The Zoo
By Shyro Foxfeather
Kaito Kuroba—a.k.a. Fluffy tailed Kitsune—obediently followed Aoko Nakamori—a.k.a. Thunderous Raiju—as the Zoo Keeper led them to an exhibit. Their teacher had assigned them a project on the Artic Lynx and Aoko wanted to actually study live ones. So here they were, being guided into the den of lots of miniature wild cats.
Lovely.
Aoko ooh'ed and ahh'ed at the petite cats as they pleasantly went about their day. She leaned on the railing a bit trying to get a closer view. She held out her clipboard and turned to the Zoo Keeper.
"So what would you say their average life span is?" She began hoping the woman would shed light to a few answers. Kaito stood back and just watched.
The Keeper blinked and opened her mouth to answer when a wailing caterwaul erupted from inside the pen. A small fluffy looking cat seemed to be attempting to instigate a fight from larger bushy one.
"Oh goodness, they're fighting again!" Cried the woman as she dug out something from her bag.
Kaito took no notice to this as he hopped the gate and attempted to corral the cats and end the bickering. Aoko—who, of course, had no idea Kaito had once gone undercover as a Zoo Keeper and actually knew what he was doing—shrieked at the loony to get away. Kaito waved her off and tried again to lure the seemingly angry cats away from each other.
The Zoo Keeper finally found what she was looking for and whipped out a nifty lil' tranquilizer.
Which she fired instantaneously.
Which missed the target entirely and shot Kuroba in the leg.
Which caused him to yelp and the lynx to skitter away.
"Kaito!" Aoko looked on in concern as her friend wobbled a bit.
"Aw don't worry. These things are specially designed to only affect animals and nothing else so your friend'll,"
She was abruptly cut off by a meaty thud as the magician fell over limp and unconscious. In the pit of a dozen largely clawed, notoriously curious lynx, no less.
To say this was one of the strangest predicaments Aoko had ever faced was an understatement.
Aoko had to hop the fence herself and slog through the underbrush that adorned the habitat to get at her best friend. She then proceeded to drag his hide out and luckily evaded the cats. (Not that she couldn't handle them, however, Raiju or no Raiju those cats probably would like her in their territory overly much.)
After retelling the story to Kaito as how the Zoo Keeper had to call the company in charge of the tranquilizers Kaito dawned an odd look and refused to speak for quite some time. When he finally did talk again he would clam up when asked about his unusually long silence.
Then again, Aoko figured it out when Kaito wouldn't walk within a ten-foot radius of Hakuba for a week.
Owari
Disclaimer: Nor my minions or I are the caretakers of the animes we engrave stories in paper—or word processor—about. Though soon we will be and you will know when that day has come.
…Ya' know what? Don't ask. The idea came to me when walking home one day and caused me to have a laugh attack. Which also caused the kid walking twenty feet behind me to stare a lot. Yeah. Strange.
I told ya' that people with tranquilizers were kinky!
Hakuba, Conan… …And now a Zoo Keeper. Oh dear.
I would like it known that I turned Aoko into a Raiju. I think it works for her and I've been meaning to make somebody a Raiju.
Raiju: Thunder Cat.
Kitsune: Fox Demon.
Zoo Keeper: Borrowed From Loki. (-Snickers-)