Chapter One
An Early Birthday Present
xXx
Kuroba Kaito was many things, student, magician, prankster, all-around goofball/athlete, and a lovable nuisance.
He was also a diligent son and a meticulous strategist, along with having the most skilled hands in Japan.
Those skilled hands came in handy for his night job as the infamous Phantom Thief 1412, also known as Kaitou KID.
Ahh, life was good.
Nearly a full two years since his debut, only a day and a half to go to his second anniversary and he was deep in his plans.
At one o'clock in the morning, the day and hour of his eighteenth birthday, he was going to steal the world's only known Star Diamond, called the Morning Star's Tear. Sure, it was at minimum a hundred and fifty karats, flawless, with such a convoluted backstory of bloodshed that would make any historian's head spin to make it a perfect candidate for the Pandora, but Kaito had other reasons. His late father Toichi failed to retrieve the stone, his last target before he was murdered. The teen magician had found his father's diary tucked away in the hidden lair, and an entry mentioned his wanting to give the precious diamond to his only son as a birthday present.
Well, Kaito was getting that rock for his birthday come hell or high-water. The star diamond was being presented in a group of other precious and historical gems. Included in the set was a particularly large star sapphire, said to have been worn by a British queen, called the Cobalt Wish, and that was his announced target.
It was perfect. With all the attention on the larger gem the Morning Star Tear was all but forgotten. It wasn't his usual method, but Kaito was dead-set on getting it. The Tear was rumored to be a wizard's diamond, for it shone different colors in the right light when held by different hands. It was roughly the size of a small egg, perfectly spherical, the only thing separating the diamond from looking like an ordinary piece of clear glass was the faintly multicolored starburst in the center like a perfect starred ruby or sapphire.
The stage was set. Kaito celebrated his birthday on June 14th, Aoko was throwing him a birthday party that evening, so Kaitou KID had plenty of time on the actual hour of his birthday to go through with his plan.
Even luckier it was going to be on a Sunday, no long day in school to suffer through.
xXx
Sometimes it sucked to be a school kid in Japan, having to go to school six out of seven days a week, but that at least meant he got to see his best friend on a very regular basis.
He wasn't sure Aoko shared his sentiments, but if his antics got good reactions out of her than he was all for it. He'd been making a nuisance of himself to her ever since her mother died. Even now, years later, she still brooded unless Kaito did something to get her riled up. Minor, playful insults, pranks, and general mayhem got her up and chasing after him, faithful mop in hand.
It was too easy, so much it just wasn't a normal day without causing a scene. Fighting and banter was their routine.
Today however, was an exception. The days before and of certain birthdays and anniversaries were off limits, particularly hers. Ever since that first time that false KID notice got posted on her birthday a couple months after he first became the Kaitou he made it a double point to clear schedules. If an emergency came up it was out of his hands, but at least he tried and kept phantom thief business out of special days. Personally, Kaito was making plans to tone down his antics towards her, hopefully to get her to like him as possible boyfriend material, maybe deepening their relationship beyond just childhood friends.
Today Kaito cheerfully presented Aoko a rose cleverly made from feathers to her shock.
"Kaito! What are you doing?" she asked with an indignant squawk. "This had better not be a trick!"
Kaito playfully feigned hurt, pouting. "Aww, but I made it just for you!"
"For what?"
Kaito's expression softened to a genuine smile, catching her off guard. "I owe you for planning my birthday party don't I? What's wrong with a little thank you present?" he said, pinning the flower in her hair. "I even made it your favorite color!"
Aoko was speechless. "...you're serious, aren't you."
A statement, not a question.
"Yep. I owe you big for all my screw ups, and besides, I promised."
Amazing how quickly a little, thoughtful present could make a violent tomboy of a girl into a blushing maiden. The blue feather rose looked so fetching in her hair as she blushed.
"Tell you what, if I'm late, you get to soc me for it, m'k?"
Aoko only nodded, face pink. "S-sure, thank you Kaito."
Kaito grinned. Mission accomplished.
Now to just wait for midnight.
xXx
The night of the 13th drew to a close as the last minute till midnight faded away. A huge crowd had gathered at the museum where the heist was to take place, many spectators hoping to catch a glimpse of the infamous thief in the act. Inspector Nakamouri was working himself into a tizzy with his preparations to protect the Cobalt Wish sapphire. The time of the heist was hours later than normal, KID normally working hours before midnight, but that was a moot point.
Everything was in place. The sapphire in a special room filled to the walls with security and guards, traps and searchlights everywhere, every possible way in and out of the room covered.
Kaitou Kid laughed silently to himself, disguised as a patrolling guard. His route didn't even go into the sapphire's room, but it led directly into the presentation room where the other stones were held.
This was all too easy, just the way he planned.
He continued to patrol his assigned route until two minutes before one, then he shed his costume. His timing was excellent this time, being close to his target with minimal travel distance to take in his thief whites.
He didn't count on actual guards in the target room, but they were easily dealt with via sleep-gas. The case itself was laughably simple, and the alarm didn't even go off.
At the stroke of one, he held the precious diamond in his grasp. Pocketing it, he sped off, throwing a smoke bomb into the sapphire room, snagging the stone, and was out well before anyone knew what was happening.
It was the single quietest KID heist ever. No spectacle, so fight, no resistance.
On his way home, he spotted Aoko on her own way back after checking with her father. Feeling cheeky, he swooped down and landed lightly a few yards in front of her.
Aoko gasped as the ghostly white figure appeared. "Kaitou Kid!"
Kid gave the girl a sweeping bow. "The one and only milady." he said, voice low and suave. "And what is a lovely lady like yourself doing out so late hmm?"
Aoko growled. "None of your business you jerk! Why don't you just drop dead!"
Kid moaned theatrically, a hand to his heart as if wounded. "Oh now that hurts Nakamouri-san." he said with a joking smile, before sharpening his gaze. "I had only your best interests in mind, things far more dangerous than I prowl the darkness."
Aoko started, shocked at the unusual snap in the thief's voice.
"Why would you care?"
Kid smiled, monocle flashing in the faint light. "You are a remarkable girl, strong and prideful and I find that rather charming. It would be a great shame to see you hurt, to loose a warrior princess like yourself." he said, a faint laugh coloring his voice. "That, and a certain inspector would be devastated if something happened to his only daughter. Unlike most thieves, I hold a certain fondness for my adversaries amongst the law."
For all the white thief's lies, his statement was so genuine that Aoko could help but believe him.
Kid bowed once again, and turned as if to leave when something caught his eye.
He lunged back towards Aoko, twisting her around behind him as a shot rang out.
The inspector's daughter screamed as the phantom thief fell, crumpling to his knees.
The shooter approached, gun in hand, when all of a sudden Kid was engulfed in a cloud of smoke that left the gunman hacking up his lungs.
Aoko was taken in a whirl of white silk as the phantom thief swept her off her feet and up the side of a building. Repressing the urge to shriek she clung to Kid's silk covered shoulders for dear life as he carried her away from the street and the shooter. After what seemed scant moment in the Kaitou's arms she opened her eyes to find herself startlingly close to her house.
Kaito stopped, breathing rapidly in shock. He had covered a full two miles in two minutes over unevenly spaced rooftops. Putting Aoko down he shivered, wheezing as he held a hand over his heart, where the bullet struck.
The girl noticed this, the bullet hole in his pristine white suit. In panic she ripped his hand away to check, and to her and the thief's utter shock she pulled the bullet from between the layers of his clothing, bloodless.
"What in the world?"
Kaito patted down his front, coming up with only the sapphire in his right hip pocket, but the diamond from his left inner breast pocket was gone. He could still feel the impact of the bullet, but he was completely unharmed.
"Are you alright?" Aoko asked gingerly, putting a hand over the hole in his jacket, over his heart. She was surprised to feel youthfully firm muscles under the silk, not the bulkier feel of an older man.
Kaito jumped ever so slightly at her touch, but kept his head down to shield his face with the brim of his hat. "I'm alright. The bullet hit a diamond in my pocket. I'll have a spectacular bruise in the morning, but I'll live."
He straightened and offered his arm in a gentlemanly fashion. "Shall I escort you the rest of the way home Nakamouri-san? If only to make certain you arrive there safely?" he asked in a level, normal tone.
Aoko blinked, but acquiesced. "I guess so. You could have died, saving me. I owe you that much."
Kid smiled and gently picked her up bridal style, bounding across the last few rooftops and down the sides of balconies to ground level right in front of her house. Setting her back of her feet he bowed to her once again.
"Take care Nakamouri-san."
"Aoko."
Kid quirked a brow. "Pardon?"
"You can call me Aoko."
A smile. "As you wish, Aoko." he said, taking her small hand in his and kissing it.
He vanished, flitting out of sight along the rooftops.
Aoko looked at her hand, a blush across her face, and felt a weight in her fingers. Opening her palm, she discovered the sapphire the thief had stolen, along with a note.
'Take care, my lady.'
Aoko shook her head, blushing harder. When she went to sleep later, her dreams were filled with the handsome thief, or more accurately, his body and ever-so-sexy voice, that she woke up hot and flustered.
"Baka thief." she grumbled, turning over and going back to sleep.
xXx
A few miles away Kaito found himself panting on top of a fifty storey building with no recollection of how he got there.
Taking off his hat to swipe away the sweat forming on his brow he slid down to sit against the barrier of the roof. He searched his pockets again, but the diamond was still gone.
"Dammit! What the hell happened to it?" he spat, cursing. "Shit! If I ever see that man again I'm gonna castrate him!"
"That no nice thing to say."
The second voice made Kaito stiffen. "Who's there?"
There was a strange rustling whisper, and he felt a weight slide down from his shoulder into his lap. A faint shimmer, like moonlight over snow, and a small form coalesced into visible shape.
A dragon.
A small, catlike little dragon, with a spade-shaped head, large dark eyes, rounded feet and a finned tail. It had ear-like protrusions on the back of it's head that looked a cross between a cat and a deer's ears, highly expressive combined with it's wide eyes set in it's opal-white face.
The little creature blinked at him and made a small chuffing sound, rearing back on it's hindpaws to rest it's forefeet against Kaito's chest.
"You okie-kay? You look pale."
As accustomed to the oddities of the world as he was, it took all Kaito had to not freak out.
The dragon tilted it's head from side to side, studying him. "You funny human." came the small voice again, only this time Kaito realized it was inside his head. The childish grammar and voice only cemented the oddness. "You smell like thick magic, like roses."
"W-what the hell are you?"
Big eyes blinked. "Me Plume. Momma say me your familiar now. Momma say my master gonna be really great magician." a rumbling squeak accentuated it's statement. "You magician right?"
Kaito nodded. "Yeah, I'm a magician."
Plume chuffed again and rubbed his little scaley head against Kaito's cheek. "Yay! Nice to meet you Master! We be best buddies, right?"
"But what are you? Last I heard cats were the popular witch pets."
Plume looked about as insulted as a dragon could look. "Witches nasty, they mean and curse people! Dragons no like them, they always killing us to make nasty spells and potions. Like wizards and magicians lots more than witches!"
"So I'm not a witch huh? But I'm just a stage kind of magician..."
Plume licked his cheek. "Nuh-uh. You good magician! Lots real magic! Momma say so! Momma say only real magician from phantom family use Star Tear."
Kaito's eyes widened. "Use the Star Tear? But it's gone!"
"Tear not gone, Master have Tear! Tear in Master's Heart!"
"In my heart?"
"Momma say Tear stay in magician heart. Magician bring out Tear with feeling! Master make picture in head of Tear come out from Heart!"
Puzzled, Kaito put a hand to his heart and did as the little dragon said, picturing the diamond appearing from his chest. He was rewarded by a sudden weight in his hand.
"How...how did I do that?"
"Tear like Master! Tear make Master strong! Make Plume strong! Bring Plume to Master!"
Kaito stared at the jewel, suddenly feeling very tired. Looking around, he realized just where he was.
He was only just a few buildings south of Tokyo Tower, several districts away from home!
"Oh shit! How'd I get here?"
"Master no feel good?"
At Plume's innocent question fatigue crashed down on him. "No, I don't feel so good." he said, clutching the diamond in one hand, but tentatively patting Plume's little head with the other. "I've got no idea how I'm getting home, I don't think I can even walk right now."
The dragon purred cutely and wound himself up and around Kaito's shoulders. "Me take care of that! Master picture home in head real hard, Plume take care of rest!"
Bemused, Kaito complied. Closing his eyes he pictured his bedroom, every detail that came to mind in his exhausted state, and a feeling like a breeze of warm air fell over him.
A faint sensation of falling for a very short time, then landing on a bed, his bed.
Unbelievable, he was home. Dragging himself upright he changed out of his thief whites and into his nightclothes, the little dragon leaving his shoulders only long enough for the switch in attire before it was firmly ensconced around his neck again. Kaito settled into bed, Plume snuggled against his neck.
"How did you get us here?"
The dragon purred. "Plume special dragon! Me make move thing Master want move, even Master! Me use Master's magic with bond, we together for life."
"So you can do things I can't huh?"
"Master learn soon, me assistant."
Kaito smiled. "An assistant? I like the sound of that. You're gonna have to tell me everything later, just don't let Mom see you, ok?"
"Okie-kay Master, no let Master's momma see Plume. Sleepy tight."
"Goodnight then, don't be scared if I accidentally squish you in my sleep, I'm a restless sleeper."
"Me okie-kay, no worry Master."
"Fine then, goodnight."
XxX
AN: Ack! I completely forgot to put this in the first time! I don't know what it is, but something keeps deleting my page breaks.
Anyway, I recently got hooked on Detective Conan and Magic Kaitou, and given all the strange things that run rampant through my overactive imagination, this is the product. Enjoy!