"Tadaimaaa!" Daika announced, kicking off his shoes as he burst through the door of their house.

"Me too!" Daiku followed suit, but took his shoes off in a more civilized manner.

Niika didn't even waste her breath announcing her arrival as well, and only followed them in.

"Kyuu!" Wiz peeked out of her bag happily.

"Yea, they're both bakas," Niika sighed, pretending to understand the little fur ball. Her attention was immediately drawn to the front hall and her brothers' startled exclamations. The twins ducked to opposite sides of a wrecking ball that swung down at them.

"Not again," Niika sighed. She leapt up as the wrecking ball plowed towards her and landed on top of it. She rode it to the other end of its swing and then jumped off, soaring over the boys' heads.

Daika and Daiku stopped dead as she landed in front of them.

"When'd she learn to do that?!" Daiku asked.

Daika shrugged. "Hurry, we're not getting beat by a girl who hasn't even been trained!"

Niika passed by the kitchen where she knew the safe route was. This was a normal occurrence by now, and Niika was ashamed that her brothers hadn't expected it. They had been trained by their parents to be phantom thieves. Although Niika was left out of such training and would need a safe route back, she wouldn't take it. She had spied on their training sessions and was every bit as capable as her brothers, if not more. "If I can't be a phantom thief, I'm gonna enjoy all the action I get!"

She skidded around a corner and was faced with a long, empty hall. "Yea, this is probably the worst part of all." She reached into her bag and Wiz scrabbled up her arm and onto her shoulder.

"Kyuu!" he cried happily.

"No time for celebration," Niika replied. She pulled a pencil out of her bag and threw it in front of her. Two large guns dropped out of the ceiling and blasted the crap out of the pencil with deadly accuracy, then disappeared back into the ceiling.

"Ten second delay," Niika muttered. "And they're too big to maneuver fast. I've only got one shot!" She raced out into the line of fire. The guns dropped down again and began to fire, but Niika was ready for it. At the last moment, she dodged to the side and ran on in a zigzag pattern. She leapt up between the two guns and they continued to follow her, shooting the other gun in the process.

"Oldest trick in the book," Niika said triumphantly as she landed. She looked down in front of her at the last stretch of hall. She heard a soft beep. "Minefield, how original." She reached into her bag and placed a piece of paper where she stood, then got up and backtracked. "Hold on, Wiz!" she said. Once she had enough distance, she stopped and ran forward. When she reached the place marked by the paper, she leapt up, soaring over the minefield and landing a short distance from the door.

"There she is!" Daiku's voice called from the far end of the hallway.

Niika simply stood where she was panting heavily, as her brothers passed the traps similarly to the way she had.

"Aww, tired?" Daika teased, walking passed her. Niika glared at him, but couldn't say a word. "Good effort, but in the end, the phantom thief is victorious!" He reached out to the door at the end of the hallway with Daiku right behind him. As soon as he opened the door, a spring-loaded boxing glove socked him in the face, causing him to fall back on Daiku with almost as much force.

"I swear, Mom and Dad are losing their trap touch," Niika said, ducking under the glove and entering the living room.

The second she entered, she was immediately glomped by a man with short red hair. "I knew you could do it! Your mother thought the guns were a little much, but I knew you'd get by!"

"Thanks Dad," Niika said with an edge in her voice as well as pride.

"Kyuu!" Wiz added happily.

"Niika's dad immediately released her as if he had made a terrible mistake. "N…Niika?! B…but you're supposed to come through the kitchen!"

"Booooriiiing," Niika faked a yawn.

"But you can't handle all the traps!" her father protested. "They're for training the phantom thief!"

"I just did," Niika said proudly. "And I don't see what the big deal is. You have no problem making the boys do that crazy stuff."

"But you're our little girl!" her mother fretted.

Which is another way of saying "you're not what we wanted, so there's no point in training you," Niika thought bitterly.

"Where are the boys?" her father asked.

"Here," Daiku moaned, pushing his dazed twin off him. Since he hadn't been hit with the full force, he had come to first. "Daika opened the friggin' door!"

"Some phantom thief he'd be!" Niika spat. "Although we'll never know if you passed or not."

"I knew it was too easy," Daiku said, "and given more time, I would have figured it out."

"If you were so sure, you should have stood back," Niika countered.

"Ugh…" Daika moaned, sitting up and holding his head. "What hit me?"

"The last trap," Niika replied tauntingly.

Daika pounded the floor. "How could I have been so stupid! I was too caught up in beating you that I wasn't thinking!"

"Like you ever are," Niika retorted. "Maybe you shouldn't go on tonight's mission, Dark or not."

"No, he has to," her dad said. "I've already sent the advanced notice."

"But we don't even know if he is Dark!" Daiku protested.

"One of you is," his dad answered. "Dark will appear tonight, we just don't know how yet."

"After dinner, we'll figure it out," their mom said, setting food on the dinner table.

"So, how does this work?" Daika asked, excitement beaming from his face.

"Their dad entered the room, holding a thin, hard-cover book.

"That last year's yearbook?" Daiku pointed to the book.

"Yep," his dad answered, handing it to Daika. "Just find the girl you like in there and focus on her picture. Imagine you're with her and going to kiss her, that'll bring Dark out for sure!"

"Like that'd ever happen," Niika muttered.

As Daika flipped through the pages, Daiku's heart began to beat increasingly faster and harder until it pounded in his ears. What's happening? he thought, his breathing became shallow and he would choke up. His chest felt hot as if something were burning were about to break out of it. Am I worried he might actually be Dark and not me? He started forcing himself to take deep breaths and calm down until he returned to normal.

He looked over at Daika, wondering if, like before, his twin had shared the ordeal. He gasped at who he saw there; not Daiku, that was for sure. The person there was almost taller than his dad. His hair was long in the front and purple. It spiked out over his face with no regard for gravity.

"Ahh," his brother stretched, "Good to be back." His voice had also chanced. It was deeper and more matured.

"Dark!" Daiku gasped, guessing the identity of the man. So, it's not me after all.

At the sound of his voice, everyone turned to look at him. All of them, save for Dark, stared, mouths agape. Dark too showed a bit of surprise, although he appeared to be thinking as well.

"Ahh, so that's how it is," Dark said.

"How what is?!" Daiku asked frantically. The way they were all staring at him made him nervous and even frightened. What happened to me?

Niika reached into her pocket and pulled out a compact mirror. "Here," she handed it to him, "you should see what we see before he explains."

Daiku took it, his hands trembling with worry. He slowly opened the mirror and gasped in shock; the face in the mirror was not his. His face had matured and dark purple hair fell lightly over it. He was looking at Dark in the mirror.

"B…but how?!" hw cried. "You're Dark, aren't you?"

"The one and only," Dark nodded. "Though it seems that's not the case anymore. But, I am the only real me; you only share my appearance."

"But why?" their mother asked.

"Ultimately it's because they're twins," Dark explained. "Since they came from the same egg, they're basically one-in-the-same."

"So when one transforms the other will too?" Niika asked, confused.

"It would appear so," Dark replied. "They both must be in the same form."

"So which one are you?" their dad asked. "Are you Daika? Because he's older?"

"Actually," Dark said. His eyes shut hard for a while. When he opened them, they were reddish-brown Daika's usually are instead of the purple they had been. He blinked rapidly a couple of times as if confused.

At the same instant, Daiku began to feel a pushing force as if something were there in his mind shoving him aside. Out of curiosity, he yielded to it and Dark's voice began to come out of his mouth.

"I can jump between them whenever I want," Dark replied.

"Woa…" Daika stared in awe, apparently himself again.

"Oh, yea, you missed it," Niika said. "Looks like…"

"I heard it," Daika interrupted.

"How?" their mom asked.

"I can answer that," their dad piped up. "The boy's consciousness isn't overtaken by Dark, Dark merely steps in to take control, but they can still tell what's going on as well as all of Dark's thoughts and feelings. Same thing for Dark when they're in control. Or is it, this time?"

"It's the same, Daichii," Dark replied. "Although I can pick up the thoughts of both of them at the same time if I wanted to."

"Well that seems annoying," Niika muttered.

"Kyuu!" Wiz leapt from Niika's shoulder to Dark's arms.

"Hey, Wiz," Dark caught him and stroked him. "Good to see you too."

Niika sighed as Wiz climbed onto Dark's shoulder and nuzzled against his cheek affectionately.

"Well, I'd better be going," Dark said, "the notice was for 8, right? If I don't leave soon, I'll never make it. What's the target this time?"

"Wait a second!" Daika snapped. "I'm coming too, aren't I?"

"You may look like me," Dark said, "but only one of you can be me. Even if there's two of you, there's still only one of me."

"But…" Daika stammered. "I'm the oldest! And I've trained just as much as he has! I can be a Phantom Thief with or without you!"

I can too, Niika thought, but you don't see me complainin' about it!

"Even so," Dark's sudden response startled her, "there can't be two Darks."

"Why not?" Daika demanded. "There are now!"

"It would cause too much trouble," Dark brushed away the thought with a wave of his hand. "Besides, Wiz can only be the wings for one of us at a time."

"Wiz is your wings?" Niika asked, staring at the little white animal on Dark's shoulder.

"One of us could be a distraction!" Daika suggested.

"Now where's the fun in that?" Dark asked. "And what if you get caught? I'm not being responsible for you."

"It's always good to have backup, Dark," Daichii spoke up. "And if you can switch between them freely, I see no reason not to take him along. Who knows, you may need him."

"I've never needed backup before," Dark protested.

"Better safe than sorry," Daichii insisted. His face betrayed that it was more of a plea than a precaution.

Dark sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose, all the while with a smile on his face. "Alright, you win." He turned to Daika. "C'mon, we'll be late."

"Uh…O.K." Daika replied. He didn't seem as happy with his apparent victory as one would expect.

Um…Dark? Daiku tried to speak, but his mouth was no longer his own.

Yea, Dark's voice came in reply, but Dark hadn't spoken.

Y…you can hear me? Daiku asked.

Yea, Dark answered. Now what do you want? We don't have a lot of time.

Well… Daiku stammered. Maybe you should…let Daika be you. I mean, he is older.

Alright, Dark said, simply.

Daiku felt Dark's presence leave him and he blinked hard and rapidly like Daika had.

At the same time, Daika closed his eyes for a moment. "Alright," he opened his eyes which were purple again, "let's go!"

Niika sat on the couch between her parents watching the news which was, of course, doing a special report on the return of Phantom Thief Dark. She sighed wistfully.

"Hey," her mother, who was on her left, suddenly perked up, obviously having heard her sigh, "who wants ice cream?"

Niika knew it was only a pathetic attempt to cheer her up, but she accepted it anyway. Why am I so down? she thought. I knew this day would come. Only guys can be Dark. Still… She squeezed the pillow she was holding on her lap.

Kyuu! Kyuu kyuu kyuu! Niika gasped and looked down, thinking she had heard Wiz cry in pain, but it was still only a pillow trapped in her grasp. She could almost picture the bunny-like creature in place of the pillow, watching the news with her and then looking up to smile at her.

Niika's mother returned with a serving tray loaded with three bowls. "Here you go." She set one on the coffee table in front of Niika and one in front of Daichii.

"I didn't know we had ice cream," Daichii took his bowl from the table and took a spoonful.

"Of course not," his wife answered, "if you had there'd be none left! I bought it especially for tonight for Daika or Daiku, whichever was still here. But, hey, that just means more for us, right!"

Niika sighed and stood up. "I'm going to bed."

"What? But it's hardly nine o'clock yet," her mother said. "And don't you want your ice cream?"

"And Wiz 'll be sad you didn't wait for him to come home," Daichii put in.

"Fine," Niika picked up her bowl of ice cream and began to head for the stairs.

"Wait," her mom called, "you just said-"

"I'm not going to sleep," Niika said without turning around, "but I don't really feel like watching this." And with that, she left, closing the door behind her.

"Aww, she's upset," her mother fretted.

"Daichii chuckled to himself. "When I first became Dark it scared me half to death, and I always thought the idea of Dark knowing my every thought and action was creepy. Not to mention the fear of turning into Dark at the worst times. But these kids are fighting over who gets to be Dark, like it's a privilege."

"They're kids, Daichii," his wife replied. "The idea of flying off into certain doom to sneak around and steal with their parents' approval is like a dream. It appeals to their sense of adventure. Surely you had one of those, didn't you?"

"I had enough adventure as a kid when Dark was around," Daichii answered. "They must've gotten it from you!"

"Maybe," his wife answered slyly. "You would need a sense of adventure to fall in love with the Phantom Thief."

Niika flopped down on her bed with her phone in hand. Without even looking at the keypad, she dialed the phone number that was second nature to her by now.

"Hello?" Ekai picked up on the other line.

"Hey, Ekai," Niika said, "it's me."

"Ni-chan!" Ekai exclaimed. "Oh my God, did you see the news?!"

Niika sighed. Figures. "Ekai, could we not talk about that?"

"Why?" Ekai asked. "What's wrong?"

"It's just…" Niika trailed of as she realized she couldn't tell her friend the real reason. "He…he's a disgrace." Now watch, somehow the guys find out I said that and kick my ass.

"Not into badasses?" Ekai asked.

"Wha…?!" Niika nearly dropped the phone. "No! That's way off! Why do you think the first thing I think of when I see a guy is how cute or hot he is?!"

"Because you're a girl," Ekai said in a "duh" tone. "Honestly, sometimes I think there was a mistake and you should have been a guy!"

If only you knew, Niika thought.

"So what's the real reason?" Ekai asked.

"It's just…" Niika used the same line as she thought, "he's a disgrace to our police force and generic plotlines everywhere. Bad guys don't win!"

Niika glared as her friend's laughter was heard on the other end. "It's not funny."

"Oh, gomen, gomen," Ekai apologized. "It's entertainment, that's all. Suspense, thrillers. Will Dark make it out this time? What do the police have in store for him? I know, I know, as the little sis of the commander-in-chief of police, I'm totally on the wrong side here, but-"

"Wait, what?" Niika sat up with a start.

"Shiro," Ekai replied, "my brother. He's commander of the police force."

"Since when?!" Niika exclaimed. "How old is he?!"

"22," Ekai answered. "But he's had the position since he was 14."

"You're kidding!" Niika gasped.

"Yea, he skipped a few grades and graduated early," Ekai answered.

"Wow, that's-" Niika stopped short at the sound of tapping on her window. She got out of bed ad went to the window to see Dark on the balcony. "I gotta go, Ekai, see ya tomorrow."

"Kay, bye," Ekai replied before hanging up.

"What do you want?" Niika asked, opening the window.

"Kyuu!" Wiz leapt from Dark's shoulder and into her arms.

"He wanted to see you," surprisingly it was not Dark's voice, but Daiku's.

"Aww," Niika scratched Wiz behind the ears the way he liked it. "You missed me?"

"Kyuu…" Wiz sighed happily, melting in her arms.

"So, mission accomplished?" Niika asked.

"Hai," Daiku nodded. "Daika's downstairs with Mom and Dad and the painting."

"And you're not?" Niika asked, arching a brow.

Daiku only pointed at Wiz.

"Oh yea, right," Niika said. "Well, let's not keep them waiting much longer." She headed towards the door.

Daiku nodded and followed. As they walked down the stairs, Daiku suddenly glowed and reverted back to his normal form. "Huh," Daiku looked himself over as best he could. "Looks like Daika's changed back."

"How?" Niika asked.

"How the heck should I know?!" Daiku asked. "I was just along for the ride."

"Oh yea," Niika said. "Did Dark use you at all?"

"Nah," Daiku said as though he didn't care, "it went off without a hitch. But, I got dibs on next time. That's what Dark and Daika and I decided, we'll alternate."

"That works, I guess," Niika said. "Better than not being Dark at all." Resentment pricked her like a tack. She would give anything to be in Daiku's shoes right now. "So, there was no resistance at all?" she asked, attempting to change the subject.

"You're forgetting that I wasn't there," Daiku said. "I was outside the museum the whole time."

"Oh," Niika reached the bottom of the stairs and headed to the living room. "Not here," she said when she found it empty. "They must be in the basement."

"Yea, that's…hey, how'd you know they'd be there?" Daiku asked.

"I spy on you guys all the time," Niika replied as if it was nothing. "The basement is the base of all Dark-related operations, at least that's what I gathered."

"You've been spying on us!?" Daiku exclaimed.

"How else do you think I can beat you in everything you've learned without ever having learned it?" Niika asked.

Daiku followed to the basement in silence. She really wants to do this, he thought. She's trying everything she can to get as close to the action. I have it so much better than her, I should be grateful.

Niika headed down the hallway to a descending flight of stairs. At the foot of the stairs was a short hall leading to another door. In the room beyond, the remainder of the Niwa family gathered around a well of fire in the center of the round room.

"So, how goes the phantom thieving?" Niika asked as she entered, leading her brother in.

"Piece o' cake!" Daika said, proudly. "It's almost as if they gave me the stupid thing"

"No resistance at all?" Niika asked, looking thoughtful. "That's kind of serious. Maybe they're trying to get you into a false sense of security, you know, drop your guard. Then when you least expect it WHAM! They'll nab you when you least expect it."

"Dark says thanks for your concern," Daiku said, "but he's a professional, and he's the one in control."

"And it wasn't that easy," Daika said. "I mean, there were cops, and guards and whatnot, but they were no match for me! There was this crazy guy who tried to take me alone, but I set him straight!"

We set him straight, Dark's voice echoed in Daika's head.

"Yea, whatever," Daika spat.

"Hm," Niika folded her arms, "I wish I could hear Dark. Sounds like you're having a pretty interesting conversation."

"If we transformed you could," Daiku suggested.

"It's not necessary," Daichii said. "If Dark has anything important to say…..Daika and Daiku can tell us." He had muttered something in the middle of his sentence that none of them could pick up.

"Dark heard that," Daika said with a grin on his face.

"Heard what?" Daichii asked.

Daika shrugged. "He just said 'I heard that, Daichii.'"

"Hey, speaking of transforming," Niika said, "how do they change back?"

"Same way they change into Dark," her mother explained. "Except it's with Dark's crush."

"Dark has a crush?!" Daika exclaimed.

You think I'm just an evil thief with no emotions? Dark spat.

Niika turned to Daika and tilted her head. "Dark took offense to that, didn't he."

"Yep," Daiku nodded.

"Welcome to my world, Dark," Niika said. "Sometimes I think his brain shuts off when he talks.

Daika folded his arms and glared at his siblings who had begun to laugh.

"Dark says you may be right," Daiku said.

"Are you three quite through?" Daichii asked, sternly.

"Oh Daichii," his wife said, "they're just kids. You're an only child; you don't really understand sibling rivalry."

"I had it worse," Daichii protested. "I had Dark."

What's that supposed to mean?! Dark demanded.

"Looks like we know where Daika get's his thoughtlessness from," Daiku chuckled.

"Alright you three," their mother said, "or four, as the case may be, it's late and you all have school tomorrow. And Dark, I don't care if you don't."

"She's good," Daiku said to Daika.

"Now off to bed, all of you," their mother commanded.

"Yes Mom," the three Niwa siblings said in unison before heading up the stairs to their rooms.