It's been such a long time I updated this story that sometimes I asked myself if I would ever find a way to continue it. But, finally, 4 years later, I finished this chapter, and I'm ready to continue it. I'll try and update it faster from now on, as I work on my other works as well. I hope you and enjoy it, and well... let the show go on

Chapter 17: The First Keyhole

The silence that could be heard in the air scared every single one of them. They all knew that something was coming their way; they just did not what exactly. Still, none of the Sailor Scouts let its guard down.

And then, as if per magic, two enormous Heartless appeared in front of their eyes. To say the truth, the Heartless were not hug; they were regular size, but because all of them were the size of collectable figurines, those Heartless looked huge to the Sailor Scouts.

Both Heartless looked quite bizarre to the Sailor Scouts, due to their appearance. One of them had spindly legs resembling scissor jacks, arms that appear and sounded like they were made out of paper, and a head that was made of several segments balanced of top of each other. Each of those segments sported its own face; though all of the faces had the same glowing yellow eyes and jagged mouths; and they alternated in colour from red to black. Its arms were black and it was juggling clubs with zigzagging, purple and lavender stripes on them. They all noticed that it was wearing black armour with large, red shoulder pads, a black codpiece, and had a very thin and small red body. The upper halves of its legs are red, while their lower halves are black. Its feet are black, flat, and curl at the tips.

The other Heartless was quite similar to the other, sporting the same kind of body, but with different colours, mainly pink and indigo. It was also juggling clubs in its hands. Looking at them, Usagi and the rest of the group assumed that both Heartless

"I knew they were not going to let us go this easily." –Haruka sighed in annoyance.

"Let's see what we can find about these guys…" –Rei said, as she began analysing both Heartless with her Informant. Quickly, she found out all kinds of information they needed to know about them, and how they could defeat them. –"Interesting… they have the same kind of weaknesses, and they act the same way, as if they were twins."

"Could you just tell us what exactly we are dealing with?" –George asked her, trying not to show any fear, even though he was beginning to feel a little scared, as those giant Heartless approached them.

"Hold on… the red and black one is called the Trickster, while the indigo and the pink one is called the Crimson Prankster, and they both use fire attacks.

"That's all I need to know! If these guys think that I'm going to just run away like a coward, then, they are in for a really big surprise!" –Johnny exclaimed, as he ran towards them, swinging his Keyblade left and right, when a hand grabbed his left shoulder, stopping him. –"Hey, what's the big idea?!"

"Could you hold your horses for a minute?" –Makoto asked him rhetorically, being her the one who stopped him from doing something reckless. –"We need a plan!"

"She's right; we really do need a plan, if we are to engage a fight against those two giants." –Minako said.

"They're not giants… they are regular size, we're the ones who are the size of action figures." –Chibiusa told her.

"You're right, we do need a plan." –Usagi said, as she saw the Heartless getting closer and closer to where they were standing. –"Does anyone have one?"

"The most logical one is to attack them one at the time." –Setsuna stated.

"Yeah, but while we are attacking on, the other will make sure that we end up in sis kebab." –Ami stated the obvious. –"The only plausible plan that I have is that we should split into two groups, and each group will attack a Heartless. That way, we will be sure that none of the Heartless tries to kill us, while we're dealing with the other."

"I like Ami's plan. I think we should try it." –Makoto suggested.

"Okay, then split out and don't stop until they are down!" –Haruka yelled, as she quickly ran towards the two giant Heartless that were closing in on them.

Haruka quickly decided that she was going to take care of the Crimson Prankster. Michiru followed her, as well as Rei, George and Naru. The remaining Sailor Scouts began an offensive against the Trickster, who was now throwing fire balls at them. The sound of their Keyblades hitting and rasping against the Trickster and the Crimson Prankster's could be heard through the whole room. They wanted to take them down as quickly as possible, for their feared that they were starting to feel exhausted. Their clothes had managed to keep them energized, but now, after all those fights, even the clothes magic could do nothing to hide the fact that the Sailor Scouts, each and every one of them was beginning to feel tired and exhausted. To make things even worst, dozens of new Heartless appeared around the Crimson Prankster and the Trickster. These looked quite similar, and the only difference between them was the colour of their bodies; some of them were red, while the others were blue. They had smooth, conical bodies with a Heartless emblem emblazoned on their chests. The top of its body flares outward and forms a jagged "collar" below the Heartless's spherical, pitch black head. They were also wearing conical, yellow hats that had a jagged brim and a thin, curled tip. Like many Heartless, they had glowing yellow eyes. Its seemingly useless feet sport three small, thin toes.

"Please, have mercy!" –George said sarcastically. –"Can't they cut us some slack here?"

"I guess not." –Minako stated, as she was almost hit by a fire ball.

"The red ones are Red Nocturnes, while the blue ones are called Blue Rhapsodies. The Red Nocturnes attacks are fire-based attacks, while the Blue Rhapsodies attacks are ice-based attacks." –Ami informed them, after checking the information regarding those two new kinds of Heartless in her Informant. –"Plus, they won't respond to physical attacks, so we must make use of our magical skills.

"If that's so, them we will have to fight with all our might." –Setsuna told them, as she saw the Red Nocturnes nearing them with each second that went on.

"What we need is a little music to set the rhythm. You know what they say, my friends. If you follow the rhythm, nothing can go wrong." –Johnny said, as he once again took out the same little device as before, which turned into a radio. –"I think this song is appropriate for this occasion."

Pressing the button, he threw the radio onto a safe distance, in order not to get smashed or squished by those two Heartlesses. The song began to roll like thunder, giving the battle the edge that so desperately it was needed in order for the Sailor Scouts to win the upper hand.

Ladies and gentlemen please
Would you bring your attention to me?
For a feast for your eyes to see
An explosion of catastrophe

Like nothing you've ever seen before
Watch closely as I open this door
Your jaws will be on the floor
After this you'll be begging for more

"Gather around into two teams, everyone! One takes down the Red Nocturnes and the Blue Rhapsodies, while the other deals with the big ones!" –Haruka told them. –"Divide in order to conquer." –she concluded.

"Good idea!" –Usagi said. –"Rei and Ami, you take Naru and Makoto and cover us against from the little guys' attacks." –she ordered them.

"Got it!" –Rei exclaimed

"Let's show these guys what we are made of!" –George said, as he charged against the Prankster, striking it with his Keyblade.

"Yeah, let's do it!" –Minako agreed, following George's steps.

It did not take much for them all to start feeling the song's rhythm. Now, coordinating their attacks with the song's rhythm, they knew they would find a way to bet those Heartlesses, before running out of energy.

Feeling that physical attacks were not going to be enough to stop them, Johnny quickly thought about using his attacks, and combined them with the suit's magical abilities, in order to create a powerful counter-attack. Turned out to be quite a decision, for the Blizzard attack that he created was powerful enough to freeze one of the Trickster's legs, buying him enough time to avoid being squashed by it, but also to strike him hard in its left leg.

Welcome to the show
Please come inside
Ladies and gentlemen

"Look! It seems that they are weak against ice attacks!" –Johnny warned the others, as they also tried to find any kind of weakness on those giant Heartless.

If it was not bad enough that they had to worry about the Crimson Prankster and the Trickster, they also had to worry about the occasional attacks from the Red Nocturnes. Fortunately for them, Rei, Ami, Makoto and Naru were on the job. By combining their Keyblades' abilities, they managed to counter attack those nasty Heartless, who were doing a pretty good job in distracting the rest of the Sailor Scouts.

"Ami, get down!" –Makoto exclaimed as she fired a lightning sphere from her Keyblade, hitting a Blue Rhapsody that was about to attack her with its freezing powers.

"These things just keep coming back for more!" –Rei said as she sliced two more Red Nocturnes.

"From what I can see they are flying around those two giant Heartless as if they were moths who are always flying around a lamp." –Ami told them. –"In order for them to get to the big ones, we must help them get rid of the small ones that are protecting them!"

"Then, let's do it!" –Naru said, as she charged against a Red Nocturne. Throwing her keyblade as if it was a boomerang, this one stroke five enemies before returning to her hand, obliterating them.

Boom
Do you want it?
Boom
Do you need it?
Boom
Let me hear it
Ladies and gentlemen

"We almost have this one!" –Michiru exclaimed to the others, as she struck the Crimson Prankster on what would be the Heartless' shoulder.

Boom
Do you want it?
Boom
Do you need it?

Boom
Let me hear it
Ladies and gentlemen

"Keep at it, they're starting to weaken!" –Setsuna warned them. She had noticed that the two giant Heartlesses attacks had intensify in number, but not in power. Each flare it shot at them was weaker than the previous ones.

Ladies and gentlemen good evening
You've seen that seeing is believing
Your ears and your eyes will be bleeding
Please check to see if you're still breathing

Hold tight cause the show is not over
If you will please move in closer
Your about to be bowled over
By the wonders you're about to behold here

More and more Red Nocturnes and Blue Rhapsodies began to appear from thin air. Setsuna was right. The big ones were losing the battle, and back-ups were being sent to help them. And to make matters worse, they were acting like tiny little minions, placing themselves in front of the Sailor Scouts attacks They did not care if what they were doing was plain suicide; to them it was all about protecting their masters, if one could call them that.

"In a way, they're just doing what we do, when we're protecting Usagi. And maybe we can use that against them." –Chibiusa thought to herself. –"They attack us to protect the Crimson Prankster and the Trickster, so, if we keep really close to them, the little ones' attacks will hit them, instead of us!" –Chibiusa thought, just before turning her attention to Hotaru who was next to her –"Hotaru!"

"I know what you're thinking, and you're right, we have to do it! Let's give them a target to hit, Chibiusa!" –Hotaru exclaimed. Their friendship bond was so strong that the girls could literally read one's mind.

Moving in closer, the two girls made themselves a noticeable target for the Red Nocturnes and the Blue Rhapsodies, signalling the Sailors who were targeting them to let them pass.

Welcome to the show
Please come inside
Ladies and gentlemen

Boom
Do you want it?
Boom
Do you need it?
Boom
Let me hear it
Ladies and gentlemen

Boom
Do you want it?
Boom
Do you need it?
Boom
Let me hear it
Ladies and gentlemen

Needless to say, the girls' plan worked like a charm. The simultaneous attacks from the various smaller Heartlesses hit the Crimson Prankster and the Trickster, weakening them, and making it easier for the rest of the Sailor Scouts to strike them with their most powerful magical attack.

"They're about to fall! Let's finish them off!" –Minako exclaimed, shooting at the Crimson Prankster

"You heard her" Make it, rain!" –Makoto said, making use of her lighting attack, with the rest of the Sailor Scouts also attacking them.

As the song ended, so did the battle. The Crimson Prankster and the Trickster went absolutely stiff, and they thought they were about to go for a second round of some sorts, when they blew up, releasing each one a giant Heart into the air, which disappeared a few seconds after, just like it happened when they destroyed the Guard Armour in Traverse Town. As for the Red Nocturnes and the Blue Rhapsodies, the smaller Heartlesses disappeared just as quickly as they appeared.

"I guess that takes care of that." –a voice was heard. It was once more the Cheshire Cat, who mysteriously appeared in front of the group, floating in the air. –"I must say, you surprised me by taking down those creatures."

"But we couldn't save Alice." –Chibiusa said. –"We told her that we would protect her, and we failed to keep our promise." –the pink-haired girl sighed with a low-beat voice

"Don't worry, Chibiusa, we'll save her" –Hotaru told her, trying to cheer her up.

"Hotaru's right, we'll find her and save her" –Usagi also cheered her up.

And then, a voice was heard. But nobody saw anyone.

"What a racket! How's a doorknob to get any sleep?" –the Doorknob yawned. As its keyhole-shaped mouth opened, something began to glow inside it. That something looked like another keyhole mad out of light.

As this happened, Usagi's new Keyblade also began to glow, its glow becoming stronger and stronger, at the same time it hummed a strange melody. Driven as if by impulse or bare instinct, the leader of the Sailor Scouts pointed the Keyblade to the Doorknob, and a beam of light shot from its tip, hitting the light keyhole; filling it completely with light. When this happened, a sound was heard by whole of them; the sound of a key lock closing. It then

"Whoa... okay, that was strange." –Minako declared.

"Wow, a present!" –Usagi exclaimed, as she grabbed the strange gift. –"Reminds me of the times when you rigged the arcades to give us our first transformation pens and communicators, Luna."

This little comment made the black car blush lightly, being remembered of her past misdeed. A misdeed that was necessary so as to help the Usagi and the others to fulfil their destiny

"Indeed... Although, we never got a gift such as this one from the arcades." –Ami said, as she approached Usagi and examined the strange piece. –"I never seen anything like it before, but, if I had to take a guess, I would say it's like Gummi blocks from our ship."

"If so, and if it proves to be useful maybe we can use it on our ship." –Johnny said.

"I'm more interested in what happened with the Keyblade and the lightshow a few seconds ago." –George said.

"I agree. I don't know about you, but I do believe that we closed one of the world portals Master Yen Sid told us about." –Artemis stated, as he kept looking at the Doorknob –"If so, then we at least managed to complete a part of our work here."

"Yes, I don't feel those creatures' auras anymore." –Rei affirmed. Her sixth sense was never wrong when it came to detecting evil presences.

"Well, then good rid to them all! I was starting to think those things would never go away... too bad Alice disappeared, though." –the Cheshire Cat commented out loud, once more, before disappearing.

They all waited for him to show up again, but the Cheshire Cat did not reappear, and after about 2 minutes, they decided that there was nothing more for them to do there. With the keyhole locked, the Heartless gone and Alice having been kidnapped, they decided to go back to the ship, so as to continue their quest, while trying to find the young blonde. Gathering on the bridge, they all decided on what to do next.

"Well, where are we going next?" –Usagi asked.

"We could go back to Traverse Town and see if our friends can tell us what this piece is." –Makoto suggested.

"Or, we could continue our voyage, until we find another world where the Heartless are, and see if we can help by defeating them and closing another keyhole." –Hotaru said.

The group's opinions were split, so it was up to Luna and Artemis to have the final word.

"If we go back to Traverse Town now, we might find out exactly what that piece is for, but at the same time, we will lose precious time, time that will make us lose track of any possible clues that might point out where they have taken Alice, not to mention that will enable the Heartless to enslave more worlds." –Artemis stated. –"That is why we should keep heading straight while the trail is still hot."

"I agree. It is the best thing to do. Besides, I'm sure that Johnny or George, as well as Ami, might find out what that strange Gummi piece is for, with time of course." –Luna said.

"True, we can try." –Johnny said, as he looked at the piece.

"Then, it's settled. Set a course for the closest world. We've got work to do!" –Haruka exclaimed with a pirate voice, making Michiru was by her side giggle lightly. The rest of the group all cheered up, signalling the unanimous decision.

Usagi did not say it, but she was relieved they were heading into a new world. In her mind, she kept thinking where would Mamoru be. He was not in Wonderland, but that did not mean he would not be on the next world. She had to keep faith that they would find him, or cross paths with someone who saw him, the same way they found Chibiusa in Traverse Town.

"Oh, Mamoru... where are you?" –she asked herself, looking out from one the bridge's windows, into the vastness of space.