Every nerve screamed with raw agony.  Every breath was
a struggle.  The machines surrounding him bleeped and
chattered, constantly monitoring his vital signs.  

This was the opportunity he'd waited for.  Slowly, with
painstaking care, one hand crept up toward his face, until
he grasped the oxygen mask.  One vicious tug, and it was
free, released to dangle over the side of the hospital bed. 
He sat up, pulling free from one of the devices, which
howled shrilly in protest.  He could hear them approaching,
already, footsteps pounding on the tiled floors of the
hallway.

Ishido stood, supported only by sheer will.  The wires
and tubes fell away completely as he stepped away from the
antiseptic cocoon they'd left him in.  He stumbled, leaning
heavily against the wall.

The door burst open to admit two doctors, a nurse, and
a policeman.  Ishido held himself still.  A corner of his
mind marked the manner in which the medical personnel stared
at the bed for a long moment, while the policeman's eyes
quickly swept the entire room.

Then they all began to speak at once:  Impossible.  How
could he even move, in his condition, much less escape?  How
had he gotten out of the room?  He was in serious danger, he
could die if he didn't get medical supervision.  A report
would have to be called in at once, he couldn't have gotten
far.  Was he insane?

A thin smile crawled across Ishido's lips as he
contemplated his next move.

* * *

Arcana
started by Scott Schimmel

Chapter Eight:
A Plague of Angels

by Scott Schimmel

* * *

"Hiya, Hotaru."  A bright smile and jaunty wave greeted
Hotaru as she stepped out the door.

Her lingering brooding over her odd dream of the
previous night was swept away in an instant.  "Natsu!" she
shrieked joyfully, throwing her arms around her friend. 
"You're back!"

"Hey, watch it."  Natsu chuckled.  "You want to put me
back in the hospital, or something?"

"Oh!  I'm sorry..."  Hotaru released her death-grip,
newly mindful of Natsu's injury.

The blonde rolled her eyes.  "It's okay, Hotaru.  I'm
glad to see you, too."  She grinned.  "And I'm really glad
to have seen the last of that place."  She glanced at her
watch.  "You're early today.  What gives?"

"It's not like I'm always late..." she began to
protest, but stopped as a thought struck her.  "You've been
waiting for me?"

Natsu smirked.  "It seemed like a good idea at the
time."  She turned and began walking, taking long, restless
strides.

Hotaru hurried to catch up and smiled as she fell into
step beside her friend.  "You were a little bored in there,
were you?"

"A little," she agreed, rolling her eyes.  "Aside from
Joker's visit, and that sort of excitement I don't need. 
But you'd think at least the police interview would be..." 
She trailed off with a sigh.  "I think there's just
something about hospitals that makes everything tedious." 
With a shrug, she added, "Not that patience was ever one of
my more apparent virtues to begin with, but..."

"You're not that impatient.  Ne, you were interviewed
by the police?"

Natsu shot her a sidelong glance.  "Sure.  It's pretty
standard procedure, you know.  Weren't you?"

"No... not yet, anyway."  Nervously nibbling her lower
lip, Hotaru ventured, "Um, what did they ask you about?"

She was momentarily taken aback as Natsu laughed.  "Oh,
so that's what you were getting at.  Don't worry, your
secret's safe with me."  With a wink, she concluded,
"Besides, it happened before you came to visit."

Hotaru smiled brightly.  "I should've known.  Thanks,
Natsu."

"It's nothing."  The pair paused at a corner, waiting
for a traffic signal.  "And, honestly, I hardly believe it
myself, and I was there."

Hotaru looked down at the ground.  "I know what you
mean.  A week ago, I would never in my wildest nightmares
have imagined the things that've turned out to be true..."

The light changed and they started across.  "You think
of those 'skills,'" the blonde asked, mindful of the crowd
of pedestrians, "as nightmarish?"

"Has anything good come of it?"  With a morose sigh,
she added, "It's not like I asked for any of this..." 
Tentatively, she glanced at her friend.  "You're taking it a
lot better than I did."

"I don't think it's really set in, yet," Natsu
confessed.

"Ne, you--"  Swallowing heavily, Hotaru frowned and
tried again.  "I mean... if you don't want me around so
much, I understand, I just--"

She cut herself off, belatedly realizing that Natsu had
stopped dead in her tracks.  Slowly, stifling a whimper, she
turned.  Natsu was watching her intently.  Her friend's eyes
narrowed, and she involuntarily flinched.  "Why?"  The terse
question snapped like a whip.

Meekly, Hotaru answered.  "I'm...  Don't you think I'm
causing a lot of trouble for you?  I don't know if--  It
might be dangerous for you!  You already got hurt because of
me... because of what I am..."

Slightly mollified, Natsu relaxed, resuming her walk at
a slower pace.  "You know, Joker said almost the same exact
thing."

A cold mist of fear settled over Hotaru's heart.  "See? 
Even he said so..."

"I told him to get lost."

Hotaru blinked.  "You... did?"

Natsu irritably rubbed at her temple.  "How long have
we known each other?"

"Eh?"  She thought for a moment.  "Almost eight years,
now?"

"Right.  Half our lives.  And we've been friends almost
from that first day, right?"

Hotaru had an inkling where this was leading.  "More or
less... mostly because you tried so hard."

"So do you really think I'd give that up overnight?"

"But you could be hurt!" she protested.  "And... I'm,
I'm a--"

"I'm aware of that.  And it's nice that you care, but
I'm not about to let myself be run off."

"But--"

"Hotaru."  Natsu's voice was very firm, silencing
Hotaru's half-hearted protests.  "Just asking shows that
you're still the same person you were.  That's all that's
important.  Not what you are."  She smirked, adding, with a
trace of bitterness, "You should know I'd be the last one to
think about that."

"Natsu?"

The blonde girl shrugged.  "I'm not deaf.  I know half
the girls at school look down on me for not trying harder to
fit in with them, as if I could.  I'm not about to do the
same thing to you."

Guilt at the memory of the recent incident at school
swam up, only to be pushed aside.  "But the other ones... 
You have a lot of friends," Hotaru protested.

A brief shake of the head.  "No, I don't.  The other
half of the girls idolize me.  That's almost as bad."  She
chuckled.  "And the boys aren't any better.  Most of them
either think I'm a freak or just want to get me into bed." 
She laughed again as her younger friend blushed.  "Real
friends are a bit harder to come by."

"I'm shocked that a paragon of beauty such as yourself
would say such a thing," a third voice smoothly interjected.

She favored the speaker with a jaundiced glance.  "Oh. 
It's the playboy again."

Simultaneously, Hotaru did a double-take. 
"Tetsuya-san?"

The Knight of Cups flashed a dazzling smile at her. 
"Hello, Hotaru-chan.  It's my turn to escort you today -- a
very pleasant duty, I must say."

"You're a bit late, aren't you?" Natsu smirked.

Tetsuya's smile wavered.  "I was right behind you the
entire time," he protested.  "I simply didn't want to
interrupt your conversation."

"Oh, so you were eavesdropping, then."

An eyebrow twitched.  "That's not what I meant!  I
just, er, happened to overhear a little bit."

"That's okay, Tetsuya-san.  We're glad to have you with
us," Hotaru said, poking Natsu's shoulder.

"Oh, yes.  Thrilled."

"Hmph.  Some day, you'll see what I'm really like, and
you'll regret brushing me off like that," he warned.  "Of
course..."  He paused dramatically, brushing one hand
through his bangs while smiling at Natsu.  "I'm perfectly
willing to forgive you."

The blonde turned toward Tetsuya, arching an eyebrow as
she scrutinized him.  "You know something, Tetsuya-san?" she
asked, intrigued.

The bishounen's smile grew wider.  "What's that,
Natsu-chan?" he asked in the same tones, humoring her.

"You could use a haircut."  He stumbled; Hotaru
giggled.  "And don't call me -chan."

"Why do the beautiful ones always have the sharpest
tongues?" he lamented.

"Sorry, Tetsuya-san," Hotaru said, still giggling. 
"Better luck next time."

"Oh, sure, wish him on me.  Some friend."  Natsu stuck
out her tongue, prompting a similar response from Hotaru.

Tetsuya heaved a put-upon sigh.  "As edifying as
playing your straight man is," he began, "we seem to have
arrived."  Indeed, the school's gates were less than half a
block away, and small groups of girls in blue and yellow and
boys in black streamed through them.  "And since I still
need to get to my own school..."

"You'll be leaving?" Natsu asked sweetly.

"You don't have to sound so happy about it."

"You don't have to hit on everything in a skirt," she
retorted.

"You're not in a skirt," Tetsuya pointed out, winking.

Despite herself, Natsu smiled.  "Okay, that's one to
you."

The boy chuckled.  "I hadn't realized we were keeping
score."

"Oh, just go, before I change my mind."

"Bye, Tetsuya-san," Hotaru added, waving.

"Goodbye, ladies."  He waved to the pair, then set off
at a jog, quickly rounding the corner and vanishing from
their sight.

"He's something else," Natsu noted.

"Yeah."  Hotaru smiled softly.  "That way of
talking..."

"Please don't tell me you're falling for that guy. 
You've always had better taste than that."

"No way!"  She grinned and added, "He is cute, though. 
Especially when he talks that way.  Besides, I think he's
got a good heart."

Natsu sniffed, folding her arms.  "You think that about
everybody.  Me, I'd like him a lot better if he didn't take
himself so seriously."

"Anou... excuse me?"  Natsu blinked as a short girl
with mousy hair bound in a blue hair ribbon appeared in
front of her, seemingly out of nowhere.  "Um, I just..." she
began, before giving up entirely and thrusting a bundle
forward into Natsu's arms.  "Here.  Sorry.  Bye!"

By the time Natsu had formulated a response, the girl
was already disappearing into the building.  "What was
that?" she wondered aloud, gazing down at the small bouquet
she was now holding -- a single rose in a spray of...
whatever those ubiquitous little white flowers were.  She
shook her head, catching Hotaru's gaze.  Her friend looked
as surprised as she felt.  "Um, I don't know her, do I?"

Hotaru made no response.  She was peering quizzically
at the door of the building.

Natsu shrugged.  "What an odd girl.  I hope this isn't
another Rika... remember her?"

"The one who decided you were her 'ideal person'?"
Hotaru asked, grinning.  "How could I forget?"

"It's not funny.  She was following me around like a
puppy for weeks.  And she wasn't exactly shy about it."

Hotaru giggled, remembering the ribbon girl's words the
previous day.  "I really don't think you need to worry about
that this time, Natsu.  Trust me."

"Let's hope so."

"Still... it's nice to know that sometimes people can
change."

"What?"

"Never mind.  It's nothing."  Hotaru hummed a fragment
of a tune as she all but skipped up the stairs ahead of her
friend, leaving Natsu to wonder what had gotten into her.

*

Miyuki slipped into the park, hoping to escape the
lunchtime crowd on the streets.  She needed to think about
Hanako.  The young girl would need far more than just
shelter, and neither Hotaru nor Tetsuya had considered that. 
Not surprising, really; Tetsuya, she was sure, thought of
others only so far as they might impact on himself.  Hotaru
definitely didn't do that -- but she seemed the sort who was
blind to future consequences.

Speaking of blind...  Miyuki tapped her cane against
the brick walkway.  Naturally, she didn't need the
instrument, and often chose not to carry the metal rod,
despite its ability to collapse for relative ease of
transport.  She had to admit, though, that it was quite
useful in a number of circumstances -- for instance,
stopping the police officer near the park entrance from
accosting her.  Technically, she should have been in school
right now, but very few policemen felt comfortable pursuing
a blind girl for truancy.

She'd thought of sitting near the pond, but there were
too many people in that area to allow her to even pretend at
any sort of solitude.  Instead, she set out for the flower
garden.  There would be few blossoms at this time of year,
if any, but that hardly mattered -- she "saw" the world in
shades of grey, a stark contrast to the explosions of color
that typified her visions.

At the edge of the garden, she paused momentarily. 
Then she stepped deliberately forward, a thin smile on her
lips that did not reach her eyes.  "Why don't you come out?"

There was a faint shimmer, visible only to the eyes of
one such as she.  A ragged figure walked unsteadily around
the trunk of a nearby sakura in whose shadow he'd been
resting.  Clothed in a makeshift cloak obviously fashioned
by hand from a blanket, he looked not unlike a mobile
scarecrow.  "I thought we might talk in private," he rasped
in a voice drier than the Sahara.

"I have a hunch we won't be disturbed.  Joker, I
presume?"

"I've been called that.  I'm surprised you didn't avoid
me."

"I don't believe in running from my problems." 
Miyuki's thin smile grew fractionally.  "Besides, I feel no
danger here."

"Very confident of you."

"Were you hoping I'd make an easy target?  Try, and
you'll learn the hard way that I can do more with the
threads of Fortune than simply see them."

The man chuckled, a low, dry rattle that ended in a
cough.  "Tempting as the prospect of matching my power
against yours may be... that's not why I'm here today."

"Really."

"Indeed."

Miyuki tapped her foot, once.  "I wonder, though,
whether I shouldn't take care of you now," she remarked
casually.  "When the opportunity presents, after all..."

"We both know you're not going to."  He dismissively
waved a hand as Miyuki opened her mouth to reply,
continuing, "Don't trouble yourself.  If you were, you
already would have, instead of wasting time threatening me."

"I might have used the very same words."  

Another dry chuckle escaped Joker's lips.  "We do have
quite a few things in common, don't we?"

"Only one, I think."

He took a single step forward.  "They do say Fortune
favors the Fool," he noted.

Miyuki's cool smile twisted, almost invisibly.  "That
was a long time ago, and it didn't involve me."

"No?  You are Fortune."

"Not that Fortune.  We're not like you.  None of us
are."

Joker's laugh this time was loud and full.  "You could
be," he answered.

"I'm getting tired of these games."  Miyuki removed her
sunglasses, the better to stare pointedly at Joker.  He
didn't flinch at her sightless gaze as she'd hoped he might. 
Ah, well.  "Why don't you tell me why you're here?"

"I have a message for you.  A request.  Or a warning,
if you'd prefer."  Miyuki wordlessly raised an eyebrow. 
"Leave the firefly out of whatever games you choose to
play."

"So you'll be able to kill her more easily?  I don't
think she'd appreciate that.  No, I think my Arcana will
continue to protect her until she finishes learning to
protect herself."

"You must be very proud of your pawns," the cloaked boy
sneered.

"My friends," Miyuki corrected.

"They don't know a thing, do they?  But then... do
you?"

"They're big boys and girls.  They can decide for
themselves."  Miyuki slid her sunglasses back onto her nose. 
"As for the rest... I'm sure we'll be able to work through
our problems together.  All of our problems," she
emphasized.  Joker only chuckled quietly.  With a brief
shrug, she turned.  "I'll be leaving now, then.  It's
obvious I won't have peace and quiet here."

"Just like that?"

She smiled, though she knew he couldn't see.  "Just
like that."

She walked away, toward the park entrance, trying not
to tremble visibly.  She made it without incident, but that
barely reassured her.  That encounter, she hadn't expected. 
Something was coming, she was sure.  Something large and
troublesome.  Something that she couldn't see clearly.  Her
vision of the near future was all but blinded by the vast
panoply of conflicting possibilities.  Events had built
momentum too quickly.  She wasn't sure what she could do to
slow it.  If anything.

That realization, more than anything else, scared
Miyuki Sokana.

*

A dejected Hotaru slouched out the doors of the school,
her attention, in the form of a blank stare, fixed firmly on
the paper in her hands.  It was inundated beneath a
depressing amount of red ink.  "I can't believe I did so
badly," she murmured tonelessly.

"Cheer up."  Natsu's hand rested lightly on her
shoulder, commiserating.  "At least you passed."

"Not by very much."  Stuffing the test paper into the
satchel with her schoolbooks, she sighed.

"So you'll need to study harder next time.  No big
deal, right?  You can do that."

Thoroughly miserable, Hotaru shook her head.  "I
wouldn't mind so much if studying seemed to make a
difference, but it doesn't."  Another sigh.  "Chemistry
makes me feel so stupid."

"You're not stupid, Hotaru.  You did as well as me on
that last geometry exam, remember?"

"That's because geometry is your worst subject, Miss
I-got-an-89-without-studying."

"Well, you aced history, right?"  Natsu rolled her
eyes.  "And why are you arguing, anyway?  Do you want to
prove you're stupid?"

That earned her a wan smile.  "I guess when you put it
like that...  Ne, what are you going to do now?"

The blonde considered that for a moment, then shrugged
noncommitally.  "No sense in going to practice, I guess. 
They've already warned me that they're not going to let me
play for a few more days.  No major homework assignments --
I guess I have you to thank for that, mostly.  So... I guess
I'm free for a while.  Why?"

"Well, I--"  Abruptly, she cut herself off, blinking. 
"Ah... Yasuragi-sempai!" she called, vigorously waving a
hand in the air.  "Over here!"

Natsu turned, following her friend's gaze, and stared. 
Their sempai was wearing a gi and hakama -- the first time
she remembered seeing her out of her school uniform -- and
carrying a shinai.  She approached them with that strange,
floating walk of hers, appearing unhurried while crossing
the distance with surprising speed.  She walked, Natsu
realized with a touch of surprise, as highly skilled
athletes ran -- with a grace and power that deceived the
casual eye.

She nodded to them as she came to a stop.  "Komatane. 
Forrester.  To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Well," Hotaru began, a little uncertainly, "it looks
like you do kendo, and my father thinks I should maybe study
self-defense after that attack.  He doesn't know I'm--"

"Perhaps," Sumire interrupted with a quick glance in
Natsu's direction, "we should talk elsewhere?"

"I see you're still the same," Natsu muttered under her
breath.

"--Arcana, you see, and he's kind of worried, so I
thought I should ask for your advice.  Oh, it's okay," she
added almost as an afterthought.  "I already told Natsu
about it."

A cool, enigmatic gaze was directed toward Natsu.  "Did
you?"

"So sorry to crash your party by nearly getting
killed."

"She had a right to know," Hotaru quietly agreed.

Sumire nodded.  "Have you told any others?"

"No.  Well, Hanako-chan, but nobody else."

A second brief nod.  "The fewer who know of us, the
safer we -- and they -- are.  If you choose to tell anyone
else, keep that in mind."

"You... don't care?  If I tell people?"

"We must make our own decisions," Sumire answered
slowly.  "Assuming you realize that this particular decision
may have consequences for others besides yourself, I will
trust you to do what you think is best."

"Sounds like a dodge to me.  Don't want to get
involved, sempai?  Afraid of being wrong?"

If the older girl's expression wavered, Natsu didn't
see it.  "Not at all.  If I should need to act in response
to a poor decision, then I, too, must do what I think is
best."  Something about the tone of Sumire's delivery caused
a chill to run along her spine.

Not her friend, though; apparently, Hotaru was
oblivious.  "Thanks, Yasuragi-sempai!"

Sumire actually chuckled at that, startling the pair. 
It was a dead and humorless sound.  "You may not want to
thank me just yet.  Now.  You wanted my advice?"

Hotaru nodded.  "I didn't know you were on the kendo
team, but I guess that means you'd know..."

"I'm not, technically.  They did ask, and when I
refused, they went so far as to offer me the captain's
position.  I declined."

"Surprise, surprise," Natsu drawled sardonically.

"I felt it would be unfair for me to compete, given my
abilities," Sumire continued, unruffled.  "Instead, I agreed
to serve as a coach."

"Hm?  So you do want to help them out, after all?"

"I'd appreciate it if you'd stop trying to provoke me,
Forrester."

"Yeah?  I would've appreciated it if you'd helped out a
little sooner last week."

Sumire didn't even blink.  "I told you, that could have
endangered Komatane."

"Um," Hotaru finally interjected nervously, "could you
please not fight, you two?"

"That would hardly be productive."

Natsu clenched her fists angrily.  "Don't you ever care
about anything?"

The Ace of Blades stared silently at Natsu for a long
moment.  "More than you might guess," she answered at last. 
"But we all must be able to control ourselves.  Especially
we Arcana."  She paused for a moment in thought, then nodded
to herself.  "I will help you begin.  Come with me; the
kendo team will manage on its own."

Hotaru began to step forward almost by reflex, but she
found her path blocked by her friend.  "Help her what? 
Develop so much control she turns into you?"

"Natsu..."

"I doubt that will happen, Forrester."

"Damn right it won't happen!  Come on, Hotaru, let's go
home."

The Magician hesitated.  "But... I don't know,
Natsu..."

"There's no need to make the decision hastily,
Komatane.  I can't teach you unless you're certain you want
me to.  After you've thought about it... then you can tell
me."

Hotaru slowly nodded.  "Thank you, Yasuragi-sempai,"
she said, unusually formal.  "I will consider it."

Natsu gaped.  "You can't be serious..."

"You're welcome, Komatane.  Was there anything else?" 
Hotaru shook her head silently.  "I see.  Goodbye, then." 
Without another word, she turned away.

"You're really thinking about learning martial arts? 
From her?"

"I'm not sure."  Hotaru mulled that over as she began
her slow walk home.

*

Sagara paused in the doorway for a moment, watching as
his partner slowly dealt out cards onto his desk, face up. 
He cleared his throat self-consciously.  "What's up?"

Without looking up, Nakamura answered, "Just a crazy
idea I had.  It's no good, though.  There aren't any jokers
in these decks."

"Ah, the kid again.  That was something, huh?"

"Yeah, he's a regular Houdini.  I'd like to know how he
managed to escape, in his condition, though."

Sagara shrugged.  "You think he might be on something? 
PCP?"

"Maybe.  But how'd he get it into the hospital, when
he'd been under guard for over two days?"  Nakamura shook
his head, disgusted.  "This whole case is just plain weird,"
he grumbled, tapping his fingers on the desk.

"No kidding."  Sagara sat down across from him, laying
the bag and the styrofoam cups he'd brought to one side of
the cards.  "I brought you a sandwich."

"Thanks," Nakamura said absently.

Sagara's finger traced a short scar that marred the
desk's smooth surface.  "No problem.  You've got to stop
skipping lunch, though."

"Sorry.  This is really bothering me."  He tossed the
remainder of the deck onto the pile and reached for a cup of
coffee.

"Hey, have you thought about learning how to use those
things?" Sagara wondered.

"The cards?  Not really, why?"

Sagara shrugged.  "No reason.  I wonder if there might
be something to it, is all."

"Funny.  You never struck me as the superstitious type,
Sagara."

"Hey, I said it was just a thought," he protested. 
He'd never considered himself a superstitious person,
either.  But he had to wonder, after what had happened
yesterday, with that strange girl...

"Well, I think it's possible!" she trilled.  Nakamura
looked up, arching an eyebrow, while Sagara heard that
voice, froze, and slowly turned.  Speak of the devil...

"You?" the older policeman blurted out.

"What?"  She was leaning against the door frame,
schoolbag in hand, newspaper folded and tucked beneath her
arm.  Her smile was innocent enough, but her eyes were
mocking him, he knew it.  "Can't your favorite niece visit
you once in a while?"

Niece?  What was all this about?  "Um... I'm just a
little surprised to see you here," he hazarded.  It must
have been good enough, because she smiled sweetly as she
stepped into the office.  She spared a cursory glance for
the desk and its contents before fixing on the man behind
it.  "This is Nakamura," Sagara added.  "My partner."

"Oh!  I've heard about you.  It's nice to finally meet
you," she said politely.

"Same here."  Belatedly remembering his manners,
Nakamura scrambled to his feet.  His bow faltered as the
girl thrust her empty hand across the desk at him, her smile
growing even wider.  Bemused, he shook it -- the
American-style greetings must be a fad at her school, he
figured.  A fleeting surprise registered in her eyes, and he
stifled a chuckle.  Obviously, he wasn't as old and out of
touch as she'd thought.  Kids...

Maki smiled apologetically at the officers.  "I hope
I'm not interrupting anything important.  I just had to come
tell Uncle the good news."

"What good news?"  Sagara was beginning to feel like
he'd missed part of this conversation.

In response, she spread her newspaper on the desk.  The
financial section of this morning's Asahi, Sagara noticed. 
"Look near the bottom of page six," Maki prompted.

His curiosity was piqued -- and so, he saw, was
Nakamura's.  He flipped through the pages, scanning the
small text where she'd indicated, and his eyes widened.  "I
don't believe it..."

"What?"  Nakamura had given up on the impractical task
of reading the tiny text upside-down.

Sagara reluctantly tore his eyes away from the article. 
"They're working on a joint project.  Iwakura Industries'
stock nearly doubled."  Not that that was saying much,
considering how far it'd fallen over the past few months,
but still...

"Oh?  That's good.  Did you own some?"

Sagara nodded.  "Yeah, some."  He'd never told his
partner the extent of his troubles.

"Lucky for you, then."

"Yep," Maki affirmed, "this is a really lucky time for
you!"  She beamed at him.

"I guess it is," he replied, smiling slightly, even if
it was somewhat forced.  "How about I buy you an ice-cream
to celebrate?"

"Great!  Is it okay, though?"

Sagara glanced at his partner meaningfully.  "Can you
cover for me for a few minutes?"

"Like always?"  Nakamura grinned, waving him on. 
"Sure.  We won't have much to do until they finish
interviewing the doctors and checking the medical records,
anyway."

"Okay, then."  He stood, waved, and headed for the
door.  Maki followed docilely.  He didn't stop until he was
a block away from the station.

Then he turned toward Maki.  He was not surprised to
find that the girl was gone; it was the woman's eyes that
looked out at him now.  "How did you do that?" he demanded
bluntly.

"Me?" she asked, too innocently.  "You might think of
me as a financial wizard, but even so, I could hardly
control Iwakura Technologies."

"Why would they be in on a joint venture, then?  They
had nothing anybody would want," he said bitterly.

Maki grinned -- a sly expression quite different from
her previous innocent joy.  "Well, I do have a few
connections.  What's wrong?  I thought you'd be happy to
have your losses reduced."

"Isn't that insider trading?"

Maki chuckled, folding her arms and leaning back
against the nearby building.  "Don't be silly.  You invested
over a year ago, you've held the stock since then, and you
still haven't turned a profit.  Even the most paranoid
couldn't accuse you of insider trading.  And if that's not
enough, you had no idea about the deal until after it
happened.  Your partner can attest to that."

"Hmm."  The girl had a point, but for some reason, that
didn't ease Sagara's feelings.  "Why'd you really drop by? 
What is it you really want?  And what's this about being my
niece, anyway?"

"Oh, that?  It gives me a good reason to talk to you
from time to time.  I hope you don't mind."

"Uh... no, not really.  Wish you'd warned me, though."

"As for the rest... why don't you tell me some more
about that case you were talking about when I came in?  That
sounds interesting."

Sagara shrugged.  "I guess I can do that... the
press'll know soon enough anyway, so it's probably okay.  We
don't know much yet, though."

"That's fine.  Just tell me everything you can."

"Why do you want to know about this, anyway?"

Maki offered him a thin smile.  "Call it a hobby."

Uneasily, Sagara shifted positions.  He wasn't in much
of a position to question the girl, though...  "All right... 
See, here's what's happened so far with that..."

*

Sumire demonstrated the move for the third time.  Her
blade moved with precision, first rapidly, then slowly, to
show the technique.  It was almost a part of her -- that's
the cliche that they would apply, no doubt.  She knew
better.  The blade was beyond that.  It was a thought, an
instinct.

It hadn't changed in the slightest since that first day
she'd picked up a wooden practice sword.  She remembered the
defiance and desperation she'd felt then.  If she thought
about it, she was certain she could still hear Arisa's
screams.  That had been the final impetus.  Her best
friend's cries echoing in the empty gym, the harsh laughter,
and the sudden sight of the practice weapon serendipitously
close at hand.

The bamboo sword sketched a graceful arc in the air as
Sumire parried an imaginary blow and retaliated.  The
kendoists mimicked her clumsily, but she only half-noticed,
allowing her body to effortlessly repeat the motions as they
continued to drill.  The memories had lost some of their
sting over the years.  Control, that was the key.  Control
of blade, control of body, control of mind.  Very little was
necessary, beyond that.

She'd tried to apologize afterward.  For what, she
wasn't entirely sure -- acting too slowly?  Acting at all? 
As often as she'd replayed the events of that day in her
mind, she couldn't find a way that would have been better. 
Not once it had begun.  Arisa hadn't seen it that way,
though.

Slice, slice, parry, pivot, slice.  Air rushed around
the bundled bamboo.  What had happened to Arisa, afterward? 
The kendo team was barely keeping up, now.  Some of the
newer members had already given up and were watching her in
wide-eyed awe.  She would have to speak to them later;
they'd never improve, if they didn't try.  

Slice, step, slice.  In the right hands, even a wooden
sword could be deadly.  They didn't cut, but they left
wounds nonetheless.

Besides, sometimes invisible wounds cut the most
deeply.

*

"I mean it, Hotaru.  I don't think you should trust
someone like her so easily."  Natsu sighed, exasperated. 
"People just aren't like that without a good reason.  She
doesn't feel anything!"

"But she knows what she's talking about, doesn't she? 
I can't think of anyone in the school who doesn't respect
her, except maybe you..."

"Sure, but nobody likes her.  She doesn't have any
friends.  And she doesn't care about that, either!  She's
almost like a robot or something.  It's... creepy."

Hotaru pursed her lips in thought.  "What do you think,
Sempai?"

Keisuke shrugged amiably.  "You're both right.  She's
pretty cold, but she generally knows what she's talking
about.  She doesn't let things get in the way of her logic,
if you know what I mean."

"Exactly," Natsu murmured.

"But... I feel like I can trust her," Hotaru fretted.

"Sure you can."  Keisuke smiled, a broad, easygoing
grin.  "She might not show it much, but she cares about all
of us.  She'd probably die before she let you get hurt. 
Very committed," he added somewhat redundantly.

Natsu frowned.  "I still think she should BE
committed."

"You know, I get the impression you don't like
Sumire-san very much."

"Feeling's mutual, I'd say."

"I doubt it.  I think she kind of likes you, actually,
seeing as you're sticking with Hotaru-chan and all."

Natsu snorted.  "She's got a funny way of showing it,
then."  Glancing between Hotaru and Keisuke, she speculated,
"I wonder if there's something about being Arcana that
destroys your judgment of people."

"Hey!  Natsu..."

Keisuke only laughed.  "Could be.  Oh, I've got to run
in here for a minute," he added, indicating the nearby
pharmacy with a jerk of his thumb.  "Do you mind waiting a
few minutes?"

"Go ahead, Keisuke-sempai.  We'll wait right here for
you."  Hotaru smiled as the Knight waved to her before
stepping through the door.

"Well, aren't you lucky, having the guy of your dreams
escort you home like this," Natsu teased when the door had
closed.

Her younger friend blushed beet red.  "It's not like
that..." she stammered.

"Why don't you just say something to him?  He seems to
like you well enough..."

"I-- I couldn't do that!"  Impossibly, her blush
deepened.  "Aaaah... why can't I be more like you?"

Natsu smirked at her.  "I'll trade you."

"I was waiting for him to leave," a third voice rasped,
behind them.

Both girls spun, Natsu's hands reflexively clenching
into fists, while Hotaru held hers up, open.  The young
Magician felt an electric ripple spread out around her, but
even without that indication, she would never forget that
voice.  Terror and anger struggled inside her.  "Joker!"

"You can call me Ishido, if you like."  

"Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital?"

"They underestimated me."  The cloaked boy held up his
hands, a strangely conciliatory gesture.  "I know what
you're thinking, but I'm not here to hurt you.  Not this
time."

Without turning her head, Natsu glanced to the sides,
noting the sudden stillness.  "Yeah?  Then why did you pull
this time stop again?"

"I didn't," Joker replied calmly.  "Our little firefly
did."

Hotaru blinked.  "I... I did?"

"You have good instincts.  Incidentally, pretty lady,
time doesn't stop in here."  Natsu's eyes flickered to her
watch, and he laughed.  "Timepieces do.  Clocks, watches,
even hourglasses.  I don't know why.  Mechanical, battery...
it makes no difference."

"Why are you here?" Hotaru demanded, feeling a surge of
confidence.  She'd done... whatever it was... herself.  She
had control.  It was Joker who was trapped, this time.  She
felt the flames lurking just at the edge of her conscious,
waiting for her to release them.  Almost like the dream, but
also subtly different.

"I've come to warn you, firefly.  You've placed your
trust too easily in Fortune."

"Somehow," Natsu remarked, "you lack credibility."

"Just because I tried to kill you a couple of times?"

"That'd be a start."

"But I'm not trying to now," he suggested.  "In fact, I
probably won't be, any time soon."

"Oh, that helps."

Hotaru's eyes narrowed.  "You've changed your mind?"

Joker shrugged.  "It'd be pointless, now.  Your power's
begun to awaken."

"So you only kill helpless girls," Natsu snarled.

"You've got it all wrong.  I was hoping I'd manage to
get to her before her powers awakened.  Then she'd be free
of the resurrection cycle, you see.  But it's too late now. 
She's Arcana.  Now and forever."

"What-- what do you mean?"  Hotaru took a half-step
back.

"Poor little firefly... the memories have to come from
somewhere.  Yours will be part of them, now.  In a way,
you'll live on forever."  He coughed, pulling the makeshift
cloak more tightly around him.  "Parts of you, anyway."

"You're lying."  Hotaru's voice trembled.  "The
memories... Miyuki-chan said that they were just about our
power, how to use it."

"Can you trust her?"

"What?"

"Can you trust her?"

"I heard what you said!"  Hotaru's hands clenched into
fists at her side.  "I should just kill you right now..."

"Miyuki said something to that effect, too.  I'm
beginning to sense some hostility here."

"Get out of my sight," she snapped.  "Before I change
my mind."

Joker ducked his head, a quick, mocking semi-bow.  "If
you'd care to release the field..."

Hotaru frowned, concentrating on the electric feeling
in the back of her head.  The world snapped back into place
around them with a roar of sudden sound.

The boy turned to walk away, but paused, looking back
over his shoulder.  "You burn so brightly, little
firefly.... but bright things burn briefly.  Be careful
about who you trust."  He stepped sideways into an alleyway
before she could make a reply.

"Still a complete mental case," Natsu opined
succinctly.

Hotaru gave a slight nod, running one hand through her
brown curls, a nervous gesture from her childhood.  "At
least he wasn't after us this time."

"I think... he was sort of scared of you."

A door clicked shut behind them.  "Sorry about that,
girls."  Keisuke smiled apologetically.  "So, did I miss
anything?"

*

A draft blew across the back of her neck.  Without
looking up from her book, Maki stated, "You're late."

"I got held up," the man replied tersely.

"I saw the policeman today," she began without
preamble.  "For a moment, I thought he'd led me to another
of us.  His partner.  But he wasn't Arcana after all."  A
noncommital grunt was the only response.  "It's just as
well," she continued blithely.  "If I were to reward him too
quickly, he might lose interest."

"Useful, is he?"

"Oh, yes.  He tells me my dear Joker has escaped from
the hospital.  Right under their noses, too.  He's so
resourceful, isn't he?"  Make set the book down, turning
toward the window.  The moon was nearly full tonight, and
the sky was clear.

He coughed meaningfully.  "Most of us are.  I
understand he spoke to one of Miyuki-chan's Council again."

"Just spoke?  Hmm.  Well, that's fine.  I suppose it
would be asking too much for him to be able to fight
already.  He'll need to heal."  Absently, she tapped one
finger on the table.  "That girl is entirely too much of a
problem.  I wish we could do something about her."

A shadow moved in what might have been a shrug.  "She
sees too much.  It'd give everything away.  Besides..."

"Besides?"

"I don't want them to get hurt.  There must be a way to
get them to stop without resorting to violence."

"You know I'm doing my best."  The Queen of Pentacles
smiled.  "I've even asked Joker to leave your little firefly
alone, if she'll only stay out of this."

There was a brief, almost unnoticeable silence, which
spoke volumes.  "Really?"

"Yes, but she hasn't been willing to, so far.  I think
she believes the Council are all 'friends' of hers."

"I wonder..."

"I know, you see things differently," Maki purred.  "I
respect her.  But she's misguided."

"I..."  An uncomfortable silence followed.

"You're not convinced yet, yourself.  But we have some
common ground."

"I just... I think everyone should be able to decide
for themselves."  His voice surprised her in its firmness;
he'd never made such a commitment, that she could remember.

"Admirable," she murmured, covering the momentary
shock.  "Then, shall we continue to exchange information for
the moment?"

He slowly nodded to her, once.  "For now."

"I knew you wouldn't let me down.  And if you should
decide that your place is here... remember that my offer is
always open."

"I'll think about it," Keisuke promised.

*

Author's notes:  Sorry for the delay.  This chapter just
kept growing.  Hope it was worth the wait.

Thanks to Damien Roc, with whom I'd planned to co-write
this.  Real Life prevented that from happening, but the
brainstorming session still helped.  Thanks also to Brett,
who preread this chapter and will (hopefully) write the next
one.  Finally, thanks to Dan Wood for his patience.


Scott Schimmel            Ex ignorantia ad sapientium;
                          Ex luce ad tenebras
"You really aren't normal, are you?" - Miki Koishikawa