It was quiet.

The voices had always spoken to him, ever since he was very young.
Back then, he'd listened to them, talked with them.  They were his
secret friends, that no one else could see; something private, that
wasn't held before the scrutiny of his parents, that liked him for
himself, and not for looks, or his family's stature.  Not because they
wanted anything.  Not at first.

Then they started asking him to do things.  Harder tasks, to come to
them, to work for them.  It wasn't fun anymore.  It wasn't friendly.
And so, he stopped obeying their commands then, stopped seeing them,
began ignoring their Calls.  Stopped trusting them.  They couldn't stop
him, because they weren't real.  Other things were more important.

But always, they'd made noise.  Now the low murmur of their voices was
gone, and the silence was deafening.

"Don't..."

+ + +

Arcana
  created by Scott Schimmel
Chapter Forty-Four: Fractured Alliances
  written by Erin Ellis

+ + +

Oda Kazuhiro was a man who Knew.  Not that he could see the future; he
certainly wasn't Fortune, or even had the crude reading powers of the
King of Blades.  He didn't even have an astral vision type power; that
was World's domain.  Oda just knew what would and what would not be a
good idea.  He was fairly old before realizing this was more than just
simple intuition, that this was the power of the Hierophant.

That was the past, in the days of the old Council Arcana, the older
members taking the slew of new recruits and training them, providing
support, not that he'd felt he needed it.  Oda reminisced, almost --
missed -- the others, the camaraderie.  The family, to replace his own,
lost one.  Old Dame Fortune, the proud matriarch.  The King of Wands,
who had helped him hone his powers, so that he could Ask, not just
Answer questions.  The Ace of Pentacles, who helped him plan his life
and invest his savings.  Temperance and Justice, who came and went as
they pleased.  Later, they left the Tower Reversed behind, and plans
began to grow and flourish, and their numbers did as well.  That's when
he'd met Hanged Man, and Chariot.  The rest of the Wands trailed to
their King.  The Queen of Blades, who he'd promised not to hate.
Judgement, who had promised him to return.

That was before, before everyone was scattered.  Reshuffled.  Killed.
Gone.

+ + +

The Hierophant shook his head.  It had been a long time since he'd
recalled those memories, and it was not something he had really wanted
to get into right now.  There was no need to waste time thinking about
the past.  He had to deal with his future.  Soon, he would be Prime
Minister.  Soon, he would reunite, and rule the Council.  Soon, he
would have everything.

But first, he would see Hanged Man; hopefully he had good news.
Definite news.  Hierophant didn't have answers for everything, much as
he wished he did.  He did not enjoy leaving things up to Fortune, even
when he had liked her.

"Report," the man barked, opening the window that Hanged Man might come
inside.

Hanged Man's step was not quite lively; his voice the usual wry tones.
Nothing different, and it made Oda frown.  "World, Chariot, and the
King of Blades.  I couldn't tell what they were talking about, but I
would assume it was against you."

"Against us," Hierophant corrected.

The inverted man shrugged agreement.  "There isn't much 'us' left.  The
group seems to have disappeared."

Oda's eyes narrowed.  "What would you have me do then?  Offer my neck
to World and her gang?"

Hanged Man gestured evasively.  "I think you need to call in the
Kings."

"Not much help there," the politician scoffed.  "Only one even
theoretically at our disposal, and he has to date refused to deal."

"But there are three Kings," Hanged Man said, a smirk on his face.

"Three?  Then..."  Oda trailed, then smiled as well.  "Perhaps now the
child can be taught some respect for her betters."

"Perhaps," Hanged Man agreed.

+ + +

Chris Forrester stared at his hands, toying with a deck of tarot cards.
When Aunt Francine had passed them out for Christmas one year, he'd
never thought he'd ever need or want to use them.  Taking a card out of
the deck, he looked at it.  The Ten of Swords.  He cracked a mirthless
smile, remembering last night's experience of the same thing.

+ + +

Atsuko had drawn him into a tiny noodle shop, a complete dive that was
poorly lit and staffed less.  Sitting him down, she dug in her bag
until drawing out a deck of some anonymous manga tarot cards.  "The
meaning's the same, the images might as well be pretty," she snapped at
his unspoken question.

Chris shrugged, concerned at her quick change in demeanor.  "Is... is
there anything wrong?  What'd I do?"

"Shuffle these, please."  Her face was closed, tone all business.

He did as she said, trying to remember what Francine had taught him
about it.  Satisfied, he gathered the deck, then cut it into thirds,
and handed it back to her.  "My aunt does this all this New Age
stuff... I didn't know you were into it."

The redhead frowned.  "Draw a card, please."  As he reached for the top
one, she stopped him, placing a hand on his.  It felt like static, and
he flinched slightly.  "Take the one that pulls at you.  It's important
that we're sure."

He stayed his protest at her expression, instead sifting back through
the deck.  Lifting a card, he placed it on the table.  "King of
Pentacles.  Is that good?"

Her face blanched, turning a drawn gray.  "Once more, please," she said
faintly.

Chris reshuffled and drew again, turning up the same thing.  "That's
weird.  What's the chances of that happening, eh, Atsu?"  He fell
silent as she grabbed his wrist again, her unsteady voice telling him
of the Arcana, the different goals of the Suits, and of the lofty goals
of their own Queen, Kurayami Maki.

"Kurayami Maki?  Long, dark hair, attractive, dresses well?"  The blond
felt an unlucky and uncomfortable vibe pass over him.

"Yeah.. you know her?"

Chris looked ill.  "We've met... didn't get off to the best of starts,
you might say.  Hadn't really planned on meeting her again."  Or wanted
to, he mentally added.

"Oh," she said, and he couldn't tell if the disaffectation in her voice
was annoyance or something else.  "That's her.  Maki-sama wants to be
the Empress," Atsuko explained.  Chris couldn't tell if the girl backed
the Queen, or was weirded out by her.  Maybe both.  "She'll want your
help, since you're the King.  Or she'll kill you."

"Kill me?" he squeaked.  This story didn't seem to be getting better.

"Well, she'll try, anyway.  You -are- her King too, so it'll be hard
for her to do.  Unless she got help."  Leaving Chris to reflect on that
savory thought for a moment, she leaned forward, clasping his hands.
The tingle wasn't so jarring anymore, he noticed.  "You'll help her,
won't you?  She.. didn't used to be like this.  You might be able to
get through to her, being the King and all.  I'll help you, being the
King and all."

"Only because I'm the King?"  His voice was odd, he knew.  She blushed,
ducking her head.  "Well, I mean--"  And then she'd pulled him from the
restaurant to see if they could catch the old man.  She wanted him to
wear the crystal; it had kept him hidden, she'd said.

+ + +

He fingered the pendant, then lifted it over his head and placed it
next to him on the bed.  Like before, he felt a tingling over his body,
though it was a lot fainter than before.  He drew from the deck again,
this time pulling the King of Pentacles.  He was not very surprised.
"This is all so -weird-!"

"What is?" Natsu asked, poking her head in the door.  "Ehn, looking at
that tarot garbage?"  She indicated the cards strewn across the bed and
made a face.  "That stuff's bad for you.  Bunch of dangerous bull."

"Thanks for the warning," he said sarcastically.  "Tell Aunt Francine,
unless you thought this was what I wished for last Christmas."  Natsu
shrugged, sticking out her tongue.  "Where've you been all day?"

"Here and there, helping a friend," she said airily.

"Ah, finally got back with Hotaru?" Chris asked.

Natsu's lips pressed into a thin line, face shuttering closed.  "No.
She apparently had better things to do than be with her old friends."

"Maybe it's because you've been avoiding her for so long," Chris wisely
didn't say.  "Oh.  Maybe she got a boyfriend," he chose instead.
Apparently he should have held his tongue on that comment as well, as
his cousin moved into a grimace.  "Or not," he hurried, trying to avoid
Natsu blowing up at him.  "Your other friend doing all right?" he
attempted to change the subject.

"More or less.  He'll be fine, I think."

He raised an eyebrow, a smug grin creeping across his features.  "'He'?
What's this?  Natsu Forrester, interested in a -boy-?  Will wonders
never cease?"  He laughed, easily dodging the pair of socks thrown at
his head.  "So, did you have a good time with your honey pumpkin?"
Chris oozed in his most sugary-sweet voice.

"How about you and that girl you came home with last night?"  Natsu's
voice was smug this time.  "It was pretty late when you came home, and
you stood there talking in the doorway for over an hour."

"Don't you have better things to do than spy on me?"

"I tried sleeping, but when people are gabbing right outside your
window, it makes it kinda hard."

"Well-- I'm not ashamed.  Atsuko and I had a lot to talk about.  I'm--
er, we're going out," Chris stated, realizing the sentence had fallen
flat.  For some reason, he didn't want to tell her about being Arcana.

"Whoop-dee-doo," Natsu deadpanned, twirling a finger in the air.
"Maybe next time, don't go out when I'm trying to sleep.  Speaking of,"
she said, straightening, "I'm going to grab a quick nap before dinner.
If Te-- if anyone calls, tell them I'll call them back this evening."
She took a step out of the room, then poked her head back in.  "You -
are- okay, right?  You were saying stuff was weird."

"You know, life and all," Chris shrugged.  "I'll tell you later.  You
okay?  With Hotaru, and your friend and all?"

"I'll be fine," she said impassively.  Softening slightly, she
continued.  "Don't worry about it.  Have fun with your lady friend,"
she smirked.

"I'll wake you if your boyfriend calls," Chris smiled after, laughing
as she slammed the door.

+ + +

Natsu flung herself onto the bed, deathly tired, but unable to go to
sleep.  Other than an hour or two the night before, she had spent the
past day and a half with Tetsuya.  She felt for him; usually slick and
guarded, he seemed strangely muted, open.  Maybe that was because of
him switching powers.  Who knew what it was like to have Arcana powers?
Well, she could ask Hotaru, but--

The blonde grimaced, putting her hands to her face.  She had promised
to leave the girl alone, for her own good.  But nevertheless, at the
request of Miyuki, she'd gone and called for the Magician's assistance.
Mrs. Komatane had answered, saying Hotaru was out.

+ + +

"The High Priestess is another option," Hanged Man suggested.

Hierophant turned up a nose.  "I wouldn't, if I had the choice.  Not
much purpose in having someone too debauched to think they need you.
Servants should follow orders."

"Still, if our ends are the same, to use him is efficient," he
murmured.

+ + +

"Where's she gone to?  Oh, sorry, this is Natsu."

She could hear the woman smile over the phone.  "Of course I recognize
your voice!  It's good to hear from you again, especially after all
that confusion before."  Natsu frowned, thoughts of the trial not at
the top of her list of favorite memories.

"Yeah, thanks, Mrs. Komatane.  I just wanted to know if Hotaru was
around, or if you knew where we could find her."

"Hmm, I'm not quite sure where she's off to.  She went off with that
nice Usono boy; they said something about a date."  Her voice had
lowered to a conspiratorial whisper; Natsu felt slightly ill.  "But
then, I suppose you would know all about that, right?"

"Right.  Well thanks, I'll talk to you later, Komatane-san."

"It's always a pleasure.  Come by sometime, it's always good to see
you."  They said their good-byes, and the blonde's expression turned to
a full-on glower.  Again?  At this time?  People were hurt, people
needed her, and Hotaru was off with that killer Joker.  Natsu walked
back down to the Tower Reversed, hands clenched and shaking.  She'd
left them.  She'd abandoned them.  She'd abandoned -her-.  For an
insane clown.

"It's not fair, is it?"  The voice sighed around the room.  "The
Magician is so fickle to her friends.  So irresponsible, when they are
in great need.  It's so -- infuriating."

Before Natsu had the chance to even rise, the tall, dark figure was
upon her, movements lithe as a cat, pinning her to the bed without
touch.  A pale, slender hand gently caressed her cheek, as cold as ice.
"You belong to her, don't you.  Or she would have it that way, I
think."  The fingers tightened against her skin, pressing into it.
Without a sound, they pulled away.

Natsu was screaming, struggling, but there was no movement, no sound.
The porcelain face beneath the dark hood was sympathetic, heartbroken.
"Don't you think you deserve better?  The Magician is with the Fool,
when she could be with those more deserving.  What a wicked girl she
is."  The man stopped, seemingly having a revelation.  "Perhaps, she
should be punished.  Do you think that is a good idea?"

The blonde stared up at the man, face unresolved.  She could tell she
was allowed, if not expected to speak here, but she didn't trust what
she would say.  Obviously, she held ire for anyone who would restrain
her so, but a small and increasingly loud part of her agreed with his
views on Hotaru -- and that frightened her.

Cold, violet eyes passing over her, an eerie smile slowly crossed his
features, and she was released.  "You are quite handsome, and an
interesting study, Paradox -- Natsu Forrester.  I would meet with you
again.  We could... talk."  Gesturing to the nightstand on her right,
he motioned to a small cup of a fragrant golden liquid.  "I leave this
as a token of our friendship," he stated.  Bowing slightly, she blinked
and he was gone.

+ + +

"Nakamura.  What's up?  You seem kinda preoccupied."

"Hm?"  The younger man started, reverie broken.  "Sergeant Sagara.
What's wrong?"

Sagara smiled crookedly.  "-I'm- fine.  You've been moony all day."  He
turned serious.  "There's not anything really... wrong, is there?"

Nakamura's face was placid for a beat, then he became animated.  "I'm
fine.  Maybe I'll take a break."  Pause.  "Usono had... cards.  Do you
know where they went?"

"They're gone," the older man said flatly.

"I need them.  I'll find him."  His voice was deathly low.  "Where are
the cards?"

They stared at each other, Nakamura's eyes a dull, dead color.  "I'm
going outside to smoke," Sagara began slowly.  "When I come back, I
want you to have gone home and take the day off.  I think you're under
too much stress, you need a break.  I'll see you tomorrow morning."
Troubled, Sagara turned and walked down the hallway, hands already
worrying his first cigarette into twisting nearly in two.  He cursed
lightly as bits of tobacco fluttered ot the ground.

Why now?  When all this other stuff was happening -- he was on the
verge of finding a link between Oda and someone vaguely criminal, and
maybe then Maki would get off his back for a while.  There just wasn't
time --

"Sergeant Sagara!"  A breathless voice was approaching him; it was
officer Takajima.  "You've gotta come with me.  They've found him," he
panted.

"Found who?"

"The dead guy.  Usono."

+ + +

"Is that all we have to work with?"  The Chairman sounded weary.
Hanged Man supposed it was probably quite stressful for the man to have
to rework what was possibly months of planning.

"There are few unaligned Trumps left," Hanged Man said mildly.

Oda frowned.  "What about Death?"

"Death is with World."

"Death will ally with whoever holds it."

"You're keeping something from me?  We hold Death?"

"Yes, very soon."  Oda chuckled pleasantly.  "As always, when you make
the laws, Justice remains on your side."

+ + +

The drawers were full of worthless trinkets; buttons, change, pencil
stubs, paper wads.  Nothing, nothing they needed...

"Where are you?"

Finally, wedged behind a couple of empty cigarette boxes and a broken
television controller was a lump that felt the right size.  His fingers
begged purchase, yanking out Usono's deck, still wrapped in blood red
silk.

Justice smiled, glad to have found them first.  "I can Read again.  And
these cards will lead me straight to the Fool, and I may punish him for
his transgressions."

Death sneered.  /Do not overstep your bounds; you are not Judgement.
The Fool will lead us to the Magician.  The Magician will lead us to
the Tower.  That is all that is necessary./

"And this vessel?"

/Once I am delivered, I care not what you do with it./

"Then let us go."

Five minutes later, a police car bearing Sergeant Nakamura left
Shinjuku police station.

+ + +

"Hanged Man, old friend, I think you may have something."  Hierophant
actually smiled, truly, for the first time that evening.  "Looks like
this alliance will work out pretty well."

"Yes, I think it will.  Just one more loose end to tie up."  Almost
instantly, the inverted man's hand flew out, and a silver wire wrapped
itself around Oda's neck.

"Why?" he choked out, hand clutching at his neck.

"You never offered me a drink," he commented, giving one last yank.
Oda was still.

+ + +

Shaking fingers grasped the cards.  And with a spark, Tetsuya could
remember -- no, could see --

/The Royal Court of Cups will be the ones to occupy the Tower
Reversed.../

-- a voice --

/THE OTHER IS UNFIT./

-- Keisuke, and --

/But this one should go here.../

-- And now --

The deck spilled onto the floor, every card the Knight of Wands.

"What's wrong?"  The eyes were searching.

"Ask Miyuki to be sure, but I know.  The Cups are coming for the Tower
Reversed.  And for me."

+ + +

tbc.

+ + +

[Notes]

Rough.

Also, not quite in chronological order (or any other order, for that
matter)

Ten of Swords - Collapse of plans; someone who seeks to backstab you

eme 2.december.2001