Chapter Eighteen

"Luck is a very thin wire between survival and disaster, and not many people can keep their balance on it."

-Hunter S. Thompson

Ruri opened her eyes and tried to blink away the sleep. Light streamed through the cracks in the curtains and slightly illuminated the room.

She managed to pull herself out of bed without so much as a groan and made her way to the bathroom for a shower.

After her shower, Ruri felt much more awake and clean. She brushed her teeth and slipped on a shirt matched with some short pants.

Ruri made a cup of tea and stared at white box. She felt like it mocked her a bit.

Pulling on a jacket, she left the room after she finished her tea.

Making her way to the lobby for breakfast, she spotted Kichirou and hid from his sight.

He seemed to be on the phone. Ruri didn't feel like talking to the big creep.

He was probably scheming with the other person on how to torture poor little animals or something, she was sure of it.

She sneakily made her way to the breakfast room and was met by one of the waiters who guided her to an empty table.

Ruri had managed to ride out the entire day without running into Kichirou. It was about 4pm and the ball was supposed to start in 2 hours.

She sat in the lobby, reading a newspaper. And of course, right on the front page was Jirokichi's challenge to KID.

Ruri had to sigh. He really wasn't going to give up until he caught the thief, was he? She did have to give the old man credit for his persistence though. Ruri would never be able to keep up for that long.

"Ruri-san!" a voice made Ruri look up from the paper.

She smiled when she saw Ran,Conan, and Sonoko walking towards her.

"Ran-san and Conan-kun, hello!" she greeted.

"Have you decided to come to the party?" Ran asked.

"Ah...well..."

Ran grinned. "Sonoko was actually grumbling about giving you a dress."

"I was just saying it was a waste of a girl to not use the opportunity to go!" Sonoko huffed. "And... well, I've got lots of dresses for you to choose from, if you ever... decide you want to go."

Ruri was shocked at first but it quickly turned into a smile. "Thank you, Suzuki-san," she said.

"Just call me Sonoko. And why don't you come up to my room! I've got at least 2 other dresses for you to choose from!" Sonoko pulled on Ruri's hand.

Before she could protest, Ruri was already in the elevator and being pushed into Sonoko's suite.

As Sonoko ran around, Ruri stood next to Conan who seemed bored out of his mind.

She decided to talk with him.

"So... why does Suzuki-san seem so ok with me?" she asked.

Conan glanced upwards and decided to drop the child act for now.

"Ran told Sonoko aaall about you. Since she seemed to like you, I guess Sonoko has no reason to hate you," Conan shrugged.

"Oh," Ruri was kind of flattered. She had no idea Ran talked about her.

"Ruri! Come over and try this one!" Sonoko held out a short white dress with little sequins all over, making it sparkle.

"Um..." Ruri wasn't sure she liked it very much.

"Come on!"

She was pulled into a separate room and the dress was shoved into her hands.

"I don't want to see you come out unless you're wearing that thing!" Sonoko yelled from the other side.

Ruri sighed and began to take off her clothes.

Ok, Conan had to admit it. Sonoko had good taste in clothing. There. His jaw had almost dropped to the floor when Ruri walked out. The dress itself had looked a little too eye-catching for a shy-looking girl like Ruri, but it actually complimented her looks quite well.

Her brown hair curled right at her shoulders and some strands fell sexily around her neck, bringing out the natural slenderness. Her blue eyes were brought out by the dress' light color and her un-marred skin was a healthy creamy white. The dress stopped right below her thighs, showing off the girls slender legs.

All in all, Ruri was beautiful.

"Oh my god!" Sonoko squealed. "You look amazing in that!"

"You really do, Ruri-san," Ran agreed.

Ruri turned a bright red. "No, no, I don't. You're just saying that," she said as she tried to hide her face.

"We're not! Come take a look in the mirror!" Sonoko practically dragged Ruri to a standing mirror.

Ruri stared in wonder at her reflection.

I-It's not as good as the one KID gave me but... I could go in this.

"So? What do you think about going now?" Sonoko asked.

"O-Ok," Ruri nodded.

"Great! Ran and I will go put on our dresses and then we can go!"

Sonoko dragged Ran back into her walk-in closet, Ruri waited patiently.

Conan walked over to the girl who seemed a little out of it.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

Ruri seemed startled by his question.

"I... I'm a little surprised that Suzuki-san is doing all this for me," she mumbled, her face turning a little red.

Conan nodded. Sonoko didn't really seem like that type at first glance.

"You mentioned the person you admire did magic," he commented.

"Oh, yes. He's a bright and fun person. But that's not the reason I admire him. It's because even though his life has been hard, he still dedicates time to making people smile. He doesn't let something tragic get him down."

Conan noticed Ruri's eyes begin to mist over.

"You sound like you like him," he observed.

Ruri smiled. "No, not in that way. I certainly like him, and he makes me flustered at times, but it's not... a sense of love. Besides, he's got someone he loves."

Conan noticed a bit of sadness at the end.

"Ok! We're all ready to go!" Sonoko yelled.

She was wearing a short black dress with a little bow at her waist.

Ran wore a similar looking blue dress that ended just above her calves.

Ruri glanced around, looking at all the different dresses the women wore. Some were like hers, others were more like the one KID had given her. She assumed those people would be taking part in the ball later.

"Oh, Ruri-chan, you came," a voice came up from behind her.

She whipped around and came face-to-face with Hamasaki Kichirou. He was smiling darkly.

"Oh, yes, I did," she tried to be more assertive.

Kichirou simply licked his lips creepily.

"You just couldn't keep yourself away from me, eh?" he leaned in to whisper in her ear.

Ruri covered her ear and took a few steps backwards and ran into a pillar.

Kichirou crossed the distance between them and blocked Ruri off.

"Why don't we go somewhere more quiet?" he whispered right next to her other ear.

Ruri shivered in disgust.

"I would rather not," she retorted.

Just as she was about to push them away, he tutted.

"Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn't do that if I were you," he smirked and gestured to Ran.

Ruri noticed men in other black tuxedos a distance away from her that didn't look like security.

"If you do something bad... I'm not sure I can guarantee what won't happen to her," he chuckled.

"You-"

"Ah, no back-talking," Kichirou cut her off.

He wrapped an arm around Ruri's shoulders and guided her out of the hall.

He had just called an elevator when there was a dull thud and Kichirou was on the ground.

"Jeez, ojou-san. You certainly got yourself into a pickle this time," a smooth voice commented.

Ruri turned to see KID dressed in a black tailcoat, wearing a mask reminiscent of the phantom's mask from Phantom of the Opera. Delicate gold swirls covered the crackle finished ivory mask. He wasn't wearing his white hat, so his wild black(?) hair was slicked back.

"Don't worry, I just knocked him out," he smiled as he pulled out some rope.

He tied the man onto a nearby pillar and turned back to Ruri.

His smile turned into a pout when he saw Ruri wasn't wearing the dress he had given her.

"Why aren't you wearing the one I gave you?" the thief asked.

"I-It stands out too much," she mumbled, trying to keep her legs from shaking.

She apparently wasn't doing too well because KID wrapped her into an embrace.

"You're ok, now," he whispered. "You're ok. I've got you, no worries."

After Ruri was significantly calmer, she pulled herself out his hug.

"What about Ran-san?" she asked.

KID smiled. "Don't worry. I got all of his goons," he assured her.

Ruri breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

KID smiled kindly. "You're welcome."

"Now then," he rubbed his hands together and a big white cloth appeared.

He covered Ruri with the cloth and she felt a breeze wrap around her.

The cloth was retracted and KID tucked it into his sleeve.

"Much better," he grinned.

Ruri looked down. She was wearing the red gown!

"When-" she started to ask when he had gone up to her room to retrieve the dress but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards the hall.

She felt a little weight against her neck and noticed she was wearing the four leaf clover necklace.

When they arrived at the hall, people donning masks and elegant clothing had all gathered in the center while those who didn't wish to participate mingled around the edges.

"Come on, let's dance together," he pulled her into the center just as a waltz started up.

"Do you know how to waltz?" he asked, placing his right hand on her shoulder blade.

"Somewhat," Ruri glanced down at the ground.

"Just follow my lead."

As they danced alongside the other people, Ruri managed to fall into step next to the thief and was able to dance properly. She glanced up at KID who was smirking ever so slightly.

"What are you laughing at?" she pouted. "I know I'm not a good dancer..."

"Oh, not at that," he smiled as he dipped her. "You just look so serious." He pulled her back up.

"What do you mean I look serious?" Ruri asked.

"Just have fun. You're less likely to mess up if you just feel the dancing," he told her. "And in the off chance you DO mess up, I'll be here to help."

Ruri decided to listen to his advice. She stopped looking at her feet and instead tried to look at KID. When that proved very unhelpful, she tried to look at his mask. It really was pretty. The gold trim glimmered and was accented by the crackled ivory.

It took her a while to notice that they were the only ones left dancing. Everyone had formed a circle around them and watched. The music swelled and Ruri felt her heart jump. It... was actually starting to feel fun! At first she was nervous and could only think about not messing up, but after just letting that go, it turned into a wonderful feeling!

"Keep dancing," KID whispered. "The song is almost done."

He spun her outwards just as the orchestra ended with the last quick two notes.

Applause filled the room, overwhelming Ruri. KID took a bow and smiled.

"THERE HE IS!" a voice shouted.

Everyone in the hall turned to the big double door entrance. Nakamori-keibu stood there, red faced and out of breath.

"Well, it seems that this dance has come to an end, ojou-san," KID took her hand and kissed it.

A flash of white and he was back in his signature KID outfit.

"If you arrive quickly enough, perhaps we can have one last dance," he whispered to her before he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"After him! He's going to the roof!" Nakamori-keibu shouted and took off for the elevator and stairs.

"Ruri-san!" Ran cried, pushing through the excited crowd. Sonoko followed her, eyes glinting.

"R-Ran-san," Ruri smiled awkwardly.

"You know KID-sama?!" Sonoko demanded.

"Um- no, not really..." Ruri started but Sonoko was already off in her own little world.

"Ah~! To dance with KID-sama~!"

"Ruri-san, that was amazing! I think you won!" Ran smiled and took Ruri's hands.

"Won?" Ruri repeated.

"Yeah. The masquerade ball was a contest," Sonoko told her. "By the way, where did you get that dress?"

But Ruri wasn't listening.

It was a contest?! I was being judged?! When?! I thought it was just for fun!

Her head began to swim. What snapped her back to reality was what KID had said right before he left.

"If I arrive quickly enough..." she mumbled.

"Ruri-san?" Ran asked.

Ruri began to run off. "I'm sorry! I just remembered something I have to do!"

She headed for the elevator and slammed the 'Up' button. As soon as the doors opened, she hit the number 21, the floor closest to the roof. She waited for the familiar 'ding' as the doors opened to reveal all of the task force members stuck in what looked like an assortment of different traps.

Nakamori-keibu seemed to be stuck in a particularly nasty one involving glitter and bouncy balls by the looks of it. And glue. Lots and lots of glue.

She managed to pick her way through the traps and not set any of the remaining ones off as she headed for the last few flights of stairs.

She swung the door to the roof open and a gust of cool night air almost blew her off her feet.

"Whoops," a voice laughed as a hand caught her arm and steadied her. "We can't have you getting hurt, now can we?"

Ruri looked up into laughing indigo eyes.

"Thanks," she breathed as KID helped her onto the roof.

"You came in time," he chuckled.

"Well, I can't very well turn down an invitation given to me by the Moonlight Magician himself, now can I?" Ruri laughed.

He smiled. "How about that dance?"

Ruri nodded, glad it was a full moon.

As they danced in time to a song only they could hear, Ruri remembered what Ran had said.

"Did you know that the ball was a competition?" she asked.

KID hummed. "Maybe."

Ruri sighed. "You totally did."

"It IS my job to know everything, you know," he smirked.

She laughed. "That's true."

Ruri and KID stopped dancing as a cloud covered the moon.

"I think I can hear the task force getting out of those traps," he smiled.

"KID!"

"Yup," Ruri agreed.

He took off his hat and bowed, standing on the edge of the roof.

Nakamori-keibu came up behind Ruri.

"Well, keibu-san, I think it's time for me to take my leave. Since The Heart Of Aphrodite is not what I'm looking for, I have returned it." KID winked to Ruri.

Ruri glanced down at her hands to find the jewel sparkling in her hands.

"Farewell and have a good evening!" KID jumped off the roof and was soon nothing more than a white triangle in the distance.

"AFTER HIM!" Nakamori-keibu yelled, pointing to the entrance of the roof.

"Ruri-san! Where did you go?" Ran asked, worried. "You just barely made it in time for the winners to be announced!"

Ruri nodded and followed the girl back into the hall.

"As for our grand prize winner and the couple who gets crowned as the Godly Pair, the award goes to Yukihisa Ruri-sama and Phantom-sama!"

Applause and cheers rang through the room as the spotlight whisked over to land on Ruri.

"If you please, to claim your prize, Yukihisa-sama, step up onto the pedestal."

Ruri slowly made her way through the clapping crowd and walked up the steps onto the pedestal. She was handed a bouquet of flowers and a trophy.

"Ano... where is Phantom-sama?" the announcer asked.

"He's gone," Ruri answered simply. "After all, he can't exactly come back when everyone knows he's KID."

"Do you know him personally?" he asked.

Ruri shook her head. She'd rather not become the target of raging fans. And the Black Organization.

"Well... I can't exactly call only you the Godly Pair..." the man trailed off.

"Then give it to the people who came 2nd. I don't need the trophy or the title. Or even the bouquet," she handed the things back to him.

She quickly walked off the stage and out of the hall. She spotted Jirokichi standing near the door.

"Here," she pulled out the pink sapphire.

He blinked and took it from her.

"Do you know that thief?" he asked after inspecting the jewel.

"Not personally, no," Ruri shook her head.

Just as she was about to walk off, he stopped her.

"Take these," he handed her an envelope.

"They're vouchers that can be redeemed at any of the Suzuki Group's hotels for a full spa treatment and room service for 3 days and 2 nights. They were meant for the winning pair as a 2 person stay, but you can bring your family. Take it as my thanks for retrieving my jewel. And for the lovely dance."

Ruri stood in silence as the old man walked off, leaving her with the envelope.

Conan had watched the two dance on the roof. He hadn't wanted to interrupt. It seemed like they knew each other... But was it personally or more like him and the thief? Purely through trying to thwart theft? And he had seen the men surrounding Ran earlier. KID had taken care of them and then disappeared, only to reappear dancing with Ruri. And Ruri...what was she? Was she in league with the Black Organization? He'd have to ask Ai about anyone matching Ruri's description... He secretly hoped not. He kind of liked the girl.

ANNNNNNND IT'S DONE! THIS ARC HAS FINISHED! WOO! Also, 3000+ WORDS EVERYBODY! THIS CHAPTER SURPASSED THE LAST ONE BY OVER 1000 WORDS! OH MY GOD, I AM FEELING SO ACCOMPLISHED! NEXT ARC WILL BE MORE SHORT STORIES AND THEN A MURDER~! I HOPE YOU LOOK FORWARD TO IT!

NEXT TIME: VALENTINE'S DAY! (this timeline is so messed up i'm sorry)

DFTBA EVERYBODY!