Chapter Text
Fate was a fickle being. The way it guides fortune or misfortune depending on the tiniest factors. The turning the tide on someone’s best day or in some people’s case the guide to someone’s heart. Yes, Fate is someone that very few can ever truly see yet, fortune favored Chihaya Mifune as she found the Empress to Ren’s fool.
In the cards, the one getting read is the fool and the people they associate with the fool are assigned different roles. And with her escapades with a certain Phantom Thief, Chihaya was able to discover the other people in her Fool’s life.
“Excuse me, did you just call me Empress?”
“Ah, yes. The cards have spoken of a meeting between us and I’ve been expecting you. You and I share a common friend. Ren Amamiya.”
Haru’s eye sparkled at the confirmation.
“Amazing! I didn’t know you knew that. The cards really told you that.” Chihaya nodded. “Oh dear, I never imagined that being possible. Do you have a special power?”
“You could say that. Please sit. I believe we have much to talk about.” Haru sat down before Chihuya held out her hand. “One hundred thousand yen please.”
Haru stared at her for a moment before reaching into her wallet and pulling out the wad of cash.
Chihuya’s eyes bugged out. “What the-”
“...is cash not sufficient? Hold on, I believe I have my checkbook on me.” Haru said as she reached into her purse.
“No, no!” Chihuya waved her hands wildly. “You ain’t gotta give me all ‘hay. I mean…that’s really necessary. I was making a joke. I’m sure our common friend has told my tale before.”
“No.”
…
Chihuya sat with a pleasant smile on her face with her eyes closed. “I see…why don’t we start from the beginning.”
She started shuffling cards. Haru watched her as she did all sorts of tricks.
“I checked my divination a couple weeks ago and it told me that the Empress would join me for a conversation. One of deep importance to the both of us. Now that you’re here, please tell me; what is it that you desire?”
Haru nodded. “I desire to know if you’re in love with Ren.”
Ftzcht!
The cars went flying through the air as Chihuya looked at her stunned and then blushed hard. “Oh dear you dropped your cards. Here let me help you.”
“Wait…love?! You came here to discuss love! I-I-I didn’t know that.” Chihuya said before dropping down to her knees to help pick them up. “I was certain it was about certain doom or a great battle coming up.”
“No. I came here because I was interested in knowing if our leader was in love with you.”
“ME?!” Chihuya was hit with surprise after surprise.
How could that be? Her gift was nothing to scoff at. Yet the simple idea of love just threw her entire prediction out of line.
“Isn’t that a funny thing about fate? It’s not absolute.” Ren said as he sat next to Chihuya. In a rare moment, the two were in a restaurant. The warmth of soup and noodle made up for the blistering cold out there.
“My divination covers the aspect of people’s lives, not the weather. You were just lucky on that prediction.”
“And here I thought I changed your mind.”
The two friends shared a laugh.
Today was a cause for celebration. After revealing the scam that was the Holy Stones, Chihuya managed to make legitimate money with her own business. With the accuracy of her predictions and the advice for certain unsavory outcomes, it’s made her place a haven for the superstitious.
And now she had enough money to send home while maintaining a life in the city.
“Perhaps you did it in the best way possible. I still can’t thank you enough for aiding me. Are sure I can’t give you back all the money you spent on my services?”
“Think nothing of it. I trust you to use it in the best way possible.”
There were very few things that Chihuya put trust in. She once had absolute trust in fate. It didn’t matter how fortunate or disastrous the reading was. Once destiny made its choice, there was nothing she could do. There was a time she once feared her gift.
Her fortunes always came true. If she read a misfortune in the future, was that her fault? Did she unintentionally lock that person in? That fear kept her up late at night. After all, who could truly sleep at night knowing the future and what it wrought.
Then he appeared. The Phantom Thief. A man capable of bending fate. How could someone upend her beliefs so drastically and not use it for their benefit. He salvaged every misfortune and spun it around to hit those who truly deserve it. Still that made her pause as she remembered one reading this past month.
“So what about reading for you? On the house?”
“A meal and a reading? Chihuya, you’re spoiling me.” Ren chuckled.
One can never be too sure. She pulled out her cards and shuffled them. By this point, they knew the routine.
And just like before Chihuya came to the same conclusion as before. Justice taking down the Fool.
“Chihuya?”
“Ah, my apologies. I think I messed up.” She did it again and it was the same outcome. The Fool will die by the hands of Justice.
“Chihuya?”
“Let me try again.”
Death at the hands of Justice.
“Hold on-”
A hand stopped her. Chihuya looked up and saw Ren’s concern in his eyes. He had her put away the tarot cards. “Are you ok?”
“I’m fine. Just…I think I don’t do good on an empty stomach.” She said as she saw the waiter come in with their food.
Ren didn’t look too convinced. “You know something about me?”
“It’s…it’s nothing. I’m sure what you come across, you’ll just change the outcome like you always do.” There was genuine belief behind that.
Ren just smiled at her and whipped his hand dramatically like an overconfident royal. “But of course. I can do just about anything. Tell you what, next time I’m free, I’ll treat you out.”
Despite that smile, Chihuya could tell by the throbbing pain in her heart that something was off. If he can do anything then he’ll survive. She knows he can. He has to.
And yet at a certain moment, it seemed even he couldn’t stop fate.
As she watched the news of the leader of the Phantom Thieves dying, her new beliefs were now in question. Had she sent someone she cared for to the gallows? Did she truly let Justice claim the Fool who bent fate?
No. This wasn’t a customer. This was someone she held affection for. Call it friendship or something more, Chihuya could only think of one thing.
Did she send her friend to his death?
“Ms. Chihuya?” Haru asked.
Chihuya shook her head. “Ah it’s nothing. Love is…something I know the Fool carries wherever he goes. I know because I’ve seen who surrounds him. My affection is just one drop in that pool.”
Haru nodded. “I see. I just thought about what his love life was. I think if anyone deserves one, it’s him. Maybe you can tell?”
Chihuya looked at her cards and the expectant eyes of her new companion. There was…temptation. Yet Chihuya simply shook her head. “I once thought Fate was a rigid mistress. Absolute in her designs and outcomes. I think differently and I think you should too.”
Haru blinked a couple times as Chihuya stood up. “You and your friends have done many impossible tasks. There’s nothing you need to worry about when it comes to such a matter with your leader. Trust in your actions and don’t be afraid of the outcome. No matter what it is.”
“Wow. You’re so perceptive.” Haru said, “Does this mean you know who he loves already?”
“...it was a pleasure to meet you, Empress.” Chihuya got up and walked away. Haru watched her walk away.
“You’re right Ms. Chihuya, we do the impossible. We just wanted to know because we want good fortune for whoever has his heart!”
Those words struck Chihuya as she kept walking.
Justice claimed the Fool. That fortune had passed and Chihuya was almost comatose from the experience. Her friend. Her dearest confidant who changed her perspective on Fate had died. How could she face the day when that tragedy hung over her? When Fate had revealed her true colors once again.
What was in store for her now? If she can guarantee such misfortune, could she see if there was anything worthwhile for herself? Groggily, she got up and set up. This time it would be on her.
She just needed to know, to think that there was a chance for a miracle. Damn her powers, damn the world Fate has spun for her, damn it all! She needed to know if-
The Fool and Fortune…they reunited.
Her eyes widened at that when she heard a knock on her apartment door. Her eyes snapped at the door as she walked over to it. Her heart beating like a jackhammer, she opened it.
There the tired and battered face of her friend stood there with that cocky smile on his face. He held up a bag of convenience store food.
“Hey there, it’s been a minute. I wanted to come by for some good luck and remembered I owed you a treat. So I got some melon bread-” He was cut off when Chihuya hugged him. He winced in pain and she felt bad, but in the moment that was the last thing on her mind. “Hey-ow! I mean oof, I’m sorry. I thought you’d knew I survive.”:
“You have any idea wha’ I was thinkin’? The hell was I supposed to think?”
“That Fate’s fickle. I thought I told you that.” He muttered.
Still despite the pain, he hugged her back. It looked liked she needed this more than he did. And Fortune smiled as she held him, felt his warmth, and could feel the anxiety of the future melt. Fate was fickle as she took something away and gave it right back.
How immature of them to toy with a woman’s heart like.
Chihuya clenched her shirt and kept walking. The beating in her heart was accelerating and the temptation to look into the future was even more tempting.
At The Church…
Hifumi Togo smiled as she watched her opponent give up. “Darn it Ms. Togo! You win again.”
“Please don’t put yourself down. I was certainly scared towards the end.” Hifumi said. The old man shook his head while chuckling. Hifumi grabbed the pieces and was about to put them away when she felt a presence behind her.
She side eyed who wanted to challenge her. Makoto Nijima had a hand on her hip with a somewhat confident smirk on her face.
“Hifumi Togo, I’d like to play a game.”