I do not, and will never own Magic Kaitou

Please go easy on me; I am not in the habit of writing romance

Then again, this is the pairing that produced Kaito

No way they could be considered normal

Note: This story is not historically accurate

I do not have time to do hours of research for a piece of fiction

Please don't flame

Part One

A soft wind blew through the cheery trees, causing pink petals to swirl in the air. The young woman passing beneath them laughed in a carefree manner as the wind ruffled her kimono. She was completely unaware she was not alone.

The brunette continued on her way, unwilling to let the beauty of the day distract her from her purpose. Minutes later, she emerged in a small clearing near the river. The spot was fairly isolated. For her, it was perfect.

She had grown up in a family of performers. All the children were schooled in the family trade from the time they learned to walk. The clan specialized in the art of illusion, making people see what they wanted them to see.

Only the boys were allowed to perform before the lords though, something that had upset her since she was old enough to understand. Woman could dance and sing; anything else just wasn't proper. It was also forbidden. The girl felt fortunate that her family felt differently than mainstream society about the value of daughters. Otherwise she would have been promised to someone by now.

The wide-held view of a woman's place in society had never been more than an annoyance to the brunette before. Now though, it had become a real problem. Her uncle had been killed in an accident, the same one that broke her cousin's leg. The others had tried to take up the slack, but the strain was starting to make her father ill.

After a cautious look around the area, the beauty bent to remove a pile of clothing from the bag lying at her feet. As she changed the unseen eyes looked away to preserve the lady's modesty. Whatever else had been said about him, peeping tom he was not.

When the mysterious figure looked back a time later, he was amazed. If he hadn't seen the transformation himself, he would have believed her a man. A youth to be sure, but still a man.

Her brow furrowed as she critically examined her reflection in the water before nodding in satisfaction. The man struck a pose, "my lords, my ladies." The brunette frowned. Her voice was still too high. She tried again. "My lords, my ladies." That was better, she thought to herself. "I come before you to present wonders never before seen in this world." A gesture and a line of scarves were drawn from her hand.

The eyes widened, then narrowed in fascination as the psuedo-preformance went on. He had not believed it was possible to perform such tricks without real power. This mortal's so-called magic was all skill and speed.

The disguised woman finished with a flourish before dropping into an elaborate bow. She was startled by the sound of applause. Whirling, a hand came up to cover her heart. A gasp escaped her lips. The brunette promptly cursed herself for the feminine gesture, attempting to cover it up by moving the hand to her side.

"Bravo my lady," a voice spoke from the shadows. "You were magnificent."

A cold, hard knot formed in her stomach. He knew.

"Still," the man continued. "You need to work on your voice."

Honey-brown eyes widened in disbelief. He wasn't going to turn her in? She wasn't quite sure what to say, that quickly changed.

"Are you mute?" he inquired. "You seemed capable of speaking a moment ago. Even if you didn't do it well."

The young woman's temper flared. "I'd like to see you do better," came the tart response.

"Then I shall," the tenor voice was light with humor. "How is this my lady?"

Full lips dropped open with disbelief. He had mimicked her voice perfectly. "How did you do that?" she demanded.

The man laughed. "It is just a matter of practice. There is a knack to it." It was a great trick to play on unsuspecting mortals. As he spoke, the figure stepped into the light.

He was handsome. Long midnight colored hair cascaded around a tan face. Eyes shown a light purple that put some amethysts to shame. They sparkled with mischief. His nails seemed more like claws and his ears ended in soft points. The figure looked almost human, until you took in the large feathered wings that grew from his back.

Pale skin went chalk white and the woman swallowed hard. "Youkai," she choked. She could not understand what such a creature would want with her. She was no one important. The young woman thought about running before disregarding the idea. She would never make it.

The creature smirked, "some call my kind that." He watched her tense form amused. "I am a little surprised at your reaction," his tone turned mocking. "I expected more from a ningen who so casually flaunts their emperor's laws."

The look the brunette shot the bird-like man was one of pure defiance. "I have no choice in the matter. My family needs me." She hadn't meant to say that, but it was too late to take it back.

"And how do you intend to help them?" he asked. "Your appearance is acceptable. Still, only a fool would fail to realize your voice is that of a woman's."

The lady bit her lip. The youkai was right, she admitted to herself. She just couldn't do it. "Teach me," the words were out of her mouth before she realized what she was saying. Mentally she kicked herself. At this rate she was going to get herself killed.

The youkai was silent as he considered her request. This human was bold, he acknowledged. Not many would have dared such a thing, no matter how impulsive her words had been. "Very well," he stated at last. "My name is Aakesh. I expect you to address me as such." His wings folded behind him and he lowered himself to the ground before gesturing to her. "Now sit."

She nodded in agreement. Backing out now would be a very bad idea. "Yes Aakesh-sensei." The afternoon passed quickly. The youkai was a good teacher, and patient. By the end of the day he had declared her male voice passable.

The woman looked up to see the sunset. She appeared shocked for a moment before scrambling to her feet. "I have to go," she was stopped by a hand on her arm.

"Wait," violet eyes met hers. "Do I at least get a name?"

She blushed. How could she have forgotten? "It's Mizuki."

"Mizuki," Aakesh smiled as he conjured a flower in one hand. "A beautiful name for a beautiful woman." Then he leaned forward and kissed her. He didn't have time to enjoy it.

The brunette pushed him away violently before slapping him. She was furious. "I had thought the stories about your kind were rumor, but now I see they are not." Her eyes flashed with anger. "I am not that kind of girl, find your pleasure else ware." Quickly Mizuki gathered her things before disappearing into the woods.

For a long time Aakesh just stood there, holding his cheek. She had hit him. Even if he was forward by mortal standards, the youkai rarely went further than a few kisses. Still, no woman had ever rebuffed him.

Finally he smiled. Mizuki was an interesting person and it was well worth the challenge to get to know her. Even if all he gained from it was a friend.

BFBFBFBFBFBF

Now I just have to type the rest of it

Mizuki: beautiful moon

Aakesh: lord of the sky

Don't ask me why my youkai's name is Hindu

The definition fit and it sounded cool

I thought about calling him Sora,

but that is the main character in a different anime

I hope you like it, please tell me what you think