El Mariachi Muerte stands amidst a bustling Agora, tinkering on his guitar. Before him, a monkey is chained to a pole, dancing to the music Muerte plays.

“All of Arcadia dances to a tune.”

He watches the monkey sway instinctively to the music.

“La Musica plays and you each dance in turn, mi amigos. Whether you hear the song playing or not. You still dance along.”

🎵You make me, make me, make me wanna cry
I beg to see you dance just one more time.🎵

“But just like this monkey, you are slaves to your own songs. You each have your own chain hanging around your neck.”

The monkey stops moving. Muerte pulls on the chain, yanking it back into submission.

“Ayame. Red. Mighty Mighty. Through the choices you have made, the deals your have struck or the beast that resides within, you each find yourself as hopeless as a dancing monkey.

The song plays, you will dance. Because that is what dancing monkeys do.”

🎵Dance for me, dance for me, dance for me,
I’ve never seen anybody do the things you do before…
Move for me, move for me, move for me,
And when you’re done, I’ll make you do it all again.🎵

“Mighty Mighty. The dancing fool. The newest dancing monkey of Klaus Way, born of his own idiocy. They say fools rush in, and you took a fool’s deal.

Now, when the Circus music plays, you will dance whatever dance he tells you to. Because that contract you signed is binding. Danza, danza del mono.”

Muerte pulls once more on the chain, and the monkey continues to dance, though baring its teeth in frustration.

“Ayame. The dancing wolf. Subject to the bloodlust within her. She dances unwillingly to a dark urge.

Rending the demon of Lutherian Locke has begun a song playing for you which you have no control over. Awakening the beast within. She is transforming, but at what cost to herself?”

Spurned on by the music, the monkey continues to dance.

“Red built an empire of his own out of wheeling and dealing, having people scratch his back. But when your empire is built in the shadows, there’s always a cost of doing business.

Criminals sleep with one eye open, for that is the dance they must bear, ese.”

🎵Just like a monkey, I’ve been dancing my whole life
But you just beg to see me dance just one more time🎵

“I am no monkey, forced to dance. No. I am a Seeker, and we seek to break the chains Arcadia has around all of our necks.”

Muerte reaches down, undoing the monkey’s collar. The monkey stops dancing.

“War is necessary to stop the oppression holding us down. We seek a new future for Arcadia, and some dancing monkeys will not stand in our way.”

He continues playing. The monkey hesitates, but soon smiles and dances along anyway. Freely.

“I hear the song playing, and choose which music I dance to. Can you hear the music play, or are you too busy dancing to the music that controls you?”