Hey everyone! I've wanted to do this for a while, and this presented itself just too well. What, you may ask? Fortune telling! Hehehee. I loves me some tarot acting as plot aids. I originally planned Kanda's hand first, then everyone else's fell into place. I could go on forever on how I chose each card and a lot of hiddedn significance if I could, but this is FanFic, not Wikipedia. PM me or review if you want to know the planning behind this.

I had to cut down this chapter so it wouldnt be ridiculously long. Unfortuantely, next chapter will be kind of short, but I'm not 100% sure.

Can I say I love Leonata? Oh, wait.....Go read.

Disclaimer: I. DON'T. OWN. IT. =D


They crossed Serbia in two days, stopping intermittently for food and sleep. A few miles from the border with Hungary, they met a wagon caravan of gypsies on their way to Budapest. The leader of the group was a short man with his long black hair tied back in a neat ponytail. The gold buttons of his red vest strained a bit around his round stomach. General Tiedoll talked with the short man, and half an hour later, Krystal was dangling her feet off the edge of one of the wagons.

She felt at home with the travelling performers, having worked with a few gypsies when the circus was travelling through Poland a few years ago. The group of three girls had spoken with a rich accent, and their dancing was something unreal. One of the girls, Fortunata had even told people's fortunes.

She let the sun warm her face as she began playing a light melody on her flute, bringing to mind grassy fields and celebration. Behind her, a light soprano began humming the harmony to the song. Krystal whipped her head to see one of the gypsy girls humming and tapping her leg rhythmically. She stopped humming and smiled, "Good song," she commented, "you play it well."

Thank you, Krystal signed and continued playing, the girl behind her singing counterpoint. When the song was over, the girl introduced herself, "I'm Leonata."

Krystal, she signed, you sing wonderfully.

Leonata laughed, "You should see us at the fire. We really belt out then. I'll show you tonight."

Krystal signed, I'd like that. The two girls spent the next few hours discussing the scenery and sharing stories about travelling companions. Krystal had just shared the time Arthur started his own three-minute bass solo when Leonata's eyes lit up. "Do you believe in fortune telling?" she asked.

Krystal shrugged, I believe in luck and I had my palm read once.

Leonata scoffed, "Anyone can read palms. It takes a true fortune teller to read cards," she took out a battered deck of cards and turned to Daisya, Kanda and the General, "are any of you gentlemen interested in having your cards read?"

Daisya, who had been watching the scenery for the past three hours, perked up as he spied the deck of cards, "Major or minor Arcanum?" he questioned.

"Major," replied Leonata slyly, "I only read the Major Arcanum."

"I'm in," he said simply, and sat next to Leonata.

General Tiedoll looked intrigued, "I've never seen cards read, it sounds interesting," and he joined the group.

They looked at Kanda. "You're all superstitious old ladies," he said.

"Oh, come on Kanda," pleaded Daisya, "what if there's something eerie or mysterious in your life? You could be caught completely unaware by a large sum of cash and have no idea what to do with it!"

"I'll survive," he said drily.

Leonata pouted a bit, "You do know it's bad luck to refuse a free reading, especially from the Major Arcanum?"

Kanda sighed, "Fine."

Leonata grinned and Daisya pumped his fist in the air. "Now," said Leonata, shuffling the deck, "the oldest member goes first."

"That would be me," said General Tiedoll wryly.

"Excellent," Leonata shuffled the cards, "The card on the left symbolizes the past, the center card is the present, and the card on the right is the future." She offered him the deck, "Place your right hand on the deck."

The General placed his hand on the cards, and Leonata placed her left hand on top. She drew the top three cards and spread them on her lap. She turned over the middle card, revealing a man dressed in long robes, who appeared to be teaching other figures seated around his throne. "The hierophant," Leonata said, "the wise teacher. One who draws the students back to view the big picture and consider earthly matters."

"That's him, alright," commented Daisya.

The General smiled, "That does sound like me."

Leonata turned over the card on the right, representing the future. On it was a red chariot drawn by a black horse and a white horse. "The Chariot," Leonata explained, "victory is in your future, but you may not see it at first. It will also come at difficult prices."

General Tiedoll bowed his head, "I take all the assurances I get that we will succeed."

Leonat turned over the last card. On it was a man wrapped in a cloak holding a lantern aloft, "The Hermit. Self-discovery and introversion. You discovered something important about yourself that has led to where you are now."

General Tiedoll considered the card and smiled, "Thank you, Leonata. That was very enlightening."

Daisya leaned over, "I'm next."

Leonata reshuffled the cards and had Daisya place his hand on the deck like the General had. She laid the cards out and flipped over the middle one again. On the card, an angel with a trumpet stood over figures rising form the earth. "Judgment," she said, "memories and the past has no effect on you or your future. You must reconcile with your past and remember that what's done is done." Daisya's eyes widened as she explained this. She smiled slightly and flipped over the next card, showing a dancer with her foot crossed behind her other leg. Leonata's eyes widened, "This is a good card for the future, the World. You will complete your journey and come to the realization of your dream."

Daisya raised an eyebrow, "'My dream'? I didn't know I had one."

Leonata shrugged, "I just read what the cards say." She flipped the past card, revealing a yong man dressed in a hooded cloak on a journey, about to step over the edge of a cliff. Leonata laughed, "This is intriguing: The Fool as your past and The World as your future. The Fool is the first card in the deck and The World is the last, encompassing the entire deck. Anyway, the Fool represents being unsure at the outset of a journey."

Kanda looked at the card, "The Fool, how appropriate, Daisya. He even looks like you."

Daisya looked at the card, "What the hell are you talking about? I look nothing like a fool."

"Whatever," Kanda leaned back in his seat.

Leonata shuffled the cards again, "Who's next?"

Kanda pointed at Krystal, "I'm last."

Krystal shrugged and placed her palm on the cool deck when Leonata told her to. The cards were spread on the fortune teller's lap and she flipped over the middle card. On it, a woman poured water onto the ground and into a pool under the light of an eight-pointed star. Leonata squealed in excitement, "You lucky girl. You drew the Star on your first try. It's the luckiest card in the entire deck. You're full of hope and setting a bright future."

Krystal looked at the woman on the card. She watered the ground, nourishing a plant, while at the same time replenishing a pool for travelers.

Leonata flipped the next card, "Well, keeping your bright starlight future in mind, your next card is," the card had the picture of a man and a woman sitting under a willow tree, looking at eachother, while above them, a cupid aimed its arrow. "Lovers. It's official. You will live a wonderful life, and make an important choice concerning love. I wish I drew a hand as good as this."

The card for her future was darker than the other two, depicting a skeletal figure on a white horse, riding over a battlefield. "Death," Leonata pronounced curiously, "there has been a profound loss in your past, but there is still something gained through that loss. Keep that in mind."

Krystal thought about her family and friends, all lost to akuma. What have I gained through their loss? she wondered. She looked at Daisya, I've gained one good friend, at least.

Leonata turned to Kanda, "Ok, Mr. 'Dark-and-Silent' put your hand on the deck." He placed his hand on the deck and rolled his eyes. Leonata stuck her tongue out at him as she spread his cards out. "So let's see," she flipped over the card for his present, revealing a man hung by his ankles to a tree. The man's face was content, like he was sleeping. "The Hanged Man," she explained, "you're searching, and are willing to make sacrifices to find what you're looking for." Kanda nodded silently and Leonata flipped over the next card, picturing a woman dressed in midnight blue with a gauzy veil draped behind her. There was a black pillar on her right and a white one on her left. "The High Priestess," she said, "you will find something hidden. Something secret, and very powerful."

Kanda studied the card carefully, as though trying to find a hidden message on it. Leonata picked up the next card and looked at it. She screamed, and flung it away from her, a look of terror on her face.

Daisya jumped up, "What is it?"

"Chaos," she muttered, eying the card like a snake, "betrayal, disruption. Friendships destroyed. That card is the worst omen in the entire deck, and it's his past." She picked it up off the ground warily, "The Tower," On the card, a stone tower toppled, struck by lightning. People ran to escape the destruction and nearby trees caught fire. Leonata looked at Kanda, "Who are you, with a past so dark?"

He simply looked away.


Ok, quick survey. How many Harry Potter fans out there? The Lightning-Struck Tower in OotP is The Tower in the Grand Arcanum. I got excited.

Well,I'm posting late at night again, but I would like to give internet hugs (unless of course you don't like internet hugs, in which case internet high-fives are substituted) to all the readers, who have given me more hits in two weeks than I did all last month. THANK YOU!!!!!!

Ok, review, review, review. Especially if you're interested in the Grand Arcanum. =D

~~BJ