Theft of Heart

by Quizer

What if Chiaki didn't know of Maron's double identity from the start? What if he never had to keep secrets from her? Follow the development of their relationship in this alternate storyline that starts when Fin and Access first come to Earth. NO EVIL FIN!

3. Chapter 03

Hello folks! Here is finally the long overdue new chapter. It took ages, but I hope the fact that it's more than twice as long as the last one makes up for it! Enjoy!

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Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne
Theft of Heart

Chapter 3: The First Recovery

(Maron)

Throughout the entire morning, I was hardly able to think of something else than Fin and all the things she had told me, and, of course, the objects she had conjured for me out of thin air. I didn't dare to take them out during class, but I kept fingering them inside my skirt pocket. Suddenly I found all of this very exciting, and I almost found myself wishing Fin would return soon, telling me she had discovered a demon. I just hope they aren't too tough…

I was abruptly yanked back into reality by a question of Pakkyamlamao-sensei, who had obviously noticed my lack of focus and pounced on the opportunity. Unfortunately I had been too immersed in my own thoughts to pay any attention to the lesson. "Um… What was the question again?" I asked sheepishly. I could virtually see Miyako rolling her eyes, even though she sat at the desk behind me. Glancing at the blackboard, I realized that the arithmetical problem displayed there was too difficult for me to answer after having dozed off for most of the lesson.

Luckily, I was saved by the sound of the bell from further embarrassing myself. I dashed out and went straight for the girls' bathroom. After confirming that it was completely deserted, I locked myself into a cubicle and pulled out the Petit Claire. "Fin? Are you there?"

Remembering what she told me, I pressed the red gemstone with the cross design on it. It didn't budge, and nothing happened. I pressed it again, with more force this time, but there was still no reaction. Just when I started wondering if this thing worked at all, Fin's face finally appeared in the large rose crystal. "Maron! Did something happen? Did you find something?"

"No, I just wanted to talk to you." I grinned sheepishly as Fin wiped imaginary drops of sweat from her forehead. "Sorry if I startled you. Did you find anything?"

The angel shook her head. "Not a trace yet."

I sighed. "I'm bored out of my head here… I was hoping that if you found something, I could make up some lame excuse, skip school and do something exciting instead!"

"I didn't know you were THAT eager to go against rules…" smirked Fin.

Before I could say something in return, I heard the closet door open, letting the noise generated by the mass of chattering students into this secluded space. I motioned for Fin to be silent as footsteps drew near. "Maron?! Are you in there?"

I resisted the urge to groan. Standing right in front of my cubicle was Miyako, hands on her hips and a disapproving scowl on her face – which I couldn't currently see because of the door between us, but I knew it was there regardless.

"Stop pretending, I know it's you in there!" she said. I gave Fin an exasperated look; she seemed halfway sympathetic, but at the same time she clearly thought this was funny. Quietly I lifted my feet, so Miyako wouldn't be able to recognize me by looking through the gap under the door.

"Get out there now, Maron, I can see your shoes!" she announced loudly.

"Liar!" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

"A-HA!! So you ARE in there!!" she said triumphantly. I threw an apologetic look at Fin and mouthed 'sorry' at her before I pocketed the device.

"And what's wrong with that?!" I asked, unlocking and opening the door. "Can't a girl have some privacy once in a while?!"

"Of course not!! Heaven only knows what kind of ploys and schemes you could cook up if I leave you out of my sight for mere seconds!!! What were you doing in there anyway?!"

"What could I probably have been doing on the LOO?!" I yelled into her face which started looking slightly less suspicious by now. I washed my hands to keep up the charade and proceeded to drag her out and back towards the classroom. "Honestly, sometimes I wonder if you let all that detective work get to your head too much…"

"Well, I never know what you're up to!" she defended herself. "It is rather unusual for you to rush to the bathroom after the first lesson, and I certainly don't have to remind you of that time when–"

"No, you don't." I said firmly. "But I'm not that desperate right now, even though I should be; we've got French next!"

"You better watch out, because if you get yourself into detention again, I'm sooo not going to wait for you next time!!"

When we arrived back at the classroom, both of us reclaimed our usual seats and waited for Pakkyamlamao-sensei to return, which she did right on time, as always. As she strode back to her position in front of the class, she let loose a French 'good morning', which sounded way too cheerful for my tastes. I had trouble understanding the next jumble of words, but from those parts I did get and from the collective groans of my classmates I figured that she was announcing some kind of vocabulary test, which was confirmed a second later by frenzied whispers all around me.

I gulped as I met the stare of our teacher, which was directed at me and held a dangerous gleam. Readying myself for a difficult forty-five minutes, I barely managed to answer some of the questions she shot at the class; the fact that she was picking me far more often than she usually did surprised me very little after the look she had given me.

Unfortunately, the ordeal continued throughout the next couple of lessons which she taught as well. By the time it was lunch I was feeling jumpy, exhausted and emotionally drained. Even Miyako glanced sympathetically at me as we finally left the classroom for good, at least for today. "I bet it was the flowers…" she said.

"Huh?" I asked numbly, not really knowing what she was on about.

"Well, I don't believe you lucking out at the end of that lesson alone could make her that mad…" she elaborated. "So my theory is that she needed to vent her anger on someone, which just happened to be you!"

"Lucky me…" I muttered. "And there I thought that stupid bell saved me…"

"Cheer up!" Miyako said lightheartedly. "Chances are, tomorrow she'll have forgotten about it and she'll find herself a new victim…"

A quick lunch replenished some of my stamina, although I had to put up with the constant reprimands of Miyako, who was apparently worried about my athletic figure. "If you keep gorging yourself like that, you'll grow even fatter than you are already and you won't be able to participate in gymnastic competitions anymore! Not that that's a bad thing for me, but as a friend, I'm still worried about you…" She paused as she noticed I was looking at her in disbelief.

"Fat?! Me!?! It's yourself you should be worried about!!" I threw a pointed look at her midsection. "Ever wondered if maybe there is a reason why you came in third that last time?! When was the last time you had a good look at yourself in the mirror? Did it burst when you stepped in front of it?!" I paused, thinking. "You know, I bet it's because you worry too much about insignificant things, like rules, for example. All that stress has got to take its toll somewhere…"

Bickering like children, we moved on to our daily gymnastics practice. The familiar motions and exercises helped me calm down and mentally recover from this morning's tribulations. Time literally flew by and before I knew it, practice had passed and we were on our way home.

"Now we'll see if that guy from this morning actually did as he said and cleared out those boxes…" Miyako said with a challenging grin as we drew closer to the apartment building that we both called our home. "If I find a trace of cardboard left in the hallway, I'll hunt him down myself and then he'll regret messing with me, Toudaiji Miyako, the future head of the Momokuri Police force!!!"

I had to fight a blush as I recalled the encounter from this morning and I was glad Miyako was too caught up in her justice speech to notice. It felt so strange, being held like that… but definitely in a nice way. I don't think I'd mind meeting him again… I sighed. Oh, who am I kidding?! I want him to hold me like that again, that's what… Embarrassed, I looked around, but Miyako was gone. Apparently she had entered the elevator on her own already.

Turning right, I faced the rows of mailboxes. Maybe today there's something…? I thought as I carefully opened the hatch, only to find it empty, as usual. Well, one can always hope… I tried to console myself as I dejectedly closed it again and made my way towards the elevator.

When I stepped outside a couple of floors higher, I spotted Miyako right away. She was running towards me at high speed, waving through the air some kind of card that was roughly the size of a postcard. Her grin immediately made me forget all my troubles as I wondered what could probably excite my friend that much all of a sudden. Can't think of anything, unless it has to do with her detective work again – which it probably has…

"Hey Maron, look what just came in!!" she said as she skidded to a stop in front of me, thrusting the card in my direction. "It's a notice card!"

"Huh?" I took the card from her outstretched hand. It was adorned with ribbon-like designs around the corners and the kanji were precisely and exquisitely drawn, making the whole thing look way sophisticated. It read:

Notice:

To Okaniwa-sama

Tonight, before the clock strikes twelve, the beauty of the 'Warrior of Fortune'
will be mine.

I glanced up from the card, giving Miyako a confused look. "What is a 'Warrior of Fortune'?" I asked, perplexed.

Miyako groaned in frustration at my obvious ignorance. "It's a painting of some sort. You DO know that paintings, especially famous ones, are given names, right?!"

"I suppose that means they want to steal it, then…" I said, slowly grasping what this notice was about. My friend nodded, still looking very excited. "Uh-huh. This was sent straight to that Okaniwa fellow. Reported having found it suddenly lying on the table, in plain view."

"What kind of person would publicly announce their own crime, BEFORE committing it?!" I asked incredulously.

Miyako scratched her chin in thought. "Well, they'd have to be incredibly dense, insane, or overly self-confident. Or just plain suicidal. Considering how it's signed, I'm kinda torn between the latter two…" She snorted. "Honestly, who has ever heard of a suicide thief?!"

Puzzled, I looked back at the card to check out the signature – and froze.

Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne

Time seemed to grind to a stop temporarily as my mind slowly registered what this meant. That notice is from me!!! Or rather, from my newly acquired alter ego… But I never wrote a card like that, let alone sending it!!! This can mean only one thing – Fin!!!

Oblivious to my inner turmoil, Miyako continued talking. "Dad said he hasn't ever heard of this 'Kaitou Jeanne' before. He thinks it might be a hoax, but he has given me leave to investigate this on my own and arrest her, if she actually turns up. My trap might be put to good use after all…" She winked and grinned. "Well, I gotta go. Start preparing, you know…"

I mechanically handed her the card back, but she shook her head. "Nah, I won't be needing that. I checked for fingerprints already, there are none. But if she's there, I'll catch her anyway, so it doesn't matter. Well, see you tomorrow!!!"

With that, she exited through the elevator and left me standing in the hall, feeling thoroughly dumbfounded. When I finally shook off my stupor, I unlocked the door to my apartment and entered, switching on the lights. I placed the card on a dresser and lazily stripped out of my school uniform, allowing myself a small moment of peace. That was cut short, however, when suddenly the bathroom door opened and Fin came flying out. "Hi, Maron-chan!!" she exclaimed cheerfully, floating towards me.

Deciding to get straight to the point, I grabbed the notice card and all but shoved it into her face. "What is the meaning of THIS?!" I demanded, causing Fin to stop dead in her tracks, a nervous grin growing on her face as I recounted the encounter in the hallway. "Why did you have to inform the whole world, including my friend Miyako, that I'm going to have to steal a world famous painting!?!" I paused, thinking about that last part. "Well, maybe not that famous, since I've never heard of it before, but that's beside the point!!"

"Well, um… er…" Fin stuttered, eyeing the card nervously. "The truth is, I don't really know either – the guys up there told me to do it, though!" she added hastily as my eyes narrowed. "Maybe it's some kind of mandatory procedure, to legalize the whole thing before Immortal Law… I can't really say, though; I don't know the next thing about Immortal Law. I've just been to the Strengthening Ritual once…" She stopped babbling and looked up at me with her big green eyes. "Are you mad?"

I sighed, then shook my head. "It's impossible to stay mad at you for long." I admitted with a wry grin. "But I do wish you'd told me beforehand. It was quite a shock to learn my plans for this evening from an unsuspecting Miyako…"

"Well, you seemed pretty eager when you talked to me at school this morning, so I thought I'd not waste any time… I deliberately chose midnight as the time limit so we would have ample time to prepare…"

"What?!" I interrupted while I slipped into my casual set of clothes. "You mean I actually have to be on time?!"

"Oh, nothing bad will happen if you don't keep your appointment, but we don't want to disappoint your friend now, do we?" she teased, floating obnoxiously close to my ear. "From what I gathered, she seemed pretty eager to catch you…"

I laughed and aimed a playful swat at her, which she dodged with a giggle. "I'm not just going to let her though!" Growing more serious again, I said: "Miyako's dad apparently thinks the notice is a fraud or some kind of bad joke, but Miyako seemed quite serious about it. Then again, she's serious about almost everything, but I still can't help but wonder… Will I be okay?"

"Don't worry too much." Fin said reassuringly, seating herself on top of my head and making herself comfortable. "Even if she takes that notice at face value, she'll still expect a regular if conceited thief. Which you aren't. If you do it right, she won't know what hit her…" She winked. "You'll know what I mean after the transformation, but let's get to the place first. You can't be seen skulking around as Jeanne here…"

"A transformation?" I asked curiously as I fixed myself a small snack. "You mean I'll be wearing disguise?"

"No, no, your body will change for real…" Fin said, floating down and taking an enormous bite out of the miniature sandwich I had prepared for her. "I'm looking forward to seeing it myelf. Lets go, shall we?" She shoved the other half in her mouth and floated over to the apartment door. I stared at her in disbelief for one second, then shrugged and followed her, grabbing my own sandwich. "Will I look like Jeanne d'Arc from five hundred years ago?" I asked as we strode over to the elevator. I had to suppress a laugh when Fin tackled the elevator button that would take us to the ground floor, ramming into it with her shoulder. "No…" she said, shaking her head. "Your own appearance will be… factored in as well. You'll look like an entirely new person. You might resemble your usual self a bit, but not enough for anyone to actually recognize you…"

I let Fin lead the way and simply followed where she flew, munching on my sandwich and just enjoying the evening breeze. Along the way, we passed an intersection that uncannily resembled the one I passed in my dream this morning, but I was reassured by the fact that snow and ice were nowhere to be seen. I shrugged off the feeling and increased my pace, hurrying after Fin.

The sun had already set when the angel finally stopped. "It's the big house over there." she said, pointing at the far end of the street. "The target is on the third floor. I'll guide you to the exact location once we're in…"

"Did you scout out the perimeter of the building?" I asked her. "I'm not going to just walk down the street, Miyako is out there somewhere. She once told me that more than fifty percent of today's housebreakers actually approach their target by the front door…" Wondering if they had binoculars, I quickly disappeared into an alleyway. Might be a worthwhile investment for me, too if I am going to make a habit out of this…

Fin nodded in understanding. "Follow me." While we circled around the mansion, keeping a good distance, Fin explained the layout of the building. "A stone wall surrounds the entire structure and the garden that belongs to it. It's about eight feet high, you should be able to jump that with ease… You should probably watch out for the spikes on top, though…" She trailed off when she noticed the incredulous look I was given her.

"Eight feet?! You've gotta be kidding. I'm good, but not that good…"

"Oh, you can do even better than that…" Fin grinned. "You just don't know it yet…"

Eventually, we arrived at the backside of the residence. A tree-lined path lead to the back entrance, but you could tell it was hardly used, if at all, since it didn't match the splendor of the almost manor-like property in the slightest.

I stopped a fair distance away from the imposing gate of wrought steel that was set into the wall, hiding my frame behind a tree. Through the vertical bars I could sneak a peek into the garden which was filled with several trees and larger scrubs. It was the kind that had children fairly itching to play hide-and-seek.

"Maybe the front gate wasn't such a bad idea after all…" I whispered to Fin. "They could hide a whole battalion of police officers out there without me being any the wiser…"

"That's why I'm with you." Fin grinned. "I'll go and scout things out before you actually go in there. Now, if you could hold out that rosary for me…"

I did as she asked and watched curiously as she closed her eyes and shot a rose-colored beam of light at the large center crystal, lasting for about three seconds. When she finished, the crystal was sparkling from the inside, emitting a soft light. "You will be able to change now. All you have to do is to pray to Jeanne d'Arc to grant her powers to you."

"Pray?" I asked, looking somewhat dubious. I had never really been a religious person, not even slightly so. However, looking at the angel in front of me, I felt that I could muster some honest belief in God's existence. "But why pray to Jeanne?"

"Well, these are Jeanne's powers we are talking about. It's kinda fitting that you ask her, don't you think?"

"What if she won't give them to me?" I asked anxiously, aware of the fact that if prayers were always and instantly responded to by the fulfillment of all of the person's wishes, God would be a lot more popular these days.

"Hey, I told you we're in a fix up there, didn't I?" Fin asked, slightly exasperated. "I doubt I'd even have been sent to you with her soul if she wasn't willing to help you do this. Now let's get moving, save the questions for when we're back at your flat, celebrating victory!"

"Okay, okay…" I placated her. "Why don't you have a look at that garden while I do this? Check if there are policemen hidden in the bushes or trees or something. Hm, I wonder if Miyako has enlisted the four seasons…" I mused aloud. "Well, either them or a bunch of normal policemen, she's definitely not here alone. Oh, please check the windows facing this way, too."

"Hai!!!" Fin confirmed, performing a mock salute in mid-air. "Better keep that Petit Claire ready!" she advised before she flew off, disappearing through the steel bars of the gate.

I closed my eyes and concentrated, sending my thoughts up to heaven. "Jeanne d'Arc…" I whispered. "Lend me your strength."

As soon as I had finished speaking, intense purple light burst forth from the rosary in my hands, bathing me in its glow. Wings suddenly exploded from my back, shining with an ethereal deep pink light that didn't reveal any texture or shape, although they stretched out at least twice my height in both directions.

Before I could even think about trying to move them, however, they coiled around me and burst into pink flames which instantly engulfed my entire body, creating a blazing cocoon that separated me from my surroundings. It did not hurt; in fact, I could not remember having even come close to feeling such a strong sense of peace and security. At the same time, a strange exhilaration burned its way up my chest as I felt the power fusing with my core, tempering my body and rewriting the very essence of who I was.

Eventually I felt my fiery sanctuary being pierced by a strong breeze which blew away the flames, leaving only a thin layer of that mystical power on my body's surface. A sudden uncontrollable motion of my right leg catapulted me high into the air. I found that I still had wings, although they were a bit more solid and only slightly longer than my height each. Acting through instinct, I managed to use them to glide forward as the power carried me still higher above the treetops, giving me a good aerial view of the garden adjoining the mansion. A tiny speck of white was just emerging from one of the bushes; at least I figured it was white, since my whole eyesight was still covered by a pink hue.

A moment later though, the remaining layer of glowing pink disappeared, reforming into skin, hair and clothing, the change starting from my head and eventually covering all of my body. With a small shock I realized that I had lost my wings to the white costume I was now wearing. Oh well, I could hardly have sneaked around the house with those bulky things on my back… I thought to myself. Still, I found that was only a small consolation as the last flickers of pink disappeared around me and I felt the pull of gravity resume its influence on me.

Fortunately my body knew what to do. Strangely detached I observed how my left knee drew up to my chest while my right leg thrust out. With my arms raised, I gracefully soared downwards at an angle that shouldn't have been possible and finally landed in a tree just outside the garden. Miraculously, the maneuver not only left intact both my ankle and the branch I landed on, but also refrained from making even the slightest noise. Even the rustle of leaves I would have blamed on the slight breeze, had I not felt them brush across my skin when I entered the treetop.

Looking around, I realized that my senses had vastly improved during the transformation. I had no problems making out the tiniest details in the darkness whereas before, I had regretted not bringing a flashlight. I watched Fin pull a slightly wary face as she entered another bush, causing a noise that made me want to yell at her mentally, half expecting the inhabitants of the house to rush out into the garden to see what was going on.

A second later, a terrible high-pitched scream pierced the nightly atmosphere and I had to use all of my newfound control over my body to keep from tumbling out of the tree in shock. With another rustle, a disheveled-looking Fin emerged from the shrubbery and hurtled towards the exit, fleeing the garden with as much speed as she could muster.

"Fin!!! What's with this racket?!" I hissed as the angel hovered in front of me, breathing heavily. Damn it, she could give Ms. P and her flute a run for her money…

"I was attacked by a stupid squirrel!!!" she shot back, tugging at a small leaf that had become entangled in her hair. "I want to see how you react to that when you're my size!!"

Once again I had to struggle to keep from falling off, though this time it was from barely concealed laughter. "A squirrel?!" I giggled unabashedly. "Aw… did it try to hug you? Or did it mistake you for an acorn?" Had I been on the ground, I would have collapsed in a wheezing heap; as it was, I could only lean against the trunk for support.

"It's not funny!!!" Fin protested, blushing with embarrassment. "It was blinking menacingly with eyes this big!!" she exclaimed, using her hands to show the size. "It's paws were already stretched out to grab me!!" She shuddered. "I escaped by the skin of my teeth!"

I realized that my current chances were pretty slim to convince the angel that squirrels always have their paws in front of them and that it probably was just curious, but any efforts to calm myself down proved little successful.

Fin shook her head. "Please, can we just forget this ever happened? It's nice to see that undergoing a complete change like that couldn't ruin your mood, but I'd much prefer us getting this show on the road." She let out a long sigh as I slowly calmed my giggles, then looked back at me. "Nice eyes, by the way. Purple suits you."

"I've got purple eyes?" I blinked, instantly forgetting about the squirrel.

"Actually, it's more of a shade of amethyst." Fin specified, her embarrassment slowly fading away. "I think it goes well with your hair."

"You don't happen to have a mirror with you, do you?!" I asked, half-joking but honestly curious about my new appearance.

Fin rolled her eyes. "Vain, aren't we?! You know, if you promise to stop stalling, I might actually be able to let you have a look at yourself…"

"Hey!!" I protested. "I'm not stalling!!! It's just that… well, it's not like I've done this transformation thing before, is it?!"

"And now you're scared, is that it?" Fin grinned deviously. "You think you'll fail, right?!"

"I'll show you failure!!!" I growled, my spirits bolstered by the power that seemed to inhabit every fibre of this body, only waiting to be unleashed. "But first, show me the face that will be on the cover of every newspaper tomorrow!!"

"That's what I wanted to hear…" Fin said, satisfied. She closed her eyes and shot a wide beam of light straight at my face. Surprisingly it 'hit' the air in front of me, forming a glowing circular surface. When the glow disappeared a second later, I could see my reflection in it.

Fin obviously hadn't lied; my eyes indeed were a striking shade of violet. That wasn't the only thing that had changed, though. My facial features had changed enough to make me look like an entirely new person and I didn't doubt that it could withstand a close scrutiny from Miyako, who had been my friend for ages. My hair was now a shade of yellow which to call a mere blond would have done injustice to the color. It had apparently grown several inches during the transformation and – I shifted a little to adjust my perspective – was separated into three strands that hung in the air in a way that defied gravity. The middle one was held in place by a ribbon that was similar to the one Miyako wore in color and shape, but was tied into a stylish bow that was about twice as large as Miyako's. Looking at my ears, I realized that I was wearing large pendant earrings that looked like crescents of gold mounted on the tips of oblong magenta crystals; the pointed ends of the lunate shape piercing the part that was actually attached to my ear, a sphere of the same reddish-purple crystal. Over my forehead I was wearing a teardrop crystal of the same material.

"I don't look like a thief." I said in wonderment.

"Of course you don't!!" Fin said indignantly. "You're a Kaitou, remember? You can't just look like any two-bit robber!"

"But look at me!!" I complained. "I'm not even remotely sneaky!! I should jingle like a set of wind chimes with all this stuff I'm wearing!!" I paused for a second. "You know, but for some strange reason, I don't… If it wasn't for the fact that I hadn't even noticed that teardrop thingy across my forehead until I looked into your mirror, I'd be tearing it off right now because it should be annoying the hell out of me…"

The reflective surface I gestured at a moment ago had started to waver now that Fin wasn't maintaining it with her beam of low-intensity light anymore. The angel flew closer to me, passing right through it and dispersing it fully. "If Miyako thinks anything along these lines, she's going to sorely underestimate you, even more than she is bound to do already… Now get out there, it's time to prove that your skill can compare to your looks!"

"All right." I said and dropped out of the tree, landing on the ground below without having to do anything to cushion my fall. Quickly I covered the remaining couple of feet that separated me from the wall. "I take it you didn't find anyone hiding in the bushes and trees?" Fin's cheeks coloring slightly as she thought back to the incident that ungracefully interrupted her search, but she nodded. "But someone's watching the garden from the second floor, third window from the left. The others were clear when I checked."

"Good." I moved along the wall until I reached a tree that was standing on the other side. I aligned myself so that it was between me and the window and, without hesitation, jumped across the wall, grabbed a branch of the tree and pulled myself up with an ease that I found almost disquieting. Again, the movement caused only a small rustle that even someone sitting at the base of the tree might well have missed.

"I'd like to stage some distraction." I said to Fin, who had simply followed me through the air, bothered by neither gravity nor the need to hide from people. "Since this is Miyako we're dealing with, I'd opt to go for something subtle. Got any ideas?"

Fin thought it over, then slowly shook her head. "I can't think of anything that could divert his attention and still be inconspicuous enough to appear random." She paused for a bit. "I could watch him, however, and tell you to make a dash for it when his attention wavers."

"Is that going to happen?" I asked skeptically. "We're talking professionals here…"

"No matter how experienced they are, they're still human and as such they are bound to make mistakes." Fin explained. "There's got to be a couple of seconds he doesn't pay attention, that should be enough for you to make a break for it." She shrugged. "If it doesn't work, you'll just have to force your way through. It will be harder, but not impossible. Your speed is matchless; if you use that to your advantage, you'll be unstoppable!"

"Matchless, huh?" I grinned. "I like the sound of that…" I pulled out the Petit Claire, which miraculously still was in the same place I had put it in my other set of clothes. Looking down my body, I realized that the rosary was now part of my dress, attached to the fabric slightly above my breasts. I didn't even notice it had left my hand… Curious…

Pushing the thought aside, I gripped the Petit Claire tighter, looked at Fin and nodded. "Let's go."

While Fin flew away to watch the guard at the window, I dropped down, hiding behind the tree trunk. "How does the person at the window look like?" I asked through the Petit Claire.

"Let's see… brown hair, almost black; grey suit with orange tie, broad build…"

"That's Haruta." I said, remembering the slightly stocky man. Being Miyako's friend, I had seen all of the senior officers on numerous occasions. "So she has the four of them with her after all. This isn't going to be easy…"

Patiently, the two of us waited, but for several minutes, nothing happened. This didn't surprise me much, though. You don't achieve their rank without lots of skill, dedication and, not least, patience.

Eventually, Fin's bored expression within the crystal changed. "He's looking at his watch!! Move!!!"

Wasting no time, I left the shelter of the tree and ran towards the doorway at top speed, which was significantly faster than anything I could have normally managed. Only my heightened senses kept me from tripping over my own feet.

It didn't take me more than two seconds to cut the distance in half and hide behind another tree along the path. "He's back at full attention!" announced Fin. "Stay where you are!"

"Did you catch the time on his watch?" I asked through our connection.

"Um… 22:41." Fin answered.

"That late already?!" I whispered in surprise. "Guess the trip here took longer than I thought it had…"

"At least we don't have to worry about the time limit." the angel said. "Once you're in there, it'll take no more than a couple of minutes, unless you manage to fall asleep during the job…"

"I only need another three seconds!" I muttered, slightly frustrated after another long wait. "How long do you think it'll take him to forget the time again?" I asked hopefully.

"Don't get your hopes up, these police blokes are supposed to have pretty good memory…" Fin grinned, then suddenly turned serious. "He's pulling out some kind of walkie-talkie!! He's still looking outside, though, so stay put!"

"He's probably reporting to Miyako every quarter hour or so…" I muttered.

"He's talking to someone now…" Fin continued to describe the guard's every move. "He's turned away from the window, run, now!!!"

That was all it took. Barely three seconds later I stood at the entrance, which was covered by a roof and thus out of sight for the guard, so for now I didn't have to worry about being seen. I was still marveling at how quickly I had crossed a distance that would have taken my normal, fairly athletic self at least triple the amount of time when Fin joined me a couple of seconds later.

Looking at the door, I realized I was rather ill-equipped for breaking into a house. The lock on the door wasn't overly dramatic; it was the same kind of simplistic everyday device that guarded the door to my own apartment. Still, at the moment it provided a serious obstacle that separated me from my goal. I didn't have to check to know that it was locked, although I was sure it was more a matter of principle than anything else. Miyako certainly wouldn't expect a mysterious thief with balls enough to announce their theft beforehand to fail at this stage.

I knew I could easily kick the door down, but that would announce my presence to everyone inside the house, and I wasn't ready to deal with that yet. I also didn't want to damage anything if I could help it. There was a significant difference between removing a demon-infested object and doing actual damage to people's property in the process. Besides, it would be really crude.

"You know…" I turned to Fin, frowning. "This superhuman speed is pretty cool and all that, but it doesn't really help me to get past that door. I figure having some tools would come in handy right now."

Fin grinned. "Actually, you have with you all the tools you might ever need. You can use the Petit Claire to summon all manner of tools. Just think of what you want and call it forth. The only limit is your imagination." She paused to let that revelation sink in. "Doing that will consume spiritual energy though. It will make you feel exhausted and you can do it only so often. Keep your creations simple to conserve your power."

"What is this spiritual power?" I asked, intrigued.

"It rests in every living thing." Fin explained. "Only very few humans have the ability to use it, though. Given your obvious importance in the scheme of things, you have been granted that power. It's like a form of magic that is condoned by Heaven." She grinned, shaking her head. "Raphael-sama would have my wings if he heard me describing the power of miracles like that…" I arched an eyebrow at her. "He's the most conservative of the four archangels. He believes there is a firm difference between spiritual power and the dark magic that the other side uses. I think that's nonsense. It's just as possible to abuse this power, to use it for personal gain or for the sake of evil. It all depends on the person who wields it. I don't think he'd agree with me though…"

She shook herself, forcing the unpleasant thoughts out of her mind. "Okay, time for you to use that pretty little head of yours and get us through this door!" She smirked. "And do hurry, will you?!"

Itching to try out this power, I closed my eyes, wild ideas running through my head. Plans were formed and dismissed again, being impractical or too complicated. Then it hit me: What better way to open a door than a key?

"Key to Rewards, come forth!!" I commanded, holding out the Petit Claire. The rose crystal started to shine as a shape emerged from its depths. The light stopped when it had fully risen, allowing me to look at the key that was sticking out of the surface. A multifaceted crystal heart of a slightly darker rose color made up the top. It was framed by a heart-shaped ring of gold which elongated into the actual key part. When I pulled it out of the Petit Claire's crystal, it became obvious that it had no distinct shape; it simply ended in a cylindrical stem.

Fin eyed the key doubtfully. "I don't think it will fit into that lock…" she said, examining said lock closely.

I grinned. "The lock that this little beauty doesn't fit into has yet to be invented. Watch this." Turning to the door, I slowly pressed the key into the lock, ignoring the fact that the slit-like hole was far too thin for the key to normally fit. When it was stuck deep enough, I let go of the handle and watched as it slowly turned of its own volition. A soft click told me a second later that the door had been unlocked, although it was barely audible. A second later, the key exploded into a myriad of tiny spiritual particles, which quickly dispersed.

"Wouldn't want it to fall into the wrong hands now, would we?" I smiled. Fin looked suitably impressed. "Interesting." she commented. "I think I'm glad you managed to hold onto your imagination this morning…"

"She took my sanity instead…" I muttered, rolling my eyes. "You know, that dream was rather vivid. Could it be possible that I'm dreaming this as well?"

"Don't make me hurt you again!" Fin scowled, but she quickly relented. "I can see what you mean, though. This is rather exciting! But aren't you worried about facing Miyako?"

"I'm actually looking forward to it." I confessed. "I always enjoyed matching wits with her. This takes it to a whole new level. It's the challenge of my life! And I'm even doing it for a good cause!" I grinned. "I'll just have to be make sure she never finds out…"

"That's right, you can't let anyone know it's you." Fin said seriously. "There's no telling what will happen if people find out. You might have to abandon your flat and go into hiding…"

"I'd have to abandon my life?" The shock on my face must have been visible, because Fin immediately tried to reassure me. "Only in the absolutely worst case! Nobody is going to recognize you like this. In this form, the only things that can betray you are your mouth, and the absence of your real self."

"Phew, that's a relief." I said. "I guess I'll just have to watch what I say around Miyako. My absence shouldn't be a problem, if Miyako continues to try to catch me every time. Which I'll just have to ensure!"

"I'm sorry for not telling you about this risk… I didn't really consider it." Fin said, looking down. "If you really don't want to do this, I understand. You can turn around and walk away. Kaitou Jeanne will be nothing but a harmless joke that will be forgotten quickly…"

"Are you kidding?!" I said, grinning. "Of course I am going through with this! I told you I would do it, didn't I?"

Fin's relief was clear as she shot towards me, hugging my face. Awkwardly, I patted her back, making sure to be extra careful because of her size. Fin let herself sink back into my hand and I could see the determination quickly return to her face as she got to her feet. "Come on then, let's do this!" she said, pushing a fist into the air.

"Wait a moment." I said, holding up a hand. "Unless everything I have ever known about Miyako is wrong, there'll be a guard inside that room, and the first thing he'll do when he sees me is alert the others. I can't just walk in there."

"You'll have to move quickly then and take him out before he can do that." Fin suggested.

"That's what I'm about to do. Now stop pestering me, I need to concentrate." I said good-humoredly.

Fin gave me a highly affronted look, but she kept silent and watched. Taking a step back, I quickly but silently yanked the door open and sped in, entering a fairly big lounge. The room was tastefully decorated; a couch and armchairs which were placed around a cocktail table made up the center of the room. A fireplace was situated behind the sitting arrangement, but at the moment, there was no fire in it. Doors at either side of the room led further into the building.

I instantly spotted Natsuda standing near the door on the right. The young policeman barely had time to stare at me in surprise before I moved behind him and gave him a solid whack across the head, knocking him out cleanly. I quickly caught him before his falling body could make any noise and lowered him onto the floor. "Did I hit him too hard?" I asked Fin anxiously.

"He'll be fine." Fin said after briefly checking him over. "He'll have a headache when he wakes up, but nothing permanent." She shot out a beam of light which enveloped his head. After two seconds, she let it fade away. "This should keep him asleep and out of our hair long enough to finish this."

Beside him, I noticed a walkie-talkie which he must have dropped earlier. Grinning, I picked it up and stashed it away for later use. If all went well, I would be able to have some fun with it when this was over…

Standing, I turned to Fin. "So which way is the painting?"

"It doesn't matter which door you go." Fin said. "Both should lead through a series of rooms that meet up in a hall roughly above this room. You'll have to get through there to get to the third floor. The path through the left door is shorter, though…"

I shook my head. "It would be a mistake to assume that the paths are guarded differently. Miyako always thinks at least two steps ahead. She'll probably have both paths guarded equally, or more likely, she will concentrate her forces at the junction rather than splitting them. I can't imagine she has a lot of manpower…"

I shrugged. "But since I have to take one of the two, let's just go right."

Carefully, I leaned against the door and listened. My sensitive hearing would alert me to any human sounds in the next room. When I didn't even hear breathing, I opened the door and went inside, closing it behind me again without a noise.

This room was a narrow hallway, with alcoves along the way which were filled with busts and statues of persons, none of which I recognized. Probably ancestors of the owner or something… I thought.

As I progressed through the hallway, I noticed a faint humming noise that seemed to grow more distinct as I advanced. What troubled me was the fact that I wasn't able to pinpoint the direction it came from. Earlier in the garden I had had no problems locating various animals by the noises they made, some without even looking in their direction. But this peculiar sound seemed to come from multiple directions at the same time, obfuscating my senses.

I finally stopped between the bust of a bearded old man and a painting of what seemed to be lovers meeting under a moonlit sky. As there was no warrior on it, I didn't bother trying to make out details. "Fin, do you hear this humming?" I hissed.

Fin stopped in mid-air for a second, listening, then nodded. "Oh, that humming. Don't worry, it comes from all those electrical things these silly humans use…"

"Silly humans, eh? I'll be sure to warm your milk over an open fire next time… I'm sure you won't mind it being burnt or taking triple the amount of time…"

Further conversation was cut short however when suddenly four bright spotlights flared to life over my head, blinding me temporarily. Before I could gather my wits, Miyako's voice rang out from a speaker unit in one of the adjacent alcoves: "You are surrounded, intruder!! Surrender now, or face the consequences of violating the law!!!"

I darted forward to escape the barrage of spotlights, fumbling for the walkie-talkie in my pocket at the same time, but as soon as I reached the next pair of alcoves, another quartet of lights went on over my head. Listening around, I could hear shuffling noises in the rooms adjacent to and above my location, but for now I was still alone.

Taking confidence from that fact, I pressed a button on the walkie-talkie and held it to my ear. "Kaitou Jeanne here." I said, trying to keep my smirk under control. "Thanks for the offer of hospitality, but I think I'd rather have a look around first. I hear there's some kind of famous painting around here somewhere…"

"Where did you get this device?!" Miyako asked, surprised.

"Oh, this?" I said cheerfully, patting the microphone on the radio device, grinning as I imagined Miyako's wince. "One of your men… lost it, kind of. Don't worry, he won't be needing it anymore."

"What did you do to him?!" Miyako demanded.

"Nothing permanent." I said, trying to sound offended at the implication. "A couple of aspirin and a good night's sleep should cure him." Checking around, I noticed that most of the noises around me had faded. They've probably staged an ambush for me by now…

"It was nice talking to you…" I said conversationally to Miyako. "But it's getting late. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll see you around!" With that, I severed the connection.

"What was that all about?" Fin whispered as I silently crept towards the door leading to the next room.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." I grinned. "I need to rile her up a bit so she'll see it as a personal challenge. Also, she's always yanking my chain, so I figured turnabout is fair-play…" The grin turned slightly devious.

The angel only rolled her eyes in response. "Lets focus on the guys on the other side of this door. They've set an ambush for us."

I winced as I triggered another spotlight trap. "They're probably keeping track of when these things are set off. This calls for another special tool…"

I held out the Petit Claire and concentrated on what I wanted. A sharp edge rose out of the crystal, revealing itself to be part of a four-sided throwing star. It consisted of a strange material that I couldn't fathom; the amber surface gleamed with a metallic sheen, but at the same time, I could see the floor through the semi-transparent object. I was a bit surprised, as I hadn't actually put that much thought into the design. Seems this handy little thing takes it upon itself to provide me with a material I can work with!

"What is this?" Fin asked curiously. I plucked the star out of the Petit Claire and held it up so Fin could get a closer look. "This, my friend, is for disabling the electrical devices of the silly humans." With a sharp hand movement, I threw it hard at the lower part of the nearest bust. It hit the plaque on its front, penetrating the metal until only half of it was sticking out. There was a crackling noise as lightning erupted all over the statue's surface, frying the circuits of the sensors hidden within. Grinning, I repeated the process with the three other sculptures that were still in my path. Only when the sparks had stopped flying I approached the door. By now I was starting to feel a slight exhaustion well up inside me; apparently the use of these abilities took their toll on my physical strength as well. I wouldn't be able to repeat this too often.

Fin was examining one of the small nicks the stars had left, but if she was looking for leftover material, she was going to be disappointed. "I'm not going to leave around evidence for the police to analyze, and since I can't be sure I'm going to have enough time for another tour through the house to pick up all my stuff, I'd rather not leave any in the first place."

"Makes sense to me…" Fin said as I inched closer towards the door, hoping that they didn't hear us talking. Unfortunately it would open outward in my direction, so I wouldn't be able to slam it into the face of whoever was waiting on the other side. Steeling myself, I whispered: "Ready?" Fin nodded and I stood back, yanking the door open in one swift move.

Having expected an ambush, I wasn't very surprised when I was immediately assaulted by Fuyuta, another member of the quartet of senior officers. He had very short hair the same color as Natsuda's, a tall forehead, and he was almost constantly wearing sunglasses. With his trademark trenchcoat, he cut an intimidating figure, hiding well the fact that Natsuda actually was the only one of the four who was smaller than him.

Stepping aside, I tripped up his legs and gave him a small push in the back which sent him crashing to the floor. A soft footfall alerted me to the fact that someone else was in the room ahead. Acting on a hunch, I threw myself into a roll before passing the doorway. My instincts proved correct a second later when the police officer's lunge at where my upper body would have been went wide.

I got to my feet again and turned around, quickly assessing the situation. My second attacker I immediately identified as Akita, the last missing member of the seasons. He was wearing his standard beige jacket and trousers and he had dark blond hair that was upturned at either side of his head. His slight build and his facial features gave him an almost feminine appearance, but he was a skilled fighter and also knew his way around the more delicate aspects of police work. At the moment though, he was having balance problems, so I dismissed him for the time being.

The room was dominated by a stairway to my right, which led to the second floor. There were several doors leading to other rooms; one on either side of the one which I came through and which I was now facing, two more up the stairs, leading further into the house in both directions and another one to the right, past the stairway and hidden in the shadow of the platform the stairs went up to. The walls behind me and to the left were littered with windows, indicating I had to be in one of the corners of the house. "Up and through the left door." Fin said, giving me further directions.

It had taken only the fraction of a second to take in my surroundings. Fuyuta was just getting to his feet back in the corridor and Akita was still struggling to regain his footing. Wasting no time, I sped up the stairs and headed through the door Fin had designated, pulling it shut behind me. Thinking quickly, I pulled out the Petit Claire again: "Key to Rewards, come forth!!"

This time, I grabbed the key as soon as its head rose out of the crystal surface, aware that I had only precious few seconds until the two senior officers would reach the door as well. I jammed the key into the hole of the warded lock, waited an agonizing second until it had a proper grip and quickly turned it, locking the door.

All of a sudden, I felt faint and I could hear the pounding of my blood through my ears, but I forced myself to use my power yet another time. A throwing star rose out of the Petit Claire, similar to the ones I used downstairs, though this one was steel blue in color. I stepped back and threw into the lock, which immediately froze over with a large, irregularly shaped lump of ice. "There." I gasped. "That should keep them for a while."

Wheeling around, I started running down the corridor, determined to bring this to an end before I managed to slip up and get myself caught. The corridor was similar to the one on the floor below, but instead of alcoves with statues and busts, there were mostly paintings on the wall here. Again, I was quite sure that the one I was looking for was not among them; it was bound to be guarded in a much more effective way. At one point there was a blinding flash of light, but I didn't stop running. I knew that blind people were able to tell by their hearing when they were about to walk into something solid and I was confident that my improved senses would alert me in time if the flash of light was coupled with a trap.

Fortunately, Miyako didn't seem to have considered me that much of a threat initially. The only thing I heard were a couple of loud thumps from the other end of the corridor, as the two policemen tried to open the door. Have fun trying! I thought, grinning to myself. My progress was unimpeded and a few seconds later, I reached another door. This one would open into the room, so I made sure to use enough force to knock a person on the other side off their feet, but to my disappointment, nobody was in the immediate vicinity of the door.

The room looked like somebody had taken the room where I fought Fuyuta and Akita, created a mirror image of it and pasted the two halves together. The door layout was changed slightly and there were no windows except on the wall to my left, but that was about the full extent of the differences. A large ornate chandelier hung from the ceiling, with lots of small but bright light bulbs. There were so many small glass and gold ornaments hanging from it that any supportive framework was completely hidden. In the middle of the staircase stood Miyako, a communication device much like the one I had pilfered from Natsuda in one hand, and a smug grin on her face which slowly faded as she took in my appearance.

"You are Kaitou Jeanne?" She rubbed her eyes and leaned forward to get a better look as I closed the door and moved towards the middle of the room, trying to hide my fatigue. "God, you're still a kid, barely…" she muttered incredulously.

"Look who's talking." I snorted, slightly miffed by her casual dismissal. "You want to be a police officer? You're still a kid yourself."

Miyako scowled. "It's skill that counts in this business, not age."

I grinned. "Fortunately for me, I'm a skilled thief."

Now it was Miyako's turn to snort. "Are you? I don't see you carrying any loot."

I smiled indulgently. "Really? When did you last check everything is still there??"

Miyako didn't seem to have considered that possibility. Unsure, she glanced up at a door on the third floor platform to her right, but she quickly caught herself and trained her eyes at me again. Fin whispered into my ear, quickly confirming that this was the door I wanted.

"Thanks." I said. "Now I know where the painting is."

"It doesn't matter. You'll never reach it." Miyako said, her expression turning serious. She pressed a button on her comm device. Almost instantly, doors on either side of the room and on top of the stairs opened and policemen stormed out. Raising her voice, Miyako continued: "Kaitou Jeanne, you are hereby arrested for housebreaking and attempted larceny! Surrender now or we will take you by force!!!" Before I was able to react, a small force of policemen already had me surrounded. The exits on this floor were blocked and the policemen who had emerged on the upper floor were moving behind Miyako, blocking off the stairs. I couldn't help but be amazed at the quick efficiency with which all this happened. Even having been Miyako's friend for so long, I'd never imagined her influence and control within the police to run this deep.

"Jeanne! Stop daydreaming!" Fin whispered urgently next to my ear. "You have to get out of here!"

I shook myself; Fin was right. But I had no idea how to get out of here. The policemen were slowly drawing closer, trapping me in their circle, and as I watched, the door opposite to the one I came through opened and Haruta entered the room. I knew I would have to use the Petit Claire to escape this, but the last time had brought me close to the limit already and if I overdid it, I would collapse from the strain right afterwards. Keep it simple… I thought, remembering Fin's words from earlier. But what would be simple enough to keep me going and still get me out of here? I can't just blow my way free, that would knock me out on the spot. Smoke wouldn't be very useful, surrounded as I am… I looked up towards the upper floor, to the door that would lead to my target. Something to get me up there…

"Give up, Jeanne!" Miyako called out. Haruta was drawing closer in the meantime, wielding a pair of handcuffs. Damn, I can't afford to be arrested now! Next morning, Miyako will notice I'm missing and then I'll be screwed!! I have to do something!!!

Panicking, I held out the Petit Claire in front of me. "No?" Miyako asked, an eager gleam in her eyes. "Too bad for you. I get to use this then!" She held out the communication device, and only now I noticed that it was a different model: Mine didn't have that large antenna sticking out at the top. "Miyako Special Part One!" she announced, before depressing two of the buttons.

A clanking noise above my head made me look up – and freeze in horror. I was standing right below the giant chandelier – and it was falling down, right on top of me!! At the same time, the policemen charged forward as one.

I reacted quickly and instinctively: I jumped high into the air and onto the head of one of the approaching policemen. Using the unfortunate chap as a stepping stone, I leaped even higher, right over the incoming chandelier and at the chain to which it was attached, which I grabbed with my left hand. To my great relief, it had already stopped moving at that point; the chandelier was now hovering at chest height, swinging around slightly. The policemen who had charged at me had all thrown themselves at the floor to avoid being crushed by several hundred pounds of glass and gilded metal. The look on Miyako's face was priceless, though. I suppose she had expected me to be dragged down to the floor by her police force, or even an off-chance of me being hit by the chandelier (although I desperately hoped that she wasn't that vindictive, even towards criminals), but this clearly hadn't been on her list of possible results.

However, I was literally shaken out of my reverie when the chain started moving again; the chandelier was being reeled in, back to its original position. I decided I didn't really fancy finding out whether Miyako would give me a free ride back down to the second floor, so I again started thinking up possible ways to get out of this mess. My gaze went up to the hole in the ceiling where the links of the chain disappeared, one by one, all the while clanking loudly. Hmm… a retractable chain is a good start… too noisy though… Ha! I got it!

"Rebound Ball, come out!" I whispered, holding up the Petit Claire closely to my body, hoping it wouldn't be blatantly obvious my new toy appeared literally out of nowhere. A shimmering blob of gooey substance rose out of the Petit Claire's crystal, quickly forming itself into a soft cream-colored ball. Once complete, a thin cord shifted into being, connecting the ball with the bracelet on my right wrist. The rope disappeared into a hole on the upper rim of the bracelet which hadn't been there before. Only when it was securely connected to my wrist, the ball came loose from the crystal. Awkwardly, I switched the Petit Claire to the left hand which was still holding onto the ascending chain, bearing my whole weight. Miyako was looking smug again; apparently she thought I would have to let go when the amount of chain became to small for me to hang on to, allowing her police officers to catch me. I noted with satisfaction that there was still no trace of Fuyuta and Akita; obviously, the jammed lock had literally stopped them cold. I couldn't help but grin at the thought.

I willed the rope to shorten itself a bit, so the ball sat snugly in my hand, before I flung it at the wall section above my designated door. When it hit the wall, the ball lost its form, becoming a sticky mass which stayed firmly attached to the wall. It was still connected to me through the thin cord, which had lengthened to accommodate the growing distance without influencing the ball's course in the slightest. I grinned at my stroke of genius; this tool would rapidly become one of my favorites. A yank of my wrist caused the rope to be reeled in at top speed, pulling me across the room. When I reached safe terrain, I willed the ball to come loose, letting me fall down in front of the door. The ball resumed its original shape and was pulled back into my hand just as I landed gracefully on my feet.

Some of the more level-headed officers were already dashing up the stairs in pursuit of me, but I still took the time to shout a cheeky "Adieu!!" to Miyako before I opened the door and disappeared into the room behind it.

"Phew, that was close." I muttered to Fin, who nodded emphatically, but I had no time to waste. The whole troop of policemen was still after me.

I didn't bother trying to jam the the door by freezing the lock again, as I doubted I had enough time to afford waiting for the key portion of my improvised locking technique. Instead I took what was left of my power and shaped it into a simple wedge of extremely ordinary wood. I decided that in this one instance, it was acceptable to leave evidence behind, but I was especially careful to emphasize the lack of any special feature I wanted in it during its creation. When placing it under the door, I was highly thankful that my outfit came with gloves that would prevent me from leaving any fingerprints, while still leaving me with full mobility and sensibility. I gave the wedge a solid kick to jam the door properly, then ran off into the opposite direction. This should give me enough time to find my target and make off before I exhaust myself beyond recovery. Still, it took far less out of me to create something so thoroughly mundane… I thought to myself as I sped along the corridor, Fin trailing after me. A couple of seconds later, I had traversed its length and reached another door, which I entered without hesitation.

I had obviously reached another corner room of the building, this one being located directly opposite to the one where I'd had my scuffle with Fuyuta and Akita; in retrospect, the brief altercation could hardly be called a fight. This room's primary purpose wasn't to be a connection to other rooms however; here, it seemed, Mr. Okaniwa stored his most prized pieces of art, to be looked at whenever he so desired. The walls were lined with paintings which hung so close together just as not to be spoiling the overall effect. But that wasn't all; there were busts and statues as well as marble and clay figurines of various sizes, even an enormous vase in one corner that went up to my chest and had an intricate pattern painted around its outer surface.

Miyako might still have an ace up her sleeve… I thought, looking around the dark room. I better keep my hands free for this… With a single thought, I caused the Rebound Ball to shrink down to marble size and retract until it was sitting atop the hole in my bracelet. I also decided I wouldn't need the police comm device anymore and placed it on one of the tables. Wouldn't do to have Miyako find this in my flat one of these days…

Remembering what Fin had told me about detecting demons, I lifted up the Petit Claire, which was blinking with a slow pulse. When I changed angle and direction, the pulsing quickened or slowed according to the proximity of the demon. Holding it out in front of me like a radar, I quickly identified the the target as the large picture that was centered on the opposing wall. Stepping up to it, I spared a second to take a closer look. Maybe I could learn something about art while I was at it.

The angle of view was from the floor of a coliseum. The ranks were filled to the last space, and even though the individual people were little more than colored blobs, they conveyed an atmosphere of bloodthirsty excitement. Only one of the two combatants was human, a young man wearing a red vest and red gloves and boots which had white, fluffy fur around the edges. His face had a very youthful look and I guessed him to be significantly younger than Chiaki from this morning. He was wielding a large, two-handed sword which looked worn and was held in a ready position.

His opponent was a beast-like monstrosity whose head remotely resembled that of a tiger, but that was where the similarities ended. It was standing on its hind legs, its posture hunched over, but nonetheless predatory. Its massive body was bulging with muscles, covered with darkish yellow fur and around its neck and front paws were enormous steel shackles. A few chain links were still attached to the one around its left forelimb which, like the other three limbs, featured wicked-looking claws.

The two opponents were sizing each other up; the fight had not yet begun. The beast had a cunning look in his eyes and watched the gladiator carefully, waiting for him to make the first move. The youth had a determined look on his face and was likewise wholly focused on his opponent. Suddenly there was a flashing motion near where the boy's hands were gripping the sword hilt. Looking closer, I realized the boy was holding a card between the ring finger and little finger of his right hand! The card was yellow and the S-shaped wind wave symbol on it took up the full space on it. As I watched, he flashed me a confident grin and shifted his fingers so the card was flipped back to its original position, displaying the same sign.

I vigorously shook my head, rubbing my eyes. I must have imagined that. Probably too much excitement in one day… I guess it was just a reflection on the glass cover.

Fin flew up to my side, but before she could ask what was wrong, I lifted up the Petit Claire, which was still blinking steadily. "All right, so how do I go about sealing this thing?" I asked, fighting off an exhausted yawn.

"Just imagine something to draw out the evil and contain it…" Fin said, trying to keep her distance from the picture. She was obviously uncomfortable being so close to it. "It is important that you capture it, not destroy it outright. It was created of spiritual energy by Maou-sama, energy that we want to harvest."

"All right." I said, focusing my power and hoping I would still be able to move after this. I don't want to break the glass, so I had best pierce through it…

Suddenly, the rose-colored crystal was starting to blink faster, the frequency increasing slowly but steadily. What the heck?! I'm already as close to that demon as I'm going to get! Unless…

I dropped to the floor without warning, just in time to avoid the blow which was aimed at my head. Leaning on my arm for leverage, I aimed a sweeping kick at the legs of my assailant, hoping to knock his feet out from under him and throw him off balance. Unfortunately it didn't work nearly as well as against Fuyuta and I was thrown across the room by the force of his follow up kick. Reaching out with my arms as I hit the floor, I pushed myself off and flipped back into a standing position, facing my assailant.

The middle-aged man was obviously the owner of the many artifacts in the room. However, it was clear he was acting under some sort of influence. Dark rings were under his eyes which glinted with malicious intent and his slightly opened mouth revealed enlarged canines, giving him a vampiric kind of look. His arms were outstretched and the nails on his fingers had grown into pointed claws. My chest hurt where his kick had connected; even though the angle had been very unfavorable, there had been surprising force behind it. My ribs were still intact, but I knew I'd have an ugly bruise there next morning. I have to be careful… I reprimanded myself. Possessed like this, he's far more dangerous than any police officer! This guy is not going to take prisoners…

"Fin!" The Jun-Tenshi was following me across the room, eager to put some space between her and the malevolent energy radiating off the demon's victim which was slowly shambling in our direction. "If I seal the painting, I get rid of this guy, too?" Fin nodded and I pressed on: "Can you distract him while I do this?"

The little angel hesitated for a moment, then nodded decisively. An opaque sphere of brilliant green energy sprang to life around her and she went straight at the enemy, slamming into his forehead. I raised the Petit Claire and concentrated. Let's hope he's not able to resist this… I better go all out this time!

"In the name of God…" I started to chant. A pillar of white light burst forth from the crystal, quickly widening as a gleaming white pin rose out of its middle.

The enemy had staggered back a couple of steps from Fin's blow and was now following her movement with his head as she circled around him. Safely out of reach, she dropped the barrier to taunt her foe. He took a step in her direction and she immediately wreathed herself in green light again, but then he seemed to think better of it. Suddenly the air in front of his head seemed to ripple. The distortion slammed into Fin's shield and knocked her into the wall on the other side of the room. The shield flickered and died, revealing a dazed Fin who was slowly sinking towards the ground.

"You, a demon born in darkness…" I gripped the pin between my index and middle fingers and brought it up to face level. "I seal you here!!" The possessed man was advancing on Fin, but it was too late; the demon's time was up. "CHECKMATE!!!" I yelled and flung the pin at the painting.

A moment after the pin embedded itself into the picture, dark energy burst forth from within the frame, circling around the picture and the spot where the pin had pierced it. The possessed man fell to his knees and raised his arms to his head as if in agony. The scream he emitted wasn't human; it was a foul epithet voicing the creature's rage at being denied its unholy existence. Suddenly, I felt a pressure on my mind, but I instinctively recognized the attack for what it was and concentrated my willpower. Strangely enough, I was able to ward off the demon's last struggling endeavor with little effort. The coils of dark power streamed into the pin, which turned into a significantly larger shape as the picture vanished and Mr. Okaniwa collapsed onto the floor.

Fin shakily picked herself up from the floor and flew over to me while I picked up the object which had clattered on the floor. It was a chess piece, a white pawn. Its surface was perfectly smooth and the material was cool to the touch and rather heavy, giving it a marble or glass-like quality. "Good job!" Fin said, smiling as she looked at my prize. "You did it! Now you only have to get out of here!"

Throwing a regretful glance at the empty frame, I took the couple of steps to the far end of the room, to the right of where I entered. As I passed Mr. Okaniwa's unmoving form, I enquired regarding his health.

"Don't worry, he should wake up soon." Fin said, motioning for me to keep going. "Probably won't remember a thing of what happened. He'll be too confused to even be upset about losing that painting."

I had opened a window overlooking the front part of the garden and was just about to take a deep breath of the fresh night air when I heard the door opening. I whirled around to see Miyako, Haruta and four regular police officers entering the room. They immediately fanned out to block off the door as a possible escape route. Miyako's eyes widened as she saw me standing next to the opened window, about to step through. Smirking at the direction her thoughts were taking, I gave a wave to the assembled law enforcers and dived headfirst through the open window.

The nightly breeze that suddenly surrounded me was intoxicating and for a seemingly endless second I enjoyed the sensation of falling freely. At last, I curled up into a ball, speeding up my rotation and bringing my feet below me before I landed. The impact pressed me down nearly to my knees, but somehow, my feet managed to absorb the whole force of the fall without pain or injury. My effective weight must be somehow affected by this transformation… I mused. Glancing back over my shoulder, I could see the incredulous look on Miyako's face as she was looking out through the window.

I quickly made my way through the garden and jumped as I neared the wall that lined the border of the property. My jump was more powerful than I had expected and it carried me well over the glinting metal spikes protruding from the stone. I resumed running as soon as my feet hit the ground again and quickly crossed the street. Using a wooden fence and the horizontal metal pole of a store's street sign as stepping stones, I moved up to the rooftops – up here, it would be close to impossible to follow me with cars and I could easily outrun any human. However it seemed that there was no provision in Miyako's plan tonight for the possibility that I made it out of the house after completing my objective. "Tonight, I've stolen this deceptive beauty!" I proclaimed into the night, throwing the pawn into the air and catching it again. Then, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, I left the area behind me.

After I had put some good distance between me and Miyako (who was undoubtedly infuriated), I changed direction towards my home apartment and allowed myself to shrug off the tenseness of the past minutes. The fresh air of the night had a soothing quality and the onsetting headache that had resulted from using my powers that often was already fading away. At a more leisurely pace, I made my way back to where Miyako and I lived.

When I was only a block away, I dropped down into a narrow alleyway. After checking that no one was around, I turned to Fin who was floating down to follow me. "Okay, I want to be Kusakabe Maron again. What do I have to do?"

"Just undo the ribbon in your hair." Fin responded. "That will turn you back."

Following her advice I reached behind me. The ribbon was surprisingly easy to remove, I all but had to pull it out of my hair. I felt a brief glowing sensation wash over my body, then I realized I was gripping thin air. When I looked at Fin, the little angel nodded at my unspoken question. Walking out of the alley, I felt the familiar weight of my hair on my back.

When entering the building, I made sure that Miyako or her parents were nowhere in sight. Quickly crossing the hall, I decided to use the stairs instead of the elevator this time. If the doors open and I find myself face to face with Miyako, this jig is up. Maybe not right away, but she'll remember it if she starts noticing other strange things later… I can't afford to let her parents see me either…

Now that I was back to my old self, I could feel the exertions of the evening last much more heavily on my body. My chest was aching where the possessed man's kick had hit me, and that headache was back with a vengeance. As I slowly trudged up the stairs to the seventh floor, I became acutely aware of the exhaustion in my legs. Even after the most demanding gymnastics training session, I hadn't felt this knackered. Still, I couldn't afford to let my caution slip just yet.

Peering around the corner, I saw that the hallway was empty. Hurriedly I left my cover and crept over to my door, keeping as large a distance from the open middle part as possible. Normally I wouldn't even pay attention to details like this… I guess Jeanne's still present somewhere in there…

"Why are you still sneaking around?" Fin asked as I fumbled with the keys. "I thought you live here…"

"You know I can't be seen returning here after Jeanne made her escape." I hissed as I unlocked the door and ushered the angel inside. "It shouldn't be hard to hide from Miyako the fact that I'm never around when Jeanne makes an appearance, as she won't be around either. But if her father sees me coming home this late on a night like this, he'll put two and two together and know what's happening! Her mother might not get suspicious, but if she tells them, I'm in for it anyway!" Having removed my boots, I put the key onto the dresser and made my way into the bedroom.

"Are you sure that Miyako will stay involved in this?" Fin wanted to know. "Even if she wants to go after you, there are other criminals, and besides, she's still a schoolgirl."

I laughed. "Trust me, I know her. For her, it's a personal challenge, especially after the way I taunted her tonight. She'll do anything to stay involved. She's not going to rest until she catches me – at least that's what she'll continue to tell herself…" I winked, then I grew serious. "This will be a better arrangement than the risk of her popping by while I'm not here and getting suspicious. Though I have to admit she's a tough opponent." I shook my head. "Damn, I knew she was clever, but I never thought she'd have that much pull with the police! I expected her to have a bunch of normal officers, ten or twelve at most! But in the hall, that ought to have been at least two dozen!!" I sighed as I removed my clothes. The Petit Claire, the pawn and the rosary, which had somehow ended up in my skirt pocket again, I put on the bedside table.

"And her still being a schoolgirl doesn't change anything." I added as an afterthought. "You didn't miss our little chat right before she dropped the chandelier on me, did you?" Fin wisely remained silent.

"Grrr… I still can't believe she did that, trying to kill me like that…" I seethed as I slipped into my nightdress. "Never knew she had that kind of vicious streak…"

"You don't really think she tried to kill you, do you?" Fin asked skeptically and I scowled, nearly slamming a door in her face as I went to the bathroom. "Nah, I'm sure she would call it a calculated risk…" I said ironically. A couple of minutes passed in silence while I brushed my teeth.

"You know, I should read up on police law." I said thoughtfully as I walked back to the bedroom, all the while yawning widely. "I'd like to know where it says she's allowed to do that. Even criminals ought to have rights, don't they?"

"I don't know…" Fin said, avoiding my gaze. "That sounds like one of those weird human concepts… I think I'll take you upstairs some time and show you our version of justice!"

I threw her a shocked look and she burst into laughter. "Gotcha!" she exclaimed between giggles. "Hey, I told you how I got this mission, didn't I? Besides, we really aren't allowed to 'take people upstairs'…"

Relaxing again, I let out a deep breath. "Whew… I think you just scared several years off my afterlife!"

"No big deal then." Fin grinned. "You've still got an infinite amount of years left!"

"What if they were important years?" I pouted, but Fin only laughed. "With that type of logic, you'll get nothing but strange looks, even up there!"

"Hey Fin." I said, holding up the white pawn. "What do I do with this?"

Fin quickly grew serious again. "You can store it in the Petit Claire. Put it on top of it."

Following her advice, I placed the chess piece on the crystal. As soon as it touched the surface, white light burst forth from it, quickly narrowing into a pillar around the piece which receded into the crystal until it was gone and the glow disappeared. Pressing it to my eye, I could see a sparkling dot of light fall down into its depths.

"Where am I going to sleep?" Fin asked when I had placed the item back on the bedside table. The little angel covered a yawn with her tiny hand and I realized she was tired as well. "Good question." I said, rummaging around in one of the closets. "I thought you'd stand watch or something, like a good guardian angel…"

"Uh-uh!" Fin shook her head, grinning. "I'm honored, but right now I prefer a good night's sleep. Besides, I'd make a poor guardian angel in this size…"

"Ah, here it is." I said, removing the object I found and putting it on the floor beside me. It was a turquoise carrying case with a handle to carry it around and a clasp to open it on the front face. The outside corners were reinforced with brass edges. Digging further into the closet, I retrieved a padding of sponge and several handkerchiefs. "This should do as a bed for now." I said, placing the padding inside the box and putting the pieces of cloth on top of it as blankets. "Your 'mattress' is a bit too small, but it should work for tonight."

"This will do fine." Fin said, diving into the box and burying herself under the covers. "I think I'll grow it to fit into the corners tomorrow…" Her eyes were closed and she looked like she was already well on the way into the land of dreams. Grinning at all the cuteness, I placed the case next to my bed and crawled under my own blankets. Closing my eyes, I muttered a quick goodnight to Fin, but a sleepy moan was all I got in return before my consciousness faded away into a blissful stupor.

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Like the chapter? Tell me what you think in a review!

Akita: When I was watching the series, I always thought it was a 'her' because of the facial features and tone of voice, but I was assured by a fellow author that Akita is indeed male. I've looked around for evidence, but even though his voice sounds very feminine and his features could just as easily belong to a woman, I've never seen him show a hint of chest. (Except in that crossdressing episode, but that doesn't count for obvious reasons.) He must be one of those bishounen types. I would have liked one of the four senior officers to be female, but I'm bowing to the overwhelming evidence.

Fin's barrier: We know that Maron has God's protective barrier around her, but we also see Fin and Access use those shields of light all the time. In episode 5, Access uses this to ram Miyako's father, knocking him to the ground. I thought this could be expanded on, so I turned that light screen into a protective measure the angels possess. It will enable Fin to help out more in actual fights, though the effects of being near a demon still bother her when she uses it.

Stolen objects: The series shows us that Jeanne is far from picky about the things that get stolen! I plan to reuse things she steals in the show in certain cases, after all, this AU follows the same timeline as canon, but I'll skip some of those I didn't like, and I'll have many many extra demons to seal, so if you want something stolen, send in your suggestion! ;)

Next chapter, things really start to heat up for Maron as she has to deal with vocabulary tests, perverts, bicycle accidents and multiple transformations! Stay tuned!