Hikaru: New chapter and announcement!
I need murders! The story will require a case and I need a well planned murder. Also this will allow me to tell if my readers are secretly homicidal. Please write the logic, clues and all the other things that are needed in a classic Conan case. Serial killers are fine, but would be harder to implement into the story. If you want to write it out yourselves, you can choose characters. Just make sure Arthur and Conan are both there and due to Arthur's genius, he turns out to be actually a good detective.
Shinichi: He needs still needs murderers. And there is already a murder this chapter.
Hikaru: Anyways, if I owned you guys I would sue any fanfiction writer who writes that a story is a two-shot in the summary, but leaves the story uncompleted.
Kaito: Did you just read something like that? Is that why you are so pissed?
Hikaru: Phantom Thief by Ashrel Fury! At the end of it, there was a note that the update would be "tomorrow!" It was posted Mar 25, 2012. Die Ashrel Fury, Die!
Shinichi: While he's tracking down that author, here's the story.
Chapter 6
There were subtle changes in their daily routine. Conan would start to call Arthur "Kai-chan" when they were alone. They both realized the other was really important to them. They would subconsciously yearn for the touch of the other and find themselves holding hands or another form of contact. When they realized, they would split apart and blush.
Only Hikaru and Haibara seemed to notice the change. The first would secretly laugh at them while Haibara smirked.
Ran seemed to be more distant whenever they saw her which confused both of them. What would have made her act this way. She was the one who moved on first so it shouldn't have been the call.
Arthur, Conan and Hikaru were undoubtedly very handsome to the 8-year-olds. Arthur's charisma and Hikaru's regal and cold aura quickly stole the hearts of any girls in the class that did not have a crush on Conan and his matureness.
Another change that happened to the routine.
Conan started having voice lessons.
Usually, the kids would play instruments in music class. Conan and Arthur quickly mastered any instrument they played. Conan was exceptionally good at the Violin while Arthur could play the piano as well as Conan could play the violin.
(A/N: I thought the piano would fit Kaito. Not only is it black and white (monochrome like most of KID's outfit), he's got magician's hands. There are also a lot of Piano/Violin duets they could play together.)
However came the dreaded day when the instrument of the class was the voice. Even Conan could not escape it.
While Arthur knew about Conan's lack of relative pitch through his 'investigations,' he had forgotten due to Conan's perfect pitch and perfection in every other instrument.
All the students sang one by one, a song of their choice.
When it was Arthur's turn, he sang his rendition of "This is Me" by Keala Settle.
(A/N: I recommend everyone to go to youtube to listen to it right now or go watch the movie)
I'm not a stranger to the dark
Hide away, they say
'Cause we don't want your broken parts
I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars
Run away, they say
No one will love you as you are
But I won't let them break me down to dust
I know that there's a place for us
For we are glorious
When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I'm meant to be, this is me
Look out 'cause here I come
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum
I'm not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me
Another round of bullets hits my skin
Well, fire away 'cause today, I won't let the shame sink in
We are bursting through the barricades
And reach above the sun (we are warriors)
Yeah, that's what we'll become
Won't let them break me down to dust
I know that there's a place for us
For we are glorious
When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
Gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I'm meant to be, this is me
Look out 'cause here I come
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum
I'm not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me
...This is me
And I know that I deserve your love
There's nothing I'm not worthy of
When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
This is brave, this is proof
This is who I'm meant to be, this is me
Look out 'cause here I come (look out 'cause here I come)
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum (marching on, marching, marching on)
I'm not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me
I'm gonna send a flood
Gonna drown them out
(...this is me)
At the end of the song everyone was stunned at the perfection and passion of his singing. The emotion made Conan wonder what in the thief's seemingly happy-go-lucky life would make him feel like an outcast.
Only when Arthur grinned and took a very large bow at the end of the song was the crowd jolted from their shock and began clapping.
Conan's turn came next.
"Conan, come on sing!"
Conan shook his head violently.
"No!"
Arthur gave Conan a irresistable pout and wrapped his arm around Conan. Conan blushed without knowing why.
Haibara covered a laugh.
With the pout that Arthur gave Conan, Conan gave up and started singing.
And everyone, but Hikaru and Haibara (who already had noise cancelling headphones on) promptly covered their ears.
After that disaster, Arthur swore to teach Conan how to sing no matter what.
"Conan! I'm giving you lessons!"
Conan shook his head violently.
"I'm terrible at singing. It won't work."
Arthur once again pouted.
"You won't know until you try!"
Conan sighed in defeat.
Ayumi rushed to hug him and kissed him on the cheek.
"Ayumi will help."
An indescribable feeling filled Arthur and he politely declined help.
(A/N: Jealousy)
Their lessons were daily at the Kudo mansion.
Arthur was a really good teacher, being a master at manipulating his voice.
Conan eventually could sing beautifully, although it had taken several months to get to that point.
Arthur cackled at the thought of Kudo Shinichi returning with perfect singing abilities to surprise all of his friends.
They continued the lessons in order to "maintain Conan's new ability" and enjoy a bit of "alone time" together. Their lessons were more peaceful and fulfilling than the rest of the day, but neither boy knew why.
And their days continued peacefully for a while more.
Finally the day came where the inevitable dead body found them.
-§-§-§-
They were walking home that day. Hikaru had unexpectedly broken routine to say that he had something to do, leaving them to walk alone home.
On the way home, they stopped by a cafe far away from Poirot's to avoid Bourbon.
Unexpectedly, they saw Kogoro at that very cafe.
The two snuck past Kogoro (it wasn't that hard) and ordered a coffee for Conan and a hot chocolate for Arthur.
Suddenly there was a scream from the bathroom ('cause doesn't the murder always happen in the bathroom). Conan sprung up to his feet with Arthur close behind.
They were greeted by the site of a man, dead and dripping blood from his throat.
Kogoro came up behind them.
"Oi, brats, what are you doing here?"
Just as he was about to drive his fists into their heads, Arthur produced another Okino Yoko poster out of his stash of bribe material while Conan called the cops.
Kogoro, pacified, ran to the door to block any entry or exit until the police arrived.
Arthur just rolled his eyes and stated under his breath.
"Too easy to manipulate."
Conan laughed grimmly.
Kogoro gathered all of the people in the cafe.
-§-§-§-
The police arrived 15 minutes later.
Mugure-keibu entered followed by Takagi-keiji. Megure-keibu looked at Conan.
"Shinigami-san (Death God), I haven't seen you in months."
Arthur popped up chuckling slightly and Megure-keibu and Takagi-keiji stared at the both of them.
"Who are you?"
"Edogawa Arthur, Conan's younger twin and magician extraordinaire."
He did not attempt anything big in order to not move the crime scene.
Megure-keibu just shook his head.
"I hope your luck is not as bad as your brother's."
Arthur just nodded.
"Of course. I am Lady Luck's favourite. Why do you think you haven't seen my brother in so long. Anyways, you've talked enough. Now is not the time to catch up. Do your job. The dead don't wait for someone to catch their murderers."
Embarrassed at being scolded by a "child," he rushed to the crime scene.
-§-§-§-
There were three people in the cafe at the time excluding Kogoro, the victim and the boys. In other words three suspects.
The first suspect was the waiter Tomura Akihiko.
The second was a regular female customer, Chi Hanako.
The third was a salaryman Kima Haruto.
The victim was a man Ichino Hajime who frequently quarrelled with Tomura-san. His neck was sliced and bled to death rather than an instantaneous death. Whoever killed him purposely caused torture rather than instant death.
Of course Kogoro went off accusing the waiter while hitting on the pretty lady.
Conan searched the crime scene for evidence while Arthur observed the suspects. Of course, as a master of disguise, he had perfected his observation skills to pick up any hidden emotions. His observation skills were as good as Conan's.
He noticed that Chi Hanako wore all red and continued to nervously touch her breasts. It also happened whenever the police mentioned the murder weapon. She moved slowly and carefully as if afraid to hurt herself.
She is related to the murder weapon.
He glanced over at Conan who had wrapped up his own investigations.
Conan looked at Arthur.
"I know the murder method, but I can't find the weapon. What do you have?"
Arthur deduced several things from that information.
"Chi-san hid the weapon in her bra. That's why she's moving so slowly. She hid it there so she wouldn't be searched."
They continued to investigate together and found the answer in a quarter of the time Conan usually took to deduce the killer with irrefutable evidence.
They tranquilized the usual target and "Sleeping Kogoro" came out.
"The killer is you! Chi Hanako!"
She had been a jealous ex-girlfriend. She took advantage of her short hair to pretend to be a boy, killing the man in the men's restroom.
"Sleeping Kogoro" drew the deduction to a close.
"You really are a bloody flower."
(A/N: Chi sounds like blood in japanese and Hanako means flower girl)
Kogoro woke some minutes later with no memories whatsoever of "his" deduction. He still managed to gloat about "his" new case solved.
Arthur just shook his head and Conan sighed.
-§-§-§-
The two boys managed to ditch Kogoro on the way home.
Conan thought back to the events of the day and laughed.
"I told you before, but you are a really good detective. We solved it in a quarter of the time it usually takes me to solve it. When we get our bodies back, do you want to open a private agency with me?"
Arthur actually seriously considered it.
"Maybe. Since it is a private agency, I would have no set schedule meaning I could still do magic shows as I always have dreamed to do."
Conan stared for a second before breaking out into a laugh.
"You actually seriously considered it. I was only joking. Well then partner, we need to plan for that then."
They headed home, pushing each other and joking around under the sunset.
Hikaru: I'm back, but I did not find the author.
Shinichi: Good, so I do not have to solve another murder.
Hikaru: Announcement! I AM BACK IN SCHOOL SO UPDATES WILL BE LESS FREQUENT
Kaito: I'll miss you.
Ja ne!