Shinichi lifted his eyebrows in faint surprise. "A family reunion?" He asked.
Ran's cheerful voice was slightly distorted by static as she replied, "Yep! Obaa-san is taking me right now. Apparently it's family tradition for everyone to get together on the night of the eclipse. We're going to dress up in kimonos and meet everyone-I can't believe it!"
He had to smile at her excitement. Ran had been separated from her family for most of her life. Both her grandparents on Kogoro's side were dead, and her meetings with her mother's parents were very limited. "That's great!" he said, the enthusiasm in his voice genuine. His tone softened as he added, "I hope you have fun. I know how much this means to you."
"Th-ks Sh-n-chi."the message was garbled and broken.
"Ran?" he called. "Oi, Ran! I think we're breaking up!" The line went dead. Shinichi sighed and hung up the phone, lowering his bowtie so it rested around his neck once more. The shrunken teen pushed his glasses up and slipped his cellphone into his pocket. He gazed at the Shounen Tantei, playing a game of cops and robbers on the park's lawn. A too-bright smile popped onto his face, and Edogawa Conan reappeared.
"Obaa-san, I think I see it!" Ran knew she sounded like a little girl on her first trip to the ocean, but she couldn't help but be excited when the gleaming water of the lake came into her sights. She peered happily out the window, seeing flashes of blue waves through the pines. In the seat beside hers, her grandmother, Kisaki Suzume, smiled. She was a rather pretty woman considering her age, with short, pale blond hair and few defined wrinkles. A pair of spectacles perched on her nose.
"Yes, Ran-chan, this is the place." Ran gave an excited bounce in her seat, making her grandma give a small laugh. "We're going to stop by the house first and get ready. You'll look absolutely gorgeous in a kimono! Not to say that you aren't already, dear." They exchanged smiles, Suzume's proud and Ran's bashful. The car wound through the trees, soon leaving the lake far behind. Oddly enough, the dirt road was smooth, with no bumps or litter to detain them. Shadows from the trees flickered rapidly over them as they were cast in and out of darkness. Finally, they reached a clearing and stopped. Luscious grass sprouted up, looking soft enough to sleep in.
They walked along a stone-pathed trail that lead to the porch of a Victorian-style house. A white veranda ran around the perimeter, and Rectangular windows framed by white wood were dotted all over. Soft gray rooftops were dotted with birds, though not a single speck of dirt was on their surface.
"We're staying here?" Ran gasped.
Suzume grinned. "Of course," she said loftily. "Now come on! It's going to take a while to get ready, and we don't want to be late." She walked swiftly up to the door, her gait showing no falter that might have come with her age. When they went indoors, Ran would have liked nothing more than to gape at the eloquent furnishings. Instead she opted for admiring the finely carved banister as her grandmother all but dragged her up the stairs.
Ran couldn't help but stare at her own reflection. There was not a single speck of makeup on her face. Her hair had been pulled up into a loose bun. Some locks of hair that had escaped had been curled and left to spill over her shoulders. Best of all, though, was the kimono she was wearing.
The pale pink material was wrapped comfortably around her, secured by a lavender tie. White sakura blossoms scattered along the silk from navy boughs. The sleeves were long, falling halfway over her hands when they hung by her sides, and it easily reached down to her ankles. She could only imagine how much it had cost.
As she had heard Ran's thoughts, Suzume said, "This is homemade, you know. Hours of time and effort were put into this, so take good care of it." The elderly woman winked at her granddaughter's reflection.
"Y-you made this?" Ran spluttered.
Suzume gave a lilting laugh. "I didn't, one of your cousins did. Oh, close your mouth, Ran-chan. It's not polite."
The teen flushed slightly and quickly snapped her jaw shut. "A-Arigato," she murmured, bowing slightly. "The kimono is beautiful."
"Wrong, Ran-chan, you're the one that's beautiful. The kimono just helps to bring it out. Now come on, I want to get a picture."
Smiling brightly to herself, she got up to follow her grandmother. They snapped a few pictures (Secretly, Ran couldn't wait to show them to Shinichi) before getting back in the car to go to the lake.
They arrived as the sun began to set. The lake itself was huge, stretching far beyond what she could see. Vibrant pinks and oranges was reflected in the calm waters from the sunset-painted sky above. She could see children playing in the water, splashing each other with a careless air and laughing when one tripped and fell beneath the surface. He popped up a moment later, soaked through with his hair plastered to his head.
On the grassy field that lead up to the lake, teens and adults alike mingled freely. A few hovered by some tables that were loaded with food and beverages, while others napped in the luscious grass.
"This is amazing!" Ran gasped. Her grandmother smiled and began to lead her around. Hands were shaken and names given, but all the faces began to blur in her mind. A great aunt, a distant cousin... Many bore no resemblance to her or her family, and Ran had to wonder just how distant this family was.
On and on it went, until finally, she heard music. It was a simple beat of a drum, over and over. It seemed to call out to her, and she found herself moving towards it. So was, she noticed, everyone around her. A group of musicians were sitting on a stage she hadn't noticed before, one slapping his hands down upon a drum that was held up by a stand. Another man began to beat on his drum, and then a third and a fourth, until the rhythm was loud and entrancing, captivating her attention.
Bum-du-du-du-du-dum
Bum-du-du-du-du-dum
Bum-du-du-du-du-dum
It grew louder, until the sound reached a crescendo that had her ears pounding in sync.
BUM-DU-DU-DU-DU-DUM-BUM!
Then silence. Suddenly, a cheer rose up from the crowd. Several more musicians rose to their feet, picking up their instruments and waiting for the noise to die down. A young woman lifted her bow to her violin, and a low, long note sang out as she stroked it across the strings. The other violinists jumped in, and soon all the musicians were playing. Flutes, guitars, clarinets, and so many more all blended together in a song that seemed both jubilant and haunting.
Ran turned to her grandmother, only to realize Suzume wasn't there. Instead she found a blonde teen standing beside her. "What are they doing?" She asked, a bit hesitant.
He gave her an incredulous look, asking in fluent-though accented-Japanese, "You've never been here before?" She shook her head. A wide, knowing smile broke out across his face. "We're dancing, of course! It'll last until the eclipse begins." She glanced around, realizing that people were splitting off from the crowd to do just as he had said.
"So, m'lady? Would you like to dance?" She shifted her gaze back to the boy, who offered his hands. She gave him a shy smile and accepted. A moment later he swept her away in a strange dance that she was not familiar with but quickly fell into step. He introduced himself as Tybalt. She realized with surprise his accent was German.
"So how are you related?" Ran asked as she took a step backwards.
He appeared confused. "What do you mean?"
"Well, this is a family reunion, isn't it?"
Realization dawned upon him and Tybalt let out a short laugh. "Oh! No, it's not like that. We're not all related, but we have the same... background, I suppose you could say. I might call you 'cousin', but really we have no blood relation." He pulled her a bit closer, spinning them both. A small flush appeared on her face as she realized she was dancing not with a cousin, but a near-stranger. The blush only grew when he did not step back. She belatedly noticed his hands had moved from hers to rest on her hips, bringing them into a much more intimate position.
"And might I say," Tybalt added suddenly, "You look very lovely in my kimono."
All embarrassment was lost and astonishment took its place. "You made this?" She gasped.
He grinned. "Yep. And I don't think it could have looked more lovely on anyone else." Suddenly he grinned. "So tell me, just who is the lucky guy?"
Her cheeks were three different shades of red. "W-what?" she stammered.
"It's written all over your face. You looked happy when I complimented you, but in a far-off way, as though thinking about something else. Or someone." He laughed as she stumbled, flustered and embarrassed. "So. Who is it?"
"What does it matter? You don't know him anyway," She mumbled, refusing to meet Tybalt's eyes.
He gave her a smile/smirk hybrid. "Exactly. What does it matter, then?"
Ran wished the ground would just swallow her at that point. "Shinichi Kudo," she muttered.
This time it was Tybalt who stumbled. "Did you say Kudo?" He asked. His voice was low and dangerous. At her confused nod, his eyes lit up with something almost like fear. "Listen, Ran, do not get involved with the Kudos-"
"The moon! The moon!" An unknown cry broke through the music. The song came to a premature end as everyone parted from their partners. Ran pulled away, glancing around to look at the full moon. A sliver of pale red was creeping across it's surface.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed onto her wrist. She glanced at its owner in alarm, then relaxed to see it was Suzume. "Come with me," was all she said. Ran cast one last glance at Tybalt before she was dragged away. His face was stricken, but then a group passed in front of him and he vanished from view.
Ran was lead towards the lake, stopping just as the water began to lap at her sandals. She hoisted the kimono up a bit to insure it stayed dry. Her attention was directed to a man dressed in what appeared to be ceremonial robes as he began to speak. "Mouri Ran," he said, "is one of the rare cases in our family. Her mother did not inherit our legacy, and therefore she is ignorant of our history. Today, she shall be awakened as a true member of our Clan!"
More cheers rang out. She found herself being lead into a boat with three men, two holding oars. They pushed off as soon as she sat down. Above their heads, half the moon was painted red.
A single lantern at the head of the boat lit their way through the dark waters, the stars reflected upon the surface. When the men ceased their rowing, the boat drifted on a bit longer before coming to a halt. Suzume laid her hand on her granddaughter's gently, then pulled it away. Ran felt the third man, the one she sat beside, shift. "What happens now?" She asked, a bit nervous. No other boats were with them. The shore had to be at least a mile away.
"Now," he replied, "you awaken."
Before she knew what was happening, his hand was around her throat. A surge of electricity bolted down her spine, paralyzing her muscles. Ran couldn't even scream as he lifted her out of the boat and into the water.
She sank slowly, the air bubbles trickling out of her mouth and nose in a lazy trail. The water was absolutely freezing now, chilling her to the bone. 'Am I going to die?'
Conan froze as a chill went through his body. He placed his book in his lap, turning his eyes to glance out the window. '...Ran?'
As her air supply dwindled, she fell with more speed. Her lungs were burning from lack of oxygen. A pain in her ears alerted her to the building pressure as she sank. If drowning didn't kill her, the pressure certainly would. And that's to say if she didn't freeze to death before. She had heard the lake was several miles deep. Panic, the kind that was derived from your most primal instincts, your dominant desire to survive above all else, gripped her.
'Move!' She told herself. 'You need to move!' Her fingers and toes began to tingle, probably from the cold. 'Move!' She felt despair creep up deep inside her. 'Please, someone help! I don't want to die! MOVE!'
The moon turned red.
Heat rushed into her limbs, and suddenly she could swim. She clawed for the surface, kicking with all the strength she had, but her lungs were screaming...
Ran gave in to the impulse and gasped. But it wasn't water that came into her mouth, it was air. Fresh, clean, beautiful oxygen. She was breathing. It was impossible, but she could breathe. She hovered in the water, taking quick breaths to soothe her needy lungs. The lake had been freezing her before. Now, however, it was warm.
She lingered there a moment longer before remembering she was still in the water. Slowly now, she swam towards the specks of light that had appeared above her.
Ran's head broke the surface. A hand reached down and she immediately took it, allowing herself to be lifted into a boat. In the time she'd been down there, what appeared to be hundreds of boats had sailed out. The lights she had seen were from the bright glow of the lanterns. She whirled upon her assistant, the same man who had thrown her in the water. "Why did you do that?" She nearly screamed. "I could have died!"
"That is precisely the idea." She fell silent as her grandmother spoke, sharp yet somehow gentle. She turned her disbelieving gaze upon the woman. Suzume gazed levelly back, speaking with clear authority. "It is the need to survive, combined with the magic of Tsukuyomi-sama, that allowed you to awaken. You were born and raised in a family with no magic, therefore this was the only way to bring out who you truly are."
Ran shook her head. "You are all insane," she whispered. Tears burned in her eyes as the fear of almost dying caught up with her.
"Look behind you," Suzume instructed. It was only then that Ran noticed the new weight on her back. She turned her head.
Two white wings, tinged lavender on the edges and still wet from the lake, spread out from behind her.
"You, Ran, are one of the Angels."
And so begins what I'm going to call the Youkai-verse. I'm not sure how well I did with this one... In any case, there will probably be more related to this fic later.
Please review. I'd really like your opinions on this one. -nervous, very nervous-
Oh, and I had softball tryouts today. First time playing.