Once upon a time there was a princess. 
  

This was how all fairy tales started, once upon a time there was a princess. Roam the four corners of the world in each and every liveable country. After studying their history and social patterns the answer will still be the same. 

Once upon a time there was a princess. 

What was so wonderful about the princess that caused her to be the center of attention in all men's hearts? The princess was a loyal, obedient, pretty girl who acted as a furnitue piece for would be heroes to forcefully marry wether both of them like it or not. This was the wonderful fairy tales that was supposed to teach children about the truth of the world and adults accept as
beautiful allegory to life. 

And to add further insult to injury was the Princess' eternal antagonists. Dragons come and go, and are generally a Western thing, and demons and ogres are changed to monsters and nasty thingies to 'shield the children' from such harmful things. 

But no, the universal villainess which was always controlling these beasts and would for no apparent reason harm everyone was the witch. The witch was to be feared and hated and ultimately driven out of existence. 

The witch was evil. Children was part of her wholesome daily diet and a good glass of eye of newt topped it of for a refreshing meal. And for some reason one who seeks knowledge is ordered to be excecuted by some big daddy sky in an old book.  Demons (originally called daimons, don't forget) were the epitome of this evil, personified kegare, and nasties that must never never be contacted. 

Little do they know. 

Sure, just give the poor old lady at the end of the street, trying to get closer to nature and supermundane forces had to be chasen by angry mobs with forks, knives, and looks to kill because she was different. 

The equation was simple, unintelligent princess, good, intelligent witch, evil. 

It didn't always get to such extremes, but a rememberence of her fellow practioners in the West a couple of centuries ago would serve as a pendant to wear over the heart, mind and soul in rememberence to the depth of sin humans can go to when confronted with the unknown. They were more 'demonic' than demons themselves. 

Of course, angry mobs soon changed attire to shades of white and navy blue, the perpetual smirk intimidated many and mesmerised many more. They were the real authority of the modern world, the world which closed it's doors to demons and
witches. 

After all. Japan, trying so hard to be number one in the world, would not fare well when the other big brothers discovered the embarassing occult secrets lying beneath it's rugs. So why sweep it there when the rug was useless anyway, and burning it was
the best option. 

Or so they think. Now the media and just about every evengialist of modernism is on constant frenzy about poking fun and hunting down to annoy the 'witches', foolish old long, bony nosed hags dressed in even older black rags with an equally silly pointy black hat and broomsticks. 

Chizuru harbored no such illusions. Young, smart, undeniably filled with an aroma of haunting beauty, straightening her tie on her smart expensive black buisness suit she was the last person you would expect to find under the label 'witch'. 

They didn't find it so simple, though. The modern day witch hunters forcing her out of her respectable job and comnfortable suberbean life. Illusions and curses were not needed in this modern world, they said, but the space between the lines read
something completely different. 

You're different, go away. 

Can't expose children to such nonsense as witchcraft, let alone potential buyers. We have science and technology to define our world now, you're silly and living in the past. 

Sinful creatures who fear anything related to the dark, her playground. 

Watching the mirror follow her every moves she brushed her hair. To the untrained eye, it was messy and unkempt, but it really belonged to Wang Long Chizuru, famous fortune teller. 

TV Appearences were almost daily on her schedule, newspapers and magazines all over the place wanted her to bless them with the stroke of her pen to tell readers their fortune and soul mates, and the people who drove her away were the same who now begged for a reading. Apparently 'fortunes' was respectable for their modernity. 

The Wang Long, ancient occult practice turned to mere fortune telling to hyperactive foolish girls trying to find the love of their live or the perfect fashion acessory. But she knew that no matter how much it was repressed in their minds, humans needed oracles to cling to. Like that foolish girl she met at the TV station, opposing the order and, most importantly, master Kandori with her friends. A believer, she was, a normal girl like the rest of them all. 

Unlike the other one, the black haired young woman who certainly had an admireable quality to her than Chizuru could have actually admitted if they hadn't killed Shiki. Familiar. Cat. Companion. But it took quite a knowledgable person of the occult to break her Feng Shui trap, and she was the one who did it. Interesting. 

Which was more than she could say for the other, the one who hid his true eyes behind those shades of red might as well stay hidden, for she could vizualise all the others before him. The world needs no curses and illusions, little did he know. 

She had so much to say and do she regretfully couldn't while not in person there last time. 

And now, completeling her ensemble with the gold chain necklace around her neck, the woman who was known as Chizuru was ready for the most important meeting she ever had to face. And the Paradox would be there too. 

They called her Wang Long Chizuru, teller of fortunes. 

She could see the future, and the World looked New. 
______ 
  

If there was anything truthful insight she gained in her life, it was that humans needed oracles to cling to. And any would do, be it the reassuring nod of a friend, a consultation from the doctor or the daily newspaper horoscopes. The day could not start without those black prints telling them they and one twelfth of the world will meet tall dark and handsome strangers. 

She met her tall dark and handsome stranger, coming back from the great beyond to continue his mission as slave instead of the master. The one he called The Paradox was all that mattered to him. The words of confirmation he needed to hear from that young boy. 

He had truly great powers, as evidenced by his defeating of the actress Junko when in Joker form, but this was more than merely an interest. Yet there was no use in questionins, for the hereafter brought more wisdom with it than even she could imagine. 

The walking dead was standing besides her. And there was nothing resembling corpse like frigidity felt inside her. 

"They will be arriving soon." 

Not much else... 

She missed the TV days, now rendered obsolete with the kegare stealing machine now in session and all the ley lines sufficiently corrupted. But the attention gave her something that she thought could never be stolen, a sense of self. 

With Wang Long Chizuru as her namesake to fit the scheme of her work she had two extra words and a whole new destiny in llife. Dragons and stars became so much a part of her the glamour of her mask had taken the real essense from her self. Menial tasks, a cool face and endless repition of a task was something she could do very well. 

What else was there beyond the various assortment of shows and consultations? 

Only the mission. With him. Would he return what was lost? 

The New World Order soldier came back from his expedition, retracing his steps carefuly as to not share the same fate as those who felt the crack of an unstable ground. Four X-2 models surrounded him and turned face just as he did. She felt the power of the door to the right, and surely he did too. 

But not before he arched an eyebrow. "They?" 

Pillars held up the main roam with the source of the dragon energy. Written on them were some symbols of perhaps an old language. The whole room looked even more archiac than the ones before, complete with ocean washed walls. 

"I.." she finally replied, "Was distracted." 

Revenge has to be done..... 

The righteous flaming sword had already put an end to her life once. Effectively coveting away her everything under the banner of holiness and stranding her with new born life to start over. This was where the mission came in. 

What was the point of owning such power if there were no more uses for them. 

If Master Guido wanted the Paradox then there were others she hoped to meet right now. The greatest performence ever, they had to suffer her vengence for that incident with Shiki and the TV Station. 

He still remained in total equanimity. "So the others shall be there too?" 

Hands in pocket, looking dreamidly up into the air at nothing in particular as he usually did he gave what appeared to be the beginning of a chuckle. "If you think so. I know better than to distrust  intuition." 

Then take my advice and bring the current leader and his obsesiveness to an end, she wanted to say. The order would benefit so much better from the experience of a true leader. She didn't care for the other of the orders, nor did she care to see him
compliantly accept his role as pawn. It took a lot of courage for her to say it once, seeing more of a subordinate in the line of
duty than anything, but it was the time again. 

There was so much to be said, but all that could come out now was "They're here" 

She had decided long ago that she would take charge of it. 

But revenge against who? 
______ 

They called her Wang Long Chizuru, teller of fortunes. 

Her eyes had betrayed her, and the enemy had managed to read her so easily. There was so much she could say to them. 

She felt like Sisyphus. A doomed cause from the start, for a world of sin doesn't allow the purification of itself. Kegare was as much part of it as everything else was, and there was no tolerance of anyone taking it away from the place. 

Maybe it was the fact they were more powerful than expected, maybe her spell casting have waned, maybe the appearence of the Paradox or her worries about Master Guido's battle distracted her, maybe it was her own unconscious actions, or maybe it was simply fate. Her 

Either way, there was nothing more to say. Did she regret it? 

No, it was good this way beside him. 

One thing was for sure:  no Astrology, I Ching, Tarot, Feng Shui or Wang Long could be certain of the fate of where she was going now.