AN: I've had a rather busy day today, and didn't really feel like working on anything serious, but still wanted to write, so here we have something very cute, fluffy, and silly. It's purely just based off of a cute and silly idea I had the other day, but I hope that other people find some enjoyment out of it too! But boy howdy, talk about mood whiplash compared to the previous oneshot.

Until next time!

The Pied Piper of Puppies

Characters: Sera Masumi, Ran Mouri, Sonoko Suzuki

Summary: Everywhere she went, there they would go.

"Um, there's actually been something that I've been wanting to point out for awhile now, Sera-chan."

"Actually, I've been kind of wanting to say the same thing for awhile now myself." Ran confessed after a moment, almost grateful that Sonoko had spoken up first. She didn't know if she would have been able to do it herself, if she hadn't taken the incentive.

"Hm?" A small frown crossing her lips, Sera glanced over towards the pair. "What is it, you two? Ah, don't tell me that I have something on my face?"

"Ah, no, it's not that!" Ran said quickly, shaking her head, watching as Sera's hand dropped from her face. So she really didn't realize it after all- she was certain it was the first thing that would have come to her mind, when they brought the matter up, however vaguely. "If it was something like that, we would have told you about it much earlier, Sera-chan."

"Then, something in my teeth then?" Sera asked, blinking again.

"No, no, it's nothing like that." Waving a hand, Sonoko flashed her something of an awkward grin. She couldn't say that she wasn't already well acquainted with the idea of otherwise brilliant detectives being rather dense in strange areas, but still, she had been expecting that Sera wouldn't fall into such a category. "Like Ran said, we would have told you already if it was something that embarrassing."

"Then what is it?" Sera asked, tilting her head. Neither girl had very serious expression on their faces, so it must have not being anything deeply important. Rather, if she was to pick out a word for their mutual expression, it was one of uncertainty. Was there really something that she hadn't realized yet? Was it about the case? No, if that were the case, she was certain that they would have been far more direct about it.

"It's just that, ever since we got here..." Ran trailed off, casting her eyes downwards, before glancing back up towards Sera, giving her a slightly confused smile. Did she really not realize it? Maybe she was so accustomed to it, that it didn't even stand out as anything strange to her in the first place.

"...they've been trailing you around." Sonoko finished, planting her hands on her hips, her gaze turning downwards. "The puppies, that is."

"Eh?" Blinking a little, Sera glanced down towards her own feet, letting out a small laugh as it finally dawned on her what they were talking about. Kneeling down to scoop up one of the puppies that had amassed around her feet, she let out a small chuckle as it licked her nose, a bright smile crossing her face. "What, is that all? From the way you two were acting, I was worried that there was something about the case that I had missed!"

"Ah no, nothing like that!" Ran told her, shaking her head. "It was just sort of surprising. I've never seen puppies flock to a person like that."

"Still, why are they just letting puppies roam around a crime scene anyways?" Sonoko couldn't help but ask, even as she mentally filed away Sera and puppies as being a rather cute combination. Well, she always a bit dog-like to begin with, so perhaps they were simply sensing a kindred spirit.

"Well, it can't be helped. The fence for the play area they were in his broken, and there's no other place to put them." Placing the puppy back down, Sera rose to her feet. "And they've been having the run of it for about an hour before we even found the body, so at this point, it really doesn't make much of a difference. Do you not like dogs, Sonoko-kun?"

"Well, I prefer cats, but it's not that I dislike dogs or anything." Sonoko told her, shaking her head. "I just don't really care for the drool. Although," closing her eyes, she couldn't help but grin, "...I suppose if they're busy following you around as if you were their mother, I don't have to worry about them slobbering all over me."

"Mother, huh?" Sera asked, folding her arms in front of her chest. "Well, it's always been this way, ever since I was a child. It drove my own mother up the wall sometimes, because I used to always come home with them. Rather than mother, though, it almost makes me feel more like I'm the Pied Piper. But for puppies, rather than for mice and children."

"The Pied Piper of Puppies, huh?" Ran asked, clasping her hands behind her back, a smile lighting up her own face. "That sounds a bit cute, Sera-chan!"

"Really?" Letting out something of an awkward laugh, Sera couldn't help but glance down once more at the gaggle of puppies sitting by her feet, obviously waiting for her to make another move again. "Well, if it's you saying it, Ran-kun, I'll take it as a compliment."

As if it echo the one that they had so taken to, all at once, the puppies began to bark. At this rate, she was going to have a bit of trouble giving her deduction.