***-Later that night-***

"I am blind yet see I see but I can never know A fool's dilemma."  The 
words rang through her mind, bells in the stillness and emptiness.  They 
reminded her... reminded her... reminded her of the dream that she had 
once lived, the dream where she had been Fortune, and blind- and where 
her parents had been dead.  She disliked remembering the dream- bad 
memories, bad thoughts, pain, hurt... and yet, she could not stop 
herself from doing so.  

Miyuki sat listlessly in the chair, her hands resting upon the table, 
muttering to herself.  World shivered- how could she know that Fortune 
would be so strong?  It was lucky- it was very lucky- that Will had left 
again.  Else, something very... bad could have happened.  While the girl 
slept in the false world, her mind almost instinctively kept seeking her 
body.  The false world's realism, the World understood now, had been a 
mistake.  Miyuki remembered sleep in the real world... and therefore, 
remembered sleep in the false world.  It was too basic, World thought.  
But how was I to realize the problems?

World sat softly next to the chair, trying to keep from hearing Miyuki's 
words.  There they were again, softly now.  "I am blind yet see I see 
but I can never know A fool's dilemma I am blind yet see I see but I can 
never know A fool's dilemma I am blind yet see I see but I can never 
know A fool's dilemma..."

~~~
Arcana 
Started By: Scott Schimmel 
Chapter Fourty-Nine:  Sight and Knowledge
Written by Eric Trendell, a.k.a. Anthon. 
~~~

***-Present-***

	"Well, Hermit?  You said that our King would be here.  Now, where 
is he?"  Arisa's voice rose with her impatience, until the last words 
were shouted.  The Hermit smiled an ironic little smile.  

	"Ah, the fabled bluntness of the Knight of Blades.  Do not worry, 
my friend- your King has called his court, and they will be here."  The 
hermit sat on a small couch, near to the door of the Attorney's office.  
It seemed that their King had been the man representing Natsu during her 
murder trial.  It also seemed that he wanted them here.  Much they had 
assumed true had been shown false by this... old man's words.  Yet, he 
was the Hermit, and he knew their King. A fair trade, to her.  Resigning 
herself to waiting, she continued to pace from one side of the office to 
the other.  

	Sumire waited somewhat more patiently.  She had suspected Date-
Smith of having at least some connection to the Arcana for quite some 
time now- since she had first seen him in the courtroom, actually.  
After all, one couldn't be the Ace of Blades without at least some 
degree of intuition.  However, if what the Hermit told her was true... 
she shivered.  The situation was hopelessly complex- or possible, simply 
hopeless.  Shaking her head, she tried to dismiss the thought.  She was 
the Ace of Blades.  There was no situation, no fight, that she wasn't 
capable of winning.  No obstacle could stop her.  And... if someone 
chose to harm her friends... they had better be prepared to go through 
her.

	However, one thing kept bothering her, no matter how much she 
tried to put the Hermit's succinct, if convoluted, explanation out of 
her mind.  If... or rather, since Date-Smith was the King of Blades... 
why hadn't he said something earlier?  There had been plenty of 
opportunities for him to – and as a King, surely he could sense the 
members of his own court?  It... it didn't make sense.  It wasn't 
logical.  She looked at the Hermit again.  His involvement seemed 
strange, to her.  Although she had no knowledge on the subject, 
logically, the Hermit would tend to be reclusive.  It was simply his 
nature.  Why then would he choose to help them contact their King?

	"The fulfillment of a Prophecy.  A debt owed.  To aid a firefly.  
Take your pick."  

	Sumire jumped, slightly.  "Uh... Did I just say that out loud?  
And what do you mean by, a prophecy?"  

	The Hermit smiled again, far more honestly this time.  "Yes, as a 
matter of fact, you did say that out loud- and as for the Prophecy, 
suffice it to say that you will eventually know, if it is time."  

Arisa scowled at the old man, but he said nothing further.  Seeing 
that nothing further interesting was happening, she sat down in the 
chair directly across from Date-Smith's desk.  As an added bonus, it 
indirectly faced Sumire.

	Don't get too comfortable, she reminded herself.  You still have 
to be ready to act if the Hermit has been lying.  Quietly, she gripped 
the hilt of the blade she had been given.  It... it fit, she was 
somewhat disturbed to admit.  As if something had been missing, up until 
now.  

	The three looked up at the sound of the door opening.  Standing in 
the doorway, they saw that attorney, Date-Smith.  He was still wearing a 
sword-shaped pin on his tie.  Sumire nodded her lack of surprise.  He 
entered, followed by a woman of about thirty years in age.  He smiled 
softly.

	"Excellent.  We're all here.  Therefore, I call this formal 
meeting of my Court... to order."  

	From his place on the couch, the Hermit smiled.  Things were 
proceeding apace.  Soon, the prophecy might be fulfilled... and the 
firefly would be forced to act.  He hoped that she would react properly.  
He had trained her to the best of his ability, but... he wondered.  
Would she be able to see the truth of what must be done?  Did she know 
enough?  And, above all else, he worried.  Could she work with the 
Paradox, when it was needed?  Could they work together?  

	Shaking his head, he focused his attention upon the meeting.  
Change was coming.  And this court would be one instrument that must be 
controlled.  

~~~

Hotaru slowly walked down the sidewalk, her hands drooping listlessly at 
her sides.  The date with Ishido had went well- very well, actually- but 
now that it was over, she couldn't help thinking about Natsu.  She 
simply couldn't understand why Natsu had acted in that manner.  Natsu, 
of all people!  She had been her friend!  Once, Natsu had said, "No 
matter what happens, no matter who they are, or what they can do, I'll 
always be here.  I'll always be here to help you.  I won't betray you, 
and I won't leave you.  You can always rely on me.  Remember that."

Hotaru sobbed, quietly.  She had... she had... she had slapped Natsu, 
then tried to hold her in with a field.  Were those the actions of a 
friend?  But... Natsu's words... she said that she had hated her.  That 
simply couldn't be – Hotaru broke down again, weeping as she walked.  
They... they were best friends, weren't they?  Weren't they?  

	"Hotaru?"  The voice startled her, rousing her from her depression 
slightly.  "Hotaru, I've been looking for you."

	"Tetsuya?"  Her voice wobbled unsteadily as she spoke, half on the 
verge of breaking into tears again.  

	"What happened between you and Natsu?  I just spent the last few 
hours comforting her.  She was upset, and extremely angry.  She even 
said that you two weren't friends anymore."

	Head hanging, Hotaru told Tetsuya about the conversation between 
Natsu and her earlier.  He whistled softly as she got to the part about 
her trying to hold Natsu in with a field.

	"Ow.  I can see how that angered her... but that really wasn't 
like her.  You two used to be so close!"  

	"I know, Tetsuya.  I know."  

Author's Notes:  I'm sorry.  A friend of mine at work deleted the files 
on my Zip disk to use it to download fansubs of MKR2, Episodes 1-4.  I 
hope this is alright.  

-Anthon.

Epilogue:  

	Chris slowly walked up to his house.  The crystal no longer hung 
from his neck- he felt that it wasn't needed anymore.  He noted his 
uncle wasn't home; at least, Victory was conspicuously absent from the 
driveway.  Slowly, he opened the door.  He sensed something... strange, 
in the house. It felt similar to the bond he now held with his court- 
similar, but quite different.  The bond with his court was a 
completeness, a oneness.  By partaking in it, both he and they became 
whole.  He needed them as surely as they needed him.  It was more of a 
symbiosis than a master-servant bond.  Not that he would ever tell Maki 
that, of course.  

The presence in the house, however, was different.  Shaking it off 
as simply paranoia, Chris opened the door.  "Aunt Francine?" he called.  
"I'm back!"

	And in the kitchen, the World got up quickly, Fortune forgotten 
for the moment.  Her nephew was home- and nothing would ever be the 
same.