Quicksilver's Quill Offers 
Pawns 
mbsilvana@yahoo.com
Standard disclaimers 
AN: Dedicated to... Ely and Stef? Let's say that-
their KKJ fics are great, and got me moving! I want
more, girls! And thanks to everyone who's EMed me-
it's cheered me considerably.
My Mailing List, should you be interested:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Quicksilver/
The only place this is currently archived is ff.net. 
I'm looking for a decent archive, if anyone has any
suggestions?

Part Eight:

Kaitou Sinbad never came.

Miyako was unable to believe it. Minazuki waited
beside her as she went over her security plans
multiple times, glances at her watch every thirty
seconds. An hour passed the appointed the time...
Two.... Three.... 

"Miyako, he's not coming," her father said. 

Her eyes flashed. "That BASTARD! If he sends us a
notice, he should at least have the courtesy to show
up! I had a chemistry project I could have done!"

"Could it have been a false notice? Maybe he's
burgling somewhere else?" Minazuki asked nervously.

She glared at him. "That's not his style! Why would he
be breaking his pattern?"

"Because patterns are what get thieves caught. He's
not stupid- he may realize that we're finally closing
in on him."

She nodded reluctantly, not really believing it.
Sinbad, like Jeanne, always showed up when he said he
would. He seemed to derive an almost sadistic delight
out of befuddling the police. He'd merely consider the
increased risk of getting caught something close to an
intoxicant. Part of catching a criminal was
understanding their mindset. "If I get my hands on
him, I'll kill him..." she muttered beneath her
breath, clenching and unclenching her fists
rhythmically. 

"Do that, and your father will end up arresting you
along with him- you can share a cell with Jeanne!"
Fuyuta said.

She leveled a Look that made him take an unthinking
step backwards. 

"I was joking! Saaaaaaa! What happened to your sense
of humor, Miyako-chan?"

"Sinbad stole it instead of the Tokyo Tower," Minazuki
muttered under his breath.

She kicked him in the shins.

Around eleven she and her father stumbled in, filing
their report together. Maron heaved a sigh of relief
when she initialed it. "Okaasan? I'm going to check on
Maron, and then I'll be back!"

"Be back shortly! You have school tomorrow!"

"Yes, yes!"

She dashed across the hallway, not even bothering to
knock on the apartment labeled with in neat kanji,
"Kusakabe". The door was unlocked, and she was tempted
to chew Maron out for her thoughtlessness, but she
knew that her friend wasn't up to answering the door,
so she'd let it slide. This once.

"Konban wa!" she called, forgetting exactly how late
it was, and that Maron was probably asleep.

"In here!" Maron called, and Miyako was relieved to
hear how much stronger her voice sounded then it had
three days ago.

Miyako skidded into the bedroom, and was surprised
that she wasn't surprised to see Chiaki there as well,
sitting on the foot of the bed. Books were opened and
scattered all over room, and Maron was nibbling on a
pencil thoughtfully, propped up against the fat
pillows. Chiaki was sprawled on the end, scribbling in
his chemistry notebook. "Hey! Need help with your chem
project?" he asked cheerfully, waving his free hand
towards the space between them. "Maron's rather slow-
I'm gonna be here for a while longer, so I might as
well help you."

"Chiaki!" Maron yelled, glaring at him. "Not all of us
are lucky enough to be blessed with your blinding
intellect!" 

He just smiled. "Then why don't you date me,
Maron-chan? I can think for the both of us," he
purred. His hand caressed where Maron's foot was
gently.

She kicked out at him. "Chiaki!"

Miyako was torn between falling into gails of
laughing, or fuming with jealousy. So instead she
smiled. "It's nice to see that you're back to normal,
Maron. And yes, Chiaki, I'd like some help, but mother
wants me home- I just came to check to see if Maron
would be going to school tomorrow." She raised an
enquiring eyebrow at her best friend.

"Sure thing! I can't stand being cooped up here any
longer. How did your Sinbad chasing go?" Maron asked,
sounding almost hopeful.

"He didn't show," she growled in disgust.

"What?!" Maron exclaimed, looking disturbed. "Are you
sure you didn't just... well, miss him?"

"No... he was never there. I think he must have been
watching and laughing at us."

"I don't think he'd do that..." Chiaki said rather
stiffly. "I bet he was delayed or something."

"Great. We don't even rate first-place on a thief's
social calendar." The bitterness in her voice was
almost tangible.

"Miyako..." Maron reached out and rested a hand on her
closest friend's shoulder. "Is that really what's
bothering you?"

The other girl turned to looked at her friend. Maron's
wide brown eyes were wide with concern, and as
perceptive as ever. It was odd, but sometimes Maron
seemed to know something was wrong with her before
Miyako herself was aware of it. "I'm just so
frustrated. Time and again, they get the better of
me..."

"It's not you, Miyako..." Maron said. "Do you think
they're stealing to annoy you personally?"

"I know they're not, and I know it's vain of me, but
it's become personal! I'm going to catch them!"

Chiaki shifted so he knelt at her feet, much the way a
man did before he proposed to the lady he loved.
"We're sure you will," he said. "Don't give up your
faith in that- it's what makes you the person Maron
and I respect so much. You're so strong, and your
intent is so pure... you shine." He lifted her hand
gently and kissed it. "And on the day you do catch one
of them, I'll take you out to dinner at the best
resteraunt in town."

Miyako felt like she was going to faint from sheer
delight. First Chiaki had kissed her, and now he was
practically arranging a date? A warm feeling pooled in
her stomach, and she glanced at Maron, seeing how she
was taking it. No matter what Maron claimed, Miyako
had her suspicions that she liked him.

To her surprise, a slightly amused smile curved
Maron's lips. 

"I-I'd better get back," she stammered after making
the mistake of looking at Chiaki's handsome features.
Being caught between him and her best friend was
decidedly uncomfortable.

Chiaki rose to her feet, pulling her up as well. "I
just hope that you feel better. Seeing you this upset
isn't a good thing. I much prefer your smile." He gave
her another blinding one of his own.

"Thanks, Chiaki! I'll keep you to that dinner!" She
darted out of the door, across the hall, and into the
safety of her own apartment before she allowed a
starry-eyed look to pass her face.

Her mother, dressed in a bathrobe, noticed. "Miyako?
Is everything ok?"

She flashed the dazzling smile that Chiaki claimed to
like. "It couldn't be better!"

!*!*!*!*!*!

Maron was actually up and ready early the next
morning. After days of being cooped up, she was
suffering from a serious case of cabin fever. School
looked attractive, which was saying something for how
bored she had been. She wasn't up to making a
transformation -yet- but by the next night, she would
be. And she'd had Fin send the card.

Fin had argued with her fiercely, saying that
Checkmating Tokyo Tower was beyond her as she was. She
still couldn't access Jeanne's full power. Fin didn't
know why, but Maron still hadn't reached her full
potential, or so she claimed. One day Maron would have
control over her transformation, and wouldn't need her
rosary.

Maron carefully tied a bow around her neck, smiling
slightly. It would be good to be active again, good to
be back on her feet. She smiled at her satchel,
grateful for Chiaki's help. He had kept her up to date
with classes, and she was even a little bit ahead now.
That was a rare feeling; while she tried hard, she
knew that she wasn't the best student. Maths
confounded her, which meant Chemistry was hopeless.
She seemed to have a language oriented mind- French,
English and Japanese all came easily. She'd even been
told that she spoke French like a native... it was an
odd feeling. She wondered if part of her prior
incarnation was influencing her. It made her uneasy.
Where did Jeanne end and Maron begin?

She skipped over to Miyako's apartment and knocked on
the door, wanting to thank Todaiji-san fopr sending
over the soup. "Come in!" she heard Miyako's mother
call.

She opened the door slowly, nostalgically reminded of
all the times she had bounced over without a care in
the world, before she had been Jeanne. The Todaijis
were wonderful people, her surrogate family, and she
loved them very much. "Hello?"

"Maron!" Miyako's mother exclaimed. She walked over
and hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad you're feeling
better! I was going to come over and clean for you if
you weren't up by today."

Maron gave a shy smile in response. "I appreciate the
thought."

"Miyako is getting dressed- can I give you something
to eat?"

"No- I actually had a full breakfast today. Orange
juice and all."

"Well, if you're sure... how about coming over to
dinner tonight?" Miyako's mother pressed on,
undeterred.

"I think I can," Maron said. "As long as practise
doesn't knock me out too much- I'm out of shape, and
Pakkyamlamao-sensei is going to be all over me. We
have a meet coming up next week."

"I know... I'll be there to cheer you two on!"

"Thanks," Maron replied.

Miyako swung into the room, a bundle of nervous
energy. "Mom, have you seen my- Maron! What are you
doing out of bed?!" she exclaimed.

"Your ribbon is on the sidetable in the living room,"
Todaiji-san said, displaying the sixth sense all
parents seemed to have regarding their children. She
turned towards the kitchen, absentmindedly
straightening the coffee table on her way.

"I'm going to school, silly!" Maron answered as Miyako
brushed her hair back into its usual style.

"You should still be in bed!"

"I can't miss anymore school! I promise to take it
easy..."

"You'd better!"

"Honest, I promise!"

The two girls giggled together.

After meeting Chiaki in the hallway, they headed off
for school. It took less then an hour of classes for
Maron to wish she was back at home in bed. She hated
lessons with a passion. Lunch came slowly, and by the
end of the day, she was almost convinced that the
Devil had somehow managed to slow time down just to
irritate her.

Finally the last bell rang, and she gathered her
assignments into her bag. Thanks to Chiaki's tutoring,
she had actually been ahead of the game. She rather
liked the feeling- maybe she should ask him to tutor
her regularly- she could make him dinner or something
every night as payment. He had mentioned that he hated
cooking, and since she didn't mind... 

She shook her head, dismissing the thought. Miyako
would kill her.

"Can I walk you home?" she heard Chiaki asking.

"I have practice," she said.

"Maron... you're still weak. I don't know if
practicing is such a good idea..."

"I need to. Gymnastics is something you have to do
every day. The longer I wait, the more out of shape
I'll be," she said.

"Well, then I'll walk you home after."

"Chiaki- practice lasts for two hours!"

"I don't want you having a weak spell on the way home
and just having Miyako. She couldn't carry you. You're
too heavy."

"CHIAKI!" she exclaimed, on the verge of slapping him
in the face.

He held up his hands defensively. "Hey! I'm being
honest! Miyako may be strong, but she's still only a
girl!"

"Fine! Do what you like!" Maron said, spinning on her
heel and storming away.

"Don't I always?" Chiaki murmured to her retreating
back.

She changed into her leotard quickly, shedding her
uniform with relief, and then she tied her hair out of
her face. Grabbing a ball and a ribbon, she headed to
the gym.

Miyako was already there, doing warm-ups. Maron set
her tools down and began by stretching. Simple
stretches which led into the more complex ones that
would actually test her muscles. She knew that if she
didn't do this, today, she may procrastinate on it
until she was even more out of shape. Maron felt a
slight strain and was surprised- she hadn't expected
to be that rusty. A frown furrowed her smooth forehead
as she started to wonder if she'd really be up to
Checkmating tomorrow. Even with the burst of holy
energy her transformation would grant her, she needed
to be fit. 

After about ten minutes of careful stretching, she
picked up the ribbon. A jump forward and a careful
twist of her wrist brought a routine to life.

To the outside viewer, she performed nearly
flawlessly, but she could feel the way her balance was
off, feel how her steps seemed to be half a pace
behind. Kicking her legs up, a scissor, split into
straddle... touch her foot to the back of her head,
angle her arms at a ninety degree... her routine was
good, but her illness had taken away the spark that
had made her one of the best.

Miyako noticed as well. "Maron... are you sure you
should be doing this?" she called, stopping her own
practice to come over.

"You'll be fine. You'll be back to normal soon
enough!"

"Yes, but not soon enough for..." Maron began to reply
thoughtlessly before catching herself.

"For what?" Miyako prodded.

"For competition next week!"

Miyako frowned. "I'm sure you'll be ready by then. If
not, you can cheer me on!"

Maron stopped. "I know what you mean about catching
Jeanne now. It's so annoying not to be able to do what
you know you're capable of!"

"I'm gonna catch Jeanne tomorrow!"

"Right after the sun rises in the west!" Maron teased.

"And Chiaki stops flirting with you!" Miyako teased
right back.

A sharp, painful whistle blast caused both girls to
jump slightly. Pakkyamlamao-sensei, their beautiful
teacher and coach, stood behind them, her foot tapping
impatiently. "Back at it, girls! Maron, you've been
sick, so you've got some extra work to do to catch
up!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

She started on her routine again, trying to get her
skill back. Tomorrow night she would be facing the
Checkmate that had almost killed her in her first
attempt- she would be damned if she'd back down now.
Fin Fish had sent the notice; now it was up to her to
finish what she had started.

Kaitou Jeanne didn't back down from a challenge.

END PART EIGHT

=====
"No matter what the bible says, the battle always goes to
the strong. And I am strong. I don't need to prove that to
anyone anymore."
-Excerpt from Sainan no Kekka- Act Seven, Scene VII

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