With the exception of the plot and the original characters that are depicted in the story, the author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended on the franchise of Detective Conan that rightfully belong to its owner Aoyama Gosho.

Once again, I would like to thank OnyxKatana, J0kersGirl, and Vivian Graythorn for all their help. I could not have finished this chapter in time without their help! So without further ado, let the fourteenth act of Paper Faces begin before our eager audience! :)

For the next three days Shinichi resumed with her research and summer assignments, yet the job request from KID still sat on the kitchen counter. The Detective of the East had barely gotten any sleep since that night and ended up doubling her daily caffeine intake so she could get through the day without falling over from exhaustion. What was she supposed to do? Decline the Phantom Thief or accept this impossible task? Tell KID a lie with help from some old contacts in the FBI? Tell him the truth? These questions kept running through her mind at every waking moment, even as the dark-haired teen toddled out of the grocery store with more canned coffee and microwavable meals in plastic bags.

"Shinichi!"

Sharp blue orbs widened and her feet almost skidded across the concrete until Shinichi caught herself from landing face first on the sidewalk. The sleuth knew exactly who was calling out to her judging by the timbre of their voice...but it was impossible. There was no way that she could be here in Ekoda, at this very moment! Right?

"Kudo Shinichi, don't you dare run away from me or I'll make you stay where you are!"

Swallowing the lump that suddenly lodged itself in her throat, Shinichi slowly turned around and gasped. Running towards her with untamed long brown hair and wide, bluish-purple eyes was someone that the budding novelist knew all too well.

"R-Ran?!" Shinichi had somehow found the strength to speak again even when the distance between them had closed within an instant. When the ballet flats of Beika's renowned karate champion stopped at less than an inch of the detective's own sneakered feet, Ran then looked up and smiled sunnily.

"Obviously, you mystery geek! Is it that easy to forget about little ol' me?" While Shinichi could quickly deduce the anxiety and motherly concern behind that little tease, this whole scenario seemed...surreal. Bizarre even. Taking a deep breath to calm herself and the thrumming heart in her ribcage to a steady beat, Shinichi looked at her childhood friend straight in the eye.

"Frankly, I thought you didn't want to be around me anymore after what happened. We didn't leave on the best of terms, and appearing at that KID fashion show was purely coincidental."

That was the unfortunate truth. Their friendship had gone as far as south as it possibly could after lying about where and what had really happened to Kudo Shinichi for almost two years. That was part of the reason why she moved to Ekoda for the final year of secondary education. What had been the point of staying in Beika when all that the Detective of the East had done to her loved ones was cause trouble and pain?

Ran's smile did not falter at Shinichi's words, although her gaze grew a bit more sombre before she replied, "I know. And I'm not going to lie; I was hurt that you didn't trust me enough to tell me what actually happened after you went after that strange guy in Tropical Land. But I've had enough time to think about it. I'm not going to say that I agree with the method behind your proverbial madness, but I do understand where you're coming from. Things have changed, and we can't go back to that time of being carefree and worrying about passing our exams. But I do know that I don't want to keep going on like this. I miss my best friend, and the idiotic detective who knew how to cheer me up when I was sad. I want us to still be friends, Shinichi!"

Ran took a step forward and hugged a shell-shocked teen, who surprisenly kept a grip on her groceries. When the petite brunette pulled away, Ran's smile became even brighter. "And what better to catch up with an old friend than getting a snack at a cafe?" The karate champion then looked around the vicinity. "Do you know any good ones that aren't too crowded around lunch-time Shinichi?"

"Y-Yeah but I think I'd get kicked out for bringing in outside food," Shinichi answered sheepishly, raising one of the plastic bags up in the air. "I'd have to drop these off at my apartment before we could go anywhere -"

"Oh, you have an apartment? How about we go there instead! I'd love to see it!"

"I-It's a little messy!"

"Shinichi, your definition of messy pales in comparison to Dad's office, and you've lived there for almost two years as a elementary school kid." Ran deadpanned as she started to push her old friend down the street. "Now, start marching! Right, left, right, left~!"

Unable to protest, the coffee-haired teenager ended up guiding them back to 223 Clyro Villa. Once she took her shoes off, Ran explored around the small living space while Shinichi pulled out an electric tea kettle and some snacks to go with the brewing beverages.

"Hey, Shinichi?" Ran called out from the back of the apartment. "You've never been all that interested in jewelry, have you?" The Detective of the East stopped what she was doing, feeling all of the blood in her face leave in an instant.

"N-No. Why do you ask?"

Hearing a steady tempo of slipper-covered feet tap the floor, Shinichi turned around to see Ran come back into the kitchen with a box in her arms. In truth, the box was more like a chest made from dark wood with a domed lid. There was an intricate inlay of lighter wood on the top, with a detailed series of silver carvings that added to its bizarre beauty. A thin metal piping ran around the the edge, coming to end with a decorative clasp that held the box closed. However, there was no keyhole or latch to open it. This was the very same box that the Detective of the East had stumbled across in that secret passage within her family estate not too long ago.

Shinichi's face became bone-white. "Um, Ran, you might want to be careful with that." The karate champion looked at the mystery geek in confusion and then back at the curious item she discovered. "Why? Is it something valuable?"

"No, it's...it's complicated."

Ran gave her childhood friend a dark look and started to tap her finger against the box's dark wood. "Kudo Shinichi, you have exactly one minute to tell me what exactly has been going on since we last each other, and don't you dare leave any details out."

Frightened at the threat Ran had just made, Shinichi inhaled a deep breath and told Ran the whole story. From her first day at Ekoda High to the Rainbow Maiden Heist before breaching the subject on how she found this box and the letter from KT. "I have an idea as to who this 'Night Baron' that the envelope addressed to is, but when I was doing research on Pandora, I got a message from KID. He wants to me to find his critic, the KID Killer, and I have no damn idea what to do!" Shinichi ran a hand through her hair, exhaustion and anxiety dancing her blue eyes. "How can I do that...when I'm trying so hard to forget about that part of me? The KID Killer? A snot-nosed brat who kept getting into trouble and was the real Sleeping Kogoro?"

A heavy silence fell upon Number 223 until Ran leaned forward and flicked Shinichi's nose. "Even after getting shrunk into a kid by a secret crime organization, you're as dumb as ever when it comes to daily life Shinichi. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you can't just forget about being Edogawa Agatha. It's part of who you are, and there's nothing wrong with that. So stop letting it govern what you can and can't do."

"But!"

"I'm not hearing it, Shinichi, so stop getting worked over something that's been said and done. I want to see the Kudo Shinichi who could tackle anything and everything life threw at her with a confident grin. Throw in a soccer ball if you have to! Just...live the life you want to. That's all I ask."

Shinichi then smiled bitterly. "Even when that... arrogance was part of the reason why I became Edogawa Agatha in the first place?" She looked at her friend with a worried expression. "KID has been fighting those men in black for almost two years. And if they found out that you know as much as I do about their motives, Pandora, the Box, they'll hurt you or your family. You've already been put through enough hell with the Black Organization, and I'll be damned if it happens again."

Ran frowned before she pinched Shinichi's arm, earning a small yelp from the sleuth. "And if I recall, your misconception of keeping everything a secret from others is what dragged out this problem with those men in black for almost two years. Furthermore, I'm capable of taking care of myself just as much as you can and Dad. Don't forget who got me into karate in the first place!" The brunette added with a smirk. "So for the love of every deity that's ever been worshipped in Japan, shut up and let me help you."

Shinichi stared at Ran long and hard, before she sighed heavily, glancing at the intricate box sitting on the breakfast bar. "Fine. There's no record of this chest in any online research I've done. Not in Japan or in America. Do you know anyone who might be able to figure out its origins and how exactly to get it open? Instead of a hole to put a key in it, as you may have seen, there's something else to unlock the box. What it could be, I don't know. Has your father had any recent clients who specialize in antiques or a similar field?"

The karate champion looked thoughtful, placing a hand under her chin. "No, not recently. Business has gotten quiet since Edogawa Agatha left the Mouri Detective Agency but not to the point where it's hard for Dad to find work. Sonoko's uncle might know a few people. He does try to outdo KID at heists where his collection is on display, after all. And before you get any bright ideas about contacting Jodie Starling or any other American federal officers to throw KID off your 'case' to find the KID Killer, at least consider the idea of telling him the truth. And to your other friends too. Kuroba-kun and Aoko-chan too"

"Ran!"

"Shinichi, I'm not always going to be here in Ekoda. And I… just don't want you to lose more friends because you hid things from them. Let others help you, Shinichi. Please." That was the last thing Ran mentioned on the grim topic before she changed it to something lighter over their refreshments.

Time slowly ticked by as they caught up with what was going in their respective lives before Ran realized it was getting late and she had to meet up Sonoko at the grand opening of a new hotel in the name of the Suzuki conglomerate. That was the reason why Ran and her father were in Ekoda for the day, aside from sight-seeing and the former's half-hearted attempt to arrange another blind date with her estranged parents. Once they shared their updated contact information, Shinichi walked Ran to the door with the promise to call her and meet up again before summer vacation ended.

The Detective of the East sighed softly as she locked up the apartment. Who would have thought that a quick trip to the market would end with easing the tension between herself and Ran, much less get the latter involved with Pandora? It was too late to back out or else Shinichi would face her friend's wrath. And the sight of a scorned friend who knew martial arts was something to never take lightly.

Sharp azure orbs looked back at the box again. She blinked once, then twice before she pulled out her phone. Going through the sparse list of contacts, the Detective of the East found the person she was looking for. There was a slim chance they would answer given to the current time-zone. But if she was going to get any closer to solving this mystery, there were risks she had to take. Including this one.

Raising a thumb, Shinichi pressed the 'call' button and listened to the other line ringing.

It looks like our Detective of the East has not only been able to fix her friendship with Ran, but Beika's top karate champion is on board to help Shinichi on her current case! Will she take her friend's advice to heart and tell the truth to Kaito and Aoko, or even KID? Or will she still try to hide the actual whereabouts of the still-missing KID Killer? Only time shall tell at this point :)

Please feel free to review or PM me with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism. Thanks to everyone who has favorited, reviewed, and added Paper Faces to their alert lists.

See you next illusion. - (KID caricature)