Quicksilver's Quill Offers 
Pawns 
mbsilvana@yahoo.com
Standard disclaimers 
Dedication: To Ely on her 22nd birthday, although it
IS a bit late. I said I'd give her a bit of whatever
fic she desired, and she wanted this one... go figure.
AN: Been awhile, ne? Well, we're getting into the home
stretch. Less the a third to go, I'd guess. 
Earlier parts at ff.net
My Mailing List, should you be interested:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Quicksilver/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Part Eleven:


	The extremely cute Fin Fish watched as Maron
retreated to her bedroom with a cup of tea and her
homework. Fin sincerely doubted that the high school
student would get much rest, and was tempted to cast a
minor sleep spell on her, but decided that it wouldn't
be fair to Maron. Solving problems with magic often
led to more trouble than solutions. She sighed to
herself and let her form destabilize until she was
only a small glowing green light, a light that could
pass through anything.

	Now that she knew who Sinbad was, it was easy enough
to figure out where Access Time would be. She went
through the window and over onto Chiaki's balcony.
"Access!" she called out softly, in a voice too soft
for humans to hear. "Come here!" she commanded.

	She looked surprised at the window as a small sphere
of purple light flew through it, before changing into
Access Time's familiar figure. "Not here," he hissed.
"I put Sinbad to sleep, but he could break that spell
if a noise or something startles him."

	"Where?" she demanded. She fluttered slightly,
adjusting her wings so the feathers were perfectly
spread. She didn't know why she was preening, but
Access always made her self-conscious.

	"The park," he said, shifting back into the
insubstantial ball of light that traveled so much
faster than a small angel with wings could. Fin sighed
and did the same, racing after him.

	Access landed on a park bench, taking on the form of
a True Angel. His long purple hair pooled on the
ground behind him, but he ignored it, instead watching
the stop where Fin Fish materialized in her own True
Angel form, her hair trailing behind her like a thick
green cape. She wore a dress that was primarily white,
to match her sweeping wings, but it was overlay with
gold-embroidered green fabric of a quality not made on
earth, and draping ribbons and tassels made of real
gold shone all around her shapely body. She tossed her
head and her hair moved like it had a life of its own.
"Why are we in our True forms?" she demanded.

	He gave her a catlike smile, his yellow eyes lambent
in the moonlight. "We're not advisors right now,
Fin-chan," he drawled slowly stretching out to his
full length. "Ah... such a relief. Sometimes I feel
like I'm... cramped into a little package when I'm in
kurotenshi form."

	Her hands were on her hips and the golden ribbons
swirled around her. "Access..." she said warningly,
and from her tone of voice, he could tell that she
wasn't going to have any of his usual teasing.

	Access Time spread his hands in a gesture of
surrender and hitched over to one end of the bench,
leaving plenty of room for Fin to settle herself. She
did so, swinging around so her wings were trailing off
one end of the bench and her hair was falling into her
lap. She reminded him of a queen, and he always fell
in love with her all over again whenever he saw her. 

It was a shame that she hated him. She always had been
so headstrong; not stupid, but stubborn. Once she made
up her mind, it was rare that she changed it. She was
devoted to the policies of Gabriel-sama, one of the
highest of angels, but also the most rigid. "What do
you want, Fin-el?" he asked.

She was surprised to hear him address her with the
honorific given to angels, one they had ignored since
coming to Earth. "I want to know who you are working
for, Access-el," she said firmly. "Are you in league
with the devil?"

He flinched. "Fin-el, can you really believe that of
me?" The pain that she could distrust him that much
was conveyed in his voice.

"I don't know who to trust anymore," she said softly,
her voice barely above a whisper. 

He scooted over and sat against her, so their thighs
were pressing against each other. "You can trust me,
Fin. I may not agree with you, but I would never lie
to you. I would never hurt you." He raised a hand to
brush her hair away from her eyes, and he was
astounded that she let him.

"Whom do you work for?" she begged.

"I've been a guardian to Sinbad's family for over a
thousand year. As for why, you'd have to ask
Uriel-sama. He sent me."

	Fin felt like a great pressure had been lifted from
her shoulders, a weight she hadn't even been aware
that she was carrying. Ever since she had been
created, Access had been one of her best friends, and
perhaps more than that. When he seemed to defect to
the other side, it was like having her heart ripped
from her chest, still beating. That was the point when
she crossed the line between faith and zeal, she could
recognize in retrospect. "The keeper of secrets...
like he'd tell me anything. All I knew is that one day
you were gone, meddling on Earth, and neither
Gabriel-sama or Michael-sama knew why... so we assumed
the worst."

	Access sighed, raking a hand through his bangs.
"Sinbad's story isn't mine to tell. But... one day
over a millennia ago, Uriel summoned me, and told me
that I'd have to watch over the male line of a
particular mortal... and that's what I've been doing."

	She looked at him, her eyes sparkling like emeralds
with unshed tears. "Why didn't you tell me?" she
asked.

	"You wouldn't listen. Uriel-sama believes in
something different than Michael-sama and
Gabriel-sama. Raphael-sama hasn't spoken yet..." 

	"And... Chiaki is of this line?"

	"Yes."  He spoke simply, without his usual dramatics.

	"What are you and Chiaki doing?" Fin demanded.

	He was silent before he stretched his wings, brushing
against hers. An angel's wings were sensitive, and it
was intimate to touch them. A blush rose on her
cheeks, and she could hear her heart pounding. "We're
sealing demons, Fin-el."

	"How? Where does Chiaki get the power?"

	"I help with his transformation, but it's his own
will that binds them... he's a powerful magician. Most
of what he does is on his own. It's really worthy of
respect. I think Jeanne could be the same, but she
relies too much on you."

	"She does not!" Fin said, flaring up.

	"I don't mean anything derogatory by it!  It's
just... Jeanne could be stronger if she didn't always
rely on the power of others... but that's aside the
fact now. She's going to have to."  He went quiet, and
his amber eyes seemed to lose some of their shine. 

	"What do you mean?"

	He shifted around so he faced her squarely. Now their
knees were against each other, and his wings were
making a spectacular backdrop against the sky, darker
than the night. He reached over and grasped Fin's
hands in his own, wishing he wasn't wearing gloves so
he could feel the warmth of her body. "Fin-el... the
demon in Tokyo Tower is Named... we have to determine
its Name, and Jeanne and Sinbad will have to Checkmate
it, together... but to do that, they will each have to
take their true forms..."

	"The Kamikaze..."

	"And Sinbad will have to become The Tsunami..."

	Fin blinked in surprise. "What?" she demanded. This
was the first she'd ever heard of it. 

	"Jeanne was sent by Heaven... I guess you could say
Sinbad is the Earth's representative..."

	"I don't get it..."

	"I'll explain more later, when Sinbad and Jeanne are
both there... but they'll have to do the next
Checkmate together."

	"I don't want to force Maron to do that..." Fin said,
looking down at their joined hands."

	"There's no choice. This demon must be sealed."

	"I know-I just wished things had ended differently."

	"You knew this would most likely would happen."

	"Not this... but I knew that one day, the final
transformation would come."  Fin raised her eyes and
looked at Access in his face, wondering why he
suddenly seemed so wise. Had being a kurotenshi done
something to his personality? Or had the years on
Earth taught him maturity?  

	"They're both strong-they will survive."

	"Well... we should go tell them."  Fin started to
rise, but Access still held her hands and used them to
pull her back. "Let them sleep. Let them dream..." he
whispered. "We can tell them tomorrow."

	She nodded, and said nothing. Still, Fin Fish let him
continue to hold her hands.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

	Miyako waited with her father outside the very pretty
church. It was on the small side, but her eyes could
take in the loving care the entire building had been
made with. The subtle details told of people who loved
their work, and the graceful arches and steeple
encouraged people to look towards the heavens, rather
than the mundane on earth. She smiled slightly,
feeling the sheer goodness of the place. It was a
place for comfort and contemplation, prayer and
devotion. 

	"So are we just going in?" she asked curiously. "Or
did you arrange a meeting?"

	Her father tugged the collar of his jacket more
closely around his neck and gave her a crooked smile.
"Now, now.... This is just an informal meeting. We
don't have a warrant, and messing with the church is
always an iffy proposition at best."  Miyako muttered
something about the futility of organized religion
under her breath, but her father's glare caught her
unawares. "Don't knock it, Miyako. Religion plays an
important part in society's morality, and without it
our job would be much harder." He stared at the
stained glass window, examining the depictions of the
Mother and Child. 

	"I guess. But a lot of crimes have been committed in
the name of God."

	"I prefer to believe that the benefits of faith
outweigh the cost." 

	"I still find it strange that Jeanne is connected
with a church, though..." Miyako said.

	Her father started into the church as the bells
chimed ten o'clock. "It should have made sense. Jeanne
wears a rosary... and I'm wondering. You know how she
uses French?  I'm starting to wonder if she's trying
to pretend to be Jeanne d'Arc..." Todaiji-san said.

	"Huh?" Miyako said, not getting it.

	"One of the things that's key to apprehending a
criminal, especially a serial one, is to get into
their head. Understand their motivations and figure
out how they think. Jeanne and Sinbad are rather
unusual, but they have some surprising similarities in
their targets. There are plenty of valuable items in
this city, but they both choose to strike the same
targets, at the same time. Sending notice is another
similarity-amazing in the confidence needed in that.
They're both sure that they won't get caught, which
implies delusions of grandeur. There's something
special about what they choose.

	"If that was all there was to it, we might just right
it off as some contest between teens. It's not,
though. Jeanne seems to know instinctively where the
treasure is hidden, even when the police don't. She
uses French casually, and wears a bright outfit with a
rosary. The fact that she says that she's been sent by
God implies she's seriously deluded... and the French
makes me think she's trying to use Jeanne d'Arc's
identity."

	Miyako thought about her father's theories. "How does
Sinbad fit into the picture?"

	"A rival of some kind. There's genuine dislike on
Jeanne's part, but he seems more determined to protect
her-remember him saving her on the Tower during the
last two attempts?"

	"How do they DO it, though?" Miyako asked in
frustration. "I've been thinking about it lately-what
they do is impossible. Jeanne's stolen things without
touching them, and lately it's gotten worse. Last
night... she fell up! How is it possible to fall up?
And where the hell does she get those Rebound Balls
she plays with?  I think Akita's cut them twice, and
she always has a backup!" 

	Her father shrugged. "Jeanne and Sinbad aren't common
thieves-they're kaitou. Kaitou means they're special."

	They went into the church together and headed to the
back where the sacraments were kept. Sure enough,
there were small bottles of wine there, marked with
the same type of engraving that the bottle of Holy
Water had on it. "We're in the right place," she
murmured, kneeling down to touch the exquisitely
wrought glass.

	"Can I help you?" a pleasant male voice asked. The
Todaijis spun around to be met by the site of a
minister wearing the long, white robes of his calling.
He seemed to be in his mid-thirties, and had a
pleasant face with a splendid mustache. Miyako liked
him on sight. 

	"Yes... I'm Police Detective Todaiji, and this is my
daughter, Miyako." Miyako bowed slightly as she was
introduced. "We have some questions for you."

	The man smiled serenely. "Anything to help the
police," he said. "Shall we go to my office?"

	They agreed, and followed him to a small room behind
the church. The chairs were mismatched but
comfortable, and Miyako's quick glance caught sight of
an elegant sketch of mother and child, a huge stage of
paperwork that seemed to be half-done, and what seemed
to be a half-written sermon on his table. "May I
record this?"

	The priest looked cautious. "Yes, but I won't answer
anything that violates the confidentiality of my
flock." Miyako opened her mouth to object, but her
father hushed her with a Parental Look. "What do you
wish to know?"

	Her father drew out the sealed evidence bag and
handed it over to him. "Do you recognize this?"

	"Yes, it's one of ours," the priest said, taking it
gently, his eyes widening. "How did you get it?"

	"It was left by Kaitou Jeanne at a crime scene."

	The priest sighed. "A few days ago, a young woman
came in to see me-she said she need supplies to aid in
the exorcism of a demon."

	The Todaijis exchanged glances. "Wouldn't the church
usually handle that kind of thing?" Miyako asked
curiously. She wasn't Christian, unlike Maron, and
didn't understand too much about the faith, but from
what she knew of her friend's religion, the priests
performed most rituals.

	"Usually. But this woman was special... she had God's
hand upon her shoulder, and God's love embraced her
warmly enough to be seen."

	"Um... okay," Todaiji-kaji said uncomfortably. "Can
you describe the young woman for us?" he asked,
knowing he was probably going to hear a poetic
description of golden hair and amethyst eyes.

	The priest thought for a second. "I suppose that
wouldn't be a violation. Quite pretty, in a
girl-next-door kind of way. Brown eyes, long light
brown hair, slender. About... eighteen, maybe twenty."

	The two Todaijis exchanged glances, Miyako dropping
her eyes first. She hadn't wanted to hear that.... not
when she knew someone who match that description and
looked like Jeanne. "Would you know her if you saw her
again?" Miyako asked.

	"I would in an instant. Speaking to her was like
speaking to a representative of God. I consider it a
privilege to have been able to aid her."

	The two detectives nodded and rose to their feet,
bowing politely. "Todaiji-san," the priest called out
before they could leave the room.

	"Yes?" Miyako's father asked.

	"I'm not stupid. I think I can guess why you're here
investigating this, and I'm sure you think my answers
are crazy... but I'll give you a word of advice. Don't
catch Kaitou Jeanne. What she's doing may not be right
according to mortal law, but she's acting on the order
of a higher authority. If she fails, the world we all
love may fall into hell."  The priest's handsome
expression was grim, and it was apparent from his face
that he believed what he was saying.

	Miyako had a disconcerting feeling that he was right.

END PAWNS ELEVEN

Technical Notes:
For information on the Archangel Uriel (probably the
least known Archangel), go to:
http://www.uriel.org/Uriel/Archangel.htm.
Has anyone noticed that each section is just a little
longer than the last?  > <


=====
"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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