Ni-hao! This is "A Golden Day: Part 2, which is a part of the Arcana Saga.

The spell cast on Calico seems to affect everyone in her wake. Except for this certain kat, much to Calico's chagrin. Is Feral really affected or is he just pretending? Also, Jem's persistent meddling forces Lokii to use drastic measures.

Author's note: This was going to be posted at the same time as the first one, but Fanfiction.net fickleness changed my mind.

Oh, yeah. . .I hope this doesn't disappoint, Kris!

As always, send any comments or questions to AkaneKitty@aol.com, or drop me a line in my Review section at Fanfiction.net. Enjoy!

Ja ne,
AkaneKitty

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The Arcana Saga:
A Golden Day: Part 2
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"Ah-choo!"

"Are you all right, Briggs-sama?"

"I feel fine," Callie reaches into her purse to grab a tissue, "But, I. ..Ah-choo!"

Callie and Anshi step out of their limo, having finally reached the western part of the city. Callie takes a cursory look around.

"Ah-choo!"

Anshi looks at her. "Maybe you should lie down, Briggs-sama."

Callie shakes her head. "I'll be fine Anshi. Besides, if I don't do this, it'll put me behind in my work."

"As you wish, Briggs-sama."

**********************************

Jade's paws hover of her guitar, ready to strike the next chord.

" * Winds of Change. . . *"

Jade jerks her head up. "Nani?"

Garnet, who is the front of her, turns around slightly. "What is it?"

Jade puts a paw to her lips, closing her eyes in concentration. The emerald pendent around her neck grows intensely warm.

"* Ace of Cups. . . *"

Jade's eyes fly open. "Lokii!"

"Are you sure?" Sapphire, to Jade's right, says.

"I'm sure." Jade closes her eyes again. "She seems to be casting a spell of some sort."

"What does it entail?" Garnet asks.

"The Ace of Cups."

"Isn't that the Love Tarot?" Sapphire asks.

"It is. . .But, that's of the Minor Arcana." Garnet frowns, thinking. "Lokii deals with the Major Arcana."

"Yeah. She uses the Major Arcana because of Fate." Sapphire adds. "Why switch now?"

"* . . .my Queen. *"

"The Queen!" Jade shouts. "She's after the Queen!"

"Uh, oh." Garnet crosses her arms. "This would be a good time to find the SWAT Kats. We don't know what Lokii is up to."

"I say we find her ourselves." Sapphire hops down of the platform. "She's western, right? So she should be here."

"I agree." Garnet follows Sapphire. "Let's go."

**********************************

"Oh! Those she-kats being a pain in the tail." Lokii says to Greymalkin, looking down at all the action from her perch. "I need them to get out of the way."

Greymalkin sways. "Why don't you try your Shadow trick? I'm sure one you have both Jem and the Swat Kats chasing after it, things will become much easier."

"Of course!" Lokii jumps up. "A wonderful idea, Grey."

Lokii shuffles her Tarot deck, and extracts the Magician Tarot. She positions her body so her shadow could be seen.

Lokii looks at her Shadow. "Go now."

The Shadow separates from her body, doing a pirouette as it did so. Finally, another shadow takes the place of the first.

"Happy hunting!"

*************************************************

"Going our way?"

"Huh?" Garnet looks to see a pair of male vigilantes looking at her. "Oh. You guys."

"Where's the fire?" T-Bone walks up to her. "We saw you leave the stage pretty quickly."

"We just figured out Lokii's latest move," Sapphire speaks up.  "Unfortunately, it involves the Deputy Mayor?"

"Ms. Briggs?" Razor asks.

Garnet nods. "It involves a spell of some sort. We need to find her before it's. . ."

"Briggs-sama! How I love you"

Both Jem and the SWAT Kats turn around to see an exasperated Calico running their direction. "Huh?"

"Look, fellows," Callie continues to run, "I'm flattered. REALLY flattered!  I don't deserve any of this!"

The mob of kats behind her disagrees, and continues their pursuit.

"What the. . ." T-Bone scratches his head. "Is that the spell you were talking about?"

"I suppose so." Jade rubs her pendent. "Oh, and I wouldn't go after her just until that spell wears off."

"Why not?" Razor asks.

Jade looks at him. "It looks like the spell affecting the Deputy Mayor only works on kats. I wouldn't chance it, if I were you."

*************************************************

"Ah-choo!"

Callie continues to sneeze, searching desperately for a hiding place.

"This hasn't been. . .Eek!"

A paw reaches out and grabs Callie, pulling her into alleyway. The lovesick mob rushes past.

"I think they're gone, Ms. Briggs."

Callie turns around. "Feral? What are you doing here?"

"Crowd control." Feral sticks his head out of the alleyway to get a better look around.

"Ah-choo!"

"Bless you." Feral steps out of the alley, Callie in tow. She stops. "What's wrong?"

"Aren't you affected?" Callie looks at him.

"Affected? What do you mean?"

"It seems that kats started chasing me after I started sneezing," Callie explains. "I thought you would be affected."

"Oh? I thought those kats were after you because you are so cute."

Callie blinks. "Nani?"

"Never mind." Feral says absently, pulling a bewildered Callie behind him.

***********************************

"It was all very sudden. Briggs-sama started sneezing, and the next thing I know, kats were chasing after her." Anshi says to the group, after trailing the kats that were chasing after Callie.

"Do you know why Briggs-sama started sneezing?" Garnet asks.

Anshi shakes her head. "She said she was feeling fine."

"Well, we can't stand around doing nothing!" T-Bone speaks up. "Is there any way to break the spell?"

"That's Jade's department." Sapphire jerks her head towards her friend.

"I suspect that the spell will have to wear off on its own," Jade says distantly. "Lokii's notorious for having unbreakable spells. Fortunately, they don't
last long."

"So we wait then." T-Bone asks aloud.

"Pretty much." Garnet says, shrugging.

"I've got a question." Razor asks the she-kats. "Do you know what Lokii's motives are?"

"We used to." Jade says. "But, this is case is different. It's hard to get any kind of pattern on-"

"All right, Feral. Explain yourself."

"Explain myself? How?"

"Don't play dumb! I want you to explain what you said back there."

"Huh?" The SWAT Kats and Jem turn to see Feral leading Callie towards them.

"I wonder what Ms. Briggs is talking about?" Razor asks.

"And, why Feral can walk along side her if this spell effects kats?" Jade muses.

"Let's see. . .Cute." Feral stops for a moment. "Doesn't it have more warmth to it than beautiful?"

Callie looks confused. "Warmth?"

"Isn't beautiful used for objects?" Feral looks at Callie. "You're not an object, are you?"

Callie blushes. "Are you sure you're not affected?"

"Of course."

"There they go again." T-Bone grumbles to Razor, who shrugs. "What is up with those two?"

"Have you finished sneezing?" Feral asks.

"I think so. . .Huh? What's with the entourage?"

"We were looking for you, Briggs-sama." Garnet says to the Deputy Mayor. "We sensed spell was cast on you."

"Are you all right?" Razor asks.

"I'm fine. But, I wonder about the Commander."

"Why me?" Feral asks.

"You're weren't affected," Callie tells him.

T-Bone couldn't resist. "That's because he's made out of stone."

Feral shrugs. "Am I supposed to say more?"

Callie blinks. "Like what?"

"Oh, nothing in particular." Feral smiles a bit, walking away.

"Where are you going?" Callie calls after him.

"Like I said, crowd control." Feral does a little wave. "See you."

T-Bone watches the Commander go. "Has he gone nuts? Or is he 'normal'?"

"That's normal?" Razor asks incredulously.

"Maybe," Callie says, looking around. "But, I would like to see him 'really' affected. . .Have you seen Anshi?"

"She was here a minute ago." Garnet speaks up.

"Where could she have gone?"

**********************************************

"Anniversaries. Engagements. Betrayals. They're all the same."

Turmoil stares into the fall sky, it's brightness nearly blinding her.

"Which betrayal shall I avenge? The pain of vengeance is joy for the spared." Turmoil sighs. "They both deserve a dagger."

"But, maybe. . .Just maybe. . ."

Turmoil glances down at her paw. The glint of a ring catches the light.

". . .Two for the price of one. . ."

**********************************************

"So I'm made out of stone, eh?

Feral felt himself grow tense. Normally, anything out of that clown's mouth wouldn't have bothered him. But, now. . .

"Upset, oniisama?"

Feral glances behind him. "Oh, Anshi."

Anshi walks up along side her brother. "Someday, they will know your feelings."

"I know."

"So, your ancestry held up?"

"Yes. . .barely."

"Why's that?"

"Long ago in the Dark Ages, as my Father tells me, my family had developed this resistance."

"Resistance to what?" Anshi asks.

" 'To the Queen's Charms'. " Feral says absently. "But, now. . ."

Anshi looks at him, saying nothing.

". . .I don't think it's working. . ."