18: Cecilia

Heists held in competition with Suzuki Jirokichi always had the largest number of cameras and reporters. KID huffed to himself in amusement as he waded through a crowd of spectators. Jirokichi also always encouraged the largest crowds. Eyes narrowed under his dark baseball cap, the magician thief was fully focused on his goal. His senses were peaked to uncover the locations of cops and (if necessary) men in black. "/It's Showtime/", KID whispered with a grin, preparing to make his move.

A soft sound stopped him. Muffled and nearly covered by the cheering of the masses, it came again. It was a sound that KID knew and hated; a sound that made his heart clench. It was a sound that was more important than any gem. It was the sound of crying.

Head weaving back and forth, KID closed in on the source of the crying. He pushed people aside, ignoring their protests, until he found a small patch of clear ground. Curled up by a signpost was a little girl. She had blond hair and pale skin, obviously not a native of Japan, and had her face hidden in her arms. Her small hands were scraped where they showed from under a long-sleeved blue shirt, and her knees as well where her jeans were ripped. She looked about seven or eight years old.

Crouching down next to her, the magician reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, "are you okay?" She flinched and her head jerked up revealing milky green eyes. She was blind.

"Are you okay little lady?" He asked again, oblivious to the loud proclamations saying that Kaitou KID was late.

"/I d- don't spea- k Ja- Japanese./" She stuttered between sobs.

It took KID a moment to realize that she was speaking French. He smirked, "/are you all right?/" He asked smoothly, flawlessly switching languages. She hesitated for a moment, "/no./" She replied shakily. Obviously she was nervous about talking to someone she didn't know.

KID grinned and conjured a flower, it didn't matter that she couldn't see it, pressing it into her hands he spoke gently, "/I may be able to help if you tell me what's wrong, you can call me Mireille./" The girl giggled faintly, smelling the rose, "/that's a girl name!/" The magician laughed too, "/I thought it was pretty, I bet it's not as pretty as your name…./" The girl smiled slightly, "/I'm Cecilia Abélard./" She replied, falling for his ploy.

The thief scooted closer, "/I was right, that is a lovely name, but I'm thinking you tell me what's wrong and I make a miracle to fix it./" Cecilia nodded with a miserable frown, "/I was here with my mommy, but we got separated in the crowd and… and now I c- can't find her!/"

KID frowned, lighting up a moment later with a wide smile and an idea. "/I have a plan, but you have to trust me. I know some people who can help. Will you come with me lady Cecilia?/" Cecilia's expression became hopeful, "/you'll help me find my mommy?/" The magician offered her his hand, "/of course! What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't help a lady in need?/" She giggled again and let him pick her up.

"/Okay now/", KID said as he started walking, "/you're going to be on television, so wipe those tears from your face and smile. I'm sure that your mom will see./" Cecilia bounced slightly in happiness, rushing to do as he said. "/Okay… I'm sure a smart girl like you noticed, but Mireille isn't my real name. I am actually called KID the Phantom Thief!/"

A cloud of stage smoke from a bomb punctuated his words and, even without putting Cecilia down, he reemerged in his iconic white suit, cape, and top hat. Monocle flashing and Cecilia still in his arms, KID faced the cameras.

Cecilia's grin was as wide as his smirk as the thief addressed his audience in Japanese. "I apologize for my tardiness. I was about to start the show when I noticed this fair maiden in distress. Young Cecilia was separated from her mother, if said lost parent would be allowed to come forth I will gladly return brave Cecilia too her."

KID was slightly surprised when none of the police made a move on him and the little girl, but he gladly used the time waiting to talk to Cecilia. The thief learned that Cecilia's mother was a big fan of his and had made Cecilia herself a fan through detailed descriptions of his magic that her mother gave her. He in turn gave her descriptions about what was happening around them. "/You're funny./" Cecilia giggled at his embellishments, "/the way you talk is silly./" KID huffed, "/I see myself as a poet, this is just how I am accustomed to speaking./"

Nearly twenty minutes after KID had made his statement to the public, a young woman pushed through the crowd. Her hair was the same golden color as Cecilia's and her eyes the same green. Upon seeing Cecilia she rushed forward, "/Cecilia!/" Hearing her mother, Cecilia reached for her, "/mommy!/" She cried as they were reunited.

Smiling, KID watched the scene with joy. "Thank you so much for finding my little girl!" The mother thanked him ecstatically in heavily accented Japanese. "I was so afraid after we'd been separated… with Cecilia not knowing the language, binging blind, and so young!" "Not at all", KID said with a bow, "it was my pleasure to be of assistance." Hugging her daughter tight the woman thanked him again.

"/Take care of yourself young lady./" KID told Cecilia, "/not everyone is of such good character as I./" Cecilia leaned away from her mother and hugged the stunned thief. "/You be careful too./" She said. Smiling, the magician thief conjured another rose, "/fair thee well./" He said as the two walked away.

Smirking, the thief turned back to the police, "now that that was rectified, shall we get on with it?" He held up the gem that until then everyone thought was still in the case. Grinning madly in return, Nakamori Ginzo pointed at him, "GET HIM!" The white-clad magician ran through the crowd with the task force on his heels and a manic smile on his face. As he escaped, he thought he heard the soft murmurs of a mother to her blind daughter as she described what he was doing in a dramatic monologue.

(Just a note if you haven't realized it by now, but when I make important filler-characters I like their names to have double meanings. In a previous chapter there was a guy named Kaiyo... that means forgiveness. In this one, Cecilia means blind in Latin andAbélardmeans noble strength in French. Mireille means 'miracle' in French.)