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. So without further do, the curtains have risen and the fifteenth act of Paper Faces will begin momentarily! Please enjoy and thank you for your patience! :)

When Shinichi called to that certain person as soon as Ran had left, she didn't expect him to pick up right away. Though when she heard his voice on the other line, the dark-haired teen greeted him and answered any questions he had before giving a few of her own. Who was KT? What was his or her connection to Night Baron? Why was there a hidden room in the library of the Kudo compound?

Initially surprised at the sudden interrogation, Kudo Yuusaku eventually answered his daughter in a calm tone. Firstly, "KT" was the initials for Kuroba Toichi, an internationally known magician and a friend of the family, so to speak. Including being the late father of her friend Kuroba Kaito, he had also been the mentor of Kudo Yukiko, teaching her everything she knew about the art of disguise. Following the answer to her initial question, he lightly mentioned the friendly rivalry he had shared with Toichi-san when they were younger. Occasionally, they engaged themselves in various games to test their wits against each other. It was similar to the current friendship Shinichi had with Kaito, but at the same time different. What she had found in the library was a very special item that Toichi-san had given to Yuusaku for safekeeping.

Shinichi could not believe what she was hearing. The history that her family shared with Kuroba-kun's went that far back? The Detective of the East did not have any memory of meeting the messy-haired magician, much less his own parents. However, the more she thought about it, Shinichi did have a vague remembrance of a tall, gentle man who would amuse her by pulling items out of thin air. And as touching as all of this sounded, what could have prompted Toichi to entrust her father with an antique chest that had no keyhole or latch to open it? That did not add up, no matter how hard her little grey cells buzzed with plausible possibilities.

"But if that was the case, then why he would go to such lengths to hide this chest in a secret room of our house? Is it a valuable family heirloom for Kuroba-kun to inherit when he comes of age? Or was he such an eccentric person when it came to hiding items?" Shinichi asked with a raised brow.

Yuusaku hummed softly. "During one of his travels around the world, Toichi-san came across a valuable gem that required safekeeping beyond the usual security system of a vault in a bank. It wasn't so much as an heirloom to pass onto Kaito-kun, because Toichi-san did not want anyone else to find it. Not even his son until the time was right."

The coffee-haired teen frowned. "Is it really so precious that Toichi had no intention of giving it to Kuroba-kun but instead he gave it to you? That sounds a little fishy." The contemplative expression deepened ever so slightly as she heard her father clear his throat. It was a quirk he rarely indulged in unless what he was going to say next could not be repeated outside the walls of Number 223.

"Ah, well, it isn't exactly that simple. The gem that Toichi-san discovered was very special and one of a kind. For many years it had been the catalyst of many conflicts throughout history, and is still the treasure that some very dangerous people wish to have in their grasp."

Shinichi mulled over the answer, though it only raised more questions that the sleuth wished to ask.

"That still doesn't explain why he would give away this precious cargo, or even obtain it in the first place. You've told me that this 'family friend' was a magician, not a gem collector. I do not see what usage it would be to a magician when the encore of an audience is what they strive for. Especially if it's been sought after by some dangerous people." At least, that was the conclusion Shinichi had come to after spending time with Kaito and seeing his magic first-hand.

Yuusaku sighed on the other end. Toichi-san had left him a fine mess to clean up and explain. What he thought was going to be a friendly conversation with his daughter had become a delicate situation that had to be handled with the utmost caution. It was obvious to the novelist that Shinichi remained oblivious about Toichi-san's night life, therefore she did not understand what was the connection between the chest and a deceased magician. After all, how was he supposed to explain that his "friend" had been the original Magician under the Moonlight, and their "games" had been countless heists Toichi-san had pulled off? However, considering the intelligence that resided within his daughter, it was only a matter of time before she put the pieces together. Inhaling a deep breath, he continued.

"Including being one of its kind in existence, this particular gem was also rumored to have special properties that an association of people desired to almost an fanatical level. Toichi-san was already being targeted by this group when they realized he was after the sam gem as them, and he knew it. When he finally got it, he also received the risk of endangering his family. To keep Kaito-kun and Chikage-san safe, Toichi-san needed to hide the gem as soon as possible. He then sent it to me temporarily until he could hide it from those people for good. Unfortunately, after a few weeks I had come to possess this item, there was a large and fatal accident at one of his shows. The entire place had burst into flames in the midst of this performance, and much of the audience suffered mild to severe injuries. Thankfully there were no casualties, except for one Kuroba Toichi. This all I could tell you, because it's all he would tell me before he died."

Silence fell upon the two of them as Shinichi's mind processed what she heard. It was a surprise that Kuroba-kun's father died, but in an accident that also resulted in harming civilians as well because of these 'dangerous people'? Yet one thing was certain: her father is hiding something from her, and he will not say anymore than what he has already told her. All of a sudden, the coffee-haired sleuth recalled the conversation she had with Haibara not too long ago.

A rare gem with special properties and catastrophic history.

A dangerous group of people seeking it.

Shinichi knew one candidate that fits the proverbial bill. But that was impossible! There was no way that Toichi found it, was it? A well-known magician and this stone...they seemed totally unrelated, yet somehow it made sense. Taking a chance on her intuition, the normally confident detective hesitantly broke the silence.

"...Does it have to do with a woman who got too curious for her own good and released evil into the world?"

The speculations of the Night Baron were confirmed. His daughter was hopelessly inquisitive and had gotten herself in yet another mess. How she did it after taking out the largest criminal syndicate to date was beyond his comprehension. Regardless, it seemed she had done her homework and hit the nail on the head all at the same time. She had probably deduced the true contents of the chest via gleaning information from Toichi-san's cryptic letter. The magician enjoyed riddles as much as the next person. It had even taken Yuusaku a lot longer than usual to decipher its contents. The novelist then released the breath he had been holding before speaking again.

"I'm assuming you read the letter, then? And you've seen what's inside of the chest?"

Shinichi laughed sheepishly over the phone. "Well, I found the item but I didn't actually open the letter. I...ran into a little trouble some time ago, and just followed up on it. Haibara confirmed a few things I was curious about. The conclusion about the gem was a wild, but intelligent, guess. When I saw 'Night Baron' on the letter, I figured it was something related to you. I had no clue any of this was linked to my idiotic classmate, much less his father. And if there was something for Kuroba-kun inside of that chest, that isn't any of my business. That's between a father and his son, not a nosy detective. Plus, how am I supposed to open something that doesn't even appear to have a lid?"

Yuusaku guffawed on the other line. "You're serious?"

"I wouldn't be saying it if it wasn't true, would I? Especially about something like this." Shinichi looked at the chest with slightly narrowed eyes. "Ran is aware about what's going on as well. And before you start lecturing me, I was threatened with a fist of destruction unless I told her the truth this time. She came into town today, and decided to patch things up with me over some tea at the apartment. That's how she found the chest lying around in my room. Now, she is on board to help, and won't take a 'no' for an answer this time.. Ran has even...Dad, she wants me to tell my friends everything. The Black Organization. Edogawa Agatha. But...what am I supposed to do?" Shinichi sighed heavily. "I know now it's a part of me that will never go away, though the information she wants to divulge in is still sensitive information that isn't ready to be released into the public just yet."

A heavy silence fell upon the two members of the Kudo family before Yuusaku decided to speak, bestowing his confused daughter with wisdom he had gained as a novelist, sleuth, and above all else, a father.

"Shinichi, that is a hard decision to make, like everything else we must face in life. I trust your judgement, and will support whatever that will be. Your mother will behind you as well. You're not alone, Shinichi. Never forget that."

"But Dad-"

The Detective of the East started to say but she was cut off by her father's soft, but firm tone.

"Kudo Shinichi, I have seen you grow up from a tiny toddler who had an expertise in getting herself into trouble into a confident young lady who gets herself into even worse situations. However, now you don't need me to be at your side the entire time. My little girl managed to take down an entire crime syndicate while being stuck in a six year old body. If that isn't enough proof for a father that his daughter has grown up into someone capable of handling herself, then I don't know what is.

"Look, kiddo. I understand why Ran wants you to tell your friends everything. And I understand why you don't want to revisit that part of your past. However, at the end of the day, it is a part of you. Agatha is part of who you are, and you cannot deny or change the fact. Ran's point is that your friends have a right to know. And I can tell you that they won't think any less of you if they find out. They may be surprised, even shocked, but they will accept you for who you are. As for the sensitive details, both of us know that you are intelligent enough to know what to reveal and what not. They will understand that some parts are confidential, but don't use that excuse to hide other information. They trust you; don't break that trust, Shinichi."

Shinichi was stunned into silence. She could barely formulate words, let alone a coherent response. Her father was the silent type, and rarely spoke up in so many words. She knew he was proud of her, but it moved her to hear him express it. Shinichi could imagine his soft smile on the other end, from the way he let out a long breath. Her voice was shaking as she spoke and small smile of her own began to stretch across her face.

"Thank you, Dad."

Shinichi could almost see her father's smile, even when there were thousands of miles between them. Another twenty minutes passed before the line between them and disconnected. As much as she wanted to continue the investigation with this newly acquired information, the Detective of East decided to call it a day with instant beef-flavored ramen and The Hound of Baskervilles before heading to bed.

xPFx

Kaito was worried.

Summer vacation was over and the second semester of school started today. So why did Shin-chan looked like she was going to keel over from exhaustion? Granted, he felt guilty for not hanging out with her that much for the rest of the summer, but he did have a lot of research that needed get done for a few heists he was planning on holding for the next three months. Furthermore, he was still cautious about interacting with the Detective of the East since the Organization has begun to move. Over the last few weeks, there had been at least three thefts of Big Gems at different locations in equally guarded museums; two in Japan, and one in Paris. While the items in question had been returned a day or so later, it was still enough to raise alarm with the authorities.

The dark-haired teen had a feeling that Snake was behind these random sprees, or at least had some involvement in them. The M.O. that was used to bypass security was similar to the ones from his prior crimes, even going back as far as the beginning of his career. Why? Probably to throw the police off guard that the culprit was someone who was still a greenhorn in the criminal underworld rather than a thief who's evaded the law for almost two decades.

"Kaito?" The prankster almost jolted out of his reverie when Aoko suddenly appeared before him, a worried look on her face when she stole a glance at their mutual friend. "Is everything alright with Shinichi-chan? She looks so tired, perhaps even worse than when I saw her prior to our midterm exams. Has she not been eating or getting enough sleep again?"

He blinked at his childhood friend and looked at Shinichi once more before he smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry Ahouko. I'll find out what's going on with our dearest Shin-chan. Speaking of which, I wonder if she's wearing something else aside from black shorts underneath her skirt~?"

That remark prompted Aoko to grab the nearest broom and start swinging it around in a blind fit of moral outrage. Soon after it began, the forty-something homeroom teacher came into the classroom with the broom nearly missing a blow to the head. However Furukawa-sensei continued to make her way to the desk, completely used to the pandemonium.

Once she dropped a very heavy book on the desk to get the students' attention, especially the ones that were sleeping - the first class of the day commenced with roll call. Through the homeroom period, Kaito kept an eye on the coffee-haired detective. He knew that the girl had taken at least her usual dose of morning caffeine, but she seemed even worse than one of the days she did not consume the devil's drink known as coffee.

The morning slowly ticked by, and yet he grew more worried at her behaviour when the afternoon classes started after lunch. He could make out the dark circles beneath her usually bright indigo eyes, which seemed dull and listless. The dark-haired prankster hoped that she would eventually "wake up", or at least become more energetic before the day ended. Though at this rate, it seemed like his prayers were not going to be answered.

Unfortunately, the pattern seemed to repeat itself again on the following day, and then the day after. When Thursday came around, Kaito had enough of being the observer; he needed to know what was bothering the teen, and just watching her at every moment was not going to help solve anything. Finally having had enough when he noticed that Shinichi was absolutely distracted in English class for the third time this week, he made up his mind to confront the girl. His feelings had gone well beyond concern and he was now seriously worried about her.

He asked Shinichi to come with him onto the rooftop for some privacy, under the excuse that it had concerned about his idol. Kaito's blue-purple eyes widened slightly as he watched the girl's face become a shade of bone-white.

"Shin-chan? What's wrong?" The magician then grabbed Shinichi by the shoulders. "Did...did getting a letter from KID really bother you that much?" When the sleuth stiffened even further in his arms and did not reply immediately, Kaito's anxiety increased tenfold. He was oblivious to the internal war being waged within Shinichi. Ran's words were echoing in her mind, coupled with recent events had left her shaken to the core.

"Let others help you."

"They trust you; don't break that trust, Shinichi."

Should she tell Kaito the truth, or keep him and everyone else in the dark so that they would be safe? Yet...was it worth repeating history again, and losing another friend in the process? How long would the war with this Organization last? A year? Two years? Even a decade? The Detective of the East inhaled a deep breath, and relying on her sharp mind before she came up with a final solution. When she did...it was one that she had a feeling she would regret.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft, almost inaudible male voice. "Shinichi?"

Azure orbs looked up at darker ones before the coffee-haired teen pulled away. "Kaito...there's no need for KID to look for Edogawa Agatha any longer. Because….I know where she is." She then placed a hand over her beating heart.

"Edogawa Agatha. She is...me."

Well, it looks our sleuth has decided to take a leap of faith and tell Kaito the truth! How will the budding relationship between Shinichi and the magician continue from here? Will it blossom or wither? Only time shall tell! :)

In December, there was a poll on my profile pertaining to the next writing project I would do with Detective Conan and the votes have been tallied. And the winner was...Miraculous Ladybug! On another note, the first chapter has just been published under the title An Owl in Paris. Please stop by and take a look at it! Feedback is greatly appreciated!

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)