Chapter 6: The Tell-Tale Photograph

"What do you mean? Can't you see that I'm Dark?" The handsome young man chuckled heartily before he settled down onto the ground. "Look, are you going to let me out or what?"

"Dark… what are-" Daisuke had begun to say.

"That's not Dark!" Satoshi interrupted violently. "She… he… whatever is trying to deceive us!"

Daisuke looked at Satoshi seriously and stood his ground. "What were you trying to steal…?"

'Dark' looked at Daisuke from the corner of his intense eyes and grinned. "Oh I've already stolen it," he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a tarnished necklace. "This gold necklace…it's all I needed."

Hiwatari remained unconvinced while Daisuke was determined to give the person behind the red bars a chance. He stepped forward cautiously. "Why do you need it?"

"I just do," Dark replied sadly. "And since you won't help me get the real Dark…"

The fake Dark sighed and shook his head as he pulled himself to his feet. He held his right hand in front of him, palm up and began to chant quietly. Within a few moments a bright white began to form within his palm and began to take the shape of a ball. It started to twirl rapidly as it grew in power.

"I'll ask you once more to let me go," Dark said evenly.

Hiwatari crossed his arms defiantly. "No."

"Fine… then we'll do this the hard way." The fake Dark released the energy ball toward the electrical box that controlled the jail cell. It exploded upon impact, destroying the box yet the bars were not destroyed. Hiwatari smirked triumphantly.

"There's another energy source for it, one separate from that box. That was merely… a distraction."

Dark glanced ahead apathetically. "I will get out," he said as he lowered his head. "And it'll be easier than that little explosion." He began to mutter silently under his breath, drawing a powerful wind to blow around him. His hair billowed about his face and when he looked up his eyes glowed brightly. He smiled at Daisuke and lifted two fingers to his brow in a casual salute. "I'll be seeing you."

A bright flash of light suddenly filled the room and when it cleared, the fake Dark was gone, leaving the red-barred jail cell empty.

"How did he…?" Daisuke asked his mouth gaped open in shock.

"I don't know," Satoshi answered as he silently fisted his hand in anger. "But we'll find out who he is, sooner or later." Satoshi turned off the red bars for the make-shift jail cell and stepped within its confines. All that remained was a small black spot upon the floor, as if something hot had burned there only moments ago. He knelt down and wiped two fingers across the blackened surface and rubbed it with his thumb before he sniffed it.

"Smells like sulfur," he said definitively as he stood to his full height. Daisuke had approached his friend and sighed.

"Something's not right," the red-haired boy said. "How did sh-… he… know my name?"

"It's probably someone we know," he said immediately thinking of Maya. Though the female thief he and Daisuke encountered earlier looked nothing like Maya at all; but if the thief was able to change their appearance at will, what was to say that the female façade was their true one? Satoshi ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head. "Let's get going… there's nothing left here."

Daisuke nodded and followed Satoshi out of the ruins. Once they reached the grounds Hiwatari immediately went to the gaggle of police officers while Daisuke went home. His feet carried him through the quiet town, down the cobblestone streets, and toward the one place his heart wanted to be: Riku's house. He stood outside the door and gazed up at the darkened house. He wanted to go in, wanted to pull Riku into his arms and hold her close to his body. He wanted his Sacred Maiden – his sanctuary – to make the confusion that racked his brain to go away.

He turned away from Riku's house sadly and began his journey home. He shoved his hands into his pockets and lowered his head as he walked. He'd reach home eventually and once he got there he'd climb the stairs to his room and collapse into his bed. His dreams would no doubt be plagued by the enigmatic thief who wanted Dark. But he'd worry about that tomorrow – tomorrow he'd talk to his family, he'd see Riku, and hope beyond hope that everything would turn out alright.

----

The rundown house at the end of the street stood like a thorny rosebush in the middle of a field of daisies. It was a stark contrast to the rest of the neighborhood which was happy and bright and welcoming. The peculiar house had been empty until a mysterious girl moved into it and even then it remained as bleak as ever. No one in the area could say how long she had been there or even when she moved in. It was as if one day she had appeared out of nowhere dressed neatly in her school uniform and looking more prim and proper than the house she had emerged from.

And now in the middle of the night a lone light shone in one of the upstairs' rooms of the decrepit house. The short-haired thief lied upon the bed, her arm resting across her brow as she stared blankly upward. Her mind was racing with thoughts of her past, her present, and her possible future.

Her future…

Would it even be possible without some help? She knew she couldn't accomplish her task alone and yet, after what Niwa told her –

"He's gone…"

She sat upright in her bed, balled her hand into a fist and punched the mattress.

"Dark can't be gone," she said under her breath. "But what if…"

She reached underneath her pillow and pulled out a long, golden necklace inlaid with eight shimmering jewels. She held it up to the moonlight and watched it glimmer, casting shadows upon the wall as it twirled around lazily.

"Where did you go," she said out loud. "You promised me… you promised that you'd help me." She sighed and placed the necklace inside the nightstand's drawer before she stood on her feet. She reached for her pajamas, changed into them quickly, and then jumped back into bed.

"Niwa… you're my only hope," she said as she hugged her pillow. "Tomorrow… I'll talk to you tomorrow." She sighed deeply and closed her eyes for the remainder of the night.

----

The next day.

"Maya!" Risa called out as she ran toward the dark-haired girl.

"Oh, hello Risa," she answered quickly and with a smile. Maybe if she wasn't interrupted by Hiwatari this time, she could get some answers out of the kind girl.

Risa came to a stop near Maya and held onto the girl's shoulder as she caught her breath. "Hey," she said quickly. "I'm sorry about the other day. I don't know why Satoshi dragged me away."

"Oh it's fine," Maya said with a wave to dismiss the fact. "I've already forgotten about it." She grinned and patted Risa's back. "Are you alright? You seem a bit winded."

"Oh…yeah, I'm great," she huffed. "Just… I was never as athletic as Riku."

Maya nodded. "Say… speaking of the other day, do you think you can tell me anything about Dark now?"

Risa looked up, perplexed. "Mister Dark? Well I –" she hesitated. "I don't know really. I mean, he was here and then he was gone. But," she began with wide eyes, completely forgetting about any discretion she had earlier. "Before he left, he got into a big fight with another angel, and there was an earthquake and everything was a big mess."

Maya listened curiously. "A big fight," she asked. "So after the fight, he just disappeared?"

"Well yeah," Risa answered with a nod. "I mean Ni-" she covered her mouth quickly and shook her head. Risa was never good at keeping secrets or at hiding her feelings when certain secrets came to the forefront. "He's really gone… I have a feeling he won't come back."

Maya nodded solemnly. "I see – he seemed like such an interesting character." She turned her back on Risa and sighed, continuing her sentence in a low voice. "It would have been nice to see him again."

Risa gazed around Maya's shoulder and prodded the girl's arm. "Hey… are you alright?"

The dark-haired girl was pulled from her reverie and she smiled broadly at Risa. "I'm fine! Just fine! Aheh. Guess I was having a little daydream or something."

"Hey, let's go out for a walk around the track field," Risa offered. "It's such a beautiful day out; I'd hate to see it go to waste."

Maya nodded and followed the younger girl out of the building. Risa skipped merrily along her way, waving hello to people that she passed and occasionally stopping to hug others. She certainly was a popular girl and from Maya's standpoint, genuinely nice. When the two girls reached the track they began to walk near the outer fence. Risa had grown more comfortable in talking about Dark, explaining to Maya her huge crush on the Phantom Thief and how he was so handsome and charming and a truly caring person underneath it all. Maya listened patiently and laughed at the parts that Risa laughed at. Both girls were in a world of their own that they both barely noticed a soccer game going on several feet in front of them. The boys of the team were a rambunctious group, yelling loudly with each goal or kick and for the most part seemed more interested in just kicking the ball around rather than making a goal.

"Hey Seiji! I bet you can't kick the ball as far as that pole," one boy challenged. The much larger boy took the challenge and grabbed the ball from his teammate.

"Oh yeah… watch this!" He let the ball drop from his hands and when it almost reached the ground he kicked it with all his might. The ball flew at an amazing speed through the air, headed straight for the pole that the other boy mentioned. It was at that exact moment that Maya and Risa had also passed the pole and found that the ball was still speeding toward them.

"What is that thing," Risa asked, doe-eyed as she caught sight of the ball zooming through the air. Maya glanced up and saw the black-and-white ball flying toward them and quickly stepped in front of Risa. Risa looked up at Maya, confused, just as the girl held out her left hand and caught the oncoming ball skillfully. She glanced at the boys and balanced the ball in her hand as she strode forward. "The next time to decide to kick the ball somewhere, make sure there isn't anyone around," Maya said as she tossed the ball back at the bewildered boys before she headed back toward Risa.

"Maybe we should go walk someplace else… things could get dangerous out here."

Risa, however, did not reply as she gazed at Maya with wonder. "Riku… not even Riku could do that and she's the best athlete I know!" Maya giggled softly at Risa and reached for her hand.

"Well I couldn't let you get hurt, now could I?" Maya said before she let go of Risa's hand and began to walk ahead of her. "Hey, I forgot I have someplace I need to be," Maya said as she began to run off. "I'll see you later!" She continued to yell over her shoulder as she ran across the field and back toward the school.

Risa waved in return and watched Maya disappear from view before headed back to the school as well. She'd have to find someone to walk her back home since she hated walking home alone.

----

Dusk had fallen quickly upon the sleepy town and things at the Niwa household were as quiet as ever. Daisuke was up in his room working on a painting. Emiko and Towa were busy making dinner in the kitchen while Kosuke and Daiki were both reading the newspaper in the living room. As the evening progressed, storm clouds began to gather overhead and, within moments, droplets of rain began to fall all around. The sound was peaceful and welcoming to Daisuke as he stood by the doors to his balcony and looked outward.

"Daisuke! Dinner!" He heard his mother call from downstairs. The young boy jumped down the steps two at a time and swung his body around the banister. He entered the kitchen and inhaled deeply, the aroma of the various dishes that his mother and Towa prepared was intoxicating.

"Wow… everything looks great!" He exclaimed as he took a seat at the table.

"It certainly does," replied Daiki as he sat down next to Daisuke. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them quickly as he prepared to pick up his fork and spoon.

"Uh uh uh, Dad," said Emiko as she shook her wooden spoon. "Not so fast. We have to wait for Kosuke."

Daiki grumbled. "Darn that boy… always making me wait to eat. Hurry up, Kosuke!" He yelled just as Daisuke's father emerged from the door that led to the basement.

"Sorry about that everyone… I was just doing a bit of research." He sat down at the table and smiled at everyone placing the book that he was carrying to his left. Daisuke eyed the book and then looked up at his father.

"Research," he asked curiously. Emiko and Towa had taken their seats as well and were now handing out food to everyone. "What kind of research, dad?"

"Well… ever since the other day, when your friend came over to the house, I've been wanting to find out about other famous thieves that have existed within the past hundred years or so."

Daisuke arched a brow. "My friend? Saehara? Miss Riku? Hiwatari?"

"No no," Kosuke said as he took a bite of the curry. "Mmm delicious curry, Emiko and no Daisuke, your other friend – Maya."

Daisuke was in mid-chew when his father mentioned Maya. "Maya," he said through a full mouth. He swallowed quickly, "How could she make you want to do research?"

"Maya?" Emiko interrupted. "Oh I think she's a lovely girl. Just lovely… very polite." She took a sip of her water and continued eating. "Oh you haven't met her yet, have you Towa?"

Towa shook her head. "Nope… is she Daisuke's new girlfriend or something?"

"No!" Daisuke said, almost choking. "She's this new girl in my class, that's all. She's sort of odd…" Daisuke looked over at his father and took another small bite of his food.

"So dad… what did you find out about other thieves?"

"Well… everyone knows that Dark was probably the most famous of all thieves in the past 400 years. But recently – and when I say recently, I mean about 200 years ago – there have been reports of another thief operating around the Mediterranean. The local people began calling her Circe, because she possessed powers that they believed only a witch could possess."

Daisuke listened with great interest. "Circe… wait I don't understand."

"Circe was a powerful witch in Homer's The Odyssey. In the stories, she turned men into pigs and enchanted an entire crew to stay with her for five years, even though to them it only seemed like five days!" Daiki answered with enthusiasm.

"Oh I get it," Daisuke said. "So because this thief had powers like a witch they named her after a witch."

"Right," Kosuke replied with a nod. "Anyway, unlike Dark, she didn't steal objects that were cursed or anything. She stole them strictly for monetary value. Eventually, a lot of the objects that she stole showed up in the black market and were returned to their rightful owners. But there were still a few things that have never been found."

"Really? Like what?" The story was intriguing Daisuke more and more though he still wondered what any of it had to do with Maya.

"Well, in Circe's case, there were some jewels that she had stolen and those jewels still remain missing today. Jewels like, the Azure Sapphire, said to be one of the most valuable sapphires in the world because of its age. And the Babylonian Emerald, valued because it was believed to have been worn by Babylonian rulers of the past. All of these items were never found again."

Dai chewed his food slowly and nodded. "What do you think happened to all those things?"

"It's hard to say but it's most likely that the thief kept them." Kosuke took another bite of rice and the table was quiet again. Daisuke looked around from his mother, to Towa to his grandfather and then his father, all of whom seemed more interested in eating than the story. Daisuke sighed and picked at his food.

"Hey dad," Niwa said to break the silence. "What does all of this have to do with Maya?"

Kosuke looked up and cupped his chin with his hand thoughtfully. "I told you before that she seemed familiar. And when I reread this book I found out why." Daisuke's father grabbed the book and flipped through it quickly. He finally stopped near the middle and passed the book to Daisuke. "Look familiar?"

Daisuke took the book and looked at the copy of the old photograph on the page. The caption underneath it read: A rare photograph taken of the thief, Circe, in Rome, Italy – circa 1928. It showed the thief peeking around the corner of a building, completely surprised by the photographer. As Daisuke looked at the photo he could hardly believe his eyes. Staring back at him was the image of a girl with long, dark hair and wide eyes that, even in a black and white photo, sparkled. He'd seen that girl before, he saw her that first day he returned to school.

"I can't believe it," he exclaimed. "She looks just like Maya!"