A/N: This turned out pretty long. XD Also, sorry for the horribly OOC Toichi, but this is how I see him! XDDD You'll get to see into the mind of our main character, Midori, if things went horribly wrong and some other stuffs. Hope you enjoy! XD And some Spider third-person, since I enjoy writing him so much. XD I see his personality twirling between (music) Sarcasm by Get Scared (just plain brutal and messed up), Infrared by Placebo (the suave, cool, villain that stalks you everywhere and will find you no matter what), and perhaps a more gentler song…? Maybe? (Grins) I don't know, you tell me what ya think! XD Enjoy~!
Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. Ryukaze Erise is owned by Iriss-sama.
Chapter Fifty Three
Kaito carefully pried his eyes open, staring at the familiar white ceiling of his bedroom before stretching lazily and getting up. A grin immediately spread across his face. Today felt like it was going to be awesome already, an overwhelming feeling of happiness and joy warming his center. He blinked as he stood up, heading over to get fresh clothes for the day – this was heaven.
…No, wait, hadn't it always been this way?
It had always been heaven, no feelings of sadness or mourning – what was there to be sad about? Everything was perfect.
Yes, it had always been this way.
ooOOoo
Spider rolled his eyes, easily stepping down from the tall branch he'd been perched in to land on the faraway ground. The leaves barely rustled at his gentle landing and crunched soundlessly underfoot as he headed to the small shack of a building in front of him. He should've figured the idiot would get herself into trouble. Really, he supposed it was too hopeful to even think that she'd be able to handle herself out in a red-light district. Despite being created from her memories and thoughts, she wasn't as capable as he was. She'd always hold that human empathy and hesitance that created weakness.
A less than capable, worthless, human – that's what she was, he decided with a scowl, pushing open the door of the building and stepping inside. The darkness of the night didn't bother him the slightest, Columbian blue eyes sharpening and seeming to glow like a cat's. He took in the messy visage, but carefully precise, layout of the large main room he was in. This was the first time he'd stepped a foot into this building. It had been too risky and that horribly veracious kitten would have noticed the slightest move of any object, no matter the size or how important it was.
He supposed that was one redeeming quality of hers – precision.
His eyes immediately sought out the Parri Pasu, sparkling dimly in the minimal lighting coming inside from the broken windows. It wasn't a full moon, but the lighting didn't make a difference to him. He stepped forward, and there was the faintest reaction from the gem. A small glimmer. "This thing…," He whispered, eyes widening the slightest.
He gave a small sigh, running a hand through his golden locks. He supposed this was why she and the nuisance had disappeared – it seems it had nothing to do with the red-light district, after all. With her magical inclination, though, he would have hoped that she would've noticed something and would've been able to avoid the trouble. He could care less about that boy, but it just wouldn't do to have the kitten trapped inside of that lump of rock.
"Troublesome," He growled, "Kids are troublesome."
Because, surely, if she had been a full-grown adult with all of her powers unlocked – been a little less naïve – then this wouldn't have happened.
With another roll of his eyes, his mouth gave the smallest hint of sneer – he couldn't believe he was going to do this, but then again, he cared (did he?) ((a sinister part of his mind hissed in defiance)) (a larger part of his mind reached out with the barest hints of humanity – disgusting) –and he walked up to the abandoned gem upon the ground. His gaze lifted to the lamp in a room in the front of him as it flickered back to life dimly, brightening the space to be adaptable to human eyes.
He flinched at the sudden change of perception, eyes dilating for a moment, before he glanced back to the lime green mineral. "Brazilianite. It's a perfect trap, if you really think about it clearly, kitten." He mused with a derisive smirk, "How obliviously stupid you are."
However, he reached down and grasped the gem in his large hand, ignoring the hollow sting that immediately flowed up his limb to resonate throughout his body. It sunk into his bone and burrowed itself deep into his mind. He closed his eyes, taking a seat on the flooring of the building between some darts and crates.
His body remained the same, but his mind entered a hazy mist and he opened his eyes.
He was no longer inside of the rutty old shack Midori fondly referred to as The Den, but rather, a landscape of sloping, frozen, gardens. The chill nipped at his skin and he flinched at the surprisingly harsh coldness of the weather – an inner defense mechanism, he assumed. He was currently in the middle of, what appeared to be, the main garden, frosted flora maintaining color and vibrancy despite the weather. Tall pine trees branched outwards further into the garden, hiding the inner workings of the garden away from prying eyes, and an iced over lake was to his left, brightly colored fish still swimming peacefully throughout the water underneath.
Frosted greenery covered every inch of the landscape, save for the icy pathway leading deeper into the gardens, winding and disappearing in the bushes and flowers and trees. Spider blinked, taking in the scenery with a keen eye, goosebumps appearing over pale flesh. He raised a hand delicately, allowing a butterfly with intricate dark blue wings to flutter and land gently onto his crooked fingers. The touch of the insect warmed its landing spot, spreading outwards, as if in welcome.
"It appears that I will be able to continue in peace…," He murmured, lashes brushing his cheeks as peered closer to the companion on his hand, pulling away as it slowly went back into flight, disappearing as it went back to its other butterfly companions that were fluttering about. The floral, summery, colors clashed with the sheer whiteness of the scenery, popping out. However, they were far from the only brightly colored beings inside of the winter wonderland; foxes, hummingbirds, and different variations of big cats lingered, going about their usual business.
With one more sweeping glance, Spider began walking down the stone pathway, ice crunching underfoot. He continued down the winding path, heading deeper and deeper into what was beginning to look more like a forest than a garden, the ash grey sky harboring lazily drifting clouds. His trek through the forest was casual and uneventful – boring and pointless.
Just as he was beginning to question if he was even going in the correct direction – though, he knew that his intuition wouldn't fail him like that (he wasn't like a certain idiotic thirteen-year-old brunette) – the forest finally broke off into a small clearing, a large stone platform extending outwards into a circle before forking off to two separate doors.
One was covered in moss, looking untouched for decades and worn down, and the other looked brand new but had thick chains wrapped around it, enter forbidden. He smirked to himself, stepping to the right, where the chained door awaited him. Surely, if something was covered in chains, then it wasn't supposed to be opened. And, of course, that meant he had to open it. An innate impulse to disobey any sense of right and wrong surged through his body and his eyes narrowed in constrained thrill at the small disobeying action – a hand-me-down from his creator, no doubt. The kitten always did seem to enjoy her little excursions and run-ins with life and death adrenaline. Foolish…
At the exact moment his fingertips grazed the concrete material of the door, the chains tightened before they converted from bottom to top into anacondas, the three separate snakeheads appearing last, hissing and snapping powerful jaws at his offending limb. He frowned faintly, removing his hand from its vicinity before it snapped back at it, grabbing the closest one and holding it's jaw closed, clearly not amused. It struggled in his harsh grasp, jaw unable to move, long lean body flailing and twisting over his arm, constricting, scales of dark and light brown flexing over powerful muscle.
He remained unaffected, giving a click of his tongue at the unneeded extra effort, before physically tearing the snake off of the door easily. He wretched his arm out of its blood-restricting grip, tossing it to the side absently, and going back to do the same with the others – to disregard them as nothing more than a nuisance. He didn't make it too much farther, though, and flinched, pulling his hand away from the mouth of the now-cobra that had managed a direct strike. Drops of blood pooled at the two puncture marks, white-yellow venom visible atop of it upon pale, snow, skin.
Spider scowled, giving the door a dark glare despite taking a surrendering step back to the mental door. It wasn't worth it, he decided begrudgingly. The fallen snake from before slithered back up the wall and the cobras flickered back to anacondas before they once again tightened, resuming their original form as chains. His hand burned – too hot, too warm, too numb – and the venom from the defense mechanism seeped deeper into his inhuman blood, making him a bit lethargic.
He'd almost forgotten how much he knew he'd most likely loath mental brigades.
They were annoying and could twist to the circumstances, based largely at the one bearing them. As for this one, it was his creator's mind and despite insulting her, he knew that she had a pretty thick mental barrier, only strengthened by the recent turn of events.
It'd be near impossible for him alone to get through this door.
However…
His cold gaze slid over to the door at the left, completely unguarded. He moved away from the chain-ridden door, leisurely making his way to it on the frosty pathway. Now, it was only a matter of fate, really. Which door the mind guarded differed from each person and sometimes both were guarded, but he had a good idea of what was on the other side of this door. It would either be her utopia or her own personal dystopian world. For the utopian world, it would most definitely be easier to just destroy the picture-perfect scene, but he could just as easily ward the dystopian one to side with him to destroy the other's world. The balance would reset and surely, she'd be able to get out of this psychic trap.
He reached the door and pushed it open effortlessly, watching in mild interest as the serene winter forest disappeared, fading out to an old library. The building was broken and crumbling, some trees and greenery growing inside of the building, books lined on shelves and scattering the floor. A metallic scent that made his hair raise in pleasure flooded him and his eyes caught sight of dried red, staining the once-nice carpet and pages long since torn out of their original books – blood.
The air was humid and hot – too hot, as if a fire was raging nearby – and the air was dusty, filled with the scent of gunpowder and sweat. The library corridors seemed to be endless, spanning from one side out of his view to the other. It looked familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on where he'd seen it before. It was most likely unimportant then.
A faint sound entered his keen ears, causing him to turn to attention, broken wood scattering carelessly from where it'd been strewn from tables and long forgotten chairs. Unnoticed, his eyes widened at the sight before him.
"Oh, Spider." Midori mused, shifting on top of one of the few standing tables. Rubble piled around her vicinity and he could spot ash brushed on her clothes and person, dusting her hair and lashes, dirtying her face, and darkening patches of her clothes. She was leaning back on scraped palms, legs pulled up to bend with the flat bottoms of her combat boots rest on the tabletop. It was a complete disrespect for the property – even though it was already destroyed – but she seemed perfectly comfortable.
"Where have you been?" She questioned, tilting her head curiously. Her tone was bland and void of emotions, and her brown orbs that usually sparked with mischief and knowledge were dulled over with a sheen of hollowness. Despite that, her mouth was still curved into the half-smirk she liked to throw at people, looking horridly out of place on her current face. It looked like it was merely pasted on herself to save face – keep the frown from showing weakness.
He knew at that exact moment that this small, dark, crevice in her mind was where he had been manifested. He'd been created from her darker points of views and from the perspective she had yet to know of – would possibly never know of – and that would usually always be locked away deep in an inoperable box; sealed forever. Spider knew, though, that a handful of humans would unleash their rage and grief upon their world, the 'inoperable' box hacked open with a butcher's axe.
And he knew that once that box was opened, you could never – never – close it again.
He weighed his answers carefully, knowing to step with caution. This could very well be a well-hidden land mine. "Nowhere in particular, kitten." He finally decided on, tone a smooth baritone with a hint of his usual mocking cadence. The expression on the dystopian-Midori's face didn't change.
She blinked slowly, lazily, and glanced upwards to a hole in the roof, hazy orange light filtering into the room. The dust particles in the air caught the glow, falling like drifting ember's across her face as if painting a canvas.
"Ah, I see…," She replied shortly.
For once, Spider didn't feel in control of the situation. He didn't know how Midori would react to this dystopian world and he surely didn't know what to say in the current situation. He just knew he had to get a reaction from her – a small reaction to his words and a spark of hope and he would be able to forge a way into the heart of her utopia to crush it and break her out of the psychic trap. Because, in a utopia-like world, why would someone have needs for something like hope when they already have obtained all they had hoped for? The only ones who would need hope are those who desperately seek it out – need it because their fragile lives don't submit to their wants. It only existed in the dystopian side of her mind.
Perhaps that's why the last evil in Pandora's Box was Hope – if you couldn't hope for something, you wouldn't know what you were missing.
But, on the contrary, that was quite the paradox within itself – but Spider could use it to his advantage, so he didn't bother dawdling on tiny, insignificant, thoughts such as that one. He blinked to attention as Midori shifted in her position, sliding off of the table and stretching. The hollow expression in her eyes didn't change, but the smirk on her lips hiked up a bit in…friendliness? The look was an odd one.
"You know, it's quite funny, Spider…," She droned, stepping closer and wrapping her arms around his startled frame, tucking her head onto his chest, making him lose sight of her face. He was just about to wrap his arms around her to keep up the image – hiding his own grimace of disgust – when something cold and sharp-edged brushed the back of his neck. He froze, arms up halfway, before he schooled his expression and looked down sharply at the one in front of him.
She was looking back up at him, a shark's grin playing on her lips and eyes finally out of their dull stare, schooled into a spiteful glare – it reminded him a bit of a look a mother gave to you if you killed her child. Deadly. "I find it funny that you're currently here, despite having left to go assassinate someone. You're not one to disobey orders, either. You also didn't call me to inform me that something had went wrong. So, the only thing I can conclude is that you aren't my Spider." She finished in a hiss, frown replacing her previous grin, before there was a flash of canines as her lips uplifted once more.
"Who the hell are you, then?" She asked, "Did Vermouth send you?"
He hitched up an unimpressed brow. So, in this world, Midori and him were working together? The realization left him feeling strange. "Why would that woman send me here? She has no power over me or you. There's only so much either of us will take from others, I know. And I am truthfully Spider, kitten." She faltered the slightest and the knife pressed up against the back of his neck raised a bit – but only just a bit. Perhaps it was the pet name?
"Why would she send you here, huh? Do you have no idea what's been going on for the past year?" She mocked, but there was some genuine curiosity in the question.
"Not really. I haven't been here for the past year. Not that you have, either. We're in a psychic trap that makes you have images of everything that could go badly and causes you to believe it's been this way for a certain amount of time, fool." He insulted. The eased knife was pushed back onto his neck, the tip slicing through pale flesh, causing blood to rush to the surface and ooze down slowly. Spider felt no pain at the tiny touch – he'd had worst, like when Midori had bitten his shoulder straight through. The stupid child had pretty sharp teeth…
"I'm not the fool. You came here unarmed and completely unprotected. Either you're a petty criminal trying to get to me since you've seen the both of us on the streets…," She trailed off, "…or you're telling the truth." She conceded. She stepped back. "And considering everyone knows Spider and I are working with the Black Organization after they went public, a petty criminal probably wouldn't bother me. So, truth it is." The knife was removed from his neck and she sheathed it back in a small holster, sticking it into her boot where it would be concealed.
"You're working with that stupid organization?" And, apparently, the Spider from this dystopian world was, too – the thought was disgusting. As if he'd work with complete morons. Midori blinked, hearing his tone, and she gave a flash of white teeth in a grimace. "There was no choice. You may not be from around here, but it was the only way. The Black Organization had taken advantage of when our two dimensions caved into each other and gained enough power and influence due to the sudden chaos that they took over – a complete tyranny. Both silver bullets were killed when the dimensions collided, though. So did a lot of other people that could've helped…," Her brown eyes glittered with a dark emotion as her gaze trailed over to a different spot in the library.
His blue eyes followed, seeing more blood on the carpet as he went, before his two eyes finally rested on the scene of attention. A teenage girl wearing casual clothing was pierced straight through her abdomen by an uprooted tree, dried blood staining her shirt and the area around her wide mouth, eyes set in dead horror, forever unseeing. Her body was arched backwards in an uncomfortable position. It was easy to see that the death had been far from quick and had been indescribably painful by the look on her pale face. He recognized her from the kitten's memory – Koizumi Akako. Now that he thought about it, this place did look familiar to the Koizumi witch's library.
"Akako's house didn't exist in my world – it was just a forest that existed there in the place Ekoda Forest did. The dimensions colliding caused the two to mix – I'm just one of the lucky ones that didn't get hurt during the collision." She muttered, making him believe that she didn't think she was lucky at all – but instead the exact opposite. Perhaps, she wanted to be dead? If the world was heading straight for chaos, had already been through chaos, would she not want to be alive alone to face the consequences? Why hadn't she just ended her own existence, then?
However, Spider already knew the answer to that.
"I see," He murmured, turning his gaze back to his creator. She was still looking at the corpse, but her eyes had gone back to their previous dead state, as if she was looking but not seeing. He watched her, noting the difference from her actual appearance. Putting aside the ashes staining her cheeks black, there were dark circles under her eyes, making it look like she hadn't slept from weeks, and the air around her was distinct and dangerous, not playful like it usually was.
Even when the actual Midori was in danger, she never had the feeling of a starving wolf, someone who would do anything to survive and reach her goal. But this Midori was different and darker and unhesitating – from the look inside of her eyes, he could tell she had already killed people before. He decided he didn't like her current appearance. Not one bit.
"So, why are you working with them? You made it clear that you 'had no choice', but you never mentioned why." He hummed, breaking her out of whatever trance she'd been in while looking at the dead body of her friend and semi-accomplice. She looked over to him, pulling her jacket closer over her arms, cloth crinkling. He had the feeling she was merely answering his questions to humor him, rather than actually believing that he was Spider from the actual reality.
"When the dimensions collided, Vermouth came to me. She'd apparently thought about recruiting me beforehand, but had only gotten to it at that point in time. We planned the downfall of the organization – a deep undercover, inside, mission. I thought maybe she sent you to check on me, since lately she's been doing that quite a bit… I have the thought that she's perhaps playing both the organization and me." Her intelligent eyes scanned him suspiciously, "No one can be sure with that woman."
"And you went along with her plan because…?" He questioned, almost gently.
Her mouth grinned, a mix between her usual Cheshire grin and something more twisted and ominous – mad. "Violence makes a statement. The truth is, my first plan was to just kill everyone involved in the organization, but Vermouth thought it'd be better to do it quietly. Though, it would have been thoroughly amusing to punch Gin's lights out before ripping out his esophagus." She giggled – a reminiscent scene to a nightmare he'd given to the actual Midori once before. Seeing it up close and knowing it wasn't his doing made a chill run up his spine uncomfortably, goosebumps appearing onto the skin of his arms.
Was this emotion fear – the mindless human emotion he didn't have time for – or simple uneasiness at the incontrollable situation?
He couldn't tell.
He decided to just focus on the task at hand. This had gone on far too long – it was time the idiotic mortal woke up. "The point is, kitten, that you aren't in the actual world. The actual world is still completely fine at the moment. This is merely the dark side of your mind, where the psychic trap directs every bad thought or possibility that's crossed your mind and everything you don't like. There's also another side of your mind in complete bliss, in a utopian world. If you just come with me, we can destroy the utopia and everything will go back to normal." He informed her.
She snorted derisively, "What would be the point of that?"
He rolled his eyes – stupid as ever, it seems. "The point is to set your mind as a whole into a neutral state. If one side of your mind is focusing on the bad and the other side of your mind is focusing on the good, then there's no middle part. Both have separate goals and get sucked into the bad or good of their half – leaving you defenseless and in a comatose state in the pocket dimension that's inside that gem you took. The Pari Passu – ring any bells?" If it didn't, he was going to just kill this side of her mind – though, the thought itself made him feel repelled from her.
Stupid rules and confinements that came with being a forged being – he wished he could do whatever with her. That he didn't have these restrictions when it came to the foolish kitten; it made him feel ill.
Then again, if he didn't, he wouldn't feel obligated to her, and wouldn't be here at the moment and this current thought pattern wouldn't be a problem either. Dark brown widened and there was a glimmer there – a glimmer of hope. He flashed a smirk. He'd gotten to her, now he just needed to play his cards right – he moved forward a knight of his internal chessboard. "…Are you telling me that the Pari Passu actually opened a pocket dimension that sent me into my own mind and this is why I'm currently living in hell?" She was still a bit dubious, with good reason.
"Yes. However, if you come with me, we can both enter the utopian side of your mind and reunite both sides of your mind and you'll be able to return to reality." Then, for the sake of getting a better reaction, Spider skillfully tacked on, "Koizumi Akako, I assume, is still waiting for your return back to the Koizumi mansion." Oh, the joys of having a creator with a sharp tongue.
There was a long silence as she contemplated and he could see by the flickering of the scenery around them that he'd gotten to her – soon enough, they would both be on their way to the utopian side and he'd finally be able to get her back to the reality. This was taking longer than he liked. Time may not move the same within the psyche, either, so it could very well be weeks or days later by now and search parties would have been sent out for both Midori – or Alice, since people would only notice her missing – and that boy.
It could very well end up very troublesome.
Finally, the scene faded completely away and Midori's dull gaze had turned determined and hopeful, a bit surprised at suddenly being in a wintery forest. "Alright, let's do this. What do we need to do to get my utopian side to join back up with me?" She questioned, stepping closer to his side with a slight smile that still didn't look quite the same as before – it was dimmer and less bright. Despite realizing that it wasn't reality, this side of her mind still remembered everything she'd been shown in the dystopia.
"Easy – we'll break her illusion of perfect happiness. Killing someone she cares about will be easy enough, right?" Spider already knew the answer by the shark's smile that spread. "Easy as eating pie! You can distract the other-me! I'll kill whoever's closest." She instructed, getting a doubtful look from the arachnid being.
"Will you be able to kill someone who looks like someone you care for?" Surely, she wouldn't be able to and he would have to do the killing. But she merely nodded her head before pushing him forward, "So, show me where to go." She'd gotten a lot pushier, wanting her hope to not be in vain – for this not to be an illusion. He smirked to himself, pulling her to the nearby chained doorway, snow crunching soundlessly underfoot. Humanity was really…
"Here it is." He gestured to the door, but didn't move any closer to it, not wanting to get bitten once more. It had already affected his psyche a bit, slowing down his thinking process and his senses. Dystopian-Midori stepped closer curiously, tugging at the chains easily, not getting any retaliation. Her own mind couldn't attack her, after all. The chains crumbled as she gave a firm yank and she gave a smile, pushing the door open with a small creak. Immediately, the scenery changed once more.
It was sunny, yet sparkling snow was everywhere, coating the land in pure white. The city was bustling and the buildings were all intact, no out of place trees or other things and the landscape was covered in a complete presence of peace. However, with their presence, a darkness started to engulf where they were – the psychic trap was trying to make up time; a prison cell at night was starting to take form, trying to capture them.
Spider and the dystopian-Midori caught sight of the other, who was in a café. She was happily chatting away with another annoying human that Spider recognized as Ryukaze Erise, eating cake. No ash was smearing her face, her clothes were casual, and she looked completely at ease. Her eyes were sparkling with emotions of happiness and companionship as she talked to the equally calm Erise. "You distract her." The dystopian-Midori told him, voice stern, "I'll quickly kill Erise. That'll break the illusion, right?"
A bit dumbstruck, Spider nodded as her hand reached down to pull out her knife once more. It glinted in the lighting as she pulled it out of the sheath, eyes set into a concentration glare. They both set off, the scenery crawling after them at a sluggish pace. Too slow. The bell of the café rang as they entered and the dystopian headed to Erise as Spider placed a hand on the other Midori's shoulder, pulling her away from the table with a jolt. She stumbled back into him, her chair colliding with her floor noisily.
"Hey, what are you–Erise!" The happy look on the utopian-Midori's face had fallen, skin paling and eyes widening in horror as the other tugged up Erise and swiftly gave her a firm stab to the heart. Blood rushed out, splattering onto the furniture and staining the flooring and Spider watched in fascination as the other continued, stabbing the girl over and over and over and over…
What do you know, he thought with some amusement, she had it in her, after all…
Finally, the other dropped the lifeless body with a thud, blood pooling around the body. Breathing harsh, she turned, face stained with blood splatter and hands dropping the knife with bloody fingertips. "Don't worry, it's fine. This is your counterpart. You just need to wake up." Spider hummed, giving the utopian-Midori a halfhearted pat on the back before stepping away and letting the other continue the job. She was beginning to tell her something, but his attention remained on the body.
It seems he had underestimated what could drive a person mad. Humanity was really such an interesting thing. He thought back to the harshness of her blows and to her unnecessary added strikes, for effect, he presumed. And humanity was also somewhat frightening.
Those black boxes existed for a reason, after all.
ooOOoo
Everything had been so perfect – how could it go so wrong so fast? It just didn't make sense, everything didn't make sense. My eyes flickered to the unfamiliar person beside my, supposed, 'counterpart'. "You don't get it!" She was yelling and hands rested on my shoulders, beginning to shake at an uncaring pace as the darkness and coldness from my counterpart's side began creeping into mine of normalcy and happiness. Confused brown eyes met equal copies that were burning with fiery determination.
"You–" Another shake that sent my head spiraling and something itched in the back of my mind. Something… "–need–" This was wrong – what had happened? Erise was dead – why would she–? "–to–" I was forgetting something. The thought broke my mind back to reality and memories flooded into my head. The heist, the gem, everything–
It burned into my brain and both my counterpart and I flickered and with a jolt, we were no long two, but one. I was whole again, all emotions back in place, no longer void of sadness or of happiness – I now had the ability to feel everything I was supposed to; no longer entrapped.
My mouth finished the sentence as my eyes widened in realization, "–wake up…"
At the shift in power, all the scenery disappeared into a black void-ness – Erise's lifeless body, the café, the clear blue sky, as well as the cold stone walls, the prison bars, and the dark sky of night; they all faded. In the black void, I stood straight, eyes going back to the now-familiar man. How could I forget him in the first place? I was a bit confused as to why he helped, but he had definitely just saved me from being trapped here forever.
Slowly, and with the sound of shattering glass, cracks appeared from my feet, extending outwards and engulfing the whole place as if it was a spider's web. I quirked a grin at the irony and as the cracks extended to the black sky, the world finally shattered.
ooOOoo
I woke with a jolt, eyes flying open to see white. I immediately went into a sitting position, regretting it a bit when my head pounded painfully, a sign of an incoming headache due to my head rush. My eyes scanned the room blurrily, taking in a white ceiling and four white walls surrounding me with no doors, before they landed on a person kneeling beside me. I blinked at the blurry figure before it cleared out, revealing Spider. His golden locks fell gently around his face and his Columbian blue eyes were staring at me.
"What is it, goldilocks?" I grumbled, a bit irritated with him. Sure, he'd just helped me, but the last time I saw him, he was making a bet on who could find the gem to go back to my world first – he was still an enemy. Absently, I noticed that while he was indeed in front of me, he looked a bit…see-through? As if reading my mind, he smirked. "My physical body isn't in this dimension. I'm only here mentally, kitten." Ugh, that nickname…
"So…, we're in a pocket dimension?" I questioned, wincing as I stood, feeling a bit unsteady. He stood, too, still wearing that stupid smirk on his stupid face. I could recall him calling it that, but most of what had happened inside my mind was hazy – I could barely remember anything…
"Yes. Now, if you don't mind, can we leave? I'd prefer to be in reality once more." Spider droned in a bored tone – though, now that I look at it, he does look a bit tired. I wonder why – did he get hurt or something? I blinked at the thought, shaking it away – no, I'm gonna pretend I did not just think that; I'm not worried about that jerk. No way. The thought was appalling.
"Yeah, su–ah, wait. Where's Kai–err, KID?" I stuttered, looking around swiftly, and my eyes finally located him, deep asleep on the ground in what looked like a rather uncomfortable position. I quickly hurried over, kneeling beside him. I placed a hand gently onto his forehead, brushing away his bangs carefully – who knows, maybe he'd wake up by me touching him? He didn't. His expression remained completely neutral, eyes closed and oblivious to his surroundings.
With a sigh, I shifted his body, giving him a bit more of a comfortable position before looking to Spider with a determined face. "Spider, how do I wake him up? How did you wake me up?" I questioned and he hitched up a delicate brow in disbelief.
"No way am I helping you help that boy." He hissed, scowling lightly. He crossed his arms and I noticed that for the barest of moments, his pale skin flickered to a tanned color and the Spider mark I'd seen on him in the anime appeared around his left eye before they vanished again – he was losing control, it seemed, on how he made himself appear to me. He must've really gotten hurt, then…
"You don't need to help me. I'll wake him up myself – just tell me how you did it!" I snapped, scowling at him as well. We glared at each other for a long moment, each willing the other to break the silence first. My lip twitched in irritation as time leaked into a minute. I didn't have time for this! "Tell me, or so help me, I'll shave your head!" I finally barked, giving him what was supposed to be a threatening look, though he appeared to be more amused than frightened at the display. Yeah, I needed to work on that…
His muscles relaxed a bit, "I'll tell you, but you need to promise that if you can't wake up the moron, that you'll just abandon him here." He stated sternly, giving me a look that reminded me oddly of a mother hen. Weird…and why the heck did he care, anyways? Something was up here. "Fine, okay." I huffed. Not that it would happen – I would definitely wake Kaito up. It couldn't be too hard. After all, someone as stupid as Spider had done it, so why wouldn't I be able to, right?
He smirked lightly. "Good, kitten." The condescending tone had my hair rising and a retort burning the back of my throat, but I held it back. Just barely. For Kaito, I reminded myself, hand twitching to smack the smile off his face. Oh, that would be nice. Very nice. This creeper deserved a good smack.
"All you need to do is make them realize that they're in a fictional reality. The easiest way is to go wake up the utopian one. If you destroy their perfect paradise, then they'll easily wake up, since the other side will immediately merge with them again, due to them not wanting the life they have. However, if you can't do that one, you'll have to make the one in the…unfavorable paradise hope and help you in destroying the other ones paradise. They'll then merge together and he'll wake up." He instructed me shortly, not dwelling on details.
"That's it?" I asked, dubious. It sounded easy enough, but who knows? Spider could very well be playing me. Some strange part of me believed him completely, though, and that left me feeling weird.
He nodded. "That's it. The only extra part is that you'll most likely be put into the inner core of his mind and you'll have to find the doors and notice the difference between the two. Unless you automatically end up in one of the doors already." He hummed absently, flicking a piece of his blond bangs out of his eyes delicately. "Anyways, you should hurry up. This thing will lock up again once it hits four o'clock, I presume."
His eyes flickered in concentration, "Damn, if only those witches had had it open during ushimitsudoki, then I would have had a level time-limit…," He muttered under his breath, to himself, but I heard him anyway. He wasn't being very subtle about it. This just getting stranger and stranger…
"Anyways, brat, make it quick." I stumbled backwards in a flinch as his hand immediately reached for my forehead and with a small tap to my forehead by his pointer finger, I fell unconscious once more.
ooOOoo
I woke up in a slightly bad mood, annoyed at Spider for freakin' knocking me out like it was all good fun. It was not! What if I did something wrong and got stuck here? Actually, now that I think about it…
My gaze snapped open from its half-lidded state and I vaulted forward into a sitting position on the unfamiliar bed. Light blue sheets like the ones my bed were usually covered in folded over into my lap at the movement and I quickly scanned the room. My eyes fell on a short figure sound asleep on a chair in the room, a book propped in her lap. Messy brown locks were splayed across her face as the child's head leaned to an awkward angle in her sleep.
Suddenly, I felt like running in the other direction – was this another one of Spider's jokes? Because, surely, there shouldn't be Alice sitting a few feet away on a wooden chair when I'm sitting on the bed right now! My breath choked in my throat and my heart jumped in panic as the door to my left creaked open. My head whipped around a bit too fast, but I ignored the whiplash in favor of regarding the intruder with a look of completely unhidden panic – great, where had my pokerface gone?
At the sight at the man in the door, I quickly decided I'd rather take the brat version of myself than face this man. This man who couldn't exist right here, right now, because…well, he was dead. Supposedly, anyways. I was always suspicious, but for him to suddenly come and confront me…it was enough to set me into a frantic state. Was I becoming delirious or something? Maybe Spider – that bastard – had drugged something of mine and all of this crazy mystical gem stuff was a delusion.
Hell, maybe this whole thing was a delusion – maybe I really wasn't here in the Detective Conan universe, but rather unconscious in a hospital bed somewhere in Kansas. In a coma due to some unforeseen and currently forgotten accident. Had I maybe gotten hit by a car? Or, maybe I'd been mugged and that's why I imagined myself in this place of all places? Millions of thoughts – uselessly – ran throughout my mind as I scrambled out of the sheets, getting irritated as they tangled with my legs during my hurried rush.
I gave a low growl and stiffened as if I'd just been looked at by Medusa when a calming hand was placed on my shoulder. "It would be best if you rest for a bit." The voice was calm, yet stern, and the right amount of warmth and fatherly tone balanced out between it. It was a smooth voice that seemed to carry away all my problems. Suddenly, abruptly, I knew I would miss him when he was yet again gone – and I hadn't even known him for more than a second.
It…kind of hurt, deep in a part of my chest. Like something was twisting and yearning to swallow something whole – it hurt, it hurt, and all I wanted was to turn and give Toichi the biggest hug ever and never let go, because if I did he would disappear again and I'd be left alone, all alone, in that house, without anyone, without someone who could understand, without someone who was supposed to protect and care for me and–
"Midori." My desperate eyes stung with unshed tears as I grasped the fabric of my shirt above my chest. He was right there, still hovering over me in concern, granite blue eyes directed on mine. He looked like same as he had when he died, and it was so good to see him again, I didn't want him to leave, don't leav– "Midori, you're getting sucked in by Kaito's emotions. Remember. Remember who you are." Confusion over took a small part of my mind, which was still being doused in the overwhelming suffocating emotions. My hands latched onto the fabric of his sleeves, a smooth texture like it was hand sewn.
They were overflowing all at once – despair, loss, love, hope, anger, happiness – and drowning me–I couldn't fuckin' breathe. It was too much – my mind and soul hadn't ever felt so much emotions at once, all flowing in and out, like a constant river that wouldn't – couldn't – be stopped. The hand on my shoulder squeezed and I blinked slowly at him, as some sort of reply. I couldn't talk, something was lodged in my throat, and I felt like if it was removed, I wouldn't be able to stop sobbing–
Was this how Kaito felt whenever he thought of Toichi?
This was hell.
…No, wait, hadn't it always been like this? It had always been hell – what was I talking about? Hadn't I always been here, in this room, like this?
Then, like a rubber band being pulled back and then quickly released, my mind came rushing back painfully, crashing away all those not-mine emotions and causing a short relapse in strength, causing me to fall back onto the bed – which, now that I think about it, wasn't this my room in the Kuroba household? Everything was the same, to the sheet color, to the color of the walls, to the messy papers I'd left on the desk there this morning. The soft pillow under head cushioned my fall and I felt like going back to sleep, thoroughly exhausted.
What type of crap had I been thinking before? I hadn't always been here and the world most certainly wasn't hell. I shivered at the thought – I'd almost lost myself into the depths of Kaito's mind. If I hadn't recovered, I would have been stuck here. Forever.
…Wait. My eyes turned back to Toichi and while I did indeed some sort of pull to him – a certain fondness – I didn't feel the need to cling and bawl. "How'd you know my name…?" I asked in a cautious, curious, tone. Even if Kaito's mind recognized me, he himself didn't know me as any type of 'Midori'. He only knew this form as Jester/Noriko, his accomplice. So how did…? Unless…
Toichi gave me a gentle smile and I noted that Kaito had inherited most of his father's features, including his charming smile. It was slightly lopsided, a bit on the small side, but was warm and mischievous to make it a genuine one. It certainly didn't look anything like those half-hearted ones I had a habit of pulling out because of force of habit.
The man pulled the blue sheet covers over my body for comfort and I sunk down into the softness of my mattress, still waiting for his answer patiently. Finally, he spoke, in that endearing voice again. "Do you believe in things beyond human comprehension?" He questioned curiously, but he seemed to already know the answer, but was merely asking out of courtesy. Figures that Kaito's father would be a freakin' gentleman himself, I mused with a hint of a smile creeping onto my tired lips. My body felt too heavy to do much more. Why was I so tired?
"Of course I do. It's a pretty dumb question to ask in our current situation, doesn't it?" I quipped back in a light tone, somehow comforted by the fact that this was, indeed, the real Toichi. The fact that he was dead and wasn't technically supposed to be here, due to obvious reasons (he's freakin' dead), didn't bother me. In fact, it oddly made me feel at ease. I had a feeling he'd help me get his son out of this mental trap, since I was currently not feeling up to it. Again, why was I so tired? Probably had something to do with that mental snapback, but I decided to just think about it later to save myself from the impending headache that was probably going to come if I didn't stop thinking of it.
"Of course." He chuckled warmly, face softening. He gave my head a quick pat before he turned, "Well, I best be going now. It was nice to meet you, Midori. Please take care of my reckless son." He sounded fondly exasperated, like anything father would have if their son had literally sworn revenge against a large criminal organization just because of his death. It was endearing – and so darn reckless at the same time. I blinked as he turned.
"Wait – what are you going to do?" I blurted before I could stop myself, thinking back to those emotions that had flowed through me. If those were Kaito's feeling about Toichi then…wouldn't it be better for him to stay here in his own utopia, where his father was alive and well? Where, I apparently, lived with them in Alice's form, since she was still sleeping in the chair in the corner. "Don't you…," Oh, I just knew I was going to regret asking this – I should just shut up. But, did I? Of course not.
"Don't you…want to spend more time with him?"
There was a long moment of silence as we stared at each other, a granite blue pair in surprise as my chocolate eyes stared at him shakily in honest confusion. If I hadn't had the time to get to know my son – watch him grow up – wouldn't I take this chance to? Wouldn't I do that? So why was he…?
There was a dawning look of understanding in his eyes as he stepped to the bed once more, resting a large, fatherly, hand onto my forehead gently. My eyes fluttered shut at the sensation – a sensation I hadn't really experienced – and I felt my confusion calm. I peeked my eyes open at him to see him once again giving that smile of his. "Of course I do want to spend more time with him. However, he doesn't belong in this cage of false happiness. He deserves to be able to experience the world first hand and everything that comes with it – the pain, the sorrows, the joy, the happiness. And I'll always be watching him, even if it's afar."
My eyes widened at the words – it sounded so selfless. How could he think only of his son when he could easily take what he wanted the most – more time with him? It didn't make sense. Even if I had to deprive my son the chance at a real life, in this false paradise he would be completely happy, and I, myself, would also be able to spend more time with him. Wasn't it a win-win situation? Or did he see something I didn't see?
He ran a few fingers through my hair, making my eyes droop in drowsiness. I suddenly felt a lot more tired than I had before. Maybe it was the comfort he was giving or maybe my mind had finally dealt with enough for the night. "You'll understand when you meet someone you love the most in the world. And, when you do, you'll be able to understand why I'm choosing this path." He murmured gently as I slowly dozed off. I didn't even hear his last words before I was out.
"That's the beauty of growing up outside in the real world – that beautiful, wide, world. Endless, endless, possibilities! But more so, you grow into an adult who will be able to cope with whatever comes your way because of everything you've went through. No false reality can ever hope to even give you a false illusion of this vital growing process. For it heals, and it destroys…"
ooOOoo
"…But maybe that's why it's so beautiful." Toichi finished his sentence softly, pulling his hand back from the sleeping teen's bangs. Her eyes were closed in a dreamless sleep, chest rising and falling in a deep, rhythmic, pattern. He gave an amused chuckle as she scrunched her nose in slight irritation before rolling over to face the other way for a more comfortable position. She reminded him a lot of Kaito – maybe that's why he trusted her with taking care of his son. And why he trusted her enough to give her those encouraging words.
She was still young and didn't understand much, but she'd learn along the way, learn with friends and family and co-workers. It was all a slow-progressing cycle and you never really did truly understand life, even after you were dead and long passed. However, Toichi liked that fact. If you learned all the mysteries in the world, it would simply be no fun! The world couldn't be a boring place as a whole, after all. There were still many, many, mysteries out there, waiting to be discovered. And, more likely, they would never be discovered.
But, you never knew if you would find them, until you tried to find them.
It was something Toichi himself had learnt at a somewhat young age. Funny, he couldn't exactly remember when, but it was implanted in his mind like second-nature, so it must have been important. He shook with head with another amused smile. Toichi, he berated himself internally, you really are going senile.
He gave the sleeping Midori one last look, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. The emotional pull that she'd been locked into at the beginning was a common thing that happened if another mortal went into another mortals mind – all the emotions of their short or long lifespan flooding into their head automatically in one moment; a truly terrifying defensive mechanism. They simply weren't meant to be tampering in other's heads without permission of some sorts, but she'd managed to break out of it, whether due to his help, or…
His granite eyes scanned her a bit longer and he blinked in sudden recognition. Ah, so that's why. No wonder, he mused to himself, feeling a smirk curl at the edge of his lips. Now that he felt infinitely more assured about the girl, he turned to head out of the cozy, guest bedroom to get ready for his next magician show.
But this time, he was quite well aware that it would, again, be his last.
Well, it had been fun while it had lasted! Maybe later he'd go bother those Tengu again… that was certainly always fun!
ooOOoo
Spider rolled his eyes at the two unconscious teens before him. They'd both woken up in a hasty snap, only to promptly fall unconscious. Ridiculously weak humans, he spat internally, turning to grab Midori by one arm and draping her carelessly over his back. He shuddered in disgust as he felt breath gust up against the nape of his neck before he turned to his creator once more – her head was angled in an awkward position on his shoulder and her mouth was gaping open to reveal her white teeth. Considering the last encounter with those pearly whites, he wanted them anywhere other than near his neck.
He sighed and rolled his eyes. At least, unlike the boy, she'd been able to withstand not only waking up once, but going into someone else's mind. Perhaps she wasn't…that weak, he admitted begrudgingly. He had half a mind to just leave her in her awkward position, but another half of him told him to just take Midori to that witch's house and then leave the whole ordeal back in the dust. With a slight scowl, he removed her from his back, shifting her in his arms until she was in a comfortable bridal hold. She was light to him, his muscles monstrously enhanced due to being a perspective being. After all, Midori had never really thought about how Spider was, so it had compensated for itself.
Her peaceful face as she shifted the slightest irritated him a bit and he bit back a huff, turning away from the unconscious KID boy to go to the mansion in Ekoda Forest, the Pari Passu in his pocket (because he knew he couldn't leave it behind despite it just being a troublesome rock), but a voice echoing through his head had him pausing mid-step. A sentence that hadn't been said, but surely would've if the annoying mortal in his arms was awake.
"Don't you dare leave KID behind or I'll freakin' shave your head, goldilocks!"
He glared into clear air for a long moment, debating the pros and cons. Finally, with a dark look on his face, he turned on his heel, carelessly grabbed the boy like a sack of potatoes under one arm, the other easily supporting Midori like an overgrown baby now, and then quickly stalked off in the general direction of the forest.
It was official.
He really did hate humans.
Review Replies:
To: MagicMilkbone – lol, it's okay. XD I get lazy to sign into certain things, too. XD Ah, Midori is pretty tall for her age. (Nods) It's one of the most noticeable appearance traits she had, other than the fact that everyone thinks she's a boy, if they can't see her face. XDDD And Ran's 5'3?! Aw, shoot. XD Earlier in the story – the Holmes Freak case, I believe – I said that Midori looked up to Ran, because she was only slightly taller than her. Oops… My bad. …Well, I don't think anyone noticed… (Careless Shrug, Innocent Whistling) XD And here's the update! XD
To: Guest – Thank you so much! 8D
To: MiniMiao – Whoo~! Yup, the heist~! Sorry for the long wait for that one. XDDD And Heiji~! You request, so I give! He's too awesome to deny. XDD (Laughs) Cliffies are my life~~(Laughs) And yeah, I thought that'd be hilariously ironic, since it's technically her fault, since she said she was a big liar in the other chapter. XD (Laughs) I'm glad you laughed at those parts! 8D I'm glad my humor wasn't a complete fail, lol. XDD And okay, I won't get sick again~! (Salutes) (it's not a complete promise, but I'm sure I won't get sick again for a long while, since the last time I got sick before this recent time was, like, two years ago, lol) ((Yay for epic immune system! 8D)) As for Conan, I'm sorry I couldn't fit him into this chapter. I was looking for a place to put him, but there was just nowhere. Guh. However… (Grins) The next chapter will be fun, so I'll be able to add him in (with some Koizumi's, lol – he's gonna be mind-boggled since I'm planning with the strangest lot, too. XD) Hope my third-person was alright. XDD I can't wait for Heiji's case, too! 8D (Eats Cyber Cookie) Thank you~! (don't worry, this story is gonna be long as heck – my sister is already dreading how long it's going to drag out, since I'm hopeless when it comes to moderating myself) Woo~! Anime recommendations! 8DDDD Blue Exorcist, Ouran High school Host Club are two I've watched completely and I've started Kamisama Kiss and Hyouka (with the intent to finish them) but I never got to it. XDD I'll definitely have to watch those fully. XDD And I'll definitely give those others a try, too! 8DDD Thanks for the recommendations! 8D I've been looking for new anime to watch after SNK ended, lol. XD Thank you! 8D
To: 4fireking (Chapter One Review) – Thank you! 8D Ah, that makes the two of us then! ^^ I'm also a sucker for mystery/crime anime and TV shows. I'm hooked on several, lol. And sure, I'll be sure to check one out soon! 8D
To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – They got teleported into a pocket dimension, which then caused them to be unconscious and fall into their inner consciousness of inner demise and inner paradise! (Dramatic Hand Flails) …That sounded a lot cooler in my head. XD But, I had this idea for a while and I stuck with it. Hopefully it wasn't strange, lol. (Laughs) Yes, the best way is to say the truth, sound like you're lying, and then they'll never think it's the truth! 8DDD Reverse psychology, something which Midori is actually going to use a lot more in the future, lol. XD (she's already used it, but the next time she uses it, pfftt. Poor Conan.) Lol, why do you feel sorry for her? Because KID didn't believe her? XD (Grins as Snowflakes Fall and Eats Cyber Cookie) Thank you, E-chan~!
-Whoo, that was fun. I feel bad for making Toichi so horribly OOC, but that's how I see him...playful, yet a bit lonely, since, hey, he is dead. XD (Coughs) Anyways, next chapter, expect lots of hijinks and logically confused Conan, a tense conversation between Spider and Akako, and, of course, since we're nearing Halloween, some Koizumi's! (They reappeared a lot sooner than I thought, hmm…)
Note(s):
Ushimitsudoki (丑三つ時) – the hours of witches - the night time at 2AM around when ghosts or monstrous entities show up.