explosion, and he did not like what he saw.
Helios stood with his Solar Rapier drawn, his long white hair fluttering in the breeze. The albino was wearing a grey suit with white pinstripes running along it. He had a red ascot with an emerald in it, and a red rose was in his lapel. In the hand his rapier wasn't in he was spinning a grey umbrella. Helios was wearing his characteristic triumphant grin. Standing next to him was his new helper, Anaximander. His black hair was flowing like Helios's, and he had his keyblade drawn, which was the Genesis key from the Impenetrable World. His lavender eyes were flickering with pleasure.
"Helios, you tore my royal robe," Qell-Hadr shouted up mockingly to the albino.
"Ah, so it would seem, dear friend," the albino replied. "I'll be sure to get you a new one once I have the Royal Treasury under my control." Helios then turned his attention to King Brutus Superbus. "Say, while I'm here for the cash, do you think I could just kill two birds with one stone and take the crown for my own?"
Brutus smiled. "I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request."
Helios's smile broadened. "Someone's been catching up on their history. I seem to recall one Captain Barbossa saying that; he was defeated by a Keybearer. Just like you will be." Helios turned to Anaximander. "The honor is yours. Take care of the king; leave the others alone. I owe them for my freedom.
"As you wish sir." With that, the dark keybearer jumped down from the high platform and landed on the center of the large table with a light tap. He quickly got out of a braced position and proceeded towards the King, who had drawn his keyblade, the one that had been in his line since the reign of his grandfather, King Mickey. He readied himself for the clash as Anaximander walked across the table with a cold resolve in his eyes. As Anaximander came within five feet of the king, he suddenly vanished into a dark portal. Surprised by the sudden tactic, Brutus had no reaction time as Anaximander appeared out of a portal in the wall and placed his keyblade around Brutus's throat. The King gasped, and Anaximander pulled him into the portal. The two reappeared next to Helios.
"So, let's try this again," Helios sneered. "Can I take your crown and your authority over the worlds?"
"The answer is the same," Brutus retorted.
"Well, you see, that's a bit of a problem, because I am going to have your power over the worlds whether you like it or not. So, one last chance."
King Superbus spat at the albino. Helios quickly ducked to avoid the salivary projectile while simultaneously putting his rapier into the king's stomach. Brutus immediately burst into flames, and within the course of three seconds the king was nothing but a few ashes on the stone roof of the war room. Without a second glance, Helios returned his attention back to the six who were standing shocked on the war room floor.
"Now, if you will please follow me to the Library. We have some research to do.
-------
Please note: Although mentioned, Middle Earth, the Microcosm, Halla, and N. Sanity island will not appear in this story. I am sorry if these lines gave you some false hope of... something.