Hello guys, and welcome to the Turnabout Timeline, the first divergence sidestory to the Theft of Heart multiverse! This story branches off from the main timeline after Chapter 4, so you have to follow the main story 'Theft of Heart' until that point or you won't understand a thing of what is happening.

Note that this is the first version of Chapter 5 that is published, but this is a side branch of the timeline, not the main branch. As such, it will end in less chapters, and updates may be infrequent. But then again, they already are, so...

All I can say is, enjoy!

Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne
Theft of Heart - The Turnabout Timeline

Chapter 5: Turnabout Deceit

(Maron)

The first thing I noticed were the voices of the people talking around me. I was lying on a bed, and apparently there was some sort of argument going on, but I wasn't yet cognizant enough to make out the words. I recognized the voices of Miyako and Hiromi-chan, but before I could try to make out others, I heard Fin speaking up next to me, whispering right into my ear. "Glad to see you're awake. Don't move yet. Lie still and listen. You've been out only a few minutes, but the police are here already. Hiromi came up with a plan, but you need to know how to play your role, or you'll leave this room in handcuffs."

Crap, she's right! I thought, a feeling of panic rising up. I fell unconscious as Kaitou Jeanne! But Fin seemed to have anticipated my concerns. "Don't worry, we already removed your ribbon and turned you back. Your secret is safe... for now." She paused to listen to the conversation around me for a few seconds. "That girl is more resourceful than I gave her credit for..." she said, a hint of respect in her voice.

"All right, listen up," Fin said. "Here's the deal: You, my overeager friend, have been possessed by the demon in Hiromi's drawing."

I have? The confused thought shot through my mind.

"Yes, you have, now don't interrupt me. The–" Fin broke off abruptly, and I didn't need to see her face to picture the look of surprise she was wearing. "Do that again."

Um... test? Test test, thinking now... Yes, brain is still in working order.

"Maron, stop fooling around!" Fin hissed instinctively, reacting to my words before realizing that I wasn't actually speaking. A tiny hand was placed on my lips, and I sent her another signal.

"Damn, this might be useful." Fin whistled. She switched to a mental voice that echoed in my head. Non-verbal communications are much faster, so Hiromi won't have to occupy their attention for as long; I just didn't know it was possible. She paused and I noted that although Fin's voice was just as clear and as easy to understand as when she spoke normally, Hiromi had only said a few syllables during this short explanation. Anyway, like I said, you have been possessed by the demon from Hiromi's drawing. Then Kaitou Jeanne came and stole it. When the possession ended, you fell unconscious. Hiromi-chan is explaining it to the police right now.

I tuned in to the conversation going on in the room; Hiromi was currently speaking. "Then Maron-onee-chan was suddenly attacking me, but Jeanne appeared and knocked her out of the way! Jeanne said she needed to take my drawing, so I gave it to her. See, she gave me this in return!"

"And you just gave your drawing to her?" I heard Hiromi's mother ask. "The one you were working on for school?"

"Sure!" Hiromi said cheerfully. "It was to help Maron-onee-chan! I can just draw another one, it's not like it's hard. Maybe I'll even make a different one next..."

Fin... I thought, trying out this new mode of communication. What's this about me attacking Hiromi-chan? Miyako doesn't know about demons!

Ah, but that's part of the plan! Fin said gleefully. It's brilliant, don't you see? Simply by setting you up as just another of Jeanne's victims, we take away all suspicion of you and Jeanne being the same person! It doesn't matter that Miyako doesn't know about demons! The strange things like you attacking Hiromi or you falling unconscious after Jeanne takes the picture all don't matter, because they are consistent with what Miyako observes from other victims! Just say you don't remember a thing when you wake up and you'll have your alibi that explains why you never saw Jeanne even though you were with Hiromi all this time!

And Hiromi-chan came up with all of that? I queried.

It's a stroke of genius, isn't it? Fin's voice resonated with pride. You didn't happen to use any illegal intelligence-boosting substances when you painted that cross on her forehead, did you?

I almost broke my silence there and then; it was a near thing, but I barely managed to hold myself together. Still, the strange mixture of laughter and reproach I felt must have communicated itself to Fin because she immediately placated me, trying calm me down.

Hiromi has your special, personalized notice card, Fin said, getting back on track, and she wants to show it off, which isn't such a bad idea actually, as it might help Jeanne's reputation and draw attention to the fact that she is stealing for the good of people. But we quickly figured out that if we couldn't explain why you didn't encounter Jeanne even though you supposedly were with Hiromi all the time, we'd be busted. We considered having you say you were there and watched her steal the picture, but that idea was far too dangerous. It would raise questions, and Miyako would expect your behavior and your opinion of Jeanne to change. You have enough trouble concealing your identity as it is without putting on big acts for Miyako's benefit. So we decided you had to be the victim.

Fin paused, trying to give me some time to let it all sink in. Hiromi-chan came up with the basic idea, and I helped her flesh it out, telling her some things she couldn't have known. It actually helped that you fainted. We'd never have gotten everything explained to you in time so you could cooperate with our story. The police came knocking only a few minutes after you had passed out; you were spotted making your way back to the balcony. Luckily they didn't see Hiromi-chan because she's so small. The angel's voice took on a decidedly sardonic tone. Hiromi had quite a bit of trouble dragging your corpse all the way back to this room, but we managed in the end. We put you on the floor in the middle of the room and called the assembly. Let's see, we have Hiromi's parents, Miyako, and Akita. The other police officers are still off questioning eyewitnesses who saw your fight with the old man. I suppressed a groan at this last bit of information; intentionally or not, Jeanne was becoming a public phenomenon.

"Well, time for you to wake up, I'd say." Fin said aloud, nudging me. "Hiromi's counting on you. And remember, you don't remember anything!"

I did nothing for several seconds, my mind reeling from the onslaught of information. Finally the pertinent bits settled into place: Wake up, and remember nothing. But how do I go about faking waking up? I decided to settle for a low moan, squirming around a bit before rubbing my eyes. "Hey, she's waking up!" came Miyako's voice. There were a few steps and Hiromi was looking down at me. "You're awake, Onee-chan!"

"Huh? Hiromi-chan? Ugh, what happened?" I moaned, playing the 'clueless demon victim' role to the hilt and making a big show of looking around. "Oh, good afternoon, Miyasaka-san, Miyasaka-san."

"Maron!" Miyako yelled, drawing my attention away from Hiromi's parents. She appeared to be slightly miffed at me for ignoring her. "I hear you have been trying to assault children now! Please explain yourself! And no, I won't go easy on you because we're friends; I'm here in official capacity!"

"It's not Maron's fault!" Hiromi protested. "She wasn't herself!"

"Actually, I'm inclined to believe that." Mr. Miyasaka said quietly. "Kusakabe-san saved Hiromi's life this morning. I find it hard to believe that she would try to harm my daughter now."

It took a moment for Miyako to digest that. She looked at me and I knew we would have words later why I hadn't told her that before. "And yet we have her own testimony stating that she did." She said finally. "Are you suggesting that Kaitou Jeanne confused Maron into attacking you?"

"No!" Hiromi said firmly. "Jeanne had to take my drawing so Maron could be her old self again!"

"So you say that neither Jeanne nor Maron herself is responsible for Maron attacking you?" Miyako asked in disbelief.

"Hai." Hiromi-chan smiled, pleased that the purple-haired police girl finally understood.

"Then who, pray tell, do you think is responsible?" Miyako asked, starting to grow irritated.

"I don't know." The girl said, wide-eyed and innocent. "But isn't it your job to find out, Detective-san?"

I had to give credit to Hiromi-chan, she was an impressive actor. Miyako appeared pleased that the girl took her seriously as a detective, something which was bound to score major points with my best friend, but obviously the answer wasn't going to satisfy her. "Maybe we should ask someone else. Maron, can you tell us what happened?"

"Um... I don't remember anything!" I blurted, mentally smacking myself immediately afterwards. Yeah, she'll believe you saying it like that. Real smooth. "I have no idea what happened." I added, trying to appease Miyako with a bit more information. This was my chance to line myself up neatly with the other demon victims, and give Miyako a few clues at the same time. I had no idea whether it was Fin's advice or actually Hiromi's own judgment that kept her from coming out and saying it was a demon, but it was fortunate that she did; Miyako clearly wasn't ready to hear the truth yet. However, if I could slowly lead her towards the conclusion and actually bring her to ask me as Kaitou Jeanne why I was doing what I did, then I might convince her.

"The last thing I remember is looking at Hiromi's drawing. I was commenting on how beautiful it was, but I don't remember anything after that. I'm sorry."

Miyako looked like she was going to protest, but Akita spoke up. "Actually, Hachiro-san doesn't remember what he has been doing these last few weeks either. And Mr. Okaniwa said the same thing yesterday. Maybe we should be glad that Maron-san is only missing half an hour of memories?"

"So, you think that Kaitou Jeanne somehow induces amnesia in her victims?" Miyako considered thoughtfully. "It would be a shrewd move. Nobody is going to report an object as stolen if they don't remember possessing it."

"I'm not sure." Akita replied. "The neighbors we asked all said that Hachiro-san had been very ill-tempered and brusque lately, starting suddenly several weeks ago. This discontinuous variation of his personality appears to be congruent with the timespan affected by the memory loss. However, Kaitou Jeanne appeared at the end of that period, not at the beginning."

"I'm not sure how seriously to take the statements of people who claim to have seen them do battle sending invisible attacks at each other." Miyako snorted derisively.

"We have three different, independent eyewitness accounts." Akita went on, undeterred. "Each of the three persons stated that Hachiro-san knocked his opponent off her feet from a distance at least once during the course of the altercation, holding no weapon other than the candy box that Kaitou Jeanne stole at the end. Two of the persons also reported seeing the 'rippling blurs' the victim threw at the blonde interloper – in great number, I might add. The third was an old lady with exceedingly bad eyesight. To her, the combatants themselves were mere blurs."

I followed the discussion with dread. It looked like I had unwittingly stirred up quite a hornet's nest when I decided to fight the demon out on the street. Any secrecy I might have had was shot all the way to hell now. The publicity could help my case, but it could just as easily backfire on me. Miyako was the key, I realized: It was her attitude that heavily influenced the stance of the police department, which in turn shaped public opinion, via the press statements the police would give.

I knew how my best friend's mind worked; she liked to hold onto her ideas as long as they remained reasonably feasible. The key was to confuse her and present her with information that conflicted with her view and couldn't be easily dismissed, forcing her to discard her preconceived notions and reevaluate what she knew. Luckily, Akita appeared to have taken it upon himself to help me out in that regard. Miyako seemed to have caught onto that as well. "Which side are you on, anyway?" She grumbled.

"The side of truth, Miyako-san." Akita said, smiling delicately. "As detectives, we have to consider all available information. And since you seem inclined to assume Kaitou Jeanne's guilt, I choose to play the role of devil's advocate."

"Of course I assume Kaitou Jeanne's guilt." Miyako said, waggling a finger. "Both Okaniwa-san and Hachiro-san declined to press charges, but the point remains that Jeanne takes things that are not hers to begin with, which in our country is against the law! And I don't expect charges to be pressed in this case either, seeing as how thoroughly she has corrupted this child!"

"Don't say such things about her!" Hiromi said hotly. "Jeanne is my hero! When I grow up, I want to be like her!" She clapped a hand over her mouth after this outburst, looking shocked, as did her parents. Miyako was scandalized, but I thought I saw Akita's lips twitch.

"If Jeanne was but a lowly thief, how could she hope to inspire such loyalty in a child?" the slight police officer asked. "All of the eyewitness accounts agree on the fact that Jeanne carried the old man back inside his house after subduing him. If she was merely interested in material gain, she would have taken her prize and left instead of helping her enemy. And while I am forced to admit that the painting she stole yesterday was indeed valuable, I fail to see what uses she could possibly have for a cheap store-bought candy box and the drawing of a child."

"Argh, damn you, Kaitou Jeanne!" Miyako burst out. "You are full of contradictions!" She hyperventilated for a few seconds before pausing, taking a deep breath and visibly calming down. "What we need is more data. We cannot hope to properly deduce Jeanne's motives from three random thefts, or two thefts and one voluntary concession of property. However, she has proven that her appearance yesterday was not a one-time event based on some whim. She is settling in to stay. She has scheduled another theft this very night, and that is where we will get our answers, even if we have to take her into custody to get them!"

She turned to me. "I'm sorry for suspecting you, Maron, but you know how it is. A detective has to consider all possibilities." She tilted her head towards Akita, and he smiled in return.

"It's all right, Miyako, I understand." I said, drawing her into a hug, feeling rotten inside for having to deceive her like this. I hope that someday, this charade will not be necessary anymore!

"We're returning to the precinct." Miyako informed everyone and strode towards the door. I picked up the box with my supplies and my school bag before I made to follow her. "There are still preparations to make for Jeanne's appearance tonight. Can you believe the gall she has, pulling three thefts in a single day? You'd think she has no life to keep her busy!"

A large sweatdrop rolled down my face as Miyako led us back downstairs, everyone following in unspoken agreement. However, she went on heedlessly. "And Akita, next time please warn me before you go pulling a stunt like this... Honestly, coming to Jeanne's defense like that..."

"Ah, but you know that we can't hand down the verdict without considering all available evidence..." Akita said, smiling as we walked down the stairs to the ground floor.

"Verdict, huh? What do you think this was, some kind of trial?" Miyako scoffed.

"Felt like one..."I muttered.

"I've always been partial to a good courtroom drama myself..." Akita said cheerfully.

"Well, thank you for taking the role of the hot-shot defense attorney on my behalf, and that of Jeanne." I said, genuinely relieved how the blond officer had helped me out back there. Akita merely gave a small bow.

"You mean you actually believe that Jeanne isn't evil, that she was helping you somehow?" Miyako asked suspiciously. I winced; this could lead to awkwardness if I didn't handle it correctly. I imagined myself as a frightened victim of possession and memory loss, trying to get into my role. "What I know is that between the time I first laid eyes upon that drawing of Hiromi's and the moment Jeanne stole it, I was not in control of my actions." I said with urgency. "I would never hurt Hiromi-chan, you have to believe that." Hiromi smiled up at me and I mussed her head affectionately.

"I don't understand what happened here..." Miyako said, sounding emotionally spent. Being unable to reconcile Jeanne's status as a thief with her apparent altruistic deeds seemed to do quite a number on her. "Nothing makes sense anymore... I can't even understand the motivations of a simple thief..." She balled a fist, speaking with fervor. "I want to fight crime, more than anything else, but I can't even tell who are the criminals!" She sniffled, turning around to look at me with tears in her eyes. "Am I really fit to be a police officer?"

"Objection!!!" Akita bellowed, suddenly spinning around and pointing at Miyako, the tip of his outstretched finger scant inches from Miyako's face. She reeled back in surprise, the sudden action shocking her out of her self-doubt. "Jeanne is anything but a simple thief." The senior officer said, dropping his stance. "I think that much has become clear from today's events. I can't think of anyone more suited to puzzling out her mysteries than you, Miyako-san."

"Akita's right!" I shouted, alarmed at how much this was devastating Miyako. I called myself her best friend, but all this time, I had massively underestimated Miyako's drive to fight evil. We each had the same goal, and yet here she was doubting herself because of my actions. I owed it to her, and to myself, to give her back her purpose! "People are depending on you to find out Jeanne's secret!" I said to her with fierce urgency. "I depend on you to find out Jeanne's secret, more than any other person on this earth!"

"Why?" Miyako asked in a broken sob, stunned at the conviction in my words, her eyes begging me to give her a reason that would satisfy her.

"Because I hate stealing as much as you do." I said fiercely. "I hate seeing what it does to you, not knowing Jeanne's motives. But please, don't hate Jeanne for it, not while you cannot prove beyond a doubt that she is evil." I could not tell Miyako the whole truth, not even now. Unless I managed to purge all doubts about the purity of Jeanne's motives – my motives – from her mind, I was too afraid that revealing my identity would destroy our friendship, would damage it more than keeping the truth ever could. However, I could tell her partial truths that nevertheless came from my heart. "I want to see evil vanquished from this world, just like you do. If Jeanne is evil, then she must be punished. However, if she's is really trying to help people, like Hiromi says she did to me today, then you cannot in good conscience arrest her; in fact, it would be your duty as a civil servant to aid her in her cause."

"But what could possibly not only excuse, but necessitate stealing, for the good of people?" Miyako asked helplessly, tears running down her face.

I pulled her into an embrace. "Ask Jeanne." I whispered into her ear, imploring her. "Ask her. You told me she stopped to taunt you, didn't you? She might not be averse to talking to you." In fact, I was reasonably certain she said nothing about stopping, but I didn't care as long as it helped my case. "You may not have to catch her to learn her motives. Ask her, and maybe she will freely tell you. If she is in fact not evil, she should not have anything to hide."

I drew back to look at Miyako's face. She looked shocked through her tears, apparently she had never even considered the possibility of just asking Jeanne. Oh Miyako, my stubborn friend.

"Thank you Maron." she said and drew me back into the hug, squeezing me fiercely. "I thought of Jeanne as my enemy, so I never considered that Jeanne might not see me as her enemy as well." She stepped back, smiling and wiping away her tears with a sleeve. "I will try your advice." She chuckled weakly. "Are you sure you don't want to join the police force together with me? We could use someone with your imagination."

"I am sure." I said, smiling. "My road to fight evil leads another way. But I can still keep you on your toes from the outside!" I grinned. "Honestly, don't doubt yourself like this. Look how far you made it on your wit and dedication alone! The police officers trust you and respect you, and I know it's not because your father is the Chief. I couldn't think of anyone better suited for police work."

"Really?" Miyako asked, hopeful.

"You,"Akira said simply, placing a hand on Miyako's shoulder and startling her, "will make a terrific police officer one day."

"... ...Thank you!" Miyako said, her eyes shining brightly. She let out a sniff, breaking into a smile. "But honestly, 'Objection'?!" She shook her head in amusement. The blond policeman grinned, the faintest blush of embarrassment appearing on his face. "You have to understand; I had to do it at least once." he said by way of explanation, chuckling. Miyako just continued to give him strange looks; apparently his explanation didn't do anything for her, either.

"Anyway, do you want us to drop you off at home?" Miyako asked me when we reached the foyer. "It'll be cramped, but we can fit you in on the back seat."

"Actually, I can't." I shook my head, having decided on my new course of action. "I still need to talk to Hiromi-chan and her parents." Hiromi's parents seemed slightly out of their depth, having watched the proceedings with mixed feelings. They were also giving their daughter tentative looks after her unexpected declaration of loyalty. They deserved an explanation.

"Well, suit yourself." Miyako shrugged. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, then. I'll let you know how tonight goes!"

I stood at the front gate, watching the two walk back to the police car where Haruta and her father were already waiting, conversing in low tones. Akita seemed to be quite embarrassed; apparently Miyako was making him tell her what his cryptic comment from earlier meant. I smiled after her wistfully for a second, then turned around to go back into the house, where Hiromi and her parents were waiting. Time to face the music.

(Miyako)

I spent much of the drive back to the precinct recounting to Dad and Haruta what had happened in the Miyasaka residence, with Akita filling in the blanks with his trademark short but concise statements. Dad was originally going to lead tonight's operation, but I convinced him that it was absolutely vital that I be allowed to try and talk to Jeanne first. We decided to go ahead with the setup we had already planned out, but all the senior policemen had orders to tell Jeanne to meet me at a pre-arranged meeting point for a parley.

The rest of the time was spent in silence. I pondered the outburst of the little girl, Hiromi. I could not even begin to speculate how Jeanne could have inspired such a strong devotion in the girl. That wasn't the response of a naïve child that has been brainwashed, but full-blown hero worship! Her reaction had taken everybody in the room by surprise; it had to have been genuine. I couldn't suppress a grin forming as I recalled the slack-jawed expressions of the girl's parents. Even they didn't see that little bombshell coming!

'I want to be like her when I grow up' – there was no greater endorsement a child could give its role model. Still, to hear that said about Jeanne defied belief. As much as I prided myself on my logical thought process and reasoning abilities, I had to admit that the girl's earnest rebuke had gone much further in putting doubts about Jeanne's motives in my mind. Akita had been right in admonishing me for dismissing it as mere brainwashing. I kicked myself for not questioning her in depth about Jeanne's motives; that part of her testimony had been rather vague, but at the time I thought nothing of it. If talking to Jeanne doesn't yield any results, I'll be back to try and talk to the girl again.

Maron, too, had surprised me with her passion. The thought of attacking a helpless little girl and remembering nothing about it seemed to have shaken her, although Hiromi had displayed no signs of suspicion or distrust towards her. Her suggestion was surprising in its simplicity, but startlingly insightful. The thought of Jeanne as anything but an enemy seemed inconceivable, but I had nothing to lose by trying to talk to her.

Also, Jeanne had seemed so cocky yesterday evening; she might end up telling me her secret agenda even if she was my enemy, because she thought I couldn't touch her. Evil masterminds had an unfortunate and well-known propensity for gloating and talking entirely too much about their plans. And if all didn't work, I still had tonight's trap to fall back on. A grim smile made its way on my face. Either way, I will know your secret tonight, Jeanne!

(Maron)

I went back inside the Miyasaka's living room, where Hiromi's parents, Fin and the girl herself were already waiting for me in the living room. Hiromi's mother looked totally out of her depth, but she appeared to be following the lead of her husband, who gave me an inquisitive look.

"I must admit I'm curious what you want to talk to us about, Kusakabe-san." Mr. Miyasaka said, sitting down and gesturing to the other end of the large, angled sofa. "This business with Kaitou Jeanne is unfortunate, and I don't pretend to understand everything that has happened in Hiromi's room just now, but it is over now. Though I would like to know what prompted my daughter to adopt Kaitou Jeanne as her new role model." He looked at Hiromi-chan with a mixture of fatherly authority and encouragement, suppressing a slight smile. Apparently now that the shock had worn off, he could see the humor inherent in the girl's sudden outburst.

Hiromi looked torn; she had promised me she would protect my secret, but she didn't want to lie to her parents. There was no easy way to explain why she would suddenly idolize Kaitou Jeanne. It hardened my resolve that the path I had chosen to take was the right one. Merely deceiving people was one thing, but I would not let my lies stand between other people; I would not drive a wedge between family. Hiromi looked at me helplessly, sealing my decision; the fact that she turned to me for advice on how to answer this question had to speak volumes to her parents. Fin looked worried, but nodded to me, both deferring to my judgment and letting me know that I brought this unto myself, so the fallout was mine to deal with as well.

"Miyasaka-san," I began, "I appear to have involved your daughter into something that is bigger than her – but I have to say helped me willingly. She has been a great friend over the short time I know her." I gave Hiromi a fond look, promptly defusing her outrage at the insinuation of not being grown-up enough to help me.

"I do not understand; my daughter said you tried to attack her, but the circumstances under which this happened are very unclear, and she appears to bear you no grudge, so I am willing to look past that. Is this about you saving my daughter's life? Have you already thought of a way to call in the favor the Miyasaka family owes you?"

I shook my head. "Your daughter has already repaid that debt in full; she saved my life as I know it just as surely during that interrogation in her room as I saved hers this morning." I took out the rosary from my pocket and held it up, displaying it for everyone to see. "You see, it's me." I said. "I'm Kaitou Jeanne."

For several endless seconds the parents just stared at the object in my hands. Mrs. Miyasaka's mouth was open, her hand raised to her chest in a classic 'oh my' gesture. Mr. Miyasaka just stared at me, uncomprehending. "Then that," he began hesitantly, indicating the direction of Hiromi's room, "that was... just a show?"

"Yes." I said, grimacing. "It was a play, put on with your daughter's help, to hide my identity from my best friend Miyako. She is not ready to believe the truth. But you are inclined to believe me because I saved Hiromi's life. Funny how that goes further than years of being best friends..." I smiled sadly for a moment, but quickly pressed on.

"To understand your daughter and why she would defend Kaitou Jeanne so fiercely, you have to understand what Jeanne is. "I smiled at Hiromi-chan. "You see, Hiromi doesn't want to be a thief. She wants to be a magical girl. Because that's what I am."

Mr. Miyasaka just continued to stare at me, then turned to his daughter, who nodded in answer to his unspoken question, blushing with embarrassment. "You're serious..." he said, struggling with the enormity.

"I don't fault you for not believing me. I'd want to see proof as well." I said. I turned to Fin. "Hey Fin, does the official handbook have any procedures about how to handle this? A demonstration of power or something?"

Fin shook her head. "We're operating outside the scope of any guideline here. You've shot every last prediction and estimation of progress all the way to hell." She chuckled suddenly. "Which is pretty funny when you consider whose predictions we are talking about here..."

"Excuse me..." Mr. Miyasaka said. "But who are you talking to?"

"Oh, sorry." I said, turning back to Hiromi's father. "I'm talking to my partner Fin. She's an angel, a being of the spiritual world. Only people attuned with the spiritual or those without prejudice can see her." I shot her a playful grin. "Apparently there were no cute animal sidekicks, so I got her instead."

"What!?" Fin screeched with outrage. "I'm not some kind of cute animal reject! Don't make me hurt you again! Or, if this is about that squirrel again..." She trailed off threateningly.

I stepped back, grinning nervously and raising my hands to ward off Fin's wrath. Out of the corner I could see Hiromi's grin as she watched Fin advance on me. "Fin, it's that magical girl thing I told you about. I'll tell you all about it when we get home." I shrugged in apology to the Miyasakas. "Fin-chan here missed her seminar on Human Popular Culture 101..."

"Maron!" Tears welled up in the angel's eyes and I realized I had gone too far. "I'm too young to know about such things! I spent very little time on this world, and the missions didn't leave me a lot of time to look around!"

"Fin, I'm sorry." I said, crestfallen. "I didn't think about that... It's not your fault, I don't know anything about how they do things in Heaven either. Please Fin, let me teach you. I don't want a cute animal sidekick; I want you." I gathered her up against my chest, sitting down with her on the couch next to Hiromi-chan, who immediately started comforting the angel by stroking her arm lightly.

"I think I believe you." Hiromi's father said softly. "I'm not attuned with the spiritual, and I must admit I am a little prejudiced in that regard. Many of us stop believing in the supernatural at a young age. But that clearly looked like a conversation to me, even if I only saw and heard half of it. Let's give your friend a little time."

I nodded gratefully. "You see, in a way, it was Kaitou Jeanne who saved your daughter this morning, and that is why she defended her, defended me, so fiercely in that room. I had to reveal myself to her to be able to save her this morning." I shook my head. "I was on the ledge above the road where you found us. I had to jump down to reach Hiromi in time so I could save her."

"But that's a drop of twenty feet or more!" the girl's mother objected.

"Exactly. Without the powers of Jeanne d'Arc, I would not have survived that jump still able to intercept Hiromi on her bike afterwards. You all saw the picture of Kaitou Jeanne in the newspaper. Hiromi saw my hair turn back to brown after I finished saving her. So I had to tell her my secret."

"That explains a lot." Miyasaka-san said, seeing the events of the last day in new light. "Actually, did you say Jeanne d'Arc? The French war heroine?"

"Yeah, that's me. Or actually, I'm supposed to be her reincarnation now." I frowned. "Am I the only person on this earth who didn't know who Jeanne d'Arc was before I started this?" I grumbled.

Fin giggled from her place on my chest. "Oh Maron, that is exactly how I felt."

"Fin..." I said, gently patting her back. "We'll have a long talk this evening, when we're done with the other job. We'll just have to finish it quickly!"

"What exactly is it that you do, as... as a magical girl, I suppose?"

"I hunt demons." I explained. Seeing his skeptical look, I laughed. "It should not be that difficult to believe after accepting the whole magical girl thing. But I have proof. Tell me, Miyasaka-san, how well do you know your neighbor, Hachiro-san?"

"I thought I knew him well." Hiromi's father said, shaking his head. "He was a pleasant old man and a good person to watch over Hiromi-chan on occasion. Until a few weeks ago, when he suddenly became became unfriendly and ill-tempered. I didn't like the way he looked at Hiromi-chan, so we broke off all contact."

"Hachiro-san had been possessed by a demon." I explained. "He wasn't himself these last weeks. You saw the candy box he was carrying around all the time, didn't you?" He nodded. "That was where the demon hid, and that's why it had to disappear. The demons hide in objects and works of art, waiting until a person comes by that appreciates the object's beauty. When I seal them, the object disappears along with the demon. Of course it looks like theft to the police."

"I really want that to be true..." Miyasaka-san said. "The old Hachiro-san was a good person. You said you had proof?"

"I have." I confirmed. "Go visit him later. He's already back to normal, although he'll likely be embarrassed by the state his house is in; apparently the demon didn't take to household work too well. You can also ask the neighbors; according to police, several people saw us fighting on the streets. It was a difficult battle; an elderly man alone would not pose much of a challenge even if I didn't have any special powers myself."

I paused, reaching into my pocked. "There's something else. I know who was responsible for the attempt on your daughter's life. The torn cable looked suspicious, didn't it?" He nodded in agreement and I presented the scrap of rubber from the brake cable cover. "I found this in the old man's house; the demon carelessly dropped it among the debris. He must have gripped the cable and torn it apart through brute force, ripping off this piece."

"Whaaaat!?" Fin shrieked, shooting up from her place on my chest. She looked very agitated, her tears completely forgotten. "That's highly irregular!" she protested. "I know very little about Immortal Law, the set of rules that governs our interactions with the human world, but no demon should be able to get away with directly threatening the life of a human!"

"You are serious?" I asked Fin, and she nodded, furious. She looked like she had been told that the sun wouldn't go up the next morning or that gravity had been turned off; that the very laws of nature had been rendered obsolete. "The demon didn't actually attempt to kill Hiromi himself." I reasoned. "It could argue that it was Hiromi's choice to use the bike and skate past the law, couldn't it?"

But Fin shook her head. "That's not how it works. The Law acts autonomously, punishing not preventively, but instantly, and it's very specific about things like this. Even a novice like me knows that what you described is far outside the realm of what interference is tolerated from spiritual constructs like demons." So that 'Immortal Law' is a law of nature after all. No wonder the thought that it failed is inconceivable to Fin...

"I will have to report this." The angel continued. "If the Law itself is failing to uphold justice, it would be disastrous!" Completely ignoring her surroundings, Fin fired a wide-angle beam of light into the air. Similar to when she had conjured a mirror for me, it 'impacted' on a solid surface of air a short distance from her body. This time, though, a strange surface of moving and shifting runes was visible. The cryptic symbols constantly moved in and out of the small window's circumference. Fin didn't appear to be doing anything else, but after a few seconds, she closed the circle. "There. I won't forget to do it later now."

"That was your report?" I asked, and Fin nodded. "Did you already submit it?"

"No." Fin shook her head. "I do have to visit to deliver it. Long-range communications are possible, but are vulnerable to being detected and overheard. If the agents of Maou-sama knew that there was something wrong with the Law, there would be no stopping them!"

I gulped, imagining possessed people running around indiscriminately assaulting and killing people with their brutal strength and devastating ranged attacks; again I seemed to have stumbled upon something that was vastly bigger than I. But there was nothing else I could do about it at the moment. I did have a few requests I wanted Fin to pass through to 'above', but I would tell her about those after we were done tonight. "There are some things we need to talk about before you hand in that report." I told Fin. "Don't leave for Heaven without warning me, okay?"

Fin smiled. "I would not leave without saying goodbye to you, Maron, not even for a day."

"Thanks, Fin." I smiled at her.

A few seconds passed before Mr. Miyasaka spoke up again. "You gave my daughter that notice card..." he said, hesitating. "Can you explain what that is about? Or was it just a part of this so-called play you put on?"

"I did have to take Hiromi's drawing; there was a demon in it as well." I explained. "Obviously it was not me that was possessed; it attempted to possess Hiromi-chan instead. I took the piece of paper the drawing was on and sealed it away before it actually could, though."

"I felt it, Papa." Hiromi turned to him, thinking back. "I could feel it trying to take hold. I... I think it would have, if Onee-chan hadn't interrupted it."

"Then you have saved Hiromi's life twice over." Mr. Miyasaka stated. "You convinced me of your sincerity. I plan to visit Hachiro-san and the neighbors to confirm that what you said is true, though I expect to find everything as you say." He paused and looked straight at me. "But why did you reveal yourself like this? I understand you went through an elaborate ploy to hide it from your friend, but you just came out and told us of your own free will. Why?"

"Because you could not have understood why Hiromi idolizes Jeanne, and you could not have understood why she did not want to explain it." I shook my head. "It would have driven a wedge in this family, and I will not stand for that.

"I also told you because I had a chance to convince you. I could give you ample and verifiable proof, and I already had your trust. I saved your daughter's life; it did not matter to you that I am also Jeanne." I let out a regretful sigh. "With Miyako, it's not that easy. If I don't convince her that I'm not making objects disappear for evil or selfish reasons before I reveal myself, I fear it will irreparably damage our friendship. She will give some credence to what Jeanne herself says, because while she hates her enemies, she also respects them. But if I reveal myself before clearing Jeanne's name in her mind, her preconceptions about Jeanne's evil nature will immediately begin to color her perception of me. And I'm not willing to take that risk."

"I suppose that is your judgment call to make." Mr. Miyasaka said thoughtfully. "You know your friend better than I do, after all. I will endeavor to keep your secret, for as long as it does not threaten my family."

"I would ask no more of you." I said, glad that was out of the way. My gamble appeared to have paid off. "I do not know whether Hiromi will be attacked specifically because she showed her support for me, but I marked her as my own; she will be protected."

"You marked her?" he asked, sounding slightly alarmed. "In what way?"

Acting without any directions from me, Fin flew forward and shone a beam of light on Hiromi's forehead. The cross symbol glowed on her forehead, and if the gasps were any indication, it was visible to the girl's parent's. "I don't know what it does exactly; it was an instinct that led me to do this. But I know that I have taken up responsibility for her safety. No demon will possess her again, and if she ever comes near one again, I will know and I will be there to defend her."

"So... you are not recruiting her to hunt demons with you?" he asked, trying to reassure himself.

"No, I'm definitely not recruiting her right now. You understand that, don't you?" I asked Hiromi. "If I find out you are going out on your own looking for trouble, then I'll have to come and set you straight myself." I told her sternly. "This mark allows me to keep you safe; it does not enable you to fight demons."

"I told you, I don't want to be mean and creepy like Oji-san!" Hiromi said.with a grin, though her look quickly turned earnest. "I don't want to fight demons... I've felt it, I can't do it yet. You'll just have to find another way to let me help!"

"I will." I promised, hugging her. "At the moment, you can help me best by growing up and being happy. Also, every day, you can keep your eyes open for people who seem like they may be possessed. If you do not get too close, nobody will pay attention to a little girl."

"And you'll still be my friend, right?" the girl asked eagerly.

"I'll always be your friend." I confirmed. I was pleasantly surprised how easily the girl accepted my words of caution. I half-expected to have to try to prevent her from running off and doing something rash.

"Great!" Hiromi said, smiling happily. "I'll grow up, and then when an angel comes to me someday, I can help you fight, too!"

I grinned helplessly at her parents, but they were smiling softly. "This looking for demons is not really dangerous, is it?" Hiromi's father asked.

"No. It's just looking for other people whose personality suddenly changed for the worse. I can detect them when I get close enough, and Fin has a way of searching for them, but it's slow. Fin said it may take several days to find one. If you know of someone else who has suddenly changed and seems to be fixated on a particular piece of art or other object, please let me know."

He pondered this for a moment. "I can't think of anyone like that right now, but I will keep my eyes open."

"Fair enough." I said, relieved. "Three in one day is really enough for me. That reminds me, I really need to get going. There is another person who needs my help tonight, and Miyako is expecting me as well."

"And you do all of this on the side?" he asked in disbelief. I nodded. "Kids these days..." he muttered, shaking his head.

I quickly made my goodbyes. Hiromi said she would drop by at practice again tomorrow, and Mr. Miyasaka reminded me that his offer of assistance still stood. Refusing his earnest gratitude would be extremly rude, and who knew what kind of help I might need at some point, so I promised to keep it in mind.

A moment later I was standing outside again, Fin by my side, catching the last rays of the evening sun. The angel let out a deep breath, trying to shake off the effects of the emotional rollercoaster that were the last couple of hours. "Oh Maron, you get into so much trouble." she said, shaking her head as I started walking, looking for a place where I could grab a quick bite to eat. It would be neither logical nor practical for me to return home before I finished the last recovery for today, but I was not going to do it on an empty stomach. The Miyasakas would probably have invited me to stay for dinner, but I didn't want to tax their hospitality more than necessary, and I needed to get this over with quickly. I was running on a tight schedule if I wanted to catch some sleep tonight.

"Where's our last target for tonight?" I let Fin describe the location to me. "That's on the other end of the town! If I walk there, it'll take me over an hour!" I shook my head. "We don't have that kind of time to waste today; can't I transform and go over the rooftops or something?"

"You'll be spotted." Fin warned, gesturing around her. "It's still light out here and there are plenty of people walking the streets. The police will probably know you are on the move."

"That works to my advantage today." I said, grinning confidently. "I want to have my little chat with Miyako. Besides, I already blew all secrecy I might have had when I decided to fight in full view of the neighbors." My smile turned to a frown. "Was that really a smart decision?"

"You can answer that yourself." Fin said. "I saw part of your fight, how you evaded the pressure blasts. You got tagged only once or twice. Now imagine yourself fighting him inside the house."

I pictured the minefield that was Mr. Hachiro's floor and grimaced. Even with Jeanne's sure footing, I'd have spent half of my attention on where to step or land. "It would have been a slaughter. I'm not sure if I would have come up with that Vow of Chastity if he had overwhelmed me right away."

"Well, there you have it." Fin said. "You made the best decision you could have." She grinned. "It was my advice, after all!"

"Oh Fin." I said, grinning at her fondly. "Well, let's find us a quiet place for me to transform."

It took a couple of minutes to find one of those conveniently deserted alleyways that, in fiction, always seemed to be right around the next corner when there was a need for the heroine to transform. I had just pulled my rosary from my pocket to hold out to Fin when there was a loud clatter. I jumped and nervously hid the rosary behind my back, turning around to face the source of the noise.

"Meow." I sweatdropped as I watched a cat work its way out from under some pieces of debris. It gave the two of us an inscrutable stare before it slowly stalked off into another direction. Sighing, I held out the rosary to Fin again. "This is the second time today." I commented as she shot her beam of light at it, powering it up. "How often can you do this a day?"

"I've recovered most of my power since the last time." Fin said, having finished. "I could probably do two in a short timespan, but then I'd be pretty much spent."

"Well then, let's do this." I closed my eyes, holding the rosary to my chest. "Jeanne d'Arc... Lend me your strength...!"

Pink fire enveloped my form and I could feel the exhaustion of the day melt away and my dangerously low energy levels being refilled. I pushed myself off the ground, the jump carrying me well above the rooftops as the magic finished forming my costume and dispersed. I'm so glad this transformation sequence was created by someone with a sense for practicality! I thought cheerfully as I landed on the roof of some house.

Fin floated up from the alleyway to join me. She started to say something, but was immediately interrupted by a massive growl coming from my stomach. I blushed in embarrassment. Surely this must have been audible on the streets below... "...I feel even more hungry than before..." I moaned.

Fin shook her head in exasperation. "What did you expect where the energy you throw around all day long comes from?" she asked rhetorically. "Did you think that pitiful burst of magic I charged the rosary with was enough for such a powerful change? Of course it makes you hungry if you use your power!"

"Pitiful?" I frowned. "Fin, you really shouldn't put yourself down so much."

"It's not pitiful compared to a normal human, but in your transformed state, you have easily thrice my reserves... And the other angels..." Fin trailed off sadly.

My frown deepened. This simply wouldn't do. It was another thing I added to the list of things to talk to Fin about before she went to report. Still... "It's not your fault, Fin, and a third of Jeanne's power is still a lot. I felt how small my power is when I'm not transformed, it's next to nothing."

"You did magic while untransformed?" Fin asked, shocked.

I told Fin how I stopped the gymnastics ball in mid-air. "That took a lot of effort. I'm not sure I could have done it again immediately afterwards. But the Vow of Chastity was a really powerful bit of magic and it took just as much out of me."

Fin looked a bit cheered, but I had to endure another lecture about the dangers of magical overextension. I had to promise to watch my magic usage in the future and to refrain from using my powers while untransformed if at all possible.

A renewed growling noise quickly reminded me of my more immediate hunger problem, though. "This is no good." I said. "At this rate, I'll faint halfway through my talk with Miyako." I bounded towards the edge of the rooftop with two steps, reorienting myself and trying to figure out where I could get my hands on something edible which I could devour en route to my new destination.

A bakery two streets further down my path caught my eye. This should do. I thought, jumping down from the roof and ignoring the startled gasp of one nearby passant. Get in, buy food, move on.

Naturally, Fin didn't think so. "Maron, what are you doing? You can't go out into the public like this!" she protested.

"Watch me." I grinned, pushing the door open and stepping inside. Fin didn't want to stay behind, so she had no choice but to follow me. There was no waiting line, so I stepped right up to the counter. The salesman eyed my getup curiously, but professionalism won out and he didn't comment on it, asking what I wanted. "Three of those!" I said confidently, pointing at a type of chocolate-filled croissant. "And one of those!" I added after a moment's deliberation, pointing out another delicacy which I couldn't name, but was covered with a sinful amount of sugary glaze. No more watching my figure! I crowed silently, watching with great satisfaction as my purchases were rung up and placed in a paper bag. Damn, I knew this job had perks!

The problems began when it was time to pay up. I had had my purse with me, but my school bag and the small blue carrying case were conspicuous in their absence, having disappeared during the transformation. The only thing my pockets contained was the Petit Claire. "I think I've seen your face somewhere before..." the clerk murmured, scratching his chin. He must be a less than diligent reader of the newspaper... I thought, digging around in the deep, rather thief-like pockets in my sleeves to buy some time. Fin! I called out mentally. Where's my stuff? My money's in that little box!

It's in storage, so it won't bother you while you are sneaking around or fighting. Fin explained. You can access everything with your Petit Claire. Just concentrate on any single item and summon it forth, just like when you conjure something. The only difference is that it won't drain your energy.

Any single item, huh? I asked, relieved that I could get at my stuff while transformed. Whoever had set up this whole system had really thought of everything! I held out the Petit Claire and concentrated, calling forth single coins directly from my purse. One by one, they dropped into the hand I held below the slightly tilted crystal.

"That's an interesting purse." The shopkeeper commented, his eyes latched onto the device.

"It's an experimental model!" I assured him, sweatdropping and giggling nervously. "Not available to the public yet!" I dropped the exact amount of money I owed on the counter and grabbed the bag with the goodies. Turning around, I made to leave the store, but the door opened, admitting another customer. I hadn't seen the middle-aged man before, but his face lit up with recognition immediately. "Kaitou Jeanne?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Adieu!" I said, grinning and waving at him as I swiftly stepped through the door he was holding open in his astonishment. "That was Kaitou Jeanne!" he yelled, but I was already outside, jumping on the store's roof and traveling quickly into the direction where Miyako was waiting for me, Fin following after me. The angel was rather cross with me, but a large chunk broken off from my croissant went a long way in placating her. I shook my head in amazement as I watched her wolf down the piece of pastry that was larger than her torso in about the same time as I did mine. She's a greater glutton than I'll ever be... I thought as I watched the display with a sense of surreality. It was a humbling experience.

"Miyako, here I come!" I exclaimed, speeding up my pace while taking out the second croissant. "To seal away your doubts!"

The Turnabout Timeline: This timeline is one of the two or three final timelines this AU universe will have. Each one will follow a different course and will be a complete story in itself, with the beginning that is common to all of them. The Turnabout Timeline is characterized by a few small but significant decisions that soon cause events to accelerate out of control, causing unexpected reversals in more than one regard. You may consider it a non-romantic Maron/Miyako pairing.

Miyako & Jeanne's identity: I see Maron's problem as very simple: She does not want to keep secrets from her best friend, but as long as Miyako thinks Jeanne is evil, revealing herself will cause those thoughts to spill over into her perception of Maron. One could argue how much of Miyako's reaction in the second-to-last episode of the anime was the feeling of betrayal because she thought Maron had to be evil, the feeling of betrayal from keeping the secret, or the demon, but I believe the 'secret-keeping betrayal' aspect is the lowest of the three. Thus, all Maron has to do is to convince Miyako of Jeanne's righteousness. Once that is accomplished, she has no reason to hide the truth from Miyako any longer.

Maron's transformation: Unlike many of her magical girl colleagues, Maron isn't plagued by a naked whirly light show that doesn't do much else other than looking pretty for the perverts. Maron's transformation heals her injuries, rejuvenates her magical power and gives her a short boost of improved mobility. The transformation even adapts to her surroundings. In episodes where there's not enough space, the wings don't appear, but in one episode, the pink wings stage of the transformation stays on a while longer so she can use them to fly somewhere a short distance away.

Like the idea of multiple timelines? Don't like? A few small decisions of some of my characters had some unintended consequences that caused several key events on my outline to crumble to dust and others to advance vastly towards the front of it. But I also liked this section and where it was going; I didn't want to toss it. So I decided to introduce a divergence point and write the story in two different directions, enabling me to have my cake and eat it too!

I'll try to have the timelines be identical before the divergence point between chapters 4 and 5, but if this threatens to turn out too similar to the main timeline and thus boring, I reserve the right to introduce new, retroactive changes that don't invalidate anything that happens in chapter 1 to chapter 4, but change other factors further in the past or in the general world setup. If I ever need to take this step, you, my faithful readers, will be forewarned.

I anticipate one other point where I may split off the timeline, but that's further away still, and I may or may not make it an entirely different story. It is too soon for me to make that decision. Suffice to say it is something that I haven't seen attempted before and I doubt I ever shall, even if the stories in this category suddenly multiply by ten...

Look forward to Chapter 6 (T): Coming Clean!

Quizer