DISCLAIMER: I own nothing and no one from Magic Kaito or Detective Conan/Case Closed. I am just a poor college student who also happens to be a Kaitou fan and this just happens to be a fanfiction that my mind came up with that I feel like sharing with other fans. I make absolutely NO money from this. It is merely for fun and hopefully the enjoyment of other fans. Please don't sue and fans please enjoy. PS: Also note that the character Aakesh featured in later chapters was created by the fanfiction writer peppymint. I am just borrowing him (with permission) for this fanfic.

Chapter 4: I'm Alive

The healing completed, Aakesh removed his hand from Kaito's side and leaned back a little to give the teenager space to breath. "How do you feel fledgling?"

The teenager smiled raising himself a bit up on his elbows. "Alive."

Aakesh smiled back and extended a hand to Kaito to help the young thief to his feet.

Nakamori couldn't believe what he was seeing. Seconds ago Kaito had been dying of blood loss and now here he was standing in front of the inspector as if nothing had happened. The only signs left that Kaito had been injured at all were the obscene amount of blood that lay pooled on the roof and the crimson stain of the blood still drying on the young thief's clothing.

"Okay hold everything," Hakuba abruptly stepped forward to confront the thief and youkai, speaking for the first real time since Kaito got shot. "Kuroba being Kaitou Kid I already knew and can deal with, but would someone please tell my why you," the blonde pointed a finger at his fellow classmate, "have people shooting at you, who the heck that guy on the ground is and why you have freaking wings?! I mean for crying out loud has the whole world gone crazy while I wasn't looking, or something?"

Kaito blinked at Hakuba's forwardness while his ancestor just raised a graceful eyebrow. Even Nakamori was surprised at the young detective's sudden outburst. Hakuba had been so quiet before the inspector had almost forgotten he existed in the face of everything else that had just transpired.

"Uh…" Kaito actually found himself at a loss for words under Hakuba's serious golden gaze. "Well you see…" He began, but Aakesh stepped forward and raised a hand bringing his magic to bear.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Hakuba asked nervously backing away a little from the winged being before him. While he knew Kaito would never hurt him, the youkai was another matter entirely.

"I'm sorry," Aakesh said earnestly as he prepared to erase the young detectives and the older inspectors memories of the last hour. "Your confusion will be gone soon. I promise."

Not knowing what else to do Nakamori grabbed Hakuba and shoved the kid protectively behind him to shield the teen from whatever the youkai was doing. He had seen Aakesh's power, but knew nothing else about the being and wasn't about to risk the life of another teenager that night.

"Grandfather, no," Kaito appeared directly behind Aakesh reaching out to lay a hand on his ancestor's shoulder. "They deserve to know the truth. I own them at least that much."

The youkia's eyes flashed to the young thief, blazing bright in the dark with the magic that lay behind them. "You trust these people?"

"With my life." Kaito smiled at the words he had just spoken realizing how true they were.

Aakesh studied the young man of his blood for a second before he nodded, clenching his open palm into a fist and lowering his arm slowly, careful to contain the power he had been ready to unleash.

"Be careful Kaito," Aakesh said after a bit eyeing Nakamori and Hakuba wearily before turning to the teenage thief with a hint of humor in his violet eyes. "Your mother will kill me if anything more happens to you tonight. I may be immortal, but even I don't wish to face her wrath."

Kaito smiled warmly at his many times over great grandfather. The youkai seemed to take that as an answer and nodded back. "Just call if you need of me. I will be close," Aakesh added in a tone that sounded almost like a warning to the other two people on the roof before simply disappearing.

Nakamori blinked at the space where the youkai has stood moments before, but by then he found almost nothing was truly surprising him anymore.

"Um… What just happened? Am I dreaming?" Hakuba asked peaking from behind Nakamori. "Yes, that has to be it," the young detective continued to ramble to himself as he moved to stand by Nakamori. "Well, I guess I could be dead... but that doesn't seem very probably. Then one could suppose I have gone crazy, but I very much doubt that. Yes, dreaming is the only logical explanation for this, but then one must wonder why I would be dreaming of Kaitou and Kaito... And why does this seem so real?"

Kaito chuckled lightly at the sound of his fellow teenager trying to reason out the situation. The sound of that laughter was filled with the humor Nakamori and Hakuba were used to hearing making both the inspector and the teenage detective relax almost simultaneously. Nakamori looked closely at the young thief in front of him and was relieved to see Kaito's eyes, while still tired, now shown with their old mischievous light again.

The young thief stood still for a moment just taking a second for himself after all that had happened. A soft wind blew over the roof to where Kaito stood his wings shifting gently reminding Kaito he had yet to retract them. A sigh escaped Kaito at the thought. He was a little sad to put his wings away just yet. They were apart of who he was just as the magic coursing through his blood. It had been so long since they had been out, but Kaito knew it was time. With a bit of concentration the teenager withdrew his raven wings from the physical plane he existed in and let them settle within him, at the place where his magic stemmed from, at the core of his very being.

With the task complete, Kaito let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding and opened his eyes to see two sets of eyes staring at his in quiet wonder.

"I'm afraid this is real Hakuba," Kaito said softly before moving away from the blood splattered section of the roof to settle on one of the cement walls surrounding the outside perimeter. "Come," the young thief called motioning for the others to follow. "I believe I have much to tell you…"

TBC…

Wahahaha. Long weekend. Time to write! Thanks for everyone for reading and doubly so for those that review!

Peppymint: Thanks for the advice. I can say that during the time Kaito called his grandfather by his name, the teenager was a bit… okay really out of it. I'm really happy you didn't find any other major problems with my writing. I tried really hard to make hopefully it at least acceptable. Thanks again.

StargateNerd: I'm glad you liked that I used Nakamori's POV. I have also found that many people don't use him all that much when it comes to 'deeper thought' and I think it's kinda… well… restrictive of them. I'm really not sure I'm using the right words, but I really think there is more to Nakamori then just what you see (even though he is kinda open with most of feelings. AKA: shouting and cussing... hehe). I was a little worried that people would complain how Hakuba was kinda left in the background, but se la vie if they do. I can't please everyone… Thanks for your review and I hope you like this next chapter.

TopazledHannah-kun: Thanks for the info as always. I really appreciate your little nuggets of golden info you always give me. It gives me something to think about and also, I believe, helps me make this fanfic at least kind of realistic. Um… with the episode lists… do you know any episodes that have Kaito's mother it them? I've seen most all of the ones you've pointed out at one time or another except for the ones on the 400/500 level (I truthfully didn't realize they went that high)… Thanks – Keajo.

Katty008: Thanks for thanking the time to review.

Anonymous reviewer…?: Um, I got this really, really good, long review from someone, but there was absolutely no name on the review so I don't know 'who' it was… if you manage to read this just know I appreciated the review a lot… more then I think I can really express in words even. Thanks so much.

WolfDaughter: I'm glad I could make you happy. Thanks so much for the review. Oh and I don't mind your ramblings at all. Feel free to write rambly reviews! I absolutely LUV them!

P.S. Chapter Title: "I'm Alive" from the movie 'The Last Unicorn'