Story: The Devil's Advocate (all chapters)

The Devil's Advocate

"This Court is now in session! All rise as the venerable Judge Trudy takes her seat," the palce faced, heavy set, black leather clad bailiff bellowed as the Judge emerged from her chambers and all previous activity in the court promptly ceased. A fierce and quick tempered drake, the judge was famous for her meticulous attention during trails as well as her penchant for finding people in contempt of the court and considering just what kind of courtroom she presided over, contempt was about as fatal as a murder verdict. The court room could only be called so because of the legal affairs going in on within; it was less of a room and more of an amphitheater, with row upon row of shimmering, ghost like figures sitting, surrounding the very middle where two long stone benches faced an elevated high chair and dais. Upon each bench sat two figures, three of the four bearing the same shimmery quality as the spectators above.

She carefully contemplated every step, her heavy footfalls sending small tremors down the ground as she walked over to her high chair and the small platform in front of it, picking up a shimmering goblet and a pair of gold balances before proclaiming amidst a blech of smoke and hot air, "This is the 322nd official installment of the Grand Arcane High Court, and I Trudy Draconia Maleficent shall be presiding over these proceedings. You have all been called forth, summoned or forcibly subpoenaed from your respective realms and outer dimensions to bear witness to this trail." She tipped the goblet over and a dark liquid spilled out, transforming the settings the moment the first drop of it touched the floor. The whole room was now surrounded by sparking silver bars- obviously intended on keeping the occupants within well behaved case the threat of contempt didn't work- and the Judge looked around, large amber eyes sweeping from corner to corner. "By my word and position as fifth circuit Judge of the High Court, I pledge to give a fair evaluation of all participants in this deliberation and rule accordingly."

Unlike the traditional legal system, Trudy was literally Judge, jury and executioner and binding arcane rituals such as this were a necessary precaution. She slowly took her seat and turned to the bailiff," So why are we here in the first place?" He snapped a finger and a large leather bound book suddenly appeared and flipped open. " Case Number V.I 11,007 has been brought before the Heavenly Court of Judge Trudy because it is a trans-dimensional and inter-natural case, as well as one which falls under the neutrality clause section 978 sub section 5416 which determines the procedures between sentient beings when a higher power is involved."

He paused for breath and reading the steadily bored expression on her face, hastily continued, "This is the case of sentient mortal, male and of definable age 256, Mr. Johannes G. Faustus Versus Sentient Immortal, gender debatable and of age indefinable Diablo Light Bringer. The plaintiff Faustus sues the defendant Light bringer for multiple assaults, unlawful coercion with malevolent intent and emotional distresses. The defendant counter sues for Breach of contract, libel and bi-centennial slander in form of allliterature and writing including holy ltext, prose and poetry, Musical renditions and allegories, Philosophies and the earthling term for cyber discussions also known as Chatting."

Trudy raised an eyebrow as her eyes slid over to the defendant's bench and appraised the figure in question, a fellow immortal whose station and ranking certainly warranted a court of such position. Indeed this was an unusual arrangement. She looked away and frowned at the images forming in the goblet before her, "I take it then that the two parties have arranged their advocates?"

A petite blonde stood up from the plaintiff's desk and straightened her glasses, "Your Hono- Judge Trudy I am Annette Webster of Merriman, Hemmingway and Hart, representing Johannes Faustus the Plaintiff." She cleared her throat and half turned to the left when her counterpart languidly got to her feet as well, "And I am Hikari Carmichael, Kansas State court public defender, representing my client Light Bringer the defendant." She nodded once to the Judge and returned to her seat as well.

Trudy grunted while she assessed the papers and qualifications of both advocates to ensure there was no foul play- and for good reason too, she mused, but everything seemed to be in order. She looked back up and rested her chins on the tips of her fingers, glaring down to the mortals and their clients from the top of her nose, "You shall now present your opening statements, after which the court shall adjourn until I deem fit. The defending counsel may or may not waive their right to speak first." Hikari got to her feet and gestured with a hand to her counterpart, "Your Honor we waive that right," And Trudy turned back to the blonde, "Well then, don't waste my time."

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Hikari looked up from the neatly stacked sheaves of paper atop her desk as her counterpart walked past and returned to her seat, opening statement completed. She stood and nodded once to her client before walking boldly to the dimly lit middle of the court room to address the judge. "Honorable Judge, witnesses, ladies gentlemen; living, mortal sentient or other wise, this case is a simple open and shut one. Our origins may be different- we all come from different dimensions where a variety of values and beliefs are upheld but the one thing I dare say we have in common are rules of engagement and bargain. Simply said, it is a universal concept that when two or more parties come together in agreement over an issue or item, such an agreement is binding an irrevocable except upon agreement by all concerned."

She paused for effect and shook her head slightly, turning over one shoulder to gesture to her client, and then her counterparts. "My client and Mr. Johannes Faustus came upon such an agreement, one that was reviewed by both parties, written in form of legal tender and signed with both ink and blood."

She held up a well worn and fragile looking scroll for all to see and turned back to the judge. "Faustus was not forced into this contract; as you can see he signed of his own free will, and my client upheld the stipulations made within the contract. However, Johannes Faustus has decided that he is above the law and for three hundred years now he has found ways and means, some neither morally nor legally approvable to evade his part of the deal. But this will not go on for long."

Hikari sighed and folded her arms, looking up as far as she dared to Trudy. "Your Honor by the end of these proceedings the truth will become known. Faustus has accused my client of assault and unlawful coercion but it will become clear that my client is the injured party here and is merely seeking what just and right. By the end of these proceedings we will see Faustus as the greedy coward he is and it is my most sincere belief that at the end of all this, Justice will be served." She nodded once and returned to her seat but not before stopping to nod toward her counterpart.

Silence reigned in the court house for several eons before Trudy deigned to speak. "I have heard your opening arguments and now this trial will be adjourned until I deem it fit. You may all return to your respective worlds and dimensions now." She lifted the goblet and raised a hand, which instantly caused the barriers to be lifted and the multitude of sentient souls within were sucked into the vortex above.

Hikari shot up from her bed with a strained gasp, feeding her oxygen starved body with life giving air. She looked around and glanced down at the clock, which read 12:06 am. The whole trial had lasted just six minutes in her own time but she could have sworn they were in there for hours.

One Hot Date

"Hey Hikari, how are you doing? Listen congratulations on the Wellman class action, we still can't figure out how you played out that mean bastard Dieter to be anything other than what he is but another feather to your cap." She rolled her eyes at the answering machine and plopped down unto her sofa, waiting for the remaining part of the message and the request that was sure to come, "So what are you doing Thursday night? I just need your consult on something- Diane and I are thinking about getting a divorce a-and I know it's not your area of expertise but you're worse than any cut throat divorce lawyer I know. So just give me a call when you get this."

Hikari's satisfied smile had turned into a frown by the end of the message. She knew her old college classmate Eric Waterhorn and his wife had recently been going through rough patches in their marriage but nothing as serious as divorce. They'd been married for more than a decade now- well past the life expectancy of the average marriage- but it seemed nothing was cast in iron any more. This was just more evidence that her way- the sex with no strings attached way- was the way to go. After witnessing her parents' seemingly perfect marriage of fifteen years crumble to dust before her very eyes, no one could ever be safe from the menace of monogamy.

She sighed and pressed the button once more to listen to the last of five messages that had been saved on her machine the night before, and cringed at the familiar growl. "Where the hell are you Carmichael and what do you think this is, your father's practice? You have gridlock of case files lying on your desk, you've got your assistant lying for you here and I know you haven't-" Hikari groaned and switched off the machine, cutting the regular tirade mid way as she fell over backwards on the couch, spluttering from the resultant shower of dust that rose up to her face. Jeb had ever reason to be screaming a litany into her phone; for the past two weeks she'd barely shown up and those cases come in like an endless waterfall.

Two weeks ago she would have been making frantic attempts to make peace with Jeb but a lot of things had happened in the space of two weeks. For one thing, she was no longer involved with petty cases like burglary or even the odd felony or two, no in the space of two weeks Hikari had shot up to the pinnacle of a pinnacles and was now involved in the trial of, well the trial of ever. One can't get much bigger as a lawyer than defending the most infamous personality of all time.

She got to her feet with a wry twist of the lip and padded barefooted over the creaking wooden floorboards to the small kitchenette by the left, where a quick inspection narrowed her options for breakfast to water crackers, a bottle of water and an orange. Hikari pulled a face as she shut the refrigerator door and contemplated the fruit in her hand, muttering under her breath about larger than life clients and their idiosyncrasies. The mere fact that no one, not even her client, could predict the time of the trial meant she had to be prepared at any moment for her soul to be sucked out of her body and transported to the seventh realm- something that would be bit of an inconvenience if she just happened to be patrolling the isles of the neighborhood supermarket at that particular moment.

And so for her own safety, and not to confound the entire medical society with her sporadic deaths and resurrections, Hikari decided to keep her movements to a minimum and stay within range of both the sofa and the bed. She cut the orange into four quarters and moved back to the living room, sucking on a piece while her eyes intently stared at the small frame art right opposite her. Hikari supposed that another person would have been startled, if not terrified at being contacted by the supreme lord of the underworld but then thanks to her mother's stoic temperament and her father's objective way of looking at everything, she'd taken it all in stride like every other momentous event in her life. After all like every other jaded defense attorney working the streets, she'd seen it all...

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"Hey Carmichael, phone call for you!"

She winced and looked up when her assistant's fiendishly loud voice carried across the large room and hit her ears with the decibels of a sub woofer system. "Is that so Trisha, well who from?" Perhaps it was bad timing or what a two week older Hikari would now pin on a stroke of luck, the whole room suddenly went silent just as the other woman yelled her response, "Calls himself the devil's personal assistant." Once again Hikari was forced to contemplate the reasons she kept Trisha on her payroll and they included the fact that good help- actually any help- was impossible to find with what the Agency paid her at the end of each trial- and the fact that the other woman was a single mom trying to further her education and needed every break she could get. However, the clearly yelled statement resulted in a tidal wave of titters and chuckles as her colleagues milling about took it upon themselves to make quaint remarks about the crank caller and the intended recipient. She scowled and got to her feet, marching to the phone ready to give the caller a piece of her mind. "Who is this?"

"Hello, Hikari Carmichael," A polished voice smoothly replied and she was confused for a moment. "Excuse me, I thought my assistant made it clear that this call is meant for Hikari Carmichael, attorney and none other." There was a slight edge to the voice now- it sounded almost mildly amused, if only it didn't for some reason send the hairs on her neck standing. "This is Carmichael speaking, who is this?" Cultured or no, Hikari had way too much paperwork to bother to be civil to the next hoity-toity with an ego problem and her agitation spilled into her voice. "I'm sure he also made it clear about who is speaking." The edge was now a definite bite of impatience and for a moment Hikari found herself believing she was answering a collect call made by...the devil.

Then she heard Jeb's voice roaring from the other end of the room and came right back to earth. "Alright listen, this is all very cute but I've got a lot of work to do and I don't have the time to play knock-knock with anybody." She slammed the phone and hurried back to her desk, summarily putting the whole conversation away from her mind and that was where it would stay until she got back to her appointment and opened the door to find a woman sprawled on her couch, waiting for her.

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"So I guess it is true then what they say about trial lawyers having even worse manners than over worked ER surgeons," the sloe eyed, raven haired beauty propped her head over a hand and stared lazily at her from between lowered lashes, for all intents and purposes unaware of the shock written all over her face. "H-how did you get in here?" Hikari glanced back into the hallway just to be sure they were alone and the other woman got to her feet in one sinuous motion, "How does it look like? The door was open." She took a step forward and the lawyer inched backward, frowning at the bunch of keys in her hand, "I'm very sure this door was locked on my way out this morning and the super can't possibly have the keys." It was true; after a particularly grueling trial involving members of warring gangs, the attorney had gone out of her way to change all the locks and window fittings in her apartment without the manager's knowledge or consent but a more pressing question was why she wasn't more disturbed by this intrusion than she should be.

The other woman shrugged and folded her arms, leaning backward against the arm of the couch in an action that sent the hem of her already outlandishly short dress riding a few more inches, exposing her chin long legs to the attorney's eyes and raised brow. "Well what can I say, it wasn't to the likes of me; no door ever truly is." Her cryptic response was followed by another step forward and an approving smile, "Hikari Eliza Carmichael, how you've grown! But then the last time I remember, you were an itty bitty mite of what was it, twelve? Some things do get better with time." Hikari found herself shrinking away from the very obvious leering, an action that brought the other woman's face up to meet hers, and she nearly fell face forward when their eyes met.

There was so much power and self possession in those amber eyes; they were filled with a kind of knowledge that she instinctively knew was unnatural and impossible for a mere mortal to comprehend. They rang with stinging clarity and yet carried veil upon veil of hidden intent and meaning and as those long black lashes moved, they drew her up and spat her back to the ground, all the while not even minuscule nuance of emotion changing on her flawless features. Her smile was altogether appraising and dismissive in the same breath, depending on which ever the attorney chose to read, and with increasing agitation in her midsection, she found herself believing she was staring into the face of the devil after all.

"W-who are you?" Hikari finally whispered when those eyes moved away and the other woman shrugged, "That generally depends on what hemisphere you're thinking about; I've been given so many names, it'd be hard to keep track of them all if I weren't, well...let's go with this for now: Call me Light bringer or just Lucy, it sounds so much nicer than what some other people call me."

Her smile turned derisive and then self deprecating as the seconds ticked by. The lawyer blinked and cleared her throat. Light Bringer...Lucifer...she wasn't joking. "You expect me to believe that you are, how do they say it, Evil Incarnate?" Light Bringer raised an eyebrow as she casually lowered herself unto the armrest of the sofa, "And why is that so hard to believe? You don't see too many people going about calling themselves that these days" Hikari shrugged and stepped in, shutting the door behind her, distinctly remembering a comedy skit the night before involving one of the most important figures in the government and said salutation. "Ah I don't know, it's just with all the hype and star power you've been accredited with over the millennia, I just assumed you'd be more...well, more."

The other woman chuckled and shook her head, "More what exactly...oh I see, you expected a big red monster with ram horns and pointed tail, not to mention the menacing pitchfork. Oh don't tell me you're so sexist; you expected a man." The lawyer blanched as her very thoughts were expressed back to her and quickly sought a way to dodge the bullet. "Well it's just that all my life I've never actually seen the devil embodied as a woman...except if you want to talk about that movie-"

"Mmm-hmm, I see," Lucy rolled her eyes and leaned back into the sofa, an unreadable smile on her face. "I can spot a Sunday school shirker when I see one. Didn't they ever tell you Angels, even fallen ones, have no determinable gender? Oh if only your mother could see you now. Besides, we're in the twenty first century and whatever happened to the Feminist movement?" Hikari ignored the jibe in the last statement, walking on into her living room to drop her keys and briefcase with the usual air of normalcy, as if fabled supernatural beings regularly dropped in unnoticed into her apartment to strike discussions on theology. "So what do you want Lucy, don't you have bigger things on your mind like I don't know, global chaos and destruction to wreak?"

The immortal ignored her sarcastic tone, turning around at an angle impossible for the human body, "Ah well these days you guys seem to have it all covered don't you?" She got to her feet with a coquettish jump and moved closer, drawling softly as she did, "Actually I feel like a little dinner, come with?" Hikari paused in the process of hanging her coat, pondering upon the devil's meal, and a vivid image of a bleeding human arm lying on a gold plate flashed to her mind. Lucy laughed and folded her arms, "Wow, and I was thinking more like chicken fried steak but your idea doesn't seem that bad. Besides, I'm not the one who has to watch her figure. Oh did I just say that out loud?"

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"So you're telling me that you've been issued a subpoena."

Hikari stared at the other woman with an incredulous expression and she sighed, "I know, imagine the nerve of it all, sending something so-so ugh!" She tossed her hair in an all too girly fashion, which did nothing to help dispel the lawyer's mounting suspicion that all these eons as evil incarnate had rendered her with several personalities. "He's bringing me in on a simple technicality and I'm obligated to appear because our contract was legal and binding. Now I can overturn the whole thing with a number of loopholes but it's been dragging for far to long and frankly-" She leaned in to whisper, "It's been giving me a bad name all over. Word is beginning to spread that Old Daddy Bones must be losing his touch if a mere mortal and his pesky lawyer can put me in a bind."

Her expression turned feral for a moment and the attorney felt a chill run down her spine. "So, I need you to take this case for me," Lucy finished with a sweet smile. Hikari's eyebrows were in danger of merging fully with her hair by this time and she pushed back her plate. "Wait, you need me to defend you in a case you'll pro-most likely win anyway- might I ask why? What happened to the Cochrans of our age, and I'm sure you can find at least one decent liar-lawyer in the underworld."

Lucy gave an exaggerated sigh and rolled her eyes, leaning in to speak slowly as if she was talking to a mental invalid. "Okay let's try this once more. Do you honestly think a court ruled by mortals can subpoena me? Well then this is a Grand Arcane High Court, and a summons from such a court cannot just be ignored- it is also in a realm utterly inaccessible to mortals and so we're dealing with souls here. Now for certain realms and purposes, a soul can neither be too pure or too sullied." She stopped and blinked expectantly at Hikari to fill in the blank and the lawyer scoffed, "And you're telling me that mine is just right?"

Her question was met by a deadpan stare. "Yes Goldilocks, you happen to walk the fine line between jaded cynicism and irrepressible idealism very well and that is just what I need. Besides I feel a certain attachment to this particular mortal." Lucy reached out and patted the other woman's head as if she were stroking a pet, chuckling when the latter recoiled from the touch. "So now that you've got the basics, I'll let you know the other things. The Court has no fixed place in time and space and so trials can begin at any given time, so don't make any travel plans, and you don't have to bother about what to wear; your soul will be doing all the walking and talking."

"Whoa-whoa where's all this Me coming from? I haven't said anything remotely near an agreement to take this case," Hikari snapped with a frown and the Immortal shrugged, "Well we both know you will because for one thing, under all those crusty layers of cynicism and that smart aleck attitude, there is a mind as razor sharp as any I've ever known, not to mention lots and lots of ambition. Admit it Eliza, you don't want to spend the rest of your life moldering in the agency and it's only a matter of time before you break out. Well look at this as the opportunity you've been waiting for. Take my case and shoot to super nova status."

She shifted backward and sipped her drink, waiting patiently for the wheels to finish turning in the mortal's head. It didn't matter how long it took; she could spare the time and it was rather enjoyable being in the other woman's company. Her eyes moved around the table, lighting briefly here and there on diners before flitting away with disinterest, and then she heard a sigh. "So what happens if I win the case?" Lucy blinked and smiled widely, "Well this bothersome business becomes a thing of the past, I claim my errant prize and you get to live in the lap of luxury for the rest of your life."

"And if I lose?" Hikari leaned closer and lower, resting her chin on the very tips of her fingers while her eyes tried and failed to hold the Immortal's. "If that happens, I'll deal with this case another way, claim my errant prize and you still get to live in the lap of luxury. Face it Eliza, you won't ever get a trial bigger than this and I'm more or less giving it to you on a silver platter."

That brought up another interesting point and the attorney commented, "Yes Lucy, you are giving this to me on a silver platter, and it only makes me wonder why? I mean you're being too generous and like you said, I'm just too cynical to believe it's coming from-dare say it- the goodness of your heart, so what are you gaining from all this?" Amber eyes glimmered with humor and mischief for a moment before she replied, "Like I also said, I feel a certain attachment to this particular mortal."

Somewhere during that conversation it became a given that she'd take the case but she was too busy thinking about her next question to notice. "So this renegade, he got a name?" Lucy's smile slipped and her amber eyes darkened to nearly black. "Faustus." The lawyer stopped and leaned closer, voice bleeding with laughter "Faustus, as in the Faustus?"

The immortal rolled her eyes and dabbed the corners of her lips, "It's a good thing I'm not dealing with more than one of those, yes the Faustus- what can I say? Free will was all the rage back then and I got a little less technical with the whole bargin thing. There are a few files containing everything you need to know about our agreement, which will be delivered to your place by your new team of assistants later tonight. I think we're about done here, luck to you Hikari, and don't forget I have high expectations of you."

With that she got to her feet and vanished in to the air. Suddenly there was increase in the background noise and Hikari found herself feeling lightheaded; she'd been held in the throes of the Immortal's power for all this while without even knowing.

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...And that was how she became contracted into the devil's team, in a manner of speaking but the lawyer had to admit it was an intriguing case, one that she actually had a good chance of winning- with her soul intact just the way she liked it.

Something told her there was more to the soul balance thing that her client had let on, and so she took extra measures not to say or involve herself with situations that could potentially tip the balance. This dinner with the devil was one she was very determined to eat with a long spoon.

"Based on the way things seem to be going, I might need to file a motion for continuance with the Judge," Annette began but was rudely cut short when her client rounded on her from the left and rasped into her ear, "Why in hell will you do something like that and with whose permission?"

The silver blonde winced and glanced down at the sheaf of papers on her desk for a moment before replying, "Because for one thing, this case was brought to me a little late and for another, doesn't it all seem a little suspicious to you? I mean no offense but we don't exactly have a solid case here; you breached the contract fair and square and even though it led to another contract, there are still enough mitigating circumstances to swing this case in his- her favor. I keep wondering why she even let it go as far as you suing her to court."

Faustus swore foully and slammed his hands hard against the polished oak surface, leaning so close to her that his warm breath misted over her face. "Listen to me you fresh faced chit, I am not paying you as much as I am to think and wonder, I am paying you to win my case and save my soul. Do you honestly think you are the best advocate there is out there but no, I had to seek an advocate in whom there is no reproach?" When he drew away, Annette took a slow deep breath and briefly shut her eyes, searching for that fast diminishing thread of serenity- the very same one that has helped her to somehow avoid committing assault or even murder for the past four weeks. Eventually she opened her eyes and turned back to the older man, murmuring in a calm voice, "You are right, I'm not the best lawyer there is- certainly not with the amount of money you can afford to shell out, so why me?"

Their eyes met and she could have sworn he suddenly looked uncomfortable, even guilty, before turning away with a fierce scowl to pace and stalk the length of her office. "It does not matter; do your work and it will be the least of your worries." His cryptic reply wasn't helping matters; in fact there were many things about this case that Faustus didn't seem eager to share to his lawyer and it miffed her to no end. She sighed and got to her feet, walking the short distance between the two of them to lay a hand on him.

The response was instantaneous as he flinched and recoiled with a startled hiss, backing a few steps away from her before mumbling an apology. "Your pardon advocate, but you surprised me." Annette guessed that she should have been used to her client's many foibles by now but so many things still didn't make sense to her, one standing out even more than the others. "I still don't understand something Faustus, if the original contract was broken by default, then why are you still here- why are we still arguing over this case after all this time?" He turned around and gave her a still look for a moment but then scowled, "What is it to you? I have given you all the facts relevant to your case, now stop bothering me and do your damned job!"

The blonde refused to be fazed by his belligerence and shook her head, "I'm sorry Faustus but if you cannot be completely honest with me about this case we might as well just stop right now. I'll tell inform my assistant and we will refund any extra charges-" His expression instantly changed from outrage to shock and surprisingly, fear, and he took a step closer. "Now girl let's not get too hasty here. I have not complained about your lawyer skills, only you get so nosy sometimes but perhaps there is no helping it when women take over fields that were best left for men." Annette didn't know whether to be insulted or gratified by his apology. She blinked and shook her head, turning to the set of chairs by the window. "Alright then Faustus, tell me whatever it is that you haven't already put on paper."

He sighed and looked furtively around him, as if checking the room for invisible ears or eyes, before taking the seat beside her. "By the end of the three years, three months, three weeks - actually well into second week- I had begun to realize my folly with the deal and desperately began seeking a way out. I sought high and low, all over the face of the earth but there was no one to help me...but then I crossed paths with this lawyer." He broke off, face easing into a faint smile as his eyes glazed with memory. "He was certainly the most eloquent man I'd ever met and quite persuasive to, as I would soon come to learn, but he offered to parley with the devil about our deal. I still cannot believe it even now but D- he managed to confound the master of all tricks and my soul became no longer forfeit."

The smile faded in slow degrees until all that was left was a wistful glimmer in his eyes. "He might have saved my soul from hell but the damned trickster with all his technicalities! Due to the wording of the contract, I'd already forfeited any chance of going to heaven from the very moment I sought the devil out and even though my soul was no longer in his prospective possession, there was no other place for it to go. In order words I had also forfeited the natural phenomenon of death simply because of the little matter as to where I would go after then."

Annette listened with steadily widening eyes, the whole situation coming under a new light as she began to understand the true reason for his plight. "So you literally cannot find eternal rest until this issue is resolved one way or another." Faustus nodded somberly and looked away. "Of course my lawyer did not know then but I always thought the devil was too obliging about the whole loss of my soul. I soon found out that he was only condemning me to a fate as terrible as hell as I am now forced to live and relive every moment of this cursed and wretched existence. I live out my full days as a man and grow old and wait for the ‘appointed time' but when it indeed comes, I am not transported to the after life- no I open my eyes and find myself in the arms of some midwife or medic or physician...and the whole story goes on again." He growled with frustration and got to his feet, resuming his restless pacing and turning around the room.

"But that is not even the worst part- no, it is not bad enough that I die and am born in a repeated cycle, but with each birth I retain the full memories of the deaths and births before. Do you understand that Webster? All the lives I have lived, the people I've known and loved and eventually lost- I am eternally tormented with their memories with every unfamiliar generation that I find myself in and every acquaintance I make...but I cannot stop because I literally can not. All my loves- all my children- I have outlived my whole blood line and witnessed every single birth and death along it." His voice cracked with pain and the attorney cast her eyes to the floor. No wonder he was so desperate to end it all; one way or another, the trial would break that vicious cycle but she couldn't help thinking of the one possible outcome of it all. "I understand now and I will do my very best- no even better than my best- to make sure we win and you are set free."

She smiled and got to her feet, making her way back to her desk, heedless of the sad look her client gave her retreating back. Faustus felt a twinge of guilt once more because he knew he'd withheld something else, something even more important from her.

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"Okay now you'll spread it all amongst yourselves evenly and dig in," Hikari murmured to the three figures standing beside her without looking up and began portioning the heavy files "hopefully between my simple common sense and your super powered brains we should be able to find out a few things." A politely cleared throat made her look up and squint beyond the halo of naked bulb light. "What are we looking for exactly?"

The lawyer shrugged and creaked to her feet, wiping her dusty fingers over her jeans. One would think that supernatural beings took better care of their records but these files were in worse condition than the cases in her agency- it seemed that bad workers were an element of bureaucracy that plagued systems everywhere. "We're looking for everything, anything that might be useful in the case."

The three ‘assistants'- code named Larry, Curly and Moe because they reminded her so much of the three stooges- were part of the complimentary package her client had been so kind to send her way and actually Hikari was beginning to think that it wasn't so bad working for the devil; they had VIP access to almost everywhere, not to mention first class transportation all over the world in the name of information gathering- there was still no word about health insurance or dental care plans but the attorney was determined to milk this windfall for all it was worth.

"Yes and that would prove useful if you were actually searching within sensible parameters," another of them replied in a voice heavy with sarcasm and the attorney felt her eyelid twitch. She knew they came with an off button but it had been tough work finding it so far...perhaps it was a spell or a command...for all their efficiency- these guys hadn't slept a wink in the weeks she'd been on the case and she doubted the underworld ran on dunkin'- they also seemed to have a problem with following her lead. She was the senior lawyer on the case for crying out loud, and it wasn't as if their boss had found anything better down there before she-he-whatever, decided to come on up.

Hikari squelched her thoughts with effort and eked out a smile, "Yes Moe, and thank you for pointing that out to me, but you forget that I don't really care to know every nasty little detail about how Faust has been spending the past three centuries because frankly, that is too much information and secondly, the parameters of his suit concern the contract and everything before the contract. Now I want you fine young monkeys to go ye into this dust smattered array detailing the evolution of paper through the ages, and find me nice details I can use to end our mutual torment."

She winked at Curly and Larry and then moved on over to her half finished daiquiri. Ah the hard life of a trial lawyer. Hikari wondered briefly whether she should feel guilty about living it up here while her fellow colleagues moldered in the agency but the feeling soon passed. It's not like she could do anything about that and besides, let them try putting their souls and eternity on a balancing act for size. Her eyes were about fluttering closed when a familiar voice murmured into her ear, "Working hard or hardly working, hmmm Hikari?" When the boss is away... the lawyer cracked one eye open to glare at her employer before remembering just in time not to meet her eyes. "Wow I could say the same thing about you; last I heard, California is still part of continental US, the stock exchange is still standing and would you look it, one more soul just made it into heaven."

Lucy just shook her head and chuckled. It was something she did more and more if these days, the attorney noted silently, wondering why her verbal sparring partner had begun to opt for the silent approach. "I am not an individual but merely a part of the collective and the collective-" She jerked a finger to Curly, Larry and Moe, "-The collective is busy finding ways to keep you happy." The light bringer parked herself unto the opposite sofa with all the grace of a feline and the unassuming casualness of a practiced super model. "And what has the collective done so far to make me happy?"

Hikari shrugged and set her drink aside, returning into a more serious mode now that it seemed the other woman wasn't about to go away. "Well I've got them sifting through the Ghost of Faustus past in the hopes of creating a skeleton for my case." Her eloquent speech, peppered with enough allegories and innuendos to impress the usual-human- client was entirely lost on the Immortal, who frowned and leaned closer, losing the unassuming casualness for a moment. "His past, and why on earth would you start focusing on his past now? I am not paying you to squander my resources on useless endeavors and if you think that just because you're so cute and witty I won't torment your every waking moment if you start screwing around, think again."

The attorney sighed and closed her eyes, partly in a bid to look casual and nonchalant and partly because the expression on her client's face was beginning to scare her...a little. "First of all, surprisingly I've found out that Faustus's existence before he crossed paths with you was a lot shorter than after and so I'm guessing it was a lot less interesting too but I digress. This isn't a criminal case Lucy, they way I sees it we're dealing more with a civil court type thing here and in a civil court there isn't such a thing as reasonable doubt. What we need- all we need- is guilt and lots of it. If we can get enough evidence to dirty his hands a little, we can convince our Judge there that Faust is the conniving little wiener you make him out to be and that puts us in the running for winning." Her explanation left her a little winded and while she took a moment to catch her breath, the Immortal put two and two together. "You are planning to mud sling him aren't you?"

Hikari nodded and lifted a shoulder in a casual shrug, "It should work to because I mean, no offense or anything, he couldn't have been a very pleasant fellow back then if he managed to catch your eye. So all we need to do is dredge up a few credible witnesses for now and let the defense choke itself trying to strike them down." She looked up to her client and raised an eyebrow at the expression on the other woman's face. It looked too much like assent and worse, appreciation. Lucy nodded and her face creased into a smile, "It positively reeks of devious and I like it. In fact Eliza, I'm beginning to think there might be room for you in my cabinet after all." The mortal instantly balked at the idea, using a few choice and eloquent terms to express just how badly that idea sat with her.

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Hikari scanned the long and very detailed list in front of her, muttering as her eyes ran down the lines, "Born to a humble fishwife, no mention of a father... but it seems his mother came from genteel stock because he was able to gain apprenticeship with a very well known philosopher and secretly a practitioner of  alchemy. He was married but there are very little records- wait can we interview them as witnesses?" She looked up to her assistants and all four turned to their reclining boss, who lifted a casual shoulder in response. "There is some paperwork involved; you'll have to check with the records and censors department to check where her soul currently resides and file an application for transfer and yada, yada but knock yourself out."

The attorney was beginning to realize that there was a serious chain of command involved with this whole soul ownership business; so much red tape everywhere and it didn't even end after one was dead!. She scowled and turned back to her notes, "Fine, we'll go through all your paperwork and drag their souls from whatever corner of the cosmos they may be hiding-I'm sure your hell hounds will just be relishing this opportunity. They can provide some fodder to help us establish Faust's character in court."

She continued reading the expose and what she found brought her to the quick conclusion that Faustus lived his mortal life as a malcontent and grouser, who entrenched himself in the practice of alchemy primarily as a means to get rich quick. Too bad that didn't work out well for him. Still it would be of great help to dredge up everything she could about him at court- whenever that happened to be- and it set her thinking about the possible strategies her counterparts could be taking.

They probably would do the opposite of what she was doing; set up to paint Faustus as a reformed prodigal, who made a mistake but was being made to suffer and unjust punishment for his errors. They'd milk the whole forgiveness thing for all it's worth, she thought grimly, thinking about the other lawyer and her solid reputation for bringing the better natures out of others. Hikari banished her thoughts with a sigh and turned back to the papers, underlining a few words of interest as she read.

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"So how long were you married to Faustus, Gerde?" Hikari murmured gently and her witness looked up from her handkerchief, eyes darting around the place without resting on her questioner. It seemed rude but the woman or rather her soul had done the exact same thing when she'd been summoned to the lawyer's office earlier for interview and so the attorney knew she was just painfully shy. "We were married until death." Well her death at least, the lawyer mused, glancing down at her note pad. "I see, and how would you describe your marriage?"

She paused and turned around to look Faustus squarely in the eye before turning back to his wife, "Let me rephrase that, what kind of a husband was he to you?" Gerde looked up and shrugged, "He was my husband; m-my parents handed me over to him when I turned of age and I knew no other." Hikari nodded and then leaned closer with a smile, "Was he ever affectionate to you?" The other woman trained her eyes to the floor as she whispered in reply, "Faustus was an academic and as such he valued actions that went towards the edification of the mind; such physical frivolities were irrelevant to his person. I understood that and knew my place in the house hold."

The lawyer lifted an eyebrow in understanding and murmured, "So it was more or less a marriage of convenience; you stayed in the shadows and knew your place while he was free to pursue his academic exploits. Did you know that your husband was also an alchemist and more, a practitioner of the dark arts?" Gerde swallowed and pressed her handkerchief closer to her lips before giving a slight nod. "He made it very clear just what would happen if I ever mentioned that to anyone- that he would kill me and cut me up into so many little bits, no one would ever be able to find them when he was done scattering them around the city. I-I believed him and it was not in my place..."

Her words trailed away and she visibly floundered, settling down only when Hikari pressed her hand comfortingly, "It's alright Gerde, but what I do not understand is that although you were married to him through out your lifetime and his, there are very little records of that union. Can you explain why?"

Gerde sighed and closed her eyes briefly. "We'd been married scant two years when my husband made an announcement to me. We were both of genteel stock, albeit his family had little money and we lived mainly on the allowances that came from my dowry. Faustus came up to me one day and told me of his decision that we separate; he took control of my dowry and sent me off to live with his mother in the country. That was the last time I saw my husband until now."

Hikari allowed the silence in the courtroom to linger for as long as possible so as to give her witness's statements time to settle in with the judge. Then she pursed her lips and shook her head slightly. "He was your husband but he never touched you and showed no interest in your marriage. He was also practitioner of the dark arts and according to your statements he threatened to kill you if you ever divulged that to anyone else and then to top it up, he robbed you of your inheritance and shut you up from the rest of the world...is that the kind of man you're telling me Faustus is? A man who will use any selfish means to get whatever he wants, regardless of the consequences, isn't that right Gerde?"

She sighed and patted the witness's hand before turning away, "The defense rests with this line of questioning, your honor," and with that the soul of Gerde was summarily dismissed from the courtroom. Hikari couldn't help the smirk that form around her lips as she passed the plaintiff's table and her eyes met with her counterpart's, reading the outrage in them.

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"Can you not see what the chit is up to? She is trying to discredit me in the court, to curry the judge's favor to her side!" Faustus bellowed with frustration, eyes reddening as he glared at his advocate and the blonde nodded with a weary sigh. "Yes I am very aware of her tactics but the sad part is that you never even mentioned that you were married and there was no way I could have prepared for that." He opened his mouth to retort but seemed to rethink that decision, his scowl slowly disappearing to be replaced by an uncomfortable look. "She is not important to me; we were betrothed to each other before we were even born and I...never mind."

He cleared his throat and looked away for a moment. "That is not the point, the question is, what are you going to do about it now? We cannot very well expect to win this case if things like this keep happening." Annette nodded and reached for a thin file on her desk, "No we can't and that is why we have to beat them at their own game. Carmichael is trying to make you look bad in front of the judge and we can very well do the same thing to her client. Besides when you look at the track record, who is bound to have more disappointed customers, you or the devil?" Her impish smile tickled his funny bone and he gave a booming laugh. "Yes you are right! Then we shall fight fire with fire."

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Hikari pored over the large text spread over her laps, nose almost bumping into the delicate parchment. She was reading the very first ever independently chronicled report of the Faustian saga. It was her attempt to retain some objectivity in this case instead of depending on almost certainly propagandized editions that her client and assistants continued to ply her with and from her comparisons it stood almost at par with the others, except for a few discrepancies when it came to names and the circumstances surrounding the deal.

According to this text, Faust was just about his way to the underworld when he crossed paths with a certain character, Dietrich Webber, who upon hearing his tale, volunteered to be an advocate on his behalf with his creditor. The author also went on to say Webber managed to confound the devil with a series of trick tasks and technicalities, including a final one which apparently weighed in their souls and granted Faust freedom from the contract by default. Now that particularly interested the lawyer and she concentrated more on the topic.

Apparently Webber's advantage was the fact that he performed a completely selfless act on behalf of Faustus's soul, which was sold without any regard for its value- that is it! She straightened up with excitement and began scribbling away on her note pad. The whole basis for the broken contract was the fact that Webber's act was deemed utterly selfless in nature and therein lay the ultimate solution for this case.

If they could find a way to cast a shadow of doubt over that premise, they rendered it useless with regards to the original contract and ultimately negated the basis of this court case.

Her pen hovered uncertainly as she considered the other consequence of that; by rendering the terms of his freedom moot, she more or less reinstated the original contract and put his soul once more on the table. Hikari frowned and brushed the thought away; the original contract wasn't her concern but this case was and she was bound by ethics to do all that was in her power to defend her client, whether or not she-he is the devil .

Their lips met in an unhurried kiss, tongues lazily savoring each other's taste, sealing their distinct flavors into the mind as slowly but surely, the embers of passion began stirring into a flickering flame. Hikari pulled away first, leaning slightly backwards to take in the beautiful vista spread below; her hair spread all around the plush cushions like a halo, gleaming with an almost ethereal luster under the light of the full moon right outside the window. Her eyes, those fathomless pools, pinned upon Hikari's in open invitation, summoning her to take and plunder to her heart's content. Her full lips were slightly parted, trembling with each warm gust of racing breath...

"Hikari," she whispered and the lawyer felt a hot spasm rock through her system, effectively distracting her from the wordless adoration as she lowered herself back into waiting arms and eager lips. They kissed again and again but this time there was no more hesitation in her. Hikari reluctantly drew away from her lips, tracing her tongue lower over silky skin until she dipped over a collar bone, eliciting a ragged moan from her companion as her teeth playfully nipped and nibbled until her victim's warm shiver urged her to move on. Lower and lower she drifted, lips skating past open shirt lapels to kiss the soft flesh underneath, tongue happily lapping in the narrow valley between her twin mounds-

"GOOD MORNING TO YOU ALL ON THIS GLORIOUS WEDNESDAY MORNING!"

Hikari jerked upright from her bed with the sudden blast of sound and turned around to glare at her radio, silently berating herself for ever initiating the alarm clock program. Her very rude awakening was soon followed by an equally annoying dance song number and she groaned, yanking over the spare pillow to muffle the infernal sound. "Stupid radio, I was having such a dream for once too," the attorney grumbled under her breath as she swung over the edge. A dream indeed, in fact it was so vivid that she could still feel the physical effects all over her body. "Well might as well not bother scrounging for any hot water this morning." Her scowled stayed in place all through the mind numbingly cold shower and it wasn't until the medicine cabinet swung shut that she actually saw the expression on her face and more importantly, the emotions still running rampant in her eyes.

Hikari sighed and stared into her reflection, snatches of the dream sequence artfully flashing into her head despite her attempts to squelch them down. They were no strangers to her; in fact there was once a time that they dogged her every night and increased her aching misery but the attorney thought she'd gotten over all of that a long time ago. Apparently not, she mused grumpily, a little irritated at herself for feeling this way. It was this stupid case that brought everything rushing back and she found herself cursing the stupid case and her stupid but powerful Immortal client, her three stupidities and the whole stupid world. Anyway very soon this would all be over and these dreams, annoying fragments of a past she'd rather keep past, would vanish back into the pits from whence they'd come. Hikari dragged an impatient hand across the mirror, leaving a five fingered trail of wetness in her wake as she wheeled around and shuffled into the living room.

The first thing she noticed was the smell wafting in the air; a crisp warm burning and hearty sizzling, rounded up by the aroma of freshly ground coffee. Someone was making breakfast. Her stomach growled with appreciation while another rumbling escaped her lips as she quickly ticked off the possible options. It couldn't be mom rising from the grave to bemoan her daughter's living conditions and her father couldn't make coffee to save his live or his after life. The last time she checked she was the only one who had a key into the apartment and the doors were firmly locked. Her furrowed brow hovered between grudging appreciation and flat out irritation as she rounded the corner and came upon the incongruously domestic scene.

Lucy whirled around, frying pan in one hand and spatula in the other, paused in the process of ladling five perfectly done sausages unto a plate to beam at the scowling lawyer. She was dressed in a cruel parody of the fifties era; her blue and white checkered dress barely reached mid thigh and black fishnet stockings encased her legs, ending in six inch heels while over her hair- not one strand out of place - sparkly bunny ears ruined the innocent effect her bangs had attempted to evoke. "Good morning sleepy head, now do you know there's absolutely nothing in your fridge?" Hikari rubbed her eyes and shook her head, bemoaning whatever ‘luck' had drawn the Immortal to her as she walked into the kitchen and swung the refrigerator door open. "Gee I wonder why, oh could it have anything to do with a certain trial with no fixed date or dimension in space? Which color blind drag queen's closet did you raid now and besides, didn't you ever hear them say Leave it to Beaver?"

As usual the Immortal blinked away her increasingly crusty attitude and pointed to the immaculate spread on the table- perfectly toasted bread slices already buttered, surrounding a small hill of scrambled eggs. The lawyer supposed that she should feel a little guilty for being so needlessly vituperative but couldn't bring herself to feel quite charitable this morning, not with the way the day had begun. Hikari found herself drooling and tore her eyes away, determined not to show just how hungry she was but it was a lost cause. Lucy took off her black and red apron but not before the lawyer could smirk over the message-Kill the Cook- and casually slid into a chair, pouring coffee into a cup while she commented rather conversationally, "Now I know what's worse than a trial lawyer, it's a broke trial lawyer without anything in her refrigerator or cupboard and a measly pathetic looking five dollar bill in her wallet."

She looked up and smiled sweetly at the outraged expression on the other woman's face and then her smile tightened and she pointed to the chair opposite of her. Hikari took the message instantly and lowered herself unto it, albeit not without some grumbling and muttering. She picked up a slice of toast and raised an eyebrow. "I refuse to believe you made this by yourself." At that statement Lucy shook her head with a rueful expression. "Now you're just being rude. Okay seeing as my boredom has been lifted for the time being and a certain bottomless pit of a stomach is being palliated let us move on to other things." She raised an expectant eyebrow to the attorney but the latter pointedly ignored her and continued her breakneck devouring of breakfast until a loudly cleared throat made her look up. "What, I know the moment your curiosity is satisfied, this fine spread here will be gone with the wind, so at least let me give my stomach the illusion of having been filled with something."

Hikari lifted the coffee cup and brought it to her lips, sputtering with dismay when the hot liquid suddenly became even hotter, leaving her with singed lips for her troubles. "Wow aren't you the accommodating boss. Anyway I've found the perfect solution to your legal troubles." Lucy raised an eyebrow and leaned closer, resting her chin over her fingers with an expression of infinite patience. "Well then good advocate, will thou be so kind as to impart upon me this perfect solution?"

The attorney shrugged and began looking around her, eventually rising to her feet to retrieve a leather bound book from the living room. "I was reading this about Webber and it hit me." She shoved the book under her client's nose and the latter gave her a bored expression. "Okay you've learned the secret to reading, congratulations and may it do you much good, but how does that help you?" Hikari rolled her eyes at the dripping sarcasm and sat back down, pointing at the illustration that took up a whole page. That is Dietrich Webber, notice anything about him? The figure in question- for some reason, vaguely familiar to her- was dressed respectably in attires the form of fashion back then, and in a classic sitting pose with one hand casually resting atop his cane while the other pressed against the desk. There was nothing particularly remarkable about him or the picture and it became obvious that she had to elaborate.

"Look at his hand, yes the one dangling, what do you see?" Lucy leaned closer and squinted at the drawing. "Well it could be poor printing or this book is just that old, but it looks like there's something on that wrist." The attorney nodded with a smile and produced a modern sheet of paper, upon which a symbol had been drawn. It was an upside down anchor, without the other parts like the rope or hawsepipe. "That is what is sticking out from his shirt fringes; this is a typical tattoo amongst sailors and seafarers." She stopped to give Lucy a pointed look and made a sound of exasperation when the latter returned it with a blank one. "How does it say again that Faustus meets Webber? On his journeys to be free of your clutches and he even traveled as far as the spice and silk islands....on Sea....by ship."

The clock slowly ticked by for several seconds as the smile on Lucy's face widened and became darker by slow degrees until it was a truly menacing visage. She turned to her lawyer and grinned. "I like your thinking."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There was an air of finality and expectation in the courtroom and that made Hikari suspect that the spectators intuitively knew this would probably be the last hearing they would have for this case. It was just as well, considering just how tiresome the whole thing had become by the fourth trial hearing, and she was really quite ready to be rid of everyone involved with the whole business. But for now her counterpart was busy plying the judge with witness after witness, all with the underlying message of just how malevolent her client actually was. Hikari pulled out of her reverie when the figure in question elbowed her in the ribs and passed a notepad to her with a few words scribbled on. She's really doing her best to paint me black, the attorney read with a smirk and glanced up to the petite blonde before leaning down to scribble a reply. Not that she has to work very hard to do that. Lucy read the reply and rolled her eyes, leaning closer to scribble on once more, Hardy ha-harr, I'll reserve my other comments until you get up there and win my case.

The lawyer couldn't help grinning with that response; actually if she could afford to be objective about the whole debacle, having Lucy as a client had not been such a bad experience in the end, after all how many clients actually catered to the welfares of their attorneys? Not to mention her sharp wit and wry personality made her easy to banter with...the attorney could almost- very nearly, in another lifetime- find herself liking her boss.

She quickly shoved that thought aside, stridently reminding herself of just who she was talking about and the very real dangers of going in that direction. Another, even more painful dig in the ribs brought her back to the courtroom just in time to see and hear her counterpart call her own client to the stand. Hikari raised an eyebrow at the move and laughed inwardly; this would have been a credible salvo for Webster, if only it didn't fit too well into her own plans. Now she could sit back, relax and watch the opposition strangle themselves.

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"Faustus what made you enter into this contract in the first place," the blonde murmured, eyes softening with sympathy as the witness seemed to age before her very eyes. He sighed and gave a wry smile before replying, "Human folly you can call it; I was down on my luck and looking for the easiest way to get rich quick. You see I was born into a family with a good name but little to back it up and it rankled often to be the butt of snide jokes made by lesser ranking but wealthier colleagues. Simply put, I was brash and reckless and because of my many accolades in the study of Alchemy and Philosophy, I arrogantly viewed myself as invincible." He cleared his throat and looked away when his lawyer turned around and shook her head. "But you were not."

"I was not, and I have paid dearly many lifetimes over for this blunder. When the-" He looked up and jutted his chin toward the opposing counsel at that, blanching when Lucy favored him with a wink and a smile, "-when He-she...when I was approached with the proposition, I failed to think twice about the situation; it seemed like the perfect solution and everyone would leave happy but it was only after the deed was done that I realized the error of my ways." Annette nodded gravely and folded her arms, walking closer to the witness. "Yes only after you had been placed in the lap of luxury, surrounded by all that money could buy but at the purchase of your own soul- isn't that right Faustus?"

The witness stopped and shook his head, eyes turning contemplative as he stared down at the floor. "I think I realized too late the moment after the deed but back then I rationalized my guilt away. However it came back, stronger and more urgent with each passing day, driving me to sleepless torment until I began taking measures to reverse the contract. I realized that I had sold something which was not mine to give away in the first place and for such a paltry price..."

His words trailed away and he shook his head with very evident regret. The blonde nodded and peeked into her notepad. "And you were redeemed by another." Faustus nodded and continued speaking without raising his head, "Redeemed and the original contract contesting my soul was put on abeyance- as in his own terms. Only then did I realize the full extent of my damage as redemption did not come with salvation and I have borne my punishment many times over." The courtroom was a silent as a graveyard when he was done, all eyes riveted on the pathetic figure hunched over the stand. Lucy nudged her advocate and rolled her eyes exaggeratedly before leaning in to scribble once more, Oh cry me a river.

Hikari couldn't help the snigger that escaped her lips but unfortunately, due to the pin drop silence in the hall, it immediately brought all eyes on her. She stiffened from the furor of a thousand eyeballs, especially one pair that were steeped in outrage, but her counterpart's next question eased her discomfiture. "So now what Faustus, what exactly do you want from this court?" Johannes sighed and finally lifted his head, a wan smile playing around his lips. "All I ask is to be given the chance to right my wrongs. I would give up my immortal state for one lifetime to make amends and have a stake in my soul's situation." He finished with another sigh and his lawyer gently advised him to return to his seat.

Hikari got to her feet afterward and walked over to the middle of the court, glancing down at her notepad for a moment before smiling faintly. "The defense calls its next witness, Johannes Faustus." The room was filled with not a few astonished gasps and murmurs and it took the threat of incineration from the judge to settle things down. Faustus turned a confused eye to his advocate, whose expression mirrored his own, and nevertheless he got to his feet and returned once more to the box. Hikari stared at him for a full minute, head cocked slightly to the side, face devoid of all emotion as she regarded him with the same consideration a predator would give its would be prey. And then she smiled and moved closer. "You say you have learned your lesson, haven't you Faustus?"

Johannes nodded and she nodded as well, "Well you know what they say about fool's gold, actually you should, considering you were quite the alchemist in your day. Let us talk about your redemption once more Faustus." He raised an eyebrow and she shrugged openly, glancing at her notes once more. "You were redeemed from your original contract by a certain Dietrich Webber, is it not? A kind soul who took pity on your helpless situation and advocated on your behalf, ultimately incurring your sentence upon him...which was how you eventually got free wasn't it?" Her innocent question was met with a positive, though nonplussed, expression and the lawyer nodded once more, coming closer to murmur, "So how long did you know Webber?" Faustus shrugged and looked at his hands, "We crossed paths while I was seeking a way to rid myself of my contract and upon hearing my story, he- as you said it- volunteered to be my advocate with my debt collector."

Hikari stepped back and favored him with another faint smile. "I see, so I take it then that you two were friends? I mean you must have been something for you to feel comfortable enough to tell him your story and for him especially to step in, right?"

Her witness hesitated for an imperceptible moment before nodding and she returned his gesture. "So this sacrifice of his was entirely selfless, motivated purely by humane concern for your afterlife - in fact some would go as far as to call it the greatest act of pure love." He flinched and her eagle eyes caught the action, her smile widening as their eyes met for a brief moment before she abruptly turned away. "That will be all Mr. Faustus- oh one more thing-" Hikari turned back and raised up a hand, freezing him midway between rising and sitting, "- Were you ever a seafarer by any chance?" Faust frowned slightly as he considered the question. "My quest for salvation took me toward many paths, advocate." Hikari nodded and walked away, giving him enough time to return to his seat before looking up from her note. "I call upon my final witness for this trial, the soul of Dietrich Webber."

Annette stiffened all over with her counterpart's statement and looked up to meet her squarely in the eyes. The latter's brow was raised slightly as if in questioning, a hard smirk playing around her lips as they measured swords and wills for a full moment, and then the blonde tore her eyes away with a sound of disgust. It was one thing for her opposition to seek a mortal advocate but entirely another thing for there to actually be someone in the world as jaded and depraved enough to take this case. This was the devil they were talking about, and she would have thought the consequences of being affiliated with such an entity would have been quite clear enough for any hapless fool. But apparently there were people out there, filled with enough ambition and greed to blind themselves to the fact that they were dealing with an ancient and cunning trickster. Her eyes flitted over to the figure in question, only to realize the latter had been staring at her all along.

Annette tried to hold her gaze but whatever emotion was hidden behind those veiled eyes was strong enough to send her quickly staring down, eyes watering as a sudden flash of pain stabbed through her head. She tried to quell her rising nausea but failed horribly. This was all wrong- it all felt so wrong but there was nothing she could do. She suddenly felt like a pawn on a game whose rules she had no inkling of and it brought another wave of fear flooding through her system. Faustus must have noticed her consternation because he leaned closer and touched her shoulder, rousing her from the darkening thoughts that threatened to engulf her as he murmured with questioning eyes, "Are you alright advocate?"

Annette took a deep breath and briefly shut her eyes, seeking that thread of serenity she had come to rely so heavily upon as the case progressed, and things began feeling a little better. It was clear now that her opponent had been playing this game all through the proceeding; she'd anticipated their ploy to undermine her client's famously lacking character and prepared for their sympathy card. In fact she'd even depended on it to make her next move. The lawyer in her instinctively realized the dangers in allowing the next witness to take the stand because it could ultimately make or break this case for them. If only she knew what strategy was afoot this time- what was Hikari's motive for calling out Faustus's savior? If only her own client had been so forthcoming with the details of the case with her, perhaps then this would be such an unsettling surprise-

She took her client's hand in a vice grip and leaned closer, whispering earnestly into his ear, "Tell me Faust, is there anything you have left out before now? Think, anything at all that you might have forgotten to let me know?" He took a breath and shook his head. "No advocate, I've told you all there is to know. Why do you ask?" Annette smiled faintly and shook her head, wondering why his reply seemed so hollow, and why that now familiar spark of guilt suddenly reflected in his eyes. "Nothing- let's just wait and see what they have in store for us."

Hikari continued to smile as the formless substance gathering in the box slowly coalsced into discernable features, a familiar feeling welling in her chest. It was the very one she always had during her rgular cases, when she was going in for the kill with the knowledge that her opponent would not surive but this time it tasted so much sweeter. Lucy gazed at her advocate without being noticed, a smirk of satisfaction playing around her lips as she took in the latter's stance; the hardness in her eyes as she stared at her intended victim, the almost vindictive smile playing around her lips...it was a visage as dark as anything she herself had ever produced. Go on my sweet, do what you do best and take your turn in my little game. The trip of the whole thing was that she alone, of all the players gathered, knew the ultimate outcome...

The soul of Dietrich Webber finally materialized in the box and Hikari inclined her head to the left, peering at him critically and wondering why he should shake the feeling of familiarity. Nevertheless she had a case to finish and poor Dietrich here was about to fry. She moved closer and raised an eyebrow. "Please identify yourself." The slender looking man smiled faintly and nodded; there was a certain waiflike vulnerability about him that belied the intelligence in his eyes even in the afterlife and that smile was eerily familiar. He folded his arms composedly and murmured, "I am Dietrich Webber the fifth." The attorney nodded and glanced down at her notes.

"Alright then Herr Webber, I shall bring you up to speed about what is going on here. You are currently acting as a witness in a trial- obviously, hence the courtroom- a trial in which you play a pivotal part." She stopped and stepped aside, putting Faustus in plain view of her witness. "Tell me Herr Webber, do you recognize anyone in this courtroom?"

Dietrich glanced around uncertainly for a moment until his eyes fell on the defense bench. His gaze lingered on the fair haired woman staring back at him with a tense expression and then moved to her companion, a start of astonishment jerking through him when their eyes met. Hikari watched the communication with hawk eyes, finding the confirmation she needed to finish the case. At length Dietrich turned back to her and nodded gravely.

"Yes indeed I recognize an old friend here." The lawyer returned his gesture and moved closer once more, "Indeed Webber, your old friend is the very reason we are all gathered here and you have been summoned from repose, for he has sued my client and I'm here to redress his claims." Webber glanced to her bench and her client and she saw his lips purse a fraction. "Well then without further ado, let us get on with the proceedings," Hikari continued briskly and glanced at her note pad.

"So Herr Webber, according to the old accounts, you saved Johannes Faustus from his terrible bargain by advocating on his behalf. Isn't that right?" He nodded once and she smiled faintly. "I take it then that you and Faustus were friends, weren't you?" Webber nodded once more and she raised an eyebrow. "Very good friends even, right?" Her witness nodded once more and she began pacing, "So good, in fact, that you offered your very soul for him...that kind of friendship is- is inspirational to say the least. Binds so rare, affection so pure...you are truly an exemplary man Webber."

He raised an eyebrow at the compliment and then murmured his thanks, wondering just what it had to do with the case when Hikari turned around to face him. "Tell me Webber, did you generally do this sort of a thing for a living? I mean, according to the accounts you were very scholarly and no one could doubt your eloquence- certainly not my client," she paused and allowed room for the little titters scattered here and there in the courtroom before leaning back to hear Webber's response. He cleared his throat and leaned closer, "I was well known to have well, a way with words and so my peers regularly came to me to settle their disputes. I suppose you could say I gained a reputation as well as a following." The attorney's eyes sharpened with that last statement and she inquired, "And was Faustus part of that following?"

He shrugged and shook his head. "Faustus was an academic much like me and we shared the same interest, however our fellowships ran in different circles." Hikari nodded, as if coming to an understanding with him, and then put in, "So although you were a well known advocate, that was not your profession." Dietrich shook his head and turned away. "I was a seafaring adventurer, eager to explore the seven seas and wow the academic community with my findings."

Over by the opposite bench, Faustus stiffened imperceptibly but his advocate caught his reaction and her mind instantly began trying to connect the dots Hikari was so painstakingly leading them all to. The attorney in question nodded and leaned closer once more, "In fact, isn't that the very reason you two orbited so close and yet never seemed to encounter each other? You were more than just an adventurer weren't you Herr Webber? In fact you captained your own ship and this more often than not kept you close to the border, and the sea- close to Rostock."

She paused and deliberately held his eyes, letting him know just where she was leading. "Faustus himself lived in Hamburg and you two would cross paths at last, at the exact time he was seeking means to rid himself of my client's contract." Her forceful ending sent a flutter of conversation stirring in the rows above and Judge Trudy had to char boil a few errant renegades to retain order.

When the hall was once more quiet, Hikari continued with her line of questioning. "Not only did you cross paths with Faustus, you actually ferried him in your ship to the open sea and labored with him on the quest, didn't you? Wasn't that really the way you came to know about this bargain?" Amidst the thickening silence, Annette turned a sideways glance to her client but his gaze was fixed on the academic captain with an expression akin to longing and...loss. At that moment it hit her straight in the chest and her mouth suddenly went try. This was what she was driving at- oh no!

Hikari paced to and fro the front, never shifting too far from her victim's line of sight, never letting up from the intensity of her gaze. "And that was how you got enlisted to Faustus's army. Tell me Herr Webber, were you ever married?" Her sudden shift in tactics left him bemused for a moment but he quickly recollected himself and shook his head. "No as you can recall, my eagerness for academic greatness left me little time to pursue other ventures for back then I saw them as frivolities not worthy of my time." She shrugged and gave a small chuckle. "No wife or kids, well we all know that Faustus here didn't have time for women either."

Her comments sent him looking up sharply and she raised an eyebrow, "Well Herr Webber we have on the same ship and separated from civilization by miles of water, two academic thinkers with similar intellectual pursuits and a certain need to publicize their distance from anything as base as physical frivolities. It is only natural that such great minds in pursuits of ventures toward the edification of the mind- to steal a phrase from my good debtor there- might find things of the physical not so frivolous after all." Her tone cooled as she finished and, anticipating the jerking reaction her witness gave, she raised her eyebrows in challenge. "Or am I lying, Herr Webber? Weren't you and Faustus in fact lovers, and wasn't that the main catalyst for your selfless intervention?"

Her revelation was met with strained silence and she watched him look away from her, toward the plaintiff and Hikari caught the hesitation. Ah well too bad, she thought to herself as she glanced at her papers. Now it was time for the final blow. "Have I been wrong at any point in all this? Yes, well then show me your arms Dietrich." There it was, the incomplete anchor, and she was willing to bet her last five dollar note that the remnants of this anchor were on Faustus's person. But there was no need to go that far; all she had to do was make just one more comment.

"So you loved him then, enough in fact to lay your life down in his stead because how could you bear to live with your lover being snatched from you without doing anything? So it makes me wonder, just how selfless you were being when you advocated on Faustus's behalf." Her casual statement ran deep with hidden meaning and she at last savored the taste of victory. Yep, this case was in the bag.

Hikari smiled and clapped her hands together, "Thank you very much Herr Webber, no further questions for you and you may return to your abode of rest." She dismissed him with the snap of a finger and nodded once to the judge before wheeling around to smile at her counterpart. Their eyes met and held for a moment and she could have sworn there were tears in Annette's eyes as she turned away.

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"Judgment is awarded to the defendant and I'll add now that the previous contract between the litigants be taken up for further review." Trudy had given her final say and the case was over. Hikari closed her eyes and let out a sigh she didn't know she'd been holding. The case was finally over and now she could wake up in her own bed...

Her eyes flicked open and she realized the scene had changed. She was sitting on a plush arm chair in an elaborately decorated room and Lucy was sitting beside her but it looked nowhere like her living room. "What's going on here," she began and the other woman chuckled. "Why Eliza, whatever do you mean?"

Hikari resisted the urge to throw something- preferably a punch- and cleared her throat. "What do you mean what do I mean? I won the case, our contract is over, where aren't I floating into the vortex and waking up in my own bed?" Her erstwhile client chuckled once more but this time it wasn't quite as filled with mirth. "Yes my dearest, you won the case and what a win t.o...but at what a cost!"

She gestured to something on the mortal's body and the latter glanced down. Her body still shimmered with the translucence that told her she wasn't corporeal but felt a lot denser than before. She concentrated her gaze and realized there were flecks of black mingled with the gray and the more she looked, the more it seemed that they were the prevalent color.

"Yes Hikari you won but you forgot the Goldilocks rule; you aren't quite just right anymore now are you?

Annette was more than surprised when upon regaining consciousness on her sofa, she turned around to find her client standing behind her. Her first thought was to inquire why he had followed her and more importantly, why the need for such secrecy, but then she caught the distraught expression on his face and felt her heart twitch with pity. Faustus had just watched his last line of defense against his creditor crumble and what was worse, now there was no telling what other action that their losing the case would afford the Immortal. She sighed and closed her eyes, muttering in a voice laden with weariness, "I'm sorry Faustus, I thought we had a shot and that you deserved some reprieve-"

"Deserve, I deserve nothing! I don't deserve to live or to have an afterlife. I- I didn't deserve his love either." His tear choked words were filled with so much conviction and fear that the advocate opened her eyes to peer at him critically. "What are you talking about Faust?" He stared at her steadily for several seconds and then broke down with a sob, sliding unto the floor with both hands over his face, shoulders hunched in a portrayal of abject misery. "I didn't deserve his love and yet he gave it freely; he gave his soul in exchange for my life and this is how I replay him! The purest soul to ever walk this green earth- a lawyer in whom there was no reproach!"

Annette stiffened with the use of that familiar term, remembering when he'd once called her that but before she could formulate a response, Faustus had thrown himself at her feet and began crying at the top of her voice, begging her mercy and forgiveness. "What is this," she cried out with surprise, nervously pulling away but he only clung harder and began babbling hysterically. "Your mercy, mercy! You must understand that I feared for my life, feared for my soul but now it's all worthless- worthless! When he came with the offer I was desperate; I was tired of being tormented with every waking moment...he promised me death, he told me that at least I could be with my beloved Dietrich but now, oh what have I done!"

The blonde was now truly afraid, her pallor worsening with every twitch and jerk her crazed client made. "What are you talking about Faustus, the trial is over." He suddenly jerked up to meet her eyes and then slammed his head against the floor with a whimper. "Trial, the trial was a whole sham from the very beginning! We planned it all- he planned it all- because it was the only way. Oh the lawyer in whom there was no reproach, that was all he wanted."

Annette felt a chill radiate down her spine and slowly stopped struggling with Faustus just enough to whisper, "W-what are you talking about?" He looked up with a pained expression and shook his head, "I am doomed, doomed from the very beginning but this- this was about you. The whole trial was all about you."

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Hikari automatically took a deep breath, banishing the solid hardness forming in the base of her stomach as the immortal began pacing. "Okay Luce it's been fun an all, really it has, but let's stop joking here." The raven haired woman turned slightly around with a look of mock confusion and then shook her head. "Oh no Hikari, now you know I'd never joke when someone's soul is on the line. Don't you remember what I told you the first time we met? I said for certain realms and purposes a soul can neither be too pure nor too sullied and for my purposes you were just perfect but I guess being around me tends to do things to people...It's just something about me," she finished with a flick of her hair and the lawyer raised an eyebrow.

"Okay papa bear, what are you trying to tell me now that you should have already?" The other woman shrugged and sat lightly on the arm chair, trailing a finger over her shoulder, "You call yourself a lawyer and you didn't read the fine print! Yes I conscripted you for a period of time to do a little work for me but did I ever once stipulate how dirty it had to be? Oh no, you got on that wagon all on your own, trying to beat Faustus down like you usually do with your opponents. Not that I'm saying anything ill about your skills but honestly Hikari, did you have to stoop so low?"

Her patronizing tone grated against the attorney but she kept her temper in check; she was in Lucy's realm now and the gloves were obviously off. "So what you're telling me now is that I was responsible for keeping my soul snow white?" The immortal seemed to think about the question for a moment and then nodded vigorously, "Yeah something like that. But Hikari I have to say, you got balls going for the jugular like that. Even I usually think about it before striking out against the cardinal rule but you just went ‘screw the system' and trashed them out. I mean, of all the ‘men' to stick it up to, you chose love...Love." There was a strain of incredulity in her laugh that made Hikari frown with speculation.

Faustus got off the hook the first time because Dietrich advocated on his behalf out of love and the stipulations of that contract was why he could sue them now. The only logical way to bring the case to an end was to question the basis for him being ‘alive' in the first place and the only way to do that was to question their...love. Lucy watched the wheels turn in her head and then nodded with a satisfied smile, "Yes mah darling, didn't you ever hear them say, ‘faith hope and love; but the greatest of these... Maiko must be turning in her grave. Seriously when you questioned their love you pretty much questioned the basis for existence, not you mention your own humanity and that doesn't give you up points. Now we both know that whatever doesn't go up has to go somewhere, right?"

The attorney listened, mouth opened slightly in an expression of utter bemusement and then finally she found her wits and her voice. "I helped you Lucy." The immortal got to her feet and held out her hand, "Now lets not get all righteous and damnation here. I offered you a proposal and you thought about it- you did think about it right- before accepting. You always had the option to say no and yes it would have involved a few weeks of endless torment, maybe defamation of character and loss of income and/ or family members, physical injuries and what not but you would have said no and eventually I'd leave you be but that was not the case here. You saw it and you walked into it."

She turned around, effectively ending their conversation for the time being and Hikari closed her eyes. This just sounded so ludicrous that that if she didn't know who she was deal with, the lawyer would think she was the victim of a popular prank TV show. But this was obviously not a joke; somewhere along the lines she'd seriously compromised her soul without even thinking about it. Jeez was Lucy right about her being so close to jaded that she hadn't even seen the line coming? The other woman had begun speaking long before she even noticed and it took her a while to assimilate her remarks.

"...But I guess I can't really wonder why you were so dogged about bringing them down. It must have been you getting even with the whole concept of love inviolate- you've had first had experience that no mortal love ever truly is. I mean just look at that sorry fiasco between your parents; they were both cheating on each other and what a messy divorce! It totally devastated you didn't it? Something like that is enough to scar anyone for life, not to mention make them extra sensitive to PDA's."

Hikari stiffened almost imperceptibly but it was no use; the immortal already had her exactly where she wanted her. She lined closer, eyes wide as if coming to an epiphany. "Wasn't that the main reason you broke up with her? She was always so sweet and gushy, clinging to you at any given moment and let us be honest; it does get annoying after a while. You were too nice to say anything in the beginning because I guess you actually liked her enough- not that you were in love with her or anything, let's not get overboard- but it soon became obvious who was doing the real loving in the relationship and kaput! You got rid of your soul mate."

Her innocent smile was lost on the attorney, who kept her face a blank mask, knowing that even the slightest response gave her tormentor more ammunition. Lucy watched her carry on for a full minute and then chuckled. "I don't think you guys ever laid eyes on each other after that did you? For four years you lived and worked so close and zip, nada...well up until a few weeks ago. I can't imagine what you two must have gone through, lasting out the trial like you did."

Hikari forgot her mantra right then and sharply looked up to the knowing eyes of her erstwhile client. "Yes I knew and come on Eliza; if you could figure out the missing link between Faustus and Webber, what made you think I wouldn't know the one between you and Webster? I did say I had a personal interest in you." Lucy reached out to ruffle her hair but the mortal jerked away, eyes blazing with fire. So all this while she'd just been running a game...now the attorney knew why she hated chess so much. Nevertheless, despite the fact that the Immortal had her pretty spooked, Hikari wasn't her parents' scion for nothing. She'd been picking through the whole conversation for three things ‘means, motive and opportunity' and so far she'd gotten two out of three but what still wasn't clear was the motive.

She sighed exaggeratedly and nodded with a resigned expression, "Okay Lu, you got me fair and square. So what's the residency plan down here?" Her matter of fact tone drew a fond smile to the Immortal's lips. "You see, that's what I like about you. Life throws you dirty old socks and you get a fragrance endorsement for it. There's no denying you're going to rock the house down here but I didn't do it all just for you. It's been a hoot and all but you are just a means to an end; a bridge of some sorts and you know what happens to bridges- no pun intended there."

Her words made the lawyer roll her eyes and reply with dripping sarcasm, "Gee thanks, just when I was beginning to feel all special and warm inside." Lucy shook her head, glancing down at her watch as she murmured, " It's not always about you, sweetness, not that you haven't played an Oscar winning performance but the star of the show is just about to make her appearance in three...two...one."

There was a poof and she vanished just as two figures appeared in the room- a sniveling Faust and, with a wrench in her gut, a very confused looking Annette.

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The trio stared at each other for several seconds, each person wondering why the other was present, until at length Hikari broke the silence. "Well hello, nice of you two to drop by seeing as I was getting lonesome and all." Annette stared at her ex girlfriend wordlessly, her initial confusion gradually being over taken by her pent up antipathy over the other woman- feeling that have gathered in strength with every trial encounter they had. Eventually she tore her eyes away and glanced around the room, replying in a frosty voice, "I guess I should be asking what you're doing here but the question seems so unnecessary now, doesn't it? I shouldn't be surprised, seeing as you decided to throw all morality to the wind." Hikari rolled her eyes, refusing to be fazed by the blonde's cold- though not unwarranted- accusation and instead turned the tables back to her. "Okay then what are you here for? I mean we both can't have, what you called it, thrown all morality to the wind."

While she was speaking their hostess suddenly reappeared, now dressed in a hot pink tee shirt over black pajama bottoms and matching pink bedroom slippers. "Oh hello there Webster, pardon my not receiving you as a proper host should but I had to go slip into something more comfortable." The other attorney muttered something irreverent under her breath and Lucy promptly turned around, threatening her with the promise of a torturous stay in her abode if she didn't behave. "Now where were we?" She smiled brightly at the blonde and then cast a glance to the cowering debtor, "Oh yes, we were just getting to the finale of my favorite show since they took ‘Damn Yankees' off Broadway. So Annette, I am sure you're just positively brimming with questions and I won't disappoint you. Do take a seat."

She snapped a finger and another armchair appeared behind the blonde, who hesitated for a moment to glance at her ex before lowering herself unto it. "Thank you m'dear, alright then let's get to it." Lucy found her way back to Hikari's seat and draped herself over the armrest, ignoring the mortal's pointed glare as she did, the lights in the room immediately dimming as a wide screen projector glowed to life ahead of them. "Oh wait does any one feel like a little popcorn?" Hikari couldn't help her disbelieving snort and received a slap on the back of the head for her troubles as a familiar face came into view, eliciting a pained gasp from Faustus and a sharp kick from the immortal.

"Dietrich Webber, part time seafaring academic, part time public advocate and all around know it all. He meddled in my affairs and managed to go Scott free with it...well almost. Our agreement was that he'd give his soul instead of Faustus here and we'd see how it measured up against his lover's iniquities; a balanced scale would ensure the latter's freedom and vice versa. It seemed reasonable enough, so I agreed and invited him over but we never even got to weigh the damn thing! His soul was so disgustingly light that by sheer Osmosis it floated on right out of here and because by default Faustus own soul was taken out of the picture, that wasn't a very nice situation for me. Thank goodness-ha ha- for the wording of the very contract Webber made up because he expressly said ‘A soul for a soul' to counter against the sins of Faustus past and that allowed me to do this-" The picture changed to another man, his features becoming hauntingly familiar to Hikari. "Enter Albretch Webber, older brother to the captain, whose soul didn't quite match up to the scale but it did tilt it up a little bit."

The face changed and it was a woman but it was obvious who she was related to, "Enter Elsa Dagda Dietfried, only child of the esteemed Herr Albretch, I'm afraid she brought it all the way back down. Bad child." The next face was softer and rounder, the facial similarities not as striking as the other three but it was clear they were related also. "And here is Erich, the sweet boy had no chance, and now Franz and Bastian-"

The faces kept skipping on and on and the attorney felt her stomach sink lower with each portrait. She was beginning to understand just what Lucy was getting at. "And here we have Louis Webber, he had an English mother I recall, and was the sole survivor of that fateful trip across the oceans to the English Colony in the Americas. His grandson Denis saw it prudent to change the family name- what with Austria getting all huffy with the Serbians- so we take away a B and replace it with an S."

She turned around to look at a dumbfounded Annette and raised an eyebrow, "I don't need to go on do I? I mean you do get the picture now, right?" The lights turned back on and Lucy got to her feet, walking a few steps to the middle of the room. "And so here we are Annette Webster, last scion of the Webber clan of Old and one more soul about to be brought to face the old scale. You see although your great, great to the third or fourth power, grand father's soul might have gotten away, there was still the question of what to do with Faustus iniquities and that isn't going away on it's own. Lucky for you, some of your ancestors have lifted it a little but I'm afraid it's going to take a lot more for my debt to be paid in full. Ah the advocate in whom there is no reproach; you are meek- I'll admit- and you have inherited something. Only it's not the earth."

Annette felt her whole body begin freezing with the gravity of this revelation and slowly opened her mouth to whisper. "You mean all this while-" The Immortal nodded brightly and took a step closer, "Mmm-hmmm, yes it has and now you know. Your folks did a good job of keeping you pious and good...unlike some people who shall remain nameless." Hikari scowled but refused to take the bait, training her eyes fully on the blonde as her mind earnestly began working through the information. Something hit and her frown deepened. "Wait this isn't right. You said Webber was without reproach and that's basically why he floated on out of here, well why is she still here then?" Now the blonde hadn't even thought of that and her eyes flicked up to meet her ex's, surprise visibly etched in them. How Hikari could manage to keep a cool head with all this was beyond her but then there were many things about the other woman she never truly did understand. Lucy nodded and then slowly shook her head, "Actually she has you to thank for that. Don't tell me you've forgotten how badly you two ended things, well let's just say you're not the only one with baggage. Just sitting next to you is enough to bring some painful memories and angry thoughts rushing back."

Hikari felt an unexpected surge of guilt and quickly looked away but the Immortal wasn't done just yet. "Yeah don't you remember? It was on her birthday of all days and you couldn't even do it in person; you sent her an E-mail for crying out loud! How cold can a person get? What was it again, oh yeah she was nowhere as ambitious as you were back then and though it caused you a few uncomfortable minutes, you didn't think too much about bad mouthing her during your final semester just to clinch the top spot but look who ended up with the corner office and expense account?" Hikari bit her lip but kept her eyes trained firmly on the ground. She knew Lucy was just pouring salt on an old wound with the purpose of making Annette dwell more and more on the past....enough to actually cause serious damage. There was only one thing left to do.

She rolled her eyes and slouched back down in the chair, "Yeah whatever Luce, I still have an unbeaten record of victories. So are we getting to the balancing act today? We still haven't talked about my residency plan you know." Annette stared at her ex with shock, unable to believe how casually the latter was taking all this. All these years she'd been fooling herself into thinking the other woman had noble reasons for breaking her heart and that she at least felt sorry for everything. It was that silly notion that kept her looking for the best in the attorney, refusing to write her off even after she'd taken the deal, even after her tactics in the courtroom and right up until now...but it was obvious that she was the only one who hadn't let go of their past.

Lucy chuckled and shook her head, murmuring as she walked closer to the other two, "Why aren't you an eager beaver? You're right though, let's get on with it." While she spoke, a larger than life sized pair of brass scales suddenly appeared in the room, one side filled with a hard glittering mass while the other seemed to be held up by invisible forces. The scales were uneven, the black mass clearly tipping low, despite the generations of remission that had been made. Lucy clapped her hand and gestured toward the blonde. "Well then, all you have to do is get up on that and we'll see. Oh I should mention now that seeing as you're the very last of the bunch, whatever happens here is the deciding factor for poor Faustus here- you lose and he loses as well." Annette swallowed and walked up to the scales, raised one leg and stepped up on the hard surface. She opened her eyes and took a deep breath but her gaze fell on Hikari and something knotted in her stomach.

In that moment she realized that not only had she been unable to let go of her ex's betrayal, she also had not gotten over her feelings for the other woman. This realization came like a sucker punch to the gut and not without another pang of hurt, followed by anger and something sharper. She didn't need to guess which way the scales were tipping. Hikari watched the scales lift and waver, the hot tight ball in her throat rising with each delicate movement but she knew, with a sinking feeling in her heart, just how much damage she'd done. Not only had she gotten rid of her soul mate but she'd lost her own soul over a battle already lost, and now the blonde was in jeopardy of losing hers as well. No she couldn't let this happen' she'd given up too much already in her altruistic bargain to watch it all go down the drain.

Lucy shook her head and tut-tutted lightly as the black mass rose but didn't quite balance. "So I guess no one is perfect after all. Too bad though, I was really rooting for you back there." Annette shakily got off the scales but the Immortal held her back. "Ah now there's that little thing about my payment." She extended her left hand, and a cattle prod-like contraption appeared in it. "This is my Remmy, Millennium edition. It get through anything, even titanium mesh reinforced Kevlar." She aimed it at a cowering Annette and fired but neither of them was prepared for Hikari's actions- nor even the attorney herself.

She swallowed and glanced down at the object protruding from her stomach region before glaring at the Immortal with accusation. "Ouch! But I couldn't just let that happen." Lucy rolled her eyes and gave a smile of mock commiseration. "I could have warned you about that; remember I said it gets through titanium? Well just think what it'd do to a soul like yours. Besides, what part of the whole thing we've been doing for all this while didn't you understand? You couldn't perform a selfless act to save your own soul, talk less of another."

Hikari choked and coughed out something light and silvery- was that what a soul looked like? She shuddered and jerked with pain as the cattle prod hooks began retracting, pulling her inch by painful inch toward the Immortal. "You left out one thing though, another reason why it was so easy for me to break us up. It's simple really, because I was bad; ambitious and completely unafraid to do whatever it took and I knew it, knew it as well as I knew she was pure goodness. So I guess it's a soul for a soul once again; my soul for hers. Oh how I've come to hate that cliché." Lucy sighed and shook her head. "Silly human Eliza, and here I was ready to set up a whole law firm down here for you. With you in charge, I'd have a field day in any court but you just had to do this. Remember that residency plan you kept harping on about? Well now, think Hell's kitchen-"

"No! I won't let you do this," Annette grabbed her ex's arm and began yanking back, heedless of the fact that it only caused her more pain. "This is my burden and there's no way in hell-" Hikari gurgled and chuckled, still able to find laughter in her predicament. "Who are you to talk? I'm not doing this because I want to look like some hero in your eyes- honestly I don't even know why I jumped in the first place- so you can stop being so noble and-" Lucy rolled her eyes and stepped back, folding her arms in a sardonic gesture of sympathy, "Yes, yes, now we have the tear filled goodbyes, passionate kisses and promises not to forget each other, yada, yada. Hate to break it to you but someone already got an Oscar for that-" She froze mid speech because something was happening to Hikari. The attorney was literally glowing brighter and rising, dissolving into stardust from the bottom up.

The immortal stiffened and growled with anger, walking closer to drag her back down. "I will not be cheated for a second time- you come back here!" But it was no use and the cattle prod fell to the ground with a soft thump. Lucy turned her livid gaze to Annette but she too was slowly rising from the ground. Hikari couldn't help one more chuckle as she raised a dissolving hand to her former client, "I guess I can after all."

Soon they both rose higher and higher toward the vortex above, a seething Immortal glaring up after them as the hardened lump on the scale suddenly bumped into the air and Faustus gave a cry of rapture. They were sucked into the vortex but instead of returning to their own bodies, the pair found themselves suspended in some sort of limbo. There was barely anything left of her former form, what with the rate she was dissolving, but Hikari found herself trying to slow the process. There was something she needed to say first.

"I guess this is it then, Lucy's Remmy did get to me after all." Her voice was light and laced with the usual touch of wry humor and Annette couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her lips even as realization sank into her. "So I take it that I won't be seeing you on the flip side." The brunette shook her head. "I guess not b-but I just want you to know that you-us...well I never forgo-" There was nothing left of her any more; the star dust pooled and suddenly shot up into the surrounding darkness-

Annette jerked up from the bed with a gasp, feeding her oxygen starved body with life giving air. She wiped the tears streaming down her face and whispered into the darkness, "And I never stopped loving."

The End