Angel was sixteen now. For two years, she had worked as the third "Dark" that no one ever got to see. But she was the one who designed the black leather costumes Emil and Access wore, and she was the one who found all the arts, which had begun to appear in museums and collections as a piece by an anonymous person. It wasn't too hard to scout them when she took on the role of a gallery critic, young but beautiful for her age but talented in the art of acting that the Niwas had taught her.
She learned that often times, Access was a lot smarter and more serious than he appeared, but the young twelve-year-old was a brilliant actor himself, only feigning oblivion. However, he was rather clumsy and naive, that was no act… half the time. He was often easily distracted as well, which worried her often when he went on solo heists.
And then there was Emil… She had learned to take any opportunity she could to tease him, since his ego was often over-inflated. She had come up with a nickname for him, and during the nights, when they would go to sleep, she would always say, "Good night my little phantom thief." In the morning, she would greet him in a similar way. It was cute, but for him, it was degrading. It made her laugh, though, so he never told her to stop calling him that. Eventually, it turned into their little term of affection.
However, for the past year, Emil had been disappearing in the nights. It was strange, especially since he didn't have heists. Sometimes he would bring Access too, which eased her worries slightly, but she still had to wonder where they went off to.
She would be left to sleep alone. She missed their presences though… and took to staying up at night, waiting for their return, learning how to sleep in the day.
Two years had changed them a lot since she had first discovered their secret. Their little shack at the edge of town was transformed into a sort-of home. The ground now had a rug, and there was actually a bed for them to sleep in, however, it was more of a huge futon slightly elevated off the floor. There was a little altar in the corner where Angel prayed, though the Niwa brothers had given up their Christian practices long ago. Their possessions had accumulated, and now they seemed a little more fit to the normal definition of a "home".
One night, like that time when she was fourteen, she snuck out to follow Emil.
She saw him go into a lonely mansion beyond the forest. It was a short walk away, but it certainly was an odd place to go. Was he stealing from there? The mansion looked homey and well-taken care of… but at the same time, it gave off a creepy haunting feeling.
She approached it, looking through the iron gates of the front entrance. The lights were on. She could vaguely make out Emil's form inside, standing. Was that… a look of concentration? She couldn't see if any other people were in the room…
Suddenly Emil raised his arms, a light spreading around him, probably coming from the ground. It gave his face an ominous look, almost… evil. An orb of darkness formed between his spread palms, glowing black and purple.
Angel gasped. She turned and ran.
That was… the art of the devil?!
Emil watched as the magic orb dissipated. He grinned.
"You're doing very well, Emil." The old woman he was with nodded, "You have progressed far this past year."
"Thank you, ma'am, for teaching me magic." Emil bowed a bit, being polite.
"I hope you will use your skills well? Remember, these techniques are forbidden. There is a reason no one else knows of my existence." The old woman eyed him. She was an elderly witch whom Emil had discovered. He almost had to beg her to teach him magic.
"I promise. I am only learning this to protect my family." The redhead nodded. "And I am only teaching my brother for those reasons as well."
"That is wise of you. Hikari still worries you?" The woman inquired, standing up from her rocking chair. With whined, jumping off her lap as she did so, hopping over to Emil. With had taken a liking to the old woman, who seemed to know much of his species. She had taught With some new tricks as well.
"Yeah. Whatever he has been doing for the past two years, it's beginning to catch up with us. The artworks of late have been… rather disturbing in power." Emil nodded. The witch certainly did know of his activities, after all, it was that identity that had gotten her to teach him. He remembered well the night he had appeared before her in a flurry of black feathers, serious in all ways when he said, I am the great phantom thief Dark.
"Your senses have been sharpened well. Very good, you have learned how to hone and measure magic." The woman smiled.
"Hikari's magic… where is he getting it? Do you know, ma'am?"
"It may be that he is naturally a wizard… or, he may have dealt with the divinities themselves to gain his forbidden technique." The witch frowned, her face marred with wrinkles, "However, you must remember that these techniques are not necessarily 'evil'. Magic has no alignment. It is only how they are used that sets them within your human definition of 'just' and 'unjust'."
"Yes, ma'am," Emil nodded. She had given him this lecture every night he had come to visit her.
"Hikari may not be the villain you make him out to be. Perhaps you should speak with him? Knowledge is power. If you can understand his reasons for creating art, you may understand the real reason that you steal it." The old witch gave a mysterious smile, her expression ancient and all-knowing, as if she were 'god' himself.
She was the closest thing to 'god' that Emil had ever met. That was what he thought.
"I understand, ma'am." Emil nodded respectfully once more, "If you don't mind, I think we should be leaving now." He petted With, who had jumped onto his shoulder.
"Of course. This may be our last meeting, Emil, for I have taught you all that I can. Now it is up to you to reach your limit." The woman smiled, bowing. "May the gods be with you, Kaitou Dark… Emil."
Emil looked slightly sad, but he bowed back. "Very well, then. Shall the gods be with you… Madam Nachtphönix."
Angel prayed quietly at her altar, hoping to the gods that Emil wasn't dealing with the devil himself. That was where Emil found her when he came home that night.
"Angel? What are you still doing up?" He asked curiously, as if nothing had happened. He could see that she was slightly jittery. Did something happen? "Did you have a nightmare…?" He asked slowly, trying to single out the problem.
Angel put down her necklace, which she had been using as a sort of makeshift prayer bead. She stood up and turned around to face her redheaded friend.
"I wish it was a nightmare. I wish you would tell me what's going on." She said quietly, looking down at her feet, "I keep waiting and waiting…"
"What are you talking about, Ange?" The Niwa teen frowned, stepping up to her, "What's wrong?"
"I keep waiting patiently for you to tell me why you keep running off at night. I trust you, Emil, but you have to stop keeping secrets! I don't want to keep finding out on my own and jumping to the wrong conclusions…."
Emil blinked. "…You followed me again, didn't you?"
Angel frowned, nodding a bit, her fists clenched at her sides.
"Geez, how do you keep doing that without me realizing it? You're as good a sneak as me and Access." Emil chuckled, putting his hands on his hips, "Really, I should be good at knowing when people follow me by now."
"Emil! That's not the point!" Angel sighed, looking him right in the eye, "Don't lie to me. I saw you go into that house… and summon up the devil's magic. How could you do that? Why?"
"Shh, you'll wake Access." Emil said casually, taking yet another step closer. He reached to take her hand, but she recoiled. He frowned, sighing. "Fine, fine, I'll tell you what's going on. I'm just glad you didn't think I was having an affair. I don't know what's worse, being caught cheating or being caught in that mansion…"
"Emil…" She crossed her arms, waiting patiently.
"Okay, okay, geez… calm down." Emil said with an equal amount of patience, rolling his eyes. "Sit down, will you? I'll tell you."
Angel frowned, grabbing the chair from the small dining table and taking a seat, as he instructed. He took a deep breath and sighed heavily.
"There's a witch living in that mansion. I was learning magic from her."
"…That's it? That's all to your explanation? What about the black light? The…"
"Angel. Shut up. Let me finish." Emil interrupted, though not harshly. "I found her last year… and she told me that she would only teach me one element. I told her I wanted to learn about the night, and so she taught me dark magic. It was the perfect way to blend in with my natural element and still be able to protect you the best I could… because even in the day, there is darkness." He explained, "It is not the art of the devil… it is the element of the night, you see?"
"But…" Angel frowned. What did he mean when he said he wanted to protect her?
"I know you're afraid of the dark, Angel… but the dark is a part of me now." Emil said softly. "Will you accept that?"
"Of course…! But why did you have to keep it a secret for an entire year?" Angel asked.
"I didn't really plan on letting you know, Ange. I just hoped that I would never have to use these new abilities of mine. After all, I only learned them for you."
Angel blushed a bit.
"Besides, that old witch also taught With how to talk. I thought that might get awkward."
The blue-haired girl blinked. "With can talk?" She tilted her head.
"The second reason I kept it a secret. I know you get lonely at night without me and Access, so I thought if I could keep this a secret you wouldn't even know we were gone." Emil grinned. With jumped off his shoulder, kyuu'ing.
"What are you talking about…?"
Emil flicked his bangs aside, looking down at With. It was as if he had given the small animal a signal, because With changed on cue. Like usual, there was a flurry of feathers, but instead of turning into the black hound he usually did, there stood another "Emil", giving a grin.
"Hi, Angel!" The now transformed With waved a bit. Angel stared, dumbfounded.
"With is a shape-shifter, remember? He was taught a few new shapes to shift into." Emil chuckled. "Return, With." More black feathers flew, and now the redhead's shoulder was occupied by the small white rabbit once more. "Well, now we can't surprise you…"
"Emil…"
"Are you happy now? You got your answers. Go to bed." Emil reached over and ruffled her hair. "And don't worry. I promise that I'll tell you everything from now on."
"Ah… right." Angel got up, about to heave over to the bed before she stopped and leaned over to Emil. She kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "Gute nacht, mein kleine schatten-dieb."
"Hello. Are you Hikari?" Angel asked politely. Hikari had bought his own studio in Munich, where he created all of his art. Angel and Emil were visiting him in hopes of discovering his drive to create.
He was a young man, just about their age, with long, light blue hair pulled into a tight ponytail at the back of his head. He looked very tired and sleep-deprived, a certain look of madness in his golden eyes.
He glanced back at the couple who had knocked on his open. "Who are you?"
"We… are the Niwas. I'm Emil, and this is my wife, Angel." The redheaded seventeen-year-old said smoothly. Angel gave him a look, but went along with it, used to acting as his sister or some kind of significant other.
Hikari looked them over, but then turned back to his painting. "Are you requesting a commission?"
"Well, actually…" Emil started to speak, only to be interrupted by Angel.
"We wanted to ask you a few questions. I'm an art dealer, so I work for some people who might be interested. My job is to get to know the artists of this town and find the best works for my master." She smiled sweetly.
Way to go, Ange. Smooth! Emil grinned down at her.
The blue-haired man glanced at her over his shoulder. "You? A woman?"
Angel's smile faded a bit. Emil came to her rescue. "Just because she's a woman doesn't mean she doesn't know her stuff. Aren't successful women what we need?" He grinned.
Hikari dismissed it. "Fine, come in. Ask your questions." He said.
Angel and Emil exchanged a glance, venturing further into the studio.
"I see you have a lot of work here…. Have you not been getting many buyers?" Angel asked.
"None of them are signed…" Emil commented.
"I decided long ago that I would submit my work as anonymous. And yet people still know it's mine." The man scoffed. He sat down in his stool, picking up his paintbrush. "These are all failed works that I do not plan to release."
"Failed?" Angel and Emil asked at once. They looked at each other again. Angel looked back at Hikari. "You're very young for an artist… Why did you start? Are these 'failures' the reason you continue to create art?"
"Yes. My goal is create the ultimate work of art." Hikari said nonchalantly, "But these experiments have always failed."
"Experiments?" Emil was looking around, his hand hovering over the painted canvases against the wall. He could feel magic coming off of them… Solemn, screaming, agonizing magic that seemed to be in pain.
"But… you are an artistic genius. How can these beautiful things… be failures?" Angel asked, seeming naïve and innocent to the reality of the room around her.
"They are just that, simply things." Hikari snorted, putting down his paintbrush and turning towards them, his golden eyes hard, "My aim is to pour life into my art. I want to be so much more than the normal Leonardo de Vinci. That, I earnestly believe I can do."
"Modest, aren't you." Emil commented dryly.
Life? Is he being literal? But Madam Nachtphönix said… that if one were to give life to another by unnatural means… they would be giving up a part of their souls. It would shorten their life inevitably.
"Are you mocking me?" Hikari's eyes narrowed.
"I believe that you can do it." Angel said kindly, "I think that it's wonderful that you have a motive to keep getting better at your passion."
"…Thank you." Hikari said quietly.
"I've been wondering… You came to Munich at a very young age, did you not? Why? Did something happen to your family? Or was it that your reputation was unknown in your home land?" The young woman asked.
The blue-haired man frowned. He looked down to the floor. "My family is of prestige mastery in art, as I am, but… I came here to run away from the fatherhood my mother forced on me." He mumbled.
Emil and Angel looked surprised, but as Emil was facing the wall of paintings, he didn't show it. He stayed quiet and still.
"You… are a father, Hikari?" Angel seemed mildly awed by the idea. He seemed like such a lonely man….
He nodded a bit, not looking up. I came here to run away from the monster my mother created from me.
There was a long silence. Hikari returned to his work, trying to distract himself.
Angel looked to Emil, wondering if they should have left.
"One more question." Emil said, finally turning to the artist, "Why do you keep creating more… if you know that phantom thief will only keep stealing it?" Everyone knew that Dark had a specialty. He didn't just go for any old art.
Hikari's lips curved into a smirk. He was brightened by the mention of the lowly thief. "Because… We are at war. It is a war that shall extend into eternity…. My art, they are to be given life. But he… he snatches it away just as quickly as I can give it. This exchange… It is a never-ending cycle."
"Why are you smiling, then? Are you happy that he is stealing your work?" Emil inquired.
"That was more than one question." Hikari gave a humble chuckle, "I am… indifferent. I know he has not destroyed the art though. There is no reason for me to know that other than the fact that I know my experiments are reaching their goal. I don't care about those failures. He may know the secrets they hold, but he may also only think of my art as a simple mastery."
"Secrets…?" Angel echoed.
"But while he thinks I am a master… I am not one. He is a lowly thief trying to make his name by targeting just one person, but a skilled one. The scales are balanced by his appearances." Hikari gave a strange smile, "If I were to think he is a master thief, I have no doubt that he… thinks he needs a little more challenge to improve. I hope to give him these challenges. There is something he strives for, I know it."
Angel glanced up at Emil. His face was serious as his gaze locked with the other man's.
"So… what you're saying is…"
"There is no artist out there who matches my skill, and there is no other thief daring enough to match his." Hikari's smile changed. It seemed… almost kind, and at the same time, it was as if he were speaking to Dark himself. "I regard Kaitou Dark as my one true equal, more than anyone else, even if we stand on the opposite sides of the battlefield."
"…That is all we needed to know." Emil gave a smile as well. It was a strange smile that Angel had ever only seen on the face of Dark. He had been given a real challenge.
"Thank you for lending us your time." Angel said quickly, bowing slightly. "May we meet again."
He bowed back as the couple made their way to the door. "Shall the gods be with you." The other teen said.
"Shall the gods be with you as well." Hikari gave them a mysterious smile. After the door shut, he stared up at the ceiling, almost as if he could see through it. The light from the window stretched his shadow across the ground and revealed the ghost of wings behind him. "I know that they are with me."
"Emil?" Angel looked up, slightly worried. The redheaded thief was oddly very quiet, but still smiling.
"Looks like I've found myself a worthy adversary."
Hikari… What are you doing, here with these… 'failures'? You are not creating life… you are creating a monster… I can feel it. You are experimenting to create the perfect monster, not the ultimate life form….