A/N: This was hard and it seemed so very anti-climatic, but whatever. XDD I just found it amusing that they both think they're playing the right cards. However, there's a possibility that it'll backfire on both, since I'm an evil author who controls this universe called Revolver! Mwahahahahaha! ….(Coughs) Anyways, enjoy? XD

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. (or shape!)

Chapter Forty Nine; Lucid Nightmare Arc

I stared. And stared. And stared. For some odd reason, I knew he was there, but it just wasn't registering as real. The moonlight glinted off the white silk of his outfit, making him glow in an ethereal, otherworldly, way – he looked like some majestic being that I was being graced with his presence. I felt like if I reached out to grab him, he'd disappear. Then, finally, I reacted.

Laughter poured out of my mouth and I leaned forward, pressing my face to the cool ground underneath me as I manically continued to laugh. Was this a good thing or a bad thing?! My mind whizzed behind my eyes and my hand patted the ground roughly in amusement. Oh, geez! How much had he heard? Spider and I's conversation was revealing to say the least and here Kaito swoops in to save the day – I was thankful to get away from the creeper, but I felt just as much danger when I was with Spider, except it wasn't psychical this time. Kaitou freakin' KID could've possibly figured out quite a bit.

I could feel the warm hand slip from my back hesitantly and I just knew I was making a wonderful first impression. I strained to reign in my laughter, swallowing it down thickly as my grin grew on my face. There was moment of quiet silence, the only sound my harsh breathing and the light breeze travelling over the area of Tokyo. Once I caught my breath, I looked up, still grinning like a maniac.

Kaito – er, KID – was standing there calmly, looking a bit amused, hands in his pockets elegantly. However, it was easy to tell he was still cautious and treading lightly around me – couldn't really blame him, though; I was practically an unknown thief and even the police didn't know much about me yet. Clearing my throat, I stood slowly, a bit dizzily, and gave shameless ninety-degrees bow to him, a mix between a curtsy and a regular bow.

"I'm quite alright~! Though, I think that he gave me a slight concussion…," I trailed off with a giggle, hearing my voice slur just the slightest. It kind of sounded like I was drunk, actually. 'Jester's' deeper voice didn't make it any better either. "Thank you for coming to my rescue, Kaitou KID. I suppose I owe you one now, if you don't immediately turn me in." I hummed. I glanced over his profile once again before focusing on his face – the expression was unreadable as his eyes were hidden in the darkness of the brim of his hat, the only thing visible the cool smirk on his lips. I'd never thought that his disguise was very good, but seeing it in real life made it look much better; the monocle made his face hard to see, as it threw you off at the lack of symmetrical-ness.

"But, if you do that, I think I'll have to call someone to destroy you~!" I wiggled my gloved fingers in a 'mystical' gesture, my tone obviously playful. I winced right after, bringing a hand up to the back of my head to feel the wound. Something slick and warm seeped through my glove, dampening the pads of my fingers. "Ahh, damn it." The curse word slipped out due to nerves and I internally berated myself, since 'Jester' wasn't supposed to cuss. Oh well. Too late now and it didn't really matter anyways. I blinked back to focus as KID shifted the slightest.

"You should get that checked out by a doctor, ojou-san." KID finally spoke up again courteously, sweeping his cape in a theatrical show. "Turning you in would do neither of us any good, especially with that man. Goldilocks, was it?" He smiled smoothly, raising a brow that was barely visible.

My eyes climbed up to the sky, locating the moon. I removed my hand from the back of my head and my grin lessened a bit as I realized there were darker patches on the already-black glove. When I get my hands on Spider, I would kill him, I decided with an irritated twitch.

Realizing I was paying too little attention to KID – even though he was a potential threat – I looked back at him. My brow furrowed – what had he asked again? I couldn't remember. I shook my head, regretting it a second later when the headache I had pushed back came back like drums playing on my temples. The world shifted and KID split into two for a brief moment before they smashed together into one once more. Okay, bad idea…

"I can't remember what you just asked, but hello!" I chimed out, deciding to just greet him. He blinked in what looked like surprise. I waved my clean-gloved hand at him, "I'm The Jester, nice to meet you~! Call me Jester – I dislike formalities. Just curious, but how much of our conversation did you hear?" I lessened my grin to a smile to look less manic. On the inside, I was a bit in a panic. KID had turned in criminals in the past – and would in the future – so who says he wouldn't just turn me in despite saving me earlier? Damn it, my head hurts…thinking too much is bad for my health.

KID grinned – I'm taking that as a good sign – and gave a small bow. "Kaitou KID – it's a pleasure to make the acquaintance of a lovely lady like yourself, Jester-san." I shuddered, feeling oddly like I was being hit on by my brother – it was an unpleasant feeling, truthfully. Kaito and I of course weren't actually related, but after living with him for so long, it kind of felt like we were. Hence, his light flirting was putting me off, even though I knew he did it to every girl he met as KID.

"As for your conversation, I arrived at the time you and your accomplice were making a bet at who could find a certain gem first." He informed dutifully, straightening out and his cape once again swished. I blinked in shock. He thought–?!

I snorted in amusement, my grin growing once again – I couldn't control it. "Hahaha! You think that–haha –Spider, of all people, is my accomplice?!" For some reason, it was a hilarious thought. He'd basically been tormenting me all week and Kaito thought he was my accomplice? What kind of crappy accomplice attacks their partner? A crappy one, obviously. And I wouldn't get a crappy accomplice, if I ever got one. I wasn't as dense as to hire someone like that. Especially Spider.

After a few moments, I reeled in my laughter, a bit confused at the abrupt change in the atmosphere. Earlier it had been kind of awkward and tense, but now it felt like something was suffocating me, tenseness heightened. Had I said something wrong? It hit me like lightning – I had said Spider. An animal – well, kinda – name that KID probably connected with Snake. And, of course, when you think Snake, you think Pandora, and he had obviously heard our bet about finding a certain gem…

The suspicious eyes watching me under the brim of his top hat were indication enough that he'd come to the conclusion as well. Great, now he thought I was after Pandora…

With a quickness that even surprised myself, I found myself once again spouting out lies – helpful lies. My accomplished grin could easily pass as another manic grin from me. "I would never, ever, partner with someone like him. We made that bet because we're enemies." I emphasized, crossing my arms defensively. Please buy it, please buy it, please buy it…

He stayed silent, just intently staring at me, his thoughts flying behind his eyes, which were narrowed in concentration – or suspicion, I couldn't tell. I cleared my throat, deciding to take the chance to get away. "Anyways, thank you for your help, but I'll be going now~!" I gave him a little salute before swiveling on my heel, eager to get away from the awkward and tense situation. I just wanted to go to Akako's house, fix my head, maybe have a midnight snack, and then go to bed after a nice, long, bath. Yeah, that sounded nice…

My boots scuffled on the ground of the alley we were in as I headed in a random direction – I really had no idea where we were – but I halted as a voice called out. "Wait–" It was KID and he sounded awfully thoughtful and calculating. I felt like smashing my head into the nearest wall, but I casually turned to look at him, flashing a friendly smile, "Hm?"

"This gem you're looking for…what do you plan to do with it when you find it?" His arms were crossed like mine, hand to his chin in a theatrical display of thought. All his movements were carefully made, but he looked a lot more at ease, which I supposed was good. Maybe. I couldn't tell with this headache.

My eyes lifted to the right in thought – I could answer something like 'destroy it' since he thought I was talking about Pandora and I didn't really want him to make me an enemy if I said something else, but my mouth moved on its own. I quirked a mischievous grin, "Why do'ya wanna know?" My arms uncrossed and I shoved my hands in the pockets of my skirt, leaning against the alley wall closest to my left shoulder.

ooOOoo

"Why do'ya wanna know?"

Kaito's eyes narrowed the slightest, catching the hint of Osaka-ben slipping out. She'd been hiding it pretty well before, but now it was noticeable – she was letting her guard down. He felt like he could trust this girl, for whatever reason. She almost felt familiar in an odd way – reminding him a bit of Akako, only less creepy. He tried to find her spot her eyes in the dark blackness but didn't succeed, shadows of her fedora hiding the upper half of her face. The white contrast of her mask made her look a bit like a raccoon.

He hesitated a brief moment to come up with a logical answer, wondering if he should just say the truth. If he correct in his deductions, then she was the same as him – trying to find Pandora before that damnable organization did. But, he needed to know if she wanted to destroy Pandora or if she wanted to use it for herself, though she didn't seem like the type. His impression of her was quite different – more like an absentminded and sly individual who had more than a few childlike tendencies. And she loved to laugh – easily amused, he had decided. Could just be the concussion, though.

He offered her a charming smirk, deciding to follow his gut instinct – it was impulsive, but he trusted his instincts, since they had gotten him out of trouble more than once. "I believe we may be after the same gem, Jester-san." He answered easily, pokerface in place. If she was after the same gem and if she did plan to destroy it, then…

Jester stared for a long moment with that same grin before it widened a bit, white flashing unnervingly. Something about her smile seemed a bit too knowing for his liking, but he was confident that he could get away if it called for it. She made no move to come at him, though, and instead laughed once more. "What makes you think so?" She chuckled.

He went right in for the kill. "You said you're enemies with that Spider. Does he maybe work for an organization with someone called Snake? If so, we might be on the same side." He waited with bated breath for her answer, her expression unreadable.

If he played his cards right, he knew that he could possibly have a new ally on his side. The thought made him excited (and perhaps a bit reckless). There might be someone who finally knows about the organization who killed his father – who might even know more than him! – and could possibly have a better idea of where Pandora was. From what he knew, she still hadn't returned the gem from last time, but he felt like she'd still make a good ally.

Yes, he smirked, if he just played his cards right…

ooOOoo

"You said you're enemies with that Spider. Does he maybe work for an organization with someone called Snake? If so, we might be on the same side." KID stated and his expression was unreadable, ever present smirk in place.

I blinked in shock. Had he really just done that? What if I was some creeper who wanted immortality? At the moment, he was being kind of reckless about this. He didn't know me and I, supposedly, didn't know him – so why was he being so trusting? I bit the inside of my cheek in thought, wondering how I should answer. If I said 'yes' than this could possibly be pulled over me and I would probably get involved in his ridiculous scheme of finding and destroying Pandora – I mean, I supported him and wanted him to find it, but to join him? It just screamed 'bad idea!'.

On the other hand, it could possibly benefit to me, as well. Kaito had a lot more experience at this whole thief thing, so if I became his ally, it would be a lot of help to me and working with him could benefit finding the gem to go back home faster. But, if I said something else, I wasn't quite sure of his reaction and the unknown wasn't a good idea when dealing with KID – there could involve glitter, smoke bombs, and potential jail time.

I shifted, standing up straight from the wall and offering him a shark's grin. If I played my cards right, though, he could be useful. So, I went with the obvious choice – white lies never hurt anyone, after all. And after I got involved with KID – if that was what he was planning – I would be involved with his pesky organization, so it wouldn't be a complete lie. And I'd thought about getting his help before, jokingly telling Akako I would have an ally soon enough, so why not, right?

"I see. It does seem we have some things in common. Snake, huh? Is that the one that hunts you? He's a bit slow, that one." I hummed, watching as KID's smirk grew a bit, as if it was his plan for me to agree. I raised a brow beneath the brim of my fedora, but let it go.

"So, you do know him." He stated, "I take it you're after the elusive Pandora, then?" At my nod, he continued, "What do you plan to do with it?"

"Destroy it, obviously." My vindictive tone was convincing, I had to admit.

At that, KID grinned as well, finally showing his manic grin similar to mine. "Then, I have a proposition for you, Jester-san. We both want to destroy Pandora and we're both fighting against this organization alone…," He began and my heart sped up in anticipation. This was it – I was going to seal a deal with the great Kaitou KID. Man, when I had first got the idea of being a thief, I had never pictured something this surreal to happen – this usually only happened in stories. It was a bit overwhelming.

Excited feeling bubbled in my chest, overflowing and making my grin grow larger – if that was possible. KID offered out a white gloved hand to me politely, "Two is better than one, they say. Would you like to become my partner, Kaitou Jester?" And just like that, I somehow went from being a regular thief called The Jester to a phantom thief called The Jester.

I still felt like he was being strangely reckless and trusting, but I nodded, wondering if I was asleep, stepping closer to give his hand a firm shake. His hand was warmer than mine and it seeped through my glove to my freezing hands – courtesy of Spider touching me earlier. It seemed that when he touches you with his freezing body, it's a long-lasting effect.

We stepped back after three handshakes and I was left feeling that it was oddly uneventful. Then again, handshakes had never seemed very climatic, so…

I shrugged to myself, feeling my headache lessen a bit. "Anyways, KID-san, I have to go now~! Duty calls and all, as you know." I took a step backwards, "I'll get in contact with you soon~! You'll know it's me, trust me~!" I called, spinning on my heel and darting away, leaving a surprised KID in the dark alley and heading for The Den before going to Akako's house.

ooOOoo

"Would you stop getting hurt whenever you're 'visiting' me?" Akako huffed in irritation, "It's annoying to have to heal you, since Kuroba-kun would get angry at me otherwise."

My lips stretched into an amused smile, waving away a few lingering traces of awkwardness that I had. "Sorry, sorry. It's, technically, not my fault, you know. I can't control that I'm accident prone." I laughed, blinking as Akako shoved a…rock into my hands. I had long changed out of my thief outfit and left the gem in The Den until further notice. The witch had just finished inspecting my wound, a bandage easily placed over my cut cheek and a bandage wrapped around my head.

"What's this?" I questioned curiously, looking at the colored rock – it mostly consisted of darker colors, dark green dominating the most of it. It was hanging on a chain, shaped like a really tall, upside-down, pyramid. Akako glanced over careless as she thumbed through an ancient looking book, words that I didn't understand on the cover in a foreign alphabet. "That's a bloodstone necklace. Wear it for the night and it'll fix your concussion that you foolishly got by tripping." She rolled her eyes.

I chuckled nervously, giving an apologetic smile as I pulled the necklace over my head, the bloodstone resting against my collarbone. I had lied to Akako about my concussion because I knew she'd kill me if she figured out my memory had created an assassin to appear. Yeah, not a good idea. My lie was pretty bad, but she believed it well enough, so that was good.

"Anyways, goodnight~!" With a quick wave, I dashed off to the guest bedroom, getting ready to plan things out for the future, since I would need it. I knew I wouldn't be able to get to sleep, anyways, since one thought kept knocking around in my head like a cacophony of chaos.

I was now an accomplice of Kaitou KID.

Review Replies:

To: Iriss-sama – It's okay, Ri-chan! ^^ I forget to review on a lot of things, too. XDDD (Usually I just lurk, lol) Yup! I turned fifteen this August! 8DD Awesome! Summer birthday buddies~! (High-fives) Ahh, yeah. I got confused sometimes, too. XDDDD;;; And I had a lot of fun writing about Eris and Erise in the same chapter, since they have such similar names. XD I'm surprised I didn't mess up, lol. And their visit to Poirot was kind of uneventful, since Conan is currently in Gunma with Yukiko. XD I was gonna write it, but I just couldn't. XD I got stuck when I tried, lol. XD And yes! Spider! XDDD Memory anomalies make lots of strange things happen, lol! XDD Yeah, nightmares are always pretty bad. (Winces) But, they're pretty much gone now, so that's good! ^^ And yup – Kaitou KID! 8DDDDDD (Gathers all the luck) Thank you, Ri-chan~! And will do~! (Salutes) Thank you for the review~!

To: Meow-chan-15 – Oh, I see. I'm glad I made him interesting! I personally love his character, so I'm glad I was able to 'upgrade' him, as you said! ^^ Thank you! And yeah, Spider isn't as cool as Kaito! Kaito is, like, the king of epic-ness. XD Sorry for the long wait on KID finally appearing – I hope his appearance wasn't disappointing, lol. XDDD Thank you for the review! 8DD

To: MiniMiao – Ahhh, sorry for the confusion. I'm really bad at explaining things sometimes. XD;;; Lessee… He's not the original Spider because he was created from her memories being planted inside an actual spider, which made him become magically enhanced and allowed him to take human form. However, he technically still is Spider since he has his personality and appearance and skills and was created in the image of the Spider from Midori's memories. I hope that helped. XD (bad explanations are bad –shot– ) Sorry for the confusion once again – if this didn't help, Akako will actually explain things more in-depth later on! And yes, KID! 8DDD Thank you for your review! 8D

To: Raifuujin – Hello again~! XDD (Laughs) She just might, yeah. XD Conan tends to have an aversion to people who seem to know who he is, since he's really paranoid and Jester isn't going to help with that at all. XDD Plus, Midori likes bothering poor Conan, so she'd probably enjoy giving him a headache, lol. XDDD And I'm glad you liked the murder case despite it not being quite as well put together as Gosho's! (We all watch DC for the murders secretly, lol. XDD) And yeah. XDDDD Heiji gets hung up on a lot by Midori and Conan, lol. And yup – he's in on the secret! (Laughs) Hopefully he will. XDD I think Midori wouldn't be too happy with him if he gave it away, lol. XD As for the reunion, I got confused too, don't worry. XD I feel a bit ridiculous to have made so many people, but I wanted a pretty decently sized family. XD Thank you! I'm glad I made them an interesting family! ^^ And they'll probably have reappearances, just it won't be so confusing, since there won't be so much at one time. XD (unless it's another reunion…;;) Thank you, I'm glad you like how I used Spider! ^^ (Laughs) I think I'd be paranoid with him around, too. XD He just strikes me as a creeper, lol. Yeah, he definitely is a bit like the Vermouth in Kaito's organization. (Agrees) He'll be a tough opponent, indeed. And yup! KID! 8DDDDD Here's the next chapter! Thank you for the review~!

-well, this was kind of hard. KID's personality just kept slipping into Kaito's playful personality and it's not supposed to blend too much. (Wipes Brow) Kaito and KID are definitely a work of art that's hard to write. Hopefully, it wasn't too disastrous. XDDD Anyways, more things will be expanded on later. See you next chapter! Also, happy birthday, Hakuba Saguru! o^^o