Tarot of Souls
Prologue: Cards in Question
The darkness within, the spirit withholding, the elements withstanding—So the chaos is without power, time with temperance.
That was what it said on the box. A box of cards. Kurogane didn't think anything of it. It was safe enough to open a pack of cards. He flipped open the simple cardboard lid and pulled them out, then shuffled them around a bit, thinking of how he had come to be in this world with his friends. His journey from his own Japan to this bizarre world flashed idly before his eyes, his thoughts wandering in seeming harmlessness.
So, naturally, he didn't notice the cards' faces changing. He also chose to ignore the fact that Fai had specifically told him not to open the cards. What problem could cards cause, seriously? Shp, shp, shp, the cards softly slid against each other as they were shuffled, changing their colors rapidly.
Then, the former swordsman noticed his ears were ringing. Ringing? He dismissed it as nothing until it became too loud to ignore. He could also not ignore it because Syaoran and Fai heard it too.
"What's that ringing?" Asked an obviously annoyed Syaoran, a finger in his ear in a futile attempt to alleviate the cause of his misery.
"Beats the hell outta' me." The ninja shrugged, still shuffling the deck.
"What's happening?" Fai asked before laughing. "Oh. I told you not to open those, Kuro-mu. I guess I should've known this would happen." Fai shrugged. The cards began to ring louder, and the wind in the small room whipped around them. Wind? The doors and windows were closed!
Mokona's eyes opened. "That's some ugly magic Fai! Really Ugly." The puffball squeaked, hopping onto Fai's head.
"It is indeed… I asked Yuko about them, remember. She said they were Tarot cards she thinks were from someone who had been to a land in her world called Nuu Meksiko, or something like that. They read the shuffler's soul and—" The wind whipped louder, nearly knocking down Sakura, who had just walked in. Syoran caught her and held her close to protect her from the wind. "Then it will do something. She didn't say what."
"That's useful." Kurogane growled sarcastically, almost yelling over the wind. "What do we do to stop it?"
"Nothing! We do nothing! Mokona senses a feather inside of the cards!" Mokona hollered.
"This is hitsuzen, how weird… I never liked it." Kurogane snorted. The cards flew around him, out of his hands and haphazardly across the room. He caught one mid-air, and stared frozen at it. It bore the image of himself, though the clothes were different, there was no mistaking it. On the bottom, in scrawling letters, the card was labeled "Swords' Yan". The others caught cards as well, Fai holding two, one of which Mokona peered at with some interest, and were equally surprised to find their own faces on the cards.
Magicks' Yin. Fai.
Wandering Protector. Syaoran.
Lost Girl. Sakura.
Guiding Beast. Mokona Modoki.
The other cards flew around, and the ringing and howling became deafening. The building they were in was being torn apart. All the world seemed to be drawn into one small spot, where the cards had been shuffling in Kurogane's hand.
It's like a game. A voice said. In this game, you must use cards against cards for the cards. A riddle? Quite likely. I love riddles.
"What? Who are you and what are you doing to us?" Kurogane snapped at the voice as he descended into darkness. He found he could at the very least think and speak in the gathering gloom that emanated from the cards.
I do nothing. You wished to prove your strength all along. This is your chance. Use the cards against the cards for the cards. This is the Tarot of the Soul. When you find me, I will give you what you seek, as a gift.
"The feather? How could you know about—?" Kurogane asked angrily, yet coolly.
You thought it as you shuffled. I know all about you that went through your mind at that point. Even your… mild feelings for a certain comrade of yours…
Kurogane growled. He knew what the voice meant, though he wouldn't admit it. "Is that so?" He snorted. "You didn't answer part of the question. Who are you?"
My name is… unimportant for now. But, I suppose I could show my self at the very least…
A bright light appeared before Kurogane, so bright in the darkness that he had to shield his eyes. When he became used to it, he looked to see a blonde man, more straw yellow than Fai's light platinum shade, who was thin and unimpressive at first glance. But, as he stepped closer, the ninja could see the strength rippling in the thin arms, and the startling golden eyes held strength beyond what muscles could hold. He only wore pants of a rough blue material, and had a sun tattooed in shimmering gold across his bare chest and arms, flames that spoke more magnificence then the stature of the strange man could alone.
The most unexpected detail was, perhaps, the wings, like a goldenangel's,that unfolded behind him. "This is all you need to know, aside from my being a thief." Said the angel being, most definitely the voice who had taunted him only moments before. Kurogane took a fighting stance and growled.
"Where are the others?" He demanded.
With a casual flip of his hand and a look in his eyes resembling a cat's when it was bored of everything and awaited a mouse to fall to its clutches, the being purred, "They await you in the Game, Kurogane."
"So you know everything I thought while I was shuffling? That gives you the edge, doesn't it?"
"No. I am balancing the scales. You will receive cards that represent all of your allies you found along the journey to this world. You will divide them amongst your friends, I trust? They will be almost useless without them. The playfield is the Land of the Sonoran Desert from which I hale, to this world at least. Can you checkmate a thief-king, Swords' Yan?" The angel's sarcasm was beginning to get on Kurogane's nerves. He was about ready to punch the yellow man when all went dark again.
Use the cards against the cards for the cards, Kurogane…. The voice laughed in the darkness.