Disclaimer: I don't own DCMK

A Curse Marked Fate

13: Unfolding the Map

"Where's Dad?" Kaito asked as he dropped into a chair at the suite's polished dining table. Outside, the sun was just peeking over the horizon, sending golden streams across the sky.

"He left for Clover Institute," Kuroba Chikage explained as she set a stack of pancakes down in front of her son, naming the magic research institute that her husband had founded. "He said he thinks he's had a breakthrough on that curse cancellation project he's been working on."

"Really?" Kaito perked up, partly at the news and partly at the sight of the hot, fluffy pancakes. He snagged the pitcher of syrup standing in the middle of the table and promptly began drowning his pancakes. "What was it?"

His mother shook her head. "He didn't say. You know how he is."

Kaito laughed. Like him, his father preferred to keep the details of his personal projects secret until the grand reveal where he could wow the public with his latest creations. Of course, being family, his wife and son generally got to preview said grand revelation before the rest of the world, but they still had to wait until Toichi was satisfied with the finished quality of his work.

"Does that mean he'll be missing the whole expo?" asked Kaito. They had all been looking forward to seeing all the new inventions and inventors who would be putting their work on display after all.

Chikage cut her own pancakes into neat wedges then drizzled a much more modest amount of syrup over the top of the stack. "It depends on how things go at the institute. He said he'd look in on some of the other projects his team's been working on while he's there. But if everything goes well, he should be back by late afternoon."

"That's good then. He won't miss the Miniature Fireworks Wand they're showing at eight. If it does everything they say it does, I was thinking of getting one."

His mother looked amused. "First that Sky Cycle. Now a Fireworks Wand? Kids these days have such extravagant toys."

Kaito made a face. "They're not toys. They're reference materials."

His mother raised an eyebrow at that. "Reference for what?"

"For creating my own magical gadgets and tools. I'm conducting research."

Chikage laughed. "I see. Well, in that case, we should make haste. The search for knowledge should be encouraged."

X

Shinichi stifled another yawn as he trailed after Ran through the glimmering, enchanted halls of Bell Tree Springs towards the chamber that had been marked out on their copy of the resort map as the breakfast buffet. It was open to all residents from half past six in the morning until ten. This, to Shinichi's way of thinking, meant that he should have been allowed to sleep in. Yet here he was, nearly stumbling over his own feet every other step at seven in the morning even though Kogoro was still snoring fit to shake the house down back in their suite. It seemed rather unfair, he thought grumpily, but Ran had insisted that she and Sonoko had agreed to meet for breakfast, and so meet they would.

Why Shinichi had been included in his was beyond him since neither girl had asked him for his opinion on the matter, but then again, that was nothing new.

With his eyes half closed, Shinichi nearly walked face first into a table leg before Ran tugged him back and steered him towards a chair instead. He stifled another yawn that turned into a yelp when the girl simply picked him up and sat him on the chair.

"Ran!" he whined, realized how childish that sounded and shut his mouth. His embarrassment cleared away some of the grogginess, but it didn't improve his mood. The ensuing pat on the head he got from his self appointed big sister only made him duck his head further to hide the growing color in his face. He could hear Sonoko snickering. He tried to tune her out and focus instead on the lovely patterns stitched into the tablecloth.

His head nodded forward, and he was about to drift right back off to sleep again when a plate of fruits, scrambled eggs, and waffles were placed down in front of him. And with them came the scent of salvation.

Blue eyes popped open, zeroing in instantly on the mug of black coffee standing oh so innocently next to his plate, sending soft tendrils of aromatic steam curling into the air.

Shinichi picked up the mug and held it between his hands, inhaling deeply as his world filled with the rich and wondrous fragrance of heaven on earth.

Maybe getting up early had been worth it after all.

"I'm starting to think the runt might need some psychological help," Sonoko said to Ran, waving a hand at where Shinichi was seated with his eyes closed and his nose in a mug of coffee, looking very much like he was in communion with it. "I mean seriously, that is not normal. And anyway, should he really be drinking that at his age?"

Ran laughed. "I don't know. But he really can't function in the morning without it."

"I had no idea people started drinking coffee regularly at such a young age," a new voice spoke up, making the girls jump and turn in their seats.

Behind them stood Kaito, looking far too awake for the early hour.

"Kuroba-san!" Ran exclaimed.

"Please, just Kaito," the Sky Mage said. "Mind if I join you?"

Sonoko beamed. "Of course we don't mind."

"Thanks." Kaito dropped into the empty chair next to Shinichi. "So have you lot made your plan of attack then?"

The girls blinked and traded confused looks.

"For the expo," Kaito clarified, pulling a cup of creamy coffee out of thin air and taking a long sip. "There's a lot to see."

"I have a program right here." Sonoko pulled a glossy brochure from her purse with a flourish and spread it out on the table between them. "Most of the exhibits are open all day, so we can pretty much take our time looking around. We had all the exhibits grouped by type. So there's the sports and outdoor activities section. They're mostly distributed about the main gardens and along the lake shore. Then there's the culinary magic and home appliances section. They're in the Elm, Bamboo, Oak, and Rowan ballrooms. Half the toys and games are being displayed in the main ballroom where we had the dance last night. The other half of the toys and games are being shown in the resort library. Those are the more tame things like enchanted board games and stuff. Then there's the arts section. They're set up in the resort's art gallery and the recreation center. Or at least that was what the plan was. They might have moved some people around when they got here to see who fit where better. Anyway, some of the exhibitions have demos that they'll be putting on to show off their inventions. The times for those are listed here on the flyer or on the bulletins we have set up by the door of each building or major area."

"So it shouldn't be too hard to find things," Kaito concluded. "Will they announce the major demonstrations? I wanted to go to the library area, but I don't want to miss the Fireworks Wand demo this afternoon."

"They should announce the major demos over the resort's broadcast system fifteen minutes before they're supposed to start," Sonoko replied. "That should give you plenty of time to finish up whatever you were doing and head to the venue."

Kaito smiled. "Awesome. In that case, how about coming with me to check out some of those games in the library? Those should be more fun with more people."

"I actually wanted to go through the culinary and home appliances exhibits first," Ran admitted. "Some of the items they've listed in the program sound like they might be useful. I thought I should examine them while Dad's still sleeping. If they're helpful and use only spells that can be actuated and deactivated then I might actually be able to get some things for use at home."

"Ah, right. I guess you wouldn't be able to use anything that relied on spells that are always active because of your father's curse," Kaito mused. "I've never thought about it before, but curses like his must make a lot of things more complicated, especially with how many tools these days employ magic."

"It can be tough," the brunette agreed. "But we're all used to it. We have some appliances that use magic, but nothing we can't live without. We can use them when Dad's not home."

"I assume that means you guys don't have enchanted games at home then."

Ran shook her head.

"Ran can't even really practice her spells at home," Sonoko put in. "It's pretty crazy. But it's got its uses too."

"Uses?"

"It's helpful when he's working," Shinichi piped up. By now, he had imbibed enough coffee to be coherent—and to start worrying that Sonoko might be tempted to share more of her embarrassing stories. "Last week, one of the suspects in a murder case he was helping the police with tried to make a run for it. He attacked Uncle Kogoro with some kind of spell, but it had no effect. He was so surprised that he ran right into one of the police officers, and they ended up catching him without anyone else getting hurt."

Kaito chuckled. "I see what you mean. That is useful."

They spent the next ten minutes discussing the various exhibits listed on the program and consulting the resort map. Eventually, it was decided that they would all visit the toys and games exhibition in the main ballroom then head over to Minamoto's petting zoo, at which point they would split up: Ran to go see the culinary and home appliances, Sonoko to go watch Makoto's demonstration, and Kaito and Shinichi to explore the rest of the games being displayed in the library. Plans made and stomachs full, they set out just as the breakfast buffet was really beginning to fill up with hungry guests.

The early start meant that they had to contend with very little competition for the opportunity to try out many of the games being exhibited in the ballroom. The place had been transformed overnight into something that closer resembled an arcade, and the men and women at every booth were more than eager to laud the wonders of their wares. They ended up playing a game of table hockey where the puck was invisible and the players could use only their hearing to determine where it was and how fast it was moving. There was a zero gravity sphere in which people simulated a moment in outer space. The experience could be enhanced by activating a spell that started an illusion that made the person inside the zero gravity sphere see nothing but endless empty blackness and a scattering of distant stars. They also tested a chalk that could draw temporary, solid images in mid air and shot arrows at targets that ran about on little legs and changed colors and running speed depending on the accuracy and power of the archers' shots.

The petting zoo was already crowded when they got there, and it was easy to see why. The very realistic if supersized squirrels, chipmunks, hamsters, and other cute, cuddly creatures were simply too adorable. They were incredibly friendly too, giving the smaller children rides and even playing simple games with the guests ranging from tag to hide and seek.

According to one of the signs arrayed about the forested enclosure, the faux animals could even be trained to take on new tasks. Though, in order to keep them running, they needed to be charged regularly by an Earth Mage who had mastered the appropriate spells.

"Truly incredible," Kaito marveled, scratching a giant chipmunk behind the ears. "And so fluffy too."

Shinichi's response was rather muffled as the chipmunk had decided that it wanted to give him a hug, and he was now drowning in fur as he tried unsuccessfully to extricate himself. His head was spinning by the time the chipmunk relented and let him go. He staggered back and might have fallen if a pair of strong hands hadn't caught him under the arms and righted him, leaving him blinking up into Kaito's grinning face.

"So shall we head for the library now or did you want to spend some more time with your new friend?" Kaito asked, nodding at the chipmunk, who tilted its head to one side and chattered.

Shinichi edged away from the animal. It was cute and all, but apparently it didn't understand that humans needed oxygen. "Where's Ran?"

"She just left with Suzuki-chan. She says to have fun. She also said to tell you to stick with me and not to go running off on your own."

Shinichi blushed and grumbled under his breath, but he didn't complain when Kaito took his hand to lead them out of the enclosure. Then again, he was too busy wondering about the fluttering in his stomach to even think about protesting against being treated like a child.

The library turned out to be a spectacular work of architecture with rows of tall windows and a stained glass roof with towering shelves. The floors were covered in a fine carpet patterned like autumn leaves. The heart of the library was a circular space furnished with elegant, wooden reading tables and chairs. A scattering of similar but much smaller reading areas were distributed amidst the shelves, peaceful meadows in this forest of knowledge.

Kaito must have had a specific destination in mind because he led Shinichi past multiple exhibits before fetching in up front of a display that, judging from its lack of visitors, was not very popular. A single elderly man sat at the table, which was strewn with a dozen large books.

"Hey Jii-san," Kaito greeted the old man. "Any of the books free? Little Conan here and I would like to use one."

Shinichi's brows furrowed in confusion at the odd choice of words.

Jii smiled. "These four are available." He shifted the books on the table around and lined four of them up in front of Kaito. "I know you like The Wayward Road. If you wait another fifteen minutes or so, you can use that one."

"Nah. We'll use this one." Kaito picked up a red book with a maple tree embossed in gold on the cover and the words A Bell in Autumn stamped beneath it.

Book in hand, he turned to Shinichi. "Ready?"

He was met with a dubious look. "For what?"

"I'll take that as a yes," Kaito said cheerfully. Alarmed, for he recognized the manic gleam in the Sky Mage's eyes, Shinichi opened his mouth to protest. But it was already too late. Kaito had grabbed Shinichi's hand in his left hand as he flipped open the book with his right.

"A Bell in Autumn," he said clearly, and the world around them vanished.

X

The old man who Kaito had called Jii caught the red book with the golden maple tree on the cover before it could hit the ground. Turning, he placed it back on the table with its fellows then returned to his seat. Once again, he was the only person in the area.

TBC