Chapter Text
This was it, thought Kuroba Kaito. The prize of his night's heist and, potentially, the key to winning his crusade.
He watched with baited breath as the pale blue smoke gradually cleared, and a shape emerged from within the luminescent fog.
He had expected a large, gaseous figure more reminiscent of a cloud person (due in large part, he would admit, to certain cartoon depictions of genies and their kind), but that was not what emerged into the light. Instead, as the last of the blue mists dissipated, Kaito found himself looking upon a young man.
Standing half a head shorter than Kaito himself, the boy was dressed in a set of decidedly exotic white robes with sky blue accents and swirling patterns of gold embroidery. Despite its heavy ornamentations, the robes seemed to float lightly about the boy's slim but lithe form at the slightest movement he made, emphasizing the grace and poise with which he carried himself. Silky black hair curled softly about a delicately pretty face.
It was his eyes, however, that truly captured Kaito's attention.
Even narrowed in wary displeasure, they were breathtaking—like pools of crystal in which a flawless, depthless sky shone with its own inner light.
Surprise and no little wonder had Kaito standing there staring, momentarily speechless, until the newcomer broke the silence.
"Well?" he demanded in a level, icy tone.
Being addressed was finally enough to shake Kaito from his stupor, and he realized that he was not only staring rudely but probably also looking stupid. Chagrined, he hastily recollected his thoughts and put on his best friendly smile.
"Hi, my name is Kuroba Kaito," he said, sweeping into an elegant bow. "Might I have the pleasure of your name?"
The genie did not appear to appreciate Kaito's attempt at graciousness as his scowl only deepened.
"Isn't it a little late to start pretending that any of you care?" the genie asked in tones of winter incarnate. "Just make your wish and go."
Kaito blinked. "I thought it was supposed to be three wishes."
The genie let out an exasperated huff. "As I've told your superiors time and time again, it's one wish per cycle of the full moon. And no, that's one total, not one per person. I don't care how many stories you've heard to the contrary. That's just how it works, and it's not going to change no matter how many times you ask. So now that we've gotten that out of the way, again, I'd like to get this over with."
"Hold on a moment," Kaito said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "I think there's been a misunderstanding. I don't have superiors. I'm not with the people who had your lamp before."
"Is that so." The genie's lovely blue eyes narrowed as he studied Kaito with a renewed intensity that made the thief stand straighter. His gaze then swept around the room, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings from the meticulously organized wall of gadgets and tools to the expansive computer terminal to the spell circle on the ground around him before finally returning to Kaito. "They wouldn't have sold my lamp. Barring exceptional circumstances, I can only think of two explanations for your possession of it. Since you don't look like someone they'd owe—and fear—enough to pay off with my lamp even as a temporary arrangement, you have to be a thief."
"Well, you're not wrong," Kaito admitted.
The genie shrugged. "It doesn't really make any difference to me who you are," he said with a cool disdain that made Kaito frown. "Just make your wish and leave me in peace."
Kaito didn't respond immediately. This meeting wasn't going how he had envisioned—not that he had really known what to envision really. But he certainly hadn't expected to be met with such hostility. On the other hand, he realized that the response maybe wasn't so surprising when he gave the matter just a little more thought.
The Syndicate had, as far as he had been able to discern through his spying, been keeping the genie's lamp under lock and key for all but a single hour each month on the night of the full moon. With the information the genie had revealed about his powers, those times when the lamp was brought out must have been for the organization to make its monthly wish. Then it would have been back into the vault. Kaito couldn't even imagine how tedious the genie's life must have been during those years, essentially trapped in captivity with no one to talk to and nothing to do except when his captors wanted to use his magic. He had been treated less like an intelligent being and more like a magical artifact.
Now his master had changed, but he had no reason to believe that his situation would be any different. Kaito couldn't even immediately deny with any confidence that such an assumption would be wrong.
Guiltily, Kaito realized that, prior to this very moment, he had indeed been thinking about the lamp as a wonderful new resource he could bring to bear in his war against the people who had taken his father's life. He hadn't even wondered once what the genie itself would be like—and yes, he had thought of it as an it before he'd finally laid eyes on the boy. He hadn't thought of it as a person. And the realization of that now filled him with shame because he understood that the genie was a victim in this and a prisoner still because Kaito needed the possibilities he embodied. Even if the genie's magic turned out to be of no use to him, just keeping the genie out of his enemies' hands (in his own vault, for instance) would benefit him.
Still, it wasn't too late to start doing better.
Kaito looked down at the bejeweled lamp in his hands then back up at the waiting genie. Catching those gorgeous sapphire eyes, he held their gaze steady with his own. "I wish to know your name."
The genie blinked, a moment of surprise and confusion breaking through his aloof façade before his cool mask slid back into place. "Is that truly what you wish? You only get one this full moon."
"Yes," Kaito said, firm and without hesitation. "I wish to know your name."
The genie studied him for a moment longer, expression still unreadable but softened by an edge of uncertainty.
"All right then," he said eventually, voice softening and becoming just a touch hesitant—as though it had been so long since someone had asked him for his name that he had to take a moment to remember it. "Kudo Shinichi. My name is Kudo Shinichi."
Kaito smiled and swept his cape out with a flourish as he bowed. "And I am Kuroba Kaito, also known as the incredible Kaitou KID. It's a pleasure to meet you."
The genie rolled his eyes a little at the melodramatic display, but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes that Kaito didn't miss.
"I see. Well, now that your wish has been granted, I will be taking my leave."
Shinichi's body began to fade like physical reality was washing out of him, but Kaito cut in with a yelp. "Wait!"
Shinichi paused, and his form solidified once again as he turned questioning eyes on Kaito. "What is it? I am not obligated to grant more than one wish per lunar cycle, even if the wish did not require any magic."
"No, no, that's not it. I was just wondering if you have to go back into your lamp," Kaito explained. "If you do then go right ahead, but, if you don't, I was actually about to go grab a midnight snack and a hot chocolate. You could join me. How about it?"
The genie stared at him for a long moment then, hesitantly, he nodded. "I…guess I could join you. But I do have one question."
Kaito smiled, offering the genie his hand. "What is it?"
Shinichi accepted the proffered hand, letting Kaito help him out of the spell circle that he would not have otherwise been able to escape. "What is hot chocolate?"
-0-
Watching the startled delight breaking out across Shinichi's face as he tasted hot chocolate for the first time was like watching the sunrise breaking out from behind the clouds.
"Have you seriously never had chocolate?" Kaito asked, amused.
Shinichi took another long, slow sip of his beverage before answering. "I've never had human food before."
That casual comment wiped away Kaito's mirth. "Are you saying they never fed you?"
The genie shrugged, apparently unconcerned. "My kind don't need food or water. We draw our sustenance directly from the energies of the world around us."
"Oh." Kaito supposed that that was an explanation of sorts, but it still disturbed him. "If you don't mind my asking, exactly how long did the Syndicate have you?"
"Thirty eight months," Shinichi said promptly. "Last night would have been their thirty eighth wish."
That was longer than Kaito had expected. Indigo eyes narrowed in thought. If Shinichi's count was accurate—and Kaito was fairly certain it was with how promptly and firmly the genie had answered the question—then that would mean that the Syndicate had had access to his magic for nearly the entire time that Kaito had been acting as the Kaitou KID. He knew that the organization was filled with self-serving people, each with his or her own agendas, but thirty seven was a lot of wishes. Did that mean that the organization already had the jewel they had all been hunting for already?
Realizing that his hand had fisted around his hot chocolate mug, Kaito forced himself to relax and think. There was no point jumping to conclusions.
"Hey, would you mind telling me what kinds of things those Syndicate people wished for?" he asked. "Or would that be violating, like, genie-client confidentiality or something?"
Shinichi actually looked amused. "I'm not a doctor or a lawyer."
"So you can tell me?"
The genie shrugged. "I can, though there isn't much to tell. They wasted their first few wishes on things I can't do. Then they used a bunch to wish themselves young and healthy again. Since wishes like that can only be applied to one person at a time, most of the wishes I granted for them were that one for various people—presumably their higher ups and those people's favorite underlings."
"Huh." Kaito supposed he wasn't that surprised, though it did pique his curiosity. "So all those Syndicate members you made young again. Do you remember what they all look like now?"
"Of course."
Now this, Kaito thought with glee, was information he could use. But there was more to learn here as well.
"You said they wasted their first few wishes on things you couldn't do. What were they?"
"A lot of the usual. Wanting to live forever, to turn into a god or some other super powered being, or to instantly master all the magic in the universe, yada yada yada. I had to shoot down half a dozen wishes before one of them actually bothered asking me what the rules were."
Shinichi looked a little smug at that recollection. "They wasted six months and half a dozen wishes getting results they weren't looking for because they were too full of themselves to stop and ask the genie what genies can actually do instead of demanding that what they want be done."
"So there are rules regarding the wishes you can grant?" Kaito asked.
"Of course." Shinichi dropped two more tiny marshmallows into his hot chocolate and watched them bob on the surface for a few moments before lifting the mug to pluck the melting treats from their chocolate stew with his lips. He closed his eyes as he savored the marshmallows steeped in chocolate and their interestingly fluffy texture, making a soft, purring sound of pure delight that had Kaito feeling more than a little hot under the collar.
The magician hastily forced his thoughts back onto the topic of wishes and their rules.
"So what are the rules?" he asked.
Shinichi finished his marshmallows and took another sip of hot chocolate before setting his mug down and meeting Kaito's eyes, expression abruptly somber. "The rules are simple. I cannot change a person's nature. That means that I cannot turn a mean man into a kind one or an antagonistic person into an accommodating one. I also cannot alter someone else's feelings or direct the way they think. I cannot be made to injure or kill any living thing. Nor can I bring back the dead, though my powers do extend to allowing glimpses into other realms, including those of the dead. So if what you want is just to speak to the deceased, that is something I can do."
There was a brief hitch in the thief's breathing as his entire body went still. "You…mean it's really possible to speak to the dead?"
Seeming to sense his sudden turmoil, the genie's gaze softened. "Yes. Although it's important to remember that the deceased are not allowed to share information about the after life. Any attempt to solicit information on that will cause the meeting to end and any future attempt at contact by you to fail."
Kaito dismissed the warning without much thought. While he would admit to being intrigued by the confirmation that there was in fact an after life to talk about, he could wait to find out more about that the normal way. But the idea that he might be able to speak with his father again right now…
Part of him wanted nothing more. Another part, however, drew back. What would his father think of the things he had done? Would he approve of Kaito's work? And what of his progress (or lack there of)?
What would his father think of the person he was today? Had his father intended for him to take the path he'd taken? What exactly had his father been thinking when he'd left his message and gear for Kaito to find?
With an effort, Kaito shook away the sudden onslaught of questions. It would be another month before he could make another wish. He had time to sort out his thoughts first and decide what he wanted to do with this new possibility. In the meantime, he should stay focused on gathering all the information he could from Shinichi.
"Did they ever ask you for something called Pandora?" he asked.
If Shinichi was surprised by the sudden change in topic, he didn't show it.
"They did try to wish for it, but it was one of the wishes I couldn't grant," the genie said after some thought. "I can share knowledge that I have or give you access to knowledge that someone else has. But I can't provide knowledge that nobody has."
"Wait, I'm confused," the thief said, frowning. "People can wish for objects, right? Like, I could have wished for a grand piano earlier."
"That's right. That wish would be well within my power to grant."
"But how is that different from wishing for Pandora?"
"It's simple. As far as I am aware, no one actually knows what this Pandora is. They have a lot of theories, mostly about it being one gem or another, but it seemed to me like most of what they told me was them guessing and drawing conjectures based on old myths. If they knew which stone specifically it was at any point in time—like, say, the sapphire pendant worn by princess so and so on her wedding day—then the magic would know what to lock onto. Without clear direction, the magic of the wish fizzles out or gives you an inaccurate approximation based on the words you use. I made them at least one doublet that was enchanted to glow in the moonlight, but that was the extent of its power." Shinichi smiled a little at how frustrated that particular wish outcome had made his previous masters. "If you don't have a solid point of reference or clear understanding of the object, the only way to get the object you desire would be to either know its true name and wish for it that way or wish for an object with the desired specifications. That would create an entirely new object matching the one you want. However, as I said before, my magic cannot grant true immortality. Therefore, I could not create a gem with that power."
"So to put it simply, they couldn't just wish for you to give them Pandora because they don't actually know what they're asking for. They could, on the other hand, wish for a gem like Pandora, but that wish would fail too because you can't create something with magical capabilities that you yourself don't have."
"Exactly."
That was interesting information too, Kaito mused. It made him wonder yet again whether the stone was just a myth—a wild goose chase. Not that it really mattered to him so long as he could use the Syndicate's desire for Pandora against them.
"There are a lot more restrictions on this wish business than I expected," he commented as he continued to sort through the new information.
Shinichi snorted. "If there weren't, the world would have ended ages ago. Humans aren't exactly known for their ability—or desire—to consider long term consequences."
Kaito thought about that then sighed. "Sad but true."
"What's this?"
Looking up from his thoughts, Kaito found Shinichi examining a cube of the dark chocolate Kaito had used to make their beverages.
"That's the chocolate before it gets melted into the milk," he explained. "And before we add the sugar. That block's nearly ninety percent dark, so it's mainly rich and bitter."
"Can I try it?" Shinichi asked, curious.
"Go right ahead. But I warn you. It won't be anything like that sweet chocolaty goodness we were drinking."
Shinichi turned the piece of chocolate over in his hand again then popped it into his mouth. He chewed for a moment, then he closed his eyes and just let the thick, warming chocolate spread across his tongue. It was bitter, yes, but he found he actually liked that. And he particularly liked the way the chocolate melted over his tongue, rich and thick and buttery smooth. He'd never realized before just how amazing human food was. It wasn't even just the tastes but the textures…!
Shinichi had no idea that he had actually moaned in pleasure as he allowed himself to experience the dark, dark chocolate.
But Kaito noticed. Oh boy did he notice. That sound belonged in a bedroom, the magician thought a bit hysterically as he suffered a minor internal meltdown. He was no stranger to the delights of good food, but he'd always thought moaning in pleasure at a scrumptious dish was the kind of thing people only did on television. Then again, maybe that was what happened when you experienced something as incredible as chocolate for the first time.
Actually, now that he thought about it, Shinichi had said that he had never had human food before, not just that he hadn't had human food while in the Syndicate's custody. Could he actually have meant never as in, like, never never? It was a mind-boggling thought but, well, perhaps it wasn't that surprising if his kind didn't need food to survive.
But that would mean Shinichi was literally tasting food for the first time.
Kaito sobered at the realization. Maybe food wasn't necessary for genies, but that still seemed incredibly sad to him. It made him wonder just how old Shinichi was and if he had ever been treated as a person.
Kaito started to ask but then thought better of it. Those sorts of questions were definitely personal. Maybe when they knew each other better, he would ask. In the meantime, Kaito was determined to show Shinichi that Kaito intended to be his friend, not just another captor.
-0-
It had been two weeks since Kaito had become his new master, and Shinichi found that he still didn't know what to make of the man. For one, he insisted that Shinichi have his own guest room even though the genie could have returned to his lamp for rest. He also insisted that they have meals together despite knowing now that Shinichi didn't need to eat. He was even going out of his way to introduce Shinichi to a wide variety of dishes (not that he said so in so many words. But Shinichi didn't have to be told to notice that every meal they'd had so far had contained at least one item he'd never tried before. That absolutely had to be intentional).
And the strangeness didn't stop there.
He had given Shinichi free reign of his house while he was attending his university classes. He encouraged Shinichi to explore the amenities and to tell him if he wanted anything.
It was just bizarre.
He didn't understand, but it was also kind of…nice.
It made him think of the time Before, but he knew better than to dwell on those thoughts.