"Here we are, my Lord. Are you sure you want to go through this journey?" 
asked
the Fool, who was dressed in an old fashioned tuxedo, but in the colors and 
patterns of a
jester's motley.
	The small boy looked up at his strangely dressed companion. "I think so. 
You said
that it was the only way to find her. And I can't find her, not anymore, so 
I have to.
You'll come with me, won't you?"
	The Fool laughed gaily. "No, my boy, my Lord, my dear Dreamer, I won't. I
can't! I passed this way--or at least, among the paths you must follow 
through this
maze--many years ago. It was how I awakened to my Powers. It is the Fool's 
journey,
but any may take it. Once, and once only. I may not travel this labyrinth 
again in this
lifetime, not again until the next incarnation passes this way. Then, I will 
wait for him
within. But, for now, I will wait for you on the other side, my Lord. 
Hopefully, you will
bring her with you. I am curious to meet her." He bowed to the boy, 
gesturing to the path
before them as a tour guide shows off a museum piece.
	The Dreamer looked around at the white nothingness that he and his Fool 
stood
in, then at the path that led into a meadow, past a lake and into a forest 
in the distance. "It
doesn't look real enough to support me. Will I really find her in there?"
	"All of us are in this particular dream, somewhere, my Lord. All the 
Trumps. It
was how I knew you when I saw you--you yourself are in there." The Fool 
smiled and
tousled the boy's hair with a black--gloved hand. The other hand, in a white 
glove, still
pointed towards the path. "You are the Dreamer here, we are all yours. Take 
what is hers
to her, that we may find her in the waking world. Go, my Lord, you will meet 
me, or one
of my Voices, first." He swirled his cloak, half black, half white. When the 
white half
passed in front, it blended with the white of the nothingness around them, 
and the
Dreamer was alone in his Dream.
	With a deep breath, the boy stepped onto the path, leaving the whiteness 
behind
him.

*******
Arcana

Chapter 53: Gathering the Cards; Begin the Fulfillment of Prophecy

This chapter by: Segev
*******

	"Ah, Maki, good to see you again. Chris Forrester, if I remember correctly? 
  Is he
a member of your Court?" Attorney Rustom Cutterson Smith-Date stood and 
walked
around his desk, hand extended congenially.
	Chris took it and shook heartily, mimicking his uncle's boisterous grip. 
"It turns
out that I'm the King, actually. You defended Natsu during her murder trial, 
didn't you?"
	"Yes, actually. King, huh? Well, nice to meet you."
	"Yes, yes, now that we have introductions out of the way, what did you 
want,
King of Blades?" Maki asked from her position lounging idly in a chair 
against the wall.
	"Why, to meet with my allies among the Pentacles, of course. With both our
Courts combined, we are a force to be reckoned with. Now, with your King in 
the Spread,
is a perfect time to meet again. To plan for our mutual futures."
	Chris looked skeptical. "What is this alliance, exactly? I've only heard 
about
your mistreatment of my Queen," he said. *Not that she probably hasn't 
earned some
mistreatment,*
he thought privately.
	"I have already apologized for my associate's…excesses. Our alliance
was and is for our mutual benefit, to assure our success in our goals."
	"My King's goals are the protection of the women of his Court," Maki said 
as
she walked over to the boy in question and wrapped herself around his arm. 
"There is
no reason for me to answer to you."
	Chris turned a nervous shade of red as he tried to think of a graceful way 
of
retrieving his arm from Maki's grip. He looked like he was about to say 
something, but
then closed his mouth and put his free hand behind his head, smiling 
self-consciously.
	"I see," said Rusty, his face darkening. He moved back behind his desk and
enthroned himself there. His posture cast ominous shadows over his eyes. "I 
hope you
aren't planning to back out of our alliance, Queen Maki."
	"I hope you aren't trying to threaten me, King Smith-Date."
	"I'm not, my dear. But you obviously aren't the one to deal with anymore, 
so
maybe you should step out and let us Kings handle things from here," 
responded the King
of Blades, making little shooing motions with his hands at the teenaged 
girl.
	"How _dare_ you!? I am not some servant to be dismissed!" Maki took an
aggressive step forward.
	Chris put a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Uh, Maki, I don't think you 
should
attack him. This is his office, after all. I'm sorry, Mr. Smith-Date, but I 
don't think that this alliance
will work out.
At least, not right now. My Queen seems upset, and I don't even know what 
it's supposed
to be about. Maybe, if you could tell me about it, and I spoke with my 
Court, we
could…er…get back to you?" The boy started eyeing the door, as if waiting 
for
permission to leave.
	Rusty wasn't about to give it to him. "King Forrester of Pentacles. I need 
your
help. Perhaps, if I can convince your Queen of my sincerity, you will 
reconsider?"
	Chris was indecisive. He hated confrontations, and the King of Blades was 
an
adult. As much as the teenager wanted to think himself all grown up, there 
was a world of
difference between himself and this imposing attorney. But, he wasn't sure 
he wanted to
give the man the chance to convince them. Then again…he probably could use 
the
allies…and he could trust Maki to at least act in her own best interest. 
"Very well, but
only if Maki is okay with it. I won't leave her here if she doesn't want to 
be left."
	"Of course I'm not okay with it! Do you know what this man had done--"
	Rusty stood up, thrusting the chair back into the wall behind him with a 
loud thud.
"Stop that, girl!" he shouted authoritatively. "I would not tolerate such a 
tone from the
Empress, let alone a mere queen." Maki puffed up like an angry cat at that. 
"Now, if
you'll calm down and listen, I would like to discuss matters of importance 
to each of us.
But I must make my apologies in private."
	Maki calmed down under the King of Blade's intent gaze. He was going to 
great
lengths to speak with her alone. What is he up to? He couldn't be planning 
to threaten
her--he'd already used that tactic, and it wasn't going to work anymore. 
Well…it couldn't hurt
to hear him out. She let out an intentionally exasperated sigh. "All right, 
I'll listen to your
apology. Chris, my King, would you mind waiting outside for me?"
	"Are you sure?" asked the boy, obviously eager to exit the room.
His eagerness to leave was confirmed by the speed with which he was out the
door when his Queen replied, "Yes, I'm sure. I'll catch up to you in a few 
minutes. I'm
sure Rusty here will be willing to wait until tomorrow for a response from 
our Court,
won't you?" She asked that question in her most simpering sweet voice.
	"Of course," replied the attorney smoothly.

	"Miss Forrester?" Ace regarded the young woman in the waking world, in a
private room of the Tower Reversed. She sat up groggily, her eyes unfocused. 
"How do
you feel, Miss Forrester?"
	The young woman in black—such a melodramatic costume the High Priestess
chose for his "doll"—looked at the young girl in red, her eyes filling with 
some
unknowable emotion, her thoughts a mystery. "I feel…" she began, her face 
twisting into
an expression of vicious, gleeful hunger "…vengeful."

	The King of Cups was not a patient entity. He had lost patience with 
mortality
long ago, and had used his powers as the Lord of Life and Vigor to move 
beyond simple
humanity. Those shortsighted fools of that pathetic Council Arcana had 
balked him in his
goals nearly half a century before, when he had still been more than half 
sleeping. Now
he would show them who was the true power in the Arcana, and let them feel 
the
frustrations of power denied. His Court would maintain and protect the 
Shackles,
wielding the power of the Tower Reversed at his behest. The fools had only 
done one
thing right fifty years ago, and now a new group of young fools sought to 
undo even that.
The King of Cups had worked too hard, spent too long perfecting his mastery 
of the Dreamscape,
to allow them to free Judgment and end things here. The King liked the rules 
as they stood. He
would not allow them to be changed.
	Among those attacking were some who sought the mantle of Emperor. The last
surviving member of the Council Arcana—that senile King of Wands—had even 
thought
he had taken that title. He should have known that, for him, it would always 
remain just a
title. The leaders of this new group were seeking to use the power that 
breaking the Shackles
would release to take the Imperial offices for themselves. Who knows? It may 
even work.
But the King of Cups had no use for an Emperor. It had been his actions that 
had
removed the Imperials from the Spread last time, and he didn't need one of 
the other
Kings thinking to set himself on top.
	I AM THE GREATEST OF THE FOUR, AND NONE SHALL OPPOSE ME
AND PREVAIL. NOT NOW, AND NOT EVER AGAIN.
	"Of course, my Liege," quietly responded the stately woman who was his 
Queen.
	CALL THE OTHERS. WE MEET IN THE ROOM OF THE SHACKLES.
	"Yes, my Liege."

Three steps into the forest, the path split into seven different ways. A 
young
woman dressed all in green, with a bow and quiver over one shoulder and a 
mandolin in
her lap sat in the branches of the tree. "Hello, little Dreamer."
	The boy looked up at her. "Are you one of the Fool's Voices?"
	"I am the Bard. Joker was the last to walk this path, and Harlequin met 
him, as he
was to meet you. He was, after all, the previous Fool. However, he 
has...disappeared. I am
here to point you down your path, little one. Would you, however, do me a 
small favor?"
	Her smile was kind, her face friendly.
	"What do you want me to do?"
	"Nothing much, merely carry a message for me. For all us past Fools, 
really.
Would you tell Joker that we miss him? He hasn't spoken with us in far too 
long."
	"You miss him? I guess I can tell him that."
	"Thank you. You are a sweet boy. I'm glad you are who you are."
	"Uh…thanks. Can you help me find her now? I need to give these to her; I 
need
her help. And I haven't seen her in my dreams for more than a month."
The Bard jumped down and pointed down one of the paths. "That way is the
Fool's Journey, but you cannot travel it. All paths lead to all places, but 
not all lead out.
You should take…that one," she indicated another path after a moment's 
thought, "but it
won't lead directly to her. That which is sought is always the last found. 
Though I
traveled the Fool's path in my time, I don't know what lies down your way. 
Good luck,
little Dreamer." She bent down and gave him a peck on his cheek before 
disappearing
into the trees again.
	The boy continued down the path that the pretty young woman had indicated,
looking for the next one to guide him.

	Chris walked down the hall towards the elevator, wiping his forehead free 
of the
nervous sweat that had developed. He'd wait down in the lobby for Maki. He 
was paying
so little attention to his surroundings that he jumped half out of his skin 
when a young
woman with an unsightly scar across her face stepped in front of him. "King 
of
Pentacles?" she inquired.
	"Y-yes?" responded the American youth eloquently.
	"Where is your Queen—Maki?"
	"Um, she's in with the King of Blades. They're talking."
	"And you trust them alone together? I've worked for your Queen, boy, and 
know
better than to trust her. And my King is playing his own game, as well."
	"Arisa, right? You're Arcana, too? And you've worked for Maki?"
	The scarred girl sighed. "Yes, I'm the Knight of Blades. Now, come on, we 
need
to hear what they're talking about."
	"Are you sure its okay to eavesdrop on them like that?"
	The girl gave him a look that clearly defined him as an idiot. "If you're 
asking if
they'd approve, then obviously not. However, it is a good idea. I don't 
trust them, and
neither should you." She grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the door, 
which hadn't
closed completely behind Chris as he left.
	"…did you really want? That apology, while nice, was neither sincere nor
necessary," they overheard Maki finish demanding.
	"You have ambitions to transcend your position as Queen and become Empress,
do you not?" responded the King of Blades.
	"That's no secret. What of it?"
	"Well, I doubt you've told that naïve child-King of yours. But, that's 
beside the
point. I can offer you the means to that end. You see, the goal of our 
alliance is the taking
of the Tower Reversed—the greatest concentration of Arcana power today. And, 
within
the Tower lie the Shackles. When those are broken, the power released will 
be sufficient
for you and me to take the Imperial Thrones."
Maki's silver laughter floated through the crack, causing both eavesdroppers 
to
flinch. "You want to become Emperor? Why, my dear Rusty, I would never have 
thought
you had it in you! I'm impressed."
	Rusty's voice was flat. "I am glad to have been able to impress you. In 
order to
accomplish our mutual goal, we will need the combined might of both our 
Courts. I
believe that the Tower is currently held by the Court of Cups—and I have 
reason to
suspect that their Court is complete—something neither of us can say of 
ours."
	"And what of that? We each only lack one."
	"A complete Court has its powers magnified. However, the might of two 
Courts
should be enough to defeat them. Especially when the two allied Courts are 
those
concerned with combat and power. So, Queen Maki of the Pentacles, can I rely 
on you to
convince your King to join me? Will we take the mantles of Emperor and 
Empress?"
	"Very well, apology accepted. I shall advise my King to accept this 
alliance."
	"Good. Shall we share a drink in honor of our agreement?"
The girl with the scar pulled Chris away from the door. "Well, it seems that 
my
King and your Queen have come to an agreement, and not for the betterment of 
anyone
but themselves."
	"Well, I'm not entirely surprised to hear that Maki is doing things for her 
own
benefit. However, I think that I will just refuse this alliance—"
	"Shh!" insisted the scarred girl. "Quiet 'til we get on the elevator. They 
might
hear us!"
	The King of Pentacles nodded, and didn't speak again until the elevator 
doors
closed. When they did, Arisa asked, "Now, what are we going to do about 
this?"
	"Simple. I'm just going to say 'no' to this so-called 'alliance'. Problem 
solved."
	"Do you really think it's that simple? That the King of Blades will take 
'no' for an
answer? Or that the Queen of Pentacles will let you to balk her? You may be 
her King,
but, trust me, she knows how to get her own way no matter what. No, Chris, 
you've
_got_ to accept the alliance. We need to time our move; my King is a 
treacherous and
conniving man, and very good at manipulating people. He already has my best 
friend
under his spell, and if we aren't careful, he could turn your own Court 
against you."
The elevator doors opened, and the pair stepped out. They continued to talk, 
and
to plan, until the elevator doors opened again, letting Maki exit.
	"Hi, Maki!" called Chris. "Arisa was just keeping me company until you got
back." He stood up. "It was nice to meet you, Arisa," he said over his 
shoulder as he
walked over to his Queen.
	Arisa stood stiffly. "A pleasure, Chris Forrester. Good day, Maki Kurayami"
	Maki favored the scarred Knight with one of her sugar-sweet looks. "Thank 
you,
Arisa. So nice to see an old friend again. I'm afraid I don't have time to 
stay and talk,"
she said to the other girl, who was already walking away. "Come, Chris, we 
have much to
do. This alliance is a good deal, and the King of Blades has everything in 
place—
we can move right now to take the Tower Reversed if we just gather our 
Court."

WHERE IS THE ACE?
	"I haven't seen her since before you had me sit in on that meeting of the 
Knight's
friends, my King," responded the Page.
	"I have never met the Ace," said Keisuke truthfully when he felt his King's 
regard
upon him.
	"I know not, my Liege, I did not find her when I called the Court."
	"She was…concerned about her dealings with the High Priestess," continued 
the
Page. "I hope he hasn't taken her." The seemingly young boy looked 
uncharacteristically
nervous.
	HE HAS NOT. SHE IS NOT HIS TO TAKE. FIND HER. SHE MUST
EXPLAIN HER FAILURE TO ANSWER HER KING'S SUMMONS.
	"I'm sure she just didn't hear, or that she has a good reason!" pled the 
Page.
SHE CAN ANSWER FOR HERSELF. GO, FIND HER.
	"My Liege, I think we can convene this meeting without her. She will turn 
up
eventually. What was it you wanted us to gather for?"
	YOU DARE QUESTION MY DECREE? YOU GROW BOLD, MY QUEEN.
	"I merely suggest that taking the time to locate the Ace would be wasted, 
as
anything you would tell us is doubtless important, and she can hear it later 
as punishment
for her tardiness."
	VERY WELL. SHE CAN BE FOUND LATER. WE GATHER HERE TO
DISCUSS THE DEFENSE OF THE TOWER REVERSED.
	As the shadowy figure of the King of Cups gestured, the room lit up. In the
middle of the illuminated floor was a tangle of chains, in the center of 
this mass was an
elderly man shackled hand and foot. "I offer you and your Court all the 
power at my
disposal, all the power within these walls, to assist you in this goal, King 
of Cups," said
the stooped figure.

	"Your Fortune is not a very useful divination tool, Francine. She is too 
cryptic—
more so than she ever was before."
	Francine Forrester looked at her guest with an exasperated expression. 
"What do
you want me to do, Henry? Fortune is the only one who truly understands her 
visions.
Should I release her from her mental prison? She could then explain her 
pronouncements.
But, would she really want to? Who knows how she would choose to side, given 
her
freedom?"
	A knock at the front door forestalled Henry's response. When Francine 
answered,
there was a young man standing at ease with his hands in his pockets. 
"Hello, Mrs.
Forrester."
	"Can I help you, young man? Are you a friend of Chris's or Natsu's?" she 
asked
in full kindly aunt mode.
	The youth smiled, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Not exactly. Natsu 
probably
still hasn't forgiven me for stabbing her. Not when she hasn't forgiven her 
best friend for
being the Magician. I'm actually here to talk to you, and your guest. Oh, 
wait," he said,
pausing as if he were sensing something, "make that guests."
	Francine's face darkened as she lifted her crystal off of her neck. She 
felt the
telltale tingle of an Arcana coming from this boy…a strong one. "Who are 
you?" she
demanded.
	The youth stepped back, a look of surprise, then apology crossing his face. 
"I'm
sorry, I haven't yet introduced myself. Joker, at your service," he said, 
bowing with a
flourish.
	"What do you want, Fool?"
	Joker brushed past her and walked nonchalantly into the kitchen, wherein 
sat the
other two Trumps. "To talk, nothing more."

A young girl, about the Dreamer's own age, waited at the next branching of 
paths.
Her blond hair blended into her yellow dress and seemed radiant in the 
dimness of the
forest. "Hi. Who are you?" she asked, waving friendlily.
	"I am…" began the boy.
	"Oh, you must be another Fool! You're doing this in the wrong order, you 
know."
	"I'm not the Fool. I'm looking for someone. Can you help me find her?"
	The girl looked thoughtful for a moment. "Nope! But, maybe my big brother 
can.
He's down that path."
	The boy walked on. "Thank you!"
	The paths branched again rather suddenly, this time in a brightly lit 
clearing. In
the midst of this crossroads stood a striking young man in his teens, 
wearing a white-and-
gold robe. Brilliant light emanated from him, almost painfully bright. 
"Welcome, little
Dreamer. I see Star has sent you to me."
	"Which one are you? Or can I ask that?"
	The young man chuckled good-naturedly. "I'll give you that one for free. I 
am the
Sun, just as my little sister—whom you've just met—is the Star. Now, ask 
your question,
that I may guide you."
	"Which way should I go? I'm looking for someone." The boy held up the deck 
of
cards in his hands.
	"I will summon the Chariot to carry you across the lands of Day, that you 
may get
to the next crossroads—and the next Trump you must meet along this journey. 
However,
I give you a warning, little Dreamer: the next one is a cunning witch. Do 
not trust
everything she says, for her domain is night, and the secrets thereof, and 
my Chariot
cannot travel through the paths along which she will lead you." As he spoke, 
a chariot of
fire rolled into the clearing, pulled by a horse of brilliant white light. 
When the boy
stepped into the Chariot, he saw written across the front of it the word 
"Victory".
	"Thank you for your help! I appreciate it!" he called to the Sun.
The Sun smiled and waved as the horse took off across a blue field. "You're 
quite
welcome. Just be careful! You will be needed, no matter the outcome!"
When the boy turned back to wave goodbye, however, the Chariot had already
carried him so far as to make the only thing left visible of the Sun his 
brilliant nimbus of
light.

	Keisuke listened to the plans—or rather, the lack thereof—that his King and 
the
chained form of Tower were making together for the defense of the Shackles. 
They had
talked for more than an hour, and still had yet to actually come up with 
anything more
specific than "Stay in the Tower and attack anyone who tried to get in". It 
was incredible!
Not to mention boring.
	"How are we going to defend the Tower Reversed when we won't set foot 
outside
to watch for attackers? How do we even know that we aren't about to be 
attacked right
now!?" he finally exclaimed in exasperation.
	"Knight, you should show more respect for our King," said the Page, putting 
a
quelling hand over Keisuke's.
	"But this 'meeting' is getting nowhere!"
	LISTEN TO THE PAGE, KNIGHT. RESPECT YOUR KING LEST YOU
SUFFER MY WRATH.
	"Your Knight is correct, though," spoke an unfamiliar voice. The Cups all 
looked
around for the source. The figure in chains, however, looked directly ahead.
	WHO DARES INTRUDE ON THIS MEETING OF THE COURT OF CUPS?
	A fuzzy, indistinct figure of a youth appeared in the room, right where the 
chained
man was looking. "I do." His voice was clear, and carrying—completely 
incongruous
with the almost transparent state of the speaker.
	"What are you doing here, Squire?" asked the chained figure.
The fuzzy entity looked surprised. "Squire? Interesting ploy, calling me by
another's name."
	WHO ARE YOU, FOOLISH ARCANA? HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT MY
COURT?
	The chained figure spoke again. "That is the Page of Blades. I took pity on 
him
after the Queen of Pentacles killed him, and let him preserve his spirit 
within my walls.
What he's doing here now, I can only guess. Maybe it has something to do 
with his
King's ambitions on taking the power within these Shackles."
	LEAVE, SPY FOR MY ENEMIES. BEGONE, AND—
	"Silence!" Though the ghostly figure didn't raise his voice, it cut across 
the
massive nonsound of the King of Cups' proclamations quite easily. "I have 
neither the
time nor the strength to explain things to you, King. The Tower Reversed is 
about to
come under attack. If you tarry here with this being who claims to be Tower 
any longer,
they, too, will be within these walls and able to draw on their power. You 
will fall. Hurry,
the Blades and Pentacles are almost here!"
	WHAT!? IS THIS TRUE? the shadowy form of the King turned to his Queen,
who was regarding a cup of what appeared to be mercury as if there were 
something
more than just her face reflected within.
	"It seems that this is so. The two Courts will be here shortly. We haven't 
the time
to gather our allies if we are to intercept them before they are within the 
Tower itself."
THEN WE GO. NOW. THEY WILL NOT GAIN ACCESS TO THE TOWER.

	As the Chariot traveled across the endless field of blue, the boy had the 
sensation
that they were flying. But, eventually, the blue grew deeper, darker, and 
took on hues of
purple and red. As it grew darker, it seemed that the Chariot was 
descending, and, at the
same time, slowing, as if it were losing power slowly but steadily.
	Finally it was traveling at a sedate pace along twilit ground, the sky 
rapidly
darkening towards a starless night. The moon rose just as the Chariot came 
to a point
where the path split into three ways. A small circle in the midst of this 
crossroads was the
only illuminated ground. The Dreamer's pale skin seemed to glow with the 
softly
reflected light.
	As he watched, the shadows cast by the solitary moonbeam shifted, gathering 
to
form a young woman with luxurious indigo hair in dark blue robes. "Welcome, 
little
Dreamer, to the lands of Night," she said.
	"Are you the Moon?" asked the boy, awed by this young woman's beauty.
	A rich laugh, like the bubbling of a deep brook, exuded itself from her 
pale throat.
"I am indeed. I suggest you allow that Chariot to return to the lands of day 
before it fades
away completely."
	Indeed, the Chariot was fading. The fire was guttering, and the magnificent 
horse
was hanging its head in exhaustion like the lowliest nag. The Dreamer 
stepped down
from it, and whispered his thanks to the horse before sending it back. "I 
seek my Em—"
	"Don't say her Name!" interrupted the Moon, breaking her until now 
impeccable
serenity. "Don't Name her, and don't Name yourself, lest one or both of you 
be lost! In
this Dream, on this journey, you may Name any but yourself and that which 
you seek.
For what is Named will never be found."
	"Okay," said the boy sheepishly. "But, you know who I seek?"
	The Moon nodded.
	"Can you tell me how to find her? Please?"
	"I can. But, I will instead tell you what to expect on your way." She 
smiled. "I
want you to go this way." She pointed towards a path that led down into a 
cave. "This
leads to the World gate. That will probably take you to The Tower and its 
bound
Judgment…they are not truly within my territory, and have their own agendas. 
I cannot
protect you beyond the gate, so good luck, little Dreamer."
	"The Sun said not to trust you. Why? You're nice. But so was he."
	Moon's face darkened a bit. "He and I have had our disagreements, mostly 
over
my older brother. I will not speak of it further."
	This change in her demeanor made the boy nervous. "Okay. Bye-bye, and 
thanks
for your help." He walked down the path into the darkness.

	"Where are we going, Natsu?" asked the little girl in red as she jogged to 
keep up
with the taller girl's quick pace and longer strides.
	The silver earrings flashed as she turned her head briefly to face the Ace,
contempt for the world writ upon her countenance.. "I go to take the first 
part of my
revenge. My so-called 'friend', Hotaru, will suffer for her betrayal."
	"But why must we go now, this quickly? My King has need of me. He also 
needs
the Magician's help to defend the Tower Reversed. If you help, maybe you can 
deal with
the Magician later."
	"There is no reason for you to come with me, little Ace, but I will not 
wait on my revenge
against her. If you can be no greater help than to pester me, go back to 
your King, and
leave me be."
	The Ace couldn't do that—-whether she liked it or not, Natsu as she was now 
was
partially her creation, and entirely her responsibility. "How do you plan to 
find her?
Come back to my Court; we can help."
	"I can find the Magician myself."
	The Ace stopped in her tracks, stunned. That had been spoken by an Arcana 
of
some sort, not the girl that she had helped the High Priestess beguile. 
Natsu's voice
_was_ different, it wasn't just her tone and state of mind. Ace ran to catch 
up to the girl
in black, and caught Natsu's hand in hers. An almost visible spark and a 
tingle bordering
on pain threw the Ace into the wall of a building they were passing.
	"Careful, Ace, lest my gratitude for your assistance thus far be exhausted. 
If you
will not help me against the Magician, then neither will you interfere." 
Natsu's voice was
cold, hateful, and malevolent.
	"Who are you?"
	The half-American girl's face smiled evilly. "I am Natsu Forrester, The 
Devil."

	Atsuko was worried. Her King, at the behest of her Queen, had agreed to 
this
alliance with the Court of Blades, and they were making their way towards 
the Tower
Reversed. Hanako, the Page, was the only one of their Court to have been 
there, but she
had mostly pleasant memories of the place. Now, they were going to fight 
over it,
probably even within it. And, if what Hanako and Sumire said about the power 
boost the
King of Wands got from just being within the Tower was true, fighting the 
Cups in there
could be disastrous.
	The combined Courts were traveling in an Arcana field to prevent the normal 
populace
from noticing them. Atsuko froze when the Kings, who were maintaining the 
field, gasped, and the
field darkened. "The King of Cups is trying to draw us into the world of 
Dreams!" shouted the King
of Blades. "Chris, you continue to maintain this field, and keep it _here_! 
We cannot allow
ourselves to fall into the Cups' own playground."
	The King of Pentacles stood still, concentrating. Though the field remained 
dark, it at
least stopped getting darker. The Knight of Pentacles wished she could help 
her King, as
sweat started beading on his brow, but she had other tasks. Hanako began 
pacing a
pentacle around Chris, just as Maki had shown her. This was supposed to 
protect him
while he kept things under their side's control.
	Sumire and Arisa took up positions behind Atsuko, each facing a different 
way so
they'd be prepared to fight from whatever direction the Cups chose to 
attack. Maki stood
next to the King of Blades, her pentacle amulet already glowing with power. 
What she
planned to do, Atsuko wasn't quite sure. The King of Blades' intentions were 
quite clear,
however; he held a beautiful jeweled sword that positively reeked of Arcana 
power.
	After a few moments that seemed to last for hours, the Cups attacked. As 
Atsuko
watched, a boy in a pale blue robe materialized near the King of Pentacles 
and raised a pewter
vial on high. When he tilted it towards Chris, a noxious black vapor, so 
thick that it was almost
solid, began oozing towards him. As it progressed, it developed tentacles 
that seemed eager to
grab the young man and squeeze the life force from his bones. Hanako looked 
scared, but kept
pacing the pentacle about her King. When the vaporous tentacles reached the 
space above the
lines the Page had been patiently walking, they were stopped. Lines of 
concentration formed on
the King of Pentacles' forehead as he continued his battle over control of 
the field, and the Pages
of Cups and Pentacles continued their battle over the life of the King.
	Then, Atsuko had to think about defending herself, as a figure in full 
armor of black
shadow metal materialized right in front of her. She raised her hand before 
her, and a glowing
pentacle streaked towards the enemy Knight. When it hit the armor, however, 
the figure vanished.
	A surprised gasp from Sumire revealed that she had encountered something 
similar.
When the two girls turned to see how Arisa was doing, however, they saw her 
engaged in combat
with the armored one. Her motions were oddly muted, as if she couldn't put 
her whole heart into
fighting this splendid being, this glorious embodiment of the Knight in 
Shining Armor. When
Atsuko tried to move to help the Knight of Blades, she found that she, too, 
lacked the heart to
fight this almost beautiful figure.
	Sumire, however, seemed unaffected. "Stand aside, Arisa. I know him, and 
his charms
have less hold on me. Keisuke, when did you become the Knight of Cups? No 
matter, if you are
my King's enemy, then I shall fight you." The Ace of Blades dropped into a 
traditional kendo
stance, and Arisa backed off, content to let her friend defeat this rival 
Knight. Keisuke allowed the
scarred girl to back away, and turned to face Sumire.
Wordlessly, he dropped into a fighting stance. Both charged, and their fight 
was on. The
two female Knights watched this duel enraptured, unable to decide whom they 
wanted to win—
their ally, or the beautiful male Knight.
	Sumire swung her sword, and the young man almost fell over in his desperate 
attempt to
dodge. As it was, she hit him, but his armor deflected the blow. Atsuko 
gasped in sympathy for
the boy in spite of herself. He recovered quickly, and raised a broadsword 
made of the same
black shadow-stuff before swinging it like a bat. Sumire easily deflected 
the blow and brought her
blade around for a return strike. Somehow, though, her heart didn't seem to 
be in it, and she held
back just enough for him to desperately bring his sword down to push her 
strike away. Both Arisa
and Atsuko gasped with each blow, relieved at every dodge and parry.
	The black mist controlled by the Page of Cups was nearly filling the 
barrier of the field,
wrapping life-draining tendrils around the feet of the combatants and the 
observing knights.
Keisuke's black armor seemed to protect the Knight of Cups, but Sumire was 
visibly flagging.
	Meanwhile, the Queen of Blades was walking through the battlefield, 
stepping lightly
around the clouds of vapor that seemed unable to touch her. She headed 
towards her
counterpart among the Cups, who was likewise aloof from the conflicts. The 
regal woman in red
smiled. "Hello, Bronwyn. Fancy meeting you here."
	"Unexpected, isn't it?" she replied facetiously. "Well, boys will be boys, 
and my
King insisted on this attack on the Tower." Bronwyn Smith-Date took a seat 
on a
roadside bench. The Queen of Cups joined her.
	"Yes, I know how it is," she replied. Reaching into a pocket of dreamspace, 
she
pulled a china tea set seemingly out of nowhere. "Tea?"
	"Please."
	As the Queen of Cups poured, Bronwyn pointed towards Maki and Rusty. "Looks
like your King has decided to grace the battle with his presence."
	A rift of shadow appeared, out of which stepped a deeper, humanoid 
darkness.
	"He always did have to make a dramatic entrance," commented the Queen of 
Cups.
	SURRENDER, commanded the dark figure, OR BE DESTROYED. THE
TOWER REVERSED IS THE DEMESNE OF THE COURT OF CUPS.
	"Perhaps for now, but the power bound within the Shackles is for whoever is
strong enough to master it. We will take them from you," stated Rusty, 
lifting his
magnificent sword.
	A resonant sound, terrifying in its subsonic depth, echoed from the King of 
Cups.
	"Hm," smiled the Queen of Cups, "it's been a while since my Liege has 
laughed."
	The reason for his dark mirth became clear when the sword passed through 
his
body as if it were the shadow that it appeared. YOU CANNOT HARM ME. HOWEVER,
THE REVERSE IS NOT ALSO TRUE. The King of Cups extended his left hand 
towards
the King of Blades, and Rusty was enveloped in an aura of black void. He 
began
convulsing, as if he couldn't get enough air.
	Atsuko finally noticed that the mist was not only surrounding the hypnotic 
battle between
the Ace of Blades and the Knight of Cups, but also seemed intent on wrapping 
itself around her
and Arisa. The Knight of Pentacles gestured, and a pentacle descended to the 
ground around
her, briefly pushing back the mist. Her eyes never left the fight between 
Sumire and Keisuke. By
now, the mist was almost up to the Ace of Blades' waist, and now Arisa moved 
into action. She
tried to slash the mist around her friend with her hands, but they just 
passed through.
	Keisuke actually looked to be the better fighter, as the Ace was barely 
lifting her sword to
block the club-like motions of the black-armored knight. Atsuko called out 
to Arisa, and ran to her
fellow Knight, helping to pull her hands from the noxious vapor. "Here, I 
think I can help you fight
this stuff…" She traced a five-pointed star on each of Arisa's hands, which 
then started glowing
with green energy.
	When the Knight of Blades struck the mist again, they cut a great black 
wound in the
tendrils, freeing the Ace to continue her battle. As the mists were cut 
repeatedly, Atsuko could
swear she heard something screaming in rage and pain in the back of her 
mind. But that was a
small thing, for between defending herself and watching the beautiful Knight 
of Cups' battle with
Sumire, she had no attention to spare.

	"Hotaru!"
	The Magician turned towards the person who called her, to see a girl in red 
robes
that looked vaguely familiar. "Yes?"
	"You are needed at the Tower Reversed. Please return there, quickly."
	"Who are you?"
	"I am the Ace of Cups. My King has need of you and the others who agreed to
help in the defense of the Shackles. And, you should seek the safety of the 
Tower. The
High Priestess's latest toy is hunting you down as we speak."
	Hotaru's eyebrow twitched at that. "His latest toy?" At the Ace's nod, her 
face
darkened to anger. "Natsu. He's turned my best friend against me."
	The ambient temperature dropped to chilling depths as a field formed around
them. "The High Priestess only gave me the means to take my vengeance, 
Magician. I
will exact it to repay him for his…help," said a voice that was familiarly 
Natsu's, but also
alien in its coldness. Hotaru turned to face her friend, who looked past her 
to continue
speaking. "You have been warned about interfering, Ace. I will deal with you 
after I
begin the torment of the Magician."
	Hotaru wore her pain on her face. "If you mean the High Priestess's theft 
of my
friends, and your hatred of me, then the torment has already begun. I could 
fight Ishido
when he was controlled, but I won't fight my best friend. Natsu, please 
don't do this!"
	The Ace of Cups spoke urgently. "Magician, I warn you now, whatever powers
your friend had have been taken and focused. You now face the Devil of the 
Arcana. I
cannot help you anymore." With that, the red-clad girl stepped backwards and 
vanished.
	"What? Natsu, you're an Arcana now, too?"
	The black-clad girl crossed her arms and cocked her head to one side, a 
figure of
dark mirth. "Indeed I am. A trump even. Seems your little club isn't so 
exclusive,
Magician," she spat. "Anyone can get in."
	"But that's wonderful! Now you don't have to feel left out! You're my best
friend, please don't turn against me," pled Hotaru. "Please, Natsu."
	"Left out! Hah! I have my own plans for you and your friends. You think me 
a
ploy by the High Priestess, and, in a way, I am. However, I will punish him 
for what he
did to me, as well. I will drag you all down to hell!" Natsu put her hands 
at her sides,
palms out, hands curled into claws. Then she jerked them up and out, as if 
pulling
something from the ground. In response, massive chains shot upwards from the 
pavement
upon which Hotaru stood and tangled themselves around her. She struggled, 
but could
not move.
	"Natsu, _why_!?"
	"I am the Devil. That is all the reason I need. You couldn't have still 
trusted me
after what I did to that girl, after I got away unpunished. Yet you lied, 
and said nothing
was the matter. Then, the High Priestess took me, tried to use my anger 
against you as a
weapon. He had help, too. The Ace of Cups enhanced my anger, making me easy 
prey.
Too bad for them. I am the Devil. I have no loyalty. The High Priestess used 
me in ways
you really don't want to hear about, so I'll go into exquisite detail later. 
But, for now, I
think I'll settle for sending you to Hell." A soft laugh echoed from her 
throat as the
chains started pulling the Magician downwards, into a sinking black tar that 
formed
around her feet.
	"Natsu, don't do this! Please! I didn't lie! I know that you aren't a bad 
person."
	The Devil laughed maniacally. "Oh, I assure you, I _am_ a bad person. At 
least, I
am now. Goodbye, Hotaru. Well, maybe only a temporary goodbye. I'll see you 
soon
enough. Though you won't enjoy it."
	The Magician stopped struggling. "I can't fight you, Natsu. I just can't. I 
am so
sorry." She hung her shoulders, defeated and dejected.
	The Devil's laughter echoed victoriously throughout the field as the 
Magician
disappeared beneath the ground.

	The ground that had been closing in around the path suddenly opened up, and 
the
boy found himself  walking on a moonbeam through open space. He walked for 
timeless
eternities, and only a few moments. The moonbeam stretched ahead as far as 
he could
see, and, when he looked back, it extended a similar infinity the way he had 
come.
	Worried that he would be lost forever in the infinity of this space, but 
oddly, in
the way of dreams that are not nightmares, unafraid, he turned back to 
continue on the
way he was going. Now, before him, a giant snake blocked the path. "Who are 
you?"
asked the Dreamer.
	"I am Ouroboros."
	The boy waited for more, but the snake seemed content with that as its 
answer.
	"Will you let me past, please?"
	"If you like."
	The boy thought for a moment. "Can you tell me where I can find the World
gate?"
	Ouroboros' lips stretched, a snake's smile. "I can. Is that what you seek?"
	"Sort of," replied the boy, holding up a deck of cards. "I seek the person 
that this
belongs to; I've got to give it to her. Moon told me that I'd find the World 
gate along this
path. She's supposed to be on the other side, or something."
	The snake waited silently.
	"Where is the World gate?"
	"I am the World gate."
	"Then…would you let me through you?"
	"Of course." The snake slithered sideways and down off the moonbeam path. A
second later, its head came up around the other side. Directly above the 
path, it opened its
mouth and bit its own tail, forming a ring around the moonbeam. Through the 
ring formed by
the snake was now visible an image of a world at the end of the path.
	"Thank you, Ouroboros!" called the Dreamer as he continued down to the 
planet
below.

	Bronwyn took a sip from her cup. "Mm, just as good as I remember, Alice."
	"No one has called me that in quite some time," said the Queen of Cups with 
a
smile. "I do hope our boys learn to play nice before we have to referee."
	Bronwyn shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I don't think either of them 
are
capable of really hurting the other. Not like this. It's our fellow Queen 
that I'm concerned
with. Oh, there she goes now."
	Alice leaned back with a reminiscing smile. "Oh, to be a teenager again."
The Queen of Pentacles held out her glowing amulet. "Actually, I think that 
we
can, indeed, harm you." A beam of light extended from the amulet to touch 
the torso of
the King of Cups, and an inverted white pentacle appeared on his chest. He 
screamed in
fury as the void imprisoning Rusty dissolved.
	The King of Blades adjusted his grip on the sword he held, and flowed into 
an
attack. The King of Cups responded by raising his left arm to block. A 
shield crafted of
the same shadow-stuff as the King of Cups materialized just as the sword 
struck, and a
loud metallic ringing that made no sound echoed hollowly within the field.
	The King of Cups held out his free hand, and a bolt of darkness launched 
itself at
Maki. The girl barely managed to bring her amulet up in time to deflect it. 
The glow
of the pendant flickered for a moment, but the beam of light held steady.
	Rusty swung the magnificent sword and cut off the distracted King's 
extended
hand. "I am your opponent," he hissed as he pressed his attack. The shadow 
figure barely
managed to fend off the sword as it repeatedly tried to flow past his 
shield.
	Rusty was pushing the rival King back, and Maki followed, keeping her 
amulet's
beam trained on the enemy. However, the severed hand reformed itself out of 
more
shadows, and, after pushing the King of Blades' sword away for a moment, the 
King of
Cups grasped him about the neck with the reconstituted appendage.
	YOUR YOUNG STOOGE HAS MADE ME CORPOREAL TO YOU, stated the
dark figure, BUT THAT HAS ITS OWN DOWNSIDE FOR YOU, MY ROYAL
RIVAL.
	Rusty struggled in the King's grasp for a moment, but seemed unable to 
quite lift
the sword. His motions became more and more feeble, yet the sword seemed not 
to
permit itself to be dropped.
	"I wonder how long it will take our young counterpart to realize that she 
can stop
this," said Alice.
	"I don't know," responded Bronwyn, setting down her empty cup, "but it 
won't
matter soon. Look at the girl's King."
	Chris was sweating strongly in his concentration on maintaining the field 
against
the shadow King's will, but his eyes were fastened on the dueling Kings. As 
the Queens watched,
a silver thread fastened to the boy's neck flashed, and a change came over 
his countenance. He
smiled almost sinisterly. "Hanako, stop your pacing," he ordered in a voice 
barely above a
whisper. When she complied, looking confused, the black vapor from the Page 
of Cups' vial
swarmed towards the pair of them as if eager to consume their life essences. 
"My Court, to me!"
he called, turning his palms outwards towards the encroaching vapor. As 
Hanako cowered
against her Lord, a bright flash of energy came from his palms, shattering 
the noxious tentacles
like glass.
	Chris backed away quickly, pulling his Page with him as the Healer's vapor 
reformed and
resumed its efforts to fill the battlefield. Atsuko, finally freed from the 
entrancing powers of the
Knight of Cups by her King's call, moved away from the battle between 
Keisuke and Sumire to
join her boyfriend and King.
	The King of Cups' posture was that of a man victorious. YOUR ALLY HAS
SURRENDERED. I WILL NOW BRING THIS FIELD INTO THE WORLD OF DREAMS, WHERE
MY POWERS ARE UNLIMITED!
	"I don't think so," said Chris quietly. He then simply released the field, 
allowing
reality to reassert itself around them with a jarring feeling of vertigo. 
The Healer's mist dissolved
as the sun pierced the darkness of the now-departed dream, and the Knight of 
Cups' armor and
sword vanished.
The King of Cups staggered as the connection he had been forming with the 
dream world
suddenly snapped, but he managed to maintain his grip on the King of Blades.
	"Maki, we're leaving. Come now," ordered Chris, uncharacteristic steel in 
his voice.
	The Queen of Pentacles looked at her King with an expression of 
unrestrained
rage. "No! We've almost got them! The Tower Reversed can be ours!"
	Chris shook his head, unsurprised. He turned and walked away with his 
Knight
and his Page. The Queen of Pentacles released her mystical hold on the King 
of Cups,
and Rusty dropped from his now incorporeal grasp, gasping for breath.
	The King of Cups laughed victoriously. YOU WILL DIE NOW, KING OF BLADES.
	He gestured, and the black shield changed into a sword, which he held over 
his
head to bring down upon the prone form of Rustom Cutterson Smith-Date. When 
he brought it
down, however, the sword dissolved before it could touch him. WHAT? NO!
	Maki smiled. "I get it; you can't be in the real world, shadow King! I was 
all that held you
here once my King dropped the field that you had brought part way into the 
dream realms.
Without me, you will fade away. Goodbye."
	I WILL DESTROY YOU. YOU CANNOT TAKE THE TOWER WITHOUT ENTERING THE
REALMS WHERE I HOLD SWAY. A shadow-rift appeared behind the rapidly 
dispersing King,
and he stepped back into it. Maki threw her pendant into the breach as it 
began to close, and it
expanded, forming a glowing pentacle large enough to walk through holding 
open the King of
Cups' portal to the dream realms.
	Rusty pulled himself to his feet, having regained his breath. "Arisa, take 
out the
Page of Cups. Maki and I can still handle the King."
	His Knight, freed from Keisuke's charm, met her King's eyes from across the
field of battle and stated clearly, "No." She then walked off to join the 
King of Pentacles.
	The Page of Cups, with his mist gone, stepped backwards and vanished, only 
to
reappear just inside the pentacle-blocked rift. "I cannot allow you passage, 
King of Blades."
	"You will die trying to block me, boy," responded Rusty, hefting the sword.
	The boy smiled sadly, and took out yet another of his vials. He poured the 
contents over
the lines of the glowing pentacle, and it dissolved, allowing the rift to 
resume its closing. "I never
said I'd fight you," were his parting words as the rift closed just in time 
for Rusty to swing through
the empty air it left behind, yelling wordlessly in frustration.
	Bronwyn surveyed the battlefield. "Well, it seems to be over. Rather 
indecisive, wouldn't
you say?"
	"Yes, indeed. Well, I suppose this is a victory for my King," responded 
Alice. "However,
with my Ace missing, and our allied trumps likewise not present, I think 
that I shall have to work to
gather other allies for my Liege."
	"I believe I shall have to do the same, with the betrayal of my Knight to 
my Liege's
ambitions. This calling of allies will bring almost all of the Arcana 
together again, might it not?"
	"Why, yes, it may," responded the Alice, mock surprise in her voice. "What 
a coincidence.
The Arcana are gathering, 'despite all attempts to prevent this.'"
	Bronwyn Smith-Date stood, handing her cup and saucer to the Queen of Cups.
"Thank you for the tea."
	"You're quite welcome. It has been too long; we'll have to do this again 
soon."
	"Yes," replied the Queen of Blades as she went to join her King, "we will."

	"Hello, Magician."
	"Magician-sensei! What are you doing here?" Hotaru was amazed to see her
teacher in the art of magic standing in the midst of this bad reproduction 
of the traditional
Western Hell. Natsu was playing the part of Devil all-out, but it still 
seemed rather
clichéd. Nevertheless, it was effective. Hotaru had tried and failed to 
break the chains
using every magical trick and element she could think of.
	"I came to help you get free. However, I must ask that you assist me and 
mine in
our efforts to release the Shackles. Our mistake fifty years ago must be 
mended. The
Prophecy is almost to fulfillment again; this time, we will not deny the 
final trump."
	"What do you mean? I've already agreed to help the Cups protect and 
preserve
the Shackles. That much power shouldn't be in anyone's hands."
	"How little you know," said the elderly man fondly. "The King of Cups is a 
bitter,
ancient entity. His only reason for maintaining the Shackles is to frustrate 
the Prophecy.
It is his vengeance to hold us all within the stagnating cycles of 
reincarnation. In all the
generations of the Arcana, there has been one trump that has never entered 
the spread.
The Prophecy states that Judgment will not descend until all the other 
Arcana are
incarnate at once. That almost happened fifty years ago, and it was because 
of our selfish
desires that the Great War broke out. What ended that war was the near 
fulfillment of the
Prophecy. We didn't want things to change, to end. Tower and the Queen of 
Pentacles,
then the leaders of the two major factions, met and agreed to a truce. They 
knew that it
only required the entrance of the Imperials to complete the Spread, and then 
Judgment
would descend. So, they prepared a trap.
	"Tower bound his own power into the creation of the Tower Reversed, and the
Queen called together her faction and Tower's to a peaceful meeting. Thus 
began the
Council Arcana. Not much later, the Emperor appeared, and called his 
Empress. At that
meeting of the Council, we felt it. The final trump was approaching.
	"This was what Tower and the Queen had been expecting. We were all afraid; 
we
didn't want our powers to end. In our blindness, we combined our powers to 
attack
Judgment. The Queen sacrificed herself, and perhaps her sanity, in this 
assault. Tower
had prepared his new form for the express purpose of binding Judgment, and 
we forced it
into the Shackles.
	"The Emperor and his Empress never got to act, for the King of Cups reached 
out
from his slumber and destroyed them. What he sought, we did not know, but we 
shut him
out of our Councils from then on. The peaceable Council that Tower and the 
Queen had
envisioned didn't last long, however. Our own infighting drove the last 
Hermit and
Temperance away in disgust. We have been stagnating since then. We have only 
become
more petty. It is time to let Judgment play its role."
	Hotaru gaped at her teacher. Never had he been this verbose before. "Wait a
minute. You used to be the Magician, right? How did you defeat your High 
Priestess?"
Hermit smiled. "The High Priestess and the Magician are immune to each 
others'
powers, so must act against each other indirectly. It has ever been the case 
that they are at
odds. When one appears, the other is not far behind; and when one vanishes, 
the other
fades away as well. The High Priestess of that time and I could have started 
another war,
had Temperance not approached me with this elegant solution: force her to 
fade away by
ceasing to be the Magician. The Hermit had vanished; no one knew where to, 
as was his
nature. Temperance knew that the position was open again. So I took it, 
making there be
no Magician any longer."
	"So, if I can become another Arcana, the High Priestess will disappear?"
Hermit laughed. "Who do you think you are, the Dreamer? You cannot even free
yourself from these chains here in a dream, how can you hope to free 
yourself of what
you are? Only the Dreamer can dream us new identities."
	"But you did it with the Hermit!"
	"The Hermit is a special case, allowing any Arcana to step into the post 
should it
be vacant. I seek the fulfillment of the Prophecy; I will not open another 
position within
our ranks. I want them all filled so that the Shackles may be broken and the 
final trump
be freed. Now, will you assist us, my dear protégé? Or must I leave you 
here, seeking
other allies?"
	Hotaru shook her head. "Judgment sounds too dangerous to be freed. This 
change
you crave is the end of the world; I can't allow that. But, you have 
reminded me of
something, Magician-sensei. I am the Magician. Why am I trying to attack 
these chains?
Their existence or lack thereof cannot prevent me from being over there." 
She raised one
hand and pointed. Hermit turned instinctively to look, and saw Hotaru 
standing some
distance away. She waved, and he looked back at the chains to see them 
empty.
	He smiled approvingly. "Very good," he said, walking over to the now-free 
young
woman. "You are learning on your own now. Can I convince you to aid the 
change? No?
Well, maybe you will come to realize its necessity. I hope so. Goodbye, 
Magician." With
a tap of his staff upon the ground, he vanished.

	The Dreamer reached the planet at the end of the moonbeam, and followed the
Path as it twisted upside-down to go over a tower whose crumbling base 
reached into the
clouds. At the end of it were some stairs that rose downwards to an open 
gate. When he
entered, he found himself in a spacious room. Within were several men and 
women, each
holding the end of a chain. Most of the chains led to a central figure of a 
stooped old man
bound in shackles.
	"Greetings, Dreamer," stated a man who stood on the ceiling, upside-down to 
the
rest of the room. His chain hung towards the floor, where it was attached to 
a crowned
pentacle.
	A young blind girl sitting at a spinning wheel raised her hand in greeting 
as well.
"You see before you the unveiling of a Prophecy. For when the time comes, 
all the
Arcana will be incarnate again, despite all attempts to prevent this. The 
circle of
Incarnations will force itself to completion, and Judgment will end the 
cycle as it has
been. Then will the Dreamer awake, and everything will change." The girl was 
bound in
her own chain, which seemed to wrap about upon itself in a way that reminded 
the boy of
Ouroboros eating his own tail.
	"We are almost all gathered, young one. What would you have of us?" asked a
pair of kindly old gentlemen who stood apart from the rest. Their chains lay 
at their feet,
unheld.
	"I want to find someone I used to know in these dreams," explained the boy. 
"Do
you know where she is?"
	"We know," said a cloaked figure holding a scythe in one skeletal hand. The 
other
held a chain leading to a centaur dressed like a politician.
	"Will you tell me how to find her, please? I've been looking for a while 
now."
	A blindfolded woman holding scales and a sword that pinned a chain leading 
to
the shackled figure spoke next. "Follow the path through this Tower, and 
take with you
this sword. For the Strength of Justice will be needed when you find her."
	The boy nodded. "Thank you," he said as he pulled the twenty-two jeweled 
sword
from the ground, taking it with him.
	As he walked away, a young woman with brown hair holding a chain leading to
the shackles and dressed in mage's robes intercepted him. "Take me with you, 
Dreamer."
	The boy was confused. "But you already are in the waking world, Magician."
	She shook her head angrily, and grabbed him by his shirt. "I am the 
Warlock! I
am the rightful Magician! Free me from this half-life dream state, or I will 
not let you
continue your journey!"
	Suddenly a comely woman in white priestess' garb pulled the madwoman away
from the boy. "I am sorry, young Dreamer. This one is my responsibility to 
keep in check.
The Warlock will not bother you again. Please, continue on. I fear that my 
current incarnation
is the mad one in the real conflict, and I would have you help him be 
stopped. Go, find
the one you seek. She will be necessary."
	The boy nodded and continued on his way.


	"Hello, Hanged Man, Fortune," greeted the Fool as he stepped into the 
Forresters'
kitchen. "I trust you are all well?"
	Henry was not pleased by this interruption. "What do you want, Fool?"
	"He says he came here to talk," said World, now blindfolded, as she entered 
the
room. The power was so thick it could be cut with the knife with which Joker 
was idly
trimming his fingernails.
	"Yes, indeed, that's all. I wish to speak with you about your son, the King 
of
Pentacles."
	"How do you know about that?" asked World darkly.
	"Oh, I have my ways. But, actually, Mrs. Forrester, I was talking to the 
Hanged
Man here."
	"What!?" exclaimed Hanged Man. "Chris is Francine's son."
	"Actually, he's my nephew," grated World.
	"Sheesh, I know all about it, guys. Like I said, I have my ways, so give it 
a rest.
You're not fooling anyone here. …What?" He turned as if looking at something 
on his
shoulder. "I was getting to that, be patient," he said, making shooing 
motions at the
shoulder to which he was talking. "Anyway, my Lord will need support, and, I 
was
thinking, HM, since you have a string to pull with your son." Joker reached 
out with his
knife and made a tapping motion. A silver thread shimmered briefly against 
it.
	"Why should I agree—-"
	Hanged man was interrupted by Miyuki saying, "The pieces are almost 
gathered,
and when the time comes, all the Arcana will be incarnate again, in spite of 
all attempts
to prevent this. The circle of Incarnations will force itself to completion, 
and Judgment
will end the cycle as it has been. Then will the Dreamer awake, and 
everything will
change."
	"Oh, my," said the Fool while the other two trumps were still gaping at 
Fortune,
	"It seems my Lord is further than I had thought. That's my cue to leave, 
folks. Sorry to
cut my visit short, but I must be there when your nephew gets to the end, 
HM. Ta-ta." He
walked out the door, a silver thread narrowly missing him.
	"Blast the Fool's luck," muttered the Hanged Man.

	The boy reached a crossroads, and this time, there was no one to guide him. 
"Now
what do I do?" he asked out loud.
	"Trust yourself," a little boy's voice said from behind him. When he 
turned, he
saw a figure of his own height wearing an all-concealing cloak with the hood 
pulled over
the face.
	"Who are you?"
	"The one you should trust!" declared the figure as he pulled the hood down.
	"You're- you're me!"
	"I am."
	"But, I need to find—-"
	"I know. I know where she is."
	"Tell me?"
	"But you already know, because I do. We just can't get to her, because of 
the bad
man guarding her."
	"We know?"
	"We know."
	"Okay," he said, walking over to his doppelganger. The two boys merged, and 
the
Dreamer set off down a path to his left, holding the sword before him.
	At the end of the path stood a huge man with goat's feet and horns.
"Devil. You're the reason I couldn't find her."
	The creature laughed. It wasn't a happy sound. "I had my reasons. I cannot 
stop
the Dreamer in the Dream, as I have little power here. But, little Lord, I 
already have
what I need from this one in the waking world. Just for appearances, though, 
I'll let you
vanquish this dream-form with that Sword of Might." The Devil roared and 
charged the
little boy, who raised the jeweled sword heroically. The evil being impaled 
itself upon the
blade, and both vanished in a puff of gray smoke.
	Continuing to the very end of the path, the Dreamer found a pretty blond 
young
woman with pointed ears standing in a patch of light that she herself shed. 
"Hello. I
missed you," he said.
	"It has been so long since I've seen you," she responded. "Why are you here
again? I miss my friends in the waking world; my body hasn't dreamed as me 
in such a
long time."
	"The Devil has it. Your body is Arcana, but not the right one. I brought 
these for
you. They're yours."
	The elf-like girl took the proffered cards, and fanned them. When she saw 
the
numbered cards of the Tarot, comprehension filled her face. "I see. So that 
is what I am,
why I am here. This dream-self is the repository of my Arcana birthright; 
what is in my
body is a usurper. I still cannot leave the dream world, my Lord. But, I 
will help you from
here all that I can. Come, let us finish your journey together."
	Natasha took the hand of the little boy, and together the Emperor and his 
Empress
walked to the end of the Dreamer's way.

+ + +

Author's notes: Wow…this is by far the longest thing I've written for 
Arcana. I hope I've
not overstepped any bounds with it. The sad thing is, there were a couple 
scenes that I
still wanted in there that I just didn't get done, both because of time 
constraints and lack
of ability to get them to work as I typed them.
	On the whole, however, I'm pleased. I think this is a good, entertaining 
chapter.
Good luck to Erin on hers. And Signus and Scott, since I'll not get another 
opportunity to
offer them luck (at least, not in any Arcana chapter by me!). Thanks go to 
all three of
them for help with this chapter, especially Erin for her repeated proofreads 
and
assistances with scene cleanups. Oh, and she actually wrote one of the 
scenes. Can
anyone guess which one?
	Thanks also to Lawrence Chu for all his work on administering this story, 
and for
the large extension, without which I couldn't have gotten this done at all.

+ + +

	Hmm... Kanae? or Wakako? Unfortunately, he could only go out with one at a 
time,
despite having promised both he'd take them out that evening. "It's 
surprisingly hard to be
a playboy," Koishikawa Tetsuya sighed, running a hand through his hair. To 
be perfectly
honest, he wanted to go out with a different girl altogether...
	No. He'd decided enough of that; she'd clearly stated her feelings, even if 
they seemed
totally off-the-wall, and Tetsuya had decided he would have some fun 
instead, do something
normal.
Normal... right.
	Shaking through his blue locks again, the teen picked up his cellphone. 
Maybe Wakako
would take a late-afternoon date instead. "Now, which Wakako was she again?" 
he
muttered, picking through the sizable addressbook. Finding the correct one, 
he clicked to
dial, and

ITHURTSCOMENOWGLORYPAINDEFEATTHEOTHERSCOMEHURTSTAKETHETOWERPAIN
COMENOW

	A spike through his head, through his heart. The phone clattered to the 
floor. It was
painless, yet he ached. Tetsuya stood, plans forgotten. The Knight had to 
go.
	To his King.