(I don't own Detective Conan or Magical Kaito)
"Nani?" This girl was not Ran. Nakamori Aoko blinked down at the little boy who had just tugged urgently on her skirt. He was soaked from the rainfall His blue eyes were pleading for something and his hair was just a mess, neater than Kaito's but still a mess. She glad to see it wasn't Kaito. If it had been… well we won't go there. Aoko bent down eye level with the little boy.
"Excuse me." His face blushed bright red. "I thought you were my neechan." He muttered looking to the ground, clearly embarrassed. Aoko smiled slightly and lifted his chin up.
"Oh, are you lost?" She asked sweetly. She was similar to Ran, that was for sure. She even looked like her. Then what Aoko had asked hit Conan.
"No!" He said defensively. "I just got separated from her." He was blushing slightly. Aoko giggled.
"So you lost your neechan?" Conan thought it over. It sounded right.
"Yes." He nodded. Aoko smiled at him and straightened up and took Conan's hand in hers.
"Let's find a security guard to find her, ne?" she suggested gently. Conan shook his head flinging raindrops from his hair as he did.
"I'm not lost. I just need to find her." Aoko was slightly taken aback but remained pleasant.
"I'll help you find her then. Nakamori Aoko desu ka." She introduced herself.
"Boku na Edogawa Conan." He returned the introduction.
"Well Conan-kun, can you wait just minute? My friend Kaito had to go to the restroom." She smiled kindly. Conan nodded. Kaito? He thought, As in Kaitou Kid? Or wait, that's pronounced differently. Aoko noticed the wasp sting on his left forearm.
"Did you hurt yourself?" She asked soothingly.
"Ano… I got stung." Conan explained. Aoko nodded sympathetically.
"Aoko-chan!" a girl with light brown hair came up to them. Aoko looked at her.
"Keiko-chan! I'd like you too meet Edogawa Conan-kun." She turned to Conan. "Conan-kun, this is my best friend Moimoi Keiko" Conan nodded to the girl.
"Konnichiwa." He said politely. Keiko nodded back.
"Aoko-chan, Hakuba-kun and Kaito-kun are at each other throats again." She turned back to Aoko. Hakuba? So Hakuba's here?
"Mou…" Aoko sighed exasperatedly. "Those two… Ano Conan-kun, do mind coming with me to resolve a little problem?" Conan shrugged. All he really wanted was to find Ran and get out of this downpour maybe go home and take a nap. Aoko took his hand in hers again and followed Keiko to another part of the park where two boys were arguing back and fourth, another girl stood by them with a blank expression on her face.
"Kaito!" Aoko made him jump. One of the boys quickly turned around. Conan stared wide-eyed for minute before shaking his head. This boy looked un-cannily like him, the older version of him anyway, Kudo Shinichi. Except this boy's hair was unruly where as Shinichi's own hair was neat. Kaito was also a few inches shorter than Kudo. Kaito's eyes fell on the little boy who was holding Aoko's hand. Kaito blinked at him and then turned to Aoko.
"Ne, Aoko. Who's the kid?" Aoko looked down at Conan.
"This is Conan-kun. Kawaii ne?" She smiled.
"Ah, I guess." Kaito nodded to Conan.
"Hakuba-niichan?" Conan looked past Kaito and over to the half British Detective. Hakuba blinked at him.
"Ah! Conan-kun. Good to see you again." He pushed past Kaito to get to the little boy. "What brings you to tropical land?" Hakuba knelt down next to him.
"I came here with Ran-neechan."
"Where is she now?" Conan shrugged.
"I don't know. I'm looking for her." Suddenly Shinichi felt an annoying look of confidence on him. He knew this feeling. Kaitou Kid is somewhere nearby? Oh just peachy! Now he can laugh at me now that I'm soaked to the core and I have a rapidly swelling bump on my arm… Am I allergic to wasps? He let his mind wander.
"You're lost?" Hakuba's voice brought it back.
"No!" Conan responded quickly. "I just can't find her."
"He's lost." Kaito nodded to Hakuba. Conan glared. Something about Kaito was annoying.
"No, I'm not." Kaito now knelt down next to him. He
"Listen kid, you can't find your Neechan, you're lost."
"That just means I lost her. It doesn't mean I don't know where I am."
"Do you?"
"Tropical Land." Conan retorted, if he asked which part he'd just tell him the newer part. He did.
"I know you know you're in tropical land, but how about the section of tropical land?
"The newer part."
"That's right. Ne, Could you get yourself to the entrance from here?" Conan glared. Kaito had him.
"O-of course I could!" Shinichi lied. "It's that way." He pointed blindly, hoping he was right.
"Nope." Kaito shook his head a bit of amusement in his voice. Conan turned bright red.
"Don't embarrass him Kuroba-kun." Hakuba said as Kaito glared at him.
"Ano Hakuba-kun, do you know Conan-kun?" Aoko asked still standing by Conan's side.
"Ah." The detective nodded. "I've met up with him on two occasions. He lives with Mouri-tantei in Beika district."
"Little boy." The girl who had just been standing was now inspecting Conan. "Looks like you should learn not to mess with bees." She was holding his left arm out.
"Ah…" this girl made Conan slightly nervous.
"We can take you home if we don't find your Neechan." Aoko offered. Conan nodded.
"Aoko-chan" Keiko was whispering. "What if he was abandoned?" Aoko blinked at Conan.
"I don't think so. If he was I'll just keep him at my house, Tousan won't mind too much." Keiko nodded and watched as Conan conversed with Kaito and Hakuba.
"Ma!" She said. "At least Kaito-kun and Hakuba-kun aren't arguing anymore." Aoko nodded in agreement.
"So Conan-kun, where do you think she is?" Conan thought about it.
"I was thinking about the food court. Ano I'm sure she's looking for me by now." He glanced around in hopes to see Ran striding towards him, but he didn't.
"We should get out of the rain." Kaito Commented, "Getting soaked isn't going to do him any good." Conan had to admit he was right. The longer he stood out in the rain the more likely he was to develop a cold. He did NOT need a cold.
"Doko?" He asked looking around for some source of shelter. Kaito looked around too.
"How about the restaurant over there?" Conan nodded. Anywhere was better than here having buckets of water dumped on him. Hasn't the rain slowed down yet?
"Attention, your attention please." An announcement sounded overhead. Please be 'Edogawa-sama come to the front office.' He thought. "Due to strong winds coming in, we ask you to evacuate the park. Have a nice day." It's never good news. Conan sulked. Aoko looked down at Conan.
"Ano… we can't stay in the park, how about we just drive you home?" Ochan should be home. Shinichi remembered.
"Hai." He nodded. Aoko took out her cell phone and called her father to come get them.
"Well let's head to the entrance." She held Conan's hand again. Kaito was considering just picking him up, but Shinichi would have no doubt objected.
They must have walked all the way to the other side, still no Ran. She's probably worried sick about me. Conan thought guiltily. Aoko led him to a bench where they sat. Kaito stood around with Hakuba occasionally they would start to bicker. Keiko and the other girl, Akoko, were sitting next to Aoko.
"How many times do I have to tell you that? Baka!" Kaito exploded.
"Mou…" Aoko covered her face with her hands. Conan watched them closely before a car came up and honked. I guess I'll just tell Ochan what happened. He decided. "Come on Conan-kun." Aoko said sweetly taking his hand again. She had done that a lot. Not that it bothered him it was just that he missed Ran's hand. Aoko and Ran were very similar there were two key differences between them. Their hair, Ran's hair had a sort of lean in it, and Aoko's sort of stuck out. The other was the fact that Aoko was short, Ran was of average height.
"Tousan!" Aoko said in the sweet I-love-you-will-you-give-me-a-hundred-dollars-for-shoes way. Her father caught on, Conan noticed, rather quickly.
"Nani Aoko?" Shinichi heard him inquire.
"Do you mind giving a friend of mine a ride back to Beika?" She smiled the sweet innocent daughter smile.
"B-Beika? That's on the other side of the city" I guess I'll have to stay here then. Shinichi recognized the unmistakable no coming on.
"Please Tousan? He needs a ride, he lost his neechan."
"Oi Aoko, how old is your 'friend'?" Aoko looked back over at Conan.
"Seven or eight."
"Nani?" her father's voice was familiar. "Is he lost?"
"Ah, but he won't tell you that." Kaito went up to him.
"Oh, Kaito-kun. Will I be giving you a ride too?"
"Ah, if not I can call my mom."
"It's no trouble. But since the kid's so young, I'll be happy to give him a ride home." Aoko waved Conan over, suddenly his legs felt like lead and his head was swimming. Just great. I caught a cold. He recognized as his nose started to run. Damn this child's body! Conan slowly started to wobble over to Aoko. The rain had just gotten worse and now there was a strong wind. Conan thought if he were any smaller he would be blown away. Aoko grabbed his hand again to help him into the minivan.
"Careful Conan-kun, don't trip." She got in after him, Kaito Following in after her. Keiko took the front seat. Aoko's father turned around to ask Conan which street he lived on and froze.
"Conan-kun?" Nakamori Ginzou, head of the Kaitou Kid task force was Aoko's father.
"Nakamori-keibu!" Conan was glad to see a familiar face again.
"You got los-" Nakamori was cut off.
"Separated from his neechan." Kaito corrected.
"Ah… hai." Conan nodded. He looked down at his arm where the wasp had stung him. He had been so mad at his misfortune he had forgotten about it. I seriously think I maybe allergic to wasps. The puncture wound had swollen to the size of a golf ball. It made his arm look out of proportion. Taku. The agitated tantei leaned back in the seat. One comforting thought in his mind. He would be home soon enough.
"You know him Tousan?" Aoko blinked. Nakamori turned the engine on.
"Yes, he lives with Mouri-kun. I know where he lives." He pulled out into the street.
"Ne kid, you look a little pale." Conan turned to face Kaito to retort but found Kaito's hand on his forehead.
"Kaito!" He had to reach over Aoko to get to Conan. "He has a name you know." She told him as he returned to his side.
"He also has a fever." Kaito replied nonchalantly. Aoko's hand was the next to touch Conan's forehead.
"Poor thing!" Aoko hugged him to her chest. Shinichi was very aware his face was against her breast.
"Oi!" Kaito pulled Aoko away.
"Doshte?" She asked. Conan studied Kaito closely. There was something about that 'Oi' that sounded protective.
"You were smothering him." Kaito looked out the window.
The remainder of the ride was quiet. Finally Nakamori pulled up the Mouri tantei Agency.
"We'll wait for you to get in." Aoko assured as she opened the door for him. Kaito got out and stretched. He then followed Conan up the stairs.
"I'll explain the situation." He justified watching as Conan sprinted up the steps to the office door. Kaitou would have laughed when he saw the tantei trip on his shoelaces and smack his face against the stairs, if had not been that the little tantei was miserable enough and made a pained noise when it had happened. Kuroba Kaito though, quickly went to the younger aid, and noticed that his lip was bleeding.
"You okay?" he helped him up. Conan wasn't sure. Suddenly the world seemed to be out to get him.
"I think so." Conan started his journey back up the stairs. Kaito waked along side him and leaned against the wall when Conan rang the doorbell. They waited. After about three minutes Conan went up to the actual living quarters and rang the bell there. He waited seven minutes this time. He was going wait longer when he felt Kaito's hand touch his shoulder.
"Come on kid, I'm sure Nakamori-san will let you stay with him for a little while." He started to head down the stairs. Conan stood still, frozen to the spot. Perhaps it was from the sudden wave of dizziness that hit him like a brick, or maybe it was because he was shocked that no one was home. Where are they?
(Yay chapter two!)