The Fallen Kingdom
Disclaimer: I do not own the animated series Meitantei Conan (名探偵コナン)/Case Closed/Detective Conan. Some of the characters in this story have been made up;
I make no claim to the characters created by Gosho Aoyama (青山 剛昌 ,Aoyama Gōshō.)
One
Fueling the Fire
"Finally, it's over!" Sonoko said as she stretched her arms over her head. "And now we get to relax until after the New Year!" She let out a long drawn out yawn and then hooked her arm around her best friend's and said, "this year will be the year that Suzuki Sonoko does not get sick and have to spend the New Year in bed!"
"Why because Kyogoku-san will be there this time?" Ran playfully suggested with a smile.
Sonoko blushed, "That's right! This time I'll be sure to be gorgeous and not pale and sickly looking! That way Makoto-san will get to see me looking like a radiant angel!" She announced, placing her hands on her hips and posing like she was a superhero.
Ran just laughed, "You sound so excited. When does he get here?"
"December 31st." Sonoko said with a sigh. "It's almost too long to wait now that I won't be in school to pass the time!"
Ran just laughed again and said, "It'll go by fast. Just you wait. Next thing you know he'll be here." She gave her friend a reassuring smile, even though inside she was feeling a little upset because she was reminded of the fact that Shinichi wouldn't be around to celebrate the New Year with her.
"You're right, thanks Ran!" Sonoko said, smiling again. Then she leaned in some and asked in a playful voice, "Soooo…tell me, do you have any plans to meet up with your husband?"
"Sonoko! He's not my husband!" Ran cried, pulling away from her friend as a blush crept across her face. She still hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Shinichi in person since the incident in London, so of course she still hadn't even replied to his confession. Sometimes she wondered if he was upset about it, but he had never said anything when they talked on the phone. In some ways it was as if everything was normal, while in others it was sort of awkward-especially when someone like Sonoko brought up their relationship status. "Besides, he's still working on that case…" She murmured, though she was sort of lost in her own thought now. She was back in front of Big Ben, listening to Shinichi's confession and trying to figure out how to respond.
Sonoko sighed and hung her head, "He's no fun at all! Shinichi-kun is such a loser working on a case instead of coming to see you! I have no idea how you're attracted to someone who does nothing but work, work, work!"
This pulled Ran back to full attention. "Hey, don't be mean Sonoko! You know whatever he's doing must be important... As much as I wish he could be here, I also know whatever it is that's keeping him away has to be huge." Although there were times that the she doubted him, most of the time her heart and mind were in agreement over Shinichi's absence. It had to be for the greater good. She knew that all too well and she knew that she'd never forgive herself if she held him back from his work, nor would she forgive him if he turned his back on it.
"Yea, yea…I still think Shinichi-kun could at least come back and see you occasionally if he's going to be gone so long." Sonoko muttered, shaking her head. "But I get it…you're attracted to how strong a sense of justice he has and all that." She reached into her jacket pocket for her phone and began to check her e-mail, continuing to speak as she looked down at the phone and walked. "But enough about them…did you get the invitation my family sent out?"
"What invitation?" Ran asked, looking over at Sonoko and having to pull her head back suddenly when Sonoko brought her phone up into her face.
"This one! It's an e-invite to our New Year's Masquerade Party!" Sonoko said, waving her phone in Ran's face.
"Oh…that?" Ran asked, shifting and reaching into her school bag. She pulled out her phone and turned it on. "I didn't open it yet…"
Sonoko sighed, "You know what? I'll just tell you about it myself, that way you know all the details firsthand. Let's go get some yakisoba from the place that opened up near your house and talk more about it while we eat, because I'm starving!" She closed Ran's phone and then put her own away and grabbed her friend by the arm, leading her towards the restaurant. "It's going to be amazing, I can tell you that much now…"
"Are we talking about the food or the party?" Ran asked as she let Sonoko drag her along, chuckling at her friend and sliding her phone back into her bag.
.xXx.
"Seriously Ran?! It's a giant masquerade party Ran, I mean really! C'mon, you've got to come!" Sonoko whined before taking another bite of her yakisoba. "It's one of the biggest events the Suzuki Corporation has ever funded! Everyone who's anyone will be attending! And it's not just business type that'll be there. Even some famous actors and musicians have already RSVP'ed!" She proclaimed, trying to hold back her excitement and keep her food from spilling out of her mouth. "I mean, think of all the famous, hot, single actors who will be there!"
"I'm really sorry Sonoko." Ran sighed, looking down at her own plate of yakisoba solemnly. "I just don't think I'll be able to go. My dad, Conan-kun, and I were planning to go to Osaka in the New Year-I don't know exactly when we're leaving yet, but I know it's going to be really early in the morning on the first or second." She replied in a soft voice, hoping she didn't upset her best friend. "Hattori-kun invited us a while ago and my dad jumped on the chance when he asked him about it. Conan-kun was super excited too…" She added in hopes that it would seem less like she was letting Sonoko down.
However instead of being upset Sonoko simply pulled out her phone and began to search her copy of the guest list. "Hattori Heiji and Toyama Kazhua, right?" She asked, even though she knew those were their names. She was just asking to make it seem like she hadn't already told her father to make sure they'd be on the list in case something like this came up. After receiving a nod from Ran she typed in their names and then grinned once she saw they were marked as undecided. "Looks like you just have to tell them you were invited as well and have them come here first."
"I can try…" Ran sighed once more, trying to force a smile. She was hoping she wouldn't suggest that, because she knew that Hattori and Kazuha would probably agree to the idea-largely because it involved free food. It also didn't hurt that both of their fathers were likely to be working and their mothers were probably going to be spending time with the other policemen's wives who would be without their husbands for New Year's Eve. So even though it meant they were originally supposed to be giving them time to see their families before they arrived, she knew they would readily agree to come to the party. In all honesty, she had another reason she couldn't go to Sonoko's party.
However, Ran hated letting people down, let alone the ones she truly cared about, so there was no other way to end this conversation without telling the truth. "Although, I was sort of hoping to see my mom that night and get her to agree to come home for a dinner with dad..."
"Both of your parents were invited…oh and did I mention Shinichi-kun was invited? And that there's a murder mystery game on the ship? Who knows, that may be enough to actually bring that annoying detective freak boyfriend of yours running back here." Sonoko winked, clapping her chopsticks together overhead, accidentally sending an onion flying across the room. "Oo-ops…" She gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth, as she watched the onion hit a man square in the face. "Please tell me he can't see me…" She said, moving so that she was directly across from Ran in hopes that she would shield her from view. "That mans kind of scary looking…" She murmured as she sunk down into her seat.
"I'm not looking!" Ran said in a stern voice knowing that if she looked the man may think that she did it. "If it's the man in black…with the long blonde hair…" She said in a low voice, leaning in closer so that only Sonoko could hear her, "I'm pretty sure he was one of the men on the rollercoaster when I went to Tropical Land with Shinichi…you know, the one where that guy was murdered…" She swallowed hard and then leaned back in her seat. She had a bad feeling about that man ever since the first time she had seen him. Why does he make me feel so on edge? Is it because the last time I saw him was also the last day I saw Shinichi before he disappeared for this huge case…? I've seen Shinichi since then, but for some reason when I see him I feel like something bad happened that day… involving that man and his partner… Wait. Why did she think of the other one as his partner? She had no idea, but it seemed like the right term.
"Yea…" Sonoko said, moving back into a comfortable position once she realized he hadn't looked up, but instead pulled up a newspaper to shield his face. "Anyways!" She began, in a rather loud voice, hoping to make it seem as if her and Ran had just been gossiping like normal teenagers. "Kudo-kun will definitely show! Or else, he obviously doesn't love you Ran! I mean, what kind of boyfriend leaves his girlfriend in a room full of single men…at a masquerade party?!" She began to giggle, watching as Ran's face turned a bright shade of pink.
"He's not my boyfriend!" Ran almost shouted, but luckily realized she was in a public place before she got too loud, and opted for glaring at her friend while kicking her in the shin. "And what does that have to do with anything?! Do you really think I'd run off with someone I just met…who was wearing a mask?" Ran questioned, beginning to get a little too defensive.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down!" Sonoko said, holding her hands up, showing Ran she meant no harm. "I'm just saying. You and I both know he loves you…I mean, he did confess! You just need to tell him how you feel and then you'll officially be dating…so why can't we just call him your boyfriend? And if he were to leave you alone, in such a beautiful dress, because believe me I'm going to make sure you look amazing…well he might not end up being your boyfriend if someone better comes along…"
"I mean…maybe he will show…" Ran murmured, looking down at her bag as if she could see her phone through it. She wanted to e-mail Shinichi and tell him about the party, even more so about the deduction game because she sort of hoped what Sonoko said was true. At least about the part where Shinichi might show up, not the part where she ran off with a masked man.
"So you finally admit it? Shinichi is your boyfriend and you do want him there." Sonoko said in a teasing voice as she prodded her best friend in the arm with one of her chopsticks, watching her face grow increasingly red. "Hey," She said in a suddenly serious tone, peering over Ran's shoulder, and tilting her head to the side in confusion, "Did you see that creeper leave?"
"N-no…" Ran said, once again startled by Sonoko's words, as she turned to look at the table behind her. "Maybe he's friends with the cook and went out the back door?" She suggested looking around the rest of the restaurant, not seeing him, and then turning around as an unsettling feeling began to form in the pit of her stomach.
"I don't think someone like him has friends…" Sonoko murmured, shaking her head.
.xXx.
"Did you hear that, Vodka?" Gin questioned as he got into the driver's seat of his black Porsche 356A and ripped a small microphone from his newspaper, crushing it under his fingers, and dropping it into his ashtray. They hadn't intended to listen into the girls' conversation and only were using the bug to listen to the men sitting behind Gin, who owed their organization a large amount of money. What a sweet coincidence that the girls' happened to know Kudo, that elusive brat they hadn't been able to kill. It must be fate that they decided bring him up just then.
"Yea, I got all the details written down right here, Aniki," Vodka replied waving a small black notebook in the air, "Who'd of thought that annoying little detective would still be alive?"
"I thought I hit him hard enough in the head. Guess we'll have to go for round two…" Gin replied, grinning wickedly, as he snatched the notebook, stowed it in the pocket of his black trench coat, and started the car. "I had entirely forgotten about that kid until you started freaking out that he may still be alive…at least now that we know the truth, we also know his point of weakness…"
"Looks like Vermouth lied…" Vodka said, receiving a dirty look, and then being thrown forward as Gin slammed his foot on the gas. Maybe I shouldn't have said that…
I'll kill her for lying. Gin thought, thinking as he sped off. First you tell us Mouri Kogoro has nothing to do with the FBI and we find one of their rats fraternizing with his daughter and then we find out that nosy detective brat is still alive…what else are you hiding, Vermouth?
.xXx.
"How's our little rat doing?" Gin asked as he moved into the warehouse that Korn and Chianti were standing inside, Korn in front of the blonde haired woman they had tied to a chair and Chianti behind her.
"She won't speak," Chianti said, grabbing a handful of the woman's hair and yanking her head back. She held a pistol to the blonde's head and said, "Not even if I threaten to put a bullet into her brain."
"She doesn't care about her own life," Gin said, moving over and pulling out his own pistol, "move back Chianti." He reached to grab the blonde's hair once Chianti let go, but the instant he leaned forward she head-butted him. He moved back for a moment and held a hand to his face, then he smacked her in the face with his gun. "Stupid bitch!" He hissed, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him. "Now, you've definitely made me want to kill everyone associated with you…Jodie Starling…"
Author's Note: Thank you very much for reading!
Some of you may have read this before I removed it (it was originally under my old account, Malicious Ink) and gave it a facelift since it was ancient…and just gathering dust… No seriously, I was in high school when I started this and I just graduated college recently. It's old.
I just didn't have the motivation to write forever and then so much had happened in the series since then… I didn't ever intend to drop the story, but a lot came up and I will admit…I forgot about anime and fanfiction for a while. Now I've started writing again and of course since the original had quite a few chapters, there will definitely be more. They just need some face-lifts too! So, welcome back if you've read this before…I'm not sure how similar I'm going to make the ride yet or if I'm going to ultimately change things up….I had this one planned out all the way to the end and as I write I may change that ending. I haven't decided what makes a better story yet, so that'll be part of the fun!
For those of you who are new, thank you for reading! I hope you stick with me!