A/N: It's amazing. We're almost at one hundred reviews! =D

Just like with fifty, when I get there I'll make the chapter afterward longer. (This time, probably twenty pages or I'll attempt to anyway)

At this point, I don't know how much longer the story will go on chapter wise. But…I'm actually hoping for a lot. xD I really like writing this. I'll feel accomplished when it ends but…I'll miss you guys too. :'3

-cough- But that is still a ways away, so for now – WELCOME TO CHAPTER TWELVE. =D

StargateNerd – I've never actually watched Stargate so…maybe? xD Oh, everyone will get their chance to be figuring something out, I assure you. =D

AriciaBetelguese – The 'base' Conan was in was a new one. I'm assuming the BO has a few stations just in case. You know how cautious they are.

KSA Keychan – I considered buying one of those Layton games, but I bought Bowser's Inside Story instead. Ah Fawful…I HAVE CHORTLES. –cough- Anyway, I sort of half understood your guess. You said Kaito's fighting against Pandora, are you implying Conan? (Just wanna be sure xD)

Marie Ravenclaw – Grammar Nazis are your friends! =D …My own protection would be rather sketchy, too. xD How about we both protect him and while the Organization plows through his friends we make a run for it? –shot by Gin-

DfK – That's okay, I like my heroes to be captured too. xD I'm very glad at both the crowds, reviewers and in the chapters. …YES. That's exactly what I wanted! Things like that will help me improve; also I can go off and fix those errors right away for anyone who hasn't read it yet. In regards to the 'where the 'bird' could've went' I think I'll keep it like that though. It does sound awkward, but I'd rather have the awkwardness than the repetitiveness. As for the other errors…*goes off to fix them*


Words That Can't be Said

Koizumi didn't know about Kudo's secret, Kaito had found out. It only complicated things, however. If she had already known, he wouldn't have to talk about him while at the same time trying to hide it. But now that he knew, there was nothing he could do to change it. He wouldn't tell her Kudo's secret. Not yet.

The young witch felt differently on her own matter; on her own secret she knew about the 'boy'. Hiding the truth from Kaito would get her nowhere, so she started to explain, "I would say your assumption is correct. But tell me Kuroba-kun, what exactly do you think that means?" It was a confusing question, so Akako rephrased it, "If you hadn't deduced it on your own and instead I had told you the talisman represented the Pandora gem, what meaning would you get from that?"

At first he thought if the talisman truly corresponded to Pandora it meant that Kudo knew where it was. He didn't, but Kaito was about to find out he was the best person to call if the gem was what you were looking for. Shrugging, Kaito went with his first guess, "I suppose I'd think it meant he knew the whereabouts of the jewel." Akako's reaction wasn't the one he was expecting. He couldn't describe it, but he could feel his guess was wrong. It didn't seem like a good time, but his question popped out anyway, "Why? …What does it really mean?"

She was silent, unbearably silent. Kaito was about to question again when she stated, "A level seven seal."

The sudden words confused him. Stuttering, Kaito said, "W-What…?"

Saying those words had been misleading, Akako knew it. They were misleading because she didn't start off on the topic of the seal. Instead, she started with, "Kuroba-kun, what I'm about to tell you remains a secret between you and me. You will tell no one, not even Conan-kun. This information will not be used against him in one of your heists, either. I can't see how you could, but knowing you, you'd cook up something." Her stare changed to a glare, "Metaphorically speaking, if I smell that 'meal'…the next 'dish' will be 'roasted magician.'"

Seeing her point he nodded. A little anxious he dared the question, "Just what are you talking about Koizumi-chan?"

"Stay quiet and listen. That way you'll find out." Receiving the message, Kaito closed his mouth. Intent, he listened carefully.

Other than the statements beforehand, Akako began to give the exact same speak she had given to Hattori. She made sure her voice was lower since the topic of the conversation was in a nearby room. Disaster could strike if that woman were to hear.

It had been a few days back, so Akako didn't remember to the point of perfection, but she felt it was enough. "That first day in the competition, you saw his result. All of those feathers turned into doves; those same doves with the talisman on them." Without a word, she already knew the question in Kaito's mind. "The seal I mentioned before, that's the reason they didn't turn into doves right away. Collars on those birds represent a seal.

"Also distressing about those doves was the size and number. You wouldn't have known this, but the size states their belief in the arts while the number represents their power. They were small - he didn't believe in magic – and there were many of them – he's powerful beyond human comprehension." She paused. "But the most troubling thing was the black feathers. Black feathers…signify corruption."

"C-Corruption?" Kaito was shocked. Just a simple detective, that's all he was and yet…something was corrupting him. "W-What do you mean Koizumi-chan?"

"I was getting there." She understood his surprise, but she was still irritated. Getting interrupted was not one of her favourite things in life. Sighing, she continued, "Over the days I started to gather information. During a certain period of time, one piece of evidence made me to believe that his corruption was due to his inhabitation."

Inhabitation. In Kaito's ears, the word didn't sound good. It almost felt worse than 'corruption.' Patiently Kaito waited for her to continue.

She didn't say anything for awhile. Instead she listened; making sure Conan hadn't woken up yet. She had to make sure he didn't hear her. Not only to prevent that woman from hearing, but Conan himself. Telling his secret without his permission left a bad taste in her mouth.

Everything in the clear, Akako continued, "As you can probably tell by the word, 'inhabitation' isn't a good thing. Far from it. Speaking with Conan-kun, he and I came to a conclusion as to who this inhabitant is: a woman named Houseki." The name bounced out. In a wave there was silence. Even the wind outside seemed to calm. Speaking it felt like a curse, and Akako didn't enjoy it.

The name did haunt Kaito as well, but in a different way. At its mention a voice had sounded. It was calming, deep…but most of all familiar. Digging in the back of his mind, Kaito realized it was a voice he had heard before. …A voice he had last heard eight years ago.

'…Don't get involved…with that woman…'

"D…Dad…?"

'…She…the one…ered…' His voice was fading. There were words said in-between but they had been inaudible.

"Dad! Dad what did she do? H-How are you…Where are you…?" Frantically Kaito searched the room around him. No one but his classmate witch stood there. He was mortified. His father – his dead father – had spoken to him. …But from where?

One last statement made it through, but it was still faint. '…Legends…aren't always…true…' With that the echo stopped, as did Kaito's scan of the room.

Both of the two were surprised by the sudden event. Akako hadn't heard his father talking, so until he blurted out she didn't know why he looked so shocked. For a split second she thought he knew something about Houseki, but unfortunately he didn't.

…but apparently his father did.

"Kuroba-kun…what just happened? …Something about your father?" She was acting like she didn't know. The reality already stood before her: from the grave his father had spoken to him, possibly about Houseki.

Earlier Kaito might've kept it a secret, but under the circumstances he decided to tell her. "My dad…he…he said I 'shouldn't get involved with that woman'. Then he said…something else. …I-I couldn't hear it. But before I couldn't hear him anymore he said…" Kaito paused, trying to make sense of the words. "…'legends…aren't always…true'…" He hadn't meant to, but Kaito had managed to say the words in the exact same way his father had.

"'Legends'?" Akako repeated the word. "You don't think he was referring to what you said earlier…the Pandora gem legend, do you?"

"Who knows? If he was…that means he was listening in on the conversation. But…I thought my father was dead?"

Seriously, Akako looked him in the eye. He looked back, somewhat baffled. She knew something…and she was going to tell him. "Kuroba-kun, your father…was a wizard. …An actual wizard."

In all honesty, Kaito had already seen it coming, but it still shocked him. His father was able to do the same things Akako did…what Kudo did. It seemed unbelievable. Staring at his hands he had to wonder if he was the same way.

Responding to his gesture, Akako stated, "You're not a wizard, however." She looked to the side, away from him. "Most likely your mother is just an ordinary human, too. She might not have even known about your father's abilities."

"How long ago did you figure this out?"

"Before the competition." …Had it really been that long? Looking back, that fateful day had already been over two weeks ago. Maybe she shouldn't have had that contest. Maybe she should've just gone out and used her own powers to find someone suitable. If that had been the case, this mess wouldn't have started.

She didn't want to admit it, but everything was pretty much her fault. Beforehand the seal keeping in Houseki was still effective, not weakening at all. Deep down she knew that spell ball had been the cause for the breech in the seal.

When a seal is cast, the wizard or witch carrying out the spell permanently affixes their power to the person, place or object undergoing the seal. This way the seal remains in use for a prolonged period of time. Levels of the seal directly effect how long it remains. One is for about three months, two for seven, three for a year, four for five years, five a decade, six for fifty years and seven for a century.

Seals can be broken by other wizards or witches. The difficulty in breaking the seal also depends on the level – one being the weakest and seven the strongest.

Also affected by the level is the magical strain. While a level one seal won't feel any different from other spells a level seven seal can be fatal. If one is to survive going through the process their magical powers will be gone. Only by eradicating the seal would they get their powers back. But with the need to use the level seven seal in the first place, one has to wonder: at what cost is the regained magic returned?

Little know to her, Akako had mumbled her thoughts aloud. Even with the words being slightly scrambled together, Kaito had made sense of it. Previously she had mentioned the level seven seal. He couldn't help but ask, "Before you had said something about the seal when we were talking about the Pandora gem and Ku-C-Conan-kun." Slipping in his speech, he quickly added on to avert her attention from his stumble. "W-What had you meant by that?"

His plan worked. "Conan-kun has one of those seals on him. I'm pretty sure the seal has something to do with that Houseki that's inside of him… No, I'm positive that seal is for that woman. Within the small gap made from the weakening first level she was able to pull off a hologram spell." Even from his distance, Kaito noticed the sweat on her cheek. "That, contrary to what you might think, is no easy task."

Kaito didn't want to make Akako feel bad (even if she was a little creepy) but he had to ask, "Before you said it was 'your fault' that the seal was weakening. Just what did you mean by that?"

For a split second, Akako's expression made Kaito wish he could take his words back. But she was strong and continued her speech, "As you've already heard the level seven seal is the most powerful of all of them. No matter how powerful the mark, a level seven seal will be able to completely hold them back for at least ten years. …That is, if there isn't any complications."

"And…you allowing him to do that spell with the doves…that was a complication?"

"The spell balls I used in the competition can be used by everyone. Whether they are a master of the arts or a newbie: anyone can use them. With the right words there will always be a result." She spoke quietly, almost ashamed, "…Sealed inside him, Houseki must've been able to sense the magic from the ball. Using its aid…she started to break the seal."

"You keep saying it's weakening, but to what degree?" This 'Houseki' sounded like bad news. Even his father was warning him about her. If she was going to strike, he wanted to know when.

Akako didn't seem to quite know the answer. "The last time I checked…only a part of the first level had been broken, but…that was on the sixth."

Kaito's eyes widened. With simple math, he calculated something horrible. "…That was twelve days ago, Akako. If the first level was already weakening a day after…"

Reassuringly, she approached him. "Don't worry. Each level is progressively more powerful then the last. The first level is usually nothing. We still have time." Noticing his doubt, she added, "If you want I'll check the seal now."

Out of the study, Kaito practically lead the way. From the visit with everyone else he had seen where Conan was resting. His pace was fast, but so was Akako's. Anytime he got further ahead of her he'd stop and wait. Akako could tell he had his usual lust for answers. That had always been one of his…interesting quirks.

Just about at the room, Kaito stopped. As Akako caught up, she noticed that he didn't continue on like the other times. She got the message and stopped herself. Slowly, Kaito brought the question forward, "…How do you make a seal stronger? Or rather…how do you fix a weakening seal?

"You mean rebinding?" From the look Kaito gave her, she was reminded that he didn't understand the magic 'lingo.' Once again she started to explain, "For a lower level seal it's definitely possible, but with a level seven usually the success lasts long enough that no one has ever worried about a rebinding before. Even if it was to be attempted, a rebinding needs the original wizard who cast the seal in order for it to work. As I said before, barely any have survived a level seven and if they did, they lost their powers." She paused, "I guess over the years we've been fortunate that there was never the need to rebind a level seven seal."

"With that guy, I wouldn't doubt it." He received a look from Akako. "His luck isn't exactly great. People die around him pretty much every day."

From the shock on her face came confusion to Kaito's. Remembering that she lacked a way to see the media, it was Kaito's turn to explain. "Mouri Kogoro, that famous detective, Edogawa-kun lives with the guy. On more then one occasion he's been pulled into a murder case." '…and solved it.' Kaito added but dare not say.

"I see." She still seemed thrown off, but she continued down the hall. "Anyway, I should really check up on that seal."

Finally reaching their destination, Akako turned the door knob. So as not to wake him, she opened the door slowly. Her efforts were wasted, however, since the only sign of life was the unkempt sheets on the bed. Both of the teenagers entered the room paralyzed. Where had he gone?

As the two started yelling the boy's name, the shout from the servant sounded down the hall. "Mistress! If you are looking for the young master he just wandered through the eighth hall on the third floor!"

He was far away, Kaito could tell. Luckily they had been shouting loud enough for that…man or demon or whatever he was, to hear them. But did that mean Kudo could hear them too? From what Kaito could tell they were on the first floor in…a hall. The eighth one on the third sounded pretty far away from that description. Just when had the little detective woken up?

Yelling a 'thank you' to her servant, Akako ran down the hall. She beckoned for Kaito to follow but it wasn't necessary. He was already at her heels. They both desperately wanted to find Conan.

Something was about to happen - they each felt it - something bad.

Twisting and turning through doors and hallways, Kaito felt like he was in a maze. Climbing up a flight of stairs, he asked, "Just how big is your house, anyway?"

"Quite large. I'll say this: it looks smaller on the outside."

Pain from the bullet wound resurfaced in his mind. With all this running he was sure it would come back. Not to mention the fact behind Akako's last comment made him think back. From the outside the house looked gigantic. If it looked smaller from there…'Oh, I'm going to love getting back to my simple eleven room abode.'

Stepping up the last few stairs to the third floor, Akako looked from side to side. For a frightful moment, Kaito thought she was lost. If she didn't know the way through her own house, Kaito doubted he would. The only good that came from her dilemma was that it gave Kaito time to rest.

It wasn't long before the witch started to sprint again. Kaito almost had a hard time keeping up. 'Damn it, when did she get so fast?' Kaito boiled it down to magic. She must've been using it to increase her speed. That, or Kaito was just slower that day.

Reaching what Kaito assumed to be the eighth hallway, Akako started to open every door she came across. With each new creak of an entryway, Akako shouted for Conan. Soon Kaito started to as well. There were so many doors; some were unbelievably close to others. Once, Kaito had stretched out his arm because he couldn't believe there wasn't a wall there. Akako caught him dawdling and shouted at him to stay focused.

About to open what felt like his sixteenth door, Kaito noticed the one at the very end of the hall. It was big and decorative. Thinking back on about every movie with this situation he smiled. He had found the door. After all, it was always the last one.

Skipping all of the others in between, Kaito jogged toward the solemn door. While running he had remembered to shout the fake alias Kudo had made for himself. For a split second he considered actually shouting Kudo, but he thought against it.

Three doors away from the final one, Kaito had taken two swift steps in front of it when he heard it: Kudo's scream.

"NO! G-GET AWAY!"

Quickly Akako joined him. Unlike those movies he had seen, the door Kaito had found hadn't been the right one. Like those movies, unfortunately, the door was locked. Pounding and yelling, both got their own ideas.

Digging through his pockets, Kaito searched for his lock picks. The outcries continued from behind the door. Objects inside were being knocked over…there was a struggle.

Before he could find the picks, he gave up on it. Akako's plan was quicker. So much quicker, in fact, the door had already been blasted off its hinges.

Promptly, the two entered the room without a second thought. They weren't prepared for what they saw.

It appeared a struggle had indeed occurred. The furniture in the room was completely destroyed. Tables lay overturned and broken, books were shredded; even the window had been broken in some places. In front of it, Conan didn't seem to mind.

He stood still, calmly, quiet. His pose wasn't particular in any way, he just stood. It seemed he was bewitched by the soft glow of the moon. At the sound of his name, he didn't even flinch.

Taking a few steps, Kaito tried again. "Edogawa-kun?" Nothing. "…Conan-kun?" He didn't even seem to be breathing. At a loss of what to do, Kaito dared the risk.

"…Kudo!"

His last attempt seemed to have worked. Slowly the small head started to turn, the glasses glinting in the moonlight. A small repositioning step and he was then facing the two.

Horrified, they stared into his eyes – his glowing, red, bloodthirsty eyes.

None of the three said a word…but someone else did. It seemed to echo from Conan's direction. "Ah…you're that other one…the other Hoshi." Akako didn't have any proof, but she was positive the voice was that of Houseki. This wasn't good, not at all.

"What's the matter? The two of you look like you've seen a ghost." There was a small echo of a laugh. "Don't worry; I assure you…I'm very much alive."

"N-Nonsense!" Akako stuttered, but Kaito didn't blame her. Houseki's presence was anything but comforting. Stumbling over the words, Akako continued, "Y-You can't be sealed inside someone without being a spirit! It's…It's not possible if you're alive!"

"You need to do some more homework, child. It is indeed possible if you do it in the right way." Waiting for the explanation, the two were disappointed when in never came. "Hah! The looks on your faces! Both of you are children, the answers won't always be laid out for you. Sometimes you need to take them by force."

A red smoke formed around Conan and lifted up into the air. The glow from his eyes dimmed, returning to their normal color. Falling to the floor, Houseki's figure formed in the smoke above him. To a certain degree, she almost looked like an actual, physical being. Her smile sent chills down Akako and Kaito's spines.

In a split second, she was hovering only inches away from Kaito's face. Her stare kept him in place. Akako wanted to do something, but she couldn't move. The magic pressure along with fear held her in place.

She smiled once more. "I don't know who you are, but the little one has been making accusations. The answer…I'll tell you, but only because you resemble him." Kaito nodded. What else could he do?

"A seal on a person withholds their power. With a strong enough power, the process takes time. In that time if you exchange your power to another…only your memory is effected." Through her, Kaito could see the small unconscious shape by the window. He assumed Kudo to be that 'another.' "This way your current self, along with a handful of your memories are sealed within the other while the half of you keeps on living.

"Marvellous, don't you think?" Kaito didn't have a response.

As fast as she had appeared before Kaito she had disappeared. No indication existed that she was still there. But still, the two waited in silence before running over to the once again unconscious boy.

Turning him over, Akako was surprised by what lay in his hand. Glimmering brilliantly in the light from the moon was another of her family's jewels. If she recalled right it was the Beryl Bauble. She had always found the name stupid, but she did admit it was a beautiful gem. …But why did Conan have it? Or rather…why had Houseki wanted it?

One other question was trapped in her mind. Akako couldn't hold it back anymore. While carefully lifting Conan, she asked, "…Kudo. You called him that." Kaito flinched. There was something behind the name, she knew it. Earlier that day she had heard it. "What was it that name was associated with? …the 'high school detective of the East'?" he was still silent. "Conan-kun's smart, but why would you call him that, Kuroba-kun?"

Walking out of the room, Akako followed him closely. She wasn't about to give up. He pursued the answers to the end, but so did she. In order to stop him, she stated her hunch. "You called him that because that's who he is." It worked. He stopped. "That's right, isn't it, Kuroba Kaito?"

Still, he didn't respond directly to her question. "What makes you say that?"

"A number of things; you calling him Kudo for one. Not to mention his intelligence is much more advanced then any other seven year old I've encountered. Lastly…" She paused. "…his seal has been in effect for thirteen years. 'Conan-kun'…is only seven."

"That's it? I could think of a lot more…" She couldn't see his face, but Akako could tell he was smiling.

"How long have you known?" she asked.

The answer was simply a shrug. "I couldn't say. But it has been a while."

Curiosity made Akako ask the next question, "Why didn't you ever tell anyone?"

"I suppose…" He looked up at the ceiling as if it had the answers. "…I knew he had his own reasons for keeping it a secret…and I respected that."

"…Then I guess I'll have to respect your reasons, Kuroba." The voice coming from Akako's arms startled them both. When Kaito turned he saw the faint smile on the childish face. "…Or should I say…

"…Kaitou Kid?"


Every day until Saturday Ran and the others felt the need to visit the 'poor patient.' Although he had appeared perfectly fine, Akako insisted he stay until the weekend. This brought upon many requests to also stay the night. All were turned down, however.

He had slept through most of the days leading to it. Still yawning, Conan bit into the crepe that he had conjured up. Even though magic was the cause of his fainting, he was still learning the proper steps of how to use it. In a way, he felt it was ironic.

Also ironic was the fact that his double, Kuroba Kaito, was Kaitou Kid, while at the same time he, Kudo Shinichi, was also living by an alias, but instead fought crime as Edogawa Conan. Never in his life would he have imagined knowing who the thief was but not feeling obliged to tell anyone.

It seemed a small truce had formed between them. Nothing much had been said on the topic, but Conan knew that if he told anyone of Kaito's secret, he would in turn tell someone of his. Strangely enough, the worst people they could tell also happened to look exactly alike. 'It really is a small world…'

The Wednesday night had been hazy. All his memories amounted to was his lost wander through the mansion. Eventually he arrived at the room they had found him in. Any of the others he remembered didn't have very big windows. Strangely enough, that was the detail he recalled most about them. …Why windows?

During the daily visits, a certain thief had never shown up. But on that Saturday morning, he did; a huge smile on his face. Approaching behind Akako who had opened the door (she dare not show her servant to regular people) Conan felt irritation looking at the toothy grin.

Kaito seemed unfazed. "I've got great news; there's a new heist tonight."

Along with Conan, Akako was bemused. "Geez Kuroba-kun, I don't know why you steal things like that, and in all honesty – I don't really care. …So why are you telling us this?"

Looking specifically at Conan, his eyes twinkled with mischief. "Didn't you hear what the notice said?" Assuming a 'no', he pulled out a piece of paper.

Taking it from his hand, Akako read it aloud. "'More than a decade has passed since the tragedy, but to the day we recall I add one. Not by years but days.'

"'Twenty watches and nine grandfather clocks. By the reef at sea, another surfs with me. Capturing the beauty, we float with the prize into the dark horizon.'

"'Kaitou Kid.'" Sighing, Akako thrust the paper back at him. "Aren't you a little old for children's riddles?"

"But 'Conan-kun' here isn't!" He smiled mockingly. What Conan wouldn't do to have his soccer ball belt with him at that moment.

Casually, he looked away from the smiling face. "It's definitely for kids. Simple is the only word I could use to describe it." Taking a breath, he stated his deduction. "On November 21st – today – at 9:20 p.m. you'll steal the Coral Gemstone. It's famous for its likeness to actual coral. Many surfers and swimmers have considered it good luck."

Akako didn't seem quite sure. "That does make sense, but it seems like there's a bit missing. You've described the first part completely, but what about the 'another surfs with me' part? Are there two Coral Gemstones?"

"No…I don't think so." With this, Conan started to think.

He would've waited until he figured it out himself, but Akako didn't want to wait. "What are you implying there, Kuroba-kun?"

"Well…" His smile grew again. "I need a 'little' help tonight."

Both of the two standing in the door got the nudge, and both widened their eyes. Staring down at her bewildered student, Akako stuttered, "Y-You don't mean to say…"

Bending down, the smile was now right in Conan's face. It reminded him of an imp. Kaito winked. "Remember: 9:20 p.m., just like you said…

"Little helper."


This took longer than I expected, but it turned out great. xD

I could've ended it before Saturday, but I didn't like the feel of having a chapter with absolutely no change in focus or setting. It just seemed…short to me.

I hope you enjoyed it and can wait for more! =D