Words: 1265


Marionette Fantasia

Chapter 9: Sunrise

Something didn't feel right. Why is he feeling so lightheaded and cold and hungry right now, and also a bit damp? On top of that, he is also feeling something warm that's twisting and turning in his arms. Last he checked he didn't take any pets with him on this trip, so there shouldn't be anything moving amongst–

As his senses returned to him, Kaito slowly opened his eyes and all he could see was a dark blur. It took his eyes a couple of minutes to adjust until he realized that he was lying on the snow in the middle of nowhere… no wonder he felt so cold – wait, he could feel?!

Just as he was about to bring his hand to his face to feel himself, the moving object in his arms recaptured his attention. He took a look down in front of him and… there was a bespectacled boy in blue outfit sleeping in his arms. Where in the world did this boy came from?! He is pretty sure that he's too young to have his own kid.

Just as he was about to ask, the boy began to moan and rubbed his eyes. The boy then slowly opened his eyes and stared at his face with a rather dazed look.

"…KID?"

Right away Kaito recognized the familiar voice. "Conan?!"

"Yeah– oh," said Conan as he looked at his hands and his body in amusement. "I'm not a cat anymore it seems."

"Why did both of us changed back to human?! This isn't a dream… right?" Kaito contemplated as he checked himself as well and pinched his own cheek, immediately wincing in pain. "Oww, that kinda hurts…"

"Cut it out. Are you stupid or something? Of course that'd hurt. But I thought Aoko-san said she could only grant one wish… What did you wish for?" Asked Conan as he pondered over what happened.

"Um… Please change him back to normal?"

Conan blinked for a moment upon hearing Kaito's words and instantly burst out laughing. "Oh my, that's rich… I wished for the exact same thing. I guess that counted as 'one wish' in Aoko-san's book. We really lucked out eh, KID?" The bespectacled boy commented as he tried to catch his breath from laughing too hard.

"…yeah. I can't believe how lucky we got here," said Kaito as he released a long sigh of relief and took his top hat and monocle off. "By the way, please call me Kaito instead. KID is my stage name. Thank you so much for everything, Conan, you should go–" Kaito suddenly paused as he spotted something red on the snow and picked it up to examine it.

It was the bracelet that the Scarlet Witch used on him, except that the thread was torn. The skulls and garnet stones were scattered all over the snow.

"Wasn't this the weird gothic bracelet you were wearing earlier? Oh look, these two skulls got cracked…" Conan noted as he pointed to said skulls.

Kaito took a closer look at the skulls and realised that the cracks appeared to be caused by something sharp pressing against them…

…and the shape oddly resembles cats' canine teeth. Speaking of which, didn't Conan tried to drag him by biting into the bracelet earlier? Could this be why the bracelet broke and lost its binding power?!

Does that mean he is no longer bounded by the Scarlet Witch? And it's all thanks to–

Before he knew it, he pulled Conan into a tight embrace. No words can describe his feelings right now. Things couldn't have gotten any better than this, really. Both of them turned back to human, and he won't have to put up with the Scarlet Witch anymore. He really thought that he'd have to be trapped in this northern village forever, never to find his way out and never to see his parents again… and now he's free to do whatever and go wherever he wants. He really, really missed being able to feel; be it the pain from his pinch earlier, the cold snow under his legs, or the warmth of being in contact with another person…

"KID– Kaito! Let go of me, I can't breathe!" Conan yelped as he tried to push the taller teen away.

"I– I'm sorry Conan, it's just that–" Kaito muttered as he released Conan and rubbed the tears of joy away from his eyes. "I'm just too happy that everything worked out so well, thank you so much…"

"Of course everything was going to work out. Were you expecting something worse to happen?" Conan snapped as he raised a curious eye brow. "Anyhow, now that both of us are back to normal, I guess I should head home now–"

Before Conan could step away, he was picked up into Kaito's arms. "And I shall be your escort! Wasn't that our original plan anyway, that I'd take you home? I can't possibly let a little kid go home on his own like this! Though to be honest, I thought you'd be around my age… I definitely didn't expect you to be a little Conan-kun." Kaito commented as he held Conan straight in front of him to take a closer look.

"…that's because I'm not a kid." Conan narrowed his eyes annoyingly and groaned as a tick popped up over his forehead.

"…you're not?"

"Long story short, it had something to do with my scientist friend again… but at least now that I'm human again I'm not gonna complain too much for the time being–" Just as Conan was going to start ranting about his scientist friend, both of their stomachs started growling, triggering a deep blush on both of their cheeks.

"I guess before we head off to Beika Town, we should grab a bite somewhere, eh? Man, I haven't eaten in ages~"

Conan chuckled embarrassedly. "Sure, sounds like a plan."

As the duo continued to chit-chat along their way back to the village, the morning sun began to gradually peek through the sky and break through the night tranquillity. It was the first sunrise that they have witnessed together, and it's definitely not going to be the last.


"Akako-chan, long time no see~" The Winter Spirit singsong-ed as she flew into the room and hopped onto the Scarlet Witch's shoulder.

"Aoko, why did you help them?" The witch turned around to face her tiny friend as she stepped away from the mirror that she used to track the teenaged magician and his companion.

"Why not? They only made a single wish, right?" Aoko hopped into the air and tilted her head sideway innocently.

"You broke the thread on my bracelet, didn't you?" Akako snarled.

"Hmm… maybe? But Akako-chan, you still have me as your best friend!" Aoko said as she cheerfully handed Akako a snowdrop flower.

The Scarlet Witch sighed as she took the spirit's flower. She wasn't really upset by the fact that her friend Aoko helped the teenaged magician… but by the fact that she had never seen such a bright and genuinely joyous smile ever since she had known the magician. And she wasn't the one who brought that smile onto his face. It was depressing to see the magician go, but if it's not meant to be, then she probably should let him go. What's the point of keeping him trapped here if he'd never smile like that in front of her? That's probably what Aoko was trying to tell her.

Maybe someday, she will meet someone else who is meant to be for her.

End.


Afterword: Thanks for reading! Please review and tell me your thoughts! Big thanks to everyone who fav-ed/alert-ed/reviewed this story, as well as everyone who put me on their author fav/alert list! ^o^

~~~~~~~~~ *\^o^*\ *\^o^/* /*^o^/* Happy Birthday Kaito~! */^o^*/ *\^o^/* *\^o^*\ ~~~~~~~~~~

Zomg I just made it before midnight hits! Thank you for reading till the end! A friend of mine asked, but I'm not sure if I'm gonna write a sequel on this… thoughts?

Also, dear readers, which story would you like me to update next now that I've finished this one?

Edit (Oct 1, 2014): By the way, I posted a short sequel a while ago and it's posted under my other story Spiral chapter 7: Insanity ( s/8170696/7/Spiral) Please feel free to check it out~