Two days! He had been stuck with Hakuba for two days now, and while it wasn't exactly the most thrilling experience, he had learned some tricks which would prove to be the blond detective's undoing. Disguises were his forte, and he knew how to manipulate his appearance as easily as most people knew how to put on a jacket or tie their laces.

Illusions were easier to produce, he had discovered with some relief. Producing all the illusions physically would have worn him out, as much as his logical mind rebelled against an imperfect disguise's practicality. During the odd training cause Hakuba had come up with, all he had needed to do was alter proportions and faces and use his own vocal skills. Admittedly, the vocal skills had taken more time than he would have preferred to perfect, but beggars can't be choosers. Not even phantom thief beggars, it seemed.

A little on the side practicing had taught him how to leave an illusion in place, but the further he walked away from one he had 'padded', the worse it got. The recovery was quick, thankfully, but he couldn't and didn't want to be sure if it was a fluke on the one time he tried it. It wouldn't pay to be entirely at Hakuba's mercy, even for a little while. He had a plan for when the evening came and he could escape then, for now though… He pushed his pawn across the board, enjoying Hakuba's look of slow horror. "Check-mate, I do believe."

"You're certain you've never played chess before, Kid?"

Kid smiled, "No, but I do wish I'd taken it up sooner. It seems to be quite relaxing."

"You relax?"

"Yes."

"Ah…"

An awkward silence settled over the two men. Hakuba cleared his throat, "Shall I clear up the chess set, then?" Kid snapped his fingers, and the set was back on the shelf they had retrieved it from.

"No, I have things to discuss with you."

Hakuba met his eyes, curious but cautious, "What sort of things?"

"That depends on your answer to my question." Hakuba made a gesture to carry on, "I assume that in a mansions this large you have a library section, yes? Good. I request to be able to borrow some books, for however long I may need them for. If you have magical tomes as I suspect you do, then my cause for thievery may quickly fade."

The detective seemed deep in thought for a moment, "What do you mean?"

"I search for one gem in particular, purely to protect it. It's name is Pandora."

Hakuba cast his eyes skyward, "I can't say I have heard of it- but you are not going to read those books for awhile yet."

Kid raised one eyebrow, "I see…"

Silently, he resolved to break out tonight. If he couldn't achieve something useful by staying, even if it was sacrificing a budding alliance, then he would leave. There was no need to hand around, so he should days with Hakuba may have already severely compromised his ability to avoid a conviction, he couldn't afford to chance it.

Although the journey home had taken an alarmingly long amount of time and energy, he had succeeded in getting there before dawn. Kaito had created a makeshift backpack, resembling a donkey's pack with which to carry the many books he had 'borrowed' from Hakuba. Unfortunately, it was nearly twice his current weight so he had discovered immense difficulty in transporting the items, much to his displeasure.

Upon getting past his frustratingly complex lock system and opening the door, he discovered another problem. His backpack was too wide to fit through. With a sigh, he looked forlornly at the sky, before removing it and pulling it through. With his forepaws. What did you think he was going to use, his mouth?

Once inside, he emptied the backpack, and set about storing the books in his Kid room. He selected one book, titled 'Simple magic for the young creature or intermediate mage.' to read at school tomorrow. It would have to be under a illusion, or have its cover swapped to avoid arousing even more suspicion. Although it seemed drier than the sahara, it also seemed very useful and informative. So he would read it.

He was about to climb into bed, when something hit him. Specifically, his tail's existence. He might set his bed on fire in the night! He groaned, and began searching for his fireproofing spray. This would be quite a tedious night time ritual, until he could get back to normal.

Steadfastly, he ignored the traitorous thought that it may never happen even as he curled in on himself to rest till dawn.

When the sun finally rose, and he couldn't sleep anymore, he considered calling in sick to buy himself more time. After much internal debate, he decided against it. He needed to keep his attendance up, and beyond his physical state which he could hide effectively enough to get by, he had no pressure to remain away from society.

Besides that, he had a rather more pressing issue. Amongst the tomes he had acquired from Hakuba, he had one book in particular to read through as soon as possible. 'Magick gems: lunar sect edition.'

The title sounded almost cultish- but it was the biggest lead he had at the minute. He pulled the thick covers apart, wincing internally at the mild scratching sound caused by his new first page was

This book has been written for the sole perusal of lunar mages, beasts and approved neutral guardians. No spells or rituals contained within should should be performed unsupervised as side effects vary from becoming lunar energy and merging with the gem, to paralytic disembodiment or soul based transformations.

Kaito snorted in amusement- a disclaimer for magic? Sounded almost like a joke book, but research materials for magic were something rare and new for him. He needed to absorb all that he could and apply it successfully to survive.

He flicked through several similar pages, detailing the basis of lunar magics and how it varied between users. The contents page was 12 pages in, but thankfully he was able to find the page on Pandora quickly. It had an eye catching stain near it, resembling a pale red tear mark, that had been snuffed out by ciggarette burns. He scoffed at the mistreatment of the book- it was almost illegible at some points due to various different stains! Nevertheless he turned to Pandora's section, resolutely ignoring it.

Pandora

Pandora is a poorly documented gem, however it is more commonly referred to as the 'Disaster Diamond' by humans, due to its tendency to curse malevolent people who come to possess it. The curses typically revolve around unusual, typically traumatising coincidences intended to drive holders to commit suicide.

This defence can be avoided by avoiding physical contact, or by only touching the gem on full moons. The majority of Creatures will feel no effect, but if any meteors are visible on a full moon night the gem will redirect the minor lunar energy into the holder's lifespan. This creates an illusion of immortality, but must be resupplied regularly to maintain the effect. The gem does not need to be present to refuel as the magic becomes entwined with the holder's lifespan. For more information on the process, refer to the lunar mechanics guide that is sold in accompaniment.

Pandora is suspected to have been a single being before achieving its current state, and as such should be treated with caution beyond basic safety. When handling the gem, do not insult, mock, or generally be rude in it's presence. It is likely sentient, and likely to activate an extra (unknown) level of defence based on research done on similarly formed gems. The personal encounters records generally state it to be ill tempered, but kind to those who are benevolent. See page 173 for the Pandora records.

The gem has recently been marked as being in the possession of the highly acclaimed sorceress Sopherin Philo. Unfortunately, the source died in a tragic accident the day before our intended interview date so we were unable to confirm the validity of his claims.

Kaito grinned, and closed the book with a snap. A few moments of rummaging in drawers produced a probably working cellphone, and a determined nature. His tail flamed excitedly, "Yo, Jii-san?"

He immediately had to hold it away from his ear, due to the intensity of the reply. "Bocchama! Where have you been? I understand that you have been taking a break from your night job- but you should tell me if you're going to start poking around for it again! I was worried for you."

Ah, yes. He had been out of business for awhile now, hadn't he? Avoiding the curse's effects, and then promptly being kidnapped by Hakuba had taken a surprising amount of time out of both his thievery and regular schedules.

"Jii-san, I'm sorry. Something unexpected came up and I had to chase up some leads…"

"Are you becoming a detective, bocchama? Do I have to come over there myself? You know

what detectives do-!"

"Oi, oi! The truth shall prevail and all that?" laughed Kaito in Conan's voice, "No, I think not! I found a lead on Pandora- Jii-san! Pan freaking dora!"

Stunned silence broken only by the crackle of static held for a long moment.

It was Jii's hoarse voice, accompanied by the distinctive scrape of a bar stool being pulled back that broke it, "Really?"

"Yes! It's not conclusive, the source said it was unconfirmed and that it was a sorceress but it is a lead! I need you to look into a Sopherin Philo for me, female. I'll be looking too- into another name it goes by, Disaster Diamond, but this is so much at once! I can't believe we have a lead, it has to be it!"

"Of course I will Bocchama, but…Please don't be disappointed if this doesn't work out. Promise me that much, Kaito."

Kaito started out of his intense, spiralling reverie, surprised. A small smile fit itself upon his face. His reply was soft, almost inaudible, "Yeah, Jii-san. I know."

Having spent the few hours between getting home and dawn organising his most recent illicitly gained items and sorting out his research plans, it was a miracle he got any sleep. That is to say- he didn't. Miracles don't happen often, and as they say, no rest for the wicked.

School was going to be hell, he dimly thought, while preparing to leave. The movement of his tail was hypnotic, tempting him with promises of rest and warmth. The damn thing remained as an indistinguishable blur even when he put a stronger illusion over it. He gave up, eventually. Resolving to use only surface layer illusions to conserve energy while there. He would be running on cold hot chocolate from before he went on that catalytic stroll, and one heck of a sleepless stressful night. The perfect recipe for an alert, aware, attentive student.

Aoko, however, was entirely oblivious to his struggle in maintaining wakefulness. Largely because he had to pretend he was recently recovered from an intense cold, given that he had been using that to excuse himself from school until the curse's effects wore off. Well, given that he was holding onto a very successful illusion of sickness and annoyance it was no surprise.

All he had to do to maintain it was grumble a bit, and be slightly less mischevious than he really felt like being. Unfortunately, Aoko insisted on mothering him. She was hovering over him, making sure his work was being done, that he was listening to the teacher, that he was responding to being poked in the back with a freaking mop-!

It was very tiring, for more than one reason. Her constant hovering left him unable to relax and focus properly on staying human looking and awake. He hadn't had any breaks from her presence, and intended to 'magic' himself out of her view at lunch. A puff of confetti and smoke, and he would be gone for lunch on the roof. The problem lay primarily in the effort of physically puffing his illusion up so it felt real enough for Aoko. Hakuba was there, too, but he barely paid attention to Kaito. He seemed incredibly distracted by something, his escape, perhaps?

Kaito checked the clock and laughed quietly to himself. Five minutes before lunch, and he realozed that he hadn't made himself a bento in the madness of the morning. He decided to make his escape a few moments earlier than planned, using a very large smoke confetti bomb. He snatched little pieces from a few peoples lunches, enough to make a small meal. He felt slightly guilty, but the exhaustion and hunger were creeping up on him fast. He would repay them tomorrow, anyway.

Getting to the roof should have been easy, but every step with his illusory body made him tired, and the food had only unsettled his stomach, rather than soothing the hunger. He maintained the outward appearance of a confident and relaxed high schooler all the way there, despite that. Disguises should be worn well, or not at all.

He reached the roof, and stepped into the midday sun. Immediately, he felt so much more relaxed. Here in the open air, with the signature tokyo sunlight blazing even in winter, and the chilly breeze caressing him, he felt relaxed. Uncomfortable with the temperature, but relaxed.

He leaned against a wall, and let all of his tension go. A warm sensation ran down his body, and then everything was a bit bigger again. Kaito groaned, but accepted it quickly enough. That illusion was exhausting to maintain- never mind to manipulate with facial expressions and clothes taking extra energy he didn't seem to have. Having been body swapped would have been easier, for god's sake! His proficiency at disguises would have made most situations caused by magic easy to handle. Gender swap? No problem, just get some bindings and use basic disguise techniques to make himself more masculine. Shrunk? Hide until it wore off, or use stilts and or mechanical limbs to help. Simple.

This, though… He rubbed a paw on his snout self consciously. It couldn't be solved easily. His features were too disproportionate, even when he stood bipedal to be disguised with normal latex and padding, or even mechanics like he might do with other situations. His tail was a pain to deal with hiding, and he was half asleep from exhaustion. Thankfully, he had been quickly introduced to the mechanics of this body, and the useful technique that came with it.

It didn't change much in the way of scheduling, beyond that he had to resume regular activities once more, now that he could. Just as he attended school after heists, he attended now. If there was no danger that he couldn't handle, then he had to perform normal activities. If he consistently missed or achieved poorly after heists, even a fresh police detective could make 2 and 2 into 4. What would happen after that... He didn't want to consider beyond that it was worth avoiding.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Kaito stiffened, and his tail flared up in surprise. "Akako?"

"Indeed, Kid. I would've presumed you to be under the care of that obnoxious guardian, rather than being Kuroba once more," Stepping into the light, the witch let out a small laugh, "Not that it matters much, given how foxy you could prove to be with me now, hmmm?"

A thick blush crept across Kaito's fur. "I have no intentions of being a caged creature, no matter my form, witch."

Akako's laugh grew in volume, the second time, "I have no intentions of capturing you- I have no need for a familiar after all. That, Kid, is all you would be capable of now. Besides, shouldn't you be more worried about this…" She gestured with a broad sweep, and Hakuba fell off the entrance to the roof. "Guardian, hmmm?"

She turned to Hakuba, "I have no reason to avoid harming you now, shouldn't you be a tad more fearful, Guardian?"

Hakuba brushed himself off, "Perhaps, but I have my duty to perform. A sentence would be likely if you were to interfere."

Dimly, Kaito recognized that he'd been shut out of the conversation.

"Well, I wasn't intending to. I was merely thinking of how unfortunate it is- that you would have to work off such a fool's mistake for your life."

Hakuba bristled, "She was no fool, Akako. I have duties to attend to, and I would prefer to handle them alone."

She sighed in annoyance, "I'll leave, but remember this, Guardian: all witches are the same, you simply cannot beat us with your lowly skills."

With that parting comment, the witch left in a swish of black energy. Hakuba visibly relaxed, before turning to stare at Kaito.

"Why did you run away, Kid?"

Kaito glared at him, "I refuse to be trapped, no matter the circumstances, Tantei-san."

"Kid, you are tired, weak, and new to this body- and that's the reason why? You refused to be trapped!?"

Kaito's glare intensified, almost glowing with an inner fire, "Yes."

"My M- Someone important to me, has their survival dependant on me looking after creatures like you, you can't run away! You'll be killed, or accidentally kill yourself!"

Grimacing, Kaito's glare broke slightly, "Be that as it may, I have no reason to stay that is compelling enough for me. I can get knowledge elsewhere now, that you hid from me. I can fulfill my purpose as a thief now, and figure out how to become human again easily enough. This body may prove troublesome, but I am nothing if not tenacious!"

Hakuba knelt down to his small, pathetic form, and forced a smile. "Well, I can work with that."

Kaito pushed himself backwards, tail waving haphazardly and singeing the walls slightly. "Don't, unless you can actually stick to it."

"How about, I feed and teach you, and you don't run away?"

Kaito almost laughed, "I'm not a pet, Tantei-san. Try again."

"I look after you, and you stay with me?"

With a smile, Kaito nodded, "Getting warmer."

"We live and help each other together?"

Kaito nodded, "That will do, I suppose. No use having one person being too powerful. Now, could you help me get to class? I am being Kuroba today, you see…"

A.N

Do I do the AN notice like that often? It has been exactly a month, so I can't remember well. Ah well, here's an update.

This chapter is dedicated to googoo mori? Nope, the name is: OrguMiMi.

Close enough, what a hard to remember name. Anyway, the reason is because when I was checking through my emails (on the 22nd July), I saw a little review, dated the 14th July. I had uploaded chapter 3 nearly 3 weeks before. The little, quiet 'keep 'er go'n' was a much needed kick up the arse for me.

So, thanks, I guess.

I loved reading everyones reviews, and they all made me feel happy but I felt that one deserved a shout out. I feel kinda guilty now…

Anyone living in areas where you get those ridiculous 5 minute rain spells where the sky falls apart, and is sunny in storm like conditions? Had at least 12 of those that I counted while writing, amusingly enough.

I believe I have given enough hints for guesses at Hakuba's backstory, now. Any detectives feeling sharp today?

See you next illusion,

BCoH

(Word count pre AN = 3095)