Riku looked himself over and sighed with relief, at last back in his own body. He and Sam had gone ahead to Vitesse's old room to retrieve the amulet and their own bodies, with Xivan closely following.
"Happy to be back?" Sam asked, watching him intently but already fidgeting.
"Like I said, not that I have anything against you, but... I guess it's what I'm used to. Took me a while to get used to seeing everything from your perspective."
"I know what you mean," he nodded. "Was very different for me too."
"Enough, children," Xivan murmured gently, removing a golden box from the draws. "I believe this is the one the Wizard referred to. Put that amulet back in the box, and Riku come unlock this one for me. I'm not sure where Vitesse hid the keys for these."
"I don't know either," he admitted. "But the other day when she used the spirit amulet, she had them on her. We might have lost them entirely."
"Inconvenient. Nevertheless, if you would..."
"Of course, my Queen," he replied, calling Way to the Dawn to unlock the tiny lock.
"I wish you wouldn't call me that, Riku," she complained. "I don't mind it from the Pentacles, but you're a Stave again now."
"Honestly, I think I'd prefer having you as my Queen. Depends on who Vitesse's successor is, of course, but I don't mind you."
"I'm touched," she replied, nudging the loosened chains aside to reveal two more rings, these ones made from a light green metal polished a mirror finish. "Her book suggests that these work in a similar way to the body exchange amulet," she told them. "They allow the wearers to exchange thoughts and memories. Do try to respect each others privacy though and keep it to what you did while exchanged, won't you?"
"That's all right," Sam grinned. "Riku and I are good friends now. I'm sure he won't mind if I accidentally find out what he and Four get up to."
"Long as you don't mind me finding out why Five never got along with you," Riku replied. "Might want to avoid him a little, but... well, you'll see. What will you tell the other Staves?" Riku asked Xivan.
"I'll simply forbid them to come in here for now. Like I said before, I think it's better if we don't let your little adventure get out too far. I have to talk to your Royal Arcana anyway to arrange for the new Queen tomorrow. I just hope whoever she is, she doesn't take it as badly as Vitesse did. Now, on with those rings boys and see what each other got up to. I'll check up on you from time to time."
Riku slipped it onto the same finger as Sam had his, then glanced over.
"Hey! That was my thought!" his voice said, but his lips didn't move. "Well of course, she did say," it went on.
"Mind leaving my thoughts alone and sending along those memories?" he thought to Sam, who grinned then furrowed his brow in concentration. Riku concentrated to, finding the relevant memories and hoping he was passing them back to him as a stream of new memories came back.
Sam's memory started just as the original exchange took place, giving Riku the disorientation that had followed, merely from Sam's perspective. He looked down to see his own body, then exclaimed, "Whoa! I'm tall now!"
To Sam everything seemed to have shrunk, even allowing him to look down on top of sides and shelves he hadn't been able to before. Riku's body was older, stronger and as he'd said, much taller.
Riku beside him looked distinctly uncomfortable in his new body, also looking at himself.
"A body exchange," he said. It was strange to hear someone else using his voice. "Can I ask a question?" Riku asked his former Queen.
"One moment," Queen Vitesse said, turning to look at Sam. "Did he tell you what that amulet about your wrist does?"
Sam brought it up to look at it, remembering what Riku had said, and answered, "He said it showed when he told the truth or not. Oh wow! So it does!" he added excitedly, seeing an emerald on it flash as he spoke.
"Didn't you believe me when I said it?" Riku asked him.
"I wasn't sure, that's all," Sam replied, surprised by the magic.
"Enough," Vitesse said firmly. "Now then, since you are wearing that amulet, I want you to tell me your name, rank and suit."
"But uh... which is right?" he asked. This exchange had confused matters. Was he still a Pentacle or had he taken Riku's position as well as his body? "I mean-" he started, but Vitesse sighed.
"Just do it," she cut him off.
"I'm Sam, Three of Pentacles," he answered, giving what his true name and rank. The emerald lit up for his name but winked out in favour of the ruby when he spoke his rank. "Ace of Staves?" he tried again. Now the emerald lit up instead.
Riku's surprise was clearly evident. "Wait does that mean... I'm now the Three of Pentacles?" He pointed to Sam and added, "In his body?"
"Yes," Vitesse answered mildly. "Now ask your question."
"You said this couldn't be used on the Royal Arcana and was part of experiments you were doing," Riku said, eyeing her suspiciously. "Were you doing it so you could change places with one of the Minor Arcana and steal their chance to get out by being them instead?"
This shocked him, but Vitesse was unmoved. "Steal is such a harsh word, Riku. And in any case, they would have been left my amulets and the book detailing each of them. They would have the same chance."
"But it didn't work, did it?" Riku persisted shrewdly.
"No," she said with clear disappointment. "I know why now, of course. Not all of the Wizard's magic works only when he uses it. This world itself has passive magic that he doesn't need to monitor. That magic prevents me from becoming one of any other Arcana."
"So you could use it with me, but not with them," Queen Xivan said softly. "So in trying to get them out, you discovered this interesting magic. Vitesse, I want to ask another favour of you."
Another favour? What were the last ones?
"You want this amulet too?"
"No – only one part of it, at least." She turned to Sam and in the usual gentle tones she took with him asked him, "Ace dear, would you tell me how you feel about being there?"
Sam gave Riku's body another look over, thinking it through. It was strange being called by another name, and strange being in this unfamiliar body. As he thought he kept having unfamiliar ideas, no doubt due to it being older.
"Well, it's kinda neat," he answered eventually. "I like being bigger and taller – wouldn't mind saying for just a little while, but... it's not my body," he admitted with reluctance. "I gotta give it back really."
"And you, Three?" she asked Riku, who looked uneasy, shuffling like an embarrassed schoolboy. "You're a Pentacle as long as you inhabit that body, Riku," she reminded him. "You answer to me. Answer my question."
Sam was interested. He could tell Riku wasn't adjusting as well as he was, but he wanted to know what Riku would actually say.
"It's kind of..." he paused. "Uncomfortable. Everything... it all looks huge." Sam nodded, understanding that sentiment. "I know it's because he's... I mean, I'm short now, but it's really disorienting."
Xivan nodded, then turned back to Vitesse. "He's already disqualified for lying to you, if that carries over," she said.
"Of course," she replied. "Something like that is tied to the individual, not the body. A few early volunteers assisted in confirming that."
Sam saw Riku's expression and suspected he thought the volunteers weren't as voluntary as she made them sound. Given what he'd heard about the Stave Queen, he privately admitted he thought the same thing.
"Then what's the harm in leaving them this way?" she suggested, causing Sam's heart to almost skip a beat. Not that he wanted to leave Riku in a body he didn't like, but a chance like this... "Simple transfer the truth amulet to Riku's new body while he inhabits it and leave him with me," Xivan went on. "No doubt he'll learn his lesson properly from that, and it doesn't actually do any harm. We merely have to order our new cards to act as if they were who they appear to be."
That was going further than he could manage, Sam decided. He had to speak up, and there was something bothering him too.
"Pardon me your Majesties," he said, unaccustomed to addressing two monarchs at once. "But... well, not that I don't like this, but how do we go back? Does it happen if we just take the rings off?"
"No", Vitesse replied. "They must be worn a second time. Both of you give me the rings back." Sam tugged his off more willingly than Riku did his, making him feel a little guilty about wanting to stay, but the Queens didn't appear to notice. "I had thought you reluctant to hand out a punishment Xivan, but this... yes, I think I'll leave Riku in your hands. I just want to find out one thing," she added, putting away the rings. "Riku, summon your Keyblade."
Sam had heard the rumours – who hadn't? A red blade that flashed in and out of existence. It was rumoured his friend the Three of Staves also had something similar. Actually seeing it appear before him in the hands of his old body was a surprise, but Riku looked rather comical struggling to hold a blade almost as big as he was, stumbling back slightly to hold it in both hands.
"So it stays with you," Queen Xivan murmured, then ordered, "Dismiss it. I'll tell you when to call it and when not to, and it stands to reason that as soon as Vitesse locks the truth amulet around your wrist again you'll have to leave it in place unless someone else removes it."
Vitesse withdrew a key and unlocked the amulet from Sam's wrist, which he massaged slightly. It had been a tight fit, and once she placed it on Riku's wrist it shrunk down to a similar fit on his wrist.
"Do I have to do the truth and lie thing again?" Riku asked.
"No, the amulet should know you." She sorted through the boxes on the table, setting some aside for Xivan, then gave the rest to Sam with the absent command of, "Hold these. We'll be leaving shortly."
"But... I'm not – I mean, I don't know how to be him!" Sam protested. Someone was going to notice if they didn't do something.
"Not to worry," she answered as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "You're a Stave and you are in that body due to my magi, both of which put you under my control. So if I order you to act like Riku for the purposes of everyone else, you will."
As she said it, he felt slightly different. His usual boundless energy seemed to fade and calm, bringing a calmer, slightly more serious attitude. There was more too, but he was distracted by Vitesse rising to leave.
As her card now, he followed her out and overheard his former Queen saying, "Come Three. We will see them off. It should go without saying that you'll act like who you appear to be."
"Yes my Queen," Riku said without much enthusiasm.
"As soon as they've gone, I want you to see that all this is returned to the kitchen," her retreating voice told Riku. "It can't be left here to-" then the door closed with a clunk, the only voices coming through now muffled. His old voice came through a little louder just as they turned out on to the shop floor.
"My, it sounds like Riku is a little upset about his new residence," Vitesse remarked with a cruel smile. "Do feel free to enjoy yourself, Ace," she told him. "Perhaps it will help him learn his lessons."
Sam didn't reply. What she was suggesting was wrong. At least she hadn't ordered him to do it.
"Fetch the carriage," she told him when she realised he wasn't going to say anything. "You should know where it is, you know this castle too."
And he did – better than he had before. Riku must have learned more about it than he thought. He saw everything in a new light now he was tall enough to look down on most of the shop floor. It was like rediscovering everything.
Just outside the stables where the Ten of Pentacles and their only other Dryad was sawing away on a thick plank, he paused, then with a faint hint of nerves he said, "Can you give me a hand getting Vitesse's carriage out? It's time I took her back so she isn't inflicting her presence on you."
Privately he was surprised – he'd called people names, but that wasn't the sort of thing he'd say. Vitesse's command must have brought out some of Riku for him.
"Sure thing," Ten replied, setting aside his saw. "Just go on through there, I'll haul the gates open for you."
Sam went on through, setting the Vitesse's boxes on the drivers seat then climbing up into the seat himself. They'd never let him do this before, they always used his size as an excuse. Once up there in Riku's body though he started to understand why – he needed to be able to see what was coming.
Without thinking, he picked up the reigns and clicked at the horses, causing them to trot out as Ten finished opening the gates, walking alongside to guide him along the only safe route – as if he didn't know it himself, but maybe Riku didn't.
He smiled to himself when he saw the Four of Pentacles mounted up waiting at the gates and felt a momentary concern. This was Riku's lover, or so the rumours said – and he had no idea what had happened! He started to understand some of the unfamiliar feelings as Vitesse's command brought that out too.
"Do visit again sometime," Xivan told Vitesse as she approached, with Riku hovering just behind.
"You are quite welcome to come and see me as well you know," Vitesse said. "We don't have nearly enough guests at our castle."
"That's mostly because of you though," Sam heard Ten mutter. He tried not to chuckle out loud, only just managing to hold himself to an amused smile.
"Thank you Vitesse," Xivan replied politely. "But I can't be away for too long. I'm still the only one who works with gems, and if I take too much time away the work piles up."
Sam jumped easily down from the carriage and took out some steps for Vitesse to climb in by, then waited for her, handing her the boxes as she ascended. Once the steps were stowed away again he climbed up, paused and glanced back to Riku, saying, "Be good."
"C'mon, ya expect me to be any different?" Riku replied, sounding almost perfectly like he usually did. He couldn't help but laugh at seeing Riku act like him.
