"I'm sorry miss," the nurse said for the second time, "but we 
can't let you see him right now."

	"Why not?" Sumire asked angrily, not satisfied with the first 
answer she had gotten. 

	"I told you:  the patient is in critical condition right now.  
Only family members may see him right now."

	"But you have to! I'm his fiance!"

	The nurse raised a suspicious eyebrow.  She wasn't convinced? 
Sumire thought she had acted the part well enough...

	"Do you have any way to prove it?"

	"No, but if you'll just..."

	"That's what I thought," the nurse replied, and went back to
working on the papers she had been when the girl arrived.

	Sumire opened her mouth, but was interrupted before she could
speak.

	"You're wasting your time." The Ace turned at the sound of 
the voice. "I've already tried that one."

	"Arisa?" Sumire blinked in surprise. "What are you doing 
here?"
	

*	*	*
Arcana
started by: Scott Schimmel

Chapter Thirty-Three: Inextinguishable
by: Brett Schimmel

*	*	*


	"I see.  It even uses his name in the article," Natsu said, 
folding the newspaper Hotaru had brought with her.  She looked at her
friend through the bars of her cell. "How did you explain it to your
mother?"

	"I told her there must have been some mistake.  That Ishido 
wasn't the same person as the man who had attacked me."  She shook 
her head in frustration. "I think she believed me, but..."

	"But...?" Natsu read her friend's thoughts through her eyes. 
"You're worried about him, aren't you?"

	The Magician nodded. "I haven't heard from him in a while."

	The half-American knew she should say something encouraging,
to try to lift her friend's spirits.  She should tell her Ishido 
would be fine.

	Then she remembered that this was the same man who didn't 
hesitate to stab her not so long ago.

	A minute of silence followed.

	"There's going to be a decision soon," Natsu said finally.

	"Then-?" Hotaru began, but her friend shook her head.

	"I don't know what the decision is going to be.  There's no way 
for them to prove I did it, but I can't prove I didn't do it either,"
she explained. "But I can see the court is getting tired.  It'll be
over soon, one way or the other."

	Hotaru nodded, but her face was still full of concern.  "I'll
pray for the best."

	"Thanks."

	Another uneasy silence followed before the Magician looked 
up into her friends eyes, almost on the verge of tears. "Natsu, a lot
is happening right now.  I- I don't know what to do alone! I need your 
support!"

	"Hotaru..." she searched her mind for something to say, but the 
right words were swallowed by her own feelings.  Hotaru wasn't the 
one in prison.  She wasn't the one who murdered someone.  She wasn't 
the one who would have to live with this for the rest of her life.

	"Hotaru," she said again.  A sudden feeling of anger had come 
over her. "Do you realize-"

	"Ah, you're here too, Hotaru?"

	Anything Natsu was going to say was forgotten as she and her 
friend turned in surprise towards the new voice.  Shiho's voice.

	She approaching them with a grin, carrying a small basket in 
both hands. "Of course you are.  I should have known that.  How silly 
of me."

*

	"You're in his class, right?" Arisa asked.  The two sat in the
hospital's lobby, a very odd pair: a student still in uniform, and a
leather-clad biker.

	Sumire nodded. "I stayed late to help the kendo team.  That's 
when I heard about it."

	"Kendo, eh?"

	"What about you? What relationship do you have with him?"

	"I don't have a one." Her eyes were fixed on her helmet as she 
juggled it from hand to hand. "But I don't like being indebted to 
people." 

	"Indebted?"

	"Yeah.  After that first duel we had, he saved my life.  I owe 
him a lot."

	"I see," Sumire said, heart sinking as she remembered the 
battle.

	"I'm no doctor; can't help him there.  But at the very least, I 
could find out who ran him down, and get revenge for him, but they 
won't let me in" she continued. "They said he's been in a coma since 
then anyway.  He may not even make it."

	She stopped for a minute, then changed the subject. "His 
family's in there with him right now.  But like I said, he's not moving.  
He can't even here what they're saying."

	"It's very sad," Sumire said.

	"It's very stupid, I'd say.  They're just wasting their breath."

	"Arisa!" the Ace was shocked, but her friend just shrugged

	"Words are useless when nobody's listening," she said, 
standing. "I'm going to try and find out who's responsible, and make 
them pay."

	"Wait a minute!" the kendoist said, standing up herself.

	"Hm?" the biker stood still. "Do you know something?"

	"No," she lied.  Of course she knew who did it, but Arisa 
wouldn't be able to take on the Chariot by herself.  And Will was 
clever... They'd need a plan.  But first... "I might know some way to 
help him."

	"Eh?"

	"It's a long shot, but..." she shook her head. "Anyhow, I need 
you to come with me somewhere."

	"Fine," the Knight started walking towards the hospital 
enterence. "It's a starting point, at least.  Where are we going?"

	"Hataraku High."

	"Your school? Hasn't everyone gone home by now?" Arisa 
smirked. "Or were you going to seek help from the janitors?"

	"Well, we're not exactly going to the school," she explained as 
she followed. "You'll see when we get there."

*

	"What were you thinking?"

	Will stood fast against at the icy tone of the Queen's voice.
"I gave him what he deserved.  He won't mess with us any time soon.  If 
he lives, that it."

	"You idiot!" she screeched. "I still had uses for him."

	"What uses?" he asked defiantly. "You said yourself he was a 
traitor."

	"Until he came to visit a little while ago.  Everything was
going perfectly, and you ruined it!"

	"Do you really think Keisuke would have listened to you?"

	Maki glared angrily, raising a hand to strike him, but she took
a deep breath, calming down before continuing. "I thought I originally 
ordered you to kill the Magician.  Why haven't you done so?"

	"I've been rather busy.  Family matters.  My niece is in jail, 
after all."

	"I'll give you one more chance, 'uncle'," she sarcastically 
twisted the word. "Find the Magician, and destroy her.  And if you 
disobey me again, I'll see to it that you lose everything, even your 
precious Chariot."

	Will's expression changed from care-free to bitterness almost 
instantly. "Fine," he grumbled as he started to leave. "Anything for 
'Her Majesty'."

	Little did she know what really lay in store for her.

	Maki waited until she heard him slam the door of his vehicle 
and start up the engine. Then she spoke. "Atsuko?"

	"You call?" the Knight of Pentacles asked, entering from a the 
door behind her Queen.

	"My uncle has overstepped his boundaries.  I want you follow 
him.  See if he eliminates the Magician.  If he does not, or after he 
does so successfully..."

	"You want me to kill him?" she guessed, a forming a small grin.
Without facing her, Maki nodded.

*

	Another door in the mansion had been open the whole time, 
but just a crack.  Hanako peeked though, eyes wide.  She had heard 
the whole conversation.  Something had happened to Keisuke.  He 
might not even be alive!

	Will was really dangerous, like she had thought.  He must have 
been deceiving Maki, but her Queen saw through that now, 
fortunately.  Still, why had Maki... She wasn't seriously going to hurt 
him, was she?

	The Page moved away from the door before she could be 
caught.  She didn't know what to do.  She needed advice.  Tetsuya 
would know what to do! But, she couldn't bring herself to face him.  If 
not him, maybe...

	Swiftly, the child headed towards the front door of the 
mansion.

*

	It didn't take long to get to the school from the hospital.  The 
two Arcana of Blades could probably have arrived even sooner had 
Arisa taken the highway, but she only had one helmet, and so she 
stuck to the streets.

	"Here we are.  You can let go of me now."

	Quickly, Sumire removed her arms from around the girl's waist 
and stood up.  Arisa shut off the engine and followed the Ace as she 
headed towards the school.

	"It's nice and dark," she observed, her helmet tucked under her 
arm. "There's probably nobody in there."

	"Good," the Ace replied. continuing into the school. "It'll
make things easier."

	"Good?" the Knight repeated. "What, are you planning to ask 
for help from the ghosts?"

	"Actually, that's about right."

	"Ghosts? Right," she chuckled. 

	"You of all people should know better than to disbelieve in 
such things," the Ace of Blades chided as they entered the basement. 
"After all, what we can do is magic.  You know that, right?"

	"Yeah, but there's stuff like that, and there's stuff that's just
to crazy to believe."

	"Believe it.  Otherwise, you won't be prepared for this!" On the 
last word, she rapped her hand on the wall, and a small, door-sized 
rectangle of blackness appeared before her.

	Arisa blinked. "Yeah. I see what you mean."

	"You've never been to the Tower Reversed before, have you?"

	"Tower Reversed? No... at least I don't think so.  It sounds 
familiar, though..."

	"It's probably just a memory from your past life," Sumire 
replied. "Anyhow, let's enter."

	"Enter?" the Knight watched in disbelief as her friend stepped 
into the darkness and vanished.  Then, with a shrug, she followed.
	
*

	"The guards to leave this here and they'd give it to you after I 
left," Shiho explained as she placed the basket to the side of the cell.  
Immediately she looked up and grinned. "Don't worry, there's no file in 
it."

	"Shiho..." Natsu began.

	"So, how have you been, Natsu-chan? Is the trial going well? 
I've been coming to the court sessions, but I haven't really paid much 
attention..." she chuckled, lightly tapping herself on the head with her 
fist. "Just like me, eh?"

	"What happened to your eye?" Hotaru asked.

	"Oh, this?" she asked, touching the large dark spot around it, 
and wincing almost immediately. "It's nothing.  Mariko and I had a 
fight, and she hit me. But I heal fast!"

	"Shiho, I-" Hotaru began.

	"She thinks you betrayed our trust," the short girl continued, 
giving no indication of having heard Hotaru.  "She got really mad at 
me when I said you couldn't have, and..." she shook her head, sniffed,
and smiled at Natsu again. "But you didn't, right?  You didn't really
k-ki..."

	"Shiho, I..." the half-American began, but stopped.  What could 
she say? What could she possibly tell her, without lying?

	"She didn't," Hotaru spoke up.  "It's true Natsu doesn't 
remember the incident, but she couldn't possibly have been able to...!"

	"You're right," the girl broke in, clearly struggling to 
maintain her smile now. "I mean... They say Natsu didn't have the 
means to do it.  I j-just..."

	She was crying now.  Still maintaining the grin, but tears were 
freely flowing down her cheeks.  She sniffed before continuing. "I 
guess I needed to hear it for myself."

	"You should probably keep away from me from now on," 
Natsu said. "Forget that you even know me."

	"I can't do that. I-I promised...  Even if the others aren't... I 
promised I'd try to make friends with...", she chuckled again, still 
crying. "I said too much again, as usual. There's no hope for me, huh?"

	"I-" Hotaru began.

	"I'm sorry. I have to go," the girl said, running away before she 
could finish. 
	
*

	Arisa gazed at the Tower's interior in awe. The large table, the 
red carpet, the stained-glass window... "This is some school you go 
to."

	"We're not in the school anymore," the Ace explained. "Or on 
Earth, for that matter."

	"You're serious?"

	"I told you to believe it."

	"Right, of course," the Knight responded, inspecting the table. 
"Well, where's this ghost of yours, then?"

	"Miyuki!" Sumire shouted suddenly, gaining no response.

	Arisa blinked.

	"Miyuki Sokana! Fortune!"

	"This was your plan?" the biker asked.

	"I said it was a long shot," she answered all too seriously.  
"According to the Page of Pentacles, when Miyuki... Fortune... died, 
her spirit became part of this Tower.  If anyone could help Keisuke, 
it'd be her."

	"If she answers," the Knight replied.  Sumire ignored her, and 
continued shouting.

	Sighing, Arisa sat down in what was the most comfortable 
chair of the ones surrounding the table, leaned back and put her feet 
up.  This was going to take a while.

*

	"Sorry sir, but this is a restricted- Oh, it's you, Officer 
Nakamura!"

	Nakamura adjusted his glasses and cracked a small smile at the 
rookie.  "How've you been?"

	"Pretty good, sir.  What brings you here?"

	He shrugged. "I'm off shift. I just decided to come down to the 
scene of the crime and see if anything's been found yet."

	The rookie shook his head. "I'm afraid not sir. Don't worry, 
though! Since that incident at the hospital, I've been working to put 
this guy away! From the looks of things, though, I don't think I'll get 
the chance."

	"Dead?"

	"We can't say for sure, since we haven't found the body, but it 
seems likely."

	Nakamura nodded. "Alright, keep up the good work."

	"Thank you, sir.  I won't disappoint you again."

	Nakamura turned and walked away.  "It seems likely"... 
Perhaps, but he couldn't shake this nagging feeling that Ishido Usono 
was still alive.  Somehow, he just knew it.

*

	"This is stupid," Arisa rose from her chair.  "You've been 
shouting like that for an hour."

	"Just a little longer.  This will work.  I know it!" 

	"Like I said, there's no such thing as ghosts.  You're wasting 
time, and the longer we wait, the colder the trail will grow."

	"Miyuki is here.  I can feel it!" the Ace insisted. "Just give
me a few more minutes..."

	"Great, now you're delirious." She shrugged. "Well, do what 
you like.  I'm outta here."

	The Knight turned towards the door, but stopped before even 
taking a step. "What the... a kid?"

	"Hanako?" Sumire turned towards the child as well. "You 
came back?"

	"Izumo."

	"What?"

	"Miyuki told me.  There's an Arcana in Izumo... the Page of 
Cups.  He can cure Keisuke."

	"Izumo? That's pretty far away," Arisa said, then shrugged. 
"Eh, not like I have to worry about school anyhow."

	"I'll go with you, but first we need to take Hanako 
somewhere."  Sumire looked at the Page of Pentacles again.  She was 
dressed in fancy clothes, and much cleaner than she normally appeared.  
She looked completely different. "Where have you been, anyhow?"

	"I can't tell you," she replied. "I promised... I just wanted
to help Keisuke!"

	"Hanako!" The Ace of Blades called as the child turned and 
darted out of the Tower Reversed.  Quickly she followed, but upon 
exiting, she saw no sign of her.

	Arisa followed shortly after. "Lost her?"

	Sumire nodded.  The biker stretched her arms, "Izumo, huh?  
It'll probably be an over-night trip.  Shall we leave tomorrow 
morning?"

	"No," the kendoist replied.  "Right now."


* * *

Author's notes: 

	Ugh. It's been a rough week for me.  Moving back into the dorms
and trying to work out a scheduel conflict I got stuck with... X.x

Well, I managed to complete it, though! Yay!

Thanks to NinjaDebugger for prereading.