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Mystic Eyes
mbsilvana@yahoo.com
standard disclaimers
Tarot Disclaimer: Copyright Notice
Permission is granted to copy (unmodified) all or part
of the documents making up "Learning the Tarot - An
On-Line Course" for personal, non-commercial use as
long as the copyright message (Copyright (c) 1995-2002
by Joan Bunning) is maintained on each document or
part. This material may not be sold, incorporated in
commercial documents or products, or used for
promotional purposes. 
AN: For those who have been encouraging this, much to
my surprise.   To Ciel Envoye, Ely... a special thank
you.  Kudos to my ever-patient beta Juli!

***************************
PART TWO: THE EMPEROR
Keywords:
Fathering, Structure
Authority, Regulation
***************************

"The figure of the Emperor says much about the
essential qualities of this card. We see a stern,
commanding figure seated on a stone-slab throne. His
back is straight, and his eyes meet ours directly. He
is confident of his complete authority to rule. 

"The Emperor represents structure, order and
regulation - forces to balance the free-flowing,
lavish abundance of the Empress.  He advocates a
four-square world where trains are on time, games are
played by rules, and commanding officers are
respected. In chaotic situations, the Emperor can
indicate the need for organization. Loose ends should
be tied up, and wayward elements, harnessed. In
situations that are already over-controlled, he
suggests the confining effect of those constraints. 

"The Emperor can represent an encounter with authority
or the assumption of power and control. As the
regulator, he is often associated with legal matters,
disciplinary actions, and officialdom in all its
forms. He can also stand for an individual father or
archetypal Father in his role as guide, protector and
provider. "

***************************

	"You okay?"  Bridget's voice was worried, yet barely
penetrated Hitomi's shocked conscious.

	Hitomi's eyes were fastened on Donovan's face,
mesmerized by the features she had become reconciled
to never seeing again.  The deep brown eyes, tanned
skinned, black inky hair that her fingers itched to
run through.... They were the same.  He was taller
then she remembered, but it was unmistakably her Van. 
"I'm fine," she whispered, unable to break her stare. 
He wasn't wearing red; instead, he wore a navy blue
button-up shirt and khakis, with an expensive silver
watch on his wrist, matching the silver necklace,
which vanished into his shirt.  

	Donovan, for his part, looked slightly perplexed for
a second before holding out a hand for her to shake,
rather then offering her a slight bow.   She took it
with awkwardness, unused to the courtesy, surprised
again when a jolt of electricity ran up her arm,
seeming to embrace her entirely.  "I've heard about
you, Kanzaki-san," he said, his voice pleasant. 

	She wanted to throw herself in his arms and kiss him
senseless; she wanted to grab him and demand how this
was possible, what he was doing on her world.   She
did neither- her instincts said that moving too
quickly would be a mistake, and she had learned to
trust them.   They had kept her alive in the past. 
"Really?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound as
breathless as she felt.

	"Bridget speaks highly of your running skills- I've
been meaning to go to a race, but I haven't had time
lately- I was taking two extra eight week courses to
help my transition to Japan- thankfully they're
finished now."  He moved over to one of the couches
and sank down it.  His movements were precise and
controlled, like a martial artist aware of his skill.

	Hitomi followed and sat next to him, careful not to
sit too close.   "You're not Japanese?" she asked
curiously.  He didn't look it, and his shaking her
hand hadn't been, but his last name certainly was.

	"Half.  My mother is American by way of Ireland," he
answered.  He was studying her features, and his
expression was slightly puzzled, as though he had seen
her before and was trying to place her.

	"My aunt," Bridget put in.  "Van's father is
Japanese, though... that's why he speaks so well,
without my annoying accent!"

	"I can speak for myself, Bri," he said dryly.  "And
you hardly have any accent at all, so stop fishing for
compliments."

	Bridget was undeterred by his censure.   "Well, I
knew you two would need some help!" she declared.  
"If I left you to carry on the conversation
yourselves, you'd just sit here..."

	Hitomi decided to ignore Bridget's teasing.   "Van is
an unusual nickname to get from Donovan," she said
slowly.  "Shouldn't I call you Don?" she asked,
testing him.  This was weird; how could he be her Van
if he didn't recognize her?   But...he looked, moved,
and sounded like him... and all of her instincts were
screaming at her that this, despite all odds, was
indeed the boy she had grown to love.  

	He shook his head.   "I've always been 'Van.'   It
suits me better."

	"I think Donovan suits him best," Bridget said,
earning herself an annoyed glare.  "What?!" She
exclaimed, playing innocent and fluttering her long
red lashes at her cousin.   "Look it up in a baby
names dictionary sometime, Hitomi," she said.

	She raised an eyebrow curiously.   "Hmm?" she asked. 
She was still trying to figure out how this was
happening.   For the past few years her life had been
normal enough, but now things had just taken another
definite turn for the weird.   She wasn't sure if she
was grateful for the chance to have Van back, or if
she was more tempted to run away from all of it.

	She had had an adventure once.  That had been enough.

	Van blushed slightly, casting a dark look at his
cousin.   "One of the meanings is "dark warrior".

	A smile found life on Hitomi's lips.  The name was so
appropriate... if it was her Van.   It had to be.  
There was no such thing as coincidence.   She, better
than anyone, knew that.  "She's right.   It suits you
very well."  She gave him a sunny smile, one filled
with unfeigned warmth.  Bridget looked at her with
genuine surprise, then her blue eyes widened and a
sparkle came into them.   

	Van blushed.  "Thanks, I think.   I'll take it as a
compliment."

	"It was a statement of fact," Hitomi said levelly,
aware that Bridget was about to play matchmaker.

	His blush became even more pronounced.   "Thank you,"
he said, nodding his head to her politely.

	Bridget grinned, and Hitomi felt her stomach drop to
her shoes.   She recognized the gleam in the other
girl's eyes as a forewarning of trouble.   "Van, would
you do me a favor and drive Hitomi back to her dorm? 
Since you're both leaving..." she trailed off
suggestively.

	"Sure.  Not a problem."

	Now Bridget turned her wistful attention on Hitomi. 
"I hope you don't mind, Hitomi, but I really want to
stay, and since you're having such a lousy time and
Van was leaving anyway..." 

	"That's fine.   I'll see you on Monday, at practice."


	Van and Hitomi got to their feet as Bridget bounced
out of the room at lightning speed after giving them a
cheerful wave and a warning not to have too much fun
without her, which had earned her a playful clout
upside the head from her cousin.

	Van put his hand on her shoulder, a light touch that
made her senses tingle.   She had forgotten that
Americans were more casual about touch, and she felt a
blush on her face as Van used his hand to help guide
her through the crowds.   She had never had a man
touch her so casually on first acquaintance, and it
made her wonder if she should shake him off or point
out his faux pas.  She remained silent, though,
wondering all the while.

	He was so familiar, yet strange at the same time. Who
was Donovan Masanori?  Why did he look and sound just
like Van Fanel?   Surely it couldn't be a
coincidence... surely life couldn't be so cruel, to
tempt her with a look-alike of the man she desired so
fervently...

	"My car is out in the lot, near the house.  
Shouldn't be too hard to find." His voice almost
startled her.

	"That's good," Hitomi said, moving down the stairs
and into the main room, which had quieted down.   The
strobe lights were off now and the lighting was
normal, but the music still blared.   People had
broken off into smaller groups and were holding
conversations and drinking.   Van's presence seemed to
deter the propositions she had been subject to on the
way in.

	They swung into a smaller room, one where a table had
been set up.   Akari had ditched her boyfriend, and
was sitting with one of the other track team members,
a girl named Eire Hisae.   Hitomi knew Hisae was one
of the less-accomplished runners, and had little to do
with her.   If Hisae was as drunk as Akari was, she
would prefer nothing to do with either of them.  
Still, their path would take them directly by them.  A
confrontation would be inevitable, since Akari was
most likely still angry from the earlier scene.

	Hitomi passed by Akari and Hisae as they giggled over
a deck of Tarot cards, and felt her hackles rise.
"You're not reading them right," she said firmly.  
Akari had already yelled at her once; there was no
reason not to antagonize her now.  Hitomi knew how to
hold a grudge.  Besides, it drove her nuts to see the
Tarot abused.   People didn't understand that it
wasn't something to be toyed with.

	"I assume you can read them better?" Akari
challenged.

	"Yes," Hitomi said honestly.   She didn't lie.   Lies
were for those who needed them, and she didn't.   She
met Akari's eyes evenly.

 	"Fine!   Do a reading, and impress!" Hisae said,
snatching the deck away from her smashed friend and
throwing it at Hitomi.

	It was Van, amazingly, who caught the cards before
they had a chance to scatter across the room.  He
lunged forward and, in an amazing display of
dexterity, gathered the cards mid-air into a neat
pile.   "You should treat things more carefully," he
chided Hisae.   "To some people, Tarot cards are part
of their religion.   It's disrespectful."   He turned
and handed them to Hitomi, bowing gallantly.  "Tell me
my fortune," he said.

	She looked dubiously around the crowded room.   "Are
you sure you want me to?   Readings are usually
private."

	Van shrugged.  "Go ahead.   I'm not Wiccan."

	Van was still a contradiction, respectful one second,
and disinterested the next.

	He was her Van- only her Van would act so.

	"Fine."   She gave him a smile and pressed the cards
against her chest, trying to hide how her hands were
shaking.   She hadn't done a reading for anyone else
since... since Gaea.   The one reading she had done
since then had been for herself, and only at Yukari's
insistence.  The memory of that reading still unnerved
her 

	Looking at Van's face, she wondered if he was part of
the Wheel of Fortune the Cards had warned her about...

	The cards were new and store-bought, unfamiliar to
her.  Hitomi preferred an Ukiyou deck, a newer deck
that her grandmother had given her when she had been
born.  She sank to the floor, kneeling at the long
side of a coffee table, her short skirt spread in a
perfect circle around her.   Her grace, unconscious
though it was, was enough to make Akari raise her
eyebrow, and Hisae stopped giggling drunkenly.   There
was a feeling of imminent in the air, like the feeling
on the day before a major holiday.

	Donovan took the seat across from her.   	

	"Usually I'd use the Celtic Cross spread, but due to
our audience, it's just going to be a three-card
spread.   I doubt you want to share too much of
yourself with the current company."

	He shrugged.   "Do the full spread.   I'm curious,
oh, lady of mysteries."

	She shook her head.   "I don't want to.   This isn't
my deck- I have little affinity for it, and the cards
may not like me."

	Many people may have laughed at her then, called her
a mystic or superstitious or a freak, but Van didn't. 
 He took her seriously, looking into her green eyes
and seeing the hesitation there.   "Okay," he agreed. 
"Tell me my future, Kanzaki-san."

	It was odd to hear him called her so formally, odd
and wrong.   She had to lower her gaze to the deck to
hide her sorrow, and even then wasn't sure if she
succeeded.   Still, she distracted herself by
separating the Major and Minor Arcana from each other.
 She did it easily, without flipping the cards over to
see what they were.   It was a simple thing for a true
seer, as she was, but to the others, it was magical.

	"What are you doing?" Hisae demanded, leaning over.

	"I'm separating the cards.   I don't want to mess
around with the Minor Arcana..."

	"How can you do that like that?  They're upside
down!" Hisae said belligerently.

	She remained impassive and finished her task before
grabbing the smaller deck.  Flipping it over, she
fanned it out, displaying the perfectly arranged Major
Arcana, from the Fool all the way up to the World, the
cards in order.  Her actions spoke louder than any
retort she could have made.   "How did you do that?"
Akari demanded.

	Hitomi just handed the deck over to Van and pretended
they were the only two in the room.   "Shuffle the
deck, and shuffle it well.   Shut your eyes, and allow
your thoughts and dreams to flow into the cards."

	He did, the thick paper of the cards seeming to
present him no problem as he moved them smoothly.  
Like most people, he handled them seriously, not
bothering with any flashy tricks or elaborate
shuffling, though he handled them like he was familiar
with cards.   Tarot seemed like a somber thing to most
people, and most people were cautious around them, for
which Hitomi was grateful.   They were part of some
religions, and while she didn't follow them, she
respected their faith.

	"When do I stop?" he asked.

	"You'll know."

	He looked slightly cynical, but shuffled for another
moment before his fingers twitched and he handed the
deck  back.   "Done," he pronounced as the tips of
their fingers brushed.  This time there was no feeling
of electricity, but rather the comforting one of
familiarity.  

	Her face remained serene as she spread the three
upper cards out in front of her, ignoring the
attention she had attracted from everyone in the room.
  Hisae and Akari were watching carefully, but it was
Van's eyes that came closest to distracting her.  
"The first card represents your past, and the
influences upon it.   Only by knowing our pasts can we
know where our futures lie," she said.   She was being
a touch dramatic, but Hisae had angered her, and she
knew a little showmanship wouldn't hurt.  Part of
reading Tarot was in the presentation.

	She flipped over the card, her eyes widening as the
picture of a rigid man upon a stone throne, wearing a
crown upon his head.   This was a traditional Waite
Tarot deck, not like her Ukiyoe deck, which was much
more Asian in influence.   Still, the message was
unmistakable, and she thought it appropriate.  "Your
Past: The Emperor.   The Emperor is a very masculine
card, one of the two used to represent the masculine
principle in the deck.   I could go on about him for
quite a while, but the basics are that he is the card
for rule and structure, and some say, the paternal
figure of the deck. A powerful card: guide, protector,
and provider."

	She smiled as he nodded, and the other girls tittered
a little before she passed her cool green eyes over
them, the effect like throwing ice water in their
faces.   "The second card represents your present, and
the forces that prevail upon you now.  We all must be
aware of our surroundings and ourselves, for lack of
knowledge is a dangerous thing."  She flipped it over,
and air hissed through her teeth as she tried to keep
from gasping.   An unwelcome card, one that tended  to
make people uncomfortable.  Instead of a figure, a
dark building stood, being hit by lightning, aflame
and falling down; a grim card indeed.  "The Tower. 
Sudden upheaval, and change.   Reversals in fortune...
perhaps even disaster.   Often times this card is
unwelcome, but by knowing of this, one can prepare,
and perhaps even embrace the change when it comes upon
us."  She was pleased that her voice didn't shake, and
that she her hands moved to the third card without
betraying the tremor she felt within.

	Was she the Tower to him?   Would she once again be
the harbinger of trouble in his life?

	Van said nothing, but the others watched her as if
she was some kind of demon they weren't sure whether
to placate or banish.  "The third and final card
represents the future, and what may happen if events
continue as they have.  The future is malleable,
though, and we control our own destinies- nothing is
set until we set it," she said, remembering the time
she had altered Millerna's future.  She flipped it,
and was relieved to see the woman standing in the
center of leaves of green.  "The World.  
Completion... wholeness.  The ability to reach your
heart's desire.   It's a positive card, with lots of
positive energy... it's especially pleasing to see
after the trauma the Tower may bring.  Happiness..."
she whispered, touching it almost longingly.   Then
she gathered the cards hurriedly, placed them on top
of the minor Arcana she had separated them from, and
handed them over to Akari.  "Please treat them with
care, and they will serve you well," she said quietly,
rising to her feet.

	Van followed her wordlessly, and together they headed
for the front door.   The crowd parted before them
like the Red Sea before Moses, everyone who had seen
the reading eagerly telling those who hadn't.   As
usual, people called out to her, asking to have their
own readings done, but she demurred, saying that she
only read for people she knew well or was curious
about.   Van seemed to blush a little at this, but the
gentle hand returned to her shoulder to once again
support her, sending a thrill through her body.

	The night seemed to have grown colder in the few
hours she had spent inside.   Had she been sure Van
was indeed the boy she had known on Gaea, she would
have pressed against him for body warmth.   Still,
there was a lingering doubt...

	Goosebumps rose on her shoulders, and she wrapped her
arms around herself, trying to conserve heat.  The
night was still bright, and she could feel Van's
presence beside her, silent and strong.   It was like
she had been brought back through time, to the night
when she had crashed into him on the track and been
lifted away to Gaea.   She glanced up at the sky,
almost expecting to see the Earth hanging there.

	"Hitomi?   My car's right over there," he said,
removing his hand from her body to point at a deep
blue car with intricate detailing on it. 

	She blinked once, betraying her shock.   She had
known Bridget's family had some money (PT Cruisers
weren't cheap, especially in Japan), but Van's car
simply reeked money.   She could see the moonlight
reflect off the black leather seats, and when he
unlocked the doors and they got in, she noticed that
he had every single feature possible, and his sound
system was probably better than a DJ's.  Still, Van
hadn't stuck her as the type to be materialistic.  
Silently she reevaluated her previous perceptions.

	Had she been wrong?   Was this all some freak chance?
 They (whoever they were) said everyone had a twin,
somewhere.

	Suddenly getting in a car with Donovan seemed like a
stupid idea.   How much did she know about him,
anyway?  He was Bridget's cousin, but that was all...
and she didn't know Bridget that well, either.  
Getting in a car with an American, a gaijin... how
stupid could she be?

	He seemed to sense her unease.   "I know, I know....
The car is rather showy, but my father insists on it. 
 He refuses to let his son be seen in less than the
best."  He turned the key in the ignition, and cranked
up the heat.   "There's a jacket in the backseat- Bri
left it in there.   She and I went food shopping
earlier today, and like usual, she left her stuff
around."  He rolled his eyes, but the affection in his
exasperated voice was unmistakable. 

	Hitomi obediently turned around and pulled on the
light white jacket that was there.   Since it was
Bridget's, it was several sizes too large, and still
smelled of the flowery perfume she favored.  "You
spend a lot of time with her?" Hitomi asked quietly,
trying to relax.

	He smiled, and she felt some of her tension melt
away.  "We share an apartment.   Our parents are great
friends, and we're really more like brother and sister
than cousins.  She's probably my favorite person...
even though she is a touch wild.   I know she may come
across as... uninhibited, but she's not, really.  It's
more for show.  She actually has some really strong
morals, and is a very loving person.  I missed her
very much this last year- it didn't take much
convincing on her part to get me to join her over
here."

	"Oh," Hitomi said.   She looked down at the dash and
examined the truly impressive array of options.   The
car was heating up, and she luxuriated in the heat. 

	"Where do you live?" Van asked, shifted the car into
drive and moving onto the street.

	"In the dorms, Arthur Hall," she answered.  "I'm a
scholarship student."

	"Bri told me that... you won it through track?"

	"Yes.  As long as I keep a 2.0 and continue to please
my track coaches, I'm set," she informed him.  She
held out her hands to the heat, letting it permeate
her body.  The dorms had a lousy heating system, one
she despised with a passion.

	"I'm coming to the next meet.   I'll be sure to watch
for you," he said, trying to make conversation.

	Hitomi gave him another smile, but was unable to
think of anything intelligent to say.  Her thoughts
were revolving around Gaea, and anything she could ask
him would sound out-and-out insane...

	Van was as cautious behind the wheel as Bridget was
careless.   He kept both eyes on the road, and obeyed
the speed limit.   She felt as though she could lean
back into the seat and fall asleep, trusting him to
see her home safely, but she didn't want to.  She
wanted to savor each moment of his presence, for it
could be snatched away.  Any moment she was expecting
someone to shake her awake, and tell her that she was
dreaming.  She intended to savor this dream, for too
often she had nightmares, of Fanelia burning, of Gaea
falling apart, and her being so far from home... When
she hadn't known that home was with the people she
loved, like Van.   That wisdom had come too late.

	The car purred, responsive to Van's touch, matching
his will perfectly as he guided it into the parking
lot by her dorm. "We're here," he announced.

	"So we are.   Thanks for bringing me back," she said.
  "Apparently I'm not into the party scene."

	"I knew you were a clever girl on sight."

	She laughed lightly, and reached for the door handle,
but paused, unwilling to let this time end.  The bells
on the college chapel chimed, signaling the dawn of a
new day.  "It's midnight," Hitomi whispered.

	"So it is," he answered.   They sat in companionable
silence for a second.   "I always used to wake up at
midnight, even when there wasn't a chime. I eventually
started turning my clocks to face away from where I
was sleeping, because it creeped me out so much."

	"They say that you always are aware of the hour you
died, from your last life.   Perhaps that's it," she
said.  She wondered why she was being so macabre.  Was
she trying to scare him off?   Was she afraid that he
wasn't her Van?   Or was she more afraid of the
possibility that he was?

	"Do they?" He leaned forward to shut the CD player
off.   His sudden movement disturbed the necklace he
was wearing, and it fell free of his dark shirt.

	A gasp caught in Hitomi's throat, and her eyes opened
in shock as they fastened on the pendant that swung
pack and forth against Van's collar.   She didn't need
a watch to know it would swing perfectly in time to
the second, or know that glitter.  It was familiar-
she knew it...

	How could she not? She had worn that pendant for
years, the pendant that she had inherited from her
grandmother, that expected to never see again.

	Hitomi had given the pendant to Van Fanel in Gaea.


 END PART TWO


Technical Notes: The Three-card reading is one of the
most basic and the first readings most people who are
learning tarot... experiment with.   The other format
Hitomi mentions, the Celtic Cross, is the most popular
and uses ten cards to provide a more thorough reading.

I have taken some artistic license in this piece and
made Hitomi a Buddhist.  Why?   Well, that helps me
later... And yes, this was planned- it's not by mere
chance that she uses an Ukiyoe Tarot deck, which has a
Buddhist influence.   (Aishuu winks at Ely and
whispers, "Be quiet, or I start on that Beryl piece
I'm always threatening!")

For those of you wondering what kind of car Van has,
it's an Aston Bentley, deep blue.   Hitomi doesn't
recognize it cause they're kinda rare... wanted
something suitable for a prince, ne?  


Up Next: Moon
Keywords: Fear, Illusion, Imagination, Bewilderment


Anyway, C&C is a good thing!

=====
"No matter what the bible says, the battle always goes to
the strong. And I am strong. I don't need to prove that to
anyone anymore."
-Excerpt from Sainan no Kekka- Act Seven, Scene VII

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Quicksilver/
http://www.midnightrevolution.org/gundam

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