THIS IS A CHALLENGE FIC!
– Devil's Contract Challenge –
From: Phantom Hitman 1412.
Challenge: Write our favorite detective as a phantom thief.
Requirements:
Interesting title and summary. Ten Points apiece. Twenty Points if you manage to hit them both.
Correct spelling and grammar – Translation: make your story readable. Ten Points.
Must be awesome and enjoyable. Fifty Points.
If you hit all of the requirements, you get Twenty Points.
That will equal out to One-Hundred Points.
Bonus Points: If you include a mirror, you will get Ten Points extra.
Highest Possible Points Overall: 100/110.
Points Received: ?
Deadline: May 14 – hey! My birthday is May 11! Go Team Taurus! Hooray!
Summary: There's an old mirror in the Kuroba attic, and it has the power to grant Kaito's secret wish...his heart's desire. But hold on; who is Kaitou Shadow?
My Dearest Mirror
"The best mirror is an old friend."
– Spanish Proverb –
Part 1
There was an old, old mirror in the Kuroba attic.
It was hidden behind various suit cases and boxes, and there was an old sheet over it, but it was there. Time passed it by, and, just like the house, it watched its family grow and develop, by leaps and bounds – like the stage performers that they were. It watched the men of the family grow from toddlers and into proud men, and it watched the women of the family grow from babies and into self-assured women; each and every one of them possessing the talent for magic and tricks, a mischievous side, and a deep love for heights, a longing to fly and soar above the masses – free spirits.
The mirror loved its family fiercely, and mourned for each death and celebrated every birth. It was an old mirror, so very, very old – forgotten, but still loyal to the family it had been made to serve and guide.
It was patient. It was kind. It was powerful.
It was dying.
The magic inside it was waning. It had to happen eventually – nothing truly lasted forever – and the mirror was not alarmed.
It was very, very old.
However, it still had a duty to maintain. Advice to give, vision quests to provide, and, if the need was great enough, a wish to grant – it had just enough power to do that. Enough power to preform a single miracle – to rearrange the threads in the fabric of reality, to move the very mountains and to reach out and grab the stars, for just a moment, for just a brief instance – and only for the Kuroba family, an endearing family of bright smiles and warm laughter.
It was dying, but it's only thoughts were for the remains of the Kuroba Family, the last heir to a lucky bloodline – to a single boy, who did his ancestors proud.
Kuroba Kaito...
Cuddled into his pillows and breathing softly, Kaito was dead asleep. He wasn't really aware of anything, lost in the vague, fluffy dreams that were conjured up by his mind.
Kuroba Kaito...
A soft, mono-gendered voice caressed his mind, lovingly, like a mother's smile, or like a father's touch.
Kuroba Kaito...awaken.
Kaito's breath hitched, his brows furring is his sleep.
Kuroba Kaito...little bird, I have need of you.
He mumbled something incoherent, and tried to burrow his face into his pillow.
Kuroba Kaito...open those eyes, child. Awaken.
Kaito let out a little whine, and indigo eyes sleepily fluttered open.
A warm, fond pulse of something gently ran through him, like a tender hug and a smile all wrapped into one sensation; a soft, joyous feeling of pure love and happiness. Kuroba Kaito...
Kaito blinked lethargically for a long, muddled moment, before yawning. He rubbed at his eyes, wondering what woke him up –
...hello, sweet child.
His eyes flew open, alarmed.
"What the hell?" Kaito yelped, jumping out of his bed. He stumbled over his books – stupid homework! – and then he spun around, his paranoid eyes sweeping the room. "Who are you?" He demanded, and then he paused, glancing around himself in wary bemusement. "...where are you?"
A soft laugh, like a gently flowing river.
Peace, child. I am your friend – a very old friend, in fact. All I want...
Kaito gasped, wide-eyed, as he felt something brush against his mind, something gentle and warm, and it brought feelings of safety and love with it. Unconsciously, Kaito sighed, his tensed form relaxing, and his heart slowed down, calming.
Strangely, he felt the impression of a smile inside his mind, kind and fond.
...is to help you.
There was a gentle nudge in his mind, like a mother cat nudging her wayward kitten, and Kaito blinked when he got the sudden image of his attic, which was mostly used to store his mother's various nicknacks and junk.
Huh?
Sweet child, dear boy... the voice seemed very fond of throwing around endearments, Kaito observed idly. Come to me, and we shall talk further...
Silence.
Kaito opened his mouth. He closed it, and then he shook his head.
Why is it always me? Kaito thought, exasperated. Why can't the weird things happen to someone else, for once? No one else gets witches, or robots, or annoying detectives, or jewels of immortally, or murderous organizations – it's only me.
Now, he had mysterious voices – in his head – to add to the list.
Lovely.
Kaito let out a frustrated sigh, looking pained. He warily looked up at the ceiling, to where the attic was located, half expecting something strange to drop from the ceiling.
Thankfully, nothing did.
He narrowed his eyes in thought, debating with himself. Should he go investigate the origin of the voice? Should he go wake up his mom and tell her what was going on? Should he just go back to sleep?
Well, he seriously doubted that he would be able to go to sleep – he was wide awake and feeling too paranoid to sleep now – and his mother just got home a few hours ago, and was jet-lagged from her trip. She needed her rest, and he was reluctant to wake her up.
So...
"Off into the abyss!" Kaito nodded to himself, and then he slipped on his house slippers – his comfy, yellow and fuzzy slippers – and then he wandered out of his room.
There was an old, old mirror in the Kuroba attic.
If it could, it would smile contently.
The heir was coming.
As quietly as possible, Kaito pulled down the stairs for the attic, and was pleased that he managed to do it silently.
Kuroba Chikage was a light sleeper, and he didn't want to wake her up with a loud clatter or a bang – not only would that startle her (and maybe scare her) into wakefulness, but then she would ask him questions, like, what was he doing with the attic, and why did he need to go up there?
If he said that a voice told him to go up there, she would get concerned.
Making your mom worry wasn't a nice thing to do, so he decided that it would be a good idea to be quiet and stealthy – just like she taught him to be.
With cat-like feet, Kaito stepped up the stairs, and entered his attic. Hm...I haven't been up here in nearly two years, he thought, musingly. He moved over to where the light switch was, and flicked it. Weakly, the dim lights of the attic flickered on, and Kaito made a mental note to check them – there could be a problem with the electrical, and not just because the lights needed their blubs changed. He certainly didn't like how the light blub above his head made an alarming snapping noise.
Kaito stared at it warily, but, when it didn't do anything – not even turn off – he decided to leave it alone for the moment.
"Now, if I was a mysterious voice, where would I be hiding...?" Kaito mumbled, indigo eyes glancing around the cluttered area. He twitched when he felt something brush up against his mind – again.
Over here, child... the soft, mono-gendered voice called out to him again, and he had the sensation of a mother cat nudging her wayward kitten again.
He wasn't sure how to feel about being the 'wayward kitten', but, nevertheless, he followed the subtle nudges in his mind that felt awfully like intuition, but more concentrated and direct. He briefly wondered why the voice didn't send him another mental image, but inwardly shrugged.
It didn't really matter, he supposed.
Kaito stepped around various boxes and suitcases, pausing to poke at an old record player – since when did we have this? – before moving on, being careful not to knock anything over.
Finally, he reached the back of the attic, and he stared at the sheet covered object in front of him. Whatever it was, was about six feet tall, and it was nestled comfortably between some old looking trunks and boxes – and it called to him, like a soft siren call, but without the inherent danger of a siren. It wasn't seductive or cloyingly it was...like a gentle lullaby that niggled at the back of his memory, like a song that he used to listen to as a small child.
Strangely, he wondered if he did listen to it, and just forgot about it.
Entranced, Kaito step forward and reached out to the object. His hand hovered over the old, dusty sheet, hesitating.
He knew instinctively that whatever this was...it was going to change his life. He was experiencing the same, breathless moment that he had upon discovering his father's legacy.
With that thought, Kaito tugged decisively at the sheet.
He's never been one to flinch away from change.
With a quiet flutter, the sheet fell away and glided to the floor – honestly, it was almost like poetry in motion, with the fluid way it rippled and moved with gravity.
Kaito's attention was solely focused on the object that had been underneath the old sheet, however.
It was a beautiful mirror, made of dark wood that had little doves and feathers engraved and carved on it. The doves were lovely creatures, and some of them carried ribbons with them as they 'flew', and the feathers were wonderfully detailed looking. The reflective glass was a little scuffed up, a little bit dirty, but it was so minor and such an easy fix, and it didn't really distract the eyes from the fact that it was a very pretty mirror, very...
"Gorgeous," Kaito blurted out the first word that came to his mind. There was a startled pause, and then he had the impression of a blushing smile – flattered.
Ah, you are definitely a Kuroba – such a charming child. The voice murmured gently, and Kaito blushed faintly when he felt a warm nuzzle in his mind; something that was affectionate and admiring. A handsome, pretty child, too. You might not have the cobalt eyes of a traditional Kuroba, but your mother's eyes look very well-suited on you, little bird. Very beautiful.
Indigo eyes looked vaguely startled, but he smiled politely.
"Ah, thank you...?"
A gentle, bubbling laugh. I do not have a name, young one. I am simply a mirror – with, ah, added quirks, it said, with amused mischief in its voice, faint and subtle behind the politeness, but still there. Your predecessors have all given me names, however – what do you wish to call me, dear one?
Kaito blinked. "Ah...predecessors?"
Yes. I have belonged to your family for many, many generations. It...saddens me, that there is only one Kuroba left, two, when you consider your mother – but only in name, and not by blood, as delightful and lovely as she is...There was a sad, sorrowful sigh that echoed throughout Kaito's head, full of hollow grief and wistfulness. Kaito's eyes watered with sympathy – empathy – and he hastily rubbed at his eyes. This mirror really cared a great deal about his family, he could feel it; feel the love, the dedication, the steadfast loyalty...the pain, the heartbreak, the endless hope and faith that the Kuroba bloodline will thrive in some way, that it will never been forgotten by history.
For a brief instant, he felt the timeless years in the mirror – it was so old. It's no wonder it kept calling him a child – and the patient loyalty it possessed. Its love and care, things that never disappeared as the years passed it by, feelings that never faded, even when it collected dust in his attic for an entire lifetime, forgotten, unknown, but never fading...
"Amaranthe," Kaito decided on an impulse, nodding to himself.
Hm? Curiosity, faint confusion.
Kaito smiled, stepping closer to the mirror. He touched the surface of the mirror, not minding the griminess of it, and he smiled at his somewhat blurry reflection, sincere and warm.
It was weird, he knew. He should be more suspicious and wary of the mirror – it was able to get into his head, after all – but he just couldn't bring himself to feel that way. He could feel that it wasn't a danger to him; it was too kind, too gentle, and so very benevolent. It didn't mean him any harm, and it wasn't trying to kill him – it just wanted to help him, to be a part of his life. His kaitou instincts didn't feel any danger from the mirror, either. Just safety and warmth.
"Amaranthe," Kaito repeated, softly, still smiling. "That's your name. It means unfading – you've been up here for a long, long time, haven't you? But you never stopped caring about us. Thank you," Kaito bowed his head in respect and gratitude – and then he gasped when he felt a blooming warmth throughout his body, forming something new and vital. Overwhelmed, he fell to his knees as he felt that something form into brightly colored strings – yellow, pink, blue, white – that formed a strong cord, connecting him to...
To the mirror.
Oh dear! Amaranthe fretted, sounding sheepish. Its voice was suddenly stronger in his head, more clearer – and suddenly feminine, instead of mono-gendered. I forgot, little bird! By giving me a name, you form a bond with me. I am so, so sorry, dear!
Kaito blinked, disoriented, but he chuckled at its – her? Her – worried fussing and clucking.
"I'm okay. It didn't hurt or anything," Kaito said, wryly. Some warning would've been appreciated, though...
Amaranthe cringed meekly in his mind.
I'm sorry, she apologized again. It's been so long, and I was just so happy to meet you, that it completely slipped my mind.
Kaito laughed, standing up once he felt steady again.
"Like I said, I'm okay. There are worst things in the world," Like Koizumi on a rampage. "It's alright."
It really was; the bond felt strange, hovering in the back of his head and humming a forgotten melody – but it wasn't harmful. Actually, it felt...natural. Like his brain was built for it, for the bond. Like a puzzle piece sliding into place. Which was possible, he supposed, if a lot of his ancestors formed bonds with the mirror over the generations, and then passed that trait on as a strange genetic quirk to the descendants, like Kaito.
Kaito frowned suddenly at his dirty hand, and then he glanced at the smear that his hand made on the mirror.
"...I'll be right back. I'm getting some water and a wash cloth," Kaito decided, absently wiping his hand on his pajama bottoms. "You need a good cleaning, Amaranthe."
Rather desperately, actually.
The mirror was touched by this and, privately, she smiled sadly to herself, not allowing him to 'see' her emotions. Such a kind child...
No, that can wait, she said, serenely. It really was strange to suddenly have a gender assigned to her, for the first time in years, the mirror mused to herself. I called you here for a reason, Kuroba Kaito.
Kaito blinked, tilting his head to the side, puzzled.
"What?"
I have a purpose. The newly named Amaranthe stated, with gentle seriousness. I was created to serve the Kuroba family, in any shape or form. I am an adviser. I am a friend. I am a parent. I am a fairy godmother. I am anything and everything you need, can fulfill any role that's needed in your life, and help you. I can even grant you a single wish.
Wisely, she not mention that it would take all of her remaining energy to do so – he was a Kuroba, charming and exasperatingly noble.
They typically didn't like it when people sacrificed themselves, or were hurt in general.
But, in the very wise words of Kuroba Hajime, the first Kuroba that the mirror was honored serve; "I'm old, damn it!"
The mirror was too refined and proper to ever say such words, of course, but the sentiments were the same.
"A wish?" Kaito blinked, and, at the sight of his frank disbelief, she laughed.
Yes, dear child. A wish. Hm... Amaranthe considered him thoughtfully. Do you have a wish? She asked, gently.
Kaito was silent, thinking.
Did he have a wish? Ha – more like wishes. He had plenty of those. He wished that he had Pandora. He wished that Pandora was destroyed. He wished that his father was still alive. He wished that Tantei-kun could be Kudo Shinichi again. He wished that the Black Organization was defeated. He wished...
He sighed.
Well, he wished for a lot of things.
"I have a lot of wishes," Kaito laughed cheerfully, and he felt Amaranthe nudge at him, encouragingly.
Tell me, she murmured kindly in his mind, like a sweet-tempered grandmother that wanted to know how to make it all better again; how to fix everything.
"I..." Kaito hesitated, before admitting, "I don't know. I seriously have more than just one wish, and they're all important to me."
Hm. May I offer my assistance? I can look into your heart, and see which one matters to you the most – the one wish that would bring you the most happiness, Amaranthe said, sending a gentle, reassuring 'hug' to his psyche.
Kaito paused, frowning. He took a metaphorical step back, and carefully thought things over, trying to be objective.
Okay...so; he hears a mysterious voice in the middle of the night. The mysterious voice turns out to be some kind of magical mirror that's been passed down in his family. The mirror is capable of getting into his head and influencing him (somewhat) in an alarming way – and it was only alarming because he didn't feel alarmed or threatened by it, which is very, very weird.
By all rights, he should be downright suspicious and hostile.
He wasn't, though. Not even a little bit.
The thing was, it worked both ways, especially when the bond unexpectedly snapped into place, making things even more clearer for him. He could sense Amaranthe; feel her age, her gentleness and her silent devotion. There wasn't a single shred of ill intent coming from the mirror – she genuinely wanted to help him, to make him happy.
That was all she wanted. Nothing more, nothing less.
Slowly, Kaito nodded, and then he smiled at the mirror, at his blurry image.
"Okay. Sure." I trust you.
Amaranthe sent him the sensation of a matronly smile, with warm feelings of affection and startled gratefulness.
Thank you, she reached out with the bond, grasping the pink string with a gentle touch. Now, let's see...what your deepest, heartfelt wish is, shall we?
The mirror tugged softly at the string, sending out a question, before promptly receiving an answer; what his heart desired the most...
There was so much painful, aching loneliness. False smiles, cracking masks that refuse to break. Laughing walls to protect him from those he should trust; from the ruffled haired sister, from the golden eyed brother, from the mystic ally, from the child with old eyes.
...was unquestioned companionship –
Someone that understood him perfectly, who complimented him in every way, who shared his goals. Someone who knew what it was like to have a bleeding heart; to lie and smile when all they wanted to do was cry and scream.
No uncertain loyalties, no lies.
All he wanted was someone to hold him, someone who he could let go of his defenses around, and never have to worry about being betrayed or hurt. Someone that needed him just as much as they needed him; who could let go of their defenses around him.
Trust. Care. Love.
Oh, Amaranthe crooned softly, 'hugging' the Kuroba child, who suddenly looked rather teary-eyed, since those suppressed emotions were raising up to the forefront. Lonely little bird, shh, sweet child. I will make it all better, I promise, little one. She reassured him, with a firmness underlying her words, like solid, nurturing earth.
This was the last Kuroba. A precious, precious child of Hajime-sama's line.
She will chase away his sadness, and give him a lasting present that will make him happy again. A granted wish that will last him a lifetime. She was willing to move the stars, to tear apart the seams of reality and restitch it, just for him.
For the little bird, that just wanted to be loved unconditionally, by someone that mirrored him, who understood him.
She will bring him this person.
Amaranthe withdrew slightly from her comforting 'hug', immediately spreading out her senses, searching the world for the perfect person.
There was only one person that matched him so well, and that was the child with the old eyes – a child that wasn't a child.
The mirror frowned, peering at the strange, strange little human with bemusement.
She looked more closely at him, and then sighed.
He was a detective. He shared a similar mission, a similar goal, but he didn't understand. He never lost a parent, he never had to deal with the outrageous and the supernatural, he never had to do difficult tricks, works of art, and he never had to be alone – the false child had allies, friends, that stood beside him, and even the little bird supported him, from the safety of his moonbeams and challenging smirks.
The strange little human was a close match.
But not an exact match.
That won't do at all! Amaranthe sighed to herself, privately. The mirror frowned, and flung out her senses even further, across different dimensions and universes. As she did this, she noticed a pattern; it was always the same human, in different guises – a child, a vampire, a knight, a prince, a wolf, a ghost, a book keeper, a writer, a teacher, and so on and so forth. Different guises, similar appearances, similar goals, but still not quite right.
Not quite right, but always the same mirroring soul of that strange human.
Interesting...
Finally, after several minutes of rapidly bouncing around – like a frustrated child that changed the channel again and again, barely looking at each television channel, but easily dismissing them – she finally, finally, found him.
A mirroring thief, who was suffering from the same problems as her little bird.
The mirror smiled.
Perfect.
She fully withdrew from Kaito, dulling and suppressing the bond. Amaranthe didn't want him to be disoriented again, when the bond abruptly disappeared with her. Truly, she honestly hadn't meant to form a bond with him at all, because it was utterly pointless to have it, since she was going to be gone soon, but, well, things never go entirely according to plan when there's a Kuroba in the room.
The mirror, if it could, would fondly roll her eyes at this Fact of Life – because it was a tangible fact.
Kurobas had this habit of unconsciously bringing chaos into the world.
The mirror shook off these thoughts, and plainly ignored Kaito's curious calls to her, steadily building up her remaining power, gathering and molding it to her will.
She had a wish to make, to banish the loneliness in the young heir's heart.
Luckily, his match was also just as lonely and desperate for companionship (for understanding love), so he would be happy with the young Kuroba.
"Shadow!" Mouri-keibu yelled, chasing after the illusive, dark clad figure; Kaitou Shadow.
Shadow was a mysterious, eccentric thief. He stole and returned valuable jewels (baffling authorities everywhere), hosted his own heists with logic puzzles and magic tricks, and, while being a rather non-violent thief, he had a strict No Second Chances rule – if someone was endangering people or attempting to use his name for unsavory things, he won't allow let them to have the chance to do it again, and he had no qualms about giving out punishments and tossing the criminals into the capable hands of his task force – sometimes with bruises and black eyes.
Or a broken arm, in the unique case of one criminal that had taken Genta, one of his littlest critics, as a hostage and threatened to shoot the boy.
The thief had been very...unamused.
Shadow laughed suddenly, grinning sharply as he darted up the stairs, and Mouri-keibu...
SPLAT!
Accidentally activated a trap.
Again.
"Argh! SHADOW! YOU DAMNED BASTARD!"
The thief glanced back, snickering.
Thick, sticky, pink goo was very flattering on Mouri, especially since it kept him stuck to the floor.
I'm just grateful that Ran couldn't make it to the heist this time, Shadow thought, with a mild cringe.
Ran wasn't a traditional 'critic', but, damn, she was scary when she came to his heists.
But it is a shame that Tantei-neko couldn't come out and play tonight, either... Shadow thought, wistfully. His favorite critic always brought a lot of fun and zest to his heists. Hattori was a fun challenge, but Tantei-neko was special. He was just as skilled and talented as Shadow was with magic, and he was utterly unpredictable and random, keeping the thief on his toes and pushing Shadow to think faster and more creatively, in order to match and deflect the detective, forcing Shadow to think outside of his logical box – which was incredibly useful for his heist planning.
He was distracted from this line of thought when he reached the top of the stairs, and he grinned broadly, opening the door to the roof.
Shadow took one step through the doorway –
And then he promptly tumbled into an old, dusty looking attic.
What the hell?
Bewildered, Shadow quickly stood up, blue eyes sharply looking around, analyzing and making quick mental notes, before his gaze paused on a pair of familiar indigo eyes, which stared at him with shocked disbelief.
Shadow blinked, surprised.
Standing a few feet away from him was Kuroba Kaito; the Mahou Meitantei of Edoka.
His Tantei-neko.
Glasses: End of Part 1.
I've split this into 'parts', because it's too long. XD