•°•Tas's Perspective•°•

Hey, guys! Today's my birthday, and my long-time friend, Joisy, came to spend the day with me. She's almost twenty years old, her birthday is this month, too. On Valentine's Day. But that's alright because some older people are pretty cool.

I leaned on the Gazebo in Toontown Central. I wonder what was taking her? Maybe her car broke down. Last I heard from her it does that alot nowadays.

I finally saw her come through Loopy Lane, running towards me. Lavender hair flowing in the wind. She ran up to me, panting only slightly so that she could catch her breath.

"My.. Car.. Broke.. Down."

"Hey, no problem." I patted her on the back. "Sooo.. Whatcha get me?"

She reached into the back pocket of her denuim skirt and pulled out a box of playing cards.

Cards isn't exactly my ideal gift, but I don't blame her that picking out the perfect gift would be hard, considering how long it's been. I remember playing this game with her when I was younger.

"Aww man! I love it!" I tried acting excited, taking them from her and giving her a quick hug.

"Do you want to play?" The purple cat asked.

I nodded.

"I hope you're ask good as you used to be," Joisy told me. "I've been playing Solitare alot recently."

I usually did beat her at this game.

I emptied out the box and began shuffling the cards. You know, arch shape, down on eachother, and tossing them in and out of the stack. I dealed seven cards to each of us and put the stack in the middle. I went first.

"Got any Twos?"

Joisy shook her head. "Go fish."

I drew a Three.

"Got any Queens?" She asked.

"Go fish." I replied.

It turns out that as usual, I won eight to six.

"That was a good game, Tas." Joisy declared. We fist bumped, but thats when things got strange...

My pile of pairs began to glow blue, and a portal opened up next to us. I felt myself begin to be sucked in.

"Tas!" Joisy grabbed onto me, just before we were sucked in.

•°•Joisy's Perspective•°•

I found us next to the inside entrance of some sort of palace. I let go of Tas and looked around, until a figure emerged from the shadows. I braced myself, sliding my feet into a fighting stance with Tas following my lead.

The figure was a black cat, and no ordinary one. One her head was black, transparent club, and on her chest was a white breastplate of a large club and a "Q" in the corner. Her skirt was made up of many Queen of Clubs cards, and even her tail had a kink at the end of the shape of a club.

"Who dares step foot on my turf?" She boomed, drawing a Kris from her breastplate.

Tas tried not to stare. "She didn't!"

"She did.." I shook my head. How? I would never know.

"Your Majesty, these two appear unfit to be able to overthrow your Queendom."

"The blade spoke.." Tas whispered.

"Unfit? UNFIT?" I marched forward. "Do you know who I am?"

"A simpleton?" The blade replied.

I laughed ruefully. "I'm the Empress of a great empire. And incase you didn't know.." I got dangerously close to them. "An Empress ranks higher than a Queen." I poked the maiden on the nose.

The queen growled.

I did a backflip and pulled my charm from my pocket, flipping it with the rush of battle, transforming into the grand samurai.

Tas took the hint and took a hoop from his pocket, dropping it on the ground and stepping into it. He began to glow and picked the hoop back up as he floated a few inches off the ground.

The queen charged at me with her Kris. I countered it, lifting up Otetsudai.

"They seem to be stronger then I first suspected," The Kris commented.

"Don't judge a sword by its sheath." Otetsudai replied.

Tas rammed into the queen, knocking her down.

"Run!" He shouted, grabbing my arm.

We darted around the nearest corner and down a hallway. Hearing footsteps, Tas turned us invisible.

"Look.." I squeaked.

Ten other black cats marched down the halls, their clothing altered compared to the queen's, but still made up of playing cards and clubs, being lead by a Ten and ending with an Ace.

"What dimension is this?" Tas wondered outloud.

"Well.. It doesn't seem as bad as any hellhole Princess Domino could have come up with.."

"I heard about her.." The mouse whispered. "I hope she's locked up for a long time... Now then, where's the exit?"

•°•Queen of Clubs' Perspective•°•

"Damn.." I winced, getting up. "Those two could really pack a punch. That rat especially."

"Not to mention that woman-cat and her Katana." My Kris, Damien, replied.

"Hmmph.. It sounds like the knights are coming."

I waited until they came marching down the hall. I stopped them. "Have any of you seen a glowing rat and a metal cat?"

"No, Ma'am." They replied in unison.

"Well, then, carry on. And you." I stopped the Ace. "Work harder."

She nodded, and then the group continued patrolling the perimeter.

"They must be here somewhere.." Damien commented.

"We'll just have to worry about that later." I said, sliding him back into my breastplate. "Let's just hope that they didn't paint my lotuses black."