"Almost quitting time, eh?" "Mmmm..." The cop responded, hardly catching his partner's words. His gaze was focused intently on the Tarot cards lying on the desk in front of him. According to the book, they were supposed to mean something, but he just couldn't make out what it was. He picked up the Death card, and stared at it. This card held the most meaning, he was sure. But as to what that meaning was... Sagara glanced up from his own desk. "You're still puzzling over those cards? Give it up!" Nakamura looked up, startled. "What?" "We still have no word on the Usono kid, and not much to go by, either. Staring at those cards isn't going to do anything to help." "It's our only lead," the cop argued with the same old line. "You've been studying them every day, practically, and where has it gotten us? Nowhere," Sagara answered his own question. Nakamura sighed in frustration, throwing the card onto the pile. "I just don't like the thought of that maniac running loose." "Neither do I, but we can't do anything about it. We have other responsibilities to the people as well." "I know. I just..." He sighed again. "Never mind. I guess we should call it a night and-" Before he could finish, the phone on Sagara's desk rang. The older cop picked it up. "Yeah? What? I see. All right, we're on our way." "What happened?" Nakamura asked as his partner hung up, both already getting out of their chairs. "Looks like it's not quitting time just yet," Sagara said. "There's been a break-in." * * * Arcana started by: Scott Schimmel Chapter 24: Crimson Night by: Brett Schimmel * * * "Not hungry?" Ishido asked before picking up his bowl and wolfing down the ramen. Hotaru, for her part, just stared at her meal, thoughts swirling through her head. "You really should eat, you know." Ishido lowered the bowl, pointing at her with the chopsticks. "After the day we've had, I'm sure you could use the energy." Being alone with Ishido was... awkward. She found herself wishing for Natsu's, or even Miyuki's, presence. But they were busy. Idly she looked at her watch. By now, they had probably gotten back to the Tower Reversed with the so-called "Council". And she was here, sitting in the House of International Pancakes with a madman who had ordered ramen, of all things. A cute madman, but a madman nonetheless. "Don't trust him too closely," Natsu's words still rang in her head. Naturally, Hotaru had been confused when Miyuki told her to take Joker somewhere else. "He already knows about the Tower Reversed!" she had pointed out. "That's not the point," Miyuki had responded. "I don't trust the Fool enough to allow him into our sanctuary." "But... Natsu, couldn't you stay with him instead?" she had asked foolishly. "He's your boyfriend! You stay with him. I'd rather not have anything to do with him," she shouted angrily. Hotaru rubbed her forehead, as though trying to erase her own stupidity. Shouted. Angrily. Of course she had been angry. She had a right to be, after all. She thought about what had happened. How would she react if she had found Natsu kissing a guy who had stabbed her? "Natsu..." she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. Only now was she beginning to realize what it must have been like for her friend. If only she had-- "You know," Ishido broke her train of thought, lifting her chin up with his finger, "It can be a really bad idea to refuse to eat when an insane man buys you food." * * * "So this is the famous Tower Reversed I've heard so much about?" Natsu surveyed the large council room in awe. "That is correct." Miyuki clutched the older girl's arm like a life support. "At one time, this is where the Council Arcana gathered." "Back when there was a Council?" "Guide me to Fortune's chair. We have much to think about, Forrester, and I do a better job when I'm sitting there." "Fortune's chair... This one?" Natsu asked, helping Miyuki in. "Yes, this is it." "Alright, then," she said, sitting down next to her. She immediately rose again, staring at the chair in confusion. "Well, it's not like he's going anywhere. I made sure he was securely tied up." "But who is he? What is he after? Without my power... I just can't figure it out." "What's to figure out?" Natsu asked as she sat on Miyuki's other side, rising once more as the chair rejected her. She decided just to stand instead. "It's not like there's much he can do. We just need to wait for him to wake up, then we can question him about everything." There was a bit of silence, then the blond girl spoke again. "Something puzzles me, though. Why is it that he was able to get away with this for so long? How is it that we were the ones who managed to stop him?" Fortune laughed for the first time since the loss of her abilities. "You should know that better than anybody, Forrester. There was an outside factor that the readings didn't- couldn't pick up. A power that was not Arcana, yet rivaled that of the Magician himself." "What do you mean?" The question was not neccessary. She already knew the answer to her question. "I mean the factor he didn't count on was you: Natsu Forrester." * * * "Nice part of town," Sagara commented as he and his partner stepped out of the car. The area, crimson with the setting sun, was filled with numerous two-story houses, and there was a small park not far from them. "Lot of rich people live here, I bet." Nakamura ignored the comments, his mind focused entirely on his job. He always got like this whenever they were called out. He made his way towards the structure, its front door smashed inwards. A harried-looking older woman sat on the steps, arms folded in front of her, staring at the ground. Her head rose slowly as the cop approached. "Ms. Kawamoto?" he asked. She looked up immediately, a hint of relief on her face. "Thank goodness you're here." "Can you tell us what happened?" "There were these four kids. Two teenage boys, a teenage girl and a younger girl. They went right up to Mr. Sudou's door and smashed it in, just like that! I- I wanted to stop them, but one of them had a knife, I think. I was at a distance, so I couldn't tell for sure, but he was twirling it around and everything! I-I didn't know what to do..." "You did the right thing by calling us, ma'am," Nakamura assured her. He then rose, and turned to his partner. "Sagara, see if you can't get some descriptions from her. I'm going to take a look around." "Right." Sagara nodded as the younger cop disappeared. "Ma'am, did you get a good look at them?" "No, I was too scared to come out of my house!" "It's okay. Anything you can give us will help." * * * He had expected a lot of things. He had expected his life to end at the hands of those kids. He was certain his plans would be ruined now. But he hadn't expected this. Instead of just finishing him off, they took him here. Here, of all places. The old man grinned wickedly. This wasn't over; on the contrary, this was only beginning. * * * "Are you finally finished?" "Yup," Hanako responded, finishing the last few bites of her sundae. "Couldn't eat another bite." "That's a first," Tetsuya muttered under his breath. Sighing, he took most of the money from his wallet and handed it to the waitress, and catching a glance at his watch in the process. "We should probably be getting back to Natsu's about now." "'Kay," she responded, bounding out of her chair and nearly tripping. Tetsuya chuckled at the scene. Though it had cost him a pretty penny, Hanako seemed to have mostly forgotten her troubles over dinner. That was good; a kid like her shouldn't have to worry about such things. Such things... Like the potential crisis. "Are we going or not?" Tetsuya blinked under the girl's stern gaze. "Well? Now that I think of it, I could probably fit in a slice of cherry pie..." "Ah, that's okay!" Tetsuya quickly rose to his feet. Perhaps he shouldn't think too much either. Not until he was certain, anyhow. It was still too soon to tell for sure. "Let's head back." The cafe had been on the edge of a hill, and despite the fact that the sun had already set, the sky was still a pleasant crimson color. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Tetsuya asked when he saw Hanako stop and stare in awe. "Makes me wish I were an artist. I'd love to take a scene like this and capture it." After a few minutes of silence, he laughed abruptly. "Ah well, there's a lot of other things I'd like to do. Let's get back, shall we?" Hanako suddenly whirled towards him, the look of panic on her face revealing that she had not been staring at the view at all. "Tetsuya! We need to get to the Tower Reversed, right now!" * * * Nakamura observed carefully. The front door was certainly damaged, as well as the one to the study he stood in now, but other than that, nothing was damaged. Nothing appeared to be stolen at first sight, either, though he'd have to do a more thorough check to be sure. The furniture was intact, as well as the tomes, some of which looked to be quite old. No clues whatsoever. He turned towards the smashed door with the intent of getting his partner to look around, but as he was about to step through the door, he got an odd feeling. Turning back to the room, he examined it once again, his gaze centering on the recently extinguished fire. Or, more precisely, something that lay amongst the ashes. He picked it up. It was mostly burnt, but he had been studying them enough to know what the object was. "The Fool," he said aloud, staring at what was left of the card. "Nakamura?" Sagara's voice came from behind. "Looks like the witness couldn't give us any good descriptions. You come up with anything?" "Yeah." His gaze never left the words. "I have." * * * "Hey old guy, you awake yet?" Natsu asked as she opened the door to the place they had imprisoned him within. A chill ran down her spine when she saw the empty room. "Where is he?" "What? What do you mean?" Miyuki asked, a bit of panic in her voice. "I thought you tied him up!" "That she did." Natsu whirled around, instinctively pushing Miyuki behind her. The old man responded with a dark smile, standing a few feet away from her. "That she did." * * * "What am I supposed to do now?" It wasn't the first time Keisuke had asked himself this question. After the confrontation with Miyuki, after his... secret... had been revealed, he had walked around town, asking himself that over and over. He had yet to find an answer. "I was just trying to help, to keep people safe," he said, staring into the sky as though he expected a response. "Was I wrong?" His thoughts were interrupted by the strong footfalls of someone running. "Hurry, Tetsuya!" Hanako pleaded. As they came into view, he saw that the girl was riding on the bishonen's back, while he was running. He slowed when he noticed Keisuke. Time seemed to stop, the motor of an automobile in the distance being the only noise they heard. Finally, Keisuke broke the silence, "Tetsuya, I- " "Save it," he replied, "We're in a hurry." He moved to walk past, but Keisuke stopped him. "Listen to me! It's important!" "We don't have the time! Whatever you've got to say can wait until-" "No, I'd like to hear it too." The new voice, from a short distance away, caught them all by surprise. "You're Natsu's uncle!" Hanako said. "Will... was it?" Tetsuya inquired. Indeed the man was unmistakably Natsu's uncle, confirmed by the monstrosity of a vehicle he was leaning against. His arms were folded, and he held a cigarette between two fingers. "Good. We need a ride." "That's precisely why I'm here," he replied. "I'm going to give you a ride, all right: the ride of your life." "What do you mean?" Tetsuya felt a strange feeling coming over him. "Who... are you?" "Who am I? A simple salary man. My partner? Well, that's another story." "Tetsuya, be careful," Keisuke warned. "A field has been placed around this area." "So, you're one of us after all." "You could say that." He puffed on the cigarette. "Isn't it convenient? This way my niece won't have to lose faith in her uncle." "What are you intending to do?" The Knight awkwardly fumbled through his coat pocket with Hanako on his back, producing his vajra. "If it's a fight you're looking for..." "No!" Hanako shook him. "Tetsuya, you can't! We need to go! Miyuki and Natsu are in danger!" "Miyuki?" the Knight of Wands asked. "You're not going anywhere." Will stamped out the cigarette. "Yes you are." Keisuke suddenly reached out, and the surroundings seemed to shatter, replaced by an identical world. Tetsuya looked at him in bewilderment. "I've destroyed the field," he explained simply. "I'm not don't understand what's going on, and I don't know if my actions were correct in the past, or even if they are now, but I know one thing for sure. I know I don't want anyone to get hurt." "What are you saying?" "I'm saying that I trust you, Tetsuya. Even if I don't like you." A few seconds past between them before Hanako yelled, "Come on, Tetsuya!" "How touching," Will commented sarcastically, watching them run. "I wonder how far they'll get before I run them over." "You won't. I'll stop you," Keisuke said determinedly. "I'm sure you've noticed that I've already put up another field." "I have no reason to fight you, Knight of Wands. Just lower the field and step aside." "You won't hurt them. I'll see to that!" Keisuke shouted, charging at him. * * * "How did you get out?" Natsu asked, taking a step back and guiding Miyuki to do the same. "You understood so very little, 'Fortune'," he spat the name as a mockery, completely ignoring the blond girl. "You still do. To think you brought me to the Tower Reversed, of all places. Weren't you aware of its capabilities? No, you wouldn't be, would you?" "What are you babbling about?" Natsu clenched her fists. "I don't want to have to hurt you again." "Simply put, if one knows how to manipulate the power held within this place, one can enhance his magic to tremendous heights. Especially for those who spirit is composed of two Arcana!" "That's impossible!" Miyuki cried. "Not at all. I was once a King, a long time ago. But I gave up my Kingship, to be an Emperor instead!" "But there hasn't been an Emperor or Empress since..." "Since the war? And why do you think that is? It's because the Emperor from that time has never needed to show himself! I have been steadily working throughout these years to stop ambitious, youthful Arcana like yourselves. It was necessary to prevent it from happening again." "Prevent what?" Miyuki demanded. The man sighed in response. "It's pointless to tell you. You're going to die anyhow." He raised his hands above his head. Natsu threw a punch at him, but he hopped back with surprising speed, avoiding the blow. She pushed forward, intending to keep him busy and incapable of concentrating. Suddenly, she was surrounded by seven scepters, each one a different color of the rainbow, just hovering in the air in a circle around her. "I told you it was futile!" he laughed. Natsu gasped as she felt her throat tighten, and she was lifted into the air. "The Tower Reversed enhances both my abilities as the King of Wands and as the Emperor!" "Natsu?" Miyuki's voice was barely more than a whisper. The woman replied with a strangled scream as she was thrown against the wall. She tried to move, but a mysterious force kept her still, unmoving as the old man brought his fists together. A scepter of blinding light formed as he drew them apart. The power, Natsu thought frantically. I need that power, now more than ever. It didn't come. The Emperor released his grip on her, just long enough for her to fall, then lunged, and she screamed as he jammed the glowing scepter into her stomach. "Natsu?" Miyuki shouted. "Natsu! What have you done?!" "Me?" He retrieved his scepter from Natsu's still form, bringing his hands together and causing it to collapse into nothing once more. "This is all your fault to begin with, my dear Fortune! If you'd have followed in the steps of your predecessor, this could've been avoided. She listened to my orders unquestioningly. She knew what I was doing had to be done!" "That's ridiculous!" "Fate, if not on my side, is potentially the greatest threat to my mission. Why do you think I sent the Page of Pentacles to you after you failed to follow my orders? Once you're out of the picture, I'll be able to manipulate her into doing what I want. Or if not, she won't be able to do much to hinder my progress, and it will be no large task to eliminate her if necessary as well. Either way, I win just by killing you." "Perhaps I shall kill you instead." She tried to sound brave. "Oh?" the Emperor chuckled. "And how will you do that when you can't even see me, much less when you're no longer Arcana?" "I am Arcana," she stated. She could hear him approaching, and took a step back, finding she was against a wall. "I used my power to find you-" "The Fool was with you, was he not? It was blind luck that lead you to me, not blind Fate." "But there has never been an Arcana who ceased to be-" "There has: the very man who build the Tower Reversed became a mere human afterwards. And then there's Justice: Coming and going from its hosts at random. Yet another blind card." "But... But Joker said I was-" Miyuki cried desperately. "That is why he is a Fool." And then she felt his hands around her throat. * * * "I must say, I've had better," Joker commented as he and Hotaru left the House of International Pancakes. "Maybe you should've tried ordering a pancake, then. They're not exactly well-known for their ramen." "One could always hope to get lucky." He smiled. "Either way, what shall we do now, firefly?" "I'm going to check on my friends. You should probably head home." His face twisted into a mock frown. "That's so cruel. You're going to leave, just like that?" "You know they don't want you in the Tower Reversed," Hotaru replied. "You don't have to go there. We could go somewhere else together." He bent forward, whispering into her ear, "Somewhere private." "Wha-? N-No!" She spun around, hoping he hadn't seen her blush. "I mean. H-How could you even think of something like that?!" "Aren't those your friends?" "Eh?" She sure hadn't expected him to say that next. But when she faced him for an explanation, he was pointing towards the distance, where a- a hunchback?- was rapidly approaching. Then she got a better view, and shouted happily as she waved. "Tetsuya! Hanako!" Her smile quickly vanished as she yelped in fright when The Knight of Cups suddenly fell forward, Hanako barely managing to jump off before she went with him. Swiftly, Hotaru made her way to them. "Tetsuya, are you alright?!" "F-Fine..." he gasped, out of breath. "Hotaru, thank goodness!" Hinako said frantically. "He ran more than a mile! It's Natsu and Miyuki! They're in danger!" "What?!" Joker chuckled. "Is that so? Looks like I'll be heading to the Tower Reversed anyhow." He faced Hotaru. "Unless you were planning on going alone?" "Alright," Hotaru agreed. "Hanako, stay here with Tetsuya." "Follow in... a bit..." he gasped as he pulled himself up against the wall. Hotaru nodded and turned towards the school, her mind filled with concern. "Natsu, Miyuki... Please be safe." "I told you we should've just killed him," Joker muttered as he followed. * * * Bluish mist swirled about existence, possibly the only thing in it at the present moment. Painfully, Natsu opened one eye, barely managing to squint. Was this what death was like? Then why was she still in pain? Footsteps surprised her. The shadowy outline of a cloaked figure strode towards her, but she couldn't make him out through her squinting eye. In fact, Natsu realized, she could hardly keep her eye open at all. The Page of Cups waited a few minutes for her to slip into unconsciousness in the dream world once more before approaching closer. He knelt beside her, holding a vial to her lips. "I thought you weren't going to get involved," a voice echoed mockingly around him. "She remains unconscious, even here in the dream world," he replied. "And she won't remember me. I told you before, none shall find me." "You said you would offer neither side aid. Yet you have already helped both twice," it pointed out. "I have not. This girl is not of the Arcana." "And the Knight of Swords?" "Her entire life is devoted to a single purpose; she is not technically an ally of either side," he explained. "I think your judgment is at fault." "I care not what you think, spirit," he answered, rising from Natsu once he had finished administering the ointment. "You haunt me now, just as the others whose lives I have taken once did. However, before long your soul will dissipate into nothingness, just as theirs have." Natsu's eyes snapped open in time to catch a glimpse of him as he vanished into the mist once more. Futilely, she reached towards him with an arm, as though she could stop him from this distance. "Wait... Help... Miyuki..." And then something closed around her hand. * * * "Thank God!" Hotaru cried as she clasped Natsu's outstretched hand. "Thank God," she whispered again, choking on tears. Slowly, her friend opened her eyes focusing on the first thing she could see. "Uh... Ho...taru?" "Hold on, Natsu! I'll call an ambulance." "No, that's not..." she began as she stood. "B-But you're hurt!" "No," she said as though she was surprised at her own words. She looked down at her stomach, where the scepter had entered her. "I'm... fine." The blood-stained hole in her shirt was still there, but there was no wound, not even a scar. Nor was there any pain, as though she had never been injured. Suddenly Hotaru embraced her, sobbing uncontrollably. "Natsu, I'm so glad you're all right! I was afraid we'd lost both of you." "Both?" Icy fear ran down the blond girl's spine as she looked over the shorter one's shoulder, to where Joker knelt with Miyuki, her head twisted backwards. "No..." Natsu gasped. It was all she could say. "I told you to kill him," Joker repeated once more. * * * * * Author's notes: I'm surprised this is so long, especially considering I was writing something else at the time. But once I got started, I just couldn't stop myself. ^_^ And no, I'm not intending to bring Harlequin back. I just thought that being tourtured by the essence of those he kills would be an interesting ability for the Page of Cups. That, and it was more interesting way of developing the Page without getting into his thoughts or having him talk to himself. :P Also, the witness's explanation wasn't in error either; she mistook Natsu for a guy. ^_^ Thanks to NDebugger and Kate Malloy for prereading.