Present time: ++++++++++++ The graying man took a moment to breathe in the cool dawn breeze. Even this early in the year, the signs of autumn's coming were already visible. Now spring has ended, taking with it the happiness of youth, leaving the harsh reality of summer. Soon the last leaf will fall, and the cold winds of winter shall come. The march of seasons continues on relentlessly, and not even he could do anything to stop it. He had always hated the seasons. All his life, the moments of grief and sorrow would come when the seasons change. These memories were ones he would rather forget, yet they come to him unbidden when the seasons would pass. His parents both died when the first flowers of spring began to bloom. His first love spurned him at the arrival of summer. His young wife and only child were killed in a tragic accident when the leaves began to turn brown. And it was this season, many many years ago, when he received the mantle of the Hierophant. He now had all the power of the Hierophant at his command, and yet all of them were for naught. If only he had the power at the time, he maight have changed things for the better. His wife and son may have survived that fatal crash. His love wouldn't have left him for that creep he knew his rival to be. His parents would have gotten treatment, and needn't have died pointlessly from radiation poisoning. But he couldn't do anything. Even with the Hierophant, he could never stop the seasons from moving on, its passing bringing more misery and sadness. He blinked his tears away. For a brief moment, the tears blurred his sight, and the surrounding garden glistened and sparkled as if encased in crystal. He clenched his fists tightly. "Stop blaming yourself," he chastised himself once again. "You... I couldn't have known about it. There was no way I could change things. What's done is done. I could never move back the seasons and remake the past to suit my desires. The only thing to be done in the seasons' wake is to pick up the pieces and move on. And I will move on. If I cannot remake the past, then I shall take control of the future. I swear that I will change things for the better. No matter what it takes." He still hated the seasons. * * * * * Arcana an Improfanfic started by Scott Schimmel Chapter 34 Blurred Crystal. written by Signus Megido * * * * * The day before: ++++++++++++++ The skies blazed with angry blood. The waning light tainted the clouds like clots on a crystal surface. The radiant culprit slowly slunk off into the distant horizon, unconcerned of the violation of the heavens. Below, in the concrete school grounds the Page of Pentacles ran, her thoughts in a blur. Nothing made sense for her anymore. She had come to the Tower Reversed to ask Forture for answers, but Miyuki's voice only gave her a message for Sumire. Something about another Page. The Page of Cups. He can save Keisuke. If only he didn't live so far away. There was something else Miyuki said about the other Page, a warning... Hanako was too preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't notice the tall person standing at the gates until she barreled into him. The impact sent them both sprawling on the pavement. Her legs splayed, Hanako quickly sat up. "Owww... I'm..." her voice trailed off when she recognized the person she bumped into. "...sorry?" Will was just as surprised to see her. He was waiting for Magician or any of her fellow Arcana allies to show up. He didn't expect Hanako to be here as well. *Wasn't she with Maki earlier? Or did Maki send her here?...* "Why, hello again, Hanako dear. That was rather forceful of you, wasn't it?" "I'msorry,Iwasn'twatchingwhereIwasn'tgoingand..." With a small shriek, Hanako quickly gathered her skirt and covered herself up, her face flushed a bright red in embarassment. ...Ididn'tseeyoustanding there..." she continued to babble nonsensically. Will inwardly chuckled at the sight, amused at the view she accidentaly gave him. "Cute..." He stood up, brushed the dust off his business suit, and offered her a hand. Hanako reluctantly accepted his help with a trembling hand. Her thoughts were in turmoil as her eyes met his. This was the same man who hurt Keisuke, yet his eyes were so clear, so sincere. Part of her wanted to scream at him, to demand the reasons from his lips. The rest of her was scared and confused. He was such a nice man, nothing like what Maki said about him. She knew that he will never hurt her; Will will never do anything without her consent. Miyuki seemed to be saying something as well, but her voice was so far away. She remembered the people she came to live with ever since the Arcana took her off the streets. She wished Hotaru was here, yet she also hoped she won't have to see her like this. She tried to be strong, stronger that she was before she met them, but she found that she couldn't anymore. She was just a kid. A hopeless, clumsy, useless, stupid little kid. A kid who was a jinx to those who were nice to her. Everyone who was nice to her had ended up getting hurt. Like Miyuki. And Keisuke. And Natsu. Why were they so nice to her? She was a bad seed that ruined the farm, a defective crystal that ruined the clock. Nobody wanted her. Nobody should want her. "Don't be scared..." Will leaned closer, kneeling down to face the young girl. "Tell me what's been botherin' you, Hanako. I'll understand." That clinched it. With a wail of anguish, Hanako wrapped her arms around Will, and buried her face on his chest. Will felt his heart tighten as he weathered the sobs of the crying girl he was cradling. He felt the pent-up frustrations and grief of this child, all the years of pain and sorrow buried underneath her tempestous demeanor. This... ....Was totally unexpected. He didn't plan for this to happen this early. It was one thing to sway the hearts and minds of people, but it was another to have this reaction from the mark this soon. Or was it something else?... He reasoned to himself that he'll figure it out sooner or later. Right now there are more pressing matters to attend to. Maybe they can use this to their advantage when it was the Magician's turn later on. That wasn't the only reason, though. In his arms, Hanako looked so weak and fragile... "Hush, darlin'," he crooned as he lifted her up in his arms. "Don't cry anymore. Everythin' will get better soon. You can tell me all about it later. Right now, I'll take you back home." With that, he carried the crying Hanako off without protest towards the waiting Victory. Neither he nor Hanako noticed the kekkai Chariot had erected around them earlier, nor did they notice the absence of people around them. Moments later, Sumire and Arisa reached the gates. The two Blades looked around for Hanako, but they were already gone. * * * * * However, someone did notice what happened. And although she was too far away and the light was too dim to see or hear everything, what she did saw when the barrier was gone was enough. "Man," Atsuko Chuyama mused, her chin-length hair billowing in the wind, "Is Maki-ojousama gonna be royally p'ed off..." She grinned, brushing her hair back with one hand while putting back the girls' magazine into her school bag with the other. "Not that it'll matter, anyway, since she'll be wondering about where Ishido-kun went to care." She gingerly looked down from her high perch to see if anyone was around. Satisfied at finding none, she leaped down the lamp post which stood opposite the school. A glowing pentagram crystallized below her as she fell, her school bag trailing behind her. When Atsuko made contact with the sigil, she vanished, the circle fading away moments afterwards. * * * * * Earlier: +++++++ Will discarded the cigarette butt, and lit up another smoke. He had idly spent several minutes outside the campus, leaning beside Victory while puffing his cigarette. He had deduced that the Arcana affiliated with the Magician would gather after school hours, so he bided his time, going over every conceivable scenarios of the impending meeting. Every once in a while he would nod as if in agreement to a voice only he could hear. "Yes, I know things are getting dull, but be patient," he finally spoke out aloud. "Just like you said, it won't be long until we can get into the Council Arcana headquarters and break Tower's Shackles. To do that, not only must we have the Magician out of the Spread, we will be needing the support of the Kings and the Council's confidence." A low rumble could be felt from Victory in reply. "Getting sidetracked?" Will chuckled. "You should listen to yourself, being so hot-tempered and vengeful. You'll boil over your radiator if you keep that attitude up." Victory growled again. "Heh. Running over that braggart wasn't enough for you? You should be content we got the chance that we did. With their shield out of the way we can press our advantage." The hybrid jeep quieted down. "Oh?" Will quirked an eyebrow. "You know how I feel about you, Victory. You don't have to feel jealous over her. Tell you what, we could share her between us..." Victory rumbled in obvious protest. "Alright, alright," Will held his hands up in apology. "Sorry, I was just kidding. I know you don't swing that way." Victory hummed as if pleased. Will checked his watch. "Oh, it's time." He patted the hybrid jeep's hood. "Well, here goes. Behave, all right? We don't want them to suspect a thing." He winked at Victory before walking up the steps towards the school gates. The faint image of an ethereal woman in the shiny reflection on Victory's hood winked back at him. * * * * * Present time: ++++++++++++ It was already past eight in the morning, still much too early for Chris Forrester to be up and awake. Still, he felt refreshed for the first time in days when he woke up that Saturday morning, and so he decided to go out early. Chris checked himself in the mirror for the last time. Satisfied, he went out of his room, one of several guest rooms of the Forrester residence. "Hmm... Looks like I woke up a little too early today," he idly mused. "Maybe I'll go have some breakfast out, then drop by the arcades for a little while before the trial." He headed to the kitchen to find Francine working over breakfast on the flat pan. "'Morning, Aunt Francine!" "Durn instant pancake mix..." Francine muttered. "Keeps sliding off the-- Oh, Good morning, Chris. You're early today." "Pretty much, yeah," Chris replied as he looked around. "Where's Uncle Will? He was just here a while ago..." "Oh, you just missed him." Francine wiped her brow and looked up at her nephew. He could see bits of what looked like the aformentioned instant breakfast confectionary mix caked haphazardly on her face. "Will went out to close a business deal. He'll be back later to pick us up before heading to the courtroom." She looked concerned. "Why, what's wrong?" "Nuts," Chris grumbled, snapping his fingers in disappointment. "I wanted to bum off a ride to the arcades or somethin'." "Well, he'll be back at around ten o'clock. If you want, just wait around for him to come by." "Nah, I'll walk there myself." Chris spun around and quickly headed for the door. "Be seeing you guys later in Natsu's trial this afternoon, then." "Wait, Chris!" Francine called out to him. "Won't you be having breakfast?" Chris manage to stiffle the involuntary shudder. "It's all right. I'll just grab a bite to eat at the food court when I'm hungry. Ciao, Aunt Francine." "Wait, Chris!" "What now, Aunt Francine?" Chris asked in irritation. "You forgot your crystal again," Francine said as she handed Chris a small dagger-shaped glasslike shard set in a pendant. "Aww, Auntie, do I have to wear this stupid--" Francine glared at her nephew. "Now I know you don't believe in this 'hocus pocus bunk', it's better to be safe than sorry. The cosmic energies in this crystal is an especially strong one, since it was reputed to have been gathered in Mount Sinai. The protective energies of this crystal will most certainly keep you from harm. So don't lose it, okay? Keep it somewhere in your person, preferably as close to your heart, the center of your soul, as possible." "Yeah, yeah. Geez..." Chris muttered as he begrudgingly wore the crystal around his neck, all the while silently reminding himself to ditch the stupid thing later, or at least keep it out of sight. Chris finally left the house, finally free of his aunt's incessant lectures. As soon as the door closed behind him, he could hear her anguished cry from the kitchen. The shriek was loud enough to rattle the front windows. "Oh, no! They're all burned!" * * * * * Maki reached the gates of the small hill shrine. She looked around and found the Arcana who the messenger claimed was the Hierophant, in his usual immaculate-white formal suit, already inside. He was standing in the picturesque garden, watching the leaves slowly fall from the surrounding flame trees. The scene was so serene and idyllic that she briefly wondered where his usual coterie of bodyguards was. There was no field surrounding the area either, so he must have come here alone and unprotected. The pleasant thought of eliminating the Hierophant by herself was almost amusing to the Queen of Pentacles for a moment. But, Maki quickly reminded herself, he is a Trump, so he may have more tricks up his sleeve. Besides, he was the one who called for this meeting, so she should better hear him out first before acting out her own desires. After all, they both are after the same goals. "Good morning, Uncle Oda!" She called out. Oda turned around towards her and smiled warmly as she slowly walked the small cobbled path towards where he stood, heedless of the crunching of countless dead leaves underfoot. "Good morning, Maki. I see that you've grown more beautiful with each passing day." Maki curtsied at the compliment, her feet scattering more leaves around. "Thank you, Uncle." "Aren't they beautiful too?" Oda asked, gesturing to the numerous azotea and maple trees surrounding the secluded shrine. "Old foundations of glory, they shelter earthly heavens in its all-encompassing shade. Surely the young shoots can learn much from the wisdom of the aged." "True, yet experience shows that such ancient hulks are an eyesore," Maki interjected. "If they do not contribute to the beauty, they're just taking up space, and so they must be removed for the benefit of all." Oda winced. "You wound me with your sharp tongue, Maki dear," he spoke. "Yet, you do have a point. Why hide a wondrous sight as this garden when paradise should be enjoyed by all?" "Let's not beat around the bush, Hierophant," Maki interrupted, her demeanor changing as she spoke. "What is it you want of me?" Their masks shattered, the two Arcana shifted their stances from from loving uncle and niece to two rivals watching each other with slitted eyes. "So it is true," Maki hissed. "You are the Hierophant. I always suspected someone pulling the strings behind the scenes... but I never expected it to be you." "Your Royal Highness, the Queen of Pentacles," the Hierophant began to speak, all trace of humor gone from his deep voice. "I require a boon of you." "Do not patronize me, old man," the Queen of Pentacles scathingly replied. "I have no intention to fall under your sway." "And why not? It seems as if you needed guidance from one most experienced in such matters of statecraft and rulership--" "I don't have to listen to you blustering, Trump," she sharply interrupted him. "You have no power over me." "Yet you responded to my call. You came here even if it was most certainly inconvenient of you." "Yes, I did hear out your messenger, but do not be mistaken of my intentions. I did not wake up this early today just to have decrepit fossils ordering me around." "Tch," the Hierophant chuckled as he shook his head at the remark. "You should learn to respect your elders, Your Highness." "I do not give respect to those who do not deserve it," she riposted. "You have no authority over my Court, and do not presume such desperate claims." "Even if your Rebel Court lacks the proper King? Tradition requires it." "Tradition is for fools and losers," she said as she drew herself up haughtily. "And as you may know, I have no need of a consort." "He may think otherwise, your Highness." "If our meeting serves nothing but to exchange pleasantries, I must take my leave," she said in growing irritation. "Ah, yes, my apologies," Hierophant mock-curtsied. "You have plans to go back to, plots the hatch, and schemes to play... Or is it classes to attend to and schoolwork to do? My apologies," He quickly amended, inwardly chuckling at her frown. "I am a forgetful old man, as you say. So I tend to get confused by the concerns of today's youth... But even so, You have much to learn, child Queen." "Whatever. This meeting is over," she declared, turning around on her heels and walking away. "Tch. Are you angered because nothing seeems to be going your way, child? I'm afraid this meeting is far from over." At Maki's silent glare, he continued. "We shall adjourn for now, but on the next time we meet, you will come to me. And you will come to an understanding of my offer." Maki replaced her mask again. "Well, we'll see about that. 'Bye, Uncle Oda! Take care!" "You too, dear Maki," Oda said as he returned to his facade as well. "Say hi to your parents for me." * * * * * Chris reached the arcades without incident. "Ah, you're early today, Chris," the manager greeted one of his arcade's regular customers. "Good mornin'," Chris greeted the short pale man back. "So did the new games get here this week?" The manager grinned widely, flashing a perfect set of teeth. "Chris, there's always a new game every week." He gestured to the line of arcade machines to the side. "See for yourself." Chris grinned back as he headed for the token booth. "I will." He could never get used this country's extensive arcade centers, but he is certainly enjoying the experience. * * * * * It's been two days now. Keisuke Shirosawa remained still on the pristine while bed in a private hospital room. The various machines he was hooked up to continued their monotonous droning, finding no change in the battered young man's condition. Hotaru Komatame stood beside the bed. Keisuke looked so weak and fragile, like misted crystal dashed on the concrete street. She learned about the accident just last night, and had spent the rest of the evening lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't find it in herself to cry, the only thing that would bring the tears were thoughts of Natsu languishing in jail for a crime she couldn't have committed. She hoped Keisuke would understand. She remembered the concern he showed her when she felt down and depressed. He was always there, someone she could rely on when she was troubled. Now he was here, the one in trouble, and she couldn't do anything to help him. Beside Hotaru, Tetsuya Koishikawa stood, looking down on his somewhat friend, rival and fellow Arcana. He had helped in getting Hotaru into Keisuke's room by persuading the nurse to let them inside. In a way Tetsuya didn't lie about being Keisuke's family friend, since Keisuke was one of the family of Arcana. Tetsuya picked up the doctor's report that was on the bedside table right next to the bed. He thumbed through the spotless document, his jaw clenched tightly as he read the neat handwriting. His next action surprised Hotaru with its vehemence. "Keisuke!" Tetsuya yelled, flinging the folder away and picking up the comatose body by the front of his shirt. "I refuse to believe you can go down and lose this easily! Get up! You spineless weakling!" "Tetsuya..." Hotaru pleaded. "How dare you," Tetsuya hissed, bringing Keisuke's face closer to his. "How dare you think you can just leave us? Didn't you say you did all those things because you didn't want any one of us to get hurt? Don't think so much of yourself, you arrogant bastard! Come back to us, Keisuke! I swear I'll get back to whoever did this to you. So don't die on me..." * * * * * Natsu Forrester sat on one of the plush chairs in her lawyer's office. She couldn't help but marvel at the elegance of the room, with its narra wood furniture and the racks of swords hanging on the walls. There was a familiarity in the atmosphere that part of her was desperately trying to figure out, but there was this weird haze before her eyes that not even telling most of the story to Rusty, leaving out the names of Hotaru and her fellow Arcana, manage to dispel. Attorney Rustom Cutterson Date-Smith was seated behind the dark table, amused at his client's befuddlement. "So, Natsu, are you feeling more comfortable now?" Rusty's words snapped Natsu back to reality. She turned to look at his inscrutable face. She was quickly distracted by the sword hanging on the wall right behind Rusty. Somehow that sword looked very familiar... "Well?" "Natsu blinked. "Sorry, Rusty..." "Don't be sorry," Rusty snapped. "Never show you're sorry. Being sorry in court is a sign of your weakness. And believe me, the prosecutors will not hesitate to exploit your weaknesses." "I..." Natsu looked down. "I don't know what to say..." "Natsu. Raise your head," Rusty ordered. "Look at me." Natsu did so. "You want to know my secret?" Rusty asked. "Why I never lost a case in court? ...Don't answer that, it's rhetorical. I never lose because I'm confident I never lose. And because I'm confident that I won't lost, I can't lose. Get it?" Natsu looked confused, but nodded just the same. "Don't give me that attitude," Rusty barked. "You're supposed to be a foreigner. Act like one. If you feel like you don't belong, then make everything around you belong to you. It's just that simple." "I really wish it was that simple..." Natsu mumbled. "But..." "But nothing," Rusty interrupted her. "Don't be cowed by those around you. If you think you're not a human being, why do you insist on being human? Be strong inside, and the rest will fall in place, just like that," he emphasized by snapping his fingers. "Now... look at me, and tell me the first thing that comes into your mind." Natsu thought for a moment, and remembered Tetsuya's warnings. "Is Uncle Will Arcana?" Rusty smiled. "Good start, Natsu. Clear, concise, and direct to the point. Keep it up. Anyway, to answer your question, Will is not Arcana. Will is a lot like you, but not the same." Despite her misgivings, Natsu was curious. "How long have you known Uncle Will?" "A long while, actually..." Rusty settled back into his high-backed leather chair. "We were buddies since childhood. In fact, if it wasn't for his financial problems, he would've been your lawyer and not me." "Oh?" "Will was the better speaker, and had the charisma to sway crowds. He just didn't have the money to put himself through college. Being an orphan, he had to support with himself, and so he fell in with some unsavory crowds. That was probably when he got in contact with the Arcana. "We lost touch for few years while I was in law school. I had become Arcana by then, although I never had both the opportunity or the necessity to use it. Sometime after I passed the bar, Will contacted me. He was in a serious jam then, so I helped him out, in exchange for him to clean up his act. In turn, Will introduced me to the right people. So from then on I became his lawyer, and he in turn helped my career in his own way." She digested this. "Then you are Arcana. And these swords..." "Blades," Rusty corrected her. "My role represents conflict and change. I bring about initiation and conclusion. I know how the field of battle flows, as much as I know that your dilemma is merely a feint by the true enemies." This surprised her. "What do you mean, Rusty?" Rusty leaned forward. "Didn't I tell you, Natsu? I am a master of tactics, whether it may be the boardroom, the courtroom, or the battlefield. So I know that you have been used by someone else, most likely an Arcana, possibly for revenge, or for some other, bigger plan. You did say that the Arcana you associated with was responsible for the death of the King of Wands." She shook her head. "I never said we killed him. All I know is that he managed to escape. None of the Arcana gathered in the Tower Reversed could have killed him." "Neverthereless, he is dead, and whether the 'Tower Arcana' you mentioned was resposible or not is strictly academic. Then... maybe someone else is the target? Tower, or Fortune, perhaps? Do you know who may be the one person your enemies are after?" An image of Hotaru flashed in Natsu's mind. She shook her head. "I don't know who they're after. It could be anyone." Rusty frowned. He knows she's lying, and if she keeps hiding this from him, the trial may not go his way. "Very well, if that's how you want it..." "But it's true," Natsu insisted. "I really don't know..." "I can delay this trial, but only until next week or so. I can't delay things forever. The results of your trial is strictly on your hands, Natsu," Rusty gathered the papers in front of him in a dismissive gesture. "And how truthful you answer people." Natsu felt she had just been threatened. * * * * * Chris was having a blast. This new arcade game was the best he had played in a long while. "Crossovers may suck, but not in Versus games," he commented aloud as his Ibuki delivered yet another crushing combo to yet another challenger who was unfortunate to face. A sizeable crowd had already gathered to watch his game. He had been playing for hours, but Chris didn't even notice the passage of time. "May I?" Someone asked him from behind. "Yeah, sure..." Chris had barely answered the question when the credit counter changed and the start button was pressed. As the "A NEW CHALLENGER HAS APPEARED!" message scrolled on-screen, he took a moment to look at his opponent. He was pleasantly surprised to find a cute girl about his age with chin-length hair looking back at him from the other side of the machine. "'This is my first time, so please be gentle'," she quipped at Chris. "Round 1... FIGHT!" The machine announced, and Chris found himself fighting for his game character's life, as Ibuki was assaulted by a furious Setsuna on-screen. * * * * * Ishido Usono, the Joker, stirred awake. He found himself lying in a solitary cot in a run-down room. He didn't recognize the place, but there was something very familiar about the room. "Oh, good, you're awake," a faint voice spoke above him. Joker groaned as he sat up. He was wrapped from head to toe in bandages, and he felt like a ground borer was using him for a drill bit. Right after the piston flattend him in the asphalt. Then he remembered. "Hight Priestess?" "No, Ishido," the androgynous speaker, heavily swathed in robes that obsucured their features, replied. "But you are now in his domain." Joker felt a sinking feeling from the pits of his stomach. "And you are...?" "Someone who regrets," the other person in the room replied mournfully. "The Arcana who gives and takes lives on the command of the Trumps." Joker knew. "Healer?" The Healer nodded. "I'm sorry, Ishido. I'm so sorry..." * * * * * Chris lost. He didn't mind, though. Having a record of 42 straight wins was something to consider. It'll take a while for anyone to beat that accomplishment, that's for sure. The girl he lost to subsequently lost to the next challenger, a total scrub who entered the '7Moon' secret character code. Chris was amazed by this. A new game was out for less than a week, and now the secret codes were popping out of nowhere. He hoped that the girl would stay for another round, but he was disappointed to see her making her way towards the exit. After a moment's hesitation, he pushed himself out of the crowd after her. "Hey, there..." Chris called out to her. "Excuse me..." She turned around to look at him. "Yes?" "Great game. You were incredible." "Thank you. You too." Chris thought up of something fast. "Um... So wanna have lunch with me today? My treat," he quickly added. She checked her wristwatch. It read fifteen minutes until twelve, so there's still plenty of time for her before she has to go back to 'work'. "Sure." "Really? Great!" Chris nearly whooped, but stopped himself. "Nice pendant," she commented from out of the blue. "Oh, this thing?" Chris reflexibly grasped the gleaming crystal pendant hanging on this neck. He mentally kicked himself for forgetting to hide or get rid of it. "It's nothing." "I think it's nice." Chris scratched the back of his head in embarrasment. "My name's Chris, by the way. Chris Forrester." "And I'm Atsuko Chuyama. Nice to meet you, Chris-san." She said, smiling for the first time today. *It's not everyday that a cute foreigner boy asks you out like it does in the comics.* * * * * * Earlier: +++++++ "Tch. Just as I expected, the Queen is still a child," Oda sadly shook his head. "Still a child, after all... A spoiled child, to be precise. Pity. With the proper guidance, she has much potential for greatness, though an Empress she may never be..." His expression hardened. "...But now she never will." He reached into the lapel of his coat and pulled out a small leather carrying bag. Numerous silver-inlaid arcane glyphs dotted its thick lining. He opened it to reveal a simple compact with a rather unremarkable-looking string laid in the middle. "Hanged Man," Oda called out, slowly pulling on the string as he did so. The reflection of the string on the mirror twisted and coiled, slowly expanding its form into something larger and more human-shaped. In a few moments the shape took definition into the upside-down form of the Hanged Man. Any chance passerby would only see the Chairman of the Majority Party studying his reflection in the compact, while standing alone in the middle of a quiet garden of the shrine. The Hanged Man had chosen the moment to appear in mirrors, effectively masking his aura from detection, with the string as their medium of communication. "I know," Hanged Man replied, his head in the reflection mere centimeters from Oda's shoulder. "Does she suspect?" Oda shrugged indifferently. "Maybe she does, or maybe she does not. I care not either way. Her knowledge of our influence maatters not to me at this point. It is the Magician we should be paying more attention to from here on." "And those who gather around the Magician," Hanged Man added with a snort. "What of the Hermit?" Oda chuckled. "Both he and Temperance are of no consequence. They will not interfere with our plans, as long as we keep the Balance of the Spread in check. The World will see to that. The Queen made a mistake though, if she believes they are of some importance to the coming of Judgement. It will be to our outmost advantage to let her continue her misunderstanding." "Then shall we deal with the remaining Kings of the Court?" "Not yet. Foolish as Chariot is with Dealing them into the Spread, their involvement can be used to further our ends. But first we must ascertain the intentions of the current High Priestess. Her alignment in the Spread may affect the plans." Hanged Man narrowed his already-slitted eyes. "And how can we find her, let alone figure out which side she'll be on?" "That's your problem," Oda closed the compact. "You deal with it." He chose the moment to indulge in a dark chuckle. * * * * * And somewhere else, the Hanged Man looked away from the washroom mirror as he retracted the string back. "You fool." He laughed. ____________________ Author's Skribulous: ....Damn. No prereaders again. This is not a good thing. Ah, whatever. No apologies for any mistakes in this part. I gave it a better workout, and I'm not complaining. My only regret is that I wanted to write more. Maybe later. -Signus Megido http://hello.to/maramala July 7, 2001