Disclaimer: I don't own DCMK
A Curse Marked Fate
14: Gathering Signs
Shinichi knew he had cried out in shock, but he could hear nothing. He couldn't see anything either. All around him, the world was white as though engulfed by a blinding light except that his eyes weren't watering in pain the way they would have been had that been the case. He couldn't even feel anything. There was no movement of air against his skin and no sensation of a ground beneath his feet. That latter realization sent a jolt of panic shooting through him until he realized that he could still feel Kaito's hand holding his.
That calmed him, but only a little. What in heaven's name had Kaito done to them?
He opened his mouth to try and ask the older boy about it only to remember that, wherever this odd place was, it demanded silence. And still he could not feel the ground beneath his feet.
One second turned to three then ten. At the count of fifteen, Shinichi began to feel the stirrings of real fear in his chest, and he found himself clutching Kaito's hand more tightly in an unconscious search for comfort.
Naturally, that was when the whiteness finally began to recede.
Sound returned first. It came in the form of a soft, whispering wind rustling gently through thousands of leaves. That soft susurration washed over him in a gentle wave, and with it came the chirping of joyful birds.
Then, as though to fill in the gaps in the picture being painted by that sound, a forest faded into view. It came in smears of orange and red, yellow and green, that washed away the whiteness before thickening and darkening to take on solid shapes. In moments, the two boys were standing in a forest glade in the middle of autumn surrounded on all sides by the splendor of autumn foliage.
Shinichi was only just starting to marvel at the beauty of this place when the scents hit him. He hadn't noticed their lack until they came, and suddenly his senses were flooded with the spicy aromas of the autumn leaves and the fresh scent of the autumn chill.
With that last piece of the puzzle falling into place, the entire forest came to vivid and undeniable life.
"Where are we?" he whispered in awe as his eyes traced the many tall, graceful maple trees standing all around them. There were no buildings visible beyond the tops of those trees, and he couldn't hear the distant rumble of traffic that characterized even the most peaceful city parks.
Next to him, Kaito let out a delighted laugh. "It's incredible, isn't it?"
"It's beautiful," Shinichi agreed, still spellbound by the natural splendor around them. "Did you transport us somewhere?"
Kaito guffawed. "No, no, it's not like that. Or, well, actually, I guess you could say it's exactly like that, but not the way you're thinking. We're inside the book."
"You mean like in the story?" Shinichi asked, half in disbelief and half in wonder. He'd never heard of such magic before.
Kaito chuckled. "That too. Though it's also pretty literal. My parents and their colleagues have been developing this magic for years. Some of the work's mine too, actually. We are now inside a pocket dimension with a fully fabricated series of environments. Everything you see around us is magically generated. We're calling them Vision Books."
Before Kaito could say more, a boy who appeared slightly older than Shinichi's outward age at the moment came running out of the trees and into the forest glade in which they stood. His face lit up upon spotting them.
"I've been looking for you two! Your mothers want to see you. They said it was urgent. You'd better hurry."
"Where are we supposed to meet them?" Kaito asked.
"They're waiting for you in the town meeting hall with the elders." The boy pointed back through the woods the way he'd come.
"We'll be going then." Grabbing Shinichi's hand, Kaito set off through the trees.
"What was that about?" Shinichi asked, perplexed.
"Like I told you. We're in the story as in we're characters, not spectators. Surely you've played video games before. This book is basically a role playing game."
Understanding dawned, and Shinichi could only shake his head in amazement. "I know people have been trying to create virtual reality technology, but I had no idea that anyone was working on virtual reality magic. I didn't think it was possible."
"A lot of people didn't. Like I said, everything about these books is newly developed and highly experimental. It melds Earth and Sky magic in ways no one thought was possible before. But that's enough of that. We're here to have fun and enjoy the game. If you want to learn more about how it was made, I'll take you to see Dad sometime."
Ahead of them, the forest thinned, and they could make out simple, wooden buildings marking the edge of town. Figuring that the town hall would most likely be located near the heart of the settlement, they headed that way. All around them, the town was rapidly coming to life with the rising sun. Men, women, and children emerged from the buildings and bustled through the streets, chattering to each other and laughing. It was all so real that Shinichi would have never suspected otherwise had Kaito not told him beforehand that all of this was fabricated.
They were stopped in the market square by an old woman running a small shop that sold handmade bags and backpacks.
"I wanted to thank you both for helping me out last week when I couldn't watch the store myself," she said, smiling. "So I made you these." She showed them two handmade backpacks stitched from thick, durable cloth. "But first, I wanted to stitch your names on too. Could you write them out for me? I want to make sure I spell everything correctly."
"Sure." Kaito wrote his name on the notepad she held out to him then passed the pen and pad to Shinichi, who hesitated only a moment before writing "Conan" on the page.
"Come back this afternoon," the old woman told them with a smile. "I'll have both your presents ready by then."
They thanked her then resumed their search for the town hall. The scent of fresh baking wafted over them—so real that it made their mouths water. It was soon joined by the sizzle of sausages on a hot grill. By the time they spied the large building with the "Town Hall" sign out front, life in the small town was in full swing, and the air was all but vibrating with good cheer.
Kaito held the heavy door open for Shinichi before following the smaller boy inside only to nearly trip over him. The detective had halted abruptly just past the threshold at the sight of the five people seated at the long table in the single large room before them. Three of the five were unfamiliar to him: two elderly men and one old woman. But the two women on the far right of the five were people he recognized. One was Kuroba Chikage, whom he had met just last night at the party (which made sense since the Kurobas had piloted these projects), but the other was his own mother, Kudo Yukiko.
Shinichi gaped.
"Oh good, you're here!" Yukiko exclaimed, clasping her hands together in delight. "It's about time."
"We were told something urgent came up?" Kaito asked, looking from one mother to the other. Outwardly, he was asking the questions he knew he needed to ask to advance the story, but inwardly he was studying the woman seated with his mother.
The ingenious thing about the Vision Books was that they enhanced player experiences by lifting and incorporating memories from their users. To this end, the creators had incorporated certain cues into the storyline.
In this instance, the messenger who had come to fetch them had told them that their mothers were waiting for them. The idea was that, when the term 'mother' was spoken, users would naturally think of someone they associated with the term—more likely than not, that would be their own mother, even if they did so only briefly. The Vision Book then lifted that thought from the user and gave it form as the mother in the story. Therefore, this woman sitting with Chikage was the person Conan associated with the term 'mother'.
But Kaito was almost positive that this woman with the big blue eyes so much like the eyes of another that had caught his attention all those years ago was Kudo Yukiko. Shinichi's mother. Kaito had seen her on television often enough to be sure.
Did this mean that Conan thought of Yukiko as his mother instead of as an aunt like she was supposed to be? Or did this mean that Conan really was Kudo Yukiko's son—a younger brother to Shinichi, perhaps, or maybe even a half brother?
Kaito glanced down at Conan. This bore investigating. For now though, he filed the discovery away for later inspection. It would be, he knew, only the first of many clues that he had brought Conan here to help him find.
"Do you two remember the story of the Harvest Bell?" the only woman among the three elders asked, drawing both boys' attention.
They shook their heads.
"Well, long, long ago, this land was barren. There were no rivers and no plants, and the soil was dry and hard. It was a wasteland, but our ancestors, having fled from a terrible catastrophe that destroyed their homeland, had nowhere else to go. They had traveled hard for many, many months, but here, they realized they could go no further. So they knew that their time had come to an end. All except for one man."
"He was a devout man with true faith in the gods," the old man seated to the first speaker's right said, picking up the story. "And so he prayed for a night and a day without rest that the gods send the people a sign of how they should set about rebuilding their lives."
"In answer, the gods sent a golden bird with ruby eyes to the people bearing a message and a promise," the last elder on the council said. "The people need travel no further, the bird told them, for the land that they had come to was to be their home. The heavens would ensure that they had all that they needed to prosper so long as they remembered to care for the land from that day on and to take only what they needed, respect life in all its forms, and be thankful to each other, to the earth, and to the gods.
"The people's spirits were lifted, and they bowed their heads in gratitude. Then the golden bird led them to a rocky ridge where they found a single tree bearing a large, silver fruit. The bird told them to pick that fruit and cut it open with care. The people did so, and they were amazed to see that the fruit was silver not only in skin but in flesh. Even the single large seed in its heart glowed a moon white silver like moonlight given shape."
"Plant the seed here, the bird instructed," Yukiko sang out, stealing the story from the elders. Rising to her feet, she swept her arms dramatically out to either side. "Plant the seed to gift the future with the blessings you will now receive. This mountain will become its temple. And when next the people need its gifts, they will come here to seek permission. But first, take the flesh and the skin of the silver fruit and melt it in a white stone pot, for this living silver will be the material with which you forge the Harvest Bell. Ring this wondrous bell seven times upon the next rising of the sun. With its seventh cry, it shall shatter and dissolve into the wind, carrying with it the blessings of the gods to every corner of these lands."
"The people did as they were told," she continued. "And there, right before their eyes, the barren lands came to life." Blue eyes glittered as though gazing upon that magical moment in time. "Forests grew and rivers flowed as the land became fertile. The people celebrated, offering heartfelt thanks to the heavens. Then the golden bird shook its wings and prepared to depart. But before it did, it told the people that a new Harvest Bell must be forged and rung every thirty years to renew the blessings on the land." Yukiko resumed her seat and leveled the two boys with an intense stare. "As you must know, this year marks the two hundred and fortieth anniversary of the founding of our town."
"Which brings us to why we called you here," Chikage said. "You've been chosen to craft the Harvest Bell. Will you accept this task?"
"We will," said Kaito.
His mother smiled and nodded. "The Festival of Renewal is in one week's time. You will have until then to journey to the Temple of Living Silver and retrieve the fruit of the blessed tree. The Harvest Bell must be placed in the town bell tower before sunrise on the day of the festival. These will help you keep track of the time."
She picked up a small, wooden box that had been sitting unnoticed on the table by her elbow and walked to stand before them. She lifted the lid of the box to reveal a pair of tiny hourglasses hung on delicate, silver chains. At her gesture, they each took one of the hourglass necklaces and put them on.
"Don't worry about shaking them," she said. "These hourglasses have been enchanted. They will not be influenced by outside forces. They will count down to the time the bell must be rung. Take note that the sand will change color each day at the stroke of midnight." That said, she turned to Kaito. "Your father will have more information about the journey ahead. He is waiting for you next door in the town archives. You should go see him right away."
Despite his own disappointment that the vision book's random selection had picked his father instead of Conan's to install in the archives, Kaito didn't miss the small, worried crease that had appeared on his small companion's forehead as Chikage laid out their timeline. He didn't currently have the time to question the boy about it though, so he stored the observation for later.
The town archives were comprised of three floors of rooms all packed with floor-to-ceiling shelves loaded down with books. Shinichi gazed upon the lot of it in awe, wondering if all these books were readable or if they were merely decorative like the backdrops in a videogame. He would have gone right over to a shelf and taken a look for himself, but they were accosted the moment they entered the building by Kuroba Toichi.
"Good, you're here," he said without preamble. "Come with me." That said, he led them through the archives and up two flights of stairs to the highest level of the building. There, they found the only room in the building not populated with books. This room housed instead a single large sand table.
"I take it that you two have accepted the task of acquiring this year's Harvest Bell?"
"Of course we did," Kaito replied. "I mean, who better, right?"
Toichi laughed. "Hang onto that confidence, but don't get ahead of yourselves. Acquiring the Harvest Bell is no easy task."
"What do you mean?" Shinichi asked before Kaito could respond, startling the older boy somewhat as this was the first time he had endeavored to participate in the story.
"If you'll recall from the tale of the first Bell, the messenger from the gods told the people that the blessings they were given would be renewed if they prove worthy. So, you see, when you reach the Temple, you will have to pass a series of trials in order to prove that you are, indeed, worthy. Now, according to the records, the trials are different each year. It is believed that the gods tailor them to each visitor. There can be anywhere from five to twelve of them, and you must pass them all to reach the blessed tree at the heart of the Temple."
"What happens if we don't pass?"
Toichi's expression grew grim. "Then the next thirty years will be harsh ones."
The two boys traded looks before Kaito cleared his throat. "I guess that means there aren't any second chances."
"Not in the same year. You see, the Temple opens only once every thirty years, and it stays open only long enough for one visitor or group of visitors to attempt the trials."
"Has anyone ever failed?" Shinichi asked.
"Once. It was sixty years ago. Without the blessing of the Harvest Bell, the rivers began to run dry. We saw very little rain. When we did, they came as massive lightning storms. Half the forest burned to the ground. The rest gradually withered and died."
"Wait," Kaito exclaimed, holding up a hand. "This was only sixty years ago? But we were just in the forest. It was thriving. And quite a lot of those trees were really big. They must have been growing for decades."
"And thus is the miracle of the gods," his father replied with a smile. "You see, thirty years ago, Conan's father and I were able to forge the new Harvest Bell and ring it. Just as in the legend, the bell shattered after the seventh ring and blew away. It swept over the land in a silver wind, and everywhere it touched, the land came back to life. The rivers started flowing again, full of clean water and frolicking fish, and the animals who had fled the drought and the fires returned by the droves."
"If you went last time, can you tell us more about what kinds of trials you faced?" Shinichi asked. "I know you said they're always different, but it might still be good reference."
"I'm sorry, but everyone who takes on the trials must vow beforehand never to share their contents with anyone who wasn't there." The man smiled to soften his words. "But take comfort. Your father and I recommended you two to the elders because, from our own experiences, we feel that you two have the qualities needed to complete this invaluable task."
"That's all well and good," Kaito grumbled. "But can't you at least give us a bit of advice? Not that I think there's anything we can't deal with, but I'd hate to be the guy who brought the next drought down on everyone."
Stepping aside, the older man gestured at the sand table where several rows of words had been drawn in the sand.
"Respect life," Kaito read out loud because he knew that Conan was too short to see the writing on the table. "Take only what you need. Be grateful. Those were the things the bird told the people to remember, right?"
His father nodded. "You are correct. Remember these three things, and just be yourselves. If you can manage that, I know you'll both be fine."
"Now here." He handed each of them a book. The first few pages of the books were all maps—maps of town, of the area around town, and of the route to the Temple of Living Silver. After that, there was the legend of the golden bird and the Harvest Bell with full illustrations. That was followed by a timetable for their journey then blank pages for their own notes.
"Keep these with you," he instructed. "Once you have been admitted into the Temple, the map of the Temple grounds and interior will add themselves to your map collection. The journey to the Temple from here is a full day's travel over mountainous terrain. I would recommend that you set out as soon as possible. Get home first to say your goodbyes and pack what belongings you feel you will need. Though I'm sure your mothers will have the essentials packed for you already. Then you should swing by the market to get any additional provisions you want. You want to try and make it to this plateau by nightfall today." He pointed at a spot on the map Kaito was examining. "That's a good place to rest. If you set out from their early in the morning, you should make it to the Temple by noon."
"So do either of you have any more questions?" he asked, looking from one young man to the other and back again. When they both shook their heads, he nodded in approval and patted them on the shoulders (or rather, he patted Kaito on the shoulder and Shinichi on the head).
"I know you'll make us proud."
And that seemed to be it. He led them back down through the archives and out onto the street, where he waved a jaunty goodbye at them before retreating back inside.
The two boys stopped by the store selling the handmade bags first and received a pair of rather stylish backpacks with their names stitched artfully across the back. Better still, the old lady who had made them said, she had added a simple enchantment so that they would be able to hold more without increasing in weight. The two boys thanked her and tucked their map books into their new backpacks before making their way to the two buildings that the town maps had indicated were their homes.
Shinichi started in surprise when Ran opened the door of 'his' house to greet him with her usual warm smile.
"Mom had me pack these for you," she said, handing over several neat packages of toiletries, clothes, and food. She helped him stow them in his new backpack before handing him another, much smaller purse heavy with coins.
"Use this to buy anything else you think you'll need. I recommend getting some more food and an extra box of matches. And I think a sturdy rope for climbing with might be good too."
"Uh, okay," he stammered, still trying to wrap his mind around how this character not only looked like Ran but behaved like he thought she would too had she really been in this situation. Though Yukiko's appearance had been unexpected, his mother was a famous actress. It was easy to imagine that one of the people who'd worked on this vision book might have been a fan. Knowing his mother, she would most definitely have loved to model for one of these characters. And he could believe it had been a freaky coincidence that she had been cast as his book character's mother. But Ran was an entirely different story.
"I really wish I could go with you," she was saying now, "But they say only two people are allowed at a time. And I guess I have to be here to make sure Uncle doesn't get too drunk trying out beverages for the celebration. I don't know why they asked him to help out with the banquet planning."
Shinichi was still puzzling over the vision book's character cast as they stopped by Kaito's house, where they found yet more supplies, another pouch of coins and a complete set of traveling clothes for each of them waiting for them. They decided to go ahead and change. After that, they spent some time exploring the marketplace and enhancing their store of provisions.
They were just finishing when they ran into half a dozen members of the upcoming festival's banquet committee, one of whom was the one and only Mouri Kogoro. They were arguing over which of the Silver Bell Inn's many scrumptious dishes deserved to be on the banquet menu. Locked in indecision, they asked that Kaito and Shinichi join them for their latest taste test. The two young men spent the better part of the next hour trying out more than two dozen different items ranging from roast duck to cinnamon apple pie. Shinichi was immensely grateful when the committee finally let them leave. The food had all been delicious, but if he had to take a single bite of anything else, he was going to explode.
He wondered if all this food was real. It tasted real, and it certainly filled the stomach like it was real, but, if it was real, where was it all coming from? If it wasn't, what sort of magic was the book employing to trick his mind and body into believing that it had both tasted and eaten all those dishes?
Not to mention there was Kogoro's appearance. Once again, a face from his everyday life was playing the role of an NPC and behaving just like his real world counterpart (as evidenced by the fact that the man was already halfway drunk, having insisted that festival food had to be paired with spectacular beverages then called for the inn staff to bring out the good ale, the wine, the beer, the mead and whatever else they had).
Shinichi's mind was buzzing with more questions than there were bees in a hive, but he had yet to find the right opportunity to quiz Kaito about it.
"Here. For your trouble," said the committee head, handing them each an ornate box of chocolates. "Make sure you read the labels before you eat any." She winked then waved them off. "Best of luck with your quest. We're all counting on you."
The boys thanked her graciously and stowed their gifts in their respective backpacks. Then, with their packs now filled to the brim and their maps in their hands, they headed down the main street through town and out the eastern gates.
"So is this where we save the game?" Shinichi asked as the town guards waved them jaunty goodbyes and wished them god speed and good fortune. It seemed like the first chapter of the story had just ended. And they must have been 'playing' for almost four hours already. Fascinating as all this was, they really should be heading back to meet up with Ran and the others.
But Kaito looked down at him with honest puzzlement. "Save? What are you talking about?"
"Uh, well, didn't you say this was like a video game? Since we've already been here for half the day, we should save and get back to the conference."
Kaito laughed. "Co-chan, that's not how these books work. Once you start a vision book journey, you have to finish it to leave."
"But ours is supposed to take a week!" Shinichi protested, sudden understanding sending a spike of nervous anxiety through his system. "We can't stay in this book for a whole week!"
"No, of course not," Kaito said reassuringly, waving his hands in what he probably hoped to be a placating manner. "Every book contains one hour of use. As in, when we finish the journey here and go back outside, only one hour will have passed. But inside these books, that one hour has been stretched, if you will, to accommodate our needs."
"…"
"It's all right if you don't get it," Kaito said, reaching down to ruffle Shinichi's hair. "It's complex magic. All you need to know is that one week in here is one hour out there."
Shinichi swallowed the urge to groan. A whole week without Mouri Kogoro's curse to balance out his own… But maybe it wouldn't be that bad, he reasoned. If he was lucky, his curse would be operating on real world time.
Yeah… Shinichi could count the number of times he had actually been honest to goodness lucky on his fingers—and he wouldn't even need all ten.
TBC