Hello guys! It's been ages, hasn't it? As you can see, I'm still alive, and I'm back with one humdinger of a chapter, nearly as long as the entire story so far! Happy reading!

Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne
Theft of Heart

Chapter 4 - Fangirls

(Maron)

It was a loud knocking noise that tore me from my dreams the next morning. I turned around and buried my head deeper into the pillow, my sleep-filled brain wondering where I was, and why. "Maron!!" came Miyako's voice from outside, piercing through the haze in my thoughts. "Get up already!!! I really can't afford to be late today!!" Her demands were accentuated by more knocks.

Blearily, I lifted my head and opened my eyes, risking a glance at the alarm clock. The timepiece was actually set to wake me in the morning, but long years of practice allowed me to sleep past its alarm signal nearly every time. In my current state, I didn't even have to try hard; I could still feel the exhaustion of yesterday in every bone.

The time displayed on the clock shocked me into action, however. With a yelled confirmation to appease Miyako, I quickly jumped out of the bed and threw on the clothes that were haphazardly strewn across the floor. The noise, combined with a shout of "Hurry up!!" from Miyako finally roused Fin, who had apparently slept through the initial barrage. "What's wrong, Maron?" the angel asked, poking her head out of the box while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"No time." I grunted, checking the closet mirror to ensure I looked halfway presentable. "Mrs. P scheduled a vocabulary test for today and even I can't afford to be late for that…" I hoisted my schoolbag on my back and picked up the box, making Fin shoot out of it with a startled squeak. Ignoring her protest, I quickly tossed the Petit Claire and rosary inside, together with a few other supplies, and ran into the kitchen, taking an emergency breakfast out of the fridge. A quick glance at the alarm clock told me I could afford another minute or two if we took the shortcut, so I filled two large cups with milk and put a thin straw in one. "Drink as much as you want," I said to Fin, "then we have to go."

I wasted no time gulping down the contents of my mug, putting the milk back into the fridge with the other hand. When I turned around again, Fin's cup was empty as well and she stood next to it, looking a lot more awake, but otherwise still the same. I boggled at the implication for a second, before I shook myself. I can think about that later. Need to survive this morning first.

"And you're sure Miyako or anyone else won't be able to see you?!" I asked as I slipped into my shoes. Fin nodded. "If Miyako could see me, she would already have during the recovery yesterday. As for other people, there can be… exceptions. A person who is possessed by a demon can see me and even sense my presence, if the demon is powerful enough. Normal people can't see me, but those who hold no prejudice against our existence in their heart might hear or even see an angel. There are very few adult people like that, though."

"All right, let's go then. But when there are many people around, I want you to hide!" Shoving the last bits of breakfast into my mouth, I made my way to the door and pulled it open, revealing Miyako who was just raising her hand to knock again. She looked a little worn out herself, but she was still dressed immaculately. The annoyed look on her face immediately faded to a regular frown.

"What took you so long to answer?" she asked, before looking over my appearance. The little angel floating above my right shoulder completely escaped her notice. "Hmm? You're ready to go already?" Her expression shifted to one that looked vaguely impressed. "That was pretty quick. What's the rush?"

"No time…" I said, grabbing my friend's arm and dragging her to the elevator. "We're going to be late for the test!"

Miyako laughed, taking me by surprise. "Don't worry, I decided to wake you early today! Since you're ready to go already, we've got more than enough time."

I looked at Miyako distrustfully. According to my alarm clock, we still had to hurry if we wanted to reach the classroom in time. Grabbing Miyako's arm, I checked the time on her wristwatch - and gasped. "Someone messed with my alarm clock!!" I exclaimed, shocked. My eyes immediately narrowed on Miyako. "You didn't borrow the key to my apartment, did you?!" As I was living in the apartment all by myself, Miyako's parents had a key to the door so someone could get in in case of an emergency. I hadn't expected it to be abused in this manner, though…

But Miyako shook her head as we left the building, the automated doors opening as we approached. "I already thought of doing that months ago. They wouldn't let me, though…" she admitted, grumbling.

I frowned. That left only one possibility as to who was the culprit. I leveled an accusing glare at Fin, who backed away, grinning nervously. Muttering something about 'demon hunting', she quickly wheeled around and flew off into the sky. I suppressed a growl, resolving to have a talk with her after school.

"So who was it then?" asked Miyako curiously.

"… … …it must have been myself." I forced out through clenched teeth.

Miyako rolled her eyes. "Oh Maron, that's so typical of you. But you should be glad; I really can't afford to be late today. If I end up in detention because of you, I'm going to take it out on you! I swear, this all your fault, Kaitou Jeanne!!!"

"What?!" I blurted, wheeling around. Miyako had struck some kind of pose, her fist leveled at an unseen opponent, her eyes staring off into the distance. At my exclamation, she recovered, continuing to walk beside me. I breathed a short sigh of relief; for a moment I thought my cover was blown already.

"Kaitou Jeanne was there, and she stole the painting and got away with it!!" Miyako continued to fume.

"Oh, really?" I asked weakly, trying to come up with something more intelligent to say.

"By jumping out of the window from the third floor no less!" Miyako grumbled, grudging respect evident in her voice. "And she was still able to jump over the eight feet high property wall like it was nothing!"

"You're not pulling my leg, are you?!" I asked, scrunching up my face into an expression of what I hoped was proper skepticism.

"I wish I was." she muttered. "Before I could even think about mounting a chase, she jumped to the rooftops and took off, like she was some frickin' magical girl!!"

I felt a large sweatdrop build up on the side of my face, but Miyako wasn't done yet. "If I didn't know better, I'd say she has to have strange elemental powers or something." She shook her head. "A bunch of our sensors had their circuits fried so badly the electricity must have been just short of a lightning strike."

I gave a minute wince of sympathy, but squashed it ruthlessly when I thought of the chandelier. If that's the kind of stuff they deploy as special traps, then their budget can afford to replace a few measly infrared sensors!

"Even more weirdly, she not only locked one of the doors, but somehow encased the lock in a solid block of ice!" She frowned. "That one really puzzles me. It's really easy to burn something or blow things up, and you don't even have to carry a lot of stuff around to do it. But I can't even begin to speculate what kind of technology would be needed to do that! Akita said it radiated a chill so strong he didn't dare touch it, and it didn't shatter like normal ice either. They broke down the door eventually, but the lock and the surrounding material was still sticking to the wall when we left."

I resisted the urge to forcefully smack my forehead. Baka! Way to be inconspicuous! I admonished myself. Why don't you go and put an ad in the paper flaunting your shiny new powers so people get even more suspicious?! Who knows, it might even save them the trouble of figuring out for themselves that normal people can't do this stuff!

"I don't even know where she put the painting!" Miyako continued. "She wasn't carrying it when she fled and it was too big to put under that flimsy costume of hers, but she didn't leave it, either. We did a full property search, but it didn't turn up again. I got to bed pretty late last night."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that." I said, thinking about how much later than me she must have gotten home, having to pack up all that police equipment and stuff.

"You're sorry?" Miyako blinked and I realized what I had just said. "Maron, are you feeling well? I mean, you hardly ever apologize to me, and this isn't even your fault!"

"Well, you got to bed so late already…" I said, flailing and blushing with embarrassment, but thankful my mind tended to work quickly in situations like this. Or at least I liked to think so… "…and then you get up early so I won't be late for school, and…"

I trailed off as Miyako put her hand on my forehead, checking the temperature. "You don't look too good, Maron. Maybe you should forget about the test and go visit the infirmary."

I blinked. Miyako suggesting I skive off a test?! That has to be a sign of the apocalypse! I looked up at the sky, but the sun wasn't darkening, there was no giant meteor entering orbit, and it hadn't started raining blood yet. I looked off into the distance, but there weren't any horsemen around either. Must have been a fluke.

"Tempting idea, but Ms. P would make me retake it, and just for me, she would make it even more difficult."

"Well, you can't fault her for trying to make the flowers of knowledge bloom in the barren desert that is your mind, can you?"

"Oh shut up." I said good naturedly. We walked in silence for a while, and I used the time to order my thoughts. Discussing Jeanne with Miyako was kind of fun, but for obvious reasons, I wouldn't be able to keep getting away with blatantly turning the topic of conversation around to my alter ego. At least once events like those of last night became normalcy. But for now, everything about Jeanne was still new and thus she was fair game as a conversation topic.

"So, uh… this Kaitou Jeanne really gave you some trouble, huh?"

"Yeah…" Miyako grumbled.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "You always complained that they didn't make bad guys like they used to. Now you finally found a worthy opponent. Aren't you happy?"

"Happy? I won't be happy until I capture Jeanne and make her face the rightful consequences of opposing all that is good and just!"
I shuddered, both at the corniness of her speech and at the consequences should she actually achieve her goal. However, Miyako still had more to say.

"You see, they are supposed to give me a challenge and then let themselves be caught. But unlike any other proper criminal, Jeanne taunts me and then gets away!" Miyako glowered while I amusedly shook my head at her twisted world view. Suddenly, though, her expression brightened and she reached into her pocket. "But it doesn't matter that she got away. Because I've got her picture!"

I stared in disbelief at the photograph Miyako held out to me. It was a frontal shot of Jeanne running towards the camera, giving a good view of her face. I quickly realized where this picture had been taken: This was in the corridor after the room with Akita and Fuyuta! The single flash of light! The shock quickly receded when I realized once more how different Jeanne's face looked from mine. "At least it's a good shot…" I muttered.

"Hm? What did you say?" Miyako wanted to know. I started to sweat lightly, but Miyako answered her own question, taking the picture back from my fingers. "Yeah, it's a pretty good shot. We can actually use this to try and find her. That's why I don't have time to stay at school longer than necessary. We have to print more copies of this and maybe use facial recognition software to compare it to other faces from our database…" Miyako paused and narrowed her eyes, looking up from the picture and at me, then back at the picture.

"What? You think I look like Jeanne?!" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

"Don't be ridiculous." Miyako said. She stared intently back and forth between me and the picture, then shook her head. "I thought there was a similiarity at first, but her features are sharper and more angular than yours. You can't change your face like that with anything short of plastic surgery. There's a superficial resemblance, I guess, but that's true for many of the people in this city."

She took a deep breath and pocketed the picture again. "We'll do the database check, but I don't really expect any results from that. Personally, I think the eyes are a much better starting point. I doubt there are many people out there with violet eyes. Thought she was wearing contacts first, but a close-up of the picture showed she wasn't, so I guess it has to be natural." Her eyes narrowed and she leaned in again, giving my face another close scrutiny.

"What?! Do my eyes look purple?!" I used outrage to cover my panic, hoping intently that there were no residues left over from my transformation that could betray my identity. I breathed a sigh of relief - disguised as a huff of annoyance - when she finally looked away. "You really need to take a break from this… Seriously…" I shook my head, muttering under my breath. "Think I'm gonna buy some purple contacts just to freak you out…"

"Maybe." Miyako conceded, ignoring my last statement. "But not until I capture Jeanne!" She frowned. "That Okaniwa fellow who owned the painting said he didn't mind if it didn't turn up again. Said it used to be his favorite picture, but it seemed to creep him out lately…" She growled. "Jeanne hit the poor man so hard that he can't remember what he's been doing for the last twenty four hours! I'm not going to let this travesty of justice stand!"

I had to resist the urge to correct her about hitting the man, but it would mean blowing my cover. Miyako stayed silent for a couple of seconds, then she turned to me. "I'm dropping by at the police station before school. See you in class!" With that, she took off, leaving me to walk to school on my own.

Damn, this isn't good… I can't remember the last time she's done that, going to the police station before school. The police station wasn't that far away from our daily route to school, but it was a detour and I had to wonder what could be so urgent that it couldn't wait until after school. She's not going to take me for granted next time… Oh well.

I shrugged, grinned and turned around, approaching the iron gate which we had just passed. Sticking out my tongue at Miyako's retreating back, I quickly vaulted over it and sprinted to the other side of the property. Memories of yesterday evening surfaced and I couldn't help but feel disappointed that the ease and grace with which I moved as Jeanne didn't carry over to my normal body. Still, even in my normal state I was more than capable of clearing this obstacle and I emerged on the other side without interruption.

Walking on alone, I simply enjoyed the beautiful new day. I'll deal with whatever Miyako cooks up for me when the time comes. I watched as a little girl on a bicycle rode down the steep road leading down from the residential area, the green bow in her chestnut brown hair fluttering in the wind. This girl sure has guts. I thought, watching her tear down the hill at a pace that made me feel slightly queasy just from watching. When a shrill scream pierced the morning air, I realized it might not be entirely voluntary. My heart jumping in alarm, I took a closer look and this time, I could clearly see the terror on her face. Her right hand tightly gripped the brake handle, but the cable was torn and dangled limply in the air as bicycle and rider continued downhill at ever increasing speed.

With a curse on my lips, I broke into a run, hoping to intercept the bike somewhere along its way, but I saw quickly that I would never reach the intersection in time where her path met mine, not even if I had Jeanne's speed at my disposal. She would pass by on the road a ledge below me, which made a sharp turn at the end that she could not hope to survive at this speed. I might have a chance to grab her down there, but that drop is pretty deep. As Jeanne, I could do it, but like this? I stopped, wasting a couple of seconds to look around, but there was no one else around to jump to the rescue.

Damn it. I stepped up to railing, fumbling with the latch of Fin's box. When it finally popped open, I snatched the rosary out of it and tossed it aside, then did the same with my pack. It's not charged. The thought flashed through my mind. What if this doesn't work?

I shook my head. No. If there's a chance these powers I was given might help me save a life, I will not stand idly by. Fin said there's a God and I'm his envoy, so I survive this, or he better have a good explanation ready when I face him!

Grabbing the rosary tighter, I jumped. Eyes fixed on the approaching girl, I repeated the short prayer that had initiated my transformation last night: "Jeanne d'Arc… Lend me your strength…!"

This time there was no pink fire to engulf me, but I did feel something shift – and I landed easily after the twenty feet drop, already up and running a split second later. A quick glance showed that there was no other traffic in the area and I couldn't hear anything either except for the noise of the rapidly approaching bike. With relief I noted that I still had several seconds to get into position in the middle of the road and brace myself. Noticing the rosary was still clutched in my right hand, I quickly shoved it into the pocket of my school uniform which I realized I was still wearing.

Fortunately for the girl, she was too scared to even think of changing her course as she closed the remaining distance. Letting the bike pass me by, I slung an arm around her waist and lifted her off the saddle. I struggled to keep my balance as her momentum transferred over to me, but I managed not to let go. The bike continued on by itself until it crashed into the guardrail at the sharp corner further down the road.

I let out a quick sigh of relief and looked at the girl. The impromptu rescue had knocked the wind out of her, but otherwise she was unhurt. She was still deep in shock, though. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she looked up at me, but a surprised look replaced her shock when she took in my face. "Your hair…" she said, grabbing a few brown strands, turning them between her fingers. "It was yellow just now…"

"…it was?" I asked dumbstruck. For a moment, I wondered if maybe the girl just had been to far gone in her panic, but she just nodded, entirely serious. Her expression slowly widened into a grin. "Are you… a hero, or something? A magical girl?"

I reeled back, mind freezing up and a nervous grin etching its way onto my face. Great. I've been found out by a little kid. For some reason, I found myself unable to lie to this girl. The look on her face was sincere, and even if I were able to whip up a convincing denial, I knew she was going to be terribly disappointed. Worst of all was that she was essentially right. The parallels to certain examples of popular culture and urban legends were there, though this had a slightly different touch of reality to it. Obviously, I rolled my eyes at myself, because it's happening to ME.

Unaware of my personal dilemma, the girl pressed on. "You jumped down from up there, didn't you? No normal person could do that! And you saved me!" She paused to give me an admiring grin. "So are you, or are you not…?"

"How about, er, 'or something'?" I asked weakly.

"SUGOI!" she yelled, throwing herself at me and hugging me. "I've been saved by a real, honest to god magical g–mrmph!" She looked up in surprise when she suddenly found my hand on her mouth, preventing her from speaking. "Shh!" I said. "You can't tell anyone. It's a secret." I smiled conspiratorially and received a delighted grin back. I gently pried her off, inwardly shaking my head in both exasperation and amusement. I don't believe this. I have a FAN. After being at this for a single day no less. I grinned. Fin will be scandalized.

The girl was just about to say something else, but was interrupted by rapidly approaching footsteps. "Hiromi-chan!" A man who looked to be in his late twenties was running towards us. The girl, Hiromi, quickly turned around and with a cry of "Papa!", she ran towards him as well. They met in a fierce embrace and the man's face was stark with relief that his daughter was alive and well. After a moment, he pushed her away to look her over for injuries. "Hiromi-chan, are you all right? You're not hurt?"

She shook her head, pointing at me. "Onee-chan over there saved me!" I moved closer, smiling at being called 'big sister'. The man introduced himself as Miyasaka Kenichi and thanked me profusely for saving his daughter's life.

"Don't mention it. Anybody in my position would have done the same thing." I said, myself grateful that I was able to do so. Seeing the reunion had already made it worthwhile enough.

"I certainly hope so." He said, but he didn't appear fully convinced. While Hiromi was going to pick up the bike, he bent a bit closer. "Looks like you've made an impression on Hiromi-chan. How did you get her calmed down that quickly?"

"I told her a secret." I said with a slightly mischievously smile, and Mr. Miyasaka smiled and nodded in parental understanding. I quickly turned serious again, however. "The brake cable had been torn in two."

His eyes narrowed. "That's strange. The bike is relatively new, and there hadn't been any problems with it two days ago." Hiromi was just returning with the bike, which looked slightly worse for wear. He examined the dangling cable ends; the cable looked to have been ripped apart by great force; pieces of the black covering were missing on both ends. It could have snagged somewhere during the ride, but the force necessary to tear it apart would have caused her to crash right then and there. If this happened before today, someone ought to have noticed it had been damaged. I don't like how this looks…

Apparently Mr. Miyasaka didn't, either. He muttered about checking everything over before letting Hiromi use the bike again. Turning to me, he said: "Thank you again, Kusakabe-san. If there's ever something I can do for you to return the favor, just call."

Accepting the card he gave me, I bent down to face Hiromi. "Be careful with the bike in the future!" Moving closer, I whispered into her ear: "And about that other thing – look for me in the newspaper!" The girl grinned and waved, and I waved back as I watched the two walk away, back up the hill. A magical girl, eh? Heh, that means my love life might soon become a whole lot more interesting… That Chiaki guy was kind of cute… Slightly distracted I made my way back to the top of the ledge where I left my pack.

(Miyako)

"Morning, guys!!"

Various policemen looked up as the office door slammed shut behind me. "Good morning, Miyako-san!" came a chorus of voices back. I smiled. No matter how busy it gets at the Momokuri Police Department, I always get a warm welcome!

Harukawa, commonly called Haruta, looked up from his monitor with a questioning look on his face. "You've got school this morning, don't you? Did something come up?"

"Not exactly." I said. "I'm just stopping by. I want my eardrums intact for my next confrontation with Jeanne, thank you very much." Knowing grins spread on the faces of my fellow policemen at this comment. "How's the database check coming along?"

Haruta shook his head. "Negative. I'm doing another search with high tolerance variables just to be sure, but I don't think we've seen her before."

"Figures…" I muttered. "But I doubt we've seen the last of her. She will be back, now that she has tasted success." Turning to Akita who was clattering away on his keyboard, I asked: "Akita, what is the world record for high jumping?"

"245 centimetres." Akita said, not even taking his eyes off the screen. "An even eight feet. That's men's record, mind you, women's is quite a bit lower."

"And she broke that so casually…" I muttered, reflecting back on last night. Her jump had carried her well over the obstacle, clearing even the spikes by a wide margin. It had been forceful, but it hadn't looked like Jeanne had really pushed herself to the limit.

The officer turned around on his chair and faced me. "I'm sorry, but if Haruta-san hadn't witnessed it, too, I would be doubting your observations."

I waved the comment away. "I would be doubting my own observations if Haruta hadn't been there. Besides, we're paid to doubt things, are we not?"

"We?" Akita arched a delicate eyebrow.

"Arrgh!! You know what I mean!" I huffed, throwing up my arms. "I KNOW I'm not getting paid for this for two more years, there's no need to rub it in!" Haruta and Fuyuta were watching with growing amusement.

"Anyway," I said, "we all agree that Jeanne's done some pretty strange things, things that can't be easily explained, like that frozen door, or how she knocked out Natsuda before he was able to alert us, or how she concealed the painting when she made her escape. Surviving a fall from the third floor and still being able to jump over the property wall with ease, things like that. It is possible that she has access to superior technology that enables her to do those things; however, all technology has its limits, and we are going to find out what those are. Our traps will be designed specifically to push her past what is humanly possible, and to counter the abilities that we have seen her use. If we get the opportunity, we will try and stea- uh, confiscate any device she's using."

The officers nodded, professionally ignoring my little slip-up, but I lifted my finger. "There's something else I've realized. Jeanne… is a rookie."

"WHAAAT?!" came the reply by a choir of incredulous voices.

"From what I saw of her yesterday, she has no prior experience dealing with the police." I confirmed. "She froze up when she was surrounded in the middle of the hall. She's as green as they come." My expression turned grim. "She's confident, though, and she learns quickly. We'll try and use tried-and-true police tactics to apprehend her, but if we fail, they will quickly cease to be effective. Now's our best chance to catch her. Let's make it count!"

(Maron)

Running towards the spot where I dropped my pack, I already saw from afar that everything that had been in the little box was scattered all over the place, and there was a figure approaching, sporting the boys' school uniform of Momokuri High and blue hair – Chiaki! Having just as little desire for him to see my lipstick, perfume and other female supplies as for him to see the Petit Claire, I hurried to the spot and quickly scooped everything back into the box as fast as I could.

I had barely put the last item inside and locked it when he was standing in front of me, smiling that same unreadable smile and holding out a hand to help me back up. I took it, briefly wondering if he would spin me around and catch me like last time, and feeling both relieved and disappointed when he just hauled me to my feet.

"You were in the hallway yesterday. I didn't catch your name back then…?"

"Kusakabe Maron." I obliged him. "So, you'll be going to Momokuri High, too?"

"Yeah." he replied easily. "I just moved to this part of the city yesterday."

We continued on our way to school. After a while he abruptly spoke up again: "I still need to visit the headmaster's office, to finalize the transfer and everything, but maybe you can show me around later?"

I gave him a hard stare. Not wasting any time, is he?I might have little experience with boys, but I did recognize when one was coming onto me.I also don't like the way he looked at Miyako yesterday, but that could have been just teasing… couldn't it? Damn, he had better not be some kind of pervert!

A bit of slight amusement crept into his smile, but otherwise I couldn't read anything off his relaxed expression. Guess there's only one way to find out whether he is my One True Love™ or not… "Sure, why not?"

I was immediately reassured when instead of breaking out in a smug or triumphant grin, he just said "Great. Thanks." and kept moving beside me. "By the way, where did you leave your friend?"

"Oh, Miyako went down to the police station before school."

Chiaki shot me a suspicious look. "She's not still after me because of those boxes, is she?"

I laughed. "Nah, though it was a good thing you got rid of them when you did. Actually, her father's the Chief Detective at the local precinct, and she likes to help out from time to time." I didn't mention that she normally didn't make a habit of going there before school because, depending on the level of Jeanne's success in the near future, that might well be about to change.

"Ah, that explains her… zeal."

"Yeah, Miyako gets rather enthusiastic when it comes to defending the law. But she's pretty good at that police work. She's earned a lot of respect with the officers." A lot more than even I was aware of…

We continued to chat as we walked on, mostly about inconsequential stuff, but I did learn that he moved to away from his parent's home to experience living on his own, and to gain some distance from his father, with whom he didn't get along so well currently.

When we reached school, I pointed out the different buildings and places that made up the school. "There's not much to show you outside here, actually. This is the main building in front of us. The gym and the playing field are on the other side, in that direction. There's a small pool over there too, but it doesn't see much use."

Chiaki didn't even attempt to look around during my description, instead looking at me the entire time, an amused smile fixed on his face. I didn't know what to make of it, but seeing as he kept his gaze firmly above my neckline, I decided to let it slide. "The headmaster's office is on the second floor." I explained as we entered the building. "Just go right, around the corner and up the stairs, and you're right in front of it."

"All right, thanks! I'll see you later, then!" Chiaki said and went off in the other direction, while I went left and entered our classroom. To my surprise, Miyako was already there, but a look on the wall made me realize that the encounter with Hiromi-chan and her father had eaten quite a bit of time. She must have hurried back from the police station…

"Maron! Quick, get to your seat! Sensei is going to be here any minute now!" With a pang of anxiety at seeing the other students' frantic last-minute preparations for the test, I quickly settled down at my desk and got out my own books. Now the meanings of these words all seem so obvious… I thought as my eyes wandered over the vocabulary list in the hope that I would recall at least a few crucial combinations later on. But later when I can't just check the other column, I know I won't remember the even the most basic words.

It actually took several more minutes for Mrs. P to arrive, but I didn't feel I had made any real progress when the door finally opened and the teacher entered to room, followed by… Chiaki!

Miyako seemed to recognize the newcomer as well, immediately jumping up from her chair and bursting out: "You're the guy with the boxes!"

Half of the class facefaulted, and Pakkyamlamao-sensei shot her a look that was half irritation and half 'what are you talking about?'. "Nagoya-kun is a new student." She said, then turned to Chiaki, who was unfazed by Miyako's greeting and introduced himself.

"Take your seat." She said, pointing at the empty desk on the left of mine. Chiaki went to it and, after settling down, immediately started to push it toward mine, breaking with the neat rows the other desks were in. "What are you doing?!" I hissed, glancing at Pakkyamlamao-sensei who was taking out a stack of paper and hadn't noticed it yet. "We're writing a test now! Get back, or do you want her to accuse us of cheating?! She's got a flute, and she's not afraid to use it!!" Chiaki raised an eyebrow at that last bit, but he moved his desk back. His expression remained clueless as his eyes wandered to the instrument clutched in the teacher's off hand. Oh, that's right, he hasn't known true horror. Looks like it'll be my job to clue him in…

Finally, the sheets lay before us. Hm… this doesn't look so difficult after all… I thought as I glanced over the list of words. Several of them I recognized immediately, the meaning of the words jumping to my mind immediately. I quickly started filling out the empty spaces. As I moved on, it took less and less time to come up with the proper words. Maybe I won't totally flunk this one… Huh, I don't remember ever seeing that word before… I thought as I filled in the corresponding blank spot on the other side. The next two were surprisingly easy again. Eh, this can mean two different things… I guess I'll just put them both here…

Before I knew it, I had reached the bottom of the page. 'Goodbye', huh? Guess she wanted to make the last one an easy one… However, when I saw the word my hand had already scrawled into the empty spot, my mind froze. I had to resist the paranoid urge to look over my shoulder to where Miyako sat. Praying that little Miss play-by-the-rules didn't choose this exact moment to throw out all her notions of lawful behavior and try to peek, I hastily scratched out the 'adieu' on the paper until it was completely illegible and replaced it with a more innocuous 'au revoir'. Only after I had breathed a silent sigh of relief and chanced a quick glance around the classroom I noticed that I was already done while many of my classmates were still struggling on their half empty pages.

Crap! This was so easy because Jeanne was born in France! Again, I had to resist the urge to check my surroundings. I'm acting pretty suspicious here… Come on girl, breathe! I hunched over the sheet again so that I looked like I was still busy and people sitting behind me wouldn't be able to see what I was doing. I can't let this become my downfall! But I knew that as instinctual as this sudden knowledge was, trying to hide it completely would quickly prove fatal. Already the next cramming session with Miyako would let her in on the this sudden improvement of my language skills and once she started to wonder why I was trying to conceal it, it would be all over.

It might not draw suspicion if I can pass this off as a development – even if it's a rapid one… Going over the page again, I quickly added a couple of unnecessary accents and 'fixed' one of the verb forms. There, now it's just 'pretty good' instead of 'perfect'. I wasn't particularly fond of the idea of sabotaging my own work, but I knew what was at stake - there was no comparison. Besides, it's not like this sudden improvement is really my achievement…

As soon as Pakkyamlamao-sensei had gathered the test sheets, Chiaki pushed his desk towards mine again. "Geez, what's the big idea?" I asked in a hushed voice. The last thing I felt I needed right now was P-sensei's attention, and irregularities like this were exactly the kind of thing she liked to jump on. But Chiaki just grinned. "I haven't gotten the books yet, so I'll need to borrow yours." I groaned and rolled my eyes, but pushed the books towards the middle of the desks where he could reach them.

Throughout the rest of the lesson, I tentatively tried out my newfound knowledge, but I made a point of answering only when I was called upon. The fact that Chiaki provided incessant distractions made it a bit easier not to appear too knowledgeable. I constantly had to fight blushes when our heads bent over the books very close together, or when his fingers accidentally brushed mine when we both reached for materials. The latter happened slightly more often than I considered entirely 'accidental'. Overall, I was just glad it hadn't yet turned me into a nervous stuttering wreck. Like Minazuki-kun… I thought, looking over to the class rep. Is this how he feels all the time? Surely not… The brown-haired boy with the large glasses was currently following the lesson avidly, but when talking to people he got easily flustered and few of his classmates took him seriously as a result. I jumped as Chiaki's shoulder touched mine, yanking me out of my reflections.

As soon as the lesson was over, Miyako immediately dragged me off towards a quiet corner. "What do you think you're doing, flirting with Chiaki like that!" She hissed. "Think you can get ahead while I'm busy doing police work?!"

"Get ahead?! What the…" Words failed me as I struggled with the enormity of this statement. "Don't tell me YOU are interested!" I burst out, then quickly look around, confirming we were still unobserved. "Besides, I didn't do anything that could be construed as flirting with him!"

"Oh yeah?" Miyako retorted. "I didn't exactly see you complain about his attentions either!"

"That's because I was doing just fine without P-sensei's attention on me! You know that she likes to jump on me every time there isn't actually someone to deserve her wrath!" Miyako clearly wasn't impressed by this line of reasoning, so I pressed on. "Look, I don't even know if he's the type. After all, he might turn out to be some sort of super pervert! In that case, you're welcome to him!"

"Gee, that's generous of you." Miyako rolled her eyes. "You know, you may have a point with that super pervert comment." She growled, obviously thinking back to the cardboard boxes incident. "If he looks at me like that again, I'll have him detained and punished! And not the fun kind of punishment either!" I winced at the unholy fire I saw burning in her eyes. Looks like one more crucial safety tip to pass on later for his stay at this asylum they call a school…

"Actually, I think I'll hang back and observe for now." Miyako went on. "That way, if he turns out to be a total creep, it won't be me suffering the disappointment!" The last was said in a voice that sounded almost sickeningly cheerful.

"Wow, thanks." I groaned. "You're a true friend, Miyako, you know that?"

"Of course!" she said, grinning impudently. "You know, you did fairly well today. You didn't screw up any of P-sensei's questions."

"Hmpf…" I said, affecting a contemptuous sniff. "While you were busy chasing pickpockets, I prepared for today's lesson!" Which is kind of true, in a roundabout sort of way. Even if I didn't know it would have that effect at the time...

"Pickpockets?!" Miyako screeched in outrage. "Why, you…"

The next lessons were only slightly less nerve-wracking. I slowly grew more used to Chiaki's presence next to me, and he did ease up a little after a while, but I still had to constantly focus to avoid committing some kind of blunder. I tried hard not to let my nervousness show as I knew Miyako would be watching from the seat behind me, and she'd tease me mercilessly if I let show how strong an effect Chiaki had on me. I found that an effective way to distract myself was to actually pay attention to what the teacher was saying. As exciting as the multitude of small, unexpected contacts was, I wasn't sure how much of it my poor heart could take, and I resolved to make sure he got his books as soon as possible so I could regain some distance, so to speak.

When lunch break came around, I immediately dragged him off towards the school library. When Miyako wanted to know where I was going, I answered: "He's getting the talk." Miyako's face immediately changed to an expression of complete understanding. "All right, I guess that means I'll see you at practice!" To Chiaki, she said: "I'd listen to what she says." She then turned her focus back to quickly gathering her stuff together.

Chiaki clearly was unsure what to make of this. "The talk...?"

"Yeah, now that you're here, there are a few things you should know." I grinned at the perplexed look on his face. "The first rule is: 'Never, ever step on the flowers'."

"The flowers. Uh-huh." Chiaki's face remained blank. "May I ask why?"

"Because Pakkyamlamao-sensei..." I jerked a thumb behind me, pointing at the classroom we had just left, "...is obsessed with flowers. Stepping on one would incur her wrath, which is a Bad Thing. Actually, you should avoid even being near any situation that could be misconstrued as you stepping on flowers or having the intention to do so."

Chiaki seemed skeptical, trying to figure out if this was an elaborate prank that was pulled on all newcomers or not. "It's just a bit of friendly advice." I reassured him. "Trust me, if you ever end up on the receiving end of her flute, you'll understand."

"I noticed she kept that thing clutched in her hand the entire time." he admitted. "What's up with that?"

"It's an instrument of torture." I explained. "You know how they abolished corporal punishment in school and all that? Well, they obviously never heard of Pakkyamlamao-sensei, or they'd have banned aural punishment as well. You'll probably see it in action soon enough, but keep in mind that watching it and actually getting hit by it are two entirely different things." I led him up to the small library that stocked the books for the students, imparting some of the finer points of survival at Momokuri High to him along the way.

"Well, here we are. You can get the school books and materials here. That's all they have here, though. If you want something else, you'll have to go to the Momokuri Library. It's pretty close by, actually, just further down the road."

"Thanks." Chiaki said, perusing a list of the books he needed. "Didn't you say something about practice earlier?"

"Oh right, I almost forgot." I said, slapping my forehead. "Well, I better hurry! See you tomorrow!" Chiaki just grinned and raised a hand in farewell.

I quickly stopped by at the cafeteria to grab a snack and then proceeded to the gym, where I caught up with Miyako. She immediately tried to grill me for information about Chiaki's conduct, but I waved her off, telling her that there was no 'conclusive evidence' to reach a verdict yet. "And what would you consider conclusive evidence?" she asked, passing a ball to me slightly harder than was strictly necessary. "No idea." I answered, grinning cheerfully. "I'll let you know after I find out."

Miyako just 'hmpf'ed and went to gather her own supplies. The first hour of practice passed by normally. As I worked out, I felt the bruise I had received from the possessed Mr. Okaniwa, but it was a slight pain which I could readily ignore.

However suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck rose up and I felt a shiver pass over me. A quick look around immediately told me where the disturbance came from: a face with a distinctive mop of blue hair was peeking past the door frame. I couldn't decipher the look on his face, but it didn't appear to be benign. Looks like Miyako was right – he is a pervert after all. I think a warning is due...

Acting like I didn't notice, I stood on my right leg and raised the rubber ball above my head, the other leg stretching out straight behind me. The pose was part of a number of gymnastics kata, but it also stored a great deal of energy in the body in the form of tension, kept together only by the careful balance I was maintaining. Checking my position once more, I now let that balance tip, allowing the tension to unravel and turn into kinetic energy. Turning fully around and bringing my leg down, I launched the ball at the face in the doorway, adding a wicked spin to the throw as it left my hand.

In a show of altogether un-pervert-like reflexes, Chiaki barely got his head out of the way in time, letting the ball pass him by harmlessly. However, it didn't simply bounce away; when it hit the ground a short distance away, it launched itself back almost nearly into the same direction it came from. I couldn't see the the other side of the doorway, but a distinctive 'smack' and a grunt of pain told me I did score a hit after all. Curious, I walked over to inspect the damage.

Chiaki was still picking himself up from the floor; apparently his face had made intimate acquaintance with the massive steel door guarding the building. He raised his hand to his nose to check how serious the damage was, but it came away bloodless. He opened his mouth, but I immediately cut him off. "You're lucky, you know?" The short statement seemed to confuse him and he tried to speak again, but I interrupted him once more. "Lucky that Miyako didn't see you. She takes a dim view on perverts." Understanding and a touch of fear dawned on his face. I bent down to pick up the ball that had landed on the ground next to him, then faced him, my nose inches from his. "In fact, I was informed that if she saw you so much as leering at her again, she would have you detained... and her 'detained' does not allow for any interpretation that is in any way pleasant or exciting."

Chiaki gulped as I straightened back up. He didn't look nearly as confident as this morning and small beads of sweat had gathered on his forehead. I decided to take pity on him; shifting the ball to my left hand, I reached down and helped him to his feet. "She's not serious about detaining me, is she?" He asked, sounding slightly unsure.

"I'm not sure." I admitted. "She often says things she doesn't really mean, but she has a great deal of influence with the police, and if she was willing to use it, I believe she could actually make your life quite difficult. I believe it would be... prudent not to test her resolve. Don't you agree?" I emphasized the word 'prudent' by bouncing the ball on the ground a couple of times.

He nodded, quickly regaining his composure now. "So... you both belong to the same club?"

"Rhythmic gymnastics." I confirmed. "It keeps me in shape and can be relaxing at the same time."

"When does practice end? I was thinking of walking home with you guys."

"We're not finished.until 5:30." I said. "You don't have to wait that long for us..."

"I don't mind." he said easily. "I think I'll look around and check out what other clubs there are."

For a moment, neither of us said anything. Chiaki's gaze started to drift away from my eyes, but it snapped back up instantly the moment it reached the pink ball which I was still holding with both hands. He grinned sheepishly, but it was only a moment before his customary smirk returned. "Well, see you five-thirty then!" he said and turned around, walking off towards the field where the rugby club was playing.

I went back into the hall and tried to continue where I left off, but after a short while I once again had the feeling I was being observed. Looks like those words were only so much wasted air... I sighed mentally. Well, if words won't work, I'm more than willing to oblige him with a bit of good old-fashioned violence!

Abandoning all pretense, I spun around and lobbed the ball at the doorway as hard as I could. Only when the ball was already in the air did I recognize the person at the door: it wasn't Chiaki at all, but the little girl I had saved this morning! I realized immediately what I had done – this girl could be seriously injured by a blow that powerful! Her eyes widened at the incoming missile, but I could only helplessly raise my hand after it, shouting "Please, stop!!"

I was greatly surprised and endlessly relieved when the ball actually obeyed my command. The ball shuddered in mid-air, then dropped to the ground, its momentum negated entirely. A second later, a wave of exhaustion crashed over me, but I ignored it as best as I could and moved over to the girl. "Hello... Hiromi-chan, wasn't it?" The girl smiled and nodded, then bent closer, whispering: "That was a neat trick you used, Onee-chan!"

"It was an accident." I grimaced. I looked around, but miraculously, nobody seemed to have noticed what had happened. Miyako was off in a corner practicing by herself and none of the other girls were even looking in my direction. Pakkyamlamao-sensei was absent; she was the gymnastics teacher and supervised the practice, but she was only actually present part of the time. "I thought someone else was at the door. I was trying to hit that someone."

Hiromi thought for a second, then shrugged and grinned. "Well, you stopped it in time, so it's all right." She looked around as well before whispering: "I saw your picture in the newspaper!"

"Really?" I asked. "I haven't seen it yet." I'm in today's paper already? Damn, Miyako works fast!

"You can come over to my house later and I'll show it to you!" the girl said eagerly. "It's very close by." Her expression turned more serious. "I made Papa read the article to me; it said you stole a painting! Why would you do something like that?" She looked confused; apparently in her mind, thieves and magical girl business didn't mix. Two days ago, I would have agreed with her.

"I didn't actually take the painting." I tried to explain, kneeling down. "But I had to make it disappear. An evil spirit was hiding in the painting and it possessed the owner. My job is to catch the evil spirits, but the object they use to hide disappears when I do. That's why it looks like I stole the painting."

The girl was wide-eyed, but nodded in understanding. I felt an inordinate sense of relief that she believed me; no matter how exciting it was, I did not like the thought of being seen as a criminal, as the bad guy.

"What is it like when someone is possessed?" she asked.

This was less difficult to explain; Fin had coached me well to recognize the signs of a possessed person. "It's like they are someone else. If they were friendly before, they suddenly become mean and cold and try to hurt you." I paused for a moment, wondering why she would ask. "Did something like that happen to someone you know?"

"I'm not sure..." Hiromi said hesitantly. "The old man who lives next door... He was always very friendly to me and gave me candy! But recently, he looks at me strangely... It makes me feel very uncomfortable. I haven't visited him for a while..."

I frowned. This might be the influence of a demon, but it might also be something equally sinister... something for Miyako's department. "Does he have an object that he seems obsessed with? Something he doesn't let anyone touch?"

"Yes!" Hiromi nodded sharply. "He has a new candy box. He has had it for several weeks. I've seen him carry it around often, but since he has it, he never offered me candy anymore."

I let out a small sigh of relief; it actually appeared to be a demon. I'd much rather deal with a case of possession than the alternative any day...

"Then it's settled. I'll come visit after practice. You can show me the newspaper, and I'll find out whether your neighbor is the victim of a demon. If he is, I promise I'll turn him back to normal!" I briefly thought of Chiaki's offer to walk us home, but this was more important. Also, there would be plenty of other opportunities; the school year had only just begun, after all. Besides, who would want to spend time with some pervert, anyway? Let him walk home with Miyako, maybe that'll cure him, hehehe...

"Thank you!" the girl cried, giving me a fierce hug and bringing me back to reality. She looked around curiously, watching what the other girls were doing. "I watched you practicing. I want to be a gymnast like you, Onee-chan!"

I smiled. "I'm not sure there is a group for people your age, but I can ask our sensei. Your dad will have to come and arrange it, though."

"I don't think he'll mind." Hiromi said, smiling. "It's not as dangerous as riding a bicycle!"

"Do you want to come inside and watch?" I asked.

"Sure! I can only stay for about an hour, though. I need to be home before Papa comes from work."

"That's fine. I'll walk home with you afterwards." I led her inside explained some of the things we did. Her enthusiasm was infectious and I ended up showing off quite a few of my routines for her. The hour was over in no time.

"Let me just tell my friend Miyako that I won't be walking home with her, and we'll be off." I told Hiromi-chan. Miyako was over in a corner practicing with clubs. We practiced apart as much as together, so we wouldn't be distracting each other all the time. She noticed me as I approached. "Hey, what's up Maron?"

"I'll be leaving early." I informed her. "I have some business to take care of."

"Something to do with that girl?" Miyako asked, gesturing to where Hiromi sat with her head.

So she noticed after all... Still, I paid attention to my surroundings all the time while we talked... she can't have overheard anything. "Yeah, she needs my help."

"Something the police can help with?" Miyako asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't think so." I answered. "I'll let you know if that changes. By the way, Chiaki was here earlier. He said he was going to walk home with us. You can tell him I had a prior engagement, but there's always tomorrow."

"He was here? Why didn't you tell me?" she wanted to know.

"What, and invite him in so he can lust after all the girls here?"

Miyako grinned. "It might have helped you gather conclusive evidence..."

"I have evidence..." I muttered. "But some of it contradicts each other..."

"Well, see you tomorrow morning then. I'll probably spend the evening at the police, coming up with a better trap for Jeanne!"

"Good luck with that!" I said insincerely. "Ja ne!"

I briefly visited the locker room to change back into my school uniform before I picked up Hiromi and we left. The walk to her home was a short one; it was even closer to the school than my apartment. The house was fairly big, almost on par with the place I 'visited' as Jeanne the night ago. Hiromi's parents must be fairly well off...

"Oji-san lives over there." Hiromi said, pointing to a smaller house to the left. An old man was standing there, hunched over, clutching an object in both hands. I decided to take the opportunity and get this out of the way first. "Wait here." I told Hiromi while I opened the box I was carrying, taking out the Petit Claire and placing the box on the ground. I put in in the pocked of my school uniform, but I kept holding onto it.

The old man looked up as I approached. He had deep circles under the eyes and his visage looked frightfully contorted, only vaguely resembled a human being anymore. He took a few steps in my direction, and now I could clearly make out the circular candy box he held in his hands. It was made of tinted light blue glass, but its surface was made up of small polyhedrons, refracting the light and obscuring the contents. A larger cube sat on the middle of the lid, serving as the grip.

It took a moment, but the Petit Claire began reacting as the old man drew near, emitting short pulsing beeps that were audibly only to my ears. The old man's gaze pierced me, trying to devour me and I shivered. Chiaki has nothing on this guy... I thought.

"I know what you are, and why you are here." he said in a gravelly voice that echoed with malice. "Go away, little girl, or you might get hurt." His eyes flashed violet and a ripple shot through the air between us, slamming into me and knocking me off my feet. I landed hard on the ground a short distance away. Dazed, I looked up, expecting a follow-up attack, but the old man simply turned around and went into the house, locking the door behind him.

Gingerly I got to my feet, checking myself over for injuries. I felt slightly disoriented, but the feeling passed after a moment and except for a few scrapes, I was fine. Hiromi ran over to me as soon as the old man's door slammed shut, bringing my box with her. "Are you okay?" she asked anxiously.

"I'm fine." I said, tearing my gaze away from a bruise on my lower arm and giving her a reassuring smile, but my expression quickly turned grim again. "You were right Hiromi-chan, your neighbor has been possessed by a demon. Don't worry, I will restore him to his old self!" I lifted the Petit Claire to my face and pressed the large ruby with the cross on it. "Fin! Are you there?"

This time, it took only two seconds for Fin's face to appear in the crystal. "Maron-chan! What happened?" A slightly worried grin appeared on her face. "You aren't still mad because of the alarm clock, are you?"

"Forget the alarm clock." I said, waving it off. "Fin, I found a demon!"

"What? You did, too?" Fin looked very surprised. "I already sent a notice for 11 o'clock tonight... I was going to wait at home for you to tell you about the details."

"Well, I guess I'll have to double up today. I want you to send another notice, for 7 o'clock. To a Mr..." I turned to Hiromi. "Do you know Oji-san's name?"

"His name is Hachiro-san." The girl answered quickly.

"Send the notice to Hachiro-sama. I'm going to steal his candy box." I told Fin the address of the old man. "Come to meet me immediately afterwards; I'll be in the big house right next to the target."

"Hai!" Fin said, looking slightly surprised at my forceful tone, but pleased that I was taking charge. The connection separated a moment later.

"That was my partner, Fin." I explained to Hiromi who was looking at me with wide eyes. Looking around secretively, I bent closer and whispered: "She's an angel."

The girl's eyes grew impossibly large. "And she's going to come to visit?"

I nodded. "But only people who believe in angels can see her. Do you believe in angels?"

Hiromi grinned widely. "If you say she's your partner, then I have to believe it!"

She led me to the entrance and rang the doorbell, yelling: "I'm home!" The door was opened by a modest-looking woman who I quickly confirmed was Hiromi's mother. "Welcome back, Hiromi-chan." She returned the girl's brief hug, then rose to face me. "You must be Kusakabe-san. My husband told me what you did for our daughter. Please, make yourself at home."

I thanked her and stepped inside. Hiromi immediately dragged me to her room. I looked around, checking out the place as I was pulled along. The house was expansive, but much more modestly furnished than the art collector's house and as a result felt much more comfortable.

Hiromi's room looked typical for a girl her age. It, too, was large and well-furnished, but far from extravagant. Obviously Hiromi's parents didn't believe in spoiling their girl with material things. The girl immediately ran over and sat down on the side of her bed, patting the spot beside her, but I had barely seated myself when she jumped up again. "You wanted to see the newspaper article, right? I'm going to get it, wait here!" A moment later she was out of the room again, the door slamming shut behind her.

I shook my head in amusement, then took the chance to look around some more. The room was clean but a few things were left out. Crayons lay scattered across the desk, next to a small picture. It was a drawing of Hiromi-chan and her father. A line of flowers was at the bottom and a house in the background, with a couple of small hearts scattered over the small background. The representations of Hiromi and her father both wore happy smiles. It was clearly drawn by a kid, but it held a clumsy, innocent charm.

"I'm back!" Hiromi yelled, bursting through the door, the newspaper in one hand. Together, we looked at the article. "Mystery Thief Sends Notice." I read the headline. The photo Miyako had shown me this morning was plastered across the cover. Looks like I made the front page after all... I mused, thinking back to my rash comment to Fin the night before. Surprisingly, I did feel a kind of sense of accomplishment at that.

"The photo looks great!" Hiromi enthused. "Did you pose for it?"

I laughed. "That photo was an accident, too. I only saw a flash of light, but I didn't think I was being photographed, because they already tried to blind me with light earlier before. My friend Miyako showed me the picture this morning. She works with the police."

"So your friend is trying to arrest you when you are Jeanne?" the girl asked, wide-eyed. I nodded. "She must never find out it is really me."

Hiromi grinned. "Don't worry, I'll keep your secret!"

I read the article. There wasn't a lot of information in it, less than what Miyako told me personally this morning, but it did pose a few questions concerning Jeanne's motives, and why she would send a notice to announce her intentions. I also asked people who knew something about Jeanne to report to the Momokuri Police Department.

"Thanks for showing me this, Hiromi-chan." I said, standing up. "By the way, I noticed your drawing." I said, pointing at the desk.

"You did?" she asked, grabbing the sheet of paper from the desk, barely catching one of the crayons she had upset with the abrupt move. "I drew this for Papa. Do you like it?"

"Yes, it's beautiful." I said, and I meant it. I hoped that any children I would have one day would make pictures like that for me.

Suddenly I felt a pressure on my mind, the same kind of pressure I felt when I sealed the demon the night before, although it was slightly weaker. Instinctively, I lashed back with my mind, and the feeling subsided. "Hiromi-chan... I have to take this picture... I think there's a demon inside it, too." I took out the Petit Claire and held it over the paper. The pulse was faint, but it was there. I nodded grimly, confirming my suspicion.

"It's okay." Hiromi said, smiling. "I can draw another picture. I don't want to become mean and creepy like Oji-san..." She started to hand the picture to me when something in her eyes started to change.

"Oh no you don't." I growled, snatching the paper out of her hand and breaking the spell. I dove towards the box at the foot of her bed, removing the rosary while the demon battered ineffectually at my mind. It was slightly painful and I knew I'd probably keep the headache, but I held it firmly in my mental vice grip. Damn, where's Fin when you need her? I asked myself, staring once again at the uncharged rosary. Oh well, here goes.

Grabbing the rosary in one hand and the sheet of paper in the other, I took a deep breath and intoned my prayer. "Jeanne d'Arc... Lend me your strength, for Hiromi-chan!"

Again, I wasn't engulfed by pink fire, but I felt the same wrenching shift as this morning and I knew I had at least partially transformed. The jolts of pain the demon sent at me immediately became more distant, allowing me to concentrate. Replacing the rosary in my pocket, I picked up the Petit Claire. I threw a glance at Hiromi, but she was all right, watching everything with wide eyes.

"In the name of God..." A pin rose to the surface of the Petit Claire, but unlike last night when it barely took any effort, I felt a distinct drain of energy this time. However, I didn't have any time to waste. "You, a demon born in darkness... I seal you here! Checkmate!!!" I threw the picture in the air and the pin immediately after it, piercing the sheet of paper at its center.

Suddenly, it was like a floodgate had opened. The buffeting from the demon doubled in intensity, and it took me a moment to regain my balance. Snarling, I struck back with a vicious blow, crushing the fragile evil presence within my mind. The paper glowed and vanished, leaving only the glowing shape of the pin hanging in the air. With a 'pop', the pin turned into a pawn and started to fall, right into the hand Hiromi had raised reflexively.

I sighed in relief and let the tension ebb away. This time I actually felt the power leave me, saw the strands of hair turn brown again at the edge of my vision. Hiromi stared at the pawn in her hand for a moment, then she looked up at me, a smile growing on her face. "That was so cool!!" she exclaimed. I smiled weakly, dropping down to a sitting position; my knees felt weak from the sudden exertion. Hiromi moved over to me, holding out the pawn. "So this is..."

"This is the energy left over from the demon." I said. "They were created by the devil, to take over the beautiful hearts of good people. You've felt it, didn't you?"

Hiromi nodded. "It was... trying... I couldn't resist it." She shuddered.

"And that is why I fight." I continued. "That is why I'll steal paintings and beautiful things that people enjoy... that is why I'll elude the police..." I shook my head. "The police may never know the truth. But the victims understand. Deep down, they understand and are glad that their treasure is gone and can't haunt them anymore, even if they miss looking at it." The girl gave me another hug and I accepted it gratefully.

"This energy..." I said, taking the pawn from her hand, "Fin said it could be harvested. It's going to be used for good instead." I frowned, looking at the small figure. This one didn't look solidly white at all, instead it had a milky, semi-transparent kind of look. This demon must have had much less power than the other one... I guess I wouldn't have been able to defeat it so easily, otherwise, especially without Fin's help.

"The newspaper said you sent a notice card before you came and stole the painting." Hiromi said suddenly. "Do you always do that?"

"Usually." I said. "Fin said it is a rule. But I didn't have time just now, because it all happened so suddenly... Do you want a notice? As a memento?"

The girl nodded eagerly and I suppressed a grin. From mystery thief to giver of autographs... Oh irony, how you mock me. But for some reason, I didn't mind at all. I held up the Petit Claire. "Fin usually does these. Let's see... Do you want it like I actually sent it beforehand?"

"I don't care!" Hiromi said, bouncing happily. I shook my head in amusement; this girl deserved something with a little special touch. Concentrating, I looked at the air over the Petit Claire. A thin white beam of light rose out of it, stopping a few inches above the surface. It then rotated out, revealing the full rectangle. The glow faded and I grabbed the card and handed it to Hiromi.

Notice:

To Hiromi-chan

Today, I took the beauty of your drawing. I shall treasure it forever.

Your friend,

Kaitou Jeanne

"Thanks, this is great!" Hiromi said, admiring the card. "I can't wait to show this to all my friends!"

I laughed. "Do that, just don't tell any of them who I am." I winked at her. "And if the police ever want to look at it for fingerprints, feel free to let them look at it. The cards are designed to be completely impervious, nothing will stick to them. You can't get it wet or dirty, either!"

"Cool!" Hiromi gushed. She started to say something else, but was interrupted by a knock on the window. Looking up, I saw Fin on the other side, waving and gesturing. I got up and opened the window, allowing her inside. "Fin! You are late!" I said sternly, leveling a finger at her.

"What?" Fin protested as I shut the window behind her. "But I came here as quickly as I could..."

"It was still too late!" I huffed. "I had to seal a demon without your help!"

"Without transforming? But that's impossible..."

"See for yourself." I said, holding up the captured pawn. Fin examined it for a couple of seconds. "This must have been a very weak demon. You're lucky you managed to defeat it without transforming. Still, given enough time, it could have grown strong enough to be a serious threat. Good job!" The angel frowned. "But how did you do it? You are not supposed to be able to use your powers if you don't transform! That's why I told you to get me first when you discover a demon, because it's too dangerous!"

"I had no choice. The demon showed up suddenly. You weren't there, so I just took the rosary and pretended it was charged. I didn't get a full transformation, but it worked! Hiromi-chan said my hair changed color!"

"Hiromi-chan...?" Fin looked over my shoulder, noticing the girl for the first time. She gave a little wave, but the angel didn't appear to notice. "Maronnnnn... don't tell me this girl has listened to our entire conversation! You can't let people find out your identity!"

"Oh right, how forgetful of me." I slapped my forehead. "Excuse my manners. Fin, this is Hiromi-chan. Hiromi-chan, this is Fin Fish, my partner in crime!"

"Hi!" Hiromi said, giving another wave. Fin sank towards the floor, looking slightly ill. "Maronnnnn... what have you done?" she moaned, holding her head between her hands. "We're so screwed..."

"Relax." I said, grinning. "Hiromi-chan's swell. She won't turn us in. After all, she's a friend of Kaitou Jeanne, right?"

"Hai!" the girl said, nodding vigorously.

"...Explain. Now." Fin ordered weakly, sitting up on the plush carpet. And so I explained how I met Hiromi-chan and saved her from the accident with the bike.

"And the rosary worked even though there was no demon nearby?" Fin asked, clearly surprised. "I didn't think that was possible... It's probably best if you only use it in special situations. Otherwise the spirit of Jeanne d'Arc might not answer your request anymore."

I didn't object; after all, 'special situations' was a pretty broad category. And I figured the spirit of Jeanne d'Arc had to be pretty swell, too – after all, she had allowed me to save the life of this girl.

"Anyway, next thing I know, Hiromi is asking me whether I'm a magical girl. What the heck do I say to that?" Hiromi just grinned irreverently, enjoying the storytelling.

"Magical girl?" Fin's expression was clueless.

"Yeah, you know? Normal girl, suddenly called to fight for love and justice, secret identities, transformation sequences... the works? It's a pretty popular genre." The angel looked at me blankly. "Stories." I tried to explain. "People write stories about magical girls."

"You mean... like what you are doing?" Fin said, amazed. I nodded. "They are all a little different, but many things are similar. I'll lend you some of my manga when we get home."

Fin could only nod dumbly. I continued my tale, telling her how we talked about possession and Hiromi mentioning how her neighbor seemed to act strangely. "And so I came here to check it out."

"And the demon is already sealed? Fin asked, smiling. "That's pretty good! You'll have more time for the other job!"

"No no no," I said, waving my hands. "That demon is still loose. The one I sealed was right here in this room, in a picture drawn by Hiromi-chan." I frowned. "It tried to possess her, so I had no choice but to act. Hmpf." I sniffed. "Imagine the impudence!" I grabbed the Petit Claire from the floor beside me and dropped the translucent pawn into it. Like the last one, it vanished into it; a sparkling star falling into the murky depths of the crystal.

"So there's another demon here?" Fin asked.

"Yeah..." I grumbled, having pocketed the device again. "You know, I remember you telling me there were only a few of them, so you'd have to search for them. And here I am, stumbling not over one, but two of them! And you tell me you've found one, too! What's up with that?"

"I have no idea..." Fin admitted. "I was told they aren't that common. Maybe it's just a fluke, but we better keep our guard up." She rose up from the floor. "Well, what are you doing, sitting around here? There are two more demons you have to seal today!"

"All right!" I shouted, jumping up from the floor. "Hey, Hiromi-chan, you saw my hair change color earlier, didn't you?"

She nodded. "Your eyes changed, too! They were purple! I couldn't see it last time, but this time, I was right in front of you."

I filed that information away. Apparently I actually did have to watch my back around Miyako. Hopefully my throwaway comment about purple contact lenses would confuse her if I ever came across her at a wrong moment.

"Anyway, that wasn't actually my transformation. Want to see the real thing?"

"Mm!" Hiromi nodded eagerly. Fin just rolled her eyes, but obediently filled the rosary with power when I held it out to her. "Hmm, maybe I should go outside first or something."

"There's a balcony on the second floor." Hiromi added helpfully.

"Don't worry, the transformation is safe for indoors." Fin said. "It will accommodate space constraints. If we can sneak outside safely, there is no problem with doing it in this room."

"It's okay." Hiromi agreed. "We shouldn't encounter anyone on the way. I'll help you by scouting ahead!"

"Yosh! Let's get started, then!" I closed my eyes, holding the rosary to my chest. "Jeanne d'Arc... Lend me your strength...!"

This time, there appeared no wings, but I was immediately engulfed by a pink inferno. Again, I felt my body being tempered by the magical fire. Two seconds later, I felt it being blown away, the glowing ribbons of power wafting along the edges of the room before they dispersed, as there was no space behind me. I hovered a foot off the ground while the magic finished forming my costume, gently touching down when it was finished. I felt much better all of a sudden; the headache from earlier was gone and my bruises had disappeared as well, even the large one on my chest that I still had been carrying around as a memento from the last night. I felt in top form and my body was fairly brimming with magical power.

"Sugoi..." Hiromi breathed, wide-eyed. "I wish I could do something like that..."

"Wait a few years." I advised her. "All the magical girls are teenagers." I turned to Fin. "Think you could recommend her up there as a potential recruit?"

Fin laughed. "I have no idea. I'm pretty sure we don't have any children to incarnate. But you're right, we're always looking for people. In a few years..."

"See? You might get your wish." I told Hiromi, winking. "Just focus on growing up in the meantime."

"Yay!" she cried happily, jumping up and down a few times. Fin groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Nobody is going to believe a word of this report..." she lamented to no one in particular.

Hiromi opened the door and went outside, checking in both directions, then waving for me to follow. "The house is mostly empty." Hiromi explained as she led us through the corridors. "Mama is downstairs, and Papa isn't home yet, so the way should be clear. We'll circle around the back of the second floor, just to be safe."

True to her word, we encountered no obstacles and reached the balcony Hiromi had mentioned only a couple of minutes later. Hiromi gripped the door handle and pulled, but to no effect. "It's locked." Hiromi said, disappointed. "Dang, it was a good plan."

"Don't forget, I'm a Kaitou." I said, holding up the Petit Claire. "Key to Rewards, come forth!" The girl watched in fascination as the key took hold in the lock, unlocking the door, and proceeded to explode into a slew of tiny sparkling particles. I had to spend a moment explaining to her that no, she couldn't have one of those because, unlike the cards, the police would be very interested in examining my tools to uncover my secrets, and I was not at all sure what they would find. "Besides, they're one-use only. It would disappear the first time you used it."

"Here we are." Hiromi said as we stepped out onto the balcony. "Oji-san's house is right over there." I looked at Fin to see if she was ready, but she was holding her head, her face contorted into an expression of discomfort. "This demon is very strong..." Fin said. "I'm sorry, but I can't go into the house with you. I wouldn't be any help to you like this."

I held out my hands in the form of a cradle and she accepted the offer gratefully, landing on my combined palms and leaning on my outstretched fingers. Her wings were soft and tickled against my skin. "Can't you use that barrier thing you used to ram the demon yesterday?"

"It helps, but I don't have enough power to keep it up all the time." Fin said, huddling against the warmth of my hand. "I still feel it through the shield. The feeling gets worse the closer I get. The demon must be strong for me to be affected this far away. And that's just from being near it. If it actually noticed me and attacked me..." She looked up at me. "I would be in real danger. I'm no coward, but this more than I can handle."

"I understand." I said, hugging the angel to my chest. "You'll stay with Hiromi-chan. You'll take care of Fin, won't you?" The girl nodded and I deposited the angel on her shoulder. Fin shifted her body into a sitting position, leaning her head against the girl's neck and closing her eyes.

"Well, I better get started then." I said, facing the small house across from the balcony. Hiromi's house was encircled by a wall, but the adjacent property could be easily approached from all sides. But the demon probably expects me... I thought, remembering its words. It said it knew who, no, 'what' I was. I should probably enter through a window and try to surprise it. Hm, I wonder, does it carry around that candy box all day long?

I repeated the last question to Hiromi, who thought about it for a second. "I've never seen him without it since he first had it." she finally answered.

"Then it's probably best if you try to fight him outside." Fin said, looking up. "This demon is much more powerful than the one you fought yesterday. Engaging it in a narrow corridor is probably not a good idea. You've seen those blasts of concussive force they fire off. You'll have problems dodging that inside the house. You are fast enough to dance circles around it, but you need the space to do it, or you can't offset the advantage it has in sheer power."

"You're right." I agreed. "I was going to engage it in the house, but what you say is true. I'd feel more comfortable fighting it on the street, too. Think I can lure it outside?"

"Sure!" Fin nodded. "They respond well to taunting. Just don't get into it so much that you forget to dodge..." I stuck out my tongue at Fin, who just grinned back irreverently.

"All right, I better get going." I said, gripping the Petit Claire. "Now I just need to get over there."

"Can you jump over to the other roof?" Hiromi wanted to know. I measured the distance critically. "I've never attempted to jump that far. I probably could, but why bother?" I raised the Petit Claire. "Rebound Ball, come out!" I waited until the cord had connected to my wrist, then switched the Petit Claire to the left hand and flung the ball at the chimney of the adjacent house where it clung. "Wish me luck!" I said, snapping my wrist and allowing myself to be pulled over. The evening air surrounded me; it wasn't as great a rush as falling down freely, but it still was a very pleasant feeling. When I drew close, I allowed the ball to come loose so I could bleed off the momentum. Landing almost silently, I quickly made my way over the roof and dropped down in front of the house.

This guy is dangerous... I thought. Might as well prime my sealing routine beforehand...

"In the name of God..." I chanted my preparation, taking the pin that rose out of the Petit Claire. "You, a demon born in darkness... I seal you here." I took a deep breath and approached the front door. Well, here goes! I told myself as I rang the doorbell, an idea forming in my mind. Audacity for the win!

The door was yanked open abruptly and the old man appeared, a surprised look on his face. "What do you want?" He asked threateningly, understanding not yet dawning on his face.

"Your soul." I spat, staring him down and stabbing the pin into the object he was holding. "Checkmate!"

Realization flashed in the old man's eyes, and then something else; once more, I found myself violently thrown off my feet. At the same time, my mind was assaulted with the force of a battering ram. I tried to fight back, but I was too distracted by my tumble through the air and the upcoming impact, which I still had to deal with. I had no choice but to wrench my mind free of the demon's grip and sever the connection. With a clang of metal on glass, the pin was ejected from the surface of the candy box, shooting high into the air.

Stretching out my arms, I was able to gain control of my fall and turn in into a series of backflips which I used to gain some distance from the demon. In the air above me, the pin suddenly disappeared with a puff of smoke, something else replacing it. Ignoring the possessed old man who was slowly striding along the entranceway of his house, intent on following me, I jumped up and snatched the object out of the air. It was a pawn, this one looking milky and semi transparent as well, but still more solid than the last one. I must have drained at least part of its energy! I thought, quickly storing the pawn away by dropping it into the Petit Claire. On to round two!

The old guy was slowly stalking towards me. Such impudence! The demon's voice thundered, the old man's mouth open but not speaking. Your life is forfeit, little girl, but first I will make you suffer!

"In the name of God!" I answered, calling forth a new pin. The demon reacted immediately by firing a wave of compressed air at me, but I jumped aside, moving backwards as the demon advanced on me. "You, a demon born in darkness... I seal you here!" I had to dodge two more blasts, but then I was ready. Jumping forward a small distance for better accuracy, I threw the pin. "Checkmate!"

The old man merely shifted the grip on the candy box. The pin impacted on the back of his hand, drawing blood. The demon regarded it disdainfully for a second before he snapped his wrist, dislodging the pin and sending it clattering to the ground. The small puncture wound immediately healed over.

Damn! Apparently, carrying that thing around all the time isn't that much of a liability after all! He can defend it much better this way! I wasn't worried about the dropped pin; those were designed to dissolve and vanish if I didn't pick them up again in a set amount of time. But now I faced the problem of how to overcome the demon's defenses. I could to jam the pin into the candy box myself like I did the first time, but if I got that close, I wouldn't be able to dodge the pressure waves the demon started to send after me with renewed ferocity.

I managed to evade the first two rippling blasts by jumping out of the way, but the third caught me while I was still coming down from my second leap, smashing me into the ground with great force. This form was more resilient that my civilian body, but it still hurt like hell. I quickly got to my feet again, but I felt dizzy, and in addition there was a distinct feeling of being violated. I'll get you, little girl! The demon taunted me. I'll make you wish you had never been born!

I shook myself for a moment, trying to get rid of the feeling, before I had to jump out of the way of the next blast. I took care to perform low jumps and sidesteps that didn't take me far off the ground, but I nearly jumped into a second wave that came immediately after the first one when the demon caught on a few seconds later. He took to launching short flurries of blows that left me less and less open space to use for my dodges.

"In the name of–" I started, but I had to break off, focusing all my attention on staying clear of the rippling blurs that passed me by. I tried twice more to summon a new pin, getting up to 'born in darkness' once, but I was interrupted again, and the pin that had already risen out of the Petit Claire dissolved, its essence drawn back into the crystal.

"All right, without the silly speech, then." I held up the Petit Claire and concentrated. Three pins rose out of it in quick succession as I picked them up one after the other, evading attacks left and right all the while. Darting between the rippling spheres, I got within striking range and let the pins fly. "Checkmate! Checkmate! Checkmate!"

To my surprise, the demon didn't step aside or shield the candy box, instead he just stood there with an evil smirk, simply letting all three pins impact on the candy box. Agony like nothing I had ever experienced before flooded through my mind as the demon crushed against it, and it was all I could do to turn my attack against itself and destroy the connection. The pins on the candy box evaporated harmlessly; this little stunt had gotten me nothing but a whole lot of pain. My eyes swam and I evaded the next couple of ranged attacks more by instinct than because I saw them coming. Do you like pain, little girl? the demon asked. Stand still, and I'll let you have your fill.

"Shut up!" I vented my frustration. "Geez..." Jumping backwards over a blast, I twisted around in midair and flung out the Rebound Ball, latching onto a tree branch and putting some distance between me and the demon. I didn't linger around, but immediately pulled myself to a street lamp further down the road. I had barely left the tree when a ripple slammed into the branch, splintering part of it.

"Fin!" I called out, pressing the ruby and holding the Petit Claire to my ear like a cell phone. The demon was still sending pressure waves at me, but I was far enough away now to dodge them with ease and he quickly reduced the frequency of the attacks, choosing instead to lumber slowly in my direction.

"Jeanne, what's up?" came Fin's voice from the device. "Is there something wrong with your ear?"

I bit my lip, hard; I really didn't have time to dissolve into peals of laughter in the middle of a battle. Ignoring the question as best as I could, I asked: "Fin, do these demons ever run out of those pressure waves? I've been dodging him for ten minutes now and he shows no sign of slowing down!"

"We don't know how they do those pressure waves. Trust me, we've been trying to find out for centuries what they are. What we do know is that they apparently take very little energy. I think a demon as strong as this one can easily keep this up all night."

"Damn..." I muttered, ducking another blast aimed at my head. "Look, Fin, I can't get close to him like this, and if I try to seal the candy box from afar, he has plenty of time to block the pin using his body! What should I do?"

"Drat... I was supposed to teach you this later, but I guess I have no choice... Jeanne, you have a barrier around you, God's Barrier. It is powered by your conviction; if you believe strongly in yourself, that barrier will protect you from harm! If you can activate this barrier, you can move through the blows with ease and seal the demon!"

"All right, Fin, I'll try this! Thanks!" I pressed the red gemstone again, terminating the connection. The demon had cleared more than half of the distance between us, but he was still far enough away that I had no trouble dodging his attacks.

"All right..." I muttered. "Believe in yourself... Come on, you can do this!" I stopped avoiding the attacks and stood my ground, bracing myself and staring down the approaching waves of pressure. The first one was about to slam into me when a transparent green, perfectly round sphere suddenly winked into existence around me. If I had been suspended in the air, it would have been almost twice my height in size, but as it was it disappeared into the ground at my feet. It looked thin and delicate, but it absorbed the blast almost completely, disappearing as soon as the attack was over.

I was bolstered by my success, but a small amount of discomfort made it through the barrier, spoiling my happiness. The next blast came far too quickly for me to regain my mental balance and even though the barrier appeared again, part of the attack penetrated through it, making me feel both the physical impact and the mental effects this time. The third blow rocked me back on my feet, the fourth knocked me over, completely shattering the fragile green shield and bringing back the feelings of violation in full force. I tried to get to my feet, but the demon had already reached me. Grinning maliciously, it sent a rippling sphere point-blank at my prone form, smacking me down against the hard pavement and sending feelings of self-disgust coursing through me. The demon was saying something, probably taunting me some more, but I was too busy fighting my own emotions to listen.

Damn... I can't do this! How am I supposed to be self-confident when I feel like I need to bathe myself for several days? A powerful fury welled up in me, rapidly drowning out the unclean feelings. Demonic perverts are a hundred times worse than normal ones! I'm so not going to take this crap anymore!

Pushing myself off with my legs, I raised myself into a handstand and brought my legs down behind me. I looked up at the twisted visage of the demon – and launched into a savage overhead kick, impacting on the pervert's chin and carrying me all the way around into a standing position. The old man went flying, crashing to the ground a good distance away. A shimmering, glittering arc remained where my attack had cleaved the air, fading away over the next two seconds as I listened to a curious, low rumbling sound that I hadn't noticed before. It, too, quickly faded away.

"How do you like this, you bastard!?" I yelled my frustration at the demonic entity. "I'm done taking your abuse!" Gripping the rosary hanging from my dress, I intoned: "Vow of Chastity!" The central gemstone on the rosary flashed blue, and a light blue hue covered my vision. An image of a chained metal lock in the shape of a heart superimposed itself over my vision, the same light blue color and its edges lined with rivets, but it faded away a moment later and my vision turned back to normal.

The demon was already getting to its feet and immediately fired a pressurized blast of air at me, but I batted it away with contempt. The profane component of it was gone and all that remained was a mild sting. I started advancing on the demon in slow, steady steps. It fired two more pressure blasts at me, but I ignored them as they slammed into me. A predatory smile made its way onto my face; that last one had considerably more bite to it, but I'd still barely felt it. He must be getting rather desperate...

With a roar, it launched itself at me, trying to grab me, but there was a bright blue flash and the demon was knocked back violently, falling to the ground a few feet away. "In the name of God..." I chanted, raising up the Petit Claire for one last time. "You, a demon born in darkness... I seal you here!" The demon was already staggering to its feet again, but I was right in front of it. "Checkmate!" I yelled, flinging the pin across the short distance.

The pin embedded itself in the candy box. The demon tried to grab at it to yank it out, but small, bright blue flames sprung up where he touched it, burning away at his skin. I didn't wait for the mental assault to begin this time; instead I attacked immediately, shredding through the demon's mental defenses and tearing apart its spirit. The old man let out an unnatural howl as the evil presence left his body for good, then he crumbled to the ground in a boneless heap.

A second later the exhaustion hit me and I, too, had to sit down. That vow thing seemed to have taken quite a lot out of me, even more than the many failed sealing attempts. However, it took only a couple of seconds for my strength to return. I heaved the unconscious old man to his feet, hanging him over my shoulder and hauling the both of us back to his house with a few judicious uses of the Rebound Ball. I tried to be careful with the old guy, but I figured if the demon hadn't managed to kill him so far, he'd probably survive my ministrations.

The door of his house was still open, so I carried him inside and dumped him onto the sofa in the living room. The old man's house was small, but it looked comfortable. Unfortunately, the possession seemed to have interfered with his housekeeping; he needed to clean up, badly. On the small table near the sofa was the notice card Fin had sent, lying between a couple of used plates and a few other knickknacks. I checked the old man over, looking at the fingers of his right hand for burn marks, but the skin was unblemished. Looks like the damage was entirely spiritual.

A muffled groan a second later told me the he was coming to. He sat up, a hand gingerly raised to his forehead. "Ugh... what happened to me?" He paused and looked around, like he was seeing everything for the first time. "I feel like I've awoken from a long dark dream..."

"That dream is over now, Hachiro-san." I told him, drawing his attention. He looked up at me, taking in my appearance. "And you are...?"

"Kaitou Jeanne." I said. "I've stolen that deceptive beauty that was in your possession."

"Huh?" His eyes wandered to the notice card on the table, and he reached for it. A shadow of a memory seemed to pass behind his eyes. "Oh yes, that candy box. Thank you, for getting rid of that... that vile thing." He shuddered. "I don't know what came over me... One moment I've been standing in that shop, admiring the design..." He looked around, taking in the chaos around him. "What have I been doing these last weeks?"

"I have no idea." I admitted. "But it's over now. I'm sure Hiromi-chan will be glad to visit you again." The sound of screeching tires suddenly assaulted my ears, and through the open door, I could see a police car skidding into place in front of the house. "Uh-oh, looks like Miyako's here. Well, I gotta go!" Jumping over the couch, I opened one of the windows and jumped outside, perching on the window frame and leaping to the property wall of Hiromi's house. A quick thought brought the Rebound Ball back to full size and I flung it at the wall above the balcony, pulling myself back up to Fin and Hiromi, who were already waiting with smiles on their faces. I quickly ushered them back inside the house, taking one more second to look back at the street.

The doors of the police car were wide open. Miyako and her father were traversing the entranceway of Hachiro-san's house, intent on entering and talking to the old man, and Haruta was running towards them. I also thought I spotted Akita further down the street, approaching some other house. Looks like they are interrogating the neighbors. I have several more minutes to make my escape. Stepping back inside, I summoned another Key to Rewards and locked the door.

A second later my vision turned black, spots dancing before my eyes as my body tried to cope with the renewed drain of magical power I had unwittingly put upon it. My energy felt at a new all time low and I was pretty sure another expenditure of power in that range would knock me clean out. I had to sit down, leaning at the back of the door to make sure I wasn't going to keel over anyway. When the black haze finally lifted itself, it was Fin's face that I found myself looking at. "Jeanne, are you okay?"

"I'm good." I groaned weakly. "Just a spot of magical exhaustion." Fin frowned and Hiromi-chan still looked worried. "I'll be fine." I tried to reassure them. "I just used my powers too much."

"You're too reckless, Jeanne!" Fin scolded. "You are nearly passing out and yet here you are, still maintaining spells!" She pointed at my forehead with an accusing finger.

"What the...?" I put my hand to my forehead, where it encountered the teardrop crystal. Lifting it away from my forehead, I could see it was glowing softly with a bright blue light – the color of chastity. "That's still active?" I asked, surprised. "But I don't feel any drain! I don't know how to turn off spells – trust me, if I knew how, I'd have canceled this as soon as the battle was over!"

"You must have paid for the entire duration up front..." Fin muttered. "But that's even more dangerous! If you cast spells or conjurations that are far beyond your energy capacity you can even kill yourself!" The angel huffed in agitation. "What was it that you did, anyway?"

"I made a Vow." I said, remembering how I grabbed the rosary and announced it to the world at large, but not quite sure where the idea had suddenly come from. "A Vow of Chastity." I looked up at Fin. "That demon had a really perverted nature. Each of its attacks that hit me made me feel violated." I recalled how the attacks hit and broke through the green barrier, but the memories didn't manage to bring back the feeling, and for a second I was intensely grateful that the effect of whatever I had done was still protecting me.

"I couldn't feel self-confident because of that, so that barrier thing didn't work. I'm not sure how, but suddenly I felt really angry at the demon. I just knew what to do then." A wild grin grew on my face. "And then I crushed it like an egg!" I crowed gleefully. "Here, take a look!" I took out the pawn from my pocket and held it up for Fin to see. It was a gleaming solid white and glowing, fairly pulsating with power. Fin stared at it with awe. "Wow... I'm glad I sat out for this one. This one must have been very old, leeching off a human's energy for weeks!"

Hiromi looked ready to cry at that statement. "Fin!" I said reproachfully, flicking her away with a finger. "The old man is fine." I assured the girl. "He's back to normal now. He needs to clean up his house, but you can visit him again. He looked happy when I said you would."

"Geez... You don't need to hit so hard..." Fin grumbled, rubbing the spot where I had hit her.

"That's for being insensitive." I said, sticking out my tongue at her. "You should watch what you say around other people." However, I seemed to have cheered up Hiromi again, as she was watching the byplay with a grin. A feeling of loss suddenly passed over me and I checked my forehead crystal again, confirming that my protection against perverts had expired.

"It's your fault for involving her in the first place." Fin said, scowling. "Hey!" Hiromi cried, looking indignantly at Fin, but she quickly placated her. "I like her too, and she's a good person, but she's still young and now we've gone and involved her in something bigger than her. What if she gets attacked because she is associated with you, or what if the police starts asking questions?"

"The police are easy!" Hiromi said stubbornly. "I'll just tell them the truth!" Fin looked horrified for a moment, before Hiromi continued: "It's really easy if I just don't say anything about Maron-onee-chan and Kaitou Jeanne being the same person!" She grinned brightly at Fin as the angel's look went from alarmed to exasperated.

"Hiromi-chan will be fine." I said. Acting on a sudden inspiration, I lifted myself up and grasped the rosary. "Vow of Patronage." I whispered, placing a kiss on girl's forehead. A glowing symbol blazed to life on her skin, a Christian cross, but with an additional, smaller horizontal bar above the main one. "There. I protect my charges." With that, I sank back against the door and the special moment passed.

"The cross of Lorraine...!" Fin gasped, staring at the slowly fading symbol. "Maronnnnn... what have you done?" the angel moaned, burying her hands in her hair in despair as Hiromi curiously reached up to her forehead, touching the spot I had kissed. "You need to be careful with those Vows..." she admonished me. "They give you powerful advantages, but each one also forces you to adhere to certain specific conducts! A promise like the one you just made will not fade away over time..."

"S'okay." I mumbled, feeling slightly woozy, but Fin wasn't satisfied. "No, it's not okay!" she wailed. "There there." Hiromi-chan said, gently patting the angel's head, but Fin didn't appear comforted. "You've done God-only-knows-what and you cast spells even though you're already out of energy–" Fin scowled. "Didn't I tell you stop casting before you drop dead?"

"Sorry." I said sheepishly. "I forgot." But it was too late already; the feeling of dizziness spiked and my eyes rolled up inside my head, my consciousness sinking into the darkness.

Since I haven't updated for so long, I figured I'd reward myself, and you, my esteemed readers, with a nice little cliffie. Does that logic make sense?

Chiaki: I don't like his portrayal as a womanizing (sometimes-)pervert. I don't like that archetype of character in general, so I'm trying to curb his tendencies early on with a warning and hope he will behave himself in the future. He should be much more pleasant to be around if he isn't constantly trying to rile up Maron with lewd comments.

Hiromi-chan: I've always liked that little girl with the bicycle. She wasn't intended to have this big a role originally; the rescue scene was merely supposed to be an alternate version that went slightly different. But then I had the idea of her commenting on Maron's magical girl status, and things kind of snowballed from there. Her importance will probably diminish in future chapters, though it's too early to tell yet.

Miyako's perception: I thought it a bit sad how oblivious Miyako is to many of the things Jeanne does or to the effects she has on people, the events she causes. She never seems to notice how Jeanne seals the paintings from afar (and when she does, she doesn't ascribe any significance to that realization!), or gives any though to where she actually hides the huge bulky things she often makes disappear. Her superhuman abilities don't raise any eyebrows either and the varying attitudes of the possession victims are readily dismissed. For a girl who wants to be a detective, Miyako's rather clueless. I'm going to try and prove that it is possible to have Miyako notice things and draw conclusions from them (not necessarily the right ones, though...) and still make the story work.

Paranoid demons: We haven't really seen a demon in the source material that always carries around its own object, defending it as necessary, unless that object was some sort of weapon at the same time, like the gun Miyako wielded in one of the last episodes. Is it a good strategy or not? Maron had a hard time getting the pins to stick, but she was able to choose the battleground, as the possessed person and Maron's objective were one and the same and demons are no strategists. However, fighting in the street, in clear view of the neighbors will have some unintended consequences, as you will see next chapter.

Maron's sealing preparation: I've decided to go against the long-accepted tradition of magical girls giving long-winded speeches, wasting time that could be better used attacking. Maron's sealing preparation is far from useless; it shields her from the mental backlash that comes from the demon during the sealing process and boosts her own strength in turn. Each pin lodged in the target opens up a conduit through which the demon is able to batter at the mind of the person trying to seal it. That is why throwing around big streamers of pins like Sinbad does in the final episode of the anime might not be a good idea for his health.

Magical exhaustion: Most people don't care about this at all, no matter what fandom their story takes place in. I closely watch the magic usage of my characters and make them feel the repercussions if they use their powers too liberally. In this chapter, Maron has clearly overtaxed herself, and now she has to suffer the consequences.

Tell me what you think of this chapter! Questions or comments are strongly encouraged! I've tried to find a discussion forum to talk about KKJ, the story, the characters, my story, anything, but all the communities are dead. Thus, I'm hijacking Crow Skywalker's forum here on FFnet! See the discussion thread for my story there or make your own! I'm looking for input here!