Disclaimer: I don't think I'd be posting my love life with Dark and/or Krad on here if I owned them. All I own are OC's and the names of art pieces.
Third Theft
"It is time to awaken, master!" Arien said, drawing the blinds to Suki's window open like the day before. Suki groaned and pulled the covers over her face.
"Arien, its Saturday! There's no school on Saturday or Sunday, so I don't have to wake up at the usual time!"
Arien tipped her head in thought. Huh, I thought that it was customary for humans to keep a regular sleeping schedule. Perhaps the times have changed since I've been sealed.
She closed the blinds before tiptoeing out of Suki's room and walked downstairs. She wandered through the house in search of something to do while Suki slept, but found nothing. The phone began ringing while she walked through the entrance hallway, so she stopped to answer it.
"Hi, is Suki there?" A girl's voice spoke from the object.
"She's sleeping right now; did you want to leave a message? I'll make sure she gets it." Arien said. The girl, who introduced herself as Risa, asked her to tell Suki that she had to cancel their plans to hang out because she was headed on a trip with her family for the day. Arien stared at the phone, puzzled by the message.
Humans get together in groups in order to fill some sort of social need? But often they run into obstacles and cannot make the predetermined activity, so they call with an apology and explanation? I didn't know that humans needed companionship. Does this mean that master Suki requires companionship as well?
She placed the phone on its receiver and pursed her lips in thought.
"Maybe I should go out and get Suki a companion?"
She pulled on her shoes and set out towards town.
"Daisuke you get up this instant!"
"Wah!" Daisuke gasped as he nearly toppled over the railing of his bed. He latched onto the rail at the last second and prevented his meeting with the floor by hanging on. He let go after a second and landed on his feet.
"Geeze mom, can't you wake me up any gentler than that?" He asked, stretching. Emiko smiled at her son and shook her head.
"As the mother of the great Phantom Thief, it's my job to make sure you're always on your toes! If you get startled that easily, you have to be able to react quickly, Dai. Now come downstairs, I have some shopping for you to do!"
Daisuke groaned and started pulling his shirt over his head as his mother left. He never got to sleep in on his days off, and it seemed that whenever Dark went out thieving he paid the price for it the next morning.
As he began looking through his drawers to find something to wear for the day, he started thinking about Riku. He had been thinking a lot about Riku lately, but that had only been because both he and Dark's DNA would react to her, so he stayed himself longer instead of changing into Dark. He clutched his chest as he realized that he couldn't think so much about her anymore.
"Urgh! Oh no, not again! I just transformed last night!" He whined, feeling the change taking over.
Dark stood in Daisuke's place and smirked before looking through his own drawer for clothes.
"Looks like you get the day off, Daisuke." He said, pulling a shirt over his head. "I've got some business to do in town today."
Dark placed a cap on his head and made his way downstairs. "Hey Emiko, Daiki. Daisuke's taking a day off, so I'm going to be out for a little while."
"Yeah, a forced day off!" Daisuke whined from inside Dark. Dark ignored his host.
"Oh Dark, are you sure it's alright for you to be out and around in your own form?" Emiko asked, bringing over a plate of eggs and toast. Dark nodded and started picking at the food.
"Yeah it's alright. I'll just avoid the police station. Besides, no one can hope to recognize me in the day time. They've only seen me at night, and have no idea what I look like in the day." He finished off the plate. "Now what shopping did you need done?"
Suki shoved the sheets from her body as she finally decided to stop prolonging the inevitable and wake up. She stretched before getting up and picking out different items to wear for the day.
Ah, at least Arien didn't try to wake me up again. I feel better now that I've slept for so long. I wonder what time it is, anyway.
Suki glanced at the clock on her bedside table and shouted. "Oh shit! I was supposed to meet Risa and Riku an hour ago! What the hell was I thinking, staying asleep for so long?! Son of a bitch!"
She practically flew to her dresser and started pulling out different pieces of clothing to wear. She settled quickly on baggy black shorts and a T-shirt with a hot pink skull on the front. She threw on the clothing and hurried down the two flights of stairs, stopping at the door to pull on her shoes.
She noticed the phone on the table beside her as she tied her laces. A pad of paper had been placed beside it, and there was a small note scribbled on the paper. Suki picked up the pad and read the message Arien had left for her.
Master, I have gone to retrieve a companion for you. A Miss Risa Harada phoned this morning as you slept, and apologized for canceling your appointed 'hang-out' time today. She and her sister, Riku Harada, are out for a family organized activity.
- Arien
Suki set down the pad of paper and let herself fall to the floor.
"I woke up and made all that mess in my room, just to find out that I don't have anything to do today." She mumbled. "My life sucks."
She felt like laying there near the door until Arien came back, so that at least then she might have something to do. She blinked and reached for the pad of paper again from her place on the floor.
"What the hell does she mean by 'companion'?"
Arien walked briskly into town, driven by her mission to find her master a fit companion to lighten her social needs. From the looks of things, humans require some form of interaction with each other on a daily basis. Does this mean that I need to be social with people too? Maybe, if it will fulfill master's order about being more human, I should find a companion as well.
She carried a bag over her shoulder she that while in town she could also stock up on the grocery items she needed to make Suki's meals. Being a work of art meant that she didn't need to eat like humans do, but she had to eat in order to be more human like Suki wanted. She smiled to herself, this time not even realizing she had done it. She was getting the hang of being human, and it was turning out to be a wonderful experience.
She entered the out-door market section of Azumano and stopped at a fruit vendor. He held up a few apples for her to look at.
"Fresh picked from the orchards this morning, mam." He said, and swept a hand across his produce.
"They do look lovely." Arien said, picking out three apples, two pears and a bag of potatoes. "I will take this much to sample your food. You might see me again tomorrow if I find them satisfactory."
The man nodded and ignored her strange way of talking. Market vendors were used to such accents and different vocabulary because most of their customers were travelers of some kind, mainly coming to town to witness the thefts of Phantom Thief Dark.
"That'll be ten dollars." He said. Arien handed the man her money and walked off with her bag of fruit and potatoes. The man stared after her for a moment, hypnotized by her shining red hair, before looking down at his palm.
"Holy mother of-"He started. Inside his palm were five gold coins, each shined in the sun like polished diamonds.
Dark walked into the outdoor-food market section of Azumano, grocery bag slung over his shoulder and list in hand.
"Man, Emiko sure likes to shop in bulk." He said, looking at the list. "I can't believe that she carries all of this stuff from here to home when she goes shopping."
"That's because she doesn't." Daisuke said. "I usually have to go with her to carry it all."
"Well, it looks like a lot, but it should be easier for me to carry home. You're too much of a wimp, Daisuke."
"Dark! Stop talking to me like that! Gah, I hate you sometimes."
"Yeah yeah, just relax for once Daisuke. It's not often that you're the one taking a joy ride in the day time."
Dark walked over to one of Emiko's favorite vendors and looked at the produce the man had. He picked out what Emiko had written down and placed it all inside the grocery bag.
"How much?" He asked the vendor, who was chatting excitedly to a couple of other market vendors beside him.
"It's on the house, today!" The man said. "I just got a real big payload from this girl a few moments ago! She paid for her food with gold! This much gold pays for the entire table."
Dark's eyes gleamed from behind a pair of sunglasses. "Well! It sounds like you found yourself a really rich customer then!"
"Dark, don't scout out for people to steal from! It's bad enough that we steal art!" Daisuke whined.
The man smiled at Dark excitedly. "You betcha! And she wasn't bad looking either! I wonder what she uses for shampoo, because her hair shined in the sun like polished rubies! My daughter would kill to get her hair to shine like that!"
Dark spoke to the man a little more before finally walking away with his free produce. Her hair shined like polished rubies, eh? He thought back to the night before and saw Arien's face in the moonlight. He hadn't exactly gotten the best look at her hair color, but he had known from her intruding on Daisuke's class that her hair was a vibrant red.
" . . . Well it's made when you freeze cow's milk. . ."
Dark looked over towards what he recognized as an ice cream stall and blinked before his eyes widened and his heart started beating faster. There stood his sacred maiden, and her hair did shine like polished jewels. He wondered how he hadn't realized it before as he began walking towards her.
Arien set the potatoes and fruit in her bag carefully, making sure they would not crush each other, before starting off on her walk again.
"I wonder if there is a store that sells human companions." She wondered. "Perhaps Miss Emiko would know, if I could find her."
She walked towards the center of the market where a man in a stripped outfit and pointy hat waved her over to his box stand.
"Would you like to try the newest flavor from Aku&Shu Ice Cream?" He asked, pointing at a display of eight different tubs of ice cream. Arien blinked at the display and looked at the different colors of human produce curiously.
"I have not heard of ice cream before." She told the man. "What is it made of?"
"Well, it's made when you freeze cow's milk to a certain temperature and then add a bunch of different ingredients to get the texture right enough for us to lick." He explained. "There are many different flavors and combinations in the world but the top three flavors are vanilla, the white one, chocolate, the brown one, and strawberry, the pink one."
Arien cocked her head to the side and contemplated the tastes of such creams. Would the consumption of this frozen treat make me more human? Which order am I to fulfill first? Become more human, or find Suki a companion? Well, I guess since she ordered me to be more human, and didn't order me to find her a companion, the eating of this treat should come first!
"Which would you recommend?" She asked, pressing her face near the glass.
"Well I would recommend chocolate; because that's the only flavor I think a sweet girl like you would appreciate." Dark said from beside her. She cast him a side glance, and he felt his heart flutter like Daisuke's when he sees Riku.
"Oh, it's you again Mr. Dark." She said robotically. He blinked once more in disbelief that his charm had apparently little effect on her. She turned to the vendor and ordered a chocolate cone.
"Better make that two." Dark told the man. The vendor dished out two cones, and Dark paid him with the money he saved from the past shopping.
"What do you say we get to know each other over these ice cream cones?" Dark asked Arien. He held both cones purposefully, so that she would say yes to the offer.
Arien stared at him a moment. Well this does mean that I am experiencing what it is like to be human and need a companion. That and I need to taste the iced cream in order to become more human for Suki. And perhaps he would know where it is I can purchase a human companion.
"Alright, let's get to know each other." She said. Dark smiled and handed her a cone.
"Let's go sit on the fountain." He suggested, walking towards it from the vendor. She followed growing excited with the amount of information she was going to get in order to fulfill Suki's orders.
Suki turned down the dial on the stove and let her noodles settle down into a simmer. After lying on the hard wood floor for a half an hour, she had grown hungry and impatient for Arien to return. She had raised a brow at herself and wondered how she had become so dependent on the girl to feed her when she'd only been there for two days.
"As soon as these things turn into my delicious ramen, I am going to go out and look for her." She decided while watching the noodles simmer. "There's no telling what trouble she'd get into in town. I just hope she remembers all that I've told her so she knows what to tell people."
Suki stood and stared at the window beside the kitchen table. It faced out over the ocean, and the sun shone into the room in droves. I still wonder what the hell she means by finding me a companion. I mean it's no big deal that Risa canceled on me. It happens all the time. Maybe she thinks that she has to go kidnap my friends and force them to hang out with me?
Her noodles finished cooking, so she turned off the stove and poured the delicious meal into a bowl. "Holy crap, I made a lot more than I thought I would."
She poured half of the noodles into one bowl, and half in another to place in the microwave.
"I wonder if strange maids that pop out of scrolls ever eat?" She wondered. "Oh well, more for me later if she doesn't."
She set her own bowl on the table and pulled up a chair. "Ah, the best source of food ever! Time to dig-"
A knock on her door made her pause as she was about to eat. She pouted and placed her chopsticks down. "Who the hell could that be? Oh, maybe it's Arien carrying all of my so-called companions?"
She walked to the door and unlocked the bolt. Opening the door, she stared.
"Hello Zaiaku. I was hoping you'd be home." Satoshi Hiwatari said, standing on her stoop. "I wanted to talk to you about something."
She wanted to squeal and stare, but she knew that would be creepy. She opened the door wide.
"Come on in, Hiwatari!"
Dark spoke about the sights there were to see around Azumano, not just the fountain that they sat on. Arien stared at her frozen treat as if it were some foreign substance. How does one eat this? Having no one around to ask, she turned to Dark.
"Hey, how do you eat this?" She asked, gesturing to the ice cream. "I can feel it melting fast, but I don't know what to do!"
Dark stared at her and laughed softly, obviously entertained by something she had done. I suppose that all humans know how to eat ice cream.
"Here," he said. "You take it in your hands and lick it with your tongue until it's all gone. See?"
Dark demonstrated with his own cone as Arien watched curiously. After analyzing what she had seen, she decided to put it into action. She brought the substance to her lips and licked it. Her eyes widened as she realized just how much flavor the one lick gave her.
"It's so cold!" She said, mulling the ice cream in her mouth. "But it's also so delicious!"
"Yeah, it's packed full of cold flavor!" Dark said, licking his own treat and watching his sacred maiden from the corner of his eye. He was finding it hard to really look at her without his heart beating out of control. Why does she have to look so cute eating that ice cream?
They finished their cones off and sat on the fountain for a quiet moment. He would be lying if he said he hadn't expected her to talk his ear off about art work and his thefts, but he didn't mind the change as much. Dark did find it challenging to talk to her about things though.
"So what are you doing in town?" He asked, taking into account her grocery bag.
"I am looking for a companion for Suki. " Arien said, turning her head to look at the Phantom Thief. "I haven't been so lucky finding any so far. You see, I've been abroad for a while now."
Suki had told her what she was to tell people about herself if ever asked. Arien wasn't a stolen art work, she was Suki's older sister, she just came back from somewhere abroad and had developed an accent from there, and she was having a hard time finding her way around the city again.
Dark stared at her questioningly. "Abroad, huh? Well that explains everything. I noticed you had a weird way of talking, but it all makes sense now."
What now made sense to Dark was her apparent evasiveness. No wonder she wasn't falling for me like the girls from around here. She doesn't realize just who exactly I am.
Dark leaned forward and tapped his chin in thought. "A companion for your sister, huh? I might be able to help you out there!"
Dark grabbed hold of her wrist and tugged her from the fountain before she had the chance to ask how or where he knew to look. He started off at a jog and dragged her behind him. He likes to move fast. She found herself able to keep pace with him so that he wasn't really dragging her along any more.
They stopped jogging through the streets of Azumano when they came across a shop with large display windows.
"Here you are, Arien." He said, still holding her hand and guiding her to the windows. "I think this is what you're looking for."
Arien glanced into the shop. There were dozens of little creatures all with fuzzy fur and small tails and beady little eyes. She felt herself smile at the sight of them. Arien glanced up at Dark.
"And one of these will make Suki happy?" She asked, to be sure. Dark nodded, smiling down at her. She pressed her face against the glass to see farther into the shop. Dark erupted into laughter at the sight of the red-head smudging the display window.
"Why don't we go in and pick one out?" He suggested when he stopped laughing. Arien nodded eagerly, excited to learn how these cute little fuzzy creatures could help Suki's socialization.
Suki stood awkwardly in her living room, watching Hiwatari as he stood by the bookshelves and scanned the titles of some books. It had made her really happy that he had bothered to come over, but now the excitement was turning into nervousness inside her belly.
"So, what did you want to ask me, Hiwatari?" She asked, shifting her stance around from nervousness. Satoshi finally turned away from the bookshelves and gazed at Suki evenly.
"Are you aware of your family's rather artistic background?" He asked casually.
Suki raised a brow. He came here to talk about my family? She shook her head. "No, I don't really talk to my family at all, actually. They live somewhere else in the world."
Satoshi kept his cool exterior, when inside he was taking all of what she said into account. It's possible that she's lying. I know that the Zaiaku family has a history that ties in with mine continuously over a one hundred and fifty year time span. But then again, it could be that she doesn't know about the interactions between the Zaiaku and Hikari families. Either way, the discovery I made last night when looking into the Jewel of the Scroll makes me second guess every judgment I make.
"Have you ever heard of the Hikari family?" He asked her. Suki pursed her lips in thought before widening her eyes.
Holy shit, he's talking about the creator of Arien's scroll! She realized. I knew that Hiwatari was the chief commander of the police force in Azumano, but I never thought I would be suspected of stealing the artifact! I thought that they would think Dark stole it! Oh man, this isn't good!
Satoshi watched her expressions carefully like a hawk would watch a mouse. So she has heard of the Hikari family before. Now to find out the truth.
"I'm sorry Hiwatari," Suki started, "but I really don't know what you're-"
"You are lying to me." Satoshi said calmly. "You have heard of the Hikari before."
He walked closer to her, and she felt her heart speed up twice as fast as before. He had caught her in a lie, she wasn't sure how, but it made her uneasy. She backed up a step but found herself bumping into the wall. Satoshi continued his advance until he was almost touching her. He placed a hand near her head, and she noticed how tall he really was compared to her short stature.
"I don't know how much you know about your family." He said next to her ear. "But what they've done in the past . . ."
He pulled back a little so that his cool furry could be seen evenly. "I thought you were better than them. I guess I was mistaken."
She didn't know why he was saying these things to her. She wanted to break into tears; he was being so cruel to her.
Satoshi moved to the entrance hall and opened the front door. He paused in his departure, seeing Arien standing on the stoop hand raised to open the door. He looked into her glowing jewel eyes and felt a shudder course through him.
This is the Jewel of the Scroll? But she looks so human. His fist tightened at his side. Damn the Zaiaku family. They've taken this too far this time.
He stepped out of the house and walked around Arien. "I'm sorry for you."
Arien followed the emotionally shaken boy out of the corner of her eye until the door closed; blocking them from Suki's hearing range. She reached out and placed a hand on the boys shoulder.
"You have disturbed my master. Such offense shall not be forgiven lightly." She said dangerously. "I do not care if you are a descendent of the one who made me. I obey only one master now, and she is more to me than you shall ever be Hikari bloodline."
Satoshi stared at the art work with wide eyes before she released her iron grip on his shoulder and stepped into the house. She protects the Zaiaku girl out of bound duty. She shouldn't be like this though. How has she developed the ability to care for one so tainted?
Satoshi started on his walk home, now determined to look into the Jewel of the Scroll mystery more than ever.
Arien set down the grocery bag and entered the living room, where she found Suki silently curled into a ball. She stooped down and sat next to her master, unsure how to comfort her. She learned that she needn't know what to do, because in the next moment Suki latched herself onto Arien's side and began crying into her shirt.
Saddened by seeing Suki in such a state, Arien wrapped her arms around her like it was natural.
"He wasn't worthy of you, master." She said softly, stroking the girl's hair. "You are ten times as good as he will ever be."
The demons in his heart plague him. Don't worry, Suki. I will protect you by any means.
Arien released the girl after a little while and reached into the hallway to grab hold of a large box.
"I went into town today to purchase you a companion. A new friend of mine helped to select it." She said, offering Suki the box.
Suki wiped away her tears and opened the box, half expecting her friends to be inside. Beady eyes gazed up at her from inside, and she blinked in disbelief. She reached inside the box and pulled out a white rabbit.
"Is this a suitable companion for you, master?" Arien asked from beside her. She looked at Suki's face, trying to see if the creature with the floppy ears that had made her laugh in the store was acceptable. Suki brought the plump creature to her chest and pet it softly as a grin swept across her face
"I love it, Arien. It's great." I want to name it Onee, because this present makes me wish that I really did have a sister. She smiled up at her red-head maid. Then again, maybe I already do.
Satoshi walked into his home, still mildly confused about what had happened at Suki's house. Why did I say all those things? I don't remember even getting there. All I can think about is how hurt Suki looked when I came back to myself. And the art work, she spoke to me like I had done something horrible. What is going on?
He closed the door behind him and entered his living room. Kei Hiwatari, his step father, sat on the sofa inside.
"Ah, welcome home Satoshi!" He said passivley. "I need to speak to him."
Satoshi's eyes widened as a sudden pain made him clutch at his chest. "Gah! N-no! You can't come out, Krad! Argh!"
His blue hair grew out longer and lightened to the color gold. Satoshi's face that had convulsed in pain changed into that of an older boys face. The last to change were his blue eyes, changing into yellow irises.
Krad stood from where Satoshi had collapsed on the wooden floor, and smiled at Kei Hiwatari.
"Hello, father." He said. "What service can I do for you today?"
Kei smirked as the light on his glasses tinted them in an eerie glow. "I want you to get close to the Zaiaku girl. Her control over the Jewel of the Scroll will help us reach our goal. To destroy the Niwa family once and for all."
Krad's eyes glinted evilly in the coming darkness. "Yes, sir Hiwatari."