The Aftermath: Rise of Mortem

The Darknesse

 * Supreme Overlord Bobby Moon
 * Stardust (Dusty)
 * Kitty

The Light

 * Bill Plunderbones
 * Cherie
 * Larry Daggerpaine
 * Richie Rich Goldvane
 * Jack Pistol

Mortem Members

 * 1st Emperor - Unknown - Both red eyes
 * 2nd Emperor - Unknown - Red and blue eye
 * 3rd Emperor - Unknown - Red and orange eye
 * More to come...

Plot Synopsis
The Balance has been created and peace reigns over Earth and the Realm. But all is threatened when a mysterious ancient society (Mortem) comes back from extinction with a plan of pure malice. Their mission is simple: eradication of both Light and Darknesse, which would send the universe spiraling into chaos. With no other choice, The Impossible must be done; Light and Darknesse must unite against this Universal Threat.

Chapter One: It's not Over.
One month after the fall of Darknesse...

The Symbol of Balance shone brightly and darkly supernaturally across the Earth. The Darknesse was practically extinct and the Light's physical form was gone as well. The Followers had already begun to rebuild the damaged world from the Darknesse's takeover. All over the globe, in the capital cities, flew a new flag with the symbol of Balance. The flag was always present but in its circles of blue and red, the Society of Light and Society of Darkness symbols replaced the colors. Bill Plunderbones and his fiancé Cherie were down by The Tokyo Bay, salvaging more wreckage of TSOD airships and taking them to a storage facility in the Cortevos ocean. After the new order was created, Bill took up the Leadership of Japan with Cherie as the Vice Prime Minister and Jack Pistol as the head of renovation projects.

As Bill was picking up a piece of scrap metal, a familiar sound was heard; An airship fleet. The ships were approaching from the western sky. Bill's first thought was that the Darknesse somehow had returned, but these airships were different; Their sides were painted all black with an unfamiliar blue, star-like symbol displayed on the side. "Maybe these invaders were friendly?" Bill thought. This notion was completely expelled from his mind when the bombs began to fall.

Normally the servants of Light would stay and fight, but since The Light had died, their powers were gone. "Run!" Bill yelled to Jack. "Run to the bomb shelter!" Bill grabbed Cherie's hand and they both began sprinting to a small door underneath the palace. After locking the deadbolts, the trio glided down several flights of stairs into a tiny cement bunker. Despite being underground, the walls shook with every blast, sending debris falling down from the ceiling.

During the next half hour, Bill, Cherie, and Jack sat in the corner, listening to the sound of return cannon fire from above. After determining that it was safe to leave, the trio ascended the stairs, preparing themselves for the state of the city.

Tokyo was in flames. A layer of ash covered all of the debris that was scattered across the city. More somber still was the sheer number of lifeless silhouettes strewn throughout the streets. "What the hell has happened?" asked Jack.

"I don't know...," answered Cherie. "Could this have been a Darknesse attack."

"No," Bill muttered, pacing. "It can't be. The Darkness is dead; Bobby Moon is dead. And the ensignia on the ship. Nothing adds up." Bill gazed over the horizon for a moment in silence and then lowered his head. "Mr. Pistol, please gather the army and begin searching for survivors. I'm going to find some answers."

Chapter 2: In the Library
Bill quickly walked to the once grand doors of the Japanese palace. The entire east wing of the estate was rubble and whatever remained was covered in a layer of ash and soot. Bill pried open fallen door and entered the dark entrance hall. He skidded around a fallen chandelier and mounted the grand staircase, which was now littered with chunks of building material and dust. At the top of the stairs, Bill entered the exquisite library. Despite a few fallen columns and volumes, the room was mostly intact. Staring up at the vast collection of leather - bound books, Bill wondered where to begin his search for answers.

He scanned the walls until he found the open archway he was searching for. In the center of a small room was a winding spiral staircase. At the top was granite cavern with a mosaic floor. The symbol of the Society of Light, made up of colored clay tiles, was displayed proudly in the center of the floor. Careful to avoid stepping on the insignia, Bill approached a heavy stone door. Carved in the rock there was another Light symbol. Bill tapped the center of the triangle with his index finger. Suddenly, a warm glow flashed from the crack beneath the door. The glow was not frightening, but warm like sunlight. The barrier rose, revealing a smaller library.

This library was special in that it was split in half. The left side was brightly lit by glowing lamps and large bay windows. Small shelves were filled with books as was a cluttered desk. A large tapestry hung from the wall, embroidered with ancient faces and the familiar Light symbol. It was clear that this side was more frequently used than its counterpart.

The adjacent side was mostly hidden in shadows, with no windows. A single burning lantern lit the pristine cherry desk, that would otherwise be shrouded in darkness. A small Darknesse banner hung above the colossal bookcases which were lean compared to the brighter shelves. The balance ensignia was made of mosaic tiles in the center of the floor, just as in the cavern.

Chapter 3: Malignant Forces
Three hooded figures stood on a balcony, overseeing a large cavern. Below were hundreds of airships, marked with the blue star symbol, and thousands of shadow-like soldiers. "The plan is unfolding swimmingly, do you not agree my brothers?" said the tallest figure, with two blood red eyes.

"I agree, my lord. We are quickly approaching complete domination of this little world," responded the red and blue eyed villain.

"Mortem shall return at last," the last figure declared.

Back in the Society of Light library...

Bill sat at the Light desk, surrounded by stacks of books. "Perhaps history could tell me what was going on now?" he thought. But so far, he was having no luck. The records in the Light's book collection only went back a few hundred years. Bill glanced up from the leather book, toward the records of Darknesse. Not many servants of Light had dared to delve into those shelves. It was rumored that even reading the text could corrupt One into serving the Darknesse. But, desperate times called for desperate measures.

Bill reached for an old-looking volume on the bottom corner of the last cherry shelf. He blew the dust off of the cover and opened to the first wrinkled page. Sitting on the corner of the Darknesse's desk, Bill began reading. The first page that caught his eye was a ritual to bring someone back from the nether-realm. This ceremony could bring back every servant of Light that had ever died; Law and Rich... "No," Bill decided. This was dark magic, he couldn't use it. The myths were apparently true; The Darknesse's books were as persuasive and cunning as its members. He continued to skim the ancient text until he came to a half ripped page. In the upper left-hand corner appeared to be a faded star symbol. This was it; what Bill had been searching for.

The information was written in an ancient text, which no one was literate in anymore. Luckily, and English translation was scrawled in black ink below. Although half of the page was missing, some information could still be decoded.

''Before The Darknesse and The Light, there was an all powerful regime. The Light wishes to hide the past, but the posterity of The Dark shall know all. Our history begins with three brothers, who started a grand organization for peace by world control. The plan was successful for many years and any rebels were destroyed by Shadow Warriors. Eventually, the brothers began arguing and two brothers left the organization, and fought against their older sibling. Together, they barely defeated the regime. Shortly after, differences of opinion caused them to created two new factions; They are known today as The Darknesse and The Light. The original organization gave birth to our mighty society, though they swore revenge on future generations. Many fear to speak their name to this d...''

The rest of the words were missing, most likely ripped out in a hurry. "So this this society has returned!" Bill realized aloud. "My ancestors..."

Chapter 4: The Book of Mortem
All of this new information was from a Darknesse perspective. "There must be some record of this history in the Light half of the library," Bill thought. He placed the open book back on the Darknesse desk and began walking toward the bay windows on the Light side. Suddenly, Bill found himself sprawled on the mosaic floor after tripping over a fallen scroll. While trying to regain his composure, Bill was quickly filled with fear; He had fallen on the ancient symbol of Balance. For it was Society of Light superstition that anyone who disturbed even the symbol of balance would pay a grave price.

Bill quickly scrambled to his feet, but it was too late. He could not escape the ancient circle, due to an invisible wall surrounding him. The Light side of the ying and yang began to emit a blinding glow, with the Darknesse side producing Dark energy. Before Bill could begin thinking up a plan, the floor disappeared beneath his feet. He fell into darkness for a moment until he hit the cold marble floor of the secret shrine. The room was mysteriously lit by two candles, which were positioned on each side of an altar. The malignant star symbol was etched on every stone wall. Perfectly in the center of the ancient altar was a large, decaying book with a golden cover. The only visible markings were five letters; M O R T E M.

Bill gingerly approached the enormous text and opened to the first wrinkled page. He began to read the faded words:

Greetings Dear Reader,

''My name is Limyé, and I have recently founded the Society of Light. If you have found this shrine, I am most likely dead. However, for your efforts, you deserve to know my story. Until very recently, I was a general in the all powerful Order of Mortem, under my oldest brother Aku. At first, The Order was a dream; My lust for power and domination drove me to do terrible things. But eventually, my other brother Teridax and I saw the terrible acts we were committing, and found the will to leave. We rose up against Gomul and finally defeated him and the rest of The Order five years later. However, Teridax and I found that we could not agree about how to fix the world, and we parted ways; Myself to The Light and he to The Darknesse. I shall recall my history in detail throughout this record book, which I shall call The Book of Mortem.''

Bill read the curving script by candlelight for he didn't know how many hours. The countless bits of information swirled in his head. This secret shrine could be his, and the world's, salvation! However, Bill's hope was almost shattered when reading the final page:

''Before he was destroyed in the explosion, Aku swore that The Order of Mortem would return and regain its domination. If such a terrible situation were to occur, I have one piece of advice; Do not try to fight. Take everything that matters to you and find a remote location to hide and survive in. Mortem was barely defeated before, and many lives were lost. The Order will no doubt return stronger than anyone now could ever imagine. You will be hunted and annihilated within a few weeks. Heed my warning, my dear reader, and save yourself.''

These final words sent chills down Bill's spine. He knew that he must discuss his findings with the rest of the Society of Light. He quickly mounted a rusty iron ladder and began climbing back up into the palace. Once he arrived, he rushed to find Jack Pistol and Cherie.