She was once again alone in her sister's family house. After an entire morning spent sightseeing, she decided to take an early break and call it a day. But since the rest of her sister's family was currently either at work or at school, that left the house all to herself for the rest of the afternoon until her husband got home from work. She was currently kneeling next to the dinner table, poring over the cards she had laid over the felt-covered surface. Occasionally, she would brush a stray lock of long curly blonde hair from her face, a reflex action identical to her nephew's and niece's. All she asked the deck was a simple question: What is the most notable event that is happening right now in the city? What the cards said puzzled her. She had an avid interest in the occult, and had studied it along with other occult subjects ever since junior high. Admittedly, it was more of a passing hobby than a serious course of study, so her ability in interpreting the tarot was not really very accurate. If nothing else, her fortune-telling skill makes for a good icebreaker in parties. Blades were the dominating suit in the current spread, followed by most of the Major Arcana. Three of Blades. The Magician, reversed. The King of Blades. Five of Blades. The Emperor. The Page of Cups, reversed. The World. The Chariot. The Hierophant. As far as she could tell, something big was about to occur. Something big and disastrous, but the cards were vague in telling exactly what. More vague than usual, that is. She idly tapped on the last card on the spread, wondering how her husband, who had a similar interest in the occult to hers, would interpret this reading. The reversed High Priestess card did not reply. The phone rang. Wondering who could it be at this hour, she picked it up. "Hello, this is the Forrester residence," she spoke in formal Japanese. "This is Owari Police Station," the gruffy voice on the phone replied. "Are you Natsu Forrester's mother?" "No, I'm her aunt," she replied, her brows knitting in worry as she recalled the incident that happened to her niece a few months ago. "What's going on, officer?" At this point Chris Forrester entered the house. "Hey, anyone home?" He called out. "Oh, Aunt Francine, you're here... what's wrong? You look pale." Francine replaced the phone receiver with shaking fingers after hearing what the policeman on the other end of the line had to say. "Chris... It's about Natsu..." She began to tell Chris what happened. * Arcana an Improfanfic started by Scott Schimmel Chapter 28 Closer. written by Signus Megido * "Natsu?" Natsu Forrester looked up to see Hotaru Komatame enter the jail cell. "Oh, Hotaru..." she sighed in relief. "How... how are you? Did they treat you badly?" Hotaru asked, sitting beside her on a wooden chair. She looked like she was crying, since her eyes were still red with dried tears. "It's not that bad. I have this jail cell all to myself. At least I didn't end up getting thrown into one full of perverts or worse. Thank God for small mercies," Natsu bitterly replied. "Natsu!" Hotaru gasped, covering her open mouth in shock. "Ah, it's nothing. I'm just feeling upset over what happened," Natsu paused, pushing her blonde hair back. "So... What about her?" "Natsumi? Well, her family was as shattered as everyone else, but lots of people can't believe you were responsible." "I see," Natsu leaned back on the cold concrete wall and closed her eyes. "What about the others?" "Mariko and Shiho? They..." Hotaru sighed. "They didn't take the news very well." "I see." They were both silent for a while. "Did you..." Hotaru finally spoke. "Did you really do this?" Natsu recalled Natsumi's words when they fought. "I don't know, Hotaru," she confessed. "I don't really know. Yes, I could recall what happened, but I don't understand it. See here?" She raised an arm. "When we fought, she broke my arm -- this arm -- as well as crushing my ribs. I'm sure of it. But now they're all healed up as if it was all a bad dream." "A bad dream..." Hotaru echoed, absently twirling the ends of the ribbon on her hair. "But it was all real!" Natsu insisted. "I felt every single blow. I can recall every word we exchanged. But now none of them fits into place." "How come?" "It was very strange. Natsumi seemed to know way too much of the Arcana. We talked as much before we came to blows. And none of it makes sense as it was supposed to have." "What do you mean?" The prison guard knocked on Natsu's cell. "Time's up, Miss Komatame." "I can't leave just yet," Hotaru pleaded to the grim policewoman. "Hotaru... just take care out there, okay? Somehow, everyone who knows about the Arcana is after you, and the others might not be able to handle it by themselves." "I understand, Natsu." How I wish I was in your place, Hotaru added silently. None of my friends had to suffer because of me. As The Magician left the jail cell, The Paradox buried her face into her hands. "How I wish I was in your place, Hotaru. A sweet, innocent girl like you should never be involved in a terrible ordeal like this..." * "Congratulations for winning the nomination for the candidacy, Chairman Oda," the Speaker announced, offering his hand. The Party Chairman took the offered hand and shook it. "Thank you all for putting your trust in my capabilities. Once I win the Prime Minister's seat, rest assured that I will do all I can to lead this country into a new era of peace and prosperity." The rest of the politicians gathered in the auditorium gave Oda a standing ovation. He took it all in stride, gratefully accepting their colorful praises and words of encouragement. This went on even when the meeting had finally adjourned, and the men who led the country have gone to other affairs. Oda was smiling widely as he entered the parking lot, inwardly congratulating himself for yet another step fulfilled. Soon, the plan will be put into motion... Oda noticed the blonde gaijin standing next to his limousine. The gaijin was dressed in a typical salaryman suit, and he was casually smoking a cigarette all the while. He had a distant expression on his face, like he was waiting for someone. An outrageous-looking vehicle was parked right beside him. The gaijin saw him and smiled. "Right on schedule," he remarked, nonchalantly flicking the cigarette butt away. Oda's eyes narrowed. "The Chariot. I knew I recognized the field signature covering the parking area anywhere." Victory gave a soft purr in reply. "Don't worry," the foreigner salaryman assured him. "This won't take long. Your bodyguards won't even notice you're gone." "You never change, do you?" "Heh. Still playing class president games, I see," Will pointed out. "Still playing games with little children, I see," Oda retorted. Will looked stung for a moment. "You got me there." "Get to the point," Oda continued. "What do you want?" "You know very well what we're here for," Will replied. Oda crossed his arms. "Of course I do. I know everything that's been going on. And I don't think my refusal would stop you from calling for the remaining Kings of the Royal Court to gather here in this city." Will shrugged. "Consider it a formality, then." "Why are you doing this? Why do you keep changing the timetable?" Victory purred. Will cocked his head to the side, as if listening to someone speaking behind him. He then spoke. "But isn't that what you want? In the end, we're all on the same side." His eyes narrowed. "Which side are you on, anyway?" Victory rumbled. Will slightly nodded. "The deserving side. Whether it will be the Rebel Court or the Council remains to be seen." "Then why do you follow the Mad Queen around like a dog?" It was Will's turn to look flustered. "Well, it's rather... complicated... But you know _that_ already, considering that it was _you_ who planned it from the beginning." "Your... action... was supposed to _remove_ her from the Spread, not turn her into a major player. Now she has amassed a sizable force of her own, not that she knows how to use it beyond irritating others." "Ah, yes... but an itch that can't be scratched can be far more damaging than any great disaster." Oda's eyes met Will's own. "And what do you suggest I do about it?" Will didn't flinch from his gaze. "I know that you have made your move." "So...?" "Leave the Paradox to us." "Why? Is she..." he paused. "I see. She's family." Will nodded. "In a way, yes." Oda managed to look ill. "You... are a sick man." Will raised an eyebrow. "Now _that's_ something I didn't even consider. You dirty old man, I didn't know _you_ had it in you." As Oda fought the urge to make a particularly scathing reply, Will boarded Victory. "It's all part of _our_ plans, you see," he explained further. "And if I play my cards right, my partner and I will have several Trumps eating out of my hand... among other things. Laters." Victory started to move. "Oh, before I forget," Will added. "Congrats on the win, Chairman Oda. I'll be expecting the usual payola on Monday. Ciao." As Victory passed by Oda's limousine, the reflection on the mirrored windows showed Will driving away with a contented smirk... ....Along with a young blue-eyed woman of ethereal beauty on the passenger side... * Chairman Oda waited until The Chariot's field was gone before remarking aloud. "But sadly, Victory, you do not have The World in your hands. And so like the child Queen's futile attempt to become Empress, your own plans are doomed to failure." The Hierophant chose the moment to indulge in a dark chuckle of his own. * Sergeant Nakamura noticed a tearful Hotaru pass by their office. "Six degrees of Joker," he muttered. Sergeant Sagara looked up. "What was that?" Nakamura turned towards his partner. "Don't you see? Recently, not a week passes by us without something occurring that ultimately ties back to Ishido." "You're still hung up about that Usuno case?" "Well, we haven't really solved the Usuno affair," Nakamura pointed out. "Although we know who was responsible, the methods and motivations of the suspect still eludes me. I mean, where is he now? How did he manage to commit these crimes and get away each time? And most importantly, why did he do it, and what does he stand to gain?" Sagara was thoughtful. "You're thinking that Joker is responsible for this too, right?" Nakamura nodded. "But the evidence..." "You've met Ishido," Nakamura interrupted him. "You've seen his handiwork. He even _stabbed_ Miss Forrester months ago, for crying out loud! Would you believe this same Miss Forrester would be capable of doing what she was said to have done now?" "You're right," Sagara mused. "Joker is more than capable of these crimes. But unless we manage to apprehend and question him, we won't be going anywhere in this case." Nakamura slumped his shoulders. "You're right. We've hit a blank wall. And we have nothing to go on here but _these_," he indicated the cards scattered on the table. Sagara idly noticed that the King of Blades was the only tarot card facing up on his partner's table. * "Everything's gone straight to hell," Sumire Yasuragi, the Ace of Blades, mused. Keisuke Shirosawa, The Knight of Wands, who was seated opposite her, didn't reply. They were both in the main hall of the Tower Reversed. It was the only place they could still find comfort in. Even with Miyuki becoming a part of the former Council building, a heavy feeling of gloom hung thickly in the air. "It gets worse," Tetsuya Koishikawa, The Knight of Cups, said as he entered the hall. "How worse could things get? And where is Hanako?" Sumire demanded. "That's what's worse." Tetsuya looked apologetic. "I've looked everywhere, but I couldn't find her." Sumire was instantly upon him. "WHAT?!? Are you telling us that you lost Hanako?!? Why you--" Keisuke stepped in. "I'm sure Tetsuya isn't to blame for this," he offered as an explanation. "Hanako must have her own reasons to leave. We're all in a lot of stress lately, after all." "I..." Sumire relented. "I see." Tetsuya recalled the last exchange he had with Hanako. "I... I can't say that I blame her..." "We'll just have to look for her then," Keisuke said. Sumire looked downcast. "Where could she have gone to?" * Will parked Victory on the expansive grounds inside the opulent Kurayami residence. He patted Victory on the hood after disembarking. "Now, now... I know how you feel about being made to play carriage for a deluded stuck up little brat, but let's keep this pandering for a while, okay?" Victory growled what Will took as an assent. Nodding, he ascended the staircase to the entrance of the Kurayami mansion. He then rang the doorbell upon reaching the front entrance. The doors opened and an old man, his face filled with more wrinkles that belied his real age, answered the doorbell. "Yes?" "Good morning, Aso," Will greeted the butler. "Maki sent for me." "It's been a while, Mister Will," the butler bowed in reply. "Come this way, please." Will waited in the living room as the servant left to fetch Maki. Seeing that he was an old family friend, the other servants in the house quickly ignored him and made themselves inconspicuous. Will was browsing on some of the paintings - a watercolor landscape of a typical peaceful countryside - when Maki's mother, a tall woman in her early forties who managed to look stunningly beautiful despite her years, entered the room. "Why, hello there! I didn't expect you to come visit us today!" She gave a wide, sincere grin. "Hello, Umiko." Will smiled back. "Actually, Maki called me to come here. She probably wanted me to help her in her finance project or something. You know how it is." "Ah, you should come here more often. You're always welcome here," Umiko smiled, her expression a little more suggestive. "That's what I'm trying to avoid when I can," Will didn't say. "I can't," he apologized instead. "Too many business appointments and work overseas. I do make it a point to lend an ear to Maki when she gives me a call." "That's so nice of you," Umiko sighed. "Maybe you could straighten out my daughter and get her to be more open to us. Maki's such a sweet child, but she's just too secretive and self-absorbed most of the time, as if she knows something terrible that she's keeping from us." "You have no idea just how serious it is," Will didn't say again, not showing his growing unease at the direction this conversation was taking. "Why not try to spend more time with Maki then? I'm sure she will warm up and be more open to you." Umiko sighed again. "I wish that were possible, but we just have a lot of important things to do. I'm sure Maki understands." "Uncle Will, stop flirting with my Mom!" Maki's voice echoed down at them. The two adults looked up to see Maki, dressed in a simple yet pretty yellow blouse and pleated skirt, walk down the stairs towards them. "Oh, Maki's here." Umiko gave a smile of apology towards Will. "I'll have to leave you two dears to yourselves. I have a charity banquet to attend to." With that, she turned around and left the living room. As soon as Maki's mother was out of sight, Will leaned forward to cop a feel only to have his hand slapped away. "Really, 'Uncle'," she scolded him. "You should control yourself." "But you look so cute in that outfit, darlin'," Will explained. Maki snorted. "Pig. You'll never get anywhere with that perverted attitude of yours." "Oh, you'd be surprised... So, you ready to go to watch the court hearing, hon?" "Of course," Maki nodded. "I _so_ wanted to meet this Magician in person. But before that--" "Um, Maki?" A voice floated down from upstairs. "Is this all right?" Maki looked up and smiled. "Sure. Come on down, Hanako." Will looked up... and was awestruck by the sight. It was Hanako... but this young prima donna than slowly made her way downstairs was not the same little Arcana girl that was with his niece over a week ago. The former ragmop that passed for hair was now cleaned and meticulously brushed back to a fine sheen, and the result was dark honeyed tresses spilling down to her shoulders. All the mud and grime on her face was now gone, and not a speck of dirt was left to mar the almost-porcelain quality of skin. Her shylike shuffling as she moved made her more feminine than he remembered. She was dressed in clothes similar to Maki's, but where Maki's outfit dressed a pretty young woman, Hanako's outfit clothed a radiant beauty that was almost angelic. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Maki smiled at the reaction. She let the moment pass before clearing her throat. The sound of Maki clearing her throat brought Will back to his senses. With some reluctance, his mind returned to reality and realized that Hanako looked almost fearful of him. "Um... What did you do to her, Maki?" "Nothing," Maki sniffed. "I merely gave Hanako the mantle she deserves as my Page and servant." "You... you're Maki's uncle too?" Hanako asked in a small, timid voice that nearly sent Will's heart breaking. "Of a sort," Will replied, feeling his confidence returning. "I'm a family friend of the Kurayamis. In fact, Maki's father and grandfather were business associates of mine." Hanako looked confused. Her eyes darted from Will to Maki and back. "B-but..." "Despite our differences," Maki explained, "we're not the villains here, Hanako dear. We're only here to set things right, starting with helping out Uncle Will's niece." "You don't have to come along if you don't really want to, little miss," Will interjected, which earned him a glare from Maki. It's good to see that little Miss Psycho Bitch here couldn't totally cow you into submission like a good little slave, he silently added. "No, I want to," Hanako replied with a little more firmness in her voice. "Natsu-chan's been so good to me and I... I want to be there as a friend in her time of need. I was just thinking what would they say if they find out about Maki?" "Didn't we talk it all over last night?" Maki asked. "I'm sure your other friends would come around to our way of thinking, eventually." "I think... I understand. Everything that happened... was just a big misunderstanding." "Yes. One big misunderstanding," Maki agreed. Leaning closer, she whispered to Will. "You like what you see? I might let you have my Page to do as you see fit, Trump." "For what?" Will hissed back. "Consider it a bonus, and for me to ensure your efforts towards success." Will considered it. Maki smiled. * Hotaru hurried off to the courthouse as soon as the dismissal bell rang. Inwardly, she was glad to be get away from school, even for the rest of the day. She couldn't stand any more of the looks she was getting from the other students. Mariko and Shiho were avoiding her the whole day, and she couldn't find the rest of the Arcana anywhere in campus. Hopefully, they were already at the courthouse. Sure enough, she spotted Sumire and Keisuke the moment she entered the judicial building. "Sumire! Keisuke!" "Keep it down, Komatame," Sumire replied frostily. Hotaru was taken aback by the coldness of Sumire's reply. "What's wrong?" She asked them in a small voice. Keisuke jerked a thumb at the small crowd that gathered at the entrance in response. "Miss Forrester's story must be front page material, since those sharks want a piece of it. Where's Joker?" "Ishido can't come. He said that he should stay out of sight since he's still a wanted man," Hotaru frowned. "Where's Tetsuya and Hanako?" "Long story," Keisuke replied. "We'll explain after today's trial session." "But how will we ever get inside the courtroom?" Hotaru wondered. "Hotaru! Over here!" Someone called out. They turned around to see Chris waving at them from the side entrance. "Well, that was quick," Keisuke remarked. * "What's wrong now, Hanako?" Hanako nervously shuffled her feet. "I don't feel like going back to them... Not right now, that is." Maki nodded. "I understand, dear. Just stay out of sight, then," she said, scanning the crowd for someone. "Ah! I have to go talk to someone else right now, okay?" "Okay..." Hanako replied. * "Damn. Looks like these news hounds must've smelled something coming down," Sagara grumbled at the crowd gathered outside the courtroom. "You have to admit, it is quite newsworthy," Nakamura commented. "'Schoolgirl catfight turns deadly! Story inside!' Doesn't that make for an interesting article?" "Keep your day job," Sagara jokingly replied, just when he felt a pair of familiar arms holding on his shoulder. "Hello, Uncle Sagara!" Maki enthused. "Ack!" Sagara blustered in surprise. "What are you doing here?!?" Maki pouted. "You just can't believe the ridiculous requirements my Social Studies class are handing out nowadays. Can't we go talk somewhere else less noisy? I'd like to ask you something important in private." "I'm on duty right now, Maki. I can't just leave." "Awww... You sound like you don't want me around, Uncle." Sagara could see the dangerous glint in Maki's eyes behind the facade. "Go on ahead," Nakamura said. "I'll cover for the both of us. Just don't take too long." "Okay!" Maki smiled, dragging away a somewhat reluctant Sagara with her. Along the way, she felt a strong prickling sensation, but she ignored it. * Hotaru looked around, searching for the source of the prickling sensation she felt. "What's wrong, Hotaru?" Keisuke asked. His question snapped Hotaru out of her trance. "Oh, it's nothing, Keisuke," she replied, then inwardly chuckled as she realized the situation she was in. Months ago, she would do almost anything to be right beside Keisuke. Now she could only feel a sort of camaraderie towards the fellow Arcana. If only she didn't have to be The Magician, things would probably be different. "Hiya, Chris!" Will arrived, clapping his nephew heartily in the back. "I see you've brought along Natsu's friends." Keisuke tensed. He then felt Sumire pat his shoulder as a warning, and relaxed. Without the Chariot, he's just an ordinary man, he assured himself. Well, relatively ordinary. "Hi, Uncle," Chris replied. "Aunt Francine's already inside. She was wondering where you had gone off to." "Just had a little talk with Natsu's lawyer," Will replied with a cocky grin. "You know, chewing the fat to pass the time." "So, I'm just a lawyer now Will?" Everyone turned to look at the newcomer. He was a tall man smartly dressed in a business suit. "Allow me to introduce him," Will announced with a flourish. "This is Attorney Rustom Cutterson Smith-Date." "How many times do I have to remind you not to use my full name? Just call me Rusty, for short," he added, extending a hand towards the trio. "I convinced him to come all the way here from Okinawa to help out my niece," Will added. "He's a very good lawyer." Sumire noticed the miniature silver sword pinned on Rusty's tie, and frowned. "I'm Hotaru Komatane, and these are my friends Tetsuya Koishikawa and Sumire Yasuragi," Hotaru said in return. She felt the familiar sensation of static as she shook Rusty's hand. "Delighted to meet you." Rusty leaned forward and lightly kissed the back of Hotaru's hand. "Don't worry. I'll help your friend out, Warlock." He drew back. "The trial's starting in a few minutes. We'll talk more later." Hotaru's eyes went wide with the realization. * The World smiled. "Interesting..." * ____________________ Author's Skribulous: Have you ever gotten the feeling that RL is out to get you? Or at least make sure to give you a hard time, especially in doing the things you wanted to do? I wanted to do a lot more, but I ran out of time. Not bad, considering that this was all done in three days time, eh? Thanks go out to Brett Schimmel and Scott Jamison for prereading. Sorry, no Joker scenes. Ah, well... -Signus Megido http://hello.to/maramala April 9, 2001