Chapter 4: Chastising Death

"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." - Buddhist quote

…

Hakuba had used his phone to call the Inspector and tell the man that his daughter was with him at the moment, staying over because of her father's absence last night and Hakuba's own dreary mood. Nakamori bought the story easily enough.

Aoko tried to do the same for Kaito. Hakuba knew the magician's mother didn't believe a word of it. Neither of them had the heart to tell her that her son was dead.

The only time that either of them got off the roof was when Hakuba made a comment that they would soon join the magician if they didn't eat something. The detective made it his mission to get the food because Aoko wouldn't remove herself from Kaito's side.

"You stupid idiot." Aoko told him when they were alone. "Why did you have to lie to me? Why be a thief? You're such a good magician. Tou-san is going to be so angry when I tell him. You'd better wake up for it."

She knew she wouldn't get any retort from him. It still hurt.

Her best friend was lying motionless in front of her and Aoko had thought that – who knows – that somehow Kaito could fight off anything, even death. He'd fought off her loneliness for so long after all. Both of their loneliness.

Aoko took his right hand in hers and looked at where the bullet had shattered a part of his bone. It looked painful but Kid hadn't shown any sign of it besides when he'd originally gotten hit. Aoko had thought the bullet had just scrapped his arm.

Kaito was hiding too much from her. She would have to put a stop to that when he woke up. Put a stop to his thieving too.

But first she would have to find out why. No one knew Kaito better than Aoko, besides his mother, and the girl knew that Kaito wasn't the type of guy to go around stealing priceless artifacts for nothing. Maybe once, for the heck of it, but not on a regular basis.

Almost half of Kaito's jacket was still white and his pants and shoes were unstained. Keeping Kaito's hand in hers, she felt the anger draining from her along with her energy. To anyone else, this was Kid in front of them; to Aoko, Kaito never looked more natural.

Then there was the stone that was still sitting on his chest. Aoko couldn't budge it and it was the only thing keeping her hope alive. There was no blood anymore and no red glow, but something must have been holding it in place.

"Here"

Aoko jumped at Hakuba's voice. The detective had already come back up the stairs and he offered her a wrapped-up deli sandwich. "You should really eat something."

"I'm not hungry." Aoko put her knees up to her face and wrapped her arms around them. There was still blood on her hands; she hadn't cared enough to wipe it off. She kept hold of Kaito's gloved hand.

"Aoko-kun, I'm not sure what happened, or what's going to happen. If you're starving you won't be able to face it."

"Fine." She took the sandwich from Hakuba who sat down beside her. "Don't blame me if I waste the food."

"I won't." The detective reached into the plastic bag he brought up to show her his own sandwich, only half eaten.

"What about your eye?"

Hakuba turned his head to the side. "What about it?"

"You're mad at Kaito, aren't you? For hurting you?" Aoko frowned. "I'd be mad too."

"He didn't mean it. I should have forgiven him but I like to hold a grudge when I can. It seems to have backfired this time." Hakuba chuckled with little humor. "Is there any chance that Kuroba-kun has some fear of water? Ponds maybe?"

"Oh yes. Kaito hates it when we have to go over them, even though we only go over the bridge. He likes the water but the fish scare him."

"The fish?"

"Yeah," Aoko smiled. "Kaito's really scared of them."

"That would explain a few things."

Aoko looked over at him and Hakuba pointed to his face. "When I found him, he'd fallen in a pond. I knew he reacted to my company on instinct but I wasn't sure why it was done so thoughtlessly."

"He hurt you because of the stupid fish?!" Aoko got mad at the idiot and Hakuba laughed genuinely. She played out the story in her mind and her anger calmed down. "I'm sure he felt horrible about it. No wonder he didn't want to see you at the hospital."

She took a few bites of the food. Her body accepted it because it had to but her stomach grumbled when her emotions wouldn't let her enjoy it.

"Do you think there's still hope?"

Hakuba sighed and looked over at her seriously. "I don't know. Kuroba-kun hasn't moved since last night. If it weren't for the fact that something far out of my league was obviously going on, I would say it was impossible."

"But something unfathomable is going on." He reassured her. "I don't understand it but I can't deny it once it stares me in the face like it has. I don't know whether I'd be giving you or myself false hope by saying that there might be something bigger than us that's going to play a deciding role in what happens to him."

"I hope that whatever it is, it's on our side."

"Yes."

Hakuba turned away from her and Aoko took a few more bites of the sandwich before putting it down. She couldn't even taste what she was eating.

Time passed by with no definable course except for the growing shadows that reached towards their small group.

Aoko continued to watch Kaito's closed eyes and still chest, hoping for the impossible. If Kaito were to be taken from her like this, Aoko didn't know how to handle it. Hakuba was there too, but he'd barely gotten to know him and the magician's death would mean much less to him than it would to her, to Kaito's mother, even to her father.

She couldn't face her father if Kaito died. Couldn't tell him the truth.

The day was long and the sun was hot. Aoko looked over at the detective and saw him asleep on the crock of his arm and one of his knees.

She was tired as well and couldn't fight off its hold on her any longer.

Aoko fell asleep beside him, one hand still holding Kaito's while the other served as a makeshift pillow, rough against the ground but far better than nothing.

…

"Well, not the most comforting sight to wake up to."

Aoko scraped her arm across the roof in an attempt to get up as fast as she could.

"Kaito!" Without even thinking about it, Aoko threw her arms around the magician, still covered in blood, still hurt, but definitely alive. "Kaito!" She started to cry.

"And here I was thinking that you and the detective looked so cute together."

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Aoko couldn't get her emotions straight. Nothing mattered anymore. So what if he was Kaitou Kid? So what if he stole? So what if he dragged her father out every now and then to chase him? He was still Kaito and he was alive. That was all that mattered.

Aoko felt Kaito's arms wrap around her as well. They were shaking and cold but that didn't matter either. When Kaito pressed his cheek to hers, it was freezing.

"I'm so happy your alive Kaito!" She hugged him tighter to make sure.

"For now."

"What?" Aoko reluctantly backed off so that she could look him in the eye. She noticed his blue iris had a touch of crimson to them and some of the marks he'd only gotten after he had died hadn't gone away. "What do you mean?"

"I would like an answer to that as well."

Hakuba must have been woken up at the same time as Aoko but had let the girl find an outlet for her emotions.

-"I am sorry. I could not do more than what I have."-

It was the same voice from the other night that had given Aoko the chance to see her best friend again. "What?"

-"My abilities are tied to the moonlight. Since I had attempted something that did not give my power to the possessor, seeing as he was comatose, I was not able to transfer as much as I generally would. I am only capable of keeping him alive at night, when the moon shines upon the earth."-

She could only see Kaito at night? That wasn't so bad. At least he was here, with her.

"But that's not an option." When Kaito spoke, Aoko could hear the hidden pain in his words. He might have been alive but it was taking a lot for him to say that way.

"What do you mean Kuroba-kun?" The anger from the blond wasn't new. She'd been hearing it a lot recently from Hakuba, who was usually so mild mannered. Aoko knew where it came from now so she didn't try to hold him back.

Kaito reached into his blue shirt and pulled out the necklace where he must have placed it around his neck. "I can't let anyone get this. Even wearing it, it's dangerous. If someone should see it, or go looking for me – I just can't."

The red glow was bright and showed through his shirt even after he'd put it back.

"What do you mean? Kuroba-kun I need to know what's going on!"

Kaito grabbed hold of the gem through his collared shirt, wrinkling the navy-colored silk as he tried to tell them something he'd already reasoned out. "This thing. This stupid little thing," he shook his head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to call you stupid."

-"I am inside you and understand your pain. You need not apologize to me."-

"Yeah, well..." Kaito went quiet and closed his eyes. Aoko couldn't understand it. Why was he upset that he hadn't died?

"That gem. Kuroba-kun, you know what it is don't you?" Hakuba cut in before Aoko was able to get her answer.

"Of course I know what it is. Didn't expect it to talk," Kaito opened his eyes just a slight amount and stared at the red glow in his hand. "But I know what it is. Pandora has been a big part of my life for a while now."

-"Although that is not officially my name – I have no name – human's must always have some way of identifying the unfamiliar. If you like, you may refer to me as such."-

"Quick question for you, how can you talk?" Kaito took the necklace off and dangled it in a playful manner in front of himself, like a cat playing with string. Aoko was surprised at his odd behavior towards something that had obviously saved his life.

It wasn't that she couldn't see his tortured smile, the readiness he possessed at the prospect of death, or the certainty of it that played in her friend's eyes as well as Hakuba's. She didn't want to admit to it but that didn't mean she couldn't see it.

-"I can talk because I am here, even if I am not here. You can use my power because you already possess it and yet you do not. I am afraid I cannot explain it to you better than that."-

"That was an explanation? I think I'm even more confused." Hakuba shook his head and watched as Kaito swung it back and forth, hypnotic under the night sky. "Kuroba-kun, why on earth have you been looking for such a gem?"

"Ah…" Kaito shifted his gaze to it and the red fluttered for a moment before settling, accompanied by the soft sound of feminine laughter.

-"The boy would like nothing more than to destroy me."-

"What? Kaito you can't do that! If the stone is broken then the power will be gone, right? You'll die!"

"I know."

"Then why?" the whispered words weren't Aoko's but she wanted an answer as well. Too many things had been happening recently and, even for Kaito's standards, they were becoming too much for her.

Aoko couldn't lose her best friend again.

"Hakuba-kun, you saw Snake." Kaito's eyes fully opened for the first time. They were as cold as his body and the red was more pronounced, causing him to look demonic. "If Pandora could do this for me when I'm dead, imagine what would happen if someone like him got their hands on it. I can't risk it."

"Kaito we won't let that happen," Aoko told him with determination. She hadn't thought much when she had known that Kid was in danger but the sight of the dark clothed man and his eagerness to kill didn't carry the same disregard. "We won't let anyone know. You can keep the stone and we'll find some way for you to stay safe. I don't know how but – it's not impossible."

"Aoko." She could hear the tenseness of his voice. "Do you think I'm alive right now? Would you call this living?" Kaito waved a hand down at his body, the hand that he shouldn't have been able to move because of the bullet wound. A bullet wound which was no longer bleeding. None of his injuries were. He was breathing, but even that seemed unnecessary unless he wished to speak.

It was scary but she hadn't noticed how wrong he looked. How cold he felt.

"I don't care. Kaito, I can't lose you." Aoko meant it. Every word was saturated with truth. Kaito would be different from now on, she'd only get to see him at night –or when the moon was out-, but he would be able to stay with her.

He laughed. It was almost enough to make Aoko hit him. The frailty of her friend was something new and it kept her hand back.

"I'd doubt I'd even age anymore. You'd grow up and I'd probably still look like this."

-"More than likely that would be true. I'm afraid my influence on such matters is limited."-

It was strange but Aoko could have sworn that there was something added at the end of Pandora's sentence. The words were whispered and left her mind quickly but the imprint of them was still there.

"Sadly I thought Pandora was going to be a diamond." Kaito actually twirled the necklace around and Aoko thought it would fly off his finger and over the edge before she reassured herself that it was Kaito. He didn't drop anything on accident. "I'm not really sure how to destroy sapphire. You think extreme heat will still work?"

"In all probability. I never considered you're interests would lead in that direction and my own do not coincide with destroying precious jewelry." Hakuba sighed, "I'm afraid that I can't help but agree with you for your reasons."

"No! Kaito you can't!" Aoko didn't care that she was crying in front of them.

"I could probably just break it if I tried long enough." Kaito ignored her as if she hadn't said anything, eyeing the gem with no outwardly concern as to what its nonexistence would mean.

Aoko turned away from him, bitterly trying to ignore him with the same detachment that he was showing her.

"I'm sorry."

The teenage girl couldn't help but look back at hearing the sadness in the magician's voice. When she turned to face him he was smiling, as if the sorrow had never been there. "To both of you," he continued without raising his eyes from a set spot on the concrete in front of him.

"I've heard enough of your apologies." Hakuba placed a hand on Kaito's shoulder where the cape still hung. "I think it's about time I accepted them."

Aoko remained silent and looked into his eyes, waiting for him to meet her gaze. Kaito let out a rough laugh and looked down at his clothes.

"You must hate me now."

"Never."

Aoko had, at no point in their years of friendship, seen the magician look so astonished, especially with his remoteness he'd been showing off since the time he'd had his life stolen back from the grave.

"You can't mean that." He put his smile back on and it hurt Aoko to see that he hadn't taken her seriously.

"Kaito I don't care. I want you to stay. I don't care if it puts you in danger. I don't care if it means that man comes after you. I don't care if you Kaitou Kid. Kaito…" Aoko paused to take a breath and calm her shaky voice. "I just want you to stay."

"Then I'm sorry I have to take that away from you. If you won't let me apologize for what I've been doing so far then I'll have to apologize for leaving you. I never meant to."

"You don't have to leave."

Kaito rolled his eyes and looked up at the waning moon. The necklace had stopped its spiraling and was now sitting still in the palm of one of Kaito's upraised hands.

"Let's try this again." This time Kaito had the leverage and strength to get behind his assault. Aoko couldn't stop him in time before the sapphire hit hard onto the rooftop.

Kaito dropped it with a scream and clutched his chest.

"Are you alright?" Aoko quickly got behind him and put her arms protectively around his shoulders. She could feel her friends rushed breathing and speeding heart rate.

"Damn it that hurt." Kaito panted for a while before he relaxed into her arms, breath slowing down. "I guess I have to destroy it quickly unless I want to keep doing that."

"Well…"

Aoko looked up from the white clothing to watch Hakuba bend over the gem "You chipped it. Not very impressive Kuroba-kun."

"That was from just a chip?" She felt her friend tense under her and Aoko tightened her hold on him. "That -" Kaito shook his head, "I'm going to have to find a quicker way. It's too painful."

"Just stop it."

"Aoko." She felt as Kaito's hand went up to hold hers, glove smooth against her skin. "I can't. You can leave if you want."

Aoko shook her head and buried it into her friend's back. She could feel his trembling linger from the sudden shock of pain. Aoko couldn't say anything but she wasn't going to leave. If it was so dangerous that Kaito was willing to die, then Aoko would listen to him.

He's such an idiot though, the teenager thought to herself. If Kaito could see how much he was hurting her, it would only make things harder, so Aoko steadied herself and moved away from him.

"Do what you want." As hard as it was to make it a command, her voice pulled it off without any hints of torment. If Kaito could hide his pain then so could she.

"Kuroba-kun."

Kaito caught the heavy metal pipe with reflexes as fast as a cat. Aoko watched as her friend's attention was drawn away from her and to the detective the instant that his name had been called, arm stretching out instinctively.

Aoko shook her head. Now that she was looking at Kaito, she couldn't understand how she had missed the signs. Kaito was too fast, too prepared, from just a school day of being chased around by her. There wasn't any doubt that he was a thief, or at least something more than an ordinary high schooler.

But she'd figured out most of the reasons for that part of Kaito's hidden life. The mysterious red jewel, she guessed, was Kid's sole focus, along with Kaito's. What he hoped to gain from stopping the gem from falling into the hands of the guy in black, she didn't know. That wasn't going to be the last thing she talked about with him.

With a smile Kaito tossed the gem to the floor. "This will work," the magician saluted Hakuba, "Thanks."

The detective shrugged as watched the scene with wary eyes. "It was better than watching you try again."

The thief twirled the pipe around him for pure enjoyment for a while. The way Kaito's hands played over the pipe and the ease in which he held onto it also spoke of strength she hadn't known he possessed.

It was almost funny that she'd thought he was weak before – Quick and flexible but weak. Kaito had painted that picture of himself and Aoko was ashamed she had bought into it.

The humor and anger were simultaneously wiped from her mind as Kaito raised the pipe above his head, ready to break the jewel.

Their eyes met for a split second before it impacted.

Aoko could see how much Kaito was afraid now that he was about to be taken from her. What she'd seen as self-confidence and determination was, in truth, put up to mask the pain of loss. Aoko could feel the same emotions running through her body.

Neither of them was fooling the other.

Aoko hoped the sapphire wouldn't break, even though she knew Kaito would have tried again if it didn't. She hoped there was some way to talk him out of it.

But the precious stone wasn't built to go up against steal. Aoko watched the heart fracture into three larger sections before chips of it flew into the air, two or three of them brushing against her leg where her shorts from the night before couldn't protect them.

Kaito's eyes lost their focus and, for a moment, were completely overcome with red light. He fell to the floor almost gracefully this time and Aoko couldn't help but cry out.

"Kaito." Aoko grabbed the hand closest to her and watched Hakuba kneel somewhere on the ground beside her. She didn't spare him anymore thought.

Aoko picked up Kaito gloved hand and was about to pull it closer to her when it was jerked in the opposite direction.

"Aoko quit it! That hurts!"

The magician and Aoko stared dumbfounded at one another and the differences in his appearance were immediate and apparent. Kaito's skin was no longer white against the moonlight; his eyes no longer bore any shade of ruby. He clutched his wrist close to his chest, clearly feeling pain now that he hadn't before.

"What happened?" Kaito broke the silence first and continued to look up at her.

"I don't know."

Although she didn't want to, for fear of what she might find, Aoko looked over to where the sapphire had been to see if it really was destroyed.

Instead of the particles catching her attention, Hakuba did. He was unconscious and had fallen onto his side.

"Hakuba-kun…?"

"Ow, what do you want?" Hakuba opened his eye, fogged with whatever had knocked him out. "What happened?'

The three of them stared at one another.

"This isn't possible." Kaito got up and examined his body. The bullet wound in his wrist was still there but the one that had stuck his heart didn't even leave a scar to mark where it had been.

"Why do I have a headache? And why is it suddenly so hard to see anything in the dark?" Hakuba looked at them for answers.

"I can see just fine." Aoko turned to make out any differences that he may have had. She saw Kaito move as well.

"I can see find too."

Aoko watched Kaito move over to the blond and put his face straight in the others, making her want to look away at how close they were. "Hakuba-kun, your eye is dilated."

"What?" Hakuba put a hand up to his head and Aoko watched as something dawned on him. Kaito's grin could have lit up the night.

"Aoko," He turned to her with more happiness then she'd seen in a long time. "Do you know the myth behind sapphires?"

Aoko shook her head and watched as Hakuba undid the bandages over his right eye.

"It's said that sapphires have mystical properties, especially when it comes to healing. One of the most well known of these healing properties is the removal of impurities from the eye."

When the bandages were off, Aoko stared in mild surprise as what Kaito had already hinted at. Hakuba had his eye back.

"But the stone was destroyed. How is this possible?" The blond blinked a few times before smiling at them.

-"You can't really destroy emotions now, can you? The stone was just a vessel, not my real power. While I was trapped in it, I could do nothing. I did not mean to trick you little ones but it was part of my nature not to able to tell you of such matters."-

Light laughter followed the voice as it disappeared into the rising sunrays.

You never answered," Aoko said numbly. "What you really were."

-"I am what every person seeks and yet I visit few. I am unbiased and loved, yet scorned upon. I am the magic of every emotion that humanity possesses. They seek me out but I only come when I am not expected. I can extend life, save life, and conquer death."-

-"I am hope."-