Mystere Du Le Kooza

Crazy…IS Sanity

*Mystere and Kooza belong to Cirque Du Soleil. This story is slightly based off Alan Wake. WARNING: one-sided slash between Trickster and Moha-Samedi.

I awakened, my eyes adjusting to the bright light surrounding me. It hurt my eyes at first, but then a figure stepped into my view, making the glare more tolerable…

"Sh, it's okay kid; it was just a nightmare…"

Her red costume with the heart, her ruby highlighted hair…it was too good to be true…

"Trapeze…artist-"

However, her figure suddenly blurred, and her voice changed, my heart leapt in my chest and stopped completely at the female doctor before me, dimming the light-

"There you go, child…"

That blonde hair-those black highlights-those icy, fake eyes…

"Arsulu…"

"…I'm sorry-I'm afraid you're still confused-my name is Ursa-Dr. Ursa Poltergeist-I had to give you a sedative, DON'T FIGHT IT. You went through another rough period!"

"I-what?"

"You're a patient at my clinic…have been, for a while now."

"What-no, you're lying…"

"You're suffering from various symptoms of paranoid delusional fantasies."

I couldn't focus…her words-RANG through my head…it hurt, A LOT. Moha…can't focus any more…help me…please…help me-and I'll help…you…

"You son-of a…Witch…"

'Ursa,' as she called herself, suddenly took the Trapeze artist's form again, her voice seemed blurred with darkness…and the Trickster's voice.

"It's OK Guardian…JUST LET GO."

Moha-Samedi arched as his eyes shot open, he was suddenly WIDE AWAKE. That dream with the Guardian…was that for real? Alarmed, he tried to sit up…but did so too quickly as his head suddenly reeled with dizziness. He felt…groggy. Whatever that woman had done to him after he blacked at had left him feeling numb. He sat on the edge of the bed, trying to shake off the feeling. He felt as though he were watching himself…or someone else-go through this, but not him…

Just like that, trickster was next to him, leaning over his shoulder, smiling slyly. Moha jumped a little. Considering he was used to it at this point (and he was pumped on something-a spell, medication?), it didn't spook him as much as usual.

"Hello handsome, are we feeling better? Calmer, maybe?"

"Well, considering how tired I am, I guess I have no choice BUT to be calm…"

Trickster chuckled, "well, for someone who's tired at least you have a sense of humor...I read through your piece, it's BRILLIANT. The world is turning out MAGNIFICANTLY under your penmanship."

Trickster took Moha's hand and placed a kiss upon it, Moha felt as though all the feeling had drained out of it, so he couldn't pull it away…

"Right, well, why don't we help you wake up a little? A walk, some fresh air…maybe even a look at some of the glorious progress you're making? Yes, it will do you good!"

Trickster wrapped an arm around Moha's waist and helped him up. Arm-and-arm, trickster took Moha outside and onto the balcony, overlooking the audience.

"Ah, I'm never going to get tired of this view! Very…enigmatic, isn't it?" asked Trickster, making a grand sweeping motion with his arm towards the audience seats.

The audience seats where much darker than Samedi remembered…where was Brian? For some reason, Moha suddenly felt concerned for the clown's well-being…was Brian alright?

Before he could continue on the thought, he was led down the stairs to the main part of the tower. As they entered, Moha saw that it was not the dark cavern he had seen the Trapeze artist disappear into, but a gothic-Victorian lounge area. On one side of the room was a beautiful, VERY confortable looking love seat with drapes pulled off to the side, made so they could pull around the love seat, as though to introduce privacy to whoever was sitting upon it…

However, the first thing that caught Moha-Samedi's eye was what was to the RIGHT side of the room…

Four clowns-A King, a sleazy looking man in a rumpled suit, and two childish looking clowns, one bald, the other round-were all sitting in what appeared to be a GIANT BIRDCAGE. The king was foolishly overlooking the lounge from the upper platform of the cage through a telescope, the sleazy man was admiring himself and practicing 'flirt-tactics' in a mirror, and the two, more child-like cohorts were taking turns on a swing.

As the two of them entered, the four of them stopped what they were doing to steal a quick glance at the two-but once look from the Trickster, and they were back to what they were normally doing.

Trickster motioned Moha to sit with him on the love seat, observing the clowns in the cage, all dressed in red and black. "Such pity it is with what you're left over with during the creative process, isn't it? The King and his cohorts…symbols of childlike insanity, and of course the pickpocket-" He made certain to point out the pickpocket as the sleazy man in front of the mirror, where the king was obvious with his crown and the cohorts being on the swing- "a common crook no more…but I'm certain we'll find SOMETHING to do with them…"

Trickster turned to Samedi, catching his glance and smiling at him mischievously, "Am I right-my romantic artist?"

Moha didn't even know why he was blushing. This man, who scared every sane being out of him, suddenly had the power to make him go weak in the knees-and he wasn't even attracted to him romantically. "I-I suppose-"

Trickster suddenly put his fingers to Moha's lips, and with a smile on his face, pulled the leather cord that drew the curtains around the love seat, blocking them from the clown's sight…

As soon as they were hidden away, Moha didn't even have time to think before Trickster's lips were upon him. This time he didn't hear the Guardian's voice, not even as Trickster pushed his into the cushions, his hand delving underneath his shirt. Moha's breath hitched as Trickster's hands massaged his arms, feeling the ever-sensitive markings there-everywhere on his torso and arms were sensitive with the markings that had been left on him.

Trickster grinned as he undid Moha's vest, only undoing half the buttons of his shirt. He kissed the markings there, causing Moha's breathing to become heavier as he desperately tried to regain control…

Trickster then took Moha's hands and placed them on his shirt, possessing his hands once again to undo the buttons and trace his hands across Trickster's torso. The Trickster hissed with pleasure and kissed Samedi once more, the man in pink felt the air turn to ice, forcing him against his will to rely on Trickster's body for warmth.

Trickster's smile became deadly as he rubbed the markings on the Emcee's back, having nearly been forgotten, as his hands made their way down the man in Pink's spine, around his waist, and began to undo his belt-!

Suddenly, the lights, red, blue and purple to set the lounge aglow, went out, leaving only shadows and the faint light from outside the tower for visual site.

Trickster sighed, "This will NOT do…"

He traced a single finger up and down a still shaken-yet very relieved-ringmaster's spine. "You'll have to excuse me, my Narrator, I'm afraid the power's been acting up…I must check upon it. Meanwhile when you feel up to it, perhaps you can incorporate those poor souls over there-" he gestured the clowns from behind the curtain- "and maybe even fix this little power problem-by returning to your room and trying to write. After all, it would save us both A LOT of trouble…"

He leaned forward and captured the Narrator's unwilling lips in one last kiss, still messaging the marks on his body, sending warm, pleasurable waves of heat up and down his limbs…

He broke this kiss and whispered, "Don't you think?" Then he exited, leaving the poor, exhausted yet finally awake emcee to quickly pull his shirt, vest and bow tie back on…

As Moha finally came out from behind the curtain, he heard one of the clowns-the pickpocket-mutter openly for all to hear, "I'd like to bash his head in with a HAMMER!"

"Ah, he thinks he knows our secrets," the King interrupted, also catching the attention of the other two clowns as well, "but he doesn't have a clue! He's not crazy enough! Nope, not crazy like us, people of the court!"

"YEAH!" Both the cohorts cried out as they tried to perform a flip off the platform they were standing on using the swing-but failed as they both got tangled up, eventually snapping the swing and ending up in a big pile on the floor.

"Being crazy's a requirement, man!" the King continued his shpeel as the two cohorts continued to struggle in an attempt to untangle themselves. "Who else can understand the world when it's like this? It TAKES crazy to KNOW crazy!"

Moha blinked, approaching the cage with caution…he actually agreed with that logic…

"That's…actually the sanest thing I've heard in a while." Moha whispered quietly, arms folded in deep thought. His concentration was broken when the pickpocket reached through the bars of the cage, giving him a solid, friendly man-slap on the back.

"Ha ha, YES! You are most certainly right, yes? I like you my friend! We like him no?" He asked this to the King and his just barely untangled cohorts, stilled joined at the arms by the swing rope still hooking their arms together. Suddenly the cohorts started jumping up and down like kids in school, wanting to be chosen for the right answer…

Moha gave the King a confused look, but the King just motioned for him to pick one of them…

"Yes…you." Moha picked the round clown, much to his delight.

"He-he should go to the light room!"

Yeah, the light room! VALHALLA!" The bald clown squealed with delight, striking a rock pose.

"We wrote it all down, lest we forget," added the round clown, almost serious as he continued where his bald-other left off, "a crash course, his majesty's orders…you need to find the message!"

"Oh, ooh…HERE!" the bald clown suddenly cried out, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket, "I found this! That stripy guy dropped it when you walked in, but I kept it safe from him, the Trickster!"

Moha-Samedi nodded and put the paper in his pocket for safe keeping as the clowns continued their insane bickering.

"Y'know I just noticed…you don't like that guy even though he treats you like royalty, right? Well, I just noticed…Pink and Black? That's not very STRAIGHT, if you know what I mean, my friend!" The pickpocket declared.

"Aw, he's just lost, that's all," the King declared, "She got to him too, the witch."

"She used us all! Took everything from everyone, the hag!" Added the round cohort, "She's been using you too, and you let her! You opened the door for her!" the round cohort suddenly pointed to Moha as if he'd just been made Cirque Du Soleil's top ten.

"Aw, it was already open a crack!" The King insisted, "Whose fault is that, hm? Trickster's always been open to new ideas…we're ALL morally corrupt, Trickster had already opened the door a crack, and even HE doesn't realize he's lost control!"

"DOESN'T MEAN HE HAD TO GO AND OPEN IT ALL THE WAY!" the bald cohort screamed, pointing at Samedi. He suddenly shrieked and struck a karate pose, but the King stopped him, and all four clowns huddled together…

Then they got into a line, and began to snap their fingers, moving towards him in a Jazz-gang styled rhythm, snapping their fingers to an invisible beat, over-dramatic anger in their eyes…

They stopped just at the bars of the cage. Moha stared at them…

"Uh…you know there are bars preventing you from attacking me, right?"

"Uh…" The King froze for a good few seconds before…

"KIDDING!" All four clowns began to tackle insanely, screaming things like 'aw man, the look on his face!' 'yeah, he's like 'ah, I'm gonna die!' and then…

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!" The voice practically exploded from above them, causing everyone to fall silent as the voice and some other noises banged above their heads…

"YOU HEAR ME YOU STRIPED FREAK? I'M GONNA SUE YOU TO SHREDS!"

Moha immediately recognized the voice. Without a word, he rushed out of the room, up the stairs into Trickster's room. Fortunately the Trickster wasn't there, but something new was…a box-more importantly, Brian Le Petit's box. The part with the bars was face against a wall, but the key was on top of the box…Moha took the key and unlocked the door-Brian came tumbling out head over heels.

"Brian! I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually glad to see you…even if you did ditch me…"

"Well, I can't believe I'm saying it, but I'm glad to see you too!" Brian declared as he got up to his feet, cleaning himself up. "I came back to look for you after the darkness subsided a bit…but I had no clue where you were! So, I came in here and that stripy show-off stuffed me in there!" He gestured the box.

"Brian, I need to get to the room of light…according to this paper one of the clowns downstairs gave me, it should be opposite tower to my room…do you know where the golf-car used in the show is?"

"It's parked right under YOUR balcony," Brian stated, glad to be of assistance.

Moha looked over to the desk, all the papers had been stacked to the left-there were no blank or half-finished papers left…

"These were all the pages I had on me…and more!" Samedi whispered to himself. However, as he began to flip through them, a sudden feeling came over him…

He suddenly felt-tired, weak…

"Uh…Pink guy…" Brian's concerned voice was the last thing Moha heard before…

!

I found myself in an office. My journal was opened in front of me, pen in my hand, bag slung over my arm…how had I gotten here?

The door swung open behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the 'good' Doctor Poltergeist walk in, "Please, child, you're falling into another episode-"

There was a walking cane right next to me. Without thinking twice, I grabbed the cane and pointed it in her direction, "TELL ME ONE MORE LIE AND I'LL HIT YOU IN THE FACE!"

Ursa sighed, removing her glasses, revealing her dark, onyx eyes…

"Ah, well, it was worth a shot…I mean really, kid, c'mon…let's work together on this! You have no idea of the talent you're…"

"Shut up! JUST SHUT UP!" I screamed, before a surge of pain overtook me, forcing my eyes shut…

!

Moha-Samedi blanked out of his strange vision, and found himself, hat on his head, pointing his cane at about a HUGE SWARM OF LUNE OMBRE SKELETONS.

Brian, cornering himself out of sight against a wall, gave him a worried 'what do we do now?' glance.

'You have my puppet?' Moha mouthed.

Brian showed him the puppet, strapped to his back like a back pack. It waved at him urgently, but didn't speak.

'Get the car and meet me in the audience, now. GO!'

Brian quickly slipped out behind the skeletons as Moha reached behind him and took out his flashlight…

The Lune Ombres lunged at him as he shined the light through the diamond on top of his cane…

!

I came to my senses, holding the flashlight and walking stick in Ursa's direction, just as she knocked both out of my hands, knocking me down to the floor. She immediately grabbed both my arms and pinned me against the desk.

"Sh, don't scream, there's no one here, just you and me…" her voice was sickly sweet and darkly alluring as she pinned my wrists together with one hand, the other hand stroking my cheek and running through my hair…

I panicked, I didn't want this! "Let me go…please!"

She smiled, "Now, now, don't you see? Together we can create something absolutely wonderful, something powerful…"

Her face became dangerously close to mine, a memory of Trickster enwrapping his hands around Moha-Samedi from behind on the first night of realizing his nightmare turned reality flashed through my mind, as I began to shake my head, begging 'no.." under my breath…

"…Something beautiful. Yes, with your ability and my-!"

Suddenly, the bookshelf fell over, blocking the doorway to the hall. Without thinking twice, I saw Ursa was distracted and pushed her out of the way, grabbing my journal, flashlight and bag, I ran out the door and slammed it shut behind me. I then locked the door (foolish woman had left the key in the lock) and listened as she screamed, re-claimed by the same darkness that had created her.

Then the building shook on its very foundation…I had to get out. Grabbing the keys, I ran through the building-objects, inanimate, were being brought to life by the darkness all around me, I used my flashlight to clear the path as I ran through door after door of the building, using the keys I'd grabbed to clear any locked doors. Finally, I ran out the front door…

Many steps away from the clinic building, in the form of a patio house, I collapsed. Turning around, I noticed the dark smoke pouring from the windows…it wasn't fire. I'd just barely escaped. Yet I was so tired…

I couldn't go on. I clutched my journal tightly to me as I lost consciousness…

!

Moha-Samedi awoke in front of the Kooza tower, clutching the manuscript pages, bound together by an elastic band, to his chest. Up ahead, he saw light in the audience seats…

"Hey Pink, PINK GUY! I'M HERE!" Brian screamed from the audience as darkness began to swirl from the back stage again. Moha ran through the audience seats, practically flinging himself on top of the car…

"Yo, I found the car…but one of the headlights is shot from when I had to ram one of the freaks!"

"We're going to need a flashlight-I'll take care of the Lune Ombres…but I lost mine…"

"Take this!" Brian quickly handed him his light, feeling a strange sense of deja vu…this was just like when he'd handed that random kid his first light…

Without another word, they took off into the entrance for stage left, under the balcony for the stage, "We'll have to use the back stage stairs, verses climbing up with all the darkness out there…" Moha explained.

When they finally reached the top of the stairs (five flights of stairs? Seriously, this had BETTER be good…) and entered the room. Inside on top of a table next to two beds, two chairs, and a mirror was an electric lantern, a box PACKED with batteries, and what appeared to be a rolled up piece of paper.

"Of course…this must be the message the King clown's cohorts were talking about!" Moha whispered as he unrolled the paper, Brian and his puppet peeking over his shoulder to read…

'…and now to see your world set free…

You'll need the Guardian's pen and Key…

Find the Scarlet Ruby light

Still silent with her love and pride,

That's how you re-shape destiny…*'

"Oh, that's gotta be-what's-her-face…the stubborn Trapeze artist who wanted you to kiss her!"

"Right, must be," said Moha-Samedi as he set his things down on the table. "We can't go anywhere right now, we'll have to rest here and then we can search for her as soon as the darkness clears up…"

After settling in, the Ringmaster, clown and puppet finally got to talk…hopefully without arguing.

"I'm crazy…but that's fine Brian." Moha said as he examined the markings on his hands…he was still trying to get the near-seduction episode out of his head, playing over and over again like a broken record. He didn't even want to THINK of what Trickster had been planning to do when he got his belt off…

Brian cackled, amused "Oh, you got that right Pink, you're barking mad, you are by far, the CRAZIEST-"

"BUT maybe that's inevitable when you're dealing with crazy stuff like this! It helps! The dark-whatever this is-it ISN'T Trickster's fault! Arsulu-the witch-I've seen her! Trickster has always had a special gift with works of art-he makes them come true! There's a catch however-Arsulu is using her influence over Trickster's power to twist the story to her own ends, and Trapeze, her love is the only one who can break the spell!"

"Look man, I believe you! Crazy or not, "Brian took a deep breath, "You aren't delusional, weird stuff's goin' down, and I'm on-board man, especially because-I think I'm goin' nuts too."

Moha-Samedi blinked, "what do you mean?"

"Well…you know that kid I was talking about before?"

"Yes?"

Brian simply pointed to the mirror. As Moha-Samedi turned, his eyes widened in both happiness and shock…

The mirror now showed the Guardian's room, the Guardian themself asleep on the bed.

*CUT, PRINT, MAKE EXTRAS MOVIN' ON!

*Lyrics re-done from "Tom the Poet and his muse," from Alan Wake soundtrack.